Xi expects his visit to take China-Tajikistan all-round cooperation to higher level

Xinhua) 08:03, July 05, 2024

DUSHANBE, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed here Thursday to take the China-Tajikistan all-round cooperation to a higher level.

In a written statement upon arrival in the Tajik capital, Xi said he looks forward to holding talks with President Emomali Rahmon during the visit.

He also said that he and Rahmon are expected to make new plans and arrangements for the development of China-Tajikistan relations in light of the new circumstances and have an in-depth exchange of views on the current international and regional situation.

It is believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, this visit will be a complete success, Xi added.

Xi recalled his previous two visits to Tajikistan in 2014 and 2019, expressing his cordial feelings upon visiting this beautiful country after five years.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi extended his sincere greetings and best wishes to the government and people of Tajikistan.

China and Tajikistan are good neighbors who help each other, good friends who support each other, good partners with mutual benefit and win-win results, and good brothers who treat each other with absolute sincerity, Xi said.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 32 years ago, China-Tajikistan relations have achieved sustained, rapid and sound development, growing from good-neighborly friendship to a strategic partnership and then to a comprehensive strategic partnership, becoming a model for neighboring countries' relations, Xi said.

The two countries share solid political mutual trust and always firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, he said.

Noting that China has become Tajikistan's second-largest trading partner, Xi said, their Belt and Road cooperation has yielded fruitful results with two-way trade constantly setting new records.

At the airport, Rahmon held a grand welcome ceremony. Tajik children presented flowers to Xi.

More than 1,500 young Tajiks dressed in national costumes performed Chinese and Tajik songs and dances, and waved the flags of China and Tajikistan to express their warm welcome to the most honored guest from China.

Xi landed in Dushanbe after attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, and a state visit to Kazakhstan. Three Kazakh Air Force jets escorted Xi's plane after it took off.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Israel launches airstrikes on S. Lebanon after Hezbollah's retaliatory attacks

Xinhua) 09:26, July 05, 2024

This photo posted on social media shows Israeli air defense systems launched for interception in northern Israel on July 4, 2024. (Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army said Thursday that it launched airstrikes on Lebanon after the Lebanese group Hezbollah fired at least 175 rockets, missiles and drones at northern Israel in retaliation for an airstrike that killed one of its senior commanders.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that about 160 rockets and missiles, as well as more than 15 drones, were fired at northern Israel.

"Numerous projectiles and suspicious aerial targets crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory," IDF said, adding that its Aerial Defense Array and the Israel Air Force "operated to intercept them and successfully intercepted several targets and projectiles."

However, some explosive drones and shrapnel from the interceptions hit several areas, sparking fires, the army said.

"The IDF is currently striking launch posts in southern Lebanon," read the statement.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah confirmed earlier in the day that it attacked several Israeli sites in response to Israel's assassination of a senior commander, Mohammad Naameh Nasser, in Lebanon's southwest city of Tyre.

"Today, Thursday, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance bombed, with 20 drones and about 200 Katyusha and Falaq missiles, several Israeli sites and leadership headquarters in the Galilee and the occupied Syrian Golan," Hezbollah said in a statement.

According to the statement, Hezbollah attacked the bases of Eilat, Katsavia, Dadu, Kiryat Shmona, the Zarit and Al-Raheb sites, and the Keila barracks.

A Lebanese military source told Xinhua that the Lebanese army positions monitored the launching of about 25 drones and more than 150 surface-to-surface missiles from the Lebanese side to the Israeli side, and some of them were intercepted by Israeli Iron Dome missiles.

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.

This photo posted on social media shows Israeli air defense systems launched for interception in northern Israel on July 4, 2024. (Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
DUSHANBE, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China and Tajikistan on Friday expressed their support in a joint statement for the establishment of an inclusive government with the participation of representatives of all ethnic, religious and political groups in Afghanistan.

According to the joint statement, the two sides reaffirmed that an independent, neutral, united, inclusive and peaceful Afghanistan, which is free from terrorism, war and drugs and lives in peace and harmony with all of its neighbors, is in the common interests of the Afghan people and all countries in the region.

The joint statement was issued during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Tajikistan after attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana and paying a state visit to Kazakhstan. 
Laos updates visa policy to attract tourists

By Vietnam News Agency Fri, July 5, 2024 | 10:19 pm GMT+7

The Lao Ministry of Public Security has announced the implementation of the relaxed visa policy to attract international arrivals and unlock the tourism potential through its Visit Laos 2024 programme.

Lao relaxes its visa policy to attract more international visitors. Photo courtesy of Laotiantimes.

Visa-free travel for 15 days is provided for Chinese tourists travelling in groups organised by agencies that have officially registered and licenced by the Lao Ministry of Tourism.

Citizens from Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Spain and Greece are exempted from visa requirements for their first 15-day visit to Laos.

The country lengthens the stay period of a multiple-entry visa from 30 days to 60 days for those from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

As for tourists from Thailand travelling in groups with passports and temporary border passes, they are allowed to stay in Laos for up to 10 days, longer than the previous time limit of three days. Besides, they can visit three provinces adjacent to their original points of arrival.

During January-April, Laos hosted some 1.5 million international tourists, up 35% year-on-year, with Vietnam being the second largest source market.

The country expects to welcome more than 4.6 million foreign arrivals this year, and gain $1.3 billion in tourism revenue.
US applauds Vietnam's issuance of direct power purchase agreement rules

By Tri Duc Fri, July 5, 2024 | 8:34 pm GMT+7

The U.S. Mission to Vietnam, having supported Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade in designing and developing the direct power purchase agreement (DPPA) decree, has applauded the Vietnamese government for approving the DPPA decree.

In a Friday statement, the U.S. Mission to Vietnam said the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) would continue to partner with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on the DPPAs implementation.

A solar farm in An Giang province, southern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of the USAID.

"Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership marks a new era of collaboration between our two nations, and the DPPA is a testament to our deepening ties and shared commitment to sustainable development," said U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper.

When implemented, the new policy will allow businesses in Vietnam to purchase electricity directly from private firms producing renewable energy, enabling them to power their operations with 100% renewable energy, according to the U.S. Embassy.

This will help Vietnam attract private sector investment in renewable energy while meeting the needs of corporate leaders seeking to integrate renewable energy into their operations and achieve their corporations emissions reduction targets, the embassy added.

"The U.S. Mission to Vietnam through the USAID is honored to have partnered with the Ministry of Industry and Trade over several years to reach this milestone," said USAID/Vietnam Mission director Aler Grubbs.

"The DPPA will enable businesses to reduce their carbon footprint while also enabling Vietnam to accelerate its clean energy transition and advance its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The United States remains Vietnams partner as you roll out this important initiative, and expand Vietnams access to clean and renewable energy," Grubbs added.

The DPPA will enable international and domestic businesses in Vietnam to achieve greater carbon-reduction toward their net-zero goals while accelerating the countrys clean energy transition.

The United States partners with Vietnam to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to climate change for those most vulnerable to its impacts, by, in part, supporting a fair and inclusive energy transition, the embassy stated.

"The United States is a committed partner of Vietnam in advancing the countrys transition to a clean, secure, and market-based energy sector, in line with our two countries shared priorities under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," it added.
Vietnam ministry cancels coal-fired Song Hau 2 power plant, Malaysian investor explores options

By Tri Duc Fri, July 5, 2024 | 11:12 am GMT+7

Vietnams Ministry of Industry and Trade has terminated the $3 billion Song Hau 2 thermal power plant and sent a notice to Malaysias Toyo Ink Group Berhad, the parent firm of the project investor.

The Vietnamese ministry sent the notice on July 1, immediately after the project reached its deadline at end-June to remedy the financial arrangement, according to a Thursday filing sent to the Bursa Malaysia stock exchange by Toyo Ventures Holdings Berhad, the parent firm of Toyo Ink Group Berhad.

Toyo Ventures Holdings Berhad is evaluating the development and will be seeking legal advice to explore appropriate actions and remedies for the project, according to the filing.

An illustration of Song Hau 2 coal-fired BOT power plant. Photo courtesy of Power Engineering Consulting JSC 2.

Hau Giang province and Toyo Ink Behard signed an agreement to build the 2,120 MW project under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) format in December 2015.

The project missed its initial completion deadline of Q2/2022, partly due to the investors inability to meet its capital obligations.

Last month, the investor secured a $980 million loan from Eximbank Malaysia to develop the project. The financing will be used for the design, equipment purchase, construction and operation of the long-delayed thermal power plant located in Hau Giang's Chau Thanh district.

Earlier this week, Song Hau 2 Power Company Limited, the investor of the long-delayed thermal power plant, extended the issuance of a Note to Proceed (NTP) for the project to December 31 or earlier.
The European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) has issued a statement refuting claims by a Russian evangelical leader who told Christian Daily International that the country he loved is being attacked by the countries of the entire Western Christian world. They also deny a division between evangelicals in the East and the West, and outlined what they consider to be the only way to lasting peace.

In an interview published on Monday, July 1, Rev. Vitaly Vlasenko, a Baptist minister in Moscow and General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance, spoke honestly about his struggles with the ongoing war and recurring feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.

It is very difficult in this situation to be a faithful citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven and remain a decent citizen and patriot of your earthly Fatherland. It is very difficult to hear about the pain and see the suffering of people in a war zone and find the strength to maintain self-control not to go crazy, he said.

It is very difficult to speak words of consolation to the loved ones of the victims when everything is so ambiguous.

He then went on to speak about his desire to see a resolution of the conflict but bemoaned the prevalent language from the Western world, which seemed to include Christians, saying, It is very difficult when, instead of calls for peace and negotiations to end the war, you hear about the military defeat of your country on the battlefield.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

Are there really no sane people in the whole world who are capable of taking responsibility and finding a solution to this conflict? he asked.

He expressed appreciation for the Christians around the world who watch and spiritually care for us in Russia despite any political and cultural or any other disagreements, during this period of severe political confrontation with the world. Yet, he also lamented what he described as an apparent continuation of the Great Schism of 1054, which divided the Church into East and West.

Is it really that we, as evangelical Christians, cannot act as a united front, but stand on opposite sides of the political barricades? he asked.

However, in response to the interview in Christian Daily International, the EEA issued a press release today (July 4) countering these claims and specifying their own position on what they believe it takes to accomplish peace in Ukraine.

We do not acknowledge any division of evangelicals between East and West. Nor do we accept that Russia is being attacked by the countries of the entire Western Christian world. No country is attacking Russia, the statement said.

The EEA acknowledged Vlasenkos anguish at the pain and suffering caused by the war in Ukraine.

The evangelical body that represents national Evangelical Alliances in 35 European countries - including the Russia Evangelical Alliance - stated that his feelings are shared by many evangelicals in Russia. They also took note of Vlasenkos plea for the global community of evangelical Christians to do everything they can to stop the war.

However, in their response to his call, the EEA said the way for peace between Ukraine and Russia is simple.

Russia must withdraw completely from Ukrainian territory that it invaded in 2014 and also from the land that it took in 2022, the EEA said.



Russias invasions and occupation and devastation are illegal. Russia had no provocation to invade.

Ukraine as an autonomous state has the right to defend itself and choose its own future. There is nothing ambiguous about this war.

The EEA said it holds a weekly prayer meeting for both countries, in which participants pray for Gods shalom in both countries.

We love both and we certainly love our evangelical brothers and sisters in both lands. But many countries are united in seeking to defend Ukraine and to prepare defensively in case Russia decides to invade another nation.

We also pray weekly for peace with justice for Ukraine. Justice means Ukraine having its territory back and for Russia to pay fair reparations for the damage it has caused.

Reconciliation is needed but peace with justice and truth must come first. Vitaly is right that the suffering is immense and that we must do all that we can to stop the war and prevent military escalation.

So, we redouble our efforts to pray to see miraculous change in the situation which will bring about a just and lasting peace.
(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).


Dubai recorded the highest volume and value of transactions ever in the second quarter (Q2), with the total number hitting 43,522, an increase by 45% compared to Q2 2023.

The value of transactions increased by 37%, totalling AED124.4 billion ($33.9 billion), according to Property Finder, Menas leading property portal. Market volume peaked, surpassing the previous high achieved in Q1 2024 by 17%, while transaction values exceeded the previous peak recorded in Q4 2023 by 2%. On the other hand, Abu Dhabi saw over 2,489 transactions with values reaching almost AED6.7 billion.

In Abu Dhabi, existing properties have shown a YoY increase of approximately 41% in volume with around 1,166 transactions in Q2 2024. The value of these transactions increased by 42% YoY, touching AED3.8 billion, compared to AED2.7 billion in Q2 2023.

Existing properties contributed to 57% of the total sales transactions value compared to 33% in Q2 2023, revealing growth in returns and preference for ready properties. On the contrary, Abu Dhabi registered around 1,323 off-plan transactions in Q2 2024, representing 53% of the total transactions. Sales transaction values in Q2 2024 reached AED2.87 billion, contributing to 43% of the total value.

Off-plan properties with attractive benefits

In Q2 2024, the off-plan market in Dubai nearly reached its 2009 peak, with 26,268 transactions compared to 26,629 in 2009, marking a mere 1% difference.

The off-plan sector experienced a remarkable YoY growth of 80% in Q2 2024, compared with 14,596 transactions recorded in Q2 2023. This represents 60.4% of the total transaction volume. This was the first time that off-plan transactions contributed to more than 60% of the total transaction volume, up from 51% in Q2 2023.

Additionally, off-plan value transactions reached a record high of AED53,214 billion, exceeding the previous peak of 47,416 billion in Q3 2023 by 12%. Consequently, off-plan transactions accounted for 57% of the total transaction value, reflecting a 54% year-on-year increase compared to Q2 2023.

A YoY increase of approximately 12% in volume, with nearly 17,254 ready property transactions was seen in Dubai. The value of these transactions surged by 27% year-on-year, reaching AED71 billion compared to AED56 billion in Q2 2023. Although, the market share of existing properties accounted for only 39.6% of the total sales transactions for the quarter, showing a growing inclination towards off-plan properties in the city.

New projects to look out for

According to Property Finders new projects overview, buyers looking to invest in upcoming builds, or those in early stages - have a wealth of options available to them. In tandem, the Data Guru research tool offers insights on communities and localities, providing a contextual deep dive, and supporting the decision making process. Popular areas for ownership cited in part months include Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Jumeirah Village Circle, Business Bay and Palm Jumeirah.

Our quarterly findings spotlight the diversity of options available to home seekers in the UAE, with attractive investment opportunities catering to a breadth of buyers, irrespective of affluence, locality preference, maturity within the market and required facilities.

We see this across the demand for more ready properties in Abu Dhabi, as well as longer term off-plan investments in Dubai. These trends can be attributed in part to the efforts of regulators such as the DLD, who remain committed to working with private players to ensure market transparency. This further contributes to the UAE fast becoming one of the top destinations for investors globally, cited by our recently launched white paper.

While the volume of options is evident, reliable sources, relevant data and a sound understanding of market trends are needed to ensure buyers are making the right choice. In this vein and being the regions leading proptech enabler, we continue to provide a host of comprehensive data tools and features to further grow industry trust and transparency, said Cherif Sleiman, Chief Revenue Officer, Property Finder.--TradeArabia News Service
Art Here 2024 to take place under Louvre Abu Dhabi's iconic dome

Louvre Abu Dhabi and Swiss watchmaking brand Richard Mille have announced the jury and shortlisted artists for the fourth edition of the much-anticipated annual exhibition and competition, Art Here 2024 and the Richard Mille Art Prize.

Richard Mille Art Prize continues to support the regions dynamic art scene by empowering local and regional artists offering them a prominent platform to display their work and expand their creative horizons, a statement said.

The jury for this years edition, now expanded to include North Africa alongside the GCC, comprises leading members from diverse backgrounds in the cultural world, each bringing a unique perspective to the selection process.

Returning to the jury are Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Founder and Chairman of the satellite art platform UAE Unlimited, which supports emerging artists based in the UAE, a prominent patron and collector of the arts and a board member of the British Museum and Centre Pompidou for the acquisition of Middle Eastern Art.

This is in addition to Guilhem Andre, Scientific Curatorial and Collection Management Director at Louvre Abu Dhabi, a seasoned museum professional, and art historian.

Dr Andre is committed to building the collection at the highest level of quality and to show, within the museums galleries, artworks by local and regional contemporary artists, fostering cultural exchanges and celebrating artistic diversity.

New jury members include Simon Njami, independent curator, lecturer, art critic and novelist who has curated numerous international exhibitions spotlighting African and non-Western contemporary artists; Nujoom Alghanem, a renowned Emirati poet, artist and multi-award-winning film director; and Maya Allison, the founding Director of the Art Gallery and Chief Curator at New York University Abu Dhabi.

This year, Louvre Abu Dhabi and guest curator, Simon Njami, invited artists to respond to the theme Awakenings.

The shortlisted artists are tasked with translating the concept of openness into visual forms. Openness signifies beginnings where possibilities are available at any given moment and implies the choices and decisions that lead to the direction one chooses to follow.

The shortlisted artists will produce sculptures or audio-visual installations that address questions of today and the near future. Produced artworks will be showcased at the museum from 20 September to December 15, 2024.

Manuel Rabate, Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, said: We are delighted to acknowledge our esteemed partnership with Richard Mille for the fourth year, bringing together a distinguished international jury.

This collaboration enables the museum to continuously innovate and present new, creative themes, such as Awakenings, inviting artists to engage in and translate the concept of openness into visual forms.

This year's edition has attracted submissions from a wide array of talent residing across the UAE, GCC, North Africa, and beyond. Works by five exceptional artists from the UAE, Tunisia and Egypt, have been shortlisted from 230 total submissions to be featured in the 2024 Art Here exhibition, each bringing unique perspectives and artistic practices.

Ferielle Doulain-Zouari, a Franco-Tunisian artist, utilises installations, sculptures, and weavings to explore the coexistence of natural and artificial worlds.

Lamya Gargash is an Emirati artist who focuses on the essence of inhabited and abandoned spaces, delving into cultural heritage amidst rapid modernisation, and capturing the beauty of human trace and the value of the mundane.

Egyptian artist Moataz Nasr investigates the notion of identity and belonging in a world of globalisation, probing into the geopolitics and social development of Egypt and Africa.

Sarah Almehairi from Abu Dhabi focuses on language, materiality, and memory, using geometric shapes to unfold narratives.

Nicene Kossentini from Tunisia uses video to capture, picture by picture, the slow transformation of people and things, revealing intimate places and bodies and uncovering the buried truths of her heritage.

These artists' works will be showcased at Louvre Abu Dhabi from 20 September 2024, each competing for the prestigious Richard Mille Art Prize and its accompanying $60,000 cash award.

Peter Harrison, CEO of Richard Mille EMEA, said: "With the fourth edition of the Richard Mille Art Prize, I am thrilled to see our expansion into the North African region, a new frontier of artistic expression.

Simon Njami, Curator of Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2024, said: "I am honoured to curate and join the jury for this years Art Here and The Richard Mille Art Prize. 'Awakenings' is a powerful theme that challenges artists to delve into moments of change, revelation, and transformation.

This year's expansion into North Africa leverages curator Simon Njami's deep expertise in the region, highlighting the museum's commitment to presenting a diverse array of artistic voices. Art Here 2024 will take place under Louvre Abu Dhabi's iconic dome, drawing on the interplay of light and shadow, and offering artists a unique setting to exhibit their works.  TradeArabia News Service
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) announced a series of key agreements under its Musataha programme at the third edition of the ongoing Al Multaqa meetings.

The meetings, which were launched in 2023, are specifically targeted at engaging with family offices to accelerate and participate in Abu Dhabis economic growth.

At the meeting, ADIO signed a Musataha agreement with Al Ittihad National Private School, which will see the operator establishing a pioneering new private school in Khalifa City. Built on a plot spanning 25,000 sq m, the school will be able to accommodate up to 3,000 students.

Community centres

Key community centres will also be developed in Madinat Al Riyadh, Ghiyathi and Al Shawamekh. The centres will offer retail and F&B options for communities in and around these major residential areas in the Emirate and support sustainable growth goals.

Mansoor Al Bastaki, Head of Musataha at ADIO, said: We are proud to be collaborating closely with Abu Dhabis family offices in order to develop community projects that address the need for establishing key development initiatives across different areas of the Emirate. The upcoming commercial centres and private school reflect our ongoing commitment to leverage public-private partnerships towards enhancing the quality of life and wellbeing of citizens and residents across Abu Dhabi.

Family offices in Abu Dhabi continue to play a pivotal role in driving the Emirates economic ambitions. To measure their impact, and to rank various metrics related to family-owned or family-controlled businesses in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has recently partnered with United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) to launch the Abu Dhabi Family Business Index. The index is expected to be of immense value to investors, policymakers, academics, and members of the public as it will provide an understanding of the role and influence of family businesses on Abu Dhabis economy and society, potentially shaping future strategies and decisions.--TradeArabia News Service
At an event held at One&Only One Zaabeel hotel in Dubai, Michelin unveiled its new selection of restaurants for The Michelin Guide Dubai 2024.

A total of 106 establishments, covering 35 different types of cuisine, have been picked by the famously anonymous Michelin Inspectors and made it to this years final selection.

For this third edition, The Michelin Guide Dubai recognises four new one Michelin Star restaurants, and one new two Michelin Stars restaurant, as well as six new Bib Gourmands.

Dubai is now truly recognised as an international gastronomic destination and its impressive development continues year on year, said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of The Michelin Guides.

Its appeal isnt just with international travellers or local gourmets; talented chefs and restaurateurs from around the world are now also attracted by its vibrant dining scene and arrive keen to make their own mark in the city.

With so many different styles of restaurant and types of cuisine, there really is something for everyone.

One new restaurant awarded two Michelin Stars

Row on 45 is not only new to the Guide but goes straight in with two Michelin Stars. It comes from acclaimed British chef Jason Atherton and is located on the 45th floor of The Grosvenor House. It offers a tasting menu to just 22 people, where Japanese ingredients are married with French techniques to provide exquisite and refined dishes. Refinement Of Work indeed.

Four restaurants newly awarded one Michelin Star

Dubai adds four new one Michelin Star restaurants to its constellation.

La Dame de Pic is acclaimed chef Anne-Sophie Pics debut in Dubai and she is rewarded with a Michelin Star for her modern French cuisine. She introduces a few subtle local influences in some of her famous and celebrated signature dishes.

Smoked Room is another restaurant that goes straight into the Guide with a Michelin Star. In 2024, Chef Dani Garcia introduced Dubai diners to this sister restaurant to his flagship in Madrid. Fire and grills are used to great effect in the creative dishes.

Sagetsu by Tetsuya, under talented chef Tetsuya Wakuda and his team, offers a sublime culinary experience by fusing Japanese and French culinary influences in chic, serene surroundings. It also goes straight into the Guide with a Michelin Star.

Orfali Bros is run by three Syrian brothers and provides globally influenced small plates that are bold and balanced. This deservedly popular restaurant has matured and developed and, having previously received a Bib Gourmand, is now the recipient of a Michelin Star.

All the restaurants awarded one Michelin Star in the 2023 selection maintain their distinction this year, bringing the total to four restaurants with two Michelin Stars and 15 restaurants with one Michelin Star.

Six restaurants receive a Bib Gourmand

In addition to the new Michelin Stars, six new Bib Gourmands were announced for Dubai. Named after Bibendum, the official name of the Michelin Man, the Bib Gourmand is the award for restaurants that offer great quality, great value cooking.

The six restaurants are:

DUO Gastrobar: a contemporary restaurant offering a mix of Asian and European flavours.

Revelry: little sister to avatara, which is next door, this Indian 'tapas bar' offers a mix of the traditional and the modern.

Berenjak: Plenty of Persian classics are on offer at this sister branch to the London original.

Hoe Lee Kow: another venture from notable local chef Reif Othman, this Korean eatery specializes in barbecue.

REIF Japanese Kushiyaki  Dubai Hills: a second branch, this one in Dubai Hills, offering everything from kushiyaki to classics with a modern twist.

Konjiki Hototogisu: a very likeable Japanese restaurant on the second floor of the Mall of the Emirates, specialising in ramen and other favourites.

Michelin Special Awards

With its Special Awards, The Michelin Guide aims to highlight and celebrate the amazing diversity of the roles within the hospitality industry, as well as its most talented and inspiring professionals.

Young Chef Award

This year, the Young Chef Award goes to Jesus Lobato Suarez who, at just 30 years old, is Head Chef at Smoked Room, which has gained a Michelin Star for 2024. This focused young chef has a calming and relaxed demeanour. He leads from the front and has a maturity well beyond his years.

Sommelier Award

The Sommelier Award goes to Michael Mpofu, the South African Sommelier at Celebrities by Mauro Colagreco. His warm, affable and friendly approach is coupled with a clear passion for wine. Michaels infectious and engaging style and his comprehensive knowledge puts every guest at ease and elevates every dining experience. His recommendations are always spot on.

The Service Award

The Service Award is given to the team at DuangDy by BO.LAN. The warm Thai hospitality is led by General Manager Apichaya Khomson and Team Leader Veerawich (Champion) Chanthawatthamkul. The team makes a great effort to ensure everyone feels so welcome and their friendliness and warmth makes dining here a true pleasure.

The Opening of the Year for 2024

The Opening of the Year for 2024 goes to The Guild. ICD Brookfield is now home to somewhere that really does offer something for everyone. From a coffee shop to a greenhouse-style meeting room, a cocktail bar to a choice of two restaurants, whatever it is youre looking for, youll find it here.

The Guild is strikingly designed, deservedly busy, run with confidence and ability, and is a great addition to the citys dining scene.  TradeArabia News Service
Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region, has appointed a new Corporate Director of Learning and Development, who will support the building of talent pools and the companys leadership initiatives.

In line with the groups well-established focus on colleagues development, the appointment will see Rory Coote refresh and relaunch Rotanas offering, including its flagship Tarot (The Accelerated Refinement of Talent) programme aimed at offering Rotana colleagues fast-track development with progressive growth opportunities.

Another key focus will be Rotanas Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD) programme, which is aimed at building the leadership capacities and skills of senior managers.

Coote will also be involved in the companys unique Duroob programme through which Rotana taps into native talent pools in host countries, ensuring young, local citizens are recruited and offered the training, mentoring, and work experience needed to secure employment in the industry.

He will also support the companys Women in Leadership initiative and be directly involved in redefining the fundamentals of what brings Rotanas promise of Treasured Time to life for guests.

Joseph Abou Yaghi, VP  Human Resources at Rotana, said: We are excited to welcome Rory to the team. One of our most valuable assets is our colleagues, and with Rorys guidance, they will be able to soar to new heights.

At Rotana, we are serious about investing in our colleagues, not only to help them achieve their goals but also to ensure each of our guests has the most memorable experience possible.

With his exceptional experience across the full training cycle in the hospitality sector, we are confident that Rory will play a positive role in developing our colleagues and company.

A seasoned professional, Coote brings 12 years of experience to Rotana. This includes practical training, work in needs analysis, and content and programme design for both classroom and online environments.

Before joining Rotana, Coote held the role of Area Head of Learning and Development at The Dorchester, 45 Park Lane, and Coworth Park Hotels in England.

He was also a Regional Training Manager for InterContinental Hotels Group, positions that provided him with valuable insight into the training needs of hospitality employees.

I am thrilled to join Rotana as Corporate Director of Learning and Development and look forward to helping build this extraordinary company and its people, taking Rotana to new levels of service excellence and delivering on our promise of creating Treasured Time through exceptional service at all levels of the organisation, Coote said.

Rotana currently operates 77 hotels in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkiye, serving more than six million guests per year. Rotanas overall pipeline currently spans 10,040 keys across six superlative brands, including an impressive 40 international hotels and seven new properties in the UAE alone.  TradeArabia News Service
Local officials in Indonesia on Sunday (June 30) stopped a wedding ceremony and banned the church from further worship meetings at the site, sources said.

In Mergosari, Tarik District, Sidoarjo Regency of Java island, village head Eko Budi Santoso halted the wedding at the Pentecostal Church in Indonesia (Gereja Pentekosta di Indonesia, or GPdI) site and banned them from meeting, claiming the congregation lacked a building permit and that area residents opposed their church, local media reported.

Area residents in the Muslim-majority country reportedly said they were not opposed to the presence of the church worshipping at the House of Prayer, a structure that does not have the function and markings of a church building.

Declining to allow the congregation to finish the wedding and worship, Eko and five state officials took Pastor Yoab Setiawan to a roadside stall to tell him they were responding to public complaints about the existence of the prayer house and the lack of permit, according to media outlet radarsidoarjo.jawapos.com.

A video by the Hagios Legal Aid Institute (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum, or LBH), shows Pastor Setiawan telling the officials that they might first ban the prostitution taking place in front of the village head office. The pastors wife, Lidya Laviyanti, adds, Were not causing any trouble, sir. Were sorry, we ask for your understanding. We come from everywhere. We are a minority group. Our congregation is small in number. So please understand.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

Village head Eko, motioning to the head of the community association and the head of the neighborhood association, says all activities must have permission from the neighborhood.

Pastor Setiawan and his wife ask him what activities, and Eko responds, All activities. Period, and ends the discussion.

The House of Prayer is registered through a local government report certificate signed by the Christian Community Guidance Regional Office leader, Luki Krispriyanto, on Dec. 7, 2023, according to International Christian Concern (ICC), which said Eko admitted he was not aware of the certificate.

At a meeting with the parties in conflict at the office of the village head in Mergosari village, 10 miles from Surabaya, on Monday (July 1), the acting regent of Sidoarjo, identified only as Subandi, supported the ban at the site but said congregation members could worship at home, according to Celah.id.

Officials at the meeting concluded that the church must obtain a building permit, which they said they would expedite. They gave a deadline of one month to complete the permit.

While waiting for permission to be completed, you can worship at home, Subandi said on Tuesday (July 2), according to celah.id. It doesnt mean that you are not allowed to worship.

Asserting that residents welcomed construction of a place of worship and upheld tolerance among religious communities, Subandi suggested the parties build good communication among themselves.

An area resident said that they were not disturbed by the congregations worship activities, according to detik.com. Even when hundreds of people attended, the residents welcomed them, said the resident, identified as 53-year-old Mulyati. Another resident, 25-year-old Agus Febro, said that residents, especially young people, never felt unrest due to the prayer houses Sunday activities.

Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, a human rights organization, said the case was a clear sign of state subordination to the will of the intolerant groups.

Local political constellations and electoral interests, in gaining support from the masses, make public officials choose sides and accommodate the demands of intolerant groups, Bonar told Morning Star News. They intentionally ignore it, even though it is considered to violate the constitution.

Indonesia ranked 42nd on Christian support organization Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to the WWL report.
Standing next to his defender, Christopher James Schmidt told a judge Friday that he was pleading not guilty to eight counts of child sexual abuse. Schmidt is accused of possessing child pornography, initiating sexual contact with a child and exploiting minors, court documents say.

The FBI received an online tip that a Kik user offered to send them pornographic images of an underage girl, the Star-Tribune previously reported.

The list of charges has been amended twice, documents the Star-Tribune obtained from the Natrona County Courthouse show, and on Friday morning, a judge asked the deputy district attorney representing the state to amend them once more. Originally, Schmidt was charged with 10 counts of child sexual abuse.

During Fridays arraignment, he was charged with eight.

The dates of the charges start in July 2022 and go up to May of this year.

Following the initial tip, the Star-Tribune wrote in May, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force another Cybertip that contained suggestive messages from an account believed to belong to the defendant, according to the affidavit.

The Star-Tribune reported that the messages included You should of seen her, followed by two drooling emojis; and other messages that the Star-Tribune has elected not to include due to risk of identifying victims.

Following the tips, the affidavit says authorities obtained warrants to investigate Schmidts home. Per the affidavit, online search warrants were executed on May 10 and personal search warrants  which covered Schmidts person and home  were executed on May 13, the Star-Tribune reported.

In the ensuing raids, the affidavit says agents obtained five separate conversations Schmidt allegedly had with other users regarding his proclivities. A recurring theme included asking other users to guess the victims age and expressing excitement via emojis when telling other users to guess lower, according to a review of the affidavit that the Star-Tribune did in May.

Schmidts trial is scheduled to start on Sept. 9.
Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

Your notification has been saved.

There was a problem saving your notification.

{{description}}

Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
The mother of the suspect in the double murder of Tara Geeta Ramsaroop and her infant daught
King Charles III and leaders around the world will be extending their congratulations to new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the Labour Partys thumping victory in the U.K. General Election yesterday, July 4.

The party won 412 seats at the time of publication, impressively dominating the previous Conservative Government, which slumped into second place with only 121 seats.

Labour, in its prior electioneering for a mission-driven administration, claimed that governments worked best when working in partnership with business, trade unions, communities - and faith groups. So what does that mean for evangelical Christians, of whatever political persuasion who, according to Talking Jesus research, make up six cent of the 68 million adults living in the country?

The unraveling of policies and promises into actions remains, of course, a wait and see as the first Labour Government in 14 years finds its feet. But there are some snippets of whats to come for evangelicals from the political partys published election manifesto in the areas of sexuality rights, asylum seekers and poverty.

A practicing homosexual seeking help from a church minister, for example, would likely not be allowed to receive prayer and support in accordance with biblical teaching to change their stated sexuality. Labour plans to ban what it calls conversion therapy.

Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up

So-called conversion therapy is abuse  there is no other word for it  so Labour will finally deliver a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, while protecting the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity, stated the manifesto.

All existing strands of so-called hate crime will also become an aggravated offense under Labour plans to protect peoples rights to live out proclaimed LGBT+ identities.

The new government also intends to implement recommendations made by the Cass Review about young people with gender dysphoria to receive better care.

We will also modernize, simplify, and reform the intrusive and outdated gender recognition law to a new process. We will remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance; whilst retaining the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a specialist doctor, enabling access to the healthcare pathway.

Pro-life campaigner Christian Hacking told Christian Daily International in May that it is undeniable that more Christians will be arrested in the U.K. if Labour comes to power.

After recounting his own arrest for praying outside an abortion clinic, Hacking, who works for the Centre for Bio Ethical Reform UK, but spoke in a private capacity, said his hope lay not in politics but in Christians being salt and light. Even so, he warned Christians will find themselves increasingly in the firing line in all sorts of matters, not only abortion but conversion therapy, and sexuality, and we should welcome persecution as a means to help us shed some [spiritual] pounds.

There is no specific mention of abortion in the Labour Manifesto but the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children opines that the new governments pledge to strengthen international development work could include further funding of organizations that support or provide abortions in other countries.

Meanwhile, Christians from abroad seeking asylum in the U.K., often fleeing persecution in their home country, are promised that Labour will go after the criminal gangs and drop the flagship Rwanda policy of the Tories, which planned to fly refugees back or to Africa, depending on where they came from. This could also have an effect on Christian organizations supporting immigrants.

Labour pledged a new Border Security Command to crack down on criminals abusing the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, fairly, and the rules are properly enforced. This allegedly includes scrapping asylum hotels.

Labour will set up a new returns and enforcement unit, with an additional 1,000 staff, to fast-track removals to safe countries for people who do not have the right to stay here, the political party says on its website.



We will negotiate additional return arrangements to speed up returns and increase the number of safe countries that failed asylum seekers can swiftly be sent back to. And we will also act upstream, working with international partners to address the humanitarian crises which lead people to flee their homes, and to strengthen support for refugees in their home region.

Emily Shepherd who serves as the chief executive officer of Welcome Churches, a church-based charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers through 1,400 U.K. churches in its network, felt unsure about the new governments plans to help refugees.

The churches in our Welcome Network celebrate the refugees we have met in our communities in recent years, Shepherd told Christian Daily International. Whilst many of the people seeking asylum that our churches meet will be feeling some relief at not facing immediate removal to Rwanda, the future for these people still feels very uncertain.

Shepherd hoped that the new government would put compassion and welcome at the heart of their asylum policies, rather than fear and hostility.

The experience of many refugees is that it is local churches and Christians that have welcomed and supported them on their journeys across the globe. Welcome Churches' vision is for every refugee to be welcomed by the local church and we pray the global Church will grasp hold of this vision as well.

Labour also purports to prioritize family finances with lower tax rates and reducing food prices. The party also mentioned free breakfast clubs in every primary school but otherwise envisioned an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty without providing particular details in the manifesto.

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) issued a press release this morning asking all MPs, of whatever political persuasion, to visit one of their 250 debt centers to see for themselves the financial woes suffered by many people, as reported recently by Christian Daily International.

Gareth McNab, CAP Director of External Affairs, referred to a YouGov poll last year showing nearly 90 percent of people in the U.K. want to see poverty tackled. Another poll by YouGov last month showed 21 per cent of adults have skipped meals and 48 percent limit energy use at home, at least once per month, because of burgeoning costs.

There is clearly a great public urgency around addressing poverty, and this now needs to be a greater political priority, McNab said. There are important steps that the new Labour Government can take quickly to address this.

These include reviewing social security payments against the Minimum Income Standard and making the legal minimum wage the same level as the Real Living Wage. This will help ensure everyone has access to an income that covers their essential needs.

The British and Foreign Bible Society published a review of the relationship between the Christian faith and the Labour party in 2010, striking a positive note  written at a time when Labour lost a general election, placing the Conservatives in power for the next 14 years, until now.

Called Building Jerusalem? Christianity and the Labour Party, and written by Paul Bickley, researcher at Theos, the public theology think tank, the study claimed that if the idea that the Labour Party owes more to Methodism than it does to Marx contains any truth, it is the truth that faith communities can provide personnel.

Bickey opined that being part of a faith body, like a church, trained people in the virtues of citizenship, service and common endeavor - virtues without which no political party can long survive.

If the Labour Party continues to aspire to be the Party of a just society, which judges its strength by the condition of the weak as much as the strong, provides security against fear, and justice at work, which nurtures families, promotes equality of opportunity and delivers people from the tyranny of poverty, prejudice and the abuse of power, then, inasmuch as it makes a critique which is consonant with the Christian Socialist tradition, it will command high levels of support and involvement from amongst the Christian community, predicted Bickley, giving his own view.

Gavin Calver, chief executive officer for the U.K. Evangelical Alliance, believes the new Labour Government carried a significant burden of responsibility. He referred to Psalm 72, praying that God would give the new Prime Minister wisdom and a heart for justice, that he will stand up for the poor and for children in need.

The Evangelical Alliance is committed to working with the government on restoring hope in our society, strengthening social cohesion and honouring the dignity and value of every human being. Our faith is a vital component of what makes a difference and helps transform lives across the UK.

We look forward to working closely with the new minister responsible for faith groups and encourage the prime minister to appoint a special envoy for international freedom of religion or belief as soon as possible.

There will be points in the years ahead where we will disagree with the government's direction and will challenge policies and decisions. Any moves that disempower and harm the most vulnerable in society will be met with a robust response from the evangelical Christians across the UK. Our heart is always to serve and advocate for those most in need and we urge the government to do the same, he said.

We encourage the government to meet with evangelical churches and national organisations to understand the vast contribution we are already making every day for those in greatest need.
I am a resident of Princes Town, and I want to grab the attention of the Ministry of Educati
San Antonio-based Afton Oaks Residences LLC, which own North Side land slated for a 480-unit apartment complex, filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday. Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

The owner of North Side land earmarked for a nearly 500-unit apartment development has sought bankruptcy protection.

San Antonio-based Afton Oaks Residences LLC filed a bare-bones bankruptcy petition listing assets from $10 million to $50 million and liabilities from $1 million to $10 million. It didnt offer details on what led it to seek Chapter 11 reorganization.

It marks the latest troubles for Afton Oaks managing member Logan Anjaneyulu, who last year was accused of mismanaging various assets  including the El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel downtown. The hotel property was later sold.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Anjaneyulu and Ron Smeberg, Afton Oaks bankruptcy lawyer, didnt respond to requests for comment.

Afton Oaks owns 29 acres at and around 601 E. Afton Oaks Blvd., which is nestled between Loop 1604 on the north and the city of Hollywood Park on the south. The Bexar Appraisal District gives the land a combined assessed value of $14.4 million.

An online brochure shows that Anjaneyulus Alamo Equity LLC announced plans to construct the 480-unit Alamo Residences at Afton Oaks apartment development. It put the cost of the land at $7.5 million.

Anjaneyulu planned to start construction on the apartments in July 2022 and receive a certificate of occupancy this month or next, but the development never began. The brochure indicates that Afton Oaks was intending to raise money from investors.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The apartments were expected to generate $4.8 million in net operating income on $8.7 million in revenue by the fourth year of operations, the brochure said.

Another Anjaneyulu business, Alamo Multifamily Group LLC, is listed as Afton Oaks largest unsecured creditor, with a nearly $3.7 million claim.

In court papers Wednesday, Afton Oaks said it intends to sell or refinance its secured debt with Infin8 Lending, LLC. That will allow the Debtor to create a more feasible reorganization plan. The amount of Infin8's secured debt wasnt disclosed.

Last year, Anjaneyulu, Alamo Equity and an investment fund were sued by an investor who alleged that Anjaneyulu sought to enrich himself at the expense of the fund and its limited partners by diverting fund assets to prop up the El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel to avoid triggering a personal guarantee he made on a loan related to its 2018 acquisition.

In 2019, ownership unveiled plans to spend as much as $40 million on a renovation of the El Tropicano to reposition it as an independent boutique-style hotel. The work got underway but came to a halt in April 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic forced the hotel to abruptly shut its doors.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Meanwhile, the lawsuit was stayed as the dispute was moved to arbitration.
Police say a 43-year-old man died while he was hosting a pool party at an unoccupied house in his neighborhood while its on the real estate market.

Emergency responders were called around 7 a.m. Friday to the 6800 block of East 67th Street, where the mans friends had pulled his unresponsive body from the pool, Tulsa Police Sgt. Kurt Gardner told the Tulsa World. Tulsa firefighters and EMSA medics found the man dead, Gardner said.

The victim lived nearby and specifically had knowledge of this house being vacant and that it had a pool, he said.

Gardner said the man had invited several friends to the backyard of the house for a pool party overnight on Thursday.

Witnesses said that alcohol and drugs were consumed, police reported in a social media post later Friday. The victim at some point went underwater and didnt resurface.

Its unclear when the unidentified man lost consciousness, but Gardner said his friends pulled him from the pool and tried resuscitation attempts upon finding him unresponsive.

The medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death, police said.
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday paid a visit to South Korean conglomerate Samsung Electronics's semiconductor cluster in Gyeonggi Province, during which he pledged to continue facilitating the tech giants operations in Vietnam.

The visit was conducted as part of PM Chinh and his spouse's four-day trip to the Northeast Asian country, starting on June 30 at the invitation of his South Korean counterpart Han Duck Soo and his spouse, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Leaders of Samsung Electronics, including Vice Chairman and CEO Young Hyun Jun and CFO Park Hark Kyu, accompanied the Vietnamese PM in touring the semiconductor cluster, the largest of its kind in the world.

While looking at Samsungs semiconductor product models at the mega chip cluster, Chinh expressed his great impression of the groups achievements in the field of high technology in general and semiconductors in particular.

Highly appreciating Samsungs effective investment activities in manufacturing electronic equipment and components in Vietnam since 2008, PM Chinh affirmed that the Vietnamese government will continue creating favorable conditions for Samsung to develop its business operations in the country.

Stressing Vietnams priority given to the semiconductor and AI industries in the future, he told the Samsung leaders that the country welcomes and encourages investors in those fields.

He promised that Vietnam will further improve policies and institutions, enhance high-quality human resource training, and speed up infrastructural development to better service investors.

With this mammoth chip complex, South Korea aims to account for 10 percent of the global semiconductor market and boost self-sufficiency in the supply of key materials to 50 percent from the current 30 percent by 2030, according to Voice of Vietnam.

Samsung Electronics, with revenue reaching about US$210 billion last year, has so far invested $22.4 billion in Vietnam and created jobs for about 90,000 workers.

After 16 years of Samsung's presence in Vietnam, 310 Vietnamese enterprises have become partners in its production chain, the Vietnam News Agency cited Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae Yong as saying at his separate meeting with PM Chinh in Seoul on Tuesday.

Samsungs search and development center in Hanoi is employing 2,500 engineers and researchers, Lee added.

The tech giant is currently the largest foreign direct investor in Vietnam, with many large projects in Bac Ninh Province, Thai Nguyen Province, and Ho Chi Minh City, according to the Vietnam Government Portal.

The conglomerates mobile phone production operation in Vietnam constitutes over 50 percent of its global output.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam will see its tax revenue fall by some VND500 billion (US$19.5 million) a year after Heineken, the world's second-largest brewer, closed its brewery in the province, a provincial official said on Thursday.

At a conference of the provincial Party Committee, Ho Quang Buu, vice-chairman of the administration in Quang Nam Province, said Heineken had announced the shutdown of its brewery in the province.

That closedown is projected to cost the province VND500 billion annually, Buu noted.

The factory was put into service in 2007.

Although it had the smallest capacity among the six Heineken factories across Vietnam, it contributed significantly to Quang Nam Provinces budget.

Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Heineken Vietnam paid between VND1 trillion ($38.9 million) and VND1.2 trillion ($46.7 million) in tax to the Vietnamese government's budget each year.

The figures, however, have kept a downward streak in recent years.

The Dutch brewer paid approximately VND20 billion ($780,000) in tax to the Quang Nam coffers in the first quarter of 2024.

In Vietnam, Heineken is officially employing some 3,000 people, creating 250,000 jobs in its supply chain, with its business performance accounting for 1.04 percent of the countrys GDP.

It has also been among the top taxpayers in Vietnam.

According to Heineken Vietnam, the implementation of Government Decree 100, which stipulates stricter driving-under-influence regulations with more severe sanctions on drunk driving, has contributed to changing consumers drinking habits, thus resulting in a decline in beer sales.

Luong Nguyen Minh Triet, secretary of the Quang Nam Party Committee, said at the conference that the provinces economy was recovering with its gross regional domestic product expanding 2.7 percent in the first half of this year.

However, tax revenue from land use fees, hydropower plants, and beer sales declined.

Many businesses encountered challenges, leading them to downsize, reduce capacity, or even suspend operations.

He required enhancing management quality and preventing tax evasion.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Keir Starmer vowed to rebuild Britain as its next prime minister after his Labour Party on Friday surged to a landslide victory in a parliamentary election, ending 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative government.

The centre-left Labour won a massive majority in the 650-seat parliament. Rishi Sunak's Conservatives suffered the worst performance in the party's long history as voters punished them for a cost of living crisis, failing public services, and a series of scandals.

"We did it," Starmer said in a victory speech. "Change begins now ... We said we would end the chaos, and we will, we said we would turn the page, and we have. Today, we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country."

The election result has upended British politics. Labour won some 410 seats, an increase of 210, while the Conservatives, the western world's most successful party, lost about 250 lawmakers, including a record number of senior ministers and former Prime Minister Liz Truss.

The Scottish National Party imploded, losing 38 seats, ending its own decade of dominance in Scotland and leaving its dream of independence for Scotland in tatters, while conversely the Irish nationalists Sinn Fein became Northern Ireland's largest party for the first time.

Meanwhile, the populist right-wing Reform UK party, headed by Nigel Farage, the colourful Brexit campaigner and friend of Donald Trump, won more than four million votes.

While it secured only four lawmakers, its impact on the outcome by siphoning vast tracts of Conservative support will make Farage a major thorn in the side of the two major parties.

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour Party and his wife Victoria Starmer attend a reception to celebrate Starmer's win in the election, at Tate Modern, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Sorry Sunak

A glum Sunak conceded defeat and will meet King Charles later to formally resign before Starmer is appointed in his place.

"Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides," Sunak said. "There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss to the many good hardworking Conservative candidates ... I am sorry."

Despite his convincing victory, polls have suggested there is little enthusiasm for Starmer or his party. Thanks to the quirk of Britain's first past the post system and a low turnout, Labour's triumph was achieved with fewer votes than it secured in 2017 and 2019 - the latter its worst result for 84 years.

The pound and British stocks and government bonds rose on Friday, but Starmer comes to power at a time when the country is facing a series of daunting challenges.

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer walk outside a polling station during the general election in London, Britain, July 4, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Britain's tax burden is set to hit its highest since just after World War Two, net debt is almost equivalent to annual economic output, living standards have fallen, and public services are creaking, especially the much cherished National Health Service which has been dogged by strikes.

Some of Labour's more ambitious plans, such as its flagship green spending pledges, have already been scaled back while Starmer has promised not to raise taxes for "working people".

Likewise, he has promised to scrap the Conservative's controversial policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, but with migration a key electoral issue, he will be under pressure himself to find a way to stop tens of thousands of people arriving across the Channel from France on small boats.

"I don't promise you it will be easy," Starmer said. "Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. It's hard work. Patient, determined, work, and we will have to get moving immediately."

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks after winning his seat at Richmond and Northallerton during the UK election in Northallerton, Britain, July 5, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Recriminations

Within the Conservative Party, the recriminations and debate over its future direction began immediately, with some saying its failure stemmed from shifting to the right while others argued Reform had won over voters who felt the party was not right-wing enough for its traditional supporters.

"There is a massive gap on the centre right of British politics and my job is to fill it, and that's exactly what I'm going to do," said a triumphant Farage after finally being elected to parliament at his eighth attempt. "Believe me folks, this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you."

Staff count ballot papers for Richmond and Northallerton during the UK election in Northallerton, Britain, July 4, 2024. Photo: Reuters

The growth in support for a right-wing alternative echoed recent similar results in Europe, where the far right have been surging.

But, unlike France where Marine Le Pen's National Rally party made historic gains in an election last Sunday, overall the British public has plumped for a centre-left party to bring about change.

Starmer has promised to improve relations with the European Union to resolve issues created by Britain's split from the bloc. However, despite opposing Brexit, rejoining the EU is not on the table.

He may also have to work with Trump if he wins November's presidential election. Trump has already sent congratulations to Farage, via his social media platform Truth Social.

While he has promised to bring change domestically, Starmer has vowed to continue London's unequivocal support for Ukraine in its conflict against Russia. On many foreign issues, his policies are similar to Sunak's.

Staff count ballot papers for Richmond and Northallerton during the UK election in Northallerton, Britain, July 4, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Turnaround

The election victory represents an incredible turnaround for Starmer and Labour, which critics and supporters said was facing an existential crisis just three years ago when it appeared to have lost its way after its 2019 drubbing.

A series of Conservative scandals - most notably revelations of parties in Downing Street during COVID lockdowns - undermined then prime minister Boris Johnson and its commanding poll lead evaporated.

Truss' disastrous six-week premiership in 2022, which followed Johnson being forced out, cemented the decline, and Sunak was unable to make any dent in Labour's now commanding poll lead.

Sunak stunned Westminster and many in his own party by calling the election earlier than he needed to while trailing badly in the polls, and his campaign then proved a disaster.

Staff count ballot papers for Glasgow during the UK election in Scotland, Britain, July 4, 2024. Photo: Reuters

"What is crystal clear to me tonight is it is not so much that Labour won this election, but rather that the Conservatives have lost it," said defence minister Grant Shapps, the most high-profile minister to lose his seat.

"We have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions, which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched."
The U.S. has provided objective assessments of Vietnam's efforts to combat human trafficking, but it has issued subjective comments regarding the country's religious freedom situation, according to Vietnam's foreign ministry, which affirmed that Hanoi is prepared for bilateral discussions on these matters.

Spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang made the remarks at a press briefing in Hanoi on Thursday in response to reporters queries regarding the 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom and the 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, both issued recently by the U.S. Department of State.

Hang stated that Vietnam welcomes the U.S. for its objective assessments of Vietnam's positive achievements in preventing and controlling human trafficking.

Over the past years, Vietnam has stepped up the fight against human trafficking in the wake of adjustments to the 2011 Law on Human Trafficking Prevention and Control, and through the strengthening of investigation, prosecution, and handling of human trafficking cases.

The Southeast Asian country has also set out key tasks and solutions in its anti-human trafficking program for 2021-25 with a vision until 2030, said the spokeswoman.

Vietnam has detected and supported victims of human trafficking, while promptly dealing with new challenges to the human trafficking combat in the region.

In order to strengthen the transparent migration environment, protect the legitimate rights and interests of migrants, and prevent the risk of human trafficking in international migration activities, Vietnam is expending efforts to realize the goals of the Global Agreement on Lawful, Safe, and Orderly Migration, according to a plan issued by the prime minister on March 20, 2020.

In that manner, we hope that Vietnam and the U.S. will continue their close cooperation and increase exchange and dialogue to comprehensively and positively evaluate Vietnam's efforts and achievements in human trafficking prevention, in accordance with the spirit of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, the spokesperson stated.

Regarding the 2023 International Religious Freedom Report, which includes Vietnam in a special watch list, Hang, We regret that although recognizing some progress by Vietnam in protecting and promoting freedom of religion and belief, this report gives unobjective comments based on unverified and inaccurate information about the actual situation in Vietnam, the spokeswoman said.

As a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country with a diverse belief and religious landscape, Vietnam consistently upholds its policy of respecting and guaranteeing the rights to freedom of belief and religion, Hang stressed.

Clearly enshrined in Vietnams 2013 Constitution, its 2016 Law on Belief and Religion, and related legal documents, these rights are respected in practice.

No one is discriminated against on the grounds of religion and belief, and the operation of religious organizations is ensured in accordance with laws and regulations, the spokesperson stated.

Hang announced that Vietnam stands ready to engage with the U.S. in discussions on mutual concerns, including areas of divergence, with a spirit of frankness, openness, and mutual respect, all aiming to enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries..

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Sixteen Vietnamese men were relocated from Port Alberni, a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, to a safe location after being found living in deplorable conditions as a result of a high-paying job scam, local media reported on Wednesday.

These people said they came to Canada to work for a remanufacturing mill of San Group in Port Alberni with a wage of CAD30 (US$22) an hour along with accommodations, as per a job arrangement, according to news site Nanaimo News Now.

However, this turned out to be a job scam.

The men were paid only CAD18 ($13.20) per hour with no overtime pay. They were crammed into a trailer with two dozen other men and had no access to running water.

In order to have better accommodations, they had to pay a monthly rent of CAD350 ($257.2) for a single bedroll in a shared bedroom.

This is worse than for an animal, Kim Tran, a local Vietnamese woman who is trying to help these workers, was quoted by Nanaimo News Now as saying.

The woman stressed that she has never seen people live like this in Vietnam.

They dont have anything to drink. They dont have anything for the human being, she described the mens plight.

Some local social service agencies heard about these workers, the news site said.

Michael Ramsay, from the charity Salvation Army, affirmed that his organization is ready to provide food, shelter, clothing, and safety services to people in need like in this case.

On Saturday last week, Ramsay and the Salvation Armys Human Trafficking Unit arrived in Port Alberni to move these men to safe accommodations.

San Groups technical manager Raz Hanif said he knows nothing about how the 16 workers came here, blaming an immigration consultant who had arranged the worker transfer.

There was another guy, Don, who is the subcontractor, we deal with him, but I dont know where the main contract is, like how much they get paid and all the stuff, the news site cited Hanif.

The man added that there was no deal with these workers about the groups provision of accommodation and other stuff like that.

After getting the news, Gord Johns, a local Member of Parliament, has alerted Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller and is requesting federal assistance for these workers.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Thach Ban Park JSC has proposed developing a nearly-30-kilometer-long automated guideway transit linking Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City and Dam Sen Cultural Park in District 11 at a total cost of VND20 trillion (US$779 million), according to a recent report the municipal Department of Transport sent to the Department of Planning and Architecture.

The proposal is aimed at easing traffic congestion in the airport area and backing the citys metro line network development.

As per the Vietnamese firm's proposition, the automated guideway transit system will start at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, run across the heart of the city, and end at Dam Sen Cultural Park.

The transit system will run above Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe, Ben Nghe, Doi and Tan Hoa Canals and Lac Long Quan Street, so site clearance will not face much difficulty, said the firm.

The guideway transit, designed to be four meters wide, will be completed within five years.

The company also explained that a transit has a more flexible track switch than a monorail. Moreover, the cost of an automated guideway transit is cheaper than that of a monorail.

The firm proposed carrying out the project in three phases, with the first including work on a section stretching from the airport to the Nguyen Kieu headland in District 4.

The 12.7-kilometer-long stretch will run along Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Canal.

The second phase will go to the second section from the Nguyen Kieu headland to the Ba Tang Bridge in District 8, with a total length of 5.7 kilometers.

In the third phase, the final section will span 11.5 kilometers from the bridge to Dam Sen Park. The link will run along Tan Hoa Canal and Lac Long Quan Street.

The firm also recommended that the authorities include the transit in the city's general traffic infrastructure plan to facilitate the project's deployment.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The Culture and Society Committee of the Peoples Council in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam has recently proposed abolishing a longstanding regulation that prohibits kite flying at beaches in Nha Trang City, citing its non-compliance with national laws.

The kite-flying ban is part of the Nha Trang beach and coastal park rules issued by the Peoples Committee of the provincial capital city on October 5, 2015.

Accordingly, the Nha Trang Peoples Committee instructed individuals to seek permission from the Khanh Hoa Department of Culture and Sports to fly kites at local beaches.

In response, a leader from the department commented that it does not make sense to go through an entire procedure just to issue permits to individuals or children who simply wish to fly kites for recreational purposes at Nha Trang beaches.

In a June review, the Culture and Society Committee of the Peoples Council of Khanh Hoa Province criticized the Nha Trang agencies responsible for managing local coastal parks and beaches for conducting licensing activities that are not required by the established administrative procedures.

The committee further noted that the regulations issued by the Nha Trang Peoples Committee, while appearing to be internal rules, actually integrate legal elements and have broad impacts on numerous parties over an extended period, which is not in accordance with the law.

Therefore, the Culture and Society Committee of the Peoples Council of Khanh Hoa Province has urged the provincial Peoples Committee to review and repeal the Nha Trang administration's regulations for Nha Trang beach and coastal parks.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A whale was sighted off the coast of Mui Dien (Dien Cape), a popular tourist destination in Phu Yen Province, south-central Vietnam, on Friday morning, a local official confirmed the same day.

While operating in the waters off Mui Dien at around 8:00 am, several fishermen caught sight of a whale swimming next to their fishing boat, owned by Huynh Kim Tuong, a 50-year-old resident in the town.

After notifying authorities of the sighting of the mammal, the fishermen were requested to protect the fish and not to catch it at any cost, said Pham Van Huan, deputy head of the Hoa Hiep Nam border guard office in Dong Hoa Town.

Dolphins are frequently spotted in the area, but sightings of whales are rare, Huan elaborated.

Nguyen Thanh Hoan, a 25-year-old native of Phu Hoa District, recounted his sighting of the whale when he was fishing off the coast of Mui Dien at about 7:00 am the same day.

Dao Quang Minh, head of the provincial Fisheries Sub-Department, reckoned that this whale was moving toward the coast to hunt for food.

The appearance of the sea creature in the waters off Mui Dien showed that the marine habitat in the area is home to a great source of small fish that whales mainly feed on, Minh added.

[The whales appearance] is good news, Minh continued.

He advised local residents to keep a safe distance from and not to catch whales if they spot the mammals.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
This aerial photo shows the Golden Pass LNG export terminal in Sabine Pass under construction. Bankrupt Zachry Industrial Inc., the lead engineering and construction contractor on the project, is laying off more workers there and in the region. Court documents

The continuing fallout of Zachry Industrial Inc.s exit from the Golden Pass LNG terminal project is costing more workers their jobs.

The San Antonio company is laying off another 126 employees from its operations in Baytown, Beaumont, Orange and Sabine Pass as it prepares to give up its contract on the $10 billion-plus project.

The cuts come on top of more than 4,400 pink slips Zachry issued when it declared bankruptcy in late May, a move it blamed on trouble related to its role as lead contractor on the massive terminal in Sabine Pass, just south of Port Arthur. The project is owned by QatarEnergy and Exxon Mobil Corp.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In the latest round, Zachry on June 30 informed the Texas Workforce Commission of its plan for layoffs across four sites, with 32 in Orange being shed immediately and those at the others by late August.

The notices were filed after a court hearing in late June that appeared to signal a turning point in the legal dispute playing out since Zachry filed bankruptcy and blamed its financial struggles on Golden Pass. Attorneys for both sides told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur that they were exchanging proposals that could resolve the dispute. A final hearing is scheduled for Aug. 12.

A week earlier, Golden Pass said in a filing that Zachry was holding the engineering and construction contract for the project hostage. It asked the court to force Zachry out so work could proceed.

Zachry refuses to work and refuses to get out of the way so everyone else can, Golden Pass said in a court filing.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

But in its letter to the Workforce Commission about the latest cuts, Zachry said its departure from the project would be the likely outcome.

Golden Pass LNG has made it clear that it wants to replace Zachry and end its role in the project, Zachry said in the letter. Consequently, the most likely outcome of the current negotiations will be that Zachry will be forced to exit its role.

A representative for Zachry declined to comment. Golden Pass could not be reached.

Zachrys earlier South Texas layoffs triggered a potential class-action lawsuit from a former employee alleging the company failed to follow federal law for notifications of such mass layoffs.

Avis Lamotte, a Port Arthur resident who was was among the workers Zachry terminated in May, sued the company for failing to provide notice 60 days in advance as required under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, Act.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The terminations occurred on or before May 21, the day Zachry Holdings and 20 subsidiaries  including Zachry Industrial  filed for bankruptcy protection in Houston.
A newly-discovered sinkhole in Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam features a vertical cliff about 100 meters high and covers nearly 5,000 square meters, an area where no one had previously set foot.

More than two years ago, the Quang Tri Discovery team from the provincial capital city of Dong Ha first spotted this sinkhole at the Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve in Huong Hoa District via satellite images.

Based on this discovery and the proposition of a reporter from Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, the Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve management board collaborated with the districts rangers to organize a two-day expedition to explore the sinkhole on June 29 and 30.

A newly-discovered sinkhole is seen from its bottom at Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Tao / Tuoi Tre

Starting from Tria Village in Huong Son Commune, the expedition group hiked along a stream bank for 1.5 hours to reach their campsite.

From there, they spent nearly five hours navigating steep terrain through dense forests to finally arrive at the sinkhole.

Nguyen Tan Hieu, deputy director of the Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve management board, confirmed that this expedition marked the first time anyone had ventured into the sinkhole.

Prior to this discovery, neither the reserve nor the local rangers were aware of its existence, Hieu stated.

A newly-discovered sinkhole is seen from its bottom at Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Tao / Tuoi Tre

Situated nearly 800 meters above sea level, the sinkhole features a C-shaped top with a vertical cliff exceeding 100 meters in height.

The upper rim juts outward, forming a canopy where small green plants thrive.

The opposite side descends sharply, leading the expedition team through a steep slope into the sinkhole.

The expedition team who discovered an uncharted sinkhole at Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Tao / Tuoi Tre

Along the route, the group encountered numerous cave entrances and hollows, though time constraints prevented further exploration.

Inside the sinkhole, towering trees with circumferences larger than a persons embrace stand tall and upright, amidst clear footprints of civets, stump-tailed macaque feces, and bird nests.

A man sits on an unexploded wartime bomb found in a newly-discovered sinkhole at Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Tao / Tuoi Tre

Notably, remnants of five unexploded American MK81 bombs from the American war in Vietnam lie within the sinkhole.

Dr. Le Tuan Anh from the MienTrung Institute of Scientific Research, who joined the expedition, highlighted the sinkhole areas rich biodiversity and urged further investigation to document new species and enhance Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserves ecological value.

Towering trees thrive inside a newly-discovered sinkhole at Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Tao / Tuoi Tre

Currently, the Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve management board is proposing an ecotourism development project for the area.

With the new sinkhole discovery and the presence of diverse flora and fauna, along with many rivers, streams, and caves, the region holds great potential for adventure tourism and trekking amidst the forested wilderness.

Footprints of animals found in a newly-discovered sinkhole at Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve in Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Hoang Tao / Tuoi Tre

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The premiere of I Was Actually There next week on ABC hears from eye witnesses at the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996.

In a crisp autumn morning at Port Arthurs historic convict settlement, a gunman walked into the Broad Arrow Cafe wielding an assault rifle and opened fire, killing 20 people in the first 90 seconds and 35 by the end of the ordeal.

But these details are not what we learn from this show. Instead, we go deep inside the experience and hear from the tourists who ran for their lives, the local GP first on the scene, the journalist that spoke to the gunman on the phone, the sniper that had him in his sights, to understand what it was like to live it.

Brigid Cook (pictured) was working as a chef at Broad Arrow that day and was shot by the gunman. It felt like someone had driven a star picket into my leg. It was really immediate and really wrong, she says. Somehow, she managed to escape and warn others of what was happening, saving countless lives in the process. I was so full of adrenaline I could still run, she says.

Victorian police sniper Craig Harwood was watching the situation unfold on TV. He was flown to the scene and sworn into the Tasmanian force, tasked with taking out the perpetrator. He spent hours lying alone in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity to bring the siege to an end.

But the moment never came. My own mum asked me why I didnt pull the trigger on him. Once you arbitrarily decide to throw the rule book out, youre as bad as them, he reflects. 28 years on, we learn about the ongoing impact of the day  on first responders as well as survivors.

For Pam Fenerty, a local GP who was among the first on the scene to treat victims, dealing with patients in the aftermath became the hardest to cope with. Theres a thing called compassion fatigue from listening to the same story over and over again, which is what happened. You can only take so much.

Interviewees:

Peter Crosswell  a tourist who was inside the Broad Arrow Cafe at the time of the attack. He was shot by the gunman

Amy Roganovic  a 10-year-old girl who was visiting Port Arthur with her family

Mick Beekman  a tourist who was sitting on the balcony of the cafe when he encountered the gunman

Brigid Cook  a chef at the Broad Arrow cafe. She was shot by the gunman, but managed to flee and warn others to escape

Robyn Dell  a volunteer ambulance officer who was one of the first on the scene at Port Arthur

Pam Fenerty  a GP at nearby town Nubeena. One of the first to arrive at the scene and knew many locals involved

Alison Smith  ABC Hobart journalist who had a phone conversation with the gunman

Ricardo Piacenza  helicopter pilot who transported the injured to hospital

Craig Harwood  a Victoria Police sniper who was sworn in the Tasmanian force and tasked with taking out the gunman

Andrew Fisher  ABC political journalist called in to report at the scene overnight until the siege ended.

8pm Tuesday on ABC.
Shriya Sharma, TwoCircles.net

New Delhi: Medicine has historically stood as one of the most esteemed professions worldwide. The allure of perpetual learning and the fulfilment derived from easing human suffering serve as primary motivations for students opting for medicine over other careers promising quicker and more stable financial rewards. The excitement of exploring the mysteries of life at various levels  technical, emotional and philosophical  also entices many towards this field.

Support TwoCircles



However, the road to becoming a doctor and the subsequent journey are frequently obscured and fraught with myriad challenges in India.

Fierce Competition and Limited Seats

The journey begins with intense competition for limited seats in medical schools, compounded by reservation policies for various castes and communities in both central and state government colleges, as mandated by the Constitution of India.

When I was preparing for the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate) entrance examination, approximately 16 lakh students were competing. Securing a government seat was nearly impossible if your rank was over 16,000, especially for those in the unreserved category, explains Smriti Sharma, a third-year MBBS student at Government Medical College in Rajasthans Kota.

With the number of aspirants increasing annually  23 lakh students appeared for the NEET-UG in 2023  the pressure only intensifies, she said, adding despite their diligent efforts, many students find themselves unable to secure a government seat due to systemic issues such as examination scams and leaks. Those ranked beyond 17,000 or 18,000 must either afford the exorbitant fees of private colleges or face the daunting task of pursuing MBBS abroad.

Once you obtain the title of Doctor, another struggle begins with the competition for entrance examination for post graduation, adds Sharma.

Corruption and Financial Barriers

Corruption within the medical education system further complicates the journey. India stands out among countries where medical seats are openly sold, placing money above merit. It has become a game of money. The battle is no longer about merit but finances, laments Dr Prachi, 32, a dental surgeon based in Kota with seven years of practice.

In private medical colleges, a substantial number of seats at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels are paid seats, far beyond the financial reach of an average individual. This practice not only demoralises deserving students but also compromises the calibre of medical professionals, ultimately undermining public healthcare standards.

Children are driven to addiction and depression when they witness their peers achieving medical seats through less effort, she says, highlighting that the ongoing trend of lowering qualifying percentiles in MD examinations has led to specialisations being purchased rather than earned, thereby diluting the quality of doctors and posing risks to public healthcare.

Inadequate Infrastructure in Medical Colleges

The challenges extend beyond securing admission. Many public hospitals and medical colleges suffer from poor infrastructure and insufficient facilities. Junior doctors, who are the backbone of the healthcare system, frequently work under deplorable conditions.

Shortages of medicines, malfunctioning lab equipment and a lack of beds are common issues, says Dr Amit Singmar, 25, who recently completed his MBBS from a government medical college in Karnataka.

Overcrowding and inadequate doctor-to-patient ratios exacerbate the strain. Junior doctors sometimes see nearly 20 patients per hour and endure gruelling shifts, often working up to 60 hours consecutively. The living conditions provided to these doctors are often substandard, contributing to significant dissatisfaction.

We dont even have proper time for studying or for personal life with family and friends. The mental stress and sleep deprivation lead to mental health issues, compounding the challenges. Moreover, the stipend is a mere Rs 30,000, and in some states, even less, with frequent delays, he complains.

The Government-Private Divide

A shift in legislation during the 1990s facilitated the establishment of private medical schools, leading to a surge in such institutions funded by businessmen and politicians without prior experience in medical education. From 100 government medical colleges and 11 private ones in 1980, the Medical Council of India (MCI) reports a doubling in government schools and a twenty-fold increase in private institutes.

This commercialization of medical education means that financial means, rather than merit alone, can secure a student a place. Not everyone can afford a seat in a private medical college, exacerbating the disparity in doctor-to-patient ratios, notes Rishit Tripathi, a third-year MBBS student at Saraswati Medical College in Uttar Pradeshs Hapur district.

Despite these challenges, the medical profession remains highly esteemed by the younger generation, their parents and the public at large. The government has taken steps to address these issues by expanding seat numbers and planning new medical colleges.

However, Dr. Ramnivas Sharma, assistant professor at Autonomous State Medical College (ASMC), Auraiya, UP, believes that the focus should prioritise enhancing existing institutions. The priority should be ensuring the efficient functioning of current facilities, including infrastructure, equipment availability and faculty, he stresses.

He also advocates reassessing the system of mandatory bond service in government hospitals post-MBBS and MD degrees to streamline the path to medical qualification. This would alleviate the current burdensome and protracted journey for aspiring doctors.

Navigating the path to becoming a doctor in India is fraught with challenges, from intense competition for limited seats to financial and infrastructural hurdles within medical institutions. Addressing these issues is pivotal to ensuring equitable access to medical education and enhancing healthcare quality across the nation.
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 Anthony Deutsch, Stephanie van den Berg and Humeyra Pamuk

THE HAGUE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -On May 20, the same day International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan made a surprise request for warrants to arrest the leaders of Israel and Hamas involved in the Gaza conflict, he suddenly cancelled a sensitive mission to collect evidence in the region, eight people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Planning for the visit had been under way for months with U.S. officials, four of the sources said.

Khan's decision to request the warrants upended the plans backed by Washington and London for the prosecutor and his team to visit Gaza and Israel. The court was set to gather on-site evidence of war crimes and offer Israeli leaders a first opportunity to present their position and any action they were taking to respond to the allegations of war crimes, five sources with direct knowledge of the exchanges told Reuters.

The office of the prosecutor at the court said in an email to Reuters after the news agency published its story that Israel had never approved a mission to collect evidence "on the territory of Israel or in the State of Palestine."

Khan's request for a warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - the court's first attempt to detain a sitting, Western-backed head of state - also flew in the face of efforts the U.S. and Britain were leading to prevent the court from prosecuting Israeli leaders, the sources said.

The two states have said the court has no jurisdiction over Israel and that seeking warrants would not help resolve the conflict.

Khan's office told Reuters the decision to seek warrants was, in line with its approach in all cases, based on an assessment by the prosecutor that there was enough evidence to proceed, and the view that seeking arrest warrants immediately could prevent ongoing crimes.

Reuters is the first to report in detail about the planned trip and the repercussions of its cancellation.

Khan had for three years been working to improve relations with the U.S., which is not a member of the court. He had asked Washington to help put pressure on its ally Israel  also not a court member  to allow his team access, four sources said.

His move has harmed operational cooperation with the U.S. and angered Britain, a founding member of the court, the sources said.

A senior U.S. State Department official said Washington continued to work with the court on its investigations in Ukraine and Sudan, but three sources with direct knowledge of the U.S. administration's dealings with the court told Reuters cooperation has been damaged by Khan's sudden action.

They said problems have played out in preparations for new indictments of suspects in Sudan's Darfur and the apprehension of fugitives. Two of the sources said one operation to detain a suspect, which they declined to describe in detail, did not go ahead as planned due to the loss of key U.S. support. All the sources expressed concerns Khan's action would jeopardise cooperation in other ongoing investigations.

However, Khan's sudden move has drawn support from other countries, exposing political differences between national powers over the conflict and the court. France, Belgium, Spain and Switzerland have made statements endorsing Khan's decision; Canada and Germany have stated more simply that they respect the court's independence.

The world's war crimes court for prosecuting individuals, the ICC does not have a police force to detain suspects, so it relies on 124 countries that ratified the 1998 Rome treaty that founded it. Non-members China, Russia, the U.S. and Israel sometimes work with the court on an ad hoc basis.

A FEW HOURS' NOTICE

Khan personally decided to cancel the visit to the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah, which was due to begin on May 27, two of the sources said.

Court and Israeli officials were due to meet on May 20 in Jerusalem to work out final details of the mission. Khan instead requested warrants that day for Netanyahu, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders -- Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh.

A U.N. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that initial discussions had taken place regarding a visit to Gaza by Khan, covering security and transportation.

Flight tickets and meetings between senior-level court and Israeli officials were cancelled with just hours of notice, blindsiding some of Khan's own staff, seven sources with direct and indirect knowledge of the decision said.

The U.S. State Dept. official said that abandoning the May visit broke from the prosecution's common practice of seeking engagement with states under investigation. Three U.S. sources said, without providing details, that Khan's motive to change course was not clearly explained and the about-face had hurt the court's credibility in Washington.

Khan's office did not directly address those points but said he had spent the three previous years trying to improve dialogue with Israel and had not received any information that demonstrated "genuine action" at a domestic level from Israel to address the crimes alleged.

"The Office had engaged with Israel and a range of partners in order to secure the approval of Israel to access Gaza, following frequent attempts over an extensive period of time to secure such access. Attempts to secure the agreement of Israel to allow access should not however be conflated with planning of actual mission deployments," it said in the email.

Khan "continues to welcome the opportunity to visit Gaza" and "remains open to engaging with all relevant actors," his office said.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters Hamas had no prior knowledge of Khan's intentions to send a team of investigators into Gaza.

Netanyahu's office and the Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to comment.

The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage. Nearly 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's ground and air campaign, Gaza's health ministry says.

WASHINGTON BLINDSIDED

The ICC admitted "the State of Palestine" in 2015, and Khan says his office has jurisdiction over alleged atrocity crimes committed since Oct. 7 by Palestinians in Israel and by anyone in the Gaza Strip. Neither the U.S. or Britain recognise the Palestinian state, so they dispute the court's jurisdiction over the territory.

Even though Washington and London argue that the court has no jurisdiction in this situation, they were talking to Israel to help prosecutor Khan arrange the visit, four sources close to their administrations told Reuters.

The sources said they had been aware that Khan might seek warrants for Netanyahu and other high-level Israeli officials: Since at least March, Khan or members of his team had been informing the governments of the U.S., UK and some other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council about the possibility of bringing charges against Israeli and Hamas leaders.

A diplomatic source in a Western country said, without giving details, there was a diplomatic effort under the radar to try to convince the ICC not to take this path.

"We worked hard to build a relationship of no surprises," said one U.S. source, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the case.

Blinken on May 21 called Khan's decision "profoundly wrong-headed," saying it was out of line with the process he expected and would complicate prospects for a deal on freeing hostages or a ceasefire. He told a Senate appropriations committee he would work with Republicans to impose sanctions against ICC officials.

On the same day, Cameron told parliament Kahn's move was mistaken.

In private, weeks earlier, he responded furiously to the plan to seek warrants, calling it "crazy" because Khan's team had not yet visited Israel and Gaza, and threatening in a phone call with Khan to pull Britain out of the court and cut financial support to it, three sources with direct knowledge of the discussion said. A foreign office official declined to comment on the phone call or on Britain's relationship to the court.

In June, the ICC allowed the UK to file a written submission outlining its legal arguments that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over the case. The issue of the court's jurisdiction divides both members and non-members of the court.

The U.S. has a fraught relationship with the court. In 2020, under the former U.S. President Donald Trump, Washington imposed sanctions against it, which were dropped under President Joe Biden.

Khan's office said he "has made significant efforts to engage with the United States in recent years in order to strengthen cooperation, and has been grateful for the concrete and important assistance provided by U.S. authorities."

(Reporting by Anthony Deutsch, Stephanie van den Berg in The Hague and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; additional reporting by Dan Williams and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Elizabeth Piper and Andrew MacAskill in London, Nidal Al Mughrabi in Cairo and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Edited by Sara Ledwith)
Mourners react next to the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip

Mourners react next to the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip

By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Mohammad Salem and Maayan Lubell

CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza gathered momentum on Friday after Hamas made a revised proposal on the terms of a deal, and Israel said negotiations would continue into next week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the head of the Mossad intelligence agency returned from an initial meeting with mediators in Doha, the capital of Qatar, and that negotiations would continue next week.

"There are still gaps between the sides," Netanyahu's office said.

Earlier, a source in Israel's negotiating team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was now a real chance of achieving agreement.

Those remarks were in sharp contrast to past instances in the nine-month-old war in Gaza when Israel said conditions attached by Hamas were not acceptable.

A Palestinian official close to the internationally mediated peace efforts said the latest proposal by the militant Islamist group could lead to a framework agreement if embraced by Israel.

He said Hamas was no longer demanding as a pre-condition an Israeli commitment to a permanent ceasefire before signing an agreement, and would allow negotiations to achieve that throughout a first six-week phase.

"Should the sides need more time to seal an agreement on a permanent ceasefire, the two sides should agree there would be no return to the fighting until they do that," the official told Reuters.

Hamas later said it rejected the presence of foreign forces in Gaza, signalling its opposition to any plan to send an international contingent to the Gaza Strip to help keep the peace in the Palestinian enclave.

The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), a Palestinian group allied with Hamas, said separately that it would consider any international or other forces in Gaza as occupiers.

HEZBOLLAH-HAMAS TALKS

Gaza health authorities say more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive launched in response to a Hamas-led assault on Israel last Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

The war has displaced hundreds of thousands of Gazans and caused a humanitarian crisis. It has also fuelled tension across the region, triggering exchanges of fire across Israel's northern border with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hamas said it had told Hezbollah it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal in Gaza and that the Lebanese group's leader had welcomed the step, two sources familiar with the matter said.

"If there is a Gaza agreement, then from zero hour there will be a ceasefire in Lebanon," said one of the sources, an official in Hezbollah, which says its rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel are in support of the Palestinians.

ISRAELI FAR-RIGHT PARTNERS' CONCERNS

Turkey's president, Tayyip Erdogan, was quoted by Turkish media as saying he hoped a "final ceasefire" could be secured "in a couple of days", and urged Western countries to put pressure on Israel to accept the terms on offer.

Some far-right partners in Netanyahu's governing coalition have indicated they may quit the government if the war ends before Hamas is destroyed. Their departure would probably end Netanyahu's premiership.

Israel's Channel 7 News reported that, at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, far-right coalition partner Itamar Ben Gvir had accused security and defence officials of deciding to resume the Gaza talks without consulting him.

Hamas' new proposal responded to a plan made public in late May by U.S. President Joe Biden that would include releasing about 120 hostages still held in Gaza and a ceasefire.

The plan entails gradually releasing hostages and Israeli forces pulling back over an initial two phases, and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners. A third phase involves Gaza's reconstruction.

Israel has previously said it will accept only temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007, is eradicated.

An Israeli delegation in Egypt on Thursday discussed details of the possible deal, Egyptian security sources said. They said Israel would respond to the Hamas proposal after discussions with Qatar which, like Egypt, has mediated the peace efforts.

In the latest fighting in Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians in northern and southern Gaza, Gaza medics said. The Gaza health ministry does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.

An air strike on a house in Gaza City also killed two local journalists, medics said.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, seven Palestinians were killed in a raid on the northern city of Jenin, the Palestinian health ministry said. Israel's military said its forces had encircled a building where militants had barricaded themselves in, and that an Israeli aircraft had struck targets in the area.

Gazans, who desperately need aid such as food and drinking water, reacted cautiously to the prospect of renewed talks. The only previous truce, agreed in November, lasted seven days.

"We in Gaza are people who sleep on death and wake up to death. We know that at any time we can die," Ibtisam Al-Athamna, who said she had been displaced nine times during the war, told Reuters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

(Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta, Christian Lowe in Jerusalem, Laila Bassam and Tom Perry in Beirut, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan in Cairo; writing by Timothy Heritage; editing by Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens and Mark Heinrich)
By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI (Reuters) -The low-profile moderate Masoud Pezeshkian, who has pledged to open Iran to the world and deliver freedoms its people have yearned for, has won the country's run-off presidential vote, the interior ministry said on Saturday.

"By gaining majority of the votes cast on Friday, Pezeshkian has become Iran's next president," it said.

The participation was around 50% in a tight race between Pezeshkian, the sole moderate in the original field of four candidates, and hardline former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, a staunch advocate of deepening ties with Russia and China.

The run-off on Friday followed a June 28 ballot with historically low turnout, when over 60% of Iranian voters abstained from the snap election for a successor to Ebrahim Raisi, following his death in a helicopter crash.

Videos on social media showed supporters of Pezeshkian dancing in streets in many cities and towns across the country and motorists honking car horns to cheer his victory.

People in the northwestern city of Urmia, Pezeshkian's hometown, were handing sweets out on the streets, witnesses said.

While the election is expected to have little impact on the Islamic Republic's policies, the president will be closely involved in selecting the successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's 85-year-old Supreme Leader, who calls all the shots on top matters of state.

Voter turnout has plunged over the past four years, which critics say underlines that support for clerical rule has eroded at a time of growing public discontent over economic hardship and curbs on political and social freedoms.

Only 48% of voters participated in the 2021 election that brought Raisi to power, and turnout was 41% in a parliamentary election in March.

The election coincides with escalating Middle East tensions due to the war between Israel and Iranian allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as increased Western pressure on Iran over its fast-advancing uranium enrichment programme.

The next president is not expected to produce any major policy shift on the nuclear programme or change in support for militia groups across the Middle East, but he runs the government day-to-day and can influence the tone of Iran's foreign and domestic policy.

FAITHFUL RIVALS

A triumph by Pezeshkian might promote a pragmatic foreign policy, ease tensions over now-stalled negotiations with major powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal, and improve prospects for social liberalisation and political pluralism, analysts said.

However, many voters are sceptical about Pezeshkian's ability to fulfil his campaign promises as the former health minister has publicly stated that he had no intention of confronting Iran's power elite of clerics and security hawks.

"I did not vote last week but today I voted for Pezeshkian. I know Pezeshkian will be a lame duck president but still he is better than a hardliner," said Afarin, 37, owner of a beauty salon in the central city of Isfahan.

Many Iranians have painful memories of the handling of nationwide unrest sparked by the death in custody of young Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in 2022, which was quelled by a violent state crackdown involving mass detentions and even executions.

"I will not vote. This is a big NO to the Islamic Republic because of Mahsa (Amini). I want a free country, I want a free life," said university student Sepideh, 19, in Tehran.

The hashtag #ElectionCircus has been widely posted on social media platform X since last week, with some activists at home and abroad calling for an election boycott, arguing that a high turnout would legitimise the Islamic Republic.

Both candidates have vowed to revive the flagging economy, which has been beset by mismanagement, state corruption and sanctions reimposed since 2018 after the United States under then-President Donald Trump ditched the nuclear deal.

"I will vote for Jalili. He believes in Islamic values. He has promised to end our economic hardships," retired employee Mahmoud Hamidzadegan, 64, said in the northern city of Sari.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; additional reporting by Elwely Elwelly; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Rosalba O'Brien and William Mallard)
By Sabine Siebold

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO is set to issue its first ever defence industrial pledge at its Washington summit on Wednesday, pushing countries to boost arms production and return to a stricter standardization of ammunition to make shells interoperable on the battlefield.

"Ukraine has shown that our standardization was good on paper but not so good in the field," said a NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity and referring to munitions such as 155mm artillery rounds which are in short supply globally amid soaring demand triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

While NATO enforces standards for rounds fired by small arms such as assault rifles, enabling allies to use each others' munitions, it is not so easy for artillery shells.

Although there is a NATO standard for artillery ammunition, its implementation is voluntary and a lack of adherence has fragmented the market and hampered the flow of supplies.

Fourteen NATO nations have reserved the right to deviate from the standard, meaning there are different types of 155 millimetre ammunition.

The different rounds can still be used in all howitzers but operators need to enter the specification of the shells when loading them into the weapon or risk them missing their targets by as much as 50 metres or 60 metres (160 to 196 ft), according to artillery experts.

The specifications are registered in tables that operators use but officials say companies sometimes do not provide all the necessary data - something NATO aims to change. It also aims for more common standards, which would mean simpler and shorter tables.

"A world in which there was one standardized NATO round, where every ally produced the same thing, would be a much simpler world for military commanders," the NATO official said.

"Because then you have absolutely no doubt everyone's using the same round. So you could take munitions from this dump over there and move it to these howitzers, and that would be the most efficient way of doing things."

Still, NATO may run into opposition from munitions makers as such a move could raise competition and lower prices.

With a view to boosting arms production, especially for "battle-decisive ammunition" such as artillery shells and air defence missiles, leaders will agree to report to NATO annually how they intend to meet the alliance's defence targets and how they aim to increase arms production, the official said.

Western countries have been scrambling to backfill their own inventories, often neglected since the end of the Cold War, while also supplying Ukraine with desperately needed weapons.

NATO allies have stepped up the production of ammunition since 2022, from roughly a few 100,000 artillery shells before the war to some two million rounds this year and some three million rounds expected in 2025, according to the official.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Josie Kao)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 20: An exterior view of the Supreme Court on June 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

It was a week of ironies.

As the country took a holiday to celebrate its independence from Great Britain  when it fought a war against a kings power to dictate its future  the U.S. Supreme Court announced a ruling that makes presidents a bit more like that king.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Mondays decision gives presidents unprecedented immunity against criminal prosecution for official acts while in office. This is at a time when a former president, Donald Trump, is facing several criminal trials and is already a convicted felon.

The courts decision leaves a question mark over what a president does officially and unofficially and seems to provide far more cover for both. It doesnt provide for holding presidents accountable under the law, like the rest of us.

The ruling wasnt altogether a surprise to court watchers like Al Kauffman.

The longtime San Antonio civil rights attorney and professor at St. Marys School of Law routinely reads the courts opinions and listens to its oral arguments.

He teaches constitutional law, among other classes, and every ruling out of the Supreme Court becomes potential coursework for his law school students.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In some ways, this weeks ruling was straightforward in its audacity, offering presidents expanded immunity from criminal prosecution, immunity that no other presidents in history have required.

ELAINE AYALA: Rosie Castro as political activist and poet

The court majority acted with no fear or disdain for the outsized power it created for the executive branch. And it recognized no potential authoritarianism that could rise from it.

Kauffman wasnt surprised by that either, given the court majoritys other recent rulings in which it rolled back constitutional rights and decades of legal precedent, steering the court farther to the right.

They just are going through those like a lawnmower, he said of legal precedent.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Kauffman pointed to the Dobbs decision, which reversed abortion rights; the Bruen case, which makes it almost impossible to support any sort of gun regulation; and various cases in which the court reversed affirmative action rulings.

So, in expanding presidential immunity, Kauffman sees the court creating a kingly president  exactly what we werent celebrating on July Fourth.

It truly is the imperial presidency, he said, adding that the ruling was also part of a pattern of political partisanship on the court.

Whats an example of an imperial presidency?

His answer was swift. Russia.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

It gives so much more power to the executive, and conversely less to the two other branches, the legislative and judicial, he said.

Future presidents may or may not exercise those powers, but they will have the ability to exercise more powers with impunity than any president has ever had, he said.

For example, under Mondays decision, a commander in chief may argue he backed a violent insurrection against the legislative branch to overrule a fraudulent election. He or she could argue it was done in the interests of the United States.

An imaginative lawyer could produce a good argument to protect such presidential actions as official, and potentially argue successfully that the president is immune from criminal prosecution.

That level of presidential immunity wont be the practice in the now but in the great, big future. Future presidents on the right or the left could argue theirs were official acts protected by presidential immunity.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

What Kauffman found most interesting were the dissenting opinions by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Katanji Brown Jackson, which showed the strong divide between the justices, not just in legal thought but in the commonplace wording of their opinions.

They were stronger than most dissents, he said. You could sort of sense the anger coming through the lines.

Kauffman also noticed the way both signed off. Most justices end their dissents with words like I respectfully dissent or respectfully submitted.

Sotomayor and Jackson didnt. Perhaps they couldnt muster that simple regard, that measure of respect to their colleagues this time.

This case drew harsh differences.

Jacksons last sentence in her dissenting opinion says, I dissent.

Having read hundreds of these decisions, thats sort of rare, Kauffman said. Im not that much of a Supreme Court scholar to know, but I was caught by that.

It showed just how sort of polarized and anxious they are, he said.

Sotomayor was elegant in her closing.

Never in the history of our Republic has a President had reason to believe that he would be immune from criminal prosecution if he used the trappings of his office to violate the criminal law, she wrote.

Moving forward, however, all former Presidents will be cloaked in such immunity. If the occupant of that office misuses official power for personal gain, the criminal law that the rest of us must abide will not provide a backstop.
CLACTON-ON-SEA, England (Reuters) -Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, won a seat in the British parliament for the first time on Friday in the seaside English town of Clacton-on-Sea, as voters deserted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party.

Farage, whose career of anti-immigration, pro-Brexit campaigning has made him one of Britain's most recognisable and divisive political figures, comfortably beat the Conservative candidate Giles Watling who had previously held the seat.

His surprise entry into the election a month ago, having initially ruled out standing, boosted support for Reform UK across the country. That helped scupper Sunak's hopes of closing the gap on the centre-left Labour Party, which is on course for a huge national victory.

"There is a massive gap on the center right of British politics and my job is to fill it and that's exactly what I'm gonna do," Farage said after the result was announced.

"My plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of the next few years and hopefully be big enough to challenge the general election properly in 2029."

After seven unsuccessful attempts to win a seat in parliament, Friday's victory finally puts Farage, 60, inside a political institution he has spent decades railing against and will test his ability to deliver on promises to voters.

Reform UK was predicted to win 13 seats according to the exit poll - a tiny proportion of the 650 seats, but one which Farage hopes will give him a platform to usurp the Conservatives and become the main right-of-centre opposition to Labour.

"Believe me, folks, this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you," he said.

(Reporting by William James and Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Alex Richardson and Kate Holton)
FILE PHOTO: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico addresses the nation for the first time after the shooting, before the EU Parliamentary Election, in Bratislava

(Reuters) -Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico appeared in public on Friday for the first time since a May assassination attempt, railing in a speech against progressive ideologies and backing Hungarian leader Viktor Orban's visit to Moscow.

Fico, who is recovering after being shot four times at close range in mid-May, made his appearance at an evening ceremony marking Saints Cyril and Methodius Day, a public holiday in Slovakia. He spoke standing at a podium at a castle ruins dating back over 11 centuries.

Fico, a four-time leftist prime minister who returned to power after winning an election last September, was shot when he greeted supporters at a government meeting in the central Slovak town of Handlova, leaving him needing hours of surgery. He has been recovering at home since the end of May.

The attack has deepened the polarisation in the central European country of 5.4 million.

Fico's leftist-nationalist government has quickly shifted policy since taking power last year, including changing some criminal laws and cancelling a special prosecutor's office, transforming the public broadcaster, and halting state military aid to Ukraine.

Opposition parties have battled Fico's government over the changes while the European Union has watched for any damage to rule of law or media freedoms.

Fico on Friday hit back against progressive and liberal ideologies he said were "spreading like cancer" and hurting the country.

"I don't want Slovakia to be among the countries that make a caricature of Western civilization," he said.

In a video message posted on Facebook in early June, Fico had called his attacker an opposition activist, but said he felt no hatred toward him and would not seek damages.

His attacker, a man identified by prosecutors as 71-year old Juraj C., was detained and charged with attempted premeditated murder. Prosecutors this week upgraded the case to a terrorist attack.

The detained man has, according to court documents, said he had wanted to hurt the prime minister, but not kill him, because he disagreed with the government's policies.

Fico has faced criticism for views leaning toward Russia while his foreign minister has met his Russian counterpart despite EU officials avoiding high-level meetings with Moscow.

Fico, in his first live speech since the attack, reiterated a call for peace talks in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and said he would have joined Orban on his visit to Moscow if health allowed.

Orban faced outcry from some EU leaders for his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"There are not enough, I repeat, not enough peace talks, peace initiatives," Fico said.

(Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague; editing by Diane Craft and David Gregorio)
With apologies to James Joyce, A Portrait of a Psychotic Vigilante as a Young Man might be a good subtitle for Martin Scorsese's 1976 masterwork, Taxi Driver. Though Paul Schrader's dialogue might not sound as lyrical as the immortal Irish author's esteemed prose, it's nevertheless hypnotic and poetic, terse and direct...just like the cinematic style of Scorsese. Over the years, many fine directors have fashioned fine films from fine screenplays, but rarely has a script so perfectly suited the vision and style of a director, and rarely has the perfect actor also played the lead role. All the pieces of the puzzle snap snugly together in Taxi Driver, making it not just an artistic triumph, but also a supremely absorbing, layered, and, yes, entertaining motion picture.

Sure, we all remember Robert De Niro looking in the mirror, aiming his gun, sizing up an imaginary assailant with wide eyes and a slightly crazed smirk on his face and asking that loaded question, "You talkin' to me?" It's an iconic movie moment and quote, much like "Rosebud," "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," and "Go ahead, make my day," but it doesn't define Taxi Driver. The blossoming talent of Scorsese does, coupled with a timely - and in many ways timeless - story that continues to strike a nerve and provoke spirited discussion about society, law and order, and the complex circuitry of the human brain almost a half century after its premiere. And without De Niro's mesmerizing portrayal of the isolated, tortured, and disturbed Travis Bickle, it's difficult to determine whether the film would wield the same degree of impact.

A Vietnam War veteran, Travis epitomizes the lost, disassociated, often aimless men who returned home from an ugly, traumatic conflict and found it difficult to assimilate into organized society. He applies for a taxi driving job to try and escape his lonely and monotonous existence, as well as the nagging demons that needle him, and as he scrutinizes life from behind the wheel of his iron coffin, he's repulsed by the filth of both the New York streets and the human condition. Someone needs to clean it all up, he tells himself, planting a seed that will grow into a mission later on. Hope, however, in the form of cool blonde beauty Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), who works for a promising political candidate, briefly buoys Travis' spirits, but his inability to properly relate to her spurs a rapid inward retreat and ignites the smoldering violent tendencies lurking in his soul.

The bloodbath that comprises the Taxi Driver climax often overshadows the nuances that distinguish the bulk of the film, and that's a shame, because the movie's meat lies in its impeccable depiction of character. With methodical grace and searing insight, Scorsese and De Niro subtly paint a complex portrait of a man on the edge and the forces that lead him to the breaking point. Scorsese takes it slow, allowing us to get under Travis' skin and see the world through his warped perspective. We feel his desolation, the mounting fatalism and paranoia that consume him, and how the claustrophobic atmosphere of the cab and his tiny apartment turn him into a caged animal desperate to break out of his self-imposed incarceration.

As usual, Scorsese - aided immeasurably by cinematographer Michael Chapman - finds a way to make the repugnant strangely elegant and seductive, and the images he composes of New York's underbelly, coupled with the smooth jazz strains and dramatic accents of Bernard Herrmann's final score, heighten our connection to the material. Though his style doesn't flaunt the flash that would distinguish - and, at times, overshadow - his later works, it's no less impressive.

Of course, it's impossible to imagine anyone other than De Niro as Travis. Few other actors can convey such complexity with so little outward expression, and though his character is by turns creepy, pathetic, and edgy, he easily engenders our sympathy. De Niro never sugarcoats Travis, he merely makes him fascinating, a cryptic jumble of contradictions we all want to figure out. Since the movie opened 48 years ago, we've seen a lot of Travis Bickles on film and in real life, but De Niro crafted the mold, and his impression is the one that's most firmly etched in our collective consciousness.

The supporting cast never eclipses De Niro, but the stellar work of Jodie Foster as a child prostitute, Harvey Keitel as her pimp, Shepherd as the elusive, uptight beauty, Albert Brooks as her nerdy colleague, Peter Boyle as a pontificating cabbie, and even Scorsese himself in a cameo as one of Travis' weirdo passengers incisively complements his performance, drawing us deeper into his quiet, troubled existence. At the time, none of these actors were big stars, and it's a testament to Scorsese's eye and influence that all went on to have major careers.

Only in America could an antihero, in the blink of an eye, become a hero. Taxi Driver shows us - long before "15 minutes of fame" became a household phrase (let alone an aspiration) and social media consumed our existence - our society's desperate need for connection and attention, and its fickle obsession with those normal and unbalanced humans who seek it. Long ago, it inspired a sick individual to shoot a sitting president. Today, it merely inspires admiration - for its craft, structure, performances, and depiction of utter isolation, paranoia, and the twisted perceptions of a lost soul. Make no mistake, it's much more than a vigilante film.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Taxi Driver arrives once again on 4K UHD, but this time it's packaged in a limited edition SteelBook packaging with artwork that perfectly fits this iconic masterpiece. (Sadly, the copy I received doesn't snugly shut.) Though the disc encode is slightly different from the Columbia Classics Vol. 2 4K UHD disc, the transfer is essentially identical. Video codec is 2160p/HEVC H.265 with Dolby Vision HDR and default audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. (The original mono soundtrack is also included in the DTS-HD Master Audio format.) The differences between discs is a different static image main menu and some of the foreign language tracks are no longer included. A second disc includes a 1080p copy of the movie sourced from the 4K master as well as several supplements, and a leaflet containing the code to access the Movies Anywhere digital copy is tucked inside the front cover. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu with music pops up immediately following the Sony Data Options screen.
Welcome Guest! You are here: Home

The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia and the Moon sighting committees in the United Arab Emirate (UAE), Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Morocco, Iran and other Muslim states have announced the beginning of the Holy month of Muharram al Haram from Sunday July 07, 2024

Sunday July 7, 2024 12:05 PM , ummid.com News Network

Muharram 2024 Moon Sighting Live Updates: The Holy Kaaba in Makkah has been adorned with a new Kiswah as Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries marked the Islamic New Year 1446 on Muharram 01, corresponding to Sunday July 07, 2024.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and other Gulf States had earlier announced Sunday July 07, 2024 as the 1st Muharram and the start of the Islamic New Year 1446H.

Simultaneously, the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques had scheduled the replacement ceremony of Kaaba Kiswa on the Muharram 01, 1446H, the first day of the Islamic New Year.

Arrival of the new Kiswah in the Mataaf pic.twitter.com/z8iSmWYZG5  Inside the Haramain (@insharifain) July 6, 2024

The special work team first removed the gold-embroidered pieces of the Kaaba's old Kiswa while the new one was being brought to the Grand Mosque from the complex, accodring to government owned Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The Kiswa contains 53 gold-embroidered pieces consisting of 16 for the belt area, seven for under the belt, four corner pieces, 17 lanterns, five pieces for the door curtain, one piece for Al-Rukn Al-Yamani, and two pieces for the Black Stone outline, along with the gutter.

The start of the Islamic New Year also marks the start of the post Hajj Umrah season. Visa issuance for the post Hajj Umrah season was started in June.

Meanwhile, Moon sighting committees in India, and religious authorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and other South Asian countries have announced Monday July 08, 2024 as the first day of the Islamic New Year 1446 H.

On Saturday, moon sighting committees in India, and religious authorities in Pakistan, said there was no report of the Muharram moon sighting.

Hence Sunday will be the 30th day of Dhul Hijjah and Sunday July 08, 2024 will be marked as the first day of the Islamic New Year, the authorities said.

Meanwhile, Ashura, which coincided with 10th of Muharram, will be on July 16 in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, and on July 17, 2024 in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Saturday 09:00 PM: The crescent moon for Muharram has not been sighted in Pakistan and the first day of the month will be Monday July 08, 2024, Central Ruet e Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad announced on Saturday.

"Accordingly, Ashura  the 10th day of Muharram, will be on July 17, 2024", he said.

Regional moon committees in India and Bangladesh had earlier said in the absence of any confirmed moon sighting reports, the New Islamic Year 1446 H will begin on Monday July 08, 2024.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and other Arab countries will ring in the Isalmic New Year 1446 H on Sunday July 07, 2024.

Saturday 08:20 PM: There is no report of Muharram 2024 crescent sighting, regional Moon Sighting Committees in Mumbai and other parts of India said though an official announcement by the Imarat e Shariyah of Jamiat e Ulema Delhi is awaited.

Similarly, Religious Ministry in Bangladesh is also holding in Dhaka to ascertain and confirm the reports of Muharram moon sighting if any.

Ruyat e Hilal Committee in Pakistan is also likely to meet shortly.

Saturday 06:30 PM: The Ruyat e Hilal and Moon Sighting Committees in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other South Asian countries will confirm today i.e. Saturday July 06, 2024 the spotting of Muharram 1446 H Moon.

Imrate Shariyah of Jamiat Ulema Hind will meet in New Delhi whereas the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will meet in Quetta, Pakistan on Saturday to sight the crescent of Muharramul Haram 1446 Hijri.

A similar meeting will also be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The regional moon sighting committees in Mumbai, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Patna, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore and other parts of India, and Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar in Pakistan will also be held today after Maghrib prayers.

Saudi Arabia and other Arab states have announced the start of the Islamic New Year from Sunday July 07 and Ashura Day on Tuesday July 16, 2024.



Saturday July 06, 10:550 AM: The Saudi Royal Court Friday said the new moon of the month of Muharram is not sighted, accordingly Saturday is the 30th day of Dhul Hijjah 1445H, and Sunday July 07, 2024 marks the start of the month of Muharram 1446 H and start of the Islamic New Year 2024.

"The Crescent committee decides that today, Saturday will complete the month of Dhul Hijjah for the year 1445 AH, and Sunday, corresponding to 7th July 2024, is the beginning of the month of Muharram for the year 1446 AH", it is annouced a little while ago.

Also, Youm e Ashura, observed on 10th of Muharram, will be on on Tuesday July 16, 2024.

Muharram Moon Sighting in India, Pakistan

Meanwhile, Moon sighting committees in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other South Asian countries will sight the Muharram moon today i.e. Saturday July 06, 2024.

The Ruyat e Hilal Committee in India, Pakistan and Bagladesh will today after Maghrib prayers to decide the first day of the Islamic New Year 1446 AH in these countries.

Friday July 05, 09:30 PM: The Saudi Royal Court and Moon sighting committees in United Arab Emirate (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Morocco, Iran and other Muslim states are set to confirm the sighting of Muharram Moon any moment.

The Maghrib prayers in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states is over, and the meeting to confirm Muharram sighting is underway.

Meanwhile, reports from Haramain said Holy Kaaba will be adorned with new Kiswah Saturday July 06, 2024.

The Kingdom had earlier announced that the Kiswah of Kaaba will be changed on 1st Muharram 1446 H.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had started issuing post Hajj 2024 Umrah visa from June 21. The new Umrah season will begin from 1st Muharram 1446 AH.

Friday July 05, 05:30 PM: The Saudi Royal Court and Moon sighting committees in United Arab Emirate (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Morocco, Iran and other Muslim states will sit today after Maghrib Salah (07:15 PM Makkah Time) to confirm the Muharram Moon Sighting Report if any.

An official announcement regarding the start of the New Islamic Year 1446 H and beginning of the new month, Muharram, will accordingly follow soon.

Friday July 05, 10:00 AM: The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia and the Moon sighting committees in the United Arab Emirate (UAE), Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Morocco, Iran and other Muslim states have appealed the local residents to sight the New Moon of the Holy month of Muharram al Haram today i.e. Friday 29th of Dhul Hijjah 1445 AH corresponding to July 05, 2024.

The sighting of the New Moon today will end the current Islamic Year 1445 AH and decide the first day of the Islamic Hijri Calendar, also known as Islamic New Year day, 1446 AH.

"Anyone sighting the new moon today i.e. Friday July 05, 2024 - by naked eye or the telescope, is requested to notify the nearest court and register a testimony or contact the nearest center, Muharram 2024 (Muharram 1446 AH) Moon sighting appeals issued in the respective countries said.

Islamic New Year 1446H

Muharram al Haram is the first month of the Islamic Calendar. If the new moon is sighted today then the Islamic New Year 2024, Islamic New Year 1446 Hijrah will begin from Saturday July 06, 2024.

If the new moon is not sighted today then Saturday July 06 will be counted as the 30th day of Dhul Hijjah 1445 AH and the month of Muharram, and the Islamic New Year 1446 AH, will start from Sunday July 07, 2024.

This is because the Islamic Calendar is based on lunar system. A new month under this system starts with sighting of the moon on 29th of the ongoing month. If moon, crescent, is sighted on 29th day, new month begins from the next day, else the next day is counted as the 30th day and the new month begins a day later.

Ashura 2024 Date

Accordingly, Youm e Ashura, which is observed on 10th of Muharram will be on Monday July 15, 2024 if the New Moon is sighted today and the Islamic New Year 2024 begins on Saturday July 06, 2024. Else, Ashura will be observed on Tuesday July 16, 2024.

Meanwhile, Muslims in the United States, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Bahrain, Japan, South Korea and in other countries will also decide today the start date of Islamic New Year 1446 H.

Muslims in Singapore, New Zealand, UK, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other South Asian countries will however decide tomorrow i.e. Saturday July 06, 2024 the first day of Muharram 2024 and beginning of the Islamic New Year 1446 AH.

"Wifaqul Ulama urges Muslims in Britain to attempt to sight the Moon for Muharram 1446 on the evening of Saturday 6th of July 2024. This will be the 29th Dhu al-Hijjah 1445 in the UK", the apex body of Muslims in the United Kingdom said.

Islamic New Year 2024 Holiday

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Arab countries have announced the Islamic New Year 2024 (Muharram 1446 AH) holiday on Sunday July 07, 2024.

"The employees will have a paid holiday on Sunday, July 7, for Muharram 1, 1446 H", the UAE said.

The Sultanate of Oman has announced a public holiday and a three-day weekend for the public sector to celebrate the Hijiri (Islamic New Year).

According to a statement by the Oman News Agency, the country has declared a holiday on Sunday, July 7, for both the public and private sectors to mark the beginning of the new Islamic calendar year.

Sunday, 7 July 2024, is an official holiday for employees of the public and private sectors on the occasion of the Holy Prophets Hijra Anniversary and the advent of the new Hijri year 1446 AH.

Those living in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait meanwhile should note that though the two countries mark Islamic New Year eve as an important date, it has not been declared as holiday in the three countries so far.

Meanwhile, Muslims in Bahrain, Jordan, and other countries in the Middle East are also waiting for an official communique regarding Islamic New Year holiday.





Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
Welcome Guest! You are here: Home

In a strong comeback after 14 long years, Keir Starmer led Labour party registered a landslide victory in the 2024 UK General Elections polling for which was held Thursday July 04 and results were announced on Friday July 05, 2024

Friday July 5, 2024 9:45 PM , ummid.com News Network

UK Election 2024 Results Live: Keir Starmer of Labour Party officially became new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

He became the new UK PM after an audience with King Charles at Buckingham Palace and visiting 10 Downing Street, the BBC reports.

Keir Starmer met the King for the formal invitation to form a government.

The Labour party has won a total of 412 seats - up 211 seats from its last tally.

The Conservative party, which ruled the country for the last 14 years, won 121 seats in the 2024 UK parliament polls - 250 less than the 2019.

09:30 AM: In a strong comeback after 14 long years, Keir Starmer led Labour party registered a landslide victory in the 2024 UK General Elections polling for which was held Thursday July 04 and results were announced on Friday July 05, 2024.

As the counting of votes reached its final stages Friday morning, Labour party had doubled its strength in the last parliament winning 407 of the total 650 seats.

Rishi Sunak led Conservative party could win 112 seats  down 243 seats as compared to the partys last tally.

"We did it"

"We did it. Thank you truly... you have changed our country", a beaming Keir Starmer, who led the Labour party to the landslide win, said in his victory speech.

"The change has begun", he said. "Four-and-a-half years of work changing this party... This is what it is for. A changed Labour... Ready to restore Britain to the service of the working people", he added.

Starmer - who is all set to be sworn in as Prime Minister - won his Holborn and St Pancras seat in despite a sharply reduced majority - from nearly 23,000 votes in 2019 to fewer than 12,000 this time.

Rishi Sunak concedes defeat

Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak conceded defeat.

"I am sorry... I take responsibility for the loss," Sunak said.

The United Kingdom comprising of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland has a total of 650 constituencies represented by as many Member of Parliaments.

The country has a total of 49 million registered voters who were asked to vote on Thursday July 04, 2024 from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Polling in the United Kingdom was held using paper ballots.

This elections, close to 1 million Hindus and around 4 million Muslims are also seeking to assert their political importance.

As compared to the last elections, the Muslims this time were more organised. The Muslim Vote, a campaign launched ahead of the elections, had also released a list of constituencies having more than 10% votes along with the names of preferred candidates.

There were a total of 19 Muslim MPs in 2019  04 more than their tally in 2017. In the 2024 elections, however, number of Muslim MPs is likely to go up.

A record number of Muslims , 300, are contesting the 2024 parliament elections in UK. Of them at least 28 have a good chance to win, according to projections.





Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
HCM CITY  With major import markets tending to impose more stringent requirements in terms of environmental and social responsibility, Vietnamese firms need to have strategies and plans to quickly switch to green manufacturing to sustain exports, a conference heard in HCM City on July 4.

Ho Thi Quyen, deputy director of the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of HCM City (ITPC), told the conference titled Current Foreign Trade Transactions: Changes in Business Strategies and Disputes Management that Viet Nam has integrated more deeply into with global markets, which creates new opportunities for enterprises to expand trade.

In the event, she said, trade has indeed grown sharply in recent years: imports and exports in the first half of 2024 were estimated at more than US$190 billion after rising by 14.5 per cent year-on-year, and there was a trade surplus of $11.6 billion.

But it has come with challenges and risks.

Chau Viet Bac, deputy general secretary of the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC), said businesses, especially in foreign trade and logistics, are facing technical barriers related to the environment, green manufacturing and digital transformation since the world is paying attention to sustainable development.

Agile businesses could take advantage of the opportunities to thrive while those that adapt more slowly would face increasing challenges since markets are steadily making regulations more stringent, he said.

With sustainable development becoming an inevitable trend globally, Quyen highlighted the need for Viet Nam to continue implementing mechanisms and policies for green transformation and development of a green and circular economy.

Speakers also referred to the legal risks businesses face in import and export activities.

Bac said disputes related to foreign trade and international purchase and sale of goods have always ranked first in the number of cases coming before the VIAC in recent years.

In many of them, Vietnamese enterprises were at a disadvantage because of mistakes right from the stage of negotiating to signing contracts, he said.

Contract management and risk management are extremely important in international trade, he said.

Bui Van Thanh, head of NewSun Law Firm, who has many years of experience in supporting domestic and foreign businesses with legal matters, said businesses need to clearly understand the nature and characteristics of foreign trade contracts and potential political and cultural risks.

They also need to verify the legal status, financial situation and compliance with local laws and regulations of the contracting parties, and the legal provisions of the host country to respond to risks, he said.

They need to be very careful about the terms and conditions in contracts.

Vu Quang Huy, general director of TEKCOM JSC, said exports of wooden products are looking up since demand recovered, but businesses are facing a challenge in meeting sustainability criteria set by markets such as the EU Deforestation Regulations, USs trade defense measures against the wood industry, and net-zero emission goals.

They have also been scammed and routinely face risks related to payment, transportation, market fluctuations, regulatory changes, and others, he said.

He too spoke about the need for businesses to carefully evaluate partners, draft clear and detailed contracts, have safe payment methods and goods insurance, and monitor and update market information regularly.

Ton Nu Xuan Quyen, chairwoman of BLUSAIGON JSC, said international trade is highly volatile, with a number of unpredictable factors stemming from geopolitical risks that push up costs.

Organised by ITPC and VIAC, the conference saw the participation of nearly 200 delegates from import-export companies and business associations in the city.  VNS
HA NOI  As landfill solutions become increasingly outdated, the development of waste-to-energy plants is expected to be the key answer to environmental problems.

Notably, waste-to-energy projects not only help to handle a large amount of waste but also provide a significant source of renewable energy.

The Government has been reiterating the message of 'not trading off the environment for economic growth' on many occasions, reflecting their consistent stance on environmental protection.

However, with the advent of waste-to-energy technology, the concepts of 'environment and economy' can progress in tandem with no longer any need to trade off or sacrifice one for the other.

Viet Nam is currently among the top 20 countries in the world with the largest amount of waste, exceeding the global averages, due to limited waste management and treatment facilities.

It is estimated that the average Vietnamese generates 1.2kg of waste per day (equivalent to nearly 70,000 tonnes across the whole country). Currently, over 70 per cent of waste in Viet Nam simply ends up in landfill, with only 13 per cent being incinerated to recover energy.

Notably, landfill sites are becoming increasingly difficult to source, as the land available for this purpose is gradually shrinking.

To cope with this acute and growing problem, the development of waste-to-energy plants is seen as not only economically beneficial, but also as providing a significant and positive contribution to the environment.

The combination of modern science and technology with environmentally-friendly waste treatment processes creates a comprehensive solution for waste issues and sustainable energy production.

This helps solve the pressing issue of increasing and growing mountains of waste and the worsening air and water pollution levels.

Thus, the development of waste-to-energy plants is seen as a dual-benefit solution, expected to be a strategic approach that 'hits two targets with one arrow' addressing both economic and environmental concerns simultaneously.

According to statistics from the Department of Environmental Pollution Control, Viet Nam currently has 15 waste-to-energy plants under construction, with three of them already generating electricity including the largest, the Soc Son plant operated by the Ha Noi Thien Y Environmental Energy Joint Stock Company.

This has a treatment capacity of 1,000 tonnes per furnace per day, receiving 5,000 tonnes of waste daily and generating 90MW of electricity.

The Vinh Tan plant in Binh Thuan Province has a capacity of treating 600 tonnes of waste per day and generates 30MW of electricity.

The Phu Ninh plant in Phu Tho Province can incinerate 500 tonnes of waste per day and generate 25MW of electricity, while the Cu Chi plant in HCM City can process 1,000 tonnes of waste per day and generate 50MW of electricity.

The Soc Son plant is the biggest waste-to-energy plant in Viet Nam and the second largest in the world, after the Shenzhen plant in China.

The plant has 16 waste disposal gates, each designed to accommodate different types of rubbish trucks in Viet Nam and since becoming operational it has processed over 1.46 million tonnes of household solid waste.

Wise selection

Waste incineration technology to generate electricity is increasingly favoured because of several advantages over other technologies, such as reducing waste volume and mass by 90-95 per cent, utilising heat, reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfill and minimising water pollution.

Ha Noi and HCM City which are the two largest urban cities with the highest daily waste generation in the country are understandably also the two most vigorously promoting waste-to-energy development.

Besides accelerating the construction of waste-to-energy plants, the two cities are also focusing on improving waste treatment technology. HCM City aims to have 80 per cent of household waste treated with modern new technology by 2025 and 100 per cent by 2030.

Meanwhile by the end of 2024, Ha Noi wants to have an additional 67MW in power generated in the Soc Son Plant and increase the energy capacity a further 129.3MW, when the Seraphin waste-to-energy plant project is fully operational.

The city will continue to implement waste treatment projects in Chuong My, Phu Xuyen, Thanh Tri, Gia Lam districts and other areas. The construction of waste plants around the central area will help reduce transportation distances, lower costs and decrease the city's budget expenditures.

Ha Noi is also studying the possible use of wind power, as well as developing a network of electric charging stations and green energy supply stations for transportation.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Thi An, director of the Institute of Natural Resources, Environment, and Community Development, told Kinh te & o Thi (Economic & Urban Affairs) newspaper under the municipal Ha Noi People's Committee: "The environment is currently a very pressing issue, especially in terms of waste. To address the current environmental problems, one of the most important aspects is solving the waste problem. This must be a key focus when developing waste-to-energy solutions.

The crucial issue now is selecting the appropriate technology that can effectively manage waste without generating other harmful pollutants.

It is essential to thoroughly choose suitable technology without being tempted by lower costs, while ensuring transparency and openly considering the opinions of experts.

In addition to fully exploiting technology, An said she believes that for waste-to-energy solution to truly succeed and achieve its full potential, waste classification at source is a crucial step.

"According to the experience of many countries around the world, to effectively manage waste, it is essential to optimise waste classification, transfer and collection before processing. If the classification is not done well, treatment process will be challenging," she said.  VNS
HCM CITY  HCM City plans to further strengthen connections with foreign tourism markets through Viet Nam's diplomatic network.

In the first six months of this year, the city served 2.68 million visitors, up 38 per cent year on year, fulfilling 44.6 per cent of the citys target for the whole year, with a tourism revenue of VN92.6 trillion (US$3.63 billion), a year-on-year rise of 14.6 per cent.

The results were attributed to the citys efforts in organising various large-scale tourism activities and strengthening linkage with foreign tourism markets.

In late June, the municipal Department of Tourism had a working session with Chen Mei-hsiu, Director of the Tourism and Travel Bureau of Taichung City of Taiwan (China) to discuss plans to promote tourism cooperation between Vietnam in general and HCM City in particular with Taichung.

In the Jan-May period, Viet Nam welcomed 530,000 tourists from Taiwan, of whom about 193,000 visited HCM City, making Taiwan the fifth largest international market of the city.

Also in June, the department also worked with Armenian Ambassador to Viet Nam Suren Baghdasaryan. Viet Nam and Armenia are each others new tourism market and people of the two sides have still lacked information about each others country. At the meeting, municipal officials said that the city will actively promote Vietnamese tourism by organising tourism promotion events in Armenia.

Director of the department Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said that the department has asked for cooperation from embassies and tourism promotion agencies of other countries in exchanging information and introduce the culture, people and tourism of Viet Nam and HCM City to people of other countries and vice versa through each others communications channels.

The department has invited foreign countries embassies and tourism promotion agencies to join the International Travel Expo HCMC (ITE HCMC 2024) slated for September 5-7, Hoa said, adding that the city will organise a farmtrip and presstrip in the city in the coming time. VNA/VNS
The Kathleen C. Cailloux City Center for the Performing Arts in Kerrville is the citys auditorium and largest polling site.

Kerrville is violating the U.S. Constitution with two ordinances that limit canvassing and soliciting in the Hill Country city, a political advocacy group and several residents claim in a federal lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, accuses the Kerrville City Council of enacting a scheme to protect incumbents by making the price of participating in civic matters too costly and burdensome. The lawsuit also accuses the council of criminalizing the passing out of political and religious pamphlets on public sidewalks.

The lawsuit was filed by Liberty in Action, a local nonprofit that backed several candidates during the most recent Kerrville City Council elections, and Kerrville residents Terri Hall and Rachel Vickers. Hall is a co-founder of Liberty in Action. Vickers is the owner of Just Windows, a window cleaning business in Kerrville, and is a precinct chair for the Republican Party of Kerr County.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

At issue are two measures passed by the Kerrville City Council.

In March, the council approved an ordinance that requires anyone soliciting or canvassing in Kerrville to obtain a permit from the city. The permitting process requires paying a nonrefundable application fee, as well as undergoing a background check and being fingerprinted by the Kerrville Police Department. The ordinance allows several exceptions, including for nonprofits such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. It also allows canvassers for local religious groups to obtain permits without paying the registration fee.

The ordinance also limits soliciting or canvassing to between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Violating the ordinance could result in a fine of $50 to $500 per day.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The ordinance defines a canvasser as a person who attempts to make personal contact with a resident at his or her residence without prior specific invitation or appointment from the resident for the primary purpose of (1) attempting to enlist support for or against a particular religion, philosophy, ideology, political party, issue or candidate  or (2) distributing a handbill or flyer advertising a non-commercial event or service.

The ordinances stated intent is to to reduce petty annoyance, with its language saying that it is the citys duty to protect citizens from fraud and harassment, particularly when the solicitation of money is involved.

Liberty in Action, Hall and Vickers allege the limitations violate their First Amendment rights, and say they have suffered irreparable harm as the result of Kerrvilles actions. Liberty in Action says the ordinance has had a chilling effect on prospective volunteers, who now refuse to canvas neighborhoods for fear of being fined or arrested.

The other city ordinance mentioned in the lawsuit is one that places limits on campaign and election-related activities.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The ordinance bans campaigning within 100 feet of a door through which voters enter a polling place. In Kerrville, that generally refers to the Kathleen C. Cailloux City Center for the Performing Arts, the citys auditorium and largest polling site.

The ordinance says there have been multiple complaints from Kerrville residents about intimidation, harassment and difficulty getting from their vehicles to the polling place.

The ordinance prohibits political signs or literature in the green space outside the auditorium while the polls are open, as well as 30 minutes before and after that period. It also prohibits electioneering in the auditoriums parking lot when its operating as a polling place and bans placing signs in trees or other city-owned foliage on the auditoriums property.

The City Council amended the elections-related ordinance at its most recent meeting on June 25. The revisions removed the constraint on the size of signs posted at the auditorium, along with several other minor changes and clarifications. The soliciting ordinance also was amended, adding clarifications and noting those exempted from needing a permit do not need to fill out an application.

The restrictions on where people can conduct election-related activities and place signs are driven in part by safety concerns, city officials said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

We dont want anyone getting hurt, run over or impeding traffic, Kerrville City Attorney Mike Hayes said during the June 25 City Council meeting.

Liberty in Action and the other plaintiffs allege the limitations on election-related activity amount to a scheme to protect incumbents by making the price of participating in civic matters too costly and burdensome.

Government officials holding office in the city of Kerrville have decided that when political expediency and the commands of the First Amendment conflict, political expediency wins out, the lawsuit claims.

In its response to the lawsuit, Kerrville said recent elections have become more divisive, and that the ordinances are needed to prevent aggressive coercion. Nullifying the ordinances would undermine the public interest, the city claims.

The city also says the plaintiffs have yet to suffer any harm from the ordinance, and as a result have no standing to file the lawsuit.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Kerrville argued that the restrictions on the times residents can solicit and canvas, as well as restrictions on signs, are reasonable time, place and manner regulations, and that the city is not targeting the content of any speech. Solicitors and canvassers have ample alternative channels for communication of information, the city says.

The city has balanced those rights and enacted its electioneering at polling locations and solicitations ordinances in accordance with the will of its citizens, the citys response said.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to order that the ordinances not be enforced.
MOSCOW  A delegation of the Supreme Peoples Court led by Chief Justice Nguyen Hoa Binh paid a working visit to Russia from July 2-5, during which he expressed his hope to learn experience from the country in developing and perfecting the legal system.

At a meeting with Chairwoman of the Russian Supreme Court Irina Podnosova on Tuesday, Binh noted that his visit aims to learn about the operation of first instance courts in Russia, which helps ease the workload for those at higher levels.

Briefing the host on Viet Nams judicial reform, Binh said the country plans to devise a bankruptcy law and Russias experience in this field would be useful for the Supreme Peoples Court.

Podnosova shared experience with her Viet Namese colleagues in digitalisation and the organisation of online trials which help speed up the work and improve the transparency in the sector.

Binh called for Russias support in training judges and court officials, as well as scholarships for students of the Viet Namese Court Academy to study in Russia.

At another meeting with Chairman of the Moscow City Court Mikhail Ptitsyn on Wednesday, the two sides touched upon mediation trials and digitalisation at the Moscow court.

While in Russia, the Viet Namese delegation also visited the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, the Third Cassation Court in charge of Northwestern Russia, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, and the Academy of Management at the the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.  VNS
CA MAU  In a move to share knowledge on worker support initiatives, member of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and Chairman of the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) Leth Xayyaphone paid a working trip to the southernmost province of Ca Mau on Thursday.

Accompanied by Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour Thai Thu Xuong, Xayyaphone's delegation visited Viet-Uc Ca Mau One-Member Co. Ltd. in Ngoc Hien district to gain insights into its production process and, more importantly, the activities of its grassroots trade union.

Tran Thanh Tung, Chairman of the company's grassroots trade union, detailed collaborative efforts with Viet-Uc Ca Mau to promote worker well-being, including holding regular worker conferences, facilitating open communication through dialogues, and establishing workplace democracy regulations.

The trade union also plays a key role in encouraging worker participation, promoting social insurance enrollment, and ensuring their access to health, an unemployment and accident insurance, he said.

Xayyaphone commended the Viet-Uc Ca Mau grassroots trade union for its dedication to worker care and its commitment to ensuring their rights and interests. He also lauded the guidance and leadership provided by the Ca Mau provincial Labour Federation in supporting trade union activities in State agencies and enterprises.

The trip provided Xayyaphone with a firsthand look at Ca Mau and the lives of its people. He expressed his positive impressions and a desire to explore the southernmost region of Viet Nam further in the future.  VNS
HA NOI  Over 600 delegates will attend the 4th World Conference of Vietnamese Overseas and 2024 Forum for Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts Abroad in Ha Noi during August 21-28.

According to the spokesperson for the foreign ministry Pham Thu Hang, the conference has been held three times before, in 2009, 2012, and 2016. The conference has seen the participation of overseas Vietnamese from many countries, as well as leaders from central and local ministries and sectors.

This years conference coincides with the 20th anniversary of the implementation of Resolution No.36/2004 on the work related to overseas Vietnamese.

The conference will be held under the theme "Overseas Vietnamese Joining Hands to Realise the Country's Development Aspirations."

"This is a forum for the relevant authorities to grasp the situation and aspirations of overseas Vietnamese, thereby enhancing support and care for them," the spokesperson said.

According to Hang, this is also an occasion to strengthen the connection between entrepreneurs, experts, intellectuals, and overseas Vietnamese to promote investment from the diaspora and expand the national innovation network, especially through the forum for Vietnamese intellectuals and experts.

The Prime Minister is expected to attend and deliver a keynote address at the opening session, with the events featuring four thematic sessions focusing on the role of the Vietnamese diaspora in high-tech development, economic growth, national unity, as well as the promotion of Vietnamese culture and language.

Distinguished expatriates are set to meet with Party and State leaders, conduct field surveys, and engage in discussions with local authorities and businesses.

The conference is expected to have the participation of about 600 delegates, including around 200 overseas Vietnamese delegates, Hang noted.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received visiting Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith in Ha Noi on July 5.

Welcoming Kommasith on a working visit to Viet Nam as head of Laos central steering committee for trade and transport facilitation, PM Chinh said he believes the trip will be successful and substantially contribute to the unceasing reinforcement of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The host leader also asked the two foreign ministries to maintain close coordination to prepare for the coming high-level visits.

For his part, Kommasith thanked the Vietnamese Government for the top priority it has consistently given to the enhancement of bilateral relations.

He affirmed that the Party, State, and people of Laos will continue joining hands with their Vietnamese counterparts to nurture the countries great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation.

Earlier, Vietnamese Deputy PM Tran Luu Quang held talks with the Lao Deputy PM and Foreign Minister.

Both officials expressed their delight at the significant cooperation achievements obtained recently, especially the close coordination and the increase of delegation exchanges, high-level meetings, and bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

They noted that defence-security cooperation remains an important pillar of the two countries partnership. Bilateral trade rose 11 per cent year on year to US$780 million during the first five months of 2024. Besides, Viet Nam now has 255 valid projects worth about $5.5 billion in Laos, and they are operating fruitfully.

The two Deputy PMs shared the view that amid complex developments in the world and the region, it is necessary to keep promoting cooperation pillars; thoroughly deal with some outstanding problems to step up such key projects as Vung Ang Terminals 1, 2 and 3, along with road and railway transport connection projects; and continue to expand and improve the effectiveness of collaboration in education - training, culture, and people-to-people ties.

With regard to international and regional issues of common concern, they agreed that facing fast and complicated developments in the world and the region, the two sides should boost sharing information and coordinate closely at regional and international forums.

On this occasion, Kommasith and the Lao delegation had a working session with Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien.  VNS
HA NOI Viet Nam is drafting a new law to enhance the capability of its United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force.

The first meeting of the law's drafting committee was held on Friday, chaired by Senior General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of Defence. According to Chien, while Viet Nam has achieved success in its peacekeeping efforts, some regulations remain cumbersome for the deployment of peacekeeping personnel, requiring multiple levels of approval. This complexity makes it difficult to streamline deployment procedures, especially in emergencies where quick action is needed to ensure the safety of Vietnamese forces.

Additionally, some regulations fail to adequately prioritise and encourage female participation in UN peacekeeping operations, despite UN policy promoting increased female presence in peacekeeping forces. The new law aims to address these shortcomings by shortening the approval process and establishing more supportive policies for Vietnamese peacekeepers, with a focus on increasing female participation in UN missions.

During the meeting, delegates discussed the draft law's scope, applicability, and procedures for its development. They agreed that the law should cover personnel from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Safety, as well as civilians. Adjustments to the drafting timeline were also proposed to ensure thorough consultation and timely completion of the law.

In response, Chien highlighted the importance of the new law, noting that participation in UN peacekeeping enhances Viet Nam's international standing and contributes to national defence through peaceful means. He praised the committee for its diligent work and the valuable input from various ministries and agencies.

The new law will align with Viet Nam's broader strategy for participating in UN peacekeeping operations, as approved by the Politburo and outlined in the Ministry of National Defence's and Ministry of Public Security's plans between 2014 and 2020.  VNS
KIEN GIANG  Farmers in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang have been earning high incomes from intercropping pineapple, coconut and betel palm in the same orchard, a model that has proven well adapted to climate change.

The practice is prevalent mostly in Chau Thanh Districts Binh An Commune since its has brackish water and alum-affected soil in its coastal areas, suitable for growing these plants.

Du Van Thai was one of the first farmers to switch to this model from rice after the latter crop was affected by drought and saltwater intrusion up rivers and harvests were often poor in the dry season.

He has 5,000 pineapple, 500 coconut and 2,000 betel palm trees in his 3ha orchard, and has been earning VN900 million-VN1 billion (US$35,000-39,000) a year from them for the past six years, he said.

My family gets an average profit of VN600 million ($23,500) a year.

To reduce labour and production costs, he has installed an automatic irrigation system and been making organic fertilisers for the plants since 2020, he said.

According to local farmers, the profits are three to four times as much as those from rice.

Chau Thanh has 2,000ha under pineapple, with the fruit being one of its key produce.

It has encouraged farmers to switch to the fruit on unproductive rice fields and orchards in zoned areas, especially to the speciality Tac Cau pineapple, and adopt Vietnamese and global good agricultural practices.

Under a Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development plan to develop the countrys major fruits for export until 2030, Kien Giang is designated a major pineapple and banana producing province.

The southern province has grown pineapples for nearly 100 years and now has more than 7,000ha under them.

Le Huu Toan, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the model is sustainable and would be expanded to more areas conducive to it.

His agency would train farmers in farming techniques, upgrade irrigation works and inform farmers about disease situations and preventive measures, he said.

It is urging businesses to link up with farmers to promote agricultural products at home and abroad to increase their value, he added.

It is now the pineapple harvest season and farmers are getting high prices.

Vuong Van Luc, who intercrops pineapple, coconut and betel palm on a one-hectare orchard in Binh An Commune, said the demand for pineapple is high this year.

Traders buy pineapple (fruits weighing about one kilogramme each) at the farm gate for VN13,000, VN5,000-6,000 higher than a year ago, he said.

Pineapple farmers  are very happy.

The province faced prolonged hot weather during the dry season before June but its saltwater prevention sluices and embankments worked effectively and supplied sufficient water for agriculture.

More and more farmers have installed automatic irrigation systems to save water.  VNS
Viet Nam is expecting to start a North-South high-speed railway project, which spans over 1,500km, in partnership with China in 2026-27, according to Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang.

During a visit to China from June 24-27 for the 15th World Economic Forum in Dalian, China, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also attended a conference on the two countries cooperation in transport infrastructure.

He met with leaders of several major Chinese railway corporations, including Sun Rongkun, chairman of the Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co Ltd (CRRC), and Lou Qiliang, chairman and director general of the China Railway Signal Information Corporation (CRSC).

According to Thang, the capital needed for Viet Nams transportation development until 2045 is huge. The planned 41 expressway routes with a total length of 9,014km require about US$26.09 billion, more than half of which will be mobilised from enterprise capital.

The Ministry of Transport estimated that the national railway network and urban railways in Ha Noi and HCM City require around $208.7 billion.

Viet Nam plans to upgrade and renovate seven existing railway lines with a total length of 2,440km, and build 9 new railway lines with a total length of over 2,600km, including the 175km HCMC-Can Tho line and the 1,545km North-South high-speed railway line.

There is also a plan to build 14 urban railway lines in HCM City (6 lines) and Ha Noi (8 lines).

The huge capital needed for those transportation projects is a challenge for the Vietnamese Government, but according to the minister, this is also an investment opportunity for both Vietnamese and Chinese enterprises.

Chairman Sun of the CRRC said his company could meet the demand for building urban railways in Ha Noi and HCM City.

Viet Nam currently has over 2,000km of railways with more than 300 stations, but in recent years their operation has not been truly effective.

PM Chinh emphasised the importance of investing in developing railways in Viet Nam, in which investment in urban railways is considered urgent.

With experience in the construction of thousands of kilometres of high-speed railways and metro lines, the PowerChina Group declared its readiness to join Vietnamese partners in realising the goal of building 5,000km of expressways by 2030.

At the reception of Chairman Lou of the CRSC, the Vietnamese government leader sought Chinas support in accelerating the construction of more than 700km of railways for the three routes: Lao Cai  Ha Noi  Hai Phong; Lang Son  Ha Noi; and Mong Cai  Ha Long  Hai Phong.

The CRSC is a state-owned company and the worlds biggest supplier of rail control systems. It accounts for 45 per cent of Chinas subway market.

PM Chinh specifically asked for assistance from China in designing, construction and technology transfer of railway lines from Chinas Yunnan to Viet Nams Hai Phong City, from Lang Son to Ha Noi, and from Chinas Dongxing to Hai Phong via Mong Cai, which he said were important to Viet Nam. The PM also said Viet Nam wanted to step up urban railway development.

Work on the first project is set to begin next year, connecting Chinas Yunnan with the northern province of Lao Cai, Ha Noi and the port city of Hai Phong.

During the China visit, PM Chinh also met Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing in Beijing, pledging close cooperation in strategic transport connectivity projects of the two countries.

Both sides agreed on the significance of these three railway lines, which will help connect Viet Nam with Central Asia and Europe through China, and connect China with ASEAN via Viet Nam.

China-Laos rail link

China is renowned for developing a thorough, safe, sustainable, and highly efficient transportation system, including world-class expressways, high-speed rail, airports, and seaports.

The country has expanded cooperation and investment in transportation projects in the region, notably the China-Laos rail link that opened to traffic in 2021.

The line is about 422km in length and was designed for train operations at speeds up to 160km per hour.

The train departs from the Mohan/Boten border checkpoint between the two countries, passing through Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Luang Prabang, and Vientiane Province before reaching the capital Vientiane.

The China-Laos Railway has become a golden corridor connecting Southeast Asia with China, Northeast Asia, Central Asia, and even Europe, helping Laos become a land transportation crossroads and transportation hub in Southeast Asia, said Director General of Laos-China Railway Liu Hong.

With the trial operation of the Laos-Thailand Railway between Bangkok and Vientiane on July 13 and 14, and the future connection of the China-Laos-Thailand rail link with the Malaysian railway, economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and China will be promoted, driving the rapid economic development of regional countries. The backbone role of the China-Laos Railway as the main artery of Southeast Asian railways will be further highlighted.

The railways role as an 'international golden corridor' has earned high praise from the Lao government and widespread acclaim from the people living along the route.

The Laos-China railway is aimed to become an economic corridor that generates huge income for the nation. It has contributed to the solution of the countrys economic situation by transporting passengers including regional and international tourists, and transporting goods between Laos and China, said Darany Phommavongsa, minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos.

Throughout the past year after the opening of the cross-border train service from Vientiane-Kunming (China), it transported 172,023 cross-border passengers starting from April 13, 2023 to the beginning of April 2024.

The successful service of the China-Laos Railway is seen as a positive example that fuels hopes for similar high-speed rail projects connecting Viet Nam with China and other Southeast Asian nations.

Vietnamese experts expect that the official China visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will contribute to accelerating the cooperation programmes between the two countries, particularly in bilateral cooperation on railway development.

Since the announcement of China's Two Corridors, One Belt strategy, the two countries have had agreements to respond to this strategy. Especially after Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Viet Nam last year, this strategy has been increasingly mentioned by both sides, Nguyen Tang Nghi, PhD, at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in HCM City said.

During the recent visit of PM Chinh, the leaders of the two countries also emphasised this issue. I believe that based on the Two Corridors, One Belt strategy, the two countries will have further cooperation in the development of the railway industry.  VNS
JAKARTA Indonesia is looking to attract more Chinese tourists, aiming to welcome one million to 1.5 million Chinese tourist in 2024, according to Indonesias Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno.

The minister said he has invited Chinese tourism firms to intensify tour packages to Indonesia, particularly to super priority destinations to promote the countrys natural advantages and cultural identities.

Speaking to the press and Chinese tourism firms in Shanghai on June 28, the minister said, besides Bali, Indonesia has promoted five super priority destinations, namely Borobudur, Lake Toba, Likupang, Labuan Bajo and Mandalika.

He introduced Indonesia achievements in tourism and creative economy to international friends, noting that the country has leaped 10 notches from 32nd to 22nd place in the World Economic Forums Travel and Tourism Development Index.

According to the minister, at least 14 Chinas cities have launched direct flights to Indonesias cities, creating a favourable condition to boost tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries. VNA/VNS
CMC Corporation has invested $12.5 million to establish a subsidiary, CMC AI Digital Infrastructure (CMC ADI), which constructs and operates hyperscale data centres.

The corporation's Board of Directors approved the resolution to establish the subsidiary on July 3, with capital increases to follow the scale and financial plan of the project after obtaining an investor certificate.

CMC ADI is headquartered in Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Ho Chi Minh City. The hyperscale data centre project will be detailed at CMC's AGM in 2024, expected to take place on July 25 in Hanoi.

If approved, CMC ADI will commence operations and represent a strategic move by CMC to tap into the vast potential of the data centre market while affirming the group's position as a major player in the digital transformation of Vietnam.

According to its financial report, by the end of the first quarter of 2024, CMC Corporation had invested over $52.7 million in 10 subsidiaries, and will increase the number of subsidiaries to 11 with CMC ADI, its second-largest investment, following CMC Technology and Solutions Corporation with a charter capital of $12.9 million.

The data centre race in the first half of this year has witnessed many milestones as domestic enterprises have invested millions of dollars to build international standard data centres, thereby creating autonomy for domestic internet infrastructure and laying the groundwork to compete internationally.

"Without data centre investment, telecom operators will have no new growth space and will be replaced. Data centres must grow with cloud computing services; otherwise, it will simply be leasing positions. Every three years, global data doubles and Vietnam's data growth rate is even faster," said Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Information and Communications.

VNG and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) established a joint venture in May to build and operate a second data centre in Ho Chi Minh City to sell cloud services worldwide. The deal involves continuing to operate the STT VNG Ho Chi Minh City 1 Data Centre, which has Uptime Tier III certification, and establishing a new data centre named STT VNG Ho Chi Minh City 2, also located in Tan Thuan EPZ.

The second data centre is expected to be operational in the first half of 2026.

In April, Viettel inaugurated a new data centre in the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, Hanoi, with 60,000 servers and a total power consumption capacity of up to 30MW, the largest data centre in Vietnam to date.

And back in February, FPT Telecom held the topping-out ceremony of the FPT Data Centre building at the FPT Technology Urban Area, Danang.

FPT is also building its fourth data centre in the High-Tech Park of Thu Duc of Ho Chi Minh City this year. All of these data centres are built by FPT Telecom to the highest and most stringent international standards.

LG CNS launches centre in Vietnam LG CNS, a leading DX (Digital Transformation) company, has opened its Security Technical Support Centre in Hanoi, to be a pioneer in the Vietnamese cybersecurity market.

Vietnam's cloud transition strategy discussed at summit The shift towards cloud computing platforms is one of the fastest-growing trends in ASEAN. To successfully transition to the cloud, it is essential for businesses to develop clear strategies and cost management to navigate through four distinct stages.
Nordea charged in Denmark over accusations it laundered 3.5 bn euros, illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com

"Nordea did not adequately investigate transactions by Russian clients of the bank and ignored warnings about foreign exchange trades in Copenhagen," Denmark's National Special Crime Unit said in a statement.

The alleged laundering happened between 2012 and 2015.

Nordea, which is based in Helsinki, said it expected to pay a fine and had set money aside for provisions in 2019.

"We are disappointed that this affair has been brought in front of the courts," Nordea's chief legal counsel Anders Holkmann Olsen said in a statement. "Nordea has recognised on several occasions that at the time there were lapses in our systems and processes for fighting financial crime."

The bank said it has spent 11 billion kroner ($1.6 billion) since 2015 to prevent financial crimes.

No trial date has been set.

Banks in Singapore tighten management after 3-billion-USD money laundering case Banks in Singapore, including Citigroup and DBS Group Holdings, are ramping up scrutiny of their wealthy customers and potential clients to avoid exposure to illicit flows.
German car industry opposes EU tariffs on Chinese EVs

Xinhua) 09:29, July 05, 2024

BERLIN, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The German automotive industry on Thursday opposed the European Union's (EU) punitive tariffs on electric cars from China, set to take effect on Friday.

Additional tariffs of up to 37.6 percent will be introduced provisionally while talks with China continue. A final decision on the tariffs will be made by early November. Until then, importers must deposit guarantees equivalent to the potential duties.

The extra duties "are not suitable for strengthening the competitiveness of the European automotive industry," Hildegard Mueller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), told Xinhua in a written interview.

This position is shared across the German automotive sector. Michael Schumann, chairman of the Board of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade, echoed the VDA's sentiments.

"Our position on the EU's punitive tariffs on Chinese electric cars has not changed," he told Xinhua. "We vehemently and resolutely reject them and in doing so are in agreement with the entire German automotive industry, some of which is itself affected by these tariffs."

He urged both sides to resolve the conflict before the punitive tariffs take effect, emphasizing that it is in the interests of Europe's environmental goals and consumers that the EU has access to affordable e-mobility, where China is a leader.

Individual vehicle manufacturers in Europe are also skeptical of the proposed tariffs. German car producer Mercedes-Benz emphasized the importance of free and fair trade. "If a general trend towards protectionism gains a foothold, this has negative economic consequences for all stakeholders involved," the company told Xinhua.

Mercedes-Benz's domestic competitor BMW also criticized the EU's move. "The introduction of additional import duties leads to a dead end," Oliver Zipse, chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said in a statement to Xinhua.

As part of its Green Deal plans, the EU aims to become climate-neutral by 2050 and reduce greenhouse gases by at least 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The bloc is focusing heavily on expanding electric transportation.

The EU's punitive tariffs risk destabilizing these goals, slowing the decarbonization of the transport sector, and limiting consumer choice, which Zipse classified as an infringement of the EU's founding principles.

New registrations of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in the EU are already declining. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), only 114,308 such cars were registered in May, a decrease of 12 percent year-on-year. Their market share fell from 13.8 percent to 12.5 percent in the same period.

Historically, the EU has benefited from its openness to international trade, with Germany generating a considerable surplus in automotive trade with China. According to the VDA, last year, Europe's largest economy exported cars and parts valued at 26.3 billion euros (28.4 billion U.S. dollars) to China, while imports from China amounted to 6.8 billion euros.

The potential damage from the extra duties now provisionally imposed "is likely to outweigh the potential benefit of increasing market isolation for the European-and especially the German-automotive industry," warned VDA president Mueller.

Schumann cautioned the EU against basing their decisions on ideological motives, urging Brussels to act "according to the true needs of the people." (1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollar)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, shown at a 2021 news conference, has confirmed he plans to seek a waiver to serve another term as the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul isnt quite ready to give up his gavel.

In his two years as chair of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Austin Republican has been busy; he spearheaded the charge to ban TikTok, authored one resolution on Tibetan self-determination and led another condemning the infamous Chinese spy balloon. Just last month, he helped shoulder a bipartisan Ukraine aid bill through Congress over many colleagues loud objections. Hes also traveled the globe, shaking hands with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine, receiving a blessing from the Dalai Lama in India, and gifting Taiwan President Lai Ching Te with a cowboy hat.

To keep his leadership post on one of the most coveted committees in Washington, hell need special permission, having hit his six-year term limit. Several colleagues are already gunning to replace him.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

McCaul confirmed last week that he would indeed seek a waiver to serve another term as top Republican on his committee, which would need approval from a steering committee and then the full House Republican caucus.

Its not time to change horses right now, McCaul said in an interview. Its a dangerous time where the world is on fire.

If his quest is successful, McCaul pledges to keep supporting key allies around the globe and stay aggressive on adversaries like Russia and China. If not, defense hawks in Washington could lose a powerful voice in charge just as the GOP prepares to redefine its approach to foreign policy under a potential second Trump administration.

Closing out his 20th year in Congress, McCaul is well connected and one of the most experienced members of the Texas delegation, having chaired the Homeland Security Committee from 2013 to 2019. The Foreign Affairs Committee under his leadership has been the most productive House committee this term, his office said, with 67 measures and 18 bills passed by the full chamber.

McCaul is making the case that his relationships on the Hill  including a friendship with Speaker Mike Johnson that helped push Ukraine aid over the finish line  justify him staying on an extra term.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Johnson had voted against sending aid to Ukraine before becoming speaker, part of a growing wing of conservatives who believed foreign aid came at the expense of funding for border security. McCaul, a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, helped sway Johnsons thinking and the speaker ultimately threw his support behind a package to send $60 billion in aid to boost Ukraines arsenal against Russia.

The decision was opposed by a majority of Republicans and drew the ire of hard-line conservatives, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia, who filed a motion to vacate the speaker, which failed.

I think I feel compelled to do it not for myself, but I dont think anyone would be able to do what I do or shepherd the (Ukraine) supplemental the way I was able to, McCaul said.

McCaul also has been a leading China antagonist this term, leading an effort to force the sale of TikTok to a U.S. company. His visits with Taiwanese leaders and the Dalai Lama, who China views as a separatist threat, have drawn strong condemnation and sanctions from Beijing.

His efforts on Ukraine, Taiwan and elsewhere are linked by a desire to project U.S. strength abroad, even as the isolationist wing of his party grows.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

If we abandoned Ukraine and allowed (Vladimir) Putin to take over Ukraine and threaten Eastern Europe, that would be a big mistake, and it would send a message to Chairman Xi (Jinping) that Taiwans fair game, McCaul said.

House Republicans set six-year term limits for committee chairs, including years spent as ranking member when the party is the minority. The GOP last voted to keep the term limits at the beginning of the current term.

Waivers are rare. Only one was granted last session, to Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-North Carolina, who stayed an extra term chairing the House Education and Workforce Committee. Before Foxx, the last waiver was granted in 2012, to former Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin.

McCauls fight comes as Texan influence in the House is on the decline. The state delegation, which includes more Republicans than any other state, will see the retirements of Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, who stepped down from her powerful perch as appropriations chair, and Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Denton, who will give up the Rules Committee gavel less than a year after gaining it.

Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, will remain the top Republican on the Budget Committee. And Rep. Brian Babin, R-Woodville, is currently the only Republican running for the top spot on the Science, Space and Technology Committee.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Committee assignments are determined by the Republican Steering Committee, made up of party leadership and regional representatives, and then approved by the full conference. The 36-member Steering Committee, which always includes at least two Texans, has been stingy with waivers in the past, even when considering chairs like McCaul who have spent most of their time in the minority.

The decision could depend in part on how McCauls committee feels about his leadership. Foxx had the support of every Republican on her committee in seeking a waiver, including from the next-highest ranking Republican who would have replaced her.

None of McCauls 26 Republican colleagues on Foreign Affairs has made an endorsement yet, but at least three members  Ann Wagner of Missouri, the committees vice chair; Darrell Issa of California; and Joe Wilson of South Carolina  already have confirmed they are running against McCaul for the top spot. The committee includes three fellow Texans: Reps. Nathaniel Moran of Tyler, Keith Self of McKinney and Ronny Jackson of Amarillo, none of whom responded to requests for comment.

Its not immediately clear whether any of McCauls announced rivals would diverge greatly from his policy positions, and all three supported foreign aid packages for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan earlier this year.

Matthew Choi contributed to this report.
Hanoi to invest in developing comprehensive and modern urban metro lines

On July 1, a comprehensive and modern urban railway system plan was revealed by director of Hanoi Department of Transport Nguyen Phi Thuong during the meeting of the 16th Hanoi Peoples Council. The plan outlines objectives, implementation methods, and an estimated budget for constructing an urban railway network in the capital.

Hanoi has set ambitious objectives for its urban transportation system, focusing on developing a synchronised and cutting-edge urban rail network. The initiative aims to meet the capitals growing public transit demands while restructuring the citys transport modes towards sustainability and efficiency. Specifically, the plan is expected to play a crucial role in alleviating traffic congestion, reducing air pollution, enhancing overall urban liveability, and creating a driving force for regional connectivity in the capital.

City planners have outlined a two-phase approach. By 2035, the aim is to increase public passenger transport usage by 50 to 55 per cent. Following 2035, the target rises to an impressive 65 to 70 per cent, signalling a major shift in how Hanois residents will navigate their city in the coming decades.

To reach the goal, Hanoi has established a strategy known as one plan, three investment phases. Total investment for all three phases is estimated at $55 billion, said Thuong.

In the 2024-2030 phase, the target is to complete the construction of 96.8km (including lines 2, 3, and 5), about 24 per cent of the total length of urban rail lines according to the Hanoi Capital Transport Planning approved in Decision No.519/QD-TTg.

In the 2031-2035 phase, the goal is to complete the construction of 301km (including metro lines 1, 2A extended to Xuan Mai, 4, 6, 7, and 8, and metro lines connecting satellite urban areas). The preliminary capital requirement for this phase will be approximately $22.57 billion.

Hanoi expects to balance about $28.56 billion by 2035. By 2045, it may balance about $29.21 billion, sufficient to meet the needs of this phase. Thus, from now until 2035, Hanoi will need central government support of about $8.61 billion.

Hanoi commits to develop advanced e-government services Hanoi People's Committee held a conference on June 28 to review the implementation of a project aimed at building an e-government and smart city, and to launch new digital platforms.

High-end Hanoi hotels launch promotions Hanoi's high-end hotels are rolling out a series of enticing offers in response to the local tourism authorities' 2024 stimulus offering, themed Hanoi Residents and Tourists Experience Services at Hanoi 4-5 Star Hotels.

The first Hanoi building office received WELL Precertification Office Tower @ Heritage West Lake, a luxury commercial development by CapitaLand Development- one of Asias top real estate developers, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first office building in Hanoi to receive the esteemed WELL Precertification.

Nearly 29.5 trillion VND worth of G-bonds raised in June The Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) held 18 auctions of government bonds in June, raising nearly 29.5 trillion VND (over 1.15 billion USD) in June.
How many forms of innovation are there, and what is their impact on businesses?

Truong Minh Tien, CEO of Viet Research

Innovation can be categorised into three main groups: product/service innovation, process innovation, and management and organisational innovation. In theory, each form of innovation has distinct impacts and yields different outcomes.

Within the first group, product/service innovation can help businesses increase revenue and profitability, expand their market presence, enhance customer satisfaction, and elevate their brand position.

The form of process innovation contributes to improving production capabilities, quality control of products/services, and maximising cost savings for businesses.

The third form, management and organisational innovation, impacts the effectiveness of management, long-term strategic goals, labour productivity, and overall financial performance of the business.

In the process of researching and selecting innovative and effective businesses, what factors does Viet Research rely on to measure and evaluate innovation criteria?

Innovation is qualitative criterion that can encompass various forms and approaches. Therefore, in order to objectively and comprehensively measure innovation, in addition to statistics on the number of patents, research and development projects, innovation awards, and accolades received by a business, we also consider the impact or results that stem from those innovative and creative endeavours.

Specifically, for product or service innovation, we listen to market feedback, including evaluations from consumers, regarding the level of novelty and innovation. Statistical figures such as sales revenue and profits serve as clear evidence to measure and evaluate the success of a business in implementing innovative and creative initiatives.

What is the biggest obstacle for Vietnamese businesses in the innovation process?

Limited funding and budget, lack of support from leadership, and restricted access to technology are common challenges that businesses face in the process of innovation.

However, I believe that high-quality human resources are currently a top concern for businesses in Vietnam. Despite being provided with better conditions to promote innovation, in many cases, the majority of employees tend to have a risk-averse mindset, being hesitant to embrace change and try new methods.

Businesses should create a culture that encourages experimentation, feedback, and collaboration to overcome this barrier. This means providing opportunities for testing, iteration, and continuous improvement, while also giving employees the necessary time and flexibility to explore and develop their ideas.

Leaders should also establish a culture that embraces risk-taking with an open-minded and progressive mindset, promoting collaboration and diversity. This culture should encourage employees to share and exchange ideas and perspectives across different teams, departments, and areas of expertise.

In addition to training sessions, workshops, and mentoring programmes aimed at developing a mindset for innovation, businesses should also provide appropriate recognition and rewards to incentivise their employees.

What are your recommendations on solutions to help businesses stay ahead of trends and continue to innovate?

Alongside creating an environment that fosters creativity, businesses also need to continuously monitor, supervise, and adjust to ensure that their innovation efforts stay on track.

Sometimes, implementing innovative changes may not yield immediate results, but they can help a business achieve future achievements and a new position.

Therefore, leaders should balance the short-term competitive needs with the pursuit of long-term strategies to ensure long-term survival and sustainable development.

There are three approaches that CEOs should apply to stay ahead of the innovation curve. First is cultivating a culture that places innovation at the centre. Business leaders should foster a culture that encourages experimentation, creative thinking, and a willingness to embrace change. Employees at all levels need to be empowered to contribute and share ideas, creating a foundation for cross-functional collaboration.

Secondly, to keep up with industry trends, businesses should establish and assign clear responsibilities to innovation teams. These teams can be responsible for researching emerging technologies, monitoring market changes and trends, developing partnerships within the ecosystem, and building strategies to incorporate these trends into the companys products/services.

The third aspect is leveraging strategic partnerships. Businesses should seek collaborative relationships with startups, research organisations, or companies in the same industry to create co-innovation opportunities, enhance access to advanced research, and bring mutual benefits.

Event honours innovative businesses The ceremony of the Top 50 Most Innovative Enterprises Vietnam (VIE50) and the Top 10 Most Innovative Enterprises Vietnam (VIE10) was held on June 24 in Hanoi, organised by Vietnam Investment Review and Viet Research.

Vietnam looking for innovation cooperation opportunities in the United States Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung held meetings with members of the Vietnam Innovation Network and technology giants in Silicon Valley (San Francisco) during a business trip to the United States during June 22-26.

Vietnam National Innovation Alliance for Pig Biosecurity launched The Australian governments Aus4Innovation programme and the National Institute of Animal Sciences launched the National Innovation Alliance for Pig Biosecurity on June 26, introducing a mission-critical platform for enabling innovation in pig farming.
The National Assembly Committee for Finance and Budget last week proposed that the draft amendments to the Law on VAT should increase to boost the state revenues, which remain limited.

At present, some businesses are struggling to stay afloat even while enjoying a VAT reduction, photo Le Toan

Vietnams tax system reform strategy towards 2030 has determined a direction towards considering an increase in VAT rates according to roadmaps. This is consistent with the general trend of countries in the region, the wider world, and the current state budget needs of Vietnam, the committee said.

It is recommended that the government soon assess the impact of a number of schemes to increase the VAT rate, so that we can consider the possibility of stipulating a roadmap on raising VAT appropriately, after the economy has recovered, possibly by the end of the period of 2026-2030.

Since February 2022, the common VAT rate in Vietnam has been temporarily set at 8 per cent by the National Assembly (NA) in a bid to support struggling enterprises (see below). This rate will likely return to 10 per cent in early 2025.

According to the committee, Vietnams common VAT rate needs to be on a par with that in other nations. At present, the common VAT rate of 10 per cent in Vietnam remains lower than Asia (12 per cent), Latin America (14 per cent), Africa (16 per cent), and the EU (22 per cent). The current global average rate is 15 per cent.

This comparison shows that Vietnam has room to increase VAT in the future, especially as the country needs to expand its revenue bases, said the committees Chairman Le Quang Manh.

Indonesia has raised VAT from 10 to 11 per cent in April 2022, and to 12 per cent now. Singapore has also followed suit under a two-year roadmap, from 7 to 8 per cent in January 2023 and 9 per cent in January 2024. China applies a rate of 17 per cent, while it is 10.5 per cent in South Korea.

According to the World Bank, of 112 economies, 88 economies impose rates from 12-25 per cent, including 56 economies inflicting rates from 17 to 25 per cent, while the rest apply an average of more than 10 per cent. The highest standard VAT rate in the world is 27 per cent in Hungary.

Meanwhile, according to International Monetary Fund statistics on tax rates of 164 countries and territories in 2020, there were 122 countries with common tax rates from 13 to 27 per cent (including 84 countries with tax rates from 17 to 27 per cent); 26 countries have common tax rates ranging from 10 to below 13 per cent; and 16 countries impose a common rate of below 10 per cent.

The government in April also submitted a tax report to the National Assembly Standing Committee, underscoring a direction for amendments and supplements of the common VAT rate of 10 per cent now, amid a decrease in budget revenues from exports and imports.

To implement the Partys policies and guidelines, in accordance with international VAT reform practices, it is necessary to be research and apply an appropriate common tax rate, the report said.

The government said that nations worldwide were now in a trend of restructuring state budget revenues, in which they strengthen the role of VAT, and gradually reduced import taxes to fulfill their commitments in the international community, while also gradually reducing corporate income tax (CIT) to increase the attractiveness of their investment environment.

The number of nations applying VAT or goods and services taxes is on the rise, from about 140 countries in 2004 to 160 in 2014, to 195 in 2020.

Meanwhile, Vietnams budget revenues from imports and exports have decreased due to the implementation of tariff reduction commitments where the country has inked free trade agreements, along with reduced revenues from crude oil exports, and a reduction in the CIT tax rate from 32 to 20 per cent, aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the economy. This has had a significant impact on the revenue of the state budget.

However, the idea to raise the common VAT rate have raised eyebrows among some businesses, which claim they are facing massive difficulties and are in critical need of support.

It is necessary to revise the law, but a direction on increasing the 10 per cent VAT rate to a higher level must be carefully considered, said NA deputy Hoang Van Cuong representing Hanoi.

At present, businesses are struggling to stay afloat and enjoying a VAT reduction of 2 per cent. Thus, if the tax is increased, unwanted impacts will be seen. I would say that as compared to the average level of the world, Vietnams common VAT rate is low, but it is not low compared to other developing nations.

Vietnams neighbouring countries such as Cambodia and Laos are also applying a common VAT rate of 10 per cent, while the rate is 9 per cent in Singapore.

Vietnam now has significant room to perform tax reform in many other sectors. For example, since 2008 the Ministry of Finance has drafted a law on asset tax, but has failed to submit to the NA due to different ideas, while this law is expected to help regulate incomes of many different people and units, especially those with high-income and major assets.

Nguyen Duc Minh, sale director of a Duc Minh Production and Trade JSC in Hanoi, which specialises in making home appliances, said that hundreds of thousands of enterprises like his are bogged down in difficulties caused by a series of factors both at home and abroad, including taxes.

Authorised agencies should focus on reviving business performance instead of thinking about any VAT increase, which will drive enterprises into bigger difficulties, Minh said. I dont understand why such a VAT rate rise to a higher level is tabled and discussed now, when a 2 per cent VAT reduction has been in effect since early 2022.

Enterprises are expecting a continued reduction of VAT or lengthened delay of VAT payment, not expecting a hike. Our companys revenue has decreased 5 per cent over the past three years, and we are struggling to exist and keep workers.
Mai Brunch - a luxurious culinary experience at Mai House Saigon Hotel

For culinary enthusiasts and lovers of luxury, the Mai Brunch at the prestigious 5-star Mai House Saigon Hotel is an unmissable experience.

The menu at Mai Brunch is curated to offer the finest culinary delights, meticulously crafted from the world's most luxurious ingredients. Each dish is a harmonious blend of flavour and quality, showcasing the creativity and talent of executive chef Lam Quoc Huy. With his dedication and extensive experience, chef Huy has conceptualised unique and sophisticated dishes such as Sturia Caviar, Alaskan king crab, Canadian and Nha Trang lobster, Canadian oysters, abalone, Australian beef tenderloin, French lamb rack, Iberico ham, foie gras, and Patagonian toothfish. Each creation is a masterpiece, enticing guests to return for new gastronomic discoveries.

The menu at Mai Brunch is curated to offer the finest culinary delights, meticulously crafted from the world's most luxurious ingredients

The dessert selection, crafted by pastry chef Khanh Tran, is equally noteworthy. Highlights include the Sweet Cigar, resembling a luxurious cigar, and the Black Truffle Petit Chou made with rare black truffles, offering guests a unique and memorable taste experience.

Mai Brunch has limited seating, accommodating only 20 guests

A distinctive feature of Mai Brunch is its limited seating, accommodating only 20 guests. This not only provides an exclusive culinary experience but also allows guests to feel like members of a private club. Here, guests enjoy world-class dishes while mingling with elite individuals in a sophisticated setting. The challenge of securing a reservation adds to the allure and value of the event, making each dining experience feel special and unique.

To elevate the dining experience, Mai Brunch offers premium beverage packages. Guests can choose from wine or Champagne packages, providing an opportunity to savour fine wines, and enhancing the elegance of the brunch.

A complete luxurious experience

Located on the 14th floor of the hotel, Mai Brunch offers an elegant and refined ambience. While dining, guests can enjoy breathtaking views of Ho Chi Minh City, creating a perfect blend of taste and sight for a multisensory experience.

One of the highlights of Mai Brunch is the exceptional and professional service. The dedicated staff ensures that all your needs are met, providing absolute comfort and satisfaction. Their attentiveness and enthusiasm contribute to making your dining experience at Mai Brunch truly perfect.

Mai Brunch also offers a private limousine service within Ho Chi Minh City, ensuring a complete luxurious experience from start to finish. Guests can enjoy comfort and convenience from the moment they depart to the end of the brunch. This service is part of Mai Brunch's commitment to providing the highest level of luxury, making each visit a memorable event.

Mai Brunch is more than just a brunch; it is a monthly event not to be missed by those who appreciate fine dining and luxury. At Mai Brunch, guests can relax, enjoy high-end cuisine, and experience an elite lifestyle at one of Ho Chi Minh City's most renowned 5-star hotels.

The magic of Christmas at Mai House Saigon Hotel Mai House Saigon Hotel invites guests to experience the enchantment of the holiday season with irresistible Christmas treats that delight your taste buds and warm your heart.

Inspiring guests to adopt more responsible habits Boosting Vietnams presence in the global tourism and hospitality sector requires critical approaches. Streamlining visa processes and providing visa-on-arrival choices for select nations might entice more tourists to discover Vietnam. Highlighting genuineness, sustainability, ease of access, and robust promotional campaigns can elevate Vietnams standing in global tourism, setting it apart from neighbouring destinations.

Mai Sky: an ideal networking location The 5-star Mai House Saigon Hotel, on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia street in the heart of District 3, attracts visitors thanks to its bold mix of French and Indo-Chinese influences in its design. Mai Sky is the hotel's rooftop bar and with its luxurious style, ample space, and prime location, it is an ideal option for networking and impressing clients.
The National Assembly (NA) last week, for the fourth time, adopted a resolution on the continued reduction of a 2 per cent VAT rate, valid from July 1 to December 31.

State budget balance needed following VAT decision, illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com

The move applies to many types of goods and services, but not for IT, telecommunications, financial activities, banking, securities, insurance, trading of real estate, metals, precast metal products, mining products, coke mining, refined oil, chemical products, and goods and services subject to excise taxes.

The NA has assigned the government to provide guidelines for carrying out the VAT reduction transparently and effectively.

VAT has been set at 8 per cent since early 2022 to boost certain segments of the economy. According to the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the rate provided businesses financial support of about $812.5 million in the first five months of this year. It is reported that the total VAT reduction was worth nearly $2 billion last year.

The reduction policy has helped enterprises to reduce their prices, said the MoF. This has helped boost businesses performance and expand public consumption, and generate more employment. We have reached our goal of stimulating consumption and spurring production and business.

According to Dutch-headquartered Global VAT Compliance BV (GVC), a reduced VAT rate on certain items increases consumption and encourages spending. This, in turn, can lead to job creation and boost the economy.

For example, reduced VAT rates on construction services can encourage people to invest in home improvement projects, leading to an increase in economic activity in the construction sector, GVC said.

Additionally, reduced rates can also help small businesses. By reducing the tax rate on certain goods and services, the government can help these businesses remain competitive, especially against larger companies that have more resources at their disposal. Small businesses can also benefit from reduced VAT rates by attracting more customers and boosting their sales.

However, the MoF also underlined that the reduction left a dent in state budget revenues.

It is estimated that there will be a decrease of about $1 billion in the second half this year, including $104.1 million a month from domestic revenues and more than $62.5 million a month from imports, the MoF reported.

The 2 per cent VAT reduction in the first half of this year caused a decline in state budget revenue of around $1.05 billion, or about $176 million a month. It is also estimated that over the second half of last year, the reduction resulted in a decrease of $107.6 million in the state revenues from domestic activities each month.

However, NA deputy Duong Khac Mai representing the Central Highlands of Dak Nong, has argued that though the VAT reduction can affect the state budget revenue, it plays an important role in supporting consumers and businesses, particularly those with low incomes or revenues.

By reducing the tax rate on essential items and services, the government aims to make them more affordable and accessible for everyone, while also providing a boost to the economy, Mai said. It can help enterprises increase their recovery ability and expand production and business activities, then can make more contribution to the state budget.

According to the MoF, in 2023, the total values of all policies on exempting, reducing, and extending payment of assorted taxes, fees, and charges, as well as rental for land and water surface reached about $8.33 billion, including exemption and reduction of $3.3 billion and extension of $5.04 billion.

Last year, extending payment of VAT, corporate income tax, and personal income tax, as well as land rental led to a reduction in the state budget revenue of an estimated $4.58 billion.

State budget revenues under pressure amid tough economy The state budget has recorded a deficit for the first time so far this year, largely caused by a rise in public investment disbursement, with a lower-than-expected state budget revenue due to difficulties across the economy.
Waterford is celebrating the work of local initiatives that enhance the quality of life for older adults, as applications have opened for the prestigious 2024 National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards.

The awards are open to organisations, agencies, and members of the public in Waterford who are driving initiatives to make Ireland a great place to grow old.

Speaking on the annual awards, Catherine McGuigan, Chief Officer of the Age Friendly Ireland Shared Service, said, The Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards highlight the extraordinary efforts happening nationwide to enhance the quality of life for older adults. We are seeking groundbreaking projects that not only make a difference but also set a benchmark for others to follow.

She added, Many remarkable initiatives come from grassroots community and voluntary sectors, showcasing the tireless work of front-line practitioners dedicated to supporting our ageing population. This event is a heartfelt celebration of the best practices and innovative solutions that make Ireland a great place in which to grow old. We strongly encourage everyone to participate and share their inspiring stories.

The Age Friendly Recognition and Achievements Awards ceremony will be held in the Crowne Plaza, Northwood, Santry, Dublin on November 7, 2024. This years event will be hosted by Fingal County Council.

Previous winners at these awards have included Healthy Islands, Specsavers and Dublin City Council Central Area Office.

The deadline for applications is Friday, July 12, 2024. To apply, visit agefriendlyireland.ie/national-age-friendly-recognition-and-achievement-awards.
This image provided by Texas Department of Public Safety shows a shark close to the shore in South Padre Island on Thursday. Shark attacks disrupted Fourth of July celebrations as two people were taken to the hospital with bites, at least one of them severe, authorities said. Associated Press This image provided by Katie McMillan shows sharks near the South Padre Island shore on Thursday. Shark attacks disrupted Fourth of July celebrations as two people were taken to the hospital with bites, at least one of them severe, authorities said. Associated Press This image provided by Texas Department of Public Safety shows a shark close to the South Padre Island shore on Thursday. Shark attacks disrupted Fourth of July celebrations Thursday as two people were taken to the hospital with bites, at least one of them severe, authorities said. Associated Press

Hurricane Beryl may be partly to blame for the spate of shark bites at South Padre Island beaches that sent three people to hospitals Thursday, according to one shark expert.

The storm, which made landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday morning, could have motivated larger sharks to increase their feeding behavior near the shoreline.

Recent research indicates that larger sharks will come closer to shore and seek prey before meteorological events, said Kesley Banks, an associate research scientist at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Just as humans prepare for storms by stocking up, so do animals, Banks said. That could help explain why a large shark was spotted near the beach Thursday and four people were injured.

This image provided by Katie McMillan shows sharks near the South Padre Island shore on Thursday. Shark attacks disrupted Fourth of July celebrations as two people were taken to the hospital with bites, at least one of them severe, authorities said. AP

At least two people were bitten on the Fourth of July at the popular coastal destination, and two more sustained injuries.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, whose game wardens responded to the beach Thursday, said in a statement that two people were bitten and two people encountered the shark but were not seriously injured. The two bite victims were taken to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville. One was then flown elsewhere for further treatment, the department said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

A department spokeswoman said Friday afternoon that one person came into contact with the shark as it was nearby, while another was injured fending off the shark.

Officials have not released the names of any of the people involved in the shark encounters.

A 35-year-old man from La Vernia and a 47-year-old woman from Celina, a town near Dallas, both underwent surgery and are in stable condition, South Padre Island city secretary Nikki Soto said Friday afternoon. A 49-year-old man, also from Celina, was treated and discharged Thursday, while a fourth person was treated for minor injuries at the beach, she said.

The first bite was reported about 11 a.m. near Beach Access 14, Soto said. One man, who was bitten in the leg, was treated at the beach then taken to a hospital for further treatment, while a second person was treated at the scene.

A second call came in later in the day reporting two more bites at a different location, South Padre Island Fire Chief Jim Pigg said Thursday. He said both people were taken to local hospitals but did not provide further information about their conditions, or about the time or location of the bites.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Pigg called the number of bites unprecedented on South Padre Island, and Soto said the last reported shark bite on the island was about five years ago.

Shark bites are very rare in Texas waters: According to the International Shark Attack File, run by the University of Florida and the Florida Museum of Natural History, there have been only 45 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in the state since 1911.

There have been 19 in Galveston County and 12 in Nueces County, near Corpus Christi. Cameron County, where Thursdays bites occurred, has seen seven shark attacks in that time, according to the database, which classifies unprovoked bites as incidents in which a bite on a live human occurs in the sharks natural habitat with no human provocation.

While the beaches werent closed after the incidents, lifeguards and the South Padre Island Beach Patrol were warning people to stay out of the water or remain only in water that is shallower than knee-deep, Pigg said.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said game wardens and members of the Texas Game Warden Marine Tactical Operations Group assisted with boat and land patrol, while the Texas Department of Public Safety patrolled by helicopter.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Pigg said the shark was located at the south end of the island and was pushed out to deeper water, but an investigation was ongoing.

But Banks, the Harte Research Institute marine biologist, said its likely there were multiple sharks in the area, so its difficult to say definitively that a single shark was responsible for multiple bites.

She said the rogue shark theory  the premise behind the movie Jaws, of a shark actively searching for humans  is not likely. If that were the case, the shark would likely have returned and bitten its victims more than once, Banks said. That people were bitten only once each indicates they were more likely cases of test bites than true attacks.

People are not on the menu for sharks, she said, so human bites are usually a case of mistaken identity. The animals have poor eyesight, especially in the coasts murky waters, and they explore their environments with their mouths. While they do have receptors that can detect electric fields around their mouths and noses, which tell them theres a living organism, they generally see only shapes and shadows, and take bites to determine what is causing a splash near them.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Sharks are typically looking for prey species, such as bait fish, she said. In the summer, there are fish migrations that happen up and down the coast, which can attract the sharks.

The western Gulf of Mexico has a healthy shark population, Banks said, with both small and large sharks found up and down the Texas coast.

That makes it difficult to identify the type of shark or sharks that bit people Thursday. She said video footage showing the shape of the dorsal fins and snout of one shark near the beach indicates it could have been a rather large tiger shark or bull shark.

Its possible to collect DNA from the bite site and test it to determine the shark species, Banks said. However, in most cases that isnt done because people are more concerned with treating the victim than swabbing the injury to collect genetic information.

While she didnt have details about the minor injuries reported, Banks said its possible they could have been abrasions from sharks' skin.

Sharks that are searching for food often do what Banks called a bump and bite. The animals will bump into an object first to see if its something they want to bite, she said.

The animals have very rough skin, which feels like sandpaper and could cause painful abrasions on human skin, Banks said.

While shark bites are very uncommon, Banks said beach goers need to be aware of the animals when theyre swimming in the Gulf.

When there are more people in the water, that increases the chance of an encounter, she said. If you see a shark, you should exit the water, and you should avoid swimming near people who are fishing. Minimizing splashing is also helpful, because splashing mimics the sharks' prey.
SANTA FE, N.M.  Producers of the western movie Rust may have to forgo a robust economic incentive as they try to sell the film to distributors and fulfill financial obligations to the immediate family of a cinematographer who was fatally shot by Alec Baldwin during rehearsal in 2021.

New Mexico tax authorities denied an application this spring by Rust Movie Productions for incentives worth as much as $1.6 million, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. A late July deadline for producers to appeal the decision is approaching.

Meanwhile, Baldwin is scheduled to go on trial starting Tuesday on an involuntary manslaughter charge in Halyna Hutchins' death. The lead actor and co-producer of Rust was pointing a gun at Hutchins when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.

Melina Spadone, an attorney representing the production company, said the film production tax incentive was going to be used to finance a legal settlement between producers and Hutchins' widower and son.

The denial of the tax credit has disrupted those financial arrangements, said Spadone, a New York- and Los Angeles-based senior counsel at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. She helped broker the 2022 settlement that rebooted the stalled production of Rust in Montana with some of the original cast and crew, including Baldwin and Souza. Filming wrapped up last year.

Terms of the settlement are confidential, but producers say finishing the film was meant to honor Hutchins' artistic vision and generate money for her young son.

Court documents indicate that settlement payments are up to a year late, as attorneys for Hutchins' widower determine next steps that include whether to resume wrongful death litigation or initiate new claims. Legal representatives for Matthew Hutchins did not respond to telephone and email messages seeking comment.

The prosecution of Baldwin and the films tax incentive application both have financial implications for New Mexico taxpayers. The Santa Fe district attorneys office says it spent $625,000 on Rust-related prosecution through the end of April.

The state's film incentives program is among the most generous in the nation, offering a direct rebate of between 25% and 40% on an array of expenditures to entice movie projects, employment and infrastructure investments. As a percentage of the state budget, only Georgia pays out more in incentives.

It includes a one-time option to assign the payment to a financial institution. That lets producers use the rebate to underwrite production ahead of time, often layering rights to the rebate and future movie income into production loans.

Among the beneficiaries of the rebate program are the 2011 movie Cowboys and Aliens and the TV series Better Call Saul, a spinoff of Breaking Bad. As for current productions, New Mexico is the backdrop for a new film starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera about the rescue of students in a 2018 wildfire in the town of Paradise  the most destructive in California's history.

Charlie Moore, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department, declined to comment specifically on the Rust application, citing concerns about confidential taxpayer information. Applications are reviewed for a long list of accounting and claim requirements.

During a recent 12-month period, 56 film incentive applications were approved and 43 were partially or fully denied, Moore said.

Documents obtained by AP show the New Mexico Film Office issued a memo in January to Rust that approved eligibility to apply for the tax incentive, in a process that involves accounting ledgers, vetting against outstanding debts and an on-screen closing credit to New Mexico as a filming location. Taxation officials have final say on whether expenses are eligible.

Spadone, the attorney for Rust, said the denial of the application is surprising and could disrupt confidence in the tax program with a chilling effect on rebate-backed loans that propel the local film industry.

Alton Walpole, a production manager at Santa Fe-based Mountainair Films who was not involved in Rust, said he faults the movie's creators for seemingly cutting corners on safety but officials have an obligation to review its tax credit application based on legal and accounting principles only  or risk losing major projects to other states. Movies are inherently dangerous even without firearms on set, he noted.

At least 18 states have enacted measures to implement or expand film tax incentives since 2021, while some have gone in the opposite direction and sought to limit the transferability and refundability of credit.

Under Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico has raised annual spending caps and expanded the film tax credit amid a multibillion-dollar surplus linked to record oil and natural gas production. Film rebate payouts were $100 million in the fiscal year ending in June 2023 and are expected to rise to nearly $272 million by 2027, according to tax agency records and the Legislature's budget and accountability office.

Rust does not yet have a U.S. distributor as producers shop the newly completed movie at film festivals.

The best movies of 2024 so far The best movies of 2024 so far #5. The Settlers #4. Inshallah a Boy #3. Pictures of Ghosts #2. Totem #1. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell #25. How to Have Sex #24. Dune: Part Two #23. Io Capitano #22. Hundreds of Beavers #21. The Settlers #20. The Beast #19. Housekeeping for Beginners #18. Skin Deep #17. Aisha #16. Challengers #15. Hit Man #14. Inshallah a Boy #13. Evil Does Not Exist #12. Terrestrial Verses #11. Janet Planet #10. Chicken for Linda! #9. I Saw the TV Glow #8. Pictures of Ghosts #7. About Dry Grasses #6. La Chimera #5. Totem #4. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus #3. Here #2. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell #1. Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World #24. Housekeeping for Beginners #23. 20,000 Species of Bees #22. Skin Deep #21. Aisha #20. Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger #19. Challengers #18. Sing Sing #17. Hit Man #16. Inshallah a Boy #14. Evil Does Not Exist #11. I Saw the TV Glow #8. Pictures of Ghosts #7. Green Border #2. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell #25. Hundreds of Beavers #15. Ghostlight #13. Terrestrial Verses #12. Chicken for Linda! #10. Janet Planet #9. About Dry Grasses #6. La Chimera #5. Totem #4. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus #3. Here #1. Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
By David Young, PA

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said the election of a Labour government in the UK can herald a great reset in Anglo-Irish relations.

The Taoiseach said he looks forward to working closely with Sir Keir Starmer as he acknowledged his comprehensive victory in the UK general election.

I want to congratulate him and his family, his staff and his candidates, and as Taoiseach I look forward to working together as close neighbours and as friends, he said.

The relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom is deeply consequential for all people across these islands and the relationship between an Irish Taoiseach and a British Prime Minister is vital.

The relationship between London and Dublin has been under severe strain in recent years.

The turbulence caused by Brexit and the Conservative governments controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles were areas of major tension.

Mr Starmer has pledged to repeal the legislation that offered conditional immunity for perpetrators of Troubles crimes.

Today is about looking forward, Mr Harris said as he addressed reporters at Government Buildings in Dublin.

Its about realising the full potential of that relationship between Taoiseach and Prime Minister and between our governments. I know that Keir Starmer and I share a desire for it to go from strength to strength. It is time for a great reset.

In the Labour Party manifesto the language towards Ireland was language of partnership and as co-guarantors of our shared peace. This morning from Dublin I want to send a message to London that I will match Keir Starmers commitment and energy to our peace process and to our future potential in so many areas.

I will work to make the Taoiseach/Prime Minister relationship not only what it should be, but what it could be.

Ireland and the UK are not only neighbours, we are independent nations that are intertwined in history and culture. In many, many instances, we are, in fact, family. We have never forgotten that, not for one moment, no matter what challenges came our way.

Mr Harris added: I look forward to early engagement with Prime Minister Starmer. We will say more on that in the hours and days ahead, but he has a few other things to do first.

At five oclock this morning Keir Starmer told his country Change starts now.

That change includes a closer Anglo-Irish relationship and the opportunity for a great reset.

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly spoke by phone with Sir Keir on Friday where they congratulated him.

Ms ONeill said she raised the need to reset British-Irish relations, funding public services, the redevelopment of Casement Park and the Legacy Act.

I urged the Prime Minister to follow through on his commitments to bin the Tories shameful Legacy Act which has failed victims and survivors, Ms ONeill said.

I will continue to press the British government on the things that matter most people, delivering for public services and all our communities as we engage in the days ahead.

Ms Little-Pengelly said: We raised a number of key issues including the importance of investment to ensure fiscal stability for Northern Ireland.

We also spoke about the benefits of a building a positive working relationship and strengthening the links between the NI Executive and the UK Government moving forward.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said that she hopes this new horizon is grasped by the Labour Party, adding theres a lot to be repaired.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin said the Anglo-Irish relationship was both rich and important, after speaking with the newly appointed British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday.

Mr Martin, who is Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the new UK government offered a significant opportunity and that there was much to discuss.

The relationship between London and Dublin has been under severe strain in recent years.

The turbulence caused by Brexit and the Conservative governments controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles were areas of major tension.

Sir Keir has pledged to repeal the legislation that offered conditional immunity for perpetrators of Troubles crimes.

Today is about looking forward, Mr Harris said as he addressed reporters at Government Buildings in Dublin.

Its about realising the full potential of that relationship between Taoiseach and Prime Minister and between our governments.

I know that Keir Starmer and I share a desire for it to go from strength to strength. It is time for a great reset.

In the Labour Party manifesto the language towards Ireland was language of partnership and as co-guarantors of our shared peace. This morning from Dublin I want to send a message to London that I will match Keir Starmers commitment and energy to our peace process and to our future potential in so many areas.

I will work to make the Taoiseach/Prime Minister relationship not only what it should be, but what it could be.

Ireland and the UK are not only neighbours, we are independent nations that are intertwined in history and culture. In many, many instances, we are, in fact, family. We have never forgotten that, not for one moment, no matter what challenges came our way.

Mr Harris added: I look forward to early engagement with Prime Minister Starmer. We will say more on that in the hours and days ahead, but he has a few other things to do first.

Mr Martin said: I was pleased to speak this evening with the new UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and to congratulate him on Labours election victory and his appointment to his new role.

We agreed that there is now a significant opportunity for a reset of our bilateral relationship.

There is much for us to discuss and I am looking forward to engaging on all these issues with the Foreign Secretary over the period ahead.

Our countries share a relationship that is as rich as it is important. We are near neighbours with close cultural connections. We are significant trading partners with countless family ties, reaching across these islands.

Most critically, together, the British and Irish governments are co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement. I look forward to building on that foundation to ensure positive progress together and to take forward our shared agenda.

On Thursday evening, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said Sir Keir is somebody we have a good relationship with, calling Labours victory an extraordinary outcome.
Friends! Dear BROTHER, military officer and brave commander of the Yug-AKHMAT battalion of the Russian Defense Ministry, Musa Iblaev, brought from the zone of a special military operation a captured flag of one of the battalions of the 128th mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.



The yellow-blakit ensign was captured by soldiers of the unit entrusted to him during the assault on an enemy stronghold south of the village of Novoandreevka in the Orekhovsky direction of the Zaporozhye region.



If a unit has lost its flag, then this indicates that things are really bad there. But this is not surprising, because where our fighters are, the enemys position will be very unenviable. AKHMAT-POWER!!!

Kadyrov

***

Now I believe that this sums up what is happening very well. Very well indeed

WtR
The Thompson Fire, near Oroville, is now 100% contained at 3,789 acres.

The Thompson Fire broke out before noon Tuesday about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Sacramento, sending up a huge plume of smoke that could be seen from space.

CAL FIRE says more than 30 structures have been destroyed or damaged.

Four firefighters reported injuries, all from heat. The cause of the blaze was being investigated.

The Thompson Fire broke out before noon Tuesday about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Sacramento, sending up a huge plume of smoke that could be seen from space.

CAL FIRE says more than 30 structures have been destroyed or damaged.

Four firefighters reported injuries, all from heat. The cause of the blaze was being investigated.

The region is familiar with catastrophic events. The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history nearly wiped out the town of Paradise in Butte County in 2018. And in 2017, both spillways of the Oroville Dam  the nation's tallest  failed, mandating the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Jacob Beltran covers crime, breaking news and general assignments for the Express-News. He can be reached at jbeltran@express-news.net.

A San Antonio native, Jacob began his journalism career in 2010. He's worked for the student-run newspaper for San Antonio College, The Ranger, and for Texas A&M University-San Antonio, The Mesquite.

He enjoys video games, photography and exploring during his free time.
These are success stories. Marshalla Cofer has hers. So do Verna Boyd, Doug Force, Rick Marshall and Robin McCoy.

They are among hundreds of thousands of Americans with a disability who have strengthened their financial footing and regained feelings of self-worth thanks to a little-known federal program that helps participants test whether they can return to work without putting their Social Security disability benefits, or the health coverage that comes with them, at risk.

Ticket to Work (TTW) is a free voluntary program operated by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that aims to lessen reliance on benefits for people whose work life has been interrupted by a serious illness or injury. Participants can get education, skills training, career counseling, job referrals and other services to help them reenter the workforce, hold a job or shift to another field, charting a course back to financial independence.

I was afraid to go to work because I did not want to lose my disability, says Cofer, 61, of Sharpsburg, Georgia, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a 2009 bicycle accident.

An IT analyst whose job was to ensure connectivity for the 400 people at her companys call center, Cofer went back to work after the crash but was messing everything up.

I didnt know how bad my injury was until a week and a half later, she says.

She was placed on medical leave, but when that ended in October 2011, her doctor didnt clear her to return to work. Thats when she applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), one of the two SSA-administered benefits for people sidelined from work by a medical condition. Her claim was approved in April 2013.

Cofer heard about TTW in 2021 from a state vocational services agency and contacted one of the SSA-authorized organizations that help individuals with disabilities secure employment.

I didnt understand what the government limitations were. Its hard for me to process and learn new information, she says. They assured me they would be with me. They helped me with paperwork. I can call them, or they call me. They help keep me on track.

Since September 2022, she has worked part-time as a wheelchair assistant at the Atlanta airport. I literally push a wheelchair and talk to people. I dont have to do anything on the computer, she says. Its a nonstress job, compared with what I used to do.

A lot of people are hanging in the balance

Social Security administers two types of monthly payments for people with disabilities: SSDI, which is available to most workers who suffer a debilitating illness or injury, regardless of their financial situation, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a safety-net benefit for people who have a disability (or are age 65 and older) and very limited income and assets.

Because these benefits are designed to help sustain people unable to support themselves through paying work, they are subject to strict income limits. By SSAs reckoning, if you are able to earn above a certain threshold from work, you may no longer be entitled to disability benefits.

For many people with disabilities, it can take months, even years, to secure benefits. Once they do, those payments can be a financial lifeline. The risk of jeopardizing them can create a disincentive to explore returning to the workforce, even for those who want to.

A lot of people are hanging in the balance, says Gary Burtless, a senior fellow emeritus in economic studies at the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C. Once they get on SSDI, they do not want to disrupt the applecart too much.
A man Abram Mendez and his wife Yudith Matthews hired to renovate a bathroom in their home stayed for months causing thousands of dollars in damages and refusing to leave the property. Jessica Phelps A man Abram Mendez and his wife Yudith Matthews hired to renovate a bathroom in their home stayed for months causing thousands of dollars in damages and refusing to leave the property. The man ran wires to an outside pole to get the electricity. He also tried hooking the wires up to the stove. Jessica Phelps An eviction notice Abram Mendez and his wife Yudith Matthews served to the man they hired to renovate a bathroom in their home who stayed for months causing thousands of dollars in damages and refusing to leave the property. Jessica Phelps A man Abram Mendez and his wife Yudith Matthews hired to renovate a bathroom in their home stayed for months causing thousands of dollars in damages and refusing to leave the property. Jessica Phelps A man Abram Mendez and his wife Yudith Matthews hired to renovate a bathroom in their home stayed for months causing thousands of dollars in damages and refusing to leave the property. Jessica Phelps A man Abram Mendez and his wife Yudith Matthews hired to renovate a bathroom in their home stayed for months causing thousands of dollars in damages and refusing to leave the property. Jessica Phelps

Abram Mendez and Yudith Matthews were immediately drawn to the fixer-upper on a quiet, leafy cul-de-sac behind Holmes High School on the Northwest Side.

A stone patio overlooks the large backyard, which slopes downhill to a creek  the perfect setting for an Easter family gathering. They bought the house in November and planned to move in ahead of the Easter holiday after completing a spate of renovations.

But the husband and wife say their new house wound up trashed before they had a chance to a spend a single night there.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Theyd hired a distant cousin of Mendez in late February to tile the bathrooms, allowing him stay in the house until he completed the work. He never finished the job and refused to move out.

He hammered pieces of wood across the first-floor windows and the front and back doors to block the couple's access. He smoked crack cocaine out of homemade pipes and sold drugs from their home, Mendez and Matthews allege, and he caused thousands of dollars in damage.

Over a monthlong period, police were contacted 13 times about the situation, according to San Antonio Police Department records  either by Matthews or the cousin, who reported the couple for trying to shut off the electricity and harassing him.

It wasnt until they secured an eviction order from a Bexar County justice of the peace that they were able to reclaim control of their house.

The ordeal left Mendez and Matthews embittered. And they didnt just blame the cousin. They said San Antonio authorities failed to protect their rights.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Theyve broadcast their frustration and anger on local and national airwaves, appearing on Fox and Friends and Fox Business after WOIA-TV aired their story in late March. The couple had called the local television station about their situation  an act of desperation after police failed to help, Matthews said.

Squatting  when someone takes up residence in a home or property that doesnt belong to them without the owner's permission  has captured the attention of Republican lawmakers across the country, including in Texas, even though there is little data to suggest that the practice is widespread. Florida and Georgia recently passed legislation cracking down on squatters.

Mendez's and Matthews' "Fox and Friends" appearance caught the attention of state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican. He invited the family to tell their story to the Senate Committee on Local Government, which he chairs.

We never imagined that someone could take away from us a right to private property, Matthews testified at the Texas Capitol in May. It even seemed unrealistic when the squatter got more protection, help and benefits than us, the lawful homeowners and taxpayers.

She said the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Police Department let us down.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Ahead of next years legislative session, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tasked Bettencourts committee with recommending ways to streamline the process for the immediate removal of squatters and to strengthen the rights of property owners, according to the interim legislative charges Patrick unveiled in April.

Some of Mendez's senate testimony had a political edge. He decried the left-leaning that I found while in the courts and the limits of living in a very purple city.

A civil matter

Mendez and Matthews testified that they called SAPD numerous times for help, but that officers did nothing to remove the squatter from their home. Instead, they allege, officers threatened them with arrest.

Police reports indicate that Mendez had a no-contact order that prevented him from being at the house, which didn't come up during the senate hearing. Violating such an order is grounds for arrest.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Senators were sympathetic to the couples testimony.

You were not only victimized by the squatter, but you were also victimized by law enforcement, said state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney.

However, SAPD says its officers did nothing wrong in their handling of the situation.

Responding officers investigated the incidents and all determined that this was a civil matter, department spokesperson Sgt. Washington Moscoso told the Express-News in a statement. The homeowners were informed that this was not a criminal issue, and to pursue civil remedies  namely the eviction process.

In other words, the cousin, Jesus Adam Longoria, was effectively a tenant in the eyes of law enforcement.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

SAPD provided Bettencourts office with a more detailed explanation of why, in its view, the situation didnt rise to a criminal matter.

If an individual, without consent and unlawfully, enters or remains on property for which they have no reasonable claim of ownership or residency, then SAPD can enforce the appropriate criminal statute, Police Chief William McManus wrote to the senator in a May 23 letter.

Inviting someone into your home who then refuses to leave is another matter.

Texas law stipulates when a property owner provides consent for an individual to establish tenancy, SAPD does not have the jurisdiction to evict the individual merely based on the owner opting to withdraw consent, McManus added.

Mendez said he gave consent, via a written contract, to Longoria to stay overnight at the unoccupied home while Longoria did tile work in the bathrooms. Mendez told the Express-News that Longoria was recommended to him by his father and an uncle.

Longoria, he said, is a fourth or fifth cousin  a distant relative who he hadnt seen in years.

Going to court

Longoria was supposed to begin work on Feb. 29, but within a few days, the excuses began piling up for why he hadnt started. He was sleeping overnight on the living room couch.

He brought over a lot of his belongings in plastic bags, Mendez said  which set off alarm bells. Within days, Longoria had moved a motorcycle into their garage. A pit bull and a woman were soon staying there as well.

Mendez and Matthews said they continually asked Longoria to leave, but he refused.

Longoria could not be reached for comment.

Matthews first called the police about Longoria on March 28, according to her own account and to police reports. That same day, the couple filed an eviction lawsuit in the Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 court.

Justice of the Peace Roberto Vazquez signed the eviction judgement on April 16. Longoria had five days to appeal Vazquezs decision.

It was psychological torture, Matthews said. Every day we wondered, 'did he appeal? Did he appeal?'

It was a miracle that Longoria missed the deadline to file an appeal, she said.

Though the eviction process was fairly quick, lasting about a month, the couple blasted the city for providing their squatter with information about how evictions are carried out. The couple did not provide the Express-News with the documents they said were mailed to their home in a City of San Antonio envelope, and which they shared with senators during the hearing.

This shows you that governments got their thumb on one side of the scale, and its not on the homeowners side, Bettencourt said after reviewing the paperwork. Thats really disappointing, so you can be happy to know that San Antonio will be highly invited to the next meeting.

When a San Antonio resident receives an eviction court order, the city mails an information packet that was created in collaboration with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and St. Marys University School of Law, said Marivel Arauza, a spokesperson for the citys Neighborhood and Housing Services Department. The packet includes information about the eviction process, housing assistance options and community resources, such as free legal aid.

It is empowering for renters and landlords to understand what actions are appropriate and lawful when lease terms are not met, Arauza said.

Push for legislation

The magnitude of the problem of squatters taking over Texans homes is shocking, Bettencourt said as he opened the May 15 committee hearing.

But no one who was called to testify that day could say how much of a problem it actually is. Thats because no such data exists, testified Rusty Adams, a real estate attorney at the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University.

I do believe the virality of certain stories around unwanted tenants or so-called squatters is a major contributor to the current focus here in Texas, said Greg Zlotnick, an assistant professor at St. Marys University School of Law and supervising attorney for the Housing Rights Project at the universitys Center for Legal and Social Justice.

Texas lawmakers are looking to states that have passed legislation to speed up the process for removing people living illegally in someone elses home. Members of the Senate Committee on Local Government pointed to legislation recently passed in Florida and Georgia.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a former Republican presidential candidate, signed a bill in April that authorizes sheriffs to bypass the court process and immediately remove, and even arrest, someone from a home if the property owner has filed a complaint stating that the person is not authorized to be there and can demonstrate proof of ownership. The bill also makes squatting a crime.

A Florida attorney told Central Florida Public Media that landlords could use the law against tenants who lack proper lease agreements as a way to bypass the eviction process.

Zlotnick voiced a similar concern about potential efforts to further expedite the eviction process in Texas, particularly the impact that could have on renters who entered into an oral lease with their landlord  something allowed under state law.

Texas already has strong protections for property owners and a quick process for evictions compared to other states, he said. Under state law, landlords must give tenants three days notice before filing for eviction.
The day after the debate, Allred told a reporter that he was processing it. A week later, Allreds campaign declined to comment further on the presidents debate performance or on his candidacy. Shafkat Anowar/TNS

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, the Democrat running against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, has spent the past few months trying to distance himself from President Joe Biden.

That was before Biden had a shaky debate performance last week that left many  including some Democratic allies  questioning whether he is mentally fit to serve another term as president. Now that Biden is fielding calls to step aside, political observers and experts say Allreds efforts to separate himself are all the more important, and hell likely need to significantly outperform Biden on the November ballot if he is to oust Cruz.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The day after the debate, Allred told a Dallas Morning News reporter that he was processing it. A week later, Allreds campaign declined to comment further on the presidents debate performance or on his candidacy.

Instead, the campaign provided a statement to Hearst Newspapers saying Allred represents a new generation of leadership in Texas and is laser-focused on beating Ted Cruz. The statement did not mention Biden by name.

A Senate term is six years, and the winner of this Senate race will outlast the next presidents term, said Josh Stewart, a spokesperson for the Allred campaign. No matter who is president, Congressman Allred will always work to fix our broken politics and put Texas ahead of partisan politics.

Joshua Blank, the research director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, said Allreds efforts to distance himself from Biden in his campaign against Cruz are significant.

A recent UT poll asked voters whether their support for Biden or Trump was more based on actual support for the candidate or a vote against the other. Three quarters of Trump voters said they supported Trump, while nearly half of Biden voters said they were opposing Trump.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

There are at least a couple data points at this moment in time that are pointing to an underlying sentiment, at least in Texas, among Democrats that a little distance between them and the president is not a problem  and is probably to their advantage, Blank said.

Allred previously has criticized Biden, especially on immigration, a top concern for Texas voters and a key issue for Republicans in November. The Dallas Democrat put out an ad earlier this year saying he would go after the cartels and fix the border but do so in a humane way.

I stood up to Joe Biden on the border and to extremists like Ted Cruz for preferring chaos to real solutions, Allred said in the ad, referencing his January vote in favor of a resolution to condemn Bidens response to an increase in border crossings.

At the time, Cruzs campaign called Allreds vote a cowardly flip-flopping strategy. Cruz and his allies  especially the Truth and Courage PAC, which is dedicated to helping reelect the two-term Republican  have also repeatedly tried to tie Allred to Biden.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The PAC, for example, launched a website called Too Extreme Allred, which has an entire tab deriding Allred as Bidens biggest Texas ally. The PAC also posted a clip on social media Wednesday of Allred defending Biden during a February interview with CBS Austin.

REMINDER: Colin Allred is one of Joe Bidens top supporters in Congress, even recently saying that Biden is mentally fully sharp and fully in charge of everything, the PAC wrote.

The Texas Politics Projects June 2024 poll showed Allred trailing Cruz by 11 percentage points  45% to 34%  on a trial ballot. Another 6% of respondents said they would support someone else, while 14% were undecided. The same poll had Trump beating Biden on a sample ballot 46% to 39%.

A more recent poll by the Manhattan Institute, which surveyed likely Texas voters between June 25 and 27, found Trump with a 9-point lead over Biden and Cruz with a just 3-point lead over Allred.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Cal Jillson, a politics professor at Southern Methodist University, said Allred likely wont campaign with Biden or look to him for an endorsement.

He knew that he had to separate himself from Biden and outrun Biden in Texas by 6 or 8 points, because Biden was likely to lose by at least that much, Jillson said. If Allred were to outperform enough to be competitive, that would mean an 8- or 9-point better performance than the top of the ticket, and that is a very difficult task.

Jillson said Allred might have to bridge a smaller gap if someone like Vice President Kamala Harris were on the ballot, but its still too early to tell how alternate candidates could affect the Senate race.

Jon Taylor, a politics professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said he understands some Democrats fears that low enthusiasm for Biden could negatively affect the party in down-ballot races. He said Allreds best opening is in his continued criticism of Cruz, who also can be a polarizing figure.

It's important for him to draw out that comparison (against Cruz), and that's where, again, I would be ignoring, as much as you can, President Biden, Taylor said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

FROM MAY: Ted Cruz warns Texas Republicans of tough matchup with Colin Allred

State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio and the head of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, agreed that the greatest advantage that Congressman Allred has is that nobody seems to like Ted Cruz. This years Senate race is Cruzs first since former U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke came within 3 points of unseating him in 2018.

Martinez Fischer said Democrats are familiar with the prospect of running on the same ticket as a presidential candidate who isnt always popular in the Lone Star State, and Allreds day-to-day campaign likely will focus on his own priorities, not the presidents fitness for office.

Ultimately, Martinez Fischer said this election boils down to kitchen table issues like the economy. He pointed to the Biden administrations Friday announcement that more than 200,000 jobs have been added across the country in June.

For Colin Allred or anybody in Texas to talk about working with an administration that is creating jobs, keeping unemployment low  that, to me, transcends politics, he said.
Coca-Cola India recently launched its second Coca-Cola Foodmarks in Indias historical city of Nawabs - Hyderabad. A go-to combo for many, a chilled Coca-Cola served with piping hot Paradise delicacies such as biryani, haleem and kebabs has been winning hearts of locals and tourists. This launch is followed by the inaugural Foodmarks at Delhis beloved restaurant, Embassy spotlighting Coca-Colas global campaign  A Recipe for Magic.

Inspired by culture and created with the Real Magic of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Foodmarks celebrates global food landmarks. These are destinations and experiences with a recipe of three key ingredients: the perfect moment, the perfect meal and an ice-cold Coca-Cola. This time, the campaign brings to life Hyderabads Paradise Biryani, an iconic landmark with a rich cultural heritage. Established in 1953, Paradise began as a humble cafe serving biscuits and samosas, today, it is a historical and contemporary phenomenon, offering the best of Hyderabadi cuisine.

Kaushik Prasad, Senior Director, Marketing for Coca-Cola category at The Coca-Cola Company's India and Southwest Asia Operating Unit said, Coca-Cola Foodmarks captures the true essence of Coke, it is the magic of creating shared moments, cultural richness, and culinary excellence. We are excited to add another timeless restaurant to Foodmarks that not only offers Paradises legendary cuisine but symbolizes Coca-Colas legacy of creating cherished memories.

Today, Paradise Biryani continues to enchant palates and people alike. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned regular, a visit to Paradise Biryani promises an unparalleled journey through the flavors and traditions of Hyderabad, all with a chilled, refreshing sip of Coca-Cola.

Also Read : Coca-Cola India celebrates World Environment Day with #BenchPeBaat
IILM Lodhi Road, one of the prominent educational institutions in the country, is delighted to announce the appointment of Harivansh Chaturvedi as its new Director General.

Dr Chaturvedi has carved a distinctive niche in the field of higher education with over 47 years of career excellence and brings a substantial wealth of experience in teaching, research, policy formulation, and institutional management to IILM.

His outstanding career spans noteworthy roles, such as Professor and Director of the Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) in Greater Noida, an institution boasting a status of Category-1 school by the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Under his leadership, BIMTECH was also awarded prestigious accreditations from national and international bodies, including the AACSB.

In addition, Dr Chaturvedi is a founding member and Executive President of the Education Promotion Society of India (EPSI), which has remained at the forefront of advocating for private higher education institutions across India. Under his direction, EPSI has been widely recognised by the Ministry of Education, the Government of India, and various regulatory bodies for its contributions to the higher education segment.

Sharing his delight in the new role, Dr Chaturvedi said, ''IILM boasts a distinguished legacy of producing disruptive leaders and change agents. I am honoured to join this institution as the Director General and look forward to working with its highly proficient faculty, staff and students to set new benchmarks of academic excellence in the education landscape.''

Dr Chaturvedis exceptional academic journey commenced at Agra University, where he earned a Masters degree in Commerce (M. Com) and Ph.D. in Business Management. He embarked on his career journey in 1977 at Raja Balwant Singh College, Agra and later joined the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) as the Deputy Director in 1995 where he garnered a profound understanding of engineering and management education in India. Throughout his term at AICTE, he was instrumental in developing policies and establishing the National Board of Accreditation (NBA).

Dr Chaturvedi's appointment marks a significant milestone for IILM Lodhi Road. The institution aims to harness his unprecedented experience and expertise to bolster its initiatives and strengthen its position as the preeminent institution in the country. The appointment will also drive the adoption of best practices, interdisciplinary research and foster industry alliances.
Viacom18, today, announced significant additions to its technology leadership team, as the company looks to scale up its OTT platform JioCinema into one of the countrys foremost digital content destinations. These strategic appointments are aimed at enhancing tech expertise, agility, and speed to market as the company continues to rapidly scale its operations and deliver world-class digital experiences.

Bharath Ram joins as Chief Product Officer & Ad Tech Platform Lead:

Bharath Ram brings extensive experience from Flipkart, where he led Product and Engineering functions for key charters including user growth, retention, new product innovation, and new categories. Prior to Flipkart, Bharath worked with Instagram, in the core product team in the US, focusing on ad revenue, ad auction systems, ad personalization, user experience with ads, and advertiser experience. Bharath also worked at Amazon Prime Video where he led personalization and other key areas. Bharath holds an M.S. in Computer Engineering from Ohio State University and an MBA from Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.

Bharath will be reporting to Kiran Mani, CEO  Digital, Viacom18.

Vijay Sheshadri joins as Chief Technical Advisor:

With over 25 years of industry experience, Vijay Sheshadri has an extensive background in enterprise security, e-commerce, and large-scale distributed systems. He was an Engineering Fellow at Swiggy and has held key roles at Amazon and Symantec, where he built several enterprise security solutions and cloud infrastructure services. Vijay was the lead architect for Symantecs Reputation-based Security technology, which won the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award in 2010.

Shoury Bhardwaj joins as Engineering Leader for App Experience, Search, Recommendations, Data & App Backend Platforms:

Shoury Bhardwaj comes from Flipkart, where he spent 12 years working on various key areas of e-commerce. In his most recent role, he led the product and engineering teams for new business initiatives. Shoury is passionate about developer productivity, agile methodologies, and creating enduring technical and product blueprints. He holds an engineering degree from NIE, Mysore, and an MS from BITS, Pilani.

Commenting on these appointments, a Viacom18 spokesperson said, "We are thrilled to welcome Bharath, Vijay and Shoury to the Viacom18 family. Their expertise and leadership will be instrumental as we embark on the next phase of our ambitious growth journey. These appointments reflect our commitment to building a world-class tech platform that can deliver the best of content and an unparalleled experience to our consumers"
Kantar, the worlds leading marketing data and analytics company tested more than 12,000 creatives for its clients around the world in 2023. Over 11% (1,400+) of those creatives were tested in India. Today, Kantar unveils the ads that were most effective and creative across India in 2023.

What makes these awards unique is that consumers are the jury. As people control a brand's fortunes through their spending power, their voice decides what is effective advertising. The India report shortlists close to 300 ads, tested across categories, markets, TGs and media channels.

The winners list has doubled from last year, with Kantar awarding 10 standout performers in the Television ads category and 4 in the Digital ads category.

Television categories include Food & Beverage, Home Care, Personal Care, Services and Unstereotype. New categories introduced include Original Creatives for South, Adaptations for South, Most Creative & Effective TV Ad (overall) and Most Consistently Effective Advertiser. Creatives for Digital continue to grow this year as well, with Kantar awarding standout performers in 4 categories- 3 based on Ad Length format and one for the Most Creative & Effective Digital Ad, for bringing to life the exciting storytelling possibilities in the digital world.

All ads exemplify essential characteristics of being creatively engaging and landing persuasive stories that enhance brand sales.

Kantar Creative Effectiveness Awards India 2024 Winners:







Commenting on this years findings, Soumya Mohanty, Managing Director & Chief Client Officer- South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar said, Earlier this year, Kantar launched the Blueprint for Brand Growth a breakthrough understanding of how businesses build strong & profitable brands. One of the growth accelerators for building strong brands is to pre-dispose more people. Great advertising builds pre-disposition and loads the dice in favour of the brands. Creative content can and should punch above its weight.

Key highlights from this years report:

Learnings from Kantars Blueprint for Brand Growth indicate that great advertising is rocket-fuel for building predisposition: growing meaningfully different brands in a more effective and efficient way. Creative quality, second only to brand size, greatly influences campaign profitability, with double the impact that reach does on brand salience.

Kantar research emphasizes that ads must persuade and convey messages that are novel, credible, relevant, and different to enhance short-term sales. But high-quality ads, which leave a lasting impression, generally perform well in both short-term sales and long-term brand-building (Kantar LINK database), thus reducing the need to spend money on performance marketing.

Beyond brand recognition, generating a strong emotional response is key, because emotion helps build strong memory structures, and most advertising effects are not immediate. Emotion plays a critical role in effective creative- and not just in TV content.

Ad learnings from 2023:

Make purpose personal: 65% of Indians will buy brands that stand for something they can identify with. While purpose or value led creatives open possibilities for highly emotively engaging creatives, the effective ones execute it in a manner such that it becomes personal to the consumers.

License to surprise: Consumers are open to original creative ideas- ones that are hyper creative or break existing category codes. The reward for the brand lies in the ability to integrate the persuasive and meaningful impressions into the creative idea. Pre-testing helps identify the possible risks of comprehension and resonance.

Going Native: Only 28% Indians (vs Global average 75%) have watched any foreign content. Over 25 years of Kantar Link ad evaluation reveal a striking truth- ad transference across Indian regions is just about a third. This challenges the assumption that a single pan-India creative approach, even with universal and validated consumer insight, will yield positive returns on objectives. Brands are now refreshingly taking on the challenge and opportunity of engaging the Southern consumers differently from Hindi-speaking markets. Investing in original creatives, by going native on multiple dimensions- insights, creative idea & treatment and execution ensures maximizing of reward for the brand.

Go deep & wide: The most efficient route to optimize budgets for creating ads that effectively crossover the transference challenge across the many Indias, is to create regional adaptions by playing with backdrop, celebrity, casting, product window visualization, slogan etc. Go deep and wide is about taking a campaign pan India by starting with a pan India insight, creative idea & treatment but execute with some nativity elements to amplify the resonance with the regional markets. Pre-testing helps to identify whether the mix of insight, story & elements work together as intended and identify opportunities for improvement.

Embed the Brand: The value of creativity starts with the brand. While executional elements like distinctive brand assets and consistency in advertising style are undeniable aids in ensuring that the brand takes credit for the impressions left behind by the creative, its potential is amplified when the brand is integral to the story.

**In our top quartile ads compared to the bottom quartile ads, we observed more consistency (+49%), greater use of established branding devices (+14%), and the inclusion of related music (+26%).

Weave in the product story: Executions that can creatively integrate the specific competitive reasons to consider the brand into the narrative tend to be impactful. The role of creativity is thus not just to entertain but also leave behind vivid impressions that make the brand more meaningful to the consumers.

Specific learnings for the digital landscape:

Precision targeting is officially giving way to mass media avatar of Digital and theres an increasing recognition of the importance of brand marketing on digital platforms. Creative Quality getting increasingly critical for ensuring ROI for digital- could unlock 35%+ incremental sales per impression.

Effective content on TV does not automatically mean success in digital - Ads that perform well in TV have only a ~50% chance of performing well in digital.

Emotional resonance significantly enhances digital advertisings impact on brand building. Ads that evoke stronger emotions are 3.3x more likely to drive long-term brand equity and 2.75x more likely to generate impact compared to those with weaker emotional connections.

Prasanna Kumar, Head of Creative Domain & Executive Vice President- South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar added: Truly creative ads are the ones that are effective. The journey from being just creative to being effective starts by including your key stakeholders - your target consumers, into the process by pre-testing your ads. This year we have seen some original creative ideas shine through by ensuring that they have brand and consumer at their heart.
India's tourism industry has witnessed a rapid rebound post pandemic, and consumers across all age groups are travelling like never before - exploring both domestic and international destinations.

SOTC is an omnichannel, Indian-grown brand with a pioneering legacy of over 75 years, serving millions of travellers by creating enriching travel experiences. With a refreshed positioning - No one understands the Indian traveller better than SOTC, the Company looks to take this redefined brand messaging in a new direction, reaching wider audiences, and charting a new path in the category.

Asif Riaz  Vice President & Head of Marketing at SOTC, spoke about the reasons for the partnership with 21N78E Creative Labs. He said, SOTC Travel has had an amazing journey for over 75 years in the industry and growing stronger. With our recent positioning No one understands the Indian Traveller better than SOTC, we were looking for a partner who would be able to support our vision and craft a narrative that appeals to todays audiences. With the 21N78E Creative Labs team we look forward to creating impactful, yet meaningful communication through their innovative approach.

COO, 21N78E Creative Labs, Nikhil Shahane, also shared his thoughts on the partnership. He said, "We are thrilled to be partnering with SOTC, a leader in the Indian travel industry, and we are excited to work with them to create campaigns that will help them achieve their business goals. We are passionate about travel and are excited to partner SOTC on their next adventure. There are already a few interesting initiatives in the pipeline, were looking forward to what promises to be an exciting year ahead.

He added, Stacked full of travel-buffs, 21N78E is all set to push the envelope for the brand. Backed by a business-first strategic understanding of the category along with a desire to innovate, 21N78E has its sights set on some category firsts in the coming months.

SOTC is being managed out of 21N78E Creative Labs Mumbai office.
Armasuisse

Bern, 05.07.2024 - The Norwegian defence group Kongsberg and the European missiles systems company MBDA have informed the Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse that they will not be taking part in the tender for a new system for medium-range ground-based air defence. The evaluation process will continue as planned.

The Norwegian defence group Kongsberg and the European missiles systems company MBDA have informed the Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse that they will not be taking part in the evaluation for a new system for medium-range ground-based air defence (GBAD MR).



The withdrawal of the two companies followed the submission of the request for quotation for the new system by armasuisse on 30 April 2024. Diehl Defence (Germany) will remain as a potential manufacturer in the tender.

Further action in the project

The evaluation process will continue as planned with the goal of procuring a medium-range GBAD system as soon as possible and thus increasing Switzerlands defence capability. The Parliament is currently discussing procurement with the Armed Forces Dispatch 2024 instead of 2025 as planned.



armasuisse is awaiting the receipt of the offer from the remaining manufacturing company by mid-July 2024. Apart from the costs, a decision in favour of the remaining candidate in the third quarter of 2024 is dependent on this candidate submitting an offer which meets the requirements of armasuisse.



The future system must meet military, technical and logistical requirements. Among other things, it must thus already be successfully in use. The inclusion of Swiss industry is also of particular importance. One hundred percent of the purchase price must be compensated with offsetting transactions in Switzerland; the offer must then also include information on envisaged and already initiated offset projects.

Participation in the European Sky Shield Initiative without prejudice for the selection of type

In addition to the military, technical and logistical requirements which must be met by a future system, its potential for international cooperation will also be taken into account. With its participation in the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), Switzerland is increasing international opportunities for cooperation: ESSI enables better coordination of procurement projects, training and logistical aspects in the area of ground-based air defence. However, participation in this initiative does not pre-empt the decision on type, especially if it does not affect national responsibilities in procurement.

Project GBAD MR

The project GBAD MR is a procurement project for renewing important anti-aircraft systems of the Swiss Armed Forces. The renewal will close existing gaps in security and capability in air cover and local protection, to combat approaching targets at a medium distance and thus expand long-range ground-based air defence with the Patriot system. Systems currently in use will soon reach the end of their useful life. In addition, the existing type Stinger and medium anti-aircraft (med AAA) systems only have very short ranges  modern combat aircraft deploy their weapons from greater heights and distances.

Address for enquiries

Samanta Leiser

Communication armasuisse

+41 58 465 33 79

Publisher

Armasuisse

http://www.ar.admin.ch/



General Secretariat DDPS

https://www.vbs.admin.ch/



Defence

http://www.vtg.admin.ch




A man unclogs a drain in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, in Tulum, Mexico, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) Fernando Llano/Associated Press A motorcyclist rides throw a street flooded by heavy rains from Hurricane Beryl, in Tulum, Mexico, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) Fernando Llano/Associated Press Soldiers collect branches felled by Hurricane Beryl, in Tulum, Mexico, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) Fernando Llano/Associated Press A man walks on the beach in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl in Tulum, Mexico, Friday, July 5, 2024. Fernando Llano/AP

Texans who live or are vacationing on the coast for the Fourth of July holiday weekend are at increased risk from Hurricane Beryl as it heads toward landfall over the weekend, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick warned at a Friday afternoon news conference.

Now theres many people at home not watching the news or paying attention to the news, or having fun at the beach or just in their backyard and enjoying the families, Patrick said, asking for the public to reach out to friends and family who may be in the path of the storm. A lot of people dont even realize probably theres a hurricane out there about to come into the Gulf. so thats a real concern.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Patrick, who is acting as the states chief executive after Gov. Greg Abbott left for a trade mission to Asia, spoke to members of the media around 1 p.m. Friday with Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd.

A lot of people are out having fun right now and thats a good thing, and we want them to continue to do that, Kidd said. But we also want them to prepare. We need a prepared community, not a panicked community.

It still wasnt clear where exactly the slow-moving storm would make landfall in Texas, Patrick said, but experts were hoping to have a better idea on Saturday. The storm could reach the state as early as Sunday night. A Category 1 storm as of Friday morning, Hurricane Beryl has already struck the Caribbean and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, leaving around a dozen confirmed deaths so far.

As of Friday morning, weather models were zeroing in on Beryl touching down within 100 miles of Corpus Christi. But that could shift north or south along the Texas coast, moving it anywhere from Brownsville to Galveston or even Houston.

Patrick and Kidd said they are in contact with county judges along the Gulf Coast and their main concern now is ensuring the public is aware of the dangers. He asked Texans to stock up on food and water, look after their pets and ensure their vehicles are filled with gas.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Despite the uncertainties of the storm, Patrick said the state expects flooding and heavy rain starting Sunday and into Monday, with much of the rest of the state even beyond the coast hit within the next week.

I think with confidence we can say there will be flooding, we just cant pinpoint it yet, Patrick said. But do not relax, sit back and say, Well thats going to hit the coast and Im fine if youre a few counties inland, because the storm could bring a lot of rain.
Hurricane Beryl weakened on Friday to a tropical storm after making landfall this morning on Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula.

And the title change is likely only temporary.

By late Friday Beryl had made it into the southern Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center. And Beryl is expected to restrengthen to a hurricane again, likely by Sunday.

And it is looking more likely its final landfall will happen in Texas, and hurricane and storm surge watches have been expanded to include more of that state, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It should be noted that Beryls long-range track is still a long way from a sure thing. The hurricane center cautioned on Friday afternoon that additional adjustments of the forecast track could be necessary tonight.

The storm made landfall just north of Tulum around 5:05 a.m. CDT as a strong Category 2 hurricane with 110 mph winds, the hurricane center said. It was Beryls second landfall. The first came on Monday morning on the island of Carriacou in the Windward Island chain. Beryl was a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds then.

As of 10 p.m. CDT Friday, the center of Tropical Storm Beryl was located about 615 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, and was tracking to the west-northwest at 13 mph.

Beryls maximum sustained winds fell to 60 mph on Friday night. However, Beryl could begin to reorganize over the warm waters of the Gulf, and the hurricane centers intensity forecast shows it becoming a Category 1 hurricane again with peak winds of 90 mph.

The hurricane center said Beryl is expected to turn to the northwest on Saturday, and the storm will approach the Texas coast by late Sunday.

The hurricane center said that the official forecast track was pushed eastward Friday afternoon, and again on Friday night, necessitating the watches to be extended farther northward along the Texas coast.

Forecasters said there is an increasing risk of damaging hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge in portions of northeastern Mexico and the lower and middle Texas Coast late Sunday and Monday, where Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches are in effect. Additional watches and warnings may be required on Saturday. Interests in these areas should follow any advice given by local officials.

The hurricane center also urged those along the coast to pay close attention to the latest forecast track, adding that it is important to note that the average NHC track error at 60-72 hours is 80-100 miles and the average intensity error is close to one category. Users are reminded to consider these uncertainties when using the forecast information.

The hurricane center said 3 to 5 inches of surge will be possible along parts of the Texas Coast.

Beryl could bring 4 to 6 inches of rain to the Yucatan as it moves through today.

The rainfall forecast for Texas and northeastern Mexico took a big jump upward as of Friday. The hurricane center said 5 to 10 inches of rain will be possible with isolated areas getting up to 15 inches across coastal and east Texas starting on Sunday and lasting until the middle of next week.

A hurricane watch is in effect for the Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to San Luis Pass and the northeastern coast from mainland Mexico from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande.

A storm surge watch is in effect for the Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to High Island.

Beryl is not expected to directly affect Alabama, but waves from the storm will generate a high risk of rip currents along the Alabama and northwest Florida coasts tonight through the weekend:
Its no secret that summer in Alabama is very, very hot, which means finding a place to cool off is almost essential.

While a pool or the beach will do, its always fun to find a new place to take a dip -- whether its a hidden swimming hole tucked away and off the beaten path or a popular spot in one of our many state parks.

With that in mind, heres a look at a few unique places you can go for a swim when the heat gets to be too much this summer -- or any month when it gets wickedly warm here.

Turkey Creek Falls in Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Pinson, Ala., is a popular swimming hole every summer. (Sarah Jackson/courtesy of Forever Wild)Sarah Jackson/Forever Wild

Turkey Creek Falls at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve

A popular and scenic spot to cool off this summer is Turkey Creek Falls, or The Falls as its called by locals, at the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Pinson. While there, you can choose between floating down the natural slide the falls form, swimming in the water beneath or relaxing on the surrounding rocks. There are several hiking trails that take you near the falls, according to the preserves website, or you can drive to the them by using the main entrance road. Another swimming spot, known as the Blue Hole, is also nearby in the preserve.

Blue Springs State Park in Clio, Ala., is popular for its swimming holes. (Courtesy of Alabama State Parks)Alabama State Parks

Swimming holes at Blue Springs State Park

Every summer, locals and tourists alike flock to Blue Springs State Park in Clio to take a dip in its two sandy-bottomed swimming pools. According to the parks website, the pools are fed by a crystal-clear underground spring that pumps 3,600 gallons of water per minute and remains a cool 68 degrees year-round -- making em the perfect place to enjoy a swim while surrounded by the natural beauty of the state.

Devil's Den swimming hole is located in the Talladega National Forest near Cheaha State Park. (Special to AL.com)(Special to AL.com)

Devils Den Falls in the Talladega National Forest

Devils Den Falls in the Talladega National Forest near Cheaha State Park is another picturesque spot to swim this summer. The falls are accessible through the Chinnabee Silent Trail, which runs a little over seven miles, according to the National Forests website, or theres a parking area thats a short half-mile hike to the falls. Once there, you can relax in the tranquil waters and climb the rocks that create the waterfall. Another popular swimming spot, Cheaha Falls, is also nearby.

Bulldog Bend swimming hole on the Cahaba River (Tamika Moore/AL.com)TAMIKA MOORE/AL.com

Limestone Park on the Cahaba River

Limestone Park on the Cahaba River is a popular spot for kayaking, canoeing, tubing and more, but its also a great place for locals and travelers alike to get in a free swim, according to Swimmingholes.org. Along the river theres an area known as Bulldog Bend, which includes a rope swing and more, thats become a popular swimming spot during hot summer days.

A swimming area at Chewacla State Park in Auburn. (Alabama State Parks)Alabama State Parks

Swimming area at Chewacla State Park

If youre looking for a spot to cool off after a long hike at Chewacla State Park in Auburn look no further than the parks swimming area at its 26-acre lake, which is fed by Moores Mill Creek, according to the Alabama State Parks website. Theres a roped-off area with a diving platform open year-round for those looking to get in the water, but keep in mind its swim-at-your-own risk. You can also dip your toes in picturesque Chewacla Falls while youre there too.
A Madison County man was killed just after midnight Friday in an apparent accident involving Fireworks.

Don Webster with Huntsville Emergency Medical Services said the incident happened at about 12:03 a.m.

First responders were called to a home at Nick Davis Road and Pettus Road in Harvest.

A 20-year-old man was injured. He was taken to Huntsville Hospital, where he later died.

The Madison County Sheriffs Office, along with Harvest and Monrovia volunteer fire departments, were on the scene.

Several fireworks-related injuries were reported in connection with Independence Day celebrations.

Decatur police responded to one at about 8:50 p.m. Thursday. Officers were called to the 1500 block of Chadwell St. where a man suffered an injury to his right hand.

He was transported by ambulance to Decatur Morgan Hospital, and later flown to Huntsville Hospital to receive treatment.

A fireworks technician who was injured by an exploding shell at an Independence Day festival in Jacksonville on Wednesday was released from UAB Hospital Thursday.
Gone are the days of writing a check at Target.

The Minnesota-based retailer confirmed it will not longer accept personal checks as a form of payment. The change comes due to extremely low volumes in check writers, a spokesperson told NBC Chicago. It will go into effect July 15th.

Target is committed to creating an easy and convenient checkout experience, and that includes providing our guests with numerous ways to pay, a Target spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson told the station it had taken several measures to notify customers in advance.

Target accepts several other forms of payment including Target Circle Cards (formerly known as Target Red Cards), digital wallets, SNAP/EBT, cash and credit and debit cards as well as buy-now, pay later services. Customers can still send checks through the mail to pay Target Circle Card balances.

Target isnt the first retailer to make a move away from paper checks. The Minnesota Star Tribune reported discount grocer Aldi and organic store Whole Foods also dont take checks.
A man who was reported missing in the area of Point Mallard since Thursday night was found this afternoon.

Decatur police said the body of Justin Letson, 35, was recovered from the Tennessee River at about 2:30 p.m.

No foul play is suspected.

Morgan County Rescue Squad, ALEA Marine and Aviation, and the Lawrence County Rescue Squad assisted in the search.

Letson was reportedly last seen on or around a large group of boats parked off the shore of Point Mallard at about 10 p.m. Thursday, according to Decatur police.

Letson was not discovered missing until sometime later, police said.
State investigators released new information Friday about a Fourth of July jet ski crash that seriously injured Alabama State Sen. Garlan E. Gudger.

The 49-year-old senator from Cullman was driving a 2024 Sea-Doo GTI Sunday afternoon when the personal watercraft was struck in the rear by another Sea-Doo driven by his son, 21-year-old Garlan E. Gudger III, ALEA Trooper Sgt. Jeremy Burkett said Friday.

The collision happened at 3:15 p.m. Thursday in the Little Crooked Creek area, also known as Rock Creek, on Smith Lake in Cullman County.

Burkett said the crash caused both drivers to be thrown into the water, but both were wearing personal flotation devices.

Burkett said bystanders in the area assisted the father and son out of the water and took them to a nearby dock.

Gudger Jr. was airlifted to UAB Hospital where he was in the Intensive Care Unit after undergoing surgery. He sustained internal bleeding and other injures, according to a statement released by the Alabama State Senate.

Gudger III was evaluated by paramedics and released on the scene.

Gudgers wife, Heather, released the following statement late Thursday night:

From the first responders who were quickly on the scene to the members of the helicopter airlift unit to the doctors and nurses at UAB and everyone else who assisted during this accident, we offer our deepest thanks and recognition that each of them kept a difficult situation from being even worse.

To those across the state who have reached out and lifted up our family with their prayers of mending and comfort, we feel your support and know that God holds Garlan in his healing hands.

Everyone who knows Garlan is aware that he is a strong, tough, and energetic man who will recover from these injuries and continue serving the citizens of his district while promoting the conservative Alabama values that so many of us hold close.

The Cullman Republican was elected to the state senate in 2018, according to a biography on the Alabama Senate Republicans webpage.

The Crane Hill Fire Department and Cullman EMS both responded to the scene and assisted with medical treatment and transport.

The investigation is ongoing by ALEAs Marine Patrol Division.
A woman found nude and fatally shot outside an Avondale apartment has now been identified, and a suspect has been charged in her death.

The Jefferson County Coroners Office identified the victim as Dianisleidy Rodriquez-Hernandez. She was 34 and from Cuba.

South Precinct officers about 4:40 p.m. Wednesday were notified of shots fired and then a person shot in the 4200 block of Fifth Avenue South. That location is directly across the street from Avondale Park.

Police found Rodriquez-Hernandez unresponsive just outside a unit. She was pronounced dead on the scene at 5:10 p.m.

Johnny Ray Sears Jr., 44, of Birmingham, is charged with murder in the womans death, according to court and jail records. Charging documents list his address as the apartment building where the killing happened.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin on Friday said the two were together to conduct an illegal transaction. He did not elaborate.

Ray was taken into custody at the scene and held at the Birmingham City Jail pending formal charges. The murder warrant was issued Friday morning.

Ray was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at noon Friday and is being held without bond.
Birmingham could soon turn a historic school building, the site of the citys early battles over desegregation, into affordable housing for seniors.

The $27 million renovation of the former Graymont School across the street from Legion Field is a major component for redevelopment in the neighborhoods in the area.

The city councils budget and finance committee last week endorsed a proposal to lease the city-owned building for 30 years at $1 a year to developers who intend to create 101 rental units for seniors. The city will also provide $3.5 million in funding to bolster the project, if the plan is approved by the full council.

The opportunity to build more single-family homes and the opportunity to repurpose space, this goes to the heart of neighborhood revitalization, Mayor Randall Woodfin told AL.com Wednesday. Were just grateful for this partnership and relationship, not only with HUD but with our local community and the chance to make a positive impact that could change lives for the better.

Construction is expected to begin in late October with completion in early 2026.

Built in 1908, Graymont School served as an elementary school until 1989. In 1963 it became the first school to be integrated in Birmingham.Joseph D. Bryant

Built in 1908, Graymont School served as an elementary school until 1989. It was the first school to be integrated in Birmingham.

How everything looks on the outside will be preserved, but the interior will be fully gutted to accommodate the elevators that need to be replaced and the new walls, Cory Stallworth, Birminghams senior deputy director of community development, told the council committee last week.

Well preserve that building, he said, but then there will be a new building constructed alongside it which would still bring homage to the architectural elements in the neighborhood, but it would be a newer, more modern looking building to complement the rich history.

Birmingham resident James Armstrong, a black barber, sued the board of education to enroll his sons Dwight and Floyd Armstrong to enter the school in 1963. The grounds were filled with law enforcement, protests against integration and civil rights. The students were escorted inside by their father and the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth.

The integration occurred just five days before the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church that killed four girls.

Today the reuse of the Graymont School is a major component of redevelopment spurred by the federal Choice Neighborhoods grant that the city was awarded in July 2023.

City leaders said the Choice Grant would leverage a $294 million investment in the Graymont, Smithfield and College Hills neighborhoods. That includes providing 1,000 subsidized, affordable and market-value homes and replacing the 900 units at Smithfield Court.

About 50 apartments will be built inside the historic building with the other homes located in the new construction.

A child early learning center will also open on the first floor of the existing building in space formerly used by the Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity. The now-dissolved JCCEO provided similar services.

As the first of many exciting developments planned to implement the HUD Choice Neighborhood grant, not only does it address critical needs for families and seniors, but it also brings new life to an important structure and opens the way to redevelop the Smithfield Court site, Councilwoman Carol Clarke, whose district includes the school, told AL.com Friday. Taken together, all of the investment planned as part of this grant will create a much-needed revitalization catalyst for the whole area.

The project will be developed by Integral Partners and Rule Enterprises, both of Atlanta. Integral also manages Park Place downtown.

This development was one that really caught HUDs attention because it is an intergenerational development, Stallworth told the committee, recalling the citys application for the highly competitive grant. They were very pleased to see that this would be our first phase of development for choice.

Funding for the project will include the citys $3.5 million in ARPA funds, along with assistance from the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District and additional cash from the city as the project develops. Developers will also seek assistance from the Alabama Housing Finance Authority, Stallworth said.

We are seeking to subsidize that so we can bring down the rent, he said.

We said that we would provide funding for each development as it comes on line to be able to help subsidize it, so it is mixture of HUD funding from the Choice Neighborhood, city funding, housing authority funding, as well as state, so it is really stacked with different sources to makes these developments available.

The school building in more recent times was the headquarters for the JCCEO from 1996 until it dissolved in late 2021.

We want to preserve the former Graymont School because the history is important, Stallworth said.
A fisherman looks at fishing vessels damaged by Hurricane Beryl at the Bridgetown Fisheries in Barbados, Monday, July 1, 2024. Ricardo Mazalan/AP A man unclogs a drain in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, in Tulum, Mexico, Friday, July 5, 2024. Fernando Llano/AP Palm trees wilt after being uprooted by Hurricane Beryl in St. Patrick, Grenada, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Haron Forteau/AP Waves crash along a beach before the arrival of Hurricane Beryl on July 03, 2024 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 Tourists swim in the ocean Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Beryls expected arrival in Cancun, Mexico. Fernando Llano/AP People lounge on the beach as the sun sets Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Beryls expected arrival, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Fernando Llano/AP A surfer braves the waves July 1 in Carlisle Bay as Hurricane Beryl passes through Bridgetown, Barbados. Ricardo Mazalan/AP A tree uprooted by Hurricane Beryl lays on a street Friday in Tulum, Mexico. Fernando Llano/AP In this weather satellite photo taken Friday, Hurricane Beryl was crossing Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula on its way into the Gulf of Mexico. Texas is in the upper-left corner of the image. NOAA/National Weather Service

The chance that Hurricane Beryl could come ashore in deep South Texas is becoming more of a reality now.

Earlier this week, the National Hurricane Center had been forecasting that Beryl most likely would make landfall on the northeast coast of Mexico, but as the most recent model data has come in, Beryls projected path is shifting north and placing the storm on a collision course with the southern Texas Gulf Coast. Heres what the latest information says.

Whats the latest on Beryl?

Beryl made landfall along the Caribbean side of the Yucatan Peninsula at 5:05 a.m. Friday as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph. The storm has been weakening from interaction with land. As of 4 p.m., Beryl has weakened to a tropical storm with sustained winds of 65 mph.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Shown is the ECMWF weather model, which shows Hurricane Beryl approaching landfall near Corpus Christi on Monday afternoon. Pivotal

STORM AND FLOOD TRACKER: Keep an eye on storms and flooding across South Texas and the rest of the Lone Star State

Beryl is expected to continue weakening Friday afternoon. The storm will move back over the exceptionally warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico through Friday night, moving northwest toward the coasts of Texas and Mexico.

Beryls new forecast track

Beryl is expected to remain a tropical storm for much of Saturday as it moves through the southern Gulf of Mexico. On Sunday, more significant strengthening is expected as Beryl becomes better organized and starts its northward curve toward Texas.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

After days of poor weather model agreement, several models are starting to come together on a possible landfall location for Beryl. As of Friday morning, the American GFS and European ECMWF weather models both projected a landfall from the Corpus Christi area eastward toward Port Lavaca.

The spaghetti plot for Beryl shows many weather forecast models now are predicting a South Texas landfall. WeatherBELL

With three days still to go until landfall, another shift north or south along the Texas coast is still possible. Anywhere from Brownsville to Galveston and Houston needs to be on high alert, monitoring forecast updates over the next couple of days.

As for timing, Beryl is expected to start moving more slowly as it curves northward along the Texas coastline. Because of that, Beryl could make landfall slightly later than previously expected. The current information suggests a landfall between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday is most likely. If the path shifts even farther east, landfall could happen even later.

How strong will Beryl be?

The latest National Hurricane Center update expected Beryl to strengthen back into a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 90 mph before landfall.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

However, the new eastward shift in Beryls track will put the storm over the exceptionally warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. That means Beryl could strengthen more than currently projected, possibly into a Category 2 storm by landfall.

Beryls latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center, as of 4 p.m. Friday shows a northerly path leading to Texas. National Hurricane Center

The estimated intensity will become clearer after Beryl moves back into the Gulf later Friday night. Forecasters then will be able to determine how much weaker Beryl got over the Yucatan Peninsula. Either way, damaging winds, storm surge and heavy rainfall will be possible along the Texas coastline.

What Beryl will bring

Rainfall: Were starting to get a better idea of how much rain Beryl could bring. The National Blend of Models shows that an area of 4 to 7 inches of rain is expected along the Texas Gulf Coast, from Corpus Christi to Port Lavaca. Areas farther east, including Galveston and Houston, could experience similar rainfall totals through the middle of the week.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Shown are potential rain totals for South Texas through the middle of the week, according to the National Blend of Models. Pivotal Weather

Farther inland, more uncertainty remains. San Antonio could see several inches of rain and flooding if Beryl makes landfall near Corpus Christi. However, if the storm shifts farther east, rainfall totals in San Antonio would be lower.

Wind speeds: Damaging winds are expected along the coast, especially where Beryl makes landfall. Beryls eye could bring wind gusts up to or over 100 mph. Tropical storm force winds stronger than 40 mph could extend upward of 60 miles outside of Beryls center. Wind speeds will decrease significantly as Beryl moves inland.

Storm surge: Beryl is expected to cause water levels to rise by several feet along the Texas coastline, especially between Corpus Christi and Galveston. This could cause devastating coastal flooding for some Texas communities. Stay tuned for more precise forecasts for where storm surge will be greatest.
This is a guest opinion column

I was born in a dry county in Alabama. No one is born in dry counties in Alabama today, because there arent any. While there are some counties that are technically dry, they all have wet municipalities in their borders. In Alabama, the dry county is extinct, gone the way of the dodo bird and the passenger pigeon.

Dry counties went extinct because the tide of history was against them. And regardless of how you feel about gambling, Alabamas odd position as the only non-Mormon state in the continental United States without either a lottery and/or full casino gaming cannot last forever.

And it shouldnt.

I understand the arguments of gambling prohibitionists. I dont gamble myself. I dont think it is the best way to raise state revenue. It tends to prey on the poorest in society. There is a large social cost.

All of that is moot.

Gambling is here. It is all around us and it is IN ALABAMA, even though  in 2024  elected officials will tell you that they are against legalizing gambling in Alabama.

It has been legal for over 50 years. Ever since the first dog track opened in Mobile. And the laws allowing racetracks in Alabama eventually made Native American gaming both legal and unstoppable in Alabama.

Today, there are three full-fledged Poarch Creek Indian tribal casinos operating (with enormous success) in Alabama. The PCI have a monopoly on pretty much every desirable casino operation due in relatively equal parts to 1) the refusal of Alabama leaders to deal in reality; 2) the effective 25-year lobbying and propaganda efforts of Mississippi and Las Vegas based gambling entities to protect THEIR economic interests at Alabamas expense; and 3) the hundreds of thousands of dollars contributed to the Alabama Republican Party (through the Republican State Leadership Committee to disguise its origin to the state GOP, which had pledged to NOT accept casino-related contributions) that made the PCI the top donor to the party in the crucial 2010 state elections that cemented the current leadership. And as bad an idea as it is to allow a sovereign alien nation inside the state to monopolize a highly lucrative business, Alabamas bizarre current gambling laws (as interpreted by our own Alabama Supreme Court) have resulted in the expenditure of tens of millions of dollars in state taxpayer dollars to shut down the nontribal casinos  which, unlike their PCI counterparts, actually GENERATE state revenue.

This is an important point: in Alabama due to our current gambling laws (and our Alabama Supreme Courts interpretation of those laws) we are literally shutting down state-revenue generating businesses to eliminate the competition of businesses in a foreign nation (the PCI tribal lands) and in other states that do NOT pay ANY taxes to Alabama. We are cutting our own revenue to hand it to others. On purpose. And we havent even talked about the jobs we are losing to surrounding states by supporting their industries  at our own clear expense.

And there is more bleeding of our states wealth across state lines. Every state around Alabama now has a lottery creating hundreds of millions in revenue. And every one of those states fervently hopes that Alabama does not get one. Which  if we are paying attention in Alabama - should settle any argument about whether we should have one. Because those other states get our money. Lots of it.

They - Mississippi, Georgia, Florida and now Tennessee  get our money. But since we have reduced (not nonexistent) gambling operations in Alabama, we dont pay the social costs  increased gambling addictions, increased crime, corruption  those gambling states do  right?

Wrong.

Gambling prohibitionists usually dig their final line of defense on the societal ills associated with gambling. And those evils are real. However, those ills  like gambling itself  are already here in Alabama.

Thats why examining alcohol issues in dry counties can be enlightening for Alabama and its future. Alabama is a kind of semi-dry state for gambling. Gambling opponents maintain that by keeping casinos in Mississippi and on tribal land and by eschewing a lottery, Alabama will have fewer problem gamblers and less binge gambling. The theory is that by making the vice harder to obtain (although obviously only somewhat harder to obtain) you will reduce the negative impacts to the community.

But that is NOT what has proven true  over decades of experience  in dry counties with alcohol.

A study conducted here in Alabama found that binge drinking was higher on average in dry counties than in wet counties. And in an even more shocking study, a five-year Texas study found that the alcohol related traffic fatalities in its dry counties were at a rate of 6.8 per 10,000 people -but only 1.9 per 10,000 people in their wet counties.

These studies suggest that making it difficult - but not that difficult  for an addictive personality to pursue his addictive behavior can be the worst possible scenario. In Mississippi, a gambling addict has easier access to his chosen vice. But in Alabama, the addict still  with slightly more effort  can and will engage in the exact same destructive behavior  and the addict will waste even more time and money and will be even more dangerous to himself and his family to do it. In practice, just like the alcohol abuser in the dry county is even more destructive than in a wet county.

It is inevitable that gambling will expand in Alabama. Inevitable. We no longer have the ability to make that choice. The decision has been made for us  to a large degree  by gambling expansion in surrounding states, by changing mores, and even by recent technology. What we CAN do is MANAGE and REGULATE gambling to make sure that the state actually GETS the hundreds of billions in available revenue surrounding states have been pocketing for decades.

There are voices in the current conversation about gaming that insist Alabama has more critical issues. They insist gambling reform can wait. Those voices come from outside the room, and generally from outside of Alabama. Thanks to the congressional investigation into the Abramoff case (the scandal involving corruption centering on a tribal lobbyist for the Mississippi Choctaw casinos) we have a proven record of Mississippi casinos actively funding anti-gambling groups such as the Alabama Policy Institute (formerly the Alabama Family Alliance, which was its name when, according to congressional testimony, it received money from the Mississippi casinos to oppose the 1999 lottery proposal in Alabama). It is likely those same groups will fight for Mississippi again.

Lets fight  this time  for Alabama. Alabama voices have to be the ones we listen to  and hear.

Tim Whitt has worked in governmental relations in Alabama and across the country for the last three decades. He wrote this for al.com.
This is a guest opinion column

The U.S. Supreme Court appears hell-bent on dismantling what remains of federal environmental protections in this country.

By overturning the Chevron doctrine in its recent rulings  Loper Bright v. Raimondo and Relentless v. Commerce  the 6-3 conservative majority court has all but stripped the EPA of its authority to implement and regulate programs whose statutes are not expressly delineated by Congress, a task that many concede is beyond the capacity of the legislative branch.

The nut of the Chevron issue involves judicial interpretation of ambiguous statutes in the federal code. Prior to its overturning, the Chevron doctrine was cited by lower courts as a way to defer to agency expertise on matters where ambiguous statutes  and the ways in which they are implemented and sometimes regulated  are unclear and beyond the ken of the judiciary. Many of these statutes are made purposefully ambiguous, due to the highly complex and ever-shifting nature of agency operations (just think Medicare) that move at warp speed and often require a swift pivot.

In his opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the agencies have no special competence. Under this logic, the expertise of a hydrologist at the EPA carries no significance from a legal standpoint, say, when it comes to the interpretation of an unclear statute under the Clean Water Act. Say what, John?

Last year the Supreme Court stripped most of the nations wetlands of protection when it redefined WOTUS (waters of the United States) in Sackett v. EPA, arguing that the filling of wetlands requires no permit unless those wetlands are adjacent to a free-flowing waterbody (most arent). That decision greatly imperiled the waters of Coastal Alabama. Baldwin County is the seventh-fastest growing county in the U.S., and development continues apace. Were already seeing an increased loss of wetlands as a result. That leads to increased runoff, which means there is far more mud and raw industrial poison flowing into our waters.

For a democracy to even approximate competence, the principles of federalism must be somewhat intact. Here in Alabama, that often feels like a pipe dream. Many of Alabamas officials act like they are the second coming of George Wallace, constantly braying the state motto We Dare Defend Our Rights. Yet some of these officials, who work at state agencies like the Public Service Commission and the Environmental Management Commission, are little more than shills, forever doing the bidding of corporate behemoths like Alabama Power. Exactly whose rights are they defending?

[The} overreach [that] is being done by our big brother, EPA .... I appreciate the hard work defending the sovereignty of our great state from the environmental perspective, Frank McFadden, chair of the Environmental Management Commission, told ADEM director Lance LeFleur in June, after LeFleur had spoken about the EPAs denial of the states coal-ash program at an agency meeting.

For decades, the state of Alabama has been a national leader in chemical production. In Coastal Alabama alone, there are 26 chemical plants located along Highway 43 from McIntosh to Mobile. This stretch of highway is a verifiable cancer cluster and human-health disaster; a long-running generational tragedy that was reported in blood-curdling detail in a recent investigative piece by Al-Jazeera.

The great irony of all this is that many of the heavy polluters in the state are transnational or foreign corporations, owned by institutional investors. Add to that the fact that many of the states polluters do not live here. According to the USDA, 1.8 million acres of Alabama land is owned by foreign countries, the fourth highest in the nation behind Texas, Maine, and Colorado. So much for state sovereignty.

The Hippocratic oath is a sacred vow taken by medical professionals which commands them to Do no harm. In a perfect world, our government would operate as such. In light of the recent Supreme Court rulings, its more crucial than ever that the citizens of the state, as well as our state and local officials, stand up and demand accountability for those that are poisoning our waters and causing harm to our friends and loved ones. If public officials do stand up and demand accountability, theyll finally be defending the state and its people, which is their sworn duty.

Caine ORear is Mobile Baykeepers communications director
This is a guest opinion column

Addiction is a relentless disease. Judgement, criticism, and misunderstandings compound daily challenges. When our son, Will, died from an overdose, it was a devastating loss. For years, he fought to reclaim his life, but lacked the resources needed to find a sustainable path out of addiction. In his memory, we established the Will Bright Foundation to help others chart a better way forward after rehab, a point at which they are most vulnerable and alone.

With fentanyl taking more than 150 lives every day, it is critical that every tool in the addiction toolbox be available to better fight this generational plague. The South is in peril at this crisiss hands.

The South is being hit hard by the crisis - Georgias total number of opioid-related overdose fatalities rose 101% between 2019 and 2021, and those deaths attributed to fentanyl increased 124% during the same period. Based in Alabama, we see how Americas Southern states continue to be hit especially hard by the opioid epidemic. In 2021, nearly 70% of overdose deaths were opioid related. Tennessee ranks second in overdose deaths, reflecting an astonishing 446% increase in deaths from fentanyl between 2017 and 2021. Texas saw a 500% increase in fentanyl-related deaths between 2019 and 2022. More than 2,140 Virginians died from opioid overdoses in 2022  a 274% increase since 2012.

The impact of fentanyl is as heartbreaking as it is devastating, which is why protecting our communities must be a priority. Most people arent aware that each state issues its own individual policy, called a standing order, to ensure the availability of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved reversal agents for opioid overdoses. Many states have updated their standing orders to allow for new formulas, ensuring access to the most effective overdose medications  but some still prevent access, only allowing one formula despite innovation on new reversal agents that can help combat the crisis. We are calling on every state to act now and commit to saving lives by ensuring that community members have access to all FDA-approved opioid reversal agents. Its just common sense.

What only a few years ago was an opioid crisis is now a fentanyl crisis, and our elected officials and health policy leaders must act. Those on the frontlines  police officers, firefighters, college campuses personnel, and rural healthcare providers  are not getting the resources they need to combat this massive wave of overdoses and deaths.

Drugs are an evil that trick people when they are at their weakest. At our lowest point, an easy high that makes pain, sadness, frustration, or a sense of being unworthy go away is seductive. However, with love, support, and the right resources, lives can be saved and changed.

We know firsthand the devastating consequences of just one overdose, but also know the power of creating solutions to help others survive. Raise your voice and call on your states representatives to ensure access to all FDA-approved opioid reversal agents now.

Lisa Bright is a member of the Trussville City Council
A heat advisory was issued by the National Weather Service on Friday at 3:05 a.m. in effect until 9 p.m. for Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Winston, Walker and Blount counties.

The weather service adds, "Heat index values up to 109 degrees."

"Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses," comments the weather service.

Weather service Heat safety: A guide to staying safe in high temperatures

Stay hydrated: Remember to drink plenty of fluids.

Seek shelter: Opt for an air-conditioned room to stay comfortable.

Avoid sun exposure: Stay out of the sun, and make sure to check up on relatives and neighbors.

Child and pet safety: Never leave young children and pets unattended in hot vehicles - car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.

Caution outdoors: Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside.

Select the ideal time: Whenever possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening hours when temperatures are more manageable.

Recognize heat-related issues: Educate yourself about the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Dress comfortably: Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing to stay cool.

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 is overwhelmed by the heat, swiftly relocate them to a cool, shaded location.

In emergency situations, dial 911 for immediate assistance.

These NWS heat safety recommendations are vital for your well-being during periods of high temperatures. Stay informed and take the necessary steps to protect yourself and others from the heat's potentially dangerous effects.

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.
Talk about failing upward. Recent reports that everyones favorite Vice President is about to enjoy a major career enhancement should remove any doubt of a divine power intent upon intervening on Americas behalf. Nixon had his Ford insurance policy to shield against impeachment. The thought of that dummy becoming president was supposed to shield against Nixons enemies defenestrating him. How well did that work out? Saint Kamala of California was supposed to be Bidens Ford. It is beginning to look like this analogy is becoming more true than anyone could have anticipated.

Kamala is electoral poison. She was the first candidate in the 2020 Democrat presidential primary to withdraw. She did not make it past December 3, 2019, when the cash ran out. This was reminiscent of Biden in the 1988 presidential race when he was forced to withdraw in September 1987 after evidence of his plagiarism and lying surfaced. (No Bill Clinton, Biden has always been, at best, an extraordinarily mediocre liar.) Or his 2008 withdrawal in January, after the Iowa caucus when he only obtained 0.9%, 23 delegate equivalents, second only to Ted Kennedys waitress sandwich buddy Chris Dodd (Harvey Weinsteins favorite politician), who wound up with a single delegate. Obama led the pack, with 940 delegates. Twelve years later, Biden appointed Dodd to head up his VP search committee. Look at how well that worked out. The choice was considered particularly hypocritical at the time because of Tara Reades sexual assault allegation against Biden. Reade is now in exile in Russia, in fear for her safety.

The thinking has been that bypassing Kamala to replace Biden would be Democrat political suicide due to antagonizing the black female base essential to the partys success. She could only be replaced by a similar make and model. When no one meeting that description came forward, and with Obama and Rep. James Clyburn taking her back, voila. Here we are.

In many ways it makes sense, especially financial sense. Kamala is the only one legally positioned to inherit the millions sitting in Bidens war chest. Unlike a Newsom or a Whitmer, she brings no COVID tyranny/hypocrisy baggage with her. No French Laundry dining while the peasants are locked down, no sneaking off to Florida while a travel ban is in place at home.

Ironically, Kamala is most vulnerable among the sorts of folks still remaining in the rapidly depopulating Democrat camp. As a local prosecutor in San Francisco, she made a career of incarcerating as many criminals as possible, of all races, genders, and ethnicities. Which does not earn her points with todays progressives. Vice President Harris is the author of the 2009 Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor's Plan to Make Us Safer. Dusty copies may soon fly off the shelves, snapped up by Republican opposition researchers. No weak-kneed George Gascon, she was the real deal. She presents practical solutions for making the criminal justice system truly -- not just rhetorically -- tough. J. Edgar Hoover in drag. She can probably forget about the defund the police vote.

Kamala is more of an old-school Democrat, the type actually opposed to crime and not rabidly anti-Semitic. She even married a Jew. Scratch the Hamas, Code Pink, and Ivy League vote. No point checking the mail for Roger Waters contribution. Will modern progressives and Squad members grit their teeth and vote for a throwback to an ancient era? Or will they sit this one out in protest? Are climatistas sufficient to win an election while the lower and middle classes are caught in an economic vise and a border invasion is active? Did it matter which deck chair anyone was seated in when the Titanic sank? Lets not forget who was supposed to be the point person on fixing the invasion and its root causes south of the border.

A century ago, H.L. Mencken made relevant observations on a perfected democracy. He used democracy as a pejorative, viewing that system not altogether different from how our Founders considered it. They bequeathed us a republic instead.

It is not often, in these later days of the democratic enlightenment, that positive merit lands a man in elective office in the United States; much more often it is a negative merit that gets him there... all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre -- the man who can most adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. July 26, 1920

Talk about prescient. It took a while, probably longer than he thought it would, but Mencken would undoubtedly agree that our democracy has been perfected under Biden to a degree even he would have considered impossible. Incompetence he could envision. But not lechery, treason, or -- wait for it -- defecation. Biden combines so much in a single package. The question is whether further perfection could be attained under a Harris administration. If anyone could exceed Biden, she possesses the best resume. Alas, we may never know because of her profound ability to repel voters. But we can still dream. Assuming Biden does a Nixon, that means Trump would become the 48th president. Something to consider before investing in Trump 47 merchandise.

Douglas Schwartz blogs about history, politics, and economics at The Great Class War.

Image: U.S. Government
You Americans, you are so naive, Joseph Brodsky, a Soviet dissident who was also a Nobel laureate in literature, is supposed to have said to students of his at Columbia sometime in the seventies or the eighties. You think evil is going to come into your houses wearing big black boots. It doesnt come like that. Look at the language. It begins in the language.

For people who take an idea like this seriously, the twelve hours following the release of the Supreme Courts immunity decision might have served as a confirming event. Not only did justices, journalists, and politicians who objected to the decision systematically use language to misrepresent its empirical reality. In the process, they illuminated a new trend involving language and American law that threatens the republic.

* * *

Despite the extreme language used to describe it, the Courts decision was simple. It did not expand the presidents constitutional authority or turn him into a king; the president remains checked by Congress, which can impeach him, and the Supreme Court, which can overturn executive orders. The decision simply disentangled criminal law from constitutional law by saying the president cannot be checked in his constitutionally mandated duties by a criminal prosecution or the threat of one. It also said that the presidents actions can be prosecuted criminally should they not be specified in the Constitution and should they fall within the outer perimeter of presidential duties.

The vagueness of this last phrase earned critiques from Justice Barrett, in a concurrence, and Justice Jackson, in a dissent. But the deeper split between the three liberal justices (Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson) and six conservative ones (Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett) was clear. Liberals believe that criminal law should intersect with presidential politics to keep the Executive accountable. Conservatives think this intersection corrupts the law by putting prosecutions in service of high-stakes power agendas.

Conservatives could make a case for the latter view based on the recent criminal cases against President Trump, undertaken by Democrat-linked special prosecutor Jack Smith, which created the conditions for this ruling in the first place. They could also base their argument on the flawed investigation of President Clinton in the 1990s and the intelligence agencies ousting of President Nixon in the 1970s over a crime that even liberal observers believed obscured the deeper crimes of the operatives who set Nixon up for a fall.

All of these arguments not only support the Courts immunity ruling. They also make a strong case against the use of legal tools to achieve political ends, a strategy that even liberal commentators admit has been key to the Democrats effort to centralize power since the 1950s. This may explain why these arguments were systematically obscured on Monday in Washington, D.C.

* * *

The obscuring began with Justice Sotomayor. Reading aloud from her dissent, a rare practice that signals intense disagreement, she created a small masterpiece of literal and figurative court theater. According to The New York Times, before beginning, she responded to Chief Justice Robertss empirical point that the decision does not protect any particular president, but the presidency by stating that saying it so doesnt make it so. Having implied that six of her colleagues were operating a protection racket for President Trump, she began to read, and, according to The Times,

cut a note of exasperation through her lengthy speech, seemingly to sporadically add imagine that, think about that, and interesting, history matters right? as she read from her written words. When discussing and rebutting the majority, she looked several times to her colleagues on her immediate left, Justice Clarence Thomas and Chief Justice Roberts. They did not return her gaze.

Worse than the delivery was the content, which, as spoken and written, leaned and leans heavily on rhetoric. According to the dissent, which was joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson, the Courts decision is deeply wrong and troubling, while its application to the specific case against Trump is even more troubling. Its approach is draconian and extraordinary with no basis in law. Its analyses are dramatic and unprecedented, obviously wrong and nonsensical. It struggles with one legal classification and has no coherent explanation for another. Readers should feel free to skip over some of the decisions pages. These comments come only from pages 22 to 26 of a 30-page dissent. On page 30 alone, Sotomayor accuses the majority, repetitively, of a single-minded fixation as well as of creating nightmare scenarios and making the president Immune. Immune, immune, immune. She concludes, factually inaccurately, that in every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.

The only thing matching the rhetoric is the legalese. On pages 22 to 26, there are six detailed references to past cases, including quotations. On those same pages, there are thirteen references to briefs to the Court or to passages from the majoritys opinion, with twelve quotations. One out of the nine paragraphs that constitute these pages is given over to a thought experiment about the president hiring a hitman. When mixed with the percussive rhetoric, the effect of this detail is hard to overstate. The result for the reader is disorientation, and the frightened awareness that an expert in a complicated field is outraged about an imminent harm. We fearfully dissent, is this dissents unprecedented, oft-quoted sign-off, the final line to be left ringing in readers heads.

* * *

For anyone who believes in the law as a coolant on politics, Sotomayors delivery and dissent were assaults. They did not clarify the stakes at play; they obscured them. They did not lower temperatures, but raised them. Equally assaultive were the words of connected, sometimes purportedly bipartisan legal commenters like Neal Katyal, Dahlia Lithwick, and Norm Eisen, who picked up on Sotomayors opinion and used it as permission for their own rhetorical flights, bolstered with references to isms and experts, law and history.

As an official representative of the legal commentariat, Lithwick said, I want to suggest that tonights a good news cycle to talk to the fascism and authoritarianism experts. According to Katyal, what the [decision] ... says is that the law is not going to protect us against a nefarious president, the Constitution is not going to protect us, the Courts arent going to protect us. According to Eisen, we overthrew King George because we didn't want a ruler to have this kind of absolute immunity.

President Biden, whose White House has direct or indirect connections to some of these players, made this approach central to his speech to the nation that evening  another Hail Mary to shore up a sagging campaign, this time by asking his fellow Americans to believe that a coequal branch of government had, in the stroke of a pen, turned America into a monarchy.

* * *

It might seem surprising to citizens who reasonably expect Supreme Court justices and legal reporters to at least give them accurate information about an important case that these operators systematically distorted the case instead. But this is surprising only because of category confusion. Despite being accredited lawyers, the approach of all of these practitioners is not to reason about the law: to clearly lay out for citizens the issues at play and to make a strong case for the merits of one side over the other. It is to use their expertise, expressed through extreme specificity, to hand down a party line, expressed through extreme rhetoric. The result of this approach, half-nitpicking and half-alarmist, is to make their point of view inarguable on any terms. In short, they are bureaucrats first, lawyers second.

Their tactics match those of an entire coterie of institutional operators who served in Washington in the Clinton, Bush II, Obama, and Biden administrations: Hillary Clinton, Lawrence Summers, Ira Magaziner, Susan Rice, Dick Cheney, and William Kristol, to name a few. Mostly lawyers but also academics, journalists, and consultants, these operators mixed narrow expertise with take-no-prisoners tactics in the name of emotive causes (universal health care, protecting the homeland, hope and change, build back better). Some of the more famous of them (Clinton, Cheney) were widely known for both their dramatic pronouncements (it takes a village; the Iraq insurgency is in the last throes) and their bureaucratic mastery of the nuts and bolts of government. Intellectual imperialists of the uniparty, their style has now made its way onto the Supreme Court, the ultimate arbiter of Americas constitutional system.

But this approach is not law. It is what the chroniclers of the decline of the Roman Republic whom our Founders studied knew to be bureaucracy: the use by an imperial government of legal apparatchiks who mix narrow statutes and broad rhetoric to justify sweeping stances against insider enemies that brook no compromise. That one side of our political aisle has made this its approach to law is a threat to representative government and the clear flow of information on which our Constitutions framers knew it to depend.

Matt Wolfson, an ex-leftist investigative journalist, tweets at @Ex__Left and writes at Oppo-research.com.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
The January 6 Capitol breach has been called an attempted coup; it was not a coup, but a coup by the extreme left is possible in the future. Before I make my case, a few points should be made about January 6. David Harsany pointed out in the New York Post that the J6 protestors had no plan; a study at Harvard showed that most Jan 6 protestors did not believe they were overruling democracy, but preserving it:

The documents show that Trump and his allies convinced an unquantifiable number of Americans that representative democracy in the United States was not only in decline, but in imminent, existential danger This belief translated into a widespread fear of democratic and societal breakdown, which, in turn, motivated hundreds of Americans to travel to DC from far corners of the country in what they were convinced was the nations most desperate hour.

The first question to ask if speculating on an hypothetical leftist coup is this: Are there a substantial number of people in the United States who would like to see an anti-American revolution?

Its hard to quantify, but theres certainly a sizable population, made evident by the noise they make.

During the Antifa riots, apart from the violence, there were chants: No border, no wall, no USA at all.

During the recent pro-Hamas demonstrations on campuses and elsewhere, anti-American views were overt: For instance, students at the University of Michigan participating in the protests were given pamphlets titled 10 anarchist theses on Palestine solidarity in the United States, which included a page that stated, Freedom for Palestine means Death to America. The slogan Death to America was chanted in nearby Dearborn, Michigan, during a rally on the last Friday of Ramadan.

A former Muslim, Sana Ebrahimi warned that many Muslims coming into the West do not share our values, and they do not play around.

The red-green alliance of leftists and Islamists makes some kind of sense:

[T]he two movements are building a Common Front against the United States and its allies.  Both radical Leftists and Islamists have utilized the master frame of anti-globalization/anti-capitalism and the master frame of anti-colonialism/anti-imperialism to elicit support from the widest possible range of people.

(See also here.)

But surely there are not enough armed opponents of the U.S. within the U.S. to mount a coup?

There may be. Gordon Chang has been warning of the makings of a Chinese army in the U.S. (in 2023, more than 30,000 military-aged individuals from China have entered) and says this:

These were Chinese migrants, who had come into the U.S., they were here for less than three weeks, and what were they doing? They were taking target practice with semi-automatic rifles. Now if youre a migrant coming into the U.S. with just a backpack, youre probably thinking about, I need a place to live, I need to eat, maybe get a job. You dont think about sharpening your skills to kill Americans.

National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd also expressed concern and pointed out that We know that the Chinese have huge gangs here in the United States, and they control certain parts of our country.

China is just one hostile country that has taken advantage of the open border. We have Cubans and Venezuelans coming in as well. Not to mention ISIS sympathizers.

Home-grown extremists have been a part of U.S. history, including the bombing of Wall Street in 1920. The blast killed 40 people immediately, and seriously injured another 143. In the 1960s, there were radicals who engaged in bombing campaigns across the U.S. and according to undercover agent Larry Grathwohl, they had plans to eliminate as many as 25 million Americans if they came to power.

One could speculate how a coup would work. Could, for example, revolutionaries destroy infrastructure, such as our electric system, or sabotage enough military defenses to help an invading army? Thats certainly a question worth pondering.

A final question is: Why did our government open the borders? In the first hours of Bidens presidency, he acted to halt construction of Trumps border wall. Later he issued an executive order ending the Trump-era Remain in Mexico program.

The most moderate explanation that Ive heard was that he wanted more Democrat voters. In support of this explanation, in a 2024 interview, Kari Lake told Maria Bartiromo that in every state around the country, youre seeing Democrats fight tooth and nail any piece of legislation which will prevent illegals from voting.

If this is true, then the dangers to national security that come with the flood of illegals might be minimized in the minds of the people who have opened our borders. There are, of course, more radical possible explanations.

Whatever the motives of our leaders, a power-grab by people who do not believe in democracy is increasingly becoming a possibility.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.
Summer is here, which means climate change season is upon us.

Indeed, one of the biggest fallacies of our time is the assumption that falsely so-called climate change is a provable, global reality that must be accepted as such without question. The fact that very little of the climate change narrative can be empirically seen or demonstrated is conveniently ignored by those perpetuating the scam

In the recent presidential debate between Biden and Trump, a CNN moderator posed a question to both participants in the debate by preceding it with this statement:

Another persistent challenge was the climate crisis. 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history and communities across the country are confronting the devastating effects of extreme heat, intensifying wildfires, stronger hurricanes and rising sea levels.

Where to begin with this leftist melange of conjecture, falsehood, and leading statements?

Lets start with the concept of climate. Climate has been called the long-term average of prevailing weather patterns. But the political left, which controls the narrative, assumes there is a single, universal, all-encompassing climate  a sort of one-size-fits-all environment  that can easily be boxed up and presented as being identical all over the world.

But can we compare the climate of, say, Antarctica to that of southern Florida? Of course not  they are two completely different climates, and whats true for one isnt necessarily true for the other. The truth is, there are thousands of climates around the world: regional climates, local climates, micro-climates and even artificial climates. But the idea that theres a single worldwide climate is a fallacy.

The second fallacy is that the global climate (which doesnt actually exist) is somehow changing, or, more specifically, getting warmer due to the activities of man. But in point of fact, temperatures are not rising in the aggregate, but have remained steady for at least the last 20 years if not longer.

As proof of this, I offer the following chart, which I myself have meticulously recorded in an Excel spreadsheet every day since the mid-2000s. It shows the daily high temperature of my corner of the southeastern coast of the U.S., and as you can see, theres no discernible rising temperature trend over the last two decades.

As for rising sea levels, as a 25-year resident of an Atlantic coastal town, I can assure you that none of the local beaches is being inundated by water at high tide  an observable fact in beaches all over the country.

Another point is that CNNs claim that last year was the hottest year ever  the same exact claim that has been made every year for the last few years  is demonstrably untrue. Note in the temperature chart that the last major spike in summer temperatures for my neck of the woods was in 2009. Thats 15 years since my part of the country has seen a hottest year in the last two decades.

Now, before anyone protests that Im showing an isolated example, remember that the claim of the left is that the entire globe is getting hotter. I hasten to point out that my town is a part of that globe, and whats true for the globe  according to leftist thinking  must necessarily be true for my corner of it. Clearly, that is not the case.

As an aside, it has never been explained to us exactly how these left-leaning climatologists are collecting and collating their temperature data. In other words, theyre not showing us their math, nor are they explaining to us how they arrive at the conclusion that global temperatures are getting hotter.

For instance, are they using a simple average of every temperature point on the planet? Every town, city, state, province, etc.? Or are they using a selective average of just a relative handful of temperature points to make their case? This of course assumes they arent outright manipulating the data, as recent research suggests they are. But even if theyre being honest, the question remains: how are they averaging global temperatures? To date, that question has never been answered.

The third fallacy of the climate change falsehood is that, even if we accept theres a global temperature problem, were expected to believe that the governments of the world can collectively solve the problem.

For anyone who remains skeptical that governments are anything other than corrupt and incompetent, I would remind you of the worldwide manufactured crisis we all just passed through just a few short years ago. Im referring to the COVID episode. Before that, it was the two-decades-long War on Terror.

At no time during these last two events have we seen any evidence that government response to an alleged crisis has been anything other than abject failure. In fact, government policies that were predicated on fixing these phony crises only made matters worse for most citizens.

At the end of the day, the so-called climate crisis is yet another attempt by government to grab more power and tax dollars at the expense of the ever-shrinking middle class. Even if there was truly a temperature problem, government would certainly have no way of making those temperatures decline.

But since there is no temperature crisis  and hence no climate disaster  the response of government to a non-event will only serve to create major problems for the entire country in the years ahead.

Our task as citizens, therefore, is to resist the climate agenda of the left and refuse to even acknowledge it, let alone comply with any of its demands. The future of our republic depends on it.

Image: Marco Verch Professional Photographer and Speaker via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
Even as young people across America are being prosecuted for daring to desecrate the Pride crosswalks proliferating in leftist cities, the Hamas/leftist crowd continues to revel in its constitutional right to free speech, which includes burning the American flag on Independence Day. During a New York protest, there were plenty of Palestinian flags, which stand for genocide and subjugation, but the only American flags were used as fire starters.

The protest in New Yorks Washington Square Park wasnt large, but it was fervent. It also perfectly exemplified the coming together of Islamism and leftism in a toxic brew that, if allowed to grow unchecked, will destroy everything in its path:

A braying mob of around 100 anti-Israel protesters spent Independence Day burning American flags and chanting Burn it down! in Washington Square Park, part of a coordinated Flood Manhattan for July 4th demonstration. At least one person was arrested, cops said, but they did not disclose the charges the alleged perpetrator was facing. [snip] Keffiyeh-wearing photographers brought their lenses in close to capture the flag desecration as chants of Free free free Palestine and Burn it down echoed throughout the park.

The above report, while accurate, is too dry. It doesnt capture the passion driving these anti-American, antisemitic protestors:

This is not a video from the 1938 Kristallnacht in Germany.



This is a video from July 4th Independence Day in New York as a terrifying mob march through the streets waving flames in a show of force against Jews.



pic.twitter.com/cVc8Xa3Xk3  Oli London (@OliLondonTV) July 5, 2024

Leftist pro-Palestine rioters are marauding through Manhattan in an anti-Fourth of July direct action. Theyre urging for a violent leftist revolution in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/LSl6DTtBAL  Andy Ngo  (@MrAndyNgo) July 5, 2024

This is what July 4th looked like this year at the birthplace of our nation.



Welcome to Multicultural America.



pic.twitter.com/baQaqnUxWH  End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 5, 2024

By the way, while what was happening in New York was terrifying, especially for Jews who know exactly what Hamas will do if it catches them, at least one other leftist proudly burned our flag, secure in the knowledge that there would be no consequences:

Its OK Lady! I signed my name on the dotted line for you too. pic.twitter.com/HS5pUZlp6p  Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) July 5, 2024

While American flags are there for the burning, just as they are in Tehran, there still are sacred symbols in America that cannot be desecrated. Those symbols are the Pride iconography, whether it appears on flags, banners, chalk-written graffiti, or crosswalks. Those who blaspheme these symbols do not have free speech rights. Instead, they must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law:

Dylan Brewer, a Florida teenager, was arrested & charged with felony criminal mischief over $1000 after police say he committed 'intentional vandalism' by spinning his tires out on a gay pride crosswalk



If this had been an American Flag he'd be hailed as a hero. The two tiered pic.twitter.com/8mD4R6m11E  Ronald Kelly (@RonK3l) February 14, 2024

These three teens in the video are facing felony charges for leaving scooter marks on the Pride flag painted on a street in Spokane, WA.



This is completely absurd! pic.twitter.com/NdeeQfIDIX  Clown World   (@ClownWorld_) June 11, 2024

BREAKING: Police in St Petersburg, FL have arrested 18-year-old Christian Maier on charges of felony criminal mischief for doing donuts on the pride mural painted in middle of the road pic.twitter.com/KMBScxxv7v  Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 1, 2024

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than othersand were being force-fed this hierarchy as quickly as possible. The LGBTQ+ colors on the ground are not proud liberation statements. They are honeypots intended to identify and trap the less equal animals.

Remember to vote in November. Every election, from dog catcher on up, matters.

Image: X screen grab.
People lounge on the beach as the sun sets ahead of Hurricane Beryls expected arrival, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, on Wednesday. Fernando Llano/Associated Press

South Texas is becoming more likely to be near or in the path of Hurricane Beryl, according to the National Hurricane Centers latest projected track for the storm. As of Friday morning, Beryl was still more than 600 miles away from Texas, but a landfall near deep South Texas is possible by late Sunday or Monday.

Before Beryl starts to influence the weather in San Antonio, we can still expect hot weather to continue Friday and into the weekend. High temperatures are expected to reach near 100 degrees on Friday, falling slightly to the mid- to upper 90s on Saturday and Sunday.

A few showers and storms will be possible as a weak cold front approaches from the north. Chances are slim on Friday, with only 10% of the region expected to see rain. Chances will increase to 20% on Saturday.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Beryl in the Yucatan

Hurricane Beryl made landfall at 5:05 a.m. Friday on the Caribbean side of southern Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph. By Friday afternoon, Beryl likely will weaken into a tropical storm because of its interaction with land.

After passing through the Yucatan, Beryl will reenter open water, moving into the Gulf of Mexico after 8 p.m. Friday. After that, theres still some uncertainty as to where Beryl will end up or how strong the storm will be, but weather models are starting to agree on its path.

Beryl in the Gulf of Mexico

Throughout Saturday, Hurricane Beryl is expected to move northwestward through the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, likely as a tropical storm for much of the day as it tries to get reorganized.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

On Sunday, strengthening is expected as Beryl moves northwest, closer to Texas. The National Hurricane Center expects Beryl to regain Category 1 hurricane strength by Sunday afternoon. However, it's possible Beryl could strengthen even more, due to the exceptionally warm waters of the western Gulf of Mexico.

Beryl's latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center, as of 10 a.m. Friday. National Hurricane Center

Landfall uncertainty

Beryl began its life cycle as a named tropical storm one week ago, and it has since traversed 2500 miles over the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. At its peak, Beryl was a devastating Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 165 mph. Since then, Beryl has weakened as it has moved through a high wind shear environment in the western Caribbean Sea.

The National Hurricane Center's official forecast expects Beryl to making landfall near the Texas-Mexico border, thats just an estimate. A great deal of uncertainty remains about exactly where Beryl will come ashore.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Over the last 24 hours, we have started to see a shift north in where Beryl is expected to make landfall. There is now a more likely chance that Beryl could make landfall somewhere from Brownsville to Corpus Christi to Port Lavaca, along the Texas coast.

The spaghetti plot for Beryl shows how many weather models are now predicting a South Texas landfall. WeatherBELL

Thats why the hurricane center uses the forecast cone that were all used to seeing by now. Its also known as the cone of uncertainty. Basically, it tells us that the center of Beryl is expected to make landfall somewhere along the cone of uncertainty. In this case, its between Carboneras, Mexico and Galveston.

The cone only shows where the center of Beryl is expected to come ashore. Its important to note that areas located outside of the cone still can experience significant effects from Beryl.

Timing

Beryl is most likely to make landfall overnight Sunday into early Monday morning. However, the timing also will 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 also would give the storm more time to strengthen over the Gulf.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Storm impacts

Winds: 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.

Shown are potential rain totals through the middle of next week, according to the National Blend of Models. Pivotal Weather

Rainfall: Beryl is expected to slow down significantly as it approaches the coast. That likely will cause very heavy rainfall totals and possible flooding along and east of Beryls landfall location.

Along Beryls current projected path, the area from the Brownsville to Corpus Christi may see the heaviest rainfall. As of now, 3 to 8 inches of rain are possible, but that number could change based on Beryls actual path. Areas farther east along the Texas coast, like Houston and Galveston, could experience very heavy rain as well.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
The recent presidential debate demonstrated how badly Joe Biden's mental deterioration has skidded. Never particularly bright to start with, what little mental acuity he did have is now in steep decline, raising the question of who runs the country while he's gibbering unintelligible statements. That used to be a parlor game, or a right-wing conspiracy theory, now it's a question that's for real. The usual candidates mentioned are smarter leftists such as George or Alex Soros or Barack Obama.

But Biden doesn't listen to Obama very much and hasn't met with him in the wake of his debate disaster. Many Obama operatives are long gone from Joe's cabinet. What was last heard was that Obama couldn't get his phone calls through. As for George Soros, he's ailing in his old age and has handed over his reigns of power to his 30-something son Alex. It's hard to imagine a sniveling punk like Alex giving old Joe his marching orders, despite his vast trove of unearned money.

That leaves Jill Biden, who most certainly is issuing Joe his orders and insulating him from any exposure to outside naysayers.

But it's worse than just Jill -- the reports are coming out that it's Hunter now taking on the role of White House gatekeeper, shielding Joe from any exposure to the outside world, and advising him on matters of state and appearance. Hard-living Hunter, fresh from a felony conviction on a gun charge, is calling the shots now for the president of the United States.

According to NBC News:

WASHINGTON  Hunter Biden has joined meetings with President Joe Biden and his top aides since his father returned to the White House from Camp David, Maryland, on Monday evening, according to four people familiar with the matter. The presidents son has also been talking to senior White House staff members, these people said. While he is regularly at the White House residence and events, it is unusual for Hunter Biden to be in and around meetings his father is having with his team, these people said. They said the presidents aides were struck by his presence during their discussions. ... One of the people familiar with the matter said Hunter Biden has been closely advising his father since the family gathered over the weekend at Camp David after Thursdays debate. This person said Hunter Biden has "popped into" a couple of meetings and phone calls the president has had with some of his advisers.

That would be the same Hunter who was the likely culprit in the White House cocaine scandal where a baggie full of snort was found on White House grounds despite all the security of the edifice. One likely story is that someone who didn't have to go through security departed without his stash.

And that's hardly the all of it. This is also the same Hunter Biden of the famous laptop fame, whose sex with young-looking females and cocaine-addled romps through the luxury hotels of Beverly Hills during the Trump years got him thrown out of those establishments. His dissolute lifestyle hasn't changed any, and he's clearly continued it given that he was thrown out of his Venice Beach residence last year for reportedly trashing the place and not paying their rent.

He's also the deadbeat dad who ran out on his tab for the daughter he spawned with an Arkansas stripper.

But that's just him and his. He's also the corruption nexus of the entire Biden family, the bagman, the guy who followed Joe from foreign pit stop to foreign pit stop on official junkets, his figurative knapsack open to collect.

Now he's in the White House, calling the shots, same guy Joe Biden calls "the smartest guy I know."

Collin Rugg describes just what that looks like:

JUST IN: Top advisor and former drug addict Hunter Biden stares intently as President Biden gives his first public event of the day.



Hunter seemed uneasy as he stared down his father, making sure he didn't make any slip ups.



Hunter Biden is now joining White House meetings with pic.twitter.com/FN2FO1An7p  Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 3, 2024

This doesn't look too normal, either:

An intoxicated Ashley Biden is seen grinding on her brother Hunter on the White House balcony behind Joe. What the hell is going on? pic.twitter.com/IImUl8haPC  Bad Hombre (@joma_gc) July 5, 2024

We don't even know if he's a 'former' drug addict, given the cocaine found in the White House and given the absence of statements from either Hunter himself or the White House. And some in Congress are asking questions:

Is Hunter Biden receiving classified information at the White House?



Today, I sent a letter to White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients demanding answers about Hunter Bidens attendance at official White House meetings.



Read my full letter below. pic.twitter.com/YtqiV7IZPv  US Rep. Mike Turner (@RepMikeTurner) July 3, 2024

Is this drug-addicted degenerate reading classified material? Is he getting briefings? Why is he allowed onto the White House grounds at all, given his record?

We speak of Biden's staff shielding him from information he doesn't like because he goes bonkers if he hears it as a national security risk, but just allowing Hunter in the room is yet another national security risk. Hunter has demonstrated, based on his laptop contents, that he sells anything and everything to the highest bidder.

Now he's running the White House. A vote for Joe is not a vote for Joe with this information, it's a vote for Hunter. President Hunter, as he's bound to be calling himself.

Any questions as to why so many regimes, fair and foul, see the U.S. as in steep decline? This is like Caligula or Nero running Rome as it burns, or barbarians are storming the gates.

This doesn't bode well for the fate of the republic.

Image: Twitter video screen shot
Sure, the government is supposed to be an apparatus to serve the people, in theory anyway, but if the voters have as much relevant information as possible before they go to the polls? Well, it just might influence them to vote against the mass migration policies of the left, which is whats driving them to the polls in droves in the first place! Cant have that now can we?

Kind of like how the government, media, and 51 intelligence experts all suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story before the American people went to the polls in 2020it was for our own good of course!

France is currently in the midst of a bitter political fighttheyve even got deranged topless feminists mopping the ground in protestas French president Emmanuel Macrons snap election after the wave conservative victories across Europe hasnt gone so well thus far. (Monica Showalter previously provided an excellent background on the events leading up to it and an analysis here.)

So, when a gang of young people violently assaulted a group of government officials allied with Macron while they were out hanging up campaign posters in an area of Paris, everyones lips are zipped about who these thugs really areuntil after the next round of voting anyway.

Heres the story, from a report by Thomas Brooke at Remix News yesterday:

A French junior minister and her team were attacked while putting up posters on the campaign trail on Wednesday, resulting in her ending her ground campaign. Government spokesperson and candidate Prisca Thevenot was accosted by four individuals in the western Parisian suburb of Meudon located in Hauts-de-Seine. Thevenot was uninjured, but a member of her team suffered a broken jaw while her deputy Virginie Lanlo was also beaten.  Four suspects have been arrested, including three minors and one adult. No further information regarding the attackers has been published by the authorities. However, numerous journalists and media outlets have suggested the perpetrators were of a migration background and this fact was being deliberately censored over fears it would increase the support for Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardellas Rassemblement National (RN) ahead of the second round of voting in the French legislative elections.

One prominent French journalist reported that one of the attackers was named Wacim (an Arabic name), while a major European outlet discovered one of them to be an Ivory Coast national, and the other three have French citizenship. Now, just because theyre citizens doesnt actually mean theyre not foreignersbecause of course theyre foreigners.

BBC ran an article just a few hours ago, detailing fifty violent attacks that have occurred in France ahead of crunch vote and included that assault of Thevenot and her team; according to BBC, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said this violence is coming from people of all political philosophies, the ultra-left, the ultra-right, and other political groups.

Except its not; its only coming from the ultra-left Marxists attacking the conservative candidates, and the migrant Muslims, who just love violence and will attack anyone; which is why Darmanin didnt provide any examples of alleged ultra-right violence, and the authorities and the media wont give the public the details about Thevenots attackers.

More election interference, tyranny, and censorship from the leftbut whats new?

Image: Public domain.
Every blue city has its big, man-made problems. In New York, it's illegal immigrants. In San Francisco, vagrants, and the homelessness-industrial complex of enabling NGOs. In Oakland, it's continuous crime, zero prosecutions. Some cities, such as Los Angeles and Chicago, have a combination of these self-induced problems.

In San Diego, the problem is that its surf-paradise beaches are the nation's filthiest, with any tourist going into the water finding himself swimming in a Mexican toilet.

Now it's the Fourth of July weekend, and the beachgoers are out.

According to Fox News:

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  With the Fourth of July holiday week in motion, San Diego beaches have become more and more crowded, in turn, causing many people to notice water advisories, warnings and closures. I came down and there was a sign over thereit said something about sewage coming from Mexico, said Peter Werner, who is visiting from Czech Republic. Most locals arent surprised by the water contact closures that have been in place since December, but visitors arent happy. Disappointing, especially when I came over 10,000 kilometers from Europe not to swim here, Werner said.

After all, if he had wanted to swim in a Mexican toilet, he could have gone to Mexico for much cheaper.

Amy Reichert has a reminder of how bad the whole picture looks:

Wheres @GavinNewsom ?Lifeguards in San Diego are ordering people out of the water on the 4th of July due to sewage contamination from Tijuana, Mexico. Beaches have been closed for over 900 consecutive days! pic.twitter.com/0nCHuRgVgt  Amy Reichert (@amyforsandiego) July 5, 2024

Recent news reports say that while blue-city mayors have pleaded for the state and federal governments to do something about Tijuana's shameless release of raw sewage onto San Diego's famous beaches, California's governor, Gavin Newsom, has resisted declaring an emergency as the sewage continues to pour in and close the beaches, claiming it's Joe Biden's job to do it and he won't ask for it. A Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, he is not.

But it's pretty outrageous, given Newsom's fondness for every other kind of federal aid as well as his claims to have turned the state 'green.'

'Green' in this case is algae growth from rotting sewage pollution fouling the once-pristine beaches. Up the coast, green activists have touted the proliferation of sea lions, one of which chased a woman this week, but even that may be the result of this policy of neglect, as generally speaking, sea lions go where garbage gathers -- followed by sharks.

Officials say the problem is being repaired incrementally from the Mexican side, but will "take time."

Maybe it will be repaired, but more likely, it will become the status quo. And besides the damage, there is the reputational damage to the city which will take much longer to recover. How long did it take for Lake Erie to recover its reputation after an industrial fire set the place on fire and turned its name into a synonym for industrial pollution? Quite a long time. Now that news of America's filthiest beaches is seeping into the national news, how long will it take for San Diego to recover its reputation, not to mention, its actual beaches?

In the meantime, San Diego's beaches, and not just Imperial Beach, but much farther north, are being fouled as if an industrial accident had happened. Exxon Valdez? It sounds so romantic compared to what San Diego's got -- sand strands covered with Mexican sewage in what had formerly been the beaches once lionized by the Beach Boys.

Happy Independence Day from the Democrats. One day, maybe there will be some independence from Mexican sewage.

Image: Roman Eugeniusz, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
Checking in on California and we find that civilization continues to unravel at an alarming rate, but nowhere is that more obvious than taking a look at the Bay Area. Heres the latest, from an item out at a local outlet:

Thirteen senior citizens reported being brutally attacked and robbed in just one week in an Oakland community. But according to leaders at one senior living facility in the city, they say the number is much higher and closer to an astounding 30.  It was happening every hour on the hour, says Sister Marie Taylor, president of the Westlake Christian Terrace resident council. She says shes counted nearly 30 violent attacks and robberies on elderly Asian residents in a span of less than a week.

According to the article, residents of the assisted living facility number more than 700, and the average age is 85 years old; when venturing out to grocery shop or run other errands, theyve been robbed and brutally beaten by prowling thugs. The solution? Well, from the ever-so-helpful local government:

Oakland Police say there was a spike in robberies citywide with 83 between June 25th and July 1st. However they say there is no particular reason for the surge. Theyre urging elders to walk in larger groups and to do so only during the daytime.

No particular reason my rear end. Under Democrat reign, criminals have been emboldened to the nth degree; and why shouldnt they be? Theyve been given a pass for any and all theft that doesnt break the $950 threshold; theyve seen judges, courts, and juries abuse their authority and trust to punish political opponents; theyre let off the hook because of their skin color and reparative justice; theyre slapped on the wrist, even after the most heinous crimes, because queer tolerance trumps protecting the innocent; and they were permitted to destroy homes, cities, and businesses, even burning scared, innocent people alive, carte blanche, all because a thug on drugs overdosed during an arrest. Thats why theres a surge in crime.

And, I mean no offense whatsoever, but whether its a single octogenarian or a group of them, what difference does that make to a gang of violent thugs, most likely male, possibly armed, and in the physical prime of their youth? I mean seriously, what a joke. Even more so when you consider that many of these victims are Asian people, who are generally much smaller in stature than other races. With advice this useless, why not just suggest the erection of signs that read This is a mugging- and beating-free zone?

Whenever I come across news stories like this one, I think of a Margaret Atwood tale that haunts me to this day called Torching the DustiesIve mentioned this before when blogging about German officials booting old people from their homes to make way for migrant scumbut when a nations moral fabric breaks down, no one protects the widows, orphans, or old people; in other words, the most vulnerable populations. It is morality that keeps them safe, even more so than police.

From Golden State to the third world in such a short time, which is a fitting legacy for the Democrat voters who found themselves entitled to push such destruction on their neighbors; their hands are soaked in blood.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.
In 1941, the Government of the United Kingdom established a temporary wartime body called the Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development (DMWD) to find new and unconventional ways to kill the enemy. Efforts from this department led to such useful inventions such as the Hedgehog anti-submarine weapon and Squid anti-submarine mortar, as well as the Holman Projectoran anti-aircraft rocket batteryand a system of degaussing used to protect ships against magnetic mines. It also led to the invention of the bouncing bomb that could skip across water to avoid torpedo nets and was used in the very successful Dambusters Raid of 1943. Above all, it played an important role in developing parts of the Mulberry harbour used in the D-Day landings.

The Great Panjandrum at Westward Ho!

Despite these successes, not all of the DMWD's projects were fruitful. An attempt to conceal the River Thames from German bombers by covering it with soot failed due to the effects of wind and tides, although it did cause some confusion when the coal-covered waters were mistaken for tarmac during blackouts. The most disastrous project, however, was the Panjandrum.

With a name inspired by a character in a nonsensical piece of prose from the 18th-century British dramatist Samuel Foote, the Great Panjandrum was doomed from inception. Constructed as a pair of large wheels, each approximately 10 feet in diameter, it featured a central steel drum carrying over a ton of explosives. Around the rims of the wheels were cordite rocket charges designed to spin the entire device, propelling it towards the concrete beach defenses along the French coast with the intent of creating a substantial breach. The designers estimated that a fully loaded, 1,800-kg Panjandrum could reach speeds of around 60 mph (100 km/h), with enough momentum to crash through any obstacles between its launch point and target.

In late 1943, a prototype of the Panjandrum was constructed in London and secretly transported by night to a small village called Westward Ho! on the southern coast. However, the choice of testing ground proved poor. Westward Ho! was a popular seaside resort, and on the morning of 7 September 1943, when the device was rolled onto the beach, it was teeming with beachgoers. Local residents and holidaymakers crowded around the device with bemused interest.

Trials began with only a handful of cordite rockets attached to the wheels, and the payload was simulated by an equivalent weight of sand. The rockets were ignited, and the Panjandrum catapulted itself forward, out of the landing craft used as a launchpad, and a fair distance up the beach. However, a number of rockets on one of the wheels failed, causing the weapon to careen off course. Despite several further attempts with more rockets, the Panjandrum consistently lost control before reaching the end of the beach.

To solve the stability problem, project lead Nevil Shute Norway fitted a third wheel to the Panjandrum. Upon launch, the device hurtled towards the coast, skimming the beach before turning back out to sea. Rockets detached and whipped wildly above the heads of the gathered audience or exploded underwater. Further trials were arranged, this time removing the third wheel and attaching heavy cables to each end of the hub, secured to two winches, in hopes of steering the contraption safely up the beach. However, the Panjandrum proved too powerful, snapping the cables and whipping them back across the beach.

By then it had become obvious that the Panjandrum was highly impractical, but the Directorate pressed on, and after tinkering on it for a few more weeks the engineers readied a supposedly improved version. In January 1944, a number of senior government officials and several senior members of the Armed Forces were invited for a high-profile test run.

Brian Johnson describes how the test went in the 1977 BBC documentary The Secret War:

At first all went well. Panjandrum rolled into the sea and began to head for the shore, the Brass Hats watching through binoculars from the top of a pebble ridge [...] Then a clamp gave: first one, then two more rockets broke free: Panjandrum began to lurch ominously. It hit a line of small craters in the sand and began to turn to starboard, careering towards Klemantaski, who, viewing events through a telescopic lens, misjudged the distance and continued filming. Hearing the approaching roar he looked up from his viewfinder to see Panjandrum, shedding live rockets in all directions, heading straight for him. As he ran for his life, he glimpsed the assembled admirals and generals diving for cover behind the pebble ridge into barbed-wire entanglements. Panjandrum was now heading back to the sea but crashed on to the sand where it disintegrated in violent explosions, rockets tearing across the beach at great speed.

After this pathetic exhibition, the project was finally scrapped. The only time the Panjandrum ran with some success was in 2009, when a 6-feet replica of the futile weapon was constructed. It was deployed on the same Westward Ho! beach, and after going straight for about 50 meters, mostly moving at walking pace, the rockets fizzled out a good 450 meters short of the hoped for distance.
Google no doubt dominates the search industry and this is why it is now under the radar of the Justice Department. The department has launched an investigation against the tech giant to examine whether Google has a fair dominance in the market. A recent report reveals that Google once thought about blocking Safari users from accessing AI features.

Google is now under the radar of the Justice Department for unfair dominance

Google and Apple, both are part of an agreement where Google pays Apple upward of $18 billion every year to make Google.com an official default search engine on iPhone. According to the Justice Department, this is a hindrance to the competition in the search engine industry. This deal favours Google and is unjust to other search engines.

Apple is not mentioned as either party or defendant in the case. However, the executives such as Eddy Cue had to submit their testimonies to the department. While the case is still ongoing, Google was potentially aware of what was coming. And hence, Google wanted to increase the share of searches from iPhone users outside the Safari browser.

Google considered blocking Safari users from AI features to avoid potential antitrust cases

A report coming from The Information reveals that Google once thought to block Safari users from accessing AI features. This thought was a part of Googles attempt to persuade iPhone users to switch to either Google or Chrome apps. If more and more users switch from Safari to either Googles app or Chrome, Google will have to pay less money to Apple.

Google is required to share a portion of its advertising revenue from searches performed on the Safari browser with Apple. The strategy of Google blocking Safari users will steer the users towards Chrome or Google, this might reduce the companys vulnerability to regulations. However, the plan was unsuccessful, as it proved to be too difficult to persuade iPhone users to stop using Safari.

Whether Google succeeded in persuading Safari users to switch to Chrome or not is a separate issue. What remains interesting to know is the final judgement of the US Justice Department on the matter.
Microsoft has agreed to pay over $14 million to settle a case alleging discriminatory practices against some workers in California. The state had accused the Windows maker of discriminating against employers who took protected leave, including parental, disability, pregnancy, and family caretaking leave. The proposed settlement is subject to court approval.

Microsoft to pay over $14 million in a discrimination case settlement

In 2020, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) launched an investigation into Microsoft over potential violations of state laws, including Californias Fair Employment and Housing Act, the California Family Rights Act, Californias Pregnancy Disability Leave law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In its complaint, the department claimed that Microsoft employees who used protected leave faced unlawful retaliation and discrimination in compensation and promotion opportunities. The company allegedly offered lower bonuses and unfavorable performance reviews to those employees. This harmed their eligibility for merit increases, stock awards, and promotions.

The California CRD said Microsoft adhered to these discriminatory practices for several years. It didnt take sufficient action to prevent such discrimination, affecting the careers of women, people with disabilities, and other employees. Following a lengthy investigation, Microsoft decided to settle the case out of court. It will pay a monetary relief of $14,425,000 and will take proactive steps to prevent future discrimination.

According to an official press release from the CRD, $14,200,000 of the settlement amount will go against covering direct relief for workers. The remaining $225,000 will cover the departments costs. Microsoft employees who took a protected leave between May 2017 and the date of the courts settlement approval may receive compensation. Covered workers will receive further information following the courts approval.

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, said CRD Director Kevin Kish. 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. He than the firm for agreeing to make the necessary changes.

Microsoft will retain an independent consultant for policy recommendations

As part of this settlement, Microsoft will retain an independent consultant for policy and practice recommendations. The tech biggie must ensure that protected leaves dont affect annual rewards and promotions of employees. The independent consultant will also help workers raise complaints if they feel discriminated against for using protected leave. Last but not least, Microsoft is required to report annually to the CRD on compliance with the settlement.
No company is safe from hackers. It seems that we get news about some sort of security breach every week, and its not slowing down. Apparently, OpenAI was hacked last year, but the company kept it a secret. The company had a reason, but its not a great reason.

OpenAI is no stranger to hacks. Not too long ago, the company was hit with a massive attack which left the service down multiple times over the course of weeks. Its a major company thats in the public eye, and that comes with certain consequences. Weve seen major breaches in the past couple of years. Microsoft is currently dealing with a Russian hack, T-Mobile was hacked several times over the past few years, and we cant forget about the massive Rockstar Games hack. Thats only a handful of the torrent of hacks that companies have had to go through over the past few years.

OpenAI was hacked, and it kept it a secret

Typically, we dont hear about security breaches until months after the fact. In the case of this OpenAI hack, it happened more than a year ago. Early last year, a threat actor was able to steal some sensitive information from a private forum where employees talked about the latest models.

We dont know who the threat actor was and we dont know who blew the whistle on it. The New York Times states that two people who are close to the matter came forth. What we can tell is that the hacker was only able to scrape data from the conversations and they werent able to steal fundamental data like source codes or anything like that.

OpenAI didnt say anything because

This happened over a year ago, and the company chose to keep its finger to its lips on it. According to the source, OpenAI didnt report this because there was no customer information stolen. As such, it didnt reveal the hack to the public or to the FBI.

While its good news that there was no customer information stolen, its still pretty shady that the company didnt report it. It doesnt matter if a hacker steals information about ChatGPTs source code or information about what snacks are in the company kitchen; information is still stolen.

Now is NOT the time for OpenAI to be slippery about security breaches. The government is pushing for more transparency from AI companies. We wont be surprised if the company faces some sort of repercussions because of its secrecy.
From Count Binface and Captain Beany, to Elmo and a pub in Richmond  here is how the quirky General Election candidates have fared in the count.

Count Binface, a self-described intergalactic space warrior, was gunning for Rishi Sunaks constituency seat in Richmond and Northallerton, pledging to voters in his manifesto to introduce national service for former prime ministers and invite European countries to join the UK.

While Mr Sunak retained his seat with 23,059 votes, the Count, running for the Count Binface Party came sixth in the poll, following Green Party candidate Kevin Foster, with 308 votes from constituents.

Binface wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it was his highest ever finish in an election and his highest ever parliamentary vote, saying #BindependenceDay has come.

My highest ever finish. 6thMy highest ever parliamentary vote. 308My highest height advantage. 2ft 6in#BindependenceDay has come. pic.twitter.com/InPXEyBRd3  Count Binface (@CountBinface) July 5, 2024

While counts and declarations were under way, Mr Sunak appeared to have a run-in with another electoral candidate who had also set his sights on the North Yorkshire constituency seat  YouTuber Niko Omilana.

While Mr Sunak gave a speech following the declaration of the count in Northallerton, independent candidate Mr Omilana held an L printed on a piece of paper behind his head.

Independent candidate Niko Omilana holds an L behind Rishi Sunak during his speech at Northallerton Leisure Centre (Temilade Adelaja/PA)

Mr Omilana earned 160 votes, coming in eighth place behind Count Binface and fellow independent candidate Brian Richmond.

Another weird and wonderful Westminster-hopeful who set their sights on the seat of a party leader was Elmo, otherwise known as Bobby Elmo Smith, who zeroed in on Sir Keir Starmers constituency seat in Holborn and St Pancras.

While the independent candidate came in 12th place in the results, earning the least amount of votes at 19, social media users enjoyed seeing his red costume next to Sir Keir on stage during the Labour leaders victory speech.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (left) gives a victory speech watched by Nick the Incredible Flying Brick (second right) and Bobby Elmo Smith (right) (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Freelance journalist James OMalley wrote on X, formerly Twitter: I love that Starmer is giving this speech next to a guy dressed as Elmo.

Another X user said they were laughing out loud at Starmer doing an impassioned speech about democracy while sharing a stage with Elmo.

While Elmo did not fare too well in the count, another quirky candidate with a particular love of baked beans managed to score 618 votes from constituents in Aberafan Maesteg, Wales.

Captain Beany, who stood as an independent in the General Election and who started out in politics in 1991, came sixth place in the constituency, beating Heritage Party candidate Rhiannon Morrissey.

Captain Beany won 618 votes in the General Election (Captain Beany/PA)

Another unlikely candidate throughout the campaign was that of a pub in Richmond, running under the party of The Mitre TW9  the name of the hostelry.

Candidate and pub landlord Chris French, who previously told the PA news agency that he put himself forward to stand in Richmond Park to get the free advertising on 77,000 ballot papers, received 349 votes in the count.

Mr French, who said he would be absolutely chuffed if he got at least 5% of the vote because this would mean the 500 deposit candidates are required to pay would be returned to him, fell sort of the threshold with 0.7%.

London publican Chris French found a creative way to advertise his business by registering his pub as a political party (Chris French/PA)

However, Mr French and his pub came sixth, beating Social Democratic Party candidate Richard Harrison by more than 100 votes.

Last, but by no means least, senior druid King Arthur Pendragon graced voters in Salisbury, Wiltshire, for the fifth time on during this years campaign.

Independent candidate Mr Pendragon, who previously told PA that he wanted to bring spirituality and the virtues of truth, honour and justice to politics, also came sixth in the constituency with 458 votes.

Jacob Rees-Mogg losing his seat is funny enough, but losing it standing next to Barmy Brunch from The Official Monster Raving Loony Party wearing a baked beans balaclava is hilarious  #GeneralElections pic.twitter.com/F23hOFmr8N  JJ (@McGannJack) July 5, 2024

And in case you were wondering who was standing next to Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg wearing a balaclava resembling two fried eggs for eyes, a tomato for a nose, a sausage for a mouth and baked beans all over, that would be Barmy Brunch from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.

While Sir Jacob came second in North East Somerset and Hanham, Barmy Brunch came last with 211 votes.
Former Countdown star Carol Vorderman condemned years of corruption, lies and gaslighting from the Conservative Party as Labour won a landslide General Election victory.

Vorderman began celebrating after the exit poll predicted a 170-seat majority for Labour across the UK, before Rishi Sunak admitted defeat and it was confirmed Sir Keir Starmer will be the UKs next prime minister.

Lets get the party started, because they have gone, Vorderman said of the Conservative Party, as she appeared as a guest during the Channel 4 live election coverage.

Johnny Mercer gone Jacob Rees Mogg gone Gillian Keegan gone Tories we dont have to endure anymore Heres to a new chapter You are all AMAZING Thank you for every single like, retweet, comment Stronger together Just finished on @lbc Time for breakfast and bed   Carol Vorderman (@carolvorders) July 5, 2024

14 years of corruption, lies and gaslighting, youve got two ex-disgraced Tory chancellors in the studio.

Youve got Nadine Dorries, a woman who barely turned up last year as an MP.

And everybody out there is thinking no more of this  no more of the lies, of the deceit, of the corruption, of the VIP PPE lane scandal, the betting scandal.

Who could ever have thought that a government would be as utterly, utterly banal and ridiculous as this one.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Vorderman added: Heres to a new chapter.

Johnny Mercer gone. Jacob Rees Mogg gone. Gillian Keegan gone. Tories we dont have to endure anymore.

The TV star has been vocal in her criticism of the Conservative Party, previously announcing she is set to publish a part diary, part political manifesto exposing the incompetence and lies in the party.

Meanwhile, Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway shared a video of herself calling down to the Labour leader to congratulate him after he was re-elected as MP for Holborn and St Pancras.

Me Congratulations Prime Minister!

@gmb is the first at 2.40am to welcome Sir Keir into his new role. Check out his smile and wave, and the cheer.
Change begins right here, says Starmer as Labour heads for government

Sir Keir Starmer said it was time for us to deliver as results in the early hours of Friday pointed to a landslide Labour victory in the General Election.

Speaking after his re-election as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, the Labour leader said: Tonight people here and around the country have spoken and they are ready for change, to end the politics of performance, a return to politics as public service.

The change begins right here, because this is your democracy, your community and your future.

You have voted, it is now time for us to deliver.

Exit polls on Thursday night suggested a thumping Labour victory, with the party on course to scoop 410 seats and secure a majority of 170, just less than the majority of 179 won by Tony Blair in 1997.

But early results suggested the final total could be even higher, as the party retained seats such as Barnsley North and Hartlepool that the exit poll had projected would fall to Reform UK.

While it may not be the majority of more than 200 predicted by some polls in the run-up to election day, it is still a stunning recovery from 2019, when Labour suffered its worst defeat since the 1930s and many commentators believed it would take at least a decade for the party to recover.

To everyone who has campaigned for Labour in this election, to everyone who voted for us and put their trust in our changed Labour Party  thank you. https://t.co/q6yDNPnAbo  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 4, 2024

Former party leader Lord Neil Kinnock described the projected landslide as the biggest comeback since Lazarus.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner told Sky News she thought the Conservatives were being punished for the past 14 years, but stressed the results were not in yet.

The party made early gains across the Midlands and North, securing seats such as Darlington  which was one of the constituencies lost to the Conservatives in 2019, and the bellwether seat of Nuneaton where Labour wiped out a Tory majority of more than 13,000.

It is also on course to make significant advances in Scotland, with a Labour source suggesting the party was doing well in Glasgow and regaining Paisley from the SNP, the seat formerly held by SNP deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black.

Former journalist Paul Waugh won back Rochdale for Labour from George Galloway, who took the seat in a shock by-election result in February.

Labours Bridget Phillipson became the first MP elected in the 2024 General Election, holding Houghton and Sunderland South (Owen Humphreys/PA)

But not everything was going Labours way.

A close-fought battle in Islington North saw former leader Jeremy Corbyn, now an independent candidate, retain the seat  while shadow cabinet member Thangam Debbonaire lost Bristol Central to Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer.

In another blow, the partys shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth was beaten by an independent in Leicester South.

Labour won the first seat of the night shortly after 11pm on Thursday, with shadow education secretary holding on to Houghton and Sunderland South, doubling her majority and increasing her vote share while the Conservatives slumped to third place behind Reform UK.

Ms Phillipson said in her victory speech: Tonight the British people have spoken, and if the exit poll this evening is again a guide to results across our country as it so often is, then after 14 years the British people have chosen change.

They have chosen Labour and they have chosen the leadership of Keir Starmer. Today our country with its proud history has chosen a brighter future.
Nadine Dorries remained tight-lipped over the contents of a text from former Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson, as Labour heads for a landslide victory in the General Election.

Former MP Ms Dorries, who served as culture secretary under Mr Johnson, confirmed she had been contacted by the ex-Tory leader following the exit poll but refused to reveal his thoughts in an awkward on-screen moment.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Emily Maitlis, who were heading up the live election coverage for Channel 4, wanted to see whether Mr Johnson texted Ms Dorries before ex-Tony Blair aide Alastair Campbell had been contacted by his former boss over the results.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson and former culture secretary Nadine Dorries (Oli Scarff/PA)

Ms Dorries said no when asked what Mr Johnson had said to her, before she was quizzed over his track record as a proven liar  following the report by Labour veteran Harriet Harman.

The 67-year-old appeared to get into a heated debate with former Labour communications chief Mr Campbell, who was serving as a Channel 4 presenter alongside his The Rest Is Politics podcast co-host Rory Stewart.

Mr Campbell said: Harriet Harman produced a report which established beyond any doubt that Boris Johnson was a proven liar, to which Ms Dorries responded: Are we going to get into that?

One of the reasons why your party has lost so badly tonight is because you keep defending a liar and because other people keep defending Liz Truss, who crashed the economy, Mr Campbell continued.

In response, Ms Dorries referenced a series of bruising rows between the Labour government and the BBC over its coverage of the US-UK invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Labour leader Tony Blair and press Alastair Campbell (Neil Munns/PA)

At the time, a Radio 4 Today programme reported that the government had sexed up an intelligence dossier in the run-up to the conflict to strengthen the case for war.

She said: You just dont like it Alastair, you dont like it when things come back at you.

In the on-air clash, Mr Campbell asked Mr Stewart: Why dont you make a grown up point from the right?

After the discussion, Ms Dorries disappeared from the table as well as former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, who were replaced by Ann Widdecombe and former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi.

Mr Guru-Murthy said: Nadine has gone off to talk to some other people and shell be back later on in the morning, and Kwasi has also taken a break.

Earlier during her appearance on the show, Ms Dorries accused Mr Campbell of sexism.

Mr Campbell said honestly Nadine, youve got to get over Boris Johnson, before Ms Dorries said: Actually, I find that quite a sexist comment.
Coco Gauff raced into the fourth round to equal her best run at Wimbledon, but acknowledged she has bigger aspirations at the All England Club this year.

The US Open champion beat British number nine Sonay Kartal 6-4 6-0 on Court One in 62 minutes to set up an all-American clash with 19th seed Emma Navarro in the last 16.

Gauff first made the Wimbledon fourth round during her breakout tournament as a 15-year-old in 2019 before she repeated the feat two years later, but exited in round one last year.

Coco Gauff  charging into the fourth round at The Championships #Wimbledon | @CocoGauff pic.twitter.com/h44icr5r3c  Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 5, 2024

Second seed Gauff admitted to always being nervous at this grand slam and while victory over Navarro would earn her a place in the prestigious Last 8 Club  a lifetime membership for quarter-finalist in SW19 which contains several perks  loftier goals are being set.

Asked if she entered this tournament thinking of leaving with the trophy, Gauff admitted: Yes.

It feels as if losing in the fourth or the quarter-finals feels the same, in a way just because I do have such big aspirations.

I feel like it sucks to say this, but once you win, you kind of take it for granted. I try not to obviously.

When you make a lot of quarter-finals in slams, in general it just makes you want to make it to semi-final. You make a couple semi-finals, you want to make the final. It doesnt feel like a big (accomplishment) or anything.

Coco Gauff beat Sonay Kartal (Aaron Chown/PA)

Obviously it would be really special here because I think the final eight club is the most established here. That would be really cool to get that.

Its definitely the most nervous I get when it comes to slams. Its just something special, the history behind this tournament. It just feels very exclusive.

I dont know if its because it was my first big tournament. I dont know if thats the thing, or just Wimbledon in itself.

For some reason, I always get nervous here, especially in the first round. Now Im past that, so Im OK.

Navarro is up next for Gauff after she had to battle back from a set down to beat Diana Shnaider on Court 18.

Emma Navarro is through to the last 16 (Mike Egerton/PA)

Emma Raducanu continued her brilliant form with a 6-2 6-3 success over Maria Sakkari.

Former US Open champion Raducanu will face qualifier Lulu Sun in the last 16 after the New Zealander clinched another week in SW19 with a narrow victory over Zhu Lin.

Rain wiped out the first two hours of play on Friday, which meant Jasmine Paolini got the day five action under way on Court One and she was the first player through to the last 16 with a 7-6 (4) 6-1 win over former grand-slam champion Bianca Andreescu.

Madison Keys, the 12th seed, is up next for French Open runner-up Paolini after she defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-4 6-3 on Court 17 after All England Club organisers switched the venue from last on Court 12 given the weather forecast.

Madison Keys beat the rain (John Walton/PA)

Paula Badosa managed to beat the rain to down Daria Kasatkina 7-6 (6) 4-6 6-4 in two hours and 51 minutes.

It was the first time the Spaniard, who has faced several fitness struggles in recent years, had made the fourth round of a grand-slam since 2022 and she was emotional after her victory, which sets up a meeting with Donna Vekic, who edged out Dayana Yastremska in three.

Badosa said: Its not my first time in a second week, but I think its the most special one.

Im really proud of myself after all. Ive been struggling a lot with injuries and its been now a long time that I wasnt in a second week.

For me, it meant so much.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the roles in Sir Keir Starmers new Cabinet  and who might be called upon to fill them.

 Angela Rayner

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Many will now be looking to Angela Rayner  as John Prescott before her  to serve as custodian of its traditional values in the face of a modernising leadership.

Like her predecessor, she worked her way up the hard way, leaving school at 16 having grown up in the squalor of a rundown council estate in Stockport, and cutting her teeth as a trade union official before embarking on a career in parliament.

A self-proclaimed socialist, the deputy leaders current brief also includes housing, levelling up and communities  one of the most contentious elements of the new Governments policy agenda.

This is expected to involve overseeing a major extension or workers rights including the creation of a new watchdog with powers to fine and prosecute errant employers.

Disclosures in an unauthorised biography by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft about Ms Rayners sale of a council house in 2015 led to a Greater Manchester Police investigation after the Tories complained she may have broken electoral law and dodged capital gains tax.

When the force announced  just days into the election campaign  that they would be taking no further action, Sir Keir said she had been fully vindicated, while she dismisses the saga as a Conservative bid to clip my wings.

 Rachel Reeves

Shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

When BBC Newsnight editor Ian Katz unwittingly tweeted his view of Rachel Reeves as boring, snoring during an TV appearance in 2013, she admitted to feeling slightly humiliated.

But she also made clear where her priorities were. Glamorous and exciting are probably not two things youd want from someone in charge of public finances  you want someone whos steady, whos serious, whos responsible, she told the Guardian.

A former child chess champion who counts a stint at the Bank of England and four years in private-sector banking among her credentials, Ms Reeves is said by allies to have the type of analytical mind required for the challenges that await her at the Treasury.

With her promise to serve as the countrys iron chancellor and emphasis on supply-side reform, she has invited comparisons between herself and Margaret Thatcher, to the dismay of some on the left.

But Ms Reeves has been unapologetically pro-business, talking up growth as the linchpin of success in government and embarking on her so-called smoked salmon offensive of breakfast meetings with leaders of the FTSE250 in the months before the election.

Against the daunting backdrop of a sluggish economy and competing demands for public spending, Britains first ever female chancellor will be responsible for sticking to Labours strict fiscal rules while implementing a series of tax hikes  hitting wealthy non-doms, oil and gas giants and private schools  to help fund its plans for improved public services.

 Yvette Cooper

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper (Lucy North/PA)

A rising star under New Labour, Yvette Cooper was relegated to the back benches during Jeremy Corbyns leadership before returning to the shadow cabinet with her home affairs brief under Sir Keir.

A taste for politics emerged during her days at a comprehensive school in Hampshire, where she has recalled staging a prefects strike in protest over the disciplining of a fellow prefect for wearing the wrong colour socks.

Awarded a Kennedy scholarship after studying politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford University, Ms Cooper previously served as chief secretary to the Treasury in the Brown administration.

Her marriage to Ed Balls, Mr Browns former adviser and close confidante, made them the first couple to sit in Cabinet together.

Ms Cooper has announced a series of pledges as shadow home secretary, including to clear the asylum backlog, create a cross-border police unit to crack down on criminal smuggling gangs and put 13,000 more neighbourhood officers on the beat.

She is set to inherit one of the most scrutinised briefs in government, as the UK grapples with an asylum backlog and small boat crossings in the English Channel.

 Pat McFadden

Shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden (Victoria Jones/PA)

As shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and national campaign coordinator since 2023, veteran frontbencher Pat McFadden has played a central role in shaping Labours direction in the run-up to the election.

Softly spoken and serious, much of his work has taken place behind the scenes, though he is frequently relied on to reinforce the party line with appearances on the morning broadcast rounds.

Mr McFadden gives little away in interviews but is seen as a centre-left figure, having attended Gordon Browns Cabinet and served as an advisor to Sir Tony.

Born in Glasgow to Irish-speaking parents from Donegal, his Labour roots go back past even the 1990s to his days as an undergraduate at Edinburgh University, where he was chair of Scottish Labour Students before working for Donald Dewar and later John Smith.

He was sacked from Jeremy Corbyns shadow cabinet for what the leadership branded disloyalty. This was said to include criticism of Mr Corbyns response to the 2015 Paris terror attacks and a Commons statement in which he called for a rejection of the view that sees terrorist acts as always being a response or a reaction to what we in the West do.

 Wes Streeting

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

From a family acquainted with the Kray twins to Labours frontbench via Cambridge University, Wes Streetings journey to frontline politics has been anything but ordinary.

A self-described geek who wore his school badges with pride, he credits his parents and grandparents  one of whom was an armed robber, the other a Second World War veteran  with fostering his love of books, despite the strains of living in a cramped flat in Londons East End.

One of Labours most recognisable faces and never shy to attack the Tory record, Mr Streeting is seen as a confident media performer and has often been touted as a potential leadership contender.

He has been MP for Ilford North since 2015 and shadow health secretary since 2021, responsible for overseeing the partys mission to rebuild the NHS, including a pledge to create 40,000 new appointments each week.

 David Lammy

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

Veteran MP David Lammy has risen through the party ranks over the course of a 23-year career in parliament.

One of five siblings raised by a single mother in Tottenham  the constituency he would go on to win in 2001  Mr Lammy sung as a choirboy at Peterborough Cathedral before studying at SOAS University and later becoming the first black Briton to attend Harvard Law School, where he forged a friendship with Barack Obama.

He has spoken of the fear and embarrassment he felt when he was first stopped and searched at the age of just 12, and made his name in politics campaigning against racial injustice and the profiling of black and ethnic minority groups.

Having served as a junior health minister under Sir Tony, Mr Lammy supported Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2015 before backing Sir Keir in 2020 and returning to the front bench as shadow justice secretary.

As shadow foreign secretary since 2021, he raised eyebrows earlier this year when he promised to find a common cause with Donald Trump if the former president is returned to the White House, despite having previously called the Republican a neo-Nazi sympathiser.

The position has seen him tread a fraught path over the war in Gaza, stressing Israels right to self-defence but also saying that Labour would comply with an arrest warrant against the countrys premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, if the international criminal court were to issue one  and criticising extremist rhetoric from some Israeli ministers.

In government, it would put him at the helm of UK diplomacy during a time of increasing global instability  though Sir Keir has so far refused to be drawn on speculation that Mr Lammy may be replaced after the election.

 Bridget Phillipson

Labour shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson (Owen Humphreys/PA)

At school in the deprived former mining town of Washington, Bridget Phillipson was a high-achiever with an interest in acting that landed her a role as an extra in Byker Grove before winning a place at Oxford University.

Aged just 26, she went on to become MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in 2010 after working for several years at the womens refuge her mother founded.

Ms Phillipson came from a struggling single-parent family but says she was far from the worst off in her class. Her upbringing has shaped her approach to the role of shadow education secretary, in which she has outlined Labours mission to smash the class ceiling by removing barriers to opportunity for less advantaged children.

To the disappointment of some on the Labour left, free school meals  of which Ms Phillipson was a recipient while growing up  did not feature in the party manifesto.

Instead, it commits to free school breakfast clubs to prevent children starting lessons hungry.

 Ed Miliband

Shadow secretary of state for energy security and net zero Ed Miliband (Jacob King/PA)

Dubbed Red Ed by the tabloids during his time as Labour leader from 2010 to 2015, Ed Miliband nonetheless headed up a more moderate party than Mr Corbyn, who he called on to resign after the Leave result in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

In the run up to his May 2015 election defeat, Mr Milibands public image was dogged by what were perceived to be embarrassing photos of him eating a bacon sandwich and the revelation he had two kitchens in his north London mansion.

Theresa May was later accused of making a number of his policies her own when she became Tory prime minister in 2017, opting to cap energy prices and abolish estate agent fees for renters.

His more recent guise as Green Ed  running Labours net zero policy  has seen him champion the pledge to create GB Energy, a publicly owned clean power company, and 23.7 billion in spending for green measures.

A setback came last year when Labour watered down its promise to spend 28 billion a year on sustainable energy projects  of which the shadow climate secretary was seen as a key proponent  blaming Tory stewardship of the economy.

The MP for Doncaster North denied having considered quitting over the move, which instead saw the party commit to 23.7 billion in spending over the next parliament, saying the new plans will still help to move the dial on the environment.

 Liz Kendall

Shadow work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Shadow work and pensions secretary since a promotion in Sir Keirs 2023 reshuffle, Liz Kendall has been responsible for overseeing the partys mission to get Britain working again following a rise in long-term sickness and inactivity.

She set out a tough stance on welfare in a speech earlier this year, during which she said there would be no option for a life on benefits for people who can work under Labour and committed to investing in young people.

As an ambitious shadow health minister, she was the first to declare her hand in the leadership contest won by Mr Corbyn in 2015, when she warned that Labour could stay out of power forever unless it moved towards the centre ground.

A former special adviser to Harriet Harman and then Patricia Hewitt  whose Leicester seat she inherited  she has previously described herself as an unlikely rap music fan, counting Eminem and Public Enemy among her favourites.

 Anneliese Dodds

Anneliese Dodds (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

Ms Dodds worked her way up to the position of shadow chancellor by 2020 after winning the seat of Oxford East in the 2017 election.

But she was among the most high-profile casualities of Sir Keirs 2021 reshuffle, getting demoted to party chairwoman after some commentators argued she failed to cut through in her previous role during a period of increased government spending in the Covid pandemic.

Ms Dodds grew up in Aberdeenshire and worked as a lecturer in public policy before entering parliament, and has named Mr Brown  the economic architect of New Labour  as her political inspiration, citing his response to the 2008 financial crisis.

She has also served as shadow women and equalities secretary, a role which has seen her affirm Labours commitment to trans people and women and criticised the demonisation of vulnerable people, but also speak of places where it is reasonable for biological women only to have access  words which were criticised by some in the LGBT community.

 Shabana Mahmood

Shabana Mahmood (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Former barrister Shabana Mahmood was named as Labours shadow justice secretary last September after serving as national campaign coordinator since 2021.

One of the first Muslim women elected to the Commons, she won the seat of Birmingham Ladywood in 2010.

Ms Mahmood is seen as a key ally of fellow former lawyer Sir Keir and credited with playing a key part in preparing the partys campaign machine.

Born in Birmingham with a twin brother, she has said her childhood dream was to become a real-life version of ITVs Kavanagh QC rather than a politician.

She told the BBCs Political Thinking podcast last year how outgoing Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak promised to vote for her as president of the junior common room during their university days  after she targeted him in canvassing because they were both firmly of the geek extraction.

 John Healey

Shadow defence secretary John Healey (Yui Mok/PA)

A stalwart of Labours frontbench, John Healey served in the Blair-Brown governments as well as the shadow cabinets of Mr Miliband and Mr Corbyn before becoming Sir Keirs shadow defence secretary.

His parliamentary career has seen him back the invasion of Iraq and more recently criticise the Tory governments reduction in the size of the army to 72,500 by 2025.

But a question mark still hangs over how Labour would oversee the defence budget, with the party having pledged to reach a spending target of 2.5% only when economic conditions allow.

 Jonathan Reynolds

Shadow secretary of state for business and trade Jonathan Reynolds (Lucy North/PA)

Alongside Ms Reeves, shadow trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds has been at the forefront of Labours efforts to redraw its relationship the City.

Elected MP for Stalybridge and Hyde in 2010, he resigned as a shadow minister under Mr Corbyn and went on to criticise the leaderships economic policy.

As chair of Christians on the Left, Mr Reynolds has described his faith as hugely important to his politics. In 2013 he told the Commons he would vote for equal marriage because I am a Christian, not in spite of it.

Born in Houghton-le-Spring, he studied law at Manchester University before entering parliament at the age of 28.

 Peter Kyle

Shadow science secretary Peter Kyle (Jeff Overs/BBC)

MP for Hove Peter Kyle has served as shadow technology secretary since a reshuffle last year.

Mr Kyle struggled with dyslexia growing up and has spoken of leaving school without many qualifications before being told at university that he had a reading age of eight  though he overcame this to gain a doctoral degree.

He was an aid worker in the Balkans before becoming a Blair-era special advisor focused on social exclusion policy. In parliament he has campaigned for the voting age to be lowered to 16 and was a vocal critic of Mr Corbyns leadership before serving in various positions in Sir Keirs shadow cabinet.

 Louise Haigh

Shadow secretary for transport Louise Haigh (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

As Labours transport secretary, Louise Haigh would be in charge of party plans to renationalise most rail services, with a new public body would inherit existing contracts when they expire.

The MP for Sheffield Heeley survived Sir Keirs 2023 reshuffle, which saw a host of Blairite figures promoted or ushered in to the shadow cabinet, despite being regarded as a standard-bearer of the soft left of the party.

She cut her teeth as a shop steward for the union Unite and volunteered as a special constable in the Metropolitan Police before entering politics.

 Steve Reed

Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed (Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror)

Steve Reed won the seat of Croydon North in a 2012 by-election and served as shadow justice secretary from 2021 until he was moved to the environment brief last year.

Growing up in the quiet commuter town of St Albans, his entire family worked at a printing factory, which he describes as the heart of his community until it was shut down in the 1980s.

He joined the Labour Party soon after its closure, blaming Margaret Thatchers government for its fate during an economic recession.

 Hilary Benn

Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

Best known in the earlier stages of his career as the son of Tony Benn  the long-serving Cabinet minister, anti-war campaigner and pivotal figure on the Labour left  Mr Benn has not inherited all of his fathers beliefs.

During the 1999 contest for the Leeds Central seat that he would go on to represent for decades to come, Mr Benn described himself as a Benn, but not a Bennite.

Like his father, he is teetotal and vegetarian. Unlike his father, Mr Benn supported the Iraq war while serving in Sir Tony Blairs government and later defied then-leader Jeremy Corbyn, while his shadow foreign secretary, to back military action against the Islamic State in Syria.

He has served as shadow Northern Ireland secretary since 2023, an appointment that was welcomed by Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie as an indication of the importance (Sir Keir) places on Northern Ireland.

 Jo Stevens

Shadow Welsh secretary Jo Stevens (Ben Birchall/PA)

Jo Stevens has been shadow Wales secretary since 2021 and MP for Cardiff Central since 2015. Before her parliamentary career, she was a lawyer at Thompsons Solicitors  a firm with longstanding links to the trade union movement.

Ms Stevens has opposed the devolution of justice powers which has sometimes put her at odds with the Welsh Labour administration in the past. She has suggested problems with crime are too urgent for the Westminster government to embark on an overhaul of the structures in place.

 Ian Murray

Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray (Jane Barlow/PA)

Ian Murray was shadow Scotland secretary since 2020 and represented Edinburgh South since 2010, becoming the only Scottish Labour MP in Westminster for the second time after the partys 2019 general election defeat.

A critic of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, Mr Murray has campaigned against Scottish independence and won the backing of Sir Tony and Mr Brown during an unsuccessful bid for the Labour deputy leadership in 2020.

 Lucy Powell

Shadow leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell (Peter Byrne/PA)

Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell has held a number of positions in Sir Keirs top team, most recently as shadow leader of the Commons.

She became known in the last parliament for her colourful sparring matches with Penny Mordaunt, who once accused her of channelling Elmer Fudd after she noted the lack of any rabbit-out-of-hat surprise policies in the 2024 spring Budget.

 Baroness Smith

Baroness Smith entered the Lords in 2010 after holding a number of ministerial positions but losing her bellwether seat of Basildon when the Tories swept to power.

She has served as shadow leader of the upper chamber since 2015.
The drill rapper son of Mark Duggan, who was shot dead by police 13 years ago, has been jailed for five years for having a gun.

Kemani Duggan, 23, who is known as Bandokay, admitted having a Tokarev pistol and 22 bulleted cartridges with intent to cause fear of violence.

His associate Abdou Bojang, 22, from Hackney, north London, pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition without a firearm certification.

On Friday, the pair, who are associated with a north London gang, were both jailed at the Old Bailey for five years.

The court heard how police had raided Bojangs parents flat in Hackney last March 21.

The firearm and rounds were discovered in the communal underground car park on a concrete ledge inside a JD Sports bag which also contained two foot-long knives.

Duggans DNA was identified on the gun slide and he was arrested at Gatwick airport on January 13.

On his phone was a Snapchat photograph of the same gun and 23 rounds.

Just before the gun was found, Bojang had messaged Duggan: Yooo bro, where yu, Theres feds in my block akh. I might be getting nicked.

Rioters took to the streets of north London demanding justice after the shooting of Mark Duggan in 2013 (Lewis Whyld/PA)

Prosecutor Diana Wilson said Duggan was a well-known drill artist associated with the Old Farm Boys (OFB) criminal gang based on the Broadwater Farm Estate in Tottenham.

She said: The prosecution expert has concluded that there is no question that over the years he is an elder or senior gang member in the OFB.

One consequence of this is that he would naturally be at a heightened risk of violence from rival gang members, this would be additionally heightened by his status as a successful drill artist and the son of Mark Duggan which raises his profile to would-be attackers.

She said: As a result of his fame, he has become a target for violence from others associated with urban street gangs.

Ms Wilson said that Duggans accepted plea was made on the basis that he was provided with a firearm and ammunition to protect himself.

Duggan had asserted that he would only have carried the gun to scare any prospective aggressor away.

Mitigating, Gregory Fishwick said Duggan expressed the long-term effects of losing of his father in his lyrics.

Despite growing up in an area where he was seen as no more than his fathers son, Duggan had tried to get away from that and be a proper father to his own son, Mr Fishwick said.

Sentencing, Judge Philip Katz KC said: It is accepted that there were grounds for a fear that people might try to attack you, Duggan.

You have a high profile, arising not only from your own career as an artist in the genre of drill rap, with all its gang associations, but also from your unfortunate life history.

The defendants waved to supporters in the public gallery as they were sent down from the dock.

Duggan, of Islington, north London, was 11-years-old when his 29-year-old father Mark Duggan was shot dead in Tottenham, north London, in August 2011.

Armed officers had intercepted a minicab Mr Duggan was travelling in on the basis of intelligence that he was carrying a gun.

A pistol was later found around seven metres away from the minicab.

Mr Duggans shooting in August 2011, by an officer known only as V53, sparked riots in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and other English cities for nearly a week.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson has appealed for greater cohesion among unionists following General Election results which saw his party suffer damaging defeats in North Antrim and Lagan Valley.

Following the election Sinn Fein has emerged for the first time with the largest representation among Northern Ireland parties at Westminster.

The republican partys president Mary Lou McDonald has now urged Sir Keir Starmer to embrace the right of Irish self-determination and constitutional change toward Irish reunification.

However, Mr Robinson dismissed suggestions that the election result strengthened the argument towards Irish unity, stating there has been no groundswell of support for a border poll.

Sinn Feins Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle ONeill celebrate the election of Pat Cullen in Fermanagh South Tyrone at Meadowbank Sports Arena, Magherafelt (Niall Carson/PA)

The DUP suffered a bruising set of results, losing its Westminster seat in North Antrim, which has been held by the Paisley family for 54 years.

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister, a fierce DUP critic, won the seat from Ian Paisley by 450 votes.

Sorcha Eastwood celebrates at the South Lake Leisure Centre in Craigavon, Co Armagh, after winning the Lagan Valley constituency (Oliver McVeigh/PA)

The Alliance Partys Sorcha Eastwood also had a historic result as she triumphed in the DUP stronghold of Lagan Valley, the seat formerly held by party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

Donaldson did not stand for re-election in Lagan Valley, having stepped down as leader in March when he was charged with historical sexual offences, charges he denies.

The DUP has been under fire 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.

Northern Irelands largest unionist party also lost out in South Antrim where former Stormont health minister, Robin Swann of the Ulster Unionist Party, defeated Paul Girvan.

One bright spot in a disappointing night was when DUP leader, Gavin Robinson, held off the challenge of Alliance Party leader Naomi Long in East Belfast.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson shakes hands at the Titanic Exhibition Centre with Alliance Party leader Naomi Long after retaining his seat in the East Belfast constituency (Liam McBurney/PA)

In the last result of the night, veteran DUP representative Gregory Campbell narrowly held on to his East Londonderry seat by just 179 votes, having seen his previous majority of almost 10,000 slashed.

This left the DUP with five seats, down from the eight it won in 2019.

Mr Robinson conceded the results had not been what his party had wanted.

He said: We must be realistic about the significant job of work ahead to get unionism into a stronger and more strategic position.

The DUP leader pointed out that unionism had retained the same number of seats as in 2019, although now split among different parties and independent unionist Alex Easton, who won in North Down.

The DUP and TUV did not run a candidate against Mr Easton.

Mr Robinson added: We can never again see a situation where pro-union voters are so divided that seats are lost to those who will not promote the union.

I am pledged to work for greater cohesion within the pro-union movement.

In North Down it has been demonstrated what can be achieved with co-operation, allied to a strong work ethic.

Having unilaterally taken the decision to support Alex Easton, as well as Diane Armstrong in Fermanagh/South Tyrone, there is no doubt that the unionist influence can be advanced.

In truth the result in North Down demonstrated what is possible when unionists work together and the result in Lagan Valley demonstrated the cost of division.

The DUP leader insisted the combined nationalist vote had not grown since 1998.

He said: There has been no groundswell of support for a border poll as some within Sinn Fein would claim.

After all 18 constituencies were declared, it was confirmed Sinn Fein had repeated its success in the Northern Ireland Assembly and local government elections of the previous two years by emerging as the largest party.

The party retained its seats in Mid Ulster, North Belfast, Newry and Armagh, South Down, West Belfast and West Tyrone.

Former nursing union boss Pat Cullen also held Fermanagh and South Tyrone for Sinn Fein with an increased majority.

(PA Graphics)

Ms McDonald said the result creates a major opportunity to improve relations between Britain and Ireland.

She said: Sinn Fein is determined to build a constructive relationship with the new Labour government.

We look forward to working positively with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the many shared priorities for Ireland and Britain during this historic time of renewal.

After 14 years of Tory rule, marked by dysfunction and chaos, they crudely undermined the Good Friday Agreement during Brexit, harming citizens and communities.

They also abandoned co-operation with Dublin, causing significant damage.

She added: The new Labour government now has a huge opportunity to reset relations with the Irish Government and the power-sharing (Stormont) Executive, where First Minister Michelle ONeill will work to restore effective co-operation.

We expect the new Prime Minister to uphold the Good Friday Agreement, which Labour helped deliver, ensuring its political, legal and constitutional guarantees are respected.

This includes respecting all our national identities, political allegiances and working together to defend peace and build on reconciliation efforts.

The British Government must embrace principles of rigorous impartiality and the right to self-determination and constitutional change toward Irish reunification.

(PA Graphics)

It was a mixed night for the cross-community Alliance Party, despite Ms Eastwoods stunning success in Lagan Valley.

In North Down, deputy leader Stephen Farry lost his seat to Mr Easton and leader Ms Long failed in her bid to unseat Mr Robinson in East Belfast.

The Ulster Unionist Party is returning to Westminster for the first time since 2017 following Mr Swanns comprehensive victory in South Antrim.

However, retired Army colonel Tim Collins, who ran for the UUP in North Down, blamed voters being more interested in potholes and hedges than international affairs after conceding defeat.

The SDLP retained the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader, Colum Eastwood, in Foyle, and deputy leader, Claire Hanna, in South Belfast and Mid Down.

Mr Eastwood said: I have to say Im delighted to see the back of the Tory government.

Fourteen years of destroying our public services, 14 years of destroying the economy, destroying family finances is now gone.
If the General Election campaign in Northern Ireland was relatively low key, that certainly could not be said of the vote counts, as the region witnessed a night of high drama and shocks.

Here, the PA news agency assesses the election performance of the main Stormont parties.

Sinn Fein:

Sinn Fein will be very satisfied with the result.

While party president Mary Lou McDonald talked of the prospect of nailed on gains during the campaign, senior figures privately acknowledged they would be content to emerge from the election as they entered it  with seven seats.

Thats what the abstentionist party achieved. Given the travails of the DUP, that as-you-were performance was sufficient for Sinn Fein to become Northern Irelands largest party at Westminster level, in terms of both seats and vote share.

Coming on the back of a disappointing outing in the European and local council elections in the Republic of Ireland in June, the UK General Election result will provide a much-needed fillip for Ms McDonald and vice-president Michelle ONeill.

The party has already been pointing to its result as further evidence of what it believes is growing electoral evidence of trending support toward Irish unification.

Sinn Feins Pat Cullen celebrates with Sinn Feins Vice President Michelle ONeill (second left and Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald (second right) after winning the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency (Niall Carson/PA).

The DUP:

The DUP suffered a disastrous election, dropping from eight seats to five and losing two key heartlands  North Antrim and Lagan Valley.

Ian Paisleys defeat in the usual safe banker constituency of North Antrim at the hands of Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister was a stunning result that few saw coming.

The loss of Lagan Valley, particularly to the non-unionist Alliance Party, was also highly symbolic.

The explanation for the partys poor performance is not straightforward.

Pushback from harder line unionists on the DUPs support for a UK Government package of measures on post-Brexit trading arrangements in January was definitely a factor.

The DUP used the Safeguarding the Union command paper to justify its decision to drop its two-year blockade on devolution at Stormont, but critics insisted the package did little to remove barriers on trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK and accused the party of overselling it.

Ian Paisley arrives at Meadowbank Sports Arena in Magherafelt for the election count (Niall Carson/PA).

Then, in March, the party suffered a major shock when its then leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson unexpectedly quit after being charged with a series of historical sex offences  charges he denies.

Donaldson was the long-standing MP for Lagan Valley and attracted a significant personal vote in the constituency.

All that was clearly thrown up in air due to the manner of his departure from the political stage.

As well as the three losses (Paul Girvan failed to retain South Antrim), some of DUPs biggest hitters returned with slashed majorities  no one more so than East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell who sneaked home by just 179 votes, having won in 2019 by almost 10,000.

One piece of good news for the party came in East Belfast where new leader Gavin Robinson retained his seat and saw off the challenge of Alliance leader Naomi Long, increasing his majority in the process.

Given his party lost out to both harder line and more moderate rivals, Mr Robinson will have a lot to reflect on when he considers the lessons from this chastening night.

New Alliance MP for Lagan Valley Sorcha Eastwood (Oliver McVeigh/PA)

Alliance:

This was an election of highs and lows for the cross-community Alliance Party.

The victory of Sorcha Eastwood in Lagan Valley was a triumph, but the comprehensive defeat of deputy leader and outgoing MP Stephen Farry in North Down was a real disappointment.

Ms Longs fourth successive failure to beat Mr Robinson in East Belfast was also a blow.

After a series of elections in Northern Ireland where Alliance made major strides, leapfrogging the UUP and SDLP to become the regions third largest party, this election has somewhat stalled that momentum.

Robin Swann (centre) celebrates becoming MP for South Antrim (Niall Carson/PA).

Ulster Unionist Party:

The UUP had set a goal of returning to the green benches of the House of Commons having been without an MP since 2017.

The party achieved that with former Stormont health minister Robin Swanns decisive win in South Antrim  a victory that was all the more notable given he switched from his home constituency of North Antrim to enter the race.

The UUP had hoped its party councillor Diana Armstrong could have pushed Sinn Feins Pat Cullen  the RCNs former general secretary  closer in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, but she was ultimately well beaten.

Despite that disappointment out west, the gain in South Antrim  and, with it, the re-establishment of a foothold at Westminster  will provide UUP leader Doug Beattie the basis to portray this election as a success.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood celebrates his election in Foyle (Niall Carson/PA)

The SDLP:

The SDLP will be content with the outcome. Its priority was to retain the seats held by its leader Colum Eastwood and deputy leader Claire Hanna.

Both won with plenty to spare, albeit Mr Eastwoods majority was significantly reduced after Sinn Fein mounted a more successful challenge in the SDLP citadel of Foyle than it mustered in 2019.

The party makes a big play of differentiating its regular presence in the House of Commons with the abstentionist position of its nationalist rivals, Sinn Fein.

The message appears to have resonated with supporters both in Foyle and Ms Hannas constituency of South Belfast and Mid Down.

The SDLP is a sister party of Labour and both Mr Eastwood and Ms Hanna believe they will be able to help shape the new UK Governments approach to Northern Ireland in the days, months and years ahead.

Jim Allister taking to the media at Meadowbank Sports Arena, Magherafelt, during the count for the 2024 General Election (Niall Carson/PA)

The TUV:

Mr Allisters victory in North Antrim, toppling a Paisley family dynasty that had endured for 54 years, was one of the most remarkable upsets in Northern Irelands political history.

Few outside the TUV believed it was possible.

The win provides a massive boost for the TUV, which has struggled to make a major electoral impact since its formation in 2007.

Mr Allisters uncompromising stance in opposing Brexits so-called Irish Sea border earned him the backing of swathes of disaffected DUP voters, particularly in North Antrim.

The trained barrister will now have an opportunity to display his combative oratory skills at Westminster.

However, ironically, his win may actually end up providing the DUP some respite from his attacks at Stormont, given he will no longer be able to deliver his barbed interventions from the backbenches of the Assembly chamber.

Alex Easton won in East Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA).

Alex Easton:

The independent unionist, who quit the DUP in 2021 accusing the party of lacking respect, discipline or decency, triumphed in North Down at the fourth time of asking. Relations with the DUP have thawed since his departure and the party, along with the TUV, backed Mr Easton in what was billed as a three-way battle with Mr Farry and UUP candidate and Iraq war colonel Tim Collins.

A significant challenge by Mr Collins did not materialise and Mr Easton also saw off Mr Farry by more than 7,000 votes.

It was a superb showing for the independent candidate who has had to battle post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since his parents died in a house fire in Bangor, Co Down last year.
Labour inherits a host of environmental issues that will need to be dealt with by a department which is unprotected and could face a further financial squeeze.

The new Government is already being urged to hit the ground running and crack on with nature recovery and investment to support the countryside, where it has won many rural seats as the old Tory Shire stereotype fades away.

High on the agenda for new Environment Secretary Steve Reed will be the polluted and degraded state of rivers, lakes and coastal waters, which have prompted widespread criticism of government and water companies along with high leakage rates and shareholder pay-outs.

While it has pledged to rein in the water companies, one of the first challenges Labour will face is the looming crisis over funding at Thames Water, with Ofwat set to publish draft rulings next week on water companies business plans for the next five years, a potential crunch point for the debt-laden utility.

A worst-case scenario could see the new Government forced into enacting some form of temporary nationalisation of Thames Water.

The election has also come after the UK saw its second wettest autumn and winter on record, as storms flooded homes and left fields sodden and unplantable, with analysis suggesting the extreme rainfall was made more intense by global warming.

Farmers have endured a torrid winter, which in England comes as the sector moves over to a new post-Brexit payment system of Environmental Land Management schemes (Elms) which pays for public goods such as healthy soil and habitat creation, replacing subsidies based largely on area of land farmed.

While Labours manifesto pledged to make Elms work for farmers and nature, it was silent on the level of funding it would commit to the scheme in this Parliament, something which National Farmers Union (NFU) president Tom Bradshaw labelled deeply disappointing.

In the wake of the election result, Mr Bradshaw said: For Britains farmers, the number one priority for the new Labour Government must be to set an increased multi-year agriculture budget for the duration of the next Parliament.

This is about investing in the future of British farming  in homegrown food, in the environment and in renewable energy.

Country Land and Business Association (CLA) president Victoria Vyvyan said: The new Government must hit the ground running.

From providing certainty around the farming budget to overhauling the archaic planning system, it needs to go for growth with a robust and ambitious strategy for the countryside.

The Elms programme is also key to delivering targets in the Environment Act, such as halting the decline in species by 2030, which Labour has committed to meeting, and conservationists have called for a ramp-up in investment for nature-friendly farming.

There will be key demands from green groups which failed to materialise in the last parliament, including a ban on sale of horticultural peat and support for reintroducing lost species such as beavers to the wild.

And conservationists will also be looking to the new Environment Secretary to deliver on tree-planting targets and a global commitment to fully protect 30% of land and sea by 2030.

Richard Benwell, chief executive of the coalition of nature and conservation groups Wildlife and Countryside Link, said the General Election showed a strong public mandate for action on nature and climate.

Now Government can crack on to deliver nature recovery and clean power by 2030, he said.

Sir Keir Starmers team will need a clear plan on planning reforms and prioritising space on land and at sea, which enable nature recovery and the renewable energy we need, with investment in both to match.

Significant further investment is needed for nature, not least in nature-friendly farming, with the opportunity to raise funding through a levy on those that pollute our environment paying to restore our waters, air and soils.
A 68-year-old woman visiting the United States from New Zealand was killed in a botched robbery in an upscale Southern California Mall.

The woman was identified as Patricia McKay of Auckland.

The Newport Beach Police Department says McKay was walking with her husband Doug when two men, one armed with a handgun, attempted to rob them. The robbers were apparently after her husband's watch.

Police say that she was hit by a third suspect who was driving a white sedan. McKay died at the scene.

The suspect with the gun fired three rounds during the robbery but police say no one was hit by a bullet.

All three suspects took off from the scene in the car. Police saw it and started a pursuit that ended up on the busy 405 freeway.

During the chase the vehicle stopped and one of the suspects ran away but was quickly captured.

The other car continued into Los Angeles County where police say the other two suspects got out and tried to run. Officers were able to find and arrest them.

Police identified the three suspects as Leroyernest Joseph McCrary, 26, of Compton, Jaden Cunningham, 18, of Lancaster, and Malachi Eddward Darnell, 18, of Los Angeles.

They face homicide, robbery and conspiracy charges, according to KTLA-TV.

A spokesperson for McKay's family issued a statement saying: ""No words can express their sadness as we try to come to terms with the loss of our mother, wife, and friend Patricia."

Her husband is Doug McKay, a prominent Auckland businessman and the former chair of BNZ's board, RNZ reported.

Auckland's Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson said she was "beyond devastated" about the killing and "in absolute shock."


Game Of Thrones actor Conleth Hill and Barbie star Sharon Rooney have joined the cast of BBC comedy The Cleaner.

In the third season of the series, Taskmaster presenter Greg Davies returns as crime scene cleaner Paul Wicky Wickstead and continues to meet a host of new characters.

The 56-year-old comedian and actors show, which he writes, has previously seen Harry Potter star Helena Bonham Carter and Peep Show actor David Mitchell in guest roles.

 Greg Davies is back with a star-studded cast for The Cleaner Series 3! Steve Pemberton, Sharon Rooney, Ben Willbond and Conleth Hill are set to join the BBC Comedy  Take a look at some exclusive images from the new series   https://t.co/QTVcNNlUxt pic.twitter.com/hvErXYSsFS  BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) July 5, 2024

Davies said: I am so delighted to be back wading around in blood.

We have made sure that Wicky has some bizarre characters to deal with this series.

Looking forward to sweating in a scene of crime suit and wearing the earring that my nieces find so cringe.

Inside No 9 creator Steve Pemberton, Scottish actress Rooney, who played Lawyer Barbie in the hit Barbie film, Ghosts co-creator Ben Willbond and Northern Irish actor Hill will be among those featuring in different episodes.

Both Willbond and Pemberton have seen their BBC shows come to an end recently.

The Cleaner series three cast also includes Sex Educations Chaneil Kular, Play School star Derek Griffiths, Killing Eve actress Gemma Whelan, Coronation Streets Paula Wilcox and Motherland star and Irish actress Philippa Dunne.

Jon Petrie, director of comedy for the BBC, said: We couldnt be happier to introduce our fantastic cast for the upcoming season of The Cleaner.

Greg and Shuk (Studio Hamburg UK) have done a terrific job finding some top comedy talent for Wicky to bounce off, figuratively speaking.

Zita Sattar is also returning in her role as Wickys friend, police sergeant Ruth Edwards.

The show is based on the German comedy series Der Tatortreiniger (Crime Scene Cleaner), created by Ingrid Lausund.

The BBC will release broadcast details at a later date.
An Iraq War colonel blamed people being more interested in potholes and hedges than international affairs after failing to secure victory in a Northern Ireland constituency.

Tim Collins, the UUP candidate known for a rousing pre-battle speech he made while serving in Iraq in 2003, conceded after midnight as boxes were still being opened in the North Down constituency.

He said that independent unionist candidate Alex Easton appeared to be polling well as he defended his election campaign efforts.

People in North Down, I think they dont want someone who doesnt live in Northern Ireland, he told the BBC.

Theyre interested in local politics, theyre not interested in cutting VAT, theyre not interested in international affairs. Theyre interested in potholes and hedges.

Asked would he run again in Northern Ireland in five years time, he said he could not predict what he would be doing then.

He added: I was asked to do this, and Im happy to do it. I financed myself and Im pleased I did it because, Im putting something back into Northern Ireland and Im pleased to do that.

He also defended comments he made during the campaign about the cost of insuring a car in Northern Ireland compared to insuring his Rolls Royce in England.

Its Northern Ireland, they dont understand these things. The point I was making is its an expensive car, it is cheaper to insure in England than it is here, he said.
Kate Beckinsale has appeared to injure her leg while searching for her dog on Independence Day in the US.

The British actress, best known for her role as the vampire Selene in the Underworld film series, told her followers that her Pomeranian Myf had disappeared in the Beverly Hills area, California.

While sharing a picture of the animal, the 50-year-old wrote on Instagram: Myf has gone missing if anyone finds her in the Beverly Hills area please can you DM me thank you so much.

An hour later she followed the post up, saying in a video that Myf had been returned, which showed a friend attending a bloody wound just below Beckinsales knee.

She said: Shes back, ow, you really hurt my knee Myf you f****** scared the shit out of us F****** July 4, Joe Jesus Christ. What do you have to say for yourself?

In an Instagram story, Beckinsale suggested that the dog had been scared of the fireworks during the annual American holiday, the Fourth of July, and run away to hide.

Myf you dont like fireworks it turns out, she said in the video.

Beckinsale, also known for the films Van Helsing, Pearl Harbor and Click, has been struggling with undisclosed health issues in recent months.

She hinted at her health woes when she uploaded photos of her wearing a tummy troubles survivor T-shirt in April, while in what looked like a hospital.
Sir Keir Starmer is set to be swept to power by a landslide Labour victory as bitter recriminations began in the Tory ranks.

Labour is forecast to have a 170-seat majority in the Commons, with the Conservatives reduced to their lowest number of MPs on record.

If the results indicated by an exit poll are accurate, Rishi Sunaks term as Prime Minister will end in electoral disaster, with Nigel Farages Reform UK establishing a foothold in Parliament and the Liberal Democrats forecast to make significant gains.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson held Houghton and Sunderland South in the first result of the night, but Reform pushed the Conservatives in an early indication of the advances made by Mr Farages party.

Ms Phillipson, who will now expect to be in Sir Keirs first Cabinet, said: Tonight the British people have spoken and if the exit poll this evening is again a guide to results across our country  as it so often is  then after 14 years the British people have chosen change.

They have chosen Labour and they have chosen the leadership of Keir Starmer. Today our country with its proud history has chosen a brighter future.

The exit poll suggests Labour is on course for 410 seats, with the Tories reduced to 131.

(PA Graphic)

The Liberal Democrats are forecast to win 61 seats, Reform UK on 13 and the Green Party two.

In Scotland, the SNP are expected to secure 10 seats with Plaid Cymru in Wales on four.

The poll for broadcasters involved more than 20,000 voters at 133 polling stations.

If the results follow the forecast, it will mean a Labour prime minister in No 10 for the first time since 2010 and the Conservatives facing a fight for the future direction of the party.

Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland was the first high-profile casualty as he lost to Labour in Swindon South.

He warned that a lurch to the right after the election would be disastrous for the Conservatives and took aim at ill-discipline within the Conservative Party after losing his seat.

I think that we have seen in this election an astonishing ill-discipline within the party, the former justice secretary told the BBC.

We can see articles being written before a vote is cast at the General Election about the party heading for defeat and what the prognosis should be.

Ballots are sorted at the Sports Training Village, University of Bath (Jonathan Brady/PA)

It is spectacularly unprofessional, ill-disciplined. That is not the Conservative Party I joined and have been an active member of for now nearly 40 years.

Asked later if he was speaking about an article written by Conservative former home secretary and potential leadership contender Suella Braverman, Sir Robert replied: I am afraid that is not an isolated example.

Former Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said it is clearly a terrible night, suggesting voters had been put off by the revolving door in No 10 which saw Boris Johnson replaced first by Liz Truss and then by Mr Sunak.

Sir Jacob told the BBC there were issues with changing the leader, adding: Voters expect the prime minister they have chosen to remain the prime minister and for it to be the voters who decide when that person is changed.

After 14 years in power, it was always going to be a difficult election for the Conservatives, but the sometimes shambolic campaign  triggered at a time of Mr Sunaks choosing  has contributed to the partys likely defeat.

From the rain-drenched speech announcing the surprise July 4 poll, through the D-Day debacle as he left Normandy early to record a TV interview to confused campaign messaging about a Labour supermajority, Mr Sunak struggled to convince the electorate he was the right man to lead the country.

Going for a summer election rather than waiting until the autumn was always a gamble, and the Prime Minister was not helped by the scandal of Tory candidates and officials allegedly heading to the bookies armed with inside knowledge of the date.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Sunak is expected to resign after leading his party to defeat, but many of the contenders jostling to replace him are nervously awaiting their own constituency results to see if their leadership dreams survive the night.

The likes of Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps and Steve Baker all face battles to return to Parliament, while Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is predicted to lose.

A Liberal Democrat source said they were confident of defeating the Chancellor in the Godalming and Ash seat in Surrey.

And the party claimed it had defeated Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in Chichester and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk in Cheltenham.

Meanwhile, Nigel Farage said Reform would win many, many seats across the country.

He added: This is going to be six million votes plus. This, folks, is huge.

Lee Anderson, who defected from the Tories, became the partys first elected MP as he won in Ashfield  with the Conservatives in fourth place behind Labour and an independent.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said his party was on course for our best results in a century.

In Rochdale, Workers Party leader George Galloway lost the seat he won in a by-election earlier this year.

The SNPs campaign centred around calls for talks on another independence referendum if the party won a majority of seats at the election.

Despite the exit poll result, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes told the BBC: I would strongly caution anybody against dismissing the robust, resilient and significant number of people in this country that support independence and the next Labour government will have to contend with that, well have to listen to Scottish voters because even over the last few months  which have been difficult  that support for independence has remained strong.

But she added the party would need to listen to the voices of voters and set out our agenda to regain and rebuild the trust of the voters across Scotland.
Labour has won the first Scottish seat of the General Election as the SNP is facing collapse across the country.

Lillian Jones took Kilmarnock and Loudon from the SNPs Alan Brown, winning 19,065 votes.

Mr Brown had held the seat since 2015.

Just minutes later, Labour won the West Dunbartonshire seat from the SNP, unseating Martin Docherty-Hughes, with Douglas McAllister taking 19,312 votes.

The result comes as the BBC/ITV/Sky exit poll predicted a 170-seat majority for Labour across the UK, with the SNP dropping to just 10 seats, and a party source suggested it could lose all three of its seats in Edinburgh.

Meanwhile, former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said: This is not a good night for the SNP on these numbers.

I think there will be a question about whether there was enough in the campaign to give out, effectively, a USP to the SNP in an election that was about getting the Tories out and replacing them with Labour.

Speaking on ITV, she added: This is at the grimmer end of the expectations for the SNP if the exit poll is right and, from what Ive said earlier on, I expect it will be.

This is seismic for Labour. Theres no getting away from that, its a massive achievement for Keir Starmer.

The SNPs campaign centred around calls for talks on another independence referendum if the party won a majority of seats at the election.

Ballot boxes are emptied at Emirates Arena in Glasgow, during the General Election count (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Despite the exit poll result, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes told the BBC: I would strongly caution anybody against dismissing the robust, resilient and significant number of people in this country that support independence and the next Labour government will have to contend with that, well have to listen to Scottish voters because even over the last few months  which have been difficult  that support for independence has remained strong.

But she added the party would need to listen to the voices of voters and set out our agenda to regain and rebuild the trust of the voters across Scotland, she said.

Votes being counted at the Ice Hall in the Dewars Centre, Perth, during the count for the Perth and Kinross-shire constituency (Jane Barlow/PA)

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross told the BBC the exit poll predicts a historically bad result for the Tories across the UK.

He said he does not regret his last-minute decision to stand in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, but predicted an extremely close result.

Speaking from the Aberdeen count, he said: It is a historically bad night, there is no shying away from that at all and there will be a huge amount of reflection on the campaign and also clearly the last few years.

It has been particularly difficult and theres no denying that and whoever forms the next parliamentary party will look at the options going forward and will assess the current state of play in the Conservative party and how it rebuilds after this election result.

He said he does not regret his last-minute decision to stand but predicted an extremely close result.

The exit poll predictions signal voters had a desperate need for change, a Scottish Labour MSP has said. Glasgow MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said the exit poll predicted a strong result for Labour.

She told PA: It was a strong exit poll. I think that the country has been saying for some time now that theyre fed up of the 14 years of Tory chaos.

She added: Theres really been a desperate need for change and weve ran a really strong, positive campaign and Im so proud of it.

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the exit poll was a hopeful sign for his party at a UK level where it predicted two Green MPs.

Speaking to PA from the Glasgow count, he said any gain from the one English seat the Greens won at the 2019 general election would be something to celebrate.
The Labour election victory signals the demise of the Conservatives stalled multi-million pound plan to send migrants to Rwanda, without a single asylum seeker being deported from the UK.

Described by critics as an Alice in Wonderland adventure that was both absurd and inhumane, Sir Keir Starmers party vowed to scrap the policy plagued by problems on day one if elected.

But the financial implications of walking away from the deal, the total bill to the taxpayer so far, as well as the view of the Rwandan government to the change in leadership, are as yet unknown. Not to mention what the alternative plan to curb migrant Channel crossings will be.

It all comes as fresh High Court legal challenges against elements of the policy are still under way, amid sustained concerns about the east African nations human rights record.

In a judgment handed down on Friday in one of the cases, brought by the FDA union representing senior civil servants, the High Court ruled guidance from Conservative ministers which told officials to ignore any directions from the European Court of Human Rights and carry out Rwanda removals was lawful.

Suella Braverman was one of three home secretaries to visit Kigali to promote the Rwanda deal (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Rishi Sunak vowed to get flights off the ground in July after his Safety of Rwanda Act became law in April. But, having called the General Election, conceded these would only take place if he was re-instated in Downing Street as Prime Minister.

Government lawyers then told a judge the first flights were being planned for July 24  some two years after they were initially meant to go ahead.

In April 2022 then prime minister Boris Johnson vowed to send thousands of asylum seekers to Rwanda as the home secretary at the time, Priti Patel, signed what she called a world-first deal with Kigali.

The very first flight attempt in June that year was grounded just minutes before take-off after a ruling by a judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Since then there has been repeated efforts by the government to revive the plan with law changes, a fresh treaty and flurry of promises of scrutiny to allay concerns about the efficiency and ethics of the plan.

Over the years ministers and senior officials insisted their determination to get flights off the ground as soon as possible.

Three home secretaries  Ms Patel, Suella Braverman and James Cleverly  embarked on high profile visits to the country to seal and promote the deal at hundreds of thousands of pounds of expense to the taxpayer. But not one single asylum seeker has been deported under the scheme.

There were five migrants who voluntarily agreed to leave the UK and head to Rwanda in an arrangement separate to the plan  in return for being offered 3,000 each.

The outgoing government was often accused of secrecy over payments agreed for the policy.

But an investigation by Whitehalls spending watchdog found the cost of the troubled scheme could soar to half a billion pounds, plus hundreds of thousands more for each person deported, if implemented.

The previous government repeatedly refused to say how much more money, on top of the 290 million already confirmed, the UK had agreed to pay Rwanda under the deal. The National Audit Office report revealed millions more in spending including 11,000 for each migrants plane ticket.

Facing further questions about the scheme, the Home Offices permanent secretary Sir Matthew Rycroft indicated officials were seeking a drop in migrant Channel crossings of about 10,000 people in order to be able to consider the Rwanda scheme value for money.

James Cleverly signed a fresh treaty with Rwanda in December (Ben Birchall/PA)

Dan Hobbs, the departments director general for migration and borders, also told MPs in post at the time the plan was never intended to be at a significantly lower cost to the UK and it was about having a quality scheme that delivered for the individuals and gave a five-year package of support, with higher costs at the start due to setting up the programme.

The Conservatives and government officials consistently argued the scheme was never intended to be used to send all asylum seekers arriving in the UK to Rwanda but to act as a deterrent to curb the dangerous migrant Channel crossings.

Earlier this year Rwandas President Paul Kagame suggested British taxpayers money could be repaid if the deal failed.

Spokeswoman for his administration Yolande Makolo later said the country had no obligation to return any of the funds paid but if the UK requested a refund we will consider this.

But she made clear this would only apply to a portion of funds which were specifically allocated to pay for support for migrants, with the remaining cash put towards boosting the east African nations economy as part of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership.

Meanwhile an exchange between the Home Offices top civil servant and MPs revealed Rwanda could walk away from its multi-million pound deal with the UK and keep the money without accepting a single asylum seeker.

Sir Matthew told MPs sitting on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) at the time there was a break clause included in the memorandum of understanding the UK and Rwanda signed in April 2022 to seal the deal, which allows either government to walk away from it with three months notice.

He confirmed that if the UK instigates the break clause, Rwanda keeps the money already paid.

If Rwanda ends the agreement, Sir Matthew said the countrys government would have to repay the money proportionately.

Home Office officials also said the funding given by the UK to Rwanda was not intended to be returned.

The price tag to the taxpayer of sending ministers and officials to Rwanda reportedly stands at more than 400,000, with chartering a private jet for Mr Cleverlys one-day visit in December to sign a new treaty alone costing more than 165,000.

Last year figures obtained under freedom of information laws revealed, the Home Office had already spent more than 2.1million fighting legal challenges to the plan. And the total bill is likely to be significantly higher as a handful of court cases over the policy continue.

The cost of the Border Force operation to detain asylum seekers in preparation for the first flights to take off, which involved hundreds of officers, has not been disclosed and the total number of those held in immigration removal centre was never revealed by the Home Office.

Since the series of raids around the country in April scores of people, reportedly as many as 200, who were due to be deported have been released on bail by immigration judges because there is no longer a realistic prospect of removal within a reasonable time scale.

The change in Government is now likely to see a string of other bail applications from lawyers of any remaining detainees with a strong case to argue for their release.
Michael Portillos election defeat in 1997, unseated on a swing of 17.4 percentage points shortly after 3am on 2 May that year, has become synonymous with the shock moment that a major political big beast loses their seat. But following a landslide victory for Labour in the 2024 general election, the Portillo moments started coming thick and fast. Who are the major figures who have lost their seats in the 2024 general election?

As of 7am on Friday, eight cabinet ministers had lost their seats, including:

Penny Mordaunt, leader of the Commons

Alex Chalk, the justice secretary

Grant Shapps, the defence secretary

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary

David TC Davies , the Welsh secretary

Michelle Donelan, the science secretary

Lucy Frazer, the culture secretary

Mark Harper, the transport secretary

A further four senior ministers who attend cabinet were also ousted

Johnny Mercer, the veterans minister

Simon Hart, the chief whip

Victoria Prentis , the attorney general

Michael Tomlinson, illegal immigration minister

Liz Truss

Seat South West Norfolk

Majority in 2019 26,195

Result Labour gain

Liz Truss had a whopping majority in South West Norfolk, one of the truest of true blue constituencies in the UK. Her premiership  all 45 days of it  may famously not have lasted as long as an iceberg lettuce, but she had hoped that her time in parliament would carry on. So when rumours started to fly, after about 4.30am on Friday, that she had lost her seat there were gasps of disbelief. It took until a little before 7am for her defeat to be confirmed, with people slow-clapping as they waited to hear results. She lost to Labours Terry Jermy, who took 11,847 votes to Trusss 11,217  a slim majority of 630, and a swing of 26%.

A sizeable Reform vote in the seat worked against her as did an independent candidate, former army officer James Bagge, who set the cat among the pigeons as the leader of the so-called Turnip Taliban. But it was, perhaps, the enduring impact of her disastrous mini-budget unleashed on the economy that did for the former PM in the end.

Penny Mordaunt

Seat Portsmouth North

Majority in 2019 15,780

Result Labour gain

Penny Mordaunts dreams of shaping the future of the Conservative party as its leader were ended abruptly in the early hours of Friday morning in one of the biggest shocks of the night. Her Portsmouth North seat  which last fell into Labour hands during Tony Blairs reign  proved too difficult for her to hold, and went to Labour on a 18% swing. The defeat of the Commons leader will come as a blow to Tory moderates who saw her as a potential successor to Rishi Sunak.

Mordaunt, who became an MP in 2010, became the UKs first female defence secretary in the final days of Theresa Mays government. The Royal Navy reservist took part in two leadership contests, but became well known on a national level after receiving plaudits for her ability to carry an extraordinarily heavy sword during King Charless coronation.

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Seat North East Somerset and Hanham (new constituency)

Majority in 2019 (in North East Somerset) 14,729

Result Labour gain

A picture of Jacob Rees-Mogg lolling on the benches in the Houses of Parliament, eyes closed, became a defining image of the past 14 years of Tory government. But the divisive former business secretary lost his seat in North East Somerset and Hanham to Labours Dan Norris  whom Rees-Mogg had unseated during the 2010 election.

Rees-Mogg congratulated the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, on what seems to be a historic victory, adding, as his final thought, from the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success. So thank you very much everybody, and good night.

Gillian Keegan

Seat Chichester

Majority in 2019 21,490

Result Lib Dem gain

The education secretary provided a jaw-dropping moment of election night, becoming one of the first cabinet ministers of the night to lose her seat. Her Chichester seat  which had been held by the Conservatives for 100 years  was targeted relentlessly in the Lib Dems almost-surgical campaign, but it was nonetheless only number 103 on their list of targets.

Keegan  who left school at 16 and went on to have a successful business and political career  was appointed to the cabinet as education secretary in 2022. She was no-nonsense in her approach, and will be remembered for her hot mic moment in September 2023, while expressing frustration about the crumbling concrete crisis in schools. Does anyone ever say: You know what, youve done a fucking good job, because everyone else has sat on their arse and done nothin? she raged. She will be replaced by the Lib Dems Jess Brown-Fuller.

Grant Shapps

Seat Welwyn Hatfield

Majority in 2019 10,955

Result Labour gain

The defence secretary has been seen as a safe pair of hands over many media outings for Rishi Sunak  including a sizeable number sporting a lockdown mullet during the coronavirus pandemic. But after 19 years as the MP for Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire, a visibly shaken Shapps lost his seat shortly after 3am on Friday. In his concession speech, he acknowledged that it was clear tonight that Britain will have a new government in the morning, and he urged Labour to increase its funding commitment to defence spending. He also had a word of warning for his colleagues who retained their seats, saying divisions within the party meant traditional voters felt unable to vote Conservative, calling the infighting in the Tory party an indulgent soap opera. There is a danger that we now go off on some tangent, he said.

Shapps had a healthy majority, but a Labour resurgence in the affluent commuter belt has put an end to a career during which the Tory stalwart was put in charge of various government departments including transport, energy, business and a short stint at the Home Office. I have served in more cabinet posts than most, he acknowledged, with a wry smile. He will be replaced by Labours Andrew Lewin, who got 19,877 votes (41%). Shapps got 16,078 votes (33%).

Lucy Frazer

Seat Ely and East Cambridgeshire (new constituency)

Majority in 2019 (South East Cambridgeshire) 11,490

Result Lib Dem gain

The culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, was yet another cabinet member to lose her seat in Ely and East Cambridgeshire in the early hours of Friday morning. She was defeated by the Liberal Democrats Charlotte Cane, who got 17,127 votes to Frazers 16,632  giving the Lib Dems a majority of just 495.

Alex Chalk

Seat Cheltenham

Majority in 2019 981

Result Lib Dem gain

The justice secretary, Alex Chalk, always had an uphill task on his hands, and was defending a relatively slim majority in a seat that has always had a strong Lib Dem presence and has a long tradition of tactical voting. He lost his seat to the Lib Dems Max Wilkinson.

The Lib Dems held Cheltenham in the 2005 election and again in 2010 before Chalk took the seat in 2015. The writing was on the wall after a poor set of local election results in May, in which all of the Conservatives councillors were wiped out, while the Lib Dem vote grew.

Chalk became the 11th justice secretary in 13 years last year after Dominic Raab resigned over bullying allegations. He was the solicitor general under Boris Johnson, but was part of the mass resignation of ministers that forced the downfall of the former prime minister.

Simon Hart

Seat Caerfyrddin (new constituency)

Majority in 2019 (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire) 7,745

Result Plaid Cymru

Cabinet member Simon Hart, Rishi Sunaks chief whip, was at the sharp end of a very poor night for the Conservatives across Wales and lost his seat in what will be seen as a major blow for the Tories.

Michelle Donelan

Seat Melksham and Devizes (new constituency)

Majority in 2019 (Chippenham) 11,288

Result Lib Dem gain

The science secretary, Michelle Donelan, who was the MP for Chippenham in Wiltshire from 2015 to 2024, lost her bid to become the representative of the new constituency of Melksham and Devizes, which was won by Brian Mathew of the Liberal Democrats. Donelan held three other cabinet positions from 2020 to 2023 under Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

Mark Harper

Seat Forest of Dean

Majority in 2019 15,869

Result Labour gain

The transport secretary was one of Sunaks most passionate supporters, and was given his cabinet position when the prime minister took office, previously holding several ministerial positions and serving as the chief whip.

Known for leading the Covid Recovery Group of backbench MPs who challenged lockdown restrictions during the pandemic, Harper lost the seat to Labours Matt Bishop, a local district councillor. The Forest of Dean was held by Labour under Tony Blair, but has been in Tory hands since Harper won it in 2005, having failed to win it four years earlier.

Greg Hands

Seat Chelsea & Fulham

Majority in 2019 11,241

Result Labour gain

Former Conservative party chair and trade minister Greg Hands had held the seat of Chelsea & Fulham for the Conservatives since it was formed in 2010 having previously represented part of the area as MP for Hammersmith & Fulham from 2005. But this time around Hands, perhaps best known for his heavy-handed jibes, lost out to Labours Ben Coleman as a red Labour tide swept across London, which according to some estimates meant the Conservatives completely wiped from inner London for the first time since the 1870s.

Many Labour MPs and supporters will not miss his repeated sharing of a 2010-penned joke letter from the former chief secretary to the Treasury Liam Byrne to his successor, which read: Im afraid there is no money. His referral to the letter was so prolific, that theres even a dedicated X account known as Greg Hands Letter Counter.

Robert Buckland

Seat Swindon South (new constituency)

Majority in 2019 (South Swindon) 6,625

Result Labour gain

Sir Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary, had become more of a mid-sized beast, rather than a big one, after resigning as Welsh secretary in 2022 when Rishi Sunak became prime minister. However, as a high-profile backbencher his departure is notable, after his Swindon South constituency became the first Labour gain from the Conservatives of the night. He lost to Heidi Alexander, who was a deputy mayor of London for Transport and the Labour MP for Lewisham East from 2010 to 2018.

Buckland, not known as a firebrand, was visibly angry in the moments after the result. Do we value those who work to bring people together and to come into politics to do something rather than be someone?, he asked. Or do we shrug our shoulders and accept politics as a mere circus?

Michael Fabricant

Seat Lichfield

Majority in 2019 23,628

Result Labour gain

Again, not strictly speaking a Tory big beast, but perhaps one of the most recognisable Conservative figures in the country thanks to his distinctive hairstyle. Fabricant has served as the MP for Lichfield in Staffordshire, formerly Mid Staffordshire, since 1992. He received 16,422 votes, but was pipped to the post by Labour candidate Dave Robertson, who received 17,232, giving Labour a majority of 810.

Therese Coffey

Seat Suffolk Coastal

Majority in 2019 20,533

Result Labour gain

Not a key figure in the current cabinet but Therese Coffey has been a prominent figure in the Conservatives over the years, serving as environment secretary, health secretary and work and pensions secretary. She was also, lest we forget, a short-lived deputy prime minister from September to October 2022 during the blink-and-you-miss-it premiership of Liz Truss. It was a close-run thing in Suffolk Coastal, with Coffey getting 14,602 votes to Labours Jenny Riddell-Carpenters 15,672 votes.

Johnny Mercer

Seat Plymouth Moor View

Majority in 2019 12,897

Result Labour gain

The veterans minister, Johnny Mercer, unexpectedly won Plymouth Moor View from Labour in 2015, and has built his majority since. The ex-army captain lost to Labours Fred Thomas, a former Royal Marine. Mercer came second, with 12,061 votes, while Thomas received 17,665 votes, securing victory with a 5,604 majority.

Liam Fox

Seat North Somerset

Majority in 2019 17,536

Result: Labour gain

The former defence secretary, trade secretary, party chair and prominent figure on the right enjoyed 53% of the vote in the last election in his rural constituency, which he represented for 32 years. He had served as the MP for North Somerset, formerly Woodspring, since 1992.

But on Friday Fox was beaten by Labours Sadik Al-Hassan, a pharmacist, won the seat with a majority of just 639 votes on a swing of 14.82%. During the campaign, Al-Hassan accused Fox of being a part-time politician who had taken countless second jobs. Fox, 62, twice unsuccessfully ran for the party leadership in 2005 and 2016.

Jonathan Gullis

Seat Stoke-on-Trent North

Majority in 2019 6,286

Result Labour

Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis  who has made a name for himself during his five years in parliament by railing against everything from free school meals, the Black Lives Matter movement, people who eat avocados and Gary Lineker  won Stoke-on-Trent North in the 2019 general election, as the red wall collapsed across the north and Midlands. It was the first time Labour had lost the seat since it was created in 1950, but on Friday morning it was taken back by Labour, with David Williams the new MP for the seat.
Despite not being recognised at the time, in 2006 Akira Endo was honoured with the Japan prize and in 2008 received a Lasker award, sometimes described as the American Nobel. Photograph: JIJI Press/AFP/Getty Images

The Japanese biochemist Akira Endo, who has died aged 90, was the creator of the first statin, a drug that lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, through his pioneering work with fungal extracts. Endo believed  and eventually proved  that fungi could yield a substance to block cholesterol production.

Known as bad cholesterol, LDL cholesterol narrows the arteries, raising the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke. First licensed in 1987, statins were a game-changer in the treatment of heart disease. Today, approximately 200 million people take them daily and they are the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK.

Endo, who received no plaudits at the time, and never any royalties, was nevertheless much respected in scientific circles. Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein, who won a Nobel prize in 1985 for their own work on cholesterol, said: The millions of people whose lives will be extended through statin therapy owe it all to Akira Endo and his search through fungal extracts.

In the early 60s the link between LDL cholesterol and heart disease was well known, and safe, effective anti-cholesterol medicines were urgently needed: in 1961, half of all deaths in the UK were attributable to heart and circulatory disease. But attempts to create a drug to lower cholesterol were in the doldrums: the drug Triparanol, for example, introduced in 1960, had to be swiftly withdrawn due to it causing cataracts and other issues.

Endo grew up learning about the properties of plants and fungi from his grandfather, a herbalist. He was also inspired by the Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming, who isolated the first antibiotic, penicillin, from a mould he found in a petri dish in 1928. The natural world, it seemed, could yield important medicines.

In the 60s Endo was working for the Japanese pharmaceutical company Sankyo in Tokyo. He knew the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase in the liver was vital to making cholesterol. He wanted to target it and in 1971 had his chance

, when Sankyo offered him two years to work on a blue sky project of his choosing.

Endo spent that time analysing about 6,000 fungal extracts. He reckoned there might be fungi with chemicals that interfered with cholesterol production as a defence against predatory microbes requiring cholesterol to grow.

He reckoned there might be fungi with chemicals that interfered with cholesterol production

On 15 March 1972 he struck lucky with a strain of Penicillium citrinum. He said: My team and I shouted with joy and toasted our success. The blue-green mould that grows naturally on rice and fruit stopped the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase in its tracks. Endo extracted the active compound  citrinin  to create a statin drug named compactin. In 1976 he published a paper announcing it to the world as the first statin.

Compactin was effective in laboratory tests and on animals, but Sankyo did not want to take it forward to human trials, preferring to refine their existing drugs. So Endo secretly reached out to Akira Yamamoto, a physician at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Centre in Osaka. In 1978 Yamamoto gave compactin to 11 patients with very high cholesterol levels and was impressed with the results.

Endo showed the results to Sankyo, who agreed to put compactin into human trials, but halted them in 1980 over concern about a side-effect it had in animals. However, by then his research was in the hands of a competitor. In 1976 Sankyo had signed an agreement with Merck Research Laboratories in the US, which gave Merck access to some of Sankyos data, including Endos. Merck swiftly spotted the commercial potential, and raced to produce a statin from another fungus, which differed chemically from compactin by just four atoms. They began large-scale trials and brought their drug, lovastatin, to market under the brand name Mevacor in 1987 as the first statin licensed for use.

Disenchanted at Sankyo, Endo had accepted a professorship at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology at the end of 1978. He did not leave on the best of terms and claimed Sankyo had even instructed colleagues not to help him carry out boxes of papers.

Despite not being recognised at the time, in 2006 Endo was honoured with the Japan prize and in 2008 he received a Lasker award, sometimes described as the American Nobel.

Born near Yurihonjo in the Akita prefecture of Japan, Endo grew up in a farming family. While his parents tended the farm, Endo spent time with his herbalist grandfather, who lived with the family.

After high school in Akita, Endo went to Tohoku Universitys college of agriculture in Sendai in 1953 to study biochemistry, and in 1957 joined Sankyo, where his main project was a pectinase enzyme that broke down cloudiness in apple juice, wines and ciders. For his research in this area, he received a PhD in 1966 from Tohoku University.

Endo had become interested in cholesterol in the mid-60s. He wrote to the American scientist Konrad Bloch, who had won the 1964 Nobel prize for his work on the substance. However, Blochs class was full, so Endo became a student of the biochemist Bernard Horecker at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York in 1966. While he was there, he was astonished at seeing so many Americans the size of sumo wrestlers, and seeing ambulances ferrying heart attack patients to hospital. My experience in New York made me realise the importance of developing an effective cholesterol-lowering agent, he said.

Endo returned to Japan in 1968 to continue working for Sankyo. At Tokyo University from 1978, he continued to research fungi for their use in cosmetics, chewing gum and other products. He also became a director of Biopharm Research Laboratories.

He is survived by his wife, Orie, daughter, Chiga, and son, Osamu.

 Akira Endo, biochemist, born 14 November 1933; died 5 June 2024
Nicola Sturgeon - Jane Barlow/PA

As the defeated parties hold their inevitable election inquests, second only to the bloodletting in Tory circles will be that in the Scottish National Party. Reduced from a party whose proud boast was that it had never lost an election in almost two decades, its angry supporters are claiming that this defeat has all but killed off the cause closest to their hearts: independence for Scotland.

Now a shadow of its former self  down from 48 MPs in the Commons to nine  the party knows only too well where to look for the reason behind this embarrassing downfall. No, not at John Swinney, who had been the partys third leader in a year and was appointed only seven weeks ago. Veteran nationalists know where the blame lies: the 10 year reign of Nicola Sturgeon.

And theyre comparing her time at the top with that of her predecessor and former mentor  now sworn enemy  Alex Salmond. In 2014, he came within ten percentage points of engineering the break up of the United Kingdom, a result that one year later saw the SNP win every seat  bar three  in the 2015 general election.

However, its now clear that the Sturgeon legacy is dramatically different.

The 53 year old former lawyer succeeded Salmond almost as soon as the ink was dry on the result of the referendum and her decade at the top started well. During the Covid emergency, she became a household name throughout Britain, thanks to her controversial daily TV news conferences and her tough policies to combat the Covid virus; policies that most now know to have created more problems than they solved.

But her calamitous fall from grace in the political world was hastened by her totally reckless belief in her own omnipotence and her determination to be a world leader, not just in breaking up the United Kingdom but as a pioneer in controversial social change.

Still hanging over Scottish public life is whats happened to the missing 600,000 from the SNPs coffers. Donated by members for a referendum that will now never come, Police Scotlands investigation into where it went recently passed its third anniversary. Sturgeon and a party official were arrested and released without charge pending further inquiries.

Her husband, Peter Murrell, resigned as SNP chief executive, and has now been charged with embezzlement in connection with the missing money, an accusation he denies. Police Scotland say that the First Minister is still under investigation. She denies any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, her pursuit of independence had been stalled by defeat in the 2014 referendum and the opposition of successive Conservative governments to allow another vote. But Sturgeon refused to accept defeat and told everyone that shed go ahead and stage what was known as Indyref2. However, a unanimous vote of the Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish government couldnt call such a referendum without the UK Governments consent.

Despite this, she remained determined to make her mark on the world stage and this occurred with her Gender Recognition Bill which, in spite of widespread concerns even among some of the wisest heads in her own party, would have permitted anyone over 16 to change their gender by a simple statement.

A host of big name critics, including one of the worlds most famous authors, JK Rowling, castigated the bill for being a major threat to womens rights and safety. And its death knell was sounded when the UK Government, under powers retained by Westminster when the devolved government in Edinburgh was set up, vetoed the measure to stop it becoming law.

There is no doubt that this bill became the issue on which Sturgeons judgment and political nous was called into question, with her predecessor and former mentor, Alex Salmond, angrily criticising her for damaging the case for independence.

However, while that controversy saw her prestige on the UK stage nose-dive, we can go back almost exactly three years to find the root cause of her downfall.

That was when Sturgeon, who had been angry that she had failed to secure an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament in the 2021 election, sought to manufacture an artificial majority that would allow her unfettered power at Holyrood.

On August 20, 2021 a smiling Sturgeon, flanked by even wider smiles from the joint leaders of the Scottish Greens  Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater  formally signed the so-called Bute House Agreement.

Its objective was simple: to create a majority in the Scottish Parliament for a transformative agenda and a cast-iron mandate for giving the people of Scotland the choice of independence with a massive 71-57 majority at Holyrood.

While the Greens had only seven MSPs to the SNPs 64, it was the former that swiftly took charge of the coalitions agenda with the result that soon it wasnt the tail wagging the dog, more that there was only tail and no dog.

The Greens have long supported independence but, while securing their backing for another referendum, Sturgeon appeared to concede almost absolute power over her governments domestic agenda to this tiny Marxist-leaning party that hardly anyone votes for.

This saw the Greens giving her strong encouragement on the gender issue, calling the shots on shutting down North Sea oil and gas production, bringing in Highly Protected Marine Areas in Scottish waters which would have banned fishing in remote West Highland communities, and being responsible for a slowdown to the upgrade of vital trunk roads.

Its difficult to blame the Greens for the farce over the building of those two ferries on a Clyde yard nationalised by Sturgeon. Now at least five years late, their cost has soared from 97 million to over 240 million. Sturgeon managed that all on her own.

Humza Yousaf, Sturgeons ultimately ill-fated successor as first minister, did summon up the courage to get rid of the Greens, over a dispute on climate change targets, only for the Greens to get rid of him. After being sacked, they tabled a no confidence motion in him, which was backed by opposition parties, and Humza was gone, forced to resign.

And thats where John Swinney came in to try and unpick the worst aspects of the Sturgeon legacy. He failed.

She may have enjoyed being feted at home and abroad, especially by the London commentariat, but in the end Sturgeons legacy has been to transform the SNP from a sure-fire election winner to a warring hotch-potch of mediocrities which has now seen its proud third place on the Commons benches reduced to a mere handful.

Oh yes, and incredibly to my mind, she was a guest pundit on ITVs election special, and candidly  even brazenly  admitted on air that the SNP was having a grim night of bad results.

But did she apologise on air for her part in her partys catastrophic downfall? Not that I heard.
Protesters from the Chagos Islands rally in Parliament Square, London, in 2021. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/Alamy

Peri Batliwala makes a powerful case for the new government to bring an end to the 55-year exile of the Chagossians (Letters, 25 June). The UK/Mauritius negotiations on a settlement of the issues concerning the Chagos Islands and their former inhabitants, announced in November 2022, will no doubt be resumed. It is high time that provision was made for resettlement of the territory and its return to Mauritian sovereignty.

In a speech last July to the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, David Lammy, the then shadow foreign secretary, called for a new settlement that brings the UK into compliance with international law, redresses the historical injustices done to the Chagossians  and meets strategic security concerns.

David Snoxell

Former British high commissioner to Mauritius

 Have an opinion on anything youve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Xinhua president meets ASEAN secretary-general

Xinhua) 09:40, July 05, 2024

President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua meets with Kao Kim Hourn, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua met with Kao Kim Hourn, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in Beijing on Thursday.

Fu said that the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership has sustained a sound development momentum and bilateral cooperation has yielded fruitful results.

Xinhua will continue to cover ASEAN's activities and policies in a timely and accurate manner, and work with the ASEAN Secretariat to illustrate China-ASEAN friendly cooperation through news reports, Fu said.

Xinhua maintains good cooperation with mainstream media organizations of ASEAN countries, and actively coordinates with them through the World Media Summit and other multilateral mechanisms, Fu said, expressing the hope for stronger ties with these media organizations in the realm of news reports, high-level exchanges and personnel interaction.

As a global news agency, Xinhua has provided timely, accurate and wide-ranging reports to a global audience and promoted mutual understanding among people from different countries, Kao said.

He added that the ASEAN Secretariat looks forward to strengthening cooperation with Xinhua to make the voice of ASEAN heard on regional and global stages.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Hurricane Beryl battered through Jamaica, tangled fishing boats in Barbados and wrecked roughly 95% of homes on a pair of islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines before taking aim at the Cayman Islands.

At least seven people are dead from the storm.

Once a Category 5 hurricane, Beryl has dropped to a Category 3 storm onThursday with 120 mile per hour sustained winds but it remains a major hurricane.

The storm was 50 miles southwest of Grand Cayman Island and 385 miles east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico at 8 a.m.

It was moving west-northwest at 20 mph. Beryl was expected to weaken but hit south of Tulum early Friday as a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Jamaica had not seen the "worst of what could possibly happen."

"We can do as much as we can do, as humanly possible, and we leave the rest in the hands of God," Holness told the Associated Press.

Among the known deaths are three people in Grenada and Carriacou, one in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and three in Venezuela. Four people are also missing in Venezuela.

Hurricane warnings remain in effect as Beryl continues to barrel through the weekend.
David TC Davies, who was Welsh secretary in Rishi Sunaks government, attends the count for the Monmouth constituency. Photograph: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

The Conservatives have suffered a humiliating wipeout in Wales with both Labour and Plaid Cymru claiming historic sets of results.

Labour won 27 of the 32 Welsh seats while Plaid ended with four MPs and the Liberal Democrats one but the Tories, who won 14 at the 2019 election, were left with none.

Among those who lost out was David TC Davies, who was Wales secretary in Rishi Sunaks government. Three other former Wales secretaries, Alun Cairns, Simon Hart and Stephen Crabb, were also defeated.

Craig Williams, Sunaks closest parliamentary aide, who was embroiled in a betting scandal, lost in Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, considered the Tories safest seat in Wales. Williams said he wanted to put on record my apology to my team and family.

The result has echoes of 1997 when Tony Blair came to power and the Welsh Tories were left with no representation at Westminster.

The inquests and recriminations began immediately. The leader of the Tories in the Senedd, Andrew RT Davies, expressed anger at the timing of the election, posting on X: Lets be frank: weve let a lot of people down.

Tomos Dafydd Davies, the chair of the party in Wales, suggested the party needed to develop a robust brand of its own in Wales before the 2026 Senedd elections.

The Welsh first minister, Vaughan Gething, said: Its a really good night for Labour. If you think about where we were in 2019, how far back we were, to win an historic return to power, this is fantastic night.

Gething said there was a big job to do. The cost of living crisis has been the number one issue but there is a wider despondency about whether politics can still work and apathy has been a challenge in this election. People have voted for change, its now our job to deliver that.

But the election has not been all good news for Welsh Labour. Its vote share was down in a number of places, perhaps a sign that the controversies swirling around Gething were cutting through.

Laura McAllister, a professor of public policy at Cardiff University, said a fundamental issue now facing Welsh Labour was that its tactic of blaming the UK government for its woes would no longer work  and money is not expected to flow into Wales from the Treasury.

She said: Its no longer the case that the Welsh Labour government can blame a cruel Conservative government in Westminster for refusing to give Wales a fair funding settlement, because it will be its own party in charge. I think that will cause quite a lot of tension.

Jo Stevens, who could become the Wales secretary, said money would reach Wales: Obviously theres going to be a cash injection into the NHS to bring waiting lists down. Weve set out how were going to pay for that, and a cash injection into education so that we can recruit more teachers in the specialist subjects that we know that we need in Wales.

It has been a good election for Plaid Cymru. Its leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, said: Despite the tough context of an unprecedented Labour wave, this is the partys best ever result in a general election  representing the greatest proportion of seats won.

Analysts will be poring over the performance of Reform UK, which finished second in a string of constituencies and could benefit in 2026 in Wales from the enlargement of the Senedd from 60 seats to 96 and the introduction of a system of proportional representation. Nigel Farage launched his partys manifesto in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales, in a sign he believes the country could be fertile ground.

Sam Blaxland, the author of a book studying the Tories in Wales, said: The Labour vote isnt necessarily skyrocketing. Reform are eating into the Conservative vote, and we shouldnt be surprised that theyre doing this in Wales; this is a part of the UK that had a good number of Ukip members of the Senedd and voted for Brexit. There is a populist, rightwing vote up for grabs in some areas and thats where some Conservative voters have gone.
Labours election victory is likely to mean the end of Rishi Sunaks stalled plan to send people to Rwanda. Photograph: Leon Neal/PA

Guidance drawn up by Conservative ministers which told civil servants to ignore Strasbourg rulings and remove asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful, the high court has ruled.

The FDA trade union, which represents senior civil servants, brought legal action claiming senior Home Office staff could be in breach of international law if they implement the governments Rwanda deportation bill.

Lawyers for the union said civil servants could also be in violation of the civil service code  and open to possible prosecution  if they followed a ministers demands to ignore an urgent injunction from Strasbourg banning a deportation.

In Fridays ruling, prepared before the general election, Mr Justice Chamberlain dismissed the FDAs challenge. He said that while civil servants were obliged to refuse to follow instructions that would be unlawful under domestic law, there was no equivalent rule regarding international law.

The judge continued: Any such rule would make it practically impossible for a minister to act contrary to international law. Since the implementation of ministerial decisions almost always requires the assistance of civil servants, it would transform almost every obligation binding on the United Kingdom on the international plane into a domestic constraint on ministerial action.

Related: More than 320m spent on Rwanda policy will be lost if Tories lose election

Last month the high court heard the challenge brought against the Cabinet Office and the now departed prime minister Rishi Sunak, in his role as minister for the civil service, over whether the guidance was lawful.

The guidance says that if a minister decides to ignore a rule 39 indication from the European court of human rights (ECHR) to stop a persons removal to Rwanda, it is the responsibility of civil servants under the civil service code to implement that decision.

A rule 39 indication from Strasbourg is an interim measure to prevent imminent risk of irreparable harm, with one such order contributing to the grounding in 2022 of the first flight expected to carry asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Lawyers for the FDA said civil servants were required by their code to comply with measures from the ECHR, and an instruction from a minister not to do so would override this obligation.

In his 33-page ruling, Chamberlain said no application to adjourn the case was made in light of the general election being announced, with the departing Conservative government having told the court in London it planned to begin removals on 24 July.

Commenting on the outcome of the judicial review, the FDAs general secretary, Dave Penman, said: Whilst it is of course disappointing that the claim was denied, the judge has upheld two important principles. Firstly, that if a minister refused to implement a rule 39 order from the European court of human rights, this would indeed be a breach of international law. Secondly, that civil servants statutory obligation to comply with the law includes international law.

Labours election victory is likely to mean the end of the stalled plan to send people to Rwanda, without a single asylum seeker being deported from the UK.
Jeniffer Rocha, a Deliveroo rider, argued with Stephen Jenkinson over a delivery code before she bit his thumb off in a scuffle - Ollie Thompson/Solent News & Photo Agency

A female Deliveroo rider bit off part of a customers thumb in a display of excessive self defence, a court heard.

Jeniffer Rocha caused Stephen Jenkinson a permanent, irreversible injury while delivering him a Pizza Express order in a reckless attack.

Mr Jenkinson, 36, and Rocha, 35, had a brief argument over a delivery code before the Brazilian Deliveroo rider bit his thumb off.

The plumbers right thumb was completely severed just above the knuckle. Following the grave incident, Mr Jenkinson had to have part of his big toe surgically sewn onto the stump of his missing thumb.

On Friday an emotional Mr Jenkinson told the court how the assault has affected every aspect of his life and that he was now incapacitated.

Stephen Jenkinson, a plumber, told the court how the assault affected every aspect of his life and that he was now 'incapacitated' - Andrew Croft/Solent News & Photo Agency

Rocha, a married mother of two who was making deliveries on her moped as a replacement rider for her husband, admitted grievous bodily harm in March on the eve of her trial.

Today at Salisbury Crown Court, Wilts, she walked free from court as she was handed a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, by a judge who accused her of excessive self defence.

The court heard Mr Jenkinson ordered pizza from Deliveroo to his home near Aldershot, Hants, on Dec 14 2022.

Delivery code

However Rocha arrived at the wrong address and when Mr Jenkinson went to collect his food the pair argued over a delivery code which he was required to show.

Mr Jenkinson did not have his phone on him to show the two-digit code in order to prove he was the customer, and under Deliveroo rules Rocha refused to give him the pizza.

The court heard that a scuffle broke out, and although different accounts were given by both sides, it is accepted Mr Jenkinson pushed Rocha three times.

On the third push, Mr Jenkinsons thumb accidentally entered her mouth through the visor on her helmet, and Rocha forcibly bit down, severing it.

Physically incapacitated

Mr Jenkinson today told the court of the impact the attack has had on him

Speaking at court, he said: This assault has cost me my relationship, my time, my daughter, my career, my home, my money, and has had a huge impact on my mental health.

He said his partner Jessica had given birth just weeks before the attack and they only moved into the home days before.

I was physically incapacitated, he said. I was not able to walk or shower unaided and it fell on Jessica to dress my wounds.

She also had to look after our new baby which was challenging in itself.

After six months I was able to walk and by this point, all of the stress and responsibility caused Jessica to fall apart, which I totally understand.

Separation

Mr Jenkinson said their separation was a direct consequence of the effects of the assault and told how he doesnt see his daughter as regularly as hed like as she moved over 50 miles away with her mother.

Mr Jenkinson said he could not afford the mortgage so had to move into his mothers home, with him currently living in the same bedroom I had when I was 19 years old.

Lauren Hebditch, defending Rocha, said she is the primary carer to her two teenage children and that at the time her husband was in Italy in search of work.

On the night of the offence, Ms Hebditch said her client had done eight jobs that day, she was tired, it was a dark, cold day, adding that Rocha didnt know Mr Jenkinson, a 6ft, muscular man, was her customer.

Trying to protect herself

Ms Hebditch said Rocha was trying to protect herself when a scuffle broke out and she accepts biting down so hard was excessive.

She displays a significant amount of remorse. She lives with it daily, she talks about how difficult it is for him. Her husband says she prays constantly and lives in total regret, Ms Hebditch added.

It was also heard her children have been bullied as a result and that angry members of the public broke into her husbands car.

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Mousley KC said Rochas actions were excessive self defence.

He said he carefully examined photos of Mr Jenkinsons injury, which showed it had been torn off from the base of the thumbnail.

Permanent, irreversible injury

Judge Mousley KC said: What is clear in this case is the thumb going into your mouth was completely accidental and [Mr Jenkinson] had no intention to do that.

But you, of course, would not have known and you had been pushed and finding a thumb in your mouth, Im satisfied you didnt know how things would develop.

This was a grave injury, and it resulted in a permanent, irreversible injury.

He sentenced her to 16 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered her to carry out 25 rehab days.
Sir Keir met the King at Buckingham Palace this morning - JONATHAN BRADY/POOL PA

Sir Keir Starmer is officially Britains next prime minister after Labour were declared winners of the general election.

Rishi Sunak made a statement on Downing Street at 10.30am, in which he announced his resignation as Prime Minister and that he would step down as party leader.

He then travelled to Buckingham Palace for an audience with the King, to formally tender his resignation. The meeting lasted 20 minutes.

Then, Sir Keir travelled to see the King at the palace. He has been appointed as the countrys next prime minister and asked to form an administration.

Sir Keir was then driven to Downing Street to address the nation for the first time as prime minister.

However, forming a government and opening a new session of Parliament will take longer, with the Kings Speech set for July 17.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer - AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda

When will Starmer appoint a Cabinet?

Despite being in the shadow cabinet during opposition, ministers are not guaranteed a spot in the Prime Ministers governing Cabinet.

Indeed, while Labours governing Cabinet is expected to largely mirror its existing shadow cabinet, sources say Sir Keirs aides are looking for bigger roles for Ellie Reeves, who was the deputy national campaign coordinator, Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general, and Alison McGovern, the shadow employment minister. Some MPs will be disappointed, although cabinet reshuffles may certainly be expected during Sir Keirs five years in power.

When will the new Parliament begin?

Sir Keirs Cabinet will be told to get to work immediately, returning to the Commons on July 9 when they will formally elect the Speaker and swear in the members of the House.

They will then sit until July 31, before breaking for a shortened summer recess until Sept 2. Sir Keirs hopes to cut this summer period short by two weeks were squashed after complaints from his tired MPs.

During this busy time, the monarch will also deliver the Kings Speech before Parliament on July 17 for the formal State Opening of Parliament.

Sir Keir Starmer in Kyiv, Ukraine - Office of the President of Ukraine

When will Keir Starmer meet other world leaders as Britains new Prime Minister?

On July 9, Sir Keir will travel to Washington DC for a summit marking the 75th anniversary of Nato with his foreign secretary (expected to be David Lammy) and defence secretary (likely to be John Healey).

The summit will centre around the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and Sir Keir is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, before a suggested trip to Kyiv. A bilateral meeting with Joe Biden, the US president, has not yet been confirmed.

Just one week later, on July 16, Sir Keir will host a summit of the European Political Community of 47 countries at the birthplace and ancestral home of Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace.

How does the election of the Speaker work?

Upon the Houses return, members of the Commons are escorted to the House of Lords by the Father of the House, where the monarch requests they elect a Speaker. Black Rod, the Kings representative in the House of Lords, is sent to summon MPs to the Lords Chamber, knocking on the Commons door three times.

An MP will propose a motion to reinstate Lindsay Hoyle as Speaker. This motion is voted on immediately without debate, and, if passed, the Speaker is re-elected.

Again, Black Rod is sent to summon the Speaker-elect and MPs to the House of Lords, where the commissioners notify the Speaker-elect of the Kings approval.

How are MPs and peers sworn in?

Members of the House of Commons and Lords must both take an oath of allegiance to the Crown or make a solemn affirmation. This occurs over two or three days before the State Opening of Parliament after the speaker has been elected.

MPs take the oath in order of seniority, beginning with the Speaker, followed by the Father of the House (longest serving male MP), senior Cabinet MPs and then all others. Peers follow a similar process in the House of Lords.
Reform UK leader and new MP for Clacton, reacts as a protester interrupts his presentation - OLI SCARFF/AFP

Nigel Farage has launched a campaign against the first-past-the-post electoral system, saying his party would have won 100 seats under proportional representation.

The Reform UK leader and newly-elected MP for Clacton called the current voting system outdated and said he would campaign with anyone and everyone to change it as his party won its fifth and final seat on Friday evening.

James McMurdock replaced the Conservative Stephen Metcalfe in South Basildon and East Thurrock, who was elected in 2019 with 65.4 per cent of the vote. He won the seat with 12,178 votes and beat out Labours Jack Ferguson by a narrow margin of 98 votes in the last election result to be declared.

More than four million votes were cast for Reform in the general election, but the party returned only five MPs. The Liberal Democrats returned 71 MPs with just 3.5 million votes.

James McMurdock replaced the Conservative Stephen Metcalfe, who was elected in 2019 with 65.4 per cent of the vote. Mr McMurdock won the seat with 12,178 votes and beat out Labours Jack Ferguson in second by a narrow margin of 98 votes.

Analysis has suggested Fridays nationwide election result was the most distorted in history, with Labour winning nearly two thirds of the seats in the House of Commons with just over a third of the popular vote.

As of Friday morning, Labour had won 411 constituencies  63.7 per cent of the seats available  with a vote share of just 33.8 per cent.

The 30-point gap between the popular vote and seat share is the most skewed result ever, far outpacing the previous 22-point gap recorded in 2001 under Tony Blair.

Labour secured just over 700,000 more votes than Jeremy Corbyn in 2019, one percentage point more, but managed to pick up more than 200 additional seats.

It hands Sir Keir Starmer a majority similar to Tony Blairs in 1997, when Labour won 43.3 per cent of the vote. Sir Keirs vote share is below even the 35.2 per cent which Mr Blair achieved in the 2005 election, when his majority fell to 66 seats.

Writing in The Times, polling expert Prof Sir John Curtice said: In the most disproportional electoral outcome in British electoral history, Labours strength in the new House of Commons is a heavily exaggerated reflection of the partys limited popularity in the country.

Reform won 14 per cent of the vote. At a press conference in central London, Mr Farage said: Its very much my view that our outdated, first-past-the-post electoral system is not fit for purpose and we will campaign with anyone and everyone to change this electoral system.

Thats what well be doing and well make those arguments in parliament as quickly as we can.

He told supporters and journalists: If we had proportional representation, wed be looking at nearly 100 seats.

The first major Reform press event since the partys four victories on Thursday night was hit by a wave of protesters who stood to heckle Mr Farage as he began to speak.

The first of seven protesters to get up to shout at Mr Farage said: Nigel, youre a racist, youre a liar. Another said: Nigel, youre a racist, your partys filled with racists.

They were all quickly escorted out the room by security, while Reform supporters booed and voiced their support for Mr Farage, with one telling him: It means youre doing something right Nigel.

Richard Tice, the Reform MP for Boston and Skegness and party chairman, later also voiced his criticism of the current electoral system, hinting at a potential referendum campaign on the issue.

He told journalists: How could it be right that the Conservative Party, that has just over 50 per cent more votes than we have, have 30 times the number of MPs?

How could it be right that the now ruling Labour Party have double the number of votes that we have, and theyve got some 100 times the number of MPs?

Flawed democratic system

This is a flawed democratic system and I think that people will be looking at these results and saying this is not a real, genuine fair democracy. And I think that the people will demand, absolutely demand real change.

We quite like referendums, weve quite a good track record. And Im absolutely convinced that if there was a referendum this weekend on PR we would win it hands down. No ifs, no buts.

Both Labour and the Conservatives have generally not voiced support for proportional representation, as the two parties are more able to obtain large outright majorities in Parliament.

But smaller parties, such as the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and now Reform, have all backed changing the electoral system.

Before the election, Sir Ed Davey said that if PR in Parliament meant that more Reform MPs enter Parliament, then so be it.

He told BBC Panorama: We believe in fair votes and therefore you take the democratic response and if that means parties who I dont agree with or I dont share anything in common [with] get more MPs, so be it. That is democracy.

Meanwhile, Rupert Lowe, the new Reform MP for Great Yarmouth, has said that he will donate his MP salary to local charities.

The former Southampton FC chairman and banker, 66, who previously represented Ukip as an MEP, said: Im donating my entire net MP salary to Great Yarmouth charities/worthy causes.

Each month, a different one will be chosen and I will post proof for every single one.

Making reference to a suggestion on social media that he had become an MP to take all the cash and freebies you can get, he added: So not that great at taking all the cash!

06:14 PM BST

Thats all for today

Thank you for following the latest updates on Reform UKs standing in the 2024 election results.

You can read more on Nigel Farage and find out where his party comes from here and here.

05:36 PM BST

Final result of 2024 general election swings to Reform

Reform UK have claimed the final seat of the 2024 election race as South Basildon and East Thurrock became the last constituency to declare.

James McMurdock won the seat by a margin of just 98 votes, with Labours Jack Ferguson in close second.

The seat was called over 18 hours after the first result  a Labour win in Houghton & Sunderland South  was announced.

James McMurdock, the newly-elected Reform MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock - James McMurdock

05:22 PM BST

Reform win fifth seat in South Basildon and East Thurrock

03:42 PM BST

Farage promises to behave in Westminster

Nigel Farage said he was not going into Westminster to behave terribly but would challenge conventions after being elected as an MP for the first time.

Asked how he would democratise Reform UK, which now has four MPs, and shake up Westminster from the inside as a disruptor, he said he did not know whether his party would have the power to change the systems and that being a disruptor can be considered negative but could be a very positive context because it sparks a very, very different debate.

But were not going in to behave terribly or anything like that, but certainly going in to challenge conventions and certainly going in believing that the broad church that is the Conservative Party that currently has no religion, simply wont be able to provide any sort of challenge at all.

And we may be be fewer in number but were absolutely united in what we believe in and what we stand for.

He also said Reform UKs constitution would get put fully to the conference.

03:41 PM BST

Something remarkable is happening out there says Farage about Gen Z support

Nigel Farage has said something remarkable is happening out there after a surge in Gen Z support for Reform.

He said the party completely dominated social media, adding that enthusiasm for his party among young people was growing rapidly.

Mr Farage said: We completely and utterly dominated social media, whether it was X, whether it was Facebook, whether it was Instagram, whether it was TikTok, we have completely dominated that landscape in the most remarkable way.

He added: And as a result, the enthusiasm for what we stand for is now growing rapidly amongst Gen Z unlike anything Ive ever seen before.

Something is happening out there. something remarkable is happening out there with this younger generation.

03:31 PM BST

Farage very happy with Trump support

Nigel Farage said he is very happy with congratulations from Donald Trump.

The former US president, who has long supported Mr Farages political career, posted about the victory on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a Parliament Seat Amid Reform UK Election Success, he said.

Nigel is a man who truly loves his country.

In response to his comments, Mr Farage said: Im very happy with the comments he has made. And Ill just leave it at that.

03:26 PM BST

I havent thought any of this through says Farage

Asked whether he would give up his broadcasting career and still planned to go and support Donald Trump in his US presidential election campaign, Mr Farage said: I havent got a clue. I havent thought any of this through yet.

Weve been so busy focused on running to the line of July the 4th that we have a lot to think about. But you known what you say Im a very busy man - you want to get a job done ask a busy man to do it, they somehow always find the time.

Nigel Farage speaks as media focus on hecklers - Bloomberg

03:26 PM BST

Vetting candidates is easy, says Farage

Nigel Farage said that vetting candidates is easy and that most racism in British politics is in the Labour Party.

Asked at a press conference how he would vet Reform candidates properly going forward, including for racism, he said: Very easy. You go back through their social media records, you obviously do police checks and things like that, no, its not difficult to do it and the message has to be clear and simple.

We dont want anyone like that involved with us. Indeed I mean the racism problem in the Labour Party was enormous, but to Keir Starmers credit actually he did quite a lot by getting rid of Jeremy Corbyn, who ironically has been re-elected.

Theres an awful lot we can do. There is plenty of racism in British politics, its mostly in the Labour Party.

03:23 PM BST

Seven protesters heckled Farage ahead of his address to supporters in London

Seven protesters have heckled Nigel Farage ahead of his address to supporters in London.

Four men and three women rose one after another to disrupt Mr Farages speech, the first shouting: Nigel, youre a racist, youre a liar.

The leader of Reform UK was set to give an address to his supporters after Labour won the General Election.

But several people started shouting abuse at him shortly after he walked onto the stage.

It comes after the Party leader won the seat of Clacton early on Friday, becoming Reforms second-ever MP.

Mr Farage won 21,225 votes, beating Conservative candidate Giles Watline, becoming an MP for the first time at the eighth attempt.

03:18 PM BST

Farage launching legal action against Vetting.com after racism row

Nigel Farage has said he is launching criminal legal action against Colin Bloom of Vetting.Com as he vowed to professionalise Reform UK.

Facing a question about the racism row engulfing the party, its leader again blamed the firm it contracted to vet candidates.

He also said: I made it clear that Ukip would be a non-racist, non-sectarian party, and in the end it was.

I will jolly well make sure, starting today, that we do not want people with desperately unpleasant views. We will not tolerate people with these views. They will be gone.

And well have the funding after this, well have the support coming in to be able to absolutely professionalise the party. This will never happen again.

03:15 PM BST

Watch: Farage heckled at Reform press conference

03:15 PM BST

Farage says this should be good when questioned by Channel 4 at conference

Nigel Farage took a question from a Channel 4 journalist and said this should be good before she was given a microphone which was met with cheers from the audience.

Before she asked the question he said stitch-up merchants, go on.

It comes after Reform made an official complaint against Channel 4 amid a row over footage of one of the partys canvassers.

Andrew Parker, a part-time actor who lists secret filming among his skills, was shown in a Channel 4 News bulletin using a racial slur against Rishi Sunak.

03:13 PM BST

By 2029 Reform will be in very serious position to contest election, says Farage

When asked if he intends to run for prime minister in 2029, Nigel Farage said: I believe with structure, funding and professionalism we can be in a very serious position to contest the 2029 election.

He added: But in five years, I suspect by then somebody younger and better looking will have come along.

Until then I will go on leading this party, I will go on charging from the front until such time that somebody else comes along.

03:07 PM BST

Reform to go after Labour votes, says Farage

Nigel Farage said Reform UKs focus will be on going after Labour votes.

The new MP for Clacton told a London press conference: Old Labour was very, very patriotic. It believed in the country. It believed in its people. New Labour far less so.

And the journey that Lee Anderson has been on is a journey that at least a couple of million people have been on, and itll be many, many more by the time were finished, because no doubt, our priority now is to go after Labour votes. That is what were going to be doing.

Introducing Reforms Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, Mr Farage said: Lee Anderson took a brave decision. He decided to join Reform UK. He was much mocked and derided by colleagues who had similar political opinions to him but didnt have the guts to do it. Theyve all lost their seats overnight.

03:07 PM BST

Lee Anderson says what has our country come to when speaking about Sir Keir starmer electoral success

Lee Anderson claimed he would be looking at Sir Keir Starmers Government in the Commons and thinking what has our country come to.

The Reform UK MP said the UKs Prime Minister and his motley crew absolutely scares me to death, Im going to be sat on the green benches next week looking at them and thinking what has our country come to.

03:05 PM BST

Farage outlines his plans for change

Nigel Farage outlined his desire to make changes to the party.

The Reform UK leader said: Above all what were going to do from today is were going to professionalise the party, were going to democratise the party and those few bad apples that have crept in will be gone, will be long gone, and we will never have any of their type back in our organisation.

You have a 100% promise on that.

03:04 PM BST

New Reform MPs thank audience for support

Reform MPs Lee Anderson, for Ashfield, and Rupert Lowe, for Great Yarmouth have addressed the crowd and thanked them for their support.

Rupert Lowe also praised Mr Farage for his campaigning success.

02:58 PM BST

Tice says we are about telling truth

Richard Tice, the Reform MP for Boston and Skegness, told the audience of party supporters that: We are about telling the truth.

He said: I will stand up for you. I will represent you in parliament and in your constituency. And we will make a difference, we will change politics for good.

Nigel Farage poses with fellow Reform MPs Richard Tice, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe in London - REUTERS

02:57 PM BST

Farage jokes this is good preparation for Commons

Nigel Farage, facing further heckling, joked: This is good preparation for the House of Commons I suppose, isnt it? Its going to be very lively in there.

As a woman shouted, Mr Farage added: Oh do buck up really, please love, Im so sorry.

He shouted bye darling as she was removed.

Mr Farage added: Any more for any more?

After a pause, a man shouted: Actually yes.

Mr Farage added: We havent organised this very well, have we?

02:55 PM BST

Farage accuses heckler of being steaming

Nigel Farage accused a man who interrupted his speech of being steaming and shouted boring nine times as a second heckler started speaking.

Several members of the audience were escorted out of the Westminster venue.

As one man started shouting at him, he responded: Are you downwind a couple already? Youve had a bigger lunch than I have. Cor, hes absolutely steaming isnt he? Thats all right, theres still plenty of beer left in the pub, mate.

02:54 PM BST

Farage supporters booed as Reform leader heckled

Supporters of Nigel Farage booed at the hecklers and shouted boring as they interrupted from the audience.

The hecklers were removed from the room.

02:52 PM BST

Farage criticises Starmers first speech as Prime Minister

Nigel Farage criticises Sir Keir Starmer for looking at his notes over 150 times.

Addressing his newly elected MPs, Mr Farage said: Now I dont think these people need scripts because they know what they believe in.

His comments were met with applause from the audience.

02:46 PM BST

Protester escorted out of Farage speech

A protester has been taken from the audience after heckling Nigel Farage ahead of his address to supporters.

02:34 PM BST

Nigel Farage is due to speak any moment

Nigel Farage is set to give a press conference imminently. He was scheduled to speak at 2.30pm.

In the hall where he is expected to speak, there are four red chairs set up behind a large white desk.

The slogan Britain needs Reform is being projected on the wall behind.

02:18 PM BST

Nigel Farage criticises Keir Starmers first speech as Prime Minister

Nigel Farage has criticised Sir Keir Starmers debut speech as Prime Minister.

It comes ahead of Mr Farages first speech as an elected MP, following the Reform UK leader winning his seat in Clacton.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he said: Keir Starmer checked his notes over 150 times in his No 10 speech.

He did so once every 2.8 seconds.

Why does our new PM need a script to tell us what he believes in?

02:06 PM BST

Were resuming our coverage

Hello, were bringing you the latest coverage on Reform UK, as Nigel Farage is set to make a speech after Labours landslide win.

You can watch the speech live on our stream from 2.30pm.

 PRESS CONFERENCE 



I will address supporters and the media at 2.30pm this afternoon on the next steps for our political revolt.



Watch live on X and all the usual channels.  Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 5, 2024

10:09 AM BST

Thats all for today

Thats all for today, thanks for following our live coverage.

Check the website for the latest updates.

10:01 AM BST

Nigel Farage celebrates election win

Nigel Farage has uploaded a celebratory picture of himself and wished his followers a good morning.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, the Reform UK leader is pictured with a wide smile and his arms up in the air.

It comes after his Clacton General Election win.

09:34 AM BST

Pictured: Reform MP Lee Anderson announced as Ashfield winner at general election

Reform MP Lee Anderson announced as winner at general election - SWNS/Tom Maddick

09:19 AM BST

Mhairi Black calls for Greens to receive same media coverage as Reform

Mhairi Black, the former SNP politician, has called for the Green Party to receive as much media coverage as Reform UK as the two parties each currently have four seats.

With the Greens now having the same number of seats as Reform, the UK media should provide them the same platform and level of coverage as Farage's ilk. Will it happen though? #GE24  Mhairi Black  (@MhairiBlack) July 5, 2024

08:59 AM BST

Farage pictured celebrating Clacton win

Nigel Farage gestures as he walks after winning his first seat in parliament - Clodagh Kilcoyne/REUTERS

08:53 AM BST

Recap: Reform will win less seats than expected, says Labour source

Reform UK will win fewer than the 13 seats predicted by the exit poll, according to a Labour source.

The source told The Telegraph their data suggested Nigel Farages party will not be as successful as predicted.

They said: Our data is suggesting Reform will not win many of the seats the exit poll suggests. They will get less than 13 seats.

There have been four seats declared for Reform so far.

07:54 AM BST

Farage predicts beginning of the end for Tories after Clacton win

Nigel Farage has said the General Election results mark the beginning of the end of the Tories.

Speaking after being elected to the Essex seat, he said: Theyve been around for 190 years. Theyve been amazingly resilient. But this could be, I think this is the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party.

This election represents a major electoral breakthrough for Mr Farages party, marking its first real success in terms of seat gains.

Whereas the Tory party has suffered its worst general election result in modern history.

07:22 AM BST

Recap: We are coming for Labour, says Nigel Farage as he wins Clacton

Nigel Farage declared we are coming for Labour after winning his Clacton-on-Sea seat, as Reform vies to gain as many as 13 seats in a major electoral breakthrough.

After seven unsuccessful attempts to win a seat in parliament, Mr Farage said his win was the first step of something that is going to stun all of you.

The victory finally puts the Reform leader inside a political institution he has spent decades railing against and will test his ability to deliver on promises to voters.

Speaking after his win, Mr Farage said Reforms performance in the election so far has been truly extraordinary.

My plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of the next few years and hopefully be big enough to challenge the general election properly in 2029.

Reform now holds four seats, as chairman Richard Tice secured Boston and Skegness, Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth and Lee Anderson became the partys first-ever MP when he claimed the seat of Ashfield.

06:48 AM BST

Trump congratulates Farage on his victory

Donald Trump congratulated his old friend Nigel Farage on his win in Clacton overnight.

The former US president, who has long supported Mr Farages political career, posted about the victory on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a Parliament Seat Amid Reform UK Election Success, he said.

Nigel is a man who truly loves his country.

Mr Farage had originally intended to spend much of the rest of the year campaigning for Trump in the US, before announcing he would come out of retirement to run in Clacton in this election.

06:43 AM BST

Nigel Farage understands the zeitgeist better than anyone

In the end it was a walk-over. Having tried, and failed, on seven occasions to win a seat in Parliament, the most controversial, disruptive, and in many ways most significant, British politician of the last 25 years finally won the opportunity to fulfil his promise to sit in the House of Commons and make a bloody nuisance of himself, writes Mick Brown.

Wearing a mid-blue suit and tie and a Cheshire cat grin, Farage, 60, overturned a Conservative majority of 24,702 to win the Clacton seat, displaying an undisguised glee not only at his own result, but at the performance of Reform candidates across the country exceeding even Farages most optimistic expectations, and at the cost of the Conservative party that he clearly despises.

Read the full story here

06:30 AM BST

Reform misses out on Wellingborough and Rushden

Reform has missed out on Wellingborough and Rushden, one of the 13 seats they were hoping to clinch tonight.

Labour snatched up the seat, Gen Kitchen winning with 17,734 votes.

The Tories placed second with 12,248 votes and Reforms Ben Habib came third with 9,456.

05:57 AM BST

Reforms 13-seat target looks unlikely

Reforms target of gaining 13 seats is looking increasingly unlikely, with less than 80 seats left to be declared.

Nigel Farage claimed to have kickstarted a revolt against the establishment, as his hard-right party made significant gains in election results announced early on Friday.

A far-right party has never won more than a single seat in a UK general election, yet Reform has scooped four.

Reform remains hopeful it will secure Wellingborough and Rushden, which is yet to be declared.

05:29 AM BST

No one had heard of us three years ago: Reforms rise to victory

Richard Tice said three years ago he was sneered at and mocked for believing his party could become a political force to be reckoned with, writes Steve Bird.

The 59-year-old Reform chairman obliterated Matt Warmans 25,000 Conservative majority to become the Reform UK MP for Boston and Skegness.

Mr Tice secured 15,520 votes, 2,010 more than Mr Warmans 13,510. It is the first time the constituency, created in 1997, has ever had an MP who is not a Conservative.

Mr Tices victory was greeted with a raucous round of applause, as one disgruntled Tory voter shouted: Bring back Boris.

Shortly after the result at 4am, Mr Tice said: What we have achieved from just three years ago as Reform UK: no one had heard of us, we were zero per cent in the polls, we had no money in the bank account, and I was sneered at and mocked by so many.

Just three years later, across the whole of England, Scotland and Wales millions and millions of people have today for Reform UK.

We are winning seats. We are coming second all over the country. Its truly remarkable.

Richard Tice in Boston, Lincolnshire - Andrew Fox

05:18 AM BST

Telegraph readers give their verdict

05:11 AM BST

Farage says election beginning of the end for Tories

Nigel Farage said the general election was the beginning of the end for the Tories, adding Reform will move forward very rapidly.

Much of the heavy damage to the Conservative support was inflicted by Reform, the party winning more votes than the Tories across swathes of the country.

This is just the first step, I set out with a goal to win millions of votes, to get a bridgehead in Parliament and thats what weve done so Im very pleased, Mr Farage said.

He added: Ive got to professionalise it, Ive got to democratise it, Ive got to get rid of a few idiots that found it too easy to get on board. They will all go, they will all go, this will be a non-racist, non-sectarian party. Absolutely and I give my word on that.

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, reacts after the results of the election count in Clacton - Bloomberg

04:46 AM BST

Richard Tice: This is a great day for Reform UK

It is an honour and a privilege to have been elected as the MP for Boston and Skegness, writes Richard Tice in a column for The Telegraph.

Im eager to get on with the business of making sure the voices of my constituents are heard in Westminster, and, while results are still coming in, I am delighted to already be able to say that I will be joined there by three of my Reform colleagues: Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson, and Rupert Lowe.

But it is also clear, already, that what Britain voted for, and what it got, were very different.

Read the full piece here

04:19 AM BST

Reform wins Great Yarmouth

Reform has won the seat of Great Yarmouth.

Former Southampton FC chairman Rupert Lowe secured 14,385 votes, beating Labours Keir Cozens, who came in at 12,959 votes.

04:04 AM BST

Richard Tice wins Boston and Skegness

 Breaking News: Party Chairman Richard Tice wins in Boston and Skegness! pic.twitter.com/yulfPT39ce  Reform UK (@reformparty_uk) July 5, 2024

Reform chairman Richard Tice has claimed the seat of Boston and Skegness with 15,520 votes.

Reform UK has now secured four seats.

03:58 AM BST

Reform is targeting Labour, warns Farage

In his speech, Nigel Farage said he was targeting Labour supporters, as there was no enthusiasm for Labour.

What is interesting is, theres no enthusiasm for Labour, theres no enthusiasm for Starmer whatsoever, he said.

In fact, about half of the vote is simply an anti-Conservative vote.

This Labour government will be in trouble very, very quickly and we will now be targeting Labour votes.

Were coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that.

Mr Farage added: Believe me folks, this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you.

03:51 AM BST

Farage: Something very fundamental is happening

Nigel Farage said his first-ever win as an MP shows something very fundamental is happening.

Speaking in Clacton, the Reform leader said it had been a well run, well fought and remarkably clean election battle.

I promise that I will do my absolute best as a member of parliament. I have 20 years as an MEP but its not quite the same link or same responsibility with constituents, he said.

Its four weeks and three days since I decided to come out of retirement and throw my hat in the ring. I think what Reform UK has achieved in just those few short weeks is truly extraordinary.

Given we had no money, no branch structure, virtually nothing across the country, were going to come second in hundreds of constituencies, how many seats were going to win - I dont know.

But to have done this in such a short space of time says something very fundamental is happening.

03:30 AM BST

Nigel Farage wins Clacton

Reform UKs leader Nigel Farage has won the seat of Clacton, becoming the partys second-ever MP.

Mr Farage won 21,225 votes, beating Conservative candidate Giles Watling.

My plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of the next few years, Mr Farage said in his victory speech.

03:28 AM BST

Lee Anderson had a row with GB News

Reforms first-ever MP, Lee Anderson, appeared to have a row with his employer GB News as he waited to be taken live on the channel following his victory in Ashfield.

Mr Anderson seemed unhappy at being made to wait for his interview with GB News as he stood in front of a number of reporters following the result declaration.

After somebody spoke to him down an earpiece, the newly-elected MP said: Im not interested in Keir Starmer, Ive been here 10 minutes waiting.

After insisting I need to go, the interview then seemed to be cancelled as his microphone was taken from him before he then addressed other reporters.

03:09 AM BST

Farage up for the challenge

Nigel Farages electoral agent and Reform councillor Peter Harris said their party leader is up for the challenge of facing up to a Labour government, as he called the exit poll prediction hugely exciting.

Mr Harris told the PA: Anythings possible if enough good decent people want change, then they can vote for it, as Brexit has proved before.

So, we were always hoping for multiple seats, 13, Id like even more than that, really. So I think we wait and see once all the votes are counted well see how many weve actually got, but yeah, hugely exciting.

Obviously, Im completely focused on Clacton and our candidate here, Nigel Farage, were extremely confident that hes going to be one of those 13 seats that gets elected to Westminster.

02:59 AM BST

Clacton to be declared shortly

Nigel Farage has arrived at Clacton Leisure centre for the count declaration in Essex.

Met by a scrum of photographers, Mr Farage said the results his party were achieving around the country were truly extraordinary.

Nigel Farage arrives for the count - Getty Images

02:55 AM BST

Lee Anderson delighted but not surprised by win

Speaking after his victory in Ashfield, Reforms Lee Anderson told reporters he was delighted but not surprised at winning the partys first seat.

This is the capital of common sense, by the way - people speak their mind in this area, and theyve had enough of the two mainstream parties, he said.

The Reform Party, people like myself, Richard (Tice) and Nigel (Farage) speak the same language, in a different accent obviously, we speak the same language as the great people of Ashfield.

So when this gig came up and I was asked to stand again for the Reform Party, it was a no-brainer to be honest with you.

02:51 AM BST

In catch-up: Reform places second in several constituencies

Reform also recently placed second in the following seats:

PONTYPRIDD

HARTLEPOOL

ROCHDALE

SWANSEA WEST

MIDDLESBROUGH & THORNABY EAST

RUNCORN & HELSBY

WHITEHAVEN & WORKINGTON

LEIGH & ATHERTON

CASTLE POINT

BRIDGEND

BLACKPOOL SOUTH

WIDNES & HALEWOOD

TELFORD

KNOWSLEY

RAYLEIGH & WICKFORD

02:31 AM BST

Chairman: Reforms performance truly remarkable

Reform Chairman Richard Tice described Reforms success so far as truly remarkable.

Truly remarkable results being declared for @reformparty_uk across the country..



A people's revolt is underway  Richard Tice  (@TiceRichard) July 5, 2024

02:19 AM BST

Reform wins Ashfield

Reform has won its first seat of the night, with Lee Anderson claiming Ashfield.

Mr Anderson retained the seat he had won in 2019, when he was a member of the Conservative Party.

He defected to Reform earlier this year and ran again as the partys candidate.

Mr Anderson won 17,062 votes, beating Labours Rhea Keehn, who secured 1,553 votes.

02:06 AM BST

Reform misses out on Barnsley North

Reform has missed out on Barnsley North, with Labours Dan Jarvis comfortably holding the seat by 8,000 votes.

It is the first major miss of the exit poll for the night, which predicted that Reform candidate Robert Lomas would scoop the seat.

First big miss for the exit poll - Dan Jarvis comfortably holds Barnsley North by 8,000 votes.



Exit poll predicted Reform victory   Jessica Elgot (@jessicaelgot) July 5, 2024

02:02 AM BST

At a glance: Nigel Farage, the elections disruptor

01:56 AM BST

Jarrow & Gateshead East: Reform places second

Reform has placed second to Labour in Jarrow & Gateshead East, with Lynda Alexander securing 9,892 votes.

Labour snatched up 18,856 votes.

01:49 AM BST

Lee Anderson arrives at Ashfield count in disguise

Reforms Lee Anderson has arrived at the count for the constituency of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire.

Wearing a charcoal grey flat cap, Mr Anderson told reporters: Im wearing this as a disguise so you wouldnt recognise me.

The Conservative-turned-Reform candidate decided not to give interviews to the media as he entered Kirkby Leisure centre.

Mr Anderson eventually took his hat off and told those around him Dont let me forget that hat, as one of his supporters pinned his rosette on his jacket.

01:40 AM BST

South Shields: Reform in second

Reforms Stephen Holt placed second in South Shields, winning 8,469 votes.

Labour won the seat with 15,122 votes.

01:37 AM BST

Reform Deputy Leader: Imagine what we can do in five years

David Bull, Reforms Deputy Leader, described the partys early success as a political revolt.

This is the beginning of a big movement, he told Sky News.

This is a political revolt. Its also a five-year plan. If we can go from nothing four years ago to winning 13 seats, imagine what we can do in five years time.

David Bull, deputy leader of Reform UK - PA

01:28 AM BST

Cramlington & Killingworth: Reform comes second

Reforms Gordon Fletcher placed second in Cramlington & Killingworth, behind Labours Emma Foody.

The result further goes to show that Reform continues to push the Tories out.

The difference between the vote share for the Conservatives and Reform for this constituency was less than 1000, with Reform winning 9,454 votes and the Tories gaining 8,592.

01:24 AM BST

Gateshead Central & Whickham: Reform in second

Reforms Damian Heslop placed in second in the seat of Gateshead Central & Whickham, winning 8,601 votes.

Labour won the seat with 18,245 votes and the Lib Dems came in third, beating the Tories.

01:13 AM BST

Ashfield to be a close contest

The constituency of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire looks set to be a closely-fought contest between Labours Rhea Keehn and Reforms Lee Anderson.

The candidates are yet to arrive at the vote count in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, but Labour representatives have described it as too close to call.

Reform supporters in the Kirkby leisure centre have said they are confident of Mr Andersons success.

Turnout for the constituency was 58pc.

01:01 AM BST

Votes for Reform an uprising

Lord Peter Mandelson and Reform Deputy Leader David Bull clashed over the EU and the make-up of support for Nigel Farages party.

Lord Mandelson said he would be disappointed and surprised if Reform won in his former seat of Hartlepool, saying many people who had backed the right-wing party were looking for a handy protest vote.

Mr Bull said: I think you are about to be surprised.

He added: You can call it a protest vote if you want, but actually its not. Its an uprising. Its saying to the political classes: enough is enough.

Nigel Farage in Jaywick, near Clacton, before counting begun on July 4 - Jason Bye

12:54 AM BST

Reform will win less seats than expected, says Labour source

A Labour source has said that Reform will win fewer than the 13 seats predicted by the exit poll, according to their data analysis.

The source told The Telegraph: Our data is suggesting Reform will not win many of the seats the exit poll suggests. They will get less than 13 seats.

12:52 AM BST

Washington & Gateshead South: Reform places second

Reform has come in second to Labour in Washington & Gateshead South.

Paul Donaghy won 10,769 votes, with Labours Sharon Hodgson securing 17,682 votes.

12:47 AM BST

Reform places second in Newcastle Central

Reform candidate Ashton Muncaster left the count in Newcastle Central due to being unwell, as the party placed second behind Labour.

The swing to Reform from Labour was 12pc.

12:42 AM BST

Voters going to get fed up with Labour

Reforms Darren Selkus, who is standing in Hertsmere, Hertfordshire, has predicted voters are going to get fed up of Labour and look for something different in the near future.

People are voting for Labour because theyre not the Conservatives and everythings going to change for the better, he said.

When it doesnt change for the better, whether thats in six months, one year, two years, eventually people are going to get fed up and look for something different and thats when I hope that they recognise that Reform UK have the ideas to change the direction and make a difference.

On Reforms performance, Mr Selkus said: Whats really critical is what the national vote share is ... Im hoping that well get six or seven million votes and if we hit that sort of number then its massive, so, 13 seats is approximately that, so yeah, thatd be exactly what Id be hoping to do.

12:28 AM BST

Swindon South: Reform in third

Reform came in third place in Swindon South, with Labour winning the seat and the Tories placing in second.

Reforms Catherine Kosidowski snatched 6,194 votes.

12:23 AM BST

Reform is breaking political history

David Bull, Reforms deputy leader, said that his party was about to change history.

Anyone who looks at the rise of Reform will see that what were doing is breaking political history, he said.

Ive said this before, everyone said that in that Brexit result, you wont do it, we changed history, were about to change history once again.

Asked which seats he thought Reform could win, he listed Clacton, Great Yarmouth, Wellingborough and Boston and Skegness.

12:21 AM BST

Farage: Reforms performance almost unbelievable

Nigel Farage has described Reforms first results as almost unbelievable and said the party clinches around 30pc of the vote so far.

That is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It means we are going to win seats - many, many seats.

The revolt against the establishment is underway. pic.twitter.com/xB7DQuvXWT  Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) July 4, 2024

12:08 AM BST

Reform places second in Sunderland Central

Another second place for Reform, as Labour holds Sunderland Central.

Reforms Chris Eynon secured 10,779 votes, in a 7.7pc swing from Labour.

12:01 AM BST

Nigel Farage set to win Clacton

The exit poll by Ipsos UK for Sky News, the BBC and ITV News, said there is a more than 99pc likelihood that Nigel Farage will win the seat in Clacton, Essex.

It comes as Reform has seen an early boost as they polled ahead of the Tories in the first two seats of Blyth and Sunderland South, pushing the Tories into third place.

11:57 PM BST

What readers are saying about Reform

11:38 PM BST

Reform places second in Blyth & Ashington

Reform have come in second in the seat of Blyth & Ashington, in a 7.9pc swing to the party from Labour.

Mark Peart secured 10,857 votes, meanwhile Labours Ian Lavery came out on top with 20,030 votes.

11:32 PM BST

Watch: Farage arrives for Clacton count

 NEW: Nigel Farage has just arrived at the Clacton count pic.twitter.com/wma79oe7Nv  Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) July 4, 2024

11:30 PM BST

Reform to gain Barnsley North and South, exit poll predicts

Exit poll forecasts Reform UK will win both Barnsley North and South.



Reform's Barnsley North candidate Bob Lomas is suspended by Reform after it emerged he said black people should "get off [their] lazy arses" and stop acting "like savages".  Harry Horton (@harry_horton) July 4, 2024

11:19 PM BST

Reform places second in Sunderland South

Reform has placed second to Labour in the seat of Sunderland South, as results showed a 3.4pc swing to Nigel Farages party.

The partys Sam Woods-Brass secured 11,668 votes, behind Labour which snatched 18,837.

11:08 PM BST

Reform Deputy Leader: This is a huge bridgehead

Exit polls put @reformparty_uk on 13 seats.



This is a huge bridgehead. This is politically seismic.



This is the beginning of the fight back for the nation state of the United Kingdom.   Ben Habib (@benhabib6) July 4, 2024

10:52 PM BST

In pictures: Farage celebrates in Clacton

Farage in Clacton

Farage in Clacton

10:48 PM BST

The rise of Reform

Nick Gutteridge, Chief Political Correspondent writes:

The real turning point in Reforms campaign came when Nigel Farage announced he was taking over the leadership and running as an MP.

At a press conference on June 3, Mr Farage reversed a previous decision not to contest the election and revealed that he would stand in Clacton-on-Sea.

Just 10 days after the veteran politician returned to the fray the party overtook the Tories for the first time in the opinion polls for the first time.

A survey released by YouGov on Jun 13 put Reform on 19pc of the vote, one point ahead of the Conservatives who were on just 18pc.

Mr Farages return was seen as a disaster by senior Tories which all but ended the partys hopes of narrowing the gap with Labour.

It came as a shock to Downing Street, which had thought that calling the snap election would help nullify the growing threat from Reform.

10:28 PM BST

Breakthrough for Farage

Nick Gutteridge, Chief Political Correspondent, writes:

This election represents a major electoral breakthrough for Nigel Farages party, marking its first real success in terms of seat gains.

The exit poll result means that Nigel Farage is on course to become an MP for the first time at the eighth attempt, winning in Clacton-on-Sea.

10:23 PM BST

Exit polls show Reform on 13

The exit poll is in: it suggested Labour would have a majority of 170, with the forecast indicating the lowest number of Tory MPs on record.

The poll suggested the Liberal Democrats will win 61 seats, Reform UK on 13 and the Green Party two.

In Scotland, the SNP are expected to secure 10 seats with Plaid Cymru in Wales on four.

10:20 PM BST

In case youve snoozed through the campaign

A reminder why were all talking about Nigel Farage again.

Seemingly omnipresent on the airwaves and on television screens, Mr Farage  or Mr Brexit as Donald Trump has called him  never actually put his feet up after his party helped pave the way for Boris Johnsons landslide win in 2019.

But this is the first time in five years that he has been so influential in determining the political direction of the UK.

Mr Farage emerged  thankfully, with his shirt back on  from the jungle of Im a Celebrity Get Me Out Here to set the pulses of Brexit supporters racing when he later announced he would indeed enter the fray of the election campaign.

Nigel Farage

Rishi Sunak would not have been a happy man.

Always controversial and often an entertainer, 60-year-old Mr Farage has been able to connect with the public in a way Mr Sunak never could.

The adoration from the public has put wind under the blue and white sails of Reform UK as Mr Farage once again grabbed hold of the political tiller  and successfully steered mainstream conservatism to the Right.

Read more: The man who changed British politics returns to the fray

09:39 PM BST

Welcome to Farages big day

Good evening and welcome to our live blog of the Reform results.

Nigel Farage is hoping to finally be elected to the House of Commons, in what seems like his 450th attempt, as he eyes huge gains for his Reform party across the UK.

Follow all of the news and reaction right here.
The Liberal Democrats have taken a record number of seats for the party in the general election.

Ed Daveys party has ousted four cabinet ministers and denied the Tories success in constituencies once held by former prime ministers David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

With 641 results declared, the Lib Dems tally stood at 71, beating the partys previous record of 62 under Charles Kennedys leadership in 2005.

In early results, the Lib Dems ousted Gillian Keegan, the education secretary  her Chichester seat had a 21,500 majority in 2019 and had been held by the Conservatives for a century  and Alex Chalk, the justice secretary.

By Friday morning, the party had won 71 seats, with only a handful to be declared making it their highest total since 1923, when they were just the Liberal party led by Herbert Asquith.

Speaking after winning his Kingston and Surbiton seat again by more than 17,000 votes, Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, said many voters had turned to his party for the first time to be their champions.

Davey, who threw himself into a series of picture-friendly stunts in the election campaign, said: Well, weve heard you  loud and clear. Weve put your concerns at the heart of our campaign.

Daveys decision to focus resources on a defined number of target seats, the bulk of them held by the Conservatives, seemed to have paid off, even though they failed to out Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, in his Surrey seat, falling short by fewer than 1,000 votes.

Other usually ultra-safe Conservative seats did fall, including Stratford-on-Avon  held in the last election by Nadhim Zahawi with a majority of close to 20,000  Henley, once represented by Boris Johnson, Surrey Heath, formerly Michael Goves constituency, and the new seat of Bicester and Woodstock.

Related: UK general election results 2024: live tracker

In a tweet posted shortly after the exit poll emerged at 10pm on Thursday, Davey also suggested the partys tally could rise beyond 62. The Liberal Democrats are on course for our best results in a century, thanks to our positive campaign with health and care at its heart, he said. I am humbled by the millions of people who backed us to both kick the Conservatives out of power and deliver the change our country needs.

Davey celebrated the results by dancing and singing to Sweet Caroline with party activists at an event in central London.

Davey seized media attention during the election campaign with stunts including a bungee jump, falling off a paddleboard and going down a water slide. He and the party insisted that all these events were tied into policies and helped get their ideas across.

Daisy Cooper, the partys deputy leader, said the tactics appeared to have paid off. Weve said time and again that while we dont take ourselves that seriously, we do take our politics very seriously, she told BBC News. And with every single one of those stunts, there was a very serious message about our plans.

The result is a vindication of Daveys decision to focus ruthlessly on a series of target seats, many in the south and south-west of England, and some in Scotland.

In 2019 under Jo Swinson, the party won 12% of the vote, but it was spread around the country, reducing the number of seats won. After Davey took over the leadership, he launched an inquest into the election from which the new strategy emerged.

A key part of the success came in so-called blue wall seats  affluent commuter belt constituencies around London or other cities where more moderate Tory voters were becoming exasperated with the governments of Boris Johnson and then Liz Truss.

In June 2021, the Lib Dems pulled off an extraordinary byelection win in the Buckinghamshire constituency of Chesham and Amersham, overturning a 16,000 Conservative majority to take the seat. This spearheaded a wave of Lib Dem byelection wins over the Tories, which also took in more rural seats such as North Shropshire.

The party began the election campaign with a target list of about 50 seats, but this was expanded as previously safe Conservative seats came into view.
Niko Omilana, an Independent candidate, held up an 'L' sign behind Rishi Sunak after the Prime Minister won his seat in the general election - DARREN STAPLES/POOL AFP

So this is where it ended for Rishi: surrounded by lunatics  literal and metaphorical  one with a silver bucket on his head, saying sorry to a party hed led to the slaughter. And me sitting on the floor of his leisure centre election count, trying to stay awake. Beam me up, Scottie

I landed in Northallerton shortly before midnight, a pretty town in North Yorkshire that reeks of manure. I allowed myself a rare cigarette. If not this night, when? Give it a month and Labour will have it banned.

The leisure centre was, well, a leisure centre: journalists beavering away on laptops surrounded by dumbbells and trunks on special offer. We had a telly but no remote: it had been nicked during the last mayoral election, so was now kept under lock and key at reception. If you wanted the volume up, you had to ask security.

Tories fell like statues in a Soviet republic. Starmer won in Holborn; the woman who signs for the deaf seemed to imitate a yawn. Was it me or did the Conservatives appear delighted with the result and Labour overawed? Twas the worst result for the Tories since 1906, which Jacob Rees Mogg remembers well (thats when he bought his seat for 12 guineas).

Now Jacob I really will miss. Hes a gentleman.

Mr Sunak delivered a speech, accompanied on stage by Niko Omilana, an Independent candidate, Lee Martin Taylor, the Reform UK candidate; Rio Goldhammer, the Yorkshire Party candidate; Sir Archibald Stanton of The Official Monster Raving Loony Party and Count Binface - DARREN STAPLES/AFP

As for the Prime Minister, he faced an easy battle against a boy called Wilson and another called Callaghan  and they, Labour and Lib Dem, were at least sane. A PMs count always attracts colourful candidates who profess to be from outer space or screamingly funny (neither stands up to inspection). Theyre also, I discovered, bitter rivals.

Sir Archibald Stanton of the Monster Raving Loony Party carried a ventriloquist dummy that he hadnt even bothered to master. I asked for one of his policies and was surprised to hear one of my own gags: well solve the small boats crisis by replacing the border patrol with GP receptionists. That way, no one gets in! I laughed politely. On Monday, I shall sue.

What do you think of the Loonies, I asked Count Binface? Theyre quite racist, he replied. The aristocratic, intergalactic trash can turned out to be a hoot and we had a fun debate about Brexit and croissants  before he revealed that people often ask if his true identity is Tim Stanley. My eye was also drawn to Louise Dickens, of Galloways Workers Party, who clasped an unlit cigarette like a security blanket. Shes a former Tory councillor and born-again Christian who hates war.

The most exotic creature, however, was Niko Omilana, an internet star, who wandered about with half a dozen followers  teenage boys dressed identically to himself, in suits and multicoloured shades  pronouncing that hed won the seat and would be forming a government shortly. We are, he explained to a tired broadcaster, not individuals but one collective being. If so, I asked, what do you do when one of you needs the loo? We help each other, he replied.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, sat with Barmy Brunch of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, lost his seat in the election - ANTHONY UPTON FOR THE TELEGRAPH

The gestalt studied ballots with an eerie intensity and clapped if they spotted a vote. Id rather be assimilated by the Borg than be in their party, said Count Binface. They gave us both the creeps.

The results ticked by  Shapps, Penny, Lenin torn down in Norfolk  and we knew the PM was near because security confiscated our water bottles, lest we toss them in his face (bizarre but true). His arrival was planned so that hed spend as little time among us as possible: the very moment the final tallies were announced, he marched into the hall with his wife  faces of thunder  and disappeared into a side room to review the ballot. Then up onto the stage he ran, where he stood frozen like a tiny mannequin, looking neither left nor right, as if his body were here but his mind was already in California.

Come on Rishi, I thought. Laugh!

It is a fitting epitaph to Sunaks leadership that even when standing in a Star Wars bar of talking bins and ventriloquist dummies, he couldnt bring himself to acknowledge the absurdity of his situation. Instead, he spoke of failure in the same customer service voice he occasionally applied to success  while behind him, for heaven knows what reason, Niko held up the letter L.

Thank heavens it was over. I staggered out into the morning sunshine, into a new dawn on a planet now run by Labour  at 5am. The wheels of British democracy take far too long to turn. Say what you like about dictatorships, at least everyone gets to bed at a sensible hour.
The British elect their leaders with the first past the post

The House of Commons and local councils in England and Wales use the first-past-the-post system. Here is a guide to how it works.

How does voting work?

At a local or general election, voters put a cross next to their preferred candidate. The candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins and becomes the MP for that seat. All other votes are disregarded.

Where is it used?

It is used in the UK to elect members of the House of Commons, both chambers of the US Congress and the lower houses in India and Canada as well as other place that used to be British colonies. It is the second most popular voting system in the world.

Countries which use a first-past-the-post voting system

Advantages of First Past The Post

It is easy to understand

It can be quick to count the votes and declare a winner

Voters can express a clear view on which party they want in government

In a two-party system, it has normally produced a single-party government with a clear mandate to govern

Disadvantages of the system

MPs can be elected with relatively small percentage of the vote

It encourages tactical voting where people vote against the candidate they most dislike

Many votes are wasted: either those cast for a losing candidate or those for a winning candidate past the level needed to win the seat

Penalises small parties whose votes are spread widely across the country, not concentrated in particular seats

When did we first start to question First Past The Post?

It could yield the wrong result, writes Vernon Bogdanor, author of The New British Constitution. In 1951, the Tories gained nearly one point less of the vote than Labour, but had an overall majority of 17 (part of the reason was that in four constituencies, the Ulster Unionists, then allied to the Conservatives, were unopposed, so deflating the total Tory vote).

Conversely, in February 1974, the Conservatives beat Labour by more than 200,000 votes, but had four fewer seats; Harold Wilson was able to form a minority government after Edward Heaths attempt to form a coalition with the Liberals had failed. It was after this election that discontent with the system started to grow.

What are the alternatives?

The Alternative Vote (AV) is a system where the voter has the chance to rank the candidates in order of preference.

The voter puts a 1 by their first choice a 2 by their second choice, and so on, until they no longer wish to express any further preferences or run out of candidates.

Candidates are elected outright if they gain more than half of the first preference votes. If not, the candidate who lost (the one with least first preferences) is eliminated and their votes are redistributed according to the second (or next available) preference marked on the ballot paper.

This process continues until one candidate has half of the votes and is elected. A referendum in 2011 saw UK voters reject the idea of replacing First Past The Post with the Alternative Voting system.
Satisfying  sausage meatballs and spaghetti. Photograph: Esther Clark

If youre heading off to university, you might want to give some thought to what youll be eating. Student cooking might bring to mind instant noodles and tinned spaghetti, but while youre likely to be on a tighter budget, its still possible to make tasty, nutritious meals.

Learning to cook when you start university is less daunting than you may think, and can turn into a valuable life skill. Once you get going youll be able to turn your hand to a number of recipes, from comforting pastas to hearty bowls of dal. Try one of these three recipes to get started.

Sausage meatballs and spaghetti

You can make homemade spaghetti and meatballs quickly and easily using sausage meat. This cheap and comforting meal is ready in one hour and super satisfying.

Prep 20 mins

Cook 40 mins

Serves 4

Cost per portion 2.50

6 pork sausages (400g)

40g dried breadcrumbs

1 egg

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, sliced

Pinch chilli flakes

800g passata

 tbsp caster sugar

1 small bunch basil

400g spaghetti, or any pasta you have

Grated cheese, to serve

Squeeze the sausage meat out of their skins and into a bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs with 2 tbsp water and the egg and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the wet breadcrumbs to the sausage meat and some salt and pepper and squish everything together. Form into 16 meatballs. Place on a plate, cover and chill while you make the sauce.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and fry over a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 2 minutes. Add the passata, 150ml water and the sugar, bring to a simmer then cover and cook for 15 minutes. Once cooked season and add the basil.

Heat the remaining oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Add the sausage meatballs and fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes, turning regularly until golden brown. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions. Then toss with the meatballs and sauce.

Finish with cheese and more basil, if you like.

Golden lentil and rice dal (khichdi)

Cooking lentils and rice together makes a super comforting dal, known in India as khichdi.

Make a double batch and freeze some portions, if you like. Once defrosted, just reheat in a pan until piping hot.

Prep 10 mins

Cook 40 mins

Serves 4

Cost per portion 1

130g basmati rice

200g split red lentils

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced

1 thumb-sized piece ginger, finely grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cumin seeds

 tsp medium chilli powder

1.2l vegetable stock

130g fresh or frozen spinach

4 large eggs, boiled for 6 mins to serve (optional)

Tip the rice and lentils into a sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold, running water. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan or casserole. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt and fry over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until golden. Stir through the ginger, garlic, turmeric, ground coriander, cumin seeds and chilli powder and fry for 1 minute. Add the rice and lentils to the pan and pour in the stock, bring to a simmer then cover, turn down and cook for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have turned creamy.

Add the spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Serve topped with a boiled egg, if you like.

Roasted sweet potato hummus bowls

This vegan bowl is great for a nutritious lunch. You can mix and match toppings, if you like. Try adding olives, falafels, vegan feta chunks or fried tofu. It can also be prepared and packed into plastic food containers ready for long days in the library.

Prep 10 mins

Cook 10 mins

Serves 2

Cost per portion 1.75

2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks

2 tbsp olive oil

Pinch chilli flakes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 x 400g can chickpeas

2 pitta breads, cut into triangles

2 tbsp tahini

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 lemon, juiced

 cucumber, chopped

150g cherry tomatoes, halved

 red onion, thinly sliced

Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Toss the sweet potato with 1 tbsp of olive oil, the chilli flakes, cumin, coriander and some sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through. Toss the olive oil, pitta and some salt and bake for 7 minutes then leave to cool.

Drain the chickpeas, reserving three tbsp of the liquid from the can. Add most of the chickpeas and reserved liquid, tahini, garlic and lemon juice into a blender and blend until super smooth. Chill until you need.

Toss the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion and parsley. Pile the hummus into two bowls. Top with the roasted sweet potato, the cucumber salad and pitta chips.

For more guidance on the right course for you, check out the Guardian university league tables for 2024. The Guardian league tables for 2025 will be out on 7 September in print and online.

For more helpful advice and student news sent straight to your inbox, sign up to the Guardians student newsletter.
Grant Shapps, the former defence secretary, loses his seat just over 16,000 votes in Welwyn and Hatfield - James Shaw/Shutterstock

A visibly shocked Grant Shapps panned the Tories endless political soap opera after losing his seat to Labour.

Mr Shapps, the former defence secretary, was ousted by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield, a constituency he has represented since 2005. Labour won the seat with 19,877 votes. Mr Shapps came second with just over 16,000.

In his concession speech he said: Its not so much that Labour won this election, but rather that the Conservatives have lost it.

Instead weve tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.

He added: Today voters have simply said: If you cant agree with each other, then we cant agree to vote for you.

We forgot a fundamental rule of politics: that people do not vote for divided parties.

During Mr Shapps 19 years as MP for the Hertfordshire constituency, he held seven ministerial posts although he only lasted six days as Home Secretary in October 2022.

Mr Shapps, a Remain voter, said after the vote to leave the EU that his mission was to make Brexit work for the UK.

His appointment as Defence Secretary was not universally welcomed. With no military experience his elevation to the Ministry of Defence was said to have caused a stir in some military circles.

Speaking at the time of his appointment, Lord Dannatt, the former head of the British Army, worried the defence debate would stagnate until Mr Shapps got his head around the portfolio.

Mr Shapps used his speech to warn Labour about the importance of remaining steadfast in Britains support for Ukraine.

He said: I am concerned that unless [Labour] quickly commits to spending 2.5pc on defence, our armed forces may suffer and so will our friends in Ukraine.

If theres something that Im incredibly proud about in Britain today, its our staunch and unwavering support for Ukraine and its democracy, and that must never waver, even through a change of government here at home.

Speaking to The Telegraph after the declaration, Andrew Lewin, the new MP for Welwyn Hatfield, said defence was safe in Labours hands.

Labour is the party that took us into NATO and Keir Starmer has been clear about our unshakeable commitment to Nato and our allies, he said.

Support for Ukraine and democracy and freedom is something that should transcend party politics.

A Conservative party source told The Telegraph this is unlikely to be the last the electorate has seen of Mr Shapps.

Hes ambitious and hes good at it, the source said.
The United States is sending Ukraine what it describes as a "significant new package" of weapons and equipment to Ukraine.

The $150 million package falls under a program set up by President Biden. It includes missiles for HAWK air defense 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, the State Department says.

It is also sending small arms ammunition and grenades, demolitions equipment and munitions, tactical vehicles to tow and haul equipment, tactical air navigation systems and aircraft support equipment, night vision devices and spare parts, maintenance and other field and ancillary equipment.

"This support will also help strengthen Ukraine's air defenses against Russian attacks and reinforce Ukraine's capabilities across the front lines," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

This is the seventh security assistance package President Biden has authorized to help Ukraine since signing the national security supplemental two months ago.

Blinken said the U.S. will move the weaponry "as quickly as possible" to help Ukraine battle Russian forces.

The aid might be too late for Ukraine to hold onto Chasive Yar. Ukraine's army retreated Thursday from the outskirts of the strategically important town in the eastern Donetsk region, according to the Associated Press.

The town has been under a monthslong Russian assault.
Jeremy Hunt, Lucia Hunt and their children leave 11 Downing Street after Labour's victory - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Jeremy Hunt has told his children dont be sad, this is the magic of democracy after the Tories suffered a historic defeat at the general election.

In a moving speech, the outgoing chancellor said the result was a bitter pill to swallow for his party, but reminded his family that they are incredibly lucky to live in a country where decisions are made not by bombs or bullets, but by people peacefully placing crosses in boxes on bits of paper.

He paid tribute to the Ukrainians who are dying every day to defend their right to do what we did yesterday, stressing that we must never take that for granted.

Mr Hunt clung on by just 900 votes in the newly formed seat of Godalming and Ash, defying the exit poll which had him on course to lose to the Liberal Democrats.

It was a silver lining on an otherwise torrid night for the Tories, with the party recording its lowest number of seats in modern history.

Mr Hunt also thanked his supporters for sticking with him throughout a gruelling campaign.

He also wished Sir Keir Starmer well in government, describing both him and Rachel Reeves, the chancellor-in-waiting, as decent people and committed public servants.

In a message to his family, he said: Im so proud of my wife. Despite not being born in this country, shes turned out to be the most formidable canvasser I know

And a message to my children, who I sincerely hope are asleep now. This may seem like a tough day for our family as we move out of Downing Street, but it isnt. We are incredibly lucky to live in a country where decisions like this are made not by bombs or bullets, but by thousands of ordinary citizens peacefully placing crosses in boxes on bits of paper.

Brave Ukrainians are dying every day to defend their right to do what we did yesterday. And we must never take that for granted. Dont be sad, this is the magic of democracy.

Mr Hunt won 23,293 votes in his Surrey constituency, compared to the Liberal Democrats 22,402. Reform UK came third, with 4,815 votes, followed by Labour on 2,748.

Lucia Hunt as her husband's victory was revealed - Jeff Gilbert

In an extraordinary night for British politics, Labour took nearly two thirds of all seats, securing a majority rivalling Sir Tony Blairs in 1997.

But the party achieved just a third of the popular vote, making for the most distorted election result in history.

Mr Hunt emerged as a potential leadership candidate after Rishi Sunak resigned as party leader.

On Friday morning, bookmaker William Hill said the odds had moved to 16/1 from 66/1.

Bitter pill to swallow

Elsewhere in his speech, the outgoing chancellor said some Tories will wonder if the scale of the defeat is really justified, but urged them to focus on working out why they have lost peoples trust, so they can start earning it back.

He said: Across the country, tonight is a bitter pill to swallow for the Conservative Party. We have achieved much in government, and the economy is transformed from where it was post-pandemic.

Some Conservatives will wonder whether the scale of our crushing defeat is really justified. But when you lose the trust of the electorate, all that matters is having the courage and humility to ask yourself why, so that you can earn it back again.

I was incredibly proud to serve under Rishi Sunak, but I wish the incoming Labour government well. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are decent people and committed public servants who have changed the Labour Party for the better. Whatever our policy differences, we all now need them to succeed.

He added that he hoped Labour would use its majority to make much needed reforms to the NHS in a way that is sometimes difficult for Conservative governments to do.
A man stands next to a business destroyed by Hurricane Beryl in Clifton, Union Island, St Vincent and the Grenadines. Photograph: Lucanus Ollivierre/AP

Hurricane Beryl has caused devastation across a number of Caribbean islands over the past few days, becoming the earliest category 5 Atlantic hurricane in about 100 years of record keeping.

With maximum sustained winds of 165mph, it was upgraded to a category 5 hurricane on 2 July, which also made it the strongest Atlantic hurricane in that month, beating 2005s Hurricane Emily, which recorded maximum sustained winds of 160mph.

The first places to be badly affected by Hurricane Beryl were Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines as it struck as a category 4 storm on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 140mph.

The destruction caused by these winds resulted in the deaths of four people, three of which occurred in Grenada. Some of its smaller islands such as Carriacou and Petite Martinique were more or less flattened with 98% of buildings on Carriacou damaged. Venezuela also had significant flooding, resulting in a further three deaths.

After passing through the Windward Islands, Beryl continued to march westwards during Tuesday before approaching Jamaica on Wednesday afternoon. The eye of the storm then tracked just to the south of Jamaica on Wednesday night bringing strong category 4 hurricane winds of 130mph across the southern part of the island resulting in hundreds of thousands of homes losing power.

Along with the winds, Beryl also brought hours of heavy rain across the island, causing significant flooding and damaging the crops of thousands of farmers. Hurricane Beryl is expected to continue to cause disruption as it moves across Mexicos Yucatan peninsula on Friday.

Meanwhile in north-east India and Bangladesh flash flooding after torrential rains caused rivers to surge. Three million people have been affected, with nine deaths reported. Disaster authorities in Indias north-eastern state of Assam said eight people died on Thursday as heavy rain in the state of Arunachal Pradesh travelled downstream resulting in 2,800 villages being submerged.

Low-lying Bangladesh was also affected, with floods affecting 1.8 million across the country as 100mm of rain fell within the first three days of July in the countrys capital, Dhaka. The disaster management agency warned that waters would continue to rise through the rest of this week as the monsoon season continues.
After his Downing Street victory speech, Sir Keir entered No 10 for the first time as PM - Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Sir Keir Starmer is Britains new Prime Minister, and the business of government has begun immediately.

This is what the Labour leader has in store for his first week:

Friday, July 5

Following Rishi Sunaks formal resignation on Friday morning, Sir Keir went to Buckingham Palace, where the King invited him to form a Government.

He then went to Downing Street where he gave a victory speech outside Number 10 and went inside for the first time as the man in charge.

The Prime Ministers first day will be predominantly taken up by appointing the Cabinet, which Pat McFadden, Labours campaign chief, has said will be complete by close of play on Friday.

Sir Keir will also meet senior civil servants, including Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, and be handed day-one briefings and formal advice from the Civil Service.

The issues discussed will be his responsibilities as Prime Minister and immediate policy priorities. These will have been discussed already by Sir Keir and senior civil servants in access talks, to which opposition leaders are invited before an election.

Sir Keirs most solemn job, on day one, will be writing the letters of last resort  instructions to the commanders of Britains Trident missile submarines on how to respond if the Government has been destroyed in a nuclear attack.

Saturday, July 6

Mr Sunak is expected to start the process of moving out of Number 10, allowing Sir Keir to move in. As he settles in, a series of congratulatory phone calls with world leaders will begin, prioritising key allies such as the United States and France.

The Prime Ministers day will also feature a series of national security briefings from Britains military chiefs and intelligence heads on the biggest threats facing the country.

A major policy announcement could be made as soon as Saturday, following Sir Keirs remarks in his victory speech that his mission of national renewal would begin immediately. This could be the scrapping of the Rwanda scheme, which Labour has vowed to axe on day one.

Elsewhere, Sir Keir will appoint his nuclear deputies  senior members of the Government who will be given authority to approve the use of Britains nuclear deterrent if the Prime Minister is absent or seriously ill.

Sunday, July 7

As the weekend progresses, conversations will turn to how Number 10 will be set up during Sir Keirs premiership, with Sue Gray, the partygate investigator, expected to play a key part given her role as his chief of staff.

The Government is thought likely to set up a new executive cabinet of Sir Keir, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Mr McFadden, while a Blairite-style policy delivery unit will be created in an attempt to ensure that priorities are implemented.

The new Cabinets special advisers will also be installed, though this is typically the responsibility of the ministers themselves. Phone calls with world leaders will continue to be made.

Monday, July 8

On Monday, diplomatic conversations, civil servant briefings and the setting up of Number 10s internal machinery will continue.

It is likely that Sir Keirs wife, Victoria, and their two children will have moved into the flat above No 10 by this point.

The family are also expected to get a dog, most likely a German Shepherd. Whether it will get along with Larry, the resident Downing Street cat, remains to be seen.

Further policy announcements are also likely, although the specifics of Sir Keirs priorities are not certain.

Tuesday, July 9

On Tuesday, the new Prime Minister will attend his first major foreign policy summit since the election when he attends Natos 75th anniversary celebrations in the United States.

He will be joined by David Lammy, his Foreign Secretary, and John Healey, the Defence Secretary.

The summit will centre on the Russia-Ukraine war, and Sir Keir is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president.

Back in Britain, the Commons will meet for the first time to formally elect the new Speaker. Lindsay Hoyle, the incumbent, will take the role.

Wednesday, July 10

Sir Keir is expected to remain stateside as the Nato summit continues. A bilateral meeting with Joe Biden, the US President, has not yet been confirmed but would be expected.

In the Commons, with the Speaker now elected, the swearing in process for all MPs will begin. The Speaker will be the first member to either swear the oath of allegiance or make a solemn affirmation.

Thursday, July 11

As Natos summit continues into its third and final day, Sir Keir will have the opportunity for more bilateral talks with key allies. In the Commons, the swearing in of MPs will continue for a second day.

Friday, July 12

Sir Keir is expected to land back in Britain from the Nato summit. His attention will turn to the state opening of Parliament on July 17, where the King will deliver the Kings Speech, setting out the new Governments legislative agenda.
Jeremy Corbyn has won Islington North, the constituency he has represented since 1983  but for the first time has been elected as an independent MP.

The former leader of the opposition beat Praful Nargund, a local Labour councillor selected by the partys executive committee as its candidate in May. Corbyn won 24,120 votes, with Nargund securing 16,873 votes. Turnout for the election was 67.5%, down from 71.6% in 2019.

In his victory speech, Corbyn said he had fought a positive campaign. The political system must produce answers for social problems, he said, adding that demonising asylum seekers was not the answer. He said he was proud of his constituency for standing up for a kinder, gentler, more inclusive politics.

Corbyn added: I couldnt be more proud of my constituency than I am tonight and proud of our team that brought this result. Thank you very much Islington North for the result we have achieved tonight.

The announcement of Nargunds result in the election was interrupted by a heckler saying unlucky mate, with one Labour supporter responding: Whats wrong with you?

Corbyn, 75, told reporters it had been a very interesting night in the political history of this country and he was looking forward to being part of that history.

Asked whether Keir Starmer would make a good prime minister, Corbyn said: Well, lets see what happens. He will become prime minister, he will have a very large majority in parliament, he has put forward a manifesto that is thin to put it mildly and doesnt offer a serious economic alternative to what the Conservative government is doing. And so the demands on him are going to be huge, the demands from the people are going to be huge.

If you dont give yourself space, to increase spending on the desperate social needs, I mentioned the two-child policy, but there are plenty of others, then I think there are going to be political problems. He must have known this when he agreed this manifesto which is a bit of a straitjacket around any proposals he may want to push forward.

He added: If the government ends the two-child benefit cap for example, hallelujah! I will be delighted. But if they dont, Ill be there, saying: why havent you done it? If they bring in rent controls in the private sector, well done. If they dont, Ill be there. Because this is a vote to show that people do want a true and independent voice in parliament to speak up for social justice.

Corbyn was blocked from standing as a Labour candidate in March 2023 by Keir Starmer, but announced soon after the election was called that he would be standing as an independent, leading to his expulsion from Labour.

In October 2020, Corbyn was suspended from the party and lost the parliamentary whip after describing antisemitism in Labour as dramatically overstated for political reasons in response to a critical report from the equality watchdog.

After 19 days, he was readmitted to the party, but Starmers refusal to reinstate the whip meant he continued to sit as an independent MP until the general election was called.

Corbyns campaign faced the difficulty of overcoming the long association between him and the Labour party, with many voters in his north London constituency seemingly unaware he was not the partys candidate in the election. Facing an uphill battle without Labours canvassing data or infrastructure, Corbyns campaign relied on volunteers from across the UK coming to support door-knocking efforts.

His victory ends a tradition of Islington North voting for Labour since a 1937 byelection.
Keir Starmer holds his first cabinet meeting - Andy Rain

Sir Keir Starmer has appointed David Lammy as his Foreign Secretary as he builds his Labour Cabinet.

The Prime Minister quashed speculation that Mr Lammy would not get the job after being largely absent on the campaign trail, with Sir Keir having distanced himself from remarks he previously made about Donald Trump.

Mr Lammy was the fourth appointment to Cabinet, following Angela Rayner as Deputy Prime Minister and Levelling Up Secretary, Rachel Reeves as the first female Chancellor, and Pat McFadden as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Ms Rayner, who faced intense scrutiny over her tax affairs during the election campaign, was seen walking down Downing Street for a meeting with the Prime Minister on Friday afternoon.

Her elected position as deputy leader means she is the only person Sir Keir cannot sack, although he can control the size of the empire she is given.

Ms Reeves said her appointment carried a historic responsibility, adding that it should inspire young women that there should be no limits on your ambitions.

Yvette Cooper was confirmed as Home Secretary, returning to government after holding posts under Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. John Healey is the new Defence Secretary. Wes Streeting was confirmed as Health Secretary, while Shabana Mahmood is the new Justice Secretary.

Sir Keir is expected to appoint most of the major figures in his shadow cabinet to his new Cabinet.

Sir Keir was elected Labour leader in April 2020, replacing Jeremy Corbyn in the wake of the partys historic defeat at the 2019 election. He made his Westminster debut as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras in May 2015.

Before that, he was an accomplished lawyer specialising in human rights, eventually working his way up to serve as Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service. In 2014, he received a knighthood for his services to criminal justice.

Sir Keir grew up in Surrey, where he won a place at Reigate Grammar School after passing the 11-plus exam. It became a private school two years after he joined, although existing pupils like him had their fees covered up to the age of 16 by the local council.

He went on to study law at the University of Leeds and later obtained a postgraduate degree from Oxford.

Sir Keirs father was a toolmaker, and his mother was a nurse. He has said he grew up working class, and during the election campaign often recalled the time his parents had their phone cut off to save money when he was a child.

He is married to Victoria, who works in the NHS. He has two teenage children, aged 13 and 16, who he never names or allows to be photographed in public.

Angela Rayner was first elected as the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in 2015 and served in Mr Corbyns shadow cabinet for several years before being appointed as Sir Keirs deputy leader in 2020.

The forthright MP describes herself as working class, and highlights on her website that she is not an Oxbridge-educated, former special adviser, professional politician, nor did she have a privileged upbringing.

Born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, Ms Rayner grew up on a council estate and attended her local comprehensive, Avondale High School, now Stockport Academy. She recalls being told that she would never amount to anything after falling pregnant at 16 and leaving school with no qualifications.

She went on to become a care worker for the local council before working her way up to a senior role at the Unison trade union. In 2015, she became the first female MP in Ashton-under-Lynes 180-year history.

She will effectively be Housing Secretary, building on Labours pledge to construct homes up and down the country.

Ms Rayner was accused of misleading tax officials over the address of her main residence earlier this year. She always denied wrongdoing, and was cleared of owing capital gains tax on the sale of her home after an investigation by HMRC.

Rachel Reeves, the MP for Leeds West since 2010, has become the first female Chancellor. She was promoted to shadow chancellor in May 2021, having first been appointed shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when Sir Keir took over as leader.

She did not serve in Mr Corbyns shadow cabinet, but did hold senior roles in Ed Milibands top team when he was Labour leader, including that of shadow work and pensions secretary.

Ms Reeves said she hoped her appointment as the first female Chancellor would inspire future generations of women, saying: It is the honour of my life to have been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer.

I know what responsibility it brings, and I am ready to deliver the change our economy needs to make working people in all parts of the country better off. It comes with a historic responsibility as the first woman to be appointed Chancellor. To every young girl and woman reading this, let today show that there should be no limits on your ambitions.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, was first elected as the MP for Tottenham in 2000, in a by-election triggered by the death of Bernie Grant.

He served in both the Blair and Brown governments before returning to the backbenches in opposition for nearly a decade. He was appointed as Sir Keirs shadow justice secretary in November 2020, and promoted to the foreign brief in 2021.

Despite his previous experience in government, Mr Lammys place in the Cabinet did not appear assured. He was largely absent from the campaign trail, and there were rumours that Sir Keir intended to replace him.

Yvette Cooper returns to government as Home Secretary, having first been first elected in the 1997 Labour landslide and subsequently holding several government posts under both Sir Tony Blair and Mr Brown.

She went on to serve in Mr Milibands shadow cabinet before returning to the backbenches under Mr Corbyns leadership. Since November 2021, she had been Sir Keirs shadow home secretary.

She has had a long career in politics, working on Bill Clintons presidential campaign in the early 1990s and advising the former Labour leader John Smith and veteran MP Harriet Harman. Before her election in 1997, she worked as a journalist at The Independent.

Richard Hermer KC, the Attorney General, was a surprise appointment and is not an elected MP.

He will be made a peer to take the attending Cabinet role, which had been expected to go to Emily Thornberry who held the shadow position since November 2021.

Mr Hermer is a barrister at Matrix chambers, a set co-founded by Sir Tony Blairs wife Cherie.

The lawyer has had a career in public international law spanning two decades, and has brought claims against governments, including against the UK authorities.

He acted for over 900 victims in the Grenfell Tower disaster, and also on behalf of children unlawfully held in immigration detention centres.

Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, was first elected to represent Birmingham Ladywood in 2010. She started in Sir Keirs shadow cabinet as his campaign chief, taking on the justice role last year.

Ms Mahmood was born in Birmingham but lived for five years as a young child in Taif, Saudi Arabia, where her father relocated to work as a civil engineer.

Lisa Nandy has been appointed as the new Culture Secretary. The role had been earmarked for Thangam Debbonaire before she lost her seat to the Greens in Bristol.

The Culture Secretary has one of the most diverse jobs in Whitehall, which includes negotiation of the BBC licence fee agreement every five years.

In opposition, Ms Nandy had been shadow international development secretary. Four years ago, she blamed the Tories under Boris Johnson for fostering an anti-media and anti-BBC feeling on social media by threatening to scrap the licence fee.

Steve Reed was first elected to represent Croydon North at a 2012 the by-election to replace the late MP, Malcolm Wicks.

He has held a number of front bench roles across the Miliband, Corbyn and Starmer years, including in the shadow Home Office, education and justice teams. He became shadow environment secretary, having been reshuffled from the justice brief in November 2021.

Before running for Parliament, Mr Reed worked in education and business publishing. He also led Lambeth council for more than six years.

John Healey was first elected to Parliament as the MP for Wentworth in 1997, and went on to serve in both the Blair and Brown governments.

He has also been a prominent figure in opposition, serving as the shadow secretary of state for health, housing and defence under Mr Miliband, Mr Corbyn and Sir Keir respectively.

Before his political career, Mr Healey worked in the charity sector and served as the campaigns director for the Trades Union Congress for three years.

Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, who was first elected the MP for Ilford North in 2015, had been the shadow health secretary since November 2021.

He previously served as Sir Keirs shadow secretary of state for child poverty and the shadow schools minister, as well as the shadow exchequer secretary to the Treasury.

Before becoming an MP, he served as the deputy leader of Redbridge council and worked for various charities with a focus on tackling educational inequality.

Ed Miliband has been the shadow energy secretary since 2021. He previously led Labour from 2010 to 2015, stepping down following the partys crushing loss to the Tories at the 2015 general election.

He was first elected as the MP for Doncaster North in May 2005, and served in Gordon Browns government before succeeding the New Labour veteran as leader, having defeated his brother David in the race for the top job.

He took a break from front-line politics during Mr Corbyns tenure, returning as Sir Keirs shadow business secretary before taking the energy brief.

Bridget Phillipson had been Sir Keirs shadow education secretary since November 2021, following her promotion from shadow chief secretary to the Treasury.

Since she was first elected as MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in 2010, she has served as an opposition whip under Mr Miliband and sat on several parliamentary committees, including the high-profile public accounts committee.

Before running for Parliament, she managed a refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence.

Pat McFadden was first elected as the MP for Wolverhampton South East in 2005, and has held several senior posts in opposition, including shadow business secretary under Ed Miliband and shadow chief secretary to the Treasury under Sir Keir.

Last year, he was made shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Labours campaign chief.

Before running for Parliament, he worked as a researcher for Donald Dewar, a Scottish Labour MP, and as a speechwriter for the former Labour leader John Smith. He was also an adviser to Sir Tony, both in opposition and later in Downing Street.

Louise Haigh was first elected as the MP for Sheffield Heeley in 2015, and held several junior roles on Mr Corbyns front bench before being appointed as shadow Northern Ireland secretary when Sir Keir took charge, and later as shadow transport secretary.

Before running for Parliament, Ms Haigh, who describes herself as a proud trade unionist and stands out among MPs with her brightly-dyed hair, worked for the local council youth service and served as a shop steward for the Unite union. She also volunteered as a special constable in the Metropolitan Police.

Ian Murray was first elected to Parliament in 2010 as the MP for Edinburgh South. He quickly got involved in committees, joining three in his first year, and was promoted to the Labour frontbench in 2011, where he was made a business minister. He returned to the backbenches during the Corbyn years before being brought back into the fold as Sir Keirs shadow secretary of state for Scotland.

Mr Murray grew up on a housing estate in Edinburgh in a family that worked as coopers and slaughtermen. He attended Wester Hailes education centre and got his first job as a paperboy at the age of 12. He went on to study social policy and law at the University of Edinburgh, and later launched his own events management business.

Jo Stevens was first elected as the MP for Cardiff Central in 2015, and held several roles on Mr Cobyns frontbench before quitting in 2017 over Labours position on Brexit. She was brought back on by Sir Keir in 2020, first as shadow culture secretary, and then as shadow secretary of state for Wales.

Ms Stevens, a former lawyer, grew up in North Wales and attended Argoed High School and Elfed High School, both state-funded. She went on to study law at the University of Manchester before joining Thompsons Solicitors, an employment rights firm with a focus on social justice.

Hilary Benn, the son of Tony Benn, the prominent Left-wing Labour politician, was first elected to Parliament in 1999, two years after Sir Tonys landslide victory, at the by-election to replace the late Leeds Central MP Derek Fatchett.

He held a number of senior government roles under both Sir Tony and Mr Brown, including an almost four-year stint as secretary of state for international development, and remained on the Labour frontbench until he was sacked by Mr Corbyn in 2016. After a long hiatus, he returned last year as Sir Keirs shadow Northern Ireland secretary.

Peter Kyle entered Parliament as the MP for Hove in 2015, and was first appointed to the Labour frontbench when Sir Keir became leader five years later.

He was promoted to shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland in 2021, and took on the science brief last year.

Before running for office, he worked as an aid worker in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, setting up an orphanage in Romania. He returned to the UK to work on policy in the Cabinet Office.

Liz Kendall was first elected as the MP for Leicester West in 2010. She served on Mr Milibands front bench and later as a shadow health minister under Sir Keir before being promoted to shadow work and pensions secretary.

Before running for office, she was director of the Ambulance Service Network and the Maternity Alliance charity. She also worked for two think tanks, one of them the Institute for Public Policy Research, where she specialised in health, social care and childrens early years.

Jonathan Reynolds was first elected as the MP for Stalybridge and Hyde in 2010, and has held several front bench roles over the years, including under Mr Corbyn.

Sir Keir appointed him as shadow work and pensions secretary in 2020 before he was moved to the business brief in 2021.

Before becoming an MP, he worked at Stockport council and qualified as a lawyer.

Lucy Powell has been a long-serving shadow minister under three successive Labour leaders: Mr Miliband, Mr Corbyn and Sir Keir.

Having previously been a pro-Euro campaigner and adviser to Mr Miliband, she was first elected to the Commons when she won a 2012 by-election in Manchester Central.

She held the seat at the general election with a majority of 13,797 and has now become Leader of the Commons after previously holding the shadow portfolio.

James Timpson has been ennobled and will become minister of state for prisons, parole and probation.

He has been the chief executive of Timpson, the high street shoe repair and key cutting chain, since 2002.

The firm is known for employing released prisoners and Mr Timpson has been chair of the Prison Reform Trust since 2016.

Sir Patrick Vallance has been appointed as the minister of state for science, having served as the Governments chief scientific adviser from 2018 to 2023.

He came to prominence during the pandemic as one of the scientific experts who appeared on the nations televisions in daily briefings. Sir Patrick, 64, publicly backed Labours flagship manifesto pledge to set up a publicly owned energy firm in May.
King Charles speaks with Keir Starmer during an audience at Buckingham Palace in September 2022 - JONATHAN BRADY/AFP

Before Sir Keir Starmer addresses the nation from Downing Street, he must first make that all important journey to Buckingham Palace.

Tracked overhead by helicopters from television news stations, his convoy will wind its way through the streets of London before pulling in through the imposing wrought iron gates.

As head of state, it is the Kings duty to appoint the prime minister who will lead His Majestys Government and that first audience will be as equally memorable for the monarch as for his guest.

It will be the first time the King, 75, has appointed a prime minister following a general election, a major constitutional duty that coincides with his ongoing cancer treatment.

Sir Keir will become the Kings third prime minister, and the first Labour one.

King Charles speaking with Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer during his visit to the Palace of Westminster ahead of the Coronation - ARTHUR EDWARDS/PA

However, the pair have met on numerous occasions before and appear to have a warm rapport.

They were seen engrossed in conversation at a reception in St Jamess Palace before the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2023, and photographed exchanging friendly greetings in the aftermath of Elizabeth IIs death.

In 2021, footage surfaced showing the then-human rights barrister telling a film-maker in 2005: I also got made a Queens Counsel which is odd, since I often used to propose the abolition of the monarchy.

But when the monarch died, he paid a warm tribute, saying in the Commons: For the 70 glorious years of her reign, our Queen was at the heart of this nations life.

She did not simply reign over us, she lived alongside us, she shared in our hopes and our fears, our joy, and our pain. Our good times and our bad.

He also spoke of the Kings new reign, praising Charless social and eco-credentials.

Buckingham Palace courtiers cleared two slots in the Kings diary for Friday; the first at 11am and the second, at midday.

With Sir Keir having secured the predicted landslide victory, Rishi Sunak will be invited to the palace first for a departure audience in which he will formally tender his resignation.

The outgoing premier will be invited to bring his spouse and children, should he wish and afterwards, will depart the palace privately.

Then, at midday, Sir Keir will be whisked through the gates to be greeted at the sovereigns entrance by an equerry and Sir Clive Alderton, the Kings private secretary.

The two visits will be timed with military precision and there will be no chance of one politician running into the other.

However, while both will take place in the private Audience Room, they will be distinctly different in tone.

The incoming prime minister will be invited to bring his spouse, Lady Victoria Starmer, who would be invited in towards the end of the meeting, but not their children.

The audience will last around half an hour. The meeting will be formally recorded in the Court Circular as the kissing of hands, although it will more likely feature a brisk hand shake.

The historic moment will be recorded by a photographer before the pair get on with constitutional business behind closed doors as the King invites his new prime minister to form a government.

As with all of their many weekly audiences to come, the meeting will remain private.

King Charles welcomed Rishi Sunak to an audience where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government - Aaron Chown/PA

However, many of Sir Keirs predecessors have been unable to resist recounting that first memorable encounter.

Sir Tony Blair recalled how he tripped on a rug and practically fell into the Queens hands when he went to the Palace to be appointed in 1997.

Gordon Brown described his first audience with Elizabeth II as a congenial business-like conversation about the work that lay ahead while Margaret Thatchers husband Denis noticed that the guards on duty at the Palace saluted as he and the new prime minister left, having not done so when they arrived.

Liz Truss, who has now lost her seat, revealed the late Queen told her Ill see you next week during their first and only official meeting at Balmoral on Sept 6 2022.

Until then, it had been extremely rare for any monarch to appoint a prime minister anywhere other than Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.

In 1885, Lord Salisbury was summoned there by Queen Victoria and asked to form a government. He accepted at Balmoral and returned to London, with Queen Victoria appointing a government a week later at Windsor Castle.

In 1908 Herbert Asquith travelled to Biarritz, France, for an audience with King Edward VII.

But the decision to bid farewell to Boris Johnson and appoint Ms Truss at Balmoral was deemed a necessary concession to the late Queens failing health. She died just two days later.

On Friday, after meeting the King, Sir Keir will leave the palace via the Ministers Staircase before being driven through the front gates in a ministerial car.

He will be headed straight for Downing Street, barely one mile away, and that all important lectern set up before a bank of waiting cameras, the nation watching on.
With 59 of 75 seats, Labour has obtained 78.7 per cent of London constituencies - Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe

Labour has secured a record landslide in London by winning four in five seats despite being dogged by opposition to Sadiq Khans Ulez scheme.

The party triumphed in 59 out of the capitals 75 seats, though it did suffer a defeat at the hands of former leader Jeremy Corbyn in Islington North.

It comes just two months after Mr Khan won a third term as Mayor of London with an increased vote share, despite predictions he might struggle.

Labours popularity in the capital had previously taken a big hit following his decision to expand the Ulez vehicle charge to all of Greater London.

The party failed to take Boris Johnsons old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in a July 2023 by-election because of a backlash from motorists.

But it reversed that result and won the seat by a narrow margin of just under 600 votes this time, as Sir Keir Starmer swept the board across the capital.

With 59 of 75 seats, Labour has obtained 78.7 per cent of London constituencies. This is higher than the former record 77 per cent obtained by Blair in 1997, according to analysis by the Telegraph.

The big surprise of the night was Mr Corbyns win in Islington North. The former Labour leader was expelled from the party after announcing that he would stand as an independent parliamentary candidate for the constituency.

Mr Corbyn has represented the seat since 1983 but this was the first time he won it as an independent candidate.

His North London seat is a speck in an otherwise nearly-red capital. The Conservative Party is literally and geographically being pushed to the sidelines.

Although the Conservatives lost most of their London seats to Labour, it held on to nine constituencies. Among those are Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner and Harrow East, two seats that have long histories of being Conservative.

Many eyes were on Kensington and Bayswater, a Labour gain from the Conservatives. In 2019, when it was still called Kensington, it was Londons most marginal seat with a majority of just 150 votes.

This years closest race was in Hendon, the last London constituency to be called. Labour won it with a slim majority of 15 votes.

Ed Daveys Liberal Democrats had reason to celebrate too. The leader held on to his seat in Kingston and Surbiton, as did Sarah Olney in Richmond Park and Munira Wilson in Twickenham.

This orange tail in the South West of London was formed in 2017 and 2019 and continues to grow.

Liberal Democrat gains were made in Wimbledon, Sutton and Cheam, and Carshalton and Wallington. All three of these gains were made with a vote share over 35 per cent.

Turnout in London was 58.9 per cent, slightly lower than the national average of 59.8. It was lowest in Barking and highest in Richmond Park.

The constituencies won by the Liberal Democrats had some of the highest turnouts, each above 60 per cent. The partys vote share was high too: over 40 per cent for five out of six seats.
Angela Raynor

Well, Putin will be laughing. The Conservative Party  perhaps the most significant force for saving Ukraine in the early months of the war and beyond  is out of office.

To make matters even more concerning, the new Prime Minister  Sir Keir Starmer  did not mention defence at all in first speech outside of No 10. He only mentioned that we are living in a volatile world.

Even so, I congratulate him for his historic victory today, because we have no choice. There are some really big battles on the horizon, where our gravest enemies of the present moment have a real chance of victory.

Not surprisingly, promises to sort out the NHS, redistribute wealth and grow the economy have won out. But the massive elephant in the room, which all parties have ignored, is a Russian one, which is in danger of seizing even more Ukrainian territory and sowing discord across the Continent. Then, lest we forget the Israeli-Iran conflict, which also has the potential to explode at any moment.

As such, this is the most dangerous moment for Britain for 40 years, as the world becomes ever more dangerous and we have an untested Government in charge.

Every military strategist and commander will agree that the time of greatest danger is at the drawn, or  in todays vernacular  at the time of change. Understandably, there is a huge nervousness in Whitehall with the mountain of briefings required to teach the new team a completely new language. Lets hope they listen; many politicians do, and Starmers disciples have no military experience to fall back on.

But Starmers foreign and military team must hit the ground not running, but sprinting today. Labour cannot ignore the Defence of the realm and the war in Europe, as all parties have done in this election. They have to demonstrate their resolve as early as this weekend, along with the celebrations and the hangovers.

Because be in no doubt: the Kremlin will fully test them over the next few weeks. The Russians will exploit any weakness, and with a good many of his front bench having been in the past anti-nuclear, Putin will be rubbing his hands with glee that his nuclear threats may not be parried so easily in future.

Keir Starmer, too, now has his hand on our red button and must demonstrate his understanding and resolve here, and dispel any fears that Labour is still the party of Corbyn and opposed to doing anything to defend these islands in the worst case scenarios.

We must pray they are up to the task. Because one thing is certain: Starmer will not be able to afford clocking off at 6pm on a Friday.
More than 80 per cent of Sir Keir Starmer's shadow cabinet went to a comprehensive school - Yui Mok/PA

The House of Commons now has more state-educated MPs than at any time in history as Labour plans its VAT raid on private schools.

Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party won more than 400 seats in a landslide win that reduced the Conservatives to fewer than 125 seats.

Almost two thirds (63 per cent) of the 650 MPs who now make up the House of Commons are thought to have gone to a comprehensive school, with three quarters of Labour MPs (73 per cent) going to a state school, according to the Sutton Trust.

This figure rises even further for the expected members of Sir Keirs Cabinet, given that more than 80 per cent of his shadow cabinet went to a comprehensive.

Sir Keir has vowed to impose VAT fees on fee-paying schools - JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP

This is the first time that a Cabinet has been roughly representative of the larger population, where 87 per cent of Britons went to a state school.

Almost half (46 per cent) of current Conservative MPs and 15 per cent of Labour MPs attended independent schools, compared with 41 per cent and 14 per cent respectively in 2019, the Sutton Trust said.

More than 60 per cent of Rishi Sunaks cabinet is thought to have been privately educated.

There are now only four MPs in the Commons who attended Eton, which has educated a number of British prime ministers  including Boris Johnson and Lord Cameron.

It is likely to add to fears surrounding the future of private education.

There are now only four MPs in the Commons who attended Eton - Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/via Getty Images

The Labour leader and incoming Prime Minister has vowed to impose VAT fees on fee-paying schools  which have long enjoyed tax breaks to raise funds to boost the state education sector  from day one of his new administration.

Critics claim that this will result in some parents being priced out of private school, while others have warned of the potential for school closures.

Nick Harrison, the chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: This election represents a sea change in the education backgrounds of the governing party in the new House of Commons, with around three quarters of Labour MPs having attended comprehensive schools.

The proportion of all MPs educated at comprehensives has also increased markedly, making this Parliament the most representative of the UKs schooling ever recorded.

This matters because people are naturally shaped by their background and life experiences, so its important for society that our politicians better reflect the reality of the wider population.

However, theres still a long way to go before the Commons is truly representative of the 88 per cent of the population who went to comprehensive schools.

If Parliament is to truly reflect the nation, its vital that more is done to enable talented people from all backgrounds to get the opportunity to become MPs.

Following Rishi Sunak's tenure as the country's first British Asian prime minister, about 13 per cent of MPs are now ethnically diverse - UK PARLIAMENT

The election has also seen the Commons take further steps to be representative of the real world with a more diverse range of MPs than ever before.

Analysis from the think tank British Future found that there are 21 more MPs of ethnic minority heritage than in 2019, up to a record tally of 87.

It is estimated about 13 per cent of MPs  about one in eight  are now ethnically diverse, which is roughly representative of the electorate as a whole (14 per cent).

The majority of the diverse MPs are on Labours benches, data show, with 66 of the 87 diverse MPs.

Three quarters of Labour MPs went to a state school, according to the Sutton Trust - Anthony Devlin/Getty Images Europe

Sunder Katwala, the director of British Future, said: The 2024 election is a landmark for representation, with record diversity in our parliament, closer than ever to that of the electorate.

In the space of 40 years we have gone from zero to nearly one in seven MPs being from an ethnic minority background.

The irony that it coincides with the end of Rishi Sunaks premiership as the UKs first British Asian prime minister only underlines how ethnic diversity has become a new norm across the main political parties.

Better representation doesnt guarantee better policies on inclusion. Our race debates can often feel as polarised as ever. But a stronger share of voice matters. When the new Commons raises issues of race, ethnic minority MPs will be there to bring their lived experience to the debate.
Sam Carling, 22, says he comes from 'a totally apolitical family, in quite a deprived part of the north east of England' - David Rose

It had seemed that Sam Carling, 22, was never destined to become a member of parliament. In November he was Labours second selection, after its first-choice candidate was ousted, to fight for a seat that had never in its history been red. So when yesterdays exit poll came in at 10pm it appeared to seal an obvious end: by pollster John Curtices measure, there was just a 26 per cent chance that North West Cambridgeshire would have Carling as its representative.

Clearly fate had other plans. Today Carling has become both Britains new Baby of the House, as its youngest electee, and the joint-youngest Labour MP in modern history, almost tied to the day with title-holder Malcolm Macmillan, who triumphed in 1935.

Carling contested veteran Conservative Shailesh Vara, who was elected into North West Cambridgeshire in 2005 and held on to his seat right until this year, sticking around for long enough to be a minister in three separate governments. Staff whispers from early on in the night suggested that Vara would surely hang on, and that it was not only the seats voting record and the exit poll that seemed to stand in Carlings way.

The new Baby of the House comes from, a totally apolitical family, in quite a deprived part of the north east of England, he says. Though Carling has lived in Cambridge since he was 18, studying natural sciences at the University of Cambridge before becoming a research fellow there (one of his two present jobs, alongside sitting on Cambridgeshire Council), his strong north eastern accent still means that he is an oddity in this pocket of the blue wall south.

If Carling ever felt that he was bound to become a Labour MP one day, then, and in the south of England at that, this is a belief that he has deftly hidden. Im absolutely thrilled, he said after making his winners speech. Im very grateful to all the residents who have put their trust in me, and Im very cognisant of the responsibility that comes with that, he adds, like any good new politician is wont to do.

As we speak, on the floor of Peterboroughs enormous Kingsgate Conference Centre auditorium, the young man is constantly beset by photographers. Its easy to see why. On this momentous night, when pictures speak much louder than words, Carling looks for all the world like a sixth former who has just been crowned head boy.

He might look 'like a sixth former', but Carling has been a city councillor since the age of 20 - David Rose

Even after his victory Carling still displays a hint of the nerves that had plagued him throughout the night, and by 6am he was more exhausted than ecstatic. All the predictions were all over the place, he says. The exit poll said I would lose, but by our own data, we thought I still might win. There was a dramatic 5am recount after Carling was initially found to have won the seat by just 23 votes  in the end, as if by magic, they found him an extra 16. It was very, very uncertain right until the last minute, he admits.

Its asked of every new Baby of the House, and many a fresh MP in their 20s, how they can hope to represent their constituents in Parliament given their lack of life experience. Carling has better grounds for argument than most. He has been a city councillor since the age of 20 and now manages a budget worth 17 million, as well as hundreds of staff.

Throughout the night, however, it seemed as if someone had forgotten to inform the councillor that to become an MP meant an entrance into public life. He arrived bang-on-the-dot at 10pm, hot on the heels of the exit poll and more than three hours before Vara appeared. The Labour lad immediately announced that he would not be making any comments to journalists until after the result was called, and even then I might not, he said, as he flitted between the rooms hosting the North West Cambridgeshire count.

Carling and Vara await the recount at Peterborough's Kingsgate Conference Centre auditorium - David Rose

When Vara made his landing at the count at just past 1am, he stopped to dispel some wisdom to his young rival. But Carling was clearly flustered by the sudden appearance of the photographers who had trailed Vara up the stairs towards the ballot boxes: he was distracted by the flurry, he pronounced. Soon afterwards the candidate was snapped on his phone while sitting on a chair in the corridor, something of a classic Gen Z pose, and much to his protests; afterwards he tried to steer clear of snappers all night, darting between rooms to avoid attention.

Who was he texting? Perhaps his friends, who he imagines now are proud  obviously a lot of them have been out supporting me, he says, though I wont be seeing them for a few hours, because priority number one will be going to sleep.

Or maybe he was congratulating another super-young candidate, such as the new Labour MP for Hertford and Stortford, 24-year-old Josh Dean, who with Carling will form Gen Zs political debut. But Carling is careful. I know some of them as friends and as colleagues, he says. Im sure I will get to know more of them, but I dont really know whos been successful at this stage.

After this the candidate maintained his solitude until just past 3.30am, when the first hints of his seats new status were revealed. At 3.48am Carling was standing by the count table on the summons of the returning officer, looking gleeful for the first time in that long evening. It seemed he had won: but the margin was so small that the Conservatives had demanded a recount.

Just down the aisle were a friendly but tense-looking midlife couple with lanyards that designated them as count agents, peering down at Carling with concern. In a room full of plain-clothed people their northern accents gave them away. The candidates parents had followed him to the count. But I wont confirm or deny that, Carlings mum said. Clearly he had them well-trained too.

Despite even this, Carling is keen not to be defined by his age. At the end of the day Im the Member of Parliament for North West Cambridgeshire, as weird as it sounds, he says. I want us as a society to get into a position where were not obsessing over peoples age when theyre elected to these positions, because realistically they are just as capable as anyone else.

Yet he exudes a particular kind of frenetic energy that is most commonly found in A-level exam halls. After the recount was announced Carling paced the room, tugging at his mound of curly mouse-brown hair or dutifully adjusting his Labour rosette. His black jacket was slightly too big, the matching trousers slightly too short. The first to be delivered the news of the recount were his parents, and until the ballots were collected for a final time, it was only them that he wanted for company.

Others in the room clearly see Carling in a different light. Alongside his parents at the count were many of his council colleagues. Weve seen him improve a lot in the last two years, says one, who is old enough to be Carlings grandfather. Weve had to slow him down a bit, because he used to talk so fast, and thats helped with understanding his accent too, he explains. But hes really learned how to interact with the public. Hes very well-liked. Hell go a long way.

The council will be sad to lose Sam to Westminster as hes good, with his vibrance, another colleague explains. Hes got that sort of confidence you only have when youre so young. North West Cambridgeshire will never be a safe seat, unless he does exceptionally well, but we are looking at someone who is going to be a big name in politics within the next few years.

Veteran Conservative Shailesh Vara was elected into North West Cambridgeshire in 2005 - David Rose

While Vara detachedly observed the recount from his feet, slowly hovering by each table, Carling sat at the desk directly opposite counters with his back straight and hands together, as if he could will the ballots to change in his favour. It almost seemed that he was counting the papers himself, with a forensic precision he perhaps has honed in his work as a cancer research scientist at Cambridge University  he is precocious in more ways than one.

Perhaps its this intensity that makes Carling cut something of a lonely figure. One colleague of his jokes that he fits his council work and research, formerly his Cambridge natural sciences degree, around his paper round. You have to wonder how he makes the time to be 22, and how he will adjust to life in Westminster and in London, one that could be more slow-paced and low-stakes than that which he currently leads.

Its a bittersweet moment, Carling says when asked how he feels about the prospect of leaving Cambridge University and the council behind. He had originally planned for a career in science, though all that changed during covid, when he realised that actually, I want to work in politics  around the time that his schools sixth form was shut down.

Im thrilled to be taking on the role, and thats the main focus, he says, but theres a little pang of sadness. But then I think I can bring a lot of the experience I have from working in science to Parliament and building up evidence-based policy and social circles, Carling says, as if this is just any other LinkedIn-boosting graduate job.

Shortly before 5.30 the room silently acknowledged Carlings victory. There was a brief moment when a third count might have been called, it was thought, before Shailesh Vara conceded defeat. He gracefully shook Sams hand again and smiled at his parents, before hugging and kissing his own supporters. From some within that camp there seemed to be tears.

In Sams camp too hugs abounded  his parents beamed  but there was a sense of finality to all this rather than that of a new beginning. As one councillor said, all had thought Carling would walk it in, despite what local officials and national polls may have claimed.

The young new MP clearly has huge respect for 63-year-old Vara, too, despite his determination to right what he sees as the ruin done to North West Cambridgeshire by Tory rule. The overriding thing for me is the manifesto I stood on, Carling says. Its Labours mission, its those first steps of change. Were going to get on with that straight away, in terms of rebuilding Britains public services and getting our countrys future back in essence, he says.

But this night could not have been less about the nation. The seats recount was called fifty minutes before Rishi Sunak would concede defeat to Starmer, and when that national defeat was screened on the count rooms enormous TV no one batted an eyelid. Nor did they when an enormous cheer could be heard from the bottom floor as Peterborough constituency declared for Labour.

In regards to his own victory and to his partys, I dont think I have any plans to celebrate, says the new MP, besides going to bed  by the end of the night he has a pounding headache. I know there was a party over in Cambridge with a lot of my colleagues in the city council, though that will probably have wrapped up by the time I get there.

Carling leaves the conference centre at 6am after local media and the BBC have had their fill of questions. Some wondered whether he is now Britains youngest MP, if not only Labours. Carling is so self-serious that his age can be easily forgotten, as can the fact that he has never before voted in a general election  until you see the Baby of the House with his parents in tow, on the way to the family car in the parking lot.

He might appear more like a sixth form prefect than a future leader after an overnight count, but are we looking at a future science or education secretary, as his colleagues believe, or perhaps even a future Prime Minister? Ive only just been elected, so lets just take things one step at a time, Carling says before he departs. I really havent had time to think about that in great detail, so lets leave that for later. Well speculate on that one.
California is going to bake as it rides through a heat wave over the holiday weekend.

The hottest temperatures were expected on Friday and Saturday.

Desert temperatues were expected to top 115 degrees. Moutain temeratures could reach 112 and valleys could see highs hitting 108. The coastal plain temperatures were expected to stay in the 90s.

"Limit outdoor activities during times of peak heat," the National Weather Service warned.

Christina Coffey, of Sacramento, told the Associated Press that it's just as miserable indoors, even with the air conditioning, while others wait in long lines for ice cream, hoping to cool down.

Many are flocking to beaches in an effort to beat the heat and enjoy cooler coastal waves.

Temperatures in some inland areas may set new record highs.

Statewide heat advisories are in effect.

Around 134 million people in the U.S. are under alerts as an "extremely dangerous and record-breaking" heat wave broils much of the country, according to the National Weather Service.
Sinn Fein is now certain to point to its third electoral victory in two years to press their case for a referendum on Irish reunification by 2030 - NIALL CARSON/PA

Sinn Fein has won a historic victory in the general election, making it the biggest party from Northern Ireland in Westminster for the first time.

The nationalists are on course to win seven seats, compared to the Democratic Unionist Partys (DUP) five MPs, giving them a hat-trick of landmark wins after their Stormont triumph in 2022 and last years local election.

Sinn Fein is now certain to point to its third electoral victory in two years to press their case for a referendum on Irish reunification by 2030, although their politicians never take up their seats.

As the DUP lost three seats, Michelle ONeill of Sinn Fein, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, said: Its time for a change, its time for us to take control of our own fortunes here.

The Good Friday Agreement says a border poll must be called if it appears likely a majority would favour a united Ireland.

Ms ONeill said: We now have the opportunity to do something better.

In the shock of a disappointing night for the DUP, Ian Paisley Jr lost the North Antrim seat once held by his father, a giant of unionism, to the hardline unionist Jim Allister by 450 votes.

The seat had been held by a member of the Paisley family for 54 years, with a majority of at least 10,000 in every election since 1974, but will now go to Mr Allisters Traditional Unionist Voice, which is allied to Reform UK.

There is no escaping the fact there has been a political earthquake of seismic proportions, Mr Allister said.

The veteran firebrand campaigned against the Irish Sea border and accused the DUP of trying to hoodwink unionists by claiming its deal to return to Stormont had removed it.

Sinn Fein is still in the running for another DUP seat in East Londonderry, where a full recount was underway at 6.30am.

Mr Allister made the smoky bacon border  a looming EU ban on smoke flavourings for crisps that will apply in Northern Ireland but not the rest of the UK  central to his election race.

Victory was particularly sweet for Mr Allister after Nigel Farage said he personally backed staunch Brexiteer Paisley to return to Westminster, despite Reforms pact with the TUV.

Sinn Fein MP for Mid Ulster Cathal Mallaghan celebrates his election with Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonald - NIALL CARSON/PA

Lagan Valley had been held for the last 27 years by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the former DUP leader, who resigned in March after being accused of historical sex offences. It was won by the centrist Alliance partys Sorcha Eastwood, 38, who defeated Jonathan Buckley.

South Antrim was lost to the Ulster Unionist Partys Robin Swann, giving the party which dominated Northern Irish politics for much of the regions history a single MP after winning 16,311 votes to the DUPs 8,799.

There was better news in Belfast East, where DUP leader Gavin Robinson won a close battle with Alliance leader Naomi Long.

Ms Long took 17,218 votes to Mr Robinsons 19,894, much to the relief of senior DUP figures who said the victory meant the party could now regroup.

Greeted by cheers as he arrived at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast, Mr Robinson said that losses by his party in other seats were a warning of the consequences of divided unionism.

Despite Catholics now outnumbering Protestants, there is still a majority of unionist voters in Northern Ireland.

A December poll found almost twice as many Northern Irish voters would vote to remain in the UK if a referendum was held.

But unionist support is fragmented across three parties, which has helped Sinn Fein to its recent victories.
Sir Keir Starmer addresses the nation following his landslide election win - MINA KIM/Reuters

Sir Keir Starmer promised to tread more lightly on the lives of voters during his first address to the nation as Prime Minister. Speaking outside 10 Downing Street following his landslide victory, he pledged that his Labour Government would be one of service and said he would unite our country.

He was speaking after returning from Buckingham Palace where he had his first audience with the King and accepted his invitation to form a new government.

The remarks will be seen as an overture to socially conservative voters who are concerned that there will be more state interference in their lives under a Labour administration.

Labour won nearly two-thirds of seats (63.7 per cent), but just a third (33.8 per cent) of the popular vote. Combined, Reform and the Conservatives gained 37.9 per cent of the vote, but collectively have just 19 per cent of seats.

Sir Keir used his speech to make an appeal to the public, saying: I say to you directly: Whether you voted Labour or not, in fact, especially if you did not, I say to you directly: My government will serve you.

He said the Government had been given a clear mandate by voters, adding that we will use it to deliver change, to restore service and respect for politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives and unite our country.

Four nations standing together again facing down, as we have so often in our past, the challenges of an insecure world, committed to a calm and patient rebuilding.

So, with respect and humility, I invite you all to join this Government of service in the mission of national renewal. Our work is urgent and we begin it today.

Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive at No 10 upon his appointment

Sir Keir paid tribute to Rishi Sunak, praising his achievement as the first British-Asian Prime Minister of our country.

He said: The extra effort that will have required should not be underestimated by anyone. We pay tribute to that today and we also recognise the dedication and hard work he brought to his leadership.

Sir Keir said he would work to repair the lack of trust the British public had in the Government, acknowledging that this could only be healed by actions not words. He used his speech to remind voters that he changed the Labour party and is returning it to service.

His comments will be seen as an attempt to distance his leadership of the party from that of Jeremy Corbyn, his predecessor. Mr Corbyn resigned as Labour leader in 2019 after the party suffered its worst election defeat since 1935. Sir Keir went on to expel him from the parliamentary party less than a year later, accusing him of undermining efforts to tackle anti-Semitism.

Sir Keir hints at a less intrusive state during his first speech as Prime Minister - HOLLIE ADAMS/Bloomberg

Sir Keir also highlighted a list of issues he hopes to tackle, including getting the NHS back on its feet, as well as ensuring Britain has secure borders and safer streets.

Hinting at Labours plan to make work pay, which will be overseen by the partys deputy leader Angela Rayner, he mentioned that he wants everyone to be treated with dignity and respect at work.

Next he turned to the partys net zero goals and plan to set up GB Energy, a new state-owned energy investor that will be based in Scotland and take stakes in renewables and nuclear projects. The opportunity of clean British power cutting your energy bills for good, he said.

Finally, Sir Keir outlined Labours plans to turbocharge housebuilding by addressing planning reform and boosting social housing stock. And, brick by brick we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity, he said. The world-class schools and colleges. The affordable homes that I know are the ingredients of hope for working people, the security that working class families like mine could build their lives around.

Sir Keir promised that his government will be unburdened by doctrine and guided only by a determination to serve your interests [and] to defy, quietly, those who have written our country off.

During the election campaign, Sir Keir was criticised for providing a lack of detail about what his government would do if elected. In particular, questions remain over whether there will be increases to taxes such as capital gains tax and inheritance tax, although the party has ruled out raising income tax, national insurance or VAT other than on private school fees.
US border patrol agents help a person who was bitten by a shark on South Padre Island, Texas, on 4 July 2024. Photograph: US border patrol Laredo

A single shark is believed to be terrorizing swimmers near a Texas beach, responsible for biting two people and making contact with two others during Fourth of July celebrations, including injuring one who went to help.

The encounters disrupted locals and vacationers relaxing on Thursday at South Padre Island, as two people were taken to the hospital with bites, at least one of them severe, authorities said.

Police were called for the attack on the man who was severely bitten around 11am, according to Nikki Soto, the South Padre Island city secretary. Firefighters and police initially helped the man on the beach, which lies on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, in east Texas, close to the US-Mexico border.

The Texas parks and wildlife department said later in a statement that two people were bitten and two more encountered the shark. One was slightly injured when they went to help victims and one reported the shark brushing by them, but neither was seriously hurt, the authorities said.

A Texas department of public safety helicopter flew low over the water to help shoo the shark away, as well as capturing footage.

One of the bite victims was taken to a hospital in Brownsville, and the other was flown out for further treatment.

Based on witness reports and images on social media, game warden captain Chris Dowdy said authorities believe a single shark about 6ft long was responsible.

Beach patrol, firefighters and police searched and flew drones afterwards, Soto said. The last reported shark attack in the area was five years ago, Dowdy said.

Nereyda Bazaldua recounted to CNN that daughter Victoria, 18, was only in knee-deep, calm water, boogie boarding, when she and her sister screamed shark as the fish came out of nowhere.

Then Victorias leg was bleeding, Bazaldua told the TV network.

The shark pushed into her, five to six of his teeth scratched her leg, Bazaldua told CNN, adding: The wounds arent deep and that the shark was hanging around afterwards, until it swam away after about 30 minutes.

The Associated Press contributed reporting
Nigel Farage, right, had intended to campaign for Donald Trump, left, before announcing he was standing in the UK - BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP

Donald Trump has hailed Nigel Farages success in securing a Westminster seat but declined to say anything about Sir Keir Starmer, as world leaders reacted to Labours landslide win.

The former president posted his support for the Reform UK leader on Thursday night, shortly after Mr Farage claimed Clacton. It is the eighth time he has run for a seat in the Commons and the first time he has succeeded.

Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a Parliament Seat Amid Reform UK Election Success, he posted on his platform, Truth Social. Nigel is a man who truly loves his country.

Trump has long been a supporter of Mr Farage, who said he had been intending to campaign for the Republican nominee this autumn before announcing his intention to stand in the UK.

David Lammy, Sir Keirs Foreign Secretary, has attempted to build ties with Trumps campaign team in recent months, meeting Chris LaCivita, his senior adviser, in Washington in May and speaking on the phone with Trump allies in Congress.

Sir Keir has previously suggested he hopes Joe Biden wins Novembers US presidential election.

Hillary Clinton said she hoped Sir Keir Starmers victory was an omen for America as leaders around the world reacted to Labours landslide victory.

The former Democrat presidential candidate viewed the victory of the Left in Britain as a hopeful sign Donald Trump could be defeated across the Pacific.

Congratulations to Labour for a big victory in yesterdays elections. Lets hope its an omen and work to make it so, she said.

Joe Biden has yet to publicly congratulate Sir Keir as he faces mounting pressure to step aside as Democrat nominee for president.

The New York Times declined to share Mrs Clintons enthusiasm, saying the 61-year-old former human rights lawyer lacks the star power of some of his predecessors but did quote an analyst as saying he looks relatively prime-ministerial.

New York Times' website reporting Keir Starmer's victory in the general election

One of the first world leaders to speak to Sir Keir as the Labour landslide became evident late on Thursday night was Emmanuel Macron.

The French president, who has acute political problems of his own to contend with, congratulated Sir Keir and added that he was pleased with our first discussion.

Congratulations Sir @Keir_Starmer on your victory. Pleased with our first discussion.



We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI.  Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 5, 2024

Le Monde was unsparing in its analysis of an atmosphere of constant fratricidal fights within the Tory party, as well as political scandals under Boris Johnson and budget miscalculations by Liz Truss.

The newspaper noted that there was no great enthusiasm for Sir Keir and that during the campaign he had shied away from any boldness, modestly committing himself to a return to stability, with no major departure from the trajectory set by the Conservatives.

"Historic victory for Labour": Le Monde front page

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, congratulated the Labour leader on his partys convincing election win.

Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been, and will continue to be, reliable allies through thick and thin. We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order, Mr Zelensky said.

Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, was the first overseas leader to publicly congratulate his friend, in a message on X.

We have a strong relationship between our two countries, but in Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner and so many others who I am very familiar with in the British Labour Party, I look forward very much to working with them. They have very similar views to us on a range of issues. Im sure well work closely on Aukus, where we worked very closely as well with the former government.

Congratulations to my friend and new UK Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer on his resounding election victory - I look forward to working constructively with the incoming @UKLabour Government  Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 5, 2024

Australias countrys biggest financial newspaper warned Mr Albanese that while his happiness for his ideological bedfellow will be genuine, victory for Sir Keir should make him wary.

Starmer did not win because Britain was hankering for a social democratic government, the Australian Financial Review wrote. He won merely because he wasnt the government.

In Germany, Olaf Scholz, the chancellor, said he was delighted about the election victory of our sister party in the UK.

Sir Keir will be a very good, very successful prime minister, he said.

Germanys Der Spiegel reported early on a landslide win for Labour that showed Britains dissatisfaction with the Conservatives.

Many people have the impression that very little still works in the country, which has led to anger against the long-standing government, it said.

It threatens the end of the Tory Party as we know it.

Giorgia Meloni, Italys Right-wing prime minister, was more circumspect and paid tribute to Rishi Sunak, with whom she was often pictured enjoying herself at international summits.

I thank my friend Rishi Sunak for these years of intense cooperation and sincere friendship, she said.

Corriere della Sera, the Italian daily newspaper, published a story lamenting the long debacle of the Tories, blaming their crushing defeat at the polls on 14 years of government which impoverished the United Kingdom.

In a comment piece, the newspaper said: The party of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher comes out of this electoral contest with broken bones and it will take years to recover.

Antonio Tajani, Italys foreign minister and deputy prime minister, meanwhile hailed Sir Keir as a latter-day Sir Tony Blair.

Although he comes from the centre-Right Forza Italia party founded by the late Silvio Berlusconi, Mr Tajani was fulsome in his praise. He described Sir Keir as a moderate and contrasted him with the extreme former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, arrives to deliver a victory speech at a London election results event - Betty Laura Zapata/Bloomberg

In Spain, El Pais said on its front page that it had been a historic triumph for Labour. But its UK correspondent described Sir Keir as a methodical and calculating man who was considered by many to be a robot, incapable of expressing even a minimal dose of charisma.

Writing in El Mundo, Joaquim Coll, the historian, said Sir Keir could not be compared to Sir Tony in terms of brilliance or popularity but said the election result reflected the fallout from Brexit, which has left British society poorer and deeply fractured.

"Historic triumph of Labour": Madrid's El Pais' front page covering the Labour Party's victory

Charles Michel, the European Council president, congratulated Sir Keir on a historic election victory in Britain and said he looked forward to working with London under a Labour government.

He added that he would see Sir Keir at a European Political Community summit to be held in Britain on July 18 where we will discuss common challenges, including stability, security, energy and migration.
Sir Keir Starmer's first speech to the nation as Prime Minister, following a landslide election victory, was focused on service - Tayfun Salci/Zuma Press/eyevine

Sir Keir Starmers historic address to the nation, in which he delivered a message of hope and renewal, came only months after he hired the Archbishop of Canterburys speechwriter.

As Sir Keir prepared to challenge Rishi Sunak for the premiership, he sought to bolster his team with various carefully chosen appointments.

Among them was Abigail Martin, who worked at Lambeth Palace for six years, rising through the ranks from the archbishops parliamentary assistant to his speechwriter.

She was hired by Labour as the deputy speechwriter to the leader of the Opposition in January, as Sir Keir prepared for the general election campaign.

Abigail Martin spent five years studying at the Royal Ballet School before attending Charterhouse, one of the UK's leading independent schools

On Friday, his first speech to the nation as Prime Minister, following a landslide election victory, was focused on service.

He said: I say to you directly, whether you voted Labour or not, in fact, especially if you did not, I say to you directly: My government will serve you.

Observers also noted his choice of words such as hope, spirit, belief, healing, mission, and renewal, which reflected a narrative often delivered by the archbishop, the Most Rev Justin Welby.

Ms Martin spent five years studying at the Royal Ballet School before attending Charterhouse, one of the UKs leading independent schools.

She then completed a masters in biblical studies and Hebrew at the University of St Andrews.

Ms Martin received a joint credit on the archbishops book, Now You are Gods People, published in February, which explored how the first letter of Peter, in the New Testament, spoke to a modern audience.

Abigail Martin received a joint credit on the Archbishop of Canterbury's book, Now You are God's People - Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe

Last year, only weeks before Ms Martin was hired by Sir Keir, she spoke at a conference organised by the UK Speechwriters Guild at Westbourne Park Baptist Church in west London.

Sir Keir is the first openly atheist leader in British history.

In an interview in 2021, he said he had a lot of time and respect for faith, adding: I am not of faith, I dont believe in God, but I can see the power of faith and the way it brings people together.

Sir Keir, whose wifes father is Jewish, has spoken about how they are raising their children to recognise the faith of part of their grandfathers family.

That includes keeping Friday evenings free to observe a form of the traditional Jewish ritual of Shabbat dinners.
No longer shadows: Key Labour figures, seen here before the election, have been given their briefs - Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

Sir Keir Starmer has appointed a lawyer who has taken cases against British governments as the new Attorney General, in an apparent snub to Emily Thornberry.

In a surprise move, he has given a peerage to Richard Hermer, a KC from Matrix chambers, which Sir Tony Blairs wife Cherie co-founded.

It means Mr Hermer has been given the job that was shadowed by Ms Thornberry in Opposition. On Friday night it was not clear whether Ms Thornberrry had a role in Sir Keirs Cabinet.

Mr Hermer has brought a significant number of private international law claims against governments, including against officials in the UK, and also on behalf of UK servicemen and their families.

These include the Mau Mau litigation that led to the settlement of more 3,000 claims brought by individuals mistreated by the colonial regime in Kenya, and claims for mistreatment of civilians in Iraq, including on behalf of the family of Baha Mousa, who died in a British detention centre.

Mr Hermer has also represented Gerry Adams when the former Sinn Fein leader was being sued by victims of IRA bomb attacks and he brought litigation on behalf of UK citizens and residents held in Guantanamo Bay and acted on behalf of UK service personnel killed and seriously injured by friendly fire during the Iraq War.

He is also a former donor, having given 5,000 to Sir Keir for his Labour leadership campaign in 2020.

Sir Patrick Vallance

The Prime Minister also announced that former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance had been appointed minister for science.

James Timpson, the key-cutting and cobbling supremo, was appointed prisons minister. His appointment signalled that Sir Keir would be prioritising solving the prisons overcrowding crisis by making the appointment of a prisons minister on his first day in office.

Within hours of being appointed Prime Minister by the King, Sir Keir gave Pat McFadden  previously his national campaign co-ordinator  the title of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

New Cabinet members were invited to walk down Downing Street in a strict order  and, in a sign of his importance, Mr McFadden was the third to enter No 10 behind Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Rachel Reeves, the first female Chancellor.

The title of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster does not carry any onerous responsibilities and is used by prime ministers to appoint a politician without a department to run the Cabinet. The previous holder was Oliver Dowden, who had a similar cross-governmental role under Rishi Sunak.

Mr McFaddens appointment follows reports that Sue Gray, the Prime Ministers chief of staff, said the only thing that ministers would be marked on was delivery.

Others have said that Sir Keir will operate a quad to make key decisions, consisting of the Prime Minister, Ms Rayner, Ms Reeves and Mr McFadden.

The quad mirrors that of the 2010-15 Coalition, which employed two Tories and two Liberal Democrats. It enables quick decisions which can be hard to achieve with a full Cabinet.

Sir Keirs version would exclude usually powerful ministers such as the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary.

The 'quad' - clockwise from top left, Angela Rayner, Pat McFadden, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves - Eddie Mulholland/AP/Bloomberg

Other appointments

Lisa Nandy was appointed Culture Secretary after the woman who was intended to take the job, Thangam Debbonaire, lost her Bristol seat to the Greens. In opposition, Ms Nandy was shadow international development secretary.

David Lammy was confirmed as Foreign Secretary, despite speculation he would not be given the same brief as he had in Opposition.

Yvette Cooper became Home Secretary as expected, Wes Streeting was named as the new Health Secretary and Ed Miliband was confirmed as Energy Secretary.

Other appointments included Shabana Mahmood, who was confirmed as Justice Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds as Business Secretary, and Liz Kendall as Work and Pensions Secretary.

John Healey is the new Defence Secretary and Louise Haigh is Transport Secretary. Steve Reed is the new Environment Secretary, Bridget Phillipson takes on education and Jonathan Reynolds becomes Business Secretary while Peter Kyle is Science Secretary. Ian Murray is the new Scottish Secretary, Jo Stevens is Wales Secretary and Hilary Benn is responsible for Northern Ireland.

Ms Phillipson, who has championed Labours pledge to impose VAT on private schools, said after her appointment: Opportunity should be for all - not just a lucky few.

A leading silk

Rachel Holmes, chief executive at Matrix Chambers, said of Mr Hermer: Richard has played an important role in Matrixs development and success  as a leading silk in the areas of public and private international law.

He has been committed to taking a modern and inclusive approach to the provision of legal services and to ensuring that access to justice is available to all. We wish Richard all the best as he takes on this important role.

Sir Keirs appointment of Mr McFadden, a 59-year-old Glaswegian, as his Cabinet enforcer shows that the new Prime Minister is keen to avoid the mistakes of Sir Tony Blair when he swept to power on 1997.

Sir Tony revealed in his diaries that in the early years he found that, despite unveiling a new policy, it was often difficult to get anything to change in the department and the policy did not get implemented.

Eventually, he appointed Jack Cunningham as enforcer in an attempt to make sure No 10s remit was obeyed across Whitehall.

Economic growth

As the UKs first female Chancellor, Ms Reeves told Treasury staff she wanted the Labour Government to work hand in glove with business as she vowed its central mission would be to boost economic growth.

I want this to be the most pro-growth Treasury in our countrys history, she said. That will mean doing what the Treasury does best  building growth on a rock of economic stability.

On Friday night, Lucy Powell was made leader of the House of Commons and Baroness Smith of Basildon the leader of the House of Lords. Sir Alan Campbell was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, while Darren Jones was made Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

David Lammy  Foreign Secretary

There had been speculation that Mr Lammy would not be made Foreign Secretary, speculation which only mounted when Sir Keir refused to confirm he would have the job during the election campaign.

Mr Lammy was largely absent from the campaign trail and the Labour leader was forced to distance himself from past remarks made by Mr Lammy about Donald Trump, the Republican candidate in Novembers US presidential election.

In 2018, Mr Lammy called Mr Trump a woman-hating, neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath and said he posed a profound threat to the international order.

Asked about those comments during a phone-in on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sir Keir said: Those arent words that Ive ever used. Ive dealt with all sorts of leaders, when I was chief prosecutor, across the world.

David Lammy has become Sir Keir's Foreign Secretary - Simon Dawson/No 10

On Friday, Mr Lammy softened his words on Mr Trump, saying: I will work closely with whoever is in the White House in the end. The US is a great democracy. In democracies, of course, there is debate and discussion and difference.

He also said he understood the agony of communities which had voted against Labour over its hesitation in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

All of us recognise the agony of communities who have seen the scenes coming out of Israel and Gaza, she said.

But the job now is to get to work with tireless diplomacy to support an immediate ceasefire and move towards getting those hostages out.

He said he wanted to see an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Richard Moore, The MI6 chief tweeted his congratulations to Mr Lammy on his new appointment, writing: A warm welcome to our new Foreign Secretary David Lammy. All at SIS [Special Intelligence Services] look forward to supporting him with world-class intelligence insight as he goes about his duties in this contested and challenging world.

Lord Cameron, the previous foreign secretary, did not receive any such public message when he was appointed last December.

In his first act as Foreign Secretary on Friday night Mr Lammy announced a 500,000 support package for Caribbean countries affected by the destruction of Hurricane Beryl.

Lisa Nandy  Culture Secretary

Ms Nandy, whose promotion to Culture Secretary marked one of the few changes in the appointments, is set to oversee a review of the TV licence fee.

Four years ago, she blamed the Tories under Boris Johnson for fostering an anti-media and anti-BBC feeling on social media by threatening to scrap the licence fee.

In an article for LabourList, when she was standing to be party leader, Ms Nandy said she wanted to defend free media like the BBC and said she wanted to protect the licence fee.

She called for a new structure for the Corporation, under which it would be owned and directed by licence fee holders to prevent the threat of government interference.

Lisa Nandy arriving at No 10 to become Culture Secretary - Hannah McKay/Reuters

This anti-media and anti-BBC feeling is all over social media and goes all the way to No 10, with its hints that not only will non-payment of the licence fee be decriminalised but it could be scrapped altogether, she said.

But instead of joining in the pile-on, we need to be advocating for and defending free media, and especially the BBC. Because for all of its imperfections, it is based on a licence fee that provides it with the basis to speak truth to power.

She added that she would protect the licence fee to ensure the BBC was not held to ransom over appointments and funding and was more accountable to the British people, as well as advocating for a new structure for the BBCs board that would support greater independence from the government.

Ms Nandy also criticised the BBC for a London-centric bias against the north.

Just after the Labour defeat in the 2019 election she complained that she had been told by the Corporation that she would have to travel down to the capital from her Wigan constituency to be able to appear on the Andrew Marr Show.

Setting up this interview was an absolute nightmare if Im honest, she told Mr Marr. I was told that unless I came down to a London studio to talk about rebuilding our northern heartlands on Sunday I couldnt come on the show.

Im grateful for you for changing that and allowing me to do it from up north. Unless we start urgently addressing these structural problems, we are never going to be able to hear and show proper respect to these communities that rejected us so decisively.

The NHS is broken

After being confirmed as Health Secretary, Mr Streeting said Labours position on the NHS was that it was broken.

This government will be honest about the challenges facing our country, and serious about tackling them, he said. From today, the policy of this department is that the NHS is broken.

That is the experience of patients who are not receiving the care they deserve, and of the staff working in the NHS who can see that  despite giving their best  this is not good enough.

He added that following a call with the BMA junior doctors committee, he would begin talks to end their industrial action next week.

The doctors have been striking for months to secure themselves a huge pay rise.
Sir Keir Starmer takes his first phone call from Joe Biden on Friday evening - Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to sit down with Joe Biden, the US president, at the annual Nato summit in Washington DC in his first week as prime minister.

The Labour leader will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr Biden, who is facing political turmoil at home, on the margins of the summit on Wednesday or Thursday, The Telegraph understands.

Sir Keir is expected to miss the first day of the summit, which begins on Tuesday, because he is required to attend a swearing-in ceremony for new MPs at the House of Commons.

Either David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, or John Healey, the Defence Secretary, is expected to fill in for him at a commemoration ceremony on Tuesday evening.

Sir Keir and Mr Biden spoke on the phone on Friday evening, and the US president tweeted his congratulations on Labours election win, writing: I look forward to our shared work in support of freedom and democracy around the world, and to further strengthening the special relationship between our two countries.

A Downing Street spokesman said: The leaders discussed their shared commitment to the special relationship between the UK and US, and their aligned ambitions for greater economic growth.

Discussing geopolitical challenges, the leaders reiterated their steadfast commitment to Ukraine and the Prime Minister underscored that the UKs support for Ukraine was unwavering. The Prime Minister said he looked forward to working side by side across the breadth of the relationship.

Mr Biden congratulated Sir Keir Starmer on his appointment as Prime Minister when the two leaders spoke, the White House said. A spokesman added: The President looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Starmer to the Washington summit next week.

The summit will come just days after Sir Keir took office, with Labour parading its foreign policy and defence credentials on the world stage for the first time in government.

Whitehall sources told The Telegraph there was not expected to be any major shift in policy towards the Nato alliance or support for Ukraine.

Sir Keir has praised Rishi Sunaks government for its support for Kyiv, pledging to uphold it if Labour won power.

Much of Britains policy on the summit has already been worked out in a lengthy negotiation process between all 32 Nato member states.

On Thursday, they will publish a joint communique that will address the question of Ukraines pathway to membership.

It is likely to refer to a well-lit bridge for Ukraine to join the alliance, but will stop short of offering a concrete timeline.

In an interview last weekend, Sir Keir suggested that he wanted Mr Biden to win the US presidential election in November. He met the US president at D-Day commemorations in Normandy last month.

Unlike most Labour leaders in opposition, Sir Keir did not travel to Washington in advance of the election campaign to meet Mr Biden in the White House.

Mr Lammy has made several trips to the US in an attempt to build alliances with both the Democratic administration and Donald Trumps campaign.
Sir Keir Starmer spoke to a jubilant crowd after being declared as the new Prime Minister - Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph

Sir Keir Starmer will become the prime minister after Labour won the general election with a landslide and the Tories suffered a historic wipeout.

Rishi Sunak conceded the election just before 5am, congratulating Sir Keir on his victory and telling Tories who had lost their seats: I am sorry.

Labour racked up a string of major gains from the Conservatives as a slew of Cabinet ministers including Grant Shapps, Gillian Keegan and Penny Mordaunt lost their seats.

Liz Truss was defeated in her seat of South West Norfolk, losing narrowly to Labour.

Coming just before 7am, the shock defeat capped off an awful night for the Tories, with Ms Truss becoming the first former prime minister to lose their seat since Alec Douglas-Home in 1966.

The former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees Mogg was a major Labour scalp, losing his seat at 5am - the same time Labour officially obtained a majority by passing the threshold of 326 seats.

The Tories were braced for a terrible night after the exit poll showed Labour was on course to return 410 MPs, with the Conservatives expected to return just 131 seats - a fraction of their 365 MPs in 2019.

It would be the worst result for the Tories in terms of seats in modern history, with Mr Sunak expected to resign.

Reform UK enjoyed a major breakthrough as Nigel Farage won in Clacton, entering Parliament at the eighth attempt. The party had elected four MPs by 5.30am, including former leader Richard Tice.

The Liberal Democrats also had a successful night and were on course to return 61 MPs according to the exit poll, toppling Cabinet ministers including Ms Keegan, Michelle Donelan and Alex Chalk.

Sir Keir will enter No 10 as the seventh Labour prime minister with vast power, with his party on course to secure a huge majority of 170.

Appearing at a victory rally in central London, he said: Across our country people will be waking up to the news, relieved that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

And now we can look forward again, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.

However, Sir Keir suffered a blow to his authority as his majority in his seat was slashed by almost 60pc by a challenge from a pro-Palestine independent.

He also lost two of his top team.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general and a key part of the election campaign, lost his Leicester seat to a pro-Palestine independent.

Thangham Debbonaire, the shadow culture secretary, was separately ousted in Bristol as the Greens won their second seat in Parliament.

Other Labour candidates lost to pro-Gaza independents in Dewsbury and Batley and Blackburn - seats with a large number of Muslim voters.

Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader who Sir Keir kicked out of the party, also defied the odds to hang onto his seat as an independent.

Sir Keir, 61, will enter Downing Street on Friday day after a victory that would give him the political space to reshape Britain.

He is likely to herald the victory as a vindication of his modernisation of the Labour Party, which he has pushed towards the centre ground since becoming leader in April 2020.

However, he will likely have a smaller majority and fewer seats than Sir Tony Blairs 1997 landslide.

Meanwhile, the Tories are on course to suffer the worst result in their history, with Mr Sunak expected to resign as the partys 14 years in power ends.

A series of Cabinet ministers lost their seats in the early hours as the Conservatives suffered a succession of modern-day Portillo moments.

Mr Shapps was ousted in Welwyn Hatfield shortly after Ms Keegan, the Education Secretary, lost her Chichester seat to the Liberal Democrats.

Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, was also ousted in Cheltenham by the Lib Dems whilst Ms Mordaunt, the Commons Leader, lost to Labour in Portsmouth.

In his concession speech, a visibly shaken Mr Shapps blamed infighting for the partys catastrophic results and urged colleagues to swiftly regroup.

What is crystal clear to me tonight is that its not so much that Labour won this election but rather that the Conservatives have lost it, he said.

Weve tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.

We forgot a fundamental rule of politics that people do not vote for divided parties.

Sir Robert Buckland, a former justice secretary, also fired a furious broadside at former colleagues as he lost his seat in Swindon.

He warned the party now risked becoming a group of bald men arguing over a comb.

As the recriminations began, Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links, the former Scottish Tory leader, said Mr Sunak had run one of the worst election campaigns in living memory.

There were few silver clouds for the Tories although Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, and ex-leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith clung on.

A major reason for the Tory demise was the performance of Reform, which enjoyed a breakthrough election after Mr Farage returned as leader.

Mr Farage won convincingly in Clacton to become an MP at the eighth attempt shortly after Lee Anderson held onto his seat in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

Richard Tice, the partys chairman, also won in Boston and Skegness after the exit poll suggested Reform may win as many as 13 constituencies.

Mr Farage vowed: This is just the first step, I set out with a goal to win millions of votes, to get a bridgehead in Parliament and thats what weve done so Im very pleased.

The Liberal Democrats also enjoyed a successful night and were on course to return 61 MPs according to the exit poll, scoring its best result in a century.

Sir Ed Daveys party seized seats from the Tories across the Blue Wall in the South and is on course to become the third biggest party in Parliament.

He comfortably held onto his seat in Kingston and Surbiton with the largest majority of votes ever secured by a Liberal Democrat MP.

Speaking after his victory Sir Ed hailed the partys national results as exceptional.

However, the Lib Dems were unable to dislodge Jeremy Hunt, who held on in Godalming and Ash.

Meanwhile, a political sea change was forecast in Scotland, with Labour overtaking the SNP  which is predicted to return 10 MPs  as the largest party.

Nicola Sturgeon, the former Scottish first minister, said the result was not a good night and at the grimmer end of the expectations for the SNP.

The Greens were on course to win four seats, beating the Tories in North Herefordshire and Waveney Valley. Plaid Cymru picked up four seats in Wales, where the Tories lost all their seats.
Natalie Elphicke, Sir Keir Starmer, Yvette Cooper and Mike Tapp announced Labour's plans to stop small boat crossings earlier this year - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe

Sir Keir Starmer has killed off the Rwanda deportation plan on the first day of his premiership.

Labour insiders told The Telegraph the Tory scheme to deport migrants arriving in the UK illegally to Rwanda was effectively dead after the party pledged to scrap it if it won the election.

Illegal migration is set to be one of the key priorities of the new Government, with a summer of small boat Channel crossings expected.

Emmanuel Macron, the French president  who will be key to Labours plans to tackle the issue  is believed to have been the first world leader to call Sir Keir, talking to him on Thursday night.

On Friday, Yvette Cooper, the new Home Secretary, said one of the first duties of government was to keep our borders secure and that she would prioritise creating a new Border Security Command in her early meetings with officials.

Immigration was a key issue in the election campaign. Reform surged in support by focusing on the topic but was left frustrated when its votes converted into just five seats.

The Rwanda scheme was first announced by Boris Johnson and continued by Liz Truss and Mr Sunak. It has been delayed by long court battles, with no flight having taken off, but it became a battleground in the election campaignt.

A Labour insider confirmed to The Telegraph that it was now dead, saying: If Rishi Sunak thought Rwanda would work, he wouldnt have called an election. It was a con. By calling an election, Sunak was acknowledging that fact.

Britain can end the Rwanda scheme by terminating the agreement through a break clause. Under the clause, the UK will not have to make any further payments from the date it is activated.

The UK has already paid 270 million, with the latest 50 million instalment handed over in April. By ending the scheme, Britain will save two further 50 million payments in 2025 and 2026.

The agreement stipulated that Britain would still be expected to pay for any migrants who had already been relocated.

Nobody was deported, although two failed asylum seekers went to Rwanda voluntarily under a separate agreement that saw them offered a 3,000 incentive to go.

The UK can also leave the treaty signed earlier this year, which was agreed to counter criticisms of the Rwanda scheme by the Supreme court by giving three months notice.

The Rwanda government is understood to be ready to issue a statement as early as Saturday, in which it is expected to welcome the new UK Government.

Sir Keir used his first speech as Prime Minister outside Number 10 to promise a government of service, insisting his approach to leadership would be unburdened by doctrine.

With almost every seat called, Labour was on 411 MPs, more than triple the Tory total of 121. The Liberal Democrats were on 71 MPs  the most for a century  with the SNP nine and the Greens on four.

The new Cabinet was appointed, with Rachel Reeves now the first ever female Chancellor. David Lammy became the Foreign Secretary and Angela Rayner the Deputy Prime Minister.

On Saturday, Sir Keir is expected to hold the first full meeting of his Cabinet, complete junior ministerial appointments and take more calls from world leaders.

He is expected to move his family into Downing Street at some point. His first speech in Parliament as Prime Minister will take place on Tuesday before he flies out for a Nato summit in Washington DC.

Labour won the election with an estimated vote share of just 34 per cent, seeing some call Sir Keirs victory a loveless landslide.

Sir Keir addressed those who did not back him in his Downing Street speech, saying: My Government will serve you. Politics can be a force for good  we will show that.

On Friday morning, Rishi Sunak announced that he would resign as the Conservative leader, saying sorry for his partys worst election result in modern history, but stay on until a successor is picked.

Suella Braverman, Kemi Badenoch, Priti Patel, Tom Tugendhat and Robert Jenrick are all expected to launch leadership bids. Exact timings of the contest have not been announced.
Will Sunak fall on his sword if his party suffers defeat or battle on? - TOBY MELVILLE/AFP

The longer the 2024 general election dragged on, the bleaker the prospects for the Conservative Party became.

When Rishi Sunak first surprised the nation by asking the King to dissolve Parliament, apparently catching Reform on the hop, some Tories were able to persuade themselves they had a chance of winning.

When Nigel Farage executed a U-turn on Clacton pier to announce he would be standing, the most optimistic prediction was that the Conservative Party could still lose with its dignity intact.

Those two scenarios have since gone up in smoke.

After taking the party to the worst result in its history, Rishi Sunak resigned as Prime Minister and announced that he would stand down as Tory leader.

Reform UK garnered over four million votes, although only translating that share into four seats, with Nigel Farage finally becoming an MP at the eighth attempt.

Sir Keir Starmer, the new Prime Minister, told the nation they can look forward again and walk out into the sunlight of hope, at his victory speech in central London.

Sir Keir Starmer became the new Prime Minister after a landslide election win for his Labour party left the Tories in tatters - ENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

Were the Conservatives merely lambs being led to the slaughter or were they a bunch of dinosaurs standing around, chewing vegetation and becoming dimly aware of a fireball growing larger in the sky?

Paul Goodman, a senior fellow at Policy Exchange, believes that a lot depends on four key variables: how many seats the Tories have; who is left; whether Nigel Farage becomes an MP; and if Boris Johnson both wants, and is allowed, to throw his hat in the ring for a leadership contest.

New leader

Sunak, having led the Conservative Party to a historic defeat, has fallen on his sword. I cant imagine him wanting to remain leader or being allowed to, said Iain Dale, the political commentator.

The number one prerequisite of his successor is that they are still an MP. This means the field of possible contenders has been reduced after senior Tories such as Penny Mordaunt lost their seats. A lot depends on who is left to pick up the pieces, says Dale. A new leader will need to revitalise the policy offering, be popular with the public and be good with the media. There arent many Tory MPs that tick all three of those boxes.

Goodman added: Any new leader will have to articulate who the Conservative Party is going to stand for.

It stood for a clearly defined set of people under David Cameron. It stood for quite a large portion of society for a while under Boris Johnson. More recently it has just represented a series of vague peoples revolts [of populist policies].

Given the severity of the defeat, there is a chance the leadership contest becomes a straight-up fistfight between Tom Tugendhat in the blue corner and Kemi Badenoch in the even bluer corner with the latter currently the odds-on favourite to emerge as Queen of the Ashes.

Caretaker leader

There are increasing whispers among Tory MPs that the fallout from the election is so ruinous it would be better for the Conservative party to be handed over to a caretaker leader until the dust settles. Among the names being bandied around are Priti Patel and Oliver Dowden.

The downside to this plan is that any such caretakers authority would constantly be undermined by those in the party jostling for position and the general public might not take a lame duck opposition leader seriously.

Frequent changes in leadership havent improved the Conservative partys fortunes much in recent years, said Goodman. I doubt that continuing the practice following the election would be wise.

Schism

It is very hard to predict where the balance of power will move to in the coming days. Will the rump of the party move to back a One Nation Conservative or will it come to be dominated by those on the Right?

If the consensus among the remaining MPs is that the Conservatives have lost because they werent sufficiently Right-wing enough in recent years, there is a possibility that more centrist MPs might defect to the resurgent Liberal Democrat party, which managed 71 seats at the election, in order to form a more effective opposition to the Labour Party.

It is equally possible, especially since Farage succeeded in his eighth attempt to become an MP, that Right-wing Tories will defect to Reform or invite Farage to execute a reverse takeover of the Conservative Party or rejoin it.

There will always be a temptation to appease Farage and those who say that Reform is a proper conservative party, said Dale. Hes certainly not to be underestimated. But you cant out-Farage Farage and the Tory party is most successful when its a broad coalition.

All bets are off

There is a growing possibility that Labours victory is so large, so unprecedented, that it rips a hole in Westminsters space-time continuum and the normal laws of political physics cease to apply.

There will be a paradox on the government side of the equation because Starmer might have a massive majority without being particularly popular, said Goodman. That might mean Labours honeymoon period is quite short.

An anti-political consensus appears to be building among the electorate (as it has in France and other countries). It is possible that an overmighty Labour Party exacerbates this trend, especially if it uses its huge majority to swing to the Left and many centrist voters are rendered politically homeless.

Could a British Emmanuel Macron then emerge to obliterate the ancien regime, end a century of two-party politics and offer something new?

Theres also a growing sense, which frequently comes up in the surveys run by Lord Ashcroft, that the Tory brand is so tarnished that it could announce a cure for cancer, peace in the Middle East and free ice cream and still remain crushingly unpopular.

However, its always proved resilient in the past. The Conservative Party has been written off many times before but it has always bounded back, said Dale.

Even before Labours historic landslide became reality, predictions of a Tory extinction event referenced the Canadian election in 1993 when the Progressive Conservatives lost 154 seats and were left with just two.

But Goodman maintains that the forgotten lesson of that period was what happened next: which is that the Conservatives gained seats at the following election, merged with the Right-wing Reform Party, and have since reinvented themselves and are currently the second largest party in Canadas House of Commons.
Kelly Paduchowski went for a swim in an Arizona creek and was never seen again. Now her husband is under arrest as authorities continue to try to find out what happened to her.

Police arrested Daniel Paduchowski, 58, on July2, on aggravated assault charges after her mysteriously disappearance on June 30.

The Flagstaff Police Department and the Coconino County Sheriff's Office are coordinating a search to find Kelly Paduchowski, 45.

Following interviews with family members and witnesses, investigators said they "processed evidence resulting in the arrest" of the husband.

"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.

In a news conference, Flagstaff Police Sgt. Jerry Rintala told reporters that "with further evidence and investigation, further charges could be coming."

Data collected from Kelly's phone placed her in the area of Schultz Creek Trail at roughly 10:20 a.m. Daniel was traced to the same area at 11:30 am.

Police said sometime around noon, Kelly's phone returned to the couple's shared home in the Coconino Estates.

At 1:30 p.m., Daniel is seen with Kelly's white Mazda CX-5 at the Campbell Mesa Trail Head, but it wasn't until 7:39 that evening that he reported his wife missing, possibly in the area of Lake Mary.

Photos taken at the trailhead and obtained by the sheriff's office allegedly show Daniel wearing a dark-colored tee, shorts, and a hat as he looks down at an object.

Daniel's bond has been set at $500,000, according to the Arizona Daily Sun.

Police are asking anyone who had contact with Kelly, Daniel, or saw Kelly's white Mazda CX-5 on June 30 to contact them.
A significant proportion of the Birmingham Yardley constituency voted for Jody McIntyre (right), reducing the majority of Jess Phillips (left)

Along Birminghams busy main roads the day after the general election, Palestinian flags flutter from lamp-posts as traffic roars past. A sign near a major roundabout reads: Vote for genocide. Vote Labour.

In the event, many of those in the city who might have otherwise supported Sir Keir Starmers winning party voted for alternative candidates instead.

In Jess Phillipss Birmingham Yardley constituency, Amaan Hussain, 18, voted not for Phillips but Jody McIntyre, who stood for George Galloways Workers Party. Because, he explains, Starmer doesnt support Palestine.

Amaan Hussain voted for Jody McIntyre on the basis of Labour's stance on Palestine - John Lawrence

Although Phillips herself quit the Labour frontbench to vote for a ceasefire in Gaza last year, Labours position on the Middle East conflict  initially calling for a pause in fighting before finally backing an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in February  has cost her dearly. In what she described as the worst election I have ever stood in, she saw her majority dwindle from 13,141 to just 693. McIntrye came second, with 10,582 votes.

On the streets of the local area, there are plenty who say they would have given Phillips their vote if it hadnt been for Gaza. If Labour supported Palestine, everyone I know who voted for the Workers Party would have voted Labour, says Hussain, who has just finished college. Everyone I know voted Workers because of it.

But the backlash didnt stop at denying votes to Phillips. During an angry victory speech, the 42-year-old MP was heckled. Speaking of the intimidation and harassment her campaign team had suffered in the past weeks, she recounted how a community activist canvassing with her was filmed by people in the streets and had her cars tyres slashed. A young woman on her own delivering leaflets was filmed and screamed at by a much older man in the street, she said, thanking West Midlands Police for taking constant phone calls from her.

Cries of free Palestine and shame on you rang out as the result was announced. I will carry on with my speech, said a steely Phillips. I understand that a strong woman standing up to you is met with such reticence.

The graffiti-covered shutters on her constituency office are down when I visit on July 5. But two men working in a nearby minimarket are scornful of her claims. They accuse her of playing the victim and insist there was nothing going on. Neither of these men voted, they say, but the bitterness of the divide that has emerged is evident in their response to Phillipss words.

Outside the shop is pinned a Jody for Yardley Birmingham poster, featuring a picture of McIntyre and a Palestinian flag.

It was not only Phillips who complained about intimidation, but also another of the citys female MPs, Shabana Mahmood. She won in Birmingham Ladywood with a majority of 3,421  down from 32,000 after independent candidate Akhmed Yakoob stood against her and won 12,137 votes.

Like McIntyre, Yakoob had campaigned on a pro-Palestine ticket. In Mahmoods speech, she told of what she and her family had been subjected to during the campaign.

This was a campaign that was sullied by harassment and intimidation, she said, branding the behaviour an assault on democracy itself and declaring: British politics must soon wake up to what happened at this election.

Indeed, this is not just a Birmingham issue. The reverberations of Labours response to the Gaza conflict were seen far beyond the city. In seats where more than 10 per cent of the population identify as Muslim, the partys vote was down by 11 points on average. A shock result in Leicester South saw shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth, who had a majority of more than 22,000, lose his seat to independent candidate Shockat Adam. This is for Gaza, Adam declared when he won by 979 votes.

Shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth lost his seat to independent candidate Shockat Adam - PA

In Ilford North, Labours Wes Streeting only just scraped a win after his majority was cut from more than 9,000 to just 528.

Labour had been alive to the possibility that its stance on Gaza had dented its support in Muslim areas. During the campaign, it sent extra activists to seats that were vulnerable for this reason. But it likely didnt foresee just how dramatic the fallout over Gaza would be.

Meanwhile, a group called The Muslim Vote was busy during the campaign trying to change the conversation, by helping Muslims decide who to back and whether a local independent should stand in particular areas. We are a powerful, united force of four million acting in unison, says its mission statement.

Hinting that Labour will have to contend for some time with this new force now mobilised in British politics, the organisation, which is supported by two groups set to be investigated over extremism fears, says: We are here for the long term. In 2024, we will lay the foundations for our communitys political future.

So what would Starmers party have to do to win back support among those turned off by its perceived failure to stand with the Palestinians against Israel?

Labour would have to go on air saying they support Palestine, says Hussain.

A 42-year-old telecoms worker in Birmingham Yardley, who also voted for McIntyre but doesnt want to give his name, says its not only Muslims who have been turned off. Anyone with a conscience should be against [Starmer], he says.

Jody McIntyre stood for George Galloway's Workers Party - John Lawrence

He believes this has been an election in which the elite has caused divisions between brown, black and white people with their comments. He cites remarks made by Starmer late on in the campaign, about how at the moment people coming from countries like Bangladesh are not being removed.

Though Starmer subsequently explained his remarks (adding: I certainly wasnt intending to cause any concern or offence), the telecoms worker says: He didnt need to single out that community.

But this is secondary to disappointment  which extends beyond Muslim communities  with Labour over the war in Gaza. Perhaps not since the Iraq War has a foreign conflict had such a profound effect on domestic British politics. When the dust settles on Labours victory, there will be further reflection on how the party has lost so much support among those who would once have naturally backed them.

Those who deserted the party this time may want to see Labour recognise an independent Palestinian state in advance of any formal peace deal in the Middle East, and impose an embargo on arms sales to Israel. Some Labour MPs already know this all too well.

Zarah Sultana, the Labour MP for Coventry South, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme her party was out of touch. She said: On the one hand were saying we need to listen to voters, but when it comes to this particular issue there was a hope that this problem would just go away and it hasnt. The party has to seriously recognise and acknowledge the issue.

It will need to find ways to win back those like Zulfiqar Muhammed, a 31-year-old trainee solicitor, who has voted Labour in every election until now. Leaving the Sirajam Muneera Jamia Masjid mosque in the early afternoon, Muhammed says he voted for McIntyre after Starmers unappealing stance on Gaza put him off. What would Labour need to do to win back his support?

Fight for their people, he says.
Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss and Jacob Rees-Mogg were among the high-profile Tories to be ousted in the election - Ben Stevens/Shutterstock | Jacob King/PA Wire | Finnbarr Webster/Getty

Its the morning after the long night. For some, the morning after 14 years of being an honourable member of Parliament. But the people have spoken. Whether it was by 500 votes or 5,000, all those years of community surgeries, responding to letters, getting hospitals built or local issues raised in the House Of Commons, didnt make a blind bit of difference. Youre out. A former MP. What on earth do you do now? And how does it feel?

It helps that were no longer surprised by shock defeats, or Portillo moments. Even the unedifying spectacle of MPs betting against themselves to win proves that coming to terms with the possibility of defeat is hard-wired in our volatile political atmosphere.

That doesnt mean youre fully prepared for what it feels like, says Ben Howlett, the former Conservative MP for Bath. I wouldnt have admitted this at the time, but I knew as soon as Theresa May called the snap general election in 2017, it was going to be really tough to win. May was pledging to see off opposition to Brexit and was seeking a mandate to do so  instead, she got a hung parliament. Before the 2016 EU referendum Id have expected to retain that seat, but in the back of my mind I knew I had a constituency that voted 73 per cent remain.

He lost to the Liberal Democrat Wera Hobhouse by 5,694 votes. Looking back, he likens that time to dealing with grief.

Former Conservative MP for Bath Ben Howlett pictured with Boris Johnson in 2012

Even the day after youve got a big crowd around you; [local] activists, campaign staff, your own team. You keep going for them because some of them will have also lost their jobs. It was when Monday came around that I had the breakdown cry in the kitchen  after my phone call with Theresa May.

It wasnt her commiserations that made me cry, it was the realisation that I was on my own now. Thats when you really need a support mechanism.

Or, indeed, the kind of phlegmatic, practical approach to defeat that Scottish Labour Party MP Tom Harris took when the SNPs Stewart McDonald won his Glasgow South seat in 2015. The campaign had been so difficult  Harris said hed known for months that he was going to lose  that by the time he digested the staggering 34.7 per cent swing, it was almost a relief.

It was like saying goodbye to a terminally ill relative you didnt like  you know you shouldnt celebrate but it was easier when the end finally came, he says.

Harris is joking, but there is some truth in what he says about how being mentally prepared for defeat. It immunised him from feeling devastated at the time, but then ready to take on the next challenge.

I had to do that practically, because my office employed my wife, so we knew wed be looking at a joint income of over 100,000 going to zero the next day, with a large mortgage to pay and two kids in primary school to support, he says.

Tom Harris: 'It was like saying goodbye to a terminally ill relative you didn't like' - David Wimsett

Judging by the similar experience of Charlotte Leslie in 2017, the former Conservative MP for Bristol North West, it helps psychologically if you feel that not only is defeat inevitable  its possibly not exactly your fault in the first place.

The minute Theresa May called the snap election, I knew Id lost, she remembers.

Like Howlett in nearby Bath, the majority of Remain voters in her constituency used this election as a judgment on Brexit. So on the train back to London, Leslie committed herself to thinking the rest of my life starts here.

Not that she could tell her activists, campaigners and team, of course.

I still put everything into it, for them as much as anyone else, she says. What people forget is that there is a huge responsibility to your staff  they are the ones who are hit far harder by a snap election than the MPs themselves.

Harris, too, emphasises that he needed  and wanted  to keep going for his team, even turning up to the count when advised not to, just so he could support the people who worked so hard in his campaign.

It was funny, I did some media too  I had nothing to lose  and the BBC reporter said: Tom Harris, you seem to have lost. Why do you think that is? And I just responded: Votes  and didnt follow it up. It became known as the Harris Doctrine by smartpolitical correspondents. And then I went home, gave my wife Carol a cuddle and we took the boys to the cinema the next day. Yes, it was upsetting, but we were prepared for it.

Once the fateful election day came for Leslie, however, she was still surprised by her depth of feeling. I leant against the wall and felt this enormous weight drop off my back, and I actually said; Thank God, its all over. I felt this sense of euphoria, which has oddly has never left me. I knew Id done my best, I could be proud of what Id done, but now I could have my own life for me again.

Then all the practicalities kick in. Moving house, moving jobs, ending relationships with people its destabilising even when youre not an MP. It is like a grieving process; it took me about a year and a half to settle down and get over this transition.

Charlotte Leslie: 'The minute Theresa May called the snap election, I knew I'd lost'

It is telling how frustrated Harris, Howlett and Leslie were  and remain  at being at the mercy of the wider political situation. They could have been the most brilliant constituency MPs ever  and they all say how much they loved the casework. Howlett says he felt at the behest of a leadership who had no idea of the reality outside the Westminster political bubble and took massive gambles.

Harris thinks it was even more simple than that in his case.

People still come up to me and say in response to a comment that Ive made: thats why you lost your seat. No, it wasnt. It was because I had Scottish Labour next to my name, which was an unpopular party at that time. Whether you were a good MP or a bad MP made absolutely no difference.

But oddly, there is a kind of comfort that can be gained from being swept up in a seismic election swing  its clearly not a personal referendum on your ability as an MP. I think 40 out of 41 Labour MPs lost their seats in Scotland that year, he remembers. If it had been only six of us, and I was one of them, I would have felt bloody awful.

So what do you do with that new-found freedom? Howlett thinks theres an opportunity for Parliament to do more to help former MPs not just financially after they lose, but also in retraining and career advice. It would be much more healthy than the current situation where a lot walk straight into a publicly appointed role without accountability and scrutiny, he says.

Howlett ended up in the fortunate position of being able to take some time and navigate his way towards being Chief Executive of Chamber UK. Calling itself a do tank rather than a think tank; they go around the country talking to people and communities, understanding and analysing how policy is put into practice. Only this week hes been on the last-minute campaign trail with every major political party.

Its not comparable to the job of being an MP, but its just as fulfilling, he says. And I really enjoy having dinner with my parents in the middle of Bath without someone coming up to me and hurling abuse about my latest vote [in the Commons], he laughs.

Howlett, left, believes that Parliament could do more to help former MPs after they lose their seats

But thats not to say its been plain sailing, either. Howlett was diagnosed with PTSD relatively recently; the murders of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess in office deeply affected him, not least because they triggered his own memories of being chased around Bath by a mob when he was elected in 2015.

All I kept thinking was that it was my fault I didnt do enough to prevent the kind of situation that led to people like David getting killed, he says. Im definitely a lot more empathetic to MPs these days, and I would be telling the defeated ones to take a break if they can, dont jump into anything, and dont expect anyone [ministers] to give you a role, either.

Howletts struggles chime with Leslie. While she relatively quickly became director of the Conservative Middle East Council, she says it took her a long time to realise just how much she had given of herself as an MP.

Id sacrificed everything and it takes quite a long time to recover from that. With my work in CMEC, I now see what an extraordinary target you are as an MP for all the worst people in the world. I had some sort of sense of that while I was an MP, but any new intake definitely needs rigorous, sobering training.

So maybe defeat doesnt need to be the life-defining disaster it might initially appear. Neither Howlett nor Leslie particularly miss being an MP. Harris has remained the most politically active, but even he has learned not to take anything personally.

When the tide turns, youre going to be swept out with it, thats the thing to learn, he says. You can be the most exceptional MP, but the electorate wont care. That is just the way politics works.
Lord Hague, the former leader of the Conservatives, is worried about the party's prospects in opposition - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

The Conservatives are almost unable to form a viable opposition after winning the fewest seats in modern history, William Hague has warned.

Lord Hague, a former leader of the party, said it might be able to just about mount an effective opposition, but would need to have a smaller frontbench because of its losses.

However, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, another former party leader, insisted the Tories could comfortably run a slimline opposition, adding that it was possible to reduce the numbers quite dramatically while still holding Labour to account.

With almost every constituency declared on Friday afternoon, the Conservatives had shed 250 seats, leaving the party with just 121  the lowest number since the dawn of the modern party. The figure is worse than the 131 seats initially predicted by the exit poll.

Lord Hague, who led the Conservatives in the wake of Tony Blairs 1997 Labour landslide, said it was a pretty catastrophic result that would impair the partys ability to operate as an opposition.

He told Times Radio: One of the things on my mind has been, since the Conservatives have been likely to lose the election for some time, can they form a viable opposition?

Speaking before the final results were declared, Lord Hague said that a figure roughly in line with the exit poll would mean that the Tories could only just scrutinise Labour effectively as Sir Keir Starmer takes power.

He said: It would have to be a smaller frontbench than normal once you exclude those who are not suitable to serve on it or dont want to serve it, or are entirely new in Parliament and so on.

Lord Hague said that when he had inherited 165 MPs as leader in 1997, he could just about recruit a proper front bench. He added: Its really important for the country and for the functioning of Parliament that there is an effective  constructive but effective  opposition.

The grandee previously said that when recruiting his frontbenchers in 1997, once I had excluded all those who were too new, too old, too mad or too opposed to the leadership, there werent many more from whom to choose.

However, Sir Iain said he disagreed with Lord Hague. Appearing on The Daily T podcast, he said: I dont agree with him at all. I think its wholly possible for us to form an opposition. That is our duty under the constitution.

You dont have to have everybody matched across the dispatch box. Most of the non-shadow secretaries of state grind away and do work, but they dont get much limelight, and they hardly ever get a chance to speak at the dispatch box, so you can reduce the numbers quite dramatically.

Its not like governing, its about opposing  and opposing needs you to be light on your feet, not heavy in job titles. Job titles dont mean anything in opposition. Its about what you do and how you pick your target.

The Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975 states that the Government can have a maximum number of 109 paid ministerial posts, although other MPs are recruited to unpaid official roles, such as acting as parliamentary private secretaries for Cabinet ministers.

An opposition would usually want to shadow many of the Governments ministerial positions in order to provide effective scrutiny of the work of Whitehall departments. Most shadow roles are unpaid.

With the Tories losing former Cabinet ministers including Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps, Gillian Keegan, Alex Chalk and Michelle Donelan, the party has also lost a significant proportion of MPs with high level ministerial experience  a precious commodity when it comes to holding the new government to account.
'Portillo moment' is named for the pivotal moment Michael Portillo lost his seat in 1997 to Labour - Mike Forster/PA Archive

Just moments after the exit polls predicted a 170-strong majority for Labour, Tory party sources were already conceding the election to Sir Keir Starmer.

Private briefings from the party suggested they expected no more than 180 seats and as few as 65. Within hours of the polling stations closing, two of the first results had confirmed the worst fears of the Conservatives and heralded a night of celebration for Labour.

Bridget Phillipson, Labours shadow education secretary, was victorious in the first declaration just after 11pm, holding Houghton and Sunderland South with 18,837 votes. Nigel Farages Reform UK pushed the Tories into third place.

Tonight the British people have spoken and if the exit poll this evening is again a guide to results across our country  as it so often is  then after 14 years the British people have chosen change, said Ms Phillipson.

Within an hour Sir Robert Buckland, former justice secretary, became the first of many high-profile Tory casualties, losing the Tory bellwether constituency of Swindon South to Labours Heidi Alexander.

The One Nation Tory said he was frustrated with the trajectory of the Tory Party and warned against a lurch to the Right after the election but said the outcome was a result of our own failure.

I am fed up with personal agendas and jockeying for position.

The truth is now, with the Conservatives facing this electoral Armageddon, it is going to be like a group of old men arguing over a cone, Sir Robert told the BBC.

He added: I think I deserve a drink after being sacked on live television.

Just over an hour later the Liberal Democrats began unpicking the Blue Wall of Tory seats with victory in Harrogate & Knaresborough by more than 8,000 votes.

Sir Robert Buckland, former justice secretary, criticizes Tory infighting for loss

The first brick in the blue wall has come crashing down in Harrogate & Knaresborough tonight, victor Tom Gordon posted on X, formerly Twitter.

A huge thank you to the entire team who have worked endlessly for this result... we are back in Harrogate & Knaresborough, back in Yorkshire, back in the North, and back across the country.

His leader Sir Ed Davey then held his Kingston and Surbiton seat as the LibDems headed for their best-ever result with an expected 70 seats.

Now I dont know if you could tell, but Ive rather enjoyed this campaign, he told cheering supporters after the result was declared.

But what Ive loved most hasnt been paddleboarding or bungee jumping, its been speaking to people here in Kingston and Surbiton and across the United Kingdom, about the challenges they face and their hopes for the future.

Many of them have turned to the Liberal Democrats, in some cases for the first time at this election and we want to be your champions.

Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, beams as party has their best-ever result - James Manning/PA

It saw the LibDems claim the first Cabinet ministers scalp of the night with Alex Chalk, Justice Secretary, losing his seat in Cheltenham just after 3am followed by Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, in Chichester 40 minutes later. Grant Shapps fell in Welwyn Hatfield, the third of nine members of Rishi Sunaks Cabinet set to lose their seats.

In an angry critique of the partys failings, the Defence Secretary said: On door after door voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private.

Instead we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and differences which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.

It was a night in which Reform UK secured its electoral breakthrough, starting with Lee Anderson, former Tory MP, who won back Ashfield, declaring: Delighted, but not surprised if Im honest.

This is the capital of common sense, by the way  people speak their mind in this area, and theyve had enough of the two mainstream parties.

Just over an hour later at 3.30am Mr Farage declared we are coming for Labour after winning his Clacton-on-Sea seat. He said Reforms performance in the election so far has been truly extraordinary.

My plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of the next few years and hopefully be big enough to challenge the general election properly in 2029.

Lee Anderson leads Reform UK's electoral breakthrough - Tom Maddick / SWNS

Labours march towards victory was not without setbacks with the partys ambivalence over the Gaza war sparking a backlash particularly in strongly Muslim seats.

Jonathan Ashworth, shadow paymaster general and face of Labours attack during the election campaign, lost his seat in Leicester South to a pro-Palestinian independent candidate Shockat Adam.

Labour also lost Blackburn  where it had a majority of more than 18,000  to Adnan Hussain, another pro-Palestinian candidate.

Jeremy Corbyn also capitalised on a hard-Left backlash and his own personal popularity on the Left by retaining his long-held seat of Islington North. He claimed his campaign had shown what kinder, gentler and more sensible, more inclusive politics can bring about, signalling that he would campaign to end the two-child cap on benefits.

Like a drumbeat through the night, the Tories continued to lose big beasts. Penny Mordaunt, would-be leadership contender, admitted the Tories were taking a battering as she lost her seat in Portsmouth North.

[The Conservative party] failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it.

You can speak all you like of security and freedom, but you cant have either if you are afraid, she said.

Afraid about the cost of living or accessing healthcare, or whether the responsibility you shoulder will be recognised and rewarded.

That fear steals the future, and it only makes the present matter and that is why we lost.

Suella Braverman, the former home secretary and expected leadership challenger, held her Fareham seat.

She admitted: Im sorry that my party didnt listen to you. [The] Conservative Party has let you down.

You  the Great British people voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises.

Weve acted as if were entitled to your vote regardless of what we did, regardless of what we didnt do, despite promising time after time that we would do those things and we need to learn our lesson because if we dont, bad as tonight has been for my party, well have many worse nights to come.

Just before 5am Rishi Sunak accepted defeat as he retained his Richmond seat in North Yorkshire.

The Labour party has won this general election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides.

That is something that should give us all confidence in our countrys stability and future.

The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight.

There is much to learn and reflect on, and I take responsibility for the loss.

To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.

As Labours toll passed 325 seats  confirming that it will have a majority in the Commons  Sir Keir spoke at a victory rally in central London, entering the room alongside his wife and attended by former party leader Lord Kinnock and Sadiq Khan.

The Labour leader spoke from a lectern with the new slogan: Change begins.

Grinning broadly, he declared: We did it. You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it and now it has arrived: Change begins now.

And it feels good, I have to be honest.

In an echo of Sir Tony Blairs words of a new dawn when he won in 1997, Sir Keir said: We can walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope.

Half an hour later the Conservatives lost all their MPs in Wales after David TC Davies, Welsh Secretary, lost his seat in Monmouthshire to Labour.

By contrast Sian Berry, Green Party candidate and former co-leader, won Brighton Pavilion, in the partys fourth victory of the night.

One of the biggest shocks came just before 7am as Liz Truss lost her south west Norfolk seat to Labour. She is the first former prime minister to have been defeated in the election after serving in the post since Sir Alec Douglas-Home. She arrived late on stage without a blue rosette.

She could be seen hugging allies but left shell-shocked without making a speech.

The results nationally put Labour on 410 seats and Tories on 118, close to the exit poll predictions.
Donald Trump in West Palm Beach last month. Photograph: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

Donald Trump moved on Friday to capitalize on the US supreme courts decision to confer broad immunity to former presidents, asking the federal judge overseeing his criminal case for retaining classified documents to take a scalpel to any charges that were official acts that could not be prosecuted.

The supreme court this week held that former presidents enjoyed some immunity from criminal prosecution for certain conduct they undertook in office, which also meant evidence of immune acts could not be introduced as evidence at any trial even if they did not form part of the charges.

The framework of criminal accountability for former presidents, as laid out by the ruling, has three categories: core presidential functions that carry absolute immunity, official acts of the presidency that carry presumptive immunity, and unofficial acts that carry no immunity.

The request from Trumps lawyers did not say which parts of the indictment they considered to be official conduct that was immune. But if the US district judge Aileen Cannon agrees to go through the charges, it would almost certainly further delay the case by months.

The filing not only showed the far-reaching ramifications of the immunity decision, which is now affecting Trumps documents case in Florida even though the ruling originated from a pre-trial appeal in the former presidents 2020 election subversion case in Washington; it also demonstrated Trumps intent to use it to destroy the substance of the cases.

The 10-page filing from Trumps lawyers asked Cannon for permission to file new briefs, arguing the immunity decision gutted prosecutors position that he had no immunity and further demonstrates the politically-motivated nature of their contention that the motion is frivolous.

But Trumps filing was doubly notable as it asked Cannon to pause all other proceedings in the case until she decided whether the special counsel, Jack Smith, and his prosecution team were authorized to bring the case in the first place.

In a recent motion to dismiss the case, Trumps lawyers argued that Smith had been improperly appointed since he was not named to the role by the president or approved by the Senate like other federal officers are  and that the attorney general, Merrick Garland, had no legal power to do so by himself.

The motion appeared destined for denial after a recent hearing in federal district court in Fort Pierce, Florida, when prosecutors countered that Garland  under the appointments clause of the US constitution  had authority to name inferior officers like special counsels to act as subordinates.

But as part of the supreme courts decision, Justice Clarence Thomas gave the notion new momentum. If this unprecedented prosecution is to proceed, the lower courts should thus answer these essential questions concerning the special counsels appointment, Thomas wrote, albeit with respect to the 2020 election case.
David Lammy, right, arrives at the Foreign Office on Friday - Ben Dance / FCDO

Lord Carrington, Margaret Thatchers first foreign secretary, once offered a canny word of advice to future incumbents of his office.

The problem, he explained to Tony Blairs former chief of staff Jonathan Powell, was that people form the opinion that you shouldnt really have much to do with foreigners, foreigners are thoroughly unreliable, and if you do get on with them, youre selling out to them. It doesnt seem to have occurred to them that surely it is better to get on with people than to quarrel with them.

Where then, does that leave Sir Keir Starmers new Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who has never been backwards in coming forwards when it comes to lambasting the global leaders he might now be compelled to work alongside now the election is over? Here are just a few of his choice remarks:

On Donald Trump

Both Donald Trump and Nigel Farage have been targets of David Lammy's invective - TIA DUFOUR/WHITE HOUSE PHOTO

Donald Trump could return to the White House as US president, and Mr Lammy has held meetings with his team. However, he has been scathing in his criticism of Trump.

2018: Trump is not only a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath, he is also a profound threat to the international order that has been the foundation of Western progress for so long I will be one of tens of thousands on the streets, protesting against our governments capitulation to this tyrant in a toupee.

2021: Donald Trump is an enemy of democracy. Every British politician who failed to condemn his actions after the presidential election should issue an apology tonight.

2021: Donald Trumps entire presidency has been a reign of recklessness, narcissism and delusion.

2021: If any president in the history of the United States of America deserved to be impeached twice, it is Donald Trump.

On Marine Le Pen

Marine Le Pen, accused of xenophobia - YVES HERMAN/REUTERS

The first round of voting in the French elections suggested Marine Le Pens National Rally party could soon seize power in the French parliament, meaning Mr Lammy could have to work with the populist Right-wing party. However, he has not been complimentary about her in the past.

2017: We dont want the xenophobia of Farage and Le Pen in our country. We must stand up to them and their toxic views. First America, now Le Pen. This virus is contagious, just as it was in the 1930s  But some of us dont forget our history and will stand up and fight this s until our last breath.

2018: Malevolent figures like [US presidential aide] Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and Marine Le Pen want to drag us into the gutter.

On Viktor Orban

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban is another international politician that Mr Lammy could find himself having to work with, despite criticising him in the past. Even more awkwardly, Hungary currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union.

2019: Farage meeting Bannon. Trump retweeting Hopkins. Orban puppeting Putin. Fascism rests on an international network of disinformation, propaganda and coordination. The biggest irony is their dependence on the very globalisation they chastise.

2020: We have already seen Boris Johnson attack the courts and other democratic norms in the UK. For his aide, Tim Montgomerie, to lavish praise on Viktor Orban, who is dismantling democracy in Hungary, shows how dangerous this government could be. We must do all we can to resist.

2021: Rolling out the red carpet for Viktor Orban shows [Boris Johnsons] twisted priorities. Two illiberal nationalists hoarding power by taking away power from the courts. All they are missing is Donald Trump.

Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings - LABOUR PARTY

On Benjamin Netanyahu

As Foreign Secretary, Mr Lammys job will include dealing with Israel and the Palestinians over the continuing conflict in Gaza. However, he made clear which side he was on when he said that international law must be upheld after the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court called for a warrant to be issued for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, for alleged war crimes.

2024: Of course, the Palestinian people deserve a state and if they dont, the consequence of that is either one state in which Benjamin Netanyahu would have to explain how Palestinians and Israelis live side-by-side with equal rights, or no state, in which what hes really saying is occupation and siege continues.

2024: (on Netanyahus arrest warrant) Arrest warrants are not a conviction or a determination of guilt, but they reflect the evidence and judgment of the prosecutor about the grounds for individual criminal responsibility.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban - Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

Today, we bring you news from the front lines as Ukrainian troops withdraw from a key district of Chasiv Yar and we have the latest diplomatic and political news as President Zelensky challenges Donald Trump to explain his peace plan.

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).
The Prince of Wales on day two of Royal Ascot

The Prince of Wales has been filmed whizzing into Windsor Castle on an electric scooter.

Prince William, 42, was captured riding at pace into an entrance at royal residence by a member of the public on July 4.

He was dressed in a blue jumper, a white shirt and black trousers, sporting sunglasses.

It is thought the Prince may have been visiting his father, the King, who was at Windsor Castle on Thursday before being driven to Buckingham Palace to hold audiences with outgoing and incoming prime ministers, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, on Friday morning.

It emerged last summer that the Prince had treated himself to a two-wheeled, 10mph electric scooter in order to swiftly travel to and from the castle from his family home, Adelaide Cottage, which is on the Windsor estate.

A royal source said at the time: It just makes sense. He whizzes up to the castle when he needs to see the King.

Its a two or three-mile round trip from his family home at Adelaide Cottage to Windsor Castle so it is much easier by scooter than car or walking.

It fills me with horror

E-scooters are illegal to ride on public roads but can be ridden on private land.

The heir to the throne is known to love motorbikes, having once owned a 20,000 Ducati bike, which can go from 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds.

He rode it the night before his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011.

However, the Princess of Wales once admitted she did not like him riding it.

Asked during a royal engagement in Dundee in 2015 whether the Prince was still riding a motorbike from time to time, she confirmed: Hes still riding it. It always fills me with horror when he goes out on it. Im terrified. Hopefully, Im going to keep George off it.

He has not been seen on it recently, having apparently taken note and swapped it for the scooter.
At least 175 people have been infected with West Nile virus so far this year and eleven have died - USDA Agricultural Research Service/USDA Agricultural Research Service

West Nile fever has surged in Israel, with case numbers at their highest levels in nearly 25 years.

At least 175 people have contracted the virus so far this year - a 400 per cent increase from the same period in 2023 - and eleven have died, according to Israels Ministry of Health.

The virus is transmitted to humans through Culex mosquitoes that feed on infected birds, which are natural reservoirs for the disease.

Roughly one in five people will develop symptoms, including headache, joint pains, and a rash, and around one per cent will develop severe illness including encephalitis or meningitis - both of which can be fatal.

Israel typically experiences around 50 cases annuallymostly during the summer months.

The virus is transmitted to humans through Culex mosquitoes - DKN/Science Photo Library

The ministry said case numbers are likely to now be on the rise due to the effects of climate change, which are pushing mosquitos into more areas and allowing them to thrive.

Israels hot and humid summers create an ideal environment for mosquitoes to breed and proliferate, explained Roger Hewson, Professor of molecular virology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

These conditions can extend the mosquito breeding season and increase their populations, thereby enhancing virus transmission rates, Prof Hewson added.

Several vector-borne diseases have spiked in recent years, due mostly to the effects of warmer weather that allows insects like mosquitoes and some ticks to breed and survive in large numbers.

Locally acquired cases of West Nile virus have been reported in both Italy and Spain this year, whilst dengue fever, also spread by mosquitoes, has got a grip in Europe.

Latin America is currently grappling with its largest-ever dengue outbreak, and cases of Zika virus are up nearly 300 per cent in parts of Asia.

We expect with climate change that viruses like West Nile will spread to more people, as well as expanding their geographic range, and acting and causing disease in new populations, said Prof. Lance Turtle, Chair in Immunity and Infectious Diseases at the University of Liverpool.

The spike could also be linked to Israels ongoing conflict with Gaza, some experts have noted.

Disruptions caused by conflict can exacerbate poor living conditions, leading to inadequate waste management and increased standing water, said Prof Hewson.

Most cases have been found in Tel Aviv, as well as nearby cities Petah Tikva and Kiryat Onoall within 80 km of the Gaza border.

Additionally, the conflict strains public health resources, making it harder to control mosquito populations effectively and respond promptly to outbreaks, added Prof Hewson.

Many areas in the south of Israel - including the port city of Eilat which is currently grappling with dozens of cases - have seen an increase in military operations, which naturally produce waste and stagnant water, ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, also noted an article in The Jerusalem Post, Israels largest English language newspaper.

This is not the first time Israel has seen a large outbreak of West Nile virus, however. In 2000, serological testing confirmed 439 cases - and 29 of those died.

Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security
Michelle Obama and Jill Biden

When Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States in 2021, much was made of his wife Dr Jill Biden becoming the first First Lady ever to hold a salaried outside job.

It is somewhat ironic that Dr Biden, who continues to work as a professor at Northern Virginia Community College, should now be fighting the rearguard action for her husband to keep his own job in the Oval Office.

President Bidens calamitous performance in last weeks debate against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump raised renewed questions over his health, age and faculties.

These concerns have been exacerbated by post-debate polls showing increasing support for Trump. Yet the First Lady, 73, has come out swinging in defence of her 81-year-old husband. She told a New York campaign fundraiser, Joe isnt just the right person for the job. Hes the only person for the job.

Last Monday she was unveiled on the cover of US Vogue magazine in a Ralph Lauren white gown. We will continue to fight, she told Vogue.

But while the fall-out surrounding President Bidens attempts to salvage his second term presidential prospects continues, a riveting subplot is going on behind the scenes involving former first lady Michelle Obama.

In news first reported by Axios, Michelle Obama has reportedly grown frustrated with the Biden family, principally over their perceived treatment of Kathleen Buhle following her divorce from Hunter Biden, the Presidents only surviving son.

This has resulted in the erstwhile First Lady  who remains hugely popular among Democrat voters alongside her husband former President Barack Obama  refusing to publicly back Biden.

Michelle Obama has refused to publicly back Biden (both families seen here in 2008) - Jim Young

At the same time as the former First Lady being conspicuously silent in her support for President Bidens re-election campaign, she has become close to Buhle, allegedly strongly objecting to how the Biden family treated her amid lurid revelations concerning her ex-husbands drug use and infidelity.

Last month Hunter Biden was convicted for lying about his drug use when buying a handgun. His sentencing hasnt been scheduled but separately he faces a tax crimes trial in September.

According to reports, Michelle Obama is unimpressed both by how the Bidens cast aside Buhle and their attitude to Hunters illegitimate daughter Navy Joan Roberts, now five years old. Her mother Lunden Roberts has hit out at the Bidens for having excluded her daughter with Hunter, with the President only acknowledging his seventh grandchild a year ago.

Following her divorce from Hunter, with whom she has three daughters, Buhle reverted back to her maiden name and went on to found Washington DC-based high-powered womens leadership social club The House at 1229 last year.

The House at 1229 states on its social media profile that it comprises a community of women with different backgrounds and experiences who share the same core beliefs. The non-profit organisation hosts events, fundraisers, talks and book launches in the nations capital covering a range of themes. At its inaugural event Sharon Malone, the wife of President Obamas former Attorney General Eric Holder, spoke about the menopause.

One attendee at House at 1229s event on artificial intelligence last April, sponsored by Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, told The Telegraph, It was an interesting gathering of people from media, politics and tech. There was a presentation from Meta about their AI strategy and a side room where you could try their Quest 3 headset, which was weird because we were at an elite womens club and paying court to the ultimate tech bro Mark Zuckerberg! But Meta gave the club a nice donation.

The source added It was a nice antidote to the usual rancour of DC politics. I wasnt pressured to give money. They werent as aggressive about soliciting donations from guests as other non-profits. There wasnt much anti-Biden talk, but I got the impression their overriding goal is to work towards electing the first female Democratic President.

While The House at 1229 is closed to most media outlets, its happenings are assiduously chronicled on White House Correspondents Insider, a website co-founded and edited by Tammy Haddad, a veteran Washington media socialite who has close ties to the organisation.

The former First Lady has expressed frustration at the Biden's attitude towards Kathleen Buhle - Getty

One entry on the website reported a presidential debate watching party at The House at 1229 last week where guests, including Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter and Geraldine Byrne Nason, Irish Ambassador to the United States, watched the Presidents fumble at the club founded by his ex-daughter-in-law.

The exclusive gathering brought together a diverse array of Washington DCs most influential figures including politicians, diplomats, policy experts and media personalities attendees took to their seats in front of an oversized screen and watched in anticipation as this historic and pivotal moment in American politics unfolded. It is unknown if Buhle herself attended that debate party.

The attendee added: Michelle Obama is good friends with Kathleen Buhle. They bonded when their children went to the same school. Shes certainly an ally of The House at 1229 but I dont think she shows up to many events. Shes got her own female empowerment groups to support but I wouldnt be surprised if shes soon given an award by them.

Dr Jill Biden will definitely not be pitching up at The House at 1229 anytime soon. Her familys reported estrangement with Michelle Obama marks the latest twist in a complex relationship between the Biden and Obama political dynasties. Fierce rivals for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, Obama selected Biden as his Vice President and the two families became close over the course of the two terms they served.

In 2011 Michelle Obama collaborated with Dr Biden on the Joining Forces initiative to support military families. Joe Biden was a great running mate for Barack for many reasons, including that our two families instantly hit it off, Michelle Obama wrote in her bestselling memoir Becoming.

Many have claimed that Jill Biden has shielded her husband - Getty

However with Obama and Biden having profoundly different personalities, the relationship between the two political dynasties soured when the-then President openly favoured Hillary Clinton over Biden to be the Democrat presidential candidate in 2016.

Barack Obama needed Joe Biden to promote stability and give him a connection to the Washington, DC establishment when he was a candidate, Democratic political strategist Matthew Klink told The Telegraph. However, that relationship changed once President Obama settled into office.

Joe Biden is a gaffe machine and for Barack Obama, these flubs were frustrating. Dont forget the statement attributed to Obama, Never underestimate Joes ability to f--- stuff up. Now, Joe Biden needs to link closely to the most popular Democrat in the US to demonstrate strength and keep the party united. But Obama is strangely silent.

A former Biden aide told The Telegraph he is unsurprised at the Presidents current plight. The dysfunction I saw in the Biden circle is at play today, they said. The insularity of the Bidens was chilling and my experience, as well as that of many of my friends, was frustration at their public image being so different from the reality.

They added they were also not shocked to hear of tension between the Bidens and Michelle Obama: Barack kicked Joe to the curb in 2016. But youve got to question Jill Bidens judgment for how much she has shielded President Biden. I worked for Joe Biden for several years and I recall Jill saying to me, Youre always at his events and I always see you but who are you? She had no idea what I did! I never felt she was a serious strategist with a voice at the table other than advising what jacket he should be wearing in a commercial.

Michelle Obama and Jill Biden celebrating President Obama's victory in 2008 - EPA

Others however warn the passionate support the Bidens command can easily be underestimated. The distinguished writer Joseph Epstein found this out the hard way after he wrote a lighthearted editorial for the Wall Street Journal in 2020 ridiculing Jill Biden for using the honorific she received for her PhD in education.

I was astonished at the virulence of the response that my WSJ op-ed on the pretension of Jill Biden calling herself doctor received, Mr Epstein told The Telegraph. I received hundreds of emails, mostly from women, wishing me dead and calling me all sorts of names, the most memorable of which was a Jewish c--t.

Time will tell whether Dr Jill Bidens energetic advocacy will succeed in keeping her husband in the White House. But whatever the extent of Michelle Obamas antipathy towards the Bidens, sources say that despite recent polls showing the former First Lady herself being the only Democrat candidate capable of beating Donald Trump in an election, she would never run for the Presidency.

Why would Michelle Obama want to be President?, the former Biden aide said. She is one of the only people on the planet who has the freedom and resources to do whatever she wants. Who would trade that [for] what politics has become today?
Passengers on an American Airlines flight were shocked as a man allegedly stood up, exposed himself and then urinated in the middle of the aisle.

Neil McCarthy, 25, of Oregon, was arrested and charged with indecent exposure after the plane was diverted to Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Police meet the plane at Gate 2 at the airport and a flight attendant let them know what happened on the plane.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, said it happened on Wednesday on a flight headed to Manchester, New Hampshire.

McCarthy reportedly told officers he was flying from Portland, Oregon, to Manchester and had several whiskey drinks before boarding and then more during a layover in Chicago.

He said he got up to use the restroom but he has a medical urination problem, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Associated Press.

McCarthy had an initial appearance Wednesday afternoon in front of a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was released on his own recognizance.

It was unclear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

McCarthy faces a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Granny campaigners protest against the AfD - RONNY HARTMANN/AFP

Germanys AfD party is already reeling from a litany of scandals over Chinese spies, Nazi slogans and alleged Russian bribes.

But their true nemesis might be the humble German grandmother, after a band of silver-haired activists won a campaign to strip the far-Right party of a bank account it uses for online donations.

Omas Gegen Rechts, or Grandmothers Against the Right, launched a petition to effectively debank the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as it warned the party poses a threat to Germanys democratic order.

The campaign groups Berlin faction targeted Berliner Volksbank, a major regional banking chain that ran the AfDs donations account. Senior grandmother Bettina Kern later held a meeting with a bank board member, Carsten Jung, after handing in their petition.

The AfD this week removed the option to donate to the Berliner Volksbank account from its official website, prompting Omas Gegen Rechts to claim victory in their campaign.

There is great news: Berliner Volksbank is apparently ending its business relations with the AfD, thereby responding to our innn.it petition, which now has more than 33,500 signatures, the group announced.

Berliner Volksbank branch in the capital's Schlossstrasse - ULLSTEIN BILD/via GETTY IMAGES

Ms Kern, a 77-year-old grandmother, said they started the petition due to concerns that growing support for the AfD hinted at a possible return to Germanys dark history.

In Germany, grandmothers have a direct relationship with the Nazi past. Even if we were born after the war we know what a terrible period it was, she told The Telegraph.

We are of the opinion that it must never happen again and I personally believe that the AfD has now come to such extreme opinions, that the government should ask our constitutional court to consider whether it should be forbidden.

A spokesman for Berliner Volksbank declined to discuss the account in question. They said: For reasons of banking secrecy and data protection, our company does not provide any information about presumed or existent accounts.

The AfDs head office was approached for comment but had not responded as of Friday afternoon.

The alliance of grandmothers launched their petition in response to social media posts by Berliner Volksbank about the importance of human rights, peaceful co-existence and a free democratic order.

They argued that these values were incompatible with the bank hosting a donations account for the AfD, branding the party a Right-wing extremist and racist organisation.

Members of the AfD at their party congress in Essen last weekend - VOLKER HARTMANN/AFP

We demand: If you are serious about #NeverAgainIsNow, dear Berliner Volksbank, then there is only one option now: close the AfDs account!, the petition said, referring to German societys solemn refrain over the Holocaust and Nazi regime.

The AfD has been engulfed in a string of scandals in recent months, such as a claim by its former top candidate in the European elections, Maximilian Krah, that not all SS soldiers were necessarily criminals.

One of its most prominent figures, Bjorn Hocke, has been fined for using the Nazi slogan Alles fur Deutschland (All for Geermany), while an aide to Mr Krah was arrested on suspicion of spying for China in April.

Mr Krah himself is under investigation for receiving suspicious payments from China and Russia in relation to his work as an MEP. He denies any wrongdoing but has been ejected from the AfDs Brussels parliament delegation amid the furore.

Earlier this year, the AfD was also revealed to have sent staff to a secretive meeting with Right-wing extremists and neo-Nazis which discussed the mass deportation of foreigners in Germany, even those holding German passports.

At the same time however, the party has steadily risen in the polls and roundly defeated Olaf Scholzs ruling coalition centre-Left SPD party in last months European elections.

It is particularly popular in the former communist east of the country, but a robust stance on migration, disdain for political correctness and deep Euroscepticism are also bringing in a growing number of supporters.
Nigel Farage gave a 100% promise to rid Reform UK of bad apples, as multiple protesters disrupted an event designed to celebrate the partys election performance as it gained five MPs.

The Reform UK leader walked on stage to lights and dance music, then faced a barrage of heckles from protesters in the audience as he tried to start a speech in central London to mark what the party described as a political earthquake.

He suggested one of the protesters had had a bigger lunch than I have, and that another was at risk of having a stroke before questioning if they were actors, a nod to a Reform canvasser filmed using a racial slur to describe now former prime minister Rishi Sunak.

Mr Farage accused a man who interrupted his speech of being steaming and shouted boring! nine times as a second heckler started speaking.

He told his partys supporters: This is good preparation for the House of Commons I suppose, isnt it? Its going to be very lively in there.

When Mr Farage asked: Any more for any more? there was a long pause before a man shouted: Actually yes.

Mr Farage added: We havent organised this very well, have we?

All heckling members of the audience were escorted out of the Westminster venue.

The chaotic scenes took place at an event where Mr Farage, the new MP for Clacton, was joined by his fellow parliamentarians as Reform secured five seats in the Commons.

LIVE: Reform MPs Nigel Farage, Richard Tice, Lee Anderson & Rupert Lowe on the political earthquake. https://t.co/psVvRRo4BI  Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 5, 2024

Lee Anderson defended Ashfield while party chairman Richard Tice secured Boston and Skegness and former Southampton FC chairman Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth, both at the expense of the Tories.

Then later on Friday, Reform candidate James McMurdock won the seat of Basildon South and East Thurrock with a majority of just 98 votes from Labour.

While Reform UK was formed in 2018, Mr Farage has sought to become an MP multiple times without success.

He was a member of the European Parliament for 20 years, during which time he campaigned fiercely for the UK to leave the EU.

Reform had an early boost in several constituencies where they took second place, pushing the Tories into third.

Mr Farage said: We bite our nails, as they await a recount in Basildon South & East Thurrock in the hope they would secure a fifth seat.

He said proportional representation in the voting system would have meant Reform looking at nearly 100 seats, adding the outdated first-past-the-post electoral system is not fit for purpose.

After claiming the General Election showed there was absolutely no enthusiasm for Sir Keir Starmers Labour, Mr Farage reiterated his partys ambitions to act as the opposition to the new Government.

Richard Tice and Rupert Lowe will make terrific colleagues in Parliament and put the British people first. Reform UK has caused an earthquake tonight  and we are just getting started.  Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 5, 2024

Mr Farage said: We are going to be the opposition around the country.

He added: Above all what were going to do from today is were going to professionalise the party, were going to democratise the party, and those few bad apples that have crept in will be gone, will be long gone, and we will never have any of their type back in our organisation.

You have a 100% promise on that.

During the press conference he also said that vetting candidates is easy and that most racism in British politics is in the Labour Party.

Asked how he would vet Reform candidates properly going forward, including for racism, he said: Very easy. You go back through their social media records, you obviously do police checks and things like that, no, its not difficult to do it and the message has to be clear and simple.

We dont want anyone like that involved with us. Indeed I mean the racism problem in the Labour Party was enormous, but to Keir Starmers credit actually he did quite a lot by getting rid of Jeremy Corbyn, who ironically has been re-elected.

Theres an awful lot we can do. There is plenty of racism in British politics, its mostly in the Labour Party.

Mr Farage said he was not going into Westminster to behave terribly but would challenge conventions after being elected as an MP for the first time.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage during a press conference in Westminster, central London (Tejas Sandhu/PA)

Asked how he would democratise Reform UK and shake up Westminster from the inside as a disruptor, he said he did not know whether his party would have the power to change the systems and that being a disruptor can be considered negative but could be a very positive context because it sparks a very, very different debate.

But were not going in to behave terribly or anything like that, but certainly going in to challenge conventions and certainly going in believing that the broad church that is the Conservative Party that currently has no religion, simply wont be able to provide any sort of challenge at all.

And we may be fewer in number but were absolutely united in what we believe in and what we stand for.

He also said Reform UKs constitution would get put fully to the conference.

Mr Anderson claimed he would be looking at Sir Keir Starmers Government in the Commons and thinking what has our country come to.

The Reform UK MP said the UKs Prime Minister and his motley crew absolutely scares me to death, Im going to be sat on the green benches next week looking at them and thinking what has our country come to.

Mr Farage said Reform UKs focus will be on going after Labour votes.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage arrives for a press conference in Westminster, central London (Tejas Sandhu/PA)

He said: Old Labour was very, very patriotic. It believed in the country. It believed in its people. New Labour far less so.

And the journey that Lee Anderson has been on is a journey that at least a couple of million people have been on, and itll be many, many more by the time were finished, because no doubt, our priority now is to go after Labour votes. That is what were going to be doing.

Mr Farage has said he is launching criminal legal action against Colin Bloom of Vetting.Com as he vowed to professionalise Reform UK.

Facing a question about the racism row engulfing the party, its leader again blamed the firm it contracted to vet candidates.

He also said: I made it clear that Ukip would be a non-racist, non-sectarian party, and in the end it was.

I will jolly well make sure, starting today, that we do not want people with desperately unpleasant views. We will not tolerate people with these views. They will be gone.

And well have the funding after this, well have the support coming in to be able to absolutely professionalise the party. This will never happen again.

He laughed and said stitch-up merchants as he was asked a question by Channel 4 News.

The Reform UK leader has launched a series of attacks against the broadcaster after it reported that a canvasser for his party had used racist language.

Channel 4 then asked him about the leadership and direction of the party, to which he responded that he would stay at the helm but indicated that by the 2029 election somebody younger and better-looking will have come along.

As the event ended, the audience of about 100 people gave a round of applause, Mr Farage, Mr Tice, Mr Anderson and Mr Lowe then posed for photos before leaving.

Afterwards, Mr Anderson called hecklers who interrupted the event professional nuisances.

He added: I think they need to get a job.
Labour has swept to power in the biggest landslide since Tony Blairs first election triumph 27 years ago  but the headline results only tell half the story of a momentous night in British politics.

 How did Labour win?

To turn around a catastrophic defeat  from the thumping they received under Jeremy Corbyn when the Conservatives were returned with an 80-seat majority  to a victory of historic proportions in just five years is an extraordinary achievement by any measure.

Lord (Peter) Mandelson, one of the architects of the partys 1997 success, described it as an electoral meteor hitting Planet Earth, while for allies of Sir Keir Starmer it was the ultimate proof of the way he has changed the party.

Rishi Sunak leaves Downing Street with his wife, Akshata Murty (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

However the figures show that it was a victory gained despite Labours share of the vote in England remaining virtually unchanged, at around a third, while in Wales it actually fell.

Only in Scotland, where the SNP endured a night of heavy losses, was there an increase in the partys vote share.

Labours big win, then, was in part due to the vagaries of the first-past-the-post system, with the partys votes more evenly spread across the country rather than piling up in a limited number of constituencies.

But more significantly it was the product in a collapse in support for the Tory Party, which suffered a massive 20-point fall.

 The Reform factor

When Rishi Sunak made his big gamble and decided to call the General Election for July rather than wait for the autumn, one factor in his calculations was that it would catch Reform UK on the hop.

Conservative strategists had long seen Nigel Farages populist insurgent party as a major threat  potentially taking votes from them in seats they were defending against Labour.

Nigel Farage won Clacton for Reform UK (Joe Giddens/PA)

Initially, Mr Sunaks tactics seemed to have paid off  Mr Farage said it was too late for him to find a winnable seat and that he would be spending the summer campaigning for Donald Trump in America.

A week later, that all changed, with Mr Farage announcing that not only was he taking back the leadership of the party he founded, but that he would be standing in Clacton.

It had a profound effect on the result: in scores of seats lost by the Conservatives, the Reform vote was bigger than the Tory margin of defeat.

Despite gaining a bigger share of the vote than the Liberal Democrats, Reform took just four seats  including Clacton. Mr Farage nevertheless hailed it as a massive bridgehead, giving them a platform to make further advances.

 The Yellow Hammer batters the Blue Wall

It was not just Reform that eroded the Tory vote, with the Liberal Democrats making big inroads into the Conservatives so-called Blue Wall seats across the South and South West of England.

Sir Ed Davey celebrates a record night for the Liberal Democrats (James Manning/PA)

Sir Ed Daveys party enjoyed its best ever night, with more than 70 seats, as voters rejected the Tories in their former heartlands.

Seats once held by former prime ministers Lord (David) Cameron, Baroness (Theresa) May and Boris Johnson, fell to the Lib Dems, who also ousted Cabinet ministers Gillian Keegan, Alex Chalk, Michelle Donelan and Lucy Frazer.

 The Gaza effect

It was not just the Tories who found their vote coming under pressure.

Labour also came under attack in some of its traditional strongholds, with significant Muslim populations from independent candidates critical of the partys stance on Gaza.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn held Islington North as an independent (Lucy North/PA)

Frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth, who had been expected to play a prominent role in the new Government, was the most high-profile casualty, falling in Leicester South.

Three other former Labour MPs were also ousted by pro-Palestine candidates, while former leader Jeremy Corbyn, now standing as an independent, fought off Labour to hold Islington North.

Meanwhile, the Green Party enjoyed a good night, increasing its tally of MPs to four, including wins for co-leaders Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer, who beat Labours Thangham Debbonaire in Bristol Central.

 What now?

MPs will return to Westminster with the political landscape utterly transformed.

While voters have clearly rejected the Tories after the scandals and chaos of the Boris Johnson and Liz Truss years, it is unclear how deep support for the new Government really runs.

As he entered No 10, Sir Keir vowed to re-establish politics as a force for good but acknowledged this will take a while.

Sinn Fein s Michelle ONeill said the time has come for a constitutional change conversation on Northern Ireland (Niall Carson/PA)

With Mr Sunak preparing to stand aside in the aftermath of defeat, the Conservatives are likely to face a lengthy struggle for the soul of the party, with recriminations already beginning to fly over where it all went wrong.

The abysmal showing of the SNP means that the issue of Scottish independence is likely to be off the table for the foreseeable future.

But in Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein  which backs a united Ireland  is now the largest party, with vice president Michelle ONeill suggesting the time has come for the constitutional change conversation to take place.

And the uneven way seats were distributed could once again see calls for reform of the voting system for Westminster elections  with Mr Farage even suggesting he could make common cause with the Lib Dems.
A hacker gained access to the internal messaging systems of ChatGPT maker OpenAI last year, stealing details about the design of the firms AI products, it has been reported.

The New York Times said the incident saw a hacker lift details from discussions in an internal forum between OpenAI employees about the technologies being worked on by the company.

But they did not get into the systems where OpenAIs product are built and housed, the report said.

The US firm has found itself at the forefront of the recent AI boom, sparked by the release of its generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT, in late 2022.

Since then, many of the worlds largest technology companies have started moving into the sector, with many experts also identifying generative AI as the key innovation of this generation.

According to the report, OpenAI executives told staff and the companys board about the breach in April last year, but did not make the details public because no customer or partner data had been stolen.

OpenAI also did not inform US law enforcement agencies of the incident, the report said, because the company believed the hacker was a private individual with no known ties to a foreign government.

In a statement, an OpenAI spokesperson acknowledged a security incident but did not give any further details.

As we shared with our board and employees last year, we identified and fixed the underlying security issue and continue to invest in strengthening our security, a company spokesperson said.

Dr Ilia Kolochenko, cybersecurity expert and chief executive at security firm ImmuniWeb, warned that attacks on AI firms are likely to continue, and increase, given the growing importance of the technology.

While the details of the alleged incident are not yet confirmed by OpenAI, there is a strong possibility that the incident actually took place and is not the only one, he said.

The global AI race has become a matter of national security for many countries; therefore, state-backed cybercrime groups and mercenaries are aggressively targeting AI vendors, from talented start-ups to tech giants like Google or OpenAI.

The hackers mostly focus their efforts on the theft of valuable intellectual property, including technological research and know-how, large language models (LLMs), sources of training data, as well as commercial information such as AI vendors clients and novel use of AI across different industries.

More sophisticated cyber-threat actors may also implant stealthy backdoors to continually control breached AI companies, and to be able to suddenly disrupt or even shut down their operations, similar to the large-scale hacking campaigns targeting critical national infrastructure (CNI) in Western countries recently.

All corporate users of GenAI vendors should be particularly careful and prudent when they share, or give access to, their proprietary data for LLM training or fine-tuning, as their data  spanning from attorney-client privileged information and trade secrets of the leading industrial or pharmaceutical companies to classified military information  is also in the crosshairs of AI-hungry cybercriminals that are poised to intensify their attacks.
Police in Glasgow are investigating cases of suspected voter fraud.

Glasgow City Council reported four cases of alleged personation following Thursdays poll.

The offence occurs when a person votes as someone else.

It is understood that of the alleged incidents, two are being investigated in the Glasgow South West seat and one in Glasgow West.

A spokesman for the council said: Over the course of the day, we have received four reports of potential personation at polling places.

The police subsequently asked us to extract three ballot papers from the count and this was done when the relevant ballot boxes arrived at the count centre.
A record number of Conservative Cabinet members have lost their seats, beating the previous record of seven defeats in 1997.

Members of Rishi Sunaks Cabinet and high-profile Tories who have lost their seats are:

Grant Shapps (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

 Grant Shapps



Defence Secretary Grant Shapps lost his seat as MP for Welwyn Hatfield to Labours Andrew Lewin.

Mr Shapps has held a series of Cabinet positions under four Tory prime ministers  including energy security and net zero secretary, business secretary and home secretary.

 Liz Truss

Former prime minister Liz Truss was the biggest scalp in the Tory bloodbath  booted out of office after losing her Norfolk South West seat by 630 votes.

She was Britains shortest-serving PM, with her tenure in Downing Street lasting just 49 days.

Liz Truss (Jacob King/PA)

A Remain supporter, Ms Truss became the darling of the Brexit-backing Conservative right wing, winning the Tory leadership contest in September 2022.

But her time in Downing Street, which spanned the death of Queen Elizabeth II, ended in disaster after her damaging mini budget, which included unfunded tax cutting measures, triggered mass market turmoil.

 Penny Mordaunt



The House of Commons Leader, Penny Mordaunt, lost her Portsmouth North seat to Labours Amanda Martin.

It was thought that Ms Mordaunt, who went viral for carrying two heavy swords at the Kings coronation, would run for the party leadership if she managed to hang on to her seat.

She had two failed bids under her belt, having lost to Liz Truss and then Mr Sunak. She became an MP in 2010 and was made the UKs first female defence secretary in 2019 but was bumped from the role after 85 days in a reshuffle.

Penny Mordaunt (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

 Alex Chalk

Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor since 2023, became MP for Cheltenham in 2015, and had a notional majority in 2019 of 1,421.

He was unseated this time around by Liberal Democrat Max Wilkinson.

Mr Chalk spent 14 years as a barrister and specialised in counter-terrorism, homicide and serious fraud cases before he was elected as an MP.

The legal system has faced severe challenges under his watch  with a backlog of court cases, delays due to Covid-19 and industrial action by criminal defence barristers.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan (PA)

 Gillian Keegan

The Education Secretary since 2022 and MP for Chichester from 2017, Gillian Keegan lost her seat to Liberal Democrat candidate Jess Brown-Fuller.

Ms Keegan had pushed for banning smartphones in schools. She also oversaw draft statutory sex education guidance that gender ideology should not be taught in schools.

 Lucy Frazer

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer lost her seat in Ely and East Cambridgeshire to the Liberal Democrats Charlotte Cane.

Ms Frazer was a Sunak loyalist and her prior posts included minister in the transport and justice departments, financial secretary to the Treasury and solicitor general.

Before being elected as the MP for South East Cambridgeshire in 2015, she worked as a barrister in commercial law.

Johnny Mercer (James Manning/PA)

 Johnny Mercer

Johnny Mercer lost his seat in Plymouth Moor View to Labour candidate Fred Thomas.

The Veterans Minister was first elected in the 2015 General Election, having never voted before.

Mr Mercer came from a military family and graduated from Sandhurst in 2002, going on to serve around the world.

Earlier this year he faced controversy when he was told by a judge he must hand over names of the people who told him about alleged special forces murders in Afghanistan.

 Michelle Donelan

Science Secretary Michelle Donelan lost her Melksham and Devizes seat to the Liberal Democrats.

She faced calls to resign earlier in the year after taxpayers money was used to pay damages to an academic she had accused of expressing sympathy for Hamas.

Chief Whip Simon Hart (Aaron Chown/PA)

 Simon Hart

Chief whip Simon Hart managed just third place in the newly created Caerfyrddin constituency, with Plaid Cymrus Ann Davies taking the top spot.

He came to Parliament in 2010 with a background in rural affairs as chief executive of the Countryside Alliance and a former master of the South Pembrokeshire Hunt.

A former Welsh secretary, he quit the post in 2022 as pressure mounted on then prime minister Boris Johnson to resign.

Mr Hart, who worked as a chartered surveyor and served with the Territorial Army, had served as Conservative MP for Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire since 2010.

 Sir Robert Buckland

Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland lost his Swindon South seat to Labours Heidi Alexander.

He was Secretary of State for Wales from July 7, 2022 to October 25, 2022, and previously held the posts of Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice, and Solicitor General.

Sir Robert was elected the Conservative MP for South Swindon in 2010.

Sir Michael Fabricant (Jacob/PA)

 Sir Michael Fabricant

Sir Michael Fabricant, lost his seat in Lichfield to Labours Dave Robertson who won 17,232 votes  a majority of 810.

When knighted at the end of last year Sir Michael  recognisable by his distinctive blonde hair  put his lengthy political career down to his interest in his own constituency.

He had been a serving MP since 1992 and retained his seat at the 2019 general election with a majority of more than 23,000.

 Jonathan Gullis

Conservative deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis was beaten in Stoke-on-Trent North by Labours David Williams.

He was elected as Conservative MP in December 2019.

Therese Coffey (James Manning/PA)

 Dame Therese Coffey



Tory former deputy prime minister Dame Therese Coffey was defeated by Labour in Suffolk Coastal.

She held a number of previous roles, including Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, and served on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee until she was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Fallon, Minister for Business and Energy.

 Sir Simon Clarke

Sir Simon Clarke, former Tory levelling up secretary lost Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland to Labour candidate Luke Myer by 214 votes.

In the past he had also worked as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and a housing minister.

 Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg

The veteran Tory MP lost his Somerset North East and Hanham seat to Labours Dan Norris, who said: Weve got Mogg-xit done.

Senior Conservative Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg leaves after losing his North East Somerset and Hanham seat (Jonathan Brady/PA)

He had previously held roles including Business Secretary, Leader of the Commons and Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government efficiency.

The Arch-Brexiteer and father-of-six has courted controversy in his time, having to apologise in 2019 for suggesting Grenfell victims should have used common sense and ignored fire service guidance not to leave the burning tower block, and in 2022 dismissing as a non-story the fact the Metropolitan Police had issued more than 100 fines over the partygate scandal.

 David TC Davies

The Welsh Secretary suffered a defeat to Labour.

He was the final Tory to fall in Wales, and had been Monmouth MP since 2005 and Welsh secretary since October 2022.

 Mark Harper

Mark Harper, Transport Secretary was defeated by Labour in the Forest of Dean, a seat he had held since 2005.

From May 2015 until July 2016 he served as chief whip, and before that had a number of different roles.

 Victoria Prentis

Appointed Attorney General in October 2022, she had been the Conservative MP for Banbury since 2015.

Fridays results confirmed she had been defeated by Labours Sean Woodcock.

 Steve Baker

Steve Baker lost Wycombe to Labour candidate Emma Reynolds.

He was appointed Northern Ireland minister in September 2022, and was first elected Conservative MP for the constituency in 2010.

On losing, he said Thank God Im a free man.

 Michael Tomlinson

Illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson lost to the Liberal Democrats in Mid Dorset and North Poole.

He was appointed minister for countering illegal migration in December 2023, and was first elected Conservative MP for the constituency in 2015.
Sir Keir Starmer took the keys to Downing Street on Friday after voters handed Labour a landslide victory in the General Election.

He took over from Rishi Sunak, who vacated No 10 after the Conservatives suffered a crushing defeat after 14 years in power.

While timings might change, here is a look at the new Prime Ministers next few days in power.

 Weekend of July 6-7

The new Cabinet, which was appointed on Friday, will meet for the first time on Saturday morning.

Appointments of junior ministers are likely to continue, as will calls from world leaders and first ministers of the devolved nations.

Legislative priorities and the timing of any major policy announcements will also need to be worked out.

Sir Keir has signalled that at least three housing announcements could be made in the first two weeks of a Labour Government.

The Government has got to show that its taking charge immediately, and doing whats necessary, Lord Robin Butler, who oversaw the transition as cabinet secretary when Labour swept into power in 1997, told the PA news agency.

Decisions such as allocating office space in No 10  ill-suited to be a modern workplace with its maze-like layout  have got to be decided on the first weekend because theyre necessary in order for people to start working.

Sir Keirs chief of staff, Sue Gray, who spent years at the top of the Civil Service, will likely be involved in decisions about how the Prime Minister will work, how the centre of Government will be set up and his diary for the first few days  some of which will have been agreed in access talks.

Sir Keir will work with his chief of staff Sue Gray on structuring the centre of Government (Liam McBurney/PA)

The Labour leaders expected attendance at the Nato leaders summit the following week will also require briefings to be readied and decisions to be made about which officials should accompany him.

Lord ODonnell, who served as Cabinet Secretary for six years, said: His briefing pack will be extensive  Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, the race for the US presidency, European defence spending. There is a lot to take in, and little time to prepare.

 Tuesday July 9-11

The new Parliament will be summoned to meet.

The first business will be to choose a Commons Speaker  with Sir Lindsay Hoyle set to be re-elected.

Congratulating the Speaker will be Sir Keirs first opportunity to speak at the despatch box as Prime Minister and he will likely offer some rhetoric on the future.

Swearing-in could begin on the same day or the next and will continue for several days. MPs and peers will take the oath, with the Government going first, followed by some other established figures. MPs are not allowed to speak in debates, vote or receive their salary until they make an oath or solemn affirmation of allegiance to the Crown.

Just days after becoming Prime Minister, Sir Keir will be propelled onto the world stage, jetting to Washington DC for the Nato leaders summit which begins on Tuesday and finishes on Thursday.

Issues will include what additional support should be given to Ukraine, the Middle East and the US election in November.

Sir Keir may hold bilateral meetings with Ukraines Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle is set to be re-elected as Commons Speaker (Hannah McKay/PA)

 Wednesday July 17

The King will preside over the pageantry of the State Opening of Parliament, marking the formal start of the new parliamentary session at the Palace of Westminster.

A key component of the ceremony is the Kings Speech, where he sets out the Governments legislative programme for the coming session. The creation of Great British Energy and planning reform are expected to be at the forefront.

No substantive parliamentary business can typically take place until after the speech is delivered. It is debated and voted on in the following days.

Lord Butler said: One of the biggest decisions which has to be taken, and is a collective decision, is the contents of the Kings Speech. Because they certainly cant do all the legislation, all the things they promised in their first Parliament.

 Thursday July 18

The UK is hosting a gathering of the European Political Community, the body that brings all 27 EU member countries together with 20 others from outside the bloc.

Sir Keir Starmer with his wife Victoria on the election campaign trail (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Sir Keir will welcome about 50 heads of government to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, giving him an opportunity to set the tone for his Governments approach to the UKs relationship with the EU.

While Labour has ruled out rejoining the single market or customs union, the party is seeking a better trade relationship with the bloc.

 Tuesday July 23

Before Mr Sunak called the election, this was when summer recess was scheduled to start.

However, this would not leave enough time for the usual six sitting days to debate the Kings Speech.

Sir Keir is expected to cut short the summer break, with MPs sitting until July 31.
Rishi Sunak has apologised to the country and his party after he led the Conservatives to their worst-ever election result.

The outgoing Prime Minister added he will step down as Tory leader, but only once formal arrangements are in place to select his successor.

Former prime minister Liz Truss and a record number of serving Cabinet members lost their seats in the Tory bloodbath, as Labour swept to power under leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Speaking under grey skies and with his wife Akshata Murty watching on, Mr Sunak delivered his final Downing Street address before his premiership officially ends.

Mr Sunak said: To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry.

I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the Government of the United Kingdom must change. And yours is the only judgment that matters.

I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.

Mr Sunak also apologised to Conservative candidates and campaigners, before saying: Following this result I will step down as party leader  not immediately, but once the formal arrangements for selecting my successor are in place.

It is important that after 14 years in government the Conservative Party rebuilds, but also that it takes up its crucial role in opposition professionally and effectively.

Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, joined by his wife Akshata Murty, gives a speech in Downing Street (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Mr Sunak gave his thanks to his colleagues and staff before adding: But, most of all, Id like to express my gratitude to my wife Akshata and our beautiful daughters.

I can never thank them enough for the sacrifices they have made so that I might serve our country.

Mr Sunak praised Sir Keir as a decent, public-spirited man who I respect as he conceded defeat outside Number 10.

The Tory MP said whatever our disagreements, he wished Sir Keir and his family well as they make the huge transition to their new lives behind this door.

Mr Sunak, who was re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton, said: In this job, his successes will be all our successes, and I wish him and his family well.

He said he believes the UK is more prosperous, fairer and resilient than it was in 2010 when the Conservatives came to power.

He concluded his farewell speech by acknowledging the difficult days of the election campaign and pointing to the British values of kindness, decency and tolerance.

Mr Sunak said: One of the most remarkable things about Britain is just how unremarkable it is that two generations after my grandparents came here with little, I could become Prime Minister. And that I could watch my two young daughters light Diwali candles on the steps in Downing Street.

We must hold true to that idea of who we are. That vision of kindness, decency and tolerance that has always been the British way.

This is a difficult day at the end of a number of difficult days. But I leave this job honoured to have been your Prime Minister.

This is the best country in the world. And it is thanks entirely to you, the British people, the true source of all our achievements, our strengths and our greatness. Thank you.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with his wife Akshata Murty leaving after giving a speech in Downing Street (Lucy North/PA)

Mr Sunaks apology was earlier echoed by Suella Braverman, but the Tory leadership challenger was sorry for her partys record in Government, suggesting it had not listened enough to the electorate.

Ms Truss lost her South West Norfolk seat, where she had been defending a notional majority of more than 24,000, to Labour.

The former prime minister, who during her short time in Downing Street oversaw the disastrous mini-budget that spooked markets, said the Tories had not delivered sufficiently on voters priorities including curbing immigration.

Ms Truss declined to give a concession speech but told the BBC: I think the issue we faced as Conservatives is we havent delivered sufficiently on the policies people want.

And that means keeping taxes low, but also particularly on reducing immigration.

Asked whether she accepted some responsibility for that, Ms Truss said: I agree. I was part of that. Thats absolutely true.

But during our 14 years in power, unfortunately we did not do enough to take on the legacy wed been left, in particular things like the Human Rights Act that made it very difficult for us to deport illegal immigrants.

The candidates for South West Norfolk were left waiting on stage for several minutes for the announcement of the result as they waited for Liz Truss to appear (Jacob King/PA)

Meanwhile, former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland warned that a lurch to the right would be disastrous for the party after he lost his Swindon South seat.

Among the dozen Cabinet ministers to lose their seats overnight were Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, Attorney General Victoria Prentis and veterans minister Johnny Mercer, all to Labour.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Science Secretary Michelle Donelan, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer and illegal immigration Minister Michael Tomlinson lost to the Liberal Democrats.

Chief whip Simon Hart lost to Plaid Cymru.

Rishi Sunak said it had been a difficult night (Temilade Adelaja/PA)

But party chairman Richard Holden won by just 20 votes in Basildon and Billericay and Jeremy Hunt clung on to the Godalming and Ash seat in Surrey despite a threat from the Liberal Democrats.

The outgoing Chancellor said the Conservatives crushing defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for the party.

Mel Stride, who served as Work and Pensions Secretary and held on to his Central Devon seat by just 61 votes, said it would take quite a lot of time for the Tory Party to rebuild.

Outgoing Home Secretary James Cleverly, who held his seat in Braintree, Essex, warned that there is nothing honourable in presenting simple and thin solutions to challenging and complex problems.

Mr Shapps, who lost his Welwyn Hatfield seat to Labour, said his party had an inability to iron out (its) differences amid an endless soap opera.

Seats previously held by Tory big beasts, including Boris Johnsons Uxbridge and South Ruislip and Theresa Mays Maidenhead, were taken by Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively.

Tory Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker, who had signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election, said thank God Im a free man after he was defeated by Labour in Wycombe.

Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis, former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and business and trade minister Greg Hands were beaten by Labour.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he will redouble efforts to get his party into government at Holyrood in 2026 after wiping out almost a decade of SNP dominance of Scotlands Westminster seats at the General Election.

Anas Sarwars party tore across the countrys central belt, mirroring the success of the UK-wide party and sweeping the SNP out of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

With all but one of the 57 Scottish seats declared on Friday morning, Labour held 37, the SNP nine and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats each had five.

In the previous UK election in 2019, Labour returned just one MP to the SNPs 48.

A recount in the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire seat will not restart until 10.30am on Saturday, delaying the final result of the General Election.

Speaking while surrounded by Scottish Labours new MPs in Glasgow on Friday morning, Mr Sarwar said: People across our country will be waking up to the news that after 14 years of Conservative government, after 14 years of chaos and division, that has now come to an end and Scotland and the UK has elected a Labour government.

(PA Graphics)

I want to say thank-you to the people of Scotland. You have put your faith and trust in us and we will work day and night to build on that.

Today we stop the chaos, we turn the page and we start the hard work of change, and the people you see round about me today, these new Scottish Labour MPs  and arent there so many of them  arent going to Westminster to sit on the opposition benches to shout, to protest and ultimately come back with nothing.

These Scottish Labour MPs are going to Westminster to sit on the government benches, to sit round the table, make decisions and help deliver for the people of Scotland. Thats the change that people have voted for.

He said his party has ended 14 years of Tory chaos but there have been 17 years of SNP failure and incompetence too so today we also redouble our efforts so we together can deliver change in 2026 with a Scottish Labour government, too.

Mr Sarwar said he spoke to Sir Keir Starmer straight after the exit poll came out as polls closed on Thursday night, and he was particularly delighted about the results here in Scotland.

The Scottish Labour leader said: He reaffirmed his commitment that he will be a prime minister for every part of our country, and that includes Scotland he wants to deliver for Scotland.

Scottish First Minister John Swinney said the SNP now needs to reflect on its defeat (Jane Barlow/PA)

Ian Murray, who was re-elected in Edinburgh South after nearly five years as Scottish Labours only MP, has been appointed Secretary of State for Scotland.

Speaking in Edinburgh in the hours after the results, First Minister John Swinney said his party failed to convince people of the urgency of independence during the campaign.

Therefore, we need to take the time to consider and to reflect on how we deliver our commitment to independence  which remains absolute.

As somebody who has devoted their entire adult life to the winning of Scottish independence  not for an abstract reason, but because I believe it will transform the lives of our people for the better  we need to get that approach correct in the forthcoming period.

I accept that we need to engage with, listen to and learn from the people of Scotland on how we take forward our arguments for independence.

He earlier pledged a period of soul searching after what he described as a very poor performance for the SNP, saying his party has to be better at governing on behalf of the people of Scotland.

In a phone call with Sir Keir Starmer on Friday evening, the First Minster committed to working co-operatively with the UK Government on areas of mutual interest.

Outgoing Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross failed in his bid to return to Westminster.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross at P&J Live arena in Aberdeen, during the count (Michal Wachucik/PA)

Mr Ross sought election to the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat in place of former MP David Duguid, who was barred from standing by party bosses due to ill health.

His decision  which reversed an announcement he would not seek re-election to Westminster  was met with criticism from opponents and some within his own party.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Ross suggested the Reform UK vote had handed the SNP the seat.

Reform candidate Jo Hart came third with 5,562 votes, while Mr Ross trailed his SNP rival by less than 1,000.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: The Liberal Democrats have made a huge leap forward and are back as a major force in British politics.

Across the UK our wins make this the best result since our party was founded, demolishing the blue wall and toppling huge chunks of the acid yellow wall of the SNP. There are far more liberals than nationalists on the benches of the House of Commons today.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie thanked people who voted for his party.

We have established our party as the third political force in Glasgow and have broken new ground across the country, he said.

These results are an important springboard for the Scottish Greens and show that we are well on track for big gains as we approach the next Scottish election in 2026 and the local elections in 2027.
Who has Sir Keir Starmer picked to be in his Cabinet?

Sir Keir Starmer is selecting his new Cabinet after Labour swept to a landslide victory in the General Election.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the appointments so far:

 Angela Rayner  Deputy Prime Minister and Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary

Angela Rayner (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

As Labours new Red Queen, many will now be looking to Angela Rayner  like John Prescott before her  to serve as custodian of the partys traditional values in the face of a modernising leadership.

Like her predecessor, she worked her way up the hard way, leaving school at 16 having grown up in the squalor of a rundown council estate in Stockport, and cutting her teeth as a trade union official before embarking on a career in Parliament.

A self-described socialist, the Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretarys brief has also included a major extension of workers rights  one of the most contentious elements of the new Governments policy agenda.

Disclosures in an unauthorised biography by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft about Ms Rayners sale of a council house in 2015 led to a Greater Manchester Police investigation after the Tories complained she may have broken electoral law and dodged capital gains tax.

When the force announced  just days into the election campaign  that they would be taking no further action, Sir Keir said she had been fully vindicated, while she dismissed the saga as a Conservative bid to clip my wings.

 Rachel Reeves  Chancellor

Rachel Reeves (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

When BBC Newsnight editor Ian Katz unwittingly tweeted his view of Rachel Reeves as boring, snoring during a TV appearance in 2013, she admitted to feeling slightly humiliated.

But she also made clear where her priorities were. Glamorous and exciting are probably not two things youd want from someone in charge of public finances  you want someone whos steady, whos serious, whos responsible, she told The Guardian.

A former child chess champion who counts a stint at the Bank of England and four years in private-sector banking among her credentials, Ms Reeves is said by allies to have the type of analytical mind required for the challenges that await her at the Treasury.

With her promise to serve as the countrys iron chancellor and emphasis on supply-side reform, she has invited comparisons between herself and Margaret Thatcher  to the dismay of some on the left.

But Ms Reeves has been unapologetically pro-business, talking up growth as the linchpin of success in government and embarking on her so-called smoked salmon offensive of breakfast meetings with leaders of the FTSE 250 in the months before the election.

Against the daunting backdrop of a sluggish economy and competing demands for public spending, Britains first ever female Chancellor will be responsible for sticking to Labours strict fiscal rules while implementing a series of tax hikes  hitting wealthy non-doms, oil and gas giants and private schools  to help fund its plans for improved public services.

She described her appointment to the role on Friday as the honour of my life and a sign for all women and girls that there should be no limit to your ambitions.

 Yvette Cooper  Home Secretary

Yvette Cooper (Lucy North/PA)

A rising star under New Labour, Yvette Cooper was relegated to the back benches during Jeremy Corbyns leadership before returning to the shadow cabinet with her home affairs brief under Sir Keir.

An early foray into politics came during her school days at a comprehensive in Hampshire, where she has recalled staging a prefects strike in protest over the disciplining of a fellow prefect for wearing the wrong colour socks.

Awarded a Kennedy scholarship after studying politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford University, Ms Cooper previously served as chief secretary to the Treasury in the Brown administration.

Her marriage to Ed Balls, Gordon Browns close confidant, made them the first couple to sit in Cabinet together.

Ms Cooper has announced a series of pledges as shadow home secretary, including to clear the asylum backlog, create a cross-border police unit to crack down on criminal smuggling gangs and put 13,000 more neighbourhood officers on the beat.

She inherits one of the most scrutinised briefs in government, as the UK grapples with an asylum backlog and small boat crossings in the English Channel.

 Pat McFadden  Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Pat McFadden (Victoria Jones/PA)

As shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and national campaign co-ordinator since 2023, veteran frontbencher Pat McFadden played a central role in shaping Labours direction in the run-up to the election.

Softly spoken and serious, much of his work has taken place behind the scenes, though he is frequently relied on to reinforce the party line with appearances on the morning broadcast rounds.

Mr McFadden gives little away in interviews but is seen as a centre-left figure, having attended Mr Browns cabinet and worked as an adviser to Tony Blair.

Born in Glasgow to Irish-speaking parents from Donegal, his Labour roots go back past even the 1990s to his days as an undergraduate at Edinburgh University, where he was chair of Scottish Labour Students before working for Donald Dewar and later John Smith.

He was sacked from Mr Corbyns shadow cabinet for what the leadership branded disloyalty. This was said to include criticism of Mr Corbyns response to the 2015 Paris terror attacks and a Commons statement in which he called for a rejection of the view that sees terrorist acts as always being a response or a reaction to what we in the West do.

 David Lammy  Foreign Secretary

David Lammy (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

Veteran MP David Lammy has risen through the party ranks over the course of a 23-year career in Parliament.

One of five siblings raised by a single mother in Tottenham  the constituency he would go on to win in 2001  Mr Lammy sang as a choirboy at Peterborough Cathedral before studying at SOAS University and later becoming the first black Briton to attend Harvard Law School, where he forged a friendship with Barack Obama.

He has spoken of the fear and embarrassment he felt when he was first stopped and searched at the age of just 12, and made his name in politics campaigning against racial injustice and the profiling of black and ethnic minority groups.

Having served as a junior health minister under Sir Tony, Mr Lammy supported Mr Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2015 before backing Sir Keir in 2020 and returning to the front bench as shadow justice secretary.

As shadow foreign secretary since 2021, he raised eyebrows earlier this year when he promised to find a common cause with Donald Trump if the former US president is returned to the White House, despite having previously called the Republican a neo-Nazi sympathiser.

The position has seen him tread a fraught path over the war in Gaza, stressing Israels right to self-defence but also saying that Labour would comply with an arrest warrant against the countrys premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, if the International Criminal Court were to issue one  and criticising extremist rhetoric from some Israeli ministers.

In Government, the brief puts him at the helm of UK diplomacy during a time of increasing global instability.

 Wes Streeting  Health Secretary

Wes Streeting (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

From a family acquainted with the Kray twins to Labours frontbench via Cambridge University, Wes Streetings journey to frontline politics has been anything but ordinary.

A self-described geek who wore his school badges with pride, he credits his parents and grandparents  one of whom was an armed robber, the other a Second World War veteran  with fostering his love of books, despite the strains of living in a cramped flat in Londons East End.

One of Labours most recognisable faces and never slow to attack the Tory record, Mr Streeting is seen as a confident media performer and has often been touted as a potential leadership contender.

He has been MP for Ilford North since 2015 and as Health Secretary will be responsible for overseeing the partys mission to rebuild the NHS, including a pledge to create 40,000 new appointments each week.

 Bridget Phillipson  Education Secretary

Bridget Phillipson (Owen Humphreys/PA)

At school in the former mining town of Washington, Bridget Phillipson was a star pupil with an interest in acting that landed her a role as an extra in Byker Grove before winning a place at Oxford University.

Aged just 26, she went on to become MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in 2010 after working for several years at the womens refuge her mother founded.

A close ally of the Labour leader, Ms Phillipson came from a struggling single-parent family but says she was far from the worst off in her class. Her upbringing shaped her approach to the education brief, in which she has outlined Labours mission to smash the class ceiling by removing barriers to opportunity for less advantaged children.

To the disappointment of some on the partys left flank, free school meals  of which Ms Phillipson was a recipient while growing up  did not feature in the party manifesto.

Instead, it commits to free school breakfast clubs to prevent children starting lessons hungry.

 Ed Miliband  Energy Secretary

Ed Miliband (Jacob King/PA)

Dubbed Red Ed by the tabloids during his time as Labour leader, Ed Miliband nonetheless headed a more moderate party than Mr Corbyn, who he called on to resign after the Leave result in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

In the run-up to his May 2015 election defeat, Mr Milibands public image was damaged by what were perceived to be embarrassing photos of him eating a bacon sandwich and the revelation he had two kitchens in his north London home.

Theresa May was later accused of making a number of his policies her own when she became Tory prime minister in 2017, opting to cap energy prices and abolish estate agent fees for renters.

His more recent guise as Green Ed  running Labours net zero policy  has seen him champion the pledge to create GB Energy, a publicly owned clean power company.

A setback came last year when Labour watered down its promise to spend 28 billion a year on sustainable energy projects  of which the shadow climate secretary was seen as a key proponent  blaming Tory stewardship of the economy.

The MP for Doncaster North denied having considered quitting over the move, which instead saw the party commit to 23.7 billion in spending over the next parliament, saying the new plans will still help to move the dial on the environment.

 Liz Kendall  Work and Pensions Secretary

Liz Kendall (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

As Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall has been responsible for overseeing the partys mission to get Britain working again following a rise in long-term sickness and inactivity.

She set out a tough stance on welfare in a speech earlier this year, during which she said there would be no option for a life on benefits for people who can work under Labour.

As an ambitious shadow health minister, she was the first to declare her hand in the leadership contest won by Mr Corbyn in 2015, when she warned that Labour could stay out of power forever unless it moved towards the centre ground.

A former special adviser to Harriet Harman and then Patricia Hewitt  whose Leicester seat she inherited  she has previously described herself as an unlikely lover of rap music, counting Eminem and Public Enemy among her favourites.

 Shabana Mahmood  Justice Secretary

Shabana Mahmood (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Oxford-educated former barrister Shabana Mahmood is the new Justice Secretary, having previously served as national campaign co-ordinator.

One of the first Muslim women elected to the Commons, she won the seat of Birmingham Ladywood in 2010.

Ms Mahmood is seen as a key ally of fellow former lawyer Sir Keir and is credited with playing a key part in preparing the partys campaign machine.

Born in Birmingham with a twin brother, she has said her childhood dream was to become a real-life version of ITVs Kavanagh QC rather than a politician.

She told the BBCs Political Thinking podcast last year how outgoing Tory leader Rishi Sunak promised to vote for her as president of the junior common room during their university days  after she targeted him in canvassing because they were both firmly of the geek extraction.

 John Healey  Defence Secretary

John Healey (Yui Mok/PA)

A stalwart of Labours frontbench, John Healey served in the Blair-Brown governments as well as the shadow cabinets of Mr Miliband and Mr Corbyn before becoming Sir Keirs shadow defence secretary.

His parliamentary career has seen him back the invasion of Iraq and more recently oppose the Tory governments reduction in the size of the Army to 72,500 by 2025.

But a question mark still hangs over how Labour would oversee the defence budget, with the party having pledged to reach a spending target of 2.5% only when economic conditions allow.

 Jonathan Reynolds  Business Secretary

Jonathan Reynolds (Lucy North/PA)

Alongside Ms Reeves, new Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has been at the forefront of Labours efforts to redraw its relationship with the City.

Elected MP for Stalybridge and Hyde in 2010, he resigned as a shadow minister under Mr Corbyn and went on to criticise the leaderships economic policy.

As chairman of Christians on the Left, Mr Reynolds has described his faith as hugely important to his politics. In 2013 he told the Commons he would vote for equal marriage because I am a Christian, not in spite of it.

Born in Houghton-le-Spring, he studied law at Manchester University before entering Parliament at the age of 28.

 Peter Kyle  Technology Secretary

Peter Kyle (Jeff Overs/BBC)

MP for Hove Peter Kyle took on Labours science and technology brief in a reshuffle last year.

Mr Kyle struggled with dyslexia growing up and has spoken of leaving school without many qualifications before being told while at university that he had a reading age of eight  though he overcame this to gain a doctoral degree.

He was an aid worker in the Balkans before becoming a Blair-era special adviser focused on social exclusion policy. In Parliament he has campaigned for the voting age to be lowered to 16 and was a vocal critic of Mr Corbyns leadership before serving in various positions in Sir Keirs shadow cabinet.

 Louise Haigh  Transport Secretary

Louise Haigh (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

As Labours new Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh will be in charge of party plans to renationalise most rail services, with a new public body inheriting existing contracts when they expire.

The MP for Sheffield Heeley will be regarded a standard-bearer of the soft left of the party in a Cabinet prominently featuring Blairite figures.

Once described by former Commons speaker John Bercow as having terrier-like intensity in her campaigning against the closure of tax offices, she cut her teeth as a shop steward for the union Unite and volunteered as a special constable in the Metropolitan Police before entering politics.

 Lisa Nandy  Culture Secretary

Labour MP Lisa Nandy arrives at 10 Downing Street, London (Lucy North/PA)

Wigan MP Lisa Nandy has been appointed Culture Secretary, a role that had been earmarked for former frontbencher Thangam Debbonaire before she lost her Commons seat to the Greens.

Raised in 1980s Manchester, Ms Nandy previously served as shadow levelling up secretary before she was demoted in Sir Keirs 2023 reshuffle.

Having founded the Centre For Towns think tank, she was outspoken after the 2019 election about the need to win back Labours former industrial heartlands where voters switched in their droves to the Conservatives.

Politics runs in the family  her maternal grandfather was a Liberal MP and her father, Dipak Nandy, a famous Marxist academic.

During the 2020 leadership race in which she came third, Ms Nandy criticised anti-media and anti-BBC feeling and said she would protect the licence fee if she ever became prime minister.

 Steve Reed  Environment Secretary

Steve Reed (Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror)

Steve Reed won the seat of Croydon North in a 2012 by-election and served as shadow justice secretary from 2021 until he was moved to the environment brief last year.

Growing up in the quiet commuter town of St Albans, his entire family worked in a printing factory, which he described as the heart of his community until it was shut down in the 1980s.

He joined the Labour Party soon after its closure, blaming Margaret Thatchers government for its fate during an economic recession.

 Hilary Benn  Northern Ireland Secretary

Hilary Benn (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

Best known earlier in his career as the son of Tony Benn  the long-serving cabinet minister, anti-war campaigner and pivotal figure on the Labour left  Mr Benn has not inherited all of his fathers beliefs.

During the 1999 contest for the Leeds Central seat that he would go on to represent for decades to come, Mr Benn described himself as a Benn, but not a Bennite.

Like his father, he is teetotal and vegetarian. Unlike his father, Mr Benn supported the Iraq War while serving in the Blair government, and later, while shadow foreign secretary, defied then-leader Mr Corbyn to back military action against so-called Islamic State in Syria.

He has served as shadow Northern Ireland secretary since 2023, an appointment that was welcomed by Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie as an indication of the importance (Sir Keir) places on Northern Ireland.

 Jo Stevens  Welsh Secretary

Jo Stevens (Ben Birchall/PA)

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens has been MP for Cardiff Central since 2015. Before her parliamentary career, she was a lawyer at Thompsons Solicitors  a firm with longstanding links to the trade union movement.

Ms Stevens has opposed the devolution of justice powers, which has sometimes put her at odds with the Welsh Labour administration.

 Ian Murray  Scottish Secretary

Ian Murray (Jane Barlow/PA)

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray has represented Edinburgh South since 2010  and was the only Scottish Labour MP left in Westminster after the partys 2019 general election defeat.

A critic of former leader Mr Corbyn, Mr Murray has campaigned against Scottish independence and won the backing of Sir Tony Blair and Mr Brown during an unsuccessful bid for the Labour deputy leadership in 2020.

 Lucy Powell  Commons Leader

Lucy Powell (Peter Byrne/PA)

Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell has held a number of positions in Sir Keirs top team, most recently as shadow leader of the Commons.

She became known in the last parliament for her colourful sparring matches with Penny Mordaunt.

 Baroness Smith  Leader of the Lords

Baroness Smith entered the Lords in 2010 after holding a number of ministerial positions but losing her bellwether seat of Basildon when the Tories swept to power.

She has served as shadow leader of the upper chamber since 2015 and will now lead the House from Government.

Sir Keir also appointed Sir Alan Campbell as chief whip, Darren Jones as chief secretary to the Treasury and barrister Richard Hermer KC as attorney general. They will attend Cabinet meetings.
Shocked neighbors reportedly watched an Italian man tossing his brother's head into the street after decapitating him.

Brothers Benito, 57, and Annibale, 70, lived together in a Pannarano home, roughly 25 miles outside of Naples.

Police say it happened Wednesday night near Benevento south of Naples.

The killing took place after a fight over petty issues, police told ANSA.

Annibale went to bed and Benito allegedly grabbed a kitchen knife and attacked his brother.

Benito's confessed to the Carabinieri, Italy's national police. They found Annibale's headless body covered in stab wounds, according to the Daily Mail.

After questioning Benito overnight, authorities transferred him to a prison in Benevento.

The Public Prosecutor's Office in Benevento has launched a formal investigation and assigned a coroner to autopsy Annibale's body.

Italian media outlets have reported that the brothers were unhappy living together after Annibale's return from Rome, following his recent death of his wife.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to hold the first meeting of his new Cabinet as he looks to start working on Labours manifesto pledges and preparing for a Nato summit next week.

Sir Keir made a raft of appointments on his first day at Number 10 and spoke with international leaders, including US President Joe Biden.

The Prime Minister confirmed Rachel Reeves as Britains first woman chancellor, Yvette Cooper as Home Secretary and David Lammy as Foreign Secretary.

Angela Rayner officially became his Deputy Prime Minister and retained the levelling up, housing and communities brief.

John Healey was named Defence Secretary; Shabana Mahmood Justice Secretary; Wes Streeting Health Secretary; Bridget Phillipson Education Secretary; and Ed Miliband Energy Secretary.

After 649 of the 650 Commons seats had been declared, Labour had a majority of 176.

Labour had 412 seats and the Tories 121, the worst result in the Conservative Partys history.

The Liberal Democrats won 71 seats, while Reform netted five.

A recount in the last seat left to declare: Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire; will not start until 10.30am on Saturday, delaying the final result of the General Election.

In his first speech on Downing Street, Sir Keir said the British people had voted decisively for change.

He said the country could move forward together as Labour took office following 14 years of Conservative rule.

Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria outside No 10 Downing Street (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Pat McFadden, who played a central role in shaping Labours election campaign and was named Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the new Cabinet would meet on Saturday.

He told BBC Radio 4 that Sir Keir would have to quickly allocate responsibilities and give his new Cabinet their marching orders and then theres big international events coming.

We have a Nato summit next week. That will be his first moment on the international stage. And while hes doing that, he will want his new Cabinet to get on with it pretty quickly.

He said high on Sir Keirs agenda will be the six first steps Labour has set out: delivering economic stability, cutting NHS waiting times, launching a new border security command, setting up Great British Energy, cracking down on anti-social behaviour, and recruiting 6,500 new teachers.

Just days after his appointment, Sir Keir will be propelled onto the international stage, jetting to Washington DC for the Nato leaders summit, where discussions will include support for Ukraine.

He is also due to host the European Political Community summit in the UK on July 18.

The Prime Minister has already spoken to US President Joe Biden and discussed their commitment to the special relationship between the UK and US, protecting the gains of the Good Friday Agreement and support for Ukraine.

Sir Keir also spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and reassured him of the unwavering commitment and said the UK would continue supplying defensive support.

He had calls with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

He also talked to Irish premier Simon Harris, who accepted an invitation to visit Downing Street on July 17 and Scottish First Minister John Swinney.
Sir Keir Starmer said the country was ready for change as Labour appeared on course for a landslide win in the General Election.

The Labour leader, who will become the UKs next Prime Minister, said you have voted, it is now time for us to deliver.

An exit poll indicated Labour is forecast to have a 170-seat majority in the Commons, with the Conservatives reduced to their lowest number of MPs on record.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (left) gives a victory speech watched by Nick the Incredible Flying Brick (second right) and Bobby Elmo Smith (right) (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

In his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Holborn and St Pancras, Sir Keir said: Tonight, people here and around the country have spoken and they are saying theyre ready for change.

To end the politics of performance and return to politics as public service.

He added: You have voted, it is now time for us to deliver.

On a dramatic night:

 Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt lost to Labour.

 Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was ousted by Labour.

 Education Secretary Gillian Keegan was defeated by the the Liberal Democrats.

 Chief whip Simon Hart lost to Plaid Cymru.

 Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer was defeated by the Lib Dems.

 Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis was been beaten by Labour.

 But party chairman Richard Holden won by just 20 votes in Basildon and Billericay.

 The Liberal Democrats claimed to have beaten Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and said it was too close to call in the fight against Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

 Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn held on to his seat as an independent.

 Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won a Commons seat at his eighth attempt and promised his party would stun all of you.

 Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer defeated shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central.

 Labours shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth, who played a prominent role in the partys media campaign, lost his seat to an independent.

The broadcasters exit poll suggests Labour is on course for 410 seats, with the Tories reduced to 131.

The Liberal Democrats are forecast to win 61 seats, Reform UK on 13 and the Green Party two.

In Scotland, the SNP are expected to secure 10 seats with Plaid Cymru in Wales on four.

The poll for broadcasters involved more than 20,000 voters at 133 polling stations.

If the results follow the forecast, it will mean a Labour prime minister in No 10 for the first time since 2010 and the Conservatives facing a fight over the future direction of the party.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Shapps was the first confirmed Cabinet casualty and he hit out at the Tory soap opera which had turned off voters.

Its not so much that Labour won this election but rather that the Conservatives have lost it, he said.

On door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and do that and then be united in public.

Instead we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.

He said there was a danger the Tory party could go off on some tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition.

Ms Mordaunt said her party had taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, a potential leadership contender if Mr Sunak quits, said the party had let the British people down.

You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises, she said.

I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust.

We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly.

Reforms Mr Farage, former Tory Lee Anderson, party chairman Richard Tice and former Southampton FC chairman Rupert Lowe were all elected to Parliament.

After winning in Clacton, Mr Farage said there was now a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it.

But he added it is not just the Tories he is taking on, and were coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that.

This is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you, he said.
Sunak shoulders the burden for crushing Tory defeat as his party debates future

Rishi Sunak shouldered the burden for a sobering verdict at the General Election, as competing Tory factions began their battle over the diminished partys future.

Liz Truss and a record number of serving Cabinet members lost their seats in the Tory bloodbath, as one of Mr Sunaks most loyal allies Mel Stride said the party needed a new leader.

The outgoing Prime Minister said it had been a difficult night and apologised to Conservative candidates who had lost their seats, as he held onto his own Richmond and Northallerton constituency.

Mr Sunaks apology was echoed by Suella Braverman, but the Tory leadership challenger was sorry for her partys record in Government, suggesting it had not listened enough to the electorate.

Ms Truss lost her Norfolk South West seat, where she had been defending a notional majority of more than 24,000, to Labour.

The former prime minister, who during her short time in Downing Street oversaw the disastrous mini-budget that spooked markets, said the Tories had not delivered sufficiently on voters priorities including curbing immigration.

Ms Truss declined to give a concession speech but told the BBC: I think the issue we faced as Conservatives is we havent delivered sufficiently on the policies people want.

And that means keeping taxes low, but also particularly on reducing immigration.

Asked whether she accepted some responsibility for that, Ms Truss said: I agree. I was part of that. Thats absolutely true.

But during our 14 years in power, unfortunately we did not do enough to take on the legacy wed been left, in particular things like the Human Rights Act that made it very difficult for us to deport illegal immigrants.

The candidates for South West Norfolk were left waiting on stage for several minutes for the announcement of the result as they waited for Liz Truss to appear (Jacob King/PA)

Meanwhile, former justice Sir Robert Buckland warned that a lurch to the right would be disastrous for the party after he lost his Swindon South seat.

Speaking at Northallerton leisure centre after his result came in, Mr Sunak said: The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss.

To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.

The Prime Minister held onto his seat with a nearly 13,000 majority over his nearest rival, Labours Tom Wilson, but conceded defeat for the Tories amid crushing results elsewhere for the party.

Among the dozen Cabinet ministers to lose their seats overnight were Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, Attorney General Victoria Prentis and veterans minister Johnny Mercer, all to Labour.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Science Secretary Michelle Donelan, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer and Illegal Immigration Minister Michael Tomlinson lost to the Liberal Democrats.

Chief whip Simon Hart lost to Plaid Cymru.

Mr Sunak said it had been a difficult night (Temilade Adelaja/PA)

But party chairman Richard Holden won by just 20 votes in Basildon and Billericay and Jeremy Hunt clung on to the Godalming and Ash seat in Surrey despite a threat from the Liberal Democrats.

The outgoing Chancellor said the Conservatives crushing defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for the party.

Former home secretary Ms Braverman, who was elected to the new constituency of Fareham and Waterlooville, said Im sorry twice during her victory speech.

Im sorry that my party didnt listen to you, she said.

(The) Conservative Party has let you down. You  the Great British people voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises.

Weve acted as if were entitled to your vote regardless of what we did, regardless of what we didnt do, despite promising time after time that we would do those things and we need to learn our lesson because if we dont, bad as tonight has been for my party, well have many worse nights to come.

The Hampshire MP wrote a Telegraph article earlier this week with the headline: Its over, we have failed.

Asked about it, Sir Robert told the BBC: We can see articles being written before a vote is cast at the General Election about the party heading for defeat and what the prognosis should be.

Ms Braverman apologised, saying the Tories didnt listen to the British people and had let you down (Andrew Matthews/PA)

It is spectacularly unprofessional, ill-disciplined.

He also warned against a rightward tilt for his party, claiming it would be a disastrous mistake and it would send us into the abyss, and gift Labour government for many years.

Outgoing Work and Pensions Secretary Mr Stride, who held on to his Central Devon seat by just 61 votes, said it would take quite a lot of time for the Tory party to rebuild.

He said it was for Mr Sunak to announce his next steps, adding: Clearly, at some point, there will need to be a new leader of the Conservative Party and I dont think that is a startling statement to make.

Outgoing Home Secretary James Cleverly, who held his seat in Braintree, Essex, warned that there is nothing honourable in presenting simple and thin solutions to challenging and complex problems.

Mr Shapps, who lost his Welwyn Hatfield seat to Labour, said his party had an inability to iron out (its) differences amid and endless soap opera.

And in Portsmouth, outgoing Tory MP Ms Mordaunt said the Tories had lost because they failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it.

She added: Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the peoples.

Seats previously held by Tory big beasts, including Boris Johnsons Uxbridge and South Ruislip and Theresa Mays Maidenhead, were taken by Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively.

Tory Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker, who had signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election, said thank God Im a free man after he was defeated by Labour in Wycombe.

Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis, former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and business and trade minister Greg Hands were beaten by Labour.
As the UK General Election delivered a landslide victory for Labour and installed Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister, here is how the night, and the morning after, unfolded.

 10pm

Polling stations across the UK close.

An exit poll is published, predicting a Labour landslide with the party on course for 410 seats and the number of Conservative MPs reduced to a record low of 131.

It also forecasts the Liberal Democrats on 61 seats, Reform UK on 13 and the Green Party on two.

In Scotland, the SNP is expected to secure 10 seats, with Plaid Cymru in Wales on four.

All UK polling stations closed at 10pm on Thursday (James Weech/PA)

 11.14pm

The first constituency result is announced, with shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson holding Houghton and Sunderland South in Tyne and Wear.

She says in her victory speech: Tonight the British people have spoken, and, if the exit poll this evening is again a guide to results across our country as it so often is, then after 14 years the British people have chosen change.

 12.15am

Former Conservative justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland loses his seat in Swindon South to Labour candidate Heidi Alexander, while a few minutes later Lee Anderson becomes Reform UKs first elected MP after winning the seat in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

I think the picture speaks for itself  pic.twitter.com/BWSlP1hfO7  Lee Anderson MP (@LeeAndersonMP_) July 5, 2024

 2.40am

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey holds the seat of Kingston and Surbiton in London, following a stunt-packed campaign.

In his acceptance speech, Sir Ed says: It has been a great privilege to serve Kingston and Surbiton and this great community over many years and Im humbled that youve given me the chance to serve you again, so let me start by saying a big thank you.

The Liberal Democrats are on course for our best results in a century, thanks to our positive campaign with health and care at its heart. I am humbled by the millions of people who backed us to both kick the Conservatives out of power and deliver the change our country needs.  Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) July 4, 2024

 2.58am

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer holds his London seat of Holborn and St Pancras.

He said in his counting hall speech: Tonight people here and around the country have spoken and theyre ready for change  to end the politics of performance and return to politics as public service.

The change begins right here because this is your democracy, your community and your future. You have voted. It is now time for us to deliver.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer gives a victory speech (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

 3am to 4am

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps loses to Labour in Welwyn Hatfield, while Justice Secretary Alex Chalk loses to the Liberal Democrats in Cheltenham.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn beats his old party to hold his seat in Islington North, where he has been the MP since 1983, and become an independent MP.

Jeremy Corbyn has been MP for Islington North since 1983 (Lucy North/PA)

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is elected in Clacton, winning a UK parliamentary seat at his eighth attempt.

Speaking in the Essex resort after his win, Mr Farage says his partys performance in the General Election was truly extraordinary.

He adds: There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won the seat of Clacton in his eighth attempt at becoming an MP (Joe Giddens/PA)

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan is beaten by Liberal Democrat candidate Jess Brown-Fuller in Chichester.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer beats Labours Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central in the partys first victory in the election.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer has been elected as MP for Bristol Central (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Reform UK chairman Richard Tice wins in Boston and Skegness to become the partys fourth MP.

 4am to 5am

In the rush of results, ministers continue to lose their seats, including Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons, who is beaten by Labour in Portsmouth North, while senior Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg loses his seat in North East Somerset and Hanham to Labour.

But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds his seat in Richmond and Northallerton.

Speaking after the result is announced, Mr Sunak says it has been a difficult night and that the Labour Party has won the General Election.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held his seat but conceded that Labour had won the election (Darren Staples/PA)

The Prime Minister says he takes responsibility for his partys loss, has called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory, and will say more later in London.

 5am

Labour wins the General Election after reaching the required 326 seats.

Sir Keir Starmer says we did it as he delivers a speech at a victory rally in central London to rapturous applause.

Labour won the General Election after reaching the required 326 seats (Jeff Moore/PA)

The Labour leader says: We did it. You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it, and now it has arrived  change begins now.

He adds that the UK will be waking up to the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again.

 5.31am

The Tories lose all their MPs in Wales after Welsh Secretary David TC Davies loses his seat in Monmouthshire to Labour.

 6am to 7am

The Green Party completes a successful night as former co-leader Sian Berry wins Brighton Pavilion, securing the fourth of the partys four target seats.

Sian Berry and Green Party supporters celebrate at the Portslade Sports Centre after she wins the Brighton Pavilion seat (Anahita Hossein-Pour/PA)

Transport Secretary Mark Harper is defeated by Labour in the Forest of Dean, and business and trade minister Greg Hands loses Chelsea and Fulham to Labour.

Home Secretary James Cleverly holds his seat in Braintree, Essex, and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt holds off a Lib Dem challenge in Godalming and Ash.

Former prime minister Liz Truss lost to Labour in Norfolk South West (Jacob King/PA)

Former prime minister Liz Truss becomes the biggest scalp in the Tory bloodbath as she loses her Norfolk South West seat, where she had been defending a notional majority of more than 24,000, to Labour.

She declines to give a concession speech, but tells the BBC the Tories havent delivered sufficiently on the policies people want including curbing immigration.

In Northern Ireland, Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister defeats the DUPs Ian Paisley in North Antrim, a seat held by a member of the Paisley family for more than 50 years.

 10.26am

With just two counts left to declare, the parties stand at 412 seats for Labour, while the Conservatives are on 121, and the Liberal Democrats have 71 MPs.

Both the Green Party and Reform have four seats each, while in Scotland the SNP has nine seats, and in Wales Plaid Cymru has secured four MPs.

-10.43am

In a speech in Downing Street before tendering his resignation to the King, Rishi Sunak addresses the nation, saying I am sorry, adding: I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility.

Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gives a speech in Downing Street following his partys landslide election defeat (James Manning/PA)

He also announces he will step down as Tory leader following the General Election defeat once formal arrangements for a successor have taken place.

 10.51am

Rishi Sunak arrives at Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation as Prime Minister to the King.

 12.18pm

Sir Keir Starmer becomes Prime Minister after an audience with the King, having arrived at Buckingham Palace 10 minutes earlier.

The King welcomes Sir Keir Starmer during an audience at Buckingham Palace (Yui Mok/PA)

 12.46pm

In his first speech to the nation from Downing Steet, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says: My Government will serve you, politics can be a force for good.

The work of change begins immediately, but have no doubt, we will rebuild Britain, he says, concluding: Our work is urgent and we begin it today.
Shabana Mahmood could face pressure to make a string of urgent decisions as she takes on the role of Justice Secretary.

Top of her teeming in-tray will likely be how to tackle overcrowding in prisons after governors warned cells could be full within a matter of days of Labour taking office.

There has been no shortage of anguished cries from campaigners and legal commentators lamenting the state of the countrys beleaguered justice system as report after report has warned it is victims who are suffering amid swelling court backlogs, staff shortages, crumbling buildings and a lack of funding.

Sir Keir Starmer already admitted his administration may have to keep releasing prisoners early to ease the pressure on jails despite the policy proving contentious.

On Thursday he branded the crisis, which has also seen police asked not to arrest suspects because of a lack of prison space, a shocking indictment on the previous government and a terrible state of affairs to inherit.

Stressing how it would be impossible to magic up a new prison within hours of the election result, he added: Were going to have to get on with the hard yards of sorting this mess out.

Warning the problem puts the public in danger, the Prison Governors Association, which represents more than 95% of all prison governors and managers working in England and Wales, last week said the entire criminal justice system stands on the precipice of failure as it called on the next government to tackle problems without delay.

In an open letter to the leaders of political parties, the body said it 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 87,453 with a usable operational capacity of 88,864, indicating 1,411 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.

The inside of Pentonville Prison, London (Anthony Devlin/PA)

The Government expanded the scheme which meant some inmates could 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.

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 Prison Officers Association 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, Whitehalls spending watchdog found overcrowding in prisons is now one of the biggest obstacles to cutting the courts backlog.

The Ministry of Justice was already building six new prisons to create an extra 20,000 places as demand grows for cell spaces, partially because of the Governments 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. Whether the programme will continue as planned since the change in government remains to be seen.

Among the myriad of concerns high on the agenda for the incoming department boss are the delays victims are facing, with some having to wait years to see justice.

The Governments target of cutting the crown court backlog to 53,000 by March 2025 is no longer achievable, the National Audit Office has said.

Meanwhile, questions continue to swirl over whether the Probation Service is fit for purpose in the wake of a string of high-profile killings by criminals shortly after they were released from prison.
The Tories have endured a historically bad result in the General Election, the partys outgoing Scottish leader has said.

The party looks set to suffer massive losses, with the exit poll suggesting its tally could be as low as 131 seats.

Speaking to the BBC from his count in Aberdeen as he awaited the result in his Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat, Mr Ross said: It is a historically bad night, there is no shying away from that at all and there will be a huge amount of reflection on the campaign and also clearly the last few years.

It has been particularly difficult and theres no denying that and whoever forms the next parliamentary party will look at the options going forward and will assess the current state of play in the Conservative party and how it rebuilds after this election result.

He said he does not regret his last-minute decision to stand but predicted an extremely close result.

But Mr Rosss Scottish Tory colleague Murdo Fraser has suggested the party could increase its seat tally in Scotland.

The exit poll clearly is in two parts, youve got the situation south of the border which very much is in line with polling, what we expected, Mr Fraser told journalists at the count in Perth.

Clearly people are casting a verdict on 14 years of Conservative government, five prime ministers, and the country was looking for a change.

The situation in Scotland, clearly, is a very different one because it looks like people are actually making up their minds how to vote based primarily on a verdict on 17 years of the SNP in government and clearly have not liked what they have seen from the SNP and theyre up for an even bigger change, potentially, in Scotland.

It does look like, on the basis of the exit poll, the Conservatives might not just be looking to hold the seats we have in Scotland but actually might make gains.

But Mr Frasers party chairman Craig Hoy warned against using the UK-wide exit poll to predict results in Scotland.

Speaking to the BBC from the Glasgow election count, he said: I think all of our seats are going to be very, very close in Scotland.

Asked about analysis of the exit poll pointing to possible Tory gains in Scotland, he said: I think we should be very cautious about taking a UK-wide exit poll and trying to extrapolate something in Scotland from it.
Sir Keir Starmer is set to become the UKs next prime minister as voters chose a brighter future with Labour.

The party is forecast to win a landslide 170-seat majority, with the Tories reduced to their lowest number of MPs on record.

It means Rishi Sunaks term as Prime Minister looks set to end in electoral disaster, with Nigel Farages Reform UK establishing a foothold in Parliament and the Liberal Democrats forecast to make gains.

In the first result of the night, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson held Houghton and Sunderland South, but Reform pushed the Conservatives into third place.

Ms Phillipson, who will now expect to be in Sir Keirs first Cabinet, said: Tonight the British people have spoken and if the exit poll this evening is again a guide to results across our country  as it so often is  then after 14 years the British people have chosen change.

Labours Bridget Phillipson said the country had voted for change (Owen Humphreys/PA)

They have chosen Labour and they have chosen the leadership of Keir Starmer. Today our country with its proud history has chosen a brighter future.

Reform also outperformed the Conservatives in Blyth and Ashington, which was also held by Labour.

The exit poll suggests Labour is on course for 410 seats, with the Tories reduced to 131.

POLITICS Election

The Liberal Democrats are forecast to win 61 seats, Reform UK on 13 and the Green Party two.

In Scotland, the SNP are expected to secure 10 seats with Plaid Cymru in Wales on four.

The poll for broadcasters involved more than 20,000 voters at 133 polling stations.

If the results follow the forecast it will mean a Labour prime minister in No 10 for the first time in 2010 and the Conservatives facing a possible civil war as the fight for the future direction of the party and the battle to potentially replace Mr Sunak gets under way.

Ballots are sorted at the Sports Training Village, University of Bath (Jonathan Brady/PA)

After 14 years in power it was always going to be a difficult election for the Conservatives, but the sometimes shambolic campaign  triggered at a time of Mr Sunaks choosing  has contributed to their partys likely defeat.

From the rain-drenched speech announcing the surprise July 4 poll, through the D-Day debacle as he left Normandy early to record a TV interview to confused campaign messaging about a Labour supermajority, Mr Sunak struggled to convince the electorate he was the right man to lead the country.

Going for a summer election rather than waiting until the autumn was always a gamble, and the Prime Minister was not helped by the scandal of Tory candidates and officials allegedly heading to the bookies armed with inside knowledge of the date.

POLITICS Election

Mr Sunak is expected to resign after leading his party to defeat, but many of the contenders jostling to replace him are nervously awaiting their own constituency results to see if their leadership dreams survive the night.

The likes of Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps, Steve Baker and Robert Jenrick all face battles to return to Parliament, while Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is predicted to lose.

A Liberal Democrat source said they were confident of defeating the Chancellor in the Godalming and Ash seat in Surrey.

Former home secretaries Suella Braverman and Dame Priti Patel, security minister Tom Tugendhat and Health Secretary Victoria Atkins could survive to fight for the leadership.

A Tory source said: Its clear based on these results we will have lost some very good and hard-working candidates.

Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland was the first high-profile casualty as he lost to Labour in Swindon South.

He said politics was now at a crossroads: Do we value those who work to bring people together and who come into politics to do something rather than be someone, or do we shrug our shoulders and accept that politics is a mere circus, where people compete for attention by saying things that they either know to be untrue or which raise hopes and expectations in a way that further erodes trust?

(PA Graphics)

I know what side Im on, I know what choice I would make. I believe with sincere and fierce conviction that my party has to make the right choice too if we are to inspire a new generation with a real promise of a better future.

A lurch to the right after the election would be disastrous for the Conservatives, Sir Robert said.

Sir Robert told the BBC it would be a disastrous mistake and it would send us into the abyss, and gift Labour government for many years.

Northern Ireland minister Mr Baker, who had indicated he would run for the leadership if he survived but is forecast to lose his seat, said it was a pretty devastating night for the Conservative Party.

He told the BBC he expected Mr Sunak will now do what he believes is in the national interest.

Former Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said it is clearly a terrible night, suggesting voters had been put off by the revolving door in No 10 which saw Boris Johnson replaced first by Liz Truss and then by Mr Sunak.

Sir Jacob told the BBC there were issues with changing the leader, adding: Voters expect the prime minister they have chosen to remain the prime minister and for it to be the voters who decide when that person is changed.
McLaren boss Zak Brown has accused Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner of a lack of respect  and encouraging Max Verstappen to break Formula Ones rules.

A day after Lando Norris retracted his demand for Verstappen to apologise after their coming together at last weekends Austrian Grand Prix, Brown went on the offensive against the Dutch drivers Red Bull team.

Verstappen was punished with a 10-second penalty for causing the collision with Norris in Spielberg.

Verstappen  Norris Incredible scenes at the Red Bull Ring #F1 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/YvD0dg2TUH  Formula 1 (@F1) June 30, 2024

But following the race, Horner told Verstappen over the radio that Norris did not behave correctly and that his star driver was desperately unlucky.

Until someone tells Max thats against the regulations, hes not going to know any differently, said Brown ahead of Sundays British Grand Prix. It is disappointing that such a great team like Red Bull almost encourages it.

You listen on the radio as to what was said, and we all have a responsibility on the pit-wall to tell our drivers the dos and donts in the races. We need to have respect for the regulations.

Brown then referenced Red Bulls spending breach in 2022  which he said at the time constituted cheating  before alluding to Horners sour relationship with Verstappens father, Jos.

Brown continued: Weve seen a lack of respect (at Red Bull), whether its financial regulations or sporting on-track issues, or with fathers and things of that nature.

We should guide our drivers on what is right or wrong. Had it been addressed earlier then maybe that incident wouldnt have taken place.

It was a racing incident, but one that could have been avoided if the pit-wall or the stewards were more on top of the regulations.

Asked if he will bring the matter up with Horner, Brown said: I dont really have any interest in speaking with Christian.

Red Bull chief Christian Horner speaks with Max Verstappen (right) ahead of the British Grand Prix (David Davies/PA)

Norris, 24, heads into his home race at Silverstone as the main contender to Verstappens crown.

But Norris climbdown in his row with Verstappen could be argued as a psychological victory for the sports all-conquering Dutchman.

However, perhaps not surprisingly, Brown stood by his driver, who trails leader Verstappen by 81 points in the standings.

I dont think that is the case at all, said Brown. Lando wants to move on from last weekend.

McLarens Lando Norris (pictured) is 81 points behind leader Max Verstappen (David Davies/PA)

Some drivers might enjoy a public spat but he and Max have a very strong relationship off the track. What they spoke about is between them but they both want to move on and get back to racing each other real hard on track.

Theres a difference between what a driver is like when the helmet goes on and the visor goes down and what theyre like Monday through to Thursday.

A lot of world champions are sweethearts outside of the race car, but pretty fierce when the helmet goes on.
A woman on a vacation in Italy plunged to her death in front of her family in Italy due to a mishap with a cable car.

Margherita Lega, a 41-year-old mother, died in front of her husband and two young children in Verbano Cusio Ossola.

The family was loading their suitcases onto a ski lift intended for luggage when it unexpectedly started, La Repubblica reported.

Margherita's clothing was caught, but she managed to hang on for several minutes before falling about 500 feet.

Piedmont Alpine and Speleological Rescue technicians used helicopters to reach her body.

Margheria leaves behind her husband and two children, ages 6 and 9.

The local mayor was shocked by the tragedy.

Mayor Silvia Tipaldi said, 'We are shocked, we are worried about this family. It happened in the late morning and the helicopter arrived to provide assistance."
Benjamin Rogall, a 61-year-old retired physician and Democrat, did not watch last week's presidential debate, but the succeeding eruption of conversations about President Joe Biden's fitness for office made him want to see the 81-year-old president for himself during his rally Friday in the battleground state of Wisconsin.

"I think what people were saying about the debate, you know, that does make me a little more interested in seeing him live in person," Rogall told ABC News as he entered the Madison, Wisconsin, school building where Biden held a rally Friday afternoon.

"I just want to see how clear he is and convince me that he's got what it takes," Rogall said, adding that he would vote for the Democratic nominee, whether that person is Biden or someone else.

PHOTO: Benjamin Rogall, a Democrat, spoke with ABC News ahead of President Joe Bidens rally in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 5, 2024. (Will McDuffie/ABC News)

MORE: Biden, in political crisis, holds campaign rally in Wisconsin ahead of pivotal ABC News interview

The Democratic Party has been shaken for the past week by public calls by some Democratic donors and elected officials for Biden to step aside after his halting debate performance. The debate performance has led to some in the Democratic Party to call for Biden to end his campaign. The White House has repeated this week that Biden is not considering stepping down.

During the Wisconsin rally, Biden addressed the calls for him to end his campaign after his debate performance.

"I am running and I am going to win again," Biden said, later adding "I am staying in the race."

Wisconsin is a key battleground state that both Biden and former President Donald Trump are targeting to help them win the White House in November. Biden won Wisconsin by a very small margin in 2020 -- about a half a percentage point over Trump.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden at a campaign rally at Sherman Middle School in Madison, Wis., on July 5, 2024. (POOL via ABC News)

After the debate, voters are looking forward to an opportunity to hear from Biden. Voters nationwide will hear from the president later in the day when his sit-down interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos airs on Friday. The first excerpts will air on "World News Tonight" and then the interview will be broadcast in its entirety in a prime-time ABC network special on Friday evening at 8 p.m. ET.

Voters in Madison, who, as rally-goers are on principle some of the party's most loyal supporters, had no doubts they would vote for the Democratic nominee in November. While some expressed complete support for Biden, most acknowledged a need for the president to quell the doubts he is facing.

"If that's what he wants to do, and if he chooses to do that -- right now he's the candidate, so I'll support the candidate -- but in the bigger picture, if he chooses that, that's his choice," Jonathan Triggs, a Democrat and 40-year-old law enforcement officer in Dane County, told ABC News of the possibility that Biden steps down from the ticket.

MORE: Democrats in 'painful' waiting game in party's post-debate reckoning

Jaya Sharma, a Madison lawyer, said, "I'm giving him another chance, the president. That's why I'm here, to see how he performs and also if there is another viable candidate, then I'll just support them, because regardless of who is on the ticket, they have my support."

Some voters, such as 66-year-old Kenosha resident Nancy Locante, rejected any discussion of replacing Biden.

"That talk needs to stop," said Locante, who said she is a Democrat. "This is what it is. Joe's always had our back; we have to have his. This is a distraction that is not needed at this time."

The debate was "a tad alarming," Locante acknowledged before adding that the president's performance at a North Carolina rally the following day encouraged her.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks during a presidential debate with Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, in Atlanta, June 27, 2024. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

A common sentiment among Wisconsin Democrats was the threat they say Trump poses to the country.

"Honestly, for the people that I talk to a lot, the more concerning thing was, 'We're terrified of having Trump's dictatorial nature,' and that was really on display, completely, during the debate," William Garcia, the Democratic Chair of La Crosse County, told ABC News.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Jaya Sharma's name.

As Biden rallies in Wisconsin, Democratic voters want to evaluate him for themselves originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Several Democrats running in competitive House districts this cycle are breaking from President Biden, underscoring growing concerns that the incumbent could be a down-ballot liability following his rocky debate performance in Atlanta last week.

Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) have both declared they have no confidence in Biden winning, while Adam Frisch, a Democrat running to fill the seat being vacated by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), said the president should withdraw.

Their remarks come amid growing speculation that more members of the party will call for Biden to step aside after the fallout from last weeks debate. On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Biden had spoken with several allies as he weighed his candidacy, though the White House has disputed that reporting.

Weve got frontliners who, even before this, would have been trying to distance themselves from Biden anyway, said one House Democrat, who spoke anonymously to discuss a sensitive topic.

The query is: Do you need to distance yourself further by saying the Democrats should have somebody else at the top of the ticket? the lawmaker added. Because if that becomes what they need to do, then were really in trouble. He already is a down-ballot issue, especially in those states. How much worse does it get for them is the question.

The president and his campaign have failed to quell Democratic anxiety over his candidacy, including longstanding concerns about his age and mental fitness, in the days since his disastrous debate performance against former President Trump.

Several days after the CNN-hosted event, Biden campaign Chair Jen OMalley Dillon released a memo projecting confidence about the state of the presidents candidacy while seeking to damp down fretting from the naysayers.

But that has done little to quell the fear among Democrats, especially amid a string of polls showing they could have cause for concern. On Wednesday, a survey from The New York Times and Siena College showed Trump widening his lead against Biden at 49 percent to 43 percent among likely voters.

And a separate poll released Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal showed Trump widening his lead over Biden to 6 points, up from 2 points since a similar February poll was conducted.

For Democrats, the stakes couldnt be higher.

They already face a challenging map in the Senate, leading to growing expectations that Republicans will seize the upper chamber in November. And the postdebate polls indicate Biden is trailing in key battleground states hell need to win a second term.

Those dynamics have put increasing pressure on party leaders to shore up House races and flip control of the lower chamber, to ensure theres a check on Republican power if Trump returns to the White House. The dynamic could very well lead donors to begin shifting resources as members of the party calculate where to most effectively invest amid a tumultuous election cycle.

It wont be easy.

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, lists 39 Democratic House seats as vulnerable, compared with 30 Republican seats. Overall, The Hill/Decision Desk HQs election forecaster currently gives Republicans a 66-percent chance of keeping the House in November.

A number of top Democrats in and out of Congress have already started to ramp up pressure on Biden to drop out.

I would ask him to not run on behalf of the  not just the party, but the country, because theres so much at stake, former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) told The Hill on Monday, when asked how hed handle the issue if he was still in Congress.

Following his comments, Ryan publicly called on Biden to withdraw in an op-ed. The former member of congress told The Hill that hes really disappointed that people arent being more vocal about it, arguing that keeping Biden as the Democratic candidate risks us winning the House.

On Wednesday, Rep. Raul Grijalva (Ariz.) became the second House Democrat to call on Biden to exit the race. Grijalva represents a safe district for Democrats, but other House members running in more competitive races have also sought distance from the incumbent.

Bidens poor performance in the debate was not a surprise, Golden wrote in an op-ed for the Bangor Daily News. 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 represents Maines 2nd Congressional District, which Trump won by 7 points in 2020. The Democrat is currently favored to win the seat, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQs election forecaster.

Frisch, whos running for the open seat in Colorados red-leaning 3rd Congressional District, became one of the first candidates to urge Biden to drop out.

I thank President Biden for his years of service, but the path ahead requires a new generation of leadership to take our country forward, Frisch said Tuesday.

Added to Democrats woes, the election forecaster Sabatos Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics shifted its ratings for two states, moving Michigan from leans Democratic to toss up and moving the more reliably blue Minnesota from likely Democratic to leans Democrat. Democrats are defending at least four swing districts between the two states.

Most members have not staked out a clear position on Bidens future, careful not to get ahead of the Biden campaign while also acknowledging the tumultuous path that lies ahead for him after the debate.

Still, some are expressing openness to another option  if it becomes available.

I think it is fair to say that the vice president makes a very compelling case as to why Donald Trump is a threat and is unfit to be president, particularly as it relates to democracy and voting, voting rights and reproductive freedom, and those are going to be incredibly important arguments in this election, said one vulnerable House Democrat, when asked if they would feel more at ease with Vice President Harris at the top of the ticket.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Mia Goth has not yet put a body part in wet cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood  a place her starlet in the 1980s-set meta slasher movie MaXXXine would kill to be included. What Goth is an old pro at is weathering goop being put on her head to make a life cast.

Shes had it done for a few movies, including one rather stressful session for Marvels upcoming Blade. I remember being very tired and a little hungry. I went in and we did the cast and I actually had to rip it off because I needed to take a breather and have a cup of tea, Goth says of the incident, which ended up being good practice for a similar scene in MaXXXine (in theaters now).

Being covered in gunk is honestly one of Maxine Minx's lesser worries in director Ti West's ambitious, blood-soaked horror trilogy. In 2022's X," Maxine is the lone survivor of a porn-film crew after a 1979 massacre perpetrated by an elderly Texas couple, including vicious wife Pearl, also played by Goth. (The actress played a younger version of her as a murderous, fame-starved farm girl circa 1918 in the prequel Pearl.)

Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox

Maxine (Mia Goth, left) tries to keep it together as an FX artist (Sophie Thatcher) creates a life cast in "MaXXXine."

MaXXXine catches up with Maxine in 1985, as the now-successful adult-film star has the chance to break mainstream in Hollywood when shes cast in a high-profile horror sequel. Unfortunately, shes also targeted by a mystery killer at the same time the Night Stalker haunts the streets of LA.

From first filming "X" to now headlining "MaXXXine," Goth's own star has grown  even going viral on TikTok  and the 30-year-old actress sees parallels between herself and the equally "determined" Maxine: We knew what we wanted and we were going after it. Adds West, She was very much ready to prove herself that she could carry a movie.

Ever been affected by a movie? 'MaXXXine' is for you

Mia Goth first played fame-starved actress Maxine in the 2022 horror film "X" (top) and dug into the backstory of "X" villain Pearl as a young woman in the prequel of the same name.

West tackles a bunch of themes over the course of his trilogy, from stardom and celebrity to the Moral Majority and Satanic panic of the 80s. But he also wanted to explore how characters are affected by different eras of cinema for a movie-loving audience, even those who aren't horror fiends.

With X, which sported a tone akin to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, West wanted to show the entrepreneurial DIY nature of trying to make a tiny movie outside of the system and carve your own niche, he says. Then Pearl, a Technicolor nightmare influenced by The Wizard of Oz and old Disney films, centered on someone who's unhappy with their state in life and looks to the glitz and glamour of the movies as the grass is greener: If I had a life like that, it would be better."

And with MaXXXine, inspired by the gritty, sleazy likes of Vice Squad and Angel, the 43-year-old filmmaker set out to recapture his own experiences of going to an '80s video store: "There's this endless amount of movies that look salacious and subversive and interesting.

'MaXXXine' puts a dangerous spin on the horror final girl

Maxine (Mia Goth) is stalked by a mystery killer but she's no damsel in distress in "MaXXXine."

In the trilogy, Goth portrays two very different characters: Pearl, the jealous woman with a violent backstory, and Maxine, the preachers daughter who lives by the mantra I will not accept a life I do not deserve. She's got a chip on her shoulder. She's hungry to prove herself to the world and even more importantly to herself, Goth says of Maxine.

And with her in particular, West wanted to reinvent a well-tread trope: A big part of it was to try to have the final girl not act like one. In X, Maxine escapes and gruesomely runs over Pearls head at the end, and in MaXXXine, shes not to be trifled with either, pulling a gun on a creepy dude in Buster Keaton cosplay and driving her heel into a rather sensitive spot on his body.

She's fully aware that she has little to no control over people around her and the situations that might take place around her, but she is in full command of her decisions and her actions and she has the fearlessness and the courage to act on those, Goth says. It's fun to be the one that's holding the gun, taking matters into her own hands.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New 'MaXXXine' wraps up a bloody horror trilogy that loves movies
Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on Beryl for Friday, July 5. For the latest, see our story for Saturday, July 6.

Hurricane Beryl made landfall on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Friday morning after it ripped through Jamaica and the Caribbean earlier this week, leaving 11 dead as southern Texas and the Gulf Coast brace for the storm's arrival this weekend.

Beryl weakened to a tropical storm with 60 mph as it moved across the Yucatan, but now that the center of the storm is over the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center forecast calls for Beryl to re-strengthen. By 11 p.m. C.T. Friday, Beryl was about 615 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.

The center extended a watch for the Texas coast, meaning hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours. The watch now stretches from the mouth of the Rio Grande eastward to San Luis Pass. A hurricane watch is also in effect for mainland Mexico from the Rio Grande south to Barra el Mezquital.

The center's forecast cone graphic shows Beryl with winds of 90 mph as it nears the coast Monday somewhere between the Texas/Mexico border and Galveston. The entire coast of Texas lies within the forecast cone  which indicates the likely path of the center of the storm over the next five days.

A storm surge watch is also in effect for almost the entire Texas coast, from the mouth of the Rio Grande to High Island.

Additional watches and warnings along the U.S. coast could be possible later, the center stated.

Beryl on NOAA satellite on the afternoon of July 5, 2024, after being downgraded by the National Hurricane Center to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph.

Hurricane Beryl expected to move over southern Texas

It may take 12-24 hours before the hurricane begins to reintensify again as it recovers from its trip across the Yucatan and copes with some windy conditions, the hurricane center said Friday.

The winds are forecast to become more favorable as Beryl moves into the western Gulf and Beryl is forecast to become a hurricane within about 36 hours, the hurricane center said. The risk of hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge are increasing along the coast and flooding is possible along the Texas coast and eastern Texas through the middle of the week.

Beryl is forecast to produce 5-10 inches of rainfall in Texas, with up to 15 inches in isolated locations, across portions of the coast and in eastern Texas beginning late Sunday through the middle of next week, the hurricane center said. The storm also is forecast to deliver a storm surge amounts of 2-5 feet along the coast and dangerous rip currents.

More: Hurricane Beryl tracker: See projected path, spaghetti models of storm as it hits Mexico

"Today and Saturday will be our calm before the storm," the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi wrote in an advisory Friday.

Beryl's effects are expected to flare up Friday evening, including a high risk of rip currents, the center said. By Saturday, the coast could see some minor flooding as some showers begin ahead of the hurricane's arrival.

Residents should make "preparedness plans," forecasters said.

Multiple large urban areas in Texas, including Houston, Austin and San Antonio, lie in the storm's broad path of projection, according to a Friday morning advisory from the weather service.

In Houston, locally heavy rainfall is the "primary severe weather threat" as Beryl makes landfall near or on the South Texas coast Sunday night or early Monday and works its way generally northwestward into Wednesday, the weather service said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the state's Division of Emergency Management to increase its readiness level for the storm on Thursday.

Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula braced as Hurricane Beryl made landfall on Friday.

"As Texans and visitors around the south coastal areas begin to celebrate our nation's Independence Day, I urge them to make an emergency plan, review hurricane evacuation routes, and continue to monitor weather conditions to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones," he wrote in a news release.

Forecasters are uncertain whether the storm will reach Austin, weather service meteorologist Mack Morris told the Austin American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Thursday. By the time the storm hits Texas, it could be downgraded to a Category 1 storm, he said.

Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan warned Texans to keep checking forecasts through the holiday weekend. If Beryl affects the western Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm, "it could be during the day Saturday," he said.

'Yesterday was scary, but  we are good'

A light rain in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, midday Friday settled Gabi Vasquez' worries about the hurricane's effects.

Her car maintenance company put up ads on social media offering to repair houses and property damaged in the storm. As of noon local time, no calls had yet come in.

"Yesterday was scary, but right now, we are good," she said.

Her family, who live in Tulum, also reassured her that they were safe. Their electricity had even stayed on. "Internet  I think they don't have it, but it's all good," she said.

Vasquez did her own preparation for Beryl's arrival, including securing her home's windows and doors. "Also, we bought food like tuna, water and candles," she said.

Live cam: Hurricane Beryl

More: Sheryl Lee Ralph shelters in Jamaica ahead of Hurricane Beryl: 'Stay inside'

Some flights canceled in Cancun as Hurricane Beryl approaches

More than 1,170 temporary shelters were installed throughout the Yucatan Peninsula ahead of the storm, according to a news release Thursday from the state's government. The Tulum International Airport shut down and was set to remain closed until Sunday. Cancun Airport was operational, but many flights were canceled.

Beryl strengthened to become the earliest Category 5 storm on record earlier this week. It brought widespread devastation as it passed over the Caribbean Sea.

On Thursday, the storm barreled through Grand Cayman, the largest of the Cayman islands. It touched down in Jamaica the day before as a Category 4 hurricane, triggering power outages, destroying structures, and forcing hundreds into emergency shelters.

Officials updated the storm's death toll to 11 on Thursday but said news of more deaths probably would come in as communications were restored.

Watch: Record-breaking Hurricane Beryl charges west toward Jamaica

Task force deployed as U.S. embassy closes

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico expected to shutter its doors Friday, with plans to reopen Monday.

Mexico's government established a "prevention zone" across the part of the Yucatan's coastline under hurricane warnings. Dozens of rivers and dams throughout the areas were being monitored, according to a news release Wednesday.

A task force of 8,535 response elements and 727 vehicles will be deployed, Tania Patricia Ramirez Gutierrez, director of Mexico's National Communication Center, said in the news release.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador advised people to seek high altitudes and take shelter in a post on X .

"Let us not hesitate, material things can be recovered," he wrote. "The most important thing is life."

Jamaica, Caribbean islands assess damage, deaths from Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl's arrival in Mexico comes after it left widescale destruction on its path through the Caribbean.

The storm caused the deaths of at least 11 people in Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and northern Venezuela.

Jamaica confirmed two deaths in the hurricane, Prime Minister Andrew Holness told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. in an interview Thursday. One body had not been recovered, Holness said.

"The report is that that person was swept out to sea, but we're still seeking to see if we could recover the body," he said.

One person in the parish of Hanover was killed by a downed tree, Richard Thompson, deputy director general of Jamaica's Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, said.

Holness said officials were working to assess the damage sustained by the island. "We have now transitioned from the preparedness phase into the recovery phase," he said.

More than 90% of all homes and buildings on three islands within the Grenadine Island chain were destroyed by the hurricane when it tore through earlier this week, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency said Wednesday. St. Vincent and the Grenadines "bore the brunt of Hurricane Beryl," said Elizabeth Riley, the disaster management agency's executive director.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines could be at risk of food shortages after the storm destroyed half of the island's plantain and banana crops, Permanent Agriculture Ministry Secretary Nerissa Gittens-McMillan said.

Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell called the level of destruction in the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique "almost Armageddon-like" in a news conference Tuesday.

"There's really nothing that can prepare you to see this level of destruction."

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Beryl updates: Storm surge and hurricane watch issued in Texas
Jill Ellis, San Diego Wave club president and former USWNT head coach, denied the allegations of abuse brought against her by a former employee and highlighted the clubs commitment to fostering a culture of respect, inclusivity, and excellence.

Former Wave video and creative manager Brittany Alvarado released a lengthy statement to X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday accusing Ellis of creating an abusive culture at the club.

The treatment we endured under club president Jill Ellis has been nothing short of life-altering and devastating to our mental health, Alvarado said. She has compromised countless lives to advance her narcissistic personal agenda, fostering an environment where abusive behaviors among her subordinates are allowed to flourish.

Ellis denied Alvarado's accusations in a statement, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, and added that the Wave takes steps to address all employee complaints.

Former USWNT coach Jill Ellis released a statement responding to accusations regarding her time with the San Diego Wave.

The false accusations in todays post are not only personally damaging but also take away from the incredible work and progress we've achieved together as a team. It's important to address this information promptly and effectively, Ellis said.

When allegations of mistreatment have been made, we have taken them seriously and investigated them thoroughly. In addition, when appropriate, independent third parties have assisted us in evaluating our workplace. At no time have those evaluations uncovered any wrongdoing by the club, Ellis added.

Ellis also said that mental health is a priority at the Wave and support measures are in place for staff members in need.

Our staff and I will always honor how someone feels. Over time, we have actively responded to employees who have shown or expressed needs related to their mental health, Ellis said.

In another statement posted to X hours after Alvarados comments, the Wave categorically denied Alvarado's allegations, labeling them inaccurate and defamatory and adding that it would pursue all legal avenues.

The NWSL said it takes seriously reports of potential misconduct and has investigated allegations within the league thoroughly. The league has acted "when allegations are supported by the facts uncovered," the NWSL said in a statement released Wednesday.

Our focus remains on moving forward and continuing to build a strong, unified club," Ellis said.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news  fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jill Ellis denies abuse allegations involving San Diego Wave
Illustration by Rita Sabler

Perhaps I love Budapest because its a stunning city, with layers of Ottoman and baroque and modern architecture. Or because its a place that makes geographical sense to me, with eight distinctive bridges spanning the Danube, bridges I can orient myself by. Or perhaps, like a salmon, I have some kind of homing instinct that draws me to Hungary, to the place where my father grew up, where that whole side of my family lived for centuries. I can say with certainty, though, that the sound of the place is a siren song for me. My sister maintains that Hungarian makes her sleepy, reminds her of falling asleep to the sound of relatives talking. For me its both comforting and invigorating, like a song you cant help singing along to. With the slight complication that I dont actually know the song.

The thing is: I have two native languages, but I speak only one.

Im not alone in this. Perhaps youre like meimmersed from birth in the sounds and rhythms of a language that was never spoken to you, one you never learned to speak. Perhaps, like me, when you travel later in life to the place where that language is spoken by everyone, you find something long-dormant springing to life in your core.

In the crowded downtown streets, youll hear a lot of English and German. But up in the Buda Hills, where my father lived out the end of his lifeor on the basement level of the Great Market Hall, the level that smells like fish and pickles, or in the literary cafes frequented by generations of Hungarian writers, or in out-of-the-way restaurants serving tourist-unfriendly foods like tripe stew or sour lungs or sweet noodlesyoull hear only the most beautiful, rolling, harmonious language on the planet.



Author Provided

I grew up near Chicago, speaking English but surrounded at home by Hungarian. My father, a refugee after the failed 1956 Hungarian Revolution, spoke Hungarian on the phone, and with the Hungarian cousins and friends who filled our house, and, later, with my stepmother. No one spoke the language directly to me or my sister, which meant that while the cadences and music of the language went deep in our bones, we never learned to speak it. We knew words for food, of course, and how to count; there were songs and rhymes (my favorite was the ancient one that mocked a rotund Turkish pasha); and every night with either my father or my mother, who had learned Hungarian, there was a bedtime prayer.

It would be familiar to most Hungarian children. It starts En Istenem, Joistenem, lecsukodik mar a szemem and means, in its entirety, My God, my good God, already my eyes are closing. But yours are open, Father. While I sleep, watch over me! Watch over my dear parents and my siblings. When the sun rises again, let us kiss each other in the morning. In Hungarian, it rhymes and has a lilting rhythm.

Although my father would occasionally remind me of the meanings of songs or rhymes (this one is about spring flowers; this is about trotting soldiers), mostly it all came at me as a mob of sounds. I knew every syllable, but I had no idea where one word stopped and the next word started.

Over time, the lullabies and nursery rhymes and prayers fell by the wayside. I dont have much cause to mock Turkish pashas these days, and as an agnostic, I havent raised my own children with memorized bedtime prayers.

After my father moved back to Hungary in 2014, though, I began returning to Budapest regularly. On my first trip to see him, my first visit there in many years, I was exploring the Christmas market in Vorosmarty Square with my sister and drinking hot wine from a street cart when I was struck by a word on a restaurant sign: reggeli, whichnext to photos of ham and eggsclearly meant breakfast.

This word surely wasnt from a childhood prayer or a song, so why could I hear it so clearly in my fathers voice? The soft emphasis on the first syllable, the stickiness of the double g. And then I had it: It was the root word, reggel, that I recognized, the ending of the prayer; it means morning. Csokolhassuk egymast reggelLet us kiss each other in the morning.

I had made many short-lived attempts over the years to learn Hungarian properly but always gave up, overwhelmed. Hungarian is, by all accounts, one of the very hardest languages for an English speaker to learn. Not Romance or Slavic or even Indo-European, its related to not much but Finnish, and only barely. There are, conservatively counting, 18 noun cases. The four tiers of grammatical politeness complicate already baffling verb conjugations. There arent just different rules; there are different types of rules. The intricate system of vowel harmony makes the language beautiful but infinitely more difficult. Its no coincidence that the Rubiks Cube was invented in Hungary; to complete even a simple, present-tense sentence, you need to calculate in multiple directions.

On a subsequent visit, this time with my older daughter, I was walking in the residential streets of the Buda Hillspast houses with red-tiled roofs and backyard vineyards and barking dogs. A hand-painted sign on one gate showed a dog in silhouette, beside the word vigyazz. There it was again, on a similar sign. The word rang a bell deep in my body; after a minute I had it, and this word, too, was from my childhood prayer: Vigyazz ream, I confirmed on my phone, means Take care of me. These signs wanted us to take care: to watch out for dogs who were probably not all that fierce. My old childhood prayer, it seemed, was following me around the city, slowly revealing itself to me.

As an adult, I became resentful that my sister and I had not been raised bilingual. How much easier that would have been! Hungarians love to joke that Hungarian isnt hard at all. I myself learned it when I was only 2! But in the Iron Curtain era, my father never anticipated that wed spend time there, or have use for a language spoken only in a region the size of Indiana. I understand why he didnt feel it was worth the trouble, but still, when Im in Budapest and I see a young child speaking it fluently, or a drunk slurring it from a bench, I think: Why cant I have that? I want to be only as fluent as that toddler, as intelligible as that wino.

Author Provided

On those first few visits to Budapest, it was easy, as it is in most cities, to learn the words for open and closednyitva and zarvabut the former was, once again, deeply familiar. As I stood outside the open bakery, not going inside, the other customers probably believed I was staring at the poppyseed bejgli and kremes in the window. In fact, I was repeating the word to myself until Id placed it in my memory: De a tied nyitvaBut yours are open. The same word for the eyes of God and the operating hours of a tobacco shop or a dry cleaner.

My father passed away in January 2020, and my plans to come to Hungary for the memorial service that spring were dashed by the pandemic. During lockdown, I started learning Spanish with my younger daughter on Duolingo. Why on earth couldnt Hungarian be this easy? In just a couple of months, I was able to have the kind of rudimentary conversation in Spanish that I couldnt manage even after 40 years of desultory Hungarian study. And perhaps Hungarian, after all, wasnt even worth it. I wasnt going to live my life there. My father was gone. And since so few foreigners learn Hungarian, native speakers struggle to understand anyone with an accent.

It was over two years before I could return to sort through my fathers things, to visit his grave. He was buried in the New Public Cemetery. Founded in 1886, its still new, I suppose, by European standards. One of the largest cemeteries on the continent, it contains over three million graves, most of them covered in candles and flowers. Its crowded with the living, as wellpeople kneeling in prayer, clipping weeds, selling floral wreaths.

On many tombstones and plaques around the cemetery, I saw the word Isten. This one I placed right away in the prayer, and knew without googling what it was: This was the word for God. But on others, I recognized another word, Atyam, which I had to look up. Its a formal way of saying my father, more like my heavenly father than like Dad. Atyam, Isten. This was whom Id been praying to all those years, without even knowing which words were which. I found this wildly comforting, as if my childhood prayer had suddenly been answered.

You might be thinking now that this is a story about religious awakeningthat I realized God was following me around Budapest, watching over me. If thats your hope, Im sorry to disappoint you. I remain agnostic.

Author Provided

This is, instead, a story about deciding to run full throttle at the challenge of a language Ill never speak well but that I cant let go of. There are people who cant let go of their parents religion, despite no longer believing in it, not really. There are those who can never shake their hometown accents, or their youthful fears, or their love of a food that reminds them of childhood summers in a small, sad town. Because to cling to those things is to cling to the very foundations of who you are.

Every trace of my childhood Hungarian that I find sprinkled around Budapest allows me another slight grasp of vocabulary and grammar, another reassurance that this language does belong to me, however awkwardly. Im at the point now where I can express some half-coherent ideas. As it turns out, I can understand a lot more than I can say, and often I cant explain why I can understand. Its less like learning a language than like slowly, slowly recognizing it.

This is the map those words were making me throughout the city, the message those clues were spelling: You can understand a language you dont speak. You can take comfort in a religion thats not yours. If you let yourself, and if you let yourself try, you can remember things you never knew.

You Might Also Like
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said in a post Thursday on social platform X that former President Trump threatens to unravel our Republic.

Take a few minutes today to read David McCulloughs speech: The Glorious Cause of America. For 248 years, our freedom has survived. Now, its defense is up to us. We must defeat the former president who threatens to unravel our Republic, said Cheney, whos emerged as a vocal Trump critic.

We must not fail.

Last Sunday, Cheney, who was one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and served on the panel investigating the incident, went after Trump for reposting a meme in which he indicated that the Wyoming Republican committed treason.

Donald  This is the type of thing that demonstrates yet again that you are not a stable adult  and are not fit for office, she said at the time in a post on X.

Cheneys post came in response to a post from MeidasTouch, which shared a screenshot of the former president reposting a meme on Truth Social indicating that she should face prosecution via televised military tribunals.

Cheneys PAC in early June made a subtle dig at the former president in an advertisement centered around D-Day.

America deserves a president as good and steadfast as our nation, a president of character, driven by a noble purpose, one who honors the sacrifices of our troops, Cheney said in the ad.

Not a man consumed by spite, revenge and self-pity, continued Cheney, who lost her primary to a Trump-backed challenger.

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said in response to Cheneys latest post that she has decided not to seek treatment for Trump Derangement Syndrome.

She lives a miserable existence befitting a loser of the highest order, Cheung added in an emailed statement to 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.
Former President Donald Trump is looking to seize upon the momentum he has gained from President Biden's previous debate performance by challenging him to another debate so that the oldest President in history may 'prove his competence'.

The 78-year-old former president and likely GOP nominee laid down the challenge on his social media platform, Truth Social, Thursday afternoon.

"I have the answer to the Crooked Joe Biden Incompetence Puzzle - Let's do another Debate, but this time, no holds barred," Trump said in a post. "An all-on discussion, with just the two of us on stage, talking about the future of our Country."

"The ratings were massive for the First Debate, record setting, in fact, but this one, because of the format, would blow everything away!," the reality star-turned politician went on to say in the post.

"It would also, under great pressure, prove his 'competence,' or lack thereof."

"Likewise it would be yet another test for me. What a great evening it would be, just the two of us, one on one, in a good, old fashioned Debate, the way they used to be. ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE!!!" he added.

Trump's desire for another debate is hardly surprising considering the groundswell of negative feedback, which included calls to step down from the 2024 election, that answered Biden's performance last month at their debate at CNN Studio in Atlanta,Georgia.

The Tuesday following Biden's debate, a Texas congressman and a representative from Maine became the first elected Democrats to call for President Biden to abandon his reelection bid.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, cited Biden's performance during the presidential debate.

Later the same day, Representative Jared Golden of Maine publicly declared he had no confidence in Biden, also citing the President's 'poor performance' at the debate.

25 House members who are moderates in swing districts have also reportedly lost faith in the president.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stood firm in front of reporters Wednesday, stating that President Biden will "absolutely not" drop out of the 2024 presidential race.

There is a second debate currently scheduled between the two candidates which is set to take place Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and will be hosted by ABC, according to CBS News.
From repellent to yard cleanup: There are simple ways to protect yourself from dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases. (Getty Images) (Liudmila Chernetska via Getty Images)

As cases rise around the world, U.S. health officials are warning Americans about dengue fever, a potentially fatal disease carried by mosquitoes. The disease, which includes symptoms such as a high fever and body aches, is endemic  or ever present  in many parts of the world, including Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. And cases have been reported annually among Americans returning from travel, as well as from local transmission in a few states, including Florida, Hawaii and Texas.

But this year is different. Nearly 200 people in New York and New Jersey  all of whom reported traveling recently  have contracted dengue fever, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 34 cases have been reported in Illinois, and 59 people in Massachusetts have now been infected with the potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease so far this year, per the CDC. Puerto Rico has declared a state of emergency, the U.S. has reported more travel-related cases than would typically be expected (745 according to the CDC) and local transmissions are cropping up as well.

The CDC is warning of an increased risk of dengue fever for Americans but says the risk is still generally low. Nonetheless, we asked experts what can be done to keep safe. Heres what they had to say.

What to do: On the individual level at home

First, its important to acknowledge that the risk of being bitten by a dengue-infected mosquito near your home if you live in the continental U.S. is low, per the CDC. But there are steps you can take, experts say.

Protect your body. The main things you can do to keep yourself safe are wearing mosquito repellent, avoiding areas known to harbor a lot of mosquitoes and wearing clothing that doesnt expose a lot of skin, Johns Hopkins infectious disease expert, Dr. Amesh Adalja, tells Yahoo Life. Make your home less hospitable to mosquitoes. You can keep your home from harboring mosquitoes by cleaning up junk in your yard, Adalja says. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, and thrive in the areas around them. So getting rid of or covering things like sandboxes, plastic pools or other debris and receptacles that could accumulate water can help to slow population growth and keep mosquitoes from making themselves at home around yours.

What to do: On the individual level while traveling

For perspective, there have been 2,559 cases of dengue fever reported in U.S. states and territories since the start of 2024, per the CDC. A large majority of those (1,724) were reported in Puerto Rico, where the virus is endemic, and 827 cases are travel-associated.

The data is clear: Youre most at-risk while traveling, specifically to countries with high rates of dengue fever. According to the CDC, those include most countries and territories in Central and South America, including Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Brazil, several countries in Africa, and parts of Southeast Asia. You can find a full list here. While traveling, you can protect yourself by:

Stay away from mosquito-ridden areas. Adalja suggests asking your hotel, tour guides or other locals where there are lots of mosquitos. If you can, avoid these areas. Gear up. Just as you would at home, try to keep your skin covered as much as possible and wear mosquito repellent, Adalja says. Mind your legs. The mosquito species that carries dengue, Aedes aegypti, are very skittish and adept at hovering around people, looking for the perfect opportunity to land and take a quick bite, Chad Huff, a public information officer with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, tells Yahoo Life. Often, they choose to gravitate towards the lower legs and ankles where they are less likely to draw attention or a slap. So you might want to take extra care to cover and protect your lower body. Watch for symptoms. Although up to 80% of dengue cases are asymptomatic, pay attention to how youre feeling if you were bitten by any mosquitoes while traveling to a place with high dengue activity. Symptoms include high fever, head and body aches and nausea (which probably will make people think they have COVID, says Adalja). If you have these symptoms, see a health care provider and let them know about your recent travel and bites, so they can test you. While most illnesses are mild, the infection can cause potentially fatal internal bleeding, so you may be prescribed antiviral treatment. Adalja says antiviral treatment might also be advisable if you live in areas within the U.S. that currently have high dengue activity levels, including Key West, Fla.

While the rising incidence of dengue fever is concerning on a global level, Adalja says people dont need to cancel their travel plans. Its an endemic disease all over the world, he notes. The CDCs advisory isnt against travel, its just saying its riskier.

What to do: On the public health level

The species of mosquito that carries the dengue virus  as well as yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika  is still found all over the nation. I think theres a lot of complacency around vector control, or efforts to keep populations of potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes low, says Adalja. To better combat dengue fever outbreaks, local, state and federal officials can:
Recovery efforts were underway Friday after storms led to the death of one man in Kansas, after heavy rains and strong winds wreaked havoc on a lake recreation area that is popular with trailer campers.

A 64-year-old man identified as Christopher Montoya was found dead at Hell Creek in Wilson State Park, the Russell County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.

At around midnight Thursday, storms led emergency personnel to respond to Lake Wilson in Russell County, Kansas, where nearly 15 campers were overturned by winds reaching 70 mph, the Wilson Corps of Engineers said.

I can imagine it was every bit of that or more," U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilson Lake Interim Park Director Matt Beckman told USA TODAY, referring to the severe winds measured late Wednesday night. On Friday, the lakeside park still had "quite a bit of tree damage" and crews were working to repair electrical equipment, Beckman said.

I do believe the gentleman was in his camper when it overturned," Beckman said.

The powerful winds knocked over campers, pushed trailers up against trees and slid camping equipment off campsites, Beckman said.

Its nothing we want to see happen, especially during a holiday weekend when the parks are full. Were doing our best to clean it up," Beckman, 44, said.

Montoya's body was taken to a local mortuary and a scheduled autopsy will confirm the man's cause of death, the sheriff's office said.

Three others were transported to a local hospital with injuries, the sheriff's office said.

Storms, flood watches in the Midwest

Elsewhere in the Midwest, torrential rains this week led water levels to rise dramatically in Minnesota, risking the collapse of a 40-year-old bridge.

Blue Earth County Public Works Director Ryan Thilges said in a Tuesday news conference the county is "at the mercy of Mother Nature" as they're concerned about the County Road 9 Bridge partially or completely failing.

In a Facebook post on the same day, the county said contractors shored the western pier of the bridge with loose stone called riprap to avoid sediment rushing into the Blue Earth River.

A nearby home collapsed into the Blue Earth River last month and the homeowners were hoping their nearby business, the Rapidan Dam Store, could be saved.

But instead, county officials demolished the Hruska's Rapidan Dam Store late June after county employees said the store would get washed away due to already-occurring erosion, the county said in a June 28 Facebook post.

In Kansas City, Missouri, the National Weather Service announced Friday that some agricultural levees have been overtopped and some floodwaters have nearly reached the bottoms of bridges.

Flood warnings have also been issued across Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri and Illinois, with many warnings centered around the Mississippi River, and the risk of floodwaters overflowing banks is set to continue through next week, the National Weather Service said.

The storms in the Midwest come as Texas braces for potential impacts from Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall in Mexico Friday. In the Lone State State, residents are preparing for the possibility of evacuations and potential power outages. The region, along with much of the West, has been baking in scorching temperatures reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Texas braces for Hurricane Beryl

Forecasts released this week showed portions of South Texas are within the cone of Hurricane Beryl, which could move over the region as early as the weekend.

"Today and Saturday will be our calm before the storm," the National Weather Service in Corpus Cristi wrote in an advisory on Friday.

Hurricane Beryl 8 a.m. July 5, 2024.

The effects of the hurricane are expected to flare up on Friday evening, including a high risk of rip currents, the center said. By Saturday, the coast could see some minor flooding as some showers begin ahead of the hurricane's arrival.

Tens of thousands in Texas could suffer without air conditioning if the storm knocks out power amid extreme summer temperatures, which have topped out at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the weather service.

On Thursday, Hurricane Beryl ripped through Grand Cayman and other islands in the Caribbean, destroying buildings and killed at least 11 people.

Beryl tore through Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula Friday morning, reaching maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Residents in cities like Corpus Christi and Kingsville are being told to brace for heavy rain, strong winds, flash flooding, isolated tornadoes and dangerous rip currents along the Gulf Coast.

Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas storm kills man after wind topples campers at Lake Wilson
The historic sponging village is a truly one-of-a-kind destination.

Cedric Angeles

It's nearing 9:30 on a balmy summer night as I amble along Tarpon Springs' Historic Sponge Docks. Minus the dull thud of the boats gently colliding with the wooden posts they're tied to, the normally busy thoroughfare is quiet. Streetlights cast a glow just bright enough to illuminate the weathered water vessels while leaving the bayou beyond dark and mysterious.

Cedric Angeles

Ahead, a towering neon Spartan soldier marks the entrance to Hellas Restaurant & Bakery. The silence is delightfully interrupted by three older men dressed in loafers and Hawaiian shirts conversing animatedly in Greek over a half-empty box of almond cookies. Noting their easy demeanor, I imagine that this is a regular tradition for them, and the idea adds a layer of endearment to an already sentimental scene. For a second, the bakerys whitewashed walls and the unfamiliar language drifting through the air transport me someplace else, and I have to remind myself that Im in Floridanot Greece.

History of Tarpon Springs

Fishing villages are commonplace across Florida, but a place like Tarpon Springs is one of a kind. Known as the Sponge Capital of the World, the areas major commodity is the super-absorbent multicellular organism thats found on the ocean floor. After sponges were discovered off the coast of Tarpon Springs, Greek divers, who had superior methods for harvesting them, immigrated to grow the industry. Their descendants are the reason the city now has the highest concentration of Greek Americans relative to its population. In the early 1900s, they anchored their burgeoning businesses around the Anclote River, an accessible waterway where they could dock and launch boats.



Those same docks remain at the heart of this community. While the sponging industry has diminished over the years (largely because most modern-day consumers use artificial versions for dish scrubbing and housecleaning), theres still a considerable market for the natural ones, especially in Europe. Many consider them to be more durable, sanitary, and sustainable. You can find sponges in every shape, size, and species at souvenir and specialty shops located up and down Dodecanese Boulevard. At Sponge Diver Supply, Anestis Karistinos sells ones that are surfaced by his 73-year-old father, Taso, who is a career diver. After deciding against following in his dads footsteps, Anestis and his wife, Katie, turned their focus to the store, which also stocks T-shirts designed by the couple.

Anestis, who learned the trade at the age of 10, talks about the practice like its a dying art. Its one he respects, but hes happy to be on the other side of it. The boat can stay out sometimes three to five weeks at sea, he says. It wasnt practical for me to be gone that long when there are books to be read and projects to do at home.

He has three sons who inherited his love of the water, but for them, diving is about leisure, not livelihood. You really have to want to be on the ocean, says Anestis. My father has been doing it for 52 years. Hes the only diver on the boat, and he works morning to night. Hes a tough Old Country guy and doesnt have to worry about anyonejust himself. You have to be like a pirate to do this job.

Sponge boats pulling up to the docks are less common now, but Im lucky enough to catch one gliding ashore on my second day in town. Giant mesh bags overstuffed with porous Parazoa dangle from its sides. The upper deck is piled high with some that are strung together like popcorn garlands drying in the sun.

George Billiris keeps sponge-diving historyand his familys businessalive by running the charter his grandfather started in 1924. On the St. Nicholas Boat Lines exhibition cruise, he tells how divers put on nearly 200 pounds of equipment and walked along the ocean floor using a knife to cut sponges from rocks. Only an air hose and a rope tethered them to the surface.

When he pulls out a traditional suit and asks who wants to try it on, I cant keep myself from volunteering. Ten minutes (full of lots of yanking, shimmying, and sweating) later, Im outfitted in the oversize canvas bodysuit, rethinking my eagerness as a 30-pound copper helmet gets bolted to my shoulders. I spend what feels like an eternity posing for pictures with the other passengers and repeatedly assuring myself that oxygen is still flowing into the airtight headgear. I leave with an even deeper appreciation for the practice. Its not an easy career by any stretch of the imagination. Even Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe said so when he came to shadow Taso for a 2011 episode.

Where To Eat In Tarpon Springs

Find Classic Greek Dishes at a Family-Owned Favorite

Roots run deep in Tarpon Springs. Many of the folks carrying the town into a new era, like Koula Salivaras of the restaurant Mykonos, have taken over posts from their parents and grandparents. During my visit at 2 p.m. on a Saturday in their slow season, the place is packed. I navigate to the only remaining table and order a feast: flaming saganaki; chargrilled octopus, squid, and shrimp spritzed with lemon; at least three different types of dips; a giant tomato-and-cucumber salad; and Koulas late fathers special Lamb Fricassee. The fork-tender caveman-size shank is blanketed in sauteed endive and a bright lemon-egg-dill sauce. It may be my favorite thing I eat all weekend.



Koula never planned to run the restaurant, but when her father passed away in 2021, she couldnt bear to see all of his achievements wasted. Im trying to fill big shoes, she says. My parents probably lost years of their lives trying to give us better lives. My dad came here as an immigrant with only a few dollars in his pocket, and he went from that to being filmed for Food Paradise with Emeril Lagasse. I used to say, Dad, do you realize you came here with nothing, and you ended up having Emeril in your restaurant? Thats amazing. 

Experience Upscale Greek Dining

Across the street, Koulas brother, Demetrios, expanded the family business by opening a place of his own, Dimitris on the Water, in 2010. After attending culinary school and working in kitchens all over the country, he made his way back to Tarpon Springs to put his own spin on Greek cuisine. The menu emphasizes seasonality, fresh seafood, and steaks over traditional hot dishes and casseroles. One thing he is carrying on from his dad? Giant portion sizes. My father always said, I never want to see a customer leave my restaurant hungry,  Demetrios tells me after delivering a whole fish the size of a Thanksgiving turkey to my table. He got that from my Yiayia. She fed everybody and got offended if you didnt eat.

Order Fresh Seafood from a Three-Generation Operation

The towns affinity for generational ownership goes beyond just the Greek population. Jacquelyn Tunstall, whose grandfather came to the U.S. from Portugal, grew up working at her familys fish market and boatyard. After graduating from college, she came home to help her parents open Rusty Bellies, where they served shrimp her father caught on a boat he built himself and fresh fish from their market as well as burgers and tropical drinks. Almost two decades later, her parents have retired, but the restaurant is as much a part of Tarpon Springs as the towns Greek heritage. Its really become an institution for people to celebrate birthdays and big moments in their lives, she says. Thats what brings me the most joy.

What To Do In Tarpon Springs

Learn the Town's History

Cedric Angeles

The Sponge Docks are a big part of this areas narrative, but if you stop your tour there, youre closing the book too soon. The next chapter unfolds along Tarpon Avenue. Start at Craig Park overlooking Spring Bayou. This is where the towns first settlers built their homes and where the community still gathers every January for a Greek Orthodox Epiphany celebration that includes a Tarpon Springs tradition in which young men compete to retrieve a wooden cross from the bottom of the bayou, earning them good luck for the upcoming year. Make a lap around the tranquil pool, and then stop in the Heritage Museum, which houses exhibits about the areas Greek culture and its Indigenous history. You can also see local artist Christopher Stills stunningly realistic large-scale underwater scenes plus giclee reproductions of the murals he painted for the Florida House of Representatives chamber.

Stay in a Historic Inn

Cedric Angeles

A short walk up the road is The 1910 Inn, an aqua- and eggplant-hued historic Queen Anne home that fourth-generation local Annie Samarkos has tenderly restored into a bed-and-breakfast and event venue. Outfitted in antique furniture and family heirlooms, the rooms and common spaces appear comfortingly stuck in time. I feel like its not mine, she says about the landmark. It belongs to my community; theres a story behind every item here because people in town bring things to me.



Explore Downtown and Beyond

Keep heading east to find the lively downtown, which is filled with restaurants specializing in cuisines from Creole to Italian plus haunts like Wine Society and the breweries Brighter Days and Two Frogs. Shops carry all sorts of treasures, including vintage toys, books, decor, clothing, and novelty gifts. Young and old alike can burn hours at retro arcade Replay Amusement Museum and then head over to Orange Cycle Creamery for homemade sweets.

With downtown only about a mile from the docks, the city has set its sights on filling the space that lies in between. One of the most-visited intermediary destinations is Tarpon Springs Distillery, a sponge warehouse turned neighborhood watering hole owned by transplants Lisa and Barry Butler. Since they opened in late 2019, their line has grown to include multiple types of gins, moonshines, and whiskeys as well as a coffee spirit, orange liqueur, rum, aquavit, and one of the only ouzos made in the United States. The Butlers say that in 2023 alone, the operation had close to 40,000 guests.

Visit a Traditional Greek Orthodox Cathedral

A different type of fellowship takes place at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, where more than 1,000 families attend weekly services held in both Greek and English. When church isnt in session, anyone is welcome to marvel at the imposing domed tower and elaborate stained glass.

Enjoy the Tranquility of a Beloved Shrine

Cedric Angeles

St. Nicholas is beautiful, but nowhere feels more sacred to the community (or lifted straight from a screen saver of the Greek isles) than St. Michaels Shrine. The stark white courtyard bordered by deep green palms and cascading white bougainvillea surrounds a small stone chapel with a beveled cross. A local woman named Maria Tsalichis constructed the shrine after her bedridden 11-year-old son prayed to St. Michael and was astonishingly cured of an unknown illness that had stumped a dozen doctors. Over the past 80-plus years, the shrine has been credited with restoring hearing, sight, and mobility to those who visit it. Miracles aside, after experiencing the enchanting alcoveand the cultural resilience of the town itselfI cant help but think that something about Tarpon Springs feels touched by the divine.

Outdoor Adventure In Tarpon Springs

Amp up your trip with outdoor adventures in and around downtown.

Spend a Day at Fred Howard Park

If your Florida vacation feels incomplete without the beach, head to this unforgettable spot. The mile-long causeway to get there ends with sabal palmetto-lined white-sand shores. Swim in the Gulf, or rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard.

Bike the Pinellas Trail

This 65-mile multipurpose path runs from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs, but the most scenic portion is an 11-mile stretch between downtown Tarpon Springs and Dunedin. Bike rentals are available in town. Start or end your journey with a meal at Toulas Trailside Cafe for salads, sandwiches, and homestyle breakfasts. Bougiourdi (something thats typically found on menus in northern Greece) is made of baked feta, tomatoes, and sweet and hot peppers. Its a must on its own but even better when added to a sandwich.



For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Southern Living.
Police in Hendersonville, Tennessee, have begun a homicide investigation after the remains of a teen girl were found Wednesday along a busy Middle Tennessee road.

Investigators identified the victim as Trinity Bostic, 17, who was reported missing in nearby Macon County on June 29, the Hendersonville Police Department said in a news release.

Police suspect foul play in the ongoing investigation. The death investigation is "essentially a homicide investigation," Sgt. Nicholas Edwards told USA TODAY. When asked whether police had any suspects, he declined to comment "to maintain the integrity of the investigation."

The remains were discovered in Hendersonville on July 3 in a wood line near Vietnam Veterans Boulevard and New Shackle Island Road by a Tennessee Department of Transportation subcontract worker who was picking up trash along the road, police said.

The Hendersonville Police Department said that a deceased female whose remains were found July 3 has been identified as Trinity Bostic, 17. She was reported missing in nearby Macon County on June 29, 2024.

Philadelphia mass shooting: 8 people injured, 1 dead; no arrests made, police say

Police ask for public's help in Trinity Bostic case

The cause of death remains under investigation, pending an autopsy, police said.

The Hendersonville Police Department is asking anyone with any information about the case to contact the department at (615) 822-1111 or the Hendersonville Crime Stoppers at (615) 594-4113. Tips may also be submitted using the P3 Tips Mobile Application.

Contributing: Nicole Young and Katie Nixon of the Nashville Tennessean.

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: Trinity Bostic remains ID'd in Tennessee amid homicide investigation
WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. will remove all its forces and equipment from a small base in Niger this weekend and fewer than 500 remaining troops will leave a critical drone base in the West African country in August, ahead of a Sept. 15 deadline set in an agreement with the new ruling junta, the American commander there said Friday.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman said in an interview that a number of small teams of 10-20 U.S. troops, including special operations forces, have moved to other countries in West Africa. But the bulk of the forces will go to Europe, at least initially.

Niger's ouster of American troops following a coup last year has broad ramifications for the U.S. because it is forcing troops to abandon the critical drone base that was used for counterterrorism missions in the Sahel, a vast region south of the Sahara desert where groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group operate.

Ekman and other U.S. military leaders have said other West African nations want to work with the U.S. and may be open to an expanded American presence. He did not detail the locations, but other U.S. officials have pointed to the Ivory Coast and Ghana as examples.

Ekman, who serves as the director for strategy at U.S. Africa Command, is leading the U.S. military withdrawal from the small base at the airport in Niger's capital of Niamey and from the larger counterterrorism base in the city of Agadez. He said there will be a ceremony Sunday marking the completed pullout from the airport base, then the final 100 troops and the last C-17 transport aircraft will depart.

Under the junta agreement, two-thirds of U.S. troops and equipment must be out of the country by July 26, Ekman said. That deadline, which forced the Pentagon to move quickly, is a key reason why U.S. Africa Command will complete its withdrawal of all 1,000 troops from Niger early.

But it also leaves a counterterrorism gap that U.S. officials are struggling to fill as security threats from extremist groups in the Sahel grow.

One of those groups, Jamaa Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, known as JNIM, is active in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger and is looking to expand into Benin and Togo. Those expansion locations could be used initially as hubs to rest, recuperate, get financing and gather weapons, according to U.S. officials, but the group also has increased attacks there.

Niger was immensely helpful for us as a location because it was in the Sahel and it was adjacent to those areas where the threat is most concentrated, Ekman said. Now, he said, the challenge is battling the insurgency while having to get access from outside Niger, which makes it more difficult.

He said other coastal West African nations are concerned about the Sahel-based threats and want to talk about how they can partner with American forces. Ekman added that the small teams of U.S. troops moving to other West African nations are not combat forces but advisers, as well as special operations, personnel recovery and intelligence and surveillance forces.

Talks with other nations continue, and Ekman said some may be interested but not ready to allow in more U.S. troops. One example, he said, is Togo, which is southwest of Niger on the coast.

In Togo, what I find is a partner that is friendly to the U.S. but that right now is unresolved on the degree they want the presence of any additional U.S. military personnel there, he said. My assessment was, Not yet.'

Speaking to reporters from The Associated Press and Reuters from the U.S. embassy in Niamey, Ekman said that while portable buildings and vehicles that are no longer useful will be left behind when U.S. troops leave Niger, a lot of larger equipment will be pulled out. For example, he said 18 4,000-pound (1,800-kilograms) generators worth more than $1 million each will be taken out of Agadez.

Unlike the withdrawal from Afghanistan, he said the U.S. is not destroying equipment or facilities as it leaves.

Our goal in the execution is, leave things in as good a state as possible, he said. If we went out and left it a wreck or we went out spitefully, or if we destroyed things as we went, wed be foreclosing options for future security relations.

Nigers ruling junta ordered U.S. forces out of the country in the wake of last Julys ouster of the countrys democratically elected president by mutinous soldiers. French forces had also been asked to leave as the junta turned to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for security assistance.

Washington officially designated the military takeover as a coup in October, triggering U.S. laws restricting the military support and aid.

Ekman said he has been told that there are fewer than 100 Russian troops at the base near in Niamey and that once they are done training Niger troops, they will also leave the country.
President Biden will participate in a high-stakes interview Friday with ABC Newss George Stephanopoulos that the television network is calling a primetime special and airing at 8 p.m.

The potential make-or-break interview comes eight days after Bidens disastrous debate performance, which has undermined his presidential campaign and has resulted in calls for him to drop out of the race.

Hell make a compelling case tonight, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday. He prepared for this like he does every other interview. Hes looking forward to not just the interview but certainly talking directly to the American people. Were expecting millions of Americans are going to watch  and hes looking forward to it.

The interview will be aired in its entirety at 8 p.m. EDT and PDT on ABC. The first clip of the interview will air on World News Tonight with David Muir at 6:30 p.m.

The full interview will be aired again Sunday on This Week with George Stephanopoulos. ABC said it would also make an edited transcript of the interview available Friday.

Biden is sitting down with Stephanopoulos for the interview while he is in Wisconsin for campaign events earlier Friday.

The sit-down with Stephanopoulos was originally supposed to air Sunday morning on ABCs This Week, but the television network moved the interview to Friday, underscoring the mounting pressure Biden faces as lawmakers and donors call for a new Democratic candidate.

All week, Biden and his senior aides have sought to assuage worries and prevent more Democrats from abandoning ship. But the campaign has continued to spiral despite reassurances from Biden that last weeks performance against former President Trump was simply a bad debate.

No one is feeling good right now, one top Democratic donor said. He needs to shake things up if hes going to stay in the race. But Im not sure this interview does much.

The donor and other Democrats acknowledge the interview is necessary. I think the public really wants to hear from him and find out what happened, a strategist said. But Biden is also taking a gamble.

If he flubs this thing, its game over, the strategist said.

But Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons said the problem Biden faces is not a communications problem.

Its a confidence problem, Simmons said. Communications is just a tool to project strength, which is why moving faster and with higher impact is going to be critical to turning this around for the president.

Simmons said Democrats want to see a steady beat of action to show the president is on top of his job. They have to do things that actually move the ball.

The presidents allies are ready to see that kind of action, he said.

During the interview, strategists say they will be watching to see if Biden can successfully illustrate the contrast between himself and Trump.

He has to get back on that point, one strategist said. Whats frustrating people is the White House seems to be underreacting to this crisis. And youre much better off overreacting than underreacting. He needs to take control of this story.

Those close to the White House say Bidens aides chose to sit down with Stephanopoulos, who served as an aide to former President Clinton, because theyre looking for fairness. Hes not going to go easy on the president, one strategist said. But hell give him a fair shot.

Still, the strategist added, Biden needs someone to hold his feet to the fire so he can show people he can withstand the flames.

This story was first posted at 10:20 a.m. and updated at 2:10 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.
By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) -A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday cleared the way for voters to be able to return absentee ballots through drop boxes, with the court's new liberal majority overturning a decision from just two years ago that had outlawed the practice.

The court on a 4-3 vote sided with the progressive advocacy groups Priorities USA and the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans in a lawsuit they filed three months after the April 2023 election of liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz.

That judicial election, the most expensive in U.S. history, flipped the court to a 4-3 liberal majority after 15 years of conservative control, giving Democrats an advantage in legal battles over abortion, voting rights and electoral maps.

The ruling clears the way for municipal clerks to use ballot drop boxes during the state's Aug. 13 primaries and the Nov. 5 presidential election, in which Wisconsin has become a key battleground.

In 2016, Republican former President Donald Trump won the state by fewer than 25,000 votes out of 2.8 million cast, and in 2020, President Joe Biden, a Democrat, carried Wisconsin by fewer than 21,000 votes out of 3.2 million cast.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Democrats pushed voters to use drop boxes to cast ballots and have remained supportive of them. Republicans, by contrast, have sought to limit the use of absentee ballots after the 2020 election.

Under its prior conservative majority, the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2022 held that according to state law, ballots had to be returned to a clerk's office or another designated site, not an "inanimate object" such as an unstaffed box.

That holding was defended in court by the state's Republican-led legislature.

But Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, a liberal, said on Friday that the earlier decision misinterpreted a Wisconsin law that requires absentee voting be "carefully regulated" by concluding it required the court to take a "skeptical" view of the procedure.

"It is not up to this court to 'regulate' absentee voting," Bradley wrote in an opinion joined by the court's three other liberal justices including Protasiewicz.

All three conservative justices dissented, including Justice Rebecca Bradley, who accused the liberal majority of overturning the 2022 decision because they "believe using drop boxes is good policy, and one they hope will aid their preferred political party."

Democratic Governor Tony Evers, who filed a brief supporting the progressive groups pursuing the case, in a statement called the ruling a "victory for our democracy," saying that drop-box voting is "safe, secure, and legal."

Use of drop boxes will remain up to the discretion of local officials. But cities like Milwaukee and Madison are now expected to use them, said David Fox, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi, Alistair Bell and Matthew Lewis)
Lauren Johansen, 22, was found dead, before her ex-boyfriend and suspected killer Bricen Rivers allegedly led police on a chase, per authorities

Lauren Johansen/Facebook Lauren Johansen

A Mississippi man has been arrested after he allegedly fled a cemetery where police found the body of his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend wrapped in a sheet inside a car.

Lauren Johansen's body was found mutilated and wrapped in a sheet at a Gulfport, Miss., cemetery when law enforcement officials were responding to a welfare check, the Sun Herald, WLOXand News Channel 5 reported, citing local police.

Bricen Rivers, 23, Johansens ex-boyfriend, allegedly evaded authorities for hours until his capture after a manhunt on Wednesday,per theHarrison County Sheriffs Office, the Sun Herald reported.

He was booked into the the Harrison County jail on a murder charge, per the outlets.

Harrison County Sheriff's Department Bricen John Rivers

A few days prior to Johansen's death, Rivers had been released from a Nashville, Tenn., jail where he was being held on assault charges, WXXV News 25 and WLOX reported.

In December, he was charged with aggravated kidnapping and interfering with an emergency call in connection with a separate incident, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said at the time. It is unclear if he's entered a plea in connection with these charges.

According to the department's statement at the time of the kidnapping charge, Rivers was on vacation with his girlfriend in Nashville when she called [her family] screaming, afraid that her boyfriend may kill her, the department said in their statement. During the attack, Rivers allegedly beat her to a point that she almost lost consciousness, per the department.

Her family notified Nashville police and once law enforcement arrived at the scene, they could hear the victim banging on the vehicle as she tried to escape the attack, police said.

According to the department's statement, the victim was "able to get out [of] the car upon officers arrival."



The department did not name the girlfriend at the time, but WLOX and News Channel 5 identified her as Johansen.



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.



Rivers was arrested and held on $251,000 bond in connection, but months later, his bond had been reduced to $150,000, per jail records cited by WLOX and News Channel 5.



I sat in the courtroom in Nashville and told the judge that if they let him out, he was going to kill her, Lauren Johansens father Lance Johansen told WLOX.

He had assaulted her  this was probably the fifth or sixth time where they would get into a fight and he would beat her, Lance added. We would get her away from him for a while, but he would find a way to weasel back in it.

Rivers is now being held on $1 million bond, per the Sun Herald, WLOXand News Channel 5. It wasn't immediately clear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney.



If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.


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.
In an unusual decision on a mass shooter's diaries, a judge has ruled that they will not be released because the copyright is owned by the victims' families.

The ruling concerns the writings of shooter Audrey Hale, also known as Aiden Hale, who was fatally shot by police after killing three 9-year-old students and three adults last year at the Covenant School for Children in Nashville. Hale had been a former student at the school.

In an effort to keep the writings out of the media's hands, Hale's parents transferred ownership of the copyright to the victims' families.

Nashville Chancery Court Judge I'Ashea Myles agreed in a ruling late Thursday with the families who had argued that they alone have the right to determine what is done with the material. The ruling was an exception to Tennessee's copyright law.

Several groups had filed public records requests for documents seized by Metro Nashville Police in the case.

One theory about the killings was that they may have been hate crimes against Christians because Hale identified as a male but was "assigned female at birth," according to police. Hale's writings could confirm or disprove the theory.

The families argued that releasing the writings could create a media frenzy exposing the families and other victims of the attack to additional trauma, and could inspire "copycat" crimes with the notoriety Hale may have sought, The Tennessean reported. Myles wrote that he was "mindful of the impact on the parties involved."

In a statement released through their attorney, the family of adult murder victim Cindy Peak said that the time since her death has "been difficult. But today brings a measure of relief in our family. Denying the shooter some of the notoriety she sought by releasing her vile and unfiltered thoughts on the world is a result everyone should be thankful for," the statement added.

Dr. Erin Kinney, the mother of 9-year-old victim Will Kinney, said in a statement: "This opinion is an important first step to making sure the killer can't hurt our babies anymore."

The shooter left behind at least 20 journals, a suicide note and a memoir, according to court filings.
Express your opinion! Fill out this form to submit a Letter to the Editor.

Submit
In-depth research examining customer investment and priorities across Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ) is now underway, with findings set to benchmark customer plans against partner strategies.

Partners, distributors and vendors are invited to complete the survey (approx. 10mins) by clicking here.

Respondents will receive a summary of the partner and customer data from Tech Research Asia (TRA) for completing the survey.

The findings will be exclusively delivered by Mark Iles at Tech Research Asia to delegates attending EDGE 2024  running 28 July to 30 July at the Royal Pines on the Gold Coast  the research will offer the clearest indication yet as to whether the ecosystem is aligned with the end-user market.

EDGE Research is a localised survey that deep-dives into the specific details of customer requirements in the context of third-party technology providers, crucially counterbalanced with the priorities of the partner ecosystem  are the two aligned?

Delivered in partnership with Tech Research Asia, EDGE Research will focus on the short- to medium-term opportunities ahead for the ecosystem, uncovering what makes end-users tick on both sides of the Tasman. This is alongside insights into the purchasing patterns of organisations and key solution focus areas.

Findings will also outline what customers really think of solution providers from a pros and cons perspective, offering critical advice from an engagement and selling standpoint.

On the flip side, immediate partner priorities will also be outlined from a business and technology standpoint, documenting commercial best practice, customer acquisition tactics and financial models of success.

In addition, findings will be further segmented to provide New Zealand-specific research housing local data points and insights, which will be delivered during a dedicated Kiwi session on Sunday 28 July.

Specifically, EDGE Research will outline:

Customer Priorities:

Key immediate customer priorities (technology + business)

Lucrative solution areas of focus for partners to pursue

Evolving customer outsourcing requirements

Project breakdown and upcoming end-user agenda items

Most in-demand third-party provider skills needed

Partner Actions:

Key immediate partner priorities (technology + business)

Insights into commercial best practice

Approach to building out skills/company structure

Customer retention/acquisition tactics

Viable financial business models and opportunities for scale

EDGE 2024: The New Frontier

EDGE 2024 is the leading technology outsourcing conference for business leaders in A/NZ, built on the foundations of collaboration, education and advancement.

New Zealand-based delegates will arrive on Sunday morning 28 July, kicking off with a dedicated Kiwi track featuring tailored research, a keynote delivered by entrepreneur, Kendra Ross and interactive panel sessions, before moving into the full conference agenda. All attendees will depart on Tuesday 30 July.

During the A/NZ-specific conference, delegates will hear from Stela Solar, director of the National AI Centre, and international AI expert Nancy Rademaker.

Industry legend, David Shein will also discuss creating Australias first technology unicorn in Com Tech to founding, mentoring and investing in start-up businesses.

For the first time at EDGE 2024: The New Frontier, ARN and Reseller News will host a diversity and inclusion (D&I) session, bringing together key female figures from across the channel.

Spearheaded by EDGE Ambassador and founder Susan Searle, the D&I discussion will help industry leaders shape the power of maintaining and creating a diverse and inclusive leadership culture.

Register today!
Who has not felt in love some pain --

Some thought of loves betrayal?

Or was it just some jealous, vain

Fantasy which so many dreams assail?

O Bachchoo, keep some basic faith

Fantasies may be a lie --

A ghost, a spectre or a wraith

That betrays the love between you and I?

From Poems posted on Theek-Thaak, by Bachchoo

That the Labour Party was going to be the UKs next government from July 5 was as predictable as the Pope not converting to Protestantism or bears not using public lavatories and continuing to defecate in the jungle. The opinion polls have been predicting it for months.

On election night after the July 4 single-day election, the exit polls predicted that Labour would get 410 seats in the House of Commons -- and so it came almost precisely to pass. A 170-173 majority over the Opposition.

No secret ballot, I voted Labour. As Martin Luther said: I can do no other! I would have said so to exit pollsters but there werent any outside the rock-solid Labour constituency polling booths in South London. Why deploy paid personnel to find out if the Pope is still a Catholic? (This cliched analogy is getting tedious --Ed. Sorry, but getting the point home, yaar -- fd).

OK, so a majority of 170 and a disastrous fall for Hedgie Sunaks (This column clairvoyantly called him Hedgie Soongone!) Tory Party but a very strange BUT: While Labour won the highest number of seats in its history, it did so with the lowest percentage of votes -- even five per cent down from its disastrous loss to the Tories in 2019. How? The vicissitudes of the first-past-the-post system. I know the maths but, gentle reader, neednt bore you with them.

Instead, let me enumerate my personal feelings of schadenfreude and disappointment when the results were declared. I was happy to learn that while the ultra-right bigoted, racist party called Reform, which was predicted by the exit polls to win thirteen seats, only ended up with four. Four too many perhaps for the good of a civilised nation, but it should stop its leader Nigel Farage from cultivating his ambition to unite the right and, perhaps, even worm himself into the leadership of the depleted Tory party. This possibility was endorsed by none other than Ms send-them-to-Rwanda Cruella Braverman. Incidentally, she retained her seat, as did Hedgie and the other Ms pander-to-Rwanda, Priti Patel. Triple Yuck!

The balancing schadenfreude to these disappointments is the fact that eleven Tory ministers and former ministers lost their seats -- among them former PM Liz Truss, defence minister Grant Shapps and Penny Mordaunt, who was self-appointedly in the running to replace Hedgie as leader of the Tories after his partys certain defeat and his resignation from the post.

The other loss which prompts celebration is the defeat of Pomposity-in-human-form, a fellow called Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former minister for Brexit. If this were a photographic column, gentle reader, youd be able to judge for yourself -- but theres always the Internet for the curious.

What happens now -- as certain as the Pope err OK... OK... the furniture and wardrobe moving trucks arrive through the security gates of Downing Street and cart Hedgies familys ample possessions away. Perhaps a couple of more modest trucks install the Starmer family in No. 10 and Rachel Reeves, now certainly the chancellor of the exchequer (finance minister, yaaron) in No. 11. Long before that, of course, Sir Keir Starmer would have gone to the Palace to be formally appointed the Prime Minister by King Charles III.

But thats just protocol. What happens to Britain? According to very many commentators and experts, including pro-Labour ones, nothing very much in the immediate future.

This landslide or tsunamic victory for Labour has been labelled a lurch to the Left. Thats only in contrast with the movements to the Right in Europe, such as the triumph of Marine Le Pens party in France. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have, over the past year, cultivated good relations with business of all sorts. D.H. Lawrence once wrote to E.M. Forster saying business is no good!, but Ms Reeves and Mr Starmer probably dont read DHs letters or if they do, disagree with him. Their economic mantra is that they will fund reforms in the National Health Service and education, etc, by growth in the economy rather than raising the taxes of the general public.

Yes, they will tax those who escape taxation by being non-doms -- such as Mrs Hedgie, though when she was named and shamed she did agree to pay tax on her foreign income -- declaring themselves as resident outside the UK.

Only visiting, Guv!

Ms Reeves may abolish such status absolutely. That may, as Rustom Immoralearningswalla, my second cousin thrice removed (each time by the immigration authorities) maintains, lead to a flight of the rich from the country, taking their investments with them. Which will, of course, affect the plan to grow Britains economy.

One Cabinet appointment that I shall be watching out for is that of the foreign secretary. The shadow post was held by David Lammy, who didnt oppose the Tory pro-Israeli stance even as the slaughter of civilians in Gaza proceeded.

Labour later retracted. Will he be confirmed as foreign secretary and will that, with Labour s huge majority, result in suspension of arms sales to Israel? There will be so many watching this space.
by Steve Suwannarat

Repression continues after Hun Sen relinquished power to his son, with ten environmentalists convicted of lese-majeste and one of two remaining independent unions targeted by the authorities. The lack of charisma of the young heir seems to have be fuelling corruption and abuse of power.

Phnom Penh (AsiaNews)  Almost a year since Hun Manet took over as prime minister from his father, Hun Sen, following the elections of 27 July 2023, thus ending the 43-year reign of the Hun senior, political repression continues in Cambodia with opponents, human rights activists, bloggers, and trade unionists tried, convicted, and jailed or sent into exile.

The latest case was reported two days ago, when 10 members of Mother Nature Cambodia (MNC) were given sentences ranging from six to eight years. The environmental group is committed to protecting the environment and supporting the rights of local communities.

As in previous cases, the lese-majeste law was used. Ostensibly designed to protect the dignity of the Royal House, it has been employed by the governing Cambodian People's Party to enforce its rule

Three activists were handed down the highest penalty, while seven others were convicted of conspiring against the state. Seven of the accused were under age at the time of the alleged offences.

Filing for an appeal is unlikely to overturn a ruling critics call politically motivated, intended to further intimidate every form of dissent.

Any hope raised by Hun Manets rise to power (in elections without opposition) for improvements in human rights and civil liberties have been largely dashed. The only progress reported has been in economic development and foreign investment.

Lacking his father's charisma and the fear he imposed in country, Hun Manet has had to extend the existing patronage system to build consensus around him, at the cost of greater corruption and abuses of power, including cracking down on dissent and censoring information before it reaches Cambodians.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights yesterday condemned the court decision, warning that the use of the lese-majeste law to criminalise freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association are incompatible with Cambodia's obligations under international law, in particular the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which the country is signatory.

Before the authorities went after the environmental group, they also targeted one of two surviving independent unions, the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL), for a report released on 4 June on freedom of association in the garment industry.

This sector is crucial for the countrys economy, but with the complicity or negligence of big international brands that localised production in the Southeast Asian country, the authorities have clamped down on workers trying to uphold laws and regulations protecting their rights in accordance with recognised standards.

The union's white paper, which is also critical of the International Labour Organisation's programme to improve conditions in Cambodian factories, is under investigation by the Ministry of the Interior.
Yesterday more than 200 rocket attacks from Lebanese territory across the border in response to the killing of a movement official. About 95,000 people in Lebanon and 60,000 in Israel have been displaced for nine months. 8,700 hectares burned in northern Israel, about 4,000 in the Land of the Cedars. Fear of a large-scale conflict with "catastrophic" effects.

Beirut (AsiaNews) - The south of Lebanon is burning, as are large areas across the border in Israel. It is an emergency that has been going on for some time on the border between the two countries, where a bitter clash is taking place between the pro-Iranian Shiite militias of Hezbollah and the army with the Star of David.

It is a reflection of the continuing war in Gaza launched by the Jewish State against Hamas in response to the 7 October attack, now in its ninth month and with no real prospect of a truce, much less peace, in a Holy Land that is bloodied and increasingly on fire.

On the contrary, yesterday alone, the Lebanese movement launched over 200 rockets and drones across the border in response to the killing of one of its commanders, resulting in the death of an Israeli officer. The attacks also triggered a new series of fires, confirming a highly critical situation.

The clashes between the fighters of the Lebanese 'Party of God' and the Israeli military are at the origin of the numerous fires that are spreading along and across the borders and engulfing entire areas of forest or arable land, depriving the local population of one of the few resources with which they have been able to survive until now.

Although the conflict between the parties has not yet escalated into open warfare, the fires - exacerbated by supply shortages and security fears - have consumed thousands of hectares of land in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. And in a short time they have become one of the most visible signs of the escalation of the conflict.

The widespread belief is that a large-scale conflict could have 'catastrophic' consequences along both sides of the border, causing 'irreversible' damage. In Israel, images of fires caused by Lebanese militia rockets have provoked public outrage, with the Minister of National Security, the ultra-right-wing Itamar Ben-Gvir, going so far as to declare that "it is time for all of Lebanon to burn".

The fires in the Land of the Cedars started at the end of April, well before the usual fire season, and devastated largely rural areas along the border. Among the hardest hit areas is the Sunni town of Chebaa, where Hezbollah's presence is almost non-existent. Another area affected is the slopes of Mount Meron, Israel's second-highest mountain and home to an air base, where once there was a forest of native oaks, a dense thicket that offered shelter to wild animals, gazelles and rare species of flowers and fauna.

Today, the verdant slopes are interrupted by flames and scorch marks - the largest several hundred square metres - the residue of a Hezbollah explosive drone shot down a few weeks ago. Park rangers fear the devastation has only just begun.

"This year's damage is a dozen times worse," said Shai Koren, of the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority's northern district. Looking at the slopes of Meron, the expert continued, it is very likely that the forest will not survive the summer.

Since the beginning of the war, the army with the Star of David has traced more than 5,450 launches towards northern Israel. According to the Israeli think-tank Alma Research and Education Center, most of the first launches were short-range anti-tank missiles, but Hezbollah's use of drones has gradually increased over time. In Lebanon, officials and human rights groups accuse Israel of firing incendiary white phosphorus shells at residential areas in addition to regular artillery bombardments and air strikes.

The exchanges have intensified since the beginning of May, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government launched its offensive in Rafah, in the south of the Strip, a period that coincided with the beginning of the hot and dry season, which favours even large-scale arson attacks. In more than two months, Hezbollah attacks have burnt 8,700 hectares in northern Israel, according to the Israeli Authority for Nature and Parks. In southern Lebanon, on the other hand, about 4,000 hectares have been burnt due to Israeli attacks, according to George Mitri of the Land and Natural Resources programme at Balamand University.

In the previous two years, the total area of Lebanon burned annually was 500-600 hectares, while security problems hamper the response in the crucial early hours of a fire. In addition, firefighting aircraft are largely grounded for fear of being shot down by enemy-launched rockets.

On the ground, firefighters often cannot move without an army escort, while some 95,000 people in Lebanon and 60,000 in Israel have been displaced for nine months. Prime Minister Netanyahu has declared that as the fighting in Gaza subsides, Israel will send more troops to the northern border; a dramatic and worrying scenario, because it risks opening a new and devastating front and increasing the risk of even more destructive fires.
Today's news: the Philippines and Japan are about to finalise a mutual security agreement; In Myanmar thousands displaced by heavy rains; Israel approves new illegal settlements in the West Bank; Niqab banned In Dagestan.

HONG KONG

At the trial of the 47 members of the pro-democracy movement already convicted for organising the primary elections on charges of 'subversion', the lawyer of Joshua Wong - one of the most notorious activists in prison since 2021 under the security law imposed by Beijing in 2020 - asked for his sentence to be mitigated. Under the draconian rules it ranges from three to 10 years in prison for those found to be active participants in the conspiracy, but could go up to life imprisonment for 'major offenders'.

PHILIPPINES - JAPAN

Negotiations between Tokyo and Manila on a mutual defence agreement are close to conclusion, diplomatic sources said. Under the pact, which will be finally signed on 8 July, the armed forces of the two countries will have access to each other's territories. The Philippines has intensified ties with countries in the region to counter China's aggression in the South China Sea.

MYANMAR

In Myanmar, the civilian population is forced to evacuate not only because of the fighting but also because of the increasing intensity of the monsoons: this week, 23,000 people fled their homes following heavy rains that caused the Irrawaddy River to overflow and several landslides, which in turn killed at least 35 people, aid workers reported.

INDIA

Guru Bhole Baba, who led a religious ceremony in which more than 120 people died from the stampede, denied any responsibility, pledging to cooperate with the police in the investigation. The guru's lawyer stated that the stampede occurred 'because of some anti-social elements' who were organising a 'criminal conspiracy'. In India, the incident, during which mainly women and children died, raised questions about the lack of security measures.

RUSSIA - PAKISTAN

Meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistani Prime Minister Shebhaz Sharif proposed overcoming the current difficulties in bank payments by returning to relations based on barter as in the days of the USSR in the 1960s, when Pakistan imported machinery from Russia, delivering textiles and hides in exchange.

ISRAEL - PALESTINE

The Israeli government has approved 5,295 new housing units among the settlements (illegal under international law) in the West Bank, said the Israeli NGO Peace Now, according to which the new approvals will further fuel tensions. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in 100 settlements in the West Bank and this year alone Israel has declared about 23.7 square kilometres of territory as its own, an unprecedented figure, the NGO stressed.

RUSSIA

The administration of the Mufti of Dagestan has decided on a fatwa against the niqab, which until now had been considered unnecessary on a general level, while now a "new theological concept" linked to the "exclusion of any possible threat" has been approved by the civil authorities and also by representatives of the Orthodox Patriarchate.
After a Las Vegas toddler suffered a deadly stroke in what doctors described as "one of the worst cases" of abuse, police identified his mother's boyfriend as his alleged killer.

Christian Moniz Rabino, 28, has been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse in connection with the death of 17-month-old Kai Tesoro, according to police, KLAS-TV, KVVU-TV and the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

It's unclear if Rabino entered a plea to the charges.

Kai was unconscious when first responders transported him to a hospital June 1.

Doctors got authorities involved when they noticed the toddler suffered from alleged "bruising to his head and a fracture to his right leg," in addition to several brain bleeds "caused by a large amount of force" sustained through "non-accidental trauma," court documents read, according to KLAS.

Doctors noted Kai suffered a "massive stroke" allegedly caused by violent shaking and abuse.

He was removed from life support and succumbed to his injuries five days later at the hospital.

During police questioning, Kai's mother allegedly claimed her son had fallen off a bed and bumped his head days before calling 911. Rabino alleged Kai "had not been feeling well" and "had a fever," according to the documents.

A witness later allegedly told police Rabino convinced Kai's mom not to call 911 immediately following the boy's injuries and that she was lying to cops about his fall in order to protect herself.

The witness also alleged Rabino abused his girlfriend.

Kai's mother later accused Rabino of becoming "frustrated with [Kai's] inability to walk on his own and [slammed Kai's] feet first on the floor," documents read, the outlet reported.

Steve Tesoro, Kai's paternal grandfather, said Kai donated his organs before his death.

"Kai is a true hero; his Aloha and spirit will continue to live on," Tesoro wrote, according to a GoFundMe campaign description. "Kai was a joyful and spirited child who brought immense happiness to everyone who knew him, bringing instant smiles to those he met. All he ever wanted was love. He will forever be his daddy's 'Fat Boii.'"
Excise tax reforms probably on agenda

09:40, July 05, 2024 By Liu Zhihua and Zhu Wenqian ( China Daily

Consumers shop at domestic beauty brand Huaxizi's store near the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in December. (Photo/China Daily)

Implementation of excise tax reforms in China will likely be part of the country's broader efforts to promote a new round of reforms of the fiscal and taxation system, experts said on Thursday.

They said more endeavors are needed to rationally allocate the expenditure responsibilities of the central government and local governments while curbing those unnecessary and ineffective local government investments, therefore facilitating fiscal balance toward a more sustainable and healthy status.

Their comments came after some market observers said they expected China will advance excise tax reforms, as the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee will focus on further deepening reform and promoting Chinese modernization.

Excise taxes, sometimes referred to as "sin taxes", are indirect levies imposed by tax authorities on the consumption of specific products or services considered to be harmful to consumers' health and the environment, or luxury goods.

In China, excises apply to 15 types of products such as tobacco, alcohol, high-end cosmetics, and refined oil, and tax revenues derived wholly belong to the central government.

Fu Yifu, a researcher at the Star Atlas Institute of Finance, said excise taxation can help improve industry structure, promote healthy and green consumption manners, and narrow income gaps between certain groups.

In addition, reform measures currently being discussed by market observers could help local governments increase revenues if implemented, Fu said.

In 2019, a reform plan released by the State Council clarified the directions of excise reform and asked to move the collection of excise taxation from the production and import link to the wholesale and retail link, and "stably" allow local governments to have related revenues.

A recent macro research report by Guotai Junan Securities predicted that reforms of excise taxation will likely expand the items subjected to the tax and adjust excise tax rates during the process of promoting the taxation on the sales links, allowing local government to retain some of the revenues.

However, Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, said: "Such reform measures need time to get implemented, because they will largely expand the number of payers of excise taxes, and therefore impose higher tax collection efficacy requirements on tax authorities. Besides, allowing local governments to levy excise taxes on some items, such as tobacco, will likely encourage the production of these products, offsetting efforts to curb such undesirable consumption."

Shi Zhengwen, director of the Center for Research in Fiscal and Tax Law at China University of Political Science and Law, said it is likely that more products with intensive carbon footprints will be subject to excise taxes, while such taxes on some products will be lowered or removed to promote consumption upgrades.

Experts also said solving fiscal challenges facing some local governments should not be the main purpose of excise tax reforms.

Luo said what is more important now is properly allocating expenditure responsibilities between the central and local governments.

Qiao Baoyun, dean of the China Academy of Public Finance and Public Policy at the Central University of Finance and Economics, said local governments should curb ineffective investment to improve their fiscal status, rather than trying to increase revenue to support unreasonable spending.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Breaking news Houston Chronicle

A Harris County deputy shot a man Thursday afternoon at a gas station on the northwest side, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on X.

The 47-year-old man is expected to be survive.

Sheriff's deputies responded to a commotion outside the Shell gas station at the intersection of FM 1960 and Ella Boulevard, Gonzalez said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

A man had been waving a handgun and threatening people at the gas station, prompting multiple calls and complaints to authorities, Assistant Chief Tommy Diaz at a news conference Thursday evening.

Upon arrival, units attempted to make contact with the man who brandished his gun, said Senior Deputy Thomas M. Gilliland in an emailed statement.

The man pointed his handgun at the deputy, who then shot him, Diaz said. The shooting took place at around 2 p.m. inside the gas station.

"We got several calls about this man waving a gun, pointing a gun, engaging with different drivers," said Diaz. "We do want to make sure that if you called in, please call us back so we can take your information and get a statement from you."

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

There were no reported injuries to any deputies or other civilians, Diaz said.

Only one shot was fired, he said. The man was transported by EMS to a local hospital, Gilliland said, and deputies applied life saving measures until the EMS arrived. The man had been shot in the hip area.

The 27-year-old deputy has been on the force for five years, Gilliland said.

This man is also wanted in separate disturbance where he pointed a handgun at motorist, Gilliland said.
5 July 2024 19:00 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

Azerbaijan is actively restoring and revitalizing its economy in the territories liberated from occupation, particularly in Garabagh, directing all state resources and capacities toward establishing local economies at the most modern standards. This effort is a pivotal focus area under the "Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development" program, emphasizing the implementation of the Great Return initiative. The government is creating conducive conditions for returnees, concurrently clearing mines, developing modern infrastructure, and stimulating economic activities. These initiatives form the cornerstone of the government's economic policy objectives.

Before the occupation, Garabagh and its surrounding regions were distinguished by their significant potential in tourism and recreation. However, challenges related to security and the disruption of infrastructure resulting from the Armenian occupation hindered tourism development, underscoring the sector's importance as another key goal in the government's economic policy.

The reintegration of liberated territories into Azerbaijan's overall economy following the victory will significantly bolster the country's development by leveraging new international and regional transportation and logistics corridors. This framework aims to enhance regional stability, prosperity, mutually beneficial cooperation, and the development of economic and trade relations, further solidifying Azerbaijan's position as a leading state in the South Caucasus regional economy.

President Ilham Aliyev's opening of the "Garabagh" and "Palace" hotels in Khankendi and the "Isa Bulagi" leisure center in Shusha on July 5th underscores the government's commitment to this sector.

In his comment to Azernews on the issue, Goydeniz Kahramanov, Chairman of the Association of Azerbaijan Tourism Agencies, emphasized the critical importance of opening new hotels, launching airports, constructing logistics facilities, and developing railways and highways for the tourism sector.

"Reconstruction efforts are crucial as tourist numbers increase and interest in this region grows. Currently, two out of three airports in Garabagh are operational: Fuzuli and Zangilan airports, with plans underway to open the Lachin airport by year-end. This indicates our desire to welcome not only local citizens but also international tourists in the future."

Garabagh boasts rich tourism potential across various sectors including ecotourism, mountain tourism, winter tourism, hunting tourism, and health tourism, which will actively attract tourists. Highlighting the region's tourism prospects, Goydeniz Kahramanov underscored ongoing restoration efforts aimed at harnessing these opportunities.

"In general, the tourism prospects of the liberated territories are incredibly vast. Currently, reconstruction is ongoing in these areas. During the war, Armenian forces heavily mined these territories, and now cleanup and restoration efforts are underway. I have personally visited these regions several times; there are areas and cities where not a single building is safe. Nevertheless, restoration work is progressing rapidly, and we anticipate seeing tourists there in the future. Significant efforts are being made in this regard, and I believe we will soon welcome foreign tourists to this area."

Kahramanov also noted that Azerbaijani citizens now have increased travel options to Shusha and Lachin.

"Residents can travel to these regions by purchasing tour packages through tourism companies, which include overnight stays in hotels. Additionally, through the 'Our Way is to Garabagh!' portal, citizens can travel independently under the condition of returning by evening. I expect this number to gradually rise, and we must be prepared for it. Visitor satisfaction is crucial to us, necessitating meticulous preparation in this sector. New hotels, guesthouses, highways, railways, and airports should be fully equipped and aligned with our aspirations."

It's noteworthy that the establishment of new hotels ahead of the COP29 event scheduled for November this year is commendable. The tourism sector, including the hospitality industry, is fully gearing up for COP29.

During the ceremony where hotels awarded stars under the National Star Classification and the unveiling of the National Reservation Platform, Fuad Nagiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency, emphasized the agency's special focus on sustainability in tourism.

"Since last year's end, we've been a proud destination partner of the World Travel and Tourism Council. This partnership also allows us to participate in the 'Sustainable Foundations for Hotels' program, covering 12 essential hotel operational areas."

This year, the State Tourism Agency officially joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, signing a memorandum aimed at supporting sustainable tourism development, aligning global sustainability standards with national practices, and implementing international criteria in Azerbaijan.

Nagiyev highlighted the importance of integrating sustainability into hotel operations, urging the industry to address contemporary challenges and draw from international best practices.

"Our primary objective is to elevate the hotel industry's role in hosting international events like COP29 at the highest standards."

"As part of COP29 preparations, hotels and other accommodations are listed on an official unified online reservation platform for the centralized lodging of future attendees. The tourism and hospitality sectors are fully prepared for the event," Nagiyev affirmed.

He expressed optimism that hotels striving for star ratings will soon achieve recognition alongside those already accredited.

"Regional star classifications will continue. I must emphasize that the hotel industry has shown exemplary social responsibility throughout the pandemic and the Patriotic War, steadfastly supporting national initiatives. We're confident they will spare no effort in upholding our country's reputation during COP29," Nagiyev concluded.

Additionally, Azerbaijan is committed to ensuring that Garabagh and surrounding areas fully benefit from tourism opportunities, including ensuring security, facilitating the return of residents, and creating infrastructure. This will restore Garabagh's historical grandeur while establishing modern infrastructure and unleashing the tourism potential.

Within a short period, the "Garabagh" and "Kharybulbul" hotels have already opened in Shusha. Additionally, restoration and repair work has begun on Yukhari Govhar Agha, Ashaghi Govhar Agha, and Saatli mosques in Shusha, as well as the Vaqif Poetry Days and "Kharybulbul" festival. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation's pivotal role in restoring cultural activities in the region is undeniable. The construction of three airports in Garabagh is also strategic.

All these efforts will facilitate more comfortable and convenient travel for tourists, including local and foreign, interested in visiting the cultural capital of Shusha, the pristine nature of Kalbajar, and the ecotourism opportunities and thermal resort of Istisu.

In conclusion, the development of tourism infrastructure in Azerbaijan's recently liberated territories, including Garabagh, has been a pivotal focus for the country's economic and cultural revitalization efforts. Following the successful military operations in 2020 that resulted in the liberation of these regions from Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan has embarked on extensive reconstruction and development initiatives.

These efforts aim to restore and modernize local economies, create sustainable livelihoods for returning residents, and capitalize on the rich tourism potential of the area. The upcoming COP29 event in November 2024 serves as a significant milestone, showcasing Azerbaijan's readiness to host international events and highlighting the strides made in the tourism sector.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 12:04 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Shahin Read more

The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) presents an excellent opportunity to enhance cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel on climate issues.

Azernews reports that Yoav Bistritsky, Deputy Ambassador of Israel to Azerbaijan, stated this on his account on the 'X' social network.

'COP29 is an excellent opportunity to expand cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan on climate change issues. We participated in an online meeting of experts from both countries, where we discussed similar desertification problems and possible solutions,' he said.

#COP29 is a great opportunity to expand the cooperation between Israel  and Azerbaijan  on the issues of climate change. Yesterday, we joined an on line experts meeting from both countries to discuss the similar challenges of desertification and possibe solutions.  Yoav Bistritsky (@YoavBistritsky) July 5, 2024

The diplomat emphasized that the Israeli side plans to organize parallel events during the climate conference scheduled to take place in Baku.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 15:41 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Shahin Read more

The Chamber of Accounts recommended that the State Oil Fund (SOFAZ) strengthen coordination with the State Oil Company (SOCAR) and Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC).

Azernews reports that this recommendation is included in the Chamber's Opinion on the implementation of the Fund's 2023 budget.

"The document noted discrepancies between Azerbaijan's share of hydrocarbon production forecasts and performance indicators, emphasizing the need for enhanced coordination with SOCAR and AIOC in determining production forecasts."

The Chamber of Accounts proposed that SOFAZ establish a new liquid portfolio.

"Given increased uncertainty in currency auctions, timely fulfillment of obligations (transfers to the state budget), additional costs (purchase costs, realization of potential losses), and risks (difficulties in meeting benchmarks), creating a new liquid portfolio to manage liquidity corresponding to potential demand within the sub-portfolio is deemed appropriate," the document stated.

"Due to the differing characteristics of private equity investments (liquidity, long-term holding) compared to shares, consideration should be given to segregating the private equity sub-portfolio from SOFAZ's general equity portfolio and placing it in a separate sub-portfolio."

Furthermore, the Chamber emphasized the need to finalize benchmarks that fully reflect the Fund's objectives for private equity investments, considering their illiquid nature.

"Given the time required to construct targeted sub-portfolios, as well as efforts to select and approve suitable benchmarks, final approval of benchmarks for sub-portfolios and their inclusion in relevant regulatory acts governing the Fund's activities should be addressed."

Additionally, the Chamber stressed the importance of exploring sectors with long-term growth potential to adapt to uncertainties and evolving trends in global real estate markets.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 17:00 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Shahin Read more

Azerbaijan and Iraq have recently agreed to hold the next business forum in Baku.

Azernews reports that Azerbaijan's ambassador to Iraq, Nasir Mammadov, shared this information on X.

He mentioned having a meeting with Abdul Razzaq al-Zuheyri, Chairman of the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce:

'We discussed the current state of economic relations between our countries, explored opportunities for enhancing cooperation in trade, and as well as promoting mutual investments. We agreed to hold in the near future the next Azerbaijan-Iraq business forum in Baku."

It's worth noting that the first Azerbaijan-Iraq business forum took place in December 2023 in Baghdad, as part of the 3rd meeting of the joint commission on economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation between the governments of Azerbaijan and Iraq.

At a meeting with the Chairman of the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce, Mr. Abdul Razzaq al-Zuhairi, we discussed the current state of #economic relations between our countries, explored opportunities for enhancing cooperation in #trade, as well as promoting mutual pic.twitter.com/VhBs2vMHSn  Nasir Mammadov (@nasir_mammadov) July 5, 2024

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 12:23 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

The Azerbaijan Culture Ministry has announced a grant competition for promotion of cultural and creative industries for non-governmental organizations, Azernews reports.

The main goal of the competition is to develop cultural and creative industries, as well as cultural and innovative society, in the direction of the implementation of the Action Plan of the Socio-Economic Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2022-2026, approved by the relevant presidential decree.

It is the implementation of projects that meet the challenges of the modern era, including modern, stable and multilateral cooperation, and increasing the role of civil society organizations in this process.

The participant of the competition must be a non-governmental organization registered in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The project proposal should be implemented in the territory of Azerbaijan, covering a maximum period of three months. A maximum of AZN 30,000 financial resources can be allocated to one project proposal.

You can apply for the competition in electronic form on the grants.culture.az resource until August 2.

Questions about the grant competition can be addressed to the e-mail address [email protected] or to the Hotline of the Culture Ministry (Tel: 147).

----

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

The Scientific-Methodical and Specialization Center of the Culture Ministry presents the project "Theater from Generation to Generation" project, Azernews reports.

Within the framework of the project, the first seminar themed "Create Your Own Theater" will be organized on the small stage of the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theater on July 9.

The artistic director of the Azerbaijan State Pantomime Theater, People's Artist Bakhtiyar Khanizade will discuss socio-economic and artistic-conceptual aspects, tradition, modernity, new creative trends, etc. with young people.

The project aims to contribute to the development of the theater process in Azerbaijan by creating a platform of ideas and experiences between generations, applying modern international trends to the theater, increasing interest in this field, attracting young people and forming an active creative environment.

Continuous organization of interactive meetings with theater artists is planned within the project "Theater from Generation" seminars.

----

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 11:23 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

Armenia needs a new Constitution, Azernews reports, citing Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as he addresses to the public on Constitution Day.

He highlighted that the Constitution represents a collective agreement among citizens regarding the country's rules, rights, and responsibilities.

The prime minister stressed that the term "sovereign" in the Constitution signifies that the people of Armenia are sovereign not only in a legal sense but also, following the 2018 revolution, in a practical sense.

"The existing Constitution generates significant social and psychological tension among citizens," Pashinyan said. "Due to well-known reasons, Armenians today do not believe that the current Constitution represents their vision of societal and national rules. Instead, they perceive it as a document crafted and enforced by the ruling elite."

He emphasised that Armenia requires a new Constitution that the people will consider their own, one that reflects their ideas about the country and their relationship with it.

"We need a new Constitution that will be organically connected with its creatorsthe people," Pashinyan said.

He also mentioned that the issue of a new Constitution often becomes a topic of speculation.

However, the prime minister underscored the importance of ongoing efforts to enhance the institutional, psychological, and physical stability of the country. He urged a focus on the interests of the people of "true Armenia," who founded the Republic of Armenia as a means to secure freedom, prosperity, happiness, and security within internationally recognised borders.

The constitution in Armenia serves as the fundamental legal document that outlines the structure of government, defines the rights and responsibilities of citizens, and establishes the framework for the operation of state institutions. It is considered the supreme law of the land, guiding the country's political, social, and legal systems.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

Yesterday, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit commenced in Astana, under the presidency of Kazakhstan. The summit could be a pivotal event in shaping geopolitical processes, and the main agenda of the summit was the discussion of the "Eurasian security system."

It is worth noting that Russia's proposal on this topic is viewed as a significant step in the establishment of a more multipolar world order. Azerbaijan's participation in this important event carries great political significance for Baku.

It should be noted that this Organisation encompasses 40% of the world's population, making it a major global force. On the other hand, rebuilding the international security system, shattered after the Russia-Ukraine war, and transitioning from a unipolar to a multipolar world system hold great importance. The SCO currently stands as one of the main centres of this multipolar world. Azerbaijan's participation at this level in the SCO summit also reflects its gravity and importance among global powers.

It is important to highlight that the competition worldwide between the West and the East has intensified in recent times. Azerbaijan is one of the rare states desired for partnership by both sides. Thus, the Western and Eastern Fronts are actively working on developing close cooperation with Azerbaijan.

In particular, Chinese and Russian leaders attach special importance to their bilateral cooperation with Azerbaijan. Chinese leader Xi Jinping's high regard for Azerbaijan and inviting President Ilham Aliyev to his country attest to this.

Additionally, the development of relations between the two countries is evidenced by the "Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the development of Trans-Caspian International Transport Routes for the China-Europe Railway Express," as well as the "Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the National Development and Reform Commission of the Peoples Republic of China on the joint acceleration of the formation of a cooperation plan for the Belt and Road Initiative."

It should also be noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed global and regional issues with the Azerbaijani leader, particularly focusing on transport corridors. All these interactions can be seen as indicators of Azerbaijan's global influence.

The fact that world leaders specifically discussed transport corridors with President Ilham Aliyev underscores the importance attached to Azerbaijan's position on this matter.

Furthermore, the trilateral meeting of Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Pakistan in Astana is very significant in terms of ensuring security in the Central Corridor geography by these decisive countries.

It is worth noting that for the first time, the SCO Forum was held in the format of a meeting of the heads of state of SCO member states and the format of the "SCO Plus" meeting.

During the SCO Heads of State Council meeting, the Astana Declaration and three statements by the heads of state, including initiatives on "World Unity for Just Peace, Harmony, and Development," and "Enhancing SCO," were also adopted.

The event was attended by the heads of state and government of Kazakhstan, India, Iran, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, the UAE, Turkyie, and Turkmenistan, as well as SCO Secretary-General Cjan Min.

The special invitation of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to this event and the great importance given to the strategic partnership of Azerbaijan in mutual meetings also indicate that Azerbaijan will be accepted as a full member of the SCO in the near future. In the true sense of the word, this is an immeasurable success for Azerbaijan and is a serious impetus for future strategic steps.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 10:13 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the ceremony to reopen the "Garabagh" hotel in the city of Khankendi after its major overhaul and restoration, Azernews reports.

Head of the President's Administrative Services Department Ramin Guluzade informed the head of state and the accomplished works.

The hotel was commissioned in the mid-20th century. In 2023, following the complete restoration of Azerbaijans territorial integrity through 24-hour anti-terrorist measures, President Ilham Aliyev instructed the commencement of renovation and reconstruction works at the hotel. Subsequently, these works successfully restored the building to its original appearance.

The hotel regained its former name and will operate under the name " Garabagh". The modern hotel boasts all amenities for the comfort of guests visiting Khankendi. The hotel has rooms of different categories, as well as a restaurant. It will be able to host business meetings and events.

Landscaping works were also carried out in the hotel premises.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
From left, Nadine Craddick, State Representative Tom Craddick, and Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick, share a laugh with Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (foreground left) during the Permian Basin Petroleum Association's Top Hand award banquet honoring S. Javaid Anwar at the Petroleum Club. James Durbin / James Durbin Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick, talks with Kristin Schmidt before speaking at the Women's Energy Network luncheon. Tim Fischer, Chief Photographer / Midland Reporter-Telegram State Rep. Tom Craddick talks with Scott Speed, P.E., Odessa District Engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, during the Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance annual meeting at the Odessa Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. In background is Nadine Craddick. The Oilfield Photographer Inc. / The Oilfield Photographer, Inc. Texas Rep Tom Craddick talks about the importance of expanding the health care needs of the Permian Basin with the new Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center on Midland College campus Physician Assistant program during a ground breaking ceremony. Tim Fischer, Photographer / Midland Reporter-Telegram Flaring on a site near Orla, Texas. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Texass most powerful family in oil and natural gas does not hold the most number of shares or mineral rights in the Permian Basin; they hold sway through elected office.

Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick and her father, State Rep. Tom Craddick, make or break companies and determine the future of Texass energy industry. And through their fundraising and asset trading, they blur the lines between politics, business and personal profit, according to a new watchdog report.

The Craddicks and their allies insist they are doing nothing wrong. They do what Texas officials have always done: protect and promote one of the states most important industries. Critics at the new watchdog group Commission Shift, though, say thats precisely the problem.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In my opinion, Christi Craddicks most nefarious move was blocking efforts to rename the Railroad Commission to the Texas Energy Commission. The three commissioners do not regulate railroads, they oversee the exploitation of fossil fuels, and they take advantage of the misnomer.

The anachronistic name allows them to win election to six-year terms without most voters understanding what they do. To win, commissioners rely on party affiliation and campaign donations from the oil and gas industry. They can remain in office indefinitely.

Commissioners rarely must answer questions from outside the industry or feel the need to justify their behavior. How many other agency heads, for example, get to write their own regulations, send out their own inspectors and then act as prosecutors, judges and juries when a company or landowner breaks the rules?

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

How many state officials get to own stock and other assets in the industry they oversee? Or personally profit from the decisions they make in their official duties?

Christi Craddick bought, sold or held 46 oil and gas stocks in 2020, according to Commission Shifts analysis of personal financial disclosures and campaign finance reports. She also owned mineral interests in 140 properties.

Railroad commissioners should recuse themselves from decisions where they might have a personal or a private interest. Craddick has only recused herself twice since taking office in 2015.

She has, however, made rulings in cases involving companies in which she held stock. In one case, a staff-recommended fine of $529,000 on a company in which she owned stock disappeared without explanation, according to the Commission Shift report. She has repeatedly overseen cases involving campaign donors.

Christi Craddick has also made real estate deals with people she regulates. An oil and gas executive sold her a house when his company went bankrupt rather than list it on the open market. Tax officials then slashed the property tax valuation 23 percent while Austin real estate was going through the roof.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

My personal financial statements are fully disclosed to the letter of the law and publicly accessible, Craddick explained in a statement. Texas Ethics Commission laws ensure transparency of our public officials and maintain the publics trust in our ability to appropriately govern, and I take these laws seriously.

Craddick has long controlled the commissions agenda. After fellow Republican Ryan Sitton accused her of running a dictatorship, he lost the next primary to a first-time politician whom Craddick supporters backed.

My favorite moment, though, came in front of a legislative hearing into the February Freeze. Craddick did not defend Texas consumers but instead made a full-throated and somewhat misleading defense of companies who flubbed gas supply. But they have financed her campaigns.

Christi Craddick came to the industry through her father, a former speaker of the Texas House who has represented the Permian Basin since 1968. Fellow Republicans ousted him from the speakership in 2009 for his dictatorial ways, but he remains a driving force on the House Energy Resources Committee, which oversees his daughters work at the Railroad Commission.

Between Christi Craddicks graduation from law school in 1995 and her election in 2012, her fathers political action committees paid her $1 million for consulting work in addition to the $680,000 she mainly earned from oil and gas lobbying. He then donated $600,000 to her first campaign.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

None of this is illegal. Id like to tell you the quantity of the Craddicks oil and gas interests, but the Texas Ethics Commission reporting requirements are almost useless. We do know enough, though, to say they make their fortunes from oil and gas.

Commission Shift has many good ideas for overhauling ethics guidelines, but Im not holding my breath. The Legislature will not rename the agency, let alone reform it.

The commission, though, will become more critical as climate change worsens. Instead of industry boosters, we need regulators who will oversee the winding down of oil and gas production. We need commissioners who will make sure taxpayers do not pick up the tab for abandoned wells and other environmental problems. We need elected officials who are not captive to the industry.

Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and politics.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

twitter.com/cltomlinson
5 July 2024 11:14 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the inauguration of the Shusha water treatment plant complex, Azernews reports.

Chairman of the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency Zaur Mikayilov briefed the President on the project.

Through the Emergency Measures Program, water supply to Shusha was restored on November 25, 2020.

To maintain water quality in Shusha, the existing water treatment plant was reconstructed under the Emergency Measures Program, increasing its capacity from 2,000 to 5,000 cubic meters per day. The plant now processes water meeting all quality standards, ensuring continuous supply to over 3,500 residents, workers, and visitors.

Future plans under the project include constructing a modern water treatment plant to sustainably supply Shusha with 8,000 cubic meters per day, along with three water reservoirs totaling 6,000 cubic meters. Construction of one reservoir is currently underway.

The head of state saw the footage of the works accomplished at the Shusha water treatment complex.

A project has been developed to reconstruct water supply, sewage, and storm water systems in line with Shusha's development plans until 2040, aiming to meet the city's average daily water demand of 105 liters per second. Drinking water will be sourced from existing Small Kirs and Zarisly sources, as well as the Zarisly River reservoir.

According to the city's Master Plan, the project includes constructing 24 kilometers of main water lines, 44 kilometers of drinking water pipelines, 42 kilometers of sewage networks, and 41 kilometers of storm water networks. An 8,000 cubic meter reservoir will be built to treat and neutralize city wastewater, maintaining environmental integrity by diverting treated water to the Karkar River. The newly developed infrastructure in Shusha will operate on a "Smart Water" system. Additionally, the extraction of water from the source, its transportation, reservoir levels, hydraulic regimes, and other processes will be regulated online through SCADA systems.

President Ilham Aliyev officially launched the Shusha water treatment complex.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 11:37 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan issued joint statement on Thursday on the trilateral meeting of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Turkiye and Pakistan held in Astana, Azernews reports.

The statement reads: H.E. Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkiye, and H.E. Shahbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan met in Astana on 3 July 2024 on the side-lines of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

In the trilateral summit, relations among, Azerbaijan, Turkiye and Pakistan as well as regional and global matters, such as Gaza, Cyprus, Kashmir, Islamophobia, were discussed.

The Azerbaijan-Turkiye-Pakistan trilateral cooperation process, which held meetings at the level of Speakers of Parliaments and Ministers of Foreign Affairs previously, would also meet at the level of state leaders. Their common will to develop opportunities for cooperation among the three countries was also affirmed.

It was agreed that strengthening of trilateral cooperation among Azerbaijan-Turkiye-Pakistan would not only contribute to prosperity of the peoples of the three countries, but also serve to promote regional and global peace and stability.

The three countries expressed their support for prioritizing dialogue among relevant countries in conflict resolution, in line with principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The importance of cooperation among the three countries in combating transnational threats, particularly in the fight against terrorism, and joint resolution of this matter was also reaffirmed.

Subsequent meetings of the trilateral cooperation process would be held in all the three countries, namely Azerbaijan, Turkiye and Pakistan.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 15:57 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has left for a business trip to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

Within the framework of the visit, the head of state will participate in the informal Summit of the Turkic States Organization (TSO), which will be held in Shusha on July 5-6.

It should be noted that the agenda of the summit, focusing on "Establishing Sustainable Future through Transport Connectivity and Climate Action," includes deepening regional cooperation in the fields of economic-commercial, transport-communication, and investment-finance sectors, as well as issues related to "green economy," renewable energy, combating climate change, and human capital development.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 18:20 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

A conference titled "Confronting the Landmine Challenge: Environmental Implications and Policy Responses" was recently held in Brussels, organized by the Brussels Diplomatic Academy with support from the Azerbaijani Embassy, Azernews report.

The event aimed to explore the environmental and socio-economic impacts of landmines, and to discuss effective policy responses and best practices in demining efforts.

The conference brought together representatives from mine-affected countries including Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Chad, and Colombia, along with donor organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations Development Program. Experts, members of the diplomatic corps in Brussels, and over 50 participants from academia and business circles also attended.

Vugar Suleymanov, Chairman of Azerbaijan's Mine Action Agency (ANAMA), addressed the audience, highlighting Azerbaijan's challenges with landmines and their severe impact on lives, health, and the environment. With Azerbaijan set to host COP29 in 2024, Suleymanov stressed the global humanitarian and ecological significance of addressing the environmental consequences of landmines.

Samir Poladov, Deputy Chairman of ANAMA, detailed Azerbaijan's efforts in demining, including methods employed and ongoing restoration and reconstruction initiatives in liberated territories.

The conference also featured a special ceremony recognizing Belgium's new 250,000 contribution to Azerbaijan's humanitarian demining operations through the APOPO NGO. Representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belgium and Azerbaijan, alongside APOPO, underscored the importance of such contributions in tackling this critical issue.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 10:18 (UTC+04:00)

Iranian companies intend to build large hydraulic structures in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Azernews reports.

After the meeting of the head of the department Nurzhan Nurzhigitov with the Minister of Energy of Iran Ali Akbar Mehrabian.

"Ali Akbar Mehrabian said that Iranian companies intend to implement large-scale projects in Central Asia and, in particular, in Kazakhstan, for the construction of hydraulic structures similar to the Bakhtiari hydroelectric power plant, one of the largest dams in the world," the message reads.

Also, according to the Kazakh press service, Mehrabian stated Iran's readiness to provide Kazakhstan with modern technologies for transporting irrigation water.

Nurzhigitov, in turn, noted that such projects are necessary for the southern regions of Kazakhstan - Zhambyl, Kyzylorda and Turkestan regions and invited Iranian companies to the republic for negotiations, the ministry said.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 19:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Governments of Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan are consulting with the NATO leadership on the creation of a permanent cooperation structure between the four countries and the North Atlantic Alliance, Azernews reports.

According to her, high-ranking representatives of the four countries, including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yun Seok-yeon, will take part in the NATO summit to be held next week in Washington.

It is assumed that a separate meeting of the "quartet" will be held on the sidelines of this meeting to discuss the issue of strengthening the system of regular contacts and cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance. According to the newspaper, US President Joe Biden may take part in this meeting for a short time.

Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan have the status of permanent partners of NATO, they have representative offices in Brussels at the headquarters of the alliance. The armed forces of individual NATO countries have recently been regularly participating in joint military exercises, in particular with Australia and Japan, in the Asia-Pacific region.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 18:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

Saudi Arabia's national oil company Saudi Aramco has lowered selling oil prices for buyers in Asia for August, Azernews reports.

According to the information, the price of Arab Light oil for Asian buyers has been reduced by 0.6 dollars per barrel. Thus, the price turned out to be $ 1.8 higher than the regional benchmarks of Oman/Dubai.

At the same time, traders expected a decrease in the cost of Saudi oil for Asia by 0.9 dollars per barrel, the agency reports.

In June, OPEC+ countries set quotas for oil production until the end of 2025. A number of countries that have carried out additional production cuts have decided on a partial phased restoration of oil production as part of voluntary reductions from October 2024. This decision led to a drop in the price of Brent crude oil to its lowest level since February due to concerns about weak demand growth.

Later, representatives of Saudi Arabia stressed that OPEC+ countries will continue to monitor market conditions and may refuse to increase production. Oil prices subsequently recovered after a period of recession.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
5 July 2024 20:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan has published a draft decision on signing a memorandum between the governments of Kazakhstan and Pakistan, Azernews reports.

According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, the memorandum will create a legal basis for the joint participation of the armed forces of Kazakhstan and Pakistan in UN peacekeeping operations.

According to the draft document, the deployment period of the joint peacekeeping unit will be determined by the relevant UN bodies for each specific mission.

The organizational structure and staffing of the joint unit will be determined in a technical agreement concluded for a specific UN mission.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
A coffee drink at Kohiko Kirby Betancourt

Nicolas Tanaka, a barista since his college days, has spent hours balancing art and science while perfecting his latte art skills.

Its an obsession, said Tanaka, 26, who won national competitions crafting intricate floral-shaped designs with milk foam.

This focus and passion led Tanaka to opening Kohiko, a Japanese coffee shop in Sugar Land, 4617 Austin Parkway, which celebrated its grand opening Friday.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The cafe serves classic espressos and macchiatos, but sets itself apart with house-made syrups ranging from brown sugar and black sesame to banana and orange used in a variety of Japan-inspired drinks.

Latte art was another way to express myself, Tanaka said. Its also a service. You can make someones day by serving them something beautiful.

HOUSTON EATS: The Chronicles top 100 restaurants

Tucked inside a strip center, Kohiko is an airy corner space that Tanaka said he wanted to feel welcoming even though it is decorated sparsely enough to please a disciple of Marie Kondo.

Six forest green cubicles are designed for customers focused on working or people who are more introverted.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

But creating a community space was important to Tanaka, so he added seats at a counter where its easier to chat with other customers and baristas. Theres also a communal table and a small couch for groups.

An espresso machine finished with oxidized copper and reddish-brown brass is the focal point of the 1,040-square-foot space. Its also where most of the drinks are made except for some premium teas and pour-over coffees.

Specialty drinks at Kohiko include the Okinawa Latte, left, and matcha lattes. Kirby Betancourt

During Kohikos soft opening phase, the most popular drinks popping up on social media were signatures like the Okinawa Latte.

Tanaka, whose family has Okinawan roots, said the drink was inspired by a trip his family took to the Japanese island last year to spread his grandfathers ashes. He added that his grandfather, who owned a hair salon for decades, influenced his work ethic.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The Okinawa Latte features an Okinawan brown sugar called kokuto  which is widely used in Japanese cooking  blended with black sesame, espresso and milk. It has a balanced savory-and-sweet flavor.

Another popular order is the matcha latte, which can be modeled off the military latte made popular by Sawada Coffee in Chicago. The brown and green colors come from combining coffee and matcha. House-made syrup can be added, but its nothing like a saccharine Starbucks drink once it is stirred and sipped.

We have lots of chains and boba shops in Sugar Land, said customer Ariel Tran, who visited on a recent weekend. But there isnt any place really like this around here.

MORE FROM BAO ONG: New Phat Eatery Woodlands builds on chef-owner Alex Au-Yeungs legacy of showcasing Malaysian food

Nicolas Tanaka of Kohiko in Sugar Land Kirby Betancourt

In 2003, the Tanaka family moved from Irvine, Calif., to Sugar Land because of Tanakas fathers job with Continental Airlines. Tanaka said he hated coffee and was more of a tea drinker.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

While studying photography at the University of Houston, however, Tanaka worked on a project profiling the citys coffee shop scene because he was drawn to how people congregated in those spaces.

One day while taking photos at BlendIn Coffee Club in Sugar Land, a barista handed him a macchiato and Tanaka said he politely drank it even though it tasted bitter. He later gifted a framed photo to the shops owner, who invited him to take class with other baristas.

Tanaka grew to love coffee and was hired at BlendIn, where he worked until the pandemic hit in 2020. He eventually won latte art competitions in 2021 and 2022 at major coffee festivals.

When his sister, Krystal Tanaka, was working on her MBA at Rice University, she suggested they work on a business plan to open a coffee shop as part of an entrepreneurship class.

Tanaka agreed partly because his colleagues at Alphalete, an athleisure brand where he still works today in the creative department, pushed him to open a shop. He was popular in his office for brewing the best cups of coffee.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The project became a spark for my dream, said Tanaka, about opening Kohiko.

Kohiko in Sugar Land is inspired by Japanese coffee houses

Like many social media-savvy Gen Z-ers, Tanaka has shared a seemingly earnest behind-the-scenes look into Kohikos successes and challenges so far.

Before the opening, he posted clips chronicling the construction work, including when he helped break down walls and swept the floors. There have been Instagram stories of customers lining up out the door, but also of Tanaka reminding people of where they should and shouldnt park their cars.

He openly shares thoughts on feeling nervous and grateful since opening Kohiko.

The original goal was to make at least $500 each day to pay rent, baristas and expenses, but so far, the shop has exceeded that amount, Tanaka said.
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
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.
What can a Labour-led government do for the economy in NI?

With partys promises of responsible management and growth strategies, the new Chancellor is facing fiscal challenges, writes James McNaney

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer with incoming Chancellor Rachel Reeves (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

James McNaney Fri 5 Jul 2024 at 03:00

The economic outlook facing incoming Chancellor Rachel Reeves seems a lot more daunting than that which greeted her Labour predecessor Gordon Brown when he took charge at HM Treasury in 1997.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer are cheered at a watch party for the results of the 2024 General Election in central London, as the party's landslide win became clear

The head of the NI Chamber has said a reset is required with business ready to work with Northern Irelands new MPs, and the incoming Labour government.

The Labour Party, led by Sir Keir Starmer, won a landslide victory in the General Election, with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) hailing the win as bringing a new era of stability.

In Northern Ireland, there are new faces in constituencies including Fermanagh and South Tyrone, North Down, Lagan Valley, South Antrim and North Antrim.

Suzanne Wylie, chief executive at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber), said business was ready to work with the latest intake.

She said: On behalf of NI Chamber, we congratulate Northern Irelands newly elected MPs. We look forward to continued and extensive engagement with local MPs, working in partnership with them to help create optimum conditions for business and economic growth in Northern Ireland.

We also congratulate the next UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and intend to work closely with his government to advance the priorities of Northern Irelands business community, as laid out in our own business manifesto.

She said priorities included a new, long-term fiscal framework for Northern Ireland and measures to improve the regions competitiveness.

But she said change was required as business battles with deep-rooted problems. Our members report that rising costs, skills shortages and infrastructure gaps are contributing to a challenging trading environment, so a reset is required.

"It is imperative that the new UK government plays its part in those policy, funding and legislative interventions which will enable growth here.

"They need to get to work quickly, working closely with business to understand Northern Irelands unique challenges and strengths so they can help the region double down on its many areas of success and ensure that NI becomes known around the world as a hub for innovation and sustainable growth.

Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), congratulated the Labour Party on its decisive victory, and the winning MPs of all parties.

The clear result of the General Election gives hope that political stability can lead to economic stability and recovery.

Theres a golden chance in the first 100 days of this new administration to plant the seeds of small business growth, and there are a range of policies FSB hopes the new Government will bring forward.

These include measures to ease the cost of doing business and support investment and expansion. From tackling poor payment practices by big businesses to their smaller suppliers to reforming the not-fit-for-purpose business rates system.

The upcoming Kings Speech should include a Small Business Bill to enshrine in legislation much-needed changes to better support small firms and the self-employed.

Supporting and growing small businesses is good for jobs, good for communities in all parts of the country, and good for the whole economy.

She said the FSB looked forward to working with the new government. This will ensure that the small business voice is heard clearly and the right actions can be taken to support existing entrepreneurs and encourage new ones.
Damon Albarn spoke of the healing nature of music as Blur received an O2 Silver Clef award (Ian West/PA)

Damon Albarn has praised the healing nature and magic of music as Blur received the O2 Silver Clef award for outstanding achievement.

The award was presented to Blur by UK music charity, Nordoff and Robbins, which Albarn praised for helping people to find that path through the dark forest into music.

Blur were one of the premier bands of the Britpop era, releasing their debut album, Leisure in 1991, before rising to fame with the number one album, Parklife, in 1994.

Last year, the band reunited after an eight-year hiatus, to release their ninth album, The Ballad Of Darren, and play two sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium.

Blur won the O2 Silver Clef award for outstanding achievement (Ian West/PA)

Albarn told attendees: Weve heard some really beautiful sentiments expressed about the healing power and the magic of music.

I wonder, if you were in this room and you had no idea the language thats been spoken, so you could only hear it in cadences and meters, what you would think?

And I imagine youd be a bit bewildered, but youd still kind of get the impression that you were listening to music.

So I think Nordoff and Robbins is  a force for good.

It kind of allows people who, maybe, have a difficult route into music to find that path through the dark forest.

Its a great honour to be here.

He went on to say he hated not seeing instruments being played, and encouraged attendees to pick up the flutes, triangles, and bells which had been placed on their table, creating a noisy end to proceedings.

Albarn took to the stage alongside bandmates, Graham Coxon, Alex James, and Dave Rowntree, who failed to be selected after standing as the Labour candidate for Mid Sussex at the General election on Thursday.

The Silver Clef has previously been won by the likes of David Bowie, Ed Sheeran, Roger Waters, Sir Paul McCartney, George Michael, Annie Lennox, Dame Shirley Bassey, Kylie Minogue, Stormzy, the Rolling Stones, Oasis and Coldplay.

Other winners at the event at Londons Grosvenor Hotel included Chaka Khan, AC/DC and Jessie Ware.

Nordoff and Robbins is the UKs largest music therapy charity, and uses trained music therapists to help people living with autism, dementia, learning difficulties, brain injuries, life-limiting illnesses, mental health challenges, and grief and trauma.

The event raised more than 760,000 for the charity.
Nigel Farage gave a 100% promise to rid Reform UK of bad apples, as multiple protesters disrupted an event designed to celebrate the partys election performance as it gained five MPs.

The Reform UK leader walked on stage to lights and dance music, then faced a barrage of heckles from protesters in the audience as he tried to start a speech in central London to mark what the party described as a political earthquake.

He suggested one of the protesters had had a bigger lunch than I have, and that another was at risk of having a stroke before questioning if they were actors, a nod to a Reform canvasser filmed using a racial slur to describe now former prime minister Rishi Sunak.

Mr Farage accused a man who interrupted his speech of being steaming and shouted boring! nine times as a second heckler started speaking.

He told his partys supporters: This is good preparation for the House of Commons I suppose, isnt it? Its going to be very lively in there.

When Mr Farage asked: Any more for any more? there was a long pause before a man shouted: Actually yes.

Mr Farage added: We havent organised this very well, have we?

All heckling members of the audience were escorted out of the Westminster venue.

The chaotic scenes took place at an event where Mr Farage, the new MP for Clacton, was joined by his fellow parliamentarians as Reform secured five seats in the Commons.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

Lee Anderson defended Ashfield while party chairman Richard Tice secured Boston and Skegness and former Southampton FC chairman Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth, both at the expense of the Tories.

Then later on Friday, Reform candidate James McMurdock won the seat of Basildon South and East Thurrock with a majority of just 98 votes from Labour.

While Reform UK was formed in 2018, Mr Farage has sought to become an MP multiple times without success.

He was a member of the European Parliament for 20 years, during which time he campaigned fiercely for the UK to leave the EU.

Reform had an early boost in several constituencies where they took second place, pushing the Tories into third.

Mr Farage said: We bite our nails, as they await a recount in Basildon South & East Thurrock in the hope they would secure a fifth seat.

He said proportional representation in the voting system would have meant Reform looking at nearly 100 seats, adding the outdated first-past-the-post electoral system is not fit for purpose.

After claiming the General Election showed there was absolutely no enthusiasm for Sir Keir Starmers Labour, Mr Farage reiterated his partys ambitions to act as the opposition to the new Government.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

Mr Farage said: We are going to be the opposition around the country.

He added: Above all what were going to do from today is were going to professionalise the party, were going to democratise the party, and those few bad apples that have crept in will be gone, will be long gone, and we will never have any of their type back in our organisation.

You have a 100% promise on that.

During the press conference he also said that vetting candidates is easy and that most racism in British politics is in the Labour Party.

Asked how he would vet Reform candidates properly going forward, including for racism, he said: Very easy. You go back through their social media records, you obviously do police checks and things like that, no, its not difficult to do it and the message has to be clear and simple.

We dont want anyone like that involved with us. Indeed I mean the racism problem in the Labour Party was enormous, but to Keir Starmers credit actually he did quite a lot by getting rid of Jeremy Corbyn, who ironically has been re-elected.

Theres an awful lot we can do. There is plenty of racism in British politics, its mostly in the Labour Party.

Mr Farage said he was not going into Westminster to behave terribly but would challenge conventions after being elected as an MP for the first time.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage during a press conference in Westminster, central London (Tejas Sandhu/PA)

Asked how he would democratise Reform UK and shake up Westminster from the inside as a disruptor, he said he did not know whether his party would have the power to change the systems and that being a disruptor can be considered negative but could be a very positive context because it sparks a very, very different debate.

But were not going in to behave terribly or anything like that, but certainly going in to challenge conventions and certainly going in believing that the broad church that is the Conservative Party that currently has no religion, simply wont be able to provide any sort of challenge at all.

And we may be fewer in number but were absolutely united in what we believe in and what we stand for.

He also said Reform UKs constitution would get put fully to the conference.

Mr Anderson claimed he would be looking at Sir Keir Starmers Government in the Commons and thinking what has our country come to.

The Reform UK MP said the UKs Prime Minister and his motley crew absolutely scares me to death, Im going to be sat on the green benches next week looking at them and thinking what has our country come to.

Mr Farage said Reform UKs focus will be on going after Labour votes.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage arrives for a press conference in Westminster, central London (Tejas Sandhu/PA)

He said: Old Labour was very, very patriotic. It believed in the country. It believed in its people. New Labour far less so.

And the journey that Lee Anderson has been on is a journey that at least a couple of million people have been on, and itll be many, many more by the time were finished, because no doubt, our priority now is to go after Labour votes. That is what were going to be doing.

Mr Farage has said he is launching criminal legal action against Colin Bloom of Vetting.Com as he vowed to professionalise Reform UK.

Facing a question about the racism row engulfing the party, its leader again blamed the firm it contracted to vet candidates.

He also said: I made it clear that Ukip would be a non-racist, non-sectarian party, and in the end it was.

I will jolly well make sure, starting today, that we do not want people with desperately unpleasant views. We will not tolerate people with these views. They will be gone.

And well have the funding after this, well have the support coming in to be able to absolutely professionalise the party. This will never happen again.

He laughed and said stitch-up merchants as he was asked a question by Channel 4 News.

The Reform UK leader has launched a series of attacks against the broadcaster after it reported that a canvasser for his party had used racist language.

Channel 4 then asked him about the leadership and direction of the party, to which he responded that he would stay at the helm but indicated that by the 2029 election somebody younger and better-looking will have come along.

As the event ended, the audience of about 100 people gave a round of applause, Mr Farage, Mr Tice, Mr Anderson and Mr Lowe then posed for photos before leaving.

Afterwards, Mr Anderson called hecklers who interrupted the event professional nuisances.

He added: I think they need to get a job.
A thief who chased and attacked a man in Belfast after trying to steal his watch by sleight of hand has been jailed for six months.
Boaters enjoy time on Lake Conroe in 2022. Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens are investigating a Fourth of July drowning on Lake Conroe in the Sam Houston National Forest after a woman fell off a boat near the Scotts Ridge Boat Ramp in Willis. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens are investigating a Fourth of July drowning on Lake Conroe in the Sam Houston National Forest after a woman fell off a boat near the Scotts Ridge Boat Ramp in Willis.

Kyle Macmeekin, 29 of Spring, was driving the boat when the woman fell off and was arrested for boating while intoxicated.

A second man, Shane Anniboli, 44 of Montgomery, who was driving another boat and was helping with the search for the woman, also was arrested for boating while intoxicated. Both men are being held the Montgomery County Jail.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

"The investigation is still ongoing," said Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon. "But at this point, it appears what we have are two drivers charged with boating while intoxicated and a lady who lost her life in a mishap on the lake. This is the perils of being on a boat drinking all day, the perils of being on a crowded lake. These are the things we hope to avoid every summer when we are trying to let people know how deadly the roads and lakes are."

Ligon said it is unclear how the woman ended up in the water.

According to information from Montgomery County Precinct 1 Marine Division, dispatchers received a 911 call around 9 p.m. Thursday.

First responders with Precinct 1, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Montgomery County Hospital District, North Montgomery Fire Department and the Conroe Fire Department responded to the scene.

After several hours of searching, the unidentified woman was located around 11:30 p.m. and pronounced dead on the scene. The investigation is ongoing.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The drowning is the first on Lake Conroe after law enforcement officials urged drivers and boaters to use caution during a multi-agency press conference May 22.

Precinct 1 Constable Philip Cash said Lake Conroe boaters should utilize life safety equipment whenever on a boat or in the water.

No matter your expertise in the water, personal floatation devices save lives, Cash said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

While law enforcement focuses heavily on those driving while intoxicated, officials also noted that drowning and heat-related deaths are also serious concerns during the peak summer season.
Conor Murphy has called on unionists to become involved in conversations around the future of the island as Sinn Fein wins the most seats in Westminster of all the Northern Ireland parties.

The party retained all seven of their seats in the overnight count, while the DUP dropped three and now hold five overall.

Speaking to Good Morning Ulster, economy minister Mr Murphy said: "The result confirms the degree of change that's been happening for a number of years.

"What we want to see is a structured dialogue of what the future holds. That's one where everyone has a say and their rights protected.

"We can't not recognise the change that's happening. We want to see an Irish Government involved to structure that dialogue. I get that is a conversation that does concern some but putting our head in the sand does a disservice to the entire community.

"I would hope that more people from the unionist population become involved in that discussion, make sure that their voices are heard and make all the rest of the people on the island shape the future in a positive way. They have an important voice to be heard and we want to make sure they're involved."

Sinn Fein were close to snatching East Londonderry from the DUP's long-standing MP there, Gregory Campbell. Kathleen McGurk eventually fell 179 votes short after a recount.

"We were very close in East Derry and I've no doubt that will come again for us," Murphy said.

"That has been growing for sometimes a little under the radar. There were more wards added in from the Derry side and Kathleen was a great candidate.

"We quietly knew that was a prospect and she was incredibly close.

"Maybe not a sense that the seat was there for the taking worked against us. We look forward to future gains in that constituency."

In a statement on Friday morning, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said it was time to prepare for a new future together on this island.

The voters have now spoken, and I am delighted that Sinn Feins seven MPs have been returned for another term, Ms McDonald said.

"No matter what background or community people come from, Sinn Fein MPs will work hard every day to deliver on the things that matter to workers, families and businesses in every community, she said.

From day one, we will be knocking on the door of the British government to demand that they stop their disgraceful underfunding of our public services and of the executive here. It is now time to move forward to a new and better future.
Sinn Feins John Finucane has appealed to the incoming Labour government to invest in Northern Irelands public services as he was re-elected in North Belfast.

He said he was very humbled and grateful to have been re-elected, after winning 17,674 votes  a drop on his vote share in 2019 and 2017.

Four-and-a-half years ago, I stood here as the first Irish republican to win the seat in North Belfast, he said.

It was a momentous occasion on that day, and on that day I made a commitment to the people of North Belfast that I would be there to work for each and every single person in that constituency.

A constituency that I love, a constituency that I was born in, and have raised my children in and I care deeply about. And I am proud to say I have lived up to that commitment, that without fear or favour, my office has and will continue to work for every single person in North Belfast.

He said that during the campaign, people had indicated they are fed up with the underfunding for public services inflicted by a cruel and malicious Tory government who tonight, were finally seeing the back of.

He appealed to the incoming Labour government to resource Northern Irelands public services before Christmas and to see through investment in Casement Park and the A5.

Mr Finucane thanked all the other candidates who ran in the constituency, as well as their families.

The DUPs Phillip Brett got 12,062 votes, David Clarke of the TUV got 2,877 votes; People Before Profits Fiona Ferguson received 946 votes, Nuala McAllister of the Alliance Party got 4,274 votes; the Greens Mal OHara received 1,206 and the SDLPs Carl Whyte got 1,413 votes.
A Twelfth of July parade in Loughgall. Pic: Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph

Thousands of marchers will take to the streets of Northern Ireland for the Twelfth of July parades on Friday.

Bands and marchers will march at 18 locations across all six counties to mark the 334th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.

The locations include Belfast, Killylea, Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Cloughmills, Ahoghill, Broughshane, Gilford, Newtownards, Ballynahinch, Annalong, Irvinestown, Londonderry, Moneymore, Benburb, Newtownstewart, Ballygawley and Derriaghy.

Police are advising motorists that some traffic disruption is to be expected due to a number of parades planned throughout the day.

Officers will be on the ground to accommodate the flow of traffic in all locations on the day and to avoid potential delays.

Road users may wish to seek another route if not attending a parade.

The PSNI issued the following traffic and travel advice below for a number of parades:

Annalong, Co Down

The district parade will commence in Kilkeel on Friday between 10am to 10.30am and will walk out along the coast road to Annalong.

This route will bring in Greencastle Street, Bridge Street and Newcastle Road before making its way to Ballymartin and Annalong to the demonstration field at Hillmount Park.

Following a service and refreshments in the demonstration field, the return parade will move off at around 4pm.

Lodges and bands will parade through Annalong to Ballymartin with a Kilkeel parade forming up at Mill Road junction taking in Newcastle Street, Bridge Street, Newry Street then Harbour Road, Harbour Drive and Knockchree Avenue to Kilkeel Orange Hall.

This is expected to disperse around 6.30pm.

Also on Friday, at around 11pm, Mourne Young Defenders will parade from Newcastle Street to Bridge Street, Newry Street to Ben Crom, Harbour Road to Harbour Drive, Greencastle Street, Knockchree Avenue, Harbour Drive, Knockchree Avenue and Greencastle Street, finishing at the Orange Hall around midnight.

Ballynahinch, Co Down

Local lodges and bands will assemble on Friday at around 11.15am taking in Dromore Road, Antrim Road, Dromore Road, Dromore Street, High Street, Main Street and Belfast Road.

The main demonstration is expected to start at 12pm along Belfast Road, Main Street, High Street, Church Street, Church Road and Spa Road.

Following refreshments and a service in the demonstration field from 2pm, the return parade will leave at around 4pm following the same route.

Ballynahinch District will then parade back to the Orange Hall from 5.30pm along Harmony Way, Windmill Street, High Street, Dromore Street and Dromore Road. Dispersing at around 6pm.

Killylea, Co Armagh

The main parade is scheduled to move off from the assembly field on the A28 Killylea Road from around 10am making its way to the demonstration field via Main Street to the demonstration field by 1pm.

The return parade is scheduled to move off from 2.45pm along the same route.

There will be no through traffic on the A28 Killylea Road at Killylea village between 9am and 6pm.

The Killylea Road between the Ballycrummy Road/Killylea Road junction and the Knappagh Road/Killylea Road junction will be affected until 6pm with diversions in place.

Traffic travelling from Armagh to Caledon should travel via Cathedral Road, Battleford Road and Knappagh Road.

Meanwhile, traffic travelling to Armagh from Caledon should travel via the Coolkill Road, Middletown and Monaghan Road.

A map of this year's parades

Gilford, Co Down

The main parade is scheduled to move off from the assembly field on the Lurgan Road at around 12pm making its way to the demonstration field at 1.45pm.

The route takes in High Street, High Street, Dunbarton Street, Mill Street, Bridge Street, Wall Road and Scarva Road leading to the demonstration field.

The return parade is scheduled to move off at around 4pm, parading back to Lurgan Road. Local lodges will turn at the square at Mill Street to Bridge Street and Stramore Road.

The return parades should take around 90 minutes.

Parking is located on Gilford's Scarva Road with limited parking also off the Lurgan Road close to the assembly field.

Moneymore, Co Londonderry

The main parade is scheduled to move off from the Desertmartin Road assembly field at around 11.30am making its way to the demonstration field. Delays should be expected from around 10am.

The route takes in Station Road, Lawford Street, High Street, Stonard Street, Bridger Street and Moneyhaw Road leading to the demonstration field.

The return parade is scheduled to move off at around 3.30pm, parading back to Desertmartin Road.

The return parade should disperse at around 5pm.

Benburb, Co Tyrone

The main parade is scheduled to assemble from around 11.30am from Benburb Community Playing Fields.

At around 12.30pm, the parade will makes its way along Drumgose Road, Derryfubble Road, Main Street and into main demonstration field on Clonfeacle Road.

At approximately 4pm, the return parade will leave the main demonstration field and proceed along Main Street, Benburb and Drumflugh Road into Benburb (former) primary school. It is expected to disperse at around 5.30pm.

Ballygawley, Co Tyrone

The main parade is scheduled to assemble from around 11am as participants and supporters arrive to assemble at Church Street in preparation.

At approximately 12pm, the parade will leave Church Street and proceed along Main Street, Old Dungannon Road, Dungannon Road, Ballygawley Roundabout and Omagh Road, into main demonstration field at Ballygawley roundabout) for a service.

At around 3.30pm, the parade will leave the main demonstration field and proceed on its return journey and towards Church Street and Grange Road for dispersal at around 5.30pm.

There will be parking restrictions along the parade route.

Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh

Delays are expected from 10am as participants and supporters arrive to assemble at Castle Irvine Estate (Necarne Castle) in preparation.

At approximately 12pm, the parade will leave the estate and proceed along Castle Street, Mill Street, Main Street (left hand side), Fair Green Street, Kesh Road and to the demonstration field opposite Kesh Road/ junction of Moneykee Road.

At approximately 3pm, the parade will leave the demonstration field and proceed on its return journey. It is expected to disperse at around 5.30pm

There will be parking restrictions along the parade route.

If travelling between Omagh to Enniskillen, road users may wish to seek another route if not attending a parade.
Jim Wells: 'Last night was absolutely disastrous for the DUP'

A former DUP MLA has described the election as absolutely disastrous for the party.

Jim Wells was DUP MLA for South Down from 1998 to 2022.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, he said: Last night was absolutely disastrous for the DUP, they lost three seats and very nearly lost four with Gregory Campbell only winning by 200 votes."

Mr Wells said the partys downfall is thanks to their reaction to issues around the protocol.

"They sold a document to the public that they knew didnt meet the seven tests so they could get back into Stormont and they knew they were being untruthful. Gavin Robinson had to admit that the party misled the public, he said.

Despite it being a disappointing election for the DUP, Mr Wells said he doesnt feel unionism is in danger.

The DUP have lost seats but unionism [itself] hasn't lost representation in Westminster, the North Antrim seat went to the TUV and then Alex Easton got the North Down seat from the Alliance which, in a way cancels out the Alliance victory in Lagan Valley, he said.

Mr Wells joined the TUV in 2024. He said he was surprised by how much of the unionist vote the TUV took from the DUP.

It goes to show you that if people are free to vote they will engage with other parties, he said.

When seats were safe unionist seats people moved away from the DUP but in seats where they were up against Alliance or Sinn Fein unionists stayed loyal to the DUP, he said.

Mr Wells admits he didnt expect TUV leader Jim Allister to steal Ian Paisley Jrs seat in North Antrim.

Ill be honest with you - I was really really surprised, someone messaged me at 4am to say Jim won, and I thought they were talking about Jim Shannon and I thought "well, thats hardly front page news" then I realised they were talking about Jim Allister.

I could not believe that. I think it was a surprise for everyone, I didnt predict it and I dont think anyone in the media predicted it, he said.

Mr Wells thinks Allister will excel as an MP. It is surprising, we didnt expect it but he thoroughly deserved the win, he can really make an impact for the people of North Antrim, he said.

He is one of the few politicians that have served as councillor, MLA, MP and on the European Council- there are few politicians that have done that and he truly deserves it, he said.

Mr Allister has been involved in politics in Northern Ireland since the 1970s. He stood for East Antrim in the 1973 Westminster election, narrowly losing out to Roy Beggs.

Jim actually lost by around 400 votes, which was really a knock to his confidence but to come back and take the seat from Paisley you have to admire his stamina and determination.

He will be a real loss in Stormont though, it is going to be hard to find a replacement for him there, Mr Wells said.
The former SAS officer, who as commanding officer of the First Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment is famous for his eloquent address to his troops on the eve of the Iraq War.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Irish premier Simon Harris have committed to reset and strengthen Anglo-Irish relations with urgency and ambition.

The Taoiseach warmly congratulated Sir Keir on his appointment and said he looked forward to having a close and constructive working relationship.

Mr Harris also accepted an invite to visit Downing Street on July 17.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

The Taoiseach and the Prime Minister spoke of their shared determination to reset and strengthen the bilateral relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom and to set about that task with urgency and ambition, a statement said.

They discussed Northern Ireland, welcoming the restoration of the institutions, including the full operation of North-South and East-West Good Friday Agreement institutions, as well as legacy issues.

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly spoke by phone with Sir Keir on Friday where they congratulated him.

Ms ONeill said she raised the need to reset British-Irish relations, funding public services, the redevelopment of Casement Park and the Legacy Act.

I urged the Prime Minister to follow through on his commitments to bin the Tories shameful Legacy Act which has failed victims and survivors, Ms ONeill said.

I will continue to press the British government on the things that matter most people, delivering for public services and all our communities as we engage in the days ahead.

Ms Little-Pengelly said: We raised a number of key issues including the importance of investment to ensure fiscal stability for Northern Ireland.

We also spoke about the benefits of a building a positive working relationship and strengthening the links between the NI Executive and the UK Government moving forward.

Irelands deputy premier Micheal Martin said the Anglo-Irish relationship was both rich and important, after speaking with the newly appointed British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday.

Mr Martin, who is Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the new UK government offered a significant opportunity and that there was much to discuss.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

The relationship between London and Dublin has been under severe strain in recent years.

The turbulence caused by Brexit and the Conservative governments controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles were areas of major tension.

Sir Keir has pledged to repeal the legislation that offered conditional immunity for perpetrators of Troubles crimes.

Today is about looking forward, Mr Harris said at Dublins Government Buildings on Friday morning.

Its about realising the full potential of that relationship between Taoiseach and Prime Minister and between our governments.

Irelands deputy premier Micheal Martin said he had spoken to the UKs new Foreign Secretary David Lammy, pictured, on Friday evening (Lucy North/PA)

I know that Keir Starmer and I share a desire for it to go from strength to strength. It is time for a great reset.

Mr Martin said: I was pleased to speak this evening with the new UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and to congratulate him on Labours election victory and his appointment to his new role.

We agreed that there is now a significant opportunity for a reset of our bilateral relationship.

There is much for us to discuss and I am looking forward to engaging on all these issues with the Foreign Secretary over the period ahead.

Our countries share a relationship that is as rich as it is important. We are near neighbours with close cultural connections. We are significant trading partners with countless family ties, reaching across these islands.

Micheal Martin, pictured, said he had congratulated David Lammy on Labours election victory and his appointment to his new role (Gareth Chaney/PA)

Most critically, together, the British and Irish governments are co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement. I look forward to building on that foundation to ensure positive progress together and to take forward our shared agenda.

On Thursday evening, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said Sir Keir is somebody we have a good relationship with, calling Labours victory an extraordinary outcome.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said that she hopes this new horizon is grasped by the Labour Party, adding theres a lot to be repaired.
Joe Biden has said he is looking forward to working with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ((James Manning/Christopher Furlong/PA)

US President Joe Biden has congratulated Sir Keir Starmer and said he looks forward to further strengthening the special relationship with the UK.

Both the White House and Downing Street have confirmed the two leaders shared a phone call earlier to day where they reaffirmed the special relationship between our nations and the importance of working together in support of freedom and democracy around the world.

A spokesperson in Washington said Mr Biden conveyed that he is looking forward to working closely with Prime Minister on the full range of critical issues that affect our countries and committed to deepening U.S.-UK cooperation in the many areas of our shared interest.

This included reiterating their continued support for Ukraine against Russian aggression and their commitment to protecting the gains of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and working with the leaders of Northern Ireland to create and sustain economic growth and opportunities.

The two leaders said they look forward to meeting at the Nato summit next week.

A Downing Street spokesperson added: The leaders discussed their shared commitment to the special relationship between the UK and US, and their aligned ambitions for greater economic growth.

Discussing geopolitical challenges, the leaders reiterated their steadfast commitment to Ukraine and the Prime Minister underscored that the UKs support for Ukraine was unwavering.

The Prime Minister said he looked forward to working side by side across the breadth of the relationship, including the Aukus partnership and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. The leaders reflected on their shared commitment to protecting the gains of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

The Prime Minister and President looked forward to seeing each other at the Nato Summit in Washington next week.

Sir Keir Starmer took the keys to Downing Street on Friday after voters handed Labour a landslide victory in the General Election, ending the partys 14-year hiatus from power.

He will take over from Rishi Sunak, who will vacate No 10 after the Conservatives suffered a crushing defeat.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Biden wrote: Congratulations to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

I look forward to our shared work in support of freedom and democracy around the world, and to further strengthening the special relationship between our two countries.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

Just days after his appointment, Sir Keir will be propelled onto the international stage, jetting to Washington DC for the Nato leaders summit, where discussions will include support for Ukraine.

The Labour leader may hold bilateral meetings with both President Biden and Ukraines Volodymyr Zelensky.

Democrat Biden is trying to secure a second term in power, with the 2024 election set for Tuesday, November 5.

The winner will serve a term of four years in the White House starting in January 2025.
Sir Keir Starmer said it was time for us to deliver as results in the early hours of Friday pointed to a landslide Labour victory in the General Election.

Speaking after his re-election as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, the Labour leader said: Tonight people here and around the country have spoken and they are ready for change, to end the politics of performance, a return to politics as public service.

The change begins right here, because this is your democracy, your community and your future.

You have voted, it is now time for us to deliver.

Exit polls on Thursday night suggested a thumping Labour victory, with the party on course to scoop 410 seats and secure a majority of 170, just less than the majority of 179 won by Tony Blair in 1997.

But early results suggested the final total could be even higher, as the party retained seats such as Barnsley North and Hartlepool that the exit poll had projected would fall to Reform UK.

While it may not be the majority of more than 200 predicted by some polls in the run-up to election day, it is still a stunning recovery from 2019, when Labour suffered its worst defeat since the 1930s and many commentators believed it would take at least a decade for the party to recover.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

Former party leader Lord Neil Kinnock described the projected landslide as the biggest comeback since Lazarus.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner told Sky News she thought the Conservatives were being punished for the past 14 years, but stressed the results were not in yet.

The party made early gains across the Midlands and North, securing seats such as Darlington  which was one of the constituencies lost to the Conservatives in 2019, and the bellwether seat of Nuneaton where Labour wiped out a Tory majority of more than 13,000.

It is also on course to make significant advances in Scotland, with a Labour source suggesting the party was doing well in Glasgow and regaining Paisley from the SNP, the seat formerly held by SNP deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black.

Former journalist Paul Waugh won back Rochdale for Labour from George Galloway, who took the seat in a shock by-election result in February.

Labours Bridget Phillipson became the first MP elected in the 2024 General Election, holding Houghton and Sunderland South (Owen Humphreys/PA)

But not everything was going Labours way.

A close-fought battle in Islington North saw former leader Jeremy Corbyn, now an independent candidate, retain the seat  while shadow cabinet member Thangam Debbonaire lost Bristol Central to Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer.

In another blow, the partys shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth was beaten by an independent in Leicester South.

Labour won the first seat of the night shortly after 11pm on Thursday, with shadow education secretary holding on to Houghton and Sunderland South, doubling her majority and increasing her vote share while the Conservatives slumped to third place behind Reform UK.

Ms Phillipson said in her victory speech: Tonight the British people have spoken, and if the exit poll this evening is again a guide to results across our country as it so often is, then after 14 years the British people have chosen change.

They have chosen Labour and they have chosen the leadership of Keir Starmer. Today our country with its proud history has chosen a brighter future.
A member of the armed services on the deck of Vanguard-class submarine HMS Vigilant, one of the UKs four nuclear warhead-carrying submarines (Danny Lawson/PA)

Within hours of entering Downing Street, Sir Keir Starmer will be confronted by probably the most daunting of all his new responsibilities  deciding what should happen if the UK is wiped out in a nuclear attack.

After greeting staff at Number 10, he will be briefed in a secure room by Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, and Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the Chief of the Defence Staff, on Britains nuclear capabilities and what damage a Trident missile can do.

He will then be given some paper and some envelopes, and left alone to write the infamous letters of last resort.

Since the early 1970s, each of the UKs nuclear-armed submarines has carried one of these four, identically worded, letters written in the Prime Ministers own hand setting out what the boats captain should do if a nuclear strike has destroyed the UK and there is no one left to authorise the launch of Trident missiles.

According to the historian Peter Hennessy, there are typically four options available to the Prime Minister: retaliate, dont retaliate, place the submarine under the command of an allied nation (usually America or Australia), or the captain of the boat to use his own judgment.

HMS Vigilant, one of Britains four nuclear-armed submarines which each carry a letter of last resort from the Prime Minister (Danny Lawson/PA)

Once written and sealed in their envelopes, the letters will then be taken to the submarine base at Faslane and placed inside a safe, inside another safe in each submarines control room  hopefully never to be opened.

Rishi Sunaks letters will be removed from the safes and destroyed unopened. Nobody knows what orders the letters contained except for the prime minister who wrote them.

In his book The Secret State, Lord Hennessy said the grim briefings on the nuclear option were the moments when a new PM really appreciates what being prime minister really means, especially as few are likely to have given much thought to the letters during the campaign.

Although the briefing occurs within the first few hours of a new premiership, the letters themselves are not always written there and then.

Lord Robin Butler, who as cabinet secretary briefed both John Major and Tony Blair on the letters, told the PA news agency that both men had made their agonising decision slightly later, possibly at Chequers, the prime ministers residence in Buckinghamshire, after they had had time to mull it over and give it some consideration.

Until the new letters are delivered, the previous prime ministers instructions remain in force, particularly for the boat that is on patrol during the transfer of power.

The letters of last resort could authorise a nuclear strike even if London had been destroyed and the prime minister killed (Lockheed Martin)

Lord Hennessy said Sir Tony had been quite exercised that one of the submarines had put to sea just before he became prime minister, and Sir Johns letter would be the ones on board for nearly three months.

Sir Keir declined to answer when asked on the campaign trail whether he had given any thought to what he would put in the letters of last resort.

He said only that it was a matter of high confidentiality and that nobody would expect someone who is serious about being prime minister to disclose the circumstances in which he or she might take action.

Sir Keir has, however, previously said he would be willing to use nuclear weapons if necessary and committed his party to upgrading Britains nuclear deterrent with new submarines after visiting the facility in Barrow-in-Furness where the first of the new boats, HMS Dreadnought, is under construction.
Nancy Holloway walks back to her camp after receiving cold weather essentials by the Star of Hope Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, in Houston. The Star of Hope Love In Action van makes periodic trips out into the city's street homeless population to give out blankets, coats and other cold weather essentials during frigid weather. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Houston police respond to the scene of a fatal shooting at a homeless encampment in west Houston on May 23, 2022. OnScene.Tv

On the longest night of the year, Dec. 21, people gather in cities across the country. They light candles or say prayers or offer stories or simply list their names, all remembrances of people who have died in homelessness.

At Homeless Persons Memorial Day, questions swirl. Mixed with the existential, moral, grief-stricken and unknowable questions are two that, in theory, should have clear-cut answers: Who is dying and how?

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

A team of researchers, officials, and advocates nationwide worked together in 2019 to build a toolkit for cities to answer those questions. Now, a clinical assistant professor on that team, Ben King of the University of Houston, has launched the first annual report on homeless mortality in the state, showing that in Harris County, even as the homeless population shrinks, homeless deaths are up. In 2022, a Harris County resident died in homelessness once every 36 hours on average.

Trove of medical examiner office data

Fifteen years ago, when King was living in Austin, he realized the database used by the local medical examiners office wasnt built to flag such deaths.

So in 2020, when King moved to Houston to work for UH, he instantly saw the opportunity to create a report because the Harris County Medical Examiners Office database did reliably flag homeless deaths. That year, the University of Houston formed a 10-year partnership with the medical examiners office to create annual homeless mortality reports for Harris County.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

For the first time in the state, there would be yearly, methodical analyses of deaths in the homeless community, how people were dying and whether the problem was getting better or worse. The data has the potential to save lives.

I hope housing uses it to advocate for housing, King said. I hope substance use treatment programs use it to advocate for substance use treatment. The American Heart Association can use it to advocate for heart health in extremely low-income communities.

Rise in deaths

The reports have unearthed an unsettling fact: While homelessness in Harris County has gone down dramatically, the number of deaths has risen. In 2011, about 50 people died in homelessness  roughly in line with the two years before and after. Since then, the homeless population has fallen by over two-thirds. But the number of people dying in homelessness has surged.

In 2022, nearly 250 people died without a home. While some of that increase could be related to a change in methodology in 2021, the uptick began years before.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Homeless deaths are rising in Harris County, according to a new annual analysis of homeless mortality. Ken Ellis/Staff

In other words, its becoming much deadlier to live outside or in a shelter.

CATHETERS AND CHEMO WHILE HOMELESS: Houston mans death leaves friends, family grappling with grief

Before King received the data, he expected his analysis would center around cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the world and the U.S.

Until recently, that was also the case among Houstons homeless community. But in recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in overdose deaths. Whats more, the overdoses involved drugs that had not previously been a scourge on the homeless community.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Deaths caused by opioids  primarily fentanyl  and methamphetamine surged in 2020, each implicated in over 50 deaths by 2022. In the years prior, alcohol and cocaine had been the communitys most dangerous substances. Neither had been implicated in more than 20 deaths before 2020.

What hit the east and west coasts over a decade ago is now hitting Houston, King said. And we have the chance to be more proactive, but we have to look at where the system is failing people experiencing homelessness.

Reaching a better understanding

King hopes awareness of the problem will lead to solutions. In the meantime, hes looking for ways to use data to improve further our understanding of whats happening today.



For example, one of the first questions people ask is how mortality rates within the homeless population compare with that of the general population overall. But since the medical examiners office doesnt see everyone who dies, it doesnt know the mortality rate in the general population. To answer that question, King has requested whats known as the death file for the county, which is kept by the state and tracks the overall number of deaths in the county. (The medical examiners office looks into homicides, suicides, accidental deaths and natural deaths that are unobserved or have an unknown cause; King estimates that most homeless deaths are seen by the medical examiners office.)

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

There are also questions about how Houstons homeless response interfaces with people before they die and where things can be improved. Every region that receives U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development homelessness funds has to coordinate the various organizations working to address homelessness by collecting data about their clients and what services they receive. King has been working to integrate that system with health data for years  his dissertation linked Austins Homeless Management Information System to health records.

In Houston, he could imagine working with the Coalition for the Homeless in Houston and Harris County to understand: How many interactions do people who are dying in homelessness have with providers before they pass away? And how do individuals fare after receiving housing?

I think of housing as a health care intervention so the fact that theyre in two different data silos has never made sense to me, King said. Im constantly trying to smush them back together again.

As King worked on his first homelessness mortality report, he found a cheerleader right off campus  Victor, who lived under Interstate 45 at Cullen Boulevard. Victor was very interested in the main drivers of death in the homeless community because he had lost so many friends himself.

He urged King to get the information out to agencies that could use it to save lives as soon as possible rather than going through the lengthy peer-review process to publish it in a journal.

As King readied to publish the pilot report, he drove by the underpass. He noticed a constellation of candles and a collection of letters arrayed near one of the bicycles that Victor had fixed up. There was a sign spelling out Victors name and a note on how those mourning could contact his mother.
Labours landslide victory in the General Election, with the backing of just over a third of voters, has thrown into sharp relief the disparity between votes cast and seats won in the UKs first-past-the-post electoral system (Yui Mok/PA)

Labours landslide victory with the backing of just over a third of voters has thrown into sharp relief the disparity between votes cast and seats won in the UKs electoral system.

The UKs Westminster elections are held under the first-past-the-post system, in which 650 MPs are each elected from a geographical area or constituency where they have secured the largest number of votes  whether that is one or 10,000 more than the second-placed candidate.

Critics say this system leads to many wasted votes, where those cast for a losing candidate in a constituency are effectively discounted, as are any votes for the winning candidate above the total they needed to win.

(PA Graphics)

It can lead to swingy results, with the Conservatives storming to victory in 2019 and then Labour winning a landslide in 2024, even though Sir Keir Starmers party has won less than 2% more of the overall vote share than Jeremy Corbyn did five years ago  and fewer votes.

And it makes it hard for smaller parties to get representation in Parliament, if their lower vote share, when spread across constituencies, means they come first in few places and therefore do not secure many seats.

This will be particularly clear in this Parliament where Labour has, as of Friday morning with all but two results declared, secured 63% of the seats in the Commons with 34% of the vote, while Reform UK had gained just four seats, or less than 1% of the total, with 14% of the vote.

The Green Party is another of the smaller parties with the electoral cards stacked against them, also securing four seats with 6.8% of the vote.

Another way to look at it would be that Reform secured just one seat for every million votes cast for the party, while Labour gained an MP for every 23,500 votes it won.

The first-past-the-post system has come under increasing scrutiny as the electorate turns to alternative parties that they feel better represent them, so that while in the 1950s the Tories and Labour between them secured more than 90% of the vote, this year it will be less than 60%.

In this election the Liberal Democrats have seen their vote share and MPs in the Commons pretty much line up, but Sir Ed Daveys party has long advocated for proportional representation which it says would make seats won match votes cast and facilitate politicians having to work together.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for electoral change in the run-up to the General Election (Ian West/PA)

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also called for electoral change in the run-up to polling day, as he foresaw that his partys thin voter base spread across the country would translate into just a handful of MPs.

While Labour is the current beneficiary of the first-past-the-post system, the partys conference backed proportional representation two years ago.

The UK is an outlier in Europe for its first-past-the-post system, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all use different systems from Westminster to elect their representatives to their Parliaments and Assembly, which aim to be more representative.
Newly elected Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer gives a speech at his official London residence at No 10 Downing Street for the first time after the Labour party won a landslide victory at the 2024 General Election. Picture date: Friday July 5, 2024.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Sir Keir Starmer on his election victory and said he hopes they can work towards security and peace after Labour were defeated in several seats by pro-Palestine candidates.

Mr Netanyahu posted on Friday to X: On behalf of the State of Israel, I extend my warm congratulations to (Sir Keir) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

I am confident that we will continue working together to strengthen the historic friendship between the UK and Israel and to advance the twin goals of security and peace.

He also thanked Rishi Sunak for his friendship and support over the years.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

Israeli president Isaac Herzog said he looked forward to working with Sir Keir to bring home hostages taken by Hamas, while also expressing his deepest appreciation and gratitude to outgoing prime minister Mr Sunak.

I send my warmest congratulations to (Sir Keir), Mr Herzog posted to X.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

As he prepares to enter Downing Street as Prime Minister, I look forward to working together with him and his new government to bring our hostages home, to build a better future for the region, and to deepen the close friendship between Israel and the United Kingdom.

Mr Herzog also thanked Mr Sunak for his leadership and for standing with the Israeli people especially during this most difficult period.

In its manifesto, the Labour Party committed to recognising a Palestinian state.

However Sir Keirs position on the Gaza conflict has previously caused unease among some in his party, with the leader facing criticism for not calling for an immediate ceasefire sooner.

Several Labour candidates meanwhile lost to independent challengers campaigning on a pro-Palestine platform.

In Blackburn, Labours Kate Hollern lost to Adnan Hussain, who said in his online statement to voters: I promise to make your concerns against the injustice being inflicted against the people of Gaza be heard in the places where our so-called representatives failed.

In Dewsbury and Batley, independent candidate Iqbal Mohamed, whose key focus areas include a ceasefire and peace agreement in Gaza, beat the Labour candidate Heather Iqbal.

Meanwhile, Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth was unseated by candidate Shockat Adam in Leicester South.

Other world leaders congratulated Sir Keir including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky who described the UK as reliable allies through thick and thin as he wished the incoming government every success.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

Writing on X, Mr Zelensky said: Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin.

We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order.

I wish the incoming government every success both in domestic affairs and in solidifying the UKs leadership on the world stage.

I look forward to working closely together on strengthening the Ukraine-UK partnership and restoring international peace and security.

He added his thanks to his good friend Mr Sunak, as he praised the UK Governments steadfast support under his leadership.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau was among the first to share a message describing Sir Keir as my friend, adding that he hopes to build a progressive, fair future with the UK.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

Congratulations, (Sir Keir), on a historic U.K. election victory, Mr Trudeau posted to X.

Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Lets get to it, my friend.
The King during an audience with Sir Keir Starmer in September 2022 (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Sir Keir Starmer is to become the third prime minister  and the first Labour one  of the Kings reign.

Charless initial premier was Liz Truss, who was already in place when he became monarch in September 2022, but her stint in charge was the shortest in British history.

The King then welcomed Rishi Sunak as his second PM  also a Conservative  in October the same year, just six weeks after acceding to the throne.

The King with Sir Keir Starmer, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, and the then-SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford during an audience after the late Queens death (Jonathan Brady/PA)

When the King meets Sir Keir at Buckingham Palace on Friday to invite him to form a new government, it will be the first time Charles has appointed a prime minister following a general election.

The pair have met on numerous occasions before, and appear to have a warm rapport.

They were seen engrossed in conversation at a reception in St Jamess Palace before the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2023, and photographed exchanging friendly greetings in the aftermath of the late Queens death.

The King and Sir Keir Starmer during a reception at St James Palace in London ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in June 2023 (Aaron Chown/PA)

Sir Keir attended an audience between Charles and opposition leaders just two days after Elizabeth II died.

The King and the Labour leader mirrored each others gestures, both smiling and placing a hand on the others arm as they greeted one another in the Palaces 1844 Room.

In 2021, footage surfaced showing the then-human rights barrister telling a film-maker in 2005: I also got made a Queens Counsel which is odd, since I often used to propose the abolition of the monarchy.

But when Elizabeth II died, he paid a warm tribute, saying in the Commons: For the 70 glorious years of her reign, our Queen was at the heart of this nations life.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and wife Lady Madeleine Lloyd Webber at the Kings coronation (Andrew Matthews/PA)

She did not simply reign over us, she lived alongside us, she shared in our hopes and our fears, our joy, and our pain. Our good times and our bad.

He also spoke of the Kings new reign, praising Charless social and eco-credentials.

King Charles III has been a devoted servant of this country his entire life, he has been a powerful voice for fairness, and understood the importance of the environment long before many others, Sir Keir said.

As he ascends to his new role with the Queen Consort by his side, the whole House, indeed, the whole country, will join today to wish him a long, happy and successful reign.

Sir Keir with the royal family including the then-Cambridge family in the royal box for the during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in 2022 (Matt Crossick/PA)

Historian Ed Owens told the New York Times: A Labour government under Keir Starmer will be more attuned to the plight of people as a social issue.

These kinds of issues have long been on the radar of the King. Theres a meeting of minds in terms of the social issues at stake.

Sir Keir was present at Elizabeth IIs funeral, the Kings accession council and his coronation, and he has also been a member of the Privy Council since 2017.

He joined the royal family in the royal box to watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant celebrations in 2022.

The former director of public prosecutions was knighted by Charles, then the Prince of Wales, in 2014.

Former Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Keir Starmer is knighted by the then-Prince of Wales in 2014 (Yui Mok/PA)

He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath during an investiture ceremony in the Palace ballroom for services to law and criminal justice.

As Labour leader, he attended the Kings white tie banquets at the Palace, for the Japanese, South Korean and South African state visits.

After an audience on Friday where he will be invited by the King to form a new government and become prime minister, the Court Circular will record that he kissed hands on appointment.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria during the state banquet at Buckingham Palace for the South African state visit in 2022 (Victoria Jones/PA)

But in reality it will be a handshake.

An incoming male premier will also usually bow and a female premier curtsy, if they choose to do so.

The actual kissing of hands now usually takes place later at a Privy Council meeting.

Sir Tony Blair recalled in his autobiography how he was told just before his audience after his landslide 1997 election by a tall official with a stick: You dont actually kiss the Queens hands in the ceremony of kissing hands. You brush them gently with your lips.

Sir Keir kneels as he is invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath by the then-Prince of Wales (Yui Mok/PA)

In the end, he recounted how he tripped on a piece of the carpet and practically fell upon the Queens hands, not so much brushing as enveloping them.

More than a decade later in 2010, the incoming PM David Cameron took the late Queens hand, but did not kiss it or kneel, before being asked if he could form a government.

As the new PM, Sir Keir will meet the King each Wednesday for a private weekly audience to discuss Government matters following Prime Ministers Questions, with the conversation usually taking place face to face.

Although the King must remain politically neutral on all matters, he is able to advise and warn his ministers  including his prime minister  when necessary.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria are surrounded by supporters (PA)

Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was again experiencing the sunlight of hope after a Labour landslide put him on course to be the next prime minister.

Tory leader Rishi Sunak conceded defeat after a sobering night for his party which saw predecessor Liz Truss and a record 11 Cabinet ministers lose their seats.

At a victory rally in central London, Sir Keir said the country could now get its future back.

He told jubilant activists we did it, adding: Change begins now.

Sir Keir said: We did it. You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it, and now it has arrived  change begins now.

It feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for  a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.

The Labour leaders speech at the Tate Modern art gallery came shortly after Rishi Sunak publicly conceded defeat.

At his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton, Mr Sunak said: The Labour Party has won this General Election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

Mr Sunak added: The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss.

On a dramatic night:

 Ms Truss lost to Labour in Norfolk South West, where she had been defending a notional majority of more than 24,000.

 Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, Attorney General Victoria Prentis and veterans minister Johnny Mercer lost to Labour.

 Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Science Secretary Michelle Donelan and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer lost to Liberal Democrats.

 Chief whip Simon Hart lost to Plaid Cymru.

 Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis and former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg were beaten by Labour.

 But party chairman Richard Holden won by just 20 votes in Basildon and Billericay.

 Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn held on to his seat as an independent.

 Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won a Commons seat at his eighth attempt and promised his party would stun all of you.

 Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer defeated shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central, while her fellow co-leader Adrian Ramsay defeated the Conservatives in Waveney Valley.

 Labours shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth, who played a prominent role in the partys media campaign, lost his seat to an independent.

Labour has passed the 326 Commons seats needed for victory and is expected to win by a landslide.

The result is likely to trigger a fresh round of infighting within the Tory party as MPs scramble to replace Mr Sunak, who is expected to resign in the wake of the defeat.

Mr Shapps was the first confirmed Cabinet casualty and he hit out at the Tory soap opera which had turned off voters.

On door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and do that and then be united in public, he said.

Instead we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.

He said there was a danger the Tory party could go off on some tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition.

Ms Mordaunt, who is likely to have been a leadership contender if she had survived, said her party had taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it.

(PA Graphics)

She too warned against a retreat to the right: Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the peoples.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, who will now be considered a leading contender to replace Mr Suank, said the party had let the British people down.

You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises, she said.

I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust.

We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly.

Reform won four seats, with Mr Farage joined by former Tory Lee Anderson, party chairman Richard Tice and former Southampton FC chairman Rupert Lowe in being elected to Parliament.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

After winning in Clacton, Mr Farage said there was now a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it.

But he added it is not just the Tories he is taking on, and were coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that.

This is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you, he said.

In Wales, the Tories were wiped out, while in Scotland Labour were rampant.

First Minister John Swinney told the PA news agency: Weve got to face up to the realities of the situation that we are in and weve got to build the trust and the confidence of the public in Scotland.

Outgoing Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross lost to the SNPs Seamus Logan in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the roles in Sir Keir Starmers new Cabinet  and who might be called upon to fill them.

 Angela Rayner

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Many will now be looking to Angela Rayner  as John Prescott before her  to serve as custodian of its traditional values in the face of a modernising leadership.

Like her predecessor, she worked her way up the hard way, leaving school at 16 having grown up in the squalor of a rundown council estate in Stockport, and cutting her teeth as a trade union official before embarking on a career in parliament.

A self-proclaimed socialist, the deputy leaders current brief also includes housing, levelling up and communities  one of the most contentious elements of the new Governments policy agenda.

This is expected to involve overseeing a major extension or workers rights including the creation of a new watchdog with powers to fine and prosecute errant employers.

Disclosures in an unauthorised biography by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft about Ms Rayners sale of a council house in 2015 led to a Greater Manchester Police investigation after the Tories complained she may have broken electoral law and dodged capital gains tax.

When the force announced  just days into the election campaign  that they would be taking no further action, Sir Keir said she had been fully vindicated, while she dismisses the saga as a Conservative bid to clip my wings.

 Rachel Reeves

Shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

When BBC Newsnight editor Ian Katz unwittingly tweeted his view of Rachel Reeves as boring, snoring during an TV appearance in 2013, she admitted to feeling slightly humiliated.

But she also made clear where her priorities were. Glamorous and exciting are probably not two things youd want from someone in charge of public finances  you want someone whos steady, whos serious, whos responsible, she told the Guardian.

A former child chess champion who counts a stint at the Bank of England and four years in private-sector banking among her credentials, Ms Reeves is said by allies to have the type of analytical mind required for the challenges that await her at the Treasury.

With her promise to serve as the countrys iron chancellor and emphasis on supply-side reform, she has invited comparisons between herself and Margaret Thatcher, to the dismay of some on the left.

But Ms Reeves has been unapologetically pro-business, talking up growth as the linchpin of success in government and embarking on her so-called smoked salmon offensive of breakfast meetings with leaders of the FTSE250 in the months before the election.

Against the daunting backdrop of a sluggish economy and competing demands for public spending, Britains first ever female chancellor will be responsible for sticking to Labours strict fiscal rules while implementing a series of tax hikes  hitting wealthy non-doms, oil and gas giants and private schools  to help fund its plans for improved public services.

 Yvette Cooper

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper (Lucy North/PA)

A rising star under New Labour, Yvette Cooper was relegated to the back benches during Jeremy Corbyns leadership before returning to the shadow cabinet with her home affairs brief under Sir Keir.

A taste for politics emerged during her days at a comprehensive school in Hampshire, where she has recalled staging a prefects strike in protest over the disciplining of a fellow prefect for wearing the wrong colour socks.

Awarded a Kennedy scholarship after studying politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford University, Ms Cooper previously served as chief secretary to the Treasury in the Brown administration.

Her marriage to Ed Balls, Mr Browns former adviser and close confidante, made them the first couple to sit in Cabinet together.

Ms Cooper has announced a series of pledges as shadow home secretary, including to clear the asylum backlog, create a cross-border police unit to crack down on criminal smuggling gangs and put 13,000 more neighbourhood officers on the beat.

She is set to inherit one of the most scrutinised briefs in government, as the UK grapples with an asylum backlog and small boat crossings in the English Channel.

 Pat McFadden

Shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden (Victoria Jones/PA)

As shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and national campaign coordinator since 2023, veteran frontbencher Pat McFadden has played a central role in shaping Labours direction in the run-up to the election.

Softly spoken and serious, much of his work has taken place behind the scenes, though he is frequently relied on to reinforce the party line with appearances on the morning broadcast rounds.

Mr McFadden gives little away in interviews but is seen as a centre-left figure, having attended Gordon Browns Cabinet and served as an advisor to Sir Tony.

Born in Glasgow to Irish-speaking parents from Donegal, his Labour roots go back past even the 1990s to his days as an undergraduate at Edinburgh University, where he was chair of Scottish Labour Students before working for Donald Dewar and later John Smith.

He was sacked from Jeremy Corbyns shadow cabinet for what the leadership branded disloyalty. This was said to include criticism of Mr Corbyns response to the 2015 Paris terror attacks and a Commons statement in which he called for a rejection of the view that sees terrorist acts as always being a response or a reaction to what we in the West do.

 Wes Streeting

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

From a family acquainted with the Kray twins to Labours frontbench via Cambridge University, Wes Streetings journey to frontline politics has been anything but ordinary.

A self-described geek who wore his school badges with pride, he credits his parents and grandparents  one of whom was an armed robber, the other a Second World War veteran  with fostering his love of books, despite the strains of living in a cramped flat in Londons East End.

One of Labours most recognisable faces and never shy to attack the Tory record, Mr Streeting is seen as a confident media performer and has often been touted as a potential leadership contender.

He has been MP for Ilford North since 2015 and shadow health secretary since 2021, responsible for overseeing the partys mission to rebuild the NHS, including a pledge to create 40,000 new appointments each week.

 David Lammy

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

Veteran MP David Lammy has risen through the party ranks over the course of a 23-year career in parliament.

One of five siblings raised by a single mother in Tottenham  the constituency he would go on to win in 2001  Mr Lammy sung as a choirboy at Peterborough Cathedral before studying at SOAS University and later becoming the first black Briton to attend Harvard Law School, where he forged a friendship with Barack Obama.

He has spoken of the fear and embarrassment he felt when he was first stopped and searched at the age of just 12, and made his name in politics campaigning against racial injustice and the profiling of black and ethnic minority groups.

Having served as a junior health minister under Sir Tony, Mr Lammy supported Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2015 before backing Sir Keir in 2020 and returning to the front bench as shadow justice secretary.

As shadow foreign secretary since 2021, he raised eyebrows earlier this year when he promised to find a common cause with Donald Trump if the former president is returned to the White House, despite having previously called the Republican a neo-Nazi sympathiser.

The position has seen him tread a fraught path over the war in Gaza, stressing Israels right to self-defence but also saying that Labour would comply with an arrest warrant against the countrys premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, if the international criminal court were to issue one  and criticising extremist rhetoric from some Israeli ministers.In government, it would put him at the helm of UK diplomacy during a time of increasing global instability  though Sir Keir has so far refused to be drawn on speculation that Mr Lammy may be replaced after the election.

 Bridget Phillipson

Labour shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson (Owen Humphreys/PA)

At school in the deprived former mining town of Washington, Bridget Phillipson was a high-achiever with an interest in acting that landed her a role as an extra in Byker Grove before winning a place at Oxford University.

Aged just 26, she went on to become MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in 2010 after working for several years at the womens refuge her mother founded.

Ms Phillipson came from a struggling single-parent family but says she was far from the worst off in her class. Her upbringing has shaped her approach to the role of shadow education secretary, in which she has outlined Labours mission to smash the class ceiling by removing barriers to opportunity for less advantaged children.

To the disappointment of some on the Labour left, free school meals  of which Ms Phillipson was a recipient while growing up  did not feature in the party manifesto.

Instead, it commits to free school breakfast clubs to prevent children starting lessons hungry.

 Ed Miliband

Shadow secretary of state for energy security and net zero Ed Miliband (Jacob King/PA)

Dubbed Red Ed by the tabloids during his time as Labour leader from 2010 to 2015, Ed Miliband nonetheless headed up a more moderate party than Mr Corbyn, who he called on to resign after the Leave result in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

In the run up to his May 2015 election defeat, Mr Milibands public image was dogged by what were perceived to be embarrassing photos of him eating a bacon sandwich and the revelation he had two kitchens in his north London mansion.

Theresa May was later accused of making a number of his policies her own when she became Tory prime minister in 2017, opting to cap energy prices and abolish estate agent fees for renters.

His more recent guise as Green Ed  running Labours net zero policy  has seen him champion the pledge to create GB Energy, a publicly owned clean power company, and 23.7 billion in spending for green measures.

A setback came last year when Labour watered down its promise to spend 28 billion a year on sustainable energy projects  of which the shadow climate secretary was seen as a key proponent  blaming Tory stewardship of the economy.

The MP for Doncaster North denied having considered quitting over the move, which instead saw the party commit to 23.7 billion in spending over the next parliament, saying the new plans will still help to move the dial on the environment.

 Liz Kendall

Shadow work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Shadow work and pensions secretary since a promotion in Sir Keirs 2023 reshuffle, Liz Kendall has been responsible for overseeing the partys mission to get Britain working again following a rise in long-term sickness and inactivity.

She set out a tough stance on welfare in a speech earlier this year, during which she said there would be no option for a life on benefits for people who can work under Labour and committed to investing in young people.

As an ambitious shadow health minister, she was the first to declare her hand in the leadership contest won by Mr Corbyn in 2015, when she warned that Labour could stay out of power forever unless it moved towards the centre ground.

A former special adviser to Harriet Harman and then Patricia Hewitt  whose Leicester seat she inherited  she has previously described herself as an unlikely rap music fan, counting Eminem and Public Enemy among her favourites.

 Anneliese Dodds

Anneliese Dodds (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

Ms Dodds worked her way up to the position of shadow chancellor by 2020 after winning the seat of Oxford East in the 2017 election.

But she was among the most high-profile casualities of Sir Keirs 2021 reshuffle, getting demoted to party chairwoman after some commentators argued she failed to cut through in her previous role during a period of increased government spending in the Covid pandemic.

Ms Dodds grew up in Aberdeenshire and worked as a lecturer in public policy before entering parliament, and has named Mr Brown  the economic architect of New Labour  as her political inspiration, citing his response to the 2008 financial crisis.

She has also served as shadow women and equalities secretary, a role which has seen her affirm Labours commitment to trans people and women and criticised the demonisation of vulnerable people, but also speak of places where it is reasonable for biological women only to have access  words which were criticised by some in the LGBT community.

 Shabana Mahmood

Shabana Mahmood (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Former barrister Shabana Mahmood was named as Labours shadow justice secretary last September after serving as national campaign coordinator since 2021.

One of the first Muslim women elected to the Commons, she won the seat of Birmingham Ladywood in 2010.

Ms Mahmood is seen as a key ally of fellow former lawyer Sir Keir and credited with playing a key part in preparing the partys campaign machine.

Born in Birmingham with a twin brother, she has said her childhood dream was to become a real-life version of ITVs Kavanagh QC rather than a politician.

She told the BBCs Political Thinking podcast last year how outgoing Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak promised to vote for her as president of the junior common room during their university days  after she targeted him in canvassing because they were both firmly of the geek extraction.

 John Healey

Shadow defence secretary John Healey (Yui Mok/PA)

A stalwart of Labours frontbench, John Healey served in the Blair-Brown governments as well as the shadow cabinets of Mr Miliband and Mr Corbyn before becoming Sir Keirs shadow defence secretary.

His parliamentary career has seen him back the invasion of Iraq and more recently criticise the Tory governments reduction in the size of the army to 72,500 by 2025.

But a question mark still hangs over how Labour would oversee the defence budget, with the party having pledged to reach a spending target of 2.5% only when economic conditions allow.

 Jonathan Reynolds

Shadow secretary of state for business and trade Jonathan Reynolds (Lucy North/PA)

Alongside Ms Reeves, shadow trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds has been at the forefront of Labours efforts to redraw its relationship the City.

Elected MP for Stalybridge and Hyde in 2010, he resigned as a shadow minister under Mr Corbyn and went on to criticise the leaderships economic policy.

As chair of Christians on the Left, Mr Reynolds has described his faith as hugely important to his politics. In 2013 he told the Commons he would vote for equal marriage because I am a Christian, not in spite of it.

Born in Houghton-le-Spring, he studied law at Manchester University before entering parliament at the age of 28.

 Peter Kyle

Shadow science secretary Peter Kyle (Jeff Overs/BBC)

MP for Hove Peter Kyle has served as shadow technology secretary since a reshuffle last year.

Mr Kyle struggled with dyslexia growing up and has spoken of leaving school without many qualifications before being told at university that he had a reading age of eight  though he overcame this to gain a doctoral degree.

He was an aid worker in the Balkans before becoming a Blair-era special advisor focused on social exclusion policy. In parliament he has campaigned for the voting age to be lowered to 16 and was a vocal critic of Mr Corbyns leadership before serving in various positions in Sir Keirs shadow cabinet.

 Louise Haigh

Shadow secretary for transport Louise Haigh (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

As Labours transport secretary, Louise Haigh would be in charge of party plans to renationalise most rail services, with a new public body would inherit existing contracts when they expire.

The MP for Sheffield Heeley survived Sir Keirs 2023 reshuffle, which saw a host of Blairite figures promoted or ushered in to the shadow cabinet, despite being regarded as a standard-bearer of the soft left of the party.

She cut her teeth as a shop steward for the union Unite and volunteered as a special constable in the Metropolitan Police before entering politics.

 Steve Reed

Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed (Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror)

Steve Reed won the seat of Croydon North in a 2012 by-election and served as shadow justice secretary from 2021 until he was moved to the environment brief last year.

Growing up in the quiet commuter town of St Albans, his entire family worked at a printing factory, which he describes as the heart of his community until it was shut down in the 1980s.

He joined the Labour Party soon after its closure, blaming Margaret Thatchers government for its fate during an economic recession.

 Hilary Benn

Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)

Best known in the earlier stages of his career as the son of Tony Benn  the long-serving Cabinet minister, anti-war campaigner and pivotal figure on the Labour left  Mr Benn has not inherited all of his fathers beliefs.

During the 1999 contest for the Leeds Central seat that he would go on to represent for decades to come, Mr Benn described himself as a Benn, but not a Bennite.

Like his father, he is teetotal and vegetarian. Unlike his father, Mr Benn supported the Iraq war while serving in Sir Tony Blairs government and later defied then-leader Jeremy Corbyn, while his shadow foreign secretary, to back military action against the Islamic State in Syria.

He has served as shadow Northern Ireland secretary since 2023, an appointment that was welcomed by Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie as an indication of the importance (Sir Keir) places on Northern Ireland.

 Jo Stevens

Shadow Welsh secretary Jo Stevens (Ben Birchall/PA)

Jo Stevens has been shadow Wales secretary since 2021 and MP for Cardiff Central since 2015. Before her parliamentary career, she was a lawyer at Thompsons Solicitors  a firm with longstanding links to the trade union movement.

Ms Stevens has opposed the devolution of justice powers which has sometimes put her at odds with the Welsh Labour administration in the past. She has suggested problems with crime are too urgent for the Westminster government to embark on an overhaul of the structures in place.

 Ian Murray

Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray (Jane Barlow/PA)

Ian Murray was shadow Scotland secretary since 2020 and represented Edinburgh South since 2010, becoming the only Scottish Labour MP in Westminster for the second time after the partys 2019 general election defeat.

A critic of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, Mr Murray has campaigned against Scottish independence and won the backing of Sir Tony and Mr Brown during an unsuccessful bid for the Labour deputy leadership in 2020.

 Lucy Powell

Shadow leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell (Peter Byrne/PA)

Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell has held a number of positions in Sir Keirs top team, most recently as shadow leader of the Commons.

She became known in the last parliament for her colourful sparring matches with Penny Mordaunt, who once accused her of channelling Elmer Fudd after she noted the lack of any rabbit-out-of-hat surprise policies in the 2024 spring Budget.

 Baroness Smith

Baroness Smith entered the Lords in 2010 after holding a number of ministerial positions but losing her bellwether seat of Basildon when the Tories swept to power.

She has served as shadow leader of the upper chamber since 2015.
The Labour leader secured victory in the General Election in the early hours of Friday (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Security, migration and the war in Gaza were some of the issues raised as world leaders congratulated their friend Sir Keir Starmer on his General Election victory.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among the first to share a message as he said he hopes to build a progressive, fair future with the Labour leader  who he described as my friend.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

Congratulations, (Sir Keir), on a historic U.K. election victory, Mr Trudeau posted to X.

Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Lets get to it, my friend.

A key issue Sir Keir will face in the early days of his premiership will be the war in Gaza, and Israeli president Isaac Herzog said he looked forward to working together to bringing home hostages taken by Hamas.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

I send my warmest congratulations to (Sir Keir), Mr Herzog posted to X.

As he prepares to enter Downing Street as Prime Minister, I look forward to working together with him and his new government to bring our hostages home, to build a better future for the region, and to deepen the close friendship between Israel and the United Kingdom.

Mr Herzog also expressed his deepest appreciation and gratitude to outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his leadership and for standing with the Israeli people especially during this most difficult period.

Eight years since the Brexit vote, European Council president Charles Michel declared Sir Keirs election would mark a new cycle for the UK as he looked forward to working together on common challenges.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

Congratulations @Keir_Starmer on a historic election victory in the UK, Mr Michel posted to X.

(The European Union and UK) are crucial partners, cooperating in all areas of mutual interest for our citizens.

I look forward to working with you and your government in this new cycle for the UK.

See you soon in the European Political Community meeting on 18 July in the UK where we will discuss common challenges, including stability, security, energy and migration.

Sir Keir will also be scrutinised over his approach to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, and Kaja Kallas, the prime minister of Russian neighbour Estonia, shared a message highlighting common security.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

Congratulations on your historic election victory, (Sir Keir), Ms Kallas posted to X.

Estonia and the UK are the strongest of allies and the closest of friends. The UKs commitment to our common security is valued by every Estonian.

Im sure our excellent cooperation will only continue to thrive.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said he is looking forward to working constructively with Sir Keir, describing him as his friend.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

Congratulations to my friend and new UK Prime Minister (Sir Keir) on his resounding election victory  I look forward to working constructively with the incoming (Labour) Government, he posted to X.
Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip light a fire to keep away mosquitoes and other insects, which have recently infested the streets of Khan Younis (Jehad Alshrafi/AP)

A spokesman for Hamas has said that the groups proposed amendments to the most recent US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza have been met with a positive response by the mediators but the official Israeli position has not yet become clear.

The date of the negotiations has not yet been set and this depends on the response of (Israel), Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha said on Friday.

He added that the position of Hamas on the proposal is unified between the groups military leadership in Gaza and its political leadership outside, without elaborating.

Gunmen march in the funeral for three people killed in an Israeli military operation, in Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin (Majdi Mohammed/AP)

On Wednesday, the Palestinian militant group said it had sent proposed amendments to the mediators, Egypt and Qatar, in response to the latest ceasefire proposal put forward by the US.

US officials have said the first phase in the current proposal would see a full and complete ceasefire, 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 for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The parties would 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 the second 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.

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk next to sewage flowing into the streets of the southern town of Khan Younis (Jehad Alshrafi/AP)

The third phase would see the return of the remains of hostages.

The mechanism for the transition from the first to second phase has been the main sticking point in the negotiations so far.

Hamas has insisted on a permanent end to the war, while Israeli officials have said they would not end the war before destroying Hamas political and military capabilities.

Post-war governance and security control of the enclave has also been a contentious issue.

Hamas said in a statement on Friday that it rejects plans to bring foreign forces into the (Gaza) Strip under any name or justification and that administration of Gaza is a purely Palestinian matter, agreed upon by our Palestinian people in all their diversity.

The US has previously said that countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey could consider participating in and contributing to day after scenarios for the Palestinian territory.

A Palestinian first responder navigates the rubble of a home destroyed in an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin (Majdi Mohammed/AP)

Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities say seven people were killed on Friday during an Israeli military operation in the area of the West Bank city of Jenin, where the Israeli military said it had been carrying out counterterrorism activity that included an airstrike.

The military said Israeli soldiers had encircled a building where terrorists have barricaded themselves in and the soldiers had exchanged fire with those inside, while an airstrike had struck several armed terrorists in the area.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said a total of seven people had been killed, but did not specify whether they died in the exchange of fire or the airstrike.

The Islamic Jihad militant group named four of the dead as its members.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on a two-day visit starting Monday and will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin has said.

The visit was first announced by Russian officials last month, but the dates have not been previously disclosed.

Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War and New Delhis importance as a key trading partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India (Dan Kitwood/PA)

China and India have become key buyers of Russian oil following sanctions imposed by the US and its allies that shut most Western markets for Russian exports.

Under Mr Modis leadership, India has avoided condemning Russias action in Ukraine while emphasising the need for a peaceful settlement.

The partnership between Moscow and New Delhi has become fraught, however, since Russia started developing closer ties with Indias main rival, China, because of the hostilities in Ukraine.

On Thursday, Mr Modi skipped the summit of a security grouping created by Moscow and Beijing to counter Western alliances.

He sent his foreign minister to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at its annual meeting in Kazakhstans capital, Astana. The meeting is being attended by Mr Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Mr Modi last visited Russia in 2019 for an economic forum in the far eastern port of Vladivostok. He last travelled to Moscow in 2015. He last met Mr Putin in September 2022 at a summit of the SCO in Uzbekistan. In 2021, Mr Putin also travelled to New Delhi and held talks with the Indian leader.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Sergey Guneyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Tensions between Beijing and New Delhi have continued since a confrontation in June 2020 along the disputed China-India border in which rival troops fought with rocks, clubs and fists. At least 20 Indian troops and four Chinese soldiers were killed.

After his re-election to a third straight term, Mr Modi attended the G7 meeting in Italys Apulia region last month and addressed artificial intelligence, energy and regional issues in Africa and the Mediterranean.

In the early 1990s, the Soviet Union was the source of about 70% of Indian army weapons, 80% of its air force systems and 85% of its navy platforms.

India bought its first aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, from Russia in 2004. It had served in the former Soviet Union and later in the Russian navy.

With the Russian supply line hit by the fighting in Ukraine, India has been reducing its dependency on Russian arms and diversifying its defence procurements, buying more from the US, Israel, France and Italy.
A new attempt to count Papua New Guineas population has been disrupted by unaccountability and disorganization, writes Michael Kabuni.

People walk past a painted wall on a street in the Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby on May 18, 2023.

The last reliable national census for Papua New Guinea (PNG) was conducted 24 years ago, therefore the 2024 census is critical. But early signs suggest the latest attempt to count the countrys population will not be easy.

It started on June 16, with a completion date set for June 30. Many provinces either started late or have yet to start. Remote areas, often without roads, face greater challenges.

Three days past the deadline, two census coordinators I spoke to said they had not deployed their teams for the census yet due to delays with funding, training, and logistics.

The current census includes only six questions, omitting crucial socio-economic data and fails to meet the 2015 UN Principles for Population and Housing Censuses, which emphasizes reliable data.

After the June 30 census projected completion date, I conducted an online survey from July 1 to 3. Of 150 respondents, 50% thought the census would fail, while only 3% thought it would succeed.

There are many constraints in PNG, but at the heart of the countrys problems is unaccountability, with bureaucracy adhering to questionable political decisions.

Last month, the government decided to purchase U.S.$4.4-million (17 million kina) worth of tablets to use for digital data entry during this census. The contract went to a small, foreign, unknown company.

But the coordinators I spoke to said they were using paper census forms instead of the tablets because many enumerators, who were recruited from rural areas, had not used smart devices before.

Disorganization is not uncommon in PNG. The 2022 common roll update was grossly inaccurate due to issues similar to those faced in this current census.

Wasteful spending is also not new. In 2018, the PNG government spent $5.2-million on a fleet of Maserati cars to carry world leaders during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings. They were never used.

These luxury cars now rust in a shed, with only two sold. No APEC report was produced, and no one was held accountable. The former prime minister is now in the opposition, the then-finance minister is the current prime minister, and the former APEC minister is now the foreign minister.

A PNG Census Officer visits a property in one of Port Moresbys largest suburbs, Gerehu on June 28. 2024. [Harlyne Joku/BenarNews]

The census must also succeed for the current government, as failure could have significant political costs.

The 18-month grace period for James Marape, starting in August 2022 when he was elected prime minister, ended in February 2024. A parliamentary vote of no confidence cannot occur during this grace period, but with the end of grace period, Marape is vulnerable.

An attempt to remove Marape recently was delayed after the parliaments early June adjournment. A Supreme Court case is now determining whether this adjournment to avoid a no-confidence vote is constitutional.

A similar case in 2016 led to the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court directing parliament to reconvene to address the vote of no confidence.

Since PNG gained independence in 1975, only two prime ministers in PNG have completed their terms in parliament as prime ministers, whilst the rest have either been replaced in a vote of no confidence or resigned to avoid the humiliation of one.

Given this level of instability, a failed census will pile pressure on Marape, who is already being criticized for a slew of issues ranging from a nationwide fuel crisis, a forex shortage, and the delayed payment of public servants salaries  among other things.

The timeline is problematic. Local Level Government (LLG) elections for 22 provinces are set to start on July 25 and run until Sept. 27. Nearly 7,000 ward councilors and 370 LLG presidents will be elected in another nationwide logistical operation.

The coordinators believe completing the 2024 census before the LLG elections is unrealistic.

Michael Kabuni is a PhD student at the Australian National University and formerly a lecturer at the political science department at the University of Papua New Guinea. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of BenarNews.
Some experts have expressed skepticism about the Islamic militant organizations motives and raised concerns about splinter groups.

The aftermath of the bombing of the Sari night club and surrounding buildings are seen in this aerial view Oct. 15, 2002 in Kuta, Bali.

Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian Islamist militant group once linked to al-Qaeda, has publicly disbanded, marking a potential turning point in the fight against terrorism in Indonesia, amid concern about the potential for continued underground activity.



The announcement, made by JI leaders on Sunday, has been met with mixed reactions, with some experts expressing skepticism about the groups motives and the potential for continued underground activity.

JI carried out some of Indonesias most deadly terrorist attacks, targeting Western interests and Indonesian security forces, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.

We stand ready to actively contribute to Indonesias progress and dignity, declared Abu Rusydan, one of the groups leaders, as he read from a prepared statement in the presence of other senior members in Bogor, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Jakarta.

Mohammad Adhe Bhakti, executive director of the Center for the Study of Radicalism and Deradicalization (PAKAR), said JI had already shifted away from violence under the leadership of Para Wijayanto, who was granted leave from jail to attend Sundays declaration.

Senior JI figures ... have chosen the most logical path by dissolving JI, Adhe told BenarNews.

However, he expressed concern that lower-level members may not follow suit.

I am worried that splinter groups will emerge at the lower levels, he said.

Abdul Rahim Baasyir, the son of one of JIs founders, Abu Bakar Bashir, also welcomed the move.

Its a good thing for them to disband and declare their return to the fold of the Indonesian state, Abdul Rahim told BenarNews.

It helps dispel the false notion that Muslims are terrorists.

Members of the Densus 88 counter-terrorism police cordon off a road as they search a house in Surabaya, East Java province, on June 19, 2017, following the arrest of a man suspected of links with the Islamic State (IS) group. [AFP]

JI was established in the 1990s with the explicit aim of creating an Islamic state throughout Southeast Asia.

In addition to the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings, the group was behind the 2003 and 2009 attacks on the Marriott hotel in Jakarta, and the bombing of the Australian embassy in the Indonesian capital in 2004.

The Indonesian government cracked down on JI after the first Bali bombings, arresting and imprisoning many of its leaders.

The group was officially banned in 2008, but it continued to operate underground, recruiting members, raising funds and conducting military training, officials and analysts have said.

The decision to disband comes after years of pressure from Indonesian authorities, who have arrested dozens of JI members in the past few years.

The groups current leader, Para, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for terrorism in 2020, is believed to have favored a more moderate approach, focusing on Islamic outreach and education rather than violence, analysts said.

However, the disbandment has been met with skepticism by some, who believe it may be a ploy to protect the groups assets and funding sources, particularly its network of Islamic schools.

Sofyan Tsauri, a former JI member, said he observed anger over the disbandment declaration within JIs internal groups. He warned of the potential formation of a new, possibly more radical, neo-JI.

Post-dissolution, there must be monitoring and guidance, which is the governments responsibility. Without it, the disbandment is meaningless, Sofyan told BenarNews.

He also expressed concern about the group's network of nearly 100 schools, which he said teach a literalist, puritan version of Islam.

This must be changed, he said.

In their declaration, JI leaders committed to overhauling the syllabus of the groups schools to align with mainstream Islamic teachings.

People sign on a banner to remember victims of the bomb blasts outside JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta July 20, 2009. [Reuters]

Sidney Jones, a senior advisor to the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, described the disbandment as the culmination of a long move toward ending JIs existence as a covert organization and operating openly in the interests of Islamic outreach and education.

It's for real. In some ways the move began in 2009 but it gathered strength after Para Wijayanto became emir, she told BenarNews.

However, she also acknowledged the potential for splinter factions.

"Surely some in JI will see it as a betrayal, she said.

In a May interview with BenarNews, Ali Imron, serving a life sentence for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings, said JI had been leaderless since the mid-2000s.

Indonesian authorities crackdown on extremist groups has left JI without clear leadership, he said.

There is no official leader of JI now, Imron said, adding that an internal agreement suggested JI had ceased to exist as an official entity.

Amid the decline in JI-led violence, the Islamic State-inspired Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) emerged as a new threat.

Founded in 2015 and now banned, JAD was responsible for attacks on churches in Surabaya in 2018 and a cathedral in Makassar during Palm Sunday.

A JAD-affiliated attacker also bombed a police headquarters in Medan in 2019. However, there have been no reported JAD attacks since then.

In this June 18, 2014, file photo, a man wears a headband showing the Islamic State group's symbol during a protest calling for the closure of a local prostitution complex in Surabaya, Indonesia. [AP Photo]

Irfan Idris, director of prevention at the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), said that the JI leaders declaration was a tangible success for security forces and society in combating terrorism and achieving a zero-attack status in Indonesia.

We operate under the law and will remain vigilant against any threats that may arise, he said. Terrorism and its ideology pose a grave danger to the nations unity.

The announcement of JIs disbandment might seem like a positive development on the surface, but a closer look reveals a more complex and potentially concerning reality, according to Bilveer Singh, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore.

Singh cautions that the history of extremist groups in Indonesia, like JI, is marked by transformation and reemergence.

Radical groups have never disappeared in Indonesia since 1945, he told BenarNews, adding that JI itself has a history of evolving every 15-20 years.

He warned that the disbandment could be perceived as a strategic move, with some members continuing their activities underground and potentially forming a new, more dangerous group.

The Bogor declaration may disband JI, but there is a risk that a more dangerous organization than JI could emerge in Indonesia, Singh said.

Arie Firdaus in Jakarta contributed to this report.
From left, Anca Selariu, Nathan Jones, Kelly Haston and Ross Brockwell pose with a flag featuring their mission patch and their signatures. The flag will hang outside the habitat for the duration of their mission. NASA/Josh Valcarcel

Ross Brockwell, Nathan Jones, Kelly Haston and Anca Selariu walked inside Mars Dune Alpha, a 3D-printed Martian habitat at Johnson Space Center, to start their yearlong mission June 25, 2023.

They will walk out of the habitat Saturday, 378 days after first entering, when their mission to simulate living on Mars concludes.

I am very excited to go back to Earth, but of course there is a bittersweet aspect to it just like any time you reach the completion of something that has dominated ones life for several years, Haston said in a written response to questions from the Houston Chronicle.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The first cohort to live in the artificial Martian habitat, the quartet did experiments, underwent testing and lived life like they might if they were actually on Mars. That meant water restrictions and shelf-stable foods, albeit all four of them said food quality and hot water for showering werent issues.

The habitat they live in is 1,700 square feet, with a 1,200-square-foot sandbox serving as a Mars surface for them to conduct experiments.

Ill miss the camaraderie with my crewmates, Brockwell said. Being a part of this mission and this team, and getting to work with them to face the challenges of the mission as well as just trying to enjoy ourselves during the confinement and isolation.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The group worked on many projects, from planting crops to fake spacewalks.

Brockwell, Haston and Selariu said the virtual reality EVAs, which Selariu said is the closest visual experience to living on Mars, were their favorite tasks. Jones highlighted working on drone and rover operations as some of his favorite moments.

But there are some things the cohort is not going to miss. Haston and Brockwell wont miss biological testing, and Selariu said she wont miss taking all the surveys they do.

Im not going to miss having every moment of my life scheduled, Jones said. It can be freeing in some ways, but its also a bit daunting to live that way. The schedule can be relentless, and when we egress we wont have had a day away from work in over a year. "

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Participants were able to communicate with family and friends through email and voice memos. All communications have a delay of up to 22 minutes, which would be the case if they were actually on Mars.

All of them sent emails and photos to family members. Jones played Uno with his family via email. Brockwell had plans to try to play chess, but the mission went so quickly that he didnt have time to get a game going. Haston and her partner sent 20- to 30-minute-long messages to one another.

Haston said it was a delight that her relationships continued to flourish and thrive despite the constraints, and she still felt connected to their lives thanks to the richness of the conversations.

But that doesnt mean she didnt miss them and that it wasnt hard to be physically removed.

I found being in limited space and resources fairly tolerable, even when I missed being outside, but being away from your people is the most difficult aspect, and the thing I wish to get back to the most, Haston said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

She wont have to wish much longer.

The participants will leave the habitat different than when they first entered over a year ago. They all said theyll leave grateful for the experience but also appreciative of the world to which they will return.

I look forward to the deep feeling of appreciation for everything Earth offers but I am sad to leave this once in a lifetime experience behind, Selariu said. About seven years ago, I gave a talk on the future of life and the importance of being unreasonable, which I opened with saying that I wanted to be a Martian. I will never cease to be amazed that I actually got to be one as a NASA CHAPEA crew member, which is the closest I have ever got to that dream.
Mohd Rabin Basir, director general of National Security Council, speaks to reporters at the councils headquarters in Putrajaya, Nov. 26, 2020.

UPDATED at 2:20 p.m. ET on 2024-07-05

The Malaysian government on Friday announced a new facilitator for peace talks between the Thai government and separatist rebels in Thailands southernmost provinces, replacing former military chief Zulkifli Zainal Abidin after just 18 months in the role.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim appointed Mohd Rabin Basir, a former National Security Council director-general, after Zulkifli completed his service on June 30, a council news release said.

The government is very confident with YBhg. Datuk Haji Mohd Rabins caliber to carry on with the mission and to achieve a positive and significant impact on the peace process, it said.

It is also hoped that  Mohd Rabin bin Basir will be able to play a more effective and constructive role in accelerating the efforts towards creating a peaceful environment in the southern border provinces of Thailand, the statement said.

On June 30, a car bomb in Yala killed a school teacher and injured 21 others. In March, a wave of coordinated bombings and arson attacks blamed on insurgents targeted more than 40 properties across four provinces and killed a migrant worker.

Anchana Heemmina, president of civil society organization Duay Jai (With Heart) and a member of the Thai House of Representatives Special Committee on Southern Border Peace, said she wants Mohd Rabin to describe his role clearly. She also wants him to treat both negotiating teams equally and connect with people in the Deep South.

He should act as a sincere communicator. Up to now, there has been no communication, they only say there is progress, but without details, which doesnt allow people to see hope, she told BenarNews.

What does he see as progress? What are the actual steps of progress that align with the peoples expectations?

Thai Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong (in red shirt) visits the site of car-bombing in front of a police residence building in southern Thailands Yala province, June 30, 2024. [Handout/Bannang Sata Police Station]

Heemmina said Mohd Rabin should understand his role as a diplomat while overseeing the negotiations because he has been one already. He served at the Malaysian Embassy in Phnom Penh from 1991 to 1993.

Being a diplomat should help make the negotiations more satisfactory, but there must be indicators of progress to enhance the negotiations effectively, creating an atmosphere that leads more toward success, she told BenarNews.

Outgoing facilitator

Ex-armed forces chief Zulkifli, who was appointed facilitator on Jan. 1, 2023, oversaw negotiations in February between the Thai government and the main southern insurgent group, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), that led to no major breakthrough.

Nabiela Ismail, a research and advocacy analyst in foreign affairs at Bait Al Amanah (House of Trust) in Malaysia, said Zulkifli was able to bring both sides to the negotiating table and to appear together before journalists.

Zulkifli was also seen as a trusted partner and a listener between conflicting parties, she told BenarNews.

In addition, Zulkifli was able to set a roadmap for peace development and oversee ceasefire agreements during his term. Still, a new mediator could take a new approach to the process, she said.

The lack of progress in the negotiations coupled with political changes and instability within the Thai government has posed challenges for the negotiation process to continue effectively. Despite the peacemaking efforts made by Gen. Zulkifli, the ongoing violence has underscored the persistent instability in the region, Nabiela said.

Due to this reason, Malaysia is approaching this matter differently by appointing someone with governmental experience, particularly from the security, diplomatic, law enforcement, and intelligence background.

Zulkifli replaced Abdul Rahim Noor, a former national police chief who was appointed in 2018 before BRN took the lead role in negotiating for the insurgents.

History of violence

MARA Patani, an umbrella panel, had represented Deep South rebel organizations including the BRN during negotiations with the Thai government for several years. In 2020, the government began negotiating directly with BRN.

Thailands Deep South region encompasses Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala provinces, and four districts of Songkhla province. The region has seen more than 22,200 violent incidents in the border region since the insurgency reignited 20 years ago, resulting in more than 7,540 deaths and 14,000 injuries, according to Deep South Watch, a local think-tank.

Muzliza Mustafa and Iman Muttaqin Yusof in Kuala Lumpur, and Mariyam Ahmad in Pattani, Thailand, contributed to this report.

This story has been updated to include comments from Thai lawmaker Anchana Heemmina and from Malaysian analyst Nabiela Ismail.
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  Kevin Hoyt, two-time independent candidate for Governor, the Republican nominee for State Representative in 2018, and an independent candidate for State Senator in 2020, has been arrested on outstanding warrants after a tip led authorities to his location in Fair Haven on the Fourth of July.

Fair Haven police, after an anonymous tip, arrested Hoyt as he drove from New York into Fair Haven on Route 22a on Thursday. Hoyt was wanted on warrants stemming from three cases of intentionally violating an abuse prevention/stalking order between June and November 2022.

Hoyt, 52, allegedly violated the stalking order that was put in place on March 29, 2022, when he was ordered to have absolutely no contact with former state Rep. Christopher Bates of Bennington  including any statements on social media. Hoyt refused to sign the stalking order, but it remained in effect until March 29, 2023, according to court documents.

Hoyts stalking order specifically bans him from talking to, telephoning, texting, emailing, or any other form of communication to make contact. He is also ordered not to post to them or about them. He must also stay at least 300 feet away from Bates.

At the beginning of the hearing, Hoyt petitioned Bennington Judge Howard Kalfus to allow him to serve as his own attorney in the three cases, which Judge Kalfus granted. Hoyt was then off to the races, informing the judge that he was also requesting a change of venue into a Federal Court, asking for Federal protection, and that he would not participate in what he called a fictional, corporate entity.

This is 100% political and retaliatory, Hoyt told the judge. I am a 2024 candidate for Governor. They just cut my brake lines. They want to kill me.

Mr. Hoyt, we are here for one purpose. That is to conduct the arraignment, Judge Kalfus told Hoyt.

I am again stating that I dont want to participate, Hoyt said. If I am forced to do so, I will waive all of my rights. I am a living man on Gods soil. I dont need an attorney. I am asking you for a change of venue.

Hoyt then pleaded not guilty to all three counts. Prosecutors asked that Hoyt be kept subject to the conditions set out in the Protective Order. Hoyt objected.

Your honor, I dont have a problem with any of those conditions except two. The one that I cant verbally say the name is outrageous, and the idea that I cant report felony gun crimes. I stand before you today, accused of the crime of trying to report felony gun crimes to officials, including racketeering, human trafficking, money laundering, embezzlement, a long list. This is politically motivated. To say I cant say a name or post to the public removes my First Amendment freedom of speech.

Again and again, Judge Kalfus tried to wrangle Hoyt in. He finally set a calendar call hearing for September 9th. Hoyt objected to that too, telling the court that he would be in Montana for a political gathering September 12-14th. I am on a tight travel schedule, Hoyt said.

We are scheduling this for September 9th. If you do not appear, an arrest warrant will be issued.

Before he departed, Hoyt threatened that if they insist on dragging him through this, that he would collect everyones name so he can Go back and start civil suits against you and everyone else. I dont think you have jurisdiction or authority. I am asking for protection and a little bit of help here.

This concludes this hearing, Kalfus declared.

According to a police affidavit, on June 15th 2022, Hoyt allegedly violated the stalking order by harassing the victim in a video post on Facebook. Hoyt was again charged with violating the abuse prevention order in October 2022 by videotaping himself leaving the Civil Courthouse on South Street and complaining in the tape that no one would protect him from Bates. He goes on to say that, If Bates were to come after him, I will shoot him.

Prior to that video, Hoyt allegedly posted photos of Bates on his Instagram page. The photos show Bates holding a gun, flipping off a camera, and sitting with his arms folded. Hoyt also posted letters from Bennington Superior Court that address Hoyts case against Bates.

Hoyt was once again charged in a November 2022 incident where he allegedly harassed the same victim on another video post.

Officers attempted to call and contact Hoyt multiple times after the violations surfaced. He allegedly did not answer his phone, and there were new residents at his last known address. An arrest warrant was issued on Oct. 28th. He has been on the lam since then.

Hoyt posted bail after his arrest and was issued a citation to appear. He showed up at the courthouse with several supporters sitting behind him as Christopher Bates, the man at the other end of the stalking order, sat on the opposite side in the back row. Bates left before the hearing ended.

Hoyt and Bates both have a long history of antagonization. An incident captured in March 2022 shows Hoyt videotaping town candidates at a voting station when the pair had a confrontation outside the Bennington firehouse. The verbal assault was caught on film.

Both men had a two-year stalking order placed on the other after that confrontation.

Hoyt faces a year in jail on each of the three misdemeanor charges if found guilty.
This Story in History is selected from the archives by Jeannie Maschino, The Berkshire Eagle.
You are the owner of this article.
Raheb and Indica's lawyer Andrew Hochberg has filed a motion to remove himself as their attorney, with no communication coming from Raheb's side after former employee turned over evidence.
A large group of Pearland residents joined the crew of Good Morning America in the town's center for a taping of the 'Main Street USA' series Friday, July 5, 2024. Caroline Wilburn / Staff photo

Just hours after the fireworks and celebrations of Independence Day had ended, the Pearland community gathered during the early hours of July 5 to showcase its small-town pride in front of the nation.

A large group of residents joined the crew of Good Morning America in the Pearland Town Center for a taping of the Main Street USA series highlighting local businesses and things to do. The episode aired live Friday morning and featured the Delores Fenwick Nature Center, Segura Western Wear, Vallensons' Brewing Company and Killens BBQ.

As viewers around the country tuned in to watch the episode, Pearland Mayor Kevin Cole said he hoped its obvious that the best part about Pearland is the people.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Were the only city in Texas that theyre highlighting this year, he said. We want people to see the hospitality, the friendliness, how were open for business  all those great things. More importantly, they really get to see how great our people are.

The events large turnout was evidence of this, Cole said.

Its a great diverse community with community-minded people that really love living and being in Pearland and doing business in Pearland, he said. All of these people came out to really show their support for our city; more importantly, to show their support for their neighbors.

Lori and Valle Kauniste opened Vallensons Brewing Company in 2017. The Kaunistes raised their two sons in Pearland and as a family owned business. Lori Kauniste said she is honored the brewery was chosen to be featured on a national platform.

This our community, were big supporters of our community, she said. We just hope that they walk away with knowing that our establishment is not only family owned, but its family friendly.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Despite having nearly 127,000 residents, Lori Kauniste said Pearland still feels like a small town.

Its just a great place to live and operate our business, she said. You always have people to support you in any way you need.

PEARLAND INSIDER: Stay updated on important stories and news to know around Pearland

Killens BBQ owner and founder Ronnie Killen showed viewers how to improve their barbecue at home by using his world-famous techniques. A Pearland resident since 1975, Killen said its exciting for the town he grew up in to get recognition.

If we can get national coverage of our little city that used to have 5,900 people thats great, he said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Yolando Nichols, an avid Good Morning America watcher, attended the shows taping with her best friends. A resident of Pearland for over 10 years, Nichols said she loves the citys sense of community.

Even in big cities like Houston, you have the small towns like Pearland where you can still find that small town feel, she said.

The Main Street USA series was created to highlight small towns and businesses across the country during the week of July 4, said Good Morning America Executive Producer Simone Swink. Promoting these places is a way to remind viewers that people are still doing great things during a time when the country feels divided, she said.

Pearland and its businesses were featured to encourage viewers to visit, Swink said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Donald Morrison is an Eagle columnist and co-chairman of the advisory board. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of The Berkshire Eagle.
From left to right, Sarah Gardner of Williams College's Center for Environmental Studies, Pownal Conservation Commission Chairwoman Kate Cooper and Pownal Parks and Recreation Commissioner Jennifer Boucherexplore the new right-of-way.
Christians are called to live in a way that is different from the ways of the world, to be like Jesus Christ, and walk in the ways of righteousness and holiness. Sometimes this means abstaining from certain actions while embracing others. Many of these things are outlined directly in the Bible, while others leave room for debate.

Through the centuries, the church has debated about whether to drinking alcohol and wine, how much is acceptable, and other related subjects. Some Christians feel the strong conviction that believers should reject alcohol and remain sober at all times. Others believe they are allowed to have some alcohol.

The Bible does feature wine throughout, and even the book of Revelation speaks about the new wine of heaven. However, earthly wine and other alcoholic drinks can lead to sinful behavior because it lowers inhibitions and clouds judgment. Some people also develop bad drinking habits, using it to cope with their emotions, while others still become alcoholics, needing to drink just to get through the day.

The Spirit may not convict every Christian to abstain from alcohol. However, the Bible does say some things about drunkenness, excessive drinking, and tempting others to drink against their conscience.

What Does the Bible Say About Drinking Alcohol?

The question of whether or not a believer should imbibe any alcohol beverage is one that gets debated frequently. Some feel the Bible is clear, with many verses casting alcohol in a negative light. For example, Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags (Proverbs 23:20-21).

However, Jesus turned water into wine as his first miracle, and Paul encouraged Timothy to drink wine medicinally. No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments (1 Timothy 5:23). Some interpret this tension in the Bible to mean that drinking some alcohol is okay, as long as a person does not become intoxicated.

It should be noted that most wine in Jesus day was typically lower in alcoholic content than many liquors today. Of course, strong drink has been around for millennia. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit convicts people about whether or not he or she should drink alcoholic drinks, but the Bible does provide a great deal of guidance about excessive drinking, or drunkenness.

Does the Bible Say that Drunkenness Is a Sin?

Drunkenness is the state of being intoxicated by the consumption of too much of an alcoholic beverage. These kinds of drinks are made by fermenting foods like grapes to make wine, or potatoes, corn, or other foods to make hard liquor. Alcoholic drinks affect the mind and body. Depending on various factors including weight, height, and genetics, some people can consume more alcohol than others.

Everyone has a limit though, where their judgment is affected, their reactions slow down, their speech slurs, and they enter a state of intoxication. Some people drink so much they begin to function while regularly or consistently intoxicated, or they drink to the point of becoming very sick often. This state is known as alcohol dependency, or alcoholism.

The Bible condemns drunkenness, because it leads to bad decisions, sinful decisions, and can lead to problems for the individual and those around them. Whether people get angry and violent, or make the decision to use tools when their reaction time is impaired, when people are drunk, they rarely behave in a manner that is edifying to themselves and honoring to God.

Christians are called to be filled with the Spirit and guided by God, rather than by substances made by man. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). It is not right for Christians to indulge in excessive alcohol, because it interferes with the Spirit.

What Bible Verses Talk about Drinking or Drunkenness?

While fermenting beverages is not overly condemned as a sin, and was necessary throughout a time when it was hard to get clean drinking water, it is not meant to be consumed in excess. Not only is drunkenness condemned in the Bible, it is associated with other sins of gluttony and lust.

Verses about drunkenness include:

Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

Isaiah 5:11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them!

Galatians 5:21 Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:10 Nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Romans 13:13 Let us walk properly in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.

1 Peter 4:3-4 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you.

Proverbs 21:17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

How Should Christians Respond to Drunkenness?

When considering whether or not drinking alcohol is something to engage with, one important thing to consider is whether or not participating will cause someone else, particularly another brother or sister in Christ, to fall into drunkenness.

Alcoholism is a common problem, even in the church, and many who struggled with excessive drinking in the past abstain from it in order to maintain sobriety. Setting the temptation in front of them to drink is not a good thing to do.

In the early church, some believers struggled with the idea of eating meat sacrificed to false gods, so Paul encouraged Christians to support one another. In the house of a brother who does not want to eat meat, abstain. When inviting a sister in Christ who is vegetarian so she will not eat meat sacrificed to idols, do not place the temptation in front of her. In the Book of Romans he encouraged this mindset with food and alcohol; Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble (Romans 14:20-21).

Being loving and considerate means not indulging in alcohol in front of people who have struggled, or are currently struggling, with alcohol.

For pastors, this mindset of not being a source of temptation should be especially true. For anyone aspiring to the office of shepherd - or pastor - Paul already calls these individuals to be, sober minded...not a drunkard...not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome (1 Timothy 3:2-3). Some pastors take this verse to mean they should not drink any alcoholic beverages, and if the Holy Spirit guides them this way, they should obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. Other pastors do not feel this conviction. They should take seriously the call to not give into excessive drinking, and not to lead others to drink if they are not comfortable with it.

A person may not immediately tell their pastor if they struggle with alcoholism. One of the ways to understand the office of pastor is like an under-shepherd, one who helps care for some of the flock under the head shepherd. If the Lord Jesus - the great Shepherd - has trusted a pastor with the edification and spiritual nourishment of some of the church - the flock - then leading a church member into the temptation of alcohol is wrong. Pastors should be especially wise in their indulgence in alcohol, relying on the Spirit for guidance, and carefully guarding the flock they guide, even if that means abstaining from wine around some people so they are tempted to drink.

Why It's Important to Check Motives Before Drinking and Warnings for Christians Regarding Alcohol When it comes to drinking alcohol, it's crucial for Christians to examine their motives and understand the potential dangers involved. While the Bible doesn't explicitly prohibit moderate drinking, it does caution against drunkenness and warns about the risks associated with alcohol consumption. Here are a few reasons why Christians should be mindful of their intentions and aware of the potential pitfalls: 1. Check Your Motives Self-Reflection: It's essential to ask, "Why am I drinking?" Is it for relaxation, socialization, or a sense of belonging? Or is it to escape stress, numb emotional pain, or fit in with a crowd? The motives behind drinking can reveal underlying issues that need addressing.

Spirit-Led Discernment: Christians are called to be filled with the Spirit rather than controlled by external substances. Ephesians 5:18 urges believers to "be filled with the Spirit" rather than getting drunk on wine. It's a call to seek spiritual fulfillment rather than relying on alcohol.

Idolatry Check: Anything that takes a place of dependence or priority over God can become an idol. If alcohol becomes a go-to source of comfort or relief, it may hinder one's spiritual growth and relationship with God. 2. Warnings for Christians Drinking Alcohol Danger of Drunkenness: Drunkenness is condemned repeatedly in the Bible due to its association with sinful behaviors. Proverbs 20:1 states, "Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise." Drunkenness impairs judgment, lowers inhibitions, and often leads to regrettable actions.

Risk of Addiction: Some individuals are more susceptible to addiction than others. Alcoholism is a serious issue that can disrupt relationships, careers, and spiritual lives. Christians should be vigilant not to fall into a pattern of dependency.

Causing Others to Stumble: Romans 14:21 reminds believers, "It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble." Drinking alcohol around those struggling with alcoholism or strong convictions against drinking could negatively influence them.

Reputation and Witness: For pastors and leaders, particularly, there's an additional responsibility. 1 Timothy 3:2-3 advises them to be "sober-minded not a drunkard," underscoring the importance of setting a good example. A leader's conduct can impact their credibility and witness.

Health Considerations: Overconsumption of alcohol can lead to numerous health issues, including liver disease, heart problems, and impaired cognitive functions. Moderation or abstinence can be the best path for overall well-being.

Legal and Social Implications: Driving under the influence and engaging in risky behavior while intoxicated can have severe legal consequences and social repercussions. Responsible drinking helps safeguard oneself and others. In summary, Christians are encouraged to check their motives before drinking and heed the Bible's warnings against drunkenness. Reflecting on why they drink and being mindful of the potential pitfalls can help believers honor God in their choices and protect their spiritual walk. Ultimately, seeking fulfillment in Christ rather than substances can bring deeper joy and freedom.

Conclusion - Should Christians Drink Alcohol?

The Old Testament gives a strong warning against leading others to excessive drinking, whether a believer is a minister of the Lord or not; Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink - you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the Lords right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory! (Habakkuk 2:15-16). In its original context, this verse was a condemnation against the Chaldeans, or the Babylonians, for their hedonism, sin, and defiance against God. The warning highlights their over-indulgence in earthly things by emphasizing their own indulgence in alcohol, and how they used alcohol to humiliate others. Christians today can learn from the negative example of the Chaldeans. Leading others to drunkenness and filling oneself with wine instead of the Spirit of the Lord disappoints the Lord and leads to sin and shame.

One of the most relevant Bible verses for Christians thinking about whether or not they can have alcoholic drinks comes from one of Pauls epistles. Paul wrote, All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12). Alcohol may not be barred to the believer, but it may not be beneficial to their walk with the Lord. If there is a possibility of being enslaved to alcohol, it is best to avoid it. Ultimately, it requires prayer, a strong relationship with the Spirit, and a close study of the Word to determine if alcohol is something someone wants to invite into their life.

God did not make humanity to be enslaved to anything. In fact, He wants everyone to be freed from sin and the struggles that burden them. Freeing people from their bonds is part of why Jesus died on the cross for everyones sins. Anyone struggling with alcohol can turn to Jesus for salvation, as well as for the strength to pursue sobriety. There are also resources to find programs and support groups which can help; For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1). The Lords love and grace extends to all people, and His forgiveness is free to all people who ask for it.

If you or someone you love is exhibiting signs of alcohol dependence or alcoholism, start by calling 1-800-662-4357 and look for help at https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/.

Sources

Brumbelow, David. Ancient Wine and the Bible: The Case for Abstinence. Chicago: Free Church Publishing, 2011.

Gentry, Kenneth. God Gave Wine. Victorious Hope Publishing, 2015.

Whitefield, George. The Heinous Sin of Drunkenness. A Sermon Preached on Board the Whitaker. Wyoming: Creative Media Partners, LLC., 2018.

Whittington, Brad. What Would Jesus Drink. Chesnee: Wunderfool Press, 2011.

Related articles

Did Jesus Drink Wine, and Should We?

When Should We "Eat Drink and Be Merry" (Ecclesiastes 8:15)?

Bible Verses about Drinking Alcohol

Photo credit: Unsplash/Alfonso Scarpa

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.
BillOReilly.com is not available in this country.



We apologize for any inconvenience.
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.
In this weather satellite photo taken Friday, Hurricane Beryl was crossing Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on its way into the Gulf of Mexico. Texas is in the upper-left corner of the image. NOAA/National Weather Service

With the Fourth of July holiday in our rear view, our focus turns to Hurricane Beryl and its potential approach to South Texas. Gulf Coast residents are watching Beryl to see where it could go and what to expect.

Before any Beryl-induced rainfall or winds make it to the Lone Star State in the next few days, lets take a quick look at the immediate forecast for Friday in Houston.

Friday will be mostly sunny and hot, with a lingering 20% chance of rain after 1 p.m. The peak afternoon temperature of 98 degrees will feel more like 109 because of the elevated humidity levels. Expect partly cloudy skies at night with predawn temperatures staying above 79 degrees.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

High atmospheric pressure will continue to dominate weather patterns over Southeast Texas into the weekend. With humidity-driven heat index values rising beyond 108 degrees, the National Weather Service planned to extend their heat advisory for the region. Heat advisories are issued when the weather service wants to warn the public about an increased risk of heat-related illness, such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

The National Weather Service's extended forecast for Houston calls for actual air temperatures in the low 90s but humidity driving heat index values into the triple digits. National Weather Service

But deep tropical moisture is returning to Southeast Texas, which also means the return of tropical downpours this weekend. While a stray afternoon storm could arise Friday, more storms are possible Saturday into Sunday. Afternoon storm chances of 40% to 60% could force you inside for a bit until rain stops.

The weekend will be partly to mostly cloudy with the most likely storm chances arising in the afternoon and lasting through the early evening. Highs Saturday in the mid-90s give way to lower 90s Sunday as a few more downpours could keep temperatures closer to early July norms.

Beryl makes landfall

Along the eastern flank of the Yucatan Peninsula, Beryl made landfall Friday morning as a Category 2 hurricane near the resort town and archeological hot spot of Tulum, Mexico. Other popular vacation spots like Cancun and Cozumel were facing hurricane-force winds, while tropical storm-force winds extended well beyond Beryls rotating center. Wind, while a serious threat when a hurricane makes landfall, is generally not responsible for weather-related deaths.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Flooding, from rain and storm surge, poses a far deadlier threat during landfall. Beryl is expected to bring 4 to 6 inches of rain, with localized instances of 8 inches or higher possible. Widespread flooding isnt expected to be a major concern in this area as Beryl moves through.

Storm surge, which is the rise in water level above normally dry ground, will be 3 to 5 feet in areas under hurricane warnings Friday. The silver lining for residents and vacationers alike is Beryl will be a relatively quick mover. By Friday night, Beryl should be moving into the Gulf of Mexicos Bay of Campeche.

Where it goes after its emergence in the Gulf of Mexico will ultimately determine how South Texas and the Texas Gulf Coast could be affected.

Where will Beryl go next?

Confidence continues to grow that Beryl will affect portions of the Lone Star State early next week. Does this mean a tropical storm or hurricane hitting South Texas? Its certainly possible, especially near and south of the Rio Grande Valley.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Will Beryl be a devastating Category 4 or 5 hurricane if it were to come to Texas? Not likely. Most guidance keeps Beryl in a much weaker state, despite the bath water-like temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.

IS BERYL COMING TO TEXAS?: Latest projected path of Hurricane Beryl puts storm near Texas. What can we expect?

A more northerly track would bring a greater rainfall, wind, storm surge, and tornado risk to the Houston area. A landfall near or south of the Rio Grande Valley would mean less rainfall, less wind, and a much lower storm surge or tornado risk locally.

Rainfall through early next week should be manageable in most areas. Following several weeks of drier weather, a forecast of as much as 6 inches of cumulative rainfall over several days is not likely to result in widespread or significant flooding.

Although high rainfall rates, or if rain accumulates too fast, could be a problem for densely urbanized areas like Houston, the region could withstand 4 to 6 inches of rain falling in the course of two or three days.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The forecast rainfall through Wednesday across Southeast Texas, according to the National Blend of Models, shows that 2 to 4 inches of rain are likely through midweek as Beryl brings deep tropical moisture to the region. Higher cumulative rainfall totals of up to 6 inches are possible, but shouldnt lead to widespread flooding. Weather Prediction Center / Pivotal Weather

Storm surge is always a concern in the landfall of a tropical system. If you saw water come up along the coast during Tropical Storm Alberto in mid-June, you'll see storm surge and coastal flooding return Sunday into Monday as Beryl nears the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico and comes ashore.
A significant milestone in AstraZenecas growth story in India as it celebrates its 45th year in the country this month

AstraZeneca India has announced an investment of Rs 250 crore ($30 million) to expand its Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, which includes close to 1,300 roles focused on driving innovation, enhancing efficiency, and streamlining operations across the company globally.

The expanded facility was inaugurated in a ceremony officiated by Minister of Industries Tamil Nadu, Dr T.R.B. Rajaa, British Deputy High Commissioner to India, Christina Scott CMG, AstraZeneca Vice President for Asia Area Ms Sylvia Varela, as well as AstraZenecas leadership team in the country.

The investment marks a significant milestone in AstraZenecas growth story in India as it celebrates its 45th year in the country this month. With the highly skilled roles to be brought in by 2025, the expanded GITC will propel companys vision to leverage technologies such as enterprise platforms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and supply chain analytics to shape healthcare outcomes.

Thiru. MK Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu said, "Technology is the driving force behind innovation and we are committed to make Tamil Nadu an epicentre of technology and research. This collaboration with AstraZeneca aligns perfectly with our vision to foster innovation and create high-value opportunities for the people of Tamil Nadu."


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.
El Paso residents demonstrated their support for Annunciation House in February. Andres Leighton/Associated Press

Scripture for Paxton

Regarding What does Christian mean to Ken Paxton? A judge found his harassment of Catholic volunteers intolerable. | Editorial, (July 3): I see that Attorney General Ken Paxtons attempt to shut down Annunciation House in El Paso got a sharp dope-slap from District Judge Francisco Dominguez.

I find it curious that, for all their sanctimonious talk about Judeo-Christian values, Paxton and his ilk eagerly use the full power of their offices to try to punish any group that actually tries to follow the teachings of Christ.

You know, that outrageous nonsense about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and sheltering the homeless. I would refer Paxton et al. to this bit of scripture, Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me, but it would be a wasted effort.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Frank Ohrt, Houston

Words that resound

Regarding, Celebrate the Fourth by reading the Declaration of Independence | Editorial, (July 3): Thank you for following reader Wallace Hoopers suggestion many years ago and running the Declaration every Fourth of July.



Ive read the Declaration almost every Fourth that you have printed it. It never fails to amaze me how well our founding fathers expressed their reasons for dissolving ties with Great Britain.

Phil Petersen, League City

Every American and aspiring American should take a few minutes and reacquaint themselves with the reasoning put forth by our founding fathers in declaring themselves free from the tyrant king.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Following are direct quotes from that sacred document and that reflect current thoughts of concern today.

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 them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

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 dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions of the rights of the people

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for the naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations further 

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

He has made judges dependent on his will alone for the future of their offices

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 taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us 

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

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.

Now, 248 years later, truer words cannot be found.

Jeff Knight, Houston

In defense of immunity

Regarding After Supreme Court immunity ruling, could Biden exile Trump? | Opinion, (July 2): Could you please stop being so one-sided in the publication of letters? Are you indicating that not one person wrote in, in support of the decision regarding immunity? Not one?



Do the readers who did write believe that former President Barack Obama should be prosecuted for murder since he ordered the raid and killing of Osama bin Laden by SEAL Team Six? If not, why not?



Obama ordered the attack on bin Ladens compound in his official capacity. That is an action the Supreme Court is providing presidential immunity for. As they should.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Sinn Feins Chris Hazzard said his increased winning margin in South Down was an endorsement of political campaigns being fought on the ground, rather than on social media.

In 2019 the SDLP came within 1,600 votes of unseating Mr Hazzard. This time he had a majority of more than 9,000, polling 19,698 votes against 10,418 for Colin McGrath of the SDLP.

Advertisement

The result saw Mr Hazzard returned as MP for the third time.

Advertisement

After the South Down result was announced, he said: What a smashing endorsement of what we put forward for strong leadership, for positive change and most importantly a different vision for the future.

For decisions about our lives to be taken at home here in Ireland.

He added: I think this also demonstrates that elections are fought on the ground, not on Twitter, and I think this is a great endorsement of a record of delivery.

This is about working for everybody, this is about creating positive change, about delivering the Narrow Water bridge, about fixing our health service, about fixing our education service.

Advertisement

Mr Hazzard also said he was delighted the Tories did not get any sort of endorsement in the constituency after Conservative candidate Hannah Westropp polled 46 votes.

The result was a disappointment for the nationalist SDLP, which had hoped to make more progress in regaining a seat where it once was the dominant force.

Colin McGrath said he could hold his head up high after his campaign (Oliver McVeigh/PA)

Advertisement

Mr McGrath said he could hold his head up high after the campaign and election.

He added: It is an improvement on the Assembly election result two years ago and it shows within the constituency of South Down there is still a will to take the SDLP view.

DUP candidate Diane Forsythe failed to make any ground for her party in the constituency, polling 7,349 votes.
A High Court action has been brought on behalf of a child with autism who is currently in a school than cannot cater for his needs, and who needs a place at a suitable education facility.

The child, a boy of primary school age, and his family cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Advertisement

The court heard that the boy has been enrolled in his current school for several years. However that placement, the court heard, has proven to be challenging for the child.

He has speech and language delay and requires significant help from an adult to keep him safe.

The boy has been assessed by a psychologist with the National Educational Psychological Service as having a moderate intellectual disability and autism. The assessor also recommended that the boy requires an Autism Spectrum Disorder specific school placement.

His current school placement is therefore not suitable for his needs, his family claim.

Advertisement

His parents have applied to a dozen schools that would cater to his needs, and have written to the Department of Education seeking assistance in the matter. Their efforts have been unsuccessful as all of the schools they have applied to are already full.

His family claims that the lack of access to an appropriate education placement for the school year commencing in September, amounts to breach of the boy's rights to an adequate education.

Represented by Derek Shortall SC and Paul Gunning Bl the child has brought judicial review proceedings in the High Court against the Minister for Education, The National Council for Special Education, Ireland and the Attorney General.

Counsel accepted that the action involved a child who currently has a school placement.

Advertisement

However where he currently is is not suitable, counsel said, adding that the boy's case has been strengthened by the psychologist's assessment which states he needs to be provided with an ASD-specific school placement.

In their action applicants seek an order from the court compelling the respondents to provide the boy with an appropriate education within a period directed by the court.

They also seek a declaration that the respondents have failed in their duty to provide the boy with an adequate and appropriate education in accordance with his constitutional rights, or in accordance with provisions of the 1998 Education Act and the 2004 Special Education Needs Act.

The matter came before Ms Justice Marguerite Bolger on Friday, who on an ex parte basis, granted the applicant's lawyers permission to bring their challenge.

The case will return before the court later this month.
A homeless man who drowned after jumping into the River Liffey to rescue a stranger who was trying to take his own life performed a very courageous and heroic act, an inquest has heard.

James Nicholl (41), a native of The Curragh, Co Kildare and former soldier, died in the early hours of April 8th, 2023 while attempting to help another man who was struggling in the water near Grattan Bridge at Capel Street at around 1.30am.

Advertisement

Mr Nicholl had been living in temporary accommodation at the Paramount Hotel in Temple Bar with his partner, Donna Walker, when he came across a man in distress about his friend jumping in the river.

The bodies of both men were recovered from the Liffey several hours later.

The other victim was Modestas Banys (21), the son of Lithuanian parents who came originally from Monaghan but who had been living in Garynisk Square in Tallaght while studying in Dublin.

An inquest into the deaths of both men at Dublin District Coroners Court on Friday heard Mr Banys had made suicidal references in a series of texts to a friend earlier that night.

Advertisement

The friend, Johnny Friel, gave evidence of jumping into a taxi from his home in Stoneybatter after receiving worrying text messages from Mr Banys at around 1am.

Mr Friel said he had initially contacted his friend to question why Mr Banys had posted a message on Instagram at 12.42am which stated: Im sorry. I didnt mean any harm to anyone who came in my path.

The inquest heard the deceased had written in one text: Im just done with life followed a minute later with Im going to jump in the Liffey.

Mr Friel said Mr Banys had also made a reference to being dumped in one text in a reference to the recent break-up of a relationship with his boyfriend.

Advertisement

He gave evidence of meeting his friend in Street 66 bar on Parliament Street where Mr Friel insisted they would get a taxi home and stay together as Mr Banys was upset and crying.

When they were on Grattan Bridge, Mr Friel said he realised he needed help to deal with his friend and was trying to contact gardai on his phone when Mr Banys suddenly vaulted over the bridge and jumped into the river below.

The witness said a man whom he now knew as Mr Nicholl passed the scene with his girlfriend and climbed up on the bridge and dived into the river within seconds after asking if someone was in the water.

Mr Friel said he advised Mr Nicholl not to jump in the river after his friend if he could not swim but Mr Nicholl replied: Dont worry. Ill get him.

Advertisement

The inquest heard that Mr Nicholl managed to get hold of Mr Banys in the water but both men appeared to be struggling before getting separated mid-river.

Mr Friel said a number of unsuccessful efforts were made to throw lifebuoys at the victims, while another male who had stripped to his boxer shorts was prevented from jumping into the river.

In reply to questions from the coroner, Clare Keane, Mr Friel confirmed that Mr Banys was able to swim and he praised Mr Nicholl as a brave man.

In evidence, Ms Walker fought back tears as she recalled how she described Mr Nicholl, with whom she had been in a relationship for 20 years, as her husband even though they were never married.

Advertisement

She recounted how they were just returning from having a pizza when they came across a man in distress on Grattan Bridge begging for help.

Ms Walker said her partner, whom she described as a good strong swimmer had jumped straight into the river and cried out to Mr Banys to kick his legs to try to swim.

Thats just who he was. He would help anybody, she remarked.

Ms Walker claimed it was hard to see the two men in the water as they drifted downstream but she saw Mr Nicholl on his back before he disappeared under the surface.

Another friend of Mr Banys, Shayne McCullough, said they had gone to Street 66 the previous evening.

Mr McCullough said his friend, whom he knew as Mode seemed stone cold sober when they met at around 8.30pm.

He said Mr Banys had not appeared overly affected by the recent breakup of a relationship and he could say with certainty that Mr Banys had not taken any drugs while they were out together, although they had consumed alcohol.

Mr McCullough admitted he was fairly intoxicated by the end of the night and he had become separated from Mr Banys after they returned to Street 66 after being refused entry to the George bar on South Great Georges Street.

However, he said his friend had been laughing and joking during the evening.

Mr McCullough said he only heard about what happened to Mr Banys when he was contacted by Mr Friel at 5.35am.

Sergeant Glen Brady of the Garda Water Unit told the inquest that the search for the two men had to be called off at 2.20am but was resumed again at 5.30am.

Sgt Brady said Mr Nicholls body was subsequently found floating near the Millennium Bridge at 6.25am, while the body of Mr Banys was recovered from near the Hapenny Bridge at 7.10am.

Sergeant Joanna McCormack confirmed to the coroner that no lifebuoys were missing from their posts but she noted it would take some time to reach one in cases where someone had jumped off a bridge as they are only stationed on the riverbanks.

Mr Banys mother, Daiva Baniene, said she had last spoken to her son three days earlier and he had stayed with her the previous weekend when he informed her about the breakup of his relationship following a row.

However, she told the coroner that he was still making jokes so that she had no concerns about him.

I never thought he was going to do this, she added.

Ms Baniene did acknowledge that her son had wanted to kill himself a year or two before the fatal incident.

Mr Nicholls father, James Nicholl Senior said he had last seen his son about a month before when he had appeared happy and was always laughing.

He said he believed his son was not on any medication at the time of his death, but it was possible that he was taking drugs such as methadone.

The coroner said postmortems showed that both men had died due to drowning in what were profoundly tragic deaths.

Dr Keane recorded a verdict of death by suicide in the case of Mr Banys and one of accidental death in relation to Mr Nicholl.

The coroner praised Mr Friel for his valiant and loyal efforts to help his friend and Mr Nicholl for his very courageous and heroic act.

The families of both men, who declined to comment on the case outside the coroner's court, embraced each other warmly at the conclusion of the inquest.

Last November, Mr Nicholl was posthumously awarded the highest honour for bravery by civilians.

His parents, Noreen and James Nicholl, collected the Gold Bravery medal at the ceremony for the National Bravery Awards in Dublin.
An Iraq War British Army colonel blamed people being more interested in potholes and hedges than international affairs after failing to secure victory in a Northern Ireland constituency.

Tim Collins, the UUP candidate known for a rousing pre-battle speech he made while serving in Iraq in 2003, conceded after midnight as boxes were still being opened in the North Down constituency.

Advertisement

He said that independent unionist candidate Alex Easton appeared to be polling well as he defended his election campaign efforts.

People in North Down, I think they dont want someone who doesnt live in Northern Ireland, he told the BBC.

Theyre interested in local politics, theyre not interested in cutting VAT, theyre not interested in international affairs. Theyre interested in potholes and hedges.

Asked would he run again in Northern Ireland in five years time, he said he could not predict what he would be doing then.

Advertisement

He added: I was asked to do this, and Im happy to do it. I financed myself and Im pleased I did it because Im putting something back into Northern Ireland and Im pleased to do that.

He also defended comments he made during the campaign about the cost of insuring a car in Northern Ireland compared to insuring his Rolls Royce in England.

Its Northern Ireland, they dont understand these things. The point I was making is its an expensive car, it is cheaper to insure in England than it is here, he said.
A well-educated man with no history of violence, criminality, mental illness or drug use strangled his fiancee to death during a psychotic episode, a psychiatrist has told the Central Criminal Court.

Consultant psychiatrist Professor Patricia Casey said that during six interviews she carried out with the accused man, Andrei Dobra, he was "courteous, polite, gentle and respectful".

Advertisement

She said he deeply regretted killing his fiancee Ioana Mihaela Pacala (30), was in shock and struggled to remember or understand his own actions.

Having looked into Mr Dobra's background, Professor Casey said she found no history of engagement with mental health services or the legal system. He had lived a "very stable, normal life" she said and there was "nothing in his past to indicate a history of violence or criminality".

Professor Casey described Mr Dobra as well-educated - he achieved two university degrees in Romania before coming to Ireland in 2015 "to better himself". He found work as an administrator at Cappagh Hospital and as a security guard in Templebar, jobs that enabled him and Mihaela to buy a house together.

The evidence Professor Cassidy gleaned from those who knew the couple was that they were "very committed to one another, they were very much in love and ideally suited to one another." Her family had "no concerns about any aspect of their relationship," the professor said.

Advertisement

They had planned to marry on June 10th 2023 and had already picked out a restaurant, band and church. Mr Dobra (36), with an address at Riverwalk Court, Fairyhouse Road in Ratoath has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering his partner Ioana Mihaela Pacala in the home they shared on November 12th 2022.

Professor Casey, who was called by the defence, told Mr Dobra's barrister Michael Bowman SC that she spoke to Mr Dobra six times since the killing.

He told her that in the months leading up to the killing, he had become stressed and anxious about work and about his ability to pay for his new home. He took time off work and went to a GP for help some days before the killing.

He began to suffer "fleeting thoughts" or "partial delusions" that Mihaela's family were trying to prevent them from marrying and that they would sell his home and take the money.

Advertisement

He also became concerned about "some kind of spirit in the house" and thought about getting a priest in for a blessing. He was having difficulty sleeping and complained of hearing noises in the night, she said.

He had further delusions that Mihaela wanted him to die and he had become suspicious about her giving him tablets that had been prescribed by his GP for hypertension. In the hours before the killing, friends and family who spoke to Mr Dobra and Ms Pacala described him as appearing extremely unwell and sweating heavily.

During one meeting in which he displayed psychotic symptoms, he told Professor Casey there was a "demon in the house that used me".

At a later meeting he said he could remember "feeling like a monster" that he couldn't control on the day of the killing. A feeling of being out of control is common for people suffering from psychosis, Professor Casey said.

Advertisement

Professor Casey diagnosed Mr Dobra with schizoaffective psychosis. At the time of the killing, she said, he believed his life was in danger and he therefore did not know that what he was doing was wrong.

Prof Casey concluded that Mr Dobra meets the threshold under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006 for a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Brenda Wright told Carl Hanahoe BL, for the prosecution, that her view is Mr Dobra was experiencing a major depressive episode with psychotic symptoms at the time of the killing.

She said that while there were challenges in assessing his mental state due to his amnesia regarding events around the killing, it is highly probable that he was acting under the delusional belief that his life was in danger. Dr Wright said he believed his actions were morally justified by the need to defend himself and he did not understand that what he was doing was wrong.

Dr Wright said Mr Dobra qualifies for a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity.

The trial continues on Monday before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury of six men and six women.
The DUP has suffered a bruising set of election results in the North with the party suffering a seismic shock when Ian Paisley lost his seat in North Antrim.

In a difficult night for the unionist party, the Alliance Partys Sorcha Eastwood also had a historic result as she triumphed in the DUP stronghold of Lagan Valley  the seat formerly held by party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

Advertisement

The Paisley family has held the North Antrim seat for more than 50 years, but that legacy has come to an end with the victory of TUV leader Jim Allister in the unionist heartland.

Mr Allister said: There is no escaping the fact that there has been a political earthquake in North Antrim of seismic proportions.

Today, we mark an occasion when after 54 years of DUP and Ian Paisley dynasty, North Antrim has taken an alternative course.

Advertisement

DUP leader Gavin Robinson shakes hands with Alliance Party leader Naomi Long after retaining his seat in the East Belfast constituency, at the Titanic Exhibition Centre (Liam McBurney/PA)

One bright spot in a disappointing night was when DUP leader Gavin Robinson held off the challenge of Alliance Party leader Naomi Long in East Belfast.

With just one out of 18 constituencies still to be declared, Sinn Fein is on course to become the largest party in a Westminster election for the first time after holding all of its seven seats.

The DUP has won four seats and is understood to be narrowly ahead in the East Derry constituency.

Advertisement

Sorcha Eastwood defeated DUP candidate Jonathan Buckley in the high-profile contest in Lagan Valley.

Winning Lagan Valley Alliance candidate Sorcha Eastwood (Oliver McVeigh/PA)

Donaldson did not stand for re-election in Lagan Valley, having stepped down as leader in March when he was charged with historical sexual offences  charges he denies.

Advertisement

The DUP has also been under fire 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.

Reacting to her landmark victory, Ms Eastwood said: Its a fantastic night for us, but its also a fantastic night for the people of Lagan Valley.

She added: Im a Lagan Valley girl born and bred, and this has been in our heart for a long time and Im just delighted.

Ms Eastwood said it was a huge moment for the party, for her and her community.

Advertisement

However, it was a bittersweet night for the cross-community Alliance Party after it failed to win in its two other main targets  North Down and East Belfast.

DUP leader Mr Robinson defeated Ms Long for the fourth successive election in East Belfast.

He said it was a good result for the party after embracing supporters upon his arrival at the Titanic Exhibition Centre.

Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill and Mary Lou McDonald arrive at Meadowbank Sports Arena, Magherafelt (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr Robinson said his performance was one that reflects not only the political campaign our team has run in east Belfast but also in recognition of the people who in this election have come out to vote or come out to vote for the first time in a long time.

He said he was incredibly proud of the DUPs candidate in Lagan Valley, Mr Buckley, and said the result was a consequence of divided unionism.

In constituencies right across Northern Ireland you can see the consequences of divided unionism, he said.

In North Down, Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry lost his seat to independent unionist Alex Easton.

Sinn Fein retained its seats in Mid Ulster, North Belfast, Newry and Armagh, South Down, West Belfast and West Tyrone while the DUP held Upper Bann and East Antrim.

Former nursing union boss Pat Cullen held Fermanagh and South Tyrone for the party.

The UUPs Robin Swann has won in South Antrim (Niall Carson/PA)

Ms ONeill told the BBC: Our politics is all about the future, it is about what we can do here working together.

Particularly in this Westminster election this is an opportunity for people to have a say in how they want decisions taken about their lives.

The fact that we are now the largest party in local government, the largest party in the Assembly and the largest party at Westminster speaks to the fact that I think it is time for change, time for us to be able to take control.

I look forward to the journey in terms of having the constitutional change conversation, what could that look like?

The Ulster Unionist Party is returning to Westminster after former Stormont health minister Robin Swann took a seat from the DUP in South Antrim.

SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood celebrates his election in Foyle at Meadowbank Sports Arena (Niall Carson/PA)

However, retired British Army colonel Tim Collins, who ran for the UUP in North Down, blamed voters being more interested in potholes and hedges than international affairs after conceding defeat before the result was declared.

The SDLP has retained the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader, Colum Eastwood in Foyle, and deputy leader, Claire Hanna in South Belfast and Mid Down.

Mr Eastwood said: I have to say Im delighted to see the back of the Tory government.

Fourteen years of destroying our public services. Fourteen years of destroying the economy. Destroying family finances is now gone.
SDLP deputy leader Claire Hanna has predicted a step change in the British governments attitude to Northern Ireland after she retained her seat at Westminster.

Ms Hanna, who secured almost 50 per cent of the vote with 21,345 votes, saw off a challenge from the Alliance Partys Kate Nicholl to win the renamed South Belfast and Mid Down seat.

Advertisement

The returning MP expressed confidence that a Labour government would boost investment in Northern Ireland and would also demonstrate an appetite for reforming Stormonts institutions.

The SDLP has been among those calling for reforms to prevent further collapses of the powersharing institutions in Belfast.

Advertisement

Devolution has been in cold storage for five of the last seven years as a result of Sinn Fein, and then the DUP, using a controversial veto power to pull down the ministerial executive.

Asked if the new British government would deliver a step change in regard to Northern Ireland, Ms Hanna told the PA news agency: I dont doubt it for a minute. Nobodys pretending that its the very top of everybodys list in Westminster. But Keir Starmer clearly has an institutional memory and an attachment to Northern Ireland (he formerly worked for the Northern Ireland Policing Board), as do many others.

She added: I think theres a keenness to understand and to help.

Ms Hanna said she expected more funding for the region.

Advertisement

There was an acknowledgment, even by the outgoing government, that public services werent adequately funded based on the need and the demographics that we have here.

On Stormont reform, she added: We need to end this chronic nihilism where we collapse it every couple of years because that is what is making everybody in Northern Irelands life difficult.
Counting is continuing in Northern Ireland, with several constituency battles appearing to be on a knife edge.

The high-profile contest between DUP leader Gavin Robinson and Alliance Party leader Naomi Long in East Belfast is among those seats that remain too close to call.

Advertisement

In other key constituency battles, the DUP is locked in another tussle with Alliance in Lagan Valley, while Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry is facing a hard task to retain his North Down seat from the challenge of independent unionist Alex Easton.

The UUP is increasingly hopeful former Stormont health minister Robin Swann can take a seat from the DUP in South Antrim.

Robin Swann, the Ulster Unionist Party candidate for South Antrim (Liam McBurney/PA)

Advertisement

Sinn Fein looks set for a fierce fight with the UUP in the ever-close Fermanagh and South Tyrone count, where former RCN general secretary Pat Cullen stood against Ulster Unionist councillor Diana Armstrong.

As votes continued to be counted, Ms Armstrong said she was feeling very confident of victory.

Asked if Sinn Fein was nervous about the result in the constituency, Michelle ONeill said: Were feeling very confident that it has been a good poll from us across the board but its very early in the evening.

Ms ONeill also expressed confidence that Cathal Mallaghan would be elected in Mid-Ulster, adding: The politics of this election was very much about the politics here at home, about making the Executive and the Assembly work.

Advertisement

All eyes are on the race for the greatest number of seats across Northern Ireland, with the potential of Sinn Fein cementing its position as the largest party in the region, having come out on top in the last Assembly and local council polls.

Sinn Fein, which ran a relatively low-key campaign, could secure first place by retaining the seven seats it already holds, if the DUP drops down from the eight seats it won in 2019.

The two main parties traded relatively few hard blows during the last six weeks, reflective of the fact that relations between them have been fairly good in the five months since they resumed joint leadership of Stormonts restored devolved coalition government.

The DUP is under pressure in a number of constituencies, most significantly in East Belfast where Mr Robinson is involved in that high-stakes contest with Ms Long.

Advertisement

The party could face an uncomfortable night across the board, with the potential of seeing large majorities significantly cut in seats it would have considered safe.

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 fire 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

DUP leader Gavin Robinson and his wife Lindsay, leave after after casting their votes (Liam McBurney/PA)

Defeat for Mr Robinson in East Belfast would be likely to 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 tightrope between having a really good night or a very disappointing one, with its fate resting on the outcome of the North Down, East Belfast and Lagan Valley counts.

In Lagan Valley, UUP candidate Robbie Butler conceded he was not going to win as he said the race between Alliances Sorcha Eastwood and the DUPs Jonathan Buckley was too close to call.

The Ulster Unionists were without an MP in the last parliament and the party was growing in optimism on Friday morning that it will pick up South Antrim at a minimum, with Fermanagh and South Tyrone also well in play.

Asked if he was course for victory in South Antrim, Mr Swann said: It seems to be heading that way.

However, retired Army colonel Tim Collins, who ran for the UUP in North Down, blamed voters being more interested in potholes and hedges than international affairs after conceding defeat before the result was declared.

Success for the SDLP would be the retention of the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader, Colm Eastwood, and deputy leader, Claire Hanna.

Both look well placed for victory  in Foyle and South Belfast and Mid Down respectively.

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.

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 led to a highly unusual situation in TUV leader Jim Allisters own North Antrim constituency, where he ran on a joint TUV-Reform UK platform, even though Mr Farage personally backed the DUP candidate in that area, Ian Paisley.

However, early indications from the count suggested Mr Allister has performed above expectations in the constituency race.
Xi calls for bolstering SCO unity, cooperation

10:17, July 05, 2024 By Xu Wei ( China Daily

President Xi Jinping poses for a group photo on Thursday with other leaders attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan.

President Xi Jinping stressed on Thursday the necessity for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to bolster unity and cooperation, saying that the grouping must safeguard its security baseline, defend the right to development, and build up its unity.

In a speech delivered at the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Astana, Kazakhstan, the Chinese president said it is critically important for the world that the grouping always stands on the right side of history and upholds justice and fairness.

The SCO formally approved the accession of Belarus to the grouping during Thursday's summit and decided that China will hold the rotating presidency of the 10-member organization for 2024-25. The other members of the grouping are India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Xi noted that the SCO, which was founded 23 years ago, has seen its family, including observer states and dialogue partners, expand to 26 countries, spanning three continents.

With more partners, the foundation of cooperation is more solid, he said.

The organization must ensure the bottom line of security "in the face of real threats of the Cold War mentality", he said, highlighting the need for member states to practice the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security.

The SCO must address complex and intertwined security challenges through dialogue and coordination, respond to the profoundly changing international landscape with a win-win approach, and endeavor to build a world of lasting peace and universal security, he stressed.

Faced with the real risks of the "small yard, high fences" approach, Xi called on member states to safeguard their right to development, saying that joint efforts must be made to advance sci-tech innovation, ensure stable and unimpeded industrial and supply chains, and stimulate regional economic vitality to achieve common development goals.

The Chinese president also appealed for enhanced unity and strength inside the grouping in facing the real challenges of interference and division.

SCO members should jointly resist external interference, firmly support each other, accommodate each other's concerns, and peacefully resolve internal differences, he said.

President Xi Jinping delivers a speech on Thursday during the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan. (FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY)

Xi underlined the importance of peaceful solutions in resolving internal differences, and pooling strength to address difficulties in cooperation, so that the destiny of SCO member nations and regional peace and development can be firmly grasped in their own hands.

The SCO has been able to withstand the tests of changing international dynamics thanks to its steadfast commitment to the traditions of unity and cooperation, the path of equal and mutually beneficial collaboration, the pursuit of fairness and justice, and a broadminded embrace of inclusiveness and mutual learning, he pointed out.

Xi reiterated the importance of the SCO remaining true to its original aspiration, upholding the "Shanghai Spirit", enhancing mutual support, and building the organization into a reliable backbone for the common prosperity and revitalization of its member states.

Addressing the summit, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that the SCO has become an effective mechanism of friendship, good-neighborliness, equality, and mutual support, based on the "Shanghai Spirit".

"The SCO has established itself as a unique platform, where the interests and arguments of the member states are equally taken into account," he said.

He highlighted the strengthening of mutual trust and cooperation in security as the priority for the organization, saying that the SCO has unique capacities to ensure security in the Eurasian region.

Tokayev also identified strengthening transportation network through the creation of efficient corridors and reliable transportation chains as the next direction for cooperation, saying "we place great emphasis on the further development" of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

The leaders of the member states also adopted the Astana Declaration and an initiative calling for solidarity among countries to promote world justice, harmony, and development.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Toyota Hilux on dirt road driving PixelCatchers/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Its OK to talk politics with your family. I know this because my two brothers and I like to talk about pickup trucks, which is really just another way of talking politics.

I should explain. The brothers are both engineers. But not the kind of engineers who sit in front of a computer writing code and collecting stock options. Theyre the kind of engineers who go to remote work sites full of heavy equipment and hazardous chemicals. They know about pickup trucks.

Im an economist who works in a nice air-conditioned office. I drive a Subaru. In a sensible world, I wouldnt have much to add to the truck-talk.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

But we dont live in a sensible world. We live in a world where the market for pickup trucks is shaped by the politics of taxes and tariffs. I know about that stuff. As long as I pay for my beer, theyre happy to let me join in the conversation.

And for the last few days, the truck-talk has taken on a new urgency. Thats because Little Brother needs a new truck and Big Brother has strong, well-informed opinions. His opinions are not controversial; the guy knows his trucks. But neither are they especially helpful. Thats because the particular model of mid-sized pickup that best suits Little Brothers needs  a Toyota Hilux, which is wildly popular all over the world  cannot be purchased in the U.S.

The brothers are not happy about this. Im not either, but at least I can explain the reason why. The story about the missing Mexican pickup is really a story about chickens and the 1964 (yes,1964!) U.S. presidential election.

It turns out that in the early 1960s, American farmers had gotten really good at raising chickens cheaply. European farmers were still really bad at raising chickens, which meant they couldnt compete against American imports. Now of course, the European farmers might have stepped up their chicken game  a couple of semesters at Texas A&M could have taught them how. But it was easier to get their governments to impose big taxes on American birds imported into France and Germany.

Tariffs beget retaliatory tariffs  a fact often ignored in the giddy rush to start a trade war  and so President Lyndon Johnson decided to impose tariffs on a bunch of European-made food ingredients. He also imposed a 25% tariff on foreign-made trucks.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The American tariffs on European food items had at least a certain symmetry  they mess with our groceries; we mess with theirs. But why pickups? And why trucks from places that were happy to stir-fry American chicken?

Walter Reuther, head of the United Autoworkers, met in secret with Lyndon Johnson. Johnson was looking for votes. Reuther didnt want American union members competing against German union members. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive

Thats where the politics comes in. The Germans may have been bad at chickens, but they were getting really good at making pickups. That worried Walter Reuther, head of the United Autoworkers. He didnt want American union members competing against German union members. That competition would have been great for Americans who buy trucks but bad for American autoworkers making trucks. Instead, he wanted the U.S. to impose big tariffs.

President Johnson also wanted something: to be reelected in 1964. He did not want autoworkers going on strike in the middle of his campaign. Say what you will about Reuther and Johnson, but they usually got what they wanted. They did in 1964. We now know from LBJs secret recordings that he and Reuther made a deal: no strike in exchange for tariffs.

But why, my siblings ask, does a backroom deal made 60 years ago mean that Little Brother will spend an extra $10K on a truck thats not as good as the model he wants?

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The answer, Im afraid, is obvious and depressing. Americans in the business of making pickups know how much they depend on that tariff  its one big thing that the companies and the unions agree on. Guys like my brothers know a lot about trucks, but they dont know much about international trade regulations. They know even less about how to lobby politicians. Not surprisingly, they get the shaft. (The brothers would use more colorful language.)

What to do?

Well for one thing, we should take advantage of the bizarre, bipartisan, bone-headed stupidity that is our current presidential campaign. Tariffs are taxes mostly paid by the people buying the stuff being taxed. Tariffs reduce jobs. (If you dont believe me, think about, say, a little family-owned plumbing business that might hire another crew if only they could afford a new truck.)

Sensible politicians dont generally run on a platform of higher taxes and fewer jobs. Thats why LBJ and Reuther made their deal in secret.

But thats exactly the promise both of our current candidates are making a cornerstone of their campaigns. Theyre proud to be raising taxes on ordinary consumers and costing blue collar workers jobs. So why not call them on it?

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Both Democrats and Republicans support tariffs. But theyre hurting American consumers. Alisa Lapina Lapalisa/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump says hes going to impose 10% tariffs on everything Amercans import. Ask him to explain how raising taxes on American consumers will make America great. (And if he tells you that consumers dont pay those taxes, ask him to find any serious economist who agrees.)

President Joe Biden refused to roll back any of the tariffs Trump imposed on Chinese goods, and he has his own list of new ones. Ask him the same question. (And if he says his tariffs are necessary to deal with the national security threat posed by China, dont argue. Just ask him why taxing American consumers and putting workers out of jobs is a better way to deal with China than beefing up the military and strengthening alliances.)

I say we become single-interest voters! I say we refuse to support anyone who wont promise to MAKE AMERICAN PICKUPS AFFORDABLE! It might not work, but think how great that acronym will look on a red hat.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Michael L. Davis is an economics professor at the Cox School of Business, SMU Dallas.
Unionists cannot bury their heads in the sand about electoral trends in support of Irish unification, a Sinn Fein Stormont minister has said.

Conor Murphy was commenting after his party emerged from the UK general election as the largest in Northern Ireland.

Advertisement

Sinn Fein also holds the most seats at Stormont and local council level in the region, although it performed well below expectations in last months European and local elections south of the border.

Advertisement

I think that the result last night confirms the degree of change that has been happening over our society for a number of years now, Economy Minister Mr Murphy told BBC Radio Ulster.

What we want to see is an honest and a structured dialogue in relation to what the future holds. And that is one in which everyone has a say, that everyones rights and entitlements are protected.

But we cant not recognise the change thats happening. And thats what weve been about and thats what many in the nationalist community and broader than the nationalist community in terms of dialogue have been about over the last number of years.

We want to see an Irish government involved in that  to structure that dialogue, to give the reassurances, to discuss the issues and that will inevitably be part of a degree of change, constitutional change on the island.

Advertisement

Jim Allister of the TUV was elected to the North Antrim constituency. Photo: Niall Carson/PA.

I get that that is a conversation which does concern some, but I think you know the idea of putting our head in the sand and not recognising the change thats happening does a disservice to the entire community. And I would hope that more and more people from the unionist population become involved in that discussion, make sure that their voices are heard in relation to it, and help us help all of the rest of the people of the island shape the future in a very positive way.

While the main unionist party, the DUP, dropped from eight to five seats in the election, three other unionist MPs  one independent, one UUP and one TUV  did win seats, meaning there remain eight pro-Union MPs at Westminster.

Advertisement

Of the 10 other seats in Northern Ireland, nine are held by Irish nationalists (seven Sinn Fein and two SDLP) and one by the cross-community non-aligned Alliance Party.

Mr Murphy insisted that electoral evidence demonstrating a mood for change was growing.

Advertisement

I think the election results over a number of years have confirmed that the trend is changing, he said.

As I say, we can either decide to ignore that or we can decide to embrace that in a very structured and in a positive way, and one which ensures that everyones voice is heard in that discussion.

Thats what I want to see happen. And thats what our party wants to see happen. I think thats broadly across the island what people want to see happen.

And so I would hope that unionists are encouraged to become part of that dialogue, theyre an important part of our society on this island, they have an important voice to be heard in relation to what the future looks like and we want to make sure that theyre involved in the discussion.
The DUP has suffered a bruising set of election results in the North with the party suffering a seismic shock when Ian Paisley lost his seat, while Sinn Fein is the largest party in a Westminster election for the first time after holding all of its seven seats.

The Alliance Partys Sorcha Eastwood also had a historic result as she triumphed in the unionist stronghold of Lagan Valley  the seat formerly held by DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson.

Advertisement

The Paisley family had held the North Antrim seat for more than 50 years, but that legacy came to an end with the victory of TUV leader Jim Allister in the unionist heartland.

One bright spot in a disappointing night for the DUP was when leader Gavin Robinson held off the challenge of Alliance Party leader Naomi Long in East Belfast.

In North Down, Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry lost his seat to independent unionist Alex Easton.

Advertisement

Sinn Fein retained its seats in Mid Ulster, North Belfast, Newry and Armagh, South Down, West Belfast and West Tyrone while the DUP held Upper Bann and East Antrim.

Former nursing union boss Pat Cullen held Fermanagh and South Tyrone for the republican party.

UK Election Results Starmer to be new UK prime minister as Sunak conce... Read More

Sinn Feins emergence as the largest party, after similar results in Assembly and council elections, will intensify the debate around the regions constitutional future.

The Ulster Unionist Party is returning to Westminster after former Stormont health minister Robin Swann took a seat from the DUP in South Antrim.

However, retired British army colonel Tim Collins, who ran for the UUP in North Down, blamed voters being more interested in potholes and hedges than international affairs after conceding defeat before the result was declared.

The SDLP retained the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader, Colum Eastwood in Foyle, and deputy leader, Claire Hanna in South Belfast and Mid Down.
US President Joe Biden has congratulated Sir Keir Starmer and said he looks forward to further strengthening the special relationship with the UK.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Biden said: Congratulations to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Advertisement

I look forward to our shared work in support of freedom and democracy around the world, and to further strengthening the special relationship between our two countries.

Congratulations to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.



I look forward to our shared work in support of freedom and democracy around the world, and to further strengthening the special relationship between our two countries.  President Biden (@POTUS) July 5, 2024 Advertisement

Sir Keir Starmer took the keys to Downing Street on Friday after voters handed Labour a landslide victory in the General Election, ending the partys 14-year hiatus from power.

He will take over from Rishi Sunak, who will vacate No 10 after the Conservatives suffered a crushing defeat.

Advertisement

Just days after his appointment, Sir Keir will be propelled onto the international stage, jetting to Washington DC for the Nato leaders summit, where discussions will include support for Ukraine.

Advertisement

The Labour leader may hold bilateral meetings with both President Biden and Ukraines Volodymyr Zelensky.

Democrat Biden is trying to secure a second term in power, with the 2024 election set for Tuesday, November 5th.

The winner will serve a term of four years in the White House starting in January 2025.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson has appealed for greater cohesion among unionists following General Election results which saw his party suffer damaging defeats in North Antrim and Lagan Valley.

Following the election Sinn Fein has emerged for the first time with the largest representation among Northern Ireland parties at Westminster.

Advertisement

The partys president Mary Lou McDonald has now urged Sir Keir Starmer to embrace the right of Irish self-determination and constitutional change toward Irish reunification.

However, Mr Robinson dismissed suggestions that the election result strengthened the argument towards Irish unity, stating there has been no groundswell of support for a border poll.

Sinn Feins Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle ONeill celebrate the election of Pat Cullen in Fermanagh South Tyrone at Meadowbank Sports Arena, Magherafelt. Photo: Niall Carson/PA.

Advertisement

The DUP suffered a bruising set of results, losing its Westminster seat in North Antrim, which has been held by the Paisley family for 54 years.

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister, a fierce DUP critic, won the seat from Ian Paisley by 450 votes.

Sorcha Eastwood celebrates at the South Lake Leisure Centre in Craigavon, Co Armagh, after winning the Lagan Valley constituency. Photo Oliver McVeigh/PA.

Advertisement

The Alliance Partys Sorcha Eastwood also had a historic result as she triumphed in the DUP stronghold of Lagan Valley, the seat formerly held by party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

Donaldson did not stand for re-election in Lagan Valley, having stepped down as leader in March when he was charged with historical sexual offences, charges he denies.

The DUP has been under fire 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.

Northern Irelands largest unionist party also lost out in South Antrim where former Stormont health minister, Robin Swann of the Ulster Unionist Party, defeated Paul Girvan.

Advertisement

One bright spot in a disappointing night was when DUP leader, Gavin Robinson, held off the challenge of Alliance Party leader Naomi Long in East Belfast.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson shakes hands at the Titanic Exhibition Centre with Alliance Party leader Naomi Long after retaining his seat in the East Belfast constituency. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

In the last result of the night, veteran DUP representative Gregory Campbell narrowly held on to his East Londonderry seat by just 179 votes, having seen his previous majority of almost 10,000 slashed.

Advertisement

This left the DUP with five seats, down from the eight it won in 2019.

Mr Robinson conceded the results had not been what his party had wanted.

He said: We must be realistic about the significant job of work ahead to get unionism into a stronger and more strategic position.

The DUP leader pointed out that unionism had retained the same number of seats as in 2019, although now split among different parties and independent unionist Alex Easton, who won in North Down.

The DUP and TUV did not run a candidate against Mr Easton.

Mr Robinson added: We can never again see a situation where pro-union voters are so divided that seats are lost to those who will not promote the union.

I am pledged to work for greater cohesion within the pro-union movement.

In North Down it has been demonstrated what can be achieved with co-operation, allied to a strong work ethic.

Having unilaterally taken the decision to support Alex Easton, as well as Diane Armstrong in Fermanagh/South Tyrone, there is no doubt that the unionist influence can be advanced.

In truth the result in North Down demonstrated what is possible when unionists work together and the result in Lagan Valley demonstrated the cost of division.

The DUP leader insisted the combined nationalist vote had not grown since 1998.

He said: There has been no groundswell of support for a border poll as some within Sinn Fein would claim.

After all 18 constituencies were declared, it was confirmed Sinn Fein had repeated its success in the Northern Ireland Assembly and local government elections of the previous two years by emerging as the largest party.

The party retained its seats in Mid Ulster, North Belfast, Newry and Armagh, South Down, West Belfast and West Tyrone.

Former nursing union boss Pat Cullen also held Fermanagh and South Tyrone for Sinn Fein with an increased majority.

Photo: PA Graphics.

Ms McDonald said the result creates a major opportunity to improve relations between Britain and Ireland.

She said: Sinn Fein is determined to build a constructive relationship with the new Labour government.

We look forward to working positively with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the many shared priorities for Ireland and Britain during this historic time of renewal.

After 14 years of Tory rule, marked by dysfunction and chaos, they crudely undermined the Good Friday Agreement during Brexit, harming citizens and communities.

They also abandoned co-operation with Dublin, causing significant damage.

She added: The new Labour government now has a huge opportunity to reset relations with the Irish Government and the power-sharing (Stormont) Executive, where First Minister Michelle ONeill will work to restore effective co-operation.

We expect the new Prime Minister to uphold the Good Friday Agreement, which Labour helped deliver, ensuring its political, legal and constitutional guarantees are respected.

This includes respecting all our national identities, political allegiances and working together to defend peace and build on reconciliation efforts.

The British Government must embrace principles of rigorous impartiality and the right to self-determination and constitutional change toward Irish reunification.

Photo: PA Graphics.

It was a mixed night for the cross-community Alliance Party, despite Ms Eastwoods stunning success in Lagan Valley.

In North Down, deputy leader Stephen Farry lost his seat to Mr Easton and leader Ms Long failed in her bid to unseat Mr Robinson in East Belfast.

The Ulster Unionist Party is returning to Westminster for the first time since 2017 following Mr Swanns comprehensive victory in South Antrim.

However, retired Army colonel Tim Collins, who ran for the UUP in North Down, blamed voters being more interested in potholes and hedges than international affairs after conceding defeat.

The SDLP retained the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader, Colum Eastwood, in Foyle, and deputy leader, Claire Hanna, in South Belfast and Mid Down.

Mr Eastwood said: I have to say Im delighted to see the back of the Tory government.

Fourteen years of destroying our public services, 14 years of destroying the economy, destroying family finances is now gone.
Hilary Benn has been appointed Northern Ireland Secretary as part of UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmers Government.

Mr Benn had been serving as the shadow secretary since 2023 and was chairman of the Brexit Select Committee for years.

Advertisement

He has previously said a Labour government would repeal the controversial Legacy Act, introduced by the Tories to address Troubles legacy issues and widely opposed by all main political parties in Northern Ireland.

Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP @hilarybennmp has been appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland @NIOgov. pic.twitter.com/mJrIHtlRgZ  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 5, 2024 Advertisement

The Leeds MP was also vocal in urging the powersharing institutions to be revived during the three-year hiatus.

He served in Gordon Browns government as environment secretary and was a candidate to be deputy leader of Labour in 2007.

Advertisement

Best known in the earlier stages of his career as the son of Tony Benn  the long-serving Cabinet minister, anti-war campaigner and pivotal figure on the Labour left  Mr Benn has not inherited all of his fathers beliefs.

During the 1999 contest for the Leeds Central seat that he would go on to represent for decades, Mr Benn described himself as a Benn, but not a Bennite.

He supported the Iraq war while serving in Sir Tony Blairs government and later, as shadow foreign secretary, defied then-leader Jeremy Corbyn to back military action against the so-called Islamic State in Syria.
Newly-elected British MP Nigel Farage gave a 100% promise to rid Reform UK of bad apples, as multiple protesters disrupted an event designed to celebrate the partys election gains.

The Reform UK leader faced a barrage of heckles from protesters in the audience as he tried to start a speech in central London to mark what the party described as a political earthquake.

Advertisement

He suggested one of the protesters had had a bigger lunch than I have, and that another was at risk of having a stroke before questioning if they were actors  a nod to a Reform canvasser filmed using a racial slur to describe now former prime minister Rishi Sunak.

Advertisement

Mr Farage told his partys supporters: This is good preparation for the House of Commons I suppose, isnt it? Its going to be very lively in there.

When Mr Farage asked: Any more for any more? there was a long pause before a man shouted: Actually yes.

Mr Farage added: We havent organised this very well, have we?

The chaotic scenes took place at an event where Mr Farage, the new MP for Clacton, was joined by his fellow parliamentarians after Reform secured four seats in the Commons.

Advertisement

LIVE: Reform MPs Nigel Farage, Richard Tice, Lee Anderson & Rupert Lowe on the political earthquake. https://t.co/psVvRRo4BI  Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 5, 2024

Advertisement

Lee Anderson defended Ashfield while party chairman Richard Tice secured Boston and Skegness and former Southampton FC chairman Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth  both at the expense of the Tories.

Mr Farage said: We bite our nails, as they await a recount in Basildon South & East Thurrock in the hope they would secure a fifth seat.

He said proportional representation in the voting system would have meant Reform looking at nearly 100 seats, adding the outdated first-past-the-post electoral system is not fit for purpose.

Advertisement

After claiming the General Election showed there was absolutely no enthusiasm for Sir Keir Starmers Labour, Mr Farage reiterated his partys ambitions to act as the opposition to the new Government.

Richard Tice and Rupert Lowe will make terrific colleagues in Parliament and put the British people first.



Reform UK has caused an earthquake tonight  and we are just getting started.  Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 5, 2024

Mr Farage said: We are going to be the opposition around the country.

He added: Above all what were going to do from today is were going to professionalise the party, were going to democratise the party, and those few bad apples that have crept in will be gone, will be long gone, and we will never have any of their type back in our organisation.

You have a 100% promise on that.
Sir Keir Starmer has become UK prime minister after a Labour landslide which saw former prime minister Liz Truss and a dozen Tory cabinet members lose their seats.

The Conservative rout saw Rishi Sunak forced out of office and the ex-prime minister announced his intention to quit as Tory leader after the party suffered its worst ever result.

Advertisement

Mr Starmer became UK prime minister after meeting Britain's King Charles at Buckingham Palace following the resignation of Mr Sunak.

(PA Graphics/PA)

In a farewell statement in Downing Street, Mr Sunak said: To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry.

Advertisement

I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change. And yours is the only judgment that matters.

I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.

After 648 of the 650 Commons seats had been declared, Labour had a majority of 176.

Labour had 412 seats and the Tories 121.

Advertisement

Mr Sunak said: Following this result I will step down as party leader  not immediately, but once the formal arrangements for selecting my successor are in place.

Outgoing Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty leaving 10 Downing Street (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

It is important that, after 14 years in government, the Conservative Party rebuilds, but also that it takes up its crucial role in opposition professionally and effectively.
Sir Keir Starmer will be the UKs next prime minister after Rishi Sunak admitted defeat in the face of a Labour landslide.

Several high-profile Conservatives lost their seats, including former Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Advertisement

Sunak said voters had delivered a sobering verdict on his party after 14 years in power.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said people around the country had declared they were ready for change.

The Labour leader said: We did it. You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it, and now it has arrived: change begins now.

It feels good, I have to be honest. Four and a half years of work changing the party, this is is what it is for: a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

Advertisement

And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.

He added: But a mandate like this comes with a great responsibility. Our task is nothing less than renewing ideas that hold this country together  national renewal, whoever you are, wherever you start in life, if you work hard, if you play by the rules, this country should give you a fair chance to get on.

It should always respect your contribution and we have to restore that.

Advertisement

Sir Keir added in his victory speech: Alongside that, we have to return politics to public service, show that politics can be a force for good. Make no mistake, that is the great test of politics in this era  the fight for trust is the battle that defines our age.

It is why we campaigned so hard on demonstrating were fit for public service. Service is the precondition for hope. Respect a bond that can unite a country. Together, the values of this changed Labour Party are the guiding principle for a new government  country first, party second.

Tory leader Mr Sunak, in his acceptance speech after retaining his seat, said: The Labour Party has won this General Election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

Advertisement

Outgoing UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.  PA Wire/PA Images

With 600 constituency results declared, Labour has won 395 seats with a 34.6% share of the vote.

The Conservatives have 103 seats and a 23.2% vote share.

The Liberal Democrats have won in 63 constituencies with 11.8% of the overall vote, while Reform UK has 14.4% of the vote, translating to success in four seats.

The SNP has seven seats, Plaid Cymru is on four, the DUP has four and Sinn Fein has seven.

Advertisement

The Green Party has 6.9% of the votes and four seats.

Highlights of the results so far are:

Eight UK cabinet ministers have so far lost their seats including Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary; and Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary. Commons leader Penny Mordaunt has been beaten by Labour. Others big-name losses are expected.

The Alliance Partys Sorcha Eastwood has defeated the DUP in Lagan Valley, the seat formerly held by ex-DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

Jacob Rees Mogg has lost his seat to Labour.

Reports suggest former Conservative Party leader and UK Prime Minister Liz Truss may lose her seat.

Nigel Farage has won the seat of Clacton, on his eighth attempt to become an MP.

Jeremy Corbyn has won his seat of Islington North as an independent.

George Galloway has lost his Rochdale seat to Labour.

The result will mean a Labour prime minister in No 10 for the first time in 2010 and the Conservatives facing a possible civil war as the fight for the future direction of the party and the battle to potentially replace Mr Sunak gets under way.

Labours national campaign chief Pat McFadden said: Keir Starmers transformation of the Labour Party has been remarkable.

He has put country before party and has transformed Labour from a party focused on itself to one back in the service of the British public. We have campaigned as a changed Labour Party, ready to change Britain.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has sent his congratulations to Keir Starmer.

The Taoiseach said: Keir Starmer has brought the Labour Party a comprehensive victory. I congratulate him and his candidates and I look forward to working together as close neighbours and friends.

The relationship between Ireland and the UK is deeply consequential for all people across these islands. Keir Starmer and I share a desire for it to go from strength to strength in the years ahead.

I look forward to early engagement with the incoming Prime Minister, and to a mutually beneficial and productive relationship between us."
Rishi Sunak shouldered the burden for a sobering verdict at the UK General Election, as competing Tory factions began their battle over the diminished partys future.

Britain's outgoing Prime Minister said it had been a difficult night and apologised to Conservative candidates who had lost their seats, as he held onto his own Richmond and Northallerton constituency.

Advertisement

Mr Sunaks apology was echoed by Suella Braverman, but the Tory leadership challenger was sorry for her partys record in Government, suggesting it had not listened enough to the electorate.

Elsewhere, former justice Sir Robert Buckland warned that a lurch to the right would be disastrous for the party after he lost his Swindon South seat.

Speaking at after his result came in, Mr Sunak said: The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss.

To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.

Advertisement

Mr Sunak said it had been a difficult night (Temilade Adelaja/PA)

Sunak held onto his seat with a nearly 13,000 majority over his nearest rival, Labours Tom Wilson, but conceded defeat for the Tories amid crushing results elsewhere for the party.

Among the Cabinet ministers to lose their seats overnight were Defence Secretary Grant Schapps and Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt to Labour, and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to the Liberal Democrats.

Advertisement

Jeremy Hunt won his seat in Surrey despite a threat from the Liberal Democrats, and former home secretary Suella Braverman, elected to the new constituency of Fareham and Waterlooville, held onto her seat.

She said Im sorry twice during her victory speech.

Im sorry that my party didnt listen to you, she said.

(The) Conservative Party has let you down. You  the Great British people voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises.

Advertisement

Weve acted as if were entitled to your vote regardless of what we did, regardless of what we didnt do, despite promising time after time that we would do those things and we need to learn our lesson because if we dont, bad as tonight has been for my party, well have many worse nights to come.

Thanking voters in her constituency, Ms Braverman said they were patriotic, common sense, kindly, dedicated, enterprising.

The Hampshire MP wrote a Telegraph article earlier this week with the headline: Its over, we have failed.

Asked about it, Sir Robert told the BBC: I am afraid that is not an isolated example.

Advertisement

Ms Braverman apologised, saying the Tories didnt listen to the British people and had let you down (Andrew Matthews/PA)

He added: We can see articles being written before a vote is cast at the General Election about the party heading for defeat and what the prognosis should be.

It is spectacularly unprofessional, ill-disciplined.

He also warned against a rightward tilt for his party, claiming it would be a disastrous mistake and it would send us into the abyss, and gift Labour government for many years.

Mr Shapps, who lost his Welwyn Hatfield seat to Labour, said his party had an inability to iron out (its) differences amid and endless soap opera.

And in Portsmouth, outgoing Tory MP Ms Mordaunt said the Tories had lost because they failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it.

She added: Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the peoples.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has hailed the prospect of a huge General Election result as an early surge by the party pushed the Tories into third place in four constituencies.

The party had an early boost as they polled second, ahead of the Conservatives in Houghton and Sunderland South, Sunderland Central, Washington and Gateshead South and Blyth and Ashington.

Advertisement

The party is set to win 13 seats, according to the Ipsos UK exit poll for BBC, Sky and ITV.

The party, which was only formed in 2018, currently only has one MP, Lee Anderson, who defected from the Conservatives.

More victories would mark the the first time Reform have managed to secure an MP at the ballot box.

Mr Farage had earlier declined to say what number of MPs they would classify as a win, but 13 elected representatives is higher than predictions by most polls.

Advertisement

On a video posted to X, he said: Its midnight, there are two results in from the north east of England that put Reform on 30% of the vote, that is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It is almost unbelievable.

And what does it mean? It means were going to win seats, many many seats I think right now across the country.

He added: This is going to be six million votes plus. This folks is huge.

The clip was captioned: The revolt against the establishment is under way.

Advertisement

In Houghton and Sunderland South Reform UK candidate Sam Woods-Brass received 11,668 votes to Conservative candidate Chris Burnicles 5,514.

Labours shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson won the constituency with 18,837 votes, achieving just over 47% of the vote share and a majority of 7,169.

Labours Bridget Phillipson at Silkworth Community Pool Tennis & Wellness Centre in Sunderland, during the count for the 2024 General Election. Picture date: Thursday July 4, 2024.

Advertisement

Reform has seen similar success on the second seat of the night, coming in second place in Blyth and Ashington with 10,857 votes, as Labour secured 20,030 votes and the Tories came third with 6,121 votes.

It has been said that Reforms wide but thin support would not facilitate their success in a first-past-the-post system and Mr Farage has been vocal about the need for changes to the electoral system.

So, the early successes will bolster Reforms confidence as Mr Farage had previously said this election was only the tip of the iceberg for the start-up party as they build to bigger success in 2029.

Mr Farage has tried and failed to get elected to Parliament seven times in the past, and if polls are correct it may be the eighth time lucky.

Advertisement

The exit poll by Ipsos UK for Sky News, the BBC and ITV News, said Reform UK have a likelihood of 99%-plus that Farage will win the seat in Clacton, Essex.

Mr Farages electoral agent and Reform UK councillor Peter Harris has said their party leader is up for the challenge of facing up to a Labour government and the exit poll prediction of 13 seats is hugely exciting.

Mr Harris said: Anythings possible if enough good decent people want change, then they can vote for it, as Brexit has proved before.

So, we were always hoping for multiple seats, 13 Id like even more than that, really. So I think we wait and see once all the votes are counted well see how many weve actually got, but yeah, hugely exciting.

Obviously, Im completely focused on Clacton and our candidate here, Nigel Farage, were extremely confident that hes going to be one of those 13 seats that gets elected to Westminster.

On Mr Farages potential impact in Westminster, Mr Harris said: He stood alone in the European Parliament, and he got the changes that he wanted and as he said to the European Parliament that when he first got there, they laughed at him and then when we left he said well, youre not laughing now.

So you know, I can see Nigel will be a huge voice not just for Clacton but a huge voice for so many people in this country that have felt abandoned and betrayed. So, yeah, I think Nigel is up for the challenge.
Abby Church is a City Hall reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at abby.church@houstonchronicle.com.

Before coming to the Chronicle, Abby covered Tarrant County government at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. As an Air Force brat, she spent her childhood everywhere, but she claims Virginia as home. She graduated from James Madison University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and creative writing.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Moscow to discuss prospects for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin  a rare trip to Russia by a European leader that drew condemnation from Kyiv and European leaders.

Mr Orbans visit comes only days after he made a similar unannounced trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and proposed that Ukraine consider agreeing to an immediate ceasefire with Russia.

Advertisement

The number of countries that can talk to both warring sides is diminishing, Mr Orban said.

Mr Orban said he was on a peace mission Photo: Valeriy Sharifulin/AP.

Hungary is slowly becoming the only country in Europe that can speak to everyone.

Advertisement

Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the EU at the start of July and Putin suggested that Mr Orban had come to Moscow as a top representative of the European Council.

Several top European officials dismissed that suggestion and said Mr Orban had no mandate for anything beyond a discussion about bilateral relations.

The Hungarian prime minister, widely seen as having the warmest relations with Mr Putin among EU leaders, has routinely blocked, delayed or watered down EU efforts to assist Kyiv and impose sanctions on Moscow for its actions in Ukraine.

He has long argued for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine but without outlining what that might mean for the countrys territorial integrity or future security.

Advertisement

That posture has frustrated Hungarys EU and Nato allies, which have broadly considered Russias actions as a breach of international law and a threat to the security of countries in Eastern Europe.

After Mr Putin and Mr Orban met, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said they had a frank conversation on all issues relating to Ukraine.

Ukraines Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Mr Orbans decision to visit Moscow was made without approval or coordination with Kyiv.

Advertisement

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban walk to attend a joint news conference following their talks in the Kremlin. Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP.

It added that the principle of no agreements on Ukraine without Ukraine remains inviolable for our country and called on all states to strictly adhere to it.

Mr Putins spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the visit to Moscow was Mr Orbans idea and was only agreed to on Wednesday, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.

Mr Peskov added that Moscow valued Mr Orbans strong, clear and consistent course aimed at trying to resolve the conflict.

Advertisement

Mr Putin told Mr Orban that he wanted to hear about the position of his European colleagues on Ukraine and discuss Moscows plan for peace as well as bilateral relations.

Mr Orban noted that the meeting was the fourteenth time the leaders have held bilateral talks since 2009.

European officials and leaders have heavily criticised Mr Orbans visit to Moscow, something only one other European leader has done since the start of the conflict.

This is about appeasement. Its not about peace, European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer said.

Hungary at the beginning of the month took over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU Council, a largely formal role that can be used to shape the blocs policy agenda.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attend a joint news conference following their talks at the Kremlin. Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP.

Mr Orban has said he wants to use the presidency to advocate for an end to the fighting in Ukraine.

The EUs foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said in a statement that Mr Orbans visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia.

Prime Minister Orban has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow, Mr Borrell said, adding that his position excludes official contacts between the EU and President Putin. The Hungarian Prime Minister is thus not representing the EU in any form.

He noted that Putin has been indicted by the International Criminal Court and an arrest warrant released for his role in relation to the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Mr Orban informed him in advance about his travel to Moscow but that he is not representing Nato at these meetings.

In an email on Friday, Mr Orbans press chief, Bertalan Havasi, said the Hungarian leaders trip comes as part of his peace mission  reflecting the image of a peacemaker that the populist leader has cultivated since Mr Putin sent his troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also joined the trip to Moscow, according to a post on his Facebook page.

Speaking to Hungarian state radio before departing Friday morning, Mr Orban said he was aware that his countrys presidency of the EU does not entitle us to negotiate on behalf of anyone.

Without mentioning reports of his planned trip to Moscow, he said his trip earlier this week to Kyiv did not need a mandate, because I do not represent anything.

The only thing I do is go to those places where there is a war or the threat of war that has negative consequences for Europe and Hungary as well, he added.

Other EU officials have expressed dismay that Mr Orban undertook the trip unilaterally and without the approval of the blocs member states.

European Council President Charles Michel on Thursday said on the social media platform X that the EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.

The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine, Mr Michel wrote.

Mr Orban is the first European leader to visit Russia and sit down for talks with Mr Putin since Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer visited Moscow in April 2022, just weeks after he ordered his troops into Ukraine.

During that visit he said he raised the issue of crimes allegedly committed in Ukraine by Russian forces.
Hurricane Beryl strengthened back into a Category 3 storm late on Thursday as it headed towards Mexicos resort-studded Yucatan Peninsula.

It left a trail of destruction across the eastern Caribbean and at least nine people dead.

Advertisement

The US National Hurricane Centre said Beryl, which was the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, had winds of 115mph after weakening earlier in the day into a Category 2 storm.

Jack Beven, senior hurricane specialist at the US Hurricane Centre, said the biggest immediate threat now that the storm is moving away from the Cayman Islands is landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula.



A surfer braves the waves in Carlisle Bay as Hurricane Beryl passes through Bridgetown, Barbados (Ricardo Mazalan/AP)

Advertisement

Beryl was expected to bring heavy rain and winds to Mexicos Caribbean coast, before crossing the Yucatan peninsula and restrengthening in the Gulf of Mexico to make a second strike on northeast Mexico.

As the wind began gusting over Tulums white sand beaches on Thursday afternoon, four-wheelers with megaphones rolled along the sand telling people to leave.

Tourists snapped photos of the growing surf, but military personnel urged them to leave as Beryl headed to an expected landfall around Tulum early on Friday.

Beryl damaged or destroyed 95% of homes on a pair of islands in St Vincent and the Grenadines, jumbled fishing boats in Barbados and ripped off roofs in Jamaica before rumbling past the Cayman Islands early on Thursday.

Advertisement

Mexicos popular Caribbean coast prepared shelters, evacuated some small outlying coastal communities and even moved sea turtle eggs off beaches threatened by storm surge.

In Playa del Carmen, most businesses were closed on Thursday and some were boarding up windows.



State employees relocate a boat for its protection ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Beryl in Progreso, Mexico (Martin Zetina/AP)

Advertisement

The head of Mexicos civil defence agency, Laura Velazquez, said Beryl is expected to be a Category 1 hurricane when it hits a relatively unpopulated stretch around Tulum early on Friday.

But once Beryl re-emerges into the Gulf of Mexico a day later, she said, it is again expected to build to hurricane strength and could hit right around the Mexico-US border, at Matamoros. That area was already soaked in June by Tropical Storm Alberto.

Ms Velazquez said temporary storm shelters were in place at schools and hotels but efforts to evacuate a few highly exposed villages  like Punta Allen, which sits on a narrow spit of land south of Tulum, and Mahahual further south  had been only partially successful.

Beryls eye wall brushed by Jamaicas southern coast on Wednesday afternoon while on Thursday morning, telephone poles and trees were blocking the roadways in Kingston.

Advertisement

Authorities confirmed a young man died on Wednesday after he was swept into a storm water drain while trying to retrieve a ball. A woman also died after a house collapsed on her.

Residents took advantage of a break in the rain to begin clearing debris.

Sixty percent of the island remained without electricity, along with a lack of water and limited telecommunications.



A man stands next to a business destroyed by Hurricane Beryl in Clifton, Union Island, St Vincent and the Grenadines (Lucanus Ollivierre/AP)

Government officials were assessing the damage, but it was hampered by the lack of communication, mainly in southern parishes that suffered the most damage.

The premier of the Cayman Islands, Juliana OConnor, thanked residents and visitors on Thursday for contributing to the collective calm ahead of Beryl by following storm protocols.

Michelle Forbes, the St Vincent and Grenadines director of the National Emergency Management Organisation, said that about 95% of homes in Mayreau and Union Island have been damaged by Hurricane Beryl.

Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said. Three other deaths were reported in northern Venezuela, where four people were missing, officials said.

One fatality in Grenada occurred after a tree fell on a house, said Kerryne James, the environment minister.

St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has promised to rebuild the archipelago.

The US National Hurricane Centre said on Thursday that Tropical Storm Aletta had formed in the Pacific Ocean off Mexicos coast.

Aletta, which was located about 190 miles from Manzanillo and had maximum sustained winds of 40mph, was forecast to head away from land and dissipate by the weekend.
Lee Anderson has become Reform UKs first elected MP as leader Nigel Farage hailed the prospect of a huge General Election result.

Meanwhile, former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has beaten his old party to become the independent MP for Islington North, while former Labour MP and more recently Workers Party leader George Galloway lost the Rochdale seat he won several months ago in a by-election.

Advertisement

Mr Anderson has been the partys only MP since he defected from the Conservatives.

Advertisement

But his election in Ashfield as a Reform candidate marks the first time the party, which was formed in 2018, has managed to secure an MP at the ballot box.

The party had an early boost in several constituencies where they took second place, pushing the Tories into third.

An exit poll for the BBC, Sky and ITV predicted that the party could win 13 seats  higher than predictions by most polls.

However, as results started to roll in, two of those went to Labour.

Advertisement

The exit poll showed that Barnsley North had a 99% chance of being won by Robert Lomas but in reality he was around 8,000 votes short and Labour held the seat.

Reform dropped its support for Mr Lomas as a candidate over alleged racist comments but he still appeared as a Reform candidate on the ballot.

Advertisement

The poll put Hartlepool as a 91% chance of a Reform win but that seat also went to Labour.

Speaking after his victory in Ashfield, Mr Anderson told reporters he was delighted but not surprised about his win.

This is the capital of common sense, by the way  people speak their mind in this area and theyve had enough of the two mainstream parties.

Advertisement

The Reform Party, people like myself, Richard (Tice) and Nigel speak the same language, in a different accent obviously, we speak the same language as the great people of Ashfield.

So when this gig came up and I was asked to stand again for the Reform Party, it was a no brainer to be honest with you.

Mr Farage had earlier declined to say what number of MPs Reform would classify as a win.

George Galloway lost the seat he won in a by-election earlier this year.  PA Wire/PA Images

Meanwhile, Rochdale hopeful George Galloway thanked those in the constituency who gave me 54 sitting days in the last parliament as their MP.

Workers Party leader Mr Galloway, who received 11,508 votes and lost out to Labours Paul Waugh, took to X, formerly Twitter, following the defeat, writing: I thank the people of Rochdale who gave me 54 sitting days in the last parliament as their MP.

Big thanks to my agent, my campaign team and the thousands who voted for me today.

We took the government party to within 1,500 votes and serve notice on Labour that we are here to stay in Rochdale.

We will field a full slate of council candidates, establish a full-time office there, campaign to re-open the maternity ward and A&E, and keep up the pressure on Labour in the town.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on a two-day visit starting Monday and will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin has said.

The visit was first announced by Russian officials last month, but the dates have not been previously disclosed.

Advertisement

Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War and New Delhis importance as a key trading partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India (Dan Kitwood/PA)

China and India have become key buyers of Russian oil following sanctions imposed by the US and its allies that shut most Western markets for Russian exports.

Advertisement

Under Mr Modis leadership, India has avoided condemning Russias action in Ukraine while emphasising the need for a peaceful settlement.

The partnership between Moscow and New Delhi has become fraught, however, since Russia started developing closer ties with Indias main rival, China, because of the hostilities in Ukraine.

On Thursday, Mr Modi skipped the summit of a security grouping created by Moscow and Beijing to counter Western alliances.

He sent his foreign minister to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at its annual meeting in Kazakhstans capital, Astana. The meeting is being attended by Mr Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Advertisement

Mr Modi last visited Russia in 2019 for an economic forum in the far eastern port of Vladivostok. He last travelled to Moscow in 2015. He last met Mr Putin in September 2022 at a summit of the SCO in Uzbekistan. In 2021, Mr Putin also travelled to New Delhi and held talks with the Indian leader.



Russian President Vladimir Putin (Sergey Guneyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Tensions between Beijing and New Delhi have continued since a confrontation in June 2020 along the disputed China-India border in which rival troops fought with rocks, clubs and fists. At least 20 Indian troops and four Chinese soldiers were killed.

Advertisement

After his re-election to a third straight term, Mr Modi attended the G7 meeting in Italys Apulia region last month and addressed artificial intelligence, energy and regional issues in Africa and the Mediterranean.

In the early 1990s, the Soviet Union was the source of about 70% of Indian army weapons, 80% of its air force systems and 85% of its navy platforms.

India bought its first aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, from Russia in 2004. It had served in the former Soviet Union and later in the Russian navy.

With the Russian supply line hit by the fighting in Ukraine, India has been reducing its dependency on Russian arms and diversifying its defence procurements, buying more from the US, Israel, France and Italy.
Slovakias populist Prime Minister Robert Fico made his first public appearance on Friday since he was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt.

Mr Fico has been recovering at home from multiple wounds he suffered in the May 15 attack when he was shot in the abdomen as he greeted supporters in the town of Handlova, nearly 85 miles northeast of the capital.

Advertisement

The suspect, identified only as JC, was immediately arrested and faces terror charges.



Bodyguards take Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in a car from the scene after he was shot and injured in Handlova, Slovakia (Radovan Stoklasa/AP)

Mr Fico gave a speech on a stage at an evening gathering to mark the 1,161 anniversary of Saints Cyril and Methodiuss arrival, a national holiday in his country.

Advertisement

People gave him a standing ovation when he arrived at the Devin Castle in the capital.

In his address Mr Fico, who was standing on the stage, attacked what he called liberal and progressivist ideologies and praised Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his recent trips to Kyiv and Moscow.

Mr Fico ended his countrys military aid for Ukraine after his coalition government was sworn in on October 25.

He also opposes EU sanctions on Russia, and wants to block Ukraine from joining Nato.

Advertisement

He has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond.

He returned to power for the fourth time last year, when his leftist party Smer, or Direction, won the parliamentary election last September after campaigning on a pro-Russia and anti-American message.

His critics worry that Slovakia could abandon its pro-Western course and follow the direction of Hungary under Mr Orban.

Thousands have repeatedly rallied in the capital and across Slovakia to protest Mr Ficos policies.
Texas officials are urging coastal residents to prepare as Beryl moves toward the Gulf of Mexico after leaving a trail of destruction that has killed at least 11 people.

Some Texas counties have already issued voluntary evacuation orders in low-lying areas.

Advertisement

Along the Texas coast in Corpus Christi, city officials announced it had distributed 10,000 sand bags in less than two hours on Friday, exhausting its supply.



Soldiers ask a tourist to evacuate Mirador beach ahead of Hurricane Beryls expected arrival in Tulum, Mexico (Fernando Llano/AP)

This is a determined storm, that is still strong, Texas Lt Gov Dan Patrick said.

Advertisement

Beryl roared ashore on Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula as a hurricane near the resort town of Tulum early on Friday, whipping trees and knocking out power.

It hit Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane but weakened to a tropical storm as it moved across the peninsula.

The US National Hurricane Centre expects Beryl to regain hurricane strength once it re-emerges into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, where it is forecast to head toward northern Mexico near the Texas border.
US President Joe Biden said "I'm not going anywhere" as he faced calls by many Democrats to end his re-election bid, using the Fourth of July celebrations on Thursday to hit back at doubts about his stamina and mental acuity to continue his campaign.

The 81-year-old Democrat's shaky showing at a June 27 debate with Republican rival Donald Trump means his every appearance is now closely scrutinised. Many Democratic voters are worried about whether he can keep up a gruelling pace of work for the next 4-1/2 years and some in his party have urged him to step aside.

Advertisement

Biden was hosting the annual US Independence Day festivities at the White House on Thursday, including a barbecue for a few thousand active-duty military service members and their families.

Biden, in a suit with no neck-tie, began his remarks with a forceful Happy Independence Day!"

Reading from a teleprompter, Biden made no major errors in delivering brief remarks, but at one point appeared to go off script to make reference to a war cemetery that Trump declined to visit while in office.

"By the way, you know, I was in that World War One cemetery in France. The one that one of our colleagues, a former president didn't want to go...," he said, his voice dropping to a low volume and trailing off.

Advertisement

"I probably shouldn't have said, anyway," Biden added, before continuing his remarks.

As Biden mingled and took selfies with guests, someone called out for him to "Keep up the fight."

"You got me, man. I'm not going anywhere," Biden said, repeating his pledge to remain in the race despite the growing calls to step aside.

Advertisement

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Photo: Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Abigail Disney, granddaughter of Walt Disney who founded the company that bears his name and who has been a major Democratic donor, became the latest donor to call for Biden to withdraw from the presidential election, telling CNBC on Thursday that she will halt donations to the Democratic Party until he does so.

Vice President Kamala Harris is the leading contender to take his place in the November 5th election if Biden were to drop out, sources have said, though his allies believe he can assuage the concerns of voters and donors.

Among the events on Biden's calendar being closely scrutinised is an interview with ABC News on Friday that will be aired in full at 8 pm ET (midnight GMT Saturday). He also travels to Wisconsin the same day for a campaign rally.

Dozens of Democrats in the House of Representatives are watching closely and prepared to ask Biden to step aside if he falters in the ABC interview, a source told Reuters. Democrats see capturing control of the House in November as critical, as it could be their last hold on power in Washington if Trump returns to the White House and Republicans capture the Senate.

Advertisement

Biden faces a new reality since last week's debate - even if he doesn't falter verbally or physically, serious concerns about his viability as a candidate are likely to linger. If he mangles words or looks unfocused or confused, he will face renewed pressure to depart.

If re-elected, Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term. He is being asked by some former supporters to step aside to preserve his legacy and lessen the chances of a second Trump presidency. With just four months to go before the election, a decision needs to be made soon, they say.

Democrats, including top allies, have left the door open to having Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket.

Seen by doctor

The White House has repeatedly said the president was suffering from a cold and jet lag on the night of the debate. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had not had any kind of medical exam since his annual physical in February.

Advertisement

"He did not get checked out by the doctor. It's a cold, guys. It's a cold," she said at a news briefing.

However, spokesperson Andrew Bates said on Thursday that Biden saw a doctor after the debate. "Several days later, the president was seen to check on his cold and was recovering well, he said.

Trump, 78, who made multiple false statements from the debate stage in Atlanta, falsely claimed in a video that was circulated on social media that he had driven Biden out of the race. He made disparaging comments about Harris in the same video.

Asked in a radio interview with WURD that aired on Thursday morning, whether there was any reason for the American people to be concerned after last week's debate, Biden demurred.

"No, I had a bad debate," he said, adding that this should not erase what he has done as president for three and a half years.

Biden's standing in opinion polls took a hit after the debate. Some 59% of Democrats responding to a Reuters/Ipsos poll said that Biden was too old to work in government, a concern that has shown up persistently in public opinion polling over the past year. - Reuters
Millions of people in the US celebrated under heat warnings as they flocked to beaches and travelled to toast their nations birth with July 4 parades, cookouts and fireworks.

Travel records were projected to fall with people jamming airports and crowding highways to reach Thursdays Independence Day celebrations, which will stretch into a long weekend for many.

Advertisement

On the east coast, beachgoers in Connecticut were turned away as parking at state parks along the shore filled to capacity, including a two-mile stretch at Hammonasset Beach State Park  the states largest shoreline beach.

Across the west, people dealt with stifling conditions as the National Weather Service warned of a significant and extremely dangerous heat wave across much of the region.



Gabriella Willams, five, waves an American flag during the Symphony of Stars as part of the 2024 Vermont Symphony Orchestra Summer Festival Tour in Grafton, Vermont (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer/AP)

Advertisement

A heat advisory in Philadelphia did not stop crowds from gathering at historic sites in the city where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4 1776.

Evening fireworks were scheduled over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway after a concert by Ne-Yo and Kesha.

Fireworks crackled in backyard displays and an anticipated 16,000 professional shows were planned to light up the horizon from sea to shining sea.

This is how we celebrate. Its the bombs bursting in air. Its the rockets red glare. Thats how people show their pride and patriotism, said Julie Heckman of the American Pyrotechnics Association.

Advertisement

The Transportation Security Administration reported that a record of nearly three million people travelled through airports in a single day last week, a figure expected to be broken this week.

The American Automobile Association projected that 60.6 million people will travel by car during the holiday period.



The Singing Sergeants sing the national anthem as Keith Lockhart, right, conducts during the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular at the Hatch Memorial Shell on the Esplanade in Boston (Michael Dwyer/AP)

Advertisement

On much of the west coast, people were advised to take precautions to avoid overheating on the holiday.

Temperatures topped 43C on Thursday in inland areas of northern California with heat spreading into the Pacific Northwest. Some spots in the desert southwest were expecting temperatures topping 49C. Hot, muggy conditions also permeated the Deep South and Middle Atlantic.

The northern California city of Orovilles annual fireworks were cancelled as an estimated 17,000 residents remained under evacuation orders or warnings while hundreds of firefighters toiled under extreme heat to keep flames from reaching more homes.

In suburban Chicago, Highland Park resumed its annual Independence Day Parade on the second anniversary of a mass shooting that took seven lives and injured dozens at the 2022 event.

Advertisement

People gathered at a middle school for a remembrance on Thursday before the holiday march, which followed a different route than in the past.



Patrick Bertoletti, centre, reacts after winning the mens division in Nathans Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest (Julia Nikhinson/AP)

The holiday celebrating the establishment of a new country, free from British rule, is traditionally marked by barbeques, cold drinks and the Stars and Stripes on flagpoles and on clothing, in addition to parades.

But Americans were also celebrating in other ways unique to their communities.

The annual hot dog eating contest on New Yorks Coney Island saw Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago gobble down 58 hot dogs to win his first mens title.

In Alaska, the city of Seward got a head start with a fireworks display at midnight, as thousands of people gathered on a rocky beach to watch during the brief window where the sky dims in the land of the midnight sun.

The shells burst over Resurrection Bay as people watched in silence. It was absolutely magical, said resident Iris Woolfolk.
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 A hulking tower, 50 metres high, rises above Australias newest power station on the shores of Lake Illawarra. Since starting up in June, the turbine inside Tallawarra B has shown it can ramp to its maximum output in under 30 minutes and run for as long as its needed at any time of the day. This makes it a valuable asset in a grid shifting rapidly from coal to more fluctuating renewable energy. But its owner, EnergyAustralia, intends to use it as little as possible. Thats because its turbine is powered by natural gas  an expensive fossil fuel that releases planet-heating emissions. For the most part, and with good reason, the worlds hastening efforts to combat climate change centre on moving away from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas  the key culprits of global warming. But the green energy transition has a dirty secret: as things currently stand, officials believe Australia has little choice but to urgently lift investment in a whole new generation of gas-powered turbines, like Tallawarra B. These turbines will have an infrequent but important role in backing up renewables and keeping the lights on at times of critical need. Deploying large-scale renewable energy generation and storage projects and more transmission lines to add them to the grid will be enough to get us most of the way to banishing coal from the grid. But not the whole way, warns the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in its 25-year transition road map, released last month. With most coal-fired power plants slated to shut by 2040, energy authorities are pushing hard for a speedier renewable rollout amid concerns that not enough is being built in time to compensate for coal closures. But increasingly, they are also worried about how to fill gaps when the wind disappears for long stretches and clouds blanket the skies  events known in the industry by the German term dunkelflaute, or dark doldrums. According to AEMO and executives at utility giants AGL, Origin Energy and EnergyAustralia, its for this reason that gas  a fuel less polluting than coal but still a source of harmful emissions  must remain in the mix for now. While the overall use of gas-fired power is not likely to grow in the future, they say, new infrastructure, including flexible, open-cycle gas-powered turbines, must be added to bolster the grids access to rare but enormous injections of electricity when needed.

Advertisement

The Judi Dench model Unlike traditional gas generators that run regularly, so-called gas peaking plants (or peakers) wont run often at all. A typical plant may generate just 5 per cent of its annual potential, amounting to a few days, even hours, across a whole year. But the role it plays will be critical. I sometimes describe it as the Judi Dench model  a cameo role, says Tony Wood, energy director at the independent Grattan Institute. If you want to fill a theatre, you get Judi Dench to walk on for five minutes and walk off again  she didnt do very much, but, boy, was she important. Thats what gas is going to do. However, for gas to play that small but significant role, there are high hurdles to overcome. The first is the scale of the build-out required: AEMOs modelling suggests that Australia needs an extra 13 gigawatts of back-up gas generation to ensure the grid will remain resilient under power supply squeezes and extreme weather. Assuming each plant can generate about 0.5 gigawatts, approximately 26 plants would be needed. And if recent experience is anything to go by, this will be no small ask: EnergyAustralias Tallawarra B is the only peaking plant added to the NSW grid in the past decade, while just one more remains under construction at Kurri Kurri. At the same time, domestic gas supplies are running perilously low and are forecast to diminish further as legacy gas fields in Bass Strait rapidly dry up without new production to replace them. Australia is a major exporter of liquefied natural gas, but massive volumes of production in Queensland are locked into overseas export deals, and west coast supplies cannot be sent east because there are no pipelines or gas-import terminals.

Advertisement

So how do you get the gas to those plants that are only going to run 5 per cent of the time? asks Wood. Where is it coming from? The risk of supply shortages for gas-powered electricity is so acute that the AEMO plan stipulates that future plants must be built with onsite storage for extra diesel or hydrogen fuel to keep the turbines running if the gas runs out. Wheres the money? Ahead of the next election, the climate wars have flared up again, as Labor and the Coalition pitch competing visions for future of energy. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is pushing for nuclear power plants. The Albanese government is doubling down on efforts to drive the transition by expanding renewables to 82 per cent of the grid this decade. Neither the government nor the opposition has yet outlined concrete plans to tackle the gas problem, though. The governments Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS)  a federally funded program to underwrite projects capable of dispatching on-demand power to the grid when its needed  is limited to wind and solar farms backed up by grid-scale batteries or hydroelectric dams.

Advertisement

Going against the advice of the now-disbanded Energy Security Board, which called for a technology-neutral scheme, the CIS final design barred gas. Thats because some states, including Victoria, the most gas-dependent in the country, refused to support taxpayer money going to fossil fuels. Developers warn it will be difficult to invest in peakers without some form of government financial support, given the plants will run sparingly, limiting the chance to generate revenue to support the investment. However, as Energy Minister Chris Bowen points out, the scheme contains a workaround allowing states that want more gas in the power mix to forge ahead with it. To be eligible for funding, states must meet specific reliability standards. That means ensuring sufficient back-up for renewables, which can come in the form of batteries, hydropower or gas. As part of these commitments, where necessary, states will commit to strategic reserves comprising technologies of their choosing, including possible gas power generation, Bowen says. Dutton, meanwhile, has seized on the need to back up weather-reliant renewables to promote his campaign of adding seven nuclear generators to the grid from 2037. Experts, including the CSIRO, however, say such a timeline is overly ambitious, and warn turning to nuclear technology could lock Australia into the highest-cost form of electricity. While the Coalition proclaims it also strongly supports the need for more gas alongside nuclear and renewables, it has so far only offered broad support for speeding up permitting for gas projects and is yet to detail how it would expand the role of gas-powered generators. We have already announced that a returned Coalition government will speed up approvals, unlock gas in new basins, defund the Environmental Defenders Office, reinstate the National Gas Infrastructure Plan and commit to an annual release of offshore acreage for exploration and development in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and there will be more to come, opposition energy spokesman Ted OBrien says. Climate campaigners have typically argued that gas is not needed as a bridge fuel from coal to clean power. But there is increasing acceptance in the green movement that regulators see a limited role for gas in firming renewables. The hope now is for that to be as small  and as temporary  as possible.

Advertisement

The [AEMO] plans acceptance of ongoing gas use is disappointing, as gas is a highly polluting fuel, Australian Conservation Foundation campaigner Ella Factor says. But the plan advocates for flexible gas generation only  peaking power, not baseload  so we dont waste our carbon budget on needlessly burning fossil fuels. In addition to gas, other technologies can help plug renewable power supply gaps without the same emissions. Big batteries  mostly lithium-ion  are being deployed at speed to soak up surplus energy when its sunny or windy and store it for later use. They also have near-zero start-up time and can inject critical power discharges in response to frequency changes to keep the system stable. Todays batteries, though, have key limitations. Their typical size means they will often exhaust their stored energy in two to four hours of maximum output, minimising their ability to plug longer-lasting solar or wind shortfalls. Pumped hydro is another option. Motors pump water uphill to a higher reservoir, then release it downhill to spin turbines connected to generators. The technology has the advantage of being able to run for many hours, even days. The Snowy 2.0 project is being designed to last for up to a week. However, these projects are proving difficult to deploy on time and on budget. Pumped hydro needs significant height differentials over short distances, making it challenging to secure the right locations and carry out construction. When it was announced in 2017, Snowy 2.0 had an expected completion date of 2021 and a price tag of $2 billion. By last year, it had blown out to $12 billion and a deadline of 2029.

Advertisement
Red flags fly at Galveston beaches along the seawall Sunday, May 26, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (AP)  Several shark attacks disrupted Fourth of July celebrations at South Padre Island, with one man being taken to the hospital for a severe bite, authorities said Thursday.

Police were called for the attack on the man around 11 a.m., according to Nikki Soto, the South Padre Island city secretary. He was treated at the beach by firefighters and police before being taken to the hospital.

No information was available yet about the man's condition or the extent of his injuries.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Game Warden Capt. Chris Dowdy said that in the span of about two hours, four separate attacks were reported.

Based on witness reports and images on social media, Dowdy said, authorities believe a single shark about 6 feet (about 1.8 meters) long was responsible.

Beach patrol, firefighters and police were patrolling the shore and flying drones after the attacks, Soto said.

The last reported shark attack in the area was five years ago, according to Dowdy.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Advertisement

Eating outTrends The new-wave vending machines making cakes, steaks and cocktails more convenient than ever At a time of rising costs, robots are coming to the rescue, ushering in a new age of food on the run. Bianca Hrovat July 5, 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

Vending machines dispensing cakes, steaks and cocktails are the way of the future, say a new generation of Australian entrepreneurs, who are choosing robots over traditional retail outlets. Customers can use technologically advanced vending machines to buy freshly baked cakes from Cake Mail in Sydney, cook instant ramen at Right Away Ramen in Brisbane, and soon, order cocktails from Tipsy Turtle in Melbourne. Cake Mail founder Jonathan Mussaad at his new Chatswood vending machine. Rhett Wyman The movement towards food automation is inspired by Japans vending machine culture, where more than 5.5 million vending machines sell everything from soft-serve ice-cream to fresh eggs. In Japan, vending machines glow on street corners throughout suburbia. Its so smart, says Cake Mail founder Jonathan Mussaad, who launched his Chatswood vending machine in June. They dont need staff to operate them, they pay barely any rent to store it there, and theyre open 24 hours.

Advertisement

Its expensive, but its half the price of fitting out and setting up a shop, he says. Weve already had lots of demand to open more  its so convenient, its the way of the future. Flying Turtle has expanded its automatic drink machines to Australia. Supplied Automated drink vending machines are commonplace in Thailand, where Forth Corporation operates more than 6000 machines and continues to grow. In October, the company launched its first Australian machine in Melbourne, under the name Flying Turtle. It has since expanded to Sydney, and plans to open in Brisbane next week. It has been brought to Australia to address the issue of rising costs of operating traditional food and beverage businesses and the limited availability of these outlets, especially after hours, says Flying Turtle managing director Panrapee Kwong. Eventually, the company plans to launch a Tipsy Turtle vending machine in Melbourne, mixing alcoholic cocktails with Asian-inspired flavours such as yuzu and lychee.

Advertisement

Kate Matheson from Cake Creations by Kate designed affortable, single-serve cake tubs. PENNY STEPHENS Katelyn Matheson, the Melbourne baker behind Cake Creations by Kate, is a pioneer of the new-age vending machine. In 2023, Matheson launched Australias first cupcake vending machine in Caroline Springs, selling up to 500 mini cupcakes a day. From birthday cakes to choc tops: Vending machines gather momentum around Melbourne Matheson says the machine acts as a billboard for her Point Cook bakery, bringing in new customers, 60 per cent of whom purchase outside business hours. But it hasnt been an easy process. Sensor errors and squashed cakes led Matheson to upgrade the machine in May to a 600kg, $60,000 custom-made model from Italy, with a touch screen, robotic arm and conveyor belt to gently dispense cakes.

Advertisement

Australias first cake vending machine, from Cake Creations by Kate. PENNY STEPHENS She also developed a new product, the cake tub (single-serve cakes baked in foil tins, with clear lids), in response to customer feedback. People wanted more affordable products, and something theyd be able to eat on the go. It tripled our sales overnight, she says. In Sydney, Chop Butchery founder Dave Funnell installed two meat vending machines to give customers an after-hours alternative to major supermarkets. The $50,000 machines, which hold about 120 trays of meat including wagyu steaks, instantly warns butchers if the products temperature rises above 4 degrees. Chop Butchery meat vending machine in Sydney. Supplied

Advertisement

Food vending machines are popular with young professionals, families and students, many of whom film the process to post on social media. The hype was really crazy, says Sam Li, who, with Nigel Yeap and Panashe Machingura, launched Australias machine dispensing boba tea (tea studded with tapioca pearls) at the University of Queensland in 2022. Word of mouth spread like wildfire. The Boba Machine was developed by three UQ alumni in Brisbane. Supplied But vending machines havent found universal favour, says Matheson. Some people are scared to adopt the new technology, she says. Theyre scared it will take away jobs, and they say they dont want to be served by a machine.

Advertisement

In reality, we wouldnt have been able to afford to grow and service their area without the vending machine. It actually increased the number of people we hired because we needed more delivery drivers and bakers. Next-wave vending machines Sydney Chop Butchery

Advertisement

What: Pick up a wagyu scotch fillet steak after work at this refrigerated meat vending machine. The $40 premium cut is the best-selling product, but the machine holds about 15 different cuts. Its restocked three times a week from the adjoining butcher shop. Where: 20 Forest Way, Frenchs Forest, and 166-172 Mona Vale Road, St Ives,

chopbutchery.com.au A crowd lines up to try Flying Turtle drinks automation machine. Supplied Flying Turtle What: Flying Turtle is an automated machine engineered in Thailand, capable of serving 200 hot and cold drinks within an average of 90 seconds. Youll find 21 types of coffee (made with locally roasted, ground-to-order coffee beans), as well as sodas, protein shakes, teas, smoothies and liquid desserts such as strawberry cheesecake all for about $4.50. An inbuilt washing machine and UV light keep things clean between orders.

Advertisement

Where: Various locations in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, flyingturtle.com.au Mini cakes from Cake Mail. Edwina Pickles Cake Mail What: Sydneys first cake vending machine uses a sophisticated robotic arm and conveyor belt system to safely deliver miniature cakes ($13) in flavours such as pistachio, birthday cake, and caramel chocolate. The refrigerated machine is restocked every two days, based on demand. Where: Level 4, Westfield Chatswood, 1 Anderson Street, Chatswood,

cakemail.com.au

Advertisement

Ramen Auru What: It might not dispense bowls of steaming ramen, but this 80s-themed ticket vending machine gets you half the way there. Its become the drawcard at Ramen Auru, the Japanese ramen hall from the team behind Yakitori Yurippi and Nakano Darling. Order using the machines big, backlit buttons, collect your ticket, and pay at the counter. In traditional Japanese style, youll need to remove your shoes before being seated at a tatami mat to devour your meal. Where: Shop 2F, 6-8 Falcon Street, Crows Nest, instagram.com/ramenauru

Advertisement

PizzaBot What: An industrial-grade robot arm inside this pizza vending machine can make your choice of four pizza slices within two minutes. But how its done? The pizzas are assembled and partially cooked before being loaded into the refrigerated machine. Once the customer makes their selection, the pizza is heated in temperatures as high as a wood-fired oven and packaged neatly in a cardboard box. Where: The machine recently finished its stint at Broadway, but is expected to pop up again in August in an undisclosed Sydney location. pizzabot.com.au Brisbane Right Away Ramen vending machine. Supplied

Advertisement

Right Away Ramen What: This instant ramen vending machine sells popular brands from across Asia, including Samyang Buldak, Nongshim and MAMA, priced between $5 to $7.70. The machines, a first in Australia, are equipped with a hot water system for on-the-spot cooking. Its expected to expand to Melbourne this year. Where: University of Southern Queensland campuses at 37 Sinnathamby Boulevard, Springfield, and 487 West Street, Kearneys Spring, rightawayramen.com Australias first boba (bubble) tea machine, Boba Machine. Supplied Boba Machine

Advertisement

What: This custom-made vending machine serves 24 flavours of fruit and milk teas, sodas and energy drinks. The machine is deep-cleaned and refreshed every two days. Next week, the team behind Boba Machine launches a new UberEats delivery service. Where: Various locations in Brisbane, with franchises in Melbourne, Adelaide and the Gold Coast, bobamachine.com.au Correction: an earlier version of this article stated that beverage company Tao Bin operated 200 vending machines in Bangkok. In fact, the parent company is Forth Corporation and they run more than 6000 machines across Thailand. Read more Review Discover the joys of grab-and-go snacks at this Japanese-style convenience store

Advertisement
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Fatima Payman wasnt someone campaign strategist Glenn Druery had ever heard of when he first met her in south-west Sydney last month, at a gathering of Muslim groups pondering a political alliance to contest Labor MPs at the next election. The 29-year-old first-term senator had been voted into parliament as the third name on the ticket in the wave of Western Australian votes for the ALP, and had spent most of her first two years as a low-profile backbencher. The first federal politician to wear the hijab, Payman was fresh from breaking her silence on the war in Gaza after holding a press conference on May 15 to call on her party to end trade with Israel, implement sanctions and immediately recognise a Palestinian state. My conscience has been uneasy for far too long and I must call this out for what it is, she said at the small, snap press conference for a handful of journalists. This is a genocide and we need to stop pretending otherwise. The lack of clarity, the moral confusion, the indecisiveness is eating at the heart of this nation. Parliament rose after the budget sitting and government MPs went back to sell the economic road map to voters. In the time between parliament sittings, Payman quietly attended the meeting of Muslim groups. Come Thursday, Payman held another press conference. When she announced her resignation from the Labor Party she had become, if not quite a household name, one of the best-known public critics of the Australian Labor Partys response to the war in Gaza.

Advertisement

She quit in the full glare of live TV, fielding questions about her links to controversial preference whisperer Druery and her future intentions  chiefly: could she become the face of a new, Muslim political party seeking protest votes in Labor electorates? Payman would only say she had no immediate plans to join any parties but added: Stay tuned. I was not elected as a token representative of diversity, I was elected to serve the people of Western Australia and uphold the values instilled in me by my late father, Payman said after she crossed the Senate floor on June 25 to vote with the Greens on their motion calling for immediate recognition of Palestinian statehood. The Afghanistan-born senator has won sympathy for acting on her conscience and voting against her own party on an issue that has clearly tormented her since October 7 last year. The vote was a political win for the Greens, who can claim Paymans now-former colleagues are cowards compared with the renegade senator. It prompted a debate about sectarianism in a highly secularised Australian political culture. The previously obscure former union official has challenged norms about self-expression and party unity in politics and asked tricky questions about what Labors commitment to diversity means. But revelations from this masthead that she has been working with a political strategist who is no friend of the Labor Party have also damaged her, testing claims that her decision to leave the party was only made on Thursday morning.

Advertisement

She bristled on Thursday when asked, now that she had moved to the Senate crossbench, whether she would campaign on other issues that affected the Islamic community. Loading I dont know how to respond to that question without feeling offended or insulted that just because Im a visibly Muslim woman that I would only care about Muslim issues. This topic on Palestinian recognition, Palestinian liberation, is a matter that has impacted everyone with a conscience, it is a matter thats not just a Jewish versus Muslim issue, she shot back. Yes, she said later, she had wrestled with her conscience before crossing the floor and, yes, she had prayed  but as an observant Muslim, she prayed every day. Path to Canberra Paymans pathway into federal politics was remarkably quick. As she outlined in her first speech, she was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1995, only a year before her family fled to Pakistan to escape the Taliban. Her father, Abdul Wakil Payman, arrived in Australia via boat in 1999 and spent time in immigration detention, before the family was finally reunited in Western Australia in 2003 when the future politician was eight years old.

Advertisement

Abdul Wakil advised his daughter to study pharmacy to serve humanity, but it was while volunteering for community and university groups that Payman met WA state Labor MP Pierre Yang. After 18 months working as an electorate officer in 2019-20, Payman became president of Young Labor WA in 2021 and joined the United Workers Union as an organiser. By May 2022 she was third on Labors WA Senate ticket and not expecting to win a seat. But the partys abnormally high primary vote  attributed to the state Labor governments pandemic performance  got her through. Her first two years in Canberra were uneventful. In May this year, Labor was blindsided by Paymans first act of public defiance: to utter the phrase from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. It is a chant used by pro-Palestinian protesters that Albanese has disavowed, and which is interpreted by some as antisemitic and calling for the state of Israel to be abolished. Payman herself has said the phrase is not antisemitic and simply recognises the desire of Palestinians to be able to live freely in their own homeland. That comment, the day after budget day, prompted a public rebuke from the prime minister. A few weeks later, when she crossed the floor and voted with the Greens on a motion recognising Palestine, it finally dawned on Labors hard heads that she could be headed for the exit.

Advertisement

The minor penalty imposed on Payman  a one-week suspension from caucus  surprised some MPs. But when she then went on the ABCs Insiders program and declared she would be prepared to cross the floor again, Labor went into crisis mode. Albanese and the other three members of the leadership team  Penny Wong, Richard Marles and Don Farrell  agreed she had to be suspended indefinitely. And when this masthead revealed on Tuesday that Payman was talking to Druery and anti-Labor groups, while still serving as a Labor MP, colleagues were furious at her brazen disloyalty. Movements and meetings The website for the group Payman met with last month and where she first met Druery, Muslim Votes Matter, makes clear who the targets are: ministers Jim Chalmers, Jason Clare, Tony Burke, Chris Bowen, Andrew Giles, Linda Burney, Brendan OConnor, and Ed Husic and Anne Aly, both of whom are Muslims. On the agenda at that meeting: Should the groups create a party? Should that party have the word Muslim in it? Would candidates run in both the upper and lower house? The Muslim leaders at that meeting were furious with Labor MPs with whom they long shared close relations. Since October 7, as Labor has found it increasingly tricky to maintain long-standing support for Israel, some of those MPs have been blocked from attending local mosques.

Advertisement
Britain has undergone a Tory-ectomy. Starmageddon is under way. Jubilation and relief are in the air. For the first time in 14 years, this population of pessimistic Eeyores is wondering if perhaps optimism is not an eye disease.

But a Labour victory was never a done deal. Despite the polls promising a Labour tsunami and so many ministerial rats deserting the sinking Tory ship, a wary, hardened scepticism has permeated Labours ranks. Why? Well, the British are a masochistic lot. They are, after all, the only people on the planet who had a revolution and then asked the monarchy back.

Keir Starmer with Labour supporters. Hes a bit bland  but hes finally ousted the crooked Conservatives. Credit: Getty Images

Another reason Labour kept their hopes limbo-low is the class system. Its hard for egalitarian Aussies to comprehend how strongly upper-class superiority is sewn into the British psyche. Even their letters travel first and second class, as if the first-class mail gets a little in-flight movie and a paper-parasol cocktail en route.

Surveys reveal that Brits who speak with received pronunciation, such as Jacob Rees-Mogg and other snobs who send their shirts out to be stuffed, are widely perceived to be more intelligent, punctual, hygienic, capable and reliable than us plebs. Upper-class men are even deemed to be better in bed, a surprising fact as most posh blokes cant drive past a perversion without pulling over. Put it this way: the cream at their high teas isnt all they like whipped.
Sao Paulo: Brazils federal police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds the far-right leader received from Saudi Arabia during his time in office, according to a source with knowledge of the accusations.

A second source confirmed the indictment, although not for which specific crimes. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorised to speak publicly.

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is being investigated. Credit: Bloomberg

Brazils Supreme Court has yet to receive the police report with the indictment. Once it does, the countrys prosecutor general, Paulo Gonet, will analyse the document and decide whether to file charges and force Bolsonaro to stand trial.

The indictment dramatically raises the stakes in a series of investigations into the divisive ex-leader applauded by his opponents but denounced as political persecution by his supporters.
Early in my banking career, being young and enthusiastic, I had certain behaviours which may seem a bit old-school now, but if you want to succeed, I think they still hold true  get to work before your boss, ask for more work if you run out, do more than the minimum, dress well, and ask your superiors to mentor you, he says.
Updated limits reflect market changes

The loans are subject to price and income limits, which have been unchanged for some time, and the strong property price increases of recent years have resulted in many people being unable to access these loans, Hart said.
Rising Tensions: Israel and Hezbollah Edge Closer to Full-Scale Conflict (Photo: Tasnim News Agency WikimediaCommons/CC-BY-SA4.0 )

In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, the Lebanese militant group launched over 200 rockets at Israeli military bases on Thursday. This retaliation came in response to the killing of Mohammad Naameh Nasser, a senior Hezbollah commander, by Israeli forces.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah group claimed responsibility for the massive barrage, marking one of the largest attacks in the months-long conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border. The Israeli military reported that numerous projectiles and drones entered its territory, many of which were intercepted. The attack resulted in the death of one Israeli soldier.

Following Hezbollah's offensive, Israel responded with airstrikes targeting Hezbollah's military structures in southern Lebanon. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed hitting sites in the border towns of Ramyeh and Houla, while Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported an Israeli drone strike in Houla, resulting in at least one fatality. Israeli jets also conducted low-altitude flights over Beirut, causing sonic booms.

The conflict has seen an escalation since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, with Hezbollah expressing solidarity with Hamas, another Iran-allied group. The current hostilities began shortly after Hamas launched an attack into southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Hezbollah has stated that its strikes will continue until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.

Mohammad Naameh Nasser, the Hezbollah commander whose death triggered the latest wave of violence, was a key figure in the group. He played significant roles in conflicts in Syria and Iraq from 2011 to 2016 and participated in the 2006 war with Israel. Nasser's death follows the killing of another senior Hezbollah commander, Sami Taleb Abdullah, last month, which also led to retaliatory strikes.

Hezbollah's Executive Council head, Hashem Safieddine, vowed that the group would continue its attacks, targeting new sites and causing numerous casualties, although Israel has not always acknowledged these hits.

The U.S. and France are actively working to prevent the conflict from escalating into a full-scale war. Diplomatic efforts have included pushing regional brokers like Egypt and Qatar to exert pressure on Hamas for a ceasefire. The Biden administration has emphasized that an end to the war in Gaza would likely lead to calm along the Lebanon-Israel border.

The ongoing conflict has displaced tens of thousands on both sides. In northern Israel, 16 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed, while in Lebanon, more than 450 people, mostly fighters but also dozens of civilians, have lost their lives.

Hezbollah, one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East, boasts tens of thousands of fighters and an extensive missile arsenal. Israel views Hezbollah as its most direct threat, estimating the group has around 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided munitions.

The 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah lasted a month and ended in a draw. The current conflict, with its near-daily cross-border exchanges of fire, threatens to reignite full-scale hostilities. The IDF has warned that it might decide to go to war in Lebanon if diplomatic solutions fail.

Amidst the violence, Israeli officials have expressed concerns over Hezbollah's significant military capabilities. The IDF has reported extensive fires in northern Israel caused by the heavy shelling from Lebanon. Over 40 firefighting teams and 10 aircraft have been deployed to manage the situation.
Netflix's TV series adaptation of Horizon Zero Dawn is reportedly canned following controversies about its supposed showrunner.

First reported by Rolling Stone, the Netflix adaptation of the 2017 PlayStation 4 exclusive is seemingly halted after harassment and toxic workplace allegations were raised against showrunner Steve Blackman.

Blackman, who was also the showrunner for Netflix's "The Umbrella Academy," was accused of having a "long history of toxic, bullying, manipulative, and retaliatory behavior."

This includes fostering a toxic environment by pitting staffers against each other and leaving sexist, homophobic, and transphobic remarks to staff and workers.

With new allegations surfacing, sources told Rolling Stone that Blackman's two other projects with Netflix are being canceled, including plans for the touted Horizon Zero Dawn adaptation.

The streaming service first announced the supposed series adaptation in 2022 during the rise of video game to TV series trends have started becoming popular following the success of "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" and "Arcane."

Any Plans to Revive Netflix's Horizon Zero Dawn Adaptation?

There are currently no indications that Netflix is eager to select another showrunner to handle its Horizon Zero Dawn adaptation.

So far, the only confirmed progress about the show before it reportedly got canceled was when Sony shared that the scriptwriting for the Netflix show started earlier this year.

It also remains uncertain if Netflix will still retain adaptation rights for the show as it seems to redirect focus on other planned video game adaptations with its deal with Sony and PlayStation.

Video Game Fans Reignite FromSoftware Vs Horizon Series 'Dispute'

Amid the controversies and allegations, it did not take long for many video game fans to reignite the long industry "feud" between FromSoftware games and the Horizon series.

As many observers have pointed out, reports of the Horizon Zero Dawn's TV adaptation cancellation came as rumors of Elden Ring being adapted into either a film or a series.

They did it again pic.twitter.com/UokDln0qJW  Fromsoft Hoarder (@FromsoftHoarder) July 4, 2024

News about the Horizon series has long been the butt-end of the joke as it often drops when major news about FromSoftware games comes days a few days ahead or a bit after.

For one, the Horizon series' second installment, Horizon Forbidden West, was released just a week before Elden Ring took the world by storm.

The same happened when the first game rolled out in late February, just weeks apart from the March release date for the 2019 Game of Year winner Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, another FromSoftware title.
UB, partners awarded $40 million to boost semiconductor industry

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (at the podium) greets President Satish K. Tripathi at Tuesday's announcement that the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region will receive $40 million for semiconductor manufacturing, research and education. Photo: Megan Toohey

UB is honored to harness our research and industry partnerships in service of this regional tech hub. 

The Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region will receive $40 million for semiconductor manufacturing, research and education, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced Tuesday.

The funding is part of the CHIPS & Science Act passed by Congress in 2022. In addition to the tri-city region, 11 other metro areas nationwide were awarded $464 million to support technology hubs, which have mostly been limited to large coastal cities.

Schumer appeared at the Northland Workforce Training Center in Buffalo  he was also scheduled to visit Rochester and Syracuse  to celebrate the announcement.

"This is a monumental victory for the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region as the first major Tech Hub award in the nation," Schumer said in a release. "America's semiconductor future runs through the heart of upstate New York along the I-90 corridor."

Joining Schumer Tuesday was President Satish K. Tripathi and Venu Govindaraju, vice president for research and economic development.

Tripathi, who thanked Schumer, Rep. Tim Kennedy and others, noted UB will play a significant role in the endeavor, officially called the NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub. This includes improving the regions supply chain for semiconductors and microchips, and linking suppliers to new customers.

UB is honored to harness our research and industry partnerships in service of this regional tech hub, Tripathi said, adding that it has the potential to transform our region into a national center for semiconductor manufacturing bolstered by a robust supply chain and workforce.

The Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse consortium includes roughly 100 members from across higher education, the public sector, industry, economic and workforce development, and labor.

Also playing key roles in the effort are Monroe Community College in Rochester, which will lead a workforce training effort thats charged with preparing thousands of workers for careers in the semiconductor industry, and Syracuse University, which will help small and midsized companies commercialize their products.

UB has long been a leader in semiconductor research and education. Earlier this year, it launched the Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies to bring together researchers to advance microelectronics research while training the next generation of leaders and engineers for the semiconductor industry.
As many as 62 former employees of Byjus have come together to serve a notice of filing an insolvency and bankruptcy case against the beleaguered edtech giant at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in Bengaluru, demanding payment of their long-overdue salaries.

Canvas Legal, a Bengaluru-based law firm, has issued a demand notice of more than Rs 2.30 crore on behalf of 62 employees to Byjus, said Rajat Singh, a former Mathematics instructor at Byjus Tuition Centre in Delhi and representative of the ex-employees.

Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The letter, sent on July 4, 2024, and seen by Business Standard, warns: The undersigned request you to unconditionally repay the unpaid operational debt (in default) in full within 10 days from the receipt of this letter failing which we shall initiate corporate insolvency resolution process in respect of M/S Think & Learn Pvt Ltd (Byjus parent).

This is part of a broader action against Byjus and involves over 1500 disgruntled former employees. Many are on the brink of approaching the NCLT in Bengaluru to claim their dues.

Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad recently held a meeting with representatives of Think and Learn, asking them to settle the unpaid dues of former employees. Byjus workforce now approximately has 13,000 members, down from nearly 15,000 at the close of 2023. According to sources, the companys salary burden stands between Rs 40 crore and Rs 50 crore.

Lad disclosed that around 160 to 200 employees had approached the Labour Department, citing total outstanding dues of about Rs 4.5 crore. The department has also been inundated with emails from former Byjus employees lamenting their prolonged wait for full and final settlements after termination from the company.

In response, Byjus, the sources said, assured the Labour Department that it will settle all dues within a month of receiving a relief order from the NCLT.

However, the company is besieged by myriad challenges, including a severe cash crunch, delays in financial reporting, and a slew of legal disputes with lenders and investors. At least seven vendors have also moved the NCLT against Byjus to recover dues.

Byjus on Wednesday had requested the NCLT for 48 hours to decide whether to refrain from pledging, selling, or transferring its assets amid an ongoing investor dispute. Earlier this year, US-based lenders initiated corporate insolvency proceedings against the edtech company at the NCLTs Bengaluru Bench. The ad hoc group of lenders, which extended $1.2 billion in term loans to Byjus, said that GLAS Trust Company LLC had filed a petition against Think & Learn.



In another development, the NCLT Bench on July 3 reserved judgment on the insolvency pleas filed by telemarketing company Surfer and mobile phone maker OPPO against Byjus. US-based McGraw Hill Education and customer experience solutions firm Cogent E-services have filed similar petitions.

In another case, the NCLT asked Byjus to pay its employees salaries irrespective of whether it had access to the funds raised through its rights issue. The tribunal warned that failure to comply would result in an audit by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

While Byjus has disbursed April and May salaries, full payments for February and March remain pending, the sources revealed. The delay has been attributed to the locking of funds raised through a recent rights issue due to the ongoing investor dispute. Company management, including founder Byju Raveendran, has assured employees that they will receive their dues regardless of the courts decision.



The NCLT tussle between Byjus and its investors centers around the companys $200 million rights issue, with allegations of oppression and mismanagement. Investors Prosus, General Atlantic, Sofina, and Peak XV (formerly Sequoia) have sought a stay on the rights issue, challenging the valuation at less than 99 per cent of Byjus peak valuation of $22 billion.

Legal soup

> At least seven vendors have sued Byjus at NCLT to recover their dues

> BCCI filed the first insolvency plea against Byju's in Nov 2023 and claimed that the firm had defaulted on a payment of Rs 158 crore

> US-based lenders to Byjus approached NCLT to start corporate insolvency proceedings

> McGraw Hill education and Cogent E-services have also filed similar pleas

> NCLT at Bengaluru on July 3 reserved insolvency pleas filed by telemarketing company Surfer and mobile phone maker Oppo against Byju's for judgment
OpenAI's data breach last year has reportedly led to the hacker sharing the company's important details on its AI products in online forum boards.

Citing two anonymous sources, The New York Times reported that the OpenAI hacker leaked the design of the company's AI products.

Sources claimed that the hacker was unable to access the company's AI systems where most of the critical data are stored, limiting the information leaked to the public.

OpenAI executives reportedly hid these critical details from the Federal Bureau of Investigation or any law enforcement believing that the attack was the work of a private individual.

A few months later, OpenAI reported disrupting five influence operations from China, Russia, Iran, and Israel using its AI products to manipulate American voters' perceptions ahead of the 2024 US Presidential Elections.

Experts Warn of Potential Cybersecurity Dangers on OpenAI Vulnerabilities

Experts warned that such vulnerabilities could allow foreign adversaries to steal OpenAI's products for their own gain.

New details about the April 2023 cyberattack surfaced following reports of another major vulnerability on OpenAI's ChatGPT app on Mac that was earlier spotted.

OpenAI has since fixed the issue but not before other software engineers hound its products for other potential data breach exploits.

It is worth noting that The New York Times has an ongoing copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and its investor Microsoft over its licensed content.

Also Read : OpenAI Fixes Major ChatGPT Vulnerability on its Mac App

AI Development Poses Growing National Security Risks

Reports about OpenAI's vulnerabilities came amid growing concerns about the generative AI technology becoming a national security risk.

One US government-sponsored study even claimed that the technology may reach an "extinction-level threat to the human species" if no proper risk mitigation is done.

Despite dangers, more companies like Meta have been deploying their AI products as open-sourced believing that an accessible source code could better improve the technology's capabilities against cyberattacks.

OpenAI, despite its name, locked most information about its AI designs behind closed doors, raising safety concerns of security lapses undetected as the products are released to the public.
Microsoft is no stranger to paying settlement charges for practices it shouldn't be doing. After being accused of treating employees unfairly for protected leave, the company will have to pay $14 million for the affected staff.

Microsoft Accused of Pay Discrimination

Its California workers claim that the company has been discriminating and retaliating against those who took protected leave such as pregnancy, parental, family care, and disability leave, and the court is siding with the employees.

The Civil Rights Department of California stepped in and launched an investigation regarding the matter in 2020, specifically if it violated California's Fair Employment and Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as per Engadget.

It was then found that workers who took protected leaves received lower bonuses and were given bad performance reviews, which affected their eligibility for merit increases, stock awards, and promotions. In all the accusations, Microsoft failed to resolve the issue.

CRD claimed that the company "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."

The settlement charge of $14.4 million will be divided among the impacted workers between May 2017 and the date of the court's approval. Microsoft will also have to take other measures to make sure that the practice doesn't happen again.

On top of hiring an independent consultant for policy and practice recommendations to make sure that managers refrain from any discriminatory consequences, managers and HR will have to go through specific discrimination training as well.

The independent consultant will also work with the company to make sure that employees have an easier way to raise complaints, particularly if their protected leave has impacted their opportunities at work.

Civil Rights Department of California Director Kevin Kirsh said in a statement: "We applaud Microsoft for coming to the table and agreeing to make the changes necessary to protect workers in California.

Penalty for Violations of Children's Privacy Laws

As reported by the Office of Public Affairs on June 12, 2023, Microsoft has also agreed to pay $20 million in civil penalties. The company is said to be collecting and retaining personal information from children who use Microsoft's Xbox Live service.

In the press release, it states that Microsoft was aware that certain users were children but still continued to collect personal information like telephone numbers, all without notifying the parents of the practice or obtaining parental consent.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton said "It is essential that before collecting children's personal information, online companies provide complete and timely disclosures about their information collection practices so that parents can make informed decisions."

The settlement will also require Microsoft to clearly communicate with parents about their children's data. Furthermore, a procedure will be set up to monitor whether Microsoft is complying with the new statutes.

"Our proposed order makes it easier for parents to protect their children's privacy on Xbox, and limits what information Microsoft can collect and retain about kids," FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Samuel Levine stated.
Apple AirTags are gaining popularity among politicians for their newfound purpose of fighting against campaign poster snatchers ahead of the 2024 US Elections.

First reported by The Wall Street Journal, several local candidates have been noted for sticking AirTags to their campaign slogans and posters to track down potential snatchers and possibly push charges against them.

Poster snatching has been a longtime problem in local elections as supporters of each candidate often target the opposition by tearing down or stealing their campaign materials.

In several states, defacing or removing a political candidate's campaign materials in other people's private properties could fetch the offender a class 2 misdemeanor.

However, just like vandalism, rules around taking down campaign posters are rarely enforced as most perpetrators were never caught.

Oftentimes, law enforcement just put out signs warning people not to damage or steal the campaign materials for the risk of facing penalty fines.

Also Read : AirTag 2 Rumors Suggest Mid-Year Launch in 2025

How Apple AirTags Work in Election Campaign Posters Anti-Theft?

The introduction of Apple AirTags in protecting campaign materials and providing police officers with enough information to track down the perpetrators.

Politicians or their representatives can just report the incident and send law enforcement the Apple AirTag tracking data to locate and recover the stolen campaign posters.

It helps that AirTag tracking with law enforcement's help does not violate Apple's terms of service or other specific state laws. At least, not for now.

Related Article : Apple Loses Bid to Dismiss AirTag Stalking Lawsuit

Security Tech Becoming Part of Local Election Campaigns

Although it may seem novel at the start, this was not the first time local politicians have adopted security and tracking technology during the election period to combat campaign poster thieves.

Just earlier this year, two separate incidents of campaign poster vandals were arrested in Miami and Houston after security caught them in the act.

The same trend can even be seen back in 2022 as candidates installed secret cameras directed at their campaign posters to catch vandals and thieves looking to snatch away the posters.
(Photo : Unsplash/Mitchell Luo)

Bloomberg reported that US District Judge Sean Jordan in Sherman, Texas, granted an injunction request on Friday, blocking the Biden administration's rule asserting it would drive up Texas' payroll cost and budget.

The Biden-Harris Administration's Overtime Pay Rule

The injunction is a major setback for the Biden-Harris administration rule, which only aims to expand overtime protections for millions of lower-paid salaried workers nationwide by increasing the thresholds required to ensure that those who contribute to America's economic prosperity are paid fairly.

By law, every US employee is entitled to overtime pay at a rate of time and a half for hours worked over 40 in a given week unless they qualify for exemption.

The new rule that the Biden administration proposes is being implemented in phases. Initially, the minimum salary threshold will increase from $35,568 to $43,888 on July 1, with a further rise scheduled for January 1, 2025, to $58,656. Subsequently, the rule mandates automatic increases to the threshold every three years, calculated based on a predetermined formula, according to NAHB.

READ ALSO: Lower-Paid Salaried Maine Workers Prioritized as Biden's Overtime Pay Rule Takes Effect July 1

Legal Challenges Being Weighed Ahead of Election

Further challenges are being brought by a coalition of business groups in the Eastern District, with another case pending in the Northern District. While many US businesses oppose the change as unaffordable, Texas, representing itself as an employer, argues that the adjustment would only increase payroll costs and potentially disrupt its budget.

Judge Jordan asserted that Texas is likely to succeed in proving that the new Biden overtime pay rule represents an unlawful exercise of power, where Texas would suffer irreparable harm without an injunction, Pinsent Mason reported.

Lawyer Scott Le Blanc, speaking with HRNews, is interested in seeing how this situation develops, especially ahead of the change in leadership in November. Similar to the non-compete rule, Le Blanc believes this regulation may encounter legal challenges that could lead to its invalidation.

Most clients who treat employees as exempt already pay them at least $43,000, if not $58,000, annually. Usually, it is not the minimum salary requirement but the duties part of the test that causes employee issues. However, a notable feature of this Biden administration rule is the introduction of an automatic escalator clause that will trigger continued increases to that threshold every three years or so.

Jordan said during a hearing that the US Department of Labor may have violated federal wage law by determining eligibility for overtime pay based on salaried workers' wages rather than their job duties.

When an employee meets the duties test for exempt status but does not meet the new minimum salary threshold, employers can either raise the employee's salary to meet the minimum salary requirement or convert exempt employees to non-exempt status, where they would need to start tracking their hours worked and be paid overtime for any hours worked over 40 in a week, Le Blanc suggests.

RELATED ARTICLE: California's Fast Food Chains Resort to Price Increase After Employee Minimum Wage Hike Takes Effect

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
move.

Stock price is on the verge of breaking out from the resistance zone of Rs 1,005-1,010 levels Momentum Indicators and Oscillators are showing strength in the current

uptrend of the stock.

(Nandish Shah is a technical research analyst at HDFC Securities. Views expressed are his own.)
(Photo : Unsplash/Emiliano Vittoriosi )

The presidential debate that happened on Thursday has indeed stirred different reactions online about who people should support.

Mark Cuban, renowned for his business and television ventures, introduced his innovative approach on X, which went viral for asking artificial intelligence to analyze the candidates' performances based on a transcript of the televised debate aired from CNN's Atlanta studio.

In the post, Cuban said: "I cut and paste a transcript of the debate into ChatGPT and asked it who it would hire for a job."

Cuban wanted to assess Joe Biden and Donald Trump for a hypothetical employment scenario based on their communication skills, clarity, problem-solving abilities, and overall professionalism.

Here's what the AI assessment highlighted from a hiring perspective:

READ ALSO: Trump-Biden Showdown 2024: Trump Leaning Into Falsehoods, Biden's 'Raspy' Condition Draws Most Attention

Joe Biden's AI Assessment: The Pros and Cons

As pros, ChatGPT highlighted Joe Biden's 'extensive experience' in public service, which underscores his deep understanding of governmental processes and leadership roles, and his 'empathy and social awareness,' which focuses on community impact.

However, ChatGPT highlighted Biden's 'lack of coherence and clarity,' appearing fragmented and unclear during the debate, and his tendency to veer off-topic and provide disjointed and consistent answers as cons.

Donal Trump's AI Assessment: The Pros and Cons

Donald Trump's pros include his 'assertiveness and confidence' in communication, which is a strong leadership quality, and his 'economic focus,' underscoring his prioritization of financial performance and business acumen.

However, ChatGPT criticized Trump's excessive use of 'hyperbole and exaggeration,' coupled with grandiose claims that might raise concerns about his reliability in conveying accurate information. It also criticized his 'lack of specifics' in offering detailed plans or specific solutions.

According to ChatGPT, while both candidates exhibit strengths, neither fully embodies all the ideal qualities one might seek in a professional setting based solely on the debate transcript. Biden's empathy and experience are commendable, yet his communication challenges raise concerns. Trump's confidence and economic focus are notable, but his tendency towards exaggeration and lack of specifics present issues.

Therefore, based solely on their debate performance, the post reads, making a definitive hiring decision for either candidate would be difficult without additional evaluation of their professional capabilities and how well they fit specific job requirements.

Since it was shared on Sunday, Cuban's post has garnered over 3.3 million views.

Cuban As A Biden Supporter

Cubans have long been known as supporters of Biden. The entrepreneur told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in March that he would always choose Biden, even if Trump were "being given last rites."

During Biden's 2020 campaign, Cuban, who gained fame as an investor on the ABC reality show Shark Tank, characterized Biden as "the right choice for business," pointing to Trump's "botched" response to the coronavirus pandemic which resulted in economic instability, CNBC reported.

In another X post, Cuban said he would still choose Biden regardless, for he is the ethical candidate who consistently upholds his oath and prioritizes the country over personal interests.

RELATED ARTICLE: Hiring Bias: Does Removing the Graduation Year from My Resume Affect My Job Application?

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Ant Group today unveiled SecretFlow Cloud, its cloud-based cryptographic computing platform, and a suite of cryptographic computing solutions tailored for large language models (LLMs) at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.

Leveraging integrated software-hardware cryptographic computing technologies, these solutions enable the secure circulation of encrypted data throughout the hosting and inference processes of LLMs, safeguarding the integrity of LLM assets and data security while significantly enhancing data privacy protection. Providers can now encrypt and deploy their LLMs onto cloud environments effortlessly with a single click through its encrypted hosting service, safeguarding their valuable assets from compromise and theft. Meanwhile, the encrypted inference service ensures efficient data security and the protection of trade secrets during interactions with LLMs.

These solutions allow GPUs to perform computing tasks within trusted execution environments, notably reducing the cost and performance disparity between encrypted LLM inference and plaintext operations, providing a more cost-effective approach. The platform also integrates additional technologies such as memory and disk encryption, ensuring end-to-end encryption and secure cross-domain model hosting management. Additionally, a user-friendly remote attestation system allows for smooth verification through web interfaces, minimizing friction for users.

SecretFlow Cloud currently supports both public and private cloud deployments, and is compatible with commonly-used LLMs in the global market. For instance, in a public cloud setup, users can seamlessly build a new professional LLM on SecretFlow Cloud or migrate an existing LLM to the platform, with its secure LLM inference services ready in as few as 10 minutes with just a click. Moreover, users can purchase cryptographic computing resources on demand to meet their needs.

"Data is the most critical element in the application of LLMs, and cryptographic computing technology significantly enhances the utility of data in cross-domain scenarios," noted Dr. Lenx Wei, Vice President and Chief Technology Security Officer at Ant Group. "As LLMs evolve toward specialized professional domains and become essential productivity tools, cryptographic computing will play a vital role, particularly in fully unlocking the value of high-quality, domain-specific data sets."

According to Dr. Wei, while companies often deploy LLMs in private environments to address data security challenges, such methods can incur higher operational costs and compromise both service efficiency and quality, ultimately constraining the potential of LLMs. The cryptographic computing solutions offered by SecretFlow Cloud can effectively resolve these issues.

Looking forward, SecretFlow Cloud aims to further develop its cryptographic computing solutions to ensure data security throughout the full lifecycle of professional LLMs, including their creation, deployment, and service delivery.

Ant Group has been exploring privacy-preserving computing technologies since 2016 and released SecretFlow in 2022 as an open-source privacy-preserving computing framework that features an array of advanced technologies, including multiparty computation, federated learning, Trusted Execution Environments, Homomorphic Encryption, and Differential Privacy. Positioned at the forefront of cryptographic computing, SecretFlow Cloud represents a new generation of privacy-preserving computing technology, poised to overcome pain points in security, cost, and accessibility in data circulation. It offers a solution for instantly harnessing data value, akin to turning on a tap. To date, its technologies have been adopted in industries such as insurance, rural finance, healthcare, public services, and marketing.

About Ant Group

Ant Group aims to build the infrastructure and platforms to support the digital transformation of the service industry. Through continuous innovation, we strive to provide all consumers and small and micro businesses equal access to digital financial and other daily life services that are convenient, sustainable and inclusive.

For more information, please visit our website at www.antgroup.com or follow us on Twitter @AntGroup.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240705154761/en/
Key visit heralds new era of Sino-Tajik ties

10:23, July 05, 2024 By Ren Qi ( China Daily

President Xi Jinping attends a welcoming ceremony hosted by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon at Dushanbe airport, Tajikistan, on Thursday. (WANG ZHUANGFEI/CHINA DAILY)

President Xi Jinping's state visit to Tajikistan will usher in a new era of bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and China, a senior Tajik official said, noting that the enduring bond between the two neighbors dates back to the historic exploration of Central Asia by imperial envoy Zhang Qian over 2,000 years ago.

Xi arrived in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on Thursday night after attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Xi, who is on his first state visit to Tajikistan in five years, was offered a grand welcome upon his arrival at the airport. The ceremony featured a guard of honor, the red carpet greeting, and a folk art performance.

Farhod Rahimi, chairman of the Committee on Coordination of Activities of the National Assembly of the Supreme Assembly of the Republic of Tajikistan, said the two countries forged a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2017 under the strategic guidance and direct promotion of the two heads of state during Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's state visit to China.

Calling the bilateral relationship a prime example of amicable neighborly ties and genuine cooperation between nations, Rahimi underlined the two countries' deep historical roots, consistent growth in ties, and successful collaboration over the years.

The advancement of Tajikistan-China relations is a key focus area and strategic objective within Tajikistan's foreign policy framework, Rahimi said.

The friendly exchanges and collaborative efforts between the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and the Majlisi Milli, the National Assembly of Tajikistan, have significantly contributed to strengthening mutual trust, fostering extensive exchanges, and establishing a legal framework that supports practical bilateral cooperation in various fields, he said.

Tajikistan and China have reached a range of cooperation agreements, encompassing politics, economics, science, education, trade, investment, energy, and healthcare. Such collaboration has solidified China's position as one of Tajikistan's foremost and crucial partners.

Rahimi said that Tajikistan was one of the first countries to support the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, and is facilitating the comprehensive alignment of its National Development Strategy for the period up to 2030 with the BRI.

Bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached $3.926 billion in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 53.5 percent, according to data from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"The cooperation in advancing the BRI has borne significant fruit, providing crucial technical and financial assistance for our infrastructure development. This partnership has played a vital role in fostering the progress and prosperity of Tajikistan," Rahimi said.

For example, Tajikistan's infrastructure development had been largely dependent on cement imports for many years until the Chzhungtsai Mohir Cement joint venture with Chinese investors and other projects under the BRI transformed the nation into a cement exporter, he said, adding that the mining industry in Tajikistan is also growing.

Such projects "have instilled a heightened sense of confidence among Tajik people in realizing our objectives for industrialization", he said.

Rahimi, who is also president of the Tajik Academy of Sciences, said he has been paying great attention to the scientific and technological cooperation between Tajikistan and China.

The two countries have jointly established a Tajik-Chinese food safety testing and research laboratory, which uses equipment and supplies sourced from China, while Chinese experts provide training for Tajik technicians, he said.

Researchers from both countries are also actively engaged in studying together the feasibility of artificial propagation of vegetation in dry regions, Rahimi said.

"People-to-people exchanges have effectively strengthened our mutual trust. At present, there are about 2,000 Tajik students studying in Chinese universities," he said.

The two nations have engaged in collaborative endeavors encompassing archaeological initiatives, climate change studies, biodiversity preservation, disaster relief efforts, and various other projects.

"The steady advancement of Tajik-China relations is of great significance, reflecting a widespread consensus among all sectors in Tajikistan. We are willing to further work together with our Chinese partners," he added.

Xu Wei in Dushanbe contributed to this story.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
The AMET Global Maritime Summit 2024 (AGMS 2024) and AMET Global Maritime Awards 2024 (AGMA 2024), organized by the Dr. J Ramachandran Maritime Foundation and AMET University, concluded successfully recently, at the Anna Centenary Library Auditorium in Chennai, India. The event brought together over 1,250 participants from the maritime industry, academia, and related sectors globally. AMET University, a premier maritime education institution in India, continues to lead the way in providing world-class maritime education and training, driven by the visionary leadership of Dr. J. Ramachandran.



Summit Highlights



AGMS 2024 centered on the theme "Charting the Future of Maritime Exc ellence" , fea turing insightful panel discussions, technical sessions, and keynote addresses from industry leaders. The summit provided a platform for discussing the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities in the maritime sector.



Keynote Speakers and Distinguished Guests



Col. Dr. G. Thiruvasagam, Pro-Chancellor (Academics) of AMET University and Member-Secretary of the Dr. J Ramachandran Maritime Foundation, delivered the welcome address, emphasizing the summit's role in addressing shipping industry needs and aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).



The event was presided over by Dr. J Ramachandran, Founder-Chancellor of AMET University. In his presidential address, Dr. Ramachandran highlighted India's advancements in the shipping and logistics industry and the significant role of AMET University. He emphasized the importance of continuous industry-academia collaboration, innovation, and strategic initiatives to propel maritime education and the industry forward, with a focus on sustainability, collaboration, and innovation to address global challenges.



Shri Shyam Jagannathan, IAS, Director General of Shipping and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Govt. of India, delivered the inaugural address, highlighting India's significant advancements in the shipping and logistics industry over the past decade and outlining a vision for the next few decades. He emphasized the importance of innovation and resilience in maritime operations with special focus on Maritime Safety and discussed India's initiatives on decarbonizing shipping and enhancing port capacity.



Dr. Rajesh Ramachandran, Pro-Chancellor of AMET University and Dr. J Ramachandran Maritime Foundation, addressed the critical challenges facing the shipping industry, emphasizing the need for knowledge sharing, innovation, and digitization to enhance operational efficiencies and sustainability. He positioned AGMS as a significant platform for uniting policymakers, industry leaders, seafarers, students, and stakeholders.



Prof. Adam Weintrit, Chair of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) and Rector of Gdynia Maritime Academy, highlighted India's robust growth in the maritime industry. He underscored the importance of global summits in bringing together diverse stakeholders to exchange ideas crucial for industry advancement. Prof. Dr. V Rajendran, Vice Chancellor of AMET University delivered the Felicitation Address.



Panel Discussions and Technical Sessions



AGMS 2024 featured two significant panel discussions and an engaging Fireside Chat in which Capt. Karan Kochhar, Capt. Arun Mehta, Capt. Man Mohan Saggi, Ms. Sonali Banerjee, Capt. Ashutosh Apandkar, Capt. Ajay Gangadharan, Mr. Sunil Kumar, C/E Mr. Koki Pannerselvam, Mr. Nipun Chatrath and Capt. K. Karthik, Capt. Arvind Shankar and Capt. Sundeep Inkurthy have shared their intellectual inputs. Dr. Sangeetha Albin, the convener of the AGMS 2024 and Additional Registrar of AMET has coordinated technical sessions covering themes such as Maritime Education and Training, Maritime Technology Innovations, Maritime Management Strategies, and Maritime Sustainability, with over 70 research and lead articles presented by industry professionals and academicians.



Valedictory Ceremony and AGMA Awards 2024



His Excellency Mr. Haymandoyal Dillum, CSK, High Commissioner, High Commission of the Republic of Mauritius, New Delhi delivered the Chief Guest Address at the Valedictory Ceremony and presented AGMA Awards 2024. He praised AMET University for its dedication to maritime education and emphasized the critical role of maritime trade in the economy. He highlighted challenges such as maritime safety, security, and environmental issues, while also recognizing opportunities in e-learning, professional development, and capacity building.



The prestigious AGMA Awards 2024 honoured outstanding individuals and institutions in the maritime industry. AGMA 2024 Awardees are: AGMA Maritime Leadership Award 2024  Individual Category: Ms. Nynne Norman Scheuer, Senior Director, Head of Marine People & Culture, A.P. Moller-Maersk, Denmark; AGMA Maritime Leadership Award 2024  Individual Category: VADM Eduardo Ma R Santos, AFP (RET), President of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), Philippines; AGMA Maritime Excellence Award 2024  Institution Category: The Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP), Philippines; AGMA Maritime Innovation Award 2024  Innovation Category: Mr. Suraj Singh, Founder CEO of Seaker Systems Pvt. Ltd., Maharashtra, India.



In his commendation address, Dr. J Ramachandran emphasized the importance of fostering maritime excellence and innovation to address future challenges in the industry. He highlighted the strong partnership between Maersk and AMET, particularly their collaborative efforts in establishing the Maersk Centre of Excellence that provides Admission with Appointment order to maritime cadets. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Deepa Rajesh, Vice President (Academics) and Convener AGMA 2024, acknowledging the dedicated efforts of the organizing committee, distinguished guests, panelists, speakers, and participants.



The AMET Global Maritime Summit (AGMS) and AMET Global Maritime Awards (AGMA) will continue to serve as premier platforms for recognizing and promoting excellence in the maritime sector.
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
Lhyfe and Fives sign green hydrogen agreement for decarbonisation

Peter Bell By 05 July 2024

Lhyfe and Fives have announced the signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide a complete decarbonised offer for industry, from hydrogen production to combustion.This offer speeds up energy transition by facilitating the use of hydrogen in process industries, without needing to modify all the equipment. Lhyfe will produce and supply green hydrogen while Fives will provide optimised and safe solutions for its use in industrial combustion processes.



Lhyfe and Fives will focus primarily on the metals, glass and cement industries and some selected industrial heating processes and applications in Europe and North America.



Lhyfe is one of the worlds pioneers in the production of green and renewable hydrogen. It produces green and renewable hydrogen through the electrolysis of water, at production units powered by renewable energy. The companys first site has already been operational since the second half of 2021, and two further sites were inaugurated in 2023. Several other sites are being built or extended across Europe.



Matthieu Guesne, founder and CEO of Lhyfe, said: We are in a pivotal period in the industrial sector and in particular in industrial combustion. After several years of development, hydrogen solutions are now mature and available on the market region wide. We are proud and delighted to sign this agreement with a company such as Fives, which is helping to accelerate energy transition in the glass, cement and metals industries, thanks to turnkey solutions for their processes.



Frederic Thrum, deputy general manager of Fives and president of the Energy Division, stated: As a pioneer in decarbonisation, Fives supports industrial companies in their energy transition, in particular their switch to hydrogen. Our unique and innovative combustion systems are developed to reduce the environmental impact of our customers around the world. We are proud to be partnering with Lhyfe, to respond together to the urgency of climate change and make industrial processes more sustainable and efficient.

Published under
alcemy secures US$10m funding to enter US market

Peter Bell By 05 July 2024

Deeptech start-up alcemy has raised a US$10m funding round to scale its artificial intelligence (AI) decarbonisation solution. This news follows a recent update on alcemys partnership with Spenner Zement, Germanys fifth-largest cement manufacturer. The two companies produced a low-clinker, low-carbon cement mixture in a commercial setting, a first for the industry globally.



Led by Norrsken VC, the funding round will be used for continued research and development, and to support alcemys entrance into multiple new markets in 2024, including the USA. Leading climate investors, including Galvanize Climate Solutions, AENU and Bitstone, also participated in the round.



With alcemys software, cement and concrete producers can reduce the clinker content step by step, resulting in up to 65 per cent emissions reduction, claims the company.



"We couldnt be happier to support alcemy on their journey. Their AI-driven software demonstrates remarkable stickiness in the market and holds immense global potential, making a tangible impact in combating climate change. With a clear vision, proven track record, and a great, growing team, alcemy is poised to lead the charge in revolutionising the cement and concrete industry worldwide, says Alexander Danielsson, partner at Norrsken VC.



alcemy has also picked up leading cement manufacturer Titan America, a subsidiary of Titan Group, as a customer. The start-up will kick off its US activities by deploying its AI-powered quality control software at a Titans Medley cement plant in Florida.



At Titan Group we are leading the digitalisation of cement operations by leveraging both in-house developed AI solutions, as well as tools provided by ourtrusted external partners. Among the latter, we are happy to have successfully deployed alcemys solution in our US operations, having already seen promising results on improving the quality characteristics of cement and creating the conditions to lower our clinker factor after less than a year, said Othon Manis, manufacturing digitisation and data director at Titan.

Published under
The families of two long-overdue Medal of Honor nominees received those Medals this week 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 of the 24 Andrews Raiders, who had yet to be recognized for their service.

As you recall, the actions of Andrews Raiders on April 12, 1862, known as the Great Locomotive Chase, resulted in the first Medal of Honor awards in our nations history.

The operation was conceived by James Andrews, a civilian spy and scout, with the assistance of another scout, William Campbell. It involved 22 volunteer Union soldiers from three Ohio regiments: The 2nd, 21st, and 33rd Ohio Infantry. Their mission was to steal a locomotive deep in Confederate territory and travel north, burning bridges and destroying tracks, switches, and telegraph lines on the main line between Chattanooga and Atlanta. The purpose was to disrupt critical wartime supply lines.

The plan commenced north of Marietta in Big Shanty (Kennesaw), where Raiders boldly boarded The General locomotive while its engineers and passengers had breakfast at the nearby Lacy Hotel. The Union spies detached the passenger cars and headed north with three boxcars carrying the Raiders. Over the next six hours, they would be pursued for 87 miles by The Generals conductor, William Fuller, and two of his men. The Raiders traveled through Kingston to Adairsville, where Fuller and his men stopped a southbound Texas freight train, dropped its cars, and pursued the Raiders northward in reverse. They went through Calhoun, Resaca, Dalton, and Tunnel Hill, gaining on The General until the commandeered engine ran out of fuel and, thus, out of steam just north of Ringgold, Georgia, near the Tennessee line.

It was there that Andrewss men were ordered to abandon The General, as he declared, Every man for yourself. Within two weeks, Andrews and all of his men were captured. Andrews was hung as a spy on June 7, 1862, and 10 days later, seven other Raiders  Union troops George Wilson, Charles Shadrach, Marion Ross, John Scott, Samuel Slavens, and Samuel Robertson, as well as civilian guide William Campbell  were also hung. The others would be part of prisoner exchanges or paroled at the end of the war.

In March 1863, the first Medals of Honor were awarded to members of the Raiders by Abraham Lincoln for their actions in April 1862. Jacob Parrott was the very first recipient, followed by 18 of the other 24 Raiders. One Raider declined the Medal, saying his role did not qualify. The two civilians, Andrews and Campbell, were not eligible for the award.

After the War Between the States concluded, the bodies of the eight executed Raiders were exhumed in Atlanta and reburied near the entrance to Chattanooga National Cemetery, where a prominent monument featuring The General locomotive was erected in their honor. Chattanooga National Cemetery is the second oldest in the nation after the smaller Gettysburg National Cemetery and is located a few miles from our nations first National Military Park at Chickamauga.

This week, 161 years since the first Raiders Medals were awarded, the last two of Andrewss volunteers, PVTs Shadrach and Wilson, have been added to the roster of 3,517 other Medal of Honor recipients, each of whom has been recognized by a grateful nation for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, valorous actions above and beyond the call of duty. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society is the official organization of and historical repository for recipients.

Although President George W. Bush signed legislation authorizing the Medals of Honor for both men back in 2008, that authorization was lost by the next administration. Since then, the Shadrach and Wilson descendants, particularly Brad Quinlin, Rob Shadrach, and Theresa Chandler, with assistance from the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center where the Raiders daring mission is memorialized, have steadfastly advocated for the awards.

David Currey, Heritage Center director, stated: Todays decision rectifies a historical oversight that has deprived Privates Shadrach and Wilson from receiving our nations highest military honor for valor on the battlefield. The incredible story of Andrews Raid and the Great Locomotive Chase led to the awarding of the first Medals of Honor in our nations history. It also created the first of several undeniable historical connections between Chattanooga and the Medal of Honor that ultimately led to Chattanooga being recognized as the Birthplace of the Medal of Honor.

For more details on the Raiders actions, there are two books I recommend. Daring and Suffering: A History of The Great Railroad Adventure is by SGT William Pittenger, a member of the Raiders. Pittenger was also a member of the 2nd Ohio Infantry, Company G. He was captured after the raid but avoided execution as a spy. Additionally, I recommend the modern history of the Raiders, Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor, by Russell Bonds.

In retrospect, Andrews Raiders accomplished very little tactically, given it had rained just before their mission and all the bridges and lines were too wet to ignite with fire. However, as my colleague Gen. B.B. Bell (USA-Ret.), Advisory Board chairman of the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, observed: Their mission did have a great impact on Union morale at the time. News of the Raiders bold mission deep into Confederate territory spread rapidly at a moment when Union setbacks were considerable. The morale boost of the Raiders actions cant be overstated.

By comparison, B.B. notes, it was similar to Jimmy Doolittles daring raid on Tokyo just months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Doolittles Raid on April 18, 1942, against the Japanese capital was the first American air operation to strike the Japanese archipelago. And though the raid, much as Andrews raid, caused only minor damage, it greatly boosted American morale by demonstrating that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable.

PVT Shadrach and PVT Wilson, your example of valor  American Patriots defending Liberty for all above and beyond the call of duty  is eternal.

Read more Profiles of Valor here.

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)
The first six months of 2024 have been busy for LAUNCH, the local non-profit organization whose mission is to empower communities and individuals through entrepreneurship, especially among individuals who are underrepresented in the field. The nonprofit LAUNCH was honored with two awards by the International Business Innovation Association: Entrepreneur Support Organization of the Year and the Julius Morgan Diversity and Inclusion Award.

Additionally, to better serve their food sector clients, LAUNCH acquired the 20,000 square foot building housing the Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga.

During its 38th annual International Conference on Business Incubation held in San Antonio, InBIA recognized organizations nationally and internationally that provide support to entrepreneurs. The Julius Morgan Diversity and Inclusion Award, named after the first African American member of InBIAs board of directors (1990-1996), celebrates those who bring economic development to urban entrepreneurship ecosystems.

Hal Bowling, Co-CEO of LAUNCH said, This is such a great honor. LAUNCH has been very deliberate with our mission and our strategy over the years. We truly believe entrepreneurship is the growth mechanism that can create greater equity in our communities. It is very affirming to have an international organization like InBIA recognize us for our work.

Co-CEO DeJuan Jordan added, "We have an exceptional team that is deeply committed to our mission and to serving our clients. This recognition from InBIA is a testament to their dedication and hard work. Along with Hal, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to InBIA for these prestigious awards and for their support. This honor not only validates our efforts but also strengthens our resolve to bring the transformative power of entrepreneurship to those who have great business ideas but lack the resources or knowledge to get started. We are excited to continue empowering individuals and fostering innovation in our community."

Many of those entrepreneurial dreams involve the food industry  both food service and packaged goods. To address this large segment and to support those dreams, LAUNCH created the Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga in 2020 to serve aspiring food entrepreneurs.

We saw through our cohorts, said Mr. Bowling, that roughly 20 percent of the people coming into our programs had a business idea that involved food or food services. As many know, restaurants and the food industry can be notoriously challenging and expensive businesses to start and sustain.

Ms. Jordan said, The original intent of KIC was to serve food entrepreneurs in our city with a shared kitchen space that would give them access to equipment and a consistent place to prepare their food in compliance with the regulations of the health and agriculture departments. We knew this space would meet a unique need in our city and the shared kitchen concept cultivated a community of entrepreneurs that are not just growing their own business but also encouraging and supporting each other.

In 2022, LAUNCH made an investment in renovations in the leased space that represented the organizations long-term vision which allowed more entrepreneurs to utilize the space. Investing in the space presented a long-term challenge; although LAUNCH had a longer-term lease, it did not own the building.

When contemplating the future and the importance of sustaining the organization's efforts at KIC, they acknowledged that without ownership of the building, they would be subject to factors beyond their control. After approaching the owners of the building about their interest to sell, co-CEOs Mr. Bowling and Ms. Jordan, alongside their team, negotiated a deal for LAUNCH to purchase the property. This acquisition secured a permanent home for KIC in Brainerd, ensuring continued support for a diverse array of talented entrepreneurs and shaping the future of food-centric entrepreneurship in Chattanooga.

"We are grateful to the many individuals and organizations whose support made this achievement possible," said Mr. Bowling and Ms. Jordan. "Our board of directors and finance committee dedicated countless hours to this transaction, playing a pivotal role in its success. We extend heartfelt thanks to Bright Bridge Financial Partners for their crucial role in securing financing as well as, a sincere appreciation to our funding partners: Benwood Foundation, Lyndhurst Foundation, Maclellan Foundation, Footprint Foundation, the Howard Fund, and several generous individuals who believed in our mission and made significant contributions.

"We would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge the hard work of our exceptional staff, as well as express gratitude to our realtor, Natalie Hostettler of CBRE, and Chuck Fisher of Grant, Konvalinka and Harrison, whose expertise was invaluable throughout the legal process of the purchase.

The Kitchen Incubator of Chattanoogas permanent home is at 5704 Marlin Road, adjacent to

Eastgate Mall in the Brainerd area.






Chemists at the University of Konstanz describe how they have made a very unusual reaction possible.

An old dream of mankind is to combine the best of two worlds: to bring together the advantages of two opposing things without having to accept their disadvantages. This old dream is also being pursued in chemistry: how good would it be to combine the properties of organic and inorganic substances?

Organic substances stand for high functional diversity, while inorganic substances are very stable. The fact that chemists want to bring them together in the form of hybrid materials is nothing new. The only problem is that organic and inorganic substances require very different reaction conditions. You can't just throw them into a pot and stir them twice. Or can you? Prof. Dr. Miriam Unterlass' research group at the University of Konstanz has developed a process that can do just that: a "one-pot synthesis", as the chemists call the process, or rather a "one-pot synthesis".

"One-pot synthesis" means exactly what the name suggests: The very different reagents are not treated separately, but are all brought together in a common vessel. It is very important that the reactions of the different substance classes take place at the same time and synergistically. However, for this to work at all, the right balance must be found between the very different reaction conditions. This is very tricky and requires a lot of laboratory work, but as the chemists in Constance show, it can be very easy with the "right recipe".

The right cooking point "The beauty of our approach lies in its simplicity," emphasizes Frank Sailer, who was instrumental in developing the one-pot synthesis in his doctoral thesis. "Just like a stew, you have to find the right cooking point so that the lentils have not yet disintegrated, but the potatoes are already cooked through." Applied to chemical reactions, this means You need the right ratio of pressure, temperature and time. And, of course, the right ingredients.

"We don't need any toxic catalysts or solvents," says Sailer, citing the advantages of the process - it is therefore sustainable and environmentally friendly. The only solvent used is pure isopropanol (the main component of disinfectants), which is harmless and available in large quantities. The main ingredients of the new material class are special dye molecules, so-called pigments, and layered titanium dioxide.

If it is so simple, why wasn't this reaction process discovered long ago? "Because the idea is very unusual. The organic components are not normally synthesized under such conditions," explains Sailer. Finding such reaction pathways is a declared goal of Miriam Unterlass' working group: she is investigating how chemical synthesis processes can be optimized by choosing the right framework conditions and lead to better, more sustainable results. "We produce better materials in a faster and more environmentally friendly way," explains Miriam Unterlass.
This electron microscope image provided by the National Institutes of Health shows human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) virions, colorized blue, and anti-RSV F protein/gold antibodies, colorized yellow, shedding from the surface of human lung cells. Federal advisers on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, made a stronger endorsement for RSV vaccinations for people 75 and older, but made a narrower recommendation for people 60 to 74.
One of the most notorious con men in the history of the Wild West was Soapy Smith, the leader of a gang who made their living through clever schemes. They were quite successful until Soapy ran into trouble on July 8, 1898.

Soapy Smith was born Jefferson Randolph Smith in Georgia in 1860. He headed west when he was young to look for work and became a cowboy in Texas.

However, he soon grew tired of the arduous labor and low pay that came with the cowboy life. That was when he discovered how easy it was to scam people out of their hard-earned cash in rigged games.

His most lucrative con was what earned him the nickname of Soapy. For this scheme, he set up stands in the street selling bars of soap for $5 that were wrapped in blue tissue paper. He told the crowds that a few lucky individuals would find a $100 bill with their soap.

Of course, Smith knew which bars contained the cash, so the people who won the money were always members of his gang. Eventually, Smith was arrested for running this con. The officer who wrote up his report couldnt remember his name, so he jotted down Soapy instead.

Another con of his was the prehistoric man of Creede, Colorado. It was one of his earliest frauds. Somehow, he got his hands on a 10-foot statue of a prehistoric-looking human and secretly buried it in a location near the town of Creede.

Later, he dug it up, pretending that he had discovered a rare artifact. His discovery garnered a lot of attention, and he started charging people to see it. Then, he left town before people could get suspicious.

In 1897, Smith headed to Skagway, Alaska, as part of the gold rush. With the influx of new miners and the lack of established laws in the remote area, he found that it was the perfect place to run his schemes.

At one point, he even set up a fake telegraph office and charged people to send messages to their loved ones back home. This was several years before Skagway got telegraph lines.

Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
They say first impressions are of the utmost importance, but what happens when your first encounter with a guy leaves you wondering why you even bothered to leave the house?

TikToker Maddy (@maddysalvadore) is a 23-year-old from New Jersey, and such was her experience on that fateful evening when she found herself sitting next to a man who was nothing but a disappointment.

One morning, she matched with a guy on a dating app, and they went on a date at a nice Italian restaurant that same day.

He ordered her a ride to the restaurant, which she thought was really kind of him. For safety reasons, she gave him a different address so he wouldnt know where she lived.

She arrived at the restaurant before him and informed him that she was sitting at the bar. He told her that he was tracking her ride, so he already knew she was there. While she waited, she bought herself a drink. Ten minutes later, he showed up after struggling to find a parking spot.

Immediately, she knew she shouldve left before he arrived. When he sat next to her at the bar, she noticed that he was just wearing work clothes and a hat while she was in a dress and heels. He grumbled about how he needed a drink and asked if she had a tab open.

She told him that she just paid for her drink up front. In response, he told her that he wanted a Scotch.

When the bartender came over to them, he didnt say anything. Confused, Maddy asked him if he wanted her to order for him. He seemed to think it was only fair since he had ordered her a ride to get there.

Upon seeing their interaction, the bartender asked him what he wanted on his own tab. He rudely gave his drink order. Afterward, he and Maddy sat in silence for a bit.

Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
During the construction of a playground for an urban renewal project in southern Italy, a sizable ancient villa was unearthed, and researchers from the Italian culture ministry think that it may have belonged to Pliny the Elder, a famous Roman author, naturalist, and philosopher.

Pliny the Elder was celebrated for his role as a naval and army commander in the Roman Empire. He also wrote Natural History, an encyclopedic work that detailed the events that occurred during the Roman era. He died trying to help victims of Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 C.E.

The site where the structure was found used to be the ancient Roman port city of Misenum. Today, it is a town called Bacoli, which is located near the Bay of Naples.

The villa was situated on a cliff overlooking magnificent views of the gulf and the surrounding coastline.

Previously, the area had been occupied by Lido Piranha, an illegal beachside development.

The large complex featured 10 spacious rooms, several outdoor terraces, and distinctive brickwork involving diamond-shaped blocks arranged in a decorative net-like pattern.

Experts believe that the villa may have been more than 300 feet long and was built sometime in the first century C.E. A stone dock that served as a major Roman port was also at the site, buried about 13 feet below sea level.

Pliny the Elder lived in a villa in the region, but there isnt enough solid evidence to confirm that the newly discovered structure was actually the place of his residence.

However, the seaside spot would have made an ideal home for the scholar. Not only did the villas location offer a front-row seat to spectacular scenery, but it also provided a 360-degree view of the Bay of Naples, which would have been helpful for military strategy.

Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
On June 19, just one day before the summer solstice, two climate activists sprayed orange paint on the iconic ancient monument Stonehenge, located in southern England.

The incident occurred prior to a planned event at the prehistoric site. Thousands of people were expected to gather around the 4,500-year-old stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year.

English Heritage, the charity that manages Stonehenge, stated that the act of vandalism was extremely upsetting. Last year, about 8,000 people were at Stonehenge at sunrise to celebrate the event.

The activists were associated with Just Stop Oil, a British environmental group focused on addressing the issue of human-caused climate change. The organization uses tactics such as civil resistance, traffic obstruction, and vandalism to convince the British government to end new fossil fuel production and licensing.

The three stones closest to the public path were covered with orange paint. According to Just Stop Oils website, the pigment used to spray the rocks was made of orange cornflour that would wash away in the rain. Still, experts need to investigate the stones to see if they have suffered any permanent damage.

They are sensitive, and they are completely covered in prehistoric markings which remain to be fully studied, and any surface damage to the stones is hugely concerning, said an archaeologist named Mike Pitts.

Starting about 5,000 years ago, the stone circle was built in stages on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain. Some of the stones are known to have come from southwest Wales, nearly 150 miles away.

However, the origins of the others have remained unclear. The monuments stones align with the rising sun in the northern hemisphere on the date of the summer solstice.

The culprits were arrested by Wiltshire Police for causing damage to one of the most famous ancient monuments in the world. They were identified as 21-year-old Niamh Lynch from Oxford and 73-year-old Rajan Naidu from Birmingham.

Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant. I dread admitting I dont have a fancy new job.

Illustration by Elizabeth Kaye / Source Images: Getty / Lightstock

This past spring, I finally finished my masters programadviser emailed, final submitted, graduation forms signed. But instead of relief or accomplishment, the primary thing Im feeling is dread. After 50 applications and multiple interviews, my job offer total is zero.

The source of my dread is not just my lack of employment, Im realizing. Its the feeling that I lack status. Im reminded every time small talk takes the inevitable turn: So, what do you do? Finishing up a masters is great, yet I feel like Im in an awkward spotfalling behind my peers, not quite where I should be, not quite measuring up.

Im not alone in my craving for status. Psychological research indicates that humans are widely driven by this desire for esteem, respect, or affirmation based on social rank. Psychologists have described status as a fundamental human need alongside safety, love, and meaning. While theres debate about how deep this need goes, its hard to deny that the way others perceive us influences our beliefs and behaviors. Even if we tell ourselves we dont care about status, our brains typically do.

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.

And its not just status in some absolute sense but status compared to other people. For example, a Harvard and University of Toronto study about air ragepassengers erupting in angry fits mid-flightsuggested status comparisons were a major factor. The most common factor in some 4,000 cases of air rage wasnt delays, fees, or lack of legroom. It was whether the flight had a first-class cabin. Economy passengers were eight times more likely to burst into air rage when they had to pass through the first-class cabin on the way to their seats.

Another study asked subjects if theyd prefer a yearly income of $50,000 while everyone else makes $25,000, or a yearly income of $100,000 while everyone else gets $200,000. Over half picked the lower incomeand higher status. Riches typically matter less than being richer than others. What would it profit someone to gain the world if their neighbor had two worlds?

Bible translators generally dont use the word status as we do. Youll find it in The Message, but conventional translations are more likely to speak of glory, honor, or renown (translating the Greek word doxa), or name, title, or reputation (translating onoma).

But status was just as important to ancient people as it to us. In the Roman world, honor was such a coveted resource that one philosopher described social life as cursus honorum (a race for honors). At public and private gatherings alike, hosts seated guests according to both ascribed honors (status inherited from lineage or generational wealth) and acquired honors (ones personal achievements). This offersbackground for Jamess correction toward churches that gave nice seats to the rich while seating the poor at their feet (2:14). Status display was so normalized that it couldnt easily be left at the church doors.

While every Roman church wrestled with status obsession, New Testament scholar Joseph Hellerman argues the foremost in this vice was Philippi. Known as a small Rome, the city had the kind of culture where elites would rattle off their honors before public speaking and even emblazon tombstones with lists of achievements.

Writing to this church, the apostle Paul first seems like hes playing their status game. If anyone thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more (Phil. 3:4), he says. If anyone is winning this honors race, it would be me. Next, following the style of a Philippian tombstone, Paul lists off ascribed and acquired honors: born in the right tribe, at the right time, to the right race; surpassing all his peers in righteousness, passion, and justice (vv. 56).

But then Paul reveals his purpose in listing these honors. Hes not doing it to establish status but to honor Jesus. Subverting the cursus honorum, Paul declares his honors to be worthless rubbish (in the Greek, skubalon, or excrement) because his standing in Christ is infinitely more valuable (vv. 710).

This revelation shouldnt have come as much of a surprise to the letters original audience, for by this point in the letter, Paul had already pointed to Christs intentional loss of status. Jesus wasnt concerned with upward social mobilitythe drive to accumulate more money, prestige, and power as life progresses. If anything, his trajectory was more in line with what Henri Nouwen called downward mobility.

As God, Jesus had countless opportunities to pull rank. But at every turn, he undermined his own status. He couldve become wealthy and famous as a full-time miracle worker. He couldve been born a prince or magistrate instead of the son of a blue-collar family. He had the same status as God, Paul wrote to the Philippians, but never used that status to his advantage (2:511). Christians, the apostle advised, should have the same mindset (v. 5).

Thats still a daunting prospect here in the 21st century, where Christians, like me, are trying to keep the pace in another status-obsessed culture. How can we discipline our endless desire for statusa desire we may not always even recognize for the sin it is?

Early Christianity had a useful word for this tendency: vainglory. It means anxiety over ones reputation. Vainglory might offer more clarity for this conversation than the term status can: It distinguishes between our wholly appropriate instinct to give honor and respect to wise elders (1 Tim. 5:12) and leaders (Heb. 13:7; 1 Pet. 2:13) and the sort of selfish status-seeking Christians should guard against.

Vainglory was taken so seriously among early Christian monastics that it was regularly ranked among the deadliest of sins. Like lust or greed, the desert theologians taught, vainglory clouded ones relationship with God and had to be fought. Some even drafted battle plans to isolate vainglorious thoughts and replace them with truth from Scriptureto take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

Everything about our daily experience screams that we should care more about status: Buy more luxury brands, post more jealousy-inducing photos, always be on the hunt for a better house or job or even partner. But what Paul told the Philippians is that all these signs of status are irrelevant. We dont have to try to appear impressive. Were alreadyand onlyimpressive by virtue of Christ in us.

Griffin Gooch is a writer and speaker who recently finished his masters in theological studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. He plans to pursue a PhD in philosophical theology.
A new book argues that early Protestant thinking helped fuel an anti-supernatural worldview. But that worldview retains more Protestantism than it cares to admit.

Ted Soqui / Contributor / Getty

Where did our modern secular age come from? What was the source of the Western idea that belief in God is optional or irrelevant?

A decade ago, Notre Dame history professor Brad Gregory argued that it came from the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther and John Calvin certainly didnt intend this result, as Gregory argued in The Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Society, but their rejection of ecclesiastical authority led to an individualism that ultimately undermined the entire Christian project. If people could interpret Scripture on their own, maybe they could rely on their own reason to understand everything. And if that was the case, should it be surprising that many contemporary people would come to disavow any need for God at all?

Peter Harrisons Some New World: Myths of Supernatural Belief in a Secular Age accepts some of Gregorys findings but pushes them in a new direction. Yes, he concedes, modern Western secularization was the product of Protestant thinking. But even if Protestantism led people to reject the supernatural, its worth asking how much of the Protestant worldview modern secular people have unwittingly retained.

Sign up for CT Books Each issue contains up-to-date, insightful information about today's culture, plus analysis of books important to the evangelical thinker. 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.

Quite a bit, argues Harrison, an emeritus professor of the history of science at the University of Queensland in Australia. In fact, the modern secular worldview is so strongly dependent on unspoken Christian assumptions that its incoherent without them.

Justifying belief

To take one example from the book, scientific methods of investigation depend on assumptions about the regularity and comprehensibility of nature. No one in the ancient pre-Christian pagan world held these beliefs. Christian faith, however, led believers to expect that a rational God would create a rational, predictable universe. Modern secular scientists retain this belief even while rejecting the theological assumptions that support it.

But this is only one example among many. As Harrison argues, the entire secular worldview is comprised of Christian beliefs (especially Protestant beliefs) that are retained in distorted form. Some New World is a detailed history of how the Western world adopted those beliefs in the immediate aftermath of the Reformation and then incorporated them into the secular philosophy of naturalism after stripping them of any theistic underpinnings.

When Harrison discusses the modern secular or naturalistic worldview, he seems to have in mind someone a bit like Richard Dawkinsthat is, an educated Westerner who claims a commitment to rationality above all else and who is firmly convinced that belief in the supernatural is unreasonable. Such a person, Harrison argues, has unwittingly adopted an early modern Protestant approach to belief and knowledge.

Before the Reformation, Harrison says, few European Christians thought they had to justify their belief in the supernatural. Indeed, they didnt spend much time justifying any of their beliefs about God. Most of their beliefs fell under the category of implicit faithconvictions they had inherited from their parents and the surrounding culture and felt no need to discard, even if they couldnt prove their truth.

But Martin Luther argued that faith had to be personal to be genuine; it could not consist only of assumptions thoughtlessly inherited from ones parents. And ever since Luther, many Protestants (including most American evangelicals) have similarly insisted that faith must be personal.

Luther and Calvins emphasis on personal faith highlighted the role of the Holy Spirit in producing such faith. But by the 17th century, some Protestants were already hedging on that idea and placing greater weight on the role of reason in producing faith. Whereas most Christians of the 16th century and earlier had seen faith primarily as a matter of trust in God, some rationally minded Christians of the 17th and 18th centuries began to define faith primarily as belief in a set of propositions. Genuine faith, from this perspective, required the support of sufficient evidence. To find this evidence, they turned to natural theology.

Some of the earliest arguments for belief in God leaned on the general consensus, across nearly every society in the world, that some kind of divine being (or beings) existed. By the late 18th century, however, Western thinkers looking for intellectual supports for faith had largely discarded this approach.

That was not because it was no longer true. Indeed, the fact that nearly all human societies believed in some sort of divinity or supernatural realm remained as valid as ever. But this was no longer seen as sufficient evidence for a truth claim. Most of humanity could be wrong, people decided. What mattered was the ability to give valid reasons for your beliefs, independent of any external authority or tradition.

Burdens of proof

This change in thinking led to another shift in how people thought about belief in God. Before the 18th century, most people in the West had assumed that since belief in God was nearly universaland since it was highly unlikely that the universal human consensus could be wrongthe burden of proof in any argument about Gods existence was on the skeptic, not the theist.

But a growing loss of confidence in human tradition flipped that dynamic on its head. Because the beliefs of others could no longer be considered authoritative, the burden of proof shifted to the person arguing for Gods existence. (In more recent decades, in fact, skeptics have generally treated the near-universality of theistic belief not as a reason to doubt atheism but as evidence of an evolutionary trick of the brain or a vestigial remnant of human prehistory.)

If Protestant assumptions played a role in skeptics assumptions that tradition or community consensus could not justify holding a belief, they also played a role in diminishing the credibility of accounts of miracles. The 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume famously formulated an argument against miracles based on experience. But, in fact, as Hume well knew, there were thousands of testimonies of miracles over the course of many centuries. How could Hume categorically dismiss the whole bunch without even bothering to look into them?

Harrison argues that Hume could do so only because he had a progressive understanding of historyan understanding that would become widely accepted in the late 19th century and beyond. According to this view, the past was a more ignorant age, but modern science or enlightenment has given us a much better understanding of the world. But where did this confidence in human progressand a corresponding willingness to dismiss the pastcome from? The answer, Harrison says, is a distortion of the Protestant view of history.

All Christians believe that history is more progressive than the ancient pagans imagined, because they know that God is at work within it. Jesus birth, death, and resurrection inaugurated a new era in history. Christians also anticipate a final endpoint, with history culminating in Jesus second coming and the beginning of the new heavens and new earth.

But Protestants of the early modern era introduced a new element that made history even more progressive than earlier Christians had imagined. They believed that their own era was more enlightened than the medieval past and, at least for those who held to a postmillennial theology, they also looked forward to an even more enlightened future era leading up to Jesus return.

Skeptics of the 18th and 19th century appropriated this progressive view of history and confidence in ever-increasing enlightenment, but they failed to notice that without a divine orchestrator, it no longer made sense. There was nothing in nature to make history inherently progressive, yet skeptics took for granted that it was.

They also took for granted the idea that miracles no longer occurred, even though this too was a Protestant idea that Protestants had adopted for theological rather than empirical reasons. While Catholics believed in an unbroken line of miracles from the biblical era to the present, most Protestants of the early modern era claimed that the age of miracles had ceased shortly after the death of the apostles and the end of biblical revelation. In their view, miracle-working Catholic saints were theologically problematic. The deists of the Enlightenment era built on that foundation by applying the widespread Protestant skepticism of Catholic miracles to all claims about miracles.

But this made little sense on empirical grounds. Protestants dismissed Catholic miracle claims in principlenot, in other words, because they had firm empirical evidence that these claims were groundless, but because a Protestant theology of revelation and ecclesiology ruled out the possibility of believing them. Skeptics accepted the presupposition while abandoning the theological foundation that had given the presupposition its original credence.

Modern naturalism, Harrison declares, is therefore Protestantism on steroids. But it is Protestantism severed from its theological foundations, and as a result, it is based on a set of assumptions that no longer make sense without God.

A hopeful apologetic

By the end of this book, some Christians may be tempted to come away with a diminished respect for the Protestant projector, at least, for Protestant rationalism or Protestant individualism.

But regardless of how we view some early modern Protestantsdid they go too far in rejecting Catholic miracles or insisting on the necessity of an intellectually defensible personal faith?Harrisons argument gives us a hopeful apologetic for dialogue with skeptics.

This is because modern naturalism, in its contemporary Western guise, subscribes to certain truth claims made by Christians. Both the atheist scientist and the Christian believe that nature is predictable and intelligible. Both the secular college professor and the Christian believe that history is progressive rather than endlessly cyclical and meaningless. We can appeal to this common ground when conversing with each other.

But Harrisons study also gives us the historical evidence to demonstrate that modern secularism is based on presuppositions that make no sense without God or Christian theology. That is a powerful apologetic. Although Harrison is not the first to make this argument, his book substantiates it with additional historical evidence.

Harrisons book, at nearly 400 pages of densely written intellectual history, is not for the casual reader. Even many academic historians will probably find it a challenging read. Thats unfortunate, because I think the intellectual history of 18th-century beliefs can be presented to a nonacademic audience in an engaging manner, as recent books like Andrew Wilsons Remaking the World have shown. But as Harrison suggests in his introduction, he was looking to model his study after something more like Charles Taylors A Secular Agea book deservedly recognized as a landmark history of philosophical ideas, but by no means a light read.

For those with the fortitude to wade through the full complexity of Harrisons arguments, theres a lot that will give Christians greater confidence in their faith.

Harrison equips us to realize that modern secularism is neither a superior explanation of the world nor an alien philosophy that Christians need to fear. Instead, people who subscribe to atheistic naturalism are more like long-lost cousins who accept Protestant assumptions about the world but reject the God on whom those assumptions depend. And if thats the case, maybe the evidence that Harrison presents will be a good conversation starter for Christians and skeptics discussing what they believe and why.

Daniel K. Williams teaches American history at Ashland University. He is the author of The Politics of the Cross: A Christian Alternative to Partisanship.
Home News Archbishop excommunicated from Catholic Church for opposing Pope Francis

A Roman Catholic archbishop who questioned the legitimacy of Pope Francis and portions of the Second Vatican Council was excommunicated from the Catholic Church on Thursday for the canonical crime of schism.

Carlo Maria Vigano, 83, who served as the Vatican's ambassador to the United States from 2011 to 2016, was informed Friday by the Vatican's doctrinal office that it had found him guilty, according to a press release from the Holy See.

"His public statements manifesting his refusal to recognize and submit to the Supreme Pontiff, his rejection of communion with the members of the Church subject to him, and of the legitimacy and magisterial authority of the Second Vatican Council are well known," the Vatican said.

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

"At the conclusion of the penal process, the Most Reverend Carlo Maria Vigano was found guilty of the reserved delict of schism," the Vatican added.

According to canon law, schism is defined as a "refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him."

The decision from the Vatican comes two weeks after the Catholic Church's disciplinary body issued a decree summoning Vigano to an extrajudicial trial in Rome for "the crime of schism."

The archbishop did not appear at his own trial, according to The Washington Post. He had earlier tweeted that he assumed his sentence "has already been prepared, given that it is an extrajudicial process." In a lengthy statement on June 20, the prelate said he considered the charges against him "an honor."

Now that he is excommunicated, he is formally considered to be outside of the Catholic Church and is barred from partaking in Catholic sacraments, including Communion, and is forbidden from ordaining priests or officiating Mass.

Vigano had drawn attention in recent years by calling for the resignation of Pope Francis, whom he refers to using his given name Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

In 2020, Vigano accused a cabal of leaders within the Catholic Church of permitting "heresy, sodomy and corruption" to run amok in the institution. In a letter to then-President Donald Trump, he claimed there was a "deep church" that was enabling evil. He described a group as "mercenary infidels who seek to scatter the flock and hand the sheep over to be devoured by ravenous wolves."

Vigano also penned a letter in 2018 that alleged dozens of former and current high-level Catholic officials covered up accusations of sexual abuse against disgraced former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, according to the National Catholic Register.

Vigano took special aim at the pope, accusing him of ignoring his predecessor's sanctions against McCarrick and urging him to resign to "set a good example for cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarricks abuses."

Weeks before his schism charge, Vigano alleged on May 29 that Francis had committed the "same abuses" as McCarrick while serving as a bishop in Argentina, though he offered no evidence.

"Bergoglio does not want to oust homosexual seminarians and priests: he rather wants to complete the work of infiltration and corruption of the Clergy through homosexuality and pedophilia, so that by declassifying the serious sinfulness of sodomy and corruption of minors the door opens on the civil front to decriminalization of these crimes," Vigano said at the time.

Vigano was relatively muted in his response to his excommunication on social media, though he retweeted figures such as Gen. Michael Flynn, who accused the pope of hurling the Catholic Church into a state of schism.

"The church under this dark Pope is in a state of Schism," Flynn tweeted. "Church leaders and the laity world wide, especially in America, need to wake up. When someone of [Vigano's] stature is excommunicated, we Catholics are in serious trouble. Like many other globalist institutions, the Church of Rome under Bergoglio is out of touch with the sentiment of their ekklesia."

"I say to my brothers: 'If you are silent, the stones will cry out,'" Vigano also tweeted, citing Luke 19:40.
Home News Judge blocks Biden admin. from requiring tax dollars be used to fund sex-change surgeries

A federal judge in Mississippi has blocked the implementation of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule that would interpret the Affordable Care Act to include protections for gender identity and require Medicaid funding of sex-change surgeries.

U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola of the Southern District of Mississippi issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday in the State of Tennessee et al. v. Xavier Becerra et al, siding with with 15 states suing HHS and prohibiting the Biden administration from enforcing a final rule that would reportedly require states to use taxpayer funds to cover cosmetic sex-change interventions for trans-identified minors.

The rule, similar to one enacted during the last year of the Obama administration before being rescinded under former President Donald Trump, would require providers and insurers that receive federal funds from providing or covering surgical or hormonal gender interventions.

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

"Plaintiffs have demonstrated that the May 2024 Rule will cause concrete, imminent injury in the form of compliance costs," Guirola, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote. "Plaintiffs have demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of their claim that HHS exceeded its statutory authority."

"Plaintiffs have no assurance that they will be excused from incurring compliance costs when the May 2024 Rule goes into effect. Plaintiffs therefore have established a substantial threat of imminent irreparable harm."

Guirola suggested the Biden administration incorrectly relied on the U.S. Supreme Court's 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which dealt with employment discrimination, to justify its healthcare rules. The administration has often cited the Bostock ruling upon issuing regulations related to LGBT discrimination protections.

"Analysis of the language and provisions of Title IX, as well as its regulations, provides even more support for finding that the Bostock holding does not apply to Title IX and Section 1557 [of the Affordable Care Act]," the judge contends.

Mississippi Attorney Lynn Fitch, whose state is one of those suing, said in a statement that putting "gender identity into our state's medical system is a dangerous pursuit of a political agenda from the Biden Administration."

"Medical professionals should not be forced to provide gender transition surgeries or drugs against their judgment and hospitals should not be prohibited from providing women-only spaces for patients," stated Fitch.

"And States should not be forced to forfeit Medicaid dollars because they pass laws that reflect the will of the people, but not the will of this White House."

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson, the head of what is reportedly the largest LGBT advocacy group in the United States, denounced the preliminary injunction.

"The discrimination LGBTQ+ people will continue to experience under this injunction is indefensible. This ruling is not only morally wrong, it's also bad policy. Everyone deserves access to the medical care they need to be healthy and thrive," said Robinson in a statement.

"Instead, this court has sided with the fringe groups and politicians who want to bully our community at every opportunity. This isn't over: all LGBTQ+ people should receive the health care they deserve and be able to make informed decisions about our own bodies."

In May, HHS issued a final rule, slated to take effect on July 5, regarding Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of color, national origin, race, age, disability and sex.

The final rule, which defined "sex" to include gender identity and sexual orientation, was championed by the administration as improving antidiscrimination policies in healthcare.

In a statement made in April, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra called the measure "a giant step forward for this country toward a more equitable and inclusive health care system."

"Americans across the country now have a clear way to act on their rights against discrimination when they go to the doctor, talk with their health plan, or engage with health programs run by HHS," he said.

"I am very proud that our Office for Civil Rights is standing up against discrimination, no matter who you are, who you love, your faith or where you live. Once again, we are reminding Americans we have your back."
Home News Christian pro-life protester sentenced to 6 months in prison: 'Worthy is the Lamb!' 'Lets stop pretending that everything is OK'

A pro-life protester was sentenced to six months in federal prison in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday after being convicted earlier this year for violating a federal law against blocking access to abortion clinics.

Calvin Zastrow was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger to three years of supervised release and will be expected to self-report to prison by Oct. 1, according to The Daily Wire. He received no fine.

In October 2022, Zastrow was one of originally 11 people indicted for blocking the entrance to the Carafem Health Center Clinic in the Nashville suburb of Mt. Juliet on March 15, 2021. The group gathered together at the entrance, sang hymns, and urged women not to go through with their abortions.

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

Seven of the 11 defendants faced conspiracy charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, and the other defendants were charged with misdemeanors that carried a punishment of up to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The protesters were found guilty by a federal jury in January.

Upon his sentencing at the federal courthouse, Zastrow reportedly maintained during remarks that his Christian faith prompted him to participate in the pro-life protest because "children are a blessing from God," and said he has endeavored to live his life "under the Lordship of Jesus Christ."

According to Operation Rescue, Zastrow quoted the book of Revelation after his sentencing in the courtroom by shouting, "Worthy is the Lamb!'"

Trauger, a Clinton appointee, was reportedly dismissive of Zastrow's remarks and told him she didn't need to hear a sermon. She also reportedly told him that his "religious fervor" had caused pain to others.

Coleman Boyd and Dennis Green, two other protesters at the Carafem demonstration, were also sentenced Wednesday. Both received six months of house arrest and three years' probation.

Zastrow has been involved with pro-life protests at abortion clinics for years, and in 2019 he filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio against the city of Toledo, its police chief and two officers after he was stopped from holding demonstrations outside an abortion clinic there.

A U.S. district court judge ruled in his favor at the time, arguing that Zastrow and his daughter have the legal right to peacefully protest outside abortion clinics.

During a 2023 interview with The Epoch Times, during which he was asked why he continues to protest at abortion clinics, Zastrow said, "Because theyre still killing people. Lets stop pretending that everything is OK. I pray for more people to love Jesus enough, to love their pre-born neighbors as themselves."

Paul Vaughn, a devout Christian father of 11, avoided prison time during his sentencing on Tuesday under Judge Trauger, though she slapped him with three years of supervised release.

Despite claiming that Vaughn and the others were "imposing their religious beliefs on other people" with their protest, Trauger acknowledged that their demonstration was non-violent.

The judge also conceded that his actions were an expression of his religion and considered the fact that he is a U.S. Navy veteran who has earned the respect of those in his community.

Vaughn said he plans to appeal the judge's verdict, but glorified God for his sentence and presented it as a battle in a wider spiritual war engulfing the nation.

More than 100 supporters showed up outside the federal court during the protesters' sentencing this week, singing hymns and praying, according to The Daily Wire.
Home News Christian woman murdered by relatives wielding axe, face smashed with stones

NEW DELHI  A tribal religion villager in India killed his 32-year-old niece with axe blows and stones last week, claiming she and her relatives had no right to ancestral farmland because they had become Christians, sources said.

Bindu Sodi of Toylanka village, Kotewarpara in Dantewada District, Chhattisgarh state had been the sole breadwinner for her mother, sister, younger brother, his wife and their 2-year-old child. The surviving relatives cannot return home due to death threats.

Two weeks before the killing, Bindu Sodis uncle, Chetu Sodi, and his son, Kumma Sodi, intruded onto land belonging to her younger brother, Bhima Sodi, sowing seeds on one-third of the parcel.

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

When Bhima Sodi submitted a complaint about the land takeover to Katekalyan police on the advice of the Christians pastor, Sudru Ram Telam, the station chief told him that he must go to the revenue department and the village registrar to resolve the issue, the pastor said.

The revenue department officer summoned Chetu Sodi, but he refused, Pastor Telam said. The officer then ordered the village registrar to visit Chetu Sodis house to check the claim and determine the rightful owner.

Bindus younger sister, Aarti Mandavi, said that the registrar faced opposition from Chetu Sodi.

Uncle told the registrar that because we have all become Christians, we have no right over the ancestral property, and therefore he refused to sign the papers the registrar was carrying, said Mandavi, a Christian who had lived with Bindu the past year.

The revenue officer ordered a notice to be served to Chetu Sodi to go to the collectorate office or else face action for non-compliance, Mandavi said.

But it was all too late, said Pastor Telam, saying Chetu Sodi and his son went ahead and cultivated another portion of Bhima Sodis land. Bhima and the entire family were very disturbed at the way things were going. Bhima had no job; he took care of the farmland. They were not sure how long the revenue department proceedings would take.

On the evening of June 24, Bhima Sodi, his wife, Tulsi, and Bindu Sodi and her mother decided to cultivate the only portion of their land that was remaining before the uncle took it over as well, Pastor Telam said. Someone saw them working their land and informed Chetu Sodi, who quickly arrived with his son.

With her mobile phone, Bindu Sodi recorded her uncle picking up stones and charging at them. Bhima Sodi and his mother hastily drove away from the field on the tractor, while Bindu Sodi and Tulsi Sodi fled on foot.

While running, Bindu toppled over something and fell, Mandavi told Morning Star News. The mobile got thrown at a distance, and Tulsi turned and picked up the phone and approached to help Bindu, but the uncle and his son reached Bindu and began to assault her.

Tulsi Sodi ran to hand the phone to Bhima Sodi, who called police. The station chief, however, said it was getting dark and they would not arrive until the next morning, Mandavi said.

Bhima called a Tribal Christian Forum and their head, in turn, called the police station in-charge and [insisted they go to the farm], explaining that the matter was serious, Pastor Telam said.

By the time police arrived with an ambulance, Mandavi said, the field was wet with Bindus blood.

Chetu Sodi and his son assaulted Bindu Sodi, striking her with stones and an axe besides beating and kicking her, witnesses said. He and his son left her half dead and began to go after Bhima Sodi and his mother, Mandavi said.

Bhima and mother hid themselves in someones house to save their lives, she said. When uncle couldnt find them, they went back and once again started to assault Bindu until she was dead.

Mandavi said she was shocked at the brutality of the assault, which left Bindu Sodi with wounds on her face, head and neck.

Some parts of her flesh from the cheeks were missing, Mandavi said, sobbing. She was hit by the axe several times at several places, they smashed her face with stones and brutally assaulted her until she bled to death on the field.

Police sent her body for postmortem to Dantewada, where the family was also taken. The next day, police arrested Chetu Sodi. Officers arrested his son, Kumma Sodi, on June 29.

Police have registered First Information Report No. 30/2024 for murder (Section 302) and criminal acts by several people with common intention (Section 34) against Chetu Sodi and Kumma Sodi.

A human rights activist in Delhi who requested anonymity said he called police on June 26 and learned about the FIR, but when he mentioned that there was opposition to Bindu Sodis Christian faith, the officer responded by saying that the accused and victim are from the same family and they had a dispute over the land.

Pastor Telam refuted the polices claim, saying if the motives were only a family land dispute, then why did the police not let us bury Bindu in the village? Why did they want to avoid any sectarian tension by allowing her a Christian burial inside the village? There is no dubiousness about the Christian persecution angle behind the murder.

Police pressure

After the burial on June 26, Pastor Telam told Morning Star News that police pressured the family to bury Bindus body 19 miles from her native village.

Sadly, the police did not take a stand for us nor gave us police protection to conduct the burial in their homeland, said Pastor Telam. Bindus body was hastily transported from the mortuary to the burial place in Dantewada, and in no time the burial was conducted in the evening.

He added that officers threatened to arrest him for objecting to the polices refusal to honor the familys wishes for a burial in the village.

The police even threatened to put me in jail for four or five hours if I continued to encourage the family to demand the burial to be conducted in the village, he said. They said that I have poisoned the minds of the family members to conduct the burial in the village, and that is why the family is becoming stubborn about it.

Bhima Sodi and his family continuously receive death threats from the villagers, who had been united in their desire to protect Kumma Sodi from arrest, Mandavi said. Before Kumma Sodi was arrested, villagers had said he would kill another member of the family if officers pursued him, she said.

We are scared to go back, Mandavi said from the familys rented room nearly 20 miles outside the village. We will stay here for some days till the matter is settled.

Bindu Sodi was the only income-earning member of the family, said the pastor. Mandavi said her sister had taken over providing for the family after their fathers death and never married, because she had to feed so many members.

Bindu Sodi had taken a job as a teacher at the villages government-sponsored child and mother care center under the Integrated Child Development Scheme.

She was the first person from the Toylanka village to accept Christ, Pastor Telam said.

It is because of her evangelism that eight more families in that village came to Christ, he said. She was a great evangelist of our church.

India ranked 11th on Christian support organization Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. The country was 31st in 2013, but its position worsened after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.

The hostile tone of the National Democratic Alliance government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), against non-Hindus, has emboldened Hindu extremists in several parts of the country to attack Christians since Modi took power in May 2014, religious rights advocates say.

Originally published at Morning Star News
Home News Justice Dept. indicts 11 pro-life activists for blocking abortion clinic entrance

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the arrest of 11 pro-life activists for violating federal law by blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic in Tennessee.

The DOJ released a statement on Wednesday saying that an unsealed federal indictment charged 11 people with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

The charges follow an indictment from a grand jury sitting in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on Monday.

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 DOJ identified those charged with FACE Act violations as Chester Gallagher, 73, of Lebanon, Tennessee; Heather Idoni, 58, Calvin Zastrow, 57; and Caroline Davis, 24; all from Michigan; Coleman Boyd, 51, of Bolton, Mississippi; Dennis Green, 56, of Cumberland, Virginia; Paul Vaughn, 55, of Centerville, Tennessee; Eva Edl, 87, of Aiken, South Carolina; Eva Zastro, 24, of Dover, Arkansas; James Zastro, 25, of Eldon Missouri; and Paul Place, 24, of Centerville, Tennessee.

"The indictment alleges that, beginning in February 2021, Chester Gallagher utilized social media to promote a series of anti-abortion events scheduled for March 4-7, 2021, in the Nashville area," the DOJ's statement reads.

"On March 4, 2021, Coleman Boyd and Chester [Gallagher] advertised the blockade of the Carafem Health Center Clinic in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, which was planned for the following day."

Noting that Gallagher characterized the blockade as a "rescue" on his social media account, the DOJ contends that the "coconspirators and others blocked the clinic's entry doors and prevented a patient and an employee from entering."

The DOJ statement asserts that the 11 people "used force and physical obstruction to injure, intimidate, and interfere with employees of the clinic and a patient seeking reproductive health services."

Seven of the 11 defendants face conspiracy charges under the FACE Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 11 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. The remaining defendants, charged with misdemeanors, could face up to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Passed in 1994, the FACE Act subjects anyone who attempts "to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person because that person is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from, obtaining or providing reproductive health services" to federal charges.

Randall Terry, the founder of the pro-life activist organization Operation Rescue, told The Christian Post in an earlier interview that the FACE Act "effectively broke the back of our movement."

Terry said before the act was enacted, pro-life protesters who blocked the entrances to abortion clinics would only face local trespassing charges instead of federal charges.

In a statement Thursday, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national pro-life grassroots advocacy organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, condemned the 11 indictments as the latest example of "the Biden administration's egregious abuse of the Justice Department."

"Pro-abortion Democrats will stop at nothing to protect the abortion industry that spends millions to elect them, while demonizing pro-life advocates working to save lives and turning a blind eye to violence against them," stated Dannenfelser.

Dannenfelser believes the federal government has adopted a double standard in enforcing the law, arguing that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has done little to investigate the rise of vandalism and violence targeting pro-life pregnancy care centers nationwide this year.

The Christian Post has compiled lists of vandalism incidents that have occurred following the leaking of the U.S. Supreme Court's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization determining that the U.S. Constitution did not contain a right to abortion and additional vandalism that has taken place after the Dobbs decision was formally announced in June.

"Pregnancy centers have been firebombed, an elderly canvasser peacefully exercising her First Amendment rights was shot in the back, and the pro-life movement's calls for equal justice under the law have been ignored," Dannenfelser added.

"Still, the FBI refuses to conduct a transparent investigation and state whether any arrests have been made in scores of attacks since the leak of the Dobbs decision."

The latest indictments under the FACE Act come less than two weeks after the DOJ and FBI faced criticism for the early-morning arrest at pro-life activist Mark Houck's home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The DOJ announced Houck's indictment on Sept. 23, accusing him of twice assaulting a man who served as "a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort" outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia.

A fundraiser for Houck's family insisted that he peacefully prayed outside the Philadelphia clinic when the escort began to harass his son.

"When one of the escorts began harassing Mark's son they walked down the street away from the entrance to the building. The escort followed them, and when he continued yelling at Mark's son, Mark pushed him away," an entry on the fundraiser page states.

Under the terms of his release on $10,000 bail, Houck must surrender his passport and firearms in addition to refraining from traveling outside the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where the legal proceedings against him are unfolding.

Houck also cannot engage in prayer or sidewalk counseling at the Planned Parenthood clinic where the altercation occurred.

As Houck faces the possibility of fines up to $350,000, the fundraiser for his family has raised over $368,000 as of Friday afternoon.
Home News Indonesia: Officials force congregation to stop wedding, ban Christian worship services

SURABAYA, INDONESIA  Local officials in Indonesia stopped a wedding ceremony and banned the church from further worship meetings at the site, sources said.

Last Sunday, in Mergosari, Tarik District, Sidoarjo Regency of Java island, village head Eko Budi Santoso halted the wedding at the Pentecostal Church in Indonesia (Gereja Pentekosta di Indonesia, or GPdI) site and banned them from meeting, claiming the congregation lacked a building permit and that area residents opposed their church, local media reported.

Area residents in the Muslim-majority country reportedly said they were not opposed to the presence of the church worshiping at the House of Prayer, a structure that doesn't have the function and markings of a church building.

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

Refusing to allow the congregation to finish the wedding and worship, Eko and five state officials took Pastor Yoab Setiawan to a roadside stall to tell him they were responding to public complaints about the existence of the prayer house and the lack of a permit, according to media outlet radarsidoarjo.jawapos.com.

A video by the Hagios Legal Aid Institute (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum, or LBH), shows Pastor Setiawan telling the officials that they might first ban the prostitution taking place in front of the village head office. The pastors wife, Lidya Laviyanti, reportedly apologized and pleaded with officials. Were not causing any trouble, sir. Were sorry, we ask for your understanding. We come from everywhere. We are a minority group. Our congregation is small in number. So please understand."

Village head Eko, motioning to the head of the community association and the head of the neighborhood association, said all activities must first obtain permission from the neighborhood.

Pastor Setiawan and his wife asked him what activities first needed approval, and Eko responded, All activities. Period, and ends the discussion.

The House of Prayer is registered through a local government report certificate signed by the Christian Community Guidance Regional Office leader, Luki Krispriyanto, on Dec. 7, 2023, according to International Christian Concern (ICC), which said Eko admitted he was not aware of the certificate.

At a meeting with the parties in conflict at the office of the village head in Mergosari village, 10 miles from Surabaya, on Monday, the acting regent of Sidoarjo, identified only as Subandi, supported the ban at the site but said congregation members could worship at home, according to Celah.id.

Officials at the meeting concluded that the church must obtain a building permit, which they said they would expedite. They gave a deadline of one month to complete the permit.

While waiting for permission to be completed, you can worship at home, Subandi said on Tuesday, according to celah.id. It doesnt mean that you are not allowed to worship.

Asserting that residents welcomed construction of a place of worship and upheld tolerance among religious communities, Subandi suggested the parties build good communication among themselves.

An area resident said they were not disturbed by the congregations worship activities, according to detik.com. Even when hundreds of people attended, the residents welcomed them, said the resident, identified as 53-year-old Mulyati. Another resident, 25-year-old Agus Febro, said that residents, especially young people, never felt unrest due to the prayer houses Sunday activities.

Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, a human rights organization, said the case was a clear sign of state subordination to the will of the intolerant groups.

Local political constellations and electoral interests, in gaining support from the masses, make public officials choose sides and accommodate the demands of intolerant groups, Bonar told Morning Star News. They intentionally ignore it, even though it is considered to violate the constitution.

Indonesia ranked 42nd on Christian support organization Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to the WWL report.

Originally published at Morning Star News
Home News 'People are afraid to go': Inside Israel 8 months after Oct. 7

What's life like inside Israel eight months after Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack?

Christian Post reporter Samantha Kamman recently visited the Jewish state and spoke with residents to learn more about how people are faring amid the ongoing war in Gaza. She joined a recent episode of "The Inside Story" to discuss what she saw.

Read more about Kamman's trip and how the Oct. 7 massacre has impacted tourism in the Holy Land by clicking here.

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 Inside Story takes you behind the headlines of the biggest faith, culture and political headlines of the week. In 15 minutes or less, Christian Post staff writers and editors will help you navigate and understand whats driving each story, the issues at play  and why it all matters.

Listen to more Christian podcasts today on the Edifi app  and be sure to subscribe to "The Inside Story" on your favorite platforms:

Edifi

Anchor

Breaker

Google Podcasts

Apple Podcasts

Pocket Casts

RadioPublic

Spotify
Home News Keir Starmer apologizes for visiting church that adheres to Christian doctrine on sex after LGBT backlash

Sir. Keir Starmer, leader of the U.K.'s Labour Party, was forced to apologize for visiting a church on Good Friday that critics have attacked as being anti-LGBT for adhering to biblical sexual ethics.

In a since-deleted video, Starmer praised Jesus House for All the Nations on Friday as being a "wonderful example" of a church serving its community during the coronavirus pandemic, including acting as a vaccination center and running a food bank.

I recently visited @JesusHouseUK to hear about their crucial work in the community, Starmer announced in a tweet that has also been deleted. Churches across the country have played such a vital role in the fight against the virus. I hope everyone has a good, restful and safe Easter weekend.

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 London-based church has long been attacked by LGBT activist groups, and some journalists, for refusing to kowtow to secular views on homosexuality, same-sex marriage and sexual orientation.

Following backlash from LGBT activists and Labour Party members who identify as LGBT or allies, Starmer said he regretted his decision to visit the church.

On Monday, Starmer said he accepted critics' assertions that his visit to the church was a "mistake" and stressed that he was "not aware" of the church's views on sexuality.

Starmer issued an apology on Twitter, saying: I completely disagree with Jesus Houses beliefs on LGBT+ rights, which I was not aware of before my visit. I apologize for the hurt my visit caused and have taken down the video. It was a mistake and I accept that.

In 2006, The church's Senior Pastor, Agu Irukwu, joined over 250 clergy in signing a letter expressing their concerns with the then-Labour Party's "Equality Act (Sexual Orientation Regulations)," which they deemed as Christianophobia.

The letter, published in The Telegraph at the time, said in part:

"We write as pastors on behalf of tens of thousands of black British Christians. Many members of our congregations in London left their home countries to come to England to experience the freedom of living according to their Christian beliefs in a Christian democratic country. ... The regulations force Christians in churches, businesses, charities and informal associations to accept and even promote the idea that homosexuality is equal to heterosexuality."

I completely disagree with Jesus Houses beliefs on LGBT+ rights, which I was not aware of before my visit. I apologise for the hurt my visit caused and have taken down the video. It was a mistake and I accept that.  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 5, 2021

Starmers apology came after The Labour Campaign for LGBT+ Rights published a statement describing Jesus House as a church well known for its connections to conversion therapy, and more broadly anti-LGBT+ views. The group noted that Starmer characterized Jesus House as a wonderful example of a church serving their community and slammed his visit to the church as unacceptable.

The Labour Campaign for LGBT+ Rights maintained that as a bare minimum [Starmer's] video should be deleted, and a public apology (should be) made by the Leader of the Opposition himself. They added, We all still believe that the surest way to achieve LGBT+ equality is through the Labour Party, but the events of the last few days have set that cause back.

Our full statement in light of comments today from a Shadow Cabinet Member that attempt to justify Keir Starmer's visit to Jesus House.



The video should be deleted and a public apology made by the Leader himself. We also expect him to attend our meeting with his team this week. pic.twitter.com/HVXYCWkw1P  LGBT+ Labour (@LGBTLabour) April 5, 2021

Following Starmers apology, the group thanked the Labour Party leader for deleting the video and apologizing for visiting the church: We are pleased that you have recognized this mistake. ..."

While Starmers apology drew praise from LGBT activist groups, he received criticism from those on the other side of the aisle. Brendan ONeill, the publisher of Spiked, wrote an op-ed for the Spectator titled Starmer Was Wrong to Say Sorry for Visiting Jesus House.

According to ONeill, The Christians at Jesus House are guilty of nothing more than holding traditional Christian beliefs. He suggested that a headline from The Guardian titled Keir Starmer criticized over visit to church where pastor opposed same-sex marriage might as well read Starmer criticized for visiting a Christian church that adheres to Christian doctrine.

This is crazy. Over Easter I also visited a church that opposes same-sex marriage. The Catholic Church. Just a couple of weeks ago the Vatican reiterated that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions, because God does not and cannot bless sin. So Starmer should never visit a Catholic institution, either? ONeill asked.

In apologizing for visiting Christians who hold biblical beliefs about homosexuality Starmer has insulted vast numbers of people. It is he who has behaved in an intolerant way, because he has essentially said that he will not associate with any religious group that doesnt agree with his views on same-sex issues. To turn your back on good people because they disagree with you on sexual or social matters is a species of dogmatism, too.

Starmer is not the first politician to face criticism for visiting Jesus House. Last month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson stopped by the church to examine the incredible work being done by the vaccination teams  bringing people in from the Brent Cross area. He documented his appearance at Jesus House on Facebook, crediting the efforts of people like these here at Jesus House today for helping vaccinate 21 million U.K. residents.

As The Daily Mirror reported, Johnsons press secretary Allegra Johnson defended his trip to the church as a profitable visit where he was able to meet black community leaders and work to increase vaccine take-up and deal with vaccine hesitancy. She also stressed that this is a government that is fully committed to advancing LGBT rights and championing equality.

In 2017, Theresa May, who at the time served as prime minister and continues to be a member of Parliament for the Conservative Party, visited the church, which she praised as one of the most lively growing churches in the U.K. In response to criticism for visiting the church, a Conservative Party spokesperson touted Mays strong record on LGBT+ equality and commitment to advancing equality for LGBT+ people at home and abroad.

Public opinion polling has indicated that the overwhelming majority of U.K. residents support same-sex marriage, which became legal in 2014. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted from 2015 through 2017, 77% of Britons favor allowing same-sex couples to marry. For comparison, support for same-sex marriage has reached 68% in the U.S., according to a poll released by the Public Religion Research Institute earlier this year.
Home News Robert Morris did not get severance after resignation over abuse scandal, Gateway Church reveals

Gateway Church founder Robert Morris received no severance payout after he resigned from the Texas megachurch in the wake of allegations that he sexually abused Cindy Clemishire over multiple years in the 1980s, beginning when she was 12.

Responding to questions from The Christian Post regarding the terms of Morris exit from the church on June 18, Lawrence Swicegood, executive director of Gateway Media, tersely told The Christian Post no when asked if the megachurch founder had received any kind of severance package.

It was unclear Friday how much Morris, who is worth an estimated $117 million, was being paid by Gateway Church prior to his resignation. The Internal Revenue Service only requires that churches report income from unrelated trade or businesses.

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

A look at Morris earnings associated with income generated from his preaching and teaching with the Robert Morris Evangelistic Association shows him progressing from being paid $15,000 plus an additional $25,787 in allowances in 2003 to as high as $350,000 annually in the last decade of the churchs operation.

According to IRS 990 filings by the Robert Morris Evangelistic Association, in 2022, the ministry paid him $200,000 for 15 hours of work weekly. In 2021, he worked the same number of hours but was only paid $100,000. In 2020, records show he was paid $200,000. In 2019, Morris executive compensation from the ministry was $300,000. In 2018 and 2017, Morris was paid $350,000. In 2016 and 2015, he was paid $250,000. In 2014, he was paid, $300,000. In 2013, he reported $310,108 in compensation from the ministry. In 2012 he reported $120,631, and in 2011 he reported $131, 361.

While in 2005 Morris reported $0 in compensation from the ministry, he received $93,240 in expense account and other allowances. He reported the same in 2006 and 2007 for 15 hours of work weekly. In 2008, he reported $20,500 in compensation plus $93,240 in expense account and other allowances. In 2009, he reported $29,905 in compensation plus $93,240 in expense account and other allowances. In 2010, he reported $97,000 in compensation plus $93,240 in expense account and other allowances.

On Wednesday, the Board of Elders of Gateway Church and the Overseers of Pastor Robert Morris Ministries said in a joint statement posted on the Robert Morris Ministries' homepage that all future radio and television broadcasts for Morris had been canceled.

Pastor Roberts sin and his lack of transparency to the churchs elders and leadership has disqualified him from continuing in his role as senior pastor at Gateway Church and as leader of Pastor Robert Morris Ministries. As a result, all future radio and television broadcast ministry from Pastor Robert Morris Ministries has been canceled, the ministry leaders said in their statement.

Texas-based Daystar Television Network, one of the largest Christian television networks in the world, also removed all programming featuring Morris following his resignation from Gateway Church.

Clemishire, now 54, reported last month that Morris began sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982, when she was just 12 years old. She says the abuse continued for four-and-a-half years before he was found out. He was later allowed to return to ministry, however.

Though Clemishire contends that officials at Gateway Church were informed of her allegations against Morris years ago, Swicegood reiterated in a statement to CP that the current board of elders did not know that the megachurch founder had been accused of child sex abuse.

The Board of Elders called a special meeting and accepted the resignation of Pastor Robert Morris several weeks ago. Gateway Church is committed to protecting people  first and foremost children and the most vulnerable. Abuse simply cannot be tolerated, he said.

The Board of Elders has retained the law firm Haynes and Boone, LLP to conduct a thorough and independent inquiry so that the facts can be understood. Even though this abuse occurred many years before Gateway was established, the Elders are committed to finding the truth and holding people accountable, he added.

Regrettably, prior to Friday, June 14, the current Elders did not have all the facts. The Board of Elders is deeply committed to walking in integrity and finding the truth. Having this inquiry done by an independent and unbiased outside law firm is best practice. This review has begun, and the Board of Elders pledges its full cooperation.
Home News UKs Labour Party ends 14 years of Conservative Party rule; Keir Starmer becomes prime minister Nigel Farage wins parliament seat for first time

The United Kingdom's Labour Party won a landslide victory in the parliamentary election, capturing nearly two-thirds of the seats with just a third of the popular vote as Sir Keir Starmer became the nation's new prime minister. A British newspaper calls it the most "distorted" election in history.

The result marks the most skewed election in the country's history, with Labour winning 411 constituencies, representing 63.7% of the seats, on a mere 33.9% of the vote share. The Telegraph notes that the 29.9-point point disparity between seat share and popular vote surpasses the previous record of a 22-point gap set in 2001 under Tony Blair.

Starmer took office as prime minister on Friday as his Labour Party has ended 14 years of Conservative Party rule. He holds a commanding majority akin to Blair's in 1997, though with a significantly lower vote share of just under 35.2%, which Blair had achieved in the 2005 elections.

Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe

Labour's victory also reflects a significant shift in voter allegiance, particularly from the Conservatives, who suffered a dramatic decrease to a century-low vote share of 23.2%, a stark decline from the 43.6% secured by Boris Johnson in 2019.

Starmer met at Buckingham Palace with King Charles III before he delivered a speech outside No. 10 Downing Street, saying the country "voted decisively for change, for national renewal and the return of politics to public service."

"Weariness in the heart of the nation  a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future," he said. "This wound  this lack of trust  can only be healed by actions, not words. I know that. But we can make a start today.  Public service is a privilege."

One of Starmer's biographers admitted struggling to define Starmer despite having complete access to him, The Washington Post noted. Using this enigmatic persona, Starmer has allowed voters to see in him how they wish, even capitalizing on a false rumor that he was the real-life inspiration behind the suave, human-rights-lawyer character Mark Darcy, famously played by Colin Firth in the "Bridget Jones" series.

His ambiguity contributed significantly to his victory, the newspaper notes.

The election's results have sparked debates about the effectiveness of the first-past-the-post electoral system. Record support for third parties like the Greens and Reform UK translated into minimal seat gains due to their votes being spread thinly across the nation.

The Greens and Reform UK only secured 0.6% of the available seats despite collectively winning millions of votes. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats capitalized on concentrated support in specific regions to win 71 seats with 3.5 million votes, fewer than those garnered by Reform, The Telegraph reports.

Trump supporter Nigel Farage secured his first parliamentary position for Reform UK in Clacton-on-Sea. Farage's entry into Parliament points to a significant political shift, with the right-wing Reform UK emerging as a new force in British politics. His victory comes after several unsuccessful attempts to win a seat in Parliament.

"What is interesting is, there's no enthusiasm for Labour, there's no enthusiasm for Starmer whatsoever. In fact, about half of the vote is simply an anti-Conservative vote," the BBC quoted Farage as saying.

Farage's victory marks a significant milestone for the party, which also secured wins in Great Yarmouth, Boston and Skegness, highlighting a considerable Conservative to Reform voter migration.

The Reform party's success could be due to disaffection with the main parties, capturing four seats with an impressive total of 4.1 million votes, although translating to a high number of votes per seat due to the distribution of their support.

"We are coming for Labour," Farage declared after his victory, which he said was "the first step of something that is going to stun all of you."

"There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it," he added. "My plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of the next few years and hopefully be big enough to challenge the general election properly in 2029."

The election not only confirmed a landslide victory for Labour and a breakthrough for Farage but also revealed a deeply fragmented electorate with a historic low turnout of 59.6%, the lowest in over two decades.

It reflects a growing voter apathy, mirroring the turnout in 2001. This election's unique dynamics and the significant swing from the Conservatives to Labour has set the stage for potentially volatile future political shifts, given the high number of seats won with less than 40% of the vote share.
Home News US agrees to pay for flights, help Panama deport migrants to stop illegal border crossings

The Biden administration has agreed for the United States to help pay for flights and assist Panama's government with deporting migrants who cross the Darien Gap in response to the urgent need to stem illegal crossings at the U.S. southern border.

On Monday, the U.S. and Panama signed a memorandum of understanding during Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' official visit to attend the inauguration of the country's new President Jose Raul Mulino.

Through the deal, the U.S. will help cover repatriation costs for migrants who illegally entered Panama through the Darien Gap, a 60-mile stretch of wilderness in Colombia and Panama often used by migrants traveling north to the U.S.

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 deal is "designed to jointly reduce the number of migrants being cruelly smuggled through the Darien, usually en route to the United States," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

"By returning such individuals to their country of origin, we will help deter irregular migration in the region and at our Southern border, and halt the enrichment of malign smuggling networks that prey on vulnerable migrants," Watson said.

Last year, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders reported a surge in sexual assaults of migrants attempting to enter the U.S., suggesting that many of the assaults likely took place within the Darien Gap.

As the U.S. State Department announced Monday, under the initiative, the U.S. will dispatch officials through the Department of Homeland Security to assist with the asylum screening process and deportations. The State Department will also provide the funds for Panama to improve its ability to deport migrants.

According to the department, the goal of assisting the Panamanian government is to reduce the "unprecedented irregular migration through the Darien region," through which over 520,000 migrants transited in 2023.

"Irregular migration is a regional challenge that requires a regional response," Mayorkas said in a statement. "As the United States continues to secure our borders and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain, we are grateful for our partnership with Panama to manage the historic levels of migration across the Western Hemisphere."

The State Department is working with 21 partners throughout the region, abiding by the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, which establishes guidelines for humane migration policies.

The L.A. Declaration recognized the need for countries to coordinate to address unlawful migration, and it represents 22 countries navigating the challenges associated with migration in the current century.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken emphasized in a statement that irregular migration impacts multiple countries, asserting that regions throughout the Western Hemisphere are responsible for addressing it.

"Through the Los Angeles Declaration, we have taken meaningful steps to expand lawful migration pathways as an alternative to irregular migration, to improve enforcement efforts, to support host communities and to strengthen protections for members of vulnerable populations," Blinken stated.

The State Department cited President Joe Biden's executive action last month to temporarily suspend the entry of noncitizens attempting to cross the southern border. According to the department, Border Patrol's 7-day encounter average decreased more than 40%, and "the DHS has operated more than 120 international repatriation flights to more than 20 countries."

Last month, NBC reported that DHS officials said that some illegal migrants are still being released inside the U.S. to live there while they pursue asylum claims. Some sections of the border are also sending migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to Mexico instead of their home countries despite the administration's promises that the U.S. would deport anyone found ineligible for asylum.

The senior DHS official who spoke to the outlet lamented that Border Patrol will continue to release some border crossers into the U.S. unless it receives more money from Congress for more detention space and deportation flights. However, the official added that these types of releases appear to have fallen somewhat since Biden's executive action.
Home Opinion Intensifying debate: Bible and religion in public schools

The state of Oklahoma has entered the emerging debate over the role that the Bible in particular and religion in general should play in the nations public schools. Ryan Walters, the states superintendent of education, has issued a directive that requires all public schools to include the Bible in lesson plans. Walters summarized his directive:

We have issued this ... so we have standards, that are in place ... that our teachers are to teach the role religion played in the classroom. ... They are not talking about in their classroom the role that the Bible played in American history.

So, we will be offering additional guidance to districts that they will have to comply with, which is to ensure the teaching of ... the role the Bible played in American history, dating back pre-Constitution, whether its the Mayflower Compact, the pilgrims, all the way through Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights movement, where he repeatedly quotes the Bible for what he is trying to do there.

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

Walters directive also mandates a physical Bible in every classroom. His opponents seized upon this language. Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, asserted:

This is about claiming the Christian nationalist myth that America is a Christian country. And this is also about preaching, not teaching, because when Ryan Walters announced the policy, he made clear that he was requiring teachers to have the Bible in every classroom and  quote  to teach from it. Thats not education. Thats indoctrination and its unconstitutional.

So, the lines are clearly drawn. Oklahomas effort to clearly introduce more about the Bibles role in American history is opposed by those who really want Americas public schools to be religion-free zones, which pretend that Americas society has not been, and is not, significantly religious.

As I noted in my article last week in The Christian Post, Making Sense of New Louisiana Ten Commandments Law: Display vs. Recitation, this deep division and hostility can be traced back to the 1962 and the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court decisions concerning official prayer and Bible reading in public schools and the negative reaction they provoked. As Associate Justice Arthur Goldberg warned in his opinion Abington vs. Schempp (1963):

Untutored devotion to the concept of neutrality can lead to ... approval of results which partake not simply of that noninterference and noninvolvement with the religious which the Constitution commands, but of a brooding and pervasive devotion to the secular, and a passive, or even active, hostility to the religious. Such results are not only not compelled by the Constitution, but it seems to me are prohibited by it.

Unfortunately, Justice Goldbergs premonition became a reality in large segments of the American education establishment.

In the 60 years since Justice Goldbergs warning, Americans have responded in widely divergent ways. America is a pluralistic society and this pluralism is certainly on display concerning the issue of how much religion should be on display in Americas public schools.

A study undertaken last year by the University of Chicago illustrates the lack of common ground on the issue of the appropriate place of religion in the nations public schools. When they surveyed the American public they found that 37% felt there was not enough religion in the schools, 31% thought there was too much religion and 31% felt that there was a right amount of religion in the classroom, according to The New York Times.

Of course, these results were a national, not state-by-state or regional analysis. Anyone familiar with American society knows that the answer to that study would vary widely from state to state. It is not just happenstance that Oklahoma is the state that has undertaken this religious initiative. Oklahoma is literally the most Baptist state in the union in terms of the percentage of the population belonging to that denomination.

The recent Ten Commandments initiative is in Louisiana, another state with a rich religious history. It is difficult to imagine California or Oregon taking such initiatives. This regional diversity complicates the search for a national legal solution.

In the case of the Oklahoma initiative, the attempt to teach the Bibles influence on Western Civilization and American history seems more achievable than teaching the Bible. As Superintendent Walters pointed out, it is impossible to teach a full-orbed American history from the Mayflower Compact to Martin Luther King Jr. without the influence of the Christian faith.

However, when it comes to mandating the teaching of the Bible one enters difficult, treacherous territory. How do you teach the Bible objectively in a society where tens of millions of people believe it is a sacred text, the Word of God? If you take the devout Christian approach, you violate the rights of those who do not affirm that view. The same thing is true if you take a liberal, higher criticism approach to Holy Scripture.

What can be done, however, is to teach courses in public high schools that teach objectively the basic tenets of the major religious traditions. In such a course you would lay out the basic tenets of Christianity (with Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Mainline, and Evangelical Protestant distinctives). Then, you do the same with Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. Such a course would certainly be useful in an increasingly religiously diverse society.

And as school choice and voucher programs become increasingly available parents can choose alternatives to the public schools.

One last word of caution to those Christians who want the public schools to teach their faith. You should never want the state to be deciding what is the correct understanding of religion. The last thing any devout follower of Jesus should want is government control of religion. The government will always get it wrong and pious followers of Christ will have their consciences violated.

Our forefathers learned that lesson the hard way and with Gods guidance and assistance they bequeathed to us a legal system with more guaranteed freedom of religious conscience than any yet devised on this planet.

My prayer is that God will give us the wisdom, and the courage to protect and preserve it.
Home Opinion Why aren't pro-life Christians more supportive of pregnancy centers?

Just two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to return the issue of abortion to the people and their elected representatives. In todays contentious political climate, it should come as no surprise that not all elected representatives support legal protections for unborn children. More surprising, though, is that some of those elected representatives also do not support true choice for women. Instead, they are actively working to eliminate womens choices by targeting pro-life pregnancy centers.

Two decades ago, I was first introduced to the pro-life movement when my mom signed me up to volunteer at a local pregnancy center with my church. Today, I represent pro-life pregnancy centers in court as an Alliance Defending Freedom attorney.

In many ways, pregnancy centers are the heart of the pro-life movement. These centers serve on the front lines by meeting women where they are and encouraging them to choose life for their unborn children. But pregnancy centers are also crucial to providing women with the information, support, and resources they need to make a true choice to continue an unplanned pregnancy.

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

Pregnancy centers offer both material and emotional support to women who want to choose life  such as diapers, baby and maternity clothing, parenting classes, and adoption referrals  free of charge. Many centers also offer free pregnancy testing and pregnancy-options counseling to women who are unsure what choice to make, and free post-abortion counseling or support groups for women who choose to terminate their pregnancy. Some pregnancy centers have licensed medical staff and provide free medical services, such as ultrasounds or STD testing and treatment. It is hard to imagine how anyone  regardless of their opinion on abortion  could oppose centers that offer free resources to women, children, and families.

Yet many pro-choice elected officials are trying to shut down pregnancy centers. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey recently launched a million-dollar public education campaign to dissuade women from visiting pro-life pregnancy centers. Notably, the motivation behind this campaign is not to protect womens choice whether to bear or beget a child  the right protected by the Supreme Courts now-defunct abortion cases  but to protect[] and expand[] access to safe and legal abortion (emphasis added).

Unfortunately, Massachusetts is not the only state where elected officials have declare[d] war on pro-life pregnancy centers. Last fall, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 15 other state attorneys general penned an open letter support[ing] Yelps efforts to warn consumers about pregnancy centers that do not provide abortions or abortion services and promising to take numerous actions ... to mitigate the harmful effects of these centers.

When the letter was published, Bonta had already made good on that promise by bringing suit against five California pregnancy centers for advertising abortion pill reversal  an evidence-based treatment that uses progesterone, a safe and natural hormone, to counteract the effects of the abortion drug mifepristone. Research shows that APR has a 64-68% success rate, and statistics indicate it has likely saved over 5,000 unborn children by countering the lethal effects of abortion drugs.

Other states have followed suit. In Colorado, for example, ADF attorneys represent Chelsea Mynyk  a licensed nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, and APR provider  in a case challenging a state law that makes it illegal to prescribe progesterone for the purpose of reversing the effects of mifepristone. And, in New York, Attorney General Letitia James sued 11 faith-based, pro-life pregnancy centers and a network of affiliated centers in the state because they made positive  and truthful  claims about the safety and efficacy of APR. ADF represents two additional pregnancy centers and a nonprofit network of affiliated centers in a separate lawsuit challenging the attorney generals ability to censor the centers speech concerning APR.

But the attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers are not limited to their provision of APR. Last summer, Vermont enacted a law censoring the ability of pregnancy centers to advertise their life-affirming services and counsel women about their pregnancy options. ADF filed suit, and just this month, a federal court rejected the attorney generals attempt to keep the case out of court, in part because the law specifically targets pregnancy centers for their pro-life beliefs.

And ADF recently represented Illinois pregnancy centers at trial in a case challenging a state law that forces pro-life healthcare providers who have conscientious objections to abortion to inform women of the so-called benefits of abortion and give them a list of providers that offer abortion. Likewise, the New Jersey and Washington attorneys general have targeted pregnancy centers with burdensome and unlawful subpoenas and now face lawsuits from ADF.

This war against pregnancy centers has shown the true colors of many pro-choice politicians who have chosen to support abortion at all costs, even at the expense of providing a true choice to pregnant women. Unfortunately, even pro-life Christians are lagging in their support for pregnancy centers. In a recent survey, only a third of churchgoing Christians reported that their congregation had been involved with pregnancy centers in any way. It is high time for pro-life Christians to step up to defend the crucial work of pro-life pregnancy centers. Clearly our elected representatives will not do it for us.
Challenging ageism in the Church

Age has rapidly become a massively divisive issue in societies across the world. But is the Church any better at bridging the generation divide?

Politicians, donors and voters in the United States are becoming increasingly concerned about President Joe Biden's age and health, following his performance in the recent TV debate with Donald Trump.

Should President Biden fight the upcoming election, or stand aside for someone younger, is the question being asked.

In the UK, many churches are concerned about the increasing age of their congregations. The Church of England has set 'growing younger and more diverse' as one of its key priorities. The CofE wants to 'double the number of children and young active disciples in the Church of England by 2030.'

It's a brave and important objective and will be a vital part of renewing the Church as it seeks to serve the people of the nation for years ahead.

But, almost subliminally, it contains another message, and one not intended I'm sure by those who drew up the strategy. And it's this  that it can make older people feel less valued in our congregations and church networks.

At a recent conference in London, a senior Salvation Army representative used a slide in his presentation that contained a key message. It said simply, 'An older church is not a failing church.'

The Salvation Army's objectives for its ministry among older people include challenging the stereotype of the older person, challenging ageism, resourcing and affirming older Christians, and providing appropriate resources to local centres and leaders.

The conference brought together a range of Christians organisations working with older people. They looked at how they could work together more closely, how successful initiatives could be shared, and how the best use could be made of buildings and other resources to help the growing number of seniors in our communities.

The groups acknowledged that many older people are involved in serving other older people and are often resourcing many of the services and events run by local churches and other organisations.

It's been good in recent years to see the growth of organisations such as Faith in Later Life and the Anna Chaplaincy movement that are focussed on supporting and serving older people in our churches and communities.

But I wonder if the key to developing healthy church communities lies in seeking to make them places of intergenerational flourishing  where each generation and age group feels accepted and welcomed. And where they can each relate to the other.

Church of England Bishop Graham Tomlin recently wrote: "The calling of the elderly is just as important as that of the young or even the middle-aged. Yet it is different. We need to value older people, not because they can do the things younger people can, but because they are object lessons in how to navigate life, and how to prepare for the next one."

Bishop Tomlin's words are wise and underline the importance of the generations accepting that they have different gifts and perspectives. Our church communities will be better places when people of all ages are relating to each other, sharing life experiences and giving their insights.

I love hearing about children visiting older people's centres, or of seniors telling their life stories to groups of young people. Or of older people mentoring younger disciples, and learning from their more youthful insights. All ages have so much to offer.

So 'growing younger' may be part of the solution to help our churches thrive, but growing intergenerational  in a revolutionary, counter-cultural way  seems to me to offer something especially attractive and missional to our age-divided 21st century world.

Rev Peter Crumpler is a Church of England minister in St Albans, Herts, UK, and a former communications director with the CofE.
Nigeria's Christian leaders condemn 'evil of terrorism' after suicide bombings

Christian leaders in Nigeria have reacted with profound shock and dismay at the suicide bombings in Gwoza, Borno state on Saturday 29 June, which resulted in the deaths of both Muslims and Christians.

"We are concerned about the resurgence of suicide bombing in our country and the threat it poses to the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians," said Archbishop Daniel Okoh, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in a statement issued on behalf of Nigerian Christian leaders. "This senseless act of violence is a stark reminder of the evil that terrorism represents and the need for collective action to defeat it."

The attacks began with a female suicide bombing at a wedding of a Muslim couple. At least two other suicide bombings followed at different locations, killing more than 30 people and injuring many others, according to Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shetim.

The two subsequent bombings on Saturday targeted a funeral and a hospital in Gwoza, near the border with Cameroon. Although no group has claimed responsibility, Islamic extremist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), with which a faction of Boko Haram is aligned, are suspected. These groups have a long and bloody history of violence in the region.

Muslim victims of Saturday's attacks were quickly moved to the town's cemetery for burial, where the second female suicide bomber struck. Christians identified victims from the first blast and buried them on Sunday 30 June.

Boko Haram and ISWAP are driven by a radical Islamist ideology that labels any Muslims who do not share their views as "infidels", targeting them along with Christian believers.

Boko Haram's 15 year long campaign to impose sharia law throughout Nigeria originated in Borno state. This insurgency has displaced more than 2 million people and resulted in over 40,000 deaths.

In the recent attacks, injuries reportedly included skull and limb fractures.

Archbishop Okoh commended security agents for their efforts to combat terrorism. "We encourage them not to relent in their efforts, as every necessary intervention is welcome to prevent a relapse into the dark days of suicide attacks," he said. "We must not let down our guards, as the situation could escalate and affect not only innocent lives but also worship centers and other large gatherings."

The president of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), the Rev. Amos Mohzo, who is from Gwoza County, reported losing church members and relatives in the attacks. He called for the government to take decisive action against terrorists in Nigeria.

Nigeria remains the deadliest country in the world for Christians, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from October 1st, 2022, to September 30th, 2023, according to Open Doors' 2024 World Watch List (WWL) report. The country also recorded the highest number of kidnappings of Christians, with 3,300 incidents.

Additionally, Nigeria ranks third in the number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings, such as hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, with 750 reported attacks. In the 2024 WWL ranking of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was listed as No. 6, maintaining its same position from the previous year.
Prayers for new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after Labour landslide

Prayers are being said for the next government and the UK's new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after Labour's landslide victory in Thursday's general elections.

The voting map turned red as Labour won seat after seat in a punishing night for the Conservatives after 14 years in powers.

The Lib Dems, Reform UK and the Greens also made gains, and Nigel Farage was celebrating after becoming an MP for the first time with his win in Clacton.

Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak won his seat at Richmond and Northallerton but many Tory bigwigs were among the casualties, including Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps, Liz Truss and Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Speaking after Labour's victory, Sir Keir said, "We did it. Change begins now."

A number of Christian MPs have lost their seats in the Tory wipeout, including Miriam Cates who was an outspoken advocate for pro-life and traditional Christian values, Nick Fletcher in South Yorkshire, former Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Fiona Bruce, and Second Church Estates Commissioner, Andrew Selous.

It was also a disastrous night for the SNP in Scotland after the party managed to hold onto only 10 seats as Scottish Labour swept to its first victory in a national election in the country for 14 years.

The Tories held onto South West Devon but its former incumbent and Chair of Christians in Parliament, Sir Gary Streeter, has retired after more than 30 years in politics.

Commenting on Labour's win, Gavin Calver, CEO of the Evangelical Alliance, said: "I am praying for Sir Keir Starmer and his incoming government following the Labour Party's success in the general election. The scale of the victory represents a significant change for UK politics but also comes with a significant burden of responsibility.

"I'm praying the words of Psalm 72 that, God will give him wisdom and a heart for justice, that he will stand up for the poor and for children in need.

"The Evangelical Alliance is committed to working with the government on restoring hope in our society, strengthening social cohesion and honouring the dignity and value of every human being. Our faith is a vital component of what makes a difference and helps transform lives across the UK."

He urged the new prime minister to appoint a Special Envoy for International Freedom of Religion or Belief "as soon as possible", and encouraged the next government to "meet with evangelical churches and national organisations to understand the vast contribution we are already making every day for those in greatest need".

"There will be points in the years ahead where we will disagree with the government's direction and will challenge policies and decisions," he said.

"Any moves that disempower and harm the most vulnerable in society will be met with a robust response from the evangelical Christians across the UK. Our heart is always to serve and advocate for those most in need and we urge the government to do the same."

Ross Hendry, CEO of Christian charity CARE, called on the next UK government to model justice, integrity, and compassion.

"We congratulate all those who have been elected today, and Keir Starmer as he prepares to lead a new Government. CARE encouraged churches to engage positively during the election period and Christians will continue to pray for and encourage MPs," he said.

"As someone who has run for parliament in the past, I'm conscious that thousands of candidates did not hear the news they wanted today. Some people are now out of a job. Losing candidates deserve our thanks and respect for taking part."

He continued, "Christians believe that Governments are ordained by God to restrain evil and injustice and promote good by commending those who do right. A good Government will show justice and mercy, model integrity, and have compassion on the most vulnerable people in society.

"We believe there is a better story to tell for all people and especially the vulnerable groups we advocate for, and we will be engaging with politicians of every party who share our desire to realise positive change. We hope to see politics renewed and lives transformed in the years ahead."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said he was praying for Sir Keir as he enters 10 Downing Street.

"My warmest congratulations to our new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and my prayers for you and your family as you take on this role of great responsibility for our country," he said.

"I thank Rishi Sunak and the outgoing Government for their service. I also give thanks today for our democracy, and for the peaceful and orderly transition of power it gives us.

"I pray for our new government entering office; for its members to have humility, wisdom and integrity as they begin their new roles."
The Tories have suffered a devastating defeat, allowing Starmer into Number 10 with a massive majority. But this new Labour government will be one of intense crises. Workers and youth must prepare for battle. Join the RCP!

After 14 years of Tory attacks and brutal austerity, the crushing defeat delivered against Rishi Sunak and his gang of Conservative criminals is most welcome.

The scale of this thrashing was truly historic. Having lost a whopping 251 seats, the Tory Party has been reduced to an impotent rump. It represents the biggest and most humiliating hammering faced by the Tory Party in its nearly 200 years of existence.

A swathe of key Tory wretches have lost their seats: former prime minister Liz Truss, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, defence secretary Grant Shapps, and the arch-reactionary minister for the nineteenth century Jacob Rees-Mogg, to name a few.

Thank God I'm free. It's over and I'm glad, reflected one former Tory MP who had lost his seat, to a baffled BBC News host. Such is the scale of despair amongst this layer of hacks and chancers, who knew what was coming all along.

The sharp, ignominious decline of the traditional party of British capitalism, once the envy of ruling classes across the world, is a reflection of the scale of the political earthquake shaking Britain.

Landslide?

The beneficiary of the Tories demise has, unsurprisingly, been Starmers Labour. But although Labour now have a whopping 170 seat majority, the number of people actually voting Labour fell by over half a million since the 2019 general election.

Indeed, a poll by YouGov just before the election found 48 percent of those intending to vote Labour were doing so to get the Tories out. Only 5 percent said Labours policies were their key reason for voting, and a dismal 1 percent said it was because of Starmers leadership.

We asked Labour voters to tell us in their own words the main reason they are backing the party. For the largest number by far the key motivation is ousting the Conservatives



Top 5 reasons

Get the Tories out: 48%

Country needs a change: 13%

Agree with their policies: 5%

To pic.twitter.com/i76S3Zlghu  YouGov (@YouGov) July 3, 2024

As such, many held their noses as they put their cross on the ballot for Labour, seeing no alternative. There is little feeling that things will change.

The real reason for Labours landslide was the collapse of the Tory vote, much of which went to Farages Reform UK.

The Tories won 6.8 million votes (23.7 percent), whilst Reform took 4 million (13.4 percent). Combined, these add up to 10.8 million (38 percent), significantly more than Labours 9.8 million (34 percent). It is also worth noting that Labours vote, calculated as a percentage of the overall electorate, comes to just over 20 percent. That means only one in five of the electorate actively supported the Labour Party. At the same time, 40 percent of the electorate abstained, an increase of 7.4 points on previous elections, which highlights the fact that a very large layer could see no fundamental difference between the main parties standing.

Yet, due to the first-past-the-post system, Labour swept up due to this split in the right-wing vote. All this is hardly a ringing endorsement for Starmer and his gang of establishment stooges.

No trust

The degree of scepticism and distrust towards the traditional parties and politicians is palpable. One recent YouGov poll revealed that almost half of those surveyed considered Starmer untrustworthy  a record high.

I am so disillusioned and angry with our party leaders and MPs that I am now contemplating the effect my vote will actually have, stated Alexandra, a young woman from London, in advance of election day. I cant see a bright future for our country, economy, and public services, no matter who gets in.

Its like trying to pick which kind of STD [sexually transmitted disease] you want, said another voter interviewed by journalists in the run-up to the election.

 POLL: Why are voters backing Labour?



 Get the Tories out: 48%

 UK needs change: 13%

 Agree with policies: 5%

 Starmer's leadership: 1%



Via @YouGov, 21 June - 1 July pic.twitter.com/D3amgk3baG  Stats for Lefties  (@LeftieStats) July 3, 2024

The Financial Times summed it up: Beneath the surface of this historic Labour victory, the signs are ominous. The share of Britons who think Starmers party understands the problems facing the UK is at a record low, as is the share who say Labour keeps its promises; both figures are much lower than they were for Boris Johnsons government when it took the reins.

This disdainful mood has been compounded by the callous attitude of the Tory and Labour leaders towards the genocide in Gaza. And this found its reflection in the large number of protest votes registered yesterday for a swathe of pro-Palestine independent candidates.

Notably, former left-wing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who ran as an independent after being purged by Starmer, won the seat of Islington North by a huge margin.

Elsewhere, in Blackburn, Dewsbury & Batley, Leicester South and Birmingham Perry Barr, pro-Palestine independents were able to claw victory from Labours hands. Others did not win, but got sizable votes.

Right-wing Labour MPs like Jess Phillips and Wes Streeting, meanwhile, came within a hairs breadth of being unseated by pro-Palestine candidates. In Bethnal Green and Stepney, East London, the sitting Labour MP Rushanara Ali saw her 34,000 vote majority reduced to just 1,800. In his own constituency of Holborn and St Pancras, Starmer himself, who faced a pro-Palestine independent candidate, saw his vote cut in half from 36,000 to 18,000.

A further indication of this hatred towards the establishment parties was the diminished share of the vote going to Labour and the Tories  the lowest since 1918. Whats more, voter turnout dropped to its lowest since 1945, revealing a deep rejection of mainstream politics.

Crisis government

Sunak has packed his bags and left Number 10 / Image: No10, Flickr

Sunak has packed his bags and left Number 10. Starmer has rushed to kiss the Kings ring and ask his permission to form a government. No doubt, the Starmeroid will be beaming with jubilation.

But the Labour leaders smile will not last long. His government will face an avalanche of problems, given the crisis of British capitalism.

A recent report from the Fairness Foundation says that Britain will become more unfair and unequal over the next five years, with a growing divide in terms of wealth, health, and housing. But even this only offers a glimpse of the attacks facing workers, the poor, and the youth in the years to come.

Starmer is wedded to capitalism, and will pursue the interests of big business. With the system in crisis, this means further attacks on ordinary people. This will put him on a collision course with the working class, who will resist further austerity and cuts to living standards.

Labours towering majority is capturing attention for now, but it is built on weak foundations, explained the Financial Times. As James Kanagasooriam, chief research officer at polling firm Focaldata puts it, the coalition of voters that has put Starmer in 10 Downing Street is better understood not as a skyscraper but a sandcastle. As the tide comes in over the next few years, it could well be washed away, just as the Conservative partys has been this week.

We can therefore say with confidence that Starmers massive majority in Parliament  just like that won by Boris Johnson and the Tories in 2019  will have dynamite built into its foundations. This new Labour government will be riddled with crises from day one.

Music of the future

With little real choice on offer, this general election can only provide a partial, momentary snapshot of the mood in society.

The victory of Nigel Farage  whose Reform UK won four new seats and 14.3 percent of the vote, making it the nations third party by vote share  is an ominous warning. He will use his parliamentary platform to whip up the forces of reaction.

"This could be the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party, gloated Mr. Farage. There is a massive gap on the centre-right [!] of British politics, and my job is to fill it.

The crisis in the Tory Party, as it undergoes its death agony, will open up a realignment on the right of British politics. The One Nation moderate Tories are all but finished.

The Conservatives are facing Armageddon, bemoaned former lord chancellor Robert Buckland. The leadership contest is going to be like a group of bald men fighting over a comb, he added.

Reflecting the growing radicalisation towards the left, in Stratford & Bow, East London, 1,791 voted for Fiona Lali , who stood openly on a revolutionary communist programme. Hundreds of people signed up to volunteer for her campaign, many of whom have since joined the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP).

The RCP, only founded in early May, decided to stand Fiona in the general election to test the mood and raise the red banner of revolution.

This proved a resounding success, with our campaign reaching and resonating with wide layers. This was the first time that our party has engaged in mass work. But it is only the beginning  an anticipation of the opportunities that lie ahead.

Starmers bitter medicine

Titanic struggles are on the order of the day! This Labour government will act no differently from the Tories in their attempt to patch up British capitalism.

Starmer will continue to arm the Israeli war machine. He will continue to follow the diktats of US imperialism. And he will continue with Tory economic policies, meaning the bitter medicine of further austerity. Our approach to public spending is based on strong fiscal rules, which will govern every single decision we make in government, said a Labour spokesperson.

Britains new chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said that she hopes investors will now see the UK as a safe haven. Her hopes are well-founded: the markets responded very positively to the election result, with the FTSE 250 index rallying to its highest level in over two years!

Business leaders and investors will be rubbing their hands in glee at Starmers victory. He is the safe pair of hands  the sensible steward of the bosses interests  that they have all been waiting for.

Any hopes that Labour will deliver anything positive for workers will soon be dashed. Rather than reforms, there will be brutal counter-reforms on the cards. The deepening crisis of British capitalism will be the backdrop to Starmers reign.

In the process, Starmers Labour will become even more hated than the Tories.

Prepare for action

The RCP will build on its success in Stratford & Bow / Image: The Communist

The working class must prepare for what is coming. The trade union leaders should get off their knees and prepare for action across the board, rather than spouting hot air. The Labour lefts should grow a spine and stand up to Starmer. The time for pussyfooting around is over.

Enough is enough! After a decade-and-a-half of stagnation and decline, the working class must refuse to shoulder the burden of this capitalist crisis. Make the billionaires and bankers pay!

Will Hutton, the Guardian columnist and liberal economist, sneers that trade unionists are more interested in partnering to create good workplaces than being the industrial wing of a proletarian revolution that never comes.

Well, we have seen where partnering with the bosses has led. Ask the steelworkers of South Wales  who face mass sackings  where this class collaboration has got them?

We have had enough of these betrayals by trade union bureaucrats and Labour politicians. They are only interested in their careers.

Build the revolutionary party

The RCP will build on its success in Stratford & Bow to help forge a movement that can resist the attacks from a Starmer government.

To fight the British establishment, with its support for genocide, we are launching a national campaign against imperialism and militarism. In doing so, we are seeking a united front with others, to link the struggles against Starmer and the war criminals.

We have entered a qualitatively new stage in Britain. The coming period will be one of storm and stress, which will transform consciousness on a mass scale, starting with the youth.

We are facing revolutionary times, in Britain and internationally. It is vital that we build a revolutionary party in advance of these unfolding events. That is the task that we, the RCP, have set ourselves; the task that is demanded by history.

We urge all those who voted for Fiona, and all those who supported our campaign nationally, to join us and prepare for the coming British revolution.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
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.
Charity sector leaders have responded to the general election result, which saw the Labour Party win a historic landslide victory after 14 years of a Conservative-led government.

Civil society bodies urged new prime minister Keir Starmer to act on his promise to partner with the sector and reset the relationship between it and the state.

NCVO chief executive Sarah Elliott said today that charities must have a seat at the table with the new government while NPC CEO Dan Corry said it was vital that civil society has a strong voice in Whitehall if Labour is going to be able to deliver on its missions.

Lilian Greenwood, shadow charities minister before the election, said last month that a Labour win would not mean tonnes of additional funding for the sector, but that it does want to provide support.

NCVO: Charities must have a seat at the table

Elliott said: This election result marks a significant shift in our political landscape and while the dynamics may have changed, the role of charities remains as critical as ever.

Over the past months, weve heard Labour commit to wanting to partner with the voluntary sector and that they see charities as vital to delivering against their missions.

Now we must be really clear  charities arent just here to deliver. We must have a seat at the table from the very start of planning new policies and initiatives, so the voices of communities are heard.

Now there is a real opportunity for the new government to grasp. The voluntary sector has an army of untapped and undervalued skills and potential, that will help turn this country around.

Government must forge a new relationship with charities where we work in true partnership to build a better society. We stand ready and willing to do this.

ACEVO: Reset the relationship between government and civil society

Jane Ide, chief executive, of ACEVO, said: The Labour government has been elected on a promise of change and national renewal.

Civil society leaders will not only be vital partners in delivering that change, but also in making sure that the new government meets its commitment to govern in partnership with civil society.

We look forward to working with the new administration to reset the relationship between government and civil society  not for our sake, not for theirs, but for the sake of the people and causes we are all here to serve."

CAF: Needs a fresh approach

Neil Heslop, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said: Charities are the backbone of society, experts in serving communities and innovating to deliver great social impact. But they have been through tough times.

This new government needs a fresh approach to working in partnership with civil society  so it thrives and not just survives.

A central enabler for this is a strategy to unlock greater philanthropy and social investment across the UK.

NPC: The shadow Labour team has built strong links with the sector

NPCs Corry, also a former head of the number 10 policy unit, said: This moment of change is a powerful opportunity for charities and philanthropists to join forces with government to help improve peoples lives all over the country.

The shadow Labour team had built strong links and good relationships with the sector in recent years  and we urge them to continue that into government even with the need for a new name to lead the DCMS team.

Its vital that civil society has a strong voice in Whitehall if Labour is going to be able to deliver on its five missions.

As new ministers settle into their briefs, NPC and the whole the social sector  charities, funders, philanthropists, and impact investors  stand ready to assist with the mission of re-building our country.

CFG: A lot of work to be done

Clare Mills, deputy CEO of Charity Finance Group (CFG), said: This morning, we saw a significant shift in the UKs political landscape. CFG, along with many other charities and social purpose organisations, is looking forward to working with the new UK government to tackle the complex challenges that society is facing.

Theres a lot of work to be done at home and abroad: reversing social and economic decline; tackling the cost-of-living crisis, poverty and inequality; putting local government and public services on a sustainable footing and promoting unity, not division.

We know charities are patching larger holes in the safety net of public services; this must change. We welcome a refocus on public service.

Charitable and social change organisations work hard every day  in partnership with the public and private sectors, across diverse groups and communities  to deliver real and positive impact for the people and communities we serve, with expertise, insight and compassion.

In the coming days and weeks, well learn more about the new governments priorities and the details of its policies, starting with the Kings Speech on 17 July.

Our sector will continue to advocate for communities everywhere, work with policymakers to find positive and practical solutions to challenges, and hold the new government to account when necessary.

Better Society Capital: Ready to support

Stephen Muers, chief executive of Better Society Capital, said: I would like to congratulate Sir Keir Starmer and our new government on taking office at a hugely important time.

The social impact investment sector is ready to support. Through providing social and affordable housing, creating cheaper and more efficient public services and funding innovative tech products which change lives every day, social investment has proven to be a trusted mechanism to help government deliver on promises.

By creating a policy environment which fosters social investment, the new government can leverage 50 billion of additional investment to make a positive impact across the country.

We look forward to collaborating with Sir Keir Starmer and his new government, helping to develop solutions for making tax-payer money go further, and making society better for all those living in the UK."

Bond: Act urgently

Romilly Greenhill, CEO of Bond, the UK network for NGOs, said: We call on the new Labour government to act urgently on its manifesto commitment to restore the UKs reputation as an ambitious, reliable and equitable development partner.

This will require the prime minister to show strong leadership and political will at upcoming global summits to develop key partnerships to tackle pressing issues such as global conflicts, extreme poverty, the debt crisis and climate change.



We also urge the prime minister to bring the treasury, the foreign secretary and the minister for international development together to set out a clear roadmap to restore the UK aid budget to 0.7% of gross national income, to respond to the global debt crisis and advocate for reforms to make the international financial system fairer and more equitable."

UK Youth: No time to lose

Oscar Bingham, UK Youths acting director of research & impact, said the charity looks forward to working with the Labour government to support young people.

He welcomed the partys manifesto commitments to extend the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds and spend almost 300m a year on Young Futures Hubs.

These measures, alongside Labour's guarantee of employment-focused support, can deliver huge benefits to young people and we hope will be a high priority for the new government.

We look forward to working with ministers and officers to bring these promises to fruition. With more than a billion pounds a year cut from youth services in recent years, there is no time to lose."

Hospice UK: Want sustainable funding for hospices

Responding to the election result, Hospice UK CEO, Toby Porter, said the charity looks forward to seeing how the new government will support the hospice sector.

In their manifesto, Labour rightly made health and social care a priority, with a focus on reducing pressures in the NHS and on improving care in local neighbourhoods. Hospices are ideally placed to help, and stand ready to do so, with the right support.

We hope to see strong commitments and actions to ensure sustainable funding for hospices, so they can continue their vital work amidst rising costs, and be there for the people who need them, now and forever.

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,
Weather-related catastrophes are increasing in frequency and intensity, and billion-dollar disasters are becoming the norm. The U.S. averages about 10 disasters costing more than $1 billion each year. Investing in resilience and preparedness wont prevent these losses, but they can significantly reduce them.

For every dollar spent on climate resilience and preparedness, communities save $13 in damages, cleanup costs and economic impact, according to a new economic study by Allstate, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

$1 spent on climate resilience = $13 in economic savings, damages, and cleanup costs

The study analyzed models of 25 disaster scenarios ranging in damage and cleanup costs from $1 billion to $130 billion in communities across the country. The results show that investments in resilience and preparedness can substantially reduce the economic costs associated with disasters, preserving millions of jobs, reducing the number of people displaced from their homes and helping local economies rebound faster.

Each scenario we modeled demonstrates that investing in resilience has remarkable benefits for communities, said Marty Durbin, senior vice president of Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This important study helps identify opportunities to reduce the economic costs of natural disasters, including job loss, lost income, reduced economic activity and loss of workforce.

For example, the study found that $10.8 billion of investment in resilience and preparedness for a Category 4 hurricane hitting Miami would prevent the loss of about 184,000 jobs and save about $26 billion in GDP and $17 billion in earned income for residents. Without those investments, the city would lose 361,000 jobs, $46 billion in GDP and $29 billion in income.

Other model examples include investing $833 million to prepare for a major earthquake in San Diego, which would save about 38,000 jobs, $5.8 billion of GDP and $3.3 billion in income; while $83 million of investments to prepare for a serious tornado hitting Nashville would save more than 5,300 jobs, $683 million in GDP and $464 million in income.

The study revealed that communities that invest in preparedness will benefit even if a disaster doesnt hit. In the Cat 4 hurricane scenario above, the investments would help Miami create more than 126,000 jobs, increase production by close to $13 billion and grow income by more than $8.5 billion.

The report also offered examples of resiliency investments that communities, businesses and families can make, such as:

Green infrastructure to manage stormwater runoff and protect floodplains.

Wetlands restoration to allow natural areas to store excess water.

Barrier walls, floodgates and levees to prevent floodwaters from harming structures.

Enhanced evacuation routes for floods or hurricanes.

Elevated electrical systems and appliances above potential flood levels.

Fire-resistant roofing or landscaping.

Its critical that government and business decision-makers at every level understand how such investments can improve the safety and strengthen the resiliency of their communities, said Marc DeCourcey, SVP at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Methodology

Seven types of natural disasters were analyzed to determine the economic impact of resilience and preparedness measures: hurricanes, large storms, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and droughts and heatwaves. A variety of methods were used to calculate the destruction caused by these disasters and their economic impacts.
Walmart must face a lawsuit claiming it often charges higher prices at the register than it posts on store shelves, costing consumers hundreds of millions of dollars a year, a federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday.

Reversing a lower court judge, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago said consumers could try to prove in their proposed class action that the conduct of the worlds largest retailer was a fraudulent bait-and-switch that violated several states consumer protection laws.

It also rejected Walmarts argument that providing receipts after purchases negated any unfairness caused by inaccurate shelf prices.

Circuit Judge David Hamilton wrote for a three-judge panel that it was neither unreasonable nor fanciful for consumers to believe Walmart would charge the prices displayed on shelves.

Walmart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The named plaintiff, Yoram Kahn, is from the Cleveland area.

Lawyers for the consumers said they found price discrepancies in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey and New York, as well as in North Carolina even after a regulator there fined Walmart in 2022 for price-scanning errors.

The lawyers said most discrepancies were small  one Walmart in New Jersey charged $3.64 for Crisco Pure Canola Oil versus the $3.12 shelf price, while another charged $2.48 for Hersheys Chocolate Syrup versus the $2.33 shelf price  but that they added up fast.

Hamilton said consumers cannot be expected to always keep an eagle eye at checkout, where they might be distracted by young children, tabloid headlines, pulling out their wallets or bagging their merchandise.

Nor, he said, is it reasonable to force consumers to keep track of shelf prices, whether by memory or by creating a record, as they shop.

Who does that? he wrote.

The appeals court returned the case to U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis in Chicago, who dismissed it in March 2023.

We are pleased with the opinion and look forward to vindicating the rights of Walmart customers, said Stanley Bernstein, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

The case is Kahn v Walmart Inc, 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 23-1751.

(Reporting by Stempel in New YorkEditing by Matthew Lewis)
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.

US District Judge Ada Brown in Dallas sided with the US Chamber of Commerce and a Texas-based tax firm that claimed 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 Sept. 4, but it will now be on hold until August while the judge considers the merits of the lawsuit by the groups that seek to permanently strike the rule from the books.

Related: Ban on Worker Noncompetes Faces Uphill Legal Battle

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.

Related: Chamber of Commerce Sues to Block FTCs Non-Compete Ban

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.

President Joe Biden supports the 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).

Top photo: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) headquarters in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. A slew of business groups joined the US Chamber of Commerce in opposing the FTCs proposal to ban non-compete agreements, arguing it would limit their ability to protect confidential information. Photographer: Ting Shen/Bloomberg.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
Discover Financial Services, the credit-card firm that agreed to be acquired by Capital One Financial Corp., said it reached an agreement to resolve class-action litigation for overcharging merchants.

The lender, which acknowledged the lapses last year, expects that the $1.2 billion it already set aside for related liabilities will be enough to resolve the matter, according to a regulatory filing Wednesday. The accord is subject to court approval.

The company announced last July that it misclassified certain credit-card accounts into its highest pricing tier, starting in 2007, meaning merchants were charged more than they should have been to accept the cards for payment. Riverwoods, Illinois-based Discover and retailers affected by the misclassification reached the settlement Monday, according to the filing.

The misclassification prompted Discover to suspend stock buybacks last year as it conducted an internal review and braced for claims. The firms chief executive officer at the time, Roger Hochschild, later left.

Discover has faced other compliance challenges, and Capital One executives have said theyre ready to pay more than initially expected to resolve them while acquiring one of the countrys coveted payments networks. The takeover, subject to antitrust reviews and shareholder approvals, is expected to be completed later this year or in early 2025.

Top photo: Capital One and Discover credit cards arranged in Germantown, New York, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. Capital One Financial Corp. agreed to buy Discover Financial Services in a $35 billion all-stock deal to create the largest US credit card company by loan volume, giving the combined entity a stronger foothold to compete with Wall Streets behemoths. Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
Looted, stolen, found in a bus stop, Titian's early masterpiece, Rest on the Flight to Egypt, has just been auctioned for 17.5 million ($22.3 million).

The painting depicts Mary-who dominates the canvas-Jesus and Joseph sitting down to rest on their sudden flight to Egypt to escape Herod's sword. The work dates from around 1508, when Titian-real name, Tiziano Vecelli-was in his early 20s. As such, the canvas only measures about 2 feet wide-minuscule, compared to the master's later works.

: In the first decades of the 17th century, it was documented as being one of at least 15 Titians in the collection of the Venetian spice merchant, Bartolomeo della Nave. After his death, the painting was purchased by James Hamilton, 3rd Marquess and 1st Duke of Hamilton in 1638, and shipped to England. The Royalist Hamilton was executed in 1649, and his artworks were acquired by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, who, at the time, was assembling a massive art collection. The collection travelled with Leopold to Vienna, where it was housed in Belvedere Palace. In 1809, Napoleon invaded Austria, and the painting was one of many that he looted. After Waterloo, the painting went to Scottish landowner Hugh Andrew Johnstone Munro, then after Munro's death, it went to Christie's for the first time, and was acquired by John Alexander Thynne, 4th Marquess of Bath, in 1878.

Shipped back to England, the painting was housed in the Thynnes' seat, Longleat house, where it saw its longest undisturbed period. This was put to an end in 1995, when it was stolen from Longleat's drawing room. After a seven-year hunt, it was discovered in a bus stop, stuffed in a shopping bag, by Charles Hill. Despite the meanness of its surroundings, and the fact that it was missing its frame, the painting was largely undamaged and returned to Longleat. It was there that it stayed until its recent sale at Christie's.
The Hong Kong Philharmonic has named its new music director: 24-year-old Tarmo Peltokoski.

He will serve as music director designate in the 2025-2026 season, and will formally begin his five-year term in 2026. Peltokoski succeeds Jaap van Zweden, whose twelve-year stint is one of the longest in the HK Philharmonic's history, in contrast with the record-breaking brevity of his six-season directorship of the New York Philharmonic. Upon his departure, Zweden will become the HK Philharmonic's second conductor Laureate.

Peltokoski is one of a wave of young conductors taking leadership roles--his fellow Finn, 28-year-old Klaus Makela, will become music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2025. In fact, not only will Peltokoski become the orchestra's youngest music director, but he will also become its youngest member. He does not consider that a hindrance, however: "Experience happens slowly but it also depends on how much you do something. And conducting is something I have been doing for a long time."

Bass-baritone Isaac Droscha, senior lecturer in humanities at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, believes it's an advantage: "He is young and my perspective is that here's somebody who doesn't carry with him the negative potential baggage that tends to come with a long career in a difficult business. This is someone in the springtime of his career, and he will bring that energy to what is by many accounts Asia's premier orchestra."

Currently the music director of the Latvian National Symphony, Peltokoski will also lead France's Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse come 2025.

He initially trained as a pianist before focusing on conducting, studying under Jorma Panula. Known for his love of Wagner, which is already deeply embedded in the HK Philharmonic's repertoire, he intends to continue the ensemble's tradition of performing The Ring Cycle, while expanding its range.

Peltokoski debuted with the orchestra last year, and was immediately smitten by "the precision of [their] music-making." He reunites with the HK Philharmonic on July 5 and 6 to conduct Mahler's Symphony No. 5 and Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2, and then again in September to lead the opening concert of the 2024-2025 season.
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama  Grocery stores in Alabama and Oklahoma have vending machines that allow users to purchase ammo for guns.

The vending machine supplier, American Rounds, markets ammo sales like youve never seen before on its website. The company is looking to revolutionize how ammunition for handguns, rifles and shotguns is sold.

The automated ammunition dispenser 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 scan to match it to the ID card.

In a promotional video, American Rounds CEO Grant Magers said the stores were looking for an innovative way to bring ammo sales to their stores.

Terry Stanley, COO of Fresh Value, a grocery store in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, said he is super excited to offer the first ammo kiosk.

Were always looking for ways to give our customers another reason to come visit our stores. 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 in the video.

The vending machines are currently available at six locations, according to the companys website.

During a briefing of the Tuscaloosa City Council before their regular slate of meetings, city council president Kip Tyner asked police chief Brent Blankley and other municipal leaders to explain a vending machine selling people ammunition at the Fresh Value store, according to a local news outlet.

I got some calls about ammunition being sold in grocery store vending machines, Tyner said. I thought it was a joke, but its not.

The citys police chief and other city staff reported that the machines are legal and have been vetted by the ATF, according to the Tuscaloosa Thread.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Communities along the Ohio shoreline kept their fingers crossed yesterday that late showers wouldnt put a damper on Thursday evenings Independence Day fireworks. Lake Erie fishermen were happy the weather forecast also called for mild winds for the holiday fishing along the Ohio shoreline.

So if youre going fishing this weekend, the walleye are biting with a vengeance and take along a rain jacket.

The red hot walleye action will continue in the Central Basin, with limit catches reported from Huron to Conneaut. The drift and cast anglers have been having a field day this week in water depths of 30 feet, and more. Trolling fishermen have been heading a little deeper, targeting the 37 to 43 foot depths.

Letting weight-forward spinners and Weapon rigs tipped with nightcrawlers sink to the Lake bottom before starting a retrieve have worked well using 1/2 to 1 ounce rigs.

Trolling fishermen are relying on Tru-Trip and Dipsy Diver diving planers to target suspended schools of walleye with medium-sized 4-inch Silver Streak and Stinger spoons. Anti-freeze Green spoons have been the hot ticket while trolling 2.2 to 2.8 miles per hour. Tandem spinner rigs baited with whole nightcrawlers are also catching their share of walleye.

Many anglers are still trolling diving plugs, slowing the boat speed to 1.8 to 2.2 miles per hour.

Western walleye and perch

The rock pile fishermen are heading to the much shallower Western Lake Erie reefs and drop-offs off Port Clinton and Camp Perry once again for fair catches of walleye, anchoring along the drop-offs and drifting the deeper waters nearby.

The Port Clinton party fishing boats are not catching consistent limits of walleye, but coming close, said Marc Wolfe at Fishermans Wharf. Anglers are anxious to kick off the yellow perch fishing, so Wolfe will send out party boats to give the perch fishing a try tomorrow and Sunday off Cedar Point and around the mouth of Sandusky Bay. Reservations are needed. Call 419-734-9002.

Catfish in the rivers

Fishermen out west continue to catch good numbers of channel catfish around Sandusky Bay, reports fishing guide Sam Horn of Angry Floater Fishing (angryfloater.com). Channel catfish are also becoming a popular quarry in the central Lake Erie rivers right now, especially the lower Grand, Black, Chagrin and Rocky rivers.

Grand River anglers have been fishing the deeper holes while casting slip floats using live crayfish for bait. Other top baits range from raw shrimp and nightcrawlers to processed baits, cut shad and raw chicken livers.
How do Malaysians and Indonesians perceive China?

People's Daily Online) 10:24, July 05, 2024

China has a long history of friendly exchanges with Malaysia and Indonesia, dating back to the ancient Maritime Silk Road that closely linked China with the two Southeast Asian nations.

Today, Malaysia and Indonesia are both essential participants in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Flagship projects between China and the two countries under the BRI framework continue to be promoted and implemented, while people-to-people and cultural exchanges become increasingly close.

In this video, Malaysian and Indonesian locals share their views on China and Chinese culture, as well as their hopes for bilateral relations between their respective countries and China.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Du Mingming)
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's bid for immunity from federal prosecution for 2020 election subversion, at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 1, 2024.

WASHINGTON  After he gave his State of the Union speech in March, President Joe Biden seemed to have quieted persistent fears that, at 81, he was no longer up to the job.

He spoke forcefully and jousted with Republican lawmakers who had jeered his message. But a Democratic lawmaker who shook hands with Biden in the House chamber that night was troubled by his appearance.

Biden, the congressman said in a recent interview, looked "frail and weak."

Biden's poor showing at the debate with Donald Trump last week threatens to end his campaign just four months before the election. Hoping to salvage his bid for another term, he is asking voters to weigh the 90-minute debacle against what he says is a 3-year record of achievement in office.

Yet the notion that last week's debate was an anomaly doesn't jibe with the impressions of some Democratic lawmakers who've seen him up close and come away doubting his capacity to hold office.

Far from a one-off, the debate revealed the same worrying traits  memory lapses, incoherence, a vacant look  these officials say they've noticed in Biden's company throughout his term.

"The country saw [at the debate] what those of us who have had personal interactions with him have all known for the last 2 years," a senator said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Biden's fitness.

A large, well-funded team of aides surrounds Biden and has worked to shield him from the embarrassments that might befall a president of advanced age. He often boards Air Force One through a shorter staircase leading to the belly of the plane to minimize the risk of a fall. No president other since Ronald Reagan has given fewer interviews, a forum in which he must nimbly field questions without the benefit of a script.

The debate stripped away the protective cloak. Now, Biden faces a crisis in which he needs to demonstrate  quickly  that he can function at the level the presidency demands. In a phone call this week with a close ally, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., Biden affirmed that "he's got to do some things to win back the confidence of the American people," Coons said in an interview.

The two men also discussed ways to overcome the fallout from the debate. One problem Biden acknowledged was that he came prepared to cite facts and figures that don't carry much weight in a match-up with Trump, Coons said.

"Donald Trump is a very different kind of opponent," Coons said. "Donald Trump stood there and unleashed a torrent of angry invective that Joe Biden could still hear even though the mics were off."

Coons, who once worked for Biden as a senatorial intern, said he remains confident in his cognitive abilities. In the phone call with Biden, he said, the president was "sharp, engaged and energetic."

"I've never had a moment that led me to question his mental acuity," Coons added.

Others see a more diminished figure. A third Democratic lawmaker said that in recent months, Biden looked "exceedingly tired" when the two were together. In other dealings this year, Biden seemed "far from optimal." Though the debate was the "worst" version of Biden, the lawmaker said, "it was not an aberration."

A group of about 40 Democratic lawmakers have been texting one another since the debate, this House member said, and not one of them believes Biden should stay in the race.

In reply, a Biden campaign spokesperson cited various members of Congress who've vouched for Biden's acuity.

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., a former Biden staff member from Biden's time in the Senate, said, "I will tell you that in my encounters with Joe Biden as president, I have not experienced what I saw last week" at the debate.

"The minute I see him, he knows me by name," Connolly continued. "He will bring up mutual friends and colleagues that worked with us in that time period by name and is genuinely interested in how they're doing."

"I have certainly witnessed the aging of my former boss, sure, but not mental decline," Connolly said.

People grow old in different ways, and the presidency tends to act as an aging accelerant. In 1990, a year after having left office, Reagan testified at the trial of a former White House official. He was 79 at the time, two years younger than Biden is now.

Reagan didn't remember the name of his former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He used the words "I don't remember," or some equivalent, at least 124 times, according to a Los Angeles Times account of his testimony.

There are plenty of occasions when Biden demonstrates impressive command of his faculties, aides say.

While he was prepping for a major speech in France last month for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Biden took pains to ensure the text did justice to the Army Rangers who scaled the cliffs in the face of German machine gun fire, a senior White House official said.

An early draft said the soldiers were thinking about preserving democracy as they ascended rope ladders at Omaha Beach.

That didn't sound right to Biden, the official said. After he reviewed the draft in his Paris hotel, Biden questioned an aide about whether the future of democracy is something combat soldiers would really be discussing while they were evading enemy fire.

No, it's not, the aide replied.

Biden insisted that the reference be scrapped in favor of something more genuine.

The speech he delivered at Pointe du Hoc instead recounted an exchange between two soldiers, one of whom said, "I'm not sure I can make it," and another who yelled back, "You've got to hold on."

It's far from certain that Biden can hold on. He is placing a big bet on an interview scheduled Friday with ABC News, seeing it as a chance to quell the widespread doubts that have arisen since the debate.

"One of his core challenges is to show people that this was a moment," Coons said. "This was a bad debate night for a range of reasons  not some concealed condition. And we talked about the things he needs to do to build public confidence in that."

Yet the interview comes eight days after Biden's appearance onstage with Trump  time enough for perceptions of his poor performance to calcify.

Even if the interview goes well, it may not be enough to rescue his candidacy.

"There is a great deal of love for this man and his family. And there is great deal of bewilderment among us about why he, and the people around him who presumably love him, are letting him take his historical legacy and throw it down the drain," the third Democratic lawmaker said.

"If he loses to Trump after that debate, that will be on his tombstone instead of his achievements. It's an absolutely legacy-defining moment," this lawmaker added.
Investors looking for outperformance in the third quarter may want to check Bank of America's global "Best of Breed" list. Of the more than 3,000 companies in the bank's coverage universe, just 26 qualified for the firm's screen, which outperformed the MSCI All Country World Index by 33.7 percentage points in 2024 through the end of May. Its third-quarter Best of Breed list is heavily exposed to tech, with the sector netting a 64% weighting. The U.S. as a country is also the most prominent, with 80% of stocks coming from that one country. Here are some of the stocks in the list: Nvidia made the list after a monstrous run this year, surging about 159%. Shares are also up around 3,053% in the past five years. Last month, the chipmaker surpassed $3 trillion in market cap for the first time and briefly passed both Apple and Microsoft to become the world's largest company by market cap. Its market cap sits at nearly $3.16 trillion. BofA reiterated Nvidia as a buy on Tuesday, saying it was the "most-owned" semi stock among fund managers. Morgan Stanley is also bullish on the stock, citing existing demand for the company's microarchitecture. The firm reiterated its overweight rating and raised its price target to $144 from $116 in a Monday note. This implies around 17% upside from Tuesday's close. Shopify also made the cut. While shares have fallen more than 14% in 2024, they have surged more than 112% over the past two years. BofA has a neutral rating on the stock, but Citi is optimistic about its path forward, adding Shopify to its focus list last week. The firm sees revenue growth accelerating in the second half of this year and operating income growth inflecting in 2025. Citi also cites Target teaming up with Shopify to expand its third-party marketplace as a catalyst for gross merchandise volume growth. "In the spirit of identifying good ideas for a software recovery, we are reiterating our Buy/H rating on SHOP and adding it to our U.S. Focus List," analyst Tyler Radke said in a note. The firm upped its price target by $1 to $96, which implies 45% upside from Tuesday's close. Others such as U.S. software company Palantir Technologies and China-based tech company NetEase also qualified for the screen. Shares of the companies are up around 50.5% and 3%, respectively, this year.
Strong leadership requires decisive action, says CVS Health CEO Karen Lynch.

But people at all levels of the career ladder often struggle to make decisions and get stuck in an "analysis-paralysis" mindset, Lynch recently told LinkedIn's "This is Working" podcast and video series.

"People are going to follow people that are decisive," said Lynch, whose company owns brands including the CVS retail pharmacy chain and insurance company Aetna. "If you're going to lead, you've got to know what direction you're going in."

When her employees face a mental block and can't commit to a choice, she asks them a variation of the same question, she said: "What do you think? What do you think we should do? If you had to make a decision today, what would it be?"

That line of questioning forces people to make a call. "A lot of times, the Socratic method works," Lynch said.

DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to becoming a master communicator and public speaker

The Socratic method, named after the teachings of the Greek philosopher Socrates, responds to queries with more questions designed to prompt people into discovering the answers themselves. You can turn it on yourself to improve your self-awareness  which can boost your creativity and productivity  according to Yale University philosophy and psychology professor Tamar Gendler.

Gendler's advice: Whenever you don't know what to do, imagine what Socrates himself would say. The philosopher constantly asked "Why?" in response to just about anything, Gendler said on a podcast episode of "The Happiness Lab" last year. If you keep asking yourself that same question, you'll increase your odds of eventually reaching a satisfying answer.

"I never try to get all the way there all at once," she said. "But Socratic questioning can help me understand what direction I need to go, to take the very next step."

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was also known as a proponent of Socratic thinking in his company's early days. He conducted probing interviews with job candidates, and reportedly drilled his fellow interviewers with additional questions to narrow down who was most qualified for a role.

"One of his mottos was that every time we hired someone, he or she should raise the bar for the next hire, so that the overall talent pool was always improving," Nicholas Lovejoy, Amazon's fifth-ever employee, told Wired in 1999, five years after the company launched.

If Bezos' questions revealed even a single doubt, the candidate was typically soon rejected: "Jeff was very, very picky," Lovejoy said.

Want to be a successful, confident communicator? Take CNBC's new online course Become an Effective Communicator: Master Public Speaking. We'll teach you how to speak clearly and confidently, calm your nerves, what to say and not say, and body language techniques to make a great first impression. Sign up today and use code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off through July 10, 2024.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.
Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, campaigns ahead of the general election, in Redditch, UK, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

LONDON  European stocks closed lower on Friday as investors digested the Labour Party's landslide U.K. election victory. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index closed 0.45% lower, while the broader pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally finished the week 0.22% lower.

European markets



The primary news story on investors' minds Friday was the result of the U.K.'s general election, with the opposition Labour Party winning a huge parliamentary majority, unseating the incumbent Conservatives after 14 years. The FTSE 350 household goods and home construction index ended the session 2.5% higher on Friday, as traders reacted to news of the Labour Party's win. Looking at individual stocks within the sector, Vistry Group , Barratt Developments and Persimmon shares were up around 3%, while Taylor Wimpey rose by more than 2%.

watch now

Labour passed the threshold needed to govern alone early on Friday morning, as outgoing PM Rishi Sunak conceded defeat. Keir Starmer, leader of the center-left Labour Party, has now become the country's new prime minister. Analysts expect the Labour victory to boost U.K. markets over time, particularly when it comes to housebuilding. In a research note Friday, analysts at RBC Capital Markets said that if Labour's election pledges turn into policy, it could mark the dawning of a "new age" for U.K. housebuilding.

watch now

"Over the last few years housebuilders' potential has been hamstrung, but over the next few this potential is likely to be unleashed," they wrote. "If the new Government's walk matches its talk we expect the sector to re-rate, and in the very short term we suspect that the talk alone will be enough to lift share prices," they added.

Corporate news

In corporate news, French bank BNP Paribas and Swiss lender UBS are reportedly expressing interest in buying HSBC 's German wealth-management unit, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of HSBC were down around 2.5% Friday.

watch now
Some foreign companies are considering moving Taiwanese employees out of China after Beijing said it could impose the death penalty on "diehard" Taiwan independence separatists, said four people familiar with the matter.

Some foreign companies are considering moving Taiwanese employees out of China after Beijing said it could impose the death penalty on "diehard" Taiwan independence separatists, said four people familiar with the matter.

The new guidelines have caused some Taiwanese expatriates and foreign multinationals operating in China to scramble to assess their legal risks and exposure, said the people, who include a lawyer and two executives with direct knowledge of the discussions.

"Several companies have come to us to assess the risks to their personnel," said the lawyer, James Zimmerman, a Beijing-based partner at the Perkins Coie law firm. He declined to identify the companies or industries for confidentiality reasons.

"The companies are still concerned that there may be some grey areas such as whether a benign social media post or voting for a particular political party or candidate in Taiwan elections could be interpreted as engaging in pro-independence activities," Zimmerman said.

Reuters has previously consulted Perkins Coie on unrelated matters in China.

Some 177,000 Taiwanese were working in China as of 2022, according to the most recent Taiwan government survey. Taiwanese staff are employed by many multinationals in China, given their linguistic abilities and cultural familiarity with the country.

Many more work for the myriad Taiwanese firms that operate in China and have, by the Taiwan government's estimate, invested more than $200 billion since 1991, helping fuel China's growth to become the world's second-biggest economy.

Some foreign corporations operating in China have held meetings with employees on safety, said the two executives, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Another source, who was briefed on the matter, said some Taiwanese staff in China have received and accepted the option to leave the country.
Armoured vehicles of the Indian army at a military camp in Eastern Ladakh on May 19, 2024.

India and China have agreed to intensify efforts aimed at resolving their longstanding border issues, according to a statement by India's External Affairs Ministry.

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, and his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar, met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Thursday.

"The two Ministers agreed that the prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side," the statement read.

The Asian giants have been at loggerheads on the border issue for several decades.

"[Jaishankar] highlighted the need to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement from the remaining areas in Eastern Ladakh and restore border peace and tranquility in order to remove obstacles towards return of normalcy in bilateral relations."

India and China share a 3,500 kilometer (2,170 mile) Himalayan border. To the west, China controls 38,000 square kilometers of territory that India also claims. To the east, India holds 90,000 square kilometers that Beijing says belongs to China instead.

Wang said the two countries should "properly handle differences" for stable relations and should come together to "oppose unilateral bullying, resist camp confrontation," according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Earlier this year, the U.S. had weighed in on the India-China border issue, drawing a sharp response from Beijing.
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon, in southern Israel, October 20, 2023. Amir Cohen | Reuters

On Thursday morning, Hezbollah said it launched 200 rockets into Israel  one of its largest attacks yet  following the Israeli assassination of one of the group's senior commanders, further ramping up fears over a potential full-blown war between the two heavily armed adversaries. The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and U.K., said it fired at 10 Israeli military sites using a "squadron of drones." Israel's military said that "numerous projectiles and suspicious aerial targets" breached its territory, many of which were intercepted, and that there were no casualties. Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets into Israel in the nearly nine months since the latter began its war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 7. The rockets fired from Lebanon have killed 18 Israeli soldiers and 10 civilians, Israel says, while Israeli shelling has killed some 300 Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and around 80 civilians, according to a Reuters tally. The relatively low number of Israeli casualties is thanks to the country's Iron Dome, a mobile all-weather defense system designed to protect Israeli territory by launching guided missiles to intercept incoming rockets and other short-range threats in midair. It has a success rate of around 90%, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The system, which became fully operational in March 2011 and has been upgraded several times since, has "successfully prevented countless rockets from hitting Israeli communities," Israel's Defense Ministry says. Originally produced in Israel, the Iron Dome was developed by state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with U.S. backing  and Washington continues to provide funding for it today.

An Iron Dome launcher fires an interceptor missile as rockets are fired from Gaza, in Ashkelon, Israel May 10, 2023. Amir Cohen | Reuters

The Iron Dome also intercepts around 90% of the near-daily rocket attacks from Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza, the IDF claims. Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 37,000 people in the besieged strip, according to Palestinian health authorities, in a bloody offensive triggered by Hamas' terror attack on Oct. 7 that killed roughly 1,200 people in Israel and took an additional 253 hostage, 116 of whom have been freed. But as Israel faces the prospect of a two-front war  with Hamas to its south and Hezbollah to its north  and with the reality that Hezbollah has an enormous arsenal of missiles and is estimated to have 10 times the military capability of Hamas, the question is: can the Iron Dome be overrun?

'Payloads that Hamas could not dream of'

An all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah would be devastating for both sides. Already, at least 150,000 residents of southern Lebanon and northern Israel have been evacuated from their homes and are internally displaced because of the regular cross-border fire. Retired Israel Defense Forces Col. Miri Eisin, who directs the International Institute for Counterterrorism in Israel, said the Iron Dome would not be overrun in the sense of failing to work altogether; rather, its interception success rate will likely fall amid large-scale missile attacks, meaning more damage to Israeli infrastructure and more casualties. "Our capabilities to intercept are very high. But the percentage will go down and that means that they will be able to hit and do damage in the heart of Israel," Eisin said, adding that could include vital infrastructure like power plants and the country's Tel Aviv international airport. Hezbollah "has payloads that Hamas could not dream of," she said. "I would say that there's an expectation of hundreds of killed, of thousands of casualties, and of a very challenging time period at the local level."

watch now

The Lebanese Shiite organization, which was born in 1982 during Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon with funding from Iran, is now considered one of the most heavily armed nonstate groups in the world. "Most estimates credibly put Hizbullah's missile and rocket stockpile at 150,000," Victor Tricaud, a senior analyst at consulting firm Control Risks, told CNBC. Hamas' rockets and missiles, by comparison, are estimated to number in the tens of thousands. More significantly, Tricaud said, Hezbollah has far more advanced weapons systems than Hamas, including Iranian-supplied guided Fateh missiles as well as drones. "Such munitions would stand significantly greater chances to evade Israel's air defense systems  and would be likely to inflict significant damage to critical economic infrastructure across Israel," he said. A full-blown war would also be highly destructive for Lebanon, which is in the midst of an economic and political crisis and whose infrastructure is wholly unprepared for a new war. A major Israeli incursion and the damage it would bring, particularly to the Hezbollah stronghold of southern Lebanon, could threaten the group's standing and support there.

'A hell of a lot more damage'

Israel and Hezbollah went to war in 2006, in a 34-day conflict that was claimed as a victory by Hezbollah and seen as a strategic failure in Israel. A report by Israel's Reichman University titled "Fire and blood: The chilling reality facing Israel in a war with Hezbollah" outlined a scenario in which Hezbollah would fire 2,500 to 3,000 missiles and rockets a day for several weeks targeting Israeli military and civilian sites. For reference, Hezbollah fired an estimated 4,000 rockets at Israel over the course of the entire 2006 war.

Pro-Iranian Hezbollah militants chant slogans as they walk in the beginning of the funeral procession of the party top commander Wissam tawil in the southern Lebanese village of Khirbit Selem. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images

According to Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iranian proxies and former senior fellow at the Washington Institute, Hezbollah's rates of fire and number of rockets launched are already "far outpacing" what was seen during the 2006 war.
People commuting to work in the morning cross a pedestrian crossing in Tokyo on February 15, 2024.

Asia-Pacific markets were largely lower on Friday, with Japan's Nikkei 225 paring gains after crossing the 41,000 mark and hitting fresh record highs.

The Nikkei saw a volatile session and ended the day flat at 40,912.37. The broad-based Topix also faltered from record highs to drop 0.49%, snapping a five-day winning streak and closing at 2,884.18.

Japan's household spending for May unexpectedly dipped 1.8% in real terms compared to the same period last year. Economists polled by Reuters had estimated a 0.1% rise.

Household spending data is a key metric for the Bank of Japan's to assess its goal of realizing a "virtuous cycle" of rising wages and prices.

Average spending per household in May was 290,328 yen ($1,799.28), while average monthly income stood at 500,231 yen, up 6.4% in nominal terms and 3% higher in real terms from the previous year.

Investors will also be assessing retail sales numbers out from Singapore later today.
The unemployment rate for women in white, Black and Hispanic racial groups rose in June in line with the overall trend, according to data released Friday by the Department of Labor.

In June, white adult women saw their unemployment rate rise to 3.1% from 3.0% the month prior. The jobless rate similarly increased for Black and Hispanic women to 5.7% from 5.2% and 4.5% from 4.1%, respectively.

This trend was in line with the overall unemployment rate, which edged higher to 4.1% from 4.0% last month.

On the other hand, the unemployment rate fell for men in all three racial groups. The rate ticked down to 3.2% from 3.4% for white males, while falling to 4.2% from 4.7% for Hispanic men. Jobless rates also declined to 6.1% from 6.4% for Black men, although the category still has the highest unemployment rates among all the demographic groups.
LONDON  One of the biggest surprises of Britain's election night has been the gains seen by the right-wing Reform UK party, which won four parliamentary seats and logged a strong showing in the total vote share.

Exit polls had initially indicated that the populist party led by Brexiteer Nigel Farage could win up to 13 seats in the U.K.'s parliament, an unexpectedly large number given it failed to secure any in the 2019 general election. By the morning, it had won four including Farage's, who's set to become a member of the British parliament for the first time ever.

In terms of vote share, however, Reform finished in third place with 14% of the total vote.

In a video posted overnight on X titled: "The revolt against the establishment is underway," Farage said the gains his party has seen so far are "almost unbelievable.

"What does it mean? It means we're going to win seats, many, many seats," he said. "Mainstream media are in denial, just as much as our political parties."
New Street Research is raising the alarm on shares of Nvidia after the chip giant's June rally. Analyst Pierre Ferragu downgraded the dominant manufacturer of semiconductors used in artificial intelligence to neutral, citing limited upside. "We downgrade the stock to Neutral today, as upside will only materialize in a bull case, in which the outlook beyond 2025 increases materially, and we do not have the conviction on this scenario playing out yet," he wrote Friday, noting that revenue models show growth slowing to a mid-teen rate, with graphics process unit revenues rising only 35% next year. Shares of Nvidia have surged 159% so far this year, building on an AI-fueled rally that kicked off in late 2022 when ChatGPT debuted. But Nvidia has pulled back in recent weeks as investors locked in some profits. Any negative opinion on Nvidia is pretty much unheard of these days on Wall Street. Of the 41 analysts covering the stock, 38 give it a buy rating, while three say it is a hold, according to TipRanks.com . No analysts say it is a sell. There was only one other downgrade of Nvidia from buy to hold this year, by Germany's DZ Bank in May. Given this contrarian outlook, New Street set a $135 price target on Nvidia, assuming a 35 times multiple, in line with its 2019 and early 2020 multiple. The target suggests 5% upside from Wednesday's close. Ferragu added that Nvidia may run the risk of seeing a lower price-earnings multiple, as it currently trades at 40 times the next 12 months' earnings. That multiple bottomed at 20 times in 2019 when growth eased to 10%. "The quality of the franchise is nevertheless intact, and we would be buyers again, but only on prolonged weakness," he wrote.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 5, 2024.

Russia's closest European ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has drawn ire from the EU over his Friday trip to meet Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Orban, whose country assumed the European Union's rotating presidency on July 1, is a self-declared "peacemaker" whose administration has repeatedly opposed  but mostly allowed to pass  EU and NATO military and financial aid measures in support of war-torn neighbor Ukraine.

Hungary has retained working relations with Russia despite most other Western countries completely cutting ties with the nation in response to its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Setting a landmark precedent, NATO last month agreed to allow Budapest's nonparticipation in the coalition's deepening support of Ukraine  in exchange for Hungary not blocking such initiatives.

Hungary will soon become the only country in Europe able to carry out dialogue with both Russia and Ukraine, Orban told Putin during the Friday visit, according to comments reported by Reuters and Russian state news agency Tass.

The trip to Moscow is the second stop on Orban's self-described "peace mission," after the Hungarian leader carried out his first wartime visit to Ukraine on Tuesday to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

After the engagement, Zelenskyy said that the pair had held talks over "the most fundamental issues of our neighborly relations  trade, cross-border cooperation, infrastructure, and energy," and noted that the dialogue could set the foundation for "a new bilateral document" between the two nations.

Orban also stressed Budapest's intentions to improve ties with Ukraine, while calling on Zelenskyy to consider a cease-fire in the hostilities with Russia in a bid to accelerate peace talks, Reuters reported.

"You cannot make peace from a comfortable armchair in Brussels," Orban said Friday in a social media post. "Even if the rotating EU-Presidency has no mandate to negotiate on behalf of the EU, we cannot sit back and wait for the war to miraculously end. We will serve as an important tool in making the first steps towards #peace. This is what our peace mission is about."

Several peace initiatives have been floated  including Zelenskyy's 10-point plan, a Chinese proposal and Putin's own conditions to entertain negotiations  without gaining traction.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Kyiv was not advised of Orban's trip to Moscow, which was made "without agreement or coordination with Ukraine," according to a Google-translated statement.

"We remind you that for our country the principle of 'no agreements on Ukraine without Ukraine' remains inviolable and we call on all countries to strictly adhere to it," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said, adding that the "only realistic way to restore a just peace" remains Zelenskyy's peace formula.

Orban's trip to Moscow has also drawn the wrath of European officials, who questioned his authority to represent the bloc.
The Samsung logo is on display at their pavilion during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on February 28, 2024. (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Shares of Samsung Electronics jumped to their highest level since January 2021 after the South Korean tech giant said it expects better-than-expected profit for the second-quarter, thanks to explosive demand for artificial intelligence.

The stock climbed as much as 2.24% on Friday morning, trading at a high of 86,500 Korean won ($62.73), according to LSEG data. Samsung shares closed at 84,600 won on Thursday.

Samsung issued guidance on Friday, saying operating profit for the April to June quarter is projected to be about 10.4 trillion won ($7.54 billion)  that's a jump of about 1,452% from 670 billion won a year ago. The expected operating profit beat a LSEG estimate of 8.51 trillion won.

The firm also said it expects revenue for the second quarter to be between 73 trillion to 75 trillion won, from 60.01 trillion won a year ago. This is in line with the 73.7 trillion won estimated by LSEG analysts.

Business for the world's largest memory chip maker rebounded as memory chip prices recovered on AI optimism last year. The South Korean electronics giant saw record losses in 2023 as the industry reeled from a post-Covid slump in demand for memory chips and electronics.

Its memory chips are commonly found in a wide range of consumer devices including smartphones and computers.
Supporters wave the national flag of France during a campaign meeting of France's far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party's President and lead European Parliament election candidate Jordan Bardella and President of the French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) parliamentary group Marine Le Pen, ahead of the upcoming European Union (EU) parliamentary elections, in Henin-Beaumont, northern France, on May 24, 2024. Francois Lo Presti | Afp | Getty Images

LONDON  A somewhat strange and ironic political shift has gripped Europe over the last few years. In the formerly Brexiting, euroskeptic U.K., the pendulum has just swung back to the center-left Labour Party, which comes to power after a mammoth election win, ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule. A different picture is playing out in much of Western Europe  and in countries that disdained Brexit and the U.K.'s populist trend in recent years over the last decade or so. These states are now seeing their own electorates shift to the right, with nationalist, populist and euroskeptic parties riding high in voter polls and entering the corridors of power. While the U.K. and mainland Europe are heading in different directions politically, analysts say that the driving force behind changing patterns at the polls is fundamentally the same: voters are desperate for change. "There's an anti-incumbency mood again in Europe," Dan Stevens, professor of politics at Exeter University, told CNBC. No matter who the incumbent is, Stevens said, "there's just a general dissatisfaction and want for change." Tapping into the zeitgeist among British voters, the U.K.'s Labour Party used "change" as its rallying cry for voters ahead of Thursday's general election, which it won with a landslide.

watch now

The shift to the left comes after a tumultuous period in British politics during the last series of Conservative governments, with immigration concerns and euroskepticism culminating in the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union. More challenges followed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine and a cost-of-living crisis. By the time the British election was called, Brits were just fed up, analysts said.

Shared concerns

The U.K. is not alone in looking for a political change of scenery. A similar shift has been observed in much of Western and Eastern Europe in recent years, with hard-right populist and nationalist parties upsetting and unseating the old political establishment. Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and France have all seen far-right parties  such as Fratelli d'Italia, the Party for Freedom, Alternative for Germany or National Rally  rise up in opinion polls or win elections.

watch now

Such parties often emerged as protest factions, standing on an anti-immigration or euroskeptic platform, but they've since taken a more mainstream approach to attract a wider section of the electorate, who are concerned over broader universal issues such as jobs, education, health care, national identity and the economy. The latter issue is a particular driver of voting change, with rising food and energy costs and declining disposable household incomes having the most direct and decisive impact on voters. "If you have very poor economic performance, then you would expect the political pendulum to swing, and when it swings it, it goes to the other side from where it is at present. ... It is swinging because people are hard up and aggravated. It's as simple as that," Christopher Granville, managing director of EMEA and global politics at TS Lombard, told CNBC, signaling that the turn of tide has not favored incumbent leaderships. "Of course, there's a huge debate about the extent to which the respective governments are responsible for this poor economic performance. ... You can argue that they've been disastrously incompetent or you can argue that they've been innocent victims of external shocks, such as the energy crisis provoked by the war in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis etc," Granville added. "Wherever you stand on that debate, the reality is the same, that the voters wants to swing the pendulum."

Protest vote

Many political experts pin the rise of the hard right in Europe on voters wanting to protest against the political status quo and its often long-standing establishment figures and parties. "Right wing and hard-right parties are not only winning because of immigration, yes, that's their signature topic but they have been able to win because they attract a coalition of voters voting for them for different reasons," Sofia Vasilopoulou, professor of European politics at King's College London, told CNBC. "They have a number of groups who are what I call 'peripheral' voters who tend to vote with them because of a lack of trust in politics, lack of trust in institutions, fatigue with the status quo," she said. "It's a kind of a protest against politics in general, and there's quite a lot of voters that they get because of that." Political analysts point out that, although far-right political parties in France, Germany and Italy made gains in the recent European Parliament elections, they also did not perform quite as well as expected.

watch now
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer react as they greet Labour campaigners and activists at Number 10 Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Toby Melville | Reuters

LONDON  The U.K.'s Labour Party won a huge parliamentary majority in the country's general election, but a quirk of the British electoral system means it did so with just 34% of the total votes cast. Results show that the opposition Labour Party has won 412 parliamentary seats of the total 650, with just two seats yet to be declared. This translates as roughly 63% of the total seats, but Labour has won just 34% of the total "popular" vote, while the Conservative Party has secured nearly 24% of that number. Meanwhile, smaller parties including the centrist Liberal Democrats, right-wing Reform U.K. and the Greens took nearly 43% of the popular vote but gained just less than 18% of the seats available.

watch now

This was aided by the U.K.'s "first past the post" system, where voters choose only one single candidate from their local list in each of the country's 650 constituencies. The person with the most votes in each constituency is elected as a Member of Parliament to the House of Commons, the U.K.'s lower house. The party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons usually forms the new government and its leader becomes prime minister. Unlike in other voting systems, there are no second rounds or ranking of first- and second-choice candidates, meaning it can be difficult for smaller parties to translate an increased share of the popular vote into parliamentary seats. Gabriella Dickens, G7 economist at AXA Investment Managers, said in a note released Friday that this election "marks a warning sign for the political system, [as] a large majority has been delivered on a little more than a third of the popular vote." She pointed out that voter turnout was just 60% for this election. That represents the second-lowest turnout rate since 1918, after 2001, when turnout fell to 59.4%. This 7.6% fall in turnout from 2019 indicated a "broader political disconnect," said Dickens. "The scale of Labour's majority is as much an outcome of the peculiarities of our voting system and an interplay of split votes and the [collapse of the] Scottish National Party (SNP), rather than of a resurgence in Labour's popularity," she said.

watch now
Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media as he leaves 10 Downing Street following Labour's landslide election victory on July 5, 2024 in London, England. Leon Neal | Getty Images News | Getty Images

LONDON - Outgoing UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday said he will step down as the leader of the Conservative Party after the opposition Labour Party secured a landslide victory in Thursday's nationwide election. Sunak announced he will step down as the leader of the Conservative Party as soon as the formal arrangements for selecting his successor are in place. He then had an audience with King Charles III where he tendered his resignation as prime minister. "This is a difficult day, at the end of a number of difficult days," Sunak said during a final address outside of Downing Street. "But I leave this job honored to have been your prime minister."

watch now

Speaking to crowds on 10 Downing Street, Sunak said: "I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change, and yours is the only judgment that matters." The Conservative Party suffered its lowest result, in terms of seats, in its post-war history. The former leader and chancellor of the exchequer conceded defeat early Friday morning after Labour passed the threshold needed to govern alone. Keir Starmer's Labour Party won its second-largest majority after former Prime Minister Tony Blair's 179-seat majority in 1997. Sunak held on to his seat in Richmond and Northallerton after winning 47.5% of the votes - a 15% drop from the previous election. But other high-profile members of parliament in the election such as Grant Shapps, the party's defense minister, and Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the House of Commons, failed to secure another term.

watch now
Jolie De Feis, 89 Walker St.; practisenyc.com

Cookbook author Roya Shariat has been seeing De Feis to help her come up with a skin-care routine that works for her acne and hyperpigmentation. During her facials, De Feis, who personalizes each facial using modalities like red-light therapy, peels, and dermaplaning, runs through each clients skin-care routine. She is a true skin-care nerd, Shariat says. She believes in using fewer products, but better ones, and introduced me to a new brand called Sachi Skin, which has helped me fade my hyperpigmentation. After Shariats treatment, which involved extractions and LED therapy, De Feis stayed in touch via text, offering Shariat more advice and helping her with skin emergencies (like breakouts and pimples). Other clients, including Feed Me Substacker Emily Sundberg, see De Feis not only for her great facials but also the skin-care expertise she shares during their sessions. She doesnt push products, and she tells you what she likes and doesnt like, Sundberg says. De Feis works out of Practise, a serene skin-care studio housed in a three-story walk-up off Canal Street and stocked full of products from hard-to-find brands like Japanese brand Faith, Environ, and Seau Prima.
Photo: Massimo Insabato/Mondadori/Getty

A new genre has been added to the cycle of flight-cancellation and delay nightmare stories weve all grown used to: Stuck in the ceiling of the plane.

Earlier this week, an Air Europa flight from Spain to Uruguay hit severe turbulence that injured more than two dozen passengers, including several with neck and skull fractures. A man even became embedded in the ceiling, as the New York Times put it. (What.) Videos of the incident show the poor guy being pulled down by other passengers from above the baggage compartment. Another passenger on the overnight flight, Dr. Cecilia Laguzzi, woke up to the turbulence and frantically started searching for her toddler. Someone nearby asked, Are you looking for a baby?, and told her he was up there. Her child was also stuck in the ceiling, having been ejected from his seat by the extreme jerking movements of the plane. Laguzzi said her son turned out to be fine, thankfully, but she had to tend to other passengers with injuries.

Only a few months earlier, severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight killed a 73-year-old man and injured 71 people. These kinds of incidents tend to be extremely rare  the last time someone died because of turbulence on an American-run airline was in 1997, and between 2009 and 2022 only 163 people in total were severely injured on planes registered in the United States. But this kind of extreme turbulence has been increasing in recent years because of climate change. As one atmospheric-science professor told the Times, episodes of clear-air turbulence, the kind that happens most often at high altitudes and can occur without warning, could triple by the end of the century.

This doesnt mean flying has become more dangerous, however. NBC recently analyzed data from the National Transportation Safety Board and found the number of major accidents involving large U.S. carriers has declined in recent years. But the industrys current oligopoly has turned air travel into a pain, put gently. Summertime travel always feels worse. Were reaching record highs for summer air travel in the past month, and a combination of extreme heat and a shortage of air-traffic controllers is adding to the delays. Aircraft engines will produce less thrust during takeoff and ascent as a result of hot air, a professor of aeronautical science told USA Today, and this can impact or even cancel flights. Add in the smaller seats; new costs for virtually everything involved, from picking your seat to checking a bag; intentionally overbooking flights; and, of course, doors flying off of Boeings, and its kind of a marvel that were still flying at all.

Turbulence isnt the only manmade disaster passengers have been facing. A recent Delta Airlines flight to Amsterdam had to make an emergency landing after it was discovered that passengers had been served spoiled food. One posted on Facebook that they had a choice of chicken or pasta for the in-flight meal and the pilot ended up announcing that the plane had to turn around to JFK to evaluate those of us who had the chicken. People were rebooked on new flights.

So keep that seat belt buckled. And maybe bring a sandwich.
The house likely dates back to 1860. It was lovingly restored in the 1990s, then given an overhaul last year by a developer. Photo: Liz Glasgow/Town & Country Real Estate

Details: Price: $4.195 million Specs: 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms Extras: Pool, 500-square-foot outbuilding 15-minute walking radius: Sag Harbor Cinema, Sag Harbor Whaling & Historical Museum, Black Swan Antiques Listed by: Linda Batiancela, Town & Country Real Estate

The house at 85 Suffolk Street looked like a Victorian when George and Valerie Justin bought it in 1995. As the Justins peeled back chipped shingles, they found vertical stripes of board-and-batten siding. Layers of paint revealed the shadows of dentil moldings, rosettes, and Greek key designs. Another house was hiding inside, and they pulled it out. As Valerie told the Sag Harbor Express at the time, Underneath, we found a Greek Revival.

No one had ever really intervened in that house, in a consequential way, said Darren Waterston, a friend who helped them move in and who remembered old fixtures, an overgrown yard. No. 85 first shows up on a map of the town in 1873. Its named as the home of David Porter Vail, who captained two whalers before getting into lumber, said Richard Doctorow, of the Sag Harbor Whaling & Historical Museum. After the Vails, only two other families owned it before the Justins arrived. Their restoration, which won a local award, revealed wide plank floors and brick walls within the two-story wood frame house. They painted an old banister bright red. A barn out back was renovated to become a huge studio, with a kitchen and a bath, and the kitchen of the main house was left open, creating an airy, social space.

Andrea, Valerie, and George Justin. Photo: Provided by Susan Felleman

The couple had come here to retire in a walkable town that was only a Jitney ride from the city where they had fallen in love 40 years earlier. Valerie Sharaf was an escapee from middle-class Connecticut who had first come to New York to study film. George Justin was a native Lower East Sider who spent World War II in the Signal Corps, the armys communications wing, and came home to work on local shoots, according to a forthcoming documentary on his life, In Production: The Life and Career of George Justin, by Susan Felleman and Hannah Shikle. In 1953, the year they met, Elia Kazan hired George to manage the production of On the Waterfront  a difficult undertaking, involving dozens of extras dressed as longshoremen, filmed on location at a working dock over a freezing winter. The film won eight Oscars, cementing Georges reputation as a producer who wouldnt try to wash out the grit. Sidney Lumet hired him to organize 12 Angry Men; Mike Nichols had him manage The Graduate; and he became a production executive at Paramount when the studio made Chinatown. Director Roman Polanski typecast him as Jack Nicholsons trusted barber.

Valerie had been busy raising their daughter, Andrea, but ended up with a new career outside film. An errand to buy a rug for their apartment on the Upper East Side pulled her into the world of textiles. She became an expert on kilim rugs, flat-woven textiles made by women across the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Central Asia. She wrote a book, curated exhibitions, and turned herself into a dealer, traveling the world to ethically source pieces that she sold out of showrooms in Manhattan and Los Angeles.

Valerie Justin sold flat-woven rugs with a partner under the name The Pillowry. She later sold under the name Vanishing Textiles. Photo: Provided by Susan Felleman

When the Justins retired to Sag Harbor, Valeries rugs ended up everywhere  on floors, over handrails, hanging on walls. And Georges movie posters decorated a downstairs study, where framed photos showed him with Kazan, Marlon Brando, and Paddy Chayefsky. Other walls showcased doll-size tribal figurines, Japanese woodblock prints, and a towering Robert Rauschenberg print. Picasso ceramics mixed with antique china. The house was always dressed in the way she dressed herself  with an air of style, remembered their nephew, John Felleman. It was this incredibly eclectic collection of items that, to a huge extent, were the work of their friends. And Im not sure in how many cases finding the work led to the friendship versus the friendship leading to the work.

Waterston, the friend who helped them move in, was also a painter and whose artwork ended up on a 19th-century easel in the dining room. At Valeries suggestion, we would barter beautiful textiles for paintings, he recalled, a trade that ended up giving him an education in her field of study. And in Sag Harbor, Valerie stayed involved in the arts  active in the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the local film society, and perpetually running out to check on her neighbor, the painter Vija Celmins. She was always getting invited to things, remembered her niece, Susan Felleman. She was a preternaturally engaged person, very curious, with wide-ranging interests.

Valerie Justin in 2015 on the porch she restored. Photo: Susan Felleman

George died in 2008 at 91 and Valerie died in 2023 at 97. Her will included an aside about her personal property  stipulating that None of these items have intrinsic value. They are only valuable in their setting in this home. To her nephew and executor, John Felleman, that felt a little untrue  some of the art objects were highly collectible. But it was also a little true: His aunt and uncle had a way of adding value to whatever they noticed  a Hoboken dock, an antique rug, an 1860 house. As Waterston remembered, Valerie had an incredible way of taking an object that would seem uninteresting and all of a sudden it became this astounding thing.

A developer who specializes in historic homes in the Hamptons saw the potential and bought last year from Justins estate. A major renovation updated electric and plumbing, added central air, rehabbed kitchens and baths, and refreshed every inch of old flooring. Theres now even a pool by the old barn, which is being marketed as a pool house or a home office. The fresh, new look makes it easier to see the strange little details that the Justins uncovered in 1995  the rosettes and dentil moldings that revealed a Greek Revival in hiding. He tried to keep all of that and he did, said broker Linda Batiancela. Theyre just beautiful.

The entryway. The banister and front door are original and were meticulously restored, says broker Linda Batiancela. They didnt mess around and put a modern door on or anything. Photo: Liz Glasgow/Town & Country Real Estate

The foyer opens into a living area and a downstairs study. The house was likely built in 1860, according to drawings by the architect Minard Lafever, per a 1996 article in the East Hampton Star. Photo: Liz Glasgow/Town & Country Real Estate

There are no other doors in Sag Harbor like these, says Batiancela. Photo: Liz Glasgow/Town & Country Real Estate

The Justins entertained in their open-plan kitchen, which was given a modern update with custom oak cabinetry and a Thermador range. Photo: Liz Glasgow/Town & Country Real Estate

East & Home designed the interiors. The sink is Calacatta marble, and the walls get texture from a mineral-wash paint. Photo: Liz Glasgow/Town & Country Real Estate

An upstairs bedroom looks out across the street toward an exceedingly quiet neighbor: a 19th-century cemetery that includes the graves of George Balanchine, Spalding Gray, William Gaddis, Gordon Matta-Clark, James Salter, and Lanford Wilson. Photo: Liz Glasgow/Town & Country Real Estate

An upstairs bedroom. The house has four bedrooms and five bathrooms. The Justins each kept a study and turned the fourth room into a guest room. Photo: Liz Glasgow/Town & Country Real Estate

A back patio replaced an old wooden deck where Valerie Justin could be found reading the newspaper. The new patio leads down to a brand-new pool. Photo: Liz Glasgow/Town & Country Real Estate

The renovation remodeled an old barn, creating a back building 560 square feet and ideal for a quiet home office. Its very rare to have, on this size of property in the historic village, a house of this size with a pool and an accessory building of this size, says Batiancela. Plus, Its not squeezed in to a tiny lot where theres not an ounce of grass anywhere. Photo: Liz Glasgow/Town & Country Real Estate
When you've been around politics for as long as I have, you become accustomed to certain levels of viciousness. But one thing I shall never get used to is the sheer tribal nastiness of the self-righteous Left.

Not even the prospect of impending victory can mitigate it  indeed, if anything, it seems to make it worse. Carol Vorderman, self-styled anti-Tory avenger, was one of the first to put the boot in yesterday.

'It feels like Christmas and the Tory turkey is about to get stuffed,' she wrote on X. 'Zero more sleeps,' wrote the author and political commentator Ian Dunt, 'It's happening. Kick the bastards out.'

He added: 'There's no civic duty today, only civic pleasure.'

'The Tories are finished, so rejoice,' tweeted our old friend Owen Jones. Even Andy Burnham, mayor of Manchester, who I tend to think of as one of the grown-ups, posted a mocking response to a tweet by Rishi Sunak: 'Lying to the last. Give them the defeat they deserve.'

Guardian columnist Owen Jones tweeted: 'The Tories are finished, so rejoice'

Carol Vorderman, self-styled anti-Tory avenger, was one of the first to put the boot in yesterday...

...'It feels like Christmas and the Tory turkey is about to get stuffed,' she wrote on X

The writer Femi Oluwole went one tasteless step further, tweeting alongside a picture of a cemetery: 'Join me for the Tory funeral at 8pm.'

For me, it's always been a clear dividing line in politics. The way the so-called caring Left seems so full of hatred for their political opponents  while those to the centre-Right are invariably far more restrained. In many ways it mirrors the behaviour of eco-extremists, or trans activists, or pro-Palestinian protesters.

'Tonight I'll be gadding around TV and radio giving the Tories hell where I can,' gloated the delightful Vorderman on X

They seem to feel a strong need to demonise their opponents, making all rational debate impossible. It's scowling, spittle-flicked, finger-jabbing loathing, on a very personal level.

I just don't get why. I mean, I don't hate Keir Starmer or Angela Rayner as people; I simply don't agree with their politics. In Rayner's case I actually rather admire her courage and ability. But the fact that her politics are at odds with mine does not mean I wish her any ill-will.

That's absolutely not the case from their point of view. Rayner, as we know well, considers Tories 'scum'. And as election night unfolded, the general crowing and delighting only grew worse. 'Tonight I'll be gadding around TV and radio giving the Tories hell where I can,' gloated the delightful Vorderman on X as reports of a huge Labour majority began to filter through.

Fair enough, the Conservatives haven't exactly covered themselves in glory of late  but these are still people we're talking about. And despite what Vorderman says, not all of them are crooks.

I messaged an activist friend to see if she wanted to come over for a drink. 'Thanks love,' she replied. 'So many friends about to lose jobs and, for some, sole source of income so am going to tuck up at home so I can speak to people and partners as they come in.'

Jones's post on X gloating about the Tories' huge defeat in the elections

Lord Mandelson popped up on the BBC, pleased as punch and 'chuckling along', according to Laura Kuenssberg, as Angela Rayner delivered a carefully measured response to the news of Conservative defeat  although she was rather more ecstatic on ITV.

The BBC team then dedicated the best part of ten minutes to humiliating and skewering Steve Baker, taunting him with the news that he had less than 1 per cent chance of retaining his seat.

Before long, the hashtag #ToryWipeout2024 was trending on X. My old Mail on Sunday colleague Jay Rayner helpfully tweeted a 'Tory Rat's [sic] in a Sack Blame Drinking Game' for his followers to enjoy. Jonathan Pie (578,000 followers) commented: 'Looking back on four years of the Tories is like looking back at the traumatising post-vindaloo s*** you just did in the toilet.'

A picture emerged of Miriam Margolyes, true to form, holding a 'F*** the Tories' tote bag.

Credit where credit is due: Ed Balls and George Osborne, on ITV, provided some genuinely restrained and insightful commentary, despite both  for different reasons  having considerable personal cause for delight.

The team at Sky TV could barely conceal their joy  when the exit poll was announced all you could hear were moans of unalloyed pleasure from Kay Burley. Sky's political editor Beth Rigby later tweeted: 'Hot take from exit polls: Starmer said he had to scale a mountain to win. He's just scaled Everest and taken off into orbit.'

Combative post by the author and political commentator Ian Dunt

Andy Burnham, mayor of Manchester, posted a mocking response to a tweet by Rishi Sunak

Daisy Cooper, Lib Dem deputy leader, interviewed on the BBC, declared it 'an absolutely phenomenal result', a megawatt grin on her face.

Outside Broadcasting House, there were boos for Tories. But clearly the Labour frontbench had been carefully briefed not to be too smug. Wes Streeting on the BBC was remarkably restrained, deploying some excellent nautical metaphors to express his delight.

Burnham didn't seem to have got that particular memo, throwing his hands in the air as the rest of the Sky team made variously ecstatic noises.

There was a degree of 'friendly' fire too. Darren Grimes, a prominent Brexiteer, declared on GB News: 'You deserve, I'm afraid to say, absolutely everything that you are getting tonight', to cheers from the channel's live audience.

Vorderman, glammed up to the nines, embarked on her victory tour of TV studios, expressing her disappointment that the exit poll was predicting the Tories still in second place. 'I just want them in third!'

But while Labour supporters were enjoying their victory, it was becoming more and more clear that all parties had failed to truly appreciate the Nigel factor.

The first declared result of the night, from Houghton and Sunderland South, gave an indication of the level of destruction wreaked by Reform on the Tory vote, garnering Farage's party second place and helping to deliver a decisive win for Labour's Bridget Phillipson even though she actually lost voter share.

In Sunderland, the Reform and Conservative votes combined were only 1,000 behind Labour. If that result is reflected across the board, then Farage will rightfully claim a pyrrhic victory. As Osborne pointed out, not so much a big vote of confidence for Labour as a big vote against Conservatives.

Big win of the night: the lady in the splendid hat announcing Blyth and Ashington. Again, the Labour vote was hardly up at all  but Reform decimated the Conservative support as they won over 10,000 votes.

If that pattern is repeated, it presents a huge problem for what remains of the Conservative Party. It shows the strength of feeling on the right of politics  and that is a uniquely Conservative problem.

Indeed, so many of the issues the party has faced internally, and which have been the cause of so much chaos, have stemmed from that internal division. This result will do nothing to unite these factions, and will present a huge conundrum for whoever takes over from Sunak. It's an analogous problem to the one that Starmer has faced  and successfully dealt with  within his own party, subduing the Corbynista hard-Left.

Whoever takes over, the Tories will have to find a way of reaching out to those voters. They have shown what they think of a Conservative Party perceived as too soft on issues such as immigration, and too bullish on things like taxation. It's a tough lesson, but the voters have spoken. If there's to be any way back for the Tories, they have no choice but to listen.
The BBC's Nick Robinson will not thank me for reminding readers that moments before the result of the 2010 Labour leadership election was announced, he confidently asserted on air that David Miliband was about to emerge victorious.

Precisely three minutes later, David's challenger for the post, his younger brother Ed, was officially declared the winner. Whoops!

With Robinson's unhappy gaffe in mind, therefore, I won't risk making a complete fool of myself today by offering any prediction of the overall result of yesterday's election. By the time you read this, after all, you will have a much clearer picture of how the nation voted than I have now, since I'm writing before the polls close.

All I will state with any confidence is that yesterday morning, in my own South London constituency, I placed my cross in the box beside the name of a losing Conservative candidate. Yet again.

I say yet again, because I've always voted Tory  holding my nose ever more tightly since Margaret Thatcher was turfed out by her own party  while I've lived in Labour strongholds ever since I married Mrs U in 1980. Indeed, never once in our 44 years together have I voted for a winning candidate in any election, local or national.

Tom Utley admits he likes the whole business of voting at a polling station - from the quiet dignity and seriousness of the occasion, to the pencil stub on the end of that piece of string in the polling booth

But this has never stopped me from making my way down to the polling station to cast my vote on the morning of every election day, come rain or shine  and yesterday in South London was gloriously sunny  knowing full well that my cross on the ballot paper will be totally futile.

Why, then, do so many of us still bother, when we live in constituencies where we know our votes will have no chance of making the slightest difference to the result?

(In mine, Labour's Helen Hayes is defending a majority of 27,310; I don't think I can claim clairvoyant powers for predicting a Labour hold.)

Well, I make that trip partly because I'm conscious that generations of our forefathers gave their lives for my right to choose who should govern me, and that failing to vote would feel like a betrayal of their sacrifice.

But it's much more than that, too. The truth is that I hugely enjoy the whole business of voting at a polling station  in my case, our local church crypt.

I like everything about it, from the quiet dignity and seriousness of the occasion, to the pencil stub on the end of that piece of string in the polling booth. I like the feeling of community spirit that comes from queuing with neighbours from all walks of life, bound together as we are by a sense of civic duty  even though I know that the great majority of them will vote against my preference.

Then there's the friendly way campaigners for rival parties set their differences aside, after weeks of abusing each other, to share our names when we hand one of them our polling cards, so that they can chase up supporters who have not yet voted.

I like the sense of participating, however hopelessly, in a momentous national event, writes Tom Utley

I'm impressed, too, by the unfailing courtesy and efficiency of the clerks who preside, using rulers to cross off our names on the printed extracts from the electoral register in front of them, without a computer in sight.

Indeed, a general election is the one occasion in every four or five years when I feel that public officials are there to help, rather than obstruct us. For once, we are the bosses, not the bossed.

But above all, I like the sense of participating, however hopelessly, in a momentous national event.

A former editor of mine, Lord Moore of Etchingham, puts it well in the current issue of the Spectator magazine. Saying how much he'll miss voting in elections to the Commons, now he's barred as a member of the Lords, he describes the process as 'democracy's version of Holy Communion'.

But of course his lordship will have been very far from alone in having missed out on yesterday's communal experience. I'm thinking of the huge numbers who opted for postal ballots  almost a fifth of the electorate in 2019, and I suspect even more this time round.

Of these, a great many will have had pressing reasons for being unable to make it to a polling station, such as frailty, disability, absence from home or because they live somewhere remote from the nearest one.

But unless I'm much mistaken, many others choose to vote by post simply because it's less bother than making the (generally short) trip to do it in person. Mind you, they've had a perfect right to make this choice ever since Tony Blair's government introduced the Representation of the People Act 2000, which laid down that those who wish to register as postal voters, either temporarily or permanently, can do so on demand, without giving any reason.

Blair's purpose was pretty obvious, I think. It was partly to boost turnout at elections, since high turnouts have always flattered politicians' vanity.

But I suspect he also calculated that, historically, high turnouts have generally favoured Labour.

Whatever his motives, however, I reckon he trivialised the democratic process, stripping it of its community spirit, while making it as lazy and casual a matter as ordering a pizza from Deliveroo.

Meanwhile, the rapid spread of postal voting over the decades since has brought with it all sorts of problems and abuses. For one thing, ballot papers have sometimes failed to arrive in time, thereby disenfranchising intended recipients.

Indeed, one analysis yesterday found that this time round, delays had been reported in 34 of the 129 seats with majorities of less than 5 per cent, opening up the possibility of legal challenges to the results.

Then there's the danger of electoral fraud  much greater when ballots are sent by post  with several notorious cases of people casting multiple votes, either from different addresses or through using ballot papers intended for others.

Another drawback is that those who opt for postal votes often use them weeks before the end of an election campaign. This means they may miss out on hearing of policies or revelations that could change their minds, when it's already too late.

On that point, however, I must grant you that there was very little danger of that, this time, since all we heard from any of the mainstream party leaders, from beginning to end of the campaign, were evasions, unkeepable promises and vacuous slogans, interspersed with a series of buffoonish stunts from the Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey.

Indeed, we could all have voted by post many weeks ago, missing nothing of any significance apart from Nigel Farage's reappearance on the scene.

But then we would also have missed out on the thought-provoking, uplifting experience of that time-honoured ritual at the polling station, which so many of us performed yesterday.

So a word of advice to any readers who have never voted except by post: for a full sense of the preciousness of democracy, give the real thing a go next time.
Barring an unexpected and dramatic turn of events, the nation will today  for the first time in 14 years  have a Labour government.

Unless the opinion polls have been embarrassingly wrong, Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Buckingham Palace for an audience with King Charles.

In that historic setting, the Monarch will invite him to become the 58th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. To the victor, the spoils.

Should that scenario come to pass, the Mail offers Sir Keir our sincerest congratulations. The people of this country have spoken, and Labour has almost certainly won the election by a healthy majority.

True, many will be disappointed. But it is important to remember that our democracy can only function if the losers of a free and fair election graciously accept the result.

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Unless the polls are embarrassingly wrong, Sir Keir Starmer will be travel to Buckingham Palace for an audience with King Charles

There is little doubt Sir Keir has turned his party around since becoming its leader.

Then, it was slipping towards irrelevance under Jeremy Corbyn. Sir Keir set about expunging its Marxist policies and MPs, and has tackled the scourge of anti-Semitism with some success. Transforming Labour has surely tested his mettle. But if he ends up in No 10, then the hard work will really begin.

However, other than saying he puts country first, party second and wants change, Sir Keir has left voters with little clue about what he intends to do in power or how he would tackle the countrys many problems.

Wealth creation is his priority, yet he would saddle business with a slew of new rules and obligations, while driving rich foreigners away by abolishing non-dom tax status.

Relying on faster economic growth to pay for better public services is welcome. But what will fuel such a miraculous spurt?

Creating a stable political environment can help. However, Angela Rayners trade union reforms, and plan to give workers more rights, would throw sand in the engine.

As a result, Labour will inevitably need to raise money to fund its agenda for change.

Since it has pledged not to borrow more and will not slash spending, the answer is likely to be taxing businesses, pensions, property and inheritance. The politics of envy are never far from the partys surface.

Despite Sir Keirs insistence that Labour can be trusted with defence, he has refused to put his money where his mouth is to boost our dangerously depleted military.

On soaring immigration, which is putting intolerable strain on public services and social cohesion, Labour offers no fresh thinking.

Labour will inevitably need to raise money to fund its 'agenda for change', likely to be generated from taxing businesses, pensions, property and inheritance

Other questions proliferate. Given the need for energy security in a volatile world, will Sir Keir really ban new drilling for North Sea oil and gas? And will he stick to the dogmatic target to decarbonise electricity by 2030, which would risk the lights going out?

To cut the NHS waiting list backlog, will he put patients first  or the striking junior doctors? And will he defend the ancient freedoms of the Press?

If millions give him a landslide victory, Sir Keir must use it for the good of the whole nation  not just Left-wing interest groups.

For the Conservatives, a disaster at the ballot box must lead to a period of reflection.

Over the years, the Tories have boasted of being a broad church, encompassing a wide range of views. Today, the congregation seems to have no unifying creed at all.

Indeed, for much of the past 14 years, the party has seemed more interested in squabbling than running the country. It must revert to traditional True Blue principles, which have led to so much electoral success.

In the event of defeat, whether or not Rishi Sunak stays as leader remains to be seen. If this decent man does step down, who will boldly lead the Tories out of the darkness?
Things did not go, it would be safe to say, as John Swinney hoped they might.

Just a few days ago, the SNP leader confidently explained how the result of yesterdays general election could hasten the break-up of the United Kingdom. If his party won a majority of Westminster seats north of the border, hed be empowered to begin independence talks with the new Prime Minister.

John Swinney was a man who seemed convinced he held the very future of the UK in his hands.

Today, Mr Swinney is a spent political force, utterly humiliated by voters, his lifelong dream of Scottish independence in tatters.

And there is already speculation among colleagues that the First Minister - who replaced scandal-hit Humza Yousaf as his partys leader in May - might have to go.

Nicola Sturgeon looks stone-faced as the exit poll is revealed during ITV's election coverage last night

What a contrast with 2019, when Ms Sturgeon was pictured celebrating as Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson lost her seat to the SNP

In the 2019 General Election, the SNP won 48 of Scotlands 59 Westminster seats. Not quite the 56 the party took in 2015 but a solid recovery from a drop to 35 seats in 2017.

On Thursday, Mr Swinneys nationalists won just nine of - after boundary changes - 57 Scottish constituencies. A recount today in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire - an SNP seat under previous boundaries - may take the SNP tally to a still meagre 10.

Yesterday's result was no blip, no mere wobble from which the SNP will easily recover.

Rather, it was the brutally clear verdict of a Scottish electorate failed by 17 years of nationalist incompetence in government at Holyrood. The clear-out of second-raters and talentless troughers from the nationalist benches marks the loosening of the SNPs grip on Scotland. The idea, once so enthusiastically propagated by populist Scottish nationalists, that failure to support independence makes one somehow less of a Scot is now dead.

The SNP, whose members once prowled the streets of Scotland, intimidating opponents and generally throwing their weight around, is now the leading home for political losers.

The mood among SNP politicians as the full extent of the partys humiliation became apparent on Friday morning was a mixture of despair and fury.

We knew things were going to be bad, says one veteran nationalist campaigner but nobody for a minute thought it was going to be the total disaster its turned out to be.

I thought we might drop back to 20 or less seats, which would have been awful, but nine?

In any other party at any other time, if a leader turned in that kind of result theyd be out on their backside immediately but were stuck with John. He was supposed to be the great saviour and put the party back together. Well, so much for that now.

Another long-serving SNP activist says Mr Swinney should not be made the fall guy for problems that began under the leadership of Nicola Sturgeon.

It wasnt on Johns watch that the police started investigating the party, was it? says that Swinney-loyalist. And it wasnt John who kept pushing gender reforms voters didnt want.

As SNP candidate after SNP candidate fell in the early hours of Friday, Ms Sturgeon was appearing on ITVs election coverage as a pundit.

This was too much to bear for one senior colleague.

If you want to know the root of all the SNPs problems just now, its the leadership of Nicola Sturgeon. Watching her opining while all these good colleagues lose their jobs because of the mistakes she made was galling.

She doesnt have solution to our problems because shes the cause of our bloody problems.

For much of Ms Sturgeons nine years as leader of the SNP, she repeatedly promised members a second referendum on independence was within reach. The truth, however, was always that she has no authority to establish a second vote on the constitutional question.

For a very long time, SNP members - surely the cheapest dates in Scottish politics - were happy to accept Ms Sturgeons reassurances that with one one heave, Scotland would be independent. But, after almost a decade of hollow promises, even the most devotedly loyal members began to question whether theyd been sold a pig in a poke.

Backed into a corner by her own lack of candour with SNP members, Ms Sturgeon announced in November 2022 that she would treat the next general election as a de facto referendum on independence.

This wildcat plan stunned colleagues who believed it would throw the independence movement into chaos: the UK Government would not, they reasoned, recognise the proposal, rendering any victory meaningless. However, because politics isnt fair, if the SNP did not win its de facto referendum, the UK Government would recognise it after all, and declare the constitutional question answered for an actual, rather than an SNP, generation.

One former colleague of Ms Sturgeons explains: The problem with the de facto referendum plan was that the UK Government had absolutely no obligation to recognise it so it was always going to be the case that, even if a majority of Scots did vote for us, wed have no actual legal authority to hold a referendum.

Precious few SNP members will now want to see yesterdays election as having been a de facto referendum. As one defeated candidate put it, If that was a de facto referendum we just de facto lost it.

In advance of the election, senior SNP figure spent time and effort preparing supporters for a challenging night. The resurgence of Labour under Sir Keir Starmer was always, went the line, going to make things more difficult for the SNP which always benefited from the presence of the Conservatives in power at Westminster.

Leading nationalists consoled themselves with what they believed to be the fact that voters who might abandon the SNP for Labour at a UK general election could be depended upon to return to the nationalist fold at the next Holyrood poll in 2026.

The scale of the SNPs defeat yesterday suggests this is an optimistic view, at best.

One former SNP MP says, I was willing to believe that people would come back to us in to years but looking at the numbers, Im not sure they actually will. I mean, weve lost a lot of people. A lot.

Those SNP MSPs clinging to the hope that their partys fortunes will rise again before they have to defend their seats in two years are, I think, doomed to be disappointed.

John Swinney, pictured this morning, has helped to make the SNP the leading home for political losers

The ongoing police investigation - Operation Branchform, - into allegations of fraud and embezzlement involving party funds stands to further damage the party in the months ahead.

The independence movement had begun to fracture long before yesterdays election. Former SNP leader Alex Salmonds Alba Party may not have made an electoral breakthrough this time, but the party - along with the Greens - took votes from the SNP. Some senior Nationalists think worse is to come.

Alba isnt a major threat just now, says one former SNP candidate, But theyre building up their profile. If things get worse for us - and they probably will - then they stand to get better for them.

Speaking after his humiliation on Friday, Mr Swinney said the election result was very, very difficult and damaging and that there would need to be soul searching after such a poor result.

Perhaps you recognise a ring of familiarity to the First Ministers words. He and his nationalist predecessors have all spoken at different times about the need for self-reflection when their secession proposals are rejected by voters.

But the miserable truth is that, for all the fine words of a succession of leaders, the SNP appears institutionally incapable of considering why others might not share its reckless objectives.

When, in 2014, a clear majority of Scots rejected the SNPs independence proposal, then First Minister Alex Salmond promised he would respect the result. Neither he nor any of those who have followed him into the highest office in Scotland did so. Rather, the SNP quickly established the line that those who had voted No to independence had been conned by a malevolent UK government bent on undermining devolution.

This is hardly, admits one SNP MSP, the most sophisticated approach to campaigning for independence.

When we lost in 2014, we knew - I mean all of us in the party - that we had a lot of work to do to get independence back on track. Of course in public youre going to keep defending your position but we knew our proposal had been tested to destruction and that wed have to go back to the drawing board.

But there wasnt much democracy in Nicola Sturgeons party so when she just arbitrarily decided that we were going to start pushing hard for another referendum without even bothering to try to answer questions about pensions and borders, we were all tied in to a stupid strategy.

Instead of actually putting in the time to get those answers we started this gung-ho thing of just demanding we get a second referendum.

Its nobody elses fault we didnt do the work we needed to, is it?

The SNP would be in a fair healthier state today if a single one of its recent leaders had possessed the moral backbone to be honest with members about the difficulty of establishing a second independence referendum.

The vote in 2014 was possible only because then Prime Minister David Cameron agreed to it. The power to run a referendum on the constitution has always lain with Westminster rather than Holyrood.

However, despite the law being entirely unambiguous on this matter, Ms Sturgeon, Mr Yousaf and Mr Swinney are all guilty of having led their followers to believe a vote for the SNP this year would progress the cause of independence.

Had Ms Sturgeon, on succeeding Alex Salmond as First Minister almost a decade ago, said that while she understood the disappointment of those who had campaigned for a yes vote, the result could not be changed and no further referendum would take place without agreement between the UK and Scottish Governments, she would have freed herself to get on with the business of improving Scotlands woefully underperforming public services. With five minutes of honesty in 2014 Ms Sturgeon would perhaps, have improved the SNPs chances of winning independence.

If, rather than spending the best part of a decade tectchily telling voters they wanted a referendum theyd made clear they didnt, the former First Minister had spent her time in office concentrating on improving outcomes in the NHS or driving up standards in schools then perhaps the people of Scotland might be more inclined to believe her party could be trusted to make a success of establishing an independent Scotland.

It would be unfair to place all of the blame for the SNPs current woes at the feet of Ms Sturgeon. Others must share the blame. She did not act alone.

Those closest to Ms Sturgeon throughout her time in office share culpability for the voting publics swift and unforgiving rejection of so many SNP candidates yesterday.

And nobody was closer to Nicola Sturgeon during her time as First Minister than her loyal deputy. He was right by her side as she made every bad call, encouraging her to focus on interminable, divisive constitutional battles rather than on the pressing needs of Scots families.

John Swinney was never going to be able to save the SNP. After all, he shares the blame for the crisis now consuming his party.
Well, folks, there is no getting round it. Our worst fears have been realised. Unless you have been living in a jungle in the Philippines you will by now have heard of the atomic bomb that has detonated over the British political landscape.

Matters have developed, in the immortal phrase of Hirohito after Nagasaki, not necessarily according to the advantage of the Conservative Party; and you will by now be familiar with the recitation of appalling superlatives.

We Tories have turned in the worst electoral performance since the birth of our party almost two centuries ago.

We have allowed Keir Starmer, a glottaly challenged North London lawyer, to lead Labour to one of their biggest victories ever  bigger even than Labours post-war victory in 1945.

Sir Keir Starmer, a glottaly challenged North London lawyer, and his wife Lady Victoria outside 10 Downing Street this morning

A record number of Cabinet Ministers have lost their seats.

The media are treating this election as the political equivalent of the asteroid that landed in the Yucatan Peninsula and killed off the dinosaurs, and, frankly, I can see why. Too many good former colleagues have lost their seats in a cull that has been in many ways unjust, even absurd.

It has been miserable to watch, and it has taken me some time to rouse myself from the sofa and get to the keyboard to compose my thoughts. Like everyone else, my congratulations go to the victors, my sympathies to the defeated  but the people who really need our prayers are the Tory survivors: the 121 bedraggled remnants of the explosion.

They are about to fulfil a vital function on behalf of the entire British public, namely to hold this Starmergeddon majority to account, and it is vital that we give them every possible encouragement.

Dig into the figures, and you find that Starmers landslide is not all it seems.

He got fewer votes than Jeremy Corbyn did in 2017 and 2019. His own majority in Holborn and St Pancras was cut in half. He lost two members of the Shadow Cabinet.

As for his share of the vote, it is one of the lowest winning shares in modern memory  about 34 per cent, or almost ten points lower than the Conservatives winning share in 2019.

There is a mystery about this landslide  and that is, how on earth did the Tories sustain such losses, when support for Labour was so tepid. The answer is complex, as with the extinction of the dinosaurs. But the Yucatan asteroid in this catastrophe was obvious: it was Reform.

I have just got off the phone to an old friend and colleague who had fully expected to win  he had a very big majority  until he realised at the 11th hour that thousands of good Tory voters were going for Reform, and the deduction from his total was enough to put Labour ahead.

Repeat that phenomenon across the political landscape, and you begin to grasp the cause of the landslide.

I am afraid that the cheroot-puffing Pied Piper of Clacton has played a significant part  as he no doubt intended  in the destruction of the Tory government. The question now for the 121 Tories, as they limp back from the guns of Balaclava, is how they respond.

How do we rebuild? How do we come back? Can we come back?

Of course we can  and we will, faster than you think. My friends, this is not as bad as 1997, even if statistically it seems even worse.

Labours majority is built on sand; it is a mile wide and an inch deep; and if the experience of the past five years proves anything, it is that the electorate can flip over a seemingly impregnable position, as a child demolishes a fortress of Lego.

I say to my fellow Conservatives, we are the oldest, most successful political party in British history. We are capable of endless regeneration. We dont need to try to absorb other parties, to try to acquire their vitality like a transfusion of monkey glands.

We need to occupy the space ourselves  and my humble suggestion to the 121 is that they need to rebuild that giant coalition of 2019, get back to some of the big themes that proved so successful that we won seats across the country.

Boris Johnson rallies the Tory faithful at a campaign event in London on Tuesday

I dont know who will be the leader of the Opposition, but here is my ten-point starter plan: how to bash Labour and return to government as soon as possible.

1. Immigration: Starmer is foolishly going to scrap the Rwanda plan, the only scheme yet devised to beat the cross-Channel gangs. Pound him on this.

2. Housing: Labour governments always build fewer homes than Tory governments  because they dont like private property and prefer social housing. Hammer away at this, and give young people the hope of a home, and the most important single reason for voting Tory.

3. Brexit: Starmer is going to try to sneak back into the EU, and turn this country into a satrapy of Brussels. He will try to make this country subject to EU rules, but with no say in making those rules  an anti-democratic abomination. Go critical on this from the outset.

4. Levelling up: Starmer now claims this campaign  but it was our idea, and our plan. Its the right thing for the country, and Labour needs to be held remorselessly to account over everything from high-speed rail (where we should revert to our 2019 policy) to reversing Labours shameful anti-nuclear policy.

5. Crime: Starmer believes in cutting prison sentences and he sides with Sadiq Khan in opposing stop and search. Hes soft. Were tough  and we back the police. We must say so.

6. Net zero: Its the right idea  provided we use it to promote UK green technology, and millions of UK private-sector jobs. Starmer just seems interested in state control and regulation. Our approach is better.

7. Tax and growth: Starmer is obviously about to put taxes up, when they are already at very high levels, and when the state does not always spend our money well. Starmer and his Chancellor Rachel Reeves think they can just get away with these unnecessary tax hikes. Dont let them.

They also want to impose all sorts of crazy new employment rules, such as ethnic pay gap reporting and a ban on contacting colleagues after hours - furthering hindering UK productivity. Oppose this stuff ferociously.

8. Public services: Starmer is viscerally opposed to extra private money going into our services. He seems to hate both private education and private healthcare. His position is grossly illiberal and economically nonsensical. He is also likely to cave in to unreasonable union-driven pay demands. Say no.

9. Wokery: Starmer wants more mandatory wokery. It is important to be sensitive to peoples feelings, but some of this stuff is bonkers and needs to be opposed.

10. Global Britain: There is a real danger that traditional pro-Moscow sentiment in the Labour Party will lead to a softening of the UK position on Ukraine. That would be a tragedy.

Last thought  when we get back in, dont be too hasty to get rid of successful election-winning leaders. As I never tire of telling people, some polls put us only two or three points behind, in the days before I was forced to resign in what was really a media-driven hoo-ha. As for Reform, it was regularly polling zero. Only pointing it out...
The signs of a powerful and coordinated sectarian campaign in this election were palpable on the morning of the vote itself.

Outside polling stations in London's Tower Hamlets, South Tottenham and Ilford, Palestinian flags were fluttering as a sharp reminder to the electorate which way to vote.

The General Election of 2024 will go down in history as the one in which Islamist religious politics gained a firm foothold in our democracy.

In Birmingham Yardley  a constituency where at least one in five residents is Muslim  Labour's MP Jess Phillips has told of facing vile abuse, despite having voted in favour of a Gaza 'ceasefire' in the Commons and after opposing 'Islamophobia' all her political life.

Ms Phillips, who saw her majority slashed to just 693 against a candidate from George Galloway's Workers Party, faced down a jeering and booing crowd who shouted, 'Free, free Palestine!' as she tried to deliver her acceptance speech.

In Birmingham Yardley, Labour 's MP Jess Phillips told of facing vile abuse, despite having voted in favour of a Gaza 'ceasefire' in the Commons and after opposing 'Islamophobia' all her political life

Ms Phillips, undaunted, told them this had been 'the worst election I have ever stood in', adding that the campaign had been 'gruesome'. Fighting back tears in a later TV interview, she said that 'British politics has got caustic and nasty and dishonest, and we have to be really careful'.

Labour workers had been trailed in the streets, she said. One had had her car tyres slashed. A young woman delivering leaflets on her own 'was screamed at by a much older man' who filmed her on his phone.

Ms Phillips had hoped to be joined by the family of slain MP Jo Cox who wanted to campaign with her, she said, but added: 'There is absolutely no way I could have allowed for them to see what was aggressive and violence in our democracy . . . Our country is in desperate need  and our politics is in even greater need of cleaning up.'

Following this week's results, however, many fear that the direction of travel in our democracy is increasingly toxic.

Although Ms Phillips kept her seat, Labour surrendered five constituencies to explicitly pro-Gaza candidates. Among these, Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth, a party heavyweight, lost his large 22,000-strong majority in Leicester South to independent Shockat Adam Patel, who in his victory speech announced: 'This is for the people of Gaza!'

In Dewsbury and Batley, the new MP is one Iqbal Mohamed, who complained in one extraordinary outburst: 'Both main parties have given their full support to genocide in Palestine.'

In Birmingham Perry Barr, Ayoub Khan has overturned a huge 15,000 majority.

Meanwhile, Blackburn, Lancashire, has sent socialists (including the widely admired late Labour minister Barbara Castle and former Home Secretary Jack Straw) to Westminster for 69 years.

Yet in this campaign, the once-proud cotton town has seen Muslim men marching through its terraced streets, brandishing the Palestinian flag while hijab-wearing women screamed that a vote for Labour was a vote for 'genocide' in faraway lands.

Blackburn's new independent MP Adnan Hussain, who overturned an 18,000-strong majority, called during his acceptance speech for a moment of silence to remember the 'ongoing bombings' in Gaza.

Noting that the pro-Palestine movement was spreading in Muslim communities throughout Britain, he added: 'Our brothers and sisters here in Bastwell [a suburb of Blackburn] have the same concerns as those in Mill Hill, London. We have to stick together.'

In a raft of other seats, Labour won only narrowly against a concerted pro-Palestinian campaign. Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting escaped defeat by a whisker in Ilford North, seeing his 9,000-strong majority collapse to just 528 against 23-year-old pro-Palestine internet 'influencer' Leanne Mohamad.

Outside polling stations in London's Tower Hamlets, South Tottenham and Ilford, Palestinian flags were fluttering as a sharp reminder to the electorate which way to vote

Streeting said it had been the ugliest campaign he had ever seen, pointing in particular to faked recordings purporting to be of him that were leaked on social media. In one such forgery  a sign of the dirty tricks to which some have been willing to stoop  'Streeting' was asked if he cared about innocent Palestinians being killed. His apparent response, certain to appal his Muslim electorate, was: 'No I f***ing don't. Now f*** off you little c***.'

Streeting later said the recordings were so convincing, even a seasoned Tory peer had been taken in by them.

Streeting's opponent, the very vocal Ms Mohamad, told the Guardian how dimly Britain's large Muslim population had viewed Streeting's abstention in the Commons vote on a 'ceasefire' in Gaza, saying: 'My community was angry [at him]. Because a genocide was taking place in front of their eyes, livestreamed and televised.' She added later: 'There is a visceral distaste for Labour.'

Ms Mohamad is also an avid supporter of far-Left firebrand Jeremy Corbyn who, as an Independent running on yet another pro-Gaza ticket, won his Islington North seat in a further sign of rising sectarianism at Westminster.

'Palestine is on the ballot,' Corbyn had declared.

In this febrile environment, it is perhaps just as well that Corbyn's fellow far-Leftist George Galloway lost his seat in Rochdale  though he lacked the courage to turn up for the result.

In some places, the distaste for the new Government has led to ugly scenes illustrating the rapidly changing face of multi-ethnic Britain.

In London's Bethnal Green, which boasts a sprawling Muslim population, Labour's candidate Rushanara Ali (who also abstained on a ceasefire vote) was confronted by four children, looking no more than eight years old, and a woman wearing a full black burqa. In shocking footage captured on social media, the woman encouraged her young flock to scream, 'Shame on you!' at the sitting MP through a megaphone.

Ms Ali was even depicted in one grossly offensive leaflet sprouting a pair of devil horns and has told how pro-Palestinian campaigners repeatedly harassed and taunted her during the campaign.

Shabana Mahmood, who won the Birmingham Ladywood seat, went further. She said in her speech, as police lined the guarded stage, that attacks on her team during the campaign amounted to an 'assault on democracy'.

At one point in the election run-up masked men had disrupted a community meeting, 'terrifying' people in attendance, she said, adding that she had been called an 'infidel'.

Labour is now set to take on the task of Government. This will be tough enough after Sir Keir promised more to 'working people' and those who are jobless or can't make ends meet.

Yet also high on the agenda will be sorting out a hardline Islamist sectarianism that is increasingly taking root in our politics  with the Labour Party unable or unwilling to address it.

First it came to our local councils: readers will remember the Green Party councillor, Mothin Ali, screaming 'Allahu akbar!' at his election in Leeds in May.

Now it has reached the Parliamentary estate itself. However much Labour tries to placate this unhappy group, it may not win the battle.

At the eleventh hour during the campaign, the party parachuted activists into staunchly Muslim areas to try to shore up votes. It was all to little avail. Labour's vote is down on average by 11 per cent in these constituencies.

And when Britain next goes to the polls in five years' time, that share is likely to fall further. The Muslim Vote, an activist group which co-ordinated Islamist and pro-Palestine candidates at this election, has promised it is in the fight for the long term.

Labour  and the country at large  would be wise to take it at its word.
Last Sunday evening, as England scraped through to the quarter finals after enacting an extraordinary last-minute turnaround to beat Slovakia, Rishi Sunak tweeted: 'It's not over until it's over' - but it is now.

This afternoon, Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Buckingham Palace where King Charles will invite him to form a government after the Labour Party won a landslide in the 2024 General Election.

It was an unusual campaign in which his wife and the mother of his two children, Vic Starmer, didn't appear often on the trail as a 'reluctant political spouse' as she has previously been dubbed.

Nonetheless she has fought off competition to become the UK's incoming First Lady, and will now accompany Sir Keir as he and his family move into 10 Downing Street.

But elsewhere, political spouses will be on hand to commiserate and congratulate their party-leader partners - from those whose parties suffered heavy defeats last night, to those who enormously outperformed even the most optimistic poll predictions.

The partners of some of our most prominent politicians could not be more different; from a billionaire heiress to an IT fortune to a 'sassy' NHS worker who began her relationship with her husband via a scrappy phone call - and the carer who looks after her disabled son full time.

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at the women behind the men of the hour who have tirelessly supported their partners during a gruelling election campaign...

Lady Victoria Starmer: The 'sassy' wife and reluctant political spouse who will keep her job in the NHS after moving into Downing Street

Lady Victoria Starmer shared a sweet kiss with her husband as Labour celebrated an historic electoral victory

Joining Sir Keir in Downing Street will be his wife of 14 years, Lady Victoria Starmer.

The former lawyer, who now works in occupational health for the NHS, largely keeps out of the limelight and has mostly avoided the campaign trial while helping her oldest son, 16, through his GCSEs.

In an interview with LBC Sir Keir said she had been helping to provide their children an 'environment where to study calmly.'

Mrs Starmer's preference to stay out of the political limelight contrasts with the more public role of Akshata Murty, Rishi Sunak's wife, who appeared at several key events, including the Tory manifesto launch.

Speaking during an LBC radio call-in event, Sir Keir described his wife to host Nick Ferrari as 'very plain speaking and very down to earth' and 'very supportive.'

Asked why she was not more often in the public eye, the Labour leader said: 'Vic does quite a bit with me, but during this campaign two things: One, she is working at the NHS in a hospital.

The partners of political heavyweights who have battled it out in the General Election have been working tirelessly behind the scenes this election

Vic Starmer, the wife of Sir Keir Starmer, has previously been dubbed a 'reluctant political spouse' but will now become the First Lady of the UK

'Two, and I don't make a lot of this, is our boy has been doing his GCSEs and therefore we took the decision that whilst I was out and about on the road, we wanted to create the environment where he could study calmly.'

Sir Keir, who is also very private about his family life, would also not be drawn into saying whether he would move his children into Downing Street if Labour wins the election - nonetheless, the couple's private life has occasionally come into focus.

Ms. Starmer, known affectionately by friends as Lady Victoria, has a Polish-Jewish father and a mother who converted to Judaism.

The family continues to observe the tradition of Friday night dinners at home and attends London's Liberal Jewish Synagogue in St John's Wood, Sir Keir told The Jewish Chronicle in March 2021.

Born and raised in London, Ms. Starmer grew up in Gospel Oak in the north of the capital, near where the couple now lives with their two children.

She met Sir Keir while working as a solicitor, and he was a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in the early 2000s, according to the Independent.

They married in 2007 and and now live in a 1.75 million townhouse in Starmer's Holborn and St Pancras constituency.

Ms. Starmer later chose to leave the legal profession to focus on her role in the NHS and as a school governor. Despite Sir Keir's new role as Prime Minister, she plans to continue her NHS work, which she loves, according to her husband.

Unlike the wives of previous prime ministers, Mrs Starmer has made few public appearances.

Keir and Victoria met when he was working as a barrister and she was a solicitor via a phone call in which he grilled her on intricate details of a case

The couple pictured on their wedding day in Essex with Keir's parents Jo, who suffered from Still's Disease, and Rod

She participated in the 80th anniversary service for the Battle of Britain in 2020 and attended Labour's conference in Brighton in 2021.

More recently, she joined Sir Keir at events like the Euro 2020 Final, a vigil for Sarah Everard, and Wimbledon's women's singles semi-finals as well as an appearance at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

A Labour insider described Ms. Starmer to The Daily Telegraph as 'quite sassy' and 'unbothered by what [Keir] is doing.'

They added: 'If he ever gets into Downing Street, she's going to be very much leading her own life. They have a great dynamic - she spends quite a lot of time taking the mickey out of him because he can be so serious.'

As Sir Keir Starmer takes office, the nation watches closely, hoping for renewed direction and leadership after years of Conservative governance.

Meanwhile, the Starmer family's approach to public and private life will undoubtedly bring a fresh dynamic to Downing Street.

Ms. Starmer has also occupied a few the different roles in the course of her career - however they look a little different to Akshata Murty's millions.

Vic began her career as a solicitor, and met her husband during her time in law.

Alongside her legal role, Vic also took on a position mentoring deprived children, according to the Guardian.

In 2015, it was reported she had taken on a role of governor at her children's school in Kentish Town.

However, in recent years Vic has moved away from law and is no longer listed in the Solicitors Regulation Authority as a practicing solicitor.

Instead, she now works in occupational health in the NHS.

Sir Keir has previously revealed his wife is a sounding board for his health and public services policies.

He told the Mirror: 'She loves working for the NHS. She loves the team that she's working with.'

He added: 'I get a direct line of sight on a daily basis into the challenges of the NHS and the morale of the staff.'

Victoria's first meeting with her now-husband Keir doesn't quite match the fairytale of Rishi and Akshata's young love.

In fact, the Labour leader often jokes that the pair didn't get off on the right foot - to the point where Vic swore about him during their first interaction.

At the time, Vic was working as a solicitor and Keir was a QC. Having never spoken with her before, Keir called her at work one day to ask questions about the documents he had been given.

Recalling the call on Piers Morgan's Life Stories in 2021, Keir said: 'I was doing a case in court and it all depended on whether the documents were accurate.

'I [asked my colleagues] who actually drew up these documents, they said a woman called Victoria, so I said let's get her on the line.'

As he continued to question her over technical details in the documents and their accuracy, he sensed her becoming more and more agitated - to the point where he heard her mutter: 'Who the f*** does he think he is?'

However, the human rights barrister eventually managed to win over the solicitor, and the pair had their first date in the Lord Stanley pub in Camden.

The couple married a few years later in 2007, on the Fennes Estate in Essex. They share two children; 15-year-old Toby and a 12-year-old daughter whose name has never been made public.

Akshata Murty: Billionaire heiress with a love of fashion who grew up in India and walks the family Labrador in St James' Park

Akshata Murty will no doubt be commiserating her husband, outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak, after his Conservative Party suffered catastrophic losses

Akshata, the daughter of a billionaire IT mogul, has been by her husband's side for much of the Tory campaign

When Rishi Sunak and his wife moved into Downing Street in 2022, they became the richest couple ever to have occupied its halls - but much of that wealth came from Akshata.

The 44-year-old is a billionaire heiress and is said to be wealthier than King Charles due to her 430 million stake in her father's IT empire.

Akshata is the daughter of N. R. Narayana Murthy, a founder of the Indian multinational IT company Infosys.

Meanwhile her mother, Sudha, is an educator and philanthropist who was once a chair on the board of Infosys.

Akshata and her brother Rohan grew up in Jayanagar, a suburb of Bangalore. She studied in India until university, when she moved to the US and attended Claremont McKenna College in California, before moving on to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and later, Stanford University.

The couple married at a lavish ceremony in India after the pair met at Stanford University in California

Despite being a daughter of a billionaire, Akshata recently revealed she likes the 'simple' 'everyday things' in life.

Speaking to the Times, she revealed she 'rarely' gets recognised and often walks the family Labrador in St. James' Park.

'I go to Tesco or the little Sainsbury's or I go to the M&S in Victoria,' she said.

After moving to the US to complete her studies, Akshata received a diploma from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in LA.

In her earliest years with Rishi, she pursued a career in fashion and set up her own business in 2007, Akshata Designs.

The label intended to celebrate Indian culture, discovering artists in remote villages and working with them and their designs to create her own.

'I'm about the story behind a particular garment, it's authenticity, craftsmanship and protecting a rich heritage,' she told Vogue. 'I care about doing something in India, for India because it's part of our family's DNA.'

However, her business venture fell flat and collapsed after just three years.

Despite this, Akshata has not shied away from business ventures and has held stakes in business over the years including the family empire, Infosys and a project she and Rishi set up together, Catamaran Ventures UK.

She has also been linked to Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria and Etonian tailor, New & Lingwood.

As of 2022, Akshata was listed as a director of the UK arm of software company Soroco, which was co-founded by her brother Rohan.

Shortly after she moved into 10 Downing Street, Akshata started a public Instagram profile, on which she shared more information about public appearances and visits she carried out in her capacity as first lady.

They include receiving other world leaders and their partners in official state visits, playing with children at schools - and she even shared a selfie from the King's Coronation concert.

She has also shared glimpses into family life with Rishi, their two daughters Krishna and Anoushka, and the family dog Nova.

A notable guest hosted by Akshata during her time in Downing Street was Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska.

The pair cut powerful figures as they stood outside the door to the Prime Minister's residence - with Akshata dressed in blue, one of the colours on the Ukrainian flag.

They waved to the world's press outside the home while holding hands, in a show of unity while Ukraine remains under siege from Putin's forces since the 2022 invasion.

Ms Murty's introduction into public life brought plenty of scrutiny in many areas of her background - notably, her exceptional wealth and tax affairs due to her 'non dom' status.

However what she may not have expected was a backlash over her outfits.

Akshata's earliest appearances in the public eye saw her opting for very expensive pieces, including a 1,000 leather skirt and a pair of slippers costing 570.

Her fashion choices sparked criticism from some who thought her style was 'out of touch' with the average woman in Britain.

Since then, Akshata has altered her choices - opting for more upmarket high street brands.

Celebrity stylist Rochelle White told FEMAIL Akshata's image is 'fashion focused and forward'.

She said: 'She tends to wear colours and styles that are bold and make a statement, which I think represents her.

'As she has worked in fashion and I feel that is a big part of her and her personality she will naturally have an eye for colour palettes, styles and trend pieces that she can wear.

'I think she is also aware that eyes are on her and makes conscious decisions about what she is wearing and even in some cases who.'

Emily Gasson: The Lib Dem candidate who looks after her disabled son and met her husband campaigning

Ed Davey's partner Emily, who cares for their disabled son, went to the polling station to vote yesterday

Motther-of-two Emily Gasson has run to be an MP before, standing in North Dorset in 2005 while also being listed in the London Assembly elections

Unlike Victoria and Akshata, Emily Gasson is involved in politics - meeting her husband Ed Davery through the Liberal Democrat party.

In fact, the mother-of-two has even run to be an MP before, standing in North Dorset in 2005, while also being listed on the London-wide candidate list for the 2016 London Assembly elections and as a councillor for the three-seat Norbiton Ward in 2018.

As well as being a carer for her 16-year-old son, who has a neurological condition and needs round-the-clock care, in 2022 she revealed she has multiple sclerosis

Speaking to The Guardian she said she was diagnosed 10 years ago and that her MS had worsened 'since lockdown'.

'It can be serious, but not in Emily's case. She's bloomin' active,' Ed said.

'We're very fortunate. We get a lot of support from Emily's family and obviously we have decent salaries.'

Speaking in 2017, Ed said: 'Emily and I met through the party. I was chairing a Housing Policy Working Group and she was a member, as a social housing lawyer. What could be more romantic?'

The pair tied the knot in 2016 and have two children, John, 16, and Ellie, nine.

Sir Ed recently to hold back tears as he revealed one of his 'biggest fears' is what will happen to his disabled son when he is gone.

The former Cabinet minister spoke in an emotional TV interview about John, 16, who can't walk and has only limited speech due to a neurological condition.

'He's going to need 24/7 care for the rest of his life, I worry about who is going to look after him,' Sir Ed told ITV.

He also said he felt 'a duty' to stand up for carers during the general election campaign due to his personal experiences.

Sir Ed was only four when his father died and still a teenager when his mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness. His wife, Emily Gasson, has multiple sclerosis.

Speaking about raising John together, Sir Ed told ITV Tonight's The Leader Interviews: 'My wife has MS so she can do quite a bit but she can't do some things.

'My day tends to start with getting him out of bed, taking him to the toilet, taking his nappy off to give him a shower and cleaning his teeth.

'We massage him every day keep his limbs supple. He'll wake up between 5.30 and 6 o'clock and shout for his daddy, so his daddy has to get up and start that routine.'

Sir Ed took last weekend off from election campaigning in order to care for John, as he described being a father as 'the most joyful and important thing I do'.

'One of my biggest fears in life is what happens to him when I'm gone,' he added.

'I reflect on what my mother thought. I remember I'd been on a school trip to Germany when she was ill and I took a picture of me and this German girl - we'd spoken for about five minutes, it wasn't anything more than that.

'I showed my trip photos to my mum, and she said to me, 'I wonder who you are going to end up with?''

As his voice cracked with emotion, Sir Ed added: 'It's slightly different with John - because he's going to need 24/7 care for the rest of his life, I worry about who is going to look after him.

'No one is going to love him or hold him like I or my wife hold him, so we think about that.

'I'm sure all parents think about that, in some way, but when you've got a child that's so vulnerable with special needs, it's particularly pertinent.

'I think caring and carers is something that I almost have a duty to stand up for and talk about.'

Laure Ferrari: Nigel Farage's French lover who has been 'whipping him into shape' but didn't want to 'overshadow him on the campaign trial

Nigel Farage and his French partner, fellow Eurosceptic Laure Ferrari, gave a thumbs up as they celebrated his win in Clacton last night

Laure Ferrari - a French Eurosceptic 15 years younger than Mr Farage - has been described as the Reform leader's 'secret weapon'.

But the Frenchwoman stayed away from his campaign trial, to not distract the leader.

A source with knowledge of their relationship previously told MailOnline: 'Laure and Nigel are both rebels - but she wouldn't want her presence to overshadow his best chance of getting to Westminster'. But the insider added: 'If it would help him, and Reform, I'm sure she would happily be his secret weapon'.

Like the Reform leader's two ex-wives, Laure has kept a low profile but there was shock when she decided to appear on live TV in front of millions to meet her partner, 15 years her senior, after he came third in I'm a Celebrity last December.

But in recent months Laure and Nigel posed on the red carpet as they attended the Inspiration Awards For Women 2024 in London and did the same at a polo event at the end of May.

Mr Farage and Ms Ferrari have been together since 2017 - after they were spotted at his London home after he moved out of the family home in Kent and dancing together at a Brexit anniversary party.

Despite the yawning gap in their ages and roles, Ms Ferrari told MailOnline before her trip to the jungle last year: 'I was first attracted to Nigel's values as a man. He has loyalty, empathy and never breaks his promises. I find that very attractive.'

She has also been credited with helping Nigel lose weight and get healthier - mainly through cutting down on pints and cigarettes - although not completely.

They first met in 2007, when Nigel was a MEP in Brussels.

Laure began working for Mr Farage and fellow Ukip MEP Godfrey Bloom after meeting them in the Strasbourg restaurant where she waited tables.

Describing what happened, she said previously: 'I met these two MEPs and we started talking about politics.

'The two Brits have no hierarchy and neither of them comes from a political background.'

In June 2013, Miss Ferrari posted on Twitter a link to a newspaper feature asking 'Why do more women want to bed Nigel Farage over David Cameron?'

But it was only four years later that their working relationship became romantic - and more political.

Nigel Farages wife of 18 years has moved out of the family home  eight months after The Mail on Sunday revealed he was living with French politician Laure Ferrari (pictured with Mr Farage in 2017)

Laure was staying with Nigel at his London home - but insisted it was a work arrangement

She was originally Mr Bloom's parliamentary assistant then head of public relations to a European Parliament grouping led by Mr Farage, and was a candidate for a small Right-wing party known as Debout la Republique (Arise The Republic) at European elections in 2014.

The party, later renamed Debout la France, was one of ten nationalist parties that make up the ADDE group, which was set up in 2014 by Ukip and funded by the European Parliament.

In March 2015, she was elected as executive director for the ADDE's think tank, the IDDE.

The two organisations shared an office in Brussels but Ms Ferrari moved to London, setting up a consultancy firm from an address in Clapham.

Ms Ferrari then spoke alongside Ukip politicians and other Brexit campaigners at public events in Dorset and Norfolk ahead of the EU referendum in 2016.

In 2017 she was spotted staying with Mr Farage, but he said they were friends.

The new Reform leader said he was giving Miss Ferrari 'short-term help' with her accommodation because she had nowhere else to go and needed money.

Asked if he had slept with her, he said: 'I'm not answering ludicrous questions, like have you ever held her hand, ever had dinner with her.

'She is someone I have worked with and known well for a long time who wanted somewhere to stay for a week that wouldn't cost her any money. It's a working relationship. You can inflate it however you want to.'

But that working relationship turned to romance.

Born in 1979 and raised in Epinal in North-East France, Miss Ferrari moved 90 miles to study English at the University of Strasbourg, and then spent two more years there doing a master's in communications.

After her studies, she took out a bank loan and opened a clothes shop in Strasbourg called Urban Flavor, as 'I couldn't see myself working for someone else'.

But the business did not flourish and financial difficulties led her to work as a waitress in the evenings - where she met her now partner.

Mr Farage's partners have largely kept a low profile.

In a rare interview his German-born second wife Kirsten Farage spoke out to deny he is racist, insisting he does not have a bad bone in his body and the accusation 'hurts him'.

If he was a racist I wouldnt be with him. I dont think he has got a nasty bone in his body  he is not a bully, he likes things done properly,' she said.

Mrs Farage added: It hurts him being personally attacked but it doesnt make me feel uncomfortable because I know he is not a racist.

Mrs Farage, who is notoriously publicity shy, broke her silence in 2016 to paint the father of four as a dutiful family man who enjoys watching Dads Army, though she admitted he was often so busy that they only saw him on television.

She told the Daily Telegraph her husbands hectic lifestyle  in which he drank and smoked too much, skipped meals and lived on adrenalin  made her fear for his health.

Hamburg-born Kirsten kept a very low profile and was rarely seen in public. At Ukip conferences, she sat anonymously in the audience.

She worked from home and rarely visited Ukips HQ in Londons Mayfair, which she described as a freak show.

Eight months after he was seen with Laure at a London property, Nigel Farages wife of 18 years moved out of the family home in Kent.

Friends said it was a sign that he was getting serious with Ms Ferrari.

In his early 20s Nigel Farage had the first of several brushes with death, when he was run over by a car in Orpington, Kent, after a night in the pub.

He sustained severe injuries and doctors feared he would lose a leg.

But it would also lead to marriage and two children.

Mr Farage was treated by a nurse called Grainne Hayes - who became his first wife.

He had two sons with Ms Hayes, who are both now grown up.

After splitting with Ms Hayes he married German-born bond trader Kirsten Mehr in 1999.

She and Mr Farage met in Frankfurt in 1996, while he was travelling on business - and still married to his first wife.

Of the moment he met Kirsten, he once said: She was a stunning government bond broker whose brisk efficiency at first sight belied her ethereal appearance. She could have stepped into a pre-Raphaelite painting no questions asked.

Later, he explained in typically flamboyant style: My marriage, which had been on ice and torpid with its claws bound for so long we had both forgotten it was alive at all, finally expired.

The couple divorced in 1997 and Mr Farage married Kirsten in 1999. They have two children.
Queen Mary was all smiles as she visited a sustainable daycare institution

Queen Mary looked in high spirits as she visited a children's daycare institution in Greenland today.

The royal, 52, beamed as she interacted with children at the sustainable Naasut institution in Nuuk, which translates to 'flower' in Greenlandic.

The institution works with the Mary Foundation's anti-bullying program called 'Free From Bullying' which has been rolled out in The Faroe Islands, Estonia, Iceland, Romania, France and Greenland.

Mary looked every inch a Queen in a crisp white pleated long-sleeved blouse which she tucked into black cigarette trousers.

Mary wore her glossy brunette tresses down in a styled wavy blow-dry and opted for natural makeup with a hint of eyeliner and mascara.

Mary beamed as she interacted with children at the sustainable Naasut institution in Nuuk, which translates to 'flower' in Greenlandic

Mary was pictured sitting down on a chair and appeared to be listening intently whilst smiling at the children in the classroom

In one sweet snap, Mary is seen getting down on her knees to sit with the children on the ground, with one boy holding up a small purple teddy bear to her face.

The youngsters were joined by the mother-of-four as a teacher at the daycare held up a colourful book to grab their attention.

Mary was pictured sitting down on a chair and appeared to be listening intently whilst smiling at the children in the classroom.

Mary and her husband King Frederik, 56, arrived in Greenland with their children, Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, last Saturday and they are due to leave the country tomorrow.

Yesterday, the Queen helped work on a memorial stone for native Greenlander polar explorer Arnarulunnguaq in a workshop in Nuuk.

On Monday, Frederik and Mary appeared in high spirits as they took to Attu, where the village council chairman, Per Ole Frederiksen, who grew up in the town, welcomed them.

The small community, with approximately 170 inhabitants, is located on a smaller island of the same name in the Qeqertalik municipality.

In one sweet snap, Mary is seen getting down on her knees to sit with the children on the ground, with one boy holding up a small purple teddy bear to her face

Yesterday, the Queen helped work on a memorial stone for native Greenlander polar explorer Arnarulunnguaq in a workshop in Nuuk

During the outing on Monday, Mary and Frederik toured the village of Attu by foot with locals who grew up in the village

Mary and her husband King Frederik, 56, arrived in Greenland with their children, Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent (all pictured), last Saturday and they are due to leave the country tomorrow

The pair also received gifts during a Greenland tradition called kaffemik, which marks a special social occasion.

The duo, who became King and Queen at the start of the year, looked every inch the happy couple as soon as they touched down in Greenland last week.

As one of their first activities, the family visited a viewpoint with a whale microphone at Qeqertarsuaq.

But Crown Prince Christian, 18, who celebrated his school graduation last week, and Princess Isabella, 17, did not attend.
A former McDonald's corporate chef has revealed the things foodies may not know about the chain - including what temperature the fan-favorite pies are cooked at and how employees were once trained.

Illinois-based Mike Haracz, who worked at the company until 2019, frequently takes to TikTok to spill his insider knowledge about the fast-food chain's prices, burgers and jaw-dropping secrets.

Most recently, he tantalized fans by dishing out the three things even the most dedicated McDonald's lovers probably don't know.

In a viral video, which has so far amassed over 31,000 followers, chef Mike revealed the one food item that is cooked a different temperature than the others.

He also shared his thoughts on the action-filled location that the fast food giant used to train employees and test new items at.

Former McDonald's corporate chef Mike Haracz has revealed the things foodies may not know about the chain

What you may not know about McDonald's

The chain uses the same supplier for all foods except its pies

McDonald's done means when a food is well overcooked to meet food safety standards

There was once a large training facility in the suburbs Advertisement

The chef captioned the clip: 'Former corporate chef tells you the three things you might not know.'

First, he revealed that McDonald's uses the same supplier for multiple food items.

However, there is one item that has its own manufacturer, according to the former chef.

He explained: 'McDonald's uses multiple suppliers for all of their things - not only because they are so large but because if there is an issue with one, they could just get another supplier to make it.

'But, there is one product that they only have one supplier for - and that is its pies.'

Secondly, Mike revealed that for food safety reasons there is a certain rule about cooking temperatures.

'There is a term called "McDonald's done" and what that means is for food safety purposes, most of the things are cooked at 165 degrees.

'But, when you set cook times and temperatures for food safety, you have to put in a buffer to make sure that even if you get the biggest chicken nugget in the worst fryer, it's still cooked all the way through.

The Illinois-based expert, who worked at the company until 2019, took to TikTok to spill the secrets about the fast-food chain

'So the average temperature actually needs to be 175 or 180 degrees. So, that is when something is "McDonald's done," it won't be cooked at 160, it will be well overcooked, which is your target for food safety,' he explained.

Lastly, the former chef spoke about the facility, which has since closed, that the fast food giant used to train employees at.

He explained that the large space was located in the suburbs and was a great place for new employees to get up to speed.

It was also used to test the products as well crew placement.

Chef Mike compared it to a 'movie set' - adding that it was always packed with action.

'It was a multi-thousand square foot room where multiple kitchens could be set up to replicate what it would be like working at McDonald's,' he explained.

Chef Mike often posts about his days at McDonald's - previously revealing why you should avoid visiting the fast-food restaurant before 10.30am

He also said that the people working at the facility were always cooking a large amount of food.

'The crew would have to actually execute these orders,' he added.

So, whenever you needed '36 chicken nuggets or 50 milkshakes,' you could just go up and grab them.

Mike often posts about his days at McDonald's - previously revealing why you should avoid visiting the fast-food restaurant before 10.30am as well as how menu items are decided in your region.
Although Sir Keir Starmer stormed to victory in the General Election which saw one of Labour's largest ever majorities, he still had to run his new government by King Charles first.

As is convention, the leader of the winning party must travel to Buckingham Palace, where the monarch invites him or her to form a new government.

The incoming prime minister will then 'kiss the hands' of the monarch, which confirms their role as leader of the country in an official tradition.

A statement released by Buckingham Palace this afternoon read: 'The King received in Audience The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP today and requested him to form a new Administration.

'Sir Keir accepted His Majesty's offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.'

Prime Minister Keir Starmer shakes hands with King Charles today in the private Audience Room in Buckingham Palace where he is officially invited to form the next government after Labour's landslide victory in the General Election

The prime minister and the King sit in the private audience room, where the monarch tends to hold private meetings, as Sir Keir takes to government

Today, King Charles welcomed the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer into the Audience Room at Buckingham Palace - a lavishly decorated mint green drawing room where the monarch typically hosts private meetings.

While he has kept many of his late mother's features and decorations in the room, Charles has also put his own spin on aspects of the grand space within the royal residence.

Here is FEMAIL's guide to King Charles's intimate meeting space, where only the most exclusive guests are lucky enough to set foot...

The Queen held her weekly audience with Prime Minster Boris Johnson at Buckingham Palace today for the first time in 18-months.

1. English gilt mirror

Above the porcelain birds is an English gilt mirror, believed to be valued upwards of 30,000. Reflected in the mirror is another mirror on a different wall within the room.

2. Clock

In front of the mirror is a white marble and gilt bronze clock, valued at at least 4,000.

3. French rug from the 17th century

The patterned carpet in the private Audience Room is brown with gold borders and covers much of the space on the floor.

4. Photo of royal cousins - possibly King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden

The King features many photos of royal cousins on his side table; but this official portrait is tricky to identify. It appears to be King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.

Charles appears to favour snaps of more distant relatives in the room in a break from his late mother's preference; which featured portraits of closer relatives.

For example, she displayed engagement photos of both Harry and Meghan and Kate and William on the side during her reign; as well as photos of King Charles and Princess Anne.

5. Photo of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands

As one of many photos on King Charles's drawing table, the snap of the Dutch King and Queen takes pride of place.

The Dutch King Willem-Alexander is King Charles's sixth cousin. He is a descendent of Princess Carolina, while King Charles' lineage also dates back to Princess Carolina through his great-grandmother Queen Mary.

6. Photo of Queen Margrethe

Another of the photos of the foreign royals on display in King Charles's private audience room is Queen Margrethe of Denmark.

The former queen, now 84, abdicated in a shock announcement on new year's eve of 2023. She was succeeded by her son, King Frederik X.

7. 18th Century art

On the wall behind the King and Prime Minster is a painting by Canaletto that is dated circa 1750-51.

The piece, titled The Thames from Somerset House Terrace towards the City, is part of a pairing created by the Italian artist during his time in London.

It recently replaced another painting by the same artist, which hung in the room for years, and is believe to be worth upwards of 2million.

8. Flowers

The King's fondness for flowers is clear; as he has chosen to fill his desk with bouquets in official photos since he ascended the throne.

In this particular bunch, he has opted for orang lilies, what appear to be blue stocks, eucalyptus and hydrangeas.
When it comes to style, we are all inspired by what we see; whether it be a well-dressed celebrity, a blow-your-mind catwalk presentation or even a fashionable passerby.

As fashion editors, we're moved by all of the above, and then some. We're exposed to under-the-radar labels; we get a first-hand look at collections months before they hit stores; we attend VIP events; we're tapped into brands with chic-yet-cheap offerings and we shop  a lot.

To share our knowledge, FEMAIL brings you Style Swoon, a weekly series of the latest, greatest and on the verge. We hope this series will serve as a buying guide and point of inspiration for all.

On Saturday, June 29 LAGENCE Fashion Director Tara Rudes-Dann hosted a dinner in partnership with Hamptons Magazine with co-host Aurora James

Ladies who L'AGENCE

On Saturday, June 29 LAGENCE Fashion Director Tara Rudes-Dann hosted a dinner in partnership with Hamptons Magazine with co-host Aurora James.

The elegant evening took place at N'AMO, located at 474 W Lake Drive in Montauk.

Before sitting down to dinner, industry icons like Rachel Zoe and Cynthia Rowley enjoyed cocktails by Casa Del Sol tequila.

In celebration of summer, long tables were dressed in tablecloths featuring a bold tropical print and accented by Birds-of-Paradise bouquets and rattan candles.

The elegant evening took place at N'AMO, located at 474 W Lake Drive in Montauk

Before sitting down to dinner, industry icons like Rachel Zoe and Cynthia Rowley enjoyed cocktails by Casa Del Sol tequila

LAGENCE Fashion Director Tara Rudes-Dann (pictured with Victoria Brito and Faviana Matata) debuted a denim dress from the label that's not yet available

A mix of VIP brand fans and tastemakers in attendance were all clad in the labels Summer 2024 Collection.

Tara stunned in a denim dress (not yet available!), while Rachel Zoe cut a stylish figure in one of L'AGENCE's many bold prints.

The celeb stylist-turned-designer looked fierce in the brand's Pilar pant, Colin blazer, and Jaxon lace-trim bodysuit, all featuring a leopard pattern.

While Irina Kro Eicke wore the same style of pants and blazer but in a romantic rose print.

A mix of VIP brand fans and tastemakers in attendance were all clad in the brands Summer 2024 Collection

Founder of fashion label Brother Vellies , Aurora James, was the epitome of Montauk chic in the L'AGENCE Ethan open knit pullover

On June 28th, Ray-Ban I Meta hosted an experiential concert celebrating the latest smart glasses collection

The one-night only event took place at 99 Scott, an event space and cultural programming venue located in Brooklyn, New York

Wearable tech

On June 28th, Ray-Ban I Meta hosted an experiential concert celebrating the latest smart glasses collection.

The one-night only event took place at 99 Scott, an event space and cultural programming venue located in Brooklyn, New York.

The concert featured Hip Hops superstars Offset and Busta Rhymes with sounds by DJ Saige and special performances by Coi Leray and Rhymes son, Trillian.

Titled, Hands Free Brooklyn, guests were encouraged to explore the new Ray-Ban I Meta collection through a series of hands-free activities that included immersive mirror and graffiti installations.

In conjunction with the event, a social campaign featured UKs Little Simz and Offset, pounding their hands to the iconic beat from the song.

Handsfree at its finest, the Ray-Ban I Meta smart glasses allow you to take photos and videos, make phone calls and engage with Meta AI AI, all without having to look down at your phone screen - and they come in an array of fun colors.

The concert featured Hip Hops superstars Offset and Busta Rhymes with sounds by DJ Saige and special performances by Coi Leray and Rhymes son, Trillian

Handsfree at its finest, the Ray-Ban I Meta smart glasses allow you to take photos and videos, make phone calls and engage with Meta AI AI, all without having to look down at your phone screen - and they come in an array of fun colors

In conjunction with the event, a social campaign featured UKs Little Simz and Offset, pounding their hands to the iconic beat from the song

Fine jewelry brand John Hardy teamed up with Wolffer Estates to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Wolffers Iconic Summer in A Bottle Rose with a limited-edition capsule collection

Wolffer Estate x John Hardy jewels

Fine jewelry brand John Hardy teamed up with Wolffer Estates to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Wolffers iconic Summer in A Bottle Rose with a limited-edition capsule collection.

Dubbed The Summer Edit the jewelry collection is made up of sterling silver, 14K rose gold, Tigers Eye, Howlite, pink pearl, and artisanal beads, in a color palette of pink and orange inspired the the famous vineyard's bottle of vino.

The seven-piece selection of everyday bracelets and necklaces captures the essence of the Hamptons' effortless lifestyle.

Ranging in price from $495  $4,200, The Summer Edit is shoppable online at Johnhardy.com and at The Tasting Room at Wolffer Estate Vineyard located at 139 Sagg Rd, Sagaponack, New York.

Dubbed The Summer Edit the collection features hardstone and freshwater pearl reimagined in a color palette inspired by Wolffers bottle of vino

The seven-piece selection of everyday bracelets and necklaces capture the essence of the Hamptons' effortless lifestyle.

Sprayground teamed up with CHEETOS on an exclusive backpack that cheesy treat lovers cannot resist



Cheesy style

Sprayground teamed up with CHEETOS on an exclusive backpack that cheesy treat lovers will not be able to resist!

The black backpack featured the star of the collab, none other than the face of CHEETOS Chester Cheetah.

Chester is sporting his iconic sunglasses and clutching a green-eyed, silver shark, a nod to Sprayground's legendary shark mouth design.

The slogan Dangerously Cheesy is emblazoned across the top while paw prints of orange Cheetle dust were imprinted throughout.

The backpack comes in an exclusive CHEETOS x Sprayground packaging reminiscent of a bag of crunchy puffs.

The black backpack featured the star of the collab, none other than the face of CHEETOS Chester Cheetah

For a luminous sunkissed glow, Victoria Beckham Beauty dropped Portofino '97 Golden Shimmer Body Oil

Posh's euphoric oil

For a luminous sunkissed glow, Victoria Beckham Beauty dropped Portofino '97 Golden Shimmer Body Oil.

Portofino '97 is reimagined in the form of a scented, golden shimmer body oil, infused with the scent of Portofino '97 Eau de Parfum.

'When David and I first met, we kept our relationship under wraps,' shared Victoria.

'In 1997, we decided to take a trip to Portofino. I remember the light, I remember how the hotel smelled and how exciting that time was. I remember it all like it was yesterday.'

Adorned with notes of incense and amber, the oil is a sensual summer essential that will leave an enticing trail wherever you go!
Mum Alena shared what could be hiding at the bottom of Oreo Ice cream tubs

A young mum has ignited a fierce debate among Oreo lovers after revealing hidden biscuits at the bottom of a tub of the brand's iconic ice cream.

American mum Alena claimed Oreo biscuits can be found hidden at the bottom of the popular blue tubs.

Alena shared the sweet secret in a very convincing TikTok video which has been watched over seven million times - but some Oreo fans were left unconvinced.

In the clip, the 32-year-old is seen scooping all of the ice cream from the tub before using a knife to carefully lift the bottom lid, exposing two Oreos underneath.

'This is why you always check the bottom of Oreo Ice Cream tubs,' she said.

Thousands of viewers were wowed by the video with many wondering how many biscuits they've thrown out over the years.

And the official Oreo TikTok account, which boasts 2.1million followers, commented: 'Finally someone figured it out!'

But others weren't convinced and dubbed the video as 'fake' or a 'marketing strategy'.

American mum Alena claimed Oreo biscuits can be found at the bottom of the lid under Oreo Ice Cream tubs (left). But many are convinced the insight is 'fake'

Mondelez International, the company that owns Oreos, told FEMAIL the Australian tub doesn't have the false bottom.

'The product in the TikTok is not the OREO ice cream tub we have here in Australia, and we do not have OREO cookies in the base of our local tub,' the spokesperson said.

Alena also confirmed to FEMAIL the video is fake.

'I made up the video. Unfortunately there are no Oreo cookies in the bottom. Im surprised the video went viral. I just wanted to make something interesting and funny,' she confirmed.

And she had thousands fooled as many thought the insight was true.

'This is why you always check the bottom of Oreo Ice Cream tubs,' Alena said but later confirmed it's fake (stock image)

'I never knew this about Oreos,' one commented on the video.

'Wait I've been wasting Oreos!?' another said.

A third couldn't help but ask: 'Is this real?'

Someone else added: 'This reminds me the hidden Nutella knife.'

But most people laughed at the video and labelled it as a 'spoof'.

'Why you gotta lie?' one asked.

'So you're telling me those Oreo cookies are waterproof?' another said, as Alena washed the tub after removing the ice cream.

'I find this hard to believe,' another declared.

Others dubbed it a clever 'marketing strategy'.

Earlier this week shoppers started rushing to Aldi Australia to get their hands on a stash of American chocolate, lollies, snacks and sauces.

The German-owned supermarket chain released the selection across stores last week in the 'Special Buys' middle aisle.

Maraya, who runs the 'Stuff Mums Like' website, stumbled across the snacks and posted a series of images on Facebook.

'It's American food week at Aldi! So many fun treats to try. It would be so fun to do an American treat night with your kids so they can try stuff they've only seen in books and on TV,' she wrote.
A young Aussie gold hunter has revealed how her friend became $20,000 richer after stumbling across a huge gold nugget while on a bushwalk.

Tyler Mahoney, 27, said her mate found the nugget in Kalgoorlie, a gold-mining town 600km north-east of Perth, Western Australia, purely by chance.

'It was just sitting on the ground,' said Ms Mahoney, who is a professional gold digger known for starring in the reality TV series Gold Rush.

She said she couldn't believe her friend's luck given how remarkably rare it is for someone to 'strike gold' by accident.

'They found it sitting on top of the ground as they were walking through the bush,' Ms Mahoney said of the discovery.

She dubbed the 146g heart-shaped nugget a 'sunbaker' because it was found on the surface, not underground.

After being cleaned up, the nugget was truly a sight to behold, with Ms Mahoney's social media followers stunned by both its size and how it was found in plain sight.

Aussie gold hunter Tyler Mahoney has revealed how her friend became $20,000 richer after stumbling across a huge gold nugget while on a bushwalk. (Pictured above is an example of an expensive piece of gold Ms Mahoney previously found on a walking track)

Ms Mahoney, 27, said her mate found the nugget (shown here) in Kalgoorlie, a gold-mining town 600km north-east of Perth, purely by chance. She dubbed the 146g heart-shaped nugget a 'sunbaker' because it was found on the surface not under ground

Pictured right: a rare 'sunbaker' nugget hiding in plain sight is highlighted in a red circle. Ms Mahoney is pictured left

'WOW! That is huge. What a beauty, crazy good find,' one follower said.

'Jesus, I'd love to accidentally stub my foot on one of those walking through the bush,' another joked.

'It's an actual heart of gold,' added a third.

Tyler, a former model and fourth-generation gold prospector, works on her family's prospecting farm in the gold fields of WA.

'I don't get a set salary from gold prospecting,' Mahoney said. 'I get paid in gold.'

It takes a trained eye to recognise a gold nugget among rocks as they are usually tarnished and covered in dirt (left). A selection of professionally cleaned gold nuggets are pictured right

Tyler, a former model and fourth-generation gold prospector, works on her family's prospecting farm in the gold fields of WA

'Every day is different and it depends on what we are finding. It's not a secure income at all. Some days it's baked beans and some days it's lobster,' she explained.

While the $20,000 nugget was found by chance on the topsoil, Ms Mahoney said it still required an experienced prospector to be able to spot it.

'To be a prospector you need to know how to read the ground and follow the gold,' she said.

Tyler's memoir, appropriately titled Gold Digger, describes her journey through the male-dominated industry of professional gold prospecting.

'As a woman it is very hard to get a place at the table and then when you're at the table it's bloody hard to be respected and heard,' she said.
Children conceived from donated eggs or sperm are more likely to have 'trust issues' and 'identity difficulties' than non-donor offspring, a study suggests.

Researchers from Kings College London, who examined data from 4,666 people conceived from donated genetic material, said the problems stemmed from secrecy and anonymity surrounding parentage.

However, they found these individuals fared better if they were told of their parentage early.

More than 70,000 donor conceived people have been born in the UK since 1991 when modern records began, with a significant number also born before this date.

However, little is known about the long-term psychological challenges they face growing up.

More than 70,000 donor conceived people have been born in the UK since 1991 when records began, and a significant unknown number before this date

But fresh research from King's has highlighted how adults conceived by using egg or sperm donors can suffer from the secrets of their parentage.

Some people only find out after taking a DNA or ancestry test, a revelation that can lead to some people discovering they have host of half-siblings from the same donor.

In some rare and shocking cases some couples have discovered they are actually related.

Under UK law any person conceived from donated genetic material has the right to learn about their donor, including their name and address at time of donation, when they turn 18.

However, this only came into effect in 2005 meaning people conceived prior to that have no such guarantee to this information.

And even though this legislation now exists, the decision on whether to tell a person conceived by donation the truth about their parentage is left entirely up to the parents who raise them.

The researchers' review, published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, looked at 50 studies on the mental wellbeing of both donor conceived children and now adults.

This covered a total of 4,666 donor conceived individuals, mostly from high-income English-speaking countries.

Researchers found most studies showed those conceived by donors had higher or equivalent scores on their wellbeing, self-esteem and relationship warmth to non-donor offspring.

Senior author of the study, Professor Susan Bewley an expert in women's health, said this could be due to fact children conceived via donation are always born to families that wanted them.

'Donor conceived children are always planned for and wanted, as one or more of their parents would have had fertility issues,' she said.

'This might explain better relationships with their family and higher wellbeing.'

But on the other hand, the review found donor conceived people had a higher risk of suffering from problems stemming from 'feeling deceived, struggling with identify formation and lacking support to help them access information about their origins'.

The study found children had better physiological health if they were told they were donor conceived earlier in life. However, there is no legal requirement for families to tell their children the truth about their genetic lineage

These could manifest in several ways including addiction issues, ADHD, addiction issues, mental health problems, disruptive behaviour and identity problems, the researchers said.

Dr Charlotte Talbot, another author of the study and expert in women's health said: 'This is the largest body of evidence we have for wellbeing for donor conceived children and adults but its a complicated picture.

She added: 'While most outcomes are the same or better for this group than non-donor conceived people, qualitative studies revealed common themes relating to mistrust and concerns about genetic heritage.'

However, the authors donor conceived people tended to far better with these issues if they were told the truth early in life.

Laura Bridgens, Founder of the charity Donor Conceived UK (DCUK), said: 'There is a duty of care by the government and the fertility industry to listen to the voices of adult donor conceived people to create a future in which charity sector intervention is not needed to repair the mistakes of the past.'

The authors said medics working with prospective parents thinking of conceiving via a sperm or egg donor should inform them of the challenges people conceived this way can experience and advocate they disclose their origins to them early.

Researchers added that due to the studies they used being mainly from high-income English-speaking countries the results may not be applicable to other communities.
Chances are you consider yourself a moderate drinker.

Perhaps it's the odd bottle of wine after work in the evening. Or a few pints with friends in the pub.

But while some of the dangers associated with excessive drinking are obvious, others can appear much more subtly.

Leading experts have rowed about the harms of moderate drinking for decades.

The NHS recommends people drink no more than 14 'units' of alcohol  around six glasses of wine, or pints of beer  per week.

This itself has been watered down over the past few decades in light of studies illustrating the health dangers of alcohol.

So how do you know when your drinking has slipped into something more harmful? We ask the experts

Perhaps it's the odd bottle of wine after work in the evening. Or a few pints with friends in the pub. But while some of the dangers associated with excessive drinking are obvious, others can appear much more subtly

Feeling tired all the time

Experts claim pouring yourself a tipple before hitting the sack will only leave you groggy, dehydrated and potentially battling a pounding headache.

Booze interrupts the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep. This phase  the deepest of four we all go through every night  is vital for memory, learning and creativity.

Ian Hamilton, who specialises in addiction at the University of York, said this part 'provides rest and restoration for the brain'. This is the reason you can wake up during the night after drinking, which can leaving you feeling less refreshed.

Dr Melissa Oldham, from the University College London (UCL) Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, explains this is due to the body metabolising alcohol later in the night.

After enjoying a tipple, people may nod off faster due to alcohol's sedative effect, which can increase relaxation and sleepiness.

But after alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream from the stomach and small intestine, it is metabolised slowly throughout the night.

'This can lead to people waking up more frequently and feeling more tired the next morning,' she said.

However, it's not just the lack of REM sleep that leaves you feeling unrested  alcohol's dehydrating effects will also leave you feeling weary the next day, experts say.

It can cause drinkers to wake up in the night in need of water, as well as needing to go to the bathroom.

Long term alcohol use also impairs absorption of vitamin B and folate, which is necessary for healthy red blood cells.

'Excess alcohol [can cause] macrocytic anaemia, where the red blood cells are enlarged but ineffective and break down quicker than healthy red blood cells,' says Dr McLaughlan.

'Symptoms can include tiredness, loss of balance, pins and needles, mood disturbance and stomach upsets.'

Sex drive changes

Experts, equally have long warned that drinking heavily over a long period of time can lead to a lower sex drive, or libido.

Alcohol may initially have a bolstering effect on hormones such as serotonin, dopamine and testosterone, which can seemingly boost our sex drive.

'However, over time, these levels will reduce, which lowers the amount of sexual drive a person will experience and could potentially lead to incidences of depression or anxiety,' adds Penman.

The NHS recommends people drink no more than 14 'units' of alcohol  around six glasses of wine, or pints of beer  per week. This itself has been watered down over the past few decades in light of studies illustrating the health dangers of alcohol

According to Drink Aware, for men, alcohol depresses the central nervous system which means it can make it difficult for some men to get, and keep, an erection.

Drinking may also prevent or delay orgasm and over an extended period can even turn a temporary condition into longer term impotence.

Like men, women may also find it more difficult to have an orgasm, or find they have orgasms that are less intense after drinking alcohol.

Low mood and anxiety

Alcohol is a depressant that can initially produce a calming effect.

However, as Lisa Gunn, mental health prevention lead at Nuffield Health, explains: 'When this wears off, we typically see a rebound effect where anxiety levels spike.

'This is partly because alcohol disrupts the balance of neurotransmitters and chemical messengers in the brain.

'There is also a social aspect to this. When we drink, we become inebriated and 'carefree', which can cause us to say and do things we wouldn't do when we're sober.

If we go into 'blackout' (periods of alcohol-induced memory loss) during a period of acute intoxication, we are even more likely to wake up with feelings of anxiety, fear, worry, and dread.'

Vision problems

Dizziness, blurred vision, or even double vision are common temporary effects of indulging in booze.

But drinking can also cause 'symptoms associated with dry eye', Stephen Hannan, clinical services director at Optical Express, says.

'These can include red eyes as a result of swollen blood vessels in the eyes, otherwise known as a bloodshot look, itchiness, irritation or discomfort, and fluctuation in vision.

'Although these are only minor issues, long-term alcohol abuse can actually permanently damage the optic nerves within our eyes, which are the connections responsible for sending visual information from the eyes to the brain,' he adds.

Research has linked alcoholism to an increased risk of developing macular degeneration  a condition that affects the middle part of your vision  and optic neuropathy, when blood flow to the eye's optic nerve is disrupted.

The exact relationship between alcohol abuse and these diseases isnt known, but scientists suggest it may be due to a vitamin A deficiency, which is often correlated with alcoholism.

Dizziness, blurred vision, or even double vision are common temporary effects of indulging in booze. But drinking can also cause 'symptoms associated with dry eye', Stephen Hannan, clinical services director at Optical Express, says

'Cutting out alcohol, or drinking less, will allow your body to over time reverse and put the brakes on many of the short and long-term effects of drinking,' Mr Hannan says.

'For example, after just 24 hours of no alcohol, your blood sugar levels will normalise and blurred vision caused by alcohol intake will disappear.'

Weakened immune system

Our immune system helps keep us healthy.

But drinking can weaken this system, leaving us vulnerable to infections and diseases.

Carolina Goncalves, superintendent pharmacist at Pharmica, says: 'Short-term alcohol consumption can hinder the activity of immune cells such as macrophages, T-cells, and B-cells, which are essential for identifying and combating pathogens.

'This impairment increases the body's susceptibility to infections and diseases.

'Moreover, alcohol immediately affects the gastrointestinal system, the first point of contact before entering the bloodstream.

'The gut microbiome, a community of microorganisms aiding in gut function and immune system maturation, is altered by alcohol.'

She adds: 'Research shows that alcohol disrupts communication between gut microbes and the intestinal immune system.

'It also damages epithelial cells, T-cells, and neutrophils in the GI tract, compromising the gut barrier and allowing microbes to leak into the bloodstream.

'Finally, alcohol can impact cytokine production  proteins which control inflammation  leading to an imbalanced immune response.'

Changes to your menstrual cycle

Studies also suggest binge drinking can disturb your menstrual health.

Ms Goncalves says: 'More research has found that the ethanol in alcohol can disrupt how the pituitary gland, which produces hormones, interacts with the hypothalamus, the region of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, and the ovaries.

'These interactions are collectively referred to as the 'hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis'.

'Alcohol consumption can disrupt the secretion of luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), both of which are part of the HPG axis.

'This can impact the maturation of ovarian follicles and how ovulation is triggered, resulting in hormonal and physiological changes that may cause irregularities in menstrual cycles.'

Fertility problems

Drinking can also make women less fertile too, according to the British Fertility Society.

It causes imbalances in hormones that control reproduction, and even small amounts can affect a woman's periods and reduce the chance of conceiving.

The UK Chief Medical Officers' recommend that women trying to have a baby, or pregnant women, should not drink alcohol at all to keep health risks to the baby as low as possible.

Latest data, gathered by the World Health Organization and compiled by Oxford University's platform Our World in Data, shows the UK's wine consumption has soared to 3.3 litres of pure alcohol annually (2019), up on the 0.3 litres recorded almost 60 years earlier in 1961. It now accounts for over a third (33.7 per cent) of all alcohol consumed across the country and sits almost level with beer (36 per cent) which has plummeted from the 5.8 litres logged in 1961 to 3.5 litres today

One Danish study showed drinking between one and five drinks a week can reduce a womens chances of conceiving, and 10 drinks or more decreases the likelihood of conception even further.

Evidence also suggests that drinking more than 14 units per week lowers testosterone levels and sperm quality and quantity in men.

Thats because men who regularly exceed the guidelines are at risk of destroying sperm-producing cells in the testicles, affecting the quality of their sperm.

Dr David McLaughlan, consultant psychiatrist specialising in addiction treatment at Priory Hospital Roehampton, also says: 'Excess alcohol reduces testosterone production in men, as well as disrupting other hormones which in turn damages the number and quality of sperm produced by men.

'In women, alcohol disrupts ovulation and implantation of the fertilised egg.'

High blood pressure

Indulging in a tipple can affect blood vessels too.

'This can cause them to become narrower. When your blood vessels are narrower, the heart has to work harder to push blood around your body, increasing your blood pressure,' Nathan Penman, clinical manager at Nuffield Health, says.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, puts extra strain on organs including the blood vessels, heart and brain, it can increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and dementia.

The condition, which affects around one in four adults in the UK, does not usually trigger symptoms.

However, those with a very high reading may suffer headaches, blurred or double vision, regular nosebleeds or shortness of breath.
More than 6,000 appointments and procedures have been postponed at major London hospitals because of a cyber attack last month, officials have said.

Since the June 3 attack, some 4,913 outpatient appointments and 1,391 pre-planned procedures have been postponed at Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England said.

From June 24 to June 30, some 1,517 acute outpatient appointments and 136 elective procedures also had to be postponed because of the attack at the two most affected hospital trusts, NHS leaders said.

Officials said that most services were at 'near normal' levels and they hoped to be 'fully operational as quickly as possible'.

But pathology services were operating at 54 per cent of the capacity they had prior to the cyber attack.

Urgent and emergency services had remained available as usual.

The hackers who targeted the NHS blood computer system are believed to belong to a gang called Qilin

King's College Hospital in London is one of the hospitals that has been affected by the hack

On June 3, cyber criminals targeted pathology services provider Synnovis with a ransomware attack.

Last week, NHS England confirmed data stolen in the attack had been published online.

According to the BBC, Russian cyber gang Qilin shared almost 400GB of data, including patient names, dates of birth, NHS numbers and descriptions of blood tests, on their darknet site and Telegram channel.

But NHS England said there was 'no evidence' the cyber criminals had published an entire database, but that it could take 'some weeks' to learn which people were affected by the attack.

A helpline has been set up to support people impacted.

Dr Chris Streather, medical director for NHS London, said: 'Im incredibly proud of how the NHS in London continues to work to minimise the impact on patients, with staff working hard to maintain patient safety and provide the high-quality care that we strive for across the capital.

'Although we are seeing significant progress, with most services operating near to normal, we continue to work tirelessly in partnership with our colleagues across London to ensure all services are back to being fully operational as quickly as possible.

'Last week, Kings College Hospital and Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trusts had to deal with the added pressure of industrial action which put further demands on staff, so I would like to recognise the hard work of all their staff who put robust plans in place to maintain patient safety.

St Thomas Hospital was another NHS organisation where operations and procedures had to be postponed

'The mutual aid agreements that have been put in place in primary care continue to show progress to meet urgent demand, with pathology services now operating at 54 per cent of the capacity they had prior to the cyber attack  helping to increase the number of blood tests available in the most critical and urgent cases.'

NHS officials have urged people with type O blood to come forward and donate if possible to help affected hospitals.

They are being urged to visit blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 to book an appointment.
Carrying round a small beer belly or 'muffin-top' but reassured by your not-obese body-mass-index (BMI) result? You may still need obesity drugs like Ozempic, experts have suggested.

Obesity experts are calling for an overhaul of the BMI system, claiming too many 'skinny fat' people, those with high levels of excess blubber around their stomachs, are not getting obesity treatments they could benefit from.

This fat, technically called abdominal fat, wraps around the vital organs and is considered more dangerous than subcutaneous fat which sits just beneath the skin.

High levels of abdominal fat has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, certain cancers and dementia.

But despite its risks people can have high levels of abdominal fat and be nowhere near the BMI of 30 threshold the NHS uses to determine if people are obese.

Obesity experts are calling for an overhaul of the BMI system, claiming too many 'skinny fat' people, those with high levels of excess blubber around their stomachs, are not getting obesity treatments they could benefit from

If adopted the recommendation could see people with a BMI of over 25 recommended to take obesity drugs like semaglutide, sold under the brands Wegovy and Ozempic, which are currently restricted to people with a BMI of around 30 in the UK

Experts say this means so-called 'skinny fat' people aren't getting treatments that could help improve their health, such as new generation obesity busting drugs like the injections Ozempic and Wegovy.

A coalition of experts from the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) have now called for the system we use to give people obesity drugs, having a BMI of 30 plus, to be overhauled.

They said that people with a BMI of over 25 and a waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) of above 0.5 as well as the presence of a weight-related health complication, like high blood pressure or diabetes should also be considered for obesity medications.

Abdominal fat is most accurately measured with a high-tech scan, like an MRI, but these are expensive, and in limited supply, so experts typically use WHtR which is your waist measurement divided by your height.

A result of 0.5 or higher is a general indication that abdominal fat levels are too high.

Writing in the journal Nature Communications the EASO experts said there was currently an overreliance on BMI as a diagnostic criteria for obesity interventions that needed to change.

'The basis for this change is the recognition that BMI alone is insufficient as a diagnostic criterion, and that body fat distribution has a substantial effect on health,' they wrote.

'More specifically, the accumulation of abdominal fat is associated with an increased risk of developing cardiometabolic complications and is a stronger determinant of disease development than BMI, even in individuals with a BMI level below the standard cut-off values for obesity diagnosis (BMI of 30).'

They added how pharma companies may want to use their new BMI over 25 diagnostic threshold for new clinical trials of obesity interventions.

The 29 EASO experts who penned the recommendation included specialists in endocrinology, nutrition, internal medicine, bariatric surgery, primary care, as well as one patient advocate.

In total, 79 per cent of the experts consulted agreed that obesity medications should be considered in patients with a BMI of over 25, a WHtR of 0.5 or more, and the presence of 'medical, functional or psychological impairments or complications'.

Under the BMI system, a score of 18.5 to 25 is healthy. A score of 25 to 29 counts as overweight, and 30-plus means a person is obese, the stage at which chances of illness rocket

More than 42million adults in the UK will be overweight or obese by 2040, according to projections by Cancer Research UK

Your browser does not support iframes.

The NHS is one of those health authorities that use a BMI of 30 or above as a criteria to access some obesity medications.

For example, to access semaglutide, the active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy, patients must have a BMI of at least 30, or 27.5 if they belong to certain ethic groups, to be eligible for the medication on the NHS.

Similarly high BMI restrictions apply to other obesity medications on the NHS.

This isn't the first time experts have called for BMI to be overhauled.

BMI was devised by a Belgian mathematician in the 1830s, and doctors have relied on it as measure of obesity for almost two centuries.

It is backed by the World Health Organization and used by doctors around the world to determine if a person is at risk of a host of diseases from diabetes, heart attacks and strokes due to excess fat.

But one major flaw is that it is incapable of differentiating between fat distribution and muscle mass.

This means a fit rugby player and couch potato of the exact same height and weight share the same scores  even if the former has a ripped physique and the other carries a spare tyre.

NHS data shows only 26 per cent of adults have a BMI of 30-plus.

But the average BMI of all adults over 40 in the UK varies between 27.7 and 27.6, suggesting the majority would be declared obese, and at risk, under the proposed overhaul.
Thirteen more people have been struck down by E. coli with health officials stating the number of cases has now reached 288.

However, no further deaths have been reported since the single fatality attributed to the outbreak, which is believed to be linked to tainted salad leaves, late last month.

In the latest update, The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said new cases continue to decline, with all confirmed patients suffering symptoms before June 10.

They added however, that they expect a 'small number of additional cases' to be confirmed.

And in a sign that the outbreak may be over UKHSA said it will stop publishing new case numbers due to the decline in new patients.

Food safety chiefs have said they are 'confident' an Apollo type lettuce has caused the outbreak of the diarrhoea-causing bug. Efforts to confirm the root cause, however, are ongoing

UKHSA incident director, Amy Douglas, said the declining rate of new cases was positive.

'Its encouraging that reported cases are continuing to decline, however we still expect to see a few more cases linked to this outbreak as further samples are referred to us for testing,' she said.

The infections are due to a dangerous strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) with about half of known cases needing to hospital care as a result of their infection.

Symptoms of STEC generally vary from mild to bloody diarrhoea, UKHSA says, with around half of people infected experiencing the latter.

Vomiting, fever and stomach cramps are other tell-tale signs of an infection.

However, it can also cause a potentially deadly complication called haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) which can lead to kidney failure and death.

To date, seven cases of HUS have been reported in the current outbreak.

The E. coli outbreak is believed to be linked to tainted lettuce leaves and earlier this month more than 60 sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in 11 major shops were been slapped with 'do not eat' alerts as precautionary measure.

Experts believe the texture of lettuce makes it more prone to being contaminated with E. coli though water tainted with infected animal faeces and the fact it's not cooked, which would usually kill off bugs, increasing the risk.

While the majority of known cases are thought to have been from consumption from infected food, two are believed to have been passed from person to person, for example parents caring for children who caught the bug.

People have been advised to contact NHS 111 or their GP if they or their children show any symptoms of E. coli infection.

For children under five symptoms can include disinterest in breast or bottle feeding and signs of dehydration such as fewer wet nappies.

Both adults and children are advised to call NHS 111 or their GP if they keep vomiting for two days or have diarrhoea for a week.

Anyone suffering bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from the bottom should call NHS 111 or their GP immediately.

Those who are infected are advised to not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
CNNs chief medical expert Dr Sanjay Gupta has joined the chorus of voters who want President Joe Biden to undergo rigorous cognitive testing to determine his mental fitness for the job.

Dr Gupta argued that aspects of the 81-year-old's disastrous showing at last weeks debate against Donald Trump were significant signals that he needs to be tested for signs of cognitive decline, which can be a precursor for dementia or Parkinson's.

Dr Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon, noted the Presidents halting speech, confused rambling, sudden loss of concentration, stiff gait, and lack of facial animation.

It caused a flurry of messages from fellow neurologists who said that Mr Biden should be encouraged to undergo detailed cognitive and movement disorder testing, and those results should be made available to the public.

The calls from Dr Gupta, whose network has been an ardent supporter of Biden, shows how a growing number of his ardent supporters are losing steam for the party's nominee.

President Joe Biden's unsteady performance at the debate last Thursday has prompted concerns in many Democrat circles. The White House, meanwhile, maintains that a cognitive test is not necessary

CNN's Dr Sanjay Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon, noted Mr Biden's rambling, sudden loss of concentration, stiff gait, and lack of facial animation as grounds for administering rigorous cognitive tests and making the results public

Mr Biden had a rough night from the start, according to Gupta and myriad Democrats in Congress.

Dr Gupta said: When the 46th President of the United States took the debate stage a week ago, it became apparent, even from his first answer, that this would not be the performance he hoped for.

Following his poor showing, Mr Biden gave a scripted speech at a rally of supporters in North Carolina.

In it, he said he no longer debates as well as he did when he was younger, nor does he walk as well, but he is still a more trustworthy candidate than the former President.

Still, the White House has not put President Biden on center stage without a teleprompter since then, and voters will be closely watching the televised interview with TV anchor George Stephanopoulos on Friday.

Mr Biden has some risk factors for dementia.

He underwent two surgeries for aneurysms, including one that ruptured in 1988, a condition that can cause bleeding in the brain. There is some evidence pointing to an increased risk of dementia later in life.

Mr Biden has also been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm. Numerous observational studies have found a 13 percent greater risk of dementia linked to AFib.

He also has obstructive sleep apnea and wears a breathing device known as a CPAP machine while he sleeps to keep his airways open and prevent daytime sleepiness.

Oxygen deprivation as a result of OSA has also been associated with a higher dementia risk, particular for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's.

While the White House press office has worked to assuage doubts about his mental capacity to stay in the job another four years, Dr Gupta argued that assurances from President Bidens inner circle are not enough.

He said its expected to see signs of cognitive decline as a person ages, especially fluid abilities like processing speed, attention span and memory.

This is normal and expected and doesnt necessarily stand in the way of someones ability to do their job.

But for a minority of us, that decline is steeper and can lead to dementia.

'Think of this as the difference between forgetting where you put your keys and not understanding what your keys are for.

The last update about the Presidents health came in February. Dr Kevin C. OConnor, the President's physician, said that Mr Biden feels well and that this years physical identified no new concerns.

He continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations.

There was no mention of cognitive testing, though the White House said that a neurologist was among the 20 or so doctors who weighed in on Mr Bidens health status.

Over 70 percent of likely voters believe President Joe Biden should get a cognitive test, an exclusive DailyMail.com poll conducted after the debate found

The President was said to have a cold on the night of the debate, as well as jetlag, and was seen for a brief check by a doctor afterward.

But a brief check is not a physical, Dr Gupta argued. And when the White House press corps peppered press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre with questions regarding his mental state, she said that his medical team deemed cognitive testing not necessary.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, told MSNBC on Tuesday that American voters deserve more information.

Mrs Pelosi said: 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 completely legitimate  of both candidates.

Both candidates owe whatever test you want to put them to, in terms of their mental acuity and their health  both of them.

And a DailyMail.com poll recently found seven out of 10 respondents said that the president should take a cognitive test

Mr Trump, meanwhile, has said he underwent an Alzheimers screening test called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, or MoCA. It is a quick, 10 to 15-minute screening tool used by healthcare professionals to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer's disease.

It evaluates various cognitive domains, including memory, attention, language, visuospatial skills, and executive functions, through tasks like drawing, naming, recalling words, and performing calculations

However, this is not the testing Mr Gupta said Mr Biden should receive, but it could serve as an initial screening tool for cognitive decline.

That is precisely why detailed testing is important. It can help determine whether there is a simpler explanation for the symptoms displayed or if there is something more concerning.

We often hear that observing a candidate on the campaign trail is the best assessment of the individuals physical and cognitive health. Back in 2020, Biden said he was constantly tested by the work of running for president. All youve got to do is watch me, he said then.

Dr Gupta added: The country is watching now, and that assessment gives cause for concern  and a need for transparent testing.
Pointing the way: New PM Keir Starmer

The scale of Labour's win gives Keir Starmer's government the muscle it needs to fulfil its growth mission.

Unlike 1997 when Tony Blair swept to power on a great wave of optimism, the 'sunlight' which Starmer referred to in his victory speech has yet to shine. And I am not referring to dank July weather.

Starmer and Rachel Reeves spoke passionately in the campaign and the manifesto about driving growth through the housing market and net zero by unleashing Great British Energy.

Both are worthy objectives. Even with the best will in the world, turning around Britain's entrenched planning obstacles is never going to be easy. Just think about the things which haven't happened because of formidable hurdles.

The high-speed HS2 link to Manchester, Leeds and beyond became un-investible as a result of environmental costs.

The third runway at Heathrow is in permanent abeyance. Brownfield sites are a no-go for housebuilders because of the expensive clean-up requirements.

No one in rural areas wants the enormous pylons and overhead cables needed for the enhanced electrical grid required for a green revolution.

On a commercial level, it has been made all but impossible for Marks & Spencer to redevelop its flagship store on Oxford Street.

John Lewis has been struggling against residents in Bromley over its proposal for a 24-story residential tower. Nimbyism is an enormous obstacle to growth.

If Labour is really serious about a 'mission'-driven economy, it needs to listen to UCL economist Mariana Mazzucato or, even better, put her at the heart of government, preferably in the Treasury's growth unit or in the Business Department (or whatever replaces it).

Starmer, Reeves, Rayner and the other major figures need to lift their eyes.

The real path to faster output is getting behind Britain's intellectual brilliance. The UK's great research universities are the powerhouse of our pharma, health devices, software, AI and tech industries.

Ailing: Thames, Water is struggling under the weight of debt and will need a more generous price settlement if it is going to thrive and invest

Our creative excellence is nurtured by often maligned media studies, film and video IT and other such degrees.

Defence is the first responsibility of government and raising the proportion of GDP devoted to safety of the realm is critical. Beyond that, however, R&D is the real path to growth.

The US, which leads the world on tech, spends the highest amount proportionately on R&D among the G7 nations at 3.46 per cent of national output.

Israel, the 'start-up' nation, devotes 6 per cent of its GDP to the cause. The UK's mission should be to raise the spend from 2.6 per cent and upwards towards best-in-class levels.

Governments easily become waylaid by inherited problems. When it comes to commerce, the day-to-day issues were barely touched upon in the campaign.

Britain's biggest water utility, Thames, is struggling under the weight of debt and will need a more generous price settlement if it is going to thrive and invest.

Czech sphinx Daniel Kretinsky has been taking advantage of the regulatory lull caused by the election to seize control of Royal Mail, a deal which needs to be blocked in the public interest.

A critical asset is being sold by a feeble board on the cheap. Even worse, the postal service, similarly to Thames Water, Heathrow and other utilities, stands in danger of being overwhelmed by a debt pile and the high servicing costs which go with it.

To allow its sale would be an act of industrial sabotage.

The Government should ignore voices arguing interference would show that Britain is not open to business.

Labour also needs to decide whether they will go along with Tory plans supporting the conversion to electric arc furnaces at Port Talbot in the face of union dissonance.

It must also decide now to get behind the Rolls-Royce-designed small modular reactors by suspending a cumbersome auction process, or risk the UK's leading edge on an advanced technology being lost to US and Japanese competitors.

Time is of the essence if order possibilities from the Continent are not be sacrificed.

Nothing in the election campaign suggested that Keir Starmer and his team are ready to make bold and exciting decisions capable of lifting Britain out of a torpor. The critics must be proved wrong.
The European Union has hiked import tariffs on Chinese electric cars from today (5 July), despite the threat of it waging a trade war with the Far East nation.

New additional duties on individual manufacturers range from 17.4 per cent to 37.6 per cent and are on top of the existing 10 per cent tariffs already in place on all EVs arriving from China.

The move is set to raise the price of cheap Chinese electric cars, especially popular MG models due to its parent company SAIC being subject to the highest duties of all, which now total almost 50 per cent.

And the decision could also cause a spike in the price of Teslas and electric Minis.

The EU has confirmed that 'provisional' hikes to import tariffs on Chinese EVs will come into effect today (Friday 5 July). Which manufacturers will be stung hardest and will the UK all increase duties?

The move comes following an eight-month EU investigation into the Chinese EV sector.

It found that companies making electric cars in China benefit from massive government subsidies that means they can undercut rivals in the EU on prices.

In turn, this has unfairly helped Chinese brands to achieve a larger market share of sales while threatening European auto firms and jobs on the continent, the probe concluded.

The EU is now the biggest export destination for Chinese EVs, representing 33 per cent of the total in 2023, the European Commission noted.

The move comes following an eight-month EU investigation into the Chinese EV sector which found that companies had been benefitting from massive government subsidies that allowed them to undercut rivals in the EU on prices

The European Commission says additional tariff amounts depend on the level of state subsidies received by the automotive companies in question. SAIC - which owns MG Motor - will be stung hardest with additional duties of 37.6% on top of the 10% tariff already in place

Officials announced the potential size of the higher duties on Chinese makers last month but on Thursday 4 July confirmed they will go into effect from Friday 5 July.

The duties are 'provisional', meaning they will be totalled up but won't need to be paid until they're confirmed by a vote of EU governments in November.

And the EU will only collect the duties if there's a further finding that the European auto industry would have suffered material harm without them.

The four-month window will provide additional time for the EU and Chinese government to negotiate, with talks already having been held between Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU commissioner for the economy, and Chinese Trade Minister Wang Wentao.

The higher duties are not a goal in themselves but 'a means to correct an imbalance,' commission spokesman Eric Mamer said Thursday.

'We certainly hope we can come to a solution which would allow us not to have to move forward on this path.'

The EU's decision is another major blow to Beijing, which is already in a trade war with Washington after President Joe Biden in May announced 100 per cent duties on Chinese EV imports into the US.

Not all 27 EU member states have welcomed the move, though.

Germany has attempted to prevent the new tariffs from coming into force - or at least soften them - and Hungary and Sweden have also expressed reservations about the increased tariffs.

China is an important market for German car makers with almost a third of their sales coming from China in 2023.

Hungary, having recently hosted a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, is clearing land for a BYD factory to be built next year while Geely owns Volvo, the Swedish-based auto manufacturer.

There are fears that the EU's decision could trigger a trade war with China. And not all 27 EU member states have backed the move to hike tariffs

Will the UK also hike tariffs on Chinese-made EVs?

The UK has so far not followed the EU in raising tariffs on Chinese EVs while the nation has been embroiled in a general election, with a change in power widely expected since the election was announced in May.

Outgoing Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper had previously promised 'robust measures' to protect the British motor sector.

However, following Labour's landslide victory at the polls overnight, the issue will now go straight to the top of the list for newly appointed transport and trade ministers to decide.

Automotive executives and industry commentators believe the UK will be forced to follow in the tyre tracks of the EU, especially with cheap Chinese cars proving popular in Britain.

MG, which is owned by SAIC, has sold 44,046 new cars in the UK in the first half of the year and is the 11th most popular brand, according to the latest car registrations update from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders published yesterday,

Of the 10 least expensive electric cars sold in Britain, four are made in China.

The MG4, starting from 26,995, is the cheapest of all and represents good value for a family-size electric hatchback when compared to European rivals like the VW ID.3 (35,700).

The new electric Mini Cooper, which is now made in China (we'll come to this in the section below) starts from 30,000, while BYD's 30,195 Dolphin and MG's 30,495 ZS EV are also among the country's most affordable battery-powered cars.

A hike in tariffs would ultimately push prices for these models higher as manufacturers pass on higher costs to consumers.

Ian Plummer, commercial director of Auto Trader, said he hopes the UK 'isn't tempted to take similar action' on hiking import tariffs for Chinese EVs, describing the EU's move as 'disappointing'

Ian Plummer, commercial director of Auto Trader, said he hopes the UK 'isn't tempted to take similar action', describing the EU's move as 'disappointing'.

He went on: 'UK drivers already face a lack of affordable choices when it comes to electric cars, so it doesn't make sense for us to limit those options even further for consumers.

'We need to bring more buyers into the market by cutting down the 'green premium' which means EVs are usually 35 per cent more expensive than diesel or petrol cars. We'll only do that with open competition to foster innovation, not by reducing choice for consumers.'

BYD, which is vying with Tesla to be the biggest global EV seller , is to be hit with a provisional additional tariff of 17.4%

The car brand set to be stung including Mini

The rates, if applied, would be: 17.4 per cent on cars from BYD, 19.9 per cent on those from Geely and 37.6 per cent for EVs exported by Chinas state-owned SAIC.

The latter owns MG Motor, which is growing in popularity in the UK thanks largely to its affordable EVs like the MG4.

Geely has brands including Volvo and EV-only Polestar, while BYD is starting to make a mark on the UK's new car market with almost 3,000 registrations in the first six months of 2024.

MG, which is owned by SAIC, has sold 44,046 new cars in the UK in the first half of the year and is the 11th most popular brand in Britain

Other EV manufacturers in China including Western companies such as Volkswagen and Tesla would be subject to duties of at least 20.8 per cent.

However, the commission mentioned that Tesla might get an 'individually calculated' rate if duties are definitively imposed.

Electric Minis, which are being produced in China in partnership with Great Wall Motor, will also be stung with an import tariff of at least 20.8 per cent.

As well as Chinese brands, makers originating from other continents will also be stung. This includes Mini, which is producing its new electric Cooper (pictured) in China in collaboration with Great Wall Motor
Complaint: Investors in X sued Elon Musk in April 2022

Elon Musk has asked a federal judge in New York to dismiss a lawsuit brought by X shareholders.

Investors in the platform formerly known as Twitter sued the billionaire in April 2022 after he revealed he had acquired a 9.2 per cent stake in the company.

Under federal securities laws, Musk should have disclosed his stake in Twitter within ten days of it crossing 5 per cent of the company's stock.

But he filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about three weeks after crossing that threshold in March 2022.

The shareholders allege that Musk and his wealth manager 'schemed to violate Musk's disclosure obligations so they could secretly build a massive position in Twitter at artificially low prices while deceiving investors'.

But Musk's lawyers argued in a new filing this week that the delay was a simple error and that the shareholders' class-action suit should be dismissed.

They argue that Musk and his wealth manager misunderstood the rules. After learning of the mistake, they claim Musk filed by the next trading day.
First came the donors raising concerns about President Joe Biden's fitness to run for reelection.

Then this week, elected Democrats began wondering aloud whether the 81-year-old should step aside.

Now an exclusive poll for DailyMail.com reveals that half of all voters believe he should give up while there is still time to find a replacement candidate, including more than a third of Democratic voters, after his disastrous debate performance.

On Wednesday, Biden said he had no intention of giving up on winning a second term.

'I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out,' he said, according to a senior aide who posted his comment on the X social media site.

J.L. Partners polled 1000 likely voters on the state of the race after President Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance triggered calls for him to withdraw

But Biden is under intense pressure to consider his position after a stumbling debate performance, during which his answers ground to a halt or rambled into non sequiturs.

The White House has even had to fend off questions about whether he is suffering from dementia.

Democrats are increasingly concerned that Biden is no longer the best candidate to beat Donald Trump in November.

A poll of 1,000 likely voters, conducted by J.L. Partners, found that 50 percent thought he should stand down as the nominee.

Some 34 percent of Democrats support that view and 29 percent of people who said they were planning to vote for him this time around.

The decision whether to run or not rests with Biden, but one in three Democrats also believes that the party should move against him at their convention in Chicago next month if he does not drop out voluntarily.

The drip, drip, drip of concern is in danger of becoming an unstoppable current, said James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners.

'It is difficult to win an election in the United States. It is even more difficult to win an election when almost half the country thinks you should step down,' he said.

'It is very hard to see how this turns itself around for Joe Biden.

'This poll says to me that Biden cannot turn this around and if the Democrats want a chance to win they must look for another nominee.'

Biden struggled during a debate last week. The White House admitted he did not have a great night, but said he was suffering from a cold and a heavy schedule of international travel

A day later he gave a better performance during a rally in North Carolina where he could rely on a teleprompter and the roar of a crowd to get him through the appearance

Biden's campaign has been in damage limitation mode since last Thursday, when he went head-to-head in their first televised debate of the campaign.

The Biden camp had pushed for such an early clash in a hope that they could use it to remind viewers of the chaos of the Trump years in power. The strategy backfired badly.

Biden's halting performance, tailing off mid-sentence at times and standing slack-jawed while Trump spoke, dominated headlines.

Two campaign calls to donors and party officials at the weekend failed to quell worries, and some people on the calls said they were shocked that the debate performance was brushed aside.

At the weekend donor Whitney Tilson, a former hedge fund manager, broke ranks and called for Biden to withdraw from the race. Several elected officials followed suit.

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 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

Biden allies and the White House continue to insist that he should not be defined by one 'bad night' in June.

But the Daily Mail poll showed Biden had slumped to his lowest standing against Biden since we began tracking the data last year.

It found that if the election were tomorrow, Trump would win by six points, beating Biden by 43 points to 37.

The former president has extended his lead by two points since our last poll in March.

Women still prefer Biden to Trump, but he is hemorrhaging support among men. The former president's lead has shot from 10 points then to 18 points now.
US political commentator and journalist Tucker Carlson found plenty to laugh about while in Australia.

Carlson's distinctive giggle was sprinkled liberally throughout his speeches during a two-and-a-half-week speaking tour of major Australian capital cities.

In his Monday Melbourne appearance did not take long for Carlson to find the funny side of being in Australia with what could have been a shot at the national accent.

'I love the Australian shouting. I don't know anything that you are saying, but I know that I would agree,' he said with a giggle.

Carlson said he had fallen in love with Australia and particularly Australian cities, which he said 'worked' as opposed to the ones in the US.

He said he would like to live in Australia, but one major hurdle was the country's runaway cost of living.

'I would live here if I could afford it, which I can't,' he said laughing.

Previously in Sydney Carlson 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.

US political commentator found plenty to laugh about on stage in his observations of Australia

Carlson (centre) arrives to deliver a speech at the Australian Freedom Conference at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra

'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.

'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 generally supported immigration, but prices would rapidly rise if there wasn't enough housing for a growing population.

'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.'

Despite his American allegiance Carlson said he would move to Australia but 'can't afford it'

Talking about Australian political parties during his Melbourne address, he said he couldn't understand that none of the Labor politicians were actually labourers with trades.

'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 with an exaggerated chuckle.

'The laziest people in the country call themselves the Labor party.'

Carlson was also amused at what he called the 'endless hectoring' from politicians and bureaucrats and used buying cigarettes as an example.

'What the hell is on your cigarettes? I don't even want to smoke them looking at that,' he said with a smile.

'You're making me not want to smoke. Every pack had like a rotted tongue on it or something.

'I'm an adult man who pays his taxes I should be allowed to, you can't smoke a Marlborough without being lectured?'

He also thought Australia's high energy prices were laughable given Australia has vast deposits of national resources.

He said the valuable commodities were being used to produce renewables, which 'we then buy back' from China.

'Whoever thought of that hates you,' Carlson said.

Carlson ridiculed Australia for selling its natural resources 'to a far-away country to make something that doesn't work and pay extra for it'.

The political commentator also hit out at Welcome to Country ceremonies

'That is prima facie insane. The fact that you have high energy costs is reason enough for you to get rid of the people that are running your country,' he said.

Later, he said with a smirk that China did not believe in green energy 'for one second' and were buying Australian coal to make renewable energy infrastructure and say 'the whites want windfarms, let's make some more"'.

Carlson was impressed by Australia's many advantages of space, ample resources, relative lack of poverty and an education population.

He thought Australia should be 'running the world', and, tongue in cheek, suggested that getting nuclear weapons would 'make that point clear'.

'Probably not going to do that, you don't even have handguns, you probably aren't buying nukes but you should get both,' he said with a slight chuckle to himself over the different gun rights approaches of Australia and the US.

During his appearances 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.

Carlson spoke at the Australian Freedom Conference on the invitation of mining billionaire Clive Palmer (both men are pictured together)

He also mocked the ABC and the priorities of its reporting.

'I watched your ABC this morning in my hotel room for about 20 minutes, until I looked around for a vomit bag.

'It was one of the most grotesque... I couldn't even believe it was real.'

'I sympathise with you guys who work for these (media) companies which are truly corrupt, and you sort of know that but you don't want to think about it because you've got kids and a mortgage.

'I get it, I've been there,' he told the crowd.

'But let's just be honest, everyone else knows what it is, everyone else knows how corrupt you are, and so there's a reason they have contempt for you.'

Carlson also found the funny side in the local pride of having convict ancestors.

'And every time I ask someone why were your ancestors sent here, it's always the same answer, you know what it is?' he asked.

'Stealing a loaf of bread. I don't believe that for a second. It was like armed robbery, but they're like oh yeah stealing a loaf of bread.'
The development is on the site of a former Soviet military base

She said she has brought in best architects to develop Albania's Sazan Island

Ivanka Trump has revealed herself as the brains behind a trendy billion-dollar eco-hotel boasting quirky subterranean villas that resemble real life Hobbit homes.

The dinky dwellings will be carved into cliff tops on uninhabited Sazan island in the Mediterranean Sea, according to early artist renderings.

The rugged setting off Albanias Adriatic coast was previously a secretive Soviet military base riddled with thousands of buried bunkers and underground tunnels.

But Donald Trumps daughter, 42, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, 43, reckon well-heeled tourists will flock to the Communist-era outcrop to enjoy its pristine beaches, abundant wildlife and subtropical climate.

Kushner's Affinity Partners investment firm is in advanced discussions with the Albanian government to develop several major resorts including its Sazan Sea Villas project, according to Forbes.

Ivanka Trump has revealed herself as the brains behind a trendy billion-dollar eco-hotel boasting quirky subterranean villas that resemble real life Hobbit homes

The dinky dwellings envisaged by the former First Daughter will be carved into cliff tops on uninhabited Sazan island in the Mediterranean Sea, according to early artist renderings

The former First Daughter has given details about her plans to create dinky dwellings carved into cliff tops on Albania's uninhabited Sazan Island in the Mediterranean Sea

But Ivankas close involvement was disclosed for the first time this week when she boasted to podcaster Lex Fridman that she and her husband have this 1,400-acre island in the Mediterranean'.

The mom-of-three said: We are building, bringing in the best architects, the best brands. To have a point of view and to challenge people that are such artists, respectfully but not to be afraid to ask questions, it takes a lot of confidence to do that.

Ivanka revealed shes enlisted Swiss-based luxury resort operator Aman and swank restaurant chain Carbone to operate the projects hotel and restaurants.

Its amazing to bring together all of this talent and for me to be able to play around and flex the real estate muscles again and have some fun with it, she purred.

Building and real estate is like a giant puzzle and I love puzzles.

The former First Daughter hailed the Tolkien-esque suites depicted in the artists renderings as extraordinary but insisted they were early conceptual drawings rather than finished plans.

Sounding more like an architect than an economics grad, she explained: It gives a sense of wanting to honor the topography that exists and this obviously very modern but obviously making it feel right in terms of the context of the vegetation and the terrain that exists and not just have a beautiful glass box.

Obviously you want glass, you want to look out and see that gorgeous blue ocean. But how do you do that in a way that doesnt feel generic and isnt a squandered opportunity to create something new.

So much of architecture you dont see. How do you create independent structures and you dont see the other. How do you ensure that the stacking and the master plan works in a way thats harmonious?

The view corridors and all of those elements, all of those components of decision making are super appreciated but not often thought about.

Lex Fridmans three-hour interview didnt delve into the projects downsides, instead exploring Ivankas thoughts on her dads court battles and her reasons for stepping away from the Trump 2024 campaign to explore new projects and live her best life

Sazan, the largest of Albanias islands, was once considered a naval stronghold by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who reflected during a 1959 visit: From here I could control the Mediterranean as far as Gibraltar.

Since the fall of Communism, it has remained a designated military exclusion zone but was finally opened to the public in 2015.

Building and real estate is like a giant puzzle and I love puzzles

It now forms the outer perimeter of the Karaburun-Sazan Marine Park, a specially protected area for birds and wildlife.

Plans to build a swank Trump-linked resort have not gone unchallenged in Albania where autocratic Prime Minister Edi Rama has been criticized for greenlighting tourist development in protected areas.

Ivanka and Jared were pictured with Rama on a visit to Albania last summer where local outlets said they visited the House of Leaves, a former KGB spy facility thats now a museum dedicated to the victims of communism.

Fridmans three-hour interview didnt delve into the projects downsides, instead exploring Ivankas thoughts on her dads court battles and her reasons for stepping away from the Trump 2024 campaign to explore new projects and live her best life.

Ivanka, the former Presidents second daughter, was previously executive vice president of the Trump Organization and a boardroom judge on his show, The Apprentice.

The businesswoman and ex-model became a senior advisor in the Trump administration, where she served as Director of the Office of Economic Initiatives and Entrepreneurship.

Ivanka has no plans to return to politics, she re-affirmed during her appearance on the podcast

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner at a friend's wedding in Mexico in May. The couple have since relocated from New York to Florida

Jared, another senior Trump advisor from 2017 to 2021, founded private equity firm Affinity Partners after exiting politics.

The business has amassed assets totaling $3.1 billion with an estimated $2 billion of that coming from Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund.

Sazan is reportedly one of multiple Balkan sites where Affinity and its backers want to build luxury resorts as the region enjoys an economic resurgence.

They have targeted Albanias Zvernec Peninsula as a possible site for 10,000 units of villas and hotel rooms, according to Forbes.

Talks are also underway to build 1,500 homes and a hotel in an abandoned neighborhood that housed the former Yugoslavias Ministry of Defense building before it was bombed by NATO in 1999.

Earlier this year Kushner defended his overseas ventures and links to Middle Eastern moneymen during a Miami summit sponsored by media company Axios, insisting his approach to business was ethical and lawful.

If you ask me about the work that we did in the White House, for my critics, what I say is point to a single decision we made that wasnt in the interest of America, Kushner added.
President Joe Biden continued to struggle when going off-script Thursday as he tried to insert a jab at former President Donald Trump into his Fourth of July remarks.

The president and first lady Jill Biden, alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, spoke to military families on the South Lawn - the first of two presidential appearances at the White House to mark the holiday.

The 81-year-old is being heavily scrutinized after his car crash of a debate performance last Thursday, with a handful of Democratic lawmakers saying publicly they think Biden should bow out of the presidential race.

His comments came just hours after an interview with a black radio station in Philadelphia where the president appeared to confuse his gender and race.

The White House has pointed to an upcoming interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos to prove Biden is able to speak off-the-cuff but he muddled his comments when he slid off the teleprompter Thursday.

'By the way, you know I was at that World War I cemetery in France and a - the one that one of our colleagues, a former president, didn't want to go and be up there,' Biden said. 'I probably shouldn't even say that. Anyway,' he continued, his voice going low.

President Joe Biden continued to struggle when going off-script Thursday as he tried to insert a jab at former President Donald Trump into his Fourth of July remarks

President Joe Biden is being heavily scrutinized after his car crash of a debate performance last Thursday against former President Donald Trump (pictured)

At another point in the speech he again said, 'by the way.'

'I've been all over the world,' he said, his voice dropping to a mumble. 'I've been in and out of battles, anyway. You're incredible,' he told the military members and their families gathered on the South Lawn.

The president started greeted members of the crowd when he was told that his presence outside meant that more guests weren't being let inside the White House gates.

Biden promised to come back and out and talk to people.

A supporter yelled, 'keep up the fight. We need you.'

'You got me man. I'm not going anywhere.'

Biden then continued, 'I'll come back out when they let - open the gate, OK? Thank you, thank you, thank you.'

President Joe Biden (left) and first lady Jill Biden (right) arrive on the South Lawn for the first of two apperances marking the Fourth of July

President Joe Biden walks over to attendees during Thursday evening's Fourth of July picnic, set up for military families

He then stalled his exit by telling one more story.

'When I was senator, there was always congestion on the highways. There's no congestion anymore,' Biden said.

He was talking about the perks of having the presidential motorcade.

'And the way to get me to stop talking they'll say we just shut down all the roads, Mr. President,' Biden said.

'I'll be back out,' he promised.

There was a cloud over Thursday's festivities - and it wasn't just the pop-up shower in the late afternoon - as Biden's political future hangs in the balance.

After Democratic governors expressed support - though tepidly at first - over the president's decision to stay in the race, meeting attendees started leaking juicy details to the press.

President Joe Biden poses for pictures after giving brief remarks aimed at military members and their families on the Fourth of July

The New York Times reported that the president told the governors he wished to stop hosting events after 8 p.m. in an effort to get more sleep.

During the same meeting, Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii asked Biden about his health.

The president replied that his health was fine.

'It's just my brain,' he then said.

Some governors took the commnt as a joke, while at least one found it strange, the newspaper said.

Jen O'Malley Dillon, Biden's campaign chair, later played clean-up.

'He was clearly making a joke,' she said.
A young woman who died in her plane seat as her flight prepared to take off from Melbourne spent her last moments looking at a photograph of her parents on her phone.

Aspiring chef Manpreet Kaur, 24, was flying back to Delhi in India on June 20 for a visit to see her parents for the first time in four years after relocating to Australia.

She suffered a medical episode as she was putting on her seatbelt, and the plane taxied back to the gate where cabin crew and paramedics unsuccessfully tried to revive her.

Her cousin and roommate in Melbourne, Kuldeep Kaur, told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Kaur's health had deteriorated in recent months as she unknowingly suffered from tuberculosis, and she was travelling back so her family could help her recover.

The post-mortem confirmation of the respiratory infection means her body cannot be transported out of the country, and her family are in the process of arranging travel to Australia to farewell her.

The passenger seated next to Ms Kaur has now spoken out, describing the minutes between boarding the plane and her medical episode in the hope it will bring the family some solace.

'It is very difficult to digest that a young girl with whom you were just interacting with has passed away in front of your eyes,' retired army officer Ravinder Singh told news.com.au on Thursday.

'Her innocent face still haunts me, and I want her parents to know she loved them a lot. She left this world peacefully looking at their photograph.'

The family of 24-year-old aspiring chef Manpreet Kaur (pictured) are applying for visas to Australia to attend her funeral after attempts to repatriate her body were unsuccessful

Ms Kaur suddenly died on a plane bound for India at Tullamarine Airport to reunite with her family after unknowingly battling tuberculosis for months

Mr Singh said when he boarded the flight Ms Kaur was already seated in the aisle and he asked her politely to stand so he could get to his seat by the window.

Shortly after, he said the young woman began looking through photographs on her phone but stopped at one of an elderly couple.

He asked if they were her parents, and she said they were.

The plane then taxied towards the runway and Ms Kaur put her phone down, put on her seatbelt and rested her head on the seat in front of her.

Mr Singh said he wanted to tell the young woman to be careful of bumping her head during take-off but felt it wasn't his place.

However, when the plane jerked as it neared the runway, he realised something was wrong when Mr Kaur slumped over towards the centre seat.

He got the attention of the cabin crew, who checked her pulse and immediately turned the plane around.

Mr Singh said he was impressed by the cabin crew who he said acted professionally in a difficult situation.

Retired army officer Ravinder Singh (pictured) was seated next to Ms Kaur and said she died peacefully looking at a photograph of her parents on her phone

The young woman's health had deteriorated for months leading up to her death but was expecting to recover and return to Australian on July 25 (pictured, Ms Kaur)

Ms Kaur's family are in the process of applying for visas so they can fly to Australia and attend Ms Kaur's funeral.

A friend of Ms Kaur, Gurdip Grewal, said the family were 'devastated ... (and) experiencing a mix of shock, grief, and disbelief'.

'It's been a very tough time for everyone,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Ms Kaur had been studying to become a chef since moving to Australia, but was working at Australia Post in the month leading up to her death.

Her cousin said he 'couldn't believe it' when she received a knock on the door from a police officer to tell him of his 'honest and kind' cousin's death.

'I drove her to the airport that morning and she said, ''I will come back'',' Kuldeep said.

Ms Kaur had booked a return flight to Australia on July 25 expecting to have recovered from her illness.

A GoFundMe launched by Mr Grewal to support the Kaur family has raised more than $41,000 in just over a week.

'Our dear friend Manpreet left us too soon, leaving a void in our lives that can never be filled,' the fundraising page reads.

'As we grieve her passing, we want to come together to honour her memory and support her family in their time of need.'

A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones'.

Victoria Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

The airline was made aware of the Ms Kaur's tuberculosis diagnosis on Monday and contacted the National Incident Centre Operations for further information.

Victoria's Department of Health said it had begun limited contact tracing the following day, and anyone identified as a potential risk would be notified.
The astonishing prices for food in the Hamptons has been revealed, with shoppers paying $20 for two tomatoes and nearly $30 for a tub of guacamole.

With vacation season well and truly underway, the millionaires enclave known for its sandy beaches and high-end shopping is being filled with vacationers from nearby New York City.

While high food prices are already effecting the nation, even the rich customers who flock to the area are being startled by the outrage prices.

Tita Loyek, a content creator who is currently chronicling her 100 days in the Hamptons, told the Wall Street Journal that she paid $20 for just two tomatoes.

The 27-year-old said that the purchase had shocked her, and even more so when she discovered they weren't even locally grown.

The 27-year-old said that the purchase had shocked her, and even more so when she discovered they weren't even locally grown. One of the tomatoes is seen here

She told the outlet: 'I was pretty shocked when I spent $20 on two tomatoes. I was even more shocked to find out that they werent even locally grown.'

Food prices in the area have become a talking point on social media partly due to the amount of influencers flocking to the area in recent years.

This has resulted in some outrageously priced food items being put on blast including $29 for guacamole and $35 for chicken tenders and chipotle mayo.

TikTok page Jack's Dining Room, a food review page, last year visited the Round Swamp Farm store.

As part of the review, the host sampled $42 grilled shrimp, $32 for chips and guacamole, the aforementioned $35 tenders and mayo, and a bag of granola priced at $25.

While sampling the chicken tenders, he hilariously adds: 'Not worth it. Chipotle mayo is good but for 16 f****ing bucks, it doesn't even hold Jersey Mike's jock strap.'

That same market told the WSJ that prices in the store have risen between 30 and 50 percent since 2020.

According to a price board last month, they had started selling tuna salad for $34.99 per pound.

As part of the review, the host sampled $42 grilled shrimp, $32 for chips and guacamole, and other items including a $32 salad and $25 granola

While a two quart container of strawberries was on sale for $29.98 and a bag of cookies went for $11.99.

Employee Brian Niggles told the WSJ that they pay more for high-quality ingredients and labor, adding that they do not charge fees for credit cards and no tipping.

Niggles said: 'We are extremely fortunate that our customers find value in the products we offer and continue to support our business and the families who make their living from it.'

While TV personality, author and business owner Barbara Kavovit said in a TikTok in May that she spent $600 on a grocery haul after visiting two stores.

In the footage, she can be heard saying: 'If you didnt think things could get any more expensive in the Hamptons, well, guess what, they did.'

Harry Ludlow, an owner of Fairview Farm at Mecox in Bridgehampton, told the WSJ that prices had gone up due to minimum wage and other state required costs.

Ludlow said: 'Food cost is small compared to private chef cost. If we were to drop the price of our pies 50% and drop the quality 10%, our customers would be furious. These are foodies.'

Food prices in the area have becoming a talking point on social media partly due to the amount of influencers flocking to the area in recent years

That same market told the WSJ that prices in the store have risen between 30 and 50 percent since 2020

While some are in the area for the food, for others it is more about the vibe and aesthetic of what they are buying.

The outlet used the $8.50 kimchi-cheddar croissant from Carissa's Bakery, which is boxed so nice it could pass as a hand bag, as an example.

Jenna Mick, 23, a consultant from New York just spent $56 on six croissants and two bags of Swedish candies for her and her friends.

She told the outlet that the group had been looking for the 'Hamptons experience', which had influenced their purchases.

In 2021, locals had started complaining about the uptick in prices in the area after an influx of new residents began pushing costs up.

Locals claim the recent wave of rich residents is 'ruining the Hamptons,' citing an increase in the cost of housing, dining and transportation.

'There's so much money now it's nauseating. I'm a one-percenter. But I bear no resemblance to these people,' one woman, who bought her Amagansett home in 1991, told Vanity Fair.

'Everyone with money is here. If I weren't here already, I wouldn't come now. The conspicuous consumption is just gross.'
She was 'deeply torn' over decision to move to crossbench

Fatima Payman has warned about pigeonholing her as just a Muslim senator who only cares about Palestinian rights and freedoms after she quit the Labor Party to take a principled stance on the issue.

Senator Payman has moved to the crossbench rather than give her seat back to Labor, pointing to other topics such as Indigenous incarceration and mental health she was passionate about and felt the government could go further on.

The West Australian branded suggestions her defection was purely a result of her religion as insulting.

Taking a stronger stance to support people in Gaza and action against Israel was a human rights issue, she said, pointing to reports 38,000 people had been killed in the besieged enclave and Israeli occupation in Palestinian territories.

Senator Payman rubbished suggestions that because she had met with people from a grassroots Muslim organisation set to run candidates in some Labor electorates meant she was going to join or start her own party.

'It's unfortunate that the stereotyping is so deep rooted in, perhaps this institution (politics), but also in our media structures,' she told AAP.

'They're quick to assume that just because I've met with a Muslim group ... that now I'm going to go off and form a Muslim party.

Muslim senator Fatima Payman announced she would sensationally quit the Labor party after she was suspended indefinitely after she sided with the Greens on a motion about Palestine

Ms Payman said she had been 'exiled' by her Labor colleagues after she sided with the Greens (she is pictured sitting on the crossbench during Question Time on Thursday)

'I've also met with the Jewish Council of Australia, I've met with Christian groups ... but the fact that you would only hone in on that, it's very disappointing in today's day and age.'

Diversity and multiculturalism needed to be celebrated 'but we don't pigeonhole', she said.

'It feels like now I have to go around defending why I've met with a particular community group, like it's just bizarre,' she said.

'I mean, they wouldn't ask that question of a middle-aged Anglo-Saxon man who chooses to leave.'

The former Labor senator sensationally quit the party in a hastily called press conference at Parliament House on Thursday.

She had raised the recognition of Palestine - which Labor has affirmed to do but with no timeline and some caveats - with the prime minister and senior ministers but was unable to secure change, Senator Payman said.

Timely recognition was needed to put pressure on Israel to 'cease its onslaught' in Gaza and was something she told political leaders she couldn't compromise on,' she said.

The former Labor senator sensationally quit Labor hastily called press conference on Thursday

Ms Payman has rubbished rumours that she had been planning to strike out on her own

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese suggested the senator had been cooking up a political plan for more than a month, seizing on her meetings with a political strategist and the community group last week.

Her decision to cross the floor - which can lead to expulsion in the Labor Party - and then quit the party were made at the last minute, she said.

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network welcomed her decision as did Labor Friends of Palestine NSW, made up of rank and file members, who expressed sorrow.

The defection exposed a fault line within Labor that Muslim voters who supported the party for its anti-racist immigration and social policies could consider it becoming more pro-Israel, political expert Stewart Jackson said.
Heiress and major Democrat donor Abigail Disney has announced she will stop donations to Joe Biden and the entire party until the ailing president steps down.

The granddaughter to Roy Disney, the co-founder of the Walt Disney Corporation, has often made noise for her liberal politics despite her wealth, which is believed to be around $120 million.

'I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high,' she said in a statement.

The 64-year-old Disney's announcement comes just a day after Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings became one of the first liberal megadonors to turn off the spigot until the president stands aside.

'If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire,' she continued.

Heiress and major Democrat donor Abigail Disney has announced she will stop donations to Joe Biden and the entire party until the ailing president steps down

'If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire,' Disney said

Disney believes that the 'excellent' Vice President Kamala Harris is more than capable of topping the ticket.

'If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Bidens (and lets not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot,' she said.

Disney's gifts have been generous toward the party during the Trump and Biden eras.

She has donated to Biden-affiliated and Democrat-affiliated PACs over the past decade to the tune of at least $635,000, according to CNBC.

However, a Biden campaign official told DailyMail.com that Disney has not donated to the campaign nor the Democratic National Committee since 2020.

Disney is not alone, as the hits just keep on coming for Biden, who angered Democrat governors at an emergency meeting Wednesday night where he claimed he wanted to stop working past 8pm to preserve his fading energy, per CNN.

A group of wealthy donors are also secretly plotting to start Next Generation PAC, a $50-100 million effort to support a Democrat nominee not named Joe Biden, according to the New York Times.

Next Generation PAC - founded by crypto billionaire Mike Novogratz - will hold its money until Biden's resigns and give to his replacement on the ticket. Should he not get out of the race, they will focus on down-ballot Democrats but not to Biden.

While the committee hasn't filed with the FEC, the Biden campaign has reportedly heard of it and tried to talk its backers into stopping.

Disney believes that the 'excellent' Vice President Kamala Harris is more than capable of topping the ticket

Next Generation PAC - founded by crypto billionaire Mike Novogratz - will hold its money until Biden's resigns and give to his replacement on the ticket. Should he not get out of the race, they will focus on down-ballot Democrats but still not give to Biden

Other donors refusing to give further include Gideon Stein of the Moriah Fund and philanthropist Karla Jurvetson, who gave over $30 million to the Dems in 2020 and has already donated $5 million in 2024.

Damon Lindlelof, the creator of Lost who has given $115,000 this cycle, is calling for a 'DEMBargo' on donations. until Biden steps down.

Biden world remains defiant at the news.

'We are the Democratic Party! These people dont get to decide to oust a pro-labor pro-people President,' said Ron Klain, the former White House Chief of Staff who was one of three key 'grifting' Biden advisors blamed by the family for his shoddy debate performance.

The president is set to hold Fourth of July festivities at the White House Thursday evening with his and his party's future on the line amid growing pressure to step down after last week's debate performance.

It comes after the first elected Democrats came forward to urge Biden to step back, with just weeks to go before his party's convention in Chicago.

With fury over White House messaging since Biden stumbled his way through his debate with Donald Trump in Atlanta , the president reassured governors in a private meeting about his health and political viability  even telling them about a recent check up that had him in good health.

That came shortly after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged direct questions during a contentious press briefing about whether Biden had been evaluated since Thursday's debate .

Biden is set to set to host veteran families, caregivers, and survivors, at an event that will put him back on the public stage, before the crucial interview with ABC interview is set to start airing Friday. Vice President Kamala Harris will be there.
Australians have been warned that a new Covid-19 strain is contributing to a 'sicker than normal' winter season.

KP.3, also known as FLuQE, is a subvariant of the previously most dominant strain FLiRT and contains a new mutation that makes it more infectious.

The FLiRT family are all descendants of the JN.1 variant, which caused masses of infections in Australia and in many other countries six months ago.

Specialists fear that FLuQE means Australia is in the midst of a rising new wave of Covid infections.

'We're sicker than usual this winter, and we're seeing a lot of things circulated simultaneously,' Professor Paul Griffin of the University of Queensland told SBS.

'That means a very significant proportion of the population is infected or has recently been infected.'

As well as FLiRT, case numbers show Australia is experiencing waves of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), mycoplasma pneumonia and whooping cough.

Prof Griffin, who is an infectious diseases physician and clinical microbiologist, said he does not recall 'a time where we've had all five of those things circulating in such high numbers'.

Australians have been warned that a new Covid-19 strain is contributing to a 'sicker than normal' winter season

KP.3, which is also known as FLuQE, is a sub-variant of the previously most dominant strain FLiRT, and contains a new mutation that makes it more infectious

'What this virus has done many times, and continues to do, is that it's changed significantly.

'Certainly in our country, FLuQE, or KP.3, has passed FLiRT, or KP.2.'

Data from NSW Health showed the first FLuQE cases were first recorded in the state in late March.

Within two months, by late May, FLuQE had taken over as the dominant variant circulating in the state.

NSW and Queensland have each seen a surge in whooping cough infections - a potentially deadly respiratory infection, most serious in babies under 12 months old.

Together, the two states have already recorded more than 10,000 cases this year.

Flu cases are also surging across Australia, with 16,777 cases recorded in NSW alone last week, which is around double the number reported two weeks before.
Police officers have swooped on an election count in Scotland over three cases of alleged ballot fraud.

Scottish police rushed to Emirates Arena in Glasgow, where they reportedly seized three ballot papers.

Election officials had earlier told journalists there were four papers which were a concern, including one in the Glasgow West constituency.

The paper in question was seen being removed by officers wearing gloves and placed in a clear evidence bag.

At 11:20pm it emerged that Police Scotland had also requested the removal of two other papers of the original four.

It is thought these were votes in the Glasgow South-West constituency. No further details have yet been given.

Scottish police rushed to Emirates Arena in Glasgow , where they reportedly seized three ballot papers

The first paper was seen being removed by officers wearing gloves and placed in a clear evidence bag

It comes after the 10pm exit poll predicted the Scottish National Party's share of the vote will plummet, with the party expected to return just 10 seats - compared to 48 in 2019.

It follows months of turmoil in the ruling Scottish party, with alleged corruption and the resignations of First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf.

Current leader John Swinney has been fighting to hold the SNP together after the arrests of several high-profile members and former members, including Ms Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell.

Speaking after the exit poll. Ms Sturgeon said the election results may take Scottish independence 'off the immediate agenda' for the incoming government, but it would be 'foolish' to think the issue has gone away.

Speaking on ITV, the former first minister said: 'A lot of the people - if not the majority of people - who in this election have shifted from the SNP to Labour, they still believe in independence, they haven't shifted their opinion on independence.

'So it might take the issue off of the immediate agenda for Keir Starmer, but it would be - I think - foolish to suggest that the independence question has gone away.'

'This is not a good night for the SNP on these numbers,' she added.

'I think there will be a question about whether there was enough in the campaign to give out, effectively, a USP to the SNP in an election that was about getting the Tories out and replacing them with Labour.'

At 11:20pm it emerged that Police Scotland had also requested the removal of two other papers of the original four

Officers were seen standing over one of the counting tables as ballots were tallied up

A total of three ballot papers from two Glasgow constituencies were confiscated, it is understood

She added: 'This is at the grimmer end of the expectations for the SNP if the exit poll is right and, from what I've said earlier on, I expect it will be.

'This is seismic for Labour. There's no getting away from that, it's a massive achievement for Keir Starmer.

'I think it will be interesting as the night progresses to see the extent this is driven by the Tory collapse as opposed to a Labour surge.'

The first result in Scotland is expected to be Rutherglen, which could declare at 1am.

Speaking on ITV, the former Scottish first minister said she believed the results of the exit poll would turn out to be 'broadly right'.

The SNP's campaign centred around calls for talks on another independence referendum if the party won a majority of seats at the election.

But despite the exit poll result, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes told the BBC: 'I would strongly caution anybody against dismissing the robust, resilient and significant number of people in this country that support independence and the next Labour government will have to contend with that, we'll have to listen to Scottish voters because even over the last few months - which have been difficult - that support for independence has remained strong.'

But she added the party would need to 'listen to the voices of voters'.

The SNP would also 'set out our agenda to regain and rebuild the trust of the voters across Scotland', she said.

While the party's campaign chief, Stewart Hosie, described the poll as 'stark' but insisted it was 'just an exit poll'.

'In the next few hours, we'll see how accurate or otherwise it is,' he told the PA news agency.

Asked what such a result could mean for the SNP, Mr Hosie said he was not concerned.

'In 2005, I think we were down to five or six MPs and we went on to win the Holyrood election in 2007,' he said.

'In 2010, I think we returned six and went on to win a majority in Holyrood in 2011.

'So I'm not worried about what this means for the SNP, but clearly if this result or something like it comes to pass, it tells us that the overriding motivation for almost everybody in this election was simply to get the Tories out and people appear to have decided that a vote for Labour is the way to do that.'

Former first minister and Alba Party leader Alex Salmond said the SNP's potential collapse was 'not because of independence'.

'How could it be? The SNP did not even campaign on it,' he said.

'In reality, the support for independence is strong. It is the SNP who are weak. The independence case must now find new vehicles to move forward.'

Police Scotland has been contacted for comment.
People who own cryptocurrency are more likely to be narcissistic, psychopathic sadists, according to a study.

Cryptocurrency, which has exploded in popularity in recent years, is digital 'money' which lies beyond the control of central banks and governments.

The global market is worth about 1.3 trillion and around five million adults in the UK have invested.

But now a study suggests that those who own online currency - such as Bitcoin - are more likely to have 'dark tetrad' personality traits.

Investors are also more likely to be men, rely on fringe social media sources, believe in conspiracy theories and feel victimised, the research revealed.

Cryptocurrency investors are more likely to be men and have 'dark tetrad' personality traits, a study suggests (file image)

The survey of 2,001 Americans, published in the journal Plos One, was carried out in 2022 and showed that 30 per cent said they owned or had owned crypto.

Analysis revealed crypto ownership was linked to narcissism, psychopathy, sadism and Machiavellianism - a trait characterised by manipulativeness, deceitfulness and high levels of self-interest.

The researchers said: 'Though our results certainly do not apply to every crypto user out there, on average, we found that crypto investment and ownership tends to appeal to people who are more argumentative, anti-authoritarian, and prefer to get their news from non-mainstream social media sites.

'There is still much work to be done in this area, but we hope our study helps lay the groundwork for future research aimed at understanding the psychological, political, and behavioural factors associated with this growing financial movement.' Experts have raised concerns about compulsive gambling using cryptocurrencies.

Owners of online currency are also more likely to rely on fringe social media sources, believe in conspiracy theories and feel victimised, the research found (file image)

Last month, doctors warned that growing numbers of young men are requiring NHS treatment after becoming addicted to trading bitcoin, with the health service calling for action against 'unregulated cryptocurrency sites'.

Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, warned that specialist NHS gambling clinics were being left to 'pick up the pieces' after patients become hooked.

Crypto investors have also been at the centre of a number of scandals. They include the conviction of Sam Bankman-Fried, the former boss of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, who was sentenced to 25 years in a US prison for multibillion fraud.

The study was carried out by a team from the University of Toronto.
The SNP is on course to be slaughtered in the General Election with its biggest loss of MPs in history.

John Swinneys party looked set to lose 38 seats compared to the 2019 election and slide to fifth place in the House of Commons, according to the official exit poll.

Senior SNP figures yesterday admitted they now needed to listen to the voice of voters and regain their trust.

Labour is said to have benefited from a tsunami across Scotland, with one of its MSPs saying the exit poll is better than we could have dreamed of.

Former First Minister Alex Salmond, now leader of the Alba Party, said: London commentators are crowing about seeing the back of the independence argument.

Former SNP leader Alex Salmond described the predicted result as 'the slaughter of the SNP'

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said her party must 'rebuild the trust of voters'

SNP campaign chief Stewart Hose described the predicted result as 'stark'

But the slaughter of the SNP is not because of independence. How could it be? The SNP did not even campaign on it.

In reality the support for independence is strong. It is the SNP who are weak. The independence case must now find new vehicles to move forward.

The shock exit poll led Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes to admit the SNP needs to regain and rebuild the trust of voters and listen to the voices of the voters.

Admitting a very difficult night for her party, Ms Forbes said: I think people were voting on a whole host of different fronts, but I think there is no doubt this has been a change election.

Lives are difficult across the country and people wanted to send a message, particularly in a Westminster election, to the Conservative government.

But of course we take on board what the people of Scotland, the voters, are saying in this election as well, and we will set out our agenda to regain and rebuild the trust of voters across Scotland.

The aim of the SNP government must be to meet people where theyre at, to deliver for them, and to ensure our priorities align with their priorities.

Asked about the implications for the independence debate if the SNP had sunk to ten seats, Ms Forbes said: We must listen to the voices of the voters. We are democrats and that means to listen to the message that voters are sending.

But she added: I would strongly caution anybody against dismissing the robust, resilient and significant number of people in this country that support independence.

And the next Labour government will have to contend with that, will have to listen to Scottish voters, because even over the last few months  which have been difficult  that support for independence has remained strong.

Anybody who is a democrat must do what I just suggested we do, which is listen to the voters.

Labours Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: It would be an astonishing result for the Labour Party given weve come from the worst result in 2019 since 1935.

But he added: The Scottish margins could be tight. A lot of the constituencies had very, very large SNP majorities.

Trying to sound a positive note, SNP leader John Swinney said his party had fought an upbeat campaign, firmly rooted in the values of the people of Scotland.

He said: Scotland will be glad to see the back of this disastrous Tory government and I am confident that SNP votes across the country will make that happen.

This election campaign has brought the SNP together.

I am immensely proud of our people-powered campaign, which has taken our positive vision of a better Scotland to the doorsteps across every corner of our great nation.

The SNPs campaign chief, Stewart Hosie, described the poll as stark but insisted it was just an exit poll.

He added: Im not worried about what this means for the SNP, but clearly if this result or something like it comes to pass, it tells us that the overriding motivation for almost everybody in this election was simply to get the Tories out and people appear to have decided that a vote for Labour is the way to do that.

Former Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said it was a terrible result for his party UK-wide, but he hoped it would not be as bad north of the Border, arguing Reform UK had less traction in Scotland.

He said: The SNP had said this was another referendum on independence.

If it was another referendum on independence then it was a defeat for independence as well.

SNP constitution secretary Angus Robertson said: Change was in the air.

'I dont actually think devolved Scottish politics played as big a role in peoples decision making as that desire for change at a UK level.

Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: The exit poll clearly is in two parts, youve got the situation south of the Border which very much is in line with polling, what we expected.

Clearly people are casting a verdict on 14 years of Conservative government, five prime ministers, and the country was looking for a change.

The situation in Scotland, clearly, is a very different one because it looks like people are actually making up their minds how to vote based primarily on a verdict on 17 years of the SNP in government and clearly have not liked what they have seen from the SNP and theyre up for an even bigger change, potentially, in Scotland.

It does look like, on the basis of the exit poll, the Conservatives might not just be looking to hold the seats we have in Scotland but actually might make gains.

Labour sources were increasingly confident last night that they could win all six seats from the SNP in Glasgow and all three in Edinburgh.
A victim of Gary Plumb - the man who plotted to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby - has said she is still haunted by the twisted criminal's abduction attempt.

In August 2006, perverted Plumb, 37, attempted to abduct the flight attendant with a black imitation firearm as she sat by herself on a train to Stansted Airport.

Speaking to The Sun, the traumatised stewardess believes TV presenter Willoughby is only safe now the 'dangerous predator' has been jailed.

The French woman, who is believed to be his first known victim, has asked to remain anonymous due to concerns for her safety.

Whilst on her commute to work donning her blue and yellow Ryanair uniform, the morbidly obese security guard - who was then a teenager - launched his kidnap plot.

The French flight attendant confessed she is 'still haunted' by the day Gary Plumb attempted to kidnap her using a fake firearm on her way to work at Stanstead Airport. Stock picture posed by model.

Perverted Plumb (pictured) was equipped with the fake gun and three ropes as he attempted to convince the terrified woman he was an undercover office as she sat alone on the train

Trembling as she retold the terrifying incident, the mother-of-two said: 'As soon as he walked over to me all of my senses said something was not right.

Timeline: How Gavin Plumb was snared

October 3, 2023 - Plumb comes to the attention of US undercover officer 'David Nelson' after he posts four photos of Holly Willoughby on the 'Abduct Lovers' forum. These include the caption: 'The one in the public eye that I want.' Mr Nelson contacts him on Kik, writing: 'Alright I'll bite. Who's the hottie with the lazy eye?' Plumb replies: 'She's in the public eye but doesn't have her own security and doesn't have CCTV at her house.' The officer continues exchanging messages with Plumb and decides he poses an 'imminent risk' to Ms Willoughby and passes his details to British police. October 4 - Essex Police raid the suspect's home in Harlow, Essex. He initially tells police 'what are you talking about' and 'please explain to me what the hell is going on'. Told he was under arrest on suspicion of conspiracy to kidnap, Plumb said 'who?' and was told it was Ms Willoughby. He later admits the TV presenter 'is a fantasy of mine'. Advertisement

'My hairs stood on end and I froze. I had my uniform on, so I had my skirt on and he touched me on my bare leg.

'His hand was massive. It was like a huge paw. I felt physically sick, he repulsed me then and I am still haunted by it now.

'Because I am quite petite and he was so massive I felt in immediate danger. There was no one to help me.'

The victim, who now resides in France, remembered how perverted Plumb, who was equipped with three pieces of rope and a faux gun, lent over whilst signalling for her to stay quiet.

The terrified woman said Plumb quickly showed her an ID card whilst claiming he was a police officer, demanding she alight at the next stop via a note.

Still shaken by the ordeal, the woman explained she had only been in England for a few months and was unsure if she should follow Plumb's instructions as he insisted he was an undercover cop.

'He was very close to me and was leaning over and I could feel his breath on me,' she said.

'Even though I was a foreigner in England, I was still not convinced by him. I think he sensed this.

'He flashed a card and said, 'There you go.' It was like he showed me an ID card or something but it was so quick.

'I said nothing and waited to see what would happen. It was scary because the carriage was deserted but it was daytime.

'Then he just got off at the next stop. I stayed in my seat. It was like I was frozen to the spot.

'I stayed on the train one more stop to the airport. When I got off I ran straight to the station security.'

Plumb was later detained by Transport Police after he departed a train at Stansted Mounflitchet in Essex.

The security guard planned to kidnap, rape and murder TV star Holly Willoughby (pictured)

Prior to his most recent arrest, (pictured) Plumb had attempted to kidnap two women and had also held to teenagers at knifepoint

The perverted man was then discovered with a fake black firearm as well as three pieces of rope after he was searched by police.

Authorities then found Plumb had attempted to abduct another Ryanair staff member during that same week.

She added: 'I am so thankful to this day that I didn't get off the train with him.

'It is a quiet station and I hate to think about what might have happened.

'It made me very scared for my safety and being alone when I was outside because I thought he might come back to get me. I still worry about that now sometimes.'

Following the incident, Plumb was handed a suspended sentence for two kidnap attempts.

He was then jailed for two years after holding two 16-year-old girls who worked at a Woolworths in Harlow, Essex at knifepoint.

After serving a two year prison sentence for these crimes, he was released in 2010.

The 'obsessed' security guard was found guilty of of soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap after his sickening plot to murder Holly Willoughby was discovered by an undercover officer from the Owatonna Police Department in the US state of Minnesota.

Ajury took 12 hours and 19 minutes to find him guilty of soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap yesterday at Chelmsford Crown Court (a court drawing of Plumb)

The messy flat where the recluse came up with the slickening plot to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby

A 'restraint kit' that was found at Plumb's home

He denied all charges claiming he wasn't physically capable of abducting the former This Morning presenter.

He also alleged he had no one qualified to drive to her London home, and that vile conversations he had with 'like-minded' people in dark recesses of the internet were 'just online chat'.

But a jury took 12 hours and 19 minutes to find him guilty of soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap yesterday at Chelmsford Crown Court after being presented with a raft of shocking evidence.

The terrifying evidence including a chloroform restraint kit that he planned to use it to kidnap Ms Willoughby.

He then planned to take the TV presenter to an isolated stud farm for sexual torture, kill her and dump her body in a lake.
Police believe it was a workplace accident

A young man has died following a workplace accident in rural Queensland.

The man, 24, found unresponsive with life-threatening injuries at a business on Raglan Street in Roma, about 350km south of Toowoomba, at 2am on Friday.

Despite the efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene.

'Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the non-suspicious death of a 24-year-old man at Roma overnight,' police said in a statement.

'Emergency services were initially called to the Raglan Street address just after 2am, after the man was located unresponsive and was later declared deceased.

'Police are assisting Workplace Health and Safety with their investigations.'
A woman was seen being stalked by a shark after the predator mauled her on a Texas beach.

The incident happened on South Padre Island, Texas, on Thursday morning and the woman had to be hauled to shore by a team of rescuers.

In footage that has since emerged of the incident, a dorsal fin can be seen swimming back and forth near the shoreline as the woman lays on the sand.

Blood from her wound can be seen turning the waters washing up on the beach a dark red, while first responders wrap a tourniquet around her leg.

According to a statement by Texas Parks and Wildlife, the woman was one of two people bitten at the beach on Independence Day.

Blood from her wound can be seen turning the waters washing up on the beach a dark red, while first responders wrap a tourniquet around her leg

A dorsal fin can be seen swimming back and forth near the shoreline as the woman lays on the sand

Two others also encountered the animal in the waters but managed to escape unharmed.

Their statement said: 'Details at this time indicate that two people were bitten and two people encountered the shark but were not seriously injured.

'The two victims who were bitten were transported to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville where one is being treated and the other has been flown out for further treatment.

'Local game wardens and members of the Texas Game Warden Marine Tactical Operations Group assisted in patrolling the beach by boat and land patrol while DPS patrolled the area by helicopter and SPI PD and Cameron County rangers assisted with crowd control on the beach. No further details are known at this time.'

The statement added that shark encounters are not a common occurrence in Texas, and when they do happen it is usually a case of mistaken identity. Game Warden Capt. Chris Dowdy with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said that authorities believe a single shark about 6 feet long was responsible.

Dr. Kelsey Banks, a scientist with the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation at Texas A&M, told CBS News that the video suggested a 'larger shark species.'

'Larger coastal species have been known to increase feeding behaviors and remain closer to shore prior to large meteorological disturbances,' Banks wrote.

The incident happened on South Padre Island, Texas, on Thursday morning and the woman had to be hauled to shore by a team of rescuers

Due to the shark, officers deployed drones, boats and helicopters to locate the predator and the city was also considering closing the beach

Due to the shark, officers deployed drones, boats and helicopters to locate the predator and the city was also considering closing the beach.

In March, a 14-foot great white shark was spotted near South Padre Island, according to local radio station KNFM.

The 3,000-lb. predator reportedly came within 100 yards of the beach.

It comes after two teenagers and a woman were attacked by a shark early last month in Walton Beach, Florida.

According to the Walton County Sheriff's Office, a 45-year-old woman was bit by the marine animal in the water near Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane at around 1.15pm yesterday.

She sustained 'significant trauma to the midsection and pelvic area and amputation of her left lower arm,' according to South Walton Fire District Fire Chief Ryan Crawford.

At around 3pm, officials responded to calls of another shark attack on two female teenagers, 15 and 17 years old that occurred four miles away from the first attack.

All three of the victims, who were visiting the area, were attacked while they were swimming near the sandbar.
An extended family member of a young girl believed to have been killed by a crocodile in the Northern Territory has spoken out.

The girl was last seen swimming with family members at Mango Creek near the remote Aboriginal community of Nganmarriyanga - also known as Palumpa - 350km south-west of Darwin on Tuesday, before her partial remains were found Thursday.

'It was an extremely difficult, essentially 36 hours... For the family, it is the most devastating outcome for them. They are in a state of extreme shock and disbelief,' NT Police Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said.

One extended family member who was not present when the incident occurred has since shared a post to social media expressing her sadness.

'My condolences to all my family... in Palumpa words, can't express the loss and pain we feel,' Jade Walker said.

'Such a tragic [event] May the lord bless all of you at this very sad time, God gained another beautiful angel.

'Thinking of you my big bro and sister-in-law, mum and the rest of the families... wish we were back home with all my mother's side families.'

NT Police officers near the area where the girl disappeared. Her remains were found after a 36 hour land, air and water search

Snr Sgt Gibson on Thursday morning told ABC Radio Darwin the girl had been with family when the incident occurred.

'The child disappeared and they notified other family who were able to notify and contact police,' she said.

'It is just simply a really tragic event not only for the family but for all responding frontline police officers who were there assisting them.'

Some people have since cruelly felt it necessary to point out on social media that the girl should not have been allowed in the water, which is known to be the domain of crocodiles.

'It's the NT crocs are everywhere, swim at own risk,' one person said.

'In saying that she is a child and should have been taught water safety by parents, secondly the parents shouldn't have allowed her to swim in croc waters.'

'Why swim where there is crocs?' added another.

'Did they not see the many signs posted around these areas . You only have to step out of your vehicle and a local will warn you . So very sad , where were the parents, she was only 12?' a third said.

'That's the risk you take when you swim in these areas,' another said.

Efforts are continuing to find and trap the responsible crocodile.

Saltwater crocodiles are territorial and the killer is likely to remain in nearby waterways.

The young girl was last seen swimming at Mango Creek, in the remote Northern Territory community of Nganmarriyanga, 360km south-west of Darwin (a map is pictured)

There are about 500,000 crocodiles in the NT which is a huge surge in numbers over the past few decades, though attacks have not increased

The crocodile population has exploded across the Australia's tropical north since they became a protected species under Australian law in 1970s.

Saltwater crocodiles can live up to 70 years and grow throughout their lives, reaching up to six meters in length, while the proportion of larger crocodiles is also rising.

Crocodiles are considered a risk in most of the Northern Territory's waterways.
Late-night election viewers have taken to social media to point out former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon's glum expression after a classless fist-pumping celebration at her party's gains in 2019.

Ms Sturgeon, who is currently under investigation by the police alongside her husband and former chief executive of the party Peter Murrell, was interviewed on ITV minutes after the exit poll revealed the decimation of the SNP's vote.

The party is forecast to hang on to just 10 of its 48 seats from 2019 after several years of turmoil within the party which has seen two leaders - Ms Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf - resign.

The former SNP leader looked stone-faced and admitted the projection was at the 'lower end' of expectations.

It is a stark contrast to 2019, when she cheered and pumped her fists in the air after it was announced election rival Jo Swinson had lost her seat.

Nicola Sturgeon looked stone-faced as the exit poll was revealed on ITV's election coverage

Scottish National Party (SNP) leader and Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is pictured celebrating as Jo Swinson lost her seat

The former Lib Dem leader, who fought her first and so far only election as leader, lost out to the SNP in East Dunbartonshire.

While Ms Swinson, who was the first female and youngest leader of the party, appeared emotional at the loss, Ms Sturgeon was seen on live television tactlessly celebrating in front of the camera.

It's a far cry from her rather muted performance on ITV overnight as she defended her party's record.

Social media users were quick to point out the difference, with JK Rowling also entering the fray.

Ms Rowling has clashed with Ms Sturgeon previously over trans rights.

She said: 'Nobody likes Schadenfreude. That said, Nicola Sturgeons expression as the exit poll results were announced.'

Former Labour MSP Neil Findlay added: 'I sat in the studio in 2019 having to fend off questions about the Labour result it was awful - I know exactly how Nicola Sturgeon feels and am enjoying watching it immensely.'

One X user said: 'Sturgeon looking about as uncomfortable as I've seen her, sour and vaguely queasy. More so than a lot of the Tories who have been up tonight.'

Another X user wrote: 'Check out Sturgeon's face!'

Ms Sturgeon was celebrating Jo Swinson, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats, losing her seat in East Dumbartonshire

The former SNP leader looked stone-faced and admitted the projection was at the 'lower end' of expectations

Speaking on ITV, the ex-SNP leader reacted minutes after the exit poll was revealed, she said: 'This is not a good night for the SNP on these numbers.

'I think there will be a question about whether there was enough in the campaign to give out, effectively, a USP to the SNP in an election that was about getting the Tories out and replacing them with Labour.'

She added: 'This is at the grimmer end of the expectations for the SNP if the exit poll is right and, from what I've said earlier on, I expect it will be.

'This is seismic for Labour. There's no getting away from that, it's a massive achievement for Keir Starmer.'

The first result in Scotland is expected to be Rutherglen, which could declare at 1am.

The SNP's campaign centred around calls for talks on another independence referendum if the party won a majority of seats at the election.

Despite the exit poll result, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes told the BBC: 'I would strongly caution anybody against dismissing the robust, resilient and significant number of people in this country that support independence and the next Labour government will have to contend with that, we'll have to listen to Scottish voters because even over the last few months - which have been difficult - that support for independence has remained strong.'

But she added the party would need to 'listen to the voices of voters' and 'set out our agenda to regain and rebuild the trust of the voters across Scotland', she said.

The party's campaign chief, Stewart Hosie, described the poll as 'stark' but insisted it was 'just an exit poll'.

Boxes of ballot papers are carried into a count in Chichester's Westgate Leisure Centre

Counting is underway in halls across the country as Labour is predicted to win by a landslide

'In the next few hours, we'll see how accurate or otherwise it is,' he told the PA news agency.

Asked what such a result could mean for the SNP, Mr Hosie said he was not concerned.

'In 2005, I think we were down to five or six MPs and we went on to win the Holyrood election in 2007,' he said.

Former first minister and Alba Party leader Alex Salmond said the SNP's potential collapse was 'not because of independence'.

'How could it be? The SNP did not even campaign on it,' he said.

'In reality, the support for independence is strong. It is the SNP who are weak. The independence case must now find new vehicles to move forward.'

Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser told journalists at the election count for Perth and Kinross-shire that despite the dire predictions for the Tories across the UK, in Scotland the party could make gains.

He said: 'It does look like, on the basis of the exit poll, the Conservatives might not just be looking to hold the seats we have in Scotland but actually might make gains.'

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy warned against reading into the UK-wide exit poll when predicting results in Scotland.

Speaking to the BBC from the Glasgow election count, he said: 'I think all of our seats are going to be very, very close in Scotland.'

Asked about analysis of the exit poll pointing to possible Tory gains in Scotland, he said: 'I think we should be very cautious about taking a UK-wide exit poll and trying to extrapolate something in Scotland from it.'

The exit poll predictions signal voters had a 'desperate need for change', a Scottish Labour MSP has said. Glasgow MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said the exit poll predicted a 'strong' result for Labour.

She said: 'It was a strong exit poll. I think that the country has been saying for some time now that they're fed up of the 14 years of Tory chaos.'

She added: 'There's really been a desperate need for change and we've ran a really strong, positive campaign and I'm so proud of it.'

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the exit poll was a 'hopeful' sign for his party at a UK level where it predicted two Green MPs.

He said any gain from the one English seat the Greens won at the 2019 general election would be 'something to celebrate'.
The founder of the popular restaurant chain Rashays has been forced to close another location just two years after it opened.

Rami Ykmour, 49, who founded the chain in 1998, said skyrocketing costs had been forced to close his restaurant in Bundaberg, about 360km north of Brisbane.

The news was announced on social media and on a sign on the door, which informed customers that the store would close on July 1 'until further notice'.

'The cost of everything is going up,' Mr Ykmour told the Courier Mail.

'It's put so much pressure on us. We have to stop the bleeding.'

Mr Ykmour said there was still hope the restaurant could reopen with government assistance or if business costs could be negotiated.

'The government is doing absolutely nothing to support small businesses,' he said.

Rami Ykmour, 49, who founded the chain in 1998, said skyrocketing costs had forced the closure of his restaurant in Bundaberg, about 360km north of Brisbane

The outspoken founder of the popular restaurant chain Rashays has been forced to close yet another location (pictured) just two years after it opened

The store had officially closed just 24 hours earlier on Monday, July 1 - just shy of two years after it first opened in August 2022.

In May 2024, Rashays closed its Toowoomba location after Mr Ykmour was forced to defend the location against rumours the food was frozen.

The restaurateur labelled the allegations 'slander' and made social media videos to highlight that the food was fresh.

The 49-year-old went through the shelves of the refrigerated space in the restaurant, grabbing fresh, sealed packaged food, including sauces, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, sausages, meat, chicken, vegetables and pasta.

'How is this frozen? When I heard the security guard said, "I've heard rumours everything is frozen here", I just had to do this video,' Mr Ykmour said.

The news that the Bundaberg restaurant was closed was announced on social media and on a sign on the door that said the location would be closed from July 1 'until further notice'

'I haven't organised the cool room... just to tell everyone, I hope you all hear me. The reason why I am so passionate is because this isn't my business, it's my baby.

'For people to be slandering my business that way, God forgive him, and God forgive you, I hope you've heard me and I can't be anymore passionate and can't be more honest than that.'

In August 2023, the Rashays restaurant in Maroochydore said it was closing for renovations and never opened again.

In 2022, the Toombul location in northeast Brisbane was closed after it sustained serious water damage after the region was inundated by floods.

Rashays, described as a relaxed family-friendly diner, has 34 locations across the east coast in Queensland, the ACT, NSW and Victoria.
China upgrades training of nursing professionals for aging population

10:36, July 05, 2024 By Wang Aihua ( Xinhua

BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- In 2020, Liu Jiayun became one of China's first undergraduate students enrolled in the major of elderly care at the Shanghai University of Engineering Science (SUES).

In the past four years, Liu and her 30-some classmates have followed a progressive curriculum design on campus, from general knowledge about the elderly care industry, laws and regulations, to operation and management skills. This will be combined with internships at elderly care institutions, working from basic posts to management.

"Sometimes our teachers had to collect teaching materials by themselves due to lack of reference books," she said. "We were also invited to participate in investigative projects on new developments in the industry."

With a population aged 60 or above expected to top 400 million by around 2035, China is upgrading the training of nursing professionals to bridge the gap between talent supply and demand, particularly at the higher end of the service.

In 2019, the Ministry of Education and several other departments urged universities to set up elderly care majors. The SUES and the Shandong Women's University (SWU) were the first to do so, aiming to nurture talents proficient in both theories and practices. More than 200 universities nationwide have opened relevant majors for undergraduates, complementing vocational education.

Ma Liang, a professor of public management at Renmin University of China, said most Chinese universities were not ready to set up elderly care majors when rapid aging widened the talent supply and demand gap. "Many students also hesitated to choose this major because jobs related to elderly care may start with unsatisfactory payment or high workload," said Ma.

Things have changed over the years. According to the SUES, the number of students enrolled in its elderly care major has grown yearly since 2020, with a higher proportion of them making the major their first choice when applying for colleges.

Ma pointed out that the industry now offers sufficient job vacancies, a blessing for graduates in today's fiercely competitive job market, plus significant space for long-term career development if one becomes a veteran.

During the graduation season this year, Liu and her classmates were thrilled to find a number of job vacancies at a specially organized recruitment session on their campus, ranging from management posts in nursing homes to counselors for individual elderly care and health secretaries. "Employers usually find my major novel and suits their needs," said Liu, who quickly secured a job with the Association of Senior Service in Shanghai.

Zhang Jingfeng, general manager of a senior care service provider in Shanghai named Renshoutang, said the company offered salaries of nearly 10,000 yuan (about 1,402 U.S. dollars) for management posts at the SUES campus recruitment session plus a career development package spanning three to five years for new employees.

Industry insiders say many businesses urgently need management staff, which the bachelor's degree holders fit perfectly.

To make relevant jobs more attractive, the central authorities issued a document in 2021 requiring employers in the elderly care industry to raise employee payments and offer clear career development paths.

Last month, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security issued a notice promising to support medical staff at elderly care service institutions by sitting in on the vocational qualification exam and having their professional titles reviewed. Subsidies on social insurance will also be offered to small and micro-sized gray hair economy businesses that employ college graduates.

Major cities are also pioneering efforts to attract educated youngsters in this area. The Pudong New Area, home to the largest senior population among all districts of Shanghai, had encouraged college graduates to work in elderly care institutions, built training camps for them, and established studios for experienced practitioners.

Lin Manqing, one of the graduates at the SWU who will soon take a marketing job at a nursing institution in Qingdao, Shandong Province, shared her optimism about the future. "The university offered us a very good chance to learn knowledge, know different people and accumulate work experiences," she said. "Hope we can stay confident and dare to try."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Cabinet Secretary Simon Case is unlikely to have festooned Downing Street with bunting to welcome Keir Starmer's Chief of Staff Sue Gray.

The pair have form. He reportedly blocked Kemi Badenoch's request to install Sue as permanent secretary at the business department.

He also riled Gray by attempting to prevent her joining Starmer's team.

Normally, Case, 45, formerly Prince William's private secretary, would be indispensable.

Gray may decide otherwise. Case could make history as the first Cabinet Secretary not to get the traditional retirement peerage.

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, formerly Prince William 's private secretary previously tried to block Sue Dray from joining the Labour Party

Keir Starmer's Chief of Staff Sue Gray and Case have not seen eye to eye in some time

One of the new PM's urgent priorities is reducing the burgeoning prison population. Might the King help? Regal milestones have previously been used as an excuse to show royal clemency, and the second anniversary of the King's accession in September would be another opportunity.

The last time it was done en masse was for George V's coronation in 1911, when sentences were reduced by between seven and 90 days.

But in 1953, home secretary David Maxwell Fyfe opposed the tradition, saying: 'In the past it has led to few expressions of gratitude from those who benefited from it and grumbling from those who did not.'

Emma Barnett confessed on the BBC Radio 4 Today that she was going on a speed awareness course for the first time - for driving 23mph in a 20 zone

During a ban on interviewing politicians as polling happened yesterday, BBC Radio 4 Today presenter Emma Barnett filled some of the vacuum with a confession.

'I'm going to fess up as someone who's going for the first time on a speed awareness course. I got it for 23mph in a 20 zone.'

Even haughty Emma couldn't argue her way out of that one.

Former pin-up Patrick Mower claims male actors age better in the TV and film world than females.

'Women end up getting typecast as OAPs whereas men get the Lothario roles,' declares Mower, 85, with a straight face.

Former pin-up Patrick Mower claims male actors age better in the TV and film world than females (pictured on Emmerdale)

'I am very old but I play 20 years younger than me in Emmerdale. I think that, without being sexist or ageist, men age better than women.'

Will Patrick's proximity to his 100th birthday protect him from a thick lip when the female acting fraternity catch up with him?

Before the polling booths closed, Charles Moore nostalgically recalled his late father Richard's doomed election stand for the old Liberals against firebrand Ian Paisley in North Antrim in 1970.

'He foolishly turned down the generous offer of a man who said he had voted Unionist 92 times at the previous election and was happy to do a like service for him.'

Yoko Ono expects the return of husband John's Patek Philippe 2499 wristwatch, worth at least 8million.

Yoko Ono hopes her husband John's Patek Philippe 2499 wristwatch will be returned after it was stolen by a chauffeur

It was allegedly stolen by a chauffeur in 2005. After a decade of litigation, the Swiss Supreme Court is expected to rule in her favour.

But rich-as-Croesus Yoko stored the watch away for decades and didn't notice it was missing until 2011. How did she tell the time?
Big stretches of Australia's outback are set to be lashed with a season's worth of rain in the coming days.

Cloud is already forming over central Australia and the rain is expected to move east from Sunday.

The downpour could be an 'entire season's worth of rain', Weatherzone predicted.

The rain is being driven by 'an unusually strong high pressure system centered to the south of Australia that will cause moisture-laden air to flow over Australia from the east in the next few days'.

This airborne moisture, which is coming off unusually warm seas to the east of Australia, will clash with a cut-off upper-level low pressure system as it passes over the country.

The interaction of the upper low and the atmospheric moisture will cause unseasonably heavy rain over a broad area of central and eastern Australia.

Weatherzone is forecasting 20mm to 60mm of rain across South Australia, southern and western Queensland and northern NSW over the next four days.

Sydney, Brisbane and Perth are set to be the wettest capitals over the weekend, with showers expected. Melbourne will escape the rain.

Big stretches of Australia are set to be lashed with a year's worth of rain in the coming days, increasing the risk of flooding and road and rail closures. Women with umbrellas pictured

Weatherzone has forecast 20 to 60mm of rain across South Australia , southern and western Queensland and northern NSW over the next four days. Weather map pictured

Birdsville in Queensland is forecast to get a thunderstorm on Friday night and up to 20mm of rain on Saturday.

Bourke, NSW, is set to get possibly heavy falls and 30km/h winds on Sunday.

There are gale warnings in place for the Western Australia's south-west coast, and strong wind warnings for parts of the South Australian coast.

Perth is expected to get up to 35mm of rain between Tuesday and Wednesday.

The weather system will also bring a cold snap to some parts of the south-east.

The tiny town of Liawenee on Tasmania's Central Plateau recorded Australia's first -10C of the year on Tuesday, as a serious cold blanketed the south-east of the country.

Poll Are you finding this winter colder and wetter than usual? Yes No Are you finding this winter colder and wetter than usual? Yes 316 votes

No 130 votes Now share your opinion





It beat that with -12.9C on Wednesday morning, then Liawenee recorded Tasmania's second-coldest temperature ever with a bone shivering -13.5C on Thursday morning.

It warmed up to -12.6C on Friday morning, though.

'Before this month, no weather station in Tasmania had ever registered temperatures lower than -12.5C during July,' Weatherzone reported.

'However, that threshold has been exceeded three times this week.

'While this week has not challenged Tasmania's all-time record of -14.2C from August 7, 2020, this is the first time anywhere in the state has seen three mornings lower than -12C.'

Liawenee is famous for its trout fishing, but has a permanent population of just two, one of whom is a police officer and the other is an Inland Fisheries Service officer.

Hopefully they are kept well rugged up and have central heating or a fire to keep them from freezing.

Canberra will be coldest of the capital cities in the coming days, with below freezing temperatures of -3C on Saturday and -2C on Sunday.

Hobart will be warmer, but not by much, with the Tasmanian capital ranging from a low of 5C on Saturday to 2C on Monday.

The tiny town of Liawenee (pictured), Tasmania, recorded the state's second-coldest temperature ever with a bone shivering -13.5C on Thursday morning

Sydney and Brisbane will be the wettest of the capitals in the coming days, with showers all weekend and at the start of next week. People with umbrellas are pictured

As is usual in an Australian winter, to get some decent sun you need to go to the Top End or to Western Australia.

Perth will get highs of 20C on Sunday and 21C on Monday, but there will be also be some clouds and rain.

In Darwin, it will be mostly sunny all weekend, hitting highs of 31C on Friday, 32C on Saturday and Sunday and 33C on Monday.
Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps fell victims to a brutal Tory cull as Keir Starmer's Labour swept towards election victory.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

And shortly afterwards Ms Mordaunt missed out by a similar margin in Portsmouth North, admitting the party had 'broken trust' with voters.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Welsh Secretary David Davies has already conceded defeat, and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has lost to the Lib Dems in Chichester - who also took out Justice Secretary Alex Chalk. Altogether at least 16 ministers have gone, with Johnny Mercer and Therese Coffey beaten by Labour.

However, former leader Iain Duncan Smith surprised many by clinging on in Chingford.

And initial projections about the scale of Sir Keir's majority have been scaled back, to 160 instead of 170 - well short of the 179 achieved by Tony Blair.

The Conservatives are expected to be slashed from the 365 MPs secured less than five years ago to 154, but that was an improvement from the 131 expected at first - their worst performance in modern political history.

Altogether the Lib Dems are now on track for get 56 MPs, rather than 61, and Nigel Farage's Reform insurgents could have just four rather than 13. Mr Farage finally enters Parliament in Clacton after the eighth attempt, while Lee Anderson has retained Ashfield, Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth and Richard Tice scooped Boston and Skegness.

The Labour leader said 'change begins now' as he was re-elected in Holborn & St Pancras, but his own majority was reduced by a left-wing independent.

Party chair Ric Holden won a desperate struggle for Basildon & Billericay, emerging on top by just 20 votes after a series of recounts.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader in the morning, although he would stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values.

Sir Keir's ally Lord Mandelson gloated that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.

In other rollercoaster developments:

Reform has been racking up votes and second places, including in a slew of safe Labour seats - but fallen short of breakthroughs predicted in the exit poll;

The SNP could be slashed to six, meaning they would no longer be the biggest party in Scotland;

George Galloway has been ousted by Labour's Paul Waugh in Rochdale, after winning the seat in a by-election previously;

There are early signs that turnout could be lower than at the last election in 2019;

The Lib Dems are claiming victory in Tunbridge Wells, which has been Tory since the seat was created in the 1970s, and in Boris Johnson's old seat of Henley;

Ed Davey has recorded the biggest majority for any Lib Dem;

The 2024 general election results in full : Live maps and charts

A glum-looking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Sir Keir and his wife Victoria arrive for the count at his Holborn and St Pancras constituency in north London

Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty arrived to cast their vote at Kirby Sigston Village Hall in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, this morning

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said she was 'not counting her chickens' but suggested voters were punishing the Conservatives for their past 14 years in power

In the first real result, Labour's Bridget Phillipson (pictured) retained Houghton & Sunderland South with a boosted majority of just over 7,000 - but Reform surged into second place with more than 11,600 votes

Ballots being counted in Rishi Sunak's own Richmond & Northallerton constituency

Sir Keir gave a muted reaction to the bombshell on social media

Mr Sunak gave a deadbat response to the blow, merely praising activists

Less than an hour before the exit poll dropped, Downing Street released a dissolution honours list - sending seven Tories and eight Labour politicians to the Lords. They include Theresa May, Rishi Sunak's chief aide Liam Booth-Smith, Chris Grayling and former 1922 committee chair Graham Brady.

Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett are among those on the Labour list - despite Sir Keir having committed to abolishing the Upper House.

A dire campaign for Mr Sunak came stuttering to a halt last night, with the PM making a series more defensive visits in the South East.

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson told Sky News that it looked like a 'massacre'.

Home Secretary James Cleverly and even ex-PM Liz Truss are thought to be at risk.

The Tories have quickly plunged into a dangerous new phase of crisis, with questions over whether it can even survive amid the challenge from Reform.

A former Cabinet minister - who regarded their own significant majority as under threat - said Mr Sunak had 'knifed' Boris Johnson and would be remembered as the 'worst PM ever'.

In the first tangible evidence of the hammering, Labour's Heidi Alexander took ex-Cabinet minister Robert Buckland's Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

But Sir Robert gave a stark warning against the Tories lurching to the right, saying the party risked being like 'bald men fighting over a comb' if it treated politics as 'performance art' and tried to outflank Reform.

Sir John Curtice told the BBC: 'It looks as though Reform may win more seats than many polls suggested.

'This is largely because, not only has the Conservative vote fallen far in seats they previously held, but also because Reform has advanced most in areas people voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.

'However, how many seats Reform will win is highly uncertain  our model suggests there are many places where they have some - but a relatively low - chance of winning.'

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough after Reform pushed the Tories into third place in two early constituency results.

On a video posted to X he said: 'It's midnight, there are two results in from the north-east of England that put Reform on 30 per cent of the vote, that is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It is almost unbelievable.

'And what does it mean? It means we're going to win seats, many many seats I think right now across the country.

'But to watch the TV coverage it's almost comical. There's not a single representative on there from Reform UK, mainstream media are in denial just as much as our political parties.

'This is going to be six million votes-plus. This, folks, is huge.'

A Conservative spokesman said they had to wait for the full outcome, but added: 'If these results are correct it is clear that Starmer and Angela Rayner will be in Downing Street tomorrow.'

Conservatives with big majorities had become increasingly nervous during the day, despite CCHQ claiming that higher-than-expected turnout could help them.

One former Cabinet minister told MailOnline: 'There appears to be a bigger turnout than normal in some of my areas. Not all though.

'That would seem to indicate a determination on the part of the electorate to make their views heard, almost certainly likely to be against the Tories.'

Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock said the exit poll's landslide prediction was 'the greatest comeback since Lazarus'.

The former Labour leader told ITV News: 'A gain of 208, according to the exit poll, which is attributable directly to Keir Starmer and what he's achieved in four years, two of which of course were during the lockdown, or the virtual lockdown when the one thing that opposition leaders depend on  contact with the public  was absent.

'It's the biggest comeback since Lazarus.'

He went on: 'I must say I'm just ecstatic about the fact that an entirely dependable, fully grown-up guy, Keir Starmer, and his wife, are going to go through that door tomorrow. I have unalloyed and unreserved delight.'

Mr Sunak took a huge political gamble and shocked Westminster by triggering the election on May 22, rather than waiting until the Autumn as had been widely expected.

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton seat, the eighth time he has attempted to become an MP

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman , at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values

Jeremy Hunt is fighting to cling on to his Surrey constituency

Lord Mandelson said an electoral 'meteor' had hit British politics

Moments after ballot stations closed at 10pm, the dramatic exit poll was released - showing Sir Keir winning 410 of the 650 seats

It initially looked to be paying off, with early policies from the Tory campaign - such as national citizen service - seeming to cut through.

In a big moment, Mr Farage responded by ruling out standing as a Reform candidate, admitting he did not have time to put together a campaign.

But even then the Tories did not see a real bounce in the polls. The Tories lost key legislation including Mr Sunak's flagship smoking ban during the 'wash-up' as Parliament was dissolved for the campaign.

Your browser does not support iframes.

And then a grim week in early June saw things go spectacularly downhill, with Mr Farage dropping the bombshell that had changed his mind and was taking over the leadership of Reform as well as standing to be MP for Clacton.

Although Mr Sunak was seen as landing blows on Sir Keir over tax during their first TV debate on June 4, disaster struck when the PM opted to return early from D-Day anniversary commemorations in France to conduct an interview with ITV.

A subsequent grovelling apology did not prevent Mr Farage and opponents seizing on the blunder, which struck right at the heart of the Tory goal of shoring up the core vote among older generations.

With polls already showing Reform eating into Tory support with potent attacks on immigration, Mr Sunak was then engulfed in another scandal.

It emerged that his closest Parliamentary aide, Craig Williams had successfully placed bets on the date of the snap election - although he insisted he did not have any inside information.

Other candidates and top party officials were then dragged into the allegations, which proved particularly toxic with the public.

Mr Sunak was memorably challenged on the issue during TV appearances, admitting he was 'incredibly angry'. But he was seen as taking far too long to withdraw support for candidates facing allegations.

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough after Reform pushed the Tories into third place in two early constituency results

Nigel Farage was seen driving through Clacton, the Essex seaside constituency where he is hoping to be elected the local MP, in an old military vehicle as he rallied the final support for his campaign

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and his wife Emily Gasson attended a polling station in Surbiton. He said: 'It's a beautiful day. I hope lots of people come out to vote'

With some polls even showing Reform ahead of the Tories, CCHQ shifted tactics to warn of the threat of a divided Right handing Labour a 'supermajority' with untrammeled power.

That together with controversial remarks from Mr Farage about the West 'provoking' Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and revelations about unsavoury comments by a series of Reform candidates looked to have stopped the bleeding.

But after a bruising six weeks Labour's huge advantage was intact, and the only significant change was that the Tories had lost ground to Reform.

By yesterday, despite Mr Sunak's claim he was 'fighting hard for every vote', his close ally Mel Stride was effectively acknowledging the Conservatives would lose - an unprecedented step.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said Labour would get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

As tension built through election day, the Tories claimed a higher-than-expected turnout had left them with a 'MUCH better chance' than cataclysmic polls had suggested.

An email to Conservative supporters, signed from the 'CCHQ Data Team', read: 'We're getting reports from our teams on the ground. And the more reports we get, the more it looks like turnout is higher than expected.

'That means we could have a MUCH better chance than polls have suggested. So if you haven't voted yet, now's the time to get out.'

Queues of people were seen at polling stations today as the requirement for voters to bring correct photo identification - such as a passport or driving licence - was enforced at a UK general election for the first time.

There was a bungle at a Glasgow polling station this morning as voters were met with posters listing the wrong instructions, which erroneously advised the ranking of candidates in order of preference.

This is how ballots are cast in local elections in Scotland, which use the single transferable vote system. But general elections use the first-past-the-post system, which requires voters to put a single 'X' next to their chosen candidate.

Glasgow City Council explained the error was spotted 'very soon' after the polling station opened at 7am and the posters were replaced with the correct information. It said no-one had been disenfranchised as voters' first preferences would be used from the affected ballots.

Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch this afternoon blasted her own local council for having 'potentially disenfranchised' thousands of postal voters who did not receive their ballot papers.

The Business Secretary hit out at Uttlesford District Council for 'forgetting' to send postal votes to 2,600 people in her North West Essex seat.

Prior to polls opening this morning, Rishi Sunak made an 11th-hour plea for voters to prevent a 'socialist supermajority' wrecking Britain, as he repeated his warning against handing Sir Keir 'unchecked' power.
Overjoyed leftie Carol Vorderman has led the celebrations amid a projected Labour landslide, declaring 'let's get the party started' as she toasted with panel members.

The former Countdown presenter has become well-known for her anti-Tory tirades on social media and did not let up this evening as she launched into an explosive rant about the party.

Following the results of the bombshell exit poll, Vorderman bellowed 'I think we should get the party started', as she appeared on Channel 4's TV election coverage.

The dramatic exit poll shows Labour winning 410 of the 650 seats  a majority of 170  just short of the 179 achieved by Tony Blair.

Speaking on the programme tonight she said it was 'time to get the party started' in what is expected to be a disastrous night for the Conservatives.

Carol Vorderman has led the celebrations amid a projected Labour landslide, declaring 'let's get the party started'

Your browser does not support iframes.

Trade unionist Mick Lynch said he was 'determined to see the Tory's crushed tonight'

Vorderman accused the Tory party of 14 years of 'corruption, and lies and gaslighting'.

She told Channel 4: 'Everybody out there is thinking: no more of the lies, the deceit, the corruption'.

Meanwhile, union baron Mick Lynch said he was 'determined to see the Tory's crushed tonight'.

In an interview with Sky News he said he had 'particular favourites' that he wanted to see 'go down' and admitted there was 'no shame' in saying that.

He said he had a 'long list' of names including the current Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper and Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Defence.

Lynch said: 'I think they've done the country a disservice and I think they need to go and I think that's what the public is going to do'.

Carol Vorderman bellowed 'I think we should get the party started', as she appeared on Channel 4 's TV election coverage'

Ballots being counted in Rishi Sunak's own Richmond & Northallerton constituency tonight

The former Countdown presenter (pictured) has become well-known for her anti-Tory tirades on social media and did not let up this evening

The Tories are expected to be slashed from the 365 secured less than five years ago to just 131 - their worst performance in modern political history.

A host of big beasts, including Jeremy Hunt, Grant Shapps and Penny Mordaunt could fall victim to the purge.

Welsh Secretary David Davies has already conceded defeat and the Lib Dems claim they have defeated Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in Chichester.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader in the morning, although he would stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Speaking on Sky News, Mr McDonnell said he believed that Sir Keir's election manifesto was just a 'first phase'.

'If you look at the Blair government, the first couple of years they held to the Tory spending plans then they became more radical,' he said.

Sir Keir arrived with his wife Victoria to cast their votes this morning at a polling station in their Holborn and St Pancras constituency in north London

Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty arrived to cast their vote at Kirby Sigston Village Hall in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, this morning

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said she was 'not counting her chickens' but suggested voters were punishing the Conservatives for their past 14 years in power

Your browser does not support iframes.

Mr McDonnell said that Sir Keir would begin with his missions, but added: 'At that stage then it will have to be more radical if the children in my constituency are to be lifted out of poverty.'

In the first tangible evidence of the hammering, Labour's Heidi Alexander took ex-Cabinet minister Robert Buckland's Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

Altogether the Lib Dems are projected to get 61 MPs - and Nigel Farage's Reform insurgents could have 13 after effectively leeching millions of votes from the Conservatives.

That could include Mr Farage himself taking Clacton, while Conservative sources in Great Yarmouth confirmed they expected Reform to triumph there.

The SNP would be slashed to 10, meaning they would no longer be the biggest party in Scotland.

Although the exit survey, run for broadcasters by polling guru Sir John Curtice, is not guaranteed to be exact, it has accurately reflected the outcome in the past few elections.

Sir Keir gave a muted reaction to the bombshell, posting on social media: 'To everyone who has campaigned for Labour in this election, to everyone who voted for us and put their trust in our changed Labour Party - thank you.'
Amid a stomping win for Labour emerging this morning have been signs the party's row over its stance on Gaza has proven divisive and disastrous.

A shock defeat in Leicester South for Jonathan Ashworth by a pro-Gaza independent candidate became the symbol of discontent with the Labour leadership among many Muslim and younger voters.

Meanwhile Conservative chairman Sir Iain Duncan Smith was re-elected in Chingford and Woodford Green after the last minute replacement of Labour's Faiza Shaheen over her support on social media for controversial posts on anti-Semitism and Palestine.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn cited the conflict in his victory speech after he beat Labour's candidate by upwards of 7,000 votes.

And Sir Keir Starmer was re-elected but saw his vote share drop after his controversial comments on the conflict - including in an appearance on LBC which he later apologised for - and his party's stance on the issue.

Sir Keir Starmer was re-elected but saw his vote share drop after his controversial comments on the conflict

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn cited the conflict in his victory speech after he beat Labour's candidate by upwards of 7,000 votes

He received 18,884 votes in Holborn and St Pancras, or 49 percent, down from 64.5 percent in 2019.

In Leicester South, shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth lost out to independent candidate Shockat Adam by less than 1,000 votes.

Mr Adam stood on an overtly pro-Gaza ticket, pledging to place pressure on government to bring about an immediate ceasefire in the strip, and was endorsed by Jeremy Corbyn.

His website alludes to a 'genocide' by Israel and said that 'many have expressed feeling betrayed and ignored on this matter'. The constituency has a strong British-Muslim population.

Elsewhere Tory veteran and former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith won Chingford and Woodford Green with 17,281 votes.

Labour candidate Shama Tatler came second with 12,524 votes and independent candidate Faiza Shaheen was third with 12,445.

Ms Tatler was ousted as the Labour candidate for the area weeks before the election over posts she had liked that appeared to celebrate Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, which led to the deaths of around 1,200 people.

Jonathan Ashworth, shadow Paymaster General, lost out to a pro-Gaza candidate endorsed by Jeremy Corbyn

Conservative chairman Sir Iain Duncan Smith was re-elected in Chingford and Woodford Green after the last minute replacement of Labour's Faiza Shaheen

Faiza Shaheen was banned from standing for the Labour party over posts she liked concerning the Middle East conflict in Gaza

Your browser does not support iframes.

More than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in the retaliation by Israel.

Instead Labour parachuted in Shama Tatler, from Wembley, to replace her, but Ms Shaheen decided to stand as an independent.

When the results were announced, she looked visibly angry and was seen shaking her head - while Ms Tatler looked down and was booed by some in the crowd.

The Gaza vote is also thought to have factored in for independent and former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was ejected from the party over accusations of anti-Semitism.

Mr Corbyn wrote on X on Thursday: 'Today, Palestine is on the ballot. If you re-elect me as an Independent MP in Islington North, I promise to always stand up for the people of Gaza, and for the only path to a just and lasting peace: an end to the occupation of Palestine.'

He won in Islington North with 24,120 votes compared to Labour's 16,873.

An ardent pro-Palestinian activist, Corbyn said that the people who voted for him were 'looking for a government that on the world stage will search for peace, not war, and not allow the terrible conditions to go on in Gaza at the present time.'

Speaking to Channel 4, he added: 'The lesson is that people are appalled when they see the pictures of the destruction of Gaza.

George Galloway, who did not turn up to his own count, lost his seat despite standing on a pro-Gaza ticket in the Rochdale by-election earlier this year

'We are complicit because we are supplying weapons to Israel which are used to bomb Gaza. There has to be a ceasefire, there has to be recognition for the state of Palestine, there has to be justice for Palestinians.'

He added he and other supporters of Gaza will 'continue speaking out until the killing stops'.

In Leicester South, another shock result saw the Conservatives gain the seat from Labour after former Labour MPs Claudia Webbe and Keith Vaz split the party's vote.

However bucking the trend was George Galloway, who lost the Rochdale constituency just months after winning the seat in a shock by-election.

The leader of the Workers Party, who did not attend the count at Rochdale Leisure Centre to hear the General Election result, lost to Labour's Paul Waugh.

After the defeat Mr Galloway took to X, formerly Twitter, to say: 'I thank the people of Rochdale who gave me 54 sitting days in the last parliament as their MP.

'Big thanks to my agent, my campaign team and the thousands who voted for me today.

'We took the government party to within 1500 votes and serve notice on Labour that we are here to stay in Rochdale.

'We will field a full slate of council candidates, establish a full-time office there, campaign to re-open the Maternity Ward and A&E, and keep up the pressure on Labour in the town.'

Former Labour and Respect member, Mr Galloway, swept to victory in Rochdale in February gaining almost 40 percent of the vote in a contest mired in chaos and controversy and dominated by the Gaza war.

Palestine has been a major theme of Mr Galloway's political career, throughout which he has voiced ferocious opposition to British and US foreign policies, both in the Middle East and, more recently, in their support for Ukraine.
Viewers bemused with BBC's general election coverage have hit out at the broadcaster's presenting duo ClIve Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg branding them a 'pointless double act'.

After the shocking exit poll predicting a landslide win of 410 out of 650 seats for Keir Starmer, presenters across Sky, ITV, Channel 4 and the BBC have continued to announce constituencies results dotted throughout the UK.

But not everyone keenly watching the general election unfold at home has been pleased with the BBC's coverage - with several switching the broadcaster off and dubbing other channels 'superior'.

Several have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to slam the tax-funded broadcaster for their 'endless wittering' and a lack of reporting from polling stations as the results roll in.

Others have described the BBC's reportage as 'misjudged' , 'dull' with one comparing it to 'one of their interminable and tedious podcasts'.

Viewers have taken to social media to hit out at BBC's general election coverage hosted by Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg (pictured)

Several have taken to X (formerly Twitter ) to slam the tax-funded broadcaster for their 'endless wittering' as the results rolled in

'Have to say BBC National coverage of the general election is rubbish. BBC Scotland and Channel 4 [is] much better quality,' one quipped.

'The pointless double act of Myrie & Kuenssberg distracting from the results. BBC have made a real mess of their national coverage.'

A second quipped: 'BBC coverage is weird - endless wittering while they actually have reporters at virtually every count.'

'I think you might be right BBC national coverage has been terrible from Myrie/Keunssbergg. Terrible double act. Should've been sole anchor,' a third shared.

'It is extraordinary isn't it? BBC coverage seems misjudged at many levels. Feels like one of their interminable and tedious podcasts,' a viewer said.

'My word, the BBC election coverage is soo dull. All the other channels are far superior,' one penned.

Another added: 'Unsure exactly why the BBC election coverage is so poor - they seem totally unable to keep up with the seat count whereas the Sky website is far better at keeping up (though still inexplicably saying that the Speaker's seat has been won by the Tories...)'

'I started to watch BBC coverage - so boring - gone back to GB News.'

Others have described the BBC's reportage as 'misjudged' , 'dull' with one comparing it to 'one of their interminable and tedious podcasts

This comes after exit poll suggests Labour is on course for a staggering 410 seats, with the Tories reduced to 131.

'The BBC has had dire coverage all night dear, don't make my mistake,' warned one.

MailOnline has approached the BBC for comment.

This comes shortly after Sky viewers were stunned as Kay Burley and Labour mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham let out a series of strange moans as they were left completely speechless by tonight's shocking exit poll.

Those watching at home were quick to ask: 'What is happening in the Sky News studio?!'

Their reactions were replayed only moments later, with Mr Burnham seen nearly jumping out of his seat and raising his arms in the air as he sat next to a far from impressed Baroness Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives.

Rishi Sunak's term as Prime Minister looks set to end in electoral disaster, with the Conservatives forecast to endure heavy losses.

The exit poll - announced at 10pm - suggests Labour is on course for a staggering 410 seats, with the Tories reduced to 131.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive at the headquarters of Camden Council for the count

Sir Keir waiting for the result of the Holborn and St Pancras constituency with other party candidates

Keir Starmer gives a thumbs up to his supporters after he was elected for the Holborn and St Pancras constituency

Your browser does not support iframes.

It marks a dramatic turnaround since the 2019 general election, when Boris Johnson won the Tories a healthy 80-seat majority and Jeremy Corbyn led Labour to its worst result since 1935.

It will mean a Labour prime minister in No 10 for the first time in 2010 and the Conservatives facing a possible civil war as the fight for the future direction of the party and the battle to potentially replace Mr Sunak gets under way.

After 14 years in power it was always going to be a difficult election for the Conservatives, but the sometimes shambolic campaign - triggered at a time of Mr Sunak's choosing - has contributed to their party's likely defeat.

From the rain-drenched speech announcing the surprise July 4 poll, through the D-Day debacle as he left Normandy early to record a TV interview to confused campaign messaging about a Labour 'supermajority', Mr Sunak struggled to convince the electorate he was the right man to lead the country.
Kamala Harris accidentally referred to Joe Biden as the 'vice president,' echoing a verbal gaffe her boss made earlier, during a July 4 event at the White House.

With many wondering if she could replace Biden as Democrats' candidate for president were he to drop out, she was positively giddy while giving the speech.

She said: 'We give thanks to our commander-in-chief, the vice - the president of the United States! The extraordinary President of the United States Joe Biden!'

Biden then took in the applause from the Washington crowd and wished everyone a happy Independence Day amid calls for him to step down by many of his fellow Democrats.

The brief error was similar to one that Biden himself had made in an interview with a black radio station in Philadelphia.

Kamala Harris accidentally referred to Joe Biden as the 'vice president,' echoing a verbal gaffe her boss made earlier, during a July 4 event at the White House

With many wondering if she could replace Biden as Democrats' candidate for president were he to drop out, Harris was positively giddy while introducing Biden

The gaffe-prone president, 81, stumbled over his words during Thursday's interview with Philadelphia's WURD, seemingly mixing himself up with his Vice President Kamala Harris. He ended up referring to himself as a black woman in a clip that has sparked further concern about his fitness for office.

'By the way, I'm proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first black woman... to serve with a black president. Proud to be involved of the first black woman on the Supreme Court. There's so much that we can do because, look... we're the United States of America.'

Biden appeared to be highlighting his appointment of Kamala Harris as the United States first black female vice president.

Confusingly, he himself was previously vice president, which is likely what he was referring to in 'to serve with a black president.'

The reference to the Supreme Court concerns Ketanji Brown-Jackson, the first black female justice, who was appointed by Biden in 2022.

It was all smiles between Biden and Harris at the Fourth of July event at the White House Thursday evening.

Later, during evening fireworks, he stood on the balcony with his family, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, in a clear show of support.

Harris at one point grabbed Biden's hand and held it high in the air, and later the two hugged.

Later, during evening fireworks, Biden stood on the balcony with his family, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, in a clear show of support

Harris at one point grabbed Biden's hand and held it high in the air, and later the two hugged

Biden on Thursday opened a critical stretch in his effort to salvage his imperiled reelection campaign, facing a growing sense that he may have just days to make a persuasive case that he is fit for office before Democratic support for him completely evaporates.

In the aftermath of Biden's disastrous debate performance last week against Republican Donald Trump, some financial backers were holding off or canceling upcoming fundraisers, according to a person familiar with the plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to talk about private discussions.

'I'm not going anywhere,' Biden told a crowd gathered for a July Fourth barbecue on the White House South Lawn.

However, at that same event on the South Lawn, he continued to struggle when going off-script Thursday as he tried to insert a jab at former President Donald Trump into his Fourth of July remarks.

The president and first lady Jill Biden, alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, spoke to military families.

The 81-year-old is being heavily scrutinized after his car crash of a debate performance last Thursday, with a handful of Democratic lawmakers saying publicly they think Biden should bow out of the presidential race.

The White House has pointed to an upcoming interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos to prove Biden is able to speak off-the-cuff but he muddled his comments when he slid off the teleprompter Thursday.

'By the way, you know I was at that World War I cemetery in France and a - the one that one of our colleagues, a former president, didn't want to go and be up there,' Biden said. 'I probably shouldn't even say that. Anyway,' he continued, his voice going low.

Harris' brief error was similar to one that Biden himself had made in an interview with a black radio station in Philadelphia

At another point in the speech he again said, 'by the way.'

'I've been all over the world,' he said, his voice dropping to a mumble. 'I've been in and out of battles, anyway. You're incredible,' he told the military members and their families gathered on the South Lawn.

The president started greeted members of the crowd when he was told that his presence outside meant that more guests weren't being let inside the White House gates.

Biden promised to come back and out and talk to people.

A supporter yelled, 'keep up the fight. We need you.'

'You got me man. I'm not going anywhere.'

There was a cloud over Thursday's festivities - and it wasn't just the pop-up shower in the late afternoon - as Biden's political future hangs in the balance.

After Democratic governors expressed support - though tepidly at first - over the president's decision to stay in the race, meeting attendees started leaking juicy details to the press.

At an event earlier Thursday on the South Lawn, he continued to struggle when going off-script Thursday as he tried to insert a jab at former President Donald Trump into his Fourth of July remarks

Outside the friendly confines of the White House, it continued to be popular sentiment among liberal megadonors that Biden get out of the race.

Heiress and major Democrat donor Abigail Disney has announced she will stop donations Biden and the entire party until the ailing president steps down.

The granddaughter to Roy Disney, the co-founder of the Walt Disney Corporation, has often made noise for her liberal politics despite her wealth, which is believed to be around $120 million.

'I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high,' she said in a statement.

The 64-year-old Disney's announcement comes just a day after Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings became one of the first liberal megadonors to turn off the spigot until the president stands aside.

'If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire,' she continued.

Disney believes that the 'excellent' Vice President Kamala Harris is more than capable of topping the ticket.

A group of wealthy donors are also secretly plotting to start Next Generation PAC, a $50-100 million effort to support a Democrat nominee not named Joe Biden, according to the New York Times.

Heiress and major Democrat donor Abigail Disney has announced she will stop donations Biden and the entire party until the ailing president steps down

Disney believes that the 'excellent' Vice President Kamala Harris is more than capable of topping the ticket

Next Generation PAC - founded by crypto billionaire Mike Novogratz - will hold its money until Biden's resigns and give to his replacement on the ticket. Should he not get out of the race, they will focus on down-ballot Democrats but not to Biden.

While the committee hasn't filed with the FEC, the Biden campaign has reportedly heard of it and tried to talk its backers into stopping.

It comes after the first elected Democrats came forward to urge Biden to step back, with just weeks to go before his party's convention in Chicago.

With fury over White House messaging since Biden stumbled his way through his debate with Donald Trump in Atlanta , the president reassured governors in a private meeting about his health and political viability  even telling them about a recent check up that had him in good health.

That came shortly after White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged direct questions during a contentious press briefing about whether Biden had been evaluated since Thursday's debate .
Veteran left-winger George Galloway has lost the Rochdale seat just five months after winning it in a by-election - as Labour grandee Neil Kinnock condemned the firebrand politician as a 'repulsive cancer'.

The leader of the Workers Party of Britain, who did not even show up at the count in Rochdale, received 11,508 votes, losing out to Labour's Paul Waugh who won with 13,047 votes.

It comes after Galloway only won the seat in a February by-election, having overturned a Labour majority of 9,668.

As news broke of Galloway losing, former Labour leader Lord Kinnock broke into a smile and told the BBC: 'I am delighted. He is repulsive. Galloway is repulsive. He always has been.'

Lord Kinnock - who led the Labour party from 1983 to 1992 - added: 'I have known him since 1983 and he is repellent. He is such a cancer, he's so superficial.'

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said communities would be 'glad to see the back' of Galloway.

George Galloway (pictured) has lost the Rochdale seat just five months after winning it - with Labour grandee Neil Kinnock leading the celebrations

As news broke of Galloway losing, former Labour leader Lord Kinnock broke into a smile and told the BBC : 'I am delighted. He is repulsive. Galloway is repulsive. He always has been.'

Although Galloway did not show up at the count, he wrote on X afterwards: 'I thank the people of Rochdale who gave me 54 sitting days in the last parliament as their MP.

'Big thanks to my agent, my campaign team and the thousands who voted for me today.

'We took the government party to within 1,500 votes and serve notice on Labour that we are here to stay in Rochdale.

'We will field a full slate of council candidates, establish a full-time office there, campaign to re-open the maternity ward and A&E, and keep up the pressure on Labour in the town.'

Galloway criticised Labour for supporting Israel in its war against Hamas during his winning by-election campaign.

But this time he lost to Mr Waugh, a former political journalist who has previously worked for Britain's Independent and Evening Standard newspapers, and who grew up in the town.

Galloway, 69, was himself a former Labour parliamentarian before being expelled from the party in 2003 for criticising then-prime minister Tony Blair over the Iraq war.

By that time, he already had a reputation for controversy.

In 1994, he drew criticism for meeting Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and telling him: 'Sir, I salute your courage, your strength, your indefatigability.'

His fame reached its height in 2006 when he impersonated a cat on a reality television show.

The maverick returned to Westminster as a representative of a third different political party - the Workers Party of Britain - having previously been both a Labour and Respect MP.

The Labour win is yet another victory for Sir Keir Starmer, who is predicted to become Prime Minister, according to the exit polls.

Labour is forecast to have a 170-seat majority in the Commons, with the Conservatives reduced to their lowest number of MPs on record.

Galloway criticised Labour for supporting Israel in its war against Hamas during his winning by-election campaign

George Galloway poses for a photo with his wife Putri Gayatri Pertiwi days after winning by-election

If the results indicated by an exit poll are accurate, Rishi Sunak's term as Prime Minister will end in electoral disaster, with Nigel Farage's Reform UK establishing a foothold in Parliament and the Liberal Democrats forecast to make significant gains.

The exit poll suggests Labour is on course for 410 seats, with the Tories reduced to 131.

The Liberal Democrats are forecast to win 61 seats, Reform UK on 13 and the Green Party two.

In Scotland, the SNP are expected to secure 10 seats with Plaid Cymru in Wales on four.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

The poll for broadcasters involved more than 20,000 voters at 133 polling stations.

If the results follow the forecast, it will mean a Labour prime minister in No 10 for the first time since 2010 and the Conservatives facing a fight for the future direction of the party.

Former Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said it is 'clearly a terrible night', suggesting voters had been put off by the revolving door in No 10 which saw Boris Johnson replaced first by Liz Truss and then by Mr Sunak.

Sir Jacob told the BBC 'there were issues with changing the leader', adding: 'Voters expect the prime minister they have chosen to remain the prime minister and for it to be the voters who decide when that person is changed.'

After 14 years in power, it was always going to be a difficult election for the Conservatives, but the sometimes shambolic campaign - triggered at a time of Mr Sunak's choosing - has contributed to the party's likely defeat.

From the rain-drenched speech announcing the surprise July 4 poll, through the D-Day debacle as he left Normandy early to record a TV interview to confused campaign messaging about a Labour 'supermajority', Mr Sunak struggled to convince the electorate he was the right man to lead the country.

Going for a summer election rather than waiting until the autumn was always a gamble, and the Prime Minister was not helped by the scandal of Tory candidates and officials allegedly heading to the bookies armed with inside knowledge of the date.

Mr Sunak is expected to resign after leading his party to defeat, but many of the contenders jostling to replace him are nervously awaiting their own constituency results to see if their leadership dreams survive the night.

The likes of Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps and Steve Baker all face battles to return to Parliament, while Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is predicted to lose.
Top Democrats are so alarmed about Joe Biden's ailing health some fear a shadowy cabal is keeping him in power so they can pull levers behind the scenes, it is claimed.

The astonishing theory was detailed in the liberal New York magazine. Its reporter Olivia Nuzzi revealed that even Democrat elites are stumped as to how and why the fast-declining 81 year-old is being allowed to continue his re-election bid.

Nuzzi said she had heard questions being posed by high-ranking Democrats on the east and west coasts about whether Biden is a puppet whose strings are being pulled by another group of secretive Democrats.

She highlighted the irony that this is the same theory espoused by many on the MAGA right, with Donald Trump himself previously alleging that former President Barack Obama is the real power behind the Biden White House.

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visit a Biden-Harris campaign debate watch party in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27, 2024

Explaining the strange convergence in beliefs between Biden and Trump supporters, Nuzzi said: 'Nothing else made sense. They were in full agreement.'

This theory that a cabal was controlling Biden parallels a similar idea pushed by Trump that Barack Obama is actually calling the shots

At a New Hampshire event earlier this week, the former president said: 'Its never been worse than it is now under crooked Joe Biden, and frankly, his boss, Barack Hussein Obama. I think its his boss.'

There's no evidence to suggest Obama is effectively serving a secret third term as president.

But the fact that such theories are now being openly-discussed in liberal circles and amplified by a left-leaning magazine highlights just how much panic has erupted over Biden's fitness to govern.

And with Nuzzi revealing that top-flight Democrats are among those concerned, Biden is only likely to face more pressure to quit.

The left-wing conspiracy of silence was effectively ended by last week's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, where Biden repeatedly floundered.

Following the debate, a handful of Democratic lawmakers have said publicly that they think Biden should bow out of the presidential race.

Nuzzi went on to highlight Biden's constant reliance on teleprompters to tell him what to say. He even needs one at small, intimate gatherings like a fundraiser for 50 rich donors held at New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy's home last Saturday, she revealed.

Devastatingly, Nuzzi said the president's voice and sentences often 'dissolve' into an 'incoherent gurgle.'

Nuzzi added that Biden approached the lectern with a 'stiff gait' and despite large speakers surrounding the place, the president was still difficult to hear.

The press scrum that had formed to cover the event were left to exchange their own notes in an attempt to decipher just exactly he had said.

Biden and Barack Obama rally for Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro in 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Concerns had reportedly started swirling around Biden's fitness to continue in office as early as January of this year.

Nuzzi reported that Democratic officials, activists and donors made their concerns clear with each other, but only in whispers.

She said they did so amid fears that admitting everything was not fine would jeopardize the future of the country. That is because nobody wanted to be responsible for helping get a resurgent Trump re-elected for a second term.

One die-hard Democrat was stunned to realize Biden was too frail to make it through an entire White House reception, Nuzzi said. The unnamed bigwig is then said to have realized that it may have been premature to dismiss theories about Biden's fitness for office as right-wing propaganda.

Some of Joe Biden's friends and top supporters are also shocked at his behavior and controlling inner circle.

According to anonymous sources close to the president who spoke to the Intelligencer, the president is forgetting the names of old friends and is easily manipulated by close confidants like his wife and top aides.

At a recent event, the president was pulled in to say hello to a Democratic mega-donor and long-time friend.

He is said to have forgotten that person's name, with First Lady Jill Biden forced to whisper a greeting into the president's ear, which he then dutifully repeated.

President Joe Biden attends the first presidential debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., June 27

Nuzzi was told that Biden is being shielded by ever-growing layers of bureaucracy that have made it harder and harder for people to reach him - often on important official matters.

Many are speculating the red tape is being used as a means to try and prevent people from learning the truth about Biden's health and wellbeing.

After getting an up-close audience with the president, Nuzzi found Biden having unnaturally dilated pupils and an awkward stare after having not seen him in months.

'Under artificial light and in the sunshine, he took on an unnatural gleam,' she wrote.

'He looked, well, inflated. His eyes were half-shut or open very wide. They appeared darker than they once had, his pupils dilated. He did not blink at regular intervals.'

The writer said that while Biden was looking at her, his eyes did not appear to be 'on.'

Nuzzi said Biden's widely-rumored cosmetic surgery - said to include facelifts and eyelifts - are part of the reason for his distorted appearance. But she believes that his disturbing demeanor were the result of covered-up health issues and not distortions caused by a surgeon's scalpel.

She wrote how Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky - both 82 - are old.

President Joe Biden speaks during a Medal of Honor Ceremony at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Still, she concedes that Biden is 'something not of this earth.'

Similarly, in April of this year Nuzzi joined a queue of people to get a photo with Biden and the First Lady.

Nuzzi revealed that her and Dr. Biden had maintained a somewhat close relationship over the years.

But she said that on seeing her and realizing who she was, Jill gave a 'panicked' expression.

The implication appears to be that Jill knew how badly her husband had declined dramatically since she'd last seen Nuzzi - and that she was worried the journalist would see it too.

And while concerns started to be raised on social media after official videos shows the president staring into space without blinking, the White House refused to engage when questioned by it.

The press office blamed it on his political enemies on the right pushing what they described as 'cheap fakes'

Following that event in April, Nuzzi said some reporters had indulged in a bad taste joke about 'how dead' the president appeared to be, with one unnamed journalist guessing '40 percent.' It's unclear if any of the participants were writers for liberal outlets since accused of helping shield the truth about Biden's health.

Biden is said to privately concede that he may well have to bow out in favor of a younger Democrat candidate to take on a surging Trump as a make-or-break weekend approaches.

He is giving an interview to ABC News on Friday night and has two campaign stops this weekend. If those fail to impress, Biden could decide to throw in the towel as early as next week, it is claimed.

On Wednesday, Biden assured campaign staff on a call that despite mounting calls for him to stand down he remains in the 2024 race for the presidency.

He said: 'Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running - no one's pushing me out. I'm not leaving. I'm in this race to the end and we're going to win.'

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also told reporters during her briefing on Wednesday that Biden is not preparing to exit the race.

Jean-Pierre, spent the best part of an hour being grilled on the President's health and confirmed that while he 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.

Despite the fighting talk however, Biden on Thursday described himself as being a black woman during a radio interview.

He stumbled over his words during Thursday's interview with Philadelphia's WURD, seemingly mixing himself up with his Vice President Kamala Harris.

President Joe Biden is being heavily scrutinized after his car crash of a debate performance last Thursday against former President Donald Trump (pictured)

'By the way, I'm proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first black woman... to serve with a black president. Proud to be involved of the first black woman on the Supreme Court. There's so much that we can do because, look... we're the United States of America.'

Biden appears to have been referring to Vice President Kamala Harris, but the flub could not have happened at a worse time.

He also referred to Trump as being a 'former colleague' when going off-script Thursday as he tried to insert a jab at the former President

'By the way, you know I was at that World War I cemetery in France and a - the one that one of our colleagues, a former president, didn't want to go and be up there,' Biden said. 'I probably shouldn't even say that. Anyway,' he continued, his voice going low.

At another point in the speech he again said, 'by the way.'

'I've been all over the world,' he said, his voice dropping to a mumble. 'I've been in and out of battles, anyway. You're incredible,' he told the military members and their families gathered on the South Lawn.

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrive to speak at a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina, on June 28, 2024

New poll shows Donald Trump three points ahead on average in all seven swing states after the debate with Joe Biden last week

It has also since emerged that Biden acknowledged that he needs to get more sleep and wants to limit evening events so he can turn in earlier to be rested for the job,.

One person said the president joked that his health was fine, it was his brain that had challenges.

Biden will be traveling to Madison, Wisconsin on Friday where he will 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.

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.
Jeremy Corbyn inflicted a blow on Keir Starmer today as he was reelected in his Islington North constituency.

The former Labour leader, standing as an independent after being ousted by Sir Keir, defeated the party's candidate.

He secured 24,000 votes, while his rival Praful Nargund received 16,800. In his victory speech, he warned Sir Keir that the public is 'looking for something different'.

Mr Corbyn defied a wider red wave as an exit poll projected Sir Keir is on track for a massive majority of 170 - just short of the 179 achieved by Tony Blair .

The Labour leader said 'change begins now' as he was re-elected in Holborn & St Pancras, although his majority was reduced by a left-wing independent.

Jeremy Corbyn inflicted a blow on Keir Starmer today as he was reelected in his Islington North constituency

Your browser does not support iframes.

The Conservatives are expected to be slashed from the 365 MPs secured less than five years ago to just 131 - their worst performance in modern political history.

Grant Shapps became the first Tory 'big beast' to fall today as he was swept away in Keir Starmer 's red tide.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Welsh Secretary David Davies has already conceded defeat and the Lib Dems claim they have defeated Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in Chichester - as well as taking out Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and a host of others. However, former leader Iain Duncan Smith surprised many by clinging on in Chingford.

More Cabinet ministers could soon follow, including Jeremy Hunt and Penny Mordaunt .

Party chair Ric Holden is in a desperate struggle for Basildon & Billericay, with a recount and claims there are only 20 votes in it.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader in the morning, although he would stay on until a replacement is chosen.

In the first tangible evidence of the hammering, Labour 's Heidi Alexander took ex-Cabinet minister Robert Buckland 's Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

Altogether the Lib Dems are projected to get 61 MPs - and Nigel Farage 's Reform insurgents could have 13 after effectively leeching millions of votes from the Conservatives .

Lee Anderson has become the first MP ever elected for the party, with a near-7,000 majority in Ashfield.

Mr Farage himself taking Clacton, while Conservative sources in Great Yarmouth confirmed they expected Reform to triumph there.

Sir Keir said 'change begins now' as he was re-elected in Holborn & St Pancras, although his majority was reduced by a left-wing independent

The SNP would be slashed to 10, meaning they would no longer be the biggest party in Scotland.

Although the exit survey, run for broadcasters by polling guru Sir John Curtice, is not guaranteed to be exact, it has accurately reflected the outcome in the past few elections.

Sir Keir gave a muted reaction to the bombshell, posting on social media: 'To everyone who has campaigned for Labour in this election, to everyone who voted for us and put their trust in our changed Labour Party - thank you.'

But his allies were far less restrained, with Lord Mandelson gloating that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner - who could be set to become deputy PM within hours - said the numbers were 'encouraging' and praised Sir Keir's leadership.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said 'the people have voted for change'.
Kate Garraway has claimed she has been the first person to congratulate Keir Starmer on becoming Prime Minister.

In a video posted on X the Good Morning Britain presenter can be seen waving at Sir Keir before he walks on stage at his seat of Holborn and St Pancras.

Clearly in an excellent mood from the direction of the polls, he can be seen chuckling at her comments and beaming back at her.

She captioned the video: ''Congratulations Prime Minister' @GMB is the first at 2.40a.m to welcome him into his new role. Check out the smile & wave!'

In a video posted on X the Good Morning Britain presenter can be seen waving at Sir Keir before he walks on stage at his seat of Holborn and St Pancras

The Labour leader decisively won he parliamentary seat this morning after he received 18,884 votes

Kate Garraway has claimed she has been the first person to congratulate Keir Starmer on becoming Prime Minister

The Labour leader decisively won he parliamentary seat this morning after he received 18,884 votes.

He told his constituents as he delivered his victory speech: 'I promise this: Whether you voted for me or not, I will serve every person in this constituency.

'The mothers I sat with who have lost children to knife crime, the pensioners who can't get the doctors appointments they desperately need, the local businesses who have struggled so hard to keep their head above water.

'I will speak out for you, have your back, fight your corner, every single day.'

The extent of the Labour victory became significantly more apparent after Grant Shapps lost his seat in Welwyn Hatfield by 3000 votes to Labour.

Mr Shapps said it was 'clear tonight that Britain will have a new government in the morning'.

Earlier in the night Labour's Heidi Alexander took ex-Cabinet minister Robert Buckland's Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

Your browser does not support iframes.

The extent of the Labour victory became significantly more apparent after Grant Shapps lost his seat by 3000 votes to Labour

Mr Shapps said it was 'clear tonight that Britain will have a new government in the morning'.

The exit poll put Sir Keir on course to complete one of the most remarkable turnarounds in British political history forecasting a huge Labour victory that will sweep him into Downing Street with a majority of 170.

The Tories however are expected to be slashed from the 365 secured less than five years ago to just 131 - their worst performance in modern political history.

Shapps is not expected to be the only political heavyweight to lose his seat, others at risk include Jeremy Hunt and Penny Mordaunt.

Welsh Secretary David Davies has already conceded defeat and the Lib Dems claim they have defeated Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in Chichester.

Party chair Richard Holden is in a desperate struggle for Basildon & Billericay, with a recount and claims there are only 20 votes in it.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader in the morning, although he would stay on until a replacement is chosen.
An app designed to help parents keep track of their teenage children is growing in popularity in Australia

Life360's Australian share price more than doubled during the last financial year, surging by 115.4 per cent to $16.37.

The local division of the Californian tech company, with 66million global active users, describes itself as 'Australia's leading family safety and location-sharing app'.

But Steven Daghlian, a market analyst with CommSec, said that the information provided by the app could be useful in many ways.

'It's a location tracking app - it's probably more wife checking on their husbands, I would say more so than the other way around,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

But primarily, Life360 is about parents keeping track of their teenage children.

'It's been growing very aggressively - people want to keep an eye on their families, especially with kids,' Mr Daghlian said.

'That's one thing that people still care about - their kids regardless of cost-of-living pressures.'

An app designed to help parents keep track of their teenage children could be used to help wives spy on their cheating husbands, an expert says

Mr Daghlian said the free service was doing a lot better than the subscription one, with the number of global users surging by 30 per cent in a year.

'More than half of those are in the United States - the fact that it's growing in that large market is important as well,' he said.

'It intends to ramp up ad revenue for users of the free app as well rather than the paid app.'

Life360 launched on the Australian Securities Exchange in May 2019 back when it was worth $5.27 a share.

In 2023-24, it was one of just two listed companies on the ASX to see its share price double, along with medical imaging company Pro Medicus.

Life360 is proving so popular its Australian share price more than doubled during the last financial year, surging by 115.4 per cent to $16.37
An independent candidate has been quizzed by police after a razor blade fell from his Peaky Blinders-style cap at a general election count.

Mark Baxtrem, standing for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, prompted concerns while awaiting his constituency's result when the blade was seen on the floor.

Cleveland Police officers questioned him, with Mr Baxtrem - who quickly placed it back in his headwear - reportedly explaining he was a farmer and had it for his work.

It was also suggested the 59-year-old told of using it to shave callouses from his feet.

Police said they would have to confiscate the blade, the Northern Echo reported.

Mark Baxtrem, 59, standing as an independent candidate for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, had a razor blade in his Peaky Blinders-style cap which fell to the floor at his count

Mr Baxtrem, 59, was spoken to by Cleveland Police officers who confiscated the blade

The candidate told how he carried the razor blade to remove callouses from his feet

No further police action appears to have been taken and he was seen on stage as the results were announced, with a victory for Labour's sitting MP Andy McDonald.

His cap was a similar style to those worn by gangsters in the BBC's popular drama Peaky Blinders, set in 1920s Birmingham and starring Oscar-winner Cilian Murphy.

Mr Baxtrem, standing as an independent, won 383 votes - 1.11 per cent of the 52.39 per cent turnout.

He was quoted as saying of the razor: 'I declared that the blade was mine. I carry it to look after the callouses on my feet from walking the streets campaigning - if I dont scrape the skin off, it leaves my feet bleeding.'

Mr Baxtrem, a former environmental engineer and volunteer firefighter, previously accused Cleveland Police of 'harassing' him during his election campaigning and said he had lodged a complaint.

He told of being arrested twice in recent weeks and having vehices impounded despite no charges being laid against him, Teesside Live reported.

He said last month: 'I don't know why I have a relationship with Cleveland Police like I do because honestly I'm a hardworking lad, I'm at church every Sunday.

'I'm a bit of a handful and I'm full of attitude but I'm not a criminal.

Simialr flat caps have been popularised by the BBC gangster drama Peaky Blinders, set in Birmingham in the early 20th century and starring Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy

The Middlesbrough and Thornaby East seat has been held by Labour's Andy McDonald

'I've somehow set a flag with Cleveland Police that just gets me arrested, detained and messed about all the time which is why I display some attitude whenever I encounter them.'

The force said in response that it would be 'inappropriate' to comment to comment on his allegations during the election campaign.

Mr Baxtrem said in an online Crowdfunder appeal promoting his candidacy: 'After over four decades of environmental engineering work, two decades a committed and successful trade union shop-floor steward and a spell as a volunteer fireman - I seek to represent the town of my birth in the UK parliament to fully and earnestly represent the needs and views of my town at the highest level.

'I have a (part) degree in Politics, Economics and Philosophy and a passion to serve the town that I love and its wonderful people.

'This I will do the the fullest of my abilities and champion our town at every opportunity.

'If successful - I will not personally benefit from an MP's salary - I shall live on what you live on - an average wage for the boro is all that I will take for my endeavours.'
The SNP is set for a major election humiliation in Scotland that could leave it with just a handful of seats after a maulling by voters.

John Swinney's scandal-ravaged nationalists could left with just six MPs, down from the high of 48 the party achieved in 2019.

They would be left with fewer seats north of the border even than the Tories, who are facing a pummelling at the hands of Labour UK-wide. The Conservatives are projected to take 12 seats.

Labour has overturned more than a decade of SNP domination at Westminster by securing a majority of Scottish seats in the early hours, after passing the 29-seat threshold. In the 2019 General Election, Labour returned just one MP north of the border.

It comes after a dismal year for the SNP, which is at the centre of a financial scandal and rows over trans rights and its independence strategy.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said he is 'confident' his party will win a majority in Scotland.

Among those winners was former minister Douglas Alexander, who will return to Westminster to represent Lothian East for the first time since losing his previous seat in 2015.

Sir Keir Starmer's party has taken Kilmarnock and Loudon, West Dunbartonshire, Paisley and Renfrewshire South and East Kilbride and Strathaven in the early hours of Friday morning, each with substantial swings between the two parties.

First Minister John Swinney admitted the results were 'poor' for the SNP and the party will have to do a lot of 'soul searching'.

John Swinney's scandal-ravaged nationalists are expected to be left with just 10 seats, a fall of 80 per cent from the high of 48 the party achieved in 2019.

The SNPs Pete Wishart arrives in the hall to wait for the result of the election count in Perth, Scotland

Speaking on ITV, former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said she believed the results of the exit poll would turn out to be 'broadly right'.

The results come as the BBC/ITV/Sky exit poll predicted a 170-seat majority for Labour across the UK. It initially predicted 10 SNP seats before revising it to six.

A party source suggested it could lose all three of its seats in Edinburgh.

Lillian Jones took Kilmarnock and Loudon from the SNP's Alan Brown, winning 19,065 votes. Mr Brown had held the seat since 2015.

Just minutes later, Labour won the West Dunbartonshire seat from the SNP, unseating Martin Docherty-Hughes, with Douglas McAllister taking 19,312 votes.

While Johanna Baxter won 19,583 to defeat the SNP in the seat vacated by former deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black.

Elsewhere, the SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn was re-elected in Aberdeen South and Kirsty Blackman retained her Aberdeen North seat.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said he is 'confident' his party will win a majority in Scotland.

Meanwhile, former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon - reacting to the exit poll being released - said: 'This is not a good night for the SNP on these numbers.

'I think there will be a question about whether there was enough in the campaign to give out, effectively, a USP to the SNP in an election that was about getting the Tories out and replacing them with Labour.'

Speaking on ITV, she added: 'This is at the grimmer end of the expectations for the SNP if the exit poll is right and, from what I've said earlier on, I expect it will be.

'This is seismic for Labour. There's no getting away from that, it's a massive achievement for Keir Starmer.'

The SNP's campaign centred around calls for talks on another independence referendum if the party won a majority of seats at the election.

Despite the exit poll result, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes told the BBC: 'I would strongly caution anybody against dismissing the robust, resilient and significant number of people in this country that support independence and the next Labour government will have to contend with that, we'll have to listen to Scottish voters because even over the last few months - which have been difficult - that support for independence has remained strong.'

But she added the party would need to 'listen to the voices of voters' and 'set out our agenda to regain and rebuild the trust of the voters across Scotland', she said.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross told the BBC the exit poll predicts a 'historically bad' result for the Tories across the UK.

He said he does not regret his last-minute decision to stand in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, but predicted an 'extremely close' result.

Speaking from the Aberdeen count, he said: 'It is a historically bad night, there is no shying away from that at all and there will be a huge amount of reflection on the campaign and also clearly the last few years.

'It has been particularly difficult and there's no denying that and whoever forms the next parliamentary party will look at the options going forward and will assess the current state of play in the Conservative party and how it rebuilds after this election result.'

He said he does not regret his last-minute decision to stand but predicted an 'extremely close' result.

The exit poll predictions signal voters had a 'desperate need for change', a Scottish Labour MSP has said. Glasgow MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said the exit poll predicted a 'strong' result for Labour.

She told PA: 'It was a strong exit poll. I think that the country has been saying for some time now that they're fed up of the 14 years of Tory chaos.'

She added: 'There's really been a desperate need for change and we've ran a really strong, positive campaign and I'm so proud of it.'

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the exit poll was a 'hopeful' sign for his party at a UK level where it predicted two Green MPs.

Speaking to PA from the Glasgow count, he said any gain from the one English seat the Greens won at the 2019 general election would be 'something to celebrate'.
A Sydney landlord has advertised an enclosed balcony for rent at $360 a week as the dire state of Australia's rental crisis is laid bare.

The listing on Facebook Marketplace describes the balcony in Haymarket, in Sydney's inner suburbs, as a 'sunny room' fit to accommodate one person.

Images show the tiny, box-like room decked out with a single bed, a mirror, blinds and a rug over what is likely tiled flooring.

Glass sliding doors connecting the balcony to the rest of the property are shown in the advert and the reflection in a full-length mirror shows an adjacent glass wall.

The landlord said the room was ready for a prospective tenant to 'move in now', and the weekly rent 'included bills'.

The balcony is attached to a two-bedroom apartment.

A similar listing for a one-bedroom apartment went viral this week after a prospective tenant discovered the dining room and kitchen in the $390-a-week rental were in a covered outdoor area.

Photos from the bizarre listing show a fridge, cupboard, cooktop, food storage areas, a dining table and benches under tarps.

A balcony in Haymarket, in inner Sydney, has been listed to rent for $360 a week on Facebook

Pictured is the outside of the building in Haymarket, in the centre of Sydney's CBD

The listing describes the balcony as a 'sunny room' fit to accommodate one person

The 'wild' living arrangement' looked to be tacked onto someone's four-bedroom house', according to the would-be renter.

'It looks the owner took the master bedroom of a house and just threw the kitchen and dining outside on the patio,' he said.

The rising cost of living and worsening rental crisis in Australia has seen a rise in dodgy rental listings that would ordinarily struggle to attract tenants.

New data from Domain reveals that Sydney's median price for rental houses stayed at a record $750 in June 2024, a 7.1 per cent jump from the same time last year.
A series of social media posts from Fatima Payman's secret accounts - and those of her family - have shed light on the controversial senator's views, as Anthony Albanese launches his most bitter attack on the Labor defector yet.

Private posts supplied to Daily Mail Australia show how Ms Payman went from an earnest uni student who ran the University of Western Australia Muslim Students Association to a senator in just four years.

Posts uploaded to the 29-year-old politician's non-public facing social media pages are littered with inspirational quotes about leadership, being yourself and carpe diem - seizing the day.

But another controversial post - where a family member calls Israel a terrorist organisation - also shows what pressures she may have been under to push for action on the war in Gaza.

The newly-independent Western Australian senator announced her resignation during a press conference in Parliament House on Thursday, citing unresolvable tensions within the Labor Party.

She accused Labor of failing take a stance on the situation between Israel and Palestine, and the 38,000 people killed in Gaza since the situation escalated following a surprise attack by extremist group Hamas last year.

'With a heavy heart, but a clear conscience, I have announced my resignation from the Australian Labor Party,' she said.

'My family did not flee from a war-torn country to come here as refugees for me to remain silent when I see atrocities inflicted on innocent people.'

Fatima Payman (pictured) resigned from the Labor Party on Thursday citing unresolveable tensions

Fatima Payman is pictured on her wedding day. She married WA state policy advisor Jacob Stokes

Three of the private posts seen by Daily Mail Australia were inspirational quotes.

One quote was by Poor Things actress Emma Stone, who said: 'I can't think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself.'

Featured on another account was the popular Latin phrase carpe diem, which is roughly translated to 'seize the day'.

Another was a quote by author Tom Peters, who said: 'Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders.'

However, another post uploaded on her cousin's Facebook page featured the Star of David with a large black cross through it. It read: 'Israel is not a nation but a criminal terrorist organisation.'

There is no suggestion Ms Payman shares that view. Daily Mail Australia has contacted her for comment.

Ms Payman's family were refugees who fled to Pakistan from Taliban-held Afghanistan, before they joined other family members in Perth when she was about eight-years-old in 2003.

Senator Payman is pictured walking to her press conference on Thursday afternoon

Pictured: An extremist anti-Israel post by Senator Payman's cousin on Facebook page

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday blasted Senator Payman's decision to leave Labor and warned parties against going 'down the road of faith-based political parties' because it undermines social cohesion.

On Thursday, the senator was forced to rubbish suggestions that she would join a grassroots Muslim group, telling journalists she had also met with the Jewish Council of Australia and Christian groups.

Mr Albanese said: 'My party has around the cabinet and ministerial tables, people who are Catholic, people who are Uniting Church, people who are Muslim, people who are Jewish.'

'That is the way that we've conducted politics in Australia, that's the way you bring cohesion.

'And it seems to me as well beyond obvious that it is not in the interests of smaller minority groups to isolate themselves, which is what a faith-based party system would do.'

He then took aim at her 1600 votes in the WA election whereas the ALP received 511,000 votes above the line, which meant the state voted for the party rather than for Senator Payman.

'It's very clear that Fatima Payman is in the Senate because people in WA wanted to elect a Labor government,' he said.

Fatima Payman's immediate family (pictured) fled Afghanistan to Pakistan in the 1990s, before they arrived in Perth as refugees in 2003

'That's why they put a number one in the box above the line next to Australian Labor Party rather than vote below the line for any individual.'

Mr Albanese added that he was disappointed with her decision to leave and maintained she did not raise issues about the Middle East or 'anything else about Western Australia' to caucus before she defected.

Ms Payman was elected to a six-year term in 2022 during sweeping Labor victories in Western Australia. She will serve the remaining four years as an independent.

Mr Albanese had reportedly privately told Ms Payman that she was elected using Labor's platform, and that she should quit the Senate entirely so that the government could reappoint someone from within to the Senate position.

It comes after her husband Jacob Stokes' tweets surfaced from earlier this year where he said: 'I think the worst thing to happen would be for her to resign.

'Making government shift its foreign policy position does not happen overnight.

'She needs to work her way up, and be there to recruit more Muslims into the party and into Government.

'THAT's how we get representation.' Mr Stokes's profile has now been set to private after his tweets were published. He is reportedly associated with WA state Labor.'

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is pictured during a press conference in Queanbeyan on Friday

It then emerged that her husband works for the WA state Labor government and ran her election campaign in 2022. It is unclear as to whether he will keep his role in state politics.

Mr Albanese indicated in Question Time this week that he believes Ms Payman had been strategising her exit from the party for a month.

She told the ABC that is not the case, and reportedly said she believes the party has said that because they are upset with her.

Prior to her resignation, Ms Payman had not been seen in the Senate since Monday - after announcing she would abstain from voting on any matters except for 'matters of conscience'.

'I have been exiled,' she said at the time.

'I have lost all contact with my caucus colleagues. I have been removed from caucus meetings, committees, internal group chats and whips bulletins.

'These actions lead me to believe that some members are attempting to intimidate me into resigning from the Senate.'
Advertisement

Jubilant Keir Starmer boasted 'we did it' today after Rishi Sunak conceded he has lost the election - and said 'sorry' to vanquished Tories.

Sir Keir trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons.

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, he said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome.

It came minutes after a broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat.

'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss,' he said.

'To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.'

In a jaw-dropping moment, Liz Truss was among the casualties - giving up a monumental 24,000 majority as she was edged out by Labour in South West Norfolk.

Earlier, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps fell victims to a brutal Tory cull as Labour swept towards election victory.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

Soon afterwards Ms Mordaunt missed out by a similar margin in Portsmouth North, admitting the party had 'broken trust' with voters.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Welsh Secretary David Davies, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Science minister Michelle Donelan, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk have been beaten. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt barely survived in Godalming & Ash.Altogether at least 16 ministers have gone, with Johnny Mercer and Therese Coffey beaten by Labour. Jacob Rees-Mogg also tumbled in Somerset North.However, former leader Iain Duncan Smith surprised many by clinging on in Chingford.

There are now no Tory MPs in Wales after Craig Williams a former Tory aide to Mr Sunak, came third in Mongomeryshire as an independent after being embroiled in a gambling row over the date of the election.

Sir Keir's majority is expected to be 170 - short of the 179 achieved by Tony Blair.

However, there were notable setbacks with frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth losing to a pro-Gaza independent in Leicester, and shadow health secretary barely fending off a similar challenge. Another shadow cabinet minister, Thangam Debonaire, was picked off by the Greens in Bristol Central.

The Conservatives are expected to be slashed from the 365 MPs secured less than five years ago to 144, their worst performance in modern political history - but an improvement from the 131 expected at first.

Altogether the Lib Dems are now on track for get 56 MPs, rather than 61, and Nigel Farage's Reform insurgents could have just four rather than 13. Mr Farage finally enters Parliament in Clacton after the eighth attempt, while Lee Anderson has retained Ashfield, Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth and Richard Tice scooped Boston and Skegness.

In other rollercoaster developments tonight:

The Greens have enjoyed a bumper night winning five seats, adding four to their tally from 2019;

Labour's overall support in Britain has only gone up by 2 per cent, according to polling guru John Curtice, and that is entirely due to a 19 per cent boost in Scotland;

Reform has racked up votes and nearly 100 second places, but fallen short of breakthroughs predicted in the initial exit poll;

The SNP has been among the biggest losers, facing being slashed to eight MPs, meaning they would no longer be the biggest party in Scotland;

George Galloway has been ousted by Labour's Paul Waugh in Rochdale, after winning the seat in a by-election previously;

Turnout has been far lower than at the last few general elections;

The Lib Dems claimed victory in Tunbridge Wells, which has been Tory since the seat was created in the 1970s, in Boris Johnson's old seat of Henley and in David Cameron's stronghold of Witney;

The 2024 general election results in full : Live maps and charts

A broken PM acknowledged that Keir Starmer had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, Keir Starmer said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome

Keir Starmer trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's wife Victoria at a watch party as the results came in

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria pictured arriving at the Tate Modern earlier on Thursday evening

A broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

In his speech at the Tate Modern art gallery, Sir Keir said: 'It feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for  a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

'And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

'And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.'

At his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton, Mr Sunak said: 'The Labour Party has won this General Election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.'

Mr Sunak added: 'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss.'

The Labour leader said 'change begins now' as he was re-elected in Holborn & St Pancras, but his own majority was reduced by a left-wing independent.

Mr Shapps was the first confirmed Cabinet casualty and he hit out at the Tory 'soap opera' which had turned off voters.

'On door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and do that and then be united in public,' he said.

'Instead we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.'

He said there was a danger the Tory party could 'go off on some tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition'.

In a dramatic night former prime minister Liz Truss lost her Norfolk South West seat to Labour in King's Lynn, Norfolk

Ms Truss was comforted as she fell to an extraordinary defeat in Norfolk this morning

Jonathan Gullis was evicted from Stoke on Trent North as the drama continued today

Mr Gullis has been loyal to Mr Sunak and pleaded for people

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also left Parliament in the Tory bloodbath overnight

Suella Braverman attacked her party for failing to listen to voters

Jeremy Hunt is having to leave Downing Street after being kicked out of government - but holding his seat

Ms Mordaunt, who is likely to have been a leadership contender if she had survived, said her party had taken a 'battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it'.

She too warned against a retreat to the right: 'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, who will now be considered a leading contender to replace Mr Suank, said the party had let the British people down.

'You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises,' she said.

'I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust.

'We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly.'

Party chair Ric Holden won a desperate struggle for Basildon & Billericay, emerging on top by just 20 votes after a series of recounts.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader but stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values.

Sir Keir's ally Lord Mandelson gloated that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.

A dire campaign for Mr Sunak came stuttering to a halt last night, with the PM making a series more defensive visits in the South East.

He now faces being out of Downing Street this morning.

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson told Sky News that it looked like a 'massacre'.

The Tories have quickly plunged into a dangerous new phase of crisis, with questions over whether it can even survive amid the challenge from Reform.

A former Cabinet minister - who regarded their own significant majority as under threat - said Mr Sunak had 'knifed' Boris Johnson and would be remembered as the 'worst PM ever'.

ex-Cabinet minister

's

Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

In the first tangible evidence of the hammering, Labour 's Heidi Alexander took

But Sir Robert gave a stark warning against the Tories lurching to the right, saying the party risked being like 'bald men fighting over a comb' if it treated politics as 'performance art' and tried to outflank Reform.

Sir John Curtice told the BBC: 'It looks as though Reform may win more seats than many polls suggested.

'This is largely because, not only has the Conservative vote fallen far in seats they previously held, but also because Reform has advanced most in areas people voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.

'However, how many seats Reform will win is highly uncertain  our model suggests there are many places where they have some - but a relatively low - chance of winning.'

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough after Reform pushed the Tories into third place in two early constituency results.

On a video posted to X he said: 'It's midnight, there are two results in from the north-east of England that put Reform on 30 per cent of the vote, that is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It is almost unbelievable.

'And what does it mean? It means we're going to win seats, many many seats I think right now across the country.

'But to watch the TV coverage it's almost comical. There's not a single representative on there from Reform UK, mainstream media are in denial just as much as our political parties.

'This is going to be six million votes-plus. This, folks, is huge.'

A Conservative spokesman said they had to wait for the full outcome, but added: 'If these results are correct it is clear that Starmer and Angela Rayner will be in Downing Street tomorrow.'

Conservatives with big majorities had become increasingly nervous during the day, despite CCHQ claiming that higher-than-expected turnout could help them.

One former Cabinet minister told MailOnline: 'There appears to be a bigger turnout than normal in some of my areas. Not all though.

'That would seem to indicate a determination on the part of the electorate to make their views heard, almost certainly likely to be against the Tories.'

Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock said the exit poll's landslide prediction was 'the greatest comeback since Lazarus'.

The former Labour leader told ITV News: 'A gain of 208, according to the exit poll, which is attributable directly to Keir Starmer and what he's achieved in four years, two of which of course were during the lockdown, or the virtual lockdown when the one thing that opposition leaders depend on  contact with the public  was absent.

'It's the biggest comeback since Lazarus.'

He went on: 'I must say I'm just ecstatic about the fact that an entirely dependable, fully grown-up guy, Keir Starmer, and his wife, are going to go through that door tomorrow. I have unalloyed and unreserved delight.'

Less than an hour before the exit poll dropped, Downing Street released a dissolution honours list - sending seven Tories and eight Labour politicians to the Lords. They include Theresa May, Rishi Sunak's chief aide Liam Booth-Smith, Chris Grayling and former 1922 committee chair Graham Brady.

Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett are among those on the Labour list - despite Sir Keir having committed to abolishing the Upper House.

Mr Sunak took a huge political gamble and shocked Westminster by triggering the election on May 22, rather than waiting until the Autumn as had been widely expected.

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton seat, the eighth time he has attempted to become an MP

Penny Mordaunt was among the Cabinet ministers washed away in the red wave

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman , at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values

Jeremy Hunt is fighting to cling on to his Surrey constituency

Lord Mandelson said an electoral 'meteor' had hit British politics

Moments after ballot stations closed at 10pm, the dramatic exit poll was released - showing Sir Keir winning 410 of the 650 seats

It initially looked to be paying off, with early policies from the Tory campaign - such as national citizen service - seeming to cut through.

In a big moment, Mr Farage responded by ruling out standing as a Reform candidate, admitting he did not have time to put together a campaign.

But even then the Tories did not see a real bounce in the polls. The Tories lost key legislation including Mr Sunak's flagship smoking ban during the 'wash-up' as Parliament was dissolved for the campaign.

Your browser does not support iframes.

And then a grim week in early June saw things go spectacularly downhill, with Mr Farage dropping the bombshell that had changed his mind and was taking over the leadership of Reform as well as standing to be MP for Clacton.

Although Mr Sunak was seen as landing blows on Sir Keir over tax during their first TV debate on June 4, disaster struck when the PM opted to return early from D-Day anniversary commemorations in France to conduct an interview with ITV.

A subsequent grovelling apology did not prevent Mr Farage and opponents seizing on the blunder, which struck right at the heart of the Tory goal of shoring up the core vote among older generations.

With polls already showing Reform eating into Tory support with potent attacks on immigration, Mr Sunak was then engulfed in another scandal.

It emerged that his closest Parliamentary aide, Craig Williams had successfully placed bets on the date of the snap election - although he insisted he did not have any inside information.

Other candidates and top party officials were then dragged into the allegations, which proved particularly toxic with the public.

Mr Sunak was memorably challenged on the issue during TV appearances, admitting he was 'incredibly angry'. But he was seen as taking far too long to withdraw support for candidates facing allegations.

With some polls even showing Reform ahead of the Tories, CCHQ shifted tactics to warn of the threat of a divided Right handing Labour a 'supermajority' with untrammeled power.

That together with controversial remarks from Mr Farage about the West 'provoking' Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and revelations about unsavoury comments by a series of Reform candidates looked to have stopped the bleeding.

But after a bruising six weeks Labour's huge advantage was intact, and the only significant change was that the Tories had lost ground to Reform.

By yesterday, despite Mr Sunak's claim he was 'fighting hard for every vote', his close ally Mel Stride was effectively acknowledging the Conservatives would lose - an unprecedented step.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said Labour would get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

As tension built through election day, the Tories claimed a higher-than-expected turnout had left them with a 'MUCH better chance' than cataclysmic polls had suggested.

An email to Conservative supporters, signed from the 'CCHQ Data Team', read: 'We're getting reports from our teams on the ground. And the more reports we get, the more it looks like turnout is higher than expected.

'That means we could have a MUCH better chance than polls have suggested. So if you haven't voted yet, now's the time to get out.'

Queues of people were seen at polling stations today as the requirement for voters to bring correct photo identification - such as a passport or driving licence - was enforced at a UK general election for the first time.

There was a bungle at a Glasgow polling station this morning as voters were met with posters listing the wrong instructions, which erroneously advised the ranking of candidates in order of preference.

This is how ballots are cast in local elections in Scotland, which use the single transferable vote system. But general elections use the first-past-the-post system, which requires voters to put a single 'X' next to their chosen candidate.

Glasgow City Council explained the error was spotted 'very soon' after the polling station opened at 7am and the posters were replaced with the correct information. It said no-one had been disenfranchised as voters' first preferences would be used from the affected ballots.

Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch this afternoon blasted her own local council for having 'potentially disenfranchised' thousands of postal voters who did not receive their ballot papers.

The Business Secretary hit out at Uttlesford District Council for 'forgetting' to send postal votes to 2,600 people in her North West Essex seat.

Prior to polls opening this morning, Rishi Sunak made an 11th-hour plea for voters to prevent a 'socialist supermajority' wrecking Britain, as he repeated his warning against handing Sir Keir 'unchecked' power.
A man ripping burnouts at a cemetery in regional Victoria has allegedly disrupted a funeral and fled the scene, smashing the window of another car with rocks in the process.

Police are looking to speak to a man with a distinctive grey Holden Commodore in relation to the incident in Horsham, 300km north-west of Melbourne, last week.

Police allege after doing burnouts the driver took off, left the road and flicked rocks onto a car. A woman was in the car and the back window smashed.

It's alleged the Commodore had no licence plates, and the driver was confronted at the scene but fled.

Police have released images of the alleged driver and his grey Holden VE Commodore SS station wagon, which has a yellow rim or ring of yellow on the tyre.

The incident happened near the Horsham Cemetery, about 3pm on Monday, June 24.

Police allege the man was doing burnouts on Wawunna Road while a service was happening at the cemetery.

The car carried on along Davis Road, which borders the cemetery.

Police are looking for this man and his Commodore, after he allegedly disrupted a funeral in the regional Victorian town of Horsham last week

Police are looking for the mystery driver's Commodore which has distinctive yellow alloy rim-protector stripes on its wheels

On Davis Road the car left the road, causing large rocks to be flicked up at parked vehicles, police say.

Police were told a woman was sitting inside one of the cars when the rocks smashed the back window.

The woman was not physically injured.

The driver was confronted but allegedly refused to give their details and left the scene.

The man is described as being of medium build with short brown hair and a short beard. He was wearing black pants, a black jacket and sunglasses.

Police are asking for any witnesses or anybody with footage to contact Crime Stoppers.
Claims Aboriginal children were invited to experience the inside of a police paddy wagon as an activity at an Indigenous culture festival have sparked outrage.

Professor Chelsea Watego said she attended the National Aboriginal and Islander Observance Committee (NAIDOC) event near her home in Inala, in Brisbane's south-west, which has in previous years included a marquee by Queensland Police.

But she said this year instead of the 'stall', the organisation was represented by a paddy wagon and a number of community liaison officers, who are not sworn-in police.

Ms Watego said the officers had backed up the paddy wagon, opened its doors and were allowing children to take turns being police officers or criminals and 'play at getting locked up as part of their engagement activity'.

'Queensland Police turn up to one of the biggest Indigenous community NAIDOC week events - in which we have high rates of incarceration of our community - and they turn up with a [police] wagon to ... get our kids to cosplay as criminals,' she told the ABC.

Debbie Kilroy from The National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls said the activity was 'deeply inappropriate' and a reminder of the ongoing trauma and systematic issues Aboriginal communities deal with.

A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said 'hands-on' use of police property for the activity had been given official approval.

'This is intended to break down barriers, create conversations and build relationships with community,' the spokesperson said.

Professor Chelsea Watego said Queensland Police were inviting kids to play inside the back of a paddy wagon (pictured) at a NAIDOC festival event in Inala

Ms Watego took to social media with her claim and said she was disappointed by the actions of the police liaison officers.

'These positions were introduced as a direct result of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody as a measure for reducing the hyper incarceration of Blackfullas ... and here they facilitating the normalisation of it,' she said.

'This is absolutely shameful and disrespectful to our community, many of which have lost loved ones in custody and who continue to fight for justice for our people.'

Her post sparked a flood of comments slamming the activity, with many labelling it 'disgusting'.

'This could well be the most tone deaf thing I've ever seen,' one person said.

'How is it that not one person involved in the coordination of this thought ''maybe this is insulting and we shouldn't do it'',' another said.

'Yet another blaring indicator of how disconnected the whole police system and government which allows this is,' a third said.

'What was their point? Appalling,' another added.

Ms Watego's (right) post to social media sparked a flood of comments slamming the activity

Queensland Police confirmed a festivalgoer had 'expressed their concerns about the use of the police vehicle'.

'Following these conversations with the community member, and out of respect for their concerns, the Senior Police Liaison Officer immediately closed the police vehicle and removed it from the event site,' the spokesperson said.

'Further discussions around this event have since been had with relevant local community stakeholders. The QPS takes community feedback seriously and will ensure it is incorporated in planning for next year's event.'
On a gloomy grey Friday morning most people are rushing to work along city pavements and perhaps not even noticing, except to step around, a man lying motionless on the cold wet footpath.

The man was lying outside Sydney's Wynyard station on York Street. But just nearby, people were waking up in luxurious hotel rooms to enjoy a steaming hot shower.

For rough sleeper Robert, his life on the streets means he instead must jump into freezing Sydney Harbour from the Pyrmont foreshore for his occasional bath.

The sight of people living on the streets has become a normal part of the urban landscapes in a country that once prided itself on being egalitarian and avoiding the extremes of closely co-existing wealth and poverty seen in less 'fortunate' places.

However, now commuters exiting Wynyard station can see one glass wall lined with the stashed gear of people living on the street like an open air locker.

Daily Mail Australia approached Robert at the spot where the man was lying as he sat on a stone bench hooded head slumped as people streamed past him seemingly oblivious.

Robert who had all life's possessions next to him in a supermarket trolley revealed his sleeping bag had been recently stolen.

'Everywhere I go they just take my s*** and I have got no money,' he said. 'I've got to wait all week or a couple of months until I get some money (to get a new one)'.

A man settles in on the street near Wynyard station in central Sydney on a wet Friday morning

Later in the day Robert could be found in the spot where the sleeping man was on a bench with his belongings in a shopping cart

'That's bulls***.'

While Robert receives a Centrelink payment, which he thought was a disability pension, but it 'runs out' over the space of a fortnight.

'I hand out my money to the first person who asks for it,' he said.

However, it does afford him the occasional night indoors.

'I put myself in a motel sometimes, it's about 80 or 90 bucks and then I have no money for a week,' he said.

Robert said he eats 'whatever he can get' but sometimes that means just one meal a week.

'I love Burger King, Hungry Jack's or McDonald's meat pies,' he said.

He sometimes goes to a charity service in the city for help when 'he's got no money' but doesn't mostly doesn't ask for help.

'I don't beg,' he adamantly declared.

He said that 'sometimes' gets offered money by passers by.

'I was standing over there and some gentleman comes up and gives me a $50 note. Twenty minutes later, someone gave me $20 when I had no money,' he said.

Robert said he was forced onto the street when he lost his job at a glass maker.

'I was a specialist in the glass trade,' he said. 'I was on $108 a week I worked out a couple of years ago but I cut my finger.

'I got 38 stitches and I didn't get my insurance money.'

Robert said when his life started on a downwards spiral, everyone who knew him abandoned him.

Robert said he had been living on the street for eight years after an injury lost him a job at a glass makers

Robert said that during some weeks he might only have the one meal but he refused to beg

'I trusted a lot of people and they ended up stabbing me,' he said. 'They can't hurt me regardless but are having a go at me for some reason.'

Despite his precarious lifestyle, Robert said his health has 'never been better' and credited training he had done in martial arts and breakdancing.

'I am very fit,' he said.

Robert said he did not talk to other people living on the street.

'I want to be alone,' he said.

Sometimes the police bothered him but he 'was 'not sure why'.

In May it was reported that annual street count for NSW revealed a 25 per cent spike in the tally of people sleeping rough statewide.

Officials found 2,037 sleeping on the streets during the February, up from 1,623 a year earlier.

Some of the largest increases were in coastal areas, including a near-80 per cent rise in rough-sleepers in the Coffs Harbour council region.

Byron Shire, a popular tourist region in the state's north, had the most people sleeping rough of any local government area in the state.

It and other ocean-side regions, such as Sydney's northern beaches, have become home to large camps of homeless people sleeping in tents amid a dire shortage of affordable accommodation.

A wall of Sydney's Wynyard station has become a type of open air locker for homeless people to stash their gear

Robert claimed an injury to his hand cost him his job and received no insurance payout for it

Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson said the regional figures were unprecedented but not unexpected.

'We don't just need data to tell us this - our regional communities are feeling this every day,' she said on Friday.

'The sobering street count figures again paint a harrowing picture of homelessness and street sleeping across our state.'

Ms Jackson said the government was looking at every option to tackle the housing crisis, including through a review of short-term accommodation rules.

Tighter restrictions have already been introduced in Byron Shire, where a 60-day annual cap on non-hosted short-term rentals applies.
A convicted robber is the head thug accused of the botched mugging which killed New Zealander Trish McKay at a Californian beachside shopping mall in the US.

Ms McKay, 68, died on Tuesday when thieves tried to steal her banking executive husband's watch at Newport Beach's Fashion Island, south of Los Angeles, on Tuesday.

But when the muggers failed in their bid to make off with Doug McKay's expensive timepiece, they grabbed Ms McKay's handbag and fired off a volley of warning shots.

As they tried to run to a getaway car, Ms McKay held onto her handbag but was dragged into the path of the fleeing vehicle which then ran over her and killed her.

Cops quickly gave chase of the suspected thieves and arrested chubby Leroy McCrary when he allegedly ran out of puff and hid behind bins to catch his breath.

It's now been revealed McCrary was on a $1million bail for another near-identical hold up when he allegedly robbed a man of his Rolex at gunpoint at another upscale Californian beachside suburb.

The 26-year-old had bragged of his drug-addled life on social media, with pictures of ice pipes and cannabis, boasting 'I love my life'.

He was caught hiding behind trash cans between houses after his younger teenage co-accused sprinted away.

Leroy McCrary is accused of carrying out the botched fatal robbery which killed Kiwi mum Patricia. McCrary has a criminal history including a chillingly similar hold up at a different upmarket beach community

Police arrested Leroy McCrary after he was forced to hide behind trash cans between houses after the overweight narcotics addict ran out of puff fleeing cops following the fatal mall robbery

While both his 18-year-old accomplices were also later arrested, a flabby and shirtless McCrary was seen mouthing off in handcuffs to officers.

Now a row has erupted about why McCrary was allowed back on the streets after he was accused of his previous mugging.

Newport Beach City's mayor Will O'Neill has angrily said McCrary 'shouldn't have been in free society' because of his past offences.

According to the Los Angeles Times, McCrary has a worrying criminal past and was charged in late 2022 with being a narcotics addict in possession of a firearm.

He pleaded no contest to that and again in September 2023 for robbery when he was given two years probation and a suspended three year jail sentence.

Santa Monica Police Department officers then arrested McCrary in January last year for the near identical watch robbery.

Police say that on the afternoon of September 25, 2022 they were called to a location just minutes from Santa Monica beach regarding an armed robbery.

Fresh details have emerged of the final moments of New Zealand woman Patricia 'Trish' McKay (left) who was killed in front of her husband, prominent banker Doug McKay (right), at a shopping centre in Newport Beach, California

A man told officers that he was walking on the footpath when two males pointed handguns at him and robbed him of his Rolex watch.

The suspects fled in an awaiting vehicle.

Despite his rap sheet, McCrary was granted $1million bail and his accomplice Donta Baker, who was already in custody at the Los Angeles County Jail for an attempted homicide, was granted $2million bail.

But McCray has so far escaped all jail time.

Now there is a furious outcry on social media, including a bitter political backlash for California Governor and Democratic presidential hopeful Gavin Newsom.

'There are no safe places in Gavin Newsom's lawless California,' one man posted on X in the wake of Ms McKay's brital death.

Mayor O'Neill said he was 'furious' after hearing news of the 'staggering' attack, describing Mrs McKay's death as tragic.

The 68-year old and her husband had been outside a Barnes & Noble bookstore at the Fashion Island mall when they were approached by two men. Leroy McCrary (above) and two teenagers are in custody

'I'm horrified. I'm mourning the loss of someone who died inside our city because of crime,' he said. 'This is a tragedy and I'm furious.

'Newport Beach is a safe community and we're mourning the loss of someone.

'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.'

A fellow shopper who witnessed Tuesday's attack said he had been inside Whole Foods at Fashion Island and 'heard some shots ring out as I was walking out'.

Dan Sheen told Morning Report he believed the robbers had initially tried to steal Mr McKay's watch, before turning their attention to Mrs McKay's bag.

'They went after a watch that he was wearing, from what I understand he was wearing,' Mr Sheen said.

'And then they turned their attention to Patricia with the bag and there was a struggle there.'

Mr Sheen said when the shots rang out 'everybody freaked out and ran for cover'.

One of his friends tried to stop the robber who had grabbed Mrs McKay's handbag and 'clotheslined' him, 'put his arm out when the guy was running away with the bag'.

Fellow shopper Dan Sheen told Morning Report he believed the robbers had initially been trying to steal Mr McKay's watch, before turning their attention to Mrs McKay's bag

The attempt caused the assailants to panic and in the rush to flee, Mrs McKay was dragged into the car park as the two men got into a Toyota Camry being driven by a third man, who then ran over Mrs McKay.

'I heard the screech of the car, and then I heard what happened afterwards,' Mr Sheen said.

'The person jumped in the car, the car sped away really quick and, unfortunately as I understand, ran over Patricia.'

During the police pursuit, shots were fired from the vehicle which reached speeds of 110mph (177km/h) on the 105 freeway.

The pursuit continued into Los Angeles County, where McCrary and one of the teenagers jumped from the Toyota near Los Alamitos, and began running through the neighbourhood of South Gate.

Police found McCray behind trash cans under a 'Beware of the dog' sign and arrested him before chasing down the two other suspects, Jaden Cunningham, and Malachi Eddward Darnell, both 18.

All three are behind bars and booked on suspicion of homicide, robbery with a firearm and conspiracy.

Mrs McKay has been remembered as a 'doting' grandmother and and beloved 'mother, wife, and friend'.

General view of the Fashion Island Mall in Newport Beach, California where the the McKays were targeted for robbery. It is generally considered a safe location

In a statement following the death, the McKay family said 'no words can express our sadness as we try to come to terms with the loss of our mother, wife and friend Patricia.'

Auckland's Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson said in a Facebook post she was 'beyond devastated' to hear of Trish McKay's death.

'Trish was the wife of Doug McKay who was - among other significant roles - the inaugural CEO of the amalgamated Auckland Council,' she said.

'Trish was amazing - funny, loyal, and loving. My absolute deepest sympathies to Doug and her family.'

A memorial of flowers and tributes has grown outside the Barnes & Noble store.

A note attached to one bunch of flowers at the death site read, 'Rest in heaven, Patricia McKay. Stop the senseless thefts. We need more security... immediately'.

Police have increased patrols at the shopping mall since the incident.
Niko Omilana has mocked Rishi Sunak with a loser sign as the former Prime Minister wins his Northallerton seat.

The YouTuber, who boasts 7.49 million followers online, was donning a pair of children's sunglasses as the speaker announced he had won 160 votes in the battle for the Richmond in North Yorkshire seat.

However, as Mr Sunak who was re-elected as MP took to the stand to make his victory speech, the prankster pulled out a piece of paper with a giant L on it.

He could be seen moving behind the ex-PM to ensure his sign would be caught in the camera shots, as the conservative leader conceded the election to Labour.

Niko Omilana mocked Rishi Sunak with a loser sign as the former Prime Minister won his Northallerton seat

The YouTuber, who boasts 7.49 million followers online, was donning a pair of children's sunglasses as the speaker announced he had won 160 votes in the battle for the Richmond in North Yorkshire seat

Your browser does not support iframes.

In his speech Rishi Sunak said he took 'responsibility' for his party's loss, and had already called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

He said: 'The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

'Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our country's stability and future.

'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight. There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss.

'To the many good hard working Conservative candidates who lost tonight despite their tireless efforts... I am sorry.'

Mr Sunak, his wife and their security and entourage left the election count as soon as he had finished making a speech after the result was declared.

Independent cadidate and YouTuber Omilana Niko and supporters pose outside the Richmond and Northallerton count centre

In his speech Rishi Sunak said he took 'responsibility' for his party's loss, and had already called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes

Soon afterwards Ms Mordaunt missed out by a similar margin in Portsmouth North, admitting the party had 'broken trust' with voters

Earlier, Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps and Jacob Rees-Mogg fell victims to a brutal Tory cull as Labour' swept towards election victory.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

Soon afterwards Ms Mordaunt missed out by a similar margin in Portsmouth North, admitting the party had 'broken trust' with voters.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values.

Sir Keir's ally Lord Mandelson gloated that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.
Liz Truss has been brutally mocked by her political opponents after Britain's shortest serving prime minister humiliatingly lost her safe seat.

Ms Truss, who led the country for just 49 days, lost Norfolk South West to Labour by just 630 votes - marking the largest swing from the Tories to Labour ever recorded.

But instead of garnering sympathy, many were quick to make jibes about her demise with some cruelly referencing how a lettuce had outlasted her tenure in No 10.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who was re-elected in Westmorland and Lonsdale, joked that she had been sent as a spy by his party to sabotage the Tories.

'We have recalled Agent Truss from the field, her work is complete,' he quipped.

Liz Truss pictured this morning as she lost her seat at the King's Lynn election count for South West Norfolk

Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron, who was re-elected in Westmorland and Lonsdale today joked that 'Agent Truss'' work is finally done

Prominent TV chef Nigella Lawson , and daughter of Margaret Thatcher's chancellor Nigel Lawson, simply shared an emoji of a lettuce surrounded by two people cartwheeling

Others made jokes referring to Ms Truss' memorable speech about cheese and pork markets while she was secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Social media poked fun at Ms Truss' loss referring to the fact an lettuce outlasted her brief stint in No 10

It led to many amused responses from voters, with one writing 'please give her a bonus. She went above and beyond' with another joking 'unfit lettuces should be left in the field'.

Prominent TV chef Nigella Lawson, and daughter of Margaret Thatcher's chancellor Nigel Lawson, simply shared an emoji of a lettuce surrounded by two people cartwheeling.

'Liz Truss has lost her seat,' one quipped. 'Lettuce all take a few moments to reflect on that.'

'At least Liz Truss has more time for cheese and pork markets,' another joked, in reference to Ms Truss' memorable speech made in 2014 when she was secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Ms Truss, who led the country from September 6 to October 25 2022 following Boris Johnson's resignation, was the latest Tory heavyweight to suffer at the hands of the electorate on a disastrous night - and morning - for the party.

Her popularity nosedived after her devastating mini-budget with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng which led to the plunge of the pound and had widespread economic impacts.

Thousands of people saw steep mortgage rises following the budget, which contained millions of pounds worth of unfunded tax cuts.

Her disappearance from the Commons underlines the scale of Rishi Sunak's loss, which is the worst ever electoral performance for the Conservatives.

Terry Jermy shakes hands with MsTruss after win at King's Lynn election count for South West Norfolk

Truss declined to say if she would remain involved in politics as she left the count this morning

Today Terry Jermy overturned a 26,195 majority won by Ms Truss in 2019 after Reform and an independent campaign by the 'Turnip Taliban' - a group of local disgruntled ex-Tories - whittled down her support.

Speaking to the BBC after her defeat she said: 'I think the issue we faced as Conservatives is we haven't delivered sufficiently on the policies people want.

'And that means keeping taxes low, but also particularly on reducing immigration. And I think that's been a crucial issue here in South West Norfolk, that was the number one issue that people raised on the doorstep with me.'

Asked whether she accepted some responsibility for that, Ms Truss said: 'I agree. I was part of that. That's absolutely true.

'But during our 14 years in power, unfortunately we did not do enough to take on the legacy we'd been left, in particular things like the Human Rights Act that made it very difficult for us to deport illegal immigrants. And that is one of the reasons I think we've ended up in the situation we are now.'

She declined to say if she would remain involved in politics.

Ms Truss was just one of dozens of senior Conservative figures who have lost their seats.

Jacob Rees-Mogg lost his Somerset North East & Hanham seat to Labour's Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes. In his speech he congratulated Sir Keir Starmer on 'what seems to be a historic victory'.

Glum-looking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

Read more:

Ms Truss stood alongside other candidates for South West Norfolk this morning

Ms Truss was comforted by a constituent as she left the count in King's Lynn this morning

Former prime minister Ms Truss is interviewed by the BBC after losing her Norfolk South West seat to the Labour Party

Senior Tory figures - including a record number of Cabinet ministers - lost their seats in an election bloodbath

A 'Portillo' moment is a reference to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Portillo who lost what had been regarded as a safe Tory seat in Labour's 1997 landslide.

And Penny Mordaunt lost her Commons seat today in one of the biggest upsets of a General Election that is turning into a top Tory bloodbath, after the 51-year-old had been tipped as a potential Tory leader.

Among those who stood against Ms Truss and Mr Jermy were Toby McKenzie for Reform UK and Josie Ratcliffe for the Liberal Democrats.

Tory dissident and ex-army officer James Bagge, who also stood against Ms Truss, sparked interest after it was revealed he belongs to a group of disgruntled Conservatives called the Turnip Taliban.

Mr Bagge previously told the media the quip is a reference to the infamous lettuce which outlasted Ms Truss in No. 10.

He told journalists: 'It is not a label of choice. But a turnip has deeper roots than a lettuce.'

The candidates for South West Norfolk were left waiting on stage for several minutes for the announcement of the result as they waited for Ms Truss to appear.

Some of those watching began a slow hand clap before she finally joined them, without wearing a Conservative rosette.
Leading Brexiteer Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and serving Cabinet ministers Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps led a roll-call of Tory big beasts booted out as Labour claimed a crushing election victory today.

On a humiliating night for Rishi Sunak's party, some of the Conservatives' biggest names - including a record number of frontbenchers - lost their seats as Labour stormed to an historic landslide win.

Sir Keir Starmer boasted 'we did it' after victory put him on course to be the next Prime Minister.

Among the senior Tories to be ousted in a brutal election night bloodbath was Mr Rees-Mogg who lost his Somerset North East & Hanham seat to Labour's Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes.

Afterwards, he said he could not 'blame anybody other than myself' and that it had been 'a very bad night for the Conservatives'.

After an early exit poll predicted a Labour landslide, Sir Keir's party roared to victory as senior Tory figures fell like dominoes.

Glum-looking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

Jacob Rees-Mogg lost his Somerset North East & Hanham to Labour's Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes

Senior Tory figures - including a record number of Cabinet ministers - lost their seats in an election bloodbath

Grant Shapps looked glum as he lost his seat in Welwyn Hatfield pm a devastating night for the Tories

Shortly afterwards Penny Mordaunt - another former Conservative leadership contender - missed out by a similar margin in Portsmouth North, admitting the party had 'broken trust' with voters

Keir Starmer trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons

A broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

A 'Portillo' moment is a reference to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Portillo who lost what had been regarded as a safe Tory seat in Labour's 1997 landslide.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Record number of cabinet ministers culled The 11 Conservative cabinet ministers who lost their seats were: Grant Shapps - Defence Secretary

Simon Hart - Chief Whip

Gillian Keegan - Education Secretary

Alex Chalk - Justice Secretary

Penny Mordaunt - Commons leader

Lucy Frazer - Culture Secretary

Johnny Mercer - Veterans Minister

Michelle Donelan - Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary

David Davies - Wales Secretary

Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

Mark Harper - Transport Secretary Advertisement

And shortly afterwards Penny Mordaunt - another former Conservative leadership contender - missed out by a similar margin in Portsmouth North, admitting the party had 'broken trust' with voters.

Many more government ministers found themselves evicted from Parliament by voters, with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan losing in Chichester to the Liberal Democrats - who also took out Justice Secretary Alex Chalk.

Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland, Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Chief Whip Simon Hart were all culled - as were Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis, former deputy PM Therese Coffey and Michael Fabricant.

Welsh secretary David Davies, Science Minister Michelle Donelan and Attorney General Victoria Prentis were also all kicked from their seats.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper lost his Forest of Dean seat to Labour's Matt Bishop by just 278 votes.

Senior Tory Liam Fox, who had been the MP for North Somerset since 1992, also narrowly lost his seat to Labour candidate Sadik Al-Hassan by 639 votes.

Other casualties included Peter Bottomley, who had been the longest-serving lawmaker in parliament. The 'Father of the House' - the honorary title bestowed upon the member who had been in parliament the longest - was first elected in 1975 but lost his Worthing West seat.

In a rare positive for the Tories, Mr Sunak, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Home Secretary James Cleverley held onto their seats in Richmond and North Allerton, Godalming and Ash and Braintree respectively.

Despite suffering a brutal defeat, Mr Rees-Mogg congratulated Sir Keir Starmer on 'what seems to be a historic victory'.

Speaking at the University of Bath after the result was declared, Sir Jacob said: 'May I begin by giving my warmest congratulations to Dan Norris, who has been a servant of North East Somerset or Wansdyke as it then was before and I am sure will be a devoted constituency MP in the future.

'And congratulate Sir Keir Starmer who has led his party to what seems to be a historic victory. And this is the great virtue of our democracy, so I congratulate both of them.'

Sir Jacob then thanked his agent, campaign director and constituency staff who had 'worked so hard over the last 14 years'.

Conservative candidate Jacob Rees-Mogg stands next to Barmy Brunch from The Official Monster Raving Loony Party

A glum-looking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Chief Whip Simon Hart lost his seat

Transport Secretary Mark Harper lost his seat in the Forest of Dean

Sir Keir and his wife Victoria arrive for the count at his Holborn and St Pancras constituency in north London

Rishi Sunak suffered a crushing defeat and Youtube prankster and Independent Candidate Niko Omilana rubbed salt in the wounds by holding an 'L' up behind him

Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty arrived to cast their vote at Kirby Sigston Village Hall in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, on Thursday morning

He said: 'And one final thought, from Caractacus Potts, and that is from the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success. So thank you very much everybody, and good night.'

Ms Mordaunt admitted the Conservative Parry has taken a 'battering' because it failed to honour 'the trust that people had placed in it'.

Labour's Amanda Martin ousted the Leader of the House of Commons from Portsmouth North, winning by just 780 votes.

Ms Mordaunt, 51, would have been hotly tipped to run for the party leadership again had she managed to keep her seat.

She said: 'Tonight, the Conservative Party has taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it. You can speak all you like of security and freedom, but you can't have either if you are afraid.

'Afraid about the cost-of-living or accessing healthcare, or whether the responsibility you shoulder will be recognised and rewarded. That fear steals the future, and it only makes the present matter and that is why we lost.

'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

'I've lost many good colleagues tonight but I hope that like me they intend to carry on serving their communities with even stronger heart, our country needs all of us.'

Ms Mordaunt, who had held the seat from 2010, also said she will 'never stop caring' for the people of Portsmouth.

It came after Mr Shapps was the first confirmed Cabinet casualty and he hit out at the Tory 'soap opera' which had turned off voters.

'It's not so much that Labour won this election but rather that the Conservatives have lost it,' he said.

'On door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and do that and then be united in public.

'Instead we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.'

He said there was a danger the Tory party could 'go off on some tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition'.

Education secretary Gillian Keegan was ousted from her Chichester seat by the Lib Dems

After holding onto his seat, the Prime Minister conceded defeat in his victory speech and said: 'The Labour Party has won this General Election, and I've called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory. Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides.

'That is something that should give us all confidence in our country's stability and future.

'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn... and I take responsibility for the loss. To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.'

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader in the morning, although he would stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values.

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton seat, the eighth time he has attempted to become an MP

'I'm sorry that my party didn't listen to you,' she said.

'(The) Conservative Party has let you down. You - the Great British people voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises. We've acted as if we're entitled to your vote regardless of what we did, regardless of what we didn't do, despite promising time after time that we would do those things and we need to learn our lesson because if we don't, bad as tonight has been for my party, we'll have many worse nights to come.'

Thanking voters in her constituency, Ms Braverman said they were 'patriotic, common sense, kindly, dedicated, enterprising'.

The Hampshire MP wrote a Telegraph article earlier this week with the headline: 'It's over, we have failed.'

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman , at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values
The Tories today blamed Rishi Sunak for the party's electoral rout as Suella Braverman used her victory speech to kickstart her campaign to be the next leader.

Mr Sunak is being blamed for the Tory collapse and is already facing the wrath of senior Conservatives, many of whom slammed his decision to call a July election.

He is expected to resign today but could stay on as leader over the summer to stave off a civil war caused by the worst general election result in modern history.

And his former home secretary Ms Braverman hasn't wasted any time to show she is ready to launch a leadership bid during her speech after winning the Fareham and Waterlooville seat.

She vowed to 'rebuild trust' and apologised for her party's failings, declaring: 'I'm sorry that my party didn't listen to you. The Conservative Party has let you down.

'You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises. I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust. We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly'.

Ms Braverman is fourth favourite to be the next Tory leader, according to bookmakers. Kemi Badenoch is favourite, followed by Priti Patel and centrist Tory Tom Tugendhat. James Cleverly, who held his Essex seat, is next before Nigel Farage, who was elected as a Reform MP for the first time today.

Amongst those humiliated was Liz Truss, who lost her seat but had been tipped to launch another leadership bid had she held South West Norfolk.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman gives a speech at Fareham Leisure Centre where she said 'I'm sorry' twice in what is being viewed as the launch of her leadership bid

Ms Braverman wore all blue as she held her seat

A broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat, Suella said the party 'didn't listen' to the public

Penny Mordaunt, a leadership rival to Suella Braverman, has lost her seat in Portsmouth North

A glum-looking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will be the next PM

Grant Shapps said his party's troubles had turned into an endless 'soap opera' and said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it having 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Record number of cabinet ministers culled The 11 Conservative cabinet ministers who lost their seats were: Grant Shapps - Defence Secretary

Simon Hart - Chief Whip

Gillian Keegan - Education Secretary

Alex Chalk - Justice Secretary

Penny Mordaunt - Commons leader

Lucy Frazer - Culture Secretary

Johnny Mercer - Veterans Minister

Michelle Donelan - Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary

David Davies - Wales Secretary

Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

Mark Harper - Transport Secretary Advertisement

Penny Mordaunt said the Tories had thrown away the public's trust and lost sight of the public's values.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, who lost his seat, was amongst those who blamed the ousting of Boris Johnson for the party's electoral drubbing while James Cleverly appeared to take aim at the Tory's Rwanda policy, saying his party had pursued 'thin solutions to challenging and complex problems'.

Outgoing Home Secretary Mr Cleverly said: 'This has been a very difficult night for my party and losing the position of government of this country is painful, but it is the nature of our democracy that it happens.

'And when it happens it is incumbent upon I suppose all parties, but particularly the party leaving government, to listen carefully to what the voters are telling us.

'I am not going to rush to any quick judgments. I think the right thing to do is be thoughtful and take a short period of time to really assess what the voters are telling us, but it is clear that, when you see the vote share of the traditional main parties of government, that many voters are disillusioned with all of us.

'And we should take that on board.

'I think it is also right that we have the humility to recognise that there is nothing honourable in presenting simple and thin solutions to challenging and complex problems, and the world is a difficult and dangerous place, and we have to respond to that.'

Your browser does not support iframes.

Penny Mordaunt was set to run for the party leadership again had she managed to keep her Portsmouth North seat - but she lost by 780 votes.

She said: 'Tonight, the Conservative Party has taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it. You can speak all you like of security and freedom, but you can't have either if you are afraid.

'Afraid about the cost-of-living or accessing healthcare, or whether the responsibility you shoulder will be recognised and rewarded. That fear steals the future, and it only makes the present matter and that is why we lost.

'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

'I've lost many good colleagues tonight but I hope that like me they intend to carry on serving their communities with even stronger heart, our country needs all of us.'

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, in a speech after his loss was announced in Welwyn Hatfield, said he had the 'honour to serve in more cabinet posts than most'.

He criticised the Tories' 'inability to iron out their differences' amid an endless 'soap opera'.

He added: 'There's a danger that we now go off on some tangent condemning the public' to a 'lacklustre' opposition.

Mr Shapps warned: 'We should be clear about what went wrong and put it right.'

The party has been routed by Labour and a jubilant Sir Keir Starmer, who will be the next Prime Minister after his party won a landslide with a massive helping hand from Reform and the Liberal Democrats.

Sir Keir trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons.

Senior Tory figures - including a record number of Cabinet ministers - lost their seats in an election bloodbath

Last night sources suggested Rishi Sunak would do 'whatever is best' for the party to ensure stability through a leadership contest  likely to finish in September or October.

Jacob Rees-Mogg said it had been a 'terrible night' for the Tories while Andrea Leadsom claimed the party had 'not been Conservative enough'.

Sir Jacob said there were 'issues with changing leader', meaning the party had taken its 'core vote for granted'. The former Conservative business secretary told the BBC: 'There's no way of describing this as anything other than a bad night for the Conservative party.'

Asked where it went wrong, he added: 'Voters expect the prime minister they have chosen to remain the prime minister and for it to be the voters who decide when that person is changed, rather than it being done by a small cabal.

'I'm afraid I think the party took its core vote for granted, which is why you see so many people who may have voted Conservative previously, going off to Reform.'

Former Tory chairman Brandon Lewis also blamed the ousting of Mr Johnson, saying it was the 'one moment' where the polls 'changed dramatically and never came back'.

He told GB News: 'It's when a group of MPs decided to override the mandate that Boris Johnson was given by the public, not just our members overwhelmingly, but the British public.'

Sir Brandon, who decided to stand down from Parliament at the election, also said Mr Sunak would 'go down as the Conservative Prime Minister and leader who had the worst election result in over a century'.

Ex-Tory Cabinet minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns suggested the party had suffered because 'we've not been Conservative enough' with people thinking the party is 'not normal'.

And Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies told BBC Wales he was angry at Mr Sunak's decision to hold a July election.

'I have no words that can describe my frustration at some points of the campaign,' he said. Speaking after the exit poll was published, former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson told Sky News: 'This is a massacre. There's no dressing this up.

'We upset pensioners by making the cut to National Insurance over income tax, we upset mortgage payers because of the Liz Truss year... we upset young people with the idea of national service which we then dropped halfway through the campaign.

'We upset Remainers by being the party of Brexit in 2019. We upset Brexiteers this time around because we promised immigration would go down and it went up.'

Former chancellor George Osborne described the exit poll prediction as the party's 'Waterloo' as they are the 'worst results since 1832 when the Duke of Wellington was running the Tory party'. As polls closed last night, Mr Sunak thanked voters and Tory candidates, sharing an image of him waving to jubilant supporters at a rally in London on Tuesday.

Alongside the picture of the rally, where Mr Johnson also gave a stirring speech, Mr Sunak said: 'To the hundreds of Conservative candidates, thousands of volunteers and millions of voters: Thank you for your hard work, thank you for your support, and thank you for your vote.'

As speculation grew about his future last night, former minister Steve Baker said he thought Mr Sunak's mind 'will be set on what is right for the country'.

He added that it was likely there would be 'recriminations' during a 'grieving period' and that Mr Sunak would 'weigh extremely carefully' what he thinks is best for the country.

Senior Tory sources told the Mail that Mr Sunak would want to 'do his duty because that's what he's always done'  but they said it would depend on the 'scale' of the defeat.

Ex-Tory MP Sir John Redwood said he trusted Mr Sunak would 'carry on for an interim period'.

Charles Walker, who stood down at this election, said: 'It's going to be fiendishly difficult for us to come back from this position.

'It's not impossible, but the Conservative Party is going to have to show a level of discipline over the next six to eight months that it's not shown over the last four or five years.'

Abruptly quitting and forcing the party to choose an interim leader or triggering a hasty leadership race, is an unpopular prospect among many colleagues.

While it may be humiliating for Mr Sunak to endure Commons appearances from the opposition despatch box, allies fear the alternative  party infighting would be worse.

'I think that Rishi's got to hang about  he's got a duty to the party to remain until a new leader is elected,' a former Cabinet minister told the Mail. The party is going to have a sort of nervous breakdown, that's what will happen  just as it did in 1997  and it will take a while to pull out of that.

'The most important thing is that there shouldn't be any hasty action to put a new leader in place. It is essential that the voluntary party should have their full say. If they don't, the party will melt down completely.'

Even if the Tory leadership race does not officially begin immediately, Mr Sunak's potential successors will begin setting out their stalls today.

Earlier this week Suella Braverman  who held her Fareham and Waterlooville seat early this morning  urged the Conservative Party to 'read the writing on the wall' and 'prepare for the reality and frustration of opposition'.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, she blamed the situation on a fracture within the party resulting from a rise in Nigel Farage's Reform UK. She added that this fact has been lost on colleagues who have 'driven our party's bus off the side of the cliff'.
Heavily armed police have stormed a home to arrest a man thought to be armed with a crossbow at an address in Victoria Street, Seddon, 7km west of Melbourne's CBD.

There was a suspected stabbing in the area beforehand.

Several heavily armed police officers are present at the scene, along with a police helicopter circling overhead.

The street was locked down as talks with the suspect took place.

The man was believed to be the only person inside the property.

Police are encouraging people to avoid the area, but said there is no ongoing risk to the community.

'Never seen anything like it. Police everywhere, half of Victoria St is taped off,' one person wrote on X.

More to come...

Heavily armed police stormed a home to arrest a man thought to be armed with a crossbow at an address in Victoria Street, Seddon, 7km west of Melbourne's CBD

The man (centre in red top) is pictured being taken into custody on Friday afternoon

Police negotiated with a man at an address in Victoria Street, Seddon (pictured), 7km west of Melbourne's CBD

Several heavily armed police officers were at the scene, along with a police helicopter circling overhead

The street was locked down as talks with the suspect took place. Police officers are pictured
Sir Keir Starmer is already facing demands from the Labour Left to open the public spending taps as he prepares to take power.

Sir Keir is not yet in No10 but is facing demands he 'deliver' huge changes to public spending policy from the remnants of the Corbynista movement.

They have set their eye on benefit increases, with Jeremy Corbyn's former shadow chancellor John McDonnell demanding he look at scrapping the two-child benefit cap - something he has so far refused to do.

Mr McDonnell told Sky News the prime minister designate will have to get 'more radical and suggested he will more to the left over time.

'If you look at the Blair government, the first couple of years they held to the Tory spending plans then they became more radical,' he said.

Mr McDonnell said that Sir Keir would begin with his missions, but added: 'At that stage then it will have to be more radical if the children in my constituency are to be lifted out of poverty.'

Meanwhile former leadership candidate Clive Lewis said that the predicted 170-seat landslide majority was a 'fantastic result on the surface', but added: 'Possible double digit Reform MPs and breakthrough of the authoritarian right means theres absolutely no room for complacency or hubris. We must deliver and I expect us to. '

Sir Keir is not yet in No10 but is facing demands he 'deliver' huge changes to public spending policy from the remnants of the Corbynista movement.

They have set their eye on benefit increases, with Jeremy Corbyn's former shadow chancellor John McDonnell demanding he look at scrapping the two-child benefit cap - something he has so far refused to do.

Meanwhile former leadership candidate Clive Lewis said that the predicted 170-seat landslide majority was a 'fantastic result on the surface'.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Sir Keir arrived with his wife Victoria to cast their votes this morning at a polling station in their Holborn and St Pancras constituency in north London

Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty arrived to cast their vote at Kirby Sigston Village Hall in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, this morning

However the Labour campaign was not without its casualties. Shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire lost to the Greens in Bristol Central and shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth lost in Leicester South.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said she was 'not counting her chickens' but suggested voters were punishing the Conservatives for their past 14 years in power

In the first real result, Labour's Bridget Phillipson (pictured) retained Houghton & Sunderland South with a boosted majority of just over 7,000 - but Reform surged into second place with more than 11,600 votes

In his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Holborn and St Pancras, Sir Keir said: 'Tonight, people here and around the country have spoken and they are saying they're ready for change.

'To end the politics of performance and return to politics as public service.'

He added: 'You have voted, it is now time for us to deliver.'

The comments came as jubilant Labour figures gloated that an 'electoral meteor' had hit, with a dramatic exit poll showing Sir Keir winning 410 of the 650 seats.

The Tories are expected to be slashed from the 365 secured less than five years ago to just 131 - their worst performance in modern political history. A host of big beasts, including Jeremy Hunt, Grant Shapps and Penny Mordaunt could fall victim to the purge. Welsh Secretary David Davies has already conceded defeat and the Lib Dems claim they have defeated Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in Chichester.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader in the morning, although he would stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Ballots being counted in Rishi Sunak's own Richmond & Northallerton constituency tonight

Sir Keir gave a muted reaction to the bombshell on social media

Mr Sunak gave a deadbat response to the blow, merely praising activists

In the first tangible evidence of the hammering, Labour's Heidi Alexander took ex-Cabinet minister Robert Buckland's Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

Altogether the Lib Dems are projected to get 61 MPs - and Nigel Farage's Reform insurgents could have 13 after effectively leeching millions of votes from the Conservatives.

That could include Mr Farage himself taking Clacton, while Conservative sources in Great Yarmouth confirmed they expected Reform to triumph there.

The SNP would be slashed to 10, meaning they would no longer be the biggest party in Scotland.

Although the exit survey, run for broadcasters by polling guru Sir John Curtice, is not guaranteed to be exact, it has accurately reflected the outcome in the past few elections.

Sir Keir gave a muted reaction to the bombshell, posting on social media: 'To everyone who has campaigned for Labour in this election, to everyone who voted for us and put their trust in our changed Labour Party - thank you.'

Your browser does not support iframes.

But his allies were far less restrained, with Lord Mandelson gloating that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner - who could be set to become deputy PM within hours - said the numbers were 'encouraging' and praised Sir Keir's leadership.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.

Tories immediately descended into bitter recriminations, with demands for Rishi Sunak to quit.

A former Cabinet minister - who regards their own significant majority as under threat - said Mr Sunak had 'knifed' Boris Johnson and would be remembered as the 'worst PM ever'.

But Sir Robert gave a stark warning against the Tories lurching to the right, saying the party risked being like 'bald men fighting over a comb' if it treated politics as 'performance art' and tried to outflank Reform.

No, minister: Cabinet members who could lose their seats Several frontbenchers could lose their seats, according to the exit poll: Jeremy Hunt - Chancellor

Alex Chalk - Justice Secretary

Grant Shapps - Defence Secretary

Gillian Keegan - Education Secretary

Mark Harper - Transport Secretary

Richard Holden - Conservative Party chairman

Penny Mordaunt - Commons Leader

Welsh Secretary David Davies Advertisement

Less than an hour before the exit poll dropped, Downing Street released a dissolution honours list - sending seven Tories and eight Labour politicians to the Lords. They include Theresa May, Rishi Sunak's chief aide Liam Booth-Smith, Chris Grayling and former 1922 committee chair Graham Brady.

Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett are among those on the Labour list - despite Sir Keir having committed to abolishing the Upper House.

A dire campaign for Mr Sunak came stuttering to a halt last night, with the PM making a series more defensive visits in the South East.

He now faces the prospect that he could be out of Downing Street by tomorrow morning, if the results pan out as badly as anticipated in the coming hours.

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson told Sky News that it looked like a 'massacre'.

A host of big beasts including Mr Hunt in Goldaming & Ash and Mr Shapps in Welwyn Hatfield will now be waiting nervously to see if they fall victim to the Labour and Lib Dem onslaught.

There are fears those with the highest majorities could end up most vulnerable, with Home Secretary James Cleverly and even ex-PM Liz Truss thought to be at risk.

The Tories could quickly plunge into a dangerous new phase of crisis, with questions over whether it can even survive amid the challenge from Reform.

Sir John Curtice told the BBC: 'It looks as though Reform may win more seats than many polls suggested.

'This is largely because, not only has the Conservative vote fallen far in seats they previously held, but also because Reform has advanced most in areas people voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.

'However, how many seats Reform will win is highly uncertain  our model suggests there are many places where they have some - but a relatively low - chance of winning.'

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough after Reform pushed the Tories into third place in two early constituency results.

On a video posted to X he said: 'It's midnight, there are two results in from the north-east of England that put Reform on 30 per cent of the vote, that is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It is almost unbelievable.

'And what does it mean? It means we're going to win seats, many many seats I think right now across the country.

'But to watch the TV coverage it's almost comical. There's not a single representative on there from Reform UK, mainstream media are in denial just as much as our political parties.

'This is going to be six million votes-plus. This, folks, is huge.'

A Conservative spokesman said they had to wait for the full outcome, but added: 'If these results are correct it is clear that Starmer and Angela Rayner will be in Downing Street tomorrow.'

Conservatives with big majorities had become increasingly nervous during the day, despite CCHQ claiming that higher-than-expected turnout could help them.

One former Cabinet minister told MailOnline: 'There appears to be a bigger turnout than normal in some of my areas. Not all though.

'That would seem to indicate a determination on the part of the electorate to make their views heard, almost certainly likely to be against the Tories.'

Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock said the exit poll's landslide prediction was 'the greatest comeback since Lazarus'.

The former Labour leader told ITV News: 'A gain of 208, according to the exit poll, which is attributable directly to Keir Starmer and what he's achieved in four years, two of which of course were during the lockdown, or the virtual lockdown when the one thing that opposition leaders depend on  contact with the public  was absent.

'It's the biggest comeback since Lazarus.'

He went on: 'I must say I'm just ecstatic about the fact that an entirely dependable, fully grown-up guy, Keir Starmer, and his wife, are going to go through that door tomorrow. I have unalloyed and unreserved delight.'

Mr Sunak took a huge political gamble and shocked Westminster by triggering the election on May 22, rather than waiting until the Autumn as had been widely expected.

Lord Mandelson said an electoral 'meteor' had hit British politics

Moments after ballot stations closed at 10pm, the dramatic exit poll was released - showing Sir Keir winning 410 of the 650 seats

It initially looked to be paying off, with early policies from the Tory campaign - such as national citizen service - seeming to cut through.

In a big moment, Mr Farage responded by ruling out standing as a Reform candidate, admitting he did not have time to put together a campaign.

But even then the Tories did not see a real bounce in the polls. The Tories lost key legislation including Mr Sunak's flagship smoking ban during the 'wash-up' as Parliament was dissolved for the campaign.

Your browser does not support iframes.

And then a grim week in early June saw things go spectacularly downhill, with Mr Farage dropping the bombshell that had changed his mind and was taking over the leadership of Reform as well as standing to be MP for Clacton.

Although Mr Sunak was seen as landing blows on Sir Keir over tax during their first TV debate on June 4, disaster struck when the PM opted to return early from D-Day anniversary commemorations in France to conduct an interview with ITV.

A subsequent grovelling apology did not prevent Mr Farage and opponents seizing on the blunder, which struck right at the heart of the Tory goal of shoring up the core vote among older generations.

With polls already showing Reform eating into Tory support with potent attacks on immigration, Mr Sunak was then engulfed in another scandal.

It emerged that his closest Parliamentary aide, Craig Williams had successfully placed bets on the date of the snap election - although he insisted he did not have any inside information.

Other candidates and top party officials were then dragged into the allegations, which proved particularly toxic with the public.

Mr Sunak was memorably challenged on the issue during TV appearances, admitting he was 'incredibly angry'. But he was seen as taking far too long to withdraw support for candidates facing allegations.

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough after Reform pushed the Tories into third place in two early constituency results

Nigel Farage was seen driving through Clacton, the Essex seaside constituency where he is hoping to be elected the local MP, in an old military vehicle as he rallied the final support for his campaign

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and his wife Emily Gasson attended a polling station in Surbiton. He said: 'It's a beautiful day. I hope lots of people come out to vote'

With some polls even showing Reform ahead of the Tories, CCHQ shifted tactics to warn of the threat of a divided Right handing Labour a 'supermajority' with untrammeled power.

That together with controversial remarks from Mr Farage about the West 'provoking' Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and revelations about unsavoury comments by a series of Reform candidates looked to have stopped the bleeding.

But after a bruising six weeks Labour's huge advantage was intact, and the only significant change was that the Tories had lost ground to Reform.

By yesterday, despite Mr Sunak's claim he was 'fighting hard for every vote', his close ally Mel Stride was effectively acknowledging the Conservatives would lose - an unprecedented step.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said Labour would get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

As tension built through election day, the Tories claimed a higher-than-expected turnout had left them with a 'MUCH better chance' than cataclysmic polls had suggested.

An email to Conservative supporters, signed from the 'CCHQ Data Team', read: 'We're getting reports from our teams on the ground. And the more reports we get, the more it looks like turnout is higher than expected.

'That means we could have a MUCH better chance than polls have suggested. So if you haven't voted yet, now's the time to get out.'

Queues of people were seen at polling stations today as the requirement for voters to bring correct photo identification - such as a passport or driving licence - was enforced at a UK general election for the first time.

There was a bungle at a Glasgow polling station this morning as voters were met with posters listing the wrong instructions, which erroneously advised the ranking of candidates in order of preference.

This is how ballots are cast in local elections in Scotland, which use the single transferable vote system. But general elections use the first-past-the-post system, which requires voters to put a single 'X' next to their chosen candidate.

Glasgow City Council explained the error was spotted 'very soon' after the polling station opened at 7am and the posters were replaced with the correct information. It said no-one had been disenfranchised as voters' first preferences would be used from the affected ballots.

Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch this afternoon blasted her own local council for having 'potentially disenfranchised' thousands of postal voters who did not receive their ballot papers.

The Business Secretary hit out at Uttlesford District Council for 'forgetting' to send postal votes to 2,600 people in her North West Essex seat.

Prior to polls opening this morning, Rishi Sunak made an 11th-hour plea for voters to prevent a 'socialist supermajority' wrecking Britain, as he repeated his warning against handing Sir Keir 'unchecked' power.
Voters who stayed up all night to watch the General Election results roll in have given their verdict on which broadcaster won the battle of TV coverage.

Some of the major channels suffered gaffes throughout the night, including GB News who displayed an exit poll graphic predicting the Tories were down to win 410 seats with Labour on 131 - a landslide in the wrong direction.

The BBC was also hit by technical blunders, with its swing-o-meter appearing to break as Jeremy Vine presented from Cardiff. A later green screen failure made it look like Sophie Raworth and Jon Kay were floating heads.

Yet the strangest moment by far came from the Sky News studio, when Kay Burley and guests could be heard making scoffing noises as they unveiled the exit poll results for the first time.

Viewers were left bewildered as the veteran presenter and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham let out a series of 'groans' after being stunned into silence by Labour's projected landslide.

GB News which displayed a graphic that showed the Tories were down to win 410 seats with Labour on 131 - a landslide in the wrong direction

The BBC's swing-o-meter appeared to break earlier this morning as Jeremy Vine presented from Cardiff

Keir Starmer is congratulated by fellow Camden candidates Bobby 'Elmo' Smith and Nick 'The Flying Brick'

And as news broke that Labour had won the General Election Sky News presented a shot of Larry the cat outside No 10

It prompted social media users to ask: 'What is happening in the Sky News studio?!'

A replay of their reactions was shown moments later, with Mr Burnham seen nearly jumping out of his seat and raising his arms in the air as he sat next to a far from impressed Baroness Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives.

Words including 'oh my God' and 'woah' could also be heard from the team, which included political editor Beth Rigby, Sunday breakfast show presenter Sir Trevor Phillips, and data and economics editor Ed Conway.

Later on in the night, viewers at home blasted Sky News' guests for 'constantly talking over each other' with some claiming it was 'hard to watch' while others branding the channel 'amusingly chaotic'.

As coverage continued on into the night, with jubilant Sir Keir Starmer telling the public 'we did it today' after Rishi Sunak conceded the election, Sky news watcher called on guests and presenters to stop talking over each other.

'Again. Sky presenters and pundits. Stop talking over each other. Sort out a system in advance where one person has the floor and you let do their bit. Kay can ask one question of one person at a time,' one wrote.

Andy Burnham celebrated as he sat next to a far from impressed Baroness Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives

Broadcaster GB News suffered an early gaffe on election night, displaying a graphic that showed the Tories on track to win 410 seats and Labour set for 131 - the wrong way round

Laura Kuenssberg and Clive Myrie were much more measured as they revealed the exit poll

Another added: 'Sky is amusingly chaotic. Am quite enjoying everyone talking over each other.'

A third said: 'I've got Sky News on (don't have BBC on the TV) and I was thinking that BBC would probably be much better. The panelists keep talking over each other.'

Over on Channel 4 viewers said they were 'really impressed' with the teams' work, ran by Emily Maitlis and Krishnan Guru-Murthy, many calling it 'the best coverage all day'.

Despite this, they still had a few run ins with former Tory minister Nadine Dories who accused fellow commentator Alastair Campbell of sexism before upstaging presenters to reveal Boris Johnson had been texting her.

Some of those pulling all-nighters switched to ITV, who were said to be giving more coverage to independent MPs than other candidates.

'I reckon ITV again the better election night coverage  since 2017 I think they have done better on presenting and analysis despite not having the glitzy graphics,' one wrote.

'I'm channel hopping between BBC1, ITV and Channel 4 coverage,' another added.

'Think I prefer ITV as showing actual results as they come in but also Nicola Sturgeon's face is a picture - she is clearly so uncomfortable being alongside Osborne and Balls.'

A third said: 'ITV (whose coverage has been the best overnight in my opinion) just did a segment on the role of independent candidates in key races, and earlier unpacked how these races turned heavily on Gaza.

'We've been channel-hopping, and I've not seen much on this elsewhere.'

Watchers have given their verdict on the best TV coverage on social media today

Viewers watching Channel 4 coverage earlier on in the night were left entertained when former culture secretary Ms Dorries clashed with former Labour spokesperson Mr Campbell just after the polls closed.

She also caused hilarity for those watching after Ms Maitlis appeared to struggle not to roll her eyes at one of her answers.

The staunch Boris Johnson loyalist said the projected results were a 'disaster' for the party, after an exit poll predicted the party would return just 131 seats.

Pressed on the meteoric rise of Reform, which is projected to get 13 seats, Ms Dorriess pointed out that the far-right party was polling in the low single digits while Mr Johnson was Prime Minister.

Mr Campbell then interrupted her and said: 'You really need to get over Boris.'

Ms Dorries hit back: 'I think that's quite a sexist comment.'

Mr Campbell retorted: 'It's really not'.

Former Conservative Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries accused Alastair Campbell of sexism

Former Labour spokesperson Mr Campbell appeared on Channel 4's election night coverage alongside Ms Dorries

The couple continued to trade blows throughout the programme with the presenters having to intervene at times.

Just a few minutes later there was another clash, this time between Labour's Harriet Harman and the Conservatives' Kwasi Kwarteng.

Ms Harman accused Mr Kwarteng of being 'patronising' in his response to her.

Ms Dorries cut in and said: 'It's up to me and Harriet to hold the men on this stage to account it seems.'

Earlier on in the night after the exit poll was announced, many viewers said they were switching off the BBC's main coverage - bemoaning that Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg were a 'pointless double act'.

Several have taken to X to slam the tax-funded broadcaster for their 'endless wittering' and a lack of reporting from polling stations as the results roll in.

Others have described the BBC's reportage as 'misjudged' , 'dull' with one comparing it to 'one of their interminable and tedious podcasts'.

'Have to say BBC National coverage of the general election is rubbish. BBC Scotland and Channel 4 [is] much better quality,' one quipped.

Viewers have taken to social media to hit out at BBC's general election coverage hosted by Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg (pictured)

Several have taken to X (formerly Twitter ) to slam the tax-funded broadcaster for their 'endless wittering' as the results rolled in

'The pointless double act of Myrie & Kuenssberg distracting from the results. BBC have made a real mess of their national coverage.'

A second quipped: 'BBC coverage is weird - endless wittering while they actually have reporters at virtually every count.'

'I think you might be right BBC national coverage has been terrible from Myrie/Keunssbergg. Terrible double act. Should've been sole anchor,' a third shared.

'It is extraordinary isn't it? BBC coverage seems misjudged at many levels. Feels like one of their interminable and tedious podcasts,' a viewer said.

'My word, the BBC election coverage is soo dull. All the other channels are far superior,' one penned.

Another added: 'Unsure exactly why the BBC election coverage is so poor - they seem totally unable to keep up with the seat count whereas the Sky website is far better at keeping up (though still inexplicably saying that the Speaker's seat has been won by the Tories...)'

'I started to watch BBC coverage - so boring - gone back to GB News.'
Nigel Farage today vowed that Reform UK is 'coming for Labour' after he finally became an MP on his eighth attempt with a thumping victory in Clacton.

The party's chairman Richard Tice added that Reform was filling a 'vacuum' in right-wing politics in Britain after the party gained four seats in the General Election.

More than four million people voted for the party, giving it a 14 per cent share - with its candidates coming second in 89 seats, many in Labour-won areas of northern England and Wales.

The party leader said he wants to 'build a mass national movement over the course of next few years' with the aim of challenging the 2029 general election.

Meanwhile Mr Tice blasted the 'injustice' of the first-past-the-post electoral system, after the Liberal Democrats gained 71 seats with 3.5million votes. This meant the Lib Dems had 67 more seats than Reform despite having about 500,000 fewer votes.

Mr Tice won Boston and Skegness, beating the Conservatives to secure his party's fourth seat of the night. He told BBC Radio 4's Today that 'we have given the opportunity to millions of people... to vote with their heart and what they believe in'.

Nigel Farage celebrates with his girlfriend Laure Ferrari after he wins his first seat in Parliament in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

Mr Farage, pictured with Ms Ferrari, said there was now a 'massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it'

Mr Tice predicted that demands for electoral change would 'grow and grow', adding: 'There's a huge vacuum on the right of British politics that we are filling.'

Also last night, businessman and former Southampton FC chairman Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth, also from the Tories, after Lee Anderson became Reform's first MP of the night.

After winning in Clacton, Mr Farage said there was now a 'massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it'.

But he added it is not just the Tories he is taking on, and 'we're coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that'.

'This is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you,' he said.

Mr Farage overturned a 25,000 Conservative majority to take the Essex seaside town by more than 8,000 votes, while Reform beat the Tories to finish second in a string of constituencies.

It was the eighth attempt by Mr Farage to win a Westminster seat after years of trying.

Mr Farage, 60, was joined by former Tory chairman '30p Lee' Anderson, who triumphed ion Ashfield

He said: 'I think what Reform UK has achieved in just a few short weeks is extraordinary.

'We are going to come second in hundreds of constituencies.

'My plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of next few years as hopefully be big enough to challenge the General Election properly in 2029. There's no enthusiasm for Labour or Starmer whatsoever... this Labour Government will be in trouble very very quickly and we will now be targeting Labour votes. We're coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that.'

Mr Farage won the seat with 21,225 votes compared to the Tories' 12,820. Labour finished third on 7,448.

Shortly after, the party also took the seat of Great Yarmouth from the Tories. And Richard Tice won Boston and Skegness.

Just after 2am it was confirmed that Reform's candidate in Ashfield, Lee Anderson, comfortably held on to the seat.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

The Tories, who won it in 2019 under Boris Johnson, finished in fourth with just 3,271 votes.

Mr Anderson, who defected to Reform from the Tories in March, got 17,062, with Labour finishing second on 11,553.

He said: 'I said a few weeks back that there was going to be a reckoning on election night, and Ashfield, which is the capital of common sense, they're part of that reckoning.

'This wonderful place which I call my home is now going to have a say in how this country is shaped in the future.

'I want my country back and Ashfield can play their part in that.'

However, the party failed to win in Barnsley North and South, in which the exit poll predicted it would be victorious.

The official 10pm exit poll projected the insurgent party's seat haul could hit 13  a shock tally that sent shockwaves through Conservative headquarters. That was later revised down to four.

But in a sign of the scale of the revolt caused by Mr Farage's party, it came second in Blyth and Ashington, finishing on 10,857 votes and pushing the Tories into third on 6,121.

It came second in Sunderland Central with 10,779 votes to the Tories' 5,731, and in Houghton and Sunderland South by 11,668 votes to 5,514.

In Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, Reform beat the Tories with 7,815 votes compared to 4,228, while in Washington and Gateshead South it finished second with 10,769 votes to the Tories' 4,654. Labour won all these seats.

It was the eighth attempt by Mr Farage to win a Westminster seat after years of trying

Mr Farage was seen riding in a tank on the eve of the General Election
Voters and jubilant Labour supporters have taken to social media to mock Rishi Sunak's outgoing Conservative government following abysmal voting results which handed Sir Keir Starmer a predicted majority of 170.

On a night of Tory bloodbath, 11 former cabinet members, including Jacob Rees- Mogg and Gillian Keegan lost their seats in humbling 'Portillo' moments, leading some voters to suggest competition for ITV's I'm a Celeb will be fierce this year.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss also sensationally lost her seat in South West Norfolk after delaying the count by arriving late, with many joking the Lettuce associated PMs count lasted longer than her reign as PM.

In Rishi Sunak's own seat, the former Prime Minister was taunted by YouTuber Niko Omilana, who boasts 7.49 million followers online, who mocked him with a loser sign as he won.

The YouTuber, was donning a pair of children sunglasses as the speaker announced he had won 160 votes in the battle for the Richmond in North Yorkshire seat.

Voters and jubilant Labour supporters have taken to social media to mock Rishi Sunak's outgoing Conservative government

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss was mocked after sensationally losing her majority of 24,000 in South West Norfolk and seat as a result

There was some good news for the Conservatives as some voters liked Suella's hair

The Conservative party has been torn apart in the polls and on social media

Your browser does not support iframes.

Following the confirmation that ex-PM Truss had lost her seat following a disastrous campaign, social media users were quick to reference her Lettuce association.

One said: 'The Liz Truss result, please just lettuce know.'

Another said: 'Her constituents decided they didnt want Liz Truss to romaine.'

Another said: 'Everyone trying to analyse an election that a 5 year old could analyse. Amateurs. How has Liz Truss lost her seat? Sack them immediately and let schoolchildren comment.'

Elsewhere, a video of ousted Therese Coffey singing a requiem in Latin was repurposed as a Tory funeral song.

Rishi Sunak was also mocked up next to an image of Paddington, a bear that has become a harbinger of doom since being featured prominently following the death of the Queen in 2022.

In his speech Rishi Sunak said he took 'responsibility' for his party's loss, and had already called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

He said: 'The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

'Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our country's stability and future.

'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight. There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss.

'To the many good hard working Conservative candidates who lost tonight despite their tireless efforts... I am sorry.'

Mr Sunak, his wife and their security and entourage left the election count as soon as he had finished making a speech after the result was declared.

Please experience this beautiful Requiem Mass dedicated to the late Conservative Party. pic.twitter.com/f5AjhXJ83q  Brendan May (@bmay) July 4, 2024

Independent cadidate and YouTuber Omilana Niko and supporters pose outside the Richmond and Northallerton count centre

In his speech Rishi Sunak said he took 'responsibility' for his party's loss, and had already called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes

Soon afterwards Ms Mordaunt missed out by a similar margin in Portsmouth North, admitting the party had 'broken trust' with voters

Earlier, Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps and Jacob Rees-Mogg fell victims to a brutal Tory cull as Labour' swept towards election victory.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

Soon afterwards Ms Mordaunt missed out by a similar margin in Portsmouth North, admitting the party had 'broken trust' with voters.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values.

Sir Keir's ally Lord Mandelson gloated that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.
Former prime minister Liz Truss led a parade of Tory big hitters who sensationally lost her seat in the Tory election bloodbath.

Ms Truss, who was premier for just 49 days in 2022, lost her Norfolk South West seat to Labour by just 630 votes after the largest swing from the Tories to Labour ever.

Terry Jermy overturned a 26,195 majority won by Ms Truss in 2019 after Reform and an independent campaign by the 'Turnip Taliban' - a group of local disgruntled ex-Tories - whittled down her support.

On a humiliating night for Rishi Sunak's party, some of the Conservatives' biggest names - including a record number of frontbenchers - lost their seats as Labour stormed to an historic landslide win.

Senior Tory figures - including a record number of Cabinet ministers - lost their seats in an election bloodbath

Ms Truss, who led the country for 49 days following Boris Johnson's resignation, was the latest Tory heavyweight to fall on a disastrous night - and morning - for the party

Your browser does not support iframes.

Liz Truss

Ms Truss, who led the country from September 6 to October 25 2022 following Boris Johnson's resignation, was the latest Tory heavyweight to suffer at the hands of the electorate on a disastrous night - and morning - for the party.

She Truss beat Rishi Sunak to the Tory leadership in 2022. But her popularity nosedived after her devastating mini-budget with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng which led to the plunge of the pound and had widespread economic impacts.

Thousands of people saw steep mortgage rises following the budget, which contained millions of pounds worth of unfunded tax cuts.

She Truss beat Rishi Sunak to the Tory leadership in 2022. But her popularity nosedived after her devastating mini-budget with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng which led to the plunge of the pound and had widespread economic impacts.

She later quit as leader and returned to the backbenches, reinventing herself as a rightwing firebrand with links to Trumpist US Republicans.

Speaking to the BBC after her defeat she said: 'I think the issue we faced as Conservatives is we haven't delivered sufficiently on the policies people want.

'And that means keeping taxes low, but also particularly on reducing immigration. And I think that's been a crucial issue here in South West Norfolk, that was the number one issue that people raised on the doorstep with me.'

Asked whether she accepted some responsibility for that, Ms Truss said: 'I agree. I was part of that. That's absolutely true.

'But during our 14 years in power, unfortunately we did not do enough to take on the legacy we'd been left, in particular things like the Human Rights Act that made it very difficult for us to deport illegal immigrants. And that is one of the reasons I think we've ended up in the situation we are now.'

She declined to say if she would remain involved in politics.

The candidates for South West Norfolk were left waiting on stage for several minutes for the announcement of the result as they waited for Ms Truss to appear.

Some of those watching began a slow hand clap before she finally joined them, without wearing a Conservative rosette.

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Mr Rees-Mogg lost his Somerset North East & Hanham seat to Labour's Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes.

In a typically polite speech afterwards he congratulated Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on 'what seems to be a historic victory'.

The former business secretary's defeat was a reversal of 2010, when he bet Mr Norris in the predecessor constituency.

Speaking at the University of Bath after the result was declared, Sir Jacob said: 'May I begin by giving my warmest congratulations to Dan Norris, who has been a servant of North East Somerset or Wansdyke as it then was before and I am sure will be a devoted constituency MP in the future.

Jacob Rees-Mogg lost his Somerset North East & Hanham to Labour's Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes

'And congratulate Sir Keir Starmer who has led his party to what seems to be a historic victory. And this is the great virtue of our democracy, so I congratulate both of them.'

Sir Jacob then thanked his agent, campaign director and constituency staff who had 'worked so hard over the last 14 years'.

He said: 'And one final thought, from Caractacus Potts, and that is from the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success. So thank you very much everybody, and good night.'

Grant Shapps

Glum-looking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

A 'Portillo' moment is a reference to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Portillo who lost what had been regarded as a safe Tory seat in Labour's 1997 landslide.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Mr Shapps has held a series of Cabinet positions under four Tory prime ministers - including energy security and net zero secretary, business secretary and home secretary.

Grant Shapps looked glum as he lost his seat in Welwyn Hatfield pm a devastating night for the Tories

In 2012 it was revealed he was using an alter-ego as businessman Michael Green.

He was pictured using a nom de plume while he was a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives. He was standing for the Welwyn Hatfield seat in Hertfordshire when he posed for the photo at a 2,000-a-head web marketing event at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in 2004.

Mr Shapps continued to use the name Michael Green for his business interests throughout the 2005 election campaign and his early years as an opposition MP. 'Mr Green' charged clients 183 an hour for advice on how to make money from the web as well as offering tips on how to beat the recession blues, including splashing out on a jet-ski or learning to play the guitar.

Penny Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunt lost her Commons seat today in one of the biggest upsets of a General Election that is turning into a top Tory bloodbath.

The Commons leader, who leapt into the public consciousness with her sword-wielding role at the Coronation of Charles III last year, was beaten into second place by Labour's Amanda Martin.

Ms Mordaunt, 51, had been tipped as a potential future Tory leader as the party tries to regroup from a long-expected electoral pummelling.

The Commons leader, who leapt into the public consciousness with her sword-wielding role at the Coronation of Charles III last year, was beaten into second place by Labour 's Amanda Martin.

The former defence secretary was runner up to Rishi Sunak in 2022 and had also stood in the previous leadership race won by Liz Truss.

During the election campaign she was the face of the Tories at a number of seven-way debates between senior figures from the main parties, going to-to-toe with Labour's Angela Rayner.

But shortly after 4am the Royal Navy reservist lost to Labour in the Royal Navy's home city, marking at least the start of a lengthy hiatus in her political career, if not ending it.

She admitted the Conservative Parry has taken a 'battering' because it failed to honour 'the trust that people had placed in it' after she lost her seat to Labour.

Labour's Amanda Martin ousted the Leader of the House of Commons from Portsmouth North, winning by just 780 votes.

Ms Mordaunt, 51, would have been hotly tipped to run for the party leadership again had she managed to keep her seat.

She said: 'Tonight, the Conservative Party has taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it. You can speak all you like of security and freedom, but you can't have either if you are afraid.

'Afraid about the cost-of-living or accessing healthcare, or whether the responsibility you shoulder will be recognised and rewarded. That fear steals the future, and it only makes the present matter and that is why we lost.

'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

'I've lost many good colleagues tonight but I hope that like me they intend to carry on serving their communities with even stronger heart, our country needs all of us.'

Ms Mordaunt, who had held the seat from 2010, also said she will 'never stop caring' for the people of Portsmouth.

Gillian Keegan

The Education Secretary since 2022 and MP for Chichester from 2017, Gillian Keegan lost her seat to Liberal Democrat candidate Jess Brown-Fuller.

Ms Keegan had pushed for banning smartphones in schools. She also oversaw draft statutory sex education guidance that 'gender ideology' should not be taught in schools.

Ms Keegan had pushed for banning smartphones in schools. She also oversaw draft statutory sex education guidance that 'gender ideology' should not be taught in schools.

But she also made headlines for urged striking teachers to be 'realistic' with their pay demands - while wearing her 10,000 Rolex watch.

But she also made headlines for urged striking teachers to be 'realistic' with their pay demands - while wearing her 10,000 Rolex watch.

Last year she wore her expensive watch - a gift from her husband - as she toured television and radio studios.

The Merseyside-born Tory, who grew up in a working class family and left school at 16, accused critics of her jewellery of 'inverted snobbery'.

In an early claim of victory before 2am on Friday, the Liberal Democrats said her seat of 'Chichester is going Lib Dem-orange, as Gillian Keegan becomes the first Cabinet minister of the night to lose her seat'.

And just two hours later her loss was confirmed, with a result that saw her trailing the Lib Dems by more than 10,000 votes.

When appointed Education Secretary by Rishi Sunak in 2022, she was the fifth person to hold the role in under four months and the sixth since the 2019 general election.

Less than a year into the role she was fighting a major crisis after ordering more than 100 schools to make closures because of concerns that a crumbling aerated concrete could collapse.

The strain of that erupted in public when she unwittingly vented her frustrations, swearing about a lack of gratitude towards her while others have 'sat on their arse and done nothing' while the cameras were still rolling after a broadcast interview.

Steve Baker

Tory minister Steve Baker said 'thank God I'm a free man' after he was ousted from his Wycombe seat.

The self-styled 'Brexit hardman', who had signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I fought this to win it and I wanted to do my duty and continue. But I am today, thank God, a free man.

The self-styled 'Brexit hardman', who had signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I fought this to win it and I wanted to do my duty and continue. But I am today, thank God, a free man.

'Try being elected to Parliament and you'll understand. I am able now to resume my life and that is going to be a great blessing to me.

'So I'm afraid I will be honest with the public. Thank God I'm a free man.'

And the others...

The Liberal Democrats took out Justice Secretary Alex Chalk in Cheltenham.

Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland, Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Chief Whip Simon Hart were all culled - as were Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis, former deputy PM Therese Coffey and Michael Fabricant.

Welsh secretary David Davies, Science Minister Michelle Donelan and Attorney General Victoria Prentis were also all kicked from their seats.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper lost his Forest of Dean seat to Labour's Matt Bishop by just 278 votes.

Senior Tory Liam Fox, who had been the MP for North Somerset since 1992, also narrowly lost his seat to Labour candidate Sadik Al-Hassan by 639 votes.

Other casualties included Peter Bottomley, who had been the longest-serving lawmaker in parliament. The 'Father of the House' - the honorary title bestowed upon the member who had been in parliament the longest - was first elected in 1975 but lost his Worthing West seat.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper lost his seat in the Forest of Dean

Chief Whip Simon Hart lost his seat

In a rare positive for the Tories, Mr Sunak, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Home Secretary James Cleverley held onto their seats in Richmond and North Allerton, Godalming and Ash and Braintree respectively.

Despite suffering a brutal defeat, Mr Rees-Mogg congratulated Sir Keir Starmer on 'what seems to be a historic victory'.

Speaking at the University of Bath after the result was declared, Sir Jacob said: 'May I begin by giving my warmest congratulations to Dan Norris, who has been a servant of North East Somerset or Wansdyke as it then was before and I am sure will be a devoted constituency MP in the future.

'And congratulate Sir Keir Starmer who has led his party to what seems to be a historic victory. And this is the great virtue of our democracy, so I congratulate both of them.'

Sir Jacob then thanked his agent, campaign director and constituency staff who had 'worked so hard over the last 14 years'.
The world's media has heralded the victory of the Labour party in Britain's elections as it shattered the Conservatives' 14-year hold on power with a resounding majority.

Few tears were shed beyond British shores as most media outlets trumpeted the ascension of Labour with a series of headlines highlighting the magnitude of the Tory defeat.

Likening the demolition of the Conservative party to a natural disaster proved the most popular analogy as the electorate returned the Tories' worst-ever result.

'Earthquake - a crushing victory!' was splashed across the front page of Norway's Dagbladet alongside a picture of soon-to-be Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer embracing his wife Lady Victoria Starmer at an election party.

'Look Left! UK Earthquake' read the top story of the US' Drudge Report, whose website was emblazoned with a banner depicting the exit poll results showing Labour's historic majority.

' Earthquake - a crushing victory!' was splashed across the frontpage of Norway's Dagbladet

'Look Left! UK Earthquake' read the top story of the US' Drudge Report , whose website was emblazoned with a banner depicting the exit poll results

Sweden's Expressen said the Tories had been 'crushed'

Italy's La Repubblica said Starmer 'reclaimed Britain'

De Telegraaf in the Netherlands focused on Farage's arrival in the Commons and Sunak's failure

Some revelled in the Tory failure, pasting images of a dejected Rishi Sunak sporting a pained grimace across their websites.

'UK ends Conservative era... The Tories have achieved their worst result ever,' Spain's El Pais wrote, as Germany's Der Spiegel declared: 'Sunak congratulates Labour on election victory - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has admitted defeat and is taking responsibility.'

Many outlets applauded Starmer for presiding over a campaign that returned an overwhelming majority, publishing a slew of congratulatory articles and profiles of the Labour leader.

'Historic Labour Triumph - Starmer Reclaims Britain,' Italy's La Repubblica said, while several French newspapers penned odes to the Labour leader entitled 'Keir Starmer, the architect of Labour's comeback' and 'Starmer, the quiet leader who refocused the English left'.

One commentator, writing for Italy's Corriere Della Sera, said Starmer's win could even be the catalyst to a future return of Britain to the EU, underscoring the damage done to Britain by Brexit.

'Here's why the Tories were swept away... a chain of errors, superficiality and the inability to revive an economy brought to its knees by Brexit.

'The United Kingdom will return to the European Union - but it will take a generation,' Beppe Severgnini wrote.

The surprise success of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who last night became an MP at the eighth time of asking, also made it onto front pages worldwide.

'He calls Donald Trump a friend and wants to shake up the British party system,' Der Spiegel wrote.

And in Russia, state media today rejoiced at the crushing defeat of the Tories - especially outgoing defence secretary Grant Shapps, who lost his seat.

Vladimir Kornilov, analyst at state news outlet Russia Today, said of Shapps: 'This unbridled anti-Russia campaigner nearly burst into tears during the announcement of the election results.

'It turns out that Russophobia is not the decisive factor determining the choice of the British voter.'

Various French newspapers penned lengthy profiles of Keir Starmer in the wake of his victory

Der Spiegel had an image of a dejected Sunak spread across the World News page

One commentator in Italy hammered the Tories for Brexit and various mistakes, proclaiming that Britain could even return to the EU down the line

Labour triumphs, La Repubblica wrote

France's media described Starmer as a methodical and quiet leader responsible for Labour's revival

Unsurprisingly, the news of Labour's huge success in yesterday's elections did not make the front pages beyond Europe, but plenty of media outlets in Asia, Africa and South America nonetheless covered Starmer's victory.

The Times of India battered the Conservative party in the wake of their failure, writing: 'Historic defeat for Tories in UK polls: How Rishi Sunak became the fall guy' before going in on Tory mismanagement of the country that angered voters.

Japanese daily The Mainichi also focused on the discontent whipped up by the Conservative party, penning a headline that read: Britain's Labour on track for landslide victory amid anger with Conservatives', going on to cover how British voters were 'punishing' Sunak.

Yomiuri Shimbun detailed how the lengthy reign of the Conservatives came to an end, declaring the Labour party were 'taking power for the first time in 14 years'.

The Daily Nation, Kenya's largest newspaper, wrote: 'Keir Starmer to become new UK Prime Minister: Outgoing Premier Sunak concedes defeat', while South Africa's News24 told how Labour 'swept to power'.

And Brazil's Globo declared the Conservative party had suffered 'one of the biggest defeats in history'.

'HE will be the new Prime Minister! Labour forces a change of power,' BILD wrote

The Times of India battered the Conservative party in the wake of their failure, writing: 'Historic defeat for Tories in UK polls: How Rishi Sunak became the fall guy' before going in on Tory mismanagement of the country that angered voters

Yomiuri Shimbun detailed how the lengthy reign of the Conservatives came to an end, declaring the Labour party were 'taking power for the first time in 14 years'

Japanese daily The Mainichi also focused on the discontent whipped up by the Conservative party
Sir Keir Starmer's intensely private wife stepped out of the shadows and into the limelight today as the couple celebrated Labour's historic election win with a passionate kiss.

Just hours before she started a new life in Downing Street, Lady Victoria closed her eyes and enjoyed a clinch with Sir Keir after his speech at a victory rally in central London this morning.

The public display of affection was a rare step for Sir Keir's 'reluctant First Lady' - a woman so 'sassy' and straight-talking that the first thing she said after meeting him was: 'Who the f*** does he think he is?'

But she can avoid the limelight no longer, and today Lady Victoria Starmer entered No 10 with her husband after Labour's landslide victory and crushing of the Tories.

'Lady Vic', as she is known fondly in party circles, has been missing from the election campaign completely.

But later she waved with her husband, although the couple's two teenage children, said to be 'completely freaked out' by the idea of being in the public eye, were not paraded.

Moving into Downing Street comes just weeks after their 16-year-old son took his GCSEs. The couple have also shielded their 13-year-old daughter from the limelight - never naming either children or naming them in public.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer kisses his wife Victoria as it was confirmed he will be the next PM at around 5am this morning

Sir Keir and Lady Vic will be moving into Downing Street this afternoon

The First Lady of British politics was cheering wildly as her husband romped home

The couple have two teenage children, a 16-year-old boy and 13-year-old daughter said to be both daunted by the limelight

The couple were cheered as they left the rally this morning

The Labour leader, with wife Victoria, received a rapturous welcome after returning from the Palace where he had an audience with the King around noon, shortly after Rishi Sunak exited having tendered his resignation

Victoria Starmer hugged jubilant activists this afternoon after Sir Keir was formally installed as Britain's 58th PM

Keir Starmer acknowledged 'weariness at the heart of the nation' today after his so-called 'loveless landslide' in the election, with his wife by his side

Sir Keir and wife Victoria walked into their new home after he delivered his first speech as PM this afternoon

The newly-elected PM and his wife Victoria were clapped in by staff as they entered No10

Sir Keir said he wanted to 'changed the country' but warned it will 'take a while', saying he wanted to restore the values of 'service' to politics. He admitted that many people did not believe he would improve the country

Mr and Mrs Starmer married 17 years ago - but their relationship had a rocky start, and falling in love, let alone a marriage and children, couldn't have been more far off when a young Sir Keir questioned the quality of her work.

Mrs Starmer, then a lawyer and now an occupational therapist who plans to continue to work in the NHS, went berserk at the arrogant young barrister because her drafting was perfect.

Unlike the outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty - a multi-millionaire heiress to IT firm Infosys's $70billion (54.9bn) fortune - not a great deal is known of Lady Victoria Starmer.

Sir Keir himself has said that she 'has her own life and protects it vigorously'.

Lady Vic's father was an economics lecturer who moved to the UK from Poland before the Second World War. Her father is Jewish and her mother, who died in 2020, was a community doctor who converted to the faith.

Far from the working class background her husband likes to talk about, she went to the exclusive private Channing School in Highgate - one of London's most exclusive areas.

She secured degrees in law and sociology from Cardiff University, where she was president of the student union from 1995 to 1996.

Around four years later, Britain's First Couple met - but had an almighty row when they met that ended with a shower of expletives from Mrs Starmer who then told him to get lost.

She slammed down the phone after yelling: 'Who the f*** does he think he is?' Keir heard it all but by 2007 they were married.

What sparked the cascade of swears? Her future husband asking if she was '100 per cent sure' her work was correct.

Sir Keir later told Vogue: 'It was absolutely classic Vic. Very sassy, very down to earth, no nonsense from anyone, including from me'.

Undeterred, he asked her down the pub to make up for his blunder. She gave him a second chance and fast forward to today they have been married for 17 years.

She has was by his side as the election results came in.

Party insiders have claimed that her absence was to protect the couple's children because they are 'completely freaked out by the idea of being in Downing Street and the public eye'.

Victoria pictured with Sir Keir during a count for the 2017 general election. She has become a more public companion of her politico husband in recent years - but she still remains reluctant to be in the limelight

Sir Keir and Victoria with his parents Josephine and Rodney, taken on their wedding day in 2007

Those close to the Labour leader say his 'no-nonsense' and 'sassy' wife has no qualms about 'telling people about the real Keir' - even if he has not found it easy himself.

Her straight-talking was clear from their first meeting in 2000, where she swore at him.

Undeterred, the future Labour leader asked her on a date to the Lord Stanley pub in Camden in the early 2000s, and they married in 2007.

They now share a 1.75million Kentish Town home with their two children - a teenager named Toby and a younger daughter whose name has not been made public.

Lady Victoria is Jewish, and Sir Keir has said he tries to uphold the Shabbat tradition of Friday night dinners as often as possible - despite being an atheist himself.

He previously told the Mirror: 'She's a streetwise grounded, brilliant, gorgeous woman who wants as far as she can to get on with her own life and to protect it.

'She loves working for the NHS. She loves the team that she's working with.

'And she and I are doing our best to raise two happy and confident children and that matters hugely to us.'

Your browser does not support iframes.

Outside of her NHS work, she has also served as also a governor at her children's school in Camden borough. In short, she has plenty to be getting on with should her husband become the new tenant in No 10.

As one insider presciently told The Telegraph in 2021: 'If he ever gets into Downing Street, shes going to be very much leading her own life.'

'Lady Vic' left law and retrained to be an occupational health therapist for the NHS in Camden, where they still live with their two teenage children.

Insiders have suggested that the shock election called by Rishi Sunak couldn't have happened at a worse time for the family because the couple's 15-year-old son is in the middle of his GCSE exams.

Labour was also quite clear that there will no interviews with Mrs Starmer before July 4.

Asked about his biggest fear if he becomes prime minister, Sir Keir replied on the Sky News debate: 'The only real fear I suppose I have is for my family.'

He said his son is almost 16 years old and his daughter 13.

Sir Keir said: 'My only fear really is the impact it's going to have on them. That's why we never name them in public, never have a photoshoot with them, I want them to be able to walk to school and have their own lives.

'I don't fear the big decisions, in fact I relish the chance to change our country.'

One insider said that he wants privacy for his family, especially his children who are at 'really difficult ages'

The insiders said: 'They have got teenagers who are completely freaked out by the idea of being in Downing Street or in any way being in the public eye.

'It has got pretty heavy recently with children's shoes, representing the dead kids in Gaza, being left outside the Starmer house  Sir Keir is determined that his family won't be dragged into any of this.'

Earlier this month the Labour leader said his wife won't give up her work if he becomes Prime Minister.

He said of Victoria: 'She's absolutely going to carry on working, she wants to and she loves it. It's also good for me because it gives me an insight into the NHS.'

Sir Keir and Lady Victoria clapping for key workers outside their home in London in May 2020. Lady Vic works in the NHS and will not give up her job

The pair share a kiss on stage during the 2023 Labour Party conference, also held in Liverpool

Victoria and Sir Keir walking into the 2022 Labour Party conference in Liverpool. She has not been afraid to be pictured in public - but is not seen as a typical 'political spouse'

Lady Victoria is seen regularly in public with her husband - including here at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the late Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022

It isn't the first time the potential future PM has spoken about his wife's work in the health service - despite her keenness to remain out of the limelight.

Sir Keir said he wanted his teenage son's education to be 'untroubled' by a potential move to No 10.

He said: 'Our boy is in the middle of his GCSEs. At the moment I just want to create the environment where he can get on with what he's got to get on with as untroubled as he can be.

'He's got 21 exams. My job is just to create space for him to get on with that.'

However, she is not an invisible spouse, and regularly appears with Sir Keir at public events and Labour party conferences. She stood on the doorstep to clap for carers, and stepped out with her husband to vote in the May local elections.

Comparisons have been made with Sarah Brown, wife of one-time Labour PM Gordon - someone who was content to be in the background with their own interests to pursue outside of their spouse's politics.
Comedy candidate Count Binface has announced he is celebrating 'Bindependence Day' after getting his 'highest ever' vote count in a general election after years of fighting political giants including Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson.

The satirical candidate, who has stood in a number of high profile elections including the London Mayoral race, faced off against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Richmond, North Yorkshire overnight.

Amongst his pledges, the 'man who would be bin' promised sending 1 trillion a week to the NHS and free broadband for everyone.

Taking to social media after the results had been confirmed, Count Binface took at dig at the beleaguered Prime Minister as he celebrated gaining more than 300 votes.

Binface, a self-described intergalactic space warrior, was gunning for Rishi Sunak's constituency seat in Richmond and Northallteron, pledging to voters in his manifesto to introduce national service for former prime ministers and invite European countries to join the UK.

Count Binface poses for pictures at the election count for Richmond and Northallerton in North Yorkshire

Count Binface was going up against the outgoing Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who cut a sombre figure at his own re-election

While Mr Sunak retained his seat with 23,059 votes, the Count, running for the Count Binface Party came sixth in the poll, following Green Party candidate Kevin Foster, with 308 votes from constituents.

Binface wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it was his 'highest ever finish' in an election and his 'highest ever parliamentary vote', saying 'BindependenceDay has come'.

He added: 'My highest height advantage. 2ft 6 in' - in an apparent dig at Mr Sunak's stature.

Among the other policies touted by the Count were to make all water bosses 'take a dip' in UK rivers 'to see how they like it', WiFi on trains 'that works', Wallace and Gromit to be knighted 'for services to Wensleydale' and 99 flakes to cost 99p.

He also pledged to represent the UK at Eurovision, make offenders 'live with Matt Hancock for a year' and the very specific promise to move 'the hand dryer in the Gents' urinals at the Crown & Treaty, Uxbridge to be moved to a more sensible position.'

And he said he would ensure Claudia Winkleman's iconic fringe is a Grade-1 listed.

Binface has previously stood in the general election in 2019, the London Mayoral elections in 2021 and 2024 and the Uxbridge by-election in 2023.

Prior to Thursday's count he posted a photo of himself with the caption: 'Game time. Game Face.'

He was also seen chatting to and posing for photos with other candidates, journalists and staff.

It wasn't just Mr Sunak who faced comical election rivals: Elmo, otherwise known as Bobby 'Elmo' Smith, also zeroed in on Sir Keir Starmer's constituency seat in Holborn and St Pancras.

Binface wrote on X, formerly Twitter , that it was his 'highest ever finish' in an election and his 'highest ever parliamentary vote', saying 'BindependenceDay has come'

While the independent candidate came in 12th place in the results, earning the least amount of votes at 19, social media users enjoyed seeing his red costume next to Sir Keir on stage during the Labour leader's victory speech.

An end to VAR and the Birmingham spaceport: The idiotic pledges of Binface and Buckethead over the years Sending 1 trillion a week to the NHS

Returning 20,001 police officers to the street, a reference to the Conservative pledge of 20,000 more police officers

Nationalising model railways

Bring back Ceefax

All government ministers' pay, including that of the mayors, should be tied to that of nurses for the next 100 years

Finish Crossrail

Demolish Birmingham and build a spaceport

The complete abolition of VAR

Nationalise Adele

Giving free broadband to everyone

Allowing any Czechs on the Irish border to remain Advertisement

Although much of the public found hilarity in Binman's presence, Rishi Sunak cut a sombre figure as he shouldered the burden for a 'sobering verdict' at the General Election.

Competing Tory factions are to begin their battle over the diminished party's future in the coming hours and days.

The outgoing Prime Minister said it had been a 'difficult night' and apologised to Conservative candidates who had lost their seats, as he held onto his own Richmond and Northallerton constituency.

Mr Sunak's apology was echoed by Suella Braverman, but the Tory leadership challenger was sorry for her party's record in Government, suggesting it had not listened enough to the electorate.

Elsewhere, former justice Sir Robert Buckland warned that a lurch to the right would be 'disastrous' for the party after he lost his Swindon South seat.

Speaking at Northallerton leisure centre after his result came in, Mr Sunak said: 'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn... and I take responsibility for the loss.

'To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.'

The Prime Minister held onto his seat with a nearly 13,000 majority over his nearest rival, Labour's Tom Wilson, but conceded defeat for the Tories amid crushing results elsewhere for the party.

Among the Cabinet ministers to lose their seats overnight were Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt to Labour, and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to the Liberal Democrats.

Count Binface last stood in May's London Mayoral election and was seen being congratulated by Sadiq Khan

Liz Truss, who during her short time in Downing Street oversaw the disastrous mini-budget that spooked markets, lost her Norfolk South West seat, which she won with a thumping 26,200 majority in 2019, to Labour.

Jeremy Hunt won the Godalming and Ash seat in Surrey despite a threat from the Liberal Democrats.

The outgoing Chancellor said the Conservatives' 'crushing' defeat was a 'bitter pill to swallow' for the party.

On the Labour side, they party has won at least 410 MPs, taking it to a majority of more than 170.

The Lib Dems got their best-ever result with more than 71 MPs, while the Greens, SNP and Reform each grabbed a handful.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arise, Count Binface! How ballot box warrior who has fought general elections against PMs since 1987 was forced to change his alias from Lord Buckethead after losing legal battle with American Sci-Fi writer

By John James

Count Binface is a political giant.

The comedy character has been competing against Prime Ministers in elections since 1987, however back then he was known by a different name: Lord Buckethead.

Shrouded in an enormous black cape and sporting a huge spherical head, Lord Buckethead was politics' version of Darth Vader - a character he was partly parodied on.

His origins stem back to American Sci-Fi writer Todd Durham's 1984 film Hyperspace which was a send up of George Lucas's recently released Star Wars.

Three years after the film was released, British home video director Mike Lee stood against Margaret Thatcher in her Finchley constituency dressed in the character and a legend was born.

Shrouded in an enormous black cape and sporting a huge spherical head, Lord Buckethead was politics' version of Darth Vader (pictured in 2017)

His new form, Count Binface, stood against Rishi Sunak in the General Election

Lord Buckethead would go to contest the 1992 election before reappearing in 2017 when comedian Jon Harvey took up the helmet. resulting in a legal squabble for the ages.

After Harvey's appearance as the dark lord interest in the parody skyrocketed which led to Durham reinstating his control of the character and taking over Harvey's Twitter account.

Speaking to the Guardian at the time, the comedian recalled: 'Todd said that the Twitter account I created wasnt legal as it stood, and that to rectify it I needed to give him the password to the account. I didnt know then  and still dont know now  what my rights were and I couldnt find an affordable way to find out, so eventually I acquiesced.'

Channeling his frustration, Harvey created a new character of Count Binface, an intergalactic lefty space warrior and a new chapter in British political satire was born.

Now, MailOnline breaks down the chequered history and electoral misfortunes of 'the man who would be bin'.

1987: Lord Buckethead challenged Margaret Thatcher in the last General Election she fought

1992: Five years later, her successor John Major was also challenged by the dark lord

1987 - Toe to toe with Margaret Thatcher

In 1987, a bullish Margaret Thatcher was looking nailed on to secure a third term as Prime Minister.

With the backing of the media and promising lower taxes, Thatcher's government were looking set to maintain their majority over Neil Kinnock's Labour party however they didn't bank on Buckethead.

Out of nowhere, it was announced that a man dressed in black with a large plastic receptacle on his head would contest Thatcher's Finchley seat.

The man behind the mask, Mike Lee, was at the time the head of the independent home video label VIPCO, and saw the stunt as a golden opportunity to gain some publicity.

Among Buckethead's pledges was an outrageous plan to demolish Birmingham and create a spaceport in its place.

Buckethead would go on to win 131 votes which wasn't enough to unseat Thatcher who retained her position with over 20,000 votes.

1992 - Battling John Major

Four years later, Buckethead took on John Major who had deposed Margaret Thatcher and was now head of the Tories.

This time the battleground was Major's seat in Huntingdon and although he fought hard Buckethead was unable to repeat his electoral success of five years previously.

In the count, the Lord of the bins received just 107 votes (0.1%) of the electorate.

As a result he lost his deposit and went into hiding for a number of years.

Major's Conservative party went on to win the election albeit with a drastically reduced majority.

2017: After 25 years on the sidelines, comedian Jon Harvey decided to revive the dark Lord and ran against Theresa May in Maidenhead

Despite his clear novelty status, Buckethead put a lot of effort into his campaign, distributing 4000 leaflets throughout Maidenhead

2017 - Returning to fight Theresa May

After 25 years on the sidelines, comedian Jon Harvey decided to revive the dark Lord in 2017 and ran against Theresa May in Maidenhead during the Brexit years.

Despite his clear novelty status, Buckethead put a lot of effort into his campaign, distributing 4000 leaflets throughout Maidenhead.

In his Manifesto, he had a slew of amusing promises, including the nationalisation of Adele.

And after collecting a grand total of 249 votes in Maidenhead, Lord Buckethead even basked in international fame.

The eccentric candidate, from hyperspace, was flown over to New York City to appear on John Oliver's HBO show 'Last Week Tonight'.

As he lifted off on a podium, Oliver implored Theresa May to send him to Brussels.

He said: 'Theresa May, if you are still Prime Minister by the time this show airs, I implore you, send the dark lord to Brussels.

'Is it an absurd idea? Yes, but it would not even be close to the stupidest thing that you have ever done.'

2019: Boris Johnson's Conservative's secured a shock landslide victory but the two bins fared less well with Binface securing just 69 votes to Buckethead's 125

2019 - Buckethead and Binface take on Boris Johnson

Following his 2017 revival, interest in Lord Buckethead peaked but behind the scenes trouble was brewing in the shape of a copyright dispute.

Buckethead's creator Todd Durham announced that he was reclaiming ownership of the comedy character meaning if Harvey was to stand again a new characther had to emerge from the shadows.

And thus, Count Binface was born.

Harvey announced he would contest Boris Johnson's constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip as Count Binface, citing 'an unpleasant battle on the planet Copyright' as the reason for his regeneration.

Marketing himself as an 'independent space warrior' and 'Leader of the Recyclons'  Binface would go on to campaign to bring back Ceefax, as well as fighting for 'a cleaner, greener galaxy.'

Intriquingly, Lord Buckethead also stood at the election fighting the same seat as a representative of the Monster Raving Loony Party.

Reacting to the news, Binface said he looked forward to 'challenging [him] to take part in a receptacle-to-receptacle debate.'

At the count however as Boris Johnson's Conservative's secured a shock landslide victory, the two bins fared less well with Binface securing just 69 votes to Buckethead's 125.

2021: On polling day, it went down to the wire but Laurence Fox emerged victorious with 47, 634 votes to Binface's 24,775

Neither candidate progressed past the first round of voting

2021 - Laurence Fox's faltering mayoral campaign is overshadowed by Binface

Two years later in a change from previous form, Count Binface announced he would be running in the 2021 Mayoral Elections against Sadiq Khan and actor turned right wing firebrand Laurence Fox.

Running on a manifesto that pledged 'fiscal responsibility, social awareness, and not being an anti-vaccine nutjob.'

Fox's reclaim party meanwhile promised to end the divisive and discriminatory wokery that has infected [London]' and pledged to celebrate London with a 'Festival of London.'

Undeterred by his big money backed opponent, Binface unveiled a raft if counter policies including for London to rejoin the EU and for loud snacks to be banned from theaters.

On polling day, it went down to the wire but Fox emerged victorious with 47, 634 votes to Binface's 24,775.

Neither candidate progressed past the first round of voting.

2024: Three years later, Binface again contested the London Mayoral Election, losing to Sadiq Khan

2024 - Binface gives Britain First a bloody nose

Three years later, Binface again contested the London Mayoral Election, albeit this time not against Laurence Fox who wasn't allowed to stand due to 'paperwork issue'.

As with 2021, Binface ran on an absurd manifesto which promised to rename London Bridge after Phoebe Waller-Bridge and force Thames Water managers to swim in the Thames.

But, despite pledging to cap the price of croissants at 1.10 and grant Grade 1 listed status to Claudia Winkleman's fringe, Count Binface finished 13th.

The wacky political figure, who claims to be a 5,072-year-old intergalactic space warrior, won 24,260 votes (0.98%) compared to Sadiq Khan's 1,088,225 (43.8%).

However, it appears it was not all bad for Binface who defeated Britain First candidate Nick Scanlon, who won 20,519 (0.83%) of the vote, which was nearly 4,000 less.

After discovering his victory over Mr Scanlon, he said 'down with fascism, up with Ceefax'.

It looks like I have defeated Britain First in an election,' he told reporters at City Hall.

'Come on, you have to cheer about that...down with fascism, up with Ceefax, what can I say?'
A celebrity chef's hospitality empire has crumbled following the collapse of his eighth venue in the space of just six weeks.

Administrators were called in to take over award-winning chef Shannon Kellam's French restaurant Montrachet, in Brisbane's Bowen Hills, on Friday.

At the end of May, Mr Kellam's hospitality company, BCN Events Group, entered voluntary liquidation resulting in seven of his venues shutting up shop and 90 staff sacked.

Mark Holland, Jamie Harris and Anthony Connelly of McGrathNicol have been appointed as administrators of Cuisinier Australis Pty Ltd which traded as Montrachet.

The restaurant will still trade as normal with administrators urging any interested buyers to contact them.

Montrachet first welcomed customers back in 2004 and was bought by Mr Kellam and his wife in 2015.

'It is with a heavy heart, that I regret to advise that we have made the very difficult decision to place the business into administration,' he said in a statement.

'We are very grateful for the ongoing support provided by our clientele, staff and suppliers over the past 20 years.'

Award-winning chef Shannon Kellam's Montrachet, in Brisbane's Bowen Hills, entered administration on Friday

It is the eighth venue under Mr Kellam to enter administration or liquidation since May

Mr Kellam's restaurant has won countless awards including best French restaurant in Australia on several occasions as well as two chef's hats.

He'd told the Courier Mail last month his business' insurance had more than doubled to $22,000, and gas and power bills had also skyrocketed.

When his business BCN Events Group entered liquidation, his venues the Lumiere Culinary Studio in Newstead, Mica Brasserie in Newstead and the popular King Street Bakery in Bowen Hills all closed.

It's understood 90 staff members across all seven venues have been terminated.

Mr Holland, Mr Harris and Mr Connelly also handled these liquidations.

'We intend to work with staff, customers and suppliers during this difficult time,' Mr Holland said in a statement.

'At this preliminary stage, BCN Events appears to be a casualty of the headwinds facing the hospitality industry.

'In the meantime, we regret to advise there will be a disruption to the group's ongoing operations and well-known Mica (Newstead and CBD) and King Street Bakery establishments will remain closed.

'We are currently undertaking an urgent appraisal to consider options available.'

A separate Mica cafe is still operating in the Brisbane airport and does not appear to be involved in the closings.

It's understood BCN Events Group suffered a $150,000 loss when floods left their businesses without any power in February, 2022.

Montrachet (interior pictured) will not close and administrators from McGrathNicol are encouraging anyone who is interested to consider buying it
READ MORE: Woman accused of deliberately trying to kill a man and four children in car crash

A notorious murderer who was jailed for decades for viciously stabbing a sex worker to death during a bloody rampage, has attacked a prison guard with a razor blade.

Mert Ney shocked Sydney in August, 2019 when he murdered Michaela Dunn, 24, and ran through the streets brandishing a knife, stabbing another woman before he was subdued by brave Good Samaritans.

He was jailed for more than 40 years, with Supreme Court Justice Peter Johnson describing his actions as a 'cruel, brutal and terrifying attack made for no reason'.

Ney is being housed at the state's most secure prison, Goulburn Supermax.

It is understood Ney slashed a corrections officer across the chest during an incident on Friday at about 10am.

Mert Ney shocked Sydney in August 2019 when he murdered Michaela Dunn. He slashed a prison officer on Friday

The officer was taken to hospital in a stable condition.

Ney was sentenced to 44 years in jail, with a non-parole period of 33 years over the murder of Ms Dunn.

His earliest release was reduced by three years after he successfully appealed to the Court of Criminal Appeal in October last year.

In October 2021, Ney was convicted of assaulting a corrections officer while in jail, for which he was sentenced to 15 months jail.

He was also convicted and sentenced to 12 months for setting his cell on fire.

In February last year, Ney was sentenced to 15 months jail for throwing boiling water on a fellow inmate.

Ney was sentenced to 44 years in jail, with a non-parole period of 33 years over the murder of Michaela Dunn. This sentence was reduced by three years following an appeal

Mert Ney is seen being arrested by police after stabbing Ms Dunn to death in Sydney's CBD

At the time of Ms Dunn's death, Ney had booked a $250 sexual service with the young woman who worked out of a Clarence St unit.

He then viciously stabbed her in the face, neck, chest and arms before going on a terrifying rampage through the streets brandishing another knife and with a balaclava over his head.

A group of courageous citizens managed to subdue him with a chair and a milk crate before he was arrested by police.
Advertisement

Rishi Sunak is entering his final hours as PM after overseeing a catastrophic election that saw the Tories slump to their lowest ever number of MPs.

Mr Sunak has flown back to London from Yorkshire, where he conceded that Keir Starmer has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech.

The premier will return to Downing Street, where he is expected to say a few valedictory words before heading to see the King and formally resign.

In an ironic full-circle moment, rain is falling in Westminster - echoing the miserable start to his ill-fated gamble, when he was drenched while announcing the snap election. Sir Keir will follow Mr Sunak into Buckingham Palace, before returning to enter the famous black door of No10.

The traditional choreography comes as Labour's majority ticks up to 170, just short of Tony Blair's 179 in 1997, with just a few seats left to declare. The Tories look to be struggling to reach 130 MPs, easily worse than their previous nadir of 156 in 1906.

The Lib Dems also inflicted massive pain on the Tories, racking up a record 71 seats as Reform leeched millions of votes and came second in around a hundred constituencies - but only scored four MPs of their own.

Sir Keir trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons, saying 'we did it!'

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, he said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome.

It came minutes after a broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat.

'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss,' he said.

'To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.'

In a jaw-dropping moment, Liz Truss was among the casualties - giving up a monumental 24,000 majority as she was edged out by Labour in South West Norfolk.

Earlier, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps fell victims to a brutal Tory cull as Labour swept towards election victory.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

Soon afterwards Ms Mordaunt missed out by a similar margin in Portsmouth North, admitting the party had 'broken trust' with voters.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Welsh Secretary David Davies, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Science minister Michelle Donelan, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk have been beaten. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt barely survived in Godalming & Ash.Altogether at least 16 ministers have gone, with Johnny Mercer and Therese Coffey beaten by Labour. Jacob Rees-Mogg also tumbled in Somerset North.However, former leader Iain Duncan Smith surprised many by clinging on in Chingford.

There are now no Tory MPs in Wales after Craig Williams a former Tory aide to Mr Sunak, came third in Mongomeryshire as an independent after being embroiled in a gambling row over the date of the election.

However, there were notable setbacks for Labour with frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth losing to a pro-Gaza independent in Leicester, and shadow health secretary barely fending off a similar challenge. Another shadow cabinet minister, Thangam Debonaire, was picked off by the Greens in Bristol Central.

The Conservatives are expected to be slashed from the 365 MPs secured less than five years ago to 144, their worst performance in modern political history - but an improvement from the 131 expected at first.

Nigel Farage's Reform insurgents could have just four MPs rather than 13. Mr Farage finally enters Parliament in Clacton after the eighth attempt, while Lee Anderson has retained Ashfield, Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth and Richard Tice scooped Boston and Skegness.

In other rollercoaster developments:

The Greens have enjoyed a bumper night winning five seats, adding four to their tally from 2019;

Labour's overall support in Britain has only gone up by 2 per cent, according to polling guru John Curtice, and that is entirely due to a 19 per cent boost in Scotland;

Reform has racked up votes and nearly 100 second places, but fallen short of breakthroughs predicted in the initial exit poll;

The SNP has been among the biggest losers, facing being slashed to eight MPs, meaning they would no longer be the biggest party in Scotland;

George Galloway has been ousted by Labour's Paul Waugh in Rochdale, after winning the seat in a by-election previously;

Turnout has been far lower than at the last few general elections;

The Lib Dems claimed victory in Tunbridge Wells, which has been Tory since the seat was created in the 1970s, in Boris Johnson's old seat of Henley and in David Cameron's stronghold of Witney;

The 2024 general election results in full : Live maps and charts

Rishi Sunak has flown back to London from Yorkshire, where he conceded that Keir Starmer has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech

In an ironic full-circle moment, rain is falling in Westminster - echoing the miserable start to his ill-fated gamble, when he was drenched while announcing the snap election

Mr Sunak has gone to CCHQ to thank staff before drawing a line under his two-year premiership

A broken PM acknowledged that Keir Starmer had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, Keir Starmer said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome

Keir Starmer trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's wife Victoria at a watch party as the results came in

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria pictured arriving at the Tate Modern earlier on Thursday evening

A broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

In his speech at the Tate Modern art gallery, Sir Keir said: 'It feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for  a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

'And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

'And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.'

At his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton, Mr Sunak said: 'The Labour Party has won this General Election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.'

Mr Sunak added: 'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss.'

The Labour leader said 'change begins now' as he was re-elected in Holborn & St Pancras, but his own majority was reduced by a left-wing independent.

Mr Shapps was the first confirmed Cabinet casualty and he hit out at the Tory 'soap opera' which had turned off voters.

'On door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and do that and then be united in public,' he said.

'Instead we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.'

He said there was a danger the Tory party could 'go off on some tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition'.

In a dramatic night former prime minister Liz Truss lost her Norfolk South West seat to Labour in King's Lynn, Norfolk

Ms Truss was comforted as she fell to an extraordinary defeat in Norfolk this morning

Jonathan Gullis was evicted from Stoke on Trent North as the drama continued today

Mr Gullis has been loyal to Mr Sunak and pleaded for people

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also left Parliament in the Tory bloodbath overnight

Suella Braverman attacked her party for failing to listen to voters

Jeremy Hunt is having to leave Downing Street after being kicked out of government - but holding his seat

Ms Mordaunt, who is likely to have been a leadership contender if she had survived, said her party had taken a 'battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it'.

She too warned against a retreat to the right: 'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, who will now be considered a leading contender to replace Mr Suank, said the party had let the British people down.

'You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises,' she said.

'I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust.

'We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly.'

Party chair Ric Holden won a desperate struggle for Basildon & Billericay, emerging on top by just 20 votes after a series of recounts.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader but stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values.

Sir Keir's ally Lord Mandelson gloated that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.

A dire campaign for Mr Sunak came stuttering to a halt last night, with the PM making a series more defensive visits in the South East.

He now faces being out of Downing Street this morning.

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson told Sky News that it looked like a 'massacre'.

The Tories have quickly plunged into a dangerous new phase of crisis, with questions over whether it can even survive amid the challenge from Reform.

A former Cabinet minister - who regarded their own significant majority as under threat - said Mr Sunak had 'knifed' Boris Johnson and would be remembered as the 'worst PM ever'.

ex-Cabinet minister

's

Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

In the first tangible evidence of the hammering, Labour 's Heidi Alexander took

But Sir Robert gave a stark warning against the Tories lurching to the right, saying the party risked being like 'bald men fighting over a comb' if it treated politics as 'performance art' and tried to outflank Reform.

Sir John Curtice told the BBC: 'It looks as though Reform may win more seats than many polls suggested.

'This is largely because, not only has the Conservative vote fallen far in seats they previously held, but also because Reform has advanced most in areas people voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.

'However, how many seats Reform will win is highly uncertain  our model suggests there are many places where they have some - but a relatively low - chance of winning.'

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough after Reform pushed the Tories into third place in two early constituency results.

On a video posted to X he said: 'It's midnight, there are two results in from the north-east of England that put Reform on 30 per cent of the vote, that is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It is almost unbelievable.

'And what does it mean? It means we're going to win seats, many many seats I think right now across the country.

'But to watch the TV coverage it's almost comical. There's not a single representative on there from Reform UK, mainstream media are in denial just as much as our political parties.

'This is going to be six million votes-plus. This, folks, is huge.'

A Conservative spokesman said they had to wait for the full outcome, but added: 'If these results are correct it is clear that Starmer and Angela Rayner will be in Downing Street tomorrow.'

Conservatives with big majorities had become increasingly nervous during the day, despite CCHQ claiming that higher-than-expected turnout could help them.

One former Cabinet minister told MailOnline: 'There appears to be a bigger turnout than normal in some of my areas. Not all though.

'That would seem to indicate a determination on the part of the electorate to make their views heard, almost certainly likely to be against the Tories.'

Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock said the exit poll's landslide prediction was 'the greatest comeback since Lazarus'.

The former Labour leader told ITV News: 'A gain of 208, according to the exit poll, which is attributable directly to Keir Starmer and what he's achieved in four years, two of which of course were during the lockdown, or the virtual lockdown when the one thing that opposition leaders depend on  contact with the public  was absent.

'It's the biggest comeback since Lazarus.'

He went on: 'I must say I'm just ecstatic about the fact that an entirely dependable, fully grown-up guy, Keir Starmer, and his wife, are going to go through that door tomorrow. I have unalloyed and unreserved delight.'

Less than an hour before the exit poll dropped, Downing Street released a dissolution honours list - sending seven Tories and eight Labour politicians to the Lords. They include Theresa May, Rishi Sunak's chief aide Liam Booth-Smith, Chris Grayling and former 1922 committee chair Graham Brady.

Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett are among those on the Labour list - despite Sir Keir having committed to abolishing the Upper House.

Mr Sunak took a huge political gamble and shocked Westminster by triggering the election on May 22, rather than waiting until the Autumn as had been widely expected.

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton seat, the eighth time he has attempted to become an MP

Penny Mordaunt was among the Cabinet ministers washed away in the red wave

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman , at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values

Jeremy Hunt is fighting to cling on to his Surrey constituency

Lord Mandelson said an electoral 'meteor' had hit British politics

Moments after ballot stations closed at 10pm, the dramatic exit poll was released - showing Sir Keir winning 410 of the 650 seats

It initially looked to be paying off, with early policies from the Tory campaign - such as national citizen service - seeming to cut through.

In a big moment, Mr Farage responded by ruling out standing as a Reform candidate, admitting he did not have time to put together a campaign.

But even then the Tories did not see a real bounce in the polls. The Tories lost key legislation including Mr Sunak's flagship smoking ban during the 'wash-up' as Parliament was dissolved for the campaign.

Your browser does not support iframes.

And then a grim week in early June saw things go spectacularly downhill, with Mr Farage dropping the bombshell that had changed his mind and was taking over the leadership of Reform as well as standing to be MP for Clacton.

Although Mr Sunak was seen as landing blows on Sir Keir over tax during their first TV debate on June 4, disaster struck when the PM opted to return early from D-Day anniversary commemorations in France to conduct an interview with ITV.

A subsequent grovelling apology did not prevent Mr Farage and opponents seizing on the blunder, which struck right at the heart of the Tory goal of shoring up the core vote among older generations.

With polls already showing Reform eating into Tory support with potent attacks on immigration, Mr Sunak was then engulfed in another scandal.

It emerged that his closest Parliamentary aide, Craig Williams had successfully placed bets on the date of the snap election - although he insisted he did not have any inside information.

Other candidates and top party officials were then dragged into the allegations, which proved particularly toxic with the public.

Mr Sunak was memorably challenged on the issue during TV appearances, admitting he was 'incredibly angry'. But he was seen as taking far too long to withdraw support for candidates facing allegations.

With some polls even showing Reform ahead of the Tories, CCHQ shifted tactics to warn of the threat of a divided Right handing Labour a 'supermajority' with untrammeled power.

That together with controversial remarks from Mr Farage about the West 'provoking' Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and revelations about unsavoury comments by a series of Reform candidates looked to have stopped the bleeding.

But after a bruising six weeks Labour's huge advantage was intact, and the only significant change was that the Tories had lost ground to Reform.

By yesterday, despite Mr Sunak's claim he was 'fighting hard for every vote', his close ally Mel Stride was effectively acknowledging the Conservatives would lose - an unprecedented step.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said Labour would get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

As tension built through election day, the Tories claimed a higher-than-expected turnout had left them with a 'MUCH better chance' than cataclysmic polls had suggested.

An email to Conservative supporters, signed from the 'CCHQ Data Team', read: 'We're getting reports from our teams on the ground. And the more reports we get, the more it looks like turnout is higher than expected.

'That means we could have a MUCH better chance than polls have suggested. So if you haven't voted yet, now's the time to get out.'

Queues of people were seen at polling stations today as the requirement for voters to bring correct photo identification - such as a passport or driving licence - was enforced at a UK general election for the first time.

There was a bungle at a Glasgow polling station this morning as voters were met with posters listing the wrong instructions, which erroneously advised the ranking of candidates in order of preference.

This is how ballots are cast in local elections in Scotland, which use the single transferable vote system. But general elections use the first-past-the-post system, which requires voters to put a single 'X' next to their chosen candidate.

Glasgow City Council explained the error was spotted 'very soon' after the polling station opened at 7am and the posters were replaced with the correct information. It said no-one had been disenfranchised as voters' first preferences would be used from the affected ballots.

Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch this afternoon blasted her own local council for having 'potentially disenfranchised' thousands of postal voters who did not receive their ballot papers.

The Business Secretary hit out at Uttlesford District Council for 'forgetting' to send postal votes to 2,600 people in her North West Essex seat.

Prior to polls opening this morning, Rishi Sunak made an 11th-hour plea for voters to prevent a 'socialist supermajority' wrecking Britain, as he repeated his warning against handing Sir Keir 'unchecked' power.
A flight from Liverpool to Tenerife full of holidaymakers was diverted tonight as a result of a 'troublesome' passenger.

According to Spanish air traffic controllers, the plane was a Ryanair service to the Canary island.

Full details have yet to emerge but the problem on board was sufficiently serious enough for the police to be called.

Controllers said the crew raised the alert yesterday evening.

They reported: 'The crew of a flight from Liverpool to Tenerife south have contacted us about a conflictive passenger on board and have had to divert to Santiago de Compostela.'

The aircraft was a Ryanair Boeing 737. No further details have yet been given as to the nature of the incident (Pictured, stock image of a Ryanair Boeing 737)

The aircraft made an emergency landing at Santiago on the Spanish mainland (Pictured, Santiago de Compostela Airport)

Police were asked to meet the plane with urgency on the tarmac and a doctor was also needed.

The air traffic controllers said the crew had tried to calm the situation but asked for officers to greet the aircraft after its emergency landing at Santiago on the Spanish mainland.

The aircraft was a Ryanair Boeing 737.

No further details have yet been given as to the nature of the incident on board and it is not known if any arrests were made at Santiago.
World leaders have begun congratulating Keir Starmer on Labour's victory in the general election, with Canada's Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron among the first leaders to welcome the new Prime Minister.

Ukraine's President Zelensky hailed a 'convincing victory' by Sir Keir and his party and wished the incoming government 'every success both in domestic affairs and in solidifying the UK's leadership on the world stage.'

He said that Ukraine and the UK would continue to be 'reliable allies through thick and thin', with 'common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order.'

The wartime leader went on to laud outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, describing him as a 'good friend' and vowing that his country would 'never forget' the help it had received from his government.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared a triumphant response to the news of his 'friend' Keir Starmer's victory, labelling it a 'historic UK election victory'.

'Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic,' he wrote on X alongside a picture of them together. 'Let's get to it, my friend.'

France's President Macron shared his congratulations to Sir Keir, adding that he was 'pleased with our first discussion,' in a sign that the incoming leader is already engaging in international diplomacy.

'We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI,' Macron added.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed both Starmer, and Angela Rayner as his deputy, taking up the reins of power, saying that they share 'very similar views' with his Labor government.

Writing on X, he said: 'We have a strong relationship between our two countries, but in Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner and so many others who I am very familiar with in the British Labour Party, I look forward very much to working with them.

'They have very similar views to us on a range of issues. I'm sure we'll work closely on AUKUS, where we worked very closely as well with the former government.'

Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris said he hopes his nation's relationship with the UK will go from 'strength to strength' as he congratulated Sir Keir Starmer for his election victory.

'Congratulations (Sir Keir) on a comprehensive victory in the UK election,' he posted to X.

'I look forward to working with you as close neighbours and friends.

'The relationship between Ireland and the UK is deep and consequential. I look forward to it going from strength to strength.'

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christpopher Luxon wrote on X: 'Congratulations @Keir_Starmer on your election victory.

'New Zealand and the UK are great friends and can do so much more together. I look forward to working on every opportunity together as prime ministers.

He added his thanks to outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his 'service to your nation and friendship to New Zealand.'

Israel's President Isaac Herzog also thanked Sunak, expressing his gratitude 'for his leadership and standing by the State of Israel, especially during this difficult time,' referring to the aftermath of October 7 and Israel's war in Gaza.

Meanwhile President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said he was 'looking forward to working' with Starmer in what he called a 'new cycle for the UK'.

'The European Union and the UK are crucial partners, co-operating in all areas of mutual interest for our citizens,' he said.

He added that they would meet soon at a European Political Community summit being held in the UK on July 18, 'where we will discuss common challenges, including stability, security, energy and migration.'

Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission, also shared her congratulations on X, telling the incoming Prime Minister: 'I look forward to working with you in a constructive partnership to address common challenges and strengthen European security.'

Sir Keir's first opportunity to meet with world leaders as Prime Minister will come on Tuesday, when he will head to Washington for the NATO summit, hosted by US President Joe Biden.
This comes as many prominent Democrats have vowed to support Biden

The existence of the new group was first reported by NBC News

A group of more than three dozen Democratic lawmakers have formed a cabal through a secret text message group in which not one of them is supportive of President Joe Biden following his disastrous debate performance, a new report says.

In the week since Biden, 81, rambled his way through his showdown with Donald Trump, the aging president has been seeking support from prominent Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsome and Democratic governors.

However, a new report from NBC News says that 40 Democratic lawmakers have gotten together through a text message group to all declare that they do not support Joe Biden's candidacy in November.

A Biden spokesperson did not deny the existence of the group to the network but instead pointed to the liberals who have declared support for the embattled Scranton native.

So far, only Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, have come out public to ask for Biden to step aside before the election in November.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden view the fireworks over the National Mall from the White House balcony during a 4th of July event

In the wake of his disastrous debate performance, Biden has been soliciting support from prominent Democrats

The NBC report mentions some unnamed Democrats who 'doubt [Biden's] capacity to hold office.' Some have seen Biden go through 'memory lapses, incoherence' as well as witnessing a 'vacant look.'

'The country saw [at the debate] what those of us who have had personal interactions with him have all known for the last 2 years,' a Democratic senator said.

Another Democrat, named only as a 'lawmaker,' is quoted as saying that Biden has been 'exceedingly tired' in recent months and that his performance when facing off against Trump was 'not an aberration.'

This latest report comes on the back of a shocking expose from investigative journalist Olivia Nuzzi who said that senior Democrats are wondering how Biden is allowed to continue to run.

Nuzzi said she had heard questions being posed by high-ranking Democrats on the east and west coasts about whether Biden is a puppet whose strings are being pulled by another group of secretive Democrats.

She highlighted the irony that this is the same theory espoused by many on the MAGA right, with Donald Trump himself previously alleging that former President Barack Obama is the real power behind the Biden White House.

Biden and Barack Obama rally for Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro in 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Heiress and major Democrat donor Abigail Disney has announced she will stop donations to Joe Biden and the entire party until the ailing president steps down

Explaining the strange convergence in beliefs between Biden and Trump supporters, Nuzzi said: 'Nothing else made sense. They were in full agreement.'

This theory that a cabal was controlling Biden parallels a similar idea pushed by Trump that Barack Obama is actually calling the shots

At a New Hampshire event earlier this week, the former president said: 'It's never been worse than it is now under crooked Joe Biden, and frankly, his boss, Barack Hussein Obama. I think it's his boss.'

There's no evidence to suggest Obama is effectively serving a secret third term as president.

But the fact that such theories are now being openly-discussed in liberal circles and amplified by a left-leaning magazine highlights just how much panic has erupted over Biden's fitness to govern.

And with Nuzzi revealing that top-flight Democrats are among those concerned, Biden is only likely to face more pressure to quit.

Biden faces other pressures in the shape of prominent liberal donors such as Abigail Disney granddaughter to Roy Disney, the co-founder of the Walt Disney Corporation.

'I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high,' she said in a statement.

The 64-year-old Disney's heiress' announcement comes just a day after Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings became one of the first liberal megadonors to turn off the spigot until the president stands aside.

'If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire,' she continued.

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 he's in this to win.'
Britain's Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologized to voters in his exit speech after being crushed by Labour's left-wing leader Keir Starmer in a general election that saw Trump-ally Nigel Farage win a seat in parliament.

Right-wing Sunak bade goodbye to Downing Street this morning after leading his party to their worst ever election result as Starmer prepares to become the new prime minister.

Flanked by his wife Akshata, the outgoing prime minister delivered his parting statement outside the doors of Number 10 as he prepares to head for Buckingham Palace where he will formally tender his resignation to the King.

He said he was 'sorry' and had 'heard the anger' of the country and the 'clear message' of the ballot.

'I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear message, and yours is the only judgement that matters,' he added.

Flanked by his wife Akshata, outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivered his parting statement as he prepares to head for Buckingham Palace where he will formally tender his resignation to the King

The Sunaks walked away hand in hand after he made his short and emotional farewell speech

'This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honoured to have been Prime Minister of the best country in the world.'

Mr Sunak said he would be resigning as Tory leader once a replacement has been chosen and also paid tribute to Sir Keir as a piblic servant, wishing him and his family well in their new responsibilities.

It comes after a jubilant Starmer boasted 'we did it' today after after crushing Sunak in a landslide win for the Labour Party in the UK's first national election in almost five years.

Sir Kier, who will officially become prime minister later in the day, boasted his victory at a rally in central London alongside his wife Victoria Starmer this morning after the party formally crested the 326 seats needed to control the House of Commons.

In an impassioned speech, the left-wing politician said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative leadership - and vowed the 'changed Labour party is ready to restore Britain to the service of working people'.

It came just minutes after Rishi Sunak admitted defeat, acknowledging that Sir Kier had won the tense election as he took a small victory in his own Richmond & Northallerton, North Yorkshire, seat.

In a speech, the broken outgoing prime minister said: 'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss'.

Sir Keir Starmer trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the Labour party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons in a historic win for the leftist party

Starmer and his wife Victoria pictured arrived at the Tate Modern gallery, London, earlier on Thursday evening

Broken Prime Minister Rishi Sunak acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own safe Richmond & Northallerton, North Yorkshire, seat

Outgoing British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak walks outside Conservative Campaign Headquarters, following the results of the general election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024

Also netting an impressive 21,225 votes, Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader and pal of Donald Trump, nabbed the Essex seat of Clacton from the Conservatives who came second with 12,820 votes, and warned his party is 'coming for Labour'.

Speaking after the result, a grinning Farage said: 'I think what Reform UK has achieved in just a few short weeks is truly extraordinary.'

He added: 'There's no enthusiasm for Labour whatsoever. This Labour government will be in trouble - very, very quickly. We're coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that.

Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to congratulate the right-wing leader, saying: 'Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a Parliament Seat Amid Reform UK Election Success.

'Nigel is a man who truly loves his country.

Mr Farage had originally intended to spend much of the rest of the year campaigning for Trump in the US before announcing he would 'come out of retirement' to run in Clacton in this election.

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump, right, greets United Kingdom Independence Party leader Nigel Farage during a campaign rally at the Mississippi Coliseum on August 24, 2016 in Jackson, Mississippi

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton, Essex, seat, the eighth time he has attempted to become an MP

Moments after ballot stations closed at 10pm GMT, the dramatic exit poll was released - showing Sir Keir winning 410 of the 650 seats

Your browser does not support iframes.

With almost all the results in, Labour had won 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons and the Conservatives 118.

'A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility,' Starmer said, saying that the fight to regain people's trust after years of disillusionment 'is the battle that defines our age.'

Speaking at the Tate Modern art gallery as drawn broke in London, he said Labour would offer 'the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day.'

For Starmer, it is a historic win and a massive triumph after spending 'four-and-a-half years of work changing the party'.

'We have the chance to repair our public services because we changed the party,' he said defiantly.

'We have have the chance to make work pay because we changed the party.

'We have the chance to deliver for working people, young people, vulnerable people, the poorest in society because we changed the party'.

Britain has experienced a long run of turbulent years - some of it considered to have been a result of Conservative leadership - that has left many voters pessimistic about their country's future.

The UK's exit from the European Union, followed by the Covid19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine leading to a battered economy, while lockdown breaching parties hosted by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff caused massive distrust and anger throughout the country.

Rising levels of poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and an overstretched and underfunded National Health Service have led to the nation being dubbed 'Broken Britain'.

Johnson's successor, Liz Truss, pushed the economy to its limits with a package of drastic tax cuts and famously lasted just 49 days in office.

Today, Truss lost her seat to Labour, and was just one of a slew of senior Conservative MPs kicked out in a historic electoral reckoning.

In a dramatic night, former prime minister Liz Truss lost her seat to Labour

Penny Mordaunt was among the Cabinet ministers washed away in the red wave

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman , at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also left Parliament in the Tory bloodbath overnight

Your browser does not support iframes.

But Truss was not the only senior Tory forced to give up her seat to Labour with Conservative politician Penny Mordaunt, the Secretary of State for Defense of the United Kingdom Grant Shapps, and former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg falling victim to the brutal Tory cull.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Ms Mordaunt, who is likely to have been a leadership contender if she had survived, said her party had taken a 'battering because it failed to honor the trust that people had placed in it'.

She too warned against a retreat to the right: 'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country.

'And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, who will now be considered a leading contender to replace Mr Suank, said the party had let the British people down.

'You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises,' she said.

'I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust.

'We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly.'

The Conservatives are expected to be slashed from the 365 MPs secured less than five years ago to 144, their worst performance in modern political history.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader but stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Altogether the centrist Liberal Democrats won around 70 seats, and The Green Party has won four seats, up from just one before the election.

One of the biggest losers was the Scottish National Party, which held most of Scotland's 57 seats before the election but looked set to lose all but handful, mostly to Labour.
The SNP's bid for Scottish independence has taken a huge blow after the party was almost completely wiped out by Labour.

Scottish Labour overturned almost a decade of SNP dominance in Scotland's Westminster seats, taking a majority of constituencies.

Anas Sarwar's party tore across the country's central belt, mirroring the success of the UK-wide party and sweeping the SNP out of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

With all but one of the 57 Scottish seats declared on Friday morning, Labour held 37, while the SNP held nine and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats each had five.

It is a devastating loss for the Scottish party which in the previous UK General election in 2019 won 48 seats in total.

First Minister of Scotland John Swinney faced a tough night last night after the party was almost completely wiped out by Labour

SNP Alison Thewliss wipes away her tears after losing the Glasgow North seat at Emirates Arena in Glasgow

Your browser does not support iframes.

First Minister John Swinney pledged a period of 'soul searching' after what he described as a 'very poor' performance for the SNP.

'It's a very poor result for the SNP tonight,' Mr Swinney told the BBC.

'There will have to be a lot of soul searching as a party as a consequence of these results that have come in tonight.'

Mr Swinney said the SNP has to be 'better at governing on behalf of the people of Scotland', adding that the party 'failed to convince people of the urgency of independence' during the campaign.

He said: 'Although we're going to have a bad election result tonight, I still believe in my head and in my heart that Scotland will be better off as an independent country.

'But we're obviously not winning that argument with the public to make that a priority at this moment, so we've got to think long and hard about how we address that question and I don't think that in the early hours of the morning after a General Election I can give you the definitive answer to what we do in that circumstance

SNP Alison Thewliss wipes away a tear after losing her seat in Glasgow North

Alison who had held the seat since May 2015 is seen being comforted by a friend following her historic loss

Alison was defeated by Scottish Labour Party's Martin Rhodes (right)

SNP Richard Thomson looks defeated after losing his seat in Gordon and Buchan to Conservative Harriet Cross (left)

John Swinney watches the election count in Perth

King Charles III during an audience with Scottish First Minister John Swinney

Scottish First Minister John Swinney bows his head as he shakes hands with the King

Mr Sarwar said he was 'absolutely delighted' with his party's performance and thanked the people of Scotland for 'putting their faith and trust in the Scottish Labour Party'.

'I understand their desire for change, I know there'll be a huge sigh of relief that we finally ended 14 years of total chaos and failure,' he said.

The Scottish Labour leader conceded it would 'not be an easy road' for a Labour government but the party would 'get to work straight away'.

But Mr Sarwar said the First Minister 'has got a lot of reflecting to do on a lot of things' after the party's dismal performance.

'He spent the entire six weeks attacking the Labour Party because it seems the only person more depressed at the thought of the Tory Government ending and the Labour government was John Swinney and the SNP,' he said.

'You can see the verdict of the Scottish people, both to his approach in this election campaign but also the SNP's approach to Government, where they have failed far too many people.'

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar looks on, as the counting of votes continues, during the UK election in Glasgow

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar waves along with members of the Labour party

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar with Maureen Burke after winning the Glasgow North East seat at Emirates Arena in Glasgow

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar with supporters at Emirates Arena in Glasgow

Labour party members celebrate as the counting of votes continues, during the UK election in Glasgow

Elsewhere, outgoing Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross also failed in his bid to return to Westminster.

Mr Ross sought election to the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat in place of former MP David Duguid, who was barred from standing by party bosses due to ill health.

His decision - which reversed an announcement he would not seek re-election to Westminster - was met with criticism from opponents and some within his own party.

Speaking to the BBC, the party leader suggested the Reform UK vote had handed the SNP the seat.

The party's candidate Jo Hart came third with 5,562 votes, while Mr Ross trailed his SNP rival by less than 1,000.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie thanked people who voted for his party.

'We have established our party as the third political force in Glasgow and have broken new ground across the country,' he said.

'These results are an important springboard for the Scottish Greens and show that we are well on track for big gains as we approach the next Scottish election in 2026 and the local elections in 2027.'
Parliament has five new independent Pro-Gaza MPs - including Jeremy Corbyn - who won seats after squeezing the Labour vote in Muslim areas by campaigning for a Free Palestine.

Barrister Ayoub Khan, who quit the Lib Dems over Gaza, is the new MP for Perry Barr who left Labour rival Khalid Mahmood close to tears in a defeat where he used TikTok to harness the youth vote.

Local optician Shockat Adam also used Instagram and WhatsApp as he forced out Labour stalwart Jonathan Ashworth MP for Leicester South in another huge shock.

IT consultant Iqbal Mohammed quit Labour after Sir Keir Starmer attempted to justify Israels actions in Gaza on LBC and won Dewsbury and Batley after splitting the Muslim vote.

While another lawyer, Adnan Hussain, unseated Labour in Blackburn doing the same - but firebrand George Galloway failed to turn up for the result when he lost Rochdale overnight.

Jeremy Corbyn was thrown out of Labour but is again MP as an independent for Islington North after he told voters that 'Palestine is on the ballot' on polling day and created a logo using the colours of the Palestinian flag.

Ayoub Khan, an independent, wore a free Palestine flag-style scarf after he beat Labour's Khalid Mahmood in Perry Barr, Birmingham

Independent candidate Adnan Hussain (centre) celebrates with friends, family and supporters outside King George's Hall in Blackburn today

Huge crowds turned out in Blackburn to greet Mr Hussain, who ran on a pro-Gaza ticket

Mr Hussain, is the new MP for Blackburn, Shockat Adam, has shocked by becoming MP for Leicester South

Iqbal Mohamed is MP for Dewsbury and Batley

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks to the media after he is declared winner of the North Islington Parliamentary seat

Mr Corbyn tweeted this on polling day

It means the five men, all calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, outnumber the four Reform MPs led by Nigel Farage.

YouGov polling ahead of the general election revealed that that Labour Party support among British Pakistanis and Bangladeshis fell to under half at 44 per cent.

Four years ago, when Mr Corbyn was in charge, this was at 90 per cent.

While the Labour Party's position on Gaza has not dented its landslide General Election win, several of its candidates lost to independent challengers campaigning on a pro-Palestine platform.

And there could have been more than five new independent MPs like this with Labour's Wes Streeting, Rushanara Ali and Shabana Mahmood holding on.

Jess Phillips used her victory speech to declare that the campaign for her Birmingham Yardley seat was 'the worst election I have ever stood in' - as she was drowned out by boos and jeers by pro-Palestinian supporters after she beat an independent by just 693.

The Birmingham MP looked furious and yelled: 'I understand that a strong woman standing up to you is met with such reticence' before asking for the mob to be thrown out. She added: 'I didn't bring my children here tonight, because I knew this would happen and they deserve better.'

Sir Keir Starmer was also heckled with shouts of 'Free Palestine' both at the polling station in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency and at his election count as he was declared to have won his seat.

Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth was unseated by an independent in Leicester South.

Mr Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general who has made media appearances for the party during Labour's election campaign, was defeated by independent candidate Shockat Adam.

His main policies include 'standing for global peace and justice', and he writes on his website: 'I will champion Leicester's values of global peace and justice, which have been neglected by the current government. Our constituency MP refused to vote for a ceasefire to end the bloodshed in Gaza, resulting in the needless deaths of thousands of innocent civilians.'

In Dewsbury and Batley, independent candidate Iqbal Mohamed, whose key focus areas include a ceasefire and peace agreement in Gaza, beat the Labour candidate Heather Iqbal.

In Blackburn, Labour's Kate Hollern lost to Adnan Hussain, who said in his online statement to voters: 'I promise to make your concerns against the injustice being inflicted against the people of Gaza be heard in the places where our so-called representatives failed.'

Labour's Jess Phillips is booed as she wins her general election count after being closely run by Jody McIntyre, another pro-Gaza independent

Khalid Mahmood of Labour loses the parties 24 year reign in Perry Barr - and looked close to tears

Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meanwhile ran as an independent and successfully retained his long-held seat of Islington North in London. He beat his Labour rival by more than 7,000 votes.

He has long been a pro-Palestine voice and his platform included demanding an end to the occupation of Palestinian Territories.

Independent candidate Faiza Shaheen blamed Labour for letting former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith win in Chingford and Woodford Green, saying the vote was split between her and her Labour challenger.

Ms Shaheen was dropped by Labour as its candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green after liking a series of posts on social media platform X that allegedly downplayed antisemitism allegations.

She wrote on X: 'Our vote was a combination of those appalled by how I was treated, those who took issue with having an imposed candidate who didn't know us, those who were never going to vote Labour after Starmer's stance on Gaza, and those that have never voted before.

'Labour split the vote the moment they deselected me.'

Sir Keir's position on the Gaza conflict has previously caused unease among some in his party, with the leader facing criticism for not calling for an immediate ceasefire sooner.

Your browser does not support iframes.

In its manifesto, the Labour party committed to recognising a Palestinian state.

The Labour Party faced setbacks in the local elections in some previously safe areas, particularly those with large Muslim populations.

Labour's Paul Waugh meanwhile won Rochdale from Workers Party leader George Galloway, just months after he won the seat in a shock by-election dominated by the Gaza war.

Mr Galloway, a former Labour and Respect member, swept to victory in Rochdale in February gaining almost 40% of the vote.

Palestine has been a major theme of Mr Galloway's political career, throughout which he has voiced ferocious opposition to British and US foreign policies, both in the Middle East and, more recently, in their support for Ukraine.
Sir Keir Starmer will be the UK's new Labour prime minister after a Tory rout saw former premier Liz Truss and a dozen serving Cabinet members lose their seats.

Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he took responsibility for the electoral mauling inflicted on his party as it suffered its worst ever result.

It marks a spectacular turnaround since 2019, when Boris Johnson won an 80-seat Conservative majority and Labour suffered its worst result since 1935.

Here is a look at how the handover of power will unfold over the coming days  and what to expect from the first few months of a new Labour government:

TODAY

Sunak departs

Rishi Sunak has made a departing statement outside the famous black door of No 10 this morning.

He then took a short car ride from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace for an audience with King Charles III, in which he will formally tender his resignation.

Starmer visits the King

Once Mr Sunak has left, it is Sir Keir's turn to see the King at the palace. He will be appointed as the country's next prime minister and asked to form an administration.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer at a results party in London today

The Labour leader will then be driven down the Mall to Downing Street to address the nation for the first time as prime minister.

Starmer arrives at Downing Street

It is customary for the new prime minister to be greeted by the Cabinet Secretary and Principal Private Secretary - currently Simon Case and Elizabeth Perelman - at the door of No 10.

'And then the staff of No 10 are lined up in the corridor, that long corridor down to the Cabinet Room, and they will clap,' Lord Robin Butler, who oversaw the transition as cabinet secretary when Labour swept into power in 1997, said.

The new premier then typically heads into the Cabinet Room to receive security and intelligence briefings from civil servants.

Nuclear codes

Sir Keir will be handed the nuclear codes and write 'letters of last resort' to commanders of submarines carrying Trident nuclear missiles with secret orders on what to do if the Government has been wiped out in a nuclear attack.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gives a speech in Northallerton today after holding his seat

New Cabinet appointed

This intensive induction into his prime ministerial duties will have to be fitted alongside key political decisions, including appointing his Cabinet as he begins to form a government.

This is one of the most visible parts of a change of government, with ministers walking in and out of No 10 in front of the rolling cameras outside.

Westminster watchers do not expect major changes to Sir Keir's top team, with Rachel Reeves set to become the first ever female chancellor, Angela Rayner becoming deputy prime minister and David Lammy set to keep the Foreign Office brief.

Congratulations from global leaders

Sir Keir could also start receiving calls from international counterparts wishing him well in the new job.

Former Whitehall chief Lord Gus O'Donnell, who served Mr Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron, said: 'There will be countless telephone calls from world leaders wanting to congratulate him on his achievement, all of which will potentially provide opportunities for constructive dialogue.

'The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will provide briefs to make sure none of these conversations are wasted.

Media gather outside 10 Downing Street in London this morning after the General Election

'Meanwhile, the hapless private secretary will be wondering how to fit in calls from relatives in between, and how to screen out bogus 'friends'.'

Arrangements and appointments

Recalling Mr Blair's first hours in Downing Street, Lord Butler said that while the newcomer's parents had coffee on the terrace outside the Cabinet Room, 'we spent the afternoon making the appointments' and 'what seem like trivial' decisions such as 'who is going to have Dorneywood', referring to the grace-and-favour country residence typically assigned to the chancellor, 'and the order of seniority in the Cabinet'.

'There will be personal things' to sort out, the peer said, including moving-in arrangements and whether the prime minister will take the larger flat above No 11 usually inhabited by the chancellor, as Mr Blair did 'because the living accommodation was enough for a family'.

'They didn't ask to come in and see it beforehand, for the obvious reason that measuring the curtains looks rather presumptuous,' the former top mandarin said.

King Charles III during an audience with Sir Keir Starmer in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace on September 10, 2022

'We'd arranged a piano so the children could do their piano practice.'

New MPs arrive at Parliament

Meanwhile, new MPs are expected to arrive in Parliament from this morning, with House of Commons officials ready to assist them over the weekend and beyond.

They will be paired up with a 'buddy' who will brief them on their role and to help them navigate the estate, get advice on parliamentary procedure and etiquette, and meet HR and IT staff as they work to get their support teams established.

THIS WEEKEND

More appointments

Appointments of junior ministers are likely to continue over the coming hours and days, as will calls from world leaders and first ministers of the devolved nations.

'Then there are immediate diary questions - when's going to be the first Cabinet,' Lord Butler said.

Priorities and timings

Legislative priorities and the timing of any major policy announcements will also need to be worked out.

'The Government has got to show that it's taking charge immediately, and doing what's necessary,' he said.

Decisions such as allocating office space in No 10 - famously ill-suited to be a modern workplace with its maze-like layout - 'have got to be decided on the first weekend because they're necessary in order for people to start working'.

'Mission boards' created

Cross-departmental 'mission boards' are expected to be created to make progress on Labour's key pledges - economic growth, the NHS, crime and justice, clean energy and improving opportunity.

There are several policy changes Labour could make within days.

One is on Mr Sunak's stalled multimillion-pound Rwanda deportation scheme, which Labour has said it would axe on 'day one'.

A police officer stands outside 10 Downing Street in the rain today after the General Election

Labour will instead launch a new border security command, appoint 'hundreds of new specialist investigators' and 'use counter-terror powers to smash criminal boat gangs' in a bid to curb Channel crossings.

Housing policy

Kickstarting homebuilding is a top priority for the party, with Sir Keir hinting about at least three announcements in the first few weeks.

This could include plans to restore top-down targets for housing delivery in every council area in England, to allow parts of the green belt to be developed, and to recruit hundreds more planning officers.

Other policy priorities

Wes Streeting, the incoming health secretary, has vowed to make his first call to junior doctors' leaders on the day after the election to try to end long-running strikes over pay in England.

The de facto ban on onshore wind farms could be reversed within weeks, and a year-long strategic defence review of the UK's military capabilities launched.

Labour has also said Sir Keir's first steps include restoring economic stability and cutting NHS waiting lists.

Other immediate issues the new government may have to confront include prisons, amid fears jails could run out of space within days, and public sector pay recommendations.

Sue Gray's involvement

Sir Keir's chief of staff Sue Gray, who spent years at the top of the Civil Service, will likely be involved in decisions about how the prime minister will work, how the centre of government will be set up and his diary for the first few days - some of which will have been agreed in access talks.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky welcoming Sir Keir Starmer to Kyiv in February 2024

The Labour leader's expected attendance at the Nato leaders' summit the following week will also require briefings to be readied and decisions to be made about which officials should accompany him.

Lord O'Donnell, who served as Cabinet Secretary for six years, said: 'His briefing pack will be extensive: Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, the race for the US presidency, European defence spending. There is a lot to take in, and little time to prepare.'

TUESDAY, JULY 9

New Parliament

The new Parliament will be summoned to meet next Tuesday.

The first business will be to choose a Commons Speaker - with Sir Lindsay Hoyle set to be re-elected.

Congratulating the Speaker will be Sir Keir's first opportunity to speak at the despatch box as prime minister and he will likely offer some rhetoric on the future.

Swearing in

Swearing-in could begin on the same day or the next and will continue for several days.

MPs and peers will take the oath, with the Government going first, followed by some other established figures.

HMS Vigilant at HM Naval Base Clyde in Faslane is pictured. Sir Keir will be handed the nuclear codes and write 'letters of last resort' to commanders of submarines carrying nuclear missiles with secret orders on what to do if the Government has been wiped out in a nuclear attack

MPs are not allowed to speak in debates, vote or receive their salary until they make an oath or solemn affirmation of allegiance to the Crown.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10

Stepping onto the world stage

Just days after becoming prime minister, Sir Keir will be propelled onto the world stage, jetting to Washington DC for the Nato leaders' summit.

Issues will include what more support should be given to Ukraine, the Middle East and the US election in November.

Sir Keir may hold bilateral meetings with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17

King's Speech

The King will preside over the pageantry of the State Opening of Parliament, marking the formal start of the new parliamentary session at the Palace of Westminster.

A key component of the ceremony is the King's Speech, where he sets out the government's legislative programme for the coming session. The creation of Great British Energy and planning reform are expected to be at the forefront.

The speech is also expected to include legislation empowering the Office for Budget Responsibility to publish forecasts of any major tax and spending changes, after Liz Truss's ill-fated mini-budget came without projections from the fiscal watchdog.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the State Opening of Parliament in November 2023

Other new laws could be to strengthen workers' rights, crack down on antisocial behaviour through a crime and policing bill, gradually nationalise the railways, set up a new parliamentary ethics and integrity commission, and reform the planning system and the current mental health legislation.

Labour has also indicated it will resurrect some pieces of legislation Mr Sunak promised but failed to enact before he called the election, including plans for a smoking ban for under-15s and to end no-fault evictions.

No substantive parliamentary business can typically take place until after the speech is delivered. It is debated and voted on in the following days.

Lord Butler said: 'One of the biggest decisions which has to be taken, and is a collective decision, is the contents of the King's Speech. Because they certainly can't do all the legislation, all the things they promised in their first parliament.'

THURSDAY, JULY 18

Diplomacy abounds

The UK is hosting a gathering of the European Political Community, the body that brings all 27 EU member countries together with 20 others from outside the bloc.

Sir Keir will welcome around 50 heads of government to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, giving him an opportunity to set the tone for his Government's approach to the UK's relationship with the EU.

While Labour has ruled out rejoining the single market or customs union, the party is seeking a better trade relationship with the bloc.

Sir Keir is also aiming to deepen co-operation by signing a new UK-EU security pact.

Sir Keir may hold a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden when he jets to Washington DC for the Nato leaders' summit next week

AUGUST

Summer break and peerages

Before Mr Sunak called the election, July 23 was when summer recess was scheduled to start.

However, this would not leave enough time for the usual six sitting days to debate the King's Speech.

Sir Keir is expected to cut short the summer break so that it only covers August, with MPs sitting until July 31.

Labour could create a number of new peers to bolster the party's representation in the House of Lords and help push through its legislative programme.

SEPTEMBER

Conference season

The month will be dominated by party conferences, with Labour gathering in Liverpool from September 22 to 25 for its first conference while in power for many years.

The Liberal Democrats will meet in Brighton from September 14 to 17, and the Tories in Birmingham from September 29 to October 2.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

Budget

Rachel Reeves's first key test as chancellor will be delivering her first budget, expected in September or October.

It comes as the party faces tough choices over the public finances. Official forecasts imply major spending cuts, but Labour is gambling on economic growth generating the tax receipts to avoid a return to austerity.

Rachel Reeves's first key test as chancellor will be delivering her first budget this autumn

The autumn statement will include measures detailed in Labour's manifesto, such as higher taxes on non-doms, scrapping the VAT exemption on private school fees and extending the windfall tax on energy companies.

Labour has ruled out raising income tax, national insurance and VAT and aims to keep corporation tax capped at 25 per cent.

All eyes will be on whether Ms Reeves raises levies in other areas to avoid a spending squeeze on departments with unprotected budgets, which oversee services such as prisons, courts and councils, baked in by Mr Sunak's Government.

The next spending review to set departmental budgets is expected by the end of autumn.

Ms Reeves has also pledged to hold a global investment summit in the first 100 days of entering government 'to show that Britain is open for business'.
Sinn Fein has become Northern Ireland's largest political party in Westminster for the first time.

It marks an historic hat-trick for the nationalist party which is already the biggest in local government and at Stormont.

The result leaves Sinn Fein with seven seats in Westminster, the same as it won back in 2019 - and could now increase pressure for an Irish unity referendum by 2030.

It comes as the party's rivals the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) suffered a bruising election, losing three of its eight seats - including a surprise defeat for Ian Paisley, which proved to be the political upset of the night.

He lost his North Antrim seat which had been in the Paisley family for more than 50 years, having previously been held by his father and former Northern Ireland first minister, Ian Paisley Sr, who founded the DUP.

Sinn Fein MP for Mid Ulster Cathal Mallaghan celebrates his election with Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonald

While in a shock defeat the DUP's Ian Paisley Junior (pictured) lost his seat, which had been part of the family dynasty for more than 50 years, having previously been held by his father

The loss was branded a 'seismic political earthquake' by Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister who clinched victory in the unionist heartland.

'There is no escaping the fact that there has been a political earthquake in North Antrim of seismic proportions,' Mr Allister declared.

'Today, we mark an occasion when after 54 years of DUP and Ian Paisley dynasty, North Antrim has taken an alternative course.'

And in a further blow for the pro-union party, the DUP's Lagan Valley seat, previously held by former leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, was lost to Alliance's Sorcha Eastwood.

The DUP, fought the election just three months after the shock resignation of then leader Jeffrey Donaldson after he was charged over historical sex offences.

With just one out of 18 constituencies still to be declared, Sinn Fein is on course to become the largest party in a Westminster election for the first time after holding all of its seven seats.

The party's victory marked an electoral clean sweep for Sinn Fein, which in 2022 became the first nationalist party to win the most seats at the regional assembly since Northern Ireland's creation in 1921, and won at local council polls a year later.

However, its seven new MPs will not occupy their seats in the Commons - something Irish Republicans have refused to do for more than a century in protest to British rule in Northern Ireland.

The DUP's loss of Mr Paisley was branded a 'seismic political earthquake ' by Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister (pictured, right)

'Exit': Ian Paisley looks crestfallen having lost his seat in North Antrim

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein is now the biggest party in Northern Ireland in Westminster. Pictured is Sinn Fein MP for Mid Ulster Cathal Mallaghan celebrating his election with his daughters Aoife and Saorla

It could open the door for Sinn Fein to press their case for a referendum on Irish reunification by 2030.

As the DUP lost three seats, Michelle O'Neill of Sinn Fein, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, said: 'It's time for a change, it's time for us to take control of our own fortunes here.'

The Good Friday Agreement says that a border poll must be called if it 'appears likely' a majority would favour a united Ireland.

'We now have the opportunity to do something better,' Ms O'Neill added.

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald said the General Election result in Northern Ireland demonstrated the need to plan for a new future on the island of Ireland.

'Sinn Fein has made history yet again by being returned as the largest party in the north, in seats, vote percentage and votes,' said Ms McDonald.

'The message of the people of the north of Ireland to the British government tonight is that change is happening, it is time to plan, it is time to prepare for a new future together on this island. The people have spoken.

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald (left in the green jacket) said the election result in Northern Ireland demonstrated the need to plan for a new future on the island of Ireland

'I want to thank every person who came out and put their X beside a Sinn Fein candidate to get behind our positive vision for a better future in a new Ireland.'

She added: 'From day one, we will be knocking on the door of the British government to demand that they stop their disgraceful underfunding of our public services and of the Executive here.

'It is now time to move forward to a new and better future.'

In the shock of the night, the DUP's Ian Paisley Jr was trumped by hardline unionist Jim Allister by just 450 votes.

The seat, which had been part of the family's political dynasty for more than half a century, enjoyed a majority of at least 10,000 in every election since 1974.

Mr Allister's victory comes after Reform leader and newly-elected MP Nigel Farage said he personally backed staunch Brexiteer Paisley to return to Westminster - despite Reform UK's alliance with the TUV.

Speaking after his election win, Mr Allister said: 'Today we mark an occasion when, after 54 years of DUP and Ian Paisley dynasty, North Antrim has taken an alternative course.

Mr Allister (pictured centre) said his election victory with the TUV was a 'seismic' political earthquake

'That is an alternative course which signals a number of things. Amongst those is a very clear indication that the unionist people of North Antrim will not be taken for granted and certainly will not be taken for fools.

'Because the DUP just a few weeks ago, sought to hoodwink every unionist in this province, when they pretended the Donaldson deal had got rid of the Irish Sea border and restored our place in the United Kingdom - those were brazen falsehoods.'

Mr Allister pledged to 'never lose focus' on issues such as EU law operating in Northern Ireland, adding: 'It is beyond shameful that in this part of the United Kingdom there has been that subjugation of sovereignty whereby the foreign institution holds sway and control in our lives.'

He said North Antrim now has a 'new starting point'.

There had been a decline in Mr Paisley's majority in recent elections but in 2019 he was still far ahead - by 12,721 votes.

Speaking on Friday morning, the outgoing MP congratulated his successor and commended the other candidates.

Mr Paisley said being a Member of Parliament for 14 years was a 'huge privilege'.

'The tides of life ebb and flow, as we all know,' he said, adding: 'Life is made up of many chapters and I embrace the next chapter as happily as I embraced the previous chapters.'
Jay Slater's best friend has broken her silence to share a new picture of the missing teenager nearly three weeks after he vanished in Tenerife.

Lucy Law posted a picture on social media of the apprentice bricklayer, 19, who was last seen at around 8am on June 17.

The photo showed Jay and Lucy sat together posing for a selfie and was posted along with a crying face and blue heart emoji.

Lucy was one of the last people to hear from Jay before his disappearance. They had been at a rave in Playa de las Americas together before Jay travelled back to a 40-a-night Airbnb cottage in the remote village of Masca with two older British men.

As he tried to walk the 11 hours back to his hotel, Jay called Lucy to say he was lost, in desperate need of some water and his phone battery was on 1 per cent.

Spanish police focused their search on the mountainous village and Rural de Teno National Park in north-west Tenerife where his phone last pinged.

But on June 30, the search and rescue mission was dramatically called off after nearly 14 days, leaving his desperate family 'in the dark'.

It comes as:

Lucy Law posted this picture on social media of the missing teenager Jay Slater nearly three weeks after he vanished in Tenerife.

Lucy (pictured) was one of the last people to hear from Jay and had gone to a festival with him the night before he disappeared

Jay (right) is pictured alongside his mother Debbie and brother Zak (left) who flew out to Tenerife after his disappearance

A map showing Jay Slater's last known movements before he disappeared

Search crews are seen last week scouring the area where Jay is believed to have gone missing

Jay's family have been advised to fund an independent search party after Tenerife's Civil Guard ended their hunt for him 'prematurely'.

Army reservist and private investigator Juan Garcia, is among those advising Jay's mother on how to continue with a private search.

Speaking to the Times, he said that 'two weeks is too premature to end the search'.

'[Slater] could be alive somewhere  someone can drink from rainwater and eat plants. The family should not give up hope,' he said.

Jay had been attending a three day NRG festival which ended on Sunday, 16 June in Papagayo beach club in South Tenerife.

His friend Lucy- who had gone to the festival with him - said Jay had gone to stay with people he met after a night out.

She received a phone call from Jay at around 8am on Monday morning saying he'd missed his bus and was trying to walk back but was lost, needed a drink and only had 1% battery on his phone. The phone call then cut off.

The teenager's phone died at around 8.50am, with his last known location registered in the remote Rural de Teno park, more than ten miles from the popular resort Guia de Isora.

Jay Slater, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, travelled to the Canary Islands for a musical festival with his friend Lucy and another friend last week

Jay's final Snapchat shows the teenager laughing and smiling at around 8.35pm on the night before he went missing

Jay was reported missing at around 9am the same morning and police launched a mountain rescue.

Mountain rescue crews and sniffer dogs had been searching the mountainous area of north-west Tenerife for the 19-year-old up until this afternoon.

But suddenly police focus shifted to the tourist hotspots of Los Cristianos and Playa de Las Americas in south Tenerife, after a false sighting of him getting out of a taxi.

It later emerged the report was false and police, having wasted precious time in the blistering 27C heat, were forced to move attention back to their original site.

The 19-year-old had gone back to the remote cottage in the village of Masca with two British men in the early hours of Monday morning after a rave in Playa de las Americas on June 17.

Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, left the 40-a-night two bedroom property called Casa Abuela Tina at 7.30am and posted two pictures from it on Snapchat.

Spanish police dramatically called off the search for Jay on Monday but said their investigation into his disappearance was ongoing.

It came as one of the British men who the missing teenager spent his final hours with claimed Jay Slater found himself at the Airbnb cottage at the centre of the mystery because as 'all his friends left him'.

Ayub Qassim says he invited the apprentice bricklayer, 19, from Lancashire, back to his 40-a-night rented holiday cottage after a rave in Tenerife hours before he vanished on June 17.

The 31-year-old, who booked the Airbnb under the name Ayub Abdul, broke his silence, telling MailOnline: 'He came to my Airbnb alive and he left my Airbnb alive.'

MailOnline exclusively revealed that Qassim was jailed nine years ago for being the mastermind behind a sophisticated operation to flood Wales with Class A drugs.

Spanish police searching for Jay spoken to Qassim and the unnamed friend known only as 'Johnny Vegas' as part of their inquiries but concluded they were 'irrelevant' to the investigation.

Jay was last seen by a witness walking off in search of a bus stop close to the Airbnb at around 8am on Monday, June 17. He called a friend to say he was making the 11-hour walk back to his hotel in Playa de las Americas but has not been heard from since.

Former detective Peter Bleksley criticised Spanish police, suggesting they may be afraid a proper investigation would hit tourism on the island.

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

Mr Bleksley told the Sun: 'This island is so heavily dependent upon tourism, is there reluctance on behalf of the police to actually delve as deep as they should.'

A private investigator also claimed Jay Slater could be alive somewhere 'drinking rainwater and eating plants' as he urged the missing teenager's family not to give up hope.

Army reservist and private investigator Juan Garcia, is among those advising Jay's mother to access the 48,000 GoFundMe towards funding the private search.

Speaking to the Times, he said that 'two weeks is too premature to end the search'.

'[Slater] could be alive somewhere  someone can drink from rainwater and eat plants. The family should not give up hope,' he said.

His family have been advised to fund an independent search party after Tenerife's Civil Guard ended their hunt for him 'prematurely'.

On Thursday, Jay Slater's mother hit out at trolls accusing her of being 'on holiday' while she looks for her son in Spain as she pleaded with fellow parents to 'continue to pray' for his return.

The missing teenager's family revealed earlier this week that they were planning on using GoFundMe donations to remain in Tenerife after Spanish police called off the land search 14 days after the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer first went missing.

Debbie Duncan asked for people to realise that they are a 'normal working family from Lancashire going through hell'.

In a post on social media, she said: 'I feel the need to post this to your group and then I shall remove myself. I joined this group to share the positivity and love from the British public.

'It seems through no fault of my own you have all decided to make up your own minds. It is really sad I have felt the need to do this. My beautiful son Jay is still missing and believe me this is no holiday.'

Jay Slater's mother Debbie has tonight told of her 'pain and agony' of her son's disappearance in Tenerife as she pleaded that 'we just want to find him'

Jay's father Warren and brother Zak today hiked through the mountain track where Jay's phone was last located

The 40-a-night Casa Abuela Tina holiday rental near the remote village of Masca where Jay spent his final hours before going missing

'He came on his first holiday to Tenerife to attend the NRG music event. What mystery surrounding his disappearance may never surface. We as a family are truly devastated,' she continued.

'I did not ask for publicity from the start and was not aware that the first missing poster had my telephone number on it. It should have had the SOS Guardia Civil but like I say this was out of my control.

'Whatever decision you have in your minds I cannot control this either. We are a normal working family from Lancashire going through hell. I would like to thank the genuine people for their love and support at this difficult time and to continue to pray for Jay to be found.

'For those of you who are more concerned around the Gofundme page I can assure you that up to now it has not been used and our stay up to now has been financed by ourselves.

'I do have proof of transactions and transfers to other persons but I should not have to justify this. So you can make up your own minds. If any of you in this group have donated I am thankful For the other mothers out there. Please continue to pray.'

As the family work with private investigators to track down the missing 19-year-old, Ms Duncan assured donors the 48,000 or so raised on GoFundMe would be put towards funding more volunteers continuing the search through the remote mountainous area in Tenerife.

This includes providing accommodation, funds and equipment to two TikTok sleuths, Paul Arnott and Callum Fahim, who flew out to help find clues into the teenagers disappearance.

In a statement shared yesterday afternoon she wrote: 'Your generosity has been vast, and we are so grateful for all of your support and kindness during this unimaginable time for our family.

'We will continue to use part of the funds to support the volunteers working hard in the mountains to find Jay.

'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 funds will continue to be used to support the rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay as well as our own expenses as we remain in Tenerife looking for our boy.'

However, a bitter war of words between Callum Fahim and Jay's family and friends erupted after the NHS worker said he was leaving Tenerife after two weeks of searching because of 'death threats'.

On Thursday night he posted a TikTok live of himself from Tenerife airport saying he was 'heading home' to see his family and have some 'fried chicken' and he appeared to have a cold as he sniffed constantly.

In a statement Debbie had thanked Callum and TikTok climber Paul Arnott, 29, for their help and said they would be supporting both of them  specifically paying for 'Callum's accommodation and essentials'.

The bitter war of words between Callum Fahim (pictured) and Jay's family and friends erupted after the NHS worker said he was leaving Tenerife after two weeks of searching because of 'death threats'

In a lengthy rant on TikTok, Callum said he had received no money from the GoFundMe Page and added that he had 'paid for his own bus tickets' to go to the search site

However in a lengthy rant on TikTok Callum said he had received no money from the GoFundMe Page and added that he had 'paid for his own bus tickets' to go to the search site at Masca each day.

He added: 'I can confirm that non (sic) of my essentials and non (sic) of my group's essentials have been paid. However she did contribute towards a hotel and flight.'

Callum's name was later removed from the statement on the GoFundMe page and a statement was posted on Facebook by Debbie's friend addressing the row and showing a 740 bank transfer to Callum.

The statement read: 'Hi sorry again people but this is just not how this should be but I need to put this out there.

'We have someone claiming to not have had any support from Debbie and are now talking about the family at a time like this making all the speculations worse on social media.

'It's not fair why are people adding more stress to this devastating situation no one knows how bad this affecting everyone it's cruel.

A GoFundMe page set up since Jay vanished on June 17 has raised nearly 50,000

Jay's mother posted her latest update earlier this week in which she said the funds were being used to support the volunteers working hard in the mountains to find Jay

The row started on Wednesday night when Debbie Duncan, 55, posted an update on the GoFundMe page set up for Jay

'I just wanna share this now because it's not true and it's not fair.

'Go Fund wasn't paid it was paid through Debbie herself but he agreed for this to be added the go fund to show people who have kindly donated where and what the funds was being used on.

'So this is just the evidence on that 740 was sent directly to them accommodation is essential and is classed as that.. we asked also and thanked them and we still thank you for all your help.

'Please share and to the people who are being so kind we don't have a update the investigation is still ongoing.'
It's been an extraordinary night of political drama which began at 10pm with an exit poll predicting Labour winning a landslide.

Sir Keir Starmer will be the UK's new Labour prime minister after a Conservative rout that saw the party suffer its worst ever result.

Between sunset and just after sunrise, 12 ministers who sat around the Cabinet table were ousted, comfortably exceeding the previous record of seven set in 1997.

Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps, David TC Davies, Mark Harper, Victoria Prentis and veterans minister Johnny Mercer all lost to Labour.

Here is MailOnline's timeline of how the General Election night unfolded:

10pm - Brutal exit poll confirms Tories' worst fears

Almost simultaneously as polling stations closed across the country, an exit poll was published predicting a Labour landslide.

It predicted Sir Keir Starmer's party were on course for 410 seats and the number of Conservative MPs reduced to a record low of 131.

It also forecast the Liberal Democrats on 61 seats, Reform UK on 13 and The Green Party on two.

In Scotland, the SNP was expected to secure 10 seats with Plaid Cymru in Wales on four.

Predicted seat totals in the 2024 General Election are displayed onto the exterior of BBC Broadcasting House overnight following the release of the exit poll at 10pm

11.14pm - Labour win their first seat... with many more to come

As the political parties continued to digest the bombshell exit poll, the first actual result of the night was declared.

Labour's shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson was announced to have held her Houghton and Sunderland South seat.

She won 18,837 votes and - in a sign of the strong performance of Reform UK - Nigel Farage's party came second with 11,668 votes, with the Tories in third on 5,514.

Ms Phillipson became one of the first Labour frontbenchers to suggest they were on the brink of seizing power.

She said in her victory speech: 'Tonight the British people have spoken, and if the exit poll this evening is again a guide to results across our country as it so often is, then after 14 years the British people have chosen change.'

Labour's shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson was announced to have held her Houghton and Sunderland South seat at 11.14pm

12.15am - Former justice secretary becomes the first senior Tory to lose their seat

Sir Robert Buckland, the former justice secretary, became the first senior Tory to lose their seat as he was defeated in Swindon South by Labour's Heidi Alexander.

Sir Robert won 12,070 votes but Ms Alexander scooped 21,676 in the Wiltshire constituency.

1.35am - The Liberal Democrat surge begins

Liberal Democrat candidate Tom Gordon won his party's first victory of the night in Harrogate and Knaresborough, which had previously been held by Tory Andrew Jones.

Liberal Democrats GAIN Harrogate and Knaresborough



Congratulations Tom Gordon MP pic.twitter.com/CC9XCVBt5q  Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) July 5, 2024

1.42am - Tories finally win their first seat

More than three-and-a-half hours after polls closed, the Conservatives won their first seat of the night as Mark Francois held his Rayleigh and Wickford constituency in Essex.

#GE2024 UK General Election result: Rayleigh and Wickford  Mark Francois  Conservative and Unionist Party - Duly Elected pic.twitter.com/Bzh0o1aXJo  Rochford DC (@RochfordDC) July 5, 2024

2.18am - Reform UK get their first elected MP

Lee Anderson became Reform's first elected MP after winning the Ashfield seat in Nottinghamshire.

He had previously won the constituency for the Tories at the 2019 general election, before his defection to Reform in March.

Mr Anderson is a former Conservative Party deputy chairman but lost the Tory whip for refusing to apologise for claims Islamists had 'control' of London mayor Sadiq Khan.

Reform MP Lee Anderson is announced as the winner in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, at 2.18am

2.35am - Firebrand politician George Galloway loses in Rochdale

George Galloway, leader of his Workers Party of Britain, loses in Rochdale to Labour candidate Paul Waugh, a former parliamentary journalist.

It came just months after Mr Galloway won the Greater Manchester seat in a shock by-election dominated by tensions over the Gaza war.

The former Labour and Respect MP had swept to victory in February gaining almost 40 per cent of the vote. But he failed to repeat his success at the general election.

I thank the people of #Rochdale who gave me 54 sitting days in the last parliament as their MP. Big thanks to my agent my campaign team and the thousands who voted for me today. We took the government party to within 1500 votes and serve notice on Labour that we are here to stay  George Galloway (@georgegalloway) July 5, 2024

2.40am - 'Humbled' Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey holds his seat

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey held the seat of Kingston and Surbiton after securing 25,870 votes.

It followed his stunt-packed election campaign, during which he went bungee jumping, paddleboarding, and completed both land-based and water-based assault courses.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey at King's Centre in Chessington, South West London, after he was declared the winner of Kingston and Surbiton constituency at 2.40am

2.58am - Sir Keir Starmer is re-elected as an MP and says Britain is 'ready for change'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer held the London seat of Holborn and St Pancras.

He said in his acceptance speech: 'Tonight people here and around the country have spoken and they're ready for change  to end the politics of performance and return to politics as public service.

'The change begins right here because this is your democracy, your community and your future. You have voted. It is now time for us to deliver.'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (left) gives a victory speech watched by Nick the Incredible Flying Brick (second right) and Bobby 'Elmo' Smith (right) at the Camden Council offices after he was declared winner of the Holborn and St Pancras constituency at 2.58am

3.09am - 2024's 'Portillo moment' as Defence Secretary loses his seat

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was booted out of the House of Commons as he lost to Labour in Welwyn Hatfield.

He won 16,078 votes but Labour's Andrew Lewin beat him with 19,877 votes.

At the same time as Mr Shapps was announced to have lost in Hertfordshire, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk was declared as another Cabinet minister leaving Parliament.

He lost in Cheltenham to Lib Dem candidate Max Wilkinson.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps lost to Labour in Welwyn Hatfield in a result announced at 3.09am

3.26am - A bloody nose for Starmer as Jeremy Corbyn wins as an independent

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn beat his old party to hold his seat in Islington North and become an independent MP.

Mr Corbyn has been the MP for the north London constituency since 1983.

The result is an embarrassment for Sir Keir after he last year blocked his predecessor from standing as an official Labour candidate at the general election.

Jeremy Corbyn speaks to the media after he is declared winner of the North Islington seat at 3.26am

3.28am - Reform UK leader Nigel Farage finally becomes an MP at the eighth attempt

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was elected in Clacton, Essex, as he finally became an MP on his eighth attempt.

Speaking in Clacton after his win, Mr Farage said his party's performance in the general election was 'truly extraordinary'.

He added: 'There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it.'

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gives a victory speech in Clacton after the result at 3.28am

3.57am - Blow for Starmer as Labour shadow minister loses to Greens

Despite huge success for Labour elsewhere, in Bristol Central the party's shadow minister Thangam Debbonaire was beaten by Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer.

Ms Debbonaire is her party's shadow culture secretary but will now not be able to form part of a Labour government.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer won Bristol Central, which was declared at 3.57am

3.58am - Reform UK chairman Richard Tice becomes party's fourth MP

Reform chairman Richard Tice won in Boston and Skegness to become the party's fourth MP.

Mr Tice had been the insurgent party's leader until Mr Farage made his dramatic comeback to the political frontline during the election campaign.

He won Boston and Skegness by defeating Tory candidate and former MP Matt Warman.

Reform chairman Richard Tice won in Boston and Skegness, in a result confirmed at 3.58am

4.08am - Tory leadership hopeful Penny Mordaunt loses her seat

Penny Mourdant, the Leader of the House of Commons, was beaten by Labour in Portsmouth North.

The Cabinet minister had been touted as among the favourites to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader after the general election.

But she will no longer be able to mount a leadership challenge after failing to hold on to her seat.

Outgoing MP for Portsmouth North Penny Mordaunt delivers a speech after the declaration at 4.08am

4.10am - Conservative chairman Richard Holden holds on... just

Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden only just won in Basildon and Billericay, Essex, as he beat the Labour candidate by 20 votes following a recount.

Mr Holden is under fire for overseeing what many Tories have viewed as a disastrous general election campaign.

He was also severely criticised for making a 'chicken run' to Basildon and Billericay, having previously been MP for North West Durham - a constituency more than 300 miles away.

Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden was announced the winner in Basildon and Billericay at 4.10am

4.40am - Rishi Sunak wins his Yorkshire seat but admits the Tories have lost the election

The Prime Minister held his seat in Richmond and Northallerton but was sombre after a brutal few hours for his party.

Speaking after his constituency result was declared, Mr Sunak said it had been a 'difficult night' and Labour had won the general election.

The PM said he takes 'responsibility' for his party's loss and revealed he had called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gives a speech in Northallerton after holding his seat at 4.40am

4.58am - Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg is the latest Tory big beast to lose

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg became the latest Tory big beast to lose their seat as he was defeated by Labour in North East Somerset and Hanham.

'We've got Mogg-xit done,' said new Labour MP Dan Norris as he celebrated his success in the constituency.

Sir Jacob had previously been elected as the MP for North East Somerset in 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019  when he achieved 50.4 per cent of the vote and had a majority of 14,729.

Conservative candidate Jacob Rees-Mogg stands next to Barmy Brunch from The Official Monster Raving Loony Party as Labour candidate Dan Norris speaks after his win at 4.58am

5am - Labour officially win the general election as they reach 326 seats

Labour were declared as officially winning the general election after reaching the required 326 seats.

Sir Keir said 'we did it' as he delivered a speech at a victory rally in central London.

'We did it. You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it, and now it has arrived  change begins now,' the Labour leader said.

He added that the UK will be waking up to 'the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again'.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer at a results party in London at 5am

5.31am - Conservatives are wiped out in Wales

The Tories are announced to have lost all their MPs in Wales after Welsh Secretary David TC Davies is defeated by Labour in Monmouthshire.

Conservative candidate David TC Davies speaks after losing his Monmouth seat to Labour candidate Catherine Fookes at Chepstow Leisure Centre at 5.31am

5.57am - A record number of female MPs are elected to the Commons

A record number of female MPs will now be sitting in the new House of Commons.

Some 242 women MPs have been elected so far, passing the previous record of 220 at the election in 2019.

The number of female MPs has risen at each of the past six elections.

6.48am - Former PM Liz Truss loses to Labour

Liz Truss, who was prime minister for 44 days in 2022, was declared to have been defeated by Labour in South West Norfolk.

In aruguably the biggest shock of the night, the former premier lost by 630 votes to Terry Jermy.

Ms Truss claimed the Tories had not 'delivered sufficiently on the policies people want'.

She added: 'That means keeping taxes low, but also particularly on reducing immigration, and I think that's been a crucial issue here in South West Norfolk, that was the number one issue that people raised on the doorstep with me.'

Labour's Terry Jermy gives a victory speech after winning the South West Norfolk constituency - with Liz Truss watching after her defeat at 6.48am

7.09am - Mel Stride holds on by 61 votes

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride clings on to his Devon Central seat by a narrow margin of 61 votes.

The close ally of Mr Sunak later says 'there will need to be a new leader of the Conservative Party'.
A woman has been jailed for seven and a half years after dropping her newborn daughter out of a window because 'she was worried a baby would ruin her career'.

Katarina Jovanovic, 28, from Lauffen am Neckar, Baden-Wuerttemberg State, Germany, was found guilty of manslaughter at the Heilbronn District Court on Wednesday, July 3.

Judges heard how she had given birth at home in secret 10 months ago on September 12 and then dropped her baby daughter from her apartment window almost 12 feet onto the tarmac below.

Horrified passersby found the minutes-old infant's body with a shattered skull underneath Jovanovic's balcony and called the police.

Katarina Jovanovic, 28, from Lauffen am Neckar, Baden-Wuerttemberg State, pictured in court

Prosecutors told the court that Jovanovic (pictured) thought being a mother would spoil her career as an executive in Porsche's legal department

Jovanovic admitted to the crime at the beginning of the trial in April but could not explain the moment to the court, ASB Zeitung reported.

She also claimed she had not realised she was pregnant. But the prosecution accused her of murder and of deliberately concealing her pregnancy from colleagues and neighbours.

Prosecutors told the court that Jovanovic thought being a mother would spoil her career as an executive in Porsche's legal department.

Public prosecutor Mareike Hafendoerfer said: 'The accused was not prepared to put her life plans, especially her professional advancement, on hold for a child.

'That was her decision when the baby was born, and as a result, the criteria for a murder conviction are fulfilled.'

Jovanovic's lawyers claimed that it was at most manslaughter as she had accidentally dropped the baby from her hands after giving birth alone at home without realising she had been pregnant.

The newborn was dropped 12 feet out of an apartment window onto the tarmac below (Pictured, general view of the apartment building)

Defence attorney Malte Hoech, 53, said: 'It is a drama that affects me personally. My client did not even know that she was pregnant.

'When she suddenly held the bloody baby in her hands, she was in an exceptional psychological situation.

'It was an accident, she dropped the baby. How the child ended up over the windowsill remains to be determined.'

In the end, the court accepted the lesser charge of manslaughter but jailed her for seven and a half years, which was more than the three years the defence had demanded.

Her legal team said they plan to appeal the verdict.

Neighbours told local media how they had no idea Jovanovic was expecting a baby.

One said: 'Nobody noticed that the woman was pregnant. Recently she had changed and was no longer talking to us.

'We thought she was stressed at work.'
AI speed cameras that can 'spy inside' cars are set to be rolled out across the UK to catch drivers using mobile phones or failing to wear seatbelts.

The new technology will allow police to both crack down on motorists who are 'distracted' by mobile phones and catch speeding drivers using the same cameras.

Transport chiefs are rolling out the cameras as Department for Transport research suggests up to 400,000 British drivers are still using handheld devices illegally while behind the wheel.

However privacy campaigners have reacted with fury to proposed widespread use of AI cameras - blasting the 'intrusive and creepy' tech that treats everybody as a suspect.

Last year police cracked down on drivers with a new van that has an AI camera mounted on it, made by Acusensus (pictured). This is a different model to the 'Redspeed Sentio' unit

New AI powered cameras caught 117 people using their mobile phones in just three days after being deployed in a trial on one of Devon's busiest roads, the A30 near Launceston, last year

The AI camera technology has already been deployed in England with the model made by Acusensus. Pictured: The technology has caught drivers using a mobile phone in Australia

The Acusensu unit uses artificial intelligence to identify motorists potentially breaking the law

About a quarter of all police forces across the UK are already deploying cameras that can catch drivers using a mobile phone - punishable by up to six penalty points and a 1,000 fine.

And 11 police forces have also deployed roadside AI cameras, made by Australian tech firm Acusensus, that capture high-quality images of vehicles as they pass.

What offences could the AI camera catch? Speeding - Minimum fine of 100 and three penalty points

- Minimum fine of 100 and three penalty points Using phone while driving - 200 fine and six penalty points

- 200 fine and six penalty points Failing to wear a seatbelt - Maximum fine of 500

- Maximum fine of 500 Failing to stop for a red light - 100 fine and three penalty points

- 100 fine and three penalty points Driving without a valid MOT - Maximum fine of 1,000

- Maximum fine of 1,000 Driving without insurance - 300 fine and six penalty points Advertisement

The high-tech cameras take two images of a driver - one at a shallow angle to see if they have a phone at their ear and one at a steep angle to see if a device is on their lap.

New artificial intelligence [AI] software then analyses the images and flags if a driver is using a mobile or not wearing a seatbelt - with 'violation packages' then sent to police who can prosecute the driver.

Police forces taking part in a trial of the cameras with National Highways include Durham Police, Greater Manchester, Thames Valley, Sussex and Warwickshire.

To counter privacy concerns, police say the pictures are anonymised to removed identifying features such as number plate, passengers or make of the vehicle. The images are only matched to registration details if a driver is prosecuted.

However privacy groups said this wasn't good enough. Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations at privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch, told the Daily Telegraph: 'Unproven AI-powered video analytics should not be used to monitor and potentially criminalise drivers.

'This kind of intrusive and creepy surveillance which treats every passer-by as a potential suspect is excessive and normalising it poses a threat to everyone's privacy.

'People should be free to go about their lives without being analysed by faceless AI systems.'

The surveillance cameras previously caught 130 people driving without seatbelts in a 72-hour period New after being deployed in a trial on one of Devon's busiest roads, the A30 near Launceston, last year

The cameras have previously been installed on top of vans and put inside speed cameras

A trial on the A30 last year followed a 15-day trial of the cameras on roads across Devon and Cornwall

A driver is caught on camera using their mobile phone with the Acusensus unit in Australia

During a 2022 trial, police cracked down on drivers using mobile phones and driving without wearing a seatbelt with a new van that has an AI camera mounted about 21ft above the road.

The unit uses AI to identify motorists potentially breaking the law. Images are then sent to an officer for a secondary check and those breaking the law are prosecuted.

The enforcement vehicle developed by Aecom and Acusensus has been deployed in Warwickshire, Merseyside, Humberside and East and West Sussex.

While last year new AI cameras caught almost 300 people committing driving offences in just three days, after being deployed on one of Devon's busiest roads.

The camera snapped 117 people using their mobile phones while driving and 130 in cars without seatbelts after being installed on the A30 near Launceston in Devon.

The Acusensus cameras were permanently rolled out on roads in Queensland, Australia, in July 2021.

Other types of hi-tech camera that can catch drivers using a mobile phone are being tested by different police forces.

Vector-SR cameras, made by Jenoptik, can track two-way traffic instead of just one lane and use radar which means they don't require road markings or sensors in the road.

They also do not flash at speeding drivers, meaning somebody will not necessarily know if they have been caught speeding until they receive a fine in the phone.

A third kind of camera, from Redspeed International, uses 4D radar technology to detect speeding vehicles, drivers using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts and can even check DVLA records to verify if a vehicle is insured and taxed.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said traditional road policing remains important as cameras cannot detect other motoring infringements, such as drink driving.

He added: 'Cameras that can do everything and anything are a good thing from a road safety perspective because it means there is less chance of getting away with dangerous driving.'

Matt Staton, National Highways' head of national road-user safety, told the Telegraph: 'We know that distracted driving and not wearing seatbelts were key factors in a high number of incidents that resulted in people being killed or seriously injured.

'Working with our police partners we want to reduce such dangerous driving and reduce the risks posed to both the drivers and other people. We believe that using technology like this will make people seriously consider their driving behaviour.'
The SNP suffered the biggest loss of MPs in its history yesterday after the party surrendered 39 seats.

Scottish Labour overturned almost a decade of SNP dominance in Scotlands Westminster seats, taking a majority of constituencies.

Anas Sarwars party tore across the countrys central belt, mirroring the success of the UK-wide party and sweeping the SNP out of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

He said he was absolutely delighted with his partys performance and thanked the people of Scotland for putting their faith and trust in the Scottish Labour Party.

I understand their desire for change, I know therell be a huge sigh of relief that we finally ended 14 years of total chaos and failure, he added.

SNP leader John Swinney shows the strain on a devastating night for his party

Nationalist supporters gather round Alison Thewliss, who lost the Glasgow North seat to Labour

A worried SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn at the election count in Aberdeen

The Scottish Labour leader conceded it would not be an easy road for a Labour government but the party would get to work straight away.

With three seats left to declare, his party went from one seat at the last General Election to 37 as the SNP fell from 48 to nine.

First Minister John Swinney pledged a period of soul searching after what he described as a very poor performance for the SNP.

Outgoing Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross also failed in his bid to return to Westminster.

Its a very poor result for the SNP tonight, Mr Swinney told the BBC.

There will have to be a lot of soul searching as a party as a consequence of these results that have come in tonight.

Mr Swinney said the SNP has to be better at governing on behalf of the people of Scotland, adding that the party was not winning the argument on Scottish independence.

He said: Although were going to have a bad election result tonight, I still believe in my head and in my heart that Scotland will be better off as an independent country.

But were obviously not winning that argument with the public to make that a priority at this moment, so weve got to think long and hard about how we address that question and I dont think that in the early hours of the morning after a General Election I can give you the definitive answer to what we do in that circumstance.

But Mr Sarwar said the First Minister has got a lot of reflecting to do on a lot of things after the partys dismal performance.

He spent the entire six weeks attacking the Labour Party because it seems the only person more depressed at the thought of the Tory Government ending and the Labour government was John Swinney and the SNP, he said.

You can see the verdict of the Scottish people, both to his approach in this election campaign but also the SNPs approach to Government, where they have failed far too many people.

Tearful Alison Thewliss after losing the Glasgow North seat at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow

Delighted Tory Harriet Cross with beaten SNP candidate Richard Thomson at the Aberdeen count

The SNP's Anne McLaughlin, who lost Glasgow North East to Labour, with her partner Graham Campbell at Thursday night's count

Mr Ross sought election to the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat in place of former MP David Duguid, who was barred from standing by party bosses due to ill health.

His decision - which reversed an announcement he would not seek re-election to Westminster - was met with criticism from opponents and some within his own party.

Speaking to the BBC, the party leader suggested the Reform UK vote had handed the SNP the seat.

The partys candidate Jo Hart came third with 5,562 votes, while Mr Ross trailed his SNP rival by less than 1,000.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie thanked people who voted for his party.

We have established our party as the third political force in Glasgow and have broken new ground across the country, he said.

These results are an important springboard for the Scottish Greens and show that we are well on track for big gains as we approach the next Scottish election in 2026 and the local elections in 2027.
The first pictures have emerged of a mother who plunged 500ft to her death from a cable car after she was dragged away by the mountain lift system in front of her horrified family.

Teacher Margherita Lega, 41, had been hiking with her husband Rocco Meloni, and their two young children aged six and nine, during a holiday when the freak tragedy happened yesterday morning.

She had been loading luggage onto the teleferica machine - a small cable car used to transport baggage and objects rather than people - when a buckle on her backpack was snagged by the contraption and it suddenly switched on.

Frantically clinging on, Margherita was carried her more than 50 yards over a cliff edge, before she slipped off and plunged to her death at Calasca Castiglione near Turin, northeast Italy.

Prosecutors are now investigating the death as manslaughter, with a local man who was operating the luggage cableway when Ms Lega was using it reportedly being questioned by police.

Teacher Margherita Lega, 41, a married mother-of-two had been hiking with her husband Rocco Meloni, and their two young children

Carabinieri attending the scene of the freak tragedy in the Italian Alps

Emergency vehicles are seen in the forest where the Italian tourist fell to her death

At the time of Ms Lega's death, she and her family had been trying to reach a cabin in a 'regenerative ecovillage' on the Drocala mountain.

Ms Lega's children, who are believed to have witnessed their mother's harrowing death, were being looked after yesterday while her husband was taken to the local police station.

The mayor of nearby Calasca Castiglione, Silvia Tipaldi, said she was 'shocked' by the tragic death and shared her condolences with the family.

She added: 'We are waiting for the magistrate's checks on the plant to have more information on what unfortunately turned out to be a tragedy'.

Mayor Tipaldi said that 'the cableway paperwork was regularly filed with the Municipality' and that the authorities currently believe 'the tragedy was accidental.'

The hamlet of Drocala, which they had been trying to reach, only has a few private homes, with authorities saying they do not know if the victim's family had friends or relatives in the area or whether they were visiting someone there.

The cableway, which connects the Olino hamlet with the Drocala alpine pasture, is said to travel a distance of around 1,300ft (400m) and crosses a steep ravine.

It is usually operated by two people, at two points, above and below. The starting point cannot be seen from where the controls are at the top, according to reports.

More than 100 emergency personnel including firefighters, police and mountain rescue teams rushed to the scene.

With the help of a helicopter and climbers on the ground, they eventually located the Ms Lega's body in the valley.

Alpine rescue crewmembers recovered her body by winching themselves down from the helicopter and pulling the mother out of the ravine by air.

Prosecutors reportedly sealed off the teleferica as they look into whether all the correct safety measures were observed at the site.

The woman, named as Margherita Lega, had been hiking near Calasca Castiglione (pictured) when the incident happened at around 11am this morning

The system is reported to have restarted suddenly, with the reason as to why it began pulling uphill being investigated.

The incident took place in the Anzasca Valley, a popular hiking area in the Piedmont northeast of Turin.

Tributes have poured in for Ms Lega, who is said to have been from Fiave, a small town in Italy's northeastern Trento region, a four hour drive from Calasca Castiglione.

A helicopter was used by search and rescue teams to locate and recover the woman's body

A friend, who wished to remain anonymous, told Il Quotidiano: 'She was a wonderful girl.

'Always full of energy, the classic good girl,' adding that she was someone who was 'consistent with her ideals, with her life choices. A cultured woman'.

A neighbour told the Corriere Alto Adige newspaper of the family: 'They were always travelling and were rarely here, always off here and there, it made us want to go travelling.

'They are a lovely family though and when we did see them they were always talking... [their] bikes are still propped against the wall in the communal courtyard.'

Another local said Ms Lega 'enjoyed growing her own vegetables and had an allotment with her husband,' adding that the kind-hearted couple shared everything they grew with local charities.
Jeremy Hunt has left Downing Street with his family for the final time this morning following Labour's victory in the General Election.

The Godalming and Ash MP, who held on to his seat with a majority of fewer than 900 votes, posed for photos with his wife, three children and dog Poppy as he stepped out on to the doorstep shortly before 9:30am.

One reporter shouted 'Are you going to run for leader?' but Mr Hunt gave no response as he ambled in the direction of a waiting taxi waiting to whisk him away from the premises.

However, in calamitous scenes the former Chancellor breezed straight past the vehicle and was only pulled back by his wife Lucia who was alert to its purpose.

The Chancellor's walk, supported by his loving family, was construed as a victory lap by some political commentator as he had managed to 'cling on' to his seat despite heavy opposition and the Conservative party unravelling as a whole.

Speaking after holding on to his seat earlier this morning, Mr Hunt admitted that his government had lost the trust of the electorate.

Jeremy Hunt has left Downing Street with his family for the final time this morning

Hunt posed for photos with his wife, three children and dog Poppy as he stepped out on to the doorstep shortly before 9:30am

In calamitous scenes the former Chancellor breezed straight past the taxi and was only pulled back by his wife Lucia who was alert to its purpose

The Godalming and Ash MP, who held on to his seat with a majority of fewer than 900 votes

A broken PM acknowledged that Keir Starmer had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Mr Sunak has gone to CCHQ to thank staff before drawing a line under his two-year premiership

He conceded: 'Some Conservatives will wonder whether the scale of our crushing defeat is really justified, but when you lose the trust of the electorate, all that matters is to have the courage and humility to ask yourself why?

'Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are decent people.. I hope they use their majority to make much needed reforms to the NHS in the way that is difficult for the Conservative governments to do.'

The Conservatives are expected to be slashed from the 365 MPs secured less than five years ago to 144, their worst performance in modern political history - but an improvement from the 131 expected at first.

Rishi Sunak is also entering his final hours as PM after overseeing a catastrophic election that saw the Tories slump to their lowest ever number of MPs.

Mr Sunak has flown back to London from Yorkshire, where he conceded that Keir Starmer has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech.

The premier will not return to Downing Street, where he is expected to say a few valedictory words before heading to see the King and formally resign.

In an ironic full-circle moment, rain is falling in Westminster - echoing the miserable start to his ill-fated gamble, when he was drenched while announcing the snap election. Sir Keir will follow Mr Sunak into Buckingham Palace, before returning to enter the famous black door of No10.

The traditional choreography comes as Labour's majority ticks up to 170, just short of Tony Blair's 179 in 1997, with just a few seats left to declare. The Tories look to be struggling to reach 130 MPs, easily worse than their previous nadir of 156 in 1906.

The Lib Dems also inflicted massive pain on the Tories, racking up a record 71 seats as Reform leeched millions of votes and came second in around a hundred constituencies - but only scored four MPs of their own.

Sir Keir trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons, saying 'we did it!'

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, he said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome.

It came minutes after a broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat.

'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss,' he said.

'To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.'

Keir Starmer trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, Keir Starmer said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome

A broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Your browser does not support iframes.





Senior Tory figures - including a record number of Cabinet ministers - lost their seats in an election bloodbath

Ms Truss, who led the country for 49 days following Boris Johnson's resignation, was the latest Tory heavyweight to fall on a disastrous night - and morning - for the party

She Truss beat Rishi Sunak to the Tory leadership in 2022. But her popularity nosedived after her devastating mini-budget with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng which led to the plunge of the pound and had widespread economic impacts.

On a humiliating night for Rishi Sunak's party, some of the Conservatives' biggest names - including a record number of frontbenchers - lost their seats as Labour stormed to an historic landslide win.

Liz Truss

Ms Truss, who led the country from September 6 to October 25 2022 following Boris Johnson's resignation, was the latest Tory heavyweight to suffer at the hands of the electorate on a disastrous night - and morning - for the party.

She Truss beat Rishi Sunak to the Tory leadership in 2022. But her popularity nosedived after her devastating mini-budget with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng which led to the plunge of the pound and had widespread economic impacts.

Thousands of people saw steep mortgage rises following the budget, which contained millions of pounds worth of unfunded tax cuts.

She later quit as leader and returned to the backbenches, reinventing herself as a rightwing firebrand with links to Trumpist US Republicans.

Speaking to the BBC after her defeat she said: 'I think the issue we faced as Conservatives is we haven't delivered sufficiently on the policies people want.

'And that means keeping taxes low, but also particularly on reducing immigration. And I think that's been a crucial issue here in South West Norfolk, that was the number one issue that people raised on the doorstep with me.'

Asked whether she accepted some responsibility for that, Ms Truss said: 'I agree. I was part of that. That's absolutely true.

'But during our 14 years in power, unfortunately we did not do enough to take on the legacy we'd been left, in particular things like the Human Rights Act that made it very difficult for us to deport illegal immigrants. And that is one of the reasons I think we've ended up in the situation we are now.'

She declined to say if she would remain involved in politics.

The candidates for South West Norfolk were left waiting on stage for several minutes for the announcement of the result as they waited for Ms Truss to appear.

Some of those watching began a slow hand clap before she finally joined them, without wearing a Conservative rosette.

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Mr Rees-Mogg lost his Somerset North East & Hanham seat to Labour's Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes.

In a typically polite speech afterwards he congratulated Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on 'what seems to be a historic victory'.

The former business secretary's defeat was a reversal of 2010, when he bet Mr Norris in the predecessor constituency.

Speaking at the University of Bath after the result was declared, Sir Jacob said: 'May I begin by giving my warmest congratulations to Dan Norris, who has been a servant of North East Somerset or Wansdyke as it then was before and I am sure will be a devoted constituency MP in the future.

Jacob Rees-Mogg lost his Somerset North East & Hanham to Labour's Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes

'And congratulate Sir Keir Starmer who has led his party to what seems to be a historic victory. And this is the great virtue of our democracy, so I congratulate both of them.'

Sir Jacob then thanked his agent, campaign director and constituency staff who had 'worked so hard over the last 14 years'.

He said: 'And one final thought, from Caractacus Potts, and that is from the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success. So thank you very much everybody, and good night.'

Grant Shapps

Glum-looking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

A 'Portillo' moment is a reference to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Portillo who lost what had been regarded as a safe Tory seat in Labour's 1997 landslide.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Mr Shapps has held a series of Cabinet positions under four Tory prime ministers - including energy security and net zero secretary, business secretary and home secretary.

Grant Shapps looked glum as he lost his seat in Welwyn Hatfield pm a devastating night for the Tories

In 2012 it was revealed he was using an alter-ego as businessman Michael Green.

He was pictured using a nom de plume while he was a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives. He was standing for the Welwyn Hatfield seat in Hertfordshire when he posed for the photo at a 2,000-a-head web marketing event at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in 2004.

Mr Shapps continued to use the name Michael Green for his business interests throughout the 2005 election campaign and his early years as an opposition MP. 'Mr Green' charged clients 183 an hour for advice on how to make money from the web as well as offering tips on how to beat the recession blues, including splashing out on a jet-ski or learning to play the guitar.

Penny Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunt lost her Commons seat today in one of the biggest upsets of a General Election that is turning into a top Tory bloodbath.

The Commons leader, who leapt into the public consciousness with her sword-wielding role at the Coronation of Charles III last year, was beaten into second place by Labour's Amanda Martin.

Ms Mordaunt, 51, had been tipped as a potential future Tory leader as the party tries to regroup from a long-expected electoral pummelling.

The Commons leader, who leapt into the public consciousness with her sword-wielding role at the Coronation of Charles III last year, was beaten into second place by Labour 's Amanda Martin.

The former defence secretary was runner up to Rishi Sunak in 2022 and had also stood in the previous leadership race won by Liz Truss.

During the election campaign she was the face of the Tories at a number of seven-way debates between senior figures from the main parties, going to-to-toe with Labour's Angela Rayner.

But shortly after 4am the Royal Navy reservist lost to Labour in the Royal Navy's home city, marking at least the start of a lengthy hiatus in her political career, if not ending it.

She admitted the Conservative Parry has taken a 'battering' because it failed to honour 'the trust that people had placed in it' after she lost her seat to Labour.

Labour's Amanda Martin ousted the Leader of the House of Commons from Portsmouth North, winning by just 780 votes.

Ms Mordaunt, 51, would have been hotly tipped to run for the party leadership again had she managed to keep her seat.

She said: 'Tonight, the Conservative Party has taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it. You can speak all you like of security and freedom, but you can't have either if you are afraid.

'Afraid about the cost-of-living or accessing healthcare, or whether the responsibility you shoulder will be recognised and rewarded. That fear steals the future, and it only makes the present matter and that is why we lost.

'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

'I've lost many good colleagues tonight but I hope that like me they intend to carry on serving their communities with even stronger heart, our country needs all of us.'

Ms Mordaunt, who had held the seat from 2010, also said she will 'never stop caring' for the people of Portsmouth.

Gillian Keegan

The Education Secretary since 2022 and MP for Chichester from 2017, Gillian Keegan lost her seat to Liberal Democrat candidate Jess Brown-Fuller.

Ms Keegan had pushed for banning smartphones in schools. She also oversaw draft statutory sex education guidance that 'gender ideology' should not be taught in schools.

Ms Keegan had pushed for banning smartphones in schools. She also oversaw draft statutory sex education guidance that 'gender ideology' should not be taught in schools.

But she also made headlines for urged striking teachers to be 'realistic' with their pay demands - while wearing her 10,000 Rolex watch.

But she also made headlines for urged striking teachers to be 'realistic' with their pay demands - while wearing her 10,000 Rolex watch.

Last year she wore her expensive watch - a gift from her husband - as she toured television and radio studios.

The Merseyside-born Tory, who grew up in a working class family and left school at 16, accused critics of her jewellery of 'inverted snobbery'.

In an early claim of victory before 2am on Friday, the Liberal Democrats said her seat of 'Chichester is going Lib Dem-orange, as Gillian Keegan becomes the first Cabinet minister of the night to lose her seat'.

And just two hours later her loss was confirmed, with a result that saw her trailing the Lib Dems by more than 10,000 votes.

When appointed Education Secretary by Rishi Sunak in 2022, she was the fifth person to hold the role in under four months and the sixth since the 2019 general election.

Less than a year into the role she was fighting a major crisis after ordering more than 100 schools to make closures because of concerns that a crumbling aerated concrete could collapse.

The strain of that erupted in public when she unwittingly vented her frustrations, swearing about a lack of gratitude towards her while others have 'sat on their arse and done nothing' while the cameras were still rolling after a broadcast interview.

Steve Baker

Tory minister Steve Baker said 'thank God I'm a free man' after he was ousted from his Wycombe seat.

The self-styled 'Brexit hardman', who had signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I fought this to win it and I wanted to do my duty and continue. But I am today, thank God, a free man.

The self-styled 'Brexit hardman', who had signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I fought this to win it and I wanted to do my duty and continue. But I am today, thank God, a free man.

'Try being elected to Parliament and you'll understand. I am able now to resume my life and that is going to be a great blessing to me.

'So I'm afraid I will be honest with the public. Thank God I'm a free man.'

And the others...

The Liberal Democrats took out Justice Secretary Alex Chalk in Cheltenham.

Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland, Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Chief Whip Simon Hart were all culled - as were Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis, former deputy PM Therese Coffey and Michael Fabricant.

Welsh secretary David Davies, Science Minister Michelle Donelan and Attorney General Victoria Prentis were also all kicked from their seats.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper lost his Forest of Dean seat to Labour's Matt Bishop by just 278 votes.

Senior Tory Liam Fox, who had been the MP for North Somerset since 1992, also narrowly lost his seat to Labour candidate Sadik Al-Hassan by 639 votes.

Other casualties included Peter Bottomley, who had been the longest-serving lawmaker in parliament. The 'Father of the House' - the honorary title bestowed upon the member who had been in parliament the longest - was first elected in 1975 but lost his Worthing West seat.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper lost his seat in the Forest of Dean

Chief Whip Simon Hart lost his seat

In a rare positive for the Tories, Mr Sunak, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Home Secretary James Cleverley held onto their seats in Richmond and North Allerton, Godalming and Ash and Braintree respectively.

Despite suffering a brutal defeat, Mr Rees-Mogg congratulated Sir Keir Starmer on 'what seems to be a historic victory'.

Speaking at the University of Bath after the result was declared, Sir Jacob said: 'May I begin by giving my warmest congratulations to Dan Norris, who has been a servant of North East Somerset or Wansdyke as it then was before and I am sure will be a devoted constituency MP in the future.

'And congratulate Sir Keir Starmer who has led his party to what seems to be a historic victory. And this is the great virtue of our democracy, so I congratulate both of them.'

Sir Jacob then thanked his agent, campaign director and constituency staff who had 'worked so hard over the last 14 years'.
Advertisement

Sir Keir Starmer was this morning basking in a massive general election win following a brutal night for Rishi Sunak's Tories - but Labour's victory is being dubbed a 'loveless landslide' and a 'super meh-jority'.

With nearly all constituencies having declared their results, Labour were found to have won barely one in three votes across the UK.

Polling experts highlighted how Labour's vote share of 33.8 per cent is likely to be less than any of Sir Tony Blair's general election victories in 1997, 2001 or 2005.

It is even less than the 40 per cent vote share hard-left Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn secured in 2017 and lower than the 36.1 per cent David Cameron got for the Conservatives in 2010 when that year's election ended in a hung parliament.

Some newly-elected Labour MPs suggested the public will be thinking about overhauling Britain's voting system in the wake of the party's triumph, while Corbyn's allies swiped that Sir Keir had won 'by default' due to the dramatic collapse in Conservative support.

The catastrophic decline in Tory votes saw the party slump to their lowest ever number of MPs and left Mr Sunak facing his final hours as Prime Minister.

Mr Sunak has flown back to London from his Yorkshire constituency, where he conceded that Sir Keir has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech.

The premier will return to Downing Street, where he is expected to say a few valedictory words before heading to see the King and formally resign.

In an ironic full-circle moment, rain is falling in Westminster - echoing the miserable start to Mr Sunak's ill-fated gamble, when he was drenched while announcing the snap election.

Sir Keir will follow Mr Sunak into Buckingham Palace, before returning to enter the famous black door of No10.

The traditional choreography comes as Labour's majority ticks up to 170, just short of Blair's 179 in 1997, with just a few seats left to declare. The Tories look to be struggling to reach 130 MPs, easily worse than their previous nadir of 156 in 1906.

The Lib Dems also inflicted massive pain on the Tories, racking up a record 71 seats as Reform leeched millions of votes and came second in around a hundred constituencies - but only scored four MPs of their own.

Sir Keir trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons, saying 'we did it!'

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, he said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome.

It came minutes after a broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat.

'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss,' he said.

'To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.'

In a jaw-dropping moment, Liz Truss was among the casualties - giving up a monumental 24,000 majority as she was edged out by Labour in South West Norfolk.

Earlier, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps fell victims to a brutal Tory cull as Labour swept towards election victory.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

Soon afterwards Ms Mordaunt missed out by a similar margin in Portsmouth North, admitting the party had 'broken trust' with voters.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

In other rollercoaster developments:

The Greens have enjoyed a bumper night winning four seats, adding three to their tally from 2019;

Labour's overall support in Britain has only gone up by 2 per cent, according to polling guru John Curtice, and that is entirely due to a 17 point boost in Scotland;

Reform has racked up votes and nearly 100 second places, but fallen short of breakthroughs predicted in the initial exit poll;

Nigel Farage became an MP at the eighth attempt after winning in Clacton, Essex;

The SNP has been among the biggest losers, facing being slashed to nine MPs, meaning they would no longer be the biggest party in Scotland;

George Galloway has been ousted by Labour's Paul Waugh in Rochdale, after winning the seat in a by-election previously;

Turnout has been far lower than at the last few general elections;

The Lib Dems claimed victory in Tunbridge Wells, which has been Tory since the seat was created in the 1970s, in Boris Johnson's old seat of Henley and in David Cameron's stronghold of Witney;

The 2024 general election results in full : Live maps and charts

Rishi Sunak has flown back to London from Yorkshire, where he conceded that Keir Starmer has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech

In an ironic full-circle moment, rain is falling in Westminster - echoing the miserable start to his ill-fated gamble, when he was drenched while announcing the snap election

Mr Sunak has gone to CCHQ to thank staff before drawing a line under his two-year premiership

A broken PM acknowledged that Keir Starmer had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, Keir Starmer said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome

Keir Starmer trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's wife Victoria at a watch party as the results came in

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria pictured arriving at the Tate Modern earlier on Thursday evening

A broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Polling expert Sir John Curtice noted how Labour's vote share was expected to be up by just under two percentage points across the country from 2019.

He said Labour's victory was 'largely on the back of a dramatic 20 point decline in Conservative support'.

In an article for the BBC, Sir John added the increase in Labour's vote share was 'entirely as a result of a 17 point increase in support in Scotland'.

'In Wales, the party's vote has actually fallen back by four points, while in England the party's vote is largely unchanged from 2019,' he wrote.

'It is possible that Labour will secure its landslide on a lower share of the vote (35 per cent in Great Britain) than any of Tony Blair's victories, including the 36 per cent the party won in 2005.

'That itself was hitherto the lowest share of the vote won by a majority single party government. In many ways, this looks more like an election the Conservatives have lost than one Labour has won.'

Asked about her party's low vote share but huge majority, Labour MP Dawn Butler said: 'I think what the discussion will be about will be proportional representation.

'The public will be talking about proportional representation and whether we need to have a debate about it. I've always said that we do need to have a debate about it.'

Former Tory leader William Hague warned Labour their landslide win had not come about due to a 'wave of enthusiasm' and said Sir Keir had to 'show results in a short time' after replacing Mr Sunak as PM.

He told Times Radio: 'When you look at the distribution of the votes, the reason why Labour has won so many seats, a huge proportion of the seats, is that the Conservative vote went down very, very heavily, the heaviest defeat in the whole history of the Conservative Party.

'The Labour vote hasn't actually gone up very much, except in Scotland. But in the rest of the UK, the Labour vote has only crept up, if at all.

'And that is a warning because it shows there isn't a wave of enthusiasm. Unless they show results in a short time, they can have things this way around in five years' time.'

Channel 4 political editor Gary Gibbon said: 'That massive figure has been delivered with a relatively small percentage of the people.

'That looks like love but that is a loveless landslide. There has not been the sort of enthusiasm that you might expect out there.'

Mr Corbyn's former spokesman, Matt Zarb-Cousin, said: 'Labour is already peddling a narrative that this victory is down to a changed Labour Party.

'The reality of course is Keir Starmer was holding the pass the parcel at the right time, when the Tories eventually imploded. So they've won by default, on a lower share of the vote than 2017.'

Welsh Secretary David Davies, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Science minister Michelle Donelan, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk were beaten during a traumatic night for the Tories.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt barely survived in Godalming & Ash. Altogether at least 16 ministers have gone, with Johnny Mercer and Therese Coffey beaten by Labour.

Jacob Rees-Mogg also tumbled in North East Somerset and Hanham. However, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith surprised many by clinging on in Chingford.

There are now no Tory MPs in Wales after Craig Williams, a former Tory aide to Mr Sunak, came third in Mongomeryshire as an independent after being embroiled in a gambling row over the date of the election.

However, there were notable setbacks for Labour with frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth losing to a pro-Gaza independent in Leicester, and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting barely fending off a similar challenge.

Another shadow cabinet minister, Thangam Debonaire, was picked off by the Greens in Bristol Central.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage finally enters Parliament in Clacton after his eighth attempt to become an MP, while his party colleague Lee Anderson has retained Ashfield, Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth and Richard Tice scooped Boston and Skegness.

In his speech at the Tate Modern art gallery, Sir Keir said: 'It feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for  a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

'And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

'And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.'

At his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton, Mr Sunak said: 'The Labour Party has won this General Election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.'

Mr Sunak added: 'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss.'

The Labour leader said 'change begins now' as he was re-elected in Holborn & St Pancras, but his own majority was reduced by a left-wing independent.

Mr Shapps was the first confirmed Cabinet casualty and he hit out at the Tory 'soap opera' which had turned off voters.

'On door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and do that and then be united in public,' he said.

'Instead we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.'

He said there was a danger the Tory party could 'go off on some tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition'.

Read more:

In a dramatic night former prime minister Liz Truss lost her Norfolk South West seat to Labour in King's Lynn, Norfolk

Ms Truss was comforted as she fell to an extraordinary defeat in Norfolk this morning

Jonathan Gullis was evicted from Stoke on Trent North as the drama continued

Mr Gullis has been loyal to Mr Sunak and pleaded for people

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also left Parliament in the Tory bloodbath overnight

Suella Braverman attacked her party for failing to listen to voters

Jeremy Hunt is having to leave Downing Street after being kicked out of government - but holding his seat

Ms Mordaunt, who is likely to have been a leadership contender if she had survived, said her party had taken a 'battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it'.

She too warned against a retreat to the right: 'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, who will now be considered a leading contender to replace Mr Suank, said the party had let the British people down.

'You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises,' she said.

'I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust.

'We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly.'

Party chair Ric Holden won a desperate struggle for Basildon & Billericay, emerging on top by just 20 votes after a series of recounts.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader but stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values.

Sir Keir's ally Lord Mandelson gloated that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.

A dire campaign for Mr Sunak came stuttering to a halt last night, with the PM making a series more defensive visits in the South East.

He now faces being out of Downing Street this morning.

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson told Sky News that it looked like a 'massacre'.

The Tories have quickly plunged into a dangerous new phase of crisis, with questions over whether it can even survive amid the challenge from Reform.

A former Cabinet minister - who regarded their own significant majority as under threat - said Mr Sunak had 'knifed' Boris Johnson and would be remembered as the 'worst PM ever'.

ex-Cabinet minister

's

Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

In the first tangible evidence of the hammering, Labour 's Heidi Alexander took

But Sir Robert gave a stark warning against the Tories lurching to the right, saying the party risked being like 'bald men fighting over a comb' if it treated politics as 'performance art' and tried to outflank Reform.

Sir John Curtice told the BBC: 'It looks as though Reform may win more seats than many polls suggested.

'This is largely because, not only has the Conservative vote fallen far in seats they previously held, but also because Reform has advanced most in areas people voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.

'However, how many seats Reform will win is highly uncertain  our model suggests there are many places where they have some - but a relatively low - chance of winning.'

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough after Reform pushed the Tories into third place in two early constituency results.

On a video posted to X he said: 'It's midnight, there are two results in from the north-east of England that put Reform on 30 per cent of the vote, that is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It is almost unbelievable.

'And what does it mean? It means we're going to win seats, many many seats I think right now across the country.

'But to watch the TV coverage it's almost comical. There's not a single representative on there from Reform UK, mainstream media are in denial just as much as our political parties.

'This is going to be six million votes-plus. This, folks, is huge.'

A Conservative spokesman said they had to wait for the full outcome, but added: 'If these results are correct it is clear that Starmer and Angela Rayner will be in Downing Street tomorrow.'

Conservatives with big majorities had become increasingly nervous during the day, despite CCHQ claiming that higher-than-expected turnout could help them.

One former Cabinet minister told MailOnline: 'There appears to be a bigger turnout than normal in some of my areas. Not all though.

'That would seem to indicate a determination on the part of the electorate to make their views heard, almost certainly likely to be against the Tories.'

Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock said the exit poll's landslide prediction was 'the greatest comeback since Lazarus'.

The former Labour leader told ITV News: 'A gain of 208, according to the exit poll, which is attributable directly to Keir Starmer and what he's achieved in four years, two of which of course were during the lockdown, or the virtual lockdown when the one thing that opposition leaders depend on  contact with the public  was absent.

'It's the biggest comeback since Lazarus.'

He went on: 'I must say I'm just ecstatic about the fact that an entirely dependable, fully grown-up guy, Keir Starmer, and his wife, are going to go through that door tomorrow. I have unalloyed and unreserved delight.'

Less than an hour before the exit poll dropped, Downing Street released a dissolution honours list - sending seven Tories and eight Labour politicians to the Lords. They include Theresa May, Rishi Sunak's chief aide Liam Booth-Smith, Chris Grayling and former 1922 committee chair Graham Brady.

Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett are among those on the Labour list - despite Sir Keir having committed to abolishing the Upper House.

Mr Sunak took a huge political gamble and shocked Westminster by triggering the election on May 22, rather than waiting until the Autumn as had been widely expected.

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton seat, the eighth time he has attempted to become an MP

Penny Mordaunt was among the Cabinet ministers washed away in the red wave

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman , at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values

Jeremy Hunt is fighting to cling on to his Surrey constituency

Lord Mandelson said an electoral 'meteor' had hit British politics

Moments after ballot stations closed at 10pm, the dramatic exit poll was released - showing Sir Keir winning 410 of the 650 seats

It initially looked to be paying off, with early policies from the Tory campaign - such as national citizen service - seeming to cut through.

In a big moment, Mr Farage responded by ruling out standing as a Reform candidate, admitting he did not have time to put together a campaign.

But even then the Tories did not see a real bounce in the polls. The Tories lost key legislation including Mr Sunak's flagship smoking ban during the 'wash-up' as Parliament was dissolved for the campaign.

Your browser does not support iframes.

And then a grim week in early June saw things go spectacularly downhill, with Mr Farage dropping the bombshell that had changed his mind and was taking over the leadership of Reform as well as standing to be MP for Clacton.

Although Mr Sunak was seen as landing blows on Sir Keir over tax during their first TV debate on June 4, disaster struck when the PM opted to return early from D-Day anniversary commemorations in France to conduct an interview with ITV.

A subsequent grovelling apology did not prevent Mr Farage and opponents seizing on the blunder, which struck right at the heart of the Tory goal of shoring up the core vote among older generations.

With polls already showing Reform eating into Tory support with potent attacks on immigration, Mr Sunak was then engulfed in another scandal.

It emerged that his closest Parliamentary aide, Craig Williams had successfully placed bets on the date of the snap election - although he insisted he did not have any inside information.

Other candidates and top party officials were then dragged into the allegations, which proved particularly toxic with the public.

Mr Sunak was memorably challenged on the issue during TV appearances, admitting he was 'incredibly angry'. But he was seen as taking far too long to withdraw support for candidates facing allegations.

With some polls even showing Reform ahead of the Tories, CCHQ shifted tactics to warn of the threat of a divided Right handing Labour a 'supermajority' with untrammeled power.

That together with controversial remarks from Mr Farage about the West 'provoking' Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and revelations about unsavoury comments by a series of Reform candidates looked to have stopped the bleeding.

But after a bruising six weeks Labour's huge advantage was intact, and the only significant change was that the Tories had lost ground to Reform.

By yesterday, despite Mr Sunak's claim he was 'fighting hard for every vote', his close ally Mel Stride was effectively acknowledging the Conservatives would lose - an unprecedented step.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said Labour would get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

As tension built through election day, the Tories claimed a higher-than-expected turnout had left them with a 'MUCH better chance' than cataclysmic polls had suggested.

An email to Conservative supporters, signed from the 'CCHQ Data Team', read: 'We're getting reports from our teams on the ground. And the more reports we get, the more it looks like turnout is higher than expected.

'That means we could have a MUCH better chance than polls have suggested. So if you haven't voted yet, now's the time to get out.'

Queues of people were seen at polling stations as the requirement for voters to bring correct photo identification - such as a passport or driving licence - was enforced at a UK general election for the first time.

There was a bungle at a Glasgow polling station this morning as voters were met with posters listing the wrong instructions, which erroneously advised the ranking of candidates in order of preference.

This is how ballots are cast in local elections in Scotland, which use the single transferable vote system. But general elections use the first-past-the-post system, which requires voters to put a single 'X' next to their chosen candidate.

Glasgow City Council explained the error was spotted 'very soon' after the polling station opened at 7am and the posters were replaced with the correct information. It said no-one had been disenfranchised as voters' first preferences would be used from the affected ballots.

Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch this afternoon blasted her own local council for having 'potentially disenfranchised' thousands of postal voters who did not receive their ballot papers.

The Business Secretary hit out at Uttlesford District Council for 'forgetting' to send postal votes to 2,600 people in her North West Essex seat.

Prior to polls opening this morning, Rishi Sunak made an 11th-hour plea for voters to prevent a 'socialist supermajority' wrecking Britain, as he repeated his warning against handing Sir Keir 'unchecked' power.
The distraught owner of a rare watch which was a family heirloom is offering a 10,000 reward for information on the gang who robbed him.

Asking not to be named for fear of reprisals, the victim explained he had waited for more than two years for the police to catch the robber but nothing had happened.

The man now feels his only option to to personally front up a cash reward for any details leading to the return of his treasured family possession.

On 25 June, 2022 he was enjoying his 50th birthday at the Nici hotel in Bournemouth, when he realised he was being watched.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus watch which was robbed from the victim on his 50th birthday

On his wrist he was wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus, a watch which can sell for more than 100,000.

Along with a group of friends he went to a nearby Indian restaurant and was followed by a group of men.

Having finished his meal, he ordered a taxi and as he went to open the car door his watch was snatched from him.

Bravely he attempted to chase his attacker but was blocked off by a gang of roughly ten teenagers.

The Nici hotel in Bournemouth where the victim was celebrating his 50th birthday party.

He said: 'I have only worn the watch about five times and I wouldn't have worn it if I'd realised we were going out in Bournemouth.

'I was getting in the taxi, when you think you're safe. He hooked his hands under my watch so all he had to do was release the clasp. It was very quick.

'The assailant was waiting outside the restaurant the whole time. He knew where the cameras were and had a hoody on.'

The victim condemned Dorset Police's original investigation saying they did not take the robbery seriously.

He said the gang was organsied and would return to the area if they felt they could commit crimes and get away with them without fear of imprisonment.

He added: 'The police's attitude seemed to be 'it's just a watch', but if I had been robbed of that value in cash, they would have treated it as a serious crime.

'I told them my friends were happy to be interviewed and could give descriptions of the people seen at the hotel bar but they said they didn't need to interview any witnesses because the Nici has CCTV.

'I chased if they had the CCTV and the detective said he'd do it when he got back from holiday. By the time he contacted the hotel, about 25 days after the robbery, they had recorded over it and they lost all that evidence.'

Dorset police acknowledged their first investigation could have been better in a letter to the victim.

Detective superintendent Steve May, of Dorset Police, said: 'We acknowledge that there could have been more done in the early stages when this incident was reported to Dorset Police. Since this occurred in 2022, we have changed the process when an initial report is made so that the value of items stolen is now recorded.'
An expectant grandfather is dead after he became embroiled in an altercation that turned physical with his neighbors in a rural part of Maryland in June.

According to the Montgomery County Police, Marvin Guevara Guevara, 40, got into a spat with a female neighbor over the victim's dogs running loose on her property. The argument escalated with the woman hitting Guevara Guevara in the head.

The man was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on June 30. The incident occurred in Germantown, around 50 miles west of Baltimore.

The dogs are thought to have escaped through a hole in a fence, making their way on to the neighbor's land.

A witness to the fatal incident, Guevara Guevara's daughter-in-law, Flor Flores, told the station that she saw the victim being attacked from behind.

Flores told NBC Washington that they were going to the neighbor's land to apologize alongside Guevara Guevara's daughter, 10.

Marvin Guevara Guevara, 40, was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his first grandchild in August

One of Marvin Guevara Guevara's neighbors shown here in the aftermath of the altercation

The victim's family said that he went over to his neighbor's home to apologize about the dogs constantly going on their property

'[The neighbor] went then and like slapped him on the side of his face and she wanted to hit him again. But this is when I grabbed my phone and I recorded. He did not deserve that,' she said.

Footage of the aftermath of Guevara Guevara being hit has been released, showing a group of adults arguing. That video was recorded by Flores. The clip begins after the fists started flying.

The husband of the woman involved in the brawl told a FoxDC reporter that the victim had been trespassing for over a year.

Guevara Guevara's wife, Sandra Beltran, told DC NewsNow that her husband did not raise his arms to the victim and that he was using them to cover his own head.

Beltran went on to accuse the neighbors of hurling insults at Guevara Guevara when he came to apologize about the dogs. 'He's no longer here,' she told the channel, through tears.

She said that the incident began when her daughter-in-law frantically called Guevara Guevara to come home on the fateful because their neighbors had come to their home complaining about the dogs.

On June 25, Guevara Guevara emerged from his coma and was discharged from a hospital and sent home to continue his recovery. A day later, he became extremely ill once more and was brought back to the hospital where he later died.

'I really thought my dad was going to make it. He's a really strong man. Was a really strong man. My dad got hurt really bad,' Guevara Guevara's son, Marvin Junior, told FoxDC.

Marvin said that he rushed home when he heard his dad was involved in a fight. He said Guevara Guevara was 'dizzy and struggling' after being hit multiple times.

'He was a wonderful person; always smiled. He was always there for others - always had a good heart,' Marvin Guevara Jr. said.

'This is just something that didn't have to happen over some dogs. We just want peace from everything. We just want things to get done right,' Flores added speaking to the NBC affiliate.

A GoFundMe page has been launched in order to help Guevara Guevara's family. On that page, he is described as an avid church-goer and native of El Salvador.

In August, his first grandchild was due to be born.

'I was like: "You're going to teach her how to walk,"' Flores said. 'And he said, "I'm going to teach her how to ride a horse,"' she added.

'My daughter draw photos of my husband. She tells him, "Daddy, I'm always going to love you." Our children were everything to him,' Beltran said.

At the time of writing, not charges have been brought in the death. On July 2, local police announcing that an investigation had been launched.

Guevara Guevara's cause of death has not been made public.
Do YOU know who the men shouting at Jess Phillips were? Email tips@dailymail.com

Jess Phillips used her victory speech to declare that the 'pretty gruesome' campaign for her seat was 'the worst election I have ever stood in' - as she was drowned out by boos and chants of 'Free Palestine'.

The Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley suffered jeers by pro-Palestinian supporters after she beat an independent by just 693.

She looked furious and yelled back: 'I understand that a strong woman standing up to you is met with such reticence' before asking for the mob to be thrown out, pointing at them and saying: 'Can you throw them out?'

Jess said that a young woman delivering leaflets for her yesterday was filmed by her rivals 'and screamed at by a much older man' and then had her tyres slashed. She also said she declined the help of the family of murdered MP Jo Cox because of the violence in her area.

She added: 'I didn't bring my children here tonight, because I knew this would happen and they deserve better.

'It's been pretty gruelling here, I'm afraid to say some of my opponents did not reflect at all the manner in which some of my constituents behaved which was with decorum and class.'

After her majority shrank to three figures, she was interrupted by shouts of 'Jody, Jody' - in support of the her rival Jody McIntyre.

Labour's Jess Phillips is booed as she wins her general election count after being closely run by Jody McIntyre, another pro-Gaza independent. The Returning Officer (right) tried to calm them down before she asked for them to be thrown out

The crowd filming and heckling Ms Phillips last night

The Labour MP only beat independent rival Jody McIntyre by around 700 votes

Labour's Jess Phillips reacts to being jeered

She accused her opponents of violence and intimidation

She looked furious and yelled back: ' I understand that a strong woman standing up to you is met with such reticence'

She was run close by her pro-Palestine rival Jody McIntyre (pictured waving)

There were also calls of 'free Palestine' and 'shame on you' after she narrowly managed to hold on to her seat, scraping 11,275 votes compared to the 10,582 won by Workers Party candidate McIntyre.

Ms Phillips hit back at the hecklers: 'I see we're going to continue with the class that we had during the campaign... I understand that a strong woman standing up to you is met with such reticence.'

She also thanked West Midlands Police for their response to the 'aggression that we have suffered' during the six-week campaign.

Sir Keir Starmer was also heckled with shouts of 'Free Palestine' both at the polling station in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency and at his election count as he was declared to have won his seat.

Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth was unseated by an independent in Leicester South.

Mr Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general who has made media appearances for the party during Labour's election campaign, was defeated by independent candidate Shockat Adam.

His main policies include 'standing for global peace and justice', and he writes on his website: 'I will champion Leicester's values of global peace and justice, which have been neglected by the current government. Our constituency MP refused to vote for a ceasefire to end the bloodshed in Gaza, resulting in the needless deaths of thousands of innocent civilians.'

Jess thanked her supporters after a troublesome campaign almost cost her her seat

Ms Phillips said 2024 was 'the worst election I have ever stood in' - but she held on

In Dewsbury and Batley, independent candidate Iqbal Mohamed, whose key focus areas include a ceasefire and peace agreement in Gaza, beat the Labour candidate Heather Iqbal.

In Blackburn, Labour's Kate Hollern lost to Adnan Hussain, who said in his online statement to voters: 'I promise to make your concerns against the injustice being inflicted against the people of Gaza be heard in the places where our so-called representatives failed.'

In Birmingham Perry Barr, Labour's Khalid Mahmood lost the seat to independent Ayoub Khan by 507 votes.

Birmingham Live previously reported Mr Khan was one of several candidates in the city who wanted to stand in the election 'with a strong emphasis on the Gaza situation'.

Labour's Paul Waugh meanwhile won Rochdale from Workers Party leader George Galloway, just months after he won the seat in a shock by-election dominated by the Gaza war.

Mr Galloway, a former Labour and Respect member, swept to victory in Rochdale in February gaining almost 40% of the vote.

Palestine has been a major theme of Mr Galloway's political career, throughout which he has voiced ferocious opposition to British and US foreign policies, both in the Middle East and, more recently, in their support for Ukraine.

Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meanwhile ran as an independent and successfully retained his long-held seat of Islington North in London. He beat his Labour rival by more than 7,000 votes.

Read More:

Your browser does not support iframes.

He has long been a pro-Palestine voice and his platform included demanding an end to the occupation of Palestinian Territories.

Independent candidate Faiza Shaheen blamed Labour for letting former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith win in Chingford and Woodford Green, saying the vote was split between her and her Labour challenger.

Ms Shaheen was dropped by Labour as its candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green after liking a series of posts on social media platform X that allegedly downplayed antisemitism allegations.

She wrote on X: 'Our vote was a combination of those appalled by how I was treated, those who took issue with having an imposed candidate who didn't know us, those who were never going to vote Labour after Starmer's stance on Gaza, and those that have never voted before.

'Labour split the vote the moment they deselected me.'

Sir Keir's position on the Gaza conflict has previously caused unease among some in his party, with the leader facing criticism for not calling for an immediate ceasefire sooner.

In its manifesto, the Labour party committed to recognising a Palestinian state.

The Labour Party faced setbacks in the local elections in some previously safe areas, particularly those with large Muslim populations.
Douglas Ross last night lost his bid for a seat at Westminster after a surge in votes for Reform.

The outgoing leader of the Scottish Tories fought the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency in the stead of former MP David Duguid, who was stopped from standing by party bosses due to ill health.

But he was beaten by SNP candidate Seamus Logan, who won 13,455 votes to Mr Rosss 12,513.

Douglas Ross lose the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat to the SNP's Seamus Logan

Initially, Mr Ross had intended to stand down from Westminster, but reversed course in the midst of the campaign to take on the seat.

His decision raised the ire of opponents and those within the party, leading to him announcing he will stand down as the partys leader north of the border.

As a result of losing the seat, Mr Ross will remain a backbench MSP at Holyrood.

Mr Ross blamed the Reform vote for his seat loss but said a drift to the right to tackle this is not inevitable.

He said: The Reform vote was clearly the big factor here with it being the highest Reform vote anywhere in Scotland.

Its been a difficult, difficult night for the entire Conservative Party.

He added: I accept my own share of responsibility, both locally and nationally, Im never going to walk away from that.

I will carry that burden but we also have to look at how we come back from this as a Conservative Party across the United Kingdom and how we immediately start to challenge this new Government thats going to be formed by Keir Starmer because, with their majority, they need to be checked by the opposition parties in the House of Commons.
Advertisement

Rishi Sunak bade an emotional final goodbye to Downing Street today after leading the Tories to their worst ever election result - with Keir Starmer waiting in the wings to take over.

Flanked by clearly emotional wife Akshata Murty, the outgoing Prime Minister delivered his parting statement as he prepared to head for Buckingham Palace to formally tender his resignation to the King and bring an end to 14 years of Conservative government.

The weather held off - in contrast to when he called the election back in May - as he said he was 'sorry' and had 'heard the anger' of the country and the 'clear message' delivered via the ballot box.

'I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear message, and yours is the only judgement that matters,' he said.

'This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honoured to have been prime minister of the best country in the world.'

Mr Sunak said he would resign as Tory leader once a replacement had been chosen. He also paid tribute to Sir Keir as a public servant, wishing him and his family well in their new duties.

After his short speech the couple - not accompanied by their daughters and with Akshata carrying an umbrella - walked hand-in-hand to a waiting car and were driven away to see the King.

A statement from Buckingham Palace a short time later said: 'The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak MP had an audience of The King this morning and tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, which His Majesty was graciously pleased to accept.'

Sir Keir is basking in a massive general election win following a brutal night for the Conservatives - but Labour's victory is being dubbed a 'loveless landslide' and a 'super meh-jority'.

With nearly all constituencies having declared their results, Labour were found to have won barely one in three votes across the UK.

Polling experts highlighted how Labour's vote share of 33.8 per cent is likely to be less than any of Sir Tony Blair's general election victories in 1997, 2001 or 2005.

It is even less than the 40 per cent vote share hard-left Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn secured in 2017 and lower than the 36.1 per cent David Cameron got for the Conservatives in 2010 when that year's election ended in a hung parliament.

Some newly-elected Labour MPs suggested the public will be thinking about overhauling Britain's voting system in the wake of the party's triumph, while Corbyn's allies swiped that Sir Keir had won 'by default' due to the dramatic collapse in Conservative support.

Mr Sunak flew back to London this morning from his Yorkshire constituency, where he conceded that Sir Keir has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech.

In an ironic full-circle moment, rain has been falling in Westminster - echoing the miserable start to Mr Sunak's ill-fated gamble, when he was drenched while announcing the snap election.

Sir Keir followed Mr Sunak into Buckingham Palace, before returning to enter the famous black door of No10.

The traditional choreography comes as Labour's majority ticks up to 170, just short of Blair's 179 in 1997, with just a few seats left to declare. The Tories look to be struggling to reach 130 MPs, easily worse than their previous nadir of 156 in 1906.

The Lib Dems also inflicted massive pain on the Tories, racking up a record 71 seats as Reform leeched millions of votes and came second in around a hundred constituencies - but only scored four MPs of their own.

Sir Keir trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons, saying 'we did it!'

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, he said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome.

In a jaw-dropping moment, Liz Truss was among the casualties - giving up a monumental 24,000 majority as she was edged out by Labour in South West Norfolk.

Earlier, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps fell victims to a brutal Tory cull as Labour swept towards election victory.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

In other rollercoaster developments:

The Greens have enjoyed a bumper night winning five seats, adding four to their tally from 2019;

Labour's overall support in Britain has only gone up by 2 per cent, according to polling guru John Curtice, and that is entirely due to a 19 per cent boost in Scotland;

Reform has racked up votes and nearly 100 second places, but fallen short of breakthroughs predicted in the initial exit poll;

The SNP has been among the biggest losers, facing being slashed to eight MPs, meaning they would no longer be the biggest party in Scotland;

George Galloway has been ousted by Labour's Paul Waugh in Rochdale, after winning the seat in a by-election previously;

Turnout has been far lower than at the last few general elections;

The Lib Dems claimed victory in Tunbridge Wells, which has been Tory since the seat was created in the 1970s, in Boris Johnson's old seat of Henley and in David Cameron's stronghold of Witney;

The 2024 general election results in full : Live maps and charts

Flanked by clearly emotional wife Akshata, the PM delivered his parting statement as he prepares to head for Buckingham Palace where he will formally tender his resignation to the King

Akshata was carrying an umbrella as the couple emerged in Downing Street - as it was threatening to rain as it did when he announced the election

Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty left 10 Downing Street following the traditional 'clapping out' by Downing Street staff and his special advisors.

The Sunaks walked away hand in hand after he made his short and emotional farewell speech

Mr Sunak flew back to London this morning from his Yorkshire constituency, where he conceded that Sir Keir has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech.

During the King's earlier audience with Rishi Sunak, the politician, whose Conservative Party experienced a crushing defeat by Labour at the polls, resigned as prime minister and recommended Sir Keir be invited to form a new Government. The crucial moment of Sir Keir's audience will see the King formally ask him to form the next administration and towards the end of the discussions the politician's wife will join the meeting.

The couple walked away to be taken to the Palace, where Mr Sunak told the King he was resigning

The outgoing PM was greeted by the King's aides at Buckingham Palace this morning as the traditional handover happened

Rishi Sunak has flown back to London from Yorkshire, where he conceded that Keir Starmer has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech

Mr Sunak has gone to CCHQ to thank staff before drawing a line under his two-year premiership

A broken PM acknowledged that Keir Starmer had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, Keir Starmer said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome

Keir Starmer trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's wife Victoria at a watch party as the results came in

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria pictured arriving at the Tate Modern earlier on Thursday evening

A broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

It came minutes after a broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat.

'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss,' he said.

'To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.'

Rishi Sunak's resignation speech in full 'Good morning. 'I will shortly be seeing His Majesty the King to offer my resignation as Prime Minister. 'To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry. 'I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the Government of the United Kingdom must change. 'And yours is the only judgment that matters. 'I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss. 'To all the Conservative candidates and campaigners who worked tirelessly but without success: Im sorry that we could not deliver what your efforts deserved. 'It pains me to think how many good colleagues, who contributed so much to their communities and our country, will now no longer sit in the House of Commons. 'I thank them for their hard work and their service. 'Following this result, I will step down as party leader - not immediately but once the formal arrangements for selecting my successor are in place. 'It is important that after 14 years in government the Conservative Party rebuilds. 'But also that it takes up its crucial role in opposition professionally and effectively. 'When I first stood here as your prime minister I told you my most important task I had was to return stability to our economy. 'Inflation is back to target, mortgage rates are falling and growth has returned. 'We have enhanced our standing in the world, rebuilding relations with allies, leading global efforts to support Ukraine and becoming the home of new generation of transformative technologies. 'And our United Kingdom is stronger too with the Windsor Framework, devolution restored in Northern Ireland, and our Union strengthened. 'I'm proud of those achievements. I believe this country is safer, stronger and more secure than it was 20 months ago. 'And it is more prosperous, fairer and resilient than it was in 2010. 'Whilst he has been my political opponent, Sir Keir Starmer will shortly become our prime minister. 'In this job, his successes will be all our successes, and I wish him and his family well. 'Whatever our disagreements in this campaign, he is a decent, public-spirited man who I respect. 'He and his family deserve the very best of our understanding as they make the huge transition to their new lives behind this door. 'And as he grapples with this most demanding of jobs in an increasingly unstable world. 'Id like to thank my colleagues, my Cabinet, the Civil Service, especially here in Downing Street, the team at Chequers, my staff, CCHQ. 'But, most of all, Id like to express my gratitude to my wife Akshata and our beautiful daughters. 'I can never thank them enough for the sacrifices they have made so that I might serve our country. 'One of the most remarkable things about Britain is just how unremarkable it is that two generations after my grandparents came here with little, I could become Prime Minister. 'And that I could watch my two young daughters light Diwali candles on the steps in Downing Street. 'We must hold true to that idea of who we are. That vision of kindness, decency and tolerance that has always been the British way. 'This is a difficult day at the end of a number of difficult days. But I leave this job honoured to have been your Prime Minister. 'This is the best country in the world. And it is thanks entirely to you, the British people, the true source of all our achievements, our strengths and our greatness. 'Thank you.' Advertisement

Polling expert Sir John Curtice noted how Labour's vote share was expected to be up by just under two percentage points across the country from 2019.

He said Labour's victory was 'largely on the back of a dramatic 20 point decline in Conservative support'.

In an article for the BBC, Sir John added the increase in Labour's vote share was 'entirely as a result of a 17 point increase in support in Scotland'.

'In Wales, the party's vote has actually fallen back by four points, while in England the party's vote is largely unchanged from 2019,' he wrote.

'It is possible that Labour will secure its landslide on a lower share of the vote (35 per cent in Great Britain) than any of Tony Blair's victories, including the 36 per cent the party won in 2005.

'That itself was hitherto the lowest share of the vote won by a majority single party government. In many ways, this looks more like an election the Conservatives have lost than one Labour has won.'

Asked about her party's low vote share but huge majority, Labour MP Dawn Butler said: 'I think what the discussion will be about will be proportional representation.

'The public will be talking about proportional representation and whether we need to have a debate about it. I've always said that we do need to have a debate about it.'

Channel 4 political editor Gary Gibbon said: 'That massive figure has been delivered with a relatively small percentage of the people.

'That looks like love but that is a loveless landslide. There has not been the sort of enthusiasm that you might expect out there.'

Mr Corbyn's former spokesman, Matt Zarb-Cousin, said: 'Labour is already peddling a narrative that this victory is down to a changed Labour Party.

'The reality of course is Keir Starmer was holding the pass the parcel at the right time, when the Tories eventually imploded. So they've won by default, on a lower share of the vote than 2017.'

Welsh Secretary David Davies, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Science minister Michelle Donelan, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk were beaten during a traumatic night for the Tories.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt barely survived in Godalming & Ash. Altogether at least 16 ministers have gone, with Johnny Mercer and Therese Coffey beaten by Labour.

Jacob Rees-Mogg also tumbled in North East Somerset and Hanham. However, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith surprised many by clinging on in Chingford.

There are now no Tory MPs in Wales after Craig Williams, a former Tory aide to Mr Sunak, came third in Mongomeryshire as an independent after being embroiled in a gambling row over the date of the election.

However, there were notable setbacks for Labour with frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth losing to a pro-Gaza independent in Leicester, and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting barely fending off a similar challenge.

Another shadow cabinet minister, Thangam Debonaire, was picked off by the Greens in Bristol Central.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage finally enters Parliament in Clacton after his eighth attempt to become an MP, while his party colleague Lee Anderson has retained Ashfield, Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth and Richard Tice scooped Boston and Skegness.

In his speech at the Tate Modern art gallery, Sir Keir said: 'It feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for  a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

'And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

'And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.'

At his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton, Mr Sunak said: 'The Labour Party has won this General Election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.'

Mr Sunak added: 'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss.'

The Labour leader said 'change begins now' as he was re-elected in Holborn & St Pancras, but his own majority was reduced by a left-wing independent.

Mr Shapps was the first confirmed Cabinet casualty and he hit out at the Tory 'soap opera' which had turned off voters.

'On door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and do that and then be united in public,' he said.

'Instead we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.'

He said there was a danger the Tory party could 'go off on some tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition'.

Ms Mordaunt, who is likely to have been a leadership contender if she had survived, said her party had taken a 'battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it'.

She too warned against a retreat to the right: 'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, who will now be considered a leading contender to replace Mr Suank, said the party had let the British people down.

'You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises,' she said.

In a dramatic night former prime minister Liz Truss lost her Norfolk South West seat to Labour in King's Lynn, Norfolk

Ms Truss was comforted as she fell to an extraordinary defeat in Norfolk this morning

Jonathan Gullis was evicted from Stoke on Trent North as the drama continued today

Mr Gullis has been loyal to Mr Sunak and pleaded for people

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also left Parliament in the Tory bloodbath overnight

Suella Braverman attacked her party for failing to listen to voters

Jeremy Hunt is having to leave Downing Street after being kicked out of government - but holding his seat

'I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust.

'We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly.'

Party chair Ric Holden won a desperate struggle for Basildon & Billericay, emerging on top by just 20 votes after a series of recounts.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader but stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values.

Sir Keir's ally Lord Mandelson gloated that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.

A dire campaign for Mr Sunak came stuttering to a halt last night, with the PM making a series more defensive visits in the South East.

He now faces being out of Downing Street this morning.

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson told Sky News that it looked like a 'massacre'.

The Tories have quickly plunged into a dangerous new phase of crisis, with questions over whether it can even survive amid the challenge from Reform.

A former Cabinet minister - who regarded their own significant majority as under threat - said Mr Sunak had 'knifed' Boris Johnson and would be remembered as the 'worst PM ever'.

ex-Cabinet minister

's

Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

In the first tangible evidence of the hammering, Labour 's Heidi Alexander took

But Sir Robert gave a stark warning against the Tories lurching to the right, saying the party risked being like 'bald men fighting over a comb' if it treated politics as 'performance art' and tried to outflank Reform.

Sir John Curtice told the BBC: 'It looks as though Reform may win more seats than many polls suggested.

'This is largely because, not only has the Conservative vote fallen far in seats they previously held, but also because Reform has advanced most in areas people voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.

'However, how many seats Reform will win is highly uncertain  our model suggests there are many places where they have some - but a relatively low - chance of winning.'

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough after Reform pushed the Tories into third place in two early constituency results.

On a video posted to X he said: 'It's midnight, there are two results in from the north-east of England that put Reform on 30 per cent of the vote, that is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It is almost unbelievable.

'And what does it mean? It means we're going to win seats, many many seats I think right now across the country.

'But to watch the TV coverage it's almost comical. There's not a single representative on there from Reform UK, mainstream media are in denial just as much as our political parties.

'This is going to be six million votes-plus. This, folks, is huge.'

A Conservative spokesman said they had to wait for the full outcome, but added: 'If these results are correct it is clear that Starmer and Angela Rayner will be in Downing Street tomorrow.'

Conservatives with big majorities had become increasingly nervous during the day, despite CCHQ claiming that higher-than-expected turnout could help them.

One former Cabinet minister told MailOnline: 'There appears to be a bigger turnout than normal in some of my areas. Not all though.

'That would seem to indicate a determination on the part of the electorate to make their views heard, almost certainly likely to be against the Tories.'

Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock said the exit poll's landslide prediction was 'the greatest comeback since Lazarus'.

The former Labour leader told ITV News: 'A gain of 208, according to the exit poll, which is attributable directly to Keir Starmer and what he's achieved in four years, two of which of course were during the lockdown, or the virtual lockdown when the one thing that opposition leaders depend on  contact with the public  was absent.

'It's the biggest comeback since Lazarus.'

He went on: 'I must say I'm just ecstatic about the fact that an entirely dependable, fully grown-up guy, Keir Starmer, and his wife, are going to go through that door tomorrow. I have unalloyed and unreserved delight.'

Less than an hour before the exit poll dropped, Downing Street released a dissolution honours list - sending seven Tories and eight Labour politicians to the Lords. They include Theresa May, Rishi Sunak's chief aide Liam Booth-Smith, Chris Grayling and former 1922 committee chair Graham Brady.

Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett are among those on the Labour list - despite Sir Keir having committed to abolishing the Upper House.

Mr Sunak took a huge political gamble and shocked Westminster by triggering the election on May 22, rather than waiting until the Autumn as had been widely expected.

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton seat, the eighth time he has attempted to become an MP

Penny Mordaunt was among the Cabinet ministers washed away in the red wave

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman , at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values

Jeremy Hunt is fighting to cling on to his Surrey constituency

Lord Mandelson said an electoral 'meteor' had hit British politics

Moments after ballot stations closed at 10pm, the dramatic exit poll was released - showing Sir Keir winning 410 of the 650 seats

It initially looked to be paying off, with early policies from the Tory campaign - such as national citizen service - seeming to cut through.

In a big moment, Mr Farage responded by ruling out standing as a Reform candidate, admitting he did not have time to put together a campaign.

But even then the Tories did not see a real bounce in the polls. The Tories lost key legislation including Mr Sunak's flagship smoking ban during the 'wash-up' as Parliament was dissolved for the campaign.

Your browser does not support iframes.

And then a grim week in early June saw things go spectacularly downhill, with Mr Farage dropping the bombshell that had changed his mind and was taking over the leadership of Reform as well as standing to be MP for Clacton.

Although Mr Sunak was seen as landing blows on Sir Keir over tax during their first TV debate on June 4, disaster struck when the PM opted to return early from D-Day anniversary commemorations in France to conduct an interview with ITV.

A subsequent grovelling apology did not prevent Mr Farage and opponents seizing on the blunder, which struck right at the heart of the Tory goal of shoring up the core vote among older generations.

With polls already showing Reform eating into Tory support with potent attacks on immigration, Mr Sunak was then engulfed in another scandal.

It emerged that his closest Parliamentary aide, Craig Williams had successfully placed bets on the date of the snap election - although he insisted he did not have any inside information.

Other candidates and top party officials were then dragged into the allegations, which proved particularly toxic with the public.

Mr Sunak was memorably challenged on the issue during TV appearances, admitting he was 'incredibly angry'. But he was seen as taking far too long to withdraw support for candidates facing allegations.

With some polls even showing Reform ahead of the Tories, CCHQ shifted tactics to warn of the threat of a divided Right handing Labour a 'supermajority' with untrammeled power.

That together with controversial remarks from Mr Farage about the West 'provoking' Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and revelations about unsavoury comments by a series of Reform candidates looked to have stopped the bleeding.

But after a bruising six weeks Labour's huge advantage was intact, and the only significant change was that the Tories had lost ground to Reform.

By yesterday, despite Mr Sunak's claim he was 'fighting hard for every vote', his close ally Mel Stride was effectively acknowledging the Conservatives would lose - an unprecedented step.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said Labour would get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

As tension built through election day, the Tories claimed a higher-than-expected turnout had left them with a 'MUCH better chance' than cataclysmic polls had suggested.

An email to Conservative supporters, signed from the 'CCHQ Data Team', read: 'We're getting reports from our teams on the ground. And the more reports we get, the more it looks like turnout is higher than expected.

'That means we could have a MUCH better chance than polls have suggested. So if you haven't voted yet, now's the time to get out.'

Queues of people were seen at polling stations today as the requirement for voters to bring correct photo identification - such as a passport or driving licence - was enforced at a UK general election for the first time.

There was a bungle at a Glasgow polling station this morning as voters were met with posters listing the wrong instructions, which erroneously advised the ranking of candidates in order of preference.

This is how ballots are cast in local elections in Scotland, which use the single transferable vote system. But general elections use the first-past-the-post system, which requires voters to put a single 'X' next to their chosen candidate.

Glasgow City Council explained the error was spotted 'very soon' after the polling station opened at 7am and the posters were replaced with the correct information. It said no-one had been disenfranchised as voters' first preferences would be used from the affected ballots.

Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch this afternoon blasted her own local council for having 'potentially disenfranchised' thousands of postal voters who did not receive their ballot papers.

The Business Secretary hit out at Uttlesford District Council for 'forgetting' to send postal votes to 2,600 people in her North West Essex seat.

Prior to polls opening this morning, Rishi Sunak made an 11th-hour plea for voters to prevent a 'socialist supermajority' wrecking Britain, as he repeated his warning against handing Sir Keir 'unchecked' power.
A man who allegedly stole a gorilla statue from a retirement home has been charged after handing himself into police.

'Garry' the 1.5 metre silverback gorilla statue disappeared from the Leith Park retirement village at St Helena, in Melbourne's northeast, on June 6.

Victoria Police this week tracked the statue down to a yard of a property in the nearby suburb of Reservoir before returning Garry to the retirement village on Wednesday.

A 33-year-old man from Heidelberg Heights, about 7km from Reservoir, handed himself into police and was interviewed on Friday morning.

He has since been charged with theft, handle stolen goods and drive whilst disqualified.

During a raid of his home, police also found 24 suspectedly stolen drivers' licenses and prescription medication.

The Police Air Wing had been called in to conduct a covert fly over of the house in Reservoir on Monday before Garry was spotted between two sheds.

Investigators have admitted they don't know what prompted the man to allegedly steal the statue.

The 33-year-old was granted bail and is due to appear at Heidelberg Magistrates' Court on August 30.

'Garry' the 1.5 metre silverback gorilla statue disappeared from the Leith Park retirement village at St Helena, in Melbourne 's northeast, on June 6
Serial child killer Lucy Letby cried out 'I'm innocent' as she was handed her 15th life order today for attempting to murder a premature baby girl.

Letby was sentenced for deliberately dislodging the breathing tube of Baby K - an infant so tiny she would have fitted in the killer's open palm  during a night shift on the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit in February 2016.

The judge demanded that Letby attend court to hear her sentence read out this morning, after the killer refused to appear at the previous sentencing in August.

The most prolific child killer in modern British history was 26 when she dislodged Baby K's breathing tube in the first hours of her life before trying a further two times in the following hours. The infant was transferred to a specialist hospital because of her extreme prematurity and died there three days later.

The families of other victims  of both murder and attempted murder  were in court to see the unrepentant killer taken down for the final time.

As he sent her down, the judge told Letby: 'It was another shocking act of calculated, callous cruelty. During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for any offences and sought to attribute wrongdoing to others. You have no remorse.'

Baby K's mother told Letby today: 'Baby K is not here, never will be, we will never have what would give us peace, closure, or a feeling of being complete family unit.

'However, you Lucy Letby, will never hurt another child or have the privilege and joy that children give.'

Lucy Letby, 34, 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 showing Letby's arrest

Mr Justice Goss pictured at the sentencing today. He handed Letby a 15th whole life term

Letby is already serving 14 whole-life orders for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others, with two attempts on one child.

This comes after jurors at Manchester Crown Court took just three and a half hours to return a unanimous guilty verdict on Tuesday at the end of a 13-day retrial on a single count of attempted murder.

The killer showed no emotion in the glass-panelled dock as the male foreman delivered the verdict. Baby K's father held his head in his hands as other relatives cried in the public gallery.

Following the verdict earlier this week, the child's relatives said knowing the nurse who had been meant to be looking after their daughter had tried to kill her had caused them 'unimaginable pain'.

The verdict took Letby's tally of convictions to seven murders and seven attempted murders.

After the first trial the killer, from Hereford, 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.

She is already serving 14 whole-life orders for each of those offences committed on the unit between June 2015 and June 2016.

Letby, now 34, denied the latest charge and still maintains her innocence of the crimes she had previously been found guilty of. She insists she has never harmed any baby in her care.

The jury in her original trial was unable to reach a verdict in the case of Baby K and were discharged. This time a new jury found her guilty.

On Tuesday, the family of Baby K said in a statement read out by a family liaison officer: 'Words cannot effectively explain how we are feeling at this time. To lose a baby is a heartbreaking experience that no parent should ever go through, but to lose a baby then hear of the harm that was inflicted under these circumstances is unimaginable.

'Over the past seven to eight years we have had to go through a long, torturous and emotional journey twice, from losing our precious newborn and grieving her loss, to being told years later that her death or collapse could be suspicious. Nothing could prepare you for that news.

'Today justice has been served and a nurse who should have been caring for our daughter has been found guilty of harming her, but that will not take away the extreme hurt, anger and distress that we have all had to experience.

'It also does not provide us with an explanation for why these crimes have taken place. We are heartbroken, devastated, angry and feel numb. We may never know why this happened.'

The family further thanked the jury, police, prosecutors and the medical witnesses who appeared at the trial.

The youngster, born at 25 weeks' gestation and weighing just 692g, was said by the prosecution to be the 'epitome of fragility'.

About 90 minutes after her birth, Letby dislodged the breathing tube through which she was being ventilated with air and oxygen.

Letby was caught 'virtually red-handed' trying to murder Baby K by the lead consultant on the Countess of Chester Hospital's neo-natal unit, Dr Ravi Jayaram, in the early hours of February 17, 2016.

He felt uncomfortable when the infant's designated nurse, Joanne Williams, briefly left Nursery 1 to tell her parents she was being transferred to a higher-level hospital. Realising that Letby was alone with the 'very premature', he walked into the nursery.

He saw the killer stood beside her victim's ventilator, doing nothing to help her as the monitors showed a catastrophic drop in saturation levels.

Dr Ravi Jayaram, the lead consultant on Letby's unit, caught Letby 'almost red handed' trying to kill Baby K

Letby, who worked at the Countess of Cheshire Hospital, giving evidence in court last month

Child K was transferred to a specialist hospital later on February 17 because of her extreme prematurity and died there three days later.

More than two years later on a late Friday night in April 2018, Letby searched on Facebook for Child K's surname.

The Crown said it was part of a pattern of similar Facebook searches which showed Letby's 'fascination' with the babies she had murdered and attempted to murder, and with their families.

Dr Jayaram told the court that he and a number of colleagues already had concerns about Letby before Baby K's near-fatal collapse.

'I was sitting at a desk close to the nurses' station, with my back to the wall,' he recalled.

'Joanne told me she was going to update K's parents.

'I'd probably just spoken to the transport team, so she would have been going to update them about where K was going to be. She said Lucy Letby was babysitting.

'At this time, February 2016, we had had a number of unusual incidents with babies and a number of colleagues and myself had noticed the association with Lucy Letby being present at these things. We'd had a thematic review and not found any other factors.

'I was sitting there and  I'll be very honest  I felt very uncomfortable. Obviously you can say that's completely irrational, and my internal dialogue was very much "Stop being stupid, get on with your work". But I needed to go in just to reassure myself that everything was okay.

'It was around two-and-a-half to three minutes, maybe, from Joanne telling me she was going to K's parents that I stood up and walked into the nursery. I went in the doorway closest to the nurses' station.

'I came around the wall and walked towards the incubator. As I was walking towards it the first thing I looked at was the monitors above the incubator. So as I walked in that direction I could see the screens in front of my. The oxygen saturations were dropping  in the low 80s and going downwards.

'Lucy Letby was standing next to the incubator. She was looking at me. She didn't have hands in the incubator. She was definitely facing in my direction. I can't remember whether she was directly facing or slightly angled towards the monitor.

'I asked something like "What's happening?"

Letby has been handed a whole life order today for trying to murder Baby K

A photo showing Letby during a night out that she shared on her social media

He said he heard no call for help from Letby or alarms sounding as Child K's blood oxygen levels dropped.

From the witness box, Letby told the jury of six women and six men she had no recollection of the event described by Dr Jayaram and did not accept it had taken place.

He would have heard any alarm if it was sounding, and had any been activated he would have gone into Nursery 1 earlier.

In reaching their verdict, the jury of six men and six women rejected the claim by Letby's barrister, Ben Myers KC, that Dr Jayaram's account was so 'incredible' it could not be believed.

He said that if the prosecution's 'star witness' had really caught the neonatal nurse 'almost red-handed' in the act of attempted murder, he would have taken immediate action rather than being 'rendered silent' for the next 14 months.

'If he had really seen what he said he saw, and believed someone was "killing babies" on the unit he would have 'told the management, and if they had dragged their heels he would have told the police.'

He added: 'You don't need to be a paediatric consultant to do thatA child would know what to do.

'We say it's an insult to the collective intelligence of this courtroom to say that Dr Jayaram saw what he says he saw and did absolutely nothing. It is ridiculous and it is unbelievable.'

The killer's repeated denials have helped spark a wave of conspiracy theories among people convinced of her innocence. At times during the re-trial Letby supporters were queuing to get into both Court 7 and the overspill annex in Court 16.

Letby's parents, John and Susan, attended virtually every day of her original trial. This time they appear to have taken the deliberate decision to stay away. Instead, one of their daughter's close friends, fellow nurse Janet Cox, had been prominent in the public gallery.

Once the verdict had been delivered, the trial judge, Mr Justice Goss, looked up and told the killer: 'Lucy Letby, would you stand. Having been convicted of this offence of attempted murder you will obviously have to be sentenced.

'That will take place on Friday morning and you will be here for that hearing...Would you take her down, please.'

Letby wearing an academic gown on her graduation day

The neo-natal ward at the Countess of Chester Hospital where Letby worked

Dr Nigel Scawn, medical director at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Baby K. We are extremely sorry that these awful crimes happened at our hospital. Since Lucy Letby worked at our hospital, we have made significant changes to our services and remain committed to providing high quality safe care to our local communities.

Lucy Letby timeline November 2020 - Letby, from Hereford, is arrested and charged following a string of baby deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit. August 2023 - The nurse is found guilty of murdering seven newborn babies and attempting to kill six others, making her Britain's most prolific child serial killer in modern history. The jury fail to reach a verdict on the attempted murder of a baby girl, Baby K. July 2, 2024 - Letby is found guilty of the attempted murder of Baby K. July 5, 2024 - The child killer is handed a whole life order for trying to murder Baby K Advertisement

'We want to acknowledge the impact this continues to have on everyone involved in this case and restate our commitment to do everything we can to help families get the answers they deserve. We remain grateful for the unwavering co-operation and professionalism of our staff, some of whom returned to court to repeat evidence and relive events. We will continue to ensure our staff receive the care and support they need and we remain committed to fully and openly supporting the ongoing legal processes.'

Senior Crown Prosecutor Nicola Wyn Williams, of CPS Mersey-Cheshire's Complex Casework Unit, 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.'
A rising number of Russians are ready to approve Vladimir Putin using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Some 34 per cent - just over one in three - would definitely or likely support use of the ultimate weapon in the conflict.

This is five per cent higher than one year ago, and the highest since Putin launched his illegal war against the sovereign state Ukraine.

The findings from the Levada Centre show 31 per cent are definitely against the use of weapons, while 21 per cent are likely against it.

The upward trend shows the success of Russian propagandists seeking to gain support for nuclear use.

Russian soldiers load a Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile launchers at a firing position as part of Russian military drill intended to train the troops in using tactical nuclear weapons on June 12

Russian soldiers load a Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile launchers at a firing position as part of Russian military drill intended to train the troops in using tactical nuclear weapons in June

A Yars ICBM is launched by Russian strategic nuclear forces in this October 2022 clip

Drills of Russia's strategic missile forces in the Irkutsk region. Footage from the Defence Ministry's TV channel shows Yars missile carriers

Putin recently ordered tactical nuclear missile drills in Russia and neighbouring Belarus which he has supplied with atomic weapons.

The Kremlin dictator is considering changing the country's nuclear doctrine, to lower the threshold for using such weapons.

Currently he could authorise the use of tactical - or battlefield - nuclear weapons on the basis of a perceived threat to the Russian state from attack by conventional or nuclear weapons.

Russia is staging major nuclear missile drills today as Britain ushers in a new government.

On the orders of Vladimir Putin, the Yars missile crews practised deployment in two regions, Irkutsk and Ivanovo.

A video showed a mobile launcher manoeuvring along forest roads and taking up position before troops covered it in camouflage netting.

'Similar exercises will be held by other missile units in the near future,' said the Russian defence ministry.

Previous such tests were held in late June and they also coincide with Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour government taking over from the Tories in Britain.

Russia expects the incoming administration to be as supportive of Ukraine as the outgoing Rishi Sunak government.

In this photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, March 1, 2024, a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile is test-fired from the Plesetsk launch pad in northwestern Russia

Russian Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers parade through Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, June 25, 2024

'Units of Yars ground mobile missile systems are implementing measures to perform marches to a distance of up to 100km [62 miles], disperse the systems at the same time changing their field positions and their engineering equipment, camouflage them and ensure their combat storage,' said the ministry.

Vladimir Putin's forces drilled strikes with tactical nuclear weapons on Ukraine or the West with land, air and sea-based launches on June 13.

The Russian defence ministry stressed the launches were simulated, but everything else was performed by troops as it would be in a genuine attack.

A naval crew was seen pressing the button on a nuclear hit from a warship believed to be in the Baltic Sea to hit a target some 220 miles away, while Tu-22M3 nuclear capable bombers were pictured taking off from an undisclosed airstrip.

Meanwhile, a land-based mobile crew in Leningrad Military District in northwest Russia was shown loading suspected Iskander nuclear-capable mobile short-range ballistic missiles, although the warheads were blurred in the footage.

The unsettling footage came as the US announced an expansion of its sanctions regime against the Kremlin, prompting Russia's deputy chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev to declare that Moscow should inflict 'maximum harm on the USA and their 'f***king allies'.

A still image taken from a handout video made available by the Russian Defence Ministry press-service shows Russian servicemen operating a non-strategic nuclear missile for Iskander operational-tactical missile system during the second stage of tactical nuclear drills of Russian and Belarus armed forces at an undisclosed location

Russian servicemen operating a non-strategic nuclear missile for Iskander operational-tactical missile system

In this photo taken from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, Russian military personnel load a cruise missile on board a warship during Russian military drills

In this photo taken from video on Monday, June 10, 2024, and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, A Russian Tu-22M3 bomber is seen in flight during joint Russian-Belarusian drills intended to train the military to use tactical nuclear weapons

In accordance with the decision of the President of the Russian Federation, the second stage of the exercise of non-strategic nuclear forces has begun, the Kremlin said

A pair of MiG-31 fighter jets of the Russian air force taxi out for a training mission with two Tu-22M3 bombers seen in the background during joint Russian-Belarusian drills intended to train the military to use tactical nuclear weapons

Russia's deputy chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev declared that Moscow should inflict 'maximum harm on the USA and their 'f***king allies'

The drills were the second part of several phases of tactical nuclear weapons exercises planned by the Russian defence ministry, which are taking place in coordination with the forces of Belarus.

'The second phase of drills involving Russia's non-strategic nuclear forces included electronic missile launches by rocket units and naval patrol operations,' said a statement from the Russian defence ministry.

'During the second phase of the exercises, personnel from the rocket division of the Leningrad Military District practised covert movement to designated positions and conducted electronic missile launches at simulated enemy targets.

'Additionally, Navy crews involved in the exercise deployed to their assigned patrol areas.

'Earlier, tasks were completed for receiving special training ammunition for arming sea- and land-based missile carriers.'

Tactical nuclear weapons - which top Russian officials have threatened to use - could create horrific devastation but on a lesser scale than the obliteration caused by a much larger strategic nuclear missile.

The Russians did not give a location for the targets, but previously threats have included Ukraine or NATO territory.

On June 12, footage showed naval crews 'equipping sea-based cruise missiles with training special warheads' before moving to 'designated patrol areas'.

Nuclear-equipped 3M-80/82 Moskit/-M anti-ship missiles were reportedly shown being loaded into the launcher of a Project 12411M vessel of Russia's Baltic Fleet.

Russian ally Belarus is also involved in the second stage of the tactical nuclear missile tests currently in progress.

Moscow has claimed it wants the tactical nuclear drills to 'cool the hot heads in Western capitals'.

This followed French President Emmanuel Macron hinting at sending European troops to fight in Ukraine.

Former British Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron also said Kyiv had the right to use weapons provided by London to strike targets inside Russia.

Since then, the US has permitted Kyiv to use American missiles to attack border region targets inside Russia used to hit Ukraine.

Military jets take off from the airfield during the second stage of tactical nuclear drills of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus at an undisclosed location, in this still image from video released June 11, 2024

Russian heavy armour and missile launchers are seen deploying to firing positions

Missiles are loaded into launch tubes aboard a Russian warship

The exercises are aimed at maintaining the readiness of personnel and equipment of units for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons of Russia and Belarus, the Russian Ministry of Defence said

Dmitry Medvedev, (R) deputy head of the Kremlin's powerful security council, and a former Russian president and prime minister, pictured with Vladimir Putin (L)

In a stunning rant published on the Telegram messaging app in June, former Russian President Medvedev hit out at the US and Western partners after the White House announced it had expanded its sanctions regime on Moscow.

'Here are the new American sanctions. There will be new European ones soon. Do we need to respond to them? It seems not, their number is already measured in tens of thousands. We have learned to live and develop with them.

'On the other hand, it is necessary. Not only to the authorities, the state, but to all our people in general. To everyone who loves our Motherland - Russia. After all, they - the USA and their f***ing allies - declared war on us without rules!

He went on: 'Every day we must try to inflict maximum harm on those countries that have imposed these restrictions on our country and all our citizens. Harm in everything that can cause harm. Harm to their economies, their institutions and their rulers. Harm to the well-being of their citizens.

'Cause damage in all places, paralyzing the work of their companies and government agencies. Find problems in their most important technologies and strike them mercilessly. Literally destroy their energy, industry, transport, banking and social services. Instill fear of the imminent collapse of all critical infrastructure.

He concluded the rant with a terrifying call to action.

'Let's turn their life into a complete crazy nightmare in which they will not be able to distinguish wild fiction from the realities of the day, infernal evil from the routine of life. And no rules regarding the enemy!

'Let them get everything in full for harming Russia and as painfully as possible! Everyone can contribute!,' he said.
Jacob Rees-Mogg has been mercilessly mocked by voters and jubilant Labour supporters after being unceremoniously ousted as an MP.

In scenes ridiculed by the British public, Sir Jacob was filmed losing his North East Somerset and Hanham seat - while standing next to a man wearing a baked bean balaclava.

It followed a Tory election bloodbath overnight, which saw 11 former cabinet members, including Penny Mordaunt and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, losing their seats in humbling 'Portillo' moments.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss was also sensationally ousted from South West Norfolk after delaying the count by arriving late, with many joking her count lasted longer than her reign as PM.

Sir Jacob ended up standing next to Phin 'Barmy Brunch' Adams of the Monster Raving Loony Party at the University of Bath campus as the former Tory Brexit minister's 14-year political career imploded spectacularly.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has been mercilessly mocked by voters and jubilant Labour supporters after being unceremoniously ousted as an MP

Social media users went into overdrive sharing images of Sir Jacob standing next to the baked bean mask wearer

Others mocked him by using an image of the former MP seemingly falling asleep during a Brexit debate in 2019

And the moment has since been turned into a meme and gone viral online, with the image being viewed by more than 1.3million people.

Sharing the photo on X, formerly Twitter, one user wrote: 'Meanwhile, Jacob Rees-Mogg has lost his seat to Labour while standing next to a man wearing a baked beans balaclava.'

Another quipped: 'If this isn't the picture of the night, I don't know what is.'

While others used their skills with photo-editing software to superimpose the baked bean balaclava onto a picture of the former Tory minster wearing a top hat.

'Jacob Rees-Mogg trying to keep a low profile today while nipping to the local shop for a Twirl,' gloated one person on X.

Meanwhile, some took the chance to lampoon images of the father-of-six when he seemingly fell asleep during a Brexit debate in the House of Commons in September 2019.

Social media users made memes to mock the former MP, with this image of him wearing a top hat being used a number of times.

One person posted this image from the second season of Game of Thrones spin-off The House of Dragon saying 'Jacob Rees-Mogg with his Nanny'

In one image, Sir Jacob appeared to have been broadcast onto the side of a building with the message 'Farewell Jacob Rees-Mogg'

Sprawled across the green leather benches, the then leader of the House of Commons was blasted by MPs who accused him of showing contempt for parliament as he reclined in his seat.

Sharing an image of Sir Jacob with his eyes closed on the bench, one person joked: 'Jacob Rees-Mogg says he's not going to take losing his seat laying down. Well, not in the Commons, anyway.'

Another person edited Sir Jacob's legs to show the former MP wearing just a pair of tights.'

Others seemingly joked about what the 55-year-old former politician could do after losing his seat as an MP.

'Jacob Rees-Mogg can now return to his job, as a night paralysis demon at an all boys boarding school,' joked one person in a post on X which has been seen by more than 121,000 people.

Others lampooned the image of Sir Jacob reclining on the green benches in Parliament

Countless memes were shared online by voters following the ousting of Sir Jacob and former PM Liz Truss

During his speech, Sir Jacob seemingly added more fuel to the fire by quoting the 1968 children's classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

'From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success,' he said in his farewell speech, triggering a flurry of memes on social media.

'Ex-MP "Sir" Jacob Rees-Mogg citing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's Caractacus Potts: "From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success". The quote's actually from Grandpa. You'd have thought he'd have known that, as the inspiration for the Child Catcher,' joked one person.

Sir Jacob is the latest Tory heavyweight to have been ruthlessly mocked after Labour swept to a landslide victory overnight, which saw the Conservatives slump to their lowest ever number of MPs.

In Rishi Sunak's own seat, the former Prime Minister was taunted by YouTuber Niko Omilana, who boasts 7.49 million followers online, who mocked him with a loser sign as he won.

The YouTuber, was donning a pair of children sunglasses as the speaker announced he had won 160 votes in the battle for the Richmond in North Yorkshire seat.

Following the confirmation that ex-PM Truss had lost her seat following a disastrous campaign, social media users were quick to reference her Lettuce association.

One said: 'The Liz Truss result, please just lettuce know.'

Another said: 'Her constituents decided they didn't want Liz Truss to romaine.'

Voters and jubilant Labour supporters have taken to social media to mock Rishi Sunak's outgoing Conservative government

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss was mocked after sensationally losing her majority of 24,000 in South West Norfolk and seat as a result

The Conservative party has been torn apart in the polls and on social media

Another said: 'Everyone trying to analyse an election that a 5 year old could analyse. Amateurs. 'How has Liz Truss lost her seat?' Sack them immediately and let schoolchildren comment.'

Elsewhere, a video of ousted Therese Coffey singing a requiem in Latin was repurposed as a Tory funeral song.

Rishi Sunak was also mocked up next to an image of Paddington, a bear that has become a harbinger of doom since being featured prominently following the death of the Queen in 2022.

In his speech Rishi Sunak said he took 'responsibility' for his party's loss, and had already called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

He said: 'The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

'Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our country's stability and future.

'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight. There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss.

'To the many good hard working Conservative candidates who lost tonight despite their tireless efforts... I am sorry.'

Mr Sunak, his wife and their security and entourage left the election count as soon as he had finished making a speech after the result was declared.

He has since flown back to London from Yorkshire. He is expected to say a few valedictory words from Downing Street before heading to see the King and formally resign.
Advertisement

Sir Keir Starmer stepped through the door of 10 Downing Street this afternoon for the first time as Prime Minister as he vowed to 'immediately' begin work to 'rebuild Britain' and prepared to make key Cabinet appointments.

The Labour leader was applauded by staff inside the famous black door as he walked inside with wife Victoria after making his first address to the nation as the new premier.

The 61-year-old acknowledged 'weariness at the heart of the nation' after his so-called 'loveless landslide' in the general election.

Jubilant party activists had earlier cheered his arrival into Downing Street after he was formally installed as Britain's 58th PM by King Charles.

He and Victoria received a rapturous welcome after returning from the Palace where he had an audience with His Majesty around noon, shortly after Rishi Sunak exited having tendered his resignation.

Sir Keir said he wanted to 'changed the country' but warned it will 'take a while', saying he wanted to restore the values of 'service' to politics. He admitted that many people did not believe he would improve the country.

'My government will fight every day until you believe again,' he said.

At Buckingham Palace the couple were welcomed by the King and Queen's principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton, along with Charles's equerry Royal Navy Commander William Thornton.

They left 20 minutes later to head to Downing Street, after Sir Keir was appointed to the job.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: 'The King received in Audience The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP today and requested him to form a new Administration.

'Sir Keir accepted His Majesty's offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.'

The time-honoured choreography comes as Sir Keir's majority ticks up to 174, just short of Tony Blair's 179 in 1997. The Tories have 121 with just two left to declare, far worse than their previous nadir of 156 in 1906.

The Lib Dems also inflicted massive pain on the Conservatives, racking up a record 71 seats as Reform leeched millions of votes and came second in around a hundred constituencies - but only scored four MPs of their own.

However, Labour's victory is being dubbed a 'loveless landslide' and a 'super meh-jority', having received barely one in three votes across the UK.

Polling experts highlighted how Labour's vote share of 33.8 per cent is likely to be less than any of Sir Tony's general election victories in 1997, 2001 or 2005.

It is even less than the 40 per cent vote share hard-left Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn secured in 2017 and lower than the 36.1 per cent David Cameron got for the Conservatives in 2010 when that year's election ended in a hung parliament.

Some newly-elected Labour MPs suggested the public will be thinking about overhauling Britain's voting system in the wake of the party's triumph, while Corbyn's allies swiped that Sir Keir had won 'by default' due to the dramatic collapse in Conservative support.

Less than an hour before Sir Keir arrived at the Palace, Mr Sunak bade goodbye to Downing Street after leading the Tories to their worst ever election result.

Flanked by clearly emotional wife Akshata, the PM delivered his parting statement outside the famous black door saying he was 'sorry' and had 'heard the anger' of the country and the 'clear message' of the ballot.

Sir Keir trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London in the early hours after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons, saying 'we did it!'

Sealing his triumph with a kiss from Victoria, he said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome.

In a jaw-dropping moment, Liz Truss was among the casualties - giving up a monumental 24,000 majority as she was edged out by Labour in South West Norfolk.

Earlier, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps fell victims to a brutal Tory cull as Labour swept towards election victory.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

In other rollercoaster developments:

The Greens have enjoyed a bumper night winning four seats, adding three to their tally from 2019;

Labour's overall support in Britain has only gone up by 2 per cent, according to polling guru John Curtice, and that is entirely due to a 17 point boost in Scotland;

Reform has racked up votes and nearly 100 second places, but fallen short of breakthroughs predicted in the initial exit poll;

The SNP has been among the biggest losers, facing being slashed to nine MPs, meaning they would no longer be the biggest party in Scotland;

George Galloway has been ousted by Labour's Paul Waugh in Rochdale, after winning the seat in a by-election previously;

Turnout has been far lower than at the last few general elections;

The Lib Dems claimed victory in Tunbridge Wells, which has been Tory since the seat was created in the 1970s, in Boris Johnson's old seat of Henley and in David Cameron's stronghold of Witney;

The 2024 general election results in full : Live maps and charts

Sir Keir Starmer, the newly-elected PM, and his wife Victoria were clapped in by staff as they entered No10

Sir Keir said he wanted to 'changed the country' but warned it will 'take a while', saying he wanted to restore the values of 'service' to politics. He admitted that many people did not believe he would improve the country

Labour's victory is being dubbed a 'loveless landslide' and a 'super meh-jority' with Sir Keir's party having received barely one in three votes across the UK

Polling experts highlighted how Labour's vote share of 33.8 per cent is likely to be less than any of Sir Tony 's general election victories in 1997, 2001 or 2005

Sir Keir acknowledged 'weariness at the heart of the nation' today after his so-called 'loveless landslide' in the election

Sir Keir and wife Victoria walked into their new home after he delivered his first speech as PM this afternoon

The Labour leader was cheered into Downing Street by jubilant activists this afternoon after he was formally installed as Britain's 58th PM

The Labour leader, with wife Victoria, received a rapturous welcome after returning from the Palace where he had an audience with the King around noon, shortly after Rishi Sunak exited having tendered his resignation

Keir Starmer having his audience with the King as he was made Prime Minister today

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: 'The King received in Audience The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP today and requested him to form a new Administration.'

Keir Starmer, with wife Victoria, was driven up to the Palace for his audience with the King shortly after Rishi Sunak exited, having tendered his resignation

Flanked by clearly emotional wife Akshata, the PM delivered his parting statement as he prepares to head for Buckingham Palace where he will formally tender his resignation to the King

Akshata was carrying an umbrella as the couple emerged in Downing Street - as it was threatening to rain as it did when he announced the election

The Sunaks walked away hand in hand after he made his short and emotional farewell speech

The couple walked away to be taken to the Palace, where Mr Sunak told the King he was resigning

The outgoing PM was greeted by the King's aides at Buckingham Palace this morning as the traditional handover happened

Your browser does not support iframes.

On the steps of Downing Street, Sir Keir said Britain had 'voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service'.

'When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future,' he said.

'But we need to move forward together. Now this wound, this lack of trust can only be healed by actions not words, I know that.

'But we can make a start today with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege and that your government should treat every single person in this country with respect.'

He said: 'Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while.

'But have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately. Have no doubt that we will rebuild Britain, with wealth created in every community. Our NHS back on its feet facing the future. Secure borders, safer streets, everyone treated with dignity and respect at work. The opportunity of clean British power, cutting your energy bills for good.

'Brick by brick, we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity. The world-class schools and colleges, the affordable homes that I know are the ingredients of hope for working people. The security, the working-class families like mine could build their lives around.'

Sir Keir promised a government 'unburdened by doctrine' and to fight for people's belief in a brighter future.

The Labour leader said: 'If I asked you now whether you believe that Britain will be better for your children, I know too many of you would say no.

'So, my Government will fight every day until you believe again.

Staff and supporters looked on as Sir Keir made his promises to the country outside the Downing Street door

The couple stood on the steps while photographers recorded the moment for posterity today

The Starmers embraced as they prepared to enter No10 for the first time this afternoon

The Starmers were then clapped into the historic building by staff including Cabinet Secretary Simon Case (centre)

'From now on, you have a Government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by the determination to serve your interest, to defy quietly those who have written our country off.

'You have given us a clear mandate and we will use it to deliver change, to restore service and respect to politics.'

In his valedictory speech, Mr Sunak said: 'I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear message, and yours is the only judgement that matters.

'This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honoured to have been Prime Minister of the best country in the world.'

Mr Sunak said he would resign as Tory leader once a replacement had been chosen. He also paid tribute to Sir Keir as a public servant, wishing him and his family well in their new duties.

After his short speech the couple - not accompanied by their daughters and with Akshata carrying an umbrella - walked to a waiting car and were driven away to the Palace.

Polling expert Sir John Curtice noted how Labour's vote share was expected to be up by just under two percentage points across the country from 2019.

He said Labour's victory was 'largely on the back of a dramatic 20 point decline in Conservative support'.

In an article for the BBC, Sir John added the increase in Labour's vote share was 'entirely as a result of a 17 point increase in support in Scotland'.

'In Wales, the party's vote has actually fallen back by four points, while in England the party's vote is largely unchanged from 2019,' he wrote.

Rishi Sunak has flown back to London from Yorkshire, where he conceded that Keir Starmer has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech

A broken PM acknowledged that Keir Starmer had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, Keir Starmer said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome

Keir Starmer trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's wife Victoria at a watch party as the results came in

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria pictured arriving at the Tate Modern earlier on Thursday evening

A broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Your browser does not support iframes.

'It is possible that Labour will secure its landslide on a lower share of the vote (35 per cent in Great Britain) than any of Tony Blair's victories, including the 36 per cent the party won in 2005.

'That itself was hitherto the lowest share of the vote won by a majority single party government. In many ways, this looks more like an election the Conservatives have lost than one Labour has won.'

Asked about her party's low vote share but huge majority, Labour MP Dawn Butler said: 'I think what the discussion will be about will be proportional representation.

'The public will be talking about proportional representation and whether we need to have a debate about it. I've always said that we do need to have a debate about it.'

Channel 4 political editor Gary Gibbon said: 'That massive figure has been delivered with a relatively small percentage of the people.

'That looks like love but that is a loveless landslide. There has not been the sort of enthusiasm that you might expect out there.'

Mr Corbyn's former spokesman, Matt Zarb-Cousin, said: 'Labour is already peddling a narrative that this victory is down to a changed Labour Party.

'The reality of course is Keir Starmer was holding the pass the parcel at the right time, when the Tories eventually imploded. So they've won by default, on a lower share of the vote than 2017.'

Welsh Secretary David Davies, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Science minister Michelle Donelan, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk were beaten during a traumatic night for the Tories.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt barely survived in Godalming & Ash. Altogether at least 16 ministers have gone, with Johnny Mercer and Therese Coffey beaten by Labour.

Jacob Rees-Mogg also tumbled in North East Somerset and Hanham. However, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith surprised many by clinging on in Chingford.

There are now no Tory MPs in Wales after Craig Williams, a former Tory aide to Mr Sunak, came third in Mongomeryshire as an independent after being embroiled in a gambling row over the date of the election.

However, there were notable setbacks for Labour with frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth losing to a pro-Gaza independent in Leicester, and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting barely fending off a similar challenge.

Another shadow cabinet minister, Thangam Debonaire, was picked off by the Greens in Bristol Central.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage finally enters Parliament in Clacton after his eighth attempt to become an MP, while his party colleague Lee Anderson has retained Ashfield, Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth and Richard Tice scooped Boston and Skegness.

In his speech at the Tate Modern art gallery, Sir Keir said: 'It feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for  a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

'And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

'And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.'

At his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton, Mr Sunak said: 'The Labour Party has won this General Election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.'

Mr Sunak added: 'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss.'

The Labour leader said 'change begins now' as he was re-elected in Holborn & St Pancras, but his own majority was reduced by a left-wing independent.

Mr Shapps was the first confirmed Cabinet casualty and he hit out at the Tory 'soap opera' which had turned off voters.

'On door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and do that and then be united in public,' he said.

'Instead we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.'

He said there was a danger the Tory party could 'go off on some tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition'.

In a dramatic night former prime minister Liz Truss lost her Norfolk South West seat to Labour in King's Lynn, Norfolk

Ms Truss was comforted as she fell to an extraordinary defeat in Norfolk this morning

Jonathan Gullis was evicted from Stoke on Trent North as the drama continued today

Mr Gullis has been loyal to Mr Sunak and pleaded for people

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also left Parliament in the Tory bloodbath overnight

Suella Braverman attacked her party for failing to listen to voters

Jeremy Hunt is having to leave Downing Street after being kicked out of government - but holding his seat

Ms Mordaunt, who is likely to have been a leadership contender if she had survived, said her party had taken a 'battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it'.

She too warned against a retreat to the right: 'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, who will now be considered a leading contender to replace Mr Suank, said the party had let the British people down.

'You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises,' she said.

'I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust.

'We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly.'

Party chair Ric Holden won a desperate struggle for Basildon & Billericay, emerging on top by just 20 votes after a series of recounts.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader but stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values.

Sir Keir's ally Lord Mandelson gloated that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.

A dire campaign for Mr Sunak came stuttering to a halt last night, with the PM making a series more defensive visits in the South East.

He now faces being out of Downing Street this morning.

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson told Sky News that it looked like a 'massacre'.

The Tories have quickly plunged into a dangerous new phase of crisis, with questions over whether it can even survive amid the challenge from Reform.

A former Cabinet minister - who regarded their own significant majority as under threat - said Mr Sunak had 'knifed' Boris Johnson and would be remembered as the 'worst PM ever'.

ex-Cabinet minister

's

Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

In the first tangible evidence of the hammering, Labour 's Heidi Alexander took

But Sir Robert gave a stark warning against the Tories lurching to the right, saying the party risked being like 'bald men fighting over a comb' if it treated politics as 'performance art' and tried to outflank Reform.

Sir John Curtice told the BBC: 'It looks as though Reform may win more seats than many polls suggested.

'This is largely because, not only has the Conservative vote fallen far in seats they previously held, but also because Reform has advanced most in areas people voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.

'However, how many seats Reform will win is highly uncertain  our model suggests there are many places where they have some - but a relatively low - chance of winning.'

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough after Reform pushed the Tories into third place in two early constituency results.

On a video posted to X he said: 'It's midnight, there are two results in from the north-east of England that put Reform on 30 per cent of the vote, that is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It is almost unbelievable.

'And what does it mean? It means we're going to win seats, many many seats I think right now across the country.

'But to watch the TV coverage it's almost comical. There's not a single representative on there from Reform UK, mainstream media are in denial just as much as our political parties.

'This is going to be six million votes-plus. This, folks, is huge.'

A Conservative spokesman said they had to wait for the full outcome, but added: 'If these results are correct it is clear that Starmer and Angela Rayner will be in Downing Street tomorrow.'

Conservatives with big majorities had become increasingly nervous during the day, despite CCHQ claiming that higher-than-expected turnout could help them.

One former Cabinet minister told MailOnline: 'There appears to be a bigger turnout than normal in some of my areas. Not all though.

'That would seem to indicate a determination on the part of the electorate to make their views heard, almost certainly likely to be against the Tories.'

Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock said the exit poll's landslide prediction was 'the greatest comeback since Lazarus'.

The former Labour leader told ITV News: 'A gain of 208, according to the exit poll, which is attributable directly to Keir Starmer and what he's achieved in four years, two of which of course were during the lockdown, or the virtual lockdown when the one thing that opposition leaders depend on  contact with the public  was absent.

'It's the biggest comeback since Lazarus.'

He went on: 'I must say I'm just ecstatic about the fact that an entirely dependable, fully grown-up guy, Keir Starmer, and his wife, are going to go through that door tomorrow. I have unalloyed and unreserved delight.'

Less than an hour before the exit poll dropped, Downing Street released a dissolution honours list - sending seven Tories and eight Labour politicians to the Lords. They include Theresa May, Rishi Sunak's chief aide Liam Booth-Smith, Chris Grayling and former 1922 committee chair Graham Brady.

Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett are among those on the Labour list - despite Sir Keir having committed to abolishing the Upper House.

Mr Sunak took a huge political gamble and shocked Westminster by triggering the election on May 22, rather than waiting until the Autumn as had been widely expected.

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton seat, the eighth time he has attempted to become an MP

Penny Mordaunt was among the Cabinet ministers washed away in the red wave

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman , at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values

Jeremy Hunt is fighting to cling on to his Surrey constituency

Lord Mandelson said an electoral 'meteor' had hit British politics

Moments after ballot stations closed at 10pm, the dramatic exit poll was released - showing Sir Keir winning 410 of the 650 seats

It initially looked to be paying off, with early policies from the Tory campaign - such as national citizen service - seeming to cut through.

In a big moment, Mr Farage responded by ruling out standing as a Reform candidate, admitting he did not have time to put together a campaign.

But even then the Tories did not see a real bounce in the polls. The Tories lost key legislation including Mr Sunak's flagship smoking ban during the 'wash-up' as Parliament was dissolved for the campaign.

Your browser does not support iframes.

And then a grim week in early June saw things go spectacularly downhill, with Mr Farage dropping the bombshell that had changed his mind and was taking over the leadership of Reform as well as standing to be MP for Clacton.

Although Mr Sunak was seen as landing blows on Sir Keir over tax during their first TV debate on June 4, disaster struck when the PM opted to return early from D-Day anniversary commemorations in France to conduct an interview with ITV.

A subsequent grovelling apology did not prevent Mr Farage and opponents seizing on the blunder, which struck right at the heart of the Tory goal of shoring up the core vote among older generations.

With polls already showing Reform eating into Tory support with potent attacks on immigration, Mr Sunak was then engulfed in another scandal.

It emerged that his closest Parliamentary aide, Craig Williams had successfully placed bets on the date of the snap election - although he insisted he did not have any inside information.

Other candidates and top party officials were then dragged into the allegations, which proved particularly toxic with the public.

Mr Sunak was memorably challenged on the issue during TV appearances, admitting he was 'incredibly angry'. But he was seen as taking far too long to withdraw support for candidates facing allegations.

With some polls even showing Reform ahead of the Tories, CCHQ shifted tactics to warn of the threat of a divided Right handing Labour a 'supermajority' with untrammeled power.

That together with controversial remarks from Mr Farage about the West 'provoking' Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and revelations about unsavoury comments by a series of Reform candidates looked to have stopped the bleeding.

But after a bruising six weeks Labour's huge advantage was intact, and the only significant change was that the Tories had lost ground to Reform.

By yesterday, despite Mr Sunak's claim he was 'fighting hard for every vote', his close ally Mel Stride was effectively acknowledging the Conservatives would lose - an unprecedented step.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said Labour would get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

As tension built through election day, the Tories claimed a higher-than-expected turnout had left them with a 'MUCH better chance' than cataclysmic polls had suggested.

An email to Conservative supporters, signed from the 'CCHQ Data Team', read: 'We're getting reports from our teams on the ground. And the more reports we get, the more it looks like turnout is higher than expected.

'That means we could have a MUCH better chance than polls have suggested. So if you haven't voted yet, now's the time to get out.'

Queues of people were seen at polling stations today as the requirement for voters to bring correct photo identification - such as a passport or driving licence - was enforced at a UK general election for the first time.

There was a bungle at a Glasgow polling station this morning as voters were met with posters listing the wrong instructions, which erroneously advised the ranking of candidates in order of preference.

This is how ballots are cast in local elections in Scotland, which use the single transferable vote system. But general elections use the first-past-the-post system, which requires voters to put a single 'X' next to their chosen candidate.

Glasgow City Council explained the error was spotted 'very soon' after the polling station opened at 7am and the posters were replaced with the correct information. It said no-one had been disenfranchised as voters' first preferences would be used from the affected ballots.

Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch this afternoon blasted her own local council for having 'potentially disenfranchised' thousands of postal voters who did not receive their ballot papers.

The Business Secretary hit out at Uttlesford District Council for 'forgetting' to send postal votes to 2,600 people in her North West Essex seat.

Prior to polls opening this morning, Rishi Sunak made an 11th-hour plea for voters to prevent a 'socialist supermajority' wrecking Britain, as he repeated his warning against handing Sir Keir 'unchecked' power.
Portuguese police are investigating the alleged rape of a British teenager at a nightclub in Lisbon.

The 19-year-old holidaymaker says a nightclub worker forced himself on her in a back room of the popular Urban Beach dance club along the city's Tagus River.

The unnamed worker is alleging sex was consensual.

Club bosses have announced an internal inquiry while detectives probe the incident.

The alarm was raised just before 5am yesterday morning.

Friends of the British youngster are understood to have called the PSP police force in Lisbon, which has now passed the case on to a specialist unit of the Policia Judiciaria which deals with sex crimes.

The 19-year-old holidaymaker says a nightclub worker forced himself on her in a back room of the popular Urban Beach dance club along the city's Tagus River

Friends of the British youngster are understood to have called the PSP police force in Lisbon (pictured)

The clubber was taken to Sao Jose Hospital in Lisbon so she could be examined by a specialist doctor.

A spokeswoman for the Policia Judiciaria police confirmed this morning: 'We are investigating an alleged rape at a nightclub in Lisbon.'

A well-placed source said: 'The alleged rape victim is a 19-year-old British woman who appears to have been on holiday in Portugal.'

Paulo Damaso, the nightclub's general manager, told respected Portuguese daily Correio da Manha: 'We have already launched an internal inquiry and as part of that inquiry the worker in question will be interviewed.

'He claims the sexual relationship with the complainant was consensual.

'Whether that is the case or not it's something we repudiate for having allegedly taken place on our premises.'

Urban Beach describes itself online as the 'hottest night club in Lisbon where the party never stops'.

Revellers are encouraged to 'get ready for a night filled with energetic beats and epic DJ sets that will keep you dancing all night long'.
Police have arrested the suspected 'mastermind' in a plot to blackmail the family of former Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, German media reports.

The man is a 52-year-old who has worked as a security guard for the family, the public prosecutor's office in Wuppertal said.

It comes after the arrest of two other suspects - a 53-year-old father, named only as Yilmaz T, and his 30-year-old son - on June 19.

The pair allegedly claimed to have sensitive files containing images of the F1 legend after his near-fatal skiing crash in 2013, telling the Schumacher family they 'would not want (the pictures) published'.

They demanded 15 million euros in return for not sharing the photos, Bild reports, and are said to have promised the former security guard a commission.

The seven-time world champion has not been seen in public since he suffered a serious brain injury in the brutal skiing accident in the French Alps

The two men transferred 'individual files' to the family to show they had access to documents about the F1 star, investigators claim.

A senior prosecutor in Wuppertal confirmed to German media that a preliminary evaluation of data sets obtained in searches of the bouncer's apartment contained 'photos relating to the Schumacher family's private life'.

During the investigation into where the two men got the photos from, police managed to identify the third suspect, according to reports.

The 52-year-old man was arrested on to be arrested in the town of Wulfrath in western Germany.

His role is alleged to have been converting private pictures of the family into digital form in order to transfer them to Yilmaz T and his son.

German investigators were tipped off about the blackmail plot by authorities in Switzerland, where Schumacher has been cared for at the family home since the accident.

Suspects Yilmaz T, 53 (pictured), and his 30-year-old son allegedly claimed to have sensitive files containing images of the F1 legend after his near-fatal skiing crash in 2013

'Technical measures' made it possible to trace the alleged extortionists to Wuppertal, prosecutors said.

The two suspects, who were on probation in another case, were arrested by police on June 19 in a supermarket parking lot in Gross-Gerau, south of Frankfurt.

Authorities searched eight properties, as well as the main residences of the two men, seizing 'several data storage devices'.

'Extensive investigations' into the case were still ongoing, they said.

If convicted, the suspects face a prison sentence of up to five years, the prosecutors added.

Schumacher crashed into a boulder in a freak skiing accident in the Alps in December 2013

Schumacher, who is considered one of the best F1 drivers of all time, has not been seen in public since he suffered a serious brain injury in a brutal skiing accident in the French Alps in 2013.

The seven-time world champion driver had a freak fall just metres away from a popular ski slope that resulted in critical head injuries less than a year after retiring from the sport.

His wife Corinna, whom he married in 1995, has insisted on total secrecy over his condition since.
Sir Robert Buckland today launched an extraordinary attack on his Conservative colleagues, saying they will now be 'like a group of bald men arguing over a comb'.

The former Conservative justice secretary hit out after losing his seat in Swindon South to Labour candidate Heidi Alexander, who took 21,676 votes to his 12,070.

Sir Robert told how he was 'fed up of personal agendas and jockeying for position' within the Tories - and described the election night as 'electoral Armageddon'.

The former barrister, who was the first senior Tory to lose their seat overnight, also slammed other Conservatives for saying 'stupid' and 'inflammatory' things.

It comes as competing Tory factions began a battle over the diminished party's future and Rishi Sunak shouldered the burden for a 'sobering verdict' at the election.

Former prime minister Liz Truss and a record number of serving Cabinet members lost their seats in the bloodbath, as Labour swept to power under Sir Keir Starmer.

Sir Robert Buckland speaks to the BBC overnight after losing his seat in Swindon South

Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gives a speech at Downing Street today

Conservative Party MPs who have lost their seats in the 2024 General Election are (top row, from left) former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland, education secretary Gillian Keegan, former defence secretary Grant Shapps, Chief Whip Simon Hart, (second row, from left) justice secretary Alex Chalk, former Welsh minister Alun Cairns, deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis, Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt, (third row, from left) Michelle Donelan, Sir Jacob Rees Mogg, culture secretary Lucy Frazer, and minister for veterans' affairs Johnny Mercer, (bottom row, from left) transport secretary Mark Harper, attorney general Victoria Prentis. Welsh secretary David TC Davies, and former prime minister Liz Truss

Speaking to the BBC after his loss, Sir Robert said: 'I'm fed up of personal agendas, and jockeying for position.

Runners and riders: Who will view to replace Rishi Sunak as leader of the Tories? With Labour coming out on top at the General Election, talk has already turned to who could replace Rishi Sunak as the Conservative Party's leader. But following huge losses for the Tories, several top Cabinet ministers have lost their seats - meaning Penny Mordaunt and other possible runners have been knocked out of the race before it even started. Here are the key contenders to watch, with their odds provided by Ladbrokes: James Cleverly (8/1) James Cleverly, who served as Home Secretary, has yet to declare his intentions and told Sky News in the aftermath of his re-election as an MP: 'What might happen in the future I'll leave that for the near future.' An article in The Times had suggested he would not go for the top job due to his wife's health but other reports indicate he could be persuaded to run. Mr Cleverly is a centrist who previously served as foreign secretary and was first elected as the Conservative MP for Braintree in May 2015. After an injury cut short his Army career, he got a business degree and joined the Territorial Army. Mr Cleverly worked in magazine and digital publishing before setting up his own business. He was a London Assembly member before he became an MP. Kemi Badenoch (2/1) Outgoing Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch is seen as a frontrunner among right-leaning factions and has left the door open to a tilt at the top job by saying 'we will talk about leadership things after an election'. Ms Badenoch was born in Wimbledon and grew up in Nigeria and the US, returning to the UK at the age of 16. She has a master of engineering as well as a bachelor of laws and has worked at private bank Coutts and The Spectator. She first became an MP in 2017. Ms Badenoch backed Brexit, and as minister for women and equalities she has made a name for herself as an outspoken voice on gender issues, including by calling for a change to the Equality Act so that sex is defined only as someone's biological sex. Ms Badenoch has rejected calls for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to be welcomed into the Tory fold. Dame Priti Patel (5/1) Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel is a longstanding Eurosceptic who has said she was inspired to join the Conservative Party by Margaret Thatcher. She became an MP in 2010 and served in cabinet positions under Theresa May and Boris Johnson, as international development secretary and home secretary respectively. Dame Priti was a leading figure in the Vote Leave campaign, and as home secretary she launched a points-based immigration system, signed the agreement with Rwanda to send asylum seekers to the country and sealed returns deals with Albania and Serbia. She resigned as home secretary after Liz Truss became Tory leader. Suella Braverman (8/1) Suella Braverman declared two days before election day that the fight for a Conservative electoral victory is over. Writing in The Telegraph, she instead referred to a 'fight for the soul' of the party. Ms Braverman, a barrister by trade, has a track record of controversial op-eds. She was appointed home secretary by Rishi Sunak, who sacked her from that post over an article accusing the Metropolitan Police of bias in policing protests. Ms Braverman was previously attorney general for England and Wales under Boris Johnson and has also chaired the Eurosceptic European Research Group. She was elected as an MP in 2015. She recently told The Times she would welcome Nigel Farage into the Conservative Party, saying: 'There's not much difference really between him and many of the policies that we stand for.' Robert Jenrick (8/1) Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick last month denied he was firing the first shot in the race to replace Mr Sunak when he wrote an opinion piece dubbed by The Mail on Sunday as him 'effectively setting out his manifesto'. Mr Jenrick used the article to say the Conservatives are the 'natural home for Reform voters' and that former prime minister Boris Johnson 'must always have a place' in the Tories, including in Parliament, should he wish to have one. The MP for Newark resigned as a minister last December as he claimed the then draft legislation designed to revive the Rwanda deportation policy did 'not go far enough'. Mr Jenrick last month claimed Mr Sunak's administration was 'turning a corner' in its efforts to reduce net migration. He added in a nod to Reform: 'We have to build a coalition of voters and propose policies which will fix people's problems - be that on migration, public services reform, the cost of living, or housing.' Jeremy Hunt (7/1) Having previously run for leader in 2019 and 2022, Jeremy Hunt may be reluctant to have a third go. But his lengthy experience in Cabinet and appeal to moderates could be attractive to Tories looking for a calming influence after the chaos of recent years. After surviving a scare to secure his seat in the Commons, Mr Hunt said: 'Some Conservatives will wonder whether the scale of our crushing defeat was really justified. 'But when you lose the trust of the electorate, all that matters is having the courage and humility to ask yourself, why? So that you can earn it back again.' After clinging on to his seat, Mr Hunt is not favoured among bookmakers to take over. Advertisement

'The truth is now with the Conservatives facing this electoral armageddon, it's going to be like a group of bald men arguing over a comb.

'I came into politics to actually do Government and to responsibly exercise power in order to make change in this country. I did that in office for many years and I'm proud of my legacy.'

He added: 'I'm fed up of performance art politics. I've watched colleagues in the Conservative Party strike poses, write inflammatory op-eds and say stupid things they have no evidence for, instead of concentrating on doing the job they were elected to do. I've had enough of it.'

Sir Robert's mention of 'op-eds' was likely referring to former home secretary Suella Braverman's criticism of Mr Sunak's election strategy in an article for the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday  two days before voters went to the polls.

And he continued: 'I want the Conservative Party to get back to the ethos of doing stuff well and being competent, not pretending to please the media.

'If we can get back to that then I think we have more than a fighting chance at the next election but we need to do it quickly and we need to wake up now.'

He added that the election had revealed 'astonishing ill discipline within the party' and condemned articles before polls had opened 'about the party heading to defeat and what the prognosis should be'.

Sir Robert also said: 'It is spectacularly unprofessional and ill disciplined and that's not the Conservative Party I joined or have been an active member of for nearly 40 years.

'I expect more from colleagues. I also expect colleagues in senior office to actually get a grip of their brief and portfolio and actually understand that politics is about hard choices.

'It's about doing the detail. Now the Prime Minister understands that and is an admirable example of how to do the detail.'

He also said that the party to move further to the right would be a 'disastrous mistake' that 'would send us into the abyss'.

Hours after Sir Robert spoke, Mr Sunak apologised to the country and his party after he led the Conservatives to their worst-ever election result.

The outgoing Prime Minister added he will step down as Tory leader, but only once formal arrangements are in place to select his successor.

Speaking under grey skies and with his wife Akshata Murty watching on, Mr Sunak delivered his final Downing Street address before his premiership officially ends.

Mr Sunak said: 'To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry.

'I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the Government of the United Kingdom must change. And yours is the only judgment that matters.

'I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.'

Mr Sunak also apologised to Conservative candidates and campaigners, before saying: 'Following this result I will step down as party leader - not immediately, but once the formal arrangements for selecting my successor are in place.

'It is important that after 14 years in government the Conservative Party rebuilds, but also that it takes up its crucial role in opposition professionally and effectively.'

Mr Sunak gave his thanks to his colleagues and staff before adding: 'But, most of all, I'd like to express my gratitude to my wife Akshata and our beautiful daughters.

'I can never thank them enough for the sacrifices they have made so that I might serve our country.'

Mr Sunak praised Sir Keir as a 'decent, public-spirited man who I respect' as he conceded defeat outside Number 10.

The Tory MP said 'whatever our disagreements,' he wished Sir Keir and his family well as they make 'the huge transition to their new lives behind this door'.

Mr Sunak, who was re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton, said: 'In this job, his successes will be all our successes, and I wish him and his family well.'

He said he believes the UK is 'more prosperous, fairer and resilient than it was in 2010' when the Conservatives came to power.

He concluded his farewell speech by acknowledging the 'difficult days' of the election campaign and pointing to the British values of 'kindness, decency and tolerance'.

Mr Sunak said: 'One of the most remarkable things about Britain is just how unremarkable it is that two generations after my grandparents came here with little, I could become Prime Minister. And that I could watch my two young daughters light Diwali candles on the steps in Downing Street.

'We must hold true to that idea of who we are. That vision of kindness, decency and tolerance that has always been the British way.

'This is a difficult day at the end of a number of difficult days. But I leave this job honoured to have been your Prime Minister.

'This is the best country in the world. And it is thanks entirely to you, the British people, the true source of all our achievements, our strengths and our greatness. Thank you.'

Mr Sunak's apology was earlier echoed by Suella Braverman, but the Tory leadership challenger was sorry for her party's record in Government, suggesting it had not listened enough to the electorate.

Ms Truss lost her South West Norfolk seat, where she had been defending a notional majority of more than 24,000, to Labour.

The former prime minister, who during her short time in Downing Street oversaw the disastrous mini-budget that spooked markets, said the Tories had not 'delivered sufficiently' on voters' priorities including curbing immigration.

Ms Truss declined to give a concession speech but told the BBC: 'I think the issue we faced as Conservatives is we haven't delivered sufficiently on the policies people want.

'And that means keeping taxes low, but also particularly on reducing immigration.'

Asked whether she accepted some responsibility for that, Ms Truss said: 'I agree. I was part of that. That's absolutely true.

'But during our 14 years in power, unfortunately we did not do enough to take on the legacy we'd been left, in particular things like the Human Rights Act that made it very difficult for us to deport illegal immigrants.'

Among the dozen Cabinet ministers to lose their seats overnight were Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, Attorney General Victoria Prentis and veterans minister Johnny Mercer, all to Labour.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Science Secretary Michelle Donelan, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer and illegal immigration Minister Michael Tomlinson lost to the Liberal Democrats.

Conservative candidate Jacob Rees-Mogg stands next to Barmy Brunch from The Official Monster Raving Loony Party as Labour candidate Dan Norris speaks after his win today

Outgoing MP for Portsmouth North Penny Mordaunt delivers a speech after her defeat today

Labour's Terry Jermy wins in South West Norfolk today as Liz Truss watches after her defeat

Your browser does not support iframes.

Chief whip Simon Hart lost to Plaid Cymru.

But party chairman Richard Holden won by just 20 votes in Basildon and Billericay and Jeremy Hunt clung on to the Godalming and Ash seat in Surrey despite a threat from the Liberal Democrats.

The outgoing Chancellor said the Conservatives' 'crushing' defeat was a 'bitter pill to swallow' for the party.

Mel Stride, who served as Work and Pensions Secretary and held on to his Central Devon seat by just 61 votes, said it would take 'quite a lot of time' for the Tory Party to 'rebuild'.

Outgoing Home Secretary James Cleverly, who held his seat in Braintree, Essex, warned that 'there is nothing honourable in presenting simple and thin solutions to challenging and complex problems'.

Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden won by just 20 votes in Basildon and Billericay

Outgoing Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, with his wife Lucia Hunt and their children Jack, Anna and Eleanor leave 11 Downing Street this morning after the Labour party won a landslide victory

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer at a results party in London today

Mr Shapps, who lost his Welwyn Hatfield seat to Labour, said his party had an 'inability to iron out (its) differences' amid an endless 'soap opera'.

Seats previously held by Tory big beasts, including Boris Johnson's Uxbridge and South Ruislip and Theresa May's Maidenhead, were taken by Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively.

Tory Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker, who had signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election, said 'thank God I'm a free man' after he was defeated by Labour in Wycombe.

Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis, former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and business and trade minister Greg Hands were beaten by Labour.

Former prime minister Liz Truss led a parade of Tory big hitters who sensationally lost her seat in the Tory election bloodbath.

Liz Truss becomes latest Tory casualty in big beast bloodbath: Ex-PM joins Jacob Rees Mogg, Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps, Gillian Keegan, Lucy Frazer and Johnny Mercer to be ousted in election

By David Wilcock, Arthur Parashar and Elizabeth Haigh

Former prime minister Liz Truss led a parade of Tory big hitters who sensationally lost her seat in the Tory election bloodbath.

Ms Truss, who was premier for just 49 days in 2022, lost her Norfolk South West seat to Labour by just 630 votes after the largest swing from the Tories to Labour ever.

Terry Jermy overturned a 26,195 majority won by Ms Truss in 2019 after Reform and an independent campaign by the 'Turnip Taliban ' - a group of local disgruntled ex-Tories - whittled down her support.

On a humiliating night for Rishi Sunak 's party, some of the Conservatives ' biggest names - including a record number of frontbenchers - lost their seats as Labour stormed to an historic landslide win.

Senior Tory figures - including a record number of Cabinet ministers - lost their seats in an election bloodbath

Liz Truss

Ms Truss, who led the country from September 6 to October 25 2022 following Boris Johnson's resignation, was the latest Tory heavyweight to suffer at the hands of the electorate on a disastrous night - and morning - for the party.

She Truss beat Rishi Sunak to the Tory leadership in 2022. But her popularity nosedived after her devastating mini-budget with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng which led to the plunge of the pound and had widespread economic impacts.

Thousands of people saw steep mortgage rises following the budget, which contained millions of pounds worth of unfunded tax cuts.

Read More:

Ms Truss, who led the country for 49 days following Boris Johnson's resignation, was the latest Tory heavyweight to fall on a disastrous night - and morning - for the party

She Truss beat Rishi Sunak to the Tory leadership in 2022. But her popularity nosedived after her devastating mini-budget with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng which led to the plunge of the pound and had widespread economic impacts.

She later quit as leader and returned to the backbenches, reinventing herself as a rightwing firebrand with links to Trumpist US Republicans.

Speaking to the BBC after her defeat she said: 'I think the issue we faced as Conservatives is we haven't delivered sufficiently on the policies people want.

'And that means keeping taxes low, but also particularly on reducing immigration. And I think that's been a crucial issue here in South West Norfolk, that was the number one issue that people raised on the doorstep with me.'

Asked whether she accepted some responsibility for that, Ms Truss said: 'I agree. I was part of that. That's absolutely true.

'But during our 14 years in power, unfortunately we did not do enough to take on the legacy we'd been left, in particular things like the Human Rights Act that made it very difficult for us to deport illegal immigrants. And that is one of the reasons I think we've ended up in the situation we are now.'

She declined to say if she would remain involved in politics.

The candidates for South West Norfolk were left waiting on stage for several minutes for the announcement of the result as they waited for Ms Truss to appear.

Some of those watching began a slow hand clap before she finally joined them, without wearing a Conservative rosette.

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Mr Rees-Mogg lost his Somerset North East & Hanham seat to Labour's Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes.

In a typically polite speech afterwards he congratulated Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on 'what seems to be a historic victory'.

The former business secretary's defeat was a reversal of 2010, when he bet Mr Norris in the predecessor constituency.

Speaking at the University of Bath after the result was declared, Sir Jacob said: 'May I begin by giving my warmest congratulations to Dan Norris, who has been a servant of North East Somerset or Wansdyke as it then was before and I am sure will be a devoted constituency MP in the future.

Jacob Rees-Mogg lost his Somerset North East & Hanham to Labour's Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes

'And congratulate Sir Keir Starmer who has led his party to what seems to be a historic victory. And this is the great virtue of our democracy, so I congratulate both of them.'

Sir Jacob then thanked his agent, campaign director and constituency staff who had 'worked so hard over the last 14 years'.

He said: 'And one final thought, from Caractacus Potts, and that is from the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success. So thank you very much everybody, and good night.'

Grant Shapps

Glum-looking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

A 'Portillo' moment is a reference to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Portillo who lost what had been regarded as a safe Tory seat in Labour's 1997 landslide.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Mr Shapps has held a series of Cabinet positions under four Tory prime ministers - including energy security and net zero secretary, business secretary and home secretary.

Grant Shapps looked glum as he lost his seat in Welwyn Hatfield pm a devastating night for the Tories

In 2012 it was revealed he was using an alter-ego as businessman Michael Green.

He was pictured using a nom de plume while he was a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives. He was standing for the Welwyn Hatfield seat in Hertfordshire when he posed for the photo at a 2,000-a-head web marketing event at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in 2004.

Mr Shapps continued to use the name Michael Green for his business interests throughout the 2005 election campaign and his early years as an opposition MP. 'Mr Green' charged clients 183 an hour for advice on how to make money from the web as well as offering tips on how to beat the recession blues, including splashing out on a jet-ski or learning to play the guitar.

Penny Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunt lost her Commons seat today in one of the biggest upsets of a General Election that is turning into a top Tory bloodbath.

The Commons leader, who leapt into the public consciousness with her sword-wielding role at the Coronation of Charles III last year, was beaten into second place by Labour's Amanda Martin.

Ms Mordaunt, 51, had been tipped as a potential future Tory leader as the party tries to regroup from a long-expected electoral pummelling.

The Commons leader, who leapt into the public consciousness with her sword-wielding role at the Coronation of Charles III last year, was beaten into second place by Labour 's Amanda Martin.

The former defence secretary was runner up to Rishi Sunak in 2022 and had also stood in the previous leadership race won by Liz Truss.

During the election campaign she was the face of the Tories at a number of seven-way debates between senior figures from the main parties, going to-to-toe with Labour's Angela Rayner.

But shortly after 4am the Royal Navy reservist lost to Labour in the Royal Navy's home city, marking at least the start of a lengthy hiatus in her political career, if not ending it.

She admitted the Conservative Parry has taken a 'battering' because it failed to honour 'the trust that people had placed in it' after she lost her seat to Labour.

Labour's Amanda Martin ousted the Leader of the House of Commons from Portsmouth North, winning by just 780 votes.

Ms Mordaunt, 51, would have been hotly tipped to run for the party leadership again had she managed to keep her seat.

She said: 'Tonight, the Conservative Party has taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it. You can speak all you like of security and freedom, but you can't have either if you are afraid.

'Afraid about the cost-of-living or accessing healthcare, or whether the responsibility you shoulder will be recognised and rewarded. That fear steals the future, and it only makes the present matter and that is why we lost.

'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

'I've lost many good colleagues tonight but I hope that like me they intend to carry on serving their communities with even stronger heart, our country needs all of us.'

Ms Mordaunt, who had held the seat from 2010, also said she will 'never stop caring' for the people of Portsmouth.

Gillian Keegan

The Education Secretary since 2022 and MP for Chichester from 2017, Gillian Keegan lost her seat to Liberal Democrat candidate Jess Brown-Fuller.

Ms Keegan had pushed for banning smartphones in schools. She also oversaw draft statutory sex education guidance that 'gender ideology' should not be taught in schools.

Ms Keegan had pushed for banning smartphones in schools. She also oversaw draft statutory sex education guidance that 'gender ideology' should not be taught in schools.

But she also made headlines for urged striking teachers to be 'realistic' with their pay demands - while wearing her 10,000 Rolex watch.

But she also made headlines for urged striking teachers to be 'realistic' with their pay demands - while wearing her 10,000 Rolex watch.

Last year she wore her expensive watch - a gift from her husband - as she toured television and radio studios.

The Merseyside-born Tory, who grew up in a working class family and left school at 16, accused critics of her jewellery of 'inverted snobbery'.

In an early claim of victory before 2am on Friday, the Liberal Democrats said her seat of 'Chichester is going Lib Dem-orange, as Gillian Keegan becomes the first Cabinet minister of the night to lose her seat'.

And just two hours later her loss was confirmed, with a result that saw her trailing the Lib Dems by more than 10,000 votes.

When appointed Education Secretary by Rishi Sunak in 2022, she was the fifth person to hold the role in under four months and the sixth since the 2019 general election.

Less than a year into the role she was fighting a major crisis after ordering more than 100 schools to make closures because of concerns that a crumbling aerated concrete could collapse.

The strain of that erupted in public when she unwittingly vented her frustrations, swearing about a lack of gratitude towards her while others have 'sat on their arse and done nothing' while the cameras were still rolling after a broadcast interview.

Steve Baker

Tory minister Steve Baker said 'thank God I'm a free man' after he was ousted from his Wycombe seat.

The self-styled 'Brexit hardman', who had signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I fought this to win it and I wanted to do my duty and continue. But I am today, thank God, a free man.

The self-styled 'Brexit hardman', who had signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I fought this to win it and I wanted to do my duty and continue. But I am today, thank God, a free man.

'Try being elected to Parliament and you'll understand. I am able now to resume my life and that is going to be a great blessing to me.

'So I'm afraid I will be honest with the public. Thank God I'm a free man.'

And the others...

The Liberal Democrats took out Justice Secretary Alex Chalk in Cheltenham.

Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland, Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Chief Whip Simon Hart were all culled - as were Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis, former deputy PM Therese Coffey and Michael Fabricant.

Welsh secretary David Davies, Science Minister Michelle Donelan and Attorney General Victoria Prentis were also all kicked from their seats.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper lost his Forest of Dean seat to Labour's Matt Bishop by just 278 votes.

Senior Tory Liam Fox, who had been the MP for North Somerset since 1992, also narrowly lost his seat to Labour candidate Sadik Al-Hassan by 639 votes.

Other casualties included Peter Bottomley, who had been the longest-serving lawmaker in parliament. The 'Father of the House' - the honorary title bestowed upon the member who had been in parliament the longest - was first elected in 1975 but lost his Worthing West seat.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper lost his seat in the Forest of Dean

Chief Whip Simon Hart lost his seat

In a rare positive for the Tories, Mr Sunak, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Home Secretary James Cleverley held onto their seats in Richmond and North Allerton, Godalming and Ash and Braintree respectively.

Despite suffering a brutal defeat, Mr Rees-Mogg congratulated Sir Keir Starmer on 'what seems to be a historic victory'.

Speaking at the University of Bath after the result was declared, Sir Jacob said: 'May I begin by giving my warmest congratulations to Dan Norris, who has been a servant of North East Somerset or Wansdyke as it then was before and I am sure will be a devoted constituency MP in the future.

'And congratulate Sir Keir Starmer who has led his party to what seems to be a historic victory. And this is the great virtue of our democracy, so I congratulate both of them.'

Sir Jacob then thanked his agent, campaign director and constituency staff who had 'worked so hard over the last 14 years'.
Angela Rayner

Many will now be looking to Angela Rayner  as John Prescott before her  to serve as custodian of its traditional values in the face of a modernising leadership.

Like her predecessor, she worked her way up the hard way, leaving school at 16 having grown up in the squalor of a rundown council estate in Stockport, and cutting her teeth as a trade union official before embarking on a career in parliament.

A self-proclaimed socialist, the deputy leader's current brief also includes housing, levelling up and communities  one of the most contentious elements of the new Government's policy agenda.

This is expected to involve overseeing a major extension or workers' rights including the creation of a new watchdog with powers to fine and prosecute errant employers.

Disclosures in an unauthorised biography by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft about Ms Rayner's sale of a council house in 2015 led to a Greater Manchester Police investigation after the Tories complained she may have broken electoral law and dodged capital gains tax.

When the force announced  just days into the election campaign  that they would be taking no further action, Sir Keir said she had been fully vindicated, while she dismisses the saga as a Conservative bid to 'clip my wings'.

Rachel Reeves

When BBC Newsnight editor Ian Katz unwittingly tweeted his view of Rachel Reeves as 'boring, snoring' during an TV appearance in 2013, she admitted to feeling slightly humiliated.

But she also made clear where her priorities were. 'Glamorous and exciting are probably not two things you'd want from someone in charge of public finances  you want someone who's steady, who's serious, who's responsible,' she told the Guardian.

A former child chess champion who counts a stint at the Bank of England and four years in private-sector banking among her credentials, Ms Reeves is said by allies to have the type of analytical mind required for the challenges that await her at the Treasury.

With her promise to serve as the country's 'iron' chancellor and emphasis on supply-side reform, she has invited comparisons between herself and Margaret Thatcher, to the dismay of some on the left.

But Ms Reeves has been unapologetically pro-business, talking up growth as the linchpin of success in government and embarking on her so-called 'smoked salmon offensive' of breakfast meetings with leaders of the FTSE250 in the months before the election.

Against the daunting backdrop of a sluggish economy and competing demands for public spending, Britain's first ever female chancellor will be responsible for sticking to Labour's strict fiscal rules while implementing a series of tax hikes  hitting wealthy non-doms, oil and gas giants and private schools  to help fund its plans for improved public services.

Yvette Cooper

A rising star under New Labour, Yvette Cooper was relegated to the back benches during Jeremy Corbyn's leadership before returning to the shadow cabinet with her home affairs brief under Sir Keir.

A taste for politics emerged during her days at a comprehensive school in Hampshire, where she has recalled staging a 'prefects' strike' in protest over the disciplining of a fellow prefect for wearing the wrong colour socks.

Awarded a Kennedy scholarship after studying politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford University, Ms Cooper previously served as chief secretary to the Treasury in the Brown administration.

Her marriage to Ed Balls, Mr Brown's former adviser and close confidante, made them the first couple to sit in Cabinet together.

Ms Cooper has announced a series of pledges as shadow home secretary, including to clear the asylum backlog, create a cross-border police unit to crack down on criminal smuggling gangs and put 13,000 more neighbourhood officers on the beat.

She is set to inherit one of the most scrutinised briefs in government, as the UK grapples with an asylum backlog and small boat crossings in the English Channel.

Pat McFadden

As shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and national campaign coordinator since 2023, veteran frontbencher Pat McFadden has played a central role in shaping Labour's direction in the run-up to the election.

Softly spoken and serious, much of his work has taken place behind the scenes, though he is frequently relied on to reinforce the party line with appearances on the morning broadcast rounds.

Mr McFadden gives little away in interviews but is seen as a centre-left figure, having attended Gordon Brown's Cabinet and served as an advisor to Sir Tony.

Born in Glasgow to Irish-speaking parents from Donegal, his Labour roots go back past even the 1990s to his days as an undergraduate at Edinburgh University, where he was chair of Scottish Labour Students before working for Donald Dewar and later John Smith.

He was sacked from Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet for what the leadership branded 'disloyalty'. This was said to include criticism of Mr Corbyn's response to the 2015 Paris terror attacks and a Commons statement in which he called for a rejection of 'the view that sees terrorist acts as always being a response or a reaction to what we in the West do.'

Wes Streeting

From a family acquainted with the Kray twins to Labour's frontbench via Cambridge University, Wes Streeting's journey to frontline politics has been anything but ordinary.

A self-described 'geek' who wore his school badges with pride, he credits his parents and grandparents  one of whom was an armed robber, the other a Second World War veteran  with fostering his love of books, despite the strains of living in a cramped flat in London's East End.

One of Labour's most recognisable faces and never shy to attack the Tory record, Mr Streeting is seen as a confident media performer and has often been touted as a potential leadership contender.

He has been MP for Ilford North since 2015 and shadow health secretary since 2021, responsible for overseeing the party's mission to rebuild the NHS, including a pledge to create 40,000 new appointments each week.

David Lammy

Veteran MP David Lammy has risen through the party ranks over the course of a 23-year career in parliament.

One of five siblings raised by a single mother in Tottenham  the constituency he would go on to win in 2001  Mr Lammy sung as a choirboy at Peterborough Cathedral before studying at SOAS University and later becoming the first black Briton to attend Harvard Law School, where he forged a friendship with Barack Obama.

He has spoken of the fear and embarrassment he felt when he was first stopped and searched at the age of just 12, and made his name in politics campaigning against racial injustice and the profiling of black and ethnic minority groups.

Having served as a junior health minister under Sir Tony, Mr Lammy supported Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2015 before backing Sir Keir in 2020 and returning to the front bench as shadow justice secretary.

As shadow foreign secretary since 2021, he raised eyebrows earlier this year when he promised to find a 'common cause' with Donald Trump if the former president is returned to the White House, despite having previously called the Republican a 'neo-Nazi sympathiser.'

The position has seen him tread a fraught path over the war in Gaza, stressing Israel's right to self-defence but also saying that Labour would comply with an arrest warrant against the country's premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, if the international criminal court were to issue one  and criticising 'extremist rhetoric' from some Israeli ministers.

In government, it would put him at the helm of UK diplomacy during a time of increasing global instability  though Sir Keir has so far refused to be drawn on speculation that Mr Lammy may be replaced after the election.

Bridget Phillipson

At school in the deprived former mining town of Washington, Bridget Phillipson was a high-achiever with an interest in acting that landed her a role as an extra in Byker Grove before winning a place at Oxford University.

Aged just 26, she went on to become MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in 2010 after working for several years at the women's refuge her mother founded.

Ms Phillipson came from a struggling single-parent family but says she was far from the worst off in her class. Her upbringing has shaped her approach to the role of shadow education secretary, in which she has outlined Labour's mission to smash the 'class ceiling' by removing barriers to opportunity for less advantaged children.

To the disappointment of some on the Labour left, free school meals  of which Ms Phillipson was a recipient while growing up  did not feature in the party manifesto.

Instead, it commits to free school breakfast clubs to prevent children starting lessons hungry.

Ed Miliband

Dubbed 'Red Ed' by the tabloids during his time as Labour leader from 2010 to 2015, Ed Miliband nonetheless headed up a more moderate party than Mr Corbyn, who he called on to resign after the Leave result in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

In the run up to his May 2015 election defeat, Mr Miliband's public image was dogged by what were perceived to be embarrassing photos of him eating a bacon sandwich and the revelation he had two kitchens in his north London mansion.

Theresa May was later accused of making a number of his policies her own when she became Tory prime minister in 2017, opting to cap energy prices and abolish estate agent fees for renters.

His more recent guise as 'Green Ed'  running Labour's net zero policy  has seen him champion the pledge to create GB Energy, a publicly owned clean power company, and 23.7 billion in spending for green measures.

A setback came last year when Labour watered down its promise to spend 28 billion a year on sustainable energy projects  of which the shadow climate secretary was seen as a key proponent  blaming Tory stewardship of the economy.

The MP for Doncaster North denied having considered quitting over the move, which instead saw the party commit to 23.7 billion in spending over the next parliament, saying the new plans will still help to move the dial on the environment.

Liz Kendall

Shadow work and pensions secretary since a promotion in Sir Keir's 2023 reshuffle, Liz Kendall has been responsible for overseeing the party's mission to 'get Britain working again' following a rise in long-term sickness and inactivity.

She set out a tough stance on welfare in a speech earlier this year, during which she said there would be 'no option for a life on benefits' for people who can work under Labour and committed to 'investing' in young people.

As an ambitious shadow health minister, she was the first to declare her hand in the leadership contest won by Mr Corbyn in 2015, when she warned that Labour could stay out of power forever unless it moved towards the centre ground.

A former special adviser to Harriet Harman and then Patricia Hewitt  whose Leicester seat she inherited  she has previously described herself as an unlikely rap music fan, counting Eminem and Public Enemy among her favourites.

Anneliese Dodds

Ms Dodds worked her way up to the position of shadow chancellor by 2020 after winning the seat of Oxford East in the 2017 election.

But she was among the most high-profile casualities of Sir Keir's 2021 reshuffle, getting demoted to party chairwoman after some commentators argued she failed to cut through in her previous role during a period of increased government spending in the Covid pandemic.

Ms Dodds grew up in Aberdeenshire and worked as a lecturer in public policy before entering parliament, and has named Mr Brown  the economic architect of New Labour  as her political inspiration, citing his response to the 2008 financial crisis.

She has also served as shadow women and equalities secretary, a role which has seen her affirm Labour's commitment to 'trans people and women' and criticised the demonisation of vulnerable people, but also speak of 'places where it is reasonable for biological women only to have access'  words which were criticised by some in the LGBT community.

Shabana Mahmood

Former barrister Shabana Mahmood was named as Labour's shadow justice secretary last September after serving as national campaign coordinator since 2021.

One of the first Muslim women elected to the Commons, she won the seat of Birmingham Ladywood in 2010.

Ms Mahmood is seen as a key ally of fellow former lawyer Sir Keir and credited with playing a key part in preparing the party's campaign machine.

Born in Birmingham with a twin brother, she has said her childhood dream was to become a real-life version of ITV's 'Kavanagh QC' rather than a politician.

She told the BBC's Political Thinking podcast last year how outgoing Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak promised to vote for her as president of the junior common room during their university days  after she targeted him in canvassing because they were both 'firmly of the geek extraction.'

John Healey

A stalwart of Labour's frontbench, John Healey served in the Blair-Brown governments as well as the shadow cabinets of Mr Miliband and Mr Corbyn before becoming Sir Keir's shadow defence secretary.

His parliamentary career has seen him back the invasion of Iraq and more recently criticise the Tory government's reduction in the size of the army to 72,500 by 2025.

But a question mark still hangs over how Labour would oversee the defence budget, with the party having pledged to reach a spending target of 2.5% only when 'economic conditions allow'.

Jonathan Reynolds

Alongside Ms Reeves, shadow trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds has been at the forefront of Labour's efforts to redraw its relationship the City.

Elected MP for Stalybridge and Hyde in 2010, he resigned as a shadow minister under Mr Corbyn and went on to criticise the leadership's economic policy.

As chair of Christians on the Left, Mr Reynolds has described his faith as hugely important to his politics. In 2013 he told the Commons he would vote for equal marriage 'because I am a Christian, not in spite of it'.

Born in Houghton-le-Spring, he studied law at Manchester University before entering parliament at the age of 28.

Peter Kyle

MP for Hove Peter Kyle has served as shadow technology secretary since a reshuffle last year.

Mr Kyle struggled with dyslexia growing up and has spoken of leaving school without many qualifications before being told at university that he had a reading age of eight  though he overcame this to gain a doctoral degree.

He was an aid worker in the Balkans before becoming a Blair-era special advisor focused on social exclusion policy. In parliament he has campaigned for the voting age to be lowered to 16 and was a vocal critic of Mr Corbyn's leadership before serving in various positions in Sir Keir's shadow cabinet.

Louise Haigh

As Labour's transport secretary, Louise Haigh would be in charge of party plans to renationalise most rail services, with a new public body would inherit existing contracts when they expire.

The MP for Sheffield Heeley survived Sir Keir's 2023 reshuffle, which saw a host of Blairite figures promoted or ushered in to the shadow cabinet, despite being regarded as a standard-bearer of the soft left of the party.

She cut her teeth as a shop steward for the union Unite and volunteered as a special constable in the Metropolitan Police before entering politics.

Steve Reed

Steve Reed won the seat of Croydon North in a 2012 by-election and served as shadow justice secretary from 2021 until he was moved to the environment brief last year.

Growing up in the quiet commuter town of St Albans, his entire family worked at a printing factory, which he describes as the heart of his community until it was shut down in the 1980s.

He joined the Labour Party soon after its closure, blaming Margaret Thatcher's government for its fate during an economic recession.

Hilary Benn

Best known in the earlier stages of his career as the son of Tony Benn  the long-serving Cabinet minister, anti-war campaigner and pivotal figure on the Labour left  Mr Benn has not inherited all of his father's beliefs.

During the 1999 contest for the Leeds Central seat that he would go on to represent for decades to come, Mr Benn described himself as a 'Benn, but not a Bennite.'

Like his father, he is teetotal and vegetarian. Unlike his father, Mr Benn supported the Iraq war while serving in Sir Tony Blair's government and later defied then-leader Jeremy Corbyn, while his shadow foreign secretary, to back military action against the Islamic State in Syria.

He has served as shadow Northern Ireland secretary since 2023, an appointment that was welcomed by Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie as 'an indication of the importance (Sir Keir) places on Northern Ireland'.

Jo Stevens

Jo Stevens has been shadow Wales secretary since 2021 and MP for Cardiff Central since 2015. Before her parliamentary career, she was a lawyer at Thompsons Solicitors  a firm with longstanding links to the trade union movement.

Ms Stevens has opposed the devolution of justice powers which has sometimes put her at odds with the Welsh Labour administration in the past. She has suggested problems with crime are too urgent for the Westminster government to embark on an overhaul of the structures in place.

Ian Murray

Ian Murray was shadow Scotland secretary since 2020 and represented Edinburgh South since 2010, becoming the only Scottish Labour MP in Westminster for the second time after the party's 2019 general election defeat.

A critic of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, Mr Murray has campaigned against Scottish independence and won the backing of Sir Tony and Mr Brown during an unsuccessful bid for the Labour deputy leadership in 2020.

Lucy Powell

Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell has held a number of positions in Sir Keir's top team, most recently as shadow leader of the Commons.

She became known in the last parliament for her colourful sparring matches with Penny Mordaunt, who once accused her of 'channelling Elmer Fudd' after she noted the lack of any rabbit-out-of-hat surprise policies in the 2024 spring Budget.

Baroness Smith

Baroness Smith entered the Lords in 2010 after holding a number of ministerial positions but losing her bellwether seat of Basildon when the Tories swept to power.

She has served as shadow leader of the upper chamber since 2015.
A 'death capsule' designed to carry out assisted suicides is due to be used for the first time this month, Swiss media reports.

The Sarco, short for sarcophagus, would enable the euthanasia patient inside it to press a button and die 'within seconds', according to the company behind it, Exit Switzerland.

The case - which looks like something out of a sci-fi film and has been likened to a Tesla car - fills with nitrogen to starve the occupant of oxygen, rendering the patient unconscious before they die.

Its creator, controversial assisted dying advocate Dr Philip Nitschke, who has been dubbed 'Dr Death', claims his invention could allow users to die swiftly and painlessly.

While the Australian researcher claims that his device would give people the chance to end their lives in a 'peaceful' way, pro-life groups have warned that the pods, which could be made by a 3D printer, 'glamorize suicide'.

An early version of the Sarco Pod, which can be operated internally and works by reducing oxygen levels. No one has yet used it. The final prototype is in the finishing stages of being prepared

Australian euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke (pictured), also known as 'Dr Death', is a former physician and head of the voluntary euthanasia campaign Exit International

'Coming soon' is written on the Exit Switzerland website under a picture of the suicide capsule, with no further details.

Swiss news outlet NZZ reports that on June 10, Nitschke wrote in an online forum that Sarco's deployment in Switzerland was expected 'in the next few weeks.'

Well-informed sources told the website that Exit Switzerland's preparations are largely complete and the launch is scheduled for July.

The candidate for euthanasia has been selected, the sources suggested, and has already travelled to Swtizerland.

It is unclear who the person is and Dr Nitschke and his team have neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

In an interview with MailOnline last year, Dr Nitschke explained how his invention works.

'The person will climb into the machine, they will be asked three questions and they will answer verbally - 'Who are you?', 'Where are you?' and 'Do you know what happens if you press the button?'

'And if they answer those questions verbally, the software then switches the power on so that the button can then be pressed.

'And if they press the button they will die very quickly.

'When you climb into Sarco the oxygen level is 21 per cent but after you press the button it takes 30 seconds for the oxygen to drop to less than one per cent.'

The doctor's plans to use Sarco for the first time have caused uproar from certain 'pro-life' organisations, including CARE.

James Mildred, director of engagement at CARE, said: 'Philip Nitschke's device has been condemned by a broad range of commentators.

'Many people feel that it trivialises, and even glamourises, suicide.

'We believe that suicide is a tragedy that good societies seek to prevent in every circumstance. There are ethical ways to help human beings that don't involve the destruction of life.'

The project has come up against a number of obstacles in the past, with it unclear if Swiss authorities could prosecute over the use of the machine.

Sarco's creators said in 2021 that it had passed legal review in Switzerland, where assisted suicide is legal and hundreds of people use the services of organisations such as Dignitas and Exit (a separate group to Dr Nitschke's) every year.

But Kerstin Noelle Vokinger, a Professor of Law and Medicine at the University of Zurich, has said that Sarco may need to be certified under the country's Medical Devices Act, which it is not.

As its manufacturer, Dr Nitschke could therefore be taking a risk by using Sarco if he were to be reported and a court came to the same conclusions as Vokinger, NZZ reports. A legal report previously stated it is not and does not break any laws.
A tourist asked 'what happened to me?' after waking up in a Bali hospital with life-changing injuries following a motorcycle crash.

Former Aussie Seaworld worker Rebecca Ode, 36, was rushed to Ngoerah General Hospital following the accident at about 1am on Tuesday on a road in Nusa Lembongan.

Ms Ode, from Newcastle, north of Sydney, suffered severe injuries in the crash, including broken bones to her face, head and collarbone, and is now facing losing her right eye.

She underwent a 10-hour surgery on Tuesday night but has since regained consciousness on the Indonesian holiday island.

'She woke up and said ''What happened to me?'',' neurosurgeon specialist Professor Tjokorda Gde Bagus Mahadewa told Daily Mail Australia on Friday.

Ms Ode was found on the street after crashing her motorcycle into a parked motorbike, police have since confirmed following a report on the incident.

She initially underwent a CT scan before being referred to a neurosurgeon specialist, plastic surgeon specialist, ophthalmologist, and orthopedic specialist.

'We conducted several things, such as correction to her head bones. She had also suffered a leak in the brain,' Professor Mahadewa said.

Former Seaworld worker Rebecca Ode, 36, (pictured far right with her family) was rushed to Ngoerah General Hospital following the accident at about 1am on Tuesday on a road in Nusa Lembongan

'Then we did a correction on her face and nose because it's all broken. An ophthalmologist was also involved to handle her right eye, while an orthopedic specialist performed surgery to her bones.

'The ophthalmologist has said that her eye may can not be saved.

'She is also suffering amnesia. She can't remember the accident at all.'

Nusa Penida Police Chief, Ida Bagus Putra Sumerta, confirmed Ms Ode had been involved in a motorcycle accident and an investigation will be launched.

The police chief said the road she was travelling on was in good condition.

Ms Ode had been enjoying a break on the small island off Bali's southeast when she was injured.

Her family earlier said they didn't know what had happened to her.

She underwent a 10-hour surgery on Tuesday night but has since regained consciousness

'We have no idea how the injury happened there was no alcohol and the extent of her injuries is quite traumatic,' her brother-in-law Jesse Wilton told news.com.au.

Ms Ode has been left with structural damage to her face that will leave her disfigured for the rest of her life.

'She will lose one eye if not two, and has titanium plates in collar bones,' he said.

Mr Wilton said in a GoFundMe organised for Ms Ode that she is a 'strong and caring, daughter, aunty and friend (who) urgently needs to be medically evacuated home from Bali for ongoing treatment'.

'Bec needs the best health care possible as soon as possible which means bringing her home,' Mr Wilton wrote, adding that her hospital bills have already passed $60,000.

Ms Ode's mother Shari and sister Jordyn are 'by her side in Bali and while her recovery journey is unknown we know Bec will continue fighting her best fight with her strong will and determination', he said.

Jordyn wrote on Facebook: 'It's a terrifying thought to know that it is all but confirmed she has lost her vision in one eye.

'The impact completely pushed her eye out of her head, and the damage was so severe they weren't sure they could save the eye at all.

Ms Ode is likely to lose her right eye which was severely damaged in the crash (pictured is her x-ray)

'Her nose was split in half, and the cartilage was shattered. They had to rebuild her face, and I am desperate to get her home for professional help.

'The orthopaedic surgeons repaired her collarbone and shoulder, which were also hit. She now has a metal plate to keep her clavicle together.'

Jordyn said Rebecca went to Bali 'seeking peace after two extremely painful years following our father's passing'.

On top of the initial medical bills, the cost of getting Ms Ode back to Australia is expected to be enormous.

Once there is clearance to get her onto a plane, it's expected a medical flight to Sydney and transfers to Newcastle to be more than $120,000.

'Once home Bec is likely to have a long journey of rehabilitation. We are estimating it will be close to $250,000 just to get back to Australia,' Mr Wilton said.

Ms Ode's insurance cover is not known but is being investigated.

More than $168,000 has been raised for Ms Ode as of Friday night.
Nigel Farage's girlfriend Laure Ferrari was by his side through the night as he romped home in Clacton-on-Sea on his eighth attempt to become an MP.

Laure wore a white dress and an iridescent turquoise lame mac that matched the colour of the Reform logo as both enjoyed a glass of fizz at a victory party on the Essex riviera.

The party leader won in the seaside town in the early hours after Reform beat the Tories to finish second in a string of constituencies and won three other seats.

And by his side throughout the night was Laure, who first met her Brexiteer beau in 2007 when he was a MEP in Brussels and she waited tables in a Strasbourg restaurant.

But one former associate of Mr Farage claimed today: 'Nigel will hate being an MP. He has no interest in casework. And knowing what Laure was like in Brussels, I feel sorry for the people of Clacton. All she did was go to lunch'.

Reform Leader Nigel Farage and his Girlfriend Laure Ferrari celebrate his win together in Clacton

The couple raised a glass to the defeat of the Tories - on Mr Farage's eighth attempt to get into Parliament

Laure was also with Mr Farage during the count

Laure met her beau in 2007 when he was a MEP in Brussels and she waited tables in a Strasbourg restaurant

It was the eighth attempt by Mr Farage to win a Westminster seat after years of trying

Until now, Mr Farage's 'secret weapon' and long-term girlfriend, who is 15 years his junior, stayed away from his late campaign dash in Essex and around the country.

But behind the scenes she has been secretly whipping the Reform leader into shape by ordering him to cut back on the pints, cigarettes and lose some weight.

Mr Farage, who won the Clacton seat with 21,225 votes compared to the Tories' 12,820, said he and his party had sparked a political earthquake that marks the 'beginning of the end' for the Tory party.

He told reporters: 'This is just the first step, I set out with a goal to win millions of votes, to get a bridgehead in Parliament and that's what we've done so I'm very pleased.'

Asked where the Reform movement goes from here, he said: 'Forwards rapidly, very rapidly. I mean, look, I've got some things to do, I've got to professionalise it, I've got to democratise it, I've got to get rid of a few idiots that found it too easy to get on board. They will all go, they will all go, this will be a non-racist, non-sectarian party. Absolutely and I give my word on that.'

On the Conservative Party, Mr Farage added: 'They've been around for 190 years. They've been amazingly resilient. But this could be, I think this is the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party.'

Like the Reform leader's two ex-wives, Laure has kept a low profile but there was shock when she decided to appear on live TV in front of millions to meet her partner, 15 years her senior, after he came third in I'm a Celebrity last December.

But in recent months Laure and Nigel posed on the red carpet as they attended the Inspiration Awards For Women 2024 in London and did the same at a polo event at the end of May.

There was shock when Ms Ferrari was one of those flown out to Australia ahead of the show's finale which saw reality star Sam Thompson take the crown and boxer Tony Bellew finish second. Some claimed Nigel was shocked herself.

Nigel Farage and Laure Ferrari have been together for seven years (pictured in March at the Inspiration Awards For Women)

Nigel Farage gets a kiss from a supporter as he launched his candidacy to be MP for Reform UK in Clacton - but Laure Ferrari was not with him

Laure looked glamarous at a polo event she attended with Nigel last month

Laure and Nigel reunited after his stint in the jungle

Laure and Nigel met in 2007 when she was working as a waitress in Brussels and he was a MEP

Mr Farage and Ms Ferrari have been together since 2017 - after they were spotted at his London home after he moved out of the family home in Kent and dancing together at a Brexit anniversary party.

Despite the yawning gap in their ages and roles, Ms Ferrari told MailOnline before her trip to the jungle last year: 'I was first attracted to Nigel's values as a man. He has loyalty, empathy and never breaks his promises. I find that very attractive.'

She has also been credited with helping Nigel lose weight and get healthier - mainly through cutting down on pints and cigarettes - although not completely.

They first met in 2007, when Nigel was a MEP in Brussels.

Laure began working for Mr Farage and fellow Ukip MEP Godfrey Bloom after meeting them in the Strasbourg restaurant where she waited tables.

Describing what happened, she said previously: 'I met these two MEPs and we started talking about politics.

'The two Brits have no hierarchy and neither of them comes from a political background.'

Holly Valance attended Nigel Farage's MP announcemenin London, as he announced he would stand for election. She claimed she helped persuade him

Holly Candy (nee Valance), 41, has thrown her support behind Nigel Farage. Pictured (L to R) with husband Nick Candy, Donald Trump and Nigel Farage at Mar-a-Lago

The Brexiteer, pictured with his girlfriend Laure Ferrari, at his 60th birthday in March

Lizzy Cundy also attended the party, and called him the GOAT - the greatest of all time

In June 2013, Miss Ferrari posted on Twitter a link to a newspaper feature asking 'Why do more women want to bed Nigel Farage over David Cameron?'

But it was only four years later that their working relationship became romantic - and more political.

She was originally Mr Bloom's parliamentary assistant then head of public relations to a European Parliament grouping led by Mr Farage, and was a candidate for a small Right-wing party known as Debout la Republique (Arise The Republic) at European elections in 2014.

The party, later renamed Debout la France, was one of ten nationalist parties that make up the ADDE group, which was set up in 2014 by Ukip and funded by the European Parliament.

In March 2015, she was elected as executive director for the ADDE's think tank, the IDDE.

The two organisations shared an office in Brussels but Ms Ferrari moved to London, setting up a consultancy firm from an address in Clapham.

Ms Ferrari then spoke alongside Ukip politicians and other Brexit campaigners at public events in Dorset and Norfolk ahead of the EU referendum in 2016.

Kirsten Farage at the Ukip spring conference in Margate in 2014. She split with Nigel in 2017

Nigel Farage is greeted by his French girlfriend Laure Ferrari after finishing third on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

Ms Ferrari stood for far-Right French party Debout la Republique (Arise the Republic) at the 2014 European Parliament elections, but the party failed to win any seats

In 2017 she was spotted staying with Mr Farage, but he said they were friends.

The new Reform leader said he was giving Miss Ferrari 'short-term help' with her accommodation because she had nowhere else to go and needed money.

Asked if he had slept with her, he said: 'I'm not answering ludicrous questions, like have you ever held her hand, ever had dinner with her.

'She is someone I have worked with and known well for a long time who wanted somewhere to stay for a week that wouldn't cost her any money. It's a working relationship. You can inflate it however you want to.'

But that working relationship turned to romance.

Born in 1979 and raised in Epinal in North-East France, Miss Ferrari moved 90 miles to study English at the University of Strasbourg, and then spent two more years there doing a master's in communications.

After her studies, she took out a bank loan and opened a clothes shop in Strasbourg called Urban Flavor, as 'I couldn't see myself working for someone else'.

But the business did not flourish and financial difficulties led her to work as a waitress in the evenings - where she met her now partner.

Mr Farage's partners have largely kept a low profile.

In a rare interview his German-born second wife Kirsten Farage spoke out to deny he is racist, insisting he does not have a 'bad bone in his body' and the accusation 'hurts him'.

'If he was a racist I wouldn't be with him. I don't think he has got a nasty bone in his body  he is not a bully, he likes things done properly,' she said.

Mrs Farage added: 'It hurts him being personally attacked but it doesn't make me feel uncomfortable because I know he is not a racist.'

Mrs Farage, who is notoriously publicity shy, broke her silence in 2016 to paint the father of four as a dutiful family man who enjoys watching Dad's Army, though she admitted he was often so busy that they only saw him on television.

She told the Daily Telegraph her husband's 'hectic' lifestyle  in which he drank and smoked too much, skipped meals and lived on adrenalin  made her fear for his health.

Hamburg-born Kirsten kept a very low profile and was rarely seen in public. At Ukip conferences, she sat anonymously in the audience.

She worked from home and rarely visited Ukip's HQ in London's Mayfair, which she described as a 'freak show'.

Eight months after he was seen with Laure at a London property, Nigel Farage's wife of 18 years moved out of the family home in Kent.

Friends said it was a sign that he was 'getting serious' with Ms Ferrari.

Nigel Farage's wife of 18 years has moved out of the family home  eight months after The Mail on Sunday revealed he was living with French politician Laure Ferrari (pictured with Mr Farage in 2017)

Laure was staying with Nigel at his London home - but insisted it was a work arrangement

In his early 20s Nigel Farage had the first of several brushes with death, when he was run over by a car in Orpington, Kent, after a night in the pub.

He sustained severe injuries and doctors feared he would lose a leg.

But it would also lead to marriage and two children.

Mr Farage was treated by a nurse called Grainne Hayes - who became his first wife.

He had two sons with Ms Hayes, who are both now grown up.

After splitting with Ms Hayes he married German-born bond trader Kirsten Mehr in 1999.

She and Mr Farage met in Frankfurt in 1996, while he was travelling on business - and still married to his first wife.

Of the moment he met Kirsten, he once said: 'She was a stunning government bond broker whose brisk efficiency at first sight belied her ethereal appearance. She could have stepped into a pre-Raphaelite painting no questions asked.'

Later, he explained in typically flamboyant style: 'My marriage, which had been on ice and torpid with its claws bound for so long we had both forgotten it was alive at all, finally expired.'

The couple divorced in 1997 and Mr Farage married Kirsten in 1999. They have two children.
BBC and ITV presenters were left red-faced today after announcing that incoming Prime Minister Keir Starmer was off 'to meet the Queen'.

As the Labour leader pulled up at Buckingham Palace to be formally installed as Britain's 58th PM by King Charles, both broadcasters slipped up.

Those watching the historic day unfold were to quick to notice the mistake - joking that it must have been a 'long night' for the sleep-deprived reporters.

One wrote: 'Big mistake on ITV there saying Starmer is about to meet the Queen.'

Another added: 'Laura Kuenssberg on BBC saying the PM is on his way to Buckingham Palace to speak to the Queen. Been a long night Laura?'

'BBC saying Starmer will visit the Queen - wow that's morbid,' a third joked.

BBC and ITV presenters were left red-faced today after announcing that incoming Prime Minister Keir Starmer was off 'to meet the Queen' instead of the King

Those watching election day unfold were to quick to notice the slip-up - joking that it must have been a 'long night' for the sleep-deprived reporters

The mistakes came after what has been a long night for many presenters, many of whom have covered countless while Queen Elizabeth was still alive.

An ITV presenter said as Sir Keir arrived at Buckingham Palace: 'The door of the Range Rover opens and Sir Keir Starmer emerges on this day one of his administration.

'He's being welcomed alongside the King's private secretary, Lady Starmer beside him. They are welcomed in to go see the Queen, to see the King, forgive me.'

Similarly, former BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said: 'He makes his way up to Buckingham Palace to see the Queen, the King forgive me, Rishi Sunak said there had been a clear signal that the government must change.'

Sir Keir has now been asked by King Charles to form a Government following his first audience with the monarch at Buckingham Palace.

The Labour leader is the second Prime Minister to be formally installed by the 75-year-old King since his mother's death in September 2022.

Throughout her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth worked 15 different Prime Ministers.

The last PM she appointed was Liz Truss just two days before her death, after the country's shortest-serving PM travelled to Balmoral to be formally appointed.

As Sir Keir emerged from his Range Rover to meet the King's private secretary, ITV said the incoming Prime Minister was on his way to meet the Queen - before quickly correcting themselves

King Charles welcome Sir Keir to form a Government during their first audience at Buckingham Palace

The last PM the late Queen appointed was Liz Truss just two days before her death on September 6 2022

King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, London, on October 25 2022

Queen Elizabeth welcomes Boris Johnson to become PM on July 24 2019

During the audience, the final public photograph of the Queen was taken, leaning on a walking stick as she shook Ms Truss' hand.

The poignant image will go down in history, with Press Association photographer Jane Burrow saying Her Majesty had 'seemed very happy' when the final shot was taken.

Just 49 days after the Queen appointed PM Truss, her eldest son, King Charles, made Rishi Prime Minister.

On October 25 2022, the new monarch welcomed Mr Sunak, Britain's youngest leader at 42, to form a Government after Ms Truss had handed in her notice with immediate effect.
Furious locals who orchestrated mass anti-tourism protests across the Canary Islands earlier this year have issued a warning to British travellers as they vowed to target 'main holidaymaker areas' over the summer break.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tenerife on April 20, with roughly 200,000 protesters thought to have taken part in mass demonstrations across the island archipelago.

The protests, organised by various groups including 'Friends of Nature of Tenerife (ATAN)' aimed to discourage foreign holidaymakers while also compelling councils to introduce new legislation aimed at protecting the islands from the effects of an ever-expanding tourism industry.

But the groups claim their demands have fallen on deaf ears and as a result are gearing up for another explosive demonstration.

'We have decided to take to the streets again. This time we will take to the streets in the very centre of this development model: in the main tourist areas,' a statement from ATAN read.

'We ask people to continue fighting from every corner of the islands against this unjust model that is destroying our lives and our territory.'

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tenerife on April 20

The protests, organised by various groups including 'Friends of Nature of Tenerife (ATAN)' aimed to compel councils to introduce new legislation aimed at protecting the islands from the effects of an ever-expanding tourism industry

Thousands of people demonstrate against tourism policies on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain on April 20, 2024

The groups claim their demands have fallen on deaf ears and as a result are gearing up for another explosive demonstration

Thousands of people demonstrate against tourism policies on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain on April 20, 2024

Another piece of graffiti across a bench urges holidaymakers to stay away from stunning spot

The statement published by ATAN called on residents of all the Canary Islands to unite once again to protest what they see as negligence by councils that have allowed large tour operators to buy up real estate, drive up prices and make life unbearable for locals.

'On April 20, the largest demonstration in the history of the Canary Islands took place. This would make us think that a few months later we would have at least seen a change of direction by the governments at the head of the archipelago's institutions, but nothing has changed.

'Far from responding to the more than 200,000 people who took to the streets demanding a change in the economic and social model for the islands, the island governments have not hesitated to systematically reject their demands.

'They continue to see our natural spaces as places to exploit for tourism,' it read.

'To achieve the changes we are asking for, governments need to focus on the people, on nature and on the heritage of these islands, and not on continuing to do business at the expense of the territory, taking away people's quality of life.

'To the Government of the Canary Islands, the island councils, the town halls, the tourist lobby... we warn you of one thing. You will not silence us and our protests will only increase if immediate measures are not taken to stop the profound environmental and social deterioration that the Canary Islands are experiencing.

The group concluded: 'Get to work for the common good, and understand that you cannot continue doing so unilaterally and turning your back on the people: we will be present in the design of the new model that these islands deserve, collectively and with real participation. There is no other way.'

The campaigners claim that the huge influx of tourists to the island is causing major environmental damage, driving down wages and squeezing locals out of cheap affordable housing, forcing dozens to live in tents and cars instead.

One female protestor at the march in April held up a sign which read: 'Fourteen million tourists a year but 36 per cent of Canarians at risk of poverty.'

Demonstrators packed into Weyler Square in the Tenerife capital Santa Cruz, the start point for a march on the Brit-popular holiday island

A woman raises her fist as she pounds the streets in protest against the levels of tourism in the holiday-isles

Canary Islanders took to the streets of the Atlantic archipelago in April to protest against the problems caused by mass tourism

Canary Island natives protest as they call for a rethink of the island cluster's tourism policies

Locals say the island's heavy reliance on tourism is making it hard for them to rent or buy homes

Tourists are continuing to travel to the islands despite growing resistance to their presence (pictured: tourists in Arona, Tenerife on Friday)

Tourists on rental tricycles give the thumbs up as they ride through Arona - as dissent grows about the Canaries' reliance on tourism

Canary Islanders say the growth of holiday lets is driving locals out of the housing market

Female protestors previously revealed that they had been harassed and threatened by tourists and no longer 'feel safe' in their homeland as the streets were flooded with foreigners revelling in drunken debauchery.

'I wouldn't go to the south of the island alone, it is not safe for young women,' one protestor told the Express.

Another activist Celia Quintero, 15, claimed they are pressured in school to accomodate British tourists.

Speaking to the Daily Express, she said that you had to learn English at school with lessons like maths even being taught in the language because 'you have to know English because we rely on tourism and to stay safe'.

Celia also revealed that she was recently harassed by a group of German tourists to the extent that she was forced to hide in a bar just to get away from them.

An estimated 50,000 citizens in Tenerife took to the streets of the Atlantic archipelago in April to protest against the problems caused by mass tourism and demand their politicians take action.

Demonstrators packed into Weyler Square in the Tenerife capital Santa Cruz, the start point for a march on the Brit-popular holiday island, just before midday on April 20 with banners including one that said: 'You enjoy, we suffer' in English.

Others said: 'Where is the money from tourism?' and 'Tourist moratorium now.'

They waved Canary Islands' flags and blew vuvuzelas to make a deafening noise.

Protests also got underway at the same time in the other islands in the archipelago, including Lanzarote and Gran Canaria alongside support demonstrations in Spanish mainland in cities like Malaga and Madrid - as well as London and Berlin.

The Canary Islands protests were organised under the slogan 'Canarias Tiene Un Limite' which in English translates as 'The Canary Islands have a limit.'

The huge crowd massed with banners including one that said: 'You enjoy we suffer' in English

Thousands of Canary Islanders took to the streets of the Atlantic archipelago

The streets of Tenerife are seen flooded with demonstrators in this image taken by a resident

Campaigners have been quick to distance themselves from anti-tourist graffiti which appeared on walls and benches in and around Palm Mar in southern Tenerife

Prior to those demonstratios, six men and women embarked on a hunger strike for ten days leading up to April 20.

Speaking ahead of the demonstrations, a spokesman for protest platform Canarias Se Agota with which the hunger strikers are affiliated, said: 'Today, April 20, marks the 10th day of the hunger strike.

'Today we cannot forget these people who are putting their lives at risk for our Earth.

'Their determination inspires, their bravery moves us, their sacrifice reminds us that this struggle is everyone's and for everyone.

'We are writing a new chapter in the history of our islands, a chapter marked by the unwavering perseverance of those who bravely defend our home.

'Today the Canary Islands will scream and fight, and tomorrow it will continue to do so.'

But campaigners have been quick to distance themselves from anti-tourist graffiti which appeared on walls and benches in and around Palm Mar in southern Tenerife at the start of the month.

The protests in the Canary Islands have until now mostly taken place away from the main tourist areas, which in Tenerife and Gran Canaria are in the south of the islands

Protest groups including Canarias Se Agota, which in English translates literally as 'The Canary Islands are Exhausted', want the authorities to paralyse two tourist projects

The Canary Islands protests were organised under the slogan 'Canarias Tiene Un Limite' which in English translates as 'The Canary Islands have a limit'

The islands are threatened by sea pollution, traffic gridlock and lack of cheap affordable housing linked to the pushing-up of property prices because of Airbnb-style holiday lets

Other demands include the protection of natural spaces, a tourist tax and better working conditions for hotel cleaners

Protest groups including Canarias Se Agota, which in English translates literally as 'The Canary Islands are Exhausted', want the authorities to paralyse two tourist projects including one which involves the construction of a five-star hotel by one of Tenerife's last virgin beaches.

They are also seeking a commitment from regional politicians to change the tourist model and protect islands like Tenerife from the worst excesses of mass tourism, including sea pollution, traffic gridlock and lack of cheap affordable housing linked to the pushing-up of property prices because of Airbnb-style holiday lets.

Other demands include the protection of natural spaces, a tourist tax and better working conditions for hotel cleaners, who joined today's protest in Santa Cruz as they insisted to local press: 'We are not slaves.'

In the Gran Canaria capital Las Palmas, marchers carried banners in Spanish which said: 'It's not phobia, it's love for my land.'

Protesters waved Canary Islands' flags and blew vuvuzelas to make a deafening noise

Graffiti in Tenerife tells tourists to go home amid a spate of anti-Brit graffiti in the holiday isles

One of the other banners exhibited by protestors said: 'The Canary Islands government is an estate agency'

Another said: 'With so much Airbnb where are we going to live.'

More than 1,000 people were said to have joined the protest march in Fuerteventura by just after midday local time.

Protestor Xiomara Cruz, who took part in the march in Gran Canaria, said ahead of its start: 'They made us believe that in the Canary Islands we live from tourism and what we want is the right of islanders to live in their land.'

She called the protests a 'rallying cry from a population tired of seeing how our islands are being destroyed.'

Paula Rincon told local press: 'It pains me that Canarians cannot afford to live in their own neighbourhoods.'

Insisting the current tourism model led to 'more people paying lower prices and badly-built hotels that destroyed beaches and protected areas' she added: 'I don't know why we aspire to so many numbers when this doesn't filter down to the rest of the population.

'The current system doesn't benefit us, it impoverishes us.'

A man holds up a sign showing aeroplanes flooding through an hourglass - with the caption saying that the islands' 'time has a limit'

Protesters are seeking a commitment from regional politicians to change the tourist model and protect islands like Tenerife

Anti tourism graffiti is seen in the Canary Islands

The protests in the Canary Islands are mostly taking place away from the main tourist areas, which in Tenerife and Gran Canaria are in the south of the islands.

Some British holidaymakers showed their support for the issues raised by the islanders but others accused them of biting the hand that feeds them.

The Canary Islands' tourism minister Jessica de Leon urged British holidaymakers not to cancel their holidays amid the demonstrations.

Canary Islands regional president Fernando Clavijo initially admitted he was worried tourists might be put off coming to the area, before softening his message and describing the April 20 protests as an opportunity to 'revise' the current tourism model.

Jorge Marichal, president of regional hotel association ASHOTEL, has claimed tourists were ringing establishments to ask whether it was safe to come.

He has also insisted 'non-regulated' holiday lets are a big problem and the reason there is less control than there should be on the numbers of tourists in places like Tenerife.

Messages in English left on walls and benches in and around Palm Mar in southern Tenerife at the start of the month included 'My misery your paradise' and 'Average salary in Canary Islands is 1,200 euros.'

In an apparent UK backlash, a response left in English on a wall next to a 'Tourists go home' message said: 'F*** off, we pay your wages.'

Protest platform Canarias Se Agota insisted it had nothing to do with the graffiti that has appeared in parts of Tenerife and has accused regional politicians of blaming them of tourism-phobia as part of a 'dirty tricks' campaign.

Tech worker Ivan Cerdena Molina, 36, helped organise the protest as part of his role at local conservation group ATAN (Asociacion Tinerfena de Amigos de la Naturaleza).

Protesters line the streets in Canary Islands as they vent their fury about mass tourism

Protestors flood through the streets of the holiday islands as they express their anger

Tech worker Ivan Cerdena Molina said 'people are living in their cars and even in caves, and locals can't eat, drink or live well' due to the crisis

A protestor speaks to the crowds as a sign in front reads: 'In the Canary Islands, tourists use up to six times more water than any resident'

He told MailOnline previously: 'It's a crisis, we have to change things urgently, people are living in their cars and even in caves, and locals can't eat, drink or live well.

'Airbnb and Booking.com are like a cancer that is consuming the island bit by bit.

'The benefits of the industry are not trickling down to everyday people, whose salaries have not increased in years, the quality of life here is collapsing.'

Ivan was born and raised in El Medano, a once quiet town about a 20 minute-drive east of the most popular tourist resort of Los Cristianos.

Meanwhile, the tourism minister of the Canary Islands urged British travellers to spend their holidays in the archipelago despite mounting protests against overtourism.

Jessica de Leon insisted that in spite of reports of booking cancellations and fears of holiday disruptions, 'it is still safe to visit the Canary Islands, and we are delighted to welcome you'.

She told The Telegraph that while she understood the protestors' cause for concern, it was 'unfair to blame tourism' on the issues facing the Canary Islands.
A family has been left devastated after their beloved dog died from heat exhaustion on an Alaska Airlines flight.

Angie and Gary Englegau are heartbroken over the death of their four-year-old French bulldog Frank.

The couple were relocating from Hawaii to Portland, Oregon on June 30 when the tragedy struck.

'Life will not be the same without him,' Angie wrote in a heart wrenching post on Facebook.

The family were travelling with Frank's sister Charlie and their other dog Fawn, with outside temperatures in the 80s.

A family has been left devastated after their beloved dog died from heat exhaustion on an Alaska Airlines flight

They claim that when they arrived at Honolulu International Airport there was minimal opportunity for the dogs to be removed from their carriers due to the airport's policy.

As they were sitting at their gate they noticed Frank beginning to pant, but were reportedly told he could not be let out.

Once onboard the flight, their request to remove Frank was once again denied.

The Englegaus say they then asked for ice cubes three times in a desperate attempt to cool down their dog.

But by the time it arrived Frank had sadly passed.

'When I was trying to get him out, I tried shaking him. He wasn't moving,' Gary told KGW.

'I pulled him out of the carrier, and his eyes were open. His tongue was hanging out a little bit, and he wasn't moving or breathing. That was it.'

Angie and Gary Englegau are heartbroken over the death of their four-year-old French bulldog Frank

The couple were relocating from Hawaii to Portland , Oregon when the tragedy struck

The distraught couple were then forced to carry their dog's limp body for the remaining five and a half hour flight.

'We had to hold our poor baby's lifeless body because they would not let him out of that kennel, when you could clearly hear he was in distress,' Angie added.

Alaska Airlines requires pets to be kept in their carriers for taxi, take off and landing.

But the couple say this policy contributed to Frank's suffering and have blamed the airline and Honolulu International Airport for Frank's death.

'The truth is, he was murdered! He was murdered by Honolulu International Airport and by Alaska Airlines,' Angie fumed.

''Hawaii is not dog friendly. You are not allowed to have them out of the carrier at all in the airport  except in the pet relief area.'

Frank (right) pictured with his sister Charlie who will 'always have a part of her missing' following his tragic death

The couple had to hold Frank's lifeless body for the remainder of the flight after he passed

The couple are now pushing for changes to the rules around pet transportation.

'We want some sort of change from the airlines,' Angie said. 'I want to find whoever I need to find, to create a law that allows dogs to have a chance to live when traveling.'

Any change will be too late for the Englegaus, who paid tribute to their, 'sweet, goofy and loving boy'.

They also shared concerns for Frank's surviving sister, Charlie, who suffers from separation anxiety when away from her brother.

'Charlie will not be the same without him,' Angie said. ' She has barely eaten anything and we are so worried about her.

'We just hope that given some time she will snap back to her normal devilish self. She will always have a part of her missing though.

Alaska Airlines requires pets to be kept in their carriers for taxi, take off and landing

'We were so incredibly lucky to have had Frank in our family for four years, it just isn't enough and it is unfair that he's not with us now.'

'We take the care of pets flying with us seriously and we're saddened by the reported loss of this guest's pet,' An Alaska Airlines spokesman said.

'Our crew members followed their processes as it relates to pets on board aircraft and took extra care of the guests for the duration of the flight.'

The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Hawaii does not clearly state its policy on dogs being outside of their carriers, but a spokesman said it would, 'not restrict access for this particular request'.
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro is facing possible money laundering and other charges related to undeclared diamond jewellery gifted by Saudi Arabia, local media reported on Thursday.

Federal police accused Bolsonaro, who led South America's largest country from 2019-2022, of money laundering, embezzlement and criminal association, Brazilian news outlet G1 reported.

The case stems from an undeclared set of diamond jewellery worth $3.2 million that was seized by customs inspectors in October 2021.

The jewels were inside a satchel from Bolsonaro's Mining and Energy ministry entourage upon returning from a trip to the Middle East.

Bolsonaro has previously denied any criminal activity in the case.

Federal police accused Jair Bolsonaro (pictured) of money laundering, embezzlement and criminal association

Photo provided by Brazil's Federal Revenue Department showing jewellery which is part of an investigation into gifts received by ex-President Jair Bolsonaro during his term,

Eleven other people were facing charges alongside the far-right leader, including his attorney Fabio Wajngarten.

Wajngarten reacted on X, saying he had been accused of crimes 'for the bizarre reason of having complied with the law.'

Bolsonaro's son, the Brazilian senator Flavio Bolsonaro, also slammed the accusations on X as 'open and brazen persecution' against his father.

Despite the moves by the federal police, Brazil's Attorney General Office has yet to issue any formal charges against Bolsonaro before the country's Federal Supreme Court.

The new accusations represent the latest legal woes for the far-right former leader, who is also under investigation for his role in the January 2023 Brazil Congress attack and faces possible charges for forging Covid-19 vaccination documents to travel.

Jair Bolsonaro retains staunch allegiance among his political base, as shown by an outpouring of support in February, when an estimated 185,000 people clogged Sao Paulo's main boulevard to protest what the former president calls political persecution.

His critics, particularly members of his rival President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's political party, have cheered every advance of investigations and repeatedly called for his arrest.

The 69-year-old former army captain started his political career as a staunch advocate of Brazil's military dictatorship, and was a lawmaker for nearly three decades.

In his first bid for the presidency, in 2018, he was widely dismissed as an outsider and too radically conservative.

But he won a decisive victory, partly because he cast himself as an upstanding citizen following a sprawling corruption probe that ensnared hundreds of politicians and executives.

In his early days in office, Bolsonaro insulted adversaries and garnered criticism for his divisive policies, attacks on the Supreme Court and efforts to undermine health restrictions during the pandemic.

In 2022, he lost his reelection bid in what was the closest vote finish since Brazil's return to democracy in 1985.

Carlos Melo, a political science professor at the Insper University in Sao Paulo, said he doubts Brazil's Supreme Court and the judge overseeing several investigations targeting Bolsonaro, Alexandre de Moraes, will risk sending the former president to prison or imposing other harsh measures.

Bolsonaro led South America's largest country from 2019-2022 (Pictured, Bolsonaro at an event at the Municipal Theatre in Sao Paulo on March 25, 2024)

The objective, Melo said is to avoid instigating supporters of the far-right leader in a year of mayoral elections.

'Moraes and his fellow justices know that prosecuting a former president who remains a popular man would be even tougher in a year like this,' Melo said. 'This indictment is another piece of the puzzle.

'It gives one more problem to Bolsonaro. There will be more.'

Last year, Brazil's top electoral court ruled that Bolsonaro abused his presidential powers in the 2022 reelection bid, which rendered him ineligible to run in any elections until 2030 after he used the state television, government and the presidential palace officials, claiming to foreign ambassadors that the country's electronic voting system was rigged.
This is the shocking moment a 'Great White Shark' was spotted off the coast of Ireland by two fishermen.

John McGloin was fishing off the coast of Connemara in Galway with a friend when he noticed a shark fin approaching their boat.

Footage of the hair-raising encounter shows the animal circling the boat for a few minutes before swimming off.

Speaking to Galway Beo, Mr McGloin said: 'There is no doubt that it is a Great White Shark with about three meters in length.

Pictured, a still from a video taken by John McGloin off the coast of Ireland showing what appears to be a Great White Shark

Footage of the hair-raising encounter shows the animal circling the boat for a few minutes before swimming off

John McGloin said 'there is no doubt' that the enormous shark was a Great White because of its length

'The shark was very curious, circling around the boat for a couple of minutes until it disappeared.

'It wasn't far from the coast and my friend has spotted a few fins in the last few days around the Galway area, mostly in between Spiddal and the Aran Islands.'

No warnings have been issued by any health officials around the Galway coast but it is advised for swimmers to remain mindful of a potential shark sighting.

Great White Sharks are responsible for the largest number of unprovoked shark attacks on humans but they remain rare and occur less than ten times each year globally.

They live in almost all coastal and offshore waters which have a relatively warm temperature of 12 to 24 degrees.

Irish temperatures are in the lower range during the summer.

However, some scientists believe sharks are shifting north as the Atlantic Ocean warms due to climate change.

Humans are not the preferred prey of the Great White although they are known to bite if anyone gets too close.

Male sharks usually span between 11 to 13 feet in length while females measure 15 to 16 feet.

The Great White is estimated to live as long as 70 years or more.

Mr McGloin told Galway Beo that his friend has seen other 'fins' in the water over the last few days

No warnings have been issued by any health officials around the Galway coast following the sighting

The shark was 'very curious' and was seen circling around the boat for a couple of minutes until it disappeared

Connemara is a popular summer spot in Ireland with many people flocking to the beach during the hotter weather.

Swimmers are urged to follow guidelines for Irish waters and be sure to check weather conditions and tide times before heading out.

They should always have a means of calling for help as well as never swimming alone.

Parents are urged to keep an eye on their children at all times near water.
His appearances outside Downing Street on big political occasions have left fans swooning, but social media users despaired today as 'hot podium guy' was nowhere to be seen.

Tobias Gough - who is more commonly known by his Internet moniker - first melted hearts with his 'sexy' swagger when he set up the lectern for Liz Truss' exit speech, before returning again when Rishi Sunak called a snap election.

Hopes grew that he would make a reappearance as Mr Sunak prepared to deliver his own final farewell this morning, only for two other workmen to appear in his place.

Gough threw admirers into a frenzy when he placed the Downing Street lectern and did a sound check during Liz Truss's departure in October 2022.

The simple act - so crucial in speech scenarios - meant Ms Truss was able to make her leaving remarks and depart No 10 for good.

Tobias Gough, in his early 40s, sets up the podium for Liz Truss' exit speech in 2022

Hopes grew that he would make a reappearance as Mr Sunak prepared to deliver his own final farewell this morning, only for two other workmen to appear in his place

Excitement grew this morning about his possible reappearance.

'Well well well you know what this means... hot podium guy will be showing up,' wrote X user Anna Thurman.

'Looking forward to seeing hot podium guy later,' a second added.

But early anticipation quickly turned to despair when a different team arrived to set up Mr Sunak's podium in the run-up to his speech, prompting Sean Seosamh to ask: 'Where's Tobias?'

Other X users were similarly let down, with one writing: 'This is not the hot podium guy the public demanded.'

In 2019, Mr Gough revealed his surprise at the attention he had received, telling MailOnline at the time that he 'isn't model material'.

He said: 'I have to say it was great lighting to make me look that good, the sun must have been at the right angle.

'I can assure people that I don't usually look as well as that - I won't be going into the modelling business just yet.

'I'm 36 so I think my best days may be well behind me.

'But it's been very funny reading all the comments on social media.

The hunky 'hot podium guy' sets social media ablaze every time he is seen on the nation's screens

Excitement grew this morning about his possible reappearance. But early anticipation quickly turned to despair

Mr Gough married wife Tina just two weeks before the chaos of the pandemic in May 2019, in a quiet ceremony in Scotland.

At the time, he said: 'I've not spoken to her yet and I'm wondering what reaction I'm going to get but she's messaged and taken in it all in good spirits.'

Meanwhile, Wife Tina contacted MailOnline in May 2019 to shut down the hopes of his many admirers on social media, to say: 'He's my husband!'.

In July 2022, Mr Gough confirmed to MailOnline that the couple are still happily married.
Five men between the ages of 35 and 48 have been arrested after a woman's body was found in a bungalow.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene after officers were called to an address in Radiant Road in Thurncourt, Leicestershire, at 6am yesterday.

Police then arrested the five men, who remain in custody being quizzed by detectives.

Investigations are ongoing and Leicestershire Police has not said what the men have been arrested on suspicion of.

A force spokesperson said: 'Officers are continuing their enquiries following the body of a woman found in a bungalow in Thurncourt.

The scene on Radiant Road, Thurncourt, Leics, where a woman's body was found yesterday

'Shortly after 6am yesterday police were called to an address in Radiant Road, Thurncourt, following a call of concern for a woman.

'Officers attended and found the body of a woman inside a bungalow.

'As part of the investigation, five men - aged 35, 39, 39, 48 and 48 - have been arrested and remain in custody.

'Enquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding the woman's death are continuing and officers remain in the area.

'Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting incident 91 of 4 July.'
ITV viewers were left stunned after a former Tory MP ripped into George Osborne for asking a question, even though it was actually Ed Balls.

The Conservatives' Steve Baker was defeated by 4,591 votes in Wycombe as Emma Reynolds became the constituency's second-ever Labour MP. The only other was John Haire in 1945.

Yet defeat after 14 years as an MP turned into embarrassment when Baker made an on-air gaffe while being interviewed for ITV's Good Morning Britain.

GMB host Ed Balls, the former Labour Children, Schools and Families minister, asked him: 'So the voters got it wrong in your constituency?'

The ex-Minister for Northern Ireland replied: 'George, I'm not having an argument with you.'

ITV viewers were left stunned as former Conservative MP Steve Baker ripped into George Osborne for asking a question, even though it was actually Ed Balls

George Osborne smiled in disbelief (pictured) as his former colleague continued on his tirade

Baker's rant against Osborne went on despite both Good Morning Britain hosts Ed Balls and Susanna Reid interrupting to tell him the question did not come from Osborne

The duo's protests went unheard as Baker continued railing into Osborne for his decisions as an MP

Your browser does not support iframes.

Osborne smiled in disbelief as his former colleague continued on his tirade.

Baker added: 'I mean, George, you and I have got a lot of history and if only you'd fought a better Remain campaign.'

His rant against Osborne went on despite both Good Morning Britain hosts Ed Balls and Susanna Reid interrupting to tell him the question did not come from Osborne.

Social media users flocked online to blast self-styled Brexit hard man Baker, saying it showed the former MP 'hasn't taken losing very well'.

Baker had previously signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election.

After his defeat, he said 'thank God I'm a free man'.

There was a 60 per cent turnout in Wycombe. Baker's vote share decreased by 17.5 per cent compared to his victory in 2019.

Baker slammed Osborne for not running a better Remain campaign in the EU referendum

Social media users reacted with disbelief after the former MP's on-air gaffe

Voters who stayed up all night to watch the General Election results roll in also gave their verdict on which broadcaster won the battle of TV coverage.

Some of the major channels suffered gaffes throughout the night, including GB News who displayed an exit poll graphic predicting the Tories were down to win 410 seats with Labour on 131 - a landslide in the wrong direction.

The BBC was also hit by technical blunders, with its swing-o-meter appearing to break as Jeremy Vine presented from Cardiff. A later green screen failure made it look like Sophie Raworth and Jon Kay were floating heads.

Yet the strangest moment by far came from the Sky News studio, when Kay Burley and guests could be heard making scoffing noises as they unveiled the exit poll results for the first time.

Viewers were left bewildered as the veteran presenter and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham let out a series of 'groans' after being stunned into silence by Labour's projected landslide.

GB News which displayed a graphic that showed the Tories were down to win 410 seats with Labour on 131 - a landslide in the wrong direction

The BBC's swing-o-meter appeared to break earlier this morning as Jeremy Vine presented from Cardiff

Keir Starmer is congratulated by fellow Camden candidates Bobby 'Elmo' Smith and Nick 'The Flying Brick'

And as news broke that Labour had won the General Election Sky News presented a shot of Larry the cat outside No 10

It prompted social media users to ask: 'What is happening in the Sky News studio?!'

A replay of their reactions was shown moments later, with Mr Burnham seen nearly jumping out of his seat and raising his arms in the air as he sat next to a far from impressed Baroness Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives.

Words including 'oh my God' and 'woah' could also be heard from the team, which included political editor Beth Rigby, Sunday breakfast show presenter Sir Trevor Phillips, and data and economics editor Ed Conway.

Later on in the night, viewers at home blasted Sky News' guests for 'constantly talking over each other' with some claiming it was 'hard to watch' while others branding the channel 'amusingly chaotic'.

As coverage continued on into the night, with jubilant Sir Keir Starmer telling the public 'we did it today' after Rishi Sunak conceded the election, Sky news watcher called on guests and presenters to stop talking over each other.

'Again. Sky presenters and pundits. Stop talking over each other. Sort out a system in advance where one person has the floor and you let do their bit. Kay can ask one question of one person at a time,' one wrote.

Andy Burnham celebrated as he sat next to a far from impressed Baroness Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives

Broadcaster GB News suffered an early gaffe on election night, displaying a graphic that showed the Tories on track to win 410 seats and Labour set for 131 - the wrong way round

Laura Kuenssberg and Clive Myrie were much more measured as they revealed the exit poll

Another added: 'Sky is amusingly chaotic. Am quite enjoying everyone talking over each other.'

A third said: 'I've got Sky News on (don't have BBC on the TV) and I was thinking that BBC would probably be much better. The panelists keep talking over each other.'

Over on Channel 4 viewers said they were 'really impressed' with the teams' work, ran by Emily Maitlis and Krishnan Guru-Murthy, many calling it 'the best coverage all day'.

Despite this, they still had a few run ins with former Tory minister Nadine Dories who accused fellow commentator Alastair Campbell of sexism before upstaging presenters to reveal Boris Johnson had been texting her.

Some of those pulling all-nighters switched to ITV, who were said to be giving more coverage to independent MPs than other candidates.

Viewers watching Channel 4 coverage earlier on in the night were left entertained when former culture secretary Ms Dorries clashed with former Labour spokesperson Mr Campbell just after the polls closed.

She also caused hilarity for those watching after Ms Maitlis appeared to struggle not to roll her eyes at one of her answers.

The staunch Boris Johnson loyalist said the projected results were a 'disaster' for the party, after an exit poll predicted the party would return just 131 seats.

Pressed on the meteoric rise of Reform, which is projected to get 13 seats, Ms Dorriess pointed out that the far-right party was polling in the low single digits while Mr Johnson was Prime Minister.

Mr Campbell then interrupted her and said: 'You really need to get over Boris.'

Ms Dorries hit back: 'I think that's quite a sexist comment.'

Mr Campbell retorted: 'It's really not'.

Former Conservative Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries accused Alastair Campbell of sexism

Former Labour spokesperson Mr Campbell appeared on Channel 4's election night coverage alongside Ms Dorries

Viewers have taken to social media to hit out at BBC's general election coverage hosted by Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg (pictured)

The couple continued to trade blows throughout the programme with the presenters having to intervene at times.

Just a few minutes later there was another clash, this time between Labour's Harriet Harman and the Conservatives' Kwasi Kwarteng.

Ms Harman accused Mr Kwarteng of being 'patronising' in his response to her.

Ms Dorries cut in and said: 'It's up to me and Harriet to hold the men on this stage to account it seems.'

Earlier on in the night after the exit poll was announced, many viewers said they were switching off the BBC's main coverage - bemoaning that Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg were a 'pointless double act'.
An Arizona barn burned to the ground after two teenage boys allegedly threw firecrackers into the shed as revenge for being rejected by the owner's daughter.

Horrifying video footage shows the moment Gilbert Barn becomes engulfed in a hot blaze while around 10 children were inside having a party. No injuries have been reported.

The inferno was sparked by two boys who had allegedly been harassing victim Lexi Jones and after the attack reportedly sent her a Snapchat message flipping her off.

Mom Jeni Jones, who owns the barn, told Fox10: 'It's such a traumatic thing when it's happening. I was calling 911 trying to get everyone away from here.'

'Two of the vehicles we were able to move that were right here that we saved. But you know, you can see everything else is a total loss.'

Deputies from the Gilbert Police Department and fire crews responded to a 911 call from a neighborhood near Higley and Guadalupe roads on July 3

She later told officials that Lexi and her friend, Naia Morris were inside the barn when Ring camera video showed a group of boys throwing fireworks from the access road.

While the first firework alerted everyone, it was the second one that caused the fire.

Morris said: 'It was almost like someone was pushing on the garage, but it was like a bright light coming from under, and it just pushed out and a bunch of flames at the top, like right corner of the barn and then it just started spreading all over.'

'It was like right away, the garage door went like that and you could hear it building up. You hear it pop and everything went in flames,' Lexi added.

While the first firework alerted everyone inside the barn, it was the second one that caused the fire

The teenagers have since been arrested and charged with arson and endangerment. Officials have not named the boys and only refer to them as 'juveniles'

Lexi had been hanging out with her friends on the second floor of the structure when the incident happened, according to ABC15.

She further told the channel that the boys had been friends with Lexi and spent time with the family on boating excursions and in the garage.

According to the mother, one of the teenage boys had been harassing Lexi and saying inappropriate things.

Jeni said: 'I told her, just block him, don't have anything to do with him. And then this happened.

'Whats most upsetting is just the malicious intent. Like they knowingly shot a firework towards a building that had kids in it.

'Honestly, I cant even process that. I just cant even think about that, because like I get sick to my stomach.'

Lexi Jones (right) and her friend, Naia Morris (left) were inside the barn when Ring camera video showed a group of boys throwing fireworks from the access road

After the barn had been set on fire, Jones said one of the boys sent her daughter a Snapchat message where he was flipping her off.

Deputies from the Gilbert Police Department and fire crews responded to a 911 call from a neighborhood near Higley and Guadalupe roads.

The teenagers have since been arrested and charged with arson and endangerment. Officials have not named the boys and only refer to them as 'juveniles'.

The Jones family has also set up a GoFundMe page in an effort to raise money to repair the damage and recover from the devastating loss.

The crowdfunding page has raised $1,000 out of its $15,000 goal as of now.
Three elderly train passengers have been left bloodied and bruised after a man allegedly started attacking commuters at random.

A 27-year-old man has been banned from public transport for three months and charged with three counts of assault and affray following the incident in Adelaide on Friday morning.

He'd boarded a citybound train with a beer in his hand before allegedly attacking three elderly men on the Gawler line.

Phil Fiskin, one of the men who was allegedly attacked, said he will 'never ride public transport again' after he was beaten and spat on in front of his wife.

'He ranted and raved at me that I was a racist pig ... and then he (allegedly) spat blood in my face,' Mr Fiskin, who suffered a black eye, told 7News.

'He (allegedly) belted me. I was against the window and the chair, I couldn't even get my hands up.'

Mr Fiskin was allegedly punched several times in the head before an 89-year-old passenger was attacked.

'He came racing down and then bang!' John Webb said.

Phil Fiskin (pictured) was one of three elderly men allegedly attacked by a 27-year-old Elizabeth Downs man on Adelaide's Gawler train line at 11.30am on Friday

Officers arrested the Elizabeth Downs man (pictured) at Elizabeth South station and later charged him with three counts of assault and affray

'Then he got [my] bike and threw it on the rail. He's an idiot, a lunatic.'

Police were called to Elizabeth South Station when the train was forced to stop, along with paramedics who treated one elderly man for minor injuries.

It wasn't until a father stepped in and tackled the alleged attacker to the ground that his reign of terror ended.

Another passenger who was not injured, Jean Watson, said the man who stood up to the alleged attacker was 'defending his family'.

She called him a 'hero' and thanked him on behalf of everyone else on the train.

Trains on the Gawler line were delayed for about half-an-hour due to the incident.

The Elizabeth Downs man will appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on August 16.
The former lover of Gavin Plumb who plotted to kidnap then rape and murder Holly Willoughby warned 'he has done it before and he will do it again'.

Laura Roberts, who gave birth to the twisted security guard's two children during their three year relationship branded him a 'complete fantasist'.

'I was not surprised when I heard what he had done- it all fitted in. He has done it before and he will do it again,' she said.

Plumb, 37, was convicted of soliciting the murder, rape and kidnap of the television presenter at Chelmsford Crown Court after a seven day trial.

Laura Roberts said she was not surprised he threatened to kill Holly Willoughby

Laura Roberts said Plumb had 'done it before and he will do it again,' when asked about him

Adrian Broad, the father of Gavin, said he lost contact with him after the marriage to his mother broke down

Ms Roberts told the Telegraph: 'We were together for three years but I have not seen him since he left.'

Plumb's father, Adrian Broad, told the Daily Mail he rarely saw his son after his marriage to the mother broke down.

He said: 'We split up and I had visitation rights for the boys.

'But I had to stop seeing them because my father-in-law said I couldn't bring them around there any more.

'They all think I abandoned them but I didn't; it's because I had nowhere to take them. None of my boys want to speak to me.'

Gavin Plumb being arrested for plotting to murder the Holly Willoughby

Holly Willoughby was warned by police she was in danger from Gavin Plumb before his trial

Adrian Broad said he ws 'disgusted' by what his son had done but added he needed help

Speaking to the Telegraph, Adrian added his son needed help and argued what his son did was wrong but that he needed some form of support.

'Its just sick, it really is. He needs help, he definitely needs help,' he added.

'It was the [abduction] kit and what he was going to do to her, thats what disgusted me.

'I dont think hes getting the support. Ive seen the pictures of him and hes let himself go. I just think hes been basically dumped, especially after hes got in trouble before. I do feel sorry for him.'

The messy flat where the recluse came up with the slickening plot

He then planned to rape her before murdering her and then disposing her body in the lake

Police found equipment including a ball gag, ring gag, blindfolds and cuffs at his flat

Chelmsford Crown Court heard Plumb planned to use a restraining kit during the kidnap of Holly.

The defendant, who weighed up to 30 stone and adopted the user name Big Bear to chat to others about his plot online, appeared to formulate his fantasy as early as 2011 - googling the phrase 'how to meet people who plan to kidnap celebs'.

But his plans were foiled when one of his potential accomplices, who went by the name of David Nelson, turned out to be an undercover officer from the Owatonna Police Department in the US state of Minnesota.

Plumb, 37, claimed he wasn't physically capable of abducting the former This Morning presenter, had no one qualified to drive to her London home, and that vile conversations he had with 'like-minded' people in dark recesses of the internet were 'just online chat'.

Timeline: How Gavin Plumb was snared

October 3, 2023 - Plumb comes to the attention of US undercover officer 'David Nelson' after he posts four photos of Holly Willoughby on the 'Abduct Lovers' forum. These include the caption: 'The one in the public eye that I want.' Mr Nelson contacts him on Kik, writing: 'Alright I'll bite. Who's the hottie with the lazy eye?' Plumb replies: 'She's in the public eye but doesn't have her own security and doesn't have CCTV at her house.' The officer continues exchanging messages with Plumb and decides he poses an 'imminent risk' to Ms Willoughby and passes his details to British police. October 4 - Essex Police raid the suspect's home in Harlow, Essex. He initially tells police 'what are you talking about' and 'please explain to me what the hell is going on'. Told he was under arrest on suspicion of conspiracy to kidnap, Plumb said 'who?' and was told it was Ms Willoughby. He later admits the TV presenter 'is a fantasy of mine'. Advertisement

He told jurors his online chats were 'massively regrettable' and that he was 'heartbroken, disgusted and shocked' that they had come out.

The court heard how Plumb had been planning to kidnap Willoughby 'for about two and a half years' and wanted to 'slit her throat'.

On the third day of his trial, jurors were shown more material from a 'sequence of events', including hundreds of communications he had with others online, as he tried to put together a 'crew' to help him attack Willoughby and other celebrities.

However, the court heard Plumb began his research into kidnapping stars more than a decade ago.

When police seized his phone, they discovered in 2011, he had looked up 'how to meet people who plan to kidnap celebrities'.

In more voice notes, Plumb is heard saying Willoughby was the 'original target' but he and others had about '15 cells' they were 'looking at filling'.

Talking about Willoughby and another potential target, the security guard added: 'We could do both at the same time - meet up, swap vehicles, get both in the same vehicle, take them to their new location basically.'

But a jury took 12 hours and 19 minutes to find him guilty after being presented with a raft of shocking evidence, including a chloroform restraint kit that he planned to use it to kidnap Ms Willoughby.

He then planned to take the TV presenter to an isolated stud farm for sexual torture, kill her and dump her body in a lake.

Jurors heard police recovered millions of images of Holly and other female celebs on his devices following his arrest. Plumb had also shared deepfake pornography of her online.

The 37-year-old fiend spent years fixating on the former This Morning star - tracking her movements and activities for 'some time'.

In May 2022, Plumb sought to book a tour of ITV's studios, telling accomplice Marc, who is believed to have been based in Ireland: 'I'm calling the studio tours tomorrow to see if they're still available and if you meet presenters.'

Plumb never went on such a tour, with Essex Police Detective Constable Will Belsham telling jurors there was no evidence to he had followed through with this plan.

Earlier in the trial, Plumb claimed he wanted to try and use his security training to get close to Willoughby, working as part of her protection team.

'I have passed my SIA [Security Industry Authority] licence so might try to use it to become her security guard,' he said.

In other messages, Plumb detailed an abandoned stud farm in the country as a place where he could 'keep' Holly locked away while he violated her.

He detailed the plans with associate Marc, telling him: 'I'm at the point where idc (I don't care) about the risks or consequences.'

He went online to search the term 'how long does chloroform take to knock someone unconscious?'

The messy flat where the recluse came up with the slickening plot

Plumb, 37, struck up an online relationship with a man who turned out to be undercover police officer

How an undercover US cop exposed Plumb's 'graphic plan' to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby

Gavin Plumb's plan to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby were laid bare during a graphic online chat he had with an undercover American cop. The jury was told that Plumb first became involved in an online chat with the undercover officer calling himself David Nelson on October 3 last year. Nelson wrote: 'Alright I'll bite. Who's the hottie with the lazy eye?' Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC told the court: 'She doesn't necessarily look like that but that's what the officer saw.' Plumb explained it was Ms Willoughby and wrote: 'She's in the public eye but doesn't have her own security.' Nelson said: 'Why did you post her up in the abduction group?' Plumb replied: 'Why do you think?' Asked it he would be 'up for it', the officer told the defendant: 'I'm in New York never heard of this gal but I could travel if this was a serious thing.' Photos of Miss Willoughby's home were shared and the officer asked: 'How the hell would you pull this off without the cops finding out?' Plumb allegedly wrote: 'Night home invasion by the time they are called I'll be long gone.' He went on to complain about other people getting 'cold feet', adding: 'Got everything to hold her and chloroform.' Asked if he was 'looking for help with this', Plumb wrote: 'Definitely.' He continued: 'It's a home invasion so we'll use the chloroform on her and her husband tie both up take her leave him then it's take to where she's being kept and enjoy her.' The officer asked when he wanted to carry out the plan and was told: 'As soon as been planning for about 2 and a half years.' Plumb was sent a photo of a fake ID card so he would recognise the man he thought was called David Nelson if he flew into London the following week. The officer was sent a selfie of Plumb when he asked the defendant: 'Can you send me something so I know your real?' Plumb allegedly sent the undercover officer an image of a woman who lived nearby 'to practice on' before the raid on Miss Willoughby's house. Describing the plan for the raid, he wrote: 'We'll jump the outer wall break in chloroform both her and her husband tie both up with zip ties and gag both take her out of the house and take her out in her car dump it and get rid of her phone etc and anything she can be tracked with.' The officer asked 'how will this all end' and was allegedly told: 'When we get board of her then we get rid wash her in bleach and put her in a lake at night once she's had her throat cut of course.' Advertisement

Plumb's 62-year-old mother, who worked as a hospital healthcare assistant, declined to speak with the Mail but has resolutely stuck up for her son despite his obvious flaws and failings.

'His mum is a big part of his life,' a family friend said. 'She adores him and worships the ground he walks on. She loves her children unconditionally.'

Described as a 'quiet' child, Plumb grew up collecting Ghostbusters merchandise and playing the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

'He was biggish; simple-looking,' said the mother of an old school friend at Passmores secondary school in Harlow. 'He's always been like that.'

Indeed, by the age of 13, Plumb had started to put on so much weight that he noticed girls would 'friendzone' him rather than fancy him. Those who know him believe his future behaviour around women is rooted in the sexual frustration he experienced from then on.

And by August 2006, then 19, Plumb began to have violent problems with women.

He targeted two uniformed Ryanair workers travelling from Bishop's Stortford to Stansted Airport.

In the first incident he sat in front of one of the women and handed her a note. It read: 'I will do anything.'

For this he was handed a 12 month suspended sentence.

He was then jailed for 32 months after attacking two teenage girls in 2008 threatening them with a blade.

Essex Police's senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Greg Wood said: 'Gavin Plumb is a dangerous, predatory individual who was intent on causing the most serious harm to his victim.

'He was not just simply obsessed with Holly Willoughby, he meticulously and carefully planned, over a number of years, to carry out a depraved and violent attack, in which he plotted to deprive her of her liberty and ultimately her life.

'His claims in court that he was a 'fantasist' are simply not true and were evidenced by the extent with which he plotted with others to carry out his wicked plan.

Pointing to Plumb's 'history of attacking other women', DCI Wood continued: 'He is a dangerous man and I have no doubt he was determined to carry out the acts he planned.

'Today, we are extremely grateful to our law enforcement colleague in America who not only brought Gavin Plumb to our attention, but helped gather the vital evidence that secured his conviction.

'We would also like to thank the victim who has courageously supported this case throughout and bravely waived her anonymity.

'Today, Gavin Plumb remains where he belongs - behind bars. At Essex Police we will continue to do all we can to seek out those intent on causing violence and harm to women and girls and, like this defendant, put them behind bars.

'There is simply no place for dangerous individuals like him on either the streets of Essex, or wider society, and we will do all we can to continue to make our communities safe for all.'

The sentencing will take place on July 12.
Donald Trump led the the congratulations to his friend Nigel Farage on becoming a member of the British Parliament for the first time.

'Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a Parliament Seat Amid Reform UK Election Success. Nigel is a man who truly loves his Country! DJT,' the Republican presidential nominee wrote in a post on TruthSocial.

However in his social media activities, Trump made no reference to new Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer has previously said that his government will work with whomever is in the White House following November's election.

Farage, 60, originally said that he had no plans to stand in the July election, choosing to focus on stumping for Trump in the United States. A sudden U-turn saw him abandon those plans and launch his campaign a month before ballots were cast.

Partial results show the anti-immigration Reform, successor to the Brexit Party, has taken votes from both the Conservatives and Labour.

Donald Trump led the the congratulations to his friend Nigel Farage on becoming a member of the British Parliament for the first time

Farage easily won election in the coastal town of Clacton, gaining nearly 25,000 votes

In his social media praise, Trump made no reference to the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer

Farage said the party was 'going to come second in hundreds of constituencies.' It is not yet clear how many seats Reform will win.

He said there is a 'massive gap' in the right of British politics, and it was his job to fill it.

'My plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of the next few years,' he said.

Farage, previously a member of the European Union's Parliament from 1999 until Brexit, has stood multiple times in an attempt to enter Westminster.

The leader of the Reform Party, Farage earned nearly 25,000 votes in Clacton, an area that strongly backed Brexit in 2016.

Trump and Farage's relationship goes back as far as 2016 when during the former Apprentice host's first presidential campaign, he made stump speeches for him on the campaign trail.

Farage was among the attendees at Trump's inauguration in January 2017.

The pair's relationship was fostered in part by Republican activist John Bartley Boykin who met Farage at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Boykin died this past March at the age of 32.

If Trump is victorious in November in his battle with President Joe Biden, he will need to form a relationship with Starmer's new government.

Recently, Starmer's foreign secretary elect David Lammy said that Trump is 'often misunderstood.'

At the time of Biden's inauguration in January 2021, Lammy said that the ceremony 'filled him with joy.'

In the same month, Lammy condemned Trump further.

'Donald Trumps entire Presidency has been a reign of recklessness, narcissism and delusion,' he wrote on Twitter.
With Rishi Sunak stepping down as Conservative Party leader following his party's drubbing in the General Election, talk has already turned to who could replace him.

The former Prime Minister yesterday announced he will stay in his place until his successor is appointed later this year.

But following huge losses for the Tories, a dozen top Cabinet ministers have lost their seats - meaning Penny Mordaunt and other possible runners have been knocked out of the race before it even started.

The surviving favourites include darlings of the right such as Kemi Badenoch and Priti Patel, while more centrist voices like Jeremy Hunt and Tom Tugendhat would be considered realistic contenders if they threw their hats in the ring.

Ms Braverman, his former home secretary, hasn't wasted any time to show she is ready to launch a leadership bid during her speech after winning the Fareham and Waterlooville seat.

Suella Braverman used her victory speech last night (left) to launch her bid for the Tory leadership

Senior Tory figures - including a record number of Cabinet ministers - lost their seats in an election bloodbath

She vowed to 'rebuild trust' and apologised for her party's failings, declaring: 'I'm sorry that my party didn't listen to you. The Conservative Party has let you down.

'You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises. I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust. We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly'.

Ms Braverman is fourth favourite to be the next Tory leader, according to bookmakers.

Ms Badenoch is favourite, followed by Ms Patel and Mr Tugendhat. James Cleverly, who held his Essex seat.

The bruising election result risks making the contest especially acrimonious, as rival ideological factions thrash it out to define the future of their party.

Mr Sunak is already being blamed for the Tory collapse and is already facing the wrath of senior Conservatives, many of whom slammed his decision to call a July election.

Amongst those humiliated was Liz Truss, who lost her seat but had been tipped to launch another leadership bid had she held South West Norfolk.

Grant Shapps said his party's troubles had turned into an endless 'soap opera' and said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it having 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

Penny Mordaunt said the Tories had thrown away the public's trust and lost sight of the public's values.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, who lost his seat, was amongst those who blamed the ousting of Boris Johnson for the party's electoral drubbing while James Cleverly appeared to take aim at the Tory's Rwanda policy, saying his party had pursued 'thin solutions to challenging and complex problems'.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Outgoing Home Secretary Mr Cleverly said: 'This has been a very difficult night for my party and losing the position of government of this country is painful, but it is the nature of our democracy that it happens.

'And when it happens it is incumbent upon I suppose all parties, but particularly the party leaving government, to listen carefully to what the voters are telling us.

'I am not going to rush to any quick judgments. I think the right thing to do is be thoughtful and take a short period of time to really assess what the voters are telling us, but it is clear that, when you see the vote share of the traditional main parties of government, that many voters are disillusioned with all of us. And we should take that on board.'

Whoever takes over as Tory leader faces the momentous task of rebuilding the party after one of its worst ever defeats. Here are the key contenders to watch, with odds provided by Ladbrokes -

Kemi Badenoch (2/1)

Outgoing Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch is seen as a frontrunner among right-leaning factions and has left the door open to a tilt at the top job by saying 'we will talk about leadership things after an election'.

Ms Badenoch was born in Wimbledon and grew up in Nigeria and the US, returning to the UK at the age of 16. She has a master of engineering as well as a bachelor of laws and has worked at private bank Coutts and The Spectator.

She first became an MP in 2017. Ms Badenoch backed Brexit, and as minister for women and equalities she has made a name for herself as an outspoken voice on gender issues, including by calling for a change to the Equality Act so that sex is defined only as someone's biological sex.

Ms Badenoch has rejected calls for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to be welcomed into the Tory fold.

Dame Priti Patel (5/1)

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel is a longstanding Eurosceptic who has said she was inspired to join the Conservative Party by Margaret Thatcher.

She became an MP in 2010 and served in cabinet positions under Theresa May and Boris Johnson, as international development secretary and home secretary respectively.

Dame Priti was a leading figure in the Vote Leave campaign, and as home secretary she launched a points-based immigration system, signed the agreement with Rwanda to send asylum seekers to the country and sealed returns deals with Albania and Serbia.

She resigned as home secretary after Liz Truss became Tory leader.

Suella Braverman (8/1)

Suella Braverman declared two days before election day that the fight for a Conservative electoral victory is over.

Writing in The Telegraph, she instead referred to a 'fight for the soul' of the party.

Ms Braverman, a barrister by trade, has a track record of controversial op-eds. She was appointed home secretary by Rishi Sunak, who sacked her from that post over an article accusing the Metropolitan Police of bias in policing protests.

Ms Braverman was previously attorney general for England and Wales under Boris Johnson and has also chaired the Eurosceptic European Research Group.

She was elected as an MP in 2015. She recently told The Times she would welcome Nigel Farage into the Conservative Party, saying: 'There's not much difference really between him and many of the policies that we stand for.'

James Cleverly (8/1)

James Cleverly, who served as Home Secretary, has yet to declare his intentions and told Sky News in the aftermath of his re-election as an MP: 'What might happen in the future I'll leave that for the near future.'

An article in The Times had suggested he would not go for the top job due to his wife's health but other reports indicate he could be persuaded to run.

Mr Cleverly is a centrist who previously served as foreign secretary and was first elected as the Conservative MP for Braintree in May 2015.

After an injury cut short his Army career, he got a business degree and joined the Territorial Army. Mr Cleverly worked in magazine and digital publishing before setting up his own business. He was a London Assembly member before he became an MP.

Robert Jenrick (8/1)

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick last month denied he was firing the first shot in the race to replace Mr Sunak when he wrote an opinion piece dubbed by The Mail on Sunday as him 'effectively setting out his manifesto'.

Mr Jenrick used the article to say the Conservatives are the 'natural home for Reform voters' and that former prime minister Boris Johnson 'must always have a place' in the Tories, including in Parliament, should he wish to have one.

The MP for Newark resigned as a minister last December as he claimed the then draft legislation designed to revive the Rwanda deportation policy did 'not go far enough'.

Mr Jenrick last month claimed Mr Sunak's administration was 'turning a corner' in its efforts to reduce net migration.

He added in a nod to Reform: 'We have to build a coalition of voters and propose policies which will fix people's problems - be that on migration, public services reform, the cost of living, or housing.'

Jeremy Hunt (7/1)

Having previously run for leader in 2019 and 2022, Jeremy Hunt may be reluctant to have a third go.

But his lengthy experience in Cabinet and appeal to moderates could be attractive to Tories looking for a calming influence after the chaos of recent years.

After surviving a scare to secure his seat in the Commons, Mr Hunt said: 'Some Conservatives will wonder whether the scale of our crushing defeat was really justified.

'But when you lose the trust of the electorate, all that matters is having the courage and humility to ask yourself, why? So that you can earn it back again.'

After clinging on to his seat, Mr Hunt is not favoured among bookmakers to take over.

Tom Tugendhat (7/2)

Former security minister Tom Tugendhat, who held on in Tonbridge, repeatedly refused to rule out taking a tilt at the top job during the election campaign.

He previously unsuccessfully ran for the leadership in 2022, when he pitched himself as the candidate untarnished by the scandals that dogged Boris Johnson and his government.

He is seen as being on the centrist wing of the party, meaning he could struggle to convince a more right-leaning Tory membership.

Speaking after last night's result, Mr Tugendhat said he was 'very grateful' to be re-elected but called for his party to 'stop and rethink where we're going'.

Victoria Atkins (14/1)

Victoria Atkins, the outgoing health secretary, left the door open for a leadership bid in the run-up to the election.

Ms Atkins, who held her Louth and Horncastle seat with a reduced majority, has been discussed as a contender from the more moderate wing of the party.

She was reportedly talked up by former deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden as a 'star' capable of leading the Tories in a leaked recording from December.

During her time in office, Ms Atkins struggled in vain to stop strikes by junior doctors.

Her odds are 18/1 with Betfair Exchange and 14/1 with Ladbrokes.
Sir Keir Starmer appeared to have had 'any traces of hubris surgically removed from his body language' as he gave his first speech in Downing Street, an expert has said.

The new Prime Minister only seemed to smile before and after his speech as he promised to rebuild trust and restore hope following a landslide Labour victory.

Sir Keir said the British had voted 'decisively for change' and the UK could 'move forward together' as Labour took office following 14 years of Conservative rule.

Analysing his speech, body language expert Judi James told MailOnline that there were 'handshakes, hugs and kisses' on his approach to the Downing Street lectern.

But she said he then 'seemed to deliberately avoid signals of the kind of gushing, celebrity-style euphoria and excitement that Blair's 1997 victory was famous for'.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks outside 10 Downing Street for the first time today

A smiling Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive at Downing Street today

Labour leader and incoming Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks to the media at No.10 today

Ms James continued: 'Political hubris displays have brought the Labour Party to its knees before, notably with Neil Kinnock, and Starmer looked like a man who'd therefore had any potential traces of hubris surgically removed from his body language.

Body language expert Judi James has given her analysis of Sir Keir Starmer's speech

'Starmer's walk towards the crowd looked steady and slow and it came with no moment of raging, bounding triumph, just a responsible-looking handing of his folder of notes to his PA.'

She said that his smile 'displayed calm, grown-up pleasure and even the handshakes and hugs looked tempered rather than overkill gleeful'.

Ms James added that this suggesting that if 'Starmer had let rip running about with his jumper over his head at the overnight results it was strictly off-camera, in the privacy of his own office'.

She also told how this beaming smile 'vanished as he began his speech, which was performed in the style of a captain of a cruise ship about to navigate through very choppy waters'.

Ms James said his only sign of 'inner glee' came as he approached the lectern, pointing out how he paused to straighten his glasses and licked at his lips, with his tongue 'working its way round the inside of his mouth' before he began to speak.

Judi James made comparisons to Tony Blair in May 1997 when he became prime minister and was greeted by hundreds of Union Jack-waving supporters as he arrived at Downing Street

Tony Blair addresses the nation for the first time as Prime Minister in Downing Street in 1997, after Labour ousted the Tories from 18 years of government with a landslide election victory

She continued: 'This is a relishing gesture, mimicking someone sitting down to enjoy a good meal.

'It hinted that, despite the serious tone, he really is looking forward the task of running the country that he described as wounded while performing a facial wince of pain.'

Sir Keir spoke after a brutal set of results for the Conservatives, which saw Rishi Sunak announced he would quit as Tory leader as he used his final speech in Downing Street to apologise to the British people and the Conservative Party.

After 648 of the 650 Commons seats had been declared, Labour had a majority of 176. Labour had 412 seats and the Tories 121, the worst result in the party's history.

Sir Keir told the gathered crowd: 'Now our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks at No. 10 Downing Street today after the General Election

Sir Keir Starmer speaks to the nation as he enters Downing Street following Labour's win today

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer walks back after speaking outside 10 Downing Street today

Sir Keir Starmer makes a speech at Downing Street after becoming the new Prime Minister

'When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future.

'But we need to move forward together. Now this wound, this lack of trust can only be healed by actions not words, I know that.

'But we can make a start today with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege and that your government should treat every single person in this country with respect.'

He said 'my Government will serve you, politics can be a force for good', adding: 'The work of change begins immediately, but have no doubt, we will rebuild Britain.'

Low turnout underlined Sir Keir's message about the need to rebuild trust in the political system after 14 years of Tory rule marred by the Partygate scandal and the chaos of Conservative infighting which saw David Cameron followed in quick succession by Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and, finally, Mr Sunak.

Your browser does not support iframes.

After 648 of 650 results had been declared, the turnout figure stood at 59.85 per cent, the lowest turnout at a general election since 2001.

Sir Keir said: 'Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while.

'But have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately. Have no doubt that we will rebuild Britain, with wealth created in every community.

'Our NHS back on its feet facing the future. Secure borders, safer streets, everyone treated with dignity and respect at work. The opportunity of clean British power, cutting your energy bills for good.

'Brick by brick, we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity.'
Hated Emmanuel Macron's own party have pleaded with him not to go on the campaign trial because he is so unpopular.

Since the French president called the high-stakes snap parliamentary election on June 9, he appears to have been avoiding the limelight after not being seen at several public appearances and rallies.

In brutal response to his poor approval ratings, Macron's own centrist Together coalition has erased his face from campaign materials, referring to the initiative as 'de-Macronisation'.

Senior party members are now so concerned about the negative reactions to Macron's presence in election literature, they have reportedly privately urged the president to step back from the public eye.

An unnamed minister told Le Parisien that voters' responses to seeing Macron's face on campaign materials during the European elections were unfavourable, with sentiments like, 'Oh, no, not him.'

French President Emmanuel Macron has been urged to not take part in his party's campaign trial as he is so unpopular

The French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has taken on the role as the face of the presidential party as he campaigns against Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration National Rally

A poster with a photograph of French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and French member of Parliament for far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party Marine Le Pen (2-L), reads 'funeral wedding'

Adding to the chorus, Bruno Millienne, an outgoing MP for Yvelines, said on a French TV interview: 'Yes, I told the Elysee, he is hated on the ground. And we're paying dearly for this detestation and it's unfair'.

'The de-Macronisation of France is underway. I regret it, but that's the way it is', he wrote on Instagram.

Macron had seemingly underestimated the severity of his unpopularity, but his former prime minister Edouard Philippe voiced the 'rejection of the President of the Republic' while Christophe Bechu, minister of ecological transition, admitted that Macron's image had become a frustration for some.

Bechu told French news channel TF1: 'There is a wear and tear that has affected all the presidents of the Fifth Republic.

'Here, the wear and tear is even greater because this is Emmanuel Macron's second term.'

To distance themselves from their liability, Gabriel Attal, the French prime minister, has taken on the prominent role as the face of the presidential party, campaigning tirelessly against Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration, nationalist National Rally (RN).

Public sentiment against Macron was evident on June 17 in Val-de-Marne, where a passerby told Attal: 'You're fine. But you'll have to tell the president to shut his mouth'.

This interaction pushed Attal to further separate himself from the president and reiterate to the individual: 'You know, this is a legislative election, we are voting for the prime minister'.

Recent polls underscore Macron's dwindling popularity, with just 27 per cent of respondents in a June 17 poll via Public Senat considering him a good president.

Marine Le Pen, member of parliament and French far-right National Rally party leader, arrives at the RN party headquarters in Paris, France, July 1, 2024

A staggering 72 per cent found his actions unsatisfactory, while a separate poll reported by Le Journal du Dimanche revealed an approval rating of just 26 per cent for Macron.

The urge for Macron to keep himself out of the spotlight for self-preservation comes after several candidates have reported being attacked on the campaign trial, including government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot.

The French interior minister revealed Thursday that some 30,000 police officers will be deployed on July 7, during the second round of voting, including 5,000 in the Paris region.

Candidates have complained of both hate speech and physical violence in the tense but brief and polarizing campaign that could see the RN winning an absolute majority, which would be a first and a major historical shift for France.

Thevenot, a candidate for the centrist Ensemble alliance led by Macron, said she and a deputy and a party activist were putting up election posters in Meudon near Paris on Wednesday night when a group attacked them.

Thevenot's deputy and the party activist were both dashed to a hospital following the attack.

'The symbolic violence of words quickly was replaced by physical violence,' she told reporters while back on the campaign trail Thursday, adding the motive behind the attack was still under investigation.

The prosecutor's office said it opened an investigation into a gang assault with a weapon against a public official.

Four people, including three minors, are in custody, prosecutors said.

Politicians on all sides condemned the attack and others on candidates from various parties.

Marie Dauchy, a RN candidate in Savoy, said she was assaulted Wednesday at a food market while campaigning and announced she was abandoning the race.

Government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot revealed she had been subject to an attack on Wednesday while putting up election posters in Meudon near Paris

Her party's leader and three-time presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, said on X, formerly Twitter, that two men had 'cowardly' assaulted Dauchy.

Nicolas Conquer, a candidate for The Republicans, said on social media that he was assaulted while distributing election flyers in the Atlantic coast city of Cherbourg on Tuesday.

He was accompanied by a minor when the incident happened, and reported it to police, he said.

'Let's reject the climate of violence and hatred that is taking hold,' Attal said Thursday on X, following the spate of attacks.

Sunday July 7 will see the second round run-off vote in France's parliamentary election, with the first having taken place on June 30.

There is currently the potential of a hung parliament with no clear majority, unless the far-right RN wins enough seats to form its first government since World War II.

A total of 577 constituencies are being decided in the snap election, one for each seat in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.

A total of 76 lawmakers were elected in the first round - including 39 representing the RN and its allies - leaving 501 sets up for grabs in the run-off.

This Sundays voting ends at 6pm (16:00 GMT) in towns and small cities and 8 pm (18:00 GMT) in big cities.
. Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are celebrating a legal victory today after courts in Romania ruled they are free to leave the country for the first time in two years

Tate, who is a former kickboxer and controversial internet personality, posted a video to X, formerly Twitter, announcing the news this afternoon, declaring 'I AM FREE... THE SHAM CASE IS FALLING APART'.

The 37-year-old, and his brother, 35, were charged in mid-2023 with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, which they deny.

Romanian prosecutors formally indicted Tate in June along with his brother, Tristan, and two Romanian women in the same case.

All four were arrested in late December 2022 near Bucharest and have denied the allegations against them.

A spokesperson for the brothers said: 'The Romanian courts have ruled in favour of Andrew and Tristan Tate, lifting restrictions on their travel within the European Union,' adding: 'This represents a significant victory and a major step forward in the ongoing case.'

Andrew Tate, 37, is celebrating a legal victory today after courts in Romania ruled he is free to leave the country for the first time in two years alongside his brother Tristan, 35

Andrew and Tristan were initially arrested in December 2022, and were charge in mid-2023 with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, which they both deny

They went on to say that the decision 'is a strong affirmation of our clients' fundamental right to free movement, a cornerstone principle of the European Union.

'It reflects the significant progress the legal team have made in challenging the allegations brought against them.

Andrew and Tristan's lawyer, Eugene Vidineac said: 'We embrace and applaud the decision of the court today, I consider it a reflection of the exemplary behaviour and assistance of my clients.

'Andrew and Tristan are still determined to clear their name and reputation; however, they are grateful to the courts for placing this trust in them'

'For the brothers, who have faced limitations on their movement for nearly two years, this ruling is a welcome relief.

'It allows them to resume their lives with greater freedom and peace of mind.

'They are now able to travel freely throughout the EU to pursue professional opportunities without restriction'.

In Tate's video announcing the ruling, he paced through what appeared to be a garage lined with supercars while shirtless and said: 'For the first time in nearly three years, the judge has decided I can leave Romania'.

He also referred to the charges as a 'sham case' before referencing a platform that says it teaches the skill of money-making.

Tate repeats these sentiments in the video, adding: 'The process is the punishment, in the end I'll be innocent.'

He also protested his innocence in the one-minute-and-20-second clip.

Andrew Tate (C) and his brother Tristan Tate (back R) speak to journalists after having been released from detention in Bucharest, Romania on March 12, 2024

Tate (pictured) was arrested in December 2022 near Bucharest along with his brother Tristan Tate and two Romanian women

Andrew and Tristan were initially arrested in December 2022 along with two Romanian women - model Georgiana Naghel and former cop Luana Radu - but were formerly indicted in June last year.

The two female suspects - dubbed 'Tate's Angels' - also face extradition to the UK once their court proceedings in Romania come to an end.

The brothers have been accused of 10 allegations of rape and sexual assault from three alleged victims in the UK.

The pair faced complaints from victims who claimed they were drugged and subjected to sexual acts between 2012 and 2015.

Romanian law states the trafficking of adults carries a lengthy prison sentence of up to a decade, as does rape.

The Tate brothers were held in police custody during the criminal investigation from late December 2022 until April 2023, to prevent them from fleeing the country or tampering with evidence.

They were then under house arrest until August, when courts placed them under judicial control, a lighter preventative measure that enables them to move around freely but not leave the country.

A request to leave Bucharest and visit their mother in Luton who had suffered a heart attack was denied at Christmas by officials.

Romanian prosecutors have said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them via social media and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage - ultimately pretending to fall in love with them before getting them to work for their business after luring them to their villa on the outskirts of Bucharest.

The victims were then taken to properties outside the capital Bucharest, and through physical violence and mental intimidation were sexually exploited by being forced to produce pornographic content for social media sites that generated large financial gain, prosecutors said.

Tate, who has amassed 9.1 million followers on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors in Romania have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him.
A grieving couple are demanding an apology after discovering their daughter wasn't actually buried at the grave they had been visiting for years.

Bryan and Katie Black, from Lexington, Kentucky, had been routinely seeing their daughter Avery's grave since she tragically died during birth seven years ago.

They said they would often decorate the grave and visit with their two young children, but were left heartbroken on Memorial Day when they stopped at the site only to find her grave marker was missing.

Avery's grave marker had been moved almost 30 feet from its original spot, and the parents said they were stunned to be told that her body and grave had been in separate spots since she was buried.

Bryan and Katie Black, from Lexington, Kentucky, are demanding an apology after discovering their daughter wasn't actually buried at the grave they had been visiting for years

The couple's daughter Avery tragically died during childbirth seven years ago, and they said they had routinely visited the site ever since

When Avery was born, Katie said she was crestfallen to have to go through the process of giving birth without being able to celebrate her new arrival.

'I still had to go into labor, deliver her, all the things. We just didnt get to bring her home from the hospital,' she told Arizona Family.

With their two young children, the couple say they still visit 'multiple times a year.'

'Birthday, sometimes Fourth of July, just to decorate and spend the holidays that we dont get to share with her,' Bryan said.

But Katie said their frequent visits have been tainted after the discovery, as they have 'picture after picture after picture of all of our children out at that site, and that all happened in a different spot.'

She said they contacted the Lexington Cemetary to inquire why their daughter's grave site was moved, who told them the new spot was the correct site all along.

The couple are demanding a formal apology, and said the cemetery responded to the incident with 'no sympathy'

'The gentleman that came out very defensively, to talk to us about what happened, he kept telling me, "No shes buried here, shes buried here." And I said how do I know that for sure?'' Katie continued.

'It took seven years for them to realize her body and her marker were in different spots. I know that its not her, its just her body, but I feel like I hadnt been visiting her.'

They said they would like a formal apology from the cemetery, but have so far not had any form of positive response.

'Weve been asking for them to produce us actual proof on who signed off on it and who actually dug it. Is this where shes supposed to be?' Bryan said.

'Weve got nothing but scribble or no response or no sympathy.

'I want a written formal apology. I want a public apology. I want apologies for everybody else that they affect.'

The grieving couple added that they still have no actual proof that the new site is correct, and have only been given a hand drawn map noting the grave site

The grieving couple added that they still have no actual proof that the new site is correct, and have only been given a hand drawn map noting the grave site.

Arizona Family reported that the Lexington Cemetery declined to comment. The cemetery did not immediately respond to a request for a statement from DailyMail.com.
Two British tourists grinned as they were rescued from the top of a 'dangerous' Bali volcano after getting lost while hiking.

Matthew Forster, 22, and Andrew Forster, 18, from London, trekked up the deadly Mount Agung in Indonesia on July 3.

But they got lost in the forest on their way down in the Karangasem Regency and had to spend a night in the wilderness.

Despite thick fog and poor visibility hampering search efforts, rescuers found the Brits safe but exhausted at around 6:15 pm local time the next evening on July 4.

Matthew Forster, 22, and Andrew Forster, 18, from London, pictured as they are rescued on top of the Bali volcano

The pair went missing after getting lost in the forest on their way back down the mountain

Coordinator of the Basarnas Karangasem Search and Rescue Post I Gusti Ngurah Eka Wiadnyana said: 'When we found them, both were in a limp state due to exhaustion.

'However, both of them could still make their own way down the mountain.'

The hikers said they became lost during the descent because they did not memorise the path back.

A friend of the pair called the police after they failed to answer their phones.

Later that night their mobiles rang dead and police feared the signal had been lost.

Karangasem search and rescue personnel and volunteers were dispatched to the scene, where they found an abandoned rental motorcycle near a rarely used hiking trail.

They called the phone number on the bike and the rental shop confirmed it had been taken out by the youngsters.

The owner told officials they were 'excited' about going to the top of the volcano.

Karangasem search and rescue personnel and volunteers were dispatched to the scene

The pair were given first aid and then taken to the Bebandem Police Station for questioning

Despite thick fog and poor visibility hampering search efforts, rescuers found the Brits safe but exhausted at around 6:15 pm local time

Head of Basarnas Bali I Nyoman Sidakarya said: 'From the information of the community and the team, there was a sound of someone screaming for help.

'At 6.15pm WITA, the location was found, and the tourists were discovered in good health at an altitude of 1,700 metres (5,577 feet) above sea level.

'They are lucky to have survived. The conditions on the volcano are very dangerous.'

The pair were given first aid and then taken to the Bebandem Police Station for questioning.

Mount Agung is an active volcano and the highest point on Bali at an elevation of 9,944 feet (3,031 meters).

The Balinese Buddhist Hindus considered the mountain to be sacred and traditionally believed it to be the 'Navel of the World'.

Many temples are built on the slopes of the mountain including the mother temple of Besakih.
Britain's first MP to be born in the 21st century is a Cambridge graduate who refuses to eat duck and was just a toddler when the Tory he deposed first won his seat.

Fresh-faced Sam Carling clinched a narrow victory over veteran Conservative MP Shailesh Vara last night, claiming the North West Cambridgeshire for Labour by just 39 votes.

Aged just 22 years and 85 days old, he is believed to now be the youngest sitting MP who will affectionately be known as the 'Baby of the House'.

Mr Carling was also just a toddler when his 63-year-old opponent was first elected as an MP back in 2005. And he only sat his GCSEs in 2018.

High-flier Sam heralded his election victory over Mr Vara as a 'political earthquake', adding: 'In this election, residents across the area heard our message of change.'

Sam Carling clinched a narrow victory over veteran Conservative MP Shailesh Vara last night, claiming the North West Cambridgeshire for Labour by just 39 votes.

Originally from the north east of England, Mr Carling was a pupil at the 32,430-a-year Barnard Castle School in County Durham.

He says he bagged a staggering six A* grades in his A-Levels in 2020 - which is when schools were unable to sit summer exams due to the Coronvirus pandemic.

And the new Labour MP is a fan of a plant-based hoisin duck wrap for lunch  but refuses to eat duck meat.

Speaking to student magazine Varsity, he said he only really tucks into chicken and fish, adding: 'I used to go and feed ducks a lot when I was a kid so I will not eat duck. Ever.'

He went on to study at natural sciences at the University of Cambridge after netting straight A*s in biology, chemistry, physics, maths, further maths and an extended project qualification, his LinkedIn says.

Describing himself as a 'serial multitasker', ambitious Mr Carling was forced to balance his studies with his fledging political career at university.

He joined Cambridge's Labour Club rising to its co-chairman. He was also the Student Union President at Christ's College.

And in May 2022, he was voted onto Cambridge City Council representing West Chesterton for Labour.

His time at the council has seen him campaigning to tackle the 'rancid filth' and sewage blighting Cambridge's River Cam.

Aged just 22, Sam has become one of the youngest MPs ever elected to the House of Commons

He also held the post of Executive Councillor for Open Spaces and City Services - and once boasted of helping to approve a new Taco Bell fast-food outlet in the heart of Cambridge's Market Square - close to his university halls.

But the busy 22-year-old has previously admitted he is 'very bad at getting up' in the morning and would regularly work until 3am.

During his time studying for a degree, the aspiring politician also claimed to have uncovered an issue with Cambridge's Student Union's data collection systems which he said had inadvertently 'outed countless' LGBTQ students.

And the new Labour MP has also indicated his support for the pro-Palestine cause, telling Varsity in May the 'fighting [in Gaza] needs to stop now' - while also backing people's 'right to protest', which saw hundreds of students set up camps outside the university calling for a 'ceasefire' in the war between Israel and Hamas.

When news broke in May that Mr Carling was to be Labour's parliamentary candidate, the 22-year-old was ruthlessly trolled online over his age, with people calling him a 'Labour creche kiddie' and 'nerd', with some asking: 'Have you ever had a job before?'

Sharing a series of pictures of the abuse he claimed to have receive on X, Sam said: 'I'm sometimes asked for my views on why we can't get more young people to stand for office, with only 2% of councillors under 30.

'See below a selection of the age-related tripe I have received in just the first two days of being a parliamentary candidate. That should explain it.'

He was ruthlessly heckled online for his age when he was announced as a parliamentary candidate in May, branded a 'labour creche kiddie'

Mr Carling was also just a toddler when his 63-year-old opponent Mr Vera (pictured last night) was first elected an MP back in 2005

Workers in the House of Commons are still to confirm if Mr Carling is now Britain's youngest sitting MP.

But a spokesman for the House of Commons told MailOnline: 'We haven't fully confirmed all biographical data for new MPs and are unable to share information about MPs' date of birth on an individual basis.

'However, it does appear that Sam Carling is the youngest MP as our researchers are not aware of any younger at this point.'

In 2015, Mhairi Black become the youngest MP to be appointed since 1832 when she was elected to the SNP aged just 20 years and seven months old.

Ms Black, the party's former deputy leader at Westminster, announced last year she would be stepping down at the next General Election.

Mr Carling has been contacted for comment by MailOnline.
Do you know any of the hecklers?

Nigel Farage's speech was interrupted by seven hecklers today as he responded by shouting 'boring' after winning a UK parliamentary seat at his eighth attempt.

Reform UK's leader was attempting to give a press conference in Westminster this afternoon when he was repeatedly interrupted by people in the audience.

Mr Farage arrived at the event to the sound of dance music and a standing ovation from supporters, with the Reform UK logo and 'Britain Needs Reform' on the wall.

But then a heckler started interrupting amid calls from the audience for them to be removed. The man was quickly escorted out before more shouting was heard as Mr Farage, who was elected as the MP for Clacton overnight, stood behind a podium.

The further hecklers were also then removed one by one as the press conference descended into chaos and Mr Farage repeatedly shouted 'boring' in response.

Nigel Farage is heckled during at a Reform UK press conference in London this afternoon

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

Nigel Farage reacts as a protester interrupts his press conference in London this afternoon

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage reacts as a protester interrupts his speech in London today

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

Mr Farage also accused one of the hecklers who interrupted him of being 'steaming' and shouted 'boring!' nine times as a second heckler started speaking.

Both members of the audience were escorted out of the venue. As one man started shouting at him, he responded: 'Are you downwind a couple already?

'You've had a bigger lunch than I have. Cor, he's absolutely steaming isn't he? That's all right, there's still plenty of beer left in the pub, mate.'

As a fourth heckler interrupted him, the Reform UK leader said: 'You'll do yourself a nasty mate. You'll have a stroke if you carry on like this.'

Mr Farage, facing further heckling from a fifth person, joked: 'This is good preparation for the House of Commons I suppose, isn't it? It's going to be very lively in there.'

As a woman shouted, Mr Farage added: 'Oh do buck up really, please love, I'm so sorry.' He shouted 'bye darling' as she was removed.

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

Reform MPs Richard Tice, Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe in London today

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon is interrupted by hecklers

Nigel Farage is heckled during at a Reform UK press conference in London this afternoon

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

Mr Farage added: 'Any more for any more?' After a pause, a man shouted: 'Actually yes.' Mr Farage added: 'We haven't organised this very well, have we?'

After the press conference had finished, his fellow Reform UK MP Lee Anderson called the hecklers 'professional nuisances', adding: 'I think they need to get a job.'

Once the press conference could begin properly, Mr Farage also outlined his desire to make changes to the party.

He said: 'Above all what we're going to do from today is we're going to professionalise the party, we're going to democratise the party and those few bad apples that have crept in will be gone, will be long gone, and we will never have any of their type back in our organisation. You have a 100 per cent promise on that.'

Mr Farage then said Reform UK's focus will be on going 'after Labour votes'.

He added: 'Old Labour was very, very patriotic. It believed in the country. It believed in its people. New Labour far less so.

Read More:

A heckler is led away during Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

Hecklers interrupt Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

Nigel Farage is heckled during at a Reform UK press conference in London this afternoon

Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon is interrupted by hecklers

A heckler is led away during Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

Hecklers interrupt Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

Nigel Farage puts his head in his hand in Westminster today as the speech is interrupted

A heckler is led away during Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

Hecklers interrupt Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

'And the journey that Lee Anderson has been on is a journey that at least a couple of million people have been on, and it'll be many, many more by the time we're finished, because no doubt, our priority now is to go after Labour votes. That is what we're going to be doing.

Introducing Reform's Ashfield MP Mr Anderson, Mr Farage said: 'Lee Anderson took a brave decision.

'He decided to join Reform UK. He was much mocked and derided by colleagues who had similar political opinions to him but didn't have the guts to do it. They've all lost their seats overnight.'

Mr Anderson then claimed he would be looking at Sir Keir Starmer's Government in the Commons and thinking 'what has our country come to'.

The Reform UK MP said the UK's Prime Minister and his 'motley crew absolutely scares me to death, I'm going to be sat on the green benches next week looking at them and thinking what has our country come to'.

Reform MPs Richard Tice, Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe in London today

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage with Richard Tice at the press conference in London today

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage arrives at the press conference in London today

Mr Farage then laughed and said 'stitch-up merchants' as he was asked a question by Channel 4 News.

The Reform UK leader has launched a series of attacks against the broadcaster after it reported that a canvasser for his party had used racist language.

Channel 4 then asked him about the leadership and direction of the party, to which he responded that he would stay at the helm but indicated that by the 2029 election 'somebody younger and better-looking' will have come along.

He said: 'I think this was going to be the first step of a very, very big journey that this was a five... year plan.

'I believe with structure, funding, professionalism, we can be in a very, very serious position to contest the 2029 general election.

'I suspect by then somebody younger and better-looking will come along and when they do I will recognise it. I will go on leading (the party)... until such a time when somebody else comes along.'

Leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage and Chairman of Reform UK, Richard Tice, in London today

Reform MPs Richard Tice, Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe in London today

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage pauses as he speaks to the media in London today

Mr Farage also said he is 'launching criminal legal action' against Colin Bloom of Vetting.Com as he vowed to 'professionalise' Reform UK.

Facing a question about the racism row engulfing the party, its leader again blamed the firm it contracted to vet candidates.

He also said: 'I made it clear that Ukip would be a non-racist, non-sectarian party, and in the end it was.

'I will jolly well make sure, starting today, that we do not want people with desperately unpleasant views. We will not tolerate people with these views. They will be gone.

'And we'll have the funding after this, we'll have the support coming in to be able to absolutely professionalise the party. This will never happen again.'

Speaking further about the issue, Mr Farage said that vetting candidates is 'easy' and that most racism in British politics is in the Labour Party.

Reform MP for Ashfield, Lee Anderson, speaks to the media during a press conference today

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage with Richard Tice at the press conference in London today

Reform MPs Richard Tice, Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe in London today

Asked how he would vet Reform candidates properly going forward, including for racism, he said: 'Very easy. You go back through their social media records, you obviously do police checks and things like that, no, it's not difficult to do it and the message has to be clear and simple.

'We don't want anyone like that involved with us. Indeed I mean the racism problem in the Labour Party was enormous, but to Keir Starmer's credit actually he did quite a lot by getting rid of Jeremy Corbyn, who ironically has been re-elected.

'There's an awful lot we can do. There is plenty of racism in British politics, it's mostly in the Labour Party.'

Asked whether he would give up his broadcasting career and still planned to go and support Donald Trump in his US presidential election campaign, Mr Farage said: 'I haven't got a clue. I haven't thought any of this through yet.

'We've been so busy focused on running to the line of July the 4th that we have a lot to think about. But you known what you say I'm a very busy man - you want to get a job done ask a busy man to do it, they somehow always find the time.'

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage reacts as a protester interrupts his speech in London today

Reform MP for Ashfield, Lee Anderson, speaks to the media during a press conference today

Mr Farage also said he was not going into Westminster to 'behave terribly' but would challenge conventions after being elected as an MP for the first time.

Asked how he would democratise Reform UK, which now has four MPs, and shake up Westminster from the inside as a 'disruptor', he said he did not know whether his party would have the 'power to change the systems' and that being a 'disruptor' can be considered negative but could be 'a very positive context because it sparks a very, very different debate'.

'But we're not going in to behave terribly or anything like that, but certainly going in to challenge conventions and certainly going in believing that the broad church that is the Conservative Party that currently has no religion, simply won't be able to provide any sort of challenge at all.

'And we may be be fewer in number but we're absolutely united in what we believe in and what we stand for.'

He also said Reform UK's constitution would 'get put fully to the conference'.

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage pauses as he speaks to the media in London today

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media in London this afternoon

In the early hours of today, Mr Farage was declared MP for Clacton shortly after Mr Anderson became the party's first MP of the night with victory in Ashfield.

Reform's party chairman Richard Tice won Boston and Skegness, while former Southampton FC chairman Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth  both from the Tories.

Some 4.1million people voted for Reform, giving it a 14 per cent share - with its candidates coming second in 89 seats, many in Labour-won areas of northern England and Wales.

Earlier, Mr Farage said Reform was 'coming for Labour', while Mr Tice described Reform as filling a 'vacuum' in right-wing politics in Britain.

Meanwhile Mr Tice blasted the 'injustice' of the first-past-the-post electoral system, after the Liberal Democrats gained 71 seats with 3.5million votes. This meant the Lib Dems had 67 more seats than Reform despite having about 500,000 fewer votes.

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media in London this afternoon

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media in London this afternoon

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media in London this afternoon

Mr Tice won Boston and Skegness, beating the Conservatives to secure his party's fourth seat of the night. He told BBC Radio 4's Today that 'we have given the opportunity to millions of people... to vote with their heart and what they believe in'.

Mr Tice predicted that demands for electoral change would 'grow and grow', adding: 'There's a huge vacuum on the right of British politics that we are filling.'

After winning in Clacton, Mr Farage said there was now a 'massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it'.

He said he wants to 'build a mass national movement over the course of next few years' with the aim of challenging the 2029 general election.

And Mr Farage said it is not just the Tories he is taking on, and 'we're coming for Labour , be in no doubt about that'.

'This is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you,' he said.

Nigel Farage celebrates with his girlfriend Laure Ferrari after he won in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

Nigel Farage celebrates after winning his first seat in parliament in Clacton-on-Sea early today

Mr Farage overturned a 25,000 Conservative majority to take the Essex seaside town by more than 8,000 votes, while Reform beat the Tories to finish second in a string of constituencies.

It was the eighth attempt by Mr Farage to win a Westminster seat after years of trying.

While Reform UK was formed in 2018, Mr Farage has sought to become an MP multiple times without success.

He was a member of the European Parliament for 20 years, during which time he campaigned fiercely for the UK to leave the EU.

Mr Farage said: 'I think what Reform UK has achieved in just a few short weeks is extraordinary. We are going to come second in hundreds of constituencies.

'My plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of next few years as hopefully be big enough to challenge the General Election properly in 2029. There 's no enthusiasm for Labour or Starmer whatsoever... this Labour Government will be in trouble very very quickly and we will now be targeting Labour votes. We're coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that.'

This was the eighth attempt by Mr Farage to win a Westminster seat after years of trying

Mr Farage won the seat with 21,225 votes compared to the Tories' 12,820. Labour finished third on 7,448.

Mr Farage said in a speech at the election count: 'It's not just disappointment with the Conservative party, there is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it,'

He told reporters Reform will be a 'non-racist, non-sectarian' party and this election is the 'beginning of the end' for the Tory party.

'This is just the first step, I set out with a goal to win millions of votes, to get a bridgehead in Parliament and that's what we've done so I'm very pleased,' he added.

He said the Reform party would move forward 'very rapidly'.

He said: 'I've got to professionalise it, I've got to democratise it, I've got to get rid of a few idiots that found it too easy to get on board. They will all go, they will all go, this will be a non-racist, non-sectarian party. Absolutely and I give my word on that.'

Reform UK's Richard Tice is elected in Boston and Skegness overnight

Shortly after, the party also took the seat of Great Yarmouth from the Tories. And Mr Tice won Boston and Skegness.

Just after 2am it was confirmed that Reform's candidate in Ashfield, Mr Anderson, comfortably held on to the seat.

The Tories, who won it in 2019 under Boris Johnson, finished in fourth with just 3,271 votes.

Mr Anderson, who defected to Reform from the Tories in March, got 17,062, with Labour finishing second on 11,553.

He said: 'I said a few weeks back that there was going to be a reckoning on election night, and Ashfield, which is the capital of common sense, they're part of that reckoning.

'This wonderful place which I call my home is now going to have a say in how this country is shaped in the future.

Reform MP Lee Anderson is announced as winner at the general election count in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, overnight

'I want my country back and Ashfield can play their part in that.'

However, the party failed to win in Barnsley North and South, in which the exit poll predicted it would be victorious.

The official 10pm exit poll projected the insurgent party's seat haul could hit 13  a shock tally that sent shockwaves through Conservative headquarters. That was later revised down to four.

But in a sign of the scale of the revolt caused by Mr Farage's party, it came second in Blyth and Ashington, finishing on 10,857 votes and pushing the Tories into third on 6,121.

It came second in Sunderland Central with 10,779 votes to the Tories' 5,731, and in Houghton and Sunderland South by 11,668 votes to 5,514.

In Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, Reform beat the Tories with 7,815 votes compared to 4,228, while in Washington and Gateshead South it finished second with 10,769 votes to the Tories' 4,654. Labour won all these seats.

Do you know any of the hecklers? Please email: tips@dailymail.com
READ MORE: The crime capital of Australia

A tradie has been busted on camera walking a motorbike out of a secure car park in a brazen robbery.

The thief, believed to be aged in his late 30s or early 40s, stole the Honda CBR motorbike from a Docklands apartment block garage in Melbourne at 5.30am on April 24.

CCTV footage showed the man in a hi-vis jacket patiently waiting at the barred entry of the car park on a push scooter.

He then tailgated another car into the garage.

Once inside the car park, the man casually walked the parked motorcycle out onto the street and rode off.

He was last seen travelling along Aquitania Way.

Victoria Police have released CCTV of the theft and urged the public to be on the lookout for the culprit.

The stolen motorcycle's registration is GV 755.

Victorian Police are looking for an unknown offender who stole a red Honda CBR motorbike from a Docklands apartment block in Melbourne at 5:30am on April 24

CCTV footage shows the brazen thief walking the motorcycle out of the secure car park

The man is described as having an olive complexion, about 170cm tall with short brown hair and a moustache.

He was last seen wearing fluorescent work wear and was carrying a backpack.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Sir Keir Starmer's wife 'Lady Vic' stepped into the limelight outside No 10 today - but is 'going to be very much leading her own life' in Downing Street.

Mrs Starmer has long refused to be her husband's wife-on-the-campaign-trail - in fact one insider has admitted shes mainly 'quite unbothered by what hes doing' in politics.

Walking hand-in-hand down Downing Street today and kissing keenly when Labour's election victory was revealed this morning, they were the epitome of the publicly-loving couple.

But friends have said that Britain should not expect her to stay in the public eye - because her focus is very much on their two children, one of whom has just completed their GCSEs.

Both the Starmer teenagers are said to be 'completely freaked out' by the idea of being known for the first time, and the new Prime Minister admitted this week that he had promised them a dog if he were to win the election - to sweeten the move from their 1.75million north London home to Downing Street.

And his wife will still work in the NHS as an occupational therapist while he gets on with running the country.

'She's a streetwise grounded, brilliant, gorgeous woman who wants as far as she can to get on with her own life and to protect it', Mr Starmer said recently.

'She loves working for the NHS. She loves the team that she's working with. And she and I are doing our best to raise two happy and confident children and that matters hugely to us.'

Sir Keir Starmer puts his hand out to greet his wife Lady Victoria after his first speech as Prime Minister

'Vic', as he calls her, has taken a back seat during the campaign

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer kisses his wife Victoria as it was confirmed he will be the next PM at around 5am this morning

The First Lady of British politics was cheering wildly as her husband romped home

Sir Keir and Victoria with his parents Josephine and Rodney, taken on their wedding day in 2007

Victoria pictured with Sir Keir during a count for the 2017 general election. She has become a more public companion of her politico husband in recent years - but she still remains reluctant to be in the limelight

Mrs Starmer has been described as Britain's 'reluctant First Lady'.

The Starmers looked very much the couple in love today.

But it wasn't always that way for Vic, as her husband calls her, at least.

Sir Keir admits that his wife is so 'sassy' that the first thing she said after speaking with him for the first time was: 'Who the f*** does he think he is?'

A young Mr Starmer, then a barrister, had made the fatal error of incorrectly questioning his future wife's work as a solicitor - and found himself on the end of her sharp tongue.

But undeterred he asked her out for a drink anyway, and the rest is history. Today they moved into the flat above No 10 Downing Street - and Mr Starmer will keep his promise of getting a dog for their two teenage children after his party's landslide election victory.

Sir Keir Starmer's intensely private wife stepped out of the shadows and into the limelight today as the couple celebrated Labour's historic election win with a passionate kiss.

Just hours before she started a new life in Downing Street, Lady Victoria closed her eyes and enjoyed a clinch with Sir Keir after his speech at a victory rally in central London.

The public display of affection was a rare step for Sir Keir's 'reluctant First Lady'.

But she can avoid the limelight no longer, and today Lady Victoria Starmer entered No 10 with her husband after hugging well-wishers in the world's most famous street after Labour's landslide victory and crushing of the Tories.

'Lady Vic', as she is known fondly in party circles, has been missing from the election campaign completely.

But later she waved with her husband, although the couple's two teenage children - were not paraded.

Moving into Downing Street comes just weeks after their 16-year-old son took his GCSEs. The couple have also shielded their 13-year-old daughter from the limelight - never naming either child in public.

Although their father revealed this week that they are expected to get a dog for No 10.

The couple have been married for 17 years - but had a huge and sweary row when they met for the first time

Keir Starmer acknowledged 'weariness at the heart of the nation' today after his so-called 'loveless landslide' in the election, with his wife by his side

Sir Keir and wife Victoria walked into their new home after he delivered his first speech as PM this afternoon

Sir Keir and Lady Vic will be moving into Downing Street this afternoon

Labour Party Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria pose for the media

The newly-elected PM and his wife Victoria were clapped in by staff as they entered No10

Sir Keir said he wanted to 'changed the country' but warned it will 'take a while', saying he wanted to restore the values of 'service' to politics. He admitted that many people did not believe he would improve the country

The Labour leader, with wife Victoria, received a rapturous welcome after returning from the Palace where he had an audience with the King around noon, shortly after Rishi Sunak exited having tendered his resignation

Victoria Starmer hugged jubilant activists this afternoon after Sir Keir was formally installed as Britain's 58th PM

Incoming British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Victoria Starmer outside No. 10

Sir Clive Alderton, Principal Private Secretary to the King and Queen (2nd right) with Commander William Thornton, Royal Navy, Equerry to the King (right) as Sir Keir Starmer, and his wife Victoria Starmer, leave Buckingham Palace in London after an audience with King Charles III

The couple have two teenage children, a 16-year-old boy and 13-year-old daughter said to be both daunted by the limelight

The couple were cheered as they left the rally this morning

Mr and Mrs Starmer married 17 years ago - but their relationship had a rocky start, and falling in love, let alone a marriage and children, couldn't have been more far off when a young Sir Keir questioned the quality of her work.

Mrs Starmer, then a lawyer and now an occupational therapist who plans to continue to work in the NHS, went berserk at the arrogant young barrister because her drafting was perfect.

Unlike the outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty - a multi-millionaire heiress to IT firm Infosys's $70billion (54.9bn) fortune - not a great deal is known of Lady Victoria Starmer.

Sir Keir himself has said that she 'has her own life and protects it vigorously'.

Lady Vic's father was an economics lecturer who moved to the UK from Poland before the Second World War. Her father is Jewish and her mother, who died in 2020, was a community doctor who converted to the faith.

Far from the working class background her husband likes to talk about, she went to the exclusive private Channing School in Highgate - one of London's most exclusive areas.

She secured degrees in law and sociology from Cardiff University, where she was president of the student union from 1995 to 1996.

Around four years later, Britain's First Couple met - but had an almighty row when they met that ended with a shower of expletives from Mrs Starmer who then told him to get lost.

She slammed down the phone after yelling: 'Who the f*** does he think he is?' Keir heard it all but by 2007 they were married.

What sparked the cascade of swears? Her future husband asking if she was '100 per cent sure' her work was correct.

Sir Keir later told Vogue: 'It was absolutely classic Vic. Very sassy, very down to earth, no nonsense from anyone, including from me'.

Undeterred, he asked her down the pub to make up for his blunder. She gave him a second chance and fast forward to today they have been married for 17 years.

She was by his side as the election results came in.

Party insiders have claimed that her absence was to protect the couple's children because they are 'completely freaked out by the idea of being in Downing Street and the public eye'.

Those close to the Labour leader say his 'no-nonsense' and 'sassy' wife has no qualms about 'telling people about the real Keir' - even if he has not found it easy himself.

Her straight-talking was clear from their first meeting in 2000, where she swore at him.

Undeterred, the future Labour leader asked her on a date to the Lord Stanley pub in Camden in the early 2000s, and they married in 2007.

They now share a 1.75million Kentish Town home with their two children - a teenager named Toby and a younger daughter whose name has not been made public.

Lady Victoria is Jewish, and Sir Keir has said he tries to uphold the Shabbat tradition of Friday night dinners as often as possible - despite being an atheist himself.

He previously told the Mirror: 'She's a streetwise grounded, brilliant, gorgeous woman who wants as far as she can to get on with her own life and to protect it.

'She loves working for the NHS. She loves the team that she's working with.

'And she and I are doing our best to raise two happy and confident children and that matters hugely to us.'

Your browser does not support iframes.

Outside of her NHS work, she has also served as also a governor at her children's school in Camden borough. In short, she has plenty to be getting on with should her husband become the new tenant in No 10.

As one insider presciently told The Telegraph in 2021: 'If he ever gets into Downing Street, shes going to be very much leading her own life.'

'Lady Vic' left law and retrained to be an occupational health therapist for the NHS in Camden, where they still live with their two teenage children.

Insiders have suggested that the shock election called by Rishi Sunak couldn't have happened at a worse time for the family because the couple's 15-year-old son is in the middle of his GCSE exams.

Labour was also quite clear that there will no interviews with Mrs Starmer before July 4.

Asked about his biggest fear if he becomes prime minister, Sir Keir replied on the Sky News debate: 'The only real fear I suppose I have is for my family.'

He said his son is almost 16 years old and his daughter 13.

Sir Keir said: 'My only fear really is the impact it's going to have on them. That's why we never name them in public, never have a photoshoot with them, I want them to be able to walk to school and have their own lives.

'I don't fear the big decisions, in fact I relish the chance to change our country.'

One insider said that he wants privacy for his family, especially his children who are at 'really difficult ages'

The insiders said: 'They have got teenagers who are completely freaked out by the idea of being in Downing Street or in any way being in the public eye.

'It has got pretty heavy recently with children's shoes, representing the dead kids in Gaza, being left outside the Starmer house  Sir Keir is determined that his family won't be dragged into any of this.'

Earlier this month the Labour leader said his wife won't give up her work if he becomes Prime Minister.

He said of Victoria: 'She's absolutely going to carry on working, she wants to and she loves it. It's also good for me because it gives me an insight into the NHS.'

Read More:

Sir Keir and Lady Victoria clapping for key workers outside their home in London in May 2020. Lady Vic works in the NHS and will not give up her job

The pair share a kiss on stage during the 2023 Labour Party conference, also held in Liverpool

Victoria and Sir Keir walking into the 2022 Labour Party conference in Liverpool. She has not been afraid to be pictured in public - but is not seen as a typical 'political spouse'

Lady Victoria is seen regularly in public with her husband - including here at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the late Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022

It isn't the first time the potential future PM has spoken about his wife's work in the health service - despite her keenness to remain out of the limelight.

Sir Keir said he wanted his teenage son's education to be 'untroubled' by a potential move to No 10.

He said: 'Our boy is in the middle of his GCSEs. At the moment I just want to create the environment where he can get on with what he's got to get on with as untroubled as he can be.

'He's got 21 exams. My job is just to create space for him to get on with that.'

However, she is not an invisible spouse, and regularly appears with Sir Keir at public events and Labour party conferences. She stood on the doorstep to clap for carers, and stepped out with her husband to vote in the May local elections.

Comparisons have been made with Sarah Brown, wife of one-time Labour PM Gordon - someone who was content to be in the background with their own interests to pursue outside of their spouse's politics.
As the two oldest presidents in American history hold a rematch for the most powerful job in the world, many people are asking themselves 'Really? These two old guys again?' and an exclusive DailyMail.com poll shows these voters want a change.

President Joe Biden, 81, and former President Donald Trump, 78, would both be disqualified from participating in the presidential contest if the 1,000 likely voters who responded to the Daily Mail had their way.

The survey, conducted after Biden's freeze-ups and confused demeanor during his debate with Trump sparked concern among Democrats, found half of likely voters think there should be an age limit on running for president.

And the most popular choice for the age limit cutoff, perhaps unsurprisingly, would mean that Trump and Biden would have never been able to run for a first term.

Half of the 1,000 likely voters polled by Daily Mail said they believe there should be an age limit on being able to run for president of the United States

The median age these respondents thought should be the cut off: 70-years-old.

Conversely, 29 percent of respondents said there should not be an age limit.

Another 18 percent said they don't know whether there should be a presidential age limit or not.

'The Biden-Trump debate looks to have been the straw that has broken the publics back,' said pollster James Johnson, who conducted the Daily Mail survey.

'Americans have had enough of older candidates, and many are ready to put an age limit on the presidency of as low as 70 years old.'

'This is not just a view of the young: 43% of over-70s agree, and put the age limit at 75  still markedly below Biden and Trumps years,' Johnson said.

If inaugurated, Biden would be 82 at the time and Trump would be 78, far exceeding the age limit most popular with voters polled by Daily Mail.

For context, the median age of president's at the time of their inauguration is 55-years-old.

The 81-year-old President Biden struggled to clearly articulate his thoughts during last week's presidential debate in Atlanta. His performance was so dismal, Democrat lawmakers and strategists have been mulling whether or not to replace him atop the party's ticket

Half of likely voters say that there should be age limits for presidential races. The median age respondents gave for the limit was 70-years-old

Biden told a group of Democrat governors he needs more sleep and to stop planning events after 8 p.m.

The youngest president to ever take office was Theodore Roosevelt at 42, after the assassination of President William McKinley.

If Biden wins the 2024 election, he will be nearly double that of Teddy Roosevelt when he took office in 1901.

Despite the country's long history with middle-aged leaders, voters have sent the oldest presidents in history to the White House in the last two presidential contests.

And their satisfaction with such decisions appears to be waning.

The voters polled by Daily Mail also revealed that they believe President Joe Biden should get a cognitive test and physical health check.

Over 70 percent of respondents said that Biden needs both a cognitive and physical health test.

Additionally, DailyMail.com's exclusive poll shows 60 percent of likely voters believe the president's health has gotten notably worse since the beginning of the year.

Out of the 1,000 likely voters, just 18 percent disagreed that he has gotten worse.

First Lady Jill Biden helps her husband down a step at the CNN debate after his bad showing

The president tiredly gazes down during a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House on Wednesday

And 55 percent believe Biden has declined in the last month, the poll shows.

Recent reports provide anonymous accounts of stunning behavior from the octogenarian president.

New York Magazine reporter Olivia Nuzzi published a damning account of those in the president's inner circle who have been shocked by the extent of Biden's decline.

She reported that Democratic officials, activists and donors made their concerns clear with each other, but only in whispers.

Nuzzi said they did so amid fears that admitting everything was not fine would jeopardize the future of the country. That is because nobody wanted to be responsible for helping get a resurgent Trump re-elected for a second term.

One die-hard Democrat was stunned to realize Biden was too frail to make it through an entire White House reception, Nuzzi said.

President Joe Biden, from left, walks with White House deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, White House deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed and White House communications director Ben LaBolt. Reports have indicated the president's top aides are insulating him from mid-level staffers, causing concern about his condition

The unnamed bigwig is then said to have realized that it may have been premature to dismiss theories about Biden's fitness for office as right-wing propaganda. Some of Joe Biden's friends and top supporters are also shocked at his behavior and controlling inner circle.

According to anonymous sources close to the president who spoke to the outlet, the president is forgetting the names of old friends and is easily manipulated by close confidants like his wife and top aides.

The speculation and alarm over Biden's health has prompted huddles among Democrat strategists and lawmakers trying to plan a path forward to victory in November despite the party leader's condition.
A beach town in Texas is under siege from a lone shark which has attacked four swimmers in a matter of days.

Tabatha Sullivent was one of the victims stalked and mauled by the predator along South Padre Island on July Fourth. She was left bleeding after the shark ripped a huge chunk of flesh from her calf.

Bystanders rushed to wrap a makeshift tourniquet below her knee before she was hauled to shore by a team of rescuers.

She was taken to a nearby hospital where she is in stable condition. Her husband Cary Sullivent was mildly injured in the ordeal as he rushed to help.

Tabatha was the second person to be bitten by the same shark on the beach and another person suffered minor injuries as they tried to fight off the predator.

A beach town in Texas is under siege from a lone shark which has attacked four swimmers in a matter of days

Tabatha Sullivent (right) was stalked and mauled by the predator along South Padre Island on July Fourth. She was left bleeding after the shark ripped a huge chunk of flesh from her calf

In footage of the incident, a dorsal fin can be seen swimming back and forth near the shoreline as Tabatha lays on the sand.

A huge chunk of flesh was ripped from her calf by the shark in the shocking attack.

Blood from her wound can be seen turning the waters washing up on the beach a dark red, while bystanders wrap a tourniquet around her leg.

Her husband Cary received minor injuries while trying to help her fight off the shark.

Their daughter Skylar Sullivent shared an update on their condition later that evening on Facebook.

'I cant believe Im even having to type this. My mom Tabatha Sullivent was one of people attacked by a shark in South Padre this morning,' she wrote.

'She is in stable condition at a hospital nearby and waiting for surgery in the morning. My dad also received minor injuries but has been cleared by the hospital.

'My mom is trying to get as much rest as she can and figure out the road ahead. Recovery will be a long process but I know she will get through it.

Bystanders rushed to wrap a makeshift tourniquet below her knee following the attack

The incident happened on South Padre Island, Texas, on Thursday morning and she had to be hauled to shore by a team of rescuers

Due to the shark, officers deployed drones, boats and helicopters to locate the predator

'I want to thank everyone who helped my family and my mom this morning during the incident.'

The couple were at the beach celebrating their daughter's 15th birthday before their 'world turned upside down'.

Skylar set up a fundraising page on GoFundMe to help raise funds for her mother's recovery. More than $4,600 has been donated so far.

According to a statement by Texas Parks and Wildlife, Tabatha was one of two people bitten at the beach on Independence Day.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife statement said: 'Details at this time indicate that two people were bitten and two people encountered the shark but were not seriously injured.

Tabatha was taken to a nearby hospital where she is in stable condition. Her husband Cary Sullivent (right) was mildly injured in the ordeal as he rushed to help

She was the second person to be bitten by the same shark on the beach

Another person suffered minor injuries as they tried to fight off the predator

'The two victims who were bitten were transported to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville where one is being treated and the other has been flown out for further treatment.

'Local game wardens and members of the Texas Game Warden Marine Tactical Operations Group assisted in patrolling the beach by boat and land patrol while DPS patrolled the area by helicopter and SPI PD and Cameron County rangers assisted with crowd control on the beach. No further details are known at this time.'

The statement added that shark encounters are not a common occurrence in Texas, and when they do happen it is usually a case of mistaken identity.

'Game Warden Capt. Chris Dowdy with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said that authorities believe a single shark about 6 feet long was responsible.'
Sir Keir Starmer, alighting from his prime ministerial Audi just after 12.30pm, approached 10 Downing Street with a slow, heavy tread.

The rain-spattered street, in a dank echo of Blairism, had been packed with flag-waving Labour activists. Lady Starmer shimmered beside him, slender in red. Hundreds of camera lenses were gawping and whirring at the couple from the far pavement where the press pack was assembled in tiers.

Yet for Sir Keir it was that gleaming black door that drew his eyes, beckoning after all these years.. It seemed almost to hypnotise him.

The Starmers posed outside the steps of No 10 before they crossed the coveted threshold

The Starmers greeted the parade of activists, albeit with rather less frenzy than happened in 1997.

Then Sir Keir stood at the lectern and made a short speech, delivered with noticeably measured speed.

This great nation... national renewal... the return of politics to public service... public service is a privilege... a mission of national renewal.

Well, you know the type of thing. They all say it.

The most interesting line was that he intended his government to be unburdened by doctrine. He also paid tribute to Rishi Sunak for having been our first British-Asian PM. That felt maybe just a little patronising.

The Starmers posed outside the steps of No 10 and then came the moment for the plunge. The door, operated by a burly commissionaire on the other side, seemed to take an age to swing open.

Finally, Sir Keir could cross the coveted threshold. Whereupon he was greeted, oh, by the bearded, hand-wringing figure of Sir Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary. It may not take Sue Gray long to get rid of him!

It had been at midday, with thunder clouds lumbering over Buckingham Palace, that Sir Keir was shown into the Kings presence. The election winner took a few steps across the swirly brown carpet, bowed to the Monarch and accepted his commission. Confirmation that Sir Keir was our new prime minister came at 12.18, which by my reckoning means they had time for at least one gin and tonic each. Not that our sober new premier would entertain such frivolity.

It had been a morning for brollies, galoshes and, if you were a royal equerry such as Commander William Thornton, aiguillettes - those gilt ropes that, if pulled, ring a bell in the kitchens. The Kings principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton was also fluttering around, deploying small talk, making himself indispensable.

While Sir Keir was in with the King, Labour image-benders set to work in Downing Street. Party activists were lined up, given flags and told when to wave them. You could see these Starmerites sizing up the citadel, drinking in No 10s blue-brick facade, the beds of municipal begonias, the intimacy of this tree-shaded cul-de-sac.

Sir Keir stood at the lectern and made a short speech while the street was packed with flag-waving activists

A toddler in a white anorak chased after her spin-doctor parents. A babe in arms became the elections youngest political prop. An old man with a grey shirt and beer belly stood with hands in pockets. Young wonks fussed about their gelled hair.

In America they wait weeks for a new administration to arrive. Here, we move faster. Stings a bit but maybe it hurts less that way.

Jeremy Hunt was first to leave Downing Street not long after nine oclock. Having narrowly retained his Surrey seat, he made a short speech at the election count saying this may seem like a tough day but it isnt. Brave Ukrainians are dying every day to defend their right to do what we did yesterday. Dont be sad. This is the magic of democracy'.

Best speech of the night. Sure enough, Mr Hunt was now taking his leave of No 11 with his wife, their three children and their labrador Poppy. Poppy looked proud to be included and wagged her tail as she hopped into the waiting Ford Transit minibus with the rest of her family.

Rishi Sunak left an hour later. He did so decently, with dignity, no tears. His wife Akshata stood behind him in a dress of jazzy chevrons. Unlike at the start of the election campaign, when he was drenched by a downpour, the rain held off for him.

He said sorry - to the nation, to his party - but he was proud of having stabilised the economy and the union. He wished Sir Keir well. In this job, his success will be all our successes. He and his family deserve the very best of our understanding.

Translation: its a brutal undertaking, Sir Keir, and I dont entirely envy you your coming tests. Then it was off to the Palace to be greeted by Sir Clive, whose gift for the mot juste at such awkward times is a thing of marvel.

Prime ministers go and the come, yet Larry the cat endures. No 10s veteran mouser spent a hectic morning snoozing outside the front door. His hackles had gone up a little when Poppy the labrador appeared.

There is talk of the Starmers acquiring a dog. But Sir Keir and his Lady will have to get that one past Larry first and it could be their first defeat.
Advertisement

Rachel Reeves today became Britain's first female Chancellor as Sir Keir Starmer appointed his Cabinet shortly after entering No10 for the first time as Prime Minister.

Who's in Keir's Cabinet? Angela Rayner - Deputy PM, Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary

- Deputy PM, Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Rachel Reeves - Chancellor of the Exchequer

- Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lammy - Foreign Secretary

- Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper - Home Secretary

- Home Secretary John Healey - Defence Secretary

- Defence Secretary Wes Streeting - Health Secretary

- Health Secretary Bridget Phillipson - Education Secretary

- Education Secretary Shabana Mahmood - Justice Secretary

- Justice Secretary Pat McFadden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

- Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Ed Miliband - Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary

- Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Liz Kendall - Work and Pensions Secretary

- Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Reynolds - Business and Trade Secretary

- Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle - Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary

- Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Louise Haigh - Transport Secretary

- Transport Secretary Lisa Nandy - Culture Secretary

- Culture Secretary Steve Reed - Environment Secretary

- Environment Secretary Ian Murray - Scottish Secretary

- Scottish Secretary Hilary Benn - Northern Ireland Secretary

- Northern Ireland Secretary Jo Stevens - Welsh Secretary Advertisement

The 45-year-old, a self-confessed 'geek' and schoolgirl chess champion, is one of Sir Keir's closest allies and will be the first woman to lead the Treasury in its 1,000-year history.

Angela Rayner had earlier been the first arrival in Downing Street this afternoon as Labour's deputy leader walked down the famous London street before being named Deputy Prime Minister.

She was also appointed Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary as she was handed a portfolio focused on her party's planned housebuilding blitz.

Ms Rayner was later followed into Downing Street by David Lammy, Yvette Cooper and John Healey. They were duly appointed as Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary and Defence Secretary, respectively.

Sir Keir made an almost wholesale transfer of the shadow team he had in opposition into his Cabinet following Labour's massive general election victory.

Wes Streeting was named Health Secretary, Shabana Mahmood became Justice Secretary, Bridget Phillipson was appointed Education Secretary, and Ed Miliband made a return to ministerial office as Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary.

The former Labour leader is set to oversee his party's promise to decarbonise Britain's electricity grid by 2030.

In a further raft of appointments, Sir Keir named Liz Kendall as Work and Pensions Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds as Business and Trade Secretary, Peter Kyle as Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary, and Louise Haigh as Transport Secretary.

Lisa Nandy was appointed Culture Secretary as Sir Keir moved to fill a vacancy left by Thangam Debbonaire, who had shadowed the portfolio in opposition but failed to get re-elected to the House of Commons.

Steve Reed was appointed Environment Secretary, Ian Murray became Scottish Secretary, Hilary Benn was named Northern Ireland Secretary, and Jo Stevens was named Welsh Secretary.

Sir Keir made his Cabinet appointments after earlier stepping through the entrance to No10 as the new Labour premier with a vow to 'immediately' begin work to 'rebuild Britain' after winning a huge majority.

The Labour leader was applauded by staff inside the famous black door as he walked inside with wife Victoria after making his first address to the nation as the new premier.

The 61-year-old acknowledged 'weariness at the heart of the nation' after his so-called 'loveless landslide' in the general election.

Rachel Reeves today became Britain's first female Chancellor as Sir Keir Starmer began to appoint his Cabinet shortly after entering No10 for the first time as Prime Minister

The 45-year-old, a self-confessed 'geek' and schoolgirl chess champion, is one of Sir Keir's closest allies and will be the first woman to lead the Treasury in its 1,000-year history

Ms Reeves posed outside the Chancellor's traditional residence at 11 Downing Street. She later posted on X: 'To every young girl and woman reading this, let today show that there should be no limit to your ambitions'

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner was the first arrival this afternoon ahead of being named Deputy Prime Minister

Ms Rayner was also appointed Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary as she was handed a portfolio focused on her party's planned housebuilding blitz

David Lammy entered No10 ahead of his appointment as Britain's new Foreign Secretary

Yvette Cooper was welcomed inside No10 as she returned to government for the first time in 14 years as Home Secretary

Ed Miliband, a former Labour leader, also returned to ministerial office as Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary

Wes Streeting (left), the new Health Secretary, and John Healey, the new Defence Secretary, walked down Downing Street ahead of appointments to Sir Keir's Cabinet

Bridget Phillipson walked up to No10 before being named the new Education Secretary

Lisa Nandy, the new Culture Secretary, and Louise Haigh, the new Transport Secretary

Jonathan Reynolds (left) was appointed Business and Trade Secretary, while Peter Kyle was named Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary

Liz Kendall was appointed the new Work and Pensions Secretary

Speaking after her appointment as Chancellor, Ms Reeves posted on X: 'Economic growth was the Labour Party's mission. It is now a national mission. Let's get to work.'

She added: 'To every young girl and woman reading this, let today show that there should be no limit to your ambitions.'

In her first address to Treasury staff, Ms Reeves vowed to change the 'uncertainty' and lack of 'clarity of political purpose' from her Tory predecessors.

She told them: 'I know that a lot has been asked of you in the last few years  and I know, when the chips are down, staff at the Treasury have risen to the occasion, from furlough to energy price support.

'I have often disagreed with the political choices that have been taken in this building. But I have never been in any doubt about the talent, the dedication and the professionalism that Treasury staff have displayed.

'I know too that at times it must have been frustrating for you, working under a weight of uncertainty, changes in direction, and without clarity of political purpose. As Chancellor, I am determined to change that.'

Mr Lammy, an ardent Remainer who once compared Tory Brexiteers to Nazis, described being appointed as Foreign Secretary as 'the honour of my life'.

He added: 'The world faces huge challenges, but we will navigate them with the UK's enormous strengths.

'We will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity at home.'

Speaking to reporters later, Mr Lammy said he wants to see an 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza.

'All of us recognise the agony of communities who have seen the scenes coming out of Israel and Gaza,' he told broadcasters.

'But the job now is to get to work with tireless diplomacy to support an immediate ceasefire and move towards getting those hostages out.'

A crowd of jubilant Labour activists had earlier cheered Sir Keir's arrival into Downing Street after he was formally installed as Britain's 58th PM by King Charles.

He and Victoria received a rapturous welcome after returning from the Palace where he had an audience with His Majesty around noon, shortly after Rishi Sunak exited having tendered his resignation.

Sir Keir said he wanted to 'changed the country' but warned it will 'take a while', saying he wanted to restore the values of 'service' to politics. He admitted that many people did not believe he would improve the country.

'My government will fight every day until you believe again,' he said.

At Buckingham Palace the couple were welcomed by the King and Queen's principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton, along with Charles's equerry Royal Navy Commander William Thornton.

They left 20 minutes later to head to Downing Street, after Sir Keir was appointed to the job.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: 'The King received in Audience The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP today and requested him to form a new Administration.

'Sir Keir accepted His Majesty's offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.'

The time-honoured choreography comes as Sir Keir's majority ticks up to 174, just short of Tony Blair's 179 in 1997. The Tories have 121 with just two left to declare, far worse than their previous nadir of 156 in 1906.

The Lib Dems also inflicted massive pain on the Conservatives, racking up a record 71 seats as Reform leeched millions of votes and came second in around a hundred constituencies - but only scored four MPs of their own.

However, Labour's victory is being dubbed a 'loveless landslide' and a 'super meh-jority', having received barely one in three votes across the UK.

Polling experts highlighted how Labour's vote share of 33.8 per cent is likely to be less than any of Sir Tony's general election victories in 1997, 2001 or 2005.

It is even less than the 40 per cent vote share hard-left Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn secured in 2017 and lower than the 36.1 per cent David Cameron got for the Conservatives in 2010 when that year's election ended in a hung parliament.

Some newly-elected Labour MPs suggested the public will be thinking about overhauling Britain's voting system in the wake of the party's triumph, while Corbyn's allies swiped that Sir Keir had won 'by default' due to the dramatic collapse in Conservative support.

Less than an hour before Sir Keir arrived at the Palace, Mr Sunak bade goodbye to Downing Street after leading the Tories to their worst ever election result.

Flanked by clearly emotional wife Akshata, the PM delivered his parting statement outside the famous black door saying he was 'sorry' and had 'heard the anger' of the country and the 'clear message' of the ballot.

Sir Keir trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London in the early hours after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons, saying 'we did it!'

Sealing his triumph with a kiss from Victoria, he said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome.

In a jaw-dropping moment, Liz Truss was among the casualties - giving up a monumental 24,000 majority as she was edged out by Labour in South West Norfolk.

Earlier, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps fell victims to a brutal Tory cull as Labour swept towards election victory.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

In other rollercoaster developments:

The Greens have enjoyed a bumper night winning four seats, adding three to their tally from 2019;

Labour's overall support in Britain has only gone up by 2 per cent, according to polling guru John Curtice, and that is entirely due to a 17 point boost in Scotland;

Reform has racked up votes and nearly 100 second places, but fallen short of breakthroughs predicted in the initial exit poll;

The SNP has been among the biggest losers, facing being slashed to nine MPs, meaning they would no longer be the biggest party in Scotland;

George Galloway has been ousted by Labour's Paul Waugh in Rochdale, after winning the seat in a by-election previously;

Turnout has been far lower than at the last few general elections;

The Lib Dems claimed victory in Tunbridge Wells, which has been Tory since the seat was created in the 1970s, in Boris Johnson's old seat of Henley and in David Cameron's stronghold of Witney;

The 2024 general election results in full : Live maps and charts

Sir Keir Starmer, the newly-elected PM, and his wife Victoria were clapped in by staff as they entered No10

Sir Keir said he wanted to 'changed the country' but warned it will 'take a while', saying he wanted to restore the values of 'service' to politics. He admitted that many people did not believe he would improve the country

Labour's victory is being dubbed a 'loveless landslide' and a 'super meh-jority' with Sir Keir's party having received barely one in three votes across the UK

Polling experts highlighted how Labour's vote share of 33.8 per cent is likely to be less than any of Sir Tony 's general election victories in 1997, 2001 or 2005

Sir Keir acknowledged 'weariness at the heart of the nation' today after his so-called 'loveless landslide' in the election

Sir Keir and wife Victoria walked into their new home after he delivered his first speech as PM this afternoon

The Labour leader was cheered into Downing Street by jubilant activists this afternoon after he was formally installed as Britain's 58th PM

The Labour leader, with wife Victoria, received a rapturous welcome after returning from the Palace where he had an audience with the King around noon, shortly after Rishi Sunak exited having tendered his resignation

Keir Starmer having his audience with the King as he was made Prime Minister today

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: 'The King received in Audience The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP today and requested him to form a new Administration.'

Keir Starmer, with wife Victoria, was driven up to the Palace for his audience with the King shortly after Rishi Sunak exited, having tendered his resignation

Flanked by clearly emotional wife Akshata, the PM delivered his parting statement as he prepares to head for Buckingham Palace where he will formally tender his resignation to the King

Akshata was carrying an umbrella as the couple emerged in Downing Street - as it was threatening to rain as it did when he announced the election

The Sunaks walked away hand in hand after he made his short and emotional farewell speech

The couple walked away to be taken to the Palace, where Mr Sunak told the King he was resigning

The outgoing PM was greeted by the King's aides at Buckingham Palace this morning as the traditional handover happened

Your browser does not support iframes.

On the steps of Downing Street, Sir Keir said Britain had 'voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service'.

'When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future,' he said.

'But we need to move forward together. Now this wound, this lack of trust can only be healed by actions not words, I know that.

'But we can make a start today with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege and that your government should treat every single person in this country with respect.'

He said: 'Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while.

'But have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately. Have no doubt that we will rebuild Britain, with wealth created in every community. Our NHS back on its feet facing the future. Secure borders, safer streets, everyone treated with dignity and respect at work. The opportunity of clean British power, cutting your energy bills for good.

'Brick by brick, we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity. The world-class schools and colleges, the affordable homes that I know are the ingredients of hope for working people. The security, the working-class families like mine could build their lives around.'

Sir Keir promised a government 'unburdened by doctrine' and to fight for people's belief in a brighter future.

The Labour leader said: 'If I asked you now whether you believe that Britain will be better for your children, I know too many of you would say no.

'So, my Government will fight every day until you believe again.

Read More:

Staff and supporters looked on as Sir Keir made his promises to the country outside the Downing Street door

The couple stood on the steps while photographers recorded the moment for posterity today

The Starmers embraced as they prepared to enter No10 for the first time this afternoon

The Starmers were then clapped into the historic building by staff including Cabinet Secretary Simon Case (centre)

'From now on, you have a Government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by the determination to serve your interest, to defy quietly those who have written our country off.

'You have given us a clear mandate and we will use it to deliver change, to restore service and respect to politics.'

In his valedictory speech, Mr Sunak said: 'I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear message, and yours is the only judgement that matters.

'This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honoured to have been Prime Minister of the best country in the world.'

Mr Sunak said he would resign as Tory leader once a replacement had been chosen. He also paid tribute to Sir Keir as a public servant, wishing him and his family well in their new duties.

After his short speech the couple - not accompanied by their daughters and with Akshata carrying an umbrella - walked to a waiting car and were driven away to the Palace.

Polling expert Sir John Curtice noted how Labour's vote share was expected to be up by just under two percentage points across the country from 2019.

He said Labour's victory was 'largely on the back of a dramatic 20 point decline in Conservative support'.

In an article for the BBC, Sir John added the increase in Labour's vote share was 'entirely as a result of a 17 point increase in support in Scotland'.

'In Wales, the party's vote has actually fallen back by four points, while in England the party's vote is largely unchanged from 2019,' he wrote.

Rishi Sunak has flown back to London from Yorkshire, where he conceded that Keir Starmer has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech

A broken PM acknowledged that Keir Starmer had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, Keir Starmer said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome

Keir Starmer trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's wife Victoria at a watch party as the results came in

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria pictured arriving at the Tate Modern earlier on Thursday evening

A broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Your browser does not support iframes.

'It is possible that Labour will secure its landslide on a lower share of the vote (35 per cent in Great Britain) than any of Tony Blair's victories, including the 36 per cent the party won in 2005.

'That itself was hitherto the lowest share of the vote won by a majority single party government. In many ways, this looks more like an election the Conservatives have lost than one Labour has won.'

Asked about her party's low vote share but huge majority, Labour MP Dawn Butler said: 'I think what the discussion will be about will be proportional representation.

'The public will be talking about proportional representation and whether we need to have a debate about it. I've always said that we do need to have a debate about it.'

Channel 4 political editor Gary Gibbon said: 'That massive figure has been delivered with a relatively small percentage of the people.

'That looks like love but that is a loveless landslide. There has not been the sort of enthusiasm that you might expect out there.'

Mr Corbyn's former spokesman, Matt Zarb-Cousin, said: 'Labour is already peddling a narrative that this victory is down to a changed Labour Party.

'The reality of course is Keir Starmer was holding the pass the parcel at the right time, when the Tories eventually imploded. So they've won by default, on a lower share of the vote than 2017.'

Welsh Secretary David Davies, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Science minister Michelle Donelan, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk were beaten during a traumatic night for the Tories.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt barely survived in Godalming & Ash. Altogether at least 16 ministers have gone, with Johnny Mercer and Therese Coffey beaten by Labour.

Jacob Rees-Mogg also tumbled in North East Somerset and Hanham. However, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith surprised many by clinging on in Chingford.

There are now no Tory MPs in Wales after Craig Williams, a former Tory aide to Mr Sunak, came third in Mongomeryshire as an independent after being embroiled in a gambling row over the date of the election.

However, there were notable setbacks for Labour with frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth losing to a pro-Gaza independent in Leicester, and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting barely fending off a similar challenge.

Another shadow cabinet minister, Thangam Debonaire, was picked off by the Greens in Bristol Central.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage finally enters Parliament in Clacton after his eighth attempt to become an MP, while his party colleague Lee Anderson has retained Ashfield, Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth and Richard Tice scooped Boston and Skegness.

In his speech at the Tate Modern art gallery, Sir Keir said: 'It feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for  a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

'And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

'And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.'

At his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton, Mr Sunak said: 'The Labour Party has won this General Election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.'

Mr Sunak added: 'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss.'

The Labour leader said 'change begins now' as he was re-elected in Holborn & St Pancras, but his own majority was reduced by a left-wing independent.

Mr Shapps was the first confirmed Cabinet casualty and he hit out at the Tory 'soap opera' which had turned off voters.

'On door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and do that and then be united in public,' he said.

'Instead we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.'

He said there was a danger the Tory party could 'go off on some tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition'.

In a dramatic night former prime minister Liz Truss lost her Norfolk South West seat to Labour in King's Lynn, Norfolk

Ms Truss was comforted as she fell to an extraordinary defeat in Norfolk this morning

Jonathan Gullis was evicted from Stoke on Trent North as the drama continued today

Mr Gullis has been loyal to Mr Sunak and pleaded for people

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also left Parliament in the Tory bloodbath overnight

Suella Braverman attacked her party for failing to listen to voters

Jeremy Hunt is having to leave Downing Street after being kicked out of government - but holding his seat

Ms Mordaunt, who is likely to have been a leadership contender if she had survived, said her party had taken a 'battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it'.

She too warned against a retreat to the right: 'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, who will now be considered a leading contender to replace Mr Suank, said the party had let the British people down.

'You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises,' she said.

'I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust.

'We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly.'

Party chair Ric Holden won a desperate struggle for Basildon & Billericay, emerging on top by just 20 votes after a series of recounts.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader but stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values.

Sir Keir's ally Lord Mandelson gloated that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.

A dire campaign for Mr Sunak came stuttering to a halt last night, with the PM making a series more defensive visits in the South East.

He now faces being out of Downing Street this morning.

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson told Sky News that it looked like a 'massacre'.

The Tories have quickly plunged into a dangerous new phase of crisis, with questions over whether it can even survive amid the challenge from Reform.

A former Cabinet minister - who regarded their own significant majority as under threat - said Mr Sunak had 'knifed' Boris Johnson and would be remembered as the 'worst PM ever'.

ex-Cabinet minister

's

Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

In the first tangible evidence of the hammering, Labour 's Heidi Alexander took

But Sir Robert gave a stark warning against the Tories lurching to the right, saying the party risked being like 'bald men fighting over a comb' if it treated politics as 'performance art' and tried to outflank Reform.

Sir John Curtice told the BBC: 'It looks as though Reform may win more seats than many polls suggested.

'This is largely because, not only has the Conservative vote fallen far in seats they previously held, but also because Reform has advanced most in areas people voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.

'However, how many seats Reform will win is highly uncertain  our model suggests there are many places where they have some - but a relatively low - chance of winning.'

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough after Reform pushed the Tories into third place in two early constituency results.

On a video posted to X he said: 'It's midnight, there are two results in from the north-east of England that put Reform on 30 per cent of the vote, that is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It is almost unbelievable.

'And what does it mean? It means we're going to win seats, many many seats I think right now across the country.

'But to watch the TV coverage it's almost comical. There's not a single representative on there from Reform UK, mainstream media are in denial just as much as our political parties.

'This is going to be six million votes-plus. This, folks, is huge.'

A Conservative spokesman said they had to wait for the full outcome, but added: 'If these results are correct it is clear that Starmer and Angela Rayner will be in Downing Street tomorrow.'

Conservatives with big majorities had become increasingly nervous during the day, despite CCHQ claiming that higher-than-expected turnout could help them.

One former Cabinet minister told MailOnline: 'There appears to be a bigger turnout than normal in some of my areas. Not all though.

'That would seem to indicate a determination on the part of the electorate to make their views heard, almost certainly likely to be against the Tories.'

Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock said the exit poll's landslide prediction was 'the greatest comeback since Lazarus'.

The former Labour leader told ITV News: 'A gain of 208, according to the exit poll, which is attributable directly to Keir Starmer and what he's achieved in four years, two of which of course were during the lockdown, or the virtual lockdown when the one thing that opposition leaders depend on  contact with the public  was absent.

'It's the biggest comeback since Lazarus.'

He went on: 'I must say I'm just ecstatic about the fact that an entirely dependable, fully grown-up guy, Keir Starmer, and his wife, are going to go through that door tomorrow. I have unalloyed and unreserved delight.'

Less than an hour before the exit poll dropped, Downing Street released a dissolution honours list - sending seven Tories and eight Labour politicians to the Lords. They include Theresa May, Rishi Sunak's chief aide Liam Booth-Smith, Chris Grayling and former 1922 committee chair Graham Brady.

Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett are among those on the Labour list - despite Sir Keir having committed to abolishing the Upper House.

Mr Sunak took a huge political gamble and shocked Westminster by triggering the election on May 22, rather than waiting until the Autumn as had been widely expected.

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton seat, the eighth time he has attempted to become an MP

Penny Mordaunt was among the Cabinet ministers washed away in the red wave

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman , at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values

Jeremy Hunt is fighting to cling on to his Surrey constituency

Lord Mandelson said an electoral 'meteor' had hit British politics

Moments after ballot stations closed at 10pm, the dramatic exit poll was released - showing Sir Keir winning 410 of the 650 seats

It initially looked to be paying off, with early policies from the Tory campaign - such as national citizen service - seeming to cut through.

In a big moment, Mr Farage responded by ruling out standing as a Reform candidate, admitting he did not have time to put together a campaign.

But even then the Tories did not see a real bounce in the polls. The Tories lost key legislation including Mr Sunak's flagship smoking ban during the 'wash-up' as Parliament was dissolved for the campaign.

Your browser does not support iframes.

And then a grim week in early June saw things go spectacularly downhill, with Mr Farage dropping the bombshell that had changed his mind and was taking over the leadership of Reform as well as standing to be MP for Clacton.

Although Mr Sunak was seen as landing blows on Sir Keir over tax during their first TV debate on June 4, disaster struck when the PM opted to return early from D-Day anniversary commemorations in France to conduct an interview with ITV.

A subsequent grovelling apology did not prevent Mr Farage and opponents seizing on the blunder, which struck right at the heart of the Tory goal of shoring up the core vote among older generations.

With polls already showing Reform eating into Tory support with potent attacks on immigration, Mr Sunak was then engulfed in another scandal.

It emerged that his closest Parliamentary aide, Craig Williams had successfully placed bets on the date of the snap election - although he insisted he did not have any inside information.

Other candidates and top party officials were then dragged into the allegations, which proved particularly toxic with the public.

Mr Sunak was memorably challenged on the issue during TV appearances, admitting he was 'incredibly angry'. But he was seen as taking far too long to withdraw support for candidates facing allegations.

With some polls even showing Reform ahead of the Tories, CCHQ shifted tactics to warn of the threat of a divided Right handing Labour a 'supermajority' with untrammeled power.

That together with controversial remarks from Mr Farage about the West 'provoking' Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and revelations about unsavoury comments by a series of Reform candidates looked to have stopped the bleeding.

But after a bruising six weeks Labour's huge advantage was intact, and the only significant change was that the Tories had lost ground to Reform.

By yesterday, despite Mr Sunak's claim he was 'fighting hard for every vote', his close ally Mel Stride was effectively acknowledging the Conservatives would lose - an unprecedented step.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said Labour would get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

As tension built through election day, the Tories claimed a higher-than-expected turnout had left them with a 'MUCH better chance' than cataclysmic polls had suggested.

An email to Conservative supporters, signed from the 'CCHQ Data Team', read: 'We're getting reports from our teams on the ground. And the more reports we get, the more it looks like turnout is higher than expected.

'That means we could have a MUCH better chance than polls have suggested. So if you haven't voted yet, now's the time to get out.'

Queues of people were seen at polling stations today as the requirement for voters to bring correct photo identification - such as a passport or driving licence - was enforced at a UK general election for the first time.

There was a bungle at a Glasgow polling station this morning as voters were met with posters listing the wrong instructions, which erroneously advised the ranking of candidates in order of preference.

This is how ballots are cast in local elections in Scotland, which use the single transferable vote system. But general elections use the first-past-the-post system, which requires voters to put a single 'X' next to their chosen candidate.

Glasgow City Council explained the error was spotted 'very soon' after the polling station opened at 7am and the posters were replaced with the correct information. It said no-one had been disenfranchised as voters' first preferences would be used from the affected ballots.

Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch this afternoon blasted her own local council for having 'potentially disenfranchised' thousands of postal voters who did not receive their ballot papers.

The Business Secretary hit out at Uttlesford District Council for 'forgetting' to send postal votes to 2,600 people in her North West Essex seat.

Prior to polls opening this morning, Rishi Sunak made an 11th-hour plea for voters to prevent a 'socialist supermajority' wrecking Britain, as he repeated his warning against handing Sir Keir 'unchecked' power.
The BBC was the most watched TV broadcaster for its election coverage, dwarfing the audience numbers of its rivals ITV, Sky and Channel 4.

Around 4.6 million viewers tuned to the broadcaster's coverage, which was fronted by Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg, when the exit poll was announced at 10pm, according to the BBC.

However, the average number of viewers recorded on BBC1, until 2am, dropped by about a third from the 2019 vote, down from 4.3 million to 2.9 million.

And the figures risk being diminished even by England's quarter-finals Euros clash against Switzerland tomorrow, which is expected to attract 20 million viewers.

Despite this, the corporations coverage on its flagship channel still easily outstripped its nearest rivals getting more than three times ITVs 840,000.

But Channel 4, which this year brought in Emily Maitlis as a co-presenter alongside Krishnan Guru-Murthy, saw a large boost in its election night audience, jumping from 240,000 in the previous election to more than 650,000 across the night.

The BBC's new presenting duo of Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg took over from Huw Edwards

Channel 4 brought in Emily Maitlis as a co-presenter alongside Krishnan Guru-Murthy along with other guests including Alastair Campbell and Nadine Dorries

ITV's coverage featured the likes of Tom Bradbury, Nicola Sturgeon, Ed Balls and George Osborne

According to industry publication Broadcast about 7.3 million tuned in for the results of the exit poll between 10pm and 11pm across BBC1, ITV, Channel 4, BBC News channel, Sky News and GB News.

But the publication said this was down by almost three million on the total that watched the Johnson versus Corbyn showdown.

The figures may be explained by the sense of a foregone conclusion given the gap between the Tories and Labour in all the polling data leading up to the vote and the fact the exit poll was so comprehensively in favour of Sir Keir Starmers party.

But some critics said the BBCs new line-up had suffered from losing Huw Edwards. He quit the BBC on medical advice in the wake of claims he paid a young person for explicit images.

Across the exit poll hour, BBC1s Election 2024 pulled in 4.2 million according to Broadcast, down by two million on 2019s 6.1 million, while ITVs show dropped from 2.3 million to 1.3 million. Channel 4 was up from 466,000 in 2019 to 930,000 in the exit poll hour.

Sky News coverage, fronted by Kay Burley, was slightly up for the exit poll, rising from the 512,000 in 2019 to 530,000 this time round. Its coverage averaged 372,000 between 10pm and 2am.

Laura Kuenssberg and Clive Myrie are seen standing together as they revealed the exit poll

Keir Starmer is congratulated by fellow Camden candidates Bobby 'Elmo' Smith and Nick 'The Flying Brick'

The BBC said its peak of 4.6 million on Thursday night came at 10pm when the exit poll was announced.

It added that 11.9 million watched its TV coverage for at least three minutes up until 2am when all its services were considered.

Channel 4s head of news, current affairs, specialist factual and sport Louisa Compton claimed its programme had shook up TV coverage of the vote and created a noisy alternative.

The commercially funded broadcaster claimed to have attracted the biggest young audience outside BBC1, with 15.5 per cent of 16 to 34-year-olds tuning in through the night and into the morning.

Overall, Channel 4 reached 3.3 million viewers, peaking at 1.1 million across its main channel as well as 4seven which was showing a signed version of the same election coverage.

Despite their impressive viewing figures, each of the broadcasters were still subject to a number of major gaffes throughout the night.

At one point the BBC's wing-o-meter appearing to break as Jeremy Vine presented from Cardiff. A later green screen failure made it look like Sophie Raworth and Jon Kay were floating heads.

Yet the strangest moment by far came from the Sky News studio, when Kay Burley and guests could be heard making scoffing noises as they unveiled the exit poll results for the first time.

The BBC's swing-o-meter appeared to break earlier this morning as Jeremy Vine presented from Cardiff

Andy Burnham celebrated as he sat next to a far from impressed Baroness Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives

Watchers have given their verdict on the best TV coverage on social media today

Viewers were left bewildered as the veteran presenter and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham let out a series of 'groans' after being stunned into silence by Labour's projected landslide.

Over on Channel 4 viewers said they were 'really impressed' with the teams' work, many calling it 'the best coverage all day'.

Despite this, they still had a few run ins with Nadine Dories who accused fellow commentator Alastair Campbell of sexism before upstaging presenters to reveal Boris Johnson had been texting her.

Viewers watching Channel 4 coverage earlier on in the night were left entertained when former culture secretary Ms Dorries clashed with former Labour spokesperson Mr Campbell just after the polls closed.

She also caused hilarity for those watching after Ms Maitlis appeared to struggle not to roll her eyes at one of her answers.

The staunch Boris Johnson loyalist said the projected results were a 'disaster' for the party, after an exit poll predicted the party would return just 131 seats.

Pressed on the meteoric rise of Reform, which is projected to get 13 seats, Ms Dorriess pointed out that the far-right party was polling in the low single digits while Mr Johnson was Prime Minister.

Former Conservative Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries accused Alastair Campbell of sexism

Former Labour spokesperson Mr Campbell appeared on Channel 4's election night coverage alongside Ms Dorries

Mr Campbell then interrupted her and said: 'You really need to get over Boris.'

Ms Dorries hit back: 'I think that's quite a sexist comment.'

Mr Campbell retorted: 'It's really not'.

The couple continued to trade blows throughout the programme with the presenters having to intervene at times.

Just a few minutes later there was another clash, this time between Labour's Harriet Harman and the Conservatives' Kwasi Kwarteng.

Ms Harman accused Mr Kwarteng of being 'patronising' in his response to her.

Ms Dorries cut in and said: 'It's up to me and Harriet to hold the men on this stage to account it seems.'

Earlier on in the night after the exit poll was announced, many viewers said they were switching off the BBC's main coverage - bemoaning that Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenssberg were a 'pointless double act'.

Several have taken to X to slam the tax-funded broadcaster for their 'endless wittering' and a lack of reporting from polling stations as the results roll in.

Others have described the BBC's reportage as 'misjudged' , 'dull' with one comparing it to 'one of their interminable and tedious podcasts'.


John Swinney has admitted the election was incredibly tough for the SNP as he promised to reflect on what it meant for the independence campaign.

The First Minister said the slump from 48 MPs at the 2019 election to nine added to a really difficult period for the SNP that included Humza Yousafs self-inflicted and chaotic resignation.

But he refused to consider his own position or take separation off the table.

He said: The Scottish National Party needs to be healed and it needs to heal its relationship with the people of Scotland, and I am absolutely committed to doing that.

The two-time SNP leader, who only replaced Mr Yousaf eight weeks ago, said he accepted full responsibility for the partys campaign and its worst Westminster election result since 2010.

SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney admits his party are in a 'really difficult period' after losing 38 seats in the General Election

Addressing the media at a press conference in Leith on Friday morning, he said: I commit us to listen and to learn from the very obvious setback that we had last night.

In an apparent nod to controversies over gender reform, he said the SNP must build up trust by delivering policies that changed peoples lives on the issues that matter.

He also said the party must listen on independence.

However he made clear his plan was to recast the SNPs pitch to voters in a bid to make it more appealing, rather than to press pause on separation.

I have to accept that we failed to convince people of the urgency of independence in this election campaign, he said.

And therefore we need to take the time to consider and to reflect on how we deliver our commitment to independence, which remains absolute.

We need to get that approach correct in the forthcoming period.

After a breakdown in relations between Bute House and Number 10 in the last parliament amid personality clashes and rows over Brexit, the First Minister said he wanted a far more positive and productive relationship with Sir Keir Stamer and the new Labour government.

He said the Scottish Government would unreservedly be willing to work collaboratively and cooperatively on issues such as child poverty, economic growth, and Net Zero.

Demanding more money for Holyrood, Mr Swinney said: There has to be an injection of resources to strengthen the public finances or the recovery of public services will be incredibly difficult. It is an issue for all the component parts of the United Kingdom.

Asked if he was putting independence on the backburner, Mr Swinney admitted his party had failed to get across the urgency of independence at this particular moment.

But he went on: I want us to take the time to think carefully about how we advance the arguments for independence. My view about independence hasnt changed this morning as a consequence of this election campaign.

Pressed on whether the issue was off the table, he said: No, its not.

Asked if his plan was merely to bang on about independence in a slightly different way, Mr Swinney said: We are committed to listening to and learning from the electorate to establish how we can strengthen the arguments and make them more compelling.

He rejected the suggestion that the partys focus on independence had put off voters, saying support for the cause remained around 50 per cent in opinion polls.

Tommy Sheppard looks dejected after becoming one of dozens of SNP MPs to lose their seats

Crestfallen SNP supporters watching exit polls in Glasgow 's Emirates Arena on Thursday night

Mr Swinney also insisted he was an electoral asset for the SNP, despite presiding over four electoral reversals as party leader, three 20 years ago as well as Thursdays collapse.

He said: Ive got seven election victories under my belt as a parliamentary candidate, and Ive been asked by my party to lead it in difficult circumstances and I intend to give it my all.

Earlier, at his local election count in Perth, Mr Swinney said it had been obvious to the public that the SNP had been in a difficult place for some time.

He said: I think the SNP has been focusing internally and not looking externally.

And all my long time in politics tells you that when you focus internally and not externally, you pay a price, and weve just paid it.

So weve got to learn the lesson that weve got to face outwards, engage with the public, and learn the lessons.

He refused to blame Nicola Sturgeon for the partys woes, despite the ongoing police probe into SNP fundraising when she was leader, and a host of failed and undelivered policies.
Nigel Farage has said he is 'launching criminal legal action' against Colin Bloom of Vetting.Com as he vowed to 'professionalise' Reform UK following a slew of racism and homophobia scandals during the party's campaign.

The leader of Reform UK made the comments during a fiery Westminster conference that was interrupted seven times by hecklers who had to be forcibly removed.

Last week Mr Farage's campaign was rocked by a Channel 4 News's programme titled Undercover Inside Reform's campaign, which saw a canvasser named Andrew Parker filmed using a racial slur to describe then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Reform UK then made an official complaint against Channel 4 over 'electoral interference' after claiming the broadcaster used an actor as a 'plant' during an undercover sting.

Adam Richardson, the Reform secretary, said in a letter to the Electoral Commission that it was 'entirely evident' that Parker who was filmed making a string of sickening racist remarks was 'a plant within the Channel 4 News piece'.

Facing a question about the racism row engulfing the party, its leader again blamed the firm it contracted to vet candidates.

He also said: 'I made it clear that Ukip would be a non-racist, non-sectarian party, and in the end it was.

Nigel Farage has said he is 'launching criminal legal action' against Colin Bloom of Vetting.Com

Andrew Parker, who works as an actor, was filmed calling the Prime Minister 'a f***ing p***' as he canvassed in Clacton-on-Sea

The leader of Reform made the comments during a fiery Westminster conference

'I will jolly well make sure, starting today, that we do not want people with desperately unpleasant views. We will not tolerate people with these views. They will be gone.

'And we'll have the funding after this, we'll have the support coming in to be able to absolutely professionalise the party. This will never happen again.'

He said that vetting candidates is 'easy' and that most racism in British politics is in the Labour Party.

Asked how he would vet Reform candidates properly going forward, including for racism, he said: 'Very easy. You go back through their social media records, you obviously do police checks and things like that, no, it's not difficult to do it and the message has to be clear and simple.

'We don't want anyone like that involved with us. Indeed I mean the racism problem in the Labour Party was enormous, but to Keir Starmer's credit actually he did quite a lot by getting rid of Jeremy Corbyn, who ironically has been re-elected.

'There's an awful lot we can do. There is plenty of racism in British politics, it's mostly in the Labour Party.'

Asked whether he would give up his broadcasting career and still planned to go and support Donald Trump in his US presidential election campaign, Mr Farage said: 'I haven't got a clue. I haven't thought any of this through yet.

'We've been so busy focused on running to the line of July the 4th that we have a lot to think about. But you known what you say I'm a very busy man - you want to get a job done ask a busy man to do it, they somehow always find the time.'

A spokesperson for Vetting.com told MailOnline: 'Some months ago we approached all the major UK political parties offering our automated background screening services. We were delighted to be asked to help Reform.

'Everyones working assumption was that the election would be in the Autumn, giving us the Summer to complete this work.

'Given the explicit need for candidate consent, as well as our systems needing basic personal data like dates of birth, our automated software was not able process Reforms candidates with the data that was provided when it was provided.

;We do not intend to litigate this in public, and we send Reform our best wishes as they shake up the UK political landscape.

'Mr Bloom has not had anything to do with the UK Conservative Party since 2022 and remains politically neutral.'

Mr Farage had arrived at the event to the sound of dance music and a standing ovation from supporters, with the Reform UK logo and 'Britain Needs Reform' on the wall.

But then a heckler started interrupting amid calls from the audience for them to be removed. The man was then escorted out before more shouting was heard as Mr Farage, who was elected as the MP for Clacton overnight, stood behind a podium.

The further hecklers were also then removed one by one as the press conference descended into chaos and Mr Farage repeatedly shouted 'boring' in response.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Nigel Farage is heckled during at a Reform UK press conference in London this afternoon

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

Nigel Farage reacts as a protester interrupts his press conference in London this afternoon

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage with Richard Tice at the press conference in London today

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage arrives at the press conference in London today

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media in London this afternoon

Mr Farage also accused one of the hecklers who interrupted him of being 'steaming' and shouted 'boring!' nine times as a second heckler started speaking.

Both members of the audience were escorted out of the venue. As one man started shouting at him, he responded: 'Are you downwind a couple already?

'You've had a bigger lunch than I have. Cor, he's absolutely steaming isn't he? That's all right, there's still plenty of beer left in the pub, mate.'

As a fourth heckler interrupted him, the Reform UK leader said: 'You'll do yourself a nasty mate. You'll have a stroke if you carry on like this.'

Mr Farage, facing further heckling from a fifth person, joked: 'This is good preparation for the House of Commons I suppose, isn't it? It's going to be very lively in there.'

As a woman shouted, Mr Farage added: 'Oh do buck up really, please love, I'm so sorry.' He shouted 'bye darling' as she was removed.

Once the press conference could begin properly, Mr Farage also outlined his desire to make changes to the party

Mr Farage added: 'Any more for any more?' After a pause, a man shouted: 'Actually yes.' Mr Farage added: 'We haven't organised this very well, have we?'

Once the press conference could begin properly, Mr Farage also outlined his desire to make changes to the party.

He said: 'Above all what we're going to do from today is we're going to professionalise the party, we're going to democratise the party and those few bad apples that have crept in will be gone, will be long gone, and we will never have any of their type back in our organisation. You have a 100 per cent promise on that.'

Mr Farage then said Reform UK's focus will be on going 'after Labour votes'.

He added: 'Old Labour was very, very patriotic. It believed in the country. It believed in its people. New Labour far less so.

During the conference, multiple hecklers were removed from the room

'And the journey that Lee Anderson has been on is a journey that at least a couple of million people have been on, and it'll be many, many more by the time we're finished, because no doubt, our priority now is to go after Labour votes. That is what we're going to be doing.

Introducing Reform's Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, Mr Farage said: 'Lee Anderson took a brave decision.

'He decided to join Reform UK. He was much mocked and derided by colleagues who had similar political opinions to him but didn't have the guts to do it. They've all lost their seats overnight.'

Mr Anderson then claimed he would be looking at Sir Keir Starmer's Government in the Commons and thinking 'what has our country come to'.

The Reform UK MP said the UK's Prime Minister and his 'motley crew absolutely scares me to death, I'm going to be sat on the green benches next week looking at them and thinking what has our country come to'.

An exasperated Nigel Farage began his speech by calling the demonstrators 'boring'

In the early hours of today, Mr Farage was declared MP for Clacton shortly after Mr Anderson became the party's first MP of the night with victory in Ashfield.

Reform's party chairman Richard Tice won Boston and Skegness, while former Southampton FC chairman Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth  both from the Tories.

Some 4.1million people voted for Reform, giving it a 14 per cent share - with its candidates coming second in 89 seats, many in Labour-won areas of northern England and Wales.

Earlier, Mr Farage said Reform was 'coming for Labour', while Mr Tice described Reform as filling a 'vacuum' in right-wing politics in Britain.

Meanwhile Mr Tice blasted the 'injustice' of the first-past-the-post electoral system, after the Liberal Democrats gained 71 seats with 3.5million votes. This meant the Lib Dems had 67 more seats than Reform despite having about 500,000 fewer votes.
A female Deliveroo rider who bit a customer's thumb off in an argument over pizza today avoided jail.

Jeniffer Rocha caused Stephen Jenkinson a 'permanent, irreversible injury' in a 'reckless' attack while delivering him a 57 Pizza Express order, a court heard.

Mr Jenkinson, 36, and Rocha, 35, had a brief argument over a delivery code before the Brazilian Deliveroo rider bit his thumb off.

The plumber's right thumb was completely severed just above the knuckle as a result of the freak attack - described by a judge as being in 'excessive self defence'.

Following the 'grave' incident, Mr Jenkinson had to have part of his big toe surgically sewn onto the stump of his missing thumb.

Jeniffer Rocha, 35, (pictured outside Winchester Crown Court) has avoided jail after she gnawed Stephen Jenkinson's thumb off down to the knuckle during the freak attack in Aldershot, Hampshire

Mr Jenkinson, a 36-year-old plumber, has been left 'permanently disabled' and unable to work

Mr Jenkinson was rushed to hospital on December 14 2022 where he underwent an 11 hour operation which saw part of his big toe surgically sewn on to the stump of his missing thumb

An emotional Mr Jenkinson told the court how the assault has affected every aspect of his life and that he was now 'incapacitated'.

Rocha, a married mother of two who was making deliveries on her moped as a replacement rider for her husband, admitted grievous bodily harm in March on the eve of her trial.

Today at Salisbury Crown Court she walked free from court as she was handed a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, by a judge who accused her of 'excessive self defence'.

The court heard Mr Jenkinson ordered pizza from Deliveroo to his home near Aldershot, Hampshire, on December 14, 2022.

However Rocha arrived at the wrong address and when Mr Jenkinson went to collect his food the pair argued over a delivery code which he was required to show.

Mr Jenkinson did not have his phone on him to show the two-digit code in order to prove he was the customer, and under Deliveroo rules Rocha refused to give him the pizza.

The court heard that a scuffle broke out, and although different accounts were given by both sides, it is accepted Mr Jenkinson pushed Rocha three times.

On the third push, Mr Jenkinson's thumb accidentally entered her mouth through the visor on her helmet, and Rocha forcibly bit down, severing it.

Mr Jenkinson today told the court of the impact the attack has had on him

He said: 'This assault has cost me my relationship, my time, my daughter, my career, my home, my money, and has had a huge impact on my mental health.'

He said his partner Jessica had given birth just weeks before the attack and they only moved into the home days before.

'I was physically incapacitated', he said. 'I was not able to walk or shower unaided and it fell on Jessica to dress my wounds.

'She also had to look after our new baby which was challenging in itself.

'After six months I was able to walk and by this point all of the stress and responsibility caused Jessica to fall apart, which I totally understand.'

Mr Jenkinson, 34 , pictured with his then partner Jessica Seymour, 33, in 2022 following the attack

Mr Jenkinson said his thumb, which was severed just above the knuckle, looked as thought it had 'gone through a chainsaw'

Brazilian born Rocha has citizenship in the UK until 2028

Mr Jenkinson said their separation was a direct consequence of 'the effects of the assault' and told how he doesn't see his daughter as regularly as he'd like as she moved over 50 miles away with her mother.

'I do not get to see my daughter every day because of our relationship breakdown', he said.

'She is growing up so quickly and I feel like I'm missing out on so much.'

Mr Jenkinson said he could not afford the mortgage so had to move into his mother's home, and he is currently living in the 'same bedroom I had when I was 19 years old'.

He said he rented out his house - however the tenants have never paid rent and he has had to wait for them to get evicted.

He said his mother is paying his mortgage repayments, which amount to 1,100, because he had to sign up to benefits which only gives him 80 a week.

'I feel extremely guilty that my mother is doing this', he said.

Mr Jenkinson has not worked as a plumber and gas engineer since - and lost his gas licence because he's no longer able to re-connect a boiler.

'I'm not able to pinch', he explained. 'The other day I could not pick up my daughter's crayons when they fell on the floor.'

Mr Jenkinson said he has spent extensive time in hospital and must have another operation on his thumb, which will again leave him physically struggling.

He added: 'Financially, I'm currently in 74,000 worth of debt.'

Mr Jenkinson explained that as well as his issues with renting, he has also racked up huge bills through solicitors' fees and keeping his possessions in storage.

Lauren Hebditch, defending Rocha, said she is the primary carer to her two teenage children and that at the time her husband was in Italy in search of work.

Ms Hebditch said: '[On the night of the offence] she had done eight jobs that day, she was tired, it was a dark, cold day.'

Ms Hebditch said Mr Jenkinson is a '6ft, muscular man' and Rocha didn't know he was her customer.

She said Rocha was 'trying to protect herself' when a scuffle broke out.

'She accepts biting down so hard was excessive', Ms Hebditch said.

'She displays a significant amount of remorse. She lives with it daily, she talks about how difficult it is for him.

'Her husband says she prays constantly and lives in total regret.'

It was also heard her children have been bullied as a result and that angry members of the public broke into his car.

Sentencing her, Judge Timothy Mousley KC said Rocha's actions were 'excessive self-defence'.

He said he carefully examined photos of Mr Jenkinson's injury, which showed it had been torn off from the base of the thumbnail.

Judge Mousley KC said: 'What is clear in this case is the thumb going into your mouth was completely accidental and [Mr Jenkinson] had no intention to do that.

'But you, of course, would not have known and you had been pushed and finding a thumb in your mouth, I'm satisfied you didn't know how things would develop.

'This was a grave injury, and it resulted in a permanent, irreversible injury.'

Judge Mousley KC said there was 'considerable mitigation in your case' and found Rocha does not pose a risk to the public.

He sentenced her to 16 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered her to carry out 25 days of rehabilitation.

He did not order Rocha to pay compensation, however suggested Mr Jenkinson could pursue that through the civil courts.
Discovering the secrets of Yueju opera: British students' backstage adventure in Greater Bay Area

10:59, July 05, 2024 By Zhong Wenxing, Xian Jiangnan ( People's Daily Online

Have you ever wondered what it's like backstage at a traditional Chinese opera? British students participating in the filming of Touching the Greater Bay Area cultural exchange program had a unique opportunity to experience the behind-the-scenes world of traditional Chinese opera in south China's Guangdong Province.

Amelia Sleight from Oxford University and Roberta Rennie from Cambridge University immersed themselves in the vibrant world of Yueju opera, witnessing the meticulous preparations of performers and learning to sing the opera from a skilled teacher.

The second round of the "Touching the Greater Bay Area" program was co-initiated by Guangdong Radio and Television and People's Daily Online (UK). The program, which successfully commenced on Monday in Guangdong, welcomes four students from the U.K. on a journey that combines cultural immersion with an exploration of the technological advancements in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chengliang)
German prosecutors have called for 'biased' judges to be thrown off the trial of Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner.

Brueckner is suspected of abducting and killing three-year-old Madeleine in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.

He is nearing the end of a seven-year prison term for raping an American pensioner in the Portuguese resort.

The 47-year-old is also currently standing trial for unconnected sex crimes he allegedly committed in the Algarve.

Convicted paedophile and rapist Christian Brueckner, 47, (pictured) was served a court document last year as he was due to be released from jail

Brueckner is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann

But in a shock move on Wednesday, Judge Ute Inse Engelmann overturned an arrest warrant for Brueckner after ruling the court had not heard strong enough evidence from witnesses to keep him behind bars.

Judge Engemann's ruling was a strong indication that Brueckner will be cleared of the charges he is facing and if found not guilty, could be freed from prison by the early part of next year.

Furious prosecutors have filed a motion to have Judge Engemann and her two fellow judges dismissed after 'concerns about bias', The Mirror reported.

The public prosecutor's office said it feared the criminal court had already formed its opinion about the crime and guilt.

As well as rejecting the current judges in the rape trial due to concerns about bias, the Braunschweig public prosecutor's office requested that the case be 're-appointed with impartial judges'.

It also intends to file an appeal against the decision to lift the arrest warrant against Brueckner, Bild reported.

Now a 'chamber of representatives' in Braunschweig must make a ruling by early August.

If the prosecution application is successful, the trial will collapse and a retrial will have to take place.

Brueckner is accused of five offences in Algarve between 2000 and 2017.

The offences include the alleged rape of Irish tour rep Hazel Behan in her Praia da Rocha apartment in 2004.

The Madeleine McCann suspect is also accused of raping a teenage girl in his Praia da Luz home and raping an elderly woman in her holiday apartment.

He also faces a child sex charge for allegedly exposing himself to a German girl on a beach in Salema in April 2007.

Also, it is alleged that he indecently exposed himself in front of an 11-year-old in Sao Bartolomeu de Messines in 2017.

But prosecutors seem no closer to proving Brueckner was behind Madeleine's disappearance.

If their prime suspect walks free in the latest trial after a not-guilty verdict, it would increase the pressure to charge Brueckner over the toddler's disappearance.

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 the unrelated sex crimes.

In June 2020 he was named as the 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 the same area Madeleine vanished from when she was three years old.

The trial in Braunschweig, near Hannover, Germany, has heard from several witnesses including two men who claim Brueckner was involved in Madeleine's disappearance and a Scotland Yard officer investigating the case.

Judge Ute Engemann's decision following a request from Brueckner's 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 appeared in court in Braunschweig, Germany last 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.

In June 2020, Brueckner was named as the prime suspect for the 2007 'abduction and murder' of Madeleine McCann

The trial in Braunschweig, near Hannover, Germany, has heard from several witnesses including two men who claim Brueckner was involved in Madeleine's 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.

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, but it's 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.
A Tennessee woman who was fined for an 'obscene' political yard sign has been awarded $32,000 after suing the city that punished her.

Julie Pereira successfully filed a First Amendment suit against the city of Lakeland after officials took offense to her sign reading: 'F*** 'Em Both 2024.'

Her neighbors complained and a code enforcement officer issued her a $50-a-day fine for displaying the signage in February, which racked up a total of $427 in fines and other fees.

The mother sued last month, with attorneys for both sides approving a settlement on Wednesday as it was found that the city unconstitutionally violated her free speech.

A Tennessee mother has won $32,000 after she won a First Amendment lawsuit against the city of Lakeland, after she was fined over this 'obscene' political yard sign

Julie Pereira said she challenged the city in court because she is 'not afraid to say what I stand for and believe in,' and successfully argued her right to free speech was being violated

Pereira's attorney Daniel A. Horwitz praised the settlement after it was agreed this week, saying it was a victory for freedom of expression.

'Being able to tell politicians to f*** themselves is a sacred American right,' he told Business Insider.

'We are proud to have protected Mrs. Pereira's right to express her political views and to have achieved a successful outcome in this important First Amendment case.'

Pereira has also taken to selling her yard signs, saying on Facebook that she thinks 'I was onto something here.'

In her lawsuit, Pereira explained the reason for her foul-mouthed signage, saying that she was disappointed to be choosing between Donald Trump and Joe Biden again in November's election.

A code enforcement officer noted that at least 10 of her neighbors complained about the sign, with one reportedly saying that they would have avoided buying their home altogether if they had known it would be displayed on their street.

Following her initial fine, Pereira attempted to fight the penalty in court, however a judge ruled that it was not clear that 'both' in the sign referred specifically to Biden and Trump.

The judge also noted Pereira has had other clashes with the city, including another successful lawsuit in May that saw her win a challenge over a Christmas decoration that also included swear words.

Pereira also won a lawsuit against the city in May over a challenge to a foul-mouthed Christmas decoration (pictured) outside her home

In her lawsuit, Pereira explained that she displayed the sign because she was disappointed to be choosing between Donald Trump and Joe Biden again in November's election

When the judge initially shot down her signage challenge, they reportedly told her, 'I will warn you, I don't want to see you back in here.'

Pereira responded: 'Your Honor, I do not want to see the City of Lakeland continue to violate my First Amendment rights.'

Following that decision, Periera censored her sign with tape over the U, but her neighbors still complained.

At the time, neighbor Nathan Scallon told ABC24, 'It has implied expressive language that I feel is inappropriate for younger people.

'There are rights that should be protected, but that doesnt give us license to act in an immoral or inappropriate way, especially regarding children in the area.'

Pereira said that she subsequently launched her lawsuit because she is 'not afraid to say what I stand for and believe in.'

Not all her neighbors were up in arms, as one added to the outlet at the time that they agreed with her, feeling 'its a slippery slope when the city starts sticking their nose in what people can and cant do with their own private property.'

Attorneys for the city eventually agreed this week as they settled the lawsuit.

Pereira won $31,000 for her legal fees plus several hundred dollars in damages and costs.
Jay Slater's family can use their own search-and-rescue teams in the Tenerife hunt for the missing 19-year-old, Spanish police have said.

The teenager disappeared after attending a rave in Playa de las Americas which he left in the morning of June 17. He then travelled back to a 40-a-night Airbnb cottage in the remote village of Masca with two older British men.

As he tried to walk the 11 hours back to his hotel, Jay called best friend Lucy to say he was lost, in desperate need of some water and his phone battery was on 1 per cent.

His devastated family previously told Sky News they were waiting for authorities to allow them to use some of the 50,000 of donations, raised through a crowdfunding page, to pay for specialist search and rescue teams.

Now the Guardia Civil has confirmed such teams can be brought in from elsewhere 'without any problem' to help with the hunt for the 19-year-old.

Spanish police previously focused their search for the teenager on the mountainous village and Rural de Teno National Park in north-west Tenerife where his phone last pinged.

Jay Slater's best friend Lucy Law posted this picture on social media of the missing teenager nearly three weeks after he vanished in Tenerife

Jay's father Warren and brother Zak pictured hiking through the mountain track where Jay's phone was last located

Jay (right) pictured alongside his mother Debbie and brother Zak (left) who flew out to Tenerife after his disappearance

But on June 30, the search and rescue mission was dramatically called off after nearly 14 days, leaving his desperate family 'in the dark'.

Spanish police added today that the Jay's family would have to notify them 'for good management of information and resources' but that they had not received a request yet.

The announcement comes after Jay's best friend broke her silence to share a new picture of the missing teenager nearly three weeks after he vanished in Tenerife.

Lucy Law, who was one of the last people to see the teenager before his disappearance, posted a picture on social media of the apprentice bricklayer, 19, who was last seen at around 8am on June 17.

The photo showed Jay and Lucy sat together posing for a selfie and was posted along with a crying face and blue heart emoji.

It comes as:

Jay Slater, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, travelled to the Canary Islands for a musical festival with his friend Lucy and another friend last week

Lucy (pictured) was one of the last people to hear from Jay and had gone to a festival with him the night before he disappeared

A map showing Jay Slater's last known movements before he disappeared

Search crews are seen last week scouring the area where Jay is believed to have gone missing

Jay's family have been advised to fund an independent search party after Tenerife's Civil Guard ended their hunt for him 'prematurely'.

Army reservist and private investigator Juan Garcia, is among those advising Jay's mother on how to continue with a private search.

Speaking to the Times, he said that 'two weeks is too premature to end the search'.

'[Slater] could be alive somewhere  someone can drink from rainwater and eat plants. The family should not give up hope,' he said.

Jay had been attending a three day NRG festival which ended on Sunday, 16 June in Papagayo beach club in South Tenerife.

His friend Lucy- who had gone to the festival with him - said Jay had gone to stay with people he met after a night out.

She received a phone call from Jay at around 8am on Monday morning saying he'd missed his bus and was trying to walk back but was lost, needed a drink and only had 1% battery on his phone. The phone call then cut off.

The teenager's phone died at around 8.50am, with his last known location registered in the remote Rural de Teno park, more than ten miles from the popular resort Guia de Isora.

Jay's final Snapchat shows the teenager laughing and smiling at around 8.35pm on the night before he went missing

Jay was reported missing at around 9am the same morning and police launched a mountain rescue.

Mountain rescue crews and sniffer dogs had been searching the mountainous area of north-west Tenerife for the 19-year-old up until this afternoon.

But suddenly police focus shifted to the tourist hotspots of Los Cristianos and Playa de Las Americas in south Tenerife, after a false sighting of him getting out of a taxi.

It later emerged the report was false and police, having wasted precious time in the blistering 27C heat, were forced to move attention back to their original site.

The 19-year-old had gone back to the remote cottage in the village of Masca with two British men in the early hours of Monday morning after a rave in Playa de las Americas on June 17.

Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, left the 40-a-night two bedroom property called Casa Abuela Tina at 7.30am and posted two pictures from it on Snapchat.

Spanish police dramatically called off the search for Jay on Monday but said their investigation into his disappearance was ongoing.

It came as one of the British men who the missing teenager spent his final hours with claimed Jay Slater found himself at the Airbnb cottage at the centre of the mystery because as 'all his friends left him'.

Ayub Qassim says he invited the apprentice bricklayer, 19, from Lancashire, back to his 40-a-night rented holiday cottage after a rave in Tenerife hours before he vanished on June 17.

The 31-year-old, who booked the Airbnb under the name Ayub Abdul, broke his silence, telling MailOnline: 'He came to my Airbnb alive and he left my Airbnb alive.'

MailOnline exclusively revealed that Qassim was jailed nine years ago for being the mastermind behind a sophisticated operation to flood Wales with Class A drugs.

Spanish police searching for Jay spoken to Qassim and the unnamed friend known only as 'Johnny Vegas' as part of their inquiries but concluded they were 'irrelevant' to the investigation.

Jay was last seen by a witness walking off in search of a bus stop close to the Airbnb at around 8am on Monday, June 17. He called a friend to say he was making the 11-hour walk back to his hotel in Playa de las Americas but has not been heard from since.

Former detective Peter Bleksley criticised Spanish police, suggesting they may be afraid a proper investigation would hit tourism on the island.

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

Mr Bleksley told the Sun: 'This island is so heavily dependent upon tourism, is there reluctance on behalf of the police to actually delve as deep as they should.'

A private investigator also claimed Jay Slater could be alive somewhere 'drinking rainwater and eating plants' as he urged the missing teenager's family not to give up hope.

Army reservist and private investigator Juan Garcia, is among those advising Jay's mother to access the 48,000 GoFundMe towards funding the private search.

Speaking to the Times, he said that 'two weeks is too premature to end the search'.

'[Slater] could be alive somewhere  someone can drink from rainwater and eat plants. The family should not give up hope,' he said.

His family have been advised to fund an independent search party after Tenerife's Civil Guard ended their hunt for him 'prematurely'.

On Thursday, Jay Slater's mother hit out at trolls accusing her of being 'on holiday' while she looks for her son in Spain as she pleaded with fellow parents to 'continue to pray' for his return.

The missing teenager's family revealed earlier this week that they were planning on using GoFundMe donations to remain in Tenerife after Spanish police called off the land search 14 days after the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer first went missing.

Debbie Duncan asked for people to realise that they are a 'normal working family from Lancashire going through hell'.

In a post on social media, she said: 'I feel the need to post this to your group and then I shall remove myself. I joined this group to share the positivity and love from the British public.

'It seems through no fault of my own you have all decided to make up your own minds. It is really sad I have felt the need to do this. My beautiful son Jay is still missing and believe me this is no holiday.'

Jay Slater's mother Debbie has tonight told of her 'pain and agony' of her son's disappearance in Tenerife as she pleaded that 'we just want to find him'

The 40-a-night Casa Abuela Tina holiday rental near the remote village of Masca where Jay spent his final hours before going missing

'He came on his first holiday to Tenerife to attend the NRG music event. What mystery surrounding his disappearance may never surface. We as a family are truly devastated,' she continued.

'I did not ask for publicity from the start and was not aware that the first missing poster had my telephone number on it. It should have had the SOS Guardia Civil but like I say this was out of my control.

'Whatever decision you have in your minds I cannot control this either. We are a normal working family from Lancashire going through hell. I would like to thank the genuine people for their love and support at this difficult time and to continue to pray for Jay to be found.

'For those of you who are more concerned around the Gofundme page I can assure you that up to now it has not been used and our stay up to now has been financed by ourselves.

'I do have proof of transactions and transfers to other persons but I should not have to justify this. So you can make up your own minds. If any of you in this group have donated I am thankful For the other mothers out there. Please continue to pray.'

As the family work with private investigators to track down the missing 19-year-old, Ms Duncan assured donors the 48,000 or so raised on GoFundMe would be put towards funding more volunteers continuing the search through the remote mountainous area in Tenerife.

This includes providing accommodation, funds and equipment to two TikTok sleuths, Paul Arnott and Callum Fahim, who flew out to help find clues into the teenagers disappearance.

In a statement shared yesterday afternoon she wrote: 'Your generosity has been vast, and we are so grateful for all of your support and kindness during this unimaginable time for our family.

'We will continue to use part of the funds to support the volunteers working hard in the mountains to find Jay.

'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 funds will continue to be used to support the rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay as well as our own expenses as we remain in Tenerife looking for our boy.'

However, a bitter war of words between Callum Fahim and Jay's family and friends erupted after the NHS worker said he was leaving Tenerife after two weeks of searching because of 'death threats'.

On Thursday night he posted a TikTok live of himself from Tenerife airport saying he was 'heading home' to see his family and have some 'fried chicken' and he appeared to have a cold as he sniffed constantly.

In a statement Debbie had thanked Callum and TikTok climber Paul Arnott, 29, for their help and said they would be supporting both of them  specifically paying for 'Callum's accommodation and essentials'.

The bitter war of words between Callum Fahim (pictured) and Jay's family and friends erupted after the NHS worker said he was leaving Tenerife after two weeks of searching because of 'death threats'

In a lengthy rant on TikTok, Callum said he had received no money from the GoFundMe Page and added that he had 'paid for his own bus tickets' to go to the search site

However in a lengthy rant on TikTok Callum said he had received no money from the GoFundMe Page and added that he had 'paid for his own bus tickets' to go to the search site at Masca each day.

He added: 'I can confirm that non (sic) of my essentials and non (sic) of my group's essentials have been paid. However she did contribute towards a hotel and flight.'

Callum's name was later removed from the statement on the GoFundMe page and a statement was posted on Facebook by Debbie's friend addressing the row and showing a 740 bank transfer to Callum.

The statement read: 'Hi sorry again people but this is just not how this should be but I need to put this out there.

'We have someone claiming to not have had any support from Debbie and are now talking about the family at a time like this making all the speculations worse on social media.

'It's not fair why are people adding more stress to this devastating situation no one knows how bad this affecting everyone it's cruel.

A GoFundMe page set up since Jay vanished on June 17 has raised nearly 50,000

Jay's mother posted her latest update earlier this week in which she said the funds were being used to support the volunteers working hard in the mountains to find Jay

The row started on Wednesday night when Debbie Duncan, 55, posted an update on the GoFundMe page set up for Jay

'I just wanna share this now because it's not true and it's not fair.

'Go Fund wasn't paid it was paid through Debbie herself but he agreed for this to be added the go fund to show people who have kindly donated where and what the funds was being used on.

'So this is just the evidence on that 740 was sent directly to them accommodation is essential and is classed as that.. we asked also and thanked them and we still thank you for all your help.

'Please share and to the people who are being so kind we don't have a update the investigation is still ongoing.'
Advertisement

From humming a song just moments after announcing their resignation, to weeping as they leave Downing Street for the last time - Prime Ministers have all reacted differently to losing their jobs.

And today, Rishi Sunak became the latest PM forced to make their final farewell speech from outside Number 10 after the Tories suffered a cataclysmic defeat to Labour.

A deflated Mr Sunak started his speech at the podium by saying 'I'm sorry' as he admitted he had heard the 'anger' and 'disappointment from voters and that he would take responsibility for the Conservatives' worst-ever defeat.

It was a stark difference to his first speech as PM in October 2022 when he appeared optimistic and confident about tackling Britain's challenges, as he declared he would 'unite' the country 'not with words but with action'.

Over the years, previous PMs have all reacted differently to their final moments in Downing Street.

An emotional Theresa May wept when she announced her resignation in 2019, with her voice breaking as she recalled her pride in being the 'second female prime minister' who had 'the opportunity to serve the country I love'.

While her predecessor David Cameron was heard whistling and singing a small song to himself after finally declaring he was standing now.

Now, as a new Labour Government takes up the mantle of responsibility for Britain's future, MailOnline is looking back all some of the historic first and last speeches by the nation's PMs.

Margaret Thatcher, 1979 - 1990

Margaret Thatcher, dubbed 'The Iron Lady', became Britain's first female MP in May 1979 having beaten former Tory PM Edward Heath to become party leader in 1975. When Thatcher arrived at Downing Street after winning, she was beaming

Thatcher, who studied chemistry at the University of Oxford, was first elected as an MP for Finchley in 1959, holding junior posts before becoming Shadow Spokesperson for Education, and entered the Cabinet as Education Secretary in 1970. Here she is celebrating getting the top job as PM

She entered Number 10 first the first time, where a large group of press and photographers from across the globe was waiting. Becoming a PM during the Cold War, Thatcher would famously order the British military to retake the Falkland Islands after Argentina invaded in 1982. The following year, the Conservatives went on to win the 1983 election by an overwhelming majority

But by 1990, the glitter of her time as PM was over. Thatcher had introduced a radical programme of privatisation and deregulation and reform of the trade unions following the Winter of Discontent. Things came to a head in November when her long-serving Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe resigned in protest at her attitude to Europe. His resignation speech brought about events which were to lead to her exit from Number 10 later that month. Baroness Thatcher died on April 8 2013

John Major, 1990 - 1997

John Major became the next Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, and attempted to make peace between both party and country in the wake of a divisive decade. He took a leading role, alongside US President George HW Bush, in the first Gulf War, and survived an IRA mortar attack on Number 10 during a Cabinet meeting

But Major - who before becoming PM had a four-year affair with his Tory colleague Edwina Currie - finally resigned in May 1997. Despite having been elected in 1992, his government was plagued by press stories about infidelity and poor moral behaviour within the Cabinet and wider party - with the label of 'Tory sleaze' sticking, effective wiping out his credibility.

Tony Blair 1997 - 2007

New Labour leader Tony Blair arrived to scenes of fanfare and jubilation when he clinched a landslide victory in the 1997 General Election - with D:Ream's anthem Things Can Only Get Better soundtracking his win.

At just 43, Blair was the youngster person to become Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool was PM at the age of 42 in 1812. And the Labour leader's opening trip into Downing Street saw him championed as a political rock star, with fans waving Union Flags as he arrived with his wife, Cherie (pictured)

On foreign affairs, Blair became increasingly convinced of Britain's need to become more involved, joining the American bombing of Iraq in 1998 - before later getting involved in the war in Kosovo

He entered Number 10 having waved to the crowds, with his wife and children leading the way into Downing Street

2001: Tony Blair poses with wife Cherie, Baby Leo, Nicky, Kathryn and Euan June 8 2001 after winning his second General Election. Just three months later, the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America rocked the world - and became the defining moment for for the Labour leader and his legacy. He allied with the USA and President Bush over the need to confront militant Islamism, first in Afghanistan in 2001 and then, much more controversially, in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq

2007: But just six years later, Blair gave his final speech outside Number 10 before being pictured with children Euan, Kathryn, Leo, and Nicky and his wife Cherie. Blair's last years in office saw him criticised over his handling of the Iraq war, after it was revealed claims weapons of mass destruction were in the country were false. And in 2006 the Israel-Lebanon war saw a very large Labour rebellion against him over his reluctance to criticise Israel and his continued support for Bush. He resigned as PM on June 27

Gordon Brown, 2007 - 2010

Gordon Brown first came to power following the resignation of his former boss in 2007. Prior to this he had been the Chancellor during the longest ever period of economic growth. He is pictured arriving in Downing Street with his wife Sarah

2007: During his time as Prime Minister he oversaw changes such as the introduction of neighbourhood policing in every area, a legally-enforceable right to early cancer screening and treatment, and the world's first ever Climate Change Act, which was implemented in autumn 2008. He is pictured with wife, Sarah

2007: Brown's time in charge saw him dealing with the global financial crash of 2008. And UK combat operations in Iraq, which had begun during his predecessor's time in office, came to an end under Brown. British forces withdrew from the country at the end of April 2009. Brown is pictured being driven into Downing Street in June, 2007

2010: Gordon Brown's time in Downing Street came to an end in May 2010. It came after a general election which left no one party with enough of a majority for form a government by themselves. In the end the Liberal Democrats proved to be the king makers, entering into a coalition with David Cameron's Conservative Party. Mr Brown is pictured leaving Number 10 with his wife Sarah and their sons James Fraser and John

2010: The Scot's staff gathered on Downing Street for his final statement as Prime Minister which came after five days of negotiation left the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats with a coalition agreement to take office

David Cameron, 2010 - 2016

2010: After 13 years of Labour rule, David Cameron was the man to bring the Conservatives back into Downing Street. He appeared victorious with his wife Samantha having formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats to form a government

2010: During his time in charge, Cameron oversaw the successful London 2012 Olympic Games. He also ensured Britain played a leading role in the fight against jihardi terrorists from ISIS. And his government led the way on the equalities agenda by passing the UK's same sex marriage act. Cameron is accompanied by wife Samantha and their children outside No 10

2010: Cameron's government also held three national referendums. The first in 2011, known as the alternative vote referendum, asked whether the current existing method of electing MPs should remain for future general elections. The second referendum held in 2014 asked whether Scotland should be an independent country

2016: However, it was the third referendum - Brexit - which proved to be his last act as PM. Having campaigned to stay in the EU, he lost the referendum to the Leave campaign, who netted 51 per cent of the vote. Cameron's failure to win the vote, prompted by leading Brexiteer Nigel Farage, prompted him to resign as Prime Minister. He is pictured giving his final speech

2016: Outgoing PM David Cameron leaves after speaking outside 10 Downing Street with his family (L-R) son Arthur Elwen, his daughter Nancy Gwen, daughter Florence Rose Endellion and his wife Samantha Cameron in central London on July 13, 2016

Theresa May, 2016 - 2019

2016: Theresa May becomes the new Prime Minister. In her first speech as Prime Minister she committed her government to tackling what she described as 'burning injustices'. During her time in Downing Street, the UKs national debt fell, employment reached a record high, and income taxes were cut for 32 million people. But she was dogged by division within parliament when it came to trying to get Brexit done

2019: Mrs May was left sobbing at the podium following an emotional farewell speech. She quit after a tumultuous two years and 315 days in office - making her the 36th longest serving Prime Minister in British history. Watched by her husband Philip in Downing Street, Mrs May managed to keep her composure until the emotional moment she finished her 1,000-word speech, breaking down in tears. She ultimately left having failed to deliver Brexit

2019: Mrs May cut a lonely figure as she left 'with no ill will, but with enormous and enduring gratitude to have had the opportunity to serve the country'

Boris Johnson, 2019 - 2022

2019: Less than three weeks after Mrs May's departure, Boris Johnson was elected leader of the Conservative Party, and Prime Minister as a result. His then girlfriend Carrie Symonds and members of his political inner circle gathered to watch his first speech in front of of No 10

2019: He went on to lead the Tories to one of the biggest victories in modern history, in December 2019

2019: Mr Johnson walks through the door of Number 10 and throws his arms aloft as he is cheered to the rafters by Downing Street staff following his emphatic majority. Just months later, he would be forced to lead the country through a global pandemic as Covid ravaged the world. During this period of time the PM and his government would be criticised for failing to adhere to strict lockdown rules - with his party dogged by more accusations of sleaze

2022: Boris gives his final speech outside Downing Street after a dramatic swathe of ministerial resignations

2022: Despite the volume of resignations from his colleagues, Boris gave his departure speech in front of a massive crowd of MPs, aides and allies as he spoke on the steps of No10. The outgoing PM put a brave face, saying 'this is it, folks'

Liz Truss, September 6 2022 to October 25, 2022

September 6, 2022: The newly-installed PM Liz Truss appeared confident after winning her Tory leadership campaign. Standing outside Number 10, she took to the podium outside and vowed to tackle the energy crisis with a 90bn bailout, cut taxes and fix the NHS. She boldly proclaimed 'as strong as the storm will be, Britain is stronger'

September 6, 2022: She was joined on Downing Street by a cluster of her close aides and allies, including Therese Coffey (seen in a white blazer), who would become her Deputy Prime Minister and Health Secretary

49 days later...: But her time as PM was shambolic. Her plans caused the economy to crash leading to widespread outrage within her own party, and enraging the British public. She quit as PM October 25, becoming Britain's shortest serving prime minister. She eventually lost her seat in Thursday's General Election

Rishi Sunak, 2022 - 2024

2022: Rishi Sunak 's first speech as Prime Minister was one of longest delivered in Downing Street by a newly appointed prime minister in recent decades. Becoming the first British PM of Asian heritage, Mr Sunak vowed to 'unite our country' and lead the UK into a 'future worthy of the sacrifices so many have made,' as well as 'fill tomorrow with hope.'

2022: Mr Sunak's opening speech featured none of the usual celebratory spirit, against the backdrop of a crippling cost of living crisis and the historically unsuccessful record of his predecessor

2024: But after calling for a General Election in May (in which Mr Sunak was drenched by rain while announcing the move) he suffered a crushing defeat, with Labour winning by a landslide. In his final speech in Downing Street. flanked by his wife Akshata, Mr Sunak apologised to voters, saying had 'heard the anger' of the country and the 'clear message' of the ballot

2024: Mr Sunak's final speech as PM went much like his first, with few supporters in the background besides his wife

Keir Starmer, 2024 -

2024: Contrastingly, Sir Keir Starmer packed the street with supporters and campaigners as he opened his tenure as Prime Minister after a landslide election win

2024: Sir Keir stepped through the door of 10 Downing Street on Friday afternoon for the first time as Prime Minister as he vowed to 'immediately' begin work to 'rebuild Britain' and prepared to make key Cabinet appointments.
Delta Airlines temporarily served only pasta to international travelers after a plane made an emergency landing when passengers fell sick due to moldy food.

The carrier said it was slashing meal choices on 75 international incidents 'out of an abundance of caution' and has ordered staff to examine dishes before serving them.

It comes after a flight from Detroit to Amsterdam was forced to divert to New York's JFK Airport after about 24 people fell ill due to food contamination on July 3.

One passenger told DailyMail.com that travelers had been served moldy chicken - which had also been consumed by both pilots.

On Wednesday and Thursday this week global travelers in economy seats were offered only a pasta option for their in-flight meal.

A spokesperson has confirmed to DailyMail.com that the restricted meal options were only in place for two days and all dining choices have now been restored.

Delta Airlines is now serving only pasta to international travelers after a from Detroit to Amsterdam was forced to divert to New York's JFK Airport made an emergency landing when passengers fell sick due to moldy food

According to NBC, the meal change was immediately implemented on 75 international flights on Wednesday and Thursday.

DailyMail.com reached out to Delta to clarify how long it would last.

It comes after the airline issued an apology to all customers and said that they are investigating the incident.

Delta Corporate Communications Spokesperson Lisa Hanna said: 'Out of an abundance of caution, Delta teams have proactively adjusted our in-flight meal service on a number of international flights.

'This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels.'

Ash Dhokte, a VP responsible for onboard services, added these incidents are 'extremely rare' and asked staff to 'please examine the dish before serving it and do not serve any food that may have a contaminant'.

Dhokte also said in the staff note: 'Gate Gourmet caters for us at 19 domestic stations and we are reviewing strategies to limit disruptions for you and our customers should an interruption occur,' according to CNBC.

The meal change was immediately implemented on 75 international flights only on Wednesday and Thursday

=Nancy Kirchoff said she was told there was mold on the chicken - but was also told 'no one had been affected'. (Stock Image)

The flight landed safely at JFK around 4am Wednesday, where passengers and crew were met by medics

The disruption came as millions took to America's skies for one of the busiest travel days of the year.

TSA previously warned that 32million will fly this week for the Independence Day holiday week J, piling the strain on an already stretched aviation industry.

DailyMail.com also LSG Sky Chefs, which provides Delta's meal services, for comment.
A woman has been found murdered inside an expensive Arizona hotel room.

Police were called to reports of a shooting at the $350-a-night Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel hotel on Friday.

A security guard found the woman, who has not been named, injured in a hotel room just before 3.30am, AZ Family reports.YEAH

Phoenix police were called to reports of a shooting at the $350-a-night Renaissance hotel on Friday

The woman has not been named, and it's unknown who she was staying with

Emergency responders raced to the hotel, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

A homicide investigation is underway, with no details of any suspects released yet.

Panama's national soccer team is staying at the hotel, FOX10 reports.

The players are due to take on Colombia in a quarter final Copa America match on Saturday.

A security guard found the woman injured in a hotel room just before 3.30am

A woman has been found murdered inside a flashy Arizona hotel room
This video is no longer available

This video is no longer available

GENERAL ELECTION 2024 LIVE: Follow MailOnline's liveblog for latest updates

Union bosses have added their voices to calls for Sir Keir Starmer to 'get more radical' as he entered Number 10 with a huge majority.

The Labour leader promised voters he has 'changed' his party, and hard-left figures such as Jeremy Corbyn have already been purged from its ranks.

But Mr Starmer is already facing calls for a more left-wing agenda, with RMT boss Mick Lynch criticising his economic policies.

Asked by Sky News' Beth Rigby whether he believes Labour need to become 'more radical in government', he replied: 'Absolutely, the government has to meet the needs of the day and at the moment the economic plan is not going to meet the needs of the country.'

Remnants of the Corbynista movement have set their eye on benefit increases, with Jeremy Corbyn's former shadow chancellor John McDonnell demanding he look at scrapping the two-child benefit cap - something he has so far refused to do.

Sir Keir Starmer is already facing calls for a more left-wing agenda, with RMT boss Mick Lynch criticising his economic policies

Remnants of the Corbynista movement have set their eye on benefit increases, with Jeremy Corbyn 's former shadow chancellor John McDonnell demanding he look at scrapping the two-child benefit cap - something he has so far refused to do

Meanwhile former leadership candidate Clive Lewis said that the predicted 170-seat landslide majority was a 'fantastic result on the surface'.

'If you look at the Blair government, the first couple of years they held to the Tory spending plans then they became more radical,' he told Sky News.

Mr McDonnell said that Sir Keir would begin with his missions, but added: 'At that stage then it will have to be more radical if the children in my constituency are to be lifted out of poverty.'

Meanwhile former leadership candidate Clive Lewis said that the predicted 170-seat landslide majority was a 'fantastic result on the surface', but added: 'Possible double digit Reform MPs and breakthrough of the authoritarian right means there's absolutely no room for complacency or hubris. We must deliver and I expect us to.'

In his first speech on Downing Street, Sir Keir said the British people had voted 'decisively for change'.

The Labour leader said the country could 'move forward together' as Labour took office following 14 years of Conservative rule.

He said: 'Now our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service.

'When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future.

'But we need to move forward together. Now this wound, this lack of trust can only be healed by actions not words, I know that.

'But we can make a start today with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege and that your government should treat every single person in this country with respect.'

He said 'my Government will serve you, politics can be a force for good', adding: 'The work of change begins immediately, but have no doubt, we will rebuild Britain.'

Following a brutal set of results for the Conservatives, Rishi Sunak announced he would quit as Tory leader and used his final speech in Downing Street to apologise to the British people and the Conservative Party.

After 648 of the 650 Commons seats had been declared, Labour had a majority of 176.

Jeremy Corbyn was reelected as MP for Islington North yesterday after being kicked out of the Labour party

Labour had 412 seats and the Tories 121, the worst result in the party's history.

But low turnout underlined Sir Keir's message about the need to rebuild trust in the political system after 14 years of Tory rule marred by the Partygate scandal and the chaos of Conservative infighting which saw David Cameron followed in quick succession by Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and, finally, Mr Sunak.

The turnout figure stood at 59.85%, the lowest at a general election since 2001.

Sir Keir said: 'Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while.

'But have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately. Have no doubt that we will rebuild Britain, with wealth created in every community.

'Our NHS back on its feet facing the future. Secure borders, safer streets, everyone treated with dignity and respect at work. The opportunity of clean British power, cutting your energy bills for good.

'Brick by brick, we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity.'

He added: 'From now on, you have a Government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by the determination to serve your interest, to defy quietly those who have written our country off.'

Your browser does not support iframes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Sir Keir's address to the nation came after Mr Sunak used his final Downing Street appearance to acknowledge the scale of the electoral mauling his party had received.

'To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry,' he said.

'I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change, and yours is the only judgment that matters.

'I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.'

After accepting the King's invitation to become Prime Minister, Sir Keir got straight to work assembling his cabinet, with Rachel Reeves confirmed as Britain's first woman chancellor.

Meanwhile, Angela Rayner is Sir Keir's Deputy Prime Minister and retained the levelling up, housing and communities brief, and Yvette Cooper is Home Secretary.

David Lammy was appointed Foreign Secretary, putting to bed some speculation over whether he would get the post he shadowed in opposition.

The first batch of appointments contained no surprises as Pat McFadden, who played a central role in shaping Labour's election campaign, was named Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, John Healey Defence Secretary, Shabana Mahmood Justice Secretary, Wes Streeting Health Secretary, Bridget Phillipson Education Secretary and Ed Miliband Energy Secretary.
Shortly after 8pm on Election Night in November 2016, Melania Trump started to cry.

Early voting projections were saying her husband might actually become US President. But these weren't tears of joy.

Melania  according to Trump biographer Michael Wolff  had never wanted Donald to run; the only silver lining when he did was that everyone knew that he could never win.

That night, the Slovenian ex-model, by all accounts a quiet and shy woman who prefers lunches with friends to glitzy parties, suddenly saw her comfortable, under-the-radar existence melt away.

She didn't give up without a fight  going on to become perhaps the most semi-detached First Lady in US history.

Melania had never wanted Donald to run; the only silver lining when he did was that everyone knew that he could never win.

But, while shedding tears of anguish may not have been quite the reaction her husband had hoped for at his moment of triumph, at least she was by his side in New York that night.

At the rate the 2024 election campaign has been going, Trump will be lucky if he gets so much as a congratulatory text message from his wife if he wins this November.

So far this campaign, Melania has barely appeared and her name barely mentioned  apart, of course, at embarrassing moments, like when Joe Biden landed his only blow on Trump during last week's miserable TV debate.

Finally managing to rile his opponent, Biden snarled: 'You had sex with a porn star while your wife was pregnant'  referring to Donald's alleged affair with Stormy Daniels  'you have the morals of an alley cat.'

That latter statement may be true, but Biden has the memory of a goldfish, as Trump's alleged infidelity actually took place four months after Melania gave birth to their son Barron.

But surely, the bigger mystery than Trump's missing moral compass  or Biden's missing marbles  is what's happened to Melania.

The master of public-life disappearing acts once had the solid excuse of having to look after her young son, Barron, as her husband  never exactly famous for his paternal qualities  prioritized political ambition.

When he moved into the White House, Melania initially stayed behind in their New York Trump Tower apartments, before finally heading to Washington in the summer of 2017.

Her reasoning: Barron was still in school, and needed her to stay nearby.

At the rate the 2024 election campaign has been going, Trump will be lucky if he gets so much as a congratulatory text message from his wife if he wins this November.

So far this campaign, Melania has barely appeared and her name barely mentioned - apart, of course, at embarrassing moments, like when Joe Biden landed his only blow on Trump during last week's miserable TV debate.

But he is 18 now and reportedly weighing up potential university options; so using him as a political get-out clause appears increasingly unfeasible.

Meanwhile, Jill Biden's increasingly prominent role in Joe's desperate bid to cling to the Democratic ticket  particularly as many believe her influence is crucial to whether or not he steps aside  has only served to accentuate Melania's absence.

Now, it's true that Trump insiders have long insisted that, privately, Donald relies on her opinion far more than it might appear.

But it's also true that elections are all about 'optics', about appearances. And in this election  one which pundits warned Trump needed to work on regaining the support of women voters amid the Supreme Court's recent abortion rulings  the optics are that he is alone. And that his wife has better things to do than help him become president again.

Melania never once went anywhere near the Manhattan court where Trump stood trial in the Stormy Daniels hush-money case.

Supportive spouses tend to be de rigueur at such events, for the benefit of TV cameras and photographers if nothing else.

But Melania  according to her former White House Press Secretary and chief-of-staff, Stephanie Grisham  has never been a 'stand-by-your-man' spouse.

'Melania has said, "I don't need to stand by Donald like Jill Biden; it is like she's holding Joe Biden up",' Grisham said in March.

The absence of Trump's wife during his trial was so noticeable that spectators outside court started heckling him with shouts of 'Where's Melania?'  a flashback to past elections when flyers bearing her picture cheekily asked, 'Have you seen this woman?'.

After the historic hush-money guilty verdict, she didn't say anything on any of her social media accounts, or release a supportive statement.

'Oh absolutely I know [her absence from the trial] bothers him,' Grisham says. 'That kind of thing would bother him he would definitely bring it up with her.'

'Melania has said, "I don't need to stand by Donald like Jill Biden; it is like she's holding Joe Biden up",' her former White House Press Secretary and chief-of-staff, Stephanie Grisham, said in March.

But Melania has never been a 'stand-by-your-man' spouse, Grisham says.

Melania was also missing on Super Tuesday in March, one of the most important nights of Trump's nomination campaign. Being by his side that night wouldn't even have necessitated traveling, as Donald held a viewing party at his Mar-a-Lago resort  where Melania usually resides!

Nor did she join him for last week's momentous televised debate, her husband cutting a rather lonely figure as he walked alone down the steps off his private jet in Atlanta.

She wasn't even at a 78th birthday party in Palm Beach organized for Trump by his fan club in June  the sort of event where she would hardly be ambushed by the sort of unfriendly media attention she's said to detest.

In fact, Melania Trump has made only two formal public appearances for her husband's re-election bid  the kickoff of his campaign in November 2022 and just last week, when she appeared with him to vote in the Florida presidential primary.

She has made very occasional non-formal appearances at events in Palm Beach and is this month set to host an event with the Log Cabin Republicans, an organization representing LGBT conservatives, at Trump Tower.

But otherwise she has proved so elusive that last month Associated Press reported that of 15 people who'd attended major fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago, none had seen so much as a glance of the lady of the house.

Will she turn up in the New York court for Trump's Stormy Daniels sentencing  now delayed to September  ready to grip his arm supportively, perhaps even put an arm around him (despite the couple eschewing public displays of physical intimacy like the plague) if the judge hands down a custodial sentence?

One might have thought that would be one gig even she wouldn't miss but, say Trump watchers, don't hold your breath.

After all, according to the New York Times, Melania has privately called the Stormy Daniels scandal 'his problem'.

Melania Trump has made only two formal public appearances for her husband's re-election bid - the kickoff of his campaign in November 2022 and just last week, when she appeared with him to vote in the Florida presidential primary (pictured).

According to the New York Times, Melania has privately called the Stormy Daniels scandal 'his problem'.

Like the rest of the Trump Clan, the former first lady cares intently about her public image  with insiders like Stephanie Grisham believing that she avoided the trial largely because she's 'thinking of her own optics'.

Indeed, if reports coming from the Trump camp are accurate, Melania is increasingly thinking about what's good for her rather than for her husband.

Various commentators acquainted with her say she's not planning on spending much time in Washington if he wins a second term.

First Lady expert Kate Andersen Brower told Axios she believes Melania is 'distancing herself even more from her husband and from the Washington social political scene' while Mary Jordan, author of a Melania biography, pointed out how Mrs Trump's absence makes her 'stand out in history from any other First Lady'.

'[She] has made a deal with her husband that if he wins the presidency, she will not have to fulfil first lady duties 24/7,' a source recently told the New York Post.

Given that she was hardly '24/7' during Trump's first term, spending considerable time at the home of her parents  Viktor and the late Amalija  out in the DC suburbs, it sounds like she may not even be around to arrange the state dinner decorations, which was reportedly her most cherished duty at the White House.

Instead, the insider claimed, she wants to keep devoting her time to Barron.

'She's a hands-on mother and is already planning to spend part of every month  and potentially every week  in NYC,' if, they said, Barron chooses to attend New York University.

In the event of a Trump victory, it's believed that she'd divide her time between New York and Palm Beach, only going to the capital for ceremonial responsibilities like state dinners.

And while college is traditionally the time when the chick spreads its wings and flies the nest  it appears super-protective Melania has other plans.

She is said to be worried that Barron 'has never been completely on his own before' (but how many college freshmen have?) and, especially given the 'added attention' he'll get if his father becomes President again, is convinced she needs to be close at hand.

Some might observe that the last thing any 18-year-old wants is his mother hanging around his neck but, to be fair to Melania's powerful maternal instincts, Barron has certainly not had a conventional childhood and, in being the son of a Republican president in a Democrat city, probably has a huge kick-me target on his back.

She is said to be worried that Barron 'has never been completely on his own before' and, especially given the 'added attention' he'll get if his father becomes President again, is convinced she needs to be close at hand.

If he doesn't follow his father to the University of Pennsylvania or his half-siblings to Georgetown (in Washington DC) and instead heads to NYU, cynics may wonder how much his decision was influenced by his mother.

How convenient, they might say, to justify being able to get back to her favorite stomping ground of Manhattan and not have her husband  particularly unpopular in liberal New York  cramping her style as she clucks over 6'9" Barron.

Publicly, Trump has attempted to make a virtue of having a missing wife.

'I think part of the beauty is that mystery,' he told podcaster Megyn Kelly last year. 'She's introspective and she's confident, she doesn't need to be interviewed by you to get ripped apart for no reason. She doesn't need to be out there. She's got confidence, she has a lot of self-confidence.'

Trump may feel he doesn't need his wife's help given Biden's imploding performance. But that situation could change radically if the Democrats get a new candidate  especially if it's a woman like the hotly-tipped Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan, or Kamala Harris.

A softening, female force in Team Trump might then suddenly become rather more pressing.

'At the appropriate time, she'll be out there,' Trump assured NBC last September.

Melania said much the same in March when, asked by reporters whether she planned to hit the campaign trail, she replied: 'Stay tuned.'

Four months later, we're still waiting.
The stress of life as a military horse in the capital could be to blame for animals bolting through London on two occasions over the past three months, an equine expert has claimed.

Equine behaviourist Justine Harrison has suggested the city could be 'overwhelming' for the animals and cause them to bolt out of fear, with others following due to them being herd animals, The Guardian reported.

She told The Guardian: 'Londons sights and sounds will be overwhelming for them and no amount of training can fully prepare them for every situation they may encounter.'

The horse expert explained how some may be more predisposed to be reactive compared to others. Other factors including training, responding re-actively to pain and human error could also contribute to a horse's reactive behaviour.

Two horses pictured bolting through the streets in London near Aldwych in April this year

Dash cam footage courtesy of a black cab taxi driver shows two of three military horses which bolted through central London on July 1

She added how she imagines the Household Cavalry screens horses for calm personalities and temperaments to ensure the most suitable are selected.

Ms Harrison said how despite being confident the animal's physical needs were met, she wondered if it was the same case for behavioural as the horses are kept in stables and may not have time to graze in a more natural environment.

She said: 'The ongoing stress of this confinement will undoubtedly affect the horses behaviour, and that in turn could lead to them being more reactive.'

The specialist added how the lifestyle and training of the military horses contrasts to their natural state and that because of this, there is a risk of unintended outcomes.

Ms Harrison's comments come after military horses have bolted across London on two separate occasions recently.

Sources described the incidents as an 'unfortunate coincidence', widely reported due to the rise of smartphones and dashcams.

The incidents are said to happen more often than realised but are not normally at such a scale or captured by the public as the two recent events, and that nothing has changed to cause them.

Earlier this year in April, seven Household Cavalry horses, including one soaked with blood, ran loose in central London after throwing their military riders during their morning exercise.

The six-mile rampage left five people, including a soldier who was riding one of the horses, injured in three separate incidents. Four people were hospitalised.

The horses were spooked during their daily morning exercise on Horse Guards Parade, in Whitehall, at around 8.40am.

One of the horses has also seemingly ran into a double-decker bus, smashing its windscreen, while another reportedly crashed into a black cab.

APRIL: The distressed animal drenched in blood

On July 1 the lead horse of six became loose after being spooked by a London bus around Knightsbridge. This then led to two riders being unseated from their horses, who also became loose.

The horses, from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, were conducting a routine exercise under the control of five soldiers.

None of the three horses was involved in the previous bolting incident on April 24, the MoD previously said.

An Army spokesman previously said: 'We can confirm that, whilst exercising, three horses from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment became loose from their riders. They were swiftly and safely recovered.

'One horse received minor injuries, but no further treatment is required and there were no injuries to the soldiers involved.'
A former local authority worker who 'brazenly' embezzled more than 1 million from Aberdeen City Council over a 17-year period to fund a luxury lifestyle has been jailed for four years.

Michael Paterson, 59, set up an internal pathway which allowed him to fraudulently issue council tax refunds into his own bank account.

Between 2006 and 2023, Paterson, who was employed as a council tax and recovery team leader, issued 622 refunds totalling 1,087,444.

Prosecutor Brian Gill KC told the court how Paterson had unsupervised authority to issue council tax refunds of up to 3,000.

He could also alter payee account details without 'authorisation or verification' and abused the privilege.

Michael Paterson, 59, who embezzled more than 1 million from Aberdeen City Council over a 17-year period to fund a luxury lifestyle has been jailed for four years

Paterson was jailed for four years at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday after pleading guilty to a charge of embezzlement last month, the Crown Office said.

He will now face confiscation proceedings to recover the money he embezzled.

It was formerly reported he initially stole the cash to pay off debts, but then continued to take the money for a no-expense-spared lifestyle spending the cash on Apple goods, foreign holidays and shopping.

However, he was still in debt at the time of his arrest.

Paterson used the money to fund extravagant holidays to locations including Dubai, New York, Portugal, Spain, Costa Rica and Paris, where he boasted about climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

He and his partner would routinely enjoy two overseas holidays a year.

His Facebook feed is filled with images of him enjoying lavish meals and expensive drinks at each location.

They pair are also photographed at dozens of luxury hotels, restaurants and attractions across the country over the past decade, including the Balmoral Hotel and Michelin-star restaurant The Kichin in Edinburgh and Harry Potter World in London.

In one post he writes: 'Having food and drinks. Shocker ehh. Delish'. In another he states: Having a great time so far in glorious Ibiza. The apartment complex is stunning......We are in our element'.

He also attended various concerts to see stars including Beyonce and Michael Buble as well as several theatre productions in London and Edinburgh.

Mr Gill told the court Paterson 'spoke freely' during an interview with officers and added: 'The accused explained the state of his financial affairs. When he had started the embezzlement in 2006, he had been in debt to the sum of 20,000 through credit cards and other loans.

'Although he had paid off his mortgage approximately 13 years previously he had always spent more than his salary and had been in a state of perpetual debts.

'He had originally started the embezzlement because he was worried about the debts.

The 'brazen' council worker initially stole the money to pay off debts but continued to fund a luxury lifestyle that included going to various concerts, including Beyonce

'But over time he had just continued his overspending. He had spent the stolen money on technology, particularly Apple goods, foreign holidays, eating out approximately once a week, shopping and the maintenance of his flat.

'He had not in fact cleared his debts and was still in significant debt.

'The accused expressed his remorse saying, 'I know I've done wrong. I regret what I've done'.

'He explained that he had no intention of ever repaying any of the sums that he had taken.

'He had just been hoping that he would not be found out.'

Paterson carried out the scam as the city council sought redundancies from staff members and paused housing projects in a bid to balance books, with cuts of tens of millions of pounds expected in the upcoming budget for the next financial year.

Mr Gill told the court that Paterson, who joined the council in 1988 rising through the ranks to his last role, made 35,000 per year from his position and has no dependents or previous convictions.

Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: 'This was an egregious betrayal of trust by a council worker who took advantage of his position to embezzle public money from his employers.

'Embezzlement is not a victimless crime. This was a brazen example of an individual inflicting serious financial harm on a local authority.

'Michael Paterson embezzled a significant sum of money. We take such criminality very seriously and COPFS has commenced proceedings to recover the benefit he gained from his criminal enterprise.

'This conviction should send a strong message to others involved in this kind of criminal behaviour.'

Paterson carried out the scam as Aberdeen City Council (pictured) sought redundancies from staff members and paused housing projects in a bid to balance books

Prosecutors said Paterson had unrestricted and unmonitored access to a system which allowed him to issue refunds to council taxpayers of up to 3,000.

In September last year, a colleague spotted an unusual refund conducted by 'mikep' to the value of 2,899.81 to a customer who was not entitled to one.

As a result, the council's counter fraud department was alerted, and a widespread investigation eventually revealed the scale of Paterson's crimes.

It showed that between 2019 and 2023, the total sum of 376,042.85 was paid into a specific account by user 'mikep'.

Further investigations revealed that between 2006 and 2019, a total of 490 refunds worth 711,401.61 were paid into the same account in which Paterson received his monthly council salary.

Paterson was suspended from his job in September 2023 when the matter was reported to police and was dismissed from his employment three months later.

The Crown Office said the 59-year-old will now be the subject of confiscation action under Proceeds of Crime legislation.
The drill rapper son of Mark Duggan, whose death sparked riots in London when he was gunned down by police, has been jailed for five years after he kept a pistol for his 'protection.'

Kemani Duggan, 23, who performs under the name Bandokay, confessed to being in possession of 7.62mm Tokarev calibre Zastava Arms model M57 self-loading pistol.

He also admitted to owning 22 rounds of ammunition with intent to cause fear of violence.

He had earlier admitted simple possession of the gun and ammunition without a firearm certificate between 19 February 2023 and 21 March 2023.

The Old Bailey heard Duggan carried the weapon in order to scare off any potential attackers who might try and assault him because of his rapping fame.

Kemani Duggan, 23, who performs under the name Bandokay, confessed to being in possession of 7.62mm Tokarev calibre Zastava Arms model M57 self-loading pistol

Duggan, who performed under the name Bandokay, ose to prominence in the UK music industry in 2019 when he released Frontstreet, which peaked at number 36 in the UK Albums Chart

The Zastava Arms model 57 was the standard service pistol of the Yugoslav People's Army from 1961 until the early 1990s.

Duggan was described in court as a 'high-ranking' member of the Original Farm Boys (OFB) gang in North London.

He rose to prominence in the UK music industry in 2019 when he released Frontstreet, which peaked at number 36 in the UK Albums Chart.

Abdou Bojang, 22, admitted possessing the weapon and ammunition.

Judge Philip Katz KC said: 'You, Duggan possessed the firearm for at least a month.

'You did not intend to use it by firing it, but you did have it in case you needed to defend yourself if necessary.

'You did not intend to endanger life by carrying it but you did intend to cause fear of violence if you needed to.'

Judge Katz spoke of Duggan's 'unfortunate life history' and explained that the risk to his life was why the sentencing was moved from Wood Green Crown Court to the Old Bailey.

He continued: 'Your loyalty to others associated with that gang is clear.

'It is accepted all round that counts three and five carry a minimum term of five years imprisonment.

'Your criminal records will now include information which people will find alarming.'

The gun and ammunition were found in a communal car park beneath a block of flats where Bojang lived in Wenlock Road, Hackney.

Mark Duggan was shot dead by police in Tottenham Hale in 2011 when he was aged 29. He was in a minicab when officers tried to arrest him on suspicion of possession of a handgun

His death sparked riots in London with buildings and vehicles being burnt and clashes with police

They were found alongside two knives.

Prosecutor Tom Parker earlier described Duggan as a 'high-ranking member of the gang' and said Bojang was minding the firearm.

Bojang was not home when police searched his home on 23 March last year.

He had tried to call both his family and neighbour before officers found a yellow plastic bag containing the gun and 22 rounds of live ammunition in the car park.

Bojang had also called Duggan repeatedly during the search, saying the 'feds' were in his block of flats and he might get 'nicked', the court heard.

He also forwarded Duggan a video of police outside his address along with a photo of the search warrant.

Duggan's DNA was later found on top of the handgun and images of the weapon were found on his phone following his arrest at Gatwick Airport on January 13 this year.

Defending Duggan, Gregory Fishwick said: 'He is sometimes looked at as nothing more than his father's son,

'He has tried to get away from that, he has tried to be a proper father to his son.'

A photo of the gun with ammunition was later found on Duggan's Snapchat in a pin protected file named: 'My eyes only.'

Duggan, of Riversdale Road, Islington, and Bojang, of Wenlock Road, Hackney, were both sentenced to five years imprisonment.

He was just 10 years old when his 29-year-old father died in Tottenham, north London, in August 2011, sparking riots across the country.

Mark Duggan was in a minicab when officers tried to arrest him on suspicion of possession of a handgun on 4 August 2011.

He was shot twice by officer V53 and was killed by a bullet which hit him in the chest.

Three years later an inquest jury concluded he had been lawfully killed.
A suspected drunk driver accused of killing three people during an Independence Day rampage has been revealed as a substance abuse counselor.

Daniel Christopher Hyden, 44, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after he allegedly mowed into a crowd of 10 people in New York City.

Police say he drove a gray Ford F-150 into families, including children, celebrating Independence Day at Corlears Hook Park.

He is expected to be charged over the three deaths, according to The New York Post.

It has emerged that Hyden is a substance-abuse counselor who wrote a book called 'The Sober Addict' and claimed he is passionate about preventing death.

A suspected drunk driver who is accused of killing three people during a rampage on July Fourth has been revealed as a substance abuse counselor

Daniel Christopher Hyden, 44, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after he allegedly mowed into a crowd of 10 people in New York City

The horror crash occurred in the midst of the city's Fourth of July celebrations, and among those hit were a mom and three kids, cops said.

The vehicle crashed around 9pm in the Lower East Side, roughly 20 minutes before fireworks were launched from barges on the Hudson River.

Authorities found Hyden and claimed he had alcohol on his breath when they arrested him.

It later came to light that he wrote a book in 2020 titled 'the Sober Addict' which is described as 'a practical guide on how to effectively live and cope with the dysfunctional, lifelong disease of addiction'.

'Within the pages of DC Hydens book, addicts, family members, enablers, and helpers will find unconventional ways to combat addiction from Onset to Remission,' the synopsis states.

Police say he drove a gray Ford F-150 into families, including children, celebrating Independence Day at Corlears Hook Park

The vehicle crashed around 9pm in the Lower East Side, roughly 20 minutes before fireworks were launched from barges on the Hudson River

'This guide will help you learn how to function with this dysfunctional and chronic illness.'

Hyden has lauded himself as an 'ex-professional addictwith over 18 years of use and abuse experience'.

He claimed 'addicts dont choose addiction  addiction chooses them'.

'My passion is to help my addicted clients successfully move through the various stages of change to prevent their deaths,' he wrote.

Hyden has an author bio on Amazon in which he is described as a substance abuse counsellor and wellness advocate in New York.

'His mission is to use his lifelong experience with addiction to teach addicts how to save themselves and achieve long-term recovery,' it reads.

Authorities found Hyden and claimed he had alcohol on his breath when they arrested him

It later came to light that he wrote a book in 2020 titled 'the Sober Addict' which is described as 'a practical guide on how to effectively live and cope with the dysfunctional, lifelong disease of addiction'

Lucille Pinkney, 59, and her son Hernan Pinkney, 38, were two of the victims killed in the crash but the third person remains unidentified.

A mother and her seven-year-old son were among the other seven injured in the incident.

They were rushed to New York Presbyterian Downtown, Mount Sinai Beth Israel and NYU Langone where four are in critical condition and three are in serious condition.

Hyden suffered head and facial lacerations in the crash and was taken to Bellevue Hospital.

DailyMail.com has contacted the New York City Police Department for comment.
A motorcyclist who was severely injured in a crash loses a 6.4million compensation claim after a photograph showed him taking part in a base jump four years after his accident.

Matthew Shaw, now 30, suffered series injuries to all four limbs after he was hit by a car while riding his motorbike in Stockport, Greater Manchester in 2018.

The then 26-year-old had to undergo 23 surgical procedures and claimed his life had been affected by long-term injuries.

But despite the devastating accident, Mr Shaw lost out on the biggest compensation claim seen by English courts after a photograph showed the adrenaline-seeker had taken part in a base jump just a few years later.

Investigators concluded that the motorcyclist had lied about his injuries and his life had not been as adversely affected as he had originally suggested.

Matthew Shaw's compensation claim was rejected after photos emerged of him taking part in a dangerous sky dive despite claiming he couldn't walk further than 200 yards unaided (Stock image)

Following the dangerous crash in 2018, Gillian Wilde admitted liability after she drove out from a minor road into Mr Shaw's path.

Her insurance company, Hastings made interim payments of 50,000 and 100,000 by 2020 The Times reported.

But investigations by the insurance company, Hastings, concluded that Shaw had lied about his insurance claim.

He had initially claimed he couldn't walk more than 200 yards without the use of a stick but was in fact able to walk five times that far unaided.

Investigators also found evidence of Shaw taking part in a highly dangerous base jump at Monte Brento in Italy in 2022.

A photograph produced by the investigators was used as evidence during the hearing and proved Shaw would have had to have walked for a long distance to reach the jumping-off point.

Mr Shaw had also taken part in climbing expeditions and had been certified fit for a tandem skydive by his GP.

Despite the evidence, Mr Shaw continued to seek compensation including a Land Rover to transport his mobility scooter, bungalow accommodation in an affluent area, and business class travel for trips abroad.

Monte Brento in Italy where Mr Shaw was photographed undertaking a dangerous sky dive (File Image)

The judge presiding over the case rejected Shaw's explanation that he was only carrying the jumping gear for a friend.

Judge Craig Sephton KC, sitting as a High Court judge, said that Shaw had 'lied to the experts and to the court about the extent of his disabilities'.

He added that Shaw had been 'made aware of the potential consequences of presenting a dishonest claim' and that 'despite this he did not admit that he had lied. On the contrary, he continued to lie. He was unrepentant.'

Summarising his findings, the judge said that he concluded that the now 30-year-old 'advanced a case that his mobility and function were severely compromised when he knew that his mobility and function were not nearly so severely affected as he made out. He then gave explanations and excuses which he knew to be untrue.'
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has congratulated the party's fifth MP by animatedly telling him 'go on my son!', as the politician slammed the current electoral system as 'outdated' and 'not fit for purpose'.

The party won a fifth seat in the General Election by just a whisker of a lead this afternoon after a recount in an Essex constituency saw their candidate take a majority of 98 votes.

James McMurdock won the Basildon South and East Thurrock seat from Labour candidate Jack Ferguson, in the final election result to be declared in England.

He was the fifth Reform winner after party leader Nigel Farage won in Clacton, Lee Anderson defended Ashfield, party chairman Richard Tice secured Boston and Skegness and former Southampton FC chairman Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth.

Mr McMurdock took 12,178 votes, giving him a 30.8 per cent share  while Mr Ferguson got 12,080 and 30.5 per cent.

'Go on my son!' Nigel Farage went on social media to congratulate his newest MP James McMurdock, as he also slammed the current electoral system as 'unfit for purpose'

The seat was previously held by the Tories, but their candidate Stephen Metcalfe got 10,159 votes, a share of 25.7 per cent.

Other parties who got less than 5 per cent were independent candidates Neil Speight and Steven Burnett, the Green Party's Elizabeth Grant, Liberal Democrat candidate Dave Thomas and Simon Breedon of the Social Democratic Party.

Mr Farage was swift to congratulate his newest MP via a video message on X.

Wrapped in the euphoria of his latest win, Mr Farage explained how Mr McMurdock was 'neck-a-neck' with his Labour rival

Mr Farage recounts how he called up James McMurdock to find out what was happening in Basildon South and East Thurrock, after the vote was recounted for the third time

Mr Farage was delighted after finding out Mr McMurdock had secured the final seat in Essex

Wrapped in the euphoria of the win, Mr Farage explained how Mr McMurdock was 'neck-and-neck' with his Labour rival.

He said: 'Our candidate James McMurdock was a paper candidate, drafted in at the last minute - a former City boy. He was absolutely neck-and-neck with Labour.

'So I rang him up and said, 'Look, let me ring your agent so I can find out what's happening', because they were on their third recount.

'He said, 'I haven't got an agent, I am my own agent.'

'So I asked who was in the hall watching the vote count with you and he said, 'with my mum and dad!'

'He's an MP! Go on my son!'

With five MPs now under his wing in the House of Commons, Mr Farage was also quick to point out that under proportional representation his party would have actually won 100 seats.

He has strongly voiced his intention to change the current first-past-the-post system.

Across the UK, more than four million votes - accounting for 14 per cent of the total vote - were cast for Reform in the general election, with the party securing just five MPs, The Telegraph reports.

In contrast, the Liberal Democrats received fewer votes - 3.5 million - but now have 71 MPs.

Critics of electoral reform say that ditching first-past-the-post (FPTP) would simply lead to weak coalition governments, giving small and extreme parties disproportionate power.

Many forms of proportional representation would also lose the element of MPs representing specific geographical constituencies.

However, supporters of proportional representation say the current system encourages tactical voting and is unfair.

Political commentators credit the FPTP system for helping the Conservatives stay in power for much of the past century.

Speaking at a press conference in central London, Mr Farage said: 'It's very much my view that our outdated, first-past-the-post electoral system is not fit for purpose and we will campaign with anyone and everyone to change this electoral system.

'That's what we'll be doing and we'll make those arguments in parliament as quickly as we can.'

Mr Farage also gave a '100 per cent promise' to rid Reform of 'bad apples', as multiple protesters disrupted an event designed to celebrate the party's gains.

Reform MPs Richard Tice, Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe in London today

Your browser does not support iframes.

The Reform leader walked on stage to lights and dance music, then faced a barrage of heckles from protesters in the audience as he tried to start a speech in central London to mark what the party described as a 'political earthquake'.

He suggested one of the protesters had had a 'bigger lunch than I have', and that another was at risk of having a stroke before questioning if they were actors, a nod to a Reform canvasser filmed using a racial slur to describe now former prime minister Rishi Sunak.

Mr Farage accused a man who interrupted his speech of being 'steaming' and shouted 'boring!' nine times as a second heckler started speaking.

He told his party's supporters: 'This is good preparation for the House of Commons I suppose, isn't it? It's going to be very lively in there.'

When Mr Farage asked: 'Any more for any more?' there was a long pause before a man shouted: 'Actually yes.'

Nigel Farage is heckled during at a Reform UK press conference in London this afternoon

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

Nigel Farage reacts as a protester interrupts his press conference in London this afternoon

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage reacts as a protester interrupts his speech in London today

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

Mr Farage added: 'We haven't organised this very well, have we?'

All heckling members of the audience were escorted out of the Westminster venue.

The chaotic scenes took place at an event where Mr Farage, the new MP for Clacton, was joined by his fellow parliamentarians Mr Anderson, Mr Tice and Mr Lowe.

While Reform UK was formed in 2018, Mr Farage has sought to become an MP multiple times without success.

He was a member of the European Parliament for 20 years, during which time he campaigned fiercely for the UK to leave the EU.

Reform had an early boost in several constituencies where they took second place, pushing the Tories into third.

Reform MPs Richard Tice, Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe in London today

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

A heckler is escorted out as Reform party leader Nigel Farage tries to speak in London today

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon is interrupted by hecklers

Nigel Farage is heckled during at a Reform UK press conference in London this afternoon

A heckler interrupts Reform party leader Nigel Farage as he tries to speak in London today

A heckler is led away during Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

Mr Farage said: 'We bite our nails', as they await a recount in Basildon South & East Thurrock in the hope they would secure a fifth seat.

He said proportional representation in the voting system would have meant Reform 'looking at nearly 100 seats', adding the 'outdated' first-past-the-post electoral system is 'not fit for purpose'.

After claiming the General Election showed there was 'absolutely no enthusiasm' for Sir Keir Starmer's Labour, Mr Farage reiterated his party's ambitions to act as the opposition to the new Government.

Mr Farage said: 'We are going to be the opposition around the country.'

He added: 'Above all what we're going to do from today is we're going to professionalise the party, we're going to democratise the party, and those few bad apples that have crept in will be gone, will be long gone, and we will never have any of their type back in our organisation.

'You have a 100 per cent promise on that.'

Read More:

Hecklers interrupt Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

Nigel Farage is heckled during at a Reform UK press conference in London this afternoon

Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon is interrupted by hecklers

Hecklers interrupt Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

A heckler is led away during Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

Nigel Farage puts his head in his hand in Westminster today as the speech is interrupted

A heckler is led away during Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

Hecklers interrupt Nigel Farage's press conference in Westminster this afternoon

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage with Richard Tice at the press conference in London today

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage arrives at the press conference in London today

During the press conference he also said that vetting candidates is 'easy' and that most racism in British politics is in the Labour Party.

Asked how he would vet Reform candidates properly going forward, including for racism, he said: 'Very easy. You go back through their social media records, you obviously do police checks and things like that, no, it's not difficult to do it and the message has to be clear and simple.

'We don't want anyone like that involved with us. Indeed I mean the racism problem in the Labour Party was enormous, but to Keir Starmer's credit actually he did quite a lot by getting rid of Jeremy Corbyn, who ironically has been re-elected.

'There's an awful lot we can do. There is plenty of racism in British politics, it's mostly in the Labour Party.'

Mr Farage said he was not going into Westminster to 'behave terribly' but would challenge conventions after being elected as an MP for the first time.

Leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage and Chairman of Reform UK, Richard Tice, in London today

Reform MPs Richard Tice, Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe in London today

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage pauses as he speaks to the media in London today

Reform MP for Ashfield, Lee Anderson, speaks to the media during a press conference today

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage with Richard Tice at the press conference in London today

Reform MPs Richard Tice, Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Rupert Lowe in London today

Asked how he would democratise Reform UK and shake up Westminster from the inside as a 'disruptor', he said he did not know whether his party would have the 'power to change the systems' and that being a 'disruptor' can be considered negative but could be 'a very positive context because it sparks a very, very different debate'.

'But we're not going in to behave terribly or anything like that, but certainly going in to challenge conventions and certainly going in believing that the broad church that is the Conservative Party that currently has no religion, simply won't be able to provide any sort of challenge at all.

'And we may be fewer in number but we're absolutely united in what we believe in and what we stand for.'

He also said Reform's constitution would 'get put fully to the conference'.

Mr Anderson claimed he would be looking at Sir Keir Starmer's Government in the Commons and thinking 'what has our country come to'.

The Reform MP said the UK's Prime Minister and his 'motley crew absolutely scares me to death, I'm going to be sat on the green benches next week looking at them and thinking what has our country come to'.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage reacts as a protester interrupts his speech in London today

Reform MP for Ashfield, Lee Anderson, speaks to the media during a press conference today

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage pauses as he speaks to the media in London today

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media in London this afternoon

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media in London this afternoon

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media in London this afternoon

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media in London this afternoon

Mr Farage said Reform's focus will be on going 'after Labour votes'.

He said: 'Old Labour was very, very patriotic. It believed in the country. It believed in its people. New Labour far less so.

'And the journey that Lee Anderson has been on is a journey that at least a couple of million people have been on, and it'll be many, many more by the time we're finished, because no doubt, our priority now is to go after Labour votes. That is what we're going to be doing.

Mr Farage has said he is 'launching criminal legal action' against Colin Bloom of Vetting.Com as he vowed to 'professionalise' Reform.

Facing a question about the racism row engulfing the party, its leader again blamed the firm it contracted to vet candidates.

Nigel Farage celebrates with his girlfriend Laure Ferrari after he won in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

Nigel Farage celebrates after winning his first seat in parliament in Clacton-on-Sea early today

This was the eighth attempt by Mr Farage to win a Westminster seat after years of trying

Reform UK's Richard Tice is elected in Boston and Skegness overnight

Reform MP Lee Anderson is announced as winner at the general election count in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, overnight

He also said: 'I made it clear that Ukip would be a non-racist, non-sectarian party, and in the end it was.

'I will jolly well make sure, starting today, that we do not want people with desperately unpleasant views. We will not tolerate people with these views. They will be gone.

'And we'll have the funding after this, we'll have the support coming in to be able to absolutely professionalise the party. This will never happen again.'

He laughed and said 'stitch-up merchants' as he was asked a question by Channel 4 News.

The Reform leader has launched a series of attacks against the broadcaster after it reported that a canvasser for his party had used racist language.

Channel 4 then asked him about the leadership and direction of the party, to which he responded that he would stay at the helm but indicated that by the 2029 election 'somebody younger and better-looking' will have come along.

As the event ended, the audience of about 100 people gave a round of applause, Mr Farage, Mr Tice, Mr Anderson and Mr Lowe then posed for photos before leaving.

Afterwards, Mr Anderson called hecklers who interrupted the event 'professional nuisances'.

He added: 'I think they need to get a job.'
A Brazilian influencer ate foam packaging inserts during a TikTok livestream and, oddly enough, compared its taste to Cheetos.

The bizarre footage showed Adriane Batistta showing off beauty products that she had just received in the mail.

She proceeded to grab one of the pink foam packing noodles from the small box and smelled it before taking a small bite.

'Guys, I saw everyone doing this, I had to do it,' Batistta said while looking at her camera.

She then took another bite off the same foam strip and shouted, 'Guys,' before she places the entire foam piece in her mouth.

'This is Cheetos to eat!' she said while eating a second strip.

Brazilian influencer Adriane Batistta raised some eyebrows when she ate foam strips and claimed it was like if she was eating Cheetos during a TikTok livestream in which she was showing off beauty products she had received in the mail

Adriane Batistta was doing a TikTok livestream when she ate five foam strips out of a box that contained beauty products she had recently order

After chewing on a third piece, Batistta confirmed, 'It tastes like a cheese puff, you know? The one with the red package.'

She subsequently took two more strips and says, 'I'm freaking out guys!'

The recording briefly stopped and resumed with Batistta presenting some of the items she purchased and opening a plastic bag before she reached for two more foams.

'I'm almost sure it's edible,' she wondered aloud.

Batistta did not immediately respond to a request for comment by DailyMail.com.

Brazilian influencer Adriane Batistta went viral earlier this week when she ate foam packaging strips. Some of her TikTok followers thought about trying it to while other social media followers thought doing so was irresponsible

A viral TikTok video filmed by Brazilian influencer Adriana Batistta captured her eating strips of foam

Some social medial followers were amused by her actions while others found it irresponsible.

'She ate it with so much pleasure that now I want to eat it too LOL,' one TikToker commented.

Batistta advised them, 'It's better not to eat.'

'Never laughed so hard at a girl eating Styrofoam,' another TikToker said.

'It's not beautiful and it doesn't influence anyone, worse than it could induce children to eat Styrofoam and die from it. Absurd,' one of her followers wrote on Instagram.

'Guys, I saw that this is made from corn, they put out a warning not to consume it, probably due to the way it is stored and because it has some composition that you cannot ingest,' another TikToker warned.
Health officials issued an urgent warning after a train carrying toxic materials derailed and exploded into a fireball in North Dakota.

Hazmat crews have been deployed to a remote area around 140 miles north of Fargo, after 29 cars of a CPKC train derailed at around 3:45 am on Friday.

The hazardous materials in the train included anhydrous ammonia, sulfur and methanol, which officials warned are being expelled from the wreckage in toxic smoke.

Ammonia is the biggest risk, and if exposed to the compound, it can cause burning to the eyes, nose and throat, as well as blindness, lung damage, and death.

Shocking images captured the aftermath of a train derailment carrying toxic materials that exploded into a fireball in North Dakota

The hazardous materials in the train included anhydrous ammonia, sulfur and methanol, with officials warning over toxic smoke being expelled from the wreckage

Health officials said they currently have no plans to evacuate the area, but may look to clear the towns of Bordulac and Carrington if the wind switches.

'Wind has been in our favor on this,' Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager for the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, told WKMG6.

'That risk has greatly subsided, (but it is) still there as long as fires are burning.'

The cause of the derailment is currently unclear, and officials say they are launching investigations into the crash.

There are no early reports of injuries, deaths or side effects caused by the toxic derailment, and the train's engineer and conductor were reportedly able to leave the crash site unscathed.

Footage shared to social media showed the crash site engulfed in flames

There are no early reports of injuries, deaths or side effects caused by the toxic derailment, and the train's engineer and conductor were reportedly able to leave the crash site unscathed

Health officials warned the toxic materials could seep from the crash site in hazardous smoke, with a huge plume of dark smoke seen filling the sky hours after the derailment

Andrew Kirking, emergency management director for Foster County, said it appears early in the investigation that between 10 and 15 of the train's cars caught fire.

Railroad fire crews were on the scene battling the blazes, with footage shared to social media showing a huge fireball engulfing the wreckage.

CPKC said in a statement that it has 'initiated its emergency response plan and launched a comprehensive, coordinated response.'

'Crews, including senior officers from our operations and hazardous materials teams, are responding to assess the situation,' the statement read.

'We are coordinating with local emergency response officials already on scene. The train is carrying hazardous materials. There is a fire at the scene.

'There are no reports of injuries. The safety of the public and emergency responders is CPKC's first priority.'
Sir Keir Starmer's wife 'Lady Vic' gave her father a warm embrace as she stepped into her new life in the limelight and entered through the doors of No 10.

Bernard Alexander, who comes from a Polish-Jewish background briefly stood upright with the help of a walking aid, as his daughter gave him a tight and loving squeeze.

Previously an economics lecturer and accountant, Mr Alexander moved to the UK from Poland before the Second World War broke out across Europe

Having raised Lady Victoria Starmer alongside late mother who also converted to the faith, his 'streetwise' daughter is set to bring Shabbat to Downing Street.

The Prime Minister has faced backlash for suggesting he would be off the clock by 6pm on Fridays for the religious celebration - despite being an atheist himself - a criticism he implied had anti-semitic tones.

Sir Keir Starmer 's wife 'Lady Vic' gave her Jewish father a warm embrace before she entered through the historic doors of No 10

Her Jewish father Bernard Alexander was previously an economics lecturer, who had come to the UK from Poland before the Second World War broke out in Europe

'Vic', as he calls her, has taken a back seat during the campaign

Keir Starmer acknowledged 'weariness at the heart of the nation' after his so-called 'loveless landslide' in the election, with his wife by his side

Sir Keir and wife Victoria walked into their new home after he delivered his first speech as PM this afternoon

The newly-elected PM and his wife Victoria were clapped in by staff as they entered No10

'I would have thought to anybody it's blindingly obvious that a Friday night is quite important in some religions and faiths,' he told the Jewish Chronicle.

Labour MP Wes Streeting has also come to Starmer's defence in a bid to protect his Friday evenings in a bid to honour his wife's religious background.

In an interview with Chris Evans on Virgin Radio on Monday, he said: 'Keir isn't clocking off on Fridays, he doesn't put off Fridays.

'He does try to protect Friday evenings for his kids for two reasons. One he's a great dad.

'And secondly, his wife's family do have Jewish heritage and they try to keep Fridays special in keeping with their families culture, faith and practice.'

The publicly doting couple have also been keen to raise their two teenagers in a Liberal Jewish Synagogue in North London so they can 'recognize the faith of part of their grandfather's family'.

The youngsters are said to be 'completely freaked out' by the idea of being known for the first time following their father's landslide win.

But Mrs Starmer on the other hand as confessed she is 'quite unbothered' by her husband's political antics and refused to be the wife-on-the-campaign-trail this election cycle.

The couple have two teenage children, a 16-year-old boy and 13-year-old daughter said to be both daunted by the limelight

The couple were cheered as they left the rally this morning

Sir Keir said he wanted to 'changed the country' but warned it will 'take a while', saying he wanted to restore the values of 'service' to politics. He admitted that many people did not believe he would improve the country

Despite her husband's new title as Prime Minister of the UK. the NHS occupational therapist will continue to focus on her role, her family and above all else raising their two teenagers.

'She's a streetwise grounded, brilliant, gorgeous woman who wants as far as she can to get on with her own life and to protect it', Mr Starmer said recently.

'She loves working for the NHS. She loves the team that she's working with. And she and I are doing our best to raise two happy and confident children and that matters hugely to us.'

Mrs Starmer has been described as Britain's 'reluctant First Lady'.

And although the pair looked very much in love on the steps of Downing Street - this has not always been the case.

According to Starmer, at least.

Sir Keir admits that his wife is so 'sassy' that the first thing she said after speaking with him for the first time was: 'Who the f*** does he think he is?'

A young Mr Starmer, then a barrister, had made the fatal error of incorrectly questioning his future wife's work as a solicitor - and found himself on the end of her sharp tongue.

Victoria pictured with Sir Keir during a count for the 2017 general election. She has become a more public companion of her politico husband in recent years - but she still remains reluctant to be in the limelight

Sir Keir and Victoria with his parents Josephine and Rodney, taken on their wedding day in 2007

Sir Clive Alderton, Principal Private Secretary to the King and Queen (2nd right) with Commander William Thornton, Royal Navy, Equerry to the King (right) as Sir Keir Starmer, and his wife Victoria Starmer, leave Buckingham Palace in London after an audience with King Charles III

Incoming British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Victoria Starmer outside No. 10

Victoria Starmer hugged jubilant activists this afternoon after Sir Keir was formally installed as Britain's 58th PM

Your browser does not support iframes.

But undeterred he asked her out for a drink to the Lord Stanely pub in Camden in 2000 anyway, and the rest is history with the pair trying the knot in 2007.

Yesterday they moved into the flat above No 10 Downing Street - and Mr Starmer will keep his promise of getting a dog for their two teenage children after his party's landslide election victory.

Sir Keir Starmer's intensely private wife stepped out of the shadows and into the as they celebrated Labour's historic election win with a passionate kiss.

Just hours before she started a new life in Downing Street, Lady Victoria closed her eyes and enjoyed a clinch with Sir Keir after his speech at a victory rally in central London.

The public display of affection was a rare step for Mrs Starmer.

But the 'reluctant First Lady' can avoid the limelight no longer, and yesterday Lady Victoria Starmer entered No 10 with her husband after hugging well-wishers in the world's most famous street after Labour's landslide victory and crushing of the Tories.

Read More:

The First Lady of British politics was cheering wildly as her husband romped home

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer kisses his wife Victoria as it was confirmed he will be the next PM at around 5am this morning

Sir Keir and Lady Victoria clapping for key workers outside their home in London in May 2020. Lady Vic works in the NHS and will not give up her job

Those close to the Labour leader say his 'no-nonsense' and 'sassy' wife has no qualms about 'telling people about the real Keir'.

Even if he has not found it easy himself after their initial fiery introduction.

Fast forward 24 years later, the pair now share a 1.75million Kentish Town home with their two children - a teenager named Toby and a younger daughter whose name has not been made public.
Do YOU know who the men shouting at Jess Phillips were? Email tips@dailymail.com

Jess Phillips said she was 'disgusted' by the pro-Palestinian mob who booed her during her victory speech, but she doubled down on her calls for them to have been thrown out saying she 'wanted them to hear what I had to say'.

The Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley suffered jeers and chants of 'Free Palestine' by pro-Palestinian supporters after she beat independent candidate Jody McIntyre by just 693 votes.

She looked furious and yelled back: 'I understand that a strong woman standing up to you is met with such reticence' before asking for the mob to be thrown out, pointing at them and saying: 'Can you throw them out?'

Jess later stayed defiant during an interview with LBC as she was asked if the group should have been removed earlier to avoid any kind of disruption and 'vitriol'.

'No, I wanted them to hear what I had to say,' she said before bursting out into laughter.

Jess Phillips said she was 'disgusted' by the pro-Palestinian mob who booed her during her victory speech, but she doubled down on her calls for them to have been thrown out saying she 'wanted them to hear what I had to say'

The crowd filming and heckling Ms Phillips last night

Jo Cox's widower and London's victims' commissioner have both come out in support of Jess

She has received the backing of Brendon Cox, the widower of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, who said he was 'very proud of her today'.

While London's victims' commissioner Claire Waxman was also strongly in her corner as she praised Jess for 'yet again standing up to misogyny and hate'.

Jess described the campaign as 'pretty gruesome' and took aim at her opponent's tactics.

'I feel pretty tired and pretty disgusted by the kind of people who instead of just having a fair fight, would seek intimidation and silencing of people and lying about people rather than standing on their own merits,' she told LBC.

'And you know what? Not a single other candidate on that stage today did anything but do that. Stand on their own merits, their own record, their own ideas.

'But, you know, if grievance politics , when all you want to do is give someone a kick in, unsurprisingly, isn't very pleasant.'

Mr Cox, whose wife Jo was shot and knifed to death in 2016 as she was about to hold a constituency surgery, said it was 'sad' Jess had to 'stand up to such intimidation and bile'.

He wrote on X/ Twitter: 'But no one does it better. Very proud of her today.'

Labour's Jess Phillips is booed as she wins her general election count after being closely run by Jody McIntyre, another pro-Gaza independent. The Returning Officer (right) tried to calm them down before she asked for them to be thrown out

Ms Waxman called her a 'brilliant MP and one of the strongest voices in this country on tackling violence against women and girls'.

'Delighted to see her re-elected and now have the opportunity to better protect women and girls in this country,' she said.

Jess said that a young woman delivering leaflets for her yesterday was filmed by her rivals 'and screamed at by a much older man' and then had her tyres slashed.

She also said she declined the help of the family of murdered MP Jo Cox because of the violence in her area.

She added: 'I didn't bring my children here tonight, because I knew this would happen and they deserve better.

'It's been pretty gruelling here, I'm afraid to say some of my opponents did not reflect at all the manner in which some of my constituents behaved which was with decorum and class.'

After her majority shrank to three figures, she was interrupted by shouts of 'Jody, Jody' - in support of the her rival.

The Labour MP only beat independent rival Jody McIntyre by around 700 votes

Labour's Jess Phillips reacts to being jeered

She accused her opponents of violence and intimidation

She looked furious and yelled back: ' I understand that a strong woman standing up to you is met with such reticence'

She was run close by her pro-Palestine rival Jody McIntyre (pictured waving)

There were also calls of 'free Palestine' and 'shame on you' after she narrowly managed to hold on to her seat, scraping 11,275 votes compared to the 10,582 won by Workers Party candidate McIntyre.

Ms Phillips hit back at the hecklers: 'I see we're going to continue with the class that we had during the campaign... I understand that a strong woman standing up to you is met with such reticence.'

She also thanked West Midlands Police for their response to the 'aggression that we have suffered' during the six-week campaign.

Sir Keir Starmer was also heckled with shouts of 'Free Palestine' both at the polling station in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency and at his election count as he was declared to have won his seat.

Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth was unseated by an independent in Leicester South.

Mr Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general who has made media appearances for the party during Labour's election campaign, was defeated by independent candidate Shockat Adam.

His main policies include 'standing for global peace and justice', and he writes on his website: 'I will champion Leicester's values of global peace and justice, which have been neglected by the current government. Our constituency MP refused to vote for a ceasefire to end the bloodshed in Gaza, resulting in the needless deaths of thousands of innocent civilians.'

Jess thanked her supporters after a troublesome campaign almost cost her her seat

Ms Phillips said 2024 was 'the worst election I have ever stood in' - but she held on

In Dewsbury and Batley, independent candidate Iqbal Mohamed, whose key focus areas include a ceasefire and peace agreement in Gaza, beat the Labour candidate Heather Iqbal.

In Blackburn, Labour's Kate Hollern lost to Adnan Hussain, who said in his online statement to voters: 'I promise to make your concerns against the injustice being inflicted against the people of Gaza be heard in the places where our so-called representatives failed.'

In Birmingham Perry Barr, Labour's Khalid Mahmood lost the seat to independent Ayoub Khan by 507 votes.

Birmingham Live previously reported Mr Khan was one of several candidates in the city who wanted to stand in the election 'with a strong emphasis on the Gaza situation'.

Labour's Paul Waugh meanwhile won Rochdale from Workers Party leader George Galloway, just months after he won the seat in a shock by-election dominated by the Gaza war.

Mr Galloway, a former Labour and Respect member, swept to victory in Rochdale in February gaining almost 40% of the vote.

Palestine has been a major theme of Mr Galloway's political career, throughout which he has voiced ferocious opposition to British and US foreign policies, both in the Middle East and, more recently, in their support for Ukraine.

Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meanwhile ran as an independent and successfully retained his long-held seat of Islington North in London. He beat his Labour rival by more than 7,000 votes.

Your browser does not support iframes.

He has long been a pro-Palestine voice and his platform included demanding an end to the occupation of Palestinian Territories.

Independent candidate Faiza Shaheen blamed Labour for letting former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith win in Chingford and Woodford Green, saying the vote was split between her and her Labour challenger.

Ms Shaheen was dropped by Labour as its candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green after liking a series of posts on social media platform X that allegedly downplayed antisemitism allegations.

She wrote on X: 'Our vote was a combination of those appalled by how I was treated, those who took issue with having an imposed candidate who didn't know us, those who were never going to vote Labour after Starmer's stance on Gaza, and those that have never voted before.

'Labour split the vote the moment they deselected me.'

Sir Keir's position on the Gaza conflict has previously caused unease among some in his party, with the leader facing criticism for not calling for an immediate ceasefire sooner.

In its manifesto, the Labour party committed to recognising a Palestinian state.

The Labour Party faced setbacks in the local elections in some previously safe areas, particularly those with large Muslim populations.
Advertisement

Britain's new Cabinet ministers were facing up to the size of their bulging in-trays last night after being shown the trappings of high office.

Sir Keir Starmer moved to appoint the top team in his new Government shortly after being installed as Britain's 58th Prime Minister following Labour's landslide general election win.

Rachel Reeves became Britain's first female Chancellor, while David Lammy was appointed the new Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper the new Home Secretary, and Wes Streeting the new Health Secretary.

All of them enjoyed introductory tours of their new Whitehall departments as the met with officials. But they were also immediately challenged by the myriad of crises they will have to battle over the coming weeks and months.

Union bosses this evening demanded Mr Streeting come forward with a 'credible' offer to end the junior doctors' dispute on pay, as they eye a 35 per cent wage hike.

Mr Lammy vowed to support an 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza after witnessing an election backlash in some parts of the country over Labour's stance on the Middle East conflict.

In a speech to Treasury staff, Ms Reeves promised to boost Britain's economic growth as her 'central mission'.

And Ms Cooper pledged to set up a new 'Border Security Command' to tackle the Channel migrant crisis, as she prepares to scrap the Tories' Rwanda deportation scheme.

Sir Keir made two eye-catching ministerial appointments this evening as he drafted in Sir Patrick Vallance, who was the Government's chief scientific adviser during the Covid crisis, as a science minister.

He also named James Timpson, chief executive of his father's Timpsons shoe repair chain business, as minister for prisons, parole and probation. Both he and Sir Patrick have been handed peerages by the new PM.

But, as of this evening, there was no place for Emily Thornberry in Sir Keir's new Government.

Despite her having served as shadow attorney general in opposition, she was overlooked for the role of Attorney General in favour of Richard Hermer KC, who was also handed a peerage.

It comes after Ms Thornberry caused embarrassment for Sir Keir during the general election campaign with her admission that Labour's plan to charge VAT on private school fees risks increasing class sizes in the state sector.

Rachel Reeves, who is Britain's first female Chancellor, was applauded by Treasury staff as she made her first visit to her new department

In a speech to officials, Ms Reeves vowed to boost Britain's economic growth as her 'central mission'

David Lammy, Britain's new Foreign Secretary, was shown around the Foreign Office after being appointed

New Health Secretary Wes Streeting was told by union bosses to come forward with a 'credible' offer to end the junior doctors' dispute on pay, as they eye a 35 per cent wage hike

Yvette Cooper, the new Home Secretary, pledged to set up a new 'Border Security Command' to tackle the Channel migrant crisis, as she prepares to scrap the Tories' Rwanda deportation scheme

Sir Keir Starmer, pictured with his wife Victoria, moved to appoint the top team in his new Government shortly after being installed as Britain's 58th Prime Minister following Labour's landslide general election win

Sir Keir made his Cabinet appointments after earlier stepping through the entrance to No10 as the new Labour premier with a vow to 'immediately' begin work to 'rebuild Britain' after winning a huge majority.

The Labour leader was applauded by staff inside the famous black door as he walked inside with wife Victoria after making his first address to the nation as the new premier.

Who's in Keir's Cabinet? Angela Rayner - Deputy PM, Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary

- Deputy PM, Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Rachel Reeves - Chancellor of the Exchequer

- Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lammy - Foreign Secretary

- Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper - Home Secretary

- Home Secretary John Healey - Defence Secretary

- Defence Secretary Wes Streeting - Health Secretary

- Health Secretary Bridget Phillipson - Education Secretary

- Education Secretary Shabana Mahmood - Justice Secretary

- Justice Secretary Pat McFadden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

- Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Ed Miliband - Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary

- Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Liz Kendall - Work and Pensions Secretary

- Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Reynolds - Business and Trade Secretary

- Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle - Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary

- Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Louise Haigh - Transport Secretary

- Transport Secretary Lisa Nandy - Culture Secretary

- Culture Secretary Steve Reed - Environment Secretary

- Environment Secretary Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

- Chief Secretary to the Treasury Richard Hermer - Attorney General

- Attorney General Ian Murray - Scottish Secretary

- Scottish Secretary Hilary Benn - Northern Ireland Secretary

- Northern Ireland Secretary Jo Stevens - Welsh Secretary

- Welsh Secretary Lucy Powell - Leader of the House of Commons

- Leader of the House of Commons Baroness Smith - Leader of the House of Lords

- Leader of the House of Lords Sir Alan Campbell - Chief Whip Advertisement

The 61-year-old acknowledged 'weariness at the heart of the nation' after his so-called 'loveless landslide' in the general election, which saw Labour win more than 400 seats having received barely one in three votes across the UK.

Among their demands to Mr Streeting tonight, the British Medical Association said the junior doctors' dispute 'must be brought to an ened via a credible Government offer'.

They offered the Health Secretary hope of a possible resolution as they conceded that 'pay restoration doesn't have to be in one go'.

Mr Streeting has previously warned Labour won't be able to afford the BMA's demand for a 35 per cent pay rise for junior doctors.

The Health Secretary later announced he had spoken to BMA bosses and 'talks to end their industrial action will begin next week'.

Despite Labour's widespread success across Britain in the general election, they lost a handful of former strongholds to independent candidates campaigning on pro-Gaza platforms.

In one of the biggest shocks of election night, shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth lost his Leicester South seat, which he previously won with a majority of more than 22,000 votes.

Speaking to broadcasters after being appointed as Foreign Secretary, Mr Lammy said: 'All of us recognise the agony of communities who have seen the scenes coming out of Israel and Gaza.

'But the job now is to get to work with tireless diplomacy to support an immediate ceasefire and move towards getting those hostages out.'

Ms Reeves, a self-confessed 'geek' and schoolgirl chess champion, is one of Sir Keir's closest allies and will be the first woman to lead the Treasury in its 1,000-year history.

The new Chancellor told her new department's staff that the Labour Government would work 'hand in glove with business' as she vowed its 'central mission' would be to boost economic growth.

In a swipe at her Tory predecessors, Ms Reeves also pledged to change the 'uncertainty' and lack of 'clarity of political purpose' Treasury staff had previously had to endure.

Ms Cooper also blasted the Conservatives' record as she spoke outside the Home Office, saying: 'We know there are a lot of challenges ahead and after 14 years there is some difficult legacy that we will inherit, and we know that that will mean hard graft and not gimmicks ahead in order to tackle that.'

She added that setting up a 'new Border Security Command to go after the criminal boat gangs' would be among her 'first steps' as Home Secretary.

This afternoon, Angela Rayner had been the first arrival in Downing Street before being named Deputy Prime Minister.

She was also appointed Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary as she was handed a portfolio focused on her party's planned housebuilding blitz.

Ms Rayner was later followed into Downing Street by Mr Lammy, Ms Cooper and John Healey. They were duly appointed as Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary and Defence Secretary, respectively.

Sir Keir made an almost wholesale transfer of the shadow team he had in opposition into his Cabinet following Labour's massive general election victory.

Mr Streeting was named Health Secretary, Shabana Mahmood became Justice Secretary, Bridget Phillipson was appointed Education Secretary, and Ed Miliband made a return to ministerial office as Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary.

The former Labour leader is set to oversee his party's promise to decarbonise Britain's electricity grid by 2030.

In a further raft of appointments, Sir Keir named Liz Kendall as Work and Pensions Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds as Business and Trade Secretary, Peter Kyle as Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary, and Louise Haigh as Transport Secretary.

Lisa Nandy was appointed Culture Secretary as Sir Keir moved to fill a vacancy left by Thangam Debbonaire, who had shadowed the portfolio in opposition but failed to get re-elected to the House of Commons.

Steve Reed was appointed Environment Secretary, Ian Murray became Scottish Secretary, Hilary Benn was named Northern Ireland Secretary, and Jo Stevens was named Welsh Secretary.

Rachel Reeves today became Britain's first female Chancellor as Sir Keir Starmer began to appoint his Cabinet shortly after entering No10 for the first time as Prime Minister

The 45-year-old, a self-confessed 'geek' and schoolgirl chess champion, is one of Sir Keir's closest allies and will be the first woman to lead the Treasury in its 1,000-year history

Ms Reeves posed outside the Chancellor's traditional residence at 11 Downing Street. She later posted on X: 'To every young girl and woman reading this, let today show that there should be no limit to your ambitions'

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner was the first arrival this afternoon ahead of being named Deputy Prime Minister

Ms Rayner was also appointed Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary as she was handed a portfolio focused on her party's planned housebuilding blitz

David Lammy entered No10 ahead of his appointment as Britain's new Foreign Secretary

Yvette Cooper was welcomed inside No10 as she returned to government for the first time in 14 years as Home Secretary

Ed Miliband, a former Labour leader, also returned to ministerial office as Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary

Wes Streeting (left), the new Health Secretary, and John Healey, the new Defence Secretary, walked down Downing Street ahead of appointments to Sir Keir's Cabinet

Bridget Phillipson walked up to No10 before being named the new Education Secretary

Lisa Nandy, the new Culture Secretary, and Louise Haigh, the new Transport Secretary

Jonathan Reynolds (left) was appointed Business and Trade Secretary, while Peter Kyle was named Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary

Liz Kendall was appointed the new Work and Pensions Secretary

Speaking after her appointment as Chancellor, Ms Reeves posted on X: 'Economic growth was the Labour Party's mission. It is now a national mission. Let's get to work.'

She added: 'To every young girl and woman reading this, let today show that there should be no limit to your ambitions.'

In her first address to Treasury staff, Ms Reeves vowed to change the 'uncertainty' and lack of 'clarity of political purpose' from her Tory predecessors.

She told them: 'I know that a lot has been asked of you in the last few years  and I know, when the chips are down, staff at the Treasury have risen to the occasion, from furlough to energy price support.

'I have often disagreed with the political choices that have been taken in this building. But I have never been in any doubt about the talent, the dedication and the professionalism that Treasury staff have displayed.

'I know too that at times it must have been frustrating for you, working under a weight of uncertainty, changes in direction, and without clarity of political purpose. As Chancellor, I am determined to change that.'

Mr Lammy, an ardent Remainer who once compared Tory Brexiteers to Nazis, described being appointed as Foreign Secretary as 'the honour of my life'.

He added: 'The world faces huge challenges, but we will navigate them with the UK's enormous strengths.

'We will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity at home.'

Speaking to reporters later, Mr Lammy said he wants to see an 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza.

'All of us recognise the agony of communities who have seen the scenes coming out of Israel and Gaza,' he told broadcasters.

'But the job now is to get to work with tireless diplomacy to support an immediate ceasefire and move towards getting those hostages out.'

A crowd of jubilant Labour activists had earlier cheered Sir Keir's arrival into Downing Street after he was formally installed as Britain's 58th PM by King Charles.

He and Victoria received a rapturous welcome after returning from the Palace where he had an audience with His Majesty around noon, shortly after Rishi Sunak exited having tendered his resignation.

Sir Keir said he wanted to 'changed the country' but warned it will 'take a while', saying he wanted to restore the values of 'service' to politics. He admitted that many people did not believe he would improve the country.

'My government will fight every day until you believe again,' he said.

At Buckingham Palace the couple were welcomed by the King and Queen's principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton, along with Charles's equerry Royal Navy Commander William Thornton.

They left 20 minutes later to head to Downing Street, after Sir Keir was appointed to the job.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: 'The King received in Audience The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP today and requested him to form a new Administration.

'Sir Keir accepted His Majesty's offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.'

Pat McFadden and Lucy Powell enter 10 Downing Street following Labour's landslide election victory on July 5

Labour MP Steve Reed leaves 10 Downing Street, London, after being appointed Environment Secretary

Shabana Mahmood has been appointed Secretary of State for Justice in Sir Keir Starmer's new cabinet. Hilary Benn has been appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Labour MP Jo Stevens arrives at 10 Downing Street following the landslide General Election victory for the Labour Party

Labour Party MP Ian Murray has been appointed Secretary of State for Scotland in Sir Keir's new cabinet

Labour Party politician Alan Campbell arrives in Downing Street following the super majority result

Labour MP Baroness Smith of Basildon and Darren Jones at 10 Downing Street after being appointed to the Cabinet

Attorney General Richard Hermer arrives at Downing Street in London

The time-honoured choreography comes as Sir Keir's majority ticks up to 174, just short of Tony Blair's 179 in 1997. The Tories have 121 with just two left to declare, far worse than their previous nadir of 156 in 1906.

The Lib Dems also inflicted massive pain on the Conservatives, racking up a record 71 seats as Reform leeched millions of votes and came second in around a hundred constituencies - but only scored four MPs of their own.

However, Labour's victory is being dubbed a 'loveless landslide' and a 'super meh-jority', having received barely one in three votes across the UK.

Polling experts highlighted how Labour's vote share of 33.8 per cent is likely to be less than any of Sir Tony's general election victories in 1997, 2001 or 2005.

It is even less than the 40 per cent vote share hard-left Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn secured in 2017 and lower than the 36.1 per cent David Cameron got for the Conservatives in 2010 when that year's election ended in a hung parliament.

Some newly-elected Labour MPs suggested the public will be thinking about overhauling Britain's voting system in the wake of the party's triumph, while Corbyn's allies swiped that Sir Keir had won 'by default' due to the dramatic collapse in Conservative support.

Less than an hour before Sir Keir arrived at the Palace, Mr Sunak bade goodbye to Downing Street after leading the Tories to their worst ever election result.

Flanked by clearly emotional wife Akshata, the PM delivered his parting statement outside the famous black door saying he was 'sorry' and had 'heard the anger' of the country and the 'clear message' of the ballot.

Sir Keir trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London in the early hours after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons, saying 'we did it!'

Sealing his triumph with a kiss from Victoria, he said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome.

In a jaw-dropping moment, Liz Truss was among the casualties - giving up a monumental 24,000 majority as she was edged out by Labour in South West Norfolk.

Earlier, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps fell victims to a brutal Tory cull as Labour swept towards election victory.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the election rather than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the public by being divided.

In other rollercoaster developments:

The Greens have enjoyed a bumper night winning four seats, adding three to their tally from 2019;

Labour's overall support in Britain has only gone up by 2 per cent, according to polling guru John Curtice, and that is entirely due to a 17 point boost in Scotland;

Reform has racked up votes and nearly 100 second places, but fallen short of breakthroughs predicted in the initial exit poll;

The SNP has been among the biggest losers, facing being slashed to nine MPs, meaning they would no longer be the biggest party in Scotland;

George Galloway has been ousted by Labour's Paul Waugh in Rochdale, after winning the seat in a by-election previously;

Turnout has been far lower than at the last few general elections;

The Lib Dems claimed victory in Tunbridge Wells, which has been Tory since the seat was created in the 1970s, in Boris Johnson's old seat of Henley and in David Cameron's stronghold of Witney;

The 2024 general election results in full : Live maps and charts

Sir Keir Starmer, the newly-elected PM, and his wife Victoria were clapped in by staff as they entered No10

Sir Keir said he wanted to 'changed the country' but warned it will 'take a while', saying he wanted to restore the values of 'service' to politics. He admitted that many people did not believe he would improve the country

Labour's victory is being dubbed a 'loveless landslide' and a 'super meh-jority' with Sir Keir's party having received barely one in three votes across the UK

Polling experts highlighted how Labour's vote share of 33.8 per cent is likely to be less than any of Sir Tony 's general election victories in 1997, 2001 or 2005

Sir Keir acknowledged 'weariness at the heart of the nation' today after his so-called 'loveless landslide' in the election

Sir Keir and wife Victoria walked into their new home after he delivered his first speech as PM this afternoon

The Labour leader was cheered into Downing Street by jubilant activists this afternoon after he was formally installed as Britain's 58th PM

The Labour leader, with wife Victoria, received a rapturous welcome after returning from the Palace where he had an audience with the King around noon, shortly after Rishi Sunak exited having tendered his resignation

Keir Starmer having his audience with the King as he was made Prime Minister today

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: 'The King received in Audience The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP today and requested him to form a new Administration.'

Keir Starmer, with wife Victoria, was driven up to the Palace for his audience with the King shortly after Rishi Sunak exited, having tendered his resignation

Flanked by clearly emotional wife Akshata, the PM delivered his parting statement as he prepares to head for Buckingham Palace where he will formally tender his resignation to the King

Akshata was carrying an umbrella as the couple emerged in Downing Street - as it was threatening to rain as it did when he announced the election

The Sunaks walked away hand in hand after he made his short and emotional farewell speech

The couple walked away to be taken to the Palace, where Mr Sunak told the King he was resigning

The outgoing PM was greeted by the King's aides at Buckingham Palace this morning as the traditional handover happened

Your browser does not support iframes.

On the steps of Downing Street, Sir Keir said Britain had 'voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service'.

'When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future,' he said.

'But we need to move forward together. Now this wound, this lack of trust can only be healed by actions not words, I know that.

'But we can make a start today with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege and that your government should treat every single person in this country with respect.'

He said: 'Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while.

'But have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately. Have no doubt that we will rebuild Britain, with wealth created in every community. Our NHS back on its feet facing the future. Secure borders, safer streets, everyone treated with dignity and respect at work. The opportunity of clean British power, cutting your energy bills for good.

'Brick by brick, we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity. The world-class schools and colleges, the affordable homes that I know are the ingredients of hope for working people. The security, the working-class families like mine could build their lives around.'

Sir Keir promised a government 'unburdened by doctrine' and to fight for people's belief in a brighter future.

The Labour leader said: 'If I asked you now whether you believe that Britain will be better for your children, I know too many of you would say no.

'So, my Government will fight every day until you believe again.

Staff and supporters looked on as Sir Keir made his promises to the country outside the Downing Street door

The couple stood on the steps while photographers recorded the moment for posterity today

The Starmers embraced as they prepared to enter No10 for the first time this afternoon

The Starmers were then clapped into the historic building by staff including Cabinet Secretary Simon Case (centre)

'From now on, you have a Government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by the determination to serve your interest, to defy quietly those who have written our country off.

'You have given us a clear mandate and we will use it to deliver change, to restore service and respect to politics.'

In his valedictory speech, Mr Sunak said: 'I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear message, and yours is the only judgement that matters.

'This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honoured to have been Prime Minister of the best country in the world.'

Mr Sunak said he would resign as Tory leader once a replacement had been chosen. He also paid tribute to Sir Keir as a public servant, wishing him and his family well in their new duties.

After his short speech the couple - not accompanied by their daughters and with Akshata carrying an umbrella - walked to a waiting car and were driven away to the Palace.

Polling expert Sir John Curtice noted how Labour's vote share was expected to be up by just under two percentage points across the country from 2019.

He said Labour's victory was 'largely on the back of a dramatic 20 point decline in Conservative support'.

In an article for the BBC, Sir John added the increase in Labour's vote share was 'entirely as a result of a 17 point increase in support in Scotland'.

'In Wales, the party's vote has actually fallen back by four points, while in England the party's vote is largely unchanged from 2019,' he wrote.

Rishi Sunak has flown back to London from Yorkshire, where he conceded that Keir Starmer has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech

A broken PM acknowledged that Keir Starmer had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, Keir Starmer said the British people had 'voted to turn the page' on 14 years of Conservative rule - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was 'nothing inevitable' about the outcome

Keir Starmer trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's wife Victoria at a watch party as the results came in

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria pictured arriving at the Tate Modern earlier on Thursday evening

A broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat

Your browser does not support iframes.

'It is possible that Labour will secure its landslide on a lower share of the vote (35 per cent in Great Britain) than any of Tony Blair's victories, including the 36 per cent the party won in 2005.

'That itself was hitherto the lowest share of the vote won by a majority single party government. In many ways, this looks more like an election the Conservatives have lost than one Labour has won.'

Asked about her party's low vote share but huge majority, Labour MP Dawn Butler said: 'I think what the discussion will be about will be proportional representation.

'The public will be talking about proportional representation and whether we need to have a debate about it. I've always said that we do need to have a debate about it.'

Channel 4 political editor Gary Gibbon said: 'That massive figure has been delivered with a relatively small percentage of the people.

'That looks like love but that is a loveless landslide. There has not been the sort of enthusiasm that you might expect out there.'

Mr Corbyn's former spokesman, Matt Zarb-Cousin, said: 'Labour is already peddling a narrative that this victory is down to a changed Labour Party.

'The reality of course is Keir Starmer was holding the pass the parcel at the right time, when the Tories eventually imploded. So they've won by default, on a lower share of the vote than 2017.'

Welsh Secretary David Davies, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Science minister Michelle Donelan, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk were beaten during a traumatic night for the Tories.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt barely survived in Godalming & Ash. Altogether at least 16 ministers have gone, with Johnny Mercer and Therese Coffey beaten by Labour.

Jacob Rees-Mogg also tumbled in North East Somerset and Hanham. However, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith surprised many by clinging on in Chingford.

There are now no Tory MPs in Wales after Craig Williams, a former Tory aide to Mr Sunak, came third in Mongomeryshire as an independent after being embroiled in a gambling row over the date of the election.

However, there were notable setbacks for Labour with frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth losing to a pro-Gaza independent in Leicester, and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting barely fending off a similar challenge.

Another shadow cabinet minister, Thangam Debonaire, was picked off by the Greens in Bristol Central.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage finally enters Parliament in Clacton after his eighth attempt to become an MP, while his party colleague Lee Anderson has retained Ashfield, Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth and Richard Tice scooped Boston and Skegness.

In his speech at the Tate Modern art gallery, Sir Keir said: 'It feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for  a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

'And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

'And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.'

At his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton, Mr Sunak said: 'The Labour Party has won this General Election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.'

Mr Sunak added: 'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss.'

The Labour leader said 'change begins now' as he was re-elected in Holborn & St Pancras, but his own majority was reduced by a left-wing independent.

Mr Shapps was the first confirmed Cabinet casualty and he hit out at the Tory 'soap opera' which had turned off voters.

'On door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and do that and then be united in public,' he said.

'Instead we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly indulgent and entrenched.'

He said there was a danger the Tory party could 'go off on some tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition'.

In a dramatic night former prime minister Liz Truss lost her Norfolk South West seat to Labour in King's Lynn, Norfolk

Ms Truss was comforted as she fell to an extraordinary defeat in Norfolk this morning

Jonathan Gullis was evicted from Stoke on Trent North as the drama continued today

Mr Gullis has been loyal to Mr Sunak and pleaded for people

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also left Parliament in the Tory bloodbath overnight

Suella Braverman attacked her party for failing to listen to voters

Jeremy Hunt is having to leave Downing Street after being kicked out of government - but holding his seat

Ms Mordaunt, who is likely to have been a leadership contender if she had survived, said her party had taken a 'battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it'.

She too warned against a retreat to the right: 'Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people's.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman, who will now be considered a leading contender to replace Mr Suank, said the party had let the British people down.

'You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises,' she said.

'I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust.

'We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly.'

Party chair Ric Holden won a desperate struggle for Basildon & Billericay, emerging on top by just 20 votes after a series of recounts.

Mr Sunak is expected to announce he is quitting as leader but stay on until a replacement is chosen.

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values.

Sir Keir's ally Lord Mandelson gloated that he was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck planet Earth'. He said it would have required a 'superman' to save the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was in tears as he was told the figures on live TV.

A dire campaign for Mr Sunak came stuttering to a halt last night, with the PM making a series more defensive visits in the South East.

He now faces being out of Downing Street this morning.

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson told Sky News that it looked like a 'massacre'.

The Tories have quickly plunged into a dangerous new phase of crisis, with questions over whether it can even survive amid the challenge from Reform.

A former Cabinet minister - who regarded their own significant majority as under threat - said Mr Sunak had 'knifed' Boris Johnson and would be remembered as the 'worst PM ever'.

ex-Cabinet minister

's

Swindon South seat with a 9,000 majority.

In the first tangible evidence of the hammering, Labour 's Heidi Alexander took

But Sir Robert gave a stark warning against the Tories lurching to the right, saying the party risked being like 'bald men fighting over a comb' if it treated politics as 'performance art' and tried to outflank Reform.

Sir John Curtice told the BBC: 'It looks as though Reform may win more seats than many polls suggested.

'This is largely because, not only has the Conservative vote fallen far in seats they previously held, but also because Reform has advanced most in areas people voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.

'However, how many seats Reform will win is highly uncertain  our model suggests there are many places where they have some - but a relatively low - chance of winning.'

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough after Reform pushed the Tories into third place in two early constituency results.

On a video posted to X he said: 'It's midnight, there are two results in from the north-east of England that put Reform on 30 per cent of the vote, that is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It is almost unbelievable.

'And what does it mean? It means we're going to win seats, many many seats I think right now across the country.

'But to watch the TV coverage it's almost comical. There's not a single representative on there from Reform UK, mainstream media are in denial just as much as our political parties.

'This is going to be six million votes-plus. This, folks, is huge.'

A Conservative spokesman said they had to wait for the full outcome, but added: 'If these results are correct it is clear that Starmer and Angela Rayner will be in Downing Street tomorrow.'

Conservatives with big majorities had become increasingly nervous during the day, despite CCHQ claiming that higher-than-expected turnout could help them.

One former Cabinet minister told MailOnline: 'There appears to be a bigger turnout than normal in some of my areas. Not all though.

'That would seem to indicate a determination on the part of the electorate to make their views heard, almost certainly likely to be against the Tories.'

Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock said the exit poll's landslide prediction was 'the greatest comeback since Lazarus'.

The former Labour leader told ITV News: 'A gain of 208, according to the exit poll, which is attributable directly to Keir Starmer and what he's achieved in four years, two of which of course were during the lockdown, or the virtual lockdown when the one thing that opposition leaders depend on  contact with the public  was absent.

'It's the biggest comeback since Lazarus.'

He went on: 'I must say I'm just ecstatic about the fact that an entirely dependable, fully grown-up guy, Keir Starmer, and his wife, are going to go through that door tomorrow. I have unalloyed and unreserved delight.'

Less than an hour before the exit poll dropped, Downing Street released a dissolution honours list - sending seven Tories and eight Labour politicians to the Lords. They include Theresa May, Rishi Sunak's chief aide Liam Booth-Smith, Chris Grayling and former 1922 committee chair Graham Brady.

Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett are among those on the Labour list - despite Sir Keir having committed to abolishing the Upper House.

Mr Sunak took a huge political gamble and shocked Westminster by triggering the election on May 22, rather than waiting until the Autumn as had been widely expected.

Nigel Farage has won the Clacton seat, the eighth time he has attempted to become an MP

Penny Mordaunt was among the Cabinet ministers washed away in the red wave

Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman , at her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her party and how it had abandoned core supporters' values

Jeremy Hunt is fighting to cling on to his Surrey constituency

Lord Mandelson said an electoral 'meteor' had hit British politics

Moments after ballot stations closed at 10pm, the dramatic exit poll was released - showing Sir Keir winning 410 of the 650 seats

It initially looked to be paying off, with early policies from the Tory campaign - such as national citizen service - seeming to cut through.

In a big moment, Mr Farage responded by ruling out standing as a Reform candidate, admitting he did not have time to put together a campaign.

But even then the Tories did not see a real bounce in the polls. The Tories lost key legislation including Mr Sunak's flagship smoking ban during the 'wash-up' as Parliament was dissolved for the campaign.

Your browser does not support iframes.

And then a grim week in early June saw things go spectacularly downhill, with Mr Farage dropping the bombshell that had changed his mind and was taking over the leadership of Reform as well as standing to be MP for Clacton.

Although Mr Sunak was seen as landing blows on Sir Keir over tax during their first TV debate on June 4, disaster struck when the PM opted to return early from D-Day anniversary commemorations in France to conduct an interview with ITV.

A subsequent grovelling apology did not prevent Mr Farage and opponents seizing on the blunder, which struck right at the heart of the Tory goal of shoring up the core vote among older generations.

With polls already showing Reform eating into Tory support with potent attacks on immigration, Mr Sunak was then engulfed in another scandal.

It emerged that his closest Parliamentary aide, Craig Williams had successfully placed bets on the date of the snap election - although he insisted he did not have any inside information.

Other candidates and top party officials were then dragged into the allegations, which proved particularly toxic with the public.

Mr Sunak was memorably challenged on the issue during TV appearances, admitting he was 'incredibly angry'. But he was seen as taking far too long to withdraw support for candidates facing allegations.

With some polls even showing Reform ahead of the Tories, CCHQ shifted tactics to warn of the threat of a divided Right handing Labour a 'supermajority' with untrammeled power.

That together with controversial remarks from Mr Farage about the West 'provoking' Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and revelations about unsavoury comments by a series of Reform candidates looked to have stopped the bleeding.

But after a bruising six weeks Labour's huge advantage was intact, and the only significant change was that the Tories had lost ground to Reform.

By yesterday, despite Mr Sunak's claim he was 'fighting hard for every vote', his close ally Mel Stride was effectively acknowledging the Conservatives would lose - an unprecedented step.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said Labour would get an 'extraordinary landslide on a scale that has probably never, ever been seen in this country before'.

As tension built through election day, the Tories claimed a higher-than-expected turnout had left them with a 'MUCH better chance' than cataclysmic polls had suggested.

An email to Conservative supporters, signed from the 'CCHQ Data Team', read: 'We're getting reports from our teams on the ground. And the more reports we get, the more it looks like turnout is higher than expected.

'That means we could have a MUCH better chance than polls have suggested. So if you haven't voted yet, now's the time to get out.'

Queues of people were seen at polling stations today as the requirement for voters to bring correct photo identification - such as a passport or driving licence - was enforced at a UK general election for the first time.

There was a bungle at a Glasgow polling station this morning as voters were met with posters listing the wrong instructions, which erroneously advised the ranking of candidates in order of preference.

This is how ballots are cast in local elections in Scotland, which use the single transferable vote system. But general elections use the first-past-the-post system, which requires voters to put a single 'X' next to their chosen candidate.

Glasgow City Council explained the error was spotted 'very soon' after the polling station opened at 7am and the posters were replaced with the correct information. It said no-one had been disenfranchised as voters' first preferences would be used from the affected ballots.

Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch this afternoon blasted her own local council for having 'potentially disenfranchised' thousands of postal voters who did not receive their ballot papers.

The Business Secretary hit out at Uttlesford District Council for 'forgetting' to send postal votes to 2,600 people in her North West Essex seat.

Prior to polls opening this morning, Rishi Sunak made an 11th-hour plea for voters to prevent a 'socialist supermajority' wrecking Britain, as he repeated his warning against handing Sir Keir 'unchecked' power.
George Soros has halted funding for several unpopular liberal prosecutors that he helped elect as they face uphill battles to remain in office.

The billionaire, 93, funneled more than $5 million into his fundraising PAC, the California Justice & Public Safety PAC, from 2018 to 2020, but has not spent a penny since the start of 2023.

Namely, the U-turn has hit Los Angeles County DA George Gascon and Alameda County DA Pamela Price ahead of their re-elections, with both seen as being at risk of being booted from office.

The prosecutors are often cited by critics for their role in a perceived deterioration of California, with their soft-on-crime policies leading to soaring crime rates across the state.

The political PAC belonging to billionaire George Soros, 93, has not spent a penny since the start of 2023, despite several liberal prosecutors he helped get elected facing challenges to stay in office this year

Alameda County DA Pamela Price (left) and Los Angeles DA George Gascon (right) both face uphill re-election battles this year, but look set to do so without the billionaire's funding

Soros' decision to turn off the money tap comes as he provided the vast majority of funding through his PAC, campaign finance records reported by the Daily Caller showed.

In his 2020 election campaign, Gascon received more than $4.5 million in funding from the PAC, as he rode a wave in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests to enter office on an extreme liberal platform.

He angered conservatives with his reluctance to prosecute a number of crimes, announcing to the public he would not seek to imprison anyone for cases including resisting arrest.

Other crimes that Californians were immune from prosecution for included disturbing the peace, driving without a license, public intoxication, making criminal threats and loitering to commit prostitution.

A view of a homeless encampment on a street in West Oakland, California, a region that DA Pamela Price oversees

Trash and personal belongings strewn across a street beside a shabby homeless encampment in West Oakland, California

Gascon's memo also discouraged even handing out fines for the offenses - with the only exceptions for repeat offenders, domestic violence cases and using physical force against officers.

In his first year in office, crime rates skyrocketed in Los Angeles, with homicide rates increasing by 11.8 percent from 2020 to 2021, as burglaries and gun offenses also soared.

Gascon made limiting the number of people in jail one of the cornerstones of his platform, as he also halted cash bail and fought to protest immigrants from ICE.

As Gascon fights for his future, he won an open primary in May with 25.2 percent of the vote, but faces a challenge to remain in office when he faces former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman in November - without Soros' money.

His soft-on-crime policies are cited by many critics as one of the reasons Los Angeles has seen a staggering increase in homelessness and open-air drug use as the city's streets rapidly deteriorated.

There was a 6 percent increase between 2020 and 2022, according to government statistics

Gascon survived two recall efforts already, with fellow Soros-reject Price also facing a recall less than two years since she took office.

Price reportedly received around $700,000 from Soros' PAC when she first ran for Alameda County DA in 2018, a race that she lost.

In her first ten months as District Attorney, Oakland, the largest city in her county, saw its violent crime rate surge by 21 percent, as she pushed for many of the same soft policies as Gascon.

Organizers of the ongoing recall effort against Price blame her for rising crime rates, with the Alameda County Prosecutors Association, a union representing some of her employees, voting earlier this year to support removing her from office.

The recall effort successfully gathered enough signatures to go ahead, and Price faces being booted from office in November.

The California Justice & Public Safety PACC did not immediately respond to a request for comment as to why it has halted its funding.
Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty were met with applause as they embraced staff in their emotional final moments inside Downing Street on Friday following the Conservative Party's defeat in the general election.

The outgoing Prime Minister and his wife found smiles as they shook hands and hugged the dozens of people who have worked with them inside Number 10 over the last 618 days, reaching out to say their final goodbyes before addressing the nation.

The couple walked hand-in-hand as they came down the stairs and into the corridors of historic Georgian house, corridors lined with well-wishers who took the time to share an embrace and a few words of encouragement before the pained handover.

By her husband's side, Ms Murty, 44, appeared in a dress of red, white and blue as she offered waves and outstretched palms to the people she would have shared a life with inside Downing Street over the last two years.

Carrying an umbrella - but this time blessed by fair skies - she and Mr Sunak left the building together as he paused to thank staff and campaigners in an address to the nation, while taking personal responsibility for the Tory party's defeat in the election.

In a short speech, Mr Sunak apologised to the country and said he 'heard your anger, your disappointment' in the 'clear message' sent by voters.

The couple then disappeared into a saloon car and were driven off to ultimately make their way back to their Yorkshire home, where he remains the MP for Richmond (Yorks) and will oversee a steady transition of power to a new leader of the opposition.

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty leave 10 Downing Street on Friday

After a hard-fought campaign, the Conservatives leave Downing St for Starmer to move in

The couple were met with applause and hugs as they made their way out of Number 10

Mr Sunak and his wife leave Downing Street one year and eight months since he became PM

Mr Sunak retains his seat in Yorkshire and has said he will oversee a transition to a new leader

Downing Street staff lined the corridors to share in Mr Sunak's final emotional moments inside Downing Street on Friday.

The sombre mood of the election was briefly overshadowed by a gracious vote of support after nearly two years as Prime Minister at Number 10.

And while Akshata Murty came prepared with an umbrella, the weather held off for Sunak to make his closing statements to the nation, ahead of the King's formal acceptance of his resignation.

In a short speech, Mr Sunak told the nation: 'I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear message, and yours is the only judgement that matters.'

'This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honoured to have been prime minister of the best country in the world.'

Mr Sunak said he would resign as Tory leader once a replacement had been chosen. He also paid tribute to Sir Keir as a public servant, wishing him and his family well in their new duties.

The couple, not accompanied by their daughters, then walked hand-in-hand to a waiting car and were driven away to see the King.

A statement from Buckingham Palace a short time later said: 'The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak MP had an audience of The King this morning and tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, which His Majesty was graciously pleased to accept.'

Early this afternoon, Sir Keir Starmer arrived at Downing Street with his wife, Lady Victoria, to deliver his historic first speech as Prime Minister, thanking Mr Sunak for 'the dedication and hard work he brought to his leadership'.

He continued: 'But now our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service.

'When the gap between the sacrifices made between people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation.'

Sir Keir urged that we 'need to move forward together' and 'heal' the 'wound, this lack of trust' through 'actions, not words'.

'I know that, but we can make a start today with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege, and that your government should treat every single person in this country with respect.'

''If you voted Labour yesterday, we will carry the responsibility of your trust as we rebuild our country. But whether you voted Labour or not, in fact, especially if you did not, I say to you directly  my government will serve you.

'Politics can be a force for good. We will show that. We have changed the Labour party, returned it to service, and that is how we will govern. County first, party second.'

The outgoing Sunaks took time to embrace staff as they left Downing Street on Friday

Mr Sunak gave a short speech after leaving Downing Street before going on to meet the King

Rishi Sunak delivers as statement after losing the general election, outside 10 Downing Street

Newly elected Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria on the steps of No.10

Sir Keir Starmer speaks to the nation as he enters Downing Street following Labour's win

Mr Sunak and his wife are now reportedly in the process of returning to their Grade-II Georgian mansion in Richmond, Yorks.

But they will not be far from London, with a five-bedroom mews house in West Kensington.

And the Sunaks have the choice of a penthouse on Ocean Avenue in California, bought in 2014.

Rumours have swirled that Mr Sunak intends to move to California, where he recently donated 2.4mn to a local college for a high-tech computer lab.

For now, the outgoing Prime Minister has said he will oversee the Tory party until a replacement is found for leader of the opposition, stressing the need for a strong party to hold the government to account.

The party was decimated in the July 4 election, winning just 121 constituencies down from 365 in 2019.

A trend of the evening was the growth of Reform UK in contested seats, splitting the vote and handing Labour the win, even when overall support for the party fell.

Labour won 412 seats, up 211 from 2019, as the Tories lost 251.

The Liberal Democrats were the quiet success story from the night, gaining 63 seats up to 71 in the election.

The party offered a compelling mix of policies that made them 'the only viable opponents to a Conservative party that vast swathes of the country has had enough of', according to The Spectator, while also pursuing policies aimed at Labour voters.
President Joe Biden proclaimed Friday that he's staying in the presidential race - before telling a crowd in Madison, Wisconsin that he'd beat rival Donald Trump 'again in 2020.'

Biden can't afford to make any missteps as he hits the campaign trail this weekend after last week's disastrous debate in Atlanta.

He'll sit down with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in Madison as well, for an interview that will air at 8 p.m. ET tonight.

'Well, let me say this as clear as I can - I'm staying in the race,' Biden said at the rally. 'I'll beat Donald Trump. I'll beat him again in 2020. By the way, we're going to do it again in 2024.'

Biden - using a teleprompter - was fired up during the 17-minute speech, which was scheduled during his hours of peak performance, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to Axios.

Biden pictured during a Friday rally appearance in Madison, Wisconsin, which saw him claim he'd beat Donald Trump in the 2020 election

President Joe Biden proclaimed Friday that he's staying in the presidential race - before telling a crowd in Madison, Wisconsin that he'd beat rival Donald Trump 'again in 2020'

Not every Democrat is convinced President Joe Biden should stay in the race, with one attendee in Madison holding a hand-drawn sign that read: 'Pass the torch, Joe'

The speech kicked off with Biden asking the crowd if they enjoyed their Fourths of July and then mocking Trump for an Independence Day gaffe.

'By the way, if you're wondering whether Trump has it all together, did you ever hear how he explained the Fourth of July, when he was president?' Biden asked. 'No, I'm serious. This is true.'

During Trump's 2019 Salute to America speech at the Lincoln Memorial, the Republican said that George Washington's continental army was successful because it 'took over the airports' of the British.

'And they talk about me misspeaking,' the 81-year-old Biden said.

'It is true, he is a stable genius this man,' the president continued.

He then told the crowd - again and again - that he was resisting calls to step aside.

'Now you probably heard we had a little debate last week,' Biden said. 'Can't say it was my best performance.'

President Joe Biden pushed that it would be undemocratic for him to exit the race, as Democratic primary voters chose him as the nominee

President Joe Biden meets supporters at his Madison, Wisconsin event Friday as his political future continues to remain in question

The president kicked off his speech by making fun of former President Donald Trump for saying the Americans won the Revolutionary War due to the continental army taking 'over the airports' of the British

'But ever since then there's been a lot of speculation - what's Joe going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out? What's he going to do?' the president continued.

'Well, here's my answer - I am running and going to win again,' Biden declared.

The president hasn't publicly wavered about his commitment to stay in the race, while behind-the-scenes, Democrats are pondering whether they can successfully push Biden to consider that option.

As Biden was speaking in Wisconsin, The Washington Post reported that Virginia Sen. Mark Warner wished to create a group of Democratic senators to press Biden to exit the race.

Already a handful of Democratic House members have publicly said Biden should quit.

Biden pushed that his exit would be against the wishes of the Democratic voters who backed him during the primaries - primaries where he only faced self-help guru Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips in a handful of states.

'You voted for me to be your nominee. No one else,' Biden said.

'You the votes - the voters did that. And despite, despite that some folks don't seem to care who you voted for,' he said. 'But guess what, they're trying to push me out of the race.'

Reiterating his decision to stay in the race he added, 'I learned long ago, when you get knocked down you get back up.'

"PASS THE TORCH, JOE"



--audience member sign for Pres. Biden Wisconsin campaign appearance pic.twitter.com/0unHBAyV9B  Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) July 5, 2024

'I'm not letting one 90-minute debate wipe out three and half years of work,' Biden said.

The 81-year-old president - who told a group of governors at the White House this week that he was going to stop scheduling events after 8 p.m. to get more sleep - peppered jokes about his age through the speech.

'I know I look 40,' Biden said to laughs.

'I keep seeing all those stories about I'm being too old,' Biden continued. 'I wasn't too old to create over 50 million new jobs.'

He made the same point as he walked through other parts of his resume.

The party, as a whole, remains unconvinced.

At least one audience member held up a hand-drawn sign that read: 'Pass the torch Joe.'

Outside people held up signs that read: 'Save your legacy drop out, 'Be a hero one more time,' 'I heart you Joe, Bow out,' 'Pass the torch,' 'Give it up, Joe' and 'Pres Biden - serve your country - not your ego ... exit now.'
Sir Keir Starmer yesterday thanked Joe Biden for his first phone call with the US President, and with it appeared to break his promise not to work past 6pm on Fridays.

Rishi Sunak had seized on the Labour leader's comments in the days leading up to the election that he tried to avoid working past the hour, with the Tories branding him a 'part-time Prime Minister'.

But it seems as though Sir Keir has broken his pledge in a matter of hours on his first day in the job as he sent a message to the president.

Writing on X/ Twitter at just gone 9pm, more than three hours past Sir Keir's supposed clocking off time, he wrote: 'Thank you @POTUS for your continued commitment to the special relationship between our two nations. I look forward to working with you.'

The PM had previously spoken about his determination to hold on to his family time while in office.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks on the phone with US President Joe Biden from his office in 10 Downing Street

Mr Biden congratulated the newly-elected Prime Minister on winning the general election ahead of the two leaders meeting at a crucial Nato summit in Washington DC next week

Sir Keir sent a message to Biden on X/ Twitter at just gone 9pm - more than three hours after his supposed clocking off time

'I do carve out Friday nights, as best I can, for Vic and the kids and her dad as protected time,' he said this week.

'Her dad's side of the family is Jewish, as people will appreciate, and we use that for family prayers  not every Friday, but not infrequently.

'That doesn't mean I've never had to work on a Friday, of course it doesn't, plenty of times I haven't been able to do it. But I've tried to protect that time. I'd like to try and protect it in the future but I know very well, it's going to be really difficult to do it.

Mr Biden sent his congratulations to the newly-elected Prime Minister on winning the general election ahead of the two leaders meeting at a crucial Nato summit in Washington DC next week.

A White House statement revealed they discussed the importance of the two countries working together 'in support of freedom and democracy around the world'.

And they both reiterated their support for Ukraine in their war against the 'unrelenting aggression' of despot Vladimir Putin's Russia.

It comes after other world leaders congratulated Sir Keir on Labour's landslide victory, with Canada's Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron among the first leaders to welcome him.

The White House statement read: 'President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom to congratulate him on his appointment as Prime Minister.

'The leaders reaffirmed the special relationship between our nations and the importance of working together in support of freedom and democracy around the world.

Sir Keir took his first phone call from Mr Biden in which the troubled US president reaffirmed America's 'special relationship' with the UK

'The President conveyed that he is looking forward to working closely with Prime Minister Starmer on the full range of critical issues that affect our countries and committed to deepening U.S.-UK cooperation in the many areas of our shared interest.

'They reiterated their continued support for Ukraine as it fights Russia's unrelenting aggression.

'They affirmed their shared commitment to protecting the gains of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and working with the leaders of Northern Ireland to create and sustain economic growth and opportunities.

'The President looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Starmer to the Washington Summit next week to celebrate NATO's 75th anniversary.'

Ukraine's President Zelensky hailed a 'convincing victory' by Sir Keir and his party and wished the incoming government 'every success both in domestic affairs and in solidifying the UK's leadership on the world stage.'

He said that Ukraine and the UK would continue to be 'reliable allies through thick and thin', with 'common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order.'

The wartime leader went on to laud former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, describing him as a 'good friend' and vowing that his country would 'never forget' the help it had received from his government.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared a triumphant response to the news of his 'friend' Keir Starmer's victory, labelling it a 'historic UK election victory'.

'Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic,' he wrote on X alongside a picture of them together. 'Let's get to it, my friend.'

France's President Macron shared his congratulations to Sir Keir, adding that he was 'pleased with our first discussion,' in a sign that the incoming leader is already engaging in international diplomacy.

'We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI,' Macron added.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed both Sir Keir and Angela Rayner as his deputy taking up the reins of power, saying that they share 'very similar views' with his Labour government.

Writing on X, he said: 'We have a strong relationship between our two countries, but in Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner and so many others who I am very familiar with in the British Labour Party, I look forward very much to working with them.

'They have very similar views to us on a range of issues. I'm sure we'll work closely on AUKUS, where we worked very closely as well with the former government.'

Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris said he hopes his nation's relationship with the UK will go from 'strength to strength' as he congratulated Sir Keir Starmer for his election victory.

'Congratulations (Sir Keir) on a comprehensive victory in the UK election,' he posted to X.

'I look forward to working with you as close neighbours and friends.

'The relationship between Ireland and the UK is deep and consequential. I look forward to it going from strength to strength.'

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christpopher Luxon wrote on X: 'Congratulations @Keir_Starmer on your election victory.

'New Zealand and the UK are great friends and can do so much more together. I look forward to working on every opportunity together as prime ministers.

He added his thanks to Mr Sunak for his 'service to your nation and friendship to New Zealand.'

Israel's President Isaac Herzog also thanked Mr Sunak, expressing his gratitude 'for his leadership and standing by the State of Israel, especially during this difficult time,' referring to the aftermath of October 7 and Israel's war in Gaza.

Meanwhile President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said he was 'looking forward to working' with Sir Keir in what he called a 'new cycle for the UK'.

'The European Union and the UK are crucial partners, co-operating in all areas of mutual interest for our citizens,' he said.

He added that they would meet soon at a European Political Community summit being held in the UK on July 18, 'where we will discuss common challenges, including stability, security, energy and migration.'

Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission, also shared her congratulations on X, telling the incoming Prime Minister: 'I look forward to working with you in a constructive partnership to address common challenges and strengthen European security.'

Sir Keir's first opportunity to meet with world leaders as Prime Minister will come on Tuesday, when he will head to Washington for the NATO summit, hosted by US President Joe Biden.
Residents in Wisconsin have been told to flee before the 'imminent' collapse of the Manawa Dam.

Authorities warned the amount of water in the dam is not safe and for those living down Little Wolf River to evacuate immediately.

Residents have been told to seek higher ground as part of the dam is compromised and suffered significant damage.

It is unclear how many residents have been forced to flee in the city which has a population of 1,400.

'Due to the amount of water the dam isn't safe. If you're down river, please EVACUATE. The bridge is closed,' the Manawa Police Department said in a statement on Facebook.

A flash flood emergency was declared for Manawa in Waupaca County as thunderstorms in the area are producing heavy rain.

Residents in Wisconsin have been told to flee before the 'imminent' collapse of the Manawa Dam

A flash flood emergency was declared for Manawa in Waupaca County as thunderstorms in the area are producing heavy rain

Scenes from the Manawa Dam. Authorities say a structural failure is imminent. pic.twitter.com/jyKNQ98k3z  Noah Cornelius (@noahcorneliustv) July 5, 2024

Footage of the dam shows water rapidly flowing and threatening to burst the banks.

Part of it was breached at around 1.45pm by floodwaters and people living down of the river were evacuated.

Heavy rainfall began in the area at around 8.30am and five inches fell in the space of just a few hours leading to a flash flood warning.

Multiple streets in the area have flooded and multiple cars are stranded on the highway.

The city has warned residents to expect more floods in the streets and yards 'everywhere'.

Meteorologist Scott Cultice said: 'It just wouldn't stop raining in and around the Manawa area.

'They had water rescues. Most of the downtown roads were flooded.

'We just can't get rid of the rain. It's just not moving, just stalling.'

All roads into Manawa have been blocked and people have been told not to drive in or around the city.

Multiple streets in the area have flooded and multiple cars are stranded on the highway

A flash flood emergency was declared for Manawa in Waupaca County as thunderstorms in the area are producing heavy rain

'Please do not try to drive into the city or around the city,' the city said in a statement. 'Vehicles are being flooded on the roads around the city. Union Street is flooded.

'N. Bridge Street is flooded. Beech Street is washed away. Howard Street is flooded. Industrial Drive is flooded.'

'Because of the amount of rain we are receiving ... there will be flooding in the streets and yards. It is everywhere in the city.'

Every fire department in the country is working to respond to the incident.

An emergency shelter has been set up for residents at Little Wolf Junior/Senior High School.

The weather service warned that the rain, and possibly thunderstorms, could occur through the weekend and into early next week.

DailyMail.com has contacted the Manawa Police Department for comment.
The family of a high-ranking Church of Scientology member who self-immolated have blamed the church for her suicide.

Whitney Hills, 40, shot herself and set herself on fire after believing she was suffering from cancer and Lyme Disease.

Mills had reached the highest level in Scientology, known as Operating Thetan Level 8 or OT 8 and its thought she believed she could 'transfer to a new body'.

The disturbing details of Mills' death and her involvement in Scientology have raised questions about the impact of the organization on its members

However, her relatives claim she was misdiagnosed and was instead suffering from depression and anxiety, which were going untreated due to the Church's stance on mental health.

They have filed a wrongful death lawsuit claiming that Scientologist doctors took control of her care and 'extorted' her for a series of alternative treatments.

'The Scientology Defendants brainwashed her into believing that mental health professionals, including psychologists and psychiatrists, and related medical treatments, such as antidepressants and other prescription drugs, were unnecessary and abhorrent,' the lawsuit states.

The Church has denied Mills was ever under its care and stated it does not provide medical advice.

According to the Clearwater Police Department's investigation, real estate agent Mills shot herself on May 12 and died a day and a half later at Morton Plant hospital.

The family of a high-ranking Church of Scientology member Whitney Mills who self-immolated have blamed the church for her suicide

When her brother forced his way into her apartment, he found her incapacitated from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and noticed the smell of burning hair, indicating that she had set herself on fire before shooting herself.

Clearwater Police investigated Mills' death and found there were no suspicious circumstances, but a text message she sent to Albertina Mejias, a fellow high-ranking member of the Church, outlines 'advice' as to what she might do next.

Her family claim her mental health had been on the decline in the run up to her death.

Clearwater Police found no evidence of foul play or involvement by Scientology in Mills' death

A text message sent between members of the Church and Mills suggests how she may have ended her life with the idea of starting fresh in a new body

Following an 'urgent mental health crisis', Church members ordered that Mills be 'quarantined' in February 2022 and put her on a 24/7 watch, according to the lawsuit.

During this time she was allegedly assigned three caretakers who lived with her and reported back to the Church.

Mills' family say during this time she was told by them there was a 'Scientology assist where she could 'drop the body,' where her spirit or 'operating thetan' would leave her body to inhabit another, causing the original body to die'.

The lawsuit states the 'drop the body' concept or assist was created by L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology's messianic founder.

Following his 1986 death, Scientology leaders announced that his body had become an impediment to his work and that he had decided to 'drop his body' to continue his research on another plane of existence,' the filings claim.

A Church spokesman previously stated there is no teaching encouraging 'anyone to drop their body.'

However Mills' text messages show that she 'asked for that assist', the lawsuit states, adding that her carers knew she had suicidal ideation and failed to act.

'Worse yet, if they actually assisted in the suicide, if they actually gave her the 'drop the body' assist that was discussed, then they are guilty of homicide,' the filings state.

Mills was sent for treatment with Dr. David Minkoff in the final three months of her life, who 'f misinformed and misdiagnosed Mills with Lyme disease and a cancerous ovarian cyst, while largely ignoring her very real psychosis and mental health crisis', the lawsuit states.

Clearwater Police found no evidence of foul play or involvement by Scientology in Mills' death

Clearwater Police Department's investigation found no evidence of foul play or involvement by Scientology in Mills' death

Minkoff is also a high-ranking Scientologist whose Florida license was suspended for a year due to his treatment of Lisa MacPherson, another Scientologist who died in 1998.

He is accused charging Mills $20,000 for 'highly questionable, 'alternative' treatments' for misdiagnosed Lyme disease and an ovarian cyst according to the filings.

According to a detective's report, Mills' mother said that she had looked through her daughter's phone and found a series of messages in which she planned to ask the 'Director of Processing' for an 'assist reference suicide.'

The filings also detail text messages in which Mills seems to reference suicide with her handlers but receives little push back.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, the Church said: '

The passing of Ms. Mills was an unfortunate tragedy. In addition to its impact on her family, it affected her friends, many of whom are Scientologists.

'It is frankly disgusting that anti-Scientologists have latched onto Ms. Mills' passing in an attempt to forward their own agenda, as evidenced by the blatant falsehoods contained in the complaint regarding Scientology beliefs and practices.

'There is no such thing in Scientology as an 'assist to drop the body,' by this or by any other name.

'No such belief or practice exists. It is a pure FABRICATION. There is NOTHING in Scientology that even arguably means such a thing.

Ms. Mills was at home and not under the Church's care or supervision at any time prior to her passing.

'None of the people caring for Ms. Mills at her home were staff of any Church. Any claims to the contrary are TOTALLY FALSE.

'Ms. Mills had many friends, business associates and family members with whom she was in constant contact prior to her passing.

'Church policy is crystal clear: if a Scientologist is in need of medical care, he or she must see a medical doctor.

'Any and all decisions regarding medical treatment are solely the decision of the individual.

'The Church does not provide medical advice. See Scientology.org FAQ on medical care.

'Public records show that Ms. Mills visited more than a dozen medical professionals in the months prior to her death.

'It is unfortunate that Ms. Mills mother filed this lawsuit. Based on available information, it appears Ms. Mills was in her mothers care, if anyone. The Church continues to express its condolences to all those affected.'

DailyMail.com has contacted Dr Minkoff for comment.
The mother of a seven-year-old autistic girl found drowned in a lake on the Fourth of July has opened up on the pain of losing her.

Serenity Alanna Marie Kinsey, 7, was found by a dive team in Douglas Lake near Dandridge, Tennessee just after 11 am, after which her mother, Tori Carstens, wrote on Facebook, 'Thank you everyone for your prayers. She passed so please send more prayers to help my fiance and I process this.'

She was reported missing by her family about 5am after they realized she left their home on Indian Creek Road in the middle of the night.

An Amber Alert was issued by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation but her body was recovered from the nearby lake about an hour later.

Carstens rallied a posse of locals to take time out of their holiday and 'help bring my princess home'.

Serenity Alanna Marie Kinsey, 7, was found dead after drowning in a lake after wandering away from her home after 1am

Serenity's mother Tori Carstens rallied a posse of locals to take time out of their holiday and 'help bring my princess home'

'My family and I have been searching all morning and have had no luck and I'm worried about her in this heat so anyone that is willing to help is more than welcome,' she wrote on a local Facebook group.

Carstens explained she was non-verbal but 'makes a loud humming noise when she wants your attention and she knows her name when it is being called'.

Numerous locals dropped everything and began driving, some from hours away, to help - but less than two hours later the search ended in tragedy.

Serenity was born on December 5, 2016, and was Carstens' first child with her partner Joseph Lemons.

Serenity was born on December 5, 2016, and was Carstens' first child with her partner Joseph Lemons (pictured with Serenity as a toddler)

Carstens said she and Lemons needed time to 'process' their daughter's death

The couple posted adorable photos of their little girl as she grew bigger, and Carstens wrote of how she 'changed her life'.

'Having you made me a different person, a better person. I respect myself more now because I have you and your sisters looking up to me,' she wrote on her fourth birthday.

'You really are my Serenity, my peace. I love you more than you'll ever know baby.'

Then on Mother's Day 2021, Carstens wrote a tribute to Serenity, along with her two stepdaughters from Lemons, that is heartbreaking after the girl's death.

'I love you guys so much and thank you for making me a mommy. I don't know what I would do without you. thank you for growing up with me and trusting me enough to teach you how to be a genuine person,' she wrote.

Serenity on a carnival ride with Lemons in a photo posted by her mother

The couple posted adorable photos of their little girl as she grew bigger, and Carstens wrote of how she 'changed her life'

Serenity was non-verbal but 'makes a loud humming noise when she wants your attention and she knows her name when it is being called'

'I will make sure to make you proud every day and never give you a childhood you have to recover from.

'Remember when the world is too loud and you're too overwhelmed, I'll be your peace. I'll be your advocate.

'I'll be whatever you need me to be. I will never leave you stranded or second guessing.'

'A dive team located her body in a lake near her home a short time ago. Our hearts go out to her family during this difficult time.'

Serenity was last seen at her home at around 1am wearing black shorts and a blue t-shirt.

The young girl was described as autistic and nonverbal as authorities launched the Amber Alert.

The seven-year-old was found by a dive team in Douglas Lake near Dandridge just after 11am on Thursday

She was reported missing by her family at around 5am after they realized she left their home on Indian Creek Road in the middle of the night

But the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an update about an hour later to say her body was discovered.

'A dive team located her body in a lake near her home a short time ago. Our hearts go out to her family during this difficult time,' it said.

Kinsey reportedly liked water and lived close to the lake. No more information has been released by authorities.

DailyMail.com has contacted the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for comment.
Rishi Sunak could be poised to remain as Tory leader for months to come after being told his 'last great service' will be to delay the moment when his successor is chosen.

The former prime minister announced his intention to quit as Conservative leader after overseeing the party's worst ever general election defeat.

But a fierce battle has broken out within Tory ranks over the timing of the contest to choose his replacement.

Former chancellor George Osborne revealed his old ally David Cameron was pushing for Mr Sunak to delay the moment when a new Conservative leader is chosen.

But other Tories are calling for a speedy contest amid fears Nigel Farage could capitalise on their disarray and establish Reform UK as Labour's main opposition.

In his final address from Downing Street this morning, prior to visiting the King to resign as PM, Mr Sunak confirmed he would also step down as Tory leader.

It came after he witnessed the Tories slumping to just 121 MPs - a staggering drop of 251 seats from the 2019 general election - in the face of a huge Labour landslide.

But Mr Sunak said he would only depart as Conservative leader 'once the formal arrangements for selecting my successor are in place'.

Rishi Sunak could be poised to remain as Tory leader for months to come after being told his 'last great service' will be to delay the moment when his successor is chosen

But other Tories are calling for a speedy contest amid fears Nigel Farage could capitalise on their disarray and establish Reform UK as Labour 's main opposition

Sir Keir Starmer, pictured entering Downing Street with his wife Victoria, saw his Labour Party deliver the Tories their worst-ever general election defeat

Speaking to his Political Currency podcast this evening, Mr Osborne revealed there was a 'big effort' to get Mr Sunak to oversee a long Tory leadership contest.

'There's a big effort on, which David Cameron is part of, to get Rishi Sunak to just delay the moment when the new leader is chosen,' the ex-chancellor said.

'The contest can start, but it doesn't have to conclude.'

Mr Osborne said none of the leading contenders to replace Mr Sunak had ever been in opposition or 'proved their mettle' outside of ministerial ranks.

'Above all, an opposition politician, an opposition leader, needs to be a communicator,' he added.

'And we don't want a dud who may have excited some faction of the Right in government or said the right thing on this particular bit of Brexit policy two years ago in the Cabinet.

'We want to know if these people can perform.'

Mr Osborne told Mr Sunak his 'last great service to the Conservative Party would be to delay the Conservative contest's outcome'.

But it emerged some Tory MPs wanted Mr Sunak gone sooner as it would be more difficult to have the 'frank conversation' the party needed with him still as leader.

There was even a suggestion they wanted him gone before Sir Keir is scheduled to face his first Prime Minister's Questions as premier on 17 July.

It came amid concerns that Mr Farage could seek to exploit Conservative dithering over choosing a new leader.

One Tory, said to be close to CCHQ, told the Guardian: 'There's a deep rooted fear within the party institutionally that if we don't have a full-time leader by September, that will allow Farage to position himself as the main opposition to Starmer.

'If you wait until party conference or even Christmas, the problem is you then come in as leader and instead of facing Starmer you're suddenly having to first argue with Farage.'

The Tories' heavy general election defeat saw a dozen top Cabinet ministers lose their seats.

It means Penny Mordaunt and other possible leadership contenders have been knocked out of the race to replace Mr Sunak before it even started.

The surviving favourites include darlings of the Toruy Right such as Kemi Badenoch and Priti Patel.

More centrist voices like Jeremy Hunt and Tom Tugendhat would also be considered realistic contenders if they threw their hats in the ring.

Senior Tory figures - including a record number of Cabinet ministers - lost their seats in an election bloodbath

Your browser does not support iframes.

Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, didn't waste any time in showing she is ready to launch a leadership bid.

In her acceptance speech after winning the Fareham and Waterlooville seat, she vowed to 'rebuild trust' with voters and apologised for her party's failings.

She said: 'I'm sorry that my party didn't listen to you. The Conservative Party has let you down.

'You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises. I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust. We need to listen to you, you have spoken to us very clearly'.

Ms Braverman is fourth favourite to be the next Tory leader, according to bookmakers.

Ms Badenoch is favourite, followed by Ms Patel and Mr Tugendhat.

The bruising election result risks making the Tory leadership contest especially acrimonious, as rival factions thrash it out to define the future of the party.

Whoever takes over as Conservative leader faces the momentous task of rebuilding after an unprecedented defeat.

Here are the key contenders to watch, with odds provided by Ladbrokes:

Kemi Badenoch (2/1)

Outgoing Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch is seen as a frontrunner among right-leaning factions and has left the door open to a tilt at the top job by saying 'we will talk about leadership things after an election'.

Ms Badenoch was born in Wimbledon and grew up in Nigeria and the US, returning to the UK at the age of 16. She has a master of engineering as well as a bachelor of laws and has worked at private bank Coutts and The Spectator.

She first became an MP in 2017. Ms Badenoch backed Brexit, and as minister for women and equalities she has made a name for herself as an outspoken voice on gender issues, including by calling for a change to the Equality Act so that sex is defined only as someone's biological sex.

Ms Badenoch has rejected calls for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to be welcomed into the Tory fold.

Dame Priti Patel (5/1)

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel is a longstanding Eurosceptic who has said she was inspired to join the Conservative Party by Margaret Thatcher.

She became an MP in 2010 and served in cabinet positions under Theresa May and Boris Johnson, as international development secretary and home secretary respectively.

Dame Priti was a leading figure in the Vote Leave campaign, and as home secretary she launched a points-based immigration system, signed the agreement with Rwanda to send asylum seekers to the country and sealed returns deals with Albania and Serbia.

She resigned as home secretary after Liz Truss became Tory leader.

Suella Braverman (8/1)

Suella Braverman declared two days before election day that the fight for a Conservative electoral victory is over.

Writing in The Telegraph, she instead referred to a 'fight for the soul' of the party.

Ms Braverman, a barrister by trade, has a track record of controversial op-eds. She was appointed home secretary by Rishi Sunak, who sacked her from that post over an article accusing the Metropolitan Police of bias in policing protests.

Ms Braverman was previously attorney general for England and Wales under Boris Johnson and has also chaired the Eurosceptic European Research Group.

She was elected as an MP in 2015. She recently told The Times she would welcome Nigel Farage into the Conservative Party, saying: 'There's not much difference really between him and many of the policies that we stand for.'

James Cleverly (8/1)

James Cleverly, who served as Home Secretary, has yet to declare his intentions and told Sky News in the aftermath of his re-election as an MP: 'What might happen in the future I'll leave that for the near future.'

An article in The Times had suggested he would not go for the top job due to his wife's health but other reports indicate he could be persuaded to run.

Mr Cleverly is a centrist who previously served as foreign secretary and was first elected as the Conservative MP for Braintree in May 2015.

After an injury cut short his Army career, he got a business degree and joined the Territorial Army. Mr Cleverly worked in magazine and digital publishing before setting up his own business. He was a London Assembly member before he became an MP.

Robert Jenrick (8/1)

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick last month denied he was firing the first shot in the race to replace Mr Sunak when he wrote an opinion piece dubbed by The Mail on Sunday as him 'effectively setting out his manifesto'.

Mr Jenrick used the article to say the Conservatives are the 'natural home for Reform voters' and that former prime minister Boris Johnson 'must always have a place' in the Tories, including in Parliament, should he wish to have one.

The MP for Newark resigned as a minister last December as he claimed the then draft legislation designed to revive the Rwanda deportation policy did 'not go far enough'.

Mr Jenrick last month claimed Mr Sunak's administration was 'turning a corner' in its efforts to reduce net migration.

He added in a nod to Reform: 'We have to build a coalition of voters and propose policies which will fix people's problems - be that on migration, public services reform, the cost of living, or housing.'

Jeremy Hunt (7/1)

Having previously run for leader in 2019 and 2022, Jeremy Hunt may be reluctant to have a third go.

But his lengthy experience in Cabinet and appeal to moderates could be attractive to Tories looking for a calming influence after the chaos of recent years.

After surviving a scare to secure his seat in the Commons, Mr Hunt said: 'Some Conservatives will wonder whether the scale of our crushing defeat was really justified.

'But when you lose the trust of the electorate, all that matters is having the courage and humility to ask yourself, why? So that you can earn it back again.'

After clinging on to his seat, Mr Hunt is not favoured among bookmakers to take over.

Tom Tugendhat (7/2)

Former security minister Tom Tugendhat, who held on in Tonbridge, repeatedly refused to rule out taking a tilt at the top job during the election campaign.

He previously unsuccessfully ran for the leadership in 2022, when he pitched himself as the candidate untarnished by the scandals that dogged Boris Johnson and his government.

He is seen as being on the centrist wing of the party, meaning he could struggle to convince a more right-leaning Tory membership.

Speaking after last night's result, Mr Tugendhat said he was 'very grateful' to be re-elected but called for his party to 'stop and rethink where we're going'.

Victoria Atkins (14/1)

Victoria Atkins, the outgoing health secretary, left the door open for a leadership bid in the run-up to the election.

Ms Atkins, who held her Louth and Horncastle seat with a reduced majority, has been discussed as a contender from the more moderate wing of the party.

She was reportedly talked up by former deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden as a 'star' capable of leading the Tories in a leaked recording from December.

During her time in office, Ms Atkins struggled in vain to stop strikes by junior doctors.

Her odds are 18/1 with Betfair Exchange and 14/1 with Ladbrokes.
A council employee who stole more than 1 million from his cash-strapped local authority and frittered it on foreign holidays, meals out and luxury goods has been jailed.

Michael Paterson exploited his position as a council tax and recovery team leader to siphon off the cash over a 17-year period. He was only caught after an eagle-eyed colleague queried a suspicious transaction, sparking an investigation.

The 59-year-old claimed he began taking money from Aberdeen City Council in November 2006 to pay off debts but used it to fund a lavish lifestyle, including buying trips abroad and Apple technology, and maintaining his flat.

By the time he was caught in September 2023, he had embezzled a total of 1,087,444.47 and was still in debt.

Jailing Paterson for four years at the High Court in Edinburgh, trial judge David Young KC told him: This is unquestionably a serious matter and it must therefore bring serious consequences for you today.

Michael Paterson embezzled more than 1million over a 17 year period from Aberdeen City Council

The judge pointed out that the accused was able to perpetrate the crime because he was appointed to positions of trust by his employer, which he repeatedly breached over many years.

I am told today you spent money on family and friends but also there was significant spending on yourself.

The judge told the first offender, who had admitted embezzlement at a previous hearing, that he would have faced a sentence of six years imprisonment but for his early guilty plea.

Paterson, of Aberdeen, started working for the local authority in 1988, and rose through the ranks to become council tax and recovery team leader, earning a salary of 35,000 and overseeing a team of 12.

Advocate depute Brian Gill KC, prosecuting, said Paterson enjoyed unrestricted and unmonitored access to two computer systems used by the local authority to issue council tax refunds of up to 3,000.

He could also alter payee account details without authorisation or verification, which he did to transfer money to himself.

Paterson realised he could benefit in situations where a householder had left a property and had not reclaimed for overpayment of their council tax.

In all, he made 622 false refunds to himself while his crime went undetected.

Mr Gill said Paterson tried to cover his tracks by getting money paid into a second account in 2019 after he learnt the council was introducing anti-corruption measures that would alert it to payments made to an employees bank account.

He previously had funds paid into a building society account into which his salary also went.

The scam worked until a colleague noticed that a refund of more than 2,000 had been made on a computer system using Patersons username.

She confronted him as she thought that the account was not due a refund and a desperate Paterson pretended he had been conducting tests and had accidentally put the refund through the live system instead of the test system.

It was only when she reported her concerns to bosses, who launched a probe into Patersons activities, that the scale of his crimes emerged.

He was suspended on full pay before being dismissed in December last year.

When police interviewed Paterson he made a full confession, admitting: I know Ive done wrong. I regret what Ive done.

Mr Gill said: He explained that he had had no intention of ever repaying any of the sums that he had taken. He had just been hoping that he would not be found out.

Paterson told officers that when he began his crime spree he had debts of around 20,000 on credit and store cards and other loans.

The court head he remained in significant debt at the time of his arrest.

During the time Paterson was stealing significant sums, the city council was faced with having to make millions of pounds in savings.

Defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson said: He is thoroughly ashamed of his actions and obviously as a consequence was dismissed from the council. He accepts what he did was totally wrong.

He said his clients only asset was a two bedroom flat in Aberdeen which he faced forfeiting under a proceeds of crime action due to be brought by the Crown.

Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: This was an egregious betrayal of trust by a council worker who took advantage of his position to embezzle public money from his employers.
A family-of-10 was killed and 43 passengers were injured after the bus they were traveling on crashed on a highway in the southeastern Brazilian city of Itapetininga.

The Sao Paulo Civil Police said the bus was on Francisco da Silva Pontes Highway early Friday morning when the driver, whose name has not been released, lost control of the steering wheel, which got locked.

The driver was unable to slow down the bus before it slammed into a pillar under a highway overpass.

He was expected to be questioned Friday, but told investigators that the bus had encountered a mechanical issue.

The fire department had to pull out 15 passengers who were stuck in the totaled bus.

Ten family members were killed when the bus they were traveling on crashed on a highway in Itapetininga, a city in the southeastern Brazil state of Sao Paul, on Friday

The bus driver, who was injured, told authorities that the steering wheel locked on him and that he was unable to regain control of the bus before it slammed into a concrete pillar under a highway overpass in the southeastern Brazil city of Itapetininga on Friday. The crash left 10 people dead and 43 injured

The owner of the bus, Onix Turismo, told Brazilian news out G1 that the passengers knew each other and had chartered it for their annual trip to Aparecida de Goiania, a city the central state of Goias.

The victims were identified as Moacir Moraes, 73; his two sons, Gilmar Moraes, 48, and Gilberto Moraes, 42; Gilberto's wife, Vanessa Souza, 37, and their six-year-old son, Tiago Moraes; Valdira Morais, 48; Jose Bento and his wife, Edna Carvalho; Iolanda de Oliveira; and Jessiele Rodrigues.

Moacir Moraes had been organizing the yearly Catholic church trip for four decades, his sister Iracema Santos told Brazilian news outlet Istoe Dinheiro.

'He was a leader here in the neighborhood,' she said.

'No one knows for sure how the accident happened. I have traveled many times with my brother's group, but as the number of people wanting to go has increased, I have started organizing another group. We made the trip to Aparecida in June and everything went well.'

Santos' niece, Camila de Moraes, was among the injured along with her parents.

'It happened very quickly, the noise of the crash, such a commotion. I can't even talk about it,' de Moraes said. 'My parents are hospitalized.'

Edna Proenca told TV TEM that the passenger bus came to a full stop after it slammed into the pillar on the middle of the road. Her three children and granddaughter were injured

Edna Proenca was on the bus with her family when she felt the vehicle crashing into the concrete structure in the middle of the highway. Her three children and granddaughter needed medical assistance.

'It all happened so fast. The bus hit the pillar and stopped,' Proenca told G1 affiliate TV TEM. 'I can't even understand what happened. I just felt the bus shaking, and my granddaughters were all screaming there.'

The victims are all residents of the Sao Paulo western city of Ribeirao Branco.

'Our hearts go out to the families of the pilgrims from the Palmeirinha neighborhood and everyone involved in this difficult time,' the mayor's office said in a statement.

'We have canceled all official activities to support the families and have declared three days of official mourning in solidarity with the community of Ribeirao Branco. May they find comfort and support to overcome this immeasurable pain.'
The new Health Secretary said 'the NHS is broken' in a candid address to staff on his first day in cabinet.

Wes Streeting, 41, said in a statement on Friday that Labour would 'be honest about the challenges facing our country, and serious about tackling them'.

He added that talks to end junior doctor industrial action would be underway as soon as next week, while stressing that real change 'will take time - we never pretended that the NHS could be fixed overnight'.

The MP for Ilford North, who has been frank about the 'existential' challenges facing the National Health Service in the past, urged in a pithy comment that Labour previously delivered 'the shortest waits and highest patient satisfaction in history' - and that 'together, we will do it again'.

Mr Streeting faces major challenges overhauling the NHS with the junior doctors' pay dispute still haunting the service and technological inefficiency a recurring complaint from insiders - but experts say his previous comments indicate he may be the man for the job.

The new Health Secretary walks to Number 10 following the election results on July 5

Streeting has maintained major challenges face the NHS but is optimistic about its prospects

Mr Streeting (C) has warned of the 'existential' challenges facing the NHS (Pictured June 15)

In his first address as Health Secretary, Mr Streeting boldly acknowledged that the NHS is 'broken' - both for 'patients who are not receiving the care they deserve' and staff working in the NHS.

He pledged to 'begin to repay' his personal 'debt' to the NHS, having saved his life following a 'shock' diagnosis of kidney cancer in 2021, ensuring the NHS 'can be there for us when we need it once again'.

'I have just spoken over the phone with the BMA junior doctors committee, and I can announce that talks to end their industrial action will begin next week,' he said, fulfilling a promise made in June to be on the phone to junior doctors 'on day one'.

'We promised during the campaign that we would begin negotiations as a matter of urgency, and that is what we are doing.

'This government has received a mandate from millions of voters for change and reform of the NHS, so it can be there for us when we need it once again.

'It will take time - we never pretended that the NHS could be fixed overnight.

'And it will take a team effort. It will be the mission of my department, every member of this government, and the 1.4 million people who work in the NHS, to turn our health service around.'

Richard Vize, a public policy journalist and analyst, wrote in the BMJ medical journal yesterday that Labour now faces a 'stark choice' over NHS funding, stressing that reform could not be made until Mr Streeting tackles the junior doctors' pay dispute.

The government has pledged to clear waiting times for elective treatment of over 18 weeks within five years and deliver 40,000 extra appointments per week across the system, but 'none of this will be possible until Wes Stretting... resolves the... pay dispute', Mr Vize assessed.

'His comments demonstrate he will not repeat the mistakes of the bungled negotiations over doctors pay under Tony Blairs government, when big rises were delivered without extracting commensurate changes in working practices or performance.

'He has talked about a journey to fair pay, indicating that higher salaries and better conditions will be traded for more effective ways of working.'

Mr Streeting has praised NHS staff for 'working as hard as they can' in the past but urges 'we cannot continue pouring money into a 20th-century model of care that delivers late diagnosis and more expensive treatment'.

While acknowledging he would not be able to cede the 35 per cent pay rises requested by junior doctors to end the strikes, he has shown willing to negotiate through the deadlock.

In a statement shared on Friday, the British Medical Association trade union for doctors opened the door to future negotations.

Professor Philip Banfield, BMA chair of council, said in a statement that he had offered Mr Streeting to work together to get the NHS back on its feet with the aim of resolving disputes, writing down waiting lists and improving the service for both staff and patients.

We have heard your commitment to pay restoration as a journey and put our faith in your intentions to work together towards a resolution, Professor Banfield said in an optimistic letter.

The BMA said a new contract would have to be 'mutually agreed between the government and GPs.

Wes Streeting leaves 10 Downing Street as cabinet appointments were made on Friday

Mr Streeting looks on as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks at a GP practice in Coalville

Wes Streeting was re-elected MP for Ilford North on Thursday night, continuing his nine-year representation of the constituency.

Mr Streeting attended the University of Cambridge before joining the Labour Party and has spoken openly about growing up in poverty in East London.

The Guardian assessed last year that 'fans see him as a working-class boy who overcame his disadvantages and wants to ensure others like him have a similar opportunity'.

'Others see him as just another slick Oxbridge opportunist with his eyes on the prize.'

Mr Streeting previously served as the Shadow Secretary of State for Child Poverty between May and November 2021, as Shadow Minister for Schools from 2020 until 2021, and as Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from April to October 2020.
A high-flying teenager has become the UK's youngest ever female to qualify as a helicopter pilot - on her 17th birthday.

Olivia Thompson made aviation history when she picked up her private helicopter pilot's licence yesterday after just four months of training.

It means she's now fully qualified to carry passengers alongside her in a helicopter domestically and overseas - before being able to legally drive a car.

Olivia now plans to fly her friends for a day out to Alton Towers and take her family on a trip to Paris after earning her wings at Nottingham Airport.

It took her just under four months to go from a novice to getting her PPL(H), allowing her to command a helicopter for non-commercial purposes.

Olivia, from Smalley, Derbys., said: 'It's not really sunk in yet, but I'm really happy and really grateful to everyone who came along to see me and who has helped and supported me along the way.

'I was really nervous before the test but once I was in the air I felt comfortable and in control.

Olivia Thompson, pictured, made aviation history when she picked up her private helicopter pilot's licence yesterday after just four months of training

It means she's now fully qualified to carry passengers alongside her in a helicopter domestically and overseas - before being able to legally drive a car

'Now I've done it, I'm a helicopter pilot, and this is what I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life, which is really exciting and a bit unreal.

'I'm now able to take my friends up for a helicopter trip and I've decided I want to take them to Alton Towers.

'The licence also allows me to fly overseas, so I'd like to fly my family to Paris.

'My dad's always said the difference between success and failure is hard work, and I have worked really hard.

'But I enjoy flying so much and feel so happy doing it that it doesn't feel like work at all, it all feels amazing.'

Aside from her age, Olivia is one of a very small percentage of female flyers, especially helicopter pilots, and says she's happy to be a trailblazer for her gender.

She added: 'There are a few female-orientated campaigns to increase the number of women in aviation and it's great to be a part of that push.

'I couldn't see myself as not being someone who flies helicopters and I'd like to be a role model for anyone who wants to do the same thing.'

Olivia sat her test on the day she became old enough to do so, which involved a two-hour navigation exercise between two airfields.

She had to show she could undertake all necessary pre-flight checks, plan her route and complete a number of manoeuvres.

Aside from her age, Olivia is one of a very small percentage of female flyers, especially helicopter pilots, and says she's happy to be a trailblazer for her gender

Olivia also dealt with a series of simulated emergencies, such as being able to land from altitude without any power from the engine, in the event of engine failure.

Olivia completed her learning at Arcus Helicopters, near Tollerton, Notts., flying a four-seater Robinson R44 helicopter under the watchful eye of instructors.

She had been travelling to Tollerton almost daily since March in order to build up her flying time.

She balanced her time in the air with revising hard for no fewer than the nine exams and a radio practical as part of her PPL.

Olivia added: 'I remember the first time I lifted off while flying solo in a helicopter it felt unreal, but I told myself to keep my eyes on what's going on.

'Then, when I got up to altitude and I thought about what I was doing, I giggled, because it was so amazing.

'I've studied really hard to get to this point. Flying helicopters is my passion now and it's definitely what I want to do for a living.'

Olivia got into flying through her father, Andrew, who owns and flies his own helicopter.

After Olivia expressed an interest in learning to fly, he said he has encouraged her all the way.

Company director Andrew, 48, added: We're all so proud of her, she's broken all the records and although she's surprised us by doing it so quickly, we never doubted her on the day.

Olivia also dealt with a series of simulated emergencies, such as being able to land from altitude without any power from the engine, in the event of engine failure

'Olivia had always been a good learner and has an ability to absorb information really quickly.

'But she's added to that by working extremely hard and this is her reward. We've seen her falling asleep with her books on her chest.

'I got my PPL(H) in 2016 and being able to fly a helicopter is amazing, but the exams are extremely hard.

'Olivia passed hers first time and she's done everything far quicker than I did.

'It's an incredible achievement. Olivia hasn't even passed her driving test, yet here she is, a qualified helicopter pilot when she's only just turned 17.'
The former head of Britain's police watchdog allegedly raped a 14-year-old girl while he was dating another victim he had indecently assaulted, a court heard yesterday.

Michael Lockwood served as the director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) until 2022 when he was accused of abusing two 14-year-old girls. He denies all the charges.

The 65-year-old is alleged to have offered a 'naive' teenager lifts in his Ford Capri before raping her in the storeroom of a leisure centre near Hull, where he was working as a lifeguard at the age of 26.

Yesterday a former girlfriend in a relationship with Lockwood at the time of the alleged attack said she too had been 'groomed' at the age of 14.

The alleged victim said Lockwood used to pull her into a toilet cubicle to touch her breasts when she was 14 in 1979 or 1980.

Michael Lockwood, 65, was the director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) until 2022 when he was accused of abusing two 14-year-old girls

Humberside Police HQ where Lockwood worked as director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct

The 65-year-old is alleged to have offered a 'naive' teenager lifts in his Ford Capri before raping her in the storeroom of a leisure centre near Hull

Jurors heard it was 'common knowledge' among fellow lifeguards and they even sang about them being 'locked in the lavatory' together at the leisure centre.

Lockwood was aware of her age and would even come around to help her with maths homework before she sat her GCSEs, she claimed. He is said to have indecently assaulted her on eight occasions when she was aged 14 or 15, including in his mother's car.

The pair later embarked on a sexual relationship when she was 16 and he was 22.

But she then discovered he was engaged to someone else.

Sarah Elliott, KC, defending, asked the alleged victim how she felt when she found out in 2022 that Lockwood had been charged with raping a 14-year-old girl in the 1980s.

Ms Elliott asked: 'You must have been upset at the thought that perhaps there was somebody else at the time you believed you were in an exclusive relationship with him?'

The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, replied: 'I was concerned.'

The Old Bailey heard that the woman had written notes in her school exercise book about Lockwood, saying she disliked 'the way he treats me' and 'he lies'.

She also wrote that her favourite things about Lockwood were his 'personality', 'bum' and 'hairy chest', but she disliked that he 'never goes anywhere'. She later told police: 'There had been some grooming there.'

Lockwood started working at the leisure centre as a university student before building a 'distinguished' career in local government, later becoming head of the police complaints watchdog for England and Wales, jurors heard.

He was still working part-time there when he is alleged to have raped another 14-year-old girl in the mid-1980s when he was a senior auditor at Humberside County Council.

In total, Lockwood is accused of three rapes and 14 indecent assaults on two girls between 1979 and 1986. When he was questioned by police, Lockwood admitted having sex with his former girlfriend, but maintained their relationship did not begin until she was 16.

He denied raping the other girl, saying he has no memory of meeting her, although he suggested she may have been 'obsessed' with him.

Married father-of-two Lockwood said: 'I know for certain that I never had sexual intercourse with anyone in the leisure centre.

'I do not recall there being a store cupboard on the ground floor. There may have been, but I would never have jeopardised my career or job by having sexual intercourse with anyone, anywhere at a public place.'

The trial continues.
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban was accused of appeasement yesterday after he held talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

He arrived in Russia after an unannounced trip to Ukraine, where he met President Volodymyr Zelensky and proposed that Kyiv consider agreeing to an immediate ceasefire with Moscow.

At the beginning of their meeting Putin suggested Mr Orban  whose country took over the rotating EU presidency on Monday  had come as a representative of the European Council. Several European officials  including the leaders of Germany, Denmark and Estonia  dismissed that suggestion.

The only other European leader to visit Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine was Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer, who failed in April 2022 to convince Putin to end the war.

Mr Orban said yesterday: 'We are slowly running out of countries that can talk to both sides of the conflict. Soon Hungary will be the only country in Europe that can talk to everyone.'

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban (left) was accused of 'appeasement' yesterday after he held talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow

But European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer criticised his visit, saying: 'This is about appeasement. It's not about peace.'

The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said Mr Orban 'has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow'.

He added that Mr Orban's 'position excludes official contacts between the EU and President Putin  the Hungarian prime minister is thus not representing the EU in any form'.

Mr Borrell said the visit to Moscow 'takes place exclusively in the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia'.

Kaja Kallas, the outgoing Estonian prime minister nominated to become the next EU foreign policy chief, accused Mr Orban of 'exploiting' the presidency and said he was trying 'to sow confusion'.

She wrote on X: 'The EU is united, clearly behind Ukraine and against Russian aggression.'

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said Mr Orban told him in advance about his visit to Moscow but that he 'is not representing Nato at these meetings'.

The Hungarian prime minister, widely seen as having the warmest relations with Putin among European leaders, has routinely blocked, delayed or watered down EU efforts to help Kyiv and impose sanctions on Moscow for its war in Ukraine.

He has long argued for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine but without outlining what that might mean for the country's territorial integrity or future security.

After Mr Orban's meeting with Putin, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said they had a 'frank conversation' on Ukraine.

He arrived in Russia after an unannounced trip to Ukraine, where he met President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) and proposed that Kyiv consider agreeing to an immediate ceasefire with Moscow

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said Mr Orban's decision to visit Moscow was made 'without approval or coordination' with Kyiv.

It added 'the principle of 'no agreements on Ukraine without Ukraine' remains inviolable for our country' and called on all states to adhere strictly to it.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the visit to Moscow was Mr Orban's idea, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. He added Moscow valued Mr Orban's 'strong, clear and consistent course' in trying to resolve the conflict.

The EU Council presidency is a largely formal role that can be used to shape the bloc's policy agenda. Mr Orban has said he wants to use his country's six-month term to push for an end to fighting in Ukraine.
Brits have taken to social media to mock the outgoing Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and make fun of the rest of the fallout from yesterday's General Election.

Friday saw Mr Sunak give his final speech as PM before being replaced by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, all of which proved fertile ground for comedic voters and jubilant left-wingers.

The Tories suffered an electoral bloodbath on Thursday, with 11 former cabinet members and even former Prime Minister Liz Truss ousted form their seats in humbling 'Portillo' moments.

Mr Sunak cut a lonely figure when his speech put an end to 14 years of Tory rule, with wife Akshata Murthy behind him in support.

Many tore into the billionaire businesswoman for her outfit choice and demeanor, suggesting that she reminded them of a ghost in a horror movie.

If electoral wipeout was not bad enough for Rishi Sunak, he and his wife, Akshata Murthy, have been relentlessly mocked after his departure from Number 10 Downing Street this morning

The businesswoman was ridiculed for her outfit and also called 'haunting' as she loomed behind her husband

One X user said: 'Zoom in on Mrs Sunaks outfit on your phone and it gives a QR code for the California tourist board'

One post on X read: 'All I need is for you to stand behind me but not look like you're haunting me in an early 2000s horror film...'

Along those lines, another account edited the face of IT's protagonist Pennywise over the heiress, while another pasted the 44-year-old over The Shinig's infamously terrifying twins.

It was also noted that, following the confusing decision for Mr Sunak to call the election in the driving rain, his wife was prepared this time with an umbrella in hand.

'She was ready with the umbrella!' One comment read.

Someone else said: 'The Sunak years would have been better if she'd stood behind him blankfaced in different mad outfits throughout, like Chris out of the Pet Shop Boys.'

Her choice of dress - a 390 Lina frock with navy, white and red stripes from ethical fashion house Omi Na Na - was also ridiculed.

Acknowledging the suggestions that the Sunak family may be off to the US after the Conservatives' election defeat, one commented: 'Zoom in on Mrs Sunaks outfit on your phone and it gives a QR code for the California tourist board.'

Another X user likened the outfit to dazzle camouflage - which uses complex geometric patterns on ships to make it harder for enemy forces to estimate how far away one is.

'As a submarine commander, I can't judge how far away that woman is,' they joked.

However, a triumphant Sir Keir Starmer was also not without criticism from comedic Brits who imagined what might have been said between the new Prime Minister and His Majesty King Charles

After Mr Sunak's speech, the incoming Prime Minister visited His Majesty King Charles ahead of forming the new Labour government.

As the first images of their encounter emerged, voters were quick to draw on Sir Keir's habitual reference to his father's background as a tool maker.

One meme read: 'KING CHARLES: "Really? How fascinating. What kind of tools?'

A reply joked, 'enough to make a cabinet,' as Sir Keir began assembling his top team.

Someone else imagined His Majesty more crudely saying: 'Forget your dad, my mum was the f***ing Queen.'

Another suggested: 'Thats, erm, interesting. Mine? He was the Duke of Edinburgh.'

On his return from Buckingham Palace, the new PM began appointing his new ministers, starting with his Deputy Prime Minister and Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary, Angela Rayner.

Sir Keir's long time ally arrived at his new address in a bold green trouser suit, which was compared to an action figure.

Angela Rayner, the new Deputy PM, saw her bold green outfit mocked too

Someone observed: 'Why is Angela Rayner dressed like the Hasbro series 4 Ted Dibiase figure?'

Much earlier in the morning, Jacob Rees-Mogg was mercilessly mocked after becoming one of the Tory big beasts unceremoniously ousted as an MP.

In scenes ridiculed by the British public, Sir Jacob was filmed losing his North East Somerset and Hanham seat - while standing next to a man wearing a baked bean balaclava.

Sir Jacob ended up standing next to Phin 'Barmy Brunch' Adams of the Monster Raving Loony Party at the University of Bath campus as the former Tory Brexit minister's 14-year political career imploded spectacularly.

Jacob Rees-Mogg was mercilessly mocked by voters and jubilant Labour supporters earlier in the day after being unceremoniously ousted as an MP

Social media users went into overdrive sharing images of Sir Jacob standing next to the baked bean mask wearer

Others mocked him by using an image of the former MP seemingly falling asleep during a Brexit debate in 2019

And the moment has since been turned into a meme and gone viral online, with the image being viewed by more than 1.3million people.

Sharing the photo on X, formerly Twitter, one user wrote: 'Meanwhile, Jacob Rees-Mogg has lost his seat to Labour while standing next to a man wearing a baked beans balaclava.'

Another quipped: 'If this isn't the picture of the night, I don't know what is.'

While others used their skills with photo-editing software to superimpose the baked bean balaclava onto a picture of the former Tory minster wearing a top hat.

'Jacob Rees-Mogg trying to keep a low profile today while nipping to the local shop for a Twirl,' gloated one person on X.

Meanwhile, some took the chance to lampoon images of the father-of-six when he seemingly fell asleep during a Brexit debate in the House of Commons in September 2019.

Social media users made memes to mock the former MP, with this image of him wearing a top hat being used a number of times.

One person posted this image from the second season of Game of Thrones spin-off The House of Dragon saying 'Jacob Rees-Mogg with his Nanny'

In one image, Sir Jacob appeared to have been broadcast onto the side of a building with the message 'Farewell Jacob Rees-Mogg'

Sprawled across the green leather benches, the then leader of the House of Commons was blasted by MPs who accused him of showing contempt for parliament as he reclined in his seat.

Sharing an image of Sir Jacob with his eyes closed on the bench, one person joked: 'Jacob Rees-Mogg says he's not going to take losing his seat laying down. Well, not in the Commons, anyway.'

Another person edited Sir Jacob's legs to show the former MP wearing just a pair of tights.'

Others seemingly joked about what the 55-year-old former politician could do after losing his seat as an MP.

'Jacob Rees-Mogg can now return to his job, as a night paralysis demon at an all boys boarding school,' joked one person in a post on X which has been seen by more than 121,000 people.

Others lampooned the image of Sir Jacob reclining on the green benches in Parliament

Countless memes were shared online by voters following the ousting of Sir Jacob and former PM Liz Truss

During his speech, Sir Jacob seemingly added more fuel to the fire by quoting the 1968 children's classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

'From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success,' he said in his farewell speech, triggering a flurry of memes on social media.

'Ex-MP "Sir" Jacob Rees-Mogg citing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's Caractacus Potts: "From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success". The quote's actually from Grandpa. You'd have thought he'd have known that, as the inspiration for the Child Catcher,' joked one person.

Sir Jacob is the latest Tory heavyweight to have been ruthlessly mocked after Labour swept to a landslide victory overnight, which saw the Conservatives slump to their lowest ever number of MPs.

In Rishi Sunak's own seat, the former Prime Minister was taunted by YouTuber Niko Omilana, who boasts 7.49 million followers online, who mocked him with a loser sign as he won.

The YouTuber, was donning a pair of children sunglasses as the speaker announced he had won 160 votes in the battle for the Richmond in North Yorkshire seat.

Following the confirmation that ex-PM Truss had lost her seat following a disastrous campaign, social media users were quick to reference her Lettuce association.

One said: 'The Liz Truss result, please just lettuce know.'

Another said: 'Her constituents decided they didn't want Liz Truss to romaine.'

Voters and jubilant Labour supporters have taken to social media to mock Rishi Sunak's outgoing Conservative government

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss was mocked after sensationally losing her majority of 24,000 in South West Norfolk and seat as a result

The Conservative party has been torn apart in the polls and on social media

Another said: 'Everyone trying to analyse an election that a 5 year old could analyse. Amateurs. 'How has Liz Truss lost her seat?' Sack them immediately and let schoolchildren comment.'

Elsewhere, a video of ousted Therese Coffey singing a requiem in Latin was repurposed as a Tory funeral song.

Rishi Sunak was also mocked up next to an image of Paddington, a bear that has become a harbinger of doom since being featured prominently following the death of the Queen in 2022.

In his speech Rishi Sunak said he took 'responsibility' for his party's loss, and had already called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

He said: 'The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

'Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our country's stability and future.

'The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight. There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss.

'To the many good hard working Conservative candidates who lost tonight despite their tireless efforts... I am sorry.'

Mr Sunak, his wife and their security and entourage left the election count as soon as he had finished making a speech after the result was declared.

He has since flown back to London from Yorkshire. He is expected to say a few valedictory words from Downing Street before heading to see the King and formally resign.
In keeping with the weather, a bitter, destructive wind of change swept through the ranks of the SNPs Westminster candidates yesterday.

Have some sympathy for those no longer holding the title of MP, for it was not they who were judged by the people.

The guilt lies squarely on the shoulders of John Swinney. His pitch to the voters that if SNP won a majority of seats he would seek to start independence negotiations was always ludicrous.

Everyone, looking at recent local government by-election results where the SNP got hammered, and with that trend consistently confirmed by opinion polls, showed just (it) how (it) ludicrous a proposition that was. Only a man intellectually and politically bankrupt, would grasp at that straw.

Independence was never on this election agenda. The people had other priorities, and Swinney never understood that. This election was in fact a referendum. Not the one the SNP leaders have called for. But one the people held on the Sturgeon/Yousaf/Swinney Scottish government in Holyrood.

The SNP lost dozens of seats in the general election after voters in Scotland turned against them

The Scottish component of the election in the island of Great Britain was fought on different political grounds from that south of the border. Sunak and Starmer were themselves candidates defending or attacking policies that sit within the competence of the Westminster parliament.

Not so in Scotland. Here the SNP campaign was led by non-candidates: the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, with only bit parts for those actually standing for election.

The Swinney/Forbes debates with other parties were on education, NHS, housing, poverty, income tax levels, ferries, the A9, Matheson, safe spaces for women, all the responsibility of the devolved Scottish government.

It wasnt Stephen Flynn and his MP group who were judged and found wanting. It was John Swinney and the Sturgeon legacy of incompetence, mess, failure and the level of mediocrity in the cabinet that was on trial.

Being asked to vote SNP was being asked to endorse that lot in Holyrood. Thousands of independence voters, rightly, refused to do that.

The arrogance, complacency, and sense of entitlement that has been a hallmark of this SNP administration needed to be exposed and condemned to a degree that even the most purblind loyalist cannot ignore. And that is what the people delivered.

The result didnt surprise me. I told my unionist journalist friend Alan Cochrane a week ago that my forecast was only 12 seats or fewer for the SNP.

My reason? Talking and listening to people over the past year and picking up that first they were scunnered by the performance of the Scottish government, and then more recently that had turned to anger and a determination to punish it by either staying at home, or voting Labour. Exactly what has happened.

Those who have led the SNP since 2014 and taken it from 56 seats in 2015 to 9 now should hang their heads in shame.

Grandstanding, fixation with their own image, promotion of the cult of personality, disdain for anyone who dared to disagree with them, and failure to govern on the basis of the peoples priorities, that is the toxic mix that has brought them low, and damaged the idea of independence.

For decades, the SNP led by people of my generation and the Salmond-MacAskill generation, often facing defeat after defeat, persevered in promoting independence and built the party as the instrument to take us there.

The SNP and independence were interlinked in the public mind. So, this shattering defeat of that instrument will understandably be taken by many, and certainly by the unionist on both sides of the border, as the end of our dream.

That is the wrong lesson from this election. I would wager that the next opinion poll will show support for independence at around the same level as in 2014.

But where do we independence supporters go from here?

Can we expect the present SNP leadership who have wrecked the party, to be the ones capable of rebuilding to a point where its reputation is restored in time for the next electorate test, the 2026 Scottish parliament elections?

I dont think so. The Sturgeon/Swinney clique is still in ministerial office, so we have two more years of incompetent government to come, during which people will suffer from the consequences of the deep cuts in education and housing, and the unsolved crisis in the NHS.

Come 2026 the people will deliver another devastating verdict, and the SNPs claim to be the leader of the independence movement will receive another blow that could be terminal for it as a party in whom independence supporters can invest their hopes.

Is there an alternative to the SNP? ALBA? Afraid not. The derisory votes it received is an inescapable message of its irrelevance.

Alex Salmond is one of Scotlands tragedies, a politician of the first order, found not guilty of the criminal charges against him, but scarred beyond repair by what was revealed at his trial.

The asset he brought with himself to ALBA is out weighted by the liability. I dont say that with any satisfaction. It is simply the reality.

So, the independence movement will be adrift for some time to come, and will remain adrift until someone from somewhere within the SNP membership can sweep from its decks the mediocrities who have brought us to this pass.

I, and others, had high hopes that Kate Forbes was that someone.

But in rejoining the government she is now getting tarred with the Swinney brush, defending the indefensible, slipping into the persona of a party hack.

Surely she will not be another Scottish political tragedy in the making: outstanding able, but fatally compromising with patent failure.

A word if I may to Labour. Enjoy the feeling of victory, but dont misread the meaning of this election.

You have a majority with 33.8 per cent of the vote, the lowest percentage any incoming government has had in modern times. Your power base is inadequate to see you through hard times. At best, you are on probation.
Sir Keir Starmer showed his ruthless streak yesterday as he snubbed Emily Thornberry from his top team in one of his first acts as Prime Minister.

Ms Thornberry was expected to be announced as part of the premier's Cabinet having served as the shadow attorney general since 2021 when Labour was in opposition.

But she was brutally brushed aside in favour of Richard Hermer KC who has been given a peerage to take on the role.

It will be a bitter pill for Ms Thornberry to swallow with herself a former criminal barrister and having been in Sir Keir's shadow cabinet in one guise or another since he became party leader in 2020.

Mr Hermer is a high-profile human rights lawyer from Matrix Chambers, said to command the respect of others at the bar.

Ms Thornberry was also previously shadow attorney general from 2011 until 2014 during Ed Miliband's tenure but was sacked for sneering at a family home draped with England flags.

Sir Keir Starmer showed his ruthless streak as he snubbed Emily Thornberry from his top team in one of his first acts as Prime Minister

She was brutally brushed aside in favour of Richard Hermer KC (pictured) who has been given a peerage to take on the role

Ms Thornberry was expected to be announced as part of the premier's Cabinet having served as the shadow attorney general since 2021

Other eyebrow-raising moves saw the boss of key-cutting and shoe-repairing firm Timpson, James Timpson, appointed as new prisons minister.

The firm has employed ex-offenders since 2008 to give them another chance and they make up 10 per cent of its workforce.

And Sir Patrick Vallance, who became a household name as he often joined the televised briefings during Covid, was made science minister.

He was nicknamed 'Dr Doom' in the pandemic thanks to his leadership of the cautious, lockdown-advocating Sage committee.

Both were made peers in order to take up their roles.

Sir Keir's appointments began shortly after 3pm with his deputy Angela Rayner striding up Downing Street in a striking green power suit.

Her appointment as Deputy Prime Minister and Levelling Up Secretary set the tone for what could be the most working-class Cabinet in history.

It will be a bitter pill for Ms Thornberry to swallow having been in Sir Keir's shadow cabinet in one guise or another since he became party leader in 2020

More than three-quarters of the Prime Minister's top team is also likely to be state-educated when it is finalised, with only a handful having attended fee-paying schools.

In his first act in No 10, Sir Keir appointed ministers who grew up in working-class households, the first female Chancellor and the first Foreign Secretary descended from slaves.

Former shadow Cabinet minister Jonathan Ashworth  who had been due to play a key role in government before he surprisingly lost his seat  said it 'could possibly be the most working-class Cabinet of all time'.

Sir Keir has made much of being the son of a toolmaker and a nurse who once had the phone cut off because his family couldn't afford the bills when he was younger.

Ms Rayner grew up in a council house and left school with no qualifications and pregnant at the age of 16.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson was brought up on benefits by her single mother and says she was bullied at school for being poor.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting was raised on a council estate in London's East End and his relatives associated with the Kray twins.

The Cabinet is also diverse, with Rachel Reeves becoming the first female Chancellor since the creation of the role 800 years ago.

In a speech to Treasury officials yesterday, she said: 'To every young woman and girl watching this, let today show that there should be no ceilings on your ambitions, your hopes or your dreams.

'But there is a deeper responsibility too: To women whose work is too often undervalued, who have borne the brunt of inequality and whose lives and interests are too often excluded from economic policymaking. Together, we are going to change that.'

However, one of her first jobs may be the reconfiguration of the Chancellor's private Edwardian bathroom  which comes with its own urinal.

Asked about it recently in The Spectator, she said her approach would be about 'smashing glass ceilings and urinals'.
Were you up for John Nicolson? It was 4.23am when the news came in that the grandest of all SNP MPs had lost his seat.

If Scotland had a Portillo moment it was this, not only because Nicolson's pristinely coiffured mane rivals that of the formerly fop-haired Tory grandee but because his notional majority was almost 13,000.

I squinted at the BBC's results table to inspect its outrageous conclusion, but the numbers added up.

Nicolson had been unceremoniously dumped in favour of Labour. Perhaps it's his regal manner but it was almost as if the electors of Alloa and Grangemouth had voted out the Queen Mother.

Mind you, I shouldn't have been surprised by anything at this point in the proceedings.

ITV viewers didn't have to wait for any results for Sturgeon's legendary glower to make an appearance on election night

The evening began with the exit poll showing the Nationalists reduced to ten seats. Party strategists had set twenty as their benchmark for a respectable result. This wasn't a bloody nose; it was an absolute skelping.

Over on ITV, rakish newsreader Tom Bradby had been paired with political editor Robert Peston, who had brought his sole facial expression: mildly confused basset hound.

The programme had lined up a rogues' gallery of politicians to comment on events through the night, one a piece from Labour, the Tories and the SNP.

There they sat, the three wise monkeys: Ed Balls, George Osborne and Nicola Sturgeon. See no evil, hear no evil, deleted all evil in line with Scottish Government policy.

Some Unionists considered it poor judgement on ITV's part to hire Sturgeon as an election analyst. I totally agree.

They put the woman who wrecked the SNP on telly and trained a camera on her all night as one SNP MP after another lost their seat  and they didn't even think to make it pay per view.

As it was, we didn't have to wait for any results for Sturgeon's legendary glower to make an appearance.

Around 11.45pm, ITV's dogged Scotland correspondent Peter Smith popped up with some thoughts for the former first minister.

Prompted by Bradby on the SNP's apparent losses, he observed that 'the architect' of the strategy to make the election a de facto referendum on independence was 'right there in the studio with you', suggesting pointedly that she might wish to offer 'some mea culpas'.

The camera cut to Sturgeon, who by this point looked like Rosa Klebb biting down on a cyanide pill.

'I think Peter's getting a wee bit over-excited there,' she sneered, before adding that his analysis was 'not unexpected'.

From behind a curled lip, she made things personal: 'I've got a feeling he's had that pent up in him for some time.'

This is how Sturgeon operates: she's spits out insinuations at journalists who displease her then magnanimously calls for respect for the media after the inevitable cybernat pile-on.

Strip away the selfie-taking, the novel recommendations and the Loose Women bonhomie and she's just a nasty piece of work.

Oh, and her much-awaited analysis of her party's meltdown? It wasn't her constitution-centric strategy but the failure to link independence to 'people's day-to-day lives'.

I suspect people made that link themselves and voted accordingly.

I flipped over to BBC One around 12.30am, where the inevitable Kirsty Wark was hosting Scottish Government minister Shirley-Anne Somerville, Tory MSP Liz Smith, Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie, and former Lib Dem chief Jo Swinson.

I have no problem with an all-female panel but someone's probably reported it to Police Scotland as a hate crime.

Joanna Cherry was one of the high-profile SNP MPs to to lose her seat on Thursday night

SNP leader John Swinney might have held onto his seat, but it was a disastrous night for his party

Just after 4am, John Swinney was admitting to the BBC's Martin Geissler that his party had been 'disunited'. See, even the SNP's better together

How to describe Somerville's face as she processed the SNP's horrendous losses? 'Shell shocked' doesn't quite cover it.

She looked like someone who had turned up for her first day in a new job and the job was head of safety at Chernobyl.

The no-nonsense Smith was bracingly candid. The Tories had 'let down the country'.

Citing Partygate and Liz Truss's premiership as the two events which inflicted the most damage, she admitted: 'I was personally sitting with my head in my hands.'

Baillie, meanwhile, was turned out in comradely red and warning against 'getting carried away' on the strength of what were still forecast results. What a political operator. Only Jackie Baillie could brief against an exit poll.

Back on Sky News, it was 1.20am and Kay Burley announced that she'd 'cracked open the Percy Pigs'.

Ruth Davidson, Sky's resident Tory pundit, spotted Ed Davey walking into his count on the live feed. 'I sort of expected him to jet ski in,' she quipped.

Over in the red corner: Scottish Labour supporters scored victory in Glasgow North East, where Maureen Burke won 15,639 votes to SNP's Anne McLaughlin's 11,002

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar poses for photographs in Glasgow with newly-elected MPs following the general election

Huge gains: The Scottish Labour Party secured 37 seats, up from just 1 in the 2019 election

An accidental elbow on the remote then took me to BBC Alba. Don't have a Scooby what they were saying but, fun fact: the Gaelic for 'Brexit referendum' is 'Brexit referendum'.

Jim Murphy  remember him?  was suddenly on the BBC panel, sporting a white checked blazer over black crew neck and a pair of unmissable horn-rimmed glasses, looking like he'd run away from The Proclaimers to become a software engineer.

He beamed as he pointed out that Blair McDougall had taken Labour from third to first place in his old seat, East Renfrewshire.

Speaking of The Proclaimers, the SNP losses were coming in thick and fast now.

David Linden no more, Kirsten Oswald no more, Alyn Smith no more, Hannah Bardell no more. I should have watched this down the local cinema. I ran out of popcorn by half eleven.

Back on ITV, talk had turned to how the Greens were taking some votes from Labour on the left, with Sturgeon chipping in that there was a lesson for her party following the breaking of the Bute House Agreement.

'I would have stuck with the Greens,' she said.

'What your successors have done is so frustrating isn't it?' Balls taunted.

'You're not going to bait me, Ed,' she shot back.

You know, for a supposed opponent of Westminster, she looked pretty happy rubbing shoulders with Tory and Labour big wigs.

Asked to muse on what Swinney should do now, Sturgeon warned against 'falling into the trap' of 'moving to the right', adding: 'The SNP has to re-establish trust on some of the core competence-in-government issues.'

Boy, if she ever finds out who lost that trust...

The clock struck three and Channel Four brought us Sir Keir Starmer giving his victory speech in Holborn and St Pancras, with the sundry protest candidates lined up beside him.

SNP Alison Thewliss is consoled after losing the Glasgow North seat on Thursday night

Scottish Labour's Martin Rhodes is all smiles after claiming victory over SNP Alison Thewlis

As the new prime minister vowed 'an end to the politics of performance', there stood next to him a man dressed as Elmo from Sesame Street (19 votes), applauding the sentiment.

To Lothian East, where Douglas Alexander romped home with a stonking 13,000-vote majority. That wasn't his greatest feat.

Last time we saw him, losing to Mhairi Black in 2015, he was 47. Now he's 56 and doesn't look a day older.

Going by his suspiciously inky barnet, I'm guessing it's less portrait in the attic and more Just For Men in the bathroom cabinet.

We shot up to Aberdeen South, where a sombre-looking Stephen Flynn clung on, telling the count: 'When you're knocked down, you get back up again.'

A decent speech but I think Chumbawamba did it better. Down in Clacton, Nigel Farage swept to victory and promised to attract tourists to the area.

So much for cracking down on immigration. Barely an MP for thirty seconds and already he wanted to bring more foreigners in.

Just after 4am, John Swinney was admitting to the BBC's Martin Geissler that his party had been 'disunited'. See, even the SNP's better together.

To be honest, I felt a pang of pathos as a grim-faced Swinney attempted to spin his party's catastrophic results while counting centre staff folded up tables and put chairs away behind him. Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first send metaphors.

Returning to ITV, Bradby remarked that, unlike all the Cabinet ministers being turfed out, Sturgeon had left of her own volition.

Then, in an aside all the more brutal for having been delivered with impeccable politeness, he noted: 'Obviously you've had a rough time since, but we can't talk about that.'

There's a first for British politics. An election night pundit having to be reminded of their right to remain silent.

For Sturgeon, the worst was yet to come. For the rest of us, it made staying up to 5am worth it.

Joanna Cherry, fresh from losing her seat, was beamed in from Edinburgh. The screen split between her and Sturgeon.

The tension fizzled through the screen. I winced, but I wasn't remotely prepared for what came next.

Cherry summoned every ounce of contempt in her body and drenched her former leader in a torrent of disdain.

She blamed 'a lack of debate under Nicola's leadership', when 'our suggestions were not well received' and there was 'a style of leadership that didn't brook debate'.

By this point my toes had curled so far they were practically touching my calves. Cherry showed not a speck of warmth towards Sturgeon, who repaid her with a stare so icy that it probably set global warming back a decade.

'I would point out that Joanna's three election victories were all delivered under my leadership,' she spat.

I'm not sure what motivated Sturgeon to subject herself to this all-night indignity. If it wasn't money, it can only have been masochism.

In the end, the SNP limped home with just nine MPs. At least they can all fit in a camper van now.
Sir Keir Starmer has ushered in his new cabinet ministers making some surprising moves including his appointment of James Timpson as prisons minister.

Labour's historic landslide election victory has left a Tory bloodbath in it's wake as several notable figures from the previous cabinet failed to win over the electorate.

And as the new cabinet make their way to Downing Street with many shadow ministers being promoted - certain cabinet decisions have left eyebrows raised.

James Timpson, chief executive of his father's Timpsons shoe repair chain business, was made the new minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation during the new Prime Minister's appointments shortly after 3pm today.

Another recognisable face joining the ranks of Starmer's new roster is Sir Patrick Vallance - who acted as a chief scientific adviser during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now serving as the Minister of State of science, the 64-year-old was nicknamed 'Dr Doom' during the pandemic for being the face of SAGE's bleak projections.

James Timpson OBE, chief executive of his father's Timpsons shoe repair chain business, has been appointed prisons minister by Sir Keir Starmer

Also among the new Prime Minister's top team is Sir Patrick Vallance (pictured)

Serving as the Minister of State of science, the 64-year-old was nicknamed 'Dr Doom' during the pandemic for being the face of SAGE 's bleak projections

There have been some eyebrow raises as the Prime Minister ushers in his new cabinet keen to begin work to 'rebuild Britain'

Both he and Sir Patrick have been handed peerages by the new Prime Minister.

Who's in Keir's Cabinet? Angela Rayner - Deputy PM, Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary

- Deputy PM, Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Rachel Reeves - Chancellor of the Exchequer

- Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lammy - Foreign Secretary

- Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper - Home Secretary

- Home Secretary John Healey - Defence Secretary

- Defence Secretary Wes Streeting - Health Secretary

- Health Secretary Bridget Phillipson - Education Secretary

- Education Secretary Shabana Mahmood - Justice Secretary

- Justice Secretary Pat McFadden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

- Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Ed Miliband - Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary

- Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Liz Kendall - Work and Pensions Secretary

- Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Reynolds - Business and Trade Secretary

- Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle - Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary

- Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Louise Haigh - Transport Secretary

- Transport Secretary Lisa Nandy - Culture Secretary

- Culture Secretary Steve Reed - Environment Secretary

- Environment Secretary Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

- Chief Secretary to the Treasury Richard Hermer - Attorney General

- Attorney General Ian Murray - Scottish Secretary

- Scottish Secretary Hilary Benn - Northern Ireland Secretary

- Northern Ireland Secretary Jo Stevens - Welsh Secretary

- Welsh Secretary Lucy Powell - Leader of the House of Commons

- Leader of the House of Commons Baroness Smith - Leader of the House of Lords

- Leader of the House of Lords Sir Alan Campbell - Chief Whip Advertisement

Although Mr Timpson OBE's newly earned position was surprising, he is well renowned for his work advocating for ex-convicts and passion for business.

Chair of the Employers Forum for Reducing Re-offending (EFFRR) until 2016, the Timpson's boss has been applauded for his schemes rehabilitating offenders.

That same year, he became Chair of the Prison Reform Trust establishing Employment Advisory Board network throughout the country to help improve job opportunities for prison leavers.

For his very active work in getting disadvantaged people in employment and training, the new cabinet member was awarded in OBE in 2011.

Namely, the retailer's CEO employed ex-prisoners in branches of his family's business in a bid to rehabilitate them.

According to The Mirror, the UK business has now hired 600 ex-criminals throughout the UK.

He told the publication in 2019: 'If you employ an ex-offender, someone long-term unemployed, a veteran, a care leaver, or someone who is disabled, the employer should not pay national insurance for the first 12 months.'

Whilst being well involved in the day-to-day runnings of his family's business since 2002, the managing director has managed to up company profits from 3 million to over an eye-watering 20 million.

His success in business has been well recognised, with Timpson being showered in awards such as the David Goldman Visiting Professor of Innovation for 2012/13, at the Newcastle University Business School for inspiring business minded people.

Later in 2015, he was an ambassador for the then Prince of Wales - King Charles - holding responsibility for business in the North West.

So well revered for his business acumen, Mr Timpson was one of five co-chairs advising on how to create optimal business conditions post-Brexit during Theresa May's tenure.

Three years ago reappointed trustee of the Tate.

Chair of the Employers Forum for Reducing Re-offending (EFFRR) until 2016, the Timpson's boss has been applauded for his schemes rehabilitating offenders and has had 600 in his employ in his family's business

Keir Starmer was quick to get to work today after entering the doors of No 10, Downing Street

Although the Prime Minister was all smiles after his landslide victory he began holding appointment for his new cabinet from 3pm today

Several Labour minister headed to Downing Street this morning to face up their new bulging in-trays after their historic victory.

Beginning his appointments at 3pm, Angela Rayner walked the cobbles of Downing Street in a bright green power suit as she prepared to be appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Levelling Up Secretary.

Rachel Reeves became Britain's first female Chancellor, while David Lammy was appointed the new Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper the new Home Secretary, and Wes Streeting the new Health Secretary.

All of them enjoyed introductory tours of their new Whitehall departments as the met with officials. But they were also immediately challenged by the myriad of crises they will have to battle over the coming weeks and months.

Union bosses this evening demanded Mr Streeting come forward with a 'credible' offer to end the junior doctors' dispute on pay, as they eye a 35 per cent wage hike.

Mr Lammy vowed to support an 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza after witnessing an election backlash in some parts of the country over Labour's stance on the Middle East conflict.

In a speech to Treasury staff, Ms Reeves promised to boost Britain's economic growth as her 'central mission'.

And Ms Cooper pledged to set up a new 'Border Security Command' to tackle the Channel migrant crisis, as she prepares to scrap the Tories' Rwanda deportation scheme.

Although many of the newly promoted minister's looked forward to diving in the deep end, Sir Starmer decided there was no place for Emily Thornberry in his government.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner was the first arrival this afternoon ahead of being named Deputy Prime Minister

Yvette Cooper, the new Home Secretary, pledged to set up a new 'Border Security Command' to tackle the Channel migrant crisis, as she prepares to scrap the Tories' Rwanda deportation scheme

New Health Secretary Wes Streeting was told by union bosses to come forward with a 'credible' offer to end the junior doctors' dispute on pay, as they eye a 35 per cent wage hike

David Lammy, Britain's new Foreign Secretary, was shown around the Foreign Office after being appointed

Rachel Reeves, who is Britain's first female Chancellor, was applauded by Treasury staff as she made her first visit to her new department

Jonathan Reynolds (left) was appointed Business and Trade Secretary, while Peter Kyle was named Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary

Lisa Nandy, the new Culture Secretary, and Louise Haigh, the new Transport Secretary

Bridget Phillipson walked up to No10 before being named the new Education Secretary

Although the politician had loyally served as shadow attorney general over the last few years, Starmer opted for Richard Hermer KC as his Attorney General whilst also handing him a peerage.

It comes after Ms Thornberry caused embarrassment for Sir Keir during the general election campaign with her admission that Labour's plan to charge VAT on private school fees risks increasing class sizes in the state sector.

Over three quarters of the Prime Minister's top team is likely to be state-educated when finalised.

As his first act in Downing Street, Starmer has largely brought in ministers who come from working class backgrounds into his cabinet.

Among the 650 of current MPs 63 per cent received a state education - the highest percentage on record.
Supermarkets must to do more to help customers buy fruit and vegetables from this country online, campaigners say.

Stores including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Aldi and Ocado agreed to add 'Buy British' tabs to their websites two months ago.

But customers still struggle to clearly identify British groceries while shopping for food online, research by the Mail reveals.

A 'Best of British Multi Buy' section on Waitrose's website, for example, included a pack of strawberries for 3.10 but 'origin information' revealed a list of six countries  the UK, Morocco, Spain, Netherlands, Egypt and Jordan.

On the Sainsbury's site, a 'Best of British' section includes just 11 fruits and vegetables.

Stores including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Aldi and Ocado agreed to add 'Buy British' tabs to their websites two months ago

A 'Best of British Multi Buy' section on Waitrose's website, for example, included a pack of strawberries for 3.10 but 'origin information' revealed a list of six countries  the UK, Morocco, Spain , Netherlands , Egypt and Jordan

On the Sainsbury's site, a 'Best of British' section includes just 11 fruits and vegetables

But more items such as mushrooms and apples that are grown in the UK or Ireland were not listed in the section.

Some products such as nectarines and plums do not have a country of origin listed at all.

It was similarly challenging to clarify the country of origin for a range of products at other stores.

Independent consumer champion Martyn James said: 'As this research demonstrates, it's very difficult to source and purchase home-grown or cultivated British goods  or identify goods from other countries that you might want to support or even boycott.

'We need clear rules to help us identify where the food we consume comes from.'

Independent consumer champion Martyn James said: 'As this research demonstrates, it's very difficult to source and purchase home-grown or cultivated British goods  or identify goods from other countries that you might want to support or even boycott. We need clear rules to help us identify where the food we consume comes from.'

Ocado, Tesco, Asda and Aldi all reiterated their commitment to selling British produce

Marc Gander, of the Consumer Action Group, said: 'You can be certain where the retailer is silent on the origin of the food that it is definitely not British but they don't really want you to realise.'

Waitrose said: 'When in season, we aim to source as much produce as possible from British growers, and some products are British all year round.'

Sainsbury's said: 'British sourcing is a key priority for us and we always aim to update our website as quickly as possible to ensure customers have full visibility of the available local produce.'

Ocado, Tesco, Asda and Aldi all reiterated their commitment to selling British produce.
More than 50 French parliamentary candidates and activists have been attacked in the run up to tomorrow's final round of voting in a high-stakes election.

French interior minister Gerald Darmanin said his ministry has registered 51 verbal and physical attacks against candidates, their deputies or supporters during campaigning for the parliamentary elections.

Several attacks were 'extremely serious', Mr Darmanin added. At least 30 suspects 'with extremely varied backgrounds' have been arrested, he said, adding that their victims were also from across the political spectrum.

'National Rally's candidates were violently attacked, as were Left-wing candidates,' Mr Darmanin said.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin speaking in Paris, France on July 5, 2024

Demonstrators gather in Place de la Republique, to protest against the rising right-wing movement after the Rassemblement National's victory in the first round of early general elections in Paris, France on June 30, 2024

Tensions are high as Left-wing and moderate groups try to prevent the anti-immigration, nationalist National Rally from winning an absolute legislative majority after French president Emmanuel Macron called the snap election.

The National Rally, under party president Jordan Bardella, secured the most votes in the first round of the legislative elections on June 30 but not enough to claim an overall victory that would allow the formation of France's first hard-right government since World War II.

Darmanin said 30,000 police officers will be deployed on Sunday, including 5,000 in the Paris region, to ensure that the results of the election 'are respected whatever they may be.' He said gatherings outside of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, have been banned.

A group called the Antifascist Action Paris-Suburbs called for a protest outside the National Assembly on Sunday night as results come in.

Protesters take part during the demonstration in Paris against the hard right following the results of the French legislative elections, which saw the Rassemblement National party win the first round

Many people have voiced concerns that the surge in voter support for the anti-immigrant National Rally has made people feel more comfortable using racist, xenophobic and antisemitic language in public.

The government agency tallying racist acts did not have recent data since the brief campaign began.

Candidates have complained of both hate speech and physical violence during the campaign.

Government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot, who is a candidate for the centrist Ensemble alliance led by President Emmanuel Macron, said she and a deputy and a party activist were putting up election posters in Meudon near Paris on Wednesday night when a group attacked them. Thevenot's deputy and the party activist were taken to a hospital.

Macron called the surprise legislative election on June 9 after his alliance suffered a punishing defeat at the hands of the National Rally in French voting for the European Parliament, plunging the country into a sudden legislative campaign.
A resurgent Labour Party seized 37 of the 57 seats in Scotland, five years after being reduced to just a single MP north of the Border.

Sir Keir Starmers party held only Edinburgh South in the 2019 election but swept back to power on Thursday with a slew of triumphs in its traditional heartlands. Every seat in Glasgow and North and South Lanarkshire was won back from the SNP, which suffered a collapse to just nine seats. In the capital, only the Lib Dems prevented a Labour clean sweep by holding Edinburgh West.

The Tories vote held up as the party equalled the Lib Dems total of five MPs. There was still one seat left to declare last night as a recount was required in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire. However, the SNPs Drew Hendry later conceded defeat to the Liberal Democrats.

1 Aberdeen North

Party: SNP

MP: Kirsty Blackman

Majority: 1,760

Polls said the result was too close to call but Ms Blackman held her seat for the fourth time, though with a much reduced majority after securing a 34.5 per cent share of the vote compared to 54 per cent in 2019.

2 Aberdeen South

Party: SNP

MP: Stephen Flynn

Majority: 3,758

The SNPs Westminster leader held his seat and secured a similar majority to 2019 despite his share of the vote dipping by 12.5 per cent. Only 155 votes separated the Labour and Conservative candidates in second and third places.

3 Aberdeenshire North and Moray East

Party: SNP

MP: Seamus Logan

Majority: 942

In one of the big upsets of the night, the outgoing Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross was ousted by Mr Logan, an Aberdeenshire councillor. Mr Ross had not planned to stand but caused controversy after being selected ahead of David Duguid, who was having hospital treatment.

4 Airdrie and Shotts

Party: Labour

MP: Kenneth Stevenson

Majority: 7,547

Mr Stevenson reversed the result of a 2021 by-election in the constituency by defeating the SNPs Anum Qaisar by a comfortable margin. The Tories dropped to fourth place behind the Reform candidate.

5 Alloa and Grangemouth

Party: Labour

MP: Brian Leishman

Majority: 6,122

Exit polls had suggested the SNP would cling on but local councillor Mr Leishman received 18,039 votes to take the seat from broadcaster John Nicolson, whose departure was mocked on social media by the author JK Rowling.

6 Angus and Perthshire Glens

Party: SNP

MP: Dave Doogan

Majority: 4,870

The SNP had been desperate to hold on to the seat as it is where First Minister John Swinney lives, and Mr Doogan saw off a challenge from the Tories to win with 40 per cent of the votes.

7 Arbroath and Broughty Ferry

Party: SNP

MP: Stephen Gethins

Majority: 859

Mr Gethins lost his North East Fife seat to the Lib Dems in 2019 but will return to Westminster after triumphing in a close-fought battle with Labours Cheryl-Ann Cruickshank.

8 Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber

Party: SNP

MP: Brendan OHara

Majority: 6,232

Voters gave Mr OHara a comfortable victory over the Conservatives as he was elected for the fourth time to the seat he has held since deposing the Liberal Democrats in 2015.

9 Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock

Party: Labour

MP: Elaine Stewart

Majority: 4,154

East Ayrshire councillor Ms Stewart saw Labours share of the vote increase by 23.2 per cent as she seized the seat from the SNPs Allan Dorans, a former Metropolitan Police detective.

10 Bathgate and Linlithgow

Party: Labour

MP: Kirsteen Sullivan

Majority: 8,323

Ms Sullivan took nearly half of the votes as she unseated the SNPs former health spokesman Martyn Day.

11 Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk

Party: Conservative

MP: John Lamont

Majority: 6,599

A rare moment of celebration for the Tories as Mr Lamont was re-elected with a 40 per cent share of the vote, beating the SNP into second place.

12 Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross

Party: Liberal Democrat

MP: Jamie Stone

Majority: 10,489

The polls were on the money as Mr Stone beat the SNP newcomer, academic and crofter Lucy Beattie, with a thumping majority.

13 Central Ayrshire

Party: Labour

MP: Alan Gemmell

Majority: 6,869

Mr Gemmell, a former deputy high commissioner for South Asia, returned to his roots to contest the seat and saw his partys share of the vote increase by nearly 30 per cent to take it from the SNP.

14 Coatbridge and Bellshill

Party: Labour

MP: Frank McNally

Majority: 6,344

The seat had changed hands four times in as many elections but swung decisively to Labour as Mr McNally was elected ahead of the SNPs Steven Bonnar.

15 Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy

Party: Labour

MP: Melanie Ward

Majority: 7,248

The last Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown used to be the MP for Kirkcaldy and Ms Ward won the seat for Sir Keir Starmers party. It had previously been held by Neale Hanvey, who defected from the SNP to Alba in 2021 and secured just 1,132 votes.

16 Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch

Party: Labour

MP: Katrina Murray

Majority: 4,144

The result was too close to call in the exit poll but, in a two-horse race, Labours Ms Murray took a 45 per cent share of the vote against the SNPs 35 per cent.

17 Dumfries and Galloway

Party: Conservative

MP: John Cooper

Majority: 930

The Tories had been desperate to hold the seat of Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, who stood down after the election was called, and former journalist Mr Cooper succeeded in being voted in with a slim majority.

18 Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale

Party: Conservative

MP: David Mundell

Majority: 4,242

It was one of the last seats in the country to declare its result but long-serving MP Mr Mundells re-election gave the Tories a clean sweep in the south of Scotland.

19 Dundee Central

Party: SNP

MP: Chris Law

Majority: 675

Dundee Central was the SNPs safest seat in Scotland and polls had suggested it could fall to Labour but it was held by Mr Law, though with a much-reduced majority.

20 Dunfermline and Dollar

Party: Labour

MP: Graeme Downie

Majority: 8,241

Veteran Nationalist MP Douglas Chapman had held the seat since 2015 but, after his decision to retire, local councillor Mr Downie took the seat for Labour.

21 East Kilbride and Strathaven

Party: Labour

MP: Joani Reid

Majority: 9,057

Another seat which had been too close to call for the polling experts, but the granddaughter of the late trade union activist Jimmy Reid secured a convincing victory for Labour over the SNP.

22 East Renfrewshire

Party: Labour

MP: Blair McDougall

Majority: 8,421

He was best known for his strategy role in the Better Together campaign against Scottish independence, and Mr McDougall was given a ringing endorsement by the electorate as he took the seat from the SNPs Kirsten Oswald.

23 Edinburgh East and Musselburgh

Party: Labour

MP: Chris Murray

Majority: 3,715

The founder of the Stand Comedy Clubs, Tommy Sheppard, was a former Scottish Labour assistant general secretary and had stood as a Labour candidate at the 1992 general election. He was ousted by his old party from the seat he had held for the SNP since 2015.

24 Edinburgh North and Leith

Party: Labour

MP: Tracy Gilbert

Majority: 7,268

Trade union regional secretary Ms Gilbert took the seat from the SNPs Deidre Brock. The Greens secured one of their better results in Scotland by taking third place with a 10 per cent share of the vote.

25 Edinburgh South

Party: Labour

MP: Ian Murray

Majority: 17,251

Mr Murray had cut a lonely figure after the 2019 election as Labours only MP in Scotland but he was re-elected with a huge majority as the party enjoyed its resurgence.

26 Edinburgh South West

Party: Labour

MP: Scott Arthur

Majority: 6,217

The SNPs Joanna Cherry, who had clashed with her party because of her gender-critical views, was soundly beaten by Mr Arthur, City of Edinburgh councils transport convener, who took a 40 per cent share of the vote.

27 Edinburgh West

Party: Liberal Democrat

MP: Christine Jardine

Majority: 16,470

Ms Jardine boosted her majority and took a 50 per cent share of the vote to prevent a Labour clean sweep in the capital.

28 Falkirk

Party: Labour

MP: Euan Stainbank

Majority: 4,996

SNP candidate Toni Giugliani had been attempting to win one of the partys safest seats but was beaten by a 24-year-old local councillor. The seat has not been held by Labour since Eric Joyce was suspended by the party after being arrested for assault in 2012.

29 Glasgow East

Party: Labour

MP: John Grady

Majority: 3,784

Mr Grady won with 15,543 votes, leaving the SNPs David Linden, who had held the seat since 2017, trailing in second place.

30 Glasgow North

Party: Labour

MP: Martin Rhodes

Majority: 3,539

Nationalist MP Alison Thewliss was one of the bigger scalps claimed by Labour as she had been the partys spokesman for home affairs.

31 Glasgow North East

Party: Labour

MP: Maureen Burke

Majority: 4,637

Only 47 per cent of the electorate turned out to vote in the late Speaker Michael Martins old seat where local councillor Ms Burke secured victory over the SNPs Anne McLaughlin.

32 Glasgow South

Party: Labour

MP: Gordon McKee

Majority: 4,154

Former SNP defence spokesman Stewart McDonald was soundly beaten by Mr McKee, the 29-year-old son of a welder, who secured 41.8 per cent of the vote.

33 Glasgow South West

Party: Labour

MP: Zubir Ahmed

Majority: 3,285

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar lives in Glasgow South West and Mr Ahmed delivered a comfortable win for the party.

34 Glasgow West

Party: Labour

MP: Patricia Ferguson

Majority: 6,446

Former long-serving MSP Ms Ferguson took 46.7 per cent of the vote to reclaim the sixth of Glasgows seats from the SNP.

35 Glenrothes and Mid Fife

Party: Labour

MP: Richard Baker

Majority: 2,954

Mr Baker, whose wife is also a Labour politician, had stood down as an MSP in 2016 but made a successful comeback to politics after being elected with a 44.3 per cent share of the vote.

36 Gordon and Buchan

Party: Conservative

MP: Harriet Cross

Majority: 878

Alex Salmonds old seat was said to be on a knife-edge but was held by the Conservatives, pushing the Labour candidate into fourth place behind the SNP and the Lib Dems.

37 Hamilton and Clyde Valley

Party: Labour

MP: Imogen Walker

Majority: 9,472

New MP Ms Walker described being elected with an emphatic majority as the honour of my life.

38 Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West

Party: Labour

MP: Martin McCluskey

Majority: 6,371

Ronnie Cowan had been one of the intake of 56 SNP MPs elected in 2015 but was defeated by local councillor Mr McCluskey.

39 Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire

Not Yet Declared, but the SNPs Drew Hendry last night conceded defeat in the last seat to be counted. Liberal Democrat Angus MacDonald is likely to be declared the winner today.

40 Kilmarnock and Loudoun

Party: Labour

MP: Lillian Jones

Majority: 5,119

Another seat deemed too close to call but won convincingly by Labour in the first Scottish result of the night to be declared.

41 Livingston

Party: Labour

MP: Gregor Poynton

Majority: 3,528

Nationalist MP Hannah Bardell, another of the 2015 intake, took a wee break from the campaign trail to tie the knot with her wife in May and will now have more time to enjoy married life after losing the seat to Mr Poynton.

42 Lothian East

Party: Labour

MP: Douglas Alexander

Majority: 13,265

Former Labour minister Mr Alexander, who was an MP between 1997 and 2015, was returned to Westminster with a healthy majority over the SNP candidate.

43 Midlothian

Party: Labour

MP: Kirsty McNeill

Majority: 8,167

Another seat where Reform took third place but Labours Ms McNeill, a former adviser to Gordon Brown, secured close to a half share of the vote.

44 Mid Dunbartonshire

Party: Liberal Democrat

MP: Susan Murray

Majority: 9,673

The seat hit the headlines because of Nicola Sturgeons graceless celebrations when then-Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson was defeated by the SNPs Amy Callaghan in 2019. But it was Ms Callaghans turn to be on the losing side as the seat swung back to the Lib Dems.

45 Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey

Party: SNP

MP: Graham Leadbitter

Majority: 1,001

The seat was predicted to be a rare gain for the Conservatives but was held by the SNP by just over 1,000 votes.

46 Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke

Party: Labour

MP: Pamela Nash

Majority: 7,085

Ms Nash, a Unionist campaigner, will return to Westminster nine years after losing her seat in 2015. She had been the youngest MP in the House of Commons when she was elected in 2010 at the age of 25.

47 Na h-Eileanan an Iar

Party: Labour

MP: Torcuil Crichton

Majority: 3,836

Former political journalist Mr Crichton was voted in by the UKs smallest electorate. The previous MP, Angus MacNeil, stood as an independent after being expelled from the SNP last year but finished in third place.

48 North Ayrshire

and Arran

Party: Labour

MP: Irene Campbell

Majority: 3,551

A close-fought contest ended in victory for Ms Campbell, who defeated the SNPs Attorney General spokesman Patricia Gibson.

49 North East Fife

Party: Liberal Democrat

MP: Wendy Chamberlain

Majority: 13,479

The SNP lost all its seats in Fife, with Ms Chamberlain hailing the election as a verdict on two governments who have been in power for too long.

50 Orkney and Shetland

Party: Liberal Democrat

MP: Alistair Carmichael

Majority: 7,807

Mr Carmichael, a long-serving MP and former Scottish Secretary, had been expected to keep his seat and took a 55 per cent share of the vote.

51 Paisley and Renfrewshire North

Party: Labour

MP: Alison Taylor

Majority: 6,333

Both Paisley constituencies had been deemed too close to call but businesswoman Ms Taylor secured nearly half of the votes.

52 Paisley and Renfrewshire South

Party: Labour

MP: Johanna Baxter

Majority: 6,527

The seat had been held by the SNPs Mhairi Black, who decided to stand down, and she will be replaced by Ms Baxter, a Labour MP who is the head of local government at Unison Scotland.

53 Perth and Kinross-shire

Party: SNP

MP: Pete Wishart

Majority: 4,127

Mr Wishart, who has been an MP since 2001, had been expected to lose his seat to the Conservatives but hung on with a smaller share of the vote.

54 Rutherglen

Party: Labour

MP: Michael Shanks

Majority: 8,767

The SNP lost every seat in North and South Lanarkshire to Labour, with new MP Mr Shanks saying there had been extraordinary results in Scotland.

55 Stirling and Strathallan

Party: Labour

MP: Chris Kane

Majority: 1,394

Outgoing Nationalist MP Alyn Smith wrote to party members in Stirling urging them not to sink into bitterness because of the election results after he was beaten by Mr Kane, with the Tories coming a respectable third.

56 West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

Party: Conservative

MP: Andrew Bowie

Majority: 3,441

Mr Bowie was defending one of the most marginal seats and described it as a rough night despite being re-elected.

57 West Dunbartonshire

Party: Labour

MP: Douglas McAllister

Majority: 6,010

Labour Lord Provost Mr McAllister secured victory over the SNPs Martin Docherty-Hughes, who had held the seat for nine years.

How the political landscape shifted across the United Kingdom
A South Carolina dad was seen dancing in his front yard while dressed as Uncle Sam, moments before he died after igniting a large firework on top of his head.

Allen Ray McGrew, 41, had been celebrating the 4th of July on Thursday evening at a neighborhood block party in Summerville, Dorchester County.

Dressed as Uncle Sam, footage captured by his wife Paige showed McGrew dancing a jig in his full festive rig out as he celebrated the holiday.

Witnesses told investigators that McGrew had placed a large firework on the top hat he was wearing, before lighting it - causing the device to explode.

According to a police report seen by WCBD, McGrew's wife told deputies she believed he placed the firework on his head to 'show off' and was drunk at the time.

The HVAC worker was found laying dead in the road by deputies who rushed to the scene after the party came to an abrupt end.

Dressed as Uncle Sam, footage captured by his wife Paige showed McGrew dancing a jig in his full festive rig out as he celebrated the holiday

Witnesses told investigators that McGrew had placed a large firework on the top hat he was wearing, before lighting it - causing the device to explode

The local coroner's office said that the exploding device had caused massive head trauma that killed McGrew instantly.

Speaking with the Post and Courier, his wife Paige said she had been telling him to stop playing with the firework when it erupted and he collapsed.

She told the outlet: 'He was holding this firework over his top hat. I thought he was just showboating before he set it on the ground. I didnt realize he had already lit it.'

Paige added that her husband had worked hard, played hard, and died during his favorite holiday.

'Allen loved this holiday', she added. 'He was a patriot, he was proud of his son and he was excited to have a new daughter-in-law. He was living his best life last night.'

Paige recalled how her late husband had gone all out for Independence Day, wearing a brand-new Uncle Sam costume for the occasion as well as a fake white beard.

His wife remembered him hilariously appearing at her office in the full outfit, saying: 'I was on the phone with a client and I just lost it, I was laughing so hard.

'I had to tell her what was going on. That was Allen. He was a genuine, good person and he loved life. He worked hard and he played hard.'

The local coroner's office said that the exploding device had caused massive head trauma that killed McGrew instantly

Paige, seen here with Allen, added that her husband had worked hard, played hard, and died during his favorite holiday

The HVAC worker was found laying dead in the road by deputies who rushed to the scene after the party came to an abrupt end

The occasion on Thursday had been a celebration for McGrew and his son, with the pair celebrating his son's engagement.

His wife said he then planned to stop drinking for a while, adding: 'Alan was not a drinker. Everyone was drinking a little last night, but he didn't drink regularly.'

Neighbors who spoke to the Post and Courier described him as being a kind man who was always willing to lend a hand.

One person told the outlet that Wednesday had been the first time he mowed his own lawn, because McGrew would usually take it upon himself to do it.

Another neighbor added: 'He was the nicest guy. He was the kind of guy you want for a neighbor.'

The Dorchester County Sheriffs Office and Dorchester County Coroners Office are investigating the incident.
The moment is seared on my mind, not to mention captured in a thousand videos on social media.

It shows me in the small hours of May 2, 1997  3.01am to be precise  standing alongside my fellow election candidates, with my features arranged into as neutral an expression as I could muster.

I knew by then the returning officer was about to announce my resounding defeat at the hands of the Labour Party candidate Stephen Twigg, unseating me not only as MP for Enfield Southgate but as a serving Cabinet minister.

It was a dramatic change. I had won the previous election in 1992 with a comfortable majority of 15,563 but now languished behind my Labour rival by nearly 1,500 votes, an 18 per cent swing that was a pivotal indication that, after 18 years of Conservative rule, Labour would win the election.

It meant, to my surprise  and later amusement  the phrase 'Portillo moment' would enter the lexicon as a metaphor for a sudden, significant change in political fortunes.

Michael Portillo says he can now see the funny side of the iconic 'Portillo moment' which has taken on a life of its own and is now used to describe significant change in political fortunes

Portillo in the small hours of the morning waiting for the returning officer to announce his defeat to Labour's Stephen Twigg

Well, we certainly had plenty of those on Thursday night/Friday morning. Indeed, it would almost be swifter to list the Tory big beasts who were not felled by their constituents, among them the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who  in what I would style a 'reverse Portillo moment' held on to his seat by the slenderest of margins despite widespread expectation that he would lose it.

No such luck for Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, veterans minister Johnny Mercer, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and many, many others.

They will have woken bleary-eyed yesterday morning to confront the reality of life stripped not only of political title but, to some degree, their identity. As I can testify, it is a discombobulating experience.

Perhaps none suffered a more startling Portillo moment than Liz Truss, a woman who just 620 days ago was prime minister but who now finds herself a civilian again, after a record-breaking 25.9 per cent swing against her in the once true-blue constituency of South West Norfolk.

I recognised in Truss's rictus smile the horror of someone undergoing a wounding humiliation on a national stage. Had Truss prepared herself for it? I, at least, had some time to confront the fact that I might have been about to stare into the political abyss: polls had been gloomy enough for one journalist to ask on election eve if I had thought about defeat and, if so, how I would hope to face up to it.

My spur of the moment answer was 'to keep my dignity' and, having said that, I became determined to live up to it if I could.

Many do not know that politicians are not quite as caught by surprise by the result on the night as the cameras suggest. Prior to the public announcement, candidates are told the outcome of the poll by the returning officer to avoid the chance of any unseemly scuffles or objections once the cameras are rolling.

William Hague and Portillo thanking party workers after storming to victory

Portillo, the Defence Secretary under John Major's leadership, leaving Downing Street

The MP for Enfield Southgate on the campaign trail in Edinburgh, battling against Scottish Nationalists

All of us are asked if we are happy to accept the result. 'Ecstatically,' I replied that night in 1997, which raised a smile among my rivals.

So I was prepared  to a degree. But that does not make the moment of defeat any less crushing. While Stephen Twigg was wholly gracious in victory and Labour councillors were courteous and kind, it is far from easy to face the fact that a large number of people have made it clear via the ballot box how much they dislike you.

My politics were partly responsible but it was also clear I had become something of a hate figure: many people viscerally loathed me. You would have to be a Tin Man not to feel at least a little wounded.

For all that, there was also a modicum of relief behind my thrashing, for victory would have been a bittersweet pill to swallow. Had I won, I would have been expected to contest the Conservative Party leadership, a prospect that held no attraction for me. It would have involved a mass of colleagues spoiling for a fight against the sobering backdrop of now being in opposition. I suspect for all the shock of their dethroning, people such as Penny Mordaunt  like me tipped as a future Tory leader and whom I felt to be gracious in defeat  may also be breathing a small sigh of relief even as she licks her wounds.

Even so, many Tories who have lost their seats face a difficult few weeks. Politicians are so defined by their jobs, with both a packed timetable and a ringside seat in one of the world's greatest political arenas. Suddenly, all that is gone.

It takes a while to sink in, a period that for me was initially characterised by an acute sense of self-consciousness. Having never given a second thought to boarding public transport  I'd always travelled to my North London constituency by Underground  I suddenly felt convinced that people were making fun of me behind my back.

There were many 'Portillo moments' on election night with many cabinet members losing their seats as Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) swept into Downing Street

Penny Mordaunt, former leader of the Commons, had her own 'Portillo moment' as she was booted out as MP of Portsmouth North

It took a while for the feeling to subside. I feel grateful those moments were not immortalised by smartphone cameras, social media memes or unkind online comments.

Today's candidates must live out their defeat in a far more brutal arena: the brickbats I received will be experienced by losing candidates many times over on thousands of different forums.

M y first instinct was to recover my political career. At the Tory party conference in October, five months after our election defeat, I made a well-received speech setting out what I felt we needed to do to rehabilitate ourselves in the public arena.

Two years later, I returned to the House of Commons after winning the by-election for Kensington and Chelsea following the death of the incumbent Alan Clark, and served as Shadow Chancellor.

I finally left the House of Commons at the 2005 general election. By then, I had a burgeoning media career that took me away from politics and for which I am profoundly grateful.

I could certainly not have envisaged any of it in the first few bewildering days after my election defeat, nor that, years later, my defeat would be voted by Channel 4 viewers their 'third favourite moment of the 20th century'  just ahead of the 1989 execution of the Romanian tyrant Nicolae Ceausescu. What an honour!

We can only wait and see whether the fates of Ms Truss et al are similarly rewarded.

Either way, the phrase 'Portillo moment' remains mine alone, a turn of events about which I can now finally see the funny side.

The author presents Sunday With Michael Portillo on GB News.
A former advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. snapped a photo with a chipper Bill Clinton and a less-than-impressed Hillary on a United flight to Jackson Hole.

The Clintons have largely been out of the news during the Democrat Party chaos in the wake of Joe Biden's disastrous debate with Donald Trump.

Former President Clinton - at 77, still younger than either of the two major candidates running in 2024 despite leaving office 23 years ago - had tweeted his support for Biden after the horrendous showdown.

He was seen on a flight to Wyoming this week with wife Hillary and was approached by former RFK Jr. campaign consultant and TikTok personality Link Lauren.

Lauren posted a photo to social media of Bill looking happy as ever, while Hillary worked away at her phone on the flight to Wyoming.

An advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. snapped a photo with a chipper Bill Clinton and a less-than-impressed Hillary on a United flight to Jackson Hole

I ended up on a flight yesterday with Bill and Hillary Clinton. Heres what happened. pic.twitter.com/bMSLG1A9e8  Link Lauren (@itslinklauren) July 5, 2024

'I ended up on a flight yesterday with Bill and Hillary Clinton, no it was not the Lolita Express,' joked Lauren, referring to the infamous plane owned by Jeffrey Epstein that actor Kevin Spacey recently confirmed he flew on with Bill.

He described the former president as having 'this old school, politician charisma that can't be taught, can't be duplicated' and that he was happy to take pictures with everyone who approached him.

Hillary, on the other hand, was described by Lauren as a bit more reserved, though she would smile and speak to anyone who said hello.

'I can't knock them on that front,' he said, though he did believe Hillary was unamused by his more right-leaning beliefs and support for RFK Jr.

He also said that Bill 'loves to be social' and was 'naturally' chatting up the flight attendants.

Apparently, a couple got upgraded to first class with the Clintons ahead of the flight and took advantage of it, saying 'they wanted to chat their ears off!'

He also noted that they were calm and seemingly having a great time despite the mess going on in their party, as the two headed for vacation.

Hillary and Bill have largely been out of the spotlight in recent weeks, though both have consistently remained behind Joe Biden since the debate.

Lauren described the former president as having 'this old school, politician charisma that can't be taught, can't be duplicated' and that he was happy to take pictures with everyone who approached him

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (left) poses by his youngest campaign senior adviser Link Lauren (right), 25, who has become a huge presence on political TikTok. Lauren was among the group tapped to help find Kennedy a running mate

The two have each tweeted out their support for Biden, whom they've worked with over their decades in politics, as the Democrat can

Lauren, 25, has been a huge part of RFK Jr.'s popularity on TikTok and was part of the group that held court to determine the choice of Nicole Shanahan as Kennedy's running mate.

He exited the campaign in April, but told DailyMail.com earlier this year that Kennedy interviewed candidates from 'both sides of the aisle from all different walks of life.'

'And then Bobby made the final decision. And we're all excited for it,' the prominent TikTokker said in an interview Thursday.

Bay Area lawyer Nicole Shanahan, 38, seems to be the most plausible pick, but Kennedy also courted New York Jets play Aaron Rodgers, 40 - who's also from Northern California - as well as past Democratic presidential hopefuls Andrew Yang, 49, and ex-Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, 42.

Kennedy assembled a 'colorful group' of about 10 people to serve on his VP Select Committee.
Grassroots Tories fear they could be denied the chance to decide on the party's next leader again - as Kemi Badenoch is the early favourite at the bookies in the battle for the Tory crown.

The Conservative Party membership is meant to have the final say after the choice has been whittled down to two by MPs.

However after Liz Truss quit in October 2022  just weeks after being voted in  runner-up Rishi Sunak took over without a ballot of the members.

Since then some senior figures have suggested that the party membership should play less of a role in picking the leader.

After the Truss debacle, former Conservative leader William Hague, who introduced the current rules in 1998, wrote: 'The objectives we had in mind when we adopted them have not been fulfilled, they are indeed now discredited [and] work should begin immediately on reforming them.'

Former business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch has long been considered the favourite to win

After Liz Truss quit in October 2022  just weeks after being voted in  runner-up Rishi Sunak took over without a ballot of the members

Your browser does not support iframes.

One Tory minister recently suggested to the Daily Telegraph: 'Maybe members provide the runners and riders and then the MPs would decide.'

Another questioned whether letting party members decide on Mr Sunak's successor was a 'good idea'.

Last night, Claire Bullivant of the Conservative Democratic Organisation told the Mail: 'I suspect they will want to cut out the membership. We will not allow that. Members must have their say.'

She said it was wrong for Conservative MPs to blame party members for choosing Ms Truss over Mr Sunak.

She added: 'The MPs kicked out Boris. Then, out of a field of nearly 400, they gave us the choice between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. Then MPs, in breach of the constitution and again with nearly 400 alternatives, unanimously selected Rishi Sunak with no membership approval.

'The man proved the most disastrous leader in the party's history. Yet still, they let him carry on.'

Former Conservative leader William Hague, who introduced the current rules in 1998, said: 'they are indeed now discredited [and] work should begin immediately on reforming them'

Senior Tory figures - including a record number of Cabinet ministers - lost their seats in an election bloodbath

A senior source in the party suggested there would be no immediate change to the system, saying: 'Members would I'm sure want there to be a two-stage process.'

However, when the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs meets next week, it will look again at how Tory leaders can be toppled.

Under current rules, a vote is triggered when at least 15 per cent of Tory MPs write to the 1922 chairman saying they have lost confidence in their leader.

This now means only 18 MPs would have to put in letters for the threshold to be met.

Senior figures say they want the contest to be wrapped up in time for the party's annual conference on September 29  meaning nominations for a successor will have to open within weeks.

In his final speech outside No 10 yesterday morning, Mr Sunak said: 'Following this result, I will step down as party leader. Not immediately, but once the formal arrangements for selecting my successor are in place'

A source told the Mail: 'I think it's feasible to do it over the summer. There is time to get somebody in place by conference. We will want to get a new leader in place who can appoint a Shadow Cabinet.'

In his final speech outside No 10 yesterday morning, Mr Sunak said: 'Following this result, I will step down as party leader. Not immediately, but once the formal arrangements for selecting my successor are in place.'

The first stage will be for the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs to meet in the coming days.

However it needs to hold elections itself  such as on finding a new chairman after Sir Graham Brady stood down from Parliament. The committee will then decide on the rules and timetable for the first stage of the contest, in which contenders are usually whittled down by their fellow MPs to reach a final pair.

Under current rules, Tory members around the country are then balloted to decide between the two candidates.

Former business and trade secretary Ms Badenoch has long been considered the favourite to win.

Here are the key contenders to watch, with odds provided by Ladbrokes:

Kemi Badenoch (2/1)

Outgoing Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch is seen as a frontrunner among right-leaning factions and has left the door open to a tilt at the top job by saying 'we will talk about leadership things after an election'.

Ms Badenoch was born in Wimbledon and grew up in Nigeria and the US, returning to the UK at the age of 16. She has a master of engineering as well as a bachelor of laws and has worked at private bank Coutts and The Spectator.

She first became an MP in 2017. Ms Badenoch backed Brexit, and as minister for women and equalities she has made a name for herself as an outspoken voice on gender issues, including by calling for a change to the Equality Act so that sex is defined only as someone's biological sex.

Ms Badenoch has rejected calls for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to be welcomed into the Tory fold.

Dame Priti Patel (5/1)

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel is a longstanding Eurosceptic who has said she was inspired to join the Conservative Party by Margaret Thatcher.

She became an MP in 2010 and served in cabinet positions under Theresa May and Boris Johnson, as international development secretary and home secretary respectively.

Dame Priti was a leading figure in the Vote Leave campaign, and as home secretary she launched a points-based immigration system, signed the agreement with Rwanda to send asylum seekers to the country and sealed returns deals with Albania and Serbia.

She resigned as home secretary after Liz Truss became Tory leader.

Suella Braverman (8/1)

Suella Braverman declared two days before election day that the fight for a Conservative electoral victory is over.

Writing in The Telegraph, she instead referred to a 'fight for the soul' of the party.

Ms Braverman, a barrister by trade, has a track record of controversial op-eds. She was appointed home secretary by Rishi Sunak, who sacked her from that post over an article accusing the Metropolitan Police of bias in policing protests.

Ms Braverman was previously attorney general for England and Wales under Boris Johnson and has also chaired the Eurosceptic European Research Group.

She was elected as an MP in 2015. She recently told The Times she would welcome Nigel Farage into the Conservative Party, saying: 'There's not much difference really between him and many of the policies that we stand for.'

James Cleverly (8/1)

James Cleverly, who served as Home Secretary, has yet to declare his intentions and told Sky News in the aftermath of his re-election as an MP: 'What might happen in the future I'll leave that for the near future.'

An article in The Times had suggested he would not go for the top job due to his wife's health but other reports indicate he could be persuaded to run.

Mr Cleverly is a centrist who previously served as foreign secretary and was first elected as the Conservative MP for Braintree in May 2015.

After an injury cut short his Army career, he got a business degree and joined the Territorial Army. Mr Cleverly worked in magazine and digital publishing before setting up his own business. He was a London Assembly member before he became an MP.

Robert Jenrick (8/1)

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick last month denied he was firing the first shot in the race to replace Mr Sunak when he wrote an opinion piece dubbed by The Mail on Sunday as him 'effectively setting out his manifesto'.

Mr Jenrick used the article to say the Conservatives are the 'natural home for Reform voters' and that former prime minister Boris Johnson 'must always have a place' in the Tories, including in Parliament, should he wish to have one.

The MP for Newark resigned as a minister last December as he claimed the then draft legislation designed to revive the Rwanda deportation policy did 'not go far enough'.

Mr Jenrick last month claimed Mr Sunak's administration was 'turning a corner' in its efforts to reduce net migration.

He added in a nod to Reform: 'We have to build a coalition of voters and propose policies which will fix people's problems - be that on migration, public services reform, the cost of living, or housing.'

Jeremy Hunt (7/1)

Having previously run for leader in 2019 and 2022, Jeremy Hunt may be reluctant to have a third go.

But his lengthy experience in Cabinet and appeal to moderates could be attractive to Tories looking for a calming influence after the chaos of recent years.

After surviving a scare to secure his seat in the Commons, Mr Hunt said: 'Some Conservatives will wonder whether the scale of our crushing defeat was really justified.

'But when you lose the trust of the electorate, all that matters is having the courage and humility to ask yourself, why? So that you can earn it back again.'

After clinging on to his seat, Mr Hunt is not favoured among bookmakers to take over.

Tom Tugendhat (7/2)

Former security minister Tom Tugendhat, who held on in Tonbridge, repeatedly refused to rule out taking a tilt at the top job during the election campaign.

He previously unsuccessfully ran for the leadership in 2022, when he pitched himself as the candidate untarnished by the scandals that dogged Boris Johnson and his government.

He is seen as being on the centrist wing of the party, meaning he could struggle to convince a more right-leaning Tory membership.

Speaking after last night's result, Mr Tugendhat said he was 'very grateful' to be re-elected but called for his party to 'stop and rethink where we're going'.

Victoria Atkins (14/1)

Victoria Atkins, the outgoing health secretary, left the door open for a leadership bid in the run-up to the election.

Ms Atkins, who held her Louth and Horncastle seat with a reduced majority, has been discussed as a contender from the more moderate wing of the party.

She was reportedly talked up by former deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden as a 'star' capable of leading the Tories in a leaked recording from December.

During her time in office, Ms Atkins struggled in vain to stop strikes by junior doctors.

Her odds are 18/1 with Betfair Exchange and 14/1 with Ladbrokes.
Royal weddings have captivated the public imagination for centuries.

As a case in point, the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in 2011 was watched by a record two billion people worldwide.

But a significant amount of preparation was dedicated to ensure everything ran seamlessly, from the vows to the military procession.

Like many other couples, William and Kate attended multiple rehearsals before their momentous wedding day.

Here, we delve into the detailed preparations that went into their nuptials and those of other royal family members over the years.

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer attended several rehearsals ahead of their 'fairytale wedding' at St Paul's Cathedral on July 28, 1981. Above: The couple leaving rehearsals on June 12

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer attended several rehearsals ahead of their 'fairytale wedding' at St Paul's Cathedral on July 28, 1981.

The couple's first run-through took place on June 12, with a final hour-long rehearsal two nights before the big day.

Afterwards, Queen Elizabeth II hosted a grand gala ball at Buckingham Palace for 1,400 guests, followed by an intimate dinner for 90.

Diana also had a rehearsal with her bridesmaids and page boys at St Paul's on July 22.

Attendees included Princess Margaret, the Duchess of Kent and Diana's estranged parents, Frances Shand-Kydd and Earl Spencer.

The bridesmaids included India Hicks, who was then 13, and Winston Churchill's great-granddaughter Clementine Hambro.

Prince Charles married Diana Spencer on July 29, 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral in London

Charles and Diana walk down the steps of St Paul's Cathedral after their final wedding rehearsal, July 27, 1981

Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten

It was the wedding of the century, when the future Queen tied the knot with the man who would be by her side for more than 70 years.

On November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten - as he was then - inside Westminster Abbey.

And, as you can imagine, an enormous amount of preparation went into a ceremony that boasted a 2,000-strong guest list and which was listened

Princess Elizabeth (centre) walks with her sister Princess Margaret behind their father King George VI as she arrives at Westminster Abbey for a complete rehearsal of her wedding, November 19, 1947

On November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten - as he was then - inside Westminster Abbey

The final rehearsal took place on November 19, with all of the royals present.

The key participants rehearsed the big procession from the Abbey's Great West Door - where Elizabeth would enter the following day with her father George VI at her side.

The bride and groom were also shown their places on the step's of the Abbey's Sanctuary and shown when to make their responses and when to kneel for the Blessing.

The Daily Mail reported at the time: 'Almost every step in the Princess's glittering course from the Great West Door to the Sanctuary and High Altar will be timed.'

Princess Elizabeth walks next to her sister Margaret behind their parents George VI and Queen Elizabeth as they leave Westminster Abbey following the her final wedding rehearsal

Prince William and Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton showed no sign of nerves during the final rehearsal before her wedding to Prince William in 2011.

The bride-to-be beamed as she arrived at Westminster Abbey alongside Prince Harry, her parents, pageboys and bridesmaids.

Kate Middleton showed no sign of nerves during the final rehearsal before her wedding to Prince William in 2011. Above: Kate arrives at Westminster Abbey with Prince Harry, April 28, 2011

Kate looked radiant as she stepped out of Westminster Abbey as the Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Prince William, on April 29, 2011

Following the rehearsal, Kate spent the night at the Goring Hotel in Belgravia with her mother Carole and sister Pippa.

Full details of the ceremony were released the same day, accompanied by a message from William and Kate thanking the public for its support.

The message read: 'We are both so delighted that you are able to join us in celebrating what we hope will be one of the happiest days of our lives.

'The affection shown to us by so many people during our engagement has been incredibly moving, and has touched us both deeply.

'We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone most sincerely for their kindness.'

Kate Middleton seen arriving with her mother Carole at Westminster Abbey for her final wedding rehearsal, April 28, 2011

Kate Middleton waves to crowds alongside her mother Carole and sister Pippa as she arrives at the Goring Hotel in London the day before her wedding

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

On May 19, 2018, the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Two days prior, the bride and groom rehearsed their lines behind closed doors, while the military conducted their preparations in the town.

Meghan opted for a white pussybow shirt and jeans, styling her raven tresses in a half up-half down fashion, while Harry wore a shirt and jumper.

Thousands of well-wishers gathered to catch a glimpse of the preparations for the big day.

Prince Harry married Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 at St George's Chapel

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle drive down the Long Walk in Windsor to their wedding rehearsal

Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones were pictured smiling from ear-to-ear as they arrived at their wedding rehearsal at Westminster Abbey in May 1960.

The detailed practice included a full choir, while horse guards rehearsed the procession with carriages outside.

It was the first royal wedding to be broadcast on television and had an estimated 300 million viewers from around the globe.

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones were pictured smiling from ear-to-ear as they arrived at their wedding rehearsal at Westminster Abbey

Princess Margaret leaves hand-in-hand with Antony Armstrong-Jones following their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 1960

The Queen (centre), Princess Anne, the Queen Mother and Prince Charles leave Westminster Abbey after a rehearsal for Princess Margaret's wedding, May 6, 1960

Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall

Zara Phillips married rugby star Mike Tindall on July 30, 2011, at Canongate Kirk, a historic church on Edinburgh's Royal Mile.

The day before, the couple, dressed casually in jeans, attended a run-through with their families.

They arrived in a chauffeur-driven Jaguar and were greeted by cheering crowds.

Zara Phillips married rugby star Mike Tindall on July 30, 2011, at Canongate Kirk, a historic church on Edinburgh's Royal Mile. The day before, the couple, dressed casually in jeans, attended a run-through with their families

Zara and Mike walk arm in arm out of Canongate Kirk after their wedding, July 30, 2011

Zara's brother, Peter Phillips, her father, Captain Mark Phillips, and his second wife, Sandy Pflueger, joined them.

Throughout the day, workmen were busy around the 17th century church, often seen with filming equipment.

Meanwhile, police officers monitored the area, overseeing photographers and journalists stationed outside the gates.

Princess Alexandra of Kent and Angus Ogilvy

Princess Alexandra of Kent and Angus James Ogilvy on their wedding day at Westminster Abbey

Princess Alexandra of Kent married Angus Ogilvy, son of the 12th Earl of Airlie, at Westminster Abbey, on April 24, 1963.

Two days before the wedding, Queen Elizabeth hosted a white-tie ball at Windsor Castle for 2,000 guests.

At the event, Alexandra debuted a glittering tiara, gifted from her fiance.

Following their engagement, Angus had commissioned Collingwood to create a parure comprising a tiara, necklace and two pairs of earrings, using diamond-encrusted flowers that Alexandra wore during her youth.

The day before their nuptials, Alexandra and Angus attended a formal rehearsal at the Abbey, along with family and friends.
Some corners of the internet are already scary and depraved. But there is an even darker version where criminals run rampant.

The 'dark web' is a part of the world wide web, but is untraceable and only accessible using a specialized browser.

A YouTuber asked 100 people in chatrooms about the worst things they have encountered - and he described the answers as 'sadistic.'

Austin Patton said that two-thirds told him that they saw child porn, while others claimed they encountered hitmen, drugs and watched people get murdered.

One anonymous visitor claimed they saw 'a dead body with 50 knives over it and it got shot over 50 times.'

A man spent hours on the dark web, asking 100 people what was the worst thing they had encountered - and the answers were disturbing

The dark web begun in 2000 with the release of Freenet, the thesis project of University of Edinburgh student Ian Clarke.

Clarke aimed to create a 'Distributed Decentralized Information Storage and Retrieval System,' touting it as a new way to anonymously communicate and share files online.

That groundwork was the basis for the Tor Project, which was released in 2002 and launched a browser in 2008.

Unlike the worldwide web, there are no publicly available links and you must know exactly where you are going on the dark web.

It can only be accessed through a open-source web browser and network, called Tor, which allows users to browse the internet anonymously.

Once there, people can be whoever they want, say whatever they want and buy anything - without repercussions.

The Justice Department announced in 2022 that it had shutdown Hydra Market (Hydra), the worlds largest and longest-running darknet market.

In 2021, Hydra accounted for an estimated 80 percent of all darknet market-related cryptocurrency transactions, and since 2015, the marketplace has received approximately $5.2 billion in cryptocurrency.

Patton has shared countless videos of his bizarre encounters on the dark web, but attempted an experiment by asking people about their experiences - and the first conversation took him by surprise.

He told the person that he was doing school project about the dark web and asking people the worst thing they have seen - and the person immediately said they had seen child sex.

The YouTuber was visually horrified by the answer, saying: 'That's literally our first one, this is for this is gonna be a bad video. This is gonna be a really bad video.

A YouTuber asked 100 people in chatrooms about the worst things they have encountered - and he described the answers as 'sadistic.'

'So that's one, 99 more to go.'

While Patton said he asked 100 people, he noted it would have taken too long to show each only revealed the weirdest and most disturbing.

One dark web user told the YouTuber: 'I am vendor in the darknet.

'My services are weed shipment, hacking, hitman, apple-products 50 percent price, credit cards with driver licenses, credit cards with known limits, guns and ammo and US and UK passports.

'All shipments international.'

The YouTuber also shared that he spoke to people who watched videos of others being murdered, which they claimed were live streamed videos.

He also said that users have encountered pedophiles looking for their next victim - and received explicit images from the person.

DailyMail.com visited the dark web last year and within minutes, accessed sites openly selling thousands of stolen credit cards, hard drugs, 'hacker services' that will plant child abuse material on people's computers to 'ruin their lives.'

We also accessed 'hitman' websites where alleged killers offered 'worldwide services' to murder people for as little as $5,000.

Austin Patton , who documents his crazy experiences on the encrypted browser, found about 65 percent said they saw children, while others said murder

One website described itself as the 'most reputable' hitman website on the dark web (it's worth noting, however, that there have not been any cases where it's been proven that a murderer was contracted via one of these sites).

But one of the darkest things the hidden internet was published in 2012.

Peter Scully is an Australian national jailed for more than 130 years in the Philippines for abuse videos involving the torture of toddlers, which he made available on a pay-per-view basis on Tor sites.

Scully released 'Daisy's Destruction' on the dark web in 2012.

The vile one-hour-long footage shows an 18-month-old being sexually assaulted by three adults.

The footage was part of a case against Josh Duggar, a former reality TV personality from TLC's '19 Kid's and Counting,' in 2021 over child porn allegations.

It is unclear if Patton spoke to anyone who encountered such horrors.

DailyMail.com visited the dark web last year and within minutes, accessed sites openly selling thousands of stolen credit cards, hard drugs, 'hacker services' that will plant child abuse material on people's computers to 'ruin their lives'

However, he did find one chatroom of people who denounced the idea that the dark web has hitmen for sale, saying they are false adverts set up by law enforcement to trap those willing to purchase such services.

A Texas woman was sentenced to prison this year after law enforcement were tipped off that she offered to hire a hitman on the dark web.

In January, James Wan has been sentenced for paying a hitman he found on the dark web to murder his girlfriend.

Wan then electronically transferred a 50 percent down payment of approximately $8,000 worth of Bitcoin to the dark web marketplace.

'What is real though is that you can buy credit cars and you can buy everything banking-wise, but you can't buy hitman,' a no-name person told Patton.

Patton shared other disturbing conversations that included a man bragging about sexually abusing a minor.

Other users, however, told him that they use the browser because of its privacy.

Peter Scully (left) is spending life in prison for abuse videos involving the torture of toddlers he released on the dark web. Josh Duggar allegedly downloaded a video made by Scully that shows an 18-month-old being tortured and is now spending more than 12 years in jail

'I realized that after talking to about 20 people at first and noticing that everybody's there for different reasons the biggest reason of all is mostly internet security using these dark web browsers is actually a big piece of mind to them because it allows them to be completely anonymous,' Patton said in the YouTube video.

'There's always a negative and when somebody is 100 percent anonymous their true colors come out.

'I noticed about 65 percent of the people I was talking [with] about said the worst thing [said] they've seen were children.'
To save the imperiled spotted owl from potential extinction, US wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan: hire trained sharp-shooters to assassinate its rivals.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service strategy released Wednesday is meant to prop up declining spotted owl populations in Oregon, Washington state and California.

Trained shooters will be deployed to the dense forests of the West Coast forests to kill almost a half-million barred owls that are crowding out their endangered cousins.

Documents released by the agency show up to about 450,000 barred owls would be shot over three decades  a solution designed to level the playing field after this invasive species of owl from the eastern US encroached into western territory.

Both of the Pacific coast's smaller native owls, the northern spotted owls and California spotted owls, have proven unable to compete with the invading barred owls, which breed in larger numbers and need less room to survive.

To save the imperiled spotted owl from potential extinction, US wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan: hire trained sharp-shooters to assassinate its rivals. Above, Wildlife tech Jordan Hazan records data in a lab from a rival male barred owl that he shot earlier in the night

Past efforts to save spotted owls focused on protecting the forests where they live, sparking bitter fights over logging but also helping slow the birds' decline.

The proliferation of barred owls in recent years is undermining that earlier work, officials said.

'Without actively managing barred owls, northern spotted owls will likely go extinct in all or the majority of their range, despite decades of collaborative conservation efforts,' said Fish and Wildlife Service Oregon state supervisor Kessina Lee.

But the notion of killing one bird species to save another has divided wildlife advocates and conservationists.

It's reminiscent of past government efforts to save West Coast salmon by killing sea lions and cormorants that prey on the fish, and to preserve warblers by killing cowbirds that lay eggs in warbler nests.

Some advocates grudgingly accepted the barred owl removal strategy, while others said it's reckless diversion from needed forest preservation.

'The Fish and Wildlife Service is turning from protector of wildlife to persecutor of wildlife,' said Wayne Pacelle, founder of the advocacy group Animal Wellness Action.

Pacelle predicted the program would fail because the agency won't be able to keep more barred owls from migrating into areas where others have been killed.

A barred owl is shown in the woods outside Philomath, Oregon in December 2017. To save the imperiled spotted owl from potential extinction, US wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan to deploy trained shooters

Above, a endagered California spotted owl stares back at human observers in the Tahoe National Forest in California, July 12, 2004

The shootings would likely begin next spring, officials said. Barred owls would be lured using megaphones to broadcast recorded owl calls, then shot with shotguns. Carcasses would be buried on site.

Supporters include the American Bird Conservancy and other conservation groups.

Barred owls dont belong in the West, said American Bird Conservancy Vice President Steve Holmer. Killing them is unfortunate, he added, but reducing their numbers could allow them to live alongside spotted owls over the long term.

'As the old forests are allowed to regrow, hopefully coexistence is possible and maybe we dont need to do as much' shooting, Holmer said.

Significantly, the killings would reduce North American barred owl numbers by less than 1% annually, officials said.

That compares with potential extinction for spotted owls, should the problem go unaddressed.

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.

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.
'My God, where have you been? To Florence? says Stefano, the general manager of La Serena, a new hotel in the Tuscan resort of Forte dei Marmi (known locally as Forte).

Hes referring to my setting out after breakfast on one of the hotels complimentary electric bikes and its now past 6pm.

Its time well-spent. The terrain is flat, the roads quiet and a scenic cycle lane hugs the seafront all the way to neighbouring Viareggio with its liberty-style architecture (Italys answer to Art Nouveau). Ive clocked up 20 miles.

Mention Tuscany and images of medieval hamlets circled by cypress trees spring to mind. Swanky beach clubs less so, yet Forte has a wide stretch of golden sand, lined with more than 80 private bagnos.

A 45-minute drive from Pisa, with the Apuan Alps as the dramatic backdrop, this six-square-mile resort has always been a favourite with wealthy Italians.

Celebrity hotspot: Kate Wickers travels to the Italian resort town of Forte dei Marmi, which is set against the dramatic backdrop of the Apuan Alps above

Kate explores the resort's pier (pictured), which stretches 275m into the Ligurian Sea

Tourism began here in the 1800s, but hit its stride in the 1960s when the likes of Sophia Loren and Luchino Visconti visited.

More recently, faces about town include Giorgio Armani, Paul Smith and Andrea Bocelli, who all have villas. Naomi Campbell, Kate Hudson and Leonardo DiCaprio were spotted holidaying last summer. And Ukraines President Zelensky owns a pink villa here, too.

With 28 rooms, La Serena is something of an anomaly among Fortes swish yet somewhat stuffy hotels. Built in the 1960s, it has undergone an extensive refurbishment. The small centre is full of cafes (the terrace of Prada-owned Caffe Principe is the place to be seen), restaurants and designer shops.

I strike out along The Pontile, a pier built in 1876, which stretches 275 m into the Ligurian Sea, to join the passeggiata  the Italian habit of walking while socialising  then dine on seafood spaghetti at nearby Osteria del Mare.

Kate cycles along the seafront all the way to neighbouring Viareggio, pictured above

Kate checks into La Serena, above, a new hotel in Forte dei Marmi with 28 rooms

Actress Kate Hudson holidayed on the Tuscan coast last year

Next evening, at the family owned Ristorante Gilda, nonna is in the kitchen whipping up desserts for the it-crowd (try the tiramisu our way), plus the best ravioli with sage butter youll ever eat.

Some three miles away, the hill town of Pietrasanta feels like an arty extension of Forte.

People go to the beach by day and buy art here in the evening, one gallery owner tells me. The town is packed with galleries and has been a Mecca for sculptors for centuries.

Michelangelo worked here from 1515-18, and Moor and Miro had studios, but it is Colombian artist Botero who has left the biggest legacy. His huge bronze warrior sculpture in Piazza Matteotti is hard to miss, and in the church of SantAntonio Abate, his frescoes  Porta del Paradiso (Gate of Heaven), and Porta dellInferno (hell), painted in 1993  are a conversation starter. Among Boteros trademark chubby figures, look for Mother Teresa and Hitler.

Of Fortes many beach clubs, Alpemare, owned by Bocelli, is the place to strut in your Gucci bikini (though good luck bagging a spot in high season).

During the shoulder seasons of April, May and October, the scene is wonderfully sedate, and Im invited to stay for as long as I like to drink my Campari and soda. I take up the offer while basking in the sunshine and savouring the glamour of the Tuscan riviera.
The Caribbean paradise is just 13 square miles but it's a leading cruise hotspot

Startling statistics have revealed the countries where cruise ship passengers outnumber locals.

The tiny Caribbean island of Sint Maarten sits at the top of this ranking. It has a population of fewer than 43,000 permanent residents - but welcomes a staggering 844,000 cruise tourists per year, according to UN Tourism (UNWTO) data, meaning ship visitors outnumber locals by a ratio of 20 to one.

The Caribbean features heavily in the ratio ranking, drawn from 2023 data. The Bahamas is second on the list with 13 cruise tourists to each local, followed by the British Virgin Islands (3rd) and the Cayman Islands (4th), which have passenger-to-resident ratios of around 11 to one.

St Kitts and Nevis is fifth (10:1), while the rest of the top 10 also hails from the region - Bermuda (sixth, 6:1), Aruba (seventh, 5:1), Antigua (eighth, 3.85:1), Curacao (ninth, 3.45:1) and the US Virgin Islands (10th, 2:1).

So what draws such vast numbers of cruise passengers to the shores of Sint Maarten? For starters, it's one of the worlds only cruise ports thats able to host the globes biggest ships. It recently welcomed the worlds largest cruise ship - Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas - a mammoth vessel with capacity for more than 7,000 people.

Sint Maarten is a Caribbean paradise where cruise tourists outnumber residents by 20 to one

Lonely Planet says : The sun-soaked paradise of Sint Maarten is a magical oasis with sugary beaches and azure waters'

More than 844,000 cruise tourists visit Sint Maarten per year, according to UNWTO data

THE COUNTRIES WITH THE BIGGEST CRUISE-PASSENGER-TO-RESIDENT RATIOS

1. Sint Maarten (20:1) 2. Bahamas (13:1) 3. British Virgin Islands (11.47:1) 4. Cayman Islands (11.09:1) 5. St Kitts and Nevis (10:1) 6. Bermuda (6:1) 7. Aruba (5:1) 8. Antigua (3.85:1) 9. Curacao (3.45:1) 10. US Virgin Islands (2:1) Source: UNWTO Advertisement

Then there's the sheer beauty of the 13-square-mile (20 sq km) island, which is the Dutch side of a tiny 37-square-mile (95 sq km) island that's split with the French (Saint Martin).

Lonely Planet says: The sun-soaked paradise of Sint Maarten is a magical oasis with sugary beaches and azure waters.

The sun-soaked paradise of Sint Maarten is a magical oasis with sugary beaches and azure waters' Lonely Planet

While small, Sint Maarten has 37 beaches and 35 dive sites.

Simpson Bay is said to be one of the islands best diving spots while sandy Great Bay Beach stretches for miles. Lonely Planet recommends checking out Indigo Bay for a secluded hideaway or Maho Bay for something more lively.

Be warned though, as unsuspecting tourists may get a shock at Maho Bay - the beach sits right under the Princess Juliana Airports flight path. Aircraft often pass within 30m of the ground and the sight is so popular with tourists that bars and restaurants display arrival and departure times for keen plane watchers.

Unsuspecting Sint Maarten tourists will get a shock at Maho Bay as the beach sits right under the Princess Juliana Airports flight path

Sint Maarten is now one of the worlds only cruise ports able to host the globes biggest ships

Cruise ships docked at Nassau in the Bahamas. Cruise ship passengers here outnumber residents 13 to one

Two cruise ships near George Town on Grand Cayman island. Cruise ship passengers here outnumber residents 11 to one

Cruise ships Riviera and Costa Magica moored in the British Virgin Islands. Cruise ship passengers here outnumber residents 11 to one

Tourists can also trek into the islands rainforest to ride the Flying Dutchman, the worlds steepest zipline, which can go at speeds of 56 miles per hour. Guests are harnessed in a chair for the adrenaline-pumping experience.

Although some cruise passengers prefer to stick to the ships buffet, Lonely Planet says foodies will love Sint Maarten for its diverse and highly-acclaimed cuisine, which reflects its many cultures from Pacific Islanders to Europeans, Asians and varied Caribbean nations.

For a local treat, try Carnival Cruise Lines recommendation of conch and dumplings - sea snails served with fluffy cornmeal dumplings. Spare ribs cooked at island barbecue shacks are another popular tourist choice.

If you need something to wash down your sea snails, there's always Sint Maartens national liquor - Guavaberry. Its a centuries-old rum made from wild berries found in the islands forests.

Sint Maarten's luxury shops are duty-free so goods are approximately 30 per cent cheaper than in the US

Shopping might be the last thing on your mind in an island paradise, but for many US tourists, its one of Sint Maartens primary attractions. Thats because the islands luxury shops are duty-free, so goods are approximately 30 per cent cheaper than in the US.

Brands such as Armani, Pandora and Michael Kors can be found next to Philipsburg cruise port while the quirkier Amsterdam Cheese and Liquor Store is a nod to the islands Dutch culture with vacuum-packed Gouda and Edam for sale.

Sint Maartens tourism high season is between December and April but if you want to avoid the cruise passenger crush (as many as 23,000 per day can arrive in December), check out the off-season, from June to November.

The islands tropical climate means theres good beach weather for most of the year with at least eight sunshine hours a day. Although hurricanes are rare, Lonely Planet recommends keeping an eye on the National Hurricane Centres updates during the off-season.
The new scheme aims to help cover the cost of buying and renovating a home

Tuscan authorities are offering to pay people to move to its rural mountain towns

Forget paying to have a holiday in Tuscany - now you can get paid for enjoying life there.

Tuscany's regional authorities have announced they will pay people up to 25,000 (30,000/$32,000) to relocate to mountain towns.

The new Residency in the Mountains (Residenzialita in Montagna) programme is offering people grants ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 (8,470- 25,000) to help cover the costs of purchasing and renovating a home.

Tuscany has allocated a total of 2.8million (2.3million) for the programme to encourage people to move to towns in the region with dwindling populations.

According to the programme's website: 'The purpose of the intervention is to favour and encourage the repopulation and socio-economic revitalization of mountain areas acting in contrast to the marginalization of these areas.'

Tuscany's regional authorities have announced they will pay people up to 25,000 (30,000) to relocate to mountain towns. Above is Santa Fiora, one of the locations in the scheme

But any caveats? Firstly, the location - it only applies to houses in mountain towns with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.

Though there are 76 to choose from, according to population data from 2022 published by regional authorities.

They include the spa town of San Casciana dei Bagni, known for its thermal baths, Santa Fiora, known for its thermal springs, and Caprese Michelangelo, the birthplace of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.

The programme only applies to houses in mountain towns with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. One of these is Caprese Michelangelo, the birthplace of artist Michelangelo (pictured)

Another rule states that the financial contribution received cannot exceed 50 per cent of the cost of the house and its renovation.

Applicants must be 'of age' Italian citizens, EU citizens, or non-EU citizens holding a residence permit lasting no less than ten years.

They must also be registered as a resident in an Italian town or city that is not a mountain community.

Finally, successful applicants will have to make the Tuscan property their permanent residence.

Applications can be made on the Tuscany Region website and must be submitted by 1pm CET on July 27.
Aussie women rejoice! You can ditch those ankle-breaking stilettos for the foreseeable future.

Sneakers still remain the go-to style of shoes according to this year's Paris and Milan Fashion Week.

And Aussie stylist to the stars Jess Pecoraro says we won't see the trend disappearing anytime soon.

Pecoraro, who counts Jackie 'O' Henderson, Jesinta Campbell and Delta Goodrem as her A-list clients, says high performance sneakers are especially on trend, with Asics being one of the most popular brands on the market.

'Asics do lifestyle and performance, and you can wear both. And I don't run in them, I wear them with suits,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I think that's a great thing about Asics, that they kind of crossover. You can wear them to exercise, but then you can put a beautiful suit on and they look cool.

'They're like the "it" sneaker at the moment.'

Pecoraro, who recently returned from Paris, said the chunkier the better when it comes to choosing your kicks in the upcoming months.

Celebrity stylist Jess Pecoraro, who counts Jackie 'O' Henderson , Jesinta Campbell and Delta Goodrem as her A-list clients, says high performance sneakers are on trend

'Those chunkier, bulkier styles. It's not kind of slim-line. You can wear those "dad sneakers" with an elegant suit. And when it comes to activewear they look great with leggings.'

Pecoraro says while she will always be a fan of a high heel, she rarely wears them, and personally feels more confident in a pair of sneakers.

She also believes sneakers are especially embraced by Aussies because fashion Down Under is more 'relaxed'.

'I will always be a fan of heels, but I hardly wear them. It is all that clomping around. When I put on a sneaker I feel comfortable, me, confident, I can do anything. And Australia is very relaxed country, so it works,' she says.

And the upcoming fashion trends for summer are perfect to style them with, as Pecoraro says we will see a lot of 'cute, nautical and sporty themes'.

She says more and more women are ditching the heels for comfortable sneakers

The mini skirt trend is also back, albeit a little shorter.

Asics celebrated their Move Your Mind campaign with Stylerunner on Tuesday night in Sydney with an intimate dinner at La Porte Space.

Australian Netballer and ASICS athlete Jamie Lee Price, socialite Montarna Pitt, and Pilates Queen Bernadette Fahey were in attendance, along with infuencers Phoebe Spiller, Claudia Bonifazio, Biana Beers, Abbey Steanes, Kirra-Lee Thimpson, Alexandra Murray and Morgan Fisher.

The night included a panel discussion with sneaker enthusiast Amber De Luca-Tao, Australian Price and Anna Brennan GM of Stylerunner hosted by Pecoraro.

Asics celebrated their Move Your Mind campaign with Stylerunner on Tuesday night in Sydney with an intimate dinner at La Porte Space

Pecoraro (far right) who recently returned from Paris Fashion Week, said the chunkier the better when it comes to choosing your kicks in the upcoming months. She is pictured with sneaker enthusiast Amber De Luca-Tao, Australian Netballer and ASICS athlete Jamie Lee Price and Elena Tea
Ariana DeBose looked ready for the red carpet as she modeled a strapless brown dress that highlighted her toned figure this week.

DeBose was celebrating the launch of the new OPTASE LIFE Sensitive Eye Makeup Remover in NYC.

The 33-year-old wore her hair partially up as she added plum-toned lipstick and round gold earrings.

The star is best known for 2020's Hamilton and 2021's West Side Story and her latest film is the animated drama Wish from 2023.

DeBose has already won an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for a Tony Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Ariana DeBose looked ready for the red carpet as she modeled a strapless brown dress that highlighted her toned figure this week

DeBose was celebrating the launch of the new OPTASE LIFE Sensitive Eye Makeup Remover in NYC

In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

In March it was announced she has a new project.

DeBose was cast in the film With Love.

The Oscar-winning actress will feature opposite Ke Huy Quan in the upcoming Universal Pictures movie that will be released in February 2025.

Plot details are being kept under wraps on the film, which is being helmed by first-time director Jonathan Eusebio  an acclaimed veteran stunt coordinator.

87 North's Kelly McCormick and David Leitch are producing while the flick has been written by Josh Stoddard, Luke Passmore and Matthew Murray.

According to Deadline, film bosses were searching for the perfect female lead after casting Quan and met with a number of performers before settling on the 'West Side Story' star.

Ariana starred in the Disney animated movie Wish last year and revealed that she 'cried like a baby' when she was cast in the film.

She told MovieWeb.com: 'They came to me shortly after West Side Story had premiered, and I hadn't really won anything.

'I was just excited that West Side Story had come out, and it looked like I was going to have the opportunity to make more work.

'Then they called, and Chris Buck [the director] was like, "We want to make this movie with you."'

The 33-year-old wore her hair partially up as she added plum-toned lipstick and round gold earrings

'I was like, "Amazing, what is it?" Because they hadn't really told me, but then they explained what the story was going to be, and I cried like a baby because I was a Disney kid growing up.'

DeBose voiced the heroine Asha in the movie and explained that her performance was inspired by other Disney princesses.

The 33-year-old star said: 'I can tell you definitively that so many of our previous Disney princesses and heroines inspired me while in the booth.

'I could hear the echoes of Mulan and Cinderella.

'I would go, "Alice would have said that" or "Raya, there you at girl!"

'I drew inspiration from so many of the characters from the canon.'

The star is best known for 2020's Hamilton and 2021's West Side Story and her latest film is the animated drama Wish from 2023. DeBose has already won an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for a Tony Award and a Primetime Emmy Award
Dr Chris Brown's past partnership with a major Australian pet insurance company had resurfaced after the celebrity vet encouraged animal owners to avoid the coverage.

Earlier this week, the 45-year-old Bondi Vet told fans with fur babies to eschew pet insurance and put that money into a separate bank account instead.

But Dr Brown previously partnered with Medibank's pet insurance as an ambassador back in 2011, where he said the plan helps pet owners have 'a little control over the financial side of owning a best friend'.

'There's no doubt that pet insurance saves lives,' he said at the time.

On Tuesday, Dr Brown told the Daily Telegraph shared the money-saving tip of setting up a separate bank account for pets to cover things like vet bills for general check-ups, but also treatment for an injury or illness that impacts a pet.

'It comes down to trying to ration your money in the best possible way,' the Dream Home host told the publication.

'It is about staying on top of their health so smaller things don't become bigger because that often leads to that impossible decision people have to make, which is a reality  the pet or the finances  and you never want to see people in that situation.'

He went on to say Australia has very poor options for pet insurance 'because so many things are excluded', and advised pet owners to put the money they would have spent on a policy into a separate bank account instead.

Dr Chris Brown's past partnership with a major Australian pett insurance company had resurfaced after the celebrity vet encouraged animal owners to avoid the coverage

But pet bank accounts aren't the only target the former I'm A Celebrity host has his eye on, as the hunky TV personality has also continued to back demands for pet care subsidies, including an animal Medicare.

Chris said his third Drooly Important Pet Census, which he is launching on Wednesday, will help provide insights into how the government can better help with the rising cost of owning a pet.

'That is where the pet census is going to be really interesting because if we can really identify the significant role that pets play in our everyday lives, and the benefit that they have for our communities, then why shouldn't we look at subsidising pet care if it is having such a positive effect on our healthcare system, and saving us money in the long run,' he explained.

Chris developed his own 'pet census' in 2016 when he discovered the compulsory Census of Population and Housing, which Australians must fill in every five years, had removed all questions relating to pets in the household.

The 45-year-old celebrity vet previously partnered with Medibank's pet insurance back in 2011, where he said: 'There's no doubt that pet insurance saves lives'

Refusing to take part in the survey, Chris instead created his own version which was dedicated to gathering date about Aussie pet ownership.

'I didn't fill out the Census. I haven't touched it,' he told Nova's Fitzy and Wippa at the time.

'I heard rumours that some members of the family were ignored by the Census  the hairiest members of the family.

'Unlike other years, there is not a single question about whether you have pets and the type of pets you have. This year it has been ignored.'
Joy Corrigan playfully danced to Shaboozey's hit song A Bar Song (Tipsy) on her patio.

The Victoria's Secret model, 36, wore a white bikini featuring an off-the-shoulder top and bottoms with a ruffle around them.

The Alo brand ambassador added a pair of knee-high red and white cowboy boots to her look.

She exited the glass door to the catchy song swaying to and fro, twirling and snapping her fingers.

'Shes just a small town country girl,' she captioned the post, adding a cowboy, boots and peach emojis.

Joy Corrigan playfully danced to Shaboozey's hit song A Bar Song (Tipsy) on her patio

Her blonde bob was tousled, her makeup was minimal and she was clearly enjoying herself.

Last fall, Joy admitted that she'd been lying about her age for years. At the time she was 35, but telling the world she was 28.

'I'm learning to trust my intuition and practice self-love to become the person I was naturally born to be,' she wrote.

'Perhaps my biggest takeaway is without my health, none of this career or life success" is worth it. This journey has been my love story,' she said on Instagram at the time.

As recently as last summer she said she was 28 and insisted she was born in 1995, but now she has admitted that she's actually 35 and was born in 1988.

That's a seven year age difference, but she was successful in pulling it off without any questions asked.

'Im finally ready to reveal this secret Ive been carrying for years,' the blonde beauty wrote in her Instagram caption.

'Im 35 years young. Ive been told to lie about my age for years by past agents and people in the industry,' she began.

'For years I was ashamed of my age. I had this fear of clients finding out my age and canceling jobs even though I fit the look.'

The Victoria's Secret model, 36, wore a white bikini featuring an off-the-shoulder top and bottoms with a ruffle around them

The Alo brand ambassador added a pair of knee-high red and white cowboy boots to her look

She exited the glass door to the catch song swaying to and fro, twirling and snapping her fingers

Her blonde bob was tousled, her makeup was minimal and she was clearly enjoying herself

She added, 'I was shooting prom dresses in my 30s and nobody knew.

'For years, I had to conceal my true identity, even from friends, out of fear they might reveal my secret to others in the industry. I had to be someone else in order to work.

'I was forced to dull my knowledge, experience and light in order to fit this role.'

She then said: 'Today, at 35, Ive never felt better, younger, or more alive. Here is my truth. My life is just beginning.'
Two names at the ABC are the major frontrunners to replace News Breakfast co-host Lisa Millar, who announced her departure this week.

On Wednesday, Millar announced live on air that she is leaving ABC News Breakfast after five years co-hosting of the program.

Bridget Brennan and Emma Rebellato are two big contenders to replace the longtime co-host, according to TV Tonight.

Brennan is currently news presenter of the ABC's breakfast program and was previously the ABC's Indigenous Affairs Editor, Europe Correspondent in London and the National Indigenous Affairs Correspondent.

Rebellato joined the ABC in 2008 and has worked in a range of newsroom roles in Adelaide.

She previously worked at FiveAA in Adelaide before becoming the first breakfast newsreader at Nova 919.

Millar's final day at ABC News Breakfast will be on Friday, August 23.

'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,' Millar said on Wednesday's program.

ABC star Lisa Millar has announced she is leaving ABC News Breakfast 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.'

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.

Bridget Brennan (right) is one of two frontrunners to replace the longtime co-host. Pictured with Michael Rowland

'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 had first presented ABC News Breakfast in 2018 and became a permanent host alongside Michael Rowland the following year.

Emma Rebellato, who joined the ABC in 2008, is also a top contender. Pictured with Lisa Millar

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.'
Personal tensions between two Today show contributors simmered to the surface on air this week, leaving the hosts visibly uncomfortable.

A dispute over a parking space at Channel Nine's North Sydney headquarters led to a stand-off between money expert Effie Zahos and tech guru Trevor Long.

Host Karl Stefanovic expressed concern for the pair's professional relationship during Thursday's live broadcast.

'Karl, I really didn't want to talk about this on national TV... I was mortified this morning,' Effie began.

'Basically, Trevor, I would like you to move that thing you call a car out of my car space,' she added.

The unexpected confrontation left co-host Sarah Abo stunned: 'That took a turn, I wasn't expecting that, Karlos,' she remarked.

Effie continued: 'I'm away for only three days and I drive in this morning to the Channel Nine car park and there is Trevor's car.'

The saga took another turn on Friday when Trevor posted a video on Instagram in response to Effie calling him a car spot thief.

A heated exchange unfolded live on the Today Show on Thursday between finance commentator Effie Zahos (pictured) and the program's tech guru Trevor Long

In the clip, the tech expert is seen driving into a car space with a reserved sign bearing his name.

'Sorry, what's this, Effie?' he said, pointing to the sign.

'Effie, it's totally fine, you can park here next week, all week, I'm gonna be in Paris so [it's] all yours,' he boasted.

He didn't stop there, adding, 'Also, that thing I call a car is fully electric. So, actually, financially, it's a very good decision because it saves money on running costs year on year. A little advice for you - go electric.'

The pair have been disputing over a car space at the Channel Nine studios in Sydney. Trevor Long pictured

Effie is a regular money expert on the Nine breakfast show and on radio across Australia, offering insight and advice on how Aussies can make the most of their money.

The finance commentator is also the editor of Money, Australia's longest-running personal finance magazine.

Meanwhile, Long is the Nine Network's go-to tech expert, sharing news, insight and commentary on consumer technology.

He is also an editor and podcaster for online men's lifestyle magazine EFTM.
Jackie 'O' Henderson has sparked concern that she has called time on her Besties business venture.

The radio host, 49, and her best friend and business partner Gemma O'Neill started the company last year to host exclusive events and private holidays.

But the duo have sparked confusion among fans that they are bringing their side hustle to an end as they shared a farewell post during their European holiday.

Jackie took to the Besties official Instagram page to share some poignant words about 'new beginnings' and thanked fans 'for being part of our journey'.

While the post was only referring to the end of their Europe trip, it sparked confusion about their business' future as they wrote about their journey 'coming to an end'.

Alongside a video of them both dancing, they penned: 'As our unforgettable journey comes to an end, we are beyond grateful for each other and the incredible Besties community.

'From London to Mykonos, Glastonbury to the south of France, this girls trip was a true celebration of friendship.

'No rituals or tarot cards this timejust pure joy and inner peace. Dancing and laughing endlessly are memories we'll cherish forever.

Jackie 'O' Henderson has sparked concern that she has called time on her Besties business venture as she shared a post about their journey 'coming to an end'

'This trip marked a significant breakthrough for us, as we finally found the inner peace we had been seeking for years. We learned to trust our intuition and embrace the present moment.

'Thank you, Besties, for being part of our journey. Here's to friendship, new beginnings, and endless possibilities!'

The post caused confusion in the comments section as some fans seemed to misunderstand and think they were discussing the business as a whole.

They were quick to leave gushing messages of support for the Besties business, despite the fact the post was simply referring to the end of their European trip.

Using the past tense, one fan wrote: 'Loved watching your journey,' while another said: 'It's been so fun to watch.'

The radio host, 49, and her best friend and business partner Gemma O'Neill started the business last year to host exclusive events and private holidays for select fans

But the duo sparked confusion that they are bringing their side hustle to an end as they shared a farewell post marking the end of their European holiday - with the wording confusing fans

'Have loved following your adventures, what an incredible trip,' a third added.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Besties for comment.

Jackie and Gemma have been travelling in Europe for almost a month, spending time in Europe before jetting over to Mykonos, Greece.

They then headed over to France to attend the wedding of Alexander Porter - whose family owns Australian condom brand Four Seasons - and his partner Chris Ledlin.

The best friends are soon set to travel back Down Under after taking their events and holidays business to Europe, where they have been busy sightseeing and partying.

Jackie started her Besties business with Gemma last year and said it 'celebrates the most important relationship in your life - your best friend'.

Besties is an events business which sells experiences for 'best friends' to create memories together, while they also launched a line of branded clothing in October

It is an events business which sells experiences for 'best friends' to create memories together, while they also launched a line of branded clothing in October.

Gemma recently denied that the pair lost money on their Besties event hosted by Gwyneth Paltrow in October.

The speaking engagement saw the A-list Hollywood actress and Goop founder fly to Sydney for a one-night appearance.

Despite having a Hollywood drawcard, the event, which was held at the ICC theatre, was only half-full - but Gemma insisted that was deliberate.

'Look, we're not professional events people and we are very new to this game, but we are really proud of the fact we wanted to do it and are having a crack,' she told The Daily Telegraph at the time.

Gemma recently denied that the pair lost money on their Besties event hosted by Gwyneth Paltrow in October as she gave an insight into their business venture

'The ICC is the only venue that offered more than 2000 capacity. You can book it for full capacity or half-full. We booked for half capacity and sold just under half 4000 seats.'

Gwyneth's fee was estimated at between $150,000 and $500,000, and tickets for the event started from $100 and went up to $2,500 for VIP access.

She also denied that a four-day Kokomo Island trip in December hosted by Besties had a poor response, or that a second trip to Fiji slated for September this year was cancelled for lack for interest.

A three-day Southern Highlands getaway scheduled for March has sold out, she claimed.
EastEnders star Tracy-Ann Oberman's brutal swipe at the soap has resurfaced, following the news that she will be making a surprise return later this year.

The actress, 57, is set to reprise her role as Chrissy Watts for a short stint this autumn, nearly two decades after her last appearance.

However, while bosses have no doubt welcomed Tracy-Ann back to the soap with open arms, the actress previously slamming the show's gruelling schedules and demanding storylines after her exit.

Tracy-Ann also questioned the wild storylines bosses penned for her character, who famously murdered her father 'Dirty Den' Watts.

She told The Radio Times in 2006: 'Each executive producer brought in new writing teams. It was a challenge, particularly when the storylines made you laugh out loud. You imagined the writer must have been on crack when they wrote it.

EastEnders star Tracy-Ann Oberman's brutal swipe at the soap has resurfaced, following the news that she will be making a surprise return later this year

The actress, who is set to reprise her role as Chrissy Watts (pictured) previously slamming the show's gruelling schedules and demanding storylines after her exit in 2005

In 2006, after welcoming her first child, she also told The Mirror: 'You could say I've left EastEnders and I've got my life back.

'I don't think it would've been possible to have a baby when I was doing that show.

'In my first year I was in 139 out of 146 episodes, so I was on this massive wave. A coterie of others were working just as hard - Jessie Wallace, Shane Richie, Nigel Harman - and we all walked around looking ashen-faced.'

MailOnline has contacted a representative for EastEnders for comment.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Tracy-Ann is set to return to EastEnders after almost two decades, to reprise her role as the infamous Chrissie Watts.

Chrissie was last seen on the BBC soap in December 2005, when was sent to prison for the murder of her husband Den Watts, played by Lesley Grantham.

She had first joined the soap in April 2004 and quickly became a prominent figure and racking up a huge list of enemies, including Kate Mitchell (Jill Halfpenny) and Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace).

But her biggest storyline saw her bludgeon 'Dirty Den' to death in self-defence in the show's special 20th anniversary episode.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Tracy-Ann is set to return to EastEnders after almost two decades, to reprise her role as the infamous Chrissie Watts

Chrissie was last seen on the BBC soap in December 2005 (pictured), when was sent to prison for the murder of her husband Den Watts, played by Lesley Grantham

The infamous moment was watched by a staggering 14.34 million people, with almost 60% of possible viewers' tuning in.

Alongside Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), Chrissie attempted to cover up the murder, burying Den under the floor of The Vic barrel store.

She managed to get away with her crime for months, living with Den's beloved adoptive daughter, Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), and his son Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman).

But when Sam drunkenly dug up the body, she was held responsible for the murder until Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) returned to help their sister and uncovered the truth, with Chrissie being sent to prison.

Speaking about her return to the soap, Tracy-Ann gushed: 'Chrissie Watts was such a great character to play - a victim or a villain.

'She is a real fan favourite so, when Chris Clenshaw asked me to come back and re-visit her and see what has happened in the last 19 years, I jumped at the chance.

'The scripts are fantastic and I hope the viewers enjoy her as much as I am enjoying playing her again.'

While executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: 'I'm delighted to welcome the immensely talented Tracy-Ann back to the iconic role of Chrissie Watts.

Chrissie first joined the soap in April 2004 and quickly became a prominent figure, with her biggest storyline seeing her bludgeon 'Dirty Den' to death in the show's 20th anniversary episode (pictured with Leslie in 2004)

The infamous moment (pictured) was watched by a staggering 14.34 million people, with almost 60% of possible viewers' tuning in

'Although the character hasn't been seen on screen for almost twenty years, Chrissie is cemented in EastEnders' rich history for her murder of Walford's most infamous villain, and Sharon's beloved father, Dirty Den.

'I'm keeping tight-lipped on the exact circumstances relating to her return for the time being, but what I can promise is that it's never quiet when Chrissie Watts is around.'

It comes after Chris teased the soap would see the return of several beloved characters ahead of the 40th anniversary celebrations next year.

EastEnders was created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland and premiered on February 19, 1985.

In recent years, the soap has delighted fans with the returns of Kathy Beale, Cindy and Peter Beale, and Lauren Branning.

And showrunner Chris has teased that more familiar faces will swing by Walford in the lead up to the anniversary.

He told The Sun: 'As we head towards our 40th year, I think the nostalgic element means a lot. Into the autumn and the end of the year, we've got quite a few treats coming up.'

Asked if that meant a return for long-departed characters, Chris coyly replied: 'Maybe. It all depends on the story and where the characters are. But it has to come from character, it has to come from story.'

On whether he had been planting hints in scripts, he added: 'It would depend when they're looking back from, but probably.

'The 40th has been in the works for quite some time and Christmas is well under way. In the story office there is a board and it all connects. I compare it to a tapestry board, everything has to fit together.'

Several ex-cast members previously returned for Dot Cotton's funeral on 2022, including Colin Russell (Lord Michael Cashman CBE), Barry Clark (Gary Hailes) George 'Lofty' Holloway (Tom Watt), Mary 'the punk' Smith (Linda Davidson) and Disa O'Brien (Jan Graveson).
Although red, white and blue seem like the best colors for the day, Behati Prinsloo knows that black is the classic choice.

The Namibian model, 36, looked chic in a black lace cami as she stepped out Thursday with her daughters Dusty Rose, 7, and 6-year-old Gio Grace at an Independence Day parade in Montecito, California.

She complemented the top with some loose-fitting jeans and a pair of leopard-print creeper shoes.

Prinsloo accessorized the look with a black sunglasses, as well as layers of necklaces and bracelets.

Husband Adam Levine did not appear to be present for the family outing, nor did their 1-year-old son.

Behati Prinsloo looked chic in a black lace cami as she stepped out Thursday with her daughters Dusty Rose, 7, and 6-year-old Gio Grace at an Independence Day parade in Montecito, California

She complemented the top with some loose-fitting jeans and a pair of leopard-print creeper shoes

The former Victoria's Secret Angel, who married Levine, 45, in July 2014, welcomed their third child last January.

She revealed in November that she gave birth to a boy, although they have not shared his name.

After Prinsloo revealed the pregnancy in September 2022, model Sumner Stroh claimed she was 'essentially ... having an affair' with Levine.

Stroh, 24, shared some of their alleged text exchanges and claimed they were seeing each other for 'about a year' before losing contact for a few months.

'At the time, I was young and naive,' she explained at the time. 'And I mean, quite frankly, I feel exploited.

'I wasn't in the scene like I am now, so I was definitely easily manipulated,' added Stroh.

She said the Maroon 5 frontman later reached out to tell her about Prinsloo's pregnancy, allegedly asking if he could name the baby Sumner.

After they welcomed their first son, a source told People that Levine and Prinsloo were 'doing great.'

'After the drama in the fall, Adam has really tried to just focus on his family,' they said.

'He was very embarrassed and remorseful,' the insider added. 'She and Adam are doing great. They are excited about the new baby.'

Following the scandal, Levine gave his wife and children a shoutout at the opening night of Maroon 5's Las Vegas residency in March 2023.

The couple is preparing to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary later this month.
Sean Stewart was pictured with Charlie Sheen's ex Julia Stambler amid his 'divorce' from his wife Jody Weintraub.

The musician, 43, was seen stepping out with the model, 32, during an outing in Los Angeles on Thursday and celebrating the 4th of July by grabbing lunch together.

During their date, the pair weren't shy about being affectionate in public as they were spotted leaning across the table to share a kiss at one point.

After their meal, Stewart was also seen placing his hand on her back while crossing the street together.

This comes shortly after a source exclusively told DailyMail.com Stewart is 'divorcing' his wife after tying the knot just last year.

Sean Stewart was pictured with Charlie Sheen 's ex Julia Stambler amid his 'divorce' from wife Jody Weintraub. The musician, 43, was seen stepping out with the model, 32, during an outing in Los Angeles on Thursday and celebrating the 4th of July by grabbing lunch together

This comes shortly after a source exclusively told DailyMail.com Stewart is 'divorcing' Weintraub after tying the knot just last year

For their date, Stewart dressed sharp, sporting a cream, linen button-down shirt with the top buttons undone and jeans.

He wore white sneakers and shielded his eyes with a pair of black, wayfarer sunglasses.

His new love interest was seen carrying an iced beverage to-go.

The ex-girlfriend of Charlie Sheen modeled a red, floral-printed midi dress with a black woven shoulder bag and matching sandals.

For her lunch date on the patio and short stroll with Stewart, she donned amber-tinted sunglasses.

The model appeared to be wearing little-to-no makeup to showcase her natural beauty.

His outing comes on the same day it was revealed that Stewart and his wife Weintraub have been separated for 'several months' and are working towards a divorce.

An insider told DailyMail.com on Thursday that Stewart has already moved on following their split.

Stambler is a model, who dated Charlie Sheen in 2017

During their date, the pair weren't shy about being affectionate in public as they were spotted leaning across the table to share a kiss at one point.

Stewart's new romance comes months after he reportedly separated from his ex-wife

Stambler was Sheen's children's former nanny and best friend of his former wife Brooke Mueller, and they were together until their romance reportedly fizzled in 2022

After their meal, Stewart was also seen placing his hand on her back while crossing the street together. For their date, Stewart dressed sharp, sporting a cream, linen button-down shirt with the top buttons undone and jeans

He wore white sneakers and shielded his eyes with a pair of black, wayfarer sunglasses

'He is dating this very hot, blonde beauty,' the source said. 'They have really hit it off.'

About his new love interest, the insider added: 'She has her own business and is very independent. They have been going on dates in Malibu.'

The son of Rod Stewart shocked his family by announcing he had married the TV producer, Weintraub, in Las Vegas in February 2023.

The pair eloped on Valentine's Day just hours after he proposed to her during their dinner date at Catch.

Earlier this year, the newlyweds just bought a house in Los Angeles together earlier this year, and the source added that they will likely be selling the house.

'They were doing so well for so long but then things went haywire earlier this year,' the insider added about Stewart and his marriage to the daughter of the late Ocean's Eleven producer Jerry Weintraub.

His new love interest was seen carrying an iced beverage to-go. The ex-girlfriend of Charlie Sheen modeled a red, floral-printed midi dress with a black woven shoulder bag and matching sandals

For her lunch date on the patio and short stroll with Stewart, she donned amber-tinted sunglasses

The model appeared to be wearing little-to-no makeup to showcase her natural beauty. She left her blonde hair down in loose beach waves

Their outing comes just shortly after an insider revealed that Stewart has been romancing a 'very hot blonde beauty. The source also added that they 'have been going on dates in Malibu'

He has been married for over a year to Weintraub. The son of Rod Stewart shocked his family last year when he announced that he eloped with Weintraub in Las Vegas in February 2023

Their 'spur of the moment' elopement occurred just hours after he proposed during their Valentine's Day dinner last year

'They realized they were not a fit for each other after they started to fight a lot over everyday things.'

Previously, he married Weintraub in Sin City, and their elopement was believed to be 'spur of the moment' happenstance.

He proposed during their Valentine's Day dinner date last year before they exchanged nuptials just hours later.

The pair, who have known each other since high school, were said to have tied the knot at the Little Church of the West in Las Vegas in just their normal clothing.

They do not share any children together, but Weintraub has a son from her first marriage.
Christina Applegate hilariously took to social media to rant about the reality show Love Island USA.

The 52-year-old actress shared her opinions on the Peacock dating show on X on Wednesday after admitting that she's become a fan of reality TV after being diagnosed with MS.

'I adore Love Island. Have watched every season. It I have a beef with production and contestants. Can you pls stop making weird sounds with your water bottles? like holding straw in mouth and chewing it and not sipping. Or girls with long nails making clicky clackety sounds on ha,' she posted on the site formerly known as Twitter.

About 20 minutes later, Christina posted: 'Also to add to my Love island rant. White deodorant on the armpits in the heat is gross. Now you all are very attractive people, please use clear deodorant!!! The white puss looking s*** in the folds is not bueno. This is just me helping you be the best version of you. Haha.'

Christina's posts resonated with her followers and viewers of the show that introduced Ariana Madix, 39, as the new host when season six debuted in June.

Christina Applegate, shown in January 2023 in Los Angeles, hilariously took to social media to rant about the reality show Love Island USA

'Especially Liv! She uses that water bottle like a security blanket!!,' one person commented referencing islander Olivia 'Liv' Walker, 21, of Australia.

Another person in the comments agreed that they hate when white deodorant 'curdles' and said it reminded them of 'something too graphic to share'.

'Well I will say it for you. Yeast infection. Thats all I see now,' Christina responded.

The 'Married... with Children' star in 2021 revealed that she had received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

Christina in an April episode of her MeSsy podcast with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, 43, revealed that she had become a heavy viewer of reality TV.

'I just started two years ago when I got diagnosed. In the two years that Ive been watching from my bed, I have watched probably, what? 300 hours of reality TV, I would imagine. Probably more, she said.

Christina met The Sopranos star Jamie, who also has MS, through mutual friend Lance Bass, 45, and connected over their shared diagnosis prompting them to launch their podcast together in March.

Jamie received her MS diagnosis in 2002 when she was 20 years old.

The 52-year-old actress's posts resonated with her followers and viewers of the show that introduced Ariana Madix , 39, as the new host when season six debuted in June

Christina asked for an end to the 'weird sounds'

The Married With Children star also voiced her displeasure with white deodorant

Christina, shown in March on Jimmy Kimmel Live, revealed in 2021 that she had received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis

Christina last month revealed that her 13-year-old daughter, Sadie Grace LeNoble, has been diagnosed with the neurological condition Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Misophonia, which causes decreased tolerance to specific sounds.

Sadie while speaking on her mother's podcast shared her upset over her symptoms being ignored by her teachers in school - while her mother issued an emotional apology to the teen for not realizing earlier on that something was wrong.

'I have something called POTS,' Said shared. 'I have no clue what it actually is but it's something to do with the autonomic nervous system and it affects my heart.'

'When I stand up, I get really, really dizzy and my legs get really weak, and I feel like I'm going to pass out,' she added.

On severe days, she can faint and even become unconscious.
Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming shared heart-melting images of their daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10, celebrating the Fourth Of July.

The 69-year-old actor's family have rallied around him amid his decline with dementia, including his first wife Demi Moore and their grown daughters.

Now Emma has posted a sweet Instagram album showing the way their little girls managed to enjoy this week's holiday in spite of their family's ordeal.

Emma, 46, and her girls wore cowboy hats as they posed against a farm fence, with a picturesque backdrop of sunset behind pine trees and mountains.

Evelyn apparently wanted to wear cowboy boots but did not have a pair to hand, so she decided to substitute snow boots.

Bruce Willis ' wife Emma Heming shared heart-melting images of their daughters Mabel, 12, and Evelyn, 10, celebrating the Fourth Of July

'Happy 4th of July!' Emma wrote in her caption, playfully adding: '*and if you dont have cowboy boots, just put your snow boots on, its fine.'

Her album included a video of her children sitting by the side of the street and watching a patriotic parade of horsewomen carrying American flags.

The post came exactly a week after Emma rang in her 46th birthday by remembering the way Bruce used to pamper her for the occasion.

She posted an Instagram montage awash with images of past birthdays, including snaps of Bruce taking her and their daughters to a theme park and the beach.

'Bruce would call it my "birthday month,"' she wrote in her caption. 'So we must celebrate! Im blessed and grateful to have family and friends (in this video and afar) who made it so special for me all month long.'

Closing her message on an optimistic note, she added: 'Theres still a few days left of June and Im going to ride this baby out till the end!'

Bruce withdrew from Hollywood in 2022 amid his battle with the brain condition 'aphasia,' which causes the patient's language abilities to deteriorate.

Then last year his family announced that his illness had 'progressed' and he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

The 69-year-old actor's family have rallied around him amid his decline with dementia, including his first wife Demi Moore and their daughters; Bruce and Emma pictured 2009

Now Emma has posted a sweet Instagram album showing the way their little girls managed to enjoy this week's holiday in spite of their family's ordeal

Her album included a video of her children sitting by the side of the street and watching a patriotic parade of horsewomen carrying American flags

'Happy 4th of July!' Emma wrote in her caption, playfully adding: '*and if you dont have cowboy boots, just put your snow boots on, its fine'

The post came exactly a week after Emma rang in her 46th birthday by remembering the way Bruce used to pamper her for the occasion

Glenn Gordon Caron, who created Bruce's star-making 1980s sitcom Moonlighting, visited him and observed that he was losing his 'joie de vivre' and 'language skills.'

'My sense is the first one to three minutes he knows who I am,' said Glenn in a devastating interview with Page Six.

'Hes not totally verbal; he used to be a voracious reader - he didnt want anyone to know that - and hes not reading now.'

Bruce has been surrounded by family, including his first wife Demi Moore and their daughters Rumer, 35, Scout, 32, and Tallulah, 30.

Rumer now has a one-year-old daughter of her own called Louetta, whom she welcomed in April 2023 with her boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas.
Kyle Sandilands and his wife Tegan Kynaston returned to Sydney on Friday after a relaxing holiday with their son Otto.

The married couple arrived back from their $1.3 million holiday home in Port Douglas and were seen touching down at Sydney Airport.

They received a helping hand from their one-year-old who helped pushed their luggage.

As the family of three made their way through the airport, the tiny tot was seen gripping the handle of a Louis Vuitton carry-on suitcase, seemingly determined to contribute to the family's load.

Otto was dressed in an adorable, grey and navy blue tracksuit set that featured a bear printed on the front of his sweatshirt.

Meanwhile, Kyle opted for a black hoodie and matching shorts.

The radio shock jock, 53, carried a large black backpack over his shoulder and was seen helping his son steer the suitcase.

He accessorised with his signature black cap and sunglasses, as well as black running shoes.

Kyle's wife Tegan, 38, dressed comfortably for the journey home.

Kyle Sandilands and his wife Tegan Kynaston returned to Sydney on Friday after a relaxing holiday with their son Otto

The blonde beauty wore black leggings and an oversized grey hoodie, while accessorising with black and white sneakers and a grey leather tote bag.

Otto, with his blonde hair neatly tied up in a small ponytail, looked content and focused on pushing the designer luggage.

Kyle recently revealed he and Tegan had some exciting family news.

They received a helping hand from their one-year-old who helped pushed their luggage

As the family of three made their way through the airport, the tiny tot was seen gripping the handle of a Louis Vuitton carry-on suitcase, seemingly determined to contribute to the family's load

Speaking on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, the radio king said Tegan had changed her surname to Sandilands on all government-issued documents.

The shock jock said 'I do' with the communications executive at the heritage-listed Swifts mansion in Sydney's Darling Point in front of 130 guests in April, 2023.

Tegan and Kyle welcomed Otto in August 2022.

Otto looked adorable in a grey and navy blue tracksuit set that featured a bear printed on the front of his sweatshirt

Just after he arrived, Kyle told the Sunday Telegraph that Otto had already won his heart and he couldn't stop 'staring' at him.

'We just look at him the entire time, like a couple of goons, just staring at him  and then we look at each other and smile,' Kyle said.

'And then we [himself and Tegan] have a little tear.'
Hurricane Beryl was downgraded from a category three to a category two storm after barreled its way through several Caribbean islands, including the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, on its way towards Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Beryl, which was the earliest category five hurricane in the Atlantic, now had winds of 115 mph (185 kph) after weakening earlier Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

One of the people thanking their lucky stars is actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, who weathered the storm from her home in Kingston, Jamaica.

In the region for her son, Etienne Maurice's wedding to ABC News journalist Stephanie Wash, the Abbott Elementary star took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal she's okay and that her home and area appears to have gotten through the storm without too much damage.

'Thank you to everybody for your good vibes and your prayers,' she began in a clip on Wednesday night, not long after the storm had moved on.

Sheryl Lee Ralph, 67, confirmed she's okay and her home in Kingston, Jamaica had weathered the storm that was Hurricane Beryl, but the actress is asking for 'good vibes' from people for those who weren't as lucky as she and her neighbors

After pausing momentarily to listen to the noises of nature coming from outside her home, Ralph said 'that is the sound of the return of peace. We don't have any lights. There is no power, but we have life. Thank you all for understanding,' she said with obvious emotion to her voice.

'Kingston is on the south coast. We got scrubbed by the eye of Beryl, but she is on her way off somewhere else, and we are thanking God the north coast, where Montego Bay is has been spared a bit,' she added. 'They are cleaning it up and get ready to welcome tourists back with open hearts.'

It's at this point that she felt joyous enough to break out into the chorus of the classic Bob Marley song One Love.

'So, One love / One heart / Let's join together and I'll feel alright,' she sang. 'Don't worry about a thing / Everything is going to be alright

The actress concluded, 'Oh thank God. I'm praying for sunshine on Saturday for the wedding.'

The following night, on Thursday, Ralph took back to her X page to give an update to the situation in Kingston, Jamaica.

'Hey everybody, it's another night after the storm and I'm just so grateful and happy for what we've been able to able to come through safely,' she said while looking straight towards her camera.

'And as I was thinking of all the preparations we're trying to make for the wedding as people are being canceled off their flights and such, I'm thinking of love, family, and connection because I just heard that a family friend in St. Vincent lost everything.

in Jamaica for her son, Etienne Maurice's wedding to ABC News journalist Stephanie Wash, the Abbott Elementary star thanked 'everybody for your good vibes and your prayers'

After pausing momentarily to listen to the sounds of nature coming from outside her home, Ralph said 'that is the sound of the return of peace. We don't have any lights. There is no power, but we have life. Thank you all for understanding,' she said with obvious emotion to her voice

It turns out her friend lost everything, including their their home and their business.

She believes it will take 'six months to a year' until the St. Vincent Island can get up and running again.

She captioned the X post: 'People you don't know are standing in the need of your prayers and good vibes right now. St. Vincent and The Grenadines are struggling!'

'Hey everybody, it's another night after the storm and I'm just so grateful and happy for what we've been able to able to come through safely,' Ralph said in an update on Thursday night

'And as I was thinking of all the preparations we're trying to make for the wedding as people are being canceled off their flights and such, I'm thinking of love, family, and connection because I just heard that a family friend in St. Vincent lost everything,' the actress shared on X

Ralph has starred on the ABC mockumentary sitcom during its three season run to date

'So when people tell you, "Hey it could be worse" well hell yea, it could get worse; so much worse,' she declared, before adding, 'So I continue to thank you all for your good vibes. And I continue to ask you to pray for others as you would for yourself. Just put something positive out into the world because there are people who need it.

While Ralph said she was feeling thankful after the events of Hurricane Beryl, she called on her followers to keep Carriacou in their thoughts, as the island in Grenada was previously hit with the storm's 150 mph winds, according to TMZ.

Beryl has reportedly caused 22 deaths, with the storm's route targeting Mexico and Texas next.

CNN is reporting that the storm is expected to unload damaging winds, torrential rainfall and dangerous storm surge over a significant portion of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, a popular tourist area, as it makes landfall into Friday morning.
The personal trainer who helped turn Ryan Reynolds into a superhero has revealed the secrets behind the Hollywood legend's astonishing physique.

New York based fitness guru Don Saladino, who has worked with the star for 15 years said he developed a special program for Reynolds new film Deadpool and Wolverine, which co-stars Hugh Jackman.

He said since Reynolds is now 47 the focus for his training was 'resilience' and not 'mindless effort'.

Saladino, 47, made the comments in a new interview with Australian Men's Health and also detailed Reynolds workout program.

The celebrity trainer explained that he admires Reynolds' amazing motivation.

'This is a guy that ''going easy" doesn't exist in his vocabulary...so when someone like that is thinking about taking a day off and recovering, I'm patting myself on my back, because we've taught him to understand that [recovery is] really important' he said.

The celebrity trainer said that part of his focus was getting the Bullet Train actor to work on his muscle endurance using high reps sets.

Saladino's Deadpool routine for Reynolds included barbell rows for back strength and an incline dumbbell curl to strengthen the biceps.

The personal trainer who helped turn Ryan Reynolds into a superhero has revealed the secrets behind the Hollywood legends astonishing physique. Pictured: Don Saladino, 47, (right) poses with Ryan Reynolds during a workout

Reynolds also did a single-arm 'suitcase carry' with a dumbbell for core strength and the upper back and forearms to get himself buff for the beloved superhero character.

Deadpool & Wolverine starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman is slated for release on July 26 and will see the two superheroes joining forces in an action-packed spectacular.

The trailer has hinted at a rivalry between the pair as they are shown fighting one another in a tense stand-off before reluctantly joining forces in a comedic pairing.

It comes after Hugh Jackman revealed the toughest part of returning to the role of Wolverine was that in his 50th decade 'age catches up'.

New York based fitness guru Don Saladino, told Australian Men's Health that he developed a special program for 47-year-old Reynolds so he could convincingly play the indestructible Deadpool. Pictured: Reynolds working out

Pictured: Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in the new blockbuster Deadpool and Wolverine

And the training to transform himself into the buff big screen beast is tougher than ever.

'The hardest bit  [was] the food,' the Prisoners actor told People magazine in June.

'I have to eat a lot. For me, for my body type, I'm naturally skinny. To get the size on, that's the hardest bit. That's the bit that does my head in.'

He added: 'My body was a little sore at the beginning, but I was thrilled that my body was still responding. And I realised how good it is for your brain.

Hugh has played the Marvel character in eight X-Men films from 2000 until 2016, and was last seen as Wolverine in standalone movie Logan in 2017.

Deadpool and Wolverine will be the 10th time the Aussie has strapped on the big claws for the popular role.
Ella Rae Wise, Dani Imbert, Chloe Meadows, and Elma Pazar hit he pool as they filmed for the upcoming series of The Only Way Is Essex on Thursday.

The girls are currently staying at the private and exclusive Cap St Georges Hotel in Paphos, Cyprus, with the rest of their castmates and filming series 34 of the hit E4 reality show.

Ella Rae, 24, looked incredible as she flashed her toned abs in a tiny printed triangle bikini.

The stylish three-piece set consisted of a triangle bikini top, high-rise bikini bottoms, and a matching mini skirt.

The reality TV star further elevated the look with a pair of gold sandals and kept her accessories to a minimum with a pair of gold drop earrings and a gold necklace.

Ella Rae Wise, 24, was dressed to impress in a tiny triangle bikini as she filmed scenes for the upcoming series of The Only Way Is Essex in Cyprus on Thursday

She was also joined by glamorous castmate Dani Imbert, 26, who sent temperatures soaring in a cream crochet bikini set

Meanwhile, Elma, 32, showed off her toned physique in a tiny pink bikini which consisted of a triangle bikini top, bikini bottoms, and a matching mini skirt

She styled her honey blonde tresses in a half-up-half-down hairstyle and wore a flawless palette of makeup as she struck up several sultry poses by the hotel pool.

It comes after Ella was spotted packing on the PDA with on-off boyfriend Dan Edgar, 34, while filming for the upcoming series on Wednesday as they confirmed their relationship is back on.

The couple were seen enjoying some one-on-one time together as they dined at Kohili Restaurant in Cyprus.

Meanwhile, her castmate Dani, 26, sent temperatures soaring in a cream crochet bikini.

The stylish ensemble consisted of a triangle bikini top with a floral detailing, thong bikini bottoms, and a cream crochet skirt.

The beauty further elevated the look with a pair of gold sandals and toted her essentials around in a zig-zag textured clutch bag.

To complete the look, Dani opted for a chunky shell and starfish necklace and wore a flawless palette of makeup consisting of a smokey eye and a rosy nude lip.

Chloe also showed off her sensational figure as she posed up a storm by the hotel pool.

Ella Rae looked incredible as she flashed her toned abs in the stylish three-piece bikini set

The reality TV star further elevated the look with a pair of gold sandals and kept her accessories to a minimum with a pair of gold drop earrings and a gold necklace

She styled her honey blonde tresses in a half-up-half-down hairstyle and wore a flawless palette of makeup as she struck up several sultry poses by the hotel pool with her castmates (L-R: Dani Imbert, Jodie Wells, and Ella Rae)

She was then spotted lounging on a sunbed as she engaged in a chat with Dani

It comes after Ella was spotted packing on the PDA with on-off boyfriend Dan Edgar, 34, while filming for the upcoming series on Wednesday as they confirmed their relationship is back on

The reality TV star, 32, looked incredible as she cut a chic figure in a contrasting blue swimsuit.

The stylish colour block swimsuit boasted a one-shoulder design and featured several cut-outs at the waist flashing a glimpse of Chloe's toned midriff.

She further accessorised the pool look with a pearl necklace and shielded her eyes with a pair of tortoiseshell shades.

The beauty styled her locks in French plaits for the day ahead and seemed in high spirits as she soaked up the sun.

Meanwhile, Elma, 32, showed off her toned physique in a tiny pink bikini which consisted of a triangle bikini top, bikini bottoms, and a matching mini skirt.

Showing off her sun-kissed glow, Elma wore a pair of brown leather sandals and further accessorised with some diamond stud earrings.

She also styled her locks in French plaits similar to Chloe's during filming and wore a natural makeup look.

Elsewhere Harry Derbidge, 30, Joe Blackman, 25, and Junaid Ahmed, 29, were also spotted filming at Sea You Beach Bar.

It comes after Dani revealed she had a huge falling out with cast member Harry, which Series 33 did not capture, and admitted the pair haven't spoken since.

Dani told The Sun: 'Personally, I get along with everyone bar one. Its Harry. We did have a bit of drama back in Bali but we kind of cleared the air.

'Then, it wasnt actually shown, but we had another falling out during the finale of the last series and he did actually kick me out of his party. I think this series its about addressing it with him and seeing where I stand because Ive not spoken to him since.

'Ive heard that hes nervous and I understand why because he was so clearly in the wrong. For me, Im sick of him randomly having these turns and these lash-outs. It will be interesting to see how the conversation goes.'

Meanwhile, Dani sent temperatures soaring as she put on a busty display in the cream crochet set

The stylish ensemble consisted of a triangle bikini top with a floral detailing, thong bikini bottoms, and a cream crochet skirt

The beauty further elevated the look with a pair of gold sandals and toted her essentials around in a zig-zag textured clutch bag

Chloe also showed off her sensational figure as she posed up a storm by the hotel pool

The reality TV star, 32, looked incredible as she cut a chic figure in a colour block swimsuit which boasted a one-shoulder design and several cut-out panels at the waist (Pictured L-R: Courtney Green, Elma Pazar, and Chloe)

Harry is already not talking to former best friend Ella, after ditching her in favour of Amber Turner, Chloe Meadows, Courtney Green and Elma Pazar, known as the 'Girl Band'.

This rubbed Ella up the wrong way as Amber is the ex-girlfriend of Ella's current flame Dan.

Ella and Dan packed on the PDA during a romantic beach trip.

It comes after Ella revealed Dan had cheated on her with his ex-girlfriend Hannah Rally while she was on holiday in Dubai.

Dan seems to have form, as Amber also accused him of cheating when their relationship of six years fell apart.

Meanwhile, Elma, 32, showed off her toned physique in a tiny pink bikini which consisted of a triangle bikini top, bikini bottoms, and a matching mini skirt

Showing off her sun-kissed glow, Elma wore a pair of brown leather sandals and further accessorised with some diamond stud earrings

Jodie Wells, 32, also showed off her slender figure by the pool as she sported a multicoloured gingham bikini

Courtney Green, 29, was also in Cyprus filming scenes for the upcoming series and the beauty looked sensational as she sported a blue tie-dye bikini and a white beach co-ord

Harry Derbidge, 30, was spotted at Sea You Beach Bar and he sported a casual ensemble for the day of filming

Harry was also joined at the Beach Bar by Junaid Ahmed, 29, who sported a vibrant orange co-ord for the outing

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.'

'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 the last straw for Hannah. Ella seems to have forgiven him for now.'
She's spent two decades in showbiz and scaled the heights of Hollywood success.

And Rebel Wilson has now announced a new career peak.

Taking to her Instagram, the 44-year-old funny woman told followers that her first film as director The Deb is set to debut at the high profile Toronto Film Festival.

The Bridesmaids star, who filmed the low-budget comedy musical in country NSW last year, gushed over the prestigious honour in a post on Friday.

'Crikey!' I am beyond emotional and so stoked right now because the movie I've just directed The Deb has been offered the closing night slot at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival!!!' Rebel said.

'As you guys know I've been working professionally for over 20 years and I would have to say this really is the pinnacle of my career - to be a first time female director and to have this incredible honour is huge.'

She continued: 'This movie is a joyous musical comedy - which is what I'm all about!'

Signing off her lengthy post with a tribute to her cast and crew, Rebel added, 'Aussie, Aussie, Sussie!! So proud of you all and mega excited for us!!'

Rebel Wilson (pictured) has announced that her first film as director The Deb is now set to premiere at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival in September

Rebel also included a gallery of behind the scenes pictures from The Deb set in the post.

In one photo a glamorous looking Rebel can be seen posing with one of The Deb's young cast members.

Another snap shows a chorus of young performers dressed as school girls rocking put a dance routine set inside what appears to be a gothic hall.

Rebel also included another dramatic photo of the cast dancing around a super sized bonfire.

Another picture shows Rebel wearing a bridal veil andclowning with cast members.

Pictured: Rebel in a scene from the musical comedy which was filmed in country NSW and Sydney last year

Rebel this behind the scenes snap in her post

The film will also feature actress Natalie Abbott from the ABC series Aftertaste, as well as newcomer Charlotte McInnes. Pictured: The cast perform a musical number

The Deb, which stars Rebel and comedian Shane Jacobson, centres on a country school girl getting ready for her debutante ball.

The film will also feature actress Natalie Abbott from the ABC series Aftertaste, as well as newcomer Charlotte McInnes.

Locations include country towns such as Carcoar, Blayney, and Orange, as well as Sydney.

Last October Rebel revealed that she turned down major offers in the States, so she could make her directorial debut Down Under.

'If I was directing a movie it was only going to be in Australia because that's authentic to me,' Rebel told The Daily Telegraph at the time.

'I didn't want to do the studio ones I was offered in America because I didn't feel like I had that heart connection,' she explained.

It comes after the star's tell-all memoir Rebel Rising hit the New Times bestseller in May

Rebel, who is based in America, also revealed that she didn't want filming to disrupt her role as a new mother to her baby daughter, Royce Lillian.

'I wanted to bring my family back here because my little daughter, it's her first time in Australia and she is loving it,' Rebel said.

'I've taken her multiple times to see the koalas. Everything is so safe here.'

The performer shares her daughter with her fiancee, Ramona Agruma, who she first met in 2021.

The pair eventually began dating, and they made their red carpet debut in March, 2022.

Wilson later revealed that she had welcomed Royce via surrogate in November.

It comes after Rebel celebrated hitting the number the top ten on the New York Times bestseller list for her tell-all memoir Rebel Rising in May.
Tasha Ghouri looked sensational as she soaked up the sun on board a yacht in Marbella on Thursday.

The Love Island star, 25, showcased her incredible physique in a skimpy blue bikini as she joined her pals to celebrate one of her friend's Hen party.

Flashing her toned abs, Tasha, who was the first deaf contestant on the ITV dating show, paired the bikini top with a blue lacy wrap skirt.

Styling her blonde locks in voluminous curls she accessorised the look with some cat-eye shaped shades and an array of blue beaded necklaces.

Carrying her essentials in a straw decorated handbag she was seen sipping a can of coke while showing off her tiny tattoo on her side boob.

Tasha Ghouri flaunted her incredible physique in a skimpy blue bikini as she enjoyed her pal's Hen party in Marbella on Thursday

Styling her blonde locks in voluminous curls she accessorised the look with some cat-eye shaped shades and an array of blue beaded necklaces

Tasha also took to her Instagram to share some behind the scenes snaps from day one of the partying.

Posing on the stunning yacht, the reality star looked incredible as she threw on her blue racy beach skirt.

Grinning beside the bride to be, Ffion, they decorated the boat with an array of white and blue balloons.

All the hens appeared to match Tasha in blue, while Ffion wore a stylish cutout white swimsuit.

She captioned the snap: 'Hen do day one!!! Thank you @lasalabythesea and @themaineventmarbella for making it so special for our bride!'

While Tasha is yet to walk down the aisle with her boyfriend Andrew Le Page, he has hinted it is definitely in the couple's future.

The pair's romance blossomed on the 2022 series of Love Island as they made it all the way to the final before they finished in fourth place.

Since leaving the villa, the pair have only gone from strength to strength, even going on holiday to Australia to visit Tasha's brother Andrew.

Flashing her toned abs, Tasha, who was the first deaf contestant on the ITV dating show, paired the bikini top with a blue lacy wrap skirt

Tasha is no stranger to a bikini after finding fame on the 2022 series of Love Island

Carrying her essentials in a straw decorated handbag she was seen sipping a can of coke while showing off her tiny tattoo on her side boob

Tasha also took to her Instagram to share some behind the scenes snaps from day one of the partying

Posing on the stunning yacht, the reality star looked incredible as she threw on her blue race beach skirt as she grinned beside the bride to be, Ffion

Tasha was seen sunbathing as she lay on her front on the deck of the boat

Tasha couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she grinned from ear to ear ahead of the celebrations

Tasha is yet to walk down the aisle with her boyfriend Andrew Le Page, who she met on the 2022 series of Love Island, but he has hinted it is definitely in the couple's future

They also showed their continued commitment to each other as Andrew, 27, gave his girlfriend a promise ring for Christmas 2022.

The former estate agent Andrew gave dancer Tasha the glistening silver 265 ring by Tiffany and Co as a gift.

Giving fans a glimpse at the jewellery on her YouTube channel, Tasha told her subscribers: 'Everybody is probably thinking this is an engagement box - Andrew got me a gorgeous promise ring and I love it so much.

'It's so simple and I love silver. I did not expect that at all, I nearly started crying.

'When I first saw the box I was like... because that is an engagement box.'

The couple had flown to Guernsey to spend the festive period with Andrew's family.

And Andrew revealed in November that he hopes to marry Tasha in the near future, as he vowed they won't 'ever' break up.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Andrew said: 'I don't think we're going to break up, there's not a doubt in my mind.

Tasha wowed in a stunning intricately detailed blue lace skirt

The star looked great in the blue two piece which seemed to sparkle in the sun

The party had decorated the yacht with an array of blue and white balloons for her friends Hen party

Tasha bent down to adjust her towel on the boat decking

All the hens matched Tasha in blue, while Ffion wore a stylish cutout white swimsuit

Her blonde locks cascaded down her back in perfect curls

Tasha sipped a Coke while the bride to be enjoyed a Corona

The bride-to-be Ffion wore a straw cowboy hat as she headed to the boat

'I think I'll be marrying her one day, hopefully soon. But obviously not too soon. But no, I'm not worried. I'm pretty certain I'm going to marry that girl.'

Back in May Tasha slammed the Love Island's new series line-up claiming it lacks inclusivity.

She rose to fame when she joined the hit dating contest on its eight series and was the show's first ever deaf contestant.

Sharing a perplexed selfie on her Snapchat stories, Tasha wrote sarcastically: 'Love seeing the inclusivity within the love island cast... feels like is going backwards.'

Influencer Patsy Field joined this year's line-up and as the show's only disability to star on the brand new series of Love Island this year.

The Londoner, 29, was born with Erb's palsy, which was developed during her traumatic birth at Lewisham hospital.

Patsy has told how she should have been born via cesarean, but doctors made the crucial error for her to be delivered naturally, resulting in a defect, which she has had to overcome her entire life.

The condition means her right arm is shorter in length and unable to function as well as her left, with Patsy admitting she has felt 'self-conscious' but learned to embrace it throughout adulthood.

She showed off her fabulous physique while soaking up the sun

She rose to fame when she joined the hit dating contest on its eight series and was the show's first ever deaf contestant

Tasha laughed with her friend during the celebrations

She follows in the footsteps of Tasha - other contestants with disabilities have included partially sighted Ron Hall, and Hugo Hammond, who was born with a club foot.

Explaining her condition on social media, she said: 'One thing you guys don't know about me is I have a disability. I have never spoken about it on here before because I am a bit self-conscious about it to be honest.

'It is a disability I've literally had since birth. All my close friends and family know about it.

'Pretty much everyone says they don't notice it, or they have never noticed it before but once I tell you go back and look through my old videos, you'll be able to spot it.
David Tennant and his wife Georgia made reference to a Doctor Who episode as Rishi Sunak bid goodbye to No10. on Friday.

The actor, 53, who starred as the tenth incarnation of the time lord, once 'brought down the government' in the Sci-Fi series, with the couple quoting the episode following the Tories worst ever election results.

David is a supporter of the Labour Party and has long criticised the Conservative Party, having recently engaging in a row with politician Kemi Badenoch over her views on gender.

Sharing a photo to Instagram following Labour's landslide, Georgia and David smiled for a selfie.

She captioned the update, 'Turns out she did look tired', in reference to 2005's The Christmas Invasion that saw The Doctor threaten to 'bring down' the Prime Minister.

David Tennant, 53, and his wife Georgia, 39, made reference to a Doctor Who episode as Rishi Sunak bid goodbye to No10. on Friday

The first full story to feature David as the tenth Doctor, followed the story of prime minister Harriet Jones as she oversaw the launch of the Guinevere Space Probe which was captured by a Sycorax spaceship.

The invading Sycorax ship ultimately retreated after being opposed by The Doctor, but Harriet ordered the Torchwood organisation to destroy them, which the time lord branded as 'cold-blooded murder'.

In turn he threatened to 'bring down' her government, by planting doubt in her mind, which ultimately led to rumours of her failing health and a vote of no confidence.

The scene saw The Doctor confront the Prime Minister: 'Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones. I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your Government with a single word.'

'You're the most remarkable man I've ever met. But I don't think you're quite capable of that,' Harriet responded.

He continued: 'No, you're right. Not a single word. Just six.'

Harriet shouted: 'Stop it!'

'Six,' he reiterated, before turning to UNIT operative Alex Klein and whispering the six words that led to Harriet's downfall: 'Don't you think she looks tired?'

The actor once 'brought down the government' in the series, with the couple quoting the episode following the Tories worst ever election results

She captioned the update, 'Turns out she did look tired', in reference to 2005's The Christmas Invasion that saw The Doctor 'bring down' the Prime Minister, Harriet Jones (pictured)

The Doctor branded the Prime Minister a 'cold-blooded murder' after she destroyed a Sycorax spaceship. He then sparked rumours of her failing health which led to a vote of no confidence

It comes after Kemi Badenoch hit back at David calling him a misogynist, after he blasted her in a trans rights speech.

The Women and Equalities Minister said the attack from the Doctor Who star, who told an awards ceremony he wished she would shut up and not exist, was rooted in misogyny.

'I do think David Tennant is a misogynist. The way he framed those comments showed that he did not care about the argument on single-sex spaces for women,' she told the Times.

'Shut up' is one of the tropes that you hear them say. There's something visceral there. I do think it's probably rooted in misogyny. It doesn't matter whether it's misogyny or not. It wouldn't be any better if it was directed against a man.'

After winning celebrity ally at the LGBT Awards for being one of 'the community's most fierce allies and supporters', the Scottish actor was asked to relay a message to trans youth backstage.

During his interview the Timelord said trans youth should not feel unloved or not accepted as 'most people in the world don't really care', later adding that opposers would 'all go away soon'.

He went even further backstage adding that 'it's a tiny bunch of whinging little f***ers that are on the wrong side of history and they'll all go away soon'.

Ms Badenoch believes that Tennant does not understand her point of view, saying 'I've never said anything negative about trans people.

'I've actually talked about protecting them from those who wish to exploit the rules that were made for them. They [people like Tennant] just don't care. They attack. They think it's all a big game. If you want to be a politician, then stand for election.'

It comes after Kemi Badenoch hit back at David calling him a misogynist, after he blasted her in a trans rights speech

During his interview the Timelord said trans youth should not feel unloved or not accepted as 'most people in the world don't really care', later adding that opposers would 'all go away soon'

Even Sir Kier Starmer got involved in the debate this week, as he criticised both Tennant  a Labour supporter who has previously described the party leader as a 'clever grown-up'  and Labour candidate Dawn Butler, who agreed with the former Dr Who.

On a visit to a medical centre outside Leicester to meet NHS staff, he told reporters: 'I think in politics, as in life, it's really important that we are able to robustly disagree with others.

'Obviously, that happens a lot in a general election campaign but we should do it with respect for everybody involved in that robust discussion.'
The fallout continues in the Love Island villa on Friday night's episode as the Casa Amor girls reveal all about what the boys got up to while they were away.

After Thursday's explosive recoupling, tension in the villa couldn't be higher.

Candyman Sean Stone showed the nation his sour side, Wil Anderson 'humiliated' Uma by 'enjoying his lad's holiday' and Ciaran Davies was reunited with a former flame.

But just as the boy's thought they got away with their late-night cuddles, kisses in the hideaway and other unloyal motives, Diamante Laiva, Lucy Graybill and Ellie Jackson spill the tea on really happened.

In the upcoming episode, dumped islanders Diamante and Lucy will pull Matilda Draper and Uma Jammeh out of the villa for catch up where they will reveal exactly what happened.

The fallout continues in the Love Island villa as the Casa Amor girls reveal all about what the boys got up to while they were away (Uma pictured speaking to Lucy)

After Thursday's explosive recoupling episode, tension in the villa couldn't be higher (Nicole pictured)

As the girls deliberate on day beds the morning after, Uma gets a text which reads: 'Uma and Matilda, please get ready to leave the villa as Diamante and Lucy would love a catch up #realtalk #nofilter'.

At that point Matilda only knows some of Sean's actions and is already upset after hearing about his controversial bed swap on the second night from Ruby to Diamante.

Talking to Mimi and Grace, Matilda says: 'What happened to our little baby, perfect, angel face Sean?'

This prompts Grace to say: 'The fact he's done that and has little boys' holiday, like which Wil said in his speech as well, he was like: 'you know it's just a boys trip, like holiday, I'm just here to have fun.'

Shocked, Uma shouts: 'What?! Who is this man?'

Matilda admits: 'I'm very conflicted right now, he's been moving mad in Casa'

Chatting on the daybeds with the girls, Uma confesses: 'I just feel different, it's changed things for me, he's let me down so much.'

But just as the boy's thought they got away with their late-night cuddles, kisses in the hideaway and other unloyal motives, Diamante, Lucy and Ellie spill the tea on really happened

On Friday's episode, dumped islanders Diamante and Lucy (pictured) will pull Matilda and Uma out of the villa for catch up where they will reveal exactly what happened

As the girls deliberate on day beds the morning after, Uma gets a text which reads: 'Uma and Matilda, please get ready to leave the villa as Diamante and Lucy would love a catch up #realtalk #nofilter'

At that point Matilda only knows some of Sean's actions and is already upset after hearing about his controversial bed swap on the second night from Ruby to Diamante

After the text, Matilda, Diamante, Lucy and Uma all leave the villa and take a seat on the coast.

Preparing Matilda for the worst, Diamante admits: 'I've told you one tenth of the story'

Also eager to call out the boys' behaviour, Lucy doesn't hold back when she tells Uma what went down on the hideaway terrace.

But it isn't just Matila and Uma who get given some cold hard truths on Friday's episode as Nicole sits down on the bean bags with Ellie to find out more.

Trying to find out exactly what Ciaran told Nicole, Ellie asks Nicole to share what she has been told.

'He messaged you on Insta or like, there were messages on Insta. I don't even know like the thing', Nicole quipped.

But Ellie reveals: 'It was on and off messaging for a good few months' before confirming that the two had actually met before on a night out.

After the text, Matilda (left), Diamante, Lucy and Uma (right) all leave the villa and take a seat on the coast.

Preparing Matilda for the worst, Diamante admits: 'I've told you one tenth of the story'

Also eager to call out the boys' behaviour, Lucy doesn't hold back when she tells Uma what went down on the hideaway terrace

But it isn't just Matila and Uma who got given some cold hard truths on Friday's episode as Nicole sits down on the bean bags with Ellie to find out more

As Nicole admits Ciaran never told her that, Ellie replies: 'I am quite shocked at his head. It hasn't turned just because of what I sort of know he's like on the outside.

Seeming angrily devastated, Nicole screams: 'Ahhhh great!'

Ellie then quips: 'I had a feeling he'd downplay it slightly'

Determined to get answers, Nicole then pulls Ciaran for a chat.

Love Island airs tonight at 9PM on ITV2 and ITVX.
Millie Mackintosh turned up the heat as she slipped into a green print bikini while modelling a series of sizzling beach looks amid her getaway in France.

The Made In Chelsea alum, 34, showed off her jaw-dropping frame in the skimpy two piece before continuing to model a slew of other sizzling swimwear.

Taking to her Instagram stories, the star twirled around showing off her flat abs and very toned physique posing against the stunning natural backdrop.

Millie has been staying at Domaine des Etangs Resorts, a 5-star hotel located near the Perigord-Limousin Natural Regional Park, for a lavish family trip.

She appeared radiant and joyful while making some time to show her followers her latest purchase as the TV star often does with her 1.3M followers.

Millie Mackintosh turned up the heat as she slipped into a green print bikini while modelling a series of sizzling beach looks amid her getaway in France

'@freepeopleeu Free-est collection arrived just in time for my summer holidays,' she penned in her clip.

The reality star proceeded to sport a figure-hugging beige embroidered swimsuit.

The gorgeous one-piece enhanced her slender figure and featured thin straps.

Millie also sported a classy pin up-inspired sky blue bikini with high-waist bottoms and a fitting bra.

Completing the ensemble, the TV alum added a stunning white maxi dress with a shell necklace.

Striking a few poses with a sultry look, Millie then opted for a minimal but chic gold tan bikini, as the actress also flashed her cheeky bottom.

Her family getaway in France comes after Millie soaked up the sun in Greece.

The Made In Chelsea star has been enjoying a sunshine break with her husband Hugo Taylor, 38, and their daughters Sienna, four, and Aurelia, two.

The Channel 4 sensation proceeded to sport a figure-hugging beige embroidered swimsuit

The gorgeous one-piece enhanced her slender figure and featured thin straps

Completing the ensemble, the TV alum added a stunning white maxi dress with a shell necklace

Millie also sported a classy pin up-inspired sky blue bikini with high-waist bottoms and a fitting bra

Striking a few poses with a sultry look, Millie then opted for a minimal but chic gold tan bikini

The actress also flashed her cheeky bottom

Millie has been staying at Domaine des Etangs Resorts, a 5-star hotel located near the Perigord-Limousin Natural Regional Park, for a lavish family trip (pictured with her daughters Sienna, four, and Aurelia, two)

And the family have been relaxing in style after arriving at the 5-star Grecotel LUXME White Palace hotel in Crete.

The former TV personality exuded radiance as she posed in front of a stunning sunset by the beach, sporting a stylish multicoloured print co-ord with a crop top and a pleated maxi skirt, matching her headband.

For her seaside outing, she carried a straw tote bag and wore white cat-eye sunglasses while cheerfully beaming for the snap.

Millie seemed to not have a care in the world, sharing shots of her relaxing time by the beach and of course, didn't miss a good spa.

Posting a picture of the luxurious spa inside she penned: 'You know where to find me.'

Gushing over her husband, she captured the hunk looking carefree by the beach with a drink in his hand.

'My husband is looking hot,' she penned.

Millie ensured to enjoy some great family time and posted a sweet moment of Sienna and Aurelia doing some art activities, with Hugo in the background.
Lindsay Hubbard is opening up about her new life after shocking her fans with the news she is pregnant in a big July 4 announcement.

Since sharing the happy news with gorgeous photos from her maternity shoot, the 37-year-old Summer House star has opened up about her life and the father of her unborn child.

In an interview with People, the excited mom-to-be who went through the process of freezing her eggs for the camera, said her pregnancy was not planned but was happily welcomed.

'To think where I was this time last year is insane to me,' she told the outlet. 'Looking back on it, it's just so clear to me that the universe had a plan.

'The journey is really just crazy,' she said. 'All of a sudden, for a girl who's always wanted to be a mom, there I was at 37 years old, staring down the barrel of being single and questioning when dreams of having a family would happen.'

Lindsay Hubbard is opening up after shocking her fans the news of her pregnancy. 'It has been extremely difficult to hide my excitement in secrecy, and now that Im able to share my happiness and joy, I feel like a weight has been lifted,' she wrote on social media Friday

The split from former fiance Carl Radke, 39, led Hubbard back to an old beau.

'And then this incredible man comes back into my life and next thing you know, I'm pregnant. It's like the universe was saying, "See? This is the time. This it the guy. Now you're ready." I feel like my prayers were answered.'

Hubbard's partner is a doctor who works in biotech investing and prefers to keep out of the public eye.

Only the mystery man's hands were seen in one of the photos from her pregnancy shoot.

The couple had only been dating a few months when Hubbard discovered she was expecting.

The Hubb House Nashville founder shared the results of her at home pregnancy test results via her partnership with Clear Blue Easy Digital test, with the word 'pregnant' clearly showing.

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to share the good news with her partner right away as she wanted to double check with a blood test at her doctor's office. The results came through in her email while she was on a flight to Mexico for her best friend's wedding.

'My boyfriend wasn't with me, so that was a little hard,' she recalled. 'That's not something you want to tell someone in a text message or a phone call, so I went through the wedding weekend and then told him when I got back.'

'Obviously, it was a surprise and a shock at first because we were not trying or even planning, but we had some honest conversations and it just felt so right for both of us,' the influencer said.

Hubbard reunited with her current boyfriend after she called off her wedding to fellow Summer House star Carl Radke. this incredible man comes back into my life and next thing you know, I'm pregnant,' she told People

Hubbard's partner is a doctor who works in biotech investing and prefers to keep out of the public eye. Only the mystery man's hands were seen in one of the photos from her pregnancy shoot

'We have a very loving, caring and healthy relationship. I finally feel like I met my match with him.'

Of her un-named beau's future fatherhood, the 5'3" beauty said, 'He's just so excited to be a dad and proud to be having a child with me.'

'It just means the world to have someone like him by my side. And yes, it is a lot of pressure on a new relationship, but I think because he's the right man because we are so bonded and connected and communicate very effectively with each other that it hasn't felt like work.'

Looking back on her anxiety to become a mother, Hubbard admitted, 'You know, I've almost made terrible mistakes in my past because of a biological clock that we naturally as women have, and this is the one time where it just all feels so right.'

Hubbard looking forward to welcoming her baby during the holiday season.

'No one is ever truly ready when they're having their first baby  mom friends of mine tell me that all the time, even those that were trying. It's a learning curve!' Hubbard said, adding, 'But again, the timing for me is right. Everything that led up to this point, I can draw upon those experiences and I think they'll help me be a better mom because of them.'

Positive thinking and belief if herself is what carried Hubbard after ending her engagement with Radke last year.

'I have to tell you, even when everything was happening last year, I never gave up on love and I never gave up on the idea that I'd be a mom,' she explained. 'And that's how I've always been: I just never allowed any past heartbreak to make me feel jaded about these dreams I've had. And that's why I think it the universe took care of me; because I always believed it would happen.'

Hubbard shared more photos Friday writing, 'Woke up this morning feeling so blessed and grateful for this journey. But most of all, Im relieved and excited to finally be able to celebrate openly, and with the world.'

'It has been extremely difficult to hide my excitement in secrecy, and now that Im able to share my happiness and joy, I feel like a weight has been lifted (even though Im actually gaining weight by the day lol)! Our little cub is already so so loved!  Thank you for all of the sweet comments, love, and support! We are truly over the moon right now! '

Hubbard shared the results of her at home pregnancy test results via her partnership with Clear Blue Easy Digital test, with the word 'pregnant' clearly showing

Hubbard revealed the pregnancy was unplanned, but welcome. 'All of a sudden, for a girl who's always wanted to be a mom, there I was at 37 years old, staring down the barrel of being single and questioning when dreams of having a family would happen'

Hubbard wore the same Alice and Olivia white jacket with a navy blue bow and trim over her shirtless torso and of Zara jeans she wore when she made the initial announcement.

It's unclear if Hubbard and her boyfriend are planning to tie the knot.

Viewers were able to see Hubbard's relationship with former fiance Radke crumble on the May 30 Summer House season eight finale.

The two reality stars had intended to tie the knot in November 2023 before Radke called off the wedding in late August.

In June the reality star discussed the complex aftermath of her cancelled wedding to Radke, and how much money she lost in the process.

The reality star opened up about the bills the former pair still had to pay after Radke called off their wedding last year, and how they dealt with lawyers over the money, as she appeared on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast on Tuesday.

Hubbard stated that she specified to their wedding planners that it was Radke's job to take care of cancelling the event.

'I texted my wedding planner and the two wedding planners  like, one who was dealing with the hotel and reservations and one who was dealing with all the vendors and actual planning  and I said, please do not communicate with me about any of this,' she said.

'I told them that I was absolutely not figuring out the fallout of the wedding. Like, you canceled this, put on your big boy pants and figure it out yourself.'

The explosive Summer House season eight finale unveiled how Hubbard and former fiance Carl Radke called off their engagement last year

The good news comes less than a year after Hubbard's bitter split and canceled wedding with ex-fiance Carl Radke (pictured in Santa Monica, California in June 2022)

Hubbard claims she lost about '$25,000 to $30,000 in wedding deposits before the cancellation.

'Now, he had to pay a lot of cancellation fees, especially since he waited so long to call off the wedding. And, you know, the longer you wait with the hotel and the rooms, like, the less money you get back if you cancel the wedding,' she added.

She was then asked if she wanted Radke to pay her back the money she lost, to which she replied, 'Yeah, we dealt with a lot of... There was a lot of lawyer discussions.'

Fans who want to know more will have to wait a while. Season nine of Summer House is currently in production and is expected to premiere in February 2025.
Lauryn 'Pumpkin' Efird's husband was left fearing for her mental health as she struggled to cope with the death of her sister Anna 'Chickadee' Cardwell to cancer aged 29.

In a new teaser for the Friday, July 5 episode of Mama June: Family Crisis first obtained by People, Josh Efird was seen breaking down in tears as he watched his wife, 24, pick out a vessel to put Chickadee's ashes in.

Josh asks Lauryn to watch a movie while him while she scrolls on her iPad, and says: 'It's not something that I really want to look at, but stuff to put Anna's cremains in.'

Josh says: 'I've been with Pumpkin for almost 10 years and I've seen some damage been dealt over the years but losing Anna has been the worst that I've seen.

'I keep thinking tomorrow she's going to get up, she's going to want to do something, she's going to want to eat [and] then it doesn't come.

Lauryn 'Pumpkin' Efird's husband was left fearing for her mental health as she struggled to cope with the death of her sister Anna 'Chickadee' Cardwell to cancer aged 29

In a new teaser for the Friday, July 5 episode of Mama June : Family Crisis first obtained by People , Josh Efird was seen breaking down in tears as he watched his wife, 24, pick out a vessel to put Chickadee's ashes in

'I'm doing everything I can around the house to distract the kids but it's just like they need Mamma P back for sure.'

Lauryn said the death of her sister made her realize everything can change 'in a blink of an eye' saying: '[Anna's] kids live in different places. I don't want my family or my kids to ever have to worry about that.

'It's open at least, my eyes, a lot on everything like wanting to be prepared for that moment in my life or Josh's life. You're not promised tomorrow literally anything could happen.'

'Who's gonna raise my kids, my mother [Mama June Shannon]? I don't want that' she says to Josh before suggesting reaching out to a lawyer to make a will.

Josh breaks down in tears and says: 'Anna passing at 29 is a very big eye-opener. To have your priorities in line, it's scary. It really is and me and Pumpkin need to get on it -soon.'

Mama June, 44, recently opened up about her 'dysfunctional' family to People after Chickadee's death from stage 4 adrenal cancer in December.

'We are dysfunctional,' she said. 'But we were saying earlier too though, it is always kind of just been us.

'So regardless of all the hardships and the arguing and all that stuff, we are all we have left,' added Mama June.

Chickadee's mother announced her death on Instagram in December. 'With the breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us,' she began

Josh asks Lauryn to watch a movie while him while she scrolls on her iPad, and says: 'It's not something that I really want to look at, but stuff to put Anna's cremains in'

Lauryn said the death of her sister made her realize everything can change 'in a blink of an eye' saying: '[Anna's] kids live in different places. I don't want my family or my kids to ever have to worry about that'

He said: 'I'm doing everything I can around the house to distract the kids but it's just like they need Mamma P back for sure'

The couple are pictured with their two eldest children

She explained that it's 'always' just been her and her daughters, adding, 'Their fathers haven't been involved and stuff like that.

'So if today, [my husband] Justin [Stroud] left me, Josh left Pumpkin, Dralin left her, Cheyenne left her, we would all have to move in the same house with the babies and we would just do life,' Shannon said.

Mama June also shared Stroud's 'favorite saying' about their unique brood: 'I've never seen a family like this.'

'We can argue sitting right here and in an hour later we're calling each other and talking like nothing ever happened,' Shannon explained.

Chickadee's mother announced her death on Instagram in December. 'With the breaking heart, we are announcing that @annamarie35 is no longer with us,' she began.

'She passed away in my home last night peacefully at 11:12 PM,' Mama June added.

'She gave one hell of a fight for 10 months she passed away with her family around her like she [wanted[ and we will will be updating y'all with more information as we get it today.'

Shannon concluded, 'We love y'all and continued prayers and thoughts for our family [during] this difficult time.'

Chickadee underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy before revealing last summer that her caner was terminal.

Meanwhile, she tied the knot with partner Eldridge Toney on March 4, 2023 in Wilkinson County, Georgia while she still felt well enough.

The final hours of Chickadee's life, which she spent in hospice, were filmed for her family's show Mama June: Family in Crisis

The final hours of her life, which she spent in hospice, were filmed for her family's show Mama June: Family in Crisis.

After Mama June was awarded custody of Chickadee's daughters Kaitlyn Elizabeth, 11, and 8-year-old Kylee Madison, her ex Michael Cardwell sued for custody of their daughter Kylee.

In addition to Chickadee, Mama June is mother to Jessica Shannon, 27, Lauryn Efird, 24, and 18-year-old Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson.
Fitness pioneer Denise Austin used Instagram to wish husband Jeff Austin a happy 73rd birthday on Friday.

The 67-year-old Los Angeles native  who posed in a swimsuit in June  shared a heartfelt caption with her over 400K followers as she marked the special occasion.

She began the sweet note: 'Happy Birthday to my sweet hunny bunny Jeff!!!'

The mother-of-two described her spouse, who she wed in 1983, as 'the kindest' and 'most caring.'

The star added that he's 'so funny' and 'so smart' as she gushed that Jeff 'truly lives his life with the highest integrity of anyone I know!!!'

Fitness pioneer Denise Austin used Instagram to wish husband Jeff Austin a happy 73rd birthday on Friday

The 67-year-old Los Angeles native shared a heartfelt caption with her 414,000 followers as she marked the special occasion

The exercise enthusiast continued, 'Our ROCK!!!! I feel so grateful to be able to celebrate you today!!!

'Jeff you are the best husband and father we could ever ask for..You are everything to us and we LOVE you sooo much!!! Heres to celebrating YOU !!! HAPPY Happy Birthday.. Xoxox.'

The proud wife uploaded two photos, including one in which she wore a pink string bikini and aviator sunglasses.

In the smiling snapshot, she and her longtime partner wrapped their arms around one another while posing in front of what appeared to be the Amalfi coast.

A second photo showed the couple in formal attire as she donned a strapless gown and the former athlete a black tuxedo.

Taking to her Instagram Stories, the blonde beauty posted a throwback photo of them in 2023 and wrote, 'love you!!!'

The husband and wife share daughters Katie, who also works in fitness, and Kelly, a Somatic Trauma Informed Practitioner.

On Independence Day, Denise was active on social media as she shared a festive snapshot with the young women and wrote: 'Happy 4th!!!!! Hope you all have the BEST holiday weekend!!!! Love you all..xoxo.'

Taking to her Instagram Stories, the blonde beauty posted a throwback photo of them in 2023 and wrote, 'love you'

The husband and wife share daughters Katie, who also works in fitness, and Kelly, a Somatic Trauma Informed Practitioner

In March 2023 Denise shared a now and then photo with her husband

The longtime couple tied the knot in 1983

In 2023 Denise and Jeff celebrated a milestone wedding anniversary of 40 years.

She once again turned to social media to acknowledge the special day with a loved-up post sharing then and now photos.

'Today we are CELEBRATING 40 YEARS married WOW.. these years have flown by and I am so BLESSED!!!!! YOU are my rock .. my life .. my everything!!!!!

'And you make me laugh every day!!!!" she wrote.

She added, 'So thankful we cherish our life together and LOVE our wonderful daughters with all our hearts!!! My whole world!!!!

'I am incredibly grateful for you every single day. Happy anniversary, I love you FOREVER xoxo.'
Devon Windsor showed off her incredible abs in sizzling social media snaps this week.

The 30-year-old supermodel wowed in a midriff-flashing yellow co-ord as she showed off her summer ensembles,

Devo's crop-top and a flirty mini skirt featured gold cut-outs while she accessorized with a tiny white straw purse in one hand.

She wore her blonde locks sleek and straight and sported a radiant palette of make-up.

The cover girl accessorized with stacks of bracelets, her diamond engagement ring, and strappy gold heels.

Devon Windsor showed off her incredible abs in sizzling social media snaps this week

Devon captioned her Instagram post, 'Bahama mama.'

The former Victoria's Secret pinup also shared a look at her Fourth of July celebrations alongside her husband, Johnny Dex Barbara, and their two daughters, Enzo Elodie Barbara and Celine Blue Barbara.

In Devon's first Instagram Story, she posed in a gold bikini top with a big shell necklace and tortoise shades.

A follow-up video showed the swimwear designer showing off her curves in her tiny bathing suit.

'Hi, I just got back from a little ocean day,' Devon told followers. 'I wanted to show you my suit. It's freaking cute and perfect for the Fourth of July. It's like gold, sparkly.

Holding up an orange cover-up, she continued, 'I'm going to pair it back with a little wrap-around skirt for a pop of color.'

She showed viewers her gold sandals, adding, 'Pairing it with these little shoes and my Capri sunnies. That's the look! Easy, good, It's literally like 100 degrees, so I wanted to keep it not much up here because it's so freaking hot.'

But the St. Louis, Missouri star found a way to keep cool, smiling with her sister Alexandra Windsor as they sipped on Aperol Spritzes.

The 30-year-old posed in the grass wearing a two-piece light yellow outfit that included a crop top and a flirty mini skirt

After a quick outfit change - into a green bathing suit, pearl necklace, and white ball cap - Devon enjoyed quality time in the ocean with her girls.

The trio smiled as they sat in the waves and played in the sand before Devon changed her little ones into matching white dresses with colored patterns and herself into a white maxi dress with a mid-drift cutout.

The family celebrations included lighting off sparklers and making s'mores by a massive fire pit.

'That was so smart of me to put it in the sand because that b--ch was hot,' Devon wrote on a video of her marshmallow roasting the fire with the stick sitting in the sand.

The mom-of-two then ran over and grabbed the stick from the fire once it was done. Devon proudly showed off her creation as Alexandra laughed in the background.

The model changed into a white maxi dress with a mid-drift cutout for the Fourth of July

Meanwhile, the runway star's tight-knit family also spills over into her business - her self-named swimwear brand, Devon Windsor.

In 2020, Devon gushed about how her husband - whom she married in 2019 -became her go-to collaborator.

'My husband owns a clothing line called Alexis,' Devon told The Daily Front Row. 'Hes been the guiding factor throughout this whole process. I wouldnt have known where to start. Because he had developed his own brand he knew all about finding a factory, patterns, and design. My first step was getting him to show me what to do.'

Johnny has also assisted behind the camera, taking photos of his wife for some of her earlier collection drops.

The mom-of-two and her girls sat in the waves and played in the sand

The former Victoria's Secret pinup shared a look at the day's festivities alongside her husband, Johnny Dex Barbara, and their two daughters, Enzo Elodie Barbara and Celine Blue Barbara

'Hes gotten really, really good,' Devon boasted to the outlet. 'Hes been on countless photo shoots with his brand, so he has an eye. Being with me, theres so many Instagram photos that he has to take. Hes learned over time what looks good and what women want.'

In fact, some of the campaigns are a complete family affair.

'That last photo shoot was a challenge because I did my own hair, makeup, and styling,' the Vogue star added. 'My sister was helping. My husband was doing the lighting. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.'

That same year, Devon reflected on starting her own business after years on the runway.

'Since I began in the modeling industry, my end goal was to always build my brand and start my own line!' she told Forbes at the time.

'It wasnt until years later that I realized my love for resort wear, and at the same time noticed a gap in the market for swim that has more design detail and that is more elevated than just your average triangle bikini.'

The Vogue star changed her little ones into matching white dresses with colored patterns as they lit up sparklers

Their night ended on the beach, roasting s'mores and sitting by the fire

Which sparked Devon's interest in putting out exactly what she would want to dress herself in.

'That considered, it has always been important for me to create a brand that wont completely break your bank, while still maintaining great fit and quality materials,' she to the outlet. 'I'm also not limiting myself at just swim  sooner than later, I will be offering some affordable RTW!'

Devon also described her line's aesthetic: 'I would say that Devon Windsor is a chic, strong, sexy woman, with a touch of breezy femininity.'
Kate Beckinsale was left injured after taking a tumble while searching for her beloved dog Myf during Independence Day celebrations on Thursday.

The British actress, 50, shared a clip to her Instagram of a pal tending to her bleeding leg after falling from her towering knee-high platforms.

Kate had previously shared a snap of the tiny Pomeranian writing: 'Myf has gone missing if anyone finds her in the Beverly Hills area please can you DM me thank you so much'.

The pooch had seemingly bolted after being spooked by July 4th fireworks with star later chastising him after being found.

After finding Myd she cradled him un her arms and said: 'She's back, ow, you really hurt my knee, Myf you f****** scared the sh** out of us. F****** July 4, Joe, Jesus Christ. What do you have to say for yourself?'.

Kate Beckinsale, 50, has revealed she suffered a nasty injury after taking a tumble while searching for her beloved dog Myf during her Independence Day celebrations on Thursday

The British actress shared a clip to her Instagram of a pal tending to her bleeding leg

She taken a nasty fall from her towering knee-high platforms while frantically searching Beverly Hills

Captioning the post: 'Jesus effing jeffing Christ we found her. @joe_rome out here saving everybody'.

Before stating on her Instagram Stories: 'Myf you don't like fireworks it turns out'

In March Kate's friends took Myf to visit her in hospital where she was suffering from an unknown ailment.

The Underworld actress was dressed in dog-print pyjamas and she had on her favourite black velvet hair bow.

The mother-of-one had a bandaid on her hand and a hospital band on one wrist as she held onto the pooch in the photo.

Kate did not disclose why she had been hospitalised, but MailOnline contacted Kate's representatives for comment at the time.

Weeks later she appeared to shed some light on her recent health woes and shared some snaps to her Instagram grid wearing a white T-shirt with the slogan 'tummy troubles survivor' on it.

It came she caused confusing by posting then deleting some teary snaps from her hospital bed.

The pooch had seemingly bolted after being spooked by July 4th fireworks with star later chastising him after being found

The pooch had seemingly bolted after being spooked by July 4th fireworks with star later chastising him after being found

Captioning the post: 'Jesus effing jeffing Christ we found her. @joe_rome out here saving everybody'.

Kate had previously shared a snap of the tiny Pomeranian writing: 'Myf has gone missing if anyone finds her in the Beverly Hills area please can you DM me thank you so much'

She did not elaborate on why she was in hospital wearing a medical gown at the time and later the pictures vanished from her page.

But she returned to social media wearing the Tummy Troubles Survivor T-shirt as she posing with Myf.

She looked stylish in the T-shirt which she wore with light denim jeans, a sparkly belt and black bow head band.

Kate wrote no words in the caption but added an arm muscle emoji and a white heart.

It came after she left her fans scratching their heads after she completely wiped her Instagram page of evidence of her recent hospital stay.

Fans noticed that photos from recent weeks showing the actress in a hospital and wearing a medical gown had been suddenly deleted from her page without explanation.

She also appeared to have limited comments on her posts, though the timing was unclear.

The actress  who shared her heartbreak over the death of her beloved stepfather Roy Battersby in January  first shared that she was having health issues on March 11, which is Mother's Day in the UK.

In March Kate's friends took Myf to visit her in hospital where she was suffering from an unknown ailment

Kate later appeared to shed some light on her recent health woes wearing a T-shirt that said Tummy Troubles Survivor on it

She looked somber while sitting in a hospital bed and wearing a gown and an enormous black bow on her head.

'Thank you to those that love us and support us when it's s*** and try to make sure there are some bits that aren't,' she captioned the post, via Page Six.

'And for looking after our dogs when we can't, and lead us to remember happy things when we can't. And turn up when we are sick and sit with us... And send balloons and check in and pull us out of wells with love.'

Although the photos highlighted her hospital stay, the post paid tribute to her actress mother Judy Loe, 77, for the holiday.
Charlotte Crosby has shared a health update with her Instagram followers from her hospital bed on Wednesday after being rushed to A&E earlier this week.

The TV personality, 33, posted a 'disgusting' snap of her infected tonsils which was the cause of the illness and had left her unable to eat, drink or get out of bed.

Taking to her Instagram Stories she captioned the photo: 'This was actually on Tuesday I've got a video now of the whole tonsil covered in white puss with huge black delves all over! I don't think I can share it as it's pretty DISGUSTING.'

'Defiantly [sic] felt better! This has been a torturous week! Drs, then A&E then to be sent home and low and behold got worse and worse! The pain not being able to eat or drink! Not even get out of bed!'

Charlotte, who shares 20-month-old daughter Alba with fiance Jake Ankers continued: 'The fevers and full body aches. I've never been wiped out like this! And the pains in my throat'.

Charlotte Crosby, 33, has shared a health update with her Instagram followers from her hospital bed on Wednesday after being rushed to A&E earlier this week

The TV personality shared a 'disgusting' snap of her infected tonsils which was the cause of the illness and left her unable to eat or get out of bed

'But I'm finally in the right place! And everyone here has been absolutely amazing! I will never forget the amazing man who put my canula in today l'm terrified of needles and on Tuesday it took about 4/5 attempts to get bloods and the canula in!'

'And this man sent from the heavens did it first time and completely pain free! He made me feel so at ease! Been sleeping most of the day and I'm terribly missing alba and Jake, But the new update is I've been admitted!'.

On Wednesday Charlotte posted a snap of herself and mother Leticia waiting to see a doctor following her dash to hospital.

Writing: '2 hospitals, 4 attempts at taking bloods, 2 attempts at fitting a canula and 7 hours later. I'm home with finally the right medication and the first lot given intravenously.'

'A very very long night last night! My poor mam is also so poorly with a viral infection and can't even open one eye anymore and she stayed with me the whole time we are both resting up today.'

She then revealed her mother was equally under the weather writing: 'She's a very poorly mama. She's got viral infection and I've got bacterial. Both in the wars thank god albas in nursery today because Jake's working in London'.

Charlotte recently returned from Australia where she'd been filming upcoming Geordie Shore spin-off show, Aussie Shore.

She has dabbled in Australian showbiz before, appearing on I'm A Celebrity Australia in 2020 and The Masked Singer Australia in 2023.

On Wednesday Charlotte posted a snap of herself and mother Leticia waiting to see a doctor following her dash to hospital

She then revealed her mother was equally under the weather writing: 'She's a very poorly mama. She's got viral infection and I've got bacterial. Both in the wars thank god albas in nursery today because Jake's working in London'

Charlotte recently returned from Australia with her fiance Jake Ankers and their daughter Alba Jean, 20 months (all pictured)

Charlotte made her name as one of the original members of Geordie Shore and she starred from 2011 to 2016 and 2022 to 2024.

Her romance with co-star Gaz Beadle was one of the show's central storylines until she announced her departure in June 2016. She won Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 and hosted Just Tattoo Of Us from 2017 to 2019.

The MTV programme follows the daily lives of 812 housemates hailing from Newcastle as they live together for a number of weeks.

Geordie Shore is a spin-off itself: stemming from cultural phenomenon Jersey Shore which saw housemates live in New Jersey.

Jersey Shore spawned American household names Snooki, Pauly D, J-Woww, and Michael 'The Situation' Sorrentino.

In April, Charlotte said on Instagram of her fiance Jake: 'Can't wait to marry you. Don't know what I'd do without you Jakey, my absolute rock!

'You've elevated my life and taught me more than you will ever know! It's not often we remember to grab photos of just us! So this one we got today I LOVE.'

The couple went public with their relationship in January 2022 and got engaged in November the following year after Jake popped the question in a romantic rooftop proposal in Dubai.

Charlotte and Jake first met in 2015 when Jake asked for a photo with Charlotte and soon started casually dating.
Lily Gladstone got a taste of Hollywood's frenetic awards season when she was nominated for multiple honors following her amazing performance in last year's Killers Of The Flower Moon.

However, the actress - who stars in the must-see film Fancy Pants - discovered taking part in awards shows isn't as glamorous as it looks.

'The meeting people is the fun part of it,' she said on a recent episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, adding, 'I describe the [Golden] Globes as a little bit like Squid Game.'

The Emmy winning Korean show follows financially struggling characters who are competing to become a billionaire in a series of deadly children's games.

Gladstone explained her answer saying, 'The reality is, youre in shapewear, you need to pee, you have commercial breaks, and thats the only time that youre able to do it. So its just a mad scramble, and then thats the time when you get to jam and meet idols like Meryl Streep. But of course, that part is not that bad.'

Lily Gladstone, 37, has revealed that attending awards show isn't as glamorous as it looks on TV (Pictured in Beverly Hills in January)

The 37-year-old won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama for her role in the fact-based Killers of the Flower Moon.

She also earned the SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, and made history as the first Native American actress to be nominated for an Oscar.

'Why am I the first?' she asked Deadline at the time.

'Why did it have to take this long for me to be the first Indigenous North American? Most of the films that show up in these categories are shot on Indigenous land in North America, and its taken this long.'

Her current film, Fancy Dance, has been 'certified fresh' and given a 96-percent rating from the critics at Rotten Tomatoes.

The plot focuses on the extremes Goldstone's Jax goes to in order for her niece to be able to attend an annual powwow, where she has participated and excelled in traditional dance with her recently missing mother.

The film draws attention to the large numbers of missing and murdered Native women in North America. As of August 2021, The Sovereign Bodies Institutes data base of MMIW  missing and murdered Indigenous women  contained 4,754 cases in the U.S. and Canada.

'Fancy dance is a style of dance that exists within powwow culture and it originated as pretty exclusively a men's form... and once, long ago, or not so many generations ago, there was a Ponca woman who wanted to move the way the men did, 'she explained.

The actress won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama for her role in the fact-based Killers of the Flower Moon

In an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, she compared the Golden Globes to the Netflix hit Squid Game

'Youre in shapewear, you need to pee, you have commercial breaks, and thats the only time that youre able to do it.' she said. 'Its just a mad scramble, and then thats the time when you get to jam and meet idols like Meryl Streep. But of course, that part is not that bad' (Pictured in Beverly Hills in January)

Gladstone also won the SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, and made history as the first Native American actress to be nominated for an Oscar for her work in Killers of the Flower Moon

Gladstone is currently starring in the Apple+ movie Fancy Dance. The film focuses on powwow culture and draws attention to the large numbers of missing and murdered Native women in North America

'So women's traditional dance, which is what I did when I was a kid, it's very graceful, it's very measured, it's very contained, so this young woman, wanted to move like the men, so she grabbed what was at hand, a scarf, two scarves, and she started moving the way they did, spinning and doing fancy footwork, so that gave birth to women's old style fancy dance.'

Gladstone can also be seen co-starring with Riley Keough in the Hulu drama Under the Bridge.

The fact-based murder mystery focuses on the disappearance of a teen and the seven young people accused of her murder.

The busy actress has recently complete two other project.
Real Housewives of Miami star Dr. Nicole Martin is getting real about which cosmetic procedures she has had done in the past - and why she doesn't use filler anymore.

The 38-year-old anesthesiologist - who joined the series in 2021 - is used to sharing her life on screen and now, she's divulging her favorite cosmetic procedures.

The reality star admitted she's tried 'all things skin care and cosmetic treatments' - including Botox and filler - but didn't like the result as it changed the way she looked.

'I felt like I didn't look like myself and that the fillers were starting to migrate,' Martin, who didn't specify when she had the injections dissolved, explained.

'I'd smile and see little uneven areas,' she continued, which promoted her to rethink her skin routine.

Real Housewives of Miami star Dr. Nicole Martin is getting real about which cosmetic procedures she has had done in the past - and why she doesn't use filler anymore

The reality star admitted she's tried 'all things skin care and cosmetic treatments' - including Botox and filler - but didn't like the result as it changed the way she looked

'I was like, "I'm going to try and dissolve as much as I can and work on my skin and try to build my own collagen,"' she said.

Martin, who shares two children with fiance Anthony Lopez, is the first to admit hasn't always taken good care of her skin.

'It wasn't until about 10 years ago, when I turned 30, that I really started to invest in and take care of my skin,' she explained in an interview with RealSelf.

She continued: 'It's been about a decade that I've been really passionate about wellness in general.'

The star said she now wants to focus on her skin being the 'best version of itself' - urging people not to underestimate the importance of general health and wellness.

'Beauty is multifaceted,' the Bravo star pointed out. 'It's like a pizza pie, and everything is a slice and plays a role  skincare, Botox, overall wellness.

'It's multifaceted, and you have to get at it from all angles,' she quipped.

Now, Martin's skincare routine consists of Botox for wrinkles, and monthly facials.

In addition, she also does micro-needling treatments, like Morpheus8 - something that's meant to help stimulate the skin's production of collagen.

Martin revealed she's 'dabbled' with all kinds of skincare treatments and products in the past - but is the first to admit hasn't always taken good care of her skin

Now, Martin's skincare routine consists of Botox for wrinkles, and monthly facials

This isn't the first time that Martin, who recently created her own skincare line, Exoceuticals, has shared her thoughts on filler.

While speaking to Page Six in March, she shared a similar sentiment.

'I tried to fill in a little bit of areas where I felt had lost some collagen and fat over the years,' she told the outlet.

'And I just, I felt like it looked so unnatural in my opinion,' the star added.

Dermal filler, often referred to as filler, are a kind of injectable that can smooth lines on the face, plump up certain areas, and make sagging skin appear more full, per Cleveland Clinic.

It has become a bit of a controversial topic in recent years, with one plastic surgeon even sharing his unpopular opinions about the injections in December, claiming that filler can last for decades.
Bethenny Frankel appeared on TikTok Thursday as she recounted what she called a 's**t week.'

On the Fourth of July, the 53-year-old Real Housewives of New York City alum recorded herself in bed as she lamented her recent days, following news that her ex Paul Bernon, 45, is dating Aurora Culpo, 35.

'My mother dying when I was at a low was like a 1, maybe this was like a 3,' Frankel admitted in the tense clip, which she documented from her home in The Hamptons.

'I didnt sleep all week,' she told her 1.8 million followers.

Frankel was propped up in bed with her dog, dressed in a multicolor hooded sweater with her dark hair pulled back.

Bethenny Frankel appeared on TikTok Thursday and recounted what she called a 's**t week'

On the Fourth of July, the 53-year-old Real Housewives of New York City alum recorded herself in bed as she lamented her recent days, following news that her ex Paul Bernon is dating Aurora Culpo

News broke that Aurora, Olivia Culpo's older sister, is dating Paul one month after his split from Bethenny was announced; Culpo pictured in November 2022

She wrote, 'Happy Fourth,' across the video in white font and in the caption put, 'Crap week,' adding hashtags.

'By no means am I going to pretend like I'm livin' la vida loca,' she said to viewers, adding, 'because I'm livin' la vida no-ca.'

Bethenny didn't mention her ex or Aurora explicitly, but promised fans, 'I'll tell you all about it this week on the podcast,' referring to her Just B podcast series.

As for her 14-year-old daughter Bryn, who is with her in the Hamptons, she said, 'I'm thrilled that Bryn's with her friend. She's next door doing Americana and at a barbecue.'

As she continued her monologue, Bethenny said she's trying 'not to bust out' as she took a deep breath.

Then she emphasized that her week has been 's**t on a cracker.'

She clarified it was nothing that she did, using the metaphor that she 'got dragged behind a car for no reason.'

To cope, she said she was going to watch the television series Sons of Anarchy.

The exe fiances pictured in June 2022

Bethenny didn't mention her ex or Aurora explicitly, but promised fans, 'I'll tell you all about it this week on the podcast,' referring to her Just B podcast series

'I'm going to watch Sons of Anarchy and watch them kill some people, otherwise I'm gonna do it,' the former reality television personality stated.

And she said that taking a nap on Thursday was her 'Met Gala.'

The Skinny Girl Margarita founder also revealed she ate 'a bag of chips, some Swedish candy, and a can of Amy's lentil soup.'

The mother-of-one sarcastically added, 'It was sexy as f**k,' before also sharing that she 'had a grapefruit margarita in bed, as one does.'

News broke days before Olivia Culpo's Rhode Island ceremony that Aurora is dating Bethenny's ex-fiance  a month after their split was announced.

Olivia had a strict guest policy at her wedding to Christian McCaffrey and shared why her older sister, Aurora's new beau was 'not invited' on the Wednesday episode of her Barely Filtered podcast.

Aurora called her sister's decision 'rude,' to which the former pageant queen replied, 'No, [it's] rude to invite somebody I've never met.'

Despite her lousy week, Bethenny shared a celebratory July Fourth post on Instagram on Thursday

Olivia labeled Paul the 'flavor of the month,' and assured him, 'Sorry, it's not a reflection of you; it's a reflection of my sister.'

Aurora and Paul sparked romance rumors in June, with a source telling Us Weekly that the influencer and real estate developer 'have been dating for over two months now. He moved on very quickly after Bethenny.'

'Her family has met him and thinks he's a really nice, 'normal' guy,' the insider continued. 'They have a lot in common with him being from Boston and Aurora from an area nearby. Aurora has been spending time in Boston with him recently.'

Despite her lousy week, Bethenny shared a celebratory July Fourth Instagram post featuring her daughter on Thursday.
Ashley Roberts cut a trendy figure as strutted leaving Heart FM in Central London on Friday, following her latest appearance on the airwaves.

The Pussycat Doll, 42, showcased her incredibly toned abs in a black crop top which she teamed with a pair of matching high-waisted trousers.

Ashley layered the look with an oversized leather biker jacket while toting her essentials in a 2,000 Balenciaga bag.

She tied back her blonde locks into a low ponytail and shielded her eyes behind a pair of chic shades.

Ashley added extra height to her frame with a pair of pointed heels before later taking to her Instagram Stories to show off her look in more detail.

Ashley Roberts, 42, cut a trendy figure as strutted leaving Heart FM in Central London on Friday, following her latest appearance on the airwaves

The Pussycat Doll showcased her incredibly toned abs in a black crop top which she teamed with a pair of matching high-waisted trousers.

Ashley is Heart Breakfast's showbiz reporter and also hosts her own show on the station, Heart 00s.

The professional dancer has also been presenting Netflix reality programme Dance Monsters since 2022.

Ashley was last seen on Monday when her body complained about the unseasonably cold weather.

She headed to work at Heart wearing a stunning long-sleeved and pale blue dress made of stretchy material.

Earlier this month, Ashley attended a London Pride event.

The pre-Pride party took place at The Standard Hotel and also in attendance was Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu.

Ashley recently enjoyed a lavish break in Turkey with her tattoo artist boyfriend George Rollinson.

Ashley and George, 25, publicly enjoyed a 300-a-night stay at D-Resort Gocek after previously hiding their relationship.

Ashley layered the look with an oversized leather biker jacket while toting her essentials in a 2,000 Balenciaga bag

Ashley added extra height to her frame with a pair of pointed heels and later took to her Instagram Stories to show off her look in more detail

Ashley recently enjoyed a lavish break in Turkey with her tattoo artist former secret lover George Rollinson, 25

Despite being together for the best part of a year, the couple did not go Instagram official until April.

They travelled to the Chipping Norton retreat for some down time, during which they shared their first photo as a couple.

Ashley and George enjoyed a trip to Miami at the end of 2023 but made sure not to be photographed together.

He is Ashley's first serious partner since her separation from Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice in 2020.
Chris Pine showcased his fit form as he ventured out in Los Angeles.

The actor, 43, who revealed he lost out on a part in The O.C. due to acne, flaunted his clear complexion as he exited a dance class Friday morning.

The Poolman star, displayed his sculpted arms and legs, wearing a torn green tank top and a pair of navy blue shorts.

He stepped out in orange Croc slide sandals.

The Dungeon and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves star's blonde hair was parted in the center and was brushed straight.

Chris Pine, 43, displayed his sculpted arms and legs, wearing a torn green tank top and a pair of navy blue shorts and orange Croc sandals Friday as he exited a dance class in Los Angeles

His salt and pepper beard was neatly trimmed and the Wish star wore dark sunglasses.

The Hollywood hunk has been working on a script for a new project, Mantivities.

According to the description at IMDB.com, the plot will focus on a group of friends who get together in an attempt to shake their adolescent behavior.

Pine wrote, directed and starred in his most recent film Poolman, about a guy who looks after an apartment complex pool while fighting to make his hometown a better place to live, received a 22-percent rating from critics and a 20-percent score from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

Instead of the poor reviews marring his ambitions, the actor and writer told NPR it inspired him to give up on the pursuit of 'perfection.'

'My film got absolutely just decimated when it premiered in Toronto, just like obliterated,' he said.

'Which brings up for me one of my primary triggers, or whatever, is not being liked or this idea of perfection, of not creating something that is perceived as [perfect].'

'So in many ways, this journey thus far has been so great to remember: I had joy. I experienced joy,' he explained. 'It still gives me joy. That's it. That's enough. There is no perfect. That is perfect. There's nothing more perfect than that.'

The Dungeon and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves star's blonde hair was parted in the center and was brushed straight. His salt and pepper beard was neatly trimmed and the Wish star wore dark sunglasses to protect from the bright morning rays

Pine starred in, wrote and directed his last film, Pool Man, which was panned by critics. The actor told NPR the bad reviews inspired him to give up on the pursuit of 'perfection' (Pictured in Los Angeles in April)

Pine, his fellow castmates and fans of the Star Trek franchise have been anxiously awaiting the script for the fourth and final installment in the Kelvin timeline. 'We all like one another a lot. Im good friends with everybody Ive worked with. We have a great time doing it,' he said

Pine, his fellow castmates and fans of the Star Trek franchise have been anxiously awaiting the script for what will be the fourth and final installment in the Kelvin timeline.

'We all like one another a lot. Im good friends with everybody Ive worked with. We have a great time doing it,' he told Pop Verse at the ACE Superhero Comic Con in June.

'Im a lot older now, so I would be curious where that next story lands us in terms of what it would be and what weve said in the press.'

Pine began portraying Kirk at age 29, and the third film in the franchise, Star Trek Beyond was released in 2016.
Madonna put on an amorous display with a hunky younger man on July 4 as she reflected on the one-year anniversary of her near-death health scare.

The pop icon, 65, was rushed to hospital in June 2023 after being found unresponsive as the result of what was later determined to be a serious bacterial infection.

The songstress was taken to the ICU and had to be intubated, and she later revealed that she was put into a medically induced coma as she battled for her life despite going into lung and kidney failure.

The star is now embracing her renewed health - and posted a raunchy set of photos which showed her getting cozy with a mystery man - who later grabbed her cleavage during the event at Le Bain at The Standard, High Line.

She also showed off her ageless visage and glamorous make-up while she wowed in a busty red dress.

Madonna put on an amorous display with a hunky younger man on July 4 as she reflected on the one-year anniversary of her near-death health scare

She wrote: 'Happy 4th of July! A year ago today, I had just come home from the hospital after surviving a life threatening illness, I could barely stand in my backyard holding one sparkler.

'I made a miraculous recovery and had an amazing year. Thank you God. Life is beautiful!'

The Celebration Tour was initially set to begin on July 15, 2023 in Vancouver, Canada, but was postponed and pushed back three months after the pop icon developed a 'serious bacterial infection' in late June, which led to a multiple-day stay at the intensive care unit (ICU).

Her first-ever career retrospective ended up kicking off with a four night run at London's O2 Arena beginning on October 14, and went through Europe until early December.

During a previous tour date in Brooklyn in December, the dance music pioneer joked that she had to 'almost die to get all my kids in one room.'

She shares 27-year-old daughter Lourdes with her former boyfriend and fitness trainer Carlos Leon and her 23-year-old son Rocco with her ex-husband, filmmaker Guy Ritchie.

Madonna later adopted her son David Banda, 18; daughter Chifundo 'Mercy' James, 18; and twin daughters Stella and Estere, 11.

She suffered an acute septic shock on June 24, according to Radar Online, and emergency responders were reportedly able to revive her with Narcan.

The star is now embracing her renewed health - and posted a raunchy set of photos which showed her getting cozy with a mystery man

She also showed off her ageless visage and glamorous make-up while she wowed in a busty red dress

The star looked cozy as she posed up with her companion

The star showed off her radiant complexion as she posed

The substance is traditionally used to treat people in the midst of opioid overdoses, but it can also help revive someone suffering from septic shock.

At her Brooklyn show, Madonna said her 'lungs weren't working' and her 'kidneys were failing,' and she claimed there was a 40 percent chance that she would not survive.

The tour then shifted to the U.S. and Canada beginning with shows at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York that went around North America until mid-April when she headed to Mexico City for five concerts.

Ultimately, the Celebration Tour ended on May 4 with a massive free concert at Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach that attracted a whopping 1.6 million fans, which is now considered the biggest standalone concert of all time, according to the Economic Times.
Lisa Rinna was in lively spirits as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Friday for a coffee run.

The 60-year-old former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star appeared to go bra-free underneath a black tank top.

She added cutoff green lounge sweatpants that cropped below her knees and slipped her feet into a pair of brown slides.

The mother-of-two wore a dark bandana with a white skull print over her short, bleach blonde hair.

It comes one day after she shared her famous Fourth of July bikini post on Instagram.

Lisa Rinna was in lively spirits as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Friday for a coffee run

The 60-year-old former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star appeared to go braless underneath a black tank top

The Newport Beach-born beauty wore a pair of big, oval-shaped brown sunglasses during the outing.

She went makeup free and carried a small black bag over her left shoulder.

The star also carried a whisk and what looked to be a carton of milk.

Missing from the scene were her daughters Delilah, 26, and Amelia, 23, who she shares with husband Harry Hamlin, 72.

Rinna has been celebrating Independence Day with the same bikini-clad photo for a decade.

This year was no different as she appeared on Instagram to entertain her 3.7 million followers on July 4th.

She showed off her incredibly lean and toned figure in a red, white, and blue star-spangled two-piece while splashing around on the beach.

She captioned the image, which was taken by photographer Michael Simon, 'Shes back. Happy 4th of July! Go have a hot dog #tradition.'

She added cutoff green lounge pants that cropped below her knees and slipped her feet into a pair of brown platform slides

Lisa put on a busty display and bared her taut tummy in a triangle top and matching string-tie bottoms.

Her wispy, blonde-highlighted bob haircut fell around her face as she flashed a megawatt grin.

The photo was reportedly snapped in 2010 and her initial 2014 caption simply stated, 'Happy Birthday America!'

Then, in 2016 the bombshell wrote, 'Happy Independence Day America! #Happy4thofJuly You KNOW I'm going to post this picture until I'm 90!!! #GodBlessAmerica.'

It comes one day after she shared her famous Fourth of July bikini post on Instagram

Despite the image being fourteen years old, the superstar has maintained her fit figure.

In May she opened up about doing the same workout routine since age 16.

She dished to Us Magazine: 'Ive had the same fitness routine since I was 16.'

Lisa added: 'It started with Jazzercise and Ive been consistent about working out ever since.'
Kathleen Turner has not yet taken her final bow.

The Tony Award nominee, 70, is making her return to the stage in an upcoming revival of A Little Night Music at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine, according to Playbill.

She will star as Madame Armfeldt in the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler.

A Little Night Music follows three seemingly mismatched couples who each feel restless in their relationships.

The musical is based on the 1955 film Smiles of a Summer Night, which was written and directed by Ingmar Bergman.

Kathleen Turner is making her return to the stage in an upcoming revival of A Little Night Music at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine

She will star as Madame Armfeldt in the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler

Hunter Foster will direct the upcoming production, which runs July 18 to August 17. Additional casting and creative will be announced soon.

Turner made her off-Broadway debut in Mister T back in 1977, months before making the jump to Broadway as Judith Hastings in Albert Innaurato's Gemini.

The theater legend has also starred in Broadway productions of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1990), The Graduate (2002), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (2005) and High (2011).

Her latest role comes two weeks after she celebrated her milestone 70th birthday.

Turner previously battled rheumatoid arthritis in the early '90s, which left her debilitated for around eight years.

Although it ultimately went into remission, Turner's arthritis and resulting drinking problem still had an impact on her career.

'There's no cure for rheumatoid arthritis and I didn't think I'd even get to this point,' she told Daily Mail in 2014.

'When it blows up my hands don't work very well,' added Turner. 'If somebody hands me a glass I'll drop it. There's nothing I can do about it.'

Turner continued, 'At the time I was diagnosed in the 90s nobody knew much about these auto-immune diseases. People hire drunks in this business, but they don't hire people with diseases they don't understand.

Turner made her off-Broadway debut in Mister T back in 1977, months before making the jump to Broadway as Judith Hastings in Albert Innaurato's Gemini

The theater legend has also starred in Broadway productions of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1990), The Graduate (2002), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (2005) and High (2011)

'Time has changed some of that,' she explained. 'There are better drugs now, but they lower your immune system.'

While celebrating her 60th birthday at the time, Turner remained confident about her career.

'I'm edging now into that territory where a lot of us have been winnowed out. The competition's getting smaller,' she laughed. 'Maybe there'll be more movies because they can be a lot of fun.'

Turner added, 'And I could still do my stage work too, so it's a nice balance. I could never see myself committing to a TV series for years on end, but I like to pop in and do little characters. The younger generation knows me as Chandlers dad in Friends.
McDonald's has confirmed that it will not be selling a healthy menu item as there is simply a lack of demand for them.

The fast-food chain discontinued salads from its menus during the pandemic in order to streamline and speed up its service but also to adapt to a disrupted supply chain.

McDonald's USA president Joe Erlinger has now made it clear that salads will not be making a comeback as consumers aren't fussed.

One thing that won't be returning to U.S. restaurants nationally is salads. The demand just isn't there,' Erlinger told the Wall Street Journal Global Food Forum in Chicago on Wednesday.

'They're looking for great french fries, they're looking for a $5 meal deal, they're looking for a hot, fresh sandwich, and so that's what we're going to continue to provide them' he explained of McDonald's customers.

The fast-food chain discontinued salads from its menus during the pandemic

Salads were first introduced onto MacDonald's menu in 2000 when the McSalad Shaker debuted with a big advertising push.

The green salads were served in a tall cup with dressing but were not seen as substantial by consumers and were therefore replaced by Premium salads in 2003.

These new salads offered a heftier portion including grilled chicken, mix-ins, and Newman's Own dressing.

'Almost 90 percent of the U.S. population has McDonald's one time a year,' Erlinger explained to the summit.

'Because we serve 90 percent of the U.S. population, we really need to stay true to who we are and view our business as an opportunity to drive greater frequency and serve more needs of customers, not necessarily figure out how to serve that last 10 percent or so.'

'Our founder famously said in 1970, "I don't know what people are going to be eating in the year 2000, but we're going to serve more of it than anybody else,"' the CEO said.

Adding: 'And so if people really want salads from McDonald's, we will gladly relaunch salads. But what our experience has proven is, that's not what the consumer is looking for from McDonald's.'

Salads were first introduced onto MacDonald's menu in 2000 with the McSalad Shaker

At the same time as he said the chain was ditching salads, Erlinger said that McDonald's had given up on its bid to sell meat-free beef burgers in America.

He said the McPlant has been ditched because customers did not want fake meat.

The chain had been testing the McPlant at several hundred restaurants in California and Texas since trials began in late 2021.

Developed with Beyond Meat, it was made from pea and rice proteins.

While it has flopped in the US, it has been a hit in the UK, Germany , Holland and Portugal.

McDonald's is now shifting its focus to chicken, which has become more popular among its customers than beef, partly due to its lower cost.
Walmart must go to court to answer claims that says it used deception to overcharge customers - which could result in a multi-million payout.

The world's biggest retailer often charges higher prices at the register than it posts on store shelves, the lawsuit claims.

The practice is costing consumers hundreds of millions of dollars a year, it is claimed.

Walmart tried to get the claim thrown out but a federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday that it must answer accusations that it overcharged customers with 'deceptive and unfair pricing practices.'

Plaintiff Yoram Kahn says that - even though the discrepancies might be just 52 cents or 15 cents in two examples - they 'add up to hundreds of millions of dollars each year.'

The case will now be heard later this year and if Walmart loses it will have to pay out compensation. At that point, the court will advise other Walmart customers how to claim money.

Another overcharging class action lawsuit against Walmart was settled this year - with the retailer forced to pay out $45 million to customers.

Walmart must face a lawsuit claiming it often charges higher prices at the register than it posts on store shelves, costing consumers hundreds of millions of dollars a year, a federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday

Lawyers Kahn and other consumers said they found price discrepancies in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.

They also found them in North Carolina - even after a regulator there fined Walmart in 2022 for price-scanning errors.

Reversing a lower court judge, the 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago said consumers could try to prove in their proposed class action that the conduct of Walmart was a fraudulent 'bait-and-switch' that violated several states' consumer protection laws.

It also rejected Walmart's argument that providing receipts after purchases negated any unfairness caused by inaccurate shelf prices.

Circuit Judge David Hamilton wrote for a three-judge panel that it was 'neither unreasonable nor fanciful' for consumers to believe Walmart would charge the prices displayed on shelves.

Lawyers for the consumers highlighted some discrepancies. One Walmart in New Jersey charged $3.64 for Crisco Pure Canola Oil versus the $3.12 shelf price, while another charged $2.48 for Hershey's Chocolate Syrup versus the $2.33 shelf price.

They said these added up fast.

Hamilton said consumers cannot be expected to always keep an eagle eye at checkout, where they might be distracted by young children, tabloid headlines, pulling out their wallets or bagging their merchandise.

Nor, he said, is it reasonable to force consumers to keep track of shelf prices, whether by memory or by creating a record, as they shop.

'Who does that?' he wrote.

The appeals court returned the case to US District Judge Sara Ellis in Chicago, who dismissed it in March 2023. A date for the case has not yet been set.

Walmart's technical glitch on March 19 prevented price data from flowing to self-checkout kiosks at 1,600 of its 5,000 US stores

'We are pleased with the opinion and look forward to vindicating the rights of Walmart customers,' said Stanley Bernstein, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

Walmart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

The case is Kahn v Walmart Inc, 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 23-1751.

The lawsuit is thought to be unrelated two other overcharging problems at Walmart.

One was a separate class action that lead Walmart, earlier this year, to settle a $45 million claim for overcharging for certain packs of meat and citrus fruit. Customers were able to claim up to $500, but the deadline has now passed.

Meanwhile, in May Walmart admitted a technical issue for several days in mid-March resulted in the retailer overcharging customers in the United States.

The glitch that started on the evening of March 19 prevented price data from flowing to self-checkout kiosks at 1,600 of its 5,000 US stores.

The issue lasted for days and resulted in the company overcharging customers on thousands of items including food, clothes and appliances, according to Bloomberg. Some items also cost less.

Walmart has not said how many shoppers were affected, but - given it has around 37 million customers a day - it is thought several million were hit.

It comes as Walmart earlier this year settled a totally separate $45 million class-action after it overcharged for certain packs of meat and citrus fruit. Customers can claim up to $500.
Julian Assange has become a symbol of the complex battle for press freedom and the protection of whistleblowers worldwide

In recent years, the narrative surrounding whistleblowers and their impact on press freedom has garnered significant global attention. Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, remains a prominent figure in this ongoing discussion. His latest legal and personal developments provide a lens through which we can examine the broader issues of press freedom, whistleblower protection, and the intricate dynamics of state power.

Julian Assange is best known for founding WikiLeaks in 2006, a platform designed to publish classified, censored, or otherwise restricted information of political, ethical, diplomatic, or historical significance. WikiLeaks gained international notoriety in 2010 when it released a cache of U.S. military documents and diplomatic cables, revealing controversial actions and policies of the U.S. government.

This move cemented Assanges reputation as a champion of transparency and press freedom but also made him a target of intense legal and political scrutiny.As of mid-2024, Assange remains detained in the United Kingdoms Belmarsh Prison, fighting extradition to the United States, where he faces charges under the Espionage Act. His legal team argues that extraditing Assange would set a dangerous precedent for journalists worldwide, potentially criminalizing the publication of classified information in the public interest. His health has been a significant concern, with reports indicating deteriorating physical and mental well-being.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly called for his release, citing the harsh conditions of his detention and the potential impact on global press freedom.In addition to his legal battles over WikiLeaks, Assange has faced rape allegations in Sweden. In 2010, Swedish authorities issued an arrest warrant for Assange on charges of sexual misconduct, including rape. Assange denied the allegations, claiming they were part of a political smear campaign. He sought asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2012, where he remained for seven years until his asylum was revoked in 2019, leading to his arrest by British authorities. In 2019, Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation, but the allegations continue to cast a shadow over Assanges public image.

Julian Assanges influence on global journalism and transparency cannot be overstated. Named Time Magazines Person of the Year in 2010, Assanges work through WikiLeaks has inspired a new era of investigative journalism. By leveraging technology to expose hidden truths, Assange has empowered journalists and activists worldwide to challenge powerful institutions and demand accountability.

Julian Assanges plight is part of a larger narrative that includes other notable whistleblowers like Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning. Snowden, a former NSA contractor, leaked classified information in 2013, revealing extensive global surveillance programs conducted by the NSA and its allies. Currently residing in Russia, Snowden continues to be an advocate for privacy and government transparency. Chelsea Manning, a former U.S.

Army intelligence analyst, leaked classified military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks in 2010. Her disclosures included the infamous Collateral Murder video, showing U.S. helicopter gunship attacks that killed civilians in Baghdad. Manning was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to 35 years in prison, but her sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017 after seven years in custody.

India, with its complex socio-political landscape, has its own history of whistleblowing and press freedom challenges. Cases like those of Sanjiv Chaturvedi, an Indian Forest Service officer who exposed corruption in the Haryana Forest Department, highlight the risks faced by whistleblowers in India. Despite the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014, which aims to protect individuals exposing corruption or wrongdoing, whistleblowers in India often face retaliation, including harassment, legal action, and even physical harm. The cases of Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, and Chelsea Manning illustrate the critical intersection of press freedom and whistleblower protection. While their actions have undeniably contributed to public awareness and accountability, they have also faced severe repercussions. These cases underscore the need for robust legal protections for whistleblowers and journalists to ensure that the pursuit of truth does not come at the cost of personal freedom and safety.

In India and globally, the fight for press freedom and the protection of whistleblowers is far from over.

As governments continue to navigate the balance between national security and the publics right to know, the outcomes of these high-profile cases will undoubtedly influence future policies and the broader discourse on transparency and accountability.

In the context of the Emergency periods media compliance, L.K. Advanis comment, You were asked to bend, but you began to crawl, remains relevant today as a stark reminder of the dangers of compromised press freedom and the importance of journalistic integrity in holding power to account.

(The writer is an associate professor, views expressed are personal)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Russia and Austria on July 8-10 July, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said here on Thursday. This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Austria in 41 years, it said.

Giving details about his schedule, MEA said Prime Minister will be in Moscow on 8-9 July 2024 at the invitation of the President Vladimir Putin to hold the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit.

The leaders will review the entire range of multifaceted relations between the two countries and exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest.Prime Minister Modi, will thereafter travel to Austria during 9-10 July.

This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Austria in 41 years. He will call on President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen and hold talks with Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer.

Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Nehammer will also address business leaders from India and Austria. Modi will interact with members of the Indian community in Moscow as well as in Vienna.

Modi last visited Russia in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok.

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. President Putin had visited India to attend the summit.

The summit saw both sides sealing 28 MoUs and agreements, besides coming out with a joint statement titled "India-Russia Partnership for Peace, Progress and Prosperity".Prime Minister Modi and President Putin last held bilateral talks on the margins of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Samarkand in Uzbekistan on September 16, 2022.

In the meeting, Modi had famously pressed Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine saying "today's era is not of war".

"I know today's era is not of war. We discussed this issue on phone several times that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue touch the entire world," Modi had said.

Since the Russian military action in Ukraine in February 2022, Modi has held several telephonic conversations with Putin and Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In reflection of its strong friendship with Russia, India has refrained from condemning Moscow's military action in Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

India's import of Russian crude oil has also gone up significantly notwithstanding the G7 price cap and increasing disquiet over the procurement in many Western countries.

In December 2022, the G7 grouping and its allies announced a cap on the price of Russian oil as part of a series of punitive measures against Moscow in view of its invasion of Ukraine.

The price cap restricts countries to pay more than USD 60 a barrel. Russia has been a longstanding and time-tested partner for India. Development of India-Russia relations has been a key pillar of India's foreign policy.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo moto cognisance of the alleged derogatory remark made by TMC MP Mahua Moitra against its chairperson Rekha Sharma and sought an FIR against her.

This came a day after the TMC, commenting on a video posted on X showing the NCW chairperson's arrival at the site of a stampede that recently took place in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, wrote, "She is too busy holding up her boss's pajamas".

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Government's Special Investigation Team probing the Hathras stampede has recorded statements of 90 people so far, SIT chief Anupam Kulshrestha said on Friday.

Kulshrestha, also the Additional Director General of Police (Agra Zone), is leading the three-member SIT team.

It has been tasked with preparing a detailed report on the July 2 stampede at a 'satsang' here that claimed 121 lives.

On the status of the police probe, the officer said the ambit of the investigation has been expanded as more evidence has emerged.

"Definitely, the gathered evidence suggests culpability on the part of the event organisers," she said.

With the probe continuing in the case, the senior IPS officer insisted the "conspiracy angle" cannot be ruled out.

"Those culpable will definitely face legal action," Kulshrestha said.

She said the Hathras police arrested six volunteers (members of the satsang organising committee) on Thursday and "more arrests are likely soon".

The ADG told PTI that more suspects whose role is under the scanner in the case are also being questioned.

"Searches are underway for the main accused (Devprakash Madhukar)," she added.

Meanwhile, in Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been apprised of the initial SIT report on the stampede.

An FIR in the matter was lodged on July 2 under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 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) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).

The State Government had on Wednesday formed a three-member judicial commission headed by a retired high court judge to probe the Hathras tragedy and to look into the possibility of a conspiracy behind the stampede.

In a development, the NCW said in a social media post, "The crude remarks are outrageous and a violation of a woman's right to dignity. The Commission observed that this remark attracts Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023."

The NCW said it strongly condemns the defamatory remarks and requests strict action against Moitra. "An FIR should be registered against Moitra and a detailed action report should be communicated to the Commission within 3 days," the NCW wrote.

The BJP also criticised TMC MP Mahua Moitra over her comments and demanded that she be "sacked" from her party.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla termed Moitra's comment on the microblogging site as "extremely indecent, objectionable and shameful", and said this is the "true face" of the TMC and the opposition parties' INDIA bloc.

"MP Mahua Moitra who justified and remained silent during Sandeshkhali, Chopra Talibani flogging, silent on Swati Maliwal now makes a disgusting comment at a women that too the NCW Chief," he charged.

Posting a screenshot of Moitra's comment on social media against the NCW chief, the BJP spokesperson demanded that she should be sacked by the TMC.

The BJP spokesperson also targeted the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the TMC MP's comment and asked, "Will Priyanka Vadra, Rahul Gandhi, (Mallikarjun) Kharge ji, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Chaturvedi, AAP call this out?"

"Will Mamata Didi act on her? Nope, just like they remained silent on Sandeshkhali and (flogging of a couple) in Chopra (West Bengal)," he added.
The Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to be announced after the Amarnath Yatra, which will conclude on August 19.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a late night meeting with Jammu and Kashmir unit party leaders and directed them to be ready for the upcoming Assembly elections.

The two-hour long meeting was attended by BJP chief and Union Minister JP Nadda, MPs Ravinder Raina, Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma  and other top leaders.

Jammu and Kashmir is likely to see its first Assembly election in September this year, according to the timeline fixed by the Supreme Court after the erstwhile State's special status was scrapped in 2019. The last Assembly election in the erstwhile State was held in 2014.

At the meeting, top leadership has made it clear that the party will not enter into a pre-poll alliance with any party in the State. It was also conveyed that the party would remain open to seat adjustments and "electoral understandings" with "like-minded parties.

Besides, it was also conveyed that the party will not project any face for the Chief Ministerial candidate in the run-up to the Assembly polls and there will not be any changes in leadership or organisational rejig in the State BJP unit, currently headed by Ravinder Raina.

In the coming days, key Union Ministers and BJP national leaders are expected to visit the State. The party will also launch a mass contact programme with the people in the State.

The Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir was dissolved in November 2018 ahead of the revocation of the States Special Status in August 2019.

The BJP-led Government scrapped Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 and bifurcated the State into two Union Territories. There have been demands from political parties for early Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of Statehood.

Moreover, during a recent visit to Kashmir, the Prime Minister stated that preparations for elections had begun and that J&K would soon have its own Government.

The revision of electoral rolls will start in J&K on July 25 and culminate on August 20, according to the EC. After the exercise is over, the EC may announce holding of assembly polls in the UT any time, a poll official said.

The five LS seats in J&K  the first major electoral exercise post Article 370 abrogation  recorded voter turnout of 58.58 per cent, the highest in the last 35 years.

The political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have started gearing up in advance for the much-awaited Assembly polls in the coming months.

The Election Commission (EC) has already kicked off preparations for holding Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Jammu and Kashmir by updating electoral rolls in these states.

However, the final schedule of the Assembly polls is yet to be announced after taking stock of the prevailing security scenario in the region.

Since last week both regional and national political parties have been holding brainstorming sessions to chalk out their poll strategies.

To begin with, the Congress party first summoned its local leadership to New Delhi to strategize for the upcoming Assembly polls.

The Congress party is preparing its cadre to give a tough fight to the BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls by overcoming internal bickerings in the party unit in Jammu and Kashmir.

In Srinagar, the Manifesto Committee of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Friday sought suggestions from the general public before finalising the final draft.

The Peoples Democratic Party is also focusing on strengthening the party base and in touch with the party leaders who had earlier left the party for greener pastures. A former Cabinet Minister Syed Basharat Bukhari Thursday returned to the party fold after a long hiatus.
Keir Starmer on Friday promised a phase of national renewal as Britain's Prime Minister-elect after he led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in a landmark UK general election with a gain of over 200 seats, as outgoing leader Rishi Sunak conceded defeat with his Conservative Party suffering its worst election defeat in history.

Starmer, 61, now stands poised to take charge at 10 Downing Street after his audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, following Sunak's meeting with the British monarch.

As Labour crossed the halfway mark of 650 constituencies in the early hours of Friday to clinch the minimum 326 required for a majority in Parliament, Starmer stepped up to make his victory speech in London: "Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest.

A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility. Our task is nothing less than renewing the ideas that hold this country together. National renewal. Whoever you are, wherever you start in life, if you work hard, if you play by the rules, this country should give you a fair chance to get on. It should always respect your contribution and we have to restore that.

Meanwhile, the country's first British Indian Prime Minister comfortably held on to his own Richmond and Northallerton seat in northern England with 23,059 votes but failed to turn things around for his party at a national level after 14 years in Government.

His Conservative Party suffered its worst election defeat in history losing 250 MPs in Thursday's general election.

A sombre-looking Sunak was joined by his wife Akshata Murty as his future as a member of Parliament was decided and chose to use his acceptance speech to also admit his party's defeat in winning another term in Government.

"The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory," said Sunak, acknowledging the sobering verdict handed to his party and taking "responsibility for the loss".

He pledged to continue to serve his constituents for the weeks, months and years ahead and stressed that the transfer of power at Westminster will take place in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides.

In his farewell speech, the 44-year-old was filled with emotion as he apologised to the voters who had delivered the party led by him a hammering at the ballot box. But he stressed that he had given the job everything and also apologised to his Tory colleagues who lost their seats overnight.

Sunak said he will step down as the leader of the Conservative Party, taking responsibility for its debacle in the general election.

With some of the most prominent ministers and MPs including Sunak's predecessor Liz Truss  whose disastrous mini-budget and short-lived premiership last year is being blamed for much of the Tory debacle. Other key Tory heavyweights to lose their seats on a dismal election night for the Conservatives included Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt and Jacob Rees Mogg losing the election, the results being dubbed a bloodbath for the Conservatives.

However, among the new Tory MPs included British Indian candidate Shivani Raja who beat Labour's candidate, former deputy mayor of London Rajesh Agrawal, in the closely watched Leicester East constituency. Other British Indian Tories who managed to hold on to their seats included former ministers Priti Patel, Suella Braverman and Claire Coutinho.

On the Labour side, several Indian-origin MPs were re-elected including Preet Kaur Gill and Tan Dhesi and some newcomers made their mark such as Jas Athwal and Kanishka Narayan, who became the first British Indian to represent Wales in Parliament.

Earlier, Keir Starmer won his own seat of Holborn and St. Pancras in London with 18,884 votes and was mobbed by his supporters who could see he was on course to being named Prime Minister.

"The change begins right here. Because this is your democracy, your community and your future. You have voted. It is now time for us to deliver," said Starmer, in his acceptance speech.

Another major trend that will dominate the discourse in the coming weeks and months will be in Nigel Farage finally being elected as an MP at his eighth attempt and leading his anti-immigration Reform UK to bagging four first-time seats in the Commons. The Reform leader overturned a 25,000 Conservative majority to take Clacton in Essex by more than 8,000 votes, reflective of a wider trend of the party eating into the Tory votes.

Farage, a divisive figure in British politics, dubbed his win as "the first step of something that is going to stun all of you", describing it as the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party.
Amid the growing clamour for cancellation of the controversy-ridden NEET-UG, 2024 exam over alleged malpractices, the Ministry of Education and the National Testing Agency told the Supreme Court on Friday that scrapping it would be counter productive, not rational and "seriously jeopardise" lakhs of honest candidates in the absence of proof of large-scale breach of confidentiality.

The Ministry and the NTA said there was no proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in the examination which was taken by over 23 lakh candidates at 4,750 centres in 571 cities.

The Union Education Ministry and the NTA filed separate affidavits opposing the pleas which have sought scrapping of the exam plagued by controversy, a re-test and court-monitored probe into entire gamut of issues involved.

The top court is scheduled to hear on July 8 a batch of pleas, including those alleging irregularities in the examination held on May 5 and seeking a direction that it be held afresh.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses, and the Union Education Ministry have been at the centre of media debates and protests by students and political parties over alleged large-scale malpractices ranging from question paper leak to impersonation in the test held on May 5.

In its affidavit, the Ministry said invalidating the exam would "seriously jeopardise" the efforts of lakhs of honest candidates who appeared in the exam. In the absence of proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in the examination, it argued that it would not be rational to take the step. This is the first time that the Centre is placing its stand on holding a retest of NEET-UG for all 24 lakh candidates on record

The Ministry has only acknowledged that there were instances of irregularities, cheating, impersonation, malpractices during the conduct of NEET-UG. There is no mention of a paper leak. It goes on to state further that in the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination.

This comes even as the Bihar Government, in its communication to the Education Ministry, had stated that its probe clearly suggests a paper leak. The Ministry said in the affidavit it has already asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct a comprehensive probe into entire gamut of alleged irregularities.

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG), conducted on May 5 by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses, has caused a huge uproar across the country over alleged irregularities like question paper leak and led to mass protests, political slugfest and filing of multiple pleas in courts.

Responding to the pleas which have sought scrapping of the controversy-ridden exam, re-test and a court-monitored probe, the Union Ministry of Education said there was no proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in the examination which was taken by over 23 lakh candidates at 4,750 centres in 571 cities.

It said in any examination, there were competing rights, and interests of a large number of students who take it without adopting any unfair means must also not be jeopardised. "Scrapping the exam in entirety would seriously jeopardise the lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the question paper in 2024," the affidavit said. It said the Centre was committed to protecting the interests of lakhs of students who have attempted the question papers fairly and after years of hardwork, without trying to obtain any illegal advantage.

"Therefore, while genuine concerns based on proven facts must be addressed, other prayers merely based on conjectures and surmises, without any basis in fact, must be rejected so as not to cause unnecessary suffering and distress to honest examinees and their families," it said.

The affidavit said there have been some alleged instances of irregularities, cheating, impersonation and malpractices during the exam, and premier investigation agency CBI has been asked to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities. "CBI has taken over the cases registered in different states after being transferred to it by the concerned state governments and is undertaking the investigation," the affidavit said.

It said the Ministry of Education has constituted a high-level committee of experts to suggest effective measures for conducting transparent, smooth and fair examinations by the National Testing Agency. The affidavit said the panel shall make recommendations on reforms in the mechanism of the examination process, improvement in data security protocols and structure, and functioning of the National Testing Agency.

"It is respectfully submitted that the government is committed to ensure the sanctity of examinations and protect the interest of students. To ensure transparency, fairness, and credibility in public examination, Parliament has enacted Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 on February 12, 2024. The Act was brought into effect on June 21, 2024 and provides for stringent punishment for offences related to unfair means in public examinations. Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Rules, 2024 under the Act have also been notified on June 23, it said.

The affidavit said the Centre is not taking the litigation in an adversarial manner and fully appreciates the concerns of candidates who have taken the NEET-UG 2024 examination. "It is further submitted that the Union of India, in a matter such as the present one, has adopted a solution-oriented approach," it said, adding the government is committed to conducting all competitive examinations in a fair and transparent manner.

"The Union of India duly appreciates that the confidentiality of the question papers is the utmost priority in any examination and that if due to some criminality at the behest of some criminal elements, the confidentiality has been breached, the Union of India submits that the said person must be dealt sternly and with the full force of law to ensure that they are punished," the affidavit said.

The NTA, in its separate affidavit, reiterated the Centre's stand and said: The cancellation of the entire examination on the basis of the aforesaid factor, would be hugely counterproductive and significantly harmful to the larger public interest, especially to the career prospects of the qualified candidates. The agency said the entirety of NEET-UG 2024 exam was carried out fairly and with due confidentiality without any illegal practices, and the claim of "mass malpractice" during the exam is completely unfounded, misleading, and lacks any basis. It is submitted that if the entire examination process is cancelled without their being any tangible factors warranting such actions it would be highly detrimental to the larger public interest involving the academic career of lakhs of students who have attempted the examination fairly without any wrongdoing or even an allegation of wrongdoing, the NTA said.
As the much-revered grand Rath Yatra for Lord Jagannath commences in Puri in Odisha on Monday, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple at Dwarka in the national Capital will mark the occasion with a grand offering of approximately 5,100 kilograms of various mango varieties.

The celebrations will begin a day ahead and continue into the following day, aligning with the Yatra in Puri.

Devotees will offer a range of mangoes, including Safeda, Dussehri, Langra, Malda, Chausa, Ramkela, Totapari, Bombay Green, and Mallika, as part of the rituals dedicated to Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and their sister Subhadra as part of the rituals.

Mangoes, revered as the "king of fruits," hold significant cultural and religious value, particularly in Krishna Lila, symbolising the sweetness of devotion in the divine pastimes of Lord Krishna. The celebration will attract nearly 20,000 people from across the city. Preparations are in full swing at the temple.

The temple altar will be adorned with an impressive display of mangoes, allowing devotees to participate in the "mango service" by offering their fruits at the Vigraha Seva Department on the eve of the yatra.

The festivities will also include a mango-eating competition. Golia, Sindoori, Gulabkhas, Neelam, Kesari, Gola, Lalbagh, Lambori, Ratul, and Alphonso like varieties will also be offered to the God.

Sri Gaur Prabhu, vice-president of the temple, explained, "Mango, the king of fruits, is loved by both children and adults during the summer season. This is why we organise the mango festival every year on the day of Jagannath Yatra. The offering of thousands of mangoes to the deities is beautiful to behold."

Attendees can capture memories at designated selfie points and participate in community service. The significance of mangoes in Krishna Lila is profound.

During the rasa dance, the gopis would offer mangoes to Krishna, symbolising the sweetness of their relationship. At another time, Krishna accepted mango pits from a poor Brahmana, valuing sincere devotion over material offerings. Mangoes also played a role in Krishna's childhood at Vrindavan, where he and his mischievous friends would often steal the delicious fruits from orchards.

Pritansu Priyadarsini Biswal from Bhubaneswar in Odisha was in praise for the ISKON temples concept of offering mangoes to the Lord Jagannath. This celebration at the ISKCON temple in the countrys capital in Dwarka not only honours the divine but also brings together the community in a shared experience of devotion, cultural heritage, and the simple joy of enjoying mangoes, she said.

Her Daughter Kunmun is equally excited as she says, the temple in Puri will also be beautifully decorated with flowers, rangolis, and lights. I love the divine feeling that emanates from the entire procession. Delhi-based Itishri Mohanti who is originally from Jajpur town, around 80 km away from Bhubaneswar said that since they cannot travel to Puri to be the part of the sacred Yatra, the dose of the divine tradition will be a delight at the ISKON in the city.

She explained that Puri is the most sacred place as the heart of Shri Hari is believed to be present within the idol of Lord Jagannath. The annual Jagannath Rath Yatra is a significant spiritual event, drawing large crowds of devotees eager to witness the procession and participate in the festivities, she added.

During this festival, the three sacred chariots of these three deities will be carried out in a large procession. The chariots will be the centre of attraction because of their colours, designs and amazing decoration, said Mohanti, the mother of a girl child.
Doctors were honored by Paryavaran Sanskriti Sanrakshan and Manav Kalyan Trust for their dedicated service towards humanity. Recently, a seriously injured patient lying abandoned in the parking lot of AIIMS Bhopal was picked up by the doctors and admitted to the ward and treated. The patient's leg bone was broken and his leg had also rotted. All the expenses of his treatment were also borne by the hospital.

Executive Director of AIIMS Bhopal, Prof. (Dr.) Ajai Singh said that today society needs to think why such a situation arises when someone leaves an injured patient abandoned. The doctors of the hospital are performing their duty by treating the patient. But the problem arises when the patient gets well, then how to discharge him, because no one comes to pick him up. In such a situation, someone has to take initiative and come forward showing sympathy.

Trust's Chairman Shri Sushil Kumar Jain said that AIIMS Bhopal has achieved new heights of success in the last two years.
Hry Cabinet Meeting on July 12



Chandigarh: Haryana Cabinet meeting will be held under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini at the Haryana Secretariat in Chandigarh on July 12, a Government spokesperson said on Thursday.

Vi to enhance network capabilities in Punjab and Haryana

Chandigarh: Vi (Vodafone Idea) on Thursday said it is committed to delivering superior network connectivity and experiences in Punjab and Haryana and will prioritize these circles in its ongoing network enhancement initiatives after successfully raising Rs 18,000 crore in an FPO. In a press event in the city, the company shared that it will first focus on adding L 900 and L 2100 spectrum, aimed at enhancing indoor network experiences for telecom users across the state. This deployment of spectrum will improve coverage and connectivity in urban areas with dense building infrastructure, as well as in suburban and rural areas where signal penetration can be difficult. It will enhance voice call quality, support better messaging and improve data browsing (internet) experience indoors. Vis network currently covers 97.7% of population in the two states. To further expand and enhance its network capabilities, it will soon start expanding L900 spectrum covering towns like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Ambala, Panipat, Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Karnal and Kurukshetra in Punjab and Haryana.



Hry Police secures top position in CCTNS ranking for June 2024



Chandigarh: Haryana Police has once again excelled in the monthly ranking by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. According to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) ranking for June 2024, Haryana Police has secured the top position, an official spokesperson said on Thursday. He said that over the past two and a half years, Haryana Police has held the first position for 20 months. Haryana Police achieved the highest score, surpassing Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The CCTNS system enables the police to manage tasks such as FIR registration, non-cognizable reports, medico-legal cases, missing persons, lost property, missing livestock, foreign registration, C-forms, abandoned property, unidentified persons, preventive actions, supervision reports, unnatural death registrations, investigation work, complaint registrations, and database services, he added.



Two buses flagged off for persons with intellectual disabilities



Chandigarh: Ajay Chagti, Secretary, Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh UT, flagged off two buses, a 52-seater and a 32-seater, on the premises of Government Rehabilitation Institute for Intellectual Disabilities (GRIID), Sector 31-C, Chandigarh today to facilitate the movement of persons with intellectual disabilities. Dr A K Attri, Director-Principal of Govt. Medical College and Hospital cum Director GRIID; Dr Priti Arun, Joint Director GRIID and other GRIID officials were also present on the occasion.



Swachh Safai Apnao, Bimari Bhagao campaign launched in Hry



Chandigarh: Haryana Minister of State for Urban Local Bodies Subhash Sudha on Thursday said that urban local bodies are fully prepared to deal with monsoon challenges. For which the Swachh Safai Apnao, Bimari Bhagao (SABB) campaign has been formally launched in the state. He said that this initiative will be active from July 1 to August 31, 2024, aiming to mitigate health risks associated with heavy rainfall. It focuses on maintaining high levels of cleanliness, effective waste management, regular cleaning of all community and public toilets, ensuring safe drinking water, water quality assessment, maintaining water facilities, implementing an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) plan, conducting door-to-door awareness campaigns, and promoting cleanliness in urban local bodies (ULBs).



Expedite completion of all pending works at Hisar Airport: Hry Minister



Chandigarh: Haryana Civil Aviation Minister Kamal Gupta on Thursday instructed all departments to expedite licensing procedures for Hisar Airport to enable the commencement of flights in the days to come. Gupta was chairing a review meeting with officials from the Civil Aviation Department, Public Works (Buildings and Roads), Environment, Forest, and Wildlife Department, Home, Fire Services, and HSIIDC regarding the commencement of flights from Hisar Airport here in Chandigarh.



Hry Govt launches Voluntary Disclosure Scheme-2024 for declaration of unauthorized load of tubewell connection for agricultural consumers



Chandigarh: Haryana Government has launched the Voluntary Load Disclosure Scheme-2024 for agricultural tubewell connections for agricultural consumers in the state. Under this scheme, consumers will require to deposit Rs 100 per kilowatt to increase their load. Additionally, the usual service connection fee of Rs 1500 per BHP will be waived, and their load will be regularized without any penalty. This scheme will be in effect from July 1, 2024, to July 15, 2024.



444 Women to be honored with "Best Mother" Award in Hry



Chandigarh: Haryana Minister of State for Women and Child Development Aseem Goel on Thursday said that the state government is committed to ensuring the health and comprehensive development of women and children in the state. The government is paying special attention to their nutrition to achieve this objective. On July 15, at a state-level ceremony in Ambala, 444 mothers who have made outstanding contributions in taking care of their newborns and themselves will be honored with the "Best Mother" Award, said the Minister after presiding over a review meeting of the Women and Child Development Department in Chandigarh.



Centre of Excellence for Fruits and Vegetables to be Established in Panchkula: Hry Minister



Chandigarh: Haryana Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Kanwar Pal Gujjar on Thursday announced that a Centre of Excellence for the management of fruits and vegetables will be established in Panchkula with the cooperation of England (UK) at a cost of Rs. 115 crore. A MoU has been inked in this regard. This centre is expected to be completed by the year 2026.



Haryana Government notifies timelines for 9 services of Housing Board



Chandigarh: The Haryana Government has notified the timelines for 9 services of Housing Board under the Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014, within which these are to be provided to the citizens. These services include demarcation of plot, issue of duplicate allotment/copy of any document, conveyance deed (with and without General Power of Attorney), no dues certificate, permission of transfer in case of sale, transfer of property in case of death (uncontested), permission for mortgage, change of ownership/ re-allotment letter after execution of sale deed, and transfer of property before conveyance deed, said the government official spokesperson.






Jharkhand BJP Assembly Election Incharge and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan reached Ranchi on a two-day organizational tour. Party officials and Ranchi Metropolitan workers welcomed him at the airport.



From the airport, Chauhan went directly to the residence of Rinku Paswan, president of booth number 411 of Hinoo Mandal under Hatia Assembly. He met the family members. Enquired about their well-being and also had refreshments.



Speaking to the media, Chauhan said that the booth worker is the base of the party. He brings victory to the party through contact, communication and struggle at the booth.



He said that the workers of Jharkhand are determined and dedicated to make the party win in the assembly elections as well. They are full of immense energy.



He said that in the upcoming assembly elections, Jharkhand has to end anarchy and bring good governance. He said that the entire INDI Alliance including JMM is suffering from nepotism and hunger for power.



He said that the only mantra of the Soren family is I will stay and no one else. He said that the people of Jharkhand will settle the accounts of the entire 5 years in the upcoming assembly elections. He said that Hemant Soren has been released on bail, the law will do its work.



Singh also went to the residence of Harmu Mandal President Indrajit Yadav and met the family members. He also had dinner there.



Chauhan will have refreshments at the residence of Mandal President Ormanjhi on July 5 at 9 am. At 10 am, he will attend the party meeting at BJP District Office Ramgarh. Singh will address the meeting organized at Ranchi State Office at 5 pm. And will return from Ranchi by service plane late in the evening.


Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai on Thursday ordered a probe into the alleged eviction of Kamar tribe families in the Bagbahara forest area in the state.

Sai directed the Forest Department to investigate how the notice was issued by a forest official to the families to evict them from a forest area where they had been living for years.

The matter came to the Chief Ministers notice at the Jandarshan programme where Sai interacts with people to address their grievances. It is held every Thursday.

A delegation of Kamar tribals residing in Bagbahara forest area submitted a memorandum to Sai to stop the eviction proceedings.

Alakh Ram Kamar of the Bagbahra forest area said that 20 Kamar families, including his own, were residing in the forest area.

He said they had lived there before the Special Backward Tribes Forest Rights Act 2006 came into being.

The forest is the source of their livelihood, he said. The Forest Rights Committee also recommended on May 10, 2008 that land leases be given to the families.

In 2008, Gram Panchayat Tamora got bores dug for drinking water. They have not been given forest right Pattas till date as they opposed the officials demand for money, the delegation members said.

The Chief Minister took a serious note and directed senior forest officials to investigate the entire matter and take appropriate action.
Soon after taking oath as the 13th Chief Minister of State Hemant Soren reached the State Secretariat at Project Building today and took some administrative decisions. The CM appointed his Principal Secretary and also took the first decision on the new single member Cabinet.

Officers of the State government welcomed the CM at the Secretariat. Senior officers, who met the CM, included Chief Secretary L Khiyangte, Additional Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar, Director General of Police Ajay Kumar Singh among others.

After taking oath, Soren reached the Secretariat and also reviewed some files. He also appointed Avinash Kumar as his Additional Chief Secretary. The Department of Personnel Administrative Reforms and Official Language issued a notification in this regard.

CM Hemant Soren also took the first decision of his Cabinet to call a special session of the Assembly on Monday, July 8. It is expected that on Tuesday, July 09, Cabinet expansion will take place. Many faces of the ministerial post can be changed in this. There is a possibility of a change of ministers from the Congress quota. For this, the state Congress leaders are holding meetings with the top leaders of the party in Delhi.

Soren was arrested by the ED on January 31. After this he was sent to judicial custody for about five months. After being released from jail on June 28, Hemant Soren has taken oath as Chief Minister for the third time today. At 5 o'clock the Governor administered him the oath of Chief Minister.

An important meeting of the MLAs of India Alliance was called on Wednesday. In the meeting, Hemant Soren was elected the leader of the legislative party. After this, Champai Soren reached the Raj Bhavan in the evening and resigned from the post of Chief Minister of Jharkhand.

Champai Soren, Hemant Soren, Congress state in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir, Rajesh Thakur, Pradeep Yadav, Satyanand Bhokta, Kalpana Soren were present in the evening. During this, Hemant Soren presented his claim to form the government.

Soren came out of jail on bail in the alleged land scam case on June 28. With Hemant coming out of jail, there was a rapid change in the politics of Jharkhand.
China allocates funds to support agricultural production, disaster relief

Xinhua) 11:04, July 05, 2024

BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China has allocated 546 million yuan (about 76.57 million U.S. dollars) to support agricultural production and disaster relief in parts of the country, the finance ministry announced on Thursday.

Some 447 million yuan will be spent on flood relief in the agricultural sector in regions such as Heilongjiang, Anhui, Fujian, Hunan and Guangdong, with funds used for crop replanting, the repair of damaged facilities, and floodwater drainage.

A total of 99 million yuan will go to Inner Mongolia and various other regions to support drought relief in agricultural production, particularly to protect seedlings, maintain soil moisture, and facilitate the purchase and transport of forage and feed.

The funds were issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Many parts of the country have recently been impacted by persistent rainstorms or drought. The government has dispatched five working teams and four expert teams to support local flood control efforts in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, Hubei and Hunan.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Crime Branch arrested three absconding accused for duping Bhopal based victim to the tune of Rs 1.42 Crore and hatching criminal conspiracy, committing fraud and committing crime.

The accused are committing fraud from Gurgaon, Haryana and used to cheat people by giving fake cheques.

The applicants Rajkumari Gupta and Nikhil Gupta of 101 Classica Apartment, Sanjeev Nagar, New Jail Road, Bhopal submitted a complaint application to the Crime Branch against the accused Sumit Pal Singh, Vinay Parashar, Coral Singla.

The accused supplied only 475 metric tons in the name of supplying 1500 metric tons of asphalt, cheating the victim of 1025 metric tons worth Rs. 1,42,34,062. Based on the complaint police registered a case under section 420, 406, 120 B of the Indian Penal Code, and the actual crime was registered and taken into investigation.

A team of Bhopal Crime Branch was formed and with the help of technical assistance, on the basis of location, they left for Delhi, Gurgaon, Haryana and reached Police Station Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon where on the basis of location, they reached the office of the accused.
In a comprehensive review meeting held at the Collectorate Auditorium, District Magistrate cum Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal evaluated the progress of ITDA and welfare departmental schemes. The meeting, attended by PD IDTA Dipankar Chaudhary, District Welfare Officer Rajendra Gupta, and other key officials, focused on the latest developments in various social welfare programs.

Mittal emphasized the urgent need to address delays in the disbursement of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships. Of the 123,293 students eligible for pre-matric scholarships in the 2020-21 and 2022-23 financial years, approximately 2,400 students have yet to receive their funds due to bank account errors. Similarly, 811 out of 25,546 students in classes 9 and 10 have not received their scholarships. The District Education Officer was instructed to collaborate with local bank managers, block education extension officers, and school principals to rectify these issues within seven days.

For the 2023-24 financial year, 131,910 out of 140,504 targeted students have received their pre-matric scholarships. The remaining students must receive their payments by July 15, while post-matric scholarship payments for 2,799 students are to be completed by July 30.

The state governments bicycle distribution initiative, aimed at aiding school children with their commute, has reached only 904 students out of a target of 17,214. Mittal called for an increase in the number of cycle fitters across all blocks and mandated the distribution of bicycles in camp mode, with public representatives present, to expedite the process.

The Birsa Housing Scheme has seen the completion of 171 out of 193 approved constructions. Mittal urged officials to expedite the remaining 22 projects, emphasizing the need for personal commitment to ensure beneficiaries move into their new homes promptly.

In terms of forest lease distribution, 602 hectares of land have been allocated to beneficiaries from January 2020 to June 2024. The District Magistrate encouraged extending benefits to as many community forest lease applicants as possible to support communal upliftment.

Instructions were issued to the Executive Engineer of Special Division and NREP to finalize pending conservation and development projects for cemeteries, Jahersthan, Sarna, Masna, and Hadgadi sites. Zonal officers were also directed to allocate 2 acres of land for constructing 50-bed multipurpose hostels.

In the Chief Minister Pashudhan Vikas Yojana, delays in distributing poultry and livestock were attributed to the non-deposit of beneficiary contributions. Officials were directed to open ESCROW accounts for applicants and facilitate account openings in camp mode where beneficiaries are concentrated.

Under the Mukhyamantri Rojgar Srijan program, applications for the second installment of funds have been submitted to blocks for 290 applicants. However, 239 applications remain pending. Block welfare officers were tasked with swiftly verifying and forwarding these applications to expedite fund disbursement.

The meeting saw attendance from key personnel, including the District Education Officer, Executive Engineer of NREP and Special Division, Assistant Engineers, and all Block Welfare and Education Extension Officers. Mittal underscored the importance of timely completion and accountability, instructing that contractors displaying laxity be blacklisted to ensure efficient progress in all ongoing schemes.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offence Wing (ACB/EOW) of Chhattisgarh Police on Thursday seized a half-burnt cache of duplicate holograms from a farm land belonging to liquor scam accused Anwar Dhebar in Dhaneli village on the outskirts of Raipur city.

Also, three persons were arrested for destroying the duplicate holograms there.

Those arrested were Anurag Dwivedi, Amit Singh and Deepak Duari, ACB Additional Superintendent of Police Chandresh Thakur said.

In July last year, three Chhattisgarh government officials including two IAS officers and the elder brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar were booked on charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh in connection with an ED probe into an alleged liquor scam.

The FIR was lodged at the Kasna police station on a complaint from the Raipur-based deputy director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the alleged Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam.

A Noida-based company, Prizm Holography Security Films Pvt Ltd, was illegally granted a tender to supply holograms to the Chhattisgarh excise department, the FIR said.

The company was not eligible to participate in the tender process, but in connivance with the company owners, the senior officials modified the tender conditions and illegally allotted the tender to the company.

As a quid pro quo, they took a commission of 8 paisa per hologram and also took a commitment to supply unaccounted duplicate holograms to sell illegal country liquor bottles from state-run shops in Chhattisgarh, the FIR said.

The hologram is a safety feature to ensure that authenticated liquor is sold in the state. But the actions of Prizm Holography in manufacturing duplicate holograms in Noida allowed the "liquor syndicate" to use the very same safety feature to fool consumers.

The holograms were made at a Noida factory and then transported to Chhattisgarh according to the instructions from the "liquor syndicate leaders", the FIR said.

The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Dhebar and Tripathi last month. They two are in custody of the UP Police.


Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday said that following the mantra of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas, and Sabka Vishwas," the state government is dedicated to the welfare of every section of society. The government is committed to ensuring equal development across all areas, involving all 36 communities, and will continue to work for their welfare in the future, he added.



The Chief Minister made these remarks while interacting with people at his residence in Chandigarh. Former Minister Kiran Chaudhary and former MP Shruti Chaudhary were also present on this occasion.



Saini said that women also play a very crucial role in the country's development. Women contribute significantly not only to building a civilized family but also to creating a civilized society. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has honored women by granting them 33 percent representation in Parliament. He also acknowledged the contributions of former Chief Minister Late Chaudhry Bansi Lal, who provided a new direction for Haryana's development. Bansi Lal was dedicated to the development of every individual, tirelessly working to ensure that every village received electricity, water, and roads. Under his leadership, Haryana became a leader in rural infrastructure development, he added.



The Chief Minister accused the Congress Party of misleading people by spreading false propaganda about changing the Constitution. The Constitution is not merely a book but a systematic process for governing the country. PM Modi has run the country while adhering to the Constitution over the past 10 years. The Chief Minister also demanded that the Congress apologize to the people of the country for insulting the Constitution.



'People of Vimukta and Nomadic Castes to get housing facility under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana'



Addressing representatives of the Banjara community, Saini said that people of Vimukta and nomadic castes will receive housing facilities under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban and Rural). For this, all families must register themselves on the portal to fulfill their dream of having a roof over their heads.



On the occasion, the Chief Minister paid floral tributes to Baba Lakkhishah Banjara on his birth anniversary. He also declared that Vimukta Diwas will be officially celebrated on August 31.



Saini said that the list of Vimukta, Ghumantu, and Tapriwas (De-notified) castes includes 20 Scheduled Castes and 13 Backward Classes. He said that to ensure the welfare of these castes and integrate them into the mainstream, the state government has constituted a separate board. In the future, members of this board will be nominated from these communities. The Chief Minister also assured the constitution of the Denotified Tribes Development Corporation.



In response to the representatives' demand for reservation benefits equal to those of Scheduled Tribes, the Chief Minister assured them that a letter would be written to the Central Government regarding this issue. He said that the government is working for the extremely backward castes, implementing numerous welfare schemes with the spirit of Antyodaya. He also highlighted the initiatives by the central and state governments to provide health facilities to citizens, urging them to take advantage of the Ayushman Bharat and Chirayu Haryana Yojana.



The Chief Minister further said that for the convenience of the people, the government has instructed all Deputy Commissioners to listen to and resolve public issues daily from 9 to 11 am. If there are income or other errors in the Parivar Pehchan Patra, people can write them on plain paper and submit the same to the Deputy Commissioner.
Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Thursday said that the Hathras incident was the result of jungle raj prevalent in the Yogi Adityanath-led government in the state.

Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi is expected to pay a visit to Hathras on Friday and he will interact with the victims of the stampede.

Attacking the administration, Rai said that the officers got information about the incident two hours after it happened. The injured did not even get ambulance service while the hospitals lacked medical facilities, he said.

Rai said that he visited the spot first but Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath went there later. After some time, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak also arrived. This proves that there is a rift in the government. This is proof of the internal fighting within the government, he said.

Rai demanded that the families of the deceased be given a compensation of one crore rupees. He said there was some error in the list of the deceased and it should be corrected after investigation as the bodies of many people were sent to another district.

The UP Congress chief said the main accused in the Hathras incident was being protected. He demanded a high-level investigation into the stampede. There should also be an investigation against those who gave permission and a report should be filed against the administrative officials and they should be arrested, he said.
The Delhi High Court on Friday issued a notice to the CBI, seeking the probe agency's response to a bail plea filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the liquor policy case. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna sought the response of CBI and posted the case for further hearing on July 17. Initially, the high court agreed with the CBI's contention that Kejriwal should have approached a city court first. However, the bench later opted to consider the merits of Kejriwal's direct appeal to the high court during the arguments.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, said the AAP leader is not a flight risk and not a terrorist, and the CBI arrested him after he got bail in the ED's money laundering case.He said Kejriwal has deep roots in society and added he was pressing for an interim relief in the matter.

Advocate DP Singh, appearing for the CBI, raised an objection over Kejriwal directly approaching the high court without first filing the bail plea before the trial court.The high court took note of the objection and said "the contention shall be considered at the time of arguments".

"In how many cases the Supreme Court or the high courts have said that please go back, on propriety. On law, there is no quarrel. I am not on law. They also say don't clog the higher courts when alternate remedy is available. There should be a reason why this (court) is better. We also have the benefit of going through the trial court's decision," Justice Krishna said.

The high court added that parties also have the benefit of first hearing before the sessions court and they may succeed there.

Senior advocate Vikram Chaudhari, also representing Kejriwal, said while remanding him in custody, the trial court had said the arrest was illegal and when that argument has been addressed, there is no point of sending it back and it will be a futile exercise.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener 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).He has already challenged his arrest in the CBI case and the plea is pending before the high court. The court had issued notice and asked the CBI to file its reply while listing it for arguments on July 17.

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 court's order was stayed by the high court.
State BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdev on Thursday predicted the future of the Hemant Soren government claiming that the new government formation is the beginning of the end of coalition politics in the State. Shahdev shared a message on social media platform X saying that the Hemant Soren Government Part III will prove to be the last government in the history of the coalition.

Pratul wrote that the public had seen the plight of Jharkhand very closely in Hemant Soren Part One. Crime was at its peak, women harassment was touching records, corruption was rampant, the unemployed were cheated. The youth who came out to demand jobs and rights were beaten with sticks by the police. Hundreds of fake cases were filed against the opposition.

Pratul said that in Hemant Soren Part 2, Champai Soren ji was made to sit for 5 months only to keep the Chief Minister's chair warm and after that the Kolhan Tiger was pulled down from the throne in a very humiliating manner. Pratul said that it is very unfortunate that the Soren family did not accept any member outside the family on the highest post of the state for a long time. Pratul called it an insult to the tribals of Jharkhand, especially the residents of the Kolhan region.

Pratul said that now Hemant Soren Part 3 has begun. This will prove to be the final chapter for Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Hemant Soren. In these 5 years, this coalition government has looted Jharkhand and its minerals so much that the public will never forgive them. There was a popular saying about the Hemant Soren government that there is no relative who has not been cheated by the Hemant Soren government.

Now there is no possibility of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the coalition coming back to power in the near future, because the people of the state are never going to forget their misdeeds. That is why with this tenure, the political end of the Soren family dynasty will come. Part 3 government will prove to be the final chapter.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Hemant Soren was sworn in as Jharkhand new Chief Minister for the third term today at Raj Bhawan. Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new Chief Minister. Hemant will be 13th Chief Minister of State. Prior to today's oath, Hemant had assumed the office of Chief Minister for the first time for 14 months and second time for four years.

Earlier, Governor CP Radhakrishnan invited Hemant to take oath after a delegation of INDIA bloc leaders on Wednesday met Governor staked claim for government formation following the resignation of Champai Soren who held the office of CM for five months.

Champai met the Governor on Wednesday to submit his resignation after the ruling coalitions 45 MLAs elected Hemant Soren as their leader. Hemant was released from jail after the Jharkhand High Court granted him bail on June 28, five months after he was arrested. The court had noted that there exist reasons to believe that he was not guilty of the offence of money laundering brought against him over a plot of land in Ranchi.

A JMM-led alliance delegation met Governor Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday. The delegation headed by Hemant Soren comprised Congress state unit president Rajesh Thakur, RJD minister Satyanand Bhokta and CPI(ML)-L MLA Vinod Singh. Kalpana Soren, the Gandey MLA and wife of Hemant Soren, was also part of the delegation.

Last week, former Jharkhand chief minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren was released from jail after the Jharkhand High Court granted bail to him in a money laundering case linked to a land scam. The verdict follows the court's decision to reserve the order on June 13 regarding Soren's bail application.

The ruling was made by a single bench led by Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay. The Bench held: The overall conspectus of the case based on broad probabilities does not specifically or indirectly assign the petitioner to be involved in the acquisition and possession as well as concealment of 8.86 acres of land at Shanti Nagar, Baragain, Ranchi connected to the proceeds of crime. None of the registers/revenue records bare imprint of the direct involvement of the petitioner in the acquisition and possession of the said land.

Meanwhile, before he took oath today he posted a video message on X, in which he slammed "arrogant people intoxicated with power (a reference to the BJP) who tried to silence me", and said, "Today, the public opinion of the people of Jharkhand will rise again. Jai Jharkhand, Jai Hind.

Moreover, after taking oath Soren said, "From 2019 the present 'mahagathbandan' government has done all the work as per interests of people here. During political ups and downs, Champai Soren took forward those initiatives... because I was in jail. (Now)... because of the court's order, I could come out..."

Hemant Sorens wife Kalpana Murmu Soren has shared a photo of the appointment letter on the X handle. Along with the photo, Kalpana wrote that democracy finally won. The injustice that started on January 31, 2024 has now started getting justice in the true sense. Jai Jharkhand.

Sources said that the JMM/Congress leadership decided to repose faith in Hemant once again keeping an eye on year end Assembly elections. The INDIA bloc doesnt want to give any chance to BJP and with sentiments high among tribal particularly after Hemants arrest. The bail of Hemant had come as a shot in arm for Sorens party, and the INDIA bloc of opposition parties. Soren was the second chief minister -- Arvind Kejriwal is the other -- from the front who was arrested by the federal agency barely months before the Lok Sabha elections.

While Kejriwal is still in jail, Soren walking out of jail on Friday is seen as a boost for the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD alliance in Jharkhand, which is headed for assembly elections later this year along with Maharashtra, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir.

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.
The Jamshedpur Citizens Forum (JCF) celebrated the spirit of community and dedication at its annual awards ceremony, honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to society. Founded as a non-political organization bridging citizens, corporate entities, and government, JCF aims to foster a cohesive community spirit.



The highlight of the evening was the prestigious "Corporate Purush Award," recognizing senior executives from corporate houses and promoters of MSMEs in Jamshedpur and Adityapur. This award acknowledges exemplary contributions in production, productivity, marketing, and corporate social responsibility. Previous recipients include luminaries such as HM Nerurkar, Former MD of Tata Steel, T V Narendran, CEO and MD of Tata Steel, and DB Sundara Ramam, Vice President of Tata Steel.



In the latest edition for the year 2023-24, JCF bestowed the honor upon Ashish Anupam, VP of Long Product TSL, and Dilip Goyal, MD of ASL Group, Adityapur. The ceremony, graced by Chaitanya Bhanu, VP Operations at TSL (Jamshedpur), as Chief Guest, saw AK Srivastava, President of JCF, present citations and trophies to the awardees. Ranjan Sinha, CPO at TSL, also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the importance of such recognitions in fostering a progressive society.



Ashish Anupam expressed his gratitude towards the citizens of Jamshedpur for the award. He said that it is purely the Tata Culture which he has taken forward in the true sense and dedicated it to his entire team at TSL (Gamharia) who have selflessly worked behind the scenes.



Dilip Goyal said that such recognition will inspire others to get involved and contribute to making our community thrive. He said that the principle of "seva," or selfless service, is deeply ingrained in the Vedic tradition and is considered a fundamental path to spiritual growth and societal harmony.



Cdr Sanjeev Raman, Secretary JCF conducted the function and delivered the Vote of Thanks. The function was attended by a wide section of society representing corporate, senior citizens, Chamber of Commerce, CII, Rotary, Lions, ASIA and intelligentsia of Jamshedpur.
A three-member judicial inquiry commission has been constituted under the chairmanship of Justice (Retired) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava (II) of the Allahabad High Court to investigate the Hathras incident which took place on July 2.

The commission was formed following a notification issued by Governor Anandiben Patel in this regard on Wednesday night.

Retired IAS officer Hemant Rao and retired IPS officer Bhavesh Kumar Singh have been appointed as members of the inquiry commission. The headquarters of this judicial inquiry commission will be located in Lucknow.

The commission is tasked with completing its investigation within two months from the date of the notification. Any extension of this duration will require an order from the state government. The commission will investigate the prescribed points and submit its report to the state government

The prescribed points for the probe include investigating the organisers compliance with the conditions set for granting permission by the district administration. The commission will also investigate whether the incident was an accident, a conspiracy, or the result of another planned criminal act.

Additionally, the commission will examine crowd control and law and order arrangements by the administration and the police during the event, along with related aspects. It will also analyse the reasons and circumstances leading to the incident. Furthermore, the commission will give recommendations to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
Chhattisgarh Police on Thursday arrested five persons from Maharashtra and brought them here for operating an online betting racket.

The five are Atul Bhagwan, Vikrant Rangare, Anshul Reddy, Devendra Kumar alias Tinku and Kushal Thakur, Raipur Additional Superintendent of Police (Urban) Lakhan Patle said.

The first hailed from Maharashtra and the others were residents of Bhilai city in Chhattisgarh.

They were nabbed from a flat on the outskirts of Pune.

After arrest, they confessed to fraudulently borrowing bank accounts from their acquaintances and other people for using them in the betting racket.

The police seized 56 ATM cards, 47 mobile phones, 35 bank cheque books, 20 bank passbooks, 7 online betting kits, 6 laptops, a tablet computer (tablet) and betting transactions records worth crores of rupees from them.
A political storm has erupted across the country over the compensation awarded to the family of Punjabs Agniveer, Ajay Kumar, who sacrificed his life in Rajouri earlier this year. Amid conflicting claims, the controversy intensified after the family initially asserted receiving no assistance from the Central Government but later on Thursday acknowledged receiving Rs 98 lakhs, including Rs 50 lakhs from an insurance policy.

The issue gained traction when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in his inaugural address as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, alleged that the Centre had not provided the promised compensation to Ajay Kumars family, raising concerns over the Agnipath scheme.

In response, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refuted these allegations on the parliamentary floor, stating that Rs 98.39 lakhs had indeed been disbursed to the family  a claim dismissed as lie by Rahul Gandhi, who circulated a video purportedly showing Ajay Kumars father denying any financial assistance.

Clarifying the situation, the Indian Armys Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) released a statement affirming that Rs 98.39 lakhs had been paid to the family. 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 Police verification. The total amount will be Rs 1.65 crore approximately, the Army said in a statement.

Amidst the blame-game over compensation and the growing controversy, Ajay Kumars family on Thursday sought the scrapping of the Agnipath scheme, besides demanding pension, which jawans inducted in the forces through the normal channel get, and a canteen card.

At the same time, the family maintained that no amount of compensation can replace Ajay Kumar.

Till a day before, Agniveers family has been claiming that they did not get compensation from the Army. However, on Thursday, Ajay Kumars father Chanatjit Singh said that they have received Rs 98 lakh, but only Rs 48 lakh came from the Indian Army, and remaining Rs 50 lakh was an insurance amount  contradicting the Armys claims of paying Rs 98.39 lakh.

First, we got Rs 50 lakh insurance money from the ICICI bank shortly after the incident. Then we got Rs 48 lakh from the Army on June 10. We haven't received the full amount yet. The Army has told us that they will give us Rs 60 lakh more. We haven't received that money yet though. Don't know when we will get it, he said.

The father said that he had received a compensation of Rs one crore from the Punjab Government, but nothing from the Central Government as compensation.

We want the Agniveer scheme to be scrapped and we should get pension and canteen card, said the father.

Echoing his sentiments, Ajay Kumars sister questioned the adequacy of the compensation, emphasizing the challenges faced by the family in sustaining themselves without him. She urged a reevaluation of the Agniveer scheme, citing its limitations in providing essential benefits to families of short-term service personnel in the armed forces.

Introduced in 2022, the Agnipath scheme aimed to enlist individuals for short-term military service, targeting age profile adjustments across the armed forces. Known as Agniveers, these personnel and their families do not currently qualify for conventional benefits such as pension in case of service-related fatalities.

Rahul Gandhi, in the run up to the June 1 Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, had visited the family on May 29. The village falls under Ludhiana districts Payal assembly constituency, once represented by former Chief Minister late Beant Singh, who was the grandfather of Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu.
Director Public Prosecution Sushma Singh, while addressing all the prosecution officers of the state, has expressed that all the prosecution officers of the state should provide all possible legal assistance to the police officers at the district headquarters and tehsil level regarding the intricacies of the new criminal law.

Singh said that since the new criminal law has come into force from July 01, in such a situation it is natural for the police officers to face problems in the new criminal law. In such a situation, all our prosecution officers should keep giving training and guidance to the police officers regarding the said law and keep providing all possible legal assistance.

She also expressed that to fulfil this objective, the Directorate of Public Prosecution Madhya Pradesh has provided training to all the prosecution officers of the state before 01 July. The prosecution officers of the state, after getting trained, are continuously providing training and guidance to police officers at Police Headquarters, CAPT, District Police Headquarters and Tehsil level as well as other public regarding the new penal law.

Along with this, the prosecution officers of the state participated in the public awareness program regarding the new law held in police stations and other institutions on 01 July and provided important information regarding the law. Director Public Prosecution Smt. Sushma Singh has praised this work of the prosecution officers and motivated them to continuously do better work regarding the new law and provide guidance.

In Bhopal, In-charge Deputy Director Prosecution Rajendra Upadhyay participated in the program held in MP Nagar and Misrod police stations. Priyanka Upadhyay participated in the debate at CAPT, Nirendra Sharma at Kolar Police Station, Vishnurakant Samadhiya and Sumit Maran at Chholamandir Police Station, Akil Khan at Chunabhatti Police Station and 74 Bungalow and Rishiraj Dwivedi participated in the program at JK Hospital.


/



Punjabs ongoing Kharif sowing season has reached its midpoint, witnessing a significant 15 percent increase in the adoption of the water-conserving Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technique. This year, over two lakh acres have been sown using DSR, compared to 1.72 lakh acres during the entire Kharif season the previous year.



Crediting the increase to the persistent efforts by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Thursday hailed this as a great success and expressed optimism about achieving the target of five lakh acres under DSR this season, as set by the Agriculture Department.



The Minister highlighted that the Punjab Government is providing financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per acre to encourage farmers to adopt the DSR technique. The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has allocated Rs 50 crore for this purpose during the 2024-25 fiscal year.



In the previous year, the Punjab Government provided Rs 20.33 crore in financial assistance to 17,116 farmers for adopting DSR, said the Minister, urging more farmers to join hands with the State Government in conserving groundwater by opting for this efficient technique.



Farmers who have chosen to use DSR must register on the government portal  agrimachinerypb.com  by July 15, 2024, to receive the financial assistance. Minister emphasized that the DSR technique not only conserves water but also reduces labour costs and results in higher yields.




A review meeting of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (P.C.P & D.T.) was chaired by District Magistrate cum Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal at the Collectorate Auditorium. The meeting focused on the evaluation and approval of ultrasound centers operating within the district.

After thorough scrutiny, the renewal of licenses for eight existing ultrasound centers was approved, along with the registration of two new centers. However, six applications for new ultrasound centers were rejected due to incomplete documentation.

Mittal emphasized the prohibition of sex determination at all ultrasound centers. He instructed officials to conduct regular inspections to ensure compliance with all regulatory criteria. A team of doctors, accompanied by a magistrate, will perform surprise inspections to enforce these directives.

In alignment with government guidelines, the movement of portable ultrasound machines within the district has been banned. Additionally, the presence of more than two doctors or technicians during examinations is prohibited. Mandatory signage must be displayed at all centers to communicate the illegality of sex determination and promote awareness against female foeticide.

Only pregnant women with prescriptions from registered doctors are to be examined. Examination reports must include comprehensive details of the center and the examination process, excluding any gender information. Licenses will be granted only to centers registered under the Clinical Regulation Act.

All ultrasound center managements are required to submit Form-F online between the 2nd and 4th of each month. The District Magistrate cum Deputy Commissioner urged the health department officials to ensure strict adherence to these rules.

The meeting was attended by PD ITDA Dipankar Choudhary, Civil Surgeon Dr. Jujhar Majhi, ACMO, DRCHO, District Tuberculosis Officer, Executive Magistrate David Balihar, District Public Relations Officer Panchanan Oraon, NGO representatives, and other concerned officers and stakeholders.

Mittal reiterated the importance of following these guidelines to prevent misuse of diagnostic techniques and to uphold ethical medical practices in the district.
The Uttar Pradesh Police, on Thursday, arrested six satsang organisers in connection with the Hathras stampede which resulted in the tragic deaths of 121 people.

Aligarh IG Range Shalabh Mathur said, Six people, including four men and two women, were arrested in the incident. The police identified the arrested individuals as Ram Kumar, Upendra, Megh Singh, Manju Yadav, Mukesh Kumar and Manju Devi. They all are members of the organising committee and worked as sevadars for self-styled godman Bhole Baba aka Narayan Sakar Hari. They work to collect donations and gather crowds. They make all kinds of arrangements in the programme. Baba has not been questioned yet. If needed, he will be questioned.

Mathur further said that a reward of Rs 1 lakh had been announced for information leading to the arrest of Dev Prakash Madhukar, a named accused who remains at large.

It is also being investigated whether this is part of a conspiracy. When the crowd moved forward to take the dust of Babas feet, the sevadars left the crowd, after which this incident happened. These people ran away from the spot. They did not cooperate with the police, he said.

Mathur added that these people stop people from making videos and they themselves do the work of crowd control. The IG claimed that till now 121 people have died due to stampede and all have been identified.

On Wednesday (July 3), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered a judicial probe into the Hathras incident. While police registered an FIR against the organisers and the probe is underway, Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari, (preacher who held a satsang on July 2) has not been named in the case.

Meanwhile, sources said that the named accused, Dev Prakash Madhukar, had informed Baba about the stampede. On checking the call details, the police found that Bhole Baba received a call from organiser Dev Prakash Madhukar at 2:48 pm on Tuesday. In this, he was probably informed about the stampede. A call was made to Babas phone from number 70XXXXXX84. The conversation on this number lasted for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. After this, Babas phone location was found in Mainpuri ashram from 3 pm to 4:35 pm. During that time, Baba talked on three numbers. The first number 78XXXXXX40 belongs to Mahesh Chandra. Baba talked on this number for three minutes. The second number 88XXXXXX68 belongs to Sanju Yadav, on which he talked for only 40 seconds. The third number 70XXXXXX84 belongs to Ranjana. Baba talked on this number for 11 minutes 33 seconds. Bhole Babas mobile phone was switched off after 4:35 pm. Ranjana is the wife of Dev Prakash, the organiser, from whose phone he probably talked. The other two numbers also belong to the organising committee members and among them Mahesh Chandra is said to be close to Baba. After this, the mobile phone of Bhole Baba was switched off after 4:35 pm.

Sources also said that though the police officers claimed that they had so far no evidence of Babas role in the stampede, the police raided eight places in his search. A separate team of 40 policemen has also been formed. A Special Investigation Team is also engaged to find the accused. A heavy police force has also been deployed around Babas ashram in suspicion that he might have taken shelter there.

The sources also disclosed that Baba has a three-tier security. The men deployed for Babas security have been given a code word. The sevadars in pink dress are known as Narayani Sena, the personal security personnel (black commandos) accompanying Babas convoy are called Garun Yodha and the sevadars wearing caps on their heads and brown dress are named Hari Vahak. Babas black commandos i.e. Garun Yodhas remain in groups of 20 each. The Narayani Sena has groups of 50 each while the Hari Vahak are in groups of 25 each.
ATS has arrested terrorist Faizan, son of Hanif Sheikh associated with the banned organization Indian Mujahideen (IM) from Khandwa on Thursday morning, by raiding his residence Kanjar Mohalla, Saluja Colony Khandwa, said IG ATS Dr. Ashish at a press conference held at State Police Headquarters Bhopal today that Madhya Pradesh.

Crimes under Section 13 (1) (B), 18, 20, 38 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 have been registered against him.

A large amount of Jihadi literature related to IM, ISIS and other terrorist organizations, 4 mobile phones, one pistol and 5 live cartridges, membership forms of SIMI organization have been seized from the terrorist. Jihadi literature, videos and photos of various terrorist organizations - Indian Mujahideen, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba etc. have also been found in the mobile phone and digital device seized from his possession.

The arrested terrorist has also been found to be in contact with members of the banned organization SIMI.

He was propagating the ideology of IM/ISIS by posting Jihadi posts related to Indian Mujahideen on his social media - Facebook ID. Along with this, videos of Mujahideen training camps running in Pakistan, speeches of Masood Azhar (Jaish-e-Mohammed) Lashkar-e-Taiba, story of Kandahar plane hijacking, statements of Mullah Omar and posts related to Ansar Ghazwa-tul-Hind (AGH) were being circulated through social media.

Faizan had planned to carry out a lone wolf attack, for which the security force personnel and their families were being monitored and reconnaissance was being done. By carrying out such an attack, he wanted to prove himself a great Mujahideen like Yasin Bhatkal of Indian Mujahideen and SIMI gang leader Abu Faisal. To execute his plan, he was collecting pistols and cartridges by contacting local illegal arms dealers and people from outside the state. In this case, further interrogation is being done by taking the accused on police remand and information about his other associates is also being sought.

ATS, Madhya Pradesh constantly keeps an eye on the activities of banned and radical organizations active in the state such as SIMI, PFI, ISIS, JMB, HuT, Al-Sufa, LWE (Maoist).
Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday told the legislative assembly that it was considering bringing a tough law to keep a check on illegal colonies in the state.

"Illegal colonies are a big problem. A nexus is working in the state. MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has already given instructions to frame a tough law to deal with the problem of illegal colonies," state Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya told the House during the Question Hour.

The government would come up with a bill to this effect, he said.

The minister added that the existing illegal colonies won't be regularised, but basic amenities would be made available in such dwellings.

Vijayvargiya, who is also the MP Legislative Affairs Minister, was replying to the questions raised separately by two BJP MLAs Hardeep Singh Dang and Rajendra Pandey over the mushrooming illegal colonies and the plight of the residents.

The opposition Congress also targeted the state government over the nursing scam.

After the question hour got over, Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar sought a debate on the breach of privilege motion against state minister Vishvas Sarang in the nursing scam.

He was joined by other Congress members.

Speaker Narendra Tomar said he will take a call on the Congress' demand after examining their proposal.

The Congress legislators have been alleging that MP Sports, Youth Welfare and Co-operative Minister Sarang, who was medical education minister in the past, has provided incorrect information to the House over the nursing scam, which amounts to breach of privilege.

Since Monday, when the monsoon session of the state assembly began, the Congress has trained its gun on Sarang and is targeting the government over the nursing scam.

On May 30, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed reinspection of 169 nursing colleges, which were given a clean chit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the scam case, in light of two officers of the probe agency being caught allegedly taking bribes from institutions for favourable reports.

The CBI is probing the scam pertaining to gross irregularities in the functioning of several nursing colleges that lacked infrastructure while some existed only on paper.

The probe agency furnished its report to the court in January, stating that it found 169 colleges suited to function, while 73 colleges lacked infrastructure and 66 were unsuited, he said.
The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is expediting the rollout of e-PoS devices in all ration shops of the state. On the governments instructions, the Food and Civil Supplies department has entrusted the responsibility of developing software for its monitoring to Uttar Pradesh Development Systems Corporation Limited (UPDESCO).

In this sequence, the UPDESCO has started appointing an agency to ensure that all ration shops in the state are equipped with e-PoS machines and to ensure their automation and regular monitoring processes.

According to the plan of the Yogi government, e-PoS devices integrated with weighing scales will be installed in ration shops. The automation process of ration shops will gain momentum after UPDESCO appoints the agency. UPDESCO has initiated the process and invited applications from empanelled agencies.

Notably, the selected agency will not only ensure that electronic Point of Sale (e-PoS) devices are installed in all ration shops across the state, but also their operation, maintenance and regular monitoring framework. These e-PoS devices installed in ration shops will be based on electronic weighing scales (EWS).

After installing e-PoS devices and automating all ration shops across the state, a dedicated software will be developed for their regular monitoring. To ensure consistent oversight, the development of the PoS application will be accompanied by completion of a proper framework and training of the Food and Civil Supplies department staff.

It is noteworthy that there are 79,500 fair price shops in the state benefiting 3.59 crore families. These shops distribute ration, including approximately 80 lakh quintals of food grains, to beneficiaries under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana every month.

Therefore, the Yogi government is speeding up the implementation of this process to protect beneficiaries from adulteration and black marketing, as well as ensuring complete transparency.

The process of installation and automation of e-PoS devices as well as software development will be completed in two phases. In Phase-1, the implementation of all EWS equipped e-PoS devices in the state will be monitored. Following this, Phase-2 will focus on completing the project management process for the operation of e-PoS devices in ration shops.

To ensure the success of this initiative, Service Level Agreement (SLA) monitoring and reporting of the system integrator will be ensured in all ration shops across urban and rural areas of Uttar Pradesh. The status of implementation of various processes will be monitored by preparing progress reports along with analysis of Management Information Systems (MIS) reports from time to time.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia for an upcoming summit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Friday said issues of regional and global interest will be on the agenda of the talks between PM Modi and President Vladimir Putin.

In a media briefing here, he also said the annual India-Russia Summit is taking place after three years, and "we attach great importance to it".

Prime Minister Modi will pay a two-day visit to Russia from July 8 to 9 to hold the 22nd India-Russia summit that will review the entire range of multi-faceted ties between the two countries.

After concluding his trip to Russia, Modi will travel to Austria, which will be the first visit by an Indian prime minister to that country in 41 years, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

It will be Modi's first trip to Russia in nearly five years. His last visit to the that country was in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok.

Issues of regional and global interest will be part of the agenda in the talks between the two leaders, Kwatra said.

The India-Russia summit will provide opportunities to discuss a whole range of bilateral ties, including in defence, investment, education and culture, and people-to-people ties, he said.

Kwatra added that both sides are working on a series of outcome documents in connection with the 22nd India-Russia Summit.
Ken Clark (BA24) marvels at how much Dalhousie changed over the course of his Bachelor of Arts degree. For example, textbooks became accessible online and the dress code became much more relaxed.

I noticed a lot more tattoos and piercings, laughs Clark.

If the nature of those changes seems surprising, consider that Clarks degree has been 63 years in the making. He has a pretty good reason for why it took so long to achieve such an important milestone: he put his studies on hold in 1961 when he got a job at CBC TV Halifax.

The whole industry was brand new then, says Clark, who was majoring in languages at the time. Television had only been around in this part of the world since 1954 and Halifax was doing some really interesting things, including live broadcasts. I left Dal and went to work, always with the intention that I would go back and finish up somehow.

Keeping a promise



In fact, Clark did return to Dal in the late 60s to take summer courses, inching his way closer to that degree. However, his success in broadcasting meant deferring his dream longer than he anticipated. Over the years, he produced variety and news shows for CBC Halifax and helped launch the channels that became CTV Atlantic and Global Halifax. After that, Clark moved on to Winnipeg, New Zealand, Fiji, where he introduced an evening news broadcast, and Papua New Guinea, where he bought a TV station.
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.
Counting is continuing in Northern Ireland, with several constituency battles appearing to be on a knife edge.

The high-profile contest between DUP leader Gavin Robinson and Alliance Party leader Naomi Long in East Belfast is among those seats that remain too close to call.

In other key constituency battles, the DUP candidate Jonathan Buckley has conceded defeat in Lagan Valley to Alliances Sorcha Eastwood.

Ms Eastwood expressed her delight ahead of the result being formally announced, describing it as a huge achievement for her party and the whole community across Northern Ireland.

Lagan Valley is the seat long held by former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who stepped down as leader in March when he was charged with historical sexual offences  charges he denies.

While that was a gain for Alliance, the party is set to lose a seat in North Down, where the cross community partys deputy leader Stephen Farry has all but conceded to independent unionist Alex Easton.

One race that few predicted would be tight was North Antrim but the DUPs Ian Paisley is locked in a major battle to retain his seat and hold off the challenge of TUV leader Jim Allister.

The UUP is increasingly hopeful former Stormont health minister Robin Swann can take a seat from the DUP in South Antrim.

Sinn Fein is confident it can hold off the UUP in the ever-close Fermanagh and South Tyrone count, where former RCN general secretary Pat Cullen stood for the republican party against Ulster Unionist councillor Diana Armstrong.

Asked if Sinn Fein was nervous about the result in the constituency, Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill said: Were feeling very confident that it has been a good poll from us across the board but its very early in the evening.

Ms ONeill added: The politics of this election was very much about the politics here at home, about making the Executive and the Assembly work.

All eyes are on the race for the greatest number of seats across Northern Ireland, with the potential of Sinn Fein cementing its position as the largest party in the region, having come out on top in the last Assembly and local council polls.

Such a result for the pro-Irish unity party would be bound to intensify the debate around the regions constitutional future.

Sinn Fein, which ran a relatively low-key campaign, could secure first place by retaining the seven seats it already holds, if the DUP drops down from the eight seats it won in 2019.

The DUP is under significant pressure in a number of constituencies and could be in for a bruising night.

Mr Robinsons elevation to the leadership of his party came after the DUP suffered a seismic shock when former leader Donaldson quit.

Apart from the sudden departure of Donaldson from the political stage, the DUP has also been under fire 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 in East Belfast would be likely to 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 Ulster Unionists were without an MP in the last parliament and the party was growing in optimism on Friday morning that it will pick up South Antrim.

Asked if he was on course for victory in South Antrim, Mr Swann said: It seems to be heading that way.

However, retired Army colonel Tim Collins, who ran for the UUP in North Down, blamed voters being more interested in potholes and hedges than international affairs after conceding defeat before the result was declared.

Success for the SDLP would be the retention of the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader, Colm Eastwood in Foyle, and deputy leader, Claire Hanna in South Belfast and Mid Down.

Ms Hanna said both are set for victory.

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.

The party suffered a 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 led to a highly unusual situation in TUV leader Mr Allisters own North Antrim constituency, where he ran on a joint TUV-Reform UK platform, even though Mr Farage personally backed the DUP candidate in that area, Mr Paisley.

However, that does not appear to have derailed Mr Allisters challenge and he has performed well above the expectations of many.
The Alliance Party has triumphed in the DUP stronghold of Lagan Valley  the seat formerly held by ex-party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

The DUP could also be on the cusp of a seismic defeat in North Antrim, with Ian Paisley facing a shock loss to TUV leader Jim Allister.

Sorcha Eastwood defeated DUP candidate Jonathan Buckley in the high-profile contest in Lagan Valley.

However, Alliance looks set for defeat in its two other main targets  North Down and East Belfast.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson looks well placed to beat Alliance Party leader Naomi Long for the fourth successive election in East Belfast.

In North Down, the cross-community partys deputy leader Stephen Farry has all but conceded to independent unionist Alex Easton.

Donaldson did not stand for re-election in Lagan Valley, having stepped down as leader in March when he was charged with historical sexual offences  charges he denies.

Reacting to her landmark victory, Ms Eastwood said: Its a fantastic night for us but its also a fantastic night for the people of Lagan Valley.

She added: Im a Lagan Valley girl born and bred, and this has been in our heart for a long time and Im just delighted.

Ms Eastwood said it was a huge moment for the party, for her and her community.

In other early results in Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein retained its seats in Mid Ulster, North Belfast, Newry and Armagh and West Tyrone while the DUP held Upper Bann and East Antrim.

One race that few predicted would be tight was North Antrim but the DUPs Mr Paisley is facing defeat at the hands of Mr Allister.

The UUP is increasingly hopeful former Stormont health minister Robin Swann can take a seat from the DUP in South Antrim.

Sinn Fein is confident it can hold off the UUP in the ever-close Fermanagh and South Tyrone count, where former RCN general secretary Pat Cullen stood for the republican party against Ulster Unionist councillor Diana Armstrong.

Asked if Sinn Fein was nervous about the result in the constituency, Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill said: Were feeling very confident that it has been a good poll from us across the board but its very early in the evening.

Ms ONeill added: The politics of this election was very much about the politics here at home, about making the Executive and the Assembly work.

All eyes are on the race for the greatest number of seats across Northern Ireland, with the potential of Sinn Fein cementing its position as the largest party in the region, having come out on top in the last Assembly and local council polls.

Such a result for the pro-Irish unity party would be bound to intensify the debate around the regions constitutional future.

Sinn Fein, which ran a relatively low-key campaign, could secure first place by retaining the seven seats it already holds, if the DUP drops down from the eight seats it won in 2019.

The DUP is under significant pressure in a number of constituencies and could be in for a bruising night.

Mr Robinsons elevation to the leadership of his party came after the DUP suffered a huge shock when former leader Donaldson quit.

Apart from the sudden departure of Donaldson from the political stage, the DUP has also been under fire 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.

The Ulster Unionists were without an MP in the last parliament and the party was growing in optimism on Friday morning that it will pick up South Antrim.

Asked if he was on course for victory in South Antrim, Mr Swann said: It seems to be heading that way.

However, retired Army colonel Tim Collins, who ran for the UUP in North Down, blamed voters being more interested in potholes and hedges than international affairs after conceding defeat before the result was declared.

Success for the SDLP would be the retention of the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader, Colm Eastwood in Foyle, and deputy leader, Claire Hanna in South Belfast and Mid Down.

Ms Hanna said both are set for victory.

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.

The party suffered a 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 led to a highly unusual situation in TUV leader Mr Allisters own North Antrim constituency, where he ran on a joint TUV-Reform UK platform, even though Mr Farage personally backed the DUP candidate in that area, Mr Paisley.

However, that does not appear to have derailed Mr Allisters challenge and he has performed well above the expectations of many.
Sinn Feins Paul Maskey has romped home in West Belfast and, as this was the final seat declared at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, he quipped they kept the best to last  and quite clearly West Belfast is the best.

There was never any fear of Mr Maskey losing his seat and he secured a whopping 21,009 votes.

Gerry Carroll, of People Before Profit, was his closest competitor with 5,048 votes, followed by the SDLPs Paul Doherty with 4,318 votes.

Sinn Fein has dominated this seat for over three decades and it is without doubt the partys safest.

Mr Maskey, who was elected for the first time in 2011, vowed to continue standing up for and fighting for West Belfast and said the constituency he represents is going one way  and its going up.

Thanking his party for its support, he added: I would urge other people to join us and make sure that we continue to drive West Belfast forward in the best manner we possibly can.

The Unionist vote was represented by the DUPs Frank McCoubrey, who secured 4,304 votes, with the TUV attracting 2,010. UUP candidate Ben Sharkey obtained just 461 votes.
The DUP has suffered a bruising set of election results in Northern Ireland, with the party suffering a seismic shock when Ian Paisley lost his seat in North Antrim.

In a difficult night for the unionist party, the Alliance Partys Sorcha Eastwood also had a historic result as she triumphed in the DUP stronghold of Lagan Valley  the seat formerly held by party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

The Paisley family has held the North Antrim seat for more than 50 years, but that legacy has come to an end with the victory of TUV leader Jim Allister in the unionist heartland.

Mr Allister said: There is no escaping the fact that there has been a political earthquake in North Antrim of seismic proportions.

Today, we mark an occasion when, after 54 years of DUP and Ian Paisley dynasty, North Antrim has taken an alternative course.

One bright spot in a disappointing night for the DUP was when its leader, Gavin Robinson, held off the challenge of Alliance Party leader Naomi Long in East Belfast.

In the last result of the night, veteran DUP representative Gregory Campbell held on to his East Londonderry seat by just 179 votes, having seen his previous majority of almost 10,000 slashed.

With all 18 constituencies declared, Sinn Fein has been confirmed as largest party in a Westminster election for the first time after holding all of its seven seats.

The DUP emerged with five, down three on 2019.

Ms Eastwood defeated DUP candidate Jonathan Buckley in the high-profile contest in Lagan Valley.

Donaldson did not stand for re-election in Lagan Valley, having stepped down as leader in March when he was charged with historical sexual offences  charges he denies.

The DUP has also been under fire 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.

Reacting to her landmark victory, Ms Eastwood said: Its a fantastic night for us but its also a fantastic night for the people of Lagan Valley.

She added: Im a Lagan Valley girl born and bred, and this has been in our heart for a long time and Im just delighted.

Ms Eastwood said it was a huge moment for the party, for her and her community.

However, it was a bittersweet night for the cross-community Alliance Party after it failed to win in its two other main targets  North Down and East Belfast.

DUP leader Mr Robinson defeated Ms Long for the fourth successive election in East Belfast.

He said it was a good result for the party after embracing supporters upon his arrival at the Titanic Exhibition Centre.

Mr Robinson said his performance was one that reflects not only the political campaign our team has run in east Belfast but also in recognition of the people who in this election have come out to vote or come out to vote for the first time in a long time.

He said he is incredibly proud of the DUPs candidate in Lagan Valley, Mr Buckley, and said the result is a consequence of divided unionism.

In constituencies right across Northern Ireland you can see the consequences of divided unionism, he said.

In North Down, Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry lost his seat to independent unionist Alex Easton.

Sinn Fein retained its seats in Mid Ulster, North Belfast, Newry and Armagh, South Down, West Belfast and West Tyrone, while the DUP held Upper Bann, East Antrim and Strangford.

Former nursing union boss Pat Cullen held Fermanagh and South Tyrone for Sinn Fein.

The republican partys emergence as the largest party, after similar results in Assembly and council elections will intensify the debate around the regions constitutional future.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill told the BBC: Our politics is all about the future, it is about what we can do here working together.

Particularly in this Westminster election this is an opportunity for people to have a say in how they want decisions taken about their lives.

The fact that we are now the largest party in local government, the largest party in the Assembly and the largest party at Westminster speaks to the fact that I think it is time for change, time for us to be able to take control.

I look forward to the journey in terms of having the constitutional change conversation  what could that look like?

The Ulster Unionist Party is returning to Westminster after former Stormont health minister Robin Swann took a seat from the DUP in South Antrim in a comprehensive victory.

However, retired Army colonel Tim Collins, who ran for the UUP in North Down, blamed voters being more interested in potholes and hedges than international affairs after conceding defeat before the result was declared.

The SDLP has retained the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader, Colum Eastwood, in Foyle, and deputy leader, Claire Hanna, in South Belfast and Mid Down.

Mr Eastwood said: I have to say Im delighted to see the back of the Tory government.

Fourteen years of destroying our public services, 14 years of destroying the economy, destroying family finances is now gone.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson has appealed for greater cohesion among unionists following General Election results which saw his party suffer damaging defeats in North Antrim and Lagan Valley.

Following the election Sinn Fein has emerged for the first time with the largest representation among Northern Ireland parties at Westminster.

The republican partys president Mary Lou McDonald has now urged Sir Keir Starmer to embrace the right of Irish self-determination and constitutional change toward Irish reunification.

However, Mr Robinson dismissed suggestions that the election result strengthened the argument towards Irish unity, stating there has been no groundswell of support for a border poll.

The DUP suffered a bruising set of results, losing its Westminster seat in North Antrim, which has been held by the Paisley family for 54 years.

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister, a fierce DUP critic, won the seat from Ian Paisley by 450 votes.

The Alliance Partys Sorcha Eastwood also had a historic result as she triumphed in the DUP stronghold of Lagan Valley, the seat formerly held by party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

Donaldson did not stand for re-election in Lagan Valley, having stepped down as leader in March when he was charged with historical sexual offences, charges he denies.

The DUP has been under fire 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.

Northern Irelands largest unionist party also lost out in South Antrim where former Stormont health minister, Robin Swann of the Ulster Unionist Party, defeated Paul Girvan.

One bright spot in a disappointing night was when DUP leader, Gavin Robinson, held off the challenge of Alliance Party leader Naomi Long in East Belfast.

In the last result of the night, veteran DUP representative Gregory Campbell narrowly held on to his East Londonderry seat by just 179 votes, having seen his previous majority of almost 10,000 slashed.

This left the DUP with five seats, down from the eight it won in 2019.

Mr Robinson conceded the results had not been what his party had wanted.

He said: We must be realistic about the significant job of work ahead to get unionism into a stronger and more strategic position.

The DUP leader pointed out that unionism had retained the same number of seats as in 2019, although now split among different parties and independent unionist Alex Easton, who won in North Down.

The DUP and TUV did not run a candidate against Mr Easton.

Mr Robinson added: We can never again see a situation where pro-union voters are so divided that seats are lost to those who will not promote the union.

I am pledged to work for greater cohesion within the pro-union movement.

In North Down it has been demonstrated what can be achieved with co-operation, allied to a strong work ethic.

Having unilaterally taken the decision to support Alex Easton, as well as Diane Armstrong in Fermanagh/South Tyrone, there is no doubt that the unionist influence can be advanced.

In truth the result in North Down demonstrated what is possible when unionists work together and the result in Lagan Valley demonstrated the cost of division.

The DUP leader insisted the combined nationalist vote had not grown since 1998.

He said: There has been no groundswell of support for a border poll as some within Sinn Fein would claim.

After all 18 constituencies were declared, it was confirmed Sinn Fein had repeated its success in the Northern Ireland Assembly and local government elections of the previous two years by emerging as the largest party.

The party retained its seats in Mid Ulster, North Belfast, Newry and Armagh, South Down, West Belfast and West Tyrone.

Former nursing union boss Pat Cullen also held Fermanagh and South Tyrone for Sinn Fein with an increased majority.

Ms McDonald said the result creates a major opportunity to improve relations between Britain and Ireland.

She said: Sinn Fein is determined to build a constructive relationship with the new Labour government.

We look forward to working positively with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the many shared priorities for Ireland and Britain during this historic time of renewal.

After 14 years of Tory rule, marked by dysfunction and chaos, they crudely undermined the Good Friday Agreement during Brexit, harming citizens and communities.

They also abandoned co-operation with Dublin, causing significant damage.

She added: The new Labour government now has a huge opportunity to reset relations with the Irish Government and the power-sharing (Stormont) Executive, where First Minister Michelle ONeill will work to restore effective co-operation.

We expect the new Prime Minister to uphold the Good Friday Agreement, which Labour helped deliver, ensuring its political, legal and constitutional guarantees are respected.

This includes respecting all our national identities, political allegiances and working together to defend peace and build on reconciliation efforts.

The British Government must embrace principles of rigorous impartiality and the right to self-determination and constitutional change toward Irish reunification.

It was a mixed night for the cross-community Alliance Party, despite Ms Eastwoods stunning success in Lagan Valley.

In North Down, deputy leader Stephen Farry lost his seat to Mr Easton and leader Ms Long failed in her bid to unseat Mr Robinson in East Belfast.

The Ulster Unionist Party is returning to Westminster for the first time since 2017 following Mr Swanns comprehensive victory in South Antrim.

However, retired Army colonel Tim Collins, who ran for the UUP in North Down, blamed voters being more interested in potholes and hedges than international affairs after conceding defeat.

The SDLP retained the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader, Colum Eastwood, in Foyle, and deputy leader, Claire Hanna, in South Belfast and Mid Down.

Mr Eastwood said: I have to say Im delighted to see the back of the Tory government.

Fourteen years of destroying our public services, 14 years of destroying the economy, destroying family finances is now gone.
Google's green goals clash with AI data center demand surge

Google's latest environmental report reveals a significant increase in carbon emissions, primarily driven by the company's efforts to integrate AI functionalities and expand data centers. This development raises concerns about Google's ability to meet its 2030 net-zero emissions target.

The "Environmental Report 2024" outlines Google's progress towards its environmental goals, highlighting the increased energy demands resulting from AI integration into core products. Substantial investments in data centers and infrastructure have exacerbated the challenges in emission reduction.

AI expansion drives up emission

According to Bloomberg and The Register, Google's greenhouse gas emissions exceeded 14.3 million tons of CO2 equivalent in 2023, marking a 48% increase from 2019 and a 13% rise from 2022. The primary contributors to these emissions are ongoing data center construction and higher emissions from supply chain partners.

Google acknowledges that the continuous integration of AI functionalities has made its 2030 carbon reduction goals increasingly difficult to achieve. Resource-intensive technologies such as large language models (LLMs) and generative AI platforms require more data centers for training and execution, leading to a surge in electricity demand. The company estimates that AI-driven queries consume over ten times the energy of standard internet searches.

Despite projected emission increases, Google argues that AI can offset emissions in other areas, such as optimizing vehicle routes to reduce carbon footprints. The company estimates that AI could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 5% to 10% by 2030, though the long-term environmental impact of AI remains uncertain.

AI craze breaks green pledges

The AI boom is challenging tech giants' green pledges. Companies like Google are investing heavily in AI technologies, causing a significant increase in electricity demand that could potentially disrupt national energy transition plans and corporate net-zero goals. Bloomberg analysis indicates that countries such as Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and Malaysia are planning to expand data centers, with energy demands exceeding the combined capacity of renewable energy supplies.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that global data center energy consumption could double by 2026 compared to 2023 levels. Goldman Sachs predicts that by the end of the 2020s, global data center power usage could increase by 1.8 to 3.4 times.

Many tech companies, including Google, set environmental protection goals without anticipating the rapid growth in AI. Google's 2030 environmental goals, set in 2019, did not foresee the significant energy demands required for developing and operating AI technologies.

Microsoft faces a similar dilemma, reporting a 30% increase in carbon emissions since 2020 due to its AI investments. This also raises doubts about the company's ability to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. Microsoft has outlined strategies to enhance data center energy efficiencies and incorporate sustainable aviation fuel and eco-friendly materials. The company also plans to enforce green mandates on supply chain partners, requiring 100% renewable energy usage by the late 2020s.

As AI becomes the focal point for tech giants, their ability to transition to greener practices remains crucial. Aligning environmental goals with partners is essential to avoid failing their environmental pledges amid the pursuit of AI expansion.
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.
Pegatron 5G and Fujisoft discuss collaboration for future smart manufacturing

With the rapid development of 5G Open RAN communication, Pegatron 5G, a new business group of the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant Pegatron Corporation ("Pegatron"), and FUJISOFT Incorporated, a globally renowned Japanese IT service company, held discussions on their shared vision of accelerating digitalization in smart factories.

During his visit to Pegatron Headquarters, Satoyasu Sakashita, President & Representative Director of FUJISOFT Incorporated, said, "We foresee that 5G in private networks will become irreplaceable in factory operations. We especially note that Pegatron has been transforming its manufacturing from traditional to digital." After visiting Pegatron's Taoyuan factory, he added, "We are looking forward to seeing the change by cooperating with the Pegatron 5G team."

CY Feng, General Manager of Pegatron Business Group 6 Communication Products, stated, "Looking at the next two years' time frame, we expect 5G private networks to become the industry standard, and we have prepared to lead this trend by turning our factories into smart manufacturing hubs first. 5G Open RAN has now matured and has been applied in real cases; we are optimistic about the advantages it brings us."

Smart manufacturing is one of the major industrial sectors that Pegatron has focused on. Currently, Pegatron factories in Taiwan, Vietnam, and Indonesia are undergoing 5G deployment. The Pegatron 5G team is determined to leverage 5G technology to build a better, more secure, and more productive manufacturing sector.

Pegatron is excited to work with FUJISOFT, a globally renowned Japanese IT service company, to help develop smart manufacturing solutions for FUJISOFT's customer base.

From left to right: OSAKO TATEYUKI /Director & Senior Executive Operating, FUJISOFT Incorporated, SAKASHITA SATOYASU /President & Representative Director, FUJISOFT Incorporated, Dr. James Shue, Senior Vice President & CTO of Pegatron and CY Feng, General Manager of Pegatron Business Group 6 Communication Products
Two Louth-based SPAR stores were honoured at the recent SPAR 365 Standards Customer Care Programme for achieving exceptional standards in retailing.

John OBrien, OBriens SPAR in Ardee and SPAR Dunleer both received the top accolades at the awards ceremony, which was held in Lawlors Hotel, in Naas in Co Kildare, and hosted by BWG Foods, owners and operators of the SPAR brand in Ireland.

This years SPAR 365 Awards, held in association with independent bodies Solution Management Associates (SMA) and Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA), recognise those SPAR stores who have excelled during the year across all areas of store.

In winning these awards, the SPAR stores were independently assessed across a range of criteria including customer service through SMA as well as a robust Food Safety and Hygiene audit conducted by LRQA.

These exemplary SPAR retailers received their award in recognition of their commitment to implementing best practice store standards throughout their store, thereby providing an excellent customer experience to their local community.

Congratulating the winners, Colin Donnelly, SPAR Sales Director, said: The SPAR 365 Standards Customer Care Programme recognise those Retailers who, through their ongoing commitment to outstanding retail standards and customer service, continue to set the benchmark for the SPAR brand and the Retail Marketplace overall.

"I congratulate the SPAR retailers and their staff from Louth. Their efforts have been truly outstanding and this recognition is very well-deserved.
Xi says China-Belarus relations to develop healthily, with great strides

Xinhua) 08:05, July 05, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

ASTANA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Thursday that he believes China-Belarus relations will continue to develop healthily and with great strides under joint efforts of both countries.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana.

Congratulating Belarus on officially joining the SCO, Xi said President Lukashenko visited China twice in 2023, during which he and Lukashenko jointly drew a new blueprint for the development of the China-Belarus all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership.

This year has witnessed close communication between the two countries at all levels and effective implementation of the consensus reached between both sides, Xi noted.

For his part, Lukashenko thanked the Chinese side for supporting Belarus on officially joining the SCO, and congratulated China on taking over the rotating presidency of the SCO.

The performance of the Guard of Honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Belarus on Wednesday was warmly welcomed, which is another demonstration of the friendship between the two countries, he said.

Belarus supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Xi, as well as the six-point consensus jointly proposed by China and Brazil on a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Lukashenko said, adding that the Belarusian side looks forward to further strengthening bilateral and multilateral coordination with China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
China restates level playing field for firms of different ownerships in government procurement

Xinhua) 11:05, July 05, 2024

BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China aims to ensure that products manufactured by enterprises of different ownerships within the country can participate equally in government procurement activities, according to a three-year action plan made public on Thursday.

The plan, unveiled by the General Office of the State Council, focused on addressing current prominent problems in the field of government procurement, aiming to achieve better order in the government procurement market, establish relevant laws and regulations, and boost the development of the sector from 2024 to 2026.

It also urged the establishment of a standard system for government procurement of domestic products, supporting the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises in government procurement projects, and expanding government procurement support for green building materials.

China welcomes foreign-invested companies to participate in government procurement.

During a roundtable for foreign-invested enterprises on government procurement in May, Vice Commerce Minister Ling Ji said China supports foreign companies in participating in government procurement on an equal footing.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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)
Dundalk Institute of Technology said it is proud to announce the launch of a new innovative project, Digitising Dundalks Brewing Heritage which aims to preserve and honour the fascinating history of the Macardle Moore Brewery, a major landmark in Dundalks rich heritage.

With over 160 years of history behind it, the Macardle Moore Brewery is still a beloved symbol of Dundalks past times.

In order to maintain that this important aspect of Dundalks history is available for future generations, the project aims to develop digital assets of all salvaged artefacts and documents from there.

This Creative Media project under the supervision of Dr Daithi Kearney and Dr Adele Commins is in collaboration with the Macardles Historical Society and will focus on resources gathered by Jason McGee PRO, the Louth County Archive and the Guinness Archive.

In addition to safeguarding priceless artefacts and historical records, this project will hopefully improve Dundalks contribution to Louths tourism, integrating itself with the already affluent brewing history of the area.

Daithi Kearney, Co-Director of the Creative Arts Research Centre at DkIT, emphasizes the importance of this partnership, saying: The materials related to Macardles are inspiring, and the opportunity to develop a collaborative project with the Macardles Historical Society is an example of how research at DkIT can engage with our local community, benefiting everybody.

PRO Jason McGee expressed his enthusiasm for the project saying: As founder member of the Macardles Historical Society, I am delighted to see this digitisation project kick off with the support of DkIT.

We have hundreds of documents that have never been seen before by the public, with some dating right back to the foundation of the company in 1863, and we will be adding them to the Macardles website.

The Macardles Breweryholds a special place in the industrial heritage of Dundalk, and the brand was known around the world in its heyday.

In the same week as Diageo turns the sod on a new 200million carbon neutral brewery in Kildare, I think its fitting that we also look back on one of the oldest and best breweries we have ever had in Ireland.

This initiative is part of the CREATE - DkIT Summer Undergraduate Research Programme (SURP), funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the HEAs TU-RISE programme. It supports undergraduate students to develop short term research projects supervised by DkIT researchers and linked to local enterprise.

Kelley OHanlon, a third-year Digital Marketing and Public Relations student at DkIT, is also part of the project team, contributing to the projects development and her academic development.

Students that take part in this initiative contribute to significant community participation and cultural preservation while also gaining invaluable experience.

While Kelley is currently working on materials already in collections, if anybody wants to get in touch about the project or contribute materials, please contact Jason McGee of the Macardles Historical Society at info@macardles.

Check out Macardles hisotry online at Digitising Dundalks Brewing Heritage - Macardles Historical Society
Louth Volunteer Centre are calling for members of the community to help shape the future of volunteering in County Louth, and they need your invaluable input! Whether you are a volunteer, a volunteer manager or you dont volunteer at all, Louth Volunteer Centre would love to have you engaged in the process.

On Thursday 18th July, sessions are being arranged in Drogheda, Dundalk and Ardee where attendees will meet with other volunteers, local organisations, and researchers. Your feedback is crucial as we gather insights on volunteering, share stories on how volunteering has impacted you, and discuss what can be done to encourage more people to get involved in volunteering.

Please find information and booking at www.volunteerlouth.ie or email info@volunteerlouth.ie.

This research report, being developed as part of the County Louth Volunteering Framework, will be a key part of shaping and influencing policy making in Louth into the future. Your perspectives will directly influence our research and future initiatives.

The County Louth Volunteering Framework, published in 2021, was informed by an in depth consultation process involving over 350 people across Louth.

This Framework document is the first of its kind at County level in Ireland. It recognises and values the contribution of volunteers; seeks to expand the demographics of volunteering; supports those who support volunteers and aims to help make it easier for people in Louth to access voluntary activity.

Work commenced on the delivery of the 68 recommendations contained in the framework in 2022 and will continue until 2024. You can view more details and view the document on www.volunteerlouth.ie

The Framework is owned by the Louth Community Development Committee and is currently being delivered by a group of stakeholders from across various sectors in County Louth. This implementation group is led by a secretariat consisting of members from Louth Volunteer Centre, Louth County Council, Louth Local Development Company and Louth PPN.

The development of a piece of research on the impact of volunteering in Co. Louth, including analysis of gaps in volunteering, is a recommendation from the Framework and is being funded and delivered by Louth Volunteer Centre and supported by the implementation group
Leading social care charity Praxis Care held an outdoor pizza party at their Arlee Short Breaks service in Dundalk, transforming the home into a vibrant celebration for the organisations 40th anniversary on 3rd of July.

The joyous event brought together the people Praxis Care supports, their families and friends, staff and the local community.

Attendees enjoyed pizza, DJing by supported person Anthony Terminator McKeown and a visit from Go Bananas Ice Cream.

The party was hosted by Praxis Cares Arlee, Tateetra and Park Avenue services for adults with intellectual disability, mental ill health or brain injury.

This event was just one in a series of 40 celebrations taking place this summer across Ireland, the UK and the Isle of Man to mark this significant anniversary.

Each event aims to bring together the local community and celebrate the remarkable achievements of Praxis Care over the past 40 years.

Praxis Care supports 1,500 children and adults with mental ill health, autism, intellectual disabilities and dementia, providing innovative, professional, high quality support services to people across the spectrum of need.

They have 2,000 employees and volunteers across the UK, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

They celebrate 40 years as a registered charity in 2024.
By BOB MARTIN

Eagle Times Staff

CLAREMONT, N.H.  Democratic District 2 Congressional candidate Maggie Goodlander toured Claremont with city and state officials on Wednesday, and she said it is clear just by walking the streets that it is the quintessential comeback community.

Youve got an incredibly dedicated community here, with a whole lot of vision, Goodlander said in an interview at The Eagle Times.

She added, The natural beauty and the commitment of people here is extraordinary.

Goodlander was encouraged to see a vision in increasing the housing supply in Claremont, which she says is really important for every relevant metric. The bones are there, she said, and the federal delegation has an important advocacy role to play.

I am a lawyer by training, but I dont self-identify as a lawyer, I self-identify as an advocate, Goodlander said. This is core advocacy for a member of Congress, in the Peoples House, representing the people of Claremont. Its about making the case and it requires a real partnership. Whats been extraordinary about my visit so far is to have representatives from the state legislature, and leadership of the city together. Thats how government works best.

Goodlander was born and raised in Nashua, but is no stranger to Washington, as she has worked in all three branches of federal government. Most recently she was a senior advisor at the White House leading the Unity Agenda, and has also served as the deputy assistant attorney general and an intelligence officer with the U.S. Navy. The former lawyer has served as a law clerk on the U.S. Supreme Court, served on various boards, and teaches Constitutional Law at Dartmouth and UNH.

The Unity Agenda is really focused on five major pillars, five big challenges, that we all still agree weve got to tackle together, she said. Launching this was as real gamble because it relied on Congress really doing something.

The five pillars include tackling the opioid epidemic, the mental health crisis, veteran assistance, holding big tech companies accountable, and ending cancer as we know it. She said these are five broad areas, and big challenges, with 400 pieces of bi-partisan legislation to advance this agenda.

One main area of concern for constituents across the board is the rising cost of living. She has worked at the justice department over the past few years, and one main reason for the high living costs are corporate monopolies jacking up prices to make life harder for the working person in Claremont and across New Hampshire.

She said this is an incredibly concentrated economy, noting that it includes housing, health care and agriculture.

What I found is, in this work, there really is a bipartisan consensus, she said.

The ideas behind the anti-trust laws are as old as America, she said, and havent been updated in more than a century. She found that people working across the aisle to come together to update the laws has been vital. Goodlander said she has worked across the aisle her entire career and will continue that in the House.

A major aspect of her platform is womens health and reproductive rights, which is something near and dear to her as she lost a baby 20 weeks into a pregnancy last year. She said New Hampshire is the only state in New England with no constitutional or statutory protections for abortion access. She said this is not just abortion, but access to IVF and contraception.

Women got the right to vote just a little over 100 years ago, she said. Two years ago last week, the Supreme Court took us back in time by ripping away a fundamental right. Its a real turn back in time, and a real assault on womens rights. I do believe that womens rights are on the ballot this November, and September, too.

The opioid crisis is a main focus, as well, and she said this is why it is a pillar of the Unity Agenda. It is a crisis that sees no boundaries based on age, gender or other demographics.

This has touched everybody, she said. I think this is a really hard problem, because on one hand it is a law enforcement question, but what we have seen is the War on Drugs and an exclusive focus on cracking down on supply, is like a game of whack-a-mole.

She is eying funding technology upgrades at the borders to stop dangerous drugs from entering the country, but also knows there needs to be a fight for public funding and education on the matter.

Washington is increasingly divided these days, but Goodlander stressed the importance of working across the aisle to tend to the issues that affect all Granite Staters.

Rep. Annie Kuster was in office since 2013 and decided not to run for re-election. Goodlander values what Kuster has built and laid the groundwork for, as she has worked on a bipartisan basis. Goodlander got into this race because she feels the House can be a force for good for the people of Claremont and the state, and it requires understanding how government works. She said bipartisan support is vital, but also the knowledge of how the courts work to get legislation in motion.

I know how to craft legislation that will give it the best chance for its survival, she said. I also know how the executive branch works, and I think that is really important for a member of Congress. The look at the leadership of Senator Shaheen, in the Senate Appropriations Committee, and what can really be done to make life better here in Claremont to deliver. I want to build on that legacy, too.

Goodlander said that in the end, this is truly an advocacy job. New Hampshire made her who she is today, and she has always fought for the values that she holds near her heart. What brings her to the race is that she can deliver for the district on day one.

It would be an honor of a lifetime to represent and be an advocate for Claremont and the second district, she said.
PATRICK Holloway is known for many things: as an Irish writer of short fiction and poetry; as the editor of the Cork literary journal, The Four Faced Liar: and now as an author of his first published novel The Language of Remembering, due to hit our shelves in 2025 with Epoque Press.

The Cork writer has garnered considerable praise in the lead up to this much-anticipated debut. He is the winner of the Bath Short Story Award, The Molly Keane Creative Writing Prize, The Flash 500 Prize, the Allingham Fiction contest, and he was the recipient of the Paul McVeigh Residency in 2023.

Irish Writing

Patrick is enthusiastic about being a writer and editor in Cork and is deeply immersed in the literary world of Ireland.

I am so inspired by Irish writers. The local scene is amazing too, he said. There is a genuine love and respect there, and a desire to see people succeed. We were so happy to start the Four Faced Liars because we knew there was another space for a literary journal, and one that pays writers.

That recognition is important.

"We have lovely relationships with other journals like Banshee, and Howl, another great Cork-based journal. It is wonderful.

Patrick is an avid reader and mentions many Irish names in his list: Donal Ryan, Claire Kilroy, and the woman he refers to as the holy grail: Anne Enright.

There is so much good writing out there. When I read work in journals from writers who have yet to publish their first novel, Im blown away. It will happen for them too.

Book shops are doing an incredible job of supporting them. Waterstones in Cork is great and there are also small independent shops like Books Upstairs in Dublin or No Alibis in Belfast; they are phenomenal.

Individuals in Cork have also shaped Patricks career.

I was very lucky when I was younger to do lots of Speech and Drama. Eileen McCollum was my teacher and friend and sometimes guardian. She has been a huge influence in my love of the written word.

I became obsessed with poetry, and she nourished that.

I also had an amazing English teacher, Collette Murphy. I was a terrible student, but she really pushed me. You could see she really loved what I she was doing.

Patrick Holloway.

Epoque Press

Holloway, published in Irelands most prestigious journals, is happy to be with Epoque, an independent UK publisher, with ties to Ireland and America.

I didnt know too much about them. When I won the 2023 Paul McVeigh residency, I met lots of writers and this publisher came up a few times. I got an agent when I was living in Brazil, back in 2020. Eleanor Byrne also represents Louise Kennedy. Louise and I kept on being published together and I always loved her stories. So, when I saw she was represented by Eleanor, I messaged her and asked her to read some stories and the first pages of a novel. She asked for more and it went from there.

Patrick was working on a different novel at that time. It got picked up by Harper Collins but for various reasons, the deal fell through. So, The Language of Remembering has more than earned its place in book shops, and its author is delighted with both his agent and his publisher.

Eleanor has a brilliant eye. She doesnt impose and is very respectful of you as the writer. This novel started as a short story. In fact, it was the story that won the Bath Short Story award last year.

The voice just didnt leave me.

Listening to Patrick, its clear why. The story sounds like an absolutely fascinating one.

The Novel

There are two narrators in the novel, he continues. The first narrator is written in second person. So thats the you form. That voice is a son who is taking an evening class in Irish. His mum had early onset Alzheimers, and she has started speaking Irish again. The son wants to connect with her.

The novel will have a natural draw for Cork readers as it is set where Patrick grew up, in the coastal town of Crosshaven. Place plays a big role in the story and there are mentions of Carrigaline and Cork city throughout. Language also features, how it creates or contributes to identity.

The story grew arms and legs. Oisin, thats the son, moves back from Brazil to Ireland to take care of his mother. In doing so he has a reverse culture shock to Ireland. There is past trauma that hes never dealt with, whilst on this excavation of language.

The second voice, Patrick explains, is the voice of his mother Brigid, but she is situated in the past, in 1970s Ireland. She is pregnant with Oisin.

She is a teenager who gets pregnant out of wedlock. There are a lot of late 1970s cultural references. Its a close third person narrative. Her narrative deals with her loss of identity. Her mother Kathleen is a brilliant character too. Shes a bigger character than I expected.

Language has a substantial impact on young Brigid.

Her mother loves language and has these expressive phrases. Her father speaks Irish to her. The narrative follows her loss of identity when she becomes pregnant. She wants to be a female lecturer in Maynooth. She feels shame for being pregnant. Her narrative follows nine months of pregnancy and ends with the birth of Oisin.

Oisins narrative seems to encompass a great deal.

Hes tiring of dealing with his mothers early onset and feels like hes failing.

Being back in Ireland there are resurfacing memories.

"He is also managing his wife and young daughter. It is about the re-discovery of home. The novel questions what home is, how we define it.

Patrick is clear that this is not an autobiographical text but is rather a work of fiction.

Like with any writer, there are parts that are drawn from my life. I wanted the three languages in there: English, Irish and Portuguese. Having lived in Brazil, I am fluent in Portuguese.

I also include things like trying to get a mortgage having returned to Ireland, so snippets of my life have been incorporated.

Patrick also completed plenty of research to get the story right.

I researched Alzheimers, especially in terms of whats required of the carer. And the story is all wrapped up in language and identity. When you change your language, how does your identity evolve?

Patrick holds a PhD in this area and has spent years considering and studying the relationships between language and identity.

He jokes that the book isnt all seriousness, all doom and gloom.

Its heavy with love and redemption. It is a story about finding love, love resurfacing, using it to build a family and create a home. It also considers language as distancing.

All the characters struggle to find the words to say what they mean or what they are feeling. We all experience that.

When my editor asked me for the acknowledgement page, I found it so difficult. Where are the words to do it? Language so often fails us.

Thankfully for us, the limits of language are unlikely to deter Patrick Holloway from his writing. I suspect he has a lot more to say.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your work;

I am a visual artist living in Midleton. I was born in Jersey in the Channel Islands and moved with my family to Ireland in the mid 70s. I left again in the mid 80s and travelled a lot on lots of great adventures. I spent many years living and travelling on a small sailboat in central America and northwest Caribbean.

I returned to Cork in 2004 when my daughter was born and graduated from Crawford College of Art & Design in 2012.

As an artist, I am constantly exploring different mediums and ways of expression, working locally with schools, festivals and fellow creators. I am one of the founding members and co-ordinators of Mideton Arts Festival.

Here in East Cork I am lucky to be surrounded by many amazing artists and we often exchange ideas and work on joint projects.

I love how we continuously inspire each other.

I think art has a unique power to connect with others. It is a beautiful way to bring people together.

What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night?

Out on the water with friends, under a starry sky, toes dipped in warm water.

Lie ins or up with the lark.. which is it for you?

Depends, lie in if Ive been up late but up early if adventures to be had.

Does work creep into your weekend at all?

I m self employed so yes. I dont mind though, Im always taking photos, drawing, doodling , painting, making stuff, making plans, collecting materials and ideas.

If money was no object where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you?

Venice, I'd bring my daughter. I went last year for a few days and was blown away, it's so rich in art and culture and I loved all the boats and waterways.

Belinda Walsh.

Closer to home, is there some place you like to head to recharge the batteries?

Yes, East Ferry has a special place in my heart, its peaceful and beautiful.

Do you like to catch up with family/friends at the weekend?

Yes, I come from a big family and most of them live nearby, which is great, we see quite a lot of each other and I live in town so lots of friends around.

Do you get to indulge any hobbies? Even as a spectator?

I love to go slow rowing in my dinghy, especially when the water is still and calm with a flask of coffee and my pens and paper. I dont need much, I can be very happy when Im beach combing and dumpster diving.

Entertain or be entertained? If it's the latter do you have a signature dish?

I really enjoy feasting with friends on good food.

We have so many places to eat out in Cork - where are your go to spots for coffee/ lunch/ special meal?

I am vegetarian - Izz cafe, Umi falafel, Loving salads for lunch. In Midleton, Roasties has delicious fresh tasty food.

Sunday night comes around too fast.. how do you normally spend it?

A walk by the river with my dog then maybe a movie at home, depends really on the time of year.

What time does your alarm clock go off on Monday morning?

Mondays I start work in East Cork Music Project at 9am so up at 8am, plenty of time for a coffee.

Anything else you are up to right now...

I am currently preparing for my upcoming solo exhibition which will run from July 20 to 29 in My Place Centre in Midleton.

Ill be exhibiting a broad range of my artwork, so I m busy getting paintings, drawings, ceramics, animation, and sculpture ready.

I have poured my heart and soul into this collection, and I am really eager to share it with the community.

The opening night on July 19 will have music and refreshments and I'm hoping it will be an opportunity not only to show the art but also to build connections with fellow artists and enthusiasts.
FRESH from the success of the viral hit The Spark, The Kabin Studio has joined with a community partnership to host Irish-language rap workshops for second-level students from Knocknaheeny.

The Barr na gCnoc summer camp this week is offering participants an innovative way to engage with the Irish language, through music and creativity.

Barr na gCnoc, a community partnership co-ordinated by Professor Padraig O Machain, from Ionad na Gaeilge Labhartha at University College Cork (UCC), in collaboration with Terence MacSwiney Community College, Knocknaheeny, aims to empower the local youth by integrating academic and cultural resources.

Led by principal Phil OFlynn, the initiative addresses the communitys demand for educational diversity.

By establishing an Aonad Lan-Ghaeilge, where all subjects are taught through Irish, Barr na gCnoc fosters a comprehensive Irish-language education from first year through to Leaving Certificate.

At the summer camp this week, The Kabin Studio brought their expertise in music production, with the workshops facilitated by Garry McCarthy (GMC Beats), Seamus Barra O Suilleabhain, The Kabin tutors, and UCC students.

Participants were guided through the process of writing and recording raps, but as Gaeilge. The initiative underscores the importance of culturally relevant language learning and community engagement, Prof O Machain said. By embedding the Irish language into students hobbies and interests, the programme aims to provide a sense of belonging and confidence.

Speaking to The Echo, project manager at Barr na gCnoc, Adel Coleman, said 14 young people have taken part in this inaugural year of the workshops. Theyre loving it, she said.

At the moment, theres a sean-nos dancer in with them and theyre rapping to the beat of the taps.

The summer camp concludes today with a showcase at The Kabin.
THE new Lord Mayor of Cork, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle, has welcomed Echo boy Dave Hogan to City Hall, noting ruefully that he is not the first person in that office to do so.

Mr Boyle is the fourth lord mayor to receive a visit from Mr Hogan, a new tradition begun three terms ago by the then lord mayor Colm Kelleher, and kept going by his successors Deirdre Forde and Kieran McCarthy.

Youre probably more familiar with this office than I am, quipped Mr Boyle, as he greeted Mr Hogan, referring to him as the last torchbearer of a fine Cork tradition.

For over 130 years, the streets of Cork rang out with the call of The Echo, but where once there were dozens of Echo boys plying their trade, their cries known as the song of the city, now there is only one left, sitting on Oliver Plunkett Street six days a week, in all weathers.

A Farranree native, Mr Hogan has been a newsvendor since he was nine, and says he is three years away from his 50th anniversary.

Dave is held in enormous affection for the work he does, and Im grateful that hes honoured me by coming to the office, highlighting the fact that hes such an important part of the city, Mr Boyle said.

Mr Hogan said he wished Mr Boyle a very pleasant year as lord mayor, and he thanked the people of Cork for their ongoing kindness and support.

Offering his condolences to Marie Allen on the death of her husband, former lord mayor and Cork North Central TD, Bernard, Mr Hogan said Mr Allen had helped him on a number of occasions.

Mr Hogan, who regularly visits his sister Tracey in Texas, also called on both sides in the ongoing Aer Lingus dispute to resolve their differences, and thanked his friend, Kaytlyn Fitzharris-Byrne in Barters Travelnet in Douglas, for her help in organising a cancellation.

His trip to the Lone Star State is now scheduled toward the years end and, rarely off duty, he mused: Youd sell some Holly Boughs there.
Bus Eireann is short 35 drivers to provide the expected level of service throughout Cork city, with just 16 currently in training.

A spokesperson for the company told The Echo that it will require 2,000 drivers nationally in the next three years, but does not have a breakdown available by region.

Six months ago, Bus Eireann was telling councillors there was no problem with recruitment or staffing levels, said Green Party councillor Oliver Moran.

The admission of clear numbers now is a very serious matter and an enormous let-down in trust for commuters.

If there arent enough drivers for the current services, how can we expect to meet the BusConnects plans?

Bus Eireann is building a new depot to accommodate 150 new buses next year, yet they admit to being 35 drivers short for their even existing routes. Who will drive these new buses?

Mr Moran will move a motion at Cork City Council, asking that the local authority writes to the minister for transport.

Motion

The motion will include requesting the Department of Transport engages with the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment to remove barriers to the recruitment of drivers from overseas, including the addition of bus drivers to the Critical Skills Occupations List.

A spokesperson for Bus Eireann said: Like other operators in the industry, we are facing significant short-term challenges for the recruitment of both drivers and mechanics.

The spokesperson explained that a briefing session was held with Cork public representatives on June 25, and that it was confirmed to Mr Moran that Bus Eireann was short 35 drivers,

The spokesperson stated: This is a live figure and regularly changes due to recruitment, promotions, retirements, etc. There are a number of drivers currently progressing through the Cork driver training school.

They added that this is supported by their ongoing intensive driver recruitment campaigns, stating: Bus Eireann held a Cork open evening on July 3 and are holding two more this month. We encourage anyone who has an interest in becoming a bus driver and wants to find out more about the career to attend.

Recruitment campaign

They detailed their driver recruitment campaign launched in February, saying: This campaign continues to be very successful.

Despite all this, we see a shortage of drivers. This is owing to a very competitive market and a lack of D-licence holders.

This requires significant investment in time and money to scale a B-licence driver to a D-licence driver. Last year, we successfully aided 60 such transfers, they said, adding that they have established a training school in Cork.

We are building a pipeline of both drivers and mechanics but, owing to the welcome expansion of services and our ambitious growth targets, recruitment is an ongoing difficulty.

Due to a number of factors, including retirement and service enhancement, we will need approximately an additional 2,000 drivers over the next three years.

We are continuing to review and expand our approach, and targeting drivers in international markets is now part of our strategy.
A book of evidence is to be prepared in the case against a 31-year-old Cork man who is accused of carrying out a robbery at a shop at Blackpool in Cork.

Detective Sergeant Kieran OSullivan originally arrested Aidan Cullinane, of 2 St. Josephs Park, The Lough, Cork, and brought him before Cork District Court.

The detective testified that when he arrested, charged, and cautioned the young man that he did not have to reply but that anything he might say could be taken down in writing and given in evidence, the accused man made no reply.

The charge states that on January 22 at 7.40am it is alleged that he entered Daybreak on Thomas Davis Street, Blackpool, and carried out a robbery of 220 from the woman who was behind the counter at the premises.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, stated that a book of evidence would be required in the case against the accused.

On the application of Sergeant Dave Delea, Judge Mary Dorgan adjourned the case until September 3 to allow time for preparation and service of the book of evidence.
THE Government has been urged to increase funding for adult in-patient beds for the treatment of eating disorders (ED), as no beds are available to patients in Cork.

According to the HSE National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders, which was launched in 2018, it is estimated that 188,895 people in Ireland will experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives.

Treatment figures published by the Government body show that 385 patients were diagnosed with an ED nationwide last year, an increase of 200 on the previous year. Twice as many assessments were also recorded within the same period.

A spokesperson for HSE Cork-Kerry Community Healthcare said that while there are no beds available in Cork for patients presenting with an ED, there is capacity available within specific HSE mental health centres across the county.

Range of treatments

HSE Mental Health Services in Cork offer a range of treatments for people with EDs, the spokesperson stated.

Cork has an ED team for adults, one of the six Adult National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders (NCPED) teams across the country.

While there are no beds solely used for the treatment of EDs in Cork, its important to note that if an adult with an ED needs in-patient care, they can be referred to any of our acute in-patient mental health centres. There is capacity within these services to admit people with EDs when there is a clinical need to do so.

Adults presenting with an ED can also be treated in an acute hospital if their physical health needs require this level of care.

Despite this availability of services, a call for funding, issued by Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns, describes the current state of service offerings to patients as shameful due to the lack of support received by the sector since 2018.

Patients with eating disorders continue to be abandoned by this Government, she said.

Promised

Disgracefully, there are just three public in-patient beds in the country for the treatment of EDs in adults, all of them in St Vincents in Dublin.

Ms Cairns further highlighted that when the current Taoiseach, Simon Harris, served as minister for health, a commitment was made to deliver 20 new beds by 2023.

In the past six years, there has been zero funding for the additional inpatient beds promised, said Ms Cairns.

There is an urgent need for increased specialised inpatient facilities across the country, in addition to the expansion of outpatient services and, crucially, improved access to counselling.

Ms Cairns urged the Government to consider re-evaluating the model of care that is offered to adults who suffer with EDs.

Too often, EDs are dealt with as just a matter of bringing a patients weight up instead of as a mental health disorder, she said.

There must be specialised training in this area for psychiatric staff, those working in ED teams, dieticians, and, importantly, GPs.

There is also a need to update the 2018 Eating Disorders Services model of care, which is now out of date, along with the recruitment of additional staff for ED teams around the country.
A Cork TD has warned of potential road accidents as a result of dead trees, urging the Government and local authorities to intervene on the issue.

Speaking in the Dail, Fine Gael TD for Cork East, David Stanton, said the countryside is full of dead ash trees, many of which are by roadsides.

Last winter, I saw that a number of them had fallen down under heavy winds, storms, and so on. This posed serious risk to people using the roadways.

Since then, I have noticed many more of them around the country. One can see the dead trees in the hedgerows with the other trees. They are extraordinarily dangerous.

Guide

He mentioned a guide published in 2021 by the Department of Agriculture for landowners to manage roadside trees, saying it clearly stated that dead trees should be felled.

If a tree falls down on a road at night, someone could drive into it. I do not want to be here next winter bemoaning the fact that action was not taken and awareness was not raised on this issue, he said.

I do not want to be here, or someone else to be here, asking why we did not raise awareness or why the local authorities did not take action; identify the trees and contact the landowners to tell them it is their responsibility to take down these trees.

He requested that the Government instruct local authorities to carry out surveys and if trees are found that are obviously dead and could easily fall in a gale, then notify the landowner that they have to be removed.

Landowner

A Cork County Council spokesperson told The Echo: Cork County Councils position would be that the management of trees on private property is the responsibility of the landowner under the 1993 Roads Act.

There are no plans to carry out surveys of existing trees bordering public roads as they are generally on private land. It would not be appropriate to carry out same unless formal instructions are issued to local authorities by central Government.

Local authorities certainly wouldnt have the resources to undertake the task currently.
A CORK secondary school has sought planning permission for an extension, which it said would provide state-of-the-art educational facilities on the site into the future and address a shortfall in the number of classrooms if green lit.

The application, lodged with Cork City Council by Christian Brothers College Board of Management, proposes the demolition of an existing astroturf pitch and the construction of a part two-storey and part three-storey building at the colleges campus on Sidney Hill.

Permission is also sought for an all-weather playing pitch, sheltered bicycle parking, car parking spaces and other ancillary works.

A design statement submitted with the application said the proposed development has been informed by a comprehensive needs analysis conducted by the Board of Management of Christian Brothers College with all relevant stakeholders.

It said the proposed new building is designed to accommodate 150 pupils of the current school population of 920 pupils and that management does not intend to increase overall student numbers beyond the existing 920 pupil enrolment.

The design statement said the new building would address a shortfall in the number of classrooms on the school campus which impacts on the schools ability to meet identified targets such as reducing class sizes and increasing subject offerings.

It stated that, while planning permission was granted in 2020 for a new five-storey development on a site to the southwest of the subject site of the current planning application, a subsequent review by the Board of Management, in consultation with Edmund Rice Schools Trust, decided that the previously permitted development was not commercially viable and should not proceed in its original form.

It is now expected that the schools requirements for additional space will be met instead through the development proposed in this planning application, the statement said.

A decision is due by August 15.
Simon Harris has said the election of a Labour government in the UK can herald a great reset in Anglo-Irish relations.

The Taoiseach said he looks forward to working closely with Keir Starmer as he acknowledged his comprehensive victory in the recent British general election.

I want to congratulate him and his family, his staff, and his candidates, and as Taoiseach I look forward to working together as close neighbours and as friends, he said.

The relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom is deeply consequential for all people across these islands, and the relationship between an Irish Taoiseach and a British prime minister is vital.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin said the Anglo-Irish relationship was both rich and important, after speaking with the UKs new foreign secretary David Lammy yesterday evening.

Mr Martin, who is also minister for foreign affairs, said the emergence of a new UK government offered a significant opportunity and that there was much to discuss.

The relationship between London and Dublin has been under severe strain in recent years.

The turbulence caused by Brexit and the Conservative governments controversial laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles were areas of major tension.

Mr Starmer has pledged to repeal the legislation that offered conditional immunity for perpetrators of Troubles crimes.

Today is about looking forward, Mr Harris said as he addressed reporters at Government Buildings in Dublin.

Its about realising the full potential of that relationship between Taoiseach and prime minister and between our governments. It is time for a great reset.

Mr Martin said: I was pleased to speak this evening with the new UK foreign secretary David Lammy and to congratulate him on Labours election victory and his appointment to his new role.

We agreed that there is now a significant opportunity for a reset of our bilateral relationship.

There is much for us to discuss, and I am looking forward to engaging on all these issues with the foreign secretary over the period ahead.

Our countries share a relationship that is as rich as it is important...We are significant trading partners with countless family ties, reaching across these islands.

Most critically, together, the British and Irish governments are co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement. I look forward to building on that foundation to ensure positive progress together and to take forward our shared agenda.
A northside councillor has said that, if something is not done soon, it is only a matter of time before lives are lost in a derelict former convent and Magdalene Laundry which has once again suffered a fire.

The former Good Shepherd Convent site in Sundays Well suffered its fifth blaze in recent years on Friday evening, with two units of Cork Fire Brigade putting out what they described as  a rubbish fire inside the building.

It is understood that this fire was not serious.

Kenneth Collins, Sinn Fein councillor for the Cork City North West ward, said it was absolutely disgraceful behaviour out of the owners of the property that the property had been allowed to fall into dereliction.

This is the fifth fire in the last several years and they need to do something about it, because someone is going to get killed there, trapped in a fire, it isnt good enough.

I will be raising this matter with Cork City Council alongside my colleague Michelle Gould, and we will be calling on the council to carry out a compulsory purchase order and do something with the site, because if this continues, it will be only a matter of time before someone is killed, Mr Collins said.

Its unbelievable that another fire is taking up resources, and that is a difficult site for the Fire Brigade to get into. In September 2018, Drogheda-based Moneda Developments Limited secured planning permission through An Bord Pleanala with a proposal to build 234 apartments at the site, which has remained derelict since.

The site was placed on Cork City Councils derelict sites register in 2019.

Last year, following a number of reports of anti-social behaviour on the property, Fianna Fail councillor Tony Fitzgerald called on the sites owners to secure it before someone was seriously injured.

The owners of Good Shepherd Covent must respond to residents concerns about health and safety issues at the site, and trespassing issues which will only increase over the summer months, Mr Fitzgerald said.

I am calling on the owners to take immediate action, as a lack of security at the site is attracting anti-social behaviour there regularly.

He said the ruined convent was in extremely poor condition and he described as an accident waiting to happen reports of young people repeatedly accessing the upper storeys of the western section of the building.

Crews from Cork Fire Brigade battle a fire at the former Good Shepherd convent and Magdalene laundry in Sunday's Well in September 2022. Picture: Donal O'Keeffe

Completed in 1881, the site is a former Magdalene Laundry and is also home to the mortal remains of Ellen Organ, better known as "Little Nellie of Holy God", a girl who died aged just four in 1908, and who is venerated within the Catholic Church as the unofficial patron saint of Cork. Little Nellie is buried in the nuns' graveyard on the north-east edge of the site.

There is also a mass grave at the north-west extreme of the site, at the top of a sheer hill and beneath a vandalised memorial stone cross, containing an uncertain number of women who died in the Magdalene Laundry.

Thirty names are recorded on the memorial but  as reported by Conall O Fatharta in the Irish Examiner  four of those women are also recorded as being buried, in two separate mass graves, in St Josephs Cemetery.

One of those graves was only discovered by Justice For Magdalenes Research in 2012, when they also found a grave in Kilcully Cemetery.

That grave appears to contain later burials from both the Good Shepherd and Peacock Lane laundries.

The Echo was unsuccessful in attempts to contact Moneda Developments.
CORK actor Mairead Tyers is currently riding high.

Since graduating from Londons esteemed acting school, RADA, in 2020, she has showcased her acting prowess in Disneys hit series Extraordinary, earned a BAFTA nomination, and is now captivating audiences with her role in Amazon Primes latest hot show, My Lady Jane.

Not your typical historical drama, My Lade Jane is a unique blend of comedy, drama, and fantasy that reimagines the story of Englands Nine Days Queen, Lady Jane Grey.

With its quirky characters, irreverent humour, and surprising fantasy element, the show, set in the 1550s, offers a fresh feminist twist on history, which was a big draw for Tyers.

It is a female-led reimagining of history, she explained.

I didnt know much about that side of English history, but learning about it and then learning what they would do to change it felt really exciting.

The team, Jamie Babbit and Laurie MacDonald, and all these other women have been a part of the industry in such an impactful way, making incredible film and TV.

It felt like a no-brainer to be a part of it.

Tyers plays Susannah, a servant to Lady Jane Grey and Janes closest friend and confidante. There is also a secret side to Susannah, one we cant talk about; it is too big of a spoiler to reveal.

Emily Bader as Lady Jane Grey in the new series on Amazon Prime

It makes for a funny interview; side-stepping the big thing and finding ways to navigate around. Tyers can talk about how much she enjoyed playing a multi-faceted character.

I find it really exciting to have the experience of playing a character who changes and evolves so much throughout the series, she said.

In the first episode, so many things happen to Susanna.

She goes from being where she was comfortable and has a structure and purpose and then has to leave to find herself again.

Tyers says she formed a close friendship with Emily Bader, who plays Lady Jane, mirroring their on-screen friendship.

I adore working with Emily, we get on so well, and shes incredibly talented.

We formed a gorgeous friendship naturally and got to play that on screen. Its really beautiful to see complex female friendships on screen.

The story is English, and while most of the characters play nobles, with their defined received pronunciation, Susanah stands out, not just because of her Irish accent but because she sneaks in plenty of Corkisms.

Tyers isnt sure if her characters accent was intentional or a happy accident.

I auditioned in my own accent, but I dont know if the character was always meant to be Irish. Gemma [Burgess], the writer, has some Irish family, particularly in Cork, so she put in some Corkisms.

There is a brilliant, unexpected moment when Susannah calls someone a langer, not something you often hear in a television show and certainly not one set in Medieval England.

Langer is only going to be relevant to people who are from Cork; its a nice little Easter egg, not something I ever thought I would hear in a show produced by Prime. Tyers laughs.

The Ballinhassig actor says she sees a similarity between herself and Susannah.

Without saying too much, when she begins to get her freedom and is allowed to express who she is, she has to stand up for herself and her identity.

Moving to London from Ireland allowed me to lean into who I was and my identity.

You lean into your Irishness and realise how proud you are. You become more patriotic. Theres a similarity between my [experience] and Susannas as she leaves her structures behind and accepts her identity.

Extraordinary, which saw Tyers nominated for a BAFTA, and My Lady Jane are both comedy dramas with a fantasy element and a lot of heart. Is it a coincidence that Tyers finds herself in a similar genre again so soon?

It is a coincidence that my first major roles are a similar genre, but I am drawn to them. I love watching things that make people laugh one minute, and the next minute you can feel a lump in your throat. Emma, who wrote Extraordinary, and Gemma, whos written this, both have that talent down to a tee.

Tyers shares that talent. She has a great sense of comic timing and can pull at the audiences heartstrings in the same beat.

Early this year, fellow Cork actor Siobhan McSweeney, who plays Tyers on screen mammy in Extraordinary, told The Echo that Cork people are naturally inclined to be funny, which helps Cork actors play this type of role. Does Tyers agree?

Absolutely. There is a natural comic timing, and you cant take yourself too seriously [when you are from Cork]. It is just what we do. There is a quick-wittedness that comes from people from Cork.

With Cork actors dominating awards ceremonies and appearing on stages and screens worldwide, Tyers believes the success of one helps the success of another.

Its fantastic. Representation really matters. It helps so much when you see someone with the same background as you succeed so brilliantly. The arts are so strong in Cork; it isnt a coincidence that so many fantastic actors are coming out of Cork.

We all hold a sense of pride about where were from, and when you bring that pride into the work, it stamps an identity on you in a very strong way. We are all so proud to be from Cork.

My Lady Jane can be streamed on Prime.
The water taxi dubbed Woodstock will ferry passengers between Oakland and Alameda starting later this month. City of Alameda The water taxi Woodstock will ferry passengers between Oakland and Alameda until a pedestrian bridge is completed. City of Alameda

The planned water taxi service crossing the estuary that separates Oakland and Alameda will start operating July 17. The service, expected to last two years, will work as a temporary solution until a permanent pedestrian and cycleable bridge is built, and will operate between public docks in Alamedas Bohol Circle Immigrant Park and Oaklands Jack London Square.

Nicknamed Woodstock, this ADA accessible water shuttle will be free of charge and have a maximum capacity of 30 people, offering a practical alternative to the Webster Tube, which has become increasingly challenging to use due to increasing congestion. It also represents an effort of the Bay Areas public authorities to develop more sustainable mobility, by getting people out of their cars and into public transport.

While there is still no official ridership estimate, the service is expected to be quite popular, said Sarah Henry, public information officer for the City of Alameda. Because of this, up to 37 daily rides have been programmed, in three different schedules:

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Wednesdays and Thursdays: The first service will leave Oakland at 7 a.m., with the last one departing at 7:10 p.m.

Fridays: The first shuttle leaves Oakland at 8 a.m., with service to 8:15 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays: Service will run from 8 a.m. to 8:20 p.m.

Each trip will take under 10 minutes, and the service will work with a 30-minute interval between departures from each side of the Oakland estuary.

A look inside the water taxi that will carry pedestrians and bicyclists between Alameda and Oakland. City of Alameda

The 45-foot-long shuttle, originally used by a tour boat operator in Buffalo, N.Y., before renovations, is inspired by Amsterdams water transport system, although this is not the first time that a water shuttle has operated in the Oakland estuary. In the early 2000s, a privately operated water taxi offered its services, although that shut down due to the lack of funding and disuse.

The Oakland-Alameda water shuttle is a joint public/private project between the City of Alameda, the Alameda Transportation Management Association, the Port of Oakland and San Francisco Bay Ferry. The project has been funded with $1 million in grants from the Alameda Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, as well as $1.7 million from ATMA, the City of Alameda and other partners.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Tom Tuite

A father of four, who repeatedly punched and kicked his grieving sister-in-law in the head during a "savage" assault in Athlone, has been handed a two-year prison sentence.

The tensions and events surrounding the drink-fuelled attack by Patrick Sherlock (37) on his late wife's sister, Patricia McDonnell, were described by Judge Keenan Johnson as "a tragedy of Shakespearian proportions".

At Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court, he said it was a nightmare attack and the mother of 16, who lost consciousness, suffered a broken jaw and extensive facial injuries, was "truly inspirational and fearless".

The remarks came after she opened up in an emotionally charged hearing, and the background to the attack, the death of her sister, as well as losing two sons within three years were laid bare.

However, she did not want her six-foot-five attacker to be imprisoned and hoped he could be reunited with his children.

Mechanic Sherlock of St Paul's Terrace, Athlone, Co Westmeath, who has been the subject of false and malicious rumours about his wife's death, pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to Patricia McDonnell, then 46, on April 7th 2023, in the Iona Park area.

Sherlock, who was visibly upset as he apologised in court, had been married to her sister Christine, who died tragically in 2022.

Sentence

On Friday, Judge Keenan Johnson imposed a five-year sentence but suspended the final three with strict conditions.

He acknowledged that it was lenient but stressed it was not a precedent and that he imposed it due to the exceptional circumstances of the case.

He also ordered Sherlock to pay 12,000 compensation and backdated the sentence until April last year, when Sherlock was remanded in custody.

Garda Tom Kelly said the grieving victim had gone to her sister's home after she learned of the death of her son, Martin, in a traffic accident the previous day.

However, within hours, there was a row with another woman. There were also taunts against Sherlock about the death of his wife a year earlier.

John Shortt SC, defending, said they "sparked this eruption in violence".

Ms McDonnell suffered extensive facial injuries with long-term effects, but she told Judge Keenan Johnson she did not want to see her brother-in-law jailed because "his children need him in their lives."

He had been in custody since the date of his arrest.

Garda Kelly agreed with prosecution counsel John Hayden that at 4.50am, she was lying prone on the ground and bleeding from her head.

Argument

Patrick Sherlock had been drinking in pubs earlier and drove there after 4am. "Something was said" during an argument involving several family members, angering Sherlock.

The victim was knocked to the ground, and the court saw video evidence of her attacker delivering "full force" kicks to Ms McDonnell's head three times, and he punched her twice to the head as she lay motionless on the ground.

A witness heard him saying, "I told you I would get you".

The court heard that Sherlock had been the subject of unfounded rumours in the community and on social media that he was to blame for his wife's accidental death. Her death was ruled as accidental asphyxiation, and no foul play was involved.

Just before the attack on Ms McDonnell, there had been a row, and the victim was saying, "Where's Paddy? Where's the murderer?".

When she went outside, she heard a car coming very fast and another person pushed her and told the accused "Paddy, she is after stabbing me".

The court heard Sherlock jumped out of the car. Patricia ran but was knocked to the ground, and she did not recall events after that.

Sherlock handed himself in the following day and told gardai he had four or five beers and three vodkas before driving to the scene.

Garda Kelly agreed with counsel that Sherlock initially claimed "he had only tripped Patricia, and that is how she ended up on the ground".

However, once they showed him the video footage, "he held his hands up" and expressed outrage at his behaviour.

In the interview, he addressed the issue of them talking about the death of his wife and how he took great exception to that.

Bereavement issues

In court, he apologised, saying he was ashamed and that he wanted help for addiction and bereavement issues.

In a poignant statement, the victim recalled, "My son died a day before the attack, and because I was hospitalised on April 7th, 2023, I was unable to attend my son's funeral."

"This has severely affected my grieving process. To this day, I find it difficult to accept his death. I need constant psychological support and reassurance in dealing with his loss."

She said in a prepared victim impact statement that the accused was the father of his sister's four children, "and his children need him in their lives." She said she would accept the judge's ruling if he decided Sherlock had spent enough time in prison.

Ms McDonnell, whose mental health has suffered since the attack, also got into the witness box to say, "I wouldn't like to see Paddy suffer. To be honest, the two of us have been through an awful lot."

She accepted there was no foul play in the death of her sister.

"I will get over my injuries; as I said, I am still grieving for my son. It's not just one. My other son died a year before that in a car crash, too. I've lost two sons, I've lost a sister within three years, and then this happened.

"You know, what happened, happened. None of us can turn back time. You just have to move on."

"For Paddy as well, he does deserve a life, kids. I know what it is like to lose children, and I wouldn't like to see Paddy lose contact with his children's lives. It is the worst thing that could ever happen."

She added that seeing the accused go home would not bother her because his children needed him, and he was a good father who previously had a good relationship with her late sister.

The court heard she could not collect 13 social welfare payments because she was bedridden after the attack. Medical expenses, including teeth reconstruction, came to 9,290.

Choking back tears, Sherlock apologised in court, said he was ashamed and would get help for his own addiction and grief problems, and he paid 3,000 over in court to his victim.

A probation report stated he was at a moderate risk of reoffending.

He had also completed anger management, restorative justice and victim awareness courses while on remand in prison. He had also done a Red Cross overdose prevention programme.

He had convictions for assaults between 2002 and 2005 and was jailed for a year, but the garda agreed with Mr Shortt SC (with Eugene Deering BL) that since then, Sherlock had been law-abiding for 18 years and never came to more garda attention until the attack on Ms McDonnell.

He also attained a qualification, married and raised a family, and was a well-respected mechanic.
IMAGINE, as a young child, receiving a new book in the post every month, addressed to you. For children enrolled in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library this is exactly what happens, explains Michelle Keane, programme coordinator of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in the Mahon area.

The programme is open to all children in the Mahon area from birth to the age of five.

Every month they get a book in the post addressed to them. The books are of a high quality and are age appropriate, said Michelle.

What were hoping the programme will do is to foster a love of reading in children, and help them to build their own library of books.

By the end of their time in the programme at age five, every child will have been gifted a total of 60 books. And these arent randomly selected, second-hand books, says Michelle.

The books are shiny new books that have been carefully selected to suit every childs age. These arent leftover books.

In fact, a partnership with Penguin Random House in 2005 means all the books delivered under the Dolly Parton Imagination Library are from the Penguin catalogue. New books and classics, fiction and non-fiction, educational and fun. The books are chosen by an expert selection committee and the selection is refreshed every year.

This means that if you have more than one child, theyre not all getting the same book. Each child in your family will get their own book and it will be different from their sibling.

This is great because your family will be able to build up a lovely library of great quality books that you can read with your children, explains Michelle.

Dolly Parton established the programme in 1995 in her home county of Sevier in Tennessee. She was inspired by her father, who never learned to read, but who created stories for her. The programme grew quickly in the U.S and has expanded globally to cover five countries. In 2019, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library was launched in Dublin, and it was brought to Cork in 2020.

The scope of the programme is incredible. In all, more than three million children in the U.S, the UK, Australia, Canada and Ireland receive monthly books. Almost a quarter of a billion books have been sent out since the programmes launch in 1995. Here in Cork, around 2,300 children are currently receiving their books each month, or have already graduated from the programme.

For Michelle, the programme is personal. Her granddaughter is enrolled in the programme and receives her book every month.

My granddaughter loves getting her book in the post with her name on it. And because she knows I run the programme in Mahon where we live, she thinks the book is coming from me. That has created a special connection between us.

The beauty of this programme is how inclusive it is. Every child is entitled to their book every month. There is no catch, explains Michelle.

This is a genuine programme that is all about developing a love of reading in our children and giving them access to books, their own books.

Like with all the individual Dolly Parton Imagination Library programmes around the world, the one in Mahon is funded by a variety of parties, including the Cork City Partnership and Lets Grow Together! Infant and Childhood Partnerships.

There are a number of other areas running the programme too including the nNorth-west sector of Cork City, Carrigtwohill, Ashbourne House and Kinsale Road Accommodation Centre. And those of us managing the project in each area call ourselves the Dollies, says Michelle.

My job as the programme co-ordinator is to tell people about the programme first of all. Then its important that I build up a relationship with them; some people arent used to getting something like this for free. You do need to be gentle when youre supporting people.

Books will never go out of fashion. And this project is a brilliant way to encourage children to love reading.

The book they get every month is a tangible thing, just for them. And itll never go to waste. I encourage people to pay it forward, maybe donate the books to schools or a library when theyve outgrown them.

Michelle has been involved in community development in one way or another for years.

Im so proud of the work I do, and I particularly love this project. Im always talking about my job and what I do; my kids have grown up listening to me, but thats great, they know, and now my granddaughter knows that what I do is help people in my community, said Michelle.
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.

From their name, you might think Florida carpenter ants (Camponotus floridanus) are good at building things  and they are  but they have another potentially lifesaving talent: They are experts at wound care and surgery.

A common species native to the state, these amazing insects selectively treat their nestmates wounded limbs by cleaning or amputating them, a press release from Cell Press said.

In a new study, an international team of researchers detailed how these treatments not only aided in nestmates recovery, but showed that the choice of care provided by the treating ants catered to the specific type of injury.

When were talking about amputation behavior, this is literally the only case in which a sophisticated and systematic amputation of an individual by another member of its species occurs in the animal Kingdom, said Erik Frank, lead author of the study and a behavioral ecologist with the University of Wurzburg, in the press release.

While wound care is not entirely novel among ants, carpenter ants are the only known species to use solely mechanical methods to carry out their treatments. A paper published last year found that another group of ants used a special gland to introduce antimicrobial compounds into injuries.

The research team discovered that carpenter ants mechanical care comes in two types: using their mouthparts to clean the wound and cleaning the wound prior to a full leg amputation. Before deciding which treatment to use, the provider ants seem to assess the injury in order to make educated adjustments regarding the best method of care.

The study analyzed two types of injuries: femur lacerations and lacerations on the ankle-like tibia. Initial cleaning was given for all femur injuries, followed by the removal of the leg by a nestmate chewing it off. The only treatment given for tibia injuries, however, was mouth cleaning.

In both cases, intervention led to a much higher survival rate for ants with infected wounds.

Femur injuries, where they always amputated the leg, had a success rate around 90% or 95%. And for the tibia, where they did not amputate, it still achieved about the survival rate of 75%, Frank said in the press release.

Untreated infected tibia and femur abrasions had a survival rate of 15 and 40 percent, respectively.

The team surmised that the chosen type of wound care could be associated with infection risk from the wound site. Femur scans showed it is primarily made up of muscle tissue, which suggests it has a role in pumping blood from the leg to the main part of the body.

With femur injuries, the compromised muscles were less able to circulate blood that is potentially contaminated with bacteria. The tibia, on the other hand, doesnt have much muscle tissue or involvement in the circulation of blood.

In tibia injuries, the flow of the hemolymph was less impeded, meaning bacteria could enter the body faster. While in femur injuries the speed of the blood circulation in the leg was slowed down, Frank said.

This would seem to mean that amputating the leg would be the best choice with tibia injuries, but the researchers found the opposite to be true. They discovered that how fast the ants were able to amputate made a difference.

It took a minimum of 40 minutes for an ant-assisted amputation. In cases of an injury to the tibia, it was shown that not amputating the leg immediately post-infection meant the ant would die.

Thus, because they are unable to cut the leg sufficiently quickly to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria, ants try to limit the probability of lethal infection by spending more time cleaning the tibia wound, said Laurent Keller, senior author of the study and an evolutionary biologist at the University of Lausanne, in the press release.

The study, Wound-dependent leg amputations to combat infections in an ant society, was published in the journal Current Biology.

The fact that the ants are able to diagnose a wound, see if its infected or sterile, and treat it accordingly over long periods of time by other individuals  the only medical system that can rival that would be the human one, Frank said.

Keller noted that these sophisticated behaviors seemed to be inherent in carpenter ants.

Its really all innate behavior, Keller said. Ant behaviors change based on the age of an individual, but there is very little evidence of any learning.

The research team is currently conducting similar experiments in other species of carpenter ant to find out how intact the behavior is and whether all ant species that dont have the antimicrobial gland perform amputations. The slow removal of an ants limb while conscious also brings up the consideration of pain in ant societies.

When you look at the videos where you have the ant presenting the injured leg and letting the other one bite off completely voluntarily, and then present the newly made wound so another one can finish [the] cleaning process  this level of innate cooperation to me is quite striking, Frank said.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

A firefighting C-130 Hercules tanker releases fire retardant on a ridge while battling the Thompson Fire in Oroville, California on July 3, 2024. Stephen Lam / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

As of Thursday afternoon, the Thompson wildfire in northern California was contained enough for most of the roughly 17,000 residents who had been evacuated to return home.

The fire began near Oroville on Tuesday, but was 46 percent contained as of Friday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Overall, things are looking pretty good, said Kevin Colburn, Cal Fire spokesperson, as The New York Times reported. The fire is not doing what it was doing on the first day. Its not burning with a rapid rate of spread. Its pretty much staying in the footprint that its in.

While Colburn said officials were feeling more confident, some residents remained uneasy.

The Thompson Fire had burned 3,789 acres by the time powerful winds that had initially driven the wildfire weakened.

Evacuation orders and warnings were lifted for 20-plus zones by the Butte County Sheriffs Office Thursday, with orders and warnings being downgraded for an additional 20 or so.

Kristi Olio, a Butte County public information officer, said the vast majority of those under orders or warnings to evacuate had been able to return home, reported The Associated Press. Earlier reports were that 26,000 had been under orders or warnings, Olio said, which was inaccurate. The number was closer to 17,000, but the fire had developed so quickly it had been hard to get definite numbers.

According to Cal Fire, 25 structures had been destroyed by the fire, while six were damaged and 4,384 were threatened.

Four firefighters had reported injuries, all due to the extreme heat, The Associated Press reported.

An excessive heat warning was still in effect.

For today, dangerous heat will continue across the incident. Afternoon temperatures will climb into the 104-112 range, Cal Fire said. The hot and dry conditions will continue through Sunday and early next week.

Officials said the increasing heat, along with low humidity, could add to more fire activity, reported The New York Times. Two smaller fires started near Oroville on Wednesday, but were quickly brought under control.

The winds are slowly picking up, said Chris Peterson, an information officer for Cal Fire, as The Associated Press reported. You add that with the heat and low humidity, and the fire potential increases.

Butte County is no stranger to destructive wildfires. In 2018, Paradise  a town of less than 7,000 residents 21 miles north of Oroville  was nearly destroyed by the deadly Camp Fire, which killed 85 people.

As millions across the United States endure a scorching heat wave, California is experiencing significantly more wildfire activity at this point, a statement from the office of Governor Gavin Newsom said, as reported by The Associated Press.
(Copyright by World Economic Forum / Valeriano Di Domenico)Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India during the Opening of the Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 23, 2018.

A crowd crush at a religious gathering in northern India that killed more than 120 people, mostly women, was one of the deadliest such incidents the country has seen in recent years.

Many of the scores killed on July 2 had fallen into an open sewer next to the venue, CNN reported.

Police are investigating the organizers. They say 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 preacher who led the overcrowded prayer meeting has denied blame and pledged to cooperate with the police investigation, the BBC reported Jan. 4.

According to a lawyer for the self-styled "godman" who led the event known as Bhole Baba, the crush occurred "due to some anti-social elements" and blamed a "criminal conspiracy hatched against" his client, the BBC reported.

The disaster happened at a prayer meeting, known as a satsang, in Mughal Garhi village in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state.

The Hathras district village is around 200 kilometers (124 miles) southeast of the national capital, New Delhi.

At least 121 people died, and 35 others were injured, Sandeep Singh, the Minister of State for Education, told reporters, after a large number of people rushed to touch Bhole Baba's feet, leading to a crush.

Virtually all those killed were women, Singh said earlier, and there were at least seven children among the dead.

The tragedy sparked outrage in India, triggering questions about a lack of security measures.

Singh denied reports that security guards at the festival triggered panic by pushing away people who tried to get Bhole Baba's blessing.

"Totally false allegation," Singh told the BBC. "Security staff always provide help to the followers."

The crush occurred in Pulrai village, where Bhole Baba held a religious gathering.

Police said that officials initially had granted permission for 80,000 people to attend, but around 250,000 people attended the event.

The report says the chaos began as the preacher drove off.

Eyewitnesses said people lost their footing and started falling on top of each other as hundreds rushed towards the preacher as he was leaving the venue.
Want more? Subscribe to our premium service!

Key Energy News offers carefully selected global news on a wide selection of energy topics - tax, price, supply, contract, forecast, energy market and policy to name a few - in the form of a daily, weekly or monthly newsletter. Benefit from our powerful search functionalities, query capabilities, archive browsing & saving capabilities and enhanced preference options.

Take advantage of our free trial!
Crew members set up the fireworks displays on barges in San Francisco on July Fourth. One barge of fireworks will go to Pier 39, and the other to Aquatic Park. Juliana Yamada/Special to The Chronicle The two crew chiefs are alumni of Stanford, which is why many of the crew members are university students. Juliana Yamada/Special to The Chronicle The crew has been preparing the barges for two days. When they are finished, the barges will be pushed up the bay by a tug boat. Juliana Yamada/Special to The Chronicle Fourth of July fireworks erupt over San Francisco Bay with the Golden Gate Bridge in the foreground as seen from the Marin Headlands in Sausalito. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle One show went off in front of Pier 39 and another by Aquatic Park. The shows began at 9:30 and lasted 20 minutes. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

Off a pier in San Francisco, a crew of 30 men and women maneuvered thousands of pounds of explosives across two floating barges moored to a bulkhead.

On Thursday night, those barges will be pushed up the bay by tugboats. The explosives will be ignited, rocketed into the sky and explode above thousands of people for the citys annual Fishermans Wharf Fourth of July firework show.

Each barge is over 100 feet long. The dazzling 20 minute display in front of Pier 39 and Aquatic Park belies the hours of preparation needed to bring it to life.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The anticipated holiday shows are due to the work of people like Pat Dyas, 61, whos been orchestrating firework shows for 40 years. Dyas is a producer for Pyro Spectaculars by Souza, the company responsible for some of the biggest firework shows in the country, like the Macys firework show in New York and the Golden Gate Bridge 75th anniversary display. On Thursday, he was coordinating 40 displays around the bay, and the Wharfs is the biggest.

Throughout his long career in pyrotechnics, Dyas has stood on top of the Golden Gate Bridge and Oracle Park Stadium, home of the San Francisco Giants. Hes done shows for the 49ers and at Mount Rushmore.

I was the one who got to shoot fireworks from George Washingtons head, he said.

Pat Dyas, Pyro Spectaculars by Sousa producer, holds a firework shell. Dyas has been in the fireworks business for 40 years. Juliana Yamada/Special to The Chronicle

Under cloudless skies and a straw hat, Dyas walked along the bulkhead by the bay while a crew loaded fireworks into mortars and wired them to firing modules, which allow a computer to control when each shell is ignited and sent into the air. Next to the floating barges, Dyas handled shows being prepped across the Bay Area on the phone and leaned in for questions.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Im sorry, I dont hear too good. Ive been doing this for too long, he said.

The planning of Thursdays event at Fishermans Wharf took months. The company had to receive permission from the U.S. Coast Guard, a firework permit from the San Francisco Fire Department and a port license from the Port of San Francisco. Meanwhile, the Marine Division gets involved to create a buffer between the barges and other boats when escorting the cargo up-bay. Elbow room is better, Dyas said.

The show is intricately designed by Matt Gilfillan, a lead designer for Pyro who works closely with Dyas. Together, Gilfillan and Dyas choreograph and sync shows to music, which they select themselves.

When we hear music, we see fireworks, Dyas said. We have a very full crayon box. Fireworks of many colors  pastels, jewel tones, shells with motion, shells with animation inside. The shells range in size from 3 inches to 10 inches in diameter, and they go as high as 2,500 feet in the air.

Wires from the mortars are attached to a firing module that allows the show to be electronically controlled. Juliana Yamada/Special to The Chronicle

Before becoming a pyrotechnician, Dyas was an attorney. He served as a firework apprentice for several years and has worked every job involved in the process. I went from the worst job in the world to the best job in the world, he said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Dyas and his crews take every precaution when handling the thousands of fireworks needed for a show like the Wharfs. The barges sit roughly 1,000 feet away from the shore during the show, while someone oversees the rockets from a computer inside a snug metal safety booth on the barge.

Needless to say, theres no smoking allowed, Dyas said.

Despite reports of poor conditions due to lurking low fog west of Sutro Tower, firework viewing was not expected to be compromised from Twin Peaks and points to the east.

Pyro Spectaculars is owned by the Souza family, whose history in pyrotechnics goes back to the early 1900s when Manuel de Souza immigrated to the San Francisco area and began putting on firework displays for Portuguese communities around the Bay Area.

Each firework shell is handled individually, and they range from 3 to 10 inches in diameter. Juliana Yamada/Special to The Chronicle

The company and its many performances rely on the hundreds of hands that carry each shell, set each mortar and attach every wire leading up to the displays.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Im not the star of the show. These guys are, Dyas said, pointing over to his crews on the barges.
Friday, July 5, 2024

In a recent essay, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof recounted a story that, in my view, beautifully captures the essence of America. While covering the conflict in Darfur in the 2000s, Kristof couldnt obtain a government pass to get through checkpoints so he used an airline mileage points card that he knew the guards couldnt read because it was written in English. He managed to get through a few of the checkpoints before getting stopped at one, where he was detained in a hut decorated with a grisly mural of a prisoner being impaled by a stake through the stomach.

Kristof confesses that he was terrified. After several anxious minutes, the soldiers summoned their commander, who, fortunately for Kristof, ordered his release. Then, suddenly, one of the captors, who had minutes earlier threatened to execute Kristof, sidled up to him and whispered: Hi, can you get me a visa to America?

Todays cold war between America and its allies on one side, and China, Russia, and their friends on the other, closely resembles the earlier one that ended with the breakup of the Soviet Union. It is essentially an ideological battle between democracy and autocracy. Just as it did in the previous contest, in order to win this new version, America, as leader of the free world, needs to project self-confidence and demonstrate that it has an unshakeable belief in its democratic system of government.

As China and Russia win friends across the Global South, it can be tempting for America to employ some of their strategies as part of the effort to counter their influence. That would be a grave mistake. It is crucially important that our foreign policy makers interpret this picture correctly. The leaders in Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere who cozy up to Beijing and Moscow do so because they like the Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin governing templates, which give those two men total dominion over their populations. There is no evidence to suggest that the majority of average citizens of the Global South find China and Russia attractive. If America lowers its standards to win friends in the developing world to catch up with Russia and China there, a sense that I get sometimes these days, it would be joining a race to the bottom.

This phenomenon exists in the corporate world. Every so often, there are companies that try to use unsound business practices to win market share in their industries. When that happens, it is up to their competitors to decide whether to join that race to the bottom, or wait patiently for the suicidal companies to flame out. China has quickly learned that its no-questions-asked approach to lending to countries in the Global South may not be wise after all. Because of bad management, many of those debtor nations do not appear to be in a position to repay their loans. America needs to convince itself that it can win any ideological contest anywhere in the world by properly showcasing its democratic values.

In the words of Kristof, Desperate foreigners sometimes see our nations resilience more clearly than we do. As an immigrant who tasted life in many places before coming to America, I couldnt agree more with him. Direction of travel is the test that I always use to figure out what the preferred ideology and way of life for most people around the world is. I was in the Soviet Union when it collapsed, and during that period, I saw tens of thousands of Soviets line up at American embassies in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities to apply for visas to emigrate to America.

Today, many Chinese citizens are making the same choice. 13,800 high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are reported to have left China in 2023. That number is expected to increase to 15,200 in 2024. The main reason for those departures, according to the reports authors, is uncertainty over Chinas economic trajectory and geopolitical tensions. The report goes on to say that The U.S., Chinas international archrival, stands out as the top destination.

These facts, that tens of thousands of Russians, Chinese, and others from the Global South are unhappy in their own countries and feel compelled to emigrate, are crucially important for American leaders to keep in mind at all times as they make foreign policy decisions. They show that the governance models that China and Russia are trying to export are unlikely to be loved, ever, in most parts of the world. I found it quite interesting that the HNWIs from China cited geopolitical tensions as one of their reasons for emigrating. The rivalry today is mainly between America and China. But it sounds as if large numbers of Chinese like the American story better than that of their own nation. If that doesnt boost our self-confidence, I dont know what else will.

In all likelihood, even more Chinese would like to head our way if they could. But most cannot afford it so for now it is only the HNWIs emigrating. Kristofs captor also clearly wanted to travel in the same direction to escape the conditions in his war-torn country, but is stuck there because he is not a HNWI. There are millions of Sudanese and other Africans just like him who would dearly love to come to America but cannot. The plain truth is that America is a brand that most people around the world want to buy. The last thing we want to do in this country is to lose confidence in our own product.

It is equally important for us to remember that we owe a duty to oppressed people like the Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn who are sometimes forced against their will to leave their homelands. Merely for criticizing Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in a letter he wrote to a friend, Solzhenitsyn was imprisoned for eight years in the Gulag. Two decades after his release, he was arrested again, stripped of his citizenship, and expelled from the Soviet Union. The U.S. state of Vermont became his refuge. He lived there for two decades before returning to Russia after the Soviet Union collapsed. Around the world today, there are thousands of people like Solzhenitsyn who look up to America as a beacon of hope. Because they are the places with the oppressive regimes, China and Russia cannot be expected to offer sanctuary to such people.

For our global leadership to be effective, we must balance self-confidence with humility. Sanctions constitute a vital foreign policy tool, but our use of them comes across as arrogant in the eyes of many people around the world sometimes. For example, there are issues such as LGBTQ rights on which we have nothing close to a national consensus in America. We are in the thick of a vicious culture war about it, and yet, our policymakers insist that World Bank loans to poor countries be tied to them. This tone-deafness and lack of sensitivity to other peoples cultures cause alienation that we should be careful to avoid. This is not meant to say that asking for the rights of LGBTQ people elsewhere to be respected is not a worthy effort. But at times it is best to leave such advocacy to non-governmental organizations.

On this Independence Day, I pray for firm, self-confident, but humble leadership for our great country. Millions of people around the world are counting on us. May God bless America.
In this episode youll discover the secrets to lifelong learning and business building with cutting-edge AI tools! Were all about combining technology with actionable insights to keep you ahead of the curve.

Get ready to learn how to use tools like Cast Magic and Perplexity, backed by scientific research, to enhance your learning and supercharge your entrepreneurial journey.

Whether its recording your speech for repurposing into a blog post or mastering active recall and spaced repetition, weve got you covered.

Dive into actionable tips for using Kindle highlights, interleaving concepts (yes, I explain that jewel in depth for you!, and creating stronger neural pathways (always a good thing!).

See how our favorite AI tools can transform the way you think.

Tune in, take notes, and get ready to elevate your game!

First, heres a gift for you to better understand AI and build sales  Recommended AI tools for business growth.

http://AItools4biz.com









Heres Your Video Link:

https://youtu.be/8f4IBRSTUzA

Listen to this & other episodes on our podcast

https://bit.ly/sre_podcast

Heres my affiliate link for Castmagic:

https://bit.ly/TerryLovesCastMagic

Heres my affiliate link for Perplexity. Using it doesnt cost you more but it will give you a $10 credit and I get one as well:

bit.ly/terrylovesperplexity

Here are some timestamps that can be useful for you:

1. **Introduction to the challenge with AI tools**:

 Timestamp: [00:00:00]

2. **Terry talks about listening to book summaries during breakfast**:

 Timestamp: [00:00:35]

3. **Sharing the example of the book Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo**:

 Timestamp: [00:01:07]

4. **Beginning of the issue with Perplexity providing repetitive content**:

 Timestamp: [00:03:04]

5. **Acknowledgment by Perplexity of the issue and attempt to correct it (incorrectly)**:

 Timestamp: [00:05:05]

6. **Correcting Perplexity and finally getting the proper summary**:

 Timestamp: [00:07:22]

7. **Valuable nuggets for working with AI tools, especially iterating and feedback**:

 Timestamp: [00:10:42]

8. **Conclusion and mentioning AI tools resources**:

 Timestamp: [00:12:41]

__________________________________________________

Spanish Language Summary

For the convenience of our Spanish-speaking audience members, heres a summary in Spanish

En este episodio, Terry Brock comparte emocionado una combinacion de herramientas de inteligencia artificial (IA) que descubrio recientemente y que pueden ofrecerte una ventaja significativa. Menciona la importancia de aprender continuamente como profesional y emprendedor, y ejemplifica su metodo con el libro The War of Art de Steven Pressfield. Brock destaca la dedicacion y el compromiso de los profesionales, y resalta que la resistencia es un desafio comun que debe superarse para alcanzar el exito.

Brock describe como utiliza herramientas como Cast Magic para grabar, pausar y registrar los mejores pasajes de sus lecturas. Explica que esta herramienta no solo permite grabar, sino tambien transcribir y almacenar tanto la voz como el texto en la nube. Cast Magic ofrece la opcion de repurposear contenido, generando introducciones, articulos o resumenes en diferentes idiomas, lo cual es especialmente util para crear contenido enriquecido.

Para mejorar el aprendizaje, Brock menciona cinco principios respaldados por la investigacion: recordatorio activo, repeticion espaciada, intercalado, ensayo elaborativo y metacognicion. Explica detalladamente como cada tecnica puede contribuir al aprendizaje a largo plazo y como pueden ser aplicadas al proceso de creacion de contenido. Brock enfatiza que estas practicas no solo mejoran la capacidad de retencion, sino que tambien optimizan la forma en que se adquiere y aplica conocimiento.

Finalmente, Brock anima a los oyentes a comentar sobre sus propios metodos de aprendizaje y como estos han influenciado su desarrollo empresarial. Promueve el uso de la plataforma Star Craving Entrepreneurs para crecer y construir negocios, utilizando herramientas de AI. Ademas, menciona recursos adicionales y videos informativos para profundizar en el uso de IA en el ambito profesional, subrayando la importancia de adaptar y aplicar nuevas tecnologias para crear contenido efectivo y solucionar problemas del mercado objetivo.

__________________________________________________

For your convenience, heres a transcript of this episode. Please let us know what you think:

Terry Brock [00:00:00]:

As a professional, as a person who is an entrepreneur and youre out there creating content to build your business, theres certain principles you want to learn all the time. I gotta tell you, theres a little secret that I discovered combining some AI tools that give you a real advantage. Im pretty excited about it. I saw it just last week. I was working with it. Now I wanna share this with you. Hi. Im Terry Brock.

Terry Brock [00:00:20]:

Were here with Star Craving Entrepreneurs, where we help you build your business in a live and let live way. Thats important to us. You dont initiate force. You dont take other peoples stuff. You dont hurt them. This is the way to live life and to do it well. And by learning, youre gonna be able to do even more. So I wanna share this with you.

Terry Brock [00:00:39]:

Its just its just you and me here. Were gonna talk about this. Im gonna share my computer and what Ive done. Last week, I was reading a book by Steven Pressfield called The War of Art. It is a fabulous book, The War of Art, and I highly recommend looking into it. And And so were gonna look at that as an example. So lets take a look at it. Let me show you what I have done and how Im using this, what Ive been able to do with it to get some really good information.

Terry Brock [00:01:02]:

Heres a passage that he had about professionals versus amateurs. Hes very, very astute on this when he says, the professional loves it so much. He dedicates his life to it. He commits full time. Thats important. If youre gonna learn, you gotta commit full time to this. Thats what I mean when I say turning pro. Resistance hates it when you turn pro, and he goes on and talks a whole lot about resistance that we have, and you know what Im talking about.

Terry Brock [00:01:27]:

Youre resisting something. You dont want to do it. Theres that little thing. You can do it later. You can do it more. Well, this is why Id recommend that book. But this video here, this audio is not about that book per se. As great as it is, its about being able to take the books that you want and then be able to do it.

Terry Brock [00:01:42]:

Youll notice how I highlighted that section. Thats something I like doing. Like, Im usually usually here. My my phone right here. I got my Samsung Galaxy s 24 Ultra that Im using. I love reading books on Kindle. You can also do the same thing if you prefer a paper book. I know a lot of people do that.

Terry Brock [00:01:59]:

I would use paper books. I do still, but I find Im using the Kindle even more. But, when you highlight something, you underline it or you write it. Ive done that for literally decades. Its really good. But what you want to do is what if you can get a capsule of all those best of the best according to you and you have a recording of that. Hey. Thats pretty nice.

Terry Brock [00:02:19]:

So what Ive done is I use that. I record it and then I go back later. Heres the key. Go back later and review that particular text. Gonna look at some of the important ways you can do this to really learn more than just 1 reading. Seldom does 1 exposure to new material result in long term learning. What you wanna do is you wanna go back and review, but do it the right way. And Im gonna give you some steps that can help you on that as well.

Terry Brock [00:02:46]:

Im gonna give you a whole lot in this video. So you like learning, youre a lifelong learner, youre gonna wanna hang on for this 1 all the way through to the end because we got some real good things for you there. Youre gonna be able to learn this by going over it. So what I do is I sit down and I did this last weekend. I grab my phone, and I was using that, reading it, looking at it, but then I got my other phone. I have 2 right now. Thats a really nice thing. I got my iPhone, and I used Cast Magic.

Terry Brock [00:03:11]:

Cast Magic is a great tool that I highly recommend looking into. Matter of fact, in the section below down in the description, youll see some links that you can use. So you can use our affiliate link. We get a few coins if you purchase it through us. We it doesnt cost you any more if you do that. We just get a few coins from them and the same thing with other tools that were talking about here. You can use these and be able to get a lot of benefit from it. With Cast Magic, Im able to record this where I just tap the the record.

Terry Brock [00:03:40]:

It records a little bit and then I press pause as I go to the next chapter and think, okay. What do I want here? What do I want there? Oh, theres 1 I want. Ill press the record again and it gives me the ability to use that. Then when its done, Ive got a collection as a recording that I put up into the cloud for both the transcript and the voice. Got them both on there. Thats really nice and weve got a lot of that today. Hey, by the way, that used to be a real big deal. Oh, youd get a transcript of it.

Terry Brock [00:04:08]:

Now, its kind of like table stakes. This is just the basics that what you you need to have. What happens with Cast Magic is they can take that and repurpose it into a nice introduction, an article that you could use on LinkedIn. It could be used for a thread over on x, formerly called Twitter. You can use this for the highlight points that you wanna bring out or the best of the best. You can also get a summary of it in another language. As you see with the work that Im doing here, often I turn it into Spanish so that my friends, my colleagues, my amigos who are speaking Spanish and are patient with me as Im working through it and trying to learn Spanish, working with it more and more, and I love that language. You get a chance to see it there.

Terry Brock [00:04:55]:

Cast magic does all that for you. And so, heres the combination. What were doing is were taking whats available on the screen, highlighting it, then go back for a review of the best of the best so that you can learn these concepts really well. Im gonna give you some pointers here in just a moment on how to do that. Then we go over into Cast Magic and by using Cast Magic and their iOS recording, thats the key feature in it, iOS recording, then it gives you the ability to send that to the cloud. Oh, and by the way, for those of you who give presentations by professional speaker friends, those of you who give a lecture somewhere, you wanna record that, iOS recording on Cast Magic is the best tool I have seen ever. Im saying that very carefully. The best tool Ive seen ever to record what youre doing.

Terry Brock [00:05:43]:

Weve long been able to record ourselves. We clip a little mic on here and put a recorder in our pocket or on a stand there where you have the recording, the screen, the, camera thats recording it. All that is really good, and we still wanna do that. But at the same time, if you use iOS recording, it gets a recording of it. It gives you the transcript as well, and then you can go back like Im telling you about here for a book. You can do it for a speech where you could create a whole new blog post on that speech you gave, pulling out the best of the best eloquence for it. Ive had several programs, or several episodes we put together here on this channel talking about cast magic, so be sure and check that out here at Stark Raving Entrepreneurs. If youre catching this on audio, be sure and look at some of the other past episodes where weve talked about cast magic and how you can use that.

Terry Brock [00:06:31]:

So what you wanna do is you wanna use that combination. The magic is in the mix. Its what weve often said about how to use this technology. You put it together and then you go back and you can review it. So what do you do when you review? Well, theres a lot you can do with that. And to find out about some of the best ways to learn about it, scientifically based research back training, well, I went to perplexity@perplexity.ai. Great little tool that I use a lot. And I selected the focus.

Terry Brock [00:06:59]:

See, thats the beauty of perplexity. It lets you focus on certain areas. 1 of those areas is research backed academic learning, peer reviewed material. Now thats really good. So I did that and look what it gave me here. First, let me show you what I did here. Heres the prompt I put in there. I said, what are the best AI tools for research based, research backed rules for lifelong learning? And you see, it came back with an answer.

Terry Brock [00:07:24]:

Really good. It said to address it about that lifelong learning, Ill provide a comprehensive overview and that aligns with your background as a marketing and communications advisor who leverages technology to build better business relationships. By the way, did you notice what it did there? This is what it does with perplexity. As a side note, I put those things into my biography of what I do, who I am, how I operate, and it uses those regularly when its looking for information for me. Youll wanna do that on perplexity yourself. Make sure you go in there and you put in who you are, what you like, your values, and then it looks for those and brings them in when youre working with it. And so what it did here is it gave me some specifics that I can use in some real targeted ways that, well, I kinda like this. It gives me the ability to look at it.

Terry Brock [00:08:09]:

Says answer and it gave me some tools here like chat GPT, Coursera, Duolingo, Grammarly, and, Socratic by Google. Very nice things there. But what it really did I wanna 0 in on this for you and me right here. Research backed rules for lifelong learning. It gave 5 and lets go over those individually. First of all, an overview of it. Active recall, spaced repetition, interleaving. Now what in the world is that? What is interleaving? I dont know what that means but it sounds pretty cool.

Terry Brock [00:08:38]:

So lets look at that And then elaborative rehearsal. Okay. I kinda got an idea of that, very elaborate. Were gonna go over that rehearsing. And metacognition. Now I think what in the world is metacognition? Well, lets take a look at all of those a little bit at a time so we can see exactly what its talking about and how you can use this in your learning. Okay. The first item we wanna take a look at here, number 1 is the active recall.

Terry Brock [00:09:02]:

It says, instead of passively reviewing information, actively test yourself on what youve learned. This strengthens memory and improves long term retention. I think thats something that we really want to do and make sure that its working well. So you go back over it and review it. I remember years ago, I had the opportunity to work a little bit with Jerry Lucas. He wrote a book called The Memory Book with Harry Lorraine. This was years ago. Jerry Lucas came to the campus where I was where I was in undergrad school, and he talked about learning and memory and how to use it.

Terry Brock [00:09:35]:

I had read his book, so I wanted to make sure I got together with him early. I was 1 of the early people there. Well, because I was 1 of the early people, he made a note of that mentally, and he asked me and a couple others to work closely with him. And I remember so clearly. Here, Im getting 1 of the greatest memory experts in the world telling me how to remember. And so we went through memorizing names of people that were there, that were coming, and he showed us how to do it. He pulled us over to the side, and he said, you see that person over there? His name is Phil. You know, we learned that.

Terry Brock [00:10:01]:

His name is Phil. And so by learning Phil, we talked about filling the cup up. He said put that in there, remember that, and sit down and write it down. At that time, wed pull out a piece of paper and write it down. Today, you can go over it and put it into Google Docs or Word or Evernote or other tools that are out there and make sure that thats been firmly embedded in your mind of what to do. Then review it regularly. Regular repetition is gonna help. So thats what we wanna do.

Terry Brock [00:10:29]:

The second 1 here is spaced repetition. Spaced repetition, it says revisit information at increasing intervals over time. This technique enhances long term memory and is particularly effective for retaining large amounts of information. Thats really important and something that you wanna do on a regular basis. Go over it, repeat it. 1 of the things Im doing now in my Spanish is Im regularly repeating over and over the language. As a matter of fact, I sometimes will say a word many, many times, like 10 to 20 times. Most human beings would not wanna hang around that.

Terry Brock [00:11:00]:

But for you individually, you can do it for yourself. Id recommend to embrace that spaced repetition. Next thing you wanna look at is interleaving, which is 1 of those you go, what in the worlds interleaving? Well, it says mix different but related topics or skills during a learning session. This approach improves your ability to differentiate between concepts and apply them in various contexts. This is really important because it gives you the ability to grab many different concepts that are related, pull them in, and get a chance to see how they tie in together. Your brain is now activating several different neurons, which is important. Able to tie those in together. Try that interleaving.

Terry Brock [00:11:40]:

Find out what associates with other new material that youre trying to learn, and bring all of that into enhance your learning experience. And step number 4 is elaborative rehearsal. I love this 1 here. Very important. It ties in with the spaced repetition that youre going something over and over, but youre rehearsing here. Connect new information to existing knowledge or experiences. This helps create stronger neural pathways and improves recall. Very, very important.

Terry Brock [00:12:07]:

A matter of fact, thats something that when you think about it, thats what, Jerry Lucas did. When he said to go over it and recall it and rehearse it, we would use something thats related to that. When we said, heres Phil. Remember his name? And look at yourself filling a cup. Youre filling up something and handing it to Phil, or maybe youre filling, pouring something in there. Youre filling up his head. There might be a hole in his head. You put it in there.

Terry Brock [00:12:27]:

Something silly and ridiculous. That rehearsal is really important. So going over and over the material can be very helpful. Step number 5, I really like this 1. Metacognition. Metacognition is something that well, it sounds kinda fancy, but what it is is giving you the ability to reflect on your learning process. Identify what works best for you and adjusting your strategies accordingly. That is really important that what youre doing is youre now working with the material.

Terry Brock [00:12:55]:

Youre bringing it in. Youre getting that jumbling around in your mind, and that definitely increases your learning. And so why do we do all this learning? The learning is so that you can then create better content. Content that is more closely attuned to solving the problems of your target market. Thats the key. When you can start learning faster, learn better, and have it available, youre gonna do well. With AI, sometimes people think we dont have to do a lot. Well, with AI, look at it as a tool.

Terry Brock [00:13:21]:

The problem comes when we look at AI as a competitor versus a tool. Something that were going to use to help us. Think of AI kinda like using the internet. Years ago, we first saw the internet like the early nineties for the the first time for many people out there in the world. Theyre hearing about this thing called the Internet. They think, oh, its gonna take away our jobs. Well, it did take away some jobs, but it also created even more new jobs. Same thing with AI.

Terry Brock [00:13:47]:

Its gonna create new opportunities and for those who can learn, learn fast, and apply those principles that I just mentioned, those 5 principles, youre gonna be able to learn and do even better. So, hey, I wanna hear from you. What do you think about that? How are you learning? Leave a comment below on what youre doing to learn. How do you learn faster? How do you retain something thats really important? And then how do you take that learning and translate it into business that youre building? How do you build your business with that? That is the real key as you move forward. So go back, look at these principles, and stay with them. Keep working on that. And as you progress forward, youre gonna be able to do even more with what youre doing. Matter of fact, 1 of the ways we do that is with our stark raving entrepreneurs.

Terry Brock [00:14:30]:

This is important. This is something thats really vitally important. Go over to starkravingentrepreneurs.com. Youll see how we have the tools available for you to grow and to build your business. You can do that using email newsletters. Thats 1 of the things we talk about. We also talk about ways you can use it with podcasting. Podcasting is another tool thats available.

Terry Brock [00:14:50]:

All this is creating content, but youre using it based on your knowledge. And then, of course, video creation. Kinda like were doing here, this gives you the ability to get a lot more done in a lot less time. And this is where we wanna help you to be able to build your business, make it something that can be very strong for you. And to continue building your business, weve got a special gift we wanna give you. Our AI tools for business. AI tools for business gives you some key AI tools that are out there like chat gpt and perplexity. We look at Canva.

Terry Brock [00:15:24]:

We look at others that are available for you to use. Matter of fact, it was interesting. Just yesterday, we were talking to someone who found what was available there, has gone through and studied it, and is already building his business even bigger. An entrepreneur whos rather actually quite famous. And Im not at liberty to share his name right now, but he was able to use that, and then we thought, hey. Thats really good. Gina and I were watching it. So we want you to look at that, and weve got some other goodies for you as well.

Terry Brock [00:15:48]:

Couple of videos here, theyre gonna help you on how to use AI specifically. Its worth your time to click on these and watch them. Take notes and learn from it. Im looking forward to hearing from you. Again, leave a note below. Well look forward to hearing how youre using this and what its doing to help your business. Im Terry Brock. Thank you very much for joining me today.
A white Mercedes SUV after crashing into a bus stop that resulted in the deaths of a family at West Portal Station on March 16. The driver of the vehicle, Mary Fong Lau, pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of vehicular manslaughter at her first court appearance. Benjamin Fanjoy/The Chronicle

The woman accused of striking and killing a family of four in San Franciscos West Portal neighborhood in March pleaded not guilty to felony vehicular manslaughter charges in her first court appearance on Wednesday.

At the hearing, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Simon Frankel also ordered Mary Fong Lau to surrender her drivers license.

Lau, 78, is accused of driving her Mercedes SUV at high speed into an oncoming lane of traffic and then slamming into the bus shelter where the Brazilian Portuguese family was waiting for a bus to the San Francisco Zoo in March.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Its unfortunate we cant take this as an accident, said Sam Geller, Laus attorney.

According to Geller, Lau has not driven since the date of the incident.

Frankel also denied a request made by San Francisco prosecutors for Lau to wear an electronic monitor while on home detention as her case proceeds in court.

This was a horrific, horrific unspeakable tragedy. I dont believe she is a flight risk given she appeared in court, Geller said.

San Francisco prosecutors charged Lau on Tuesday with four counts of felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence after investigators said they could not find any evidence indicating the SUV malfunctioned, according to the San Francisco District Attorneys Office.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Lau is also facing a civil lawsuit filed last month by relatives seeking an unspecified amount in damages.
Farmers and agronomists have been told to 'play their part' by being on the lookout for changeable brown rust and yellow rust pathogen populations.

AHDB has today warned that brown rust has been a talking point in recent seasons, with the focus usually on yellow rust.

Brown rust in wheat took hold quite early this year, according to the levy organisation, with it recording some unusual stress-related brown rust symptoms.

In recent years, the UK brown rust population has shifted, with more pathogen isolates able to cause disease (virulence) on varieties with the specific resistance leaf rust (Lr) resistance gene  Lr24.

Virulence to this gene was first detected by the UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS) in 2011. It disappeared in the population after 2017 before resurging in 2022.

AHDB senior crop protection scientist, Catherine Harries explained more: "Theodore has the Lr24 gene. Increasing areas of this variety could have selected for brown rust pathogens with the keys to unpick the Lr24 lock."

Although Theodore is not included on Recommended List (RL) 2024/25, it is still included as a disease control in the trials. The variety used to have high levels of resistance to brown rust.

From initial RL trial data for harvest 2024, the variety now appears to have more brown rust than Crusoe (a variety with a brown rust disease rating of 3).

Ms Harries explained that virulence for Lr24 seems to be firmly embedded in the pathogen population.

However, the UKCPVS cannot confirm this without a good geographic distribution of samples (from any variety)," she added.

At present, most brown rust samples have come from around Lincolnshire. Although the spread is better for yellow rust, there are still many gaps.

The UKCPVS first detected yellow rust virulence for the variety Crusoe in 2013. For years, the variety sported a disease resistance rating of 9.

In 2022, an increasing proportion (8%) of pathogen isolates had virulence for Crusoe, with more yellow rust observed on this variety in RL trials in 2023, with the disease rating dropping to 8 in the current (2024/25) RL.

We use isolates that are virulent on Crusoe in the inoculated RL trials, so the levels of disease were not surprising, Ms Harries said

The UKCPVS tested an isolate with virulence for Crusoe against all RL varieties at the young plant (seedling) stage.

This isolate also had virulence for KWS Extase, which has also seen a decrease in its RL yellow rust disease rating in recent years (it has a rating of 7 on RL 2024/25).
Two firefighters with Cal Fires Chamberlain Creek Center in Mendocino County hike up a dozer line Thursday at the edge of the Thompson Fire in Oroville (Butte County). Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Amid a heat wave, a Cal Fire crew from Mendocino County extinguishes smoldering debris Thursday from the Thompson Fire in Oroville. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

OROVILLE, Butte County  The morning sun was already punishingly hot when a 15-firefighter hand crew from Mendocino County hiked straight up a steep ridge, each carrying between 30 and 60 pounds of hoses, chain saws, fuel, hand tools, food and water.

Sweat streaming down his neck, Cal Fire Capt. Robin Noel realized he needed to urge his eager crew members to slow down. They had just come back onto the fire line after a night of rest, and he needed them to maintain their stamina through another 24-hour shift. Noel called out an order: Find a patch of shade.

Take your packs off, get some heat off, Noel said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

They were on mop up, a fire service term for the painstaking work that comes after the main flames of a wildfire have died down. They were following the line where the red, iron-rich dirt in the foothills outside Oroville met the black charred earth where the Thompson Fire had, just the day before, incinerated nearly every bush and blade of grass.

Their mission: Look for smoldering tree stumps and anything else that might reignite.

Firefighter Andrew Azbill moves a smoking log away from combustible vegetation Thursday during his crews 24-hour shift mopping up after the Thompson Fire in Oroville. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Though two back-to-back rainy winters pulled California further out of drought, this summer has already been a dangerous one across Northern California. Wildfires have burned more than 145,000 acres in California so far this year, more than four times more than the five-year average for this time of year.

Cal Fire says 14 wildfires have ignited in the first five days of July alone, collectively burning over 9,000 acres.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Authorities across the state canceled July 4 fireworks displays for fear that more fires could break out. As the holiday arrived, firefighters were battling blazes across Northern California, from Siskiyou County to the historic Gold Rush town of Mariposa, where crews were gaining the upper hand against the fast-moving French Fire.

In Butte County, the triple-digit heat wave scorching much of the state seemed to erase all evidence that rain had once turned the hills green, sucking out any lingering moisture and leaving the landscape vulnerable to any spark. Cal Fire Battalion Chief Stephen Volmer, a fire behavior analyst, warned crew leaders that weather conditions made for a 95% probability that any spark would turn into a fire. The Mendocino County crew was bracing for a long, hot season ahead.

Theres no end in sight, Noel said.

They had joined the firefight on Tuesday, the day the Thompson Fire blew up and burned into rural neighborhoods on Orovilles outskirts. Authorities ordered nearly 20,000 people to evacuate. The fire had the potential to grow into a large-scale disaster.

That possibility has become a sadly familiar one in Butte County, where deadly and destructive wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes and charred hundreds of thousands of acres in recent years.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

When the Thompson Fire ignited just before 11 a.m. Tuesday off Cherokee Road, which runs along a spillway west of the Oroville Dam, Cal Fire mustered a huge firefighting force that by Friday had swelled to 2,200. With the aid of air tankers and night-flying helicopters, it had kept flames from burning into Oroville proper.

Firefighters from Mendocino County hike in triple-digit temperatures Thursday looking for burning debris along the edge of the Thompson Fire in Oroville. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Out on the hillside on Thursday morning, with the temperature already 103 degrees, the Chamberlain Creek crew members followed their captains orders to rest. Remnants of the Thompson Fire could still be seen in tree roots and stumps; for the rest of the day and through the night, their task was to extinguish any burning material within about 100 feet of the fires perimeter.

Andrew Azbill reclined against his pack in the soft, silty dust, and handed a bottle of water infused with electrolytes to his crewmate Clayton Roos, who sat nearby. In the narrow shade of a tree, Hunter Duncan sharpened his tool, a type of long-handled firefighting hoe called a pounder.

The firefighters debated which was worse: mosquitos or the biting beetles that crawled out of charred trees, adding the risk of piercing bites to the few spots of shade. Mosquito bites linger and itch, they agreed, but beetle bites hurt like hell.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

They try to burrow into you, Duncan said.

There are more serious risks. During the first day of the Thompson Fire, four firefighters had been stricken with heat illness. Noel instructed his resting his firefighters to hydrate and get back to work.

Water is key, water is it, water water water, he said.

Azbill jumped up, heaved on his pack and set off, scampering into the blackened landscape, plumes of ash rising with each step. The others fanned out. The buzz of a chain saw echoed through the canyon as Jack Volk cut down a charred, dangerously leaning tree. It landed with a thud and sent a boulder, large and heavy like an ice chest full of drinks, tumbling down hill.

Rock! Rock! those nearby called out to warn any crews working below.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Jack Volk, a Cal Fire sawyer, ducks through a barbed wire fence while hiking amid a heat wave Thursday to the Thompson Fire in Oroville. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Crews on a water tender down the hill were sending water up the grade through hose lines, but struggled to find the right amount of pressure. Duncan and several others tried to help troubleshoot, but suddenly the small hose line burst off the main line and flailed around like a snake, shooting precious water into the air.

The crew resorted to dry mopping: extinguishing lingering fire and limiting the risk of reignition without using water. They scraped smoking bark off the bases of trees, shoveled dirt onto burning debris and scraped combustible material away from smoking stumps.

Duncan filled his mouth with water from his stash, then squirted the liquid onto the edge of a burning branch to put it out.

Just after 1 p.m., an alert crackled over the radio: With the heat, everything is coming to life.

Armed with his pounder, Roos went looking for trouble spots. He knocked the trunk of a tree with the heavy tool, listening for whether it sounded hollow, a sign it might be burning within.

This one, he decided, sounded healthy, so he continued on to the next.
Paris Hiltons heart feels so full thanks to her son Phoenix Barron.

Paris Hiltons heart feels so full thanks to her son Phoenix Barron

The 43-year-old hotel heiress mother-of-two  who also has eight-month-old daughter London with her husband Carter Reum, 43  made the emotional admission in a tribute post to the 18-month-old boy on Instagram.

She posted a video of herself spending time with her son on a flight that showed them wearing matching pyjamas dotted with hearts, which she captioned: In flight kisses with Baby P on #SlivAir (kissy face, two baby and airplane emojis.)

My heart feels so full! (wide-eyed emoji.)

Never dreamed I could feel so happy and at peace. (Crying face emoji.)

Paris last month said she had waited her whole life for daughter London.

She posted a video that showed her leaning over the little girl as she sat in a car seat while the two are wearing matching Care Bears pyjamas, telling her daughter: I love you.

Paris captioned the clip: London, Ive waited my whole life for you my beautiful baby girl.

My life now feels like every dream and 11:11 wish came true (lovehearts-face and crying face emojis.)

You are my world, I love you endlessly my lil angel.

Paris and Carter married in November 2021 at a private estate in Los Angeles with guests including Kim Kardashian, Kyle Richards and Paula Abdul.

She paid tribute to Carter on this years Fathers Day by sharing a carousel of photos and videos on Instagram.

Paris captioned the post: To the man who does it all with a smile, Happy Fathers Day my love (pink hearts emoji.)

Your hard work, love and dedication to our family is truly inspiring, and your fun spirit makes every moment special (staring eyes and lovehearts-face emojis.)

Paris is getting ready to return to reality TV with Nicole Richie, 42, for their reboot of their breakout show The Simple Life, 16 years after the original show ended.

She has told fans the comeback is going to be so iconic and said she couldnt wait to return to teaming up with Nicole on a special show.
Sheryl Lee Ralph is grateful that Hurricane Beryl has passed Jamaica.

Sheryl Lee Ralph is grateful the hurricane has passed

The 'Abbot Elementary' actress is currently staying on the Caribbean island ahead of her 32-year-old son Etienne Maurice's wedding this weekend and she has thanked fans for their "good vibes and prayers" after the Category 4 storm left them unscathed.

She shared on X on Thursday (04.07.24): It looks like the hurricane Beryl has passed and is running like a Jamaican track star off to another race.

"Thank you all for your good vibes and prayers. We did not get a direct hit and we are grateful but Carriacou needs help.

The 67-year-old actress - who, as well as Etienne, also has daughter Ivy 'Coco' Maurice, 32, with ex-husband Eric Maurice - had been monitoring the weather over the last few days before the hurricane hit.

She said in a video post on Wednesday (03.07.24): Its starting. Im not going to go all the way out there, but its happening now.

We are praying for safety for everybody and stay off the roads, stay inside, cause Im going all the way back inside now.

Sheryl began preparing for the hurricane earlier this week.

She said in another video post: From the looks of the sky, it looks like Beryl is gonna be here much sooner than the news keeps saying.

So its very calm here in Jamaica, the sky is so beautifully clear. And they said that the sea looked like glass today. We have to take in all of the outside furniture because, you know, those things take flight

I hope youve put oil in your lamp and are taking extra care. So to everybody thats here on the island, we remember that [Hurricane] Gilbert was a three and Beryl is a four. Wow. God bless you, goodnight.

Etienne had been "praying for the best" ahead of his nuptials to ABC News journalist Stephanie Wash.

He said on his own Instagram Story on Wednesday: But what I dont love is rain during the week of my wedding.

Im praying that everybody here and in Jamaica and the Caribbean Islands are safe and all we can do is pray for the best.
Shifty Shellshock was "sober and happy" just months before his death.

Shifty Shellshock declared he was sober just months before his death

The Crazy Town star - whose birth name was Seth Binzer  died on June 24, at the age of 49, after suffering an accidental drug overdose following years of substance abuse issues, but now it's been revealed he declared he was clean and healthy in one of his final interviews before his passing.

During an appearance at the Rock to Recovery benefit concert at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles last August, Shift told Mayra Dias Gomes: "I'm feeling sober. I'm feeling good. Sober, happy ... "

Shifty went on to credit his music and his three children inspired him to "live".

In the interview -obtained by TMZ.com - he added: "I think music has kept me alive. I think it always is the light that gives me ... that and my children inspire me to live. And music has always been my therapy it's helped me get through everything ... "

Shifty was dad to three children - Halo Gage and Phoenix. HIs family remembered him in a statement following his passing.

It read: "To Seth, the world was art, he loved every part of it, from music and fashion to graffiti, skateboarding and his hometown of Los Angeles. "He loved his three boys more than anything, and his dedication to his music and fans never wavered.

Seth struggled with addiction throughout his life, he did so on a very public platform which was particularly challenging.

God knows he tried so hard to beat his demons but sadly he lost his battle. Our hearts are shattered by his loss. Seth's larger-than-life presence touched so many.

"Seth was a troubled soul but he was a beautiful one and he had a heart of gold. "He will live on through his 3 sons who were his proudest accomplishments. Halo Gage and Phoenix."
Garment exports from Sri Lanka were valued at $1,797.2 million during the first five months of 2024, noting a decline of 2.5 per cent compared to the $1,843.3 million exported during the same period in the previous year, according to statistics released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

During January-May 2024, textile exports from the island nation dropped by 18.7 per cent year-on-year, totalling $117.5 million. The exports of other made-up textile articles were valued at $46.2 million during the same period, an increase of 8.1 per cent, as detailed in the bank's report titled 'External Sector Performance  May 2024'.

Garment exports from Sri Lanka reached $1,797.2 million from Jan-May 2024, a 2.5 per cent decline from 2023. Textile exports dropped by 18.7 per cent to $117.5 million, while other textile articles increased by 8.1 per cent to $46.2 million. Imports of textiles rose by 9.4 per cent to $1,094.2 million. Garment exports in 2023 fell to $4,440.6 million.

Exports of textiles, garments, and other manufactured textile articles collectively accounted for 48.95 per cent of all industrial exports from Sri Lanka during the reviewed period, the report indicated. All textile product exports summed up to $1,961.0 million in January-May 2024, while Sri Lanka's total industrial exports were $4,006.8 million in the same period.

In May 2024, all textile product exports from the country eased by 5.5 per cent year-on-year, totalling $390.9 million. Category-wise, garment exports decreased by 4.0 per cent to $359.5 million, while textile exports decreased by 23.7 per cent to $23.2 million. Exports of other manufactured textile articles slipped by 23.7 per cent, amounting to $8.3 million.

On the other hand, imports of textiles and textile articles increased by 9.4 per cent to $1,094.2 million, while imports of clothing and accessories edged up by 18.4 per cent, amounting to $84.7 million in January-May 2024. In May 2024, imports of textiles and textile articles increased by 6.9 per cent to $227.3 million, while imports of clothing and accessories rose by 1.5 per cent to $13.9 million.

In 2023, garment exports from Sri Lanka were valued at $4,440.6 million, which was 19 per cent lower than the exports of $5,483.1 million in 2022. The imports of textiles and textile articles had declined by 22.6 per cent to $2,371.2 million, and Sri Lanka's imports of clothing and accessories were down by 21.1 per cent, amounting to $170 million in 2023.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Chef-owner Bruno Chemel poses for a portrait outside Le Parc Bistrobar, his new restaurant. Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle The downstairs bar and dining area of Le Parc Bistrobar in the Galleria Park Hotel. Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle

The chef behind a Bay Area French restaurant that held Michelin-star status for 12 years, nine of those with two stars, is opening the doors to his new bistro.

Bruno Chemel, best known for the luxe Baume in Palo Alto, is opening his newest restaurant, Le Parc Bistrobar, at the Galleria Park Hotel in San Franciscos Union Square on July 8. Inside, he has turned to more traditional French fare, with an eye toward affordability. Despite Chemels inclination for classic cooking, he is remixing some dishes to create a menu that feels more modern  the latest restaurant looking to revamp French cuisine in the Bay Area.

I dont like traditional food made exactly like in the old books, Chemel said. We live in the modern age.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

At the peak of Chemels prestige, Baume held two Michelin stars yet had no employees besides the chef and his wife. Chemel produced high-concept dishes like foie gras disguised as a strawberry and squab with sugar skin that crackled and popped. At the new restaurant, appetizers include an escargot pot pie topped with puff pastry, and salmon tartare. Oxtails braised in red wine with carrots ($35) feature among the entrees. Those are the same idea as the coq au vin just using the oxtails. You dont see that part of the beef too much in French cooking, Chemel said.

The sole meuniere dish served at Le Parc Bistrobar. Chef Bruno Chemel said he wants to emphasize approachable French cuisine. Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle

There are also steamed mussels with shallots in a garlic cream ($23) and chicken legs in a white bean ragu ($24). To prepare the latter, Chemel and his staff rub a compound butter perfumed with rosemary, thyme, tarragon and sage between the chickens meat and skin. The sauce is less of an Italian ragu and more of a French ragout, made with cannellini beans and stewed onions, garlic, carrots and celery  akin to a cassoulet.

Chemel may eventually introduce midweek lunch, with a menu that might include additions like croque monsieurs and other sandwiches. The earlier service could be implemented in the fall. Downtown San Francisco is not quite back yet, Chemel said.

This isnt Chemels first San Francisco restaurant. In 2004, he opened La Suite on the Embarcadero, which earned praise and a three-star rating from the Chronicles former restaurant critic Michael Bauer. Despite the clamor, he left the following year. He then helmed the kitchen at Michelin-starred Chez TJ in Mountain View, leaving to establish Baume.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Le Parc Bistrobar also isnt Chemels first time offering more approachable dishes. After Baume lost its Michelin stars, something Chemel reveled in, he reworked the restaurant into a more casual version, called Bistronomie by Baume. It operated for less than a year before closing in August 2023.

Wine will be a major focal point of the new restaurant. Le Parc offers a long list of French wines by the bottle, including Champagnes and sparkling wines, reds and whites. A few California wines appear on the list, such as a Chardonnay from Santa Maria Valley on the Central Coast and a Pinot Noir from the Sonoma coast. Staying in line with Chemels desire to make Le Parc more approachable and affordable, there are bottles in the $40 and $50 range. Wines by the glass run from $8 to $13.

Chemels wife, Christine, developed the cocktail list with a focus on no-frills, classic cocktails like boulevardiers, sazeracs and aviations. In a nod to the areas history, there is a Martinez on the list, a cocktail which is believed to have begotten the martini, that may have been invented across the street. We want to have classic cocktails many people know, but not a lot of bars make, he said.

Left to right, the Martinez, Galleria Fraise and Le Parc Lychee cocktails at Le Parc Bistrobar. Christine Chemel developed the drinks menu. Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle

There are menu sections dedicated to cocktails made with specific liqueurs like Lillet and Chartreuse. And for any Baume customers who miss the Baumetini, Le Parc is shaking up the cocktail made with a mix of cognac, yuzu liqueur and passion fruit.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The restaurant took over the former home of Gaspar Brasserie, a two-level space inspired by mid-20th century Parisian bistros, a look that the new restaurant has maintained. The top floor best exemplifies this look, with a color palette that features rich wood and burgundy tones, polished brass accents, and bench seating upholstered with red leather. There are gilded shelves and pressed tin ceilings, as well as a window with views of the kitchen. The top floors bar area has 10 seats, plus a lounge area with banquettes. Downstairs, the feel is a bit more laid-back, with a spacious area and a smaller bar with four seats. Overall, the restaurant can accommodate 130 seated diners.

Chemel said he already feels at home.

I love the space and it fits what I want to do now. I feel good here, Chemel said.

185 Sutter St., San Francisco. 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday. 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. leparcbistrobar.com
At the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) meeting on July 2, WTO members reviewed four significant regional trade agreements (RTAs) involving Cambodia, Iceland, India, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, and the UK. Ambassador Salomon Eheth of Cameroon, the new CRTA chair, also provided an update on RTAs still pending review by the Committee.

At the CRTA meeting on July 2, WTO members reviewed four RTAs involving Cambodia, Iceland, India, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, Norway, the UAE, and the UK. Key agreements include India-UAE and Indonesia-Korea, which focus on liberalising trade and services. Additionally, 55 RTAs in force have not been notified to the WTO.

The committee considered the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which came into force on May 1, 2022. This agreement covers goods, investment, digital trade, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The liberalisation of trade in goods will be completed by 2031, with India eliminating customs duties on 84.7 per cent of its tariff lines and the UAE on 97.1 per cent of its tariff lines. India highlighted that the agreement serves as a growth engine for bilateral trade, WTO said in a news release.

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Indonesia and the Republic of Korea, covering goods and services, was also reviewed. This agreement, which entered into force on January 1, 2023, will see the parties liberalise more than 92 per cent of their import tariffs by the end of its implementation in 2042. The agreement reaffirms the parties' existing rights and obligations under several WTO agreements, including those on technical barriers to trade, anti-dumping measures, subsidies and countervailing measures, and trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights.

The Republic of Korea stated that the agreement will enhance commitments with ASEAN, while Indonesia noted that it provides a comprehensive framework for improving trade in services, with over 100 sub-sectors opened to 100 per cent foreign equity participation. Both countries have also committed to facilitating the movement of inter-corporate transferees, business visitors, and independent professionals.

The free trade agreement between the Republic of Korea and Cambodia, focusing on goods, entered into force on December 1, 2022. By 2041, the Republic of Korea will liberalise almost 95 per cent of its tariffs, and Cambodia will liberalise almost 90 per cent of its tariffs.

Another agreement reviewed was the free trade agreement between the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, covering goods and services. This agreement ensures the continuity of preferential treatment among the parties similar to when the UK was an EU member. Under the agreement, the UK liberalised almost 91 per cent of its tariffs on imports from Iceland by 2021 and will liberalise almost 83 per cent of its tariffs on imports from Norway by 2025. Iceland liberalised all but 3.2 per cent of its tariffs on imports from the UK in 2022, and Norway liberalised all but 9 per cent of its tariffs by 2021. The agreement also includes provisions on labour and environment, electronic commerce, SMEs, good regulatory practices, and regulatory cooperation.

The UK, speaking on behalf of all the parties, noted that the agreement reaffirms their long-standing relationship and provides predictability, protection, and opportunities for businesses, investors, and consumers. It also highlighted improvements in commitments concerning rules of origin, technical barriers to trade, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, as well as provisions to secure continued market access in a broad range of services sectors.

The committee also acknowledged seven notifications of regional trade agreements. The chair noted that there are 30 RTAs involving WTO members and 38 involving non-members for which a factual presentation has yet to be prepared, counting goods and services separately. Additionally, the WTO secretariat had circulated a list of 55 RTAs currently in force that had not been notified to the WTO.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)
Critic's rating 3.5 /5

Nikhil Nagesh Bhats Kill blends action with a poignant narrative, anchored by screen-stealing performances from Lakshya Lalwani and Raghav Juyal.



The narrative unfolds aboard a train hurtling towards New Delhi from Ranchi, setting the stage for a harrowing tale of vengeance and survival. NSG commando Amrit Rathod (Lakshya Lalwani), initially introduced as a benign passenger, undergoes a transformation into a relentless punisher following the tragic murder of his girlfriend Tulika Singh Thakur (Tanya Maniktala). Lalwani's portrayal is marked by a palpable intensity, his character evolving from a tender lover to a steely vigilante driven by loss. Much like the protagonist from the cult classic Indonesian film Raid: Redemption (2011), starring Iko Uwais, who takes on a whole gang on their own turf, Amrit single-handedly kills 40 members of a gang of dacoits all by himself. Earlier, he wanted to contain the situation but the brutal murder of his girlfriend turns him into a ruthless anti-hero who only lives to kill.



Raghav Juyal, as Fani, injects a volatile energy into the film, embodying the impulsive nature of his criminal persona with a convincing blend of menace and vulnerability. His clashes with Amrit are charged with raw emotion, adding depth to their adversarial dynamics. Lakshya Lalwani makes for the perfect action hero, his eyes and body language mirroring the turmoil he feels. He's spot on during the action sequences. The continuous action choreography must have taken a toll on his body but the effort has been well worth it. Some scenes are too graphic. Indian viewers aren't accustomed to this level of atrocity and would definitely be shocked by it all.



The film's narrative structure, punctuated by flashbacks of Amrit and Tulika's fleeting moments of love amidst the impending danger, underscores the gravity of loss and the quest for retribution. Amrit's metamorphosis into a vigilante assassin is compellingly rendered, depicting his descent into darkness as he methodically eliminates his adversaries, each kill fraught with emotional weight.



Visually, Kill is arresting, with scenes meticulously crafted to evoke tension and urgency. The imagery of bodies strung up aboard the train serves as a stark reminder of mortality, resonating with both the characters and the audience alike. This visual motif underscores the film's exploration of death's multifaceted impact on its protagonists and antagonists.



While Kill excels in its action sequences and thematic exploration of morality and justice, it occasionally falters in character development, particularly among its secondary antagonists. The rapid demise of certain characters limits their depth, detracting from the overall narrative cohesion.



Nevertheless, Kill succeeds in delivering pulse-pounding action without succumbing to typical genre cliches. The fight choreography is commendable, eschewing superheroic invincibility in favor of grounded, visceral combat that underscores the vulnerability of its protagonists.



In conclusion, Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's Kill stands as a testament to the prowess of its leading actors and the director's vision. With Lakshya Lalwani and Raghav Juyal delivering standout performances, the film navigates the murky waters of revenge with intensity and nuance, offering audiences a gripping cinematic experience that transcends its genre conventions. Mention also must be made of Abhishek Chauhan, who plays Viresh, Amrits army buddy who helps him out initially and of Ashish Vidyarthi, the leader of the gang of dacoits who watches helplessly as his son's thoughtless act leads to the decimation of his gang.



With Kill, Dharna production has taken a new direction. It was a bold move for them to segue into action after being known as the masters of romance. The visceral scenes will surely win them over new fans, especially those favouring hard-core action.
Stringent Pedestrian Safety Regulations Prompting Automakers to Integrate Electric Vehicle Sound Generators into Their Models.

ROCKVILLE, Md., July 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on a recently updated industry report published by Fact.MR, the global Electric Vehicle Sound Generators Market is poised to reach a valuation of US$ 115.5 million in 2024 and further rapidly expand at a CAGR of 18.6% from 2024 to 2034. By the end of 2034, the market is forecasted to reach a valuation of US$ 739.3 million.

As electric vehicles (EVs) continue to gain popularity worldwide, demand for electric vehicle sound generators (EVSG) is surging. These innovative devices produce artificial sounds to alert pedestrians and cyclists to the presence of approaching EVs, which are designed to operate quietly.

With an increasing number of countries mandating the use of EVSGs for safety reasons, automakers are racing to comply with regulations and integrate these systems into their EV models. The global EVSG market is projected to exhibit significant growth in the coming years, driven by the rapid adoption of EVs and the prioritization of pedestrian safety.

For More Insights into the Market, Request a Sample of this Report:

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=4569

Leading EVSG manufacturers are continuously enhancing their products, offering customizable sounds, adjustable volumes, and directional audio capabilities. As autonomous vehicles become more prevalent, EVSGs are projected to play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in urban environments.

Growing demand for EVSGs is a testament to the automotive industry's commitment to innovation and safety, paving the way for a future where electric mobility coexists harmoniously with other road users.

Key Takeaways from the EVSG Market Study:

The Japan and South Korea markets are analyzed to expand at CAGRs of 18% and 19.7%, respectively, from 2024 to 2034.

The market in Mexico is forecasted to expand at a CAGR of 20.9% through 2034, while the United States is evaluated to hold a share of 77.2% in the North American region by 2034.

The East Asia EV sound generator market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 19.3% through 2034.

Based on sales channel, the aftermarket segment is estimated to reach a market valuation of US$ 25.4 million in 2024.

The North American market is calculated to climb to a value of US$ 276.4 million by the end of 2034.

"Manufacturers of electric vehicle sound generators are focusing on enhancing their products by offering customizable sounds, adjustable volumes, and directional audio capabilities, catering to evolving regulatory requirements," says a Fact.MR analyst.

Electric Vehicle Sound Generators Industry News:

Businesses in the sector have contributed significantly to the growth of the electric vehicle (EV) industry and other sectors. Important participants in the market for electric vehicle sound generators are developing lighter, more environmentally friendly models that consume less energy, and adjusting to new industry trends like charging cords and connectors. In the upcoming years, market participants will be well-positioned to create a market in this business environment by collaborating with EV enterprises.

In this updated market analysis, Fact.MR offers comprehensive details on major global electric car sound generator manufacturers' pricing points, sales growth, manufacturing capacity, and speculative technological expansion.

Growing Demand for Customizable Sound Profiles for Personalized Experiences

One of the latest developments is the integration of directional sound capabilities, enabling EVSGs to emit sounds that assist pedestrians in identifying the direction of an approaching vehicle. Furthermore, manufacturers are exploring the utilization of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to adapt sound patterns based on real-time traffic and environmental conditions.

Another significant advancement is the incorporation of customizable sound profiles, empowering automakers to craft unique audio signatures that mirror their brand identity. Certain EVSGs even offer interactive functionalities, allowing drivers to personalize the sounds or adjust them according to different driving modes.

As demand for EVs continues to surge, these cutting-edge innovations in the market are leading the way toward a safer and more immersive electric mobility experience for all road users.

Leading Players Driving Innovation in the Electric Vehicle Sound Generator Market:

Delphi Technology Denso Corporation Continental AG Harman International Nissan Motor Company Ltd. Tesla Inc. Daimler AG Volkswagen AG KUFATEC GmbH.

Get Customization on this Report for Specific Research Solutions:

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=4569

More Valuable Insights on Offer

Fact.MR, in its new offering, presents an unbiased analysis of the electric vehicle sound generator market for 2019 to 2023 and forecast statistics for 2024 to 2034.

The study divulges essential insights into the market based on product type (bass sound generators, treble sound generators), type (hardware devices, software systems), vehicle type (passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles), and sales channel (OEMs, aftermarket), across seven major regions of the world (North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, East Asia, South Asia & Pacific, and MEA).

Check out More Related Studies Published by Fact.MR Research:

Electric Vehicle (EV) Battery Market is projected to expand at a prolific CAGR of 18.5% and reach a valuation of US$ 347 billion by 2033, up from US$ 63.55 billion in 2023.

Hybrid Electric Vehicles Market size is anticipated to showcase a stellar growth trajectory registering a CAGR of over 14% over the forecast period 2021-2031.

Off-Road Vehicle Shock Absorber Market valued at US$ 1.25 billion in 2022, is projected to grow at a 5.5% CAGR, reaching US$ 2.27 billion by 2033.

Europe Refuse Compactor Vehicle Market is expected to reach US$ 98.5 million in 2023 and grow at a 4.1% CAGR, reaching US$ 147 million by 2033.

Vehicle Access Control Market valued at US$ 10 billion in 2023, is forecasted to achieve US$ 25 billion by 2033, with a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6% over the forecast period.

Lavatory Service Vehicles Market for electric and non-electric vehicle segments show promising growth in the lavatory service vehicles market, collectively accounting for an estimated 89% share of the global market.

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Market is valued at US$ 1.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$ 2.8 billion by the end of 2033.

Vehicle Wash Systems Market was valued at US$ 3.91 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2%, reaching US$ 7.14 billion by the end of 2034.

About Us:

Fact.MR is a distinguished market research company renowned for its comprehensive market reports and invaluable business insights. As a prominent player in business intelligence, we deliver deep analysis, uncovering market trends, growth paths, and competitive landscapes. Renowned for its commitment to accuracy and reliability, we empower businesses with crucial data and strategic recommendations, facilitating informed decision-making and enhancing market positioning.

With its unwavering dedication to providing reliable market intelligence, FACT.MR continues to assist companies in navigating dynamic market challenges with confidence and achieving long-term success. With a global presence and a team of experienced analysts, FACT.MR ensures its clients receive actionable insights to capitalize on emerging opportunities and stay competitive.

Contact:

11140 Rockville Pike

Suite 400

Rockville, MD 20852

United States

Tel: +1 (628) 251-1583

Sales Team: sales@factmr.com

Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/electric-vehicle-sound-generators-market-set-to-expand-at-18-6-cagr-reaching-usd-739-3-million-by-2034-factmr-302189598.html
Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2024) - Jetpac, a leading innovator in travel tech, is thrilled to announce a significant strategic investment from KDL, a global powerhouse in telecommunications. This collaboration is aimed at fuelling Jetpac's global growth and providing extreme travel convenience to Jetpackers all over the world.

Unveiling the Future of Travel Connectivity with 'Convenience and Customer Experience' at Its Core

Jetpac's offering is at the forefront of travel tech, offering seamless connectivity with integrated travel convenience solutions for global travelers. With extensive telco network coverage in over 100 countries, users enjoy reliable roaming services that ensure data freedom and a bill-shock-free journey. In addition, Jetpac offers free lounge access in >1000 airport lounges, VPN services, and one-click access to local emergency hotlines for those tricky situations. This partnership with KDL not only signifies a monumental step for Jetpac but also highlights the telecommunication giant's confidence in Jetpac's ability to scale its solutions on a global stage.

"We are thrilled to embark on this strategic partnership with Jetpac, which aligns perfectly with our vision of enhancing global travel connectivity. This collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions, ensuring that travelers worldwide enjoy seamless and reliable connectivity. We are confident that Jetpac's cutting-edge travel tech platform, combined with our extensive telecommunications expertise, will revolutionize the travel experience, making it more convenient and enjoyable for all," said Toshiro Akiyama, CEO and President.

A Strategic Alliance with KDL

The collaboration between Jetpac and KDL extends beyond financial investment. This partnership not only enhances Jetpac's offerings with the introduction of new data packs tailored for visitors to Japan, improving the travel experience for both leisure and business travelers, but it also sets the stage for future global partnerships and Go To Market alliances. Furthermore, this strategic alliance marks KDL's strategic expansion in the Travel eSIM space, underscoring the solidarity of the Travel eSIM market and highlighting Jetpac's expanding presence.

"We are very excited by the opportunities and possibilities that this Strategic Alliance with KDL will bring. Its also a clear testimony to Jetpac's differentiated offering in an otherwise cluttered Travel eSIM space," said Aditya Goyal, Business Head of New Business Build in Circles.

Expanding Global Networks: Validation and Trust

Jetpac's collaboration with KDL is part of a broader network of global telecommunication partnerships that enhance its offerings. KDL's investment serves as a significant endorsement of Jetpac's differentiated approach to travel technology, reinforcing its position as a reliable provider of data roaming services.

"As part of an ongoing mission to provide true travel convenience to our customers, we continuously look for ideas and ways to value-add beyond our data roaming services. This places us in a unique position where we can progressively expand our product and having top-notch connectivity is just the beginning," said Pearlyn Yeo, Head of Marketing, New Business Build in Circles.

Japan: A Key Market for Enhanced Travel Experiences

Recognizing Japan's importance as a travel destination, this partnership aims to offer innovative data packs for visitors, thereby improving the overall travel experience for both leisure and business travelers. With KDL's support, Jetpac is set to provide even more value and enhanced experiences for those visiting Japan, ensuring travelers have access to reliable, affordable, and convenient roaming services.

Jetpac and KDL are excited to embark on this journey together, pushing the boundaries of travel technology to new heights and delivering a future where travel is more connected, convenient, and enjoyable for all.

About Jetpac

Powered by Circles, Jetpac was launched in 2022 as a premium travel eSIM service provider geared to redefine the way travelers roam.

Jetpac's travel tech platform instantly connects travelers globally to reliable roaming in 100+ countries through the simple activation of an eSIM when they travel. Jetpac is focused on delivering a hyper-convenient way for customers to roam, providing them with data freedom and a bill shock-free travel experience. More than a travel eSIM, Jetpac also provides value-added innovative services that go beyond traditional data connectivity, making it the ideal travel partner for all.

To learn more, visit www.jetpacglobal.com.

Contact Info:

Name: Pearlyn Yeo

Email: pearlyn@circles.co

Organization: JetPac Global

Website: https://www.jetpacglobal.com/us/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/211896

SOURCE: Plentisoft
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2024) - Quasar Markets, a pioneer in AI-powered financial market research solutions, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Tyler Wood, CMT to its Board of Directors. With a rich history in educational technology and financial services, Tyler's extensive experience and innovative mindset are set to propel Quasar Markets to new heights.

Tyler Wood, CMT currently serves as the Executive Director & CEO of CMT Association. This not-for-profit organization is the global authority for technical analysis. As Director, Tyler is dedicated to enhancing investors' mastery and skill in managing market risk and maximizing returns through rigorous credentialing, professional ethics, and continuous education. A seasoned business executive, Tyler has been at the forefront of educational technology in the financial services industry for over a decade.

Quasar Markets Welcomes Financial Industry Leader Tyler Wood, CMT to Board

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/215447_5583cb1504193823_002full.jpg

Before his tenure at the CMT Association, Tyler's career included roles in management consulting and publishing. Over the past 20 years, he has successfully managed product development, brand communications, and sales teams, driving significant revenue growth for various public, private, and non-profit organizations.

"We are incredibly excited to welcome Tyler Wood to our Board of Directors," said Steven E. Orr, CEO of Quasar Markets. "His profound understanding of the financial markets and his commitment to investor education perfectly align with our mission to provide unparalleled automation, insights, and personalized client experiences. Tyler's innovative approach will be instrumental as we continue to reimagine the future of finance."

About Quasar Markets

Quasar Markets offers innovative AI-powered solutions for researching financial markets, providing unparalleled automation, insights and personalized client experiences. With a next-gen Web3 platform and strategic partnerships with industry leaders, Quasar Markets is reimagining the future of finance. For more information, visit: https://quasarmarkets.com/.

Contact Info:

Name: Steven E. Orr

Email: steven@quasarmarkets.com

Organization: Quasar Markets

Address: Wesley Chapel, Florida 33543, US

Phone: +1 (202) 841-9009

Website: http://www.quasarmarkets.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215447

SOURCE: Plentisoft
Lauryn Dakota Holbert and Branden Nichols prepare oysters and shrimp at Small Change Oyster Bar in Oakland. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle Small Change Oyster Bar in Oakland, which comes from owner Branden Nichols, who previously ran the oyster bar Shuck It at the Market & Main food hall in Martinez. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

A highly anticipated, long-in-the-works oyster bar is ready to crack open fresh, briny bivalves.

Small Change Oyster Bar will open Wednesday, July 10, at 5000 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland serving raw shellfish, plus classic seafood dishes like clam chowder and crab cakes. The restaurant is the latest from Branden Nichols, who previously operated oyster bar Shuck It at the Market & Main food hall in Martinez.

Fresh oysters will headline the menu, with offerings from purveyors in Northern California and Washington state. These will be served shucked on the half shell, with the customary lineup of hot sauce, lemon and a mignonette. There will also be oysters Rockefeller and broiled oysters topped with kimchi made in-house.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Were not trying to reinvent the wheel too much. Were just trying to do the classic really well, said Nichols.

Diners will sit at low stools along a long bar, which drops down into a lower, crescent-shaped section offering close-up views of fresh oysters in repose over ice, waiting to be shucked behind glass. Customers here will slurp their oysters over a custom-made zinc countertop.

Its the focal point of the restaurant, Nichols said of the bar. Including the patio that the restaurant shares with Poppy Bagels, there will be space for about 30 people in total.

Oysters and shrimp at Small Change Oyster Bar. The long-awaited raw bar has been in the works since 2022. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

The menu wont be limited to the raw bar, however. Chef Lauryn Dakota Holbert helped develop the hot dishes, which include lobster rolls, shrimp Louie salads and fish and chips using local black cod or other seasonal fish from Monterey Fish Market in Berkeley. Clam chowders will be served in mugs, the traditional presentation in the dishs native New England  not, as is typical in some Bay Area restaurants, in a bread bowl.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Ive noticed people mostly eat the chowder and just tear off a bit of the bread bowl, he said. A lot just goes to waste.

Holbert and Nichols met over a year ago at boundary-pushing Italian restaurant Sister, which closed in late 2023. They first collaborated on an oyster and Scotch pairing event at the Oakland Whiskey Library and have since worked together on Small Change pop-ups at venues throughout the Bay Area, such as Oaklands wine bar the Punchdown and San Francisco newcomer the Halfway Club. The traveling events have allowed the chef to refine the dishes and put together a final menu for the permanent restaurant.

The wine list will be a short one, focusing on low-intervention wines. Nichols is tapping into his relationships with local wineries, where he got his start shucking oysters during events and pop-ups, to keep rotating offerings from small producers from the region.

The patio at Small Change Oyster Bar in Oakland, which opens July 10. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

The restaurant takes over the former home of Mexican restaurant Dona Tomas. The new tenant gave the interior a revamp featuring wood paneling, furnished with illustrations and sconces that emit warm light. The wide windows, adorned with the restaurants branding, allow for plenty of natural light and also offer views of the raw bar and shucking station to pedestrians. The setting is meant to feel casual but classic, Nichols said, like a spot thats been there for several years already.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The narrow space was a great fit for Nichols vision for a long bar. But it also has a personal significance. Dona Tomas used to be one of my favorite restaurants when I first moved to Oakland. I was here all the time, Nichols said.

Small Change Oyster Bar. Opening Wednesday, July 10. 5000 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 3-9 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. smallchangeoyster.com
BEIJING, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Unveiling Ceremony of China Book Center in Egypt and the "Reading China: Cultural Elements in the Development of Modern Cities" China-Egypt Cultural Exchange Conference was held on July 3 at Badr University in Cairo (BUC), attracting 150-plus guests from China and Egypt.

Hu Kaihong, Vice Minister of the Central Office of Cultural and Ethical Progress, noted that this year is the "China-Egypt Year of Partnership." The launch of the center and the conference are tangible steps to implement agreements reached by the two heads of state. They aim to boost youth cultural exchanges, foster urban development learning, and innovate communication among cultural institutions in China and Egypt.

Essam Sharaf, Former Prime Minister of Egypt, emphasized that a deep understanding of the Belt and Road Initiative promotes global cooperation and builds bridges of friendship, and China-Egypt cooperation is becoming more substantial.

Ashraf el-Shihy, President of BUC and Former Minister of Higher Education of Egypt, highlighted that the center offers students a platform to understand China. He hopes that BUC and China International Communications Group (CICG) will deepen their cooperation to further develop the center and encourage students to learn Chinese and experience Chinese culture.

Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang highlighted that the establishment of the center is a significant milestone in China-Egypt cultural cooperation, marking a new peak in bilateral relations. Emphasizing the role of books as crucial conduits of cultural exchange and heritage, he expressed hope that Chinese and Egyptian youth would deepen mutual understanding through the center, strengthen public goodwill, promote exchanges and mutual learning between these two great civilizations, and foster enduring friendship between the countries.

Aly El-Hefny, Former Deputy Foreign Minister of Egypt and Egypt's Former Ambassador to China, hoped this successful experience could be replicated in other academic institutions.

Shan Guangxiu, Director of China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. (CSCEC), and Aly El-Hefny jointly unveiled the publication of the Chinese-Arabic bilingual book Deep Friendship Quenches the Desert.

The center received 1,000 books on various aspects to provide a comprehensive view of China. This event is part of the "Experience China" series of cultural exchange activities in Egypt. It was co-organized by CICG, BUC, and CSCEC, and hosted by the Center for International Cultural Communication, CICG, China Book Center, CSCEC Egypt, and the School of Linguistics and Translation, BUC.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-unveiling-ceremony-of-china-book-center-in-egypt-and-the-china-egypt-cultural-exchange-conference-held-in-cairo-302189832.html
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!
Commerce Resources Corp. (TSXV:CCE)(FSE:D7H0)(OTCQX:CMRZF) (the "Company" or "Commerce") is pleased to announce that a summer drill program has commenced, targeting further delineation of niobium and tantalum mineralization at the Mallard and Miranna Prospects on their Eldor Property, Quebec. Additionally, multiple geophysical anomalies commonly associated with this type of mineralization will be drill tested. The program is being managed by Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. of Edmonton, AB with drilling operations being carried out by Avataa-Rouillier Drilling of Nunavik, Quebec.

A total of twenty (20) to thirty (30) NQ-size drill holes, for a minimum of 7,500 m, are planned for the program as announced in the news release dated May 29th, 2024. One of the main objectives for the 2024 drilling campaign will focus on completing several follow-up drill holes at the Mallard Prospect. The first drill hole of the 2021 drill program at Mallard - EC21-175 - returned the best niobium intercept to-date from the Property at 1.00% Nb2O5 over 17.1 m (and 136 ppm Ta2O5), within a larger interval of 0.82% Nb2O5 over 42.3 m (and 153 ppm Ta2O5; see news release dated November 1st, 2021).

The Company also intends to follow-up on the initial drill testing completed at the Miranna Prospect in 2021, where four (4) drill holes were designed to test the potential for niobium mineralization of the northwest-trending geophysical anomaly that defines Miranna. The Miranna Prospect is characterized by a strongly mineralized (niobium-tantalum-phosphate), glacially dispersed boulder train with an apex that correlates with a distinct magnetic high anomaly. (Figure 1-1). Drillhole EC21-180 successfully achieved the Company's objective of identifying an area prospective for follow-up, confirming the presence of high-grade mineralization downhole, including 1.20% Nb2O5 over 3.1 m, within a larger interval of 0.72% Nb2O5 over 20.4 m (see news release dated December 8th, 2021).

The third objective is to follow up on several magnetic high anomalies that are characteristic of the niobium and tantalum mineralized carbonatites at the Eldor property (Figure 1-1). Priority is given to those that are located between the Mallard and Miranna Prospects, and those that have a distinct mineralized and glacially dispersed boulder train.

Figure 1-1: Priority target areas - 2024 drill program

NI 43-101 Disclosure

Patrik T. Schmidt, M.Sc., P.Geo., Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., a Permit holder with the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

About Commerce Resources Corp.

Commerce Resources Corp. is a junior mineral resource company focused on the development of the Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Deposit located within their Eldor Property, in northern Quebec, Canada. The Ashram Deposit is characterized by simple rare earth (monazite, bastnaesite, xenotime) and gangue (carbonates) mineralogy, a large tonnage resource at favourable grade, and has demonstrated the production of high-grade (more than 30 - 45% TREO) mineral concentrates at high recovery (more than 60 - 75%) in line with active global producers. The Ashram Deposit also has a fluorspar component which makes it one of the largest potential sources of fluorspar in the world and could be a long-term supplier to the met-spar and acid-spar markets. The Company is positioning to be one of the lowest cost rare earth producers globally, with a specific focus on being a long-term supplier of mixed rare earth carbonate and/or NdPr oxide to the global market. Additionally, Commerce is committed to exploring the potential of other high-value commodities on the Property such as niobium and phosphate minerals, which may help advance Ashram by reducing costs through shared development.

For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.commerceresources.com or email info@commerceresources.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

COMMERCE RESOURCES CORP.

" Chris Grove "

Chris Grove

CEO and President

Tel: 604.484.2700

Email: cgrove@commerceresources.com

Web: http://www.commerceresources.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.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which includes any information about activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include statements relating to the Company's plans for its intended diamond drill program at the Eldor property including, but not limited to, the intended plans for follow-up drill holes at the Mallard Prospect and Miranna Prospects; that Ashram has the potential to become one of the largest fluorspar sources in the world and a long-term supplier to the met-spar and acid-spar markets; that the Company is positioning to be one of the lowest cost rare earth element producers globally, with a focus on being a long-term global supplier of mixed rare earth carbonate and/or NdPr oxide; and that the Company may explore the potential of other high-value commodities on the Eldor property. These forward-looking statements are 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. Risks that could change or prevent these events, activities or developments from coming to fruition include: that the Company may not be able to fully finance any additional exploration on the Ashram Project; that even if the Company is able raise capital, costs for exploration activities may increase such that the Company may not have sufficient funds to pay for such exploration or processing activities; the timing and content of the proposed drill program and any future work programs may not be completed as proposed or at all; geological interpretations based on drilling that may change with more detailed information; potential process methods and mineral recoveries assumptions based on limited test work and by comparison to what are considered analogous deposits that, with further test work, may not be comparable; testing of our process may not prove successful or samples derived from the Ashram Project may not yield positive results, and even if such tests are successful or initial sample results are positive, the economic and other outcomes may not be as expected; the anticipated market demand for rare earth elements and other minerals may not be as expected; the availability of labour and equipment to undertake future exploration work and testing activities; geopolitical risks which may result in market and economic instability; and despite the current expected viability of the Ashram Project, conditions changing such that even if metals or minerals are discovered on the Ashram Project, the project may not be commercially viable. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Commerce Resources Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A new agreement has been signed between Viking Analytics and Bharat Forge Kilsta (BFK) from Karlskoga. The agreement, which is for three years, provides BFK with the AI-based optimization tool "Smartforge" after a 10-month implementation phase. Smartforge optimizes the forging process, primarily in the critical heat keeping process where the problems with scrap are greatest. The goal is to reduce discarded products by 50% and contribute to energy savings and a more environmentally friendly production.

Niclas Unden, CFO of Bharat Forge Kilsta, comments on the deal: "Through AI technology, a difficult step in the forging process is simplified. The result is lower scrap, lower energy consumption and reduced need for manual work. In SmartForge, Swedish heavy automotive industry meets world-leading AI technology from Viking Analytics. Bharat Forge Kilsta is very pleased with the collaboration with Viking Analytics, and we look forward to a deeper collaboration in the coming years."

The majority of Bharat Forge's customers are in the automotive industry and the value of this agreement exceeds SEK 4 million for both Viking Analytics and Bharat Forge.

Stefan Lagerkvist, COO at Viking Analytics: "This agreement is much more than a single business opportunity. Bharat forge has a lot of expertise in steel and forging, which contributes strongly to the solution. Their knowledge has been captured and translated into algorithms for better control of the process. This collaboration confirms everything we so long have been fighting for and gives us a great opportunity in the future to offer an environmentally friendly AI-powered solution to more factories within the Bharat Forge Group as well as to other players in the industry!"

Viking Analytics

Strong in predictive maintenance and smart industrial optimization

Since 2017 the Swedish company Viking Analytics has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the maintenance process for OEMs, maintenance companies and industries. Their commitment to predictive maintenance, smart automation, optimization, and data analytics is evident in their specialized software tool MultiViz, which enables industries to operate, monitor, and understand their machines with unparalleled precision and efficiency. Vibration analysis is a major focus area, but a lot of customized AI solutions are also provided.

Bharat Forge Kilsta

Forgings for the automotive industry

Bharat Forge Kilsta manufactures forged and machined components for the automotive industry. The company's most important customers are truck manufacturers in Sweden and internationally. Bharat Forge Kilsta is part of the Bharat Forge Group, which is the world's largest forging group and is headquartered in India. Bharat Forge Kilsta has an annual turnover of SEK 1.3 billion and 320 employees. The Swedish company is located in Karlskoga - the city in Eastern Varmland that is known for its high-tech, and internationally oriented, industrial companies.

CONTACT:

info@vikinganalytics.se

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Public/19501/4011765/81c161464ddd03df_org.png 4011765_0.png https://mb.cision.com/Public/19501/4011765/ac2b3ed9171dd1b2_org.png 4011765_1.png https://mb.cision.com/Public/19501/4011765/af76d73e69569646_org.png 4011765_2.png

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/viking-analytics--bharat-forge-signs-a-3-year-contract-302189892.html
Taipei, Taiwan--(Newsfile Corp. - July 5, 2024) - The Open Summit, the largest TON summit this summer, is set to be a landmark event for the global TON community. Powered by TONX and supported by the global TON community, the summit will take place from August 6-8, 2024, at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center TaiNEX2, as a part of ABS2024. As the pioneering partner of TON, TONX is the cornerstone enabling builders to scale applications for the future with Telegram and TON.

Figure 1



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8717/215472_451d3f02b4ed6845_001full.jpg

With the theme "TON Summer," this year's summit will feature major announcements from the TON community. The APAC region's vibrant TON and Telegram community makes Taipei an ideal location for The Open Summit. Attendees can expect to hear from the latest developments in the TON ecosystem from keynote speakers including Steve Yun, President of the TON Foundation; David Mak, CEO of Catizen; Dr. Awesome Doge, Co-Founder of TONX; Jeff Ren, Partner of OKX Ventures, and other leaders in the TON community.

Telegram, with over 900 million users, has been called crypto's adoption machine. In February 2024, the super application launched its ad revenue-sharing program for channel owners, a launch which spurred a surge in activity on TON and created new opportunities for builders to engage with the rapidly growing ecosystem. The Open Summit attendees will get to attend sessions that provide practical knowledge and tools to harness the Telegram-TON synergy for their projects. They will also learn how to create Mini Apps and marketing tools to leverage Telegram's expansive user base.

Code Summer Hackathon: Gateway to TONX Accelerator with a $5,000,000 Prize Pool

The three-day Code Summer Hackathon offers participants the chance to compete for a share of a $500,000 prize pool. Building on the success of the TON Hacker House in Hong Kong, this year's hackathon will feature a summer-themed setup complete with Tiki bars, beach chairs, and exclusive Telegram-branded surprises. Winners will have the opportunity to join the TONX Accelerator, which boasts a $5,000,000 prize pool. Teams can sign up here: Hackathon Application.

Dr. Awesome Doge, Co-Founder of TONX, said, "The Open Summit is designed to empower the Web3 community with the connections necessary to successfully build on Telegram and TON. The Open Summit is the place for developers, investors, and entrepreneurs who do not want to miss out on the latest in the TON community."

As the Telegram and TON community gears up for an exciting future, The Open Summit in Taipei stands out as a must-attend event for those eager to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving potential of Web3 mass adoption.

-ends-

For more information and sponsorship, please contact:

Company Name: TONX

Press Contact: Shin Chen

Email: hello@tonx.tg

About The Open Summit

The Open Summit is the largest TON summit this summer. It is set to be a landmark event for the global TON community with talks and hackathons. Powered by TONX and supported by TON, the summit will take place from August 6-8, 2024.

The Open Summit Registration | Join The Hackathon | The Open Summit Website

About TONX

TONX is the cornerstone that empowers builders to scale applications with Telegram and TON. As the pioneering partner of TON, TONX offers an open platform that connects developers, investors, and users to shape the new economy. Their acclaimed TON Hacker House in 2024 fueled a wave of innovative Web3 projects. TonFura, a key product of TONX, is the driving force behind the 900 million-user Web3 SuperApp ecosystem.

Website | X | Telegram | TONX Event X | TONX Event Telegram

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215472

SOURCE: Asiacryptos
CHICAGO, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Cooling Tower Market by Type (Evaporative, Dry, Hybrid), Design (Natural, Mechanical), Construction Material (Concrete, Steel, FRP, Wood), Flow Type, Technology, Application (Power Generation, HVACR, Food & Beverage), & Region - Global Forecast to 2029", Cooling Tower Market size is projected to grow from USD 3.0 billion in 2024 to USD 3.9 billion by 2029, registering a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period.

The cooling tower market is experiencing significant growth due to increasing industrialization, urbanization, and the subsequent rise in demand for energy-efficient cooling solutions across various sectors such as power generation, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), and manufacturing. Stricter environmental regulations and the need for sustainable practices are driving industries to adopt advanced cooling technologies to reduce water and energy consumption. Additionally, the rapid expansion of data centers, which require efficient thermal management systems to prevent overheating, is further propelling the market. Innovations in cooling tower designs and materials, aimed at improving performance and reducing maintenance costs, are also contributing to the market's expansion.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Cooling Tower Market".

298 - Tables

54 - Figures

250 - Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=268219049

Dry cooling tower segment, by type, is expected to be the second largest segment during the forecast period.

Dry cooling towers utilize air to cool and condense the process fluid, eliminating the need for water evaporation. This makes them highly suitable for arid and semi-arid regions, as well as for industries prioritizing water conservation and compliance with stringent environmental regulations. Additionally, dry cooling towers are less prone to issues like water contamination, corrosion, and scaling, leading to reduced maintenance requirements and operational costs. The growing focus on sustainability, energy efficiency, and advancements in cooling technology further bolster the adoption of dry cooling towers across various industries, including power generation, petrochemical, and manufacturing sectors.

Natural draft is anticipated to be the second largest segment, by design, during the forecast period.

Natural draft towers leverage the natural buoyancy of heated air to induce airflow, eliminating the need for mechanical fans and thereby reducing energy consumption and operational costs. Characterized by their tall, hyperbolic structures, natural draft cooling towers are highly effective in dissipating large quantities of heat, making them ideal for power plants and heavy industries. Their low maintenance requirements and long operational life further enhance their appeal.

Power generation is anticipated to be the largest segment, by application, during the forecast period.

The cooling towers market is experiencing its largest growth in the power generation sector due to the critical role these towers play in enhancing thermal efficiency and ensuring optimal performance of power plants. As global energy demand surges, power plants, especially those based on fossil fuels and nuclear energy, rely heavily on efficient cooling systems to dissipate excess heat produced during electricity generation. Cooling towers help maintain safe operational temperatures and improve overall plant efficiency. Additionally, the shift towards more sustainable and energy-efficient power generation practices, coupled with stringent environmental regulations on heat and water discharge, is propelling the adoption of advanced cooling technologies.

Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=268219049

Middle East & Africa is expected to be the second fastest-growing region in the global cooling tower market, by region, during the forecast period.

The Middle East and Africa region is experiencing growth in the cooling towers market due to rapid industrialization, urbanization, and infrastructure development. The region's hot and arid climate necessitates efficient cooling solutions for both industrial processes and residential/commercial buildings, driving demand for advanced cooling towers. Additionally, significant investments in power generation projects, including the expansion of both conventional and renewable energy plants, are boosting the need for effective thermal management systems. The adoption of stricter environmental regulations and a growing focus on sustainable water and energy use are also encouraging the deployment of innovative cooling technologies. These factors, combined with economic growth and increasing foreign investments in industrial and construction sectors, contribute to the rising demand for cooling towers in the Middle East and Africa.

To enable an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes the profiles of some of the top players in the cooling tower market. These are Baltimore Aircoil Company Inc. (US), John Cockerill (Belgium), SPX Technologies (US), Ebara Corporation (Japan), Evapco, Inc. (US), Krones AG (Germany), Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises Inc. (US), Seagull Cooling Tower Co., Ltd (Malaysia), Enexio (Germany), and Paharpur Cooling Tower Limited (India).

Browse Adjacent Market: Equipment Machine and Tooling Market Research Reports & Consulting

Related Reports:

Chillers Market - Global Forecast to 2026

Heat Exchanger Market - Global Forecast to 2029

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 Insights: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/cooling-towers-market.asp

Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/cooling-towers.asp

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cooling-tower-market-worth-3-9-billion-by-2029--exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302189881.html


EQS Newswire / 05/07/2024 / 17:14 UTC+8

[Hong Kong - 5 July 2024] EV Charger Solution Brand Deltrix by Trio Industrial Electronics Group Limited ("Trio Group", Stock code: 1710.HK) announces the appointment of Ms. Zhang Jingjing as the new chief executive officer (CEO), effective from 2 July 2024. Ms. Zhang succeeded Mr. Kwan Chan Kwong, who transitioned to the role of group consultant, effective from 2 July 2024, to continue his support to Trio Group.



Ms. Jingjing Zhang joined the Group as the General Manager of Business Development in August 2023, and was responsible for global market exploration. Ms. Zhang has over fifteen years' experience in finance, hi-tech industry, and global market. Before joining the Group, she has worked with Ant Group Co., Ltd., Formax Capital Market Limited, General Electric Capital Corporation North America and JP Morgan Chase Bank consumer portfolio risk department in global market innovation, financial risk management and regulatory compliance functions.



Ms. Zhang said, "Trio Group is a manufacturing enterprise with long history, from its establishment to successful public listing in Hong Kong in 2017 and to the global business expansion and development. Three founders of Trio Group have created a legendary story of Hong Kong entrepreneurship. I am very grateful for the board's support to my appointment as Trio Group's CEO. The current global economic environment is complex and volatile, with both risks and opportunities. Enhancing Trio Group's risk resistance capabilities while maintaining and consolidating its advantageous position in advanced manufacturing accumulated over the past 40 years remains a key priority to our team. Additionally, the new energy business, as the Group's second key growth contributor, needs to yield positive results and be the major growth driver of Trio Group in the next five years and beyond. The young management team will ensure a strong delivery to shareholders and investors."



Describing Ms. Zhang as a person of energetic and conviction, Mr. Cecil Wong, Chairman of Trio Group, said, "Ms. Zhang has demonstrated her leadership in the new energy team and achieving significant milestones which are in line with the Group's development direction, since her joining to Trio Group. I am confident in her ability, as a CEO, to powering the Group's future with new ideas and momentums, creating more business and opportunities and achieving sustainable growth."



Mr. Wong, on behalf of the board, also extended heartfelt thanks to Mr. Kwan for his years of dedication and contributions. He said, "Mr. Kwan, as the founder and CEO of Trio Group, led the Company in implementing global expansion, supported the innovation and development of the Group's new energy business with full force, and unremittingly nurtured the next generation of management team at all levels. These laid a solid foundation for the Group's business growth and development. Although Mr. Kwan has stepped down from the CEO position, he will continue to strive together with the team in his new role as a group consultant."









About Trio Group

Trio Industrial Electronics Group Limited is a manufacturer and distributor of advanced industrial electronic components and products in Hong Kong with 40 years of industry experience. It is also the first Hong Kong-based industrial electronic company awarded with the Industry 4.0 maturity certificate - Industry 4.01i level. The Group's major products include smart charger, electro-mechanical product and switch-mode power supplies, which are widely used in smart city system, medical and healthcare sector, as well as renewable energy field. The Group has built up good reputation and become a trusted supplier to various international well-known brands. Majority of its clients comes from Europe and US while some from Southeast Asia and PRC. In addition, the Group and its partner has developed its own EV charger solution - Deltrix since 2017, which has been launched in the European market in response to the global efforts to develop smart economies.





For more details, please contact:



Skye Shum

Investor Relations Manager





PR media:

DLK Advisory

pr@dlkadvisory.com 05/07/2024 Dissemination of a Financial Press Release, transmitted by EQS News.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Media archive at www.todayir.com


RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman has granted patronage for the 19th ICIS Middle Eastern Base Oils and Lubricants Conference . This event will take place from 8-9 October 2024, and has relocated to Riyadh, marking a new chapter in its history.

"We are extremely honoured to have the support of HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman for this year's conference," said Sarah Harvey, director of events at ICIS. "The patronage emphasises the importance of this event in the global base oils and lubricants industry. The Middle East remains a cornerstone of the base oils business, leveraging its geographical advantage, superior feedstock capabilities, and robust economic development outlook. Staying informed about regional activities is essential for industry stakeholders to seize opportunities and mitigate risks."

The 19th ICIS Middle Eastern Base Oils and Lubricants Conference is designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge. The conference has also become known as a meeting-place for industry leaders across the whole value chain, making networking an important part of the conference. More than 440 senior industry figures were in attendance in 2023, and this year, attendees will once again be provided with a comprehensive outlook for the Middle East market, covering topics such as The state of play of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) lubricants market, Base oils and lubricants through a global lens and The critical role of the marine sector in activating trade flows amid supply chain challenges.

Delivering the opening keynote speech at this year's conference will be Eng. Majed Hindi AlUteibi, Deputy Minister for Oil and Gas Technical and Regulatory Affairs, Ministry of Energy. Attendees can also look forward to hearing from Flavio Kliger, SVP, President of Lubrizol Additives, Lubrizol Corporation who will be discussing an additive company's journey to creating solutions that support the industry's changing requirements.

To find out more about the 19th ICIS Middle Eastern Base Oils and Lubricants Conference and to register for the event, please visit https://events.icis.com/website/8329/. Members of the media can register for free using the code MEDIAFOC.

About ICIS

ICIS is part of RELX, a FTSE15 company with a market cap of $86.1bn and an employee base of over 30,000 experts across 40 countries.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/619935/ICIS_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hrh-prince-abdulaziz-bin-salman-grants-patronage-to-the-19th-icis-middle-eastern-base-oils-and-lubricants-conference-302189953.html
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!
MONACO, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco, electric marine technology experts, Vita and Evoy, announced today that they are joining forces to consolidate their leading positions in the high-output space.



The integration of two of the most mature companies in electric propulsion is anticipated to accelerate electric boat adoption in both commercial and recreational markets by leveraging scale to drive down prices for the end user, fast tracking development, and providing immediate access to territories across Europe and North America with active operations in the UK, Norway, France, Italy, Monaco and California.

The combination of Vita's experience integrating high-performance electric propulsion into a diverse portfolio of vessels from commercial RIBs to superyacht tenders with Evoy's best-in-class, plug-and-play, powertrain technology and scalable production platform will allow the new group to leverage fourteen years of combined experience. Together, Vita and Evoy are positioned to deliver market-leading products - building on the shared belief that high-output systems with DC-charging capability present the most robust solutions for the widest range of marine applications.

The announcement reflects a new era of growth in the electric marine market, with both companies experiencing increasing demand from operators and boatbuilders alike. Evoy's high-output inboard and outboard systems are currently in operation in 19 countries, supported by an established dealership network and strong use cases in commercial segments such as aquaculture and tourism. Meanwhile Vita's line of fully electric Seal and SeaDog RIBs are being adopted by commercial marine operators in Europe, the US, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Elsewhere, Vita is engaged in a variety of electrification projects with third parties in both commercial and recreational markets, including the propulsion system for the Tridente, a high-performance electric dayboat recently launched by Maserati.

The new group will benefit from a financing round led by existing Vita shareholders and supported by Evoy investors including Axopar.

Announcing the launch at the annual Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, Vita Founder and Lead Investor, Stewart Wilkinson, said, "Our conversation started last year at the Yacht Club in Monaco, the leader in Advanced Yachting, and it's great to be announcing this deal here. Our mission to decarbonise the marine industry aligns strongly with Monaco's commitments to ocean preservation. I am excited to bring Vita and Evoy together to continue building the leading force in marine electric powertrain technology."

Founder and CEO of Evoy, Leif Stavstrand, said, "The future of the marine industry is electric, and today's announcement is the most important milestone so far in the voyage towards marine decarbonisation. The combined technology and teams will represent a global leader in the marine electrification, accelerating the transition to zero-emission propulsion. We are excited that two great companies are joining forces, and I am honoured to play a part in it."

Notes to Editor

For more information:

Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

About Vita

Vita is a marine technology company that develops and integrates high performance electric powertrains for commercial and recreational marine applications. One of the highest performance powertrains on the market, Vita Power systems integrate the latest technology with proprietary control software to deliver peak power between 100hp and 600hp. Vita Power was the first electric powertrain to be compatible with high-speed DC charging and is among the fastest charging on the market, supercharging from 10%-80% in under an hour.

www.vita-power.com

About Evoy

The shift to electric boating is happening now, powered by Evoy. Evoy is the market leader in performance inboard and outboard electric boat motor systems - delivering 120-400 continuous hp. We develop and deliver high-output, 100% electric, plug-and-play systems for boats sized 20-50 feet. With a mission to reduce boating emissions without compromising on power or ease of use, Evoy builds the technology of tomorrow, today.

www.evoy.no

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/757b303f-bb2b-48ba-b27f-adb672e6f2ca
Everyday hero revives faith in humanity

11:14, July 05, 2024 By Cao Yin ( China Daily

LU PING/CHINA DAILY

There was nothing in Hu Youping's past to suggest she had the makings of a hero, but after the Chinese woman saved a Japanese mother and son, unfortunately losing her own life in the process, she was lauded by millions of people in both countries.

Hu, 54, was working for a Japanese school in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, when she stepped in to stop a knife attack at a school bus stop on June 24. She died two days later due to her severe injuries. The news of Hu's death dominated Chinese media headlines and triggered a wave of both grief and respect online.

As of Thursday, more than 100 topics on Sina Weibo involving Hu had received over 1 billion views, with some applauding her bravery and others saying her courage had boosted relations between the two countries.

On June 28, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed condolences for the "tragic passing" of Hu, saying that this Chinese woman embodied the "kindness and bravery" of the Chinese people.

The same day, the Japanese embassy in China flew its flag at half-mast to honor Hu and issued a statement saluting her "noble actions" and also saying her courage represents the wider Chinese population.

On Tuesday, Hu was awarded the title Model of Righteousness by the Suzhou government. People from different walks of life spontaneously attended a memorial service held in the city to pay tribute to her.

While Hu and her story have found sympathy and respect from both the public and authorities, she has also been subjected to some negative online comments, with extremists attempting to stir animosity between China and Japan.

However, Wang Sixin, a professor of internet law at the Communication University of China, said, "These extremist remarks won't dominate public opinion, let alone overshadow the mainstream voice."

As a result, major internet platforms have vowed to punish accounts that encourage group hatred against Japanese people or denigrate Hu.

"The punishment will help more people clearly see the true face of those using hot issues to attract online views or vent personal grievances, and urge us to surf the internet in a more sensible manner," said Zheng Ning, professor and head of the Law Department at the university's Cultural Industries Management School.

Gratitude, respect

According to an official police statement, two Japanese nationals were injured in the attack, but not fatally. A 52-year-old suspect surnamed Zhou and unemployed, was arrested at the scene and is under criminal detention.

The Japanese woman injured in the incident said Hu attempted to restrain the assailant who was targeting women and children, which allowed the Japanese woman's son to escape. The attacker then turned to Hu and stabbed her before being subdued by passersby and police patrol officers who rushed to the scene, Xinhua News Agency reported.

"If she hadn't tried to hold back the assailant, there could have been more victims," one eyewitness said, according to Xinhua.

The police statement said that when faced with a serious threat to others' lives, Hu selflessly stepped forward, and courageously confronted the attacker to prevent further harm. Her actions displayed the "noble qualities of bravery and justice" and effectively upheld "societal righteousness", it said.

On Tuesday, Suzhou city government said that it would establish a fund in Youping's name "to promote the spirit of righteousness".

News of Hu's death has received widespread attention from both Chinese and Japanese people, with many spontaneously mourning her both online and offline.

Over the past week, a steady stream of mourners from China and Japan went to pay their respects and lay flowers at the bus station where Hu was attacked.

Yu Shijun, a lawyer from Wuxi, Jiangsu, was one of them. He carried a bouquet of chrysanthemums last weekend and wrote on a card that "you were a light in the darkest moment."

Li Yanyan, a psychologist from Gansu province, expressed her gratitude and respect for Hu on WeChat, adding "I cried while reading the news of her death. She deserves to be remembered."

A Weibo user called Qiming Lieren posted a tribute to Hu, saying "She is a hero, as her actions showed the brilliance of humanity."

Ryo Takeuchi, a documentary filmmaker from Japan living in Nanjing, Jiangsu, also posted a statement on Weibo on June 28 to mourn Hu. "Hu is a great person because she saved the people, no matter what nationality they are. Many of my Japanese friends were worried about her (after the incident happened)," he wrote. "I adore her, and will remember her."

The post had received more than 5,300 thumbs-ups and had been forwarded over 250 times as of Thursday.

In another post on Tuesday, Takeuchi said that there had been many reports about Hu on Japanese news websites, where numerous netizens had expressed their gratitude and condolences to her family.

Daiki Takahashi, 42, a Japanese employee at an internet technology company, said that Hu's courageous act should be appreciated, regardless of nationality.

Hu's family expressed sincere gratitude to people from all walks of life who offered their condolences, saying that anyone with a sense of justice and a loving heart would have made a similar choice.

The family added that they would not accept any donation and just wanted Hu to rest in peace.

Kind, hardworking

While many people are paying tribute to Hu, they are also curious to learn more about her personal life.

To her friends, neighbors, and colleagues, she was an ordinary, typical Chinese woman who fulfilled her responsibilities as a daughter, wife, and mother, and always worked hard for her family, according to Chinese media reports.

The most common words used to describe Hu were "easygoing, kindhearted, and hardworking", said people who knew her.

A report posted by iFeng.com on Monday said in 2016 when Hu was 46, she went to a domestic services company in Suzhou to apply for childcare and hourly casual work. She registered information stating she was 158 centimeters tall, weighed 56 kilograms, and was good at cooking and housekeeping.

Before that, Hu, a native of Jiaoling village in Huaian, Jiangsu, worked at factories in Suzhou, the report said.

Wan Ting, a woman who worked with Hu at one of the factories, told the news outlet that they had remained friends.

"Last summer, we took a trip to Shanghai together," she recalled. "Hu wore a striped dress, and we took photos of each other on the Bund."

In 2020, Hu started her own business selling cosmetics, meal replacements, and other women's products online.

To promote her business, she even posed for a professional-looking photo, wearing makeup, earrings, and a blue suit, according to the report. Hu smiles confidently in the photo which is captioned with the words "Be yourself". The photo was her WeChat profile picture when she died, the report said.

But the COVID-19 epidemic had a major impact on her business venture. Within a few months, she switched to a part-time job as a school bus attendant at a Japanese school in Jiangsu, earning about 3,000 yuan ($412) a month, the report added.

Cleaner Lyu Qin, 57, who knew Hu, told the website of Southern Weekly news outlet, that women of their age work to reduce the financial burden of their children, and rarely earn money for themselves.

Hu often posted short videos and pictures on social media platforms of herself cooking, and she liked interacting with her family members and friends in this way, according to Chinese reports.

She had a son who married two years ago, and she was due to celebrate her 55th birthday next month, the report said.

Not beyond the law

While Hu has been lauded and mourned by the vast majority of people online, she has also been disparaged and attacked by a minority.

Several netizens spread rumors smearing Hu as a mole for Japan.

Others applauded the attacker for targeting Japanese nationals in the name of "patriotism" as a "delayed but righteous fight back" for the "historical debt" the Japanese owed to the Chinese people stemming from their aggression against China from the late 19th century to World War II.

The content, however, was promptly removed thanks to a crackdown initiated by major internet platforms, such as Tencent, Baidu, NetEase, and Douyin in line with the law.

In their statements on the issue, the internet operators all praised Hu's righteousness and courage and stated that users who took advantage of the criminal case to post and spread extremist opinions or incite confrontations between the two countries must be condemned.

As punishment, the platforms have also blocked or shut down accounts containing such harmful information as punishment, and channels have been opened for netizens to report information on extremist remarks.

"As China undergoes the robust growth in cyberspace, it has not been rare to see some people make use of hot issues or criminal cases to invent their own anger or dissatisfaction to aggravate social contradictions," said Wang, the professor.

"Extremist remarks can bring more online views, which means great profits in the internet era, so some netizens are keen to post such content again and again," he said.

However, Wang is confident such content will not weaken the mainstream support for Hu, "as more and more netizens have enough understanding of such online marketing, and are also able to distinguish the harmful information."

"Hu's bravery in the face of the attack deserves respect, and should be learned about by more people," he added. "The closure of accounts that slandered or denigrated the woman is to adhere to the bottom line of human morality."

Zheng, the other Communication University of China professor, also praised the internet platforms' quick response, saying "It can prevent the harmful content from being further expanded, and also lead more people to see the incident more rationally."

She said that cleaning up the online environment is a major responsibility of all internet operators.

"What they have done in Hu's incident was consistent with the cyberspace-related laws and regulations," the professor said.

China's punishment of accounts involving extremist opinions will also enhance mutual understanding between Chinese and Japanese citizens, and help deepen people-to-people exchanges, she added.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
A homeless man sleeps on Mason Street in San Francisco. The Supreme Courts Grants Pass ruling makes it easier for cities to sweep homeless encampments. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle 2023

Regarding How the Supreme Courts Grants Pass ruling could make homelessness worse in S.F. (Editorial, SFChronicle.com, June 28): I have to disagree with the assertion that contrary to popular belief, homeless people do not relocate to access services. They move to avoid punishment and arrest.

In over a decade of working as an emergency physician at hospitals in San Francisco, Ive seen patients who have been convinced to come to the city because of a promise of access to services.

Sometimes its because of speeches by our elected leaders claiming San Francisco leads with services while other times its politicians or charities in other cities all too eager to bus their homeless people outside their city lines.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

I had a patient a few weeks ago who said she was given a one-way ticket to San Francisco by a church organization in Sacramento to find greater access to resources. After spending the night in our emergency department, she decided this was a mistake. Our social worker spent all day trying to find them a way back to Sacramento until the patient and her partner became aggressive and threatened to kill our staff.

Either way, the services our city offers, which absolutely encourage people to move here, are a nebulous patchwork of siloed organizations without any coherent master plan, and were figuratively lighting money on fire without receiving anything of value in return.

Scott Tcheng, San Francisco

Make schools inclusive

Regarding After a yearlong Pride flag fallout, Bay Area school board members face a recall vote (California, SFChronicle.com, July 2): As a queer student, it is shocking to see the conservative push to erase the presence of LGBTQ+ students in schools.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Because the LGBTQ+ community has been historically marginalized, it is important to make schools more inclusive. Queer people exist in schools as much as they exist elsewhere.

Flags are an important symbol of visibility, and displaying Pride flags at schools simply fosters an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, helping students feel valued and accepted.

Many queer students are scared to live authentically and freely because they fear being shamed. LGBTQ+ students experience higher rates of bullying, discrimination and mental health issues than their straight counterparts, so why not make schools a place of safety and belonging?

Jules Pizano, Berkeley

Protect the ocean

Californias coastline is under siege from pollution, oil spills, overfishing and climate change. The threats are mounting against critical wildlife, and the time for action is now.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Scientists have discovered that the ocean can heal itself, but only if we give it the chance. This is why establishing and expanding marine protected areas is so crucial.

The California Fish and Game Commission is set to consider new protections at its Marine Resources Committee meeting on July 17-18. This decision will shape the next decade of ocean protection along the California Coast.

We must demonstrate to the commission and Gov. Gavin Newsom the significance of the ocean to Californias culture and economy, and the importance of this issue to the public.

Together, we can ensure that future generations inherit a healthy, thriving ocean. The time to act is now to safeguard Californias coastal waters.

Pablo Pinilla, San Carlos

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Teach right from wrong

Respectful of the separation of church and state, the posting of the Ten Commandments in classrooms should not be viewed as religious, and the commandments should be understood as holistic laws and behavioral guidelines for society.

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

Social problems, when not of desperation or inequality and poverty, are due to a lack of individual morals and ethics. Reminders, if not inculcation of the basic teachings of all world religions ought to be present in the education of young people.

In our diverse communities, educators could equally cite the Vedic Upanishads, the Buddhist Dhammapada, the New Testament and the Quran. Students, perhaps parents as well, need to understand and value basic teachings of what is right and good for everyones well-being.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Pioneering the Next Wave of Innovation in the Beauty and Personal Care Industry

NEW YORK, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 25th, China's leading social media and lifestyle platform, XIAOHONGSHU was invited to the VOGUE Business Global Beauty Summit. At the summit, XIAOHONGSHU joined over 100 beauty brand founders, executives, and industry experts to analyze the latest trends and discuss the future of the beauty industry. The event provided a platform to explore new marketing strategies for the international beauty market, particularly from a Chinese perspective, aiming to guide the industry towards a path of quality-driven development.

The summit featured Chujing, Head of Personal Care Department at XIAOHONGSHU, alongside over 100 global brand executives and marketing specialists from prestigious international companies such as LVMH Beauty, Kering Beauty, Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, P&G, Unilever, and Coty. Together, they discussed strategies to tap into and leverage local markets in the face of global trends, sparking new inspirations in BPC solutions and driving the global growth of brands.

Themed "Beauty Across Borders: Global Brands, Local Strategies", the summit brought together key industry leaders, including Chujing; Anusha Babbar, Senior Vice President, Health & Wellbeing International at Unilever; and Shana Randhava, Senior Vice President, New Incubation Ventures at Estee Lauder. These executives engaged in a dynamic discussion about the rapidly evolving consumer demands in today's BPC industry. They also explored strategies to help both domestic and international companies maximize their potential in the fast-changing market.

Trends Emerge, Beauty Ascends

XIAOHONGSHU Spearheads Exploration of New Opportunities in the BPC Industry

As consumer demand for beauty products continues to evolve, many BPC brands are focusing on how to anticipate and capitalize on emerging consumer trends to drive business growth. The 2024 China Beauty Industry White Paper released by XIAOHONGSHU identifies eleven key trends that are shaping the future of the beauty sector. The trends include technology-based skincare, the new focus on skin health, relaxed luxury, the rise of Eastern influences, makeup innovation, emerging product popularity, layered enhancements, cultural revitalization, advanced facial care, upscale beauty solutions, and at-home beauty treatments. The new trends are gaining momentum on XIAOHONGSHU, positioning the platform as a leader in the BPC industry and creating new opportunities for brands.

XIAOHONGSHU Identifies Four Major Drivers of Beauty Transformation

Elevating "Groom & Bloom" Lifestyle Group to New Heights

XIAOHONGSHU has identified four core drivers that enhance the "Groom & Bloom" lifestylegroup centered around activities related to "being beautiful": Self-empowerment, Personal Charisma, Demeanor, and Social Influence. Based on these pillars, XIAOHONGSHU has segmented Groom & Bloom lifestyle seekers into six major groups, providing fresh insights into the future growth and optimization of the BPC industry.

Self-empowerment | Wellness Seekers

For wellness seekers, life revolves around maintaining a set trajectory with an increasing awareness of the deep connection between physical beauty and overall well-being. They pursue holistic beauty and wellbeing, viewing beauty and skincare not just as a daily routine but also as a ritual of self-love.

Personal Charisma | Trendy Explorers

Trendy Explorers are individuals, primarily in the initial phases of their growth, who are keen on experimenting with diverse looks. They explore and discover their personal potential and the variety of their charisma by trying different styles. Additionally, they draw inspiration from traditional culture, showcasing their unique oriental beauty in the Influence of Neo-Chinese Style scenarios.

Personal Charisma | Delicate Princess

Members of the Delicate Princess group are detail-oriented individuals, primarily unmarried and in the light-mature age. They have highly specific skincare needs, aspiring to embrace a lifestyle of Exquisite Beauty Care and Conveying Love.

Demeanor | Beauty Novice

Predominantly unmarried, this group focuses on adapting to and advancing their careers while navigating the initial stages of their professional lives. They are actively learning and practicing beauty and skincare techniques, with a focus on beauty learning as well as matched and appropriate beauty products.

Demeanor | Charismatic Elite

The Elite group is focused on building personal influence and expanding career possibilities as they ascend the career ladder. Their primary BPC needs revolve around appropriate demeanor, stable but open to experience, and balance and efficiency.

Social Influence | Trend Setters

Trend Setters are individuals actively exploring new interests, typically childless and in the career advancement stage. They seek BPC products that incorporate pioneering beauty technology, influential aesthetics, and the art of fragrance.

By analyzing the unique motivations of various user demographics, XIAOHONGSHU's Top 20 Lifestyle Groups enable brands to gain a deep understanding of consumers' real lifestyles and consumption characteristics. This insight facilitates an efficient alignment of users, needs and products. The different Groom and Bloom groups not only drive new trends in the BPC industry but also offer fresh marketing insights to brands.

From Efficient Seeding to Comprehensive Conversion

XIAOHONGSHU Unveils a Three-Step Approach to Unlocking New Opportunities in the BPC Sector

As a natural seeding ground for brands, XIAOHONGSHU significantly influences users' purchasing decisions. With its unique community ecology and effective seeding capability, the platform enables BPC brands to unlock countless marketing possibilities. To promote quality growth within the BPC industry, XIAOHONGSHU aids brands in optimizing their marketing efforts by providing them with a three-step marketing approach encompassing efficient seeding, brand enhancement, and comprehensive conversion.

During the product seeding phase, brands can quickly and profoundly impact their core audience through XIAOHONGSHU's distinctive Reverse Funnel Audience Expansion. This model facilitates the expansion beyond the initial target demographic, enabling brands to rapidly unleash their potential and effectively manage their audience assets.

With its authentic and diverse content, XIAOHONGSHU has increasingly become a vital platform for user searches. The dedicated brand zone serves as a crucial marketing hub within the search realm, enhancing the conversion of content seeding by facilitating a deep connection between the target audience and the brand. Moreover, XIAOHONGSHU's marketing IP stands out with its relatable topics, refined aesthetics, diverse content, and comprehensive resource support, all of which help brands quickly expand target audience and amplify marketing efforts. In addition, brands can leverage XIAOHONGSHU's three conversion paths-on-site, off-site, and offline-to expedite the purchasing decisions of users and shorten the journey from interest to transaction.

Participating in the VOGUE Business Global Beauty Summit represents a significant step in XIAOHONGSHU's efforts to expand its influence in the global BPC market. As a premier marketing platform for international BPC brands entering the Chinese market, XIAOHONGSHU remains committed to collaborating with more partners within the industry to stay at the forefront of emerging trends. Together, they will explore innovative marketing strategies and seek out the keys to quality growth.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2450832/image_1.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2453763/2__1.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xiaohongshu-shines-at-vogue-business-global-beauty-summit-302189681.html
SINGAPORE, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PingCAP, the company behind the leading open-source distributed SQL database TiDB, announced the inauguration of its new Regional Headquarters at Bugis Junction Towers, Singapore. Distinguished guests, including PingCAP's senior leadership, esteemed partners, and industry leaders, attended the opening ceremony. It marked a significant milestone in PingCAP's ongoing expansion and commitment to the Asia-Pacific region.

Since its inception, PingCAP has been at the forefront of database innovation, providing robust solutions to some of the world's most data-intensive companies. The establishment of the Singapore office signifies PingCAP's strategic expansion, aimed at enhancing its service offerings and support for its rapidly growing customer base in Asia-Pacific.

"Our new regional headquarters in Singapore is a crucial part of our global growth strategy," said Davis Zhu, Senior Vice President and General Manager of PingCAP APAC. "Singapore's dynamic tech and innovation landscape makes it the ideal place for us to enhance our client service and drive business growth in the region. Being in Singapore allows us to enter new markets, build stronger relationships with our partners, and empower the local developer community with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed."

PingCAP supports over 3,000 TiDB enterprise database users in more than 50 countries, with over 30,000 TiDB Serverless database clusters in operation worldwide. In the APAC region, TiDB facilitates billions of transactions annually, demonstrating its robust capabilities and widespread adoption. PingCAP has been recognized as a Customers' Choice in the 2024 Gartner Peer Insights Voice of the Customer for Cloud Database Management Systems. Additionally, Gartner's "Market Share Analysis: Database Management Systems, Worldwide, 2023" report highlights PingCAP as the fastest-growing database company globally. For developers building AI applications, TiDB also recently announced the most feature-rich SQL-compatible Vector Search solution.

About PingCAP

PingCAP is the creator of TiDB, the most advanced open-source, distributed SQL database. TiDB powers modern applications with a streamlined tech stack, elastic scaling, real-time analytics, and continuous access to data-all in a single database. With these advanced capabilities, growing businesses can focus on the future instead of complex data infrastructure management. Some of the world's largest companies across technology, financial services, travel, Web3, and gaming trust TiDB to handle their business-critical workloads. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, PingCAP is backed by Sequoia Capital, GGV Capital, Access Technology Ventures, Coatue Management, and others. For more information, please visit pingcap.com.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2454706/PingCAP_Logo.jpg





View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/pingcap-celebrates-grand-opening-of-regional-headquarters-in-singapore-302189978.html
Klever is excited to mark the second anniversary of its mainnet launch, celebrating two years of innovation and growth in the blockchain space. To commemorate this milestone, Klever Wallet and Vox Swap are launching a special Swap Cashback Campaign, rewarding users with 10% cashback on every KDA swap. This campaign, running from July 1 to July 31, highlights Klever's commitment to giving back to its community and showcasing the significant achievements made over the past two years.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL / ACCESSWIRE / July 5, 2024 / Klever is thrilled to celebrate the second anniversary of its mainnet, marking two years of innovation and growth in blockchain technology. To honor this milestone, Klever Wallet and Vox Swap are launching a special Swap Cashback Campaign , offering exciting rewards to our loyal users.

Get 10% Cashback on Every Swap! Celebrate Klever's Anniversary with Big Rewards!

To celebrate Klever's Blockchain 2nd anniversary, Klever Wallet and Vox Swap are launching a special Swap Cashback Campaign for swapping KDA tokens. From July 1 to July 31 at 1:00 PM UTC, users can enjoy cashback rewards on all KDA token swaps made through Klever Wallet and Vox Swap. This campaign is our way of showing appreciation for your continued support.

Campaign Highlights

Eligibility: All swaps involving KDA tokens made through Klever Wallet or Vox Swap during the campaign period.

Reward Structure: Receive 10% of the transaction fee back as cashback in KLV

Instant Rewards: Cashback is credited instantly after each transaction.

Download the Klever Wallet app or visit VoxSwap and get your 10% cashback today!

Celebrating Two Years of Success

Over the past two years, Klever has achieved significant milestones, establishing itself as a leader in the blockchain space.

Some of our key achievements include:

KLV as the Main Currency: KLV is used for all network fees and to run decentralized applications (dApps) on the Klever network.

Automatic KLV Burning: A portion of KLV used for fees is automatically burned, reducing the total supply.

Rewards for Validators: KLV rewards are given to those who help maintain and secure the network by running validator nodes.

KFI Governance: KFI, our governance token, allows holders to propose and vote on important network changes, ensuring a community-driven approach.

Staking Rewards: Users can stake both KLV and KFI to earn rewards in KLV and help secure the network.

KDA Fee Pool: This feature enables creators to charge network fees in their own tokens, which are then converted to KLV seamlessly.

Token Launch Platform: We offer a platform for launching new tokens on the Klever network, supporting innovators and developers.

Smart Contracts: Our network supports smart contracts, enabling advanced blockchain applications.

Impressive Network Stats

Over 50 million transactions

More than 150,000 addresses

15 million blocks

175 validators (118 active)

150+ tokens created

About Klever

Klever is a blockchain technology designed to offer a public network for decentralized applications. KLV is the native cryptocurrency of the Klever blockchain, which is used to build and secure smart contracts. Klever is maintained by the Klever Foundation, a non-profit organization.

Klever is committed to making blockchain technology simple, secure, and accessible for everyone. Our mission is to empower individuals with the tools and resources to benefit from the blockchain revolution.

For more information, visit the official website klever.org and follow us on https://x.com/klever_org and https://x.com/klever_io .

Media Contact:

Fernanda Lattario

Marketing and Business Analyst

Linkedin: /fernanda-lattario

fernanda@klever.io

SOURCE: Klever

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 5, 2024) - CanPR Technology Ltd. (TSXV: WPR) ("CanPR"), a leading technology-enabled immigration platform in Canada, is pleased to announce it will ring the opening bell at the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday, July 8, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. ET to commemorate its listing on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"). The event will also be streamed live by the TMX Group, interested parties can access it on YouTube here CanPR TSX Opening Ceremony Live Stream.

"CanPR has demonstrated a track record of success in providing technology-enabled immigration services and our business is accelerating as a result of demand," said CanPR Technology Ltd.'s Co-Founder and CEO Akshat Soni. "Listing on the TSXV will help us grow by improving CanPR's visibility in capital markets and I look forward to celebrating this milestone on July 8."

CanPR Technology Ltd. Co-Founder and CEO Akshat Soni will be joined by members of the leadership team, investors and employees for the in-person event at the TMX Market Centre in Toronto.

Visit www.CanPR.io to learn more and follow CanPR on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

About CanPR Technology Ltd

CanPR Technology Ltd. is a technology platform dedicated to helping immigrants in their journey toward becoming permanent residents of Canada. At CanPR, we offer a range of services to assist with the immigration journey. Our platform provides a comprehensive understanding of the process of immigrating to Canada, completing and tracking immigration applications, connecting newcomers with employers to help them find a job, and post-immigration services to help them settle in Canada.

Currently, the platform has over 1,000,000 app installs. CanPR was incorporated pursuant to the Canada Business Corporations Act on June 20, 2022. For more information on CanPR, visit www.canpr.io.

For more information contact:

CANPR Technology Ltd.

Akshat Soni

647-692-3846

akshat@canpr.io

Kieran Lawler

Kieran.lawler@loderockadvisors.com

416-303-0799

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (together "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect the Company's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the combined company. Among key factors and risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information may include, without limitation, the demand for immigration services; the cost of software development; changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; risks associated with technology companies, including but not limited to, cybersecurity risks and privacy risks; unanticipated costs or expenses; as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's Filing Statement publicly available under its profile at SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of the Company and market conditions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as 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 the Company disclaims any obligation to updates 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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215516

SOURCE: CanPR Technology Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 5, 2024) - Myriad Uranium Corp. (CSE: M) (OTCQB: MYRUF) (FSE: C3Q) ("Myriad" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a consulting services agreement dated as of June 27, 2024 with Walk the Street Capital Inc. ("WTS Capital"), pursuant to which WTS Capital will provide media content strategy, creation, and dissemination services.

Myriad's CEO Thomas Lamb commented: "The Copper Mountain Uranium Project, which saw massive exploration spend by Union Pacific during the 1970s, has the potential to be one of Wyoming's largest uranium projects. Now that Myriad has the strategic investors it needs to help propel the Company and a significant exploration program is planned, it's time to communicate the Company's exciting potential. WTS has developed a strong plan to help us do that. We look forward to working with them."

The initial term of the agreement is for 60 days starting on July 1, 2024, and may be renewed with the mutual written agreement of the parties. During the initial term, WTS Capital will be paid $74,500 for the services to be provided. WTS Capital is arm's length to Myriad, and to Myriad's knowledge, except for 60,000 Myriad common share purchase warrants exercisable at $0.30 which are held by a principal of WTS, WTS Capital and its principals do not own any Myriad securities. WTS Capital can be contacted at 405 Ridge Rd N, Ridgeway, Ontario L0S 1N0; Tel: (905) 321-1470; josh@walkthestreetcapital.com.

About Myriad Uranium Corp.

Myriad Uranium Corp. is a uranium exploration company with an earnable 75% interest in the Copper Mountain Uranium Project in Wyoming, USA. Copper Mountain hosts several known uranium deposits and historic uranium mines, including the Arrowhead Mine which produced 500,000 lbs of eU3O8. Copper Mountain saw extensive drilling and development by Union Pacific, which developed a mine plan and built a leach pad for one of the deposits at Copper Mountain. Operations ceased in 1980 before mining could commence due to falling uranium prices. Approximately 2,000 boreholes have been drilled at Copper Mountain and the project area has significant exploration upside. Union Pacific is estimated to have spent C$117 million (2024 dollars) exploring and developing Copper Mountain, generating significant historical resource estimates which are detailed here. The Company's presentation can be viewed here.

Myriad also has a 50% interest in the Millen Mountain Property in Nova Scotia, Canada, with the other 50% held by Probe Metals Inc., and an 80% interest in uranium exploration licences in Niger. For further information, please refer to Myriad's disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), contact Myriad by telephone at +1.604.418.2877, or refer to Myriad's website at www.myriaduranium.com.

Myriad Contacts:

Thomas Lamb

President and CEO

tlamb@myriaduranium.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, the Company's business, plans, outlook and business strategy. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "likely", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "estimate", "plan", "forecast", "project" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect, including with respect to the Company's business plans respecting the exploration and development of the Company's mineral properties, the proposed work program on the Company's mineral properties and the potential and economic viability of the Company's mineral properties. Forward-Looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and technological or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. The Company does not intend, and expressly 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 applicable law.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215523

SOURCE: Myriad Uranium Corp.
IDV signs a contract with the Brazilian Army to provide 420 Light Multirole Vehicles

Turin, 5th July 2024. IDV, the brand of Iveco Group N.V. (EXM: IVG) specialised in defence and civil protection equipment, has signed a contract with the Brazilian Army, through the Army Manufacturing Directorate, for the supply of 420 LMV-BR 2 (Light Multirole Vehicle) within a 10-year timeframe, with the first units expected to be delivered in 2026. The value of the contract is 1.4 billion Brazilian reais (approx. 235 million euros at current exchange rate).

This contract marks another important milestone in the partnership between the Brazilian Army and IDV, whose solid collaboration has a long history, including the supply of 700 units of the 6x6 amphibious armoured vehicle "Guarani" and 32 units of the LMV-BR.

The new LMV-BR 2 vehicles, known as "Guaicurus" in Brazil, will be produced in IDV's plant in Sete Lagoas, Brazil.

Iveco Group N.V.

Media Contacts:

Francesco Polsinelli, Tel: +39 335 1776091

Fabio Lepore, Tel: +39 335 7469007

E-mail: mediarelations@ivecogroup.com

Investor Relations:

Federico Donati, Tel: +39 011 0073539

E-mail: investor.relations@ivecogroup.com
ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING AMENDMENT AND SUPPLEMENT TO OFFER DOCUMENT AND TENDER OFFER STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE TO

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION (IN WHOLE OR IN PART) IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On 24 May 2024, Meridian Bidco LLC ("Bidco") made an offer to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of MariaDB plc ("MariaDB") (the "Offer") with the terms and conditions of the Offer set out in the offer document despatched and filed by Bidco as Exhibit (a)(1)(A) to the Tender Offer Statement and Rule 13e-3 Transaction Statement filed on Schedule TO with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on 24 May 2024 (the "Offer Document"). On 24 June 2024, Bidco filed an amended and restated Offer Document with the SEC to reflect the exercise of the Rollover Withdrawal Right, the withdrawal of the Unlisted Unit Alternative and certain updates to disclosures.

Bidco today announces that an amendment and supplement to the Offer Document and Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO has been filed with the SEC. Other than as set forth in such filing, no changes have been made to the terms and conditions of the Offer.

The amendment and supplement to the Offer Document and Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO will be made available free of charge, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on K1's website ( https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/ ).

Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the same meaning given to them in the Offer Document (as amended and restated).

Enquiries

Lazard (Financial Advisor to K1 and Bidco) Adrian Duchini, Keiran Wilson, Charles White Tel: +44 20 7187 2000 Haven Tower Group (Public Relations Advisor to K1) Donald Cutler, Brandon Blackwell Tel: +1 424 317 4850

Important Notices

The K1 Responsible Persons (being the investment committee of K1), the Bidco Officers and the Topco Officers accept responsibility for the information contained in this Announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the K1 Responsible Persons, the Bidco Officers, the Topco Officers, (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case) the information contained in this Announcement for which they have accepted responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.

Lazard Freres & Co. LLC, together with its affiliate Lazard & Co., Limited (which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority) ("Lazard"), is acting exclusively as financial adviser to K1 and Bidco and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than K1 and Bidco for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or any other matters referred to in this Announcement. Neither Lazard nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Lazard in connection with this Announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Disclosure requirements of the Irish Takeover Rules

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Irish Takeover Rules, if any person is, or becomes, 'interested' (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of 'relevant securities' of MariaDB, all 'dealings' in any 'relevant securities' of MariaDB or any securities exchange offeror (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such 'relevant securities') must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3:30 pm (U.S. Eastern Time) on the 'business day' following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the 'offer period' ends. If two or more persons cooperate on the basis of any agreement either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an 'interest' in 'relevant securities' of MariaDB, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules.

Dealing Disclosures must also be made by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with them in accordance with Rule 8.2 of the Irish Takeover Rules.

In general, interests in securities arise when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of the securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an 'interest' by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities. Terms in quotation marks are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website.

Details of the offeree company in respect of whose relevant securities Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a 'dealing' under Rule 8, please consult the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Irish Takeover Panel at telephone number +353 1 678 9020.

Further Information

This Announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute an offer to sell or invitation to purchase any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Offer or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. In particular, this Announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. No offer of securities shall be made in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, such registration requirements. The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this Announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions.

This Announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with the laws of Ireland and the Irish Takeover Rules and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside of Ireland.

Overseas Shareholders

The laws of certain jurisdictions may affect the availability of the Offer to persons who are not resident in Ireland. Persons who are not resident in Ireland, or who are subject to laws of any jurisdiction other than Ireland, should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements. Any failure to comply with any applicable legal or regulatory requirements may constitute a violation of the laws and/or regulations of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, the companies and persons involved in the Offer disclaim any responsibility and liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person.

Unless otherwise determined by Bidco or K1 or required by the Irish Takeover Rules, and permitted by applicable law and regulation, the Offer will not be made available, directly or indirectly, in any Restricted Jurisdiction, and the Offer will not be capable of acceptance from within a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction. The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in or into certain jurisdictions may be restricted by the laws of those jurisdictions. Accordingly, copies of this Announcement and all other documents relating to the Offer are not being, and must not be, released, published, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Persons receiving such documents (including, without limitation, nominees, trustees and custodians) should observe these restrictions. Failure to do so may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, K1, the K1 Group and Bidco disclaims any responsibility or liability for the violations of any such restrictions by any person. MariaDB Shareholders who are in any doubt regarding such matters should consult an appropriate independent professional adviser in the relevant jurisdiction without delay. Further details in relation to overseas shareholders are contained in the Offer Document.

If you are a resident of the United States, please read the following:

This Announcement is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer (including the Offer), invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, tender, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor will there be any acquisition or disposition of the securities referred to in this Announcement in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable Law or regulation.

This Announcement is not a substitute for the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance or any other document that Bidco may file with the SEC in connection with the Offer. An offer to buy MariaDB Shares has been made pursuant to a Tender Offer Statement and Rule 13e-3 Transaction Statement on Schedule TO that Bidco has filed with the SEC. MariaDB has filed a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the tender offer. MARIADB SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ ANY SUCH DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFER. SUCH DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. Investors and MariaDB Shareholders are able to obtain free copies of these materials (if and when available) and other documents containing important information about MariaDB and the Offer once such documents are filed with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

The Offer has been made in the United States pursuant to the Exchange Act and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of the Irish Takeover Rules. Accordingly, the Offer is subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, offer timetable, settlement procedures and timing of payments that may be different from those typically applicable under US domestic tender offer procedures and law. In addition, the Offer Document and any other documents relating to the Offer have been or will be prepared in accordance with the Irish Takeover Rules and Irish disclosure requirements, format and style, all of which may differ from those in the United States.

MariaDB is incorporated under the laws of Ireland. Some of the directors on the MariaDB Board at the date of this Announcement are resident in a country other than the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for United States holders of MariaDB Shares to effect service of process within the United States upon MariaDB or some of the directors of MariaDB or to enforce against any of them judgements of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States. It may not be possible to sue MariaDB or its officers or director(s) in a non-US court for violations of US securities laws. In addition, US holders of MariaDB Shares should be aware that, if K1 and Bidco elect to proceed pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (as described herein), the federal securities laws of the United States may not be applicable.

Publication on website

A copy of this announcement and the documents required to be published pursuant to Rule 26 of the Irish Takeover Rules will be made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, will be made available on K1's website (https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/). Neither the content of any such website nor the content of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on such website is incorporated into, or forms part of, this Announcement.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/882948/4797522/K1_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/recommended-cash-offer-for-mariadb-plc-by-meridian-bidco-llc-an-affiliate-of-k1-investment-management-llc-k1-as-general-partner-of-k5-capital-advisors-lp-as-general-partner-of-k5-private-investors-lp-302190051.html
WESTFORD, Mass., July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to SkyQuest, the global Internet of Things (IoT) in Smart Cities Market size was valued at USD 148.60 billion in 2022 poised to grow from USD 179.06 billion in 2023 to USD 795.98 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 20.5% in the forecast period (2024-2031).

The innovative IoT based smart city solutions are increasing the demand in various sectors. These solutions include analytics, security, cloud, and network connectivity. One of the major drivers of market expansion in smart cities is the rise of government initiatives and smart city projects. Growth in the use of IoT technologies for control and monitoring is expected to drive the market. High urban population density contributes to the growth. IoT devices, sensors and data analytics are all integrated into the concept of "smart cities" to enhance urban growth, efficiency and sustainability.

Download a detailed overview:

https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/internet-of-things-in-smart-cities-market

Internet of Things (IoT) in Smart Cities Market Overview:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 USD 179.06 billion Estimated Value by 2031 USD 795.98 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 20.5% Forecast Period 2024-2031 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Offering and Application Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Latin America Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Evolving IoT Technology and Urban Transformation Key Market Drivers Rise in Adoption of IoT Technology

Segments covered in Internet of Things (IoT) in Smart Cities Market are as follows:

Offering Solutions (Remote Monitoring, Real Time Location System, Data Management, Reporting and Analytics, Security, Network Management), And Services (Professional Services {Consulting, System Integration and Deployment, Support and Maintenance}, And Managed Services)

Application Smart Transportation, Smart Building, Utilities, Citizen Services (Education, Healthcare, Public Safety)



Request Free Customization of this report:

https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/internet-of-things-in-smart-cities-market

Smart Infrastructure: IoT Offerings Shaping Tomorrow's Cities

The solutions segment accounted for the largest share and dominate the market. The global internet of things (IoT) in smart cities market offers practical innovative solutions focused on integrated information that stores, processes and acts on large amounts of data generated by networked devices for real-time location system optimization and remote monitoring facilitates better monitoring and faster response.

On the other hand, the services segment of the global market is expected to grow the fastest in the smart city market. First, the challenges of adopting IoT solutions are increasing the need for consulting, integration and managed services, which require specialized skills. Second, cities depend on them tasks are raised to build, deploy and control customized solutions while aiming to maximize the value of IoT systems.

View report summary and Table of Contents (TOC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/internet-of-things-in-smart-cities-market

Transforming Urban Living: IoT Applications in Smart Cities

Real-time traffic management, predictive maintenance, and advanced public transport planning enabled by communication technologies and data analytics are the main areas of current innovation and applications in smart transportation in the world. There is scarcity of resources, pollution and traffic, and increased accessibility and security. Transportation is the largest segment in the global market by application.

In the market, public sector service centers are expected to grow rapidly due to the global IoT's ability to improve lives for its inhabitants. It provides smart classrooms by academically enhancing the learning experience. IoT in healthcare enables smarter, more efficient and more efficient patient management, thus contributing to market expansion. It also provides comprehensive surveillance systems and emergency response measures that affect public safety. They have the potential to improve urban growth, efficiency and quality of life. Growing growth in IoT technology and public safety concerns are driving the rapid growth of the segment.

Smart Cities, Smarter Future: The Role of IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the way smart cities work, offering unprecedented connectivity and integration. As cities become more connected, the use of IoT technology seamless integration becomes increasingly important in a sustainable environment. These connected devices and sensors can collect and analyze data in real time, allowing for more informed decision making.

Related Reports:

Internet Of Things (IoT) Market

IoT Security Market

Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) Market

Consumer IoT Market

Internet of Things (IoT) Professional Services Market

About Us:

SkyQuest is an IP focused Research and Investment Bank and Accelerator of Technology and assets. We provide access to technologies, markets and finance across sectors viz. Life Sciences, CleanTech, AgriTech, NanoTech and Information & Communication Technology.

We work closely with innovators, inventors, innovation seekers, entrepreneurs, companies and investors alike in leveraging external sources of R&D. Moreover, we help them in optimizing the economic potential of their intellectual assets. Our experiences with innovation management and commercialization has expanded our reach across North America, Europe, ASEAN and Asia Pacific.

Contact:

Mr. Jagraj Singh

Skyquest Technology

1 Apache Way,

Westford,

Massachusetts 01886

USA (+1) 351-333-4748

Email: sales@skyquestt.com

Visit Our Website: https://www.skyquestt.com/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446095/SkyQuest_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/internet-of-things-iot-in-smart-cities-market-driving-adoption-for-a-usd-795-98-billion-future-by-2031-skyquest-technology-302189928.html
Collaborating to advance government missions

FALLS CHURCH, VA / ACCESSWIRE / July 5, 2024 / Sterling Investment Partners-backed Markon, a leading management consultancy that supports US federal government agencies, recently acquired ASEC. This strategic move underscores Markon's unwavering dedication to building a solid business platform focused on advancing customer missions. The acquisition reaffirms Markon's position as a trusted partner to federal agencies, particularly within the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense, in the critical areas of finance, program management, and systems engineering. ASEC will operate as an independent subsidiary until integration occurs in 2025.

Markon Strengthens Commitment to Government Missions with Acquisition of ASEC - Markon & ASEC logos

Markon Strengthens Commitment to Government Missions with Acquisition of ASEC - Markon and ASEC logos

Ray Carney, CEO of Markon, expressed enthusiasm about the union, stating, "We're thrilled to welcome ASEC. This partnership brings together two organizations with shared values, culture, and exceptional talent, deeply dedicated to the important government missions we serve and the enrichment and well-being of our employees. This collaboration will deliver even greater value to our clients by leveraging broader and deeper expertise. We embark on this journey with a steadfast commitment to serving our clients with unmatched dedication."

Jeff Wallace, ASEC President and CEO, emphasized the partnership's significance: "ASEC's alliance with Markon fulfills our long-standing quest to partner with a company that mirrors our commitment to our client missions and the professional development of our people. Together, we will optimize operations and technical support for the good of our clients. This partnership brings clear synergy, with shared contracts and resources in the Intelligence sector bolstering our collective capabilities and competitive advantages."

The ASEC team brings a cadre of influential thought leaders and cleared personnel, boasting a 30-year track record of providing professional services support to the Intelligence Community. ASEC's focus areas - management, finance, systems engineering, cybersecurity, and software development - complement and align with Markon's core competencies, enhancing the company's capabilities to advance federal missions.

Markon's Chief Corporate Development Officer, Drew Thompson, noted, "This partnership signifies the expansion of our team and a fusion of like-minded cultures dedicated to client success. With this acquisition, Markon elevates our industry-leading service offerings to provide even greater support to our clients' critical missions. We look forward to forging ahead with renewed vigor and unwavering commitment."

Stout Risius Ross, LLC provided financial advisory services, and Morrison & Foerster LLP and Foley & Lardner, LLP provided buy-side and sell-side legal advisory services for the transaction, respectively.

About Markon

Markon is a national consulting firm with a federal government focus, specializing in enterprise technology, financial, and program and construction management for the Intelligence Community and civilian and defense agencies. Team Markon helps solve the nation's most critical challenges with expertise, resilience, and an award-winning culture. Markon brings a fresh approach and deep dedication to what matters most - supporting its people and advancing client missions. Markon is consistently recognized on USA Today's and the Washington Post's Top Workplaces lists, as well as ENR's Top 50 Program Management Firms list. Markon is also a 2021, 2022, and 2023 HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion awardee and was the first GEN (Gender Equity Now) certified organization on the East Coast and in the government services industry. Markon is a portfolio company of Sterling Investment Partners. Learn more at markonsolutions.com.

About ASEC

ASEC was founded as a private woman-owned small business in 1992 to provide US Government customers with systems engineering, technical, and programming support services. Focusing on a few core principles and competencies - with highly talented and experienced people - the company has consistently grown organically in a steady manner that continues to attract high-quality talent and experience by word of mouth and referrals. As the employer of choice engaged in long-term, high-caliber strategic consulting work, ASEC focuses on critical enterprise architecture and strategic planning to support mission success for the Intelligence Community.

About Sterling Investment Partners

Sterling Investment Partners is a private equity firm that has been investing in and building leading middle-market companies for over 30 years with a highly experienced, cohesive team of senior investment professionals. Sterling focuses on value-added distribution and business services, acquiring businesses that the firm believes have strong, sustainable competitive advantages and significant opportunities for value creation. Over its history, Sterling has completed over 230 transactions, representing approximately $30 billion in aggregate value. For more information, visit www.sterlinglp.com.

Contact Information

Juliana Lee

Senior Director, Marketing & Communications

marketing@markonsolutions.com

SOURCE: Markon, LLC

View the original press release on newswire.com.
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.
Left: President Joe Biden leaves a campaign rally at Sherman Middle School on Friday in Madison, Wis.. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Right: U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D- Calif, arrives for a Senate briefing on China at the U.S Capitol on Feb. 15, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) The dilemma for Democrats over Biden's mental acuity has higher stakes than that over Feinstein's.

Democratic angst over President Joe Bidens electability is echoing the struggle many wrestled with when Sen. Dianne Feinsteins mental acuity was failing in her final years in office: How to humanely manage a respected party elders aging.

Joe Biden just had his Dianne Feinstein moment, one Newsweek headline declared following the presidential debate last month.

Only this time, in Bidens situation, the stakes are astronomically higher.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In both cases, Democrats felt a deep reluctance to challenge somebody or undermine somebody that they had affection for and thought had been important people in the party for some time, said Eric Schickler, a professor of political science at UC Berkeley.

But now, Democrats are breaking ranks and speaking out about Biden in a way thats much more dramatic than what we saw with Feinstein, because the stakes are so much higher, Schickler said.

In light of these two situations, Democrats may rethink how deferential they are to longtime candidates, Schickler said.

Democrats have had the tendency to think, Well, we owe it to the person. Theyve been good to the party, theyve fought for the right causes over the years. Therefore, its kind of up to them to decide when to step aside,  said Schickler, who is co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley. But a well-functioning party should also be thinking, Is this person the best standard bearer for the party? 

Heres a look at the similarities and differences.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Whats similar

Anonymous concerns: Even in the last months of Feinsteins life, when her physical abilities were visibly compromised  she often required a wheelchair and was flanked by staffers at all times  those who spoke out about her declining faculties mostly did so anonymously.

The Chronicles blockbuster account of concerns about Feinsteins health, as well as similar accounts in the New Yorker and elsewhere, were driven largely by parties who declined to speak on the record, denying the public the ability to fully vet the situation.

Similarly, a New York Times account of Bidens recent lapses is attributed to current and former White House aides, political advisers, administration officials, foreign diplomats, domestic allies and financial donors  all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A Semafor conversation published Friday aired concerns about Biden attributed to a government official with regular access to the West Wing who declined to disclose the specific policy area theyd work on, no gender, age, or sexual orientation.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The lack of details and context surrounding these accounts makes it difficult for voters to understand whether theyre accurate, complete and/or politically motivated.

In the case of Biden, however, some current and former politicians are beginning to openly call for him to leave the race, including Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Raul Grijalva and former Rep. Tim Ryan. Their statements, however, have focused on the viability of his candidacy, and not on personal interactions theyve had with the president.

In Feinsteins case, Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna, Dean Phillips of Minnesota and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called on her to resign after she had missed months of Senate business battling illness. Her extended absence, along with that of Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman, made it more difficult for the Senate to confirm Bidens nominees and pass legislation.

Discussion about their aging: Calls for both politicians to step down werent the first time concerns about their ages were aired.

A 2017 Berkeley IGS poll found that 56% of respondents would support Feinsteins reelection, but that dropped to 50% when they were told of her age. Her 2018 Senate challenger, however, then-state Sen. Kevin de Leon, rarely brought up age directly during the race.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Discussions over Feinsteins mental acuity began during her last reelection campaign in 2018 and spilled out into public view beginning in 2020, first with a New Yorker article about her cognitive decline, and later in 2022, when the Chronicle reported that her memory was rapidly deteriorating. Four U.S. senators, including three Democrats, as well as three former Feinstein staffers and a California Democratic House member said it appeared she could no longer fulfill her job duties without her staff doing much of the work required to represent the nearly 40 million people of California.

Concerns about Bidens age arent new. Polling has shown for months that Democrats, as well as independent voters, want someone else to be the partys nominee, in part due to concerns about Bidens age.

Just like de Leon was the only significant challenger to Feinstein in her last run, the party quashed any potential Biden challengers in 2024, except for the long shot Phillips.

Discussions about how age was affecting their job performance, however, hit a fever pitch after two clear incidents: For Feinstein, it came when the shingles virus sidelined her for several months in 2023, preventing her from doing her job, and for Biden, it was the dreadful performance during last weeks debate.

Whats different

The stakes: Perhaps the biggest difference between Feinstein and Bidens situations is the risk inherent in a decision to step down.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

If Feinstein had resigned from office, her replacement would have been appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. With the race to succeed her already underway when her illness was at its worst, Democrats had a breadth of candidates to choose from and a seat that hadnt been held by a Republican in 30 years.

Theres no such assurance for Biden. The heart of the tension Democrats are grappling with is which path presents the least risk among many risky options  replacing the nominee at the eleventh hour for another candidate who themselves might not succeed, or sticking with a candidate many voters have lost faith in.

The impact on other candidates: Though many politicians had opinions on Feinsteins situation, whether she remained in the Senate didnt have much impact on other races.

But many of the Democrats fretting over Bidens viability arent just concerned about the presidency; theyre worried about their own futures. Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin decided not to campaign with Biden on Friday during his visit to the state, and many of the loudest concerns are being aired by House Democrats whose success could turn on the top of the ticket. The battle for the House majority is expected to be extremely competitive, and Democrats will need to turn out voters if they want to take control  something that could be more difficult if Biden is still running. Democrats are already facing a tough election in the Senate. Republicans only need to win an additional one or two seats to flip control of the chamber.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosis handling: Pelosi was very protective of Feinstein, her longtime friend and Pacific Heights neighbor. When the Chronicle asked her for comment in its 2022 story about Feinsteins declining mental acuity, Pelosi said it was unconscionable  she is being subjected to these ridiculous attacks that are beneath the dignity in which she has led and the esteem in which she is held. Later, she said that attacks on Feinstein had a sexist twinge, noting that elderly male senators rarely face similar scrutiny.

But Pelosi, who rarely publicly calls out fellow Democrats, has been more pointed toward Biden, a sign of how high the stakes are. After the debate, Pelosi said she thought it was essential that Biden do interviews with prominent journalists to allay fears.
Regulatory News:

ACTICOR BIOTECH (FR0014005OJ5 ALACT), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing glenzocimab, an innovative drug for the treatment of cardiovascular emergencies, today discloses the total number of voting rights and shares as of May 31, 2024 (pursuant to Article L. 233-8 II of the French Commercial Code and Article 223-16 of the General Regulation of the French Financial Markets Authority).

Listing Place: Euronext Growth Paris

ISIN Code: FR0014005OJ5

Web site: acticor-biotech.com

Date Number of shares making up the share capital Theoretical number of voting rights (1) Number of voting rights excluding shares stripped of voting rights (2) May 31, 2024 15.755.227 15.755.227 15.537.023

In accordance with Article 223-111 of the AMF's General Regulation, this number of shares is calculated based on all shares carrying the right to vote, including those stripped of voting rights. The actual voting rights correspond to the total number of voting rights that can be exercised in a general meeting. They are calculated on the basis of the total number of voting rights attached to the total number of shares minus the shares without voting rights.

About ACTICOR BIOTECH

Acticor Biotech is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing glenzocimab, an innovative drug for the treatment of cardiovascular emergencies, particularly ischemic stroke.

The positive results of the phase 1b/2a study, ACTIMIS, published in January 2024 in the Lancet Neurology (link to publication) confirmed the safety profile of glenzocimab and showed a reduction in mortality and intracerebral hemorrhage in the glenzocimab-treated group of stroke patients. A post-hoc analysis of brain imaging at 0 and 24 hours using artificial intelligence confirmed these results, showing a reduction in the number and volume of intracerebral lesions in patients treated with glenzocimab.

On April 25, 2024, the company announced the initial results of the international phase 2/3 ACTISAVE study in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, which showed no efficacy of glenzocimab on the primary endpoint, the proportion of patients with severe disability or death (mRS 4-6) 90 days after stroke, nor on the secondary endpoint, the proportion of patients returning to life without disability (mRS 0-2).

On May 15, 2024, Prof. Mikael Kohrmann (Principal Investigator of ACTISAVE) presented the main results of the study at the opening session of the European Stroke Organization Conference (ESOC), confirming the neutrality of the study on the primary and secondary endpoints, and showing trends in return to normal life (mRS 0-1), notably in sub-populations of patients with complete recanalization after mechanical thrombectomy.

Glenzocimab is being evaluated in 2 other clinical trials initiated by academic teams:

GREEN: a phase 2/3 study in the treatment of stroke in thrombectomized patients, with a futility analysis after inclusion of the first 78 patients (30% of patients) expected in Q4 2024;

LIBERATE: a Phase 2b LIBERATE trial in the treatment of myocardial infarction, with final results expected in Q4 2025.

Acticor Biotech is supported by a panel of European and international investors (Mediolanum farmaceutici, Karista, Go Capital, Newton Biocapital, CMS Medical Venture Investment (HK) Limited, A&B (HK) Limited, Anaxago, and the Armesa Foundation) and has been listed on Euronext Growth Paris since November 2021 (ISIN: FR0014005OJ5 ALACT).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240705781727/en/

Contacts:

ACTICOR BIOTECH

Gilles AVENARD, MD

CEO and Founder

gilles.avenard@acticor-biotech.com

Sophie BINAY, PhD

General Manager and CSO

Sophie.binay@acticor-biotech.com

NewCap

Mathilde BOHIN

Investor Relations

acticor@newcap.eu

T.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 95

NewCap

Arthur ROUILLE

Media Relations

acticor@newcap.eu

T.: +33 (0)1 44 71 00 15
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, July 05

For immediate release

05 July 2024

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announce that it has today purchased 163,412 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 845.00 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 48,035,782; 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 176,955,521.

The figure of 176,955,521 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
Avolta AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

Avolta expands Africa footprint with new ten-year contract for Duty-Free store at Murtala Muhammed International Airport's new terminal, Lagos, Nigeria



05.07.2024 / 19:12 CET/CEST





Avolta AG (SIX: AVOL), leading travel experience player, celebrated today the opening of its new Duty-free store at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the largest airport in Nigeria and one of the busiest in Africa. This expansion in Africa's powerhouse economy - and one of the most extensive network of international and domestic airports in the continent - represents a major landmark in enhancing Avolta's market presence, showcasing a fine selection of products across key categories with a strong local flavor. Part of the airport's newly constructed Terminal 2, the 400 m2 walk-through store is crafted to meet the tastes of international travelers as well as the significant Nigerian diaspora, offering passengers a mix of global and local brands across the categories of food, liquor and tobacco, as well as offering the largest Duty-free beauty selection in the country. The store is equipped with Self-Service Checkouts enhancing the shopping experience with a focus on convenience.



Initially forged more than ten years ago, Avolta's partnership with FAAN (Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria) has since introduced many global brands to Nigeria. The new store is set to redefine the local travel and shopping experience, complimenting the existing two stores operated by Avolta in Terminal 1 of the same airport since 2015, as well as its store in Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. This new venture is a testament to Avolta's commitment to expanding its footprint, while elevating the travel experience in airports nationwide.



Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, Managing Director of FAAN commented: "We are thrilled to announce Avolta as our strategic partner. This premium location is set to significantly elevate the passenger experience, offering unmatched service and convenience."



Olivier Meyer, Director of local partner Marport Services Ltd, said: "We are proud to have partnered with the largest travel retailer globally, Avolta and FAAN to develop world-class outlets in Nigeria. Achieving this significant milestone amid challenging economic conditions underscores the company's dedication to improving the travel experience for millions of passengers. We look forward to further supporting their expansion in the country."



Abdeslam Agzoul, CEO Middle East & Africa at Avolta said: "The new Terminal 2 store at Murtala Muhammed International Airport is a milestone for Avolta in Africa. We are proud to play our part in the expansion of the airport, offering a rich product selection that sets new standards in airport shopping in the region, including a broad local assortment that offers passengers a taste of Nigeria. This is a significant leap forward in our mission to make travelers happier and enhance the consumer experience in Nigeria. We thank our long-standing partners at FAAN for the trust placed in us and look forward to our continued collaboration."



The new Terminal 2 building is part of the ongoing development of five new terminals across Nigeria, part of a strategic plan to enhance the infrastructural development of Nigeria's airports and to position the country as a top-tier destination and transit hub in Africa.

For further information:



CONTACT

REBECCA McCLELLAN CATHY JONGENS Global Head

Investor Relations Director Corporate

Communications Phone: +44 7543 800405 Phone: +41 79 288093 rebecca.mcclellan@ avolta.net cathy.jongens@avolta.net



End of Media Release


DeepSales , under the leadership of CEO Jeremy Kim, has successfully raised $2 million USD in its Pre-A series investment round, with significant contributions from Yes24, Woori Technology Investment, and JL Partners. This latest influx of capital marks a critical milestone for the company, boosting its total cumulative funding to an impressive $3.5 million USD. DeepSales' success, achieved within just two years of its inception in a challenging venture capital environment, highlights its potential as a future AI unicorn.

Yoojeong Kim, CEO of JL Partners, led the investment, highlighting DeepSales' innovative use of deep learning to analyze traditional data and identify high-potential prospects in real-time as key factors in their decision. She also noted the company's proven scalability in the global market as a compelling reason for their investment.

Founded in November 2021, DeepSales leverages advanced artificial intelligence to identify high-probability prospects, providing invaluable insights to sales teams. By efficiently organizing global sales data and facilitating inter-business transactions, DeepSales enables sales representatives to swiftly identify and close deals with potential buyers.

Among its notable achievements, DeepSales has served as a data provider for government-initiated programs such as the Cloud Voucher Program and Data Voucher Program, and has been involved in urea procurement and collaboration with New York Fashion Week. The company has maintained profitability since its founding, with first-quarter revenue in 2024 doubling compared to the previous year, and a service retention rate exceeding 70%. With a global client base of over 450 companies and international revenue accounting for 15% of total revenue, DeepSales continues to exhibit strong growth and market penetration worldwide.

Jeremy Kim plans to utilize the recent investment to elevate the company into a globally recognized startup with unique technological advantages. He reaffirmed DeepSales' dedication to offering optimal prospecting solutions to sales professionals globally, solidifying their competitive edge in the international market.

About DeepSales:

DeepSales is a lead generation company transforming the sales sector. With a recent 2 million dollar Pre-A series investment, total funding has now reached 3.5 million dollars. Founded in November 2021, DeepSales specializes in AI technology that identifies high-probability prospects for sales teams around the world. For more information, visit DeepSales' official website: DeepSales today.

DeepSales has recently identified errors in the information provided in their previous press release dated July 2nd. These inaccuracies have now been corrected in this release.

Media Contact

Organization: DeepSales

Contact Person: Taehee Kong

Website: https://deepsales.com/

Email: tkong@deepsales.com

Contact Number: +827044175507

City: Seoul

Country: South Korea

SOURCE: DeepSales

View the original press release on accesswire.com
The India Fund, Inc. ("IFN") (the "Fund"), today announced that the Fund paid the distribution noted in the table below on July 5, 2024, on a per share basis to all shareholders of record as of May 30, 2024 (ex-dividend date May 30, 2024).

Ticker Exchange Fund Amount IFN NYSE The India Fund, Inc. $0.4500

The Fund has adopted a distribution policy to provide investors with a stable distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital.

For the India Fund, Inc. (IFN) the stock distribution was automatically paid in newly issued shares of the Fund unless otherwise instructed by the shareholder to be paid in cash. Shares of common stock were issued at the lower of the net asset value ("NAV") per share or the market price per share with a floor for the NAV of not less than 95% of the market price on June 28, 2024. The reinvestment price per share for this distribution was $17.67. Fractional shares were generally settled in cash, except for registered shareholders with book entry accounts at Computershare Investor Services who had whole and fractional shares added to their account.

To have received the India Fund, Inc. quarterly distribution payable in July 2024 in cash instead of shares of common stock, for shareholders who hold shares in "street name," the bank, brokerage or nominee who holds the shares must have advised the Depository Trust Company as to the full and fractional shares for which they want the distribution paid in cash by June 20, 2024; and for shares that are held in registered form, written notification for the election of cash by registered shareholders must have been received by Computershare Investor Services prior to June 20, 2024.

Under applicable U.S. tax rules, the amount and character of distributable income for the Fund's fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and related rules, the Fund may be required to indicate to shareholders the estimated source of certain distributions to shareholders.

The following tables set forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distributions for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the rules adopted thereunder. The tables have been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The tables include estimated amounts and percentages for the current distributions paid this month as well as for the cumulative distributions paid relating to fiscal year to date, from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated compositions of the distributions may vary because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies.

The Fund's estimated sources of the current distribution paid this month and for its current fiscal year to date are as follows:

Estimated Amounts of Current Distribution per Share Fund Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains** Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital IFN $0.4500 - - - - $0.4500 100% - -

Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year* to Date Cumulative Distributions per Share Fund Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains ** Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital IFN $0.8800 - - - - $0.8800 100% - -

* IFN has a 12/31 fiscal year end.

**includes currency gains

Where the estimated amounts above show a portion of the distribution to be a "Return of Capital," it means that Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all the money that you invested in a Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions for the current year will only be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. After the end of each calendar year, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders for the prior calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The following table provides the Fund's total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Fund's annualized and cumulative distribution rates.

Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information Fund Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 04/30/2024 Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV Cumulative Total Return on NAV Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV IFN 9.08% 9.01% 9.31% 2.25%

1 Return data is net of all Fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan.

2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of April 30, 2024.

Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about a Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the "Distribution Policy").

While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.

Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Funds may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Funds during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Funds, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received.

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. Each Fund's Board has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state, and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances.

Circular 230 disclosure : To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

In the United States, abrdn is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: abrdn Inc., abrdn Investments Limited, abrdn Asia Limited, and abrdn ETFs Advisors LLC.

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. A Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

The India Fund, Inc. (abrdnifn.com)

For More Information Contact:

abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds

Investor Relations

1-800-522-5465

Investor.Relations@abrdn.com

SOURCE: The India Fund, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 5, 2024) - Cypherpunk Holdings Inc. (CSE: HODL) (OTC Pink: CYFRF) (the "Company"), a Canadian-based holding vehicle dedicated to investing in companies, technologies, and protocols within the blockchain ecosystem is pleased to announce that it has granted 3,000,000 stock options to purchase 3,000,000 common shares (each a, "Common Share") of the Company at a price of $0.115 per Common Share, expiring on July 3, 2029 to certain officers, directors, and employees of the Company. The Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the options are subject to a four-month hold period from the original date of grant.

The Company also announces it has cancelled a total of 6,900,000 stock options to certain officers, directors and employees of the Company as they were no longer serving their purpose in aligning the interest of the holders with those of shareholders.

About Cypherpunk Holdings Inc.

Cypherpunk Holdings is dedicated to investing in companies, technologies, and protocols within the blockchain ecosystem. With a strategic focus on cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation, the Company leverages its extensive industry expertise to identify and support high-potential opportunities in the digital asset space.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

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.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Generally, any statements that are not historical facts may contain forward-looking information, and 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 indicates that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be" taken, "occur" or "be achieved".

There is no assurance that the Company's plans or objectives will be implemented as set out herein, or at all. Forward-looking information is based on certain factors and assumptions the Company believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by law. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

Officer/Director Contact:

Doug Harris

Chief Financial Officer

doug@cypherpunkholdings.com

Tel: 647-946-1300

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215593

SOURCE: Cypherpunk Holdings Inc.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 5, 2024) - Tenet Fintech Group Inc. (CSE: PKK) (OTC Pink: PKKFF) ("Tenet" or the "Company"), an innovative analytics service provider, owner and operator of the Cubeler Business Hub, today provided the following update related to its ongoing private placement financing of units of convertible debentures and warrants (the "Financing").

The Company reiterated its intention to close the Financing as quickly as possible as it continues to try to accommodate a group of strategic investors who have requested an extension to the deadline previously appointed by Tenet to close the Financing. The deadline to close on the minimum of $5,000,000 and maximum of $10,000,000 remaining on the Financing has now been set for August 15, 2024, with a first tranche of at least $2,500,000 to be closed no later than July 19, 2024. The Company notes that all other terms and conditions of the Financing will remain the same despite the recent drop in the Company's share price.

"This is not the announcement that we were expecting to make today when we said at the AGM that we would be making an announcement about the Financing this week," commented Tenet President and CEO Johnson Joseph. "Unfortunately, something unexpected beyond anyone's control happened and we will have to delay that announcement. The good news is that we have been in constant communication with the other parties and are hopeful that the Financing will be closed by the new agreed to timelines. We felt it important to make today's announcement in a spirit of transparency, particularly given what was stated at the AGM, to keep our shareholders apprised of any developments considering the importance of the Financing to the Company's objectives for 2024."

About Tenet Fintech Group Inc.:

Tenet Fintech Group Inc. is the parent company of a group of innovative financial technology (Fintech) and artificial intelligence (AI) companies. All references to Tenet in this news release, unless explicitly specified, include Tenet and all its subsidiaries. Tenet's subsidiaries offer various analytics and AI-based products and services to businesses, capital markets professionals, government agencies and financial institutions either through or leveraging data gathered by the Cubeler Business Hub, a global ecosystem where analytics and AI are used to create opportunities and facilitate B2B transactions among its members. Please visit our website at: https://www.tenetfintech.com/.

For more information, please contact:

Tenet Fintech Group Inc.

Mayco Quiroz, Chief Operating Officer

514-340-7775 ext.: 510

investors@tenetfintech.com

CHF Capital Markets

Cathy Hume, CEO

416-868-1079 ext.: 251

cathy@chfir.com

Follow Tenet Fintech Group Inc. on social media:

X: @Tenet_Fintech

Facebook: @Tenet

LinkedIn: Tenet

YouTube: Tenet Fintech

Forward-looking information

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tenet to be materially different from the outlook or any future results, performance or achievements implied by such statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, holding company with significant operations in China; general economic and business conditions, including factors impacting the Company's business in China such as pandemics and COVID-19; legislative and/or regulatory developments; Global Financial conditions, repatriation of profits or transfer of funds from China to Canada, operations in foreign jurisdictions and possible exposure to corruption, bribery or civil unrest; actions by regulators; uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other types of claims and litigation; timing and completion of capital programs; liquidity and capital resources, negative operating cash flow and additional funding, dilution from further financing; financial performance and timing of capital; and other risks detailed from time to time in reports filed by Tenet with securities regulators in Canada. Reference should also be made to Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) in Tenet's annual and interim reports, Annual Information Form, filed with Canadian securities regulators and available via the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR+) under Tenet's profile at www.sedarplus.ca, for a description of major risk factors relating to Tenet. Although Tenet has attempted to identify certain 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 to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements reflect information as of the date on which they are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs, unless required by applicable securities laws. In the event the Company does update any forward-looking statement, no inference should be made that the Company will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statement.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in policies of the Canadian Securities 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/215614

SOURCE: Tenet Fintech Group Inc.
Amid UK election, a royal expert has to say that if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle return to the Royal Family, the public would have to pay for their security, the staff travel and lot more. read more

The monarchy is a huge burden in UK. GB News presenter Cameron Walker mentioned that Harry and Meghans return would involve more than just King Charles since they rank lower in popularity polls. Harry and Meghan had left being working royals since 2020. Their return to UK is not going to be an easy ride nether on Harry and Meghan and UK tax payers and definitely not on the British Royal family. The royal family is still hurt after the release of Netflixs Harry & Meghan and Spare. These string of incidents have left a bitter taste in the mouths of the British royal family.

Advertisement

Harry doesnt exist for the royal family

On the other hand, a Royal Family insider told Closer magazine about Harry, He continues to be heartbroken and confused by the way hes being treated by the royals. Its as though he doesnt exist anymore,"

Royal Family expert Jennie Bond mentioned to Daily Mail Express, If Harry had really wanted to confront his family and patch things up, he would surely have allotted more time to his recent visits so that his father at least could make arrangements to see him.

Jennie Bond added, I dont think theres any chance of William wanting to do so, particularly with all he has on his plate right now. So, Ill believe this when I see it, but it will be lovely if he could indeed spend some time, perhaps at Balmoral, during the summer and make peace with his father.

looking for a remote island with Prince Harry

According to GB new, Meghan on the other hand is looking for a remote island with Prince Harry, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, royal sources have claimed. The Duke and Duchess relocated to the US four years ago where they are raising their two children, aged five and three respectively.

The report further mentions that Meghan wants to get away with Harry and the kids to a remote island so they can just have fun as a family without any outside pressure and be in complete luxury. Archie and Lilibet are at that age now where they can do more adventurous stuff and Meghan has even talked about a trip to Disneyland as she knows they will be well looked after there and how much the children would love it.

Advertisement

Harry is lonely

The Mirror reported Prince Harry finding the day long and lonely but Meghan Markle is in her natural environment. According to a royal expert, who claims Harry is harbouring major regret as his new life in the United States comes under threat and faces potential upheaval. The Duke of Sussex relocated to America with his former Suits actress wife in 2020, after they announced their decision to step back from their roles as senior royals and strive for financial independence from the monarchy.

(With added inputs from agencies)
France is just days away from the second round of snap legislative elections called by French President Emmanuel Macron. The far-right National Rally (RN) secured 33 per cent of the vote in the first round last Sunday. However, its chances of gaining an absolute majority have been challenged by the cooperation of left-wing and centrist parties aiming to derail its progress. What can we expect on July 7? read more

Election posters of the French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National - RN) party with pictures of their leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella are seen near the RN party headquarters before the second round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Paris, France, July 5, 2024. Reuters

As French citizens prepare to head back to the polls this Sunday for the decisive second round of legislative elections, the stakes couldnt be higher. This crucial vote will determine the makeup of the French National Assembly, with all 577 seats up for grabs and 289 needed for an absolute majority.

The outcome will significantly influence Frances legislative and economic direction, as well as its political stability within the European Union.

What is the Republican Front strategy?

Advertisement

In a strategic move to prevent vote splitting against the far-right, French President Emmanuel Macrons centrist alliance and the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) have ballots this week.

This tactic, known as the Republican Front, aims to consolidate votes against the National Rally (RN). Recent projections from multiple surveys suggest that the RN and its allies are expected to secure between 190 and 250 seats, falling short of the 289 needed for an absolute majority.

A person walks past election campaign posters prior to the second round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Magny-en-Vexin, France, July 4, 2024. Reuters

Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, warned about the potential for political gridlock if no one achieves an absolute majority. If no one gets an absolute majority, and were the only ones who can, no bill will be passed, she stated in an interview with French news channel CNews.

What are the election projections?

According to the latest Harris Interactive survey for Challenges magazine, Marine Le Pens far-right party might not win the 289 seats needed to control the National Assembly.

The poll indicates that the efforts by Macrons centrists and the leftist bloc NFP to block the far-right could be effective. The RN and its allies are likely to obtain between 190 and 220 seats, while the centre-right Republicans (LR), who have allied with Le Pen, are projected to win between 30 and 50 seats.

Advertisement

A person waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against the French far-right Rassemblement National (National Rally - RN) party, at Place de la Republique, following results in the first round of the early 2024 legislative elections, in Paris, France, July 3, 2024. File Image/Reuters

These projections have led to a tactical withdrawal of more than 200 candidates from various political parties who came in third in their constituencies in the first round, supporting the strongest candidate against the RN.

Also Read: Why a far-right government in France is unlikely soon

This strategy was implemented to prevent the possibility of a far-right minority government supported by part of the LR parliamentary group.

What is the election process ahead of the second round?

Frances electoral process is complex, with members of parliament elected through two rounds of voting across 577 constituencies. Local dynamics often play a significant role, with up to four candidates qualifying for the second round based on local turnout and votes.

Advertisement

In 301 of the 577 electoral districts, at least three candidates, usually one from each of the main coalitions  the National Rally, Macrons centrist coalition, and the left-wing alliance  have qualified for the second round. These districts are crucial battlegrounds that will decide the elections outcome.

French President Emmanuel Macron leaves a voting booth, as he visits a polling station to vote in the first round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France, June 30, 2024. File Image/Reuters

If candidates who came third in these districts withdraw, it potentially works against the RN as voters opposing the far-right are likely to support the sole remaining rival candidate. However, the process remains uncertain, and seat projections for the RN vary widely from 230 to 310 seats.

What happens if there is a hung assembly?

Advertisement

The level of voter abstention is a critical factor in this election. According to an Elabe poll, only one in four voters intends to follow the voting instructions delivered by their parties.

According to Politico, Macrons attempts to position himself as a bulwark against extremism might be hindered by his previous carping about the far-left, potentially influencing voter turnout.

In the event of a hung parliament, several outcomes are possible. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has suggested that mainstream right, left, and centrist parties could form ad hoc alliances to pass individual pieces of legislation.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal campaigns before the second round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Paris, France, July 5, 2024. Reuters

However, if no coalition can govern effectively, France might face political paralysis, with little or no legislation being adopted and a caretaker government running basic daily affairs.

Advertisement

Even if the far-right does not come to power in this election, France faces months of political uncertainty until the end of Macrons term in 2027. Marine Le Pen is widely expected to mount a challenge for the presidency itself. Its a big mess politically. We might be in political blockage for one year, Philippe Marliere, professor of French politics at University College London, told Al Jazeera.

Also Read: UK goes left as Europe veers right. Heres what it means

The upcoming election results will not only shape Frances domestic policies but also impact its role within the EU and NATO. The potential for a far-right government in France is a significant concern for many, with implications for the stability of the EUs second-biggest economy.

With inputs from agencies
Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform UK Party, has eight reasons to smile. After repeated attempts to enter UK Parliament, he has won the constituency of Clacton in Essex and his party has secured a total of four wins. Known as Mr Brexit to the world, the 60-year-old is popular for his strong right views and making controversial statements read more

Britain's Reform UK Party Leader Nigel Farage eats an ice cream, on the day of the general election, in Clacton-on-Sea, Britain. Reuters

Try, try and you shall succeed. This seems to be the motto of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has finally been elected to the UK parliament on Friday on his eighth attempt. The 60-year-old arch-Brexiter won the constituency of Clacton in Essex.

Farage defeated the Conservative candidate, Giles Watling, who had represented the coastal constituency in Essex since 2017, winning 21,225 votes  a majority of 8,405. In a speech after his triumph, Farage served notice that his party would be turning its guns on Labour. We are coming for Labour  be in no doubt about that, he said, in a short speech at a leisure centre in the seaside town.

Advertisement

Farage also told reporters after his election that he would speak up and provide a challenge in government.

But who exactly is Nigel Farage? And how has he come to be known as one of Britains most controversial leaders?

A young Farage

Born on April 3, 1964, in Farnborough, Kent, England, Farage attended private school Dulwich College, in South London. Fellow pupils remember him as a student keen on provoking students and teachers with controversial statements.

A London Standard report reveals that when one teacher objected to his appointment as a prefect, her concerns were dismissed by the deputy head who said the teenager was well-known for provoking people especially left-wing English teachers with no sense of humour.

At 18, he decided not to go to university, becoming a trader on the London Metal Exchange in 1982. He has been married twice and has four children, with a rich family history that includes a grandfather who fought and sustained injuries during World War I.

Nigel Farage, initially, a Conservative, quit the party in 1992 and co-founded the UK Independence Party (UKIP). File image/Reuters

Politics beckons

However, politics was calling for Farage. Initially, a Conservative, he quit the party in 1992 over the Maastricht Treaty and co-founded the UK Independence Party (UKIP). He first ran for UK parliament in 1994 in the Eastleigh by-election but failed in his attempt.

He was then elected to the European Parliament, as MEP for South-East England, in 1999 and stayed there until 2020. During his tenure as an MEP, he became a prominent voice in the European Parliament, advocating for British sovereignty and criticising EU policies. In 2010, he earned notoriety when he accused European Council president leader Herman Van Rompuy of having the charisma of a damp rag and the appearance of a low-grade bank clerk.

Advertisement

In 2006, he also became the leader of the UKIP party and made a name for himself for making controversial statements.

In 2010, his political career almost came to an end when the light aircraft he was travelling in became entangled in the UKIP banner it was towing, crashing into a field. Remarkably, he survived while suffering broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Nigel Farage was a key leader behind the Brexit movement. In fact, Donald Trump had once introduced him to US crowds as Mr Brexit. File image/Reuters

Brexit man

The UKIPs success in the 2014 European elections  it won 24 seats and 27 per cent of the popular vote  was instrumental in forcing then Prime Minister David Cameron to bow to demands for an in-out referendum on Britains membership of the EU.

Advertisement

He became a massive booster for Brexit; the BBC has gone as far as to saying that Brexit was his baby. And when Britain finally voted yes on Brexit, he claimed personal responsibility for the decision, issuing a statement which read: Dare to dream that the dawn is breaking on an independent United Kingdom.

Furthermore, Donald Trump, who at the time was campaigning to be US president, had introduced him to thousands of supporters as Mr Brexit.

Post Brexit, Farage appeared to be angry and exhausted and announced that he was quitting (for a third time) as UKIP leader declaring: I want my life back.

Advertisement

Post-Brexit life

In February 2018, Farage formed the Brexit Party with Reuters noting that it had been approved by the Electoral Commission. And after Brexit took place, he renamed the party to Reform UK.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic during which Farage described lockdowns as cruel and unnecessary, announced in an interview with _The Telegrap_h that he was retiring from politics and resigning as leader of Reform UK. He took up a well-paid job as a presenter on GB News, while carefully leaving to door open for a return, taking the title of Reform UKs honorary president.

Britains Reform UK Party Leader Nigel Farage gestures as he walks after winning his first seat in parliament during the UK election in Clacton-on-Sea, Britain. Reuters

In 2023, he also appeared in the Australian jungle on ITVs famous reality show, Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!, for which he was reputedly paid a cool 1.5 million. The show, no doubt, introduced him to a new generation of younger voters.

Advertisement

It was in September last year that he was ranked first on the New Statesmans Right Power List, describing him as the most influential person on the British right.

Race to UK parliament

Farage spent most of the lead up to the 2024 UK general election campaign insisting he would not stand for the House of Commons. But on June 3, he said he will be Reform UKs candidate in Clacton and take over as the partys leader once again.

And as results keep pouring in, Farage achieved what he hadnt until now; becoming an MP of the British parliament. Moreover, his party, the Reform UK, has won four seats.

A supporter of Britains Reform UK Party Leader Nigel Farage carries a rosette badge, on the day of the general election, in Clacton-on-Sea, Britain. Reuters

Shortly after his own triumph, he was quoted as telling Reuters that he was determined to be as much of a bloody nuisance there as he was to European Union leaders as a member of the European Parliament.

My plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of the next few years and hopefully be big enough to challenge the general election properly in 2029, said Farage. This Labour government will be in trouble very, very quickly and we will now be targeting Labour voters, we are coming for Labour  be in no doubt about that.

As BBC reports, there are two Nigels: Nice Nigel and Nasty Nigel  a charismatic, optimistic, Happy Warrior or the angry populist Dark Knight. It is left to be seen which Nigel does he choose to retain now as he is poised to enter the House of Commons.

With inputs from agencies
Community members speak out on June 18 about an ongoing investigation into whether Alameda County prosecutors improperly excluded Black and Jewish jurors. Thomas Sawano/The Chronicle

A lawyer assigned to examine whether Alameda County prosecutors improperly removed potential jurors said Friday that one of Gov. Gavin Newsoms recent judicial appointees led a prosecution team that flagged Black, Jewish and lesbian prospective jurors for possible dismissal in a capital case.

That doesnt prove Assistant District Attorney Michael Nieto actually challenged jurors for discriminatory reasons, but it should raise concerns about his judicial appointment, said the attorney, Brian Pomerantz.

Nieto, an Alameda County prosecutor since 1997, was chosen by Newsom on June 18 to fill a vacancy on the Contra Costa County Superior Court. He has not been sworn in.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In 2009-10 he was the lead prosecutor in the case of Christopher Evans, who was convicted and sentenced to death for fatally shooting Tina Marie Rose, owner of an East Oakland hair salon, and Tommy Lee Brown, a customer who tried to protect her. Evans lawyers argued that he had been dazed and mentally unaware after the salon owner's brother, Derrick Rose, punched him and knocked him unconscious.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced in April that she was putting her countys 35 death sentences on hold for further review based on evidence that prosecutors in a number of cases had removed Jewish and Black prospective jurors, believing they were less likely than others to support the death penalty.

There is no direct evidence of such removals in Evans case, said Pomerantz, an attorney assigned to review some of the cases by U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, who told Price to re-examine all pending cases. But Pomerantz said Nietos team had categorized the jurors by race, religion and sexual orientation.

Notes from the prosecution team, Pomerantz said, show that among 66 potential jurors in the case, 12, all of them Black, had asterisks next to their names. Eight made it onto the jury panel, six were challenged by prosecutors and two served on the jury.

Another prospective juror was marked as Jewish, and two as lesbians, Pomerantz said. He said one of the lesbians reached the panel of potential jurors and was dismissed by Nietos team.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

In a public declaration describing his findings, Pomerantz said, Based on my review of only a portion of the materials I received from the Office of the District Attorney, it is my opinion that for several prosecutors race or sexual orientation was a significant factor that affected their jury selection processes. I am concerned from my review of Mr. Evans case that may have been true for Michael Nieto.

The most troublesome things I saw were the writing of lesbian and Jewish on the (note) cards, Pomerantz told the Chronicle. I dont see how thats relevant to anything in terms of picking a juror.

If I were Evans attorneys, Id be claiming there was a (constitutional) violation, he said, though that would require proof that a juror was actually removed because of race, religion or sexual orientation. But more immediately, Pomerantz said, for a judicial appointment, the notes should raise grave concerns  coming out of an office where there has been admission of widespread systemic problems with jury selection.

Pomerantz is also an attorney for Ernest Dykes, convicted and sentenced to death in 1993 for murdering his landladys 9-year-old grandson. Price said in April there was evidence that Dykes prosecutors had removed all Jewish and Black people from the jury. Dykes federal appeal is now in Chhabrias court.

The civil rights group Color of Change said Newsom should withdraw Nietos appointment.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Since this unsettling scandal has been revealed, we have been calling for all current and former prosecutors and judges implicated in excluding Black, Jewish, or LGBTQ+ jurors from death penalty cases to be appropriately held accountable, the groups policy strategist, Queen Adesuyi, said in a statement.

Otherwise, she said, officials who engage in discriminatory actions are allowed to rise in power within the prosecutorial and judicial systems.

Danella Debel, a spokesperson for Newsom, said by email that the governors office will keep you posted if we have anything to share on this.

Nieto, who is still based in the district attorneys office, could not be reached for comment. Haaziq Madyun, a spokesperson for Price, declined to comment.

Price, a former civil rights lawyer, took office in 2023 after a campaign in which she promised not to seek the death penalty or other sentences she considered excessive. Tough-on-crime groups are seeking to remove her and have qualified a recall vote for the November ballot.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
The Labour Party has defeated the Conservatives at the elections and Keir Starmer is all set to become the next UK PM. The next stage is government formation and if reports are to be believed then Rachel Reeves is likely to become the countrys first woman finance minister, after registering a win from the Leeds West and Pudsey constituency read more

Rachel Reeves will be Britains first female finance minister as she wins the election from the Leeds West and Pudsey constituencies. Reuters

Shortly after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat, the left-of-centre Labour Party crossed the majority mark winning the highly-anticipated 2024 UK general elections.

With almost all the results in, Keir Starmers party had won 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons and the Conservatives 118.

Starmer is set to become the UKs first Labour Prime Minister in 14 years, and if reports are to be believed, Rachel Reeves will take on the role of chancellor of exchequer, having been the partys finance spokesperson in opposition.

Advertisement

She will be Britains first female finance minister as she wins the election from the Leeds West and Pudsey constituencies.

Heres all we know about her.

Who is Rachel Reeves?

Rachel Reeves, who comes from a family of educators, has worked as an economist for a decade.

The 45-year-old is known for winning the title of British girls chess champion at the age of 14

According to The Times of India, she attended the University of Oxford to study philosophy, politics, and economics, and went on to the London School of Economics to earn a Masters degree.

As an economist, she has held positions in the Bank of England and the private sector.

Reeves is described by those who have known her since college as confident and earnest.

Keir Starmer and and Labour MP Rachel Reeves visit the Rolls-Royce Aerospace Campus, during a Labour general election campaign event at Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, in Derby, Britain, May 28. Reuters

She was a good student; in a good year, probably the best, recalled Christopher Allsopp, a former member of the Bank of Englands monetary policy committee, who taught her at New College, Oxford.

He told The Guardian, I remember talking to her about different things like the Treasury, the Bank of England  and I remember her deciding that she would go for the Bank.

Advertisement

There, she managed to successfully navigate what one modern observer remembers as a male-dominated, aggressive, and intensely competitive setting. The position gave the 23-year-old high-level access to Congress, the White House, and the Federal Reserve.

According to the report, the British embassys then-manager, Dame Sue Owen, remembers Reeves as quite something who was obviously very clever, but also very ambitious. She was pleasant and social, but she could also pick up on disagreements quickly.

Later, she was employed with the British retail bank HBOS in 2008, when the world financial crisis struck, necessitating a sizeable bailout from the Labour government of Gordon Brown.

Advertisement

Before her tenure at HBOS, according to The Guardian, Reeves had made an unsuccessful bid for the seat of Bromley and Chislehurst in south London, her childhood neighbourhood.

Before the 2010 general election, which threw Labour out of power, she was elected from Leeds West, but she was forced to remain on the backbenchers.

Reeves declined to join the front bench following Labours electoral defeat in the 2015 general election. However, as the chair of the business select committee, she assumed control and is most known for questioning executives at the defunct outsourcing firm Carillion.

At the Labour Party conference in Liverpool in 2016, Reeves was once asked what she would do on day one if she became the first female chancellor of the exchequer, to which she asserted that she would fix the UKs dysfunctional childcare system, which be good for women, good for the economy.

Advertisement

She was appointed by Labour leader Keir Starmer as the partys finance spokesperson in 2021.

After eight years, Reeves is about to fulfil a lifelong dream. She declared that it would be the privilege of my lifetime to become the first female chancellor in the positions history.

Reeves is quite a private woman who is married to Nick Joicey, a top civil official, and they have two children. Ellie, her younger sister, joined her in Westminster in 2017 as the MP for Lewisham West and Penge.

What will be her focus?

Advertisement

Following her re-election today, Reeves acknowledged the gravity of the challenges ahead, including the need to address deteriorating public services and the cost-of-living crisis.

She said, I know that the road ahead will not be easy. There are no quick fixes and hard choices lie ahead.

Labours Rachel Reeves could be the first female British chancellor (Photo: Reuters)

We are under no illusions about the scale of the challenge that we face or about the severity of the challenges that we will inherit from the Conservatives. It will come with a great weight of responsibility. I embrace it. It will demand hard work and harder choices. I am ready for them.

She noted that the UKs debt burden is running at 100 per cent of the countrys national income and the tax burden at a seven-decade high.

She said she cant promise to turn everything around straight away.

Reeves said the driving mission of an incoming Labour government is to kickstart economic growth.

Reevess Treasury will have tremendous power throughout Whitehall as a result of this imperative  possibly not seen since Gordon Browns heyday  but she will also be at the centre of fierce resource disputes.

Affirming this new direction in a recent address to company bosses, she said, This changed Labour Party is today the natural party of British businesses. She highlighted the need for iron discipline over public finances, drawing comparisons with Margaret Thatcher, Britains first female prime minister, as reported by AFP.

Inspired by US President Joe Bidens policies, Reeves supports a type of renationalisation, especially in the energy industry, as per TOI.

In partnership with business, Labour has suggested establishing Great British Energy, a publicly traded corporation that would spearhead financing for the green shift away from fossil fuels.

On Labour and Reeves approach to public finances, James Wood, a senior teaching associate in political economy at the University of Cambridge, told AFP, When she talks about being an iron chancellor, I think what she means is: were going to balance the books and were going to be responsible  and were going to try and get Britains economy running in a responsible way."

Several years ago while delivering the Mais lecture at the Bayes Business School in London, Reeves proposed her solution to Britains economic woes: securonomics. She said Britain needed faster growth and there were three pre-conditions for achieving it: stability, investment and reform, as per The Guardian.

Britains 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

Let me be unambiguous: there is no viable growth strategy today which does not rest upon resilience for our national economy and security for working people, she said, adding that Britain was living in an age of insecurity. According to her, the answer to the problem was not the big state but the smart and strategic state.

Leeds is one of the largest financial hubs in the UK outside of London, and ever since she was appointed shadow chancellor, she has frequently visited boardrooms in the City. Reevess catchphrase, which is primarily intended to reassure voters but also serves the interests of the City, is that Labours strong stance on public finances is non-negotiable.

It seems that her message, stability is change was effective. Reeves insistence on a simplified, fully costed platform has hindered the Tories attempt to campaign the election on the basis of Labours 2,000 tax bombshell.

Also read: Who is Lady Victoria: Keir Starmers wife & soon-to-be UKs first lady

UK general elections 2024

Britains Labour Party swept to power Friday after more than a decade in opposition, as a jaded electorate handed the party a landslide victory  but also a mammoth task of reinvigorating a stagnant economy and dispirited nation.

Labour leader Keir Starmer will officially become prime minister later in the day, leading his party back to government less than five years after it suffered its worst defeat in almost a century. In the merciless choreography of British politics, he will take charge in 10 Downing St. hours after Thursdays votes are counted  as Conservative leader Rishi Sunak is hustled out.

A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility, Starmer acknowledged in a speech to supporters, saying that the fight to regain peoples trust after years of disillusionment is the battle that defines our age."

Speaking as drawn broke in London, he said Labour would offer the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day.

Sunak conceded defeat, saying the voters had delivered a sobering verdict.

With inputs from agencies
The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has been delayed time and again, as negotiations continue between New Delhi and London. With a new government in the UK, we look at if Keir Starmer and his Labour Party can get the job done read more

Labour Leader and now PM-elect of the UK, Keir Starmer, has led the party to one of its biggest wins in history. File Image/AP

India and the UK have been engaged in negotiations for over two years to establish a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) aimed at enhancing trade between the two nations.

With the Labour Partys resounding victory in the UK elections, led by Keir Starmer, and the defeat of Rishi Sunak, there is potential for a shift in the dynamics of the FTA negotiations.

The proposed agreement could lead to mutual tariff reductions on trade between the two countries and may also benefit Indians when it comes to British visas.

Advertisement

Can the Labour government finalise the FTA?

Since the UKs unexpected decision to leave the European Union (EU), London has struggled to achieve the political stability necessary for a deal with India.

However, with a Labour government in place after 14 years, there might be sufficient political stability to finalise a deal with India. According to The Indian Express, since Brexit, the majority of trade deals signed by the UK have been rollover agreements, mirroring deals that London previously had as an EU member.

Britains Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has shifted the party from left to the centre. File image/AP

Keir Starmers leadership marks a departure from the previous Labour Party stance under Jeremy Corbyn, who had called for international intervention in Kashmir. Starmer has acknowledged the increasing political influence of the UKs Indian-origin population, the largest immigrant group in the country, and has worked to eliminate anti-India sentiments within his party.

Labour Party Chair Anneliese Dodds stated, We are confident that we have cleansed our ranks of any members with extremist views on India.

Starmer has even questioned the Conservative Partys delay in finalising the FTA with India, emphasising the importance of this agreement for the future. At the India Global Forum (IGF), Starmer declared, I have a clear message for you all today: this is a changed Labour Party.

Advertisement

What issues are contentious during FTA talks?

Immigration remains a highly contentious issue in British politics. While both the Conservative and Labour parties agree on the need to restrict immigration, their approaches differ. This could become a major sticking point in the trade negotiations with India, which seeks temporary visas for its service sector workforce.

Indias service sector stands to gain significantly from such an arrangement, especially given the UKs prominence in IT and financial services. However, considering the UKs political climate, Labour is expected to negotiate rigorously on the visa issue.

Then-UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit held in New Delhi on 9-10 September, 2023. File Image/Reuters

A Labour government is likely to adopt a tougher stance on climate issues compared to the Conservatives. Starmers party has repeatedly criticised the Tories for deviating from the UKs 2030 net-zero goals.

Advertisement

During FTA negotiations, India has sought leniency on the carbon tax that the UK is expected to implement, similar to the EUs carbon border adjustment mechanism. India argues that this proposed mechanism could negate many of the tariff concessions agreed upon in the FTA.

When did the idea of the India-UK FTA surface?

The foundation for the FTA was laid in May 2021 when then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed on deeper trade cooperation through an Enhanced Trade Partnership.

This partnership removed several trade barriers and set the stage for FTA negotiations, which officially began in January 2022. Johnson had initially aimed for the agreement to be completed by Diwali 2022, but by October 2022, now former UK Secretary of State for International Trade Kemi Badenoch shifted the focus to the quality rather than the speed of the deal.

Advertisement

As of December 2023, the UK and India had completed the 13th round of negotiations, expediting the process to finalise the agreement before the elections in both countries. However, negotiations have faced several hurdles, with the issue of visas for professionals being a major point of contention.

Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, and then-UK Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan pose for a picture during the launch of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between the United Kingdom and India during an event at a hotel in New Delhi, 13 January, 2022. File Image/Reuters

The 14th round of negotiations commenced in January 2024, with India pushing for the inclusion of social security payments for Indian workers in the UK, another contentious issue for Badenoch.

Despite a last-gasp attempt by UK negotiators in March 2024 to clinch the FTA before the Indian election campaign paused talks, the 14th round remained unresolved on major issues. Badenoch had highlighted the importance of quality over deadlines, even as India signed a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association.

Advertisement

What are the key demands of the UK?

The FTA with the UK represents a strategic shift for India, focusing its preferential trade partnerships westward. Key demands from the UK include tariff cuts for Scotch whisky, which currently faces a 150 per cent duty, electric vehicles, and chocolates.

India, on the other hand, seeks provisions for its professionals to live and work in the UK under renewable work visas.

Also Read | From disastrous 2019 defeat to landslide win: How Keir Starmer has revived the Labour Party

A significant unresolved issue is Indias request for exemption from the UKs proposed carbon tax, set to be introduced by 2027. While this tax aims to incentivise businesses to reduce carbon emissions, it could adversely affect the competitiveness of certain Indian exports to the UK.

The UK remains firm on not exempting India from this tax, stressing its commitment to decarbonisation goals.

How can India benefit from the FTA?

Trade between India and the UK has seen substantial growth, increasing from $10.45 billion in FY22 to $11.46 billion in FY23, and rising further by 13.26% to $12.98 billion in FY24.

The FTA is expected to further boost trade volumes, especially in services, by facilitating the movement of skilled professionals. This could lead to enhanced investment opportunities for UK businesses in India and improved access to Indias growing consumer market.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, who was on a visit to the UK on 17 May, 2024, held discussions with his counterpart, Philip Barton, UK Permanent Under-Secretary. X/PhilipRBarton

However, the impact on goods exports may be limited, as many Indian products already enter the UK with low or no tariffs.

The FTA could benefit Indian exports of textiles, apparel, footwear, carpets, cars, marine products, grapes, and mangoes. Conversely, the UKs marine products industry could see increased exports to India.

A delayed but possible agreement

Indian negotiators, led by chief negotiator L. Satya Srinivas and deputy chief negotiator Darpan Jain, are working diligently to resolve remaining issues, including the proposed carbon tax, business mobility, and duty-free access for certain goods. They are confident that a mutually agreeable solution will be reached soon.

The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry has prioritised the completion of the India-UK FTA within the first 100 days of a new government taking charge.

Also Read: Keir Starmers Labour win in the UK is also a triumph for India. Heres why

Both nations remain committed to achieving a mutually beneficial agreement.

With inputs from agencies
The Keir Starmer-led Labour has promised change to the UK. But what about its stance on the big issues that have left the world divided  Russias invasion of Ukraine and the war in Gaza? What are the partys policies on India and China? read more

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer during a visit to the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple in Kingsbury, London, while on the general election campaign trail, June 28. He is set to be UK's new prime minister. AP

Its official! The United Kingdom has a new government. The Labour Party has won the general election defeating the Conservative Party, which was in power for 14 years. Keir Starmer will be the countrys new prime minister.

This is the first time Labour will be in power since 2010. The party, which suffered its worst election loss since 1935 four-and-a-half years ago, has registered a thumping victory, having bagged more than 400 out of the 650 seats in the Commons.

Advertisement

Starmers win comes on the promise of change to Britain. But what does a change in government in the UK mean for the world at a time when it is more divided than ever in recent times? We explain.

India

Lets begin with India. New Delhi features prominently on Starmers foreign policy agenda. He has promised to further strengthen UK-India ties.

Reflecting on Indias current standing in the world, he said last month that this was an opportunity for it to be Indias century. When the history of two nations are as intertwined as ours, that can cast a long shadow. But, I dont see that shadow over todays India.

The proposed free trade agreement (FTA) to boost trade between the two nations has been stuck in limbo. New Delhi and London have been holding negotiations for more than two years now. A landslide Labour victory could change that.

Starmer has pledged to forge a new strategic partnership with New Delhi and boost bilateral cooperation in security, technology, education, and climate change.

The Labour leader has also acknowledged the partys past missteps in handling ties with India, particularly over the perceived stance of backing Pakistan over the Kashmir issue. Starmer has committed to stamping out any anti-India sentiments within the party and has campaigned to repair strained ties with the Indian diaspora in the UK.

Advertisement

A strategic partnership with India will be key to my Labour government.



Together, we can tackle economic, climate and global security and build on our long-standing relationship.



Today, I took the opportunity to say thank you for India's immense contribution to Britain. pic.twitter.com/n6O4fnzISO  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 26, 2023

China

Britains ties with China hit a low during the Conservative Party rule. Rishi Sunak did not mince words when he dubbed the country as authoritarian, calling it the greatest state-based threat to our economic security. It invited a sharp response from the Chinese embassy in London.

Advertisement

The Tories claim to have reduced Chinese influence in our critical national infrastructure and sensitive technological sectors. During the election campaign trail, it suggested in a tweet that Britains adversaries including Xi Jinping would welcome the Starmer government.

Labour has not hinted at any big policy shift toward Beijing. In its manifesto, the party has said it would bring a long-term and strategic approach to managing Britains relations with China and would cooperate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.

The party said it would look to improve Britains capability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses through an audit of the bilateral relationship. It also said it would stand with and support members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK, reports Reuters.

Advertisement

Europe

The European Union will face the first non-Conservative government in London since Brexit.

Starmer has insisted that the UK will not rejoin the EU, the single market or the customs union in his lifetime. Ive been really clear about not rejoining the EU, the single market or the customs union  or [allowing a] return to freedom of movement, he said just ahead of Thursdays election.

However, the Labour is looking to improve ties with the bloc. The party wants to reset the relationship with the EU by removing what it calls unnecessary trade barriers. The party has said it wants to negotiate a veterinary agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks and secure a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications.

Advertisement

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Keir Starmer, leave EU headquarters in Brussels, on March 21, 2019. AP

Labour plans to seek a new UK-EU security pact to strengthen cooperation and rebuild relationships with key European allies, including France and Germany. It will also seek new bilateral agreements, reports Reuters.

Starmer has pledged to work with Frances far-right National Rally (RN) party if it wins power. I will work with any government in Europe and across the world if we are elected For me, thats what serious government is about, he said.

The United States

US President Joe Biden has had good ties with both Labour and the Conservatives. However, the country is preparing for a presidential election in November and a change in leadership is a possibility.

Donald Trump, who is the Republican nominee, has a soft spot for Tories.

Labour has described the US as an indispensable ally. It said the special relationship was crucial for security and prosperity, and it would continue to work with Washington based on shared values and common interests including economic cooperation, defence and intelligence.

Israel and Palestine

Israel would have preferred the Conservatives as they have traditionally followed the US in backing the Jewish nation unconditionally over Palestine, according to a report in The Guardian.

However, Starmer will tread carefully after his party was accused of anti-Semitism ahead of the 2019 election when his predecessor was in the race. Antisemitism has been a stain on our party. I have seen the grief that its brought to so many Jewish communities. On behalf of the Labour Party, I am sorry, he had said when he was elected the new leader of the party in April 2020.

The party has promised to continue to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into the territory.

It has also committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution. It has described Palestinian statehood as the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and said it was essential to the long-term security of Israel, reports Reuters.

Russia and Ukraine

The UK has been one of Ukraines staunchest supporters, providing money, weapons and troop training to help in the war against Russia. Kyiv needs to support of the new UK government, which is a vocal member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and has diplomatic influence in Europe.

The backing of London matters more than ever, as Kyiv faces the possibility of Trump returning as president to the US and cutting off all military support.

Labour has pledged to maintain Britains military, financial, diplomatic and political support for Ukraine. It has also backed Kyivs NATO membership bid.

The party has said it would support efforts to hold Russia to account for the war, backing calls for a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression as well as working with allies to enable the seizure and repurposing of frozen Russian state assets to support Ukraine.

Keir Starmer visits a place where civilian cars destroyed during Russias attack on Ukraine are collected, in the town of Irpin, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine February 16, 2023. Reuters

Starmer is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy early to reaffirm his support in person. He has said that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is simply not an issue at the moment and described him as the aggressor in Ukraine, reports AFP.

The most important thing is to be absolutely clear that our support for Ukraine is on a united front in this country, he said.

With inputs from agencies
Rishi Sunak is out of the 10 Downing Street to make way for Labours Keir Starmer. The centre-left party has returned to power after 14 years with a landslide mandate but theres a caveat. Heres what we have learnt from the UK election results read more

An exit poll predicting the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer will win 410 seats in Britain's general election is projected onto BBC Broadcasting House in London. AFP

Britain has handed a spectacular victory to Keir Starmers Labour Party, which has ended the 14-year rule of the Conservatives. The outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has accepted defeat, saying sorry to his party candidates.

Starmer is set to succeed Sunak as UK prime minister as the centre-left Labour Party returns to power for the first time since 2010. The 61-year-old has declared, Change begins now.

As the Labour leader moves into 10 Downing Street  the official residence of the British Prime Minister, here are the key takeaways from the UK general election results.

Advertisement

Labours emphatic success but with a catch

Labours landslide victory was widely expected. The party has won over 411 seats in a 650-member House. The Labour Party only under Tony Blair had won more  418  in an election.

Not many politicians or commentators had expected Labour to recover so quickly in just five years after its crushing defeat in the 2019 general elections.

British voters have shown they wanted change after the last five years that saw multiple controversies, and two PM resignations: Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

Several Conservative heavyweights, including 11 Cabinet ministers, failed to return as an MP. Former UK PM Truss loss was perhaps the most embarrassing defeat for the Tories.

However, Labours decisive win is fragile. As CNN noted, the results show that the partys decisive success is more about the voters disenchantment with the Conservatives than the excitement for Labours offer.

The Labour Party has secured a vote share of 33.7 per cent, just a 1.6 per cent rise since the last elections.

Keir Starmers Labour has returned to power with a decisive victory. Reuters

The Tories bagged a vote share of 23.7 per cent, registering a massive drop of 19.9 per cent.

According to the AFP, Labours vote share is the lowest ever to win a majority, signalling the fracturing of the opposition and the quirks of the UKs electoral system.

Advertisement

ALSO READ: Congratulatory calls, visit to nuclear bunker: How Keir Starmer will spend his first day as UK PM

Rise of Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats have returned as the third largest party in the UK Parliament.

The party has won more than 70 seats, increasing its tally from just 11 seats in 2019. The centrist Liberal Democrats were nearly wiped out after entering a coalition government led by the Conservatives from 2010 to 2015, reported Euronews.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey hailed the partys record-breaking performance in these UK elections.

The party candidates defeated many Tory ministers, including Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer and Science Secretary Michelle Donelan.

Advertisement

The Liberal Democrats also unseated Conservatives from two major constituencies  Witney, the constituency previously held by former Prime Minister David Cameron and Maidenhead  once represented by former PM Theresa May.

Davey has promised not to let down the voters. He said, I want to thank you for trusting us again. We will not let you down. Trust is a very precious commodity.

He also thanked supporters for the partys best results in over 100 years, reported The Guardian.

Reform UK gains at Tories cost

Nigel Farages right-wing Reform UK party took votes away from the Conservatives. The party won four seats, including Clacton represented by its leader Farage.

Advertisement

He emerged victorious at his eighth attempt. The pro-Brexit, anti-immigration Farage, with three other MPs from his party, is likely to form a noisy bloc at Westminster, according to The Guardian.

While the exit polls had predicted 13 seats for Reform, the final results were not that accommodating.

Britains Reform UK Party Leader Nigel Farage gestures as he walks after winning his first seat in parliament during the UK election in Clacton-on-Sea, Britain, July 5, 2024. Reuters

However, the party proved to be a disruptive force, noted CNN, as it diverted the Conservative voter base in several seats.

In his victory speech, Farage said, Its not just disappointment with the Conservative Party. There is a massive gap on the center right of British politics and my job is to fill it. And thats exactly what Im going to do.

Advertisement

He also declared Labour government will be in trouble very, very quickly and we will now be targeting Labour votes. Were coming for Labour - be in no doubt about that.

The Reform UKs relative success comes at a time when Europe is seeing a turn towards the far-right.

ALSO READ: The big winners and casualties of UK elections

Setback for Scotlands independence movement

The election results were sobering for the Scottish National Party (SNP) which has been reduced to nine seats in Scotland, a catastrophic fall of 38 seats.

This comes after the SNP was hit by a series of scandals and changes in the partys leadership  including Nicola Sturgeon stepping down.

According to The Guardian, the SNP had the most seats at every UK election since 2015 despite failing in its bid to secure Scottish independence at a referendum in 2014.

Labour has emerged as the most popular party in Scotland which elects 59 MPs. The Lib Dems have also taken seats from the SNP.

The pro-independence party, which has been dominating Scottish politics for a generation, had promised to get approval for a second independence referendum. However, its diminished position shelves the issue for now, as per the British newspaper.

More women reach Parliament

British voters have elected more women to Parliament than they did in 2019.

At least 242 female MPs will be in the House of Commons. This breaks the record set in 2019 when 220 women were elected to Parliament.

The UK has seen an upward trend in the election of women MPs. In 2015, the number was 196, which further rose to 207 in 2017.

Conservative Partys internal woes

The Tories rout has brought its internal right to the fore. The results could trigger a contest for the Conservative Party leadership, with many vying for Rishi Sunaks job.

One of the probable candidates to replace Sunak, the former Home Secretary Suella Braverman said in her victory speech, Im sorry that my party didnt listen to you.

(The) Conservative Party has let you down. You  the great British people  voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises. Weve acted as if were entitled to your vote regardless of what we did, regardless of what we didnt do, despite promising time after time that we would do those things and we need to learn our lesson because if we dont, bad as tonight has been for my party, well have many worse nights to come.

Kemi Badenoch is another name doing rounds for the Tory leadership battle.

Some senior Conservatives like Penny Mordaunt  who lost the election  are calling for the partys shift back to the centre. She was also seen as a possible Sunak replacement.

Renewal  will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves, but by being guided by the people of this country. Our values must be the peoples, she said.

Not just a division within the party, the next Conservative leader would also have to fend off the challenge from Reform UK. They already seem to have their hands full.

With inputs from agencies
The Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, is set to form the next government in the United Kingdom. After a 14-year rule, Tories are packing their bags, after witnessing a historic rout. As Britain chooses change, heres a look at how the heavyweights have fared in the snap general elections read more

Britain's Labour Party leader Keir Starmer shakes hands with other candidates after he was elected for the Holborn and St Pancras constituency, in London, July 5, 2024. AP

The United Kingdom (UK) has woken up to welcome a new government. Keir Starmers Labour Party has won the general elections, ending the 14-year rule of the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The outgoing premier has conceded defeat, taking responsibility for his partys historic loss. Terming the results a sobering verdict, Sunak said he has called Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

As Britains choice for change is clear, lets take a look at how the bigwigs have fared in these elections.

Advertisement

Keir Starmer

Change begins now.

The Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is set to form the new government in the UK and replace Sunak as the prime minister.

He scripted a landslide victory for his party, capitalising on the major anti-incumbency against the Conservative government.

Starmer won his constituency of Holborn and St Pancras with 18,884 votes, with pro-Palestinian activist, independent Andrew Feinstein, in second place. Tory candidate Mehreen Malik was in the fourth place.

The Labour leader called his victory a huge privilege, but his margin significantly went down.

Addressing supporters in central London after Labour crossed the majority mark of 326, Starmer said, thank you truly - you have changed our country.

He said, A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility.

We have to return politics to public service, the Labour leader said, adding that his government will show it can be a force for good.

Starmer said earlier in the day, You have voted, it is now time for us to deliver.

Rishi Sunak

The Conservative Party leader Sunak has retained his Richmond and Northallerton seat. Some opinion polls had predicted that he might not return as an MP in the House of Commons.

However, Sunak defied the polls to hold the seat with 23,059 votes. Labours Tom Wilson emerged as a runner-up with 10,874 votes.

Advertisement

While accepting the Conservatives defeat, Sunak apologised to Tory candidates. The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight. There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss.

To the many good hard working Conservative candidates who lost tonight despite their tireless efforts I am sorry.

Britains Prime Minister Rishi Sunak won the Richmond and Northallerton seat. AP

Ed Davey

Ed Davey, the leader of Liberal Democrats, has bagged the Kingston and Surbiton seat, securing 25,870 votes and 51.1 per cent vote share.

Conservative Party candidate Helen Edward was on the second spot with 8,635 votes and a 17 per cent vote share.

Daveys unconventional campaigning, which included him going down a water slide and bungee-jumping, brought an element of fun to the UK polls.

Advertisement

Following the exit poll results published at 2:30 am, he had said the Liberal Democrats were on course for our best results in a century.

I am humbled by the millions of people who backed the Liberal Democrats to both kick the Conservatives out of power and deliver the change our country needs.

Liz Truss

This is perhaps the most souring loss for the Conservatives.

Former UK PM Liz Truss was another casualty in these elections. The Tory leader lost from South West Norfolk to Labours Terry Jermy.

Truss was defeated by Jermy by a margin of 630 votes. She got 11,217 votes compared to his 11,847 votes.

Advertisement

Former prime minister Liz Truss looks on as she loses her Norfolk South West seat to Labour at Alive Lynnsport in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, during the count in the 2024 General Election, July 5, 2024. AP

Truss had won the seat with a huge majority of 26,195 in the 2019 general elections.

Her loss this time is more profound as South West Norfolk was considered a safe seat.

Truss was the UK PMs less than two years back before being replaced by Sunak. Her turbulent less than 50-day in power is blamed by many Conservatives for the partys crushing defeat in Thursdays general elections.

Nigel Farage

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has won the Clacton seat with 21,225 votes, defeating Conservative candidate Giles Watling.

With his victory, Farage has finally made it to the UK Parliament on his eighth attempt.

His Reform UK party delivered a major blow to the Conservative support, winning more votes than the Tories across the UK, as per The Telegraph.

Advertisement

Riding high on his and his partys success, Farage said the general election was the beginning of the end for the Tories, saying Reform will move ahead very rapidly.

He also has no plans to go easy on the incoming government, with Farage declaring we are coming for Labour.

Penny Mordaunt

Commons leader Penny Mordaunt was among the 10 other Cabinet ministers who failed to retain their seats.

Mordaunt was unseated by Labours Amanda Martin by a slim margin of 780 votes. The winner got 14,495 votes and the runner-up bagged 13,715 votes.

An MP since 2010, Mordaunt had become the first-ever female defence secretary in the Theresa May government.

Britains Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt has lost her seat. File Photo/Reuters

According to Sky News, Mordaunts defeat would upset Tory moderates who viewed her as a potential successor to Sunak.

The other Cabinet ministers who joined the long list of Tory losers are education secretary Gillian Keegan, defence secretary Grant Shapps, justice secretary Alex Chalk, transport secretary Mark Harper, culture secretary Lucy Frazer, veterans minister Johnny Mercer, science, innovation and technology secretary Michelle Donelan, Wales secretary David Davies, attorney general Victoria Prentis and chief whip Simon Hart.

Jeremy Corbyn

Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader, has clinched Islington North as an independent with 24,120 votes.

Corbyn defeated Labour candidate Praful Nargund to win the seat he has been representing as an MP for over 40 years.

Reacting to the result, he said, I want to place on record my enormous thanks to the people of Islington North for electing me for the 11th time.

We have shown what kinder, gentler and more sensible, more inclusive politics can bring about, he added.

Corbyn was suspended from the Labour Party in 2020 after his response to an antisemitism report.

He led Labour between 2015 and 2020, stepping down from the role after the devastating results of the 2019 general election, reported Sky News.

Jeremy Hunt

British finance minister Jeremy Hunt saved his Godalming and Ash seat in Surrey with 23,293 votes despite a series of big Tory losses.

Paul Follows of the Liberal Democrat stood second with 22,402 votes.

Hunts defeat was predicted but he proved the polls wrong.

Acknowledging the massive rout for the Conservatives, Hunt said, Across the country, tonight is a bitter pill to swallow for the Conservative Party.

He said, Some Conservatives will wonder if the scale of our crushing defeat is justified but the Party should now have the courage and humanity to ask itself why it lost and what it must do to earn back the support of the country, The Telegraph reported.

Angela Rayner

Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, has won the Ashton-under-Lyne seat with 15,575 votes. She defeated Reform UKs Robert Barrowcliffe, who secured 8,784 votes.

A self-proclaimed socialist, Rayner is set to become Deputy Prime Minister in the Labour government.

In a speech after her victory, she said, It is a vote for change. It is a vote for an end to division and to bring our country together. To replace self-service with public service, to take what is broken, and begin to rebuild it. And to restore the belief of those who have had hope taken away.

It is with a real sense of pride that we have changed the Labour Party to offer that unity of purpose. That vision of renewal that our country so desperately needs. Today is our chance to turn the page and start a new chapter, she was quoted as saying by Manchester Evening News.

Suella Braverman

The former controversial UK home secretary, Suella Braverman won the Fareham and Waterlooville seat with 17,561 seats, trouncing Labours Gemma Furnivall.

Braverman apologised to the British public for the Conservative Parys dismal performance across the country.

She said, I want to briefly address the results around the country, and theres only one thing I can say sorry. Im sorry,

The Great British people voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises we acted like we were entitled to your votes, she added.

Braverman was sacked by Sunak late last year after her comments about the polices handling of a pro-Palestine march.

She was succeeded by James Cleverly who has also held his seat in Braintree.

With inputs from agencies
The Labour is set for a landslide win in the UK general election, ending the 14-year domination by the Conservatives. Keir Starmer will be the countrys new prime minister. Heres a complete guide to the centre-left political party and its policies read more

Britain's Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks on stage at the launch of The Labour party's 2024 general election manifesto in Manchester, England, Thursday, June 13, 2024. He will be the new UK PM as his party is predicted to register a landslide victory. AP

It is a landmark election in the United Kingdom. After 14 long years and five prime ministers, the Conservative Party is voted out in favour of Labour. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has conceded defeat.

The Labour Party has won 316 out of 650 seats so far, as counting continues. If exit polls are to be believed, it is expected to bag 410 seats.

Britain will get a new prime minister in Keir Starmer, only the seventh Labour leader in 10 Downing.

Advertisement

We take a look at the history of the Labour Party, its leaders, and what are its promises to the people of the UK and its foreign policies.

What is the Labour Party?

The Labour Party was created in 1900 under the name, the Labour Representative Committee (LRC). It emerged from the Independent Labour Party formed by Keir Hardie in 1893. Hardie aimed to convince the trade unions to withdraw their support for the Liberal Party and back the emerging Labour movement, according to the BBC.

The party was born out of a coalition of socialists, Marxists, social democrats, trade unionists and others. It was in 1922 that Labour became the official opposition for the first time in the UK. Since then, it has sat in the opposition or has formed a government.

Traditionally, it has been a left-leaning party but now identifies itself as centre-left.

A photograph taken on 14 June shows a campaign panel for Britains Labour party in Guildford, Surrey, southern England, ahead of the UK general election. AFP

How many Labour prime ministers has the UK had? What did they mean for the country?

Since 1918, Labour has formed 11 governments, compared to 13 for the Conservatives in the same period. It has had six prime ministers until now.

Advertisement

The first Labour government took office in 1924 with a minority but lasted only 11 months. Ending two centuries of dominance by Conservative and Liberal leaders, Ramsay MacDonald became the first Labour PM.

Labour won a majority for the first time in the general election held in July 1945 with Clement Attlee at the helm. It was after the Second World War (1939-1945) and during its six years in power, the government ushered in social and economic reforms. The National Health Service was established, coal, iron, steel and the railways were all nationalised and the British colonies of India and Burma were granted independence, reports the BBC.

Advertisement

Former British prime minister Clement Attlee was behind social and cultural reforms in the UK. File photo/AP

The party returned to power in 1964 with Harold Wilson as prime minister, ending what he termed as 13 wasted years of Tory rule. His administration struggled to manage the economy and was forced to devalue the pound in 1967. He lost to the Conservatives under Edward Heath in 1970 only to return to office in 1974.

Wilson presided over a referendum on Britains membership of the European Economic Community and a collapse in the pounds value, which led to a rescue by the IMF. He shocked the nation with his resignation as PM and leader of the Labour Party, making way for Jim Callaghan, the then-foreign secretary, to take over both positions in 1976.

Advertisement

Callaghan had a tiny parliamentary majority as he inherited the PMs chair. During his tenure, he faced confrontation with organised labour who continued to strike work. It all led up to the Winter of Discontent in 1979  public servants staged walkouts bringing the country to a standstill. By the end of that year, the Callaghan government was voted out and the Conservatives returned to power under the countrys first woman prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

What followed was 18 years of Conservative Party rule. The next Labour prime minister came to power in 1997  Tony Blair, one of the most popular leaders of the party. He modernised Labour and moved away from its traditional values. He led the party to a landslide victory bagging 418 seats up from 146 in the previous parliament. This was the highest-ever number for a single party in the country.

Advertisement

Tony Blair, waves to well-wishers in Downing Street, on May 2, 1997. The 4 July general election is leading to a change of government for the first time in 14 years. In 1997, the Labour Party had been out of power for longer than it has been now, 18 years, and it was quite a turnaround when Labour, under the leadership of the youthful Tony Blair, won by a landslide majority of 179 seats. File photo/AP

Blair brought big changes to the UK and provided a fillip to the economy, overseeing public sector reforms. On foreign affairs, he ensured that Britain was more involved, joining the American bombing of Iraq in 1998 and in 1999 he risked much during a NATO bombing campaign that halted Serb forces advances and ultimately helped Kosova win independence. Blair was at the helm in the UK until 2007, making him the longest-serving Labour PM.

Taking over from him was Gordon Brown, who was PM from 2007 to 2010. He oversaw the devolution of powers in Northern Ireland, the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and the worlds first-ever Climate Change Act.

Gordon Brown accompanied by his wife Sarah announces his resignation as he leaves his official residence at 10 Downing Street in central London, May 11, 2010. When Brown called the general election for May 2010, Labour had been in power for 13 years, its longest stretch in government. File photo/AP

There has been no Labour government since. Starmer will be the first PM from the party after 14 years.

Why is Starmer a big deal for Labour?

Starmer has been the Leader of the Opposition in the UK parliament for four years. Now he is set to take over as prime minister and has been credited with reviving the party which won 202 seats in 2019, its lowest number since 1935.

Starmer entered the UK parliament just about a decade ago in 2015. He has changed the fortunes of the party and pulled it to the centre of several key policies. He is not a firebrand leader; he is managerial and dutiful, even a bit dull, says a report in The Associated Press.

Shadow Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood poses for a photograph with Britains Labour Party election manifesto ahead of its launch in Manchester, Britain, on 13 June. Reuters

He took charge of the Labour Party after Jeremy Corbyn lost the election in 2019. The country was facing one challenge after another  the COVID-19 pandemic, the exit from the European Union, the economic crisis, and the fallout of the Russia-Ukraine war. Through it all, he took on the Conservative leadership and convinced the country that a change was needed.

Who are the other Labour leaders?

Forty-four-year-old Angela Rayner could be the deputy prime minister. She grew up in social housing in northern England, left school without a degree and became a single mother at 16. Apart from being deputy PM, she would be responsible for housing policy and tackling regional inequalities, reports AFP.

Rachel Reeves, the former Bang of England economist, is likely to become the first woman Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Keir Starmer and and Labour MP Rachel Reeves visit the Rolls-Royce Aerospace Campus, during a Labour general election campaign event at Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, in Derby, Britain, May 28. Reeves is likely to be the UKs first finance minister. Reuters

David Lammy, 51, is a Black lawmaker, who has honed his vision for UK diplomacy with dozens of foreign trips in the past two years. He is likely to get foreign affairs.

The other prominent Labour leaders are Yvette Cooper, Wes Streeting, and John Healey.

What will Starmer bring to the UK?

One of Labours first missions is sustained economic growth. It promises to be pro-business and pro-worker and focus on wealth creation.

The party has also pledged not to raise taxes for working people, with no increase in the basic, higher, or additional rates of income tax, National Insurance, or VAT.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer takes a selfie with workers during a visit to Global Brands in Claycross, England, while on the election campaign trail. AP

Health and education will be the focus. Starmer has plans to cut waiting times in the National Health Service by adding 40,000 more appointments every week. He has promised to recruit 6,500 teachers and pay them by ending tax breaks for private schools.

On immigration, Starmer plans to start a border security command to stop smugglers from arranging small boat crossings.

What will UK foreign policy look like under Starmer?

Labour has promised Britain will stay outside of the European Union, with no return to the single market, the customs union, or freedom of movement of people. However, it wants to reset ties with the bloc and remove unnecessary trade barriers.

The party plans to seek a new UK-EU security pact to strengthen cooperation and rebuild relationships with key European allies, including France and Germany. It will also seek new bilateral agreements.

A Labour government could be good news for India. The party has said it would seek a new strategic partnership with India, including a free trade agreement, which has been in limbo for a while. It also plans to deepen cooperation in areas including security, education, technology and climate change.

Keir Starmer greets Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the day of the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the 1944 D-Day landings and the liberation of western Europe from Nazi Germany occupation, at Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy region, France, on June 6. Reuters

Under Starmer, the party will continue to back Ukraine, maintaining Britains military, financial, diplomatic and political support. It wants to provide Kyiv with a clear path to NATO membership.

The Labour government would continue to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and has committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution.

The party describes the United States as an indispensable ally and has said it would bring a long-term and strategic approach to managing Britains relations with China.

With inputs from agencies
The election in the UK has prompted numerous change of address cards. With Labour winning, Keir Starmer, his wife Victoria, and their two children will relocate to 10 Downing Street from their current home in Kentish Town, north-west London. We explore the history of this famous residence read more

Incoming British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive at Number 10 Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, UK, July 5, 2024. Reuters

10 Downing Street is arguably one of the most iconic addresses in the world, serving as the residence and office of the British Prime Minister since 1735. It is a place where some of the most crucial decisions in British history have been made. The building is not only steeped in history but also a living monument to the evolution of British political life.

And now it is gearing up to welcome a new family.

Advertisement

Firstly, how did Downing Street come about?

The land on which Downing Street stands has a rich history, dating back to the ancient Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norman settlements of Thorney Island. Later, it housed a brewery before becoming part of UKs King Henry VIIIs expansive Whitehall Palace. The property saw various leases and tenants, including Thomas Knyvet, an English nobleman, in the late 16th century, before George Downing, an intriguing figure, gave the street its name.

George Downing, a former preacher and Cromwells spymaster who later switched allegiances to serve Charles II, acquired the land in 1654. Despite initial complications with the property leases, he secured the rights by 1682.

Also Read | Landslide win for Labour, anger towards Tories: The 6 big takeaways from UK election results

Between 1682 and 1684, Downing commissioned Christopher Wren to design a cul-de-sac of 15 to 20 terraced houses on the site. These houses were built quickly and cheaply, a fact that would lead to structural issues later on.

How did No. 10 become the prime ministers residence

The transformation of No. 10 into the prime ministers residence began in 1732 when UKs King George II presented it to Robert Walpole, often recognised as the first de facto British Prime Minister.

Walpole accepted it not as a personal gift but as an official residence for the First Lord of the Treasury, a position he held for over two decades. Walpole moved in after combining and refurbishing two houses, making it the first official use of Downing Street for the premier.

Advertisement

Children from the George Watson college in Edinburgh huddle around the door of 10 Downing Street to take pictures, February 8, 1994. File Image/Reuters

Interestingly, the house was originally numbered 5 and was renumbered to 10 in 1779. The distinctive black brickwork of No. 10 was initially yellow but turned black due to two centuries of air pollution. Today, a black colour wash maintains its historic appearance.

No. 10 is not structurally sound

Downing Street was not built to last. Constructed on boggy ground with shallow foundations, it required substantial renovations over the centuries. The first significant repair, costing 11,000, began in the 1780s.

However, the building suffered greatly during the Blitz and was in a dire state by the 1950s.

Then-African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela (R) is greeted by then-British Prime Minister Margarat Thatcher at 10 Downing Street on July 4, 1990 prior to their talks. File Image/Reuters

Dry rot, fire risks, and uneven floors plagued No. 10. UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan moved out in 1960 to allow for a three-year, 1 million renovation project that included strengthening the foundations and modernizing the structure.

Advertisement

Further modernisation efforts occurred in 2006, focusing on making the building more energy-efficient and weatherproof. Despite these efforts, former resident Gordon Brown has remarked that Downing Street needs to be gutted from bottom to top to truly address its issues.

How is life inside No. 10

Life inside No. 10 is both a domestic and political experience. The building comprises around 100 rooms, including the prime ministers office, which is part of the larger Cabinet office with around 8,000 staff members. However, not all of these staff work within No. 10 itself.

Now former UK PM, Rishi Sunak, has shared glimpses of the interior through social media, including the famous yellow staircase adorned with portraits. During his tenure, Sunak and his family reportedly divided their time between Downing Street and their mansion in Kensington, valued at 6.6 million.

Advertisement

Downing Street also serves as a venue for numerous official functions, from meetings and receptions to formal dinners. The State Dining Room can accommodate up to 65 guests, and events often feature items from the state silver collection.

Advertisement

No. 10 has had many guests

Downing Street has seen many interesting events and residents. William Ewart Gladstone, known for his eccentric hobby of trying to reform prostitutes, would bring them back to No. 10 for discussions. The iconic black door was once painted green under British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith but reverted to black in 1916.

The house is also reputedly haunted by a lady in pink, a ghostly figure reportedly seen by Harold Wilson and his cleaner. Additionally, during the premiership of Lord North, the doorstep of No. 10 was often occupied by the poor, who received alms from the prime minister every Sunday.

Then-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair poses with wife Cherie in front of the portraits of former British prime ministers on the stairs inside 10 Downing Street after taking up residence, May 2, 1997. File Image/Reuters

Security has always been a concern. The famous gates to Downing Street, installed in 1989, were a response to various security threats, including the Irish Republican Army (IRA) mortar attack in 1991.

Also Read | Blue, red, green, orange: How do political parties in UK pick colours and what do they symbolise?

Mice have long been a problem in No. 10, leading to the tradition of keeping a Chief Mouser. Larry, the current Chief Mouser, has been in residence since 2011. Recruited from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Larrys duties include greeting guests, inspecting security, and, of course, catching mice.

Larry the Cat stands outside 10 Downing Street, after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivered a speech calling for a general election, in London, UK, May 22, 2024. File Image/Reuters

Technological & structural updates at Downing Street: A timeline

Over the years, Downing Street has seen numerous technological updates to keep up with modern needs. Here is a timeline of some significant upgrades:

1877 : Installation of hot and cold running water.

1894 : Introduction of electric lighting and the first telephones.

1902 : The first motor-car arrived at Downing Street.

1937 : Installation of central heating.

1963 : Major renovation, including electrical and telephone systems updates.

1982 : Establishment of a direct hotline to Washington and the installation of the first micro-computer.

1990s : Introduction of video conferencing technology.

1996 : Launch of the first No. 10 website and mainstream internet access for staff.

2002 : Creation of a dedicated video conferencing suite.

2005 : Public email account for contacting the Prime Minister.

2008: Launch of No. 10s online TV station and first tweet.

The future of Downing Street

Not all prime ministers have chosen to live at No. 10. Some preferred to stay in their own London townhouses or used No. 10 solely as an office.

In modern times, some prime ministers, like Rishi Sunak, opted to live in the more spacious flat at No. 11. The buildings complex structure and interconnected offices extend to No. 12 Downing Street, creating a labyrinthine workplace for the UKs leadership.

The door of the British Prime Ministers official residence, 10 Downing Street, in central London, UK, April 26, 2024. File Image/Reuters

As history continues to unfold, No. 10 remains at the heart of British politics. Speculation is already brewing about the potential next resident.

Also Read | Congratulatory calls, visit to nuclear bunker: How Keir Starmer will spend his first day as UK PM

Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, is the new resident of No. 10 after his partys resounding win on Friday. Starmers leadership could mark a new chapter in the fascinating life at 10 Downing Street.

With inputs from agencies
With 10 Downing Street preparing for change, heres a look at its most famous resident  Larry the Cat. A stray adopted by former PM David Cameron in 2011, the feline has seen five PMs come and go, which led it to once say, I live here permanently, politicians are temporary residents read more

Larry the cat walks outside Downing Street in London, Britain. With Keir Starmer set to become the new PM, this will be Larry's sixth PM. File image/Reuters

The UK general elections are done, the results are out and Keir Starmer and the Labour Party have emerged victorious. As 10 Downing prepares for a new government, theres a lot of hustle and bustle. However, as staff rushes from pillar to post preparing for the incoming prime minister, theres a sense of calm among one of the members  Larry the Cat, Britains mouser-in-chief.

The cat remains unbothered as he awaits his sixth prime minister in 14 years and his very first Labour PM; the remaining five in the past were all from the Conservative Party.

Advertisement

Lets take a closer look at the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office and how he became 10 Downings most famous resident.

From rags to riches

Born as a stray in 2007, Larry, the tabby cat, was adopted from Londons Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2011 by then Prime Minister David Cameron. Initially brought in as a pet for Camerons kids, Larry quickly gained the title Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office and was tasked with dealing with rats seen scuttling close to the British leaders official residence.

His other official duties as mentioned on the UK government website are to greet guests to the house, inspect security defences and test antique furniture for napping quality. His day-to-day responsibilities also include contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house. Larry says this is still in tactical planning stage.

A report by USA Today states that he is the first cat to hold a rat-catching portfolio since the retirement of Humphrey in 1997.

Larry was adopted from Londons Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2011 by then Prime Minister David Cameron. Initially brought in as a pet for Camerons kids, Larry quickly gained the title Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. File image/Reuters

Interestingly, David Cameron explained during his final Prime Ministers Questions in 2016 that Larry is a civil servant and therefore, he does not leave Downing Street after a change of premiership.

In his years as chief mouser, he has seen occupancy at 10 Downing change, but he remains permanent. In 2022, he also told the public that I live here permanently, politicians are temporary residents while Sunak took office.

To answer some of your questions:

- No Im not Rishi Sunaks cat

- I live here permanently, politicians are temporary residents

- Some of them very temporary

- I agree, hes not off to a great start

- No, Ive not found his wallet. Yet. pic.twitter.com/9AsGqrtesz  Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) November 4, 2022

Advertisement

As a permanent resident of 10 Downing, Larry has also met with several world leaders. He showed a liking towards former US president Barack Obama but didnt feel the same for his successor Donald Trump. When Trump visited UK in 2019, Larry decided to have a lie down under Trumps 1.2 million armoured Cadillac, meaning that the former US president couldnt leave after a meeting with Theresa May.

Advertisement

Job performance

After finding success at his job in the beginning, Larrys performance has been far from stellar. In his first month of arrival at Downing Street, the Daily Telegraph reported that Larry displayed a distinct lack of killer instinct.

However, he is known to be territorial (who wouldnt be after staying in one place for so long) and has gotten into scuffles with the Foreign Offices cat Palmerston. In 2016, Larry had to be taken to a veterinarian following his scuffle with Palmerston. But after Palmerston retired to the countryside, things have been a bit quiet.

Larry the Downing Street Cat walks past Palmerston the Foreign Office cat on Downing Street in London. Both of them were known to get into scraps but Palmerston later was retired to the countryside. File image/Reuters

In 2022, Larry received praise when he was seen going above and beyond his mouse-catching duties and taking on a fox outside 10 Downing Street. Video of the feline-canine scrap went viral, showing Larry creeping up to the small fox with laser focus. When the fox attempted to hide in a flower bed, Larry pounced and chased it off.

Advertisement

Larry has been accommodating of prime ministers pets in the past. When Boris Johnson was elected PM, many wondered how Larry would cope with Johnsons Jack Russell cross Dilyn. But Larry remained unperturbed.

Akshata Murty, the outgoing First Lady, however, said that Larry and their fox-red Labrador retriever Nova did have some heated exchanges. But Larry has always prevailed.

It is left to be seen if Starmers cat, Jojo, who the would-be PM says is revered by his kids, comes to 10 Downing and if he does how he gets along with Larry.

Purrfect for the cameras

Larry isnt shy of cameras either. As Sky News reports, he knows exactly where the TV cameras are and where to position himself so that he regularly appears in the nations living rooms in TV bulletins and at major set-piece political events.

Advertisement

He also turns up when the cameras are in Downing Street and once even gobbled up a sandwich belonging to a journalist.

Larry the Cat walks away from a reporter outside Downing Street. Larry loves the cameras and is purrfect at stealing the show. File image/Reuters

His unofficial X account has also amassed over 8,44,000 followers.

So, as Starmer sets to make his entry into 10 Downing, it will be important to note here what he had said in the past: The key thing to remember is that I live here permanently, the politicians just lodge with me for a bit until theyre fired. They all work out sooner or later that its me that runs the place.

With inputs from agencies
Rishi Sunak is out and Keir Starmer is in. After a thumping victory in the UK general elections, the Labour leader will now prepare for what could be the longest and most important day of his life. It all starts with a meeting with King Charles where he will formally be appointed as PM and then have a range of meetings and briefings with government officials read more

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour party, reacts as he speaks at a reception to celebrate his win in the election, at Tate Modern, in London, Britain. A busy 24 hours now await Starmer. Reuters

Fear. That was the overriding emotion former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher experienced on their first day in Number 10 Downing Street. However, as Keir Starmer revels in the Labour Partys win  a first in 14 years  he will also have a daunting sense of responsibility as he prepares to take charge of the countrys affairs.

It will be even more daunting for Starmer as he enters No 10 with no experience whatsoever of being in government.

Advertisement

As Starmer prepares for perhaps what could be the longest and most important day of his life, having to make crucial decisions and appointments that will have long-term consequences for his tenure as well as the country, heres how his first 24 hours will unfold after taking charge.

A royal meet

After a night of celebrations and a really quick nap, Sir Starmer will start his day as UK PM by first meeting with King Charles III. This is because a prime minister can only be appointed by the King.

Starmer will be driven to Buckingham Palace early morning for a meeting with the King that is likely to last around half an hour. According to a report by The Telegraph, the prime ministers spouse may also be invited in towards the end of the meeting.

The first thing for Keir Starmer will be his meeting with King Charles. He will formally be appointed PM by the King. File image/AP

Tony Blair has in the past recounted how he tripped over a rug and practically fell into the Queens hands when he went to the Palace for his appointment.

The King, as per law, has to remain neutral but can issue advice and warnings. Before he was appointed as PM, Gordon Brown said he and the Queen had a businesslike conversation about the work ahead.

Back to Number 10

After being appointed as PM by the King, Starmer will make his way to 10 Downing where he is likely to get out at the end of the road to make the short walk to a podium set up outside the famous door of No 10.

Advertisement

Standing at the podium, Starmer will then address the nation in which he is likely to list out his priorities as PM. Once done with addressing the nation, the Labour leader will then enter through the front door of Number 10 and thats where the actual work will begin. However, before the key consultations and meets, Starmer will be clapped into the building by the No 10 staff and greeted by the Cabinet secretary.

A policeman stands guard outside 10 Downing Street as rain falls in London. No10 is official home of the British prime minister. AP

The Cabinet Secretary, the most senior civil servant in the UK, will then lead Starmer into a series of meetings and briefings on security and nuclear weapons. Among the many briefings that Starmer will receive, one is quite interesting. He will be advised always to always travel with a black suit and tie, in case the King dies on his watch.

Advertisement

The Institute for Government Alex Thomas, a programme director leading the think tanks work on the civil service and policymaking, said that ministerial appointments will be the first task that Starmer faces. He was quoted as saying: Almost straight away, he will launch into appointing the Cabinet, having meetings with the people who he wants to appoint to big jobs, maybe disappointing some people.

Visit to nuclear bunker

Once the initial briefings are completed, PM Starmer will be taken downstairs to an underground bunker beneath another government building where they will shelter in the event of a nuclear war or an attack on Downing Street.

Advertisement

A former staff member of Theresa May had said that when she was taken down to the bunker, which has beds, food supplies, communications facilities and a television studio, she was told that Cherie Blair, wife of Tony Blair, had suggested a change in the furniture in the bunker as she didnt like it.

Picking his team and home

Starmer will also have to get the ball rolling on government formation and will be meeting with his senior leaders in an attempt to put his team together.

Dr Catherine Haddon, of the Institute for Government, told _The Telegrap_h that new prime ministers will typically appoint their six most senior Cabinet ministers, including the chancellor, home secretary, foreign secretary, justice secretary and education secretary on their first day, with the rest of the Cabinet the following day and more junior ministers a couple of days after that.

Advertisement

She was quoted as telling Bloomberg, These are the people who are the proxies for the prime minister, who speak for him when hes not around.

Apart from picking his team, Starmer and his wife, Victoria, will also be given a briefing on their living arrangements at 10 Downing. This includes where they will park their cars, and arrangements for their children, including how they will get to school.

A man takes a photo of the Houses of Parliament during the general election, in London, Britain. Reuters

Writing letters of last resort

Within the first 24 hours of becoming PM, Starmer will also meet with his Chief of the Defence Staff. This is a truly important meeting as the chief will explain to him the process writing letters of last resort with instructions for the commanders of Britains Vanguard Class of nuclear-armed submarines if Britain has fallen victim to a nuclear attack and the prime minister is either dead or incapacitated.

The Chief of Defence Staff will also explain to Starmer the nuclear options before him, which will include retaliating, not retaliating, and using their judgement. The Telegraph notes that these letters must be hand-written and the letters written by the previous prime minister will be destroyed without being opened.

Calls galore

Amid this hustle and bustle of meetings, briefings and a change to life as he knows it, Keir Starmer will also receive a bunch of congratulatory calls from world leaders, starting with allied nations including the US.

When David Cameron won the election in 2015, US President Barack Obama called him to congratulate him within half an hour of him arriving at No 10.

All in all, Starmer has a busy 24 hours ahead of him. Lets see how he manages it though.

With inputs from agencies
Keir Starmer has used his no-drama approach to reviving the Labour Party, which is on the verge of a landslide victory in the UK elections. The 60-year-old took over the partys machinery and steered it away from its left-leaning policies to make it go from an electoral arsenic to a well-oiled machine read more

British opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer reacts as the counting of votes continues during the UK election in London, Britain. The Labour is poised to secure a landslide victory. The party is expected to win 410 out of 650 seats. Reuters

In 2019, the Labour Party in the United Kingdom saw its worst electoral defeat in over 80 years. Fast forward to 2024 and today, the party is looking at a landslide win at the polls  exit polls have predicted the party will secure 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, with the Tories managing only 131.

Behind this successful turnaround is none other than the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who according to an AP report is known to be dutiful, managerial and a bit dull.

Advertisement

It seems that Starmer, who entered the Parliament merely a decade ago and took charge of the Labour in 2020, has made the party electable  and how.

Lets take a closer look at how Starmer has transformed the Labour Party, and in turn, helped it to secure a massive win at the polls.

No drama Starmer

Starmer has always focused on his humble roots. Brought up in a working-class family in Surrey outside London, he was the first in his family to graduate, first from Leeds University and then in law from Oxford.

In 1987, he became a lawyer, focusing on human rights and travelled to the Caribbean and Africa, where he argued for prisoners who faced the death penalty. His legal career saw him rise to the post of Director of Public Prosecutions, the most senior criminal prosecutor in England and Wales.

Following the 2019 election debacle, Starmer replaced Corbyn as the leader of the party and insisted then that he would bring together Labours disparate factions. File image/AP

It was only in 2015 that Starmer stood for elections from Holborn and St Pancras in North London and won.

It is reported that Starmer often clashed with the previous chief of the Labour, Jeremy Corbyn. Following the 2019 election debacle, Starmer replaced Corbyn as the leader of the party and insisted then that he would bring together Labours disparate factions.

Advertisement

In his years as leader, 60-year-old Starmer has carried out a radical realignment of the Labour party. He has sidelined the left, taken over the machinery of the party and driven it on to the political ground he thinks can win an election. As Josh Simons, director of the influential think-tank Labour Together, told the _Financial Time_s: In no time at all, Labour has gone from electoral arsenic to well-oiled machine. At the heart of that is Keirs capacity to improve outcomes by reforming institutions.

In fact, critics say that Starmers been relentless and ruthless in his attempt to reinvent Labour. Others use words like boring or dull. Surprisingly, his own PR team pushes the line that he is no-drama Starmer.

Advertisement

Consolidation of power

After taking charge of the Labour Party, one of Starmers first move was to nurture a new model army of backbenchers. Katy Balls, the political editor of _The Spectato_r notes that his team have made it their business to know the politics of local Labour branches.

Moreover, Starmer has removed candidates from the party who are suspected of holding radical left views and gathered around him a collection of centrist or ideological candidates.

British opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and deputy leader Angela Rayner. Before the elections, Starmer removed candidates from the party who are suspected of holding radical left views and gathered around him a collection of centrist or ideological candidates. File image/Reuters

In May, veteran Labour politician Diane Abbott had accused the party of carrying out a cull of left-wing candidates.

Another left-wing candidate  Faiza Shaheen  was also banned from standing for Labour after complaints she liked social media posts that allegedly downplayed antisemitism.

Advertisement

When asked about the so-called purge, Starmer had denied it, saying he only wanted the highest quality candidates to stand.

Taking centre stage

As Starmer tightened control on the workings of the party and purged it of extreme left elements, he has also shifted the party from left to the centre. This even required him to do a volte-face. Initially, he had made 10 pledges that aligned with Corbyns agenda, including pledges to abolish tuition fees, keep public services in public hands, a higher income tax for the top five per cent. However, Starmer has distanced himself from several of these promises.

While releasing the manifesto of the party, Starmer had said: Welcome to a changed Labour Party.

Advertisement

The Labour leader has moved on from some of his previous commitments. For instance, he had promised to end the national scandal of spiralling student debt with a vow to abolish tuition fees. However, now Starmer has since changed his stance, saying the country found itself in a different financial situation.

Britains Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has also shifted the party from left to the centre. This even required him to do a volte-face. File image/AP

On the issue of income tax, Starmer had vowed to reintroduce the top tax band for the countrys highest earners last September. But in an interview with the Telegraph, Starmer then suggested he wanted to lower taxation, but was not looking to the lever of taxation.

Labours stance on migrants has also changed under Starmer. When standing to become leader, Starmer said: I want families to be able to live together, whether thats in Europe or here We have to make the case for freedom of movement. But he has since ruled out a return to open borders as the UK has already left the EU.

When asked about his partys manifesto and its vows appearing to be more right than left, he had said in May: The British people need a politics which gets the value of respect and service, and uses it to deliver stability and change. If that sounds conservative, then let me tell you: I dont care.

As some note with this election and its stunning win, Starmer has completed the transformation of the Labour. But will he be able to remake the country? That, after all, is a harder task.

With inputs from agencies
San Francisco police stand guard after 17th Street was blocked off between Dolores and Guerrero streets in 2023 to contain people arrested in a skateboarding event down Dolores Hill. Police have vowed to prevent the annual hill bomb skateboarding event from happening this year. Warren Pederson/The Chronicle 2023

Police, skaters and residents are bracing for Saturdays anticipated Dolores Park hill bomb, the unofficial and often raucous skateboarding event that last year culminated in a massive clash with law enforcement and more than 100 arrests and citations.

City officials and police are discouraging people from showing up at the park. San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said extra police have deployed to the area and are directed to thwart what in previous years have been hundreds of skaters careening down a public street.

We do not intend to allow a hill bomb tomorrow, Scott said at a Friday morning news conference.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The event is loosely planned, primarily through word of mouth or social media, but police say attendees have in the past begun emerging in the afternoon or early evening.

The annual spectacle, which is typically accompanied by a crush of spectators and raucous block parties, has never been sanctioned. But while skateboarding down a public street isnt a crime, police say the events draw has proved to pose a public safety risk, with reports of vandalism, illegal fireworks and violence regularly spilling out of the crowds.

The arrests last year drew blowback from critics and some teen participants who called police actions excessive, and the city is now facing a potential class-action lawsuit on allegations that officers violated the groups constitutional rights.

The fallout over last years melee, as well as the serious injuries and at least one death associated with the event in previous years, has long prompted calls for officials to sanction the event with the city. But by the eve of the event, there appeared to be no takers.

Some skater activists say the city should take the lead in permitting what has become an inevitable event with no clear organizer.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Its like butterfly migrations or sunrises  they just happen, said Aaron Breetwor, a skateboarding advocate who has been trying to work with city officials to make the event safer.

Breetwor, a brand manager at Comet Skateboards, said in an interview that hes distributed what he called a harm reduction plan to city leaders including supervisors and the Municipal Transportation Agency in hopes of finding ways to ensure safety that dont rely on policing.

The plan included a street closure, the removal of Botts dots (speed bumps meant to deter hill bombing), free helmets and portable toilets. Breetwor said in a Wednesday interview that hes seen no indication that city officials plan to adopt any of his recommendations.

Breetwor said he doesnt participate in the hill bomb, and he isnt inclined to become its organizer. He said his plan should be viewed as crisis management, to prevent the same outcome as in previous years.

I think its really challenging to get folks to have a discussion of the reality of the situation, he said.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Muni vehicles were vandalized during last years Dolores Street hill bomb skateboarding event. San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency 2023

City officials, meanwhile, say this isnt their job.

The city does not throw events, said District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents neighborhoods including Mission Dolores.

Bay to Breakers, the Pride Parade, Outside Lands  all are organized by outside groups, Mandelman said.

I think there needs to be an event promoter who wants to do it, Mandelman said, noting that he and other city officials would be open to working with them through bureaucratic hurdles such as permitting and budgeting.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

I dont know how much city funding there could be for it, but I think we could do something if we could find a party that has this kind of track record of success with events, he said.

Police said people at last years hill bomb committed widespread vandalism, assaulted officers and threw explosives at them.

In response, the SFPD issued a dispersal order and ultimately arrested numerous people who chose to continue to commit violence and property destruction, a police spokesperson said.

In the federal lawsuit stemming from last years hill bomb, plaintiffs alleged that officers in riot gear needlessly corralled teens and young adults for hours in the cold, without legal grounds. The suit says the police response violated the groups rights to gather in public and be free of unreasonable arrests, searches and seizures.

Chief Scott said Friday that parents should know that if their children attend the hill bomb and commit a crime, they will be arrested. Scott said officers dont intend to arrest people simply for skating down the hill, should a few people make it through police barricades.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Bank of Americas presence in India over the past six decades is a testament to its deep understanding of local market dynamics and its expertise in global markets, banking, and research, which support the banks operations spread across more than 35 countries read more

India is a priority market integral to Bank of Americas global strategy. As India sets its sights on becoming the worlds third-largest economy by the end of this decade, Bank of America is reaffirming its commitment to enable Indian businesses to access opportunities both here and overseas and contribute to the countrys path to sustainable and inclusive economic development.

Connecting Global Investors to India, and India to the World

Bank of Americas presence in India over the past six decades is a testament to its deep understanding of local market dynamics and its expertise in global markets, banking, and research, which support the banks operations spread across more than 35 countries.

Advertisement

This unique positioning enables the bank to serve as an effective conduit linking global investors and Indias burgeoning economy, facilitating seamless connectivity and collaboration. Through its robust infrastructure and comprehensive suite of financial services, Bank of America empowers clients to capitalize on Indias growth potential while navigating the intricacies of global markets.

The 2024 India Conference: Pathway to a Developed India

The Bank of America 2024 India Conference, held in Mumbai from June 3-7, offered a platform for industry experts, policymakers, and thought leaders to converge and explore pathways to a developed India.

At the conference, Kaku Nakhate, India Country Executive at Bank of America, highlighted the India opportunity set and how Bank of America can help clients capitalize on these emerging opportunities, while Amish Shah, Head of India Research at BofA Securities, provided insights into the factors fueling Indias rise as a global power.

The conference also provided insightful perspectives from expert speakers on key themes, such as infrastructure development, digital innovation, and sustainable growth.

Insights from our Interviews

Political Continuity and Investment Attractiveness: Dinesh Khara, Chairman of SBI, underscored the importance of continuity in government for attracting global investments to India and creating an environment conducive to sustainable growth and development.

Transformative Potential of Infrastructure Investment: Amish Shah, Head of India Research at BofA Securities, reiterated the role of sustained investment in capital-intensive sectors like infrastructure in transforming the economy. He identified a number of key sectors driving Indias growth agenda, including transportation, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure.

Indias Emergence as a Preferred Investment Destination: Candace Browning, Head of BofA Global Research, highlighted the reasons for Indias rise as an attractive destination for global capital  including favorable demographics, rapid infrastructure development, a focus on manufacturing, and its adaptability in the face of global challenges.

Advertisement

Bank of Americas Commitment to Client Service: Kaku Nakhate, President and India Country Head at Bank of America, reaffirmed the banks focus on meeting clients needs, both locally and globally. She also emphasized the banks expertise and capabilities in providing tailored financial solutions to corporates, which allow them to navigate local market complexities and capitalize on opportunities.

Facilitating Global Access to Indias Capital Markets: Peter Guenthardt, Head of APAC Investment Banking at Bank of America, noted the banks role in offering a platform for global investors to access Indias fast-growing capital markets. He also highlighted the importance of connectivity and collaboration in channeling investment flows to foster long-term economic growth.

Advertisement

Insights into Indias Banking and Financial Sector: Anand Swaminathan and Sachin Salgaonkar, Senior Research Analysts at BofA Securities, identified key trends and opportunities in Indias banking and financial sector, and called attention to their adaptability amid an evolving regulatory landscape and technological advancements.

Shaping Indias Economic Future

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in India this year, Bank of America continues to deepen its presence in the country, with plans to allocate more resources to fuel growth  actively shaping economic opportunities for its clients, and driving long-term progress and prosperity for the wider community it serves.
Even though the Chinese have had an upper hand while dealing with the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, perhaps the biggest gain the Uyghurs have achieved is a new form of nationalism among them in Xinjiang and worldwide read more

As many as 15 years after the Urumqi incident, the oppressive and suppressive policies of the Chinese government against Uyghurs and other minorities have yet to stop. Image: REUTERS

The shocking killing of hundreds of Uyghurs in Xinjiangs capital, Urumqi, on July 5, 2009, reminds the world community every year since then about the Chinese excesses against its citizens that have continued unabated. A Uyghur doctoral scholar (name withheld on request) described the Urumqi incident as a massacre and one of the darkest chapters in the history of Uyghurs that demonstrated Chinas decades-long colonial policies against the Uyghurs and other Turkic people in Xinjiang.

Advertisement

To mark the anniversary of the Urumqi massacre every year since 2010, Uyghur people and their organisations across the world have been peacefully demonstrating against the Chinese in addition to organising other political and cultural activities, he added. According to him, on this occasion, the Uyghurs across the globe honour and remember the Uyghurs who lost their lives in the Urumqi incident and the countless Uyghurs who continue to bear the Chinese wrath in Xinjiang. Restoring Xinjiangs independence is the only way to ensure freedom, human rights, and the very existence of the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples, he added.

While expressing happiness that the Uyghurs have not given up their lawful struggle to be free from the Chinese yoke and to regain sovereignty, the scholar concluded that it is high time for the world to stand with the Uyghurs to uphold the principles of justice, freedom, and human dignity.

Four years after the Urumqi incident, in July 2013, this author visited the very place in Urumqi, where several Uyghurs had demonstrated against the Chinese atrocities after the news of harassment of a few Uyghur workers in Guangdong province broke out. It subsequently took an ugly turn when the Chinese security personnel resorted to strong and harsh tactics that led to the killing of nearly 160 and the wounding of thousands.

According to a local Uyghur guide, who was keeping a safe distance from me while walking on the streets of Urumqis downtown area for fear of being hounded out by the local police, the Chinese defence personnel were at their ruthless best while dealing with the Uyghur demonstrators after the July 5, 2009 incident. The incident evoked a strong response from the international community. Even the then-prime minister and present president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, went to the extent of dubbing it genocide and threatened China to raise this issue in the UN General Assembly.

As many as 15 years after the Urumqi incident, the oppressive and suppressive policies of the Chinese government against Uyghurs and other minorities have yet to stop. In the post-5 July 2009 period, the Chinese emphasised taking stern action (against Uyghurs), surveillance, and securitisation in Urumqi city, which later spread all across Xinjiang. For example, by the first anniversary of this incident (5 July 2010), as one Uyghur told this author, the Chinese authorities had installed over 30,000 close-circuit cameras in Urumqi city alone to step up surveillance over Uyghurs. Since then, anything on earth in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has come under surveillance.

Advertisement

The most important phase of the state-sponsored military campaign (Strike Hard, Maximum Pressure), which began in the mid-1990s after a series of violent attacks in and around Xinjiang, had stepped up following China joining the US-led Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) in 2001 as one of the first countries. China cashed in on this golden opportunity and played the victim-of-terrorism card. This phase of the Strike Hard campaign was undertaken by the Chinese authorities with a missionary zeal to stamp out the three evil forces: separatism, religious extremism, and terrorism.

In this process, the Uyghurs and Tibetans suffered the most. The Chinese government gave the pretext of the countrys endangered national unity, territorial integrity, and shattered security following back-to-back incidentsthe Tibetan uprising (March 2008) and the Urumqi riots (July 2009)to launch the next phase of the Strike Hard campaign.

Advertisement

During the Xi Jinping era, Chinese government measures against the Uyghurs underwent a radical change. For example, in 2016, Chen Quanquo, Xis partner in crimes against minorities (Uyghurs and Tibetans), unleashed a reign of terror in Xinjiang after completing the Sinicisation task in Tibet. In a piece published in 2022, this author summarised how Chen, the most trusted lieutenant of the President of China (Xi Jinping), undertook grid-style social management, a technology-intensive approach to urban governance and intelligence-led policing (as seen in cities in Chinas eastern part since the mid-to-late 2000s), and the establishment of some 7,500 convenience police stations (gangpeng) in early 2017 to inspect and monitor the wireless and digital activities of the Uyghurs.

Advertisement

A systematic process of digital securitisation was launched in Xinjiang through a surveillance network using facial recognition, the collection of citizens biometric data, GPS tracking of private vehicles, and installing spyware in the smartphones of Uyghurs.

Even though the Chinese have had an upper hand while dealing with the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, perhaps the biggest gain the Uyghurs have achieved is a new form of nationalism among them in Xinjiang and worldwide. Now the Uyghurs plight has reached every nook and cranny of the world. Particularly since the news of the incarceration of millions of Uyghurs in the so-called re-education camps has aired through different sources of media, various governments, international agencies such as the UN, think tanks, human rights organisations, individual scholars and academics, freelancers, media professionals, etc have expressed serious concerns about the basic human rights of the Uyghurs.

Advertisement

Not only reams of materials are published, both online and offline, but also various programmes are organised to educate the world community about the barbaric acts of Chinese governments against their citizens, be they Uyghurs or Tibetans. Even these heinous Chinese acts are taken up on many international platforms. The US government, for instance, brought the Uyghur Act, otherwise known as the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020. China may have succeeded in mobilising international opinion in its favour as far as the Uyghur issue is concerned, but it should not forget that one day it will reap the consequences for its follies.

Dr Mahesh Ranjan Debata teaches at the Centre for Inner Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
The general perception that India is inching towards the Western fold is not backed by full-ground reality, and New Delhi clearly believes in strategic autonomy. Image: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Indias traditional partner, Russia. In Moscow, this visit will reassure that Indo-Russian friendship stands on firm footing. PM Modi will be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin. The general perception that India is inching towards the Western fold is not backed by full-ground reality, and New Delhi clearly believes in strategic autonomy.

India did remain neutral in the Ukraine conflict. Despite the US pressures and the threat of the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), India did go ahead with the S-400 deal with Russia. Despite Western sanctions and tacit pressures, India stepped up petroleum purchases from Russia and continued rupee-based trade.

Advertisement

President Putin has made nine visits to India, three during PM Modis tenure (2016, 2018, and 2021). The last was in December 2021, just a few months before the Ukraine invasion. Interestingly, Putin has made 20 visits to China. PM Modi has made five visits to Russia, in contrast to eight to the US since he became prime minister in 2014. The first visit to Russia was in December 2015. This months trip to Moscow is his first visit to the city since 2015. He had met Putin in St Petersburg in 2017, in Sochi in 2018, and in Vladivostok in 2019. The two countries have had a decades-old annual India-Russia summit format. While the very strongman Putin is less focused on showmanship and visible rhetoric, Putin-Modi chemistry has been visible in their body language.

India-Soviet cooperation began in the 1950s with steel plants, large infrastructure including dams, nuclear plants, and cooperation in space, but the most enduring has been the defence equipment purchases by India. When the time was at its peak, Indian armed forces had nearly 80 per cent defence hardware of Soviet or Russian origin, and the figure still remains at 60 per cent. Indias desire to look West for sourcing some high-end military hardware has been of concern to the Russians.

Russians have stood by India, and in August 1971, as an insurance against a possible US or China threat to support Pakistan in the Indo-Pak war, the Soviet Union signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation with India. This has since become an India-Russia strategic partnership and includes summit and 2+2 dialogue levels. India and Russia also work closely at BRICS, SCO, and RIC, among other forums.

Modi-Putin talks on July 89 are likely to discuss the Ukraine war, resolving payment issues, the supply of military hardware, and major military logistics agreements. Both wanted to take the relationship to the next level. The bond between the people of Russia and India is very strong. Our nations have stood by each other through thick and thin," PM Modi had said during his last visit.

Advertisement

Military aviation remains the biggest Indo-Russian Bear Hug with the most significant hardware transfers.

The Aviation Connection Begins

Indo-Soviet political closeness began in the early 1950s due to the evolving geo-political situation and the reluctance of the Western powers to transfer state-of-the-art military hardware to newly independent, non-aligned India. In the mid-1950s, the Indian Air Force (IAF) received Ilyushin IL-14 turboprop medium cargo aircraft. Mi-4 helicopters were inducted starting in the early 1960s and became part of the military folklore after the Megna river crossing operation in the 1971 war. Around the same time, 10-ton payload-class An-12 transport aircraft were inducted. These were used in the 1962 war for air-lifting army reinforcements. In the 1971 war they were also used for heavy bombing.

Advertisement

The MiG and Sukhoi Fighters Dominate IAF

In 1962, the Soviets agreed to transfer technology to co-produce the MiG-21 aircraft in India, something they had earlier denied to China. Nearly 11,500 MiG-21s were built around the world; India inducted or built more than 1,200, the last of which are still flying. In the 1971 Indo-Pak war, an IAF MiG-21 shot down its bete-noire, the Pakistan Air Forces (PAF) Lockheed Starfighter F-104, in air combat. The MiG-21 formations rocket strike on December 14, 1971, on the government house at Dacca was instrumental in forcing the surrender of Pakistani forces in East Pakistan.

The Soviets helped India set up license production of MiG-21 in the early 1960s. Three new divisions of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) were created at Nasik (aircraft), Koraput (engines), and Hyderabad (avionics). These factories were to later build, overhaul, and upgrade all types of Russian aircraft. In the mid-1960s, the IAF also inducted swept-wing high-speed Sukhoi SU-7B strike aircraft.

Advertisement

The swing-wing MiG 23 aircraft and its air defence variant, MiG-23MF, joined the IAF in the early 1980s. A more advanced strike variant of the MiG-23, the MiG-27, was inducted in 1986, and these were assembled in India and later upgraded.

The Soviets developed MiG-29s and Su-27s in the 1970s to counter the American F-16 and F-15 aircraft. The highly manoeuvrable MiG-29 with a modern airborne radar and a host of advanced air-to-air missiles joined the IAF in the mid-1980s. Upgraded variants of these will continue to fly for at least a decade.

125 MiG-21 Bis (Bison) aircraft were upgraded jointly with Russia starting in the late 1990s. The last of these will phase out shortly. Wg Cdr Abhinanadan, while flying a Bison shot down a PAF F-16 in February 2019.

Advertisement

Nearly 45 per cent of the IAFs fighter fleet is currently made up of the super-manoeuvrable air superiority fighter Sukhoi SU-30MKI. Jointly developed with Russia in early 2000, it is under license production by HAL. Nearly 272 were inducted, and these will soon see a major upgrade.

The Transport and Rotary Wing Fleet

Specially made for the IAF, the An-32 medium transport aircraft started inducting in 1984. Of the 125 bought, nearly 100 aircraft are still operating and have been upgraded. IAF also acquired the 40-ton-plus payload multi-purpose four-engine strategic airlifter IL-76. IAF continues to operate the IL-76MD (freighter), IL-78MKI (air refueler), and the A-50 with Israeli Phalcon radar as AWACs. IL-76s, along with the An-32, are the work-horse of the IAF and logistically sustain the Indian Army in the Northern Himalayas and for intertheater air transportation.

Mid-sized utility and assault helicopter Mi-8s joined the IAF in the early 1980s. Capable of carrying up to 24 troops, they were also used for VVIP communication duties. Subsequently, more advanced versions of the Mi-17, Mi-17-1V, and Mi-17V-5s followed. Significant numbers of Mi-17s are also being acquired by the home ministry for BSF. IAF also acquired heavy-lift Mi-26 helicopters, three of which are still operating. The first dedicated attack helicopters of the IAF, Mi-25/35, were acquired in 1983.

Missiles and Maritime Assets

India also got its first set of missiles from the Soviets. K-13 was the first generation of air-to-air missiles that came with MiG-21s. R-73, R-27, and R-77 RVVAE were among those that followed. Similarly, SA-2 (Dvina) was Indias first surface-to-air missile. SA-3 Pechora and SAM-8 joined the armed forces later. The state-of-the-art, jointly developed Indo-Russian BrahMos cruise missile is already under induction in the Indian armed forces. The IAF has also inducted the formidable S-400 air defence system. Three have been delivered, and the remaining two systems will be installed by 2026.

By the early 1980s, the Indian Naval air-arm was dominated by many types of Russian maritime fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. These included the Ilyushin IL38, the Tupelov Tu-142M, and many Kamov Ka-25, Ka-28 and Ka-31 helicopters. The aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (Ex Russian Gorshkov) is an important element of the long Russian aviation connection with the Indian Navy. They also inducted aircraft carrier capable MiG-29Ks.

Life Cycle Costs and Serviceability

For many years, the Russians kept offering India state-of-the-art systems that were denied by the West. They were relatively cheap and available in barter for Indian goods. Notwithstanding the low initial hardware cost, the life cycle costs were invariably high, and the system serviceability was often low. Low serviceability was also a result of a long repair cycle involving complex export-import procedures. Attempts to introduce a door-to-door spare delivery system have only been partially successful.

Russians in the IAFs MRFA

Russia has pitched in two aircraft for Indias 114-aircraft Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRFA) project, which has yet to unfold fully. The MiG-35 was earlier a part of the 126 aircraft Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) and has been evaluated. The aircraft is a derivative of the MiG 29. IAFs MiG 29s have gone through a recent upgrade and, on a few counts, have come up to a similar level. Not many MiG 35s have been built or sold, and India is conscious of this.

The Su-35 is the second aircraft. The aircraft is part of the Su-27/30 family. The IAF is in the process of upgrading the Su-30 MKI fleet. Effectively, the aircraft will become closer to or even better than the Su-35. Only China has bought 24 aircraft. The total numbers built are still very small. The Russia-Ukraine war also has its dynamics. There are dollar payment limitations. The Russian industry is busy meeting the requirements of the Russian Air Force.

Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft

In 2007, Russia and India signed a contract between Sukhoi and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly develop a derivative of the evolving Su-57, called the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA). In 2010, both countries agreed on a preliminary design contract where each country was to invest $6 billion. The development of the FGFA was expected to take 810 years. By 2014, there were issues related to performance, cost, and work-sharing. India eventually left the partnership in 2018. The reported base price of the aircraft is unbelievably as little as $35 million. Russia still hopes to get India on board its Su-57 Felon or Su-75 Checkmate, both of which are still under development.

Indo-Russian MTA Project

The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) of Russia and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) of India began a joint venture in 2009 to build a Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA). Each side pitched in US$300 million for the project. The aircraft was intended to replace the IAFs Antonov An-32 transport aircraft. India would acquire 45 aircraft and Russia 105. Both governments agreed to produce the aircraft for their respective armed forces and for friendly third-party countries and to develop a civilian variant of the MTA in the form of a 100-seater passenger aeroplane, for which HAL will be the lead partner and principal integrator.

The 20-ton payload twin-engine aircraft was a smaller Il-76 look alike platform with an expected range of 2,500 kilometres. In January 2016, it was announced that, due to technical reasons, Indias HAL would no longer be involved in the project and that Russia was proceeding with the project alone. The aircraft designated as the Ilyushin Il-276 is now being developed by UAC. In February 2023, on the sidelines of the Aero India 2023 air show, a Russian delegation from Rostec held talks with Indian officials on the possibility of the joint development of the Il-276. However, India would prefer the aircraft to come with a European engine instead of a Russian engine, which is unlikely to be possible for Russia to propose. The new contenders to Indias Make-in-India MTA are the Airbus A-400, Lockheed Martin C-130, and Embraer C-390.

Way Ahead

The India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), which was set up in 2000, is at the apex of the structure. With China gradually becoming independent, India is one of the main markets for Russian defence equipment. There are working groups at the MoD level. The Ukraine conflict has delayed both dialogue and action as Russian industry is trying to meet the war requirements. In view of US financial sanctions, dollar payments had to stop. Rupee payments have their own dynamics due to excessive Indian imports.

The BrahMos joint venture to produce supersonic air, sea, and land-launched cruise missiles, some of which are already being exported, has been a success. India and Russia continue to cooperate closely in space, including Indias forthcoming first human space flight, the Gaganyaan Mission. The Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) joint venture has been established, and it has started production of AK-203 rifles in India under the Make in India initiative. India and Russia are trying to push the International North-South Transport Corridor, the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor, and the Polar Route.

India and Russia are planning to sign a joint military logistics pact. It will aim to enhance their defence partnership and grant mutual access to each others military facilities. This includes the Russian Navy operating in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and India in the Arctic. The pact is designed to streamline procedures for joint exercises and operations, ensuring seamless coordination between the two countries military units. The agreement will facilitate smoother logistics and operational support for both Indian and Russian military units. This includes easier access to military bases, streamlined procedures for joint exercises, and improved visa and immigration protocols for military personnel.

Indias umbilical cord of military hardware, including spare parts and repairs, with Russia will continue for decades to come. As India pushes Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in defence production, it shall be its endeavour to reduce the high dependence on Russia. But that could be nearly two decades away. It is important for India to keep its time-tested friendship on strong footing. The policy of Strategic Autonomy is the best approach.

The writer is former Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin (second left) and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (second right) shake hands during the official welcome ceremony in the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, June 19, 2024. Image: Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

For over two years, the West has attempted to isolate Russia economically and diplomatically in response to its invasion of Ukraine. One aspect of this effort has been to limit Russian President Vladimir Putins international manoeuvrability. In this context, Putins recent visits to North Korea and Vietnam were an attempt to open new avenues of support. The outcomes, however, are indicative of a paradigm shift in Southeast Asia, which are evidently generating unease across the West and in China.

Advertisement

This is particularly the case with the visit to North Korea, where Putin and Kim Jong Un signed a new comprehensive strategic partnership treaty. No specific details have been announced, although the treaty is confirmed to supersede previous treaties signed in 1961, 2000, and 2001. During the trip, Putin was accompanied by Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Following his meeting with Kim, the Russian leader said that their ties were now at a new level. Kim, meanwhile, termed the visit a watershed moment. Putin argued that the new agreement between the two sides was defensive in nature and included a promise of mutual assistance, if either side were attacked. This is reminiscent of the two countries 1961 Cold War-era mutual defence agreement, signalling Kim now has an official pact with a powerful ally, who happens to be the Wests foremost adversary, and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. All of this is likely to further fuel Western concerns about Pyongyang providing arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine in exchange for Russian technical expertise for its weapons program. Both countries have denied that such arms sales have taken place.

Furthermore, during the visit, Putin threatened to arm North Korea if the West continued to arm Ukraine. Those who supply these weapons believe that they are not at war with us. I said, including in Pyongyang, that we then reserve the right to supply weapons to other regions of the world, Putin told reporters at the end of his trip to Vietnam. The Western reaction to the visit and specifically Putins comments was one of concern, with the US State Department stating that Russian supplies of weapons could destabilise the Korean Peninsula.

US allies Japan and South Korea also expressed alarm. Seoul condemned the Moscow-Pyongyang pact. First Vice Minister Kim Hong-kyun relayed South Koreas position of wanting Moscow to immediately halt military cooperation with Pyongyang. The Russian ambassador was summoned and told that any cooperation that could directly or indirectly help reinforce the North Korean military power would be a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

Advertisement

Chinas official position on the agreement, meanwhile, has been one of deliberate indifference. The Foreign Ministry stated the meeting was one of bilateral engagement between Russia and the DPRK. This strategic silence, however, masks a palpable unease. The Chinese leadership likely watched the visit unfold somewhat warily, given that the Putin-Kim deal has the potential to disrupt the established dynamic in Southeast Asia.

For instance, Kuo Yu-jen, a professor of China and Asia-Pacific studies at National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan has argued that Putins economic dependence on China has deepened because the war in Ukraine has become a war of attrition. So, he must play the North Korea card to contain China, which is equivalent to saying that Russia and China are mutually hostage. Likewise, Deng Yuwen, a political commentator and researcher at the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy, believes that Putins visit to Pyongyang sent a signal to Beijing that Moscow has other allies too. Other Chinese scholars have expressed serious concerns that deepening Russia-North Korea ties could destabilise Northeast Asia, while fuelling a stronger Cold War narrative, pushing other regional actors closer to the US. Such an outcome can lend greater bargaining power for the North Korean regime, undermining Beijings influence, while exacerbating tensions.

Advertisement

Over the past few years, the strategic convergences between China and Russia have deepened. This, however, does not imply the absence of sources of competition and friction between the two sides. There are concerns around asymmetric dependence, encroachment over each others conventional spheres of influence, and the economic and strategic impact of ones actions on the other. Putins pact with Kim should be viewed within this context.

Manoj Kewalramani is the Chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies Programme at the Takshashila Institution. Aadit Pareek is a student of Politics and Economics at UCLA. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Investment scams primarily operate through social media and messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. CloudSEK found a surge in malicious content on these platforms  over 29,000 fraudulent ads on Facebook and a 81,000 fake investment groups on WhatsApp read more

There are more than 81,000 Twitter accounts mimicking well-known financial institutions, lending an air of legitimacy to these scams. Image Credit: Pixabay

CloudSEK, a leading threat intelligence firm, has released an in-depth report exposing a troubling rise in investment scams targeting individuals in India and other countries.

These scams primarily operate through popular social media and messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, and the findings indicate a significant escalation in both the scale and sophistication of these fraudulent activities.

Rising Threats

Starting in early 2024, CloudSEK detected a surge in malicious content on these platforms. The report reveals over 29,000 fraudulent investment ads on Facebook and a staggering 81,000 fake investment groups on WhatsApp.

Advertisement

Furthermore, there are more than 81,000 Twitter accounts mimicking well-known financial institutions, lending an air of legitimacy to these scams.

Elaborate Deception Tactics

The scammers employ advanced tactics to fool potential investors. By impersonating reputable financial institutions and professionals, they draw individuals into fake investment groups with promises of substantial and quick returns. These schemes involve stolen data, fake profiles, and manipulated trading platforms, all aimed at deceiving victims and stealing their money.

These scams are not limited to one region but affect several countries, including India, Malaysia, the USA, Thailand, and Vietnam. According to the report, scammers buy personal data at $100 for every 10,000 lines of data containing phone numbers and names. They also pay between 10,000 USDT and 30,000 USDT for data from a single site. USDT is a cryptocurrency known as Tether. Since January 2024, the extensive operations have resulted in over 29,000 fraudulent ads on Facebook, 81,000 fake WhatsApp groups, and more than 81,000 impersonated Twitter accounts.

Financial Impact

A single scam operation can lead to monthly consumer losses of around USD $50,000 (over INR 41 lakh). The modus operandi involves acquiring hacked stock trading data from brokers who source it from underground forums. These brokers then sell the data to organized crime groups running large-scale trading scams.

Within these groups, handlers and actors pose as successful investors, using social media to lure victims into WhatsApp groups. Once inside, victims are shown fake proof of earnings and promised high returns, only to see their investments vanish.

Different Types of Scams

The report categorizes the scams into two primary types: crypto scams and stock trading scams. In crypto scams, victims are enticed to invest in cryptocurrency through fraudulent websites. In stock trading scams, victims are coaxed into investing in stocks with false promises of high returns.

Advertisement

Scammers use various strategies to gather data, including targeted social media ads, unsolicited direct messages, fake investment groups, and SMS invitations. They often impersonate real financial advisors and institutions to build credibility and trust with potential victims.

Social Engineering Techniques

The report details the social engineering techniques used by scammers, such as pre-scripted messages, fake training setups, and strategic group chat management to manipulate victims. Scammers exploit psychological pressure tactics, creating a sense of urgency and fear of missing out (FOMO) to push victims into investing more.

A common tactic is impersonation, where scammers create fake profiles that mimic real financial advisors, firms, or regulatory bodies like SEBI. They steal genuine contact information and credentials to gain the trust of victims. Multiple WhatsApp groups are managed strategically to handle a large number of victims, with team members taking on roles such as impersonators, hype creators, and affiliates.

Advertisement

Fake Training and Trading Platforms

Scammers also create fake training setups, design web applications that mimic live training platforms, and use legitimate trading training videos, which have been repurposed and tweaked to appear as part of their scam. Additionally, they create fraudulent apps that resemble genuine trading platforms. These apps show fake profits to encourage further investments but ultimately block withdrawals.

CloudSEKs report emphasizes the need for increased awareness and vigilance among investors to recognize and avoid these sophisticated scams. Understanding the methods and tactics used by these fraudsters can help potential victims protect themselves. The report aims to educate and safeguard investors, helping them navigate the complex world of online investment opportunities.
China represented about 9% of NVIDIAs total revenues in the most recent quarter, down from 22% in the same period last year. Despite this decline, NVIDIAs overall revenues from China and Hong Kong, still increased by more than 50% year on year to $2.5 billion read more

Despite these challenges, NVIDIA's H20 chip, priced between $12,000 and $13,000 per unit, is set to generate significant revenue, potentially exceeding $12 billion in sales. Image Credit: Reuters

NVIDIA is on track to achieve remarkable sales of $12 billion in artificial intelligence chips in China this year, even amidst stringent US export controls. In effect, this has created a major hurdle for NVIDIA, in one of the worlds largest semiconductor markets.

Over the coming months, the Silicon Valley giant is expected to deliver more than one million units of its new H20 chips to Chinese customers. These chips are strategically designed to bypass US restrictions on selling AI processors to China, according to a Financial Times report, that quoted some notable analyst forecasts.

Advertisement

This impressive figure is nearly double the expected sales of Huaweis China-made rival product, the Ascend 910B, as estimated by SemiAnalysis, a chip consultancy. NVIDIAs ability to navigate the complex geopolitical landscape and continue to serve the Chinese market highlights its resilience and strategic prowess.

The US governments concerns about China potentially using advanced AI chips for military applications have led to export controls aimed at limiting the flow of powerful chips to Beijing.

These controls have impacted Chinese tech companies like ByteDance, Tencent, and Alibaba, hindering their ability to compete with US counterparts such as OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta, and Google.

Despite these challenges, NVIDIAs H20 chip, priced between $12,000 and $13,000 per unit, is set to generate significant revenue, potentially exceeding $12 billion in sales.

This would surpass the $10.3 billion revenue NVIDIA made from its entire China business, including graphics chips for PC gamers and other products, in the financial year ending January 2024.

NVIDIA has not commented on these sales forecasts, while Huawei has also remained silent. NVIDIAs CEO, Jensen Huang, acknowledged the impact of US export controls on the companys China business during a recent earnings call. Huang noted that the business in China is now more competitive due to these limitations, but emphasized NVIDIAs commitment to serving its customers in the region.

Advertisement

Colette Kress, NVIDIAs finance chief, reported that revenue from the companys data centre segment in China, which includes AI chips, was significantly down from previous levels prior to the export restrictions imposed in October 2022.

In 2021, before the US began imposing these controls, China accounted for more than a quarter of NVIDIAs total revenues. Although the H20 chip is expected to perform well, Chinas share of NVIDIAs sales this year could be closer to 10 per cent, reflecting the substantial growth NVIDIA is experiencing from US tech companies.

Analysts at Morgan Stanley and SemiAnalysis have indicated that the H20 chip is now being shipped in volume and is gaining popularity among Chinese customers, despite its reduced performance compared to the chips NVIDIA sells in the US. Morgan Stanley noted strong demand for H20 clusters in China in a recent research note.

Advertisement

In contrast, Huawei is expected to sell around 550,000 Ascend 910B chips during the same period. The Shenzhen-based company and its manufacturing partners are facing challenges in producing these complex processors in sufficient volumes to meet demand.

Additionally, most Chinese AI companies have built their AI models on NVIDIAs ecosystem and software, making a switch to Huaweis infrastructure time-consuming and costly.

The Biden administrations restrictions, first introduced in October 2022, targeted NVIDIAs most powerful chips, including the A100 and H100.

These controls were tightened later in the year to exclude NVIDIAs newer chips. In response, NVIDIA began marketing a new set of chips adapted for China, with the H20 being the most powerful.

Advertisement

Overall, including chips for PC gamers, data centres, and other customers, China represented about 9 per cent of NVIDIAs total revenues in the most recent quarter, ending in April, down from 22 per cent in the same period a year earlier.

Despite this decline, NVIDIAs overall revenues from China, including Hong Kong, still increased by more than 50 per cent year on year to $2.5 billion.

As NVIDIA continues to navigate these challenges, its strategic adaptation and robust demand for its AI chips in China underscore its significant role in the global semiconductor market.
AI Steve, an avatar generated by businessman Steve Endacott, ran in the Brighton Pavilion constituency, where it faced a resounding defeat to the Green Partys Sian Berry. Berry won with a margin of over 28,000 votes, as reported by the BBC read more

In a groundbreaking moment for the UK General Election, the first-ever Artificial Intelligence candidate, AI Steve, made its debut but failed to capture the electorates enthusiasm, securing only 179 votes.

AI Steve, an avatar generated by businessman Steve Endacott, ran in the Brighton Pavilion constituency, where it faced a resounding defeat to the Green Partys Sian Berry. Berry won with a margin of over 28,000 votes, as reported by the BBC.

Sian Berry, upon her victory, expressed her gratitude on social media platform X, stating, What an incredible night. Thank you, Brighton Pavilion! And a huge thank you to all the volunteers who have worked so hard to earn every single vote we got. I cant wait to get to Parliament so I can take your all of your voices with me and hold this new Government to account.

Advertisement

Steve Endacott, an independent candidate from the southern seaside town of Brighton, decided to run in the election due to his frustration with traditional politics.

His company, Neural Voice, powered the AI alter ego, AI Steve, which appeared on the ballot papers. AI Steve was created in a way that would allow it to engage in discussions with locals on various issues, including LGBTQ rights, housing, bin collection, and immigration, all in real-time. The AI then proposed policy ideas and solicited suggestions from the community.

Despite the innovative approach, AI Steve struggled to gain traction among voters. Earlier, the Electoral Commission, the elections watchdog, clarified that if AI Steve were to win, it would be Endacott who would serve as the member of parliament, not the AI version of him.

Meanwhile, the UK General Election saw a decisive victory for the Labour Party, marking the end of over a decade of opposition. This significant win means that Labour leader Keir Starmer will be appointed as the new prime minister.

The sweeping victory, achieved in Thursdays vote, ousted Conservative leader Rishi Sunak from office, presenting Labour with the formidable task of revitalizing a stagnant economy and addressing the concerns of a dispirited nation.

As Labour prepares to take the reins, the historic yet unsuccessful attempt by AI Steve highlights the challenges and complexities of integrating AI into the political arena.

While the concept of an AI candidate sparked interest and debate, it ultimately failed to resonate with the voters, who opted for more traditional human representation in the form of Sian Berry and the Labour Party.

Advertisement

The UK election results underscore the importance of human connection and the electorates preference for experienced politicians to navigate the nations future.

As AI technology continues to evolve, its role in politics may be reassessed, but for now, the human touch remains paramount in securing the trust and support of voters.
Exit polls show Keir Starmers Labour party is poised to win a historic victory in the 2024 UK general election, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Labour is projected to secure 410 seats in the 650-seat parliament, while Rishi Sunaks Conservatives are expected to win only 131 seats, down from 346 earlier read more

The Labour party is inching closer to a historic win in the UK elections, dethroning Rishi Sunaks Conservative party which has been in power for 14 years. The Centre-Left Labour party leader Keir Starmer is likely to be Britains next prime minister and India ofcourse wants to have a clear understanding of his stance towards the country.

Labours Starmer wants to mend ties with India

Campaigning for his party ahead of the snap parliamentary election, called by Sunak, 61-year-old Starmer has tried to woo British-Indians as well as India. He has sought to rebuild the strained ties between his Labour party and the India diaspora.

Advertisement

The Labour leader has acknowledged past missteps by his party, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, in handling relations with India, especially over its perceived anti-India stance on Kashmir issue by supporting Pakistan. The Labours decision had alienated many British Indian voters in the 2019 UK general elections.

Starmer wants to win back support of British Indians

Starmer has identified the growing political clout of the UKs Indian-origin population, which is the largest immigrant group in the country.

He has sought to win back the support of British Indian voters who had distanced themselves from Labour in recent years. Also his party has fielded a number of Indian-origin candidates in the 2024 UK election.

A changed Labour Party

At the India Global Forum (IGF) last year, Starmer had set the tone for his partys India-UK outlook and had said, I have a clear message for you all today: this is a changed Labour Party. What my Labour government will seek with India is a relationship based on our shared values of democracy and aspiration."

Source: X/@Keir_Starmer

New strategic partnership with India

Starmer and his Labour party have taken a more pro-India stance compared to the partys previous leadership under Corbyn.

The Labour party under Starmer has been seeking to rebuild trust and strengthen the strategic partnership between the UK and India if they form the government.

In its manifesto, Starmers Labour has pledged to pursue a new strategic partnership with India, which even had a clear mention of a free trade agreement (FTA), if handed a mandate to form a Labour-led government in June 4 polls.

Advertisement

He has been critical of the delays in FTA under the Conservative government and said his party wants to see the agreement cover more beyond trade and wants cooperation in host of other areas including new technologies, the environment, and security.

The Labour partys 2024 election manifesto also emphasised on deepening cooperation with India in areas including security, technology, climate change, and education, if voted to power.

No place for Hinduphobia in Britain

On June 28, days ahead of the 2024 UK polls, Starmer visited the Swaminarayan Temple in Kingsbury and sought to reassure British Hindus that there was absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain.

Advertisement

He has been reiterating this message over the past few years during the Diwali and Holi celebrations.

If were elected next week, we will strive to govern in the spirit of sewa to serve you and a world in need, Starmer said at the Swaminarayan Temple, reiterating his promise of absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain.

Keir Starmer visits Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Temple in Kingsbury. Source: X/@Keir_Starmer

The Labour partys manifesto also reads that Hinduphobia is a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviours towards Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus that may manifest as prejudice, fear, or hatred."

Indian diaspora invited to report anti-India sentiment

Starmers party also seems to be committed to rooting out any extremist views within Labour that could strain the UK-India ties. The party chair, Anneliese Dodds, has recently claimed Labour has cleansed its ranks of any members with extremist views on India.

Advertisement

The party has invited the Indian diaspora to report any issue of anti-India sentiment within Labour, pledging swift action to address such instances.

With inputs from agencies

Catch all the latest update on 2024 UK election results LIVE by clicking here.
The Liberal Democrats Jess Brown-Fuller has defeated the Conservative MP and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in Chichester read more

The Liberal Democrats have defeated Education Secretary Gillian Keegan of the Conservative Party in Chichester, a seat the Tories held for the past 100 years.

The Lib Dems Jess Brown-Fuller defeated the Conservative MP and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in Chichester.

Keegans loss in Chichester would be one of the biggest blows to the Conservatives as they have held the seat for the past 100 years. As per The Sussex World newspaper, the Conservatives have held the seat consistently since 1924.

Advertisement

Prior to the formal announcement, a Lib Deb spokesperson said that Keegan became the first minister to lose tonight. The spokesperson attributed the defeat to the pollution problems in the constituency that it blamed on the Conservatives.

Chichester Harbour has been blighted by sewage pollution thanks to the Conservatives letting water companies off the hook. By electing Jess Brown-Fuller, Chichester now has a local champion who will stand up and fight to clean up our waterways and hold water companies accountable, said the spokesperson, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The Conservative Party is headed to a rout in the UK general elections. Exit polls have shown that the Labour Party is winning in a landslide as its projected to win over 400 of the 650 seats.
The Labour Party led by Sir Keir Starmer is headed to a landslide victory in the UK general elections as exit polls show it winning 410 of 650 seats read more

Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, is expected to be the next British Prime Minister. (Photo: AP)

From economy to healthcare and immigration, Sir Keir Starmer of the Labour Party, the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has task cut out for him.

Starmer is set to inherit an economy that has barely come out of recession and also faces the task of rebuilding the British healthcare apparatus that was stressed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The voters have high hopes  as is shown in the Labours mandate.

Advertisement

The Labour is headed to a landslide victory in the UK general elections as exit polls show it winning 410 of 650 seats. The Conservatives of Rishi Sunak are set to be reduced to 131 seats. This is the stark reversal from the previous elections in 2019 when the Conservatives dealt the Labour its worst defeat in nearly 90 years and reduced it to 203 and won 365.

Starmer has promised decade of national renewal ahead after ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Here is how Starmer is expected to go about delivering such a decade.

Starmers vision for economy

Despite accusations from the Conservatives that the Labour would hike taxes, Starmer has ruled out any hikes in income tax, national insurance welfare contributions, and value added tax (VAT). The AFP has, however, reported that senior party leaders have not ruled out hiking other tax which would be rather limited in scope but needed to boost public spending.

Starmer intends to bring windfall revenues from the elimination of tax breaks for non-domiciled UK residents, reducing tax avoidance, and the imposition of VAT on private school fees, according to the agency.

The Labour government is also expected to impose taxes on energy companies that would be used to fund green energy agenda.

Starmers course-correction for National Health Service

Once famed the world over, the British National Health Service (NHS) has been buckling in recent years amid strikes, budget crunch, and personnel shortages. The condition is such the waiting list of patients is more than 7 million.

Advertisement

The Labour has promised it would pay extra to staff to work in the evenings and on weekends and would use the spare capacity in private healthcare facilities to deliver 2 million more NHS appointments a year to clear backlog, according to AFP.

Starmers Labour has also promised to double the MRI and CT scanners under the NHS.

Crackdown on human smuggling & quick processing of asylums

Starmer has said that he would appoint special prosecutors to crack down on human smuggling networks that drive illegal immigration, as per the AFP.

Starmer has also said that he would quickly process asylum claims and clear the backlog. As for the rejected applicants, he said he would get them to safe countries.

Advertisement

Starmers green agenda

Starmer has proposed a Great British Energy plan with the dual objectives of insulating the UK from international energy shocks as seen from the Ukraine War in the past two years and meeting the UKs climate targets.

A Labour government will invest in homegrown clean power, cut bills, create jobs, and give us independence from dictators like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, paid for in part by a proper windfall tax on oil and gas giants, says the Labour Party.

Starmer has further set 2030 as the target from decarbonising the British electricity grid, as per AFP.

Starmer has also said that the Labour government would not clear any new oil or gas project in the North Sea.

Advertisement

Starmer to rework wages

Starmer has said he would rework the process of calculating the minimum wages by factoring in the cost-of-living.

The Labour government under Starmer will further make flexible working the default and ban zero-hour contracts under which employers are not obliged to provide any minimum working hours and the worker is not obliged to accept any work offered, as per the AFP.
Zahra Hajee, shown in Los Angeles, is a former aide to Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and Sen. Alex Padilla. She has accused the co-president of the Latinx Democratic Club, Kevin Ortiz, of sexual assault, and she is one of three women who received a cease-and-desist letter from Ortiz after a story ran in the San Francisco Standard about his friend Jon Jacobo, who was also accused of sexual assault and domestic violence. Jen Osborne/Special to the Chronicle

A woman has told San Francisco police that she was sexually assaulted on two occasions in 2021 by Kevin Ortiz, the co-president of the Latinx Democratic Club and a former staffer for Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

The Chronicle obtained the April police report from the woman, Zahra Hajee, a former aide to city Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla. The newspaper does not generally name alleged victims of sexual assault, but Hajee, who now lives in Los Angeles, agreed to be identified for this story.

Ortiz declined the Chronicles interview requests, but through an attorney, he denied the allegations and provided a reporter with text messages he says show that the two encounters were consensual.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The San Francisco Democratic Party is in the midst of a rare public conversation about sexual assaults and harassment in local political ranks. The party has created a special committee charged with combating sexual assault and harassment in the citys Democratic circles. The accusations against Ortiz, which were referenced in the San Francisco Standard in April but have not been detailed until now, at least temporarily cost him a seat on a local nonprofit board.

Hajee told police and the Chronicle that Ortiz sexually assaulted her during encounters at her apartment in March and April 2021, soon after they met.

In 2022, Hajee reported the alleged assaults to Pelosis office, the police report said. She told the Chronicle that she made the decision to file a police report after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Ortizs attorney on April 24.

Your false statements about Mr. Ortiz alleging sexual misconduct, which he categorically denies, are defamatory and actionable, said the letter from the Quadra & Coll LLP law firm.

If you do not cease and desist from any further defamatory statements, Mr. Ortiz will take legal action against you to recover damages you have wrongly caused to his reputation and employment.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

When she received the letter, Hajee said she knew she needed to speak out about her experience.

If Im going to continue to get bullied while being quiet, I might as well just speak up and have something on the record, Hajee said.

Ortizs attorney, James Quadra, said in a statement that Ortiz engaged only in consensual acts with Hajee. Quadra provided screenshots of text message exchanges in which Hajee, after the two incidents, repeatedly sought to get together with Ortiz, sometimes late at night, with Ortiz declining.

Kevin Ortiz, co-president of the Latinx Democratic Club and a former staffer for Rep. Nancy Pelosi, has denied allegations of sexual assault and provided a reporter with text messages he says show that two encounters in question were consensual. Juliana Yamada/The Chronicle 2023

Given the evidence in this matter, it appears that Ms. Hajees false allegations against Mr. Ortiz are motivated by the fact that he lost interest in developing a relationship, Quadra wrote.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Hajee, now 26, acknowledged she continued to pursue a relationship with Ortiz, 30, after each of the incidents, saying she was young and still processing what had happened to her.

The Chronicle also interviewed a second woman who received a cease-and-desist letter from Ortiz in April. The woman, who declined to be identified by name and has not filed a police report, said that in 2019, Ortiz repeatedly touched her sexually without her consent and after she told him she was too drunk to consent.

Quadra disputed that Ortiz assaulted the woman, saying that the two only kissed, consensually.

Ortizs attorney also said Hajee and the second woman were working in concert to defame Mr. Ortiz in an attempt to ruin his reputation because they are friends and run in the same circles.

Hajee and the woman said they did not know each other until Hajee reached out in 2022 to encourage the other woman to report Ortizs alleged misconduct to Pelosis office.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The woman spoke with Pelosis office shortly afterward and before Ortiz left his job there in 2022, according to text messages provided by Hajee. Both women said they were never told the results of the offices review of the case.

Quadra said Pelosis office questioned Ortiz. He said Ortiz received a letter from Pelosis office that said the text message history between Ortiz and Hajee was inconsistent with her allegations. Quadra declined to make the full letter available to the Chronicle for review. Pelosis office declined to comment for this story, citing the confidentiality of personnel matters.

Ortiz sent cease-and-desist letters to both women shortly after the Standard reported on sexual assault allegations against another city political insider, Jon Jacobo, the two women told the Chronicle. Ortiz and Jacobo run in the same political circles.

Ortiz also sent a cease-and-desist letter to Sasha Perigo, a Bay Area affordable housing advocate who has publicly accused Jacobo of raping her  an allegation Jacobo denies. Perigo had posted a message on X on April 24 stating she had been told Ortiz faced sexual assault accusations.

Perigo included a screenshot of a message in which an unidentified person wrote, yall, now can we hold the other community leaders like Kevin Ortiz accountable, who have literally been known and accused for this exact same thing?

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Quadra said Ortiz sent the letters because he reached the reasonable conclusion that Ms. Hajee had either authored the post or was spreading false information that led to the post. Hajee told the Chronicle she did not write the post.

The allegations

Hajee and Ortiz met in early 2021 when she worked in state Sen. Scott Wieners office as an aide and he worked in Pelosis office as a field representative and case worker, Hajee said in her statement to police and her interview with the Chronicle. She said the two connected through work and mutual friends, and first met in person after she invited him out on March 4, 2021. They met at Blondies Bar in the Mission District.

Hajee said she did not consider this a date, but wanted to get to know Ortiz, the police report states. According to her account, after about two hours of conversation and drinking alcohol, she decided to order an Uber to take her home. When it arrived, Ortiz suddenly jumped into the car, she said.

Hajee provided screenshots of text messages to the Chronicle that she said she also gave to police. While in the Uber, she texted a friend at 11:41 p.m., telling him she might be in a situation and asking him to stay awake because she was a little worried about Ortiz. She said she told her friend  who corroborated the conversation to the Chronicle in an interview  that if she used the word apricot it meant she was in distress.

Hajee told police that when the two arrived at her apartment, they went to the living room. Hajee recalled Ortiz asking, What do you want out of tonight? When Hajee responded that she didnt want to have sex, she said, Ortiz replied that you like to dot your Is and cross your Ts.

Hajee said that when she asked Ortiz how he wanted the night to go, he responded, Lets see where tonight takes us. She said Ortiz then followed her into her bedroom, though she said she does not recall inviting him.

Hajee texted her friend, who suggested she ask Ortiz to leave. But, she told police, she worried about how he would react. She said she lay in bed while Ortiz scooched next to her.

Over the next seven hours, she told police, Ortiz touched her breasts and put his hands in my pants while she repeatedly pushed his hands, arms and body away. Hajee said Ortiz penetrated her vagina with his finger and grinded against me, the report says.

Hajee messaged her friend apricot, apricot, apricot at 1:12 a.m. The friend did not respond. In the morning, Hajee told police, she pretended that everything was fine because she was fearful of what would happen next.

Quadra, Ortizs attorney, said in his statement that Hajee had invited Ortiz back to her home from the bar, and that Ortiz had agreed.

He said the two engaged in consensual kissing before falling asleep and that Ortiz neither sexually assaulted Hajee nor digitally penetrated her. Mr. Ortiz left in the morning after he cuddled with Ms. Hajee, the attorney wrote.

Hajee told police that she reached out to Ortiz via text two days later about a work-related issue. The two mutually agreed to hang out again on April 28, 2021, meeting at an establishment whose name Hajee couldnt recall, according to the police report.

Hajee said Ortiz continued to hand me drinks that I didnt want or pay for. She recalled being substantially drunk before she invited Ortiz back to my place to cuddle. She told police she confronted Ortiz about the earlier incident and told him he could come to her house but not like last time when I didnt want you in my house.

At Hajees home, Ortiz tried taking off my clothes; tried to kiss me, the report states, and groped and penetrated Hajee in the same acts with his hands as during the March incident. Hajee told police and the Chronicle she woke up feeling violated and vomited. She told police she didnt know what to do and regretfully accepted a hug from Ortiz before he left.

Quadra said Hajee had invited Ortiz out that night, and later had invited him to spend the night at her home. They again engaged in consensual kissing and also consensual fondling, the attorney wrote. They decided it was not the right time to have intercourse and then fell asleep.

Quadra provided screenshots of text messages showing that Hajee and Ortiz communicated regularly in between the two encounters and afterward. According to the text messages, Hajee on several occasions that May and June asked Ortiz to hang out, including late at night, sometimes asking him to get together to cuddle. In some messages, Hajee mentioned she had been drinking or was drunk.

Im sorry if Ive been making you feel like youre being used, Hajee texted on the afternoon of May 24. I reflected a bit and I dont want you to feel like youre just being used as a source of comfort when Im sad/drunk, when youre very much more than that to me! She asked Ortiz, Do you want to grab drinks tomorrow/Wed (and you can come over after if you want) LOL.

Ortiz did not respond until the next day, the text string shows.

Quadra said Ortiz felt uncomfortable with Hajees drinking and decided he did not want to pursue a romantic relationship with her. Quadra said Ortiz declined to meet Hajee on eight occasions.

Responding to Ortizs account of their relationship and to the screenshots provided by his attorney, Hajee told the Chronicle she was upset that Ortiz had resorted to a classic case of victim-blaming to explain away his actions and avoid responsibility. She said her relationship with Ortiz was complicated but that consent is simple  and on several vulnerable occasions, I did not consent.

Hajee said the reaction was a common trauma response from a sexual assault survivor.

Its important to remember that I was violated by someone I knew and considered a friend, Hajee said. The betrayal of trust by someone I thought I could rely on was really difficult to reconcile, and at the time  like many survivors  I blamed myself.

The fact that I maintained a relationship with him after several incidents of sexual assault does not diminish the reality that I was violated, she added.

Hajee and Ortiz met again on June 17, 2021. According to the police report, she recounted that they traveled with other people in the same car to the Slate karaoke bar in the Mission after attending a political fundraising event.

Hajee told police that after they arrived at the bar, she walked to a corner store. Ortiz followed her and she confronted him for the first time, telling him that you got handsy with me, I didnt like it and I want an apology. She said Ortiz responded, Im sorry you feel that way.

According to the police report, Hajee said Ortiz then told her that her behavior was performative and that she should be grateful that I treat you with respect, comments that upset her.

Hajee said another friend partially witnessed this encounter. The Chronicle interviewed the friend, who is named in the police report but spoke on condition of anonymity. The friend said Hajee was visibly uncomfortable and unusually quiet while riding to the bar and before entering the corner store, followed by Ortiz. The friend said he was worried and waited for her.

Hajee walked out of the store in tears, the friend said. About 15 minutes later, he said, Hajee entered the bar and Ortiz followed. The friend said Hajee asked him to position himself between her and Ortiz, which he did. The friend said Ortiz became intoxicated and soon left. What followed, he said, was an extraordinarily distressing conversation with a distraught Hajee, who stated she was uncomfortable with Ortiz because he had assaulted her.

According to an account provided by Quadra, his attorney, Ortiz  after riding in a car with Hajee to Slate bar  crossed the street to say hello to a friend who owns a business nearby. He said Ms. Hajee joined the conversation. As they were walking back, Ms. Hajee snapped at Mr. Ortiz, stating that he had used his body language to physically box her out of the conversation.

Quadra said that when Ortiz disagreed, Hajee appeared to become more upset and then referenced for the first time that she was uncomfortable about the night Mr. Ortiz had spent at her home on April 28, 2021. The argument became more heated when Mr. Ortiz challenged her statement, telling her that this was the first time he had ever heard that and then asked her why she kept reaching out to him. This caused Ms. Hajee to become even more upset and she stormed off.

About six months later, on Jan. 1, 2022, Hajee reported the alleged sexual assaults to Pelosis office by speaking with Dan Bernal, the former House speakers then-chief of staff, she told police and the Chronicle. She said that when she learned about the second womans allegations, she encouraged her to also talk to Pelosis office.

Both women said they had hours-long conversations with Bernal and current Chief of Staff Terri McCullough but never learned the results of any inquiry. Ortiz left Pelosis office in June 2022.

Quadra said Ortiz has never left any employment because of a finding that he engaged in sexual misconduct.

Aaron Bennett, a spokesperson for Pelosis office, said in a text message that as a matter of policy, our office does not comment on personnel matters.

DCCC forms committee

As of July, Ortiz continues to serve as co-president of the Latinx Democratic Club, according to its website. The clubs other co-president, Deldelp Medina, told the Chronicle that the club had neither received nor heard of any formal complaints against Ortiz.

The Chinatown Community Development Center, a nonprofit that operates affordable housing, told its staff in late April that Ortiz was placed on indefinite leave.

We have read the social media reports and honor the courage of anyone who comes forward. All allegations are serious and deserve a full and complete investigation, the board said in the April statement to its staff.

Contacted by the Chronicle on July 2, Lindsey Quock, co-chair of the Chinatown center board, said Ortiz had resigned on June 26 and added that the board is grateful for his service and stands behind its April statement.

Meanwhile, the governing body of the local Democratic party, the Democratic County Central Committee, or DCCC, announced the formation of a subcommittee charged with creating new standards of conduct for party clubs and members.

DCCC Co-Chairperson Nancy Tung said at the time she was forming the subcommittee because of the accusations against Jon Jacobo as well as a recent second allegation against a current president of a chartered Democratic club, whom she did not name.

At the committees first meeting on May 22, its chairperson, Lily Ho, said she wanted to ensure that the committee is not for nothing as it attempts to prevent potential misconduct.

We will be doing something about this, Ho said.

Still, some members of the party have criticized the fact that the committees inaugural members were all moderates recently elected to DCCC, and that in the past, some had defended politically powerful men accused of wrongdoing.

Michela Alioto-Pier, a former city supervisor, resigned from the committee a few days after it was created after critics resurfaced a letter of support she sent to the court on behalf of a powerful San Francisco political player who had been convicted of domestic violence.

Some committee members have received political donations and guidance from Jay Cheng, the executive director of the nonprofit Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, who as a college student 14 years ago was arrested but not charged after a former girlfriend accused him of sexual assault. Cheng has said he was falsely accused.

Hajee and the other woman who have accused Ortiz said they decided not to participate in the DCCC sexual assault committees first meeting because they felt uncomfortable with some committee members past conduct and affiliations.

Hajee said she was also concerned about comments that Ho, the committee chairperson, made to Mission Local in May. Ho said she had worked with Cheng over the years and had never once ever smelled any inappropriate behavior from him.

Ho told the Chronicle in a statement that the DCCC is taking important and groundbreaking actions to protect against sexual misconduct and sexual abuse.

She continued, We would hope that everyone would want to participate in this process to protect individuals from the abuses of the past.

Tung, the DCCC co-chairperson, said the special committee will not investigate specific allegations of sexual misconduct. Asked about the womens concerns about working with the committee, she said that if people dont feel like the process is exactly what they want it to be and refuse to participate, thats agency that every survivor should have.

The second woman who spoke to the Chronicle called the committee inappropriate.

Im not interested in participating in a committee designed with self-aggrandizement first and  the political advancement of its own committee members, she said. Theres a lot of opportunities for the committee to do something helpful, but theyre trying to make themselves look as good as possible.

Hajee said that, in the future, she might be open to participating.
From suffering the worst defeat in nearly 90 years in 2019, the Labour Party is now headed to a landslide victory as its projected to win over 400 seats read more

Keir Starmer is not your regular politician.

For once, Starmer was first elected to the parliament just nine years ago. He is not career politician. He is a lawyer who made his name pursuing human rights cases and as a public prosecutor.

The unlikely politician has turned around the fortunes of the Labour. From suffering the worst defeat in nearly 90 years under previous leader Jeremy Corbyns leadership, Starmer has now led the Labour to a landslide victory. Exit polls say the Labour could win more than 400 of the 650 seats.

Advertisement

At 61, Starmer will be the oldest man to be the British prime minister in decades.

More pragmatic than an idealogue

Starmers politics is defined by pragmatism instead of blind ideological commitment.

Instead of typical leftist ideological agenda, Starmers electoral platform brought together pragmatism with leftist values. He has said his Labour government would be business friendly. At the same time, he has said he would pursue a green agenda and double down on British climate goals and stop fossil fuel projects in the North Sea.

Starmer purged the left-wing of his party and brought it to the centre to make it much more acceptable to the masses. In doing so, he did ruffle some feathers as his stance on the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel miffed some supporters of the party. He has also stood against the rising antisemitism in the UK in the wake of the attack on Israel and also addressed the antisemitism within the Labour Party that was deemed a big problem under radical leader Corbyn.

During the campaign, Starmer said the British politics must return to being a service and said he would put the country first and the party second. The messaging appears to have worked as the Labour under him has routed the Conservatives after 14 years of rule.

Critics, however, have said that Starmer does not have a clear plan to set the country straight. They have also criticised him as an opportunist who has changed his stance on issues over time.

Advertisement

Most working-class Labour leader

Starmer is the most working-class British Labour leader in a long time. He has often invoked these credentials as he has stressed in the campaign that he is the son of a toolmaker father and a nurse mother.

Starmers critics, however, have flagged that he is a career lawyer and, as he has been knighted, is very much a part of the Londons elite club as any other aristocrat or establishment politician.

From an ace lawyer to a knight

A knight, a top lawyer, and a leader of the winning party, but Starmer still lacks the charisma that Boris Johnson or Tony Blair once had or the young-blood charm that Rishi Sunak brought to office.

Advertisement

Instead, Starmer brings a controversy-free face and a pragmatic approach to the table that the voters have counted on to set the country straight.

As a lawyer, Starmer worked on leftist causes, defending trade unions, anti-McDonalds activists and death row inmates abroad, according to AFP.

Starmer has also worked with human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.

It was in 2003 that he shocked friends and colleagues by taking up a government position. As a government lawyer, he made sure that Northern Ireland complied with human rights legislation, according to the agency.

In 2008, Starmer was appointed the chief of public prosecutions for England and Wales under Labours Gordon Browns prime ministership.

Advertisement

During 2008-2013, Starmer oversaw the prosecution of MPs for abusing their expenses, journalists for phone-hacking, and young rioters involved in unrest across England, according to the agency.

In 2015, Starmer was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Even though he is a knight and is publicly addressed as sir, he barely uses the title.
The Labour Party is set to win a landslide victory in the 2024 UK general elections as it is projected to win more than 400 of the 650 seats read more

The UK election results have started trickling in and are in line with the exit polls projections. The Labour Party appears set to drive the Conservatives out of power with a majority not seen in decades.

Of the five seats declared so far, the Labour has won all of them. While the Labour has held four that it won in 2019, it has wrested one from the Conservative Party of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Advertisement

Here are the five seats that have so far been declared and have been won by the Labour.

Sunderland Central

Swindon South

Blyth and Ashington

Houghton and Sunderland South

Washington and Gateshead South

While the Labour has held Washington and Gateshead South, Sunderland Central, Blyth and Ashington, and Houghton and Sunderland South that the party won in 2019, it wrested the seat of Swindon South from the Conservative Party.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, is set to the next PM of UK as the party is projected to win the British elections.
The hard-right party Reform UK is understood to have considerably eaten into the vote-share of the Conservative Party and harmed its prospects read more

The hard-right Reform UK party has predicted that party leader Nigel Farage will the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the next elections.

In the 2024 UK general elections, the Reform UK is set to win up to 13 seats, according to exit polls.

The Reform UK is understood to have considerably eaten into the vote-share of the Conservative Party and harmed its prospects.

In an interview with Sky News, Reform UKs Deputy Leader David Bull said that it was extraordinary for a four-year-old party to win 13 seats when its pitched against the Conservatives and the Labour Party who are over 100-years-old.

Advertisement

When asked when the Reform UK could catch up with the Conservatives, Bull said it would be in power in five years.

Bull said, We are going to do it in five years. In 2029, you will see Nigel as Prime Minister.

"2029, you'll see Nigel [Farage] as prime minister."



Reform UK's deputy leader @drdavidbull speaks to Sky News following release of the exit poll.



Latest: https://t.co/xItZsH7tea



 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/JH0mWoxQvO  Sky News (@SkyNews) July 5, 2024

Bull further said, A couple of weeks ago, if you would have said wed get three seats, Id be ecstatic. To get 13 seats is extraordinary.

Bull further said that the Conservatives are destroyed and that the party will no more going forward.

The Rishi Sunak-led Conservatives are headed to a rout as they faced a double whammy. While Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party made gains, the Reform UK also chipped away the partys vote-share. Exit polls have shown that the Labour is headed to a landslide victory with over 400 of 650 seats and the Conservatives could be reduced to as few as 131 seats.
The military said Israeli soldiers had encircled a building where terrorists have barricaded themselves in and the soldiers had exchanged fire with those inside, while an airstrike had struck several armed terrorists in the area read more

The Palestinian Health Ministry said a total of seven people had been killed, but did not specify whether they died in the exchange of fire or the airstrike. The Islamic Jihad militant group named four of the dead as its members Image Courtesy AP

Seven Palestinians have been killed, according to Palestinian authorities, in an Israeli military operation that took place on Friday near the West Bank city of Jenin. The Israeli military claimed to have been conducting counterterrorism activity in the region, which included an airstrike.

According to the military, while an airstrike struck several armed terrorists nearby, Israeli soldiers encircled a building where terrorists have barricaded themselves in and engaged in gunfire with those inside.

Advertisement

The Palestinian Health Ministry said a total of seven people had been killed, but did not specify whether they died in the exchange of fire or the airstrike. The Islamic Jihad militant group named four of the dead as its members.

The clashes in Jenin, a known militant stronghold where the army frequently operates, came a day after an Israeli anti-settlement monitoring group said the government plans to build nearly 5,300 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The construction plans revealed by the Peace Now group are part of the hard-line governments efforts to beef up settlements as part of a strategy of cementing Israels control over the West Bank to prevent a future Palestinian state. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza  areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war  for an independent state.

Violence has spiraled in the West Bank since the start of Israels war in Gaza, sparked by the Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel by Hamas militants who killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took more than 200 others as hostages. The Palestinian Health Ministry says over 500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the start of the war. Most have been killed during Israeli raids and violent protests. The dead also include bystanders and Palestinians killed in attacks by Jewish settlers.

In Gaza, the war has so far killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, Gazas Health Ministry says. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its count, but it includes thousands of women and children.

Cease-fire talks appeared to be reviving after stalling for weeks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said Thursday he was sending negotiators to resume the talks, a day after Hamas handed mediators its latest response to a U.S.-backed proposal for a deal.

Advertisement

The revival of negotiations appeared to mark another attempt by U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators to overcome the gap that has repeatedly thwarted a deal over the past months. Hamas wants an agreement that ensures Israeli troops fully leave Gaza and the war ends, while Netanyahu says the war cannot end before Hamas is eliminated.

Israeli negotiators are expected to arrive in Doha, Qatars capital, for the talks as early as Friday, with American, Egyptian and Qatari officials present.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday makes his first visit to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, walking a fine line between maintaining a longstanding Moscow alliance while courting closer Western security ties read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday makes his first visit to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, walking a fine line between maintaining a longstanding Moscow alliance while courting closer Western security ties.

Russia is a key supplier of cut-price oil and weapons to India, but its isolation from the West and growing friendship with China have impacted its time-honoured partnership with New Delhi.

The United States and its Western allies have in recent years cultivated ties with India as a bulwark against Beijing and its growing influence in the Asia-Pacific, while also pressuring it to distance itself from Russia.

Advertisement

Modi, who returned to power last month as leader of the worlds most populous country, last visited Russia in 2019 and hosted President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi two years later, weeks before the invasion.

Russias war in Ukraine has transformed ties with India, said Swasti Rao, from a think tank funded by Indias defence ministry, the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

There is no decline in goodwill between India and Russia per se, she said. But there are challenges that have cropped up.

These are external factors, which have been strong enough to bring in a paradigm shift in India-Russia bilateral issues, she added.

Nandan Unnikrishnan of the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation said the upcoming in-person meeting showed the two sides were looking for ways forward.

There have been pressures on India, and there have been pressures on the India-Russia relationship, Unnikrishnan said.

Face-to-face interactions help in working out positions, he added. Im sure Mr Modi would like an assessment from Putin on the Ukraine war.

Ship has sailed

New Delhi has shied away from explicit condemnation of Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and has abstained on United Nations resolutions censuring Moscow.

Advertisement

But Russias war in Ukraine has also had a human cost for India.

New Delhi said in February it was pushing Russia to release some of its citizens who had signed up for support jobs with the Russian military, following reports some were killed after being forced to fight in Ukraine.

Moscows deepening ties with Beijing have also raised concerns for New Delhi.

China and India, the worlds two most populous nations, are intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia.

India is part of the Quad grouping with the United States, Japan and Australia that positions itself against Chinas growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.

Advertisement

The United States and the European Union accuse China of selling components and equipment that have strengthened Russias military industry  allegations Beijing strenuously denies.

That leaves India with a dilemma.

Their relationship has to evolve, said Rao.

Some say India should strongly engage with Russia so it doesnt fall into the lap of China, said Rao. Others would say, that ship has sailed.

New Delhi and Moscow have forged a tight relationship since the Cold War, and Russia was for a long time Indias biggest arms supplier.

But Ukraine has stretched Russias arms supplies, and India is eyeing other sources  including growing its own defence industry.

Advertisement

Russias share of Indian imports of weapons has shrunk considerably in recent years, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

It dropped from 76 percent in 2009-13 to 36 percent in 2019-23, SIPRI said, noting France is now a close second, providing 33 percent.

India has instead looked to Western suppliers, most notably France and the USA, and its own arms industry, SIPRI said, adding that its arms procurement plans seemingly do not include any Russian options.

Arms down, oil up

Rao said the Ukraine war had accelerated Indias push to diversify its defence purchases.

The Ukraine war has become one of grinding attrition, she said.

Advertisement

There are genuine concerns about Russias export capabilities, and its focus and priorities.

At the same time, India has also become a major buyer of discounted Russian oil, providing a much-needed export market for Moscow after it was cut off from traditional buyers in Europe.

That has dramatically reshaped energy ties, with India saving itself billions of dollars while bolstering Moscows war coffers.

Indias month-on-month imports of Russian crude increased by eight percent in May, to the highest levels since July 2023, according to commodity tracking data compiled by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Russian crude comprised 41 percent of Indias total crude imports in May, and with new agreements in place to conduct payments in rubles, the trade might grow significantly, the research centre said.

But this has also resulted in Indias trade deficit with Russia rising to a little over $57 billion in the past financial year.

From Moscow, Modi will travel to Vienna for the first visit to the Austrian capital by an Indian leader since Indira Gandhi in 1983.
According to Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish charity, more than 5,000 migrants died while trying to reach Spain by sea in the first five months of this year, or the equivalent of 33 deaths per day read more

Nearly 90 migrants bound for Europe perished when their boat capsized earlier this week off the coast of Mauritania, the state news agency and a local official said Thursday, while dozens more remain missing.

The Mauritanian coast guard recovered the bodies of 89 people aboard a large traditional fishing boat that capsized on Monday July 1 on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean about four kilometres from the countrys southwest city of Ndiago, the state news agency said.

Advertisement

The coastguard rescued nine people, including a five-year-old girl, it said.

The agency quoted survivors saying that the boat had set sail from the border of Senegal and Gambia with 170 passengers on board, bringing the number of missing to 72.

A senior local government official gave AFP similar information, on condition of anonymity.

The Atlantic route is particularly dangerous due to strong currents, with migrants travelling in overloaded, often unseaworthy, boats without enough drinking water.

But it has grown in popularity due to increased vigilance in the Mediterranean.

The number of migrants landing at Spains Canary Islands in 2023 more than doubled in one year to a record 39,910, according to the Spanish government.

Off the coast of North Africa, Spains Canary Islands lie 100 kilometres away at their closest point.

But many boats  often long wooden vessels known as pirogues  leave from much further away, setting sail from Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal.

More than 5,000 migrants died while trying to reach Spain by sea in the first five months of this year, or the equivalent of 33 deaths per day, according to Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish charity.

That is the highest daily number of deaths since it began collating figures in 2007, and the vast majority were on the Atlantic route.
There was broad agreement that Biden cannot afford to have another bad day, which is how he wrote off his debate flop. It was not clear that even a so-so performance would be enough to satisfy concerns about his fitness to serve. read more

President Joe Biden waits for the start of the Independence Day firework display over the National Mall from the balcony of the White House, Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Washington. Photo- AP

President Joe Biden is fighting to save his endangered reelection effort Friday as he holds a rally and sits down for a network television interview in a pivotal battleground state, with his every answer sure to be scrutinized for evidence of his competency and fitness to run for office.

It could be a watershed moment for Biden, who is under pressure to bow out of the campaign after his disastrous debate performance against Republican Donald Trump ignited concern that the 81-year-old Democrat is not up for the job for another four years.

Advertisement

The interview with ABCs George Stephanopoulos, being taped after a campaign rally in Madison, Wisconsin, is expected to be intensive and probing, and two people familiar with the presidents efforts said he had been preparing aggressively. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.

There was broad agreement that Biden cannot afford to have another bad day, which is how he wrote off his debate flop. It was not clear that even a so-so performance would be enough to satisfy concerns about his fitness to serve.

While private angst among Democratic lawmakers, donors and strategists is running deep after Bidens damaging debate performance, most in the party have held public fire as they wait to see if the president can restore some confidence with his weekend travel schedule and his handling of the Stephanopoulos interview. It will air in full on ABC on Friday night.

Bidens reelection campaign is pushing ahead with aggressive plans despite the uncertainty. It plans to pair his in-person events with a fresh $50 million ad campaign this month meant to capitalize on high viewership moments like the Summer Olympics that begin in Paris on July 26.

Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff are scheduled to travel to every battleground state this month, while organizers are planning to knock on more than 3 million doors in July and August to do personal outreach to voters in a new $17 million effort.

Advertisement

Biden himself is scheduled to campaign in Pennsylvania on Sunday.

Biden was initially scheduled to speak before the National Education Association in Philadelphia on Sunday, but the campaign called off the plans following the groups strike announced Friday. The president will not cross a picket line, the campaign said. He will still be in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Biden will also travel to southwestern states, including Nevada, after hosting the NATO summit in Washington next week, the campaign said Friday. Hell also continue to focus his travel on the so-called blue wall states - Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan  that have been critical for him in the past.

Advertisement

In a strategy memo released Friday morning, the campaign also specifically emphasized that Biden would participate in frequent off-the-cuff moments - once a hallmark of the gregarious, glad-handling politicians career that have nonetheless dwindled throughout his presidency.

For Biden, every moment now is critical to restoring the lost confidence stemming from his shaky performance in Atlanta last week. Yet the president continued to make slipups that did not help that effort.

During an interview with WURD radio in Philadelphia that aired Thursday, Biden tripped up and said Im proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, the first Black woman to serve with a Black president  scrambling some of his often-used lines about his pride in serving with the first Black president and choosing the first Black woman to be vice president.

Advertisement

Such verbal glitches are not out of the ordinary for Biden but are getting magnified attention in this environment.

In a hastily organized gathering with more than 20 Democratic governors Wednesday evening, Biden acknowledged that he needs to get more sleep and limit evening events so he can be rested for the job, according to three people granted anonymity to speak about the private meeting. California Gov. Gavin Newsom later told reporters in Holland, Michigan, that Bidens remark about limiting events after 8 p.m. was said in jest, noting that he said it with a smile on his face.

Newsom said no one in the room was sugar-coating the reality of last weeks debate.

Advertisement

You watched the physiology. You saw everything about it. It was the breathing, it was the physical, the whole thing, Newsom said at a subsequent event in Holland.

He said Biden asked all the governors for advice, and he told the president to focus more on discussing the future.

Its one thing to talk about the past. Its one thing to talk about the list of accomplishments, but whats the compelling vision? What are we fighting for? Whats this election all about?" he said.

There are signs that key groups are already staking out positions on who should succeed Biden as the Democratic nominee.

Glynda C. Carr, CEO of the Higher Heights for America PAC, which supports Black women candidates, said that Harris should lead the ticket if Biden steps down, saying anyone else would be yet another example of the ongoing dismissal of Black womens leadership in the national narrative.

To put it plainly, Vice President Harris shouldnt appear on a list of potential replacements  Kamala Harris is the only successor, Carr said.

Biden is expected to use his rally in Madison to tick through his favorite talking points as he works to defeat Trump, touching on safeguarding democracy, the economy, and our rights and freedoms, according to his campaign.

Wisconsin officials including Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan and the state party chair, Ben Wikler, will speak. Notably, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is running for reelection in one of the more critical races for Senate control this year, will be elsewhere.
Xi arrived overnight from Kazakhstan following a gathering of leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), during which he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged the bloc to resist external interference read more

Chinese President Xi Jinping was in neighbouring Tajikistan on Friday for a visit aimed at boosting ties, state media reported.

Xi arrived overnight from Kazakhstan following a gathering of leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), during which he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged the bloc to resist external interference.

A report by state news agency Xinhua from the Tajik capital Dushanbe said Xi had vowed to take China-Tajikistan all-round cooperation to a higher level.

Advertisement

In a written statement published as he arrived in Tajikistan, Xi said he would hold talks with President Emomali Rahmon and expected the pair to make new plans and arrangements for boosting ties and hold an in-depth exchange of views on the current international and regional situation.

On Thursday in the Kazakh capital Astana, Xi told SCO leaders: We should join hands to resist external interference, firmly support each other, take care of each others concerns and firmly control the future and destiny of our countries and regional peace and development in our own hands.

The SCO was founded in 2001 but has come to prominence in recent years. Alongside China, Russia and Belarus, its full members are: India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

It is of vital importance to the world that the SCO be on the right side of history and on the side of fairness and justice, Xi added.

Rahmon held a welcome ceremony for Xi at Dushanbes airport, where more than 1,500 young Tajiks dressed in national costumes performed Chinese and Tajik songs and dances.

Xi has previously visited Tajikistan in 2014 and 2019.
The 51-year-old Labour politician and lawyer, who has been a vocal advocate of strong bilateral ties with India and referred to external affairs minister Dr S. Jaishankar as a friend, told India Global Forum in London last week that he intends to visit India within the first month of office. read more

DDavid Lammy arrives at 10 Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Photo- Reuters

New Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday appointed David Lammy as Britains new foreign minister.

The 51-year-old Labour politician and lawyer, who has been a vocal advocate of strong bilateral ties with India and referred to external affairs minister Dr S. Jaishankar as a friend, told India Global Forum in London last week that he intends to visit India within the first month of office if his party is elected to govern in Thursdays polls.

Advertisement

The centre-left Labour Party won a landslide victory in Thursdays parliamentary election, ending 14 years of Conservative government and vowing to bring change to Britain.

While the six initial priorities promised in its election manifesto focussed on domestic matters, a long list of international issues awaits Lammy in his in-tray.

Look forward to continuing our engagement and strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Dr Jaishankar posted on X, in his congratulatory message.

Congratulations to @DavidLammy on being appointed Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom.



Look forward to continuing our engagement and strengthen the   Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 5, 2024

In his post after being appointed to one of the highest offices in the UK government, Lammy said: It is the honour of my life to be appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.The world faces huge challenges, but we will navigate them with the UKs enormous strengths. We will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity at home.

Last week, referring to the missed Diwali 2022 deadline set by former prime minister Boris Johnson for the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA), he pointed out that many Diwalis have come and gone without a trade deal and too many businesses have been left waiting".

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.

Advertisement

Describing India as a priority for the party and an economic, technological and cultural superpower, Lammy had sought to set the tone for his future tenure in a Labour-led Cabinet as foreign secretary.

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, he said.

From a wider foreign policy perspective, Lammy stressed on a free and open Indo-Pacific working in partnership with India.We stand for a rules-based order and against those who wish to redraw borders by force with a new form of imperialism, like [Russian President] Mr Putin in Europe; and those in Asia who wish to impose their will on their neighbours denying them free choices, he said.

Advertisement

Europe and Asia are not two separate worlds In this challenging environment, Britain will remain and seek to ramp up the security partnership with India - from military to maritime security, from cyber to critical and emerging technologies, from defence and industrial cooperation to supply chain security, Lammy added.

Earlier this year, when he launched the Labour Indians diaspora outreach organisation in the Parliament complex, Lammy had first committed that his party will finish the job of an FTA with India, which aims to enhance the GBP 38.1 billion bilateral partnership but is stalled in the 14th round of negotiations.

We also wanted to take the message across that we see the trade agreement as the floor, not the ceiling in the relationship with India because theres a lot more we can do across all areas, he said.

Advertisement

With inputs from agencies.
Nigel Farages Reform UK defies expectations, looking set to secure at least 13 parliamentary seats in exit polls and emerging as a significant force in British politics. The partys success marks a historic shift, challenging traditional party dynamics and signalling a growing anti-establishment movement read more

The insurgent party of the United Kingdom is finally emerging. Despite a decisive Labour victory, Nigel Farages Reform UK has emerged as a notable story of the UK election. Reform UK, the right-wing successor to the Brexit Party and the UK Independence Party (UKIP), both previously led by Farage, has made significant inroads, despite its predecessors lack of parliamentary success.

For the first time, Reform UK is projected to secure at least 13 seats in Parliament, a remarkable shift given that UKIP and the Brexit Party never managed to gain any seats in general elections. Initial results from key constituencies such as Houghton and Sunderland South, Sunderland Central, and Blyth and Ashington showed Reform UK finishing second to Labour, surpassing the Conservatives.

Advertisement

Nigel Farage, eighth time lucky

Nigel Farage himself became an MP in his eighth attempt, contesting in Clacton, south-east England. After exit polls indicate a Labour landslide and a surge in Reform UK partys votes and seats, Farage described it as the revolt against the establishment.

He won the Clacton seat by polling 21,225 votes and securing a majority of 8,405 over his Conservative rival Giles Watling.

David Bull, a prominent figure in Reform UK, described the exit poll projections as a historic moment. Bull told the BBC, We are an insurgent party, this has come out of nowhere. The shy Reformers [are] coming out in droves. Thirteen seats is extraordinary."

Amid controversy and racial slur

The campaign, however, has not been without controversy. Some candidates and activists from Reform UK have made offensive remarks, with one canvasser recorded using a racial slur to describe Rishi Sunak. Despite this, the partys unexpected success has brought it into the limelight.

Farage, a key figure in the Brexit movement, celebrated the exit poll results, declaring that they signified a major shift.

Reform UK, which he rebranded from the Brexit Party in 2018, is predicted to win 13 seats, marking an unprecedented achievement for a far-right party in Britain. This, folks, is huge, Farage proclaimed in a social media video. The revolt against the establishment is underway."

Advertisement

A surge at the cost of Sunaks party

Farages success in Clacton and Reform UKs performance overall signal a significant moment in British politics. Millions of former Conservative voters appear to have shifted their support to Reform UK, leading to what could be the Conservatives worst result in nearly two centuries. The Conservatives, who have been in power since 2010, now face a period of intense reflection and potential restructuring.

Emphasising the long-term vision of the party, David Bull told Sky News, This is the beginning of a big movement. Its also a five-year plan. If we can go from nothing four years ago to winning 13 seats, imagine what we can do in five years time."

Advertisement

His statement underscores the partys ambition and strategic approach to establishing a lasting presence in British politics.

Why Farages electoral rise matters

Farage, who has a long history of electoral campaigning and played a prominent role in the Brexit referendum, initially ruled himself out of this election before deciding to stand. His entry into the race dramatically reinvigorated Reform UK and caused a surge in support, posing a significant challenge to the Conservative Party.

Political analysts in the UK are closely monitoring Farages progress as he may use his new-found parliamentary platform to further his anti-establishment and populist agenda, potentially reshaping the political landscape of the country.

Advertisement

Chris Hopkins, a researcher at pollster Savanta, told AFP, If this exit poll is right, this feels like Nigel Farages dream scenario  hell be rubbing his hands with glee. Hes got enough MPs to make a racket in Westminster, and the party he shares the closest political space with could be reduced to a long period of soul-searching."

Nigel Farage, a global right story?

Farages strategy and the success of Reform UK resonate with broader trends in global politics, where hard-right parties and politicians are gaining traction. His rise makes the UK one more country where nationalists are seeing a surge.

Farage, seen as one of Britains most effective communicators and campaigners, has capitalised on this momentum. A privately educated son of a stockbroker, he has maintained a high profile, including his association with former US President Donald Trump.

Advertisement

The potential for 60-year-old Farage to achieve his long-term aim of influencing or even taking over the Conservative Party is now more conceivable than ever. His success in Clacton could serve as a launchpad for broader political ambitions, providing a platform to advocate for his staunchly anti-establishment populist messaging.

The developments in this election highlight a pivotal moment in British politics, where traditional party allegiances are being challenged, and new movements are gaining ground. As Reform UK continues to build its presence, the political dynamics in the UK are set to undergo significant changes, with Farage at the forefront of this transformation. He calls it the revolt against the establishment.
Real estate agent Amy Robeson says she has had mixed experiences with artificial intelligence in the property business. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

The data-intensive real estate business seems like an ideal candidate for big changes brought about by artificial intelligence. Smart software could chew through local market trends to spot buying and selling opportunities, pick the best price for a property, and even offer clients the chance to nab their dream homes as easily as they rattle off a wish list of attributes.

At least, thats the promise.

Real estate map: Home prices in every Bay Area city and ZIP code

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Online property giant Zillow is already talking up its plans to use AI to put the right properties in front of customers at the right time while automating away the boring parts of the process, such as booking viewings. Rival Redfin also uses AI for everything from querying a listing to virtually redecorating properties online.

But so far, many uses of AI in real estate  like being able to digitally repaint the walls of a home in different colors  are more whiz-bang than breakthrough. And sometimes software doesnt work as well as good old-fashioned human agents.

Amy Robeson, a real estate agent with Vanguard Properties who focuses on the East Bay, has had to wrangle with Zillows sometimes recalcitrant AI technology. Listing a home in Oaklands Montclair hills, she noted that the property, like many others nearby, had started out as a small cabin decades ago but now included two extensive additions.

Zillows technology read the marketing copy and mistakenly listed the property as a cabin. Eventually, said Robesons colleague Dana Jongewaard, they had to remove the word cabin entirely. On top of that, there was no one to report it to that we could find, Jongewaard said.

Still, Zillows emerging AI has the potential to improve the exchange of information between clients and agents, which is the overarching goal. Its all about making humans more efficient, said Nick Stevens, the companys vice president of product for AI.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

One key AI-powered feature lets users describe in the Zillow app the kind of home they are looking for with natural language, from location to the types of countertops and appliances, Stevens said. The company takes that information, and other data it has about a peoples preferences based on their saved properties and previous searches, to offer suggestions more likely to catch a buyers fancy.

Redfin is also embracing AI with a feature that lets customers ask questions about a listing and get fluent responses, said Ariel Dos Santos, the companys vice president of product and design. One of the companys tools allows users to redesign a room in a particular style, or paint it a different color using AI-powered technology. We get a tremendous amount of engagement with the bot and people returning to the site multiple times, Dos Santos said.

Its not about cutting the people out of the equation, said Zillows Stevens. Rather, the AI provides agents as much information as possible ahead of time about what a person is looking for to make a speedier match.

Yet Vanguard agent Robeson cautions that such capabilities dont always work in the Bay Area market, which has a lot of older properties, and can result in buyers missing out on the right house. For instance, a client looking for hardwood floors might not be served houses with hardwood floors hidden under carpeting.

Engaging buyers and offering them choices is relatively safe territory for AI today. But overreliance on the nascent technology can produce costly problems, as Zillow learned in 2021. For a feature called Zillow Offers, the company used AI not only to generate its Zestimates price estimates but also to generate initial offers from Zillow to buy some properties from sellers. That resulted in the company picking up homes for prices too high for it to profitably recover via later sales.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

The companys stock swooned and it announced plans to lay off 25% of its staff, or about 2,000 people. More recently, a San Francisco real estate firm called Avenue 8 shut down its brokerage services and laid off staff to focus solely on software. Avenue 8 says it will produce an AI app to simplify buying and selling for consumers and agents, including showing people homes they are more likely to want.

Still, that falls short of AIs potential to dramatically alter property sales. Venture capitalist Mike Jones, who works for investment firm Science and splits his time between Colorado and Southern California, sees many more opportunities.

He experienced frustration dealing with Zillow this summer when trying to schedule a tour of a Los Angeles property he had his eye on.

What Jones said he really wants is access to the mountains of information companies such as Zillow and Redfin have in their databases to determine when is the best time to buy a house, or what the best mortgage option is.

Jones is no stranger to technology or real estate, having bought and sold properties before. He said that if an app were good enough to track his interest in a certain neighborhood and pair that with the data to alert him to a price dip, it would make it easier to seal the deal.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad
Multiple MPs of Bangladeshi descent were re-elected to continue their roles as representatives in Parliament, all representing the Labour Party read more

In the UKs recent general election, multiple MPs of Bangladeshi descent were re-elected to continue their roles as representatives in Parliament, all representing the Labour Party.

According to The Dhaka Tribune, these re-elections underscore the ongoing influence and strong representation of the Bangladeshi community in UK politics.

Members of Bangladeshi origin have made significant contributions to the British Parliament, enriching its diversity and representing a broad spectrum of constituencies. Their presence underscores the growing influence of the Bangladeshi community in British politics. These MPs bring unique perspectives shaped by their heritage, addressing issues ranging from social justice and immigration to economic opportunities and cultural integration. Their achievements reflect a commitment to serving their constituents while contributing to the inclusive fabric of British democracy. Collectively, they embody the success of diversity in Parliament and continue inspiring future generations within the Bangladeshi community and broader society.

Advertisement

Rushanara Ali

Rushanara Ali has been re-elected in Bethnal Green and Bow, receiving 34.1 per cent of the vote. Ali, a Labour Party member, has held her seat since 2010, demonstrating a strong and consistent presence in her constituency. Over the years, Ali has been a vocal advocate for social justice, education and economic reform. Her re-election reinforces her dedication to addressing local issues such as housing, healthcare and employment opportunities. Alis tenure has been marked by her efforts to improve community relations and support for the diverse population of Bethnal Green and Bow.

Rupa Huq

Rupa Huq, representing Ealing Central and Acton, secured 46.8 per cent of the vote, reflecting her continued popularity and effectiveness as a Member of Parliament. Since first being elected in 2015, Huq has focused on various issues including education, housing and womens rights. She has been particularly active in campaigns against airport expansion and for better mental health services. Huqs background as a sociology lecturer informs her approach to policymaking, emphasising evidence-based solutions and social equality.

Tulip Siddiq

Tulip Siddiq won re-election in Hampstead and Kilburn with 48.3 per cent of the vote, solidifying her position as a respected and influential MP since 2015. Siddiq has been a strong advocate for early childhood education, affordable housing, and the rights of refugees. Her work on the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration highlights her commitment to fostering cohesive communities. Siddiqs re-election underscores her constituents trust in her ability to represent their interests and address their challenges.

Apsana Begum

Apsana Begum was re-elected in Poplar and Limehouse with 43.1 per cent of the vote. First elected in 2019, Begum has quickly established herself as a prominent voice for social housing, workers rights, and combating austerity. Her experiences growing up in Tower Hamlets influenced her passionate advocacy for marginalised communities. Begums re-election reflects her constituents appreciation of her efforts to tackle systemic inequalities and her dedication to improving the quality of life in her constituency.
Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to @Keir_Starmer on the remarkable victory in the UK general elections. I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity, PM Modi posted on X read more

Britain's Labour Party leader Keir Starmer celebrates with his wife Victoria after the party secured a massive win in the elections. A busy 24 hours now await Starmer. Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday joined other world leaders in congratulating Keir Starmer for thumping general election win in the UK, which ended 14 years of Conservative party rule in the country.

Taking to X, PM Modi said that he looks forward to strengthen the India-UK partnership in all areas.

Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to @Keir_Starmer on the remarkable victory in the UK general elections. I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 5, 2024

Advertisement

Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to @Keir_Starmer on the remarkable victory in the UK general elections. I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity, the PM posted on X.

Prime Minister Modi also thanked outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his active contribution to deepen the ties between India and the UK.

Thank you @RishiSunak for your admirable leadership of the UK, and your active contribution to deepen the ties between India and the UK during your term in office. Best wishes to you and your family for the future, PM added.

According to a Guardian report, while the world leaders were all praise for Starmer, they also reminded him of the complex global challenges he will have to navigate as prime minister.

Taking to X_,_ Israels president, Isaac Herzog said he looked forward to cooperating with the new British government as the war in Gaza continues.

Advertisement

I send my warmest congratulations to @Keir_Starmer. As he prepares to enter Downing Street as Prime Minister, I look forward to working together with him and his new government to bring our hostages home, to build a better future for the region, and to deepen the close friendship between Israel and the United Kingdom, he wrote.

I send my warmest congratulations to @Keir_Starmer. As he prepares to enter Downing Street as Prime Minister, I look forward to working together with him and his new government to bring our hostages home, to build a better future for the region, and to deepen the close friendship    Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) July 5, 2024

Advertisement

I also express my deepest appreciation and gratitude to outgoing Prime Minister @RishiSunak for his leadership and for standing with the Israeli people especially during this most difficult period, he further added.

Congratulating Starmer on his convincing win, Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country and the UK would continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin.

Advertisement

Congratulations to @Keir_Starmer and @UKLabour on their convincing election victory.



Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin. We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) July 5, 2024

Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin. We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order. I wish the incoming government every success both in domestic affairs and in solidifying the UKs leadership on the world stage, he posted on X.

Advertisement

He said he looks forward to working closely together on strengthening the Ukraine-UK partnership and restoring international peace and security.

Zelenskyy also made a point of thanking Sunak for helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia.

I am grateful to my good friend @RishiSunak for the UK government's steadfast support under his leadership. Challenger tanks, Storm Shadow missiles, F-16 training for our pilots, and the first bilateral security cooperation agreement are just a few of our shared achievements that  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) July 5, 2024

I am grateful to my good friend @RishiSunak for the UK governments steadfast support under his leadership. Challenger tanks, Storm Shadow missiles, F-16 training for our pilots, and the first bilateral security cooperation agreement are just a few of our shared achievements that Ukraine will never forget. Thank you, Rishi, he said on X.

French President Emmanuel Macron too joined the other leaders in congratulating Starmer and said that he was pleased their first discussion.

Congratulations Sir @Keir_Starmer on your victory. Pleased with our first discussion.



We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI.  Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 5, 2024

Congratulations Sir @Keir_Starmer on your victory. Pleased with our first discussion. We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI, Macron wrote on X.

Ursula Von der Leyen**,** President of the European Commission**,** wrote on X, Congratulation @Keir_Starmer on your electoral victory. I look forward to working with you in a constructive partnership to address common challenges and strengthen European security.

Prime Kaja Kallas, the prime minister of Estonia and who is poised to become the EUs top diplomat, sent a message stressing the importance of common security  an allusion to the growing fears prompted by Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Congratulations on your historic election victory, @Keir_Starmer.



Estonia and the UK are the strongest of allies and the closest of friends. The UK's commitment to our common security is valued by every Estonian.



Im sure our excellent cooperation will only continue to thrive. pic.twitter.com/odKsZVylw5  Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) July 5, 2024

Congratulations on your historic election victory, @Keir_Starmer. Estonia and the UK are the strongest of allies and the closest of friends. The UKs commitment to our common security is valued by every Estonian. Im sure our excellent cooperation will only continue to thrive, Kallas wrote on X.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Starmer and other Labour Party leaders have very similar views to Australia on a range of issues.

We have a strong relationship between our two countries, but in Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner and so many others who I am very familiar with in the British Labour Party, I look forward very much to working with them. They have very similar views to us on a range of issues. Im sure well work closely on AUKUS, where we worked very closely as well with the former government, Albanese told reporters

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reminded Starmer that a lot needs to be done for the fair future of people on both sides of the Atlantic, saying Lets get to it, my friend.

Congratulations, @Keir_Starmer, on a historic U.K. election victory.



Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Lets get to it, my friend. pic.twitter.com/QWlNF9NYcJ  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 5, 2024

Congratulations, @Keir_Starmer, on a historic UK election victory. Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Lets get to it, my friend, he posted on X.

Congratulating Starmer, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand and the UK are great friends and can do so much more together.

Congratulations @Keir_Starmer on your election victory. New Zealand and the UK are great friends and can do so much more together. I look forward to working on every opportunity together as prime ministers. Thank you @RishiSunak for your service to your nation and friendship to New Zealand, Luxon posted on X.

Britains Labour Party swept to power on Friday after more than a decade in opposition, as a jaded electorate handed the party a landslide victory  but also a mammoth task of reinvigorating a stagnant economy and dispirited nation.

Labour leader Keir Starmer will officially become prime minister later in the day, leading his party back to government less than five years after it suffered its worst defeat in almost a century.

In the merciless choreography of British politics, he will take charge in 10 Downing St. hours after Thursdays votes are counted  as Conservative leader Rishi Sunak is hustled out.

With inputs from agencies
Efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza gathered momentum on Friday after Hamas made a revised proposal on the terms of a deal and Israel said it would resume stalled negotiations. read more

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Image-AP

An Israeli delegation led by spy chief David Barnea left Doha after meeting with Qatari mediators about Gaza ceasefire talks, a source with knowledge of the talks told Reuters on Friday.

Barnea returned to Israel to consult with the Israeli government, the source added.

Efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza gathered momentum on Friday after Hamas made a revised proposal on the terms of a deal and Israel said it would resume stalled negotiations.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities say seven people were killed Friday during an Israeli military operation in the area of the West Bank city of Jenin, where the Israeli military said it had been carrying out counterterrorism activity that included an airstrike.

The military said Israeli soldiers had encircled a building where terrorists have barricaded themselves in and the soldiers had exchanged fire with those inside, while an airstrike had struck several armed terrorists in the area.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said a total of seven people had been killed, but did not specify whether they died in the exchange of fire or the airstrike. The Islamic Jihad militant group named four of the dead as its members.

The clashes in Jenin, a known militant stronghold where the army frequently operates, came a day after an Israeli anti-settlement monitoring group said the government plans to build nearly 5,300 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The construction plans revealed by the Peace Now group are part of the hard-line governments efforts to beef up settlements as part of a strategy of cementing Israels control over the West Bank to prevent a future Palestinian state. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza  areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war  for an independent state.

Advertisement

Violence has spiraled in the West Bank since the start of Israels war in Gaza, sparked by the Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel by Hamas militants who killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took more than 200 others as hostages. The Palestinian Health Ministry says over 500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the start of the war. Most have been killed during Israeli raids and violent protests. The dead also include bystanders and Palestinians killed in attacks by Jewish settlers.

In Gaza, the war has so far killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, Gazas Health Ministry says. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its count, but it includes thousands of women and children.

Advertisement

Cease-fire talks appeared to be reviving after stalling for weeks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said Thursday he was sending negotiators to resume the talks, a day after Hamas handed mediators its latest response to a U.S.-backed proposal for a deal.

The revival of negotiations appeared to mark another attempt by U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators to overcome the gap that has repeatedly thwarted a deal over the past months. Hamas wants an agreement that ensures Israeli troops fully leave Gaza and the war ends, while Netanyahu says the war cannot end before Hamas is eliminated.

Israeli negotiators are expected to arrive in Doha, Qatars capital, for the talks as early as Friday, with American, Egyptian and Qatari officials present.

Advertisement

With inputs from agencies.
From abandoning its demand for an Israeli commitment in writing to a permanent ceasefire to agreeing to a phased Israeli withdrawal, the Palestinian militant group Hamas has softened its conditions for accepting a ceasefire to stop the nine-month-old Gaza war, according to a report read more

From abandoning its demand for an Israeli commitment in writing to a permanent ceasefire to agreeing to a phased Israeli withdrawal, the Palestinian militant group Hamas has softened its conditions for accepting a ceasefire to stop the nine-month-old Gaza war.

According to The National report, citing sources, the terror group has presented new ideas to mediators in Egypt and Qatar which include their new positions like abandoning its demand for an Israeli commitment in writing to a permanent ceasefire at the end of the initial 45-day phase of the plan and accept international guarantees on the ceasefire or a sustained calm, which would commence at the start of the first phase and conclude before its end.

Advertisement

Hamas has also stated its willingness to accept a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, dropping its previous demand that the pullout must be completed by the end of the first phase.

According to the report, sources indicated that Hamas insists that all Palestinian prisoners it seeks to exchange for hostages in Israeli custody must be released.

However, the sources said Hamas is now willing to consider releasing them in three phases as part of the plan.

The terror groups decision to release the hostages hinges on the progress of talks for a permanent ceasefire and Israels withdrawal from Gaza, the sources added.

Hamas stated that its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, has been in contact with Egyptian and Qatari mediators to discuss the movements proposals aimed at reaching an agreement.

Discussions have also taken place with Hamas leaders in Turkey, with the group approaching the ongoing deliberations in a positive manner.

Fresh impetus to talks

Meanwhile, Israel on late on Thursday in a cabinet meeting decided to send a Mossad chief David Barnea-led delegation to Qatar for talks, a day after Hamas submitted its latest amendments to the current proposed deal.

Advertisement

In a meeting with his negotiators ahead of the decision, Netanyahu stressed again that the war will end only after achieving all of its goals, and not one moment earlier," Times of Israel quoted an Israeli official as saying.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu updated US President Joe Biden about the decision to send negotiators to the talks in a phone call between the two leaders on Thursday.

In his call with Biden, Netanyahu reiterated the same commitment to Israels war goals, according to the Israeli readout. A readout of the conversation issued by the White House said Biden welcomed the prime ministers decision to authorize his negotiators to engage with US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal.

Advertisement

According to the Times of Israel report, citing the Israeli official, Barnea is likely to meet Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Friday to try and build off of the updated hostage-ceasefire deal proposal Hamas submitted on Wednesday.

Gazans seek early resolution

Earlier this week, a social media post gained widespread attention among Palestinians in Gaza, urging Hamas to accept any agreement to halt the ongoing conflict.

Referencing the tens of thousands of grieving Gazans, the post implored Hamas to end the suffering, humiliation, and oppression endured over the past nine months.

In a thinly veiled critique of Hamass leadership, the post appealed to the esteemed leaders who appear on our screens, dressed in the finest clothes, wearing expensive watches, with neatly styled hair, sitting in luxurious chairs, we urge you to respond immediately, to preserve what remains of the nations dignity."

Advertisement

We are exhausted, we are drained, we are sick, and we are humiliated, The National quoted the post as saying.

Umm Mohammed Mousa from northern Gaza said she fully supported the message in the viral post.

Life has become unbearable. The war must end immediately, in any way and without any restrictions, because the people can no longer endure it. Life must return to how it was before the war, she told The National.

How it all started

The Gaza conflict erupted after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel last October, resulting in around 1,200 deaths and the capture of 240 hostages. In response, Israel initiated a sustained military campaign, resulting in the deaths of over 38,000 Palestinians to date, with twice as many wounded and 80 per cent of the territorys 2.3 million residents displaced.

Advertisement

The war has devastated much of Gazas urban areas, triggering a humanitarian crisis. Many residents in this densely populated strip now face hunger, with the specter of famine looming particularly in the north.

Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza have gained momentum amid growing domestic criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahus handling of the situation. Thousands of Israelis have been rallying weekly in Tel Aviv and other cities, urging for a resolution.

Hamas, in control of Gaza since 2007, is also facing mounting pressure domestically to agree to a ceasefire.

With inputs from agencies
Labour has secured a resounding win in the UK elections, gaining 166 seats in England, 36 in Scotland, and significant gains in Wales, while the Conservative Party faced heavy losses across all regions, highlighting a major shift in political dynamics. read more

Members of the media watch the results of the general election exit poll on a large TV screen at the count for the Holborn and St Pancras constituency where the Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is standing for election, in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. Photo- AP

FPS

The Labour Partys victory in the UK election has been complete and comprehensive. The Conservative Party has been routed. The spatial performance of the two parties across all four nations show that the Conservatives faced massive anti-incumbency of 14 years. Lets take a look at how the four nations of the UK voted in the parliamentary election.

How it went in England

The Labour Party achieved a resounding victory in England, gaining 166 seats to secure a total of 348. This result marks a significant shift in the political landscape, reflecting widespread public support for Labour.

Advertisement

The Conservative Party saw a dramatic decline, losing 237 seats and holding just 116. This marks the worst electoral performance for the Tories in modern times.

The Liberal Democrats have seen significant gains, capturing 65 seats, an increase of 59. Independent candidates and Reform UK have each made their mark, with Independents winning five seats and Reform UK securing four, all newly gained.

The table below shows how parties have performed in the four UK nations:

Parties England (543) Scotland (57) Northern Ireland (18) Wales (32) Labour 348 (+166) 37 (+36) - 27 (+9) Conservative 116 (-237) 5 (-1) - 0 (-12) Liberal Democrat 65 (+59) 5 (+3) - 1 Reform UK 4 (+4) - - - Sinn Fein - - 7 - SNP - 9 (-38) - - Others 4 (+3) - 11 4 (=2)

One seat each remains to be declared in England and Scotland

In Scotland

Scotland also saw significant shifts in political allegiances, showcasing a remarkable turnaround for the Labour Party. Labour has achieved a dramatic gain, securing 37 seats, an increase of 36 from the previous election.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) has faced a substantial decline, losing 38 seats and holding just nine. This result marks a considerable setback for the SNP.

The Conservative Party has lost one seat, leaving them with a total of five seats. Similarly, the Liberal Democrats have experienced a modest increase, gaining three seats to hold a total of five.

In Northern Ireland

The election results for Northern Ireland show the political landscape notably changing. Sinn Fein has maintained its position, holding steady at seven seats with no change from the previous election.

Advertisement

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has experienced a significant setback, losing three seats and securing a total of five.

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) has retained its two seats, showing no change, while the Alliance Party (APNI) also holds its single seat, with no gains or losses.

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has made progress, gaining one seat to hold a total of one. Other parties have collectively gained two seats, bringing their total to two.

And in Wales

Labour and Plaid Cymru made significant gains in Wales as the Conservative Party suffered major losses. Labour secured 27 seats, an increase of nine from the previous election.

Advertisement

Plaid Cymru won four seats, up by two. The Liberal Democrats have gained one seat. The Conservative Party has faced a complete wipeout, losing all 12 of their previously held seats and securing none.
In UK, the Labour party has pledged a foreign policy of progressive realism, seeing a more volatile world as it is not as we would want it to be said David Lammy, who is expected to become foreign secretary read more

Keir Starmer first steps on the world stage will be the NATO 75th anniversary summit being held in Washington next Tuesday to Thursday. Source: AFP.

The first month of a Keir Starmer premiership will be a whirlwind of international diplomacy including meetings with US President Joe Biden and European leaders.

His first steps on the world stage will be just days away, at the NATO 75th anniversary summit being held in Washington next Tuesday to Thursday.

Starmer will then play host at Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, in central England, on July 18, at a European Political Community meeting, with Frances Emmanuel Macron and Germanys Olaf Scholz expected.

Advertisement

Labour, out of power since 2010, has pledged a foreign policy of progressive realism, seeing a more volatile world as it is not as we would want it to be, said David Lammy, who is expected to become foreign secretary.

The party has also pledged to make Brexit work and seek an ambitious security pact with the the European Union.

Here is a rundown of how a Labour government could approach the major international issues it faces.

China

Labour would undertake a full audit across all government departments of the UKs relationship with China to set the direction and course of its China policy, Lammy told reporters this week.

Starmer last year said the UK needed to wean itself off China on issues like trade, commerce and technology while acknowledging the importance of being able to cooperate on issues such as tackling climate change.

The challenge will be to balance the UKs trade and economic interests with security imperatives.

That could be complicated by a possible return of Donald Trump in Washington after the US presidential election in November.

Trump would be expected to ramp up pressure on allies to be tougher with Beijing.

Israel-Palestinian conflict

Labour says it is committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution.

Advertisement

But it has not set out any timescale for doing so.

Other commitments include pushing for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and an increase in the amount of aid getting into Gaza.

Europe

Starmer has pledged to work with Frances far-right National Rally (RN) party if it wins power.

I will work with any government in Europe and across the world if we are elected For me, thats what serious government is about, he said.

He said both bilateral deals with France and agreements with the whole EU, which the UK voted to leave in 2016 leading to a messy divorce, were important to address the issue of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.

Advertisement

Pressed on RN leader Marine Le Pens preference for bilateral deals over EU-wide ones, Starmer said the two were not mutually exclusive.

He said existing bilateral agreements with France needed to be strengthened and improved particularly in relation to smashing the gangs that are running the vile trade of putting people into boats.

But there are also EU measures, he added. The security agreement we want with the EU when it comes to dealing with smuggling gangs is really important.

Ukraine

The UK has been one of Kyivs staunchest supporters and has provided money, weapons and troop training to help it repel Russias invasion.

Labour have stressed continued support for Ukraine if they win, and Starmer would be expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy early to reaffirm that message in person.

Advertisement

Starmer has said a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is simply not an issue at the moment and described him as the aggressor in Ukraine.

The most important thing is to be absolutely clear that our support for Ukraine is on a united front in this country, he said.

Defence spending

A strategic defence review would be carried out within the first year of government to set out a path to an increase in defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP.
Putin hosted Orban  the friendliest leader in the EU to Moscow  at the Kremlin where the Russian president said he expected the Hungarian to speak for Europe as the holder of the EUs rotating presidency read more

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow. AFP

Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday met Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks about the fighting in Ukraine, on a trip the EU said threatened to undermine the blocs stance on the conflict and that was criticised by Kyiv.

Putin hosted Orban  the friendliest leader in the EU to Moscow  at the Kremlin where the Russian president said he expected the Hungarian to speak for Europe as the holder of the EUs rotating presidency.

I understand that this time you have come not just as our long-standing partner but as president of the council, Putin told Orban, adding that he expected him to outline the position of European partners on Ukraine.

Advertisement

Putin said that he wanted to discuss the nuances that have developed over the conflict in Ukraine with Orban, who visited Kyiv earlier this week.

The Ukrainian government lambasted the meeting, stressing they had no hand in its planning.

The decision to make this trip was made by the Hungarian side without any agreement or coordination with Ukraine, Kyivs foreign ministry said in a statement.

No EU mandate

As word of the trip spread, European Union leaders also lashed out at Orban, who landed in Moscow just days after Hungary took over the blocs rotating presidency.

Appeasement will not stop Putin, European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.

Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement that Orbans visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia.

Prime Minister Orban has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow, he added.

The 27-nation EU has firmly opposed Russias military offensive in Ukraine, imposing 14 rounds of unprecedented sanctions on Moscow.

Advertisement

That position excludes official contacts between the EU and President Putin. The Hungarian Prime Minister is thus not representing the EU in any form, Borrell said.

It is worth recalling that President Putin has been indicted by the International Criminal Court and an arrest warrant released for his role in relation to the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

EU Council chief Charles Michel had earlier reiterated the common stance that no discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state TV the visit had been Orbans idea and Russian officials only heard about the trip on Wednesday  a day after Orban had visited Kyiv.

Advertisement

Disturbing news

Hungarys six-month EU presidency gives the central European country sway over the blocs agenda and priorities for the next six months.

Orbans visit to Moscow comes days after the right-wing nationalist made a surprise trip to Kyiv, where he urged Ukraines leadership to work towards a rapid ceasefire with Russia.

The Hungarian leader on Friday insisted that peace cannot be achieved without dialogue.

If we just sit in Brussels, we wont be able to get any closer to peace. Action must be taken, Orban said during his regular interview on Hungarian state radio, when asked about his visit to Ukraine on Tuesday.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed disbelief at Orbans Moscow trip, while Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo called it disturbing news.

Advertisement

The visit is the first to Moscow by a European leader since a visit by Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in April 2022.

Orban and Putin last met in October 2023 in Beijing, where they discussed energy cooperation.
The Labour made a clean sweep this election reaching the magic number of 326 seats to gain the majority in the House of Commons read more

Shortly after the UK PM Rishi Sunak conceded defeat, Kier Starmers Labour Party crossed the majority mark winning the highly anticipated 2024 UK General Elections. The Labour made a clean sweep this election reaching the magic number of 326 seats to gain the majority in the House of Commons.

Shortly after the results were made official, Starmer addressed a charged-up crowd in Central London. We did it, he said. Four and a half years of work for changing the party. This is what it was for, a changed labour party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people, he added. The Labour party has won the polls with at least 409 seats with Conservatives finishing second with merely 90 seats in the House of Commons.

Advertisement

Earlier today, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded the election to Labour while giving his declaration from his constituency of Richmond & Northallerton. The Labour Party has won this general election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory, he said.

I will now head down to London, where I will say more about tonights result, before I leave the job as prime minister, to which I have given my all, he added.

We did it: Starmer says as he sets to be the new PM

While addressing a massive crowd in Central London, Starmer emphasised that he is bringing a changed labour party to the people of the UK.

We did it! You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it, and now it has arrived. Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest. four and a half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for, a changed labour party, ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people," the Labour Party leader averred.

Starmer insisted that he and his Party are ready to serve our country and to serve working people across the country. People will be waking up this morning to find a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation, he added.

In his victory speech, Starmer also pointed out that a great responsibility comes with Labours mandate. Make no mistake, that is the great test of politics in this era. The fight for trust is the battle that defines our age, Starmer exclaimed.

Advertisement

Country first. Party second: Starmer lays out the plan

During his address, Starmer emphasised what these elections mean for him and his party. Election victories dont fall from the sky. Theyre hard-won and hard fought for, and this one could only be won by a changed Labour Party, he said.

He went on to claim that his governments main task would be country first, party second and vowed to establish an economy where working-class families would be able to improve their lives. Our task is nothing less than renewing the ideals that hold this country together, he added.

Earlier today, Starmer held on to his home turf with over 18,000 votes. The early results show that the Labour Party is dominating the polls as key ministers of Sunaks cabinet lost their seats. The Labour coming to power also marks the end of 14 years of reign by the Conservatives in the country.
Kenya experienced two weeks of unrest during which Parliament was stormed by protesters during a finance bill vote. The president was hosted Friday on the social media platform X by popular social media influencer Osama Otero, who said he was abducted on the night of the protests and beaten by police. read more

An anti-government protester waves a Kenyan flag as police fire tear gas at them during a protest over proposed tax hikes in a finance bill in downtown Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, June. 25, 2024.- File Photo- AP

Kenyas President William Ruto issued a public apology on Friday for the arrogance and show of opulence displayed by ruling party legislators and ministers amid recent tax hike protests. He also vowed to take action against rogue police officers who opened fire on unarmed civilians during the demonstrations and the storming of parliament.

Ruto, referring to what he called arrogant statements made by officials, said public speaking was difficult and some people make mistakes for which he takes responsibility and promised change in the conduct of officials.

Advertisement

Rutos apology and promise to address police brutality come in response to public outrage over deadly protests against proposed tax hikes. The protests saw police shoot civilians, parts of the parliament building set on fire, and protesters storming Parliament during a finance bill vote.

The unrest lasted two weeks. On Friday, President Ruto appeared on social media platform X with influencer Osama Otero, who claimed he was abducted and beaten by police during the protests.

Ruto said he regretted the abduction and that he would take action, adding that that is not right. You dont deserve the kind of treatment you went through, he said.

The president said the police are independent and not controlled by the executive branch of government but promised to ensure that those responsible would be prosecuted. I am ultimately responsible because I am president, and that is why I said it was regrettable, Ruto said.

During the storming of Parliament during a finance bill vote  which would have resulted in a tax increase if approved  legislators fled through an underground tunnel. Police responded by opening fire and several protesters were shot dead.

Ruto later said he would not sign the finance bill and communicated to Parliament that the proposed legislation should be withdrawn, but protests continued with calls for him to resign over poor governance.

Advertisement

Kenya has been plagued by corruption, with the latest case involving the sale and distribution of thousands of fake fertilizer bags worth millions of shillings by the agriculture ministry.

The president on Friday was accused of not showing empathy and not mentioning the names of those who died during the protests. He responded by saying people are born differently. But he added that he was scheduled to speak with the mother of a boy who was shot and killed during protests.

Ruto was accused of not acknowledging the correct number of those who died in the protests. He put the number at 25 while the Kenya National Commission for Human Rights said 39 people were killed.

Advertisement

An hour before the online engagement, Ruto in a televised address announced specific austerity measures that included the dissolution of 47 state corporations with overlapping and duplicative functions to save on operation and maintenance costs.

He also suspended the appointment of 50 chief administrative secretaries that were challenged in court on the basis of the positions being unconstitutional.

The president also announced that the offices of the first lady and the spouses of the deputy president and prime Cabinet secretary would not be funded using public money.

The young people who spoke during Oteros Friday engagement on X emphasized the need for the president to sack incompetent government ministers in a reorganization that he stated was coming soon.

Advertisement

With inputs from agencies.
As Labour looks set to celebrate a sweeping victory, the real stars are the adorable dogs accompanying voters to polling stations! read more

Hold onto your hats, folks, because the votes are rolling in for the United Kingdom General Election! As the pollsters predicted, its looking like a smashing victory for the Labour Party. Poor Rishi Sunak might have to pack up his things and wave goodbye to 10 Downing Street pretty soon. Oh, the irony of all that campaign effort going down the drain!

While the Conservatives are nursing their wounds from Labours triumphant takeover, theres another group of winners stealing the spotlight. Drumroll, please its the adorable pet dogs that accompanied their owners to the polling stations! Yes, it was a fur-tastic day as these four-legged friends watched their humans cast their votes.

Advertisement

The BBC and The Guardians live blogs werent just buzzing about Labour and Conservative votes; they were also celebrating these furry companions. So, lets give some of these charming voters-in-training a round of a-paws, courtesy of the BBC and The Guardian (we hope they dont mind).

This is Wookie. Jon and The Guardian

Straight from The Guardians live blog, weve got a treat for you! Check out this heart-melting snapshot sent by Jon. Its Wookie, the dog, catching some well-deserved rest in Glynde, East Sussex. This pooch knows how to relax after a hard days work!

This is Burt! Dareen and The Guardian

Meet Burt, spotted at Darrens local polling station in Chesterfield. Sporting a look of intense contemplation, one cant help but wonder: Is Burt fuming at the Conservatives, or is he simply miffed at his humans for disturbing his beauty sleep? Either way, this pup means business! We must thank The Guardian for introducing us to Burt.

Now a couple a photo from the BBC.

Taffy. Image courtesy BBC

Thanks to the BBC, weve been introduced to Taffy, who took a leisurely evening stroll to her local polling station in Caversham, Reading. While Taffy might not have a vote, shes definitely got a view of the action. You can almost see her thinking, Why not bring elections to the doggy world? Imagine the campaigns: More treats for all! and Mandatory belly rub breaks! Taffys got big ideas for democracy, canine-style!

One more from the BBC and we are done.

Hi Percy! Image courtesy Stan Jackson and BBC

Meet Percy, who turned heads in Norfolk by strutting to the polling station with his master, Stan Jackson, dressed in his polling day best. Can you believe it? Percy is sporting a Union Jack outfit! This pup might just be the most patriotic voter at the polls, even if he doesnt have a ballot. No voting rights for the doggy community, but plenty of freedom to love the country and look after his human. Percys showing us all how to do democracy in style!
At their last summit, NATO leaders agreed to fast-track Ukraines membership process  although the country is unlikely to join for many years  and set up a high-level body for emergency consultations. Several countries promised more military equipment. read more

NATO leaders are set to reaffirm their commitment to providing military aid to Ukraine at current levels for at least another year, totaling around 40 billion euros ($43 billion) annually.

US President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet in Washington for a three-day summit beginning Tuesday to mark the military alliances 75th anniversary as Russian troops press their advantage along Ukraines eastern front in the third year of the war.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that the alliances 32 member countries have consistently provided military equipment to Ukraine since the conflict began in February 2022, and this level of support will be maintained in the future.

Advertisement

I expect allies will decide at the summit to sustain this level within the next year, Stoltenberg said. He said the amount would be shared among nations based on their economic growth, and that the leaders will review the figure when they meet again in 2025.

NATO is desperate to do more for Ukraine but is struggling to find new ways. Already, NATO allies provide 99% of the military support it gets. Soon, the alliance will manage equipment deliveries. But two red lines remain no NATO membership until the war is over, and no NATO boots on the ground there.

At their last summit, NATO leaders agreed to fast-track Ukraines membership process  although the country is unlikely to join for many years  and set up a high-level body for emergency consultations. Several countries promised more military equipment.

A year on, they want to put on a fresh display of unity and resolve, even as uncertainty over elections roils many of the organizations biggest members. The possible return of Donald Trump, who undermined trust among the allies while he was the U.S. president, is a particular concern.

But governments in France and Germany were also weakened in elections this year. Italy is led by a prime minister whose party has neo-fascist roots, while an anti-immigrant party heads a shaky coalition in the Netherlands and Spains Cabinet relies on small parties to rule. The U.K. will have a new leader.

Advertisement

Whoever might be in power though, its become clear that theres not a lot more that NATO can do.

Lately, Stoltenberg has insisted on a long-term commitment to Ukraine. Major funding delays, notably due to political wrangling in the U.S. Congress, have left the countrys armed forces, in his words, to defend themselves with one hand tied on the back.

He had hoped the allies would agree to spend at least 40 billion euros annually on weapons in a major, multi-year program. It does not mean an increase in support, though. The figure roughly equals what they have already spent each year since the war began.

Advertisement

One new scheme the leaders are likely to endorse is a mission to get the right military equipment into Ukraine and streamline training for its armed forces. In their haste to help, Western backers have inundated Ukraine with all kinds of weapons and materiel.

In the early chaos of war, anything was welcome, but the deliveries have become unmanageable  a multitude of different kinds of vehicles or defense systems that require distinct maintenance plans and dedicated supply chains to keep them running.

Offers of training programs outside Ukraine have also been abundant, indeed so prolific and different that its armed forces struggle to prioritize which troops to send, to what NATO country, and for how long.

Advertisement

Weve let a thousand flowers bloom, conceded a senior U.S. State Department official, but added that with a new mission, probably based in Wiesbaden, Germany, and under the likely leadership of a U.S. general, NATO can come in and say: Weve got it.

The official requested anonymity to discuss plans that had not been finalized.

Sending military equipment via this new mission would also prevent rogue governments or leaders from meddling with joint deliveries. NATO officials say the mission would complement the U.S.-led effort to drum up arms, the so-called Ramstein group.

Another conundrum for the leaders is how to frame Ukraines membership prospects without letting it join. Many allies refuse to allow Ukraine in while fighting continues, concerned about being dragged into a wider war with Russia. Hungary opposes Ukraines membership altogether.

Advertisement

In the run-up to the summit, NATO envoys have been weighing the use of words such as irreversible to describe Ukraines path to membership as they tweak language that has shifted constantly since they promised in 2008 that the country would join one day.

Its unclear how this will be accepted in Kyiv. At their last meeting, the leaders were non-committal about timing, saying only that they would be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it as unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraines membership. He complained that vague wording about conditions is added even for inviting Ukraine.

In recent weeks, Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials have been briefed on developments to avoid a repeat. Stoltenberg said he and Zelenskyy agreed earlier this month that the new steps the leaders will take constitute a bridge to NATO membership and a very strong package for Ukraine at the summit.

Membership would protect Ukraine against a giant neighbor that annexed its Crimean Peninsula a decade ago and more recently seized vast swaths of land in the east and south. Before then, Kyiv must reform its security institutions, improve governance and curb corruption.
The UK has its first change in government in 14 years after the Labour Party won a landslide victory early Friday in a general election that saw the Conservative Party suffer its biggest defeat ever. Labours have secured 412 of the 650 parliamentary seats, while the Conservatives were reduced to 121. Sunak saved his seat but many of his Cabinet ministers could not. read more

Labours have secured 412 of the 650 parliamentary seats, while the Conservatives were reduced to 121.

In the Thurrock parliamentary constituency, Labour candidate Jen Craft has won the seat, ending Conservative Dame Jackie Doyle-Prices 14-year reign. Crafts victory was announced at the Tilbury Cruise Terminal, where the count took place under the management of Thurrock Council.

However, the night was marred by issues with the count in the neighbouring South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency. The initial count showed Reform candidate James McMurdock winning with around 12,000 votes, but a recount was called after concerns over botched counting procedures. The recount is set to take place later today at the Town Hall in Grays.

Advertisement

The initial results showed Labours Jack Ferguson in second place, followed by Conservative Stephen Metcalfe. The other candidates trailed behind, with Independent Neil Speight polling over 1,900 votes.

The issues with the count dragged on until the early morning hours, with a full recount scheduled for later today. Meanwhile, Labour supporters in Thurrock celebrated Jen Crafts victory at an after-poll party or home.

The UK has its first change in government in 14 years after the Labour Party won a landslide victory early Friday in a general election that saw the Conservative Party suffer its biggest defeat ever.

Labours have secured 412 of the 650 parliamentary seats, while the Conservatives were reduced to 121. Sunak saved his seat but many of his Cabinet ministers could not.

The new government faces huge challenges, including fixing the countrys sluggish economic and social malaise resulting in part from Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and several Conservative Party scandals.
Chief Justice Isa clarified during the hearing of a case of PTI that the panels set up to hear different cases are not formed by him but by a committee of three senior-most judges of the court and he is just one of the three members read more

Khan also said that former Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed had said that Isa cannot hear cases of PTI Image Courtesy AP

Imran Khan, the imprisoned former prime minister of Pakistan, warned on Friday to embark on a hunger strike in the event that Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court did not provide justice in his cases.

During a media encounter at Rawalpindis Adiala Jail, the 71-year-old leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) expressed his worries with Chief Justice Isas involvement in benches that handle both his and the partys cases.

Advertisement

In the Adiala Jail, where he is being held, he was present in court for the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.

He objected to the presence of Chief Justice Isa in the panels formed to hear cases related to his PTI party, warning to go on hunger strike if the chief justice failed to deliver justice.

I am consulting about going on a hunger strike. If I dont get justice, I will go on a hunger strike, he said, clarifying that his lawyers have objected to the inclusion of Chief Justice Isa in every bench about cases of his party.

How does Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa come to every bench that hears PTI and my cases? he asked.

Khan also said that former Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed had said that Isa cannot hear cases of PTI. He added that PTI lawyers believe that they will not get justice, so our cases should be heard by someone else.

Chief Justice Isa clarified during the hearing of a case of PTI that the panels set up to hear different cases are not formed by him but by a committee of three senior-most judges of the court and he is just one of the three members.

There is a history of mistrust between Khan and Chief Justice Isa.

Advertisement

A complaint was made by Khan, when he was serving as the prime minister, to remove Isa as a judge due to alleged corruption.

Consequently, Isa and his wife had to go through an arduous process and finally, the apex court rejected the cases against him.

In the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are accused of receiving land worth billions of rupees as a bribe from a real estate tycoon.
McMurdock narrowly beat Labour candidate Jack Ferguson by 98 votes. The Reform UK MP received 12,178 votes compared to 12,080 for Ferguson. read more

Reform has won a fifth seat in parliament as the final election result in England was declared at South Basildon and East Thurrock after a recount.

James McMurdock replaces Conservative Stephen Metcalfe who was elected in 2019 with 65.4% of the vote, BBC reported.

Reform wins South Basildon and East Thurrock!  pic.twitter.com/76rQGYveal  Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 5, 2024

Advertisement

According to BBC report, after securing win, McMurdock joins leader Nigel Farage as the second Reform UK MP in Essex after Farage was elected in Clacton.

McMurdock narrowly beat Labour candidate Jack Ferguson by 98 votes. The Reform UK MP received 12,178 votes compared to 12,080 for Ferguson.

The lawmaker of the United Kingdom Nigel Farage who on Friday won his first-ever seat in the U.K.s parliament said in a video post on X Our candidate James McMurdock was a paper candidate, drafted in at the last minute, former city boy, and he was absolutely neck and neck with Labour,.

So I rang him up and said Look, give me the name of your agent, so I can find out whats happening because they were on the third recount  he said I havent got an agent. Im my own agent.

I said, well, whos in the hall watching the vote count? And he said my mum and dad  and hes won. Hes an MP  go on my son!

The UK has its first change in government in 14 years after the Labour Party won a landslide victory early Friday in a general election that saw the Conservative Party suffer its biggest defeat ever.

Advertisement

Labours have secured 412 of the 650 parliamentary seats, while the Conservatives were reduced to 121. Sunak saved his seat but many of his Cabinet ministers could not.

The new government faces huge challenges, including fixing the countrys sluggish economic and social malaise resulting in part from Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and several Conservative Party scandals.
The last time an incumbent administration performed this badly was in 1997 when 7 cabinet ministers lost in their respective constituencies read more

In a major blow to the UK PM Rishi Sunaks administration, several key ministers from this cabinet lost in their constituency in the 2024 UK General Elections. While the British premier has already conceded defeat to Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, eleven sitting Cabinet ministers lost their respective constituencies.

The list of big losers included stalwarts like the Defence Secretary, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and the leader of the UK House of Commons Penny Mordaunt. The incumbent cabinet has managed to create history for all the wrong reasons. The last time an incumbent administration performed this badly was in 1997 when 7 cabinet ministers lost in their respective constituencies.

Advertisement

Starmers Labour managed to garner a landslide victory in the snap polls called by Sunak himself. As Starmer heads towards Downing Street, this marked an end to the 14 years of reign by the Conservatives.

List of Cabinet Ministers who lost their seats

Following is the list of Cabinet Ministers who lost their seats in the UK House of Commons:

Grant Shapps: Defence Secretary Grant Shapps lost his seat at Welwyn Hatfield to a Labour Party candidate by a margin of 3,799 votes. While Shapps won 16,078 votes, Labours Andrew Lewin managed to garner 19,877 votes.

Source: AP

Gillian Keegan: Education Secretary Gillian Keegan lost her Chichester seat to the Liberal Democrats, who won with a majority of 12,172 votes. Meanwhile, Justine Secretary Alex Chalk lost Cheltenham to the Liberal Democrats as well. It is pertinent to note that Chalk has been an MP for Cheltenham since 2015, with his majority decreasing at each subsequent election.

Source: AP

Penny Mordaunt: The biggest shocker from the Conservative party was the defeat of the Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt who lost her seat in Portsmouth North to the Labour Partys Amanda Martin. While Mordaunt won 13,715 votes, Martin won the seat with 14,495 votes.

Source: AP

Alex Chalk: Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor since 2023, was handed over an embarrassing defeat by a Liberal Democrat candidate. While the Lord Chancellor won 17,866 votes, the Liberal Democrats won 25,076 in the constituency.

Source: AP

Lucy Frazer: Culture Secretary lost her seat in Ely and East Cambridgeshire to the Liberal Democrats Charlotte Cane. However, she lost the seat by a close margin of 495 votes. Frazer was touted as Sunaks loyalist and some of her prior posts included minister in the transport and justice departments, financial secretary to the Treasury and solicitor general.

Source: AP

Johnny Mercer: Minster of Veterans Affairs Jhonny Mercer lost his seat in Plymouth Moor View to Labour candidate Fred Thomas. He came in second after he received 12,061 votes and lost his seat to Labour Partys Fred Thomas who won 17,665 votes. Earlier this year, the Conservative leader sparked controversy when he was told by a judge to hand over the names of the people who told him about alleged special forces murders in Afghanistan.

Source: AP

Michelle Donelan: Science Secretary Michelle Donelan lost her Melksham and Devizes seat to the Liberal Democrats. She received 17,630 votes, compared to Liberal Democrats Brian Mathew who won 20,031 votes, Donelan has been facing calls for resignation over what her critics called incompetence and was also slammed for expressing sympathies to Hamas.

Source: AP

Simon Hart: Chief whip Simon Hart only managed to clinch third place in the newly created Caerfyrddin constituency, with Plaid Cymrus Ann Davies taking the top spot. He had to resign from the post of Welsh secretary, shortly before Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson left the office.

Source: AP

Mark Harper: The Transport Secretary lost his Forest of Dean seat to Labour challenger Matt Bishop. The Conservative leader who has been transport secretary since 2022, lost his seat by less than 300 votes.

Source: AP

David TC Davies: The Welsh Secretary is touted as the most senior Conservative in Wales, he lost senior Conservatives in Wales He was unseated by Labours Catherine Fookes, who received 21,010 votes compared to 17,672 for Mr Davies.

Source: AP

Victoria Prentis: Finally, Attorney General Victoria Prentis lost her Banbury seat to Labours Sean Woodcock who got 18,468 votes. Labours Sean Woodcock. The latter got 18,468 votes.

Source: AP

Another embarrassing defeat for the Tories was that of Former Prime Minister Liz Truss who lost her seat in South West Norfolk. She received 11,217 votes, losing to Labours Terry Jermy, who received 11,847. With this, Truss has become the first former prime minister for almost 90 years to lose their seat at a general election.

Sunak apologises for the catastrophe

While conceding to Starmer, Sunak took responsibility for the Conservative Partys abysmal performance in the 2024 polls.

The Labour Party has won this general election, and Ive called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory. Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our countrys stability and future, the British premier averred after the results for his constituency of Richmond and Northern Allerton were declared.

I am sorry. I take responsibility for the loss, he added. Interestingly, this is the second time a party has garnered over 400 seats in the UK Parliament. Under the leadership of Tony Blair Labour won around 418 seats in the 1997 General Election.

With inputs from AP.
As per 2024 UK election result prediction, Reform UK, a re-brand of the Brexit Party that Farage founded in 2018, is expected to secure 13 seats  the first time a party on Britains far-right fringes has won more than a single seat read more

Brexit figurehead Nigel Farage has claimed to have kickstarted a revolt against the establishment, after exit polls indicated his hard-right party had secured an unprecedented electoral breakthrough.

Reform UK, a re-brand of the Brexit Party that Farage founded in 2018, were predicted to secure 13 seats  the first time a party on Britains far-right fringes has won more than a single seat.

This, folks, is huge, Farage said in a social media video posted early Friday.

Advertisement

The revolt against the establishment is underway, he added on X.

The revolt against the establishment is underway. pic.twitter.com/xB7DQuvXWT  Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 4, 2024

Reform appeared to have far exceed expectations in the election, after it was forecast in the latter stages of the campaign to win just a handful of seats in the House of Commons.

Farage, who launched an eighth bid to become one of the countrys 650 MPs mid-way through the six-week campaign, was set to succeed finally in Clacton, eastern England, according to the exit poll for UK broadcasters.

This would put the attention-grabbing populist figurehead in a prime position to attempt his long-term aim of staging a takeover of the Conservatives.

Millions of their voters appeared to have already switched their support to Reform, leaving the Tories  in power since 2010  facing their worst result in nearly two centuries, the exit polls said.

Reforms surge comes as hard-right parties or politicians increase their appeal across Europe and in the United States.

Seen as one of Britains most effective communicators and campaigners, Farage  a privately educated son of a stockbroker  is a long-time ally of US President Donald Trump.

This is the beginning of a big movement, David Bull, Reforms deputy leader told Sky News, as the UK awaited the official tallies late Thursday.

Advertisement

This is a political revolt. Its also a five-year plan. If we can go from nothing four years ago to winning 13 seats, imagine what we can do in five years time.

Big movement

Farage, 60, is a one-time Conservative who quit the party in the early 1990s to co-found the eurosceptic UK Independence Party (UKIP).

He pulled off an unprecedented win in the 2014 European Parliament elections, serving as an MEP for the fringe party for around two decades and helping to make Euroscepticism more mainstream.

But UKIP never managed to win more than one seat in a general election. Farage himself failed to become an MP on seven separate occasions.

Advertisement

But his national prominence continued to grow after he became a driving force behind the 2016 Brexit vote, before forging a career as a presenter on the brash right-wing TV channel GB News.

Entering the 2024 general election after initially ruling himself out, Farage said he was bidding to emulate efforts in Canada in the 1990s by right-wing fringes to take over its Conservative Party.

His candidacy dramatically re-energised Reform UK, while spooking the Tories as polls immediately registered an uptick in support for the hard-right anti-immigrant outfit.

Conservatives and centrists now fear Farage could have the perfect platform in parliament to further legitimise his staunchly anti-establishment populist messaging.

Advertisement

If this exit poll is right, this feels like Nigel Farages dream scenario  hell be rubbing his hands with glee, said Chris Hopkins, political research director at pollster Savanta.

Hes got enough MPs to make a racket in Westminster, and the party he shares the closest political space with could be reduced to a long period of soul-searching.
Rishi Sunak, who will step down from the post of UK Prime Minister after Keir Starmer-led Labour Partys landslide win , said the Britons have delivered a sobering verdict and there is much to learn and reflect on read more

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday conceded defeat and apologised to the members of his Conservative Party for the poor show in the 2024 UK general elections.

Sunak has, however, retained his parliamentary seat - Richmond Northallerton and expressed his gratitude to the people of the constituency for his win.

Since I moved here a decade ago, you have made me and my family feel so at home and I look to continue to serve as your member of parliament. It is an enormous privilege, he said.

Advertisement

I take responsibility for the loss

In his first reaction to the UK election result, Sunak said: The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight. There is much to learn and reflect on, and I take responsibility for the loss.

The Labour party has won this general election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory, he further said.

Today power will change in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill from all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our countrys stability and future, Sunak said.

I am sorry, says Sunak

For the many good, hardworking Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records of delivery and their dedication to their communities, I am sorry, Sunak said.

He further said that he would be heading to London where he will say more about the result after which he will step down from the post of UK Prime Minister.

"The Labour Party has won this general election"



Prime Minister Rishi Sunak concedes the election to Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party, while holding his seat in Richmond & Northallerton#GeneralElection2024 https://t.co/xItZsH7tea



 Sky 501, Virgin 602 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/lsM0pOfTBP  Sky News (@SkyNews) July 5, 2024

Advertisement

Sunaks next move

Sunak said that after leaving the Prime Ministerial post, he will return Northallerton.

I will then return here to my familys home, and I look forward to spending more time with you all in the weeks, months and years ahead, he said.
As soon as the election result is obvious, the handover process commences with the Prime Minister calling the Leader of the Opposition to concede defeat and it can happen as early as the night of the election result day read more

In some hours from now, Rishi Sunak, whose Conservative Party got defeated by the Keir Starmer-led Labour Party, will step down from the post of Prime Minister. He is soon expected to vacate the traditional residence of the UK PM and head back to Richmond Northallerton - his constituency from where he won again this general election.

The Labour Party has created a history by snatching the power from Conservatives with a massive mandate, ending the Tories 14-year story in the UK.

Advertisement

After the defeat of the Conservative party, a pertinent question is doing rounds as when Sunak will leave Number 10? In the US, the losing presidents stay in the role for several months before the power is transferred, but in the UK, its different.

In Britain, the defeated prime minister quits the very next day the election is held and according to this tradition, Sunak is expected to leave Number 10 Downing Street in Westminster, making way for Labour leader Starmer.

It is now to be seen if Sunak resigns as Conservative Party leader on Friday.

Times Radio quoted Sunday Times chief political commentator, Tim Shipman, as saying that Sunak will resign on Friday, a day after the election, which is set to be a Labour landslide.

Earlier, Sunak had hinted that he might not quit as Tory leader immediately if he loses the June 4 UK general election.

The handover process

As per the current convention, as soon as the election result is obvious, the handover process commences with the Prime Minister calling the Leader of the Opposition to concede defeat. This can happen as early as the night of the election results.

Advertisement

The handover process starts with several hours of intense discussions between the outgoing government, the incoming party.

After this, the defeated leader gives a speech on the steps of Number 10 before heading off to Buckingham Palace, while the winning leader is welcomed into their new home.

Removal vans for shifting belongings are a common sight on the street outside 10 Downing Street after the prime ministers defeat.

Also, as per reports, since Sunak has a number of properties around the country, he wont be stuck for other places to rest his head.

Previously when Sunak lived next door at Number 11 when he was Chancellor under the infamous PM Boris Johnson, he split his time between the official residence and his private family home.

Advertisement

When he, along with his wife Akshata Murty moved into Number 10 in 2022, removal vans were seen on the famous street, while staff members carried items inside the property.

What happens to Larry the Cat?

While Sunak will move out and Starmer will be the new resident of the house, one inhabitant who wont be leaving is Larry the Cat, who has been Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office since 2011 and is looked after by staff at Downing Street.
Labour Party leader and UKs new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria have two children, but heres why they avoid mentioning their names in public read more

After a landslide win, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is all set to become the next Prime Minister of the UK, dethroning Rishi Sunak.

With responsibility, Starmer will also get the UK Prime Ministers official residence  10 Downing Street in the City Westminster, London  where he will move with his wife and UKs new first Lady, Victoria Starmer.

They will move to Number 10 from a 1.75m townhouse in Kentish Town within Starmers Holborn and St Pancras constituency.

Advertisement

A lot is being talked about Keir, who climbed his way to a historic victory, but not much is known about his wife Victoria.

Who is Victoria Starmer, UK PMs wife & countrys first lady?

Lady Victoria or Lady Vic is how Starmers wife is known affectionately among friends.

She was completely off the sight from Keir Starmers election campaign and was nowhere to be seen in his manifesto launch.

Britains Labour Party leader Keir Starmer kisses his wife Victoria during a victory rally at the Tate Modern in London early on July 5, 2024. Source: AFP

According to a report by Dailymail, the last major public event which Victoria Starmer attended with Keir was a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in November last year.

Why does Lady Victoria keep a low profile?

The report mentioned party insiders claiming that Victoria Starmer absence is to protect the couples children because they are completely freaked out by the idea of being in Downing Street and the public eye.

Sir Keir and Lady Starmer have two children  15-year-old son and a daughter who is 13.

Last month Keir even gave a big hint about why his wife stayed away, admitting that she had not wanted him to be a politician in the first place.

Keir Starmer with his wife Victoria make their way along the East Gallery to attend a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in London on June 25, 2024, on the first day of a three-day State Visit by Japans Emperor and Empress to Britain. Source: AFP

When Starmer was accused of being a political robot, he had said: She thought itd be far better to continue being a lawyer on a reasonable salary and not have all of the challenges that you get as a politician. But I was clear in my mind, I wanted to come into politics because I wanted to serve my country."

Advertisement

Lady Vic has her own life

Sir Starmer has earlier told the Sunday Mirror that his wife has her own life and protects it vigorously.

He has also said his wife wont give up her work if he becomes Prime Minister.

Victoria Starmer looks at her husband, Britains Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, ahead of the declaration of results at the Camden Council count centre in London early on July 5, 2024. Source: AFP.

Shes absolutely going to carry on working, she wants to and she loves it, he said last month.

Interviews with UKs First Lady next to impossible

Lady Starmer has never done an interview and according to her husband and the new UK PM, thats not about to change.

She has continued to keep a low profile during the polls and has turned down requests for interviews, comments and off the record briefings by friends.

Advertisement

The Daily Telegraph quoted Keir Starmers office saying: We arent encouraging pieces on her. Mrs Starmer will NOT be giving interviews.

What work does Keir Starmers wife do?

Victoria Starmer, like her husband, is a trained solicitor. She met Keir while he was working as a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in early 2000s, before his appointment as director of public prosecutions.

She now works in occupational health for the NHS. Her job gives an insight into the coal face of the health service, Keir had earlier reported as saying by the Sunday Mirror.

Source: Reuters

When Keir & Victoria met first?

In a 2020 Piers Morgans Life Stories interview, Keir revealed about his meeting with Victoria.

Advertisement

They both met when they worked as lawyers but their first contact was an awkward phone call. Keir said he was doing a case in court and it all depended on whether the documents were accurate. I [asked my colleagues] who actually drew up these documents, they said a woman called Victoria, so I said lets get her on the line, he said.

Keir went on to say that when he asked whether documents she had drawn up were accurate, Lady Vic muttered Who the f*** does he think he is? and then put the phone down on me. And quite right too."

Advertisement

Undeterred, he asked her on a date to a pub in Camden. The couple married in 2007.

Victoria is the daughter of a Polish-Jewish father and a mother who converted to the faith. She was born and raised Londoner and grew up in Gospel Oak in the north of the Capital.

Source: Reuters

The family continues to observe the tradition of Friday night dinner at home. They also attend Londons Liberal Jewish Synagogue in St Johns Wood, despite his own atheism, Keir told in an interview to The Jewish Chronicle in March 2021.

Keir & Victorias children names

Keir & Victoria do not mention their childrens names in public. However, as per a report by Dailymail their son is named Toby, but the younger daughters name has not been made public.
Starmers Labour Party on July 5 wrote its name in history after breaking the Rishi Sunak-led Conservative Partys 14 years juggernaut. Keir Starmer has become the second prime minister to win over 400 seats after former prime minister Tony Blair who was also part of the Labour Party read more

Incoming British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech at Number 10 Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Image- Reuters

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday delivered his first address from 10 Downing Street. He started by thanking his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, before saying the work of change begins immediately.

In his speech, Starmer said the country voted decisively for change and a return of politics to public service. Today we start the next chapter  begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country, he said.

Advertisement

When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future, that we need to move forward together, Starmer said. This wound, Starmer said, can only be healed by action, not words.

While 2 constituencies are yet to announce the results, the Labour Party has already won around 412 seats. Meanwhile, Sunaks Conservatives crumbled as they managed to gain 121 seats in the House of Commons. The turnout this year was 60 per cent marking a dip of 7.4% since 2019.

Also Read: Landslide win for Labour, anger towards Tories: The 6 big takeaways from UK election results

This is the second time a party has won over 400 seats in the House of Chambers. The first party to achieve the feat was also the Labour Party under the leadership of former UK PM Tony Blair.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria outside 10 Downing Street in London, Friday, July 5, 2024. Photo- AP

Starmer said he intends to start work right away with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege and that this government should treat every single person in this country with respect.

Wrapping his speech, Starmer pledged to steer the UK toward calmer waters after 14 often turbulent years of Conservative rule.

Advertisement

If I asked you now whether you believe that Britain will be better for your children, I know too many of you would say no, he said, pledging to fight until you believe again.

Starmer said his government would try to defy, quietly, those who have written our country off.

You have given us a clear mandate, and we will use it to deliver change, to restore service and respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives, and unite our country, Starmer said.

He said the four nations of the United Kingdom would stand together as they confront the challenges of an insecure world, committed to a calm and patient rebuilding.

Advertisement

With respect and humility, I invite you all to join this government of service in a mission of national renewal. Our work is urgent, and we begin it today, he said, before heading into 10 Downing Street.

Starmer said he would lead a government of service on a mission of national renewal in his first official remarks Friday. Starmer acknowledged in his first speech outside 10 Downing St. that many people are disillusioned and cynical about politics, but said his government would try to restore faith in government.

My government will make you believe again, Starmer said as supporters cheered him on outside 10 Downing St.

Advertisement

The work for change begins immediately, he said. We will rebuild Britain. . Brick by brick we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity.

In the merciless choreography of British politics, Starmer took over the official residence about two hours after Conservative leader Rishi Sunak and his family left the home and the king accepted the Conservative leaders resignation.

This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honoured to have been prime minister of the best country in the world, Sunak said in his farewell address.

Sunak had conceded defeat earlier in the morning, saying the voters had delivered a sobering verdict.

In a reflective farewell speech in the same place where he had called for the snap election six weeks earlier, Sunak wished Starmer all the best but also acknowledged his missteps.

Advertisement

I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss, Sunak said. To all the Conservative candidates and campaigners who worked tirelessly but without success, Im sorry that we could not deliver what your efforts deserved.
by Globetrotter and Peoples Dispatch





France Heads to Second Round Showdown Between Left Alliance and Far Right





The far-right National Rally, which is Marine Le Pens party, is in the lead after the first round of parliamentary elections in France. The party and its allies secured 33 percent of the votes, largely aligning with preelection polls. The New Popular Front (Nouveau Front Populaire, NFP), a left-progressive alliance formed after the snap elections were announced by President Emmanuel Macron earlier in June, recorded the second-largest share of votesapproximately 29 percent. Macrons liberal coalition lagged far behind at 21 percent.





An aerial drone photo taken on June 26, 2024 shows a plaza near the government palace in La Paz, Bolivia, June 26, 2024. (Photo by Javier Mamani/Xinhua)





The election on June 30 was marked by the highest turnout since the late 1980s. The second round of elections will be held on July 7.





To win in the first round, a candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the votes cast, representing at least 25 percent of registered voters. In these elections, more than 60 candidates were elected in the first round: two from Macrons list, 21 from the NFP, and as many as 38 from the National Rally.





More than 500 seats remain to be filled in the second round, giving the left another chance to minimize the gap between them and the National Rally.





Demonstrations protesting the rise of the far right were reported in Strasbourg, Lille, and Paris, among other cities. In Paris, candidates from France Unbowed (La France Insoumise) who are leading the NFP alliance, addressed the crowd. Tonights mood is not one of joy or sadness, but of struggle, said Manuel Bompard, national coordinator of France Unbowed.





***





The Bolivian People Defeat Another Coup





No one can take away our democracy! Bolivian President Luis Arce addressed the people of Bolivia on June 26 to declare that an attempted military coup had been defeated.





On the afternoon of June 26, hundreds of military personnel mobilized under the orders of General Juan Jose Zuniga in the center of La Paz, surrounded the Quemado Palace (the government palace) ahead of a ministerial meeting. They proceeded to break down the main door to the palace with a tank and attempted to enter by force.





Zuniga then announced that the military personnel would free Bolivias political prisoners including Jeanine Anez and Luis Fernando Camacho who are imprisoned over their involvement in the 2019 coup against former President of Bolivia Evo Morales. Anez later wrote on X that she rejected the attempt by the military to destroy constitutional order and that MAS [Movement of Socialism] with Arce and Evo should leave through the ballot box in 2025. We Bolivians will defend democracy.





Morales called on the Bolivian people to mobilize in defense of democracy.





While the army attempted to storm the palace, hundreds of Bolivian people began to mobilize to demand that democracy be respected and the army stand down. These protests, which saw members of mass organizations, trade unions, and the public participating, were met with heavy repression by the military police officers, who shot tear gas indiscriminately and blocked off access to the Plaza Murillo.





The Bolivian Workers Central (COB) representing more than 2 million workers, declared an indefinite general strike and the mobilization of all social and union organizations to the city La Paz to defend and restore the constitutional order and our legally established government in Bolivia.





After an hour of the military encirclement of the palace, President Arce held a press conference to name Jose Sanchez as the new military command to replace Zuniga. Sanchez ordered the military personnel to return to their stations to avoid any bloodshed of the Bolivian people and affirmed that he supported the legal and constitutional government of Luis Arce.





A video also emerged of Arce confronting Zuniga in the palace and firmly telling him to stand down and respect democracy.





Shortly after the pronouncement by Arce and Sanchez, the tanks that had initially blocked off the plaza and surrounded the palace began to withdraw, and thousands of people flooded the area to affirm their rejection of the attempted coup and show support for Arce. Arce youre not alone! Long live democracy! they declared.





COB and other organizations in Bolivia have celebrated the peoples victory but also called on the Bolivian people and the international community to continue their vigil against any further coup attempts.





***





Expertise, Continuity, and Political Alignment: Mexican President-Elect Claudia Sheinbaum Shapes Her Incoming Cabinet





Mexicos president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced the first two rounds of cabinet appointments on June 20. Sheinbaum intends to form a progressive cabinet that comprises people from various profiles including those who have qualified technical skills, loyalty to her and to MORENA (Sheinbaums political party), experience working in the state, political relationships with international organizations, and continuity from AMLOs administration. So far, there have been no major political surprises in Sheinbaums decisions, and she has not chosen political profiles outside the social democratic thinking that characterizes MORENA.





Marcelo Ebrard, who served as the secretary of foreign affairs from 2018 to 2023, was appointed secretary of economy by Sheinbaum.





The current coordinator of Claudia Sheinbaums transition team, Juan Ramon de la Fuente, an important academic, was selected as the future secretary of foreign affairs (foreign minister). Rogelio Ramirez de la O will remain as the head of the secretary of finance, a position he currently holds in Lopez Obradors government.





The Ministry of Health will have David Kershenobich, a doctor and researcher, as its health minister. He has studied and worked at Mexicos prestigious National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and has also been president of several medical associations in Mexico. Kershenobichs experience means that he is familiar with the social and political situations of physicians and health workers in the country.





Julio Berdegue Sacristan was chosen as the future secretary of agriculture and rural development. Sacristan is an engineer with expertise in rural development and issues related to the economy of small producers.





***





Activists Call Megaproject on Indias Great Nicobar Island Ecocide





Indias main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, joined the rising chorus of voices against the multi-million construction project at one of the countrys environmentally sensitive islands, the Great Nicobar Island.





The project has been proposed by the right-wing government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Groups opposing the project have demanded the immediate suspension of all clearances given so far and a thorough review of the project, which threatens the natural habitat of rainforests, rare species of animals, and endangered tribes. The island is located at the southernmost tip of India and is the home of dense rainforests and a UNESCO biosphere reserve.





Indias NITI Aayog, a government think tank, conceptualized the project in March 2021. The project, worth more than $9 billion, is officially referred to as Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island at Adman and Nicobar Islands.





Implemented by a government undertaking named Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO), the project will comprise the building of an international transhipment terminal, an international airport, which will be used both by the military and the civilians, a power plant, and a township for more than 300,000 people. Currently, there are only around 8,000 people living on the Island.





The project requires the diversion of around 130 square kilometers of forest land and the felling of around 1 million trees. It will ultimately require clearing of nearly 244 square kilometers, almost a fifth of the Great Nicobar Island.





Jairam Ramesh, Congress leader, demanded an impartial review of the project by the parliamentary committee. He had earlier alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government was committing ecocide by defying environmental and constitutional norms.
Labours national campaign chief Pat McFadden told BBC Radio 4 that Starmer is expected to constitute his Cabinet by the end of the day. Results of the UK General Elections were declared on July 5 read more

After clinching the post of prime minister and creating history with the Labour Partys landslide victory, Keir Starmer will waste no time and appoint his entire Cabinet as soon as today (Friday).

Labours national campaign chief Pat McFadden told BBC Radio 4 that Starmer is expected to constitute his Cabinet by the end of the day. Results of the UK General Elections were declared on July 5.

To know more about what just happened in the UK, catch all the latest updates on UK elections here

Advertisement

Keir Starmer will get on with appointing his Cabinet, which we expect to be done by the end of today. Certainly the whole Cabinet. That Cabinet will meet tomorrow. And he will have to quickly allocate those responsibilities, give his new Cabinet their marching orders and then theres big international events coming, McFadden said.

Catch all LIVE updates on UK Election Results here

He added that with the NATO Summit next week, which Starmer will attend as the prime minister for the first time, the Labour Party leader wants his Cabinet ready.

Keir Starmer on Friday will become Britains new prime minister, as his centre-left opposition Labour party swept to a landslide general election victory, ending 14 years of right-wing Conservative rule.

The Labour Party has won this general election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory, a sombre-looking Rishi Sunak said after he was re-elected to his seat.

Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides, the Tory leader added, calling the results sobering and saying he took responsibility for the defeat.

Labour raced past the 326 seats needed to secure an overall majority in the 650-seat parliament.

Sunak will tender his resignation to head of state King Charles III, with the monarch then asking Starmer, as the leader of the largest party in parliament, to form a government.

Advertisement

With inputs from agencies
If confirmed, at 61, Keir Starmer will be the oldest person to become British prime minister in almost half a century read more

In 2022, Keir Starmer vowed to make UKs Labour Party electable again after it suffered its worst defeat in general election in 85 years. It seems to be now turning into a reality. As per exit polls and early counting results, Starmers Labour are heading towards a historic victory, snatching power from the Rishi Sunak-led Conservative party after 14 years.

If predictions made by almost all the exit polls, hinting at a landslide win for the Labour Party, comes true, then 61-year-old Starmer is poised to take up the prime ministerial post of the UK.

Advertisement

Within a few hours, the picture will be clear, the complete result of the 2024 UK election result will be out and the world would know how many of 650 Britain parliament seats the Labour and Conservative parties will be winning.

But, heres a quick look at who Keir Starmer is, the Labour Party leader poised to be the UKs next prime minister.

Who is Keir Starmer?

1 - In his election campaign, Starmer, who spent four years as opposition leader, had promised voters to be the agent of change.

2 - Starmer won the 2020 Labour leadership election for a left-wing Labour party after Jeremy Corbyns resignation. He positioned himself as a more centrist, pragmatic leader.

3 - As Labour leader, he has sought to distance the party from the Corbyn era, stressing upon the need of a more professional and electorally viable approach.

4 - Starmer was elected to the House of Commons in 2015 as the member of the parliament (MP) from Holborn and St Pancras which is considered to be a safe Labour seat.

5 - In the 2024 UK elections, Starmer contested and won from Holborn and St Pancras.

6 - Starmer is known for his vegetarianism, self-described socialism, and a reputation that divides opinions because of which some view him as moving towards the right in his pursuit of power.

Advertisement

7 - Starmer already has the title Sir after having been knighted by the monarchy.

8 - Before entering into politics, Starmer was a human rights defence lawyer. He had represented the McLibel Two in their landmark defamation suit against McDonalds.

9 - Starmer also challenged the government led by Tony Blair on its invasion of Iraq, drafting legal arguments against the war.

10 - He was also the legal advisor to the Northern Ireland Policing Board for five years between 2003 and 2008.

11 - Starmer opposed Britains decision to leave the European Union but clarified that a Labour government would not rejoin the group.

Advertisement

12 - He was born on September 2, 1962, in Oxted, Surrey, in a working-class family.

13 - Starmer attended Reigate Grammar School and was the first in his family to attend university. He studied Law at Leeds University.

14 -He got married to Victoria in 2007 and they have two children.

15 - If confirmed, at 61, Starmer will be the oldest person to become British prime minister in almost half a century. Also, he will become the prime minister just nine years after he was first elected to parliament.

With inputs from agencies
The British Crown becomes a key figure after parliamentary elections in the country as the king or the queen has to ensure smooth transition of power from the outgoing government to the newly voted one read more

The UK election results have led to a significant political change. A new party has gained a majority. The Labour Party has returned to power after 14 years, ending a long reign of the Conservative Party, whose Rishi Sunak will formally resign. This development brings King Charles III in the spotlight even though the crown in the UK is mostly a ceremonial position.

Results of the UK election showed that the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer won more than 400 seats in the 650-member House of Commons. The incumbent Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak scraped through to cross the 100-seat psychological mark.

Advertisement

A party or coalition needs to win 326 seats or more in the House of Commons to form the government in the UK. This means Keir Starmer of the Labour Party will replace Sunak as the UK prime minister.

Spotlight on King Charles III

This was the first parliamentary election in the UK after King Charles III ascended the Throne. As the King of the United Kingdom, his constitutional role becomes vital during the transition of power from Sunak to Starmer.

Constitutional duties : In the UK, the monarch has specific constitutional duties during an election transition. The monarch has to accept the resignation of the outgoing prime minister, thank him or her for the services and invite the leader of the party that has just won the electoral mandate to govern the UK for the next five years.

Appointing the prime minister: Following the election, King Charles III would invite the leader of the party that commands the confidence of the House of Commons to become the prime minister and form a government. This is usually the leader of the party with the most seats.

A speech from the Throne: The monarch might be involved in the State Opening of Parliament, delivering the Speech from the Throne, which outlines the governments agenda for the coming session. This speech is written by the incoming government.

Symbolic role of the king

Continuity and stability: The monarch symbolises the continuity and stability of the nation, especially during times of political transition. All government is carried out in the name of the King. Technically, the elected government belongs to the king. The attention on King Charles III could be due to his role in ensuring a smooth and stable transfer of power.

Public addresses: Occasionally, the monarch may address the nation during significant political events to offer reassurance and promote unity.

When the Crown becomes the centre

If one party wins a clear majority, King Charles IIIs role would be straightforward, inviting the leader of that party to form a government. But if no party has a clear majority, the situation becomes more complex. The monarch might have to navigate discussions with party leaders to determine who can command the confidence of the House of Commons. But this is not the case in the current parliamentary election.

The media often focuses on the monarch during political transitions to capture ceremonial aspects and the symbolic importance of the monarchys involvement. Public interest in King Charles IIIs actions and responses during the election aftermath reflects the nations attention on both the political outcome and the traditional processes of governance.

The spotlight on King Charles III following the UK election results highlights the intersection of political change and constitutional monarchy. The kings role, though largely ceremonial, is crucial in maintaining the democratic process and providing a sense of continuity and stability during times of political transition.
Internal strife among the Conservative factions is being blamed for the downfall of Rishi Sunak and the partys historic defeat in the 2024 UK election. With the Conservatives losing about 250 seats and Labour gaining more than 210, the impact of factional infighting can hardly be overstated read more

The Labour Party led by Keir Starmer has won an overwhelming majority in the 650-member House of Commons in the United Kingdom parliamentary election. The Labour Party won over 410 seats while the Conservative Party of outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could barely cross the 115-mark.

As the blame game begins among the Conservatives, political analysts point to factionalism in the party as the primary reason for its loss. The role of the so-called Five Families has come under the scanner.

Advertisement

The Five Families in UK politics

The term Five Families in UK politics refers to a group of Conservative Party factions that have been influential in opposing Prime Minister Sunak and are held partly responsible for the partys struggles.

Believed to have been named so after from the Five Families of New York who are alleged to control the mafia in the US, these groups of MPs came to the forefront last year as they vehemently opposed Sunaks Rwanda plan to deal with illegal immigrants.

These factions are:

European Research Group (ERG): A long-established group known for its hardline stance on Brexit. New Conservatives: A newer faction that included MPs elected post-2016, focused on right-wing policies. Common Sense Group: Formed to address issues of cultural conservatism and led by John Hayes. Northern Research Group (NRG): Represents MPs from northern constituencies, emphasising regional issues. Conservative Growth Group: A faction with a pro-economic growth agenda, associated with supporters of Liz Truss

The Five Families had some 100 MPs and they have been blamed for infighting in the Conservative Party, which analysts say decided the fate of Sunak much before he called the snap poll.

How they impacted the election

In the 2024 election, the Conservative Party faced a serious drubbing, losing about 250 seats than what it had won in 2019, though not facing an extinct situation that some political observers talked about ahead of the polls. The Labour Party capitalised on the Conservative turmoil, gaining over 210 seats and forming a majority government.

The influence of the Five Families within the Conservative Party cannot be overstated. They could have pulled down the Sunak government last year over the immigration policy. But they decided not to. Each faction represented a significant ideological group with distinct agendas that often clashed with Sunaks leadership and broader party policies.

Advertisement

They undermined policy initiatives, and people saw it

The most publicised instance of this was the opposition to Sunaks Rwanda plan, aimed at addressing illegal immigration. The ERG and other factions were vocally critical of the plan, arguing it did not align with their hardline stances on Brexit and immigration.

This public dissent highlighted the lack of unified support within the party, weakening Sunaks position both internally and in the eyes of the public.

They deepened fragmentation in the party

The constant infighting among the factions created an atmosphere of discord and mistrust. The New Conservatives and the Common Sense Group, for instance, frequently pushed agendas that were at odds with the more moderate factions within the party.

Advertisement

This fragmentation made it challenging for Sunak to present a cohesive policy platform, leading to voter disillusionment and a perception of a party in disarray.

They blocked legislative efforts

Factions like the Northern Research Group and the Conservative Growth Group often blocked key legislative efforts, arguing that they did not go far enough in addressing regional inequalities or fostering economic growth. This obstructionism not only stalled the progress of important legislation but also portrayed the Conservative Party as ineffective and divided, further eroding public trust.

This electoral disaster leaves the Conservative Party in a state of introspection and crisis. Some of the leaders have already called for reforming the party, whose unity is more pressing than ever. It grapples with its worst electoral performance in decades as the jury is still out on how much damage the Conservatives suffered because of the Five Families, who deepened their internal divisions and opposed key policies undermining party cohesion and contributing to their historic electoral defeat.
While the Tories performance did not translate into a victory, Braverman won big in her Fareham and Waterlooville seat where she sought re-election read more

Conservative Party leader Suella Braverman, who was fired as UKs Home Secretary last year, apologised for her partys performance in the 2024 General Elections despite her victory in the Fareham and Waterlooville seat, which considerably boosted the Tories.

On Friday, the Labour Party wrote its name in history after breaking the Rishi Sunak-led Conservative Partys 14 years juggernaut. Keir Starmer is set to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Advertisement

In an emotional speech right after the results were announced, Braverman said, I am sorry that my party didnt listen to you. The Conservative Party has let you down.

You - the Great British people voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises. Weve acted as if were entitled to your vote regardless of what we did, regardless of what we didnt do, despite promising time after time that we would do those things and we need to learn our lesson because if we dont, bad as tonight has been for my party, well have many worse nights to come, the former home secretary added.

Bravermans big vistory

While the Tories performance did not translate into a victory, Braverman won big in her seat where she sought re-election.

Braverman, who is seen as a likely Tory leadership contender, won the Fareham and Waterlooville seat with a majority of just over 6,000. She bagged 17,561 votes.

She is among the many British Indians, including Rishi Sunak, to win from their respective constituencies.

Labour Partys Gemma Furnivall came second in the contest with 11,482 votes.

UK General Election results

Keir Starmer on Friday will become Britains new prime minister, as his centre-left opposition Labour party swept to a landslide general election victory, ending 14 years of right-wing Conservative rule.

Advertisement

The Labour Party has won this general election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory, a sombre-looking Rishi Sunak said after he was re-elected to his seat.

Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides, the Tory leader added, calling the results sobering and saying he took responsibility for the defeat.

Labour raced past the 326 seats needed to secure an overall majority in the 650-seat parliament.

Sunak will tender his resignation to head of state King Charles III, with the monarch then asking Starmer, as the leader of the largest party in parliament, to form a government.

Advertisement

With inputs from agencies
The UK has its first change in government in 14 years after the Labour Party won a landslide victory early Friday in a general election that saw the Conservative Party suffer its biggest defeat ever. Labours have secured 412 of the 650 parliamentary seats, while the Conservatives were reduced to 121. read more

A view across from U.K. Parliament in London on July 5, 2024. Photo- AP

Labour Party deputy leader Angela Rayner was appointed as Britains deputy prime minister by new Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday, the first appointment to his top team of ministers.

She will also serve as secretary for levelling up, housing and communities.

Rayner has often spoken about her tough background growing up in a deprived public housing block and leaving school early as a young mother.

She started her career as a trade union official before embarking on a career as a lawmaker.

Advertisement

The Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP @AngelaRayner has been appointed Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities @luhc.



She will also be Deputy Prime Minister.#Reshuffle pic.twitter.com/tFkwgzCE5e  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 5, 2024

Rachel Reeves has been confirmed as the new chancellor. She is the first woman to hold the post in its 800-year history.

The Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP @RachelReevesMP has been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer @hmtreasury. pic.twitter.com/qMSZxpZRH9  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 5, 2024

It is the honour of my life to have been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer. Economic growth was the Labour Partys mission. It is now a national mission, Rachel Reeves said in a post on X.

It is the honour of my life to have been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer.



Economic growth was the Labour Partys mission. It is now a national mission.



Lets get to work. pic.twitter.com/PchJFePDJa  Rachel Reeves (@RachelReevesMP) July 5, 2024

Advertisement

Earlier, he addressed the nation from the same location after being officially appointed Prime Minister by the King, following Labours remarkable electoral success.

The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP @YvetteCooperMP has been appointed Secretary of State for the Home Department @ukhomeoffice. pic.twitter.com/1IXxGXDZjW  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 5, 2024

Advertisement

The UK has its first change in government in 14 years after the Labour Party won a landslide victory early Friday in a general election that saw the Conservative Party suffer its biggest defeat ever. Labours have secured 412 of the 650 parliamentary seats, while the Conservatives were reduced to 121.

This is a breaking story.
The 44-year-old politician, who was among the final three contestants in the Labour Partys leadership contest against her boss in January 2020, has been serving in his shadow cabinet ever since. read more

British Indian MP Lisa Nandy, who secured a resounding victory from Wigan in north-west England, has been appointed as the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport by Prime Minister Keir Starmer soon after Labours sweeping victory in the recent elections.

Nandy, 44, has been a prominent figure in the Labour Party. She was one of the final three candidates in the partys leadership contest in January 2020, where she competed against Keir Starmer. Since then, she has been a significant part of his shadow cabinet, contributing her expertise and leadership.

Advertisement

From rugby league to Royal Opera, our cultural and sporting heritage runs through our towns, villages and cities and is one of our countrys greatest assets.



It is an unbelievable privilege to take on the role of Secretary of State @DCMS . The hard work begins today. https://t.co/YilC47p17C  Lisa Nandy MP (@lisanandy) July 5, 2024

She will now take over the culture ministry brief from Lucy Fraser, who was among the Tory ministers to lose their seats in a devastating election for the Rishi Sunak led Conservatives.

I want to say to those people whove brought their nasty, hateful, racist politics to our town, the history of Wigan is of working-class people who for 100 years have driven you and your hate out of our town over and over again, Nandy raged in her acceptance speech on defeating a far-right Reform UK candidate in her Greater Manchester constituency earlier on Friday.

So take this result tonight as your marching orders. We are a better town than you. You are not welcome here. You can take your nasty divisive rhetoric elsewhere because weve got a job to do, she said.

The Manchester-born daughter of Calcutta-born academic Dipak Nandy and a British mother has spoken of her Indian heritage during Labour Party conferences in the past. Her father was well-known for his work in the field of race relations in Britain.

Advertisement

Friends, we meet today in a city which looks out onto the ocean, from an island shaped by waves of immigration. They include the many children of Empire, like my dad, who came here from India in the 50s and through the struggle to create the Race Relations Act helped forge our national story, she told the party conference in Brighton a few years ago.

This is the country we can be. One that lifts our eyes beyond the horizon, to see that together  only together  will we change the lives of people here and across the world, she said.

Advertisement

Reflecting upon the Indian Independence movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, she recalled how a century ago the seams of my family were threaded together when the Indian independence campaign, supported by my grandparents, had devastating consequences for Lancashire textile workers. When the cotton stopped coming, the mills stopped running and the workers went hungry.

But members of my family, who worked in those mills, were among those who welcomed Gandhi to Lancashire. Because they knew, as I know, as the first mixed race woman to ever hold this office, that solidarity has power and our struggle is one and the same, she said, with reference to Gandhis famous visit to Lancashire in 1931 when he met mill workers facing hardship.

Advertisement

With inputs from agencies.
Nigers ouster of American troops following a coup last year has broad ramifications for the U.S. because it is forcing troops to abandon the critical drone base that was used for counterterrorism missions in the Sahel read more

Nigers ruling junta ordered US forces out of the country in the wake of last Julys ouster of the countrys democratically elected president by mutinous soldiers Image Courtesy AP

Ahead of a deadline set by the new ruling junta for September 15, the United States will withdraw all of its personnel and equipment from a small base in Niger this weekend, and the remaining fewer than 500 troops will vacate a vital drone base in the West African nation in August, according to the American commander there on Friday.

A number of small teams consisting of 1020 American soldiers, including special operations units, have relocated to other West African nations. However, the majority of the forces will go to Europe, at least initially.

Advertisement

Nigers ouster of American troops following a coup last year has broad ramifications for the U.S. because it is forcing troops to abandon the critical drone base that was used for counterterrorism missions in the Sahel.

Ekman and other U.S. military leaders have said other West African nations want to work with the U.S. and may be open to an expanded American presence. He did not detail the locations, but other U.S. officials have pointed to the Ivory Coast and Ghana as examples.

Ekman, who serves as the director for strategy at U.S. Africa Command, is leading the U.S. military withdrawal from the small base at the airport in Nigers capital of Niamey and from the larger counterterrorism base in the city of Agadez. He said there will be a ceremony Sunday marking the completed pullout from the airport base, then those final 100 troops and the last C-17 transport aircraft will depart.

Speaking to reporters from The Associated Press and Reuters from the U.S. embassy in Niamey, Ekman said that while portable buildings and vehicles that are no longer useful will be left behind, a lot of larger equipment will be pulled out. For example, he said 18 4,000-pound (1,800-kilograms) generators worth more than $1 million each will be taken out of Agadez.

Our goal in the execution is, leave things in as good a state as possible, he said. If we went out and left it a wreck or we went out spitefully, or if we destroyed things as we went, wed be foreclosing options for future security relations.

Nigers ruling junta ordered US forces out of the country in the wake of last Julys ouster of the countrys democratically elected president by mutinous soldiers. French forces had also been asked to leave as the junta turned to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for security assistance.

Advertisement

Washington officially designated the military takeover as a coup in October, triggering U.S. laws restricting the military support and aid.

Unlike the withdrawal from Afghanistan, he said the U.S. is not destroying equipment or facilities as it leaves.
Before the UK election results came in, Liberal Democrats leader Edward Davey was already being touted as a potential Leader of Opposition in the British parliament. Even though Davey could not reach that milestone, his party has broken records left, right and centre. The Lib Dems have officially registered their most successful victory in a century read more

Edward Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has called the partys performance record-breaking as the Lib Dems secured 72 seats in the 2024 UK general elections. This marks the partys best performance since 1923, and a significant improvement from their 2019 election performance, when they only secured 11 seats in the UK House of Commons.

Several key Conservative Party ministers, including UK Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, UK Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, and UK Science Secretary Michelle Donelan, lost their seats to Liberal Democrat challengers.

Advertisement

Although the party had aimed to unseat UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in Godalming and Ash, he managed to retain his position with a slim majority of 891 votes.

However, the Liberal Democrats succeeded in Witney, formerly represented by ex-UK Prime Minister David Cameron, and in Maidenhead, the seat previously held by Theresa May.

With the performance of a century, we look back at the journey of the Liberal Democrats party, characterised with their flashing orange colour aimed at balancing different kinds of liberalism - social, economic, and political.

Liberal Democrats came later, first there was the Liberal Party

The roots of the Liberal Democrats trace back to the formation of the Liberal Party in 1859, with origins that stretch further back to the ideological struggles of the English Civil War.

The 17th century saw the establishment of two key parliamentary groupings: the Whigs and the Tories. The Whigs, inspired by the Glorious Revolution of 1688, supported the supremacy of Parliament over the monarchy, contrasting with the Crown-defending Tories.

In the late 18th century, the American Revolution and the French Revolution sparked renewed debate about governance. Under Charles James Fox, Britains first foreign secretary, the Whigs opposed then-Prime Minister William Pitts authoritarian measures during the Napoleonic Wars and began embracing a more popular agenda.

Advertisement

Charles James Fox was noted as the arch-rival of then-British PM William Pitt. Historyofparliamentonline.org

This led to the Great Reform Act of 1832, which started extending the franchise and necessitated politicians to engage with ordinary electors and radical elements outside Parliament.

The Liberal Party officially formed on June 6, 1859 when Whigs, Peelites (Robert Peel supporters), and Radicals united to overthrow a minority Conservative government. This union was solidified by the Peelites support for free trade, appealing to radicals and the working classes by keeping food cheap and making exports easier.

The ascent of the Liberal Party (1859-1911)

From its formation, the Liberal Party governed Britain for most of the next thirty years, benefitting from franchise extensions in 1867 and 1885.

Advertisement

William Ewart Gladstone, a four-time UK prime minister, was a key figure. Known for financial innovations, Gladstone replaced tariffs and customs duties with income tax and established parliamentary accountability for government spending. His support from Nonconformists came from his stance on religious questions affecting basic liberties and education.

Liberal leader and four-time UK Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. Libdems.org.uk

Gladstones government, after winning the 1868 UK general election, disestablished the Church of Ireland, passed the first Education Act, and introduced the secret ballot. His return to power in 1880 saw the Liberals focus on Irish peace, attempting (unsuccessfully) to pass a home rule bill, which split the party and led to electoral defeat in 1886.

Advertisement

Internal divisions over economic and social policies further weakened the party until Henry Campbell-Bannerman unified it, leading to a landslide victory in 1906. The Liberal government of 1906-15, led by Former Prime Ministers Herbert Asquith and Lloyd George, and Winston Churchill (he had a four year stint as a Liberal MP), laid the foundations of the modern welfare state with reforms like labour exchanges, state-paid old-age pensions, and national insurance.

The decline of the Liberal Party (1916-1957)

World War I strained the Liberal ascendancy. The split in 1916 over war direction, with Lloyd George replacing Asquith as prime minister, left the party divided. Subsequent elections saw Liberal factions competing against each other, and the partys grassroots organisation disintegrated, allowing Labour to capture votes from newly enfranchised working-class and women voters.

Advertisement

David Lloyd George was a Liberal party politician from Wales, he led the UK as PM during the WWI. Libdems.org.uk

Despite reuniting around free trade for the 1923 election, supporting a minority Labour government polarised political choices, relegating Liberals to a distant third place in 1924. Attempts at a comeback under Lloyd George in 1929 were unsuccessful, and the Great Depression further split the party.

By 1957, only five Liberal MPs remained, and the partys influence had dwindled, though Liberal thinkers like John Maynard Keynes and William Beveridge continued to shape post-war government policies.

The short-lived revival of Liberal Party (1956-1987)

Revival began with Jo Grimonds leadership in 1956, who capitalised on dissatisfaction with the long-ruling Conservatives. The Liberals saw by-election successes and a second revival in the 1970s under Jeremy Thorpe. Community politics, adopted in 1970, empowered local communities and increased local authority representation.

Former leader of the Liberal Party Jeremy Thorpe listens to a speech at the Liberal Democrat party conference, September 24, 1997. File Image/Reuters

Labours defeat in 1979 led to the formation of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1981 by moderate Labour leaders. The SDP formed an Alliance with the Liberal Party, achieving significant electoral success in the 1983 and 1987 elections despite internal tensions.

Enter Liberal Democrats (1988-2000)

The Alliance parties merged on 3 March 1988 to form the Social & Liberal Democrats, later renamed the Liberal Democrats. Paddy Ashdown became the first leader, steering the party through a difficult period marked by internal disputes and poor electoral performance.

However, the party slowly recovered, achieving significant by-election victories and winning 18 seats in the 1992 general election.

Paddy Ashdown was elected as the fresh Liberal Democrats partys first leader in July 1998. Libdems.org.uk

Under Ashdowns leadership, the partys policies on taxation for education, environmentalism, and other issues gained traction. The 1997 UK election saw the Liberal Democrats win 46 seats, the highest number for a third party since 1929, despite a slight drop in vote share.

Ashdowns controversial attempt to work closely with Labour, dubbed the project, helped achieve constitutional reforms but ended with Blairs refusal to commit to electoral reform.

Three leaders in four years (2001-2005)

Charles Kennedy succeeded Ashdown in 1999, focusing on replacing the Conservatives as the main opposition. The Liberal Democrats opposed the Iraq War in 2003, gaining popularity for their stance.

By the 2005 general election, they won 62 seats with 22 per cent of the vote, the highest number since 1923. However, dissatisfaction with Kennedys leadership style and his alcoholism led to his resignation in January 2006.

People hold signs during a victory rally of British Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Honiton Richard Foord and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, in Tiverton, UK, June 24, 2022. File Image/Reuters

Menzies Campbell succeeded Kennedy but struggled with the role, leading to his resignation in October 2007. Nick Clegg won the leadership election, stabilising the party and performing well in local elections.

Lib Dems form the governmentwell sort of (2008-2010)

The 2008 financial crisis transformed the political scene, necessitating changes in Liberal Democrat policies. Tensions arose between economic and social liberals, but the leadership maintained support for cutting the public deficit and prioritising public expenditure.

The 2010 election saw the Liberal Democrats secure 23 per cent of the vote but lose six seats.

The hung parliament led to a coalition with the Conservatives, with Nick Clegg as deputy prime minister. Key policies implemented included raising the income tax threshold, the pupil premium, and investment in renewable energy.

Then-British Prime Minister David Cameron (R) and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg walk into 10 Downing Street in London, May 12, 2010. File Image/Reuters

However, constitutional reform efforts largely failed, and the partys compromises, particularly on university tuition fees, damaged public trust.

And then came disaster (2010-2015)

Despite predictions of short-lived coalition, the government lasted a full term, achieving economic recovery and growth. Key Liberal Democrat policies were implemented, including mental health prioritisation, same-sex marriage legislation, and the Green Investment Bank.

However, the party struggled with public visibility and communication of its successes, particularly regarding tuition fees.

Also Read | Landslide win for Labour, anger towards Tories: The 6 big takeaways from UK election results

The 2015 general election was disastrous, with the party reduced from 57 to 8 MPs. Nick Clegg resigned, replaced by Tim Farron. The party saw a membership surge, though wider electoral support was slow to return.

Long road to recovery in the UK (2015-2024)

Tim Farron led the partys strong campaign for a remain vote in the 2016 EU referendum, which, despite the vote to leave, boosted party membership. Vince Cable succeeded Farron in 2017, stabilising the party amidst parliamentary stalemate over Brexit.

In 2019, the partys stop Brexit platform led to success in the European elections but overconfidence hampered the December general election, resulting in the loss of leader Jo Swinsons seat. Edward Ed Davey was elected leader in 2020, overseeing successful local elections and by-election victories.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats and MP Edward Davey attends the Prime Ministers Questions at the House of Commons in London, UK, February 8, 2023. File Image/Reuters

Lib Dems are back! (July 5, 2024)

With a deeply unpopular Conservative government, the Liberal Democrats secured a record-breaking number of seats.

This election saw the Liberal Democrats adopt an unconventional campaign strategy, featuring leader Davey in a series of attention-grabbing stunts, such as descending a waterslide and bungee-jumping.

A lot of people are on the cusp of doing something theyve never done before - taking a leap of faith and voting Liberal Democrat... so I decided to do something Ive never done before too. pic.twitter.com/qW8Q8k1dCg  Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) July 1, 2024

The party concentrated its efforts on a select number of constituencies, primarily targeting Conservative-held areas in southern England.

Following the exit poll late on Thursday (local time), Davey stated that the party was on course for our best results in a century. Davey himself expanded his majority from 11,000 to 17,000 in his Kingston and Surbiton constituency.

Every Liberal Democrat MP will be a strong local champion for their community standing up for the NHS and care.



Whether you voted for us or not, we will work day in and day out and we will not let you down.  Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) July 4, 2024

The Liberal Democrats are now poised to return to the UK House of Commons as the third largest party, surpassing the Scottish National Party (SNP), a position they havent held since 2015, when voter backlash against their coalition with David Camerons Conservatives was severe.

Lib Dems deputy leader Daisy Cooper, who significantly increased her majority in St Albans by nearly 14,000 votes, spoke to BBC, declaring, We are back in British politics.

Also Read: Who is Lady Victoria? Keir Starmers wife & soon-to-be UKs first lady

With inputs from agencies
When the House of Commons comes back with a brand new party taking the reign, there will be at least 242 female MPs in the new government read more

As the United Kingdom woke up to a new government, the 2024 General Elections broke several records. One of them was that the polls saw a record number of female lawmakers being elected in the House of Commons.

When the House of Commons comes back with a brand new party taking the reign, there will be at least 242 female MPs in the new government. The previous record was not far off, it was set in 2019 when 220 women were elected to the House of Commons.

Advertisement

In 2019, the proportion of female MPs reached 34%, the highest portion of either chamber in parliament to date. Before that in 2017, it was 207 and 196 in 2015.

Meanwhile, Sunaks cabinet made record for all the wrong reasons

In a major blow to the UK PM Rishi Sunaks administration, several key ministers from this cabinet lost in their constituency in the 2024 UK General Elections. While the British premier has already conceded defeat to Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, eleven sitting Cabinet ministers lost their respective constituencies.

The list of big losers included stalwarts like the Defence Secretary, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and the leader of the UK House of Commons Penny Mordaunt. The incumbent cabinet has managed to create history for all the wrong reasons. The last time an incumbent administration performed this badly was in 1997 when 7 cabinet ministers lost in their respective constituencies.

Starmers Labour managed to garner a landslide victory in the snap poll which was called by Sunak himself. As Starmer heads towards Downing Street, this marked an end to the 14 years of reign by the Conservatives.

Labour wins big

After a 14-year governing streak defined by Brexit, a pandemic and an astonishing period of political and financial turbulence that ushered in three Prime Ministers in just one year, the worlds most successful political party lost the elections in the worst way possible.

Advertisement

We did it! Starmer told supporters in a jubilant victory speech in the early hours of Friday morning. Starmers Labour has managed to win 412 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons.

According to the near-final results, the Conservatives were reduced so far to just 121 seats, marking the partys worst performance in its nearly 200-year history. While it is certain the UK will see a brand new government, it will also see a highly representative lower chamber.

With inputs from agencies.
July 4, 2024: Indians are mystified at the inability of India, the most populous nation in the world with over a billion people, as well as a current GDP of $3.7 trillion, to have adequate weapons for its military. Its GDP is the fifth largest on the planet, after the U.S., China, Germany and Japan. The Indian defense budget of $83.6 billion is the fourth largest after the United States, China and Russia. Despite these numbers, India still has to import most of its weapons and remains unable to develop a domestic arms manufacturing industry befitting the nation with the third largest defense budget of $61 billion. This is exceeded by China with $177 billion and the United States with $717 billion.

In 2014 India elected a new reform-minded government that was obsessed with making India less dependent on imported military technology. Increased efforts to develop domestic weapons development and production capability consistently failed. In response to this the government made it more difficult to import needed weapons that Indian firms were unable to develop and build. Annual arms imports are currently about $2.6 billion and the government is trying to address the structural problems that have prevented commercial firms from developing military equipment. India is also trying to reduce the power of government weapons development and production operations that have never been able to compete with foreign defense manufacturers.

The major goals of local procurement are to decrease reliance on Russia, which is still the largest supplier of military equipment. At the same time India is the second largest, after Saudi Arabia, importer of weapons in the world and the largest customer for Russian military exports. India has been buying less from Russia since the 1990s. Since the 1960s Russia supplied more and more, often over 80 percent, of Indian weapons imports. In the last decade that has fallen to fifty percent and continues to decline.

The second part of the program to reduce weapons imports is to make it easier for Indian firms to meet the needs of the Indian military. The government issued a list identifying specific weapons and items of military equipment that must be procured locally. Making it mandatory to buy locally has been tried before and led to some spectacular failures, so much so that the government authorized the emergency Fast Track Procurement or FTP procedures in 2004. With FTP the military could unilaterally buy some items from foreign suppliers. It was assumed that FTP would eliminate the most embarrassing problems with getting the military weapons desperately needed. It was also believed that government efforts to clean up the corruption and other problems with the military procurement process would soon make FTP unnecessary. That has not happened.

FTP is still around to allow the immediate purchase of essential military items without the usual political and procurement delays that can add years, sometimes a decade or more, to obtaining needed items. FTP is still needed because the current confrontation with better equipped Chinese forces on the northern border makes it obvious that all the Chinese weapons and equipment is Chinese-made and clearly more modern. The new Made in India mandates make it more difficult to use FTP. The Indian Air Force believes it will not be able to replace aging jet fighters with local designs in time. The air force will shrink while the politicians come up with more ways to block efforts to fix the problem. This refusal to face reality and actually solve procurement problems is crippling the Indian military. Another problem is that FTP did not eliminate all the delays and even with FTP there were often years of delays.

Meanwhile more Indians ask why China developed a world-class weapons development and production capability in the last few decades while India has not? Mainly its about corruption and decades of India making it difficult for Indians to start and operate profitable firms that could produce consumer goods as well as military equipment. The United States became the largest economy in the world over a century ago by encouraging this entrepreneurship. Many other nations, including those in Europe and East Asia (Japan, South Korea and China) followed that example. India did not.

While making it difficult for Indian entrepreneurs, India tried to use government-owned weapons development efforts and defense manufacturers to locally produce weapons. These state-owned organizations were epic failures and continue to develop second-rate weapons or weapons that dont work at all. Recent examples include assault rifles, helicopters and jet fighters. The only successes have been with privately owned firms and that is what the government wants more of. New rules and laws to reduce restrictions on commercial firms are meant to encourage less dependence on imports. As with previous efforts in this area, the goals tend to be more aspirational than actual. Indian government bureaucrats and procurement agencies have become quite effective at protecting their own interests at the expense of commercial firms and the needs of the military. This is a problem in all industrialized nations because that is the nature of government; to use their power to expand.

Nations like China and Israel are notably different because China did not begin undergoing the industrial revolution until the 1980s. As usual, that produced spectacular results, which will be eroded over the years as the government expands, often at the expense of successful new firms. That is already happening in China, where the communist government fears the potential political influence of the largest and most successful firms. Israel is a special case because they have been under constant attack by their Moslem neighbors since Israel was founded in 1947. For Israel it has always been a matter of succeeding at developing new weapons or being wiped out.

India is different because it adopted a local form of socialism instead of a free enterprise economy when modern India was formed in 1948. As a result, India has always had to import most of its weapons. Efforts to change this have failed so far, mainly because of corruption and unwillingness to tolerate competitive and efficient defense industries. That corruption that has been pervasive in India for thousands of years and makes imported weapons from nations willing to pay bribes to Indian government officials more attractive than allowing competitive Indian firms to develop and provide cheaper locally made equipment.

One bit of good news is that this form of corruption has been under heavy attack for more than a decade because of the Internet. Political parties could control mass media and much local news, but not the Internet. Fighting corruption has become enormously popular with voters, who learn that most Western countries supplying weapons to India are often very anti-corruption themselves and much more successful at it. When Russia was supplying over 80 percent of weapons imports, you had a supplier that was a dictatorship and quite comfortable with bribes and payoffs. For more than a decade Russia has been losing sales to Western firms. The culture of corruption still exists in Indian defense procurement, but it is under heavy attack. Even if no bribes were involved when buying foreign weapons, that would not fix the inability to create a competitive Indian weapons industry.

The reason for that has to do with why, for most of the last half century, most Indian weapons came from Russia. There were several reasons for that: politics, price and practicality. The policy was a decision by Indian politicians to be non-aligned during the Cold War. This conflict began just as India became independent from the British Empire. Still resentful towards Britain and the West for two centuries of colonial domination, India officially refused to take sides during the Cold War. Yet its relations with Russia, a communist dictatorship, were much warmer than with the Western democracies. Although India clung to democracy, the educated classes were infatuated with the promise of socialism. For several decades Indians abhorred the Russian dictatorship form of government but admired their socialist approach to running their economy. It wasnt until the 1980s that most Indian politicians admitted that the Russian economic model was all a fraud and not working. For India, this sort of set in motion the sort of free enterprise policies that China had employed since the 1980s. But by then it was too late for India. Decades of attempts to impose government regulation and guidance of the economy had created a huge bureaucracy that could not be easily dismantled because many of these jobs were used by politicians to reward supporters and get reelected.

Then there was the price of Russian weapons. They were cheaper than Western equivalents. This meant more could be spent on bribes and payoffs. Finally, there was practicality. Indias main foes were Pakistan and China. Pakistan had a much smaller population, economy and defense budget than India. Russian weapons were adequate for Pakistan. China was also poorly equipped, until quite recently, and separated from India by the Himalaya Mountains. Under those conditions Russian weapons were just fine for Indian needs.

Since the Cold War ended in 1991 all this has changed. Indian politics has changed and now officially wants to clamp down on the corruption, which everyone admits cripples the economy. Price is still important, but its been noticed that Russian weapons have slipped in quality and effectiveness since the Soviet Union collapsed. Pakistan is even less of a military threat, because Pakistan is even more corrupt and economically crippled than India. China, however, is another matter. China has managed to build a powerful and productive arms industry. All those Russian weapons India has no longer provide any degree of superiority. India needs Western-quality arms to maintain a competitive military for confronting China, but those are both more expensive and require reductions in Indias military procurement corruption. Its possible to make them in India under license, but the Indian industry has not been able to master high tech sufficiently to make this practical. In short, its no longer practical to tolerate an inefficient domestic defense industry.

Efforts to create domestic defense industries have been crippled by specific portions of the bureaucracy. The worst of these is the DRDO, as in the Defense Research and Development Organization. Alas, DRDO became a monumental example of bureaucratic inefficiency, wasting billions of dollars and decades of effort on weapons systems that never quite became operational or when they did, they really weren't. DRDO was created in 1958 to provide government support and guidance for defense related research. But the network of research and manufacturing facilities DRDO established since then were more about patronage and plundering the taxpayers than in actually creating competitive defense industries. Even DRDO efforts to create low-tech weapons like assault rifles and other infantry equipment were failures, with sloppiness and inefficiency resulting in very uncompetitive weapons.

Worse, many major DRDO weapons development projects have failed because bad politics ensured that bad ideas kept getting funded, and those efforts rarely produced anything the military found acceptable. For example, the 5.5-ton Dhruv helicopter was in development for two decades before the first one was delivered in 2002. Since then, domestic and foreign users have expressed dissatisfaction. A series of crashes indicated some basic design flaws, which the manufacturer insisted did not exist. Similar situation with locally developed Tejas jet fighter. Indian politicians still cite these two aircraft as examples of successful Indian developed tech. The Indian military has been equally quick to cite these two aircraft as unacceptable and has often succeeded in avoiding accepting more than a token number. Export customers did not exist.

Then there is the effort to develop and build a tank. Many of the problems with the Arjun tank project had to do with nothing more than government ineptitude. The Ministry of Defense was more interested in putting out press releases about how India was becoming self-sufficient in tanks than in attending to the technical details needed to make this happen. The Ministry of Defense crowd has done this sort of thing many times. Moreover, if it isn't incompetence screwing things up, then it's corruption.

Efforts to develop missile systems have also been a long running failure. Work on indigenous missile designs, under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP), managed by DRDO has gone on for decades, with no useful weapons to show for it. The most common problems were apparently caused by inept software development. While India has a lot of local talent in this department, creating this kind of specialized military software is very difficult and the best programmers tend to join the growing number of new companies that sell their services or software products to foreigners. Many other Indian engineers and scientists migrate to countries where it is easier to put their skills to good use.

The one exception has been ballistic missiles. Curiously this was seen as a really, really important project and the politicians eventually backed off and let the engineers get on with it. India has world class engineers and scientists, but too many of them have to go overseas to do what they do best because the government does not tolerate being told what works and what doesnt by people who know what they are talking about.

India is determined to develop the capability of designing and building high-tech weapons, something few countries can do. India is following in the footsteps of China and Russia, two nations that still had most of their population living in poverty, while the state concentrated resources to create the technological base needed to build modern weapons. Russia and China have gone farther than India in developing and manufacturing modern weapons. Not as far as Western firms, if only because of the corruption and lawlessness in both those nations. But Russia and China had an advantage of having authoritarian governments. Decisions could get made quickly and decisively. India is a democracy and democracies are messy. Important decisions tend to get kicked down the road rather than taken care of. Chinese leaders openly boast of this as a major reason China has succeeded while India fails.

There have been some new ideas and opportunities. One of the most alluring is the growing number of private firms in India that can handle defense work. Currently non-government Indian firms get about a quarter of the contracts. Foreign defense firms can make deals with these private firms who can then go after Indian defense contracts. But standing in the way are the Indian defense officials. The Indian bureaucrats have a well-deserved reputation of gumming up the works and preventing needful things from getting done. This makes it difficult for private companies, especially when the main customer is the government. Getting rid of DRDO and its 30,000 employees is difficult. Over 20 percent of them are scientists and engineers unable to compete in a free market economy with many of the rest are obstructionist bureaucrats that cripple the efforts of commercial firms competing with DRDO. Eliminating DRDO is extremely unpopular with most politicians. Yet in the last few years senior elected officials have made some decisive moves to end the bureaucratic deadlock. This involved something as simple as ending the ban on former military personnel taking key jobs in the Defense Ministry and shutting down state-owned arms factories with long records of failure.

This situation is tragic and a growing number of Indians realize it. India, a regional superpower and the worlds largest democracy now finds itself in a very rough neighborhood and military efficiency is becoming a necessity, not just a worthy goal. To deal with that, India has always maintained large armed forces and one of the largest armies, with a million troops, on the planet. But keeping these troops equipped to handle combat has proved to be very difficult. The army keeps falling behind in replacing aging weapons like artillery and obtaining new technology like missiles, smart munitions, and night vision equipment. Getting the money from the government has been the least of their problems. The biggest hassles are with corruption and failed efforts to develop local weapons production.

The latest government moves to change all that are not revolutionary, but evolutionary. As has long been observed, democracies always do the right thing, but often only after trying everything else. India still has not reached the end of the everything else list.
July 4, 2024: The Russian invasion cost Russia more than over half a million soldiers killed or incapacitated and over 7,000 tanks destroyed or captured. The Ukraine operation also cost Russia its military reputation. Before 2022, western military analysts, especially the American ones, considered the Russian military a formidable force. This assessment ignored the impact of Russian troops having no combat experience against a near peer, or roughly equal in weapons and troops training, force since 1945, when World War II ended. The impact turned out to be negative and in a major way. The Ukraine invasion revealed that Russian troops were poorly trained, poorly led and equipped with many defective weapons and items of military equipment. Decades of peace enabled Russian defense officials to indulge in corrupt practices that provided the troops with many defective or substandard weapons or items of equipment. This was revealed, and denied, during the 1979-1989 war in Afghanistan where Russia simply withdrew in 1989.

Russian troops also put down several East European insurrections in the 1950s and 60s. Eastern Europe was controlled by Russia but each nation was run by local officials. The people were not free and that created popular anger that often broke out in anti-government and anti-Russian violence. Sometimes Russian troops had to be called in to restore order because local police and soldiers could not handle it or could not be trusted to remain loyal to the government. On a few occasions civilians attacked the invaders and that included the tanks. The Russian tanks were vulnerable to gasoline bombs, usually a bottle filled with a flammable liquid and igniting the rag used to plug the bottle opening. Ignite the rag and toss the bottle and even tanks will suffer damage. This is especially true if the gasoline bombs are tossed from the upper floor of a building on a tank below. Russian troops and tank crews were not prepared for this and often panicked.

A major part of the problem was poor training of Russian recruits and a lack of sergeants. Its all about conscription and, since 1917, the Russian government not trusting their troops and Russians now going to extremes to avoid being conscripted. This widespread opposition to peacetime conscription was unique to Russia. Other European nations adopted conscription as early as the 1800s, but none had as much popular dislike of conscription and some very real reasons to avoid conscript service.

Even the United States, which rarely used peacetime conscription, had it during peacetime between 1948 and 1973. Americans tolerated conscription in wartime as long as all young men were subject to it. During the 1861-65 civil war it was possible for families with money to pay a relatively large sum to keep their sons out of uniform. This led to violence in many areas. By 1940, when peacetime conscription was once more used, there were no problems with selectivity. The problems with who should serve returned in the 1960s. This is often attributed to the unpopular Vietnam War (1965-72) but conscription was also unpopular during the earlier (1950-53) Korean War. Both wars were unpopular with most Americans because the United States was not threatened with attack, unlike the two World Wars. In Korea the government used reservists as much as possible and kept the war from escalating, so few conscripts were sent into battle.

The 1960s were different because the large Baby Boom generation, of children born after World War II, were reaching 18 in large numbers throughout the decade and even without a war in Vietnam, there would have been growing popular support for eliminating conscription because there were far more young men available for conscription than the military needed. Even with the Vietnam War, by 1970 politicians had to heed demands for an end to peacetime conscription and that was done by 1973. Britain, alone among European nations, also had a tradition of avoiding peacetime conscription. Britain had conscription during World War I but dropped it in 1920. Conscription returned in World War II but despite the Cold War, Britain ended conscription in 1960.

When the Cold War ended unexpectedly in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, European voters began demanding an end to conscription. That happened throughout Europe during the 1990s but was reversed after 2014 when a much-reduced Russian military again became a threat. This was a different threat because post-Soviet Russia had a military one fifth the size of the Cold War Soviet forces and most of the troops were very reluctant conscripts who only had to serve one year. Even that could be avoided with a large bribe, if your family could afford it, to buy an exemption. One of the many causes of the Soviet Union collapsing was increasing public protests against Russian conscripts being killed in an unpopular eight-year war in Afghanistan. Some 15,000 Russian died in Afghanistan, most of them conscripts. There were unprecedented public protests by parents who had lost sons as well as parents who did not want their conscripted sons sent there.

In the 1990s there were more protests, this time by Russian voters in a democratic Russia that sent thousands of conscripts into the Caucasus to put down a Chechen uprising. Many conscripts were killed and Russian leaders finally remembered that they lowered their losses in Afghanistan by depending more on commandos and airborne troops, who were all volunteers. Some of those volunteers were conscripts who felt up to the challenge of being a spetsnaz commando or paratrooper and the Afghans feared these troops.

By 2014 Russian leaders realized that getting conscripts killed in combat outside of Russia was not worth the political trouble and formed all-volunteer combat units that were only about ten percent of the military and that was but one of many problems that still existed in the Russian military.

Since the 1990s Russia has been trying, without much success, to address these many problems. For example, since 2019 the Russian Army was once more trying another approach to create enough sergeants to match the Western success with this form of troop leadership. The 2019 effort was an experiment with the use of a senior sergeant called a starshina or sergeant major similar to those that have long existed in Western armies, and Russian forces until World War I. This was the latest post-1991 attempt to revive the authority and respect NCOs (non-commissioned officers) had in the Russian army until the early 1920s. In theory, Russia reintroduced NCO ranks in 2011 but that system was never accepted or able to sustain itself. The 2019 try involved selecting 370 soldiers who met high standards for special training and encouraged enough to become effective NCOs willing to make a career of being an NCO. This was supposed to provide enough competent NCOs who could select and train other young soldiers to be NCOs. The starshina effort was only partially successful because only troops in the elite spetsnaz and airborne units provided satisfactory career opportunities for veteran NCOs. The rest of the military was rather less accepting.

China took a different approach under similar circumstances. Initially, in the 1940s, the Chinese used the old Soviet rank system but still kept some lower NCO ranks and a tradition of career NCOs. As a result, China never lost its old school tradition of sergeants. In 2009 China switched over to the Western system with nine enlisted soldier ranks. Six of those ranks were for NCOs with the top one being sergeant major. China has been successful with this system and Russia has not.

Until World War I the old czarist army had an impressive number of effective NCOs. In part, this was because the czarist era conscription took in young men, who were not volunteers, for twenty years. This enabled most young men to avoid military duty altogether. The ablest of the conscripts could become senior NCOs and these sergeants were respected and received post-service benefits. During World War II Russia produced many effective NCOs because of all the combat experience and lack of time to train outstanding troops as officers. But right after both World Wars Russia got rid of these experienced sergeants by offering officer ranks for those who wanted to stay in the military and thereby eliminated the experienced wartime NCOs.

After 1991 and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia noted their post-World War II experience and the Chinese system. In 2011, after over a decade of false starts and failure, the Russian Army believed it had a workable plan to create an efficient NCO force. That first effort did not work, despite the fact that for most of the last century, the peacetime Russian Army has been a mess, and the main reason has been the lack of NCOs. Conscription has been a contributing factor, as too many troops were just there for two or three years and left just as some were becoming useful and capable of being a career NCO. The 2011 plan tried to take advantage of this by offering selected conscripts a competitive, with civilian jobs, wage if they agreed to continued service, with the option of promotion to better paying NCOs rank. There were many volunteers, or contract (kontrakti in Russian) soldiers, and those deemed NCO material were sent to special NCO schools. Russian officers examined such methods in Western armies and adopted the Western techniques they believed would work in Russia.

The army generals also accepted the fact that Western NCOs come in many different flavors. Most of these NCOs are just technical specialists, while a smaller number are supervisors and leaders. Russia accepts that NCOs must be trained to be able to take over command if all the officers are killed or disabled. Communist Party leaders nervously noted that, during the communist revolution in 1917, many of the rebel leaders had been NCOs in the Czarist army. The communists also noted that this was not the first time this had happened. It had occurred several times in the last two centuries, most notably during the French revolution of the 1790s. For monarchists and despots of all flavors, NCOs were a flaw, not a feature of an effective peacetime military. That decision was a long-term failure because the NCOs are essential for knowing what is going on with the troops in terms of morale, skills, loyalty and so on, and are sensitive to any changes. Officers can rarely do that even though, on paper, Russian junior officers are supposed to take care of this. Trying to use young lieutenants in place of older and more experienced sergeants missed the point that the key NCOs are the older ones, with a decade or more in service. These are the platoon sergeants and company first sergeants, as well as key members of headquarters staff. After all, who do you think trains the new officers and enlisted soldiers joining these organizations? Same with teams of technical personnel. The most obvious example is the team of maintainers who look after aircraft and helicopters and are supervised by an NCO crew chief, who is the person the pilot talks to before taking off and after returning.

After World War II, the ratio of officers to troops was expanded in the Russian military and professional NCOs practically disappeared. With that, morale plummeted and discipline disintegrated. The dismal effects of this policy were obvious whenever Russian troops came under fire, as in Hungary (1956), Czechoslovakia (1968) and Afghanistan in the 1980s. But the problems were ignored. Russian leaders continued to believe that quantity had a quality all its own. It does, but with the introduction of more effective weapons that require more training to be effective, the weapons dont work with poorly trained and led troops. It definitely does not work when parents can vote and publicly protest abuse of conscripts or the continued use of conscription.

Since the 1980s Russia also had a declining birth rate to contend with, which meant there were far fewer young men to recruit. The end of the Russian police state made it easier to evade conscription, which most potential conscripts do. Russia can no longer rely on quantity to make up for a lack of quality. The 2011 Russian plan failed because not enough young men or women were interested in joining the army as anything but an officer.

Russia has tried to avoid going with an all-volunteer force, as most other European nations have done. Partly it was a lack of money and partly a reluctance to do away with the tradition of conscription. Because of the lack of NCOs, conscripts have had an awful time for decades, and this has become a source of popular and legendary discontent about military service. The Soviet government managed to suppress popular unrest over this. But even before the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, fathers, and grandfathers, and especially their wives, were no longer quietly enduring this mess, and the abuse their sons were exposed to. The 2011 plan was to simultaneously eliminate the hazing of new recruits while flooding the army with competent NCOs. The latter was the real cure for hazing, as NCOs spend a lot more time in the barracks, and with the troops. A competent NCO can sort out problems in the barracks. In the West, they do it all the time. It is one of their primary functions. Even with Russian conscription now one year for most soldiers, there is still the hazing of new conscripts by those who have been in a few months. Eliminating this debilitating hazing has proved much more difficult than anyone anticipated.

The 2011 reforms failed in part because Russian conscripts only serve 12 months, hardly enough time to turn young civilians into anything militarily useful. Most of the kontrakti were trained in the old army and easily slipped into the old bad habits like hazing and bullying younger troops, even fellow kontrakti. The new, trained, NCOs arrived slowly and found themselves in an uphill battle against tradition. Many of these new NCOs reacted by not renewing their contracts and leaving. Change does not come easily in the Russian army. But if the Russians are ever to have a capable military, they have to create effective platoon and 1st Sergeants as well as Sergeants Major. The experiment was another new approach that worked better than earlier efforts but was not successful enough to be considered a major sign of progress.

Russia was reminded of these problems after 2014 when they sent troops, in unmarked uniforms, into Donbas in eastern Ukraine. There the fighting continued and local forces, paid like kontrakti, were inadequate to the task and many were simply quitting and leaving Russian-controlled areas of Donbas. Russia thought they could send some conscripts into Donbas as support troops. Some of these were killed and a few captured by Ukrainian forces. The Russian conscripts complained that they were deceived and not told they were going into a combat zone, although the unmarked uniforms were rather suspicious. Russia outlawed public discussion of military casualties but this did not stop the bad news from circulating via the Internet and social media. Russia arrested thousands of civilians for protesting the 2014-2015 and 2022-2024 wars in Ukraine, even before a lot of conscripts were killed there. The army planned to send in units with conscripts into Ukraine to handle transportation and distribution of supply as well as for policing parts of the Ukraine that are considered free of Ukrainian resistance. Since 2015 Ukraine has organized, trained and armed thousands of volunteers as local defense forces. Weapons were stockpiled for distribution to volunteers if the Russians invaded. The Russians came and the local volunteers are making Russian travel through many liberated areas dangerous. The volunteers shoot at any armed Russians, be they conscripts or kontrakti. In some cases, the Russian combat units were told to just bypass this unexpected resistance and let units full of armed conscripts take care of it. Old traditions die hard in Russia.
Reliance Industries has reportedly started testing Indias first home-grown smart TV operating system, Jio TV OS, as per The Economic Times. The Jio TV OS, built on Googles Android platform, will compete with Samsungs Tizen OS, LGs webOS, Skyworths Coolita OS, and Hisenses Vidaa OS.

Reliance is collaborating with local TV manufacturers to beta test the Jio TV OS, gather feedback, fix bugs, and plans to launch 4K and FHD smart TVs, targeting the entry-level market under the BPL and Reconnect brands, while licensing the OS to other Indian manufacturers.

Jio TV OS for Smart TVs

An industry executive noted that the Jio TV OS will allow Jio to bundle its apps, like JioCinema, generate advertising revenue, and package Jio broadband services. Last October, Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, announced the development of this smart TV OS, aligning with the ongoing testing.

The report highlighted that Reliance is not charging licensing fees for the Jio TV OS to make it more appealing, as major brands such as Samsung and LG, with their own OS, are unlikely to adopt it. Another executive noted that the Jio TV OS being open source supports app development for smart TVs and other devices.

With the overall market expected to decline by 10% in 2024 due to reduced demand for smaller TVs, Reliance plans to boost Jio TV OS adoption by partnering with smaller Indian brands, despite competition from global leaders.
Earlier this week, OnePlus announced its Summer launch event on July 16th in Milan, Italy, and it teased a new OnePlus Nord smartphone. Today, the company has confirmed the list of devices it will unveil at the event.

At the event, OnePlus will be revealing:

OnePlus Nord 4 smartphone with metal unibody design

OnePlus Pad 2, a new flagship productivity tablet

OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro, an affordable set of earbuds

OnePlus Watch 2R, a lightweight Wear OS smartwatch

OnePlus said that it will be revealing more details on all these products in the upcoming days.

A recent leak revealed the OnePlus Nord 4 design, which is different from the Ace 3V model in China. It is said to pack a 6.74-inch 1.5K 2.8D curved AMOLED 120Hz screen, Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 SoC, 9140mm VC cooling, 50MP main camera with Sony IMX882 sensor, support for OIS, along with a 8MP ultra-wide camera, alert slide, and a 5500mAh battery with 100W SuperVOOC fast charging.

The OnePlus Watch 2R powered by Wear OS is said to feature a similar design as the Chinese version of the OnePlus Watch 2 with an aluminium alloy casing, but with toned down specs such as lack of eSIM support and NFC.

The OnePlus Pad 3 should have similar specifications as the OnePlus Pad Pro which was introduced in China, so we can expect 12.1 3K 144Hz IPS display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 13MP rear camera with LED flash, 8MP front camera, Smart Touch Keyboard and a 9500mAh battery with a 67W SUPERVOOC fast charging.

The OnePlus Summer Launch Event on July 16th starts at 9AM EDT (6:30 PM IST), and the company is offering a live stream on its YouTube channel. As usual, the Nord 4 will be sold on Amazon, and the other products should also be available through other online channels.
04 F250 early 6.0 - Crank No Start also LOW HPOP

Ended putting issue in wrong section. Original post here:Commence the Disc Jockey record back track routine for (another) early 6.0 back to crank-no-start. Original 7-pin FICM replaced last March after another crank-no-start with a 4-pin from Circuit Board Medics. Then this last week died 5 miles up the road on highway & coasted to shoulder then tach buried itself. Multiple crank attempts no start. Got towed home. After last time I go straight to FICM & grab multimeter to check contacts...get nothing (more on this later). Contact CBM & answer questions for warranty exchange. Torque Pro was giving me only about 45-46v while cranking. New arrives yesterday while working. Install after get home. No change. Check FICM contacts get nothing. Realized my meter wasn't able to read DC voltage that high. Wasn't until today was able to pick up a cheap analog meter with large DC range...have good 48-49volts. So I ended up jumping the gun on the FICM...used up the warranty but this one is showing better volts anyhow.Did some reading up then double check Torquq Pro. When got ahold of CBM about the FICM I was getting 430 HPOP & didn't realize that was too low & the 84% IPR wasn't good either. After new FICM & watching the numbers I was seeing as low as 99 psi that would slowly climb to about 350 but no higher. My ICP voltage was bouncing all over as well. Still had 84 IPR. Tried removing the harness from the ICP from the top...or what I thought was the ICP...still no start. Turned out I'd pulled the IPR harness...well that won't help with cranking. Can't get my XL-XXL mitts to the ICP from below either. With start issue now being potential oil leak & IPR being one of the easier suspects to check I picked up the socket for it from Oreilly's for $20 with the intent to inspect it for issue & maybe allow better access to check the ICP harness from above.BARELY able to get IPR out while somehow managing to avoid leaving flesh behind (plenty of chance to come for that blood offering to come). There's a small stud in the far back corner behind the FICM mount that prevented stuffing my hand in the back w/o alot of wrist contortion. Even then just barely. Removed IPR & is clear the ICP is out of the question to reach as well. Now not sure if it slipped off during removal but the screen is missing. Next chance will take my HF borescope to see if it just fell off in the void back there. But looking like I'm pulling the turbo anyway to get better access to back of HPOP on account to see if the screen is there.1st image (sorry for cheap phone quality...it doesn't much like glare) is the Wrist Shredder stud bolt. Last 2 are the IPR. Will still test it to see if it's even working correctly.Since it's looking like the HPOP is probably going to have to come out anyway now (can't have the screen sitting in there)...not looking forward to any of this...ICP is likely to get replaced out of principle now along with IPR. If harness checks out good I had the thought of possibly running extension leads to a good easily accessible switch for any future troubleshooting. SWITCH OFF will be functionally identical to disconnecting the harness directly. Can then also bench air test the HPOP directly & with it removed check the rest of the system separately as well.
SCO nations urged to strengthen ties

11:19, July 05, 2024 By Zhong Nan ( China Daily

The Olympic City is under construction by China CAMC Engineering Co in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, on Jan 1. (Photo/Xinhua)

Since China National Chemical Engineering Group Corp announced the establishment of an integrated petrochemicals complex and infrastructure project in Kazakhstan last year, it has been providing crucial support in upgrading Kazakhstan's petrochemical industry and boosting the country's economic growth.

The project serves as a shining example of the increasing cooperation between China and Kazakhstan, and how such cooperation can be beneficial for members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Market observers said that, driven by the growth of the Belt and Road Initiative and their complementary industrial and trade structures, China and Kazakhstan are likely to expand business ties in areas such as transportation, finance, new infrastructure, clean energy, trade in services and manufacturing.

Unlike traditional infrastructure such as railways, roads and water conservancy, the concept of new infrastructure refers to critical facilities based on information technologies such as 5G, AI, the industrial internet and the internet of things. IoT describes networks of devices that can connect and exchange data.

China-Kazakhstan trade was worth 95.8 billion yuan ($13.2 billion) in the first four months of this year, a 23.3 percent increase year-on-year, China's General Administration of Customs said.

Crude oil, natural gas, minerals and agricultural products are Kazakhstan's main exports to China. China exports mainly manufacturing equipment, steel, vehicles, electronics, textiles, garments and household appliances to Kazakhstan.

Zhang Yongjun, secretary-general at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges in Beijing, said that amid increasing global economic pressures, China and Kazakhstan have contributed to ensuring the stability of Eurasian production cooperation and the smooth operation of the China-Europe freight train service.

They have also effectively addressed global energy security challenges, Zhang said.

Chinese builders work at the construction site of the Olympic City project in Tashkent on Aug 13 last year. (Photo/Xinhua)

With improved connectivity projects such as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and new railway express services, China and Kazakhstan still have room to further strengthen their co-development strategies and seek new areas for collaboration, especially in big data, finance, cross-border e-commerce, and green energy, he said.

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is a rail freight corridor linking China and the European Union through Central Asia, the Caucasus, Turkiye, and Eastern Europe, according to the Asian Development Bank Institute in Tokyo.

"Improved rail and road transportation networks between China and Kazakhstan will benefit everyone," said Zhou Nianli, a professor specializing in foreign trade at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. "China's significant demand for imports from Kazakhstan will drive industrial upgrading in Kazakhstan."

As China will take over the rotating chairmanship of the SCO later this year, experts and business leaders emphasized that strong business ties between group members will further advance economic collaboration within the SCO framework.

Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said that initiatives such as the BRI have aligned with the SCO's agenda, promoting infrastructure development, trade, and investment across Eurasia. This integration has spurred economic growth and enhanced regional connectivity.

Member nations need to revitalize trade and investment, and expand openness and inter-connectivity, especially as the global economy faces geopolitical and geoeconomic headwinds, Zhou said.

Established in 2001, the SCO has grown from six members into a robust platform with 10 member states, two observer states, and 14 dialogue partners.

With all SCO members accelerating the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and reinforcing ties in areas of common interest such as production capacity, transport, finance, and telecommunications, the group's economic cooperation is poised to expand significantly.

Gao Lingyun, a researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, said these efforts will broaden the scope of trade and investment activities, which have traditionally focused on energy, natural resources, infrastructure, and agriculture.

Digital trade, a crucial component of the digital economy, will help SCO member countries link information nodes across trade chains, minimizing information asymmetries and transaction costs, Gao said.

SCO member economies have joined the trend of digital development and reinforced regional economic cooperation in areas such as smart cities, telemedicine and manufacturing over the past several years, the Ministry of Commerce said.

Given that the economic growth of many SCO members heavily depends on the trade of commodities and agricultural products, it is practical for them to collaborate with companies in China to further diversify their trade portfolios, said Zhang Shaogang, vice-chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in Beijing.

They can also work more closely together on environmental protection, climate change, biodiversity conservation and developing low-carbon economies to identify new growth points in the years to come, he said.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
July 5, 2024: Ukraine has been carrying out more attacks inside Russia. Some of them are visible, like the 2023 campaign against Russian oil refining, storage and distribution centers throughout western Russia. This reduced Russian oil refining capabilities by 14 percent and caused shortages of fuel for Russian military vehicles inside Ukraine. Other attacks destroyed manufacturing facilities that produced key elements for guided bombs and other items of military equipment. Attacks were also made on Russian air bases and left some military aircraft damaged or destroyed. Russian civilians openly complained about the absence of air defense systems to detect and fire on these Ukrainian UAV air strikes. The Ukrainians could afford to be bold because the UAVs did not use pilots, only remote operators. This was a dramatic change in warfare that made possible more numerous and aggressive attacks without risking the lives of Ukrainian air force personnel.

There were also less visible operations inside Russia, some of them involving cooperation with the American CIA. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Russia lost half its population and much of its territory, but the newly liberated from Russian control countries expected Russia to try and rebuild the Russian empire. Russian neighbors did not want that empire reconstituted because the more powerful Russia was the more danger they were to the neighbors. The CIA noted all this, which was what the CIA was supposed to do, and increased its contacts and cooperation with neighbors of Russia who would be prime targets for the revived empire plus Russians who opposed the revival of the Russian Empire. The first target was Ukraine, which imperialist Russians considered a Russian province, not an independent nation.

As the Russian threat to Ukraine increased, CIA activities in the region expanded and increased their activity. In the 1990s the newly independent Ukraine welcomed a CIA presence and assistance in monitoring what the Russians were up to and what their plans for Ukraine were.

Cooperation between the CIA and Ukraine was a mutually beneficial situation that obtained important information on Russian plans and operations while also providing Ukraines NATO allies with accurate information about the impact a Russian war in Ukraine might have.

In the 1990s the Russian equivalent of the CIA, the KGB, evolved into the FSB and the SVR. While the FSB handled operations in Russia and against Russian neighbors, the SVR took care of recruiting foreign spies, operatives and supporters and providing a steady stream of information on what Russias enemies, and some of its friends, were up to. Both the FSB and SVR regularly bump into CIA operations inside and outside Russia.

CIA operations inside Ukraine and Russia increased after Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This was particularly the case with joint Ukrainian-CIA operations which became more extensive and intense. The CIA had helped Ukraine prepare for this in several ways. For example, in 2016 the CIA assisted Ukraine in forming Unit 2245, an intelligence gathering team that went out and captured Russian military equipment and weapons for examination to discover how they operated and what vulnerabilities could be exploited.

By the time Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022 there were a dozen CIA/Ukraine monitoring stations along the Russian border. Once the Russians invaded and regularly bombarded Ukraine, especially military bases, with missiles and guided bombs, the CIA aided Ukraine in establishing an underground bunker where Ukrainian specialists could monitor Russian military communications and track the location of a Russian photo and electronic surveillance space satellite used to monitor Ukrainian operations. The Russian satellite orbits earth every 90 minutes which means it is over Ukraine, to some extent, only a third of the time. By tracking when the Russian satellite could observe Ukraine and monitor electronic transmissions, Ukrainian forces could be aware when they should take precautions.

The Russian invasion also brought in members of the United States Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA. Unlike the CIA, the DIA is a military operation with a staff composed mostly of intelligence specialists from the army, navy, air force, marines, and coast guard. While the CIA was founded on September 18, 1947, the DIA arrived fourteen years later on October 1st, 1961. The CIA consists of civilian personnel, though most of the analysts and nearly all the field operatives are military veterans. Most DIA personnel are active duty members of the military and most of them work in the United States collecting and analyzing relevant military operations worldwide. When there is a crisis overseas, DIA has information ready to use in aiding government decision makers in America and foreign countries.

The CIA looks for civilians, including military veterans, with special skills, like the ability to speak Ukrainian and knowledge of the situation in Ukraine because of family and friends living there. Unlike the DIA, the CIA seeks to hire foreign contacts to provide information. These are not spies because the spies are CIA personnel, many of them working out of American embassies overseas as diplomatic personnel. This gives them diplomatic immunity as long as they dont get caught recruiting locals as informants. When CIA personnel are caught recruiting, all the local government can do is expel them and cancel their diplomatic immunity. The Americans can, and often do retaliate by expelling embassy personnel working for the country that initially expelled American personnel. DIA personnel dont get embassy jobs because the DIA collects information from facilities in the United States provided to Americans forces in the United States and worldwide. That information is available to the CIA, but the CIA rarely shares information with the DIA. Thats because the CIA operatives overseas are often violating local laws by spying and recruiting locals to provide information.

Ukrainian cooperation with the CIA, which already had a network of informants and operatives inside Russia, enabled the Ukrainians to eliminate pro-Russia elements from Ukrainian intelligence agencies. The CIA also helped Ukraine to train espionage agents who could operate from inside Russia and the Russian military. This gave Ukraine advance warning that the Russians were going to invade and how the Russians planned to do it. This enabled Ukraine to inflict heavy losses on the initial invasion force. The Russian invasion force took such heavy losses that they withdrew from northern Ukraine and concentrated their forces in eastern Ukraine. The Russian soon had several hundred thousand troops inside Ukraine and after two years they had suffered major losses in Ukraine or portions of Ukraine in the east and Crimea that Russia seized in 2014. So far Russia has lost over 500,000 troops and 7,000 tanks, including most of their modern models.

The Russians plan to keep fighting in Ukraine until Ukraine is conquered or the Ukrainians surrender and accept being absorbed into the new Russian Empire. The CIA continues to aid Ukraine and HUR, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency by providing them with information the CIA has obtained on Russian operations as well as real-time video of Russian military operations in Ukraine. The videos are provided by low-earth orbit photo and electronic intelligence satellites. The Ukrainians later discovered that the CIA assistance gave them Ukrainians a better view of Russian military operations than the Russian high command. Roscosmos, the Russian space program, was in economic and equipment trouble before the invasion and those problems increased as sanctions cut off the supply of electronic components Russia needed to build their own space satellites.

The CIA also helped Ukraine find and expel Russian spies or turn them into double-agents. The Ukrainians helped the United States catch Russian spies operating in America. Having predicted the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which many American and European officials believed was unlikely, the CIA/Ukraine intelligence operations had to move their operations to the Polish border area. When it was clear that the Russian invasion was not going to get very far, the CIA operations moved back to the Ukrainian capital and areas near the combat zone. There were still Russian secrets to be found and Russian operations to be hobbled or foiled. The CIA/HUR cooperation continues to supply current information on Russian operations and plans.
July 5, 2024: Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash on May 19. What does mean for Irans leadership? Not much, because the presidency is largely a figurehead and the real power lies with the senior Shia clerics of the Guardians Council. The Iranian president took care of administrative matters while the Guardians Council and its twelve appointed members held the real power. The senior clerics of Iran are selected by current members of the Guardians Council to fill vacancies on the council. The senior member of the council, Ali Khamenei, was quite pleased with the work of Ebrahim Raisi. Elections were held on June 28th to select a successor to Raisi.

A new Iranian president does not make much difference to the existing religious dictatorship that has misruled Iran for decades. There is growing popular resistance to the misrule which has impoverished most Iranians. Since late 2017 there have been continuing nationwide outbursts against the religious dictatorship running the country. There was similar activity in 2009 to protest the lack of fair elections. The 2009 protests were put down with force as were the recent ones, with over a thousand dead in 2019 and several hundred since then.

What started in late 2017 was different, with the protestors calling for the corrupt religious rulers to be removed. Some called for a return of the constitutional monarchy the religious leaders replaced in the 1980s after first promising true democracy. Even more disturbing was protestors calling for Islam to be banned and replaced with something else, like Zoroastrianism, the ancient Persian religion that Islam replaced, violently and sometimes incompletely in the 7th and 8th centuries. Right before the 2017 unrest the religious rulers saw Iran on the way to some major victories in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen. The optimism turned out to be premature. The good times were supposed to begin in the wake of a July 2015 treaty that lifted the many sanctions Iran had collected for bad behavior since the 1990s. That did not, as many financial experts pointed out, solve the immediate cash crises because oil prices were still low. This was because of continued use of fracking in North America which triggered a more than 70 percent drop in the price of oil in 2013.

Iran made its situation worse by trying to avoid complying with the 2015 treaty while still getting most of the sanctions lifted and for a while that seemed to be working. That strategy backfired when the U.S. accused Iran of violating the 2015 deal and by the terms of that agreement the American could and did withdraw. That meant many of the sanctions returned in 2018. Even before the American action foreign economists believed the Iranian economy wouldnt get moving again until the 2020s. Now it is going to take even longer, and most Iranians are very angry about that. The 2017 protests continue, but more discreetly because of the threat of lethal retaliation. The senior clerics are worried and openly seeking a solution that does not include them losing power. Few Iranians are willing to accept that kind of compromise. The religious dictatorship is not only hated, but also seen as corrupt, incompetent, and untrustworthy.

This has led to some odd acts of resistance. For example, in late 2022 a young Kurdish woman was arrested by the lifestyle police and accused of not covering her hair properly with her hijab. While in custody the girl died, apparently from beatings. This led to months of protests. The government refused to change its hijab policy and the protests faded away in early 2023 but have sporadically retuned ever since.

There are other complications. Half the population consists of ethnic minorities, mainly Turks, Kurds, and Arabs, and some of these groups, including Arabs, Kurds and Baluchis are getting more restive and violent, for different reasons. Yet the Islamic conservatives are determined to support terrorism overseas and build nuclear weapons at home, rather than concentrating on improving the economy and living standards and addressing the corruption within their ranks.

Expensive efforts to aid pro-Iran groups in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon made some progress and are presented as examples of the ancient Iranian empire being reborn. The government sees these foreign adventures as a way to distract an unhappy population. This ultimately had the opposite effect as Iranians did the math and realized their poverty was the result of all the billions spent on these overseas adventures. At home the nukes are still important because Iranian religious leaders have been increasingly vocal about how Iran should be the leader of the Islamic world and the guardian of the major Islamic shrines (Mecca and Medina) in Saudi Arabia. Iranians believe having nukes would motivate the Arabs, and many others, to bend the knee. The potential victims are not cooperating and can retaliate. The Arabs have been kicked around by the Iranians for thousands of years and take this latest threat very seriously. That has led to a major reform effort in Saudi Arabia with a new generation of leaders willing to take on corruption and go with alliances that benefit the Saudis. This includes openly working with Israel to deal with the Iranian threat.

Selecting a new president for Iran makes little difference to how Iran continues to be misruled by its senior clergy. So far, the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), a heavily armed force of fanatic supporters of the Iranian religious leadership, has attacked and often killed any Iranians who opposed the current government. That did not stop many Iranians from openly celebrating the death of Raisi.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024.
An excommunicated Catholic is prohibited from administering and receiving the sacraments and from exercising ecclesiastical functions
Larry Robinson/The Daily Sentinel

Lathan Johnson, left, and Tommy Hayes, right, chat next to a firefighting plane at the Grand Junction Regional Airport on June 25. Both men were 18-year-olds in their first summer serving as wildland firefighters when 14 firefighters died in the South Canyon Fire. The two have seen many changes in how wildland fires are fought since the Storm King tragedy, including safety and communication changes.
US aims to 'disrupt' Chinese spy station in Cuba

CSIS report says Cuba let China build a spy base capable of monitoring US air and maritime traffic.

By Alex Willemyns for RFA 2024.07.03 -- U.S. officials say they hope to "disrupt" a Chinese intelligence gathering operation allegedly based in Cuba after a Washington think tank released satellite images it said showed the construction of a spy base capable of surveilling a nearby American naval base.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies on Monday released a report alleging that Cuba in 2021 let China construct spy facilities on "the doorstep of the United States" that would allow Beijing to monitor air and maritime traffic up to 9,000 miles (14,500 kms) away by using radar.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, U.S. State Department principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said officials had already "talked about this a little bit more than a year ago" when reports of a Chinese base in Cuba nearly derailed a trip to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

But he acknowledged the United States takes issue with its rival building spy facilities on China, which lies about 90 miles (145 kms) south of Florida and was infamously once home to Soviet nuclear missiles.

"Obviously, we certainly would not want a country like the PRC conducting such an operation in such a region that has proximity to the United States," Patel said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

"PRC activities in Cuba have been going on for decades, and we know that the PRC is going to keep trying to enhance its presence in Cuba, and the United States is going to keep working to disrupt it," he said.

Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder mirrored Patel's comments and said the U.S. military was "taking steps to counter" intelligence gathering.

"We're confident," he said, "that we can continue to meet our security commitments both here at home and in the region. As you may have heard us say, or the White House say, almost a year ago they've been tracking that these activities have been going on for decades."

"The PRC had completed an upgrade of its facilities in Cuba in 2019," Ryder added. "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."

Cuban and Chinese denials

Both Cuba and China's governments have rejected the CSIS findings.

In a post to social media platform X, Cuban Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossi derided a report based on the CSIS satellite images that was published in The Wall Street Journal.

"The Wall Street Journal persists in launching an intimidation campaign related to #Cuba," de Cossio said in the post on Tuesday. "Without citing a verifiable source or showing evidence, it seeks to scare the public with tales about Chinese military bases that do not exist and no one has seen, including the US embassy in Cuba."

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, accused the United States of having "hyped up China's establishment of spy bases" in Cuba as part of a smear campaign against Beijing.

"Such claims are nothing but slander," Liu wrote, also in a post to X. "The US side should immediately stop its smearing of China."

His denials were also repeated in a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, who derided what she said was another false accusation about Chinese foreign military bases "that do not exist and no one has seen."

"China and Cuba are good friends, good comrades and good brothers," Mao said. "China-Cuba relations are a good example of sincerity and mutual assistance between developing countries. China's cooperation with Cuba is done aboveboard, and does not target any third party."

U.S. officials, for their part, have also denied their problems with a Chinese spy base in Cuba was akin to China's issues with alleged U.S. spy facilities in Taiwan, which lies about 80 miles (130 kms) from China.

Patel, the U.S. State Department spokesman, said in his press briefing on Tuesday he could not comment on the existence of any facilities.

But he said the two issues were separate.

"Any country is allowed to have any feelings that they would like to have," Patel said. "But I also think that comparing us as a country to the PRC as a country, it's a little bit apples and oranges."

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






Press release on summoning the Ambassador of Romania to the Foreign Ministry

3 July 2024 12:16

1272-03-07-2024

On July 3, the Ambassador of Romania to the Russian Federation Cristian Istrate was summoned to the Foreign Ministry. He was handed a note declaring a staff member of the Romanian Embassy persona non grata.

This action was taken in response to the Romanian side's previous decision to declare a diplomat of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest persona non grata.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Silicon Valley steps up screening on Chinese employees to counter espionage

By Stella Hsu July 04, 2024

Leading U.S. technology companies reportedly have increased security screening of employees and job applicants, which experts say is necessary to counter the cyber espionage threat from China.

While the enhanced screening is being applied to employees and applicants of all races, those with family or other ties to China are thought to be particularly vulnerable to pressure from the Beijing government.

But at least one Chinese computer science graduate student at a U.S. university is hoping to make his ties to China an asset. Zheng, who does not want to reveal his first name for fear of retaliation from the Chinese government, says he recently changed his focus to cybersecurity in hopes of improving his job prospects in the United States.

"The goal is a bit high, but I think I know more about China as a person born and raised in China. I hope to become a force with my own characteristics in cybersecurity and a role in fighting against Chinese cyber-attacks," said Zheng, who is seeking political asylum in the United States.

While Zheng said he is not very worried that increased security checks will affect his job prospects, he said many international students in his class worry that they will be shut out from cybersecurity jobs.

Google, OpenAI and Sequoia Capital are among a number of technology and venture capital firms that have stepped up security checks on employees and potential recruits, according to a recent report by The Financial Times.

The newspaper cited sources at those companies saying they were responding to warnings from the U.S. government about a growing threat from Chinese espionage over the past two years.

Chinese cyber espionage concerns

FBI Director Christopher Wray delivered one such message in a speech in April, saying the Chinese government has tried to steal "intellectual property, technology and research" from American industries.

In response, the U.S. government has stepped up security measures over the last two years, including updating its export control regulations to restrict China's ability to obtain advanced computing chips and artificial intelligence. The strengthened warnings to U.S. companies are part of that response.

Ivan Kanapathy, senior vice president with Beacon Global Strategies, told VOA that Silicon Valley executives share the U.S. government's concern. "In recent years, emerging technology companies have become more wary; they don't want to fall victim to China's technology absorption strategy," he said.

"Companies can't afford to help a competitor that will put them out of business. We've seen that happen across many industries already. It's only natural for American and other allied cutting-edge companies to be concerned and take steps to mitigate the risks of PRC state-sponsored espionage," he said.

Ray Wang, CEO of Silicon Valley-based Constellation Research Inc., said that the theft of American intellectual property has become more rampant since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and that people with ties to China were often targeted.

"During COVID, many folks with relatives in China were put in compromising positions where they were asked to do things for the Chinese government, or one's relatives would be put at risk," Wang said. "China has infiltrated almost every aspect of the U.S., and the U.S. is facing systemic problems."

Kanapathy said China might also obtain American technology through talent poaching, meaning they recruit someone with experience in a particular technology and ask the person to take the technology to start a new company in China. Although it is ethically questionable, it is sometimes legal.

"China likely also tries to place its own people, including engineers, into certain companies that have desirable technologies. It's a multipronged strategy," he said.

In a statement to VOA, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu acknowledged the accusations but said the U.S. government "is short on delivering solid evidence."

"We firmly oppose to the groundless accusations and smears towards China and hope the relevant parties can view China's development objectively and fairly," he wrote.

Liu also pointed out that the World Intellectual Property Organization last year named China as the world's highest ranking middle-income economy and 12th overall in terms of independently creating intellectual property rights.

"China's scientific and technological achievements are never made through 'stealing.' The Chinese people, including our intellectuals, made such achievements with our talent and hard work," he wrote.

Security screening concerns

While the enhanced security reviews usually apply to all employees, Wang said. Google and OpenAI have imposed stricter reviews for Chinese employees, and Microsoft is transferring some of its most important Chinese engineers from China to other regions of the world; NVIDIA has also been highly vigilant in screening.

Microsoft employees in China, mostly involved with cloud computing, were recently offered the opportunity to work in the United States, Australia or Ireland, among other countries, state-run outlet said in a report. The Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft asked as many as 800 employees, mostly engineers with Chinese nationality working on cloud computing and AI, to consider relocating.

He said companies should exercise caution to avoid triggering xenophobia.

"So almost every new worker, not just Chinese nationals, should undergo the same vetting process. I think it's really important. As Asian Americans, we have to be very careful about those implications," he said.

So far, that has not been a problem for Joey Wu, a Chinese software engineer in California. Wu told VOA he has not seen stringent measures exercised against Chinese people, nor has he been treated differently due to his Chinese citizenship.

"I think the U.S. is relatively tolerant and open," Wu said. "It is not easy for a large technology company to have so many foreign employees. Chinese companies, such as Huawei, are full of Chinese faces, with very few foreigners, and it is unlikely that Americans will be hired to play a more important role."

Kanapathy pointed out that the founders of many technology companies are from China or India themselves, and these are the people who request security checks on Chinese citizens.

VOA contacted Google, OpenAI and Sequoia Capital for comments but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

VOA's Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






PH, China hold dialogue, commit to de-escalate tensions

Philippine News Agency

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora

July 2, 2024, 9:01 pm

MANILA -- The Philippines and China have reaffirmed their commitment to de-escalating tensions in the South China Sea during their first formal dialogue since the violent skirmish between the Chinese Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines near Ayungin Shoal on June 17.

The two states convened the 9th Meeting of their Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM) in Manila on July 2.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong led the Philippine and Chinese delegations, respectively, and had a "frank and constructive discussions" on the situation.

In her comments, Lazaro told her counterpart that the Philippines would be "relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea."

"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 DFA said in a statement.

"The two sides discussed their respective positions on Ayungin Shoal and affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions," it added.

The DFA said there was a "substantial progress" on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but said "significant differences remain."

The DFA has yet to provide details when asked what kind of measures the Philippines is pushing and what progress has been reached.

Meanwhile, both sides agreed to continue discussions to find a "mutually acceptable resolution" to the issues.

Communication mechanisms

According to the DFA, the two sides signed the Arrangement on Improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms and agreed to discuss further how to operationalize this mechanism.

They also agreed to continue discussions on maritime cooperation between their coast guard authorities, including the possible resumption of the Joint Coast Guard Committee.

The two sides likewise talked about the possibility of convening an academic forum among scientists and academics on marine scientific and technological cooperation.

"Both sides agreed that continued dialogue on the basis of mutual respect as two equal sovereign states facilitates peace and stability at sea, and committed to having the 10th BCM in China to sustain the positive momentum on discussions," it said. (PNA)

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






July 3, 2024

Release

Department of Defense Announces Modernization Plan for Tactical Aircraft Based in Japan

The Department of Defense (DoD), in close coordination with the Government of Japan, today announced a plan to upgrade U.S. tactical aircraft laydown across multiple military installations in Japan.

The modernization plan, which will be implemented over the next several years, reflects over $10 billion of capability investments to enhance the U.S.-Japan Alliance, bolster regional deterrence, and strengthen peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The U.S. Air Force will upgrade its presence at Kadena Air Base by deploying 36 F-15EX aircraft to replace 48 F-15C/D aircraft as part of a planned divestment and modernization. The Joint Force will continue to maintain a rotational presence of 4th and 5th generation tactical aircraft at Kadena Air Base throughout this transition.

The U.S. Air Force will also upgrade its presence at Misawa Air Base from 36 F-16 aircraft to 48 F-35A aircraft, leading to greater tactical aircraft capacity and capability.

At Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, the U.S. Marine Corps will modify the number of F-35B aircraft to support the Service's force design modernization implementation. The U.S. Marine Corps will continue to maintain an enduring and rotational aircraft presence at MCAS Iwakuni to ensure the necessary capabilities to support the defense of Japan.

The Department's plan to station the Joint Force's most advanced tactical aircraft in Japan demonstrates the ironclad U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan and both countries' shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3826440/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






July 3, 2024

Release

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Bahrain Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke on the phone today with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-Bahrain defense relationship and to discuss regional issues.

Secretary Austin thanked the Crown Prince for Bahrain's role in promoting regional stability and reiterated the United States' steadfast commitment to security cooperation with Bahrain. The Secretary raised regional security issues, including Houthi threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, and both leaders affirmed their shared commitment to support the free flow of commerce.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3827616/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Israel/Palestine: Statement by the High Representative on the so-called legalization of outposts in the occupied West Bank

European External Action Service (EEAS)

03.07.2024

EEAS Press Team

The European Union condemns the planned so-called legalization of five Israeli settlement outposts and the announcement of thousands of new housing units in the occupied West Bank. The EU also firmly condemns the continued policies of dispossession implemented in the occupied West Bank by the current Israeli government. The ongoing efforts aiming at establishing facts on the ground and risking to lead to a de-facto annexation must stop.

Israel's policy of building settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories constitutes a serious violation of international law, exacerbates tensions, and undermines efforts to achieve a two-state solution. We call on Israel to reverse these decisions. In line with its longstanding common position and UN Security Council Resolutions, the EU will not recognise changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by the parties.

As expressed by its Leaders at last week's European Council, the EU recalls its support to the Palestinian Authority and stresses that actions weakening the Palestinian Authority must stop.

The European Union takes note of the latest transfers of parts of the tax and custom clearances to the Palestinian Authority and the short-term renewal of the indemnification arrangement that allows the West Bank's connectivity to Israeli banks and the international financial system, but it insists that clearances in accordance with the Paris Protocol have to be transferred timely, in full, and without undue deductions to the Palestinian Authority.

The EU reiterates its unwavering commitment to lasting and sustainable peace on the basis of the two-State solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable State of Palestine living side-by-side in peace, security and mutual recognition.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Sweden, USEUCOM solidify military-to-military bonds during Stuttgart staff talks

The Swedish Armed Forces and USEUCOM have long been mutual members of the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable, a flag-and-general-officer level, military-to-military forum designed to promote regional understanding and enhance multilateral security cooperation in the High North. ASFR is the longest running military forum focused on the Arctic's uniquely challenging security dynamics.

By U.S. European Command Public Affairs , United States European Command Stuttgart, Germany Jul 03, 2024

As NATO's senior-most leaders prepare to converge in Washington, D.C., next week for the NATO Summit - a moment marking the Alliance's 75th anniversary - senior defense officials from U.S. European Command and NATO's newest member, Sweden, met in Stuttgart, Germany, July 3, 2024, for bilateral military staff talks.

Led by Swedish Armed Forces' Maj. Gen. Johan Pekkari, director of strategic plans and policy, and U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Daniel Lasica, USEUCOM's director for plans, policy, strategy and capabilities, the Swedish and American military delegations discussed a full range of issues - from bilateral security cooperation and military exercise and training opportunities to NATO convergence and respective operational and policy strategies.

The daylong discussions and briefings represented the first formal military staff talks between the two nations since Sweden became NATO's 32nd and newest member nation in March. The talks also closely follow the Swedish parliament's recent ratification of the formal Defense Cooperation Agreement with the U.S., which will enable enhanced future security cooperation between the two NATO Allies.

"Sweden is an invaluable NATO Ally and its armed forces an all-important friend to U.S. European Command," said Lasica, who hosted the Swedish delegation. "Their commitment to collective security, advanced capabilities and seamless cooperation significantly enhances our joint operational readiness and strategic stability in the region. Together, we are stronger and better prepared to face any challenge."

The Swedish Armed Forces and USEUCOM have long been mutual members of the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable (ASFR), a flag-and-general-officer level, military-to-military forum designed to promote regional understanding and enhance multilateral security cooperation in the High North. ASFR is the longest running military forum focused on the Arctic's uniquely challenging security dynamics.

Swedish and American forces also are two of the most active militaries training and exercising in the High North to maintain security and stability in the critically-important Arctic region.

"After more than 200 years of military non-alignment, Sweden now stands proudly alongside the 31 other nations of the world's most effective, most powerful Alliance in history," Pekkari, a Swedish Army general, said. "While our nation enjoyed 30 years as a close NATO partner, standing here today as a full-fledged member nation represents a new paradigm for our nation and for NATO: NATO is stronger; Sweden is safer; and the entire Alliance is more secure."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






The Baltic Defence Line and the East Shield Initiative are a clear message to the adversary, says Minister of National Defence L. Kasciunas after meeting with the Polish Minister of National Defence

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2024-07-03

International cooperation | Security and defense policy

On July 3 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz paid his first formal visit to Lithuania. He was welcomed by Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasciunas, Ministers visited the Padvarionys Border Post in Vilnius Frontier District Unit of the State Border Guard Service and then continued the meeting in Vilnius.

Strengthening of the frontier with Belarus and Russia is a priority to both, Lithuania and Poland, which is also critical in strengthening the external NATO and EU border. While Lithuania further pursues implementation of the countermobility action plan with security of the Suwalki Gap at its centre, Poland is making considerable investments in its border fortification as well.

"Poland remains Lithuania's strategic security and defence partner," underscored Minister of National Defence L. Kasciunas welcoming Poland's new Defence Minister to Lithuania. L. Kasciunas praised the decision of the Ally to commit EUR 2.5 billion for protection of border with Russia and Belarus under the East Shield Initiative.

"We are prepared to work together to unify national and regional efforts, including the Baltic Defence Line initiative implemented by all the Baltic states. Both of the initiatives send a clear message to the adversary: any intent of an unchecked incursion in the territory of the Baltic states and Poland will be arrested starting first inch," Minister stated.

Lithuania expects to fully develop 27 engineer fortification parks by 2025. The Lithuanian countermobility action plan covers not only engineer fortification parks but also reconstruction of drainage ditches in the areas bordering Belarus, development of woodland patches and alleys, refurbishment of roads and bridges, and whatever else is necessary. All the listed steps align in Lithuania's defence line concept which is an integral part of the Baltic defence line. Lithuania foresees allocating approx. EUR 600 million by 2034 for countermobility purposes.

In the conversation with Minister W. Kosiniak-Kamysz L. Kasciunas pointed out the importance of bilateral cooperation and a coordinated response in the face of a mutual threat and added that both countries were partnering to confront the mutual threat and strengthen security and defence on NATO's eastern flank. Regular training of Lithuanian and Polish military personnel takes place under the bilateral Lithuanian-Polish Orsha Plan.

Ministers also discussed assistance to Ukraine which include the different formats of support initiatives. Poland plays an important role in supporting Ukraine and ensuring the assistance is processed smoothly.

Ahead of the NATO Summit in Washington, Ministers also discussed the priorities on its agenda. implementation of the NATO defence plans remains Lithuania's key priority. In order to deliver on an effective deterrence of hostile forces, Allied defence budgets need to become contracts that facilitate national capability growth and defence industry development.



NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Commander of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine briefed Minister of National Defence L. Kasciunas on the most effective counter-mobility tactics

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2024-07-03

International cooperation | Minister's news | Security and defense policy

Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasciunas met with Commander of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Major General Dmytro Hereha today who had been asked to share Ukraine's experience in building physical and other kinds fortifications to guard against hostile advancement.

"We have agreed to form a joint Lithuanian-Ukrainian military expertise group to transfer Ukraine's experience in counter-mobility to the developed Lithuanian countermobility plan building readiness to a potential aggression in advance," said Minister L. Kasciunas.

Maj Gen Hereha underscored the importance of being able to fight a war using any type of ammunition and mines because the opponent does so without reservations. It was noted that fortification planning must allow for a surprise factor. The fences need to be hidden and camouflaged so that the enemy cannot locate and prepare to cross them in advance. If the enemy is able to become familiar with the fortifications and obstacles created, their tactical value is diminished.

Commander of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shared valuable experience in frontier fortifications, brides and other critical infrastructure suitable to disrupt advance of tanks and other heavy equipment. Natural obstacles, such as swamps, brooks, embanked territories or forests, may also be effective to impede mobility of hostile forces in the event of war.

Maj Gen Hereha arrived in Vilnius with his delegation to take part in the 5th meeting of the Lithuanian and Icelandic-led Ukraine Demining Coalition. The partners are meeting for an update on the training and equipment aid rendered to Ukraine. They will be introduced to the Central Project Management Agency responsible for Coalition purchases and map out further coalition activities.





NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






A look at the Defence news 24 - 30 June

Netherlands Ministry of Defence

News item | 03-07-2024

"If we want to know what the future of war will look like, we should look to Ukraine." These were the words of the Netherlands Chief of Defence, General Onno Eichelsheim, spoken during the opening speech at a 3-day NATO seminar in The Hague last week.

In his speech, General Eichelsheim discussed topics such as innovation and cyber security. The NATO Federated Mission Networking Seminar is held every 2 years.

Netherlands reaches agreement with Kenya on the status of defence personnel

Kenya and the Netherlands intend to sign a Status of Forces Agreement this year. This treaty will facilitate mutual cooperation and establish the rights and privileges of Dutch and Kenyan defence personnel stationed in the other party's country. The cabinet agreed to this intention last week.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






PH, China Convene 9th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea

Republic of the Philippines - Department of Foreign Affairs

Published: 03 July 2024

PASAY 02 July 2024 -- The Philippines and China convened the 9th Meeting of their Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM) in Manila on 2 July 2024. This follows a series of working-level preparatory meetings held in Manila and builds on the outcomes of the 8th BCM, which was held in Shanghai on 17 January 2024.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong had frank and constructive discussions on the situation in the South China Sea. In her comments, Undersecretary Lazaro underscored to her counterpart that the Philippines will be relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea.

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 two sides discussed their respective positions on Ayungin Shoal and affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions. There was substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but significant differences remain. Both sides agreed to continue discussions to find a mutually-acceptable resolution to the issues.

Recalling the outcomes of the 8th BCM which recognized the need to strengthen the bilateral maritime communication mechanism on the South China Sea, the two sides signed the Arrangement on Improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms and agreed to discuss further how to operationalize this mechanism.

The two sides agreed to continue discussions on maritime cooperation between their respective coast guard authorities, including the possible resumption of the Joint Coast Guard Committee (JCGC).



The two sides continued discussions on the possibility of convening an academic forum among scientists and academics on marine scientific and technological cooperation.

Both sides agreed that continued dialogue on the basis of mutual respect as two equal sovereign states facilitates peace and stability at sea, and committed to having the 10th BCM in China to sustain the positive momentum on discussions. END

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






PH can deter hostile attacks due to stronger AFP modernization

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 3, 2024, 11:14 am

MANILA -- The ongoing modernization of the Philippine military has gone far in terms of ramping up the country's capability to thwart attacks or invasion attempts by hostile forces.

During Tuesday's pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Special "Resibo ng Serbisyo ng Pangulo" interview over state-run PTV, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military's modernization dates back to 1995 when their assets began to deteriorate after the closure of American military bases in the country.

"Hindi po natin pwedeng sabihin iyan para hindi alam ng ating mga competitors kung nasaan na tayo. But suffice to say, na kung mayroon pong gustong sumakop, mag-invade sa atin ay talagang lalaban po tayo at siguradong masusugatan sila (We cannot say that as we do not want our competitors to know where our program is exactly at. But suffice it to say, if anyone wants to invade us, we will fight and they will surely get hurt in the process)," the AFP chief said when asked about the exact progress of the AFP Modernization Program.

He said some of the fruits of the ongoing AFP Modernization Program are the FA-50PH light jet fighters and the various missile systems that were recently delivered and are now in service in the military, along with the various state-of-the-art naval vessels being used to patrol the West Philippine Sea.

Last month, Brawner also joined Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. at the launch of the BRP Miguel Malvar (FF-06), one of the Philippines' two guided missile corvettes built in South Korea.

The AFP Modernization Program is subdivided into three "horizons" aimed at acquiring weapons systems and platforms for external defense missions.

Horizon 1 was from 2013 to 2017; Horizon 2 from 2018 to 2022; and Horizon 3 from 2023 to 2028.

"Unang-una, kailangan nating i-modernize ang mga radar systems natin, mga surveillance systems, pati na rin mga sensors natin. And then pag na-develop ito, kailangan i-develop 'yung mga barko at mga aircraft natin na sasalubong. Let's say nagkaroon ng invasion, na-detect ng radar systems, kailangan salubungin ng defense natin (First, we have to modernize our radar and surveillance systems, also our sensors. Once these are developed, we must develop the ships and the aircraft. Let's say there is an invasion attempt and this was detected by our radar systems, our defense needs to intercept it). We have missile systems, pwede natin gamitin yan (we can use them)," Brawner said.

Without giving details, he said the AFP is looking to acquire more modern jet fighters to strengthen its defensive capabilities.

Brawner also cited the need to train personnel tasked to handle newly acquired assets to ensure their proper usage and maintenance.

He thanked the House of Representatives and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for their strong support for the AFP Modernization Program, considering that this initiative is capital-intensive.

He also lauded them for seeing the importance of a modern AFP, considering the Philippines' strategic location, which makes it a prime target for those interested in taking control of its waters.

"We really have to be able to present a deterrent factor. Kailangan po natin na ipakita na kayang-kaya natin depensahan iyong ating territory, iyong ating sovereignty and iyong sovereign rights natin (We need to show that we can defend our territory, sovereignty, and sovereign rights)," Brawner said. (PNA)

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Hamas leader contacts mediators amid ongoing efforts at ending Israeli genocide

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 11:16 PM

Hamas' Political Bureau chief has contacted Qatari and Egyptian mediators as means of keeping up discussion about underway efforts at reaching a potential truce deal that could end the Israeli regime's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The movement announced the information in a statement on Thursday.

"In recent hours, the fighter brother Ismail Haniyeh conducted phone calls with the mediator brothers in Qatar and Egypt," the statement said.

The conversations addressed "the ideas that the movement is discussing with them (the mediators), with the aim of reaching an agreement that puts an end to the brutal aggression to which our proud people are being subjected in Gaza."

The regime has been waging the war since October 7 following Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation by Gaza's resistance movements, during which hundreds were taken captive.

The war has so far claimed the lives of nearly 38,000 Palestinians, most of them women, children, and adolescents.

A seven-day truce, mediated by Doha and Cairo in November, saw Hamas releasing 105 of the captives that had been seized during Al-Aqsa Storm for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

In early May, Hamas agreed to another truce proposal enabling cessation of the Israeli aggression and release of the rest of the captives. The Israeli regime, however, rejected the proposal.

Hamas says another truce deal has to end the war, bring about complete withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the coastal sliver, and involve a genuine captive/prisoner exchange deal

The regime, however, says it will accept only temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas is "eradicated."

The movement has, however, pledged to defend Gaza with all its resources, and has asserted that it is impossible to eliminate it from the Palestinian territory's rule.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Israel has made largest West Bank land seizure in 3 decades: Report

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 1:54 PM

Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in over three decades, despite mounting international pressure against the regime's settlement expansion in Palestine.

An anti-settlement watchdog group, Peace Now, said Wednesday that Tel Aviv recently approved the appropriation of 12.7 square kilometers (nearly 5 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley.

The land seizure, which was approved late last month is the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords.

The accords, signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) thirty years ago, were supposed to bring about Palestinian self-determination, in the form of a Palestinian state.

The regime's latest land seizure will likely increase violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

"Israeli forces have [since October 7] unleashed a brutal wave of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank," Amnesty International said.

The regime's forces, it said, "[are] carrying out unlawful killings, including by using lethal force without necessity or disproportionately during protests and arrest raids, and denying medical assistance to those injured."

Violent attacks by both the regime's forces and settlers, who live on Palestinian land, have forcibly displaced Palestinians from 20 communities and have entirely uprooted at least 7 communities since Israel started its bombardment of the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, according to Human Rights Watch.

At least 502 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since then.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Lebanon 'a hell with no return for Zionists' in case of war: Iran's interim FM

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 10:35 AM

Iran's interim foreign minister has praised Lebanon's resistance as a vigorous actor against the Israeli regime, warning that in case of a new war the Arab country will turn into a "hell with no return" for the occupying entity.

Ali Bagheri Kani made the remark on the sidelines of the Iranian government's weekly cabinet meeting in the capital Tehran on Wednesday as tension has intensified between the Hezbollah resistance movement with the Israeli aggression on the country's south since October last year, concurrent with the regime's brutal onslaught against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

"In Lebanon, the resistance has played a role as a vigorous actor that created deterrence both in the international field and in the field of diplomacy," Bagheri Kani said.

Lebanon will be definitely "a hell with no return for the Zionists" in case of a new war, he added.

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 killed 37,925 people have been killed and 87,141 wounded in Israel's war on Gaza since October 7.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said they do not want a war with Israel, but if it happens they are ready.

Last week, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah 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.

Nasrallah also said Hezbollah would attack any other country in the region that assisted Israel in the war effort, citing Cyprus, which has hosted Israeli forces for training.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Gaza ceasefire key to easement of tensions on Lebanon's southern border: Hezbollah deputy chief

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 6:58 AM

A high-ranking official with the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement says a comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is the sole way to bring calm to the volatile border between Lebanon and the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories.

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem, in an interview on Tuesday, reiterated his group's stance on retaliatory strikes against Israel, linking their termination to the end of Israeli offensives against Palestinians in Gaza.

"Hezbollah would cease all operations, without any hesitation, if a ceasefire is declared in Gaza," he said.

Sheikh Qassem further noted that a ceasefire agreement can determine the state of affairs both in the Gaza Strip, and along the border between Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied lands.

The Hezbollah deputy chief added that Israel lacks the military prowess to launch a full-blown war on Lebanon, stressing that the occupying regime is yet to take a decision about the matter.

"It is up to Israel to decide whether it seeks a full-scale, limited or partial war," Sheikh Qassem said, emphasizing that Hezbollah's response will be crushing and will go beyond the rules of engagement that it has already set out.

He warned that Israel would not be able to control the scope of a possible war on Lebanon and should not expect the fighting to remain limited.

The senior Hezbollah official continued that US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein, through mediators, has asked Hezbollah to press Hamas to accept a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal proposed by President Joe Biden. Hezbollah, however, has turned down the appeal.

"Hamas makes its own decisions," Sheikh Qassem said, underlining that whoever wants to demand something from the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement should directly engage with it.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging deadly fire since early October last year, shortly after the regime launched a genocidal aggression against the Gaza Strip following a surprise operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance group.

The Lebanese resistance movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory attacks as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its Gaza war, which has so far killed at least 37,925 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 87,141 others.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said they do not want a war with Israel but if it happens they are ready.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Yemeni forces, Iraqi resistance hit vital Israeli target in Haifa: Yemeni army spokesman

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 12:14 AM

The Yemeni armed forces say they have carried out an anti-Israeli military operation along with the Iraqi resistance forces in support of the Palestinians in Gaza.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesman for Yemen's Armed Forces, said in a statement on Tuesday that the armed forces used winged missiles to target a vital target in the port city of Haifa in occupied Palestine.

Saree said Yemeni forces and their comrades in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq - an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters - carried out the operation successfully achieved its objectives.

He added that the army will continue such operations until the Israeli regime ends its genocide against Palestinians.

Saree had earlier told Israel and its supporters that "there are no red lines for the Yemeni people, no red lines. If you have red lines, for us there are no red lines."

"We target things that the enemy hasn't thought of and can't imagine, things that neither the Yemeni people nor the people of the [Arab and Islamic] nation can imagine," he noted.

"And we will reach a stage, by Allah's will and strength, to the fifth and sixth stages, if the enemy continues its aggression on Gaza, where there will be actions that even Yemenis themselves can't imagine, nor can the Americans," he warned.

Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against Israel since the regime launched its savage campaign in Gaza on October 7 last year.

Israel has killed nearly 38,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The Yemeni Armed Forces say they won't stop the attacks until Israel stops its ground and aerial offensives.

Leader of the Ansarullah resistance movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has said it is "a great honor and blessing to be confronting America directly."

The attacks have forced some of the world's biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world's most important maritime trade routes.

Tankers are instead adding thousands of miles to international shipping routes by sailing around the continent of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal.

Additionally, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has been launching attacks on Israeli targets ever since the occupying regime started the genocidal campaign in Gaza.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Why Is Bulgaria's Pro-Kremlin President Boycotting The NATO Summit?

By Vidka Atanasova July 03, 2024

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.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-bulgaria-rumen- radev-summit/33020556.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






Xi, Putin Kick Off SCO Summit In Kazakhstan With Belarus Set To Join

By Reid Standish July 03, 2024

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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/xi-putin-sco-summit-kazakhstan- china-russia/33019941.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






Haiti: UN envoy welcomes democratic progress amidst alarming violence

03 July 2024 - The UN envoy for Haiti on Wednesday welcomed recent strides towards restoring democracy amid alarming levels of violence, while the country's interim Prime Minister emphasized that the people "continue to fight for a better future."

Maria Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Haiti, briefed ambassadors at the Security Council, highlighting the installation of the Transitional Presidential Council in April and the swearing-in of an interim Prime Minister and new government in June as "clear indications of progress."

Haiti has been embroiled in a complex crisis, marked by years of political instability, rampant gang violence, disease outbreaks and a series of hazards worsened by climate change.

Across the country, about 5.5 million people are estimated to need humanitarian assistance, with almost 600,000 people - over half of them children - internally displaced and in urgent need of support.

Participation of women

She also commended the efforts of the transitional authorities to increase the participation of women and other minorities in key positions in government, with six of the 18 ministries now headed by women, representing 33 percent of all ministries.

"Inclusion and diversity are essential to promote a political transition that paves the way for the restoration of State institutions and effectively responds to the needs and expectations of all Haitians," she said.

Ms. Salvador, who also heads the UN Mission in the country (BINUH), welcomed the new Prime Minister's commitment to fight corruption and promoting human rights and justice.

Realigning priorities

She informed Council members that BINUH is realigning its priorities to support a Haitian-led transition, which includes credible, inclusive and participatory elections, aiming for the installation of elected authorities by February 2026 at the latest.

To that end, she proposed the possibility of enhancing the BINUH's electoral expertise.

Increasing the participation of women and youth is a fundamental pillar of BINUH's renewed strategy to support the political process, she highlighted, outlining also its focus on promoting human rights across Haitian society.

Fight against gang violence

On the security front, Ms. Salvador reported that the base for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, authorized by Security Council resolution 2699 (2023), has been completed. She added that the first group of Kenyan police officers arrived on 25 June for deployment.

She also welcomed the appointment of a new Director General of the Haitian National Police (HNP), describing it as bringing "new hope to the continuous fight against gang violence."

That resolution also mandated the MSS mission to establish a human rights oversight mechanism.

As the MSS mission deploys, Ms. Salvador stressed the need to strengthen the human rights area in BINUH to provide the necessary support.

Looking ahead

Looking ahead, the Special Representative emphasized the importance of establishing a coordination mechanism among national authorities, the MSS mission, the UN, and other partners in Haiti.

She noted that although the Security Council, in resolution 2692 adopted in 2023, authorized a strengthened police component in BINUH, financial constraints and a hiring freeze impeded progress in scaling up the police and corrections area.

Concluding her briefing, Ms. Salvador reiterated BINUH's full engagement to work with the Government and stakeholders towards stability, peace and a brighter future for all Haitian men, women, youth and children.

Haitians continue to fight for a better future: Interim Prime Minister

Also at the Security Council, Garry Conille, interim Prime Minister of Haiti, emphasized that his country's people "continue to fight for a better future".

Attending under rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure on participation on non-members, Mr. Conille underlined the "urgent need to find a lasting solution to the security problems exacerbated by the activities of criminal gangs."

He urged effective cooperation between national authorities, the MSS mission and BINUH to help re-establish security and restore democratic institutions , which he described as "strategic for the transition."

Mr. Conille highlighted that since his appointment as interim Prime Minister, he has held several working sessions with the Transitional Presidential Council, anti-corruption and accountability institutions, law enforcement agencies, the private sector and diaspora associations.

Calling for solidarity to help Haiti emerge from the crises that have plagued it for several decades, he stressed that "every day must be used wisely."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UNRWA Situation Report #117 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem - All information from 28 June-1 July, is valid as of 1 July 2024 at 22:30

UNRWA

3 Jul 2024

Key Points

The Gaza Strip

ngoing strikes by Israeli Forces continue, with aerial, land and maritime bombardment across the Gaza Strip. These result in civilian casualties, displacement and the destruction of residential structures and civilian infrastructure. The Israeli Forces' ground offensive continues to expand, with new evacuation orders issued for parts of Khan Younis, impacting a quarter of a million people, deepening the humanitarian crisis and further destabilizing humanitarian aid flows.

According to OCHA, between 1 and 30 June, out of 115 planned humanitarian assistance missions coordinated with Israeli authorities to northern Gaza, only 53 (46 per cent) were facilitated, and the remaining 62 (54 per cent) were either impeded, denied and/or cancelled due to logistical, operational or security reasons. In addition, out of 299 coordinated humanitarian assistance missions to areas in southern Gaza, 213 (71.2 per cent) were facilitated by Israeli forces, and 86 (28.8 per cent) were either impeded, denied and/or cancelled.

UNRWA[1] reported piles of garbage and sewage continue to accumulate in Gaza, rotting in the heat near displacement sites. The extreme heat and lack of clea water continue to fuel the spread of infectious diseases, exacerbating the burden on an already overwhelmed and severely under-resourced health facilities.

The deteriorating law and order situation is severely hindering humanitarian actors from collecting aid at the Kerem Shalom Crossing for distribution within Gaza. This adds to existing operational challenges such as insecurity, damaged infrastructure, fuel shortages and restricted access. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and SCI reported this week that food on the market is largely unaffordable for vulnerable households, many of whom have lost their income or exhausted their savings. The latest information on supplies entering Gaza via Kerem Shalom and Rafah can be found below:

Gaza Supplies and Dispatch Tracking | UNRWA

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem update is now once a week.

According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 24 June 2024, 536 Palestinians, including 130 children, were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Between 24 and 30 June, there were at least 178 recorded Israeli Security Forces' (ISF) search and arrest operations across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. More than 221 Palestinians, including Palestine refugees, were detained by the ISF during this period. Of these, 59 were arrested during two ISF operations early on 24 June, in Kafr Ni'ma and Silwad in the central West Bank.

During this period two Palestinians were reported killed. One of them was killed in a drone strike on a house in Nur Shams camp, in the northern West Bank, on 30 June, during which five other Palestinians were injured.

On 26 June, the ISF demolished homes and agricultural structures in the Bedouin refugee community of Umm al Kheir, located in Masafer Yatta area in the southern West Bank. This demolition is estimated to have displaced around 27 Palestinians. The demolitions follow a growing campaign of harassment and violence targeting Bedouin and herder communities in the West Bank.

Overall Situation

The Gaza Strip

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, as of 1 July, at least 37,900 Palestinians have been reported killed in the Gaza Strip since 7 October. Another 87,060 Palestinians have been reported injured.

Humanitarian Access, Protection of Civilians

The Gaza Strip

UNRWA is working to verify the details of incidents reportedly affecting UNRWA premises. Further information will be provided once it becomes available.

One incident has been reported impacting UNRWA installations and internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering there. While verification of details and casualty figures remain ongoing, initial reports indicate: [Late report] On 25 June 2024, a IDP sustained a minor injury in his foot in a school in Khan Younis as a result of a small explosion caused presumably by the detonation of an unknown explosive device. The IDP was transferred to the hospital for medical care. No other injuries were reported. UNRWA reported the incident to UNMAS and coordination is ongoing for a joint assessment of the site and further verification. Meanwhile, UNRWA teams are conducting explosive ordnance risk education sessions among the IDPs who returned to the shelters in Khan Younis.

450 * incidents impacting UNRWA premises and the people inside them have been reported since the beginning of the war (some with multiple incidents impacting the same location), including at least 72 incidents of military use and/or interference at UNRWA premises. 188 different UNRWA installations have been impacted.

UNRWA estimates that in total at least 520* IDPs sheltering in UNRWA shelters have been killed and at least a further 1,596* injured since the start of the war. UNRWA is still verifying the number of casualties caused by incidents that impacted its installations, and notes that these figures do not include some reported casualties where the number of injuries could not be determined.

* Numbers continue to be subject to change once further verifications have been conducted.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






No Project in Haiti 'Can Be Tackled Without Addressing the Security Issue', Interim Prime Minister Tells Security Council

Meetings Coverage

Security Council

9679th Meeting (AM)

SC/15758

3 July 2024

Members Underscore Need for Financial Support to Multinational Support Mission

With the recent installation of the Transitional Presidential Council and a new Government, Haiti must mobilize all necessary available resources "to make this transition the last one", the country's new leader told the Security Council today, as members stressed the urgent need to stem gang violence that has stalled the political process and economic development there.

People in Haiti "continue to fight for a better future", said interim Prime Minister Garry Conille in his first public appearance in the Council since his appointment. At this decisive juncture, where 12,000 armed gangs hold hostage a population of 12 million, "no project, be it economic or political, can be tackled without addressing the security issue", he stressed.

He said that he has already held several working sessions with various stakeholders and that to do things differently, the Government will facilitate elections and constitutional reform, strengthen mechanisms to combat corruption and impunity, modernize the judiciary and develop security strategies that focus on the interaction between people and the police.

Turning to the deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission authorized by the Security Council, he cautioned that Haiti's history with foreign intervention "has been a mixed bag" and urged the establishment of mechanisms to ensure not only security, but also dignity and respect, to prevent repeating past mistakes.

For her part, Maria Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), welcomed the formation of a transitional Government composed of 14 ministers heading 18 ministries. Citing the proposed timetable, she noted that elections will lead to the installation of elected authorities by February 2026 at the latest. In that regard, she proposed possibly strengthening BINUH's electoral expertise and added that strengthening BINUH's human rights mandate is fundamental to providing the necessary support for the international security force.

In today's meeting, representatives of Council members and concerned countries spoke about how gangs wreaked havoc on Haiti's communities and underlined the urgent need for financial contributions to the Multinational Security Support mission. They also discussed how best to support the country's transition.

Across the country, gangs have carried out terrible atrocities, including killings, mass rapes, kidnappings, forced recruitment, exploitation and trafficking of children, said the representative of the United States, adding that her country intends to provide $309 million to the international police force. "Our support for the people of Haiti is unwavering", she declared.

Malta's delegate expressed grave concern over reports that children represent up to 50 per cent of gang members, underscoring the importance of child protection in the planning and conduct of the security mission. The speaker for Guyana, also speaking for Algeria, Mozambique and Sierra Leone, urged Member States to support measures to combat the illicit flows of weapons and ammunition into Haiti that enable criminal activity.

In that regard, China's delegate urged the United States to curb such illicit flows from its territory to Haiti. Adding to that, the Russian Federation's diplomat said that the Council's current sanctions list consists of only five leaders of criminal gangs, pointing out that unlike United States arms dealers, gangs neither travel abroad nor have overseas property or assets.

Beyond the security challenge, it is vital to tackle the root causes of Haiti's instability, said Japan's delegate, stressing the need for a comprehensive approach ensuring the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. To that end, she highlighted the Peacebuilding Commission's bridging, convening and catalytic roles within and beyond the UN system to make the international community's approach more comprehensive.

The recent arrival in Port-au-Prince of a 200-strong Kenyan police contingent of the Multinational Security Support mission  after a long delay  received applause. The representative of Kenya stated that since its arrival, the contingent has held operational meetings with the Haitian National Police and commenced joint operations  undertaking several significant assessments to guide the mission's operations. Noting that Haiti's interim Prime Minister announced a robust strategy to liberate the country from gang control, he urged "the conversion of pledges [from donor countries] into concrete support".

Delegates also exchanged views on renewing BINUH's mandate, which will expire in mid-July. "BINUH has been truly a source of hope for the Haitian people", said the Dominican Republic's Minister for Foreign Affairs, urging the Council to acknowledge the importance of BINUH and renovate its mandate to ensure Haiti's peace, stability and development. "It is our duty as members of the international community to be up to this great challenge and to demonstrate that solidarity and compassion transcend borders", he emphasized.

THE QUESTION CONCERNING HAITI

Briefing

MARIA ISABEL SALVADOR, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), welcomed recent developments in that country towards restoring democracy, including the installation of the Transitional Presidential Council in April and the designation of an interim Prime Minister and a new Government sworn into office in June. These are "clear indications of progress", she said, noting that Garry Conille was chosen as interim Prime Minister by the Transitional Presidential Council. The new transitional Government is composed of 14 ministers heading 18 ministries. With the installation of this Government, the two-headed executive has committed to leading Haiti towards the restoration of State institutions through the holding of credible, inclusive and participatory elections that will lead  according to the proposed timetable  to the installation of elected authorities by February 2026 at the latest. BINUH is redirecting and redefining priorities to support this Haitian-led and owned transition, she said, proposing consideration of the possibility of strengthening BINUH electoral expertise.

She commended efforts to increase the participation of women in the country's transition, noting that six ministries are overseen by women, representing 33 per cent of all ministries and 50 per cent of the heads of Haiti's diplomatic missions are now women. "Inclusion and diversity are essential to promote a political transition that paves the way for the restoration of State institutions and effectively meets the needs and expectations of all Haitians", she stressed. Systematically increasing the participation of women and youth in this process is a fundamental pillar of BINUH's renewed strategy to support the political process. The Office also supported the organization of the Civil Society Forum on 27 and 28 June in Port-au-Prince and expects the Forum to establish a platform for ongoing dialogue between civil society and community leaders, women's and youth groups, and transitional governance structures. BINUH will provide strategic and logistical support to this key platform, she added.

The second pillar of the Office's strategy is to promote human rights at all levels of Haitian society, she said, noting that BINUH's human rights section recently supported the training of 61 magistrates from Port-au-Prince and Croix des Bouquets on investigative techniques in sexual violence. On the security front, she said that the building of the base that will house the Multinational Security Support mission  approved by Security Council resolution 2699 (2023)  has been completed, and a first group of Kenyan police officers arrived on 25 June for deployment. She also welcomed the recent designation of a new Director General of the Haitian National Police as this "brings new hope to the continuous fight against gang violence".

Going forward, she said, establishing a coordination mechanism among national authorities, the Multinational Security Support mission, the UN and other partners in Haiti will be critical to promoting complementarities, exchanging information and devising effective communication strategies. Resolution 2692 (2023) authorized a strengthened police component in BINUH but the UN's financial situation and its hiring freeze prevented the Office from moving forward with scaling up the police and corrections area. Resolution 2699 (2023) mandates the Multinational Security Support mission to establish a human rights oversight mechanism. As that mission deploys, it is also fundamental to strengthen the human rights area in BINUH to provide the necessary support, she said. Lastly, she invited the Council to visit Haiti if and when it is considered opportune.

Statements

The representative of the United States said that the crisis in Haiti remains dire, with nearly 5 million people grappling with severe food insecurity. Food, water and medicine are often in short supply, and States must surge humanitarian assistance to those in need. Across the country, gangs have carried out terrible atrocities, including killings, mass rapes, kidnappings, forced recruitment, exploitation and trafficking of children. Coordinated attacks by gangs have pushed tens of thousands of residents from their homes. For its part, Washington, D.C., intends to provide $309 million to the Multinational Security Support mission, she said, stating: "Our support for the people of Haiti is unwavering." She further stressed the need to promote accountability for past atrocities, adding that the Council must consider sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for actions that threaten peace and security in Haiti. On the illicit flow of arms into Haiti, she highlighted her country's efforts to enforce the arms embargo.

The representative of Ecuador , noting Haiti's "historic contribution for the freedom of Latin America and the Caribbean period", said it is time to measure up to that legacy. Welcoming the appointment of the Transitional Presidential Council, the Prime Minister and the ministerial cabinet, he said the establishment of a provisional electoral council is the next step, leading to the holding of free, transparent and fair elections in February 2026. The partial deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission must be adequately supported, he said, calling for the strengthening of the Trust Fund. Implementing the mission's mandate and strengthening the Haitian National Police requires a coordination mechanism that includes the Haitian authorities, the mission and the UN. Also noting the high levels of food insecurity and systematic human rights abuses by gangs, he stressed that the judicial and penitentiary systems must be able to hold perpetrators accountable. Calling on Council members to prevent the sale, supply and transfer of weapons to non-authorized actors in that country, he said that Haiti represents an "existential trial" for the Council.

The representative of France , welcoming the arrival of the first Kenyan police officers, noted that this is the first step in deploying the Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti. For its part, France has contributed 3 million to the relevant UN trust fund, along with 850,000 to the International Organization of la Francophonie (OIF) to provide language training to those deployed. Emphasizing the mission's importance in assisting the Haitian National Police  "which has been under immense strain under the past few months"  she said that the Police are essential for creating conditions conducive for elections. She also underscored the need to restore democratic institutions  "without which there can be no stability in Haiti". Thus, the new Government must develop a road map for organizing elections pursuant to the agreement reached in Kingston, and the Council "must continue to accompany Haiti on the path of stability" by renewing BINUH's mandate and adding those who support gangs to the relevant sanctions list.

The representative of Guyana , speaking also for Algeria , Mozambique and Sierra Leone , commended the ongoing support provided to Haiti by BINUH and relevant UN agencies, often under challenging conditions. She also acknowledged the contributions of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the support of other regional and international partners towards the country's stability. The Secretary-General's latest report recorded 3,252 intentional homicides from January to May 2024. In this regard, she welcomed the arrival of the first contingent of Kenyan police officers in Port-au-Prince as part of the Multinational Security Support mission. She called for scaling up tangible support, especially by financially contributing to the Multinational Security Support mission Trust Fund.

"Over the past few months, we have witnessed the brave efforts of the Haitian National Police to secure critical infrastructure," she said, expressing regret over the killing of more than 20 police officers by gangs since January. The Council "must also do its part", she urged, adding: "We look forward to the expansion of the sanctions regime and to considering further appropriate measures." Preventing the illegal flow of weapons and ammunition into Haiti is critical to stabilizing the security situation. Member States must continue to support measures to combat such flows that enable criminal activity. Haiti has paid dearly for its independence and paved the way for the independence of so many others in this hemisphere and beyond. "While the country's future lies in their hands, we, the international community, have an important role in supporting their inherent right to live in peace and dignity," she stressed.

The representative of Switzerland said that to restore the stability and security that Haiti urgently needs, it is essential that the Multinational Security Support mission achieves its objectives in accordance with its mandate and with full respect for international law. As well, the forming of a new Government is an essential step towards a more stable and prosperous future for the country and should pave the way for the holding of free, fair and secure elections, she stressed, reiterating the importance of including women in all political processes. Urging full, safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to all people in need, she underlined the vital importance of increasing humanitarian aid to meet the urgent needs of the population. The start of the tropical storm season, including the worrying development of Hurricane Beryl and its impact on the whole region, is also a reminder that the humanitarian situation can deteriorate rapidly, she observed. Accordingly, investments must be made in building resilience through disaster preparedness and risk reduction measures.

The representative of China , noting some progress on the political and security fronts as well as the arrival of the Multinational Security Support mission, said the root causes of the multidimensional Haitian crisis are yet to be addressed. It is crucial to advance the political process, he said, noting that the lack of elections in the country since 2016 has resulted in a political vacuum, which in turn led to a breakdown of law and order. It is essential to put forth a credible election timeline and promote a Haitian-owned, Haitian-led political process, he said, stressing the importance of building the capacity of the National Police. Noting the incessant influx of illicit weapons, he highlighted the police seizure of arms and ammunition from the United States, recalled the Council's arms embargo on Haiti, and urged the former to tighten its control of weapons. Expressing support for BINUH's existing mandate, he said the time is not right to expand its presence outside the capital and add electoral functions.

The representative of Malta welcomed the swearing-in of the Transitional Presidential Council, the designation of an interim Prime Minister and the installation of Haiti's new Government as "crucial steps to political stability". Also welcoming the arrival of the first contingent of the Multinational Security Support mission on 25 June, he called for increased financial and logistical assistance to the mission. For its part, the mission must "act with the highest standards of conduct and discipline, based on clear human-rights protocols, and with effective oversight", he said. Expressing concern over reports stating that children represent up to 50 per cent of gang members, he underscored the importance of child protection in the planning and conduct of the mission's operations  as stated in resolution 2699 (2023). He also expressed support for the use of targeted sanctions, along with hope that the Council will update the list of designated individuals and entities.

The representative of Japan said that addressing security alone is not sufficient, saying that "it should go hand in hand with Haitian efforts to tackle the intertwined root causes from a medium- and long-term perspective". Such efforts include building resilience to prevent a relapse into crisis. In this vein, a comprehensive approach ensuring the humanitarian-development-peace nexus is needed, and the Peacebuilding Commission can help make the international community's approach more comprehensive through its bridging, convening and catalytic roles within and beyond the UN system. BINUH has played a significant role in supporting Haitian-led and -owned efforts. Tokyo supports the extension of its mandate and will actively engage in the discussion towards more effective sanctions, he said.

The representative of Slovenia , highlighting the progress made in the transitional Governance arrangements in Haiti, welcomed the appointment of interim Prime Minister Garry Conille and the installation of the Cabinet of Ministers, which includes women in key positions. "We assure the Haitian people of our continued support as they transition to restore democratic institutions through elections", he said, underlining the need to strengthen BINUH's mandated activities in preparation for the elections. However, he emphasized that recent positive milestones in transitional governance in Haiti must be accompanied by urgently needed improvements in the security situation. To this end, he welcomed the deployment of the first contingent of 200 Kenyan police officers to support the Haitian National Police and supported BINUH's activities in the wider criminal justice sector, including corrections, ensuring accountability for serious human rights abuses. All these efforts should be complemented by the effective implementation of the arms embargo to stem the flow of illicit arms and ammunition to Haiti, he added.

The representative of the United Kingdom underscored that "the multifaceted crisis in Haiti has impacted the lives of Haitians for far too long". Schools are closed, hospitals have run out of supplies and access to food is severely limited. "We continue to hear chilling accounts of gangs using sexual and gender-based violence as a means to control the population," she said, commending the recent arrival of members of the Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti, which remains vital to supporting Haitian efforts to resolve instability. The United Kingdom has pledged over $6 million to the mission. She urged Haitian political and civil society  including with the active participation of women and youth  to seize this opportunity to address the root causes of the security crisis and create the conditions necessary to bring about a lasting change. Further, she highlighted BINUH's important role in supporting the Transitional Government, noting that this should be coordinated with the Multinational Security Support mission.

The representative of the Republic of Korea said Haiti is still suffering from rampant gang violence that prevents its people from having access to essential supplies, including health care, food and water, amid unprecedented hunger and displacement. With a rising number of homicides and kidnappings perpetrated by armed gangs, the lives of civilians are at substantial risk. Also, gender-based violence has become part of a tactic by armed gangs to instil fear in communities. Despite these ongoing security challenges, there have been some "visible signs of hope", he said, pointing to the arrival of 200 Kenyan police officers in Port-au-Prince. The Multinational Security Support mission will provide crucial support for the Haitian National Police in countering gangs, help enhance security around critical infrastructure and ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance. He further stressed the need to strengthen BINUH's crucial role to support holding free and fair elections, protect human rights and provide advisory support to the Haitian National Police.

The representative of the Russian Federation , Council President for July, speaking in his national capacity, said the transitional authorities must prioritize holding elections, restoring order and establishing interim administrative bodies. "Any external interference in these processes is unacceptable", he underscored. Noting that armed groups continue to control key entry and exit points of the capital as well as important transportation facilities, he noted that the main route for weapons smuggling runs from Florida to Haiti. The current embargo is not preventing the flow of weapons from the United States, he said, also noting that the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) is backing down from using sanctions to tackle this problem. Its current list consists of five people who are leaders of criminal gangs; however, the criminal world's activities are a small part of the problem. Further, gangs do not have property or assets abroad and do not travel abroad, unlike United States arms dealers, he pointed out. The Multinational Security Support mission must work in close coordination with the national security forces. "We have been promised a non-repetition of past mistakes", he said, noting that the mission's activities and public perception will be closely watched.

GARRY CONILLE, interim Prime Minister of Haiti , stating that his country's people "continue to fight for a better future", underlined the "urgent need to find a lasting solution to the security problems exacerbated by the activities of criminal gangs". He also urged effective cooperation between national authorities, the Multinational Security Support mission and BINUH to help re-establish security and restore democratic institutions  "which are strategic for the transition". Calling for solidarity to help Haiti emerge from the crises that have plagued it for several decades, he stressed: "Every day must be used wisely." On that, he reported that, since his appointment as interim Prime Minister, he has held several working sessions involving the Transitional Presidential Council, anti-corruption and accountability institutions, law-enforcement agencies, the private sector and diaspora associations. More than ever, Haiti must mobilize all necessary available resources "to make this transition the last one", he stressed.

Noting that Haiti is at a "critical point"  as 12,000 armed individuals hold hostage a population of 12 million  he said: "At this decisive juncture, no project, be it economic or political, can be tackled without addressing the security issue." He therefore welcomed implementation of the commitments made in resolution 2699 (2023), stating that the deployment of the first contingent of police officers from the Multinational Security Support mission alongside Haitian law-enforcement agencies should help put a stop to the activities of criminal groups. "But Haiti must escape the spiral of security missions once and for all," he urged, calling for a redefined approach such that, by the mission's end, Haiti will have strong, effective institutions. To that end, the Government will adopt a holistic, community-based approach to security  the former because economic recovery and access to basic social services must be done concomitantly, the latter because the population's trust in the police must be restored.

He also detailed the Government's aim to establish adequate infrastructure that complies with modern building standards, reorganize certain towns, re-establish basic social services and create employment opportunities. "This is the only way to restore lasting peace and security in Haiti," he said. "There is no Haitian inevitability," he added, stating that the current situation results from a policy that separated the State and the people. Thus, to do things differently, the Government will facilitate elections and constitutional reform, strengthen mechanisms to combat corruption and impunity, develop security strategies that focus on the interaction between people and the police and modernize the judiciary. Stressing, as new international security forces arrive, that the international community must recall that Haiti's history with foreign intervention "has been a mixed bag", he urged the establishment of mechanisms to ensure not only security, but also dignity and respect, "to ensure that mistakes of the past are not repeated".

ROBERTO ALVAREZ GIL, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic , said that while the main responsibility for stability in Haiti lies with that country's people and leaders, the international community's support has been essential. He recognized the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council for such contributions, the United States for providing a major part of funding, Kenya for leading the Multinational Security Support mission, and Canada for providing training and equipment for the mission. He also highlighted the tireless mediation work by CARICOM. "The initial progress that today we're seeing is the fruit of multilateral cooperation", he said, adding: "It's proof that this is the right path". For its part, he said, his country will provide medical assistance to the mission personnel on Dominican territory, urging all countries that have committed funding for the mission to fulfil their pledges.

He then advocated for better implementing the relevant Council resolutions on arms embargo and sanctions. BINUH has significantly contributed to reducing crime in Haiti by supporting judicial reforms, training civil servants, promoting human rights, and assisting employment and educational programs for young people. "BINUH has been truly a source of hope for the Haitian people", he said, stressing that in this new chapter, it should maintain its role in supporting the new Government and the mission. BINUH must also play a vital role in coordinating the electoral process which will grant legitimacy to the new Government. He urged the Council to acknowledge the importance of BINUH and renovate its mandate to ensure Haiti's peace, stability and development. "It is our duty as members of the international community to be up to this great challenge and to demonstrate that solidarity and compassion transcend borders", he said.

The representative of Canada , speaking on behalf of the Economic and Social Council Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti , welcomed the positive steps taken by Haitian actors to establish an inclusive transition Government. He underscored the need to support Haiti to urgently address the immediate humanitarian needs of the Haitian population set out in the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan  only 23 per cent of which is funded. Welcoming the arrival of the Multinational Security Support mission to Port-au-Prince last week, he encouraged States to contribute "to making the mission a success". Expressing hope that the deployment of the mission will bolster the capacity of the Haitian National Police to restore security, he stressed that "Haitians require security to safely leave their homes without fear of being killed, kidnapped or raped".

He further encouraged Haitian institutions to address the root causes of the country's vulnerability and instability  including extreme poverty, corruption, impunity, and collusion between the political and economic spheres. In particular, Haitian capacities should provide security and human rights protection for the population; deliver essential services, including education and health; build resilient food systems; curb the flow of arms and ammunition to gangs; dismantle gangs and reduce violence at the community level; empower women and girls and address sexual and gender-based violence; invest in education and vocational opportunities for youth; strengthen the rule of law; and build the country's resilience to the disruptive impacts of natural hazards and climate change. To advance Haitian-led solutions, the active support and expertise of the United Nations across these areas is essential, he added.

The representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis , speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), welcomed the progress made in strengthening good governance in Haiti. Emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration among Council members and other stakeholders, she said the appointment of transitional authorities is critical for holding free and fair elections and expressed the region's steadfast support to Haiti's people. Tackling gang violence remains one of the most pressing priorities, she said, noting the significant rise in the number of intentional homicides, incidents of sexual violence against women and girls and the recruitment of children. Highlighting the demolition of three police stations and three prisons by gangs, she said such "deliberate attacks on institutions that form part of the criminal justice system must be seen as strategic actions aimed at keeping the country in a state of lawlessness".

Applauding Kenya for deploying the first contingent of police officers to Haiti and expressing support to the Multinational Security Support mission, she stressed that international partners must make additional efforts to fulfil the budgetary and operational needs of the mission. Highlighting the underfunding of the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan, she said the state of food insecurity in Haiti remains a source of concern. Drawing attention to its impact on children, she said it is alarming that 276,136 children aged 6 to 59 months are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition by the end of 2024. The international community must accelerate efforts to provide Haiti with adequate support to build stronger democratic institutions and restore peace and stability, she stressed.

The representative of Kenya stated: "We are delighted to confirm to the Council that the deployment of the first contingent by Kenya has taken effect." On 25 June, the first Kenyan police contingent of the Multinational Security Support mission  comprising 200 formed police units  arrived in Port-au-Prince. Since its arrival, the contingent has held operational meetings with the Haitian National Police and commenced joint operations  undertaking several significant assessments to guide the mission's operations. A delegation of senior officials from Kenya engaged with a range of Haitian stakeholders. At the operational level, the team held numerous meetings, including with the leadership of the country and its National Police.

In all cases, the leadership welcomed the deployment of the first contingent of the Multinational Security Support mission, expressing hope that the mission would support the Haitian National Police in the fight to eradicate gangs, restore public safety and security, build safer neighbourhoods and secure free, fair and credible elections. Additionally, Haiti's interim Prime Minister announced a robust strategy to liberate the country from gang control, reaffirming the Government's commitment to closely working with the Haitian National Police and the newly arrived Kenyan forces. Urging "the conversion of pledges into concrete support", she called on States to step up their support for the mission and the people of Haiti. She also advocated for stronger coordination with BINUH on the ground to ensure seamless interoperability in delivering humanitarian access.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Air chiefs from across Americas convene in display of continued cooperation

Published July 3, 2024

By Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell

12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern)



SAN CARLOS DE BARILOCHE, Argentina (AFNS) -- U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, center, speaks with Argentinian Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Fernando Luis Mengo, center left, during the 64th Conference of the American Air Chiefs meeting in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, June 19, 2024. These one-on-one Key Leader Engagements assist in establishing and successfully executing shared security objectives while generating mutual trust and understanding. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell)

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, center, speaks with Argentinian air force Chief of Staff Gen. Fernando Luis Mengo, center left, during the 64th Conference of the American Air Chiefs meeting in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, June 19, 2024. These one-on-one Key Leader Engagements assist in establishing and successfully executing shared security objectives while generating mutual trust and understanding. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

Air Force leaders and representatives from across the Western Hemisphere assembled in Argentina June 18-20 for the 64th "Conferencia de los Jefes de las Fuerzas Aereas Americanas," Spanish for, Conference of the American Air Chiefs, or CONJEFAMER.

Argentinian air force Chief of Staff Gen. Fernando Luis Mengo hosted the event, which was attended by U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin.

The senior Air Force leaders of 19 nations took part in discussions concentrated on readiness needs to meet a collective vision and laid plans for future exercises together.

"The Conference of American Air Chiefs is a unique opportunity to learn from and build partnerships with our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere," Allvin said. "It is also an exceptional forum for enhancing our shared security objectives while generating mutual trust and understanding. I was honored to engage my counterparts firsthand and look forward to improving our collective ability to meet complex global challenges."

The 3-day conference was sponsored by the System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces, an apolitical institution established in 1961, now sitting at 23 member nations with a purpose to be an efficient organization in cooperation and mutual support between the American Air Forces and their equivalents.

"CONJEFAMER is the medieval roundtable for the American Air Forces today," said Brazilian air force Col. Bruno Pedra, undersecretary general for SICOFAA. "Which makes it imperative to maintain and strengthen an environment of trust and professional cooperation."

Much of the value gained during the annual conference can be placed on the relationships built among the air chiefs to aid in emergent situations when a rapid response is needed.

This year alone Colombia experienced devastating wildfires and Brazil encountered unprecedented flooding, bringing discussions of humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts to the forefront of remarks amongst some leaders.

"In the world we live in today there are two irrefutable truths," said Colombian air force Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda. "The first is that there is a climate change that will potentially produce natural disasters at any time. The second is that there is nothing like having friends to lean on when you need it most. Our brothers, the air forces of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the United States and Uruguay, through our system, answered our call, giving us a hand, providing their capabilities so we could sort these fires."

"CONJEFAMER is where lessons learned are reported and activities to be developed are decided," Pedra noted. "Congruently, in Argentina, the wildfires in Colombia and floods in Brazil were both addressed in a framework of the pre-coordinations mediated by SICOFAA."

Pedra also hinted in the potential expanding influence within similar organizations outside the Western Hemisphere.

"Studying SICOFAA in its entirety, it becomes clear that SICOFAA's future includes a systematic relationship with homologous systems in Africa and the Indo-Pacific region," he said. "In this way, the maximum benefit for its members will increasingly depend on the diplomatic capacity of their representatives either among themselves or with their respective governments."

Formal proceedings came to a close when Mengo relinquished the SICOFAA ceremonial bell into the hands of next year's host, Paraguayan air force Commander Gen. Julio Ruben Fullaondo Cespedes, symbolizing the beginning of next year's activities.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Military Sealift Command Supporting Biennial Rim of the Pacific Exercise

US Navy

03 July 2024

From Sarah Cannon

Military Sealift Command will support the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 maritime exercise though out the month of July in Hawaii.



MSC fleet replenishment oilers USNS Pecos (T-AO 197) and the MSC dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11) will provide logistics services including aviation fuel, diesel ship fuel, dry, fresh and frozen food equipment and supplies to the ships participating in the exercise.

MSC chartered tanker ships MT Overseas Mykonos and MT Allied Pacific will provide fuel to the MSC combat logistics ships during replenishment-at-sea events. With the closing of the Navy's The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, the tanker replenishment events will allow the CLF ships to receive fuel at sea, enabling them to provide logistic services to exercise participants as needed, without delay.

MSC rescue and salvage ship USNS Grasp (T-ARS 51) will deliver two decommissioned Navy ships to the designated target area in preparation for sinking exercises (SINKEX); amphibious transport dock Ex-Dubuque (LPD 8) and amphibious assault ship Ex-Tarawa (LHA 1).

Five members of Military Sealift Command Pacific's (MSCPAC) Headquarters Unit are serving as watch standers, providing maritime logistics support to Commander, Task Group 173. These reservists, alongside will providing comprehensive planning and coordination for each replenishment-at-sea conducted during the exercise, including arranging and coordinating rendezvous locations and times for MSCs CLF ships and MSC chartered tankers. In addition, the Reservists will coordinate towing operations Grasp.

At sea, 24 members of MSC Cargo Afloat Rig Team (CART) will support at-sea logistics operations in support of the exercise, training and working hand-in-hand with the civil service mariner crews in order to meet the huge underway replenishment demands of keeping the ships of the 29 participating nations supplied and moving.

"MSC and our crews of highly professional civilian mariners are proud to be a part of RIMPAC 2024," said Leonard Bell, Deputy to the Commodore, Military Sealift Command Pacific. "This is a great opportunity for us to not only demonstrate our logistics capabilities, but to work and learn from our foreign Navy partners in an at-sea environment. In today's challenging environments, exercises such as RIMPAC allow us to foster goodwill and relationships with like-minded partners, ensuring safe seas for military and commercial sailing."

Hosted biennially by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), and executed by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet (C3F), RIMPAC is a multinational maritime exercise that takes place in and around the Hawaiian Islands. This year marks the 29th iteration of RIMPAC, a series that began in 1971 and is scheduled to take place from June 26 to August 2. Approximately 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel are scheduled to participate. This year's exercise will include units or personnel from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom and the United States. RIMPAC is a unique training opportunity designed to foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Egypt Assumes Command of Combined Maritime Forces' Combined Task Force 154 from Jordan

US Navy

03 July 2024

From Courtesy Story

MANAMA, Bahrain -- The Egyptian Navy assumed command of Combined Maritime Forces' (CMF) maritime security training focused task force during a change of command ceremony at the CMF headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, June 30.

Royal Jordanian Navy Capt. Ayman Al Naimat turned over command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154 to Egyptian Navy Commodore Haytham Khalil. Egypt is the third partner nation to command the task force since its establishment in May 2023.

"I am proud I have been giving the chance to represent my country, Jordan, in the CMF family as CTF 154 commander for the past seven months," said Capt. Al Naimat. "CMF is more than just about the message we deliver, it's about the commitment we're all eager to present, it's all about collective efforts we all share to maintain the global maritime security in this very important part of the world. I hope that I was able along with my team to achieve CMF vision and to successfully fulfill CTF 154's mission speaking of maritime security enhancement training (MSET)."

CTF 154 conducts multinational maritime training at locations across the Middle East, enabling more CMF partner-nations to participate in training opportunities without ships or aircraft, particularly during courses that are facilitated ashore. It organizes training events around five core areas: maritime awareness, maritime law, maritime interdiction, maritime rescue and assistance, and leadership development. Each training opportunity is tailored to meet partner requests ranging from basic to advanced levels.

"It is my honor to represent my country, Egypt, in CMF as the new CTF 154 commander," said Commodore Khalil. "My team and I will give the role all we have to achieve CMF's vision and to successfully fulfill CTF 154's mission in maritime security enhancement training to reach the goals we are all looking for."

Commodore Khalil will lead a team of nine multinational staff from six countries in planning, coordinating, and executing MSET.

CMF is the world's largest naval partnership, with 44 countries working together. Other task forces include CTF 150, focused on maritime security in the Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden; CTF 151, which leads regional anti-piracy efforts; CTF 152, dedicated to maritime security in the Arabian Gulf; and CTF 153, focused on international maritime security in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






After boosting ties, Japan, South Korea, US try to keep them going

By William Gallo July 03, 2024

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 Seoul's 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 Korea's 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 Korea's 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 Yoon's 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 that's 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 month's 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."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Israel approves largest West Bank land seizure in decades

By VOA News July 03, 2024

Israel has approved its largest land seizure in the occupied West Bank in more than three decades, a settlement tracking group said Wednesday.

The decision was denounced by activists, who said it would further increase tensions brought on by the war in Gaza and dash hopes for a Palestinian state and a two-state solution for peace.

In June, an official declaration obtained by media outlets said that 12.7 square kilometers of land in the Jordan Valley had been formally designated as "state property," which allows the land to be leased to Israelis and prevents Palestinians from privately owning it.

"The size of the area designated for declaration is the largest since the (1993) Oslo Accords, and the year 2024 marks a peak in the extent of declarations of state land," said Peace Now, a group based in Tel Aviv, Israel, that tracks the growth of Israeli settlements.

The tracking group said on Wednesday that the land would connect settlements in an area along the Jordan border and make the prospects of a contiguous Palestinian state less likely.

At the 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."

Israel gained control over the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip during the 1967 Mideast war.

Since then, Israel has built settlements throughout the West Bank, where more than 490,000 Israelis live. These settlements are considered illegal under international law.

About 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, some in places administered by the Palestinian Authority. But much of the West Bank is off-limits to the authority despite the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who live there.

The Israeli government announced that it has taken over 23.7 square kilometers of land in the West Bank since the beginning of this year.

The newly taken land is in a place where settler violence was displacing communities of Palestinians even before the Israel-Hamas war. The violence has increased since Hamas' attack on October 7 started the war in Gaza.

Palestinians assert that the violence is aimed at expanding Israeli control over large areas and diminishes the likelihood of achieving a Palestinian state.

Israel's rapid growth in the West Bank shows how influential the settler community is in the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which is known as the most religious and nationalist in Israel's history.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is also a settler, has accelerated the land expansion. He has taken new powers to develop settlements and aims to strengthen Israel's control over the land to prevent the formation of a Palestinian state.

"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 a conference for his ultranationalist Religious Zionism Party last month.

"Today, it is clear to everyone that this conflict cannot be resolved without a political settlement that establishes a Palestinian state alongside Israel," Peace Now said in a statement. "Still, the Israeli government chooses to actually make it difficult and distance us from the possibility of peace and stopping the bloodshed."

Some information for this report came from the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse).

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Hezbollah says senior commander killed in Israeli strike

By VOA News July 03, 2024

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, Macron's 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taliban push for prisoner exchange with US

By Ayaz Gul July 03, 2024

The Taliban government in Afghanistan indicated Wednesday that it would consider releasing two U.S. prisoners in exchange for Afghans held in the United States.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief Taliban spokesman, told reporters in Kabul that the idea of a prisoner release was discussed in his meeting with U.S. officials in Doha, Qatar this week, just as the two sides brought it up it in their previous meetings.

"Afghanistan's conditions must be met. We have our citizens who are imprisoned in the U.S. and Guantanamo," Mujahid stated. "We should free our prisoners in exchange for them. Just as their prisoners are important to America, Afghans are equally important to us," he added.

The spokesman did not share any details about Afghan detainees, including those being held at the U.S.-run Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba.

Mujahid spoke in the Afghan capital shortly after returning from Doha, where he led a Taliban delegation at a rare two-day U.N.-hosted meeting with international envoys on Afghanistan, which ended on Monday.

U.S. officials also attended the U.N. conference in the Qatari capital.

On Tuesday, a State Department spokesperson in Washington confirmed that U.S. special envoys on Afghanistan Thomas West and Rina Amiri met Taliban representatives in Doha.

"So during these meetings, special representative West pressed for the immediate and unconditional release of U.S. citizens unjustly detained in Afghanistan, noting that these detentions impede progress in the Taliban's own desire for international recognition," Vedant Patel told reporters.

The Taliban say the two Americans are among "several foreign nationals" currently imprisoned in Afghanistan for allegedly violating local immigration and other laws.

U.S. officials and relatives have identified one of the detainees as Ryan Corbett, while the identity of the second person has not been disclosed.

Corbett was taken into custody in August 2022, a year after the fundamentalist Taliban returned to power in Kabul following the withdrawal of U.S.-led Western troops after nearly 20 years of involvement in the Afghan war.

Corbett's family and U.S. lawmakers have repeatedly urged U.S. President Joe Biden's administration to do more to secure his safe and early release. Since his detention, Corbett has been able to call his wife and their three children.

Corbett and his family had lived in Afghanistan for years before being evacuated during the August 2021 Taliban takeover. He ran and supervised humanitarian projects for nongovernmental organizations, focusing on health and education.

Corbett returned to Afghanistan twice in 2022 and was detained by the Taliban on his second trip but has not been charged with any crimes, according to his family.

Relatives and activists say a third U.S. national, Mahmood Habibi, is also among foreigners in custody, but the Taliban refuse to acknowledge that they are holding him.

In March, a resolution was submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives calling for Habibi's immediate release. The resolution, which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, stated that Habibi was arrested in August 2022 outside his home while in the country for business.

He was detained by the Taliban intelligence agency on suspicion of being involved in a U.S. drone strike that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the fugitive al-Qaida network chief, in Kabul.

The Taliban protested the strike, saying it was a breach of the 2020 Doha agreement they signed with the U.S., which paved the way for Washington to withdraw from the longest U.S. war in history.

The former insurgent group also pledged in line with the terms of the agreement not to harbor transnational militant groups, including al-Qaida, seeking to attack America and its allies.

No country has recognized the Taliban government, citing human rights concerns and bans on Afghan women's access to education and work.

The U.N. meeting in Doha was aimed at increasing, facilitating, and coordinating the world's engagement with the Taliban in the wake of deepening economic and humanitarian troubles facing war-torn, impoverished Afghanistan.

The two-day session ended without the Taliban making any pledges to remove their restrictions on women or winning concessions from the international community.

"Afghanistan cannot return to the international fold or fully develop economically and socially if it is deprived of the contributions and potential of half its population," Rosemary DiCarlo, U.N. undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, told reporters at the end of the meeting on Monday. She presided over the gathering on behalf of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Mujahid, while speaking in Kabul Wednesday, reiterated that their rules about women are an internal Afghan matter and said foreign nations or organizations have nothing to do with it.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Analysts link strengthening Vietnam's China Sea claims to Putin visit

By VOA News July 03, 2024

Analysts cite an effort to strengthen Vietnam's South China Sea territorial claims as a key reason Hanoi welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, despite potential fallout from links to Moscow in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

They also say Russian investment in offshore oil and gas reserves off Vietnam's coast in the South China shows Hanoi strengthening its territorial claims.

Vietnam and Russia signed 11 agreements during the visit. They included, according to the Kremlin, granting an investment license for a hydrocarbon block off Vietnam's southeastern coast to Zarubezhneft, a state-owned Russian oil and gas firm with a history of joint ventures with Vietnam.

Ian Storey, senior fellow at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof-Ishak Institute, told VOA that Vietnam wants to expand its oil and gas operations with Russia inside its exclusive economic zone for two reasons.

"First, the resources in the fields being worked by Vietsovpetro [a Russian-Vietnamese oil and gas joint venture] are running low and it's time to start operations in new blocks," Storey wrote over email on June 25, referring to an existing oil partnership.

"Second," he wrote, "Vietnam wants to internationalize the energy projects in its EEZ because it adds legitimacy to its jurisdictional claims in the South China Sea."

Storey added that although there have been reports of Hanoi making an arms purchase by using funds from the joint oil enterprise Rusvietpetro, it is unlikely that the leaders settled plans for a weapons sale during the visit.

"While there have been reports that Russia is considering providing loans to Vietnam to buy military hardware using the profits from their joint venture in Siberia, it is unclear whether the two sides have reached a final agreement," Storey wrote. The New York Times reported on a leaked March 2023 document from Vietnam's Finance Ministry that outlined plans for Hanoi to purchase Russian weapons using loans from Rusvietpetro.

"The absence of Russian Defence Minister [Andrei] Belousov from Putin's entourage to Vietnam suggests they have not," he wrote.

Protecting disputed waters

Although Vietnamese territory stretches 370 kilometers off its coast according to international law, China claims the vast majority of the South China Sea with its disputed so-called nine-dash line delineating its claims in the sea.

Ray Powell, director of the Sea Light Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University, wrote over WhatsApp on June 27 that the block licensed to Zarubezhneft "appears to be inside" the nine-dash line.

Nguyen The Phuong, a maritime security expert and Ph.D. candidate at the University of New South Wales Canberra, told VOA during a call on June 26 that the key takeaway from Putin's visit is Hanoi's intention to secure its territorial integrity.

"Vietnam wants Russia to have more presence in the South China Sea because, different from the United States or Western countries, the presence of Russia will not infuriate China," Phuong said. "It could somehow prevent China from going overboard, from being overly aggressive."

Alexander Vuving, professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, said it is important for Hanoi to maintain strong ties with Moscow after Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

"The Ukraine war is pushing Russia closer to China, and that is the Vietnamese nightmare," Vuving said during a Zoom call with VOA on June 27, noting that Moscow is Hanoi's leading partner to counter Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.

"From Vietnam's perspective, they need Russia," he said.

Vietnam is attempting to diversify its military equipment away from Russia, which has been its primary supplier, and it is not clear whether the two sides agreed on an arms sale during this visit. Nevertheless, Russia remains Hanoi's top option to update its aging military arsenal, Vuving said.

"[Vietnam] is still trying to buy arms from Russia for many reasons," he said. "The price is not so high like some other alternative sources but there's also the question of the issue of trust - Vietnam would trust Russia," Vuving said.

That trust comes from a long history of support from the former Soviet Union and later Russia, Nguyen Hong Hai, senior lecturer at Hanoi's Vinuniversity, told VOA. Along with military aid to support Vietnam's fights for independence, the Soviet Union and Russia helped to bring the country out of poverty and most of Vietnam's top leaders trained there, Hai said.

"For the generation who lived during that period of time, they still have very fond memories of the Soviet Union's and Russian assistance to Vietnam," Hai said June 25 by Zoom.

Some see dangers

Even with the historic connection, some point to the dangers of welcoming Putin after the invasion of Ukraine and Putin's visits to China and North Korea.

"This trip was made right after Putin visited [Chinese President] Xi Jinping and [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un. The two most brutal dictators in East Asia," Tran Anh Quan, a Ho Chi Minh City-based social activist wrote to VOA in Vietnamese over Telegram.

"If Putin can link up with Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, and To Lam, it will form an alliance of tyrants of the world's major dictatorial states," Quan said, referring to former public security minister To Lam, who became president in May.

Quan said he has not seen much response from the Vietnamese public to Putin's Hanoi visit.

He said many are afraid to speak out in the current political environment and the public is more focused on the case of Thich Minh Tue - a monk who is not part of a state-sanctioned Buddhist group and became famous for walking barefoot across the country before he was detained by police in early June.

"Vietnam is increasingly suppressing critical voices, so people dare to speak out less than before," Quan said.

Zachary Abuza, Southeast Asia expert and professor at the National War College in Washington, also noted the negative image Putin's visit casts, adding that Russia's war on Ukraine highlights the degradation of international laws, crucial to Vietnam, given its territorial tensions with neighboring China.

"The optics of it are terrible," he told VOA on June 17. "This is the leader who is trying to upend the international rules-based order and change borders through the use of force.  The legal rationale that Russia and Putin have come up with for the invasion of Ukraine is really dangerous for Vietnam."

Still, Hai said that although Vietnam and Ukraine are two small nations neighboring larger powers, it is too simplistic to compare the relationships between Vietnam and China with Ukraine and Russia.

"[Vietnam] has coexisted with China for over 4,000 years and understands its neighbor well," he said, while noting the countries continue to have territorial disputes and had a border war in 1979.

"Since normalizing relations in 1991, the two countries have managed their relationship effectively,'' Hai said. ''Both nations aim to avoid conflict."

Further, he added that Hanoi does not "take sides" with Russia, and when leaders express their debt to the Soviet Union, that includes its former republic, Ukraine.

"In the joint statement between Vietnam and Russia during the Putin visit  Vietnam was very careful to show it does not side with Russia," Hai said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Haiti's prime minister vows 'new era' for gang-plagued nation

By Margaret Besheer July 03, 2024

Haiti's 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 Haiti's 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 Haiti's police stabilize the country.

"We will restore our territory house by house, neighborhood by neighborhood," Conille said. "This isn't 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convenes the Incident Response Group to discuss the evolving situation in the Middle East

Prime Minister of Canada - Justin Trudeau

July 4, 2024

Ottawa, Ontario

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the Incident Response Group with ministers and senior officials to discuss the evolving situation in the Middle East, with a focus on the risk of further escalation along Israel's northern border, which Hezbollah continues to bombard with rockets. The Government of Canada remains fully engaged on these issues and is focused on the safety and security of Canadians in the region.

Prime Minister Trudeau underscored the urgent need to avoid further escalation. The Prime Minister and ministers considered the latest developments, ongoing efforts to support de-escalation, and Canada's state of readiness to respond to potential scenarios. The Prime Minister and ministers emphasized the urgent need for Canadians to leave Lebanon while commercial options for travel are available, as assisted departures or evacuations cannot be guaranteed in the event of further escalation. They underscored the importance that Canadians ensure their travel documents, including those of their spouse and dependent children, are always up to date and secure.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Survey reveals that more than 60% of the Estonian population would be prepared to defend the country

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Defence

4. July 2024

The annual public opinion survey commissioned by the Ministry of Defence shows that the level of support among the Estonian population for armed resistance remains at over 80%, with more than 60% of people prepared to defend the country.

"Willingness and motivation are vital to ensuring national security, so I'm delighted to see those figures so high, especially among the reservists, who make up the bulk of our defensive force," said Undersecretary for Defence Readiness Susan Lillevali, presenting the results of the survey.

More than 60% of the population would be prepared to defend the nation: 12% in active military defence, 22% in auxiliary defence roles (such as rearguard support and logistics) and 26% in non-military defence (such as in the field of medicine and organising evacuations). Moreover, 81% of respondents support armed resistance in the event of an attack. "These are very promising figures, considering that in wartime our Defence Forces would comprise 44,000 people or just 6% of the working population," Lillevali remarked.

The need for military service has the support of 87% of respondents, marking a 1% rise since the 2023 survey. There is also a high level of support (86%) for reserve forces, and calling on reserve forces to take part in training has the support of 79% of the population. "That level of support and appreciation for our reservists shows that people in Estonia recognise the importance of national defence and defence readiness," Lillevali said.

There is also widespread support among the population for other aspects of defence: 76% for allied air exercises; 74% for wearing military uniforms in public; 72% for the movement of Defence Forces equipment; 70% for the establishment of a Baltic defence line; 69% for military exercises in the respondent's area; and 56% for the expansion of training grounds.

The spread of misinformation and cyberattacks continue to be seen as the main security threats by 86% and 84% of respondents, respectively. Whereas in 2023 a total of 29% of respondents considered a large-scale military attack against Estonia likely, that figure has since risen to 39%.

"People have a heightened sense of risk, but it's worth noting that they still have as much trust in defence and security institutions, which is necessary to ensure both a sense of security and the country's ability to defend itself," Lillevali said. The most trusted institutions are the Rescue Board (97%), the Police and Border Guard Board (86%), the Defence Forces (80%) and the Defence League (76%).

"It's also reassuring to know that the vast majority of people in Estonia - which is to say four out of every five - not only value our own national defence organisations but also the relationships we have with our allies, which form one of the pillars of our defence capabilities," Lillevali added. Estonia's membership in NATO and the presence of allied forces in the country are supported by 80% and 79% of the population, respectively. Moreover, 94% of respondents aged 15-19 support Estonia's status as a NATO member state, and this was the first survey to record no opposition at all to the country's membership in the alliance among this age group.

The survey was conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Defence by Eesti Uuringukeskus OU in March and early April 2024. Permanent residents of Estonia between the ages of 15 and 74 were included in the sample, with 1200 people surveyed in total.

Similar surveys have been regularly commissioned by the ministry since 2000.

The full report on the results can be found here (PDF).

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






NATO DIANA innovation accelerator announces new critical challenges requiring technological solutions

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Defence

4. July 2024

NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator or DIANA has unveiled the challenges it will be addressing in its second year of operations and has opened a new round of applications. DIANA aims to find and accelerate the development of dual-use deep technologies across the alliance to respond to critical defence and security issues.

"DIANA boasts very strong business mentors and a very strong network, which has made it an important catalyst for innovation and garnered it incredibly positive feedback from participants after its pilot year," explained Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur. "The programme is useful for the development of Estonia's national defence and for the competitiveness of our companies, as it creates a bridge between ideas and potential military applications, speeding up an otherwise long and obstacle-filled journey. I encourage entrepreneurs to take a closer look at the opportunities and issues the new round includes."

NATO Member States have identified critical challenges for which innovative technological solutions are sought. The accelerator is open to start-ups from across the alliance which are developing technologies that have applications in the civil and defence sectors alike.

"New deep technologies are the very point where innovation and security meet, and their development is on the rise in Estonia and worldwide," said Minister of Economic Affairs and Information Technology Tiit Riisalo. "I urge start-ups to get involved in DIANA, since it opens a door to new opportunities. The solutions that emerge from entrepreneurs' new ideas will boost economic growth, and the potential of those solutions in both the civil and defence fields will contribute to security and innovation in society as a whole."

The companies admitted to the programme will receive 100,000 in funding, with the best potentially being granted up to 300,000 more. They will also gain access to more than 180 test centres, a programme linking the defence and business sectors and a network of leading mentors across the alliance. DIANA provides support and contacts to help companies in the civil sector enter the defence market, which is usually closed off and with high barriers to entry.

This year, the programme is seeking innovative deep technologies from member states that offer solutions in five areas: energy and power; data and information security; sensing and surveillance; human health and performance; and critical infrastructure and logistics. The overarching themes of the challenges will focus on space, resilience and sustainability technologies.

"DIANA presents companies with an unprecedented opportunity to quickly recognise the needs of the defence sector, and gives them access to more than 150 of the world's leading test centres, as well as to defence forces and major defence industry companies," said Kadri Tammai, the head of the DIANA Estonia Accelerator at Tehnopol and future Regional Director of DIANA. "The companies that took part in the first accelerator programme have already made a big leap in technology development, gained influential new customers and raised investments."

More than 1300 companies applied to join the programme last year. One of the successful applicants was the Tartu-based Estonian start-up GaltTec. The company manufactures fuel cells and fuel cell materials which are based on patented technologies and which are exceptionally small and powerful compared to other technologies on the market. GaltTec CEO Glen Kelp says DIANA has been a real springboard for the company's business. "The programme packs so much in and has been pure gold for a start-up like ours," he remarked. "It is a fast track to understanding the specifics of the defence industry. The contacts we have made by taking part have already had a positive impact on our business."

To apply for a place on the programme, companies must submit a five-page application form outlining their technological solution and its relevance to the challenge in question. Applications are open until early August, with the six-month programme starting in January 2025. All dual-use deep technology companies registered in NATO member countries are welcome to apply. For more information and to apply, go to https://www.diana.nato.int/.

The NATO DIANA Estonia Accelerator is run by Tehnopol Startup Incubator in cooperation with Sparkup Tartu Science Park and Startup Wise Guys. The implementation of the accelerator in Estonia is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and the City of Tallinn. Contributing in Estonia to the alliance's network of testing centres are TalTech, the University of Tartu, CR14, the Estonian Military Academy, the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, the Estonian Aviation Academy and Metrosert.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, on Israeli settlements

Government of Norway

News story | Date: 04/07/2024

The recent decisions by the Government of Israel to "legalize" five settlement outposts, to declare 12 700 dunams as "state lands", and to advance the approval of 6016 housing units in dozens of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, are totally unacceptable. Norway condemns these decisions, and we call on the Government of Israel to immediately reverse them.

Israel's long-held policy of dispossession, land confiscation and establishing illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, undermines our collective efforts to realise a two-state solution and a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, and they pose a significant threat to peace and security in the region.

Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live their lives in peace and security, with freedom, dignity and equal rights. The two-state solution is the only viable solution to achieve this goal.

Norway remains committed to the realisation of a viable two-state solution, where two democratic states - Israel and Palestine - live side by side in peace, within secure and internationally recognised borders.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






PM Netanyahu Visits the Air Force Operations Center

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Events and Speeches

The 37th Government

04.07.2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Visits the Air Force Operations Center at the Kirya in Tel Aviv

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today, at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, visited the Air Force operations center where he was briefed on operational activity in the various sectors of the war, including air defense assessments for future operations.

The Prime Minister thanked the Commander of the Air Force and his commanders and commended the activity of the Air Force in the war. He added the Air Force constitutes a main defensive and offensive component and is an essential arm for the security of the country.

Prime Minister Netanyahu:

"I am here in the Air Force operations center. I received a comprehensive briefing from the Commander of the Air Force on its defensive and offensive activity on behalf of the State of Israel. Its contribution is immense and ongoing.

In the difficult campaign regarding Lebanon, we have set a principle: Whoever harms us will pay the price. We are carrying this out. We know the road is yet long, but we are determined to restore the security to the north and to return the residents securely to their homes."

Also participating in the visit were the Prime Minister's Chief-of-Staff, the Director of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister's Military Secretary, the Commander of the Air Force, the Air Force Chief-of-Staff and additional senior Air Force commanders and officers.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






The Government approves denunciation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2024-07-04

Security and defense policy

July 3, the Government approved the proposition of the Ministry of National Defence to withdraw from the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). The draft resolution needs to be also approved by the Parliament and the President. If the Convention in denounced and Lithuania effectively withdraws, it is no longer prohibited to procure, stockpile and, if necessary, use cluster munitions.

The Republic of Lithuania joined the Oslo Process Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in 2010, the assessment of feasible threats has changed radically since then, the security environment has deteriorated, military risks to Lithuania has grown, the Russian Federation has become a direct threat to the Republic of Lithuania, all of which requires to revisit provisions of the Convention from the perspective of national security.

Cluster munitions are highly effective in large territory defence and an efficiency multiplier against large spectrum targets. Replacing standard ammunition with cluster ammunition reduces logistical burden and cost nearly by half as it takes a significantly smaller amount of ammunition to achieve the same impact.

The international legal commitments adhered to under the Oslo Convention also binds Allied forces on the territory of Lithuania affecting their defensive capability and combat power by prohibiting the use of cluster ammunition for training or combat purposes. It impairs the effectiveness of deterrence, a potential adversary is given advantage whey it knows that Lithuania and Allied troops in its territory cannot use and do not possess effective means of defence. If Lithuania withdrew from the Convention when already involved in an armed conflict, it would have no legal right nor time to get the supplies, integrate and eventually use cluster munitions.

The Oslo Convention is additional humanitarian commitment state typically assume when facing no military threat from their neighbors. Lithuania's neighbor countries and most of the Allies bordering Russia and Belarus are nor signatories of the Oslo Convention. Lithuania and Norway are the only NATO members that are partiers to the Convention and have a border with Russia.

The negative effects of cluster munition use can be mitigated with rules and procedures of proper use, particularly emphasizing respect of international legal norms and principles. If Lithuania withdraws from the Solo Convention, it will still be bound the UN Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols thus ensuring protection of civilians according to the norms of international humanitarian law.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Ministry of National Defence purchases different types of unmanned aerial vehicles

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2024-07-04

Acquisitions and infrastructure development

The Defence Materiel Agency under the Ministry of National Defence has signed contracts to procure different drone systems - small class surveillance uncrewed aircraft systems from a Latvian company Edge Autonomy, mini class surveillance drones from an Estonian Threod Systems, and micro class drones (quadcopters) from Deftools UAB.

The procurements total to nearly EUR 36 million. Most of the drones will be delivered this autumn and the remainder - in early 2025.

The acquisitions are implemented as a matter of urgency to strengthen the UAV capability and integrate it in the Lithuanian Armed Forces as soon as possible. All types and military dimension of combat systems and enablers are developed in the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Acquisition and integration of UAVs is among key priorities in the effort to have modern armed forces, therefore its development of gathering pace after 15 years of attention to the area. The Armed Forces is enabled with existing and further developed drone capabilities which will be integrated through a training system already put in place.

Approx. EUR 200 million is planned to be dedicated for drone of all types procurements until 2030, the average of EUR 30 million a year.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






AFP demands P60-M from China over damage, losses in Ayungin clash

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 4, 2024, 4:03 pm

MANILA -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday said it has demanded PHP60 million from China as payment for the equipment damage and losses incurred from the China Coast Guard's (CCG) harassment of Manila's rotation and resupply mission for Filipino troops in the Ayungin Shoal on June 17.

In an interview, AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said he made the demand in a letter forwarded to Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

Teodoro will transmit the letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs, which will then reach out to China.

"Dun sa aking sulat I demand the return of seven firearms, yung pong mga baril na yun ay kinuha ng mga China Coast Guard na naka-box, naka-box kasi yung mga armas na yun kaya't dinampot na lang nila yung mga pitong riple at sinira nila yung ating mga kagamitan and when we estimated the cost of the damage its PHP60 million (In my letter, I demand the return of our seven firearms, those guns were in box taken by the CCG, these seven rifles were in box that they just took, and they damaged our equipment, and we estimate the cost of all the damage at PHP60 million)," he said.

Aside from the seven rifles, Brawner said two of the Philippines' rigid-hull inflatable boats involved in the mission were also damaged by the CCG personnel.

He said they are looking to charge China with the cost of the "restructuring of the hand" of Seaman First Class Jeffrey Facundo who lost his right thumb during the melee with CCG members.

He said the medical procedure is needed to restore the function of his right hand that was injured in the incident. (PNA)

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






AFP to 'harden' facilities vs. missile threats, other attacks

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

July 4, 2024, 2:47 pm

MANILA -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday said it is looking into "hardening" its facilities to make these more resistant to hypersonic missile strikes and other forms of attack.

"A missile attack is a possibility, yun nga po, naireport na may 25 targets dito (it was earlier reported that there are 25 targets here). That is why we are also preparing for those, ang isa pong pwede nating gawin (one of those steps) is to harden our facilities. We protect our facilities from possible missile attacks," AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City shortly after the military's first semester command conference with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Brawner was referring to earlier reports, quoting Senator Imee Marcos as saying that 25 areas in the country are potential targets of China's hypersonic missiles, in response to the Philippines' approval of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States and ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

Marcos, in a video, said these targets include "Batanes, Subic and Ilocos".

Hypersonic missiles are weapons capable of flying toward their target with speeds of five to 25 times the speed of sound. These weapons are hard to track and intercept with ordinary air defense systems.

Brawner said there are a lot of different technologies now available to protect the country against such strikes.

He said missile and drone attacks are among modern warfare challenges that must be faced, as seen in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Israel. (PNA)

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Islamic Resistance in Iraq says will fight Israel in case of Lebanon invasion

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 04 July 2024 6:27 AM

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, has expressed its readiness to fight against Israel and the United States if the occupying regime wages a new war on Lebanon.

A field commander of the group told AFP on Wednesday that there would be "escalation for escalation" in the event of a full-blown military aggression against Lebanon.

The commander, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, also said that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq had already sent "experts and advisors" to Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Iraqi political scientist Ali al-Baidar warned that a major war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement "will not be limited to Lebanese territory".

"In Iraq and in the region armed groups will enter into the confrontation," he added.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging deadly fire since early October, shortly after the usurping entity launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a surprise operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance group.

Hezbollah has vowed to keep up its retaliatory attacks as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its Gaza onslaught, which has so far killed at least 37,953 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 87,266 others.

Fears of a wider regional conflict have been growing in recent weeks as Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces have intensified their attacks.

In solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has been staging numerous strikes against targets lying across the occupied Palestinian territories.

On Tuesday, the Iraqi resistance fighters and the Yemeni armed forces launched cruise missiles at "a vital target" in the city of Haifa in the occupied lands.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Israel approves largest land grab in 30 years in West Bank

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 04 July 2024 6:51 PM

Israel has approved construction of three wildcat settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, despite international outcry against the regime's land grab policies.

The Israeli agency which organizes West Bank settlement expansion recognized outposts in Mahane Gadi, Givat Han and Kedem Arava on the edge of the existing settlements, anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now said on Thursday

The regime also approved 5,295 extra settler units in dozens of existing settlements.

The decision marks Israel's approval of the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in more than three decades.

The latest approvals "underscore the annexation occurring in the West Bank" and will lead to "irreversible harm," Peace Now said.

In addition, dozens of unauthorized settlements have sprung up in the territories, ranging from a few tents grouped together to prefabricated huts that have been linked to electricity and water supplies.

Israel recently approved the appropriation of 12.7 square kilometers of land in the Jordan Valley, where thousands of settler units are to be constructed.

The land seizure, which was approved late last month, is the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords.

The accords, signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), were supposed to bring about Palestinian self-determination in the form of a Palestinian state.

Settlement monitors say the recent land acquisition links Israeli settlements along a crucial corridor adjacent to Jordan, a development they say threatens the formation of a future Palestinian state.

Israel occupied the West Bank, capturing it from Jordan, in the six-day war of 1967. Since then, successive regimes have made efforts to permanently cement Israeli control over the land, in part by declaring large swathes as "state lands", which prevents private Palestinian ownership.

On Thursday, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry called on Israel to reverse the largest illegal confiscation of Palestinian land since 1993.

"Israel's long-held policy of dispossession, land confiscation and establishing illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, undermines our collective efforts to realize a two-state solution and a peaceful resolution to the conflict," Norway's Foreign Ministry said.

"Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, and they pose a significant threat to peace and security in the region."

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also recently condemned Israel's plan to build new settlement outposts in the West Bank.

In a statement on June 29, the powerful grouping of 57 Islamic nations vehemently denounced the regime's decision to legitimize five new outposts, and subsequent construction of thousands of new units in the area.

The intergovernmental Islamic organization also criticized the imposition of taxes on churches as well as their affiliated institutions and property in the occupied Old City of al-Quds. It slammed the regime's deduction of the Palestinian tax revenues.

Such measures are in line with the entity's policy of ethnic cleansing, forced displacement and genocide against Palestinian people, the OIC said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Houthi: US aircraft carriers not worth the money after Yemeni ops

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 04 July 2024 4:18 PM

The leader of the resistance movement Ansarullah of Yemen has praised the country's naval units for maritime operations against Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea.

"Battle in the Red Sea has attested the fact that US aircraft carriers are an obsolete weapons system, and are not worth spending money on," Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech broadcast live from the Yemeni capital Sana'a on Thursday afternoon.

He said the US Navy vessels dread Yemeni Armed Forces' homegrown ballistic missiles, kamikaze drones as well as unmanned surface vehicles, and that American military officials themselves acknowledge that Yemeni operations are efficient.

"US attempts to Yemeni maritime operations are ineffective, and have so far failed to produce any promising results. Americans have come to realize the extent of the Yemeni Armed Forces' military might," Houthi said.

"Achievements made by Yemeni Armed Forces are coming to light day by day," the Ansarullah chief said.

"Yemeni forces are employing more anti-ship ballistic missiles with pinpoint accuracy."

Houthi said Yemeni naval forces have conducted multiple pro-Palestine operations in waters off the coast of the country this week, and that the US and its Western allies have escalated their missiles strikes against Yemen.

The Ansarullah chief underscored that Americans are trying to involve others in their aggression against Yemen, and are trying to persuade other countries to open up their airspace for attacks against the Arab nation.

Last month, US officials ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the aircraft carrier leading America's response to Yemen's operations, to return home after a twice-extended tour.

The Eisenhower had repeatedly been targeted by the Yemeni forces during its time in the Red Sea. On the day of its return, a Yemeni military spokesman claimed another attack on the carrier.

Despite months of US-led airstrikes, Yemeni forces have continued their operations, drawing from an arsenal of increasingly advanced weapons to attack Israeli, US and UK vessels in and around the Red Sea.

Arab states must blacklist Israel as terrorist entity

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Ansarullah leader called on Arab states to designate the occupying Tel Aviv regime as a terrorist entity.

"While Arab governments classify [the Lebanese resistance movement] Hezbollah as a terrorist entity and the Arab League had maintained the designation until very recently, they are reluctant to blacklist the Zionist enemy despite its terrible crimes," Houthi stated.

"Conspiracies against Hezbollah are doomed to failure as the resistance movement continues its operations against Israel wholeheartedly."

Houthi lauded the operations by Gaza-based Palestinian resistance fighters as highly effective, stating that the attacks have exhausted the Zionist enemy.

"Israeli military forces are caught in a never-ending cycle of failures in the Gaza Strip," the Ansarullah leader said.

He said apathy towards the plight of Gaza is something Israel is heavily counting on as it seeks normalization of ties with Arab countries.

"What is taking place in Palestinian territories is a full-scale massacre, and there is no justification for overlooking the process. Despite these horrendous crimes, Arab regimes have closed their eyes to the state of affairs in Gaza. They designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization instead," Houthi said.

The Ansarullah leader also stated that Arab countries have no willpower in order to take practical measures and stop Israeli atrocities against Palestinians, emphasizing that most of the victims of the ongoing genocide in Gaza are women and children.

He warned Arab countries about playing into the hands of Washington and the Tel Aviv regime, emphasizing that assistance to the US and Israel will constitute an act of betrayal to Palestinians and the Palestinian cause.

"Some Arab regimes are supporting Israel by intercepting the missiles launched from Yemen. Muslims need to exercise due vigilance in the face of the US, Israeli and European propaganda machine.

"Muslims must strive to take practical measures concerning Israeli crimes against Palestinians," Houthi said.

Israel is using starvation as a weapon of genocide against Palestinians, and thousands of children in Gaza are threatened by death due to malnutrition and lack of nutritional supplements, he said.

Houthi also condemned the occupying regime's deliberate starvation campaign against Palestinian prisoners.

Biden, Trump vying with each over loyalty to Israel

The Ansarullah leader said the US administration fully supports the crimes of Israel, and that President Joe Biden brags about Washington's unqualified support for the Tel Aviv regime.

"Americans are viewed as accomplices and advocates of Israel in all these crimes. The US has stooped to a new low level of dishonor, where it is trying to cover up Israel's brutal aggression in Gaza," he said.

Houthi also pointed to the chaotic US presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, stating that the two contenders vied with one another during the show to prove their stronger loyalty to Israel.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Hezbollah strikes Israeli military sites with barrage of missiles after top commander's assassination

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 04 July 2024 11:24 AM

Lebanon's Hezbollah has struck a number of Israeli military sites with more than 200 missiles and drones in retaliation for the regime's assassination of a top commander of the popular resistance movement in the country's south.

Hezbollah said in a statement on Thursday that the attack was carried out in response to the martyrdom of Mohamed Naim Nasser, who was assassinated a day earlier in an Israeli airstrike on al-Housh area in Tyre in southern Lebanon, and the occupying regime's months-long onslaught against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The targets included the new headquarters of the 91st Division in the Ayelet barrack, the headquarters of the 7th Armored Brigade in the Katsaviya barrack, in addition to the headquarters of the Armored Battalion of the 7th Brigade in the Gamla barrack.

Hezbollah also struck the headquarters of the 210th Division (Golan Division) at the Nafah base, and the headquarters of the artillery regiment of the 210th Division in the Yarden barracks.

The Lebanese resistance movement said it had targeted the al-Marj site with a heavy Burkan missile, hitting it directly.

Israeli media said missile sirens went off in several illegal settlements in the northeast of the occupied territories, adding, "Fires broke out in a number of areas in northern Israel" following the attacks.

Providing no further details, the reports said an Israeli soldier was killed and several others were injured as a result of missile and drone attacks launched by Hezbollah.

Two security sources told Reuters news agency that the assassinated Lebanese commander was responsible for a section of Hezbollah's operations at the border, where the group and Israeli forces have been fighting since October last year.

Since early October, 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 killed 37,925 people and injured 87,141 so far.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said they do not want a war with Israel, but if it happens they are ready.

Last week, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah 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.

Nasrallah also said Hezbollah would attack any other country in the region that assisted Israel in the war effort, citing Cyprus, which has hosted Israeli forces for training.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Guam's bid for Pacific Islands Forum status gains traction amid decolonization push

Washington gave territories permission to apply for PIF membership, but they can't take foreign policy positions.

By Mar-Vic Cagurangan for BenarNews 2024.07.04 -- When residents of Guam celebrate Independence Day at one of the island's two major U.S. military bases on Thursday, the festivities will be tinged with irony.

The small U.S. territory is one of 17 remaining colonies around the globe. While Guamanians have American citizenship, they cannot elect the U.S. president and have only a single, non-voting representative in the U.S. Congress.

As a territory, Guam has no say in foreign policy either, restraining its ability to engage with Pacific island neighbors on regional concerns ranging from climate change to growing militarization.

But that could soon change. Last month, the U.S. State Department officially endorsed Guam's application to upgrade its standing at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the region's peak diplomatic body.

Guam along with two other U.S. Pacific territories, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), currently hold observer status with PIF, but American Samoa and Guam have applied to join as non-voting associate members.

Washington had vetoed the territories' ability to apply for member status since 2011. Permission now comes with the caveat that they can't take foreign policy positions.

On Monday, PIF's new secretary general, Baron Waqa, said the applications would be discussed in August at the forum's 53rd leaders meeting in Tonga.

"I'm not in a position to anticipate [the result]," Waqa said at a press conference at the PIF secretariat in the Fijian capital of Suva.

"The prerogative is on the leaders to decide. This will be debated well enough to get a truthful outcome at the Tonga meeting."

The forum, founded in 1971, comprises 18 members from across Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Two French territories, New Caledonia and French Polynesia, are PIF members while also being on the United Nations decolonization list.

In June, at the Micronesian Islands Forum hosted by Guam, the leaders of Palau, Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia said they would support the U.S. territories' bids to join PIF.

Pacific power

Guam, which lies about 1,600 miles (2,600 km) east of the Philippine capital Manila, has a population of slightly more than 150,000, according to the 2020 U.S. census.

The island hosts two U.S. military bases - Andersen Air Force Base in the north and Naval Base Guam in the south - and has an economy reliant on military investments and tourism.

The U.S. military holds about 25% of Guam's land and stations thousands of troops on the island. Another 5,000 American marines will begin relocating from Japan's Okinawa islands to Guam in December, as part of a 2006 agreement between Washington and Tokyo.

As geopolitical competition between the U.S. and China heats up in the Pacific, Guam's significance in supporting American naval and air operations is growing. The U.S. military sees the island as an essential logistics center in the event of potential conflict over Taiwan or in the South China Sea.

The U.S. Department of Defense plans to spend U.S. $11 billion to upgrade military infrastructure on the island to accommodate the increasing number of servicemen, with Japan covering U.S. $ 6 billion of the projected costs.

In addition, the U.S. has earmarked at least U.S. $1.5 billion to build an integrated missile defense system on the island.

While the U.S. military presence forms the backbone of the economy, it is a point of contention for many Chamorro, the indigenous people of Guam.

"As long as our island remains a non-self-governing territory, our relationship with our administering power on matters of expanded militarization will always be based on consultation and not consent," Melvin Borja, executive director of the Guam Decolonization Commission, told the U.N. Special Committee on Decolonization on June 10.

"This is not an equitable arrangement," he added.

The arrangement put Guam at risk of attack from enemies of the U.S, as well as environmental and socio-cultural impacts caused by an increased military presence on the island, Borja said.

Guam is within range of Chinese and North Korean ballistic missiles.

Stalled self-determination efforts

Guam's push for self-determination has been decades in the making.

A non-binding plebiscite that asked Guamanians to choose between independence, statehood or free association with the U.S. was originally scheduled for 1991. But it has been on the backburner ever since due to conflict over voter eligibility.

In 2019, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a controversial local law that sought to limit the vote to "native inhabitants of Guam." The court ruled that the "racially discriminatory" law was unconstitutional.

Despite the ruling, Guam's Governor Lou Leon Guerrero is reluctant to open up the plebiscite to non-native voters and the ballot is yet to be scheduled.

With the status quo, the territory doesn't have the power to challenge its position in U.S. homeland defense. In the meantime, local leaders are compromising by seeking to leverage the federal spending that keeps the local economy afloat.

"Our focus remains on finding a balance between adapting to the changing circumstances and safeguarding our people and assets, all while upholding the nation's defense capabilities," Leon Guerrero said during a meeting with military officials last month.

Carlotta Leon Guerrero, the governor's chief advisor for military and regional affairs, said Guam shares the same goals as PIF.

"Guam, like every member of PIF, has fully endorsed the 17 U.N. Sustainability Goals and we are coordinating our compliance via the Guam Green Growth initiative," she said in a statement to RFA affiliate BenarNews.

Carlotta Leon Guerrero said Guam's contribution to combatting the consequences of climate change on local, regional and global levels "can also serve as a useful template for other Pacific governments to replicate."

"It shows our fellow Pacific leaders that the U.S. listens to Guam and works with us to advance our shared goal of taking a greater role in improving the lives and well-being of Pacific peoples," she said.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

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






Philippine military chief demands China pay US$1 million in damages for clash

China Coast Guard damaged Philippine boats and seized firearms in a June 17 encounter near Second Thomas Shoal.

By Jason Gutierrez for BenarNews 2024.07.04 -- The Philippines' military chief on Thursday demanded that China pay 60 million pesos (US$1 million) in damages incurred during a violent confrontation between its coast guard and Filipino troops in the South China Sea last month.

China Coast Guard personnel, armed with pikes and machetes, punctured Philippine boats and seized firearms in the June 17 incident near Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin and called Ren'ai Jiao by Beijing.

One Filipino sailor lost a finger in the clash, the third such encounter this year in which Philippine personnel have been hurt on missions to rotate and resupply troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal.

"I demanded the return of seven firearms that were taken by the Chinese coast guard," said Gen. Romeo Brawner at a press conference. "They destroyed our equipment and when we estimated the cost of the damage it's 60 million pesos."

The compensation does not include the cost of surgery for the Filipino soldier who lost a finger, said Brawner, who outlined his demand for compensation in a letter to Beijing.

Brawner made the comments after a command conference between military officials and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in which security challenges and threats facing the Southeast Asian nation were discussed.

Marcos called for de-escalation of tension with China in the South China Sea, the Philippine military chief said. However, rotation and resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre would continue, Brawner added.

On Tuesday, Manila and Beijing agreed to reduce hostilities "without prejudice to their respective positions" at a regular bilateral meeting.

China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes each year, putting it at odds with the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

In 2016, an international tribunal refuted the legal basis for nearly all of China's expansive maritime and territorial claims in the waterway. It said that Beijing's insistence on holding "historic rights" to the waters were inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS.

Beijing has never recognized the 2016 arbitration or its outcome.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

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






SCO Quickly Absorbs Belarus On Final Day Of Regional Grouping's Astana Summit

By RFE/RL's Kazakh Service and RFE/RL's Belarus Service July 04, 2024

The leaders of China, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, four of the five post-Soviet republics of Central Asia, and other states are continuing a two-day summit in Kazakhstan of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional grouping promoted by Beijing and Moscow as an alternative to Western influence.

They started the second and final day by accepting Belarus as a member, an expected move that advances authoritarian leader Aleksandr Lukashenka along his anti-Western path since disputed elections four years ago sparked unprecedented street protests and a brutal crackdown.

Lukashenka has pursued SCO membership for a decade and a half.

In the past three years, his decisions to "weaponize" third-party migrants at Belarus's border with its EU neighbors and to allow Russian troops to stage their full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Belarusian territory have further alienated Lukashenka from the West and increased his reliance on Moscow.

Lukashenka called Belarusian entry into the SCO "historic." In his familiar tone, Lukashenka declared the need to "destroy the unipolar world" and take on responsibility for "global security" because "the narcissistic, selfish West proved incapable of it."

"There are no leaders there [in the West] capable of making responsible decisions independently," he said.

Analysts have pointed out that Lukashenka could be hoping the SCO tie boosts and expands desperately needed trade and economic cooperation with China while slightly reducing his regime's dependence on Moscow.

The SCO is a political, economic, and security and defense organization founded by China and Russia in 2001.

With the addition of Belarus, its membership has now expanded from six to 10 countries, including India and Pakistan, who joined in 2017, and Iran, which became a member in 2023.

Four of the five post-Soviet Central Asian states are members, with only Turkmenistan staying away.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met on the first day of the summit in Astana, which has been shrouded in tightened security measures well beyond the Independence Palace venue where the leaders are gathering.

Putin was quoted by Russian media as crediting the SCO with "strengthening its role as one of the key pillars of a fair multipolar world order."

Xi, who has lent diplomatic support to Russia over Western objections throughout Putin's two-year-old invasion of Ukraine, called Putin an "old friend" in Astana. He cited the "aspiration of friendship for generations" in response to an "ever-changing international situation."

The Kremlin said Putin and Xi talked about the Ukraine war during talks on the sidelines of the summit and, in the words of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as quoted by Reuters, "noted" the "futility of any formats" for peace talks without Russian participation.

On day two, Xi urged SCO members to "resist external interference" and "safeguard the right to development."

In addition to the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek presidents, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are in attendance at the SCO event. Baku and Ankara are dialogue partners of the SCO.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also there as part of his first tour of Central Asia since 2017, which will take him to Tajikistan next. He attended the SCO's remotely held summit last year.

The SCO's 23-year history has largely been shaped by China and Russia's evolving relationship.

Putin and Xi's recent efforts since the Ukraine war began have pressed the SCO as part of their broader cooperation and a centerpiece of their shared anti-U.S. perspective.

But beyond the Belarus move, it is unclear what if any gains are likely to be made by the organization at this, its 24th, annual summit.

Critics say that, in expanding its membership and geographical reach, it has diluted whatever mission it might hope to achieve.

"It's still trying to figure out what it is now and what it can be," Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, told RFE/RL recently.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/sco-summit-kazakhstan- belarus-russia-china-guterres/33021480.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 To Meet With Putin In Moscow Following Trip To Kyiv, Angering EU Officials

By RFE/RL's Hungarian Service July 04, 2024

BUDAPEST -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will travel to Moscow on July 5 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, days after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv, a Hungarian government source told RFE/RL.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will also accompany Orban to the Kremlin, the government source said on July 4. Szijjarto has visited Russia more than five times since Moscow invaded Ukraine more than two years ago.

News of the Moscow visit comes days after Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the European Union -- an action that raised concerns among many in the EU because of Orban's regular pro-Russia statements - and elicited quick condemnation from leaders of the bloc.

Charles Michel, president of the European Council, posted on X that "the EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU."

"The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine," Michel added.

An EU official who asked not to be identified told RFE/RL that Orban has not informed the bloc of any planned trip to Moscow.

If Orban would have asked, Michel would have strongly advised against such a visit, the official said.

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 massive Western weapons and aid packages for Ukraine.

Central European investigative editor Szabolcs Panyi first reported on the trip in a post on X. RFE/RL later received confirmation of the visit via a Hungarian government source.

The Hungarian prime minister's press office has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Last month, Putin said Russia would end its war -- which is believed to have 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.

While in Kyiv, Orban -- who maintains close relations with Putin -- said he presented Zelenskiy with a cease-fire proposal aimed at pausing fighting with Russia more than two years into Moscow's full-scale invasion.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Zelenskiy, Orban gave no details about the contents of the proposal but said he asked the Ukrainian president "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."

The talks were notable because of Orban's vocal, persistent criticism of Western military aid for Kyiv.

Zelenskiy did not express his opinion on the proposal during the briefing with reporters, but a spokesman for the president 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 was not the first country to come forward 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.

Orban last visited Moscow in September 2022, when he paid his respects at the funeral of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

RFE/RL's Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak contributed to this report.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia- orban-visit-kyiv-ukraine-peace-putin-zelenskiy/33022024.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's answer to a media question about the possibility of a Chisinau-Tiraspol joint declaration on the Transnistria settlement process

4 July 2024 14:32

1290-04-07-2024

Question: Could you comment on reports about the diametrically opposite views of Chisinau and Tiraspol on the declaration of commitment to peaceful negotiations in the settlement process, which was proposed by Transnistria?

Maria Zakharova: It is regrettable that Chisinau and Tiraspol's views on signing a joint declaration of their commitment to a peaceful settlement, which Transnistria proposed, have diverged.

Problems with coordinating this declaration have again highlighted the paramount importance of the issues of peace and security for the progress of a settlement process, as well as the urgent need to stimulate a constructive dialogue on all the current aspects of the situation.

The Russian Federation as an intermediary and a guarantor is ready to facilitate this process both in the 5+2 format and during bilateral negotiations.

We believe that favourable conditions for normalising dialogue between the sides should be created by returning to the tactic of small steps, which implies the two sides' cooperative implementation of concrete projects in the interests of the people and Chisinau's pledge to stop the practice of economic and other forms of pressure on Transnistria.



NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






The largest regional cyber exercise in Slovenia brings new knowledge and strengthened cooperation

Republic of Slovenia

4. 7. 2024

Today, at the Baron Andrej Cehovin Barracks in Postojna, the nine-day Adriatic Regional Security Cyber Cooperation Exercise 24 - ARSC2EX 24 successfully concluded.

This exercise, which is considered the largest of its kind in Slovenia to date, brought together approximately one hundred members of the armed forces and cybersecurity experts from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, and the United States.

ARSC2EX 24, conducted under the auspices of the United States European Command - USEUCOM and in cooperation with the Slovenian Armed Forces and the Cybersecurity Centre of the Ministry of Defence, aimed to enhance participants' capabilities in actively monitoring and responding to cyber threats. Additionally, the exercise sought to improve collaboration and information sharing among allied nations in protecting cyberspace.

During the first week of the exercise, participants focused on acquiring new knowledge for the use of advanced security tools and techniques for detecting and preventing cyberattacks. The second week was dedicated to simulating actual cyber incidents, where participants defended their networks, detected breaches, and responded effectively. The exercise featured a series of realistic scenarios that allowed participants to test their skills in resolving complex security challenges.

On the final day of the exercise, more than 100 participants from Slovenia and abroad successfully completed the training, gaining new knowledge and valuable experience that will be crucial for future tasks in the field of cybersecurity. The closing ceremony was attended by high-ranking representatives from the participating countries, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, the Slovenian Armed Forces, the Governmental Information Security Office (URSIV), and others. The distinguished guests were briefed on the course and objectives of the exercise and the results achieved by the teams during the exercise. They also had the opportunity to observe the teams in action and meet with their cybersecurity experts who participated in the exercise.

A significant milestone in the organization and execution of ARSC2EX 24 was the use of the state-of-the-art cyber training facility of the Ministry of Defence, which the ministry received with funding from the U.S. government in November 2023. This facility enables the execution of complex national and international cybersecurity exercises, demonstrating Slovenia's capability to host and conduct such extensive and complex exercises.

ARSC2EX 24 represents a significant step forward for Slovenia, confirming its ability to conduct large-scale international cyber exercises at its own cyber training facility and establishing itself as a credible partner in the region and beyond. The successful execution of the exercise demonstrated that Slovenia not only possesses the necessary capabilities but also the knowledge and expertise to effectively protect cyberspace, which is highly vulnerable and exposed to numerous threats in the modern world.

Recent years have shown that cooperation in the field of cybersecurity is crucial for successfully combating increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. ARSC2EX 24 once again underscored the importance of international cooperation and information sharing, which are key to ensuring the security of national communication and information systems. During the exercise, participants not only learned new techniques and approaches but also strengthened mutual trust and built solid relationships that will contribute to more effective joint responses to cyber threats in the future.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Death Toll From Israeli Strikes on Gaza Strip Tops 38,000 - Health Ministry

Sputnik News

20240704

CAIRO (Sputnik) - The death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has risen to 38,011, with 87,445 people injured, the enclave's health ministry said on Thursday.

"The number of victims of the Israeli aggression since last October 7 has reached 38,011, with 87,445 injured," the ministry said in a statement.

In the past 24 hours, 58 dead and 179 injured were admitted to Gaza hospitals, the statement added.

On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza, killing more than 1,100 Israelis - both military and civilians - and abducted some 240 others. Israel implemented a complete blockade of Gaza and started a bombing campaign and a ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas and rescuing the hostages.

 Death Toll From Israeli Strikes on Gaza Strip Tops 38,000 - Health MinistrySputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Gaza war grinds on as forcibly displaced run out of space to shelter

By Daniel Johnson

04 July 2024 - Bombing continued overnight into Thursday in Gaza where some of the tens of thousands of people uprooted in response to Israeli evacuation orders have had to turn back after finding nowhere to shelter, UN humanitarians reported.

"Thousands are sheltering in UNRWA schoolsand government buildings," the UN agency for Palestine refugees told UN News, adding that others "are already beginning to turn back, telling us of lack of spaces in other areas".

UNRWA also reiterated warnings that living conditions are "beyond unbearable", because of the mountains of waste and rubbish piled high alongside roads and near makeshift shelters.

An estimated 85,000 people have left Shujaiyah district in eastern Gaza City in the north of the enclave in the last week, UNRWA noted, while latest data indicates that by Tuesday, at least 66,700 more Gazans had been displaced from eastern Khan Younis and Rafah, both in the south, following new evacuation orders issued on Monday evening.

Pitiful shelters and trash

Beyond the UN's premises-turned-shelters, many more thousands of families now live "in the skeletons of bombed-out buildings or among piles of trash", UNRWA said, before echoing warnings from the UN health agency, WHO, of a rise in communicable diseases including diarrhoea and hepatitis, particularly among malnourished children with weakened immune systems.

"Military action in the Khan Younis area could further hamper people's access to safe water at a time when the lack of sanitation is significantly contributing to the spread of disease," UNRWA insisted.

Child tragedy

In addition to the deadly risks posed by ongoing Israeli bombardment at night, ordinary Gazans face the threat of unexploded weapons. According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, a nine-year-old girl was killed and three others injured when an unspecified device detonated in Khan Younis on Saturday 29 June.

"Unexploded ordnance poses an enormous threat to people, as families are forced to move to areas that have been bombarded or were the scene of previous heavy fighting," OCHA said.

UN mine action experts have previously noted that some 10 per cent of ammunition fired in the conflict can be expected not to function.

This represents a lethal danger to civilians and particularly the many children who spend "six to eight hours a day collecting water and food, often carrying heavy weights and walking long distances", UNRWA said.

Aid lifeline at risk

To help the most vulnerable people in Gaza, the UN agency has continued to distribute water, food, and other essential non-food items with the help of other partners.

But the scale of needs remains massive after new evacuation orders were issued on Monday night for eastern Khan Younis and Rafah, covering about one third of the total are of Gaza and representing the largest such order since October.

"UNRWA continues to provide deliver critical water, food parcels, flour, diapers, mattresses, tarpaulins and healthcare, but it is becoming almost impossible for the UN to provide any kind of response due to the Israeli imposed siege, lack of fuel, lack of aid supplies, lack of safety, breakdowns in law and order and increased criminality and now further displacement orders," the UN agency said. These orders to evacuate "once again impact our safety to move and access to the border crossing to receive aid".

Latest data from the Gazan health authorities indicates that almost 38,000 people have been killed in the enclave and more than 87,000 wounded since war erupted on 7 October, following Hamas-led terror attacks on multiple Israeli targets in southern Israel that left some 1,250 dead and over 250 taken hostage.

West Bank spiral

In a related development, OCHA reported that in the West Bank there have been 28 incidents of airstrikes there since 7 October - including two last week. "Fourteen children were among the 77 Palestinians killed during these airstrikes," the UN aid office said in an update on Wednesday, which also noted that at least 200 homes had been damaged during a recent operation by Israeli forces in the Nur Shams Refugee Camp in Tulkarm.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN chief to leaders of regional bloc: end wars, deal with existential crises

04 July 2024 - Deep global divisions and conflicts must end to clear a path to tackling world's two existential threats: climate change and the negative impacts of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, UN chief Antonio Guterres told the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Astana on Thursday.

"The central goal of our multilateral system must be peace - a pre-condition for sustainable development and the enjoyment of human rights," he told Heads of States attending the world's largest regional organisation meeting in Kazakhstan's capital.

Antonio Guterres listed multiple conflicts where ceasefire and lasting peace are needed, from the Middle East to Ukraine and from Sudan to the Sahel, in addition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Myanmar and Haiti.

"We need peace in Afghanistan and an inclusive government that respects human rights and is integrated into the international community. All countries should unite to prevent Afghanistan from ever again becoming a hotbed of terrorism," he told the Council of the SCO, the world's largest regional security body that includes Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

With such wide representation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has the power and the responsibility to push for peace, the chief of the universal organisation insisted.

Existential threats

The UN Secretary-General underscored that the meeting in Astana was happening amid raging wars, geopolitical divides, "an epidemic of impunity" and backsliding on sustainable development - a key global goal - causing cynicism and a crisis of trust.

"These global challenges cannot be solved on a country-by-country basis. This is the moment to reaffirm our common commitment to multilateralism, with the United Nations at its centre, bound by the principles set out in the UN Charter, international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," the UN chief said, cautioning that people are losing faith in multilateralism, as they point to broken promises, double standards and growing inequalities.

The UN Secretary-General also highlighted the urgent need for collective action on two looming existential threats: the climate emergency and the unchecked rise of digital technologies, particularly AI.

Climate breaking down

UN climate experts have confirmed that although 2023 was the hottest year on record, it could soon be seen as one of the coolest years in a rapidly warming future. The Secretary-General warned that the devastating impacts of our changing climate are already evident in the melting glaciers, deadly floods, storms, droughts, and extreme heat waves that are battering countries worldwide.

"Our climate is breaking down," he said, emphasizing the dire consequences for water and food security, development and global stability. The call to action should be clear, he insisted, in a call for ambitious measures to slash greenhouse gas emissions and achieve climate justice, with the greatest responsibility falling on the world's biggest emitters.

Outlining solutions to the global climate crisis, Mr. Guterres urged all governments to submit new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by next year, fully aligned with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

These NDCs should include absolute emissions reduction targets for 2030 and 2035 and outline plans for critical global transitions, with key actions such as ending deforestation, tripling renewable energy capacity and reducing fossil fuel production and consumption by at least 30 per cent by 2030. Additionally, countries must commit to phasing out coal power entirely by 2040, the UN chief said.

Financial mobilization for climate action

Highlighting the critical role of finance in support of climate action, the Secretary-General called for a strong financial outcome from COP29, the global climate conference to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November. He stressed the need to increase the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks and attract more private capital for climate initiatives. Developed countries should also double their financing for climate adaptation and fulfil their commitments, including substantial contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund, the UN chief said.

To support these efforts, the Secretary-General advocated for innovative financial mechanisms, including carbon pricing and taxes on the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies. He called for early adopters to implement solidarity levies on sectors such as shipping, aviation and fossil fuel extraction by COP29.

AI: balancing potential and risk

Turning to AI - the second existential threat facing the planet - the Secretary-General highlighted the transformative potential of the technology in accelerating sustainable development. However, he cautioned that AI is advancing faster than regulatory frameworks can keep up, exacerbating power imbalances, concentrating wealth in the hands of a few, undermining human rights and increasing global tensions.

To address these challenges, the UN chief's Advisory Body on AI has outlined five priorities: establishing an international scientific panel on AI, initiating regular policy dialogues developing common ethics and standards for AI, ensuring governance of the data used to train AI algorithms and supporting capacity building in developing countries through a global fund. Mr. Guterres also proposed the creation of a compact, dynamic and flexible UN AI Office to oversee these efforts.

Summit of the Future

The Secretary-General expressed hope that the upcoming Summit of the Future will be a turning point in renewing global unity and addressing the existential threats facing humanity. "I look forward to welcoming you to New York in September," he said, before urging the regional bloc's leaders to seize this pivotal opportunity for collective action.

The UN Secretary-General attended the SCO top-level meeting in the course of his tour of the Central Asia countries that covers Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan to discuss a wide range of issues from peace, non proliferation to sustainable development.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Israel strikes southern Lebanon after Hezbollah rocket attack

By VOA News July 04, 2024

Israeli forces and the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah traded aerial attacks along the border Thursday in the latest of months of exchanges that have raised fears of the Israeli war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip spreading to a wider regional conflict.

Hezbollah said it fired more than 200 rockets at Israeli bases in an attack that also employed the use of "explosive drones." The Iranian-backed group said it was acting in response to Israel's killing of one of its commanders Wednesday.

The Hezbollah attack prompted air raid sirens across northern Israel. The Israeli military said it intercepted many of the projectiles and carried out fresh airstrikes against launch positions in Lebanon.

The violence came as Israeli officials considered a Hamas response to the latest version of a cease-fire proposal that would include the release of hostages held in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Wednesday that Israel was studying "some ideas" that Hamas sent to Qatari mediators.

On Thursday, a government official said Israel dispatched a delegation to negotiate a hostage release deal with Hamas. Netanyahu, meanwhile, is preparing a meeting with his security cabinet to discuss new Hamas positions on a deal.

Israeli media reported that Netanyahu on Thursday spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden, who has tried to orchestrate a truce for months. Netanyahu told Biden of his decision to send a delegation to continue negotiations for the release of the hostages, according to media reports.

"The President welcomed the Prime Minister's decision to authorize his negotiators to engage with U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal," the White House said in a statement.

"President Biden reaffirmed his ironclad commitment to Israel's security including in the face of threats from Iranian-backed terrorist groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah," the statement added

The mediators  Qatar, Egypt and the United States  have worked for months to reach a deal that would free the hostages and cease hostilities. The ideas that Hamas delivered Wednesday involve the three-phase deal Biden put on the table in late May.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concern over Israel's latest evacuation order for large parts of Khan Younis and Rafah governorates, encompassing about a third of the Gaza Strip and affecting up to 250,000 civilians.

"What we saw in the last two days, since Monday afternoon when the evacuation order was issued, we have seen a constant flow of people moving out," said Andrea De Domenico, the head of the U.N. office for humanitarian affairs in the Palestinian territories.

He told reporters in a video briefing Wednesday from Jerusalem that U.N. aid agencies and their partners are having to reset their operations following Israel's evacuation order.

"Delivering for us is a daily struggle  literally," he 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.

De Domenico said the U.N. estimates that 9 out of every 10 Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced at least once, and some up to 10 times, since the war started between Israel and Hamas in October.

He said most people on the move this week have headed toward the coastal area, where Israel has established a so-called safe zone. De Domenico said the area is overcrowded and overwhelmed, with little clean water, few toilets and limited basic services.

"Nowhere and no one is safe in Gaza," De Domenico said. "We keep on saying this. We have seen over and over military operations and bombardment happening also in the heart of the humanitarian safe zone declared by Israel."

Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, staging a terror attack that killed about 1,200 people and seized more than 250 hostages, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 38,000 people and injured more than 87,000 others, according to the 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 Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Indo-Pacific, Ukraine to drive talks at NATO summit

By VOA News July 04, 2024

As NATO prepares to mark its 75th anniversary next week, the alliance is beginning to explore a larger role for itself in the Indo-Pacific.

In an interview with VOA, Stephen Flanagan  an adjunct senior fellow at the research organization RAND  said NATO doesn't play a major role in Indo-Pacific security, but that NATO and its allies are recognizing an increased need to take limited steps for cooperation in the region.

Flanagan, who served as a senior director of the National Security Council during the Obama administration, said some NATO countries that normally don't have military activities in the Indo-Pacific, such as Germany, have begun sending ships to counter Chinese aggression in the area. Limited steps including cooperation on space interests against Russia and China and cooperation against disinformation are feasible actions NATO can assume without taking on too much, Flanagan said.

"Those are areas of cooperation that I think are manageable," Flanagan said. "Those aren't going to stress the alliance in terms of this idea of overextension, that NATO's taking on too many issues."

Flanagan noted that Japan is "very anxious" to increase NATO's activity in the Indo-Pacific due to its territorial dispute with Russia over the Kuril Islands. And as Russia's war in Ukraine continues, China and North Korea have contributed to Russia's war effort, with almost 90% of microchips in Russia coming from China, Flanagan said.

The heads of state for all 32 NATO allies will meet with leaders from four Indo-Pacific countries: Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. NATO hopes to build the resilience of allies to confront activity from China, said Douglas Jones, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs.

A proposal to establish a NATO office in Tokyo is "not under active discussion," according to Jones.

Jones said the summit will introduce "concrete ways" for NATO to help Ukraine against Russian aggression and implement reforms to guide Ukraine toward membership in NATO, although the exact wording is still being negotiated.

The summit is set for July 9-11 in Washington and comes as a bloc that includes several NATO adversaries met this week at their own security summit in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met Wednesday, having previously met in May when Putin visited Beijing.

Established in 2001 by China and Russia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization includes Iran, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The war in Ukraine was not expected to be formally discussed at the SCO summit, but a senior Kazakh official told The Associated Press that there could be "sideline" discussions on the subject.

Kim Lewis and Nike Ching contributed to this report. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Turk cast doubts Venezuela's elections will be free and fair

By Lisa Schlein July 04, 2024

The United Nations' chief human rights official warns that Venezuela's upcoming presidential elections are unlikely to be free and fair because widespread repression in the country prevents dissident voices from being heard.

In his latest update on the human rights situation in Venezuela, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk presents a starkly critical assessment of an autocratic government that stifles dissent by the arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of its perceived opponents.

"My office continues to receive reports of detentions as election day approaches, including of supporters and members of the opposition. This does not augur well, and I urge a change to such practices," said the U.N. human rights chief, who engaged in an interactive dialogue at the U.N. Human Rights Council Wednesday and Thursday.

He said his office has documented "with concern" an increase in threats, harassment and assaults against civil society actors, journalists, unionists and other voices considered critical, "including through arrests and prosecutions, and 38 cases of arbitrary detention."

In January, the government rid itself of President Nicolas Maduro's main opponent for the top job by barring opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from running in an election for 15 years.

In April, Venezuela's main opposition coalition agreed to unite behind one candidate, former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez, to challenge Maduro, a decision that many observers believe could be a winning hand.

Turk called on Venezuelan authorities to lift restrictions on civic space and "to ensure fully transparent, inclusive and participatory electoral processes, in line with international standards."

Venezuelan objections

Alexander Gabriel Yanez Deleuze, Venezuela's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, lashed back at the high commissioner's disparagement of his government. He blamed "foreign and domestic" players of aggressive behavior aimed at undermining the sovereignty and peace in his country "that has been won thanks to the leadership of President Nicolas Maduro."

"The high commissioner, the Venezuelan opposition, however, are calling out a fraud and are calling for violence because they do not accept the Bolivarian revolution," he said.

He accused the United States and its acolytes of "having published communiques that are already written today" and that are aimed at subverting the election.

He said this ploy will not work. "The 28th of July will see the ballot tables closed and the electoral council counting all the votes. There will be 17 different auditors before, during and after the election, and we will be announcing the result, which is part of the people's resistance," he said.

Opposition detentions

Turk was not persuaded by this argument and reiterated his appeal for the government to refrain "from adopting legislation that would further restrict the right to participate in public affairs, and the freedoms of association and expression."

He also reiterated his call for the release of all people who have been arbitrarily detained in Venezuela, including those remaining in pretrial detention beyond the limits set out in national law.

According to the report, between April 2023 and February 2024, U.N. human rights monitors conducted nine visits to detention centers in five states across the country and interviewed 146 people deprived of their liberty, "with a view to improving detention conditions, including access to health and food."

Among the findings, the high commissioner said he was particularly worried about reports of intimidation and ill-treatment of inmates who had been transferred to the Rodeo maximum security prison, "as well as of their relatives and lawyers."

"I remain concerned that people continue to be charged with terrorism-related offenses that do not comply with international human rights standards  and where there are also issues with the right to a fair trial," he said.

In the past year, the high commissioner's office has documented 29 cases of individuals prosecuted for terrorism-related offenses and 28 cases of detained individuals, "some perceived as dissident voices, whose whereabouts have been concealed from their relatives and lawyers."

Turk said: "This occurred for periods ranging from two to 41 days, thus amounting to enforced disappearance. All allegations of enforced disappearances must be investigated and prosecuted, and the practice must end."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Statement from NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson Welcoming the Humanitarian Truce in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

July 04, 2024

The United States welcomes the two-week humanitarian truce committed to by the parties to the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The humanitarian situation in North Kivu is dire, with close to 3 million internally displaced people (IDP) in the province. The recent expansion of fighting in North Kivu has prevented humanitarian workers from reaching hundreds of thousands of IDPs in the area around Kanyabayonga and displaced more than 100,000 people from their homes.

The two-week humanitarian truce, which will begin at midnight local time on July 5 and will continue through July 19, commits the parties to the conflict to silence their weapons, allow for the voluntary return of displaced people, and provide humanitarian personnel unfettered access to vulnerable populations. The truce covers areas of hostilities most affecting civilian populations.

This development builds on the confidence building measures secured during Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Haines' travel to the DRC and Rwanda in November of last year, and her subsequent engagements with Presidents Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC and Paul Kagame of Rwanda. The United States remains fully in support of the Luanda process and the Government of Angola's efforts to address the current and historic factors perpetuating this longstanding crisis.

The Governments of the DRC and Rwanda have expressed support for this two-week humanitarian truce to ease the suffering of vulnerable populations and set conditions for broader de-escalation of tensions in eastern DRC. The U.S. Government calls on all parties to honor the spirit of the truce prior to it taking effect.

The U.S. Government will continue to use its intelligence and diplomatic resources to monitor activities by armed forces and non-state armed groups during the humanitarian truce.

###

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russo-Ukraine War - 04 July 2024 - Day 862

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 Ukrainian government sources have long highlighted Russian theft of Ukrainian resources from areas it has occupied. Iron ore, coal, titanium, uranium, manganese, gold and lithium deposits are all present in Ukraine, resources which are almost certainly coveted by Russia but also potential targets as Russia seeks to grind down Ukraine's economy, denying access and destroying infrastructure.

One of the reasons Russia seeks to improve transportation networks in occupied Ukraine is because it wants to extract more Ukrainian minerals. The Russian occupation official for Zaporizhzhia region previously claimed the ongoing upgrading and construction of road and rail transportation links to Russia would improve the lines of communication not only for military logistics, but grain and mineral export.

South of Dniprorudne in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, Russia continues its mining activity, removing iron ore by rail. Trains travel through Crimea, over the Kerch bridge into Russia. This activity is not without risk; as trains need to move through areas where Ukrainian partisans are known to operate and have already claimed responsibility for attacks.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Since the beginning of the day, 130 combat clashes have taken place.

Russian zagarbniki launched on the territory of Ukraine one missile strike, 38 air strikes with the use of 76 KABs, also engaged 473 kamikadze drones. Along with that, Russia has launched more than 2,800 shelling on positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements using different types of weapons.

In the Kharkiv direction, the Russian occupiers throughout the day supported by aviation carried out 18 attacks near the hundred cossacks, glibokoye, lipciv and vovcans ka. Defense Forces units have successfully repelled 14 Russian offensive actions, four more clashes are currently ongoing. According to preliminary information, since the beginning of the day, Russian losses totaled 128 occupants dead and wounded, one artillery system, two tanks, six BBMs and six vehicles destroyed. In addition, 43 personnel shelters and one place of ammunition storage are affected.

Four times Russian forces attacked the positions of the Ukrainian military in the Kupyansky direction in the areas of Synkivka, Stelmakhivka and Novoselivka. Never been successful.

In the Lyman direction Russian zagarbniki 14 times tried to advance near Grekivka, Makiyivka and Terniv. Defenders of Ukraine repelled 13 Russian attacks, another battle is ongoing near Nevsky.

In the sivers komu direction, Russia has committed attack actions eight times in the areas of bilogorivka, verkhnyokamans kogo and viymka. Four attacks were unsuccessful, four more are ongoing.

In the Kramators komu direction, the Russian occupiers carried out 14 assault actions in the areas of Kalinivka, Grigorivka and Klishchiivka. Eleven Russian attacks ended unsuccessfully, ongoing three confrontations. The situation is under the control of Defense Forces units.

The situation is tense in the Toretsky direction. Russian forces attacked near Northern, Toretsk and New York 18 times unsuccessfully.

The high intensity of combat is maintained in the Pokrovsky direction. The number of confrontations has increased to 33. Zagarbniki continue to pressure the military order of defenders of Ukraine near Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvizhenko, Kalinovy, Progres, Lozuvatsky, Novoselivka the First, Evgenivka and Yasnobrodivka. Ukrainian warriors have been rebuked 23 Russian attacks, 10 combat clashes still continue.

The previous Russian losses here were 234 occupants killed and injured. One tank and one battle armored vehicle were also destroyed.

In the Kurakhiv direction at this time of the day counts 10 combat clashes. Russian forces tried to advance unsuccessfully in the areas of the settlements of Krasnogorivka, Nevelske and Paraskovievka. Nine attacks knocked off, another one is in progress.

On the vremivs komu direction for today, Russian forces seven times stormed Ukrainian front edge of defense in the areas of vodanogo and makarivka. Ukrainian soldiers have stopped six Russian attacks, another attack is in progress.

In the orihivs komu direction, there were two Russian attacks in the areas of small tokmacki and robotinogo.

In the Pridniprovsky direction, two Russian attempts to seize the positions of Ukrainian warriors in the area of Krynyok have failed.

Ukrainian defenders confidently suppress the pressure of Russian occupation troops.

It is worth noting the soldiers of the 77th Separate Airmobile Brigade who courageously hold their positions, skillfully repel enemy attacks, effectively use fire suppression measures on live force and technique, inflicting tangible losses to the Russian occupiers.

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 Motorised Infantry Brigade, 92nd Assault Brigade, 125th, 127th territorial defence brigades, 13th, and 17th national guard brigades near Volchansk, Veseloye, Russkaya Lozovaya, Neskuchnoye, and Tsirkuny (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 225 Ukrainian troops, one pickup truck, one Grad MLRS combat vehicle, one 203-mm Pion self-propelled artillery system, one 155-mm U.S.-made M198 howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.

Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 14th, 66th, 115th, 116th mechanised brigades, 77th Airmobile Brigade, and 117th Territorial Defence Brigade near Makeyevka, Stelmakhovka, Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), Sinkovka, Petropavlovka (Kharkov region), and Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Three counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 117th Territorial Defence Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 600 Ukrainian troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, and two motor vehicles.

In the course of counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, two 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and one UK-made 105-mm L-119 howitzer were destroyed.

Three AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines, as well as inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 30th, 54th, 72nd mechanised brigades, 143rd Infantry Brigade, 46th, 81st airmobile brigades, 5th, 80th assault brigades, 109th, and 119th territorial defence brigades near Georgieyvka, Serebryanka, Minkovka, Spornoye, Krasnogorovka, Katerinovka, and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic).

Five counter-attacks launched by formations of the AFU 10th Mountain Assault Brigade and 79th Air Assault Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 630 Ukrainian troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, and 12 motor vehicles.

In the course of counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 howitzer, one UK-made 105-mm L119 howitzer, and two electronic warfare stations were neutralised.

Eleven AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed in that direction.

Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 24th, 41st mechanised brigades, 109th, 129th territorial defence brigades, and 2nd National Guard Brigade near Mikhailovka, Novgorodskoye, and Toretsk (Donetsk People's Republic).

Six counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 31st, 47th mechanised brigades, 95th Air Assault Brigade, and Lyut Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 490 Ukrainian troops, three tanks, two motor vehicles, and three 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and one 100-mm Rapira anti-tank gun.

Units of the Vostok Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 116th, 120th, and 123th territorial defence brigades near Konstantinopol, Bogatyr, Neskuchnoye, Storozhevoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Novosyolovka (Zaporozhye region).

Moreover, three counter-attacks launched by formations of the AFU 108th and 129th territorial defence brigades were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 140 Ukrainian troops, eight motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, and two UK-made 155-mm FH-70 howitzers.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 141st Infantry Brigade, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, and 35th Marines Brigade near Zherebyanka, Nesteriyanka (Zaporozhye region), and Tokaryovka (Kherson region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 140 Ukrainian troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, four U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzers, one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, one 152-mm D-20 and one 152-mm Giatsint-B howitzers.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces destroyed one MiG-29 of the Ukrainian Air Force on the base airfield, two enterprises of military-industrial complex, one fuel refinery, one AFU POL depot, and one production and one storage facility of attack UAVs, as well as clusters of enemy manpower and military hardware of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 128 areas during the day.

Air defence units shot down 37 unmanned aerial vehicles, one French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb, one U.S.-made HARM anti-radiation missile, and 14 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles.

In total, 626 airplanes and 277 helicopters, 27,197 unmanned aerial vehicles, 537 air defence missile systems, 16,499 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,364 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 11,326 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 23,318 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






RAAF Base Pearce welcomes the Republic of Singapore Air Force

Issued by Defence Media

3 July 2024

The Royal Australian Air Force is hosting an extended fighter aircraft detachment from the Republic of Singapore Air Force over the period 24 June - 18 October 2024.

On 24 June, the first detachment was welcomed to RAAF Base Pearce by Senior ADF Officer, Wing Commander Greg Porche, who said that hosting the Republic of Singapore Air Force promotes already strong aviation cooperation.

"We welcome a new element of the Republic of Singapore Air Force to RAAF Base Pearce, who have established an aviation training presence here over the past 30 years," Wing Commander Porche said.

As part of community engagement activities for the detachment, a Community Stakeholder Day was held on 28 June, to provide key members of the local community an experience to view the visiting RSAF aircraft first-hand, and engage with Republic of Singapore Air Force personnel.

"The support of local communities during this training detachment is greatly appreciated by the Royal Australian Air Force, and the Republic of Singapore Air Force," Wing Commander Porche said.

"Hosting key members of the local community to view Royal Australian Air Force and Republic of Singapore Air Force aircraft, and meet our personnel provides an important link between the base and local residents."

Commander Fighter Group of the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Colonel Jonavan Ang said that the Republic of Singapore Air Force is grateful for Australia's strong support and friendship, which has made this fighter detachment possible.

"This detachment highlights the close and long-standing defence relationship between Singapore and Australia," Colonel Ang said.

"We are also very appreciative of the strong community support given to the Republic of Singapore Air Force over the years."

Director General Preparedness - Air Force, Air Commodore Nick Osborne, said that the training detachment contributes to Australia and Singapore's close and enduring defence partnership.

"Singapore has conducted military training in Australia for more than three decades," Air Commodore Osborne said.

"Our two nations have a strong history of support for each other's training, and access to each other's training areas enhances our shared ability to strengthen regional security.

"The success of this training detachment will contribute to Singapore's aviation capability in support of their vital force generation activities, our regional security, and our two nation's ability to work together in the future."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Australian Government partners with Amazon Web Services to bolster national defence and security

The Hon Richard Marles MP

Deputy Prime Minister

Minister for Defence

4 July 2024

The Albanese Government will invest at least $2 billion over the next decade to bolster Australia's cyber capabilities with the announcement of a strategic partnership between the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Australia to deliver a Top Secret (TS) Cloud for the Australian Government.

This landmark partnership will see AWS establish a sovereign TS Cloud in Australia to deliver resilient information, communication and technology (ICT) services for the Australian Government, generating up to 2,000 local Australian jobs.

AWS is the world's most widely adopted cloud computing service with a longstanding presence in Australia and specialist expertise in delivering classified cloud services that provide world-class security, reliability and resilience.A

The TS Cloud will be purpose-built for Australia's Defence and National Intelligence Community agencies to securely host our country's most sensitive information. It will improve our ability to securely share and analyse our nation's most classified data at speed and at scale, and provides opportunities to harness leading technologies including artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The TS Cloud will bolster the resilience of Defence's communications networks and is a critical enabling capability in supporting the Australian Defence Force's military operations, and will also support greater interoperability and deeper collaboration with the United States.

This partnership with AWS is a major investment from the Albanese Government and is another important step in implementing the 2024 National Defence Strategy.A

This significant investment is part of the $15a20A billion to 2033-34 to enhance Defence's cyber capabilities and the $8.5-11 billion to 2033-34 to bolster Defence's enterprise data and ICT announced in the 2024 Integrated Investment Program.

The joint initiative offers significant opportunities for Australian industry. It will see AWS engage Australian businesses to design and build the TS Cloud, driving innovation and job creation in cybersecurity, data analytics and cloud computing. Australia's defence industry will see additional benefits with new opportunities to deliver and integrate new capabilities using these cloud services.

The TS Cloud builds on AWS' planned $13.2 billion investment in Australian infrastructure to 2027 - the largest tech investment in Australia's history, supporting the creation of 11,000 local jobs. This is in addition to the $9.1 billion AWS has invested in Australian infrastructure since its launch in 2011.

Quotes attributable to Hon Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister:A

"My Government is bolstering our defence and national intelligence community to ensure they can deliver world leading protection for our nation.A



"This important investment today will help enhance our national security capabilities while creating up to 2,000 local jobs.

"We face a range of complex and serious security challenges and I am incredibly proud of the work our national security agencies undertake on a daily basis to keep Australians safe. We must never underestimate their value and importance. That is what this investment today is about."

Quotes attributable to Hon Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence:

"The Albanese Government is enhancing Defence's cyber capabilities as a matter of priority under the National Defence StrategyA by investing at least $2 billion to establish and operate a Top Secret Cloud platform which is central to achieving this objective.

"This cutting-edge technology will enhance Defence's resilience, improve the ADF's warfighting capacity, strengthen interoperability with key international partners and deliver up to 2,000 Australian jobs.

"This significant investment is a reflection of the Albanese Government's sensible approach to prioritising the enabling capabilities our Defence Force needs in order to address the complex strategic circumstances we face."

Quotes attributable to the Director-General Australian Signals Directorate, Rachel Noble PSM:

"This is another fantastic example of what we can achieve for Australia when the private and public sector work together in partnership.

"The Top Secret Cloud with Amazon Web Services in Australia will provide a state-of-the-art collaborative spaceA for our intelligence and defence community to store and access top secret data. This will transform how we work together as agencies and partners.

"For ASD, this capability is a vital part of our REDSPICE program which is lifting our intelligence and offensive and defensive cyber capabilities."

Quote attributable to the Director-General of National Intelligence, Andrew Shearer:

"The Top Secret Cloud represents a truly transformative capability boost for the National Intelligence Community.A

"It will drive even closer integration, sharing and collaboration between agencies, greater resilience, and greater interoperability with our most important international intelligence partners.

"As program sponsor on behalf of the National Intelligence Community, ONI considers the Top Secret Cloud will help lay the foundation for a connected, modern and resilient intelligence community. We lookA forward to working in partnership with Amazon Web Services, the Australian Signals Directorate and other National Intelligence Community agencies on this transformative capability."

Quotes attributable to the Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector for Amazon Web Services,A Dave Levy:

"Amazon Web Services is excited to embark on this strategic partnership with the Australian Government, to provide our most innovative, efficient and effective cloud services to help Australia enhance its national defence capabilities and protect its citizens.

"This partnership will enable the Australian Government and its defence and intelligence agencies to securely share information, speed up innovation, and achieve their missions faster. We look forward to supporting the Australian Government's mission of protecting and advancing Australia's interests, and remain steadfast in our long-term commitment to Australia, helping drive innovation and improving lives for its communities."

Quote attributable to the Managing Director, Public Sector, Australia and New Zealand, for Amazon Web Services,A Iain Rouse:

"AWS is uniquely positioned, as a trusted, long-term partner to the Australian government to deliver on this important partnership. This critical national security initiative allows AWS to demonstrate our commitment to not just deliver a fixed set of requirements, but to continuously adapt, enhance and innovate together over the years to come."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Situation in Belarus

Council of Europe

Statement by Secretary General

Secretary General

Strasbourg

3 July 2024

Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric has made the following statement:

"I strongly condemn the latest criminal sentences in absentia against a group of Belarusian experts, journalists and opposition politicians. Their collective trial on unsubstantiated and spurious charges was conducted in manifest contempt of due process and serves as yet another stark reminder of the systematic and widespread human rights violations stemming from the political repressions in the country.

"Among those arbitrarily sentenced are partners of our organisation who share a tireless commitment to our common European values of human rights, rule of law and democracy. It is outrageous that Belarusians continue to be unjustly prosecuted and sentenced for peacefully and bravely exercising their rights and even for merely exercising their professional activities.

"The Council of Europe stands in full solidarity with all political prisoners in Belarus. They must be immediately and unconditionally released and accountability for the suffering inflicted on them must be ensured in line with international law.

"The Council of Europe will continue to work closely with Belarusian democratic forces, civil society and independent media and all those who aspire to a free and democratic Belarus."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Belarusian Politician Ryhor Kastusyou Released Under Amnesty Law

By RFE/RL's Belarus Service July 03, 2024

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.

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.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/lukashenka-signs-decree-mass- amnesrty/33020170.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






:              ...
Belarus is not safe for anyone critical of authorities, warns rights expert

03 July 2024 - Citizens and civil society critical of the Belarussian authorities face worsening repression, arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and harassment, nearly four years since widespread public protests took place surrounding the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko, a UN independent human rights expert said on Wednesday.

In her final, annual report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Special Rapporteur on the rights situation in Belarus, AnaAs Marin, echoed wider, longstanding concerns from the UN and the international community about a crackdown on democratic freedoms and other serious rights abuses in the country.

President Lukashenko, 69, has been in power since 1994 and is Europe's longest-serving leader.

"Repression in Belarus has reached such a scale and intensity that it should not be considered a safe country for anyone who ever showed disagreement with the government or its policies. I therefore reiterate my call to refrain from extraditions and expulsions to Belarus," said Ms. Marin, a political scientist and French national who was appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council in 2018.

Democratic U-turn

"The general trend I observe is a further tightening of the screws against any real or perceived opposition to the acting government, and the systematic persecution of anyone who dares expressing dissenting views about its policies," she told the Human Rights Council, which is the top UN forum for Member States to discuss and address human rights situations of concern.

In the absence of Belarus at the Council to respond to her report, the Special Rapporteur also noted that as the country had entered a new electoral cycle, it had sent "no signal that the next presidential election will be held differently than before".

Extremist label

To illustrate the pressure faced by civil society in Belarus - which denied the Special Rapporteur's requests to visit the country, she said - Ms. Marin noted that more than 1,500 registered associations had "disappeared" in recent years - almost half the number that existed prior to the 2020 election violence.

"This was achieved also by designating them as "extremist formations", and subsequently prosecuting their leaders and members, pushing them to relocate abroad," she explained.

Trades unions and more undone

In her report covering the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, the independent expert maintained that "all types of independent associations" have suffered in Belarus: civil society organisations and initiatives, political parties, trade unions, bar associations, religious or cultural organizations and online communities.

Furthermore, independent trade unions in Belarus "have been dismantled" and the number of political parties has fallen from 16 to four in the period leading up to the February 2024 parliamentary elections, the Special Rapporteur said.

Exile or prison

"All those who ever dared speaking up against the government or its policies are either behind bars or in exile", Ms. Marin said in a separate statement, adding that dissidents in exile "continue to face harassment, being labelled as traitors or extremists, and prosecuted in absentia for alleged crimes".

Among the legislative measures used by the authorities "to crackdown on free assembly and association", the independent expert listed mandatory re-registration campaigns, restrictions on access to funding and "retaliation" for donations, along with "liquidation of associations through or without judicial proceedings", designation of undesirable associations as "extremist formations" and the "persecution of their leaders, members, volunteers and supporters".

For those in prison, the independent expert highlighted "over a dozen" reported deaths in custody since 2020. These had been "most likely caused by inadequate or untimely medical care", Ms. Marin said, adding that "a few detainees have been held incommunicado for over a year and their families are unaware of their fate".

There have also been "a growing number of allegations of ill-treatment of inmates convicted on what appear to be politically motivated charges" the Special Rapporteur said, while also pointing with concern to the harassment of minorities and members of LGBTIQ+ community and the "intimidation" of relatives of "extremists" living in exile.

Special Rapporteurs

Appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council and forming of a part of its Special Procedures, Special Rapporteurs are mandated to monitor and assess the rights situation in certain thematic or country situations.

They work in their individual capacity, are not UN staff and do not receive a salary.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Belarus: Statement by the Spokesperson on the release of a number of political prisoners

European External Action Service (EEAS)

04.07.2024

EEAS Press Team

The EU takes note of the release of a number of political prisoners in Belarus. We are relieved by the news that they finally reunited with their families and loved ones.

There are still more than 1400 political prisoners in Belarus, including prisoners without any possibility to communicate with those outside for indefinite periods of time, with serious health issues, disabilities, over the age of 60, minors and people with mental illnesses. Some of these detainees require urgent medical assistance and have life threatening conditions.

The EU urges the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






The Foreign Minister confirms Latvia's strong support for the work of Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya and the Belarusian democratic forces

Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

04.07.2024

On 4 July, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braze, met with the leader of the Belarusian democratic forces and head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

The meeting addressed the current situation in Belarus, including the crack-down by the ruling regime on civil society activists and democratic opposition. Baiba Braze pointed out to recent developments regarding the release of the first political prisoners in Belarus, and she underlined the need to sustain international pressure on the Belarusian regime in order to secure the release of all political prisoners. The Minister reaffirmed Latvia's unwavering support for the Belarusian opposition's efforts towards a free and democratic Belarus in Europe.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya praised Latvia's firm position vis-a-vis repressions by the Lukashenko regime, its role in the instrumentalisation of illegal migration and support for the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Both officials agreed on the need to strengthen and align the EU sanctions regime against Belarus with sanctions targeting Russia.

4 and 5 July sees a visit to Latvia by the leader of the Belarusian democratic forces and head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has already made a trip to Daugavpils and will also be welcomed to the LAMPA Conversation Festival. While in Daugavpils, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the leadership and faculty at Daugavpils University, as well as taking part in the unveiling of the exhibition, "25 Steps to Freedom", by the Belarusian artist Olga Yakubouskaya.

On 5 June, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is taking part in several discussion panels at the LAMPA Conversation Festival. In a panel titled "The Baltic States and the Fourth Sister", Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will join the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dace Melbarde, in a conversation on national identities and political choices.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Meeting with President of China Xi Jinping

Vladimir Putin met with President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Astana.

July 3, 2024

16:40

Astana

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, dear friend,

Chinese colleagues, friends,

We are all happy to see you again, this time on the sidelines of the SCO summit.

Allow me to start right where we left off at our last meeting. I remember how warmly you welcomed us all in China. I would like to thank you again for the hospitality you showed us, on behalf of my colleagues and myself.

We had very substantive talks, signed a joint policy statement and launched the Cross Years of Culture. Later on, as we visited Harbin, we had more opportunities to see how close the historical ties between Russia and China are.

Back to this meeting and tomorrow's events - I would like to remind you that our countries stood at the cradle of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2001. As the number of participants grew - and tomorrow Belarus will become another full member of the organisation - the SCO also gained a bigger role as one of the key pillars of a just multipolar world order. We will certainly support China's chairmanship of the SCO in 2024-2025 in every way.

We have repeatedly stated with good reason that Russia-China relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are going through the best period in their history. They are guided by the principles of equality, mutual benefit and respect for each other's sovereignty. Our cooperation is not directed against anyone. We do not create any blocs or alliances; we are simply acting in the interests of our people.

Russia and China continue the series of events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries we are marking this year.

Trade is on the rise - we noted this during my visit to the People's Republic of China, and we can reaffirm this today. We saw more positive trends in the first half of this year.

At present, Russia and China are combining efforts to consistently implement the Plan to Promote the Key Elements of Russian-Chinese Economic Cooperation until 2030, which was approved during your visit to Moscow in March 2023.

It is noteworthy that all forms of cultural and humanitarian exchanges are also expanding. Mutual tourist flow is growing: last year, over 1.2 million trips were taken, and, in January - May of this year, the visa-free package tours alone were chosen by more than 260,000 people.

Russian-Chinese cooperation in global affairs serves as a main stabilising factor on the international stage, and we continue to further enhance it.

This year, Russia holds the presidency of BRICS, another organisation created on our initiative, and we hope that you and our colleagues will take part in the Kazan summit in October.

Thank you.

President of China Xi Jinping (retranslated): Mr President Putin, my dear friend,

I am very glad to see you.

It is true that holding meetings on the sidelines of multilateral events is not just a good tradition of ours, but also the symbol of the high level that Russian-Chinese relations enjoy.

In May, you had a successful state visit to China, and we were able to outline priority areas for further development of our relations in the year when our diplomatic relations mark their 75th anniversary.

Today, the agreements we have reached are being efficiently implemented, and our comprehensive cooperation is progressing as planned. 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, enhance the unique value of Chinese-Russian relations, cultivate new drivers of cooperation, and make tireless efforts to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests and safeguard the basic norms governing international relations.

Tomorrow's summit in Astana will become a crucial event for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation this year. I am ready to hold an in-depth discussion with you and our other colleagues on ways to strengthen the SCO and cooperation in various fields and help promote the sustainable development of the Organisation in order to build a closer community of common destiny of the SCO.

Thank you for your attention.

<a>

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on July 3, 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2024-07-03 17:52

CCTV: According to CCTV's 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. What's your comment?a

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 it's there to fight terrorism, but the reality says it's there to plunder. The US keeps emphasizing human rights, but the reality abounds with US violations of people's 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 Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, immediately end its illegal military occupation in Syria, stop plundering Syria's 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 President's 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." What's 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. China's 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 US's illegal interference in Cuba for over a century. The US's 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 one's bad deeds go away. The US needs to reflect on its behavior, stop interfering in Cuba's 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. I'd 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 Syria's 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 we've noted just now the Chinese Coast Guard's statement doesn't 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. I'd 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. What's China's 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.a

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Putin, Xi meet at Central Asian summit in show of deepening cooperation

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 7:05 PM

In their second meeting this year and in a show of deepening cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have met at a Central Asian summit in Kazakhstan.

Putin and Xi convened in the capital Astana for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Beijing-led regional bloc, on Wednesday, underscoring joint efforts to further boost alliance against Western influence in Central Asia.

Both leaders hailed the strengthening of Russia-China relations, describing them as at their peak in history.

Established in 2001 by Russia and China, the SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, international security and defense organization that includes Central Asian nations, India, Pakistan and Iran. The nine-member bloc, whose summit is held on Wednesday and Thursday, is designed as a counterweight to US hegemony in global affairs.

In televised opening remarks ahead of a bilateral meeting, Putin emphasized the SCO's role in advancing foreign policy agendas of both Russia and China, promoting it as a crucial pillar of a multipolar world order.

"Russian-Chinese relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are experiencing their best period in history," the Russian president said.

Both leaders highlighted the deepened political, military, and economic ties between their countries since Russia began its "special military operation" in neighboring of Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin and Xi also criticized US-led "hegemony" on the world stage as Moscow and Beijing are trying to advance rival regional groups and alliances to push back against Western influence in Central Asia and the wider region.

Ahead of the gathering, China's foreign ministry said the annual meeting "make contributions to promoting security, stability and development of member countries", and advance "lasting peace and common prosperity in the world."

Xi Jinping, for his part, stressed the importance of continuing bilateral relations amid challenging international conditions, affirming the enduring friendship between Moscow and Beijing.

"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 told Putin in brief opening remarks.

The five Central Asian countries -of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are ex-Soviet republics and have historic cultural, linguistic and economic ties to Russia.

Turkmenistan is not a member of the SCO, but the four other Central Asian states are.

The summit also addresses the competitive dynamics between Russia and China in Central Asia, where historical ties to Russia confront China's expanding economic footprint through initiatives like the Belt and Road project.

Putin and Xi had inked a "no limits" strategic partnership just days before the Ukrainian conflict began in 2022.

The SCO is complemented by 14 "dialogue partners", such as Turkey and several Persian Gulf states.

Putin also met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit.

Belarus, a close ally of Russia, is set to formally join the SCO on Thursday.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China In Eurasia Briefing: Xi Showcases Eurasian Ambitions At The SCO

By Reid Standish July 03, 2024

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 Moscow's 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 year's 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 it's 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 Putin's "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 Russia's 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, it's one of the world's largest regional organizations, accounting for around one-third of global GDP, roughly 40 percent of the world's 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 Pakistan's rivalry will always be an impediment to the organization, but recently it's been Beijing and New Delhi's fraught relationship that's a factor.

Last year's SCO summit in India became a virtual one, reportedly due to an unwillingness to welcome Xi, and at this year's 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

Russia's war in Ukraine is the main issue on NATO's mind, but when leaders from the military alliance gather in Washington on July 9-11, they'll 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 Russia's 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 China's 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 country's 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, China's 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 hasn't been shy to criticize Beijing, but a change of government in the near future isn't 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 doesn't 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 Asia's 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 Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan.

The deals could be crucial for Tajikistan's 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 China's 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 Russia's deepening ties with China, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will head to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin, Bloomberg reports.

Rare Earth Edict: China's 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 China's support for Russia amid its war in Ukraine occurs bilaterally, an increasing percentage is diverted through Central Asia and other locations. The Atlantic Council's Joseph Webster breaks it down here.

One Thing To Watch

Nicholas Burns, Washington's 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.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/xi-putin-sco- kazakhstan-eurasia-china-standish/33019687.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's Xi, Russia's Putin hold talks at Central Asian summit

By VOA News July 03, 2024

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 a Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates a 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 Russia's 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 Russia's 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 other's intentions to exert power in Central Asia," Eoin MicheAl McNamara, a research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told VOA's 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 Harvard's 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. a 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 Russia's influence over the region, Dolbaia believes that Central Asia's loyalties "do not necessarily lie with Russia or China," and that the region's 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Xi meets Russia's Putin in Astana, urging conservation of unique value in bilateral cooperation

Global Times

By Fan Anqi and Cui Fandi Published: Jul 04, 2024 12:29 AM

China and Russia should continuously conserve the unique value in China-Russia relations, and explore the internal driving force of bilateral cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday while meeting with his old friend Russian President Vladimir Putin in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of the three-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Chinese experts said the frequent interactions between the leaders of the two major countries, against the backdrop of the current complex international landscape, are crucial for promoting peace and stability, while playing a guiding role in driving development in the Eurasian region.

Xi said that 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, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The two countries should also make efforts to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests and safeguard the basic norms governing international relations, Xi said.

The two leaders' last meeting took place from May 16 to 17, when Putin paid a state visit to China, his first overseas trip after the Russian leader was sworn in for a new term.

Experts said such high frequency of meetings signifies that under pressure from the West, Russia's determination to "turn to the East" is becoming more rock-solid.

"This is especially important given today's complex and chaotic world situation. And with the upcoming US presidential election, the international landscape is anticipated to become even more complicated," Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Echoing Cui, Yang Jin, an associate research fellow with the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the close interaction between Xi and Putin is crucial for maintaining regional stability and peace, as well as setting the direction for advancing regional development.

The issue of counter-terrorism is the focus of this edition of the SCO summit, and it will also very likely be discussed at bilateral levels, Cui said.

"Russia this year has experienced a number of deadly terrorist attacks, and the risk of terrorism resurging in the Eurasian continent is becoming increasingly evident. The importance of counter-terrorism cooperation within the SCO for China and Russia is therefore becoming more prominent," he noted.

Given the security deficit in the region and the lack of effectiveness for existing security mechanisms, the SCO has stepped up, taking joint actions to combat the "three evils" - terrorism, separatism and religious extremism, as well as in cross-border law enforcement cooperation, Cui said.

Practical cooperation, especially how to eliminate Western pressure and resistance, to better promote the steady development of trade exchanges between the two countries, is likely to be a major topic between the two leaders, Yang told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"This includes specific areas such as energy, cross-border transportation and new-energy sectors. Additionally, the two leaders may also discuss the construction of a new natural gas pipeline project between China and Russia, as well as the deepening of cooperation in Central Asia," Yang said.

While the gathering of developing countries in Kazakhstan is focusing on promoting joint development, Western media is sparing no effort to smear this partnership in an attempt to create divisions.

CNN said in a Tuesday report that Beijing and Moscow are pushing to "transform the grouping from a regional security bloc into a geopolitical counterweight to Western institutions led by the US."

Refuting such claims, Yang said the SCO member states are more eager to address their most urgent issues of stability and development through close economic and trade cooperation, as well as cooperation in transportation and infrastructure, rather than engaging in power games among major countries.

Also on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal wrote that Beijing and Moscow are "going from 'no limits' friendship to frenemies in Russia's backyard," claiming that Central Asia is moving further into China's orbit as Russia loosens its grip on the former Soviet republics.

Such statements underestimate Central Asian countries by treating them as "subordinate" to major powers, a typical hegemonic mentality of the West, experts said.

"They [Central Asian countries] are well aware of what they need, and they are not mere pawns to be fought over," Cui remarked.

Cooperation with China is a genuine need to fulfill their national interests, and the impetus comes from the complementarity of China-Central Asia economic and trade ties.

"Central Asia boasts abundant resources and serves as a crucial transportation hub, meanwhile, Central Asia needs a neighbor like China to provide funding, technology, and a huge market to stabilize their economies," Yang said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Xi urges China, Kyrgyzstan to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:10, July 04, 2024

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Cross-Strait youth development forum to be held in Zhejiang

Xinhua) 13:57, July 05, 2024

BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The seventh cross-Strait youth development forum will be held from July 6 to 12 in east China's Zhejiang Province, a mainland spokesperson said Friday.

The event's opening ceremony and main forum are scheduled for July 8 in Hangzhou, the provincial capital, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office. He added that the forum will also take place in Ningbo, Jinhua, Lishui, and other parts of the province.

According to the spokesperson, 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, and former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party Hung Hsiu-chu are invited to attend the forum.

Approximately 800 guests and youth representatives from various sectors across the Taiwan Strait will participate in relevant activities, Chen said.

Initiated in 2018, the cross-Strait youth development forum serves as an important platform for youth from both sides of the Strait to exchange ideas, foster mutual understanding, and learn from each other.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
It is good to see His Majesty the King out and about getting first-hand experience of the latest positive developments in the country and, of course, the challenges that persist, such as youth unemployment.

Two young women have used the Kings visits this week to highlight their plight of unemployment and despite attempts to block one of their attempts to be heard, the King ordered that they be given attention. These two represent the around 58 per cent of unemployed youth in this country and amplify the unemployment concerns raised at Sibaya and the call for solutions that work, drawing on experiences from countries that have been successful in addressing this predicament that is perpetuating numerous social ills.

Attributed

There are countries that are getting it right such as Iceland, Japan, the Czech Republic, Germany and South Korea, which have all achieved low unemployment rates ranging from 2.5 to 3.6 per cent according to their government data. This has been attributed to investment in education and skills development: strong business environments, a focus on innovation and technology, active labour market policies and strong social welfare systems. Perhaps we could tap into Japans focus on vocational training, which has contributed to its 2.6 per cent unemployment rate (2023). Research on the country reveals that this approach has been achieved through fostering collaborations between vocational institutions and industry stakeholders to align training programmes with industry requirements. Employers play a part in curriculum design to better prepare individuals for job roles in high-demand sectors.

The country also encourages a culture of lifelong learning and skills development among its workforce by offering opportunities for upskilling and reskilling through vocational training programmes. Providing comprehensive career guidance and counselling services has helped young Japanese make informed decisions about their vocational training choices and career pathways. This begs the question: How effective is our career guidance system? To foster successful collaborations, Japan actively involves representatives from various industries in the planning and development of vocational training programmes. They organise industry forums, roundtable discussions and networking events to facilitate dialogue and collaboration between vocational schools and industry partners.

Identify

They also have a comprehensive skills gap analysis to identify the specific needs and requirements of industries. By understanding the current and future skills demands, vocational schools tailor their programmes to address industry gaps and ensure relevance. Establishing more apprenticeship and internship programmes has helped create opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience. I am aware that the UNDP graduate trainee programme has been initiated in Eswatini, which is a good start, but we need more to accommodate the thousands of idle youth.

Another approach that is working for other countries with low unemployment rates is carrying out industry visits and guest lectures in workshops featuring industry professionals to expose students to the latest trends, technologies and practices in their field of study. These interactions help students understand industry expectations and foster relationships with potential employers. Mentors get to share their expertise, offer career advice and facilitate networking opportunities for students. Also, collaborative research projects between vocational schools and industries help drive innovation, knowledge sharing and skills development in these thriving economies.

Another important factor is the formation of industry advisory boards comprising representatives from different sectors to provide important guidance and insights into industry trends, job market demands and emerging skills requirements for countries like Japan. So has partnering with government agencies, private sector organisations and international donors to establish workforce development funds to support vocational schools in upgrading infrastructure, acquiring advanced equipment and implementing industry-relevant initiatives.

Therefore, whatever strategies are put in place to tackle youth unemployment in this country, they must include investing more in education and vocational training programmes, promoting entrepreneurship, diversifying the economy and strengthening social safety nets. Addressing issues like corruption and bureaucracy and adopting a high work ethic are key to this equation if we seriously intend to create a conducive environment for investment to speed up job creation. All these initiatives then need to be properly monitored and evaluated to assess the impact, identify areas for improvement and ensure the sustainability of these efforts.

Cautioned

The first baseline report of the Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) Coalition in 2015 cautioned about the threats of youth unemployment. It said: When young people are not fully participating in the labour force or are not in employment, education, or training (NEETs), governments forgo tax revenue and incur the cost of social safety nets, unemployment benefits insurance and lost productivity. Businesses risk losing a generation of consumers. Social costs are ever-mounting as well.

The Arab Spring and subsequent youth-led uprisings in many countries, along with the rise of economic insurgency and youth extremism, demand that we explore the links between economic participation, inequality, community security, crime and national fragility through a lens focused on youth. What we see is a generation in economic crisis. The longer it takes to act on the unemployment crisis, the greater the chances we will find ourselves having to deal with not only hundreds of youth running to the King during public tours screaming for jobs, but something much worse that would also most certainly put an end to such tours. We dont want that, or do we?




Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on July 4, 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2024-07-04 18:56

At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang of the State Council, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the People's Republic of Bangladesh will pay an official visit to China from July 8 to 10.

CCTV: President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Kazakhstan yesterday. Can you share more details?

Mao Ning: At the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Kazakhstan from July 2 to 3. This is President Xi Jinping's fifth visit to Kazakhstan and the first visit to Central Asia by China's top leader after the 20th CPC National Congress. This visit bears historic significance.

Kazakhstan attached great importance to the visit. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev personally greeted President Xi Jinping at the airport and hosted a dinner for him at the president's residence. The two presidents held official talks for an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations, mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas and international and regional issues of mutual interest. The two presidents also jointly met the press, attended the welcoming banquet, attended the launch of the China-Europe Trans-Caspian Express via video link, and witnessed the unveiling of the plaques of the Chinese Culture Center in Astana, the Kazakh Culture Center in Beijing, and the Kazakhstan Branch of Beijing Language and Culture University.

President Xi's visit had a rich program and produced fruitful results. It marked yet another milestone in the history of China-Kazakhstan relations. First, political mutual trust reached a new height. The two presidents jointly signed and issued a joint statement, reaffirming continued firm support to each other on issues concerning the two countries' respective core interests. Second, practical cooperation received new impetus. The two sides agreed to seek greater synergy between Belt and Road cooperation and the economic policies under a Just Kazakhstan, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation on all fronts. Third, new outcomes were achieved in people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China will set up the second Luban Workshop in Kazakhstan and hold China tourism year activities in Kazakhstan next year. Fourth, coordination on international affairs has been further substantiated. The two sides agreed to have close cooperation under multilateral frameworks, actively implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and jointly champion an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

China will work with Kazakhstan to deliver on the important common understandings between the two presidents, upgrade cooperation across the board, and jointly usher in a brighter future for China-Kazakhstan relations.

AFP: AFP learned from local sources that a militia attack on a mining site in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo killed about four Chinese nationals. Can you confirm this and provide more details?

Mao Ning: On July 3, an armed attack on a private Chinese company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) left several Chinese nationals dead or missing. China strongly condemns the attack. We are in close touch with the DRC. An all-out search effort is underway for the missing Chinese nationals. We ask the DRC to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice as soon as possible, and take concrete and effective measures to better protect the safety and security of Chinese nationals and companies in the DRC.

The northeastern part of the DRC has long suffered a poor security situation. The Foreign Ministry has issued multiple security alerts. We once again remind our fellow Chinese nationals to closely follow the Foreign Ministry's security alerts and act accordingly, not to travel to high-risk areas, and to leave those areas as quickly as possible if they are already there.

Bloomberg: The Philippines is demanding PHa 60 million (about US$ 1 million) in damages from China following the confrontation recently in the South China Sea. This is from the nation's military chief. That figure is just for the property damage. It doesn't yet cover the injury to the sailor. Does China want to comment on this? Would it pay?

Mao Ning: The Philippine vessels were carrying out an illegal "resupply mission" which violated China's territorial waters and staging a provocation when stopped by China Coast Guard, who acted lawfully and rightfully to defend China's sovereignty. The Philippine side should face the consequences of its own action.

Hubei Media Group: To follow up on your announcement of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit, could you share with us the program and China's expectation for the visit? How does China view the current China-Bangladesh relations?

Mao Ning: This will be Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's first visit to China since her new term began and five years after her last visit to China. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Premier Li Qiang will hold a welcoming ceremony and have talks with her. The two prime ministers will attend the signing ceremony of cooperation documents. Leaders of the two countries will have an in-depth exchange of views on how to deepen traditional friendship and expand mutually beneficial cooperation and on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Prime Minister Hasina will also attend the Summit on Trade, Business and Investment Opportunities between China and Bangladesh.

China and Bangladesh are good neighbors, good friends and good partners. We have similar visions for development and well-aligned development strategies. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 49 years ago, the two countries have treated each other with respect and equality, engaged in mutually beneficial cooperation, supported each other on issues concerning our respective core interests, and jointly advanced modernization. We have set a good example of friendship and cooperation between developing countries. In recent years, with the strategic guidance and commitment of leaders of our two countries, the two sides have deepened China-Bangladesh strategic cooperative partnership, and had fruitful and practical cooperation in various fields. China stands ready to work with Bangladesh through this visit to carry forward the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, deepen political mutual trust, further synergize development strategies, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, speed up implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and elevate our bilateral relations to a new level.

Bloomberg: China and India have agreed to hold diplomatic talks to resolve a longstanding border dispute. This agreement apparently came when the foreign ministers of the two nations met in Kazakhstan. Do you have any more information to add on that?

Mao Ning: We will soon release information on the meeting between the Chinese and Indian foreign ministers. Please stay tuned.a

Reuters: Philippine Senator Imee Marcos in the video on TikTok and Facebook said China has taken 25 targets around the Philippine archipelago and that it would attack it with hypersonic missiles. How does China respond to this?

Mao Ning: I'm not sure what the Philippine side's source was, but I can tell you that China is committed to peaceful development and a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, and China does not pose a threat to any country. That said, we will certainly not sit by and watch when our legitimate rights and interests and regional peace and stability are being violated or under threat.

We urge relevant country to listen to the concerns its people have and the call from other countries in the region, bear in mind the fundamental interests of its own people, stay independent, good-neighborliness and friendship, earnestly respect other countries' security concerns, and act to keep the region peaceful and stable.

PTI: Foreign Ministers of India and China met in Astana today. Are there any details that you can share with us on this?

Mao Ning: Again, I would refer you to our readout to be released soon.

The Paper: Recently, foreign vloggers in China created a meme "city or not city" and "so city" and it went viral on social media and got reposted and shared by Chinese and foreign net users. What's your comment?

Mao Ning: I myself have also just learned this new usage of the word. It's great to see foreign friends enjoy the lovely scenery and delicacies that China has to offer, and experience the vibrancy of China as it is.

As China eases its entry policy, traveling to China has become simpler for foreign tourists. In the first five months of this year, China received over 12 million foreign travelers, over 7 million of whom enjoyed visa-free entry. During the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, the number of inbound and outbound travels by foreign nationals grew by 57 percent year-on-year.

We will take more steps to make travel simpler and more enjoyable for foreign friends. China's always ready to welcome friends from around the world with open arms.

AFP: On July 3, the German government invoked national security concerns to block the sale of Volkswagen's gas turbine business to a Chinese company. What's your comment?

Mao Ning: China and Germany are each other's important trade partners. There is every reason for our two countries to increase trade and economic cooperation in the spirit of mutual benefit and in line with market rules, which serves both countries' interests. China opposes turning normal business cooperation into political and security issues and creating hurdles for such cooperation. We hope Germany will provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from China and elsewhere in the world.

Reuters: Philippine armed forces chief has demanded the return of seven guns seized by China in the South China Sea. Has China received any communication from the Philippines of the return of these weapons?

Mao Ning: I am not familiar with the specifics, but what I can tell you is that the Philippines illegally intruded the waters of Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Qundao and seriously violated China's sovereignty. China Coast Guard responded with law enforcement measures that are fully legitimate, justified and lawful. We urge the Philippines to stop the infringement activities and provocations, and return to the right track of properly handling differences through dialogue and consultation.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Chinese warships rotate at Cambodia's Ream naval base

Ships are likely on rotational deployment at Ream to avoid contravening Cambodia's constitution, analysts say.

By RFA Staff 2024.07.04 -- Two Chinese warships have recently arrived at Cambodia's Ream naval base to replace the ones that had been there since December, a senior Cambodian official has said.

Defense ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat wrote on his Facebook page that the recent exchange of Chinese naval vessels was conducted "under an agreement between the two countries' defense ministries" in order to train the Cambodian navy.

Radio Free Asia first reported on the arrival of two Chinese corvettes last December, the first foreign warships allowed to dock at the new Chinese-built pier at Ream.

The Wall Street Journal suggested in a recent report that China's corvettes indicated it was establishing a permanent presence at the base on the Gulf of Thailand, near the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

"More than half a year later, they are still there, serving as evidence to many in Washington that China's military has set up a permanent foothold" in Cambodia, the newspaper said.

It quoted a Ream resident who has relatives working at the base as saying that the base was divided into two separate areas, one reserved for the Chinese navy and the other one for the Cambodian navy.

The newspaper also said that China's access to Ream "is set to play a key role in any conflict over Taiwan or the South China Sea."

Chhum Socheat dismissed the WSJ report as "intentionally misleading and untrue," adding that some areas were under construction and therefore off-limits to outsiders in accordance with Cambodian laws.

The U.S. State Department previously said it had "serious concerns" about China's plans for exclusive control over portions of the Ream base.

Top officials in Phnom Penh have always maintained that allowing a foreign military to be based in Cambodia would be in contradiction to the country's constitution.

Type 056 corvettes

Satellite images obtained by Radio Free Asia from the imaging company Planet Labs on July 2 show two vessels docked at the new pier in Ream's center-west.

A calculation by RFA based on the images indicated they were 90 meters (295 feet) in length, and similar in size and shape to the two Type 056 missile corvettes - Wenshan and Bazhong - that were first spotted at the base on Dec. 3, 2024.

RFA could not identify their hull numbers from the images to determine if they were the same ships or different ones. The Chinese navy's South Sea Fleet, which is responsible for activities in the Southeast Asia region, has 20 such vessels.

"Unless we can verify it independently we have to assume the Cambodians would have every reason to say they're new arrivals in order to dispel external concerns," said Collin Koh, a regional military analyst.

"In fact, most analysts would assess that Cambodia had granted access for rotational deployment [of Chinese ships], but that's strictly speaking not a basing arrangement," said Koh, senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

"Cambodia seems to go down this path in order to avoid contravening its constitution," the analyst added.

Thomas Shugart, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security in Washington D.C. agreed that "it does sound like what you could call a rotational presence."

However, he warned that there will be an at least semi-permanent logistical presence of the Chinese navy at the base to support visiting warships.

The Type 056 corvette, and its later version Type 056A, is similar to the U.S.-built littoral combat ship, suitable for mid-range and littoral missions and equipped for anti-submarine warfare.

They have been used for asserting control over sea lanes and enhancing the navy's surveillance capabilities.

The two corvettes Wenshan and Bazhong were among 16 Chinese and Cambodian vessels taking part in the Golden Dragon bilateral exercise in May. They conducted a live-fire joint counter-terrorism operation in the waters off Sihanoukville port.

Chinese officials said at the time that assistance in upgrading and renovating the Cambodian naval base was aimed at enhancing Cambodia's ability to maintain maritime territorial integrity and combat maritime crime, not securing a potential military base.

Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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 jobless struggle amid economic slump

The accounts of hardship are in stark contrast to the rosy rhetoric around the Communist Party's 3rd plenum.

By Kitty Wang for RFA Mandarin 2024.07.04 -- Formerly prosperous workers in China, both white-collar and blue, are struggling with the hard reality of unemployment, interviewees told RFA Mandarin ahead of a major economic policy meeting the government claims will bring a brighter future.

The tales of hardship contrast with the upbeat tone of commentaries about economic measures to be announced at the Chinese Communist Party's third plenum on July 15 that will supposedly make all the difference.

"Entering July, Chinese people's expectations will be running high," according to a June 30 commentary in the Global Times newspaper, trumpeting "a holistic package of new reform plans" that is expected from the meeting.

"After more than 40 years' reform and opening-up, Chinese policymakers are becoming both astute and experienced in managing a giant economy like China's," it said.

But former employees who took out mortgages and started families during the boom-time before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020 tell a very different story in recent interviews with Radio Free Asia.

An IT professional from a major Chinese city who gave only the pseudonym Chen and limited professional details for fear of reprisals said he lost his highly paid job at a U.S. company "a few years ago," after the company was dropped from the supply chain of Chinese manufacturers due to increasingly strict quotas about the use of foreign technology imposed by both sides in the Sino-U.S. trade war.

Undeterred, Chen found himself another job at a European startup, only to be laid off when that company divested from China entirely.

'Few opportunities'

Chen now calls himself a freelance consultant, and occasionally gets small work-for-hire jobs and corporate consulting gigs.

But he's essentially unemployed, along with many of his skilled, white-collar peers.

"Last week, when I got together with some former colleagues, I heard that a lot of people have lost their jobs," he said, adding that jobs in foreign-owned companies are pretty scarce these days.

"A lot of my former friends and colleagues have either gone to work in state-owned or private companies, or joint ventures," Chen said. "Sometimes, when foreign companies pull out, they don't want to totally give up on this market, so they form a joint venture with a Chinese company and keep some business activity going."

One friend couldn't take the shift in corporate culture from a U.S.-owned company to a Chinese state-owned enterprise, however, and quit after just a year, Chen said.

"You'd think it would be enviable to land a job in such a big company, but he quit after less than a year because he couldn't adapt -- the culture shock was too big," he said.

The life of an IT consultant has been a bit of a comedown for Chen, and he has little recourse to that other generator of middle-class wealth, investments.

"There is less and less to invest in in China, and not many channels open," he said, citing the stock market crash earlier this year and collapse of a slew of asset management companies amid the economic downtown. "And a lot of them are scams."

"There are few job opportunities and few opportunities to grow your wealth," he said. "Yet there are plenty of opportunities, or traps, for taking your wealth away."

"Actually, it's best to not do anything at all."

Changing dynamics

A former asset management company employee from Shanghai who gave only the pseudonym Liu for fear of reprisals lost his job when the company went bankrupt.

Then the city was thrown into COVID-19 lockdown in 2022. Liu eventually found another job at a listed automobile parts company supplying American and European manufacturers, but was let go from there too.

"General Motors, Ford and other manufacturers are required to ensure that the proportion of parts made in China must be reduced to 45% within the next three years," Liu told RFA Mandarin.

The company took its production capacity to Thailand instead.

"The transfer of production capacity overseas will inevitably mean insufficient production at home, it's that simple," Liu said.

Liu, who is 39, has been unemployed ever since. He said his age is now strongly against him, yet he has a child and elderly parents depending on him.

"The companies that I like or that can afford my salary are all in a poor financial state," he said. "Also, there's this trend, I don't know when it started, that now that nobody is hiring people over 35. It's actually true."

And it's hard to get back into the Chinese state sector if you don't already have contacts there.

Competition for existing jobs is intense, and six-day weeks are now the norm.

China is also bursting at the seams with young, highly qualified graduates, offering masters and PhDs, Liu said.

Yet Liu's 600,000 yuan (US$82,500) mortgage isn't going to pay itself.

"I force myself to go out every day," he said. "I don't wear a suit and tie, but I wear professional clothes, and meet up with various people and see if there's any sign of a breakthrough."

"I feel like I will just rot if I sit at home."

Feeling the pinch

Blue-collar workers are feeling the pinch too.

A former construction worker in his 20s from the southern city of Changsha who gave only the pseudonym Sun for fear of reprisals said he has been unemployed for two years now, although he prefers to describe himself as "waiting for work."

Sun's job once brought in a good salary of up to 8,000 yuan (US$1,100) a month, but his boss closed the company down in 2022 in the economic downturn that came after the ending of COVID-19 restrictions that year. A few months later, the entire real estate sector was in freefall.

At least Sun wasn't caught out like many borrowers, paying mortgages on unfinished properties they couldn't even live in.

But while he has only paid off some of the loan, he is reluctant to struggle to earn a few cents in China's gig economy, which now accounts for 27% of the country's labor force, with 200 million people registered as being in "flexible employment."

"Some former colleagues from our sector are now driving for [ride-sharing app] Didi, or delivering food, but it's very high pressure because more and more people are doing it, and everyone is unemployed," Sun said.

He cites poor, often hazardous, working conditions, pointing to a recent report of a food delivery rider in Changsha who narrowly escaped a flash flood with his life in a recent rainstorm, and had to be rescued by police.

"It's totally unnecessary for me to risk my life just to make 5 or 6 yuan (70-80 U.S. cents) per delivery," he said.

Sun's family is currently getting by on his wife's salary as a nurse. His elderly parents are paying off his mortgage while he has no income.

He can't see things improving anytime soon.

"I feel that the economic growth we had in the past was too fast, and that we'll be paying back the overdraft on the economy for the next 20 years, or even longer," he said, adding that he is seeking solace and support from others in his situation on social media.

"I feel like I can't see a future," he said.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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






North Korea and Russia to build road bridge over Tumen River

Experts predict it will increase trade and tourism between two nations connected only by rail.

By Seo Hye Jun for RFA Korean 2024.07.03 -- North Korea and Russia plan to build a new road bridge connecting their countries over the Tumen River, which separates them in North Korea's northeast.

The two sides agreed to the Tumen River Bridge plan during Russian President Vladimir Putin's 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 Korea's northwest.

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 Korea's Sinuiju and China's 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 Japan's 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 Korea's 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.

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 Korea's 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. "Isn't this the best time for North Korea-Russia relations for each other? So, we expect that such exchanges will definitely take place."

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.

"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.

"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.

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






North Korea recalls overseas students for 'political indoctrination'

The sessions are seen as part of a broader effort to tighten control over the younger generation.

By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.07.04 -- North Korea has issued a directive for students studying overseas to return home for "political indoctrination" sessions, said South Korea's unification ministry.

The sessions, aimed at reinforcing allegiance to leader Kim Jong Un, will be held at the Pyongyang Grand People's Study House later this month, the ministry said on Wednesday.

"North Korea is gradually resuming the measures that were halted due to the COVID-19 lockdown," said the ministry, adding that the order appeared to be aimed at involving the younger generation.

The indoctrination is seen as part of a broader effort to tighten control over young North Koreans as well as preventing defections among the young members of the elite, said the ministry.

The ministry's announcement came after media reports that the North has ordered the recall of students studying abroad, including those in China and Russia, following instructions from North Korean leader Kim.

South Korean broadcaster SBS cited North Korean sources as saying that some of the students, mostly from the North's elite families, are worried about the possibility of being forced to stay in their home country if they are caught dating, neglecting their studies or other behavior deemed unpatriotic.

North Korea used to bring home students staying abroad during summer vacations to conduct political and ideological education, including indoctrination sessions before the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, since North Korea sealed itself off from the outside world in 2020 in a bid to keep the virus out, the sessions have not been held, according to the unification ministry.

Edited by Mike Firn.

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






INDIA-MONGOLIA JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE NOMADIC ELEPHANT COMMENCES IN MEGHALAYA

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 03 JUL 2024 2:37PM by PIB Delhi

The 16th edition of India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise NOMADIC ELEPHANT commenced today, at Foreign Training Node, Umroi (Meghalaya). The Exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 03rd to 16th July 2024.

Indian contingent comprising of 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 150 Quick Reaction Force Battalion of the Mangolian Army. Exercise NOMADIC ELEPHANT is an annual training event conducted alternatively in India and Mongolia. Last edition was conducted in Mongolia in July 2023.

The Opening Ceremony of the Exercise NOMADIC ELEPHANT was attended by His Excellency Mr. 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 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 & 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 of conducting joint operations. The exercise will also facilitate developing 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.

****

SC



(Release ID: 2030373)

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






External Affairs Minister's meeting with Member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Political Bureau and Foreign Minister, H.E. Mr. Wang Yi on the sidelines of SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting

India - Ministry of External Affairs

July 04, 2024

External Affairs Minister (EAM) met Member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Political Bureau and Foreign Minister, H.E. Mr. Wang Yi on 04 July 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan on the sidelines of the SCO Meeting of the Council of Heads of State. The two Ministers had an in-depth exchange of views on finding an early resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh to stabilize and rebuild bilateral relations.

2.a The two Ministers agreed that the prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. EAM highlighted the need to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement from the remaining areas in Eastern Ladakh and restore border peace and tranquillity in order to remove obstacles towards return of normalcy in bilateral relations. He reaffirmed the importance of fully abiding by relevant bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings reached between the two Governments in the past. The Line of Actual Control must be respected and peace and tranquillity in the border areas always ensured.

3.a Both Ministers agreed to continue and step up meetings of the diplomatic and military officials of the two sides to take forward their discussions to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest. To that end, they agreed that the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) should hold an early meeting. EAM reiterated that India-China relationship is best served by observing the three mutuals - mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests.

4.a The two Ministers also exchanged views on the global situation. EAM extended to FM Wang Yi India's support for China's Presidency of SCO next year.

Astana

July 04, 2024

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Raksha Mantri holds telecon with Australian Deputy Prime Minister to review progress in bilateral defence ties

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Discussions focused on closer collaboration between the two countries in Indo-Pacific: Shri Rajnath Singh

Posted On: 04 JUL 2024 1:18PM by PIB Delhi

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held a telephonic conversation with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mr Richard Marles on July 04, 2024. Through a post on X, the Raksha Mantri stated that a range of issues pertaining to bilateral defence cooperation were reviewed, with focus on closer collaboration between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific. "We place great value on India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," he said.

Both Ministers noted the transformative progress in defence cooperation under the comprehensive strategic partnership, and appreciated the momentum achieved in the ties since the last India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, which the two Ministers attended in November 2023. Australia considers India as a top-tier security partner in their National Defence Strategy document which was released in 2024.

Mr Richard Marles congratulated Shri Rajnath Singh for taking charge as the Raksha Mantri for a second consecutive term, and appreciated the functioning of the Indian democratic system wherein people voted in large numbers. He also congratulated the Raksha Mantri on Team India becoming the T20 world champions.

*********

ABB/Savvy



(Release ID: 2030645)

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Leader: Voter turnout 'backbone' of Islamic Republic; Friday runoff 'very important'

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 03 July 2024 10:41 AM

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has underscored the turnout of Iranians in the presidential runoff election on Friday as the "backbone" of the Islamic Republic.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with scholars from Shahid Motahari University in the capital Tehran on Wednesday as Iranian people, in their millions, are scheduled to cast their ballots for the second round of the presidential election on July 5.

Describing the participation of people as the "backbone and source of pride for the Islamic Establishment," the Leader said, "The better, clearer and more evident the participation, the more capable the system will be to achieve its domestic goals and to pursue the goals in the strategic development of the country, which is a big opportunity."

"This election is very important and anyone who loves Islam, the Islamic Republic, the progress of the country, the improvement of the situation and [favors] bridging the gaps should show this interest by participating in the election on Friday," the Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei described the turnout in the first round of the election as less than expected and contrary to predictions, stressing that the reasons are being investigated by politicians and sociologists.

Campaigning for the runoff vote officially began on Sunday, a day after the results of the June 28 election were announced by the Interior Ministry.

Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili received the highest number of votes but no candidate managed to secure the absolute majority, paving the way for the runoff election.

Pezeshkian is a former health minister and senior lawmaker from the northwestern city of Tabriz.

Jalili is the former lead nuclear negotiator and head of the top security body.

More than 24 million people cast their votes in Friday's election to replace Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, who lost his life in a helicopter crash on May 19.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iran's Khamenei Insists Voters Who Shunned Presidential Vote Not Opposed To Islamic Republic

By RFE/RL's Radio Farda July 03, 2024

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has lamented the record-low turnout in the first round of Iran's presidential election last week, but insisted that it is not reflective of the popularity of the Islamic republic.

In comments on July 3, Khamenei said the runoff vote on July 5 between reformist hopeful Masud Pezeshkian and hard-line candidate Saeed Jalili was "very important" and urged the public to participate.

"Those who love Islam and the Islamic republic and the progress of the country must show it by taking part in the election," said the 85-year-old, who has the final say on all state matters.

Khamenei said the 40-percent turnout in the first round of the vote on June 28 was "not as expected," but added that it was "completely wrong to think that those who did not vote in the first round are against the system."

However, in a speech in 2001, Khamenei had ridiculed 40-percent voter participation in Western nations, saying it was "shameful" and a sign that "people do not trust, care, hope for the political system."

Pezeshkian received around 42.5 percent of the ballots in the first round of voting, while his rival Jalili finished second with 38.6 percent.

The conservative vote was split between Jalili and parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who came in third with around 13.8 percent of the vote. Mostafa Purmohammadi, a former justice minister, finished last with just under 1 percent.

With no candidate securing enough votes to win the election outright, a runoff has been scheduled for July 5.

The first round of voting was held amid calls by dissidents and activists to boycott the election, arguing that past votes had failed to instigate change.

Iran has seen a trend of sliding voter turnout since 2020 that is driven in part by a growing frustration over a lack of freedoms, a faltering economy, and declining living standards.

Analysts say the declining voter participation reflects a growing despondency in society and casts doubt over the legitimacy of Iran's clerical establishment, which has been in power since 1979.

Elections in the Islamic republic are tightly controlled with candidates being preselected by an unelected body dominated by hard-liners.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-presidential- election-vote-turnout-khamenei-islamic-republic/33020346.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






LOBAMBA  The Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy admitted to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that it signed a E5.9 million contract that was not vetted by the attorney general.

The Auditor General (AG) noted glaring anomalies in the E5.9 million contract between the ministry and McGregor Blue Investments. The South African company, based in Cape Town, was enlisted to review basic fuel pricing methodology in the Kingdom of Eswatini in 2021. The attorney general is entrusted by Section 77(5)( b ) of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini, to draw or peruse agreements, contracts, treaties, conventions and documents, by whatever name called, in which government is a party or has an interest.

Yesterday, the Auditor General, Timothy Matsebula, as well as the PAC, were shocked when the former was going through the contract that was signed on January 25, 2021. Matsebula pointed out three glaring misses in the contract, that could have cost the taxpayer millions of Emalangeni. The first miss of the contract was that it was never vetted by the attorney general. The second anomaly was that the signatures of the company director, Guy McGregor, were inconsistent across pages, while some crucial pages were not signed.

Witnesses

In addition, some pages were not numbered and there were no witnesses signatures. The only signatures were those of the Principal Secretary (PS), Dorcas Dlamini and McGregor.

Page numbers 23 and 24 are missing. The controlling officer did not endorse her signature on page 21 of the contract, yet this page contains the contract sum. Section 6.1 (lump-sum payment) of the contract indicated that the total payment to the consultant shall not exceed the contract price, which is an all-inclusive fixed lump sum covering all costs required to carry out the services described in Appendix A, however, the cited appendix was not attached. Some totals were not arithmetically correct. These include the totals for the remuneration of the financial analyst specialist and petroleum supply expert, travelling expenses and training and capacity building.

There were no witnesses signatures, stated Matsebula, as he presented the audit query that was captured in the Financial Audit Report on the Consolidated Government Accounts of the Kingdom of Eswatini for the financial year ended March 31, 2022. The Members of Parliament (MPs) were concerned about the issue, because it could have exposed government, should the contract have hidden clauses, not seen by the ministrys legal advisor. We know all contracts should be vetted by the attorney general, but you used your legal officer. How did you fail to get witnesses signatures? asked the PAC Vice Chairperson and Nhlambeni MP, Manzi Zwane.

Ngwempisi MP Bhekibandla Vilakati, wondered how the ministry continued to rely on a contract that had such glaring mistakes. He noted that to rectify the mistakes in the contract, the ministrys Director of Energy Department, Thabile Nkosi, told the PAC that they had printed another contract that had rectified the mistakes. He said even the corrected contract carried more or less glaring mistakes. How are you going to work with so many mistakes repeatedly and the fact that they had to be picked by an outsider? he asked. The MP alleged that something was being hidden by the ministry and required deeper investigations.

Mistakes

Phondo MP Bonginkosi Dube, said since both contracts had mistakes, he advised that the ministry should have started the entire contract afresh. He noted that the auditor general, in the first contract, had picked that the contract was not vetted by the attorney general and wondered if the corrected contract was vetted. Nkosi said even the second contract was not taken to the attorney general for vetting. Gege MP Magesi Dlamini, pleaded with the ministry to put control measures in place, to avoid such negligence in future. Nkosi acknowledged that the contract had a lot of mistakes.
Turkmenistan, Iran Sign Natural Gas Deal That Includes Plan To Build Pipeline

By RFE/RL July 03, 2024

Turkmenistan and Iran signed a contract on July 3 for the delivery of 10 billion cubic meters of Turkmen natural gas per year, which Iran will then ship to Iraq.

Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry announced the deal but did not say what price Iran would pay for the gas.

The ministry's statement said Iranian companies will construct a new 125-kilometer pipeline between Iran and Turkmenistan to expand the Central Asian country's delivery capacity.

The ministry said Turkmenistan, whose economy is heavily dependent on the export of natural gas, also plans to increase its gas supplies to Iran to 40 billion cubic meters a year. However, no time frame was given.

Iran has the world's second-largest natural gas reserves and is the world's third-largest producer of the fossil fuel, but rising domestic demand is curtailing its ability to export. Iran has faced natural gas shortages during the wintertime.

A gas swap with Turkmenistan will allow Iran to meet its export commitments.

Turkmenistan has been carrying out gas swaps with Iran for several years, but the volume has been relatively low at just a few billion cubic meters annually.

Revenue from natural gas exports account for the lion's share of Turkmenistan's budget.

Turkmenistan holds the world's fourth-largest proven natural gas reserves, estimated at nearly 14 trillion cubic meters, according to statistics compiled by British Petroleum.

Turkmenistan currently produces about 80 billion cubic meters, meaning its production to proven reserve life is 166 years, an extraordinarily high number by global standards and one that implies Turkmenistan has the potential to produce significantly more.

However, Turkmenistan has had trouble finding markets for its massive natural gas reserves. Bordered by Russia, Uzbekistan, Iran and the land-locked Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan has no ability to directly ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) to world markets.

China is the country's main customer for natural gas, accounting for about half of Turkmenistan's annual production.

Turkmenistan is working on a pipeline to supply gas to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, where natural gas demand is expected to rise significantly in the coming decades.

Turkmenistan has for decades been considering shipping natural gas via a pipeline across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and further on to Europe, but opposition by littoral states Iran and Russia, previously the largest natural gas supplier to Europe, has left the idea in limbo.

Europe's attempt to cut its natural gas demand has also raised questions about the viability of the pipeline.

With reporting by AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/turkmenistan-pipeline- iran-natural-gas-iraq/33020647.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






Khamenei urges Iranians to vote in presidential runoff after low turnout in first round

By VOA News July 03, 2024

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday urged voters to take part in Friday's presidential election after a historically low first-round turnout.

In the first round of Iran's presidential election, only 40% of the country's 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 week's 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%.

Friday's runoff was announced after none of the candidates received the 50% threshold required to claim victory.

Some of Iran's 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 people's turnout for the second round will be important and a source of pride for the Islamic Republic," Khamenei said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Meeting with Acting Head of the Executive Branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Mokhber



ladimir Putin meets with Acting Head of the Executive Branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Mokhber on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

July 4, 2024

11:30

Astana

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov attended the meeting from the Russian side.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Mokhber, friends. I am very pleased to see you and to welcome everyone.

I would like to begin by saying that Iran-Russia relations are truly friendly and constructive. I am confident that our relations will grow stronger regardless of the outcome of the elections in your country. We wish the Iranian people a successful second round.

Notably, last year our trade slightly adjusted downward, decreased, but this year it grew by 14 percent as compared to the same period the year before.

The free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran will certainly contribute to the further strengthening of our economic ties.

The member states of the organisation are reviewing Iran's application for observer state status at the EAEU. For our part, we support it.

Tourist flows are expanding as well. The number of Russian tourists to Iran has increased by a quarter.

Notably, our approaches to key items on the international agenda overlap. We are united by the desire to create a multipolar world order, to observe all statutes of international law, and to preserve the central role of the United Nations.

Please convey my best wishes for continued good health and well-being to the Supreme Leader of Iran Mr Khamenei.

Acting Head of the Executive Branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Mokhber (retranslated): I would like to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude for your condolences and telephone calls, which were truly comforting for us.

The strategy of establishing very close and deep relations with the Russian Federation was devised by Iran's spiritual leader, who oversees its implementation.

First, I would like to convey the greetings and best wishes from Iran's spiritual leader and express my gratitude for your dedication in promoting our work. I would also like to thank you for sending a high-level delegation to honour the memory of our late President.

According to the spiritual leader, our relations with Russia are so deep and enduring that no changes in the government can harm them.

It is evident that the strategic relations between Iran and Russia interfere with the global dominance equation, and the unilateral system has already become obsolete.

Special thanks should be extended to the late President Raisi for his sincere efforts which enabled us to elevate Iranian-Russian relations to a new level.

<a>

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Campaigning Over Ahead Of Iran's Presidential Vote, With Turnout A Concern

By RFE/RL July 04, 2024

Iranian state media said on July 4 that campaigning had ended one day ahead of a runoff vote between a reformist and a hard-liner to replace the country's late president in an election beset so far by record-low turnout.

The tightly vetted race has narrowed to ultraconservative Saeed Jalili and veteran reformist lawmaker and ethnic Azeri Masud Pezeshkian, who surprised many by earning the most of four candidates in voting on June 28.

Voter turnout in the first round was just 40 percent, a record low that has prompted concern at the highest levels of the country's religiously dominated leadership.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged on July 3 that the turnout was "not as expected" but denied the lack of voter interest reflected unpopularity for Iran's leadership and called the vote "very important."

"Those who love Islam and the Islamic republic and the progress of the country must show it by taking part in the election," said Khamenei, 85, who has the final say on all state matters.

While some of the regime's harshest critics have urged a boycott of round two, it was unclear how widespread those calls were and whether Iranians would heed them.

Iran's unelected, hard-line institutions routinely vet candidate applications to weed out perceived threats, including by disqualifying relative moderates.

This election is seen as especially important because of Khamenei's advanced age and the eventual winner's potential role in influencing the choice of the next supreme leader.

Pezeshkian won around 42.5 percent of the ballots in the first round, according to official results, while Jalili finished with 38.6 percent.

Neither of the other two candidates -- parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and former Justice Minister Mostafa Purmohammadi -- got more than 14 percent.

Critics and dissidents urged a boycott of the election, saying past votes have failed to bring change.

Voter turnout in Iran has been slumping since 2020, seemingly driven by frustration over a lack of freedoms and reforms, a beleaguered economy that is still subject to U.S. and other sanctions, and falling living standards.

Rights groups have alleged that Iran's authorities have cranked up suppression of critical voices on social media since ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash while returning from a visit to Azerbaijan on May 19.

Raisi was an intensely divisive figure who was relentless in his criticism of the West and accused of serving as a prosecutor for an "execution committee" that sent thousands of political prisoners and regime opponents to their deaths in the late 1980s.

He was also seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Khamenei.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials also died in the crash.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with interim Iranian President Mohammad Mokhber on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan in July 4 amid an "unprecedented upswing" in bilateral ties, Russia's Foreign Ministry said, according to Reuters.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-election-president- campaign-pezeshkian-jalili/33021728.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






Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with President of Israel Isaac Herzog

Prime Minister of Canada - Justin Trudeau

July 4, 2024

Ottawa, Ontario

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog. The Prime Minister and the President discussed the latest developments in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.

The Prime Minister reiterated his condemnation of the brutal terrorist attacks conducted by Hamas and other terrorist groups against Israel on October 7, 2023. The Prime Minister expressed his support for an immediate ceasefire, and both leaders called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas. The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of protecting Palestinian civilians and the need for increased and sustained humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.

The Prime Minister condemned the disturbing rise of antisemitism globally.

The Prime Minister highlighted Canada's longstanding support for a two-state solution to secure a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the region. He also underscored Canada's support for democratic values and the rules based international order.

Prime Minister Trudeau also voiced Canada's concerns over further escalation along Israel's northern border, which Hezbollah continues to bombard with rockets, and expressed concern for civilians. The Prime Minister underscored the importance of avoiding further escalation.

Prime Minister Trudeau and President Herzog agreed to remain in contact as the situation continues to evolve.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






PM Netanyahu Speaks with US President Joe Biden

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Press Releases

The 37th Government

04.07.2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today, spoke by telephone with US President Joe Biden and congratulated him and the American people on the occasion of US Independence Day.

The Prime Minister said that without the US there would be no freedom in the world. President Biden said that without Israel there would be no security for Jews in the world.

Prime Minister Netanyahu updated President Biden on his decision to send a delegation to continue the hostage negotiations and reiterated the principles that Israel is committed to, especially its commitment to end the war only after all of its goals have been achieved.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Readout of President Joe Biden's Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel

July 04, 2024

President Biden spoke this morning with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The Prime Minister congratulated the United States on the occasion of Independence Day, and thanked the President for his continued and steadfast support for Israel's security.

President Biden and the Prime Minister discussed ongoing efforts to finalize a ceasefire deal together with the release of hostages, as outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council, the G7, and countries around the world.

The leaders discussed the recent response received from Hamas. The President welcomed the Prime Minister's decision to authorize his negotiators to engage with U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal.

President Biden reaffirmed his ironclad commitment to Israel's security including in the face of threats from Iranian-backed terrorist groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah.

Both leaders welcomed the meeting to take place on July 15 between their national security teams in the Strategic Consultative Group format.

###

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Xi, Tokayev hold talks, hail China-Kazakhstan relations

Global Times

State visit a milestone, injects new vigor to regional cooperation: analyst

By GT staff reporters in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan Published: Jul 03, 2024 11:25 PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping said that he is ready to work with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to jointly build a more substantive and dynamic China-Kazakhstan community with a shared future, and inject more positive energy to the development and stability of the region and beyond, during his meeting with Tokayev at the presidential palace in Astana on Wednesday.

Xi is on a state visit to Kazakhstan and will attend here the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

President Xi's state visit to Kazakhstan will mark a new milestone in the development of bilateral relations, which are now soaring to a new height led by head-of-state diplomacy and built on frequent, cordial high-level bilateral exchanges, observers said.

Xi also met with leaders of other SCO members or dialogue partner, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday, during which they exchanged views on topics of mutual concerns and also on the development of the SCO.

Analysts said as the world is now grappling with rising geopolitical tensions, protectionism and the Western decoupling attempts that threatened the strategic autonomy of developing countries, the face-to-face meetings between leaders of SCO member states also provide a rare opportunity to reach consensus and coordinate a joint solution on pressing global and regional challenges, such as combating traditional and non-traditional security threats, as well as upholding multilateralism.

A new high in ties

Xi said during the meeting with Tokayev on Wednesday that China's will and determination to maintain and grow bilateral relations stand firm, and will not be changed due to any single incident or transformations in the international situation. China will always be a good neighbor and partner Kazakhstan can rely on and trust, he added.

Chinese side regards Kazakhstan as a priority in China's neighborhood diplomacy and an important partner for cooperation in Central Asia, said Xi.

Tokayev said Xi's state visit to Kazakhstan is of historic significance to the development of Kazakhstan-China relations, hailing China as a friendly neighbor, close friend and important strategic partner of his country.

Following the talks, the two heads of state signed the joint statement between China and Kazakhstan, and witnessed the exchange of dozens of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of economy and trade, connectivity, aviation and aerospace, education and media, according to Xinhua News Agency.

China and Kazakhstan support their aerospace institutions and enterprises in discussing the possibility of the commercial use of each other's space launch sites, said a joint statement between China and Kazakhstan released here on Wednesday.

The two sides also support their aerospace institutions and enterprises in communicating and cooperating in the peaceful use of outer space, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation in fields including the moon and deep space, as well as the reception and exchange of remote sensing data, said the joint statement signed by Xi and Tokayev.

The fruitful results underscore that a full-fledged pragmatic cooperation is gaining momentum between the world's second-largest economy and the largest economy in Central Asia and a key node along the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Those fruitful results are also consequential for all the five Central Asia countries amid a turbulent international situation, Chinese and Kazakh scholars said, as they will "inject new vigor" into the region's development, help those nations' modernization and globalization push, while also making significant contribution to the stability and security of the region.

"The visit clearly demonstrates that China attaches great importance to its relations with Kazakhstan, the high level and the unique nature of this bilateral ties, and Kazakhstan's vital position in China's foreign diplomacy," Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Analysts said China and Kazakhstan have been interacting with each other under various mechanisms, from the highlight of head-of-state diplomacy that sets the top-level design, to regular meetings between entrepreneurs and dialogues at the local levels, which constitute top-down "comprehensive, integrated exchanges."

Kazakhstan is hosting the SCO summit in Astana this week, and China will assume the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2024-2025. The Central Asia country next year will also host the China-Central Asia Summit - a key regional cooperation platform.

"The high level of relations between our countries indicates that China and Kazakhstan fully trust each other, develop mutually beneficial cooperation, and support the initiatives of both countries," Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of the China Studies Center in Kazakhstan, told the Global Times.

China's Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) will have a new branch in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Tokayev studied Chinese language at BLCU from 1983 to 1984, and this new project has become a symbol of educational exchanges between the two countries, media reported.

BLCU is also where Kazakh President Tokayev studied Chinese from 1983 to 1984, and walking through the cultural exhibition hall of the campus on Wednesday, the Global Times reporter saw a photocopy of Tokayev's student ID card, which documented his youthful years in China and epitomizes the ever-lasting friendship between China and Kazakhstan.

The opening of the branch in Astana is expected to play an important role in promoting mutual understanding and exchanges between China and Kazakhstan, BLCU president Duan Peng told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"Kazakh youngsters could study here and make friends, and the school will become a bridge for mutual learning among different civilizations," Duan said, noting that the school plans to develop the Kazakh branch into a high-level university with undergraduate, master, and doctoral programs over the next five years, serving the entire Central Asian region.

Xi and Tokayev jointly attended an opening ceremony of the Trans-Caspian international transportation route (TITR) via video link on Wednesday.

Li Yongquan, director of the Eurasian Social Development Research at the Development Research Center of the State Council, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the infrastructure development "aligns perfectly" with China's development strategy and that of Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

"China and Kazakhstan's cooperation under BRI is highly pragmatic and has yielded substantial achievements, setting a global benchmark," Zhang Xiao, Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview. He also voiced strong confidence that the two countries will jointly head toward the next golden decade of high-quality BRI cooperation.

According to analysts, as Central Asia is in dire needs of more infrastructure construction, the implementation of TITR will further transform the landlocked region into a vital corridor between the East and West, facilitating its integration into the global supply chain. Meanwhile, China's capacity cooperation with resource-rich Central Asia also injects new impetus and certainty into regional development.

"Through frameworks such as the United Nations, the SCO, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, and the China-Central Asia mechanism, both countries contribute to advancing a fairer and more equitable global governance system," Zhang stressed.

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 BRI. He visited the Central Asian country in 2017 and 2022 to boost bilateral ties.

Face-to-face meetings

The face-to-face meetings between heads of state cover many critical discussions and decisions that will affect the future of all forms of cooperation in the Central Asia region and beyond, Maryam Agharabi, research coordinator at China & Central Asia Studies Center (CCASC) in Kazakhstan, told the Global Times.

They also provide a rare opportunity to focus not only on bilateral relations and consolidate mutual trust, but more importantly to strengthen regional integration and jointly resolve emerging problems amid profound global changes, especially in fights against transnational security threat, Kazakh scholars said.

"Many countries will also be keen to learn China's experiences in security and development, and how the country provides new dynamic to the development of SCO at its 23 years of development," Cui said.

During the SCO summit chaired by Kazakhstan, the SCO Astana Declaration is expected to be adopted, according to a report by Astana Times.

Zhang said the SCO summit will see leaders of member states further promote the "Shanghai Spirit." The SCO member countries will engage in in-depth discussions on enhancing SCO development and cooperation in various fields, anchoring the organization's course toward building a community with a shared future, he noted.

The SCO's principles are gaining broader acceptance, with more countries aspiring to join the "SCO family," injecting stability and positive energy into regional security, stability, and development, he stressed.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Meeting with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Vladimir Putin met with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who will chair the 24th meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council in Astana on July 4.

July 3, 2024

18:30

Astana

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev: Mr Putin, I am delighted to see you in Astana.

I would like to express my gratitude to you for joining this summit. You know that Kazakhstan is chairing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation this year. It is a very honourable mission, but it comes with great responsibility too. Tomorrow, I will report on the work that has been carried out under our leadership. I believe the chairmanship has been productive, with many events held. The organisation itself is being reformed, although this is not an easy thing.

The performance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is also improving. The group has gained sufficient authority in the international arena. In my view, the SCO is one of the most successful international organisations in the current context. It is also an inherently democratic one, meaning that the principle of equality of all states is observed and respected here.

I certainly cannot fail to acknowledge Russia's enormous contribution to strengthening the potential of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. And as Chairman, I would like to express my gratitude to you for that.

As for bilateral cooperation, it has been on an upward trajectory since your very important - one might say, historic visit last November. I keep the implementation of the agreements reached under personal review. The projects that we agreed on during your visit are of prime importance and, in fact, embody the strategic nature of cooperation between our states. Therefore, I have no doubt that they will be implemented, because they align with the interests of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation alike.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to make another visit to Kazakhstan in November and time it with your participation in a meeting of the supreme council [the Collective Security Council] of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation. I believe this is simply necessary in order to maintain the pace of cooperation we achieved between our countries, and I hope to see you again in our country, this time on a state visit.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Tokayev, thank you for the invitation.

We appreciate the efforts Kazakhstan has invested to make this event possible. It is in its early phase, but we can already see its scale. It certainly has an international dimension not formally, but substantively. This is my first point.

Second, I would like to note that Kazakhstan, on the one hand, and Russia, on the other hand, are chairing a number of international organisations and hold forums. You are chairing the SCO and the CSTO, and Russia is chairing BRICS and the CIS. We will support and help each other in this regard.

I would like to thank you for inviting me to pay a state visit to Kazakhstan. Without a doubt, timing my visit to the CSTO summit is the most rational choice. We will definitely do it. Thank you for the invitation. I certainly accept it.

With regard to our bilateral relations, we maintain contact at all times. Still, I would be remiss not to note that trade has expanded to almost US$30 billion, over US$28 billion, which is impressive. With over 17 percent of Kazakhstan's trade, Russia is among its key trade and economic partners.

We are pursuing many important areas of cooperation marked by high levels of collaboration, and many interesting projects. I propose discussing this today as well.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev: Agreed.

<a>

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Fighting near northern Myanmar town leaves 7 dead, including 3 children

One shell hit a house killing a family of six as they were eating breakfast in their kitchen, neighbors said.

By RFA Burmese 2024.07.03 -- 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 junta's Northeastern Military Command's 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.

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. "We've heard the sound of heavy guns firing all morning but I'm 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 Ta'ang 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 state's 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.

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






MANZINI  A Motsa family has more questions than answers, after their relative died under unclear circumstances at the National Psychiatric Referral Hospital.

The 49-year-old Sibangani Motsa, from Ngculwini, died nine days after being admitted to the psychiatric hospital. Sibangani, according to his relatives, suffered from a mental illness, bipolar and was admitted to the hospital on June 21. The hospital reports reflect that he died on June 30. The Motsa family has expressed concerns about his alleged treatment. They said they were troubled by an alleged lack of clarity on Sibanganis last days and death. They are demanding answers from the hospital regarding the circumstances surrounding Sibanganis death. Members of the Motsa family, who spoke to this publication, said they visited him on June 28, a week after his admission to the hospital.

Explanation

They alleged that they were not allowed to see him and no clear explanation was given. They said they were only told that there had been a severe episode. They said they suspected that he died on Friday and not on Sunday as reported by the hospital. Sibanganis elder brother, Muzi Motsa, recounted the events leading to his admission to the hospital. On June 21, they admitted Sibangani to the psychiatric centre. He was coherent and able to converse. A nurse even enquired if this was his first admission, to which Sibangani replied negatively, he recalled. Muzi alleged that following an injection administered in a separate room, a nurse advised the family to visit him after seven days. Muzi detailed that Sibangani was purportedly not in a critical condition when he was admitted.

Health

The family member said when they went to the health facility again, a health worker told them that the deceased had asked for permission to bask in the sun as he was feeling cold. Motsa stated that they were told that he was found lying motionless and was later certified dead. According to the family, this limited explanation was a cause for concern to them. They highlighted that what compounded their confusion was the timeline of events surrounding Sibanganis death. We went to deliver lunch for him at his designated spot, only to find him unresponsive. We still question the significant delay in notifying us.

We were not informed of his passing until 4pm, despite the hospital claiming that he died around midday, they said. The family alleged that the hospital was unable to provide a complete file documenting Sibanganis care history, with medication and food records unavailable. They were of the view that the institutions purported lack of transparency was a source of distress for them. In their quest for answers, the family highlighted that they then sought clarity from the police in Manzini, petitioning the police to facilitate an autopsy on the deceased.

They suggested that Sibanganis death may be linked to physical harm, purportedly inflicted during his stay at the psychiatric referral hospital.

They also supposed that his death could have resulted from a dosage error in administering medication or an alleged reckless oversight by health workers. We are distraught, having hoped that Sibanganis stay at the psychiatric centre would lead to his recovery. As it is, we are left confused by the timeline provided by the hospital, they shared. The nurse who was dealing with the issue referred this publication to the Ministry of Health. Nsindiso Tsabedze, the Communications Officer in the ministry, was asked to explain why the family was not provided with a reason for the death of their loved one.

He was further asked if the ministry conducted an autopsy to determine the cause of death, and if not, state the reasons why.The communications officer was queried further about the ministrys policy regarding family visitation rights of their loved ones. He was further quizzed on how the ministry ensured transparency and accountability in such cases, where a patient died unexpectedly while under their care.

Related

In addition, the ministry was asked what the patients death could be potentially related to, as well as if there were any signs or symptoms in the days leading up to his death that could indicate a possible cause. The ministry was also asked if there were any tests performed to determine the cause of death. Lastly, it was probed if the cause of death remained unknown, what steps the ministry was taking to investigate and determine the cause. In response, Tsabedze said: The ministry is aware of the matter and is awaiting a detailed report from the facilitys management team. The ministrys spokesperson added that the ministry was, therefore, unable to discuss the matter until further information had been provided.

The family of the late Sibangani claims that his body was taken to the mortuary without their permission. According to the family, this raised concerns about transparency and potential attempts to conceal information. The family also claimed that it was not allowed access to Sibanganis medical records. The last documented treatment noted in his file was an injection administered on Friday at 10am. However, there are no records of food or medication being provided from that point until Sunday, when he was discovered dead, the family stated.
Meeting with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif

Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

July 3, 2024

13:45

Astana

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister,

I am very glad to see you. We met two years ago, also on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Samarkand, where we had the opportunity to discuss bilateral relations and our cooperation on the international stage.

I would like to note that during this time, relations between the two countries have been developing in business-like and friendly spirit. We can also see a growth in trade, and prospects in this sphere look great.

I would like to particularly emphasise two key areas: cooperation in the energy and agro-industrial sectors. We have started supplying energy resources to Pakistan, and we are ready to further increase these supplies. As per your request, Russia is actively working to support Pakistan's food security by increasing grain supplies to the Pakistani market.

Our foreign ministries also cooperate in various international organisations and on international platforms, as I have already mentioned, including the United Nations.

Mr Prime Minister,

We are happy to see that our friendly relations have thrived over the decades. I hope that our meeting today will contribute to further strengthening the ties between Russia and Pakistan.

I am delighted to see you, Mr Prime Minister.

Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif: Thank you very much, Mr President. It is really a great honour and a pleasure to meet you, and I am very happy to meet you after we met in Samarkand on the sidelines of the SCO.

Once again, I would like to congratulate you on your re-election, and I am sure the Russian Federation will further progress under your able leadership.

Mr President, I am very happy to share with you that our bilateral relations have had a positive trajectory over the last many years. This is a matter of great comfort for us and I would like to work with you closely to further cement our relations. We have a whole lot to do, and we can benefit from your experience. We can certainly enhance our trade, which is at the moment approaching US$1 billion. And, of course, on my request, you were very kind to promote cooperation in the field of energy, and we received a shipment of oil from your great country, and I am very grateful for that. We really need to further move in this direction.

Your Excellency, our relations stand on our own strength. Neither our relations are driven by any geopolitical contingency, nor are they impacted by our relations with other countries. Pakistan has very long-standing business relations with your great country. If you remember, I mentioned it to you last time: during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, we had bilateral trade under barter. We used to import a lot of machinery and goods from erstwhile Soviet Russia, and we used to export textile and leather goods to your country, and it was under barter. I think that today is the time we can overcome financial and other banking issues by renewing our trade and expanding our trade under barter. That will be very beneficial to Pakistan, and we will be able to overcome lots of many other problems.

Mr President, once again I would like to thank you for this opportunity. I would like to assure you, on my behalf and on behalf of the people of Pakistan, that we really want to further strengthen our relations.

<a>

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Bomb attack in NW Pakistan kills former senator, 4 others

By Ayaz Gul July 03, 2024

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 Wednesday's 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Transcript of the Press Briefing by the Spokesperson on Thursday, 04 July 2024

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Assalam-o-Alaikum,

Thanks for joining us for the Weekly Briefing.

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is in Kazakhstan for the twin Summits of SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) and SCO Plus from 03-04 July 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan. He is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and other senior members of the Cabinet and senior government officials.

At the SCO Council of Heads of Summit Meeting today, the Prime Minister will share Pakistan's perspective on important regional and global issues and underline the importance that Pakistan accords to regional connectivity and cooperation with SCO member countries.

The Prime Minister will also address the SCO Plus Summit today that brings together SCO member States and invited Dialogue Partners, Observer States, Guests of the Chair and international organizations. He will share Pakistan's perspective on important regional and global issues stressing the need for multilateralism and upholding universally recognized principles of international law.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif participated in the first Pakistan-Azerbaijan-TArkiye Trilateral Summit on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, along with President Ilham Heydar Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan of TArkiye. The three leaders reaffirmed commitment to elevating tripartite cooperation, focusing on areas including trade, energy, tourism, culture, education, technology, healthcare, and environmental cooperation. The Summit follows trilateral consultations at the level of Foreign Ministers, Speakers of Parliaments, and Defence personnel.

The year 2024 is an important milestone for Pakistan-SCO relations, as Pakistan holds the rotating Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG), which is SCO's second-highest decision-making forum. In this capacity, Pakistan will be hosting the SCO Heads of Governments Meeting in October this year. The October summit will be preceded by a Ministerial meeting and several rounds of Senior Officials meetings, focusing on the financial, economic, socio-cultural and humanitarian cooperation among the SCO member states.

Prior to his visit to Kazakhstan, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif undertook an official visit to Tajikistan on 2-3 July 2024 at the invitation of President Emomali Rahmon.

In Dushanbe, the Prime Minister held meetings with the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon; the Chairman of Majlisi namoyandagon, Zokirzoda Mahmadtoir Zoir; and Prime Minister, Qohir Rasulzoda. The meetings focused on strengthening multifaceted cooperation between the two countries including on regional and global issues of mutual concern. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation in diverse areas and signed nine agreements including cooperation between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs and in the fields of aviation, education, industry, science, sports, tourism, and trade.

The two sides also signed the Pakistan-Tajikistan Strategic Partnership Agreement. The Strategic Partnership will be based on five pillars of bilateral cooperation: political, trade and investment, energy and connectivity, security and defence, and people-to-people contacts. It will include structured high-level dialogue at the leadership and Foreign Ministers' level.

On 01 July 2024, Pakistan and India exchanged lists of prisoners in each other's custody in pursuance of the Consular Access Agreement of 2008.

Pakistan handed over a list of 254 Indian or believed-to-be-Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen in Pakistani jails. India shared a list of 452 Pakistani or believed-to-be-Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen in Indian jails. A list of 38 missing Pakistani defence personnel, believed to be in India's custody since the wars of 1965 and 1971, was also handed over by Pakistan.

Pakistan is committed to addressing these humanitarian matters as a matter of priority. Last year, Pakistan released 485 Indian nationals including 06 civil prisoners and 479 fishermen. We will also continue endeavours to ensure the early return of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails. As part of these efforts, the repatriation of 62 Pakistani prisoners in 2023, and 04 in 2024, have taken place.

Pakistan's Special Representative on Afghanistan, Ambassador Asif Ali Khan Durrani, led the Pakistani delegation at the Doha-III meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan, held under the UN auspices in Doha from 30 June to 2 July 2024.

Ambassador Durrani presented Pakistan's perspective on the current situation in Afghanistan. He underscored Pakistan's support for Afghanistan to alleviate its economic situation and highlighted the threat posed by TTP-led terrorist activities originating from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.

A bilateral meeting between Pakistan and the Afghan Interim Government was held on 1 July 2024. The two sides exchanged views on key issues of mutual concern, including peace and security. The Pakistani side underscored the need for enhanced efforts to strengthen regional stability and Pakistan's commitment towards a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan. Ambassador Durrani also underscored Pakistan's concerns about terrorist sanctuaries and support networks for terror groups inside Afghanistan.

On the sidelines, Pakistan engaged fruitfully with the delegations of the US, China, Qatar, Russia, Uzbekistan, the EU, the UK, Norway, and the Netherlands. The Pakistan delegation also attended the quadrilateral meeting between Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Qatar. The meeting discussed areas of mutual concern and cooperation and reviewed the trans-Afghan railway project connecting Pakistan with Uzbekistan via Afghanistan.

The Sixth Round of Bilateral Political Consultations between Pakistan and Belarus was held in Islamabad on 2 July 2024. Additional Foreign Secretary (Europe), Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, led the Pakistani side, while the Belarusian side was headed by the First Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Lukashevich.

Pakistan categorically rejects the baseless assertions made about Pakistan in the recent report on religious freedom released by the U.S. Department of State.

As a matter of principle, Pakistan opposes such unilateral reports that make observations on the internal affairs of sovereign states.

We believe that International Religious Freedom cannot be viewed from the lens of any single country's social and legal perspective.

Unilateral reports assessing other countries' human rights situations are not free from political bias and present an incomplete and distorted picture. The methodology adopted in preparing these reports and the mandate and expertise of its authors are not transparent.

It is unfortunate that the report refers to certain incidents in Pakistan last year without highlighting the strong political will shown by the Government of Pakistan to hold the perpetrators accountable as well as the remedial efforts undertaken and the legal and administrative protections in place for religious minorities.

We strongly believe that each State itself has the primary responsibility to promote and protect the religious rights and freedoms of its nationals. Pakistani citizens are entitled to the freedom of religion and belief under the law and as enshrined in Pakistan's constitution. These rights and constitutional guarantees are protected, upheld and reinforced by an independent judiciary. Such unilateral reports therefore do not contribute to the promotion of human rights.

The Government of Pakistan has announced to allow medical students from Gaza to complete their medical education in Pakistan.

The decision was made on the directions of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC). This would enable Gaza students to continue their medical education in Pakistan on humanitarian grounds.

Palestinian Students from Gaza in batches of 20-30 will soon join medical colleges in Pakistan.

The decision will enable Gaza students to complete their medical education in Pakistan in the fields of cardiology, orthopaedics, oncology, paediatrics and surgery to address the critical needs in Gaza's health care system.

The Indian authorities' campaign to crush dissent in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) remains relentless.

A prominent Kashmiri lawyer and former President of the High Court Bar Association, Mian Abdul Qayoom has recently been arrested on fabricated charges. He suffers from multiple chronic ailments and old age. His arrest is a clear act of political vendetta. We urge the Indian authorities to release Mian Abdul Qayoom and thousands of other Kashmiri political prisoners, dissenters and human rights defenders.

Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions.

Thank you!

***

(Naveed Siddiqui, Daily Dateline): Ma'am, in your opening statement you mentioned Gaza. Will only the students of Gaza be invited for medical education? How many of them? Will they be provided free education here? How many medical colleges? Need details please. My second question is that Pakistan's Ambassador Masood Khan held a meeting with the US authorities and sought assistance for military equipment and modern technology believed to be used in operation Azm-e-Istehkaam.

Spokesperson: Regarding the first question, as I underlined in my opening remarks, the decision has been taken by the committee chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council will invite the students of Gaza in batches of 20 to 30 in various fields of medicine for education inside Pakistan. Now that this decision has recently been taken, the modalities and details are being worked out. Once we have further details, we will share with the media and this pertains to students from Gaza. The second question was about a meeting between the Ambassador of Pakistan and the US authorities. I would like to underline that Pakistani Ambassador in Washington meets with US authorities on regular basis and discusses areas of mutual interest and cooperation, that includes issues relating to security, defence, counter-terrorism, as well as trade, climate change, science and technology and education. So, there is nothing unique about a meeting that our Ambassador held with the US authorities.

(Azaz Syed, Geo News): Ma'am, there are some reports that Pakistan has started unannounced operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the militants. Have we consulted with the Afghan authorities regarding the operation which we are launching on this side of the border?

(Zeeshan Yousafzai, Dunya News): Ma'am, Mr. Azaz just talked about the operation and we have seen in the past that Gul Bahadur group was targeted in Afghanistan. So, have you informed the Afghan authorities? When Ambassador Asif Durrani told them, what were their remarks regarding the launch of operation?a

Spokesperson: First of all, any law enforcement operation or activity inside Pakistan is, Pakistan's sovereign decision, and these actions against terrorism or against any individuals who breaches Pakistani laws and constitution are undertaken by our law enforcement authorities under the guidance of the Government of Pakistan. It is the Ministry of Interior which is the focal Ministry and they can provide you details of any such activity pertaining to law enforcement. Secondly, Pakistan and Afghanistan have been engaged on all aspects of issues of concern for Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the recent meeting held in Doha as well, these issues of concern were discussed, as were the issues pertaining to areas of cooperation. Pakistan has one major concern and that is with regards to the support that terrorist elements receive from sanctuaries and hideouts inside Afghanistan. This has been on the bilateral agenda for some time, and it is an issue that Pakistan will continue to discuss with Afghanistan until effective action is taken against these terror groups with concrete results that are seen on ground.

(Shaukat Piracha, AAJ News): In the last briefing, you stated that the resolution passed by (US) House of Representatives, Resolution No. 901, is an intervention in Pakistan's affairs. Now the UN Working Group has also spoken on what is purely a domestic Pakistani political issue. A Spokesperson of the UN Secretary General has also spoken on this issue. My question is why is the western world focusing on a matter that is very much Pakistan's internal issue? Is the staying away of Pakistan from June 15th Ukraine Summit a cause or the visuals coming out from Astana and Dushanbe are irritating some countries and organizations?

Spokesperson: I will not go into the motives of any organization or any country on the recent reports or statements they have made. However, I would like to underline that a report on any particular case is unwarranted when it lacks objectivity and is based on incomplete and inaccurate understanding of Pakistan's legal and judicial system. You may have seen that the Minister of Law and Justice has already made a statement on the matter, and I would like to advise you to refer to his statement. The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees the rights and freedoms of all its citizens. These rights are underwritten by our judiciary. Pakistan is a vibrant democracy with robust institutions in place for dispensing justice and upholding the rule of law. For anyone facing legal proceedings, there are adequate avenues and mechanisms in place to seek justice and redressal of any grievances. The courts of Pakistan adjudicate questions of law as per Pakistani laws and they will determine the innocence or otherwise of any individual under trial.

(Adeel Bashir, Rose News): On the sidelines of SCO Summit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with President Putin and suggested barter trade. On the sidelines, President Putin and other countries showing that they are building a bloc against West. So, what would be Pakistan's reaction?

Spokesperson: I would first like to clarify that Pakistan has repeatedly said that we are not part of any bloc. We do not believe in bloc politics. We believe in good relations with all countries on the basis of mutual respect, mutual confidence and non-interference in each other's domestic affairs. Secondly, Pakistan's membership of SCO is not recent. Pakistan has been a member of SCO for several years now. It is a multilateral organization. It is a regional organization that is focused on promoting regional cooperation and connectivity and finding common solution to common problems, including in security, economic and connectivity issues. With regards to the bilateral meeting that took place between the President of the Russian Federation and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pakistan and the Russian Federation have a positive trajectory of relations. The two countries have been engaged with each other on several aspects of bilateral cooperation. This cooperation has increased in recent years, including in economic and trade matters, energy, connectivity and consultation on regional issues, including on Afghanistan. The discussions that took place between the two leaders yesterday were part of our efforts to find common ground for the mutual benefit of our two countries.

(Kiran Butt, Khorasan diary): Ma'am, another meeting which was held in Doha was our Ambassador hosting the Afghan delegation there. Can we share the details of that meeting? Second question is that Pakistan is making some arrangements for resettlement of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's families and other people in Ghazni Province in Afghanistan and Afghan Taliban are helping in building 200 houses for their settlement. So, on one hand, we are helping them in settlements and on the other hand we have started operation here. So, how is our engagement on this with Afghan Taliban?

Spokesperson: On your second question, I would not engage on speculative reports that have come out on these aspects. Pakistan has been engaged with the Afghan Interim Government and we have been impressing on the Afghan authorities to take effective, meaningful action against terrorist elements, including the leadership of TTP. Any decisions that the Afghan authorities take that leads to effective and meaningful reduction in terror incidents inside Pakistan would be welcomed by Pakistan. We are waiting for Afghan authorities to take these measures for peace in the region and for the mutual benefit of the two countries. Regarding the first question, I already spoke on this in my opening remarks. I can reiterate that, yes, there was a bilateral engagement between the Pakistan delegation and the Afghan delegation, which was participating in Doha 3.0. The bilateral discussions pertained to exchange of views on areas of mutual concern, including peace and security, the need for enhanced efforts to strengthen regional stability and Pakistan's commitment towards peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan. Ambassador Durrani also underscored Pakistan's concerns about terrorist sanctuaries and support network for terrorist groups inside Afghanistan.

(Khawaja Nayyar Iqbal, Media Today): In the Indian assembly, Lok Sabha, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi recited durood for the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and strongly criticized BJP's policies regarding Muslim radicalization. Do you want to comment on it?

Spokesperson: I have no comments to offer on the debate that is taking place in Indian Lok Sabha. It is an internal matter of India.

(Mona Khan, Independent News): Ma'am, Mr. Naveed asked a question regarding students of Gaza, I need some clarity on that. Will they be allowed to study online or the Government of Pakistan will invite them to Pakistan?

Spokesperson: As I said, the decision has just been taken. Pakistan is working out on the various modalities of this plan. All these aspects are under consideration. We are keen to provide all possible support to our brothers and sisters from Gaza as they face a very difficult situation in the occupied territory.

(Khalid Mehmood, Express News): Ma'am, every time there's intervention in Pakistan's domestic affairs, Pakistan protests. Are these diplomatically with the American government or in the UN's committee? Secondly, regarding the resolution that was passed in the National Assembly against American representatives, has that resolution been delivered to America?

Spokesperson: Pakistan and the United States have several channels of communication, and through these channels, we continue to discuss all issues that are of concern to either party. We engage with each other and try to understand each other's perspective. The latest developments have also been discussed by the two sides.

(Khawaja Nayyar Iqbal, Media Today): Are Pakistan-US relations became cold and problematic at some level?

Spokesperson: Pakistan and the United States are engaged with each other. Our relations are multi-faceted. These relations are diverse and longstanding and these relations are not just in the political domain, but also in economic domain. The United States is Pakistan's largest export market. We have a large diaspora of Pakistanis that serves as a bridge between Pakistan and the United States. The two countries engage and cooperate with each other in the matters of trade, in the areas of science and technology, climate change and defence. So, this is a priority relationship for Pakistan. We will continue to work to strengthen this relationship, remove any misgivings that exist and ensure that this relationship is based on mutual trust, mutual confidence, sovereign equality and non-interference in each other's domestic affairs.

(Saqib Ali Rathore, Daily Kashmir Times): Ma'am, you talked about prisoners exchange between Pakistan and India. Does it also include the citizens of Azad Kashmir who were abducted by Indian Army from our side of LOC?

Spokesperson: I do not have with me the list of Pakistanis or believed-to-be Pakistanis who may be in Indian prisons. The list has been shared with us and Pakistan will be seeking consular access to these individuals. We will continue to work to bring them back to Pakistan.

(Shaukat Piracha, AAJ News): You also talked about the SCO Heads of Governments Meeting to be held in October in Pakistan. The Prime Minister just now while speaking at SCO Summit has shared the dates 15th and 16th October for Heads of Government meeting. Since COVID is over, will this conference will be physical or online, and will Pakistan extend invitation to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit and attend the Summit in Pakistan?

Spokesperson: The summit will be held as per SCO procedures. The chairmanship belongs to Pakistan, so in our capacity as the chair, we will be extending invitations to all Heads of Governments of SCO member states. This conference will take place in person and we hope and expect that all members of SCO will be represented at the Heads of Governments Meeting being held in October.

(Syed Asif Ali, Din News): I have a question regarding Pakistan-South Korean relations. In the recent months, the Korean Ambassador, Park Ki Jun has visited all four provinces and held meetings with the Chief Ministers and the police chiefs as well. So, my question is which are the areas where Pakistan and Korea are expected to enhance their cooperation? And my second question is, if Koreans makes their investments in Pakistan, will the security parameters for Korean investors be the same as for Chinese investors for CPEC?

Spokesperson: Pakistan and the Republic of Korea have decades-old relationship. It is a relationship that has continued to grow in recent years and it encompasses cooperation in science and technology, agriculture, energy, education, trade and commerce. The Republic of Korea is one of the major investors in Pakistan in several areas, including renewable energy, agriculture, transport industry and chemical industry. Pakistan will welcome and will facilitate any investors, Korean or any other nationality, to come and invest in Pakistan. All investors will receive full support from the Government of Pakistan, including security.

(Zeeshan Yousafzai, Dunya News): Madam, the Islamabad High Court has ordered to establish contact with X through the Foreign Office. Has the contact been established regarding the data leaks of the honourable justice?

Spokesperson: I have to check this. I do not have this information readily available with me and I need to check with the relevant department.

(Azaz Syed, Geo News): Ma'am, as Pakistan has announced to conduct Operation Azm-e-Istehkaam and as I mentioned in my previous question that unannounced operations are already taking place. Will there be any intelligence cooperation with Afghanistan? Have we made any engagement with Afghanistan regarding this particular operation, which is against militant groups? Have we received any signal from Afghanistan for their intelligence cooperation?

Spokesperson: I do not understand the context of your question. However, as you may have seen the recent statements made by the Prime Minister's Office and the relevant ministers, the framework of Azm-e-Istehkaam is clearly defined. It is a multi-domain, multi-agency and whole-of-the-system, national vision for enduring stability in Pakistan. It will focus on re-energizing the ongoing implementation of the revised National Action Plan. It will include political, diplomatic, legal and information prongs, apart from already continuing operation by all law enforcement agencies. So, if and when needed, and when called upon to do so, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will supplement these efforts.

Thank you!

***

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Fearful Of Losing Their Livelihoods, Pakistanis Oppose Latest Military Operation

By Abubakar Siddique and Umar Daraz Wazir July 04, 2024

Sanaullah, a businessman in northwestern Pakistan, opposes a new military operation Islamabad says is vital to turn the rising tide of terrorism in the country.

Sanaullah, who goes by only one name, heads a local traders organization in the town of Miran Shah, the administrative headquarters of North Waziristan, a mountainous district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, which borders Afghanistan.

For Sanaullah, an earlier military offensive was a personal tragedy. In June 2014, when the Pakistani military launched Operation Zarb-e Azab to target thousands of militants it said were hiding in North Waziristan, he lost his food store and home.

"It was not an operation against terrorists," Sanaullah said, "but a scheme to rob us of our businesses, houses, and belongings."

Sanaullah still remembers returning to Miran Shah in August 2014, two months after the military forced him and hundreds of thousands of North Waziristan's residents to move to the neighboring district of Bannu.

"My shop and the market it was situated in were razed to the ground," he said. "My house, too, was destroyed."

While the military says fighting caused the damage, locals still don't know if their markets and houses were destroyed in ground battles or air strikes, or were simply demolished after being ransacked.

Minimal Compensation

Now, 10 years later, Sanaullah has built his business back up again, but it hasn't been easy. The government has offered him only the equivalent of $5,000 in compensation for losses that he said exceeded $100,000.

"We are not supporters of terrorists, but we are afraid that the planned operation will only rob us again," he said.

Sanaullah is not alone. Most political parties, businesspeople, tribal leaders, and activists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are against Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, after the federal government approved it on June 22.

Since 2003, more than 80,000 civilians, soldiers, and militants have been killed in terrorist attacks and military counterterrorism operations across Pakistan. Ethnic Pashtun residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa make up the largest number of those killed and injured. Military operations have also displaced more than 6 million Pashtuns and thousands have disappeared.

The provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, headed by the opposition Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) political party, is also against the new military operation and has worked to unite political and tribal leaders in their opposition.

Most of Pakistan's counterterrorism operations between 2003 and 2014 were linked to the U.S.-led global war on terrorism. It pitted Washington and the Pakistani military against Al-Qaeda and various Pakistani militant groups. Islamabad broadly spared the Afghan Taliban.

Instead of supporting U.S. anti-terror goals, Pakistani politicians have said the latest operation is part of Islamabad's efforts to protect multibillion-dollar Chinese investments. When Pakistani leaders visited China in June, Beijing reiterated its demand that Islamabad improve security for Chinese projects.

In 2014, Beijing unveiled an ambitious project to link its western Xinjiang region to Pakistan's southern Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.

But since 2018, security concerns, political unrest, and the faltering economy have stalled the more than $62 billion investment initiative, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

China is now demanding foolproof security for tens of thousands of its workers before reviving CPEC or committing to new investments in cash-strapped Pakistan.

Since 2004, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a radical Islamist group designated as a terrorist organization by Washington; Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), the Afghanistan branch of the Islamic State extremist group; and secular ethnic Baluch separatists have targeted Chinese workers, killing dozens. In May, a suicide bombing attack killed five Chinese workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Alamzaib Khan Mehsud, a political activist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's South Waziristan district, said residents of the province believe Islamabad's counterterrorism operations were fundamentally geared toward profiteering rather than fighting terrorism.

Mehsud and other critics allege Islamabad's counterterrorism approach was focused on ensuring the country continued to receive aid dollars in return for token counterterrorism operations, which failed to eliminate major militant organizations. Pakistan received more than $20 billion in military assistance and civilian aid from Washington between 2001 and 2021.

"Times have changed, but the government's approach to counterterrorism remains the same," he said. "People are afraid that the new offensive will not achieve anything against the militants but only harm civilians."

Since 2018, the 33-year-old activist has repeatedly been arrested for protesting unlawful killings and forced disappearances amid Pakistani counterterrorism campaigns.

Mounting Criticism

Earlier this year, Alamzaib Khan Mehsud accompanied a delegation of tribal leaders from his Mehsud tribe, who traveled to the capital, Islamabad, to ask for compensation for military operation-related losses. In 2009, a large military offensive displaced an estimated 500,000 Mehsud tribespeople from South Waziristan for over six years.

"We were listened to, and senior officials promised to help, but concrete assistance has been scarce," he said.

Mounting criticism forced Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's office to declare that the new operation will not require massive population displacements, because it will consist of small, targeted raids.

"Based on intelligence, [Operation] Azm-e Istehkam will further mobilize armed operations to eradicate violent extremism in the country decisively," said a June 22 statement from the prime minister's office.

On July 1, the Pakistani military said it killed nine "terrorists" in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was "determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country."

In Islamabad, Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud, the director of news at the Khorasan Diary, a website tracking militant groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan, said opposition to the new offensive is "unprecedented."

Mehsud, who is not related to Alamzaib Khan Mehsud, said many residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been traumatized by the previous military operations.

"There is a tremendous trust deficit between the people and the government over counterterrorism operations," he said. "Civilians incurred extensive damages, but the militants always survived and returned."

In Miran Shah, businessman Sanaullah said residents of North Waziristan will not allow yet another military operation in their homeland.

"They will have to kill us before imposing another operation on us," he said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/khyber-pakhtunkhwa- pakistan-military-operation-compensation/33020533.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






Meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev

Vladimir Putin met with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

July 3, 2024

12:40

Astana

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Aliyev, I am very happy to see you again.

Our cooperation is extensive. I believe we would have plenty to discuss even if we met every month.

I would like to highlight the positive development in the key area, which is our trade and economic cooperation. Our trade volume exceeds US$4 billion, and Russian direct investments in Azerbaijan's economy amount to US$4.3-4.5 billion.

The trend is positive, with a growth rate of approximately 13 percent in the first six months of this year. Everything is progressing well.

I would also like to mention our infrastructure plans, particularly the well-known North-South Transport Corridor, which is our top priority. I hope we will discuss this further. There are opportunities in other spheres, too, such as energy and industrial cooperation.

We act as envisaged in the agreement that you and I signed back in late 2022. It serves as a strong foundation to develop relations in all areas.

I would also like to acknowledge the cultural aspect. I understand that the Days of Russian Culture recently concluded in Azerbaijan. I appreciate your personal dedication to supporting the Russian language. There are over 300 schools in Azerbaijan that provide instruction to young people and children in Russian. This provides a strong foundation with good prospects for maintaining and advancing our relations in the future.

I am delighted to see you.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev: Thank you, Mr President. I am delighted to see you again.

As you mentioned, we have many issues to discuss, but this is how our meetings work. We meet almost every month - last time, I visited Moscow in the second half of April, and now we meet again just over a month later. As you also noted, this shows that we have a lot of issues to discuss and that they are being addressed successfully. It is also evident from the growth in trade, both this year and last, that economic cooperation is thriving.

It is gratifying that mutual payments in national currencies are also growing, already accounting for over 70 percent of Azerbaijani's exports to Russia, and about 50 percent of Russian exports to Azerbaijan. This demonstrates that what we discussed a few years ago is now being successfully implemented.

Humanitarian cooperation has always been at the core of our relations. I am grateful to you for always noting and appreciating the widespread attitude towards the Russian language, Russian culture and literature in Azerbaijan. This has been confirmed once again by the Days of Russian Culture in Azerbaijan festival, which was a great success.

About a million students in Azerbaijan are enrolled in Russian-language programmes, with 150,000 attending Russian schools, and another 800,000 studying Russian as a second language. In other words, the future generation of our citizens will have active interactions with Russia and speak Russian just as we do.

We discussed the North-South project at our previous meeting in Moscow. A few positive events have taken place since then, and we will talk about them. We are determined to expand the transport corridor infrastructure on the Azerbaijani side. Although it is physically in place, it is not meeting the plans of our partners and neighbours to maximise the use of this project.

As you noted, there are new ideas in the energy sector, and our respective agencies are in touch. We will also discuss this today, as well as all other areas.

As you noted, in 2022 we signed the Allied Declaration, which is being successfully implemented; all the provisions of that declaration are reflected in real life. We have been working together as allies for more than two years and achieving good results. Today we will talk about this in detail.

Thank you again for the opportunity to meet with you.

<a>

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia Adds French Businessman Philippe Delpal To Its Wanted List

By RFE/RL's Russian Service July 03, 2024

Russia's Interior Ministry on July 3 added French businessman Philippe Delpal, a former senior executive in the Baring Vostok investment group, to its wanted list on unspecified charges.

In August 2021, a court in Moscow handed Delpal, U.S. investor Michael Calvey, and five Russian businesspeople suspended prison terms on financial fraud charges.

Calvey is the founder of the Russia-focused private equity group Baring Vostok.

Delpal received a 4 1/2-year suspended prison term at the time and Calvey was condemned to a 5 1/2-year suspended prison term. All have maintained their innocence.

The court also ordered the businessmen not to leave Russia without the authorities' permission, but the ban was lifted in January 2022, allowing Delpal and Calvey to immediately return to their home countries.

In 2023, Calvey's suspended sentence was shortened by one year, and in February 2024, a Russian court of appeals reduced Calvey's sentence by another two months.

In April, Calvey's probation period ended and his conviction was wiped off from the records of Russia's State Penitentiary Service (FSIN).

Calvey and his associates were charged in 2019 with defrauding Vostochny Bank of 2.5 billion rubles ($28.5 million).

Baring Vostok used to be a major shareholder in Vostochny Bank. Defendants claimed the case was aimed at pressuring Baring Vostok as part of a business dispute over the control of Vostochny Bank.

The case has rattled the investment community and prompted several prominent officials and businesspeople to voice concerns about the treatment of the executives.

Baring Vostok is one of the largest and oldest private-equity firms operating in Russia. It was founded in the early 1990s and manages more than $3.7 billion in assets.

The company was an early major investor in Yandex, Russia's dominant search engine.

With reporting by RBK and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/french-businessman-philippe- delpal-baring-vostok-/33020054.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's answers to questions of the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin TV programme, Astana, July 3, 2024

3 July 2024 18:51

1280-03-07-2024



Question: How were the talks with President of China?

Sergey Lavrov: Excellent. Full understanding.

Question: What issues were discussed first?

Sergey Lavrov: The entire range of issues on our bilateral agenda and of our cooperation on the global stage, including the UN, BRICS, the SCO, and various other formats.

Question: Were the Ukrainian settlement process and President Vladimir Putin's peace plan discussed?

Sergey Lavrov: These positions are well known. China firmly supports a peaceful settlement. We share this approach. We have repeatedly commented on Chinese initiatives.

However, as you know, Ukraine rejects any attempts to negotiate. Vladimir Zelensky's executive order prohibits negotiating with Russia. The West does not want Ukraine to stop this war that it unleashed against Russia with Ukrainians' hands.

Several days ago, our well-known pranksters Vovan and Leksus talked with Hillary Clinton (on behalf of Petr Poroshenko) who said directly that their common deed must be continued by all means. This is what the current situation looks like.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia's world-view will not succeed: UK statement to the OSCE

UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Russia's violations of international law damage global security. Their approach is rooted in chaos, the rule of force, and is accepted only by a few hostile states.

3 July 2024

Thank you, Mr Chair. Russia continues to contravene the universal principles to which every member of the OSCE, including Russia, has subscribed; the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.

Russia has violated all of this by aggressively invading its neighbour, Ukraine. There is no escaping this reality, which is in complete violation of international law. And yet, Russia's narrative is to suggest that it has a new offer, in which such actions would be legitimate. This is its offer of 'Multipolarity'.

Russia's projection of multipolarity stands for the rule of force. It promotes illegal and anarchic behaviours, tearing up the rulebook because it doesn't suit. It is there to maintain power for President Putin and a narrow cohort of Kremlin elites.

Russia's vision of multipolarity is embraced by hostile States; Iran has given Russia one-way attack drones which inflict pain, suffering and death on its neighbour; and North Korea, who Russia sources munitions from, in spite of international sanctions.

Russia's view of the world is cynical. It is a view of the world, thankfully, embraced by only a very few. It is incumbent on us in this Forum, and this organisation more broadly, to stand strong against this worldview, and to embrace the universal principles enshrined in the UN Charter.

That is why it matters so much to continue to support Ukraine. It matters in its own right, to support a nation who has had untold aggression brought to its land. But it matters more broadly, for Russia threatens to undermine the very basis on which nations around the world can peacefully co-exist. This is why the United Kingdom will continue to support Ukraine in its fight against tyranny and aggression for as long as it takes. Thank you.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






American journalist Gershkovich arbitrarily detained by Russia, UN group says

By VOA News July 03, 2024

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 group's determination.

"Evan's wrongful detention is a flagrant violation of his fundamental human rights, and we commend the U.N. working group's opinion reaffirming what we have known since his unjust arrest: Evan is being arbitrarily detained and should be released immediately," the newspaper's 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 Russia's foreign ministry to work in the country.

The U.S. mission to the United Nations also welcomed that the working group determined that Gershkovich's jailing is illegal.

"I have been proud to stand with Evan's family at the United Nations to demand Evan's 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 VOA's 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 Kurmasheva's 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 Kurmasheva's release.

The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately reply to VOA's email requesting comment.

Also on Tuesday, the U.N. working group determined that Guatemalan journalist Jose Ruben Zamora is arbitrarily detained by his country's 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Norway aligns itself with new sanctions against Russia

Government of Norway

Press release | Date: 04/07/2024

Norway is aligning itself with the EU's 14th package of sanctions against Russia. The work to incorporate the sanctions into Norwegian law is under way. Norway is also aligning itself with the EU legislation that allows for profits generated by frozen Central Bank of Russia assets to be used to support Ukraine.

'Along with civilian, military and political support to Ukraine, the economic sanctions are a key tool in our response to Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine,' said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.

The EU's 14th package of sanctions is targeted in particular towards certain sectors of the Russian economy, such as energy, finance and trade. These sectors are vital to Russia's ability to finance its war against Ukraine and are sectors in which it has been possible for Russia to find ways of circumventing international sanctions. The new package also includes restrictive measures on an additional 116 individuals and entities.

The EU has introduced wide-ranging packages of sanctions in response to Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Norway has aligned itself with all of the EU's packages of sanctions, with a few national adaptations. These sanctions have been implemented in Norwegian law on an ongoing basis, and Norway is standing together with the EU and other allies to ensure that the sanctions hit hard and make an impact.

Current economic growth in Russia is the result of the country's shift to a war economy. Labour and capital that could have been used in the productive industries have now been directed towards the production of war materials. In 2024, military expenditure accounted for some 40 % of Russia's federal budget. Russia is a huge country with abundant resources, but these are not inexhaustible.

'Russia is not investing in its own future, but is staking everything on a victory on the battlefield. This is having a major impact on Norwegian and European security. Increased Western support for Ukraine is the best way to ensure that Russia is not victorious,' Mr Eide said.

"Frozen" assets

Norway is participating in the international discussions on how to hold Russia accountable for the devastation it has caused in Ukraine. Norway is now aligning itself with the EU legislation that allows for extraordinary revenues generated by immobilised Central Bank of Russia assets to be used to support Ukraine. The Central Bank of Russia has no assets in Norway, but it is important that we support measures introduced by our allies that can help Ukraine in its fight to defend itself, and in due course help to rebuild a free Ukraine.

'From a moral perspective, it is clear that Russia must pay for the devastation it has caused in Ukraine, but as democratic states governed by the rule of law, we need a legal basis to be able to use profits generated by "frozen" Russian assets. The appropriate legislation is now in place, and Norway supports this,' Mr Eide said.

This spring, the EU adopted two decisions (2024/577) and (2024/1470) concerning the use of unexpected and extraordinary revenues (windfall profits) generated by immobilised Central Bank of Russia assets. These are net profits stemming from revenues accruing to central securities depositories (CSDs) in the EU, as a result of the implementation of the EU sanctions. The aim is to use these windfall profits to provide further support to Ukraine.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






MBABANE - Reports of emaSwati believed to be part of a hijacking syndicate operating between South Africa and Eswatini continue to emerge.



The latest report is that of a 37-year-old liSwati, who has been arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS), Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department, and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC). The operation was initiated after the team received information about a syndicate that allegedly hijacks and steals vehicles in South Africa and transport them to Eswatini.

Intelligence

Acting on this intelligence, the team raided a house in Kibler Park, south of Johannesburg. Upon arrival, the police are said to have discovered four vehicles in the yard: A Toyota Fortuner reportedly hijacked in Jeppe, an Isuzu bakkie hijacked in Heidelberg, a tampered BMW and a Land Rover Discovery. It was said that these findings were vital in linking the vehicles to the hijacking operations. According to SAPS, further investigations inside the house found various tools and documents pointing to the syndicates operations. Police found multiple Eswatini registration plates, car registration documents from Eswatini, homemade vehicle identification numbers (VINs), and stencils used for printing the VINs.

These items are reportedly vital in establishing the extent of the illegal activities. In a statement issued by the SAPS, Lieutenant Colonel Masondo stated that the 37-year-old liSwati, who was present in the house, was arrested and charged with possession of hijacked motor vehicles. Lieutenant Colonel Masondo indicated that more arrests were imminent as the investigation continues to unfold.In another case, last Monday, there was an exchange of fire at Shewula, as members of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) recovered four vehicles, with South African registration numbers, which were in the process of being smuggled into Mozambique.

The vehicles were a white Toyota Prado with registration number CTJ 015 MP, white Toyota Fortuner registered KXN 571 MP, white Prado registered KVF 938 MP and a Maroon Toyota Legend with plate number KNF 329 MP. The individuals, who are suspected to be part of the hijacking syndicate operating between South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique, reportedly fled the scene, leaving behind the exhibits.

Recovered

Meanwhile, around March, soldiers manning the border recovered two cars, a Toyota Prado valued at E600 000 and a Toyota Fortuner, also valued at E600 000. Both cars had South African registration plates and were allegedly being smuggled into the country. The duo of Mciniseli Matimba (48) of Siyendle and Vusi Jele (45) of Zombodze were apprehended by soldiers as they allegedly tried to drive into the country. One car (Prado) had already been smuggled into the country as it was found around Sidwala. It was stolen on March 22, 2024, while the Fortuner was stolen on March 24, 2024 and was discovered around Sicunusa.In another case, in April 2024, two emaSwati aged 24 and 27 appeared at the Nkomazi Magistrates Court in Tonga on April 17, 2024, after they were aprehended by members of SAPS upon being found in possession of a vehicle which was reported stolen.

Charged

The suspects, identified as Mancoba Bongi Dlamini (27) and Siyabonga Thusi (24), were charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and they appeared at the Nkomazi Magistrates Court on Monday, April 15, 2024, where they were remanded in custody. Last year, three emaSwati and one South African were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), in connection with car hijacking. The quartet was arrested by Reaction officers. According to reports sourced from Car Trac website, in South Africa almost 60 vehicles are stolen each day and some of them are taken across the neighbouring countries borders like Mozambique, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana. As per the report, vehicles are now being recovered in countries outside of South Africa, either resold to new owners or stripped down to the engine.
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comment on the Russian Federal Assembly's decision to suspend OSCE Parliamentary Assembly participation

4 July 2024 13:36

1289-04-07-2024

On July 3, the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation voted to suspend the Russian delegation's participation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

This decision was taken in response to the openly discriminatory steps that a number of states took with regard to Russian parliamentarians, who were thereby excluded from the Assembly's events in the United Kingdom, Poland and Canada under spurious pretexts. In the most recent and particularly illustrative incident, the Romanian authorities unceremoniously refused to issue visas to the entire Russian delegation that was going to participate in the annual session of the OSCE PA in Bucharest (June 29 a July 3). The Belarusian delegation was also deprived of the opportunity to participate in the session.

Such actions by the host country of the OSCE parliamentary body's main annual event, with the tacit consent of the Assembly's leadership, are absolutely unacceptable.

Taking advantage of the absence of two delegations, Russophobic parliamentarians used the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's rules of procedure to promote their own agenda and quickly adopt a resolution containing phrases like "the genocide of the Ukrainian people." Our view on such paperwork is well known. A statement by the Russian Federal Assembly's houses makes it clear that all decisions passed in the absence of the Russian delegation will be considered null and void. Moreover, this resolution runs counter to the February 2 decision of the UN International Court of Justice, which, as we know, rejected all of Ukraine's accusations alleging that Russia had violated the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. No less odious is the resolution of the Bucharest session on the situation in Transnistria, which ignores the realities and has the potential to derail the normalisation of dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol, as well as the entire Transnistria settlement process.

It is obvious that the OSCE PA is increasingly drifting away from its main role as a platform for interparliamentary dialogue. With the suspension of Russia's participation, that body runs the risk of becoming a mere political vestige.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia Ready to Discuss Strategic Stability With US, Waits for New Administration - Putin

Sputnik News

20240704

ASTANA (Sputnik) - Russia is ready to discuss the issues of strategic stability with the United States but it is necessary to wait for the new administration in Washington to understand their stance, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"We have to wait for the US elections and understand the mood and preferences of the future administration. We are ready for that," Putin told reporters, adding that Russia is ready for a "dialogue" with the US.

Putin also said that it is "impossible" to talk about constructive dialogue before elections in the US.

The president also recalled that Russia has formulated its security proposals, adding that their should be a "goodwill" from other countries as well.

On Trump's Statement Regarding Ukraine Conflict

Russia takes seriously Donald Trump's statement on being ready to stop the armed conflict in Ukraine, Putin commented.

"What Mr. Trump is saying as a presidential candidate regarding him being ready and willing to stop the war in Ukraine, we are treating this quite seriously. I am not familiar, of course, with his possible proposals on how he is going to achieve that. And that is of course the key point. But I have not doubt that he is speaking sincerely, " Putin told reporters.

On US Presidential Debate

President Putin mentioned that he watched fragments of last week's presidential debate between US President Joe Biden and his Republican challenger, Donald Trump.

"Well, I saw some fragments. I have plenty of things to do, so I don't really keep tabs on what is happening there... In general, of course, I saw some of it, there was no avoiding it," he said.

On Engaging With Ukrainian Parliament

Vladimir Putin pointed out that it was pointless to try and engage with the Ukrainian parliament as long as it answered to a government that was clinging on to power illegally.

"The ruling elite ... because it is staying in power illegally, has not even sought the Constitutional Court's confirmation for its term," the president said, referring to the 2015 Supreme Court's ruling, which limited to the presidential term to five years, with no extensions.

Putin added that it was "possible to address the Rada, of course, but it would be pointless as long as the ruling elite in Ukraine holds on to power illegally, because the majority in the Rada is controlled by this so-called ruling elite."

On Russian-Turkish Relations

Russia and Turkiye are interested in developing relations, he noted, adding that it is no secret who stands in the way of Moscow and Ankara.

"In general, on both sides there is interest in this... natural [interest], related not to the fact that someone is standing in our way, but to the real development of events in Turkiye," Putin told reporters, adding that "everyone knows" who stands in a way of Russian-Turkish relations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's political will allows building Ankara-Moscow relations, Putin added.

On SCO Countries Opposing Deployment of Weapons in Space

"We agreed in the declaration and say in other documents that all SCO countries oppose the placement of any weapons in space a this is after all a signal to the rest of the world about how we view the militarization of outer space," Putin told reporters.

On Fighting Terrorism With Taliban*

The Taliban* movement are Russia's allies in fight against terrorism, the president said.

"The Taliban movement have made certain commitments a but in general we have to assume that the Taliban control the power in the country. And in that sense, the Taliban are certainly allies for us in fight against terrorism," Putin told reporters, adding that Russia needs to "maintain relations" with real political structures in Afghanistan and will do so.

Russia has "received such signals" from the Taliban regarding their readiness to cooperation in fight against terrorism many times, Putin added.

Regarding Afghanistan's full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Putin said that this issue concerns all SCO members and not just Russia.

On US Remaining Economic and Military Power

The United States remains a great economic and military power and a core member of the UN Security Council, Putin also noted.

"The United States remains a great power with known capabilities in the areas of the economy, security and military affairs," he told reporters.

*An organization under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.

A Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia Is 'Entitled' to Start Manufacturing Medium- and Short-Range Missiles

Sputnik News

20240704

Following the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Russian President Vladimir Putin held a press conference, where he spoke about Russia's next steps regarding the country's medium- and short-range missile systems.

Russia could start building intermediate-range nuclear forces after the US "tore up" the treaty banning them, President Vladimir Putin has said.

"If you recall, I said that due to the US withdrawing from the [INF] treaty and announcing that they are starting to produce [the missiles], we also consider ourselves entitled to start research and development work, [first] designing and then manufacturing," Putin told a press conference at the SCO summit in the Kazakh capital Astana.

"We are carrying our R&D and design, we are ready to start the production process, in fact, we have already given appropriate instructions to the industry," he added.

Putin also told reporters that if US deploys medium- and short-range missile complexes anywhere near Russia, the Russian Federation can take reciprocal action.

"With regard to the deployment, if you recall, if you do not, I will remind you that I have said that we are declaring a moratorium on the possible future deployment of our respective systems until these missile systems pop up in some region of the world," the president said. "If US-made medium- and short-range missile complexes appear somewhere, then we reserve the right to mirror those actions."

The US tore up the treaties that were the basis of international stability, Putin said.

"The first thing I want to point out is that, indeed, the fundamental documents that underpinned international stability and security were destroyed by the United States," he stressed.

The INF treaty, signed between the Soviet Union and the US in 1987, banned the countries from developing and possessing ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges from500-5,500 kilometers. In 2019, former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the treaty. In earlyJuly 2019, President Vladimir Putin signed the law on the suspension of the treaty. The next month, it ceased to exist.

A Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN Human Rights Council 56: UK statement for the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic.

UK statement for Interactive Dialogue on the oral update of the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic. Delivered by the UK's Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley.

3 July 2024

Thank you, Mr President.

Commissioners, thank you for your comprehensive assessment of human rights violations in Syria. In the fourteenth year of the conflict, human rights violations remain systematic and widespread.

The Syrian people continue to live in uncertainty and insecurity, without the protection of the rule of law. Access for humanitarian aid is precarious and civilians are all too often the innocent victims of violence and attacks by the Assad regime and its Russian allies and armed groups.

Mr President,

Syrian refugees have the right to return to Syria in a manner that is safe, voluntary and dignified. However, for those returning to Syria, an uncertain fate awaits. We are alarmed by reports of gross human rights violations and abuses suffered by returnees at the hands of the Syrian authorities and armed groups, including reports of returnees being arrested and arbitrarily detained. While the Syrian authorities continue to show such scant regard for human life and international law, it is simply not viable for people to return.

Commissioners, how can the international community support you in seeking accountability for those who have violated and abused the rights of detainees, including through arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and torture?

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taiwan fishing boat seized by China Coast Guard off Kinmen

ROC Central News Agency

07/03/2024 08:54 AM

Taipei, July 3 (CNA) A Taiwan-registered fishing vessel was seized by the China Coast Guard on Tuesday while catching squid outside Taiwan-controlled waters off the outlying Kinmen County.

The Penghu-registered Da Jin Man No.88 was boarded and seized by China Coast Guard personnel at a location east-northeast of Liaoluo Bay 17.5 nautical miles outside Taiwan-controlled "restricted waters" off the Kinmen Islands during China's closed season, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a statement on Tuesday night.

The vessel was intercepted by three China Coast Guard vessels at 9:14 p.m., and the CGA sent three ships in an attempt to rescue the Taiwanese vessel and issued broadcasts demanding that the Chinese coast guard ships release Da Jin Man No. 88 immediately, according to the statement.

During the chase, the CGA detected four other China Coast Guard ships coming to the scene and had to stop the rescue mission to avoid "escalating tensions," the CGA said.

Subsequent communication regarding the incident will be carried out between the Mainland Affairs Council, the Fisheries Agency and relevant Chinese authorities, the CGA said.

(By Sean Lin)

Enditem/cc

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taiwan links seizure of fishing vessel to new China Coast Guard rule

ROC Central News Agency

07/03/2024 05:18 PM



Taipei, July 3 (CNA) Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Wednesday linked China's seizure of a Taiwanese fishing vessel illegally operating in its territorial waters to its new regulation authorizing the Chinese coast guard to seize boats in waters it claims.

China has stepped up harassment of foreign vessels after the new regulation took effect in June and this harassment has increased not just in terms of the number of incidents, but also in terms of force used, CGA Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-Chin () told a news conference in Taipei.

He cited the intrusion on Tuesday by three China Coast Guard ships into waters off the Japan-controlled Diaoyutai Islands, which China and Taiwan also claim.

Hsieh was referring to the China Coast Guard Regulation No. 3, which took effect on June 15. The regulation allows the China Coast Guard to board and hold vessels in disputed waters it claims and to question and detain foreign nationals found to have violated its "exit and entry rules" for up to 60 days.

"We would like to put out a special reminder to our fishing vessels and other ships passing through nearby waters to be wary," he said, adding that the CGA will step up efforts to escort Taiwanese fishing vessels.

The Penghu-registered Da Jin Man No.88 was boarded and seized by China Coast Guard personnel at a location east-northeast of Liaoluo Bay 17.5 nautical miles outside Taiwan-controlled "restricted waters" off the Kinmen Islands during China's closed season for fishing, Taiwan's CGA said in a statement on Tuesday night.

The vessel was intercepted by three China Coast Guard vessels at 9:14 p.m. and the CGA sent three ships to try and rescue it. They had to stop after China sent reinforcements to avoid "escalating tensions," the statement added.

At Wednesday's news conference, Hsieh said that the vessel filed a report at 8:14 p.m. while it was illegally operating in China's territorial waters 11.2 nautical miles from Shenhu Township in Jinjiang City, China.

The CGA used its automatic identification system and confirmed there were other Taiwanese vessels operating in the area when it started handling the incident, Coastal Control Division Chief Liao Yun-hong () said.

According to the report filed by Da Jin Man No. 88, the China Coast Guard had tried to warn them with broadcasts before boarding the ship, Liao said.

Hsieh called on China to explain why it had boarded and seized the vessel and to "release the ship and its crew as soon as possible."

According to the CGA, the detained crew of Da Jin Man No. 88 consisted of two Taiwanese and three Indonesians.

Taiwan's Fisheries Agency (FA) said in a statement the area in which the vessel was operating was a "common fishing ground" for Taiwanese and Chinese fishing vessels.

Despite the area being within China's territorial waters, the FA told CNA that it had previously not prohibited Taiwanese fishing vessels from working there due to a "tacit agreement" between both sides.

The FA urged China to deal with the matter pragmatically and to quickly release the vessel and ensure the safety of its crew.

In a written response to CNA, the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office to Taipei said it has confirmed the condition of the Indonesian workers through relevant authorities and informed their families in Indonesia of the situation, and will continue to monitor this matter.

Meanwhile, Hsieh noted there had been a step up in the China Coast Guard's enforcement of its closed season for fishing this year, which "marked a break from the past."

In addition to Da Jin Man No. 88, the China Coast Guard has repelled 138 foreign fishing vessels, boarded 14, and held one vessel along with its crew of 10 in that time, he said.

Before Tuesday's incident, there had been three instances involving 17 Taiwanese fishing vessels being boarded and seized by the China Coast Guard since July 11, 2003. The latest incident occurred on July 28, 2007, Hsieh said.

The 17 ships were held because they violated China's closed season for fishing. A total of 11 were released after paying fines and six were allowed to leave on the spot following negotiations between the CGA and its Chinese equivalent, he said.

(By Sean Lin)

Enditem/kb



NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Opposition parties urge dialogue, de-escalation amid fishing boat incident

ROC Central News Agency

07/03/2024 05:36 PM

Taipei, July 3 (CNA) The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) on Wednesday urged the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to engage in official dialogue with Beijing to de-escalate cross-strait tensions.

The remarks were in reference to a Taiwan-registered fishing vessel which was seized by the Chinese Coast Guard Tuesday night while illegally fishing in Chinese waters.

The Penghu-based boat Da Jin Man No.88 was fishing for squid in Chinese waters during the closed season, when it was intercepted by three China Coast Guard vessels at 8:10 p.m. that night, according to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration.

The TPP and KMT Chairman Eric Chu (ca) said separately that escalating tensions between the two side of the Taiwan Strait have created a vicious cycle that is taking its toll on ordinary people and called for better communication.

The TPP statement urged a quick start of bilateral communication with Beijing through official channels to effectively resolve conflicts.

Meanwhile, DPP lawmaker Chuang Jui-hsiung (eZScze) said he respected China's desire to protect marine resources, but also called on Beijing not to involve fishermen in political disputes.

(By Kuo Chien-shen, Liu Kuan-ting, Wang Yang-yu and Wu Kuan-hsien)

Enditem/AW



NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taiwan urges release of boat caught fishing illegally in Chinese waters

ROC Central News Agency

07/03/2024 04:36 PM

Taipei, July 3 (CNA) Government officials on Wednesday called for the immediate release of a Taiwanese vessel and its crew caught illegally fishing in Chinese waters Tuesday night.

At a news conference, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun () said the government was "highly concerned" about the seizure of the Penghu-registered Da Jin Man No.88 and its two Taiwanese and three Indonesian crew.

She added that Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and Fisheries Agency were also assisting with the matter by engaging and coordinating through cross-strait channels.

According to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA), the Da Jin Man No. 88 was intercepted 11.2 nautical miles inside Chinese-controlled waters around 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

Chinese coast guard then seized the ship after an inspection found that the vessel had been illegally catching squid, the CGA said.

By 10:30 p.m., the Da Jin Man No. 88 had been escorted back to Weitou Port in China's Fujian Province, where its crew was detained, the CGA said.

China prohibits fishing in waters where the Da Jin Man No. 88 was seized from May to August each year to allow fish stocks to replenish.

Meanwhile, in response to the incident, Chinese coast guard Spokesperson Liu Dejun () the ship was suspected of violating China's closed-season regulations, engaging in illegal trawling operations and using banned small-mesh nets.

However, China very rarely inspects or detains Taiwanese vessels in the waters where the Da Jin Man No. 88 was intercepted, an area where fishing boats from both sides of the strait have long operated, Taiwan's Fisheries Agency said in a statement Wednesday.

Only 17 Taiwanese boats have been seized in the last 20 years by Chinese authorities for fishing during the closed season, all of which were released "quickly," according to the CGA.

Of the 17, 11 were released within three days while six were allowed to leave on the spot following negotiations between Taiwanese and Chinese authorities, the CGA said.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday regarding the incident, Fisheries Agency Director-General Chang Chih-sheng () said that the agency has made Taiwanese boats aware of the closed season and asked them not to fish in Chinese-controlled waters during this time.

Meanwhile, the MAC said Wednesday it would ask the Chinese authorities for a detailed explanation of the incident and the reasons for the boarding and detention through cross-strait channels to resolve any unnecessary speculation.

In a statement, the MAC said it hoped China would promptly release the crew and ship according to relevant regulations and procedures after clarification, and ensure the safety of all personnel.

Also on Wednesday, Executive Yuan spokesman Chen Shi-kai () said it once again warned Taiwanese fishers not to violate China's closed-season regulations.

However, Chen said the Chinese authorities should show compassion for the hardships fishermen face when risking their lives to make a living, adding that China should release the Da Jin Man No.88 and its crew as soon as possible.

(By Chao Li-yan, Lin Chin-yin, Yang Shu-min, Wu Po-wei. Huang Li-yun, Chen Chi-ching, Chiu Kuo-chiang and Bernadette Hsiao)

Enditem/ASG





NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






DPP authorities' remarks on 'mutual non-subordination' reveal stubborn adherence to 'Taiwan independence' separatism: State Council Taiwan Affairs Office

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Jul 03, 2024 01:21 AM

Statements from Taiwan's "mainland affairs council" once again reveal the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' stubborn adherence to "Taiwan independence" separatism and their continuous provocations and confrontations, said the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office on Tuesday in response to remarks from the deputy head of the council concerning the regional leader's repeated assertions of "mutual non-subordination" between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits since taking office.

After taking office on May 20, Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te has repeatedly mentioned "mutual non-subordination," stirring strong dissatisfaction from the mainland.

In an interview on July 1, Liang Wen-chieh, deputy minister and spokesperson of the "mainland affairs council" in Taiwan, stated that in other legal systems apart from the "Constitution," "we treat the other side as a country in all our actions."

In response to that, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, told a press conference on Tuesday that the historical context of the Taiwan question is clear, and the legal fact that Taiwan is a part of China is undeniable.

According to Chen, although the two sides of the Taiwan Straits have not yet fully unified, the sovereignty and territory of China have never been divided and will never be divided, and Taiwan's status as part of China's territory has never changed and will never be allowed to change.

Since taking office, the Lai Ching-te authorities have disregarded facts, distorted legal principles, and blatantly promoted the two-state theory, causing strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition among compatriots on both sides of the Straits, Chen said.

The Taiwan compatriots are aware of the situation. Lai's "Taiwan independence" rhetoric cannot deceive the public on the Taiwan island or whitewash his nature as a "Taiwan independence advocate" and "troublemaker." Any actions that challenge the one-China principle and provoke compatriots on both sides of the Straits will be punished and are destined to fail, Chen added.

In regards with DPP authorities' remarks made about "mutual non-subordination" across the Straits and that the mainland has no "judicial jurisdiction" over the island when the DPP authorities referred to the mainland's guidelines recently rolled out on punishing "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, Chen responded on Tuesday that the actions of the DPP authorities completely disregard facts, distort right and wrong, maliciously smear and defame the mainland, and blatantly threaten and intimidate the people in Taiwan.

Punishing stubborn "Taiwan independence" separatist forces for crimes of splitting the country and inciting separatism is reasonable and lawful. The Taiwan island is a part of China, and China will never allow "Taiwan independence" separatist forces to separate the island from China under any name or by any means, Chen said.

Only by strictly punishing "Taiwan independence" separatist crimes in accordance with laws can we truly uphold peace and stability across the Straits and effectively safeguard the interests and well-being of the Taiwan compatriots, Chen noted.

Any stubborn "Taiwan independence" separatist forces who challenge the law, regardless of where they are, will be pursued to the end by the national law enforcement and judicial authorities, and be punished according to laws, Chen said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China coast guard seizes Taiwan fishing boat near Kinmen

Taiwan asks China to release its fishing vessel seized on Tuesday amid tensions in Taiwan Strait.

By RFA Staff 2024.07.03 -- China seized a Taiwanese fishing vessel in waters near the outlying Kinmen islands, Taiwan's coast guard said on Wednesday, the latest in a recent series of incidents that has raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

The coast guard's 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.

China's 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 China's 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 Taiwan's new president Lai Ching-te, the presence of Chinese law enforcement vessels around Kinmen has increased.

Beijing noticeably stepped up patrols in the area after an incident in February, when two Chinese fishermen drowned while being chased by Taiwan's 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 88's 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."

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council and the Fisheries Agency are communicating with relevant Chinese authorities to secure the fishing vessel's release, the Taiwanese coast guard said in a statement.

The island's defense minister, Wellington Koo, said last month that China was trying to normalize its increased incursions into the waters around Taiwan's 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.

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 seizes Taiwanese fishing boat in waters near Chinese coast

By VOA News July 03, 2024

The crew of a Taiwanese fishing boat has been detained after the boat was seized by the Chinese coast guard while it was operating near an island controlled by Taiwan.

Taiwan's coast guard says the boat was intercepted by Chinese vessels on Tuesday night near the Kinmen islands, located a few kilometers off the southern Chinese coastal city of Xiamen.

Taiwan dispatched three patrol boats to assist the fishing boat, but they were blocked by three Chinese vessels. The Taiwanese boats demanded the Chinese vessels release the fishing boat and its crew, but said they were warned by the Chinese side not to interfere. The Taiwanese coast guard says it ended its pursuit to avoid escalating the conflict.

The fishing boat was taken to a nearby Chinese fishing port. The five-person crew includes two Taiwanese nationals and three Indonesians.

Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy director-general of Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration, said Wednesday the incident occurred as China begins its annual fishing moratorium.

He said Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council and Fisheries Agency will "reach out to their Chinese counterparts" and call on the Chinese government "to explain its reasoning and release the crew and their boat in accordance with due procedure, refraining from using political means to handle the situation."

Tuesday night's incident was the latest maritime conflict between Taiwan and China this year.

Two Chinese fishermen drowned in February when their boat capsized as it was fleeing Taiwan's coast guard after the fishermen entered restricted waters near Kinmen. China responded days later when its coast guard briefly boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat while it was on a sight-seeing trip near Kinman.

"China used to turn a blind eye to Taiwanese fishing vessels" operating around its waters, said Chung Chieh, an associate research fellow at the National Security Division in Taipei. But that "special treatment" is something that Taiwan's fishermen "no longer enjoy," he told VOA Mandarin.

China is now citing its "domestic laws" when looking to punish Taiwanese crews "found operating within China's territorial waters," according to Chieh. China wants to "establish the fact that it can enforce law among Taiwanese fishers and vessels," he said. "Such incidents will help consolidate its pursuit of using laws as a weapon of war across the Taiwan Strait."

Taiwan has been self-governed since the end of China's civil war in 1949, when Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces were driven off the mainland by Mao Zedong's Communists.

But Beijing regards the island of 23 million and its outlying islands as Chinese territory and has been ramping up its threat to achieve that by military force if necessary.

VOA Mandarin contributed to this report. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse.

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

2024/07/04

1. Dateis

6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Wednesday to Thursday, Jul. 3-4

2.PLA activitiesis

30 PLA aircraft and 8 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 19 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






Meeting with President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Vladimir Putin met with President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Astana.

July 3, 2024

15:25

Astana

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President,

Colleagues, friends,

I am very glad to see you again.

Mr President, we maintain regular contact, discussing developments between our two countries, the situation in the region, and in the world. However, we have not seen each other for a long time. I am delighted to see you again.

I would like to note that relations between Russia and Turkiye are progressing despite the current challenges in the world. The last few months saw a slight decline in trade, but it still remains relatively high: US$55 billion, if we count in US dollars.

All our large projects are being implemented on schedule. There are no delays. I would like to note last year the Russian tourist flow in Turkiye was record high with 6.3 million of our tourists visiting Turkiye. I would like to express my gratitude for the conditions the country has created for Russian tourists.

We are very glad that new projects are being planned as well as that I have an opportunity to meet with you today, review the results of last year's work and outline prospects for the near future, in a personal conversation.

Of course, we continue to work actively in various key areas of international politics in constant contact with you. Our ministries and agencies constantly exchange information and coordinate their position on key areas. We also work in various international organisations and on international platforms. We are very glad to hold this meeting on the sidelines the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which is one of them.

I am very glad to meet with you again, Mr President.

President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan (retranslated): Mr President.

For quite a long time, I have not been able to meet my dear friend, and we practised telephone diplomacy. In the meantime, our respective agencies were in constant contact with each other - specifically, the Turkish Foreign Minister, the Minister of Treasury and the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. They have maintained continuous contact with their colleagues in Russia. Today we are here with you. It is a very important step.

As concerns the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, we are building it together. We hope to put it into operation in the nearest future. With that, we have had contacts regarding the construction of another nuclear power plant in the city of Sinop. I believe we can and we will make serious steps.

On this matter, I want to point out that the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources continues its contacts with colleagues in Russia. Following their meetings, I want to note that the companies Botas and Gazprom continue their contacts based on sincere grounds.

As you said, a turnover of US$25 billion is very insignificant. We have set a goal of US$100 billion, and I believe we will achieve it. We do have sufficient trade potential.

Regarding the tourist sector, about seven million tourists will visit our country, and it is very important. We will welcome Russian tourists in our country. It is a matter of great significance to us, and we sincerely care about it. I also want to note that we will continue making improvements, as long as Russian tourists are happy with our hospitality.

Our country's path is strong and continues to grow stronger, and we want to further develop warm relations between Russia and Turkiye.

There is one more thing to say. I look forward to welcoming you, Mr President, to my country very soon.

<a>

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






President ErdoAYan meets with President Putin of Russia

Presidency of The Republic of Turkey

03.07.2024

President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan, who is in Astana for the 24th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, met with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

Delivering remarks to the press during the meeting, President ErdoAYan said: "We couldn't meet with my friend for a long time. Yet, we have had telephone diplomacy in the meantime, with our friends in constant contact. Our respective ministers of interior, treasury and finance, and energy and natural resources have maintained their talks without interruption."

"WE ARE HOLDING TALKS ABOUT SANOP NUCLEAR POWER PLANT"

Noting that TArkiye and Russia are jointly building Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, President ErdoAYan stated: "Our desire is to complete it and make it operational as soon as possible. We are also holding talks about Sinop Nuclear Power Plant. We believe we can take serious steps on this issue. Our Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources continues its talks with its counterpart. At the same time, the talks between BOTAAz and Gazprom continue in a sincere manner. However, as you have also expressed, the $55 billion of volume is not quite significant. We aim to achieve $100 billion, which I believe we can reach. We have the potential to do so."

"IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HOST RUSSIAN TOURISTS IN TARKAYE"

President ErdoAYan continued his remarks as follows: "As regards tourism, it is very important for us that about 7 million Russian tourists have visited our country. It is important for us to host Russian tourists in TArkiye. Our sincerity on this issue continues with the same level of determination. We will preserve this as it is. We just hope that Russian tourists are pleased with TArkiye. We are good and strong as a destination and we will remain so. Besides the warm relations between TArkiye and Russia, I expect to host you in my country as soon as possible."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Council of Europe and Ukraine sign joint declaration on the way forward in post-war period

Council of Europe

Council of Europe

Strasbourg

3 july 2024

After the two-day session of the High Level Dialogue on good democratic governance in Ukraine and the way forward in the post-war period, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General BjArn Berge and First Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament of Ukraine OleksandrA Korniyenko signed the following declaration:

"We, the undersigned,

"Condemn Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine and express our support for a sustainable and just peace based on Ukraine's Peace Formula, ensuring Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

"Express our satisfaction for the results of the third session of the High-Level Dialogue which was held in Strasbourg on 2 and 3 July 2024.

"Agree that the progress made in respect of defining the vision for the post-war multi-governance system in Ukraine, for the recovery of local self-government, including in respect of the transition from military to civilian administration, and for a clearer division of competences between tiers of government, represent important steps towards the furthering of the decentralisation reform in Ukraine.

"Acknowledge and commend the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the decentralisation process, praise the associations of local and regional authorities for their involvement in the process and underline the need to ensure that decentralisation is finalised, including by guaranteeing that local authorities are free to exercise their competences, have resources which are commensurate with their tasks and a legal mechanism is introduced to ensure the legality of their decisions.

"Are confident that discussions aimed at ensuring the exercise of electoral suffrage and other political and related rights in the context of post-war elections will constitute an important contribution to the organisation of safe, free, and fair elections as soon as the situation allows for it.

"Highlight the value of the co-operation between Ukraine and the Council of Europe in accompanying the steady progress of Ukraine on its path towards the European Union, declare our intention to continue working in the format offered by the High-Level Dialogue, with the support of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress, bringing together the main Ukrainian stakeholders in the fields of multi-level governance and elections."

This joint declaration builds on the first such document, signed in 2022.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






July 3, 2024

Release

Biden Administration Announces Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine

Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announces additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs. This includes the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package valued at up to $150 million to provide Ukraine with key capabilities, including: additional air defense interceptors; artillery and other fires, and anti-tank weapons.A

In addition, DoD is announcing a significant package of air defense interceptors using approximately $2.2 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds.A This funding will be used to purchase interceptors for PATRIOT and NASAMS air defense systems for Ukraine. As previously announced, the Biden Administration plans to accelerate delivery of these munitions by re-sequencing upcoming Foreign Military Sales deliveries for Ukraine.A 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.

The PDA package is the Biden Administration's sixtieth tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.

A The capabilities in the PDA package include:

Missiles for HAWK air defense 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; and, Spare parts, maintenance, and other field and ancillary equipment.

The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners to ensure Ukraine's brave defenders receive the critical capabilities needed to fight Russian aggression.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3827072/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Update 236 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

International Atomic Energy Agency

60/2024

Vienna, Austria

3 Jul 2024

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed by the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) that several drones struck locations in the vicinity of the site today, injuring workers and causing forest fires. These repeated drone attacks are a threat to nuclear safety and people's lives and must stop, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

The IAEA experts stationed at the ZNPP said they saw thick smoke and heard explosions coming from near the plant's 750 kilovolt (kV) switchyard after they were told that drones had hit an adjacent forest, starting fires in windy conditions. Firefighters were working to control the flames. The switchyard is located outside the ZNPP site itself. For now, the IAEA experts do not report any impact on-site.

This latest incident presents a further risk to nuclear safety as the ZNPP's sole remaining 750 kV power line supplies the off-site electricity the plant needs to cool its six reactors in cold shutdown and for other essential nuclear safety and security functions. At present, the 750kV power line as well as a back-up 330 kV line are still available, but the situation remains precarious.

Near the town of Enerhodar three drone strikes, starting at 10:40am local time, hit one of its electrical sub-stations, injuring eight workers, one of whom required medical care, the ZNPP said. The IAEA experts were informed that the alleged impact also caused an oil leak from at least one of the two sub-station transformers, damaged the top of one of them as well as a connection line.

As a result, the affected sub-station - Raduga - is currently out of service, but Enerhodar and an adjacent industrial area are still receiving electricity. Sub-stations form vital parts of an electrical production, transmission and distribution system.

Today's reported drone attacks came less than two weeks after Enerhodar - home to most ZNPP staff - was left without electricity for 16 hours after reported drone strikes on the Raduga and Luch sub-stations. In early April, drone strikes also hit the ZNPP site, in a violation of the five basic principles for protecting the facility established by Director General Grossi at the United Nations Security Council in May 2023.

"It is extremely concerning that these drone attacks are continuing, despite the very clear dangers they present to people in Enerhodar as well as to safety at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. They must stop, immediately," Director General Grossi said.

Also before today's reported drone strikes, the IAEA team continued to hear military activities on most days over the past week, including explosions at various distances from the site, as well as gunfire and two blasts near the plant on 30 June.

The IAEA experts continued to conduct walkdowns across the site as part of their regular monitoring of nuclear safety and security at Europe's largest NPP, including to reactor unit 4, the site's metrology laboratory, the two fresh fuel storage facilities, several emergency diesel generators, different parts of the reactor safety systems, as well as the ZNPP's department of non-destructive testing. The team's walkdown of the plant's waterworks facilities, however, was cut short by an air raid alarm.

The IAEA experts present at the Khelmnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) and the Chornobyl site reported that nuclear safety and security are being maintained despite the effects of the ongoing conflict, including air raid alarms on several days over the past week.

The IAEA experts at the South Ukraine and Rivne NPPs rotated at the end of last week. Planned maintenance and refuelling activities continued at two of the three units at the South Ukraine NPP and one of the four units at the Rivne NPP.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






5 Killed In Russian Attack On Dnipro; Zelenskiy Renews Call For Air-Defense Systems

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 03, 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has renewed his plea to the West for advanced air-defense systems and long-range weapons after at least five people were killed in a Russian drone and missile attack on Dnipro on July 3.

"Only two things can stop this Russian terror -- modern air-defense systems and the long-range capabilities of our weapons," Zelenskiy wrote in English on X.

"The world can protect lives, and it requires the determination of leaders. Determination that can and must make protection from terror the norm again."

The Ukrainian leader has long called for better air-defense systems and weapons, with the last request coming on June 30, after a Russian rocket attack killed seven people and wounded 35 others in the city of Vilnyansk, in the southern Zaporizhzhya region.

The July 3 attack also wounded at least 34 people, according to Zelenskiy. Fourteen houses were destroyed in the strikes, Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said in a message on Telegram. He added that the attack causes multiple fires in the city.

Separately, Ukraine's Air Force said it had shot down five missiles, including an Iskander-K cruise missile, and six unmanned aerial vehicles, five of which were Shahed-type kamikaze drones. It said the attack mainly targeted Dnipro.

This is the third time that Dnipro has been targeted in the last five days. A high-rise building was destroyed in an attack on June 28, while at least 12 people were wounded in a drone strike on July 1.

Russia also shelled Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhya region early on July 3, destroying 14 houses and wounding a man.

On the same day, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had downed a total of 10 Ukrainian drones in three regions, including five in Belgorod, four in Bryansk, and one in Moscow. The ministry added that two unmanned boats heading toward Novorossiysk in the Black Sea were sunk.

Russia has been targeting Ukraine's electrical grid for months, forcing frequent power outages. In March, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said 80 percent of the country's thermal-generation capacity had been destroyed. Around the same time, the Energy Ministry said thermal power plants controlled by Tsentroenerho and Ukrhydroenerho had been badly damaged.

Last month, Zelenskiy asked the European Union to step up electricity exports to Ukraine, as well as to supply necessary equipment and other resources to make repairs.

Zelenskiy met with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on July 3 and said on Telegram that he is counting on the Netherlands to expand training missions for Ukrainian pilots.

The Dutch government previously supplied F-16s to a training facility in Romania, where Ukrainian pilots and ground staff are being taught to fly and maintain the planes in battle.

Schoof said on X that the Netherlands' support for Ukraine is "rock solid" and that Amsterdam "will continue to support Ukraine politically, militarily, and financially against Russian aggression, whatever it takes and for as long as it takes."

Over the past several months, Ukraine has increasingly targeted fuel-production sites inside Russia, mainly oil-refining facilities that work for the Russian military.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-shelling-drone- zaporizhzhya/33019732.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






United States Announces Significant New Military Assistance for Ukraine

US Department of State

Press Statement

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

July 3, 2024

The United States is sending Ukraine a significant new package of weapons and equipment to support the Ukrainian military as it continues to fight against Russian aggression. This $150 million package provided under Presidential Drawdown Authority includes missiles for HAWK air defense 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, night vision devices, and spare parts, maintenance, and other field and ancillary equipment. This support will also help strengthen Ukraine's air defenses against Russian attacks and reinforce Ukraine's capabilities across the front lines.

This is the seventh security assistance package the President has authorized to help Ukraine since signing the national security supplemental two months ago. We will move this new assistance as quickly as possible to bolster Ukraine's defense of its territory and its people. As President Biden has made clear, the United States and the international coalition we have assembled will continue to stand with Ukraine.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Secretary Blinken's Call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

July 3, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The two discussed the situation on the battlefield and efforts to strengthen Ukraine's integrated air defense. They also condemned Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure and spoke about solutions to improve resilience and energy security before the winter. Secretary Blinken echoed support for Ukraine's commitment to reforms as it pursues its goal of greater Euro-Atlantic integration at the upcoming NATO summit. The Secretary emphasized the United States' continuing support as Ukraine defends its sovereignty territory against Russia's ongoing brutal aggression.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






S Korean author Han Kang wins Nobel Prize in Literature 10 Oct 2024 | 6:50 PM Stockholm, Oct 10 (UNI) South Korean author Han Kang has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy announced on Thursday. see more..

28 killed in Israeli airstrike on school in central Gaza 10 Oct 2024 | 5:44 PM Gaza/Jerusalem, Oct 10 (UNI) At least 28 Palestinians were killed and more than 54 others injured Thursday afternoon in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced persons in the central Gaza Strip, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. see more..

Ex-Bangladeshi MP Mohibur Rahman sent to judicial custody 10 Oct 2024 | 5:04 PM Dhaka, Oct 10 (UNI) Bangladesh's former Member of Parliament from Sunamganj-5 Constituency Mohibur Rahman Manik has been sent to judicial custody till his bail plea hearing is held next Monday, media reports said. see more..

ASEAN leaders, ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly highlight promoting regional connectivity 10 Oct 2024 | 4:28 PM Vietnam, Oct 10 (UNI) Leaders from the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) met to discuss several key issues aimed at strengthening connectivity and resilience within the ASEAN community. see more..
We Are Preparing for the NATO Summit in Washington, Including from the Perspective of Patriots for Ukraine - the Address by the President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine

3 July 2024 - 19:50

Dear Ukrainians!

Rescue operations after the Russian missile strike in Dnipro have been continuing all day long. More than 50 people were injured. All of them are getting the necessary assistance. For now, 5 people have been reported killed. My condolences to their families and friends.

Several buildings, a hospital, and an enterprise were damaged in Dnipro. There have also been missile strikes on our other regions: guided aerial bombs aimed at Kharkiv and our frontline positions.

There is only one way we can stop all of this: more air defense systems, more long-range strikes on the Russian terrorists' bases, on their airbases. We are actively communicating about all this with our partners - at all levels. We are preparing for the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., including from the perspective of Patriots for Ukraine.

Today I held several meetings on our communication with partners - on plans for this July. There will be important negotiations. Some progress has also been made on new security agreements for Ukraine. I am grateful to our team for this work.

Today, I held several meetings with Government officials: Prime Minister Shmyhal, First Deputy Prime Minister Svyrydenko, Deputy Prime Minister Fedorov, Minister of Finance Marchenko. We already have clear details of new solutions for Ukrainians - new programs that will help people in this time of electricity shortages, as well as stabilize mobile communications. Now we need maximum opportunities to ensure generation - to create a new decentralized generation, and there will be financial resources for this. In the near future, Government officials will announce all the details.

One more thing. Today I spoke with Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi - there was a report on the frontline situation. I also spoke with Minister of Defense Umerov - about his contacts in America and about new packages for Ukraine.

Today, I had a meeting with the President of the UN General Assembly and congratulated the new Prime Minister of the Netherlands on the beginning of his work.

I thank everyone who is helping us! I thank everyone who is fighting and working for Ukraine and Ukrainians!

Glory to Ukraine!

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Euro-Atlantic Integration, Defense Support and Energy Security: Ukrainian Delegation Met with Jake Sullivan

President of Ukraine

3 July 2024 - 15:15

During the visit to the United States, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna, Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, and Minister of Energy German Galushchenko held a productive round of consultations with the American delegation led by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

During the meeting, they summarized the results of the first Peace Summit and coordinated steps for the coming weeks and months for the concrete implementation of its outcomes and the preparation for the second Peace Summit.

The parties discussed in detail the practical steps for implementing the provisions of the bilateral security agreement signed by the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States during the G7 Summit, as well as other issues of bilateral cooperation.

Special attention was paid to Euro-Atlantic integration, defense support, and energy security, with each of these areas being discussed in detail.

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna outlined Ukraine's main expectations from the NATO Summit in Washington, emphasizing the importance of decisions that will contribute to building defense capabilities.

Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov emphasized the urgent need to bolster our air defense and increase the number of air defense systems and missiles, and the two sides discussed upcoming air defense deliveries to Ukraine. It is important for our soldiers to receive new systems from our partners as soon as possible.

Special attention was given to U.S. support for Ukraine's energy security. Minister of Energy German Galushchenko informed the attendees about the consequences of Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure and Ukraine's needs in this area. They discussed the protection of the Ukrainian energy system, the accelerated implementation of distributed generation, and the provision of backup power to critical infrastructure facilities in Ukraine, particularly in the context of preparing for the upcoming winter.

Andriy Yermak emphasized the strong and unwavering partnership between Ukraine and the United States.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






One of the Practical Outcomes of the Peace Summit Could Be a Resolution on Nuclear Safety - President During Meeting with UN General Assembly President

President of Ukraine

3 July 2024 - 15:07

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Dennis Francis, President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, who is visiting Ukraine.

The Head of State noted the unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty from the UN General Assembly.

"Thank you for supporting Ukraine with resolutions in response to the full-scale Russian invasion. They are very important to us. Therefore, we especially value the first visit to our country by the President of the General Assembly in almost 30 years," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The President also thanked Dennis Francis for supporting the first Peace Summit and its Joint CommuniquA. He emphasized that one of the practical outcomes of the Summit could be a new resolution, which Ukraine will soon submit to the General Assembly, on nuclear safety and the security of Ukraine's nuclear facilities, with an emphasis on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the current situation on the battlefield and the critical state of the energy system due to ongoing Russian attacks on its facilities.

The President of the UN General Assembly noted that during his visit, he had the opportunity to see firsthand the consequences of the war and understand the challenges faced by the Ukrainian people, as well as the needs of our country.

Dennis Francis reaffirmed the UN General Assembly's continued solidarity with Ukraine, emphasized the need for all members of the UN to comply with the UN Charter and noted the resilience and courage of Ukrainians.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Andriy Yermak in Washington Discussed NATO Summit Preparations and Support for Ukraine with U.S. President's Assistant

President of Ukraine

3 July 2024 - 11:05

Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, during his visit to Washington, met with Phil Gordon, Assistant to the U.S. President and National Security Advisor to the U.S. Vice President.

The interlocutors discussed the outcomes of the Peace Summit held on June 15-16 in Switzerland and the next steps for establishing a just peace.

The Head of the Presidential Office noted the significant role of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris's participation in the Summit.

Andriy Yermak and Phil Gordon also discussed the preparations for the NATO Summit, which will take place on July 9-11 in Washington, and the support of the United States in defending Ukraine against Russian military aggression.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Ukraine: UN report reveals 'horrific toll' of Russian attacks

03 July 2024 - A new report from UN human rights monitors in Ukraine has revealed the "horrific toll" of attacks by Russian armed forces, with May recording the highest number of civilian casualties in nearly a year.

Released on Wednesday by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), the report explained the hardships civilians faced, including physical and long-term socioeconomic harm.

It also emphasised the human rights impact of Russia's renewed large-scale attacks on critical energy infrastructure in March, the ground offensive in the Kharkiv region in May and other developments in occupied and Government-controlled areas of Ukraine.

Relentless attacks

"With May having the highest monthly number of civilian casualties in nearly a year, fighting this spring took a horrific toll on civilians, particularly in Kharkiv region and city," said Danielle Bell, head of the HRMMU.

"The relentless attacks resulted in tragic loss of life, displacement, and destruction of homes and businesses," she added.

According to the report, between 1 March and 31 May, at least 436 civilians were killed and a further 1,760 injured as a result of conflict-related violence. Casualties included six media workers, 26 employees of healthcare institutions, five humanitarian workers, and 28 emergency service workers.

It added that the majority (91 per cent) of the casualties occurred in territory controlled by Ukraine, and nine per cent in Russian-occupied territory.

In the reporting period, Russian authorities reported that 91 civilians were killed and 455 injured in the Russia from attacks launched by Ukrainian armed forces, primarily in Belgorod, Briansk, and Kursk regions.

Powerful weapons

UN monitors identified the use of powerful air-dropped bombs and missiles in populated areas and at least five instances of successive attacks on the same location, just as first responders arrived on the scene, causing casualties.

The spring escalation in hostilities also saw Russian armed forces launch their "largest campaign of attacks" against critical energy infrastructure since the winter of 2022-23, killing and injuring civilians, while also affecting millions of people across the country with power cuts, the report said.

Rippling effects

The attacks also had rippling consequences on water supplies, mobile and internet access, and public transportation, Ms. Bell noted.

"The full impact of the attacks on energy infrastructure will only be clear this upcoming winter when the reduced power-generating capacity of Ukraine could leave many without access to heating and other services necessary for their survival," she said.

Among other findings, the report noted that the Russian armed forces pressured civilians in occupied territory to get Russian citizenship to receive medical services and keep their property rights.

The report will be presented to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council on 9 July.

UN Assembly President visits Ukraine

On Wednesday, the President of the UN General Assembly completed a two-day official visit to Kyiv, where he met with several official leaders including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In his discussions Assembly President Dennis Francis stressed that the Russian aggression against Ukraine violated the UN Charter.

He reiterated the General Assembly's commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.

Mr. Francis also noted that the Organization has worked closely with the Government, local authorities and international partners to rebuild Ukraine from the destruction.

"I would like to think the darkest of the night is behind Ukraine, not ahead of it," he said, expressing hope that the recent Summit for Peace in Ukraine would bring further progress in the near future.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






In less than a week, residents of Dnipro City suffer another deadly attack

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR UKRAINE DENISE BROWN STRONGLY CONDEMNS TODAY'S ATTACK BY THE RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES ON DNIPRO CITY, KILLING AND INJURING CIVILIANS

I am outraged by the news of yet another attack by the Russian Armed Forces that shook Dnipro City this morning as people were starting their day.

Only two days ago, I was there and saw the devastating impact of last Friday's strike that destroyed an apartment block right in front of the United Nations offices.

Yet again, families lost their loved ones, and people were injured in Dnipro, the country's fourth-largest city, which has also become home to thousands of people fleeing from hostilities in Ukraine. The blast also damaged hospitals, schools and a collective site where over 120 displaced people live.

The people of Ukraine continue to pay the highest price for this war, as every day, attacks take lives, destroy homes and bring more suffering. I once again call for the respect of international humanitarian law. Civilians must not be a target in war, they must be protected.

Kyiv, 3 July 2024

***

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US sending Ukraine badly needed air defense missiles

By VOA News July 03, 2024

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 LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






NATO summit to unveil concrete steps for Ukraine's membership

By Nike Ching July 03, 2024

NATO will roll out "concrete ways" to accelerate Ukraine's 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 Ukraine's 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.

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 NATO's 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 Orban's 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 People's 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 NATO's 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 a Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand a 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russian attacks kill at least 4, Ukrainian officials say

By VOA News July 03, 2024

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.

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.

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 Russia's invasion is set to top the agenda.

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.

Some information for this story was provided by Reuters, Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Ukraine Admits Loss In Chasiv Yar As New Deaths Reported In Odesa, Kharkiv Regions

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service July 04, 2024

Ukraine's military has acknowledged its withdrawal from part of the key highland town of Chasiv Yar in the eastern Donetsk region, while its Energy Ministry said Russian missiles killed one person and damaged a gas facility in the central Poltava region.

A spokesman for the Khortytsya operational group of the Ukrainian armed forces confirmed earlier claims by Moscow and specified that Russian troops now control the "Kanal" district of Chasiv Yar. The "protected retreat" had been approved by military command, the spokesman said.

Chasiv Yar has been a theater of intense fighting since April, and serves as a logistics hub for Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine's Energy Ministry meanwhile said the Russian missile attack that struck gas producer Ukrhazvydobyvannya's infrastructure in Poltava on July 4 had damaged the facility and killed one person while injuring three others, according to Reuters.

The Ukrainian military also reported that a Russian missile strike in the southern Odesa region on July 4 killed at least one person and injured seven others. Regional Governor Oleh Kipers said port infrastructure was damaged in the attack.

In the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine, regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said a woman was killed in an attack by a Russian guided bomb on the village of Ruska Lozova.

The attacks came as Russian President Vladimir Putin told a summit of the anti-Western Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Kazakhstan that the West was to blame for Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Putin encouraged "a new architecture of cooperation, indivisible security and development in Eurasia, designed to replace the outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models, which gave unilateral advantages only to certain states."

The SCO's 24th annual summit has been dominated by Putin's and Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-Western appeals and the organization's admission of Moscow ally Belarus as its 10th member.

Earlier on July 4, military officials in the Ukrainian capital said they intercepted fresh "waves" of Russian drones targeting Kyiv around dawn on July 4 that did not appear to inflict injuries or major damage, as locals in a major city hundreds of kilometers to the east mourned the dead and wounded from a third attack there in less than a week.

The head of Kyiv's military administration, Serhiy Popko, said via Telegram that the drones came "from different directions" but that "not a single drone reached Kyiv itself."

Explosions could be heard from the city following a 4 a.m. air alert but, Popko said, life in the city was not otherwise disrupted.

Ukraine's military said it had downed 21 of 22 Russian attack drones in all over central and northern regions overnight on July 3-4.

Meanwhile, the head of the military administration in the central city of Dnipro said the death toll had risen to six -- with more than 30 others injured -- from a Russian bombardment of that city early on July 3.

Dnipro Mayor Boris Filatov declared July 4 a day of mourning after the third attack in just five days on Dnipro, a city with a prewar population of around 1 million people.

That bombardment also renewed President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's pleas for more advanced air-defense systems and long-range weapons from allies to beat back the two-year-old full-scale invasion by Russia.

Also on July 3, Zelenskiy rejected a description of the battlefield situation as a "deadlock" and said Ukraine's fighting manpower has improved in recent months but it needs "the tools [and] they haven't arrived yet."

Zelenskiy expressed gratitude to U.S. officials after the White House announced a new $2.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine on July 3, and added, "We count on further U.S. assistance."

The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) predicted this week that while Ukraine was forming new brigades to "address its manpower challenges," "delayed and insufficient Western weapons deliveries will likely prevent Ukraine from equipping all these new brigades."

It called "timely" Western assistance a "crucial determinant" of Ukraine's capacity to respond to Russia's current "battlefield initiative."

The Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping talked about Ukraine during talks on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan on July 3 and, in the words of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as quoted by Reuters, "noted" the "futility of any formats" for peace talks without Russian participation.

Russia, which insists it has already annexed Crimea and four other areas of Ukraine, was excluded from a major summit in Switzerland last month to seek paths toward peace in Ukraine.

A NATO summit next week in Washington marking the transatlantic alliance's 75th anniversary is expected to grapple with ways to further support Ukraine's defense and map a path to closer cooperation, but Kyiv is not expected to be invited to join NATO as Zelenskiy has urged.

Russian news agency TASS on July 4 quoted Russia's Defense Ministry as saying it had destroyed a grounded Ukrainian MiG-29 in the Dnipropetrovsk region, but there was no initial confirmation from Ukrainian authorities.

Reports from the Ukrainian military suggest Russian forces are focusing an offensive on the area of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region.

The governor of Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhya region, Ivan Fedorov, said on July 4 that Russian shelling killed two and injured another person there amid a barrage that struck 10 settlements over the past day.

RFE/RL cannot independently confirm reports by either side of battlefield developments in areas of the worst fighting.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-attacks- kyiv-dnipro-zelenskiy-aid/33021371.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






Brussels, July 5 (UNI) European Council President Charles Michel congratulated Labour Party leader Kier Starmer on his victory in the UK election on Friday.



Earlier in the day, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that he is stepping down as prime minister of the United Kingdom after conceding defeat to the Labour Party in the parliamentary election.



"Congratulations, Kier Starmer, on a historic election victory in the UK. The EU and the UK are crucial partners, cooperating in all areas of mutual interest for our citizens. I look forward to working with you and your government in this new cycle for the UK. See you soon in the European Political Community meeting on July 18 in the UK, where we will discuss common challenges, including stability, security, energy, and migration," Michel said on X.

UNI/SPUTNIK XC BM
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's reply to a media question about statements made by President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis during his visit to Ukraine

4 July 2024 12:27

1288-04-07-2024

Question: During his visit to Ukraine, President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis said when commenting on the situation in Ukraine that Russia's special military operation was a violation of the UN Charter. What would you say in this regard?

Maria Zakharova: It is true that Dennis Francis has made yet another portion of biased statements. The President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly again forgot about the limits to his powers and assumed the right to comment on the compliance of anyone's actions with the founding document of the global organisation. In this connection, we would like to point out again the unacceptability of a selective attitude to the provisions of the UN Charter, which must be strictly complied with in their entirety and as a whole.

In particular, it is regrettable that the representative of Trinidad and Tobago overlooked Clause 3 of Article 1 of the UN Charter, which stipulates the member states' commitment to "promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion." The Kiev regime obviously does not comply with that provision. It has made Russophobia a state ideology, contrary to Article 10 of the Ukrainian Constitution that guarantees the free development, use and protection of the Russian language, and launched a war of annihilation of the Russian-speaking population of its former territories in 2014.

We have also taken note of Mr Francis' statement on advancing peace in Ukraine. In this regard, we would like to say that Russia never refused to launch comprehensive talks. Conditions for them were unambiguously set out by President Vladimir Putin on June 14.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia's Cutting-Edge Vityaz Air Defense System Picks Off 12 HIMARS In One Swoop

Sputnik News

20240704

The S-350 "Vityaz" is a top-notch Russian mobile air defense system made for intercepting and neutralizing airborne threats like aircraft, cruise missiles, and precision-guided munitions. Armed with state-of-the-art radar and communication technology, it can pinpoint targets, engaging multiple threats simultaneously with precision-guided missiles.

The S-350 "Vityaz" (Brave warrior) missile system in the special operation zone hit 12 HIMARS MLRS missiles at once, the commander of Battlegroup Yug's anti-aircraft missile division told Sputnik.

"Not long ago we worked on a large pack of HIMARS MLRS, there were about 12-16 targets, this system fared successfully, none of the targets (MLRS missiles) reached their point, and accordingly the complex had no difficulty both in detecting and picking off the pack," the commander said.

According to the serviceman, the target was successfully acquired at a range of approximately 90 kilometers. The missile system then maintained a steady escort and ultimately hit the target at a distance of about 70 kilometers from the complex's location.

"The primary advantage of the missiles in this complex is their homing head, which makes maneuvering targets easy to hit. The missile will maneuver parallel to the target," the commander added.

The Vityaz missile system's superiority over other systems is easily demonstrated through a number of key advantages. These include its exceptional mobility and maneuverability, as well as its ability to navigate difficult terrain and withstand harsh weather conditions. This allows for a quicker setup along firing positions. Furthermore, the system is equipped with an autonomous power supply, eliminating the need for external sources of power.

"The automatic mode of this complex works perfectly. Not a single unnecessary missile was launched in this mode. All missiles have reached their targets," the serviceman assured.

The Vityaz has effectively obliterated multiple targets, including ATACMS missiles, enemy UAVs, and even aircraft-type drones.

A Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Putin: Ceasefire 'Impossible' Until Peace Talks With Ukraine Begin

Sputnik News

20240704

Following the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Russian President Vladimir Putin held a press conference, where he touched upon the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

"We cannot allow this ceasefire to be used by the enemy to improve its position... We need to ensure that the opposite side takes steps that are inevitable for the Russian Federation, so a ceasefire is impossible without such an agreement," Putin told reporters.

The president also emphasized that Russia has never refused to negotiate with Ukraine.

"We have always been in favor of negotiations, as you well know, we have never given up on them. The only question is that it seems unlikely to me that the final end to the conflict will be achieved through mediation alone," he noted.

Putin elaborated that it is impossible due to the fact that such a mediator is unlikely to have the authority to sign the final document.

Earlier in the day, the leaders and representatives of the SCO member states signed the final Astana Declaration and several other documents at the meeting in Kazakhstan. On the second day of the summit, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that Belarus had been officially accepted as a member of the SCO.

A Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Very Important Decisions Were Made; Time Will Reveal These Decisions on the Frontline - Address by the President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine

4 July 2024 - 20:39

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

A brief summary of the day.

I held a meeting of the Staff - a long one, and among the key topics in today's reports were drones and electronic warfare. We discussed production in Ukraine, financing, supply, and usage. All the specifics - starting from the most in-demand items on the front, particularly FPV drones. Of course, we also paid maximum attention to our long-range drones. We listened to the reports by Commander Sukharevskyi, Deputy Prime Minister Fedorov, Minister for Strategic Industries Kamyshin and Commander of the Air Force Oleshchuk, and made very important decisions. Time will reveal these decisions on the frontline.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Umerov reported on the details of his trip to the United States, the negotiations, and most importantly, the implementation of the defense packages that have been announced but have not yet been delivered to Ukraine. We are pushing this logistics forward.

Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on the situation in the main directions, with most of the fighting occurring in the Pokrovsk direction, in our Donetsk region. However, we are strengthening every direction now - from Kharkiv to the southern regions. I am grateful to every brigade, every soldier and commander who are truly resilient and accurate. Especially the 35th separate marine brigade, the 44th and 55th separate artillery brigades, the 71st separate jaeger brigade, the 108th separate territorial defense brigade, and the 110th separate mechanized brigade. Thank you all for your results, warriors!

Today I also held a long meeting on the NATO Summit in Washington, which will take place next week. The summit must be strong - strong for Ukraine and all our partners. A meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council will also take place. We are working on the details of new decisions, new documents to be signed with our partners. There should be positive outcomes, including on air defense.

A new security agreement for Ukraine has also been prepared - a strong agreement that will truly provide support. We will continue to consistently strengthen our entire architecture of security agreements. This is what will guarantee our security until Ukraine joins NATO - a decision that is irreversible.

Today, I also presented state awards to Ukrainian police officers - the best ones, those who protect our country and people in the battles at the front. I thanked them for their service, I extended my gratitude to all their colleagues for their strength for the sake of Ukraine and congratulated them on the National Police Day.

And I would also like to express particular and special gratitude to all Americans - the United States, who are celebrating Independence Day today - for supporting our independence. Nations that endure such challenges for the sake of their freedom, for the sake of their future, understand each other best. I am grateful that for more than two years of full-scale war, we have been defending lives side by side with America and preventing Russia from expanding this war and jeopardizing the independence of other nations of the world. We must and can win this battle here in Ukraine, for our people, for justice for Ukraine, and for all who value life. President Biden, Congress - both parties, both chambers, and all our friends in America - thank you!

Glory to Ukraine!

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






GUADALAJARA, Mexico, July 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V., (NYSE:PAC; BMV: GAP) (the Company or GAP) informs that yesterday, July 3, the Montego Bay and Kingston airports were in a preventive emergency due to the passage of Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica.

Both airports remained closed from Tuesday, July 2 midnight through Wednesday, July 3. The Montego Bay airport did not present any major damage that would prevent its operation, so operations resumed today at 6:00 p.m. Kingston Airport suffered minor roof damage to the passenger boarding area; given these effects, the airport must remain closed this July 4 to implement corrective measures, reopening the airport at 5:00 a.m. on Friday, July 5. The runways, aprons, and terminals did not suffer damage, enabling the reopening of the airports.

As of last night, Hurricane Beryl's center was located more than 100 km southwest of Negril Point, Jamaica, so it is ruled out that the effects will continue in the island's coastal areas.

GAP has property insurance that covers this type of natural disaster, so no significant economic effects are expected.

Company Description

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexicos Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali, and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAPs shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PAC and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GAP. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concessioner Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the Norman Manley International Airport operation in Kingston, Jamaica, and took control of the operation in October 2019.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts and are based on managements current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance, and financial results. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, plans and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations, and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity, or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends, or results will occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Article 42 of the Ley del Mercado de Valores, GAP has implemented a whistleblower program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party responsible for collecting these complaints, is 800 04 ETICA (38422) or WhatsApp +52 55 6538 5504. The website is www.lineadedenunciagap.com or by email at denuncia@lineadedenunciagap.com. GAPs Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation.
NEWARK, Del, July 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global automotive valve stem seal market value is forecast to increase from USD 564.3 million in 2024 to USD 866.5 million by 2034. Over the assessment period, global demand for automotive valve stem seals is projected to surge at a CAGR of 4.4%.



The synthetic rubber segment is expected to dominate the global automotive valve stem seal industry through 2034. It will likely hold a value share of 63.1% by 2024. On the other hand, the PTFE rubber segment is set to grow at a higher CAGR of 4.3% through 2034.

Automotive valve stem seals have become indispensable components in the automotive industry. These seals play a crucial role in the efficient and reliable operation of internal combustion engines. They ensure the proper functioning of engine valves by preventing oil from leaking into the combustion chamber and maintaining optimal lubrication.

One of the primary drivers of the global automotive valve stem seal market is the continuous expansion and evolution of the automotive sector. The demand for vehicles, both commercial and passenger, is growing rapidly, thereby creating growth opportunities for automotive valve stem seal manufacturers.

Request a Report Sample to Gain Comprehensive Insights! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-19068

Modern engines are designed to meet stringent emission standards, enhance fuel efficiency, and incorporate advanced technologies like turbocharging and direct fuel injection. These advancements necessitate the use of high-quality valve stem seals, driving the market forward as automakers seek reliable solutions to meet these evolving engine requirements.

The global shift towards environmental sustainability significantly influences automotive valve stem seal sales. Similarly, growing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles will likely facilitate market expansion during the assessment period.

With a growing emphasis on reducing carbon emissions and adopting cleaner technologies, the demand for fuel-efficient and eco-friendly vehicles is on the rise. Valve stem seals contribute to these environmental goals by preventing oil leakage and ensuring optimal engine performance, making them integral to the development of cleaner and greener automotive solutions.

The aftermarket segment of the automotive valve stem seal market is also gaining prominence. As vehicles age, the wear and tear of components become inevitable. This, in turn, is creating the need for replacement parts, including automotive valve stem seals.

The automotive valve stem seal industry is poised to grow steadily due to escalating demand within the expanding automotive sector, fueled by advancements in technology, alongside a rising commitment to environmental sustainability. says Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.)

Key Takeaways from the Report

The global market for automotive valve stem seals is projected to grow at 4.4% CAGR through 2034.

through 2034. By material type, the synthetic rubber segment is expected to total a valuation of US$ 573.2 million by 2034.

by 2034. By vehicle type, the passenger car segment is set to hold a market share of 62.0% in 2024.

in 2024. North America is expected to account for a significant share of about 19.2% in 2034.

in 2034. The United States market is estimated to be valued at US$ 105.6 million by 2034.

by 2034. Sales in China are projected to total US$ 226.8 million by 2034.

by 2034. Japan is poised to witness a CAGR of 4.4% through 2034.



Get in Touch with Our Sales Team to Secure Your Copy of the Report Now! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/19068

Who is Winning?

The global automotive valve stem seal market is fragmented, with top players accounting for about 12% to 15% of the share.

Key Companies Profiled SKF Group

Federal-Mogul Corporation

Eaton Corporation

ElringKlinger AG

Dana Incorporated

NOK Corporation

Freudenberg Group

Trelleborg AB

Zhong Ding Sealing Parts Co., Ltd.

Ishikawa Gasket Co., Ltd.

Hutchinson SA

Mahle GmbH

Teikoku Piston Ring Co., Ltd.

Smiths Group plc

DuPont de Nemours, Inc. Corteco

Shijiazhuang Beike Sealing Technology Co., Ltd.

ERIKS nv

TTK Prestige Ltd.

Elwis Royal LLC

SBHPP (Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics)

Guangzhou Best Rubber & Plastic Co., Ltd.

Blue Diamond Technologies Ltd.

ASIMCO Technologies Ltd.

AKS DASIS Automotive Systems

James Walker Group

ASHUN Fluid Power Co., Ltd.

SSV Works

NAK Sealing Technologies Corporation

Dana Holding Corporation

Key companies focus on providing innovative, durable, high-performance automotive valve stem seals, whereas unorganized players concentrate on providing value-for-money products. Similarly, the market is witnessing strategies like mergers, partnerships, distribution agreements, and acquisitions as key players look to expand their global footprint.

Recent Developments:

In Nov 2022, Tenneco, a leading manufacturer of automotive products, was acquired by Apollo affiliates.



Auto Valve Stem Seal Market Segmentation

By Product Type:

Positive Valve Stem Seals

O-Ring Seals

Umbrella Seals

Deflector Valve Stem Seals

Teflon Seals

Positive Twist Seals

By Design:

Integrated Stem Seals

Non-integrated Stem Seals

High Pressure Stem Seals



By Engine Type:

Gasoline

Diesel

By Material:

Nylon

PTFE Rubber

Steel

Synthetic Rubber

Nitrile

Polyacrylate

Viton 

Other

By Vehicle Type:

2-Wheeler

3-Wheeler

Passenger Car

Compact

Mid-size

SUV

Luxury

LCV

HCV

Construction Equipment

Defense Vehicle



By Sales Channel:

OEM

Aftermarket

Authorized Service Centers

Independent Service Centers

By Region:

North America

Latin America

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

East Asia

South Asia & Pacific

Middle East & Africa



Report Preview! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automotive-valve-stem-seal-market

Authored By

Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has over a decade of experience in market research and business consulting. He has successfully delivered 1500+ client assignments, predominantly in Automotive, Chemicals, Industrial Equipment, Oil & Gas, and Service industries.

His core competency circles around developing research methodology, creating a unique analysis framework, statistical data models for pricing analysis, competition mapping, and market feasibility analysis. His expertise also extends wide and beyond analysis, advising clients on identifying growth potential in established and niche market segments, investment/divestment decisions, and market entry decision-making.

Nikhil holds an MBA degree in Marketing and IT and a Graduate in Mechanical Engineering. Nikhil has authored several publications and quoted in journals like EMS Now, EPR Magazine, and EE Times.

Have a Look at Related Research Reports in Automotive Domain

The automotive wiring harness market is expected to grow at a considerable CAGR of 8% through 2033. The market is expected to hit a valuation of US$ 119.31 billion by 2033. The market is projected to be valued at US$ 55.26 billion in 2023, and in 2022 the market valuation was US$ 51.79 billion.

The Automotive Fuel Gauge Sending unit market demand for Automotive Fuel Gauge Sending units grew by 3.1% in 2022 and is estimated to reach US$ 3,242.2 million in 2023. Over the assessment period from 2023 to 2033, worldwide product demand is projected to exhibit a 3.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), resulting in a market size of US$ 4,441.4 million by the end of 2033.

The APAC automotive telematics market size is anticipated to be valued at US$ 93.9 billion in 2023 and is predicted to rise to US$ 414.5 billion by 2033. The sales of APAC automotive telematics are estimated to secure a notable CAGR of 16% from 2023 to 2033.

The automotive valve spring market size is projected to be worth US$ 4093.6 million in 2023. The market is likely to surpass US$ 5663.8 million by 2033 at a CAGR of 3.30% during the forecast period. The market growth is being propelled by notable industrialization in emerging and established nations and an increased focus on engine performance management.

The automotive brake valve market was worth approximately US$ 12,109 million in 2022. The market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.9% between 2023 and 2033, to reach US$ 22,598.7 million by 2033. Over the course of the projected period, ABS modular valves and combination valves is projected to account for more than 43.3% and 21.1%, respectively.

The automotive engine valve market was valued at US$ 5.89 Billion in 2021. As of 2022, the valuation has increased to US$ 6.2 Billion. The automotive engine valve market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.3% during the forecast period. The market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 7.78 Billion by 2032.

The global automotive oil pressure valve market secured a market value worth US$ 2 Billion in 2021. The market is further expected to reach US$ 2.12 Billion by the end of 2022. The market in 2032 is projected to value US$ 3.5 Billion while recording a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period from 2022 to 2032.

The demand for valve seat insert in Western Europe is expected to witness a CAGR of 3.4% through 2034. The sales of valve seat insert in Western Europe are expected to reach US$ 1,994.65 million by 2034, up from US$ 1,403.75 million in 2024.

The global automotive active safety system market size is anticipated to reach USD 45.69 billion by 2034. The industry is projected to witness a CAGR of about 11.3% in the assessment period 2024 to 2034. Automotive active safety system sales are projected to attain a value of USD 15.8 billion in 2024.

The global automotive turbocharger market size, as reported by Future Market Insights (FMI), reached US$ 12.5 billion in 2018. Demand for automotive turbochargers registered an 8.7% year-on-year growth in 2022, indicating that it would reach US$ 16.6 billion in 2023.

About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of ~400 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries.

Contact Us:

Future Market Insights Inc.



Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive,

Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA

T: +1-845-579-5705

For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com

Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com

LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube
Dublin, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Fast Fashion - Global Strategic Business Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global market for Fast Fashion was valued at an estimated US$111.4 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$184.7 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2023 to 2030. This comprehensive report provides an in-depth analysis of market trends, drivers, and forecasts, helping you make informed business decisions.





Sustainability concerns are increasingly coming to the forefront of consumer consciousness, influencing a shift within the fast fashion industry. Awareness about the environmental and ethical implications of fast fashion - such as waste, pollution, and labor conditions - has led to growing pressure for change. In response, some fast fashion brands are beginning to integrate more sustainable practices, such as using recycled materials and reducing waste in their supply chains. Another significant trend is the digitalization of fashion retail.



The use of artificial intelligence for inventory management, virtual fitting rooms, and personalized marketing strategies are reshaping the shopping experience, making it more efficient and tailored to individual preferences. Despite the growing awareness and appreciation for the benefits of circular fashion, fast fashion`s deep-rooted presence in consumer culture, especially among young demographics, makes it challenging to phase out. The speed with which fast fashion aligns with ever-changing trends makes it particularly appealing to the youth demographic, underscoring a societal inclination towards immediate gratification and trend participation.



Key Insights:

Market Growth: Understand the significant growth trajectory of the Female Gender segment, which is expected to reach US$112.5 Billion by 2030 with a CAGR of a 7.1%. The Male Gender segment is also set to grow at 8.0% CAGR over the analysis period.

Regional Analysis: Gain insights into the U.S. market, estimated at $30.4 Billion in 2023, and China, forecasted to grow at an impressive 11.8% CAGR to reach $40.9 Billion by 2030. Discover growth trends in other key regions, including Japan, Canada, Germany, and the Asia-Pacific.

Why You Should Buy This Report:

Detailed Market Analysis: Access a thorough analysis of the Global Fast Fashion Market, covering all major geographic regions and market segments.

Competitive Insights: Get an overview of the competitive landscape, including the market presence of major players across different geographies.

Future Trends and Drivers: Understand the key trends and drivers shaping the future of the Global Fast Fashion Market.

Actionable Insights: Benefit from actionable insights that can help you identify new revenue opportunities and make strategic business decisions.

Key Questions Answered:

How is the Global Fast Fashion Market expected to evolve by 2030?

What are the main drivers and restraints affecting the market?

Which market segments will grow the most over the forecast period?

How will market shares for different regions and segments change by 2030?

Who are the leading players in the market, and what are their prospects?

Report Features:

Comprehensive Market Data: Independent analysis of annual sales and market forecasts in US$ Million from 2023 to 2030.

In-Depth Regional Analysis: Detailed insights into key markets, including the U.S., China, Japan, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa.

Company Profiles: Coverage of major players such as Authentic Brands Group LLC, Boohoo.com UK Limited, C&A Mode GmbH & Co. KG, and more.

Complimentary Updates: Receive free report updates for one year to keep you informed of the latest market developments.

Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 371 Forecast Period 2023 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $111.4 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $184.7 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 7.5% Regions Covered Global





MARKET OVERVIEW

Influencer Market Insights

World Market Trajectories

Global Economic Update

Fast Fashion - Global Key Competitors Percentage Market Share in 2024 (E)

Competitive Market Presence - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial for Players Worldwide in 2024 (E)

MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS

Social Media Trends Propel Demand for Rapidly Changing Fashion Styles

Sustainability Concerns Generate Shifts Towards Eco-Friendly Fast Fashion Options

Economic Fluctuations Drive Consumer Spending on Affordable Apparel

Consumer Demand for Instant Gratification Strengthens Same-Day Delivery Services

Influence of Celebrity and Influencer Collaborations on Brand Popularity

Rising Consumer Awareness of Ethical Practices Throws the Spotlight on Brand Transparency

The Role of Fast Fashion in Shaping Urban Youth Culture

Growth of E-commerce Platforms Expands Reach of Fast Fashion Brands

Adaptive Clothing Designs Cater to a Broader Market Segment

The Revival of Vintage and Second-Hand Trends Challenges New Sales

Consumer Data Analytics Drives Targeted Marketing Strategies

FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS(Total 44 Featured):

Authentic Brands Group LLC

Boohoo.com UK Limited

C&A Mode GmbH & Co. KG

Charlotte Russe, Inc.

Cotton On Australia Pty Ltd

Fashion Nova, LLC

Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.

Hennes & Mauritz AB

Industria de Diseno Textil, S.A.

ITX USA LLC (Bershka)

Pull & Bear

PUNTO FA, SL (Mango Fashion Group)

River Island

The Gap, Inc.

Victoria`s Secret & Co.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/tlgu4v

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
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EDS, a trailblazing Social Media Marketing & Lead Generation Company based in Dubai, UAE, is excited to announce its groundbreaking transition to providing comprehensive 360-degree strategies and solutions to its esteemed clientele. This strategic evolution reaffirms EDS's commitment to delivering unparalleled online marketing solutions and exceptional digital marketing results for companies in the UAE and worldwide.



For over 17 years in business, EDS has been synonymous with innovation, excellence, and a results-driven approach. This strategic shift is a natural progression, designed to empower businesses with holistic solutions that cover every facet of their digital presence, enabling them to thrive in the dynamic landscape of online marketing.

360-Degree Strategy Unveiled

EDS's 360-degree approach encompasses an array of services meticulously crafted to cater to every aspect of modern digital marketing. From Lead Generation to Social Media Marketing, SMS Marketing, Email Marketing, Push Notifications, Google Ads, Web Development, Press Release Distribution, Outdoor Advertising, Radio Advertising and Search Engine Optimization, EDS is poised to be a one-stop destination for businesses seeking comprehensive and effective solutions.

"We understand that the digital ecosystem is intricate and interconnected," said Manish Gupta, CEO at EDS. "By offering 360-degree strategies, we aim to streamline our clients' experiences, providing them with integrated solutions that deliver impactful results."

Core Values and Expertise

With its establishment in 2006, EDS has garnered an impeccable reputation as a digital trailblazer. Owned and managed by experts from web and online marketing backgrounds, the company's services encompass the entire spectrum of online marketing, analytics, website design and development, Email & SMS marketing, digital marketing  including social media, and digital strategic consultancy.

The team at EDS consists of individuals hailing from diverse digital media backgrounds, converging creative, technical, marketing, and analytical skills into a potent mix. The company prides itself on its unwavering commitment to ROI-centric strategies, ensuring that every effort is geared towards delivering tangible business outcomes.

Unparalleled Support and Innovation

EDS's partnership approach extends beyond project launch. The company is dedicated to providing long-term support and strategic ideas throughout a client's journey. This holistic support ensures that businesses not only launch successfully but continue to evolve and thrive in the digital landscape.

Whether it's Brand Identity, Corporate Brochure, Outdoor Advertising, Radio Advertising, Advertising Campaigns, Web Hosting, Digital Marketing, YouTube Advertising, Instagram Advertising, Facebook Advertising, Twitter Advertising, Snapchat Advertising, Programmatic Advertising, SEO, Technical Tasks, Social Media Influencer, Mobile Marketing, Press Release Distribution, WhatsApp Marketing, LinkedIn Advertising, or Video Shoot & Editing  EDS stands ready to deliver excellence.

Connect with EDS

To explore EDS's groundbreaking 360-degree strategies and experience a transformative approach to digital marketing, visit https://eds.ae/

About EDS:

EDS is a pioneering Social Media Marketing & Lead Generation Company based in Dubai, UAE. With a legacy dating back to 2006, EDS is dedicated to providing innovative online marketing solutions that drive business growth. The company's expertise spans Lead Generation, Social Media Marketing, Outdoor Advertising, Radio Advertising, Press Release Distribution, SMS Marketing, Email Marketing, Push Notifications, Google Ads, Web Development, Search Engine Optimization, and more.

https://www.facebook.com/edsfze/

https://www.instagram.com/edsfze/

https://twitter.com/edsfze/

https://www.pinterest.com/edsfze/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/eds-fze/

https://www.youtube.com/c/EDSFZEUAE

Contact:

Manish Gupta

info@eds.ae

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d8c7c4b3-8adc-42c8-9390-9c91f4cd2e78
TORONTO and HAIFA, Israel, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NurExone Biologic Inc. (TSXV: NRX), (OTCQB: NRXBF), (Germany: J90) (the Company or NurExone), a pioneering biopharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce two significant updates aimed at advancing our mission and improving stakeholder engagement.



Dr. Lior Shaltiel, Chief Executive Officer of NurExone, will be presenting at the Emerging Growth Conference  Biotech Feature. This online conference is specifically tailored towards the healthcare sector and will start on July 18, 2024, at 9:00am ET. NurExone presentation is scheduled from 2:55pm to 3:25pm ET. This conference is a prime platform for emerging growth companies to showcase their latest advancements and strategic initiatives. Dr. Shaltiels presentation will focus on NurExone's groundbreaking ExoTherapy platform and its nanodrug ExoPTEN under development for acute spinal cord injuries. We invite all stakeholders, investors, and interested parties to join us for this presentation using this link.

In our continuous effort to improve communication, NurExone is proud to announce the launch of our newly updated website. The redesign aims to provide a clearer, more intuitive interface that makes it easier for collaborators, pharmaceutical companies, and other stakeholders to find the information they need. We believe these improvements will foster better engagement with our community and support our mission to develop cutting-edge exosome loaded therapies for central nervous system disease.

For more information, please visit our updated website at www.nurexone.com .

About NurExone Biologic Inc.

NurExone Biologic Inc. is a TSXV listed pharmaceutical Company that is developing a platform for biologically-guided exosome-based therapies to be delivered, non-invasively, to patients who have suffered Central Nervous System injuries. The Companys first product, ExoPTEN for acute spinal cord injury, was proven to recover motor function in 75% of laboratory rats when administered intranasally. ExoPTEN has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA. The NurExone platform technology is expected to offer novel solutions to drug companies interested in noninvasive targeted drug delivery for other indications.

For additional information, please visit www.nurexone.com or follow NurExone on LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook , or YouTube .

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Lior Shaltiel

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Phone: +972-52-4803034

Email: info@nurexone.com

Thesis Capital Inc.

Investment Relation - Canada

Phone: +1 905-347-5569

Email: IR@nurexone.com

Dr. Eva Reuter

Investment Relation - Germany

Phone: +49-69-1532-5857

Email: e.reuter@dr-reuter.eu

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the Companys current expectations and projections about its future results. Wherever possible, words such as may, will, should, could, expect, plan, intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict or potential or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Dr. Shaltiels proposed attendance and presentation at the conference; Dr. Shaltiels presentation focusing on NurExone's groundbreaking ExoTherapy platform and its nanodrug ExoPTEN under development for acute spinal cord injuries; the proposed conference and details thereof; the statement that the NurExone platform technology is expected to offer novel solutions to drug companies interested in noninvasive targeted drug delivery for other indications; the website and its benefits; and the Companys ongoing commitment to using its ExoTherapy platform and nanodrug ExoPTEN to treat acute spinal cord injuries.

These statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. In developing the forward-looking statements in this press release, we have applied several material assumptions, including Dr. Shaltiels presentation increasing the visibility of the Company and its technological developments; Dr. Shaltiels presentation on NurExone's groundbreaking ExoTherapy platform and its nanodrug ExoPTEN under development for acute spinal cord injuries; the Companys ability to realize upon the stated potential for its nanodrug ExoPTEN to treat acute spinal cord injuries; the Companys ability to realize the NurExone platform technology to offer novel solutions to drug companies interested in noninvasive targeted drug delivery for other indications; the new website being more clear, intuitive, and easy to follow for collaborators, pharmaceutical companies, and other stakeholders; and the Companys ability to maintain its ongoing commitment to using its ExoTherapy platform to advance the field of regenerative medicine.

Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to Dr. Shaltiels presentation not having its intended outcomes; Dr. Shaltiel not presenting on NurExone's groundbreaking ExoTherapy platform and its nanodrug ExoPTEN under development for acute spinal cord injuries; lack of revenues to date; government regulation; market acceptance for its products; rapid technological change; dependence on key personnel; the fact that its nanodrug ExoPTEN is still under development; the fact that the effects of the nanodrug ExoPTEN are still uncertain; the potential inability to obtain or maintain regulatory approval of ExoPTEN; the introduction of competing drugs that are safer, more effective or less expensive than, or otherwise superior to, the drug product candidates of the Company; the potential inability to obtain adequate financing; dependence on the Companys strategic partners; the protection of the Companys intellectual property; the potential inability to obtain or maintain intellectual property protection for the ExoTherapy platform and ExoPTEN; risks that the Companys intellectual property and technology wont have the intended impact on the Company and/or its business; the website not being more clear, intuitive, or easy to follow for collaborators, pharmaceutical companies, and other stakeholders; and the risks discussed under the heading Risk Factors on pages 29 to 36 of the Companys Annual Information Form dated March 30, 2023, a copy of which is available under the Companys SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

Neither 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.
Dublin, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Body Polishes - Global Strategic Business Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global market for Body Polishes was valued at an estimated US$2.5 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$3 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 2.5% from 2023 to 2030. This comprehensive report provides an in-depth analysis of market trends, drivers, and forecasts, helping you make informed business decisions.



The growth in the body polish market is driven by several factors, including increased consumer interest in personal grooming and holistic wellness. The expanding global wellness industry, which promotes regular, intensive skin care routines, has significantly contributed to the popularity of body polishes. Technological advancements in cosmetic formulations have enabled the creation of products that cater to a wide range of skin types and concerns, enhancing market reach and consumer adoption. Moreover, the rise in e-commerce has made specialized body care products more accessible to a broader audience, facilitating the discovery and trial of new products.



Social media and influencer marketing also play crucial roles, as beauty influencers frequently share tutorials and benefits of body polishing, encouraging their followers to incorporate these treatments into their skin care regimens. As consumers continue to pursue beauty products that offer both aesthetic benefits and wellness advantages, the demand for innovative, high-quality body polishes is expected to grow.





Key Insights:

Market Growth: Understand the significant growth trajectory of the Organic Body Polish segment, which is expected to reach US$1.6 Billion by 2030 with a CAGR of a 3.5%. The Alcohol-Free Body Polish segment is also set to grow at 1.3% CAGR over the analysis period.

Regional Analysis: Gain insights into the U.S. market, estimated at $687.8 Million in 2023, and China, forecasted to grow at an impressive 5.2% CAGR to reach $602.7 Million by 2030. Discover growth trends in other key regions, including Japan, Canada, Germany, and the Asia-Pacific.

Why You Should Buy This Report:

Detailed Market Analysis: Access a thorough analysis of the Global Body Polishes Market, covering all major geographic regions and market segments.

Competitive Insights: Get an overview of the competitive landscape, including the market presence of major players across different geographies.

Future Trends and Drivers: Understand the key trends and drivers shaping the future of the Global Body Polishes Market.

Actionable Insights: Benefit from actionable insights that can help you identify new revenue opportunities and make strategic business decisions.

Key Questions Answered:

How is the Global Body Polishes Market expected to evolve by 2030?

What are the main drivers and restraints affecting the market?

Which market segments will grow the most over the forecast period?

How will market shares for different regions and segments change by 2030?

Who are the leading players in the market, and what are their prospects?

Report Features:

Comprehensive Market Data: Independent analysis of annual sales and market forecasts in US$ Million from 2023 to 2030.

In-Depth Regional Analysis: Detailed insights into key markets, including the U.S., China, Japan, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa.

Company Profiles: Coverage of major players such as AS Beauty LLC, Aveda Corporation, Bath and Body Works Direct, Inc., and more.

Complimentary Updates: Receive free report updates for one year to keep you informed of the latest market developments.

Select Competitors (Total 46 Featured):

AS Beauty LLC

Aveda Corporation

Bath and Body Works Direct, Inc.

First Botany Cosmeceuticals

Global Cosmetics (HK) Company Limited

Murshmallow

Naterra International, Inc.

Sephora USA, Inc.

Soap and Glory Ltd.

THE BODY SHOP INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

The Glow Fairy

Truly Beauty Inc.

Key Attributes

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 280 Forecast Period 2023 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $2.5 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $3 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 2.5% Regions Covered Global

Market Trends & Drivers:

Rising Consumer Interest in Exfoliation Products Propels Growth of Body Polishes

Eco-Conscious Trends Drive Demand for Organic and Natural Body Polishes

Influence of Spa and Wellness Culture Amplifies Popularity of Luxurious Body Care Routines

Technological Advancements in Skincare Formulations Enhance Body Polish Efficacy

Increasing Awareness of Skin Health Benefits Spurs Market Expansion

Impact of Social Media Beauty Influencers on Consumer Preferences

Consumer Demand for Personalized Skincare Solutions Enhances Product Development

Emergence of Men's Grooming Products Expands Market for Body Polishes

Rising Global Disposable Income Drives Adoption of Premium Skincare Products

Growing Intersection of Skincare and Wellness Boosts Integration of Therapeutic Ingredient

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9jd4s1

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
Re-elected Mongolian PM urges legislators to prioritize national development over politicization

Ulan Bator, July 5 (UNI) Following his re-election, Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene called upon the country's newly elected legislators on Friday to avoid politicizing issues crucial for national development.

Oyun-Erdene was re-elected for another term as the Asian country's prime minister on Friday, with his ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) securing a narrow majority in the regular elections of the parliament, known as the State Great Khural, held on June 28.

In an address, Oyun-Erdene emphasized the urgency of fully funding several ongoing projects from the past four years, urging legislators to collaborate across party lines for the nation's advancement.
Pune, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Market S ize was recorded at USD 113 Billion in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 268.8 Billion during 2032, growing at a CAGR of 10.1% over the forecast period 2024-2032

Rising demand for vehicles among consumers in various regions of the world is driving massive opportunities for the internal combustion engine (ICE) market.According to Data published related sales for new cars, shows that sales for Electric cars was recorded 13.8 Mn in 2023 as compared to Non- electric cars that is 62.8 Mn is same year. This rising demand is largely due to the continued technological innovation in engine efficiency and performance, alongside ongoing advancements of hybrid solutions that combine conventional internal combustion engines with electric powertrains. For Instance, Toyota is also planning to reveal launch a new internal combustion engine. The new version is laced with, fire-up with finesse 1.5- and four-liter cylinders that will be used on vehicles from July 2024. The innovations that drive this momentum are Variable Displacement Engines (VDE) and high-performance hybrid electric powertrains.





Get a Sample Report of Internal Combustion Engine Market @ https://www.snsinsider.com/sample-request/4089

The ongoing innovation and collaboration among the key players have made the growth and technological surge in the ICE Market. According to Current news published, TMTL (Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited), the company that manufactures TAFE tractors, has teamed up with German internal combustion engine manufacturer Deutz AG to manufacture a range of engines in India together they revealed today. The agreement allows Deutz to harness the manufacturing capabilities of Indian equipment maker TAFE Motors, a subsidiary of TAFE Ltd., as it seeks to increase its presence in India. The extended partnership is in line with the 'Dual+' strategy launched by Deutz which focuses on promoting alternative drive over advancing ICE business.

Recent Developments

In June 2023: General Motors upgraded its Indiana facility for next-generation full-sized ICE trucks, a USD 632 million investment made as a commitment towards technology.

In April 2023: Mercedes-Benz showed its last new gasoline E-Class model with the hybrid powertrain next to the conventional ICE engine, illustrating that industry is moving towards electrification.

Internal Combustion Engine Market Report Scope & Overview

Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2023 USD 113 Billion Market Size in 2032 USD 268.8 Billion CAGR (2024-2032) 10.1% Report Scope & Coverage Market Size, Segments Analysis, Competitive Landscape, Regional Analysis, DROC & SWOT Analysis, Forecast Outlook Market Driver The rising demand for ICE vehicles, boost the market revenue.

Do you need any customization research on Internal Combustion Engine Market, Speak to Our Analyst @ https://www.snsinsider.com/enquiry/4089

Segment Analysis

Based on End-use: The automotive category held a substantial revenue share of over 67% in the market, by use in 2023. Such dominance is driven by expanding disposable incomes and surging reliance on cars around the world. The growing emphasis of automotive manufacturers on the development of high-efficiency internal combustion engines, accompanied by advancements in fuel economy and emissions control with improved performance are creating a positive environment for market growth.

Based on fuel type: the petroleum segment holds the dominant position of more than 80% revenue share. Gasoline engines offer many benefits, including noise and vibration reduction as well as further advancements in technology that guarantee increased revenue share across the segment. Such benefits as efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmentally friendly nature push the segment to its leading position.

Regional Analysis

Asia Pacific: Expected to hold over 40% revenue share in the market by 2023 and will witness a high growth rate throughout the forecast period. Countries like India and China that deal with many automotive manufacturers have a strong hold on the market which leads to an increase in demand for passenger vehicles. On the other hand, the aviation engines segment offers considerable expansion prospects within this outwardly recession-proof industry in the region.

Ex: To cope with increasing demand airlines from the regions are massively extending their fleets. Boeing has estimated that close to 17,900 new airplanes will be required in the Asia Pacific region by 2040 - which could possibly be driven by using conventional ICE motors.

In January 2024, Air India had placed an enormous order of 470 new aircraft, including both narrow-body and wide-body models. The large size of this order underlines the significant expansion efforts that airlines in the region began to recognize.

North America recorded notable growth in the region of the Internal Combustion engine market. General Motors Company and Ford Motor Corporation are two of the largest automobile manufacturers that lay their lead in North America. These technological recurrences have contributed to market growth. The internal combustion engine market in Europe is projected to rise owing to strict government regulations regarding CO2 emissions and a surge in focus on e-mobility across the region.

European regions are likely to register moderate growth due to increasing pressure from environmental regulations and the upcoming electric vehicle focus.

Key Takeaways

Investment of automotive manufacturers in engine technology improved performance and fuel efficiency.

Efficient petrol and diesel internal-combustion engines (ICEs), meanwhile, continue to dominate the market Segment.

Asia Pacific holds the largest market volume share on account of its strong automotive manufacturing base and demand.

The North American region is projected to gain a large share of the global also emerging as a substantially high market due to the adoption of technology & technological enhancements.

Buy an Enterprise User PDF of Internal Combustion Engine Market Outlook Report 2024-2032@ https://www.snsinsider.com/checkout/4089

Table of Contents  Major Key Points

1. Introduction

2. Industry Flowchart

3. Research Methodology

4. Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.2 Restraints

4.3 Opportunities

4.4 Challenges

5. Porters 5 Forces Model

6. Pest Analysis

7. Internal Combustion Engine Market Segmentation, by Fuel

8. Internal Combustion Engine Market Segmentation, by End-User

9. Regional Analysis

10. Company Profiles

11. Competitive Landscape

12. Use Case and Best Practices

13. Conclusion

Access Complete Report Details @ https://www.snsinsider.com/reports/internal-combustion-engine-market-4089

About SNS Insider

At SNS Insider, we believe that businesses should have access to the best market intelligence and insights, regardless of their size or industry. That's why we offer a range of solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of each client, from startups to big corporations. With a passion for our work and an unwavering commitment to delivering value, we are dedicated to helping our clients achieve their full potential.
Dublin, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "River Cruise - Global Strategic Business Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global market for River Cruise was valued at an estimated US$4.8 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$10 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.1% from 2023 to 2030. This comprehensive report provides an in-depth analysis of market trends, drivers, and forecasts, helping you make informed business decisions.



Several emerging trends are shaping the future of river cruising. One significant trend is the move towards sustainability, with more companies investing in eco-friendly technologies and practices to reduce their environmental impact. This includes using hybrid or electric engines, reducing single-use plastics on board, and offering locally sourced foods and sustainable excursion options. Another trend is the increasing customization and personalization of travel experiences, with cruises offering guests the ability to tailor their activities and excursions to fit their interests, such as culinary programs, wellness retreats, and adventure tourism.



Modern cruise ships are equipped with amenities ranging from pickleball courts to yoga spaces, enhancing the appeal for guests interested in maintaining their health and fitness routines while exploring new destinations. Additionally, river cruises are becoming popular among solo travelers and women traveling in groups, offering a secure and sociable environment with plenty of wellness and activity options. As technology continues to evolve, river cruises are incorporating more digital solutions to enhance guest experiences, including virtual reality tours and app-based services for room and dining customization.



These trends not only enhance the appeal of river cruising but also ensure its continued growth in the competitive travel market. Sustainability efforts by cruise lines are gaining traction among eco-conscious travelers. Initiatives to reduce food waste, improve fuel consumption, and manage waste more efficiently are becoming standard, with some vessels even featuring emission-reducing engines or battery-powered options.





Key Insights:

Market Growth: Understand the significant growth trajectory of the Passenger Tickets segment, which is expected to reach US$6.2 Billion by 2030 with a CAGR of a 11.8%. The Onboard Facilities segment is also set to grow at 10.1% CAGR over the analysis period.

Regional Analysis: Gain insights into the U.S. market, estimated at $1.3 Billion in 2023, and China, forecasted to grow at an impressive 15.2% CAGR to reach $2.2 Billion by 2030. Discover growth trends in other key regions, including Japan, Canada, Germany, and the Asia-Pacific.

Why You Should Buy This Report:

Detailed Market Analysis: Access a thorough analysis of the Global River Cruise Market, covering all major geographic regions and market segments.

Competitive Insights: Get an overview of the competitive landscape, including the market presence of major players across different geographies.

Future Trends and Drivers: Understand the key trends and drivers shaping the future of the Global River Cruise Market.

Actionable Insights: Benefit from actionable insights that can help you identify new revenue opportunities and make strategic business decisions.

Key Questions Answered:

How is the Global River Cruise Market expected to evolve by 2030?

What are the main drivers and restraints affecting the market?

Which market segments will grow the most over the forecast period?

How will market shares for different regions and segments change by 2030?

Who are the leading players in the market, and what are their prospects?

Report Features:

Comprehensive Market Data: Independent analysis of annual sales and market forecasts in US$ Million from 2023 to 2030.

In-Depth Regional Analysis: Detailed insights into key markets, including the U.S., China, Japan, Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa.

Company Profiles: Coverage of major players such as AmaWaterways, LLC, Avalon Waterways, Azamara Cruises, and more.

Complimentary Updates: Receive free report updates for one year to keep you informed of the latest market developments.

Select Competitors (Total 43 Featured):

AmaWaterways, LLC

Avalon Waterways

Azamara Cruises

CroisiEurope

Cruiseaway Pty Ltd

Disney Cruise Line

Emerald Cruises

Fincantieri SpA

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Grand Circle Cruise Line (A Brand of Grand Circle Corporation)

Holland America Line

Island Queen Cruises & Tours

Luxury Cruise Connections

Viking River Cruises

Virgin Voyages

Key Attributes

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 181 Forecast Period 2023-2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $4.8 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $10 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 11.1% Regions Covered Global

Market Trends & Drivers

Rising Popularity of Experiential Travel Drives Growth in River Cruise Market

Aging Population in Developed Countries Spurs Demand for Leisurely Travel Options

Eco-Tourism Trends Propel Development of Sustainable River Cruising Practices

Technological Innovations in Ship Design Enhance Passenger Experience and Safety

Global Increase in Tourism Spending Strengthens Business Case for River Cruises

Cultural Tourism Expansion Opens New Routes and Destinations

Emergence of Themed Cruises to Attract Niche Audiences

Rise in Solo Travel Trends Creates Demand for Tailored Cruise Experiences

Luxury Market Dynamics Propel High-End River Cruise Offerings

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/b4pio8

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
Washington, DC, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an impactful response to the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted education nationwide, the National Partnership for Student Success celebrates its second anniversary this July. The initiative, a collaborative effort between AmeriCorps, the US Department of Education, and the Johns Hopkins Everyone Graduates Center, was launched in July 2022. It marks a key part of the strategy to mitigate the pandemic's educational disruptions, revealing and addressing the inequitable challenges and disproportionate impacts on communities across the country.

The initiative came as a response to President Bidens appeal for 250,000 additional supportive adults to be integrated into schools to counteract the adverse effects of the pandemic on students' education. Remarkably, within a year of its inception, an estimated 187,000 additional adults stepped up to support students in need.

This year's celebration is twofold, highlighting not only the second year of the NPSS but also the 30th anniversary of AmeriCorps. Both milestones underscore the enduring commitment to educational support and community service in the United States.

Two AmeriCorps members bestowed with the Presidents Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement award. These individuals have notably dedicated over 5,000 hours of service to assisting students in Boston, Massachusetts, through the AARP Foundation Experience Corps program partner, Literations.

Making a Difference One Child at a Time

Volunteers play a crucial role in nurturing young minds and shaping the future. Among these dedicated individuals, Shirley stands out with her incredible journey of service that spans over two decades. Shirleys service journey with Literations started more than 20 years ago when she saw an advertisement in a community paper inviting volunteers to read with children. With no grandchildren of her own, Shirley decided to spend her time after retirement helping children and families in her community face challenges such as juggling multiple jobs. Shirley felt a strong calling to make a difference by supporting these children.

My commitment to volunteering was cemented when I met a child who struggled to read and lacked basic alphabet knowledge but displayed remarkable common sense., Shirley recalls. Through her persistence and gentle guidance, she saw the child not only master the alphabet and spell basic words by year's end but also witnessed a remarkable transformation in the child's self-esteem and interpersonal relationships.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shirleys work has become even more significant. The disruption in schooling has left many children facing educational setbacks, missing out on foundational knowledge crucial for their academic development. Shirley points out how some students skipped critical years like kindergarten, entering higher grades without basic skills in reading, shapes, and colors, which inevitably places them behind their peers.

National service plays a vital role in bridging these gaps, providing essential support to help children catch up and succeed academically. And for older national service members like myself, volunteering provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment. It keeps me actively engaged with my community, and its a motivation to give my best to these students because, through service, you see firsthand our efforts change lives.

Connecting with Children to Support Their Growth Beyond Education

In the South End of Boston, Mass., AmeriCorps member Bill has served more than 10,935 hours so far, helping students become proficient readers. More than just a tutor, Bill's mentorship of other volunteers has also been crucial in developing a strong and effective team. His remarkable dedication and leadership have made a difference in the community.

Bill's decision to serve with AmeriCorps is rooted in his belief in the power of personal connection. "I choose to serve with AmeriCorps because I understand the importance of connecting with young students who need the support, he stated. His approach goes beyond the conventional - aiming to connect on a personal level to tackle literacy challenges effectively.

I remember a cantankerous boy in a younger grade who couldn't engage with any of the volunteers in the classroom. So, I decided to take the Dad approach. I took the boy for a walk, away from the group, to tell him why reading is so important. I explained that hed need to know how to read to get his dream job or to drive. But no matter the examples I shared, the boy did not relate, saying, I dont wanna get a job. I dont need to learn to drive.

He then said, My dads in jail, my older brothers in jail, everybody in my family is in jail. So Im gonna go to jail and wont need any of that stuff. This was the moment I realized that literacy effort is not just teaching these kids to read. Its about connecting on a personal level before tackling literacy challenges. The literacy process won't be effective without developing a relationship with someone.

After serving for more than 18 years, enduring relationships forged through the program are the greatest reward, especially when I run into these students years later. I once had a young man taller than me come up and say, Hi, Mr. Bill, remember me? You read with me six years ago and it was good experience.

Tutoring and volunteering are especially crucial today. Many of the students at my school come from single-parent homes, and the relationships volunteers build can have lasting impacts. As tutors and mentors to these students, setting high expectations is crucial. AmeriCorps members and Experience Corps volunteers provide trusted support, helping to change mindsets and build confidence in these children. Because the more supportive relationships a child has, the more likely they are to believe in their ability to learn and succeed.

Bills work exemplifies the mission of AmeriCorps and underscores the importance of literacy, mentorship, and personal connection in fostering resilient communities and empowering future generations.

AmeriCorps Takes the Lead in Addressing Educational Challenges Nationwide

For the past three decades, AmeriCorps has emerged as a pivotal force in mobilizing manpower to address the most pressing needs in schools across the United States. With a legacy of commitment, AmeriCorps, together with AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, has become synonymous with providing invaluable support to students, educators, and families grappling with critical educational and mental health issues.

The organization's impact is widespread, affecting countless communities with the aid of dedicated volunteers like Shirley and Bill, who represent hundreds of thousands of members serving as the much-needed caring adults in school environments and beyond. These efforts have not only bolstered educational outcomes but have significantly contributed to addressing mental health challenges among students.

Learn more about how AmeriCorps, the Department of Education, and national service partners, like the AARP Foundation, are helping our students thrive in and out of school across the country.

Attachment
Dublin, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Saudi Arabia Cement Market, By Region, Competition, Forecast and Opportunities, 2019-2029F" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Saudi Arabia Cement Market was valued at USD 1.07 Billion in 2023 and is anticipated to project robust growth in the forecast period with a CAGR of 6.10% through 2029F

The cement market is a sector of the construction materials industry focused on the production, distribution, and sale of cement, a key component in concrete production. Cement is essential for various construction projects, including residential, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure developments. It serves as a binding agent that, when mixed with water and aggregates such as sand and gravel, forms concrete, which is used in foundations, buildings, bridges, roads, and other structures.







The cement market operates globally, with major producers manufacturing large quantities to meet demand from construction projects of varying scales. The market dynamics are influenced by factors such as urbanization, population growth, infrastructure investments, and economic cycles. Technological advancements in cement production aim to improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and enhance product quality.



Key players in the cement market include multinational corporations and regional firms, each competing to maintain market share through product innovation, pricing strategies, and geographical expansion. Regulatory standards and environmental considerations also play a significant role in shaping market trends and practices within the cement industry, as stakeholders increasingly prioritize sustainability and emissions reduction.



Key Market Drivers

Infrastructure Development



Infrastructure development is a significant driver of the Saudi Arabia cement market. The Kingdom's ambitious Vision 2030 initiative prioritizes the expansion and modernization of infrastructure across sectors such as transportation, utilities, healthcare, and tourism. This includes projects like the Riyadh Metro, airports, roads, bridges, and hospitals, all of which require substantial quantities of cement for construction.



The Saudi government's commitment to diversify the economy away from oil dependency has led to extensive investments in infrastructure projects. These investments not only stimulate economic growth but also create a demand surge for cement and related construction materials. Infrastructure projects provide a stable and long-term market for cement producers, supporting sustained production volumes and revenue growth.



The development of infrastructure enhances the Kingdom's attractiveness for foreign investments and boosts local employment opportunities. The cement sector benefits from these developments by supplying essential materials critical to the realization of Vision 2030's goals. As infrastructure projects continue to progress, the Saudi cement market remains a pivotal component of the construction industry, driving economic expansion and facilitating urban development.



Urbanization and Population Growth



Urbanization and population growth are key drivers shaping the Saudi Arabia cement market. The Kingdom's rapid urbanization rate, fueled by internal migration and demographic shifts, necessitates extensive construction of residential, commercial, and industrial infrastructure. Urban centers such as Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam are experiencing robust population growth, leading to increased demand for housing, office spaces, retail outlets, and social infrastructure.



The expansion of urban areas requires continuous construction activities, driving demand for cement as a fundamental building material. Residential construction, in particular, accounts for a significant portion of cement consumption, with ongoing housing projects catering to the housing needs of a growing population.



Urbanization fosters the development of smart cities and sustainable urban planning initiatives, further propelling infrastructure investments and cement consumption. As urban areas expand and evolve, the Saudi cement market benefits from sustained demand, supported by ongoing construction projects aimed at accommodating urban growth and enhancing living standards.



Government Investments and Mega Projects



Government investments and mega projects play a pivotal role in driving the Saudi Arabia cement market. The government, through initiatives like Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program (NTP), allocates substantial funds to strategic projects aimed at diversifying the economy and enhancing national infrastructure.



Mega projects such as NEOM, Qiddiya, Red Sea Project, and the Riyadh Metro are prime examples of large-scale developments that require significant quantities of cement for construction. These projects not only boost cement demand but also stimulate economic activity across various sectors, generating employment opportunities and promoting private sector participation.



The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and other government entities play a crucial role in financing mega projects, ensuring their timely execution and successful completion. Cement producers benefit from long-term contracts and steady demand from these flagship initiatives, contributing to revenue stability and market growth.



Government investments in social infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and cultural centers, contribute to cement consumption. These investments support the Kingdom's socioeconomic development goals while bolstering the resilience of the cement market against economic fluctuations.



Key Market Challenges

Regulatory Environment and Compliance Challenges



The Saudi Arabia cement market faces significant challenges related to the regulatory environment and compliance requirements. Regulatory frameworks govern various aspects of cement production, including environmental standards, health and safety regulations, and licensing procedures. Compliance with these regulations adds complexity to operations and increases operational costs for cement manufacturers.



The Kingdom has implemented stringent environmental regulations to mitigate the impact of industrial activities on air quality, water resources, and biodiversity. Cement plants must adhere to emission limits for particulate matter, nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and other pollutants, necessitating investments in pollution control technologies and monitoring systems.



Regulatory changes and updates require continuous adaptation by cement companies, leading to uncertainty and potential delays in project timelines. Compliance challenges may also arise from discrepancies between national and local regulations, requiring coordinated efforts from industry stakeholders and government authorities to achieve alignment.



Addressing regulatory compliance challenges requires proactive engagement with regulatory bodies, investment in sustainable technologies, and robust environmental management practices. Cement manufacturers must prioritize environmental stewardship while balancing operational efficiency and compliance costs to sustain long-term growth and competitiveness in the Saudi Arabia cement market.



Market Oversupply and Price Volatility



The Saudi Arabia cement market experiences challenges related to market oversupply and price volatility, influenced by fluctuating demand dynamics and competitive pressures. Overcapacity in the cement production sector, exacerbated by periods of economic slowdown or reduced construction activity, leads to intense price competition among manufacturers vying for market share.



During periods of economic downturn or reduced infrastructure spending, demand for cement diminishes, resulting in excess supply and downward pressure on prices. Cement companies face the challenge of maintaining profitability and operational viability amidst price volatility, which impacts revenue streams and investment returns.



Market oversupply can lead to inventory buildup and storage costs for cement manufacturers, further straining financial resources and operational efficiency. Managing production levels to align with market demand projections becomes crucial to mitigating the risks associated with oversupply and price fluctuations.



Addressing market oversupply and price volatility requires strategic planning and risk management strategies by cement manufacturers. Collaboration within the industry to rationalize production capacities, diversify product offerings, and explore export opportunities can help mitigate the impacts of local market conditions and enhance resilience against economic uncertainties.

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 83 Forecast Period 2023 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $1.07 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $1.54 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.1% Regions Covered Saudi Arabia



Key Market Players

Holcim Ltd

Saudi Cement Company

Heidelberg Materials AG

Cemex SAB de CV

China Resources Building Materials Technology Holdings Limited

UltraTech Cement Limited

Dangote Cement Plc.

Buzzi SpA

Votorantim Cimentos S.A.

CRH plc

Report Scope:

Saudi Arabia Cement Market, End User:

Commercial

Industrial and Institutional

Infrastructure

Residential

Saudi Arabia Cement Market, By Product:

Blended Cement

Fiber Cement

Ordinary Portland Cement

White Cement

Saudi Arabia Cement Market, By Region:

Riyadh

Makkah

Madinah

Eastern Province

Dammam

Rest of Saudi Arabia

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ljk0oo

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
DENVER, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Bank Holdings Corporation (NYSE: NBHC) expects to report its second quarter financial results after the markets close on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Management will host a conference call to review the results at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Interested parties may listen to this call by dialing (877) 400-0505 using the participant passcode of 1616066 and asking for the NBHC Q2 2024 Earnings Call. A recording of the call will be available approximately four hours after the calls completion on the Companys website at www.nationalbankholdings.com by visiting the investor relations area.

About National Bank Holdings Corporation

National Bank Holdings Corporation is a bank holding company created to build a leading community bank franchise delivering high quality client service and committed to stakeholder results. Through its bank subsidiaries, NBH Bank and Bank of Jackson Hole Trust, National Bank Holdings Corporation operates a network of over 90 banking centers, serving individual consumers, small, medium and large businesses, and government and non-profit entities. Its banking centers are located in its core footprint of Colorado, the greater Kansas City region, Utah, Wyoming, Texas, New Mexico and Idaho. Its comprehensive residential mortgage banking group primarily serves the banks core footprint. Its trust business is operated in its core footprint under the Bank of Jackson Hole Trust charter. NBH Bank operates under a single state charter through the following brand names as divisions of NBH Bank: in Colorado, Community Banks of Colorado and Community Banks Mortgage; in Kansas and Missouri, Bank Midwest and Bank Midwest Mortgage; in Utah, Texas, New Mexico and Idaho, Hillcrest Bank and Hillcrest Bank Mortgage; and in Wyoming, Bank of Jackson Hole and Bank of Jackson Hole Mortgage. Additional information about National Bank Holdings Corporation can be found at www.nationalbankholdings.com.

For more information visit: cobnks.com, bankmw.com, hillcrestbank.com, bankofjacksonhole.com, or nbhbank.com. Or connect with any of our brands on LinkedIn.

Contact: Analysts/Institutional Investors: Media: Emily Gooden, 720-554-6640 Jody Soper, 303-784-5925 Investor Relations Director Chief Marketing Officer ir@nationalbankholdings.com Jody.Soper@nbhbank.com Aldis Birkans, 720-554-6640 Chief Financial Officer ir@nationalbankholdings.com

Source: National Bank Holdings Corporation
TORONTO, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium Ionic Corp. (TSXV: LTH; OTCQX: LTHCF; FSE: H3N) (Lithium Ionic or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on expanded drilling activities at its extensive claim holdings, including the Itinga and Salinas area properties, located in the Lithium Valley, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil.



Regional Drilling at Itinga Area Properties

A 4,000-metre drilling program has been initiated on four properties located between 2 to 10 kilometres from its flagship Bandeira Lithium Project (see Figure 1), for which a positive Feasibility Study was announced on May 29, 2024. This initial drilling program will aim to test lithium soil anomalies identified by systematic mapping and soil geochemistry exploration programs conducted in 2022 and 2023. This exploration method was successfully used to identify surveys and delineate the current NI 43-101 compliant mineral deposits, which totals 60.1 million tonnes* (32.51Mt grading 1.31% Li2O (1,052kt LCE) in the Measured & Indicated category and 27.57Mt grading 1.24% Li2O (848kt LCE) in the Inferred category).

Four drill rigs are currently operating, one on each of the four targeted properties: Afrodite (formerly Area 2), Phoenix (formerly Area 3), Apollo (formerly Area 4) and Goncalves (formerly Area 5).

Expanded Drilling Program at Salinas Properties

The Company has also initiated an expanded 30,000-metre drill program at its Salinas Lithium Project (Salinas), located within the lithium-rich Aracuai Pegmatite District in the northern part of the Eastern Brazilian Pegmatite Province (see location map in Figure 1). This drill program will nearly double the amount of drilling at Salinas completed to date, aiming to expand and upgrade the current mineral resource estimate. Two drill rigs are currently operating at the property.

Salinas is located approximately 100km north of the Itinga group of properties and approximately 20 kilometres east of the Salinas municipality, a town of approximately 40,000 people.

On April 4, 2024, the Company reported an initial mineral resource estimate (MRE) at Salinas of 5.86Mt grading 1.09% LiO (158,678t LCE) in the Measured and Indicated category, along with 8.90Mt grading 0.97% LiO (214,572t LCE) in the Inferred category. This initial MRE was based on 27,030 metres of drilling completed between May and November 2023. As announced on April 4, 2024, a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for Salinas is underway by independent Brazilian consultancy, GE21 Consultoria Mineral Ltda. (GE21).

Blake Hylands, P.Geo., Chief Executive Officer of Lithium Ionic, commented, We have delineated over 60Mt of spodumene-rich pegmatites since we began drilling just over two years ago, a testament to the strong capabilities of our team and the quality of the properties selected within the lithium district. The speed at which these deposits have been delineated showcases the Companys capabilities to execute efficiently. Based on our success at Bandeira, we are highly encouraged by the potential of the regional targets we are currently testing. We are equally excited about the expanded drilling program at Salinas, which aims to significantly scale-up this project. With drilling initiated just over a year ago, Salinas has evolved and grown rapidly, reflecting its substantial future potential.





Figure 1. Lithium Ionic Properties in the Lithium Valley Showing Active Drilling Sites

View Figure 1 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2d03442f-0c8d-46ca-aadb-88954839491d

*See NI 43-101 compliant technical report related to the Bandeira Bandeira MRE titled NI 43-101 Technical Report  Mineral Resource Update on Bandeira Project, Aracuai and Itinga, Minas Gerais State, Brazil (effective date of March 5, 2024; QP: Leonardo Soares of GE21); See NI 43-101 compliant technical report related to the Salinas MRE titled Independent Technical Report on Mineral Resources Estimate (effective date of January 4, 2024; QP: Leonardo Soares, P.Geo., M.Sc., of GE21); and the NI 43-101 compliant technical reports related to the Outro Lado deposit titled Mineral Resource Estimate for Lithium Ionic, Itinga Project (effective date of June 24, 2023; authored by Maxime Dupere, B. Sc., P.Geo. and Faisal Sayeed, B. Sc., P.Geo).

Advance Notice Policy

The Company has an advance notice by-law (the Advance Notice Policy), establishing a framework for advance notice of nominations of directors by shareholders of the Company.

The purpose of this Advance Notice Policy is to provide shareholders, directors and management of the Company with direction on the nomination of directors. The Advance Notice Policy is the framework by which the Company seeks to fix a deadline by which holders of record of common shares of the Company must submit director nominations to the Company prior to any annual or special meeting of shareholders and sets forth the information that a shareholder must include in the notice to the Company for the notice to be in proper written form.

With respect to the annual and special meeting of shareholders of the Company to be held on July 26, 2024 (the Meeting), notice of any proposed nominations must be provided to the Corporate Secretary of the Company at the principal executive offices of the Company no later than 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on July 15, 2024. For details in respect of the notice requirements for proposed nominations at all subsequent meetings of shareholders, please refer to the Advance Notice Policy, a copy of which is available under the Companys profile at www.sedarplus.com and on the Companys website.

The Advance Notice Policy is effective immediately. At the Meeting, the Company will seek shareholder approval and ratification of the Advance Notice Policy.

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 Companys exploration program, the Companys ability to complete a PEA, the Advance Notice Policy, 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.
RADNOR, Pa., July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against UiPath, Inc. (UiPath) (NYSE: PATH). The action charges UiPath with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the companys business, operations, and prospects. As a result of UiPaths materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, UiPaths investors have suffered significant losses. The lead plaintiff deadline is August 19, 2024.



If you suffered UiPath losses, you may CLICK HERE or go to: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/uipath-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=path&mktm=r

You can also contact attorney Jonathan Naji, Esq. of Kessler Topaz by calling (484) 270-1453 or by email at info@ktmc.com.

DEFENDANTS ALLEGED MISCONDUCT

On May 29, 2024, UiPath issued a press release announcing the resignation of Robert Enslin as the company's CEO, effective June 1, 2024, and the reappointment of Daniel Dines as CEO. On that same day, UiPath issued a separate press release announcing disappointing first quarter 2025 financial results and a significant cut in its revenue guidance for fiscal year 2025. Specifically, UiPath lowered its fiscal year 2025 revenue guidance by approximately 10%, or $150 million, from a range of $1.555 billion to $1.560 billion, to a range of $1.405 billion to $1.410 billion. Discussing UiPath's results and guidance on a conference call that same day, UiPath's officers acknowledged that the company's failed turnaround strategy was a factor, stating that "the investments we have made to reaccelerate growth have fallen short of our expectations, made us less agile in responding to customer needs and created short-term pressure on operating margins, all of which we are committed to rectifying."

Following this news, UiPath's stock price fell $6.23 per share, or over 34%, to close at $12.07 per share on May 30, 2024.

WHAT CAN I DO?

UiPath investors may, no later than August 19, 2024, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages UiPath investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The class action complaint against UiPath, Steiner v. UiPath, Inc., et al., Case No. 24-cv-04702, is filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE OR GO TO: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/uipath-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=path&mktm=r

WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?

A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com.

CONTACT:

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP

Jonathan Naji, Esq.

(484) 270-1453

280 King of Prussia Road

Radnor, PA 19087

info@ktmc.com

May be considered attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aiming to become the main logistics hub in the region, the Dominican Republic is seeking a new space in its strategic development with the semiconductors industry. This ambition is backed by half a century of continued robust economic growth, social stability, and a vibrant democratic system.



On June 13th, 2024, President Luis Abinader issued Executive Order 324-24 declaring the development of the semiconductor industry in the country as a "high national priority." The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs (MICM) is in charge of developing the National Strategy for the Promotion of the Semiconductor Industry (ENFIS), aiming to position the Dominican Republic as a strategic, competitive, reliable, and secure destination for the global semiconductor industry.

MICM, in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR), will showcase the country at Semicon West, an event that brings together experts and industry leaders in semiconductors in San Francisco, California, from July 9 to 11.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

Semicon West will include presentations regarding the investment climate in the Dominican Republic, the great success it has had in manufacturing operations thanks to its export-oriented no-tax Free Zone regime, and the countrys potential to achieve new milestones in emerging high-tech fields.

Geographical and political proximity to the United States, a favorable policy framework, a cost-competitive environment, modern infrastructure, as well as excellent logistical services, are some of the advantages that make the country an attractive market for investment. The Dominican Republic has become a reliable partner for the medical and electronic devices industries and is poised to position itself as a manufacturing and logistics hub for the semiconductor industry.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), in Washington, DC, published a study on January 2024 titled Assessing the Dominican Republics Readiness to Play a More Significant Role in the Global Value Chains of Semiconductors and Printed Circuit Boards. And in May 2024, MICM established a strategic partnership with Purdue University through a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of the Dominican workforce in microelectronics and semiconductors.

For more information about the Dominican Republic's participation in Semicon West, visit us at Booth No. 6813.

About Semicon West

Semicon West is the most important event that brings together the global microelectronics supply chain to address the greatest opportunities and challenges for the global semiconductor industry. More than 10,700 exhibitors and visitors will participate in this fair. Semicon West will cover essential topics such as government investment in chip manufacturing, heterogeneous integration technology, sustainability, smart manufacturing, mobility, medical technology, data, and workforce development.

About the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs (MICM)

MICM is the government body responsible for policy formulation, adoption, monitoring, evaluation, and control in the fields of industry, exports, foreign trade, free zones, special regimes, and SMEs.

Contact information

Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs (MICM)

Viceministry of Free Zone and Special Regimes

(1) 809-685-5171 ext 1017

www.micm.gob.do
Vancouver, July 4, 2024 - EnviroMetal Technologies Inc. (CSE: ETI) (OTCQB: EVLLF) (FSE: 7N20) ("EnviroMetal" or the "Company"). As a result of a review by the British Columbia Securities Commission, EnviroMetal Technologies Inc. is issuing the following press release to clarify our disclosure.

Effective June 1, 2024 Mr. Jason Leikam, the Company's VP Business Development, was appointed the Company's CFO by EnviroMetal's board of directors. Mr. Leikam replaces EnviroMetal's former CFO, Nathalie Pillon who resigned for personal reasons effective January 1, 2023.

EnviroMetal's president, Mr. Wayne Moorhouse, stated, "after interviewing numerous candidates to fill the vacant CFO position I am pleased Jason was able to take on the role of CFO in addition to his business development responsibilities."

The Company also announces the resignations of Mr. Court Anderson and Mr. Alexander Ruckdaeschel from the board of directors. EnviroMetal would like to thank Messrs. Anderson and Ruckdaeschel for their service to the board as the Company transitioned from processing e-waste to providing metal recovery solutions to gold miners.

About EnviroMetal Technologies Inc.

EnviroMetal Technologies is commercializing highly effective precious metal recovery technologies. EnviroMetal's proprietary non-cyanide, water-based, neutral pH and closed-circuit treatment process has been proven to extract precious metals from ores and concentrates at lab and pilot scale and provide both operational and environmental advantages to gold mining companies. EnviroMetal is actively engaging with mining companies that are seeking to reduce the costs and environmental impact of their operations. For more information please visit: https://EnviroMetal.com.

Contact Information:

Jason Leikam

VP Corporate Development

EnviroMetal Technologies Inc.

info@EnviroMetal.com

(604) 428-2400

The CSE has not approved or disapproved of the information contained herein.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215503
Vancouver, July 4, 2024 - Elemental Altus Royalties Corp. (TSXV: ELE) (OTCQX: ELEMF) ("Elemental Altus" or the "Company") announces continued progress at the Company's Diba royalty, further repayment of the Company's credit facility alongside its extension, portfolio payments relating to Ming and Egypt and the reduction in the number of the Company's outstanding common shares.

Diba Development and Exploration

The Company notes that alongside expected maiden production from Diba, Allied Gold Corp (TSX: AAUC) ("Allied") have announced that their 12,000 meter drilling program is targeting extending the Mineral Resources at Diba. This is significant as the exploration program is designed to prioritise near-mine oxides and comes on top of the previously announced initial Proven and Probable Reserves of 280,000 ounces of gold at 1.43 g/t within the larger 377,000 ounces of gold in Measured and Indicated Resources that was announced in February 2024.

Diba is expected to materially contribute to production at Sadiola from mid-2024 and Allied have fast-tracked it into production this year, while simultaneously undertaking aggressive exploration to expand the Resource. Elemental Altus owns a 3% NSR royalty on the first 226,000 ounces produced at Diba and an uncapped 2% NSR royalty on all subsequent production. The consideration also included multiple production-based milestones totalling up to US$6 million and for which the Company has received the first US$1 million with further payments anticipated this year.

Credit Facility Extension and Debt Repayment

In June 2024, the maturity date of the Company's up to US$50 Million Credit Facility with National Bank of Canada and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (the "Facility") was extended from December 2025 to June 2027. The commercial terms of the Facility have been improved from the original agreement in December 2022.

Alongside the extension of the Facility, the Company made a further repayment of $5 million of the Facility, reducing the drawn balance to $20 million and increasing the unutilized amount of the Facility to $20 million, plus another US$10 million available under certain conditions.

The Company has repaid US$10 million in the first half of this year and expects to continue to actively pay down outstanding debt when not making new acquisitions, with over US$5 million cash remaining on hand.

Share Surrender

In order to satisfy tax obligations the Company has acquired, for no consideration, and cancelled an aggregate of 814,321 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Surrendered Shares") surrendered by certain former and current management personnel (the "Holders") relating to the prior exercise of performance stock units of the Company, effective as of July 4, 2024.

Following the cancellation of the Surrendered Shares and as of the date of this announcement, the Company has 195,176,071 issued and outstanding common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Shares"). The Surrendered Shares represent 0.42% of the Company's issued Share capital immediately prior to the cancellation of the Surrendered Shares.

For complete details, please refer to the Material Change Report available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca).

Portfolio Payments

Following a settlement of certain outstanding claims, Elemental Altus received in June an additional US$0.3 million in relation to the Company's Ming gold stream. Elemental Altus received an initial US$2.3 million in shares of FireFly Metals Ltd. ("Firefly") (ASX: FFM) in February 2024 and will receive a further approximately US$9.8 million split equally between cash and equity in April 2025.

A further amount remains held back subject to final determinations, with any remaining balance to be paid to Elemental Altus in cash.

As well as future payments related to Diba, Ethiopia and Ming, Elemental Altus expects to shortly receive a further US$0.4 million from In2Metals Explorer S.a r.l. ("In2Metals") in respect of its sale of Akh Gold Ltd's Egyptian licences.

The Company sold 80.1% of Akh Gold in August 2024 for a US$10 million exploration commitment, a 1.5% NSR royalty on Egyptian licences and licence applications totalling 1,914km2 at the time, cash of US$1.1 million on closing and US$0.4 million on or before August 30, 2024. A milestone payment of US$5 million on definition of a 3 million ounce gold resource before February 2031 remains alongside rights to co-fund its 19.9% equity interest in Akh Gold following the completion of the US$10 million investment.

Frederick Bell

CEO and Director

Corporate & Media Inquiries:

Tel: +1 604 646 4527

Email: info@elementalaltus.com

Elemental Altus is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: www.discoverygroup.ca

TSX.V: ELE | OTCQX: ELEMF | ISIN: CA28619K1093 | CUSIP: 28619K109

About Elemental Altus Royalties Corp.

Elemental Altus is an income generating precious metals royalty company with 10 producing royalties and a diversified portfolio of pre-production and discovery stage assets. The Company is focused on acquiring uncapped royalties and streams over producing, or near-producing, mines operated by established counterparties. The vision of Elemental Altus is to build a global gold royalty company, offering investors superior exposure to gold with reduced risk and a strong growth profile.

On behalf of Elemental Altus Royalties Corp.

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V.) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Qualified Person

Richard Evans, FAusIMM, is Senior Vice President Technical for Elemental Altus, and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this press release.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This news release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology.

Forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the date that the name change is expected to become effective, whether shareholders will be required by their broker to exchange their issued certificate for a new certificate or take any other action in connection to the name change, the Company's ability to deliver a materially increased revenue profile with a lower cost of capital, the future growth, development and focus of the Company, and the acquisition of new royalties and streams. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies.

Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Elemental Altus to control or predict, that may cause Elemental Altus' actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including but not limited to: the expected maiden production from Diba, Diba's expectation to materially contribute to production at Sadiola, the Company's ability to actively pay down outstanding debt, the impact of general business and economic conditions, the absence of control over the mining operations from which Elemental Altus will receive royalties, risks related to international operations, government relations and environmental regulation, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties; the uncertainties involved in interpreting exploration data; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities; the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with Elemental Altus' expectations; accidents, equipment breakdowns, title matters, labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions in operations; fluctuating metal prices; unanticipated costs and expenses; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations; currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, including environmental regulatory restrictions; liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of important factors which could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements, refer to the annual information form of Elemental Altus for the year ended December 31, 2023. Elemental Altus undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements and information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking statements and information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement or information 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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/215513
VANCOUVER, July 04, 2024 - Teck Resources Ltd. (TSX: TECK.A and TECK.B, NYSE: TECK) ("Teck") today announced the commencement of six separate offers (the "Offers") to purchase for cash up to US$1,250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its outstanding notes of the series listed in the table below (collectively, the "Notes"). Subject to the Maximum Purchase Condition (as defined below), the series of Notes that are purchased in the Offers will be based on the acceptance priority levels (each, an "Acceptance Priority Level") set forth in the table below. If a given series of Notes is accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offers, all Notes of that series that are validly tendered will be accepted for purchase. No series of Notes will be subject to proration pursuant to the Offers.



The Offers are made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated July 4, 2024 relating to the Notes (the "Offer to Purchase") and the notice of guaranteed delivery attached as Appendix A thereto (the "Notice of Guaranteed Delivery" and, together with the Offer to Purchase, the "Tender Offer Documents"). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this announcement have the meanings given to them in the Offer to Purchase.

Acceptance

Priority

Level(1)



Title of

Security



CUSIP/ISIN



Par Call

Date(2)



Maturity

Date



Principal

Amount

Outstanding



Reference

Security(3)



Bloomberg

Reference

Page



Fixed

Spread(3)



1 3.900% Notes

due 2030 878742BG9 /

US878742BG94 04/15/2030 07/15/2030 US$502,948,000 4.250% U.S.

Treasury due

June 30, 2029



FIT1 +60 bps 2 6.125% Notes

due 2035 878742AE5 /

US878742AE55 N/A 10/01/2035 US$336,272,000 4.375% U.S.

Treasury due

May 15, 2034



FIT1 +120 bps 3 6.000% Notes

due 2040 878742AS4 /

US878742AS42 02/15/2040 08/15/2040 US$473,186,000 4.625% U.S.

Treasury due

May 15, 2044



FIT1 +120 bps 4 6.250% Notes

due 2041 878742AW5 /

US878742AW53 01/15/2041 07/15/2041 US$396,064,000 4.625% U.S.

Treasury due

May 15, 2044



FIT1 +125 bps 5 5.200% Notes

due 2042 878744AB7 /

US878744AB72 09/01/2041 03/01/2042 US$395,177,000 4.625% U.S.

Treasury due

May 15, 2044



FIT1 +125 bps 6 5.400% Notes

due 2043 878742AZ8 /

US878742AZ84 08/01/2042 02/01/2043 US$367,054,000 4.625% U.S.

Treasury due

May 15, 2044



FIT1 +125 bps





(1) Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions of the Offers described in the Offer to Purchase, if the Maximum Purchase Condition is not satisfied with respect to every series of Notes, Teck will accept Notes for purchase in the order of their respective Acceptance Priority Level specified in the table above (with 1 being the highest Acceptance Priority Level and 6 being the lowest Acceptance Priority Level). It is possible that a series of Notes with a particular Acceptance Priority Level will not be accepted for purchase even if one or more series with a higher or lower Acceptance Priority Level are accepted for purchase.



(2) For each series of Notes in respect of which a par call date is indicated, the calculation of the applicable Total Consideration (as defined below) may be performed to either the maturity date or such par call date, in accordance with standard market convention.



(3) The total consideration for each series of Notes (such consideration, the "Total Consideration") payable per each US$1,000 principal amount of such series of Notes validly tendered for purchase will be based on the applicable Fixed Spread specified in the table above for such series of Notes, plus the applicable yield based on the bid-side price of the applicable U.S. Treasury reference security as specified in the table above, as quoted on the applicable Bloomberg Reference Page as of 2:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on July 15, 2024, unless extended with respect to the applicable Offer (such date and time with respect to an Offer, as the same may be extended with respect to such Offer, the "Price Determination Date"). The Total Consideration does not include the applicable Accrued Coupon Payment (as defined below), which will be payable in cash in addition to the applicable Total Consideration.

The Offers will expire at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on July 15, 2024, unless extended or earlier terminated (such date and time with respect to an Offer, as the same may be extended with respect to such Offer, the "Expiration Date"). Notes may be validly withdrawn at any time at or prior to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on July 15, 2024, unless extended with respect to any Offer.



For Holders who deliver a Notice of Guaranteed Delivery and all other required documentation at or prior to the Expiration Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Tender Offer Documents, the deadline to validly tender Notes using the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) will be the second business day after the Expiration Date and is expected to be 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on July 17, 2024, unless extended with respect to any Offer (the "Guaranteed Delivery Date").

The Initial Settlement Date will be the second business day after the Expiration Date and is expected to be July 17, 2024. The Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date will be the second business day after the Guaranteed Delivery Date and is expected to be July 19, 2024. Each of the Initial Settlement Date and the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date is herein referred to as a "Settlement Date."

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase, Holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase in the Offers will receive the applicable Total Consideration for each US$1,000 principal amount of such Notes in cash on the applicable Settlement Date. Promptly after 2:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on July 15, 2024, the Price Determination Date, unless extended with respect to any Offer, Teck will issue a press release specifying, among other things, the Total Consideration for each series of Notes validly tendered and accepted.

In addition to the applicable Total Consideration, Holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase will receive a cash payment equal to the accrued and unpaid interest on such Notes from and including the immediately preceding interest payment date for such Notes to, but excluding, the Initial Settlement Date (the "Accrued Coupon Payment"). Interest will cease to accrue on the Initial Settlement Date for all Notes accepted in the Offers, and Holders whose Notes are tendered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures and are accepted for purchase will not receive payment in respect of any interest for the period from and including the Initial Settlement Date. Under no circumstances will any interest be payable because of any delay in the transmission of funds to Holders by The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") or its participants.

Teck's obligation to complete an Offer with respect to a particular series of Notes validly tendered is conditioned on the satisfaction of conditions described in the Offer to Purchase, including that the aggregate principal amount purchased for the Offers (the "Aggregate Purchase Amount") not exceed US$1,250,000,000 (the "Maximum Purchase Amount"), and on the Maximum Purchase Amount being sufficient to include the aggregate principal amount of all validly tendered Notes of such series (after accounting for all validly tendered Notes accepted for purchase that have a higher Acceptance Priority Level) (the "Maximum Purchase Condition"). Teck reserves the right, but is under no obligation, to increase or waive the Maximum Purchase Amount, in its sole discretion subject to applicable law, with or without extending the Withdrawal Date. No assurance can be given that Teck will increase or waive the Maximum Purchase Amount. If Holders tender more Notes in the Offers than they expect to be accepted for purchase based on the Maximum Purchase Amount and Teck subsequently accepts more than such Holders expected of such Notes tendered as a result of an increase of the Maximum Purchase Amount, such Holders may not be able to withdraw any of their previously tendered Notes. Accordingly, Holders should not tender any Notes that they do not wish to be accepted for purchase.

If the Maximum Purchase Condition is not satisfied with respect to each series of Notes, for (i) a series of Notes (the "First Non-Covered Notes") for which the Maximum Purchase Amount is less than the sum of (x) the Aggregate Purchase Amount for all validly tendered First Non-Covered Notes and (y) the Aggregate Purchase Amount for all validly tendered Notes of all series having a higher Acceptance Priority Level as set forth in the table above (with 1 being the highest Acceptance Priority Level and 6 being the lowest Acceptance Priority Level) than the First Non-Covered Notes, and (ii) all series of Notes with an Acceptance Priority Level lower than the First Non-Covered Notes (together with the First Non-Covered Notes, the "Non- Covered Notes"), Teck may, at any time on or prior to the Expiration Time:

(a) terminate an Offer with respect to one or more series of Non-Covered Notes for which the Maximum Purchase Condition has not been satisfied, and promptly return all validly tendered Notes of such series, and any other series of Non-Covered Notes, to the respective tendering Holders; or (b) waive the Maximum Purchase Condition with respect to one or more series of Non-Covered Notes and accept all Notes of such series, and of any series of Notes having a higher Acceptance Priority Level, validly tendered; or (c) if there is any series of Non-Covered Notes with a lower Acceptance Priority Level than the First Non-Covered Notes for which: (i) the Aggregate Purchase Amount necessary to purchase all validly tendered Notes of such series, plus (ii) the Aggregate Purchase Amount necessary to purchase all validly tendered Notes of all series having a higher Acceptance Priority Level than such series of Notes, other than any series of Non-Covered Notes that has or have not also been accepted as contemplated by this clause (c), is equal to, or less than, the Maximum Purchase Amount, accept all validly tendered Notes of all such series having a lower Acceptance Priority Level, until there is no series of Notes with a higher or lower Acceptance Priority Level to be considered for purchase for which the conditions set forth above are met.

It is possible that a series of Notes with a particular Acceptance Priority Level will fail to meet the conditions set forth above and therefore will not be accepted for purchase even if one or more series with a higher or lower Acceptance Priority Level are accepted for purchase.



For purposes of determining whether the Maximum Purchase Condition is satisfied, Teck will assume that all Notes tendered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures will be duly delivered at or prior to the Guaranteed Delivery Date and Teck will not subsequently adjust the acceptance of the Notes in accordance with the Acceptance Priority Levels if any such Notes are not so delivered. Teck reserves the right, subject to applicable law, to waive the Maximum Purchase Condition with respect to any Offer.

The Offers are subject to the satisfaction of these conditions and certain other conditions. Teck reserves the right, subject to applicable law, to waive any and all conditions to any Offer. If any of the conditions is not satisfied, Teck is not obligated to accept for payment, purchase or pay for, and may delay the acceptance for payment of, any tendered notes, in each event subject to applicable laws, and may terminate or alter any or all of the Offers. The Offers are not conditioned on the tender of any aggregate minimum principal amount of Notes of any series (subject to minimum denomination requirements as set forth in the Offer to Purchase).

Teck has retained BofA Securities, Inc. and RBC Capital Markets, LLC to act as the lead dealer managers (the "Lead Dealer Managers") for the Offers and BMO Capital Markets Corp., TD Securities (USA) LLC, and CIBC World Markets Corp. to act as co-dealer managers (the "Co-Dealer Managers" and, together with the Lead Dealer Managers, the "Dealer Managers") for the Offers. Questions regarding the terms and conditions for the Offers should be directed to BofA Securities, Inc. at (888) 292-0070 (toll-free) or (980) 387-3907 (collect), or RBC Capital Markets, LLC at (877) 381-2099 (toll-free) or (212) 618-7843 (collect).

Global Bondholder Services Corporation will act as the Information and Tender Agent for the Offers. Questions or requests for assistance related to the Offers or for additional copies of the Offer to Purchase may be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation in New York by telephone at +1 (212) 430-3774 (for banks and brokers only) or +1 (855) 654-2015 (for all others toll-free), or by email at contact@gbsc-usa.com. You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Offers. The Tender Offer Documents can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gbsc-usa.com/teck/.

If Teck terminates any Offer with respect to one or more series of Notes, it will give prompt notice to the Information and Tender Agent, and all Notes tendered pursuant to such terminated Offer will be returned promptly to the tendering Holders thereof. With effect from such termination, any Notes blocked in DTC will be released.

Holders are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Notes as to when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from a beneficial owner in order for that Holder to be able to participate in, or withdraw their instruction to participate in the Offers before the deadlines specified herein and in the Offer to Purchase. The deadlines set by any such intermediary and DTC for the submission and withdrawal of tender instructions will also be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified herein and in the Offer to Purchase.

This announcement is for informational purposes only. This announcement is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell any Notes or any other securities of Teck or any of its subsidiaries. The Offers are being made solely pursuant to the Offer to Purchase. The Offers are not being made to Holders of Notes in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, "blue sky" or other laws of such jurisdiction. In any jurisdiction in which the securities laws or "blue sky" laws require the Offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Offers will be deemed to have been made on behalf of Teck by the Dealer Managers or one or more registered brokers or dealers that are licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction.

No action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction that would permit the possession, circulation or distribution of either this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any material relating to us or the Notes in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Accordingly, neither this announcement, the Offer to Purchase nor any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the Offers may be distributed or published, in or from any such country or jurisdiction, except in compliance with any applicable rules or regulations of any such country or jurisdiction.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements include: statements regarding the terms and timing for completion of the Offers, including the acceptance for purchase of any Notes validly tendered and the expected Expiration Date and settlement dates thereof; and the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions of the Offers.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Teck to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to vary include, but are not limited to, conditions in financial markets, investor response to the Offers, and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in Teck's reports filed with Canadian securities administrators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Readers are cautioned against unduly relying on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of the relevant document and, except as required by law, Teck undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise.

About Teck

Teck is a leading Canadian resource company focused on responsibly providing metals essential to economic development and the energy transition. Teck has a portfolio of world-class copper and zinc operations across North and South America and an industry-leading copper growth pipeline. We are focused on creating value by advancing responsible growth and ensuring resilience built on a foundation of stakeholder trust. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Teck's shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols TECK.A and TECK.B and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TECK. Learn more about Teck at www.teck.com or follow @TeckResources.

Investor Contact:

Fraser Phillips

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Strategic Analysis

604.699.4621

fraser.phillips@teck.com

Media Contact:

Dale Steeves

Director, Stakeholder Relations

236.987.7405

dale.steeves@teck.com
CALGARY, July 5, 2024 - TVI Pacific Inc. (TSXV: TVI) (OTC Pink: TVIPF) ("TVI" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the receipt of the principal amount of $428,846.00 (the "Loan") under the Company's previously announced funding commitment agreement (the "Funding Commitment Agreement") with Prime Resources Holdings, Inc. (the "Lender"); that all resolutions presented for approval at the annual general and special meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held on June 27, 2024 were duly passed; and certain appointments and resignations of its executive management team following conclusion of the Meeting.

Promissory Note

In accordance with the terms of the Funding Commitment Agreement, the Lender advanced the Loan to TVI and evidenced by an unsecured interest-bearing promissory note (the "Note"). The Note accrues interest at a rate of prime plus 2.0% per annum and, subject to certain acceleration events, matures in December 2025.

As of the date hereof, $741,632.36 has been advanced to the Company under the Funding Commitment Agreement. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Loan to fund certain accrued expenses and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Meeting Results and Changes in Management Team

In addition, TVI is pleased to report that shareholders approved all matters presented at the Meeting. A total of 313,063,414 common shares representing 42.97% of TVI's issued and outstanding common shares were voted at the Meeting. Each of the matters voted upon at the Meeting was set forth in the Company's management information circular dated May 28, 2024.

The Company is pleased to welcome Rex A. Camit, Edsel M. Abrasaldo, Eugene T. Mateo, Johnny C. Felizardo, and Yolanda L. Coronel-Armenta to its board of directors.

Immediately upon conclusion of the Meeting, Clifford M. James resigned from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer of TVI, and Patrick B. Hanna resigned as TVI's Chief Financial Officer. In connection with the resignations, the Company is pleased to announce the appointments of Love D. Manigsaca as Chief Financial Officer and Michael G. Regino as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Mr. Regino is the Managing Director of TVIRD and the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of St. Augustine Gold and Copper Ltd. Prior to these roles, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippines Social Security System (SSS), the state-run institution managing the social insurance program for the private, professional and informal sectors in the Philippines. With three decades of experience in business development, corporate finance, and marketing, Mr. Regino has worked across diverse industries including mining, real estate development, and construction. He graduated cum laude from Ateneo De Zamboanga University with a degree in Bachelor of Arts, major in Economics, and holds a Master of Business Administration from Ateneo de Manila University.

Mr. Love D. Manigsaca currently serves as the Director for Finance & Special Projects of TVI Resource Development (Phils), Inc. Prior to this role, he was the President at Greenstone Resources Corporation, the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) holder of the Siana and Mapawa Gold Projects under Red 5 Ltd. (ASX: RED) management. He also contributed to the academia as a former Assistant Professor in the School of Management at the University of the Philippines in Mindanao. Mr. Manigsaca is a Certified Public Accountant (Philippines), Certified Management Accountant, Certified Financial Modeler and Valuation Analyst, Certified Capital Markets and Securities Analyst, and Certified Global Business Analyst. Mr. Manigsaca graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree major in accounting from Xavier University, Philippines and a Master of Business Administration degree from Durham University, England, UK.

Related Party Transactions

The Lender is a "related party" of the Company, and the Loan, the entering into the Note and matters relating thereto (the "Transactions") are considered to be "related party transactions" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") requiring the Company, in the absence of exemptions, to obtain a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval, of the related party transactions.

Pursuant to Sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(f) of MI 61-101, the Company relied on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder requirements, respectively, as, in addition to no securities of the Company being listed or quoted on certain specified exchanges, the Loan is a non-convertible loan obtained on reasonable commercial terms that is not less advantageous to the Company than if the Loan were obtained from a person dealing at arm's length and not repayable, directly or indirectly, in equity or voting securities of the Company or a subsidiary.

The Transactions were approved by the board of directors of the Company (the "Board"), who are independent for the purposes of the Note, being all directors other than Messrs. James, Regino, and Manuel Paolo Villar. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company after reasonable inquiry, the Lender, have knowledge of any material information concerning the Company or its securities that has not been generally disclosed. No special committee of the Board was established in connection with the Transactions as the entire Board was engaged in respect thereof, and, other than Messrs. James, Villar and Regino, who abstained from voting on the Transactions, no materially contrary view or abstention was expressed or made by any director of the Company in relation thereto.

Neither the Company nor any director or senior officer of the Company has knowledge, after reasonable inquiry, of any prior valuation in respect of the Company that relates to the subject matter of or is otherwise relevant to the Transactions, which has been made in the 24 months prior to the date of this News Release. The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days before the expected closing as the details of the Transactions were not finalized until immediately prior to its issuance, and the Company wished to close the Transactions as soon as practicable for sound business reasons.

About TVI Pacific Inc.

TVI Pacific Inc. is a Canadian resource company focused on mining projects in the Philippines, one of the most prolifically mineralized countries in the world. TVI maintains a strong presence in the Philippines through its 30.66% equity interest in TVIRD, a Philippines corporation. Through TVIRD, TVI has ownership in TVIRD's 100%-owned Balabag gold/silver mine, a currently producing mine, and is focused on ramping-up to commercial production at TVIRD's recently restarted 100%-owned Siana gold mine. TVIRD also has in its portfolio of projects its 100%-owned Mapawa project (gold), a 60% indirect interest in the Mabilo project (a copper-gold-iron skarn deposit that offers potential for multi-metal products, namely copper, gold and silver, with by-products magnetite and pyrite), and a 60% interest in Agata Mining Ventures Inc. (nickel/iron DSO mine).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain information set out in this News Release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe", "scheduled", "to be", "will be" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this News Release include, but are not limited to: statements and information concerning the Company's intended use of the proceeds from the Note; the Company's future activities and operations; and the terms of the Note, including acceleration thereof.

Forward-looking statements in this News Release are based upon the opinions and expectations of management of the Company and, in certain cases, information supplied by third parties as at the effective date of such statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions and that information received from third parties is reliable, it can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct.

Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties (known and unknown) that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company being unable to use the proceeds of the Note as described; legal or regulatory impediments regarding the Note, accrued and unpaid interest thereon; the Company defaulting on the Note or the Funding Commitment Agreement and consequences thereof; the proceeds being insufficient for the Company's purposes; the acceleration of maturity of the Note in accordance with the terms thereof upon the occurrence of certain events; the Company's inability to repay the Note on its maturity date or at all; the Company being unable to raise additional funds on terms acceptable to the Company or at all; the availability of future drawdowns under the Funding Commitment Agreement; the value of the Company's assets; the availability of distributions to the Company from its joint venture interest in TVIRD and results of operations thereof; liquidity and results of operations; and general risks such as changes in commodities and base metal prices general economic conditions in the Philippines and elsewhere, litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments, geopolitical risk, delays or failures to receive Board, shareholder or regulatory approvals, operational risks, risks related to meeting the continued listing requirements of the TSX Venture Exchange, those additional risks described in detail in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023, which was filed on SEDAR+ on April 29, 2024, and is available under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca, and other matters discussed in News Release.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance upon the forward-looking statements contained in this News Release and such forward-looking statements should not be interpreted or regarded as guarantees of future outcomes.

The forward-looking statements contained in this News Release are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws in force in Canada. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

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 News Release.

SOURCE TVI Pacific Inc.
MEDELLIN, July 5, 2024 - Mineros S.A. (TSX: MSA) (CB: MINEROS) ("Mineros" or the "Company") announces that Ana Maria Rios, Vice President of Business Development and Strategy will be leaving effective July 19, 2024.

Andres Restrepo, President and Chief Executive Officer said, "We want to thank Ana Maria for her contributions over the years and wish her every success in her future endeavours."

A search for a replacement is underway. In the interim, Ms. Rios is supporting the transition, and her responsibilities will be divided amongst other members of the executive. Management will continue to be supported by long serving members of Ms. Rios' team ensuring continuity and a smooth transition.

This news release is being issued and filed in compliance with Mineros S.A. duties of disclosure in Colombia, especially Article 5.2 of Decree 2555 of 2010.

About Mineros S.A.

Mineros is a Latin American gold mining company headquartered in Medellin, Colombia. The Company has a diversified asset base, with mines in Colombia and Nicaragua and a pipeline of development and exploration projects throughout the region.

The board of directors and management of Mineros have extensive experience in mining, corporate development, finance and sustainability. Mineros has a long track record of maximizing shareholder value and delivering solid annual dividends. For almost 50 years Mineros has operated with a focus on safety and sustainability at all its operations.

Mineros' common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "MSA", and on the Colombia Stock Exchange under the symbol "MINEROS".

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mineros-sa-reports-changes-to-its-management-team-302190122.html

SOURCE Mineros S.A.
Chinese travel platforms see surging searches on Azerbaijan, after it announces visa-free policy for Chinese travelers

Global Times) 14:01, July 05, 2024

Multiple Chinese online travel platforms witnessed growing searches on Azerbaijan-related tourism products, as the Caucasus country announced on Wednesday to implement a one-year unilateral visa-free policy for Chinese citizens.

Data from Chinese online travel platform Trip.com showed that the search volume of Azerbaijan-related tourism products saw a 50-percent increase after the news was made public. During the current summer travel peak, the order volume of Chinese mainland tourists traveling to Azerbaijan rose by 85 percent year-on-year, and the volume to three Caucasus countries - Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan - jumped by 103 percent, the data showed.

Now, Beijing and Urumqi in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have direct flights to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Another online travel platform Fliggy told the Global Times on Thursday that the volume of flight tickets booked to Azerbaijan increased by 336 percent in 2024 as of July 4.

China is one of the major travel destinations for tourists in Azerbaijan, according to the Azerbaijan Tourism Board, and meanwhile, a total of 23,153 Chinese citizens visited Azerbaijan in 2023.

As of now, the three Caucasus countries, including Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, have all announced visa-free policies to Chinese tourists. Armenia and China lifted mutual visa requirements from January 19, 2020, and Georgia and China waived visa requirements for travelers from both countries starting May 28, 2024.

In recent years, some niche travel destinations such as in the Caucasus area, Central Asia, and the Balkans become favorites for Chinese tourists, boosted by recovering international flights and visa facilitations, Jia Jianqiang, CEO of Beijing-based online agency 6renyou, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The visa-free policy aims to develop tourism in Azerbaijan and further expand the country's economic, people-to-people, and cultural ties with China. A joint statement released by the two countries stated that the two countries decided to upgrade bilateral relations to strategic partnership.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Samsung is hosting its Galaxy Unpacked event on July 10 in Paris to unveil the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6. Alongside, the Korean brand is expected to introduce new TWS earphones - the Galaxy Buds3 and Galaxy Buds3 Pro. A leaked image revealed that the Pro model will have Apple's AirPods-inspired stem design, and now we are looking at live images of the Buds3 Pro, giving us our best look yet at the upcoming TWS earphones.

These pictures corroborate previous design leaks and confirm that the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro will have a stem design.



Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro's leaked live images

They also revealed that the Galaxy Buds3 Pro's charging case - which is said to pack a 500 mAh battery - will have a translucent lid with an indicator light on the front. Additionally, you can see the downward-facing line in the second picture below on the left buds' stem, which is said to be called Blade Light.



Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro's leaked live images

Rumors claim the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro will pack 2-way speakers in each bud, have Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, and come with Ambient Sound and Adaptive Noise Control. The TWS earphones are also said to have an IP57 rating and offer up to 30 hours of playback when paired with the charging case (7 hours without it).

With the unveiling just five days away, there's little waiting to learn all about the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro's specs, features, pricing, and availability.

Source
Samsung's Galaxy Buds line started out in 2019, as the company recently reminded us ahead of its Unpacked event on July 10 where it's expected to unveil the Galaxy Buds3. And in these five years, no model has ever employed a stem design.

That is set to change next week, however, for the Galaxy Buds3 are in fact the first Galaxy Buds with stems. This information was leaked before, and today an image of their retail box confirms the move.

Obviously, a lot of people will complain about how Samsung is "copying Apple" here, but there are probably hundreds of other companies that have released stem-style true wireless earbuds in the past few years. Samsung is just the latest one to adopt this design, and maybe it's for the better?

Aside from the Galaxy Buds+ launched in 2020 (which don't even have ANC), all of Samsung's earbuds have had pretty middling mic performance, to put it nicely. So we're hoping that switching to stems, through the fact that this design brings the mics closer to your mouth, may finally result in a new pair of Galaxy Buds with stellar mic performance.

The Buds3 are expected to have ANC of course, and while Apple did "invent" the stem-style earbud, the stems of Samsung's upcoming buds feature a very angular design that is quite different (perhaps on purpose) from Apple's.

Source
A bill that would help low-income households pay their water bills and help them if they need to repair a leak is now up for a vote.

Senators moved Bill 273-37 into the voting file during Fridays legislative session, after many of them voiced support for the measure.

The bill would authorize the Guam Waterworks Authority to establish a Customer Assistance Program, CAP, that would provide supplemental bill assistance, credit discounts and fee waivers for low- or fixed-income ratepayers.

The program would also provide assistance for leak detection and repair.

Speaker Therese Terlaje, a co-sponsor of the bill, said drought conditions are expected for the island and being able to fix water leaks will preserve the precious resource.

They are anticipating drought after the El Nino, she said.

Other jurisdictions in the U.S. have implemented similar programs to ensure everyone has access to clean water, Terlaje added.

Right now, if a water leak is on a customers private property, they are the ones who need to pay for the fix. For residents who are low-income or on fixed-income, the hundreds or thousands of dollars in repair costs are not possible to pay.

Terlaje said if the bill passes, GWA would be able to go onto the customers property, with their consent, and help them find the leak and repair it.

The costs are expected to be paid out through grants that GWA will apply for with the American Water Works Association and others, the speaker said.

If GWA seeks to pay the program through ratepayer revenue, they would need to get approval from the Public Utilities Commission first, she said.

The bill also would give rebates or discounts to customers who use water-conserving fixtures.

Reducing the amount of water leaked will also save GWA on operational costs, which will also support ratepayers of Guam.

It is essential that water conservation measures are implemented to protect our vital resource which is water and to sustain life on Guam, the speaker said.

GWA is expected to create rules and regulations on who will qualify for CAP.

GWA Assistant General Manager Chris Budasi, during a public hearing on the bill in May, told senators they estimate about 8,700 customers would be eligible for the program, based on statistics that indicate 21% of the local population are SNAP recipients.

Budasi said the cost to GWA would be about $5 million.

Terlaje said the bill could also grant extension to compliance for GWA on major projects like the Hagatna Wastewater Treatment Plant. Without the CAP, it is less likely GWA will be considered for the extended Clean Water Act compliance schedules, she said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is requiring GWA to implement a costly secondary treatment at the plant but with a CAP, Guam could be granted an extension.

This is one of the other benefits of this bill, in addition to helping customers directly, Terlaje said.

Sen. Chris Barnett said so many people live below the poverty line so the bill will be a great benefit for many.

I ask my colleagues to support it to help those less fortunate on our island preserve their access to the life-giving liquid that is water, he said.

He commended the bills main sponsor, Sen. Sabina Perez, for pushing the bill forward which he says is long overdue.

I think it will go a long way for those who most need it on our island, Barnett added.
Confidential data from Floridas Department of Health reportedly was leaked on the dark web by a global ransomware group after the state did not meet a July 5 deadline demanding payment.

On July 1, HackManac, a company that tracks cyberattacks, revealed in a post on X that the group, RansomHub, threatened to release 100 gigabytes of data from the states health department unless the state paid an undisclosed amount of money by Friday.

Following federal guidelines from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency that strongly advise against paying any ransomware demands, Florida didnt pay.

According to Statescoop, after the missed deadline, RansomHub published a link to the stolen data on its dark web account.

A profile prepared by the threat intelligence company SOC Radar offers a few details about the ransomware group, including the fact they do not allow nonprofits to be targeted, are only interested in dollars and claim re-attacks are not allowed for target companies that have already made payments.

However, on April 8, RansomHub, reportedly demanded money from Change Healthcare, one of the largest health payment processing companies in the world, less than two months after its alleged affiliate, the BlackCat cyber gang  also known as ALPHV and Noberus, was reportedly paid $22 million after it claimed to have four terabytes of personally identifiable patient information.

Despite receiving payment, the BlackCat group didnt return the stolen data  and after RansomHubs demands were unmet, they allegedly shared screenshots of the leaked data to the highest bidder on the dark web.




Haiti - FAdH : The Minister of Defense talks about military training with Taiwan





Thursday July 4th, 2024, after receiving the day before the United States Ambassador to Haiti, Dennis B. Hankins on bilateral defense cooperation where the training of Haitian soldiers was discussed, the first time since demobilization of the FAd'H in 1994 that the United States raised the possibility of cooperation with the Haitian army; Jean Marc Berthier Antoine, the Minister of Defense, met with Wen-Jiann Ku, Ambassador of Taiwan (Republic of China)



The discussions focused on several crucial subjects, including the training of the Haitian military and the strengthening of Haitian-Taiwanese cooperation in the areas of defense.



Ambassador Wen-Jiann Ku congratulated the Ministry of Defense, in particular the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H), for having recently demonstrated their ability to contribute to the restoration of Peace and security in Haiti. He highlighted the remarkable efforts made by the Haitian military on the ground, illustrating their commitment and determination.



The two men agreed to explore new opportunities to deepen this cooperation. In addition, the Ambassador promised to support the Ministry in matters of military personal protective equipment.



Minister Antoine renewed the Government's commitment to working closely with Taiwan to strengthen the capacities of the FAd'H with a view to guaranteeing enhanced security for Haiti "The discussions focused on military training and defense cooperation. I reiterated the commitment of the Government of Haiti to strengthening the capacities of the FAd'H and to deepening ties with Taiwan."



"Taiwan has been the first partner of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H) since their remobilization in 2017. We reaffirm our commitment to continuing and strengthening our cooperation in order to restore order in society and establish the foundations for development national," declared the Ambassador.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Following amendments to the Act on Student Financial Aid, the government guarantees for student loans will be adjusted.

The Finnish government has announced that the guarantees for student loans will increase starting August 2024. Additionally, the number of disbursements for students studying in Finland will also rise, with the first loan disbursement for the upcoming academic year available from early August.

For students aged over 18 studying in Finland, the loan guarantee will increase from EUR 650 to EUR 850 per month. For students under 18 in upper secondary education, the guarantee will rise from EUR 300 to EUR 400 per month. For those studying abroad, the guarantee will go up from EUR 800 to EUR 1,000.

Furthermore, the distribution of student loan funds will be modified. Upper secondary education students in Finland will receive funds in four disbursements over the academic year, irrespective of the study duration. For higher education studies, the number of disbursements will be two per academic year. For studies completed entirely abroad, the disbursement schedule will remain one per academic year.

These changes will take effect on August 1, 2024, with the first loan disbursement for the 2024-2025 academic year available from the beginning of August. Students can verify the maximum loan amounts, disbursement schedules, and disbursement dates through their financial aid decisions or the OmaKela e-service.

Student Loans Disbursed by Banks

Students need to arrange with their banks when and how to take out a student loan and set up a repayment schedule. The decision on whether to take out a loan and the amount to borrow is up to the individual student. Since the loan is guaranteed by Kela, no additional security is required from the student.

Loan repayment typically begins 6-18 months after the end of student financial aid. During the study period, the interest on the loan is added to the loan capital, thereby increasing the loan amount. After the financial aid period ends, the interest continues to be added to the loan capital for one more term, after which the student must start paying the interest themselves.

State Guarantee for One Academic Year

Kela has reviewed the student loans for the upcoming academic year, sending decisions on loan guarantees to 112,884 students. Students with ongoing financial aid cases at Kela will receive decisions on the loan guarantee along with their financial aid decisions if there have been any changes affecting their aid.

Any remaining student loan funds for the 2023-2024 academic year must be taken out by the end of July.

HT
The survey found that the share of respondents who are dissatisfied with the government has jumped by 10 percentage points to 45 per cent in the past six months, while the share of respondents who are satisfied with the government has stayed almost unchanged, rising from 31 to 33 per cent.

NEARLY HALF of Finns are dissatisfied with the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP), reveals a survey by Helsingin Sanomat .

Also Orpo himself is regarded highly by fewer and fewer Finns. Roughly a third (32%) of respondents stated that they are satisfied and almost a half (47%) that they are dissatisfied with his performance as premier.

Supporters of the National Coalition and Finns Party, the two senior partners in the four-party ruling coalition, are increasingly satisfied with the government, however. About 80 per cent of National Coalition supporters and 70 per cent of Finns Party supporters expressed their satisfaction with the government, both figures signalling a 20-point increase from the survey conducted six months ago.

The Christian Democrats and Swedish Peoples Party, the two junior coalition partners, were the only parliamentary parties whose approval rating has not improved among their own supporters since the start of the year. The former was deemed to have performed fairly or very well by 60 per cent of supporters, representing a drop of 10 points, and the latter by 40 per cent of its supporters, no change from the previous survey.

The survey respondents were also asked to give their opinion on the job performance of certain cabinet members.

Over a half of them voiced their dissatisfaction with Minister of Finance Riikka Purra (PS), Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman (PS) and Minister of Social Affairs and Health Kaisa Juuso (PS). Juuso was assessed to have performed fairly or very well by only 14 per cent, Rydman by 15 per cent of respondents.

Finns Party supporters, though, continue to back their own ministers in higher numbers  66 per cent of them being satisfied with Purra, 50 per cent with Rydman and 38 per cent with Juuso.

Minister of Defence Antti Hakkanen (NCP) and Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen (NCP) received the highest approval ratings in the survey, 51 per cent and 43 per cent, respectively.

President Alexander Stubb was deemed to have performed his duties well by roughly two-thirds of respondents, a far cry from the final, 88-per-cent approval rating received by his predecessor, President Sauli Niinisto. The survey was the first in the series that gauged public satisfaction with President Stubb.

Verian conducted 1,120 online interviews for the survey on 1924 June. The results have a margin of error of just under three points.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Support for the ruling right-wing party dropped by 1.1 percentage points from the previous month to 21.2 per cent, helping it to reclaim the top spot in the poll for the first time since March. Another contributing factor was the 2.9-point nosedive  to 20.1 per cent  of the largest opposition party, the Social Democrats.

THE NATIONAL COALITION lost support but reclaimed the top spot in the latest opinion poll commissioned by YLE .

The Finns Party recorded an up-tick in popular support for the first time in months, climbing from 14.8 to 15.3 per cent.

Both the National Coalition and Social Democrats have lost support among the female population, Jari Pajunen, the managing director of Taloustutkimus, stated to YLE on Thursday. The beneficiaries have been the Finns Party and the Left Alliance, which rose 2.1 points to 11.6 per cent likely as a result of its surprise emergence as the second biggest party in the European elections in June.

The Left Alliances support has increased, and the party was the biggest riser in this poll. Women whove backed the Social Democrats have largely moved there, commented Pajunen. The Finns Partys support has increased mostly due to women  specifically over 36-year-old but under 60-year-old women who are in working life.

Neither the Centre nor the Swedish Peoples Party appears to have received a significant boost from its recent leadership elections, which saw the former hand over the reins to Antti Kaikkonen (Centre) and the latter to Anders Adlercreutz (SFP). The Centre saw its popularity rise by 0.7 points to 12.2 per cent and the Swedish Peoples Party by 0.2 points to 3.9 per cent.

Support for the Green League rose by 0.3 points to 8.9 per cent and that for Movement Now by 1.1 points to 1.9 per cent. The Christian Democrats stood pat at 3.7 per cent.

Taloustutkimus contacted 2,418 people for the poll between 7 June and 2 July. About four-fifths, or 1,910, of those contacted were able and willing to reveal which party would receive their vote if the parliamentary elections were held now.

The poll results have a margin of error of 1.9 points.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
STUDENTS at Gillotts School in Henley are to be banned from using mobile phones during the school day.

From September 1, phones and similar devices will need to be switched off and in bags between 8.45am and 3.30pm unless explicit individual permission is given by a teacher to be used.

Any pupil caught using a phone risks having it confiscated for the remainder of the school day and an hours after-school detention.

Pupils will continue to be required to bring a large screen device, which can connect to the schools filtered wi-fi but not be connected to the mobile phone network, to support their learning.

Headteacher Catharine Darnton said that the Department for Education had advised schools to develop a mobile phone policy that prohibits their use as well as that of other smart technology.

The Government says the ban should continue to be in place in the time between lessons, break times and lunchtime.

Ms Darnton said: Currently, Gillotts students are only allowed to use their mobile phones at break times and lunchtimes.

From September 1, our policy will be Never used, seen or heard. Mobile phones, and other similar technology, will have to be switched off and in bags between 8.45am and 3.30pm unless explicit individual permission has been given.

She said the concern was not about the phone itself but the potential to access social media and have unfiltered access to the internet.

Ms Darnton said: The use of mobile phones in schools leads to

distraction and disruption and can exacerbate misbehaviour and

bullying.

Many schools that have successfully implemented policies prohibiting the use of mobile phones report that their pupils feel safer and happier.

Without access to their mobile phones and the unfiltered internet access provided, pupils can focus on the present, the people around them and their education.

Without the disruption mobile phones cause, school staff can spend more time teaching and supporting pupils.

Screen time can displace positive activities. Socialising, exercise and good sleep are positive influences on wellbeing. All these can be displaced by screen time.

By prohibiting the use of mobile phones during break and lunchtimes at school as well as in lessons, more time for socialising and exercise can be created during the school day.

We will allow large screen devices with the big difference being that they are connected by our wi-fi.

She said that 97 per cent of children owned a mobile phone by the age of 12.

Data from the Office of National Statistics in 2020 suggested that one in five children aged 10 to 15 experienced at least one type of bullying behaviour online.

About 72 per cent of these said they experienced at least some of it at school or during school time.

More than half of children who experienced online bullying behaviour said they would not describe it as bullying and more than one in four did not report their experiences.

Three in 10 pupils cited making and maintaining friendships and their mental health as a cause of worry, anxiety or depression.

Ms Darnton said: By removing mobile phones, children and young people can spend more time staying active and socialising face to face with their peers, activities which have a positive impact on wellbeing. Mobile phones have already been prohibited or restricted in one in four countries worldwide, including France and the Netherlands, and several Australian states and territories.

She said that parents needing to speak to their children urgently during the school day should contact their Housebase or the school office, which would be able to get a message to them.

If a pupil has a specific reason, such as a medical condition, which means they need access to their mobile phone during the school day, the schools policy will reflect this.

The school carried out a consultation among parents and Ms Darnton said that there had been a lot of support, although it wasnt universal.

She added: Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of what we are doing but it is not all.

It is fair to say that there are other points of view, including that a mobile phone is a portable computer. We are trying to strike the right balance so we have the benefits but I recognise it is not an easy debate.

 What do you think? Write to: Letters, Henley Standard, Caxton House, 1 Station Road, Henley or email letters@henleystandard.co.uk
NEW Henley MP Freddie van Mierlo says his victory in the general election has taken a sledgehammer to the Conservatives blue wall.

The Liberal Democrat received 23,904 votes to push the Conservatives into second place in the constituency for the first time in more than 100 years.

Caroline Newton received 17,637 votes and saw a 21.3 per cent drop in the share of the vote from 2019 while Mr van Mierlo had a 45 per cent share of the vote, an increase of 12.6 per cent.

It is the first time Henley has not been won by a Conservative in 118 years, since the constituency was taken by Liberal candidate Philip Morrell in 1906.

Mr van Mierlo succeeds Conservative John Howell, who had been in office since 2008, and had commanded a majority of more than 14,000 in 2019.

The result was announced around 5.45am following a count at the White Horse Leisure Centre in Abingdon.

Mr van Mierlo told supporters that he would work hard for all constituents on the issues he had campaigned on, including sewage, the cost-of-living crisis and the NHS.

He said: We need to give a massive round of applause to all the volunteers, everybody who took part in this campaign. We built it from the ground up  this has been a citizens campaign that Im extremely proud of.

Weve campaigned right across the constituency on the issues that have really mattered to people. I will work really hard for everybody who voted for me and those who didn't so that next time we have even more people choosing to vote Liberal Democrat.

The work starts on Monday and I'm going to do everything we can to prove everyone that this was the right choice.

Mr van Mierlo said he was delighted to see Liberal Democrat wins in neighbouring constituencies such as Oxford West and Abingdon and Didcot and Wantage.

He said that victories in blue wall constituencies  the bedrock of the Tory support for generations  in the South East is telling.

Mr van Mierlo said: I'm delighted that we've smashed the blue wall tonight. Henley and Thame is definitely one of the jewels of the blue wall and I'm delighted to have been a part of it.

I want to do what I do already as a district and a county councillor, which is to get on my inbox as soon as it's set up and start responding to emails, getting in front of voters again, working hard for them and listening to their issues and delivering on them.

Mr van Mierlo added he was excited to take the issues he had campaigned on to parliament.

He said: Im excited about the challenge ahead and we've run a fantastic campaign that's really resonated with voters.

We've talked about the cost-of-living crisis, which is still fighting the sewage scandal, which across Henley and Thame is a really important issue and of course, the state of the NHS and social care. I'm really pleased that we can take that case to parliament.

Ms Newton said that while defeat was disappointing, it was symbolic of the wider political mood of the country.

She said: I'd hoped that we'd done enough to win it and to persuade the people of Henley and Thame that they should stick with the Conservatives. Not only that but also to elect a new Conservative as their MP.

I'm sure that we were absolutely the victims of a wider mood in the nation. You only have to look across the results elsewhere to see that. We've lost a lot of really good MPs and that's a real sadness.

Ms Newton said that going forward the Conservative party needed to reevaluate its beliefs if it hoped to be elected again in the future.

She said: We need to re-group, reflect, we need to not move fast and to think very strategically about what we believe as a party and how we can help to solve the issues that matter so much to people.

I feel that we're in a real period of inflection nationally and internationally. The things that we understood to be true in the past are no longer true. We've got to figure out what our responses are to those things.

Ms Newton said that she would continue to stay involved with politics in the area.

She said: I ran a very local campaign I made the point very strongly that I was Henley and Thame born and bred, that I'm absolutely passionate about this place and I would work ceaselessly to get the best for everybody who lives here.

Its just disappointing that people didn't see it that way. I'll absolutely stay involved locally and with the party locally as well.

It's a group of incredibly passionate people who care deeply about the constituency and are convinced that the solutions to the issues that we face are found in politics that are right of centre and that's what I believe, too.

The third-placed candidate was Peter Shields, of Reform UK, who received 5,208, followed by Labours Nanda Manley-Browne with 3,574 votes and Jo Robb won 2,008 votes for the greens.

Social Democrat Maryse Pomlett won 515 votes and independent David Carpin won 306 votes. The number of spoilt ballots received was 174.

The election turnout was 72.32 per cent, slightly down on 76.7 per cent in 2019.

In Wokingham, Liberal Democrat candidate Clive Jones was elected with 25,743 votes and Matt Rodda won Reading Central for Labour with 21,598 votes.
Spanning time, texts and languages This weeks pick of interesting reads includes a book of translations of classical Indian texts, reportage on a shocking crime, and a book on an icon (HT Team)

320pp, 799; Bloomsbury (Fresh and accessible translations of classical Indian texts)

Salman Rushdie has called this volume An important book, a wonderful selection, a treasure house. lluminating Worlds explores the foundations of the worlds longest continuous multilingual literary tradition. It provides fresh and accessible translations of classical Indian texts from ancient Vedic hymns to the songs of Tamil bhakti. Organised both chronologically and thematically, this wide-ranging collection gives a broad perspective on Indian history while highlighting the deep connections between multiple literary traditions.

Spanning time, texts and languages, this anthology  the first of its kind  provides a comprehensive survey of of ancient Indias most important literary contributions.*

Behind the scenes of a most horrible crime

216pp, 399; Juggernaut (Going behind the scenes of a horrible crime.)

On 8 September 2017, a class two student was found murdered in a blood-splattered bathroom of his school in Gurugram. What followed was a bizarre cover-up and destruction of evidence, the framing of an innocent bus conductor by the police and the subsequent arrest by the CBI of a sixteen-year-old student suspected of brutally murdering the young boy.

In this book, investigative journalist Leena Dhankhar untangles the messy threads of the case and takes us behind the scenes of a most horrible crime. She asks and answers the troubling questions that haunt us all.*

Balancing comedy and tragedy with aplomb

272pp, 699; HarperCollins (Tracing the life of an icon of Indian cinema)

In many ways, Kamal Haasan is unique. One of Indias great actors, he has usually gone further than just enacting a role to completely immersing himself in it. Kamal Haasan: A Cinematic Journey explores some 50 films out of the 245 that Haasan has been associated with and analyses his cinematic journey from his beginnings as a child star all the way to his latest blockbusters. It traces how, even at a young age, he took on roles other actors would be wary of, positioning himself as an object of female desire in the 1980s; balancing both comedy and tragedy with aplomb; playing formerly caricatured roles such as that of a dwarf in Apoorva Sagodharargal and a woman in Chachi 420 with dignity; and having a resurgence in 2022 with the blockbuster Vikram. This book is a good introduction to Kamal Haasan: his life, his thoughts and his movies.*

*All copy from book flap.
Telecom major Bharti Airtel denied any breach of its security system after reports claimed a major data leak of customers belonging to the telecom player. Airtel claimed that there is no proof to suggest there has been such a leak sayinf that this is a "desperate attempt" to tarnish the brand's reputation. A girl checks her mobile phone as she walks past the Bharti Airtel office building in Gurugram, on the outskirts of New Delhi.(Reuters)

An Airtel spokesperson told Moneycontrol, There has been a report alleging that Airtel customer data has been compromised. This is nothing short of a desperate attempt to tarnish Airtels reputation by vested interests.

The spokesperson added as per the outlet, "We have done a thorough investigation and can confirm that there has been no breach whatsoever from Airtel systems.

Read more: Defence stocks surge as India posts highest ever growth in defence production

Unverified reports had suggested that details of 375 million Airtel users, including their phone number, email, address, date of birth, father's name, and Aadhaar number were available for sale on dark web.

Rahul Sasi, CEO of cybersecurity firm CloudSEK said in a LinkedIn post that the actor "has gathered previously leaked data and is falsely claiming it to be a recent breach of Airtel's database".

"Over the past few years, there have been numerous instances of millions of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) being leaked from various providers. Threat actors are aggregating this publicly available leaked information and falsely attributing it to telecom databases. It's important to note that it's relatively easy to compile a database consisting of first names, last names, and phone numbers belonging to any service provider using publicly available datasets," Rahul Sasi said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Friday that India's defence manufacturing sector has witnessed an increase of 16.8 per cent in the fiscal year 2023-24. This significant increase marks the highest-ever growth in the country's defence production value. Defence minister Rajnath Singh arrives at the Parliament House complex during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha.(PTI)

Singh highlighted that the total value of defence production reached 1,26,887 crore this year, up from the previous year's figures.

"The Make in India programme is crossing new milestones, year after year, under the leadership of PM Shri@narendramodi. India has registered the highest ever growth in the value of defence production in 2023-24. The value of production has reached to Rs. 1,26,887 crore in 2023-24 which is 16.8% higher than the value of production of previous financial year," the defence minister said in a post on X.

Singh also congratulated Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and the private sector for contributing to this milestone and reaffirmed the government's commitment to developing India as a leading global defence manufacturing hub under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

"Many congratulations to our industry including DPSUs, other PSUs manufacturing defence items and the Private industry. The Government is committed to create more conducive regime for developing India as leading Global Defence Manufacturing Hub," the minister added.

The central government has set a target of achieving indigenous defence manufacturing worth 1,75,000 crore, including defence exports of 35,000 crore, by the fiscal year 2024-25.

Notably, many global companies have either shared or shown intent to share critical defence and aerospace knowledge with India. Several policy reforms have been implemented to achieve the objective of ease of doing business, including the integration of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups into the supply chain.

India's defence exports have reached a record of 21,083 crore (approximately USD 2.63 billion) in FY 2023-24, reflecting a 32.5 per cent growth from the previous fiscal year, when the figure was 15,920 crore.

These recent figures indicate that defence exports have grown 31 times over the last decade compared to 2013-14.

Following the announcement of these production numbers, shares of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited surged by more than 1.5 per cent to 5,601 on Friday. Indian defence PSUs have witnessed significant returns on equities in the past few years, benefiting from new orders.
Shares of defence companies rose up to 13 per cent today (July 5) after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that India's defence production recorded the highest ever growth in 2023-24. He said that the value of production has reached 1,26,887 crore in 2023-24- 16.8 per cent higher than the value of production of previous financial year. Defence minister Rajnath Singh arrives at the Parliament House complex during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha.(PTI)

Rajnath Singh, India has registered the highest ever growth in the value of defence production in 2023-24. The value of production has reached to Rs. 1,26,887 crore in 2023-24 which is 16.8 per cent higher than the value of production of previous financial year.

Rajnath Singh said that the government is committed to creating a more conducive regime for developing India as a leading global defence manufacturing hub.

The defence ministry said, The Ministry of Defence has achieved the highest-ever growth in indigenous defence production in value terms during financial year (FY) 2023-24, on the back of successful implementation of the policies and initiatives of the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focussing on achieving 'Aatmanirbharta'.

On this, PM Narendra Modi said, Very encouraging development. Compliments to all those who have contributed to this feat. We are fully committed to nurturing a supportive environment to further enhance our capabilities and establish India as a leading global defence manufacturing hub. This will enhance our security apparatus and make us Aatmanirbhar!
A hacker gained access to the internal messaging systems at OpenAI last year, it was reported. The hacker also stole details about the design of the company's artificial intelligence technologies, the New York Times reported, after they lifted details from discussions in an online forum where employees talked about OpenAI's latest technologies. Citing people in the know, the report claimed that the hacker did not get into systems where OpenAI houses and builds its AI. The OpenAI logo is displayed on a cell phone with an image on a computer monitor generated by ChatGPT's Dall-E text-to-image model.(AP)

In April last year, OpenAI executives informed employees and company's board at an all-hands meeting about the breach, the report claimed. As no information about customers or partners had been stolen, it was decided not to share the details with the public.

The report also said that OpenAI executives did not consider the incident a national security threat as they believed that the hacker was a private individual with no known ties to a foreign government.

Therefore, the San Francisco-based company did not inform the federal law enforcement agencies about the breach.

Although in May, OpenAI said it had disrupted five covert influence operations that sought to use its AI models for "deceptive activity" across the internet. At the time, companies developing AI pledged at a global meeting to develop the technology safely.
Shares of Raymond hit a life high on Friday, a day after the Group announced the vertical demerger of its real estate business into its wholly owned subsidiary, Raymond Realty Ltd (RRL). Raymond share price: The Board of Raymond Limited announced on Thursday that Raymond Limited and Raymond Realty Limited (RRL) will operate as separate listed entities, a company statement said.

The Board of Raymond Limited announced on Thursday that Raymond Limited and Raymond Realty Limited (RRL) will operate as separate listed entities, a company statement said.

The shares of Raymond surged around 10 per cent to 3236 per share as the stock markets opened this morning.

For the share market, the company stated on Thursday that the new entity will seek automatic listing on stock exchanges. According to the scheme of arrangement, each Raymond Ltd (RL) shareholder will receive one share of RRL for every one share held in Raymond Ltd.

Raymond's demerger of its real estate arm is seen as a move to unlock the potential of the group's real estate business.

"The demerger aligns with Raymond Group's stated objectives of simplifying its corporate structure and enhancing shareholder value for operational and structural benefits. Leveraging Raymond's institutional strength, the move will allow for independent, dedicated management teams with industry-specific expertise to sharpen business focus and tailor investment strategies to each sector's unique dynamics" said the company in a statement.

The real estate segment of the Raymond group, reported a revenue of 1,593 crore which was 43 per cent growth YoY and EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) of the company was 370 crore in FY24.

The group has around 100 acres of land in Thane with approx. 11.4 mn sq ft RERA-approved carpet area of which about 40 acres is currently under development. There are five ongoing projects worth 9,000 crore on its Thane land, with an additional potential to generate more than 16,000 crore, making a total potential revenue of over 25,000 crore from this land bank.

Additionally, the company has also signed three new JDAs (Joint Development Agreements) in Mahim, Sion, and one more in Bandra East Mumbai, taking the combined revenue potential from four JDA projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to over 7,000 crore. With the development of Thane Land Bank and the current 4 JDAs gives company the potential revenue of 32,000 crore.

"This strategy to demerge the Real Estate business into a separate company that will be listed through automatic route is another step to enhance the shareholder value. The existing shareholders of Raymond Limited will get the shares in the new listed Real Estate company in a ratio of 1:1" said Gautam Hari Singhania, Chairman C Managing Director, Raymond.

The company stated that the demerger aligns with Raymond Group's stated objectives of simplifying its corporate structure and enhancing shareholder value for operational and structural benefits. The move will allow for independent, dedicated management teams with industry-specific expertise to sharpen business focus and tailor investment strategies to each sector's unique dynamics.
Stock market has risen four times in the last ten years during the Narendra Modi-led government's tenure, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said. He said, Stock market during our 10-year tenure has risen four times. The Nifty was at around 5,700 when Modi government came to power. Now perhaps it has crossed 23,000-24,000. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is ready to promote the drone industry that has seen rapid growth in the last three years.(ANI)

"Let me tell you, this is a very merciless market. It only looks at numbers and the future... India is making rapid progress in the virtuous cycle of growth and due to this progress the stock market is moving ahead," he added.

This comes as Sensex on Thursday closed at a record high of 80,049.67 points while Nifty settled at 24,302.15 points. Piyush Goyal made the remarks during his address at an event organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PHDCCI).

He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is ready to promote the drone industry that has seen rapid growth in the last three years. Praising the development of technology and growth in the drone industry, he asserted that development of the drone ecosystem and deploying them in villages across the nation aligns with the PM's 'NAMO Drone Didi' initiative that will help empower the women in the agriculture sector.

The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for drones and drone components is a kickstarter for the sector to progress, the minister said, adding, In the third term of the PM's administration we will work at triple the speed, ensure three times the result and hope to become the third largest economy in the world.
Keir Starmer officially became the UK's new prime minister after his Labour Party secured a landslide victory in Thursday's parliamentary elections, defeating incumbent Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party. How will Labour Party's leader elevation affect the ongoing talk of FTA? Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with United Kingdom PM Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit, in Apulia on Friday. (ANI)

Follow: UK Election Results 2024 LIVE

How UK-India FTA works?

The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, which began in January 2022, aim to enhance economic ties by providing access to India's large and growing market, bypassing high tariff barriers. The agreement covers 26 chapters, including goods, services, investments, and intellectual property rights.

Bilateral trade between India and the UK increased to USD 21.34 billion in 2023-24 from USD 20.36 billion in 2022-23. Starmer's leadership could impact ongoing FTA discussions.

ALSO READ- UK polls: PM Modi congratulates Keir Starmer on Labour's remarkable win

What is Keir Starmer's view on FTA with India?

Keir Starmer's stance on an FTA with India is articulated in Labour's 2024 election manifesto, which outlines plans for forging a "new strategic partnership with India, including a free trade agreement, as well as deepening cooperation in security, education, technology, and climate change."

Addressing the India Global Forum (IGF) last year, Starmer said his vision for a revamped Labour Party is to pass FTA.

What my Labour government will seek with India is a relationship based on our shared values of democracy and aspiration. That will seek a free trade agreement (FTA), we share that ambition, but also a new strategic partnership for global security, climate security, economic security, he said.

ALSO READ- British election: Kerala-born mental health nurse among Labour Party winners

How Starmer elevation affects India-UK FTA?

The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) founder Ajay Srivastava is hopeful that the Labour Party will recognise the UK's potential to benefit from an FTA with India, boosting exports due to significant cost advantages.

"For the proof, it can look at the historical precedents, such as the steady improvement in ASEAN, Japanese, and South Korean exports to India following their respective FTAs with India," he said adding as the Labour Party takes charge, it may approve the FTA with minor adjustments.

He added that the agreement is nearly finalised, and with a few minor adjustments like curtailing the number of visas for Indian professionals, the Labour Party may likely give its approval.

"This could set the stage for the agreement to be signed as early as October this year," Srivastava said.

(Inputs from PTI)
The United Nations world food price index held steady in June data showed on Friday, with increases in vegetable oil, sugar and dairy products offset by a fall in the price of cereals. A man walks past the headquarters of the United Nations building in Midtown Manhattan in New York, (AFP)

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization's price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 120.6 points in June, unchanged from May. The May figure was revised from an initial reading of 120.4.

The FAO index hit a three-year low in February as food prices receded from a record peak set in March 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The June reading was 2.5% down from a year earlier and 24.8% below its 2022 high.

Cereal prices fell 3.0% month on month amid slightly improved production prospects in some major exporting countries, including Kazakhstan and Ukraine, the FAO said.

Maize export prices also dropped, with production in Argentina and Brazil expected to be larger than earlier thought.

Dairy prices rose 1.2% in June from May, while the sugar index rose 1.9%, lifted in part by lower-than-expected harvest results in May in Brazil, the FAO said.

Read more: Defence stocks surge as India posts highest ever growth in defence production

Vegetable oil prices jumped 3.1%, buoyed by higher quotations for palm, soy and sunflower oils, while rapeseed oil prices remained virtually unchanged.

Meat prices were also stable, with a fall in international poultry prices but slight increases in the prices of ovine, pig and bovine meats.

In a separate report, the FAO raised its forecast for global cereal production in 2024 by 7.9 million metric tons ( 0.3%), putting it at 2.854 billion tons, up fractionally from 2023 levels and marking a new all-time high forecast.

The increase reflected improved prospects for coarse grains, which were bolstered by higher expectations for maize harvests in Argentina and Brazil.

The forecast for world cereal utilisation in the 2024/25 period stood at 2.856 billion tons, up 0.5% on 2023/24, while the FAO's forecast for world cereal stocks by the close of seasons in 2025 stood at 894 million tons.
The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) has forecasted extensive rainfall across the state until July 12, with areas likely to experience moderate to heavy showers and isolated spots possibly seeing very intense rainfall, news agency PTI reported. Bengaluru Urban is set to see steady rainfall till July 8, the IMD noted. (Keshav Singh/HT)

The Bengaluru Urban district is set to see steady rainfall till July 8, the IMD noted.

ALSO READ | Bangalore Weather and AQI Today: Warm start at 21.88 C, check weather forecast for July 5, 2024

According to C S Patil, director of the India Meteorological Centre in Bengaluru, the coastal and western ghat regions have already received significant rainfall in early July. Notably, Agumbe recorded 34 mm of rainfall on July 3 alone.

In contrast, Malenadu district, which typically sees higher rainfall during this period, has now caught up with its expected precipitation levels.

ALSO READ | Bengaluru auto and cab drivers protest against illegal bike taxis, transport department to take action

Uttara Kannada is also witnessing heavy rainfall, leading to the Aghanashini river flowing at its full capacity, as reported by several sources.

In a weather update from social media site 'X', Karnataka Weather, dedicated to monitoring the states weather patterns, it was noted at 5 pm that clouds are gathering in the northern and north western parts of Bengaluru from Gottigere. Some residents have observed light rain in areas like Whitefield following a relatively calm day.

ALSO READ | Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah calls KPCC office-bearers, party workers meet on July 6

The KSNDMC stated in its daily weather bulletin that the IMD has issued an orange alert over Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts, and a yellow alert over Belagavi, Dharwad and Kodagu districts.

(With inputs from PTI)
A week after his security cover was reduced, Shiv Sena Punjab leader Sandeep Thapar, alias Gora, 58, was brutally attacked by four unidentified men in nihang attire while he was riding his scooter on the busy road outside the Ludhiana civil hospital on Friday afternoon. An injured Shiv Sena Punjab leader Sandeep Thapar after he was attacked with swords at the civil hospital in Ludhiana on Friday. (HT Photo)

The CCTV footage of the incident shows the accused followed Thapar on foot as he exited the hospital with his gunman riding pillion. They confronted him and Thapar was seen begging for mercy with folded hands before one of the attackers started hitting him repeatedly on the head with the sword. The Shiv Sena Punjab leader lost his balance and fell on the road along with the scooter when another nihang continued attacking him with a sword. Commuters looked on in shock, while the first attacker picked up the scooter and drove off with his accomplice.

Thapars lone gunman simply walked to the roadside and looked on as a mute spectator. He did not attempt to put up a fight to protect Thapar or make an attempt to chase the attackers.

The attack took place after Thapar left the office of Samvedna Trust, an NGO, near the civil hospital where he attended a ceremony to mark the fourth death anniversary of the trusts founder-president, Ravinder Arora, police said.

Eyewitnesses took the seriously injured leader to the civil hospital from where was referred to the local Dayanand Medical College and Hospital.

Deputy commissioner of police Jaskiranjit Singh Teja said that an attempt to murder case has been registered against the unidentified attackers and a search is on for them.

Shiv Sena Punjab leaders protest withdrawal of security

Soon after the incident, Shiv Sena Punjab leaders gathered outside the civil hospital and raised slogans against the Punjab government and the police. Sumit Arora, the youth wing president of the Shiv Sena Punjab, said Thapar had been provided three gunmen but the police withdrew his security cover a week ago. Later, the services of a gunman were restored. Arora alleged that the gunman allowed the accused to flee with ease.

Rajiv Tandon, the chairman of Shiv Sena Punjab, said that the police and the government were not serious about the security of leaders of Hindu organisations. They have proved this by withdrawing the security cover of our leaders, he said.

Bittu targets AAP govt for making mockery of law and order

Union minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu, who was the Ludhiana BJP candidate in the recent Lok Sabha elections, said: Such a brutal attack on an individual in full public view is condemnable. It has created panic among residents.

Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state, he said, Administration is missing from Punjab. They have made a mockery of law and order. Officers are busy pleasing AAP leaders instead of doing their job.
Pro-Khalistan leader Gajinder Singh, who led the group that hijacked an Indian Airlines aircraft to Lahore in 1981 and was one of the most-wanted persons in the record of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), passed away at the age of 73 after a brief illness in Lahore on July 3, sources said on Friday. Gajinder Singh

A few days ago, he had suffered a heart attack, after which he was admitted to Punjab Institute of Cardiology in Lahore, Pakistan.

Founder of the separatist Sikh organisation Dal Khalsa, Gajinder lived alone in Nankana Sahib, where he owned a house and farmland, and under state security.

After the assassination of Khalistan Commando Force chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar in May last year in Lahore, the Pakistan government shifted Gajinder to a state guest house to enhance his security.

Paying tribute to him during a meeting, office-bearers of Dal Khalsa said, His last rites were performed at cremation ground of Nankana Sahib on July 4 evening in presence of his daughter Bikramjit Kaur who came from United Kingdom (UK).

Read Here: Pro-Khalistan protesters stage demonstration against Indian diplomat in Canada

He spent 14 years in a Pakistani prison for the hijacking incident on September 29, 1981, and for the release of slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was arrested for assassinating Lala Jagat Narain, the founder editor of Hind Samachar Group.

Since his release from Pakistani prison, where he was lodged in the case of hijacking, in 1995, Gajinder was living in exile. After the terror attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, the MHA released a list of 20 people to Pakistan for extradition with Gajinder being one of them.

In 1971, he threw pamphlets of Sikh homeland on the stage of the then PM Indira Gandhi during a rally.

While his wife Manjit Kaur passed away in 2018 in Germany, his daughter Bikramjit Kaur lives in the United Kingdom and is married.

Gajinder has also penned down nine books that advocated a separate Sikh state. He was active on social media and often shared his poems and views. However, his social media accounts were banned several times.

In 2020, Akal Takht announced a title of Sikh Warrior in Exile for him during the tenure of Giani Harpreet Singh. However, the ceremony to confer the title upon him has not been organised at the highest Sikh temporal seat.

Leaders of the separatist organisation said a bhog ceremony will be held at Akal Takht on July 13 in memory of Gajinder Singh.

SGPC passes resolution to pay tribute to Gajinder Singh

In its executive committee meeting held here on Friday, the SGPC expressed grief over his demise. SAD leader and former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Paramjit Singh Sarna also paid tribute to him.
Last monsoons flooding in Himachal claimed at least 509 people, while another 39 are still missing. Of the total deaths, 144 were caused by landslides alone. A total of 1,772 houses were also wiped while 8,498 hectare farmland was also washed away amounting to losses worth 10,000 crore. Over 500 lives were lost in the monsoon disaster last year. (File)

Memories of the three-month ordeal are still fresh and even a year on, the state has not still fully recovered.

Scientists and experts blame climate change for the unusually high rainfall for triggering one of the worst catastrophes the state has ever. The state received heavy precipitation from July to September.

A 430% rain excess, 2nd spell worsened woes

Active to vigorous monsoon conditions prevailed in the state from July 7 to 11, bringing widespread heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across the state, way past the average rainfall of 734.4 mm.

Such was the magnitude that the state received 223 mm of rainfall against its normal rainfall of 41.6 mm in four days  starting July 10  alone. It amounted to a deviation of 436%, which is unprecedented as per records.

The second rain spell between August 11 to 14 aggravated the vagaries. The state received 107.2 mm rainfall against the normal of 41.7 mm in the period, a deviation of 157%.

The state suffered massive destruction between August 22 and 26. As monsoon departed on October 6 with 20% extra rainfall, which resulted in extreme rainfall leading to cloudbursts, flash floods, floods, mudslides, landslides and land subsidence, the Indian Meteorological Departments (IMD) report submitted to a government 10 months ago.

A long way back

A year after the state witnessed the most catastrophic disaster after the 1905 Kangra earthquake that killed 20,000 people, the state is still struggling to get back to normal.

A large number of villages in Mandi, Solan, Kullu, Kangra and Shimla were destroyed amid land subsidence, affecting 1,772 households housing 12,000 people. More than 295 families lost their houses and about 30,00 people were living in makeshift tents. The majority of them have now returned to their homes, but some were still living with their relatives or in rental accommodations.

Many still await relief

Many victims and displaced families still await relief while a few have only been partially compensated for their losses.

Three houses were destroyed in Nelha, and the affected families so far only got partial relief. Mandi municipal corporation had a 36 crore loss during the monsoon last year. The nullahs in the town are still clogged, there are hardly any funds to clear the muck, Mandi councillor Rajender Mohan said.

The government had announced a 7 lakh compensation for those who lost their houses, but so far they have only received 3 lakh, he added.

Parkash Chand Patial said last August was a nightmare for him and his family. He lost his home, belongings and crops. I lost my house in the floods last year; I am building a new one on my own. Its difficult as the memories of the flood still haunt my family, Parkash Chand Patial, a resident of Mandi, said.

Addressing the issue, additional chief secretary (Revenue) Onkar Sharma said, It is the commitment of the government to reach out to each affected family, grants were distributed to deputy commissioners, and those left will be compensated in accordance to norms.

Rivers changed course, infra & water supply wrecked

Rivers changed their course in the aftermath of the devastating floods, particularly Beas which flows along the highway connecting Mandi to Manali. The damaged road stretch has been restored, but a portion of it has begun to sink again.

Torrential rain caused other rivers and rivulets to overflow and give way to flash floods, fatalities, infrastructure damage, landslides, livestock loss and ruined crops, and property.

As many as 18,024 km of road, 126 bridges, and 300 culverts were damaged leading to damages of 2,950 crore. The floods wrecked 11,863 water supply schemes while 2,856 irrigation schemes were affected.

Tracts of farmland washed away

Agriculture and horticulture crops to the tune of 530 crore were also destroyed according to the governments estimates.

The farmers, both agriculturist and horticulturist suffered huge losses during the floods. Most of the orchards were devastated. The farmers faced a double whammy. One was the damages due to monsoon secondly they suffered losses due to drought-like conditions this winter, Sanjay Chauhan, co-convener of Himachal Kisan Sankyut Manch.

There was a lot of politicking over the flood relief package, with chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi after the disaster asking the Centre to declare the rain-triggered floods a national calamity.

The CM had sought a 12,000 crore relief package and a special session of the assembly was also convened in September last year to pass a resolution seeking it. Later, the Sukhu-led Congress government allocated 4,500 crore for the relief and rehabilitation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders claimed that the Centre released 1,762 crore for the victims, besides funds for the construction of 2,300 roads and 11,000 houses but the state government differs on the help offered.

Prep underway

After the floods, the government adopted slews of measures to mitigate the natural calamities. Considering the sharp increase in landslides, 5,400 in total last year, the state government tied up with different academic and research institutions in and outside the state to prepare a report on the landslides and assist the state government in adopting scientific mitigation measures.

Experts from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, Himachal Pradesh University, Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, Central University, Dharamshala, Geological Survey of India, Chandigarh, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and Central Building Research Institute Roorkee conducted geological investigations at 10 vulnerable sites in each district and submitted a report to the state government with suggestions.

The state has also already activated its 356 response centre, while the state disaster management authority (SDMA) has conducted several drills. We are already on the state of alert; the weather is being monitored hour to hour, SDMA director DC Rana said.

The state government has directed the Central Water Commission and the Directorate of Energy to deploy manpower to monitor all the river basins and dams generating advisories. Chief secretary Prabodh Saxena has directed district administrations to identify the vulnerable areas prone to prolonged road blockages during the monsoon season. They have also been advised to keep a close watch on all vulnerable villages, roads and bridges affected during the last monsoon and take all preparatory measures for prophylactic evacuation.
The Delhi high court on Friday sought the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)s response within a week to chief minister Arvind Kejriwals plea for bail in the scrapped excise policy case and fixed July 17 as the next date for hearing in the matter. Delhi CM and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal (PTI/File)

A bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna initially agreed with CBIs submission that Kejriwal should have filed a plea before the trial court first. It later issued a notice saying the contention regarding Kejriwal directly approaching the high court would be considered at the time of arguments.

Kejriwal filed the fresh plea after the high court sought CBIs response to his petition challenging his arrest by the probe agency and the remand. On Tuesday, a bench of Justice Krishna directed CBI to file its response within seven days and listed the matter for July 17 after Kejriwals legal team pressed for the issuance of notice asserting that there was no need or necessity to arrest him.

Delhi excise policy probe: Arvind Kejriwal's judicial custody in money laundering case extended

Kejriwals plea said his arrest by CBI was an attempt to scuttle, obviate, and prevent his release from custody in the Enforcement Department (ED)s money laundering case. A Delhi court on June 20 granted him bail in that case citing a lack of direct evidence. On June 25, a vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain stayed the bail saying that the order for it was perverse and was passed without appreciating EDs material.

Kejriwals bail petition said he was being subjected to gross persecution and harassment for wholly malafide and extraneous considerations. It added that the material based on which he was arrested was on record and his arrest 1 year, 10 months after the registration of the case smacks of glaring malafide.

During the hearing on Friday, Kejriwals legal team comprising senior advocates Abhishek Singhvi, Vikram Chaudhari, and N Hariharan urged the high court to issue a notice saying that the four co-accused were granted bail in the CBI case. The lawyers pointed out that CBI arrested Kejriwal after he got bail in the ED case in violation of Sections 41 and 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Section 41 allows police to make arrests with a warrant or permission from a magistrate in cases where they fear it is necessary to prevent a person from committing a further offence or for proper investigation. Section 41A mandates police to issue notice to the person accused of committing an offence before arrest without a warrant.

Read Here: Citing Kejriwal hearings, lawyer delegation expresses concern over Delhi court practices to CJI

Special public prosecutor DP Singh, who represented CBI, opposed the issuance of the notice saying Kejriwal approached the high court directly bypassing the trial court. He stressed Kejriwal should first file the plea before the trial court so that the high court has the benefit of its order.

Justice Krishna remarked that Singh was right. You can also have the benefit of sessions judge hearing first. It is not a question of competence.

In response, Chaudhari argued that the high court did not have to direct Kejriwal to approach the trial court as the high court was considering the petition challenging his arrest and remand. He added the trial court had shot down contention on the aspect of violation of CrPC Section 41A.

The court asked CBI to file its response, but remarked there must be strong ground for Kejriwal to directly approach it for bail notwithstanding its concurrent jurisdiction to hear the bail applications. In how many matters has the Supreme Court said that please go back to the trial court on propriety and not law? The law is clear. We have concurrent jurisdiction. The Supreme Court has said not to clog the higher courts when the remedy is available to you. These are all concurrent jurisdictions. I am not on law. There must be some reason why you come to HC directly, Justice Krishna said.

The CBI had arrested Kejriwal on June 26 after the federal agency briefly questioned him. On June 29, a Delhi court sent him to 14-day judicial custody until July 12.

In the remand note, the agency alleged that Kejriwal is one of the main conspirators of the criminal conspiracy. It said that Vijay Nair, a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functionary, contacted liquor manufacturers and traders and demanded undue gratification.
New Delhi, A man has been arrested for kidnapping a boy and his sister for ransom last month, a crime, police said, he committed after seeing that the children were alone in a car with their parents out to buy sweets from a East Delhi shop. HT Image

Prateek Shrivastava, 34, was apprehended on Thursday evening from Mandawali.

Police traced his location after examining footage from more than 300 CCTV cameras, Deputy Commissioner of Police Apoorva Gupta said.

The officer said Shrivastava was aware that the parents had left the car keys inside the vehicle and managed to convince the children that he had been asked to take the car to a parking lot.

Shrivastava drove away with the six-year-old boy and 11-year-old girl on June 28.

Their father informed police about the incident and a search, involving 200 police vehicles, was launched, Gupta said.

The car was located and police vehicles chased it for about 200 kilometres inside the city with Shrivastava abandoning the car near Samaypur Badli and fleeing, he said.

The children were rescued and a hunt for the culprit was launched, Gupta said and added that he was arrested from Mandawali where he lived with his wife and two children.

Shrivastava, an air-conditioner mechanic, made a 50-lakh ransom demand when the children's father called the mobile-phone which his wife had left in the car, the official said.

Gupta said the accused had observed that parents leave their child or children in cars to make quick purchases. On June 28, when he saw the children in the car alone, it prompted him to implement his plan to kidnap them and then demand a ransom, the officials said.

Shrivastava had earlier worked for cab aggregators and food delivery apps, Gupta said and added that his plan was to ask the victims' parents to sent the money through a app-based fast courier service.

The Faridabad-based family had come to Delhi to spend their Friday in the city and enjoy its street food. They had stopped as the girl wanted to have some sweets, according to police. PTI ALK

ANB ANB

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
MUMBAI: A 22-year-old labourer died after portion of a wall fell on him while working in a private hospital in Andheri East. Police officials said the deceased was removing an inside wall on the ground floor of Nexus Hospital in Siroya building, when the incident took place. HT Image

The contractor and other labourers rushed him to Cooper Hospital where he was declared dead due to severe injuries. The Sahar police registered a case against the contractor based on a complaint lodged by the father of the deceased, Raju Mali, 42.

Mali said he and his son Gautam worked as labourers with a contractor, Razzaq Abdul Sheikh. The incident occurred around 3:50 pm on July 3, when Gautam was demolishing a wall at the hospital. Portion of the broken wall fell on him, and he sustained severe injuries to his head and hand. He was rushed to Cooper Hospital in an unconscious state by the contractor and other labourers, where he was declared dead before admission.

The family was informed, and Gautams parents and sister arrived at the hospital.

Police officials said that the contractor, Razzaq Sheikh, did not provide helmet or other safety equipment to the labourers at the site. Gautam sustained severe head injuries as he was not wearing a helmet. Police have registered a case against the contractor under section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, said an officer of the Sahar police station.
The Mumbai Traffic Police on Friday announced traffic restrictions to ensure smooth flow and minimal inconvenience to the public in the wake of the high-profile wedding ceremony of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. Several roads leading to the Jio World Convention Centre will have restricted access from 4:00pm to midnight on July 5 and between 1:00pm and midnight from July 12 to 15. General view of Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Raju Shinde/ Hindustan Times)

Read: Radhika Merchant stuns in purple lehenga at garba night hosted by Kokilaben Ambani

On these dates, there will be no entry for vehicular traffic on the Kurla MTNL Road from Laxmi Tower Junction through Dhirubai Ambani Square Avenue Lane-3, Indian Oil Petrol Pump, and Diamond Junction to Hotel Trident. Instead, vehicles from One BKC should turn left at Laxmi Tower Junction, proceed to Diamond Gate No. 8, then turn right at NABARD Junction, continue to Diamond Junction, and head towards BKC via Dhirubai Ambani Square and the Indian Oil Petrol Pump.

There will be no entry at Dhirubai Ambani Square Avenue/Indian Oil Petrol Pump for vehicles coming from Kurla, MTNL Junction, Platina Junction, and Diamond Junction towards the BKC connector bridge. These vehicles should take a left at NABARD Junction, proceed from Diamond Gate No. 8, turn right at Laxmi Tower Junction, and continue to BKC.

Read: Justin Bieber to arrive in Mumbai for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's sangeet; being paid $10 million to perform

Traffic from Bharat Nagar, One BKC, and Godrej BKC Road will be restricted at Jio Convention Centre Gate No. 23 for proceeding towards the American Consulate and MTNL Junction. These vehicles should turn right at Kautilya Bhavan, proceed via Avenue 1 road behind the Insurance Institute Office, and continue behind the American Consulate towards their destination via Dhirubai Ambani School.

Vehicles from MTNL Junction will be restricted at Signature/Road Sun Tech Building from proceeding towards the American Consulate, Jio World Convention Centre, and BKC Connector. Mumbai Traffic Police has advised commuters to take an alternate route by turning left at Dhirubai Ambani School, proceeding behind the American Consulate via Avenue 1 road, then turning right at We Work, left at Godrej BKC, and continuing to their destination.

Isha Ambani in pink suit, no-makeup look seeks blessing for Anant Ambani's wedding with Anand Piramal. Watch

Latika Road will be one-way from Ambani Square to Laxmi Tower Junction, and Avenue 3 Road will be one-way from Kautilya Bhavan to the American Consulate.

Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant, daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant, are set to tie the knot on July 12. The celebrations will continue on Saturday, July 13, with Shubh Aashirwad, where attendees will receive divine blessings. 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.'
IMPHAL: Nine Kuki-Zo legislators in Manipur on Friday condemned an attack on Singngat MLA Chinlunthang and asked the state government to take steps to arrest the people who fired shots at his house. Incessant rainfall has caused flooding at several places in Manipurs Imphal West and Imphal East districts, after two major rivers breached embankments. (PTI/X/NBirenSingh)

In a joint statement on Friday, the nine MLAs condemned the reprehensible act by some unidentified persons who fired at their colleague, Chinlunthangs house on Thursday, asked the administration to take steps to bring the culprits to justice and take steps to prevent such attacks in future.

According to police officials, a group of armed men opened fire at Chinlunthangs residence at Zou Veng at 12.50am on Thursday. The group fired several rounds at the MLAs house and escaped, taking advantage of the darkness, a police officer said on Thursday, seeking anonymity. Police said portions of the houses wall were damaged in the attack and five empty cases of AK-47 assault rifle cartridges were found at the spot.

Chinlunthang won the Singngat assembly segment on a ticket of the Kuki Peoples Alliance (KPA) in the 2022 Manipur elections.

The nine Kuki-Zo legislators who signed off on Fridays statement include Nemcha Kipgen (Kangpokpi), Letpao Haokip (Tengnoupal), Ngursanglur Sanate (Tipaimukh), Paolienlai Haokip, (Saikot), L.M Khaute (Churachandpur), Letzamang Haokip (Henglep), Vungzagin Valte (Thanlon), Kimneo Haokip Hangshing (Saikul) and Haokholet Kipgen (Saitu assembly seat).

Seven of the nine MLAs are from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, one from Kuki Peoples Alliance and an independent legislator.

More than 220 people have been killed and over 50,000 displaced in Manipur since the ethnic violence  primarily between the Meiteis and Kukis  erupted on May 3 last year.
The Odisha state government on Thursday formed a committee comprising of 22 doctors who will work on translating MBBS books into Odia language. The committee has been given 15 days to submit its proposal. (Representative file photo)

The health and family welfare department in an order said that the team of 22 doctors headed by vice-chancellor of Odisha University of Health Sciences Dr Manas Sahoo will identify the essential course books for MBBS education required to be translated into Odia and workout a timeline for the same.

The committee has been given 15 days to submit its proposal.

Also Read: Uttar Pradesh scraps fine for leaving medical education midway

The work on translation will begin once the committee submits its report.

Speaking on the need for translating medical courses in vernacular languages, a state BJP leader, on the condition of anonymity, said the translation will level the playing field and empower people.

For patients travelling to hospitals for health problems, the prescription and medications in English language is many a time not comfortable. Doctors who have studied MBBS in Odia language would be able to cater to the healthcare related needs of different segments of the society, he said.

In October 2022, the Madhya Pradesh government had released three translated medical textbooks in Hindi for MBBS students in the state.

In February 2022, the National Medical Commission (NMC), Indias regulatory body for undergraduate medical education had asked medical colleges to consider imparting lessons in vernacular languages.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks desperate gamble of calling an early election could not stave off the widely anticipated rise of the centre-Left Labour Party led by Keir Starmer. Labour pulled off a landslide win that relegated Sunaks Conservative Party to its worst ever performance in history. The UK was once known for its political stability within Europe, but the past 14 years of Tory rule have seen the country lurching from one crisis to another, especially after the disastrous 2016 vote to leave the EU. Years of austerity and pressure on stretched public services were compounded by the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis, while Britains stature plummeted both on the European and global stages following Brexit. Over the past two years, the Tories appeared unable to choose a leader with a firm grip on power who could find a way out of the multiple crises confronting the country. In the end, Sunak seemed more like a captain trying to bring ashore a sinking ship with a mutiny on board. On the other hand, Starmer quietly rebuilt Labour after his Left-wing predecessor Jeremy Corbyn led the party to its worst performance in more than 80 years in the last election, in 2019. Keir Starmer, UK prime minister, greets supporters in Downing Street in London, UK, on Friday, July 5, 2024. Keir Starmers Labour Party won the UK general election and is on course for a huge parliamentary majority with votes still being counted, a result that upends British politics after Rishi Sunaks Conservatives imploded. Photographer: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg (Bloomberg)

While Labour won more than 410 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, the turnout, at around 60%, was the lowest in more than two decades; the party had the backing of only 34% of voters. The populist Reform UK party of Nigel Farage won four seats but picked up segments of the Right-wing Conservative vote across Britain. However, Labours victory was also in marked contrast to recent gains made by the far-Right in several European countries, including the strong showing by Marine Le Pens National Rally in the first round of Frances parliamentary election. Starmer will now have to focus on a range of internal and external challenges, ranging from reviving the British economy, addressing the rising cost of living and fixing public services, especially the National Health Service (NHS), to the heated debate over immigration, the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and enhancing the UKs standing both as a strategic and economic player. Left-wing and Muslim voters, in particular, have punished Labour for its stance on Israel. Despite Labours pledge to make Brexit work, this will continue to be an albatross around the neck of the new government, especially at a time when some European countries are growing weary of the costs of backing Ukraine in its war against Russia. As Starmer himself put it, his task will be anything but easy.

Labours comeback has significant implications for Indian-origin Britishers and India. The party long counted the Indian community among its core voters, till in recent years, the community became the swing vote, with preferences among older voters significantly shifting towards the Tories even as the younger lot favoured Labour. Starmer managed to steer Labour away from the Corbyn days, when the party lost the diasporas favour with its hardline approach towards India on many issues, especially human rights and Kashmir. Labour fielded a high number of British Indians, and the community could see around 25 members enter Parliament. Labours messaging has also been positive on closing a free trade agreement with India, something that could strike the right chord in New Delhi following the numerous delays witnessed in the waning days of the Tory government. A stronger UK will enable India to have a better bridge to Europe, both in economic and strategic terms, and work jointly on a range of challenges.
Karnataka SSLC Supplementary Result 2024 Live: The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board or KSEAB is expected to announce the Karnataka SSLC Supplementary Result 2024 soon. When released, students who appeared in the KSEAB 10th Exam 2 will be able to check their results on the official website, kseab.karnataka.gov.in. Alternatively, the scores will also be made available on karresults.nic.in....Read More

KSEAB conducted the Karnataka SSLC Exam 2 from June 14 to 21, 2024. As per the new system, there will be three exams each year, namely exams 1, 2, and 3. The supplementary examination has been renamed as exam 2.

The result of the regular Karnataka SSLC exam 1 was announced in May. The overall pass percentage was recorded at 73.40%.

Meanwhile, to check the results, students will need to enter their registration numbers and dates of birth.

Follow this blog for the Karnataka SSLC exam 2 results 2024, direct link, and more.
Regional offices of Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, commonly known as UP Board, Prayagraj declared the scrutiny results of the students who had appeared in its high school and intermediate examinations 2024 on Friday. UP Board scrutiny results of High School, Intermediate examinations 2024 have been released. Check details here. (HT file image)

All the five regional offices of the board including Meerut, Bareilly, Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur have uploaded the results of scrutiny on the boards official website--www.upmsp.edu.in, informed board officials.

Additional Secretary of UP Boards Prayagraj Regional Office Vibha Mishra informed that a total of 12,206 applications were received for scrutiny from the districts falling under its jurisdiction out of which the marks of 3,891 students have been revised.

Also read: UPMSP Class 10 and 12 compartment exams 2024 on July 20, check important instructions and other details here

The results of the High School and Intermediate Examination 2024 were declared by the UP Board on April 20. At that time, the UP Board had sought applications for scrutiny from the candidates who were believed to have got lower marks than expected.

A total of 2,065 high school and 10,141 intermediate students had submitted applications at the Prayagraj regional office for scrutiny following which the additional secretary had got the answer sheets scrutinized.

Board officials shared that the roll numbers of only those candidates have been uploaded on the website whose marks have undergone changes following the scrutiny.

Also read: Student loan for studying abroad: From eligibility criteria to top providers in India, here are 5 thing you must know

The revised printed certificates/mark sheets of those students whose results have been revised will be sent to their schools through the district inspector of schools (DIOs) of their respective districts. Such candidates will be able to get their revised mark sheets from there by returning the previously issued mark sheets/certificates to the principal, officials said.

Also read: FMGE questions still being prepared; don't believe anyone claiming to have paper: NBEMS to aspirants
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has announced the ICAI CA Result 2024 date. The Chartered Accountants Final and Intermediate examination results will be announced on June 11, 2024. Candidates who have appeared for the examination can check their results on the official website of ICAI at icai.org. ICAI CA Result 2024 releasing on June 11, heres how to check

The official notice reads, The results of the Chartered Accountants Final and Intermediate Examinations held in May 2024 are likely to be declared on Thursday, the 11th July 2024 and the same can be accessed by candidates on the website icai.nic.in. It may be noted that for accessing the result at the above mentioned website the candidate shall have to enter his/her registration no. along with his/her roll number.

Few days back, CCM Dhiraj Khandelwal had posted on his official Twitter account that CA Inter and Final Result may come in July 1st week itself . We have council meeting on 2nd and 3rd July so possibly 5th July May be the date for Result.

ICAI CA Result 2024: How to check

To check the marks, candidates can follow the steps given below.

Visit the official website of ICAI at icai.org.

Click on ICAI CA Result 2024 link available on the home page.

Enter the login details and click on submit.

Your result will be displayed on the screen.

Check the result and download the page.

Keep a hard copy of the same for further need.

The ICAI CA Inter exam for group 1 was conducted on May 3, 5 and 9, 2024 and group 2 exams was conducted on May 11, 15 and 17, 2024. CA Final group 1 exams were held on May 2, 4 and 8, and group 2 exams was held on May 10, 14 and 16, 2024. The International Taxation -Assessment Test was held on May 14 and 16, 2024. For more related details candidates can check the official website of ICAI.
Telangana Public Service Commission will release TSPSC Group 1 Result 2024 in due course of time. Candidates who have appeared for Group 1 examination across the state can check the results when released on the official website of TSPSC at tspsc.gov.in. TSPSC Group 1 Result 2024 awaited: Where, how to check prelims results

The preliminary examination was conducted on June 9, 2024 in 897 Centres across 31 Districts of Telangana State. The exam was conducted in single shift- from 10.30 am to 1 pm. A total Number of 403667 online applications were received from candidates and Hall Tickets were generated for 403645 candidates. A total of 302172 candidates have appeared for the examination. The attendance recorded was 74.86%.

ICAI CA Result 2024 for Final, Inter courses releasing on June 11, heres how to check at icai.org

The OMR answer sheets was available for download on the individual logins from June 24, 2024 onwards.

All those candidates who have appeared for the examination can check the results by following the steps given below.

TSPSC Group 1 Result 2024: How to check

Visit the official website of TSPSC at tspsc.gov.in.

Click on TSPSC Group 1 Result 2024 link available on the home page.

Enter the login details and click on submit.

Your result will be displayed on the screen.

Check the result and download the page.

Keep a hard copy of the same for further need.

Candidates who qualify the prelims examination will be eligible to appear for the main examination. The main examination will be conducted from October 21, 2024, onwards. It will consist of seven papers and be descriptive in nature. The Commission reserves the right to conduct the Main Examination either through Digital mode of question paper display or Conventional hard copy based question paper.

Also read: Rajasthan PTET Results 2024 released at ptetvmou2024.com, here's direct link to check score

This recruitment drive will fill up 563 posts in the organisation. The registration process was started on February 23 and ended on March 14, 2024. For more related details candidates can check the official website of TSPSC.
Scrapping the NEET-UG, 2024 exam in entirety would "seriously jeopardise" lakhs of honest candidates and not be rational in the absence of any proof of large-scale breach of confidentiality, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Friday. Students protest outside the Ministry of Education over the issues of NEET exam (File Photo)

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG), conducted on May 5 by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses, has caused a huge uproar across the country over alleged irregularities like question paper leak and led to mass protests, political slugfest and filing of multiple pleas in courts.

Responding to the pleas which have sought the scrapping of the controversy-ridden exam, re-test and a court-monitored probe, the Union Ministry of Education said there was no proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in the examination which was taken by over 23 lakh candidates at 4,750 centres in 571 cities.

"It is also submitted that at the same time, in the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination and the results already declared," the Centre said in its preliminary affidavit filed by a director of the Ministry of Education.

Also Read: IYC workers shave heads over NEET UG, booked under new laws

It said in any examination, there were competing rights, and interests of a large number of students who take it without adopting any unfair means must also not be jeopardised.

"Scrapping the exam in entirety would seriously jeopardise the lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the question paper in 2024," the affidavit said.

It said the Centre was committed to protecting the interests of lakhs of students who have attempted the question papers fairly and after years of hardwork, without trying to obtain any illegal advantage.

"Therefore, while genuine concerns based on proven facts must be addressed, other prayers merely based on conjectures and surmises, without any basis in fact, must be rejected so as not to cause unnecessary suffering and distress to honest examinees and their families," it said.

The affidavit said there have been some alleged instances of irregularities, cheating, impersonation and malpractices during the exam, and premier investigation agency CBI has been asked to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities.

"CBI has taken over the cases registered in different states after being transferred to it by the concerned state governments and is undertaking the investigation," the affidavit said.

It said the Ministry of Education has constituted a high-level committee of experts to suggest effective measures for conducting transparent, smooth and fair examinations by the National Testing Agency.

The affidavit said the panel shall make recommendations on reforms in the mechanism of the examination process, improvement in data security protocols and structure, and functioning of the National Testing Agency.

"It is respectfully submitted that the government is committed to ensure the sanctity of examinations and protect the interest of students. To ensure transparency, fairness, and credibility in public examination, Parliament has enacted Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 on February 12, 2024," it said.

The affidavit said the Act was brought into effect on June 21, 2024 and provides for stringent punishment for offences related to unfair means in public examinations.

It said the Centre is not taking the litigation in an adversarial manner and fully appreciates the concerns of candidates who have taken the NEET-UG 2024 examination.

"It is further submitted that the Union of India, in a matter such as the present one, has adopted a solution-oriented approach," it said, adding the government is committed to conducting all competitive examinations in a fair and transparent manner.

"The Union of India duly appreciates that the confidentiality of the question papers is the utmost priority in any examination and that if due to some criminality at the behest of some criminal elements, the confidentiality has been breached, the Union of India submits that the said person must be dealt sternly and with the full force of law to ensure that they are punished," the affidavit said.

The top court is scheduled to hear on July 8 a batch of pleas, including those alleging irregularities in the examination held on May 5 and seeking a direction that it be held afresh.

The Centre and the NTA had told the court on June 13 that they had cancelled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates. They were given the option to either take a re-test or forgo the compensatory marks awarded for loss of time.

The NTA announced the revised rank list on July 1 after issuing the results of the re-test held on June 23.

A total of 67 students had scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in the NTA's history, with six from a Haryana centre figuring in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities in the examination. It was alleged that grace marks contributed to 67 students sharing the top rank.

The number of candidates sharing the top rank came down to 61 from 67 when the NTA announced the revised results on July 1.

Also Read: NEET UG row: CBI nabs suspected key conspirator in connection with irregularities from Dhanbad, details here
It's 16 years since the release of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa, the 2008 cult romantic comedy which marked the directorial debut of Abbas Tyrewala and the acting debut of Aamir Khan's nephew Imran Khan. On the occasion, the cast reunited via a video to sing the song Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na from Manmohan Desai's 1973 romantic movie Aa Gale Lag Jaa, which they also keep going back to in their film. (Also Read  Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na turns 15: In Abbas Tyrewala's Imran Khan and Genelia D'Souza rom-com, fight meets flight) Jaane Tu Yaa Jaane Na cast reunite

The reunion

On Thursday, the official social media handles of Aamir Khan Productions, which produced the film, shared a special video with the caption, 16 years and we are still singing this song for everyone we love (red heart emoji). In the video, the primary cast of the film is seen singing the Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa song. It seems like they've all sung the song separately in different spaces, which has then been put together as a coherent whole.

Imran aka Jai takes the lead, lying down on a beach and wearing a white t-shirt and a red-and-blue shirt over it. Aditi aka Genelia D'Souza follows. She's wearing an olive green jacket over a black top, with silver hoops and her hair tied behind her head. Meghna aka Manjari Fadnis comes in next, sitting in her room and donning a yellow dress. One has seen the three actors regularly since the film's release, but the other three members of the gang popping up make for the real surprise.

The surprises

Jiggy aka Nirav Mehta is also seen singing, sporting a completely new look with an olive green shirt, a white hat, and long locks, and with palm trees in the background. Bombs aka Alishka Varde also looks completely different, wearing a grey sleeveless top with matching earrings and nose pins. The biggest surprise is Rotlu aka Karan Makhija, appearing in a maroon T-shirt and sporting a bald head. Sugandha Mishra also pops in, wearing a blue top.

Once the gang stops singing the song, CSF inspector (Murli Sharma) shows up and says with a smile, Agli baar ye gaana gaaya na toh goli maar doonga (I'll shoot you the next time you sing this song). This was his memorable dialogue to Imran's Jai in the film's climax at the airport when he sings the same song to propose to Genelia's Aditi.
ASTRO's Cha Eun Woo has confirmed his highly anticipated presence at the upcoming Waterbomb Seoul 2024 festival. The K-pop idol-turned-actor was revealed as the secret guest in a recent poster tease. This announcement coincides with reports of Deadpool's Ryan Reynolds and Wolverine's Hugh Jackman also attending the event on July 5 KST, though details of their appearances have yet to be confirmed. Waterbomb Seoul 2024 festival to feature Cha Eun Woo as special guest among star-studded lineup

ASTRO Cha Eun Woo confirmed to join Waterbomb Seoul 2024

"The wait is over! Join us for a special moment with secret guest Cha Eun Woo. Get ready for Cha Eun Woos magic at WATERBOMB! announced the official Waterbomb website on July 4th. The event will take place at 1 PM KST at the Outdoor Global Stage of the KINTEX Exhibition Center 2. The stellar lineup includes big names like Zico, Simon D, Jay Park, Changmo, Taemin, Minho, Hwa Sa, and Sunmi. Anticipation is at a fever pitch, wondering if Cha Eun Woo will earn the nickname 'Waterbomb God' in his debut appearance.

Also read: Travis Kelce shares major career update following hiatus announcement amid Taylor Swifts Amsterdam tour

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman to attend Waterbomb Seoul 2024: Report

According to South Korean media outlet OSEN, there were earlier reports that Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are likely to travel to Korea to attend the exciting event. However, when organizers were contacted for confirmation, they declined to provide any details until a formal announcement is made. We cannot provide an answer at this time. We have no further comments, they said.

The news gained traction after the duo currently promoting Deadpool and Wolverine arrived in Seoul on July 3rd with filmmaker Shawn Levy. The trio headed to the Gocheok Sky Dome during the "LG Twins vs. Kiwoom Heroes" match.

Waterbomb 2024 South Korea dates

Date Artists July 5 Zico, Crush, Hwasa, Kang Daniel, Hyuna, Baekho, Chung Ha, fromis_9, Woo Won-Jae, Coogie, Huta, LUN8, Aster & Neo, ADVANCED, Hyo, Sura July 6 Jay Park, SHINee's Minho, Yugyeom, Changmo, Sunmi, Kwon Eunbi, Lee Youngji, Kiss Of Life, GIRIBOY, PIHARMONY, INSIDECORE, YE, Siena Girls, Hanna, Queen Wa$abi, Sia liwOO July 7 Simon Dominic, SHINee's Taemin, TWICE's Nayeon, Jessi, Loco, GRAY, Bibi, Yooa, Wavy

Also read: Netflix K-drama Miss Night and Day hits Top 10 as The Midnight Romance ends on ratings high

Leave the raincoats behind and get ready to dive into a seven-hour long musical extravaganza at WATERBOMB, a festival overflowing with live bands and watery chaos. Imagine it as the perfect blend of a dance party and a water battle, all to the hottest songs from Korea. If you've always wanted to belt out your favorite K-Pop hits while getting soaked, this is your opportunity to make that dream a reality.
Mohan Babu took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a candid moment with Rajinikanth. They were spotted arriving in Hyderabad recently after attending Varalaxmi Sarathkumar and Nicholai Sachdevs wedding in Chennai. The two have been close friends for decades. (Also Read: Varalaxmi Sarathkumar wedding: Rajinikanth, Trisha Krishnan, others attend her wedding to Nicholai Sachdev) Rajinikanth and Mohan Babu have been friends for years.

Mohan Babu on friendship

Mohan shared a picture of him and Rajinikanth on a flight. In the photo, Rajinikanth can be seen putting an arm around Mohan, holding his chin, and joking around as the two are caught in a candid moment. Sharing the picture, Mohan wrote in Telugu, Then now forever friendship is life.

A day before this, a paparazzi photographer shared a video of Rajinikanth and Mohan chatting away as they rode the buggy at the airport. Both the actors were in Chennai recently to attend Varalaxmis wedding.

Rajinikanth, Mohans friendship

Rajinikanth and Mohan have been close friends since the beginning of their careers. They acted in numerous films together like Dharma Yudhham, Peddarayudu and Annai Oru Aalayam. In 2021, Mohans daughter Lakshmi Manchu shared pictures of them, writing about how the duo went from sharing a tea to becoming superstars.

She wrote on X, From sharing one by two teas, to spending time in car sheds and coming from super humble backgrounds. Today they are super stars in their own right but still find time to be with each other, calling each other when they know one of them is going through some tough time.

Lakshmi also wrote, Over the years friendship has a different meaning for me, who we grew up as friends are no longer your friends & sometimes in the most random of places and times you meet people that continue to be your friends. But looking at these two gives me such hope for continued friendship.

Upcoming work

Rajinikanth will soon be seen in Lokesh Kanagarajs Coolie. The film will go on floors soon. He has wrapped up shooting for TJ Gnanavels Vettaiyan. Mohan will soon be seen in Mukesh Kumar Singhs Kannappa.
Hours after Samantha Ruth Prabhu issued a statement in response to Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips aka Liver Doc's allegations that she should be thrown into prison for advocating harmful medical advice on her podcast Take 20, Grammy Award-winning Ricky Kej addressed Samantha in the comment section. He said that while the doctor may have been rude, he wasn't completely wrong. (Also Read  Samantha Ruth Prabhu issues clarification on nebuliser post after backlash: 'A certain gentleman has attacked my post') Ricky Kej supports 'Liver Doc' who called out Samantha Ruth Prabhu

What Ricky said

Get well soon! You have gone through a lot, and deserve to be well. About medical advice, it would be best not shared by non-medical professionals especially celebs with influence, More-so since you also endorse processed foods for pets, and sugary unhealthy foods. While we understand that this is done for the money, It is natural that there will be suspicion about everything that you praise, Ricky wrote.

He added that it's an especially dangerous territory to speak in favour of life-threatening treatments that haven't gone through clinical trials and peer-reviewed systems. So the Doctor who attacked you (I cannot see his comments) may have been rude, but he was not completely wrong. One cannot play with people's lives with advice, which is half-baked. Especially people with huge influence. It is not the responsibility of the said Doctor to get in touch with yours. He will rightly respond to you, since you are the one advocating the treatment, Ricky further wrote.

Samantha's statement

Samantha Ruth Prabhu issued a long statement on her Instagram handle after a doctor, also known as 'The Liver Doc,' criticised and called her a 'health illiterate,' after she dropped a post about using hydrogen peroxide nebulisation.

The actor, who recently underwent a Myositis diagnosis, explained that she 'merely suggested' hydrogen peroxide nebulisation with 'good intention' because it was recommended by a 'highly qualified doctor.'

Addressing The Liver Doc's harsh words, Samantha wrote, It would have been kind and compassionate of him had he not been so proactive with his words. Especially the bit where he suggests I should be thrown in prison. Nevermind. I suppose it goes with the territory of being a celebrity. I posted as someone who needs medical treatment and not as a celebrity.

"It would have been nice had he politely invited my doctor, whom I have tagged in my post, rather than go after me. I would have loved to have learnt from the debate and discussion between two highly qualified professionals," the actor added.

Dr. Philips had earlier slammed Samantha for recommending hydrogen peroxide nebulisation, calling her "health and science illiterate" and stating that the practice "is dangerous for health."

"Influential Indian actress Ms Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who is, unfortunately, a health and science illiterate, advises millions of her followers to inhale hydrogen peroxide to prevent and treat respiratory viral infections," the doctor wrote on X.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Samantha is preparing for Citadel: Honey Bunny alongside Varun Dhawan. This upcoming web series directed by Raj & DK is an Indian adaptation of the Russo brothers' Citadel, which originally featured Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden.

Apart from this, Samantha will star in Bangaram, a film she announced on her birthday this year. This project is especially significant for her as it marks her debut as a producer.
In the face of escalating climate crisis concerns, businesses across industries are recognising the urgency to reduce their carbon footprint and transition towards a sustainable, low-carbon future. The carbon market has emerged as a pivotal instrument in this pursuit, providing a platform where enterprises can potentially generate revenue while simultaneously contributing to emissions reduction efforts. However, effective carbon asset management demands a strategic approach to navigate the intricacies of this dynamic market. CO2 (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A comprehensive assessment of an organisation's current emissions profile is at the heart of any successful carbon strategy. This critical step involves quantifying emissions from all relevant sources within the company's operations, such as energy consumption, transportation, and industrial processes. Without a clear understanding of their carbon footprint, businesses risk implementing ineffective or misguided mitigation strategies. In 2023, carbon dioxide emissions from energy sources worldwide rose by 1.1%, reaching a new peak of 37.2 billion metric tons (GtCO), highlighting the urgency for organisations to measure and manage their emissions accurately.

In India, the impending introduction of a mandatory carbon trading scheme is set to catalyse widespread participation in the carbon market. While pilot programmes have already been implemented in certain sectors, such as the power industry, the forthcoming nationwide scheme will likely encompass a broader range of industries, making carbon asset management an imperative for businesses seeking to remain compliant and competitive.

The primary objective for organisations should be to prioritise the implementation of emission reduction strategies. This can be achieved through various avenues, including the adoption of cleaner technologies, improvements in energy efficiency across operations, and the integration of renewable energy sources into the energy mix. By actively pursuing such measures, companies can significantly curb their carbon footprint and contribute to the broader goal of mitigating the climate crisis. Embracing cleaner and more efficient processes not only aligns with environmental sustainability goals but can also yield long-term cost savings and operational efficiencies, creating a win-win scenario for businesses and the planet.

Inevitably, despite concerted efforts, certain emissions may prove unavoidable. In such cases, organisations can pursue carbon neutrality by identifying and investing in high-quality carbon offset projects. These projects, which can range from afforestation initiatives to renewable energy installations, generate carbon credits that can be purchased to offset an organisation's residual emissions.

As the carbon market in India continues to evolve, the design of the carbon pricing mechanism, including price discovery and allowance allocation methods, will play a crucial role in ensuring market effectiveness and efficiency. Policymakers and regulatory bodies will need to strike a delicate balance, creating a framework that incentivises emissions reductions while avoiding excessive burdens on businesses.

For organisations navigating the carbon market, staying informed about market trends, regulatory developments, and potential trading partners is paramount. Engaging in partnerships with experienced carbon brokers and project developers can provide invaluable guidance and ensure effective participation in the market.

However, the inherent volatility of carbon prices poses risks to project performance and profitability. Robust risk management strategies are essential for businesses to mitigate potential losses and safeguard their carbon investments. This may involve diversifying their carbon asset portfolio, implementing hedging strategies, or engaging in long-term contracts with reliable project developers.

While India has made significant strides in developing a domestic carbon offset project portfolio, additional progress is required to enhance both the availability and quality of such projects. In the interim, companies may need to explore international project opportunities to meet their offset requirements and contribute to global emissions reduction efforts.

The dynamic nature of the regulatory framework surrounding the carbon market necessitates continuous monitoring and adjustment of strategies. Organisations must remain vigilant and informed about the latest policy developments, both at the national and international levels, to ensure compliance and capitalise on emerging opportunities.

Underpinning all carbon asset management efforts is the need for accurate and verifiable emissions data. Investing in robust data management systems, incorporating advanced monitoring technologies and rigorous verification processes, is essential to maintain transparency and credibility in the carbon market.

By strategically engaging in carbon reduction initiatives and trading in the carbon market, organisations have the potential to optimise costs and unlock new revenue streams. A robust commitment to sustainability can also bolster brand reputation, appealing to investors and consumers who prioritise environmental considerations in their decision-making processes.

Furthermore, by positioning themselves as frontrunners in the transition towards a low-carbon economy, companies can gain access to untapped market opportunities and foster innovation across their operations. The implementation of proactive carbon asset management practises not only facilitates compliance with mandatory carbon trading schemes but also positions organisations to capitalise on the emerging low-carbon economy.

The carbon market in India possesses immense potential for facilitating sustainable development and catalysing the nation's transition towards a low-carbon future. However, realising this potential will require collaborative efforts among businesses, government agencies, project developers, and other stakeholders. As the market matures, establishing a resilient and transparent framework will be imperative to ensure its effectiveness and credibility.

In this pivotal era of climate action, organisations that successfully implement strategic carbon asset management approaches will not only gain a competitive advantage but also make invaluable contributions to environmental sustainability. By leveraging the opportunities presented by the carbon market and aligning their operations with a low-carbon trajectory, businesses can pave the way toward a more sustainable and prosperous future for India and the world at large.

This article is authored by Shailendra Singh Rao, founder, Creduce.
A 12-year-old boy succumbed to amoebic meningoencephalitis infection on Wednesday night in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, the third such fatality in the last two months, health officials said. 12-year-old dies from rare brain-eating amoeba

The deceased was identified as Mridul EP, a native of Feroke, who passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode. The minor, a student of class 7, was admitted to the hospital on June 24 after exhibiting symptoms like severe headache, nausea and vomiting.

The boy is suspected to have caught the infection after bathing in a pond in his neighbourhood. The rare but fatal infection is caused by the free-living amoeba species Naegleria fowleri which are found in fresh-water sources like ponds and lakes. The amoeba enters the human system through the nose and targets the central nervous system. It is known to feed on cells of the brain and leads to extensive tissue damage and necrosis.

Mridul was admitted to two government hospitals and later shifted to a private hospital where he was constantly monitored and given antimicrobial treatment. However, officials said his condition continued to worsen, resulting in his death early Thursday.

Officials of the Ramanattukara municipality shut off access to the pond where Mridul took a bath after his death on Wednesday.

The teenager is the third minor to succumb to the deadly infection since May in the state. The previous deaths were of a 13-year-old girl from Kannur district on June 25 and a five-year-old girl from Malappuram on May 21.

A senior government health official, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, We are evaluating the situation in the backdrop of the three deaths and have intensified surveillance. We checked for symptoms in other children and people who had taken a bath in the same pond as Mridul, but so far no one has shown any symptoms.

The health official said that people dont need to panic. They dont need to completely avoid bathing in ponds or lakes because this is an extremely rare infection. We will definitely test samples from various water sources to check for presence of the amoeba species. As the monsoon strengthens and rain intensifies, the water in these sources will get more diluted, eliminating the chances of such infections, he said.

Amoebic meningoencephalitis has a 90% mortality rate and although rare, it can have fatal consequences once diagnosed. Antimicrobial therapy is mainly used as part of treatment protocol.
Bengaluru: Karnataka is facing a surge in dengue cases, with Hassan district bearing the brunt of a severe outbreak, particularly affecting children, health officials familiar with the matter said. Over the past week, Hassan has tragically witnessed the deaths of two girls under the age of 15 due to dengue. Hospitals, notably the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS), are overloaded, currently treating 21 children for dengue, including 7 in intensive care. A large number of patients are being sent to the district hospital because of the limited facilities in taluk hospitals. (HT FILE)

Director of HIMS, Dr Santosh and Resident Medical Officer, Dr Praveen, detailed the stringent measures implemented to curb the outbreak. MP Shreyas Patel convened a meeting with health officials to strategize further actions. Dr Manuprakash, a child specialist at HIMS, reported that eight children remain critically ill due to dengue.

A large number of patients are being sent to the district hospital because of the limited facilities in taluk hospitals. Since January, HIMS has treated 628 adults and 602 children for dengue. The epidemic has claimed four lives in Hassan, with the State dengue death audit committee confirming two fatalities. More than 6,400 people have been tested for dengue in the district.

At present, eight individuals, including those in ICU, are undergoing treatment at HIMS, stated Dr Praveen, emphasising the hospitals dedicated ICU and wards for dengue patients to prevent further fatalities.

The dengue outbreak has also gripped Mysore district, claiming its first victim, 35-year-old Nagendra, a community health officer from Hunsur taluk. Nagendra, stationed at Gurupur primary health center, succumbed to dengue on Monday, marking the districts first reported death from the disease. Mysore currently reports 479 active dengue cases, prompting proactive measures such as weekly Dengue Dry Day initiatives to curb mosquito breeding. Health officials and Asha workers are intensifying awareness campaigns, urging residents to eliminate stagnant water around their homes.

District health and Family welfare officer Kumaraswamy underscored the urgency of the situation, confirming Nagendras death as a critical reminder of the ongoing dengue threat in Mysore district.

Amidst a sharp rise in dengue cases across Karnataka, the state government has imposed price caps on diagnostic tests for the disease. Effective immediately, private hospitals and diagnostic laboratories are mandated to charge no more than 300 for each Dengue Elisa NS1 antigen and Dengue Elisa IgM antibody test. Additionally, the cost of a rapid card screening test, which includes NS1, IgM, and IgG antibodies, has been capped at 250.

Presently, these tests in private facilities range from 750 to 1,500, making the new price caps a significant relief for patients seeking diagnostic services.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, following a coordination meeting with officials from the BBMP, Health, and Rural development and Panchayat raj (RDPR) departments, announced the forthcoming issuance of a notification to enforce these price controls.
The controversy swirling around the Agnipath scheme for the induction of soldiers into the armed forces further deepened on Thursday after former navy chief Admiral KB Singh criticised the recruitment model saying it will degrade the combat effectiveness of the military. Former navy chief Admiral KB Singh.

The only motivation driving the Agnipath is reducing the pension bill. The fact that this scheme will degrade combat effectiveness is known to all who understand national security, Singh wrote on X on Thursday, in response to a post on the subject by another former navy chief, Admiral Arun Prakash.

Singhs comments are significant because he was among the key figures involved in discussions on the Agnipath proposal and retired from the top job in November 2021, months before the National Democratic Alliance government announced the scheme in June 2022.

The development came a day after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi released a video of the father of an Agniveer, saying 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.

The army, however, rebutted this, saying a chunk of the compensation was paid to the next of kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar and the rest would be disbursed shortly.

The Agnipath scheme was a major departure from the militarys decades-old recruitment system, and seeks to recruit soldiers for only four years, with a provision of retaining 25% of them in regular service.

Singhs remarks on X were a response to a post related to national security by Prakash. Economics take a back seat to national security. The sole litmus test for ANY change or reform in the military must be: does it enhance or degrade combat effectiveness, Prakash wrote on X on Wednesday, tagging an edit piece written by him in The Indian Express two years ago.

HT reached out to Singh, but he declined further comments.

The scheme was recently 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. Earlier this week, Gandhi attacked the government in Lok Sabha over the scheme, claiming that the Agniveers recruited under it were not granted the status of martyrs and were akin to use and throw labour.

The Congress on Thursday attacked the government again over the controversial scheme. Colonel Rohit Chaudhary (retd), who heads the Opposition partys ex-servicemen wing, said the Agniveer scheme was discriminatory and had consequences for national security.

We should not have two kinds of soldiers and martyrs in this country. This scheme discriminates against soldiers in service as well as in martyrdom, he said at a press conference.

The army has got positive feedback on Agniveers from its units and the scheme was finalised after extensive consultations, former army chief General Manoj Pande said in January 2024. He retired on June 30.

Pandes earlier comments came weeks after his predecessor General Manoj Mukund Naravane (retd) created a stir by saying that the Agnipath scheme caught the army by surprise, and was a bolt out of the blue for the air force and the navy. Naravanes take on the scheme figured in the excerpts of his yet-to-be released autobiography titled Four Stars of Destiny.

Agnipath and linked employment issues likely slowed down the BJP-led NDA in the recent Lok Sabha elections and helped the INDIA bloc make inroads in several states that are widely seen as recruitment hubs for the armed forces, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab, as previously reported by HT. .

Soldiers who were recruited through the legacy recruitment system serve in the armed forces for about 20 years before they retire in their late 30s with pension and other benefits. On the other hand, Agniveers released after four years do not get any benefits that ex-servicemen are entitled to, including pension, medical care, and canteen facilities.
Patna, Bihar's ruling NDA and the principal opposition party RJD made competing claims of victory on Friday, ahead of the state assembly polls due next year. Ahead of 2025 Bihar Assembly polls, RJD and NDA flex muscles in Patna

These assertions were made at simultaneous functions in the state capital - one by the BJP to felicitate Union ministers from Bihar, and the other to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the Rashtriya Janata Dal .

At the NDA function, leaders of the BJP and its alliance partners pledged support to help JD chief Nitish Kumar secure another term in office.

In contrast, RJD de facto leader Tejashwi Yadav, son of founding president Lalu Prasad, claimed that the people of Bihar were "fed up" with the "tired" ruling combine that has mostly held power over the past two decades, except for brief periods of discord between BJP and JD.

Yadav also speculated about the possibility of early polls, asserting, "Be it in December this year or in November next year when elections are due, the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan will form the next government."

He pointed out that the RJD, which emerged as the single largest party in 2020, a year after drawing a blank in Lok Sabha polls, was better placed this time with four seats in Parliament's lower house and a lead in more than 70 assembly segments in the recently held general elections.

At the NDA function, state BJP president and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary expressed hope that the coalition would surpass its 2010 record when the JD-BJP combine won more than 200 seats in the 243-strong assembly.

Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias 'Lalan' and a former JD president, stressed the need for the coalition to "get aggressive instead of being defensive" in rebutting the opposition's charge that the BJP-led coalition posed a threat to the Constitution.

Lalan said the Congress, an alliance partner of the RJD and leader of the INDIA bloc, must be "exposed" to the younger generation unaware of the Emergency's excesses and the 2005 assembly dissolution, which the Supreme Court later declared unlawful, preventing the NDA from forming a government in Bihar.

Conversely, Yadav argued that the state government appeared "tired," was frequently embarrassed by numerous bridge collapses, and that the public was yearning for change.

He also charged the JD, "on which the Narendra Modi government at the Centre depends for its survival", with failure to secure special status for Bihar and protect hike in quotas by placing amended reservation laws in the ninth schedule of the Constitution.

Yadav, who served as Deputy CM for 17 months when Nitish Kumar was out of the NDA, took full credit for large-scale recruitments in government departments during that period, noting, "The historic Gandhi Maidan, known primarily for political rallies, became the venue for handing over appointment letters to young men and women."

However, Samrat Choudhary, who succeeded Yadav as Deputy CM, claimed, "The 6.5 lakh government jobs given so far were all approved under previous NDA governments. The Chief Minister has approved another 12 lakh appointments."

Yadav, currently the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, announced at the RJD function that he would embark on a state-wide tour in August to garner public support for his party and mobilise party cadres.

He urged party members to remain battle-ready and capitalise on the momentum generated during the Lok Sabha polls, which the NDA won, albeit with BJP falling short of a majority and Prime Minister Narendra Modi "at his weakest."

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Dibrugarh, An eight-member team of the Punjab Police would escort jailed 'Waris Punjab De' activist Amritpal Singh to New Delhi for his swearing-in as an MP, an official said. An eight-member team of the Punjab Police would escort jailed 'Waris Punjab De' activist Amritpal Singh to New Delhi for his swearing-in as an MP(HT file )

Singh, who has won the Lok Sabha polls from the Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab, has been granted four-day parole for the swearing-in.

The police team, led by a Senior Superintendent of Police -rank official, arrived here on Thursday afternoon and is scheduled to escort Singh, lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail, to New Delhi in a special flight amid tight security for the swearing-in on Friday.

Also read : Amritpal to be back in Assam jail after taking oath as MP on Friday

Singh's lawyer Rajdev Singh Khalsa said he would be taken to Delhi aboard a "military aircraft" for the swearing-in.

Singh's parole orders are stringent, prohibiting him or his relatives from making any public statements during his visit to New Delhi.

Moreover, any form of media coverage, including videography or circulation of statements, is strictly prohibited.

In addition, Singh has been instructed not to engage in any activities that might compromise national security.

The deployment of security personnel during his temporary release and presence in Delhi will be overseen by the SSP, Amritsar .

Also read : Speaker amends Lok Sabha rules after MPs raise slogans during oath

His parents, Tarsem Singh and Balwinder Kaur, and his wife Kirandeep Kaur, met the jailed activist in Dibrugarh Central jail last month after his poll win.

Amritpal won the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat by 1,97,120 votes as an Independent candidate by defeating Congress's Kulbir Singh Zira, while A's Laljit Singh Bhullar came third.

The jailed activist polled 4,04,430, while Zira got 2,07,310 votes and Bhullar 1,94,836 votes.

Ten members of the outfit, including Amritpal and one of his uncles, have been lodged in jail since last year after they were arrested under the National Security Act from different parts of Punjab following a crackdown on the outfit.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Silchar: A 30-year-old man in Assams Hojai district, accused of running an illegal slaughterhouse from his house, attacked a police team with a sharp-edged weapon, prompting the police personnel to open fire and injuring him on Friday, police said. (Representative Photo)

Hojai superintendent of police (SP) Saurabh Gupta said the incident took place early on Friday when a police team carried out a search operation on complaints of illegal cow slaughter in the Doboka area. At one house, the police team found a thousand cattle and evidence of cow slaughter.

The suspect, Zakir Hussain, attacked us with a large sharp-edged weapon, and in self-defence, our officials used guns, said Gupta. Hussain sustained a bullet injury.

The Hojai district police chief said that they arrested seven people, including Hussain, in this case under the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, for running an illegal cow-slaughtering house.

A police officer said the suspects were running a large illegal cow-slaughtering in the house located near a Hindu crematorium and place of worship. As per the law, one cannot sell beef within a five-kilometre from a place of worship, so it was illegal, the officer added .

Police said that Hussain was taken to a local government hospital, and after initial treatment, he was shifted to Nagaon Civil Hospital.

Gupta said the six suspects were being questioned. The seventh, Hussain, will be interrogated after he is discharged from the hospital where he is undergoing treatment for his injury.
NEW DELHI: India recorded the highest ever growth in the value of local defence production in the financial year 2023-24 on the back of enabling policy measures, with the figure reaching almost 1.27 lakh crore, defence minister Rajnath Singh announced on Friday. Defence minister Rajnath Singh said the value of production has reached  1,26,887 crore in 2023-24, 16.8% higher than the previous financial year (PTI FILE)

The development, hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comes at a time when the country is pursuing an ambitious agenda for achieving self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector.

Of the total value of production in 2023-24, 79.2% was contributed by defence public sector undertakings and other PSUs, and the remaining 20.8% by the private sector, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The value of defence production is around 17% higher than in the previous financial year.

The Make in India programme is crossing new milestones, year after year, Singh said on X. The value of production has reached 1,26,887 crore in 2023-24 which is 16.8% higher than the value of production in the previous financial year. Many congratulations to our industry including DPSUs, other PSUs manufacturing defence items and the private industry. The Government is committed to create more conducive regime for developing India as leading Global Defence Manufacturing Hub, his post said.

India produces a raft of weapons and systems including the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), different types of helicopters, warships, tanks, artillery guns, warships, missiles, rockets and a variety of military vehicles.

Praising the development on X, the PM said India was committed to enhancing its defence capabilities. Very encouraging development. Compliments to all those who have contributed to this feat. We are fully committed to nurturing a supportive environment to further enhance our capabilities and establish India as a leading global defence manufacturing hub. This will enhance our security apparatus and make us Aatmanirbhar, he said in a post.

The feat was achieved because of policy reforms and the ease of doing business brought in by the government during the last 10 years, the defence ministry statement said.

The indigenisation efforts have been pursued aggressively on a sustained basis...that resulted in the highest ever value of production. Moreover, the spiralling defence exports have contributed tremendously to the overall growth in the indigenous defence production.

Defence exports touched a record-high of 21,083 crore in FY 2023-24, reflecting a growth of 32.5% over the last fiscal when the figure was 15,920 crore, the statement added.

The value of defence production has grown by more than 60% since 2019-20 when it stood at 79,071 crore, according to defence ministry data. India is eyeing a turnover of 1.75 lakh crore in defence manufacturing in the FY 2024-25.

India is currently exporting military hardware to around 85 countries. It includes missiles, artillery guns, rockets, armoured vehicles, offshore patrol vessels, personal protective gear, a variety of radars, surveillance systems and ammunition.
The man who began the Church of Scientology, Ron Hubbard which boasts of 200,000 followers worldwide, once famously remarked, 'If you want to make money, start a religion. Suraj Pal aka Narayan Sakar alias Bhole Baba, a religious preacher.(HT_PRINT)

Had he ever visited India, the man who could count John Travolta and Tom Cruise among his devotees, would have paled into insignificance.

As skeletons tumble out of the cupboard of Hathras religious preacher Suraj Pal, also known as Bhole Baba, there is one stark difference: unlike Hubbard, the Hathras babas followers are mostly the very poor, a vast majority of them desperately impoverished Dalits.

It does not, therefore, explain how Suraj Pal, also known as Narayan Hari Sakar, the man behind the large religious gathering at Hathras that ended in a tragic stampede, resulting in the death of 120-plus people, mostly women and children, has a sprawling network of 24 ashrams, a fleet of luxury cars, and assets estimated at least 100 crore.

Pals trust, the Shri Narayan Hari Sakar Charitable Trust, oversees his empire. Media reports paint a scarcely believable picture: when Suraj Pal made his grand entrance before his devotees, he was usually clad in a crisp white three-piece suit, replete with a tie and fashionable eyeglasses. He invariably arrived in a convoy, headed by 16 commandos in black fatigues, astride powerful 350 cc motorcycles, ensuring a clear path for his escort of 15 to 30 vehicles.



ALSO READ: Hathras stampede: Why is Bhole Baba not named in FIR? UP Police says

His Trusts volunteers or sevadars, dressed in light pink attire and carrying batons, are strategically positioned along the route to ensure smooth passage for their revered leader and to ensure that no one films or takes a photograph. Pal himself rode in a white Toyota Fortuner, its interiors adorned with matching white seat covers, epitomising both luxury and spiritual authority.

And all this in the name of God.

Wrote Manohar Bhatia in a blog titled, `The Weird World of Babas: "India has had a long history of gurus or spiritual guides  the learned masters who helped people attain higher knowledge. But in recent times the tradition seems to have metamorphosed into an industry, with godmen exploiting weaknesses of existing institutions like family, religion and society to their advantage, and offering instant or quick-fix solutions/miracles to alleviate the dissonance caused by modern life and the rat race.

Says historian Salil Misra: "Being a godman is a very seductive profession. People like Hathras baba are the ones we hear of, but there are many more who try and dont make it. Bhole Baba could have been successful for a variety of reasons - great managerial capabilities, propagation of his healing powers, the capacity to network between local politicians, businessmen and officials, and many more such assets.

The heady cocktail of an ancient land obsessed with spiritual leaders with their professed magical powers, when coupled with hundreds of millions of gullible people at the bottom and crooks in the middle, an unbeatable combination takes shape.

As details of the so-called Bhole baba come out, modern Indian history is littered with the exploits and debauchery of such `holy men, who have often enough taken undue advantage of their position, their patronage of politicians and connections with those who matter, to cure and 'heal, using it as a ruse to commit heinous crimes.

The common thread that runs through them is money and sex. Consider this list of infamy:

Asaram Bapu

The controversial spiritual leader and convicted rapist was allegedly accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl at his ashram in Rajasthan. Earlier in 2008, two young boys went missing from his gurukul under mysterious circumstances. Their mutilated bodies were later found from the banks of Sabarmati River near the ashram. According to news reports, the 72-year-old swami and his son were also involved in a 700 crore land grab case in Madhya Pradesh. By 2013, he was estimated to have established over 400 ashrams and 40 schools in India and abroad.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh

In August 2017, this Dera Sacha Sauda chief, was convicted on two counts of rape and in January 2019, he was convicted for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. He filed an appeal against both decisions at the High Court. In another ongoing case, he has been accused of compelling around 400 of his male followers to receive castrations based on `false promises.

Shiv Murti Dwivedi

Also known as alias Ichchadhari Sant Swami Bhimanand Ji Maharaj Chitrakoot Wale, he was arrested by the Delhi police in February 2010 for allegedly operating a high-profile sex racket in the national capital, which involved former air hostesses and students. He claimed to be a disciple of Sai Baba. Dwivedi was apparently running his sex racket from two government flats allotted to senior government officials in south Delhi's R.K. Puram. A diary recovered from the swami shows he owned assets worth nearly 2,500 crores. The diary lists the names of nearly 600 call girls.

Rampal

The self-styled godman has several cases against him ranging from sedition, murder, attempt to murder, waging war against the state, rioting, illegal detention and others. This godman kept dodging arrest, culminating in his followers opening fire at security forces in a village in Rohtak, Haryana. In the clash, many people, including an infant perished. Rampal was arrested on November 19, 2014, and convicted.

Chandraswami

Nemi Chand Jain claimed to be an astrologer and a faith healer, who was repeatedly accused of financial irregularities, among his lesser crimes. The Supreme Court had asked him to cough up nine crore as a penalty imposed by the ED in several FERA violation cases against him. The CBI had lodged a case for his involvement in the conspiracy to assassinate former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1996. Chandraswami, 66, died in near anonymity in May 2017 of multiple organ failure at a Delhi hospital.

Swami Sadachari

Once the spiritual adviser of several top politicians, including former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he was jailed for allegedly running a brothel.

Kriplau Maaharaj

He was a spiritual leader and poet who was given the title of Jagadguru, was an Allahabad native. He had four ashrams in India and one in the USA. After his death in 2013, an American disciple, Karen Johnson, in her book Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus: How I Was Conned by a Dangerous Cult And Why I Will Not Keep Their Secrets exposed some shocking details. She claimed that he invited women to give him charan seva, a kind of massaging ritual which usually incorporates sexual touching. In 2002, Kripalu was alleged to have raped and molested a 22-year-old Guyanese woman in a prayer-room.

Devanathan

In 2009, a sex scandal involving this temple priest in the famed pilgrim town of Kancheepuram shocked the world. The priest had videos with some female devotees in `objectionable poses. The 36-year-old priest engaged in sexual acts even as unsuspecting devotees waited outside to perform Puja! He was exposed after the technician repairing his phone chanced upon the videos and made it public!

Swami Amrita Chaitanya

He was a godman from Kerala, who was arrested in 2008 on charges of raping three minor girls and a 22-year-old woman, making pornographic videos, financial fraud and possession of narcotics. He was also arrested by Interpol in 2008 for conning an NRI woman of 45 lakhs. The Baba was handed out a 16-year rigorous imprisonment.

The deep personal dissatisfaction of the people and blind faith, however, turns truly noxious when politics gets mixed into it. "The mixing of faith and politics turns the situation into a deadly cocktail. Godmen wooing gullible individuals would not be a problem if politicians did not use them to influence voters. That the politicians vied with each other to get the favour of dubious Baba Ram Rahim (when elections were round the corner) is too well known to be narrated," wrote blogger Bhatia.

Clearly, in this netherworld, anything is possible as the gory details of Suraj Pal, the former police constable, reveal.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promptly dismissed Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad's claims on Friday that the Narendra Modi government could collapse within a month, calling them hallucinations. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav wears a sliver crown during the party's 28th foundation day, at party office, in Patna on Friday. Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav is also seen. (Pappi Sharma/ANI )

Prasad, speaking at an event marking 28 years of his party's formation, asserted that the Modi government was weak and predicted it could fall as early as August. The Modi government is weak (kamzor). It can fall any time. It can fall in August, RJD supremo said.

ALSO READ- Modi govt will fall by August: RJD chief Lalu Prasad tells party workers

Union Minister Nityanand Rai countered Prasad's remarks, saying, "Lalu Prasad Yadav is day dreaming. By making Narendra Modi the PM for the third time, people have shown that the country will move forward only under his leadership. Similarly, under PM Modi and Nitish Kumar's leadership, Bihar will continue to move forward.

ALSO READ- Struggling ally to a crucial link: How Nitish Kumar retained significance

Bihar will not accept the RJD and the INDI alliance that had destroyed the state, the Modi government minister added.

Bihar deputy CM Samrat Choudhary echoed, advising Prasad, a former Bihar CM, to take rest. "He (Lalu Prasad Yadav) is a former Bihar CM, I would advise him to take some rest. The BJP alone has 240 seats (in Lok Sabha), while its allies have 293 seats. He, however, has won just four seats," Choudhary said.

ALSO READ- Will keep my turban at Lord Ram's feet: Nitish Kumar's deputy on his old vow

Lalu Yadav urged party workers to prepare for potential political shifts, saying that despite setbacks, the RJD had increased its seats and vote share in recent elections.

"For quite some time, we have been the single largest party in the Bihar assembly. Unlike many others, we have never compromised on ideology," said Prasad, recalling his tenure and achievements, including the arrest of Lal Krishna Advani in 1990.

(Inputs from PTI)
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced the appointment of 24 members as in-charges and co-in-charges for several states, including the poll-bound Haryana and Jharkhand and the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. BJP national president JP Nadda (File Photo)

Party president JP Nadda appointed former president of the Rajasthan unit, Satish Poonia, as the in-charge for Haryana and Rajya Sabha MP Surendra Nagar as the co-incharge.

The BJPs performance in Rajasthan during the Lok Sabha polls has flagged concern in the party. The BJP, which has been in power in the state for a decade, lost five of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the recently held polls. In the last assembly polls too, the party could only form a government with support from the Jananayak Janata Party. The two have since parted ways, and the BJP has announced it will contest polls on its own.

In Jharkhand, senior party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Laxmikant Bajpai has been given charge of the state; he was earlier the election in-charge for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In the 2019 assembly polls, the BJP lost the election, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morch came to power. In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the party won eight of 14 seats, which was down from 11 in 2019.

The party recently appointed former Madhya Pradesh CM and now Union minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma as election in-charges (for the assembly polls) of Jharkhand.

In Jammu and Kashmir, where elections are to be held by September as per the Supreme Courts direction, the BJP retained national general secretary Tarun Chugh as its in-charge and Ashish Sood as the co-in-charge. Union minister G Kishen Reddy will oversee the election in Jammu and Kashmir, where polls have not been held since 2018 when the assembly was dissolved following the collapse of the BJP-PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) coalition government.

There is no word yet on whether the party will announce a new party president or a working president after JP Nadda was made the Union minister. Nadda continues to be president till his successor is appointed.

Member of Parliament Ajit Gopchade has been given charge of Manipur, where violence between the Kuki and the Meitie communities has emerged as a concern for the party. The governments efforts notwithstanding, the violence in the state has continued for over a year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently told Parliament that normalcy is beginning to be restored in the northeastern state and cautioned that those who continue to fan the fire of communal violence will be rejected by the people of Manipur.

Lok Sabha MP from Odishas Puri constituency, Sambit Patra, has been retained as the coordinator of northeastern states and former Union minister V Muraleedharan as the joint coordinator.

Anil Anthony, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls from Kerala, has been made in-charge of Nagaland and Meghalaya.

In Bihar, where the party is in power with its ally, the Janata Dal (United), national general secretary Vinod Tawde and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash will continue to oversee the state. Bihar will go to polls in 2025. Tawde also oversaw the Lok Sabhas polls in the state.

Former Union minister Prakash Javadekar will continue in Kerala as the state in-charge and Odisha MP Aparajita Sarangi, will be the co-in-charge. Former chief minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani has been given charge of Punjab with Punjab MLA Narendra Singh as the co-in-charge.

Former UP minister Shrikant has been given the charge of Himachal Pradesh and MLA Sanjay Tandon is the co-in-charge.

Raghunath Kulkarni has been appointed as the in-charge for Andaman and Nicobar, and Ashok Singh, a legislator from Assam, appointed as Arunachal Pradesh in-charge.

Bihar MLA Nitin Nabin as the in-charge for Chhattisgarh and national general secretary Radha Mohan Das Agarwal and MP Sudhakar Reddy will be state in-charges in Karnataka; the earlier were election in-charges in the state.

Vijay Pal Tomar has been given the charge of Odisha and Lata Usendi is the co-incharge. Nirmal Kumar Surana has been retained as the in-charge of Puducherry. Dushyant Kumar Gautam, the partys national general secretary, will continue as the in-charge of Uttarakhand and Rekha Verma has been made co-incharge.
Delhi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit president Virendra Sachdeva on Friday hit out at the Arvind Kejriwal government over monsoon preparedness in the capital.



Delhi Water Minister is lying...They sold the Delhi Jal Board to the tanker mafia...The drains were not cleaned...There is a possibility of a flood and she (Atishi) is saying that they are prepared, they will find out in the coming days, Sachdeva told ANI on Delhi water minister Atishi's statement of her government being prepared to tackle the flood-like situation in the city.



ALSO READ: Those who cursed the MCD: BJP slams AAP on waterlogging in Delhi after rain



Delhi Water Minister (Atishi) is lying. Earlier, their (AAP) leaders had claimed that they had cleaned all the drains of Delhi but after just two hours of rainfall, there was waterlogging in the city and 11 people lost their lives. Now, she (Atishi) is claiming that they have made arrangements for flood, but I want to tell them that lies cannot work every time. They have only looted Delhi and people are fed up with them, he told news agency PTI.



ALSO READ: Delhi rain hits 88-year high in June rainfall; IMD forecasts more to come



We took the stake of the preparations of Delhi govt and all the concerned departments regarding flood relief and flood control. We hope that the flood situation doesn't occur in Delhi. But, if the level of water in Yamuna rises, Delhi govt is ready to deal with that, Atishi had said in a press conference.



Last year, Delhi saw the highest recorded level of Yamuna. In 2023, Yamuna reached well above the danger mark at 208.66 metre. Since last year, people living near Yamuna faced a lot of hardships, so the Delhi government is preparing to deal with any such situation, she added.



A 24/7 control room related to flood has been formed under the leadership of DM East. This flood control room will have people from all the concerned departments deployed there, the AAP minister said.

Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi addresses a press conference regarding flood control in the national capital during the monsoon season in New Delhi on Friday.(PTI)
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday lashed out at Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra over her remark against National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma. TMC MP Mahua Moitra gets slammed by the BJP for comments about the NCW chief(PTI)

Also Read: Back in Lok Sabha, Mahua Moitra jabs BJP over her expulsion: Paid heavy price

Moitra, on Thursday, commented on a video posted on X, showing the NCW chief's arrival at the site of a stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. The video drew attention as it showed Rekha Sharma walking, with her hands free while someone walked behind her holding an umbrella, an action which seemed insensitive to many.

Also Read: Mahua Moitra's warriors are back post with women MPs as 18th Lok Sabha session begins

Mahua Moitra left a comment on the post saying, She is too busy holding up her bosss pajamas.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla reacted to her comment and flagged it as extremely indecent, objectionable, and shameful.

Watch: Mahua Moitra Returns To Lok Sabha With Fiery Speech, Corners Modi Govt On Manipur, Kashmir & Ayodhya

He posted a screenshot of Moitra's comment and sought her expulsion from party, claiming that it was the true face of the TMC and the Opposition.

"MP Mahua Moitra who justified and remained silent during Sandeshkhali, Chopra Talibani flogging, silent on Swati Maliwal now makes a disgusting comment at a women that too the NCW Chief," he said.

Poonawalla also attacked the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party for their silence on Moitra's comment, "Will Priyanka Vadra, Rahul Gandhi, (Mallikarjun) Kharge ji, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Chaturvedi, AAP call this out?"

"Will Mamata Didi act on her? Nope, just like they remained silent on Sandeshkhali and (flogging of a couple) in Chopra (West Bengal), he added.

NCW chief Rekha Sharma also wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora over TMC MP Mahua Moitra's alleged remarks against her during Sharma's visit to Hathras.

The NCW on X, also condemned the remarks made against Sharma and in a post on Twitter indicated that they planned to file an FIR against Moitra, The crude remarks are outrageous and a violation of a woman's right to dignity. The Commission observed that this remark attracts Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023. NCW strongly condemns these defamatory remarks and requests strict action against Ms. Moitra.
BJP leader Kirodi Lal Meena on Friday met party president Jagat Prakash Nadda in the national capital, a day after announcing his resignation as Rajasthan minister following electoral setbacks in Lok Sabha seats he was tasked with overseeing. Meena, who holds key portfolios including agriculture, rural development, disaster management, and relief, had pledged to step down from the state Cabinet if the BJP lost any Lok Sabha seat under his supervision. Rajasthan minister Kirodi Lal Meena met BJP national president JP Nadda in Delhi after tendering resignation.(Twitter/@DrKirodilalBJP)

Nadda Ji called me to meetI had promised in front of the public that I would leave the position of minister if our party lost seats in Rajasthan, Meena told reporters after the meeting.

I don't want to break the party line... I have no complaint from the party or the CM... I have only resigned because I promised it in front of the people during the Lok Sabha elections, the minister said.

Nadda has asked him to meet again in Delhi after 10 days.

The Rajasthan BJP leader on Thursday announced his resignation from the state cabinet and all posts to honour his promise made during campaigning in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Meena had said he would quit as minister if the BJP lost any of the seven seats in eastern Rajasthan, including the Dausa Lok Sabha seat.

The Congress-led INDIA bloc won 10 of the 25 seats in the parliamentary elections while the BJP won 14 seats in the state. Meena had campaigned in eastern Rajasthans Dausa, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli, Alwar, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur and Kota-Bundi. Of these, the BJP managed to win only Kota and Alwar Lok Sabha seats.

In the Dausa Lok Sabha seat, Congress's Murari Lal Meena defeated BJP's Kanhaiya Lal Meena with a margin of over 2.3 lakh votes.

"It is my moral duty that I should resign if my party doesn't win. I met the CM as well, but he has rejected my resignation... I have no complaints and no expectations for any post, neither from the CM nor from the organisation..." Meena said after announcing his decision to step down.

State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara on Thursday claimed that some seats were allocated to candidates who were not supported by the BJP's top brass.

Few BJP leaders are making allegations that some seats were sold (to candidates) without their knowledge, but responsibility to win on those seats was given to them. So how could they make the party win on these seats? People like Kirodi Lal Meena say that some seats were given (to candidates) without their knowledge, but they were told that the party must win those seats, Dotasara said.

The BJP central leadership is not meeting him, he is not being respected, even when he contributed to the party's victory in the state. Talks about whether or not the government will survive are doing the rounds in the state, he claimed.
Six Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) legislators joined the ruling Congress in Telangana in the early hours of Friday, dealing yet another major setback to the regional outfit led by former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Bharat Rashtra Samiti MLCs including Dande Vittal, Bhanu Prasad and others join the Congress in the presence of Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, in Hyderabad on Thursday. (ANI)

Before joining the Congress, the six BRS members of legislative council (MLCs)  T Bhanu Prasad Rao, Baswaraj Saraiah, Dande Vittal, MS Prabhakar, Yegge Mallesham and Boggarapu Dayanand  met at a hotel in Hyderabad around 11.30 pm on Thursday.

At around 1 am [Friday], they went to the residence of Telangana Congress president and chief minister A Revanth Reddy, who [had] just returned from New Delhi, and expressed their interest in joining the party, a Congress leader familiar with the development said.

The MLCs were formally inducted into the Congress by Reddy at his residence in the presence of AICC in-charge of affairs in Telangana Deepa Dasmunsi, state revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and other senior party leaders.

Read Here: Both Congress and BJP make gains at cost of BRS in Telangana

With the latest defections, the strength of the Congress in the 40-member legislative council is likely to go up to 10, while the BRSs tally came down from 25 to 19. There are four nominated MLCs, two members from AIMIM, one each from the BJP, PRTU, and one independent, while two seats are vacant in the Upper House of the state legislature.

Earlier, six BRS MLAs  Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari, Tellam Venkat Rao, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Dr Sanjay Kumar and Kale Yadaiah  had joined the Congress after the assembly polls last year and speculation is rife that more would switch sides to the ruling party in the coming days.

The BRS, which had been in power since the formation of the state in 2014, won only 39 of the total 119 assembly constituencies in the November 30 state polls, while Congress came to power winning 64 seats. Its number fell down to 38, following the death of G Lasya Nanditha, its MLA from Secunderabad Cantonment, died in a road accident in February. The Congress won the bypoll to the assembly seat.

Later, the BRS tally came down further to 32 with the defection of its six MLAs to the Congress while the strength of the ruling party has gone up to 71.

Read Here: KCR slams Justice Reddy Commission probe into alleged irregularities in power sector during BRS regime

BRS working president and former minister KT Rama Rao accused the Congress of engineering the defections from his party. Lashing out at the ruling party, KTR  as the BRS leader is popularly known  reminded the Congress of its promise in the poll manifesto that said the party would amend the Tenth Schedule of Constitution to automatically disqualify the elected members who defect from one party to another.

@RahulGandhi is this how you are going to uphold the constitution? If you cant make BRS MLAs resign, how would the nation trust that you were committed to Schedule 10 amendments as per Congress manifesto? Yeh Kaisa Nyay Patra Hain? (What kind of Nyay Patra is this?) KTR posted on X.

He further pointed out that BRS leader K Keshava Rao tendered his resignation from the Rajya Sabha after joining the Congress on Wednesday. We welcome his decision. What about the BRS MLA who defected and contested Lok Sabha on Congress ticket? What about half a dozen other BRS MLAs who defected to Congress? KTR said on X.
The Indian government has earmarked about 5,000 crore to provide over 10,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) as part of its 10,000 crore-plus IndiaAI Mission, a senior official announced on Thursday. Centre earmarks  5k-cr in AI plan for computing power

Speaking at the Global IndiaAI Summit, Abhishek Singh, additional secretary in the ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity), said the funds are part of the 10,371.92 crore approved by the cabinet in March for the mission. Of this, 2,000 crore will be meant to support Indian start-ups in developing indigenous AI-based solutions.

A lot of investments will come from investors, VCs [venture capitalists] and all, and that will add to the pool of funds available for the AI start-ups, said Singh, who is responsible for IndiaAI.

The government plans to subsidise access to computing power rather than own the infrastructure outright. Singh explained this approach aims to help researchers and startups access compute at lower costs, enabling more experimentation and scaling.

It is not that we will buy the chipsets and we will build a public-owned, public-run infrastructure. We will want the investment to come from the private players but part of the cost of access to that compute will be subsidised by the government [for researchers], he said.

The Indian government, Singh said, felt that Indian start-ups and researchers who are building AI-based solutions, applications and models to solve problems in healthcare, agriculture, education or social sector should have access to compute at a subsidised cost.

To give access to the compute infrastructure, Singh said that it will largely be trust-based where end users (start-ups, researchers) will choose what kind of infrastructure they want but the government will introduce some checks and balances to prevent misuse.

Tenders to procure compute capacity will be floated soon, Singh said.

The government wants to focus on the bottlenecks in the AI ecosystem, especially those related to compute, datasets and skilling, Singh said.

Singh said that to catch up with countries like China and the US, India needs to invest in research ecosystem and compute resources. While India is the tech garage of the world and has the highest penetration of IT talent, deep tech and AI need research acumen that goes beyond coding skills, he said. We have the potential, we have the skillset, and hopefully with the investment that is happening, we will be able to catch up in due course, he said.

Regarding datasets, Singh said that the government wants to augment the synthetic datasets used by start-ups with real datasets in Indian languages so that Indian foundational model can be built.

In a separate panel, Kavita Bhatia, COO of India and group coordinator in the ministry, announced plans to soon release a request for proposals for the IndiaAI Datasets Platform. This platform will provide researchers and startups access to non-personal data from government ministries.

The IDP is one of the seven pillars of the IndiaAI Mission that will give start-ups and researchers access to non-personal data. It will function as a central repository of datasets from government ministries and departments for better decision-making strategies and AI applications.

They will be able to use this data to train the indigenous models, Bhatia said. The platform will also offer data annotation, labeling, and curation services.

On this platform, data annotation, data labelling and data curation services will also be made available, she said, and added that compute functionality will also be integrated. Models from Bhashini, Meitys AI model used for translation into Indian languages, will also be offered on the platform so that when solutions are built in English, they can also be easily offered in other languages, she said.
New Delhi: The Congress party on Friday attacked the central government over the three private telecom companies, including Reliance Jio, Vodafone and Airtel, increasing their service tariffs from July 3 and 4, 2024, without any oversight and regulation. (Representative Photo)

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala during a press conference accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of crony capitalism and abdicating its responsibility towards 1.09 billion mobile users in India.

It is under the governance and with the consent of the Modi government that three private telecom companies have increased their service tariffs. This will collectively cost their 109 crore (1.09 billion) users approximately Rs.35,000 crore, Surjewala said.

Also Read: Reliance Jio, Airtel price hike: What changes for you as new rates take effect

The Congress spokesperson mentioned that out of the 1.19 billion mobile users in the country, 1.09 billion people depend on the services of these three private companies, which hold around 92% of the market share.

Claiming that the three companies have increased the tariffs by approximately the same percentage and would be effective from the same time, Surjewala said, ...It is unique how companies with different investments, varied customer bases, profitability, and capex requirements have increased the prices by nearly the same percentage, within 48 hours.

The government is fleecing 1.09 billion mobile phone users by sanctioning profiteering by private cell companies, Surjewala alleged.

Also Read: Decoding costlier Airtel and Jio bills, and what it means for Indias 5G curve

Alleging that the Modi-led government imposed no regulations on these companies, Surjewala also questioned the government and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for turning a blind eye towards the 1.09 billion cell phone users in the country. Was the decision to hike the tariffs withheld till the election results were declared and the Modi government would not have to address the concerns? asked Surjewala.

Last month, the three companies announced an increase in tariff plans which came into effect from July 3 and 4. While Reliance Jio hiked the prices by an average 20%, Vodafone hiked the tariff price by an average of 16%, and Airtel by 15%.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday accused assembly Speaker Biman Bose of constitutional impropriety after the latter administered oath to two legislators of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) despite the Governor authorising the Deputy Speaker to officiate the ceremony. Kolkata, Jul 05 (ANI): TMC leaders Sayantika Banerjee (extreme right) and Reyat Hossain Sarkar (extreme left) with West Bengal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay show victory sign after taking oath as MLA, at the State Legislative Assembly in Kolkata on Friday.

A report is being sent to the Hon'ble President about the Constitutional impropriety' of the Speaker in administering the oath or affirmation to the two newly elected MLAs, the Raj Bhavan said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).

The Constitutional transgression has been done in spite of Hon'ble Governor appointing Deputy Speaker as the person before whom the two newly elected MLAs shall make and subscribe such an oath or affirmation, the statement added.

Also Read: Governor vs CM in Bengal is an unedifying spectacle

The development took place a day after Governor Bose assigned the task to Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee. On Friday, however, Banerjee declined, saying that doing so would be inappropriate when the Speaker himself was present.

It is against the norms for the Deputy Speaker to administer oath when the Speaker is present in the Chair, Banerjee said during the special one-day session of the assembly, held for the swearing-in of the two legislators: Rayat Hossain Sarkar and Sayantika Bandopadhyay.

After Banerjee declined, Bose, the Speaker, administered oath, and the session was adjourned sine die amid joyous Jai Bangla chants by the Trinamool members.

The Governor does not have the authority to dismiss me. I have already informed the President about the situation and sought her intervention, Bose asserted.

However, on the rule under which the Speaker, and not his deputy, administered oath, the Raj Bhavan noted that the Constitution supersedes any assembly rule.

The swearing-in, meanwhile, brought to end the month-long impasse between the Governor and the assembly over the venue of the ceremony and the administering authority.

(With PTI inputs)
Ahead of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's visit to Hathras, the families of the victims of the stampede shared with the media horrific tales of anguish their loved ones had to go through at the religious event dedicated to preacher Bhole Baba. Some of them even blamed the self-styled godman for the tragedy. Hathras victims' families talking to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

A man told the media that his wife had attended the event along with her two daughters. He said his younger daughter died on the lap of his elder daughter.

"My wife and two daughters had gone there in Satsang... My young daughter took her last breath in the lap of my elder daughter as they both got stuck in the crowd. He (Rahul Gandhi) is coming, will tell him whatever he asks. Many people came home and sympathised with us," he said.

On Friday morning, Rahul Gandhi visited Aligarh and Hathras to meet with the families of the deceased.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi calls out 'deficiencies' after meeting Hathras victims' kin: No police

"He (Rahul Gandhi) assured us that he will help us in every possible way through his party. The administration at the satsang venue was not good. My sister-in-law could have been saved if there had been a proper medical facility. There were no proper arrangements at the venue," said a family member of one of the 121 deceased.

Sonia Devi, the daughter-in-law of Premwati (deceased), said that her mother-in-law attended the event against the family's wishes.

"If Baba was so powerful why he could not save the lives of his followers? We have removed photos of Bhole Baba after the demise of my mother-in-law. There was an arrangement for 80,000 but three lakh reached the venue. My mother-in-law was superstitious. Fortunately, my two children were ready to go with her but did not go and were saved," she added.

A family member of the victim claimed the preacher asked his followers to collect sand from the path he trodded.

"I was informed over a phone call that something had happened and one of our neighbours lost their son and my mother was missing. The 'Baba', at the end of the 'satsang' said that 'If you have any problems, collect the sand from below my feet while I walk away and keep it with you' and people ran to collect the soil. My mother was 55-60 years old and she could not even get up from her spot, people walked over her," he said.

"My wife had fed her, gave her new clothes to wear while leaving from home and when I found her... her face was covered with soil, it was swollen, she had suffered many injuries. The 'Baba' is responsible for this. He could have sought help from the administration or police when he saw that more people had gathered than expected," he added.

The UP police have arrested six people who had organised the event. However, Bhole Baba has not been named in the FIR yet. He and the main accused are missing.

Bhole Baba's lawyer, AP Singh, claimed the stampede occurred because of anti-social elements.
Delhi water minister Atishi on Friday announced that a 24/7 flood control room has been established to monitor the Yamuna's water levels to tackle the monsoons. Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi addresses a press conference regarding flood control in the national capital during the monsoon season (PTI Photo)(PTI)

Also Read: We hope that the flood situation doesn't occur in Delhi. But, if the level of water in Yamuna rises, Delhi govt is ready to deal with that..."

In a joint press conference with Delhi's irrigation and flood control minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi stated that the office has been set up at the District Magistrate of East Delhi and would collect real-time data from Hathni Kund Barrage, from where Yamuna's water is released.

Also Read: Delhi water crisis: Atishi ends indefinite hunger strike after health worsens

She said, This flood control room will have people from all the concerned departments deployed there, including the Delhi government officials, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Corporation of Delhi (NMCD) authorities. It will also have the involvement of services like BSES, Delhi Jal Board, Tata Power, health department.

Also Read: Delhi govt announces 10 lakh compensation for families of rainfall victims

The flood control room will be equipped to monitor the weather conditions in all areas on the banks of Yamuna and make judgements accordingly. Atishi said, "After the release of one lakh cusecs of water, relief and rescue machinery starts working."

The flood and revenue departments will intervene to carry out evacuations, rescue and relief operations in case the water passes its threshold.

The decision came about after a meeting was undertaken by the government and concerned departments to supervise, monitor and recommend flood control measures.

Bharadwaj added that the flood control room would be completely computerised and will track real-time data.

Atishi said that last year the Yamuna had risen to its highest in 70 years at 208.66 metres.

"We hope that the flood situation doesn't occur in Delhi. But, if the level of water in Yamuna rises, Delhi govt is ready to deal with that...", the Delhi Minister said.
British students explore intangible cultural heritage in China's Greater Bay Area

14:16, July 05, 2024 By Zhong Wenxing ( People's Daily Online

Photo taken on July 3, 2024, shows a roof with clay carving art in Kaiping, south Chinas Guangdong Province. (Photo provided to Peoples Daily Online)

A group of British students recently immersed themselves in Chinese cultural heritage during a visit to the Greater Bay Area in south China's Guangdong Province.

The second round of the Touching the Greater Bay Area cultural exchange program, co-organized by Guangdong Radio and Television and People's Daily Online (UK), brought together university students from the United Kingdom and local Chinese students.

A journey through exquisite craftsmanship

Photo taken on July 3, 2024, shows the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages, inscribed on UNESCOs World Heritage List, south China's Guangdong Province. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing)

The students visited the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages  unique multi-story buildings blending Chinese and Western styles. These structures feature colorful clay sculptures, an art form that has endured for centuries in the Greater Bay Area.

The intricate clay carvings decorate ancestral halls, homes, and temples, demonstrating the region's rich artistic heritage. This traditional craft continues to captivate with its detailed designs and cultural significance.

British students and a local student experience clay carving art in Kaiping, south China's Guangdong Province, July 3, 2024. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing)

The students got hands-on experience with traditional Chinese clay carving under the guidance of Hu Xuliang, a recognized cultural heritage expert. From initial design to final coloring, the process showcased the intricate skills passed down through generations.

Mevna Bulathsinhala from the London School of Economics and Political Science remarked, "Watching the inheritor, it seemed so easy, but when I tried it myself, I realized the challenges involved."

Roberta Rennie experiences clay carving art in Kaiping, south China's Guangdong Province, July 3, 2024. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing)

Amelia Sleight, an art student from the University of Oxford, was pleasantly surprised to discover how intricately the Greater Bay Area's clay carving art is integrated into everyday life, inspiring her with its delicate and exquisite artistic treasures.

A dazzling night of century-old heritage

In the 350-year-old Chikan town on the western edge of the Pearl River Delta, over 600 arcade buildings form the largest, most continuous, and best-preserved overseas Chinese arcade architecture complex in China.

Since its official opening to the public early last year, the town has captivated countless domestic and international visitors with its unique charm.

A Striking Iron Flower performance at Chikan town in Kaiping, south Chinas Guangdong Province, July 3, 2024. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing)

As night fell, the ancient town came alive. Sparks flew from a "Striking Iron Flower" performance while dragon and lion dances dazzled the crowd. These displays of cultural heritage left spectators amazed.

Isabelle Oxford, a student from the University of Oxford, expressed her excitement about the performance. "Watching the iron flowers was amazing. They reminded me of fireworks back home," she said.

British students watch a lion dancing performances at Chikan town in Kaiping, south China's Guangdong Province, July 3, 2024. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing)

Roberta Rennie from the University of Cambridge shared her thoughts on the trip, "Experiencing the cultural heritage of the Greater Bay Area has been unforgettable. It's an adventure I'll cherish for a long time."

Photo taken on July 3, 2024, shows a roof with clay carving art in Kaiping, south Chinas Guangdong Province. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing)

British students and a local student visit the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages in Kaiping, south China's Guangdong Province, July 3, 2024. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing)

Photo taken on July 3, 2024, shows Chikan town in Kaiping, south China's Guangdong Province. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing)

British students and a local student visit Chikan town in Kaiping, south China's Guangdong Province, July 3, 2024. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing)

Roberta Rennie experiences clay carving art in Kaiping, south China's Guangdong Province, July 3, 2024. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing)

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chengliang)
The Delhi high court on Friday issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding a bail plea filed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy case. Delhi CM and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal being produced before a court by CBI officials in connection with a money laundering case related to the Delhi liquor policy, in New Delhi, Saturday, June 29, 2024.(PTI)

Initially, the high court agreed with the CBI's contention that Kejriwal should have approached a city court first. However, the bench later opted to consider the merits of Kejriwal's direct appeal to the high court during the arguments.

Read: Order on ED charges against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on July 9

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, said the AAP leader is not a flight risk and not a terrorist and the CBI arrested him after he got bail in the ED's money laundering case.

"Notice accepted. Petitioner has approached directly before the HC, this contention shall be considered at the time of arguments," said Justice Neena Bansal Krishna in her order.

The court listed it for further hearing on July 17.

Read: Citing Kejriwal hearings, lawyer delegation expresses concern over Delhi court practices to CJI

The AAP supremo has already challenged his arrest in the CBI case and the plea is pending before the high court.

Arvind Kejriwal, the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested by the CBI from Tihar Jail, where he remains in judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Previously, Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 and was granted bail by the trial court in the money laundering case on June 20. However, the high court stayed this order.

On Wednesday, the trial court extended the judicial custody of Kejriwal till July 12 in the money laundering case filed by the ED.

The court also reserved its order on the application moved by the AAP leader seeking the presence of his wife during the consultations with the medical board constituted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
A rebellion is brewing in the Puducherry unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as MLAs raised their angst against party member and home minister A Namassivayam and the N Rangasamy-led All India N R Congress (AINRC) government. The MLAs believe that chief minister N Rangasamy and home minister A Namassivayam planned badly for Lok Sabha polls. (PTI)

Seven MLAs, including three independents and a nominated member have been in Delhi in the past few days to meet the BJPs central leadership. So far, they have met BJP national president JP Nadda on Wednesday.

The MLAs believe that Namassivayam  who lost the lone parliamentary seat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls  along with chief minister Rangasamy had strategised badly for the elections.

The MLAs  A John Kumar, his son Richard John Kumar, and PML Kalyanasundaram from the BJP, the independent P Angalane, G Srinivas Ashok, and M Sivasankaran, and nominated member K Venkatesan  want the central leadership to accept their concerns.

The demands include removal of Namassivayam and AK Sai J Saravana Kumar from the Cabinet, said one of the MLAs on the condition of anonymity. They also want two MLAs from the BJP to be their successors, and for the good posts to be given to the independent MLAs in the union territorys government.

Some of these MLAs had quit the Congress along with Namassivyam in 2021 to topple the then Congress government by defecting to the BJP. We want the central leadership to give everyone a chance as promised, one of the MLAs said. In the 30-member assembly, AINRC has 10 seats while the BJP has six.

The MLAs suggested the BJP come out of the coalition government and offer support from outside. They believe this would prepare the ground for the national party to form the government during the 2026 assembly elections in Puducherry.
The idea of rule of law is not only about social and political justice but is also intrinsically linked to better economic outcomes and financial advancement, Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud emphasised on Thursday, adding that a legal system with adequate procedural safeguards and fairness builds investor confidence and is crucial for economic growth. CJI Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud inaugurates the office premises of the Securities Appellate Tribunal at Mittal Court, Mumbai. (HT Photo)

Inaugurating the new office premises of the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) at Mittal Court, Mumbai, the CJI underscored the critical role of SAT in fostering improved economic outcomes and financial growth, which in turn create a stable and predictable investment environment.

Justice Chandrachud noted that SAT, as a pivotal appellate forum for securities markets, ensures that all stakeholders adhere to regulations, thereby maintaining market integrity and investor confidence.

A legal system that has adequate procedural safeguards, fairness, and forums that dispense justice without arbitrariness, is integral to building investor confidence in a countrys markets and business landscape. Therefore, regulators like SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India, the market regulator) and appellate forums like SAT assume immense national importance in fostering a stable and predictable investment environment, said the CJI, citing the World Banks theory from 2005 that protecting the rule of law is intrinsically linked to better economic outcomes.

When investors feel assured that their investments are protected by law and that there are effective mechanisms for dispute resolution, the judge added, they are more likely to invest in the countrys markets. This influx of investment can lead to better economic outcomes, such as increased capital formation, job creation, and overall economic growth.

According to the CJI, SAT is like a referee, ensuring that in the dog-eat-dog world of finance, all stakeholders play by the rules. Just like any good referee, SAT has successfully kept pace with the evolving game. As our markets and businesses become more complex and new regulations flood in, the tribunal must consistently rise to the challenge. To effectively adjudicate the appeals before the tribunal, members require not only a deep understanding of intricate financial matters but most importantly, a strong commitment to fair adjudication and procedural safeguards. This is crucial in maintaining market integrity and investor confidence.

Commending the tribunal for moving its office to new, modern premises equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology, the CJI stressed the importance of digital infrastructure, stating that the concept of access to justice needs to be re-imagined because modernising infrastructure must not limit to physical infrastructure. He said that technology is at the heart of the functioning of the Indian judicial system and that it has been a mission for him as the CJI to promote it.

In Sarvesh Mathur Vs The Registrar General, High Court of Punjab and Haryana (2023 and 2024), the Supreme Court issued several directions to ensure the continued use of video conferencing facilities across High Courts and Tribunals. It is commendable that SAT has been at the forefront in adopting technology including virtual hearings and e-filing, both during the COVID-19 pandemic and after it subsided, he said.

With SAT having a bench only in Mumbai, justice Chandrachud underscored the importance of virtual hearings as a matter of right rather than a concession. A tribunal with jurisdiction across the country must have digital resources to allow lawyers from different regions to appear before the tribunal easily and effectively, he stated. The judge also praised the decision to revamp SATs website, making it more user-friendly and enhancing accessibility and efficiency in accessing legal services.

In his address, the CJI pointed to the urgent need to fill the vacancies at the SAT, commenting on the increasing volume of appeals and disputes related to regulatory non-compliance, market conduct, corporate governance and shareholder issues. The rapid growth in the number of market participants and the increase in the volume of financial transactions brings with it the likelihood of an increased number of disputes. The vacancies in SAT must be filled at the earliest to allow the tribunal to work effectively and at full capacity, he urged.

The CJI suggested that it may be worth considering the establishment of additional benches to manage the escalating caseload. The SEBI Act also allows for the setting up of benches of SAT. It may be worth giving greater thought to the proposals of equipping the tribunal with additional benches and improved infrastructure to manage its escalating case load.

Justice Chandrachud also praised the dedication and expertise of SATs members, registrars, researchers, administrative staff, and other officials who ensure the smooth functioning of the tribunal. The officials who run the show from behind the scenes are the steel frame of our legal system. They are integral to dispensing justice, he said.

During his speech, the CJI reminisced about his professional roots in Mumbai, expressing a deep connection to the city that shaped a significant part of his career. For me, visiting Mumbai is much like coming back home  to a city that shaped a considerable part of my professional life. I spent most of my career, first, as a lawyer frequenting the corridors of Mumbais judicial forums and then as a judge of the Bombay High Court.

In concluding his speech, justice Chandrachud expressed his confidence that the new office premises would empower SAT officials to work with renewed vigour and determination, leading to fair and just decisions.

Justice DK Upadhyaya, Bombay high court chief justice, retired justice PS Dinesh Kumar, SATs presiding officer and Dheeraj Bhatnagar and Meera Swarup, technical members of the SAT, were also present at the inauguration of the new office space.
Indian Forest Service officers have expressed concern over a Madhya Pradesh government order issued on June 29 which states that the work of divisional forest officers, conservators and chief conservators posted at the district level and involved in field activities such as those that are related to the forest rights act, land acquisition, ecotourism, or mining activities in forest areas will be appraised by district collectors and divisional commissioners separately, pointing out that this is in violation of Supreme Court orders, and could also result in situations where senior officers are appraised by those junior to them. (HT Archive)

They have also highlighted that the objectives of forest officials (conservation) may sometimes clash with those of the so-called revenue officials (revenue maximisation), especially when it comes to issues such as mining rights.

The comments by the Indian Administrative Service officers will be included in their annual confidential report (ACR) that will be reviewed by senior Indian Forest Service officers, the order added, explaining that the revenue department officials will also mark (out of 10) the performance of field forest officials on these matters.

To be sure, this system of appraisal will not apply to non-field officials who are posted in the department or secretariat. They will follow the regular channel of being appraised by their seniors, the order said. The marking and assessment by DC applies only to field officials and only related to projects in defined areas.

Government of Madhya Pradesh has passed an order dated June 29 in which the channel of submission of annual performance assessment report (APAR) of IFS officers starting from DFO to PCCF was prescribed. In the same order it is mentioned that the works related with joint forest management, matter related with forest rights act, land acquisition, eco-tourism, mining activities in forest areas, redevelopment activities and other important works performed by divisional forest officer, conservator of forests and chief conservator of forests will be evaluated by district collector and divisional commissioner concerned by awarding number out of 10 along with his/her remarks in APAR. The order will be implemented from 2024-25, the letter sent out to the MP chief minister by IFS Association Delhi on July 4 stated.

This order passed by the government of Madhya Pradesh is in contravention to the orders of Honble Supreme Court. This administrative order will serve as a major setback for the conservation and protection of natural resources of the country, which is the prime mandate of Indian Forest Officers...this impugned order which is against the spirit of the order of the Honble Supreme Court will adversely affect the morale of the IFS officers working on the field, the letter added, pointing out that senior officers posted on the field like chief conservator of forests will be appraised by DCs who are officers of much junior rank in pay scale and grade.

The Supreme Court in an order dated September 22, 2000 in the matter of TN Godavarman Vs Union of India & Others and in the matter of Santosh Bharti Vs State of MP ruled that the competent authority to write the confidential report of forest department officers will be officers superior to them in the same service when posted in the field.

We do not function at the district level. Each district has four divisions and hence four DFOs. The DFO reports to the conservator and conservator reports to the chief conservator of forests. The CCF reports to the principal conservator of forests who then reports to the chief secretary. This is described in the SC order of 2000 also. Our job is not revenue generation. For example, in mining cases conflicts can very easily arise as forest officials may not allow such activities in certain areas. Same kind of problem applies to ecotourism, land acquisition, developmental activities etc. This will then have an impact on the career of IFS officials, explained a member of the association.

The state governments order seems to be motivated by a desire for better coordination across departments.

State forest department principal secretary Ashok Varnwal said the order does not violate a Supreme Court judgement.

Its only senior forest officials will write the annual confidential report (ACR) of DFO or CCF but here state government has just asked district collector and divisional commissioner to forward a comment on a separate sheet so that better coordination could be established. If DFO and CCF have any problem with report of collector and commissioner, they can inform their senior about it, Varnwal said.

The order is very clear but it is being misinterpreted by a few people, he added.

But an expert pointed out that the order could compromise the independence of forest officials.

Forest Officers, as custodians of forests and wildlife, often take different stances on development projects compared to the district administration or other state departments, in the interest of forest and wildlife. Such administrative oversight by the district collector directly impacts their independence in performing statutory functions and therefore should be revoked, said Debadityo Sinha, senior resident fellow and lead, the climate & ecosystems, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.
The Congress on Friday hit out at the Union government accusing the Education Ministry of "sabotaging" the education of children following a delay in the printing of Class 6 textbooks. "Either the rot runs deep, or the incompetence scales new heights everyday!" Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said about the delay in printing of Class 6 textbooks.(ANI)

"Even as the school year has begun, the NCERT - the National (read Nagpur) Council of Educational Research and Training - has failed to publish new textbooks for Science, Mathematics, and Social Sciences for Class 6 students," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post on X.

Ramesh also alleged that the syllabus and the textbooks have not been finalised by the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) yet and it will require another 10 to 15 days to print them out.

Congress general secretary also claimed that the officials expect a delay of two months before the books are made available to the students.

The new textbooks were to be taught in April and are yet to hit the market, reported PTI.

While Class 3 textbooks have been made available, only English and Hindi textbooks have been released for Class 6 in the middle of the academic session.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) formed the NSTC last July to form new textbooks for Classes 3 to 12 with an ambitious deadline in February.

However, then NSTC decided to only change the textbooks for Classes 3 and 6.

"For the academic year 2024-25, new and engaging textbooks will be introduced in Classes 3 and 6. The textbook development work is in the final phase and nine textbooks for Grades 3 and 6 are already available. The remaining eight will be available very soon," a senior Ministry of Education (MoE) official said, according to PTI.

"Either the rot runs deep, or the incompetence scales new heights every day!" Ramesh said that NCERT is yet to receive the drafts of the new books for Social Science, Mathematics and Science for Class 6 from NSTC.

On Thursday, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed the development of school textbooks by the New Curriculum Framework (NCF) at themeeting, reported PTI.

(with inputs from news agencies)
Suraj Pal, known to his followers as Bhole Baba or Narayan Hari Sakar, spoke to the organisers of the satsang he hosted in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh earlier this week four times, after the haphazardly organised event resulted in a deadly stampede and left 121 people dead, police officers familiar with the probe said on Friday, without providing details on the possible whereabouts of the self-styled godman who has been missing ever since. The stampede tragedy in Hathras led to the death of 121 people including 112 women on July 2. (PTI photo)

According to a senior police officer, Pal had spoken to the event organisers, who have been booked in connection with the tragedy on July 2, four times before his mobile phone went off on the same day.

During the course of the probe, it was learnt that Baba had spoken to some of the event organisers four times on July 2, after the stampede at 1.55 pm, before his mobile phone was switched off at 4.35 pm near his Mainpuri farmhouse, the officer said, seeking anonymity.

Six people arrested in the case are being questioned on various aspects of organising the event that saw the participation of 250,000 people as against the permitted limit of 80,000, the officer added.

Hathras stampede: Bhole Baba's aide, main accused Dev Prakash Madhukar arrested

People familiar with the details pertaining to the call records said Pal first spoke to mukhya sevadar (head volunteer) Devprakash Madhukar, who is the key accused in the case and reportedly surrendered later in Delhi on Friday. Madhukar called Pal at 2:48 pm and the two spoke for 2.17 minutes, the people said on condition of anonymity.

The remaining three calls were made between 3pm and 4.35pm.

The second call, the people said, was made by Pal to one Mahesh Chandra and lasted for 3.01 minutes. Then, the self-styled godman spoke to another person, Sanju, for 40 seconds. The last call was made to one Ranjana and lasted for 11 minutes 33 seconds.

Mahesh Chandra and Sanju Yadav were among the organisers of the satsang, according to a list on a banner at the stampede site.

At least 121 people, most of them women and children, were killed in the stampede on Tuesday afternoon as they attempted to leave the religious gathering hosted by Bhole Baba, a former cop, who remains at large. The event was held at a partially covered field in Phulari Mughal Garhi, a village roughly 200 km from Delhi, and far from any major centre with medical facilities to handle a mass casualty event.

Hathras stampede case: Rahul Gandhi calls out 'deficiencies' after meeting victims' kin

The stampede is the deadliest in India since 2008, when 162 people died in a similar incident in Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh.

While the state police filed a first information report (FIR) against the organisers of the event, it did not name Pal in the case. Six sevadars were arrested on Thursday.

Advocate AP Singh, authorised by Pal to represent him and take legal action in the incident, said the self-styled godman will be available for probe if required. He also claimed that Madhukar, who was undergoing treatment in a hospital due to health issues, surrendered in Delhi late on Friday. While there was no official statement, police officers in Delhi, who did not wish to be identified, also said Madhukar had surrendered.

Officials earlier said that a process was initiated to remove Madhukar as supervisor in MGNREGA work across 20 panchayats. Police earlier also said a reward of 1 lakh would be announced for information on Madhukar and a non-bailable warrant (NBW) would be issued against him.

Hathras stampede: Rise of Bhole Baba, miracles and all

Police said Pal will be summoned for interrogation if required. While Bhogaon (in Mainpuri) deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sunil Kumar Singh said the self-styled godman is not at his farmhouse-cum-ashram at Bicchawan in Mainpuri district, about 150 km east of Hathras, some of his followers, who did not wish to be identified, told this reporter that he was inside the premises.

A team of police on Thursday entered the ashram to check security arrangements. Another team has been stationed around the premises. Local residents claimed that police entered the ashram around 1am on Friday and left an hour later with two vehicles.

Asked about the probability of interrogating Pal, Aligarh range inspector general of police (IGP) Shalabh Mathur said: If there is something about him, it will be duly informed. The investigation will be evidence-based. We have called several people for questioning.

Hathras stampede: Deaths, injuries overwhelm health centre

Additional director general (Agra zone) Anupam Kulshreshtha said: We are not going to reveal details about Babas last traceable location.

Meanwhile, a committee led by Kulshreshtha and Aligarh commissioner Chaitra V has questioned around 90-100 police officers and administration officials so far and is likely to finalise its report on the incident soon.

The committee was set up on the directions of chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Adityanath has also ordered a separate judicial inquiry headed by a retired high court judge.

The statements of the police officers and administration officials were recorded at Hathras police lines, Mathur said. It is for the government to decide on action against officials As far as the investigation is concerned, it has been taken up by circle officer (Hathras city), who is being assisted by two to three officers. The special operation group (SOG) at Hathras is also being assisted by the zonal level SOG teams and these teams are headed by superintendent of police (Hathras), he added.
Dev Prakash Madhukar, the main accused in the Hathras stampede case and an aide of self-style godman Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba, was arrested from Delhi on Friday. Hathras Superintendent of Police Nipun Agarwal confirmed Madhukar's arrest from Delhi, adding that he was being brought to Hathras to be presented in the court. Police said no one was cleared yet and everyone mentioned during the investigation, including Bhole Baba, will be questioned if needed. (AP)

Madhukar, the 'mukhya sevadar' of the satsang where the stampede occurred, is the only accused named in the FIR lodged at Sikandra Rao police station in Hathras in connection with the incident.

In a video message, Madhukar's lawyer AP Singh claimed that his client had surrendered in Delhi, where he was undergoing treatment.

"Today, we have surrendered Dev Prakash Madhukar, who has been called the main organiser in the FIR in the Hathras case, after calling the police, the SIT and the STF in Delhi since he was undergoing treatment here," AP Singh said.

We had promised we would not apply for anticipatory bail since we did no wrong. What is our crime? He is an engineer and a heart patient. Doctors said his condition is stable now and so we surrendered today to join the probe, he added.

On Friday, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, visited Hathras and met with the families of the stampede victims. He said the families told him that there were not enough police arrangements for the religious event, which caused the stampede.

On Thursday, the Hathras police arrested six people from the satsang's organising committee, including two women volunteers. These arrests happened a day after chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited Hathras.

Police said no one was cleared yet and everyone mentioned during the investigation, including Bhole Baba, will be questioned if needed.

Six, including two women sevadars (volunteers) from the organising committee, have been arrested and a search is on for the main accused in (connection with the) FIR lodged. The incharge of the Samagam (satsang) Dev Prakash Madhukar (Engineer), in whose name permission was sought for the satsang, is absconding after being named in FIR by Hathras police. A reward of 1 lakh has been declared on his arrest and NBW (non-bailable warrant) issued. Teams are searching for him, inspector general of police, Aligarh range, Shalabh Mathur said.

The six people arrested on Thursday by Sikandra Rau police in Hathras are Ram Ladete (50) from Mainpuri, Upendra Singh Yadav (62) from Firozabad, Megh Singh (61) from Hathras, Manju Yadav (30) from Hathras, Mukesh Kumar (38) from Hathras, and Manju Devi (40) from Hathras.

On interrogation, it was learnt that these arrested are members of organising committee and work as sevadars (volunteers) and were involved in gathering of crowd, collection of donations, barricading, crowd management, electricity arrangements at venue, parking of vehicles and cleanliness. They were given uniform by organisers. These sevadar gave out that they did not allow police and administration to have photo and video of event and even misbehaved when questioned, said Mathur.
Panaji: India has the potential to develop one of the worlds major cruise tourism destinations with persistent interest among international cruise carriers to visit domestic destinations like Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Pondicherry, besides existing destinations like Cochin, Goa and Mumbai, said Indian Ports Association chairman Rajiv Jalota said on Friday. Every year, India receives international cruises from Europe via the Red Sea, from Gulf Countries as well as cruise ships from Singapore and SouthEast Asia (Representative Photo)

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference on the future of Indian Ports, Jalota, who is also chairman of the Mumbai Port Authority, said with the right policies in place, India will be well-placed to tap into the growing market.

India is seeing a lot of traction. There was tremendous traction for India (at a recent cruise tourism conference) among the big cruise lines as well as the adventure excursion of those small cruise lines. Pondicherry, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar are in great demand by the international community, Jalota, who is also the chairman of the cruise tourism cell, said.

Every year, India receives international cruises from Europe via the Red Sea, from Gulf Countries as well as cruise ships from Singapore and SouthEast Asia. On the domestic front, Cordelia Cruises operate cruise ships from Mumbai via Goa, Cochin, and Lakshadweep, including Sri Lanka, as part of existing itineraries.

At Goas Mormugao Port, which is among the major ports to receive cruise tourism vessels, its chairman N Vinodkumar said the port was expecting an increase in footfalls this year.

For the next season, we are already getting calls because last season also we saw an increase in the number of vessels. Last year we had a total of 1.20 lakh (120,000) passengers out of which 90,000 were domestic passengers and the rest international. The number of ports will be higher, Vinodkumar said.

He added, We are providing 1% of the cruise passengers of the world. Our number will easily reach 10% in the next four years. Cruise terminals are also making a lot of money There is a lot of potential.

Officials present at the conference said they expect cruise tourism to grow further, given the states can provide the itineraries and develop destinations that can attract international cruise tourists.

We have made some plans for 100 days of policy changes. A lot of work has to be done by the states in providing the proper itinerary and improving the destinations. We have taken it up with the tourism ministry and the tourism ministry will impress the respective state government, an official, who did not wish to be named, said.

Among the international cruise companies who have expressed interest are MSC Cruises, a Swiss-Italian shipping company, and Royal Caribbean International, which are looking to commence operations in India, connecting coastal tourism destinations. However, according to officials familiar with the process, the international cruise liners have raised concerns regarding the tax regime they will be subjected to.

They are in talks with our revenue department. Some data is being asked from them. For India to take a call to give some benefit is a difficult task. If we can do something in the next three or four months, then two years later, orders for more ships can be placed, the official mentioned above said.

Goas Mormugao Port, which is expected to receive an even higher number of cruise ship visits this season, is hopeful it can launch its upgraded cruise terminal in January next year.

According to officials, last years cruise tourism season was blighted by the Red Sea crisis in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, which led to several cruise liners using the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to travel to the Indian Ocean, cancelling their visits to Indian destinations, adversely affecting the growth of the sector.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Lighthouses and Lightships has launched a coastal vessel tracking system for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that will be aimed at monitoring the movement of vessels around the strategically significant islands similar to a VTS that operates in the Gulf of Kutch that provides data to the 12 ports of Kutch.
Keir Starmers Labour Party has registered a landslide victory in the UK general election with incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks Conservative Party being dethroned. Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L) and Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer (R) (AFP)

In the 650-member House of Commons, four British Indians have also registered their victory. Read more to find out who they are.

Rishi Sunak: The incumbent Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has retained his seat from northern England, but his Conservative Party conceded defeat in general elections after theLabour Party cruised to victory winning 378 seats.

To the hundreds of Conservative candidates, thousands of volunteers and millions of voters: Thank you for your hard work, thank you for your support, and thank you for your vote, wrote Sunak on X (formerly Twitter) after facing the defeat.

The first British Asian prime minister, he previously held two cabinet positions under Boris Johnson, including Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022. Sunak served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond (Yorks) from 2015 to 2024, and has represented Richmond and Northallerton since 2024.

Preet Kaur Gill: A member of the Labour Party, Gill was re-elected from from Birmingham Edgbaston. Earlier, she has served as the Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health.

A honour and a privilege to be re-elected again as MP for Birmingham Edgbaston. Thank you to everyone who put their trust in me. I will continue to serve the people and place I love, Gill wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Priti Patel: Former home secretary Priti Patel has retained her Witham seat in Essex, taking 37.2 percent of the vote to beat Labour Party candidate into second place. The politician of Gujarati descent served as Home Secretary from 2019 to 2022. Patel, a member of the Conservative Party, has been an MP for Witham since 2010.

Gagan Mohindra: Born into a Punjabi Hindu family, Mohindra is a member of the Conservative Party. He has been re-elected from South West Herts in the UK general election. Gagan won with 16, 458 votes with Liberal Democrat Sally Symington coming second with 12,002. His parents, both from Punjab, immigrated to the United Kingdom before Mohindra was born. His paternal grandfather served in the British Indian Army.

Kanishka Narayan: A Labour Party member and former Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns lost to Labour's Kanishka Narayan, who has become Wales' first MP from a minority ethnic background. Born in India, Narayan moved to Cardiff at age 12. He earned a scholarship to Eton, studied at Oxford and Stanford, and then became a civil servant. Narayan served as a civil servant in the Cabinet Office under David Cameron and in the Environment Department under Liz Truss. He has also worked in the private sector, providing financial advice to businesses. Additionally, Narayan has volunteered with Citizens Advice and The Trussell Trust.

Read: Change begins now: Keir Starmer delivers victory speech as Rishi Sunak concedes defeat in UK election

Navendu Mishra: A member of the Labour Party, Mishra has won from Stockport constituency. He had secured the seat in the 2019 elections also. His mother comes from Gorakhpur, while his father is from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Navendu Mishra has been re-elected as MP with 21,787 votes. This seat has returned a Labour MP in every election since 1992.

Lisa Nandy: A labour party member, Nandy comfortably retained her Wigan seat, which she has held since 2014, with 19,401 votes. The Reform UK candidate, Andy Dawber, came in second with 9,852 votes. It was a dismal night for the Conservatives, with their candidate Henry Mitson receiving only 4,310 votes. She is the daughter of Dipak Nandy, a renowned Kolkata-born academic known for his work in race relations in Britain. A member of the Labour Party, she has represented Wigan since 2010.

Suella Braverman: The Indian-origin politician has won from Fareham and Waterlooville seats. During the last cabinet rejig of Sunak-led government, Braverman had stoked controversy with his statement that Metropolitan Police were lenient with pro-Palestine protesters. However, she was replaced by James Cleverly as interior minister.

A member of the Conservative Party, she served as chair of the European Research Group from 2017 to 2018 and as Attorney General for England and Wales from 2020 to March 2021, and again from September 2021 to 2022. She was the MP for Fareham from 2015 until 2024.

Shivani Raja: Shivani Raja won the Leicester East seat, taking it from the Labour Party. The contest included notable candidates such as former MPs Claude Webbe and Keith Vaz, who ran as Independents.

Raja, a Leicester native, studied at Herrick Primary, Soar Valley College, and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College. She graduated with First Class Honours in Cosmetic Science from De Montfort University (DMU).



Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: The Sikh leader has been re-elected as MP from Slough. In a post on X (foremerly Twitter), he thanked people of Slough for re-electing him. Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi is the first ever turbaned Sikh MP of the British parliament.
New Delhi, The Indian Medical Association has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting that an investigating officer should invoke the protective provision under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in cases of alleged criminal medical negligence. Investigating officer should invoke protective provision under BNS in case of criminal medical negligence: IMA writes to PM

The IMA pointed out that there is no criminal intent on the part of a doctor while treating a patient and there is no negligence to attract criminal prosecution.

"Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji acknowledged on the floor of the Parliament that death during treatment is not murder. The new BNS legislation brought up by your Government reflects on this aspect in section 26. IMA kindly request the Government that the investigating officer invoke this provision in cases of alleged medical negligence. In the rarest of rare cases which might be considered as recklessness the investigating officer may prefer the case to an expert committee for opinion," the IMA said in the letter sent recently.

When contacted, IMA President Dr R V Asokan said that Section 26 in the BNS clearly states that doctors fall outside the purview of criminal law and demanded that the provision under Section 106.1 should be deleted so that doctors are exempted from criminal prosecution.

"At present, police charge doctors under Section 106.1 in cases of alleged criminal medical negligence and do not follow the provision of Section 26. A crime necessarily has to have a criminal intent . In the absence of mens rhea doctors can be held responsible only in civil law Accordingly IMA is committed to work towards exempting the doctors from criminal prosecution," Dr Asokan said.

The IMA in its letter also highlighted that doctors of the country however are passing through difficult times in practising the profession and that there is an ambience of fear and mistrust in hospitals.

The violence on doctors and hospitals has reached epidemic proportions and is a "national shame".

"Your government had initiated a bill on violence on doctors and hospitals. It was even put up for public comments. However, the Bill is yet to be introduced in the Parliament. Your Government also protected the doctors during the mindless violence during Covid by amending the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897.

"A central law in statute on attacks on doctors and hospitals will be a deterrent and would strengthen the lame duck state legislations in 23 states. Hardly any conviction has happened in spite of numerous violent incidents," the IMA's letter stated.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Friday predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre can fall by August and elections can happen anytime. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.(ANI)

"I appeal to all party workers to be ready, as elections can happen anytime. Modi's government in Delhi is very weak and it can fall by August...," the former Union minister said at an event to mark his party's foundation day.

In the Lok Sabha election 2024, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 240 seats but fell short of the majority mark of 272. BJP formed the government with the support of its ally parties like JD(U), TDP etc., paving the way for PM Modi's third consecutive term. Since Modi 3.0 came into power, several Opposition leaders have been claiming that the government won't last long and would fall in few months. Lalu's latest remarks have given a fresh push to such claims.

ALSO READ| UK polls: PM Narendra Modi congratulates Keir Starmer on Labour's remarkable win

Bihar's ruling JD(U) is in alliance with the BJP, both at the Centre and the state.

RJD leader and Lalu's son Tejashwi Yadav hit out at JD(U) and said that the party compromised with its ideology by allying with the BJP to stay in power. He boasted about RJD's performance in the recently held Lok Sabha Election 2024, highlighting that the party's vote share had increased while that of NDA had decreased.

"...Those from Janata Dal (U)compromised with their ideology due to their greed for power and allied with BJP. Rashtriya Janata Dal is the only party which has neither compromised nor kneeled before BJP. Being in power is not the biggest thing. Our fight is for those who are weak & deprived...In Lok Sabha elections, our vote share increased by 9%, while NDA's vote share was reduced by 6%. Today, RJD has won 4 seats. We could have won more. Even then, our alliance has won 9 seats in this Lok Sabha polls...," said Tejashwi.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and NDA government in Bihar is under fire due to the collapse of several bridges in the state in the last few months. While authorities are claiming heavy rains as possible cause, Opposition has flagged the incidents as corrupt governance.
The Centre has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court asserting that NEET-UG 2024 need not be re-conducted in the absence of any proof of large-scale irregularities in the examination. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on July 8 a batch of pleas, including those alleging irregularities in the examination held on May 5 and seeking a direction that it be held afresh. (ANI)

Scrapping the exam entirely would seriously jeopardise the lakhs of honest candidates who attempted NEET-UG 2024 questions, the Union Ministry of Education said in its affidavit.

It is also submitted that at the same time, in the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination and the results already declared, the Centre said.

The Union government also informed the court that it has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct comprehensive probe into entire gamut of alleged irregularities.

NEET-UG is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions.

Read: NEET PG 2024 new exam date released, test to be conducted on August 11

The integrity of the NEET-UG examination has come under scrutiny due to allegations of paper leaks and other irregularities, prompting widespread protests and political friction.

On June 11, the Supreme Court, while hearing a plea to hold the exam afresh, noted concerns about the sanctity of NEET-UG and demanded responses from the Centre and the NTA.

However, the court refused to stay the counselling of the successful candidates.

Read: NEET-UG case: CBI arrests key conspirator from Jharkhand's Dhanbad

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud is scheduled to hear a batch of petitions on July 8, which seek various forms of relief, including a re-test and a thorough investigation into the alleged malpractices.

On Thursday, over 50 successful Gujarat-based NEET-UG candidates moved the top court seeking a direction to restrain the Centre and the NTA from cancelling the controversy-ridden exam.

The fresh plea of Sidhharth Komal Singla and 55 other students was filed through lawyer Devendra Singh.

It said, The Honble court may further direct the respondents (Centre and the NTA) not to re-conduct NEET-UG ... as that would not only be unreasonable and harsh for the honest and hardworking students but also would lead to the infringement of the Right to Education and therefore violative of Article 14 (right to equality) of the Constitution.

Read: CBI arrests co-conspirator in NEET-UG paper leak probe from Dhanbad

With the government postponing the NEET-PG examination and cancelling the UGC-NET, competitive exams in India have come under scrutiny over alleged irregularities.

The CBI has made six arrests so far in the NEET-UG paper leak case.
With Britains voters handing a landslide victory to the Labour Party, the new government headed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer could be better placed to take forward a trade deal and forge stronger ties with India, despite irritants of the past. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and leader of the Labour Party, and his wife Victoria thank supporters after he addressed the nation following his general election victory, in Downing Street in London on Friday. (AFP)

Labour won 412 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, ending the Conservative Partys 14-year grip on power. Starmer succeeds Rishi Sunak, the first British Asian premier who assiduously courted India and sought to push forward negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA) that ran into rough weather because of differences over issues such as market access and tariffs on automobiles and alcohol.

Sunak had a deeper India connection  he was born in Southampton in 1980 to Indian-origin parents who migrated to the UK from East Africa. He is married to Akshata Murty, the daughter of Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of IT services company Infosys.

Starmer, a member of Parliament since 2015 and a human rights lawyer, served as the director of public prosecutions for England and Wales.

Read Here: What will be the future of India-UK FTA under Keir Starmer as British PM?

That said, the change of government in London is unlikely to lead to a sea change in Britains overall policies towards India, especially in key areas such as defence and strategic cooperation and trade and investment ties, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named.

Labours leadership made an effort to court India even before the elections was called by Sunak, sending key leaders such as shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds to New Delhi as recently as February to engage with ministers and business leaders, one of the people cited above said.

Shairee Malhotra, associate fellow (Europe) at the Observer Research Foundation, said: The prospects for the India-UK relationship are good under the Labour party because this is a reinvented and revamped Labour, and not the Labour of Jeremy Corbyn. It has moved more towards the centre under Starmer and is a more pragmatic party.

In the past, the Labour Party has taken up matters such as human rights violations and the Kashmir issue with India more vigorously than other British political parties, but the people pointed to Starmers recent outreach to the Indian diaspora as well as the partys sidelining of Corbyn, under whose leadership Labour had passed an emergency motion on the situation in Kashmir at its annual conference in September 2019.

Read Here | 'Changing UK not like flicking switch, but': 5 things PM Starmer said

The motion, which came in the wake of the Indian governments decision to scrap Jammu & Kashmirs special status in August 2019, said there was a humanitarian crisis in the region and that the Kashmiri people should be given the right of self-determination. Even at the time, Labour had responded to the controversy caused by the move by distancing itself from the motion and describing the Kashmir issue as a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan in which the party wouldnt interfere.

However, there could still be demands from Labour members to take up some issues considered sensitive by India, a second person said, referring to calls last month by party leaders Angela Raynor and Zarah Sultana for an inquiry into the role reportedly played by Britain in the storming of the Golden Temple by Indian troops in 1984 to remove pro-Khalistan militants holed up in the shrine.

YK Sinha, who was Indias high commissioner to the UK during 2016-2018, attributed Labours massive win to anti-incumbency and the economic mess created by Brexit, or Britains exit from the European Union (EU) under a Tory government. Sunak tried to stabilise things but it wasnt enough and he became the fall guy. But I dont think this Labour government will be radically different from the Tory government. Labour is more centrist now and their policies could be tweaked, he said.

Sinha said he expected the new British governments immediate focus to be more on domestic issues, including fixing public services such as the National Health Service (NHS) and tackling a cost of living crisis, rather than matters of foreign policy. However, he noted that Labour leader Lammy and new foreign secretary, had spoken of continuity in the approach towards India.

Read Here | Keir Starmer's cabinet list: Who's who in new UK government?

Hes talked about working for a free and open Indo-Pacific and the importance of India in the overall foreign policy, Sinha said.

Addressing a session at the India Global Forum in London last month, Lammy described India as an economic and technological superpower that is the future of Asia. He said: India contributes so much to British prosperity already. Last year, India was our second largest foreign direct investment contributor. Over 950 Indian companies are employing over 100,000 people in the UK. But it could be so, so much more as India is only our 12th largest trade partner.

He added, This is why for Keir Starmers changed Labour Party, our aspiration for a free trade deal between our two great nations is a floor not a ceiling. And why our leader has set his sights on a new UK-India strategic partnership that focuses on economic security, domestic security and global security.

Lammy also emphasised the need for a reset and a relaunch of the India-UK relationship because the Conservative Party had time and time again over promised and under delivered when it comes to India.

Read Here: Who is Keir Starmer, Labour Party's leader who will become UK's prime minister? What are his views on India?

Malhotra said Labours absolute majority in Parliament could make it easier for Starmer to get FTA done. However, there are differences  the UK wants India to open up its services sector because services account for 80% of the British economy. Then there are the differences on tariffs for automobiles and liquor, she said.

Labour, Malhotra noted, is not attached to the anti-immigration rhetoric and this is a factor that could benefit India, which has been pushing the British side to allow greater mobility for Indian professionals and students. This makes a breakthrough much more likely under Labour, she said.

Sinha said, The two sides have narrowed their differences on the FTA but differences remain on issues that are important to both sides. Labour will be keen to show results in the FTA negotiations because, after all, this involves the worlds fifth and sixth largest economies.

The Labour leadership should also be sensitive to Indias concerns related to the Indian diaspora in the UK, Sinha said, referring to the activities of pro-Khalistan elements, such as protests targeting the Indian mission. He referred to the support traditionally enjoyed by Labour among migrants from Pakistans Mirpur region and from Punjab, and said: The hotheads [in the UK] need to be kept in touch. At the same time, India shouldnt let such issues colour its perception [of the overall relationship].
Thiruvananthapuram, A day after the CPI in Kerala said the SFI will become a liability for the Left Front if it does not mend its ways, CPI leader A K Balan on Friday said no one inside or outside the LDF would be permitted to destroy the student outfit. No one inside or outside Left front will be allowed to destroy SFI: A K Balan

Balan said that the Students Federation of India was a movement created by the CPI and it has grown over the years.

"We will not let anyone destroy it. What I said is meant for those inside and outside the Left front," he said.

Balan further said that those who were not present in Kerala's political scene or India when the SFI was growing and when it was in crisis, "would not understand its history."

His comments were apparently in response to CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam's remarks on Thursday when he strongly criticised the SFI, saying that if its ways were not corrected, it would become a liability for the Left front in the state.

Also read : Road from Kerala to Keralam laid over a path of cultural identity, politics

Viswam had said that the ways of the CPI's student wing "are not that of the Left student movement."

"The SFI activists and comrades should read about the history of the student movement. They are not aware of their origins and what they stand for. The new SFI does not know the meaning of the term Left front. They do not know the depth of their political ideology.

"They also do not know about the obligations of the Left front in the new world. They have to be taught about all this. If they are not taught, if they are not corrected, SFI will become a liability for the Left front. That should not happen," he had said.

He was reportedly speaking with regard to the SFI's recent activities, including allegedly slapping a college principal and beating up a KSU leader in the University of Kerala campus, which have been in the news.

Viswam had also said that there are thousands of youngsters in the SFI and keeping them in mind also, the student outfit should be guided on to the right path.

"They should be made the strength of the Left front. For that, they have to be made aware that the ways they have adopted now are not the right ones," the CPI state secretary had said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Union government on Friday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, opposing the re-conduct of medical entrance test NEET-UG 2024, arguing that such a move would disrupt the academic calendar and is unnecessary due to the lack of widespread evidence of malpractice. A protest in Patna, over alleged NEET irregularities. (HT)

In the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination and the results already declared, stated the affidavit, filed through the ministry of education.

Supporting this view, the national testing agency (NTA), which conducts NEET, also filed an affidavit separately in the top court on the same day, contending that cancelling the exam will be counterproductive and will jeopardise the career prospects of meritorious students even though instances of malpractices were minuscule, sporadic and scattered, committed by an identifiable set of persons at identifiable places where strictest of actions are being taken.

The present case is not a case wherein the entire examination process conducted across at 4,750 centres in 571 cities (including 14 cities abroad) has suffered systematic failure, as it has not been vitiated by all pervasive factors of unfair means or paper leak etc...if the entire examination process is cancelled without their being any tangible factors warranting such actions it would be highly detrimental to larger public interest involving academic career of lakhs of students who have attempted the examination fairly without doing any wrongdoing or even an allegation of wrongdoing, stated NTA.

Read Here: NEET PG 2024, postponed on exam eve last month, to be now held on August 11

The agency added that it has carried out an assessment of the performance of all the candidates at the centres in Bihar, Jharkhand and Gujarat from where the complaints of alleged paper leak and other malpractices came up.

The data analysis of the performance so done by NTA succinctly indicates that the alleged malpractices have not; either impacted the sanctity of the entire exam or resulted in any undue benefit to the students appearing at the aforementioned centres. The performance chart of the students at the said centers reveals that the performance of the students at these centres is neither abnormally high nor significantly different from the national average of performance of the remaining centres at different places in the country, said NTA.

The affidavits have been filed two days before a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud is set to hear a clutch of petitions that have demanded the national eligibility-cum entrance test (NEET) for admission to MBBS courses be scrapped because of irregularities, including possible leak of the paper.

Both NTA and the Centre maintained that they are committed towards the conduct of all competitive examinations in a fair and transparent manner, stressing the importance of protecting the interests of students who have attempted the exam fairly.

The Union of India remains committed towards protecting the interests of lakhs of students who have attempted the question papers fairly and after years of hard work, without trying to obtain any illegal advantage...Scrapping the exam in entirety would seriously jeopardize the lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the question paper in 2024, underlined the Centre, adding it has adopted a solution-oriented approach.

Read Here: Dixit Patel and the curious case of NEET-UG exam cheating case in Godhra

According to the Centre, while genuine concerns based on proven facts must be addressed, other prayers merely based on conjectures and surmises must be rejected so as not to cause unnecessary suffering and distress to honest examinees and their families.

Emphasising that maintaining the confidentiality of question papers is of utmost priority, the Centre stated: If due to some criminality at the behest of some criminal elements, the confidentiality has been breached, the Union of India submits that the said person must be dealt sternly and with the full force of law.

Addressing the reported instances of irregularities, the Centres affidavit detailed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the alleged malpractices. The Ministry has asked the premier investigation agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust, destruction of evidence by the candidates/institutes/middlemen, it said.

The affidavit referenced the Supreme Courts decision in the case of Sachin Kumar & Ors Vs DSSSB & Ors, highlighting that systemic irregularities would be required to vitiate the entire examination process. The answer to the issue turns upon whether the irregularities in the process have taken place at a systemic level so as to vitiate the sanctity of the process, the affidavit quoted from the 2021 ruling while adding that in such a case, those who are innocent of wrongdoing should not pay a price for those who are actually found to be involved in irregularities.

Responding to concerns about the examination process, the ministry said it has constituted a high-level committee of experts, headed by Dr K Radhakrishnan, former Chairman of ISRO. This committee is tasked with suggesting effective measures for conducting transparent, smooth, and fair examinations. The Committee shall make recommendations on reforms in the mechanism of the examination process, improvement in data security protocols, and the structure and functioning of the National Testing Agency, the affidavit stated.

Read Here | NEET-UG 2024 retest not needed, would adversely impact honest candidates: Centre tells SC

The affidavit also mentioned the enactment of the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024, which provides stringent punishment for offenses related to unfair means in public examinations. The Act was brought into effect on 21.06.2024 and provides for stringent punishment for offenses related to unfair means in public examinations, it noted.

The 2024 NEET-UG, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS and other related undergraduate 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. The results, declared on June 4, raised further suspicions when 67 candidates achieved perfect scores of 720, with several of them belonging to the same examination centre. The Union government has already replaced the head of NTA after the controversy erupted.

The NTA, however, maintained in its affidavit that the perfect scores were because of the reduction in the syllabus, which was done to enable candidates to focus on the core concepts and to alleviate the pressure on students who faced challenges in completing their studies due to the pandemic in 2019-20.

It pointed out that the issue of paper leak is confined to some places in Bihar while the complaints from other cities in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh pertained to instances of individual malpractices and impersonation etc.

The Bihar police had commenced investigating the paper leak allegations, but the probe was later handed over to CBI, which has so far made seven arrests from Bihar, Jharkhand and Gujarat.

The Bihar government also filed a short affidavit on Friday, informing the court that although it started probing the allegations of malpractices in relation to the conduct of the NEET-UG and arrested an accused, the case records were handed over to CBI after the investigation was transferred to the central agency on June 23. In view of the fact that the investigation is now being carried out by CBI, the present affidavit is being filed without details of outcome of the investigation carried out so far by the State agencies, since this may affect the pending investigation by the CBI, said the state.

On June 18, the Supreme Court had emphasised that even 0.01% negligence on the part of NTA in conducting NEET-UG 2024 should be thoroughly dealt with. A vacation bench highlighted the importance of maintaining the integrity of the examination process, especially considering the hard work put in by the students. The apex court on that day acknowledged the allegations of paper leaks, malpractices, and discrepancies in the declaration of results and reminded NTA of the seriousness of allowing any fraud in the admission process, stating that a doctor admitted through fraudulent means could be deleterious to society.
Jailed Waris Punjab De activist Amritpal Singh's father Tarsem Singh on Friday said that people want his son to be permanently released from prison. Amritpal who got elected as an MP in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election 2024, is being brought to Delhi for his swearing-in as an MP, an official said on Friday, reported news agency PTI. Jailed Waris Punjab De' activist Amritpal Singh(File photo)

"I had met him (Amritpal Singh) on June 8 after he won the (Lok Sabha) election. People love him. They want him to be released from jail so that he gets an opportunity to fulfil the responsibilities he has been elected for," Tarsem Singh told news agency PTI.

The controversial activist has been lodged in the Dibrugarh Central Jail since April last year under the National Security Act. Ten members of his outfit, including Amritpal and one of his uncles, were arrested from different parts of Punjab following a crackdown.

ALSO READ| Amritpal to be back in Assam jail after taking oath as MP on Friday

Amritpal is currently on four-day parole for his swearing-in ceremony as an MP. He had been elected as an MP from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib constituency by 1.97 lakh votes as an Independent candidate by defeating Congress's Kulbir Singh Zira.

As per the parole order, Amritpal or his relatives are prohibited from making any public statements during his stay in New Delhi. During his visit for the oath-taking ceremony, Amritpal will be allowed to meet his family but will not be permitted to leave the "territorial jurisdiction" of New Delhi. The controversial activist has also been instructed not to engage in any activities that might compromise national security.

The parole order, which mentions 10 conditions, stated that the period of temporary release will include the time taken for the journey from the central jail in Dibrugarh to New Delhi and back.

He will "not enter the territorial jurisdiction of any place other than New Delhi during the period of temporary release", it stated.

"Amritpal Singh or any of his relatives shall not be permitted to videograph any statement of Amritpal and/or circulate any such statement in any electronic form," according to the order.

Earlier, in June, Amritpal's parents, Tarsem Singh and Balwinder Kaur, and his wife Kirandeep Kaur, had met the jailed activist.
The 17-year-old minor, allegedly involved in the Pune Porsche car crash which claimed the lives of two people, has submitted a 300-word essay on road safety in abidance with the bail conditions of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), an official told PTI on Friday. On May 19, the teenager who was allegedly under the effect of alcohol rammed a Porsche car into two software engineers, killing them both. (HT PHOTO)(HT_PRINT)

The essay was submitted to JJB on Wednesday, said the official according to PTI.

On May 19, the teenager who was allegedly under the effect of alcohol rammed a Porsche car into two software engineers, Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, killing them both.

A few hours after the incident, JJB ordered that the boy be kept under the care and supervision of his parents and grandfather.

JJB also ordered the minor to write a 300-word essay on road safety.

The incident which happened in Kalyani Nagar in Pune, triggered a nationwide outrage after the minor was granted bail on lenient terms.

Following the outrage, the police moved the board seeking an amendment of the bail order and on May 22, he was ordered to be sent to an observation home.

The teen's parents and grandfather were also arrested for attempting to tampering evidence. The father and grandfather were later granted earlier in July.

The minor was released from the observation home in June following a habeas corpus petition filed by the boys paternal aunt, reported HT.

The Bombay High Court said that the orders which remanded him to the facility were illegal, reported PTI.

We allow the habeas corpus petition and order his release. We are bound by law. The aims and objectives of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act must treat him as any child in conflict with the law separately from adults, despite the seriousness of the crime, a bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Manjusha Deshpande ruled, reported HT.

(with inputs from news agencies)
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Friday visited Hathras and met with the families of stampede victims. He said the kin of the deceased told him that adequate police arrangements had not been made for the religious event, which led to the stampede. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi met the families of the victims of the stampede in Hathras and Aligarh.

121 people, mostly women, died in the Hathras stampede on Tuesday.

Rahul Gandhi said he didn't want to politicise the tragedy. He demanded more compensation for the families of those who died.

"It is a sad incident. Several people have died. I don't want to say this from a political prism but there have been deficiencies on the part of the administration and the important thing is that maximum compensation should be given as they are poor families. I request UP CM Yogi Adityanath to provide compensation open-heartedly. If there is a delay in the compensation, it will not benefit anyone. I had a personal conversation with the family members of the deceased and they told me that there was no police arrangement. They are in shock and I just wanted to understand their situation...," Rahul Gandhi said after the meeting, reported ANI.

Congress leader Danish Ali, who accompanied Gandhi, said the UP government wasn't taking the tragedy seriously.

Also read: Did suffocation lead to Hathras stampede? What police, eyewitnesses say

"This is an unfortunate incident. We left at 5 am with Rahul Gandhi. The stories of the victims are heart-wrenching Neither any responsibility of the administration has been fixed nor the government is taking this seriously," he said.

The stampede took place at a religious event dedicated to preacher Bhole Baba. The UP police have arrested six organisers of the event. However, the main accused is absconding.

Bhole Baba hasn't been named in the FIR.

Rahul Gandhi left for Hathras early Friday morning. He visited two Aligarh villages on the way, where he met with the families who lost their loved ones in the stampede.

The UP government has constituted a probe panel under a retired Allahabad high court judge. The Congress has demanded a judicial probe under a serving judge.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, met with the families of those killed in the Hathras stampede earlier this week. Rahul Gandhi meeting with a family member of a Hathras stampede victim.

121 people  mostly women  died in the stampede. The Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday arrested six members of the panel that organised the religious event in honour of preacher Bhole Baba.

Also read: Hathras stampede: Bhole Baba owns assets worth Rs100+ crore

Here are 10 points on the Hathras stampede tragedy.

On Friday morning, Rahul Gandhi went to the Navipur Khurd and Pilakhna villages in Aligarh. He met the families of Shanti Devi and Manju Devi, who died in the stampede. They later told the media that Rahul Gandhi assured them of financial help. He later reached Hathras. Surajpal, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari and Bhole Baba, is not named in the FIR registered by the UP police. However, the police plan to question him if required. On Thursday, the police searched his Mainpuri ashram but couldn't find him. Inspector General of Police (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur said on Thursday that all six people are volunteers. The main accused, Devprakash Madhukar, is absconding. The police will announce a reward of  1 lakh on him. "A non-bailable warrant (NBW) will also be issued against key accused Devprakash Madhukar," Mathur added. Those arrested have been identified as Ram Ladaite (50), Upendra Singh Yadav (62), Megh Singh (61), Mukesh Kumar (38), Manju Yadav (30) and Manju Devi (40). Ram Ladaite is a native of Mainpuri, Upendra Singh Yadav is from Firozabad, and the rest are residents of Hathras. "The organisers and members gathered crowd and collected donations in the 'Satsang' committee for cooperation," the officer added. According to the preliminary report by the Hathras administration, the stampede occurred after Bhole Baba left the event venue as his devotees rushed to collect the dirt around his feet. The administration has alleged that 2.5 lakh people congregated at the venue against the permitted limit of 80,000. The FIR was lodged on July 2 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) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence). The Uttar Pradesh government has set up a probe panel under a retired Allahabad High Court judge. The Congress, however, has demanded a judicial investigation under a retired judge. Meanwhile, Suraj Pal, or Bhole Baba, owns at least 24 ashrams, several luxury cars and assets worth at least  100 crore, said an HT report, citing people familiar with the matter. Bhole Baba is known to arrive at religious events in a convoy of 15-30 vehicles. Sevadars handle all aspects of security at the events. He moves in a Toyota Fortuner. Bhole Baba lives in his Mainpuri Ashram, which is built on 21 bighas of land and named Hari Nagar. Within this expansive estate, six rooms are exclusively reserved for him and his wife.

With inputs from PTI
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said mistakes led to the stampede at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradeshs Hathras on July 2 as he met kin of some of those killed there. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi meeting kin of Hathras stampede victims. (PTI)

It is a matter of grief. There have been mistakes and those should be looked into. The most important thing is that the families of those killed are poor and they must get more and more compensation in the time of need, he said.

Gandhi requested Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to pay generous compensation to the families of those killed. They need compensation at this moment. It will have no significance if it is provided after six months, a year, or gets delayed, said Gandhi, who visited Hatras two days after Adityanath announced a judicial probe into the stampede that left 121 people, mostly women, dead.

Gandhi, who met the kin in a park for about 30 minutes, said he asked them about their children and families. He added that they complained about the administration. The required arrangement of the police was not there. I am trying to understand their situation they are in pain and shock.

Subhash Chand, who was among those who met Gandhi, said he told the Congress leader about the loss of his mother Munni Devi, 55. I told him about what led to the stampede. The baba [Narayan Sarkar Hari alias Bhole Baba who held the congregation] fled the site...despite knowing that people were dying, he did not bother to return They called a specified number of people. But people arrived in huge numbers. I told Rahul everything.

Avdhesh Kumar, who also met Gandhi, said his two daughters went to the congregation. He added one of them, Lata Mani, 18, died in the lap of her sister, Vaishnavi, 17. My younger daughter has been distraught and in tears ever since. Rahulji saw a photo of my deceased daughter on my mobile. He asked us about the baba. Rahul said that our issues would be taken up and he would try to help them.

Inadequate arrangements have been blamed for the tragedy. Permission was given for a gathering of 80,000, but over 250,000 people showed up for the congregation near a highway.

The First Information Report filed in the case did not name the baba, who is believed to be at his heavily guarded ashram in Mainpuri, as a suspect. On Thursday, six people were arrested in the case.

Inspector-general (Aligarh range) Shalabh Mathur said on Thursday that the baba will be called for questioning if needed. He added action would be based on evidence.

Police said that a crowd was prevented from approaching the babas vehicle while he was leaving the congregation and this led to the stampede.
The Aam Aadmi Party has appointed senior leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh as the chairperson of the AAP Parliamentary Party. Sanjay Singh also has the responsibility of the party as AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal is in jail in connection with the excise policy case. AAP MP Sanjay Singh speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Parliament session, in New Delhi on Monday.(Sansad TV)

Singh joined the Aam Aadmi Party shortly after its inception in 2012 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming one of the party's most visible and influential leaders.

Read: AAP slams CBI over Arvind Kejriwal's arrest: Made a mockery of judiciary'

Sanjay Singh was first elected to Rajya Sabha in 2018 and was re-elected this year.

As a member of the Rajya Sabha, Singh has been instrumental in forging alliances and negotiating with other political parties to advance AAP's legislative agenda.

In the role of AAP Parliamentary Party chairperson, Singh will be responsible for coordinating the party's activities in Parliament, ensuring that its legislative strategies are effectively implemented, and maintaining discipline among its MPs. The chairperson also acts as the primary liaison between the party and other political parties, government officials, and parliamentary committees.

Read: Delhi crisis: AAP's Sanjay Singh seeks INDIA bloc's support to get water from Haryana

Sanjay Singh is currently out on bail in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. The Supreme Court granted him bail in April after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) opted not to oppose the plea. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his former deputy Manish Sisodia and former health minister Satyendar Jain are still under judicial custody in the same case.

Read: Swati Maliwal reveals what Sanjay Singh of AAP told her on phone when she reached police station

On Monday, Sanjay Singh accused the NDA government of indulging in politics of vendetta, and asserted it will not work against his party as "we will not bow down before you even if you cut us into 100 pieces".

Participating in the discussion on Motion of Thanks on President's address, Singh said, "Whatever you are doing with our chief minister (Arvind Kejriwal), it would not benefit you. We will not bow down before you even if you cut us into 100 pieces."
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will on July 10 consider a bundle of petitions seeking a review of its October 17 judgment that refused to grant legal recognition to same-sex couples and said only Parliament and state legislatures can validate their marital unions. A lawyer looks into his mobile phone as another walks past, in front of the Supreme Court in New Delhi (REUTERS FILE PHOTO)

The petitions will be considered by a five-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, in the judges chambers. The bench will also comprise justices Sanjiv Khanna, Hima Kohli, BV Nagarathna and PS Narasimha. Justices Khanna and Nagarathna have replaced the retired members of the previous bench  justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Ravindra Bhat.

A review petition comes up before the judges through circulation in their chambers and is mostly decided without an open court hearing. However, if the judges find some merit in the review plea, they can allow an open court hearing and oral arguments. In this case, the petitioners have demanded an open court hearing.

By a 3-2 majority, the October 17 judgment refused to accord legal sanction to same-sex marriage and also declined to grant constitutional protection to civil unions and adoption rights for queer couples, noting that mandating the State to grant recognition or legal status to some unions will violate the doctrine of separation of powers and could lead to unforeseeable consequences.

Also Read: Why the Supreme Courts minority order on same-sex marriage verdict raised hopes

While CJI Chandrachud and justice Kaul ruled in favour of recognition of civil unions  considered the world over as the first step towards granting full marriage equality  and adoption rights, justices Bhat, Kohli and Narasimha held that the right to a civil union cannot be assigned the status of a constitutionally protected right when the right to marry has not been given the same status.

Udit Sood, a US-based lawyer who was among the 52 petitioners seeking marriage equality in India, filed the first review petition in the matter on November 1, complaining that the majority judgment of the court was manifestly unjust and self-contradictory in not protecting the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community despite acknowledging its travails.

The majority ruling is self-contradictory, facially erroneous and deeply unjust. The majority found that queer Indians endure severe discrimination at the hands of the State, declared that discrimination must be prohibited, and then did not take the logical next step of enjoining the discrimination, Sood said in his petition filed through Karanjawala & Co.

In his petition, Sood picked out parts of the judgment authored by justice Bhat, complaining that though the judgment extensively wrote on unjust discriminatory consequences and violation of the fundamental rights of the LGBTQ+ community, it failed to take the logical next step of prohibiting the discrimination.

Terming the contradiction an error apparent on the face of the record, Sood said that it was nothing short of abdication of the duty by the Supreme Court to not correct a wrong after having acknowledged it.

Our Constitution primarily tasks this Honble court  not the respondents (Centre)  with upholding fundamental rights. To find that the petitioners are enduring discrimination, but then turn them away with best wishes for the future, conforms neither with this Honble courts constitutional obligation towards queer Indians nor with the separation of power contemplated in our Constitution, said his petition, disputing the majority view that the government should take appropriate steps to remove the stigma of discrimination and protect queer couples.

Almost a week later, Supriya Chakravarty and Abhay Dang also moved the top court seeking a review of the October 17 judgment. They argued that constitutional courts are empowered to review statutory law to ensure its conformity with constitutional values and that such courts do not need to wait for the legislature to enact or amend laws to recognise same-sex marriage.

There is a right to a relationship, a right to union, and a right to civil union under the Constitution, yet the majority decision fails to secure any legal status for such rights The bench unanimously finds that the exclusion of queer couples from the existing statutory regime is discriminatory, yet the majority decision grants no relief, complained the petition.

The top courts ruling on October 17 unanimously held that the right to marry was not a fundamental right, and that it was beyond the remit of courts to issue a positive direction to the legislature to characterise same-sex marriages and queer relationships through a new instrument of law.

The judgments  separately authored by the CJI, and justices Kaul, Bhat and Narasimha  also refused to annul or read down the provisions of the Special Marriage Act (SMA) to include non-heterosexual couples within its fold.

The judges, however, were divided in deciding how far a court can go despite acknowledging that queerness is not an urban, elitist concept and required the State to ascertain protection for such couples.

While the CJI and justice Kaul maintained that the right to enter into a union by queer couples is a constitutionally protected right and that the State has an obligation to recognise such civil unions and grant them benefit under law, including adoption rights, the other three judges overruled this view.
In a huge setback to former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), six of the partys members of state legislative council (MLCs) defected to the Congress on Friday. Telangana chief minister and senior Congress leader Revanth Reddy. (PTI File Photo)

The six MLCs  T Bhanu Prasad Rao, Baswaraj Saraiah, Dande Vittal, M S Prabhakar, Yegge Mallesham and Boggarapu Dayanand  met at a hotel around 11.30pm on Thursday and decided to switch to the Congress.

At around 1 am, they went to the residence of Telangana Congress president and chief minister A Revanth Reddy who just returned from New Delhi and met him to express their interest in joining the party, a Congress leader familiar with the development said.

The MLCs were formally inducted into the party by the chief minister in the presence of Telangana AICC in-charge Deepa Das Munshi, state revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and other senior Congress leaders.

With the defection of six BRS lawmakers into Congress, the strength of the ruling party in the 40-member state legislative council has gone up to 10, while the strength of the BRS has come down from 25 to 19. Besides, there are four nominated MLCs, two members from AIMIM, one each from BJP, PRTU, and one independent, while two seats are vacant.

The BRS has already lost six MLAs to the Congress in the last five months  Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari, Tellam Venkat Rao, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Dr Sanjay Kumar and Kale Yadaiah.

BRS working president and former minister KT Rama Rao lashed out at the Congress for engineering the defections from the BRS. He took to X to give vent to his anger, saying the defections were against the Congress manifesto which has promised an amendment to the Tenth Schedule, seeking to automatically disqualify the elected members who defect from one party to another.

He recalled that BRS Rajya Sabha member K Keshava Rao resigned after joining Congress. We welcome his decision. What about the BRS MLA who defected and contested Lok Sabha on Congress ticket? What about half a dozen other BRS MLAs who defected to Congress? he asked.

@RahulGandhi is this how you are going to uphold the constitution? If you cant make BRS MLAs resign, how would the nation trust that you were committed to Schedule 10 amendments as per Congress manifesto? Yeh Kaisa Nyay Patra Hain? KTR asked.

In the assembly elections held on November 30, the BRS lost power by winning only 39 seats in the 119-member state assembly, as against 64 of the Congress. Their number fell to 38 following the defeat of its candidate in May this year in the by-election to Secunderabad Cantonment assembly seat which had fallen vacant due to the death of BRS MLA Lasya Nandita in a road accident in February.

Later, the BRS tally came down further to 32 with the defection of six of its MLAs to the Congress in the last five months. The strength of the Congress in the assembly has gone up to 71.
NEW DELHI: In many ways, what happened in Hathras on July 2 was typical of other deadly stampedes over the decades. The trigger itself may be unique to each stampede; in Hathras, the first people who stumbled had bent to pick up sand stepped on by the baba whose event they had gone to attend. What followed, however, has been common to many other stampedes: individuals slipping and falling (wet ground has contributed to previous stampedes too), then panicking, jostling and falling over one another while looking for elusive exit routes in a crammed area. Shoes are pictured where a stampede killed 121 people during a sermon at Hathras in Uttar Pradesh on July 3 (AFP FILE)

The study of stampedes, which has picked up in recent decades, involves a lot more than the psychology of people moving haphazardly in a panic. More precisely, it is the study of crowd dynamics, of which stampede events are an inevitable part, that has become a diverse field today with lessons to offer, partly because of the modern tools available to computer modelling, and largely because understanding crowd behaviour can lead to preventive measures against high-risk events, particularly stampedes.

Black hole in a stampede

In many stampedes, possibly including the one in Hathras, deaths occur as a result of a phenomenon that researcher Dirk Helbing describes as the black hole effect. Helbing, a professor of computational social science at ETH Zurich, is a leading global expert on crowd dynamics; his analysis of Haj crowds following a stampede during the 2006 pilgrimage, which caused 362 deaths, led the authorities to introduce new control measures, particularly in Mina.

Helbing describes the black hole effect in a 2014 paper in the Journal of Statistical Physics. When people are moving in a tightly packed crowd, the contact between their bodies causes physical forces to be transmitted from one individual to another. These forces may add up and create unpredictable force chains pushing the individuals from various directions. Eventually, these pushes may reach a level that can cause one or more individuals to stumble and fall.

Such a fall, in turn, creates a hole in the crowd. This breaks the balance of forces among the surrounding people: they are still being pushed from behind, but no longer from the front because of the hole.

Therefore, people in the neighbourhood tend to lose their equilibrium and fall also. Consequently, people will be piled up. Those on the ground suffer from the weight [of other individuals] and have difficulty breathing, Helbing told HT. He believes this is more or less what happened in Hathras, going by what he has seen in videos after the incident.

The dynamics of crowds

Identifying such factors comes from the study of crowd dynamics, which straddles diverse fields such as modelling, engineering and physics, while also factoring in the psychology that determines how individuals behave in a crowd.

It requires a combination of macroscopic, microscopic, activity-travel behaviour, and crowd behavioural/psychological studies, to get a comprehensive understanding of crowd dynamics and crowd risk-situations, said Ashish Verma, professor of civil engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), whose extensive research on the subject includes heading a 300-page report on the dynamics of the 2016 Kumbh Mela crowd in Ujjain. The report, prepared by Vermas transportation engineering lab at IISc, was published in 2019.

Through scientific understanding of crowd dynamics, it is possible to predict crowd behaviour in normal and unexpected situations, and more importantly to control and contain their negative impact in terms of crowd risk situation, Verma told HT.

Researchers can observe a crowd at various scales. In some models, they borrow from fluid dynamics; just as molecules interact in a fluid medium, individuals too interact in various ways in a dense crowd, which is viewed as a continuous medium. Other models look at the density and velocity of an entire crowd and how these change in space and time, or how a queue in certain areas changes with time.

In all these models, variables that matter include the density of the crowd, the average speed, and the variance of speeds, and whether there are space constraints or insufficient exits, Helbing said.

Besides this, researchers use video and data analyses and, to some extent, even experiments (within ethical bounds) to gain insights into the dynamics of crowds, he said.

Lessons learnt

In 2016, the Kumbh Mela Experiment by Verma and his colleagues studied the dynamics of the Ujjain crowd and identified potential risk factors. It found variable speeds and densities at various sections of the Mela procession, causing bottlenecks at dense locations. Other factors upsetting the equilibrium of the crowd included additional pressure from devotees (without permission) trying to sneak into the procession from the sides, and groups holding hands trying to percolate through the crowd.

All these behaviours lead to situations of crowd risks and suitable measures have to be taken so as to avoid these crowd risks leading to crowd disasters, the report said.

It laid down a series of guidelines, such as restricting the crowd density to 67 persons per square metre, robust barricading and regulation of inflow to the ghat for the holy dip. While these have not been implemented yet, Verma said his group plans to seek permission for similar studies on the next mela in 2028 and other religious events in between.

In 2006, following the Haj stampede, the Saudi government consulted Helbing to analyse the crowds and find ways to prevent future disasters. An analysis of videos identified some risky behaviour: as the crowd for the ritual stoning in Mina thickened, its movement changed from steady progress to waves (stop-and-go) and then to turbulence with people being randomly jostled in all directions.

Following Helbings recommendations, the old pillars to be stoned were replaced with larger ones, an additional access route was designed, and a mandatory schedule was introduced to ensure pilgrims would no longer meander at will.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Friday challenged the Delhi Police to take immediate action after the National Commission for Women (NCW) sought an FIR against her over derogatory remarks against its chairperson Rekha Sharma. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra arrives at the Parliament House, in New Delhi on Tuesday.(ANI)

Come on Delhi Police please take action immediately on these suo moto orders. Am in Nadia in case you need me in the next 3 days to make a quick arrest, Mahua Moitra posted on X.

I Can Hold My Own Umbrella, she added, doubling down on her earlier controversial remark on a video that showed the NCW chairperson's arrival at the site of a stampede that recently took place in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras.

Read: Back in Lok Sabha, Mahua Moitra jabs BJP over her expulsion: Paid heavy price

In the video, other persons were seen holding umbrellas for Sharma, an action which seemed insensitive to many.

She is too busy holding up her boss's pajamas, Mahua Moitra had replied to a post.

The NCW said it strongly condemns the defamatory remarks and requests strict action against Moitra.

"The crude remarks are outrageous and a violation of a woman's right to dignity. The Commission observed that this remark attracts Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023," the NCW said in a post on X.

"An FIR should be registered against Moitra and a detailed action report should be communicated to the Commission within 3 days," the NCW wrote.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla termed Moitra's comment on the microblogging site as "extremely indecent, objectionable and shameful", and said this is the "true face" of the TMC and the opposition parties INDIA bloc.

"MP Mahua Moitra who justified and remained silent during Sandeshkhali, Chopra Talibani flogging, silent on Swati Maliwal now makes a disgusting comment at a woman that too the NCW Chief," he charged.

Read: Mahua Moitra's warriors are back post with women MPs as 18th Lok Sabha session begins

The BJP spokesperson also targeted the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the TMC MP's comment and asked, "Will Priyanka Vadra, Rahul Gandhi, (Mallikarjun) Kharge ji, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Chaturvedi, AAP call this out?"

"Will Mamata Didi act on her? Nope, just like they remained silent on Sandeshkhali and (flogging of a couple) in Chopra (West Bengal), he added.
Priti Patel, who is often described by her critics as a divisive politician, successfully defended her seat in Witham, Essex, securing 37.2 per cent of the vote and placing ahead of the Labour Party candidate. Conservative MP Priti Patel.(AFP)

The politician of Gujarati descent served as Home Secretary from 2019 to 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she has represented Witham as an MP since 2010.

She was asked to step down from her position as international development secretary by then Prime Minister Theresa May in 2017 due to unauthorised communications with Israeli officials.

Read: Indian-origin politicians who made it to the House of Commons in the UK

Earlier in 2006, Priti Patel had expressed her support for the ultimate punishment for the worst crimes. During a question time debate in 2011, she supported the death penalty although she has since insisted that her comments were taken out of context.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson famously characterised Priti Patel as a hardline home secretary, humorously suggesting that her policies could transform the UKs approach to penal policy akin to that of Saudi Arabia.

Patel was born in London to a Ugandan-Indian family and studied at Keele University and the University of Essex. Inspired by Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, she initially supported the Referendum Party before joining the Conservatives.

Before entering politics, she worked at the public relations consultancy firm Weber Shandwick. Following an unsuccessful attempt to win a seat in Nottingham North during the 2005 general election, Conservative leader David Cameron recommended Patel for the partys A-list of potential parliamentary candidates.

In April, Patel signed what she touted as a groundbreaking agreement to deport migrants who arrived in the UK illegally to Rwanda. This move stirred controversy among critics, including some Conservatives, who raised concerns about Rwandas human rights record and other issues.

In early 2021, the Police Federation of England and Wales expressed a loss of confidence in her as Home Secretary following a contentious decision to implement a pay freeze for officers.

Patel alos questioned the UK's use of DFID funds to support Palestinian territories through UN agencies and the Palestinian Authority. She had halted a third of Britain's aid to Palestinians in October 2016 and redirected future funding to focus solely on critical health and education services. Jewish groups, including the Jewish Leadership Council and the Zionist Federation, supported this change.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Sir Keir Starmer, who is set to be the UK's new Prime Minister, after the latter's Labour Party emerged victorious in the July 4 general elections in the United Kingdom. Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour party, reacts as he speaks at a reception to celebrate his win in the election, at Tate Modern, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/File Photo

Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to @Keir_Starmer on the remarkable victory in the UK general elections. I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity, PM Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The snap polls, called by the now-outgoing premier Rishi Sunak of the defeated Conservatives, have resulted in Labour regaining power after 14 years, with the party scoring a landslide victory, winning 412 seats in the 650-member Parliament.

Also Read: Keir Starmer set to become new UK PM as Labour Party scores landslide win

On the other hand, the Conservatives, also known as the Tories, were victorious only on 120 seats, and finished a distant second to the Starmer-led Labour.

Sunak, Britain's first Hindu Prime Minister and the first Indian-origin person to hold the coveted post, will soon meet King Charles, and tender his resignation. The King will then invite Starmer to form the next government.

Change starts now

Addressing a celebratory rally in central London, Starmer, 61, declared that the change starts now and committed himself to what he said would be a decade of national renewal.

However, he also noted that a substantial change would require time.

Who is Sir Keir Starmer?

A barrister by profession, he served as the Leader of the Labour Party from 2020 to 2024, succeeding Jeremy Corbyn. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) of the Holborn and St Pancras constituency, which he has held since 2015, winning four successive elections. Also, he will now be the first Prime Minister from the Labour Party since Gordon Brown, who was in office from June 2007 to May 2010.
Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday hit out at Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who took oath for the top post, replacing Champai Soren yesterday.



"What was the fault of Champai Soren? You made him the CM, you could have let him continue, but you removed a tribal CM. Just because you want to have the hold of just one family...," Chouhan was quoted by ANI as saying.



No one outside Soren's family can become the chief minister of the state. The removal of Champai Soren is a glaring example of dynastic politics and hunger for power, Chouhan was quoted by PTI as saying.



ALSO READ: BJP will be wiped out of Jharkhand': Ex-CM Hemant Soren



During his visit to Jharkhand's Ramgarh, the agriculture and rural development minister interacted with locals who said that the housing approvals under rural housing schemes have been granted to them and installments received. The locals alleged that they were facing issues due to the policies and corruption of the Soren government.



"Now the biggest thing is that the real change will happen in the Assembly elections, the corrupt, dishonest, and chaotic government will go and the BJP will come," Shivraj Chouhan said. Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren of dynastic politics.

"I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to come to this holy land of Jharkhand. It is our resolve to end the misrule of the coalition government here. It is a wonderful state and has tremendous potential. The soul of the BJP is our ideology - the philosophy of integral humanism and workers are our life," he added.

Soren, the executive president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), took oath as the 13th chief minister of the state on Thursday, days after he walked out of Ranchi's Birsa Munda jail after being granted bail by the Jharkhand high court.



The 48-year-old leader was released from jail five months after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of money laundering in an alleged land scam.



During his stint in jail, 67-year-old Champai Soren served as the chief minister of the state.
Kota, A 20-year-old woman was allegedly abducted by her father and brother and killed in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district, with police retrieving her burnt body from the pyre and initiating a probe into the "honour killing" case. Woman abducted, killed over inter-caste marriage in Rajasthan, family booked

By the time police reached Sourit village, after being informed by the woman's husband, around "80 per cent" of the body was burnt, an official said.

"It is a case of honour killing as the parents of the woman, Shimla Kushwah, had raised objections to her getting married to Ravindra Bheel, who belongs to a different caste," Harnwadashahaji DSP Jai Prakash Atal said.

A year ago, Kushwah and Bheel ran away and got married in UPs Ghaziabad, the police said.

On Thursday, the couple, who lived in Jhalawars Sourti village, came to Harnawadshahaji in neighbouring Baran district to withdraw money from a bank, they said.

Kushwahs father, brother and three of their relatives came there and abducted her. Bheel informed the local police, who further alerted Jawar police station in Jhalawar about the incident.

Jawar police then rushed to the spot, recovered Kushwahs body from a cremation ground, and handed it over to Baran police for investigation, Jawar Deputy Superintendent of Police Jarnail Singh said on Friday.

Police have booked 10-12 people, including the woman's parents and brother, the official said, adding that all of the accused are at large and efforts are underway to nab them.

A case under sections of 103 , 238 and 3 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was lodged at the Harnawdashahaji police station, the police said.

The body will be handed over to the husbands family after a post-mortem, a police officer said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Kolkata: Indian Air Force officials on Friday disposed of a World War 2-era bomb through a controlled explosion at Bhulanpur village in West Bengals Jhargram district, police said. Air Force officials on Friday disposed of a World War2-era bomb through controlled explosion in Bengals Jhargram district (Video screengrab)

The bomb was found by the villagers on June 29 when they were digging a field. The district administration initially informed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), but its bomb disposal squad said after inspection that the device should be handled by military personnel.

The state government officially approached the Indian Air Force, and their experts arrived from the Kalaikunda air base in West Midnapore district. They stacked around 1000 sandbags in rows around the bomb to create a buffer wall. All houses in the area were vacated before the explosion as a safety measure, a police official said on condition of anonymity.

Sharing an image of the operation on X, chief minister Mamata Banerjee wrote, The bomb was safely and successfully defused. I thank everyone involved for the good work done.

This is not the first time that WW2-era bombs have been found in this region. A few were found in the 1990s, a district official said.

Located in the Gopiballavpur community block of Jhargram district, Bhulanpur village stands by the Subarnarekha river.
Amal Allana had long felt that her fathers story needed to be told in full.

Despite his formidable legacy, there was little material available about Ebrahim Alkazi, beyond reviews of his theatre productions and some interviews.

She had often nudged him to tell the story himself, but he never seemed to find the time. Then he died, in 2020, aged 94. It was up to her now.

It is interesting that Alkazi  a man who shaped modern Indian theatre and devoted his life to freeing it from the grip of colonial mimicry  should have succeeded so spectacularly, yet remained so invisible. This was largely by design; he studiously avoided interviews with journalists and scholars.

What is still very visible is the scale of his impact.

As the incredibly influential director of the National School of Drama (NSD) from 1962 to 1977, he influenced a generation of actors and directors, including Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Manohar Singh, BV Karanth and Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry. He designed NSDs first syllabus, before it opened in 1959.

As a theatre director, he took the walls back down around this art form and returned it to the people. He recast it as a democratic, inclusive and thoroughly modern practice that could tell the stories of a newly independent nation now struggling to discuss and define itself.

Sweeping through Delhis cultural landscape, he dragged plays out of stuffy auditoriums and moved them into dramatic outdoor spaces such as the Feroz Shah Kotla fortress and the Purana Quilas tiered steps.

Here, he staged plays such as Andha Yug (Blind War; 1953; written by Dharamvir Bharati; about the disconcerted survivors of the Kaurava clan) and Tughlaq (originally written in Kannada by Girish Karnad, and a critique of the betrayal of the Nehruvian dream). These were plays designed to spark debate, get people thinking, and draw them back to this ancient form of storytelling and engagement.

The plays Andha Yug and Tughlaq, as staged by Ebrahim Alkazi at Delhis Purana Quila, in 1974. (Courtesy Alkazi Theatre Archives)

Alkazi promoted the visual arts too, as a lifelong friend and supporter of Modernists such as MF Husain and FN Souza. He spent his later years establishing institutions such as the Art Heritage gallery in Delhi, Center for International Contemporary Arts in New York, and Alkazi Foundation for the Arts.

All this and more, Allana began to put down, as she planned her book.

Ebrahim Alkazi: Holding Time Captive was released this year by Vintage. Writing as a daughter, a student (she trained under him at NSD) and a veteran theatre director herself, Allana, 76, paints an intimate portrait of a complex man.

Heard and scene

It was in 2007, after the death of her mother, costume designer Roshen Alkazi (who managed the costume design for almost all Alkazis plays), that Allana began looking into her fathers story in earnest.

Working with her husband Nissar Allana, 78, a stage and lighting designer, she began collecting archival material for a series of projects: a 2016 exhibition; a book of essays by and interviews with leading artists and art historians on Alkazis contributions to the visual arts; a 2019 exhibition of previously unseen sketches and paintings, curated by Ranjit Hoskote.

Amal Allana.

It was the serendipitous discovery of those paintings and sketches that inspired her to finally begin work on the biography. I was shocked to find this treasure trove of 100 works my father had done in the 1940s, stuffed away in this old tin trunk, she says. It was in these works that I discovered the genesis of his visual sensibilities. This excited me to go on this journey (of writing the biography), because his plays in many ways are conceived of as paintings in dynamic movement.

New dimensions emerged, as her research continued. In letters written by Alkazi to his wife, friends and children, and in their replies, she saw into his inner world and his very human insecurities. She began to understand how he had felt during the tumultuous events he lived through: Partition, Emergency, the Gulf War.

Allana quotes liberally from the letters, in her book, and they go a long way towards challenging the unidimensional public image of her father as a strict, uncompromising disciplinarian.

Because he was a very emotional man, he had a flaming temper sometimes. But he was also very affectionate very loving. And the idea was to show him as a man who was sometimes fumbling, searching and unsure, as we all are, and trying to work things out, she says.

Into the spotlight

The early chapters of the book follow a teenaged Alkazi, the son of a Saudi Arabian and a Kuwaiti, growing up in cosmopolitan Pune in the late 1930s. Allana traces how his ancestry made him an outsider, but at heart he was soon all-Indian.

It traces how he became enamoured by the possibilities of Jawaharlal Nehrus ideas for nation-building. And how, in 1942, he attended a speech by Mahatma Gandhi in Bombay that planted in him the idea that theatre could be a way to inspire action.

Eventually, when his parents left India after Partition, he chose to remain. He was 23.

Allana follows him as he heads to London next, to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), learning newly developed techniques. She traces his return to India, drawn by the challenge of creating an Indian modernity.

His idea of Indian modernity was to be open to being inspired by international and world cultures, while seeking inspiration by going back to ones roots, she says. One arrived at a contemporary sensibility by feeding the present with impulses from the past.

Allana documents Alkazis struggle to build NSD into a professional, world-class institution, despite a lack of resources and the resistance from an orthodox bureaucracy. (Im always viewed as an outsider! Im not a Hindi wallah! Nor a Delhi wallah! she quotes him once saying to Roshen.)

There are poignant, personal anecdotes, brought alive in vividly recreated vignettes and imagined dialogue. She writes with deep sensitivity of Alkazis friendship with Sultan Padamsee, Roshens brother, who died by suicide at 24. She writes of her parents struggles, and of her fathers extramarital relationship with the writer and actress Uma Anand.

This was something I felt we had to talk about frankly for the sake of credibility, Allana says. But my parents, whatever the situation between them, never allowed their work to suffer. Art held them together. The love of art held them together. The belief that art has value held them together.
Massive crowds were converging from all directions onto the Opera House intersection, where the bus had eventually been stalledfrom Chowpatty, from Charni Road, from Grant Road. The sea of humanity narrowed itself into a rope-like stream and made its way over French Bridge. Caught up in the frenzy of the moment, he joined in, shouting slogans: Boycott British Goods! Suddenly, there was a surge in the movement of the massive crowd. Screams rent the air as the crowd turned back in an attempt to flee in the opposite direction. It was not clear why. British Tommies appeared out of the mist, many of them on horseback. Menacingly, one of them galloped in Ebrahims direction. Trying to get out of the way of the officers swaying truncheon, Ebrahim stumbled and fell, hitting his head on the sidewalk, his debate papers scattering in all directions.

A few passersby rushed forward to help him up. Hes bleeding! said someone. Incensed, a Parsi gentleman in a pheta screamed after the officer, Go home! Ghere jao, mother fuckers! Suna tumne, we want Home Rule! Then, turning to Ebrahim, he dabbed the wound with his kerchief and began tying it like a bandage across his forehead. Dont worry! Not a deep wound, Dikra! Aisa hota hai . . . Azadi ke leye, buddha, baccha, sab ko khoon bahana padta hai! Shaheed hona padta hai! Aaj tumhari baari thi! Aaj tum asli desh bhakt ho! Jao! Mummy Daddy ko dikhao! Woh itna khush hone wale hai! (Son, such incidents happen! In order to win freedom, young and old alike must be prepared to shed their blood! Become martyrs! Today, it was your turn! From today onwards, you will be counted as a true patriot! Go! Show your wounds to your parents! They will be proud of you!)

Ebrahim swelled with pride. For the first time, he was mistaken for a Hindustani, not a Parsi or a Jew! He was thrilled! Thank you, Uncle, thank you! stuttered Ebrahim, overcome with emotion. Forgetting his head injury, he was at once energized and forged ahead.

For the first time, the thought momentarily flashed through his mindhow desperately he wanted to belong, to feel part of a larger movement, a cause like this one! The cosy comfort and pristine world of contentment that his family had always provided him with had indeed given him a sense of security, but he had always sensed that they lived isolated lives. As children, they were constantly reminded not to mingle, not to participate in any kind of politics because that would implicate them and complicate their lives. Ebrahim had never really been able to understand what exactly it was that they should fear. Yes, he did remember the great transformation that took place while they were in school after World War II began in 1939. Many of the Jesuit priests at St Vincents High School were foreignersItalian, American, Swiss and German. All of a sudden, one day, the German priests were picked up and taken off to internment camps! As children, they had watched this happen with almost a sense of bereavement and, of course, fear.

But today, at Gowalia Tank, peoples spirits were uplifted, they appeared undaunted. Their multiple voices merged into a full-throated, unified and defiant call! Ebrahim was elated, his spirits buoyed. He had lost track of time. What time was it? He looked in vain for his wristwatch, but it was gone! It must have been snitched in the chaos. It was long past the time for the debate, long past the time he was to meet Fr Duhr at Xaviers. After hectically trying to find a way out of this avalanche of humanity, he finally succumbed, allowing himself to fully experience these glorious moments, where it was not about him but something much, much larger, something beyond himself or his immediate family.

And then miraculously, through the mist of white clothing, there in the distance, sitting calmly on the dais, was the iconic Mahatma Gandhisacred, still, silent, composed. He was carefully spinning his charkha (wheel) with complete focus, unperturbed by the commotion around. No one disturbed him from his sadhana, the spinning wheel creating the movement of life, yet steady on its fulcrum. Ebrahim was quite close now and totally transfixed. The sea of white around the Mahatma was like a shining light, a halopure and undiluted. Aruna Asaf Ali sat quietly to one side, not betraying her steely determination to make todays rally a meaningful event in their journey towards freedom.

The microphone was tapped and the Mahatma was asked to address the gathering. The raucousness and sloganeering died down and a hush descended over the entire maidan.

My brothers and sisters, Gandhiji began, Occasions like the present one do not occur in everybodys, and but rarely in anybodys, life. I want you to know and feel that there is nothing but the purest ahimsa in all that I am saying and doing today. The Draft Resolution of the Working Committee is based on ahimsa, the contemplated struggle similarly has its roots in ahimsa. If, therefore, there is anyone among you who has lost faith in ahimsa or is weary of it, let him not vote for this resolution.

The crowd responded that they were 100 per cent with him. He continued, Ours is not a drive for power but purely a non-violent fight for Indias independence. In a violent struggle, a successful general has often been known to effect a military coup and set up a dictatorship. But under the Congress scheme of things, essentially non-violent as it is, there can be no room for dictatorship The Congress is unconcerned as to who will rule when freedom is attained. The power, when it comes, will belong to the people of India, and it will be for them to decide in whom they will place their trust.

It may be the reins will be placed in the hands of the Parsis, for instance, as I would love to see happenor they may be handed to some others whose names are not heard of in the Congress today Ever since its inception, the Congress has kept itself meticulously free of communal taint. It has thought always in terms of the whole nation and has acted accordingly

I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more genuinely democratic struggle for freedom than ours. I read Thoma Carlyles book, The French Revolution, while I was in prison and Pandit Jawaharlal has told me something about the Russian Revolution. But it is my conviction that, inasmuch as these struggles were fought with the weapon of violence, they failed to realize the democratic ideal. In the democracy that I have envisaged, a democracy established by non-violence, there will be equal freedom for all. Everybody will be their own master. It is to join a struggle for such a democracy that I invite you today. Once you realize this, you will forget the differences between the Hindus and Muslims and only think of yourselves as Indians, engaged in the common struggle for independence.

Gandhis stirring speech continued in this vein. In conclusion, he said, There is a mantra, a short one, that I give you. You should imprint it on your heart and let every breath of yours give an expression to it. The mantra is Do or Die. The crowd was ecstatic Do or Die! Do or Die! they chanted in unison surging towards the stage From now on, there are only two words to offer by way of resistance, said Gandhiji. Quit India!

By now, it was past midnight, and, the entire Congress, to the man, returned to headquarters and passed the famous Quit India Resolution. The young Aruna Asaf Ali remained at the site. Unknown to the others, she hoisted the Congress flag, marking the commencement of the nationwide mass movement. The crowd went berserk, as this was the first time the Indian tricolour was being hoisted. Lathi charge was used by the police to disperse the crowds. The crowd refused to budge. Finally, the police began firing tear gas at the assembly. The national flag was pulled down and volunteers who went to its rescue were beaten off mercilessly.

Ebrahim was shaken to the core. Each word Gandhiji had uttered was imprinted in his consciousness. They were so simple, so effective so unpretentious, spoken without any histrionics because truth, he realized, did not require a loud or strident voice. And it was so magicalthe manner in which Gandhiji was able to reach out to each and every person in that huge audience. He not only captured their imagination, but more importantly, encouraged them to take actionnot just passively applaud him but use their energies positively to transform ideas into words and words into actions.

Isnt that what was meant to happen in theatre too? Theatre was the field he felt more and more drawn to. It was a field where one could make a difference, where one could directly affect the lives of others and bring people together. That certainly appeared to be the need of the hour. The films he had begun to watch were also filled with a sense of purpose, a spirit

of sacrifice and of serving ones country. He had read about the selfless work of missionaries in remote parts of Africa with much interest! For Ebrahim, these were examples of what it meant to serve a communityto devote oneself with passion and a tremendous feeling of commitment so that the society around you benefited from your presence, your knowledge, your expertise. On the one hand, there were these stirrings of the Independence movement taking place, while on the other, there was this kind of idealism, all of which made Bombay such an exhilarating place to be in!

With such thoughts crowding his mind, Ebrahim made his way back home, walking through streets that were emptied out by now. There was a lightness in his stephe felt he was shedding his old life and was being nourished, not by the ideals and ideas of his parents and teachers, but directly by participating through his own experiences. This feeling was entirely new to him. His step quickened and he broke into a run, with street after street passing him by in a blur. I love you, Bombay! I just love you! he belted out. The exhaustion of the long day simply vanished and he was filled with renewed vigour.

(Excerpted with permission from Ebrahim Alkazi: Holding Time Captive by Amal Allana, published by Vintage; 2024)
Wenzel Pinto has watched the reefs he is studying lose their vibrant orange over the past year.

The wildlife biologist has been posted in Lakshadweep since 2020. Diving to study reef conditions is part of his job as a research assistant with the NGO Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF).

Every single colony across the 2,000-sq-metre Goniopora patch perished as I watched, he says. I saw the tissue sloughing off the skeletons, and algae smothering the remains.

India has five major reef structures along its coasts: at the Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu, the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Malvan coast of Maharashtra and parts of Goa, and Lakshadweep. They were under immense strain even before the recent heat waves and mass-bleaching events.

The same Goniopora patch, after the dying / bleaching began last summer. Below, the skeletons, overridden by algae, are now all that remain of the patch in Lakshadweep. (Wenzel Pinto)

(Wenzel Pinto)

Illegal harvesting once posed a major threat and so, as with tigers and elephants, corals are protected in India under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. They cannot be harvested, bought or sold.

Other stressors emerged, in the form of marine pollution from effluents and oil, bottom-trawling (using towed nets to catch fish close to the seabed), blast-fishing, reef-fish harvesting, and steady infrastructural development along the shoreline. Now, the heat is stepping up threat levels.

Heat-wave durations in the Indian Ocean are expected to grow from about 20 days a year (between 1970 and 2000) to about 220 days a year by the end of the century, according to data from scientists with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), among others.

Efforts to preserve the Indian reefs have largely consisted of restoration programmes in which coral fragments are moved to protected underwater nurseries or to artificial reefs. But most of these efforts have focused on the dominant family of reef-building coral species called Acropora. They grow and calcify the fastest. But they are extremely sensitive to temperature.

This means that, as temperatures rise, Indias artificial reefs can be expected to bleach and die too.

Shape-shifting

Lately, there have been efforts to branch out.

NCF is monitoring bleaching sites and will be using the data gathered to identify refugia: areas that will be most hospitable to coral, as ocean temperatures rise. These reef refugia may either remain cooler during the bleaching events, through upwells from cooler deep waters or local current systems, or the coral there may have evolved to deal with the high temperatures, Pinto says.

Already, this kind of evolution is altering how reefs look.In Lakshadweep, colonies of Acropora are being replaced by the more heat-resistant Porites family. Species like Porites are expected to become more dominant, as the intervals between bleaching events shrink.

The algae that inhabit coral tissue, giving them their colour and their nutrition, are changing too. Corals in Lakshadweep are increasingly hosting Clade D, a more resilient zooxanthella found in abundance in the Gulf of Kutch.

That gulf could provide more clues to the way forward.

The marine fauna here are exposed to high surface temperatures during low tide for a long time, and research on how they have adapted could help map the way forward, says Deepak Apte, a marine biologist and director of the not-for-profit Srushti Conservation Foundation.

What we urgently need is a holistic canvas of comparative data from the various reefs in India, he adds. Data is currently scattered across various institutes. We need a centralised pool so we can determine, together, how to carry out restoration efforts more efficiently.

A rainforest without its trees

Its important to act soon, the researchers agree. These marine ecosystems, without the corals, will be the equivalent of a forest without trees.

Exposed sites like coral atolls will face the worst impacts. These are coral reefs that have essentially isolated a stretch of saltwater from the sea, and become completely exposed at low tide. The Lakshadweep archipelago is home to 12 such atolls.

The islanders who live there are dependent on the reef for protection from storm surges and cyclones, for fishing and for tourism. The death of these reefs could eventually make these islands uninhabitable, Pinto says.

Planning the next phase scientifically will be vital, Apte adds. We can try new methods, but they should not end up like our tree-planting drives, which are not always planned or executed scientifically.

Meanwhile, the hope is that global efforts will slow the overall warming. Which still wouldnt save the reefs, Pinto says, but would give us more time to work something out.
Agent Orange, so named for the orange stripe on the barrel in which it was transported, was a chemical cocktail used by the US Army in the Vietnam war. A US Air Force plane sprays Agent Orange over a neighbourhood in Vietnam. This toxin wreaked havoc because of a dioxin it contained. (Getty Images)

Survivors recall a white spray falling from the skies, and then forests losing their leaves, crops wilting, and families succumbing to a clutch of different cancers and experiencing alarming rates of miscarriages. Later came children born without eyes, or with bent spines and limbs.

The body-bending deadliness of Agent Orange lay in a trace contaminant: 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)  present in the ratio of only about 2 parts per million in the mixture. TCDD is a dioxin, a group of chemicals where rings of carbon are joined by oxygen molecules, with some carbon atoms bonded to chlorine atoms. TCDD, the deadliest of the pack, ranks amongst the most dangerous chemicals ever made.

Current research suggests that it acts as an effective key to an ancient, central protein involved in gene expression: the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). This protein is highly expressed in the barriers between the body and the outside world (think, skin, gut, lungs, liver, placenta) where it is believed to modulate the inflammatory response to chemicals. Simply put, it helps the body differentiate chemical friend from foe, and respond accordingly. While many chemicals activate AHR transiently, TCDD keeps it switched on for a long time, leading to chronic inflammation. This is biochemical irony at its finest: a frontline anti-toxin defender being hoodwinked by the greatest toxin of them all.

The chloracne on the face of Viktor Yushchenko, former president of Ukraine and a victim of dioxin poisoning, speaks eloquently of the effects of this toxin on the human body.

The World Health Organization classifies TCDD as a carcinogen, and the litany of cancers in Vietnamese civilians (and American veterans) after the war showcases its potency. Dioxins (and their close cousins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls) also interfere with endocrine function and congenital development.

Worse still, dioxins linger. Blood samples taken from 43 residents of Bien Hoa city decades after the spraying stopped revealed TCDD levels 200 times the average population level.

Dioxins bioaccumulate in fat. And so, when a person eats a fish tainted with it, or a baby suckles its mother who has been exposed to it, the dioxin is passed on.

And so, the Stockholm Convention, which came into effect in 2004, classifies these toxins as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), whose unintended production must be minimised and, eventually, eliminated. India is a signatory.

The chloracne on the face of Viktor Yushchenko, former president of Ukraine and a victim of dioxin poisoning, speaks to the effects of this toxin on the human body. (Getty Images)

Why am I talking about dioxins now?

Because they are being made in your city and mine.

Dioxins are formed when carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and chlorine are burned together, at relatively low temperatures, with poor air flow, lots of moisture, and catalysts such as copper or iron. These conditions are met perfectly within burning piles of waste at landfills, on street corners and in empty lots across India.

Burning discarded objects made of polyvinyl chloride is an especially effective way to make a dioxin. Every day, as I drive my two children to school in Madurai, I see these smouldering hillocks sandwiched between the gleaming office of a leading IT company and a hotel. I see white smoke rise with the wind and settle onto the nearby lake. I see fishermen dip their poles in, and I see the flutter that indicates the bait has been taken. And I know that a dioxin will enter the body of another human.

***

How much dioxin is being released today?

In 2014, Christine Wiedinmyer of the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, and Robert Yokelson and Brian Gullett of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tried to estimate global emissions from burning waste. It was an ambitious effort and, speaking to Wiedinmyer and Gullett, I got a sense of how uncertain these numbers are  partly because few countries measure how much waste is burned and because waste makeup varies so widely.

Still, their study showed that emissions from open waste burning were a major source of particulate-matter pollution, and of other trace pollutants such as formaldehyde and dioxins. They estimated that open waste burning was emitting 206 TEQ (toxic equivalence quantity, a measure of dioxin toxicity) kg annually  comparable to the amount of dioxin released in the course of the Vietnam War.

For a material that was so toxic that the US Army took it to a faraway island to incinerate, we are being remarkably blase about releasing it near our homes.

When I raised this question with Baerbel Sinha, a scientist with the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) who is studying waste burning in India, she said emission factors were different here because our waste typically contains more biodegradable content and less plastic. Also, waste pickers remove much of the (easily recyclable) plastic and metal before waste is burned. Even so, she added, ignoring rural waste, as official estimates tend to do, underestimates both the quantum of waste generated and the quantity burned.

In efforts to correct this, her team spoke to 246 households in 20 villages about their waste, its composition and how it was handled. They also weighed the waste of 26 households from different income levels in the city of Mohali in Punjab. Their data, extrapolated across India, suggests that our country is burning 2,02,740 tonnes of solid waste a day. This is more than official estimates of how much waste is collected.

***

How much dioxin is all that waste producing?

For that I turned to the results from another study, by a team from the environmental technology division at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) - National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, in Thiruvananthapuram.

Plumes of smoke rise from a landfill in Delhi. (Shutterstock)

They took samples of waste from various dumps across Kerala and burned them in a laboratory setup that simulated the conditions of a similar operation at a garbage dump, and found that dioxin emissions were highest in samples with more moisture, and in those that took the longest to burn. Combining data from both studies, it emerges that open waste burning may produce about 11 TEQ kg of dioxins a year  or about six months worth of Vietnam War emissions. That dioxin spreads from the burn site into the air, into your lungs, or into the soil; into the cow munching on leaves contaminated with ash; into the milk; into your body, where it builds up.

Dioxin emissions would be much higher but for the waste pickers who rummage through the dumps. A preprint review of the health hazards faced by waste pickers found elevated levels of chronic inflammatory markers in their body fluids, the quiet fingerprint of dioxin exposure.

***

Why dont we care?

We think of the risks of open burning sensorially We care about the smoke and smell, and once those are gone, we think the harms are gone, says Gauri Pathak, an associate professor at Aarhus University in Denmark, who is working on the anthropology of plastic. There is also the cultural context, where we think of fire as purificatory. Moreover, images matter. Seeing charismatic animals suffer makes us care. We are more moved by the sight of a seahorse entangled with an earbud. So we care more about litter in the ocean than the dangers of litter being burnt.

Indeed, in conversations that researchers at my Sundaram Climate Institute have conducted with over 2,000 residents of Madurai over the years, many have spoken of the burning of waste as a good thing. It helps keeps the mosquitoes away was a common refrain. Many added that they had little choice. Once waste piled up in an empty plot or a water channel, the easiest way to clear it away was to set it on fire.

***

The dioxin problem, while deadly, is solvable. Just consider the dramatic fall in dioxin levels in the breastmilk of German mothers over the decades.

So, what can work? Obviously the best way to manage waste is to not have it in the first place, says Gullett of the EPA. But youre going to get more pollutants per tonne of waste via open burning rather than incineration. Many developed countries use centralised waste incinerators to reduce harmful emissions. But incinerators polarise the Indian waste ecosystem: some say, correctly, that burning waste reduces the incentive to minimise or recycle plastic. They also say that Indian waste has low calorific value, and one must first remove biodegradable waste for efficient burning. All true.

Others point to the burning piles of trash and a waste management infrastructure that relies on the weakest amongst us to do the heavy lifting. Thats not merely cruel, its obscene. Coprocessing waste in cement kilns (where it replaces fossil fuels) is also a solution, but transport costs make it unviable in many locations.

Nalini Shekar, whose organisation Hasiru Dala (Kannada for Green Force), works with thousands of waste pickers, says she sees the incinerator at most as a transition solution between where we are and the zero-waste future we aspire to. Sinha of IISER adds that burning biomedical waste (a potent source of dioxins) in dedicated, centralised, well-monitored incinerators may be the safest way to reduce emissions.

All agree that we need better monitoring and transparency around incinerator operations, and to ensure that we feed them with pre-segregated high-calorie waste. That cannot happen without citizen involvement. But when my institute asked over 2,000 people if waste bothered them, a third of them responded: No. Many of those were living amid waste piles and witnessed burning often.

To move forward, this apathy must give way. It has, in pockets. But those pockets need to grow.

(Mridula Ramesh is a climate-tech investor and author of The Climate Solution and Watershed)
Anant Ambani rocked a ponytail while Radhika Merchant stunned in a lehenga for their sangeet on Friday evening. Anant wore a black and golden sherwani with black trousers. Radhika looked lovely by his side in an off-shoulder blouse and straight cut lehenga with minimal flair. Anant Ambani, Radhika Merchant sangeet: Couple makes stylish entry in custom outfits

Check out their video:

About Anant and Radhika's wedding

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's son Anant and his fiancee Radhika, daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant, are set to tie the knot on July 12 after months-long pre-wedding festivities.

The pre-wedding festivities had begun on March 1 in Jamnagar, 300 kilometres from Ahmedabad, and known for the world's largest refinery, which is owned by Reliance Industries.

The 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.

Jamnagar bash

Earlier this year, the couple hosted a series of pre-wedding festivities in Jamnagar, which saw a star-studded guest list from around the globe.

Business leaders, heads of state, and Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities graced the occasion, making it an event to remember.

Among the distinguished guests were Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and Ivanka Trump.

The highlight of the pre-wedding celebrations was an electrifying performance by pop sensation Rihanna, marking her debut performance in India.
Ambani's badi bahu Shloka Mehta's pictures from the Dandiya night celebrations are out and we can't stop swooning. Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani are all set to tie the knot on July 12, and their pre-wedding festivities are already in full swing. Following the traditional Gujarati Mameru ceremony, the Ambanis hosted a vibrant Garba party last night, organised by Kokilaben Ambani. Ever since the pre-wedding festivities kicked off, Shloka Ambani has been consistently showing off her fashion prowess. And her latest look in an enchanting lehenga ensemble exuding royal vibes and sartorial elegance is no exception and is sure to leave you in awe. (Also read: Radhika Merchant's purple lehenga with intricate Lord Krishna motifs steals the show at Dandiya night: Pics ) Shloka Mehta stuns at Dandiya night in regal Tarun Tahiliani lehenga.(Instagram/@dmjatia)

Decoding Shloka Mehta's stunning Dandiya night look

Fashion stylist Diya Mehta Jatia took to Instagram and uploaded a series of stunning pictures of Shloka, accompanied by the caption, 'dancing in every shade.' In the post, Ambani's daughter-in-law can be seen looking like an ethereal princess in an exquisite lehenga ensemble from the shelves of ace fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani. Let's take a look at her swoon-worthy pictures.

Shloka's breathtaking outfit features a bejewelled sweetheart neckline and a richly embellished blouse adorned with Kashida-inspired artwork in ombre shades of saffron and red, enhanced with enchanting crystal embellishments. Her lehenga skirt showcases panels embroidered with Aari and Zardozi techniques, along with an embellished waistband that highlights exquisite Indian craftsmanship. She paired her ensemble with a green printed dupatta featuring intricate golden embroidery and red borders, exuding royal vibes. She elegantly draped the dupatta in front, showcasing the rich Gujarati drape pattern. (Also read: Ambanis stun in bandhani outfits: Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Ananya Pandey and other celebs who donned this art. Pics )

She accessorised her look with luxurious diamond jewellery, including a maang tikka adorning her forehead, a stunning necklace, statement earrings, and bangles on her wrists. Assisted by makeup artist Tanvi Marathe, Shloka was decked up in shimmery eyeshadow, smudged eyeliner, mascara-coated lashes, defined brows, blushed cheeks, glowing highlighter, and a shade of nude lipstick. With the help of hairstylist Aditi Patil, she styled her luscious tresses into soft curls and left them loose in a chic middle-parted hairdo, perfectly complementing her head-turning look.

About Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wedding

Anant and Radhika, both 29, are gearing up for their wedding in Mumbai with a three-day Hindu ceremony commencing on July 12. The festivities will feature three key events: 'Shubh Vivaah' on July 12, 'Shubh Aashirwad' on July 13, and 'Mangal Utsav' on July 14, which will be their wedding reception.
Sonam Kapoor is here to show you how to wear formal wear with the utmost flair. Her latest look is a masterclass in oversized chic as she turns heads in a trendy ensemble that seamlessly blends power dressing with modern elegance. Known for her incredible fashion sense, Sonam can effortlessly transforms any outfit into a glamorous statement. She never fails to capture the limelight with her stunning appearances. Her latest look is no exception and is sure to leave you in awe. Let's break down her outfit and take some style notes. (Also read: Sonam Kapoor nails power dressing in stylish plaid blazer and black pants ensemble. It costs 77k ) Sonam Kapoor redefines power dressing in stunning Moschino outfit.(Instagram/@rheakapoor)

Sonam Kapoor stuns in baggy pants and oversized blazer

Rhea Kapoor, Anil Kapoor's elder daughter and renowned fashion stylist, gave Sonam's fans a sweet surprise on Thursday. She took to Instagram and uploaded a series of stunning pictures of the actress, accompanied by the caption, "Last night in London, for @bof." Her post, showcasing Sonam in stylish attire, is a bookmark-worthy for all fashion lovers. Let's take a moment to admire her beauty.

Decoding Sonam's chic look

Sonam's outfit is straight from Milan Fashion Week, hailing from the Moschino Fall/Winter 2024 collection. Her chic ensemble features a waistcoat top with a sweetheart neckline, a corset fit, and a blend of fabrics, including a tie. She paired it with a black oversized blazer that extends to her knees and high-waisted, wide-leg pants that further elevate her look. However, what truly caught the eyes of fashion critics was her use of a brown polka dot tie as a scarf, elegantly draped around her neck.

She accessorised her look with a pair of golden statement stud earrings, stacked rings adorning her fingers, and a pair of brown loafers. Assisted by makeup artist Ganga, Sonam sported brown smoky eyeshadow, mascara-coated lashes, darkened brows, contoured cheekbones with a hint of blush, luminous highlighter, and a shade of glossy maroon lipstick. With the expertise of hairstylist Stephen Beaver, she pulled back her long, luscious tresses into a sleek ponytail, beautifully adorned with a vibrant silk scarf.

Sonam's look cements her status as the ultimate fashionista. Her outfit flawlessly combines various elements, proving that the era of boring formal wear is over. It's time to experiment with power dressing by giving it a modern twist, replacing tailored trousers with baggy pants, oversized blazers, and corset tops.
The US and UK are reporting mild upticks in COVID-related hospitalizations due to new FLiRT variants. Experts say fluctuations in COVID cases are now the norm, as the disease is not yet seasonal. The United States, United Kingdom and Germany are seeing small surges in COVID-19 cases this summer, with rates of hospitalizations gently on the rise. The latest figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show emergency room visits increased more than 23% from June 16 to June 22. COVID hospitalizations on the rise in US, UK, and Germany as FLiRT variants spread(Pixabay)

Deaths due to COVID were also up 14.3% in recent weeks. However, the percent of all US deaths from COVID remains low, at 0.8%, and all indicators remain far below past surges. Media outlets in the UK also reported COVID hospitalizations in England rose by around 20% in June. (Also read: New Covid variant FLiRT spreads in US; do we need to worry? Symptoms to precaution, all you need to know )

Are we seeing a global surge in COVID cases?

Ziyad Al-Aly, a COVID physician-scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, US, said we should take the rise in hospitalizations seriously, as it's always wise to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. "The uptick in the US was preceded by a COVID wave in Singapore. Unfortunately, a lot of countries are not tracking and reporting these metrics. So we are flying blind," Al-Aly told DW via email.

The good news is that COVID hospitalizations are still well below levels from last winter. The severity of infections also seems to be lower than it was earlier in the pandemic, according to Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at University of East Anglia in the UK. However, Hunter stressed that these patterns of COVID surges are now part of normal life given that "SARS-CoV-2 will likely be with us for generations. Rising and falling numbers will be part of our future for our lifetimes at least," he said.

FLiRT COVID variants driving new cases

The recent minor uptick in COVID cases appears to be due to several new subvariants called FLiRTs. They are descendants of the now-dominant JN.1 variant, which is itself a descendant of omicron but with certain additional mutations. Members of the FLiRT group include KP.2, KP.3 and JN.1.7.1. "The FLiRT variants are named after their specific mutations  Furin-like cleavage site, L452R, and T478K. Silly I know, but the name has stuck," said Hunter.

While data is limited, Hunter said there is no evidence so far that these variants are any more harmful than previous variants and may even be less so. Al-Aly was more cautious, saying it's too early to tell if the new FLiRT variants are more or less harmful than previous variants.

"We are still learning about the new variants KP.1, KP.2, KP.3, LB.1; there is some evidence that some of these are more transmissible and may be more immune evasive. This may explain the growth advantage and the uptick in hospitalizations in some regions. But more data is needed before we have more definitive answers," he said.

What's causing the summer COVID surge?

The evidence so far points to falling population immunity to COVID. "Sterilizing immunity following an infection or vaccination only lasts four to six months on average, so immunity gained from infections during winter or the autumn vaccination campaign will have already been lost for the most part," said Hunter. Most people's immunity to COVID comes from a mix of infections and vaccine. This so-called hybrid immunity has given better protection against infection and severe disease than either alone.

Hunter suspects most current reports of COVID hospitalizations in the UK are older or vulnerable people, because the only testing and reporting done is from people seeking medical care. Hunter emphasized that elder people, and those at higher risk of severe COVID infections, should take extra precautions to prevent infections.

"So if you are a 75 year old and had your autumn booster last year, avoided infection over winter and then did not to take up the spring booster you would now have very little sterilizing immunity left," he said. "People ask me all the time: Can one still get long COVID with the new variants and the answer is very likely yes," said Al-Aly.
In todays fast-paced work environment where employees are juggling between multiple deadlines and tasks, burnout has become a prevalent issue and this has resulted in constant stress and anxiety, which pushes the individual to the brink of exhaustion. Exhaustion can evoke feelings of being useless, helpless and emptiness and failing to confront them can worsen the situation. Combatting workplace burnout: Expert strategies for employee wellbeing (Image by macrovector on Freepik)

Recognising the importance of addressing this issue in an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Evelyn Raghel Thomas, Clinical Director - Employee Assistance Program at Truworth Wellness, recommended some beneficial ways for combating workplace exhaustion and restoring employee wellbeing -

1. Reflect, relax and manage your time:

It is recommended that you reflect on your weekly routine to keep track of your professional and personal progress simultaneously and allocate some time regularly for self-care activities like meditation and deep breathing exercises to keep your mind and body relaxed. Additionally, it is essential to prioritise your tasks to ensure you are able to effectively manage the hustle and bustle of corporate deadlines. To accomplish this, it is recommended to start creating personal timelines for the tasks and breaking them down into smaller and more manageable steps by using tools like to-do-lists or digital calendars.

2. Avoid transference:

Transference is a term which is used to describe the act of redirecting your emotions or frustrations onto others due to stress or pressure. It is recommended that you avoid it as it can potentially harm your relationships at the workplace. When facing difficulties, it is advised to prioritize self care activities like journaling, pursuing hobbies, and opting for proactive living rather than reactive living to deal with frustrations effectively.

3. Take self appreciation breaks:

Many people might feel tired in the early hours of the day when they think about their pending tasks and tight deadlines. This can further cultivate a sense of negative feeling towards your work, leading to burnout blues over a long period of time. To fight this, try setting a phrase or affirmation to start your day with a positive attitude. You can also use the pomodoro technique which is a time management method with 25 minute focused periods followed by a five-minute self appreciation break.

4. Seek support and professional help:

As a working professional it is important that you reach out for support when needed. It can include confiding in a friend or family member, seeking guidance from a mentor at work, or seeking professional help from therapists as a part of an employee assistance program. This will help to manage workplace exhaustion and stress levels at the times of uncertainty and efficiently manage their mental health and overall wellbeing.

Dr Evelyn Raghel Thomas shared, Moreover, apart from these strategies, it is recommended to keep your work desk and corner decluttered as it will help you manage your day more efficiently and in an organised manner and further reduce stress and burnout levels by keeping your mind and body relaxed. Remember, that each persons path towards combating burnout will differ and it's essential to tailor these strategies to suit personal preferences and circumstances. Recognising the signs and taking proactive steps to address them are crucial for establishing a healthy work-life balance and sustaining productivity and fulfillment in the long run.

Empathy and engagement nurture strong bonds

Bringing her expertise to the same, Kashish Daya Kapoor, Head  HR at NEC Corporation India, said, Off late, industries and sectors are experiencing a high percentage of employee fatigue. Focus on mental health and well-being are pivoting many employee engagement initiatives. Comprehensive medical insurance serves as a foundational element of employee safety. Forward-thinking organisations lead by example, implementing tailored programs, conducting routine health assessments and creating age-group cohorts to address diverse employee needs. Prioritising flexible work arrangements, equitable workloads and effective time management are imperative for achieving work-life harmony.

She asserted, Equally crucial is establishing a cultural ecosystem that is based on the principles of transparency, empathy and inclusivity, thereby, augmenting an open culture where employee voices are integrated into ideation, innovation, and growth spaces. Recognising the importance of employee morale, and fostering a sense of purpose through community engagement is essential. Furthermore, recognition programs and platforms provoking ideas and innovation keep the workforce engaged and forward-thinking. Investing in skill development further strengthens the talent capability and empowers employees to navigate technological shifts with confidence. This holistic approach mitigates concerns of professional obsolescence and ensures a resilient, thriving and engaged workforce.

According to Mili Panicker, Director - HR and People Operations at WebEngage, employees are expected to manage multiple tasks and solve various work-related problems to achieve their goals for the quarter or the month hence, it becomes essential for organisations to comprehend employee sentiments and offer support to help them overcome exhaustion and prioritise their well-being. In order to be able to create a supportive environment, she recommended beginning with understanding employee sentiment on an ongoing basis, through an employee engagement survey, which tries to understand various drivers like culture, values safety and well-being.

Mili Panicker elaborated -

Values : To assess if employees find the company values inspiring and if it is being practiced.

: To assess if employees find the company values inspiring and if it is being practiced. Fair and transparent : To understand whether they believe that all decisions taken in the organisation are fair and transparent.

: To understand whether they believe that all decisions taken in the organisation are fair and transparent. Safety and wellbeing: To assess whether they believe that the organisation prioritises their safety and well-being.

Encouraging to create a safe space for employees to address their challenges by offering an in-house counsellor, Mili Panicker further recommended organising webinars conducted by clinical psychologists and hypnotherapists to discuss topics such as managing burnout, building resilience, overcoming gender stereotypes and mentoring. To effectively manage stress, provide training sessions for managers to help them identify and manage stress levels of their team more effectively, as well as equip them with the tools and knowledge needed to mitigate these challenges.

Mili Panicker concluded, Encouraging a healthy work-life balance is crucial to prevent employee burnout. Organisations must encourage employees to take their earned vacation days and provide flexible work hours and remote work options to reduce commute stress - wherever possible. A mix of these strategies can promote greater productivity, reduce undue burnout and exhaustion, and prevent the erosion of work-life balance.
Even though it happened 20 years ago, Sharif Rangnekar still remembers that assault. The pain, the fear, the shock, the shame. Back then, sex between men was illegal, and there was a whole lot of stigma attached to even talking about it. Moreover, men are supposed to be big and strong, so to admit to being a victim of sexual assault was to go against the grain of what was supposed to be masculine. But, he said, I couldnt even go to the police because what would I say? So, for years I couldnt and didnt talk about it. New Delhi: A poster depicting the implementation of three new criminal laws -- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam -- being put by Delhi Police to raise awareness, in New Delhi, Monday, July 1, 2024. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary) (PTI)

On Monday, Rangnekar, now an author (Queersapien) and founder-director of Rainbow Lit Fest, posted a video on his Instagram. It starts with the words: I am a rape survivor. Though hes spoken about the assault earlier in a book, the video was necessary because, as he said, the new criminal laws or the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) that came into effect on July 1 do not recognise the rape of men, boys, transgender people or even animals.

Two decades ago, when Rangnekar was assaulted, there was the infamous Section 377, a leftover from the colonial era that made consensual gay sex or, as it chose to call it, sex against the order of nature illegal. Even as the UK legalized it, the former colonies, including India, were slow to junk it. It took a protracted legal battle before the Supreme Court decriminalised gay sex in a landmark 2018 judgment.

But, significantly, Section 377 was retained in the Indian Penal Code with provisions criminalising sexual offences against animals, men, and transgenders. Having decriminalised consensual sexual acts between adults, it became the only legal recourse in cases of male and transgender rape and even marital rape, where the wife could establish non-consensual anal sex.

Now, with Section 377 excised from the BNS  despite a standing parliamentary committee report requesting its inclusion  that protection has vanished.

Can it be that our lawmakers really dont know that men, boys and transgender people are also victims of rape? In 2022, the National Crime Records Bureau recorded 987 cases under Section 377, a number that falls far short of reality given the woeful under-reporting.

Other apprehensions have already been expressed about the BNS. Until the old cases and appeals are disposed of, there will be two parallel systems of law, the old and the new, senior advocate Indira Jaising told Karan Thapar in a recent interview. It is also likely to lead to dozens of petitions challenging the new criminal laws being filed in the Supreme Court, she said.

The BNS should have heralded a new era in progressive lawmaking. Instead, it contains anachronisms, including one that makes sex under a false promise to marry an offence punishable by 10 years. Perhaps someone forgot to tell our lawmakers that we no longer live in the Victorian era where chastity was prized above all, and sex outside the bounds of marriage was forbidden, at least for good women (because, of course, men are never judged for it).

The BNS was an opportunity to showcase a modern nation and acknowledge social change. Instead, a much-needed decolonising project has failed to escape a regressive mindset.

Namita Bhandare writes on gender.The views expressed are personal
With Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi set to leave for Russia on Monday  the first official bilateral visit abroad in his third term  Non-Alignment has made a return, no matter what one calls it. The world is now well and truly polarised, with one side backing the so-called rules-based international order, liberal democracy, and western values, and the other, whose contours emerged in February 2022 with the no-limits partnership between Russia and China, promising development, growth and no-questions-asked partnerships. Two different agendas and two differing world views in 2024, this is an echo of what was when India became independent in 1947. What has changed since then is that the two poles are now more interlinked than ever, and the world faces unprecedented challenges that call for close collaboration, not chronic hostility. But the two sides continue to see each other as dangerous adversaries and are trying their best to weaken the other and expand their spheres of influence, even at the cost of destabilising global peace and security. In this scenario, which harks back to the Cold War, the rest of the world has been asked to take sides. FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan September 16, 2022. Sputnik/Alexander Demyanchuk/Pool via REUTERS (via REUTERS)

The choice to join or not join with either side is always a political one, whether in 2024 or 1947. Then, it was to keep away from the power politics of groups, aligned against one another, which have led to World Wars and which may again lead to disasters on an even vaster scale. Now, it is the Ukraine war and the Gaza war. The Ukraine war set India on the path to Non-Alignment 2.0. The countrys abstention during voting on the issue in the UN Security Council (UNSC) steeled the spines of many other influential developing countries that were unsure of the position to take. Any hesitation we may have had was finally shed when India refused to comply with the unilateral sanctions by the West, led by the United States (US), on Russia, especially on oil imports.

Earlier, a heavily oil import-dependent India (importing 85% of its requirements) could be bullied  the exemption to India for oil imports from Iran was revoked, pushing it to reduce this from 11% to 0%. It was a very difficult transition for India, and finding alternative sources proved quite challenging. Then came the sanctions on Venezuela, even as India was the third-largest importer of Venezuelan crude. This fell to zero as well. When India was told to cut oil imports from Russia, we said enough is enough. We increased our oil imports from Russia to an unprecedented 40% of our total requirement  Non-Alignment 2.0 in full public glare.

However, if India wants to leverage its position for leadership, which it must to become a genuine pole in a multipolar world in the making, we need to play a more assertive political role on both regional conflicts and global peace/security issues.

As the fifth largest economy (aspiring to become the third by 2030) with an independent foreign policy  enjoying the best of bilateral relations with a diverse set of countries  India has many things going for it. Development partnerships and Covid Maitri reinforced our standing in the Global South. But, by themselves, these are not adequate for India to become a pole in world affairs. We need to play a bigger political role in conflict situations.

Our excellent bilateral relations with individual countries and our global role as a provider of assistance are not substitutes for a robust policy towards conflicts. Regional strategy is not a sum of its bilateral parts since regional dynamics are usually different from bilateral dynamics. The differences and alignments between countries in a region play out differently and have to be factored into fashion a separate policy of engagement in conflicts and issues of peace and security. India is no stranger to this, having played such crucial political roles in many conflicts, including the Korean War in the early 1950s when we were in the UNSC (1950-51), barely three years after Independence.

In recognition of its ceaseless efforts to finalise the armistice agreement in 1953, India was made Chair of the five-member Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission. Again, during our recent stint in UNSC (2021-22), India played a decisive role on numerous occasions in bridging the divide between the five permanent members, i.e., between P-3 (the United States, the United Kingdom, and France) and P-2 (China and Russia) on peace and security issues.

Our stand on Ukraine and West Asia reinforces this point. We have the best of relations with the countries involved, even if they oppose each other. India has also articulated a clear-cut, balanced stand on both these wars. But we have hesitated to move beyond and engage the region at a political level to change from being a bystander to an active player.

While there may be good reasons for us not to get involved and only take care of our own interests, it should not prevent us from putting in place an active regional strategy even while we engage the two sides actively. We have seen how Turkiye, for all its economic, financial and social woes, successfully leveraged its position, both geographically straddling Europe and Asia and politically as an Islamic NATO member, to become the go-to country for many regional and other conflicts.

For India, leadership lies in going beyond taking a stand and playing a clear political role. If not, someone else, not necessarily friendly to us, will fill that space. The PMs visit to Russia provides us with just that opportunity.

TS Tirumurti is a former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations.The views expressed are personal
The Indian automotive landscape is ever-evolving, with brands introducing newer updates almost every year. Among others, the two most competitive automobile giants competing against one another for ages are Hyundai and Tata Motors. This time, car buyers have found Verna and Nexon quite impressive. So, if you plan to replace the older model with a new one, you can buy either Venue or Nexon. So, which SUV gives value for money? Lets find out the details from the following points. Tata Nexon vs Hyundai Venue: Which SUV Reigns Supreme?

Colour, Performance, Boot Space, and Mileage Comparisons between Venue and Nexon

While interior and exterior features have been updated, budget-conscious customers mostly consider the performance, mileage options, and boot space. You can get a better understanding of these parameters from the following table. You can note down the colour variants available for these two cars:

Colours

Nexon is available in seven colours, like:

Flame Red

Calgary White

Creative Ocean

Pure Grey

Pristine White

Fearless Purple

Daytona Grey

Hyundai brings seven colour choices for customers who want to buy a Venue model:

Denim Blue

Titan Grey

Fiery Red

Atlas White

Abyss Black

Fiery Red with Black roof

Typhoon Silver

Performance

Nexon has three driving modes: City, eco, and Sport. It has a diesel and petrol engine. The petrol engine is a 1.2-litre turbocharged (Revotron) engine, while the diesel counterpart offers a 1.5-litre turbocharged (Revotorq) engine. The petrol engine can generate 118.2 bhp and 170 Nm of torque. On the other hand, the diesel variant generates 113.3 Bhp and 260 Nm of torque.

The Venue has efficient and refined petrol and diesel engines. The turbo petrol engine is 1.0L and generates 118.3bhp and 172Nm of torque. The diesel engine produces 250Nm of torque.

Boot Space

Nexon comes with a boot space of 382 litres. The Venue has a boot space of 350 litres.

Mileage

The petrol manual engine delivers 17.44 km/l. It has an AMT version that offers 17.18 km/l.

The petrol-DCT model offers a fuel economy of 17.01 km/l, while the diesel manual variant returns a fuel economy of 23.23 km/l. Its AMT version delivers 24.08 km/l.

Venues 1.2L Petrol model returns 17 kmpl. The 1.0L petrol counterpart, on the other hand, offers 18 kmpl. The same specification is for the 1.0L Petrol with DCT. Its diesel variant delivers an impressive 22 kmpl.

Dimensional Difference between Nexon and Venue

The dimensional differences between Venue and Nexon are almost similar. Heres a rundown of the numerical figures to help customers decide on the right vehicle:

Dimension Nexon Exter Length 3,995 mm 3995 mm Width 1,804 mm 1770 mm Height 1,620 mm 1617 mm Wheelbase 2,498 mm 2500 mm

Pros of Buying Venue vs Nexon

The Venue has a sophisticated and mature exterior. The new dashboard has a touchscreen infotainment system and a digital instrument cluster. Together, these features make the car more luxurious and modern. The car includes a wide range of features.

Compared to the conventional headlights of the old Nexon, the new models come with sleek split headlamps. Nexon facelifts front fascia looks futuristic with a sporty bumper. With alloy wheels and a rear profile sporting a sleek design, it beats the design of old models.

Engine and Transmission

Tata Nexon comes with:

Petrol engine: It has a 1.2-litre turbocharged engine (Revotron) that delivers 118.2 bhp and 170 Nm of torque.

A diesel engine: It has a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine with 113.3 Bhp and 260 Nm of torque.

Venue has three engine options

A 1.2-litre petrol engine: it has a 1197 cc displacement

A 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine: It comes with a 998 cc displacement

A 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine: It comes with a 1493 cc displacement

Nexon facelift has been introduced with a seven-speed DCA and a five-speed manual transmission for their petrol counterparts. This compact SUV comes with a five-speed and a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Safety Features between Venue and Nexon

The following table presents the safety features of both Nexon and Hyundai Venue:

Safety Feature Nexon Venue Airbag Yes Yes No Of Airbags 6 6 Engine Immobilizer Yes Yes Traction Control No No Parking Assistance No No Child Safety Lock Yes No Door Alarm Warning Yes Yes Central Locking Yes Yes Anti-Lock Breaking System Yes Yes Electronic Brakeforce Distribution Yes Yes Electronic Stability Program Yes No Electronic Brake Assist No No

On-Road Prices of Nexon and Venue in Delhi

The base model for Nexon costs Rs. 9.07 lakhs, while its diesel counterpart costs Rs. 12.97 lakhs. Venues base petrol model costs Rs. 8.97 lakhs, while the diesel model costs Rs. 12.65 lakhs.

The top model costs Rs. 16.89 lakhs, while the diesel top model costs Rs. 18.19 lakhs. The automatic variant for Nexon is available from Rs. 13.48 to Rs. 16.89 lakhs. On the other hand, the diesel automatic models are priced between Rs. 15.29 lakhs and Rs. 18.19 lakhs.

Venues top model is priced at Rs. 15.47 lakhs, while the diesel counterpart is priced at Rs. 15.70. The entry-level automatic variant is priced at Rs. 13.38 lakhs, while the higher model is priced at Rs. 15.47 lakhs.

We hope that this article brings some clarity on which models suit your requirements. If thats the case, you can compare the pricing for different variants online on the Acko Drive website. And if you decide to buy one, you can also do it online on the website. Just select the model/variant and pay the booking amount online. Its that simple!

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
A request made by the policyholder to reimburse the costs incurred for treatment is called a health insurance claim or a medical insurance claim. Depending on the claim procedure type you choose, the insurance provider will either pay the hospital immediately after verifying the claim or refund your out-of-pocket expenses. To know more about ACKO Insurance claims, read on. Unexpected Medical Expenses? How to Navigate Health Insurance Claims Like a Pro

Types of Health Insurance Claims

There are mainly 2 types of health insurance claims: -

1.Cashless claims

In this kind of health insurance claim, the insurer, like ACKO, pays the hospital for all medical costs (as permitted by the policy). However, policy beneficiaries must be admitted to a network hospital to use the cashless method of claim settlement.

Procedure to File a Cashless Claim

Follow the steps to file a claim:

Select the appropriate network hospital for your medical care. The policy contains a list of hospitals in the network.

Notify the insurance company three days in advance, and if an emergency occurs, obtain clearance for the claim within twenty-four hours after being admitted to the hospital. Insurance firms are currently attempting to approve claims in less than 90 minutes.

Get the pre-authorisation form and make sure everything is completed correctly. Send it in with your health card and proof of identity.

The insurance business will examine the claim and work directly with the hospital to resolve outstanding balances.

2.Reimbursement Claim

You must pay for the treatment upfront and then submit a claim for reimbursement to be eligible for reimbursement. You must present further documentation of the money you spent on treatment, hospital stays, and the bills when you file a claim. After confirming the bills, the insurance provider will credit your bank account with the amount.

You can ask for reimbursement if the cashless claim request is rejected or if you or a family member is receiving care at a hospital that is not in the network. Don't forget to begin the reimbursement procedure no later than seven days following the patient's release.

Process of Filing a Reimbursement Claim

Call the toll-free number to contact your insurance provider and supply a membership number.

Pay off all of the hospital expenses.

When you file for reimbursement, include the necessary paperwork, prescriptions, discharge reports, and bills.

The refund form can be downloaded and filled out on the insurance website.

Send the completed form and your medical data to the insurance provider.

After the claim is accepted, a check will be issued. After all documents are received, the process typically takes 20 days to complete.

Documents Needed to Make a Health Insurance Claim

Duly filled claim form for health insurance.

Patient's discharge summary

Invoice for cash

Medications

Reports on laboratory, X-ray, scan, and ECG diagnostics

In the event of an accident, file a First Information Report (FIR) or Medico-Legal Certificate (MLC).

A duplicate copy of the policy for insurance

Original hospital invoices

Original invoices for payments

Cancelled check for claims of reimbursement

Dealing With Claim Denials

It is not uncommon for health insurance claims to get denied, especially when faced with unexpected medical expenses. However, that does not mean you should give up. Here are some steps you can take if your claim gets rejected:

Understand Why Your Claim Was Denied

The first step in dealing with a claim denial is to understand why it was rejected. This could be due to incorrect information, lack of prior authorisation, or non-essential treatment by your insurance provider.

Appeal The Denial

You can appeal the decision if you believe your claim was unfairly denied. Contact your insurance business and ask them about their appeals process. Provide any additional information or documents that may strengthen your case.

Conclusion

As we reach the end of our post on understanding health insurance claims, remember that knowledge is your most valuable asset. Review and refresh your knowledge of claims made under your health insurance coverage regularly. Stay updated on guidelines and procedure updates to quickly adapt to this always-changing environment.

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
Larry the Cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, asserted his authority at 10 Downing Street amid Rishi Sunaks resignation tendered to King Charles III and Keir Starmers pending appointment as Prime Minister. Larry the Cat was "hired" to keep Downing Street rat-free. (X/@Number10cat)

Rishi Sunak has offered his resignation to The King but Keir Starmer has yet to be appointed as Prime Minister, so whos in charge? Me, Larry said while sharing his picture on X.

Take a look at the post here:

Larry, the present incumbent in this office, served during the premierships of David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak.

Rishi Sunak stepped down as prime minister of the United Kingdom after his Conservative Party failed to win a majority in Britains general election. As per the official data, the Conservative Party won just 120 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, the lower house of Parliament.

On the other hand, Keir Starmers Labour Party won 412 seats, crossing the majority mark of 326 seats to form the government. As Sunak tendered his resignation to the King after losing the elections, the Labour leader will go to Buckingham Palace to seek the Kings approval to form a government.

Rishi Sunaks last message as PM

I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear message, and yours is the only judgement that matters, said Rishi Sunak on Instagram.

He added, This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honoured to have been Prime Minister of the best country in the world.

The 44-year-old also shared a picture of himself walking hand in hand with his wife, Akshata Murty, daughter of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy and Rajya Sabha MP and philanthropist Sudha Murty.

The right honourable Rishi Sunak MP had an audience of the King this morning and tendered his resignation as prime minister and first lord of the Treasury, which his majesty was graciously pleased to accept, said Buckingham Palace in a statement.
Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, who goes by The Liver Doc on social media, recently called out Samantha Ruth Prabhu for her post recommending hydrogen peroxide nebulisation to treat viral infections. Following this, the actor issued a clarification. In her post, she addressed Liver Doc as a certain gentleman and shared her opinion about his X post addressed to her. The doctor again took to X to respond to the actors reply, accusing her of playing the victim card and endorsing more alternative practices. The image shows part of Samantha Ruth Prabhu's clarification following a post by "Liver Doc" slamming her for her nebuliser post. (Instagram/@samantharuthprabhuoffl, X/@theliverdr)

"Ms Samantha Ruth Prabhu has responded to my "provocative" criticism of her endorsement of unscientific, pseudoscientific and baseless alternative medicine therapies by playing the victim card and endorsing more alternative practices," he wrote.

"Please note, she is a serial offender in the context of healthcare misinformation and she has been in the line of fire previously too. The reason why doctors like me have to spend (waste) time from our busy schedules to fight misinformation online is because it is peddled by large influential 'celebrity' accounts that have no regard for public health. Engagement and monetisation is their concern. Public health and disease prevention is mine. I (we) will be provocative, strongly criticise, be blatant, and brutal with facts because we have no time to waste, catering to emotions," he added in the following lines.

He said that he "expected" better from someone who says she "wants to improve," adding that the "rational reaction" to a criticism of such a post would be to delete it and apologise.

"I won't be commenting or debunking any of Samantha's future endorsements of pseudoscientific alternative public health-endangering posts because, 'You cant help people that dont want to be helped - John Armstrong'," he wrote as the concluding line of his share.

Take a look at the entire X post by "Liver Doc" here:

The post, since being shared, has accumulated nearly 14,000 views and close to 1,000 likes. People posted varied comments while reacting to the share.

What did X users say about Liver Doc's response?

Fantastic response, Doc. All the best, posted an X user. Another joined and added, Hats off to you.

A third individual commented, She thinks she's a doctor, but only in real life, not in real life! A fourth wrote, I fail to understand how buying a nebulizer and hydrogen peroxide is more affordable than whatever pills the doctor may prescribe for the viral fever.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu, a day earlier, shared a picture of herself using a nebuliser. Before taking medication for a common viral, consider trying an alternative approach. One option is to nebulise with a mixture of Hydrogen peroxide and distilled water. Works like magic. Avoid unnecessary use of pills, she wrote on Instagram. The Liver Doc reacted to the share by calling her a health and science illiterate.

What are your thoughts on this altercation on X between Samantha Ruth Prabhu and the Liver Doc?
The Labour Party defeated Rishi Sunaks Conservative Party in a landslide victory in the UK general elections. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat, declaring that the opposition had won. Amid this shift in the UK's political scenario, many people have taken to social media to express their reactions, with some sharing posts involving Sunaks in-laws, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, and philanthropist Sudha Murty. Rishi Sunak's election loss sparked a meme fest on X. (AFP)

Sudha Murthy's son-in-law made his party Tories tank the election. Narayana Murthy didn't advise his son-in-law to work 70 hours a week to save his untalented a** after becoming an unelected PM? wrote an X user and shared a picture which shows Sudha Murty and Narayana Murthy with their daughter Akshata Murty, and son-in-law, Rishi Sunak.

Another individual too referenced the same remark and posted:

Rishi Sunak meme referencing Narayana Murthy's 70-hour work-week remark. (X/@091Rajeshkumar)

What is Narayana Murthys 70-hour workweek remark?

Last year, in a conversation with CFO Mohandas Pai, Murthy said, If we want to compete with the fastest growing countries like China and Japan, we need to boost up our work productivity. At the moment, Indias work productivity is very low. The government also must reduce the time it takes for decision-making and curb corruption in bureaucracy, adding, Our youngsters need to work for at least 70 hours a week. His comment not only divided the internet but also caused a global controversy.

While some agreed with Murthy, others argued that corporate employees should focus on creating a work-life balance rather than making their jobs their priority.

Returning to the recent meme galore on Rishi Sunak, here are some more posts people have shared on X.

The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory. Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides...I take responsibility for the loss to the many good, hard-working, conservative candidates who lost tonight despite their tireless efforts, their local records of delivery and their dedication to their communities, I am sorry. I will now head down to London, where I will say more about tonight's result before I leave the job of Prime Minister, to which I have given my all, Rishi Sunak said after his loss, reported ANI.

The UK's Labour Party crossed the 326-seat threshold needed for a working majority in the House of Commons. Keir Starmer will be Britain's next prime minister.
An unusual incident was reported from Bihar where a snake bit a man, who then bit the reptile back in the belief that it would reverse the venoms effect. The snake died, while the man was rushed to a hospital where he survived with proper medical treatment, the Times of India reported. A snake died after being bitten by a man in Bihar (Representational image)

Here's what happened

Railway employee Santosh Lohar was part of a team laying railway tracks in a thickly-forested part of Rajauli in Bihar. On Tuesday night, after a full days work, the 35-year-old railway worker was settling down to sleep when he was bitten by a snake.

Lohar reacted quickly by seizing the snake and biting it back twice, believing the local myth that biting a snake back will save the victim. In parts of the country, it is a common belief that when a snake bite victim bites the reptile back, the venom transfers back to the snake.

Lohar, luckily, was surrounded by colleagues who immediately rushed him to Rajauli subdivision hospital. Times of India reported that the 35-year-old was treated by Dr Satish Chandra Sinha. He was kept overnight in the hospital and discharged the following day.

Dr Sinha said he responded well to treatment. It is not clear what kind of snake attacked the railway employee.

In India, around 50,000 people are killed every year due to snakebites. Around 90% of the estimated 3-4 million snakebites annually are attributed to the big four group of snakes - the common krait, Indian cobra, Russell's viper and saw scaled viper.

Meanwhile in Indonesia, a 30-year-old woman was swallowed whole by a python earlier this month. When her husband went looking for her, he found her feet sticking out of the 30-foot serpents mouth. He attacked and killed the snake, but by then it was unfortunately too late to save the woman.
Iran is likely to get its new President by Saturday morning, according to Iraj Elahi, the Islamic Republic's envoy to India. Iranian vote during the presidential election at the Iranian embassy in Kuwait City on July 5, 2024. Polls opened on July 5 for Iran's runoff presidential election, the interior ministry said, pitting reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili in the race to succeed Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a May helicopter crash. (Photo by Yasser AL ZAYYAT / AFP)

Today, we are holding the second round of the presidential election. More than 700 polling centres are accepting the votes of the Iranians. We hope that by tomorrow morning, we will have a new President, Elahi told news agency ANI after casting his vote at a special polling centre in New Delhi.

Also Read: Iran candidates hold final rallies before presidential runoff

The Iranian ambassador further stressed that the Asian nation's foreign and internal policies will not change.

The presidential election, a snap poll, was necessitated due to the demise of then President Ebrahim Raisi, who was among the victims of a May 19 helicopter crash. Raisi, the Islamic Republic's eighth President, was elected in 2021, and the next election was originally scheduled in 2025.

Friday's second round of polling was held as no candidate secured a majority in the first leg on June 28. Also, the voter turnout in the first phase stood at only 39.93%, the lowest for any major election in the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Of the four candidates who participated in the first round, the two who advanced to the second and final leg are Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili. While the former is a reformist, the latter is a hardline conservative. In the first phase, they secured 10,415,991 and 9,473,298 votes, respectively.

Meanwhile, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, also appealed to the people to come out and vote, pointing to how this would be the deciding round of the polling process.
Bows and spears to hand, young villagers file through a wood in southwestern Chad, watching their leader for signals as they train to counter kidnappings. Bows at the ready, Chad villagers battle kidnappings

Breaking up into small groups, some crouch behind eucalyptus tree trunks while others crawl on through the undergrowth in the early morning sunlight.

Another signal is given and everyone stops in their tracks the strings of the bows and the elastic of slingshots are drawn back in the direction of an imaginary target.

A chorus of raised voices orders the hostages be released and that weapons be put down.

For more than 20 years, isolated villages in the densely populated Mayo-Kebbi Ouest region have been a hunting ground for kidnappers.

Feeling abandoned by the Chadian state, residents have formed committees to fight the wave of abductions using the few means at their disposal.

"Around 1:00 am, armed men came into my father's house and abducted us with my cousin," student Beatrice Naguita said, blankly staring into the distance.

"For two weeks as captives in the brush, while my father got together the sum demanded, we were tortured," Naguita, 22, said of the April 2023 ordeal.

"As a woman, I lost my dignity," she added, speaking in the ochre earthen courtyard of her home in Pala, the region's main town.

Barka Tao, coordinator of the Organisation for Support of Development Initiatives, said precise figures for kidnap victims were hard to come by.

"Some people refuse to talk out of fear of reprisals, but there could have been nearly 1,500 victims in 20 years," he said.

It used to be children from the Fulani semi-nomadic herder community, also known as the Peul, who were targeted because the group was perceived as wealthy.

But over the last decade, farmers, traders, civil servants, teachers and NGO workers have also been taken; no one is beyond risk.

Tao's organisation says kidnappings have been on the rise, with ever-higher ransoms, increasing violence and, at times, resulting in the death of the hostage.

One of the poorest countries in the world, Chad, a vast Sahelian nation in central Africa, has long grappled with rebellions and coups.

Its less arid regions, such as the south, also see frequent and deadly clashes when sedentary farmers accuse nomadic herders of allowing their animals to graze on their land or trample crops.

Kidnappers can also benefit from the complicity of some within the villages, Tao said, adding it was sometimes due to jealousy or just for payment.

"There is also complicity among village chiefs and even within the security forces," Tao said, showing documents with contacts purportedly found in kidnappers' telephones.

The authorities did not respond to AFP requests for comment on the claims.

Security Minister Mahamat Charfadine Margui acknowledged that local collusion occurred.

He said that after he took up his job in March 2023 he removed local officials in the area, including the governor and gendarmerie commanders.

"But that didn't solve the problem. It's much more complex," he said.

Kidnappers also hide out and operate on the other side of Chad's porous borders, in Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

Army reinforcements since 2020 have not stopped the scourge.

Another hurdle is that the region known as the Triangle of Death is outside the state's control, said Nestor Deli, 51, a journalist and author who has been writing about the kidnappings for more than 20 years.

"The state seems more preoccupied with rebellions in the north and it considers that an epiphenomenon," he said.

All over, residents have had enough, taking it upon themselves to get organised into committees to keep watch.

"We are like civil intelligence agents. We are the eyes and the ears of the governor and security forces, to whom we pass the information," Amos Mbairo Nangyo, 35, who coordinates one of the groups, said.

"We guide the gendarmes in the bush, but we are also the first to go after the criminals following a kidnapping," the manager of a security company added.

"We chase them, armed with our bows and our spears," he continued, watching his recruits train in the woods.

Mbairo Nangyo claims that more than 4,000 young people have joined anti-kidnapping groups.

Faced with the Kalashnikov-wielding kidnappers however, they have little at their disposal.

"It's dangerous volunteer work and we ask the state for resources so we can move about, motorbikes and horses or even just boots," he said.

jbo/gir/hpn/kjm/spb

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The indictment of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds from Saudi Arabia marked the far-right leaders second formal accusation with more potentially in store. The former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds from Saudi Arabia(Reuters)

Also Read: Brazil held by Colombia in Copa America, to face Uruguay quarter-final

Two sources with knowledge of the case confirmed Thursday's indictment by Federal Police, which followed another formal accusation in May against Bolsonaro for allegedly falsifying his COVID-19 vaccination certificate. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to speak publicly.

Also Read: China May soy imports from US soar; Brazil arrivals drop for first time this year

Brazils Supreme Court has yet to receive the police report with the latest indictment. Once it does, the countrys prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, will analyze the document and decide whether to file charges and force Bolsonaro to stand trial.

Also Read: Brazil is perfect for both the nature lover and the urban explorer in you: Best places to explore

The indictment dramatically raises the legal threats facing the divisive ex-leader that are applauded by his opponents but denounced as political persecution by his supporters.

Bolsonaro did not immediately comment, but he and his lawyers have previously denied any wrongdoing in both those cases, as well as other investigations into the former president. One is probing his possible involvement in inciting an uprising in capital Brasilia on Jan. 8, 2023 that sought to oust his successor from power.

Last year, Federal Police accused Bolsonaro of attempting to sneak in diamond reportedly worth $3 million and selling two luxury watches.

Police said in August that Bolsonaro received cash from the nearly $70,000 sale of two luxury watches he received as gifts from Saudi Arabia. Brazil requires its citizens arriving by plane from abroad to declare goods worth more than $1,000 and, for any amount above that exemption, pay a tax equal to 50% of their value.

The jewellery would have been exempt from tax had it been a gift from Saudi Arabia to Brazil, but not Bolsonaros to keep for himself. Rather, it would have been added to the presidential collection.

The investigation showed that Mauro Cid, Bolsonaros former aide-de-camp who allegedly falsified his COVID-19 records, in June 2022 sold a Rolex watch and a Patek Philippe watch to a store in the U.S for a total $68,000. They were gifted by Saudi Arabias government in 2019. Cid later signed a plea bargain with authorities and confirmed it all.

Flavio Bolsonaro, the former presidents eldest son and a sitting senator, said on X after Thursday's indictment that persecution against his father was blatant and shameless.

In addition to Bolsonaro, police indicted 10 others, including Cid and two of his lawyers, Frederick Wassef and Fabio Wajngarten, according to one of the sources. Wassef said in a statement that he didnt have access to the final report of the investigation, and decried selective leaks to the press of an investigation that is supposed to be proceeding under seal.

I am going through all of this solely for practicing law in defense of Jair Bolsonaro, he wrote.

On X, Wajngarten said police have found no evidence implicating him. The Federal Police knows I did nothing related to what they are investigating, but they still want to punish me because I provide unwavering and permanent defense for former President Bolsonaro, he said.

Bolsonaro retains staunch allegiance among his political base, as shown by an outpouring of support in February, when an estimated 185,000 people clogged Sao Paulos main boulevard to protest what the former president calls political persecution.

His critics, particularly members of his rival President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas political party, have cheered every advance of investigations and repeatedly called for his arrest.

The 69-year-old former army captain started his political career as a staunch advocate of Brazils military dictatorship, and was a lawmaker for nearly three decades. When he bid for the presidency for the first time, in 2018, he was widely dismissed as an outsider and too radically conservative. But he surprised analysts with a decisive victory, in no small part due to his self-portrayal as an upstanding citizen in the years following a sprawling corruption probe that ensnared hundreds of politicians and executives.

Bolsonaro insulted adversaries since his earliest days in office while garnering critics with his divisive policies, attacks on the Supreme Court and efforts to undermine health restrictions during the pandemic. He lost his reelection bid in the closest finish since Brazils return to democracy in 1985.

Carlos Melo, a political science professor at the Insper University in Sao Paulo, believes Brazils Supreme Court and the justice overseeing several investigations targeting Bolsonaro, Alexandre de Moraes, will not risk sending the former president to prison or imposing other harsh measures with any haste. The objective, he said, is to avoid instigating supporters of the far-right leader and so make cases against him more politically sensitive to prosecute.

This is a year of mayoral elections. Moraes and his fellow justices know that prosecuting a former president who remains a popular man would be even tougher in a year like this, Melo said. This indictment is another piece of the puzzle. It gives one more problem to Bolsonaro. There will be more.

Last year, Brazils top electoral court ruled that Bolsonaro abused his presidential powers during his 2022 reelection bid, which rendered him ineligible for any elections until 2030. The case focused on a meeting during which Bolsonaro used government staffers, the state television channel and the presidential palace in Brasilia to tell foreign ambassadors that the countrys electronic voting system was rigged.
British Indian MP Lisa Nandy, who was re-elected with a thumping majority from Wigan in north-west England, was appointed the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on Friday by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he got to work right away to put together his top team after a landslide Labour election win. Lisa Nandy will now take over the culture ministry brief from Lucy Fraser, who was among the Tory ministers to lose their seats in a devastating election for the Rishi Sunak led Conservatives. (AFP)

The 44-year-old politician, who was among the final three contestants in the Labour Partys leadership contest against her boss in January 2020, has been serving in his shadow cabinet ever since.

She will now take over the culture ministry brief from Lucy Fraser, who was among the Tory ministers to lose their seats in a devastating election for the Rishi Sunak led Conservatives.

I want to say to those people whove brought their nasty, hateful, racist politics to our town, the history of Wigan is of working-class people who for 100 years have driven you and your hate out of our town over and over again, Nandy raged in her acceptance speech on defeating a far-right Reform UK candidate in her Greater Manchester constituency earlier on Friday.

So take this result tonight as your marching orders. We are a better town than you. You are not welcome here. You can take your nasty divisive rhetoric elsewhere because weve got a job to do, she said.

The Manchester-born daughter of Calcutta-born academic Dipak Nandy and a British mother has spoken of her Indian heritage during Labour Party conferences in the past. Her father was well-known for his work in the field of race relations in Britain.

Friends, we meet today in a city which looks out onto the ocean, from an island shaped by waves of immigration. They include the many children of Empire, like my dad, who came here from India in the 50s and through the struggle to create the Race Relations Act helped forge our national story, she told the party conference in Brighton a few years ago.

This is the country we can be. One that lifts our eyes beyond the horizon, to see that together  only together  will we change the lives of people here and across the world, she said.

Reflecting upon the Indian Independence movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, she recalled how a century ago "the seams of my family were threaded together when the Indian independence campaign, supported by my grandparents, had devastating consequences for Lancashire textile workers. When the cotton stopped coming, the mills stopped running and the workers went hungry."

But members of my family, who worked in those mills, were among those who welcomed Gandhi to Lancashire. Because they knew, as I know, as the first mixed race woman to ever hold this office, that solidarity has power and our struggle is one and the same, she said, with reference to Gandhi's famous visit to Lancashire in 1931 when he met mill workers facing hardship.
The EU on Friday congratulated Keir Starmer on Labour's election win in Britain, with Brussels foreseeing warmer ties with London though little scope to change existing post-Brexit arrangements. Brussels hails new UK govt but seen sticking to Brexit deal

European Council President Charles Michel called Starmer's victory "historic", and stressed the EU and Britain "are crucial partners".

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen added she looked forward to working with Starmer "in a constructive partnership to address common challenges and strengthen European security."

Britain's new prime minister has vowed to reduce trade frictions with the European Union, forge closer security arrangements and relax travel restrictions for touring musicians.

But Starmer is also adamant his government will never reverse Brexit nor seek to be part of the European single market. His slogan is "Make Brexit Work".

While that necessarily reduces the scope for better dealings, a more cooperative London will be greatly welcomed in Brussels, according to one EU official and one EU diplomat, both speaking on condition of anonymity.

A "return to internationalist policies" from London would be "refreshing", the EU official said.

"If there is a different approach, one of cooperation and not with a hostile attitude, then things become easier but not simpler," the diplomat said.

They both warned all "easy" points of cooperation had already been hammered out and enshrined in a painstakingly negotiated 2020 EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and a 2023 Windsor Framework.

But even if the overall deal would not be changed, some aspects could have hard edges filed down, they and analysts said.

Those could include: easing some rules around plant and animal imports; Britain continually aligning with EU rules on chemicals and standards; opening up youth exchange programmes; and mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

One key area where both sides see a priority is close cooperation is defence.

Increased geopolitical instability, notably with Russia's war in Ukraine, and the prospect of a new Donald Trump US presidency with fears America could retreat from its global security role are fuelling that.

"It is in the interest of the EU and also the UK," the EU diplomat said. "It would be interesting if the British come back on that issue with proposals."

Michel said he would see Starmer on July 18 when Britain hosts a European Political Community summit "where we will discuss common challenges, including stability, security, energy and migration".

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas tapped to become the EU's next foreign policy chief noted "the UK's commitment to our common security" in her own congratulatory message to Starmer.

Mark Leonard, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank, told AFP the surge in international volatility and the "big danger" of what a president Trump might do made shared defence "more relevant".

Britain and 23 of the EU's 27 member countries are in NATO, the usual forum for defence cooperation. But Trump during his 2017-2021 presidency called into question America's commitment to the alliance.

While Britain under the Conservatives ended up taking a very arm's-length stance with Brussels on ideological grounds of post-Brexit "sovereignty", Starmer's government is expected to shift to a "rational policy discussion" about UK interests, Leonard said.

The Tories, he said, grappled with a decades-long "psychodrama around Europe... which has destroyed the party".

But Labour still has to bow to Britons' general animosity to immigration, he cautioned.

"I think the only really, really strong red line is about returning to freedom of movement, because that's the only clear signal which came out of the Brexit referendum," he said.

Barry Colfer, director of research at the Institute of International and European Affairs, also said the result of the UK elections was not so prominent in Brussels' thinking right now.

"What's happening in France or even what's happening in the US I think plays a much more central role in the EU," he said.

That said, European elites were "optimistic" about what Starmer's stance would be, he added, anticipating a "generally more pragmatic, evidence-driven, constructive approach" with more diplomatic outreach than under his Tory predecessors.

"I can just see more enhanced cooperation in really obvious areas where it's a win-win situation between the UK and the EU to cooperate: around climate change, and security, around scientific research, around digitalisation," Colfer said.

rmb-alm-ob/ec/db

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia  The return to Cambodia this week of 14 sculptures that had been looted from the country during a period of war and unrest is like welcoming home the souls of ancestors, Cambodias culture minister said Thursday. Cambodia welcomes the Met's repatriation of centuries-old statues looted during past turmoil

The items repatriated from New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Ar t arrived Wednesday and were displayed to journalists and VIPs on Thursday at the National Museum in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

They were made between the 9th and 14th centuries in the Angkorian period and reflect the Hindu and Buddhist religious systems prevailing at that time, the museum said in a statement this week.

A statement from Cambodias Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said the "historic homecoming of national treasures followed several years of negotiations between Cambodias art restitution team, U.S. federal prosecutors in New York, investigators from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Metropolitan Museum.

Cambodian Culture Minister Phoeurng Sackona said the return of the artifacts was very important for the Cambodian people for recalling the heritage of their ancestors through good times and bad.

The pieces were staying a long, long time abroad, but today they returned to Cambodia, like a blessing for our people for peace, stability in our country now, she said.

To Cambodians, the returned artworks carry with them the souls of their ancestors, she said. Bringing back the souls of ancestors also includes bringing history, admiration and knowledge, Phoeurng Sackona said.

She said without elaborating that Cambodia hopes to receive very soon another 50 artifacts from the U.S. Cambodia claims that other items illegally trafficked from the country are still at the Metropolitan, as well as at other museums and in the hands of private collectors.

These returns contribute to the reconciliation and healing of the Cambodian people, who endured decades of civil war and suffered tremendously from the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge regime, Phoeurng Sackona said. They also demonstrate the truly positive partnership we have developed with the United States."

For the art world, their return is the fruit of a reckoning in recent years over art and archaeological treasures taken from their homelands. These include not only ancient Asian artworks, but also pieces lost or stolen in turmoil in other places, such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe.

The pieces returned to Cambodia from the Met were looted during a long period of civil war and instability in Cambodia, which was ruled by the brutal communist Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s.

They were bought and trafficked by well-known art dealer Douglas Latchford, who was indicted in 2019 for allegedly orchestrating a multiyear scheme to sell looted Cambodian antiquities on the international art market. Latchford, who died the following year, had denied any involvement in smuggling.

Cambodias Culture Ministry highlighted two works among those returned that are expected to be restored by reuniting them with other parts already in their possession

The repatriation includes the extraordinary stone sculpture from the 10th century of the female goddess Uma from the ancient royal capital of Koh Ker, it said, adding that the sculptures foot had already been retrieved from its original site.

At last, the Uma can be reunified to achieve its full magnificence as one complete statue. it said.

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, it said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
By Divya Rajagopal, Surbhi Misra and Mrinmay Dey Canada approves Glencore takeover of Teck coal unit, with conditions

July 4 - The Canadian government has approved Glencore's $6.93 billion acquisition of miner Teck Resources' steelmaking coal unit with strict conditions to preserve jobs, the country's industry minister said on Thursday.

To secure the approval, Glencore has agreed to maintain Canadian headquarters for Elk Valley Resources for at least 10 years, ensure a majority of the directors of EVR are Canadians, and maintain significant employment levels at EVR for no less than five years, the ministry said.

In a separate statement, Teck said it would use the deal proceeds to buy back up to C$2.75 billion of its Class B subordinate voting shares, reduce its debt by up to $2 billion and fund near-term copper growth.

The miner said it expects the deal to close by July 11.

"Today I approved under strict conditions a much narrower transaction whereby Glencore will acquire Teck Resources metallurgical coal business," Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement.

He flagged that going forward Canada will set a high bar on net-benefit reviews when assessing mergers and acquisitions of important Canadian companies in the critical minerals space.

"Henceforth, such transactions will only be found of net benefit in the most exceptional of circumstances," Champagne said.

Glencore CEO Gary Nagle said in a statement the company has made significant commitments to the Canadian government to ensure the transaction benefits Canada and British Columbia in the long term.

In November, a Glencore-led consortium sealed one of the mining sector's biggest deals, agreeing to acquire Teck Resources steelmaking coal unit for $9 billion.

Swiss miner Glencore will get 77% of the business in a $6.9 billion cash deal, while 20% will go to Japan's Nippon Steel , which already holds a 2.5% stake.

South Korea's POSCO will swap a stake in two of Teck's coal operations for 3% in the steelmaking coal business Elk Valley Resources.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to lead a "government focused on serving the nation" with a mission to renew the country. Keir Starmer, UK prime minister, after delivering the first speech of his premiership, following the general election, outside 10 Downing Street in London, UK, on Friday, July 5, 2024. ( Hollie Adams/Bloomberg)

Addressing the public outside 10 Downing Street, Starmer acknowledged widespread disillusionment and cynicism toward politics but affirmed his commitment to restoring trust in government. Accompanied by his wife, Victoria, Starmer received applause from supporters as they arrived at the residence and greeted them warmly.

Follow: UK Election Results 2024 LIVE

Keir Starmer's first speech as UK PM | Top quotes

1. The work of change starts now. We will rebuild Britain, brick by brick, focusing on rebuilding the infrastructure of opportunity, Stramer said.

ALSO READ- British election: Kerala-born mental health nurse among Labour Party winners

2. Starmer praised Rishi Sunak for serving as UK's first British Asian. "The extra effort that that will have required" - should not be "underestimated by anyone". He also said he recognises the "dedication and hard work" Sunak brought to his leadership, BBC reported.

3. With respect and humility, I invite everyone to join this government of service in our mission for national renewal, he said.

ALSO READ- UK polls: PM Modi congratulates Keir Starmer on Labour's remarkable win

4. "My government will fight every day until you believe again. From now on, you have a government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by the determination to serve your interest," he added.

5. Starmer said that he acknowledges the complexity of changing a nation: Transforming a country isnt like flipping a switch; it will take time. But we start now. He said, Service is the foundation of hope. Our nation needs a profound reset, a rediscovery of who we are. Through the storms of history, our strength lies in navigating to calmer waters.

ALSO READ- What will be the future of India-UK FTA under Keir Starmer as British PM?

Labour leader Keir Starmer officially became the prime minister of Britain on Friday, following his party's overwhelming victory in the elections after being in opposition for over a decade.

Starmer assumed the role of the nation's leader after a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace with King Charles III.

(Inputs from wires)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand  Crocodile numbers in Australia's Northern Territory must be either maintained or reduced and cannot be allowed to outstrip the human population, the territory's leader said after a 12-year-old girl was killed while swimming. Crocodiles cannot outnumber people in Australian territory where girl was killed, leader says

The crocodile population has exploded across Australias tropical north since it became a protected species under Australian law in the 1970s, growing from 3,000 when hunting was outlawed to 100,000 now. The Northern Territory has just over 250,000 people.

The girl's death came weeks after the territory approved a 10-year plan for management of crocodiles, which permits the targeted culling of the reptiles at popular swimming spots but stopped short of a return to mass culls. Crocodiles are considered a risk in most of the Northern Territorys waterways, but crocodile tourism and farming are major economic drivers.

We cant have the crocodile population outnumber the human population in the Northern Territory, Chief Minister Eva Lawler told reporters Thursday, according to Australian Broadcasting Corporation. We do need to keep our crocodile numbers under control."

In this week's deadly attack, the girl vanished while swimming in a creek near the Indigenous community of Palumpa, southwest of the territory's capital, Darwin. After an intense search, her remains were found in the river system where she disappeared with injuries confirming a crocodile attack.

The Northern Territory recorded the deaths of 15 people in crocodile attacks between 2005 and 2014 with two more in 2018. Because saltwater crocodiles can live up to 70 years and grow throughout their lives  reaching up to 7 meters in length  the proportion of large crocodiles is also rising.

Lawler, who said the death was heartbreaking, told reporters that 500,000 Australia dollars had been allocated in the Northern Territory budget for crocodile management in the coming year.

The region's opposition leader, Lia Finocchiaro, told reporters that more investment was needed, according to NT News.

The girl's death "sends a message that the Territory is unsafe and on top of law and order and crime issues, what we dont need is more bad headlines, she said.

Professor Grahame Webb, a prominent Australian crocodile scientist, told the AuBC that more community education was needed and the government should fund Indigenous ranger groups and research into crocodile movements.

If we don't know what the crocodiles are likely to do, we're still going to have the same problem, he said. Culling is not going to solve the problem."

Efforts were continuing to trap the crocodile that attacked the girl, police said on Thursday. Saltwater crocodiles are territorial and the one responsible is likely to remain in nearby waterways.

Associated Press reporter Rod McGuirk contributed from Melbourne, Australia.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
DOVER, Del.  A Delaware judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by former business advisers to the late pop music icon Prince against two of his siblings and other heirs in a dispute over his estate. Delaware judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit in battle over estate of the late pop icon Prince

The judge on Friday also agreed with plaintiffs L. Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer Jr. that an agreement purporting to replacing them as managers of a limited liability company established by three siblings was invalid.

Prince died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016. He had no will, and his six siblings inherited equal interests in the estate.

Three of them assigned their combined 50% interest to Prince Legacy LLC. They also granted McMillan and Spicer each a 10% interest in Prince Legacy, along with broad and exclusive management authority.

One sister, Sharon Nelson, later regretted the decision and led an effort to remove McMillan and Spicer as managing members by amending the LLC agreement.

Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick ruled that the terms of the initial LLC agreement are unambiguous and that they prohibit the defendants attempts to amend it. She said the agreement remains in effect and McMillan and Spicer remain as managing members.

As a matter of contract law, this is the only reasonable interpretation, the judge wrote.

McCormick also ruled that the plaintiffs can pursue a claim that the defendants breached the LLC agreement by acting without authorization to amend it and remove McMillan and Spicer.

The lawsuit stems from disagreements involving Tyka Nelson, Princes sister, and five half-siblings: Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson, John R. Nelson, Omarr Baker and Alfred Jackson.

Tyka, Omarr and Alfred, the three youngest, sold their stake to a music publishing company called Primary Wave Music, LLC, which later assigned its interests to an affiliate, Prince OAT Holdings LLC. Alfred has since died.

The older siblings, Sharon, Norrine and John, assigned 20% of their collective interests to McMillan and Spicer before John died in 2021. His interests passed to a trust overseen by Breanna Nelson, Allen Nelson and Johnny Nicholas Nelson Torres as co-trustees. Breanna and Allen are named as defendants in the lawsuit along with Sharon and Norrine, while Nelson Torres has sided with the plaintiffs.

The lawsuit alleges among other things that Sharon improperly tried to insert herself into management decisions and once demanded that the entire staff of the Paisley Park Museum in Minnesota be replaced. She also accused McMillan and Spicer of fraud and tried to sell her interests in Prince Legacy without the required consent of the other members.

The lawsuit is part of a long and convoluted legal battle involving both the size and the beneficiaries of Princes estate. In 2022, nearly six years after his death, the Internal Revenue Service and the administrator of the estate agreed to end a court battle and value the estate at roughly $156 million.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza gathered momentum on Friday after Hamas made a revised proposal on the terms of a deal, and Israel said negotiations would continue into next week. A source in Israel's negotiating team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was now a real chance of achieving agreement. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the head of the Mossad intelligence agency returned from an initial meeting with mediators in Doha, the capital of Qatar, and that negotiations would continue next week.

"There are still gaps between the sides," Netanyahu's office said.

Earlier, a source in Israel's negotiating team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was now a real chance of achieving agreement.

Those remarks were in sharp contrast to past instances in the nine-month-old war in Gaza when Israel said conditions attached by Hamas were not acceptable.

A Palestinian official close to the internationally mediated peace efforts said the latest proposal by the militant Islamist group could lead to a framework agreement if embraced by Israel.

He said Hamas was no longer demanding as a pre-condition an Israeli commitment to a permanent ceasefire before signing an agreement, and would allow negotiations to achieve that throughout a first six-week phase.

"Should the sides need more time to seal an agreement on a permanent ceasefire, the two sides should agree there would be no return to the fighting until they do that," the official told Reuters.

Hamas later said it rejected the presence of foreign forces in Gaza, signalling its opposition to any plan to send an international contingent to the Gaza Strip to help keep the peace in the Palestinian enclave.

The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), a Palestinian group allied with Hamas, said separately that it would consider any international or other forces in Gaza as occupiers.

HEZBOLLAH-HAMAS TALKS

Gaza health authorities say more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive launched in response to a Hamas-led assault on Israel last Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

The war has displaced hundreds of thousands of Gazans and caused a humanitarian crisis. It has also fuelled tension across the region, triggering exchanges of fire across Israel's northern border with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hamas said it had told Hezbollah it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal in Gaza and that the Lebanese group's leader had welcomed the step, two sources familiar with the matter said.

"If there is a Gaza agreement, then from zero hour there will be a ceasefire in Lebanon," said one of the sources, an official in Hezbollah, which says its rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel are in support of the Palestinians.

ISRAELI FAR-RIGHT PARTNERS' CONCERNS

Turkey's president, Tayyip Erdogan, was quoted by Turkish media as saying he hoped a "final ceasefire" could be secured "in a couple of days", and urged Western countries to put pressure on Israel to accept the terms on offer.

Some far-right partners in Netanyahu's governing coalition have indicated they may quit the government if the war ends before Hamas is destroyed. Their departure would probably end Netanyahu's premiership.

Israel's Channel 7 News reported that, at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, far-right coalition partner Itamar Ben Gvir had accused security and defence officials of deciding to resume the Gaza talks without consulting him.

Hamas' new proposal responded to a plan made public in late May by U.S. President Joe Biden that would include releasing about 120 hostages still held in Gaza and a ceasefire.

The plan entails gradually releasing hostages and Israeli forces pulling back over an initial two phases, and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners. A third phase involves Gaza's reconstruction.

Israel has previously said it will accept only temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007, is eradicated.

An Israeli delegation in Egypt on Thursday discussed details of the possible deal, Egyptian security sources said. They said Israel would respond to the Hamas proposal after discussions with Qatar which, like Egypt, has mediated the peace efforts.

In the latest fighting in Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians in northern and southern Gaza, Gaza medics said. The Gaza health ministry does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.

An air strike on a house in Gaza City also killed two local journalists, medics said.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, seven Palestinians were killed in a raid on the northern city of Jenin, the Palestinian health ministry said. Israel's military said its forces had encircled a building where militants had barricaded themselves in, and that an Israeli aircraft had struck targets in the area.

Gazans, who desperately need aid such as food and drinking water, reacted cautiously to the prospect of renewed talks. The only previous truce, agreed in November, lasted seven days.

"We in Gaza are people who sleep on death and wake up to death. We know that at any time we can die," Ibtisam Al-Athamna, who said she had been displaced nine times during the war, told Reuters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
The World Health Organization chief has warned that a dire lack of fuel in the Gaza Strip could have a "catastrophic" impact on already devastated health services in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. Fuel shortages 'catastrophic' for devastated health services in Gaza: WHO

Desperate fuel shortages have been a constant problem in the besieged Palestinian territory, facing intense Israeli bombardment since Hamas's deadly October 7 attack inside Israel sparked the ongoing war.

"Further disruption to health services is imminent in Gaza due to a severe lack of fuel," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said late Thursday on X, formerly Twitter.

The UN health agency cautioned that only 90,000 litres of fuel entered Gaza on Wednesday even as the health sector alone needs 80,000 litres daily.

This is forcing WHO and its partners working in Gaza "to make impossible choices", Tedros said.

Gaza is completely sealed off and everything that enters it is controlled by the Israelis.

Fuel, which has been particularly difficult to get in amid Israeli fears it could benefit Hamas fighters, is vital to keep hospital generators running, as well as humanitarian and emergency vehicles.

WHO said that its partners were currently directing limited fuel supplies to "key hospitals", including the Nasser Medical Complex and Al Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis and the Kuwaiti hospital in Rafah.

Fuel was also going to 21 ambulances run by the Palestinian Red Crescent "to prevent services from grinding to a halt", Tedros said.

He pointed out that the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Yunis had been out of service since Tuesday, and warned that "losing more hospitals in the Strip would be catastrophic."

Hamas's October 7 attack that sparked Gaza's deadliest war resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

Hamas militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza including 42 the army says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 38,011 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

vog/nl/rox

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hungary, which took over the EU's rotating presidency this week, on Friday said it would not pay a multi-million-euro fine imposed by the bloc's top court for violating asylum rules. Hungary will not pay 'unfair' fine for breaching EU asylum rules

In June, the European Court of Justice fined Hungary 200 million euros and imposed a daily one-million-euro penalty for not carrying out a 2020 ruling that it must uphold international procedures for asylum seekers.

"We are not planning on paying this fine because this is completely unfair," Deputy Interior Minister Bence Retvati told journalists.

"This fine that we received was political pressure because of our approach to illegal migration," he added.

Contrary to European Union rules, Budapest only allows asylum seekers to submit their application abroad at Hungarian embassies.

In December 2020, ECJ found that Hungary did not allow asylum seekers to leave detention while their cases were considered and offered no special protection to children and other vulnerable people.

Budapest has continued to restrict migrants' access to formally asking for asylum and not upholding their right to stay while their applications are processed, the court said in June.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a vocal proponent of an alleged plot to supplant white Europeans with non-white immigrants, is frequently at loggerheads with Brussels over migration and refugee policy.

Hungary also opposes the bloc's recent overhaul of its laws on handling asylum-seekers and migrants.

"Don't try to get Hungary to change our rules, because we have protected ourselves from migration," Orban said in an interview with state television on Monday.

"Instead, they should adopt the Hungarian rules here in Brussels and other capitals, and suddenly everything would be simple," the nationalist leader added.

The European Commission had already announced that if Budapest refused to pay, it would deduct the money from the funds earmarked for Hungary it had not yet paid out.

It has frozen 19 billion euros due to other procedures.

bur-ros/kym/ach

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Keir Starmer is all set to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following a historic victory by his centre-left Labour Party in the 2024 parliamentary election, ending 14 years of Conservative government. Britain's Labour Party leader Keir Starmer delivers a speech during a victory rally at the Tate Modern in London early on July 5, 2024. (AFP)

Labour Party secured over 400 seats out of 650, well beyond the 326-seat majority required to govern in the UK. Meanwhile, according to a report from The Guardian, the Conservatives struggled to secure even 120 seats.

At a celebratory rally in central London, Starmer, 61, declared, change starts now, and committed to a decade of national renewal, prioritising country first, party second. However, he cautioned that substantial change would require time. Labour's triumph included gaining numerous seats from the Conservatives, including those held by nine Cabinet members and former Prime Minister Liz Truss.

According to his office, outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will deliver a statement in Downing Street around 0930 GMT before meeting with King Charles to formally step down following the Labour Party's landslide election victory.

The statement mentioned that the newly elected Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet with Charles at Buckingham Palace before delivering a speech in Downing Street around 1120 GMT.

Leaders from Australia and New Zealand have congratulated Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on his electoral triumph.

When can Starmer take charge as UK PM?

The Labour Party's victory in Britain's general election marks the first change in government in 14 years. However, Labour leader Keir Starmer will not assume the role of prime minister until Friday's scheduled ceremony, where King Charles III will formally invite him to establish a new government.

This moment underscores that, technically, the authority to govern in the United Kingdom still originates from royal prerogative, despite the transfer of real political power to elected Members of Parliament centuries ago.

What did Rishi Sunak say about the Conservatives' loss?

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, acknowledging the defeat, described the outcome as a "sobering verdict" delivered by the British people, affirming that the Labour Party has won the election.

Sunak, who held onto his seat in North Yorkshire, told those gathered: The Labour party has won this general election.

I take responsibility for the loss, he said. To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.

He added that he had called Labour leader Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory. Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our countrys stability and future, Sunak said.

Ex-UK PM Liz Truss loses to Labour

Liz Truss, who held the record for the shortest tenure as Britain's Prime Minister, faced a setback as she lost her parliamentary seat in the UK general election.

Truss's defeat underscored a broader trend: constituencies previously held by Conservative leaders since 2010 have shifted allegiance to either Labour or the Liberal Democrats, according to the Associated Press, reflecting a critical assessment of the Conservatives' 14-year rule.

In a closely contested race, Truss lost her Norfolk South West constituency in eastern England to Labour by a margin of 630 votes.

How did other parties perform?

- Smaller parties, including the centrist Liberal Democrats and Nigel Farage's Reform UK, garnered significant voter support. Reform UK secured four seats, including one for Farage in Clacton-on-Sea, after multiple unsuccessful attempts.

The Liberal Democrats achieved around 70 seats, slightly fewer than Reform UK, despite a slightly lower overall share of the vote. They benefitted from a more strategic distribution of their support under Britain's first-past-the-post electoral system.

- The Green Party expanded its presence in Parliament, securing four seats compared to just one before the election, reflecting an increase in voter backing.

- The Scottish National Party faced substantial losses, holding most of Scotland's 57 seats before the election but expected to retain only a few, primarily losing seats to Labour.

(With inputs from agencies)
Labour leader Keir Starmer officially became the prime minister of Britain on Friday, following his party's landslide victory in the general elections after being in opposition for over a decade. Keir Starmer, UK prime minister, delivers the first speech of his premiership, following the general election, outside 10 Downing Street in London, UK, on Friday, July 5, 2024. (Hollie Adams/Bloomberg)

Starmer assumed the role of the nation's leader after a private ceremony at Buckingham Palace with King Charles III. He then announced his new team. Take a look:

Keir Starmer cabinet | List

Angela Rayner: Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Deputy prime minister

Rachel Reeves: Chancellor of the Exchequer

ALSO READ- Who is Rachel Reeves, UK's first female Chancellor of Exchequer?

Pat McFadden: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

David Lammy: Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs

ALSO READ- What will be the future of India-UK FTA under Keir Starmer as British PM?

Yvette Cooper: Secretary of State for the Home Department

John Healey: Secretary of State for Defence

Shabana Mahmood: Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Wes Streeting: Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Bridget Phillipson: Secretary of State for Education

ALSO READ- British election: Kerala-born mental health nurse among Labour Party winners

Ed Miliband: Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

Liz Kendall: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Jonathan Reynolds: Secretary of State for Business and Trade; President of the Board of Trade

Peter Kyle: Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

Louise Haigh: Secretary of State for Transport

ALSO READ- UK polls: PM Modi congratulates Keir Starmer on Labour's remarkable win

Steve Reed: Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Lisa Nandy: Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Hilary Benn: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Ian Murray: Secretary of State for Scotland

Jo Stevens: Secretary of State for Wales

Lucy Powell: Lord President of the Council, and Leader of the House of Commons

UK elections 2024 results

The Labour Party won 403 seats, while Sunak's conservative Party won just 109 in the 650-member House of Commons.
NAIROBI, - Kenya's Ruto pledges spending cuts after nationwide protests

Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday pledged spending cuts totalling 177 billion shillings in the fiscal year that started in July, after weeks of nationwide protests that forced him to scrap planned tax hikes.

The government will also increase borrowing by about 169 billion shillings to cover the 346 billion shilling hole created by the decision to withdraw the finance bill that was the original spark for the protests.

The demonstrations, which started peacefully before turning violent, have become the biggest threat to Ruto's two-year-old presidency. Campaign groups have documented hundreds of arrests and at least 39 deaths linked to the government's heavy-handed response,

raising fears of rights backsliding

.

Ruto said in a televised address to the nation that Kenya's budget deficit was now projected at 4.6% of gross domestic product in the 2024/25 financial year, up from an earlier estimate of 3.3%.

Among ways his government will cut spending, Ruto said 47 state corporations would be dissolved, the number of advisors in government would be reduced by 50% immediately, and all non-essential travel by public office bearers would be suspended.

"Budget lines providing for the operations of the Office of the First Lady, the spouse of the Deputy President, and the Prime Cabinet Secretary, will be removed," Ruto said, adding that public servants at retirement age of 60, shall be required to immediately retire.

He said there would be a forensic audit of the country's debt and that he would also announce government changes soon.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Kathmandu, Nepal's embattled Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', who lost support from two major alliance partners earlier this week, is set to seek a vote of confidence from the House of Representatives on July 12, it was announced on Thursday. Nepal PM Prachanda to face floor test on July 12 after key ally's withdrawal of support

The prime minister sent a letter to the Parliament Secretariat asking the latter to make arrangements for the vote, local media reported.

Dahal chose to go for the floor test by the article 100 of the Constitution which says if the political party which the prime minister represents is divided or a political party in coalition government withdraws its support, the prime minister shall table a motion in the House of Representatives for a vote of confidence within thirty days, The Kathmandu Post reported.

Earlier, Prachanda had announced that he would not quit after the resignation of eight Cabinet ministers belonging to the largest party and instead face a vote of confidence in Parliament.

His announcement was prompted after Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist chairman K P Sharma Oli, both former premiers, inked a power-sharing deal on Monday night to form a new NC-UML alliance government.

The Nepali Congress, which is the largest party in the 275-member House of Representatives , has 89 seats, while CPN-UML has 78 seats. Prachanda's party, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre , has 32 seats.

The CPN-Unified Socialist , which has 10 seats in the Lower House, has said it will vote in favour of the Prachanda-led government. Despite that support, Prachanda enjoys support from just 63 members of the HoR.

He requires 138 votes for the government to win the vote of confidence in the House.

This will be the fifth time Prachanda, 69, will seek a vote of confidence within a term of one and a half years.

Nepal has had 13 governments in the last 16 years, indicating the fragile nature of the Himalayan nation's political system.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
VATICAN CITY - Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a fierce ultra-conservative critic of Pope Francis, has been found guilty of schism and excommunicated, the Vatican's doctrinal office said in a statement on Friday. Papal enemy Archbishop Vigano found guilty of schism and excommunicated

Vigano, the papal envoy in Washington from 2011-2016, went into hiding in 2018 after alleging that the pope knew for years about sexual misconduct by an American cardinal and did nothing about it.

He said the pope should resign and subsequently branded him a "false prophet" and a "servant of Satan".

The Vatican rejected the accusation of a cover-up of sexual misconduct and last month summoned Vigano to answer charges of schism and denying the pope's legitimacy.

In a brief statement on Friday, the doctrinal office said his refusal to recognize and submit to Pope Francis was clear from his public statements.

"At the conclusion of the penal process, the Most Reverend Carlo Maria Vigano was found guilty of the reserved delict of schism," the statement said, adding that he had been excommunicated, or banished, from the Church.

In a statement issued last week, Vigano said he had refused to take part in the disciplinary proceedings because he did not accept the legitimacy of the institutions behind it.

"I do not recognize the authority of the tribunal that claims to judge me, nor of its Prefect, nor of the one who appointed him," he said, referring to the head of the doctrinal office, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, and to Francis.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Toronto: With pro-Khalistan elements staging yet another protest against an Indian diplomat on Thursday, officials and missions have now faced over 20 demonstrations in less than a year. Khalistani protesters were challenged by a pro-Indian group outside the Indian consulate in Toronto, Canada on July 8 last year. (HT)

The picketing of Indias High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma was organised by the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), once again in connection with the allegations that Indian agents were potentially linked to the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 last year in Surrey, British Columbia.

The number of protests that have targeted Indias senior-most officials and missions in Canada have crossed 20, after the first Nijjar-connected event on July 8, 2023.

In each instance, India had indicated its concern over the planned protest to Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the nations foreign ministry in advance and enhanced security was provided.

On Thursday, protesters gathered in front of the High Commission building in the Canadian capital Ottawa and shouted anti-India slogans, as they remained there for about four-and-a-half hours. A senior Indian official said, Security was inadequate. Complaint lodged with Canadian side.

But, the official added, there was no major disruption.

The protests which started in July last year were preceded by posters circulated online (and later used during the events) with the words, Kill India, and featuring images of the High Commissioner and Indias Consul Generals in Toronto and Vancouver.

They continued into the year, getting momentum in autumn, after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus statement in the House of Commons that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and Nijjars murder. While four Indian nationals have been arrested in relation to the murder this year, investigators have yet to reveal evidence of that link, though they have said the probe in that context is continuing.

When the protests first started in July last year, Melanie Joly, Canadas Minister of Foreign Affairs, had described some of the promotional material for the rallies as unacceptable and added that Canada took its obligations under Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously.

However, such criticism has not been reiterated since Trudeaus statement on September 18 last year.

In the interim, pro-Khalistan groups had also targeted temples and other venues where Indian officials were present for consular camps in November last year. This March, they also staged protests when the High Commissioner held trade and business events in Surrey, and later in Edmonton and Calgary in the province of Alberta.

SFJs general-counsel Gurpatwant Pannun has warned these so-called Khalistan rallies will continue till India diplomats are forced to leave.
Scotland's pro-separatist Scottish National Party was virtually wiped out at the UK general election on Friday, suffering a devastating blow to its withering independence movement. Scottish independence hit as SNP suffers 'black night' in UK poll

Keir Starmer's Labour party overturned more than a decade of SNP domination by winning a majority of Scottish seats as it rode to power in Westminster.

The SNP lost dozens of lawmakers as it headed for its worst result in a British general election since 2010, with senior MP Stephen Flynn, who held his seat, lamenting a "black night" for his party.

Labour sealed its comeback in its former heartland when it passed the 29-seat threshold to become the largest party in the country shortly after 5:30 am .

A BBC exit poll predicted that the SNP would win only eight constituencies in Scotland, down from the 48 it won at the last election in 2019, when Labour returned just one Scottish MP.

The crushing loss means the SNP will lose its position as Britain's third-biggest party, which brings a high-profile slot during the weekly Prime Minister's Questions session in parliament.

It will also lose out on public funding and key positions on parliamentary select committees.

"There will have to be a lot of soul-searching as a party as a consequence of these results that have come in tonight," SNP leader John Swinney admitted to the BBC.

Ex-SNP leader and former Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said the prediction was "at the grimmer end of the expectations" for her party, which had been tipped to endure a chastening performance.

"This is seismic for Labour. There's no getting away from that, it's a massive achievement for Keir Starmer," she said, as Labour was tipped to win 410 seats and secure a majority of 170 in Britain as a whole.

The SNP has dominated in Scotland in the last three UK elections, peaking with the 2015 vote when it won 56 seats out of 59 seats. In 2010, it got only six seats.

But the party has been under pressure from the resurgence of Labour in its former fiefdom north of the English border, as it rides a wave of displeasure against the Tories nationwide.

The SNP was overtaken by the centrist Liberal Democrats in party size and fighting to stop Nigel Farage's right-wing upstarts Reform UK from pushing it down to fifth position at Westminster.

The SNP has been in turmoil for months as voters tire of its 17 years in charge of the devolved Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.

Critics have also accused it of focusing on independence at the expense of key issues such as the cost-of-living crisis, education and health.

Support for the SNP has also slumped amid a finances scandal that saw Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, charged with embezzlement. Murrell is the party's former chief executive.

Sturgeon herself was arrested, but released without charge.

Swinney only took charge in May following the resignation of Humza Yousaf after the collapse of the SNP's power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens in Edinburgh.

Yousaf was in power for just over a year.

Swinney had pledged to push for fresh talks on another independence referendum if the SNP had won a majority of seats in Thursday's vote.

Labour and the Conservatives insist the issue was dealt with at the 2014 referendum when 55 percent of voters in Scotland opted to remain part of the UK.

Despite the SNP's slump, the number of Scots favouring independence has held at around 40 percent, according to surveys, providing the SNP with some solace.

pdh/phz/fg

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Taiwan on Friday reported renewed Chinese military activity nearby with another "combat patrol" as the government called on Beijing not to escalate tensions after the seizure of a Taiwanese fishing boat. Taiwan on Friday reported renewed Chinese military activity nearby with another "combat patrol" as the government called on Beijing not to escalate tensions after the seizure of a Taiwanese fishing boat.(AP/FILE)

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up its pressure over the past four years, both militarily and politically.

On Tuesday, Chinese officials boarded and detained a Taiwanese fishing boat for illegally operating in the country's waters, in what a senior Taiwan official said may be act of psychological warfare.

Taiwan's defence ministry said that starting just before 7 a.m. (2300 GMT) on Friday, it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters, carrying out a "joint combat readiness patrol" with Chinese warships.

ALSO READ| Taiwan urges citizens to avoid travel to China, Hong Kong and Macao

The Chinese aircraft flew into airspace to the north, centre and southern part of Taiwan, the ministry said.

Taiwan has detected at least 127 Chinese military aircraft operating near the island since the start of this month.

China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Speaking to reporters earlier on Friday, Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said fishermen should raise their alert level and not do anything that could be considered illegal.

"At the same time, I also want to ask the Chinese side not to escalate with any the use of any excessive measures, because this can easily cause tension and unnecessary confrontation which is extremely unnecessary," he added.

China says the root cause of its problems with Taiwan is what Beijing views as the "separatist" views of new President Lai Ching-te.

China staged war games shortly after Lai took office in May, and has rebuffed his repeated calls for talks.

Lai rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future.
By Anna Voitenko and Alina Smutko Time running out for Ukrainians fleeing Russia's advance

TORETSK, Ukraine, - In the devastated eastern Ukrainian town of Toretsk, time is running out for anyone wanting to leave.

Russian forces are advancing slowly but surely, pummelling the town night and day with rockets, artillery fire and air attacks, part of a broad advance in the Donetsk region that Ukraine has been unable to stop.

Piles of rubble lie where buildings once stood, burned out apartment blocks have become unliveable, a church tower has fallen and plumes of smoke rise in the near distance from incoming shells.

In a residential courtyard a group of mainly elderly residents gather to listen to Ivan, a police officer in camouflage fatigues who is trying to convince them to leave Toretsk with his evacuation team.

Hundreds of officers like him and Ukrainian volunteers are trying to do the same in towns and villages along the frontline before they are reduced to rubble and subsumed into territory held by the Russians.

"Are you all staying?" he asked, speaking firmly and quickly. "Can you not see how the situation is changing? If you think you will sit it out - this is not going to happen."

His offer has been taken up by some and turned down by others. Many people who remain do not want to leave for an uncertain life in safer parts of Ukraine. Others refuse to be separated from elderly relatives and friends.

"It is just me that is left, everyone else is buried," said Valentyna, a former school headmistress who gave only her first name. "Planes are flying in every night and attacking, especially the last two days," added the 75-year-old, crying.

'ALL COVERED IN BLOOD'

A woman next to her shouted: "God has given us earth and sky, and they trampled all over it, covered it in blood. It is all covered in blood. And the young boys..."

Some 5,000 people remain in Toretsk, according to Tetyana Nikonova, a representative of the local military administration, speaking as residents wanting to evacuate gathered around minivans with a few personal belongings.

That compares with an estimated population of some 35,000 a decade ago.

"Many people refuse to leave. We talk to them, the boys try to convince them, but they do not want to go," she said. "We offer them all that we can, accommodation, transport, all for free, but people hide in basements."

Oleksandr is going to evacuate, but before he does he and members of the police force release the chickens from their coop in his yard and a dog and goats off their leashes.

Valentyna Natyazhko, 88, fled Toretsk earlier, but is back briefly to collect the refrigerator from her apartment because she needs it in her new home in the nearby town of Kostiantynivka.

"All the food got spoiled there, I had to throw away sausage, mayonnaise, butter," she said. "I came to take this fridge. Fridges are expensive, where will I get money to buy one?"

Sergiy and Iryna, a couple sitting together on a bench outside their apartment, discussed whether or not to leave. Police officers told them to be at the same place the following morning to be collected if they decided to go.

"I worry we will not be able to come back, no one will let us back here," said Sergiy, 65.

"But we will leave, Sergiy Yuriyevych, won't we?" asked Iryna in tears, turning to him and touching his hand.

"We'll leave," he sighed. We'll leave."

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat in the UK general election on Friday and said that he has congratulated Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on being the next prime minister of the country. This comes just as the Labour Party breaches the majority mark in the elections, winning 326 out of the total 650 seats in the general elections. Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, delivers a victory speech (Bloomberg)(Bloomberg)

PM Rishi Sunak arrived at the counting centre at his Richmond seat on Friday morning and addressed the media as Labour continued to lead in over 300 seats. Sunak took responsibility for his party's defeat in the elections, and said that the results delivered a sobering verdict for the Tories.

Earlier, Sunak was trailing from the Richmond seat, but the final round of vote counting saw him win with a vast majority.

With more than half of all seats counted, Labour, led by Keir Starmer, has gained at least 326 seats, enough to have a majority in Parliament and form the next government. With this win, the party has dethroned the Conservatives after 14 years in power.

Keir Starmer is set to become the next prime minister of Britain by forming a majority government. While delivering a victory speech in London, Starmer said, We did it. Change begins now.

Hope is shining once again on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back, the Labour leader added.

With Labour's historic victory in the UK elections, PM Rishi Sunak is expected to resign from his post soon. Sunak said that he will head to London in the coming hours, and promised that the transition to Labour will be orderly.

Sunak is expected to go to see King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Friday to officially resign. After that, Starmer is expected to be driven to the palace to get the kings permission to form a government.

While the Labour Party established a majority with 326 seats, the governing Conservative won 44 seats till now. The left-of-centre Liberal Democrats have won 32 seats, while the hard-right, anti-immigration Reform UK has won 4 seats so far.

(With inputs from AP)
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is poised to become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom as early trends in the counting of the votes show a clear majority for his party. According to exit polls, Starmer's party is expected to end the reign of Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party after 14 years. Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple in Kingsbury, London (AP)(AP)

Starmer, a human rights lawyer-turned-politician, has always expressed his party's stance on improving relations with India and advancing the free trade agreements if Labour comes into power. During his election campaign, the prime ministerial candidate also talked about eradicating Hinduphobia from the United Kingdom.

Last week, Keir Starmer visited the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Kingsbury, north London, during his campaign trail, expressing his solidarity with British Hindus over the recent acts of vandalism in temples.

In a message that he has been reiterating for years, Starmer said that there is absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain. He had echoed the same message when he celebrated Diwali last year at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden.

Last year at the India Global Forum (IGF), Starmer set the tone for Labour's stance on India-UK relations, saying that under his government, the relationship between the two countries will be built on democracy and aspiration.

"What my Labour government will seek with India is a relationship based on our shared values of democracy and aspiration. That will seek a free trade agreement (FTA), we share that ambition, but also a new strategic partnership for global security, climate security, economic security, he said.

According to the exit polls, Britain's Labour Party is predicted to win around 410 seats out of the total 650, while Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party is likely to win 130 seats in the elections.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the early hours of Friday acknowledged the defeat and said he called centre-left Labour leader Keir Starmer to congratulate him on becoming the countrys next prime minister.

(With inputs from PTI, AP)
Labour on Friday secured a huge majority in the UK's general election, giving it a massive mandate but also a few headaches once celebrations die down. UK Labour's landslide comes with its own perils: experts

Before the vote, the Conservatives warned voters not to hand Labour party leader Keir Starmer the "blank cheque" of a "supermajority", but as prime minister he will now have a majority of over 170 and five years up against a demoralised main opposition.

"The main advantages are clarity. It means the government of the day can get on with its programme, unhindered and encumbered," Tony McNulty, lecturer at Queen Mary University of London and a Labour minister under Tony Blair, told AFP.

The thumping win also gives Labour "a nice reservoir of talent" with which to fill government roles, albeit with the risk of disappointing more MPs who miss out, said McNulty, who became an MP during Labour's 1997 landslide.

However, a "supermajority" does not have any constitutional significance in the UK, as it does in the United States, explained King's College London professor Vernon Bogdanor.

"A government with a majority of 30 can do more or less what it wants, just as much as a government with a majority of 200," said Bogdanor, one of the country's leading constitutional experts.

Some of the potential problems that Starmer will need to manage stem from quirks of the UK's first-past-the-post electoral system and the fragmentation of its political landscape, which have conspired to produce one of the most unequal results in electoral history.

"The system doesn't work very well when you've got so many parties," said Bogdanor.

Labour looks set to win fewer votes than it did in its disastrous 2019 election, but gain around 210 more seats in the 650-seat parliament thanks to the fractured right-wing opposition.

Only around one in three voters chose Labour, leaving Starmer having to balance the wants of his army of MPs and a public that is, paradoxically, not particularly enthusiastic for the incoming government.

Starmer's approval ratings are some of the lowest for an incoming prime minister, with polls by Ipsos and YouGov in May showing them at minus 18 and minus 20 points.

"It's a punishment election. People simply want to punish the Conservatives," said Bogdanor.

"Expectations are high for improvement in the health service, and other services, but they won't come about quickly.

"And the fiscal situation is very dire. Most people agree that the NHS is in very serious trouble. What is going to be done?" he asked, adding that tax rises appeared inevitable.

"All sorts of other improvements need to be made in the public services: the environment, sewage in the rivers and seas, housing policy, school repairs. It's a great dilemma for an incoming government.

"So there'll be rapid disillusionment, and particularly people on the left will attack the government," he warned.

McNulty said the public will "initially" give the government the benefit of the doubt, but "how long that lasts is the moot point".

As a result, Starmer will hope to focus on issues that unite the party and are popular with the public.

The most obvious one would be eliminating the two-child benefit cap, which McNulty said was "totemic" internally and could deliver immediate results in tackling poverty.

Potential wedge issues include Gaza, where there is pressure from the left-wing to take a tougher stance on Israel, and immigration, where the public support harder policies that Labour MPs are opposed to.

Having such a large majority will also give Labour MPs, most of whom have never been politicians before, the confidence they can rebel in large numbers without inflicting defeat on the government.

"Often with a large majority there is more scope for disaffection, so it is not always good to win a landslide," said Bogdanor.

In order to ensure harmony, McNulty advised Starmer to accept that dissenting voices "need to be at least recognised and given space".

jwp/phz/fg

IPSOS

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Keir Starmer set to work as Britain's new leader Friday, speaking with world leaders and appointing his ministerial team after his Labour party's landslide general election victory ended 14 years of Conservative rule. UK's new PM Starmer speaks to world leaders, names top team

Starmer named Rachel Reeves the UK's first woman finance minister and appointed David Lammy as foreign secretary following his election win to become centre-left Labour's first prime minister since Gordon Brown in 2010.

Flag-waving crowds of cheering Labour activists lined Downing Street as Starmer pledged to "rebuild" the UK after head of state King Charles III invited him to form a government during a meeting at Buckingham Palace.

"Now, our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service," the 61-year-old said in his first speech as PM.

"The work of change begins immediately, but have no doubt, we will rebuild Britain."

Within hours, Starmer held a flurry of phone calls with leaders, including reaffirming London's "unwavering" support for Kyiv's war against invading Russian forces with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden.

He also spoke to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the prime ministers of Canada, Italy, Ireland and Poland, alongside the heads of the UK's devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Starmer and von der Leyen "emphasised the importance of the unique relationship between the UK and EU" in addressing shared "challenges", his office said.

Meanwhile, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Starmer he would be a "very good, very successful" prime minister in a call.

Earlier, a sombre Rishi Sunak conceded defeat during a torrid night for his Conservatives that claimed the scalps of at least 12 of his senior cabinet colleagues and his predecessor Liz Truss.

Her disastrous 49-day tenure effectively sealed the Tories' fate with the public two years ago, when her unfunded tax cuts spooked markets and crashed the pound.

Before leaving Downing Street for the final time as prime minister, Sunak said "sorry" to the public and revealed that he would step down as Tory leader once formal arrangements for a successor are in place.

The Tories' worst previous election result was 156 seats in 1906. Former leader William Hague told Times Radio this was "a catastrophic result in historic terms".

By late Friday, Labour had won 412 constituencies in the 650-seat House of Commons with only one result left to declare giving it a majority of 174.

The Tories won just 121 a record low with the right-wing vote apparently split by Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party, which picked up five seats.

In another boost for the centrists, the smaller opposition Liberal Democrats ousted the Scottish National Party as the third-biggest party.

The results bucked a trend among Britain's closest Western allies, with the far-right in France eyeing power and Donald Trump looking set for a return in the United States.

Ex-president Trump congratulated his admirer Farage on winning election to the UK parliament at his eighth attempt, but noticeably neglected to mention Starmer.

Outside London's busy Waterloo station, 49-year-old engagement officer Ramsey Sargent called it a "momentous election".

"It has been very rocky over the last few months and years. I'm really excited to see what happens next," he told AFP.

Tim Bale, politics professor at Queen Mary, University of London, said the Conservatives' drubbing was "not as catastrophic as some were predicting" and that the Tories would now need to decide how best to fight back.

Brexit champion Farage has made no secret of his aim to take over the party.

"There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it," he said after a comfortable win in Clacton, eastern England.

Labour's resurgence is a stunning turnaround from five years ago, when hard-left former leader Jeremy Corbyn took the party to its worst defeat since 1935 in an election dominated by Brexit.

Starmer took over in early 2020 and set about moving the party back to the centre, purging the infighting and anti-Semitism that cost it support.

Opinion polls consistently put Labour 20 points ahead of the Tories since Truss's resignation, giving an air of inevitability about a Labour win the first since Tony Blair in 2005.

But as the count neared the end, the gap was around 11 percent, with Labour looking set to win fewer votes than it did in 2019, partly reflecting a lower turnout.

Starmer faces a daunting in-tray, from anaemic economic growth to overstretched and underfunded public services and households squeezed financially.

He has promised a return of political integrity, after a chaotic period of five Tory prime ministers in 14 years, scandal and sleaze.

bur-pdh/jj/rlp

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
On the Fourth of July, a series of shark attacks occurred off the coast of South Padre Island in southern Texas, resulting in injuries to three individuals and another one was bitten in Florida. Beachgoers on South Padre Island face unexpected danger as shark attacks occur in Texas waters. REUTERS/Mike Blake(REUTERS)

U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area told Fox News Digital that the shark left four people were injured.

The attacks in Texas took place on South Padre Island, a barrier island situated near Brownsville. Following the incidents, the shark responsible was located and pushed out to deeper water, according to Fire Chief Pigg.

Still, lifeguards on South Padre Island, a beach town with a population of around 2,000, were urging people to stay out of the water or to venture no further than knee-deep for safety.

Pigg emphasized, Its unprecedented here on South Padre Island.

The first incident was reported around 11 a.m. when a 911 call alerted authorities to a severe shark bite to the leg of an individual.

ALSO READ| Man recovering from shark bite on the Florida coast in state's third attack in a month

The city spokesperson, Nikki Soto, confirmed that the victim was quickly transported to a local hospital for treatment. Later in the day, a second 911 call reported another shark attack, and firefighters responded to find two more people who had been bitten. Both individuals were also taken to a hospital for medical care.

An eyewitness shared video. Watch here:

Eyewitness Kyle Jud, 46, recounted the harrowing scene as he saw a woman being pulled from the water with a severe leg injury. A woman was bitten in the leg and lost most of her calf. She lost a lot of blood before they were able to get a tourniquet on her, Jud posted on Instagram. He also posted a video showing a shark in the water while a helicopter and a boat patrolled the area.

One of the victims had to be flown out of a Brownsville hospital for further treatment, as confirmed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The department noted that shark encounters of this severity are uncommon in Texas, often resulting from mistaken identity by sharks searching for food. When bites from sharks do occur, they are usually a case of mistaken identity by sharks looking for food, the department explained.

ALSO READ| Joe Biden calls Donald Trump as his colleague at White House July 4th ceremony, later regrets

The specific type of shark involved in these attacks has not yet been determined, and an investigation is currently underway. However, police believe believe a single shark about 6 feet was responsible for the attack.

Police are still patrolling the shore of South Padre Island.

South Padre Island Mayor Patrick McNulty expressed, Our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families and we hope for a speedy recovery.
It's been a tough week for Joe Biden. The US President has been hammered by difficult public narrative following a disastrous debate against Donald Trump, with clamours for his ouster only growing louder. His words to restore faith in voters and donors has done little to calm nerves. His next big challenge is now to put up a brave front and convince his voters and donors in a crucial TV interview. US President Joe Biden arrives to view the Independence Day fireworks display over the National Mall from the Truman Balcony of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, July 4, 2024. (Bloomberg)

Biden's first interview after debate: When and How to Watch

The next biggest challenge for Joe Biden is the upcoming interview on Friday with ABC News. The interview, conducted by anchor George Stephanopoulos, will now be airing at 8 p.m. ET. The network has issued a release that an unedited transcript of the interview will be made available on the same day.

According to a press release, a first look will be aired on the Friday, July 5, edition of "World News Tonight with David Muir" and the interview will air in its entirety as a primetime special Friday, July 5 at 8/7c on ABC News.

The interview and additional analysis will air again Sunday, July 7 on "This Week."

Underscoring the rising interest in Biden's well-being the network re-calibrated its decision to air the interview and will be run it on Friday primetime. ABC's decision to not air a live interview and reschedule the air time by broadcasting it earlier has sparked questions. Critics have called it a part of Democrat's strategy to ascertain Biden's viability to run.

Though surprisingly ABC has not divulged information on the length of the interview. In last election campaign the network was heavily criticised for heavily editing FBI Director James Comey's interview with Stephanopoulos, first interview since he was abruptly fired by then-President Trump the previous year.

Scrutiny over Biden's ability to run as president

A series of excuses offered by the president and the White House  that he was battling a cold, weary from travel, and not getting enough sleep  did little but reinforce fundamental questions about whether Biden, already 81 years old, could be entrusted as the leader of the free world for another four years.

While most party elders and prominent governors have so far resisted publicly calling on the president to drop out, theyve also bluntly acknowledged their worry and said questions about his ability to handle the job are legitimate.

Top Democratic donors have said they would withhold or redirect their money unless Biden stepped aside, while lawmakers continue to discuss whether to band together and call for a change atop the ticket.

The president has conceded in some conversations with allies that another debacle in the coming days would necessitate a rethinking of the race, according to the New York Times. The White House and the campaign denied that account.
A Romanian court on Friday eased travel restrictions on controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, allowing them to travel within the European Union while awaiting trial over human trafficking and rape charges. Andrew Tate and his brother face charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal group to sexually exploit women.(AP)

US-born Briton Tate and his brother Tristan, who say they are innocent, are accused of having formed an organised criminal network in early 2021 in Romania and in Britain.

The former professional kickboxer and his brother face charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal group to sexually exploit women.

The Bucharest court on Friday said it "orders the replacement of the obligation of the (two) defendants... not to leave the territory of Romania with the obligation of the defendants not to leave the territorial limit of the European Union".

They can leave the EU zone only "with the prior authorisation of the judge of the preliminary chamber or the court," it said.

The brothers would still be subject to judicial supervision, which requires them to appear before authorities regularly.

The Tates' spokeswoman Mateea Petrescu welcomed the ruling, saying her clients could now "pursue professional opportunities without restriction".

At the end of 2022, the Tates were arrested in Romania and spent three months in detention before they were indicted in June 2023.

Prosecutors allege that 37-year-old Tate, his brother and two women set up a criminal organisation and sexually exploited several victims.

The victims were allegedly forced to engage in pornographic acts.

The Tates also face rape and assault allegations in separate cases in Britain, where authorities issued a European arrest warrant.

In March, a Romanian judge ordered the brothers to be extradicted to the UK to face the accusations, but only once after a separate Romanian criminal case against them is finished.

A trial date in Romania has not yet been set.

Tate moved to Romania years ago after first starting a webcam business in the UK.

In 2016, Tate appeared on the "Big Brother" reality television show in Britain but was removed after a video emerged showing him attacking a woman.

He then turned to social media platforms to promote his divisive views.

Giving tips on how to be successful, along with misogynistic and sometimes violent maxims, his videos have made him one of the world's best-known influencers.
US President Joe Biden on Friday spoke to new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, congratulating him on the center-left Labour party's landslide general election victory. Biden and Starmer "reaffirmed the special relationship between our nations and the importance of working together in support of freedom and democracy around the world," the statement said.(AP)

Biden and Starmer "reiterated their continued support for Ukraine as it fights Russia's unrelenting aggression," the White House said in a statement.

"They affirmed their shared commitment to protecting the gains of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and working with the leaders of Northern Ireland to create and sustain economic growth and opportunities," it added.

Biden set to meet Starmer NATO summit

Starmer will meet Biden and other world leaders in Washington next week at a NATO summit.

The British vote results contrast with Britain's closest Western allies, with the far-right in France eyeing power and Donald Trump ahead in polls against Biden before the November US presidential election.

Biden and Starmer "reaffirmed the special relationship between our nations and the importance of working together in support of freedom and democracy around the world," the statement said.

Starmer told Biden that British support for Ukraine's war with Russia was "unwavering", in a first call hours after Britain's new leader took charge.

"The leaders reiterated their steadfast commitment to Ukraine and the prime minister underscored that the UK's support for Ukraine was unwavering," Starmer's Downing Street office said in a readout.

"The leaders discussed their shared commitment to the special relationship between the UK and US, and their aligned ambitions for greater economic growth," the statement added.

It said Starmer "looked forward to working side by side across the breadth of the relationship, including the AUKUS partnership and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific".

The UK, US and Australia have forged a new defence alliance in recent years dubbed AUKUS, which is seen as primarily aimed at countering China's growing military strength in the Asia-Pacific region.
Following reports that Joe Biden told Democratic governors that he needs more sleep and intends to avoid events scheduled after 8pm, renowned renowned Dr. Sanjay Gupta called on the US President to undergo an extensive neurological and cognitive testing and then make the reports publicly available. Biden's mumbling and rambling prompt call for President to undergo detailed cognitive testing.(REUTERS)

During the meeting with governors at White House on Wednesday night, Hawaii Governor Josh Green questioned Biden about his health after the Commander-in-Chief said that he needs to work fewer hours. The 81-year-old POTUS gave a strange response, stating I don't know about my brain.

However, Jen O'Malley Dillon, Biden campaign chairwoman, said that he was obviously making a joke, adding that All kidding aside.

Meanwhile, CNN, citing sources, reported that Biden's remarks in the meeting left several governors annoyed. The meeting came amidst raging concerns about his physical and mental capacity as he continues to run for the presidency, despite calls to step down from the race.

Sanjay Gupta says it was concerning to

In an opinion piece for the outlet, CNN's chief medical correspondent stated that over a dozen healthcare professionals had contacted him following Biden's concerning debate performance against Trump last week, citing in particular his rambling, stumbling and open-mouthed expression on stage.

For me as a brain specialist, it was concerning to watch President Joe Biden, and it quickly became clear that I was not alone in my reaction, Gupta wrote.

Gupta added that they were concerned about Biden's rambling, no facial movement, slow speech, losing train of thoughts in the middle of speech and open-mouthed expression from a neurological standpoint.

Also Read: Trump faces flak as he challenges Biden for 'no holds barred presidential debate

Is Biden suffering from dementia and parkinsonism?

He further mentioned terms like "dementia" and "parkinsonism," emphasising that he was merely making observations, clearing that this wasn't his actual diagnosis.

The consensus from the doctors reaching out to me, however, was that the president should be encouraged to undergo detailed cognitive and movement disorder testing, and those results should be made available to the public, he wrote.

He further highlighted the need for transparent testing, stressing how crucial it is since "the whole country is watching now".

Gupta's appeals coincide with growing worries about Biden's health after he admitted that he underwent a medical examination following the poor debate performance. He, however, stressed that his health is absolutely fine.

Later, a White House confirmed that Biden's brief doctor's appointment was "not a physical" and was simply meant to evaluate what appeared to be a persistent cold.
In wake of Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance, several donors have warned to pull out their support from the Democratic party if the incumbent President refuses to withdraw from the White House race. Abigail Disney has threatened to stop contributing to Democratic party unless Joe Biden stepped aside from the contest.(AP)

Abigail Disney, a prominent Democratic party supporter and the heir to the Walt Disney family fortune, is the most recent donor to join to the list of Biden critics. She has threatened to stop contributing to the party unless Biden stepped aside from the contest.

I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect, Disney told CNBC.

In her statement, she claimed that Democrats will lose if Biden will not step down. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.

Disney has something interesting to say about Kamala Harris

Disney called Vice President Kamala Harris an alternative contender to defeat former President Donald Trump. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Bidens  we can win this election by a lot, she declared.

Biden has frequently polled better than any other Democrat ahead of the November elections, but Harris appears to have the best chance of winning against Trump.

This comes as the Biden campaign is putting all efforts to calm down the panic growing among the donors.

Disney's last political donation, according to the Federal Election Commission filings, was $500 made to ActBlue, a platform that supports Democratic causes, in May. In April, she donated $50,000 to the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, the organisation which has contributed over $35,000 to Democratic candidates running for Congress, according to CNBC.

Also Read: Unbelievable: White House under fire for lying to our faces after Joe Biden accidentally admits

What about other Democratic donors?

Some Democratic donors have already expressed their dissatisfaction with Biden's debate performance. Earlier this week, attorney George Conway, who had previously contributed $929,600 to the Biden Victory Fund, declared on X that Biden and Trump need to "retire" from politics.

Meanwhile, Hollywood mogul and Democratic megadonor Air Emanuel hinted that if Biden stayed in the race, more donors would start withdrawing their support.

Netflix boss Reed Hastings, a Democratic party megadonor, also urged Biden to withdraw from the presidential contest.

Screenwriter Damon Lindelof, a major party donor, suggested a DEMbargo, preventing funding to the party until Biden resigns.

When a country is not behaving how we want them to, we apply harsh economic sanctions. Its a give and take  short term hurt for long term healing, Lindelof wrote in a column in Deadline.

According to Biden and his campaign, the US President is perfectly healthy to serve next term in office. On Wednesday, Biden in a campaign email to supporters announced that he is running, despite the fact that the past few days have been difficult.
Donald Trump distanced himself Friday from Project 2025, a massive proposed overhaul of the federal government drafted by longtime allies and former officials in his administration, days after the head of the think tank responsible for the program suggested there would be a second American Revolution. Trump has outlined his own plans to remake the government if he wins a second term.(AP)

I know nothing about Project 2025, Trump posted on his social media website. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things theyre saying and some of the things theyre saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.

Project 2025 outlines a dramatic expansion of presidential power and a plan to fire as many as 50,000 government workers to replace them with Trump loyalists. President Joe Biden's reelection campaign has worked to draw more attention to the agenda, particularly as Biden tries to keep fellow Democrats on board after his disastrous debate.

Trump has outlined his own plans to remake the government if he wins a second term, including staging the largest deportation operation in U.S. history and imposing tariffs on potentially all imports. His campaign has previously warned outside allies not to presume to speak for the former president and suggested their transition-in-waiting efforts were unhelpful.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said on Steve Bannons War Room podcast Tuesday that Republicans are in the process of taking this country back." Former U.S. Rep. Dave Brat of Virginia hosted the show for Bannon, who is serving a four-month prison term.

We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be, Roberts said.

Those comments were widely circulated online and blasted by the Biden campaign, which issued a statement saying Trump and his allies were "dreaming of a violent revolution to destroy the very idea of America.

Some of the people involved in Project 2025 are former senior administration officials. The projects director is Paul Dans, who served as chief of staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under Trump. Russ Vought, who was director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump, wrote one of the chapters. John McEntee, a former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office in the Trump administration, is a senior adviser.

A spokesperson for the plan said Project 2025 is not tied to a specific candidate or campaign.

We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy and personnel recommendations for the next conservative president," a statement said. But it is ultimately up to that president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement.

Biden's reelection campaign has said the plan will gut democratic checks and balances and consolidate power in the Oval Office if he wins.

Trump's campaign advisors and close allies wrote it  and are doing everything they can to elect him so he can execute their playbook immediately, the campaign says on its website.

On Thursday, as the country celebrated Independence Day and Biden prepared for his television interview after his halting debate performance, the president's campaign posted on X a shot from the dystopian TV drama The Handmaid's Tale showing a group of women in the show's red dresses and white hats standing in formation by a reflecting pool with a cross at the far end where the Washington Monument should be. The story revolves around women who are stripped of their identities and forced to give birth to children for other couples in a totalitarian regime.

Fourth of July under Trumps Project 2025, the post said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom offered a forceful defense of embattled President Joe Biden on Thursday, telling Democrats in Michigan that the 81-year-old president has the record and energy to win a second term despite widespread doubts about his ability to campaign or govern effectively. U.S. President Joe Biden and Governor of California Gavin Newsom attend the round table on Artificial Intelligence, in San Francisco, California, (REUTERS)

Newsoms pitch at a local Independence Day picnic is part of an effort from Bidens reelection campaign and the White House to reassure party activists and the broader electorate that Biden is up to job after he appeared addled in his debate against former President Donald Trump.

This is a serious moment in American history. Its not complicated, Newsom told Van Buren County Democrats, turning their attention to the prospects of another Trump presidency. What I need to convince you of is not to be fatalistic, not to fall prey to all of this negativity. ... Do more. Worry less.

ALSO READ| Trump demeans cognitively challenged Biden in 4th July message, says POTUS choked like dog, but Kamala Harris is

Newsom rallies democrats behind Biden, citing his record and energy

Newsom's plea highlights the tenuous balance for Democrats and party lieutenants like the 56-year-old governor: He has long been a top Biden campaign surrogate and was among the governors who rallied behind the president after a private White House session on Wednesday. Yet Newsom himself is among those mentioned as potential replacements should Biden step aside and allow an open convention when Democratic delegates convene in Chicago next month.

The governor sidestepped questions about those potential outcomes, including a question about whether he would support Vice President Kamala Harris, a fellow Californian, for the nomination if Biden leaves the race.

I dont even like playing in the hypotheticals, because last night was about sort of locking down any doubt or ambiguity, he said, referring to Biden's session with Democratic governors. And then we start running in different directions, zigging and zagging and all that kind of speculation. And that gets in the way of progress.

Newsom acknowledged a tough few weeks during his remarks to picnic attendees, and he admitted he had to scrap his planned talking points when facing reporters in Atlanta after the debate. But he said Biden reassured him and other Democratic governors Wednesday at the White House, where the president acknowledged his flop but expressed determination to win his rematch with Trump.

ALSO READ| Biden's July 4th party overshadowed by debate disaster as he continues to lament I screwed up, I made a mistake

Newsom wants to see Biden as president of the United States again

That was the Joe Biden I remember from two weeks ago. That was the Joe Biden that I remember from two years ago, Newsom said. Thats the Joe Biden that Im looking forward to reelecting as president of the United States, and I mean that.

According to three people familiar with the meeting, Biden acknowledged to the governors that he needs to get more sleep and limit evening events so he can turn in earlier and be fit for the job. The sources spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Newsom did not address those explanations during his 15-minute remarks. He told reporters afterward that Biden referenced late nights with a smile on his face.

It was more of a rhetorical framework of just being fit and rested, because he was burning it at both ends that last last ten or so days (before the debate), and I think that was what he was reflecting, Newsom said. It wasnt a literal at 8 oclock I will be doing things differently, it was more figurative.

Newsom said it's okay when a president acknowledges theyre human and added that people are reading between the lines too much on what Biden said about his schedule.

Newsom drew enthusiastic applause from the partisan crowd. One attendee, Susan Kavanaugh, called his outlook timely.

I just was so encouraged by his optimism and speaking genuinely from his heart, she said. Which reminds me a lot of the character of Joe Biden.

Despite the governor's confidence, leading Democrats remain concerned about whether Biden can rebound politically. The president's aides and allies agree that the coming days are critical, with Biden planning a visible, busy schedule that could stem any free fall in public confidence  or further solidify voter concerns that he is too old for another term.

Biden is scheduled to campaign Friday in Wisconsin, a key battleground that he won in 2020, and sit for an interview with ABCs George Stephanopoulos. It will air as a prime-time special that night. He plans Sunday to be in Philadelphia and hold a full news conference during the NATO summit in Washington next week.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump caught in a leaked video with Barron giving view on Joe Biden, predicts his successor

Already this week, the president used a radio interview to emphasize voters' choice and argue that Trump would be a disaster for American democracy and the economy.

Newsom echoed that framing in Michigan, urging party faithful to embrace Biden's record and values. He noted sustained low unemployment, rising wages and major legislation for infrastructure spending, addressing climate change and spurring American manufacturing, especially computer chips.

I believe in this man. I believe in his character. I believe that he has been one of the most transformative presidents in our collective lifetimes, Newsom said. Were so good at focusing on whats wrong and not celebrating whats right.
In the realm of high-stakes royal ambitions and dreams spanning the Atlantic, Meghan Markle is reportedly looking forward to securing the green light from King Charles for her newest endeavour, the American Riviera Orchard. With murmurs of expectation filling the atmosphere, Markle's dreams hinge on the potential for royal supporta crucial nod that could shape the future of her ambitious project. In a surprising turn of events, it has been revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not invited to King Charles III's Trooping the Colour birthday parade.

Meghan Markle dreams of King Charles backing for American Riviera

The Duchess launched her lifestyle brand back in March and has since been striving to garner as much public and friendly support as possible, including offering free trials to her close Hollywood connections. This comes amid plans of the monarch reportedly planning a trip to America to visit Harry and his grandkids Archie and Lilibet.

In a strategic move to boost sales, especially following reports of her plans to launch a rose wine under her luxury brand, Meghan Markle is seeking endorsement from her estranged father-in-law, King Charles. Despite their years apart, the 'Suits' alum hopes for his support. Earlier, she sent complimentary jam jars and dog biscuits to celebrity friends, including the Kardashians and her neighbours in Montecito and is now gearing up for a new Netflix show.

Also read: Prince Harry, Kate Middleton now 'separated' with 'no bridge to mend' after Princess

Meghan is looking for support wherever she can get it, a source told Ok Magazine. Claiming that Harrys cousins Eugenie and Beatrice are also on her mind they said, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are at the top of her list, but she is shooting even higher and would love to get King Charles to give his stamp of approval.

Meghan wants Harry to get in touch with the Windsor clan

While Meghan remains hopeful, she acknowledges that achieving this task on her own won't be easy, especially after all the scathing remarks directed at the royals since the couple left London. "Despite all the drama, Meghan sees no reason why they shouldn't be able to garner support and backing," the source said.

Reports say that prior to becoming the monarch, Charles showed a deep preference for lifestyle brands and founded the natural food company Waitrose Duchy Organic, which was initially called Duchy Originals. The brand provided items like cookies, jams, and more. Given the similarities between his brand and the Duchess brand, Meghan Markle sees a go-to reason for her father-in-law's support, but she needs Harry's help for this.

Also read: Travis Kelce reacts after Gross meeting with Julia Roberts during Swifts Eras Tour

"She wants Harry to reach out to anyone in the family that hes still got access to," the insider claimed. "She still believes that there is a lot more support for them inside the royal family than people let on, and thinks it would be foolish not to ask for help.

Regarding Meghan's foray into rose wine production, a Daily Mail report suggested, "Launching a wine as her debut product would be a smart move commercially." The report highlighted a growing trend among celebrities like Cameron Diaz, George Clooney, Kylie Minogue, Brad Pit etc , who have found success with their own wine labels.
American journalist Megyn Kelly has launched a scathing attack on First Lady Jill Biden amidst reports that she wants US President Joe Biden to continue his run for a second term, despite the call to withdraw from the race. Megyn Kelly called Jill "power-hungry aspirant to political power who recently appeared on Vogue Magazine's cover. (AP/Reuters)

Appearing on Piers Morgan's online television show Piers Morgan Uncensored, Kelly called Jill "power-hungry aspirant to political power who recently appeared on Vogue Magazine's cover. She claimed Jill staged the photo shoot for the magazine to "promote herself" in an attempt to run a shadow presidency in lieu of her "infirm" husband, Biden.

I think shes been exposed as a power-hungry aspirant herself to political power, she told Morgan.

Jill is reportedly pressuring Biden to resist the growing pressure to withdraw from the presidential contest due to worries about his advanced age, especially after his lackluster debate performance against Trump. While responding to questions, Biden stammered, appeared confused and even lost his train of thought.

Kelly, the current host of The Megyn Kelly Show, further hit out at Jill for a 2021 photo, in which the First Lady can be seen sitting on a chair as she wrote on X: Prepping for the G7.

Shes not the damn president. Get out of the chair, Kelly said while targeting Jill, as per news site Mediaite. She went on to say that no one wants Jill at the G7 and no one elected her to lead us politically.

Kelly says Jill Biden wants shadow presidency

Kelly also remembered the backlash she faced after criticising the First Lady for insisting to be referred as Dr Jill Biden due to the doctor of education degree (EdD) that she earned. Why does she insist on it? Because shes power hungry. Because she has a small, fractured ego that she needs built up, she said, adding that the only medical doctors are entitled to such title.

Kelly further compared the footage of Jill guiding Biden while leaving the debate stage in Atlanta last week to the way a mama would lead a "toddler."

Also Read: Dementia, Parkinsonism? Famed brain specialist raises alarm over Biden's health

Despite Biden's appalling performance in the debate, Jill said, Joe, you did such a great job! You answered every question! You knew all the facts!

Jill's comments, according to Kelly, were the way I speak to my dog when he sits on command.

This is the leader of the free world. She knows how infirm he is. She wants a shadow presidency, she added.
Thousands of people evacuated during a Northern California wildfire were allowed to return home Thursday afternoon as crews continued battling flames amid scorching heat, officials said. A firefighter runs while battling the Thompson Fire burning in Oroville, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. An extended heat wave blanketing Northern California has resulted in red flag fire warnings and power shutoffs. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)(AP)

Containment of the Thompson Fire near the city of Oroville in Butte County also increased to 29% from 7%.

The vast majority of the 17,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings were able to go home, said Kristi Olio, public information officer for Butte County. Previous reports of 26,000 people being under orders or warnings were inaccurate, she said, adding that the fire has unfolded so quickly that it has been difficult to get firm figures.

The Thompson Fire broke out before noon Tuesday about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Sacramento, sending up a huge plume of smoke that could be seen from space. The fire had burned 5.9 square miles (15 square kilometers), up from 5.5 square miles (14 square kilometers) earlier Thursday.

ALSO READ| Thompson wildfire forces 26,000 to evacuate in Northern California as heatwave continues

But officials warned of hot temperatures that could hit 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius) with even hotter weather expected Friday and Saturday.

The winds are slowly picking up, said Chris Peterson, information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. You add that with the heat and low humidity, and the potential for volatile fire behavior grows.

Evacuation orders lifted, but heat wave poses ongoing threat

Four structures were destroyed, and more than 12,000 were threatened. Cal Fire did not specify if the structures were homes, but an Associated Press photographer saw fire burn three adjacent suburban-style homes in Oroville.

Four firefighters reported injuries, all from heat. The cause of the blaze was being investigated.

The region is familiar with catastrophic events. The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history nearly wiped out the town of Paradise in Butte County in 2018. And in 2017, both spillways of the Oroville Dam  the nation's tallest  failed, mandating the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people.

"We do it well, I guess, is the word to say, said Oroville Mayor David Pittman.

He said the 20,000 residents of Oroville have heeded evacuation warnings and stepped up to offer a place to stay and home-cooked meals for evacuees.

ALSO READ| California heat wave raises deadly wildfires, blackout risk over 4th of July holiday week

Millions of people across the U.S. are baking in a heat wave including in California, which is seeing significantly more wildfire activity at this point than in recent years, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said in a statement.

More than a dozen other blazes, most of them small, are active across the state, according to Cal Fire. The largest of those, the Basin Fire in Fresno County, was nearly 50% contained with 22 square miles (57 square kilometers) burned.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed that he is seriously taking the words of former US President Donald Trump regarding his desire to stop the war in Ukraine. Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin discuss new nuclear accord possibly including China(AP)

Speaking at a news conference in Kazakhstan, where he attended a regional security conference, Putin addressed Trump's recent statements about his ability to swiftly resolve the Ukraine war if elected president on November 5th.

The fact that Mr. Trump, as a presidential candidate, declares that he is ready and wants to stop the war in Ukraine, we take this completely seriously, Putin stated.

I am not, of course, familiar with possible proposals for how he plans to do this. This is the key question. But I have no doubt that he means it sincerely, and we support it (the idea of ending the war).

ALSO READ| Trump demeans cognitively challenged Biden in 4th July message, says POTUS choked like dog, but Kamala Harris is

In April, The Washington Post reported that Trump had privately considered a peace plan that would allow Putin to retain control over Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, and the Donbas region, partially occupied by Russian forces.

Reuters also revealed last month that two of Trump's key advisers suggested a plan to pressure Ukraine into peace talks by threatening to withhold further US military aid.

Putin says Trump's hush-money trial was a political struggle

The Russian prez also debunked the hush-money conviction of Trump, calling it just a political struggle and also burned the idea that his conviction somehow affects American democracy.

It is obvious all over the world that the prosecution of Trump... is simply the utilization of the judicial system during an internal political struggle, Putin said and added, Their supposed leadership in the sphere of democracy is being burned to the ground.

When asked about the first presidential debate on CNN between Trump and President Joe Biden, Putin admitted to only seeing fragments of it. I saw some fragments. But I have enough to do, he said.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump caught in a leaked video with Barron giving view on Joe Biden, predicts his successor

Despite Biden having previously referred to Putin in harsh terms, Putin has indicated that he considers Biden preferable to Trump as the future U.S. president, though his remarks have sometimes been ambiguous.

Regarding his preference for Biden, Putin stated, Nothing has changed. Did we not know what could come? We knew.
With Labour predicted to become the biggest party in the UK parliament, here are the contenders for the most prominent ministerial positions. Who could get key roles in a UK Labour government?

Rayner, 44, is an outlier in a country long dominated by a ruling class disproportionately educated at private schools and Oxford and Cambridge universities.

She grew up in social housing in northern England, left school without a degree and became a single mother at 16.

A trade unionist before being elected to parliament in 2015, she was elected as Labour's number two in 2020.

Her left-wing background and straight-talking style complete with strong northern accent contrasts with Starmer's more staid public persona.

"He smooths off my rough edges. I bring him out of his shell," she has famously said of their partnership.

As well as being deputy prime minister filling in for Starmer at weekly parliamentary questions when he is unable to attend Rayner would be responsible for housing policy and tackling regional inequalities.

The former Bank of England economist is in line to become the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, living next door to Starmer at 11 Downing Street.

Reeves, 45, has called that prospect shattering "the last glass ceiling in politics".

A central figure in Labour efforts over the last four years to regain the electorate's trust on economic issues, she insists it is now "the natural party of British business".

Using her reputation for economic competence, Londoner Reeves, whose younger sister is also an MP, has pledged "iron discipline" on public finances.

The former child chess champion, an MP since 2010, has vowed to be both "pro-worker" and "pro-business" in her role overseeing the public purse.

Lammy, 51, a black lawmaker descended from slaves, has honed his vision for UK diplomacy with dozens of foreign trips in the past two years.

He has argued that the foreign ministry needs to "rediscover the art of grand strategy" in the post-Brexit era.

Lammy, an MP since the age of 27 in 2000, is likely to steer Britain towards closer EU ties no easy task with both Brussels and Eurosceptic Britons reticent.

He will also likely face pressure from Labour's left flank over issues including its policy towards Israel and its war against Hamas in Gaza.

A friend of former US President Barack Obama, Lammy may also have to deal with the possible White House return of Donald Trump.

He once described Trump as a "neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath" and "profound threat to the international order".

Cooper's decades of political experience will undoubtedly be sorely tested heading the Home Office Britain's interior ministry a notoriously hard government department to succeed in.

An MP since the late 1990s and a minister in the 2000s, Cooper, 55, has been Labour's home affairs spokesperson over two stints during its 14 years in opposition.

A candidate to be party leader in 2015, plaudits credit her grasp of policy and details as well as stellar communication skills.

Immigration a major election campaign issue and potential weak point for Labour will likely dominate much of the public discussion around her brief.

A fresh-faced Labour centrist, Streeting has been one of the most visible Labour figures during the election campaign.

Hailed as one of its best communicators, the 41-year-old from a working-class background in east London is tipped as a potential future leader.

But first he will have to prove himself in one of the toughest jobs in UK government, charged with reversing the decline in the country's cherished but ailing National Health Service .

Weighed down by years of austerity under the Conservatives and still struggling to recover from the pandemic, Streeting a cancer survivor will rely in part on his own experience of the system.

Party veteran Healey is set to become defence secretary as the policy area gains importance given the war in Ukraine and rising global insecurity.

The 64-year-old, who first became an MP in 1997 when Tony Blair won power for Labour, held a series of government posts during the party's 13-year spell in charge.

Labour has promised to increase military spending to 2.5 percent of GDP "as soon as" economic conditions allow.

bur-gmo-jj/phz/rlp

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Labour Party leader Rachel Reeves created history on Friday after she was appointed by Sir Keir Starmer, the UK's new Prime Minister, as his Chancellor of the Exchequer (equivalent to a finance minister), making Reeves the first woman to hold the coveted post. Britain's new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street in London on July 5, 2024 as cabinet appointments are made, a day after Britain held a general election. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

It is the honour of my life to have been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer. Economic growth was the Labour Party's mission. It is now a national mission. Let's get to work, she posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Who is Rachel Reeves?

(1.) Born on February 13, 1979, in southwest London, Reeves became Labour's finance policy chief in 2021, and served as the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer under Starmer, then the Leader of the Opposition.

(2.) A former chess champion and an ex-Bank of England (BoE) economist, she was also seconded to the British embassy in Washington and the British bank Halifax/Bank of Scotland (HBOS).

(3.) Reeves, who joined Labour at the age of 16, became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the first time in 2010, contesting from the Leeds West constituency. She retained the seat in the 2015, 2017, and 2019 polls.

(4.) In the July 4 general election, she became the first MP of the newly created Leeds West and Pudsey constituency. Her sister Ellie Reeves is also a Labour Party member.

It is an honour and privilege to be returned as the MP for Leeds West and Pudsey. You have put your trust in me. And I will not let you down, the former wrote on X.

(5.) The 45-year-old, who succeeds Jeremy Hunt of the Conservatives as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, studied at New College, Oxford, and the London School of Economics (LSE).

(With agency inputs)
A student who was in a sexual relationship with a teacher who later gave birth to his child gave a powerful impact statement in court as she was sentenced to jail.

Rebecca Joynes was a teacher at a Manchester school when she had sexual relationships with two boys. She became pregnant by one of them and surrendered the baby a day after giving birth.

A jury convicted Joynes of six offenses in June and she was sentenced to six-and-a-half-years in jail on Thursday.

One of the victims gave an impact statement to the court for the sentencing explaining the physical and "massive" mental toll the abuse had caused him.

"I struggled to come to terms with my abuse, I was completely in denial," the unnamed victim stated. "I subsequently held back and did not fully open up to people."

He went on to say, "I was coerced, controlled, manipulated, sexually abused, and mentally abused. It is very upsetting that this has happened to me."

The boy said that Joynes had blocked him from any information about her pregnancy or child.

"Rebecca had refused to let them update me about anything including, due date, gender, health updates," he told the court. "The thought of not being able to see my child was heartbreaking."

Authorities say Joynes was a pedophile who sexually abused the boys.

"Rebecca Joynes abused her position of trust as a teacher and used it to manipulate and abuse two boys," Detective Constable Beth Alexander, of our Child Protection Investigation Unit said. "It is completely incomprehensible the impact this has had on those young men and their families. School should be a place of safety for children."
"That's all, folks!"

Abigail Disney, an heir to the Disney media empire and a major contributor to the Democratic Party, said she would not give one more cent to the party unless President Joe Biden drops out of the race following his disastrous debate performance with Donald Trump, according to reports.

She said the Democrats and affiliate groups "will not receive another dime from me until they bite the bullet and replace Biden," she told the New York Times.

"Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high to allow timidity to determine our course of action," Disney said in a statement.

"If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire," she emphasized to CNBC.

The granddaughter of Roy Disney, the co-founder of the Walt Disney Co., is among a growing exodus of wealthy Democratic donors who say they will no longer contribute to the party as long as Biden remains atop the ticket.

Gideon Stein, another deep-pocketed donor, told the New York Times that his family is withholding $3.5 million in planned donations to organizations involved in the presidential race unless Biden withdraws.

He told the outlet that other donors he had talked to are all on board with the belief that "a new ticket is in the best interest of beating Donald Trump."

Biden told reporters at the White House on Thursday that he has no plans to step back.

"You got me, man. I'm not going anywhere. All right," Biden said following a Fourth of July speech at the White House.

Disney told CNBC that Biden has a capable replacement in Vice President Kamala Harris.

"We have an excellent vice president. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Biden's (and let's not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot," she said.
A woman who died after an attack in a Las Vegas hotel room is being remembered as a single mother who was a "bright light" to everyone in her life.

Larissa Garcia, 30, died in a hospital on June 21, almost two weeks after she was found unresponsive in a room at the Palms Casino Resort.

Police say a man called police to report a woman had overdosed. When Garcia arrived at Spring Valley Hospital, the staff reported that she was the possible victim of a battery.

No drugs were found in her system.

Detectives were able to identify 35-year-old Jason Kendall as the suspect in the case. He turned himself in on June 28 and was charged with murder.

A GoFundMe is raising money for a funeral and celebration of life to honor Garcia.

"Larissa had two beautiful children," organizer Dawn Brown wrote. "(Larissa's mother) has requested that no one reach out to her directly, please.

She is grieving and spending quality time with the children."

Brown says they want to provide Larissa with a beautiful and dignified farewell.

She said the death is "leaving a void that can never be filled. She was a bright light in all of our lives, full of love and laughter."

Kendall reportedly set up a meeting with Garcia through an escort app. He faces murder, sexual assault and battery by strangulation to commit sexual assault charges.

Court documents reviewed by KLAS-TV state that Kendall admitted to strangulating her after he "snapped."
Beryl slammed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Friday as a hurricane before weakening into a tropical storm, bringing whipping rains and flooding as it continues its destructive run across the Caribbean where it killed at least 11 people, according to reports.

Beryl hit with winds howling as much as 70 mph near the coastal resort town of Tulum and weakened as it moved across the peninsula.

But the National Hurricane Center warned that it will regain its intensity and reform into a hurricane when it passes over the warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico, threatening northeast Mexico and Texas by Sunday or early Monday.

Beryl, the first hurricane of this season and the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, crashed into the Windward Islands of Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines earlier this week and then moved on to the Cayman Islands and Jamaica before lashing Mexico with its ferocity.

Authorities moved tourists and residents from low-lying areas of Tulum, which in some places is just a few feet above sea level, before Beryl made landfall, the Associated Press reported.

But thousands of people remained to ride out the storm.

More than 3,000 tourists were evacuated from Isla Mujeres, a tourist spot near Cancun, Reuters reported. And around 100 flights were canceled at Cancun's main airport.
Donald Trump on Friday suddenly tried to distance himself from the extremist Project 2025 plan for the nation even though it was created by some of his White House aides and he has already espoused a number of positions in the paper.

"I know nothing about Project 2025," Trump insisted on Truth Social. "I have no idea who is behind it."

He added: "I disagree with some of the things they are saying and some of the things they're saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal."

Nevertheless, he emphasized: "Anything they do, I wish them luck ... but I have nothing to do with them."

I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things theyre saying and some of the things theyre saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.



Donald Trump  Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 5, 2024

Critics quickly pointed out that Trump noted he had reservations about some aspects of the 922-page plan he claimed to "know nothing about."

Three key people behind Project 2025  John McEntee, Russ Vought and plan promoter Karoline Leavitt  worked in Trump's White House.

Project 2025 has been created under the auspices of the right-wing think tank Heritage Foundation, which Trump has often extolled and for which he gave a keynote address in 2017, praising its "devotion to our country."

Trump's SuperPac runs promotions on Project 2025, and has referred to it as "Trump's Project 2025." (The Heritage Foundation boasted that Trump enacted 66% of the organization's policies in his first year in the White House.)

McEntee has boasted to Trump's former White House strategist Steve Bannon that Trump would move immediately enact the plan when he takes office.

Here is Trump Senior Advisor and former appointee John McEntee, who helped draft Project 2025, explaining to Steve Bannon last July how Trump plans to implement the plan immediately after taking office. But Trump doesnt know these people or anything about it. pic.twitter.com/XR9X2IbFAk  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) July 5, 2024

Project 2025 outlines plans to crack down further on abortion rights and IVF treatments, as well as on members of the LGBTQ community. It would ban pornography.

The plan would shut down the Board of Education (which Trump just espoused late last month) and would also end or curtail Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, would use public funds for Christian education, and would move quickly to execute all prisoners on death row.

It would slash taxes again, and cut federal funds for research and investment in renewable energy, and "stop the war on oil and natural gas."

A mass of federal employees would be deemed political appointees and be replaced by right-wing loyalists under the plan.

On Wednesday Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts sparked a fiery blowback when he appeared to threaten bloodshed if the left doesn't fall in line with a "second American Revolution." It will only "remain bloodless if the left allows it to be," he emphasized.

They are telling us to just be quiet and take it. Are you going to sit back and let them have their revolution? pic.twitter.com/uXcbN745pQ  Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) July 3, 2024

Ammar Moussa, spokesperson for President Biden's campaign, called Project 2025 the "extreme policy and personnel playbook for Trump's second term that should scare the hell out of the American people."

She added that far from having nothing to do with Trump, Project 2025 "staff and leadership routinely tout their connections to Trump's team and are the same people leading the RNC [Republican National Committee] policy platform and Trump's debate prep, campaign and inner circle."

Trump's "Supreme Court and Project 2025 have designed the playbook for Trump to achieve his dream of being a dictator on day one, with unchecked imperial power," she added.

Yet Project 2025 (which could be the first year of Trump's next administration) insisted in a statement on Twitter that it's not connected to any particular presidential campaign, simply the next conservative president.

PROJECT 2025 SPOKESPERSON:



As weve been saying for more than two years now, Project 2025 does not speak for any candidate or campaign.



We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy & personnel recommendations for the next conservative president.  Project 2025 (@Prjct2025) July 5, 2024

The Project 2025 website states that it is a "2025 Presidential Transition Project" with a goal of building on "four pillars that will, collectively, pave the way for an effective conservative administration: a policy agenda, personnel, training, and a 180-day playbook."
Loved ones of a missing teen found killed and dismembered near a Pennsylvania lake said "only an absolute monster" could commit such a heinous murder.

DaShawn Watkins, 29, has been charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of 14-year-old Paul "Pauly" Likens, Jr., Pennsylvania State Police confirmed.

Pauly vanished on a walk after leaving a friend's Sharon, Pennsylvania home the night of June 22, WFMJ-TV reported, citing the criminal complaint. His family reported him missing the next morning.

Police believe Pauly connected with his alleged killer on the Grindr dating app and the pair agreed to meet at the Shenango Lake, citing phone records and social media.

Days passed and the teen's missing person's case took a turn when dismembered human remains were found in the water. A medical examiner determined the body parts belonged to Pauly and he died from sharp force trauma to the head.

"Only an absolute monster could do something like that to anyone, let alone a child," Pauly's aunt, Liz Morsillo, told WPXI-TV Wednesday. "I hope he (Watkins) gets what he deserves."

Surveillance footage around the time of the suspected slaying allegedly captured Watkins carrying "multiple bags and garbage bags" from his area apartment, where blood was also allegedly recovered, police said, the outlet reported.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe launched to help defray funeral costs stated in part the teen "had a whole life ahead of him. No mother should have to bury their baby."
A beloved Connecticut K-9 who nabbed "countless" suspects died Thursday from medical complications, police announced.

Drago was 6 years old when he succumbed to complications from gastric dilation volvulus, or a twisted stomach, according to WFSB-TV.

He was assigned to Trooper Kyle Kaelberer and they "served together as highly respected members of the State Police Tactical Unit," Drago's death announcement on Facebook read.

"During his career, K-9 Drago successfully located countless wanted suspects, missing persons, as well as a large quantity of illicit narcotics."

"Wherever K-9 Drago and TFC Kaelberer went, his bark would stop suspects in their tracks. But the floppy-eared dog was also known to the citizens as a beloved member of the Tolland County community," the post continued, describing the pup as a "tough and decorated member" of the state police.

"K-9 Drago will be missed by everyone. We stand behind TFC Kaelberer and family during this tough time."

Drago first joined the CSP in 2019, according to CT Insider. He was assigned to Kaelberer and the duo graduated from patrol and narcotics detection classes.

"K-9 Drago was a beloved member of Troop C, and made an immeasurable impact on the safety of the citizens of Tolland County, the State of Connecticut, and the Connecticut State Police as a whole," a separate statement read.
Kazakhstan-China relations thriving under Belt and Road Initiative, says expert

14:38, July 05, 2024 By Sheng Chuyi ( People's Daily Online

Kazakhstan-China relations are thriving, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has brought significant benefits to both countries, said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of the Kazakhstan's China Studies Center (CSC), in a recent interview with People's Daily Online.

Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of the Kazakhstan's China Studies Center (CSC), receives an interview with People's Daily Online. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online)

Kazakhstan-China relations reach new heights

Shaimergenova noted that relations between Kazakhstan and China have steadily progressed in the spirit of friendship, good neighborliness, and a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership.

She highlighted recent agreements between the two countries, such as visa-free travel, the establishment of cultural centers, and the opening of branches of top Chinese universities in Kazakhstan, as concrete steps to boost mutual understanding and cooperation.

"These initiatives are not just symbolic but represent a tangible commitment to enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation," she said.

Shaimergenova cited the Khorgos Gateway, a major port on the Kazakhstan-China border, as an example of this cooperation, which has significantly boosted trade and economic development in the region.

Belt and Road Initiative brings tangible benefits

Praising the BRI for its positive impact on both Kazakhstan and China, Shaimergenova pointed to the modernization of over 2,500 kilometers of national railways and 12,500 kilometers of highways in Kazakhstan as evidence of the initiative's benefits.

"This infrastructure development has not only improved connectivity but also boosted local economies and created jobs," she added.

The expert also underscored the strategic importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the need to enhance its capacity through digital solutions and infrastructure modernization. "The potential of this route is immense, and optimizing it can significantly reduce transportation costs and time," she stated.

SCO Summit focuses on regional security and cooperation

The 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) kicked off on Thursday in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Commenting on the role of the SCO, Shaimergenova said, "The SCO acts as a stabilizing force by fostering mutual trust and collaboration among member states, which helps to address security concerns and boosts economic development."

Looking ahead, Shaimergenova stated that the CSC will continue to study China's culture, history, and modernization.

"Our goal is to provide objective information and alternative perspectives on China's development, fostering mutual understanding and cooperation," she concluded.

(Tuo Zhouyu, as an intern, also contributed to this article.)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang)
The Spanish Group further strengthens its presence in the Greek market, accumulating a total of four hotels on the islands and one in Athens

Fifth Melia property in Greece marks first INNSiDE by Melia Hotel in the country

Melia Hotels International expands its portfolio in Greece with the signing of a new franchise agreement under the label INNSiDE by Melia in Elounda, Crete, signaling a new chapter in lifestyle travel within the country. This move introduces a fresh concept to Greek hospitality - a premium lifestyle brand geared towards the discerning tastes of the new generation of travelers. The agreement, inked on May 24, 2024, not only marks the fifth Melia hotel in Greece but also signifies the debut of INNSiDE by Melia in the country. This strategic addition reinforces the partnership between Zeus Hotels and Melia Hotels International, resulting in a collective offering of over 1050 rooms.

The agreement concerns the current Elounda Ilion, which will be renamed INNSiDE Crete Elounda. Set to open in May 2025, the INNSiDE Crete Elounda will be a fully renovated and rebranded 5-star hotel situated atop a hill with direct sea views in beautiful Elounda. Elounda, located on the northeastern coast of Crete, is celebrated for its picturesque landscapes, and rich historical significance. Overlooking the Gulf of Elounda and near the famous Spinalonga Island, Elounda is a blend of traditional Greek culture and upscale holiday experiences.

INNSiDE by Melia is more than a hotel brand; it's a lifestyle experience designed for curious minds and fluid lives. Each property within the collection embodies the essence of its destination, fostering a sense of community among like-minded travelers. At INNSiDE Crete Elounda, guests will discover 85 rooms of modern luxury and an open living lounge that seamlessly blends the lobby, reception, and bara dynamic space perfect for work or relaxation. From in-room comforts to the inspiring Big Idea Space, Open Living Lounges, and fitness studios, every detail is crafted to make guests feel more-than-at-home. INNSiDE offers an informal, creative, and spontaneous experience designed for a new generation of independent travelers with an adventurous spirit. Sustainability is integrated into all aspects, with paper and plastic-free collateral, complimentary organic cosmetics, and a celebration of local culture through events, city guides, and local artist spotlights. Furthermore, this venture is backed by Melia Hotels International, one of the world's largest companies focused on the vacation segment, with a Mediterranean origin and a long-standing presence in major holiday destinations such as the Balearic Islands, Spanish coasts, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia.

The INNSiDE Crete Elounda joins Melia Hotels International's growing portfolio in Greece in collaboration with Zeus Hotels, which includes Sol Marina Beach, Sol Cosmopolitan, and Affiliated by Melia Blue Sea Beach. Additionally, Melia Athens is part of the Spanish group portfolio.

Hotel website
Aparium Hotel Group launches Hotel Heron in Alexandria, beckoning travelers and locals to experience the new Old Town.

Get ready to see Old Town from a new vantage point as Hotel Heron officially opens its doors at 699 Prince St. in the heart of Alexandria. Steeped in rich history, this iconic property offers high design, superior service and exceptional culinary and beverage experiences across three distinct restaurants and bars. Inspired by the graceful Heron, a year-round resident of Alexandria symbolizing purity, longevity and good fortune, Hotel Heron blends historical charm with modern allure. The vibrant new landmark is a proud gathering place for the community, acting as the host of the party and the fresh face on the block.

Hotel Heron is part of Aparium Hotel Group, a world-class hotel operator with a unique focus on one-of-a-kind, independent hotels and a commitment to community connectivity.

Historic Elegance Meets Contemporary Comfort

Steps from King Street Mile and Alexandria's waterfront, Hotel Heron is one of the city's most iconic examples of Colonial Revival architecture. Led by DC-based architects Antonovich Associates and the interior design team at Streetsense, the restored property honors the heritage of Old Town, offering a specific point of view but with broad appeal.

Guests are welcomed into the heart of the lobby, immediately becoming part of the action. The split-tier layout offers unique viewpoints of the highly social area, inviting guests to wander and explore. The design features Mid-Atlantic elements with a rich color palette, blending warm colonial-style woods with federal blues, greens, and crisp whites. Ribbed glass and contemporary trims add texture and sheen to the rich dark woods, while handmade tiling wraps around the concierge desk. Local partners, including Austin Morris Furniture, provide comfortable and livable pieces that reflect traditional DC architecture and offer warmth and elegance while leaving formality behind.

Stairs from the front desk lead to the library, designed to mirror the aesthetic of a grand Alexandria home. This intimate space is perfect for enjoying coffee while working or sipping cocktails with friends in the evening. Above the fireplace's reclaimed mantle and bookshelves crafted by Monkey in the Metal, custom-woven tapestries adorn the walls.

While the hotel has many cues to history and tradition, each guest room seamlessly blends historical architectural details with luxurious modern amenities to create moments of surprise and delight. Design elements like velvet headboards and federal-style mirrors add texture, while fluted glass paneling separates the bedroom, allowing natural light to flood the bathroom. All rooms are equipped with Grown Alchemist bath amenities, Frette bathrobes and slippers and a locally curated private bar for a touch of luxury. A variety of room types include the deluxe king or queen, Heron King, and Terrace King, among others.

Culinary Excellence at KILN

Inspired by Alexandria's first documented potter, Henry Piercy, whose kiln once stood blocks away from Hotel Heron, KILN serves as a gathering spot offering breakfast and dinner, with lunch service starting in the fall. The space feels at home in Old Town, harnessing design elements such as locally crafted tables and banquettes from Beachley to complement the Mid-Atlantic food and beverage menu.

By day, breakfast highlights traditional dishes with top-notch regional ingredients. In the evenings, the signature restaurant transforms into an intimate, dimly lit space centered around the showcase kitchen and roaring wood-fired hearth, where Chef Matt Maienshein and his team expertly prepare each dish in view of diners. The dinner menu increases in complexity from small bites such as Olde Salt Oysters to larger entrees, including the Confit North Carolina Shrimp and Atlantic Spotted Seatrout. A "here today, gone tomorrow" section showcases the most seasonal and fleeting fare from local purveyors like Seylou and Pluma Bakery, Fresh Impact Farms and Wades Mill, sure to turn first-time diners into regulars. An 8-seat Chef's Counter (limited availability) will be a sought-after reservation for an up-close-and-personal experience with Chef and team and a chance to taste the most crave-able dishes from the hearth on the full "At the Counter" menu.

On the beverage front, Director of Food and Beverage, Betty Woodward, cross-utilizes culinary tools and techniques, such as hearth-roasted fruits, clarified milk punches, and local farm herbs, resulting in a menu that will constantly evolve as ingredients come into season.

Luxurious Libations and Rooftop Views

At the heart of Hotel Heron lies Francis Hall, a cocktail bar hidden in plain sight. Stepping into the jaw-dropping space, guests will be floored by the dramatic tented ceiling, rich jewel tones and burnished brass bar. The cocktail lounge is designed to feel overtly luxurious and upscale, from the velvet and fringe banquettes to the antique mirror accents. The menu features 30 drinks, ranging from approachable to experiential, inviting guests to indulge in a wide selection of craft spirits and luxurious libations.

Good Fortune, Alexandria's only hotel rooftop bar, welcomes guests throughout the rooftop season with stunning 360-degree views. This vibrant addition to the food and beverage program offers unparalleled views of Alexandria, the Potomac River, and Washington D.C.'s most iconic monuments. Guests can enjoy dynamic cocktails and a lively lineup of events, including eclectic DJ sets and a summer concert series.

The Premier Gathering Spot for Alexandria Locals and Visitors

The hotel features over 3,500 square feet of versatile indoor meeting and event space, including The Assembly Rooms and The Heritage Ballroom, with additional outdoor options available. The ballroom's opulent design is perfect for weddings and social events, with a flexible floor plan to accommodate all types of gatherings. In partnership with CulturalDC, the hotel showcases an impressive array of art in the ballroom, highlighting works from local artists, including Stephanie Mercedes, Heron Hotel's first artist in residency. Her show "Metal and I, Want the Same Thing" will debut with the opening of the hotel.

Emphasizing its role as a community hub for Alexandria and D.C. locals, Hotel Heron will curate monthly programming with great intention as to what's happening in the neighborhood. From a rooftop concert series to health and wellness programs in collaboration with local fitness instructors to year-round celebrations in honor of Alexandria's 275th anniversary, the happenings at Heron will create a magnetic pull and connective tissue between the hotel and the community of Alexandria.

Hotel Heron's prime location offers a chance for visitors to explore Old Town, located only blocks away from King Street Mile for shopping and dining, the Alexandria Waterfront, and historical landmarks like Mt Vernon to Tall Ship Providence. For more information on Hotel Heron and to book your visit, please visit heronalexandria.com. Reservations for KILN, Francis Hall and Good Fortune are now available on OpenTable. To stay updated on Hotel Heron's happenings, follow @hotelheronalexandria.

About Hotel Heron

Located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Hotel Heron offers guests the opportunity to see Old Town from a new vantage point. With Washington, DC just minutes away, Hotel Heron acts as a flag in the sand just across the river, beckoning travelers to explore beyond the National Mall and Monuments to discover a city ripe for its new renaissance. Originally opened in 1926 as the George Mason Hotel, this adaptive reuse combines the iconic inn with an adjacent new building that houses a modern event space and elevated guest rooms. This chic 134 room boutique hotel is home to a signature ground floor restaurant serving hearth inspired Mid-Atlantic cuisine, a cozy craft cocktail bar hidden in the heart of the hotel, and an open-air seasonal rooftop bar with unparalleled views of the Potomac. Elevated amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center and meeting spaces designed for socializing, co-working, creating, eating, drinking, and relaxing. The hotel brings together world travelers and neighbors alike while showcasing Alexandria's rich legacy and knack for innovation through thoughtful touches from local businesses and artisans.

Hotel website
London, UK - The World Travel & Tourism Councils (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) has today revealed that the sectors contribution to Egypts GDP grew almost 24% last year to reach a record E953BN - nearly 21% ahead of the previous peak.

The data also shows that across sector jobs, international and domestic visitor spending, the sector fully recovered last year to reach record-breaking levels.

Domestic visitor spending grew almost 9% year-on-year to reach more than E328.5BN, while spending by international visitors saw a strong 38.5% year-on-year growth last year, to reach E470.4BN.

Jobs supported by the sector grew almost 10% to reach more than 2.5MN, representing one in 12 jobs across Egypt.

Although this is strong recovery, it continues to lag previous record job numbers for the sector, set 15 years ago in 2008, when job numbers reached 3.7MN.

Egypts Travel & Tourism sector has made an extraordinary recovery, surging past previous records, highlighting the sector's resilience and its vital role in Egypts economy.



The Egyptian Government recognises the value of Travel & Tourism to the Egyptian economy and jobs, placing it at the forefront of the agenda, with a real focus on investment. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO

What Does This Year Look Like?

This year, the sectors GDP contribution is forecast to reach almost E988BN, accounting for 8.1% of Egypts economy.

International visitor spending is anticipated to grow 6.2% to reach just under E500BN this year, with domestic visitor spending expected to reach over E340BN.

Sector jobs are projected to grow 5.7% to reach 2.67MN, to account for almost one in 11 jobs in Egypt, although still below the previous peak.

What Does the Next Decade Look Like?

With the right government support, WTTC is forecasting that the sector could grow its annual GDP contribution to E1.57TN by 2034, representing 9.6% of Egypts economy, and could potentially employ almost 4MN people across the country.

What Does the Region Look Like?

Across North Africa, the Travel & Tourism sector is forecast to contribute E2.2TN to the regional economy this year, accounting for 8.5% of the total.

Sector-supported jobs are expected to rise to 5.3MN, representing one in 11 jobs across the region.

Domestic visitor spending is projected to reach E960BN, whilst international visitor spending is anticipated to reach E1TN this year.

See all the data in our Egypt Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Report on the WTTC Research Hub.



For more information, please visit wttc.org.

*This cutting-edge research was carried out in partnership with Oxford Economics. All values are in constant 2023 prices and exchange rates, as reported in March 2024. All figures are given in EGP.

The North African economies referenced in the regional data are Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia.

About WTTC

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel & tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world's leading travel & tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. For more than 30 years, WTTC has been committed to raising the awareness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the travel & tourism sector.

WTTC Press Office

WTTC
London, UK - The World Travel & Tourism Councils (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) has today revealed a record-breaking year for Travel & Tourism in Kenya, contributing KES1TN to the national economy in 2023.

Sector jobs grew 6% to reach a record 1.55MN, accounting for one in 13 jobs across the country.

While domestic visitor spending reached more than KES 466BN last year, almost 15% over the previous peak and setting a new record, spending by overseas visitors continued to trail the highpoint of 1999 to reach just KES 266BN.

The recovery of Kenya's Travel & Tourism sector is a testament to its resilience. Achieving record-breaking growth across economic contribution, jobs, and domestic visitor spending highlights the sector's vital role in the nation's economy.



Although international visitor spending is currently lagging behind its high point, the future of Travel & Tourism in Kenya looks strong, with substantial opportunities for growth and development over the next decade. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO

What Does This Year Look Like?

According to the global tourism bodys latest research, Travel & Tourisms contribution to Kenyas economy is forecast to grow 9% year-on-year to reach almost KES 1.15TN.

Jobs supported by the sector are projected to reach more than 1.6MN, representing almost 8% of jobs in Kenya.

Domestic visitor spending is expected to continue driving the sector to reach KES 521BN, but spending by travellers from overseas is forecast to remain below the previous high to reach KES 289.5BN.

What Does the Next Decade Look Like?

With the right government support, WTTC is forecasting that the sector could grow its annual GDP contribution to KES 1.7TN by 2034, representing 7.4% of Kenyas economy, and could potentially employ more than 2.2MN people across the country.

See all the data in our Kenya Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Report on the WTTC Research Hub.



For more information, please visit wttc.org.

*This cutting-edge research was carried out in partnership with Oxford Economics. All values are in constant 2023 prices and exchange rates, as reported in March 2024. All figures are given in KES.

About WTTC

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel & tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world's leading travel & tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. For more than 30 years, WTTC has been committed to raising the awareness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the travel & tourism sector.

WTTC Press Office

WTTC
In June 2024, we reached a major milestone with the eco-certification of our 1,000th hotel, bringing us closer to our ambitious goal of achieving 100% of our network eco-certified by 2026. Join us as we spotlight inspiring stories showcasing properties and their journeys towards a more sustainable model through their pursuit of eco-certifications.

This achievement underscores also our unwavering commitment to helping properties obtain recognized external sustainability labels, which not only enhance their competitiveness and attractiveness, but also improve their operational excellence and revenue generation. A stake that also meets the expectations of today's travelers and of our corporate clients expectations, who seek more responsible options and prefer hotels with third-party sustainable certifications. To further support hotels, last year, we announced the signature of two international partnerships with Green Key and Green Globe. Recognizing that each destination must address certification by considering its unique cultural specificities, the Group has also concluded strategic partnerships with local programs, such as Ecotourism Australia, China Green in the Greater China area, and the Green Key Global Network in the United States and Canada.

 Source: Accor

Explore 3 Eco-Certified Properties Around the Globe

greet Hotel Lyon Confluence, France: Green Key

The greet Hotel Lyon Confluence, nestled in the heart of Lyon, exemplifies its commitment to sustainable hospitality with its Green Key label. The hotel strives to reduce the impact of stays and works towards more sustainable hospitality. Its eco-conscious approach permeates every aspect, from responsible food sourcing to maintenance supplies and community engagement. Notably, the hotel supports soft mobility for team members and champions the use of second-hand furniture, adding also a creative touch with signature attributes such as designer-created desks made from repurposed industrial metal.

Our Green Key label is the recognition of our entire teams eco-responsible commitment, both before and after the opening of the hotel. For our clients, it highlights the excellence of our actions for the planet, embodying a more sustainable hospitality. Jean-Philippe Dupuy, General Manager greet Hotel Lyon Confluence

Peppers Silo Hotel Launceston, Australia: Ecotourism Australia

Peppers Silo Hotel Launceston proudly stands as Tasmania's first hotel to achieve Ecotourism Australia's prestigious Sustainable Tourism Certification, meeting globally recognized standards. This achievement follows Accors strategic partnership last year with Ecotourism Australia to certify properties across Australia and the Pacific. The hotel, transformed from a disused industrial relic, exemplifies regeneration and sustainability, continually supporting local suppliers, artisans, and community projects. Key initiatives include installing solar panels, sourcing 95% of food and over 75% of beverages locally and diverting 24 tonnes of food waste annually to a compost facility. The F&B Director is an ambassador for Loaves and Fishes, a local NGO which reclaims food for those in need while teaching under-employed Tasmanians hospitality skills.

A key part of our journey has been our relationship with our food producers and growers and a commitment to sustainable Food & Beverage offering, inspired by our Food Director Massimo Mele and championed daily with passion by our Executive Chef Thomas Pirker. Paul Seaman, General Manager Peppers Silo Hotel Launceston

VIE Hotel Bangkok, MGallery, Thailand: Green Globe Certification

Perched above Bangkok's vibrant skyline, VIE Hotel Bangkok, MGallery, holds the prestigious Green Globe Certification, reflecting the propertys rigorous Sustainability Management Plan and third-party audits, ensuring transparency and commitment to sustainable practices. VIE Hotel Bangkok, MGallery, actively supports elimination of single-use plastics, waste reduction, and promotes responsible tourism in the local community. Energy-efficient facilities and the hotel's "5 Pillars"  encompassing Heartist values, exceptional guest experiences, loyalty, sustainability, and financial performance  underscore its dedication to a more sustainable hospitality.

Our goal is both to provide the best services for our guests and to be environmentally and socially responsible. Being awarded the Green Globe certification is a testament to our high standards, and it demonstrates our commitment to put guest experience, the environment, and our community first. Nicolas Peth, General Manager VIE Hotel Bangkok, MGallery

About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group

Accor is a world leading hospitality group offering experiences across more than 110 countries in 5,700 properties, 10,000 food & beverage venues, wellness facilities or flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry's most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing more than 45 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore. Accor is committed to taking positive action in terms of business ethics & integrity, responsible tourism, sustainable development, community outreach, and diversity & inclusion. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.
Miami, FL - B&B HOTELS is pleased to announce that it has completed its second U.S. deal for a hotel in Jacksonville, Florida. This marks another milestone for B&B HOTELS which brings its highly successful lease model to the United States. The successful opening of the first hotel in Orlando, only four months ago, has led to a growing interest in Europe's fastest-growing midscale hotel brand with its real estate investor Batipart, which has supported the hotel chain since day one in this new U.S. project.

The B&B HOTEL Jacksonville is strategically located at exit 357 of Interstate 10 at the western gateway to the city. It will open with 156 rooms in the 1st quarter of 2025 following a comprehensive renovation.

Valerio Duchini, CEO of B&B HOTELS US, expressed his commitment to building a successful business. Today and as previously promised, we are really glad and honored to announce the signing of our second hotel in the U.S. and specifically in Jacksonville. The hotel will undergo a complete renovation, and it will be opened in the first months of 2025. This is another big step in the development of B&B HOTELS in Florida and the U.S. A big thank you to our real estate partner, Batipart, for their support since the beginning of this adventure in the U.S.

With a portfolio of nearly 800 hotels spanning 17 countries, B&B HOTELS's remarkable growth in Europe can be attributed to its innovative business model, which emphasizes flexibility and a core essentials approach. The company firmly believes that an affordable, well-designed, and comfortable accommodations model will be a game-changer in the U.S. market.

About B&B HOTELS

Founded in Brest in 1990, B&B HOTELS is the fastest-growing and second largest hotel chain in Europe. It has a network with nearly 800 hotels in 17 countries, in Europe and the U.S. In 2023 alone, the brand achieved a revenue of $1.3 billion, demonstrating its successful strategy of offering unbeatable value without compromising on quality. The brand is committed to offering high-quality service at the best price, guided by values of empathy, integrity, inclusion, simplicity, and continuous improvement. B&B HOTELS is also dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility and is certified in sustainability by SOCOTEC.

Valerio Duchini has been the U.S. CEO of B&B HOTELS since 2023. Since 2016, Fabrice Collet has served as the President and CEO of B&B HOTELS, with Goldman Sachs becoming the principal shareholder in 2019.

For more information, visit bbhotels.com.
Artificial intelligence is a game-changer for hospitality, not least for the new ways in which it will appeal to customers throughout the booking process. Chief among these is a more personalized experience. According to Amadeus 2024 Travel Tech Investment Trends for the hospitality sector, 85% of those surveyed anticipate that personalization could help them to deliver more than 5% growth in incremental value. But for vendors operating in the travel sector, understanding how to leverage AI to create that benefit can be confusing.

Here are four ways AI-driven technology can transform the customer booking journey, leading to better business results in the process.

1. Collaborative booking enables crystal-clear visibility into buying intent

Booking trips, experiences or accommodation with friends and family is a fundamental dynamic within the booking process, but vendor sites remain designed with solo travelers in mind. One way that AI-driven personalization is revolutionizing the booking process is by enhancing group trip planning. Industry leaders including Expedia Group and Airbnb are already incorporating ways to increase collaboration on their websites. But this doesnt just make the booking process more enjoyable, it also enables all-important sentiment analysis - an essential if vendors are to respond effectively to their customers needs.

For instance, Joyneds social revenue platform uses data analytics within the collaborative booking process to enable vendors to gain insight into customer sentiment and intent. Vendors can also better gauge price perception and brand sentiment. Where groups have a willingness to book their perfect getaway but express doubts about one aspect of the offering, this is where crafting personalized offers becomes key.

Imagine a vendor or hospitality website that seamlessly anticipates and responds to customer needs. For example, where a user of the vendors site says the offering is "too expensive," they can then be targeted with specific offers chosen by hotels to remedy any concerns they may have to increase the chance of finalizing a booking. By curating trending offers and promotions, vendors can significantly enhance customer satisfaction by showcasing options that resonate with individual customers or groups, ensuring a personalized and engaging experience.

2. Differentiating your offering to keep customers coming back

Research from McKinsey and Company reveals that 66% of travelers are more interested in travel than they were last year. Post-covid, the desire for travel only seems to be getting stronger. But with this increase in interest comes an increase in competition. Vendors know this all too well. So to get ahead, this is where personalization comes in once again. Vendors must differentiate their offering through AI to keep customers coming back to their website.

By providing an intuitive booking journey that takes into account the past behaviors of customers that finalized bookings as well as those that left the website, vendors can employ strategies that encourage customers to make booking decisions faster by aligning what they are interested in with the presented offering. This is the key to improving customer loyalty and websites should even consider offering additional perks upon a return to the website. However, users would not only return for the personalized offers but also because the vendor website is where the planning and communication of their last trip took place. Most importantly, they come back because they feel valued. This strategy has been proven to work: vendors implementing AI-driven personalization through solutions such as Joyned typically see increases in returning users, made possible by recommending the right options based on users search preferences

3. Responding to experiential travel

Today, customers expect more than just a destination: they seek tailored journeys that cater to their unique preferences and interests. Experiential travel has even overtaken conventional motivations for travel - a testament to how important this reasoning has become for travelers. Take the example of a group looking to book a hotel in the south of France. In addition to the rooms, they may also look for a range of activities to do on their vacation, whether its touring prestigious vineyards, going on yoga retreats, exploring a national park or sampling French cuisine at local markets. Vendors using AI-based platforms can recommend relevant activities such as these to customers, incorporating a greater level of relevance into the booking process and increasing revenue. Lets not forget, AI-driven personalization brings added value to both customers and providers while addressing and accommodating an important motivation for travel.

4. An all-in-one experience to reduce abandoned carts

When the booking experience can provide more of what the customer wants, vendors will experience increases in their overall revenue as well as in their Average Revenue per User (ARPU). Put simply, generic recommendations are not sufficient for consumers of today which is why its important for vendors to use AI to craft an intuitive and highly personalized customer buying journey.

In the race to ensure vendors stay one step ahead of consumer needs and competitors offerings, implementing an all-in-one experience for consumers is a must.. Whether its tailored offers and promotions or providing more opportunities for experiential travel, providing an all-in-one experience for customers is the most effective way to ensure consumers feel less inclined to leave your site. But why is that significant? Well, with a basket abandonment rate of approximately 89% on mobile devices, the greater the draw for consumers to leave the vendor site, the greater the chance they wont be coming back to complete their purchase. Vendors must instead utilize technology that removes this need.

Vendors can reduce cart abandonments through technological solutions that provide on-the-spot information to customers most common booking questions, such as the weather forecast, travel options, and even a suggested itinerary. This improves the overall customer experience and allows vendors to gain visibility into conversations that would otherwise be unavailable as they traditionally take place away from the website on instant messaging apps or social networks. Using these insights, vendors can better tailor their packages and deals to current customer demands, leading to significant increases in revenue.

Final words

The potential for personalization to improve results for hospitality and travel vendors through a more enjoyable booking process is significant. From providing tailored offers, increasing customer loyalty, accommodating new travel motivations, or reducing cart abandonments, purchasing decisions are made faster when conversations are kept on the vendors page, with AI personalization providing additional information to further reduce the need to leave the vendor site. The booking experience of tomorrow is personalized and it's arriving faster than you think. By leveraging AI-based social revenue technologies, travel vendors can future-proof their businesses and make a significant impact on their bottom line.

About Joyned

Joyned enables customers to book trips, vacations, and holidays together, making the travel booking experience collaborative. It provides a cross-website, live experience for online shoppers, empowering travel sites of all sizes to own their shoppers' natural social engagements directly on-site.

The company's AI-based social revenue platform analyzes and identifies consumer group-buying intent from previously unavailable data. Coupled with actionable insights, it provides visibility into buyers' decision-making process, intent, group dynamics, conversations, and activities to maximize revenue.

Global online travel agencies, hotel chains, booking sites, and travel tech providers rely on Joyned to uncover hidden opportunities and optimize their offering thereby maximizing revenue, conversions, and customer lifetime value.
Danny Awards to honor musicians with disabilities: Submit Now!

The Danny Awards will honor musicians with disabilities, and its sponsor, the Daniels Music Foundation, is dedicated to promoting disability awareness and enhancing music accessibility through community-based initiatives.

by MIA MARQUEZ of The Daily Rind

We are thrilled to announce that The Danny Awards, presented by Daniels Music Foundation, are now accepting submissions for the 5th annual awards, set to take place on October 19, 2024, at Town Hall in New York City.

Daniels Music Foundation is dedicated to promoting Disability Awareness and enhancing music accessibility through community-based initiatives. Each year, Daniels Music Foundation selects 10 exceptional musicians from around the world to perform at the Danny Awards in New York City to showcase the talent and creativity that is flourishing within the community of musicians with disabilities.

Award recipients will receive recognition, a cash prize, and a weekend in New York City! In order to apply, you must submit a video of you or your group/band performing an original song or cover. The selected judges will choose 10 award recipients to receive the organizations honors.

How To Submit

Complete your application here by midnight ET on Tuesday, August 6, 2024 .

by midnight ET on . The application requires a performance video of your original song or cover.

Dont miss your chance to perform live in New York City at the 5th Annual Danny Awards! The application deadline is on October 19, 2024, at midnight EDT. Visit their website to learn more about how to apply and the amazing work Daniels Music Foundation is doing to advance accessibility in the arts!

Share on:
Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Elizabeth Debicki, who plays the role of an established female director in new slasher film Maxxxine, revealed in an interview she couldnt bear to watch some parts of the film.

The Crown star shared that there are bits of MaXXXine that I watched [covering my eyes.] I still dont know what happened.

The 33-year-old actor blamed the gore in the film as the main reason for being unable to watch it: I dont like gory things, I cant watch gore. I cannot do it.

MaXXXine marks Debickis first role in a horror film, after she admitted she cannot stand to watch any films in the genre: it does what it says on the tin and it scares me.

Im a wuss so if I were to watch a really scary movie, then when I have to go and pee, I have to get someone to come with me because Im scared, so thats a hazard, which is why I avoid them. she added

Despite her intolerance to horror films, in her interview with Film Updates, Debicki proceeded to praise the genre for its opportunity to birth a star: What Ive always been able to see in horror is that it creates amazing performance opportunities for actors.

Sometimes, peoples work that really puts them on a map as an actor is within this genre ... I know that [the horror genre] can do that for people.

I really respect peoples work in horror because as an actor, youre working so hard to create that performance, and so even though I dont seek it out, I have watched quite a few [horror films] and scared myself.

This interview comes before the release of MaXXXine, starring Mia Goth, Halsey, Kevin Bacon, and Giancarlo Esposito, and is the third and final installment in Ti Wests slasher-horror trilogy.

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

Mia Goth in MaXXXine' ( Justin Lubin )

The previous two instalments, X and Pearl, have been met with critical acclaim, as The Independent gave the latter a five star review.

Ti West shared in an interview with The Independent that he believed Mia Goth, the lead star of the trilogy, deserved an Oscar for Pearl.

However, Debicki has not been the only person struggling to watch Ti Wests trilogy, as in a 2022 review published by Slash Film, Martin Scorsese, renowned director of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, admitted he was troubled by the film: I was enthralled, then disturbed, then so unsettled that I had trouble getting to sleep. But I couldn't stop watching.

MaXXXine is set to release Friday 5 July in the UK.
Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli has praised Johnny Depp as a disarmingly charming actor ahead of their joint concert.

Depp, who has spent the last two years working on a career comeback following his high-profile 2022 defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, will feature as a special guest at Bocellis upcoming concert series in Tuscany, Italy.

Bocelli, 65, shared the news on Instagram on Wednesday, July 3, writing: A disarmingly charming actor who has brought countless iconic characters to life on the big screen, this eclectic artists musical talents are equally intense: a bona fide rockstar loved and applauded everywhere.

I fondly recall playing and singing with Johnny Depp when he visited my home in Tuscany, he added. Were happy to announce that this unexpected pairing will perform once more  and this time in public, as his fans will be thrilled to hear. We want to thank Johnny for accepting our invitation: it will be a joy to welcome him to the Teatro del Silenzio stage.

The three-day concert series, which celebrates Bocellis 30th anniversary in music, will be held on July 15, 17 and 19.

The special event will be filmed and released in a documentary titled Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration, which will premiere later this fall.

open image in gallery Andrea Bocelli and Johnny Depp ( Getty Images )

Other artists besides Depp joining Bocelli include Ed Sheeran, Brian May, Russell Crowe, Shania Twain, Placido Domingo, Jon Batiste, Laura Pausini, Lang Lang, Christian Nodal, Zucchero, Jose Carreras, Aida Garifullina, David Foster and Katharine McPhee.

Additional guests will be announced in due course.

On Thursday (July 4), Depp, 61, was awarded with the Global Contribution to Motion Picture at the National Film Awards for his role in Jeanne du Barry.

During his acceptance speech, he addressed his sometimes tragic Hollywood career.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak to you today. I feel very lucky, and I feel very honored that you  all of you  allow me to still continue to do the work that I love to do, Depp said in the pre-recorded video.

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up

The work that I do is inspired by all of you who have been along on this long road and comprehended, he added. Its always especially humbling when recognition for your endeavors comes directly from the hearts of the people, the hearts and minds whove joined me on this long mystical, magical, sometimes tragic  yet never boring journey.

I cant thank you all enough for continuing to allow me to tell the stories that I feel are necessary to be told. And for having stuck with me and my curious collection of characters over these many years, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor concluded.

Depps portrayal of King Louis XV in French director Maiwenns 2023 historical drama about the life of the rulers chief mistress, Jeanne Vaubernier, was his first movie role since winning the trial against Heard.
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

Jonathan Jacob Meijer says he didnt mean to become The Man with 1000 Kids. For a start, the Dutch sperm donor at the centre of Netflixs unsettling new three-part docuseries disputes the figure in the title, claiming the real number of donor children hes helped bring into the world is closer to 600. In the show, the 42-year-old former high school teacher and Crypto trader is portrayed as a zealot determined to spread his seed as far and wide as possible. Mothers from all over the world, who have been having his children since 2007, speak out against him. I never had the idea to have 100 children or 500 children, he tells me, speaking down the line from the Netherlands. It happened step by step. Many donors want to be in the news, but for me if nobody knew about me that would be absolutely fine. Now they do know about me, so I want to explain my side of the story.

Meijers journey to become one of the worlds most prolific sperm donors began when he was at college, where he got talking to a friend who was unable to have children of his own. He was the first person to put the idea of sperm donation in my mind, recalls Meijer. A period of introspection followed, as he weighed up how becoming a donor could change his life. A year later in 2007, aged 25, he signed up at a sperm bank. At first it was really great, he remembers. I knew that the people who got my sample would be super happy, and theyd create a family. Thats something meaningful and real. As he became more at ease with the idea of being a donor, he began to see it as a shame that he had to remain anonymous. I thought it was a pity I couldnt meet people and see the smiles on their faces, he says. Then I read about websites where you could donate privately, and I realised it was something I wanted to do as well. It felt more complete to me.

He posted adverts with photographs showing off his long, blonde hair, on Dutch websites where women sought out sperm donors, explaining who he was and his motivations. Right from the start, he says the response was overwhelming. From the moment I put up the advertisement, an hour later there were four or five emails already. That would go on the whole day, he explains. People think I had this plan from the start, but I thought Id maybe help one or two people. Instead, he says he found himself filtering through masses of responses. I know people think Im crazy and that I help too much, but in my opinion I was super selective, he says. People really dont understand the shortage of donors.

Soon he was paying private visits to women all over the country, then the world. Many were in lesbian relationships, or single, or in a relationship with an infertile partner. Typically he would provide sperm donations in a plastic cup, although sometimes he had sex with the women himself. He didnt ask for payment beyond asking that his travel expenses be covered, and after he stopped donating at clinics he would also ask recipients to cover the cost of his STD tests.

He acknowledges that it didnt take long before he was hooked on the feeling helping create families gave him. Sometimes I would think: Its a lot [of children], maybe you should stop but then Id get a new message saying: Wow, you are really the donor weve been looking for, he says. I found it hard to say no. Youre the guy that comes along with the winning lottery ticket, thats the feeling you bring these people. Its something magical.

Meijer may have started with the best of intentions, but as the number of his donations ballooned he began lying to potential new recipients about the full extent of his offspring. Natalie, a lesbian mother who has a donor son with Meijer, told The Independent that he informed her in 2010 that he wanted to help five families, and that I would be number three. She later learned the true figure was much higher, and similar stories are told by several other mothers in The Man with 1000 Kids.

When I press him about misleading these women, Meijer grows evasive. Sometimes I think I got too carried away, he says. I should have told myself that [a smaller number of children] is fine. It would be best if I had been open, but I chose to follow the international guidelines. He argues unconvincingly that his actions were no worse than the rules in place at commercial donor operations. At the big sperm banks like Cryos, their guideline is not to inform the recipient about the amount of times one donor has been used, he says. I decided for myself that if the clinics are not informing the parents then I wouldnt either, but I understand why people feel like it wasnt the best approach.

open image in gallery Donor mothers Suzanne and Natalie appearing in Netflixs The Man with 1000 Kids' ( Netflix )

Meijers deceptiveness could be seriously dangerous due to the risks of psychological distress, incest or inbreeding between half-siblings who have no idea theyre related. In 2017, these fears led the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology to blacklist him as a donor after learning he had fathered at least 102 children via multiple Dutch clinics. That was in breach of guidelines in the Netherlands stipulating that sperm donors should not father more than 25 children. Other countries have their own rules: the UK cap is 10 families (of unlimited children), while in Germany the limit is 15 children. There is little overarching international regulation.

Meijer says he accepts that inbreeding is a concern, but believes his critics are over-exaggerating the likelihood. It comes down to if [my donor children] would run into somebody that they dont know, and they can always ask, he says. All the children know that theyre from a donor and they know my name. Its a little thing that they have to be aware of. Are you from a donor, and is your donor Jonathan?

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

He says he stopped donating sperm to new recipients, of his own volition, in 2019. He came to the decision, in part, because he wants to focus on having children of his own. Four years later, a Dutch court ordered him to stop donating sperm, destroy any held by clinics and imposed a 100,000 fine for any future infraction, although it makes allowance for mothers who want biological siblings for their donor kids. I respect the verdict, says Meijer.

I will definitely sue the hell out of the whole Netflix crew

Meijer says he declined to participate in The Man with 1000 Kids because its not in the best interest of the donor children. I think its really capitalising on these families, who were infertile or just wanted to have families, he says. Theyre good people, lovely people, and now people will ask them: Oh, is your child one from the 1,000 donor doc? Is the doc going to do any good for the children?

He hasnt yet seen the series, and denies several of the major accusations levelled against him when I put them to him. He says he never competed with fellow donors over who could get the most people pregnant, claiming he had never even shared the number of children he has with anyone. He outright denies perhaps the most shocking accusation in the series, that he and another donor named Leon mixed their sperm together before giving it to a recipient in order to see whose would win. Is that in the documentary? he asks incredulously. No, thats total slander. Its insane. Why would 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.

He also denies donating to a sperm bank in Kenya, or posting on donor groups as the Lion of Mombasa. I dont have contact with these guys, he says. I dont want anything to do with these idiots. When I ask him about the donor named Anthony who wrote that he wanted to donate sperm in Kenya in order to bleach Africa, hes outraged. Thats just disgusting, says Meijer. I distance myself a million miles from this guy. Hes horrible. Ive heard that these right-wing guys want to spread the white gene or something, all this crap.

open image in gallery Jonathan Jacob Meijer: I assume [my family] think: Okay, you could have stopped way earlier!' ( Jonathan Jacob Meijer )

Meijer maintains that his motivations couldnt be further from that. People can think about me what they want, and maybe I didnt do everything perfect. I agree, I could have been better, but theres also a reality to consider, he says. If you look at Cryos, theres only 200 active donors for the whole world. The demand is only increasing. They should make it easier for a man to become a donor, instead of saying you need to be ashamed.

Until there are more male donors to go around, its almost inevitable that demand will drive ever larger biological families. People say that I have a lot [of children], and I say: But look around. Would your brother be a donor, or your husband? They say no, of course he would not! Well thats why donors help so much.

Meijer knows what its like to grow up in a big family, at least by conventional standards. He is one of eight siblings, so I cant help but wonder how they and his parents all felt when they heard about their massively overgrown family tree. I hear Meijer inhale sharply. Thats a difficult question! He says. I think some find it very difficult. Others think: OK, you did something great. I have to say, this was the hardest thing for me to decide. They also become sort of grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, aunties. I also changed their lives. Did they struggle to get their heads around the numbers? Yeah, he says. I assume they also think: OK, you could have stopped way earlier!

Today, Meijers eldest donor children are 17 years old, finishing high school and going off to university. His youngest are barely out of nappies. It was good that I stopped in 2019, definitely, he says. It was, in my opinion, a bit late, but it was hard to stop.

He knows that hes been portrayed as a man addicted to having children, but he insists thats not true. I dont think addiction is a good word for it, but if I was addicted to anything it was to being valuable to people and having a great time with them, he says. Now, looking back, I can say that I should have set more boundaries for myself, and realised when I was reaching my limits. I shouldnt have waited until people started to scream and shout at me.

The Man with 1000 Kids is available to stream on Netflix

If youre travelling abroad and want to stream The Man with 1000 Kids then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get the best VPN deals on the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

The Community movie will not film this year after all  and one of its stars has taken accountability for the delay.

In September, it will have been two years since it was announced the sitcoms promise of six seasons and a movie would finally come to fruition.

US streaming service Peacock shared the news seven years after the series came to an end in 2015, revealing that creator Dan Harmon would oversee the project and, since then, its been revealed that all of the main cast, excluding Chevy Chase, would be returning,

While Jeff Winger star Joel McHale, who frequently cameos on hit series The Bear, said in March 2024 that he will be shocked if the film does not shoot this year, he has now provided a disappointing update for fans.

I dont have a definitive update because we thought for a moment it was going to all happen this year, and then it didnt, he told GQ.

But we have the money and that is a huge step. And hopefully, people still want to see it. And Peacocks paying for it. And so I cant wait to do it.

When asked when he believes the film will start shooting, McHale replied: Ill say vaguely, Next year. How about that?

The actor also shut down suggestion that the delay was caused by Donald Glover, who returned with a new Childish Gambino record earlier this year; Glovers stock has risen considerably since Community ended in 2015.

If its anybodys fault, its my schedule on this one, McHale said, adding: Its not his at all. He was available.

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

Hale confirmed that Glover would be returning as Troy for the movie in July 2023, stating: The fact that we even got Donald to do it... that was the big piece.

open image in gallery Joel McHale in Community ( NBC )

He also said that Shirley Bennett actor Yvette Nicole Brown would be returning for the movie. I think everyones coming back. So far, were pretty good.

Stars confirmed to return include McHale, Glover, Brown, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong.

Chevy Chase, who played millionaPierce Hawthorne, on the series will likely not be returning, with Harmon previously suggesting that it might not be legal for him to come back.

Chases time on the series was riddled with behind-the-scenes drama. The actor, 80, exited Community during its fourth season, after he allegedly made racist remarks toward Glover.

Chevy was the first to realise how immensely gifted Donald was, and the way he expressed his jealousy was to try to throw Donald off, Harmon told The New Yorker in 2018. I remember apologising to Donald after a particularly rough night of Chevys non-PC [politically correct] verbiage, and Donald said, I dont even worry about it.

open image in gallery Donald Glover in Community ( NBC )

In a subsequent interview on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast, Chase suggested that his departure was on his own terms.

I honestly felt the show wasnt funny enough for me, ultimately, he said. I felt a little bit constrained. Everybody had their bits, and I thought they were all good. It just wasnt hard-hitting enough for me.

Chase added that felt happier being alone and just didnt want to be surrounded by that table, every day, with those people  presumably referring to his co-stars.

Community, which follows a group of students at a community college, ran for 110 episodes across six seasons, airing its finale in 2015. A release date for the film is yet to be announced.
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

The ending of Lost is the most misunderstood series finale in television history  but it almost drew to a close in a far different way.

Remember that flashback which sees Ben being taught about the island's volcano as a youngster by the Dharma Initiative? Probably not  but you will soon considering the hit drama has just been added to Netflix in the UK and US, ahead of its 20th anniversary on 22 September.

The scene occurs in third season episode The Man Behind the Curtain  and it has since emerged that this was one of the first hints of an endgame.

Showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse spoke to EW about the scrapped plans in 2017.

*Spoilers follow  you have been warned*

The story goes that Cuse - very much the duo's big-dreamer - got the idea of including a volcano at the end of the series after visiting Hawaii's Big Island with his family, and later envisioned it being home to the climactic showdown between Jack (Matthew Fox) and the smoke monster, incarnated as John Locke (Terry O'Quinn).

We were always looking to cannibalise anything on Hawaii to aid in the visual storytelling of the show, Cuse said. We also thought of the island as a character on the show, so we were always looking for things that would give it more personality.

For those who don't know (and if you haven't seen Lost, go watch it immediately), season six presented the concept that the island was a metaphorical cork bottling up some very bad things that, if unleashed into civilisation, would cause all kinds of destruction.

Lindelof  who followed up Lost with The Leftovers and Watchmen  added: The question was always, how do you basically visualise and dramatise the idea that the island itself is all that separates the world from hellfire and damnation? And the answer was the volcano.

open image in gallery The volcano was mentioned in a season three flashback

He continued: The volcano had been dormant for the duration of the series but based on moving into this endgame, the island had become unstable and the volcano was going to erupt.

"We were going to have lots of seismic activity, and ultimately, there was going to be this big fight between the forces of good and the forces of evil, which ended up in the series manifesting as Jack and The Man in Black, in the midst of magma. Magma spewing everywhere!

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

The volcano was later deemed too expensive by the bigwigs at network ABC forcing the writing duo to improvise; the fatal battle ended up happening on a cliff as the island crumbled to the sea.

ABC was like, Guys, we love you, and were letting you end the show; we cant let you bankrupt the network in the process', said Lindelof.

Just in case you're one of the people who misunderstood the ending, allow us to spell it out for you: they were not dead the entire time.

to anyone who hasn't seen LOST and thinks they won't bother because they've heard the ending is bad, this is not true and the show will change your life https://t.co/J9FCFm9P5D  Jacob Stolworthy (@JacobStolworthy) July 1, 2024

Emmy award-winning series Lost originally aired in 2004 and drew to a natural close in 2010. Its ensemble cast included Evangeline Lilly, Michael Emerson, Elizabeth Mitchell and Josh Holloway.

The first ever episode of Lost will eceive an anniversary screening in London for the first time ever on Thursday 19 September.

Find a ranking of every single Lost episode here.

Whether youre a longtime fan of Lost or simply looking for a new series to start, subscribe to new podcast The LOST Boys following two of our writers respective journey watching from the very beginning  one for the first time, the other for the eighth.
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

Jonathan Jacob Meijer, the prolific sperm donor at the center of the new Netflix documentary The Man with 1000 Kids, suggested his many donor children could use a social media symbol to reduce the chance of them unwittingly having incestuous relationships with each other.

The Netflix docuseries details how Meijer spent many years donating both to sperm banks and to women he met privately. In 2023, The Hague District Court banned him from sperm donation over fears of inbreeding after he admitted to fathering over 550 children globally.

During that trial, the Dutch judge asked Meijer about the risk of incest. According to court documents presented in the series, his lawyers responded: The defence argues that if they are worried about incest, his donor children can use a social media symbol to identify themselves as one of his children.

One of the donor mothers, an Australian woman named Kate, dismissed the idea. It was a horrible suggestion, she says during the series. A lot of children may not want to display a symbol. A lot of those children may want to maintain their privacy.

Questioned about the suggestion by The Independent, Meijer at first claimed: I forgot I said that! before adding: But its a serious point.

He went on to argue that hed come up with the idea in an attempt to illustrate the possibilities presented by social media, adding that when he first started donating sperm in 2007 it hadnt existed.

open image in gallery Jonathan Jacob Meijer, the sperm donor at the centre of Netflixs The Man with 1000 Kids' ( Jonathan Jacob Meijer )

I just wanted to emphasize that when I started as a donor there was no Facebook, no YouTube, Instagram. Maybe not even WhatsApp, he said. The world has changed so drastically. When Facebook came, I knew 100 per cent that people would find each other, recipients and children. Thats what happened. People can so easily create a group for donor recipient parents in the Netherlands and they will talk. My donor is from the Hague. Oh, mine too! And they have my name.

He added: The symbol was more to show that in the digital world there are always solutions. I think people talk way too much about problems. It can be simple. If they want, they can put a symbol. You have to think openly and not see in every corner a problem.

Earlier this week The Independent spoke to Natalie and Suzanne, two of the donor mothers featured in the docuseries, about how their lives had been upended by the discovery of how many siblings their child has and their fears over potential inbreeding.

Meijer also spoke to The Independent about why he feels the series was misleading, and the specific accusations he calls total slander.
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

Rishi Sunak fell victim to a humiliating prank shortly after the Tories were ousted from power in a devastating landslide for Labour.

While Sunak lost his role as PM, with Sir Keir Starmer set to enter No 10, the former Tory leader, who retained his seat in Richmond and Northallerton and, while delivering his speech of thanks to his constituents, YouTube prankster Niko Omilana walked behind him holding a piece of paper with the letter L on it.

The prank, which referred to Sunak as a loser, was claimed by Omilana shortly after it happened. He wrote on his social media pages, where he has 7.49 million followers: Hold this L rishi, your time is up.

Omilana was able to make it onto the stage as he had stood as an independent candidate in the constituency, winning a total of 160 votes.

As he stood behind Sunak, the camera tried  and failed  to move him out of frame.

Sunak called the overall result of the general election a sobering verdict, adding: There is much to learn, and I take responsibility for the loss.

He added: To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.

open image in gallery Rishi Sunak falls victim to Niko prank ( X/Twitter )

While Sunak retained his seat, one former prime minster who failed to do so was Liz Truss. Other high-profile Tory politicians, including Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and former Jacob Rees-Mogg, were also ousted from their seats.

In his victory speech, Starmer said change begins now.

It feels good, I have to be honest, he said. Four and a half years of work, changing the party. This is what it is for. A changed Labour party, ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

Starmer promised an age of national renewal in which Labour would start to rebuild our country but he also acknowledged that change would be difficult.

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

The Labour leader said the sunlight of hope was shining once again in a country with an opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.

Although Labour won the election in a huge landslide, one independent candidate who managed to defeat the party in their constituency was its former leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who retained his Islington North seat with 24,120 votes.

Corbyn won the constituency with 7,247 more votes than the Labour candidates Praful Nargund, who secured 16,873 votes.

Upon his victory, he said: Our campaign was a positive one, it did not get into the gutter of politics. Ours was a positive campaign trying to bring hope to people.

Our campaign was utterly determined to bring a degree of unity to it. This result is a resounding message from the people of Islington North that they want something better.

I owe my life and my learning and my abilities entirely to the people of Islington North. This victory is dedicated entirely to them.
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 Kardashian used a rare appearance on his familys reality show The Kardashians to claim that aliens are real and have been on Earth since the 40s.

Kardashian, 37, is the only son of family matriarch Kris Jenner. He is the younger brother of sisters Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe, while Kendall and Kylie Jenner are his half-sisters.

On this weeks episode of their long-running reality show, the family discussed the possible existence of aliens. The conversation was sparked by video footage of a large police presence around Bayside Marketplace in Miami on New Years Day which made many speculate that aliens had visited the mall to ring in 2024.

After Kendall Jenner expresses her belief that the incident was fully real, Khloe agrees with her. When Kris Jenner questions why there is no concrete video evidence, Khloe responds: Mom, are you kidding me? They have technology that wipes it all out.

Khloe then calls her brother Rob, who is known for his belief in alien conspiracies. There are literally seven species of aliens, and theres good aliens and bad aliens, he claims.

Kris Jenners boyfriend Corey Gamble then weighs in, saying: Theres more than that, Rob.

open image in gallery Rob Kardashian pictured in Las Vegas in 2012 ( Isaac Brekken/Getty Images )

Rob goes on to say that aliens have literally been here since the 40s.

Centuries, Rob, centuries, replies Gamble.

In February, Rob Kardashian returned to Instagram with a heartwarming tribute to his late father.

On 22 February, Robert Kardashians birthday, his son wrote: Happy Birthday Dad! Thank You for giving me only good memories with you. I miss you every day. I love you so much. The caption accompanied an old photo of his father with his mom, Kris Jenner.

The image featured a gleaming Kris with her arm wrapped around Robert. This is the first photo Rob has posted on the platform since July 2023. His last post was a Happy Birthday shoutout to his sister, Khloe, when she turned 39. Before that, exactly a year ago, Rob shared a picture from years ago of him, Khloe, Kourtney, and Kim, all with their dad.

Khloe commented on the birthday post with a poignant message assuring Rob that their father would always be in his heart.

Hes with you everyday Bobby!! Remember that. Look for his signs. Hes trying to show you daily. Never forget how much he loves you. He is so proud of the dad you are, she wrote.

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free

Robert passed away in September 2003 after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer just three months earlier. Every year, his family pays homage to him with loving memories on the day he was born.
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

Teslas plan to make a splash in the Indian market appears to have hit a roadblock since Elon Musk abruptly postponed his visit to the country in April and dashed to China instead.

The electric carmakers executives have ceased contact with Indian officials, leading them to conclude that Musk does not intend to invest in the country in the near future, Bloomberg reported.

Tesla was reportedly looking at India, the worlds third-largest automobile market, as the next destination for growth.

The company put the plan on hold after the Indian government reportedly insisted that it produce cars locally, just as it does in China. The carmaker would have preferred importing vehicles initially to gauge demand.

Mr Musk had said Tesla would be in India as soon as humanly possible after a meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during his state visit to the US last year. "He really cares about India because hes pushing us to make significant investments in India, which is something we intend to do. We are just trying to figure out the right timing," Mr Musk said, calling himself a fan of Mr Modi.

I am confident that Tesla will be in India and will do so as soon as humanly possible."

The carmaker planned to invest $2 to $3bn and build a new factory in India, Reuters reported in April. Mr Musk was expected to announce the deal after meeting with Mr Modi in April.

But he cancelled the visit. He said very heavy Tesla obligations require the visit to India be delayed, but I do very much look forward to visiting later this year.

Just a week later, the mercurial billionaire made an unplanned visit to China.

The visit reportedly helped Tesla clear regulatory roadblocks related to the launch of self-driving software in the country, a crucial market for the company. Mr Musk met Chinese premier Li Qiang and Teslas Model 3 and Y vehicles passed the countrys data security requirements soon after.

Now that Tesla has cooled interest in India, officials told Bloomberg that they were looking to domestic car makers for boosting electric vehicle production. But Tesla would still be welcome to avail a new import tax policy if Mr Musk decided to re-engage, they said.

open image in gallery The Tesla gigafactory in Shanghai, China ( Xinhua )

Teslas apparent ghosting of India comes just as its Model Y has been made available for government purchase in China, according to state news outlet Paper.cn.

The Model Y, a fully electric compact crossover SUV, has been included in a list of electric and hybrid vehicles that local governments can purchase for use as service cars.

India likely still remains on Mr Musks radar. He congratulated Mr Modi after his swearing-in as prime minister for the third time last month.

"Congratulations Narendra Modi on your victory in the worlds largest democratic elections! Looking forward to my companies doing exciting work in India," he wrote on X.

Mr Modi responded saying Indian youth, our demography, predictable policies and stable democratic polity will continue to provide the business environment for all our partners.

Indias electric vehicle market is small but growing. Its currently dominated by the local carmaker Tata.

Mr Modis government is targeting 30 per cent of new cars to be electric by 2030, up from about 2 per cent currently.

In recent years, Mr Musk has opposed Indias high import taxes on electric vehicles and lobbied for change. In March, Indias government introduced a new policy reducing import taxes from as high as 100 per cent to 15 per cent on certain models, provided the carmaker invests at least $500m and establishes a factory in the country.
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 12-year-old boy in Kerala has died from a rare infection caused by brain-eating amoeba.

Hes the third person to have died of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in the southern Indian state since May, The Hindu reported.

The boy had taken ill after bathing in a pond and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode . He died on Thursday.

We identified the infection in tests done in our labs and informed the districts medical officer who took preventive measures by closing access to the pond where the child had bathed, an unnamed doctor who treated the boy was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.

The amoeba, Naegleria fowleri , thrives in warm freshwater and infects humans through the nose.

It has also been found in artificially heated industrial water sources and domestic water supplies.

A five-year-old girl in Malappuram and a 13-year-old girl in Kannur died from the same infection on 21 May and 25 June, respectively.

The states health department has advised caution when bathing in stagnant water and emphasised the need for proper chlorination to prevent infection.

Bathing in stagnant water and diving in water should be avoided as much as possible, the department said.

Water in theme parks and swimming pools should be properly chlorinated to ensure that it is clean.

The infection can destroy brain tissue and cause severe brain swelling.

It is not contagious.

The symptoms include headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. As the condition progresses, patients may also develop a stiff neck, experience confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and potentially slip into a coma.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis die within 1 to 18 days after symptoms begin.

It usually leads to coma and death after five days.
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 fire broke out at a busy mall in Indias national capital region on Friday, leading to chaos as shoppers scampered to safety.

There were no casualties reported. However, the panicked shoppers and showroom employees were all evacuated as a precautionary measure from Logix Mall in Noida, NDTV reported.

Videos and images from the mall showed the corridors filled with thick smoke.

Several fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Upon receiving the alert, the fire department said it promptly dispatched teams to the scene.

The fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit. Hindustan Times reported that the fire erupted in an Adidas showroom on the first floor of the mall.

Noidas chief fire officer Pradeep Chaubey said the malls fire alarm alerted local fire departments around 11am on Friday.

At the time, the mall was relatively empty, with mainly security personnel and staff present.

On reaching here, it was found that a fire had broken out at the Adidas showroom on the first floor. Since it was morning and all showrooms had not yet opened, its shutter was also down. Firefighters used saw cutters to cut open the shutter and entered the showroom to douse the flames, Mr Chaubey was quoted as saying.

The firefighters reportedly broke the buildings glass panes to allow the smoke to escape.

By 12.30 pm, they had successfully extinguished the fire, but efforts to clear the remaining smoke from the building continued.

The smoke from the fire has filled the building, and efforts are still on to remove the smoke. The cause of the fire is suspected to be a short circuit, Mr Chaubey 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

The Rohingya in Myanmar's Rakhine state are at risk of facing "genocidal violence" similar to what the Muslim minority suffered eight years ago, a UN expert has warned.

Thomas Andrews, UN special rapporteur for the crisis in Myanmar, said the situation in Rakhine was "terrifying", according to AFP.

"For Rohingya people  oppressed, scapegoated, exploited, and stuck between warring parties  the situation carries echoes of the lead-up to genocidal violence in 2016 and 2017," Mr Andrews told the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday.

An army crackdown against the Rohingya Muslims in 2017 sent 730,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh. The UN described it at the time as genocidal in intent.

In Rakhine, tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced since the Arakan Army, an armed group of the Rakhine ethnic minority seeking autonomy from the central government, renewed fighting the army late last year.

The attacks last November ended a ceasefire which had largely held since a military coup wrested power from the government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

Mr Andrews said the military had been conscripting thousands of Rohingya youth and mobilising them against the Arakan Army.

Even though many Rohingya young men have been taken to the frontlines of the conflict against their will, the potential for retaliation by members of the Arakan community, and a downward spiral of violence, is enormous, he warned. "Tens, if not hundreds of thousands, have been displaced in Rakhine state.

Although Rohingya are not eligible for conscription because they are denied citizenship, the military has conscripted more than 1,000 men and boys from the community since February using methods including abduction, threats and false promises of citizenship, according to a report by the Human Rights Watch.

In May, the UN human rights office warned of frightening and disturbing reports about fresh violence in Rakhine, pointing to attacks on Rohingya civilians by the military and the Arakan Army.

Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for the UN agency, highlighted the burning of the town of Buthidaung, air strikes, shootings at unarmed fleeing villagers, beheadings and disappearances in the northern part of Rakhine in recent weeks.

The Arakan Army announced in May that it had seized Buthidaung, home to a sizable Rohingya Muslim population in northern Rakhine.

We are receiving frightening and disturbing reports from northern Rakhine state in Myanmar of the impacts of the conflict on civilian lives and property, Ms Throssell told a briefing in Geneva.

Some of the most serious allegations concern incidents of killing of Rohingya civilians and the burning of their property.

She quoted a survivor saying they saw dozens of dead bodies lying around as they fled Buthidaung and others speaking of abuse and extortion at the hands of the Arakan Army.

The United League of Arakan, the political arm of the Arakan Army, said civilians in the battle zone had taken refuge in areas controlled by its forces, adding that it has been doing its utmost to safeguard and care for these Internally Displaced Persons as valued citizens, irrespective of race or religion".

Rohingya activists, however, have blamed the Arakan Army for most of the destruction.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller previously said Washington was deeply troubled by reports of violence in Rakhine and called on the military and armed groups to protect civilians and allow humanitarian access.

"The militarys previous acts of genocide and other crimes against humanity targeting Rohingya, in addition to its history of stoking intercommunal tensions in Rakhine State and elsewhere across the country, underscore the grave dangers to civilians," he said.

"The current increased violence and intercommunal tensions also raise the risks of further atrocities occurring."
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

Crest Nicholson has attracted fresh bidding interest after rejecting a possible offer from rival housebuilder Bellway, as the housing sector was boosted by a Labour election victory.

The Surrey-based company said it had received an all-share proposal from Avant Homes to combine the two housebuilders.

Avant  an affordable housebuilder focused on the Midlands, the North of England, and Scotland  is backed by US investment firm Elliott Advisors.

Elliott came to the fore earlier this year when it swooped in with multiple proposed offers to buy British electricals giant Currys, all of which were rejected by the retailer.

Crest Nicholson last month said it had rejected a string of offers from competitor Bellway, including one worth 650 million.

The housebuilder said it felt the offers undervalued it and its future prospects.

Avants proposal is understood to represent a 20% premium to Bellways 253p per share offer, as the firm jostles to put a more attractive offer on the table.

On Friday afternoon, Crest said it was not currently minded to engage in discussions regarding a potential transaction with Avant when it could still receive an offer from Bellway.

Avant is chaired by Jeff Fairburn, the former boss of housing giant Persimmon.

Mr Fairburn left his job at Persimmon in 2018 having faced criticism from investors for receiving almost 85 million in remuneration over a two-year period.

Meanwhile, London-listed housebuilders enjoyed a boost to their share price on Friday after overnight election results revealed that the Labour Party had achieved a landslide victory at the polls.

One of the partys key campaign pledges was to reform the planning system to build 1.5 million new homes in the next parliament.

Investors were eager to cash in on the likely lift the plans will bring builders, with Persimmon, Vistry, Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Developments the biggest risers on the FTSE 100 on Friday.

Shares in FTSE 250-listed Crest Nicholson were about 4% higher on Friday afternoon.
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

McLaren boss Zak Brown came out firing on Friday at Silverstone and accused Red Bull of a lack of respect after Max Verstappens collision with Lando Norris last weekend.

The two drivers, who are good friends off track, were vying for the lead before both sustained punctures during a collision. Verstappen finished fifth after receiving a 10-second time penalty but Norris was forced to retire due to irreparable damage.

Norris was fastest in both practice sessions at an overcast Silverstone circuit on Friday as he targets a dream victory at his home race following his inaugural F1 win in Miami two months ago.

Brown, who has been critical of Christian Horner in the past after Red Bull breached the 2021 cost-cap, insists the world champions encourage Verstappens defensive tactics. Horner told his driver over the radio that Norris did not behave correctly.

Until someone tells Max thats against the regulations, hes not going to know any differently, said Brown at the team principals press conference. It is disappointing that such a great team like Red Bull almost encourages it.

You listen on the radio as to what was said, and we all have a responsibility on the pit-wall to tell our drivers the dos and donts in the races. We need to have respect for the regulations.

Brown then referenced Red Bulls spending breach in 2022  which he said at the time constituted cheating  before alluding to Horners sour relationship with Verstappens father, Jos.

Brown continued: Weve seen a lack of respect (at Red Bull), whether its financial regulations or sporting on-track issues, or with fathers and things of that nature.

We should guide our drivers on what is right or wrong. Had it been addressed earlier then maybe that incident wouldnt have taken place. It was a racing incident, but one that could have been avoided if the pit-wall or the stewards were more on top of the regulations.

Asked if he will bring the matter up with Horner, Brown said: I dont really have any interest in speaking with Christian.

open image in gallery Zak Brown was critical of Red Bull in a press conference on Friday ( Getty Images )

However, perhaps not surprisingly, Brown stood by his driver, who trails leader Verstappen by 81 points in the standings.

Lando wants to move on from last weekend, said Brown.

Some drivers might enjoy a public spat but he and Max have a very strong relationship off the track. What they spoke about is between them but they both want to move on and get back to racing each other real hard on track.

Theres a difference between what a driver is like when the helmet goes on and the visor goes down and what theyre like Monday through to Thursday.

A lot of world champions are sweethearts outside of the race car, but pretty fierce when the helmet goes on.

Norris was fastest in the first practice session ahead of Aston Martins Lance Stroll and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, who was second in Fridays second session which concluded in the Northamptonshire rain.

Lewis Hamilton, an eight-time winner at Silverstone, was sixth-fastest with Verstappen in seventh.

Additional reporting by PA
Come on, hands up how many of you listening to Rishis farewell speech on the steps of Downing Street, were secretly distracted by the rather fabulous appliqued dress worn by his wife Akshata Murty?

And who, minutes later, didnt think: Wow, she looks great about Lady Victoria Starmers subtle red 275 Me & Em midi, which showed off her phenomenally toned arms as she hugged well-wishers on the No 10 doorstep? You cant imagine her ever doing a Cherie Blair and opening the most famous door in Britain wearing a grey jersey nightie.

While it might be deemed shallow and reductive, lets just go with the fact that it was a delight to see so many of our female politicians and first ladies past and present play such a strong style game.

Gone are the days when women aped their male colleagues and felt they needed to blend into the background in dull, slightly ill-fitting trouser suits (apologies Theresa May) or to the other extreme in Karren Brady style power dresses.

These 2024 professional women are fierce, feminine and a fashion force in their reds, pinks and creams. And those in the know will have spotted The Fold, Me & Em (dubbed the middle-class staple) and Reiss as brands of choice.

Britains first female chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, went for a sharp suit and with her sleek power bob or pob  the hair and accessories were a million miles away from the drab very traditional British look of yesteryear. Weve finally caught up with our sleek European sisters.

As one very well-connected fashion insider put it: These choices reflect the growing fashion confidence of female politicians which they just didnt have last time around, and although I felt the wives performed slightly better, they have the advantage of stylists to help choose their outfits. As a result, they looked slightly more pulled together. But many of the politicians get an A for effort from me and are looking much more confident with their use of style and colour.

open image in gallery In the pink: Laura Kuenssberg dons a pink blazer to talk election coverage ( BBC )

Its hard to argue that Murtys exquisite red white and blue 395 Lina dress, from Omi Na Na, an ethical British brand, handmade in India, was anything less than precision planning, perfectly fitting her petite frame and reflecting her Indian heritage as well as her British patriotism.

Meanwhile, Lady Vic Starmers ruby red fit and flare dress had my WhatsApp group light up. Knowing the worlds eyes will have been on her for the past 24 hours, last night she paired wide-legged navy trousers with a short-sleeved white tweed jacket also from Me + Em, understanding this popular mid-priced independent British brand is the right side of cool. Safe but not frumpy, bold but not scaring the horses.

open image in gallery Follow suit: Rachel Reeves arriving at Downing Street earlier on Friday ( AP )

Pink was the surprise choice of election night. Not so long ago the colour associated with Barbie and everything stereotypically girly would have been seen as a no-go shade for a female politician wanting to project strength. But it has been reclaimed and worn boldly by Harriet Harman and Nadine Dorris who were both commentating as well as the BBCs anchor Laura Kuenssberg.

There were more feminine trouser suits among the strong female news leads and seasoned politicians like Yvette Cooper sported chic jewellery, rather than the power baubles favoured by Theresa May.

All confident looks which said that these women are happy in their skin and brimming with positivity.

As my fashion insider friend commented: The only problem now is how often youre going to see the same Me & Em suit in parliament. How very Commons of them.
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 }}

Nurse Lucy Letby has been sentenced to a whole-life order for the attempted murder of a baby at the Countess of Chester Hospitals neo-natal unit.

The 34-year-old appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Friday to hear her sentence after she was caught virtually red-handed deliberately dislodging the baby girls breathing tube in a nursery room at the unit in February 2016.

The baby died three days later after being transferred to a specialist unit due to being extremely premature.

Letby was already serving 14 whole life terms for the seven murders and seven attempted murders, having made two attempts to kill one child, given to her last year.

A whole-life order means Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison with no minimum term or chance of early release.

Sentencing Letby on Friday, Mr Justice Goss said: It was another shocking act of calculated, callous cruelty.

During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for any offences and sought to attribute wrongdoing to others. You have no remorse.

After he reiterated to Letby that she would spend the rest of her life in prison, she turned round as she was led from the dock and said: Im innocent.

A retrial was ordered on a single attempted murder charge concerning the baby girl, known as Child K, after the first jury could not reach a verdict.

Letby was already serving 14 whole life terms for the seven murders and seven attempted murders before the sentencing on Friday ( PA )

But a second jury took just three and a half hours to convict Letby of the offence.

The retrial also saw Letby forced to listen to a judges sentencing remarks she previously refused to hear at the conclusion of the first trial. Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC spent seven minutes reading a section of the remarks as Letby looked largely to the floor of the dock.

Click here to read our report on the judges sentencing remarks last year

The retrial heard that Letby targeted the baby after the infant was moved from the delivery room to the neo-natal unit shortly after her premature birth.

The youngster, born at 25 weeks gestation and weighing just 692g, was said by the prosecution to be the epitome of fragility.

About 90 minutes after her birth, Letby dislodged the breathing tube through which she was being ventilated with air and oxygen.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram caught her virtually red handed as he entered nursery one at about 3.45am. He intervened and resuscitated Child K.

Lucy Letby on her arrest in July 2018 ( PA )

Dr Jayaram told jurors he saw no evidence that she had done anything to help the deteriorating baby as he walked in and saw her standing next to the infants incubator.

Child K was transferred to a specialist hospital later on 17 February and died there three days later.

Letby was initially charged with the murder of child but the charge was dropped in June 2022 as the prosecution offered no evidence.

After Fridays sentencing, senior crown prosecutor Nicola Wyn Williams said: Lucy Letby has now been sentenced for another dreadful crime, the attempted murder of yet another baby.

This has been an incredibly difficult, complex and disturbing case. A trained nurse tasked with looking after the most vulnerable babies used her craft and her skills to become a killer.

In May, Letby lost her Court of Appeal bid to challenge her convictions from last year.

Cheshire Constabulary said its review of the care of some 4,000 babies admitted to hospital while Letby was working as a neonatal nurse remains ongoing.

A separate corporate manslaughter investigation at the hospital by Cheshire Constabulary also remains ongoing.

The public inquiry into how Letby was able to commit her crimes on the unit is set to begin at Liverpool Town Hall on 10 September.
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 }}

Remorseless to the end, Britains most prolific child killer defiantly told a judge Im innocent as she was led to the cells once again.

Lucy Letby had been just handed a rare whole-life order for trying to murder a fragile baby girl less than two hours after she was born.

The punishment makes little difference to the former neonatal nurses future, having already been sentenced to 14 further whole life terms for killing seven other babies in her care and trying to murder six more  including two attempts on one.

But to the family of Child K, who trusted Letby to care for their precious firstborn child, the moment represents the culmination of an eight-year battle for justice after not one, but two criminal trials to make their daughters voice heard.

Lucy Letby was found guilty by a jury of the attempted murder of a baby girl following a retrial (Cheshire Constabulary/PA) ( PA Media )

Although Child K, whose identity is protected by a court order, miraculously survived Letbys brazen attempt to tamper with her breathing tube in the early hours of 17 February 2016, she died three days later.

Born at 25 weeks gestation and weighing just 692g, she was said by the prosecution to be the epitome of fragility when she was delivered at the Countess of Chester Hospital where Letby worked.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram said he caught the nurse virtually red handed as he entered the units intensive care room at about 3.45am before he intervened and managed to resuscitate the newborn.

The infant was transferred to a specialist hospital later that day. Her subsequent death was recorded as due to her extreme prematurity and severe respiratory distress syndrome.

In a tearful victim personal statement, the baby girls mother said she will never have peace, closure or experience the feeling of being a complete family unit.

However, you, Lucy Letby, will never hurt another child or have the privilege and joy that children give, she bravely told her childs attacker from the witness box at Manchester Crown Court.

Lucy Letby has been sentenced to 15 whole life orders (Elizabeth Cook/PA) ( PA Wire )

Addressing Letby was an opportunity that was denied to other victims families after she refused to leave her cell to be sentenced following her first trial last year.

That trial saw her found guilty of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the hospitals neonatal unit between June 2015 and June 2016.

Medical experts for the prosecution said she had injected some of them with air, while others were said to have been administered doses of insulin. The common thread, when hospital chiefs tried to analyse a spike in deaths at the unit, was the presence of Letby.

A retrial was ordered for charges relating to Child K after the first jury could not reach a verdict.

It is not yet known whether this will be the end of Letbys court appearances. Cheshire Constabulary is still investigating Letbys career and reviewing all her contact with patients.

A separate corporate manslaughter investigation at the hospital by Cheshire Constabulary also remains ongoing.

A public inquiry, which starts in September, will examine the wider fallout, interrogating hospital managers about the way they handled doctors concerns.

Child K died three days after she born at the Countess of Chester Hospital (Peter Byrne/PA) ( PA Archive )

It is a trial which has drawn international attention, sometimes accompanied by intense speculation as online sleuths analysed every detail of the case and questioned the scientific evidence presented at court.

At times online theories filled a vacuum of information left by reporting restrictions imposed after prosecutors announced they were bringing a retrial, as people questioned how a seemingly normal and well-liked nurse could have carried out such crimes.

To this day, the motive for her attacks remains frustratingly elusive.

Only you know the reason or reasons for your murderous campaign, judge Mr Justice Goss said as he awarded the nurse her fifteenth life order on Friday.

It was only last week, after a fresh jury took just three-and-half hours to find her guilty of attempting to murder Child K, that full details of Letbys failed bid to appeal her other convictions were able to be revealed.

It can now be reported that her barrister, Benjamin Myers KC, tried to convince the Court of Appeal that the trial judge, Mr Justice Goss, was wrong to tell the jury they did not need to be sure of the precise act which caused Letbys victims harm.

Mr Myers said that this was not correct as there may have been other explanations.

He said: There may be more counts or all counts where the jury was unable to reach a state of certainty as to guilt.

They should have been told they should have been sure of the act. They have to have certainty as to the act that lay behind the allegations of deliberate harm.

Nick Johnson KC, for the prosecution, stated the argument was not tenable and that while medical evidence was at the heart of pretty much all of the prosecutions argument, it formed only part of the circumstances of the case and that Letby was always there when things happened.

He said: The law does not and has never required the prosecution to prove precise acts or acts were committed to cause death.

Letbys lawyers put forward several arguments in the failed appeal bid (Cheshire Constabulary/PA) ( PA Media )

Letbys team also objected to how the judge dealt with a jury irregularity after a complaint was made to the court in August 2023.

At the appeal hearing in central London, it emerged that the complaint alleged that a juror had discussed the case with members of the public during the trial.

After hearing witness evidence, Mr Justice Goss ruled the juror should continue in their role.

Mr Myers said the verdicts were imperilled by this decision, adding: If there was a member of the jury who was disregarding the directions of the trial judge, which we know is a serious matter, that juror should at the very least have played no further part in the activities of the jury from the moment that these activities came to light.

It cant be said that the verdicts that were returned would have been returned.

However Dame Victoria Sharp and Lord Justice Holroyde dismissed Letbys bid in May.

In a 59-page ruling, published on Tuesday after Letbys latest conviction, Dame Victoria said the 34-year-olds appeal complaints were not arguable and declined to formally accept proposed fresh evidence.
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 }}

Lucy Letby has been sentenced to a whole-life order for the attempted murder of a seventh baby - a year after she was given 14 whole-life terms for murder of seven babies and attempted murder of six others.

The 34-year-old nurse was found guilty at Manchester Crown Court of the attack on the newborn infant during a night shift at the Countess of Chester Hospitals neo-natal unit in February 2016.

Last August, she was convicted at the same court by another jury of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the unit between June 2015 and June 2016.

Here are the key dates surrounding the investigation into Lucy Letby:

8 June 2015 - MURDER: Child A is born six weeks premature and given to Letby on her night shift. He deteriorates rapidly and dies within 90 minutes of Letby coming on duty.

8-11 June - ATTEMPTED MURDER: Child As twin sister, Child B, is injected with air by Letby - and survives after being resuscitated.

14 Jun - MURDER: Child C, born seven weeks premature, dies as a result of air being injected into his stomach. Letby is seen standing over his monitor as his alarm sounds.

22 June - MURDER : Child D, a full-term baby girl, dies 36 hours after her birth at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Letby had injected air into the childs bloodstream.

End of June/July: A meeting takes place between neonatal lead consultant Dr Stephen Brearey and director of nursing Alison Kelly, along with other bosses, to discuss an informal review undertaken by Dr Brearey of Child Ds death. His findings reveal an association with nurse Lucy Letby and her presence at the recent collapses.

4 August - MURDER: Child E dies after air is injected into his bloodstream. The babys mother interrupts Letby in her attack, but doesnt realise it.

5 August - ATTEMPTED MURDER : Blood sugar levels of a prematurely born baby boy, Child F, fall dangerously low, and a blood sample is sent for tests at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. The baby survives.

7 September - ATTEMPTED MURDER: Baby G left severely disabled by Letby, who tries to murder her twice, the second instance on 21 September, through air via her nasogastic tube.

23 October - MURDER: Child I, a prematurely born girl, dies on the unit. Concerns are raised again by some consultants in an email.

8 February 2016: A thematic review by an independent neonatologist based at Liverpool Womens Hospital takes place. The review, requested by Dr Brearey, does not find a reason for the increased number of deaths and collapses, but concerns remain over Letby as the report is forwarded to nursing director Ms Kelly and medical director Ian Harvey.

17 February - ATTEMPTED MURDER: Child K taken to neo-natal units intensive care room after being born premature. Letby seen dislodging breathing tube from baby. Baby taken to hospital and dies three days later.

9 April - ATTEMPTED MURDER x 2: Another youngster, Child L, suffers a hypoglycaemic episode in which his blood sugar level plunges. At around the same time, his twin brother, Child M, unexpectedly collapses and requires full resuscitation before he recovers. A blood sample from Child L is sent for tests at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

3 June - ATTEMPTED MURDER: Child N, a newborn boy with haemophilia, attacked by Letby who thrusts nasogastic tube into his throat.

24 June - MURDER x 2: Child P, one of a set of triplet boys, collapses and dies a day after the death on the unit of his newborn brother, Child O. Dr Brearey phones the duty executive on call, Karen Rees, a senior nurse in the urgent care division, to say that he and his consultant colleagues do not want Letby to work her next scheduled shift on 25 June, but she rejects the plea.

25 June - ATTEMPTED MURDER: Ninety minutes into Letbys day shift, Child Q, a prematurely born boy, needs breathing support after his blood oxygen levels and heart rate plummet. He goes on to make a full recovery.

29 June: Consultants meet to discuss recent inexplicable events and then urge hospital bosses to remove Letby from the unit as a safety measure.

30 June: Letby works her last nursing shift on the neonatal unit.

7 July: Hospital bosses reduce the neonatal unit service by cutting cot spaces and increasing the gestational age limit for admission from a minimum of 27 to 32 weeks.

15 July: An email is sent to all nursing staff informing them that they will each undergo a period of clinical supervision  after medical director Mr Harvey asked the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) to conduct a review of the units service. The email states: Lucy has agreed to undergo this supervision first on Monday 18th July.

19 July: Letby starts an administrative post in the hospitals Patient Experience Team.

7 September: Letby registers a formal grievance procedure against her employer. Around this time, the Royal College of Nursing union informs her by letter about allegations surrounding her involvement in a number of deaths.

November 2016: The RCPCH says it found no obvious factors linking a total of eight deaths in the neonatal unit in 2015 and five deaths up to July 2016. However, it did uncover significant gaps in medical and nursing rotas, and insufficient staffing for the provision of longer-term high dependency and some intensive care.

18 May 2017: Cheshire Police announce they have launched an investigation following a greater number of baby deaths and collapses at the hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. The probe will focus on eight deaths and will also review seven further deaths and six non-fatal collapses.

3 July 2018: Letby is arrested at her home in Westbourne Road, Chester, at 6am, and officers search the three-bedroom property. Searches also take place at her parents home in Hereford and her place of work in the hospitals Risk and Patient Safety Office. Police say the investigation has widened to 17 deaths and 15 non-fatal collapses between March 2015 and July 2016.

10 June 2019: Letby is re-arrested at her parents home.

10 November 2020: Letby is arrested again before she is charged, and appears in court for the first time two days later.

4 October 2022: Letby goes on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of 10 others.

21 August 2023: Letby given 14 whole-life terms after being found guilty by a jury of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of six others. She was found not guilty of two counts of attempted murder. Verdicts not reached on six counts of attempted murder.

24 May 2024: Letby loses her bid to appeal her murder and attempted murder convictions.

12 June: Retrial starts over an attempted murder charge jury could not reach a verdict on in the previous trial.

2 July: Letby found guilty of attempted murder of Child K.

5 July: Letby sentenced to a whole-life order for the attempted murder of Child K.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

A former prison officer who hid her love affair with a convicted murderer has been jailed after detectives uncovered her relationship and bizarre AI wedding pictures.

Stephanie Heaps, now known as Stephanie Ramsden, did not declare that she was in an intimate relationship with Leon Layton Ramsden, 35  who is currently on a life sentence for murder  while she worked at HMP Wymott in Leyland.

She then joined Greater Manchester Police as a police constable in Bolton where she again did not declare any links to criminals.

But a Lancashire Police investigation found her links to an organised crime group  associated with Ramsden  which was involved in money laundering, drug dealing, and a conspiracy to burgle an address in St Helens in November 2019.

The pair married after she left Greater Manchester Police. A bizarre AI-generated image of the pair tying the knot was posted on social media.

A bizarre AI-generated image of the pair tying the knot was posted on social media ( Greater Manchester Police )

Detective chief inspector Jennifer Adams, of our Anti-Corruption Unit, said: During our investigation, we were shocked by the actions of Stephanie Heaps and her brazen disregard for the standards required for both her roles in the police and the prison service.

As soon as we were made aware of Heaps potential relationship with Ramsden, we conducted a number of detailed enquiries to ensure that the maximum amount of evidence about her offending could be collated so she could be held accountable for the full extent of her crimes.

Its clear Heaps should never be trusted to serve the public, and it is testament to the investigation team that she was only in uniform for a matter of months before she was taken away from frontline duties for good and now put rightly behind bars along with Ramsden and his associates.

Images show Stephanie Heaps visiting Leon 'Layton' Ramsden in prison ( Greater Manchester Police )

Alan Richardson, senior crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: Stephanie Heaps was in a position of trust both as a prison officer and later a police officer.

She knew that her actions created a serious conflict of interest and entirely compromised the trusted positions she held.

The CPS worked hard with Greater Manchester Police to build a strong case. The strength of the evidence was such that Heaps had no option but accept her guilt.

Heaps will now face the consequences of her actions.

She was sentenced to four years and three months at Bolton Crown Court on Thursday after she admitted several offences, including misconduct in public office and intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence.

Ramsden, of HMP Berwyn, was sentenced to five years and seven months, to run concurrently with his murder sentence.
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 UK is failing to bring Afghan allies to safety through its dedicated resettlement routes, endangering the safety of thousands of people, lawyers and refugee caseworkers have said.

One Afghan pilot said his wife has been left suffering mentally and emotionally as he is separated from her by the process.

A coalition of 150 lawyers and charity workers have called on the new government to not forget Afghans still seeking safety, saying: We ask that the promises made are now upheld.

They said in a letter that the schemes failure puts lives at risk and causes immense despair, fear and desperation.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson pledged to bring 20,000 Afghans who championed British values, such as womens rights activists or other vulnerable people, to the UK through a dedicated Home Office scheme. However just under 2000 Afghans have been relocated to the UK under two relevant schemes following Operation Pitting, the Western evacuation of Kabul in August 2021.

In a letter published on Friday, and shared with The Independent, barristers and solicitors called on the new prime minister to provide safe and legal passage to the UK for at-risk Afghans, noting that many vulnerable Afghans are being forced to take small boats across the Channel because there is no alternative path to sanctuary.

Data for the year ending March 2024 showed that 5,662 Afghans made the perilous crossing from France, up from 554 arrivals in 2020.

The letter criticises the governments resettlement schemes for being mired by delays and criticised severe errors in data accuracy.

Shortcomings in the IT system have led to breaches of applicants data and impacted data quality and processing efficiency, which in turn have caused delays, decision-making errors, and unresolved applications, they write.

A young Afghan boy flies a kite in a refugee district of Quetta, Pakistan ( Getty Images )

Promised pathways for Afghan womens rights activists and LGBTQ+ people have failed to materialise and a pledge to reunite families separated during the August 2021 evacuation has also not been fulfilled, signatories say. The letter continues: Trust in the resettlement schemes is seriously undermined by the lack of transparency and delays in the governments decision-making.

The Independent has consistently reported on failings in the Home Office, Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence-run Afghan relocation schemes. Numerous cases have been documented of people who were wrongly rejected for help despite fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with British troops.

Afghans who have been granted sanctuary in the UK have spoken about how their families have been abandoned in perilous situations because of delays to applications or because a pathway does not exist to bring them to safety.

An Afghan pilot who supported the British mission in his country is scared for his family, who are waiting in Iran for UK relocation ( The Independent )

One former Afghan pilot, an air force lieutenant who was granted asylum in the UK after a five-month-long campaign by this newspaper, has been waiting seven months on a request for his wife and young child to join him.

His family have fled to Iran but are now living on borrowed time as their visas have run out and they face going back to Afghanistan. He said: My family is facing a lot of problems, they dont have a proper place to live and dont have access to a doctor, because they are living illegally. Their Iranian visas expired and they need to extend them but it is impossible in Iran. My wife is suffering mentally and emotionally and she is completely hopeless.

Shabnam Khan Dawran, a prominent Afghan journalist who was evacuated in August 2021, told The Independent how her family have been targeted by the Taliban while they hope for relocation.

Despite her father suffering arrest and attack at the hands of the Taliban as a result of Dawrans journalism in the UK, there is currently no safe route for him to come to Britain.

MPs called on the Home Office in May to act faster to help reunite Afghan families and said the government was failing to deliver on its promises.

Labour MP Stephen Kinnock has previously criticised the Tory government for turning operation warm welcome into operation cold shoulder by failing to follow through on their promises to Afghan refugees.

The Home Office was contacted for comment.
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 }}

A mother-of-two died in a freak accident causing her to plunge hundreds of feet to her death in front of her husband and children.

Margerita Lega was on holiday in Calasca Castiglione, in the Anzasca Valley situated in the Italian Alps, when her clothes snagged on a cable car on Thursday at 11am.

The 41-year-old, originally from Trentino, was loading luggage onto a small telefrica machine - a cable car used to transport baggage and objects rather than people - when she got caught.

She was dragged over a cliff edge when the transportation suddenly switched on, according to the Daily Mail.

Ms Lega managed to hold on for a few moments before she was unable to hold her grip any longer, and plummeted 150 metres (492 feet) to her death.

The incident took place in the Calasca Castiglione, in the Anzasca Valley ( Google Maps )

The family were said to be trying to reach a cabin on a mountain in the region. Her husband and two children - a six-year-old and nine-year-old - were present at the time and are reported to have witnessed the entire ordeal. They are currently being supported while the incident is being investigated by police.

An elaborate recovery operation was initiated to locate Ms Lega, with technicians from the Piedmont Alpine and Speleological Rescue team lowering themselves from a helicopter and making the rest of the discovery by land, according to Italian pubication La Repubblica.

Rope manoeuvres were required to overcome the rocky and uneven terrain to find her body. Health workers were unable to do anything for Ms Lega other than confirm her death upon arrival. Rescuers from Guardia di Finanza arrived and her body was then recovered by a firefighters helicopter.

Silvia Tipaldi, mayor of Calasca Castiglione, shared her condolences with the family and said a full investigation was being carried out.

We are shocked. We are waiting for the magistrates checks on the plant to have more information on what unfortunately turned out to be a tragedy, she said.

She added the cableway paperwork was regularly filed with the municipality and said authorities currently believe the tragedy was accidental.

Ms Legas family are in shock and the local government has offered support to them.
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 }}

Jay Slaters mother has hit back at trolls questioning the use of money raised by the public to help in the search for the 19-year-old.

Nearly 50,000 has been donated to a GoFundMe page set up during the search on Tenerife, where Jay went missing nearly three weeks ago.

But as the search scales back, with Spanish authorities no longer looking for the young man, some peoples attention online has turned to the use of the money raised.

As previously reported, Jays mother Debbie Duncan said the funds would go towards search efforts, the familys accommodation and food expenses.

And on Thursday, Ms Duncan took to Facebook to hit back at critics over the use of money.

My beautiful son Jay is still missing and believe me this is no holiday, she said.

She added: We are a normal working family from Lancashire going through hell.

A group of search and rescue workers near to the village of Masca, Tenerife ( PA )

I would like to thank the genuine people for their love and support at this difficult time and to continue to pray for Jay to be found.

For those of you who are more concerned around the GoFundMe page I can assure you that up to now it has not been used and our stay up to now has been financed by ourselves.

I do have proof of transactions and transfers to other persons but I should not have to justify this. So you can make up your own minds.

Ms Duncan had previously thanked the vast generosity of donors, saying her family are grateful for all of your support and kindness during this unimaginable time.

Tenerifes Guardia Civil has called off the search for the apprentice bricklayer after helicopters, drones and search dogs were previously deployed to find him.

Debbie Duncan with her son Jay Slater, who went missing on 17 June ( Supplied )

The search in the village of Masca, near his last-known location, took in a steep rocky area, including ravines, trails and paths.

Other people have stepped forward to offer support, including TikToker Callum Fahim, who said he had since withdrawn and was now back home in London after reportedly receiving death threats.

Private investigators have also supported the family, including army reservist Juan Garcia and TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who investigated Nicola Bulleys disappearance.

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 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.
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 }}

Over the past two weeks, Callum Fahims alarm rang at 5am every morning after another sleepless night planning a new route to search for Jay Slater that no one else has touched.

The TikToker and keen hiker, who flew out to Tenerife to help with the hunt after contacting the family, has revealed the challenging conditions helpers have faced as the days turn into weeks since the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer vanished after a night out on holiday.

Callum Fahim claims he has barely eaten and slept during the search for missing 19-year-old Jay Slater ( Callum Fahim )

Now embroiled in a row over the funding of his personal search, the exhausted social media sleuth spoke to The Independent from his hotel room on the Spanish island.

The most sleep Ive had is about two hours because I have to plan all the routes overnight, he said.

I havent been able to eat properly; Ive been living off BBQ Doritos and Appletisers.

Ive never met the family. Im just a randomer from London who saw it online and wanted to help.

A Spanish police officer looks over the village of Masca, Tenerife, during the search for Mr Slater ( PA Wire )

He said he had to get out in the mountains early before the sweltering heat took over and made searching impossible with his team of hastily assembled locals and hikers, who claim to know Tenerife like the back of their hands.

British teenager Mr Slater had gone to stay with two people he had met at the NRG music festival and, having missed the bus back on the morning of 17 June, embarked on what would have been an 11-hour walk back to his accommodation.

Asked if searching helped him understand what was going through the missing teenagers mind, Mr Fahim said: Truthfully coming up that mountain as you get up further it gets hot, the air gets really thin and you struggle to breathe, then it turns hot then cold then hot again.

It makes you think youre really ill - like you have some horrendous fever.

I dont think personally without transport or a phone you could make it up here. You go into the middle of it the road vanishes and all you can see is the volcano.

I would be confused if I didnt know where I was going. Im not scared. I always say, I look a little soft but I can handle myself 100%.

The hiker and his crew of locals have combed new areas of the rugged cacti-infested terrain that no one has previously searched, such as outhouses, abandoned shelters and ravines some 1km above sea level.

Mr Fahim stumbled across a two-storey outhouse ( Callum Fahim )

Mr Fahim FaceTimed Ms Duncan to show her his movements through an unsearched abandoned shelter ( Callum Fahim )

But after the Spanish police called off their land search earlier this week, hopes for Mr Slaters safety have started to diminish.

We are looking for anything at this point, Mr Fahim explained.

At the start, we wanted to bring Jay home in a fit and well state, but obviously as time passes we need to consider all options.

We are looking for clothes, shoes, the wristbands from the NRG festival. There are so many people missing on Tenerife right now people do not realise.

On the next steps for the search, he said it could be time to start looking along the inhospitable coastline by boat.

Mr Fahim claimed other influencers have been going back over the same well-trodden paths taking selfies to get likes on social media and make money.

He said: There are a lot of TikTokers coming down and searching the same routes over and over just for likes. We dont need to be abseiling down rocks. Jay was probably drunk, possibly injured; he was not going to be abseiling around. People are doing that just for show.

He attracted international attention when Mr Slaters mother, Debbie Duncan, named him as one of the people she would be giving some money from the GoFundMe donations to.

Jay Slater pictured with his mother Debbie Duncan ( Supplied )

We are not paid to search, it is all voluntary, Mr Fahim told The Independent.

They pay for bits and bobs but we are not paid to do this. I pay my own bus fare - it costs 15 a day just to get to where the search has to start.

Weve gone through torrential rain, high winds everything. We do need more people but it is expensive getting here.

On what kept him searching, he said: I understand the pain his family are going through. Speaking to his mum directly, she is distraught - she just wants her baby back.

She is not searching because she cant bear to go up there. I tell her she needs to take a step back, its too raw.

Like the Slater family, he has not been immune from the avalanche of misinformation and threats since flying out to Tenerife. Mr Fahim said: My phone number has been leaked. I have received horrendous threats from people all over the world.

It doesnt affect me  it is not going to stop me. But the hate is unreal, and I have had people trying to scam me too.

Writing in a Facebook group dedicated to the search through a friend on Thursday, Ms Duncan addressed speculation over the GoFundMe donations.

She said: For those of you who are more concerned around the GoFundMe page I can assure you that up to now it has not been used and our stay up to now has been financed by ourselves.

I do have proof of transactions and transfers to other persons but I should not have to justify this.

So you can make up your own minds. If any of you in this group have donated I am thankful.
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 }}

Live coverage of the General Election has generated stand-out moments circulating widely on social media.

BBC One, ITV, Sky News, Channel 4 and GB News each have a team of established broadcasters leading the live coverage of the election throughout the night.

Here, the PA news agency looks at a number of moments which are gaining popularity online:

 Exit poll

When the exit poll was announced, GB News appeared to broadcast the wrong figures on screen.

The poll suggested that Labour was on course for 410 seats, with the Conservative Party reduced to 131.

However, the statistics portrayed on the bottom of the screen on GB News had the Labour and Conservative figures the wrong way round, before they were swiftly removed.

 Nadine Dorries and Alastair Campbell

Former Labour communications chief Mr Campbell appeared on Channel 4 to serve as a presenter alongside his The Rest Is Politics podcast co-host Rory Stewart, with coverage headed up by Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Emily Maitlis.

Former Tory MP Ms Dorries, who served as culture secretary under former prime minister Boris Johnson, got into a heated debate with Mr Campbell as she appeared as a guest on the programme.

Ms Dorries asked Mr Campbell if she could finish her point, saying I dont think I interrupted you, as she outlined reasons why the Conservative Party were not performing well.

Earlier during her appearance on the show, Ms Dorries accused Mr Campbell of sexism.

Mr Campbell said honestly Nadine, youve got to get over Boris Johnson, before Dorries said: Actually, I find that quite a sexist comment.

 Shocking sounds

The Sky News programme had a live countdown to the exit poll results during its coverage.

However when they were announced, forecasting the Labour Party to win a landslide 170-seat majority, only noises could be heard from the studio.

Shocked noises from the team, led by Kay Burley, continued for 10 seconds before she was heard jumping back in to analyse the results.

Words including oh my God and woah could also be heard from the team, which included political editor Beth Rigby, Sunday breakfast show presenter Sir Trevor Phillips, and data and economics editor Ed Conway.

 Larry The Cat

The Sky News studio created a virtual Downing Street with a digital version of special guest Larry The Cat.

Larry lives in Number 10 and is known as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office.

An account on X said the 16-year-old tabby is living with my fifth (soon to be sixth) Prime Minister.

 Big hat energy

Lucia Bridgeman, the High Sheriff of Northumberland, announced the results in the Blyth and Ashington constituency amd gained attention on social media because she wore a large brimmed hat adorned with feathers, with a matching ruffled white collar.

Labour secured 20,030 votes while Reform UK gained 10,857 votes and the Tories came third with 6,121 votes in the constituency.

Annie Brewster, the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, also gained recognition after announcing the results in Welwyn Hatfield wearing a similarly large hat with feathers and a ruffle collar.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps lost to Labour in the constituency.

 Elmo congratulates Sir Keir Starmer

After Sir Keir was re-elected as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, he was congratulated on his win by independent candidate Bobby Elmo Smith.

Mr Smith was dressed as the red Sesame Street character and shook the hand of the Labour leader in pictures circulating online.

 Mogg-xit

After Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg was defeated by Labours Dan Norris in the new North East Somerset and Hanham constituency, he quoted a character from an Ian Fleming novel.

Signing off his speech, Sir Jacob said: And one final thought, from Caractacus Potts, and that is from the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success. So thank you very much everybody, and good night.

Caractacus Potts is one of the main characters in Flemings novel and is played by Dick Van Dyke in the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The song, The Roses Of Success by Robert B Sherman and Richard M Shermanis, also features in the film.

Mr Norris described defeating Sir Jacob as Mogg-xit.

 What kind of chickens?

Early on in the BBCs coverage, Clive Myrie quizzed Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner about the exit poll results, in which she replied saying she did not want to count the chickens before they are hatched, referring to the election results not having come in yet.

Responding, Myrie asked: You say you are not counting your chickens. What kind of chickens might they be? What kind of chickens would you like to see?

 Trending

Despite the attention on the ballot boxes, Love Island remained the number one trending topic on X, formerly Twitter, an hour after the exit poll was released late on Thursday evening.

The poll predicted Sir Keir was on course for a landslide Labour victory, and he became the Prime Minister on Friday.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

The impact of the war in Gaza saw Labour lose a prominent frontbencher and helped Jeremy Corbyn beat the party he once led, even as it secured a landslide victory.

Leader Sir Keir Starmer was also heckled with shouts of "Free Palestine" at a polling station in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency and at his election count.

In the end, several Labour candidates lost to independents campaigning on a pro-Palestine platform, while Wes Streeting, set to become health secretary, had his majority slashed.

Most high-profile among those ousted from parliament was the Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth, who was unseated in Leicester South just hours before he had been expected to enter the cabinet.

He was defeated by Shockat Adam, who accused Mr Ashworth of refusing to vote for a ceasefire to end the bloodshed in Gaza, resulting in the needless deaths of thousands of innocent civilians".

Jeremy Corbyn beat the party he used to lead ( EPA )

Independents also beat Labour candidates in Dewsbury and Batley and in Blackburn and unseated long-standing Labour MP Khalid Mahmood in Birmingham.

New Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain said in a statement to voters: "I promise to make your concerns against the injustice being inflicted against the people of Gaza be heard in the places where our so-called representatives failed."

Corbynite Labour MP Zarah Sultana said it no surprise the party has clearly lost support in parts of the country because of its position on the war.

Earlier this year Sir Keir changed his partys position on the war, to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, followig immense pressure from supporters and some of his own MPs.

The party also faced setbacks in the local elections in some previously safe Labour areas, particularly those with large Muslim populations.

In its manifesto, Labour also committed to recognising a Palestinian state.

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press All rights reserved )

But the impact of the war helped former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pull off a shock victory in his long-held seat of Islington North in London.

He beat his Labour rival by more than 7,000 votes, bucking opinion polls which suggested he would lose.

The long-time outspoken pro-Palestine MP demanded an end to the occupation of Palestinian Territories as part of his campaign.

But there was good news for Labours Paul Waugh who won Rochdale from Mr Galloway, just months after his shock by-election victory.

In February Mr Galloway, also a former Labour MP, swept to victory in Rochdale in February with almost 40 per cent of the vote, on a pro-Palestine ticket.

In Birmingham, Labours Jess Phillips also narrowly held her seat, winning 300 votes more than Jody McIntyre from George Galloways Workers Party.

In another blow for Labour a row over its candidate helped Iain Duncan Smith hold his seat ( BBC )

Elsewhere, Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith on in Chingford and Woodford Green, a seat Labour had been tipped to take.

Independent candidate Faiza Shaheen, dropped by Labour just weeks before the vote, blamed Labour letting the Tory grandee return, saying it had split the vote.

She was dropped by Labour after liking a series of posts on social media platform X that allegedly downplayed antisemitism allegations.

She wrote on X: "Our vote was a combination of those appalled by how I was treated, those who took issue with having an imposed candidate who didn't know us, those who were never going to vote Labour after Starmer's stance on Gaza, and those that have never voted before.

"Labour split the vote the moment they deselected me."

Labour also lost a frontbencher as the Greens took their number of MPs in Westminster from one to four, the most in the party's history.

Green co-leader Carla Denyer beat Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol, while Adrian Ramsay won in Bristol Central and Waveney Valley while Ellie Chowns was elected in Herefordshire North.

The party also successfully defended its only seat before this election - Brighton Pavilion, which they had held with former MP Caroline Lucas since 2010.

The areas new MP Sian Berry said: "We set our sights really high in this election and we've achieved everything that we set out to do.

"That feels incredibly good. It shows that there's people out there really, really ready and crying out for our message.

"We've got a change of Government but that doesn't change very much unless we can get some of the ideas in our manifesto into Labour's programme. That's what we're working on."
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 }}

Results are coming in from constituencies across the country as the general election exit poll shows the Labour Party is on course for one of the biggest Commons majorities in history.

Sir Keir Starmers party is expected to win 410 seats while Rishi Sunaks Conservatives are set to fall to 131 seats, down from 365 five years ago when Boris Johnson secured a 80-seat majority.

As politicians and journalists react feverishly to the shock result, election fever has once again proven to be highly contagious and there have been a series of funny and awkward moments as MPs clash on TV and Tories face difficult questions.

Follow our blog for live updates

Here, The Independent looks at the funniest moments from the election night coverage.

Clive Myries chicken chat

'I'm not counting my chickens' says Angela Rayner as exit poll released

In a bizarre exchange, BBC presenter Clive Myrie asked deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner what kind of chickens she is counting as she reacted to the exit poll.

"I'm not counting my chickens until we've got those results coming in," Ms Rayner said.

Mr Myrie replied: Angela Rayner, Clive Myrie here, you say you're not counting your chickens, what kind of chickens might they be? What kind of chickens would you like to see in a future job description in a Kier Starmer government?

Nadine Dorries and Alastair Campbell clash over Boris Johnson

'Tell the truth Alastair': Nadine Dorries and Alastair Campbell clash following exit poll

Nadine Dorries, the former culture minister, branded Alastair Campbell "sexist" after he told her she needs to get over Boris Johnson.

The fiery clash began when the panel were discussing who was responsible for the Conservative Partys historic defeat.

Ms Dorries responded: Actually I find that to be quite a sexist comment!

Mr Campbell replied: It really isnt, you seem to think Boris Johnson is still an electoral asset. Rishi Sunak wheeling him out on the eve of the election was one of his many mistakes.

Steve Baker learns live on air that he has 1% chance of winning vote

Steve Baker smiles while told he has 1% chance of winning vote

Steve Baker was told live on air that he has only a 1 per cent chance of winning his seat.

The Northern Ireland minister has been the MP for Wycombe since 2010, but the exit poll has predicted that he will lose his seat.

Mr Baker was told by the BBC that his chances of holding on were near impossible, as he was sitting in the London studio live as the exit poll emerged.

Exit poll met with questionable noises on Sky News

Exit poll met with questionable noises on Sky News

As the exit poll came in on Sky News, the opening scenes were met with some strange noises.

Kay Burley along with the Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham made sounds of shock and awe as the poll indicated that Keir Starmers Labour Party was forecast a landslide.

Wes Streetings extended nautical metaphor

Was this Wes Streetings longest political metaphor yet?

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting fumbled his words as he made a point about how Keir Starmer has reformed the Labour Party, making it ship-shape.

The blunder happened soon after the exit poll showed Labour was on course for one of the biggest Commons majorities in history.

He told the BBC: The only reason we have sails on the ship, and the ship is ship shape, is because Keir Starmer took the vessel from a shipwreck in 2019 and made it ship shape and seaworthy.
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 }}

Sir Keir Starmer is poised to complete one of the most remarkable turnarounds in British political history as the exit poll indicates a huge Labour victory that will sweep him into Downing Street with a majority of 170.

As polling stations closed at 10pm, the exit poll predicted that Labour will win 410 seats, the Tories 131, the Lib Dems 61, Reform 13 and the SNP 10.

Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, and Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, have become the first two senior Labour figures to be returned to parliament, winning in Leeds West and Pudsey and Sunderland South respectively.

Lee Anderson, meanwhile, has become Reform UKs first elected MP, retaining his Ashfield seat.

It is a stunning reversal in fortunes since the Tories won an 80-seat majority under Boris Johnson just under five years ago, in what was also Labours worst election result since 1935.

Follow our liveblog here for seat-by-seat updates as they come in

The 131 seats projected for the Tories would represent a record low in their 346-year history, beating the previous 156 in 1906.

If the exit poll is correct, several senior Tories are in serious danger of losing their seats.

According to the BBC, chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, defence secretary Grant Shapps, ex-business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and ex-Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith are among those at most risk.

Sir Jacob said: The Conservative Party took its core voters for granted and that is why people have gone over to Reform.

Former cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom argued that the loss of votes to Reform showed that the Conservative Party hasnt been conservative enough.

Minister Steve Baker, who is also expected to lose his seat, told the BBC: I think this is an extremely difficult time for the Conservative Party.

He said that Mr Sunak would do what is right for the country.

If the exit poll is proved right, Nigel Farage is set to be a big winner, taking his Reform UK party to 13 seats at its first attempt.

His last-minute decision to stand in Clacton appears to have been fully vindicated and has propelled his party into parliament, ending his own run of seven defeats in attempts to get elected.

After the first two declarations, Farage put out a video saying: What does it mean? We are going to win many, many seats across the country.

Meanwhile, the SNPs support appears to have collapsed in Scotland, with the projected 10 seats representing a loss of 35 seats.

The SNP will have lost out to the Labour Party surge, which Lord Mandelson told the BBC was much bigger than Tony Blairs victory in 1997.

He pointed out that when the now Sir Tony won, the party had been slowly on an upward trajectory in 1987 and 1992, but this victory will have come after a near collapse under Jeremy Corbyn in 2019.

Sir Keirs final message to voters linked to his decision to throw out his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn.

He said: Ive changed the Labour Party. If you put your trust in me by voting Labour, I will change the country.

Pat McFadden, Labours national campaign coordinator, commenting as the polls closed, said: Keir Starmers transformation of the Labour Party has been remarkable. He has put country before party and has transformed Labour from a party focused on itself to one back in the service of the British public. We have campaigned as a changed Labour Party, ready to change Britain.

The Independents front page on Friday splashes on Labours forecast landslide ( The Independent )

Its going to be a long night, and it will be several hours until we know the full picture of results. Labour will need a swing bigger than Tony Blair achieved in 1997 to achieve a majority of just one seat.

But after millions defied predictions of massive voter apathy and went out to vote, the British people have delivered a devastating verdict on the Tory government over the last five years.

With three different prime ministers, rows over Brexit, the Partygate scandal, Liz Trusss disastrous mini-Budget and years of civil war and internal bickering, the Conservatives 14-year period in government has come to a crushing end.

The exit poll suggests that the prime minister himself could be one of several senior Tories nervously awaiting results tonight, with their seats under serious threat.

If there are more than seven cabinet casualties, it will be a new record. Other records which could be broken are the all-time lowest number of Tory seats of 156 in 1906 and Tony Blairs 1997 majority of 179.

How it began: Rishi Sunak calls the election in the middle of a rain storm on 22 May ( PA Wire )

Mr Sunak, who announced the snap election in the rain while being heckled with D:Reams Things Can Only Get Better, has insisted that he is proud of his election campaign despite many claiming it has been one of the worst in history.

Warnings of a Labour supermajority and claims of a 2,000 tax hike for each home  disowned by the Treasury  were designed to scare Tory voters planning to stay at home or support Mr Farages Reform UK.

But the tactics seemed to have failed despite a better-than-expected turnout reported up and down the country, with the good weather contributing to people going to the polls and queuing to vote.

Sources have already told The Independent that the high turnout is mainly because people want to punish the Conservatives and there are predictions of a wipeout result which could leave the Tories on fewer than 100 seats.

Keir Starmers next meeting with the King will be to be appointed prime minister ( AP )

Mr Sunaks decision to leave the D-Day commemorations early during the campaign and the gambling scandal involving members of his inner circle have all meant he has struggled to close the gap with Labour.

Ahead of polling day, he had told supporters that he would fight to the end and was used to being an underdog.

But his final throw of the dice, bringing back disgraced former prime minister Boris Johnson to a campaign rally, appears to have failed to turn around his partys fortunes with scores of MPs set to lose their seats after 75 Tories already said they would not stand.

Nigel Farage decision to stand for election, despite initially ruling himself out, has had a devastating impact on the Tory vote ( Reuters )

Mr Farage, who has pushed hard on immigration and Mr Sunaks failure to stop the small boats in the Channel, appealed to voters to vote with your heart, vote for Reform.

Earlier in the day he mocked Mr Sunak: Time to hit the panic button.
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 }}

The historic landslide for Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party may be the headline of this general election but the results also highlight a dramatic shift in the UKs wider political landscape.

While 2019s general election was largely a story of two parties, Thursdays national ballot led to historic gains for the Lib Dems, the Greens and Nigel Farages Reform UK, with victories by pro-Gaza independent candidates, among them ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn  dealing blows to some of Westminsters most prominent MPs.

Meanwhile, the SNPs longstanding hegemony in Scotland collapsed, and with it any remaining prospect of independence in the near future, as Scottish Labours fortunes finally turned after a long period in the political wilderness.

That red surge north of the border helped in part to prop up Labours falling vote share elsewhere, as anger over Sir Keirs stance on the war in Gaza, dissatisfaction over immigration and anti-Tory tactical voting led to four parties picking up double-digit shares of the overall vote.

Here The Independent takes a look at how each of the smaller parties has fared:

Lib Dems

Following a successful - if often bombastic - campaign, Sir Ed Daveys party picked up 71 seats to return as the third-largest party in Westminster.

It is higher than any number in the partys modern history, surpassing the 62 seats secured in 2005. Casting back further to its roots as the Liberal party, Sir Ed celebrated Thursday nights exit poll, saying his party was on course for its best results in a century.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey danced to Sweet Caroline at the London Art Bar, after securing a record number of seats ( James Manning/PA )

The party secured a massive notional swing of 31 per cent in Chichester to unseat education secretary Gillian Keegan and deny the Tories a foothold in the West Sussex city for the first time in a century, while narrowly missing out on making history by ousting chancellor Jeremy Hunt by a margin of 900 votes.

The party also won in the seats of three former Tory prime ministers: David Camerons former constituency of Witney, Maidenhead which was held by Theresa May, and Boris Johnsons former seat of Henley.

Reform UK

Set on a warpath by Nigel Farage to hammer the Tory vote share, Reform UK surpassed many pollsters predictions to seize five seats  and coming second in many more.

Tory defector Lee Anderson was the first to retain his Ashfield seat, before Mr Farage finally entered parliament on his eighth attempt, via Clacton. He was followed by ousted party leader Richard Tice in Boston and Skegness, and former Brexit Party MEP Richard Lowe in Great Yarmouth.

After a recount in the Basildon South and East Thurrock constituency, James McMurdock won the seat with a majority of just 98 votes.

A triumphant Mr Farage boasted that this is the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party, and claimed his anti-immigration party was coming for Labour next.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage at Clacton Leisure Centre as he was declared the winner of the Clacton constituency ( Joe Giddens/PA )

Green Party

The Green Party enjoyed its most successful election in history, winning a record four seats with close to two million votes nationally.

With former co-leader Sian Berry holding Brighton Pavilion, her successors Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay also secured seats, respectively defeating Labour frontbencher Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central and seizing 41 per cent of the vote in Waveney Valley.

Green candidate Ellie Chowns also delivered what the party labelled one of the biggest electoral upsets in British political history as she defeated Tory Bill Wiggin in North Herefordshire, where he won 62 per cent of the vote just five years earlier.

Co-leader Carla Denyer is among four new Green Party MPs ( Jonathan Brady/PA )

SNP

Hampered by controversy and two leadership changes, the SNPs fortunes were less rosy, with John Swinneys party reduced from 48 MPs to just nine.

Reflecting upon what he conceded was a very poor performance, Mr Swinney  who stepped in as first minister following the resignations of Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon  pledged a period of soul-searching for the party.

Scottish First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney reflects on a poor showing for his party ( Jane Barlow/PA )

Sinn Fein

Matching its 2019 result of seven seats, Sinn Fein became Northern Irelands largest Westminster party for the first time on Friday after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) suffered a challenging night, losing three seats.

The greatest upset came in North Antrim, where Ian Paisley was defeated by Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister, who won by 450 votes. The DUP also lost former leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldsons Lagan Valley seat to the Alliance Partys Sorcha Eastwood.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill arrives to cast her vote at St Patricks Primary School in Coalisland ( Niall Carson/PA )

Independents

In a blow to his successor, ousted former leader Jeremy Corbyn held the Islington North seat he has represented since 1983, beating his Labour opponent by more than 7,000 votes.

And in another tussle initiated by Sir Keirs uncompromising stewardship of the Labour Party, recently deselected Labour candidate Faiza Shaheens battle with replacement Shama Tatler handed former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith a victory in Chingford and Woodford Green.

Reflecting anger in the Muslim community over Sir Keirs stance over the war in Gaza, a number of other Independent candidates caused a headache for prominent Labour figures, claiming multiple scalps.

Notably, Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth suffered a surprise defeat in Leicester South to pro-Palestine Independent Shockat Adam. In Blackburn, a seat held by Labour since it was formed in 1955, Independent Adnan Hussain overturned Labours 18,000-plus majority in a historic victory, telling voters: This is for Gaza.

Jess Phillips narrowly held on in Birmingham Yardley, beating Workers Party candidate Jody McIntyre by fewer than 700 votes, as shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was just 500 votes away from losing his seat to British Palestinian Independent Leanne Mohamad.

Jeremy Corbyn was re-selected in Islington North ( EPA )

Workers Party of Britain

Despite much aplomb, George Galloways party failed to secure a single seat in the general election  with the seven-time MP losing the Rochdale constituency he had held briefly since Februarys by-election.

Losing to Labours Paul Waugh, a former political journalist, Mr Galloway  who stood on a platform dominated by his longstanding support for Gaza  was not at the count in Rochdale Leisure Centre when his defeat was announced.

Others

Plaid Cymru won four seats in Wales, where the Conservatives were wiped out; and the Social Democratic and Labour Party retained its two seats in Northern Ireland.
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 phoned Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on winning a historic general election landslide, with the Tories on course for their worst defeat in history.

The prime minister, having flown down from Yorkshire in the early hours of Friday morning, will have to vacate Downing Street to let Sir Keir Starmer move in and get to work.

As the final ballots across the country are counted, The Independent runs you through what happens on Friday as power changes hands.

Downing Street departures

On Friday morning, Mr Sunak and his family will pack up in preparation to take their belongings from 10 Downing Street back to their house in west London.

Rishi Sunak arrived at Conservative Party headquarters on Friday morning ( REUTERS )

As the removal team get to work, the prime minister will give a brief resignation speech at around 10.40am outside Downing Street, in the same spot the soaked Mr Sunak called the snap election just over six weeks ago.

Mr Sunak will then be driven to Buckingham Palace to see the King and officially hand in his resignation.

The outgoing chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, will also have to move out of his grace and favour home at 11 Downing Street.

Sir Keir Starmers arrival

When Mr Sunak has held his audience with Charles III, Sir Keir will go to see him next and officially be appointed prime minister.

The Labour leader will then be driven to Downing Street, where he said he will live with his family now he has won the election.

He will also have a removal van in action, primed to bring his own belongings from his north London townhouse to No10.

He will give a speech in front of the infamous black door at around 12.25pm, setting out his agenda for government.

Appointing the cabinet

Key roles in Sir Keirs government appear nailed on, and ministers in the Department of Health, Home Office, Department of Education and others will likely be officially appointed by the end of the day, with announcements expected as early as 2.00pm.

They will be welcomed to their respective departments by cheering civil servants and Sir Keir has made it clear they are expected to immediately get to work.

With two frontbenchers - shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire and shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth -having lost their seats, Sir Keir will have to decide who will make up the rest of his ministerial team.

The key roles are expected to be announced by 5.00pm on Saturday - so as not to clash with the kick-off of Englands quarter final Euros match against Switzerland.

Smaller roles will be announced on Sunday, with the government ready to get up and running by Monday.

Forming the opposition

Mr Sunak will almost certainly announce his resignation as leader of the Conservartive party, or face a leadership challenge if he does not.

He will likely stay in place to steady the ship while a successor is chosen, remaining leader of the opposition until then.

Several of Mr Sunaks potential successors lost their seats, but hopefuls including Suella Braverman, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat held on.

The leadership contest will be a battle for the soul of the Conservative Party, with figures such as Jacob Rees-Mogg, who lost his seat, calling for the party to shift rightwards, while moderates including Sir Robert Buckland, who also lost his seat, warning against a lurch to the right.
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 }}

George Galloway has lost the Rochdale constituency just months after he won it.

The leader of the Workers Party of Britain received 11,508 votes, behind Labours Paul Waugh who won the seat with 13,047 votes.

On the BBC election programme Neil Kinnock, the former Labour leader, could scarcely contain his glee.

He described Mr Galloway as repulsive  but said when he was leading the party, he could not find a reason to throw him out.

The Workers Party leader did not turn up to the count in Rochdale, a seat he has only held for four months.

Follow our election liveblog here

The Workers Party leader did not turn up to the count in Rochdale ( BBC )

Mr Galloway thanked those in the constituency who gave me 54 sitting days in the last parliament as their MP.

He took to X following the defeat, writing: I thank the people of Rochdale who gave me 54 sitting days in the last parliament as their MP.

Big thanks to my agent, my campaign team and the thousands who voted for me today.

We took the government party to within 1,500 votes and serve notice on Labour that we are here to stay in Rochdale.

We will field a full slate of council candidates, establish a full-time office there, campaign to re-open the maternity ward and A&E, and keep up the pressure on Labour in the town.

Mr Galloway won the seat in a February by-election, overturning a Labour majority of 9,668.

The former Labour and Respect party MP, has held four different seats in parliament since 1987.

George Galloway was elected to the seat in a by-election in February ( PA Wire )

The political firebrand was first Labour MP for Glasgow Hillhead from 1987, and after that constituency was abolished before the 1997 election, he became Labour MP for its successor, Glasgow Kelvin.

He was expelled from the Labour party in 2003 for bringing the party into disrepute, after he called the then Labour Government Tony Blairs lie machine, and said British troops fighting in Iraq should refuse to obey their orders.

In 2006 he appeared in the fourth series of Celebrity Big Brother, becoming notorious for a bizarre impersonation of actress Rula Lenskas pet cat. He lasted three weeks before he was evicted.

In the February by-election Mr Galloway took almost 40 per cent of the vote and a majority of almost 5,700.

During the general election campaign, Mr Galloway came under fire for saying he trusts Vladimir Putin more than Keir Starmer. He faced criticism earlier this year for blatant homophobia after saying he doesnt think that gay relationships are equal to heterosexual relationships.

He has also repeatedly been accused of spreading conspiracy theories, including recently speculating that the Princess of Wales was dead and that the April 2022 Russian massacre of civilians in Bucha, just north of Kyiv, was likely staged.

In the February by-election Mr Galloway took almost 40 per cent of the vote and a majority of almost 5,700 ( PA Wire )

He has long been an ardent supporter of the Palestinian people and staunch critic of Israel, calling for the dismantling of the Zionist state.

But he has also been accused of antisemitism, including when he was sacked by TalkRadio in 2019 for congratulating Liverpool FC over beating Tottenham Hotspur FC in the Champions League final by tweeting No Israel flags on the Cup!

The Workers Party of Britain was founded by Mr Galloway in 2019 in response to Jeremy Corbyns defeat in the general election of that year.

Mr Galloway has also done and said things which would have spelled the end of other politicians careers, including being vilified in the press for meeting Saddam Hussein.

The ex-MP was criticised in 2012 for appearing to state that having sex with an unconscious woman would be bad sexual etiquette but not rape.

Full results:

Paul Waugh, Labour  13,027 (32.82%)

George Galloway, Workers Party of Britain  11,587 (29.20%)

Michael Howard, Reform  6,773 (17.07%)

Paul Ellison, Conservative  4,273 (10.77%)

Andy Kelly, Liberal Democrat  2,816 (7.10%)

Martyn Savin, Green  1,212 (3.05%)

Labour majority  1,440 (3.63%)

Electorate 71,264

Turnout 39,688 (55.69%)
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 }}

A record-breaking 11 cabinet ministers have lost their seats as Rishi Sunaks government faced a general election bloodbath.

Johnny Mercer, Grant Shapps, Gillian Keegan, Lucy Frazer, Penny Mordaunt, Michelle Donelan, Alex Chalk, David TC Davies, Victoria Prentis, Mark Harper and Simon Hart are among the Tory big beasts who have fallen as Labour claimed a dramatic victory.

Others who had been under threat, including chancellor Jeremy Hunt, business secretary Kemi Badenoch and home secretary James Cleverly, clung on despite challenges in their seats. Rishi Sunak had a scare in his seat too, going there to campaign eight times, but he won easily in the end taking almost half the vote.

Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.

Penny Mordaunt was among the high profile figures to lose their seats ( Sky )

Another big beast to go was Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg in North East Somerset but former home secretary Suella Braverman held off a challenge.

Defence secretary Mr Shapps has lost to Labour in Welwyn Hatfield while leader of the Commons Ms Mordaunt was defeated in Portsmouth North by the party. Veterans minister Johnny Mercer has been defeated by Labour in Plymouth Moor View.

Justice secretary Mr Chalk was defeated in Cheltenham to Liberal Democrat candidate Max Wilkinson and education secretary Ms Keegan has also been beaten heavily by the Liberal Democrats in Chichester. Ms Frazer, the culture secretary, loset her Ely and East Cambridgeshire seat to the Liberal Democrats. And Ms Donelan, the science secretary, lost her Melksham & Devizes seat to the Lib Dems.

The Tories lost all their MPs in Wales after it was confirmed Welsh secretary David TC Davies lost his seat in Monmouthshire to Labour. And Mr Hart came third in the Caerfyrddin constituency, with Plaid Cymru's Ann Davies taking top spot. Becoming the 11th cabinet minister to be ousted, transport secretary Mr Harper was defeated by Labour in the Forest of Dean.

Grant Shapps was one of the first big beasts to fall ( James Shaw/Shutterstock )

In his concession speech, Mr Shapps hit out at the Conservative indulgence that appears to have cost them the election, saying voters do not back divided parties. And in her own concession speech, Ms Mordaunt said the party had taken a battering.

While a key figure in the Tory party for decades, having been appointed vice-chairman in 2005, it was after the 2019 election win that Mr Shapps became higher-profile in Government.

He has held five Cabinet positions since then  from the roles of transport secretary and home secretary to energy security secretary as well as business secretary, and most recently defence secretary.

After a short-lived Tory leadership bid in 2022, Mr Shapps became a major backer of Liz Trusss rival Rishi Sunak in that contest.

Jacob Rees-Mogg lost his North Somerset seat to Labour ( Jonathan Brady/PA Wire )

Mr Shapps is said to have recorded Tory colleagues doubts about Ms Truss in a running spreadsheet, wielded on a pricey foldable smartphone.

He oversaw the transport department during the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing airport chaos as travel resumed, and faced criticism for failing to engage with unions over industrial action.

The exit poll put Sir Keir Starmer on course to complete one of the most remarkable turnarounds in British political history forecasting a huge Labour victory that will sweep him into Downing Street with a majority of 170.

As polling stations closed at 10pm, the exit poll predicted that Labour will win 410 seats, the Tories 131, the Lib Dems 61, Reform 13 and the SNP 10. Outside the cabinet, Tory former deputy prime minister Dame Therese Coffey has been defeated by Labour in Suffolk Coastal. And, in a major upset, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross lost his seat to the SNP by just under 1,000 votes.

Mr Shapps, who has lost to Labour in Welwyn Hatfield, said it was clear tonight that Britain will have a new government in the morning.

Gillian Keegan has also been shown the door by the electorate ( Sky )

He added: What is crystal clear to me tonight, is that it is not so much that Labour won this election, but that the Conservatives have lost it.

Door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and then be united in public.

Instead, we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly entrenched.

Today, voters have simply said, if you cant agree with each other, we cant agree to vote for you.

We forgot a fundamental rule of politics, that people do not vote for divided parties.

In a stunning upset, Ms Keegan secured only 13,368 votes, with Lib Dem candidate Jess Brown-Fuller on 25,514. And Ms Mordaunt, who was a frontrunner for the Tory leadership after the election, was beaten by around 1,000 votes by her Labour rival. She won 13,715 votes, while Labours Amanda Martin won 14,495.

In a concession speech during which she was on the brink of tears, Ms Mordaunt said: Tonight, the Conservative Party has taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it.

You can speak all you like of security and freedom, but you cant have either if you are afraid, afraid about the cost of living or accessing healthcare, or whether the responsibility you shoulder will be recognised and rewarded, that fear steals the future and it only makes the present matter, and that is why we lost.
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 }}

Flamboyant hats worn by returning officers during the General Election count have stolen the show for many.

The brave headwear been described by those on social media as magnificent and better than the candidates themselves.

Annie Brewster, the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, took to the podium in the aptly named Welwyn Hatfield to declare Defence Secretary Grant Shapps had lost his seat to Labour while wearing a wide-brimmed hat topped with feathers.

Late-night election count watchers on X, formerly Twitter, said her headwear was magnificent, with some feeling it was better than Mr Shapps himself.

X user John wrote: Grant Shapps loses to Labour  another MINISTER bites the dust  the SIXTH so far.

Actually he could have been beaten by that returning officers hat. That was magnificent.

Another user echoed the sentiment.

Others suggested that Mr Shapps may have wished he could have been behind the large hat following the announcement of the loss of his seat which he has held since 2005.

I bet Shapps wishes he was the one directly behind that hat, one X user wrote.

Mark Mitchener also joked on X about whether the hat would be returned to nearby Whipsnade Zoo, or released back into the wild?.

Another returning officer, Lucia Bridgeman, the High Sheriff of Northumberland, who announced the results in the Blyth and Ashington constituency, also took social media by storm with her headwear.

Ms Bridgeman wore a large brimmed hat adorned with feathers, complete with a matching ruffled white collar.

X user Seamus Ryan dubbed the Northumberland constituency as one where they appreciate that all governmental power emanates from having a funky hat.

Others suggested they were keen to know where the returning officer had purchased her garments, saying they were brilliant.

Meanwhile, X user Kieren Rees suggested Ms Bridgemans headwear was the best he had seen all night.

Away from the hats, Sir Keir Starmer will be the UKs next prime minister after Rishi Sunak admitted defeat in the face of a Labour landslide.

The Prime Minister said voters had delivered a sobering verdict on his party after 14 years in power.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said people around the country had declared they were ready for change.
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 }}

Arch-Brexiteer Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has lost his North East Somerset seat, becoming one of more than half a dozen Tory big beasts to fail in their re-election bids.

The former minister for Brexit opportunities lost to Labours Dan Norris, who won with 20,739 votes. Sir Jacob took 15,420, while Reform UK took 7,424, the Liberal Democrats 3,878, and the Greens 3,222.

Sir Jacob, who was knighted last year, is among a number of senior Conservatives to have lost their seats, including Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt, and Johnny Mercer.

Follow live updates on the general election here

Jacob Rees-Mogg was beaten by some 5,000 votes ( PA )

Sir Jacob congratulated Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on what seems to be a historic victory.

Speaking at the University of Bath after the result was declared, Sir Jacob said: May I begin by giving my warmest congratulations to Dan Norris, who has been a servant of North East Somerset  or Wansdyke as it then was  before, and I am sure will be a devoted constituency MP in the future.

And congratulate Sir Keir Starmer, who has led his party to what seems to be a historic victory. And this is the great virtue of our democracy, so I congratulate both of them.

( Getty Images )

Sir Jacob then thanked his agent, campaign director and constituency staff, who he said had worked so hard over the last 14 years.

He said: And one final thought, from Caractacus Potts, and that is From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success. So thank you very much, everybody, and good night.

Dan Norris, the new MP for the North East Somerset and Hanham constituency, said he had got Mogg-xit done after defeating Sir Jacob.

He said: Its a great honour to serve the people of Keynsham, North East Somerset, Hanham and surrounding areas. This is my home. Im deeply proud of all our communities and want our part of the world to be the best it can be.

The former MP speaks to his son Peter after losing his seat ( PA )

Keir Starmer changed the Labour Party, and he will now change the country for the better. This is a victory for integrity: no more one more rule for them, another for everyone else.

Its a victory for stability: never forget the economic chaos for which the British people are still paying the price. Now lets get to work.

Sir Jacob was all smiles as he arrived at the count at Bath University at 2.30am, dressed in a dark suit with a blue rosette pinned to his lapel.

He was accompanied by his son, Peter, also dressed in a suit, and his wife Helena, as he walked through to the count area.

He arrived carrying a bag of sandwiches, which he said included ham and tongue, and said he was extremely well.

He was asked about the state of the Conservative Party, and replied: Aha. Thats a very good question.

Sir Jacob then greeted photographers and camera crews, saying: What a reception party. Anyone would think theres an election on.

Rees-Mogg listens to the results of the count for his North East Somerset and Hanham seat alongside other candidates ( PA )

The dramatic result came just days after the divisive Sir Jacob said he wanted to build a wall in the middle of the English Channel and questioned the mental acuity of US president Joe Biden.

Sir Jacob told young Tory activists that he would vote for former US president Donald Trump if he could, and that Mr Trump had been right in his quest to build a wall along the border with Mexico.

In a leaked recording obtained by The Guardian, he said: If I were American, Id want the border closed, Id be all in favour of building a wall. Id want to build a wall in the middle of the English Channel.

Sir Jacob started his career working for a hedge fund in the City before unsuccessfully standing in the 1997 and 2001 elections. However, he was victorious in 2010 and held the North East Somerset seat until now.

The former minister quickly garnered a reputation as a rebel by voting against legislation proposed by David Cameron, and became well known for some of his more unusual behaviour, such as going canvassing with his familys nanny.

He campaigned for Britain to leave the EU in the Brexit referendum in 2016, and is a known ally of Boris Johnson, who appointed him leader of the House of Commons in 2019.

As well as being an MP, Sir Jacob has previously hosted a show on GB News.

Broadcasting regulatory body Ofcom found that two episodes of his show had violated impartiality rules by way of his acting as a newsreader while being a serving politician.

Sir Jacob was judged by Ofcom to have breached the broadcasting rules as he provided an update about the fatal stabbings in Nottingham on 13 June, the same day as they took place.

The watchdog said this meant he had presented a news story directly to viewers, after the programme received five complaints.

Defending himself against the ruling, Sir Jacob told Times Radio: It is a barmy decision from Ofcom. I was talking about a stabbing  how can there be due impartiality? We know stabbing is bad. Would they get the stabber on there to argue why it wasnt bad? It is an eccentric decision.

He has also been a regular critic of green policies and has called for them to be scrapped.

What works is getting rid of unpopular, expensive green policies, and that is a real opportunity for us, he told GB News.

Join our free virtual event examining the rise of Reform and Labours landslide victory
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 }}

World leaders have been quick to congratulate their friend Sir Keir Starmer on his huge General Election victory.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among the first to share a message as he said he hopes to build a progressive, fair future with the Labour leader  who he described as my friend.

Congratulations, (Sir Keir), on a historic U.K. election victory, Mr Trudeau posted to X.

Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Lets get to it, my friend.

A key issue Sir Keir will face in the early days of his premiership will be the war in Gaza, and Israeli president Isaac Herzog said he looked forward to working together to bringing home hostages taken by Hamas.

I send my warmest congratulations to (Sir Keir), Mr Herzog posted to X.

As he prepares to enter Downing Street as Prime Minister, I look forward to working together with him and his new government to bring our hostages home, to build a better future for the region, and to deepen the close friendship between Israel and the United Kingdom.

Mr Herzog also expressed his deepest appreciation and gratitude to outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his leadership and for standing with the Israeli people especially during this most difficult period.

Eight years since the Brexit vote, European Council president Charles Michel declared Sir Keirs election would mark a new cycle for the UK as he looked forward to working together on common challenges.

Congratulations @Keir_Starmer on a historic election victory in the UK, Mr Michel posted to X.

(The European Union and UK) are crucial partners, cooperating in all areas of mutual interest for our citizens.

I look forward to working with you and your government in this new cycle for the UK.

See you soon in the European Political Community meeting on 18 July in the UK where we will discuss common challenges, including stability, security, energy and migration.

Sir Keir will also be scrutinised over his approach to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, and Kaja Kallas, the prime minister of Russian neighbour Estonia, shared a message highlighting common security.

Congratulations on your historic election victory, (Sir Keir), Ms Kallas posted to X.

Estonia and the UK are the strongest of allies and the closest of friends. The UKs commitment to our common security is valued by every Estonian.

Im sure our excellent cooperation will only continue to thrive.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks to supporters at a watch party for the results of the 2024 General Election in central London ( Jeff Moore/PA Wire )

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said he is looking forward to working constructively with Sir Keir, describing him as his friend.

Congratulations to my friend and new UK Prime Minister (Sir Keir) on his resounding election victory  I look forward to working constructively with the incoming (Labour) Government, he posted to X.
Labour may have stormed to power in a landslide, but Sir Keir Starmer will have no time to celebrate his victory.

The first few days and weeks as prime minister will be a whirlwind that, in hindsight, will make the tough job as leader of the opposition look easy.

Aside from the huge economic problems facing Britain and the growing possibility of having to work with Donald Trump in the White House, he faces other difficulties.

Labour has a huge Commons majority, but the party won barely a third of the votes - by contrast, Tony Blairs New Labour secured closer to one in two votes in the 1997 landslide. Starmer will face vocal opposition from Jeremy Corbyn, who was returned to parliament as an independent after Starmer banned from standing for Labour, as well as pressure from four pro-Palestinian independents who beat Labour MPs, including close ally Jonathan Ashworth.

The incoming prime ministers in-tray will be more daunting than usual because of a rotten economic inheritance  in sharp contrast to 1997, when Tony Blair took over with the economy growing, which eventually allowed him to boost spending on public services.

Sir Keirs first big task will be to appoint his cabinet and junior ministers. Most of the top jobs are expected to be filled by those who held them in opposition, but there could be some tweaks.

One headache: the number of ministers who sit in the Commons is limited to 95, but 109 Labour MPs were on the front bench in the last parliament. When the Lords is included, Labour had more opposition frontbenchers (146) than there are paid ministerial posts (109).

Will Sir Keir scale back his team and ask many of them to forsake their ministerial salary? This could be a difficult sell, and disappointed MPs who expected government roles may be inclined to resort to mischief-making - as weve seen under the Tories.

open image in gallery Keir Starmers first few days and weeks as prime minister will be a whirlwind ( Jacob King/PA Wire )

Another dilemma will be whether to appoint as ministers the retreads who have returned to the Commons after time out.

The centre of government, 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office, will likely be restructured to reflect Sir Keirs five missions and ensure more joined-up government across departments. Figures from business may be appointed to mission boards chaired by the PM.

He is likely to create an inner cabinet, or quad, including Angela Rayner, Rachel Reeves and Pat McFadden, with other ministers joining it after their briefs are discussed.

Sir Keir has promised to hit the ground running and start addressing voters concerns on day one.

He will be acutely aware that his huge majority is just one part of the story of this election. Reform UK has made significant gains, particularly in Red Wall seats, and has taken more than 4 million votes. Nigel Farage has made no secret of his plan to supplant the Tories as the main challenger to Labour at the next election; a vow Sir Keir would be foolish to ignore.

This is also an electorate that put Boris Johnson in No 10 with an 80-seat majority less than five years ago. While the Tories actions in office are undoubtedly a huge factor in their downfall, the fact that an election can produce such a different outcome shows this is a volatile electorate, and their votes must not be taken for granted.

But for now his attention will be on the immediate future, and Labour insiders say they have announcements up their sleeve to show momentum, in a first 100 days plan.

They suggest that the big idea will be swift action to streamline planning rules to allow more housebuilding in the green belt, enabling Labour to hit its target to build 1.5 million homes in the five-year parliament.

Other early measures will reflect the incoming prime ministers modest first steps, including plans to cut NHS waiting lists and recruit 6,500 teachers.

Foreign affairs will loom large in the opening days  perhaps larger than Sir Keir might be expecting.

After the traditional phone calls with world leaders, who will be queueing up to congratulate the new PM, he will head to Washington on 9 July for a summit to mark Natos 75th anniversary, to be dominated by the war in Ukraine.

There, Sir Keir will be feted by his fellow leaders, who love a winner. He would be wise to enjoy it while it lasts.

The love-in will no doubt continue as Sir Keir is tasked with hosting a meeting of the 47-strong European Political Community at Blenheim Palace on 18 July.

open image in gallery Keir Starmer shakes hands with French president Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris in September 2023 ( Laurent Blevennec/Presidence de la Republique )

Although it is not an EU institution, the PM is likely to pledge to reset relations and start talking to EU leaders about an ambitious security deal he hopes will extend to economic and border security, and how to reduce post-Brexit trade barriers. He will have to tread carefully, with right-wing rivals ready to pounce on any move they can claim is an undoing of Brexit.

An urgent task will be to finalise the Kings Speech on 17 July, which will set out the governments legislative programme.

Bills will likely include setting up Great British Energy, a publicly owned clean energy firm; taking the rail network back into public ownership when franchises expire; tackling antisocial behaviour; and reforming mental health laws.

A border security command will be created to show that the government is doing something about the small boats when it formally scraps the Tories Rwanda scheme.

Labour will make a start on its plans to enhance workers rights, but will also consult with business on the details. Some measures might be delayed, because legislation that sounds easy in opposition can be difficult to draft.

The economy will be centre stage. Rachel Reeves will be the UKs first female chancellor, and will settle down to plan her first Budget, expected in October. Her big decision after inspecting the nations books? Whether to claim a doctors mandate and raise taxes immediately in the hope of blaming the Tories, or delay any increases in the hope that stronger economic growth makes them unnecessary.

Ms Reeves will also lay the ground for a government-wide spending review, to take effect from next April.

Sir Keir will be keen to demonstrate that he is keeping his promise to return politics to public service after the rule-breaking of the Tory era. He may move quickly to set up an independent ethics commission.

While the new government will probably enjoy a few days of positive headlines, it might not take long for events to blow its first 100 days strategy off course.

open image in gallery The Labour leader and Wes Streeting visit a GPs surgery ( PA )

Ministers will be expected to hold direct talks with the junior doctors in an attempt to end the long-running dispute over their 35 per cent pay claim. Sir Keir has rejected it, but will be keen to avoid the further strikes threatened. However, Whitehall officials are worried about contagion if the British Medical Association wins a generous settlement.

Public sector workers have great expectations after years of restraint, and decisions will be due shortly on pay awards, which could cost the government about 6bn.

Known unknowns that will make incoming ministers nervous include warnings that the prison population might hit its limit of 88,778. Tackling the backlog in the courts, another inherited problem, could add to the pressure on the prisons without an expanded early-release scheme.

One early crisis could be the collapse of Thames Water, which is on a risk register drawn up by Sue Gray, Sir Keirs chief of staff, which has been dubbed Sues s*** list in Labour land.

It is too big to fail, so ministers might have to consider temporary nationalisation to maintain supplies to its 16 million customers.

Despite the parlous state of the public finances, Ms Reeves will face many demands for money. Several universities are believed to be on the brink of going bust.

More local authorities might also run out of money; the Local Government Association says councils will have a 4bn deficit over the next two years. Social care is perennially short of resources, and may need a short-term injection until a fair pay agreement is introduced. So might the NHS.

The first 100 days will include the summer recess, and Sir Keir will have to accept that his team will need a break to catch their breath in August. But the hard work will resume in the first week of September.
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 }}

Britains new prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, promised to rebuild trust in politics and restore hope to the nation after a landslide Labour victory in the general election.

Standing at the door to No 10 Downing Street, Sir Keir said the urgent work for change would start today.

He pledged to put the NHS back on its feet, provide secure borders and safer streets and introduce clean British power to cut energy bills.

He paid tribute to departing prime minister Rishi Sunak, who led the Torys worst election result in the partys history.

After 648 of the 650 Commons seats had been declared after polling, Labour had a majority of 176 with 412 seats.

Newly elected Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer gives a speech at his official London residence at No 10 Downing Street (James Manning/PA) ( PA Wire )

Here is Sir Keirs speech in full:

Good afternoon. I have just returned from Buckingham Palace, where I accepted an invitation from His Majesty the King to form the next government of this great nation.

I want to thank the outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak.

His achievement as the first British-Asian prime minister of our country, the extra effort that that will have required should not be underestimated by anyone.

And we pay tribute to that today. And we also recognise the dedication and hard work he brought to his leadership.

But now our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service.

When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future, that we need to move forward together.

Now, this wound, this lack of trust, can only be healed by actions, not words. I know that.

But we can make a start today, with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege and that your government should treat every single person in this country with respect.

If you voted Labour yesterday, we will carry the responsibility of your trust as we rebuild our country.

But whether you voted Labour or not, in fact, especially if you did not, I say to you directly: My government will serve you.

Politics can be a force for good.

We will show that, weve changed the Labour Party, returned it to service and that is how we will govern, country first, party second.

Yet, if Im honest, service is merely a precondition of hope. And it is surely clear to everyone that our country needs a bigger reset, a rediscovery of who we are.

Because no matter how fierce the storms of history, one of the great strengths of this nation has always been our ability to navigate away to calmer waters.

And yet this depends upon politicians, particularly those who stand for stability and moderation as I do, recognising when we must change course.

For too long now, weve turned a blind eye as millions slid into greater insecurity. Nurses, builders, drivers, carers, people doing the right thing, working harder every day, recognised at moments like this before, yet, as soon as the cameras stopped rolling, their lives are ignored.

I want to say very clearly to those people, not this time.

Changing a country is not like flicking a switch.

The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while.

But have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately. Have no doubt that we will rebuild Britain with wealth created in every community.

Our NHS back on its feet facing the future.

Secure borders, safer streets, everyone treated with dignity and respect at work.

The opportunity of clean British power, cutting your energy bills for good.

And brick by brick we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity.

The world class schools and colleges, the affordable homes that I know are the ingredients of hope for working people.

The security that working class families like mine could build their lives around.

Because, if I asked you now whether you believe that Britain will be better for your children, I know too many of you would say no.

And so my Government will fight every day until you believe again.

From now on, you have a Government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by the determination to serve your interest, to defy, quietly, those who have written our country off.

You have given us a clear mandate and we will use it to deliver change, to restore service and respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives and unite our country.

Four nations standing together again, facing down as we have so often in our past, the challenges of an insecure world, committed to a calm and patient rebuilding.

So with respect and humility, I invite you all to join this Government of service in the mission of national renewal.

Our work is urgent and we begin it today.

Thank you very much.
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 }}

Keir Starmer pledged change begins now as he addressed jubilant activists celebrating a landslide election victory.

Twenty-seven years and two months after Tony Blairs 1997 new dawn speech, the Labour leader said Britain was experiencing the sunlight of hope and could now get its future back.

We did it, he told supporters. You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it, and now it has arrived - change begins now.

His speech, at the Tate Modern art gallery on Londons south bank, came shortly after Rishi Sunak publicly conceded the election at his constituency count in North Yorkshire.

It feels good, I have to be honest, Sir Keir said. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party, this is what it is for - a changed Labour party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

And across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relief that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

And now we can look forward, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again, on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.

Keir Starmer embraces his wife, Victoria ( Jeff Moore/PA Wire )

At his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Richmond and Northallerton, Mr Sunak said he had called Sir Keir to congratulate him on his victory.

The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn... and I take responsibility for the loss, Mr Sunak said.

However, the night was not without its disappointments for Labour as shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth, who played a prominent role in the partys media campaign, lost his seat to an independent.

Many other Labour MPs, including Jess Philips, saw their majorities slashed as voters sought to punish the party over its stance on Gaza, or turned to Reform UK.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party is set to win 410 seats in parliament, just shy of Tony Blairs 418-seat landslide nearly 30 years ago, according to an exit poll.

If the poll is accurate, Sir Keir will have led his party to victory with a 170-seat majority, pushing the Conservatives back to only 131 seats.

The result will almost certainly lead to a series of high-profile Conservatives losing their seats as results come in in the early hours.

Follow live updates

The Liberal Democrats are forecast to win 61 seats, with Reform UK on 13, the Green Party on 2, the SNP on 10 and Plaid Cymru on 4.

So how does Labours position on the exit poll compare with New Labours election victory in 1997? The Independent takes a look below.

Former prime minister Tony Blair won a landslide election victory in 1997 with a huge 179-seat majority ( PA Archive )

Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party predicted results

The 10pm exit poll, conducted by Ipsos, showed the Labour Party is on course to win 410 seats in parliament, giving them a 170-seat majority and a huge mandate to form a government.

At the last general election in 2019, the Conservatives had a majority of 80, with 365 seats to Labours 203. The SNP won 48 seats and the Lib Dems had just 11.

Starmer is set to be the fourth Labour leader to oust the Conservatives since the Second World War, and the first Labour prime minister for 14 years.

New Labours results in 1997

In 1997, Tony Blairs Labour Party won 418 seats  eight more than it is predicted to win under Sir Keir at this election  giving him a 179-seat majority in parliament.

Sir Tony secured 43.2 per cent of the national vote, compared to John Majors 30.7 per cent, which left the Conservatives with only 165 seats.

The Labour Party went on to win two more elections in 2001 and 2005, but were defeated in 2010 under Gordon Brown, with the Conservatives returning to power in a coaliton with the Lib Dems.
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 }}

Liz Truss has lost her South West Norfolk seat in a humiliating defeat on the worst night for the Conservatives in general election history.

The former prime minister squandered a 26,195 majority in the once true blue seat, finishing in second to Labours Terry Jermy by around 600 votes.

Her defeat was the last domino to fall among the Tory MPs associated with her Popcon movement which she launched last year in a bid to ultimately take over the party.

Ms Trusss humilaition followed agonising defeat for Sir Simon Clarke, Ranil Jayawardena, Brendan Clarke-Smith and Marco Longhi.

The only MP at her launch to survive was Lee Anderson who had since jumped to Reform UK.

Ms Truss demise followed a painful suspense in the building in the run up to the declaration at around 6.50am, with the former prime minister absent from the stage for several minutes while rival candidates lined up on stage.

But when Ms Truss eventually appeared on stage, Britains shortest-serving prime minister suffered the shock upset.

Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.

Mr Jermy won 11,847 votes, with Ms Truss second on 11,217 and Reform UKs Toby McKenzie on 9,958. On a devastating night for the Conservatives, with a record-breaking 11 cabinet ministers and a handful of other big beasts losing their seats, Ms Truss became the most high profile scalp.

Her disastrous 49-day stint in Downing Street saw her become an emblem of 14 years of Tory chaos and mismanagement, leaving her even more vulnerable than colleagues such as Jeremy Hunt and James Cleverly who managed to cling on.

Ms Truss did not give a speech after losing her seat. But she told the BBC: I think the issue we faced as Conservatives is we havent delivered sufficiently on the policies people want.

And that means keeping taxes low, but also particularly on reducing immigration. And I think thats been a crucial issue here in South West Norfolk, that was the number one issue that people raised on the doorstep with me.

Asked whether she accepted some responsibility for that, Ms Truss said: I agree. I was part of that. Thats absolutely true.

But during our 14 years in power, unfortunately we did not do enough to take on the legacy wed been left, in particular things like the Human Rights Act that made it very difficult for us to deport illegal immigrants. And that is one of the reasons I think weve ended up in the situation we are now.

She said Ive got a lot to think about when asked whether she wanted to stay in Tory politics.

Losing the seat meant Mr Sunak is the only Tory prime minister since 2010 whose seat is still Conservative, with David Camerons former Witney seat backing the Liberal Democrats, Theresa Mays Maidenhead also flipping to the Lib Dems and Labour gaining Boris Johnsons old Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat.

Ms Truss left the count without giving a speech after losing her seat ( Jacob King/PA Wire )

Ms Truss had held the seat since 2010 and spent years as a backbench MP before securing her first ministerial job as an education secretary during David Camerons stint as prime minister in 2014.

From there she rose through the ranks to become foreign secretary under Boris Johnson. After Mr Johnsons downfall she won the Tory leadership election by promising radical tax cuts and stronger economic growth.

Her time in No 10 was arguably the most disastrous of any prime minister in the history of the UK. She lasted just 49 days in Downing Street, having been forced out when her mini-budget caused turmoil in the financial markets and sent mortgage bills spiralling.

The stunning defeat came as Rishi Sunak led the Conservatives to their worst election defeat in history, with a record 11 cabinet ministers losing their seats.

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng with Liz Truss at the Tory Party conference following his disastrous mini budget (Stefan Rousseau/PA) ( PA Archive )

As polling stations closed at 10pm, the exit poll predicted that Labour will win 410 seats, the Tories 131, the Lib Dems 61, Reform 13 and the SNP 10.

Johnny Mercer, Grant Shapps, Gillian Keegan, Lucy Frazer, Penny Mordaunt, Michelle Donelan, Alex Chalk, David TC Davies, Victoria Prentis, Mark Harper and Simon Hart are among the Tory big beasts who fell as Sir Keirs party swept to victory.

Ms Truss had sought to burnish her right-wing credentials and released a memoir called Ten Years to save the West in which she blamed everyone but herself for her disastrous time as leader. While she was not expected to stand herself, Ms Truss was also set to play a key role in the race to succeed Mr Sunak as Tory leader.

She attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in the US earlier this year and took part in an interview with Steve Bannon, who served as a senior White House aide to former Republican president Donald Trump, and she remained silent as he hailed English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson as a hero.

Ms Truss has also backed Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States.

Timeline: Key moments in Liz Trusss 45 turbulent days as prime minister

Ms Trusss tenure lasted just over six weeks in the autumn of 2022. Here are the key moments in the shortest reign in Downing Street as the PM lost two cabinet members, watched her economic strategy go up in smoke and ultimately succumbed to a mutiny by her own MPs.

September 5: Liz Truss is the victor in the Tory leadership contest and will become the countrys next prime minister. She promises a bold plan to cut taxes and grow the economy and deliver on the energy crisis.

September 6: Ms Truss becomes Prime Minister after being invited to form a new government by the Queen at Balmoral. Later that afternoon, in her first speech in Downing Street, she says she is honoured to take on the role at a vital time for our country. Kwasi Kwarteng is appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer.

September 7: Ms Truss uses her first Prime Ministers Questions to promise to work with MPs across the House to tackle the challenges we face at a vital time for our country. She confirms she will set out her package of support to deal with soaring energy bills the following day.

September 8: In Parliament shortly before midday, the PM announces a new energy price guarantee and promises support for businesses struggling with bills for six months, with targeted help for vulnerable firms beyond that.

Within hours, Buckingham Palace issues a statement saying doctors were concerned for the Queens health, and that the head of state was under medical supervision.

A Palace statement is released at 6.30pm, saying: The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

September 9: The King holds his first in-person audience with Ms Truss at Buckingham Palace. Politics all but comes to a halt as the country observes a national period of mourning.

September 19: The Queens funeral is held at Westminster Abbey in London.

September 23: Mr Kwarteng announces the biggest raft of tax cuts for half a century. Using more than 70 billion of increased borrowing, he sets out a package which includes abolishing the top rate of income tax for the highest earners and axing the cap on bankers bonuses while adding restrictions to the welfare system.

The pound falls to a fresh 37-year low as spooked traders swallow the cost of the spree.

September 29: Almost a week on, the PM insists the Government had to take urgent action to get the economy growing in her first public comments since the mini-budget market turmoil.

October 2: Ms Truss acknowledges mistakes over the mini-budget but says she is standing by her tax-cutting plan as she refuses to rule out public spending cuts.

The PM admits she could have done more to prepare the ground for Mr Kwartengs financial statement, and she faces accusations of throwing her Chancellor under the bus by saying the abolition of the 45p top rate of tax was made by him, and not discussed with the Cabinet.

October 3: In a dramatic U-turn, Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng abandon their plan to abolish the 45p rate of income tax for top earners.

Somewhat embarrassingly, Ms Truss was still defending the 45p tax rate in a TV interview filmed just hours before the U-turn.

October 4: Mr Kwarteng says the Queens death added to the high-pressure environment around the preparation of the mini-budget. In an interview with GB News, he says it is important to place the so-called fiscal event in the context of the Queens death and funeral.

October 5: Ms Truss pledges she will get us through the tempest and get Britain moving as she delivers her first Tory conference speech as party leader.

October 10: Mr Kwarteng bows to pressure to bring forward the publication of his financial strategy and independent economic forecasts. Completing another U-turn, he agrees to set out his medium-term fiscal plan alongside Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predictions on October 31.

October 11: As Parliament returns, the Chancellor is warned, during a session of Treasury questions, that the Governments economic credibility would be further shredded if he tries to push through the policies without the support of Conservative MPs.

October 12: Ms Truss insists she will not cut spending to balance the books, despite economists and the financial markets continuing to question her plans.

October 14: Mr Kwarteng is sacked, having flown back early from International Monetary Fund talks in Washington. He says he has accepted Ms Truss request he stand aside as Chancellor and she replaces him with Jeremy Hunt.

Ms Truss dismisses calls for her resignation at a hastily arranged eight-minute press conference in Downing Street, during which she takes just four questions from journalists.

October 15: The new Chancellor indicates the PMs immediate economic plan is now largely defunct in a series of broadcast interviews. He criticises the mistakes of the Truss administration and warns of difficult decisions to come on tax and spending.

In an unusual intervention, US President Joe Biden appears to join in the criticism of Ms Trusss original plan, telling reporters I wasnt the only one that thought it was a mistake and calling the outcome predictable.

October 16: Former minister Crispin Blunt becomes the first Tory MP to publicly call for Ms Truss to quit, saying the game is up for the Prime Minister.

He is followed by Andrew Bridgen and Jamie Wallis, while other senior figures within the parliamentary party express deep unease with the PMs leadership but stop short of calling for her to go.

Labour urges Ms Truss to come before Parliament to face MPs.

October 17: Mr Hunt ditches the bulk of the PMs economic strategy in an emergency statement designed to calm the markets.

Ms Truss sits silently in the Commons for roughly 30 minutes as her Chancellor informs MPs of the change of direction, staring straight ahead as he bins huge chunks of her plan.

October 18: Ms Truss survives a meeting of the Cabinet without any ministers calling for her to quit, while Mr Hunt tells colleagues they must review departmental budgets to find ways to save taxpayers money.

October 19: The PM declares she is a fighter, not a quitter and insists she is completely committed to the triple lock on state pensions at PMQs.

Tory MPs are told a Labour vote in the Commons seeking to ban fracking is being treated as a confidence motion in Ms Trusss embattled Government, which leads to jostling and chaos among MPs. Suella Braverman quits.

October 20: Ms Truss announcing her resignation as PM outside Downing Street. She said she recognised she cannot deliver the mandate on which [she] was elected by the Conservative Party.

Join our free virtual event examining the rise of Reform and Labours landslide victory
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 }}

Nigel Farage has at last been elected as an MP, winning the seat of Clacton in Essex on what was a hugely successful night for his Reform UK party.

Mr Farage received 21,225 votes  comfortably beating the Conservatives Giles Watling with a majority of 8,405  as he finally won a parliamentary seat after seven unsuccessful attempts.

The right-wing party saw a surge in support across the country, with chairman Richard Tice and businessman Rupert Lowe also winning seats, in Boston and Skegness and Great Yarmouth respectively. Earlier Lee Anderson also retained his Ashfield seat, becoming the partys first ever elected MP.

Follow the latest election updates on our blog

In his victory speech, Mr Farage declared his party is coming for Labour, telling his audience in Clacton he wanted to fill a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics.

Farage will finally enter the Commons on his eighth attempt ( Joe Giddens/PA )

Theres no enthusiasm for Labour, theres no enthusiasm for Starmer whatsoever, he said. In fact, about half of the vote is simply an anti-Conservative vote.

This Labour government will be in trouble very, very quickly and we will now be targeting Labour votes. Were coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that.

Believe me folks, this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you.

Party chair Richard Tice has also won his seat in Boston and Skegness, with a 2,010 majority ( Sky )

Mr Farage added that he would do his absolute best as an MP as he hailed the efforts of his party, which was forecast to take around a dozen parliamentary seats.

Its four weeks and three days since I decided to come out of retirement and throw my hat in the ring, he said. I think what Reform UK has achieved in just those few short weeks is truly extraordinary.

Given we had no money, no branch structure, virtually nothing across the country, were going to come second in hundreds of constituencies, how many seats were going to win  I dont know.

But to have done this in such a short space of time says something very fundamental is happening.

Speaking after his victory in Ashfield, Mr Anderson told reporters he was delighted but not surprised about his win.

Join our free virtual event examining the rise of Reform and Labours landslide victory

This is the capital of common sense, by the way  people speak their mind in this area and theyve had enough of the two mainstream parties.

The Reform Party, people like myself, Richard [Tice] and Nigel speak the same language, in a different accent obviously, we speak the same language as the great people of Ashfield.

So when this gig came up and I was asked to stand again for the Reform Party, it was a no-brainer to be honest with you.

Reform UK secured its first seat with Lee Anderson in Ashfield ( Reuters )

Mr Farage initially announced he would not run in the general election, before changing his mind because he couldnt let down millions of people.

Clacton is the only constituency to have elected a Ukip (or Brexit Party) candidate at a general election  the Conservative defector Douglas Carswell in 2015.

It also had the fifth highest Leave vote in the UK (71 per cent) at the Brexit referendum in 2016.

His win comes following a controversial Reform campaign marred by allegations of racism, misogyny and homophobia.

A string of scandals hit Reform over the last few weeks, including a party activist calling prime minister Rishi Sunak a f****** P***. Another party activist was caught describing the Pride flag as degenerate and LGBT+ people as nonces.

These incidents followed a candidate stepping away from the party for historic comments praising Hitler and Mr Farage himself being accused of appeasing Vladimir Putin by blaming the West for the invasion of Ukraine.

Before the general election, the Reform UK leader said his long-term goal was to run for prime minister in 2029. He said: That is our ambition. And we believe it is achievable.

Full result for Clacton

Nigel Farage, Reform  21,225 (46.18%)

Giles Watling, Conservative  12,820 (27.90%)

Jovan Owusu-Nepaul (Lab)  7,448 (16.21%)

Matthew Bensilum (LD)  2,016 (4.39%)

Natasha Osben (Green)  1,935 (4.21%)

Tony Mack (Ind) 317  (0.69%)

Andrew Pemberton (UKIP)  116 (0.25%)

Craig Jamieson (Climate)  48 (0.10%)

Tasos Papanastasiou (Heritage)  33 (0.07%)

Reform majority  8,405 (18.29%)
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 }}

Nigel Farage was heckled and accused of being a racist at a victory press conference after his party won five seats in the general election.

Amid chaotic scenes, a total of seven people had to be escorted out of the central London venue.

The fracas came as the Reform UK leader claimed his party had triggered a political earthquake.

Wild scenes at Farages press conference after his party took five seats ( EPA )

After helping to make dozens of Tory MPs redundant, he warned Sir Keir Starmer his partys focus was now on going after Labour votes.

Although they took less than a handful of seats, Reform secured millions of votes across the country.

In many seats the Reform vote was higher than the Labour or the Liberal Democrat majority.

In the end, the upstart party helped Labour to win more than 400 seats.

The press conference was designed as a victory lap, to publicise Reforms claim it would now be the official opposition to Labour in the country.

But it had barely got underway when members of the audience started heckling Mr Farage.

Nigel Farage outlined his desire to make changes to the party during his speech ( Sky News )

They accused Mr Farage of being a racist, no friend to working people and wanting to dismantle the NHS. As one man started shouting at him, Mr Farage, famously a large drinker, asked him: Are you downwind a couple already? Youve had a bigger lunch than I have.

He also questioned if the group were actors  a nod to a Reform canvasser filmed using a racial slur to describe former prime minister Rishi Sunak.

Mr Farage has accused Channel 4 News of using an actor as a plant in its undercover investigation into his campaign.

At the event, Mr Farage gave a 100 per cent promise to rid Reform of bad apples, after the party had to suspend multiple candidates during the election.

A heckler is removed by security after disrupting the Reform leaders speech ( Getty )

He said: Above all what were going to do from today is were going to professionalise the party, were going to democratise the party, and those few bad apples that have crept in will be gone, will be long gone, and we will never have any of their type back in our organisation.

You have a 100 per cent promise on that.

He added: Old Labour was very, very patriotic. It believed in the country. It believed in its people. New Labour far less so.

Several hecklers attacked Reform after an election campaign dogged by controversies ( Getty )

Mr Farage also denied he was going to Westminster to behave terribly. But he said he would challenge conventions after being elected as an MP for the first time on his eighth attempt.

He said: Were not going in to behave terribly or anything like that, but certainly going in to challenge conventions and certainly going in believing that the broad church that is the Conservative Party that currently has no religion, simply wont be able to provide any sort of challenge at all.

And we may be fewer in number but were absolutely united in what we believe in and what we stand for.
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 }}

The Conservative Party descended into infighting before the general election results were even fully counted.

Figures on the Tory right and left publicly clashed about the future direction of the party as it suffered a landslide loss to Labour in the worst general election defeat in its history.

Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.

Suella Braverman, the right-wing former home secretary, apologised twice as she claimed the Conservative Party let voters down.

Penny Mordaunt was a Tory leadership hopeful who failed to be re-elected ( Getty Images )

Ms Braverman, who was re-elected for Fareham & Waterlooville, said: I want to briefly address the result in the rest of the country and there is only one thing that I can say  sorry. Im sorry.

Im sorry that my party didnt listen to you. The Conservative Party has let you down. You  the great British people voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises.

Weve acted as if were entitled to your vote regardless of what we did, regardless of what we didnt do, despite promising time after time that we would do those things and we need to learn our lesson because if we dont, bad as tonight has been for my party, well have many worse nights to come.

The country deserves better and weve got to do better and I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust. We need to listen to you  you have spoken to us very clearly.

Jacob Rees-Mogg speaking to his son after his loss ( Jonathan Brady/PA Wire )

Meanwhile, Grant Shapps, the former defence secretary who represented the seat of Welwyn Hatfield for 19 years, criticised the Tories inability to iron out their differences amid an endless soap opera.

He said: What is crystal clear to me tonight, is that it is not so much that Labour won this election, but that the Conservatives have lost it.

Door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and then be united in public.

Instead, we have tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters with a propensity to create an endless political soap opera out of internal rivalries and divisions which have become increasingly entrenched.

Today, voters have simply said, if you cant agree with each other, we cant agree to vote for you. We forgot a fundamental rule of politics that people do not vote for divided parties.

Grant Shapps was among the big beasts to lose their seats ( James Shaw/Shutterstock )

He added: For the sake of the UK, I very much wish this new government well, but for the sake of a strong democracy, the Conservative Party needs to play its part too, by recognising what has gone wrong and using its time in opposition to refresh and rebuild.

There is a danger now that we go off on some tangent, condemning ourselves and the public to years of lacklustre opposition that fails to hold the government to account.

In an excoriating opinion article less than an hour after the exit poll was released, former Brexit negotiator David Frost also called for Rishi Sunak to go and never be seen again.

Decent man though he is, Rishi Sunaks brief, tragic premiership has ended, and it is best that it has done so, though I wish it could have been sooner, Lord Frost wrote in The Telegraph.

Former minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who lost his own North East Somerset seat to Labour, blamed the defeat on failing to deliver on Conservative core principles.

Robert Buckland loses his Swindon South seat to Labour ( BBC )

Appearing to encourage the party to push for more right-wing policies in opposition to win back support, the Brexiteer said: We have no divine right to win votes, we need to win voters at every single election and if you take your base for granted, if you dont manage to stop the votes going over and if you dont manage to control migration when that is what your voters are concerned about, your voters will look to other parties.

And Dame Andrea Leadsom, who loast her South Northamptonshire seat, said voters have told her they do not feel the Tories are Conservative enough and are sick of all this woke stuff.

In dealing with the aftermath of the result, she added: The Conservative Party is the natural party of government and has been in this country for many long years and so we will be very ruthless about it, we will certainly be very forensic about it.

But the former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland warned the party against drifting to the right after the crushing defeat.

Lord Frost wrote a scathing editorial shortly after the exit poll was published ( PA )

Sir Robert, who became the first Tory big beast ousted when he lost his Swindon South seat, said a lurch rightwards would be a disastrous mistake and it would send us into the abyss, and gift Labour government for many years.

The exit poll put Sir Keir Starmer on course to complete one of the most remarkable turnarounds in British political history forecasting a huge Labour victory that will sweep him into Downing Street with a majority of 166.

Former chancellor George Osborne warned ahead of the vote that the party was bound to descend into chaos after a defeat.

Future leadership hopefuls have already begun jockeying for position, with Ms Braverman this week penning an opinion piece declaring the race over, and urging the Tories to prepare for opposition.
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 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 }}

Intense speculation about what Rishi Sunak would do after he left Downing Street began even before he entered No 10  when it was revealed he once held a US green card.

In fact, the desperately ambitious Mr Sunk only returned it while chancellor, ahead of his first trip to America as a serving UK government minister.

In the row that followed, he was forced to deny that he had kept the card  which allows the holder to live and work permanently in the US  because his long-term aim was to return there.

Two years later it is the story that will not go away for the now-former prime minister.

Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street on May 15 ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Even just a few months ago, he again had to say he did not intend to go back to the US, adding that the UK was home.

But there is intense speculation in Whitehall that Mr Sunak is planning to move to California, where he and his wife own an apartment in Santa Monica.

The chancellor studied for an MBA at Stanford University in California in the early 2000s.

And it was while there that he met fellow student Akshata Murty, whom he married a few years later.

The Sunaks spent their early married life in the US state, where he worked for a hedge fund.

And they kept their upmarket apartment in Santa Monica, estimated to be worth $6m and said to have stunning views, even after he entered parliament in 2015.

As rumours swirl that the couple want their two daughters to attend a local private school, the Sunaks have donated $3m (2.4m) to a California college, paying for a high-tech computer lab.

There has also been speculation Mr Sunak will target a post-Downing Street career that will combine his past in finance with his interest in technology and AI.

Rishi Sunak, his wife Akshata Murty and daughters Anoushka and Krishna in Santa Monica ( AP )

He insisted, however, that he would remain as an MP for five years if he kept his seat  which he did on a bad night for many of his ministers.

But he would not be the first prime minister to find they cannot remain on the backbenches.

David Cameron stood down as an MP just two months after he left Downing Street in the wake of losing the Brexit referendum.

At the time he said he did not want his presence in the chamber to serve as a distraction to the new prime minister, Theresa May.

Once outside parliament he famously bought a shepherds hut, wrote his memoirs and became embroiled in the Lex Greensill scandal, before returning for a short stint as Mr Sunaks foreign secretary.

Boris Johnson also left parliament before his five-year term was up, though in rather more shambolic circumstances.

The former PM quit before he was pushed ahead of a damning verdict from parliaments Partygate probe.

He claimed he was a victim of a Partygate and Brexit witch-hunt, amid growing speculation that the conclusions of the Commons privileges committee would see him kicked out as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

But the former Tory leader also hinted at a political comeback, saying he would be out of parliament for now.

Santa Monicas Pier is one of the areas most well-known attractions ( Getty Images/iStockphoto )

Others have stayed in parliament, however.

Former PMs Theresa May and Liz Truss have been noted thorns in Mr Sunaks side  the former as she tried to hold her party leaders feet to the fire over net-zero policies and the latter leading a rebellion against his planned smoking ban.

After she was ousted from office in 1990, Margaret Thatcher remained the MP for Finchley for two years and was a difficult presence for her successor, John Major.

She frequently spoke out to back Eurosceptics in her party, while her appearances at Tory Party conferences tended to overshadow the partys actual leader.

Perhaps Mr Sunak will look more to the post-Downing Street experience of Tony Blair as one to emulate instead.

The former prime minister has made millions through a range of business and political ventures.

After losing the high-pressure, high-adrenaline job of running a country, there will be a pressure to replace it.

Just last month, more than a decade and a half after he left frontline politics, Mr Blair joked he might sit around and drink all day if he did not keep working.
When Charles III invites Keir Starmer to Buckingham Palace, he will be the fourth monarch to preside over a Labour government. George V was the first when, a century ago, on 22 January 1924, he asked Ramsay MacDonald to form the first Labour government.

The king went out of his way to give a warm welcome to MacDonald. Turning to him, George V said: Well, what are you socialists going to do about me? MacDonald laughed and said: Nothing but try to serve Your Majesty and the countrys best interest.

Since then, George VI and Elizabeth II maintained good relations  and stable governments  with five Labour prime ministers: Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, Tony Blair, and Gordon Brown.

The lazy assumption is that unfeasibly rich land-owning monarchs dont get along with redistributive Labour administrations and that Labour prime ministers hate unelected monarchs.

In fact, theres a mutual understanding that its in both their interests to be cordial to each other  and in some cases, relationships between monarchs and Labour leaders have been even better than those with Conservative leaders.

After meeting Ramsay MacDonald, George V wrote in his diary: I had an hours talk with MacDonald. He impressed me very much. He wishes to do the right thing... Today, 23 years ago, dear Grandma [Queen Victoria] died. I wonder what she would have thought of a Labour government?

Queen Victoria may not have been so fair to a Labour prime minister, but she never had to deal with one. Keir Hardie  after whom Starmer is named  became the first Labour leader in 1906, five years after Victoria died.

Ramsay MacDonald was, in turn, extremely concerned that he should be respectful to George V and that he should dress accordingly. The press became obsessed with whether MacDonalds cabinet would wear the correct court dress to see George V  a gold-embroidered coat with white knee breeches and silk stockings.

MacDonald went as far as having dinner with Louis Greig, a courtier, to discuss the matter. Greig wrote: I had a long talk with [MacDonald] alone on the Court & Court customs What seemed to get him and his followers were the long dresses of the peeresses! He agreed that, as a historian, the pageantry was picturesque but, to some of his less educated followers, the ancient uniforms were a bit out of date and aroused more laughter than respect.

Harold Wilson on his way to Buckingham Palace to hand his resignation to the Queen in 1976 ( Getty )

The king himself pronounced on the issue: Whatever decision the cabinet ministers come to, I will agree to, but they must all do the same. It would look very off at a levee if some came in uniform, some in evening clothes. George V set the pattern for all polite dealings with Labour prime ministers by subsequent monarchs.

Vernon Bogdanor, the constitutional historian, writes: George V won plaudits in the Labour Party by treating the Labour government in exactly the same way as the Conservatives and, when asked how he was getting on, he replied, Very well! My grandmother would have hated it; my father would have tolerated it. But I move with the times.

Clement Attlee, the next Labour prime minister (1945-51), was also aware of the mutually beneficial relationship between Labour and George V  and George VI, the king whom Attlee served. When George V died in 1936, Attlee said the King had shared in the work of reconstruction, adding: He was a real social reformer who had recognised the claims of social justice.

Elizabeth II would absorb the lessons from her grandfather or Grandpa England, as she called him. It is testament to her exceptional discretion that we can never know for sure what she thought of her Labour prime ministers. But we can read the signs.

Harold Wilson, we know, was a frequent visitor to Balmoral and was often asked to join the wider family on picnics, helping to clear up after one of the Duke of Edinburghs famous summer barbeques.

Clement Atlee being presented to the then Queen at a reception in London in 1947 ( PA )

Vernon Bogdanor writes: Harold Wilson became the Queens first Labour prime minister in 1964. Though they came from differing social backgrounds, a warm relationship developed.

Wilson talked reverentially of the homework he had to do ahead of royal audiences  which could exceed two hours  for fear of being caught out. He said: I have great respect for tradition. I like the real ceremonies of the monarchy. The Queen returned the affection she received from Labour prime ministers and would tease them in a way that few people could.

In 1977, on the Queens silver jubilee, the Labour prime minister James Callaghan and his cabinet gave her a silver pot. The Queen wittily responded, referring to Benjamin Disraeli, a favourite prime minister of Queen Victorias: Oh! Im so glad you havent repeated Mr Disraelis gift to Queen Victoria. He gave her a painting of himself.

Some even say the relationship between Callaghan, an ex-lieutenant in the Royal Navy, was positively flirtatious, with reports of Her Majesty once pinning a flower to his buttonhole while walking through the grounds of Buckingham Palace. One of the great things about her is that she always seems able to see the funny side of life, Callaghan was once quoted as saying: All the conversations were very enjoyable.

King Charles III speaking with Rishi Sunak and Starmer at an event in 2023 ( The Sun/PA )

This warmth, however, was rumoured to be absent in her dealings with Tony Blair. Tension was said to have developed between Her Majesty and the prime minister after the death of Princess Diana when Blair famously coined the term Peoples Princess and urged the Queen to make a public statement. The fact that Cherie Blair reportedly refused to curtsey and that Blair described country weekends at Balmoral as a vivid combination of the intriguing, the surreal, and the utterly freaky, which he faced with a bit of horror, probably didnt help.

The cool relationship reportedly didnt improve with the next Labour prime minister, Gordon Brown. Despite her love of Scotland, Her Majesty was said to never quite gel with the dour leader from Renfrewshire.

While none of these rumours have ever been substantiated, Blair and Brown were still the only two ex-prime ministers not invited to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. At the time, it was dubbed a straightforward, calculated snub, out of step with constitutional convention.

Starmer worked out early on in his leadership campaign that if he wanted to secure the middle ground, he would have to display his support for Elizabeth II and Charles III. Starmers election literature was full of union flags, and he has been careful to refer to these two monarchs respectfully as Her Majesty and His Majesty.

It was rumoured that Tony Blair and the Queen, pictured together in 2005, had a frosty relationship ( Getty )

Polls have consistently shown high approval ratings of the monarchy for 70 years, and only a misguided Labour leader would jeopardise their own chances by not supporting the monarchy. Jeremy Corbyn failed to realise how strong working-class support for the monarchy is, particularly in the Red Wall seats in the Midlands and the North that voted for the Conservatives in the 2019 election.

Under a constitutional monarchy, British monarchs, too, have calculated that, to stay on the throne, they must welcome all governments, and this is shown in their weekly audiences with their prime ministers. Labour leaders  like the Conservative ones  appreciate those weekly meetings, where they can hear from someone who tends to have been in power for longer than they have.

Even Charles III, after less than two years on the throne, has already seen two prime ministers disappear: Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. His mother invited 15 prime ministers to form governments. And thats only in the United Kingdom. Throughout the Commonwealth, she presided over 179 different prime ministers in her seven decades on the throne.

She liked to occasionally remind her prime ministers of this. In her first audience with Blair  born in 1953, the year of her coronation  the Queen said to him, You are my tenth prime minister. The first was Winston. That was before you were born.

Thats quite a record from quite an institution  an institution Starmer is about to get much closer to than ever before.

Harry Mount is the author of How England Made the English (Penguin)
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 }}

Sir Keir Starmer triumphantly entered Downing Street on Friday, signalling a new era in politics and promising to fix Britains problems with respect and humility.

The Labour leader returned his party to power after 14 years in the wilderness with one of the biggest majorities in history  176 seats.

After meeting King Charles, he stood on the steps of No 10 and declared: Our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service. Our work is urgent and we begin it today.

Labour won 412 seats, while the Tories suffered their worst result in history with just 121. Rishi Sunak announced he would quit as Tory leader and used his final speech in Downing Street to apologise to the British people and the Conservative Party.

But Sir Keir was only too aware that despite his huge majority, Labour only received 34 per cent of the vote in an election with a low turnout of 60 per cent. His party received fewer votes than when it was defeated under Jeremy Corbyn in 2019.

Labour was also helped by the rise of Nigel Farages Reform UK, which split the vote on the right, earning 15 per cent of the vote and five seats.

Sir Keir made it clear that his mission was to help those who have been ignored for too long.

The Starmers enter No 10 as a new political era begins in Britain ( Reuters )

Nurses, builders, drivers, carers, people doing the right thing, working harder every day, recognised at moments like this before. Yet, as soon as the cameras stopped rolling, their lives are ignored.

And he vowed: My government will fight every day until you believe again.

From now on, you have a government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by the determination to serve your interest, to defy, quietly, those who have written our country off.

You have given us a clear mandate and we will use it to deliver change, to restore service and respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives and unite our country.

The King has invited the leader of the Labour Party to form a government ( PA )

He added: So with respect and humility, I invite you all to join this government of service in the mission of national renewal.

Rishi Sunak leaves Downing Street with his wife, Akshata Murty ( PA )

As well as the lowest number of seats in their 190-year history, the Conservatives suffered the loss of 11 cabinet ministers, including Commons leader Penny Mordaunt and big beasts including former prime minister Liz Truss and former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Already a battle for the soul of the Tories is underway, with some blaming the partys woes on a failure to be right-wing enough, leaving space for Reform; while others claim it has moved too far from the centre.

Suella Braverman, Priti Patel, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat are among a collection of senior Tories to survive who could throw their hat into the ring to replace Rishi Sunak.

Earlier, Mr Sunak gave his last address to the nation as prime minister from the steps of Downing Street before going to the King to tender his resignation.

To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry, he said. I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.

Sir Keir also faces a challenge on both the right and the left, with Reform coming second to Labour in scores of constituencies, the Greens picking up a record four seats, and pro-Gaza independents causing discomfort for key figures. In Birmingham Yardley, Jess Phillips only narrowly held onto her seat  and was booed as she tried to make her acceptance speech.

Nigel Farage now poses a threat from the right ( Sky News )

The challenge from the left saw trusted lieutenant Jonathan Ashworth lose his Leicester South seat to a pro-Gaza independent and shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire lose her Bristol Central seat to the Greens.

Additionally, Jeremy Corbyn, who was expelled from the party, won his Islington North seat as an independent and is now set to just miss out on becoming father of the House as the longest-serving male MP to Tory Sir Edward Leigh. However, his close friend and ally Diane Abbott, who was suspended as a Labour MP and only allowed to run for the party late in the day, will become the mother of the House.

Sir Ed Daveys Liberal Democrats gained 63 seats, taking them to 71, their highest total since 1923 when they were the Liberal Party, as they swept up many blue-wall seats. This included the four former seats of three ex-prime ministers: Boris Johnson, David Cameron and Theresa May. The one failure was to not unseat chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who held on against the odds.

Labour made dramatic gains in Scotland, where it won 38 seats reducing the SNP to just nine and taking Scottish independence off the table, potentially for a generation.
With just days to go before the election, local candidates leaflets were dropping through letterboxes across the country. And where I live in Kentish Town, it was no different. Apart from, maybe, that our local MP Sir Keir Starmer was poised to become the countrys next prime minister and I can see his house from mine.

It has been quite lively round here recently; what with a noisy week-long protest at the station over the Gaza conflict and piles of childrens shoes placed outside the Labour leaders house (to remind him of the thousands that have been killed). I regularly spot his security cavalcade if I am up early, whisking Sir Keir off to work.

But what most surprised me when I saw the Labour leaflet was the picture of Sir Keir with his wife, Lady Starmer. Or Vic, as she is better known by the Kentish Town mum mafia (who reckon she is cool, a laugh, down to earth and one of us).

Around these parts, with her jeans and silk shirts, leather jackets and chic working mum vibe, Vic blends in. Downtime for the Starmers means cooking and going to gigs and they are surrounded by great music venues from the Forum to the Jazz Cafe. It is a close-knit community and its Vics patch. She was born in London and grew up in Gospel Oak, not far from where the couple now have their 1.27m townhouse. In walking distance of the green spaces of Hampstead Heath and Regents Park and within easy reach of Camden and Soho, it is a busy hub of just-like-them professionals.

As a political spouse, she has kept a low pro so far. Some say she has just been concentrating on helping their son get through his GCSE exams, making him fried eggs and toast, while dutifully cracking on with her job as an occupational therapist in the NHS.

Of course, the incredibly smart, down-to-earth and funny Ms Starmer is a a valuable asset to her husband, especially when my Labour contacts say voters still claim they dont know who he really is. Vic has a political pedigree of her own, winning a landslide victory to become student union president at Cardiff University in 1994 when she challenged left-wingers in the NUS and won. The local paper proclaimed Vic-tory for the windswept, deeply glam then Victoria Alexander.

She is certainly no shrinking violet, either. Tom Baldwins biography of Keir Starmer recounts how the pair met when they were both lawyers. Keir (rumoured to then have been the inspiration for the character Mark Darcy in Bridget Joness Diary) asked to speak to the person who had created some documents he needed for a case.

That phone call was to be his first introduction to Vics feisty nature. Before Keir hung up he heard her say to a colleague: Who the f*** does he think he is? They met at a legal dinner a few weeks later and she shared her vegetarian meal with him. Kentish Town legend has it that they had their first date at my local, The Lord Stanley (an excellent gastro pub if you were wondering). Afterwards, he walked her to the bus stop and waved her off. They married a few years later.

It was Vic who pushed him on in his career to become director of public prosecutions. In a recent Sky interview, the Labour leader said: My wife was ringing adverts in the papers about well-paid lawyers jobs and I said, No I want to serve my country, which is why, at a late stage, I came into politics

Asked if his wife was keen, Sir Keir replied: No she wasnt at all, she thought itd be far better to continue being a lawyer on a reasonable salary and not have all of the challenges you get as a politician.

Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murty and the Starmers pictured on the day of Mays local elections ( Conservative Party/PA )

Of course, the path for wives to visbily support their spouses once in power is well trodden. A two-for-one Bogof couples deal is often, depressingly, still what is expected  the D-Day celebrations being a case in point. There was Jill Biden, dutifully trailing behind Joe, and Brigitte doing her best to prop up the fortunes of the terminally unpopular husband Emmanuel. All shadows, of course, of super-spouse Michelle Obama whose power-coupling with husband Barack garnered its own moniker: Mobama.

So far, though, requests for interviews with Lady V from Starmers team have been stonewalled. Ms Starmer will not be giving any interviews was the curt response when I tried during the election campaign. When I asked whether they might put up some trusted friends to speak for her (as happened when I once wrote a piece about Samantha Cameron, who also wasnt available for interview at the time), I was told firmly that that was not going to happen either.

As one Labour grandee put it to me: Keir is tough, strategic and proud. He doesnt want to use his family to humanise his rather robotic public image. He makes a lacklustre candidate but those qualities will make him a very good prime minister.

And so, until now, we have only had glimpses of Lady Starmer. She was there for the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium, attended a candlelit vigil for Sarah Everard, and was spotted sporting dark glasses in the Royal Box for the Wimbledon womens singles semi-finals on Centre Court in 2022. Last year, she popped up in a 800 Edeline Lee dress for the Labour conference in Liverpool, which saw her compared to Julianne Moore. But all the signs are that she intends to be a modern wife, letting Sir Keir get on with it while she gets on with her working life.

They also have their two teenage children, aged 13 and 15, to think about. So far, the couple have managed to keep even their names out of the press and new privacy laws have helped. There are rumours that she isnt keen on the idea of moving to Downing Street and would rather stay in Kentish Town, where both Starmer children attend local schools (she became a governor at our local primary in 2015 when he became the local MP).

By his own admission, the effect his career could have on his children is a primary concern for Sir Keir: I want this fight, the only thing which keeps me up at night is our children because they are 13 and 15.

Those are difficult ages  it will impact them. We dont name them in public. We dont take photographs with them and they go to the local school.

I am desperately trying to protect them in that way, but I know it is going to be hard and I do worry about that.

The couple at the Labour conference in Liverpool in October last year ( AP )

I know a bit about how it might feel, having grown up with my stepmother, Tessa Jowell, who was a fixture in all of Tony Blairs cabinets. I was used to politicians coming and going in our family home. Ive seen David Blunkett in his Speedos and Alastair Campbell playing the bagpipes. Ive even experienced the paparazzi camped outside my house. As a family, you dont choose a career in politics but it impacts everyones lives regardless. Just ask Cherie, who has never lived down answering the door the day after the election in her nightie and was once told that everyone in the press office hated her.

I have met most of the incumbents of No 10 and their spouses (except for Mr Truss and Rishi Sunak and his wife). I had a particular soft spot for Samantha Cameron who always behaved with great charm, kindness and dignity, even during the death of her beloved son Ivan. Sarah Brown was a considerable businesswoman in her own right, an excellent PR woman and did much to soften Gordon Browns harder edges.

Ironically, one of the most powerful pictures to emerge of his entire reign as leader was the shot of him with Sarah and their two little sons as they left Downing Street. Ive even dined with Mr May, Theresas soulmate and confidante  the two of them were thick as thieves, he being one of her key strategists.

Like Mr May, and Tony Blairs infamous domestic kitchen cabinet, it is said that Lady Starmer is also an important voice in Sir Keirs ear. It is to her that he turns when he has to make a tough call and Vic who is begged by aides to intervene if it really matters. Her insight into the true state of the NHS proved a good advantage during the leadership debates when Rishi tried to argue that waiting lists for treatments were coming down.

Adding to their anxieties will be the current febrile climate around the Israel/Hamas conflict. Victorias family are Jewish, fleeing Poland before the Second World War, and Sir Keir told the Jewish Chronicle they observe some of the practices such as Friday night prayers. His wife attends the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in St Johns Wood. One Labour insider told me Vic had felt intimidated and scared by the pro-Palestinian protesters outside their home and she told a court this week how the experience had left her feeling a bit sick and apprehensive and uncomfortable.

Keir and Victoria are keen to keep their children out of the spotlight ( PA Wire )

However, her absence from the campaign trail wasnt, as some have claimed, because of a worry of alienating Muslim-origin voters. Vic has always been reluctant to be Keirs plus one. Sir Keir has chosen a political career  she, and most importantly, her family  have not. She is quite rightly, simply trying to tread a careful line between supporting her husband when necessary and protecting the privacy of their family.

Now her husband has become prime minister, it will now become more difficult for her to keep out of the public eye . While it is unlikely she will ever do an Akshata who took to the stage to deliver a surprise gushy speech dedicated to her husband Rishis ambition, drive and love for Netflix shows, there will need to be a recalibrating of sorts.

Middle-class life in Kentish Town has much to recommend it; as does the anonymity of not standing out from the crowd. So far Lady Starmer, 51, has managed to do a fantastic job behind the scenes. As Sir Keir told LBC listeners recently, it was his wife who kept his morale up after a disappointing first debate. Im not good company when Im in that place. Vic sort of cheered me up on that one

Now they have the keys to Number 10, the Starmers cosy Kentish Town vibe is about to change irrevocably. As a prime minister, with great power comes great responsibility and as a husband, Sir Keir will feel responsible to those closest to him, too.

The biggest concern I have is about the impact it has on my family, he recently said.

As a couple, I wish them the best of luck.
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 }}

Sir Keir Starmer has been handed the keys to Downing Street with a landslide victory for Labour after Nigel Farages Reform UK split the Tory vote.

In a night of stunning results, there was a bloodbath at the top of the Tory party, with a record number of cabinet ministers losing their seats.

By 5am, a record eight top ministers had gone, with Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, defence secretary Grant Shapps, and education secretary Gillian Keegan among the big beasts voted out.

One notable surprise survivor was chancellor Jeremy Hunt, whose seat was expected to fall to the Lib Dems.

Keir Starmer celebrates victory ( Sky )

Meanwhile, on the right, Nigel Farage led a breakthrough for Reform UK, winning a Westminster seat at his eighth attempt in Clacton. He is joined by at least three others  Lee Anderson in Ashfield, Richard Tice in Boston and Skegness, and Rupert Lowe in Great Yarmouth.

Labour was on course for a landslide, but did not have it all its own way, as an early prediction of a 170-majority from the exit poll shrank as results came in.

Some of the partys success came at the expense of the SNP in Scotland, who looked set to lose more than 30 seats.

But pollster Professor Sir John Curtice said it was clear that Labour have not made much advance and that the Tory vote had been split by Reform UK.

Mr Sunak easily won his Richmond and Northallerton seat with 48 per cent of the vote, despite some of the polls predicting otherwise, but conceded defeat from the platform, confirming that he had already called Sir Keir to offer his congratulations.

He told Tory members and candidates: I am sorry.

Rishi Sunak arrives at the count in his Richmond constituency ( PA )

Sir Keir told activists in central London: This is what it is, for a changed Labour Party ready to restore service for working people.

Across our country, people will be waking up relieved. Now we can look forward into the morning. The sunlight will be shining strong through the day on a country which, after 14 years, has an opportunity to get its future back.

Earlier at his count, he said the country was ready for change as Labour appeared to be on course for a landslide win in the general election.

In his acceptance speech after being re-elected in Holborn and St Pancras, Sir Keir said: Tonight, people here and around the country have spoken and they are saying theyre ready for change. To end the politics of performance, and return to politics as public service.

He added: You have voted, it is now time for us to deliver.

The Labour leader, who will become the UKs next prime minister, thanked voters and campaigners for their support, saying: Dont forget how we got here. This morning we can see that the British people have voted to turn the page.

He continued: I may have mentioned my parents a few times on this campaign  once or twice  but the sense of security we had, the comfort we had from believing that Britain would always be better for their children. The hope  not high-minded, not idealistic  but a hope that working-class families like mine could build their lives around.

It is a hope that might not burn brightly in Britain at the moment, but we have earned the mandate to relight the fire. That is the purpose of this party and this government.

We said we would end the chaos, and we will. We said we would turn the page, and we have. Today we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal, and start to rebuild our country. Thank you.

Sir Keirs party took some important scalps along with making massive gains.

However, among the shock Labour casualties was Jonathan Ashworth, who had played a major role in the campaign but lost his seat in Leicester South to a pro-Palestine candidate. A split vote in nearby Leicester East seat saw the only Tory gain.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gives a victory speech at Clacton Leisure Centre in Essex ( PA )

Meanwhile, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith defied predictions in Chingford and Woodford Green and held on, after Faiza Shaheen, who had been ditched by Labour and stood as an independent, split the Labour vote.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting only scraped home in Ilford by around 500 votes against a pro-Palestine candidate.

Another shadow cabinet member, Thangam Debbonaire, lost her Bristol Central seat to the Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats were celebrating huge gains despite having consistently polled fourth in the national vote share during the campaign. They were on course for their highest number of seats in a single election, topping 50, after their leader Sir Ed Davey spent most of the previous six weeks doing stunts and falling in lakes.

Sir Ed hailed the Liberal Democrats election result as exceptional. He said the party had put voters concerns at the heart of our campaign, adding that he had rather enjoyed the run-up to the election.

Speaking at The Kings Centre in Chessington, southwest London, following the announcement, he said: I think weve fought a positive campaign. I like to think that people enjoyed how we put over our ideas.

But our policies on health and care, on helping people with the cost of living crisis, and on tackling the sewage scandal, theyve been heard louder and clearer because of the way we presented ourselves in this positive light.

Ed Daveys Liberal Democrats are on course to take their highest number of seats at a general election ( PA )

I think its possible to have a serious debate as well as having a bit of fun. I dont take myself, as a politician, seriously. I want to take the concerns of the British people seriously.

I hope that the style [in which] weve gone about it has encouraged people to join the Liberal Democrats. Its certainly encouraged them to vote for us. This is an exceptional result, a historic result for the Liberal Democrats.

Meanwhile, after winning in Clacton, Mr Farage declared that his right-wing Reform party had made a significant breakthrough. He told reporters at Clacton Leisure Centre: It shows that there is a level of disenchantment with politics. I think people are looking for something different.

But, and heres the important thing, this is not a protest vote. Theyre not saying two fingers up to the establishment. Theyre saying, You know what, we really agree with what these guys are saying. We really agree with what theyre saying about tax levels, we agree with what they say about levels of legal net migration.

I promise you, the enthusiasm of people voting Reform UK is truly extraordinary.

On the changes to the electoral system, Mr Farage added: I was Nigel Farage MEP for 21 years. I won two national elections under proportional representation.

Believe you me, the appetite for electoral reform is going to be enormous after this election, and thats one of the many things that Im going to be up front, out there, campaigning for. I might even work with the Lib Dems on that.

Meanwhile, the autopsy into the reasons for the Tory defeat has begun.

An early contribution came from Dame Andrea Leadsom, who said: The Conservative Party has not been conservative enough.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman all but announced her leadership bid after winning Fareham and Waterlooville. Im sorry that my party didnt listen to you. The Conservative Party has let you down, she said.

Suella Braverman is expected to be a Tory leadership contender following the election ( PA )

You, the great British people, voted for us over 14 years, and we did not keep our promises.

Ms Braverman, a likely leadership contender if Rishi Sunak quits following the election, said: I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust. We need to listen to you; you have spoken to us very clearly.

But in her concession speech, Ms Mordaunt warned against the party appealing to a smaller slice of the pie.

And the first Tory casualty of the night, former justice secretary Robert Buckland, blamed Tory MPs who briefed against the leadership and forgot that it is important to be competent in government.
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 }}

The former prime minister Theresa May has been given a peerage while the former environment secretary Therese Coffey has been handed a damehood in the dissolution honours list.

Ms May, the former MP for Maidenhead, was nominated for a peerage by Rishi Sunak as No 10 made the surprise decision to announce the list on Thursday evening, less than an hour before the election polls closed.

The former PM stood down at the general election after a career spanning 27 years in parliament. Announcing her decision to step back from politics, Ms May told the Maidenhead Advertiser she had taken the decision to focus on causes close to her heart, including her work on the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.

Meanwhile, Alister Jack, the Scottish secretary, who admitted to placing three bets on the date of the general election, was given a knighthood.

You can follow our liveblog here where we will update you on the election results seat by seat as they come in

Mr Jack revealed that he had placed three bets on the date of the election  one of which was successful  as the row over election betting engulfed the Tory party campaign.

He made it clear that he had not breached any rules and was not being investigated by the Gambling Commission.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has been awarded a knighthood ( PA )

Former environment secretary Therese Coffey gets a damehood ( PA Wire )

Sir Graham Brady, the former chair of the Conservative backbench 1922 committee, was also given a peerage by Mr Sunak.

Sir Graham has overseen changes of leadership during the Conservatives tenure in government spanning David Cameron to Rishi Sunak since he became chair of the 1922 Committee in 2010.

Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden, former chief whip Julian Smith and former defence secretary Ben Wallace, have been nominated for knighthoods.

The prime ministers chief of staff Liam Booth-Smith has been proposed for a peerage along with former transport secretary Chris Grayling, Sir Alok Sharma and Dame Eleanor Laing.

Craig Mackinlay, the former Conservative MP for Thanet South, who lost both hands and feet to sepsis but returned to parliament recently, will also take a seat in the Lords.

Among Sir Keir Starmers nominations for peerages are Dame Margaret Beckett, Harriet Harman, Margaret Hodge and Kevan Jones, who has played a prominent role in campaigning for justice for sub-postmasters caught up in the Horizon scandal. The Labour Leaders nominations also include former parliamentary Labour Party chair John Cryer.

There are also peerages for former deputy speaker Dame Rosie Winterton and veteran ex-whip John Spellar.

The Liberal Democrats nominated Caroline Pidgeon for a peerage, while the Ulster Unionist Party rewarded Thomas Elliott, the former leader of the party.
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 }}

Sir Mohamed Mansour, the senior treasurer of the Conservative Party, announced on Saturday he was resigning from his post 10 days after Rishi Sunaks election defeat.

The Egyptian-born billionaire had donated 5m to the party and had been a key player in raising other funds. His donation was the biggest for the Conservatives since 2001.

He told The Independent: I have been honoured to serve my country and party since December 2022 and it has been a privilege to do so.

Rishi Sunak has announced his intention to depart as party leader, and it makes sense for me to also step down at this time. A new leadership team will bring fresh talent and thinking to the task ahead: guiding the party on its path of renewal.

It adds to the growing list of vacancies for the Tories as they seek a new leader in the aftermath of the worst electoral defeat in its history. Key to their future after selecting an MP to lead them in opposition will be the need to refill their coffers.

Mr Mansour was given a knighthood by Sunak in a surprise honours list in March last year alongside Demis Hassabis, founder of artificial intelligence company DeepMind, and filmmaking couple Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, who received a knighthood and a damehood. American businessman Ted Sarandos, the co-chief of Netflix, was also given an honorary knighthood.

The 76-year-old billionaire is a naturalised British citizen who has donated to many charitable causes including the Kings Foundation and a memorial for the victims of Covid. His knighthood was awarded for services to business, charity and political service.

Mr Mansour has previously spoken about the prime minister in glowing terms and has said he understands how growth is generated in the modern economy.

He also served from 2005 to 2009 as a transport minister in Egypt under Hosni Mubarak, the late president who quit office during the 2011 Arab Spring. Mr Mansour resigned to return to business life. He famously went from rags to riches, twice losing his fortune due to nationalisation by Egypt and also Sudan, each time rebuilding.

Mubarak, who died in 2020, was considered an autocrat and was accused of maintaining his grip on office by cracking down on political opposition and stifling free speech.

Mr Mansour will continue to support the Tory party but not as an active member of the partys executive.

He is also one of the biggest investors in football in the US on the brink of buying a Major League Soccer franchise for a record $500m (400m). The new franchise, based in San Diego, California, is the sixth biggest football deal in the world, behind Chelsea, AC Milan and Manchester United, but more than the 305m Saudi takeover of Newcastle in 2022.

He is expected to create the club from scratch by recruiting a full set of players, staff and an academy, which sources suggest could add an extra $200m to the bill.
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 }}

Six Chinese citizens were killed and several went missing after a local militia targeted a mining site in the Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said on Thursday as the central African country continued to be wracked by widespread violence.

At least two and possibly three Congolese soldiers were also killed in the attack, which took place in the gold-rich Djugu territory in Ituri province.

The attack was carried out by a militia called Codeco, or Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, Djugu administrator Ruphin Mapela said.

A Red Cross representative in the region said the militiamen entered the camp and killed six Chinese nationals and three soldiers.

They were killed with bullets," Dhekana Ernest said, adding that the corpses were taken to the city of Bunia.

An army spokesperson said the soldiers guarding the mining site shot dead at least six of the attackers.

Codeco is one of numerous militias engaged in deadly conflicts over land and mineral resources in eastern Congo.

The UN has accused it of carrying out possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The militia has killed hundreds of civilians in Ituri in recent years and forced thousands to flee their homes, according to the UN.

Codeco has also been blamed for killing many foreigners in the African nation.

Beijing condemned the attack on a Chinese-funded private enterprise which it said caused the death and disappearance of several Chinese citizens.

"We urge the DRC to pursue and punish the perpetrators in accordance with the law as soon as possible," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. Beijing was working with Congolese authorities to locate the missing, she added.

Ms Ning urged Congos government to beef up security for Chinese people and enterprises in the country. "Those already in high-risk areas should be evacuated as soon as possible," she said.

Congo has granted mining concessions to many private Chinese operators that partner with local licence holders, providing funding and machinery and often bringing in Chinese workers.
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 89 Europe-bound migrants died and dozens went missing after their boat capsized off the coast of Mauritania, according to a state news agency.

They were sailing on a large traditional fishing boat when it capsized in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, the news agency quoted the Mauritanian coast guard as saying.

The boat sank about 4km from the countrys southwest city of Ndiago.

It had set sail from near the Senegalese-Gambia border towards Europe with 170 people on board, the survivors were quoted as saying.

The bodies of 89 people were brought to the coast on Monday as authorities searched for the missing passengers, the report said. A five-year-old girl was among the nine people rescued by the coast guard.

Thousands of migrants from Africa take the deadly Atlantic route to reach Europe in search of job opportunities. It is not uncommon for entire boats to vanish in the Atlantic, with a few sometimes reappearing on the other side of the ocean with no survivors.

Spains Canary Islands have become a stepping stone for migrants and refugees trying to reach continental Europe from West Africa.

In January alone, 7,270 migrants landed on the archipelago, about as many as in the first six months of 2023.

This year, migrant departures from Mauritania, which had appeared to be under control for most of last year, have surged again.

In spite of the presence of both Spanish and Mauritanian patrols off the coast, the majority of this years migrant arrivals to the Canaries have departed from the impoverished nation.

In February, The European Union announced 210m (177.9m) to help Mauritania crack down on people smugglers and deter migrant boats from taking off. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced the extra funding for migration as well as for humanitarian aid and job creation during a meeting with Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Ghazouani and Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez.

A UN-backed report has revealed that ever more migrants and refugees are embarking on dangerous journeys across Africa towards the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, risking kidnapping and even organ theft.

The routes crisscrossing the Sahara desert northwards from west and east Africa are thought to be twice as deadly as the central Mediterranean route, where more than 800 people are thought to have drowned this year, the report said.

The report, co-written by the International Organization for Migration, said more people are making the perilous journeys than four years ago, citing UN data from Tunisia that showed a more than 200 per cent increase in arrivals in 2023 versus 2020.
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 }}

Since February, five Americans have been arrested for illegally carrying ammunition from the US to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

They all boarded flights at US airports, apparently unwittingly carrying the live rounds onto planes in their hand luggage.

They all bypassed airport security and scanners during routine checks in their states respective airports.

And, to some concern, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) cant explain how.

The agency said that it was launching an investigation into each individual incident back in May after admitting that an oversight had occurred.

Now, two months on, the TSA tells The Independent that the probe is now over  and concluded it doesnt know how the ammo got past security in American airports.

Pressed for information on three specific incidents, the agency simply cited reasons such as not enough information or no video footage to make that determination.

Under US regulation, ammunition is banned from being carried in carry-on bags, a TSA spokesperson confirmed to The Independent. It can be carried in checked luggage under specific conditions.

Meanwhile, in Turks and Caicos, which has far more stringent gun laws than in the US, those caught with a firearm, ammunition, or other weapon can face a prison sentence of 12 years.

Louisiana Rep Garret Graves, chairman of the House aviation subcommittee, told The Independent that its a concern that the TSA has no idea how American tourists are managing to accidentally take ammo onto flights unnoticed.

Tyler Wenrich was arrested in April after two 9mm rounds were discovered upon boarding his cruise ship in Grand Turk ( Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force )

Obviously ammunition by itself isnt quite as dangerous as having it with a weapon; the gun is the larger concern, he told The Independent.

But yes, absolutely, it is a concern.

In April, Virginia resident Tyler Wenrich, 31, said he unwittingly carried two 9mm rounds in his hand luggage when he flew to Miami for a Royal Caribbean cruise to Grand Turk.

He also carried his ammo through the cruiseliners security scanner. Royal Caribbean has declined to comment.

I went through TSA at Richmond International Airport, Virginia, where my backpack was put through the security scanner, he told The Independent.

He said he got through security without the ammo being picked up on.

Oklahoma father-of-two Ryan Watson, 40, said he accidentally carried four high-calibre hunting rounds in his hand luggage through Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City in April. The ammo also went unnoticed by airport security.

Ryan Watson, left, and his wife Valerie, appearing on Good Morning America ( screengrab/Good Morning America )

And Florida local Sharitta Grier, 45, was arrested in May after she unwittingly carried two rounds through Orlando Airport in her hand luggage. She told WESH that security staff in Florida confiscated her lotion, but not the ammo, during a search of her bag.

The three  along with two other Americans Michael Lee Evans and Bryan Hagerich  were all individually arrested by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force for illegal possession of ammunition.

They all pleaded guilty and all  with the exception of Grier  have since returned to the US after paying fines and being handed suspended sentences. Grier is now the last to remain held in the Caribbean as she awaits sentencing on July 11.

Following the separate arrests of Wenrich and Watson in the Caribbean, the TSA announced in May it had launched an investigation into how the oversight occurred.

There was no video available due to the time that passed between the passengers trip through the checkpoint and our first inquiry from the media. So we were unable to make a determination, a TSA spokesperson told The Independent in reference to Wenrichs case.

In a separate statement, the spokesperson said of Watsons case: TSA acknowledged that four rounds of ammunition were missed at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.

However, there was not enough information available to us about the screening date, time and location at Richmond International Airport to make a determination.

Sharitta Grier is the last of the five Americans arrested for possessing ammo in Turks and Caicos to be sentenced ( Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force )

The TSA acknowledged it likely missed Griers rounds at Orlando International Airport, but again lacked the information to make a determination how.

When probed how the TSA will stop those with more malign intentions from packing small, prohibited items such as a pocket knife, in their carry-on luggage, the spokesperson responded: TSA is very confident in its ability to detect dangerous prohibited items at security checkpoints.

It added: TSA continuously seeks to improve internal security within the secure area beyond the checkpoint, ensuring that everyone beyond the TSA checkpoint is safe from prohibited items, including unauthorised weapons, explosives and incendiaries.

In fact, the TSA has sought to push the onus back onto travelers to check their hand luggage more thoroughly before traveling.

Loose ammunition can be easily missed in a carry-on/checked bag when a firearm is not present and represents one of the reasons TSA recommends beginning to pack for travel with an entirely empty bag to ensure against unintentionally traveling to the checkpoint with prohibited items, the 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 }}

Chase Bank officials warned the company's 86 million customers that checking accounts might not be free in the future if the federal government implements regulations capping overdraft and late fees.

Chase is the largest consumer bank and one of the top credit card issuers in the US. It is now looking to charge for once-free services to cover the loss of revenue from the fee caps.

CEO of Consumer & Community Banking Marianne Lake told the Wall Street Journal she believes other banks will follow suit if the regulations pass.

Under the new proposal, the cost to overdraw on a bank account could drop to as little as $3. Currently, Chase Bank charges a $34 overdraft fee per transaction that overdraws a balance by more than $50, with a maximum of three fees per day. That means the maximum a person can currently be charged for overdraws in a business day is $102.

The proposed regulations are being spearheaded by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and would limit banks to only charging customers the amount it would cost them to break even on an overdraft. One proposed version of the regulation would put an $8 cap on credit card late pay fees, and a $3 cap on overdraft charges.

Chase Bank may begin charging fees for checking accounts and other typically free bank services if the federal government passes regulations capping overdraft and credit card late fees. ( Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Lake said that services that are currently free to bank customers  such as wealth management tools, credit score trackers and checking accounts  could end up with a cost if the government mandates fee caps.

The changes will be broad, sweeping, and significant, she said, noting that the people who can least afford those services will be the most affected by Chase's decision to pass the cost of regulation onto the consumer.

Lake warned that it is reasonable to expect the industry will make sweeping changes to how products and services are offered and priced" if the regulations pass.

She further said obtaining credit will become much more expensive and free checking may only be attainable for the most affluent Americans."

The banks are expected to fight the regulations and may challenge any regulatory legislation up to the Supreme Court, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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 }}

Makayla Pithan Trumbo had been wearing a beautiful necklace containing her mothers ashes for eight months when she received a frantic phone call last year from her sisters.

Something was happening at Return to Nature funeral home, the Colorado funeral home theyd hired to make arrangements after their beloved mothers February death, they told her. There was a big police presence at the property in Penrose, Makaylas sisters continued, and reports of bodies that had been stored improperly.

Makayla, at first, didnt worry, reasoning that too much time had passed since her mothers death for her remains to have been caught up in the scandal. The family had also used Return to Nature firstly following the death of her uncle, then the traumatic 2020 stillbirth of Makaylas nephew Parker. For three years, her sister Haylea had kept a shadow box in her living room containing Parkers urn, his blanket and ultrasound photos.

As news began to trickle out that nearly 200 bodies had been found amidst horrendous conditions, however, the former certified nursing assistant began doing the math, calculating that remains had likely been kept for significant periods of time. And she couldnt get those images out of her head.

Ive experienced a lot of deaths and seeing what a human body looks like when they first die, Makayla, 24, tells The Independent. So I just couldnt wrap my head around what that building must be like, with all of these different bodies in there  and there are different decomposition levels.

Her mind then turned to the necklace shed been devotedly wearing since the death of her 66-year-old mom, Karan Lea Blue, a loving grandmother of 24 who unfailingly called each of her six children every single morning and every single night.

I took it off immediately, because  what is in here? Is it someone elses loved ones? Is it just concrete? she says. Because if these people are sick enough to do this, how much sicker can they be? What could they have done to this necklace?

The loved ones of Colorado woman Karan Lea Blue, who passed away in February 2023 at the age of 66, were horrified to learn her remains had been improperly stored at the funeral home theyd hired -- and the fate of her stillborn grandson remains in question ( Makayla Pithan Trumbo )

Her mothers remains, it would turn out, were among those left to languish unceremoniously at Return to Nature. Her uncle, thankfully, had been properly cremated. Her sister is still waiting for answers and confirmation regarding the fate of her stillborn baby  as criminal and civil actions continue in the wake of the horrifying discovery.

It just kept getting worse and worse and worse, Makayla says  forcing the family to grieve over and over, news reports of the gruesome finds serving as a constant reminder of loss.

That grief and horror was compounded by revelations that state oversight of Return to Nature  and the funeral industry in general  had been practically nonexistent. Funeral homes did not require a license or training to run and were not regularly or adequately monitored.

If you look at all these other little businesses out here, like salons even have regulations and food places and stuff like that, she says. So you think that someone that is handling dead bodies, someone that is handling biohazard material, should have very strict protocols and should be having regular checks.

There is federal regulation of the funeral home industry, but that applies mostly to the financial end of the businesses. The rest is left up to the states individually, and Colorado  until last month  was among the most hands-off.

Every state has their own kind of needs and goals and what they think is important  so we try to not really push down and dictate, Christopher Farmer, general counsel for the National Funeral Directors Association, tells The Independent. We have recommendations, we have kind of proposed model laws  but we respect the autonomy of the state.

A hearse and van sit outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home on October 6, 2023, in Penrose, Colorado; the owners were arrested after authorities discovered nearly 200 decaying bodies at the property ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

In Colorados case, nearly anyone, essentially, could open up a funeral home; neither a degree nor a high school diploma was required. Unlike nearly every other state, Colorado didnt license funeral directors or require some certification, The Denver Post reported earlier this year. State officials havent regularly inspected funeral homes and only devoted one-quarter of one full-time position to regulate 220 funeral homes and 77 crematories.

Colorado was, if not the, probably the most lax in the country, said Farmer, noting the potential for those bad actors and bad things to happen.

The Return to Nature scandal was neither the first nor last in recent years highlighting the pitfalls of the states dearth of regulation  with offenses ranging from selling body parts to stashing bodies and cremains in residential crannies. When legislation sunsetted four decades ago, new rules were never implemented  and the recent scandals called blaring attention to the consequences.

No one wants to talk about death or dying; [that], is why legislators avoid changing the law at all within the death care industry, State Rep Matthew Soper, who helped spearhead the new rules, tells The Independent. And never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be the leader in death care and funeral home reform in Colorado  I certainly did not want to be an expert in all things death and dying.

Soper was introduced to Colorados lax regulation after attending a memorial service for victims of another funeral home scandal  this one centering around illegal body brokering. The mother and daughter operators of that business, Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose, were arrested in 2020 and are currently serving federal prison sentences.

Return to Nature owners Carre and Jon Halford face both federal and state charges after the gruesome find ( AP )

I was shocked, Soper says. I could not believe how few rules there were in this space.

The Sunset Mesa case had been particularly egregious. Megan Hess, then 46, was sentenced last year to 20 years in prison as part of a plea deal; her mother, 69-year-old Shirley Koch, was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty to one count of mail fraud and aiding and abetting.

The pair, from 2010 through 2018, stole the bodies or body parts of hundreds of victims, and then sold those remains to victims purchasing the remains for body broker services, the US Attorneys Office said in a press release announcing the sentences.

Hess, it continued, would meet promise to complete cremation services and return cremains to loved ones  but instead the Sunset Mesa operator and others would harvest body parts from, or prepare the entire bodies of, the decedents for sale in body broker services.

Soper liaised with many families devastated by the Sunset Mesa case, recalling: Almost every victim described it the same way  and that was as a second death.

More Colorado families, however, were destined to suffer that same re-victimization.

In February 2020, the mother of a stillborn boy contacted authorities to report that shed been given more ashes than could fit in an infant-sized urn by a funeral home operated by Shannon Kent, then the Lake County coroner. It would be only one of an avalanche of problems associated with a string of homes operated by Kent and his wife, Staci, in Colorado mountain towns; authorities searching the home discovered everything from foul smells and leaking bodily fluids to unlabeled cremains and animal remains.

Karan Lea Blue, 66, was a beloved grandmother of 24 and mother of six who checked on her children every day; her loved ones had picked out special necklaces containing her ashes -- but had to order a whole new cremation and new jewelry after her remains were discovered improperly stored more than half a year after her death ( Makayla Pithan Trumbo )

Both Kents were arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse and misconduct related to their handling of the body of a truck driver, 42-year-old Viktor Akubuo, whose remains were left for months on end in a coffin. After two mistrials, they were eventually both found not guilty.

Shannon Kent pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful cremation in December 2022 and was sentenced to six months in jail. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed 12 other charges, including five counts of abuse of a corpse.

Staci Kent pleaded guilty last year to one count of unlawful act of cremation, was fined $5,000 and sentenced to one year of probation.

During the same time period, however, bad operators a little further south were mishandling loved ones remains in Penrose  though their misdeeds would only be uncovered after neighbors reported a foul smell coming from the property last October. Investigating authorities encountered stacks of partially covered human remains, bodily fluids several inches deep on the floor, and flies and maggots throughout the building, The AP reported.

Twenty-three of the bodies had death dates from 2019 and 61 were from 2020, FBI agent Andrew Cohen testified in January  with remains including adults, infants and fetuses.

Return to Natures owners, Carie and Jon Hallford, were arrested in November in Oklahoma and subsequently each charged in Colorado with approximately 190 counts of abuse of a corpse, five counts of theft, four counts of money laundering and over 50 counts of forgery.

Republican Colorado State Rep. Matt Soper and Democratic Sen. Dylan Roberts appear at a March news conference to unveil bipartisan legislation to license funeral home professionals in Colorado; Soper tells The Independent that, when he first began delving into the issue, I could not believe how few rules there were in this space ( Associated Press )

Prosecutors revealed texts in court between the owners in which one suggested disposing of bodies by digging a big hole and treating them with lye or setting them on fire, according to The AP.

The Hallfords next court date is scheduled for next week, when they are expected to either enter pleas of not guilty or possibly accept a plea deal that would see both serve approximately 20 years in prison. They also, however, face federal charges, pleading not guilty last year to 15 counts of wire fraud.

As the horrors in Penrose were coming to light earlier this year, however, yet another funeral home scandal hit the news. The body of a 62-year-old woman was discovered in a hearse, strapped to a gurney and covered by a blanket, during the February court-ordered eviction of a rental home in the Denver suburb of Littleton, where authorities also discovered the remains of about 30 people.

Miles Harford, the 33-year-old former owner of Apollo Funeral and Cremation Services  which lost its license in 2022  was arrested and faces felony forgery and abuse of a corpse charges; his arraignment is scheduled for August.

Colorado lawmakers, faced with an avalanche of embarrassing scandals, finally acted. Governor Jared Polis signed two new bills into law in May, bringing the state more in line with the rest of the country. One requires regulators to routinely inspect funeral homes and give them more enforcement power. Another implements licensing for funeral directors and other workers in the industry. They would need to pass background checks and a national exam while possessing degrees and work experience.

The changes certainly feel satisfying, Soper tells The Independent. It feels like the culmination of a legislative lifetimes worth of work have completely reformed the industry, both criminal laws, business laws, civil laws and regulatory laws, to be able to really save the industry in Colorado and to prevent future victims.

Loved ones of Karan Lea Blue, pictured, were already grieving when the scandal hit and not only traumatized them but served as a constant reminder of loss, her daughter tells The Independent , adding:I just hope that rules and regulations are put into place and they realize that, even though that person is not in that body anymore, it still affects the people that loved them ( Makayla Pithan Trumbo )

Countless families, meanwhile  like Makayla mourning her mom Karan  continue to grapple with the pain lax regulations caused them.

She was identified pretty quickly; we were able to get her remains from the coroners office, and we had one of the other funeral homes that were offering to do the cremation for free complete the proper cremation, Makayla tells The Independent, reiterating how Karan was the backbone of our family..

And we all got new necklaces, and we got a new scatter urn, because were going to be spreading her ashes.

The family wants to spread her ashes in Gunnison, a beautiful stretch of Colorado where Karans father was a guide and outfitter and presided over thousands of acres. They were hoping to make the journey in August but will likely postpone until next year because theres a lot of fresh feelings with the criminal case and now the federal case and everything else.

I feel like I just lost my mom all over again, she says, choking up as she calls her mother the center of everything.

Her sister Haylea, meanwhile, remains in limbo about the remains of her stillborn son.

They really just dont have an answer for her, Makayla says. So we dont know where his body is at.

Makayla is part of a Facebook group for the hundreds if not thousands of loved ones impacted by the Colorado funeral home scandal, but says she isnt ready yet to reach out to other families who continue to live the same nightmare.

I just hope that rules and regulations are put into place and they realize that, even though that person is not in that body anymore, it still affects the people that loved them, she tells The Independent.

Because that was their vessel here while they were on Earth, and it still has a lot of meaning behind it.
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 young womans father said he pleaded with a judge not to release her ex-boyfriend from jail, warning he would kill her if he did.

The judge didnt heed his warnings.

And five days later, the 22-year-olds body was found mutilated in her own car  and police say her boyfriend is responsible.

University of Southern Mississippi student Lauren Johansen, who had been on track to get her nursing degree, was found dead on Thursday in the vehicle which was parked in the middle of a cemetery in Harrison County, Mississippi.

Her beaten, bloodied remains were wrapped up in trash bags over the back seats.

Now, her former partner Bricen Rivers, 23, has been arrested and charged with her murder.

Bricen Rivers was arrested just after midnight on Thursday and has been charged with murder ( Harrison County Sheriffs Department )

Rivers had been released on a bond just five days before Johansens death.

Nashville Metro Police first arrested Rivers on December 12 on an aggravated kidnapping charge, according to charging documents.

Johnasens father Lance Johansen alleged that Rivers had held his daughter hostage and beat her while the couple were on vacation in Nashville, Tennessee, he told WLOX News.

A spokesperson from Nashville Metro Police confirmed to The Independent that Rivers was arrested on an aggravated kidnapping charge after he visciously beat Johansen causing her to nearly lose consciousness in a parking lot near Scovel Street.

Rivers bond was originally set at $250,001, according to the Davidson County District Attorneys Office.

But months later, Judge Cheryl Blackburn reduced it significantly to $150,000.

I sat in the courtroom in Nashville and told the judge that if they let him out, he was going to kill her, Johansen, a respected orthopaedic surgeon, told the outlet.

On Monday, the father received an eerie voicemail from the district attorneys office warning him that Rivers had been released and that they were unable to locate him.

They let him out and didnt tell us, and didnt put the ankle monitor on him. They just let him walk out of jail, Johansen said.

Rivers was supposed to report to a GPS company to be fitted with an ankle monitor, a source from the DAs office said. He was also told to stay within Davidson County.

But as soon as he was released, he did not report to that GPS monitoring company, and he has not been heard from, a staff member at the office said to the father in a recording obtained by WLOX News.

I wanted to make sure Lauren is safe, he added.

Lauren Johansen, 22, was found dead in her car on Thursday ( WLOX )

Johansen immediately tried to call his daughter but she failed to pick up the phone. After receiving a text from her phone, he noted that there was something off in the reply.

In the early hours of Tuesday, the students family tracking app had been switched off and his youngest daughter  who lived with her sister  said that she had not been home.

The front door of their home had been flung open, security cameras were destroyed and her car was gone.

The family filed a missing persons report with the Hattiesburg Police Department, which then went on to track the vehicle down  making the tragic discovery.

I knew she was dead, Johansen said.

The distraught father said that her face was smashed in, her head was smashed in, she was brutally beaten, before adding that there were multiple holes in her head.

Rivers allegedly ran off when authorties arrived on the scene, and was arrested after being found in the woods several hours later.

Jail records first seen by Law&Crime show that Rivers was booked with a $1,000,000 bond not long after midnight on July 4.

The Independent has contacted Nashville Metro Police, Hattiesburg Police Department, Davidson County District Attorneys Office and Judge Blackburn for comment.
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

A suspected drunk driver, who crashed into and killed at least three people in a New York Park during Fourth of July celebrations, was a substance abuse counselor and the author of a book teaching people how to cope with addiction, it has been revealed.

Daniel Christopher Hyden, 44, was taken into custody following the horrific incident on Thursday  in part with the help of some good Samaritans  and charged with driving while intoxicated and for not having a valid license.

Under the pen name DC Hyden, Hyden is listed on Amazon as the author of The Sober Addict: A Guide on How to Be Functional With the Dysfunctional Disease of Addiction.

The book is described as a practical guide on how to effectively live and cope with the dysfunctional, lifelong disease of addiction.

In it, he describes himself as an ex-professional addict with over eighteen years of use and abuse experience. He says his passion is to help addicted clients successfully move through the various stages of change to prevent their deaths.

Daniel Christopher Hyden, the man suspected of drunkenly driving his vehicle into crowds celebrating July 4 in a New York park, was a substance abuse counsellor and author ( New York Police Department )

At least three people were killed and around seven others were injured after Hyden allegedly drove his gray F-150 on a sidewalk and crashed into a Corlears Hook Park on the Lower East Side, barreling into one group who were having a barbecue for the occasion.

Many families were inside the park at the time of the crash celebrating together, the New York Police Department (NYPD) said on Thursday night.

Officials say that 11 people were struck in the incident, including four who became trapped under the car. At the scene, two people were pronounced dead before a third died overnight, local reports say.

Authorities suspect that the driver may have been intoxicated at the time of the crash ( CBS New York )

Police say that a 59-year-old woman, a 38-year-old man, and an unidentified woman were the three people who have been pronounced dead.

A 30-year-old woman remains in hospital in critical condition after the devastating crash, while other victims, whose ages range between 11-years-old and 38-years-old are said by police to be in stable condition.

At the polices press conference, officials reported at the time a total of nine patients and two deaths. However, senior law enforcement officials announced moments later that a third death was reported and a 10th patient had walked into a hospital with facial injuries, NBC New York reported.

Authorities do not believe that the incident appears to be an act of terrorism, but rather that it could have been alcohol-related. However, investigators have yet to confirm this.

Three people have died following the car crash during July 4 celebrations ( CBS New York )

Responding officers who did arrive on the scene did smell some alcohol, but we are still in the process of doing testing, Jeffrey Maddrey, the NYPD chief of department said.

Eric Adams, mayor of New York City, said the crowd in the park that the driver drove into was celebrating Independence Day like so many New Yorkers and Americans are doing right now.

"It appears as though at this time, based on preliminary investigation, that the driver was under the influence," Adams said. "This is extremely early. Were going to conduct a thorough investigation."

After the crash, the New York City Fire Department said their crews arrived on the scene within three-and-a-half minutes and lifted the vehicle off the victims.

Mayor Eric Adams arrives on scene after the crash on the Lower East Side ( CBS New York )

We believe, initially, that there were people who were there at the scene who grabbed the driver, removed the driver, and made sure the driver didnt leave until first responders made it to the scene," Maddrey said.

One witness in the park said the victims were enjoying a barbecue in the park before the driver plowed into the park, they told The New York Post.

Another distressed witness told the outlet that they cant get the screaming out of my head.

The investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway Districts Collision Investigation Squad. The Independent has contacted the NYPD for further information.
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 }}

One glistening day, three teenagers stumbled across a suitcase along the rocky shores of Seattles Alki Beach.

The inquisitive trio hoped to find something of value as they eagerly unzipped the black bag before setting cameras rolling for a TikTok video.

As they hauled the bag from the body of water, instead of treasure, they found the case was stuffed full of rotting human remains.

Last week saw the return of Netflixs hit true crime series Worst Roommate Ever.

In the final episode of its second season, viewers were introduced to Michael Lee Dudley.

The warm-humoured, unassuming looking 66-year-old looked, by all appearances, a committed Washington Airbnb owner.

Hed previously volunteered to drive one renter to a job interview and cared for anothers pets  he himself was smitten with his dog, Duke.

But Dudley, who has since earned the sobriquet The Lethal Landlord, was actually a killer.

In late 2019, Jessica Lewis, 35, and her boyfriend Austin Weener, 27, rented one of Dudleys rooms in Burien.

By the following summer, the couple had vanished without a trace.

Michael Lee Dudley was sentenced to over four decades in prison ( Netflix )

On June 9 2020, a neighbor said they heard a mans voice pleading for his life as gunshots rang out, according to court documents. When police arrived at the scene, Dudley refused to open the door.

The couple had gotten into a spat with the landlord over unpaid rent, prosecutors said.

The tenants were dismembered and their body parts squeezed into the suitcase.

Ten days after the murder, the three teens discovered the remains.

Austin Weener was 27 years old, Jessica Lewis was 35 ( Netflix )

The gruesome video was posted on TikTok and went viral, quickly garnering more than 30 million views.

After the discovery, police obtained a search warrant at Dudleys property where Lewis and Weener had been staying.

There, authorities discovered freshly covered bullet holes and traces of blood.

Dudley was arrested on August 19 2020 on suspicion of murder, and charged five days later.

Dudley was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder in April 2023 ( Netflix )

His ex-girlfriend of 14-years Marlys Gordon spoke out alleging that he once ricocheted her head off a patio floor with a gun in his hand, local news station King5 News reported.

Lewis aunt Gina Jaschke also claimed on Worst Roommate Ever that Dudley had previously held her niece at gunpoint, killed animals as threats and placed a tracker on her car.

On April 7 2023, Dudley was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder.

He will now likely spend the rest of his days behind bars, after he was sentenced to 46 years in prison. He is currently serving his time at Washington State Penitentiary and will not be eligible for parole until the age of 104.
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 }}

Thirteen years after a man was killed in Masontown, Pennsylvania, police have finally charged the suspected murderer.

A pristine cigarette found at the crime scene led to the arrest of Frank Timothy Campbell Jr, 38, who was charged on Wednesday with the August 2011 murder of 35-year-old Leon Mickens, according to Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele.

Mickens was fatally shot more than a decade ago  but no one had ever been charged in connection to his murder.

The cigarette was found within a couple inches to a foot to the initial blood splatter, the DA told the Herald-Standard.

Court records show he faces counts of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Aubele announced the break in the cold case on July 3, explaining that a combination of a witnesss identification and DNA evidence led to the arrest.

Campbell had been a suspect in the cold case since the murder 13 years ago, but the DNA evidence on the cigarette sealed the deal, Aubele told the outlet: It puts him right there.

After Campbell was charged, Destiny Mickens, the victims daughter, told CBS News: I feel a lot of emotions now. She added: Im very blessed, my family is very blessed that this day has finally come.

A preliminary hearing has not yet been scheduled, online records show, but he is currently in state prison on unrelated charges.
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 }}

DNA testing has helped solve a decades-old cold case involving an unidentified newborn baby who was found dead and wrapped in a jacket in Texas 20 years ago.

In November 2001, the body of a newborn girl with her umbilical cord still attached was found next to a road in Johnson County, Texas, by a local resident picking up cans who raised the alarm.

Thanks to DNA evidence, the baby's mother is now in police custody, according to the Texas Attorney Generals Office.

Investigators called the child "Angel Baby Doe" at the time of her discovery as they failed to identify her.

Angel Baby Doe's case remained unsolved for two decades until the Johnson County Sheriff's Office enlisted Othram, a company specializing in forensic testing and DNA analysis, to analyze the collected evidence from the child's case.

Shelby Stotts, is accused of 2nd degree manslaughter in the death of her newborn child, dubbed Angel Baby Doe, whose body was found abandoned next to a road in Johnson County, Texas, in 2001 ( Texas Attorney Generals Office )

"The death of Angel Baby Doe broke the hearts of the deputies and officers involved in this case," Johnson County Sheriff Adam King said. "Because this child did not have a family to advocate for justice or to grieve for her, the deputies filled that role. They never forgot about her and kept the case alive for over two decades."

Othram's team was successful in developing a DNA profile for the infant. Using the profile, the company's genealogy team was able to establish familial connections that led investigators to the child's mother.

On July 1, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the arrest of the child's mother, Shelby Stotts.

Stotts faces multiple charges, including second-degree manslaughter, for allegedly killing her newborn daughter through reckless actions. They allege that Stotts left the newborn unattended in a roadside ditch and 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.

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 statement said.

Stotts will be prosecuted in Johnson County under the laws that were in effect in 2001, according to the attorney general's office.

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 in a statement. 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.

Othram has been involved in 15 successful cold case resolutions in Texas alone.
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 }}

Fireworks weren't the only things blowing up on the Fourth of July as actor Danny Trejo was caught on camera losing his cool during a parade in Los Angeles.

The 80-year-old Machete actor was making an appearance at the Sunland-Tujunga Independence Day Parade when someone allegedly threw a water balloon at the classic car he was sitting in, ABC7 reported.

Video of the incident shows Trejo sitting in a white classic convertible and smiling for photos.

According to witnesses, at some point during the photo-op someone threw a water balloon at Trejo.

Footage then shows Trejo approaching a man in the crowd and throwing a punch at him.

The man punches back, and while he does not connect with Trejo, it does send the actor stumbling backwards and onto the ground.

The man who took a swing at Trejo then punches another man, hitting him and sending him to the ground as well.

A larger melee reportedly broke out in the crowd, during which Trejo grabbed a folding chair and tossed it into the chaos.

Bystanders  many of whom were trying to protect children at the event  quickly moved to break up the brawl and restore order.

A woman at a Los Angeles Fourth of July parade tries to hold actor Danny Trejo back after he tried to punch a man who threw a water balloon at him ( screengrab/Fox11 )

Trejo is seen in footage arguing with a woman who appears to be trying to hold him back.

Police were called to respond to a fight at the scene, but the battle had already broken up by the time they arrived.

No arrests were made.

After the incident, Trejo spoke to TMZ, and called the water balloon-slinger a coward who acted childish by throwing it at his car.

He said he was not injured during the fight.

The ruckus came just days after the actor announced his 16-year-old pet chihuahua Dixie had died.

Trejo is known for playing tough characters on screen. Prior to his acting career, he battled with drug addiction and spent time locked up in San Quentin State Prison. He got sober in 1968 and, on his release from prison, began acting.

He's had an eclectic career, and is most recently best known for his role as Machete in several Robert Rodriguez films.
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 }}

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 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 has made landfall in Mexico after tearing through Jamaica and the Windward Islands, bringing devastating winds and storm surges that have destroyed homes, wiped out power, and left at least 10 people dead.

The storm has weakened slightly to a Category 2 hurricane after it is now packing maximum sustained winds of 100mph (160km/h), yet the National Hurricane Center said it could reintensify once Beryl moves back over the Gulf of Mexico.

Follow our live coverage of Hurricane Beryl here.

Beryl has so far charted a deadly path through Jamaica, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines, destroying buildings and killing at least 10, including one in Jamaica and three in Venezuela where outer rings of the hurricane caused heavy rainfall.

On Thursday, Hurricane Beryl struck the Cayman Islands as a Category 3 hurricane, sustaining winds near 120mph (195km/h), spurring on large evacuations ahead of the impact.

Beryl is forecast to rapidly weaken as the hurricane moves farther inland and crosses the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday but is expected to slowly reintensify once the storm moves back over the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Centre.

Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has warned that Beryl would make a direct hit on Tulum, urging tourists and residents to seek higher ground, shelter, or homes of family and friends elsewhere.

Dont hesitate, material possessions can be replaced, the president wrote.

Storm shelters were opened, and tourist resorts prepared for the strong winds, as authorities also taped off beaches and thousands of troops were deployed ahead of Beryl.

Officials in Mexico warned the storm could make a rare double strike.

Map shows Hurricane Beryl reaching the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday morning ( NHC )

Ms 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.

Map shows arrival time of tropical storm force winds ( NHC )

Beryl is expected to emerge over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on Friday night, before moving northwestward toward northeastern Mexico and southern Texas by the end of the weekend, forecasters predict.

Earlier, Beryl beat records, first becoming the earliest Category 4 hurricane and later the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic.

AccuWeather forecast for path of Hurricane Beryl as makes landfall in Mexico ( AccuWeather )

Officials in the Windward Islands, where Beryl first made landfall received widespread reports of destruction and devastation in Carriacou and Petite Martinique, Grenada prime minister Dickon Mitchell said.

In half an hour, Carriacou was flattened.

A total of eight deaths have been confirmed, with Jamaica confirming the first death on Thursday and four dead in the Windward islands, including one person who was killed in Grenadas capital St Georges, when a tree fell on a house.

Three deaths were reported in Venezuela where rainfall from outer rings of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding and landslides.

We do hope there arent any other fatalities or any injuries, said Mitchell. But bear in mind the challenge we have in Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

This satellite image obtained from the NOAA shows Hurricane Beryl on July 4, 2024, at 15:10:22 GMT, heading to Mexico ( NOAA/RAMMB/AFP via Getty Images )

Authorities were scrambling to assess the situation on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, where there were initial reports of major damage but communications remained a challenge, he said.

On the Grenadines Union Island around 90 per cent of homes have been damaged or destroyed, he said.

Through Friday Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of four to six inches, with localized amounts of 10 inches, across the Yucatan Peninsula ( NHC )

Beryl is now only the second storm on record to reach the intensity of Category 5 in July after Emily did so in mid-July 2005.

Earlier on Sunday, it became the earliest storm to reach Category 4 and the first ever to do so in June.

The hurricane was downgraded Sunday evening to a Category 3, but picked up power and speed over warm ocean water and was upgraded to Category 4 on Monday morning.

Map shows warnings and forecast for Hurricane Beryl ( NHC )

With the hurricane hitting St Vincent and the Grenadines over the carnival weekend, on Sunday prime minister Ralph Gonsalves urged residents to postpone their festivities and prepare for Beryl to hit.

According to Loop News, Mr Gonsalves has already ordered the early closure of bars and postponed some carnival events.

Airports were also shuttered in Barbados, Grenada, and St Lucia on Sunday night in preparation for the storm. However, Grenadas Maurice Bishop International Airport reopened on Tuesday.

Before and after images show widespread devastation caused by Beryl in Grenada's Petite Martinique and St Vincent and the Grenadines Petit St Vincent island ( Satellite Image 2024 Maxar Technologies )

After making landfall in Mexico, Beryl is forecast to weaken. However, a computer model of Hurricane Beryls many possible paths, known as a spaghetti model, showed the direction the destructive storm could take as it moved towards the southeastern US in bathtub-warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The model showed the storm potentially blowing into the Gulf Coast, near eastern Texas and Louisiana.

Global heating, caused by burning coal, oil and gas, has been increasing temperatures on land and the ocean. Warmer ocean waters fuel hurricanes. In the area where Beryl is located, ocean temperatures are two to three degrees above normal for this time of the year, the levels that arent typically seen until September.
 Close Hurricane Beryl on path for Yucatan Peninsula, Gulf of Mexico

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 }}

Eight people have died, and millions more in Texas could be left without power for days while Beryl moves northeast.

After making landfall in the United States as a Category 1 hurricane on the coast of Matagorda on Monday morning, Beryl was downgraded to Tropical Storm then to a Depression and now as a post-tropical cyclone as it traversed inland across eastern Texas, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds and life-threatening conditions.

Around eight people are believed to be dead as a result of the storm, including seven in Texas and one in Louisiana.

This includes a civilian employee of the Houston Police Department, who was killed when he was trapped in flood waters under a highway overpass, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said.

More than 2.2 million customers were without power around Houston, the nations fourth-largest city, after Beryl blew through, according to CenterPoint Energy.

Acting Texas Governor Dan Patrick said the electric company was bringing in additional workers to help restore power more quickly.

Beryl has already left a trail of destruction as a Category 5 hurricane through Mexico and the Caribbean.

Parts of the Midwest could see tornadoes, while the northeastern US could be hit with flash floods.
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 UK has a new political leader and a new ruling party after Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party won a historic landslide victory in the nations general election on Thursday.

Winning 412 seats to just 122 for Conservatives, Rishi Sunaks party spectacularly crashed out of power after 14 years.

Britains short-lived former prime minister Liz Truss (who put in an appearance at CPAC in February) lost her seat, as did a host of other prominent Tories.

Meanmwhile, MAGA ally Nigel Farage finally won a seat for his right-wing Reform UK party, in what marked his eighth attempt at joining the House of Commons.

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has already rushed to Truth Social to congratulate his old ally while remaining silent on Starmers triumph.

President Joe Biden is expected to join other world leaders in putting in a call to Starmer as he enters 10 Downing Street later on Friday, with whoever wins Novembers presidential election expected to forge a bond to ensure the fabled special relationship between the United States and Britain remains in rude health.

But how has Americas news media reacted to these seismic political developments across the Atlantic? And what do they make of the UKs new leader?

Sir Keir Starmer is the UKs new prime minister after the Labour party won the election in a landslide ( Stefan Rousseau/PA )

Major outlets quickly lead their homepages on the landslide election victory over the other side of the pond. The New York Times headlined its coverage with a plainly matter-of-fact banner, Labour Party Wins UK Election in a Landslide, The Washington Post offered a little more color by explaining, Labour moves to take reins of power; Starmer to meet king, while CNN opted for the more bold and dramatic: The UK has a new leader.

Fox News labelled the result a power shift on its website, calling the outcome a big win for left-leaning party.

Even The New York Post was relatively sober, reporting: UKs next prime minister Keir Starmer promises age of national renewal as Labour Party celebrates landslide victory.

But they had more colorful descriptions for the man at the helm.

Lefty lawyer, the inspiration behind Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones Diary and a man who is somewhat lacking in star power were just some of the phrases used to describe Starmer almost as soon as the race was called.

With Farage, Truss and Boris Johnson the only Westminster names well-known among many US citizens, The Washington Post offered an in-depth introductory profile of Sir Keir and his intriguing real-life story.

The newspaper declared that Starmer brings working-class roots, a forensic legal style and a ruthless approach to politics and characterised him as a man of contradictions whose potential to be as transformative as former PM Tony Blair is real but threatens to be undone by the deep divisions in his own party.

The Post noted that he edited a Trotsky magazine in his youth and was once an avowed anti-monarchist but has since been knighted in reward for his work as director of public prosecutions, in which role the lefty lawyer defended vegan anarchists before prosecuting terrorists on behalf of the British crown.

The paper was not entirely sold on his lack of flash, saying he is no Winston Churchill as a public speaker, and observed: People have been able to project onto him what they want to believe.

For a long time, he even benefited from the rumor that he was the inspiration for the Mark Darcy/Colin Firth urbane-human-rights-lawyer character in the Bridget Jones books and movies.

The Post added helpfully: He was not.

The NYT also mused that Starmers star power is in short supply. The 61-year-old former human rights lawyer lacks the star power of some of his predecessors, the paper wrote, but seemed consoled by an analyst suggesting he at least looks relatively prime-ministerial.

CBS News also attempted to address the question: Who is Keir Starmer?

The network noted that the new PM has faced years of criticism for a perceived lack of charisma, but his methodical mission to drag Labour back toward the centre of British politics and broaden its appeal to voters, appears to have worked.

America remains much more enthralled by Farages creaky pizzazz, with The NYT hailing him as Britains best known political disruptorand as a polarising, pugilistic figure and a highly-skilled communicator who has poached the Conservatives voters and stands poised to pick the bones of the partys remnants.

Meanwhile, on social media, US commentators up very late or very early delighted in sharing excruciating clips of Truss making a fool of herself at CPAC in February or helpful maps to put the result in context for an American audience.

Some marvelled at the civilised transfer of power after Sunak called Starmer to congratulate him on his victory in the early hours of the morning when the result proved beyond doubt.

MSNBCs Joe Scarborough took a similar line on Fridays Morning Joe, commenting on Sunaks gracious concession in a dig at Trump: Thats called a peaceful transfer of power.

Actually thats what we had in the US from the late 1700s until the year 2020 when Donald Trump refused to do it.

Its better that way because you actually let the voters decide.

But back online, commentator Bradley P Moss insisted it was still not too late for the outgoing PM, joking: Sunak can still win if Mike Pence has courage and exposes the massive Dominion fraud.
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 }}

Texas is widening investigations into aid organizations along the U.S.-Mexico border over claims that nonprofits are helping migrants illegally enter the country, taking some groups to court and making demands that a judge called harassment after the state tried shuttering an El Paso shelter.

The efforts are led by Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office has defended the state's increasingly aggressive actions on the border, including razor wire barriers and a law that would allow police to arrest migrants who enter the U.S. illegally.

Since February, Paxton has asked for documents from at least four groups in Texas that provide shelter and food to migrants. That includes one of the largest migrant aid organizations in Texas, Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, which on Wednesday asked a court to stop what the group called a fishing expedition into a pond where no one has ever seen a fish.

The scrutiny from the state has not stopped the organizations' work. But leaders of some groups say the investigations have caused some volunteers to leave and worry it will cast a chilling effect among those working to help migrants in Texas.

Here are some things to know about the investigations and the groups:

What started the investigations?

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott sent Paxton a letter in 2022 urging him to investigate the role nongovernmental organizations play in planning and facilitating the illegal transportation of illegal immigrants across our borders." Two years earlier, Abbott began rolling out his multibillion-dollar border security apparatus known as Operation Lone Star.

Without citing evidence, Abbott's letter referenced unspecified recent reports" that some groups may be acting unlawfully. Paxton later accused Annunciation House in El Paso, one of the oldest migrant shelters on the border, of human smuggling and other crimes.

The groups have denied the accusations and no charges have been filed.

Other Republicans and conservative groups have cheered on Texas' effort.

Which groups are targets?

Many nonprofit organizations on the Texas border are faith-based and have operated for years  and in some cases decades  without state scrutiny.

Several groups have coordinated with Abbott's busing program that has transported more than 119,000 migrants to Democratic-led cities across the U.S. Some of those partnerships began to erode, however, following reports of poor conditions onboard the buses and frustration among migrant aid groups that migrants were arriving in cities without warning.

In addition to Annunciation House, Paxton has sent letters to Angeles Sin Fronteras in Mission, Texas; Team Brownsville; and Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.

The Catholic Charities group is part of the Brownsville diocese and offers services to existing residents as well as migrants. It opened a shelter for migrants in 2017 that typically receives more than 1,000 people a week, most of whom stay only a few days.

In court documents, Catholic Charities said it provided over 100 pages of documents to Paxtons office and a sworn statement from its executive director. But in June, Paxton asked a court to allow the state to depose a member of the organization about intake procedures, communication with local and state law enforcement, and the organizations practices for facilitating alien crossings over the Texas-Mexico border.

Catholic Charities has denied wrongdoing and this week asked a judge to deny Paxton's request.

What have courts said so far?

This week, a judge in El Paso accused Paxton's office of overreaching in its pursuit of evidence of criminal activity.

That ruling involved Annunciation House, whose records Paxton began seeking in February. The Catholic shelter in El Paso opened in 1978.

In a scathing ruling, state District Judge Francisco X. Dominguez said Paxton's attempts to enforce a subpoena for records of migrants violated the shelters constitutional rights.

This is outrageous and intolerable, the judge wrote.

Paxton's office has not returned messages seeking comment on the ruling. The state could appeal the decision.

It is not clear when a court might rule in the investigation involving Catholic Charities.

Have Texas' actions disrupted aid groups?

Each group that received letters from Paxton's office has continued to offer aid to migrants.

But at Annunciation House, executive director Ruben Garcia said negative comments from Paxton have caused some volunteers to leave over concerns that they could get caught up in the legal process.

Marissa Limon Garza, the executive director of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in El Paso, said the legal actions toward their partners are seen as an attack on values of binational communities that help migrant communities. Garza added it's had a chilling effect.

If this organization that has over 40 years of commitment to standing in solidarity with the most vulnerable in our region is in the eye of the administration, that makes you wonder if your organization will be next, Limon Garza said.
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 Disney heiress has threatened to stop all donations to the Democratic party unless Joe Biden is replaced as its candidate, saying that the stakes are too high.

Abigail Disney, a long-standing donor to the Democrats, hailed the president as a good man who had served his country admirably, but warned that the GOP would win in November if a change of leadership was not made.

Disney, the granddaughter of Roy O Disney who founded the company with his brother Walt, is the latest high-profile person to speak out publicly about Biden stepping down, following his disastrous performance in the presidential debate with Donald Trump last week.

The president has said he has no plans to withdraw from the race, despite multiple calls for him to do so.

In a statement shared with CNBC, Disney said: I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket.

President Joe Biden has said he has no plans to withdraw from the race, despite calls for him to do so, following his diastrous dbate performance against Donald Trump last week ( Getty Images )

This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high.

She continued: If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.

Disney has not donated to the Biden campaign during this election cycle, a spokesperson told The Independent.

However, she has been a longtime supporter of Democrats and their initiatives, giving $50,000 to the Jane Fonda Climate political action committee in April.

She gave $150,000 in 2014 to Planned Parenthood Votes, a PAC affiliated with the healthcare nonprofit, according to OpenSecrets. That PAC this election cycle has spent over $400,000 supporting Democrats, including $26,000 for Biden.

Echoing the sentiments of some senior Democrats, who have spoken to The Independent, Disney also pointed to Vice President Kamala Harris as an alternative to Biden, arguing shed be able to defeat Trump.

Abigail Disney, a long-standing donor to the Democrats, has warned that the GOP would win in November if a change of leadership was not made ( Getty Images )

We have an excellent Vice President, her statement to CNBC continued.

If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Bidens (and lets not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot.

Questions about Bidens leadership capabilities have swirled ever since he went toe-to-toe with Trump last week. The Biden campaign claimed the 81-year-old presidents poor performance was due to him suffering from a cold and also jet lag from a heavy travel schedule.

The president also reportedly told a group of Democratic governors that he needs to work fewer hours and get more sleep, which includes limiting events after 8pm, two people who took part in the meeting told The New York Times.

Disneys decision to stop her donations comes in the wake of similar actions by other wealthy Democrat donors, including Gideon Stein, the president of the Moriah Fund, and philanthropist Karla Jurvetson.
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 }}

CNNs chief medical correspondent has called for Joe Biden to undergo detailed cognitive and movement disorder testing after observing the presidents concerning behavior in recent weeks.

Dr Sanjay Gupta said that following Bidens disastrous performance in last weeks debate against Donald Trump, he had received dozens of calls and messages from fellow medical professionals.

From a neurological standpoint, we were concerned with his confused rambling; sudden loss of concentration in the middle of a sentence; halting speech and absence of facial animation, resulting at times in a flat, open-mouthed expression, Gupta wrote in an article for CNN.

To be clear, these are only observations, not in any way diagnostic of something deeper, and none of these doctors wished to suggest that was the case.

The consensus from the doctors reaching out to me, however, was that the president should be encouraged to undergo detailed cognitive and movement disorder testing, and those results should be made available to the public.

CNN chief medical correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta said that the presidents behaviour in recent weeks had been conerning ( Getty Images )

Biden was given a brief medical examination by his physician following the debate last week. In a call to several prominent Democratic governors this week he told them he was in good health, but that would ideally want to finish his working days by 8pm.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre relayed earlier this week that the presidents medical team had said a cognitive test on the 81-year-old had not been necessary.

Bidens team said he had had a bad night during the debate, later claiming that he had been suffering from a cold but had not taken any medication. The president also blamed his heavy travel schedule in the previous weeks.

However, despite his reassurances, senior members of the Democratic party have raised concerns.

Its a legitimate question whether Bidens debate performance was an episode or a condition, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during an MSNBC interview on Tuesday.

( AFP via Getty Images )

This, Gupta said, was why detailed testing is important  to determine whether there is a simpler explanation for the symptoms displayed by the president, or if there is a more concerning reason.

As a doctor, I would want to understand the possibility of underlying dementia because, over the past several years, we have learned that there are medical treatments and lifestyle changes that can delay and, in some cases, even reverse the symptoms of the disease, he wrote.

It comes as Biden held a rally in Wisconsin on Friday, ahead of the broadcast of a major interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos which, he hopes could help reset his 2024 re-election campaign and reassure voters.
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 }}

Donald Trump has branded the ABC News host George Stephanopoulos as the meanest and most vicious interviewer in a Truth Social tirade ahead of Joe Bidens make-or-break interview on Friday evening.

The president is due to sit down with the news anchor in Madison, Wisconsin, with the pre-recorded interview being broadcast in full at 8pm ET as a prime-time special, with a preview teased on World News Tonight at 6.30pm.

The full interview was initially meant to be aired on This Week on Sunday evening before ABC News pushed forward the program as pressure mounts for Biden to prove hes fit for office.

The high-stakes interview is predicted to be the presidents last-ditch attempt to claw back support with both his divided Democrat camp  three of whom have called for him to stand aside  and the public following last weeks debate disaster against Donald Trump.

Less than 24 hours before Bidens interview, the former Republican president placed ABC and Stephanopoulos in his cross hairs in an attempt to seemingly discredit the broadcaster and its star anchor.

The meanest and most vicious Interviewer out there is George Slopadopoulos of FAKE NEWS ABC, one of the worst and most vile Broadcasters in the business, he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday evening.

Donald Trump, who has outstanding quarrels with ABC, lashed out at its star host, George Stephanopoulos, on Thursday ( AFP via Getty Images )

Trump is embroiled in a legal battle with the news outlet after filing a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and Stephanopoulos in May over an interview in which the host referred to the sexual assault of E Jean Carroll as rape.

Now ABC, and Liddle George, a tiny, angry man, can make up for their past indiscretions and journalistic failures by doing a real interview with Crooked Joe, not a cut up promotion with only his few coherent answers released to the public, he continued.

Question marks over Bidens age and mental fitness have been hurled back into the spotlight after he left the CNN stage in Atlanta, Georgia, last Thursday, who at points struggled to string together a coherent sentence.

The president himself admitted that he didnt have his best night, he told supporters alongside the first lady at a campaign rally on Tuesday.

Sources close to Biden told the Politico Playbook newsletter that the president is preparing for tough questions in Fridays interview and is determined to present himself as sharp, alert and able to deal with questions.

Some Democrats are concerned, however, that even if Biden appears sharp-witted its too little too late, as Rep Debbie Dingell told MSNBC on Thursday that one interview tomorrow is not going to fix this.

It might be too little too late for Biden, top Democrats say ( Getty Images )

Biden, on the surface, remains stoic and has doubled down that hes not going anywhere, he told military families gathered to watch July 4 fireworks at the White House.

Just 45 minutes after Trumps fiery note online, he returned to the keyboard with a proposition for the president: a second no holds barred debate.

The pair are already set to meet again for their second pre-planned televised debate on ABC in September  which Biden has firmly committed to.

I have the answer to the Crooked Joe Biden Incompetence Puzzle  Lets do another Debate, but this time, no holds barred, the ex-president posted on Truth Social with his trademark sporadic use of capital letters.

An all-on discussion, with just the two of us on stage, talking about the future of our Country, he added.

The proposed Trump-Biden showdown would be unmoderated  unlike the CNN debate that had hosts Jake Tapper and Dana Bash at the helm. The stripped-back rules would see two political rivals sparring without intrusion.

It would also, under great pressure, prove his competence, or lack thereof, Trump said, taking a last swipe at Bidens poor debate performance.

The president has not responded to his Republican rivals calls for a debate.
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 defiant President Joe Biden told voters he isnt going anywhere and pledged to deny Donald Trump a second White House term, even as he continues to face more calls to stand down from the 2024 presidential race amid questions over his fitness to compete for and serve out a second four-year term.

Biden, who spoke to a raucous crowd of supporters in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, said he is his partys nominee in this years presidential election because of millions of Democrats like you who voted for him in primaries all across America.

The voters did that, and despite that, some folks dont seem to care who you voted for ... theyre trying to push me out of the race, he said, referring to the growing chorus of Democrats who want him to exit the race on account of his rambling, meandering and disturbing performance against Trump just over a week ago.

As the crowd of supporters chanted lets go Joe and four more years, Biden declared that he is not going to bow to that pressure.

Let me say as clearly as I can: Im staying in the race. Ill beat Donald Trump, he said. I beat him in 2020 ... and by the way, were going to do it again in 2024!

Continuing, Biden said he would not permit one 90-minute debate to wipe out three and a half years of work, and touted his accomplishments as president, including creating 15 million new jobs and reducing student debt for nearly five million Americans while putting the first Black woman on the US Supreme Court.

Joe Biden attends a campaign rally in Wisconsin on July 5. ( AP )

Earlier in the day as he departed Washington for the campaign stop, the 81-year-old chief executive was asked whether he still believes he can defeat his likely opponent, former president Donald Trump, in Novembers general election.

Yes, Biden said, taking a pausing before he ascended a set of air-stairs to board Air Force One.

The presidents hastily-arranged travel to the Badger State capital comes on the same day he is set to participate in a make-or-break television interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopolous in a desperate effort to turn around flagging support for his candidacy among prominent Democratic donors and some officeholders.

In the days since his shambolic performance against Trump in the first debate between the two men since they last faced off during the 2020 election, a small but growing chorus of elected officials has said Bidens best course of action to head off a defeat at Trumps hands is to stand aside in favor of another candidate, most likely Vice President Kamala Harris.

President Joe Biden expressed confidence as he traveled to Wisconsin ahead of a rally and ABC News interview ( AP )

Among those former surrogates and supporters who are now calling for Biden to step back is Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who said in a statement on Friday the president saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years.

The best way forward right now is a decision for the President to make. Over the coming days, l urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump, she added.

Several members of Congress have also called for Biden to consider withdrawing his candidacy, and a growing number of top Democratic donors  including Disney heiress Abigail Disney and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman  have said the 46th president should take his name out of consideration as his partys nominee, while threatening to withhold donations to Democratic candidates until he does.

To date, Biden has refused to even consider standing aside, and in a succession of public statements since the disastrous debate has said he is staying in the race.

But privately, he has told confidantes that he may yet have to bow to the pressure to pull out, though he still believes he can convince doubters with strong performances in his Friday television interview, at the NATO summit he is hosting next week in Washington and in a press conference he has scheduled during the summit.
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 }}

Virginia Senator Mark Warner is looking to lead a group of Democratic senators that want President Joe Biden to step aside before Novembers election, The Washington Post reported.

Warner is reportedly saying to colleagues that Biden cant stay in the race following his dismal debate performance and that hes worried that Biden cannot run a campaign that will defeat former president Donald Trump.

In a statement to The Post, a spokesperson for the senator said: Like many other people in Washington and across the country, Senator Warner believes these are critical days for the presidents campaign, and he has made that clear to the White House.

Senators are now discussing the best way to share their thoughts with the president. One idea is a meeting with Biden at the White House. Some senators wish Biden to remain on the ticket, but those who argue for the meetings say it could be a venue to share their concerns.

No sitting senator, including Warner, has publicly called for Biden to step aside but in private they have spoken about their rising unease.

The Democrats face stiff competition to keep their slim Senate majority and a falling Biden may drag them down.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner delivers remarks during a Rules Committee hearing. Warner is one of the senators reportedly looking for President Joe Biden to step aside ( Getty Images )

While theres agreement spreading that Biden cant remain in the race, many senators are still choosing to wait and see what happens, according to the report. Some also think that Bidens aides are not sharing the real fallout of the debate performance with the president.

The pressure was on Biden on Friday for his Wisconsin rally and his interview with ABC News set for Friday night.

Let me say as clearly as I can  Im staying in the race. Ill beat Donald Trump, Biden said during the rally. I beat him in 2020 ... and by the way, were going to do it again in 2024!

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has told senators to hold off on taking any major actions until theres more polling on both Biden and Democrats as a party, two people told The Post.

While Warner hasnt made any public statements regarding Bidens debate performance, many other senators shared messages backing Biden but worried about the consequences of the debate.

No sitting senator has publicly called for Biden to step aside but in private they have spoken about their rising unease ( Getty Images )

Fellow Democratic Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, whos running for re-election, said at a campaign stop that the bottom line is, Joe Biden is our president. Hes a patriotic American. Hes done a good job. He puts others first, not himself, according to The Progress-Index.

He added: He had one race that was an existential race in 2020 and he had to win it. Hes racked up a great record as president.

Three Republican congressional leaders went to President Richard Nixon in August 1974 amidst the Watergate scandal to tell him he wouldnt survive impeachment, leading to his resignation two days later.

One Democratic senator told The Post: I think there is a sense among many that the current path may not be sustainable for him.

They added: Not because of the debate alone but how well he performs in the future. He obviously has to show strength right now.
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 cold was worse than previously reported as the president underwent cram sessions during prep ahead of his disasterous debate performance against Donald Trump, according to a new report.

Aides and Biden, 81, himself have blamed the cold and rejected concerns regarding his age and stamina. Two days before the debate, it was so bad Biden could barely speak, the five sources told Politico.

After a short mock debate, the president chose to rest instead of participating in additional sessions that day. Two days before the June 27 debate, Biden took two COVID tests that both came back negative.

The following day was packed with prep, including policy huddles and a smaller mock debate, as aides tried to make up for lost time. Another session was held on Thursday before Biden headed to Atlanta for the debate.

A number of advisors regretted that final session but still couldnt foresee Bidens dismal performance.

All it did was wear him out and muddle things, one source told the outlet.

President Joe Biden looks on during his debate with Donald Trump in June 2024. New details of how he prepared for the event have been unveiled ( AFP via Getty Images )

Bidens poor debate has come under heavy scrutiny, leading to calls for him to step aside ahead of the November election.

The criticism of the debate preparation has increased among Bidens inner circle and targeted two more recent additions to Bidenworld  Anita Dunn, who played CNN moderator Dana Bash during the debate prep sessions, and her husband Bob Bauer, who played former President Donald Trump, Politico noted.

Last Sunday, some Biden family members criticized top aides and argued that they should be removed. Longtime aides are now also sharing their concerns regarding the presence of Hunter Biden in meetings with his father.

Hunter, in return, reportedly blamed some aides for his fathers performance. Politico also noted Hunter remains angry about his guilty verdict on federal gun charges last month.

Hunter has argued for the removal of Bauer and Dunn, Politico reported, but White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told the outlet that The President and First Lady have full confidence in their team, including Anita and Bob. There is absolutely no truth to these unfounded and insulting rumors.

The president spent most of his debate sessions with longtime advisors such as former Chief of Staff Ron Klain, along with aides Mike Donilon and Bruce Reed, according to a Politico report.

Bidens debate prep started with short sessions on policy and on Trump whenever the president had time  aboard Air Force One during two trips last month, at the White House, and finally at Camp David during the course of six days.

Biden got to Camp David on the Saturday before the debate. That night, the campaign leaked the 14 names of those who would be present for the sessions. But most of them would only be there for one or two days.

The first debate session took place in the Shangri La Theater and ran for about 45 minutes on the Monday before the Thursday debate. A second session that evening went on for an hour in a hangar where a full debate stage had been set up.

Dunn and White House communications director Ben LaBolt acted as the moderators. Most of Bidens staff sat at a long table behind the mock moderators, while Klain and Donilon sat closer to Biden at their own table.

When Biden came over to the long table, he asked for feedback from everyone there, including the camera operator. Five people told Politico that several aides told Biden to be more aggressive in pushing back on Trump.

But Biden had a bad cold the following morning, which impacted plans for further prep.

President Biden returning from Camp David on July 1. Sources have now detailed how debate prep went before the presidents disastrous performance against Donald Trump ( AP )

There was never a plan to cancel or postpone the debate, Politico noted. Bidens voice was slightly better on Thursday morning, but Bidens aides began sharing the news of the cold about an hour into the debate.

The president himself has appeared outwardly resolute to stay in the race but has reportedly shared doubts that he can recover in private.

Biden has also spoken about his foreign travel before the debate as having worn him out, adding that he didnt listen to his staff about his demanding schedule, saying in a radio interview that he screwed up.

Despite Biden offering explanations for his poor performance, it has done little to slow the calls for the 81-year-old to step aside. As Biden was more energetic during a Friday rally, a sign behind the president at the Madison, Wisconsin, event called for him to pass the torch.
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 }}

While President Joe Bidens support wanes, Vice President Kamala Harris is facing growing calls to replace him on the Democratic party ticket in Novembers election.

And it seems that all the chatter may be front and center of her mind.

In a potentially telling verbal gaffe, Harris slipped up and almost called Biden vice president before swiftly correcting herself as the pair put on a united front at a July 4 event at the White House.

We give thanks to our commander-in-chief, the vice the president of the United States! The extraordinary president of the United States Joe Biden, she told the crowd.

Standing alongside First Lady Jill Biden, the president appeared not to notice the slip-up and accepted the applause.

He jovially wished the crowd a happy Independence Day, appearing nonchalant in the face of a tirade of calls for him to step aside and hand the ticket to his vice president.

It was something of a day riddled with gaffes, coming just hours after Biden declared himself the first Black woman to serve with a Black president in a radio interview.

Harris has been tipped as a potential Biden replacement, while the president mantains he wont be pushed out ( EPA )

Despite Harris near-slip, the pair continued to show the crowd they were united in support ( REUTERS )

By the way, Im proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first Black woman to serve with a Black president, he said in a stumble on local Philadelphia radio station Wurd on Thursday.

Biden appeared to be highlighting his appointment of Harris as the first Black vice president as well as first woman to hold the job.

To round off a trio of Biden-Harris gaffes, the president once again stumbled while giving a four-minute address during a barbecue for military families on the White House South Lawn earlier in the day.

In the remarks, the president appeared to refer to Donald Trump, his 2024 election rival running for the Republican ticket, as one of four colleagues.

It comes after a tough week as the president tries to claw back some favor among both his party and voters following his dismal debate showing versus Trump last week.

Bidens second slip of the day occured on the White House South Lawn ( REUTERS )

Jill and Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff put on united front ( AFP via Getty Images )

Since the debate, Bidens popularity has slipped in the polls, with Trump now leading the president by six points in a poll commissioned by The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Harris popularity is on the rise as a replacement for the current incumbent, finding favor with both the public, a divided Democratic party and even (though be it sarcastically) Trump  who paid respects to his potentially new Democrat Challenger.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll find 81 per cent of potential voters view her favorably compared to 78 per cent for Biden.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris at the July 4 event ( Getty Images )

Biden campaign staffers said that they are preparing to shift their focus to elevating, then electing, Harris, people informed with the matter told The Independent earlier this week.

Yet, the president remains bullish in his stance that no one else will be running for the Democratic ticket.

Im the nominee of the Democratic Party. No ones pushing me out. Im not leaving," Biden said in a call to the broader campaign, a source told BBC News.

He was also quick to quash claims of declining health, declaring to 20 senior governors on Wednesday that he was well following a medical assessment, reported Politico.
Full Text of Chinese president's signed article on Tajik media

Xinhua) 14:46, July 05, 2024

DUSHANBE, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A signed article by Chinese President Xi Jinping titled "Working Together for a Brighter Future of China-Tajikistan Relations" was published Friday on the Narodnaya Gazeta newspaper and the state-run Khovar News Agency upon his state visit to Tajikistan.

Following is the full text of the article:

Working Together for a Brighter Future of China-Tajikistan Relations

Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

In this lovely midsummer season, I will pay a state visit to the Republic of Tajikistan at the invitation of President Emomali Rahmon. This will be my third visit to Tajikistan. I last set foot on this beautiful land five years ago. The famous Tajik poet Rudaki once said that nothing could compare to the joy of a reunion with family or friends. I look forward to my meeting with President Rahmon to jointly open up brighter prospects for China-Tajikistan relations.

China and Tajikistan, connected by mountains and rivers, share a common destiny. The ancient Silk Road bears witness to the 2,000-plus years of friendship between our two nations. Zhang Qian, a royal emissary of China's Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD), Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang), an eminent monk of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) who travelled westward for Buddhist scriptures, and Chen Cheng, a diplomat of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) all left their footprints of friendship in Tajikistan. Sogdian merchants, travelling across the Eurasian continent, facilitated trade between China and Central Asia, West Asia, and even Europe, and made distinctive contributions to cultural exchanges and mutual learning among peoples along the Silk Road.

Thirty-two years ago, China and Tajikistan established diplomatic relations, opening a new chapter in our relations. Over the past three decades and more, China-Tajikistan relations have stood the test of the volatile international situations and maintained the momentum of sound and steady development. Our overall relationship has made a historic leap from good-neighborliness to a strategic partnership, and to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Together, we are committed to building a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future, blazing a successful path for growing relations between neighboring countries.

 China and Tajikistan treat each other with sincerity, respect and trust. We firmly support each other on issues that bear on our respective core interests, particularly independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We respect the development path that each has chosen in light of our respective national conditions. We resolutely oppose interference in internal affairs by any external force under any pretext. As always, we understand and support each other on issues related to our respective major concerns. We take pleasure in each other's progress in development and national revitalization. We have established cooperation mechanisms in key areas, which provide an important institutional guarantee for furthering bilateral relations. President Rahmon and I have met 15 times. We enjoy a good working relationship and a deep personal friendship as we jointly guide the development of China-Tajikistan relations.

 China and Tajikistan both pursue mutual benefit and win-win in cooperation. China has long been Tajikistan's largest source of investment and its major trading partner. Our two-way trade was close to 4 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, reaching another record high. Such strong momentum has continued in the first four months of this year. Tajikistan was among the first countries to participate in Belt and Road cooperation. A number of China-Tajikistan joint projects have been implemented, including a cement plant in Yavan, an agriculture technology demonstration center in Khatlon, and an agriculture and textile park in Dangara. They have helped upgrade Tajikistan's industrial technology and created thousands of local jobs. The China-Tajikistan highway and the Vahdat-Yavan railway tunnels, which are built by Chinese companies, make places along the routes more easily accessible. Premium green produce of Tajikistan such as cherries, lemons and grapes have steadily made their way to Chinese households and are quite popular among Chinese consumers. It is particularly heartening that the Tajik parliament building and government building, which President Rahmon and I jointly launched five years ago, will soon be completed. They will be new landmarks in Dushanbe and new symbols of China-Tajikistan cooperation.

 China and Tajikistan remain committed to mutual learning through friendly exchanges. The Confucius Institutes and the Luban Workshop have helped train a large number of Chinese speakers and technical personnel, who are now a vital force for the development and cooperation between our two nations. The Sino-Tajik Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and the program of Lifeline Express International Sight Saving Mission that provides free cataract surgeries for patients in Tajikistan have contributed to public health in our two countries through a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and modern technology.

The Culture Day programs, seminars on specific subjects, student exchange programs, and the translation and publication of literature in our respective languages have helped foster greater mutual understanding and strengthened the ties between our two nations. These initiatives are akin to small streams that will ultimately converge to form a vast ocean of friendship between our two nations. There are now nine pairs of sister provinces/cities between our two countries. This is another example of how our friendship has been growing with vigor and vitality.

 China and Tajikistan treat each other with sincerity and stand in solidarity in times of challenge. In response to COVID-19, our two countries pulled together in combating the pandemic. We provided each other with a large number of medical supplies, and China sent professional medical teams to Tajikistan to assist in its COVID response. Together, we erected an ironclad line of defense against the virus. We timely consulted with each other and took actions together to resolve the issues concerning the Karasu-Kulma Pass, and ensured safe and smooth passage through the artery route of transportation and logistics. China and Tajikistan have maintained close coordination and collaboration on the international stage, supporting and responding positively to each other's major initiatives. Both of our countries firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its center, the international order based on international law, and the norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We both endeavor to contribute to safeguarding international fairness and justice.

China and Tajikistan are both at a critical stage of national development and revitalization. China is pursuing high-quality development and advancing high-standard opening up. The Chinese people are working in unity to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, and to advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. Tajikistan is making great strides on its path to realizing the National Development Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan up to the period of 2030. I look forward to my meetings with President Rahmon to discuss how best to promote closer cooperation and bring our bilateral relationship to new heights.

 We need to improve the top-level design for our relationship to ensure its steady development in the right direction. We need to maintain high-level exchanges as frequently as necessary, deepen our experience sharing on governance and build stronger mutual political trust so as to always keep the relationship on the right track. We need to deepen our cooperation at all levels and in all areas, and spare no effort to implement the top-level consensus in full so as to add an enduring momentum to the China-Tajikistan relationship.

 We need to expand results-oriented cooperation to provide stronger material foundations for China-Tajikistan relations. China will work with Tajikistan to strengthen complementarity between the Belt and Road Initiative and the National Development Strategy of Tajikistan up to the period of 2030 as a concrete step to boost our respective development and revitalization. We need to consider new measures for trade promotion and expansion, accelerate the construction of the key section of the China-Tajikistan highway, and open more direct flights in response to the travel needs of our peoples. Other areas of cooperation include high and new technologies such as new energy vehicle, solar panel and satellite communication. China will import more premium produce from Tajikistan, and encourage strong Chinese companies to make more investments in Tajikistan as a step to help modernize its industrial system.

 We need to deepen security cooperation and build a strong development security shield. We need to jointly act on the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, enhance exchange between our law enforcement and security agencies, crack down on terrorist, extremist and separatist forces such as ETIM, and prevent and combat infiltration and sabotage by terrorists and extremists. We should remain resolute in opposing any attempt by external forces to interfere in our internal affairs or to undermine regional stability, so as to provide strong and effective safeguards for the development of our countries.

 We need to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges to strengthen public support for a lasting friendship between our two nations. We welcome more Tajik friends to China for sightseeing, academic studies, as well as investment, business and exchange opportunities. China will continue to expand cooperation with Tajikistan in such areas as culture, education, health and sports. I hope to see more exchanges between our young people and more exchanges at subnational levels. I also hope our people-to-people exchanges will be as frequent as those between relatives. The Luban Workshop, Confucius Institutes, and the Sino-Tajik Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine are expected to play a greater role. We need to accelerate the mutual establishment of cultural centers, and expand cooperation at subnational levels as steps to ensure that China-Tajikistan friendship is sustained through generations.

 We need to enhance unity and collaboration and help foster an international environment favorable for peace and development. The two sides need to step up coordination and collaboration on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the China-Central Asia mechanism. We need to practice true multilateralism and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. We need to deliver on the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, stand up for our common interests and those of other developing countries, and make our contribution to safeguarding international fairness and justice.

A Chinese poet in the Tang Dynasty once wrote, "One can enjoy a grander sight by climbing to a greater height." We from China look forward to working with our Tajik friends to draw a new blueprint for stronger China-Tajikistan friendship, write a new chapter in our mutually beneficial cooperation, and create a brighter future of our two nations.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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 }}

Liz Cheney has lashed out at former President Donald Trump branding him a threat to unravel our Republic who must be defeated in November.

Take a few minutes today to read David McCulloughs speech: The Glorious Cause of America, the Republican former Wyoming lawmaker wrote on X on July 4.

She added: For 248 years, our freedom has survived. Now, its defense is up to us. We must defeat the former president who threatens to unravel our Republic. We must not fail.

Washington Post opinion columnist Jen Rubin responded: [Magnificent] and oh, so timely. Washington knew [there] was a time to retreat and a time to attack and the force of character to lead others with him.

She added: Discretion, judgment, character. That is what we need.

Cheney was ousted from her role in the House Republican leadership and subsequently lost her seat in a GOP primary, because of her opposition to Trump and her work on the January 6 Select Committee investigating the 2021 insurrection.

She was one of just 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Capitol riot.

On Sunday, Cheney slammed Trump for sharing a meme that suggested that shes guilty of treason and called for televised military tribunals.

Donald  This is the type of thing that demonstrates yet again that you are not a stable adult  and are not fit for office, she wrote at the time.

Early last month, Cheneys political action committee shared an ad focused on D-Day in which the former Congresswoman took aim at Trump.

America deserves a president as good and steadfast as our nation, a president of character, driven by a noble purpose, one who honors the sacrifices of our troops, she said in the ad. Not a man consumed by spite, revenge, and self-pity.

Cheney was a co-chair of the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot and only one of two Republicans to serve on the panel.

On January 6, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters laid siege to the Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 electoral college results to keep Trump in office against the will of the American people.

Trump has attacked Cheney on several occasions as he attempts to undermine the findings of the committee, which found that Trump and his campaign took part in a multi-part conspiracy to reverse the election results and that he didnt take action to stop the mob attacking Congress.

The former president has called for the members of the panel to be prosecuted and his allies in the House Republican conference have pushed federal courts and the Supreme Court to overturn its conclusions.

Two former Trump officials  Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro  have gone to prison for defying congressional subpoenas in connection to the Capitol riot. They were both sentenced to four months in prison for contempt of Congress.
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 }}

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 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 }}

Medical adviser. Podcast host. Brand ambassador. Rudy Giulianis alleged girlfriend.

Maria Ryan has gone by many titles in recent years  all the while remaining in the disgraced New York City mayors orbit.

Shes touted his personal coffee brand, co-hosted radio shows with him, and even emailed Trump campaign officials about his salary as the former presidents personal attorney.

Now, Giulianis high-profile bankruptcy case has thrust her into the spotlight yet again, with his creditors calling out payments to Ryan, whom theyve deemed his girlfriend  a title that the pair continue to vehemently deny.

So what do we know about the former hospital executive and staunch Giuliani ally?

Giulianis girlfriend

Lawyers for Giulianis bankruptcy creditors have repeatedly described Ryan as the former mayors girlfriend in filings, alleging shes been given unauthorized payments to clear her credit card statements.

But those in their inner circle have denied a romantic relationship, insisting theyre just friends and business partners.

Michael Ragusa, Giulianis head of security, told The Independent last month that Ryan is Mayor Giulianis business partner and nothing more. He continued: Any reports of her being his girlfriend are false rumors made up by the mayors enemies to damage his reputation and anyone associated with him.

Ryan talking on her now-cancelled show on 77WABC ( @MariaRyanNH / X )

The relationship rumors have persisted for years. In 2018, the New York Daily News reported that the pair were spotted together at a New Hampshire resort as Giuliani was in the middle of a divorce from his third wife, Judith Nathan. Giuliani told the newspaper he met with his good friend Ryan for business purposes.

Ryan, who was married at the time and appears to still be, decried the accusation as being politically motivated, telling Business NH Magazine: A small group of us went to dinner and thats where it ends.

But in a recorded conversation with his former employee Noelle Dunphy, Giuliani spoke at length about his relationship with Ryan, claiming theyd had a two-year affair but shed never leave her husband. The recording was included as evidence in an ongoing sexual assault case brought by Dunphy against Giuliani in 2019.

The transcript captured Giuliani, apparently speaking about Ryan, telling Dunphy: She has this tremendous connection to her family, and she loves me. But she cant leave her family, including her husband.

In addition to the fact that its been all this time and shes going to leave him, leave him, leave him  shes still there, the former mayor continued. I get along with him better than she does.

Americas Mayor Live featuring Rudy Giuliani and Maria Ryan ( Americas Mayor Live )

Giuliani recalled Ryan asking him about a hypothetical scenario involving her husband, Robert Ryan: If we get married, could Bob live  could Bob live with us? You seem  the two of you seem to get along so well.

He then confessed: Weve had this, like, affair for two years and Im friendly with her husband.

After the transcripts release, Giulianis lawyer accused Dunphys lawyers of deliberately leaving off parts of the conversation where Giuliani acknowledges her husband knowing about the relationship.

The transcript was a blatant attempt to embarrass Giuliani, according to his lawyer who also filed a motion to strike it from the court record.

The Independent emailed Giulianis spokesperson for comment on the transcripts. Ryan did not comment on The Independents inquiry about their relationship.

Doctor

Im Dr Maria, Ryan declared in a May 14 video promoting Rudy Coffee, the former mayors new line of self-branded coffee. An X user took issue with her title, accusing her of not being a real doctor (MD, DO, ND).

I most certainly am a real PhD doctor and a board certified nurse practitioner, she fumed in response. Therefore I can practice independently to diagnose, treat, prescribe etc. Do not defame me, since you dont even know me. Perhaps you need a good quality coffee.

Maria Ryan promoting Rudy Coffee ( @MariaRyanNH / X )

It wasnt the first time Ryan has touted her doctorate degree.

Ryan goes by Dr Maria on X, where she has denounced the coronavirus vaccine and lauded hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment. Shes also told the judge in Giulianis bankruptcy case in a June 15 letter that she, Dr Maria Ryan, was the former mayors medical director and advisor.

While Ryan has dedicated decades to medicine  she is a licensed nurse practitioner and served as the CEO of a hospital  she is not a medical doctor.

Her resume states that she obtained a PhD from Warren National University, a now-defunct unaccredited school that used to be named Kennedy-Western. In 2004, a Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs hearing focused on Kennedy-Western University described it as an unaccredited school with academic requirements that fail to meet the standards of legitimate institutions.

In 2009  her graduation year  the university shut down after the Wyoming Department of Education revoked its registration.

Ryan addressed her alma maters lack of accreditation to Enterprise business magazine in 2017, joking the program simply gave structure to everything she had already learned through her work experience. I hate to say this, but I dont know what more it could teach me, she said.

She defended her degree, telling The Independent: All four of my degrees are legitimate. When I started at [Warren National], it was accredited and my state recognizes it.

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation said otherwise, tellingThe Independent: There is no information that indicates Warren National University was ever accredited by a recognized accreditor of CHEA or the US Department of Education.

Giulianis business associate

Ryan  who resigned from her role as CEO of New Hampshires Cottage Hospital in 2021  has indicated she is deeply invested in Giulianis business affairs and has worked alongside him for several years.

In her letter to the bankruptcy judge, Ryan wrote that she was hired in 2018 for a brief assignment as a consultant for the consulting firm Giuliani Partners.

That same year, she was hired by Giuliani Communications, LLC in a full-time capacity to oversee the structure and to forward the companys mission in the media space. She has remained there since.

More recently, Ryan has gotten into the media business with Giuliani. After their WABC radio show was canceled in May, she announced a TV gig that was set to launch on June 25 on FrankSpeech  a broadcast channel run by MyPillows Mike Lindell.

Maria Ryan smiling at Rudy Giuliani during an episode aired on Newsmax ( @RudyGiuliani / X )

Bankruptcy

Ryans name cropped up repeatedly during a June 17 hearing in the former mayors bankruptcy case. Documents show that Giuliani paid off Ryans credit card statements, which bankruptcy creditors took issue with, accusing the former mayor of spending money meant for his estate on her.

She clarified to the judge in her letter that the money that Giuliani paid was a reimbursement.

She explained that because Giuliani Communications was a fledgling business, both she and Giuliani would use their own cash to fund it. Ryan wrote: At times I would use my credit card, or my personal money to help Mayor Rudy Giuliani with groceries, medicine or other bills. The Mayor would reimburse me, using his retirement fund.

Ryan has been subpoenaed in the case  although she denies ever having been served.

She tried to evade the process server by closing the door on May 14, according to creditors, who are now threatening to hold her in contempt for not producing documents ahead of the June 4 deadline.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump has congratulated his right-wing ally Nigel Farage after he won his first seat in UKs parliament following seven failed attempts.

The British public went to the polls in the UK general election on Thursday, handing Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party a landslide victory and ousting Rishi Sunaks unpopular Conservatives.

Farages right-wing Reform UK party cinched four seats as its hardline immigration policies appeared to steal votes away from Conservatives.

Trump took to his Truth Social platform to congratulate his old friend.

Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a Parliament Seat Amid Reform UK Election Success, he wrote.

Nigel is a man who truly loves his Country! DJT.

In his brief congratulations, Trump made no mention of the Labour party sweep and failed to congratulate Starmer  the man who he will have to form a close working relationship with should he win his own election against Joe Biden in November.

Farage, who previously led UKIP and the Brexit Party, unexpectedly announced last month that he would stand in the July 4 election for the Reform Party and serve as its leader.

His run marked a major u-turn after he insisted he would not be standing in the UK general election so that he could instead focus on helping Trump win his own presidential election.

On Thursday, Farage sailed to victory in his race, overturning a 25,000 Conservative majority to become the MP for Clacton in Essex by more than 8,000 votes, finally winning a seat after failing in all seven previous attempts.

The Brexiteer said his win, one of four for the Reform party, was the first step of something that is going to stun all of you and wasted no time in laying into Sunaks moribund Tories, declaring: There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it.

Farage and Trump have been close allies for almost a decade.

Its a bond that was first forged when Trump invited Farage to speak at his MAGA rallies during his 2016 presidential campaign, in the wake of the UKs shock decision to leave the European Union  a cause Farage had spearheaded.

After Trump entered the White House, Farage then interviewed him on LBC radio in October 2019, an exchange the American used to rebuke then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and offer his opinion on how then-UK prime minister Boris Johnson could make a success of Brexit.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gives a victory speech at Clacton Leisure Centre in Essex ( Joe Giddens/PA )

More recently, Trump spoke to Farage again on his GB News show in March and falsely claimed that the US funds 90 to 100 per cent of Nato as part of a diatribe against the military alliances member states for failing to meet their financial commitments to its upkeep.

The former president also waded into a row over an edited photo of Kate Middleton and her children, dismissing the furore surrounding the picture by saying: That shouldnt be a big deal... Its a very minor doctoring.

Two weeks later, Trump sent a video message that was played at Farages 60th birthday party, in which he told his friend: Youre a historic figure as a prophetic leader and I know that the people of the UK are grateful for your patriotism and service.

In fact, Im very much looking forward to watching what your next move is gonna be. Its gonna be an interesting one.

Youre not done yet and hopefully the best is yet to come so, Nigel, enjoy this day.

Farage in turn reflected on their relationship during an ITV interview in June ahead of Thursdays election, claiming that Trump had learned a lot from his example when he made his first bid for the White House.

Hes learned quite a lot from me, I think it goes both ways He was watching my speeches in the European Parliament for many years before he decided to run, he said.

I know that to be true.
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that a third World War is imminent, and that what he calls the n-word  nuclear war  poses a bigger threat to the globe than the climate crisis.

The day after his debate against Joe Biden last week, Trump said the biggest problem we have in the whole world is nuclear weapons and nuclear warming.

That could happen tomorrow, he told supporters in Virginia.

Trumps allies are now suggesting that, if elected, Trump should restart underground nuclear weapons testing, a practice that the US gave up more than 30 years ago, and if resumed would likely fuel a global arms race in a volatile political moment.

Last month, Trumps former national security adviser Robert OBrien called on Trump to resume nuclear tests for reliability and safety in the real world for the first time since 1992.

Reactivating nuke tests will maintain technical and numerical superiority to the combined Chinese and Russian nuclear stockpiles, he wrote in Foreign Affairs magazine.

No one wins a nuclear arms race, folks, said Arms Control Association chief Daryl Kimball, who described OBriens article as dangerous, counterproductive, Dr. Strangelove thinking.

Its a terrible idea, former Obama energy secretary Ernest Moniz told The New York Times. New testing would make us less secure. You cant divorce it from the global repercussions.

Donald Trump speaks at a rally on June 28 in Virginia, where he called nuclear warming a greater threat than the climate crisis. ( EPA )

The US stockpile has 5,044 warheads, Russia possesses 5,580 and China has 500, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

OBrien wants the US to maintain technical and numerical superiority to the combined Chinese and Russian nuclear stockpiles  marking a dramatic expansion of the nations nuclear stash.

Nuclear weapons testing and weapon stockpiling are key parts of the defense recommendations in Project 2025, the 900-page Heritage Foundation-backed manifesto for Trumps second term.

Project 2025 calls for the rejection of current arms control treaties considered contrary to the goal of bolstering nuclear deterrence.

Any US detonation of its nuclear arsenal would violate the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which was signed by the worlds atomic powers in 1996.

The Project 2025 proposals, written by Trumps former defense secretary Christopher Miller, call for the acceleration of all weapons production and prioritize nuclear development over any other security programs, including boosting supplies above treaty limits, and creating a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile  that type of weapon was retired under George HW Bush more than 30 years ago.

Project 2025 also calls for gutting any non-nuclear programs at national laboratories, like those currently working on the climate crisis, and boosting plutonium production.

A view of the entrance of White Sands Missile Range where the Trinity test site is located in New Mexico, where the worlds first atomic bomob exploded in 1945. ( AFP via Getty Images )

Earlier this year, the Heritage Foundation mapped out exactly how Trump would announce his nuclear ambitions.

The group proposed Trump making a major speech after his inauguration to make the case to the American people that nuclear weapons are the ultimate guarantor of their freedom and prosperity.

He then should direct Congress to boost funding for nuclear projects, put nuclear agencies on a wartime footing, and order the placement of nuclear warheads on a currently deployed fleet of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles and ground-launched missiles.

The group also is pushing for Trump to expand nuclear weapons globally, adding to a stash of bombs at bases across Europe.

If nuclear war happens, we wont be second in line pressing the button, Trump reportedly told then- Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello while surveying hurricane damage in 2017.

In 2018, Trump posted on Twitter that the US has a much bigger & more powerful nuclear launch button than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. And my button works! he added.

Americas European allies are also bracing for any changes to the already-fragile nuclear status quo, with Russias war in Ukraine and Trumps repeated threats to blow up the US relationship with NATO.

During a rally in South Carolina in February, Trump made those threats explicit, stating that he would not protect NATO allies under threat of Russian attacks if they are delinquent in their share of defense spending.

I said, You didnt pay? Youre delinquent? Trump said. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.

Last month, the Congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group warned against the already-soaring costs of nuclear modernization programs without sufficient review and oversight.

The United States cannot preach temperance from a bar stool, Senator Ed Markey said in a statement. We have a responsibility to prevent the heightened threat of nuclear war.

The Independent has requested comment from President Joe Bidens administration and Trumps 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 }}

Donald Trump wants to distance himself from Project 2025, the blueprint for his administration drawn up by his former officials and backed by an influential Republican-aligned think tank.

Project 2025s 900-page manifesto for nearly every detail of a second Trump presidency was drawn up by more than a dozen former Trump administration officials and advisers, who have planned to integrate the document into the campaigns platform in the coming months.

But on Friday, as his Democratic rivals use Project 2025 as shorthand for his agenda, Trump claimed that the proposal is news to him.

I know nothing about Project 2025, he said on his Truth Social.

I have no idea who is behind it, he added. I disagree with some of the things theyre saying and some of the things theyre saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.

Meanwhile, the chief political action committee supporting Trump has been running online ads promoting Project 2025, explicitly calling it Trumps Project 2025.

Donald Trump claimed he knows nothing about Project 2025, despite his PAC using it in ads ( EPA )

Make America Great Again Inc. also bought the website trumpproject2025.com.

At the center of a Heritage Foundation-backed Project 2025 plan is the book Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise  essentially a wishlist for a second Trump administration, written by former White House aides and Trump-era officials, and designed around plans to replace civil servants with ideologically aligned appointees and undercut checks and balances to concentrate executive authority over federal agencies.

The plan recommends abolishing the Department of Education, slashing funds for federal law enforcement agencies, subverting agencies that regulate the airwaves and campaign financing to choke out dissent.

Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts recently hailed a Supreme Court decision that grants Donald Trump some immunity from prosecution as part of a second American revolution ( AP )

That consolidation of power would also insulate him against legal threats and usher in a wave of attacks against immigrants, reproductive healthcare and civil rights protections for LGBT+ people.

Trumps disavowal of the plan also comes just days after the Heritage Foundations president hailed a Supreme Court decision that grants Trump some immunity from criminal prosecution as part of a second American revolution that he says may or may not be bloodless.

Bidens campaign and the Democratic National Committee are also going full court press against the plan in advertising and in campaign messaging.

Democratic members of Congress also have launched a Stop Project 2025 Task Force to coordinate with pro-democratic groups and civil rights advocates to combat elements of the plan, should Trump be elected.

A spokesperson for Project 2025 said the group does not speak for any candidate or campaign.

We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy [and] personnel recommendations for the next conservative president, the spokesperson added. But it is ultimately up to that president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement.

The Democratic National Committee, which has been raising alarms about the plan for months, torched Trumps statement.

Donald Trump and Project 2025 are one big MAGA operation, according to spokesperson Aida Ross. Trump cant hide his ties to the dangerous, unhinged MAGA loyalists at Project 2025, and the American people will stop them at the ballot box in November.
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 }}

Crocodile numbers in Australias Northern Territory cannot be allowed to outstrip the human population, the territorys leader said after a 12-year-old girl was killed while swimming.

The crocodile population has exploded across Australias tropical north since it became a protected species under Australian law in the 1970s, growing from 3,000 when hunting was outlawed to 100,000 now. The Northern Territory has just over 250,000 people.

The girls death came weeks after the territory approved a 10-year plan for management of crocodiles, which permits the targeted culling of the reptiles at popular swimming spots but stopped short of a return to mass culls. Crocodiles are considered a risk in most of the Northern Territorys waterways, but crocodile tourism and farming are major economic drivers.

We cant have the crocodile population outnumber the human population in the Northern Territory, Chief Minister Eva Lawler told reporters on Thursday.

We do need to keep our crocodile numbers under control.

In this weeks deadly attack, the girl vanished while swimming in a creek near the Indigenous community of Palumpa, southwest of the territorys capital, Darwin. After an intense search, her remains were found in the river system where she disappeared with injuries confirming a crocodile attack.

This image made from video provided by AuBC shows a part of an area in Palumpa, Australia, Thursday, July 4, 2024 ( AuBC )

The Northern Territory recorded the deaths of 15 people in crocodile attacks between 2005 and 2014 with two more in 2018. Because saltwater crocodiles can live up to 70 years and grow throughout their lives  reaching up to 7 meters (23 feet) in length  the proportion of large crocodiles is also rising.

Lawler, who said the death was heartbreaking, told reporters that 500,000 Australia dollars ($337,000) had been allocated in the Northern Territory budget for crocodile management in the coming year.The regions opposition leader, Lia Finocchiaro, told reporters that more investment was needed, according to NT News.

The girls death sends a message that the Territory is unsafe and on top of law and order and crime issues, what we dont need is more bad headlines, she said.

Professor Grahame Webb, a prominent Australian crocodile scientist, told the AuBC that more community education was needed and the government should fund Indigenous ranger groups and research into crocodile movements.

If we dont know what the crocodiles are likely to do, were still going to have the same problem, he said. Culling is not going to solve the problem.

Efforts were continuing to trap the crocodile that attacked the girl, police said on Thursday. Saltwater crocodiles are territorial and the one responsible is likely to remain in nearby waterways.
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 the southern French town where Tunisian doctor Tasnime Labiedh works, the far-right National Rally (RN) came top with 41% in the first round of Frances election. Now, shes thinking of moving to Switzerland.

Already we are not spoilt here, but if we have (Jordan) Bardella as prime minister, it will be grim. They play on the fear of the other, said Labiedh, 33, referring to the president of the RN.

She moved to France in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic for her medical internship and now works as a microbiologist on a salary lower than that of her French counterparts.

After the RN came top in the first round in Frances legislative election last Sunday, some doctors of foreign origin are questioning whether they will stay in a country that they feel does not respect their rights or make them feel welcome.

Polls predict that the RN will win the largest share of seats in parliament but not a majority.

Among 11 doctors of North African origin or nationality interviewed by Reuters, six said they were considering leaving France because of the political situation. One doctor emigrated to Canada a month ago.

A nurse checks a monitor at the emergency department of the Lenval Children's Hospital in Nice, France ( REUTERS )

With only 3.17 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants, France has the most severe doctor shortage among the OECD countries after Luxembourg. In Labiedhs town, there are 1.73 doctors per 1000 inhabitants.

We are living in an immense hypocrisy. The far right prospers in France on the subject of immigration, with migrants depicted as a problem. But if migrants stopped working tomorrow our whole social and economic system would be paralysed, Hicham Benaissa, a sociologist with Frances national centre for scientific research, the CNRS, told Reuters.

In a study of 350 doctors of North African background in France due to be published next year, Benaissa found that 75% of doctors, including people trained abroad and those born in France, were considering emigrating.

The RN did not respond to requests for comment.

Bardella, the most likely candidate for prime minister should the RN defy the polls and win a working majority, said last month that our compatriots of foreign nationality or origin who work, pay their taxes, respect the law, and love our country have nothing to fear.

RN leader Marine Le Pen has previously proposed to drastically reduce the employment of doctors with qualifications from outside of the EU, and to prioritise French candidates for jobs.

In 2023, 29,238 doctors working in France were trained outside the EU, a 90.5% increase compared to 2010, making up around 7% of the total workforce, according to the National Council of the Order of Doctors (CNOM). North African doctors account for more than half of them.

Doctors with qualifications from outside of the EU have to complete exams and administrative procedures to be registered with the Order of Doctors, which generally takes three to five years. Before this, they are paid less than French doctors.

Widad Abdi, a doctor and representative of the SNPADHUE union for doctors qualified outside of the EU, says that politicians are not dealing with structural problems.

Whether foreign or not, more and more doctors are leaving - the health system does not encourage them to stay: the working conditions, the pay, the hours, the number of patients has increased and the number of doctors has gone down.

In the first round of the legislative elections, the RN performed better in regions with poor healthcare access, with a correlation rate of -52%, Reuters analysis of the results and data on access to a local doctor showed, an indicator of the partys success in deprived rural areas.

In towns that placed RN candidates in first place, more than a quarter of the population do not have access to a local doctor, compared to 13% in towns that placed President Emmanuel Macrons group first and 8% in towns won by the left-wing alliance.

French President Emmanuel Macron greet members of the public before leaving a voting station on June 30, 2024 in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France ( Getty Images )

Improving access to public health services in areas with poor healthcare access, dubbed medical deserts, is among the RNs campaign pledges.

Foreign doctors, as well as French doctors of immigrant origin, play an essential role in these areas, where the posts are less prestigious than in big city hospitals, says Benaissa.

In Ales in the south of France, half the vote went to the RN. A&E doctor Leila Elamrani, who moved to France from Morocco in 2004, says they feel the pressure in their service which takes patients from surrounding areas.

People dont have GPs so they come here for a cold, for a doctors note to take sick leave, she said. That, plus an ageing population and lack of resources, creates a huge mess.

Lydia Boumaarafi, a French doctor of Algerian heritage specialised in addictology, is not waiting to see what happens. She moved to Canada a month ago in part because of its approach to multiculturalism.

The situation is now at a climax (with the RN vote) but the climate has been this way for a while, she said.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Sunday will see the second round run-off vote in Frances parliamentary election.

There is currently the potential of a hung parliament with no clear majority, unless the far right wins enough seats to form its first government since World War Two.

A total of 577 constituencies are being decided in the election, one for each seat in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. Seventy-six lawmakers were elected in the first round last Sunday - including 39 representing the far-right National Rally (RN) and its allies - leaving 501 seats up for grabs in the run-off.

This Sundays voting ends at 6pm (1600 GMT) in towns and small cities and 8 pm (1800 GMT) in big cities. At 8pm, pollsters will issue initial nationwide projections based on early partial results from polling stations that closed earlier in the day. These are usually reliable.

Vote counting is usually fast. However, if the result is tight - for example the RN is within a few seats of an absolute majority - the final result may not be known until the early hours of Monday.

French far right leader Marine Le Pen smiles as she meets supporters and journalists in Henin-Beaumont, France, June 30 ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

The RN topped the first round with a third of the total vote. Opinion polls forecast it will win more seats than any other party but that its margin of victory is shrinking and that it will likely fall short of a working majority. The left-wing New Popular Front and an alliance of centrist parties supporting President Emmanuel Macron have withdrawn more than 200 candidates from second-round contests to bolster the chances of the front-running anti-RN contender in their districts.

Historically, a more fragmented field has favoured the far right, and the very latest polls - carried out after the candidate withdrawals - suggest the strategy is working and the most likely scenario is a hung parliament, with the far right missing out on an absolute majority. That outcome would lead to the most political uncertainty.

Young people standing and using smartphones in the parisian metro, Paris, France,

One key question is whether voters will back the anti-RN candidate in their constituency, or if they choose to abstain or back the far right despite their preferred candidates recommendations to the contrary. The RN and its allies will need to win 289 seats to secure an absolute majority and be able to implement their anti-immigration, eurosceptic agenda. The party has said its leader, Jordan Bardella, would be its candidate for prime minister. In this scenario, Macrons prime minister, Gabriel Attal, would resign immediately. Macron would name a new prime minister who would then be tasked with forming a government. Macron would have the right to veto a nomination if he deemed the person unfit for the role.

The RN has nuanced its stance on what it would do if it finished just shy of an absolute majority. Bardella had said he would not lead an unstable minority government, but the RNs Marine Le Pen has opened the door to courting other lawmakers if it is only lacking a small number of seats.

What happens in a hung parliament in France?

Attal has said the mainstream right, left and centrist parties could form ad hoc alliances to vote through individual pieces of legislation in the new parliament, rather than try to put together a coalition government. On the left, however, some have touted the idea of forming a ruling coalition. Unlike Germany and many other European countries, France has never had a broad coalition government in its modern political history. Either scenario would be likely to bring political uncertainty and slow down reforms.

What happens if there is no deal?

It is possible that none of the three groups - the far right, Macrons centrist alliance or the left - will be big enough to govern alone, reach a coalition deal or provide the assurance it can run a viable minority government. In such a case, France would risk political paralysis, with little or no legislation being adopted and a caretaker government running basic daily affairs.

Will Macron resign?

Macron has hitherto ruled this out, but it might become more appealing to him if policy paralysis prevails. Neither parliament nor the government can force a president to resign.

The constitution says there can be no new parliamentary election for another year, so an immediate repeat vote is not an option.
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 }}

Jailed British-Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza has been transferred to a Siberian prison hospital, his wife has said.

The 42-year-old  a leading Kremlin critic who has survived two poisoning attempts  is serving a 25-year jail sentence after repeatedly condemning Russias war in Ukraine and calling for Western sanctions against Moscow. The charges have been roundly condemned by Western nations, including the UK

Mr Kara-Murza was transferred on Thursday evening to the hospital in Omsk prison, where he is jailed, according to his wife Evgenia, who said his lawyers had waited five hours to see him but were denied visitation rights.

In the wake of Putin critic Alexei Navalnys death in an Arctic penal colony in February, Ms Kara-Murza has expressed frequent concerns about the health of her husband, whom she says suffers from a nerve condition called polyneuropathy as a result of the previous attempts on his life.

Mr Kara-Murza was arrested in April 2022, accused of spreading false information about Russias military and declared a foreign agent, hours after CNN broadcast an interview in which he said Moscow was run by a regime of murderers.

A former journalist, he was later charged with treason over speeches he gave about the war, including one to the Arizona House of Representatives in March 2022 in which he said Russian president Vladimir Putin was bombing Ukrainian homes, hospitals and schools. Moscow claims it does not deliberately target civilians although thousands have been killed in Ukraine.

He was eventually sentenced to 25 years in prison  which remains the longest sentence handed down to a Kremlin critic since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Mr Kara-Murza lost an appeal against his conviction in May, the month he won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary for columns which he wrote from prison and were published in The Washington Post.

The news of his transfer to hospital came as Kyivs navy chief claimed that Ukrainian attacks had forced Russia to remove nearly all of its combat-ready warships from occupied Crimea.

Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa revealed the extent to which Russias main naval base at Sevastopol had been damaged by Ukrainian attacks, in a rare interview published as Western leaders condemned a visit by Hungarys Viktor Orban to meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The naval commander said Ukraine had destroyed or damaged 27 naval vessels, including five that he said were destroyed by sea mines laid by Ukrainian naval drones near the Bay of Sevastopol.

He said Ukrainian missile and naval drone strikes had caused heavy damage to the Sevastopol base, a logistics hub for repairs, maintenance, training and ammunition storage among other important functions for Russia.

They were established over many decades, possibly centuries. And clearly, they are now losing this hub, Vice Admiral Neizhpapa told Reuters in a rare interview in the port city of Odesa ahead of Ukraine Navy Day on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Mr Orbans visit to Moscow drew rebuke from Ukraine and other Western leaders.

Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on Monday. Following a visit to meet Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv earlier this week, Mr Orban has now gone on a self-described peace mission to Moscow  in a move Ukraine said was not coordinated with Kyiv.

We remind you that for our state, the principle of no agreements on Ukraine without Ukraine remains unshakable and call on all states to observe it strictly, Ukraines foreign ministry said in a statement.

Mr Orban insisted that peace cannot be made from a comfortable armchair in Brussels, with Mr Putin claiming he was ready to discuss the nuances of proposals to end the war in Ukraine.

But European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said that only unity and determination would pave the way to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. She warned that appeasement will not stop Putin, while outgoing EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell said Mr Orban was not representing the EU in any form.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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

A number of companies have taken major steps to stop scrapers from attempting to take their text.

It is the latest front in an ongoing and apparently escalating battle between websites that allow people to read text and the AI companies that wish to use it to build their new tools.

The rise of artificial intelligence has brought a number of companies looking to train new and smarter AI technologies. But the large language model systems that underpin many of them  such as ChatGPT  require vast amounts of text to be trained.

That has led some companies to scrape text from the web so that it can be fed into those systems for that training. That in turn has led to frustration from the owners of text-based websites, who argue not only that the companies do not have permission to use their data, but also that it is slowing down the performance of the internet.

Elon Musk, for instance, has repeatedly suggested that X, formerly Twitter, gets a huge amount of traffic from such scraping systems. X is one of many sites that have introduced strict rate limiting rules, which try and restrict bots from reloading its site too much  though some have suggested that has also been used to disguise problems with Xs seemingly troubled website.

Last week, Reddit introduced a host of changes that attempted to block bots from scraping its website. It said that it too would use rate limiting, as well as blocking unknown bots and instructing such systems to stay away from its website.

It noted that those rules could potentially limit other automated systems that are important for transparency, such as the Internet Archive, which saves web pages for later access. But it insisted that important tools for researchers would still have access to Reddit.

Anyone accessing Reddit content must abide by our policies, including those in place to protect redditors. We are selective about who we work with and trust with large-scale access to Reddit content, it said when it introduced those new rules.

Some companies have entered into deals to give AI companies access to their or their users data. Both OpenAI and Google have signed deals with Reddit so that they can take its users posts for training their artificial intelligence systems, for instance.

Others have launched legal proceedings. The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft over its artificial intelligence systems, arguing that it has infringed on the papers copyright by using its articles to train them.

Now internet infrastructure company Cloudflare has introduced a range of similar tools, and told customers that it is a way of declaring their AIndependence. All Cloudflare customers will get an easy button to block all AI bots, it said.

Last year, Cloudflare had introduced a change to block AI bots that behave well. Despite the fact that system was intended at bots that do follow the rules, Cloudflares customers overwhelmingly decide to block them, it said.

Now the company has introduced a feature that will forcefully block all known bots. It will look for fingerprints of scrapers and stop them ever visiting websites, it said.
Sir Keir Starmer has stormed to a landslide vicory in the UK's General Election, winning a sizeable majority.

His position as Prime Minister makes him a world leader, and one of the most powerful people on the planet.

But, in New York City's iconic Times Square, a picture of Sir Keir addressing the nation this morning didn't illicit much recognition.

Just two of the people The Independent spoke to recognized Mr Starmer as the new Prime Minister, and none could name him.
World leaders have flocked to congratulate Keir Starmer, just hours after Labour won the General Election.

Tweeting messages of support included the likes of France's Macron, who wrote that he was "pleased" with his first discussion with Starmer.

Canada's Justin Trudeau praised a "progressive, fair future", while Australia's Anthony Albanese said he "looks forward to working constructively" with the UK.

The new Labour government marks the first Conservative defeat in 14 years, with the Tories losing over 240 seats across the UK.
Proptech is where the property business industry intersects with technology and software

Elinx is expanding its services into the Irish market. Photo: Getty

I was interested to see a recent advert by Savills, for the sale of a portfolio of six investment properties, include the advice that the transaction process is being managed by Offrs technology and its implementation partner Elinx.

David Murphy, the man behind Elinx, is a former colleague at Savills, and I spoke with him to hear more about the growing impact of technology in commercial and residential transactions.

The market is split between real estate companies and proptech companies

He is a chartered surveyor with 25 years experience in agency, development and property technology.

Based between South Africa and Ireland since 2005, he scaled two proptech companies into South Africa, firstly BidX1, and more recently Offr, in his role as principal of Offr in Africa.

These assignments include building strategic relationships in the local market.

A sign of their success is that many of the countrys leading real estate companies are now using Offrs technology.

Offr also recently went live with a project for the largest home loan company in South Africa, which sees 6,500 agents in 1,200 offices using Offr software to handle approximately 80,000 properties.

David Murphy, the man behind Elinx

Now based in Dublin, Elinx is expanding its services into the Irish market and acting as a partner for Offr in customising the technology for local companies. Savills and Cushman & Wakefield are among the early adopters.

In Ireland, Offr is mostly associated with online auction technology  but that perhaps represents only about 10pc of Offrs capabilities.

The market is split between real estate companies, and proptech companies, who are disrupting the status quo, he told me.

Elinx sits in the middle. We understand the processes and nuances of both sectors, which gives us a unique perspective to implement the technology.

I start each project by evaluating the estate agents workflow, communications and transaction management processes.

Four parties  the agent, the vendor, the buyer and the solicitors  must all have an efficient experience. Elinx identifies inefficiencies and streamlines the entire transaction process.

Streamlining not only cuts out inefficiencies, but it increases profitability

Agents often use multiple systems, including CRM systems, to manually update and track information, resulting in siloed data.

In property sales, agents spend hours manually updating spreadsheets, drafting reports, letters and emails, manually calling people and chasing documentation.

Offr technology replaces thousands of notifications, phone calls and emails by automating client onboarding, reporting, viewings, enquiry and offer management, buyer/tenant qualification, generation and digital signing of contracts and payments.

I find estate agents typically spend over half of their time on administrative tasks, such as chasing documentation and following up on emails.

"The efficiencies that arise from streamlining 90pc of manual tasks means agents can spend their time on what they should be doing  winning instructions, managing clients, managing buyers, selling properties and earning fees.

Streamlining not only cuts out inefficiencies, but it reduces costs, reduces the risk of mistakes and increases profitability.

Real Estate companies tend to operate along traditional lines, he concludes. There is an assumption that everything is fine and a fear of changing systems. But Elinx is about adding efficiencies, with no downtime.
Glenveagh Properties has reported revenues of 150m in the first half of 2024, down from 172m recorded in the same period last year.

More than 800 units of the 2,700 full-year target were completed in the first six months of the year, according to a trading statement published by the company today.

This reflected a sharp uptick in activity, with just 333 units completed at this point in 2023.

The companys current closed and forward orderbook rose to around 1.17bn in period.

The closed and forward order book of Glenveaghs suburban business comprised of over 2,000 units and was valued at around 710m at the end of June.

Around 294 suburban units were completed in the six-month period as a result of scheduling, with some of these closings occurring in the third quarter of the year.

The urban division recorded 510 completions from existing forward fund transactions, while revenue from housing developments in partnership with public bodies was in line with expectations.

These partnership sites, which include over 2,000 units, are now operating at scale, Glenveagh reported.

Revenue and profits from this segment are expected to grow in the second half following strong progress at these locations, with a third contract subject to final legal agreement.

Glenveagh is also in discussions for a fourth contract. If both of these agreements are confirmed, the housebuilder expects to add around 1,000 units to its existing partnerships pipeline.

Planning permission was granted for around 1,300 units in the first six months of the year, with permission for over 95pc of planned construction for next year already granted.

Net debt rose to around 250m from 182m this time last year. This increase followed a rise in work-in-progress investment which is expected to unwind as the number of completions increases in the next six months.

The company expects earnings per share (EPS) to more than double to 17 cent this year, up from 8 cent in 2023.

It added that it is exploring a number of significant land transactions in highly attractive locations that are fully aligned with the ambitions of national and regional planning policy.

Chief executive Stephen Garvey added that the company is on track to meet objectives this year, pointing to momentum following the initiatives introduced by the Government.

We know the enormous potential there is for advancing quality housing delivery through collaborative State and private sector projects, working in tandem with shared objectives, and the collective deployment of resources and capital, he said.
Energy storage group Corre Energy has signed a deal to deliver a battery storage facility in the Netherlands.

The new joint venture will see the company team up with Dutch firm SemperPower to develop the project at the Zuidwendig site.

The Dublin-listed company, which is headquartered in the Netherlands, focuses on the development, construction and commercialisation of long duration energy storage projects.

The two companies will initially invest 7m in the new project, with Corres share represented by capital already invested to date.

SemperPower, which is owned by energy transition investment platform Return Energy, will also provide battery infrastructure sourcing, and development. It will also finalise financing with partners.

Financial close is targeted for late next year, with capital expenditure during the construction and installation phase expected to be around 300m.

Corre expects recurring annual income from the project when commercial operations begin in 2026.

The battery storage facility will be a grid balancing solution for the Netherlands, with the companies estimating that it will remove more than 70,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

This major new partnership with Semper Power and Return Energy speeds up and broadens our income profile for Zuidwending while delivering critical storage to meet future energy consumption needs, chief executive Keith McGrane said.

"Looking ahead, we believe batteries could play a major role in our current and future projects. Its a model we can replicate and scale because the economics stack up, it can accelerate projects and the technology is highly complementary, he added.

SemperPower chief executive Dennis Schiricke said that the project would support regional stakeholders by accelerating the energy transition, a goal achievable only through collective efforts.

This project stands to bring numerous benefits to the local region, including enhanced energy security, job creation, and a boost to the local economy, he added.

In May, Corre announced plans to raise additional funds through an issue of new shares.

Earlier that month, the company raised 2.12m in new equity by way of a subscription agreement. Following this, it said it planned to launch a placing on similar terms for eligible shareholders.

The company said this placing would allow participating investors to avoid seeing their stakes diluted.

In a statement, Corre said the funds raised would support the working capital of the company as it moves through the next stage in its investment process, first announced in March.

At the time, the business reported that it had received multiple indications of interest: industrial, strategic and institutional to invest in the business.
The Tayto and Hawksmoor collaboration was available earlier this year

Hawksmoor in Dublin has been put up for sale

Steakhouse chain Hawksmoor, which has one location in Dublin, has been put up for sale in a deal that could be worth around 120m.

Hawksmoor is working with American financial services firm Stephens on any potential sale, according to a report in the Financial Times.

The restaurant chain was founded in 2006 by childhood friends Will Beckett and Huw Gott, with the first steakhouse opening in London. It now has seven restaurants in the city.

There are other locations operating in Edinburgh, Liverpool and Manchester, as well as a restaurant in New York. A Chicago branch opened last week.

Mr Beckett and Mr Gott are expected to stay on to run the operations of the company following any potential sale.

They would also retain their current minority holdings in the business.

UK private equity fund Graphite Capital has owned 51pc of the Hawksmoor business since 2013.

Hawksmoor did not comment directly on speculation surrounding a sale, according to reports. However, Mr Beckett, who is chief executive of the business, said the company had a great relationship with Graphite.

Together we are getting to know the US investment community in more depth. As that continues, an opportunity may emerge that we wish to explore together, he said in a statement.

Earlier this year he also told the Sunday Times that the high-end chain was looking to expand further in the US market.

In an interview, he said the group would be probably focusing on the States, partly because of the question of saturation.

Mr Beckett added at the time that any potential investor would require US market knowledge to bring energy and contacts.

He also reported that there was a possibility to add more locations in the UK market but they are sensitive to the idea that we cant push this too far.

Hawksmoor was considering an IPO on the London Stock Exchange in 2021 but postponed plans after uncertainty in the hospitality industry during the Covid pandemic.

The groups Irish restaurant opened last May in the National Bank Building at College Green in the centre of the city.

Earlier this year, Hawksmoor teamed up with Tayto to create a special ham hock and cheese toastie sandwich that was served with some crisps at the restaurant.
Cork landlord who claimed he was shot down by RTB told to pay 18,500 after illegal eviction

Colin OSullivan had argued watchdogs process was unfair after it ruled in favour of tenant Gabriela Lake

Tenant reacts as landlord who buried her car in a hole in a field avoids conviction

Amy Molloy Fri 5 Jul 2024 at 03:35

A landlord who claimed he was railroaded by the rental watchdog after it ruled he illegally evicted a mother and daughter has been ordered to pay 18,500 in compensation plus legal costs.
I feel very guilty that I dont want to go home  Irish expats on life abroad during cost-of-living crisis

They may miss proper spuds, pints of Guinness and spicebags, but these young people dont want to return home any time soon

Geneva-based Nyree Oman

Tessa Ndjonkou Fri 5 Jul 2024 at 03:30

The high cost of living in Ireland has forced many young people to look beyond these shores in search of better housing and career opportunities. But how does life in other cities compare with Dublin?
Despite the Irish weather not always cooperating, we are in peak barbecue season. This week, I have a range of options that go beyond the typical burgers and blackened sausages.

Borrowing ideas from Korea, Turkey and Jamaica, there are plenty of diverse flavours and ingredients to choose from, which will hopefully help you elevate your grill game this summer. 

Korean flanken-style short ribs are worth tracking down or asking your butcher for. When we lived in Los Angeles, I explored its sprawling Koreatown as often as I could. Cuts like these short ribs, cut flanken-style across the ribs, are commonplace at restaurants there. Marinated in spicy umami, cooked at the table and devoured with banchan (many small side dishes) and cooked rice, its a memorable meat feast.

Ring ahead to your butcher to ask for the steaks cut in this style or use rib eye or T-bone with the same marinade. If you cant get your hands on gochujang, a Korean spice paste, you can replace it with a tablespoon of tomato puree and a teaspoon of chilli flakes or hot sauce.

To Jamaica next for a barbecue jerk chicken recipe with mango salsa. Forgive me if you have seen me write about this before but its such a winner. This is a recipe which comes into its own cooked over hot coals, ensuring not only a hit of heat from the deeply spiced marinade but also the smoky element that really good jerk chicken is all about. If youre feeling fancy, place the mango over the hot coals of a barbecue until you have deep char marks all over, before prepping the salsa.

Lastly, my most recent trip to Istanbul saw me introducing our two boys to the magic that is lahmacun  turkish meat pizza with a thin crust and eaten rolled with parsley, red onion and lemon juice. My speedy take on this is the recipe here for Turkish lamb flatbreads, parsley, shaved fennel and red onion salad, using a store-bought flat bread smushed with a meat mixture and grilled directly over a hot grate until the meat turns charred and smoky. The flat breads make a wonderful little starter before the main event of any barbecue.

Korean Flanken-Style Short Ribs

Korean Flanken-Style Short Ribs. Photos: Donal Skehan; Food Styling: Charlotte OConnell

Serves: 4 Time: 30 mins + marinating time

For the ribs:

4 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp dark brown sugar

50ml rice wine vinegar

3 tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp gochujang

6 cloves garlic, finely grated

1 thumb-sized piece ginger, finely grated

1 small onion, finely grated

1 small firm pear, finely grated

1.5kg short ribs cut flanken style

To serve:

4 spring onions, finely sliced

Sesame seeds, toasted

Basmati rice

2 Baby Gem lettuce, leaves separated

Ssamjang sauce (or hoisin)

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the ribs before adding the meat and thoroughly coating. Cover and leave to marinate for 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.

2. Once marinated, shake off any excess sauce, discarding the marinade, and place the ribs on a barbecue or griddle pan over a high heat to cook for 2 minutes either side or until you have deep char marks and the meat is medium rare.

3. Rest the meat, while keeping warm under a tea towel for 5 minutes before slicing into bite-size pieces.

4. Serve the meat on a platter, scattered with spring onions and sesame seeds and bring to the table with bowls of rice, lettuce leaves and ssamjang sauce.

BBQ Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa

BBQ Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa. Photos: Donal Skehan; Food Styling: Charlotte OConnell

Serves: 4-6 Time: 45 mins + marinating time

Ingredients

5 spring onions, trimmed

2 scotch bonnet chillies, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves

3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 tsp ground allspice

 tsp ground nutmeg

 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp dried oregano

6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped

Juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

3 tbsp soy sauce

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 free-range chicken thighs, (bone in and skin on)

For the coconut rice:

350g long-grain rice, rinsed

400ml tin coconut milk

225ml water

For the salsa:

1 large ripe mango, peeled, stoned and finely chopped

 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Good handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

1. In a small food processor, whizz the spring onions, chillies, garlic, ginger, spices and herbs to form a paste. Add the lime juice, ketchup, soy sauce, plenty of seasoning and mix.

2. Put the chicken into a large ziplock bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and give it a good shake until everything is completely combined and the chicken is evenly coated. Leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you have the time. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before you are ready to cook.

3. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas Mark 6.

4. Put the rice into a pan with the coconut milk and water. Add a good pinch of salt and cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Leave it to stand with the lid on until youre ready to serve.

5. Combine all the ingredients for the salsa and season well.

6. Heat a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat (crack a window open or you will end up coughing from the chilli!) and fry the chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes each side until charred and golden. Transfer to the oven for 10 minutes until they are cooked through. Serve with the coconut rice and salsa.

Turkish Lamb Flatbreads, Parsley, Shaved Fennel & Red Onion Salad

Turkish Lamb Flatbreads, Parsley, Shaved Fennel & Red Onion Salad. Photos: Donal Skehan; Food Styling: Charlotte OConnell

Serves: 6 Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

400g lamb mince

1 clove garlic, grated

1 large tomato, grated

1 brown onion, grated

 tsp ground cinnamon

 tsp ground cumin

 tsp ground coriander

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Juice of 1 lemon

6 flatbreads, shop bought

For the salad:

100g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 bulb fennel, sliced thinly on a mandoline

1 red onion, sliced thinly on a mandoline

2 vine tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped

1 tsp sumac

1 tbsp olive oil

To serve:

Lemon wedges

Long green pickled chillies

Seeds of 1 pomegranate

Method

1. Place the lamb mince, garlic, grated tomato, onion and spices into a large bowl. Season with salt and add a good glug of olive oil, then mix well with your hands until well combined.

2. Set aside and make the salad by mixing together the parsley, fennel, red onion, tomatoes, sumac and some seasoning together in a bowl. Add another good glug of olive oil and the lemon juice, then stir again to combine and set aside until needed.

3. Preheat a griddle pan or your barbecue to a medium heat, not hot.

4. Divide the lamb mixture into 6 and begin to spread the lamb mixture onto the flatbreads, as if you were making a pizza, and spread the meat out to the edges, ensuring a thin layer.

5. Drizzle the meat with a little more olive oil, then griddle, on the pan or barbecue, meat side down, for 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for 1 minute, then remove from the pan or barbecue and place onto a serving board. Load the salad onto each flatbread, serve with lemon wedges and finish with the pickled chillies, a sprinkling of the pomegranate seeds and a final drizzle of olive oil before rolling up or cutting into triangles to enjoy.
Eight reasons the UK election results and Labour landslide matter in Ireland

From Dublin to Belfast to Brussels, the change of power will mark the end of a hostile period with the Tory government and begin the rebuilding of relationships with London, writes Fionnan Sheahan in London

Sir Keir Starmer on the General Election campaign trail (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Fionnan Sheahan in Southwark, London Fri 5 Jul 2024 at 06:00

The results of the UK general election are still rolling in with Labours landslide victory and the Tory collapse being the big story. But the results do have significance on this coast of the Irish Sea.
The TD urged the County Council to move ahead with its plans for the development following the grant of extra funding

A proposed river walkway that would be developed under the Public Realm project to connect Macroom town centre to local amenities like the Tiny Feet Fairy Garden.

Cork North-West TD Aindrias Moynihan has wholeheartedly welcomed almost 1.3 million in extra funding for the development of public realm spaces Macroom town centre.

I wholeheartedly welcome this significant extra funding of more than 1.2985 million under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF) for Macroom town centre, Deputy Moynihan said.

The Council have been advancing plans for properties in the town centre and this additional investment will enable the renovation of a number of vacant and derelict buildings in the heart of the town to be carried out.

I would urge the council to move ahead with their plans for these projects immediately as planning permissions have been granted.

The development plans for Macroom include the refurbishment of the vacant, disused and deteriorating St. Colmans Church off the Main Street and its re-use as a flexible arts, community, cultural and heritage location and the reconfiguration of ORiadas car park and surrounding footpaths to fully utilise the available lands for public amenity.

A public realm development will also take place at Mill Dam/Masseytown to showcase the river and the dam and provide for a raised viewing area and a riverbank walk linking ORiadas Car Park to the existing Fairy Garden Park and the connection of Mill Dam/Masseytown to the town park and Macroom Castle will be created.

An enhanced public realm on South Square will also be developed to provide for a better public space.

"Fianna Fail in Government will continue to support the regeneration of our rural towns and villages. With the bypass opened there are now great opportunities for Macroom and the hinterland, Depty Moynihan said.

Macroom is now an attractive destination for locals and visitors with through traffic now using the bypass. With this additional funding all the development plans for the town will be realised. I look forward firstly, to the Library taking residence over the coming weeks in the new Briary Gap building and the Librarys new home will open its doors to the public for August.

"My colleagues and I will continue to prioritise transformative projects such as these, to revitalise our town centres, stimulate the rural economy and attract people back to live, work and visit rural areas."

The Macroom Public Realm project was granted funding of 7,212,103 from the Department of Community & Rural Development under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF) Category 1 4th call in November 2022 as a Phase 2 project.

At the most recent Macroom MD meeting, it was revealed that the projects funding was increased to 8,479,673 to take inflation into account.
Dublin Airport shared footage of the cutout under the hashtag #FreeTaylor. Pic: @DublinAirport

Dublin Airport is on the hunt for a lifesize cardboard cutout of Taylor Swift after it was removed from Terminal 2 early this morning.

Footage shared by the airport shows a woman picking the cutout up from the arrivals hall before making a Swift exit.

The official DAA Instagram page took a playful approach, reminiscent of the Liam Neeson movie Taken, sharing CCTV footage of the incident and reminding the woman, We dont know who you are  yet!

We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content

They posted: This is a message for the woman who 'kidnapped' Taylor Swift from Terminal 2 this morning at 06.37.

We don't know who you are (yet!) - but we do have lots of CCTV footage of you taking the cut out & leaving the airport in your car.

Youve got 2 options: Return the cutout (which we'd promised to a young local kid to T2 by 12 noon on Saturday.

Or agree to make a generous donation to our Charities of the Year. Your move, they added.

The cutout has been a huge hit with travellers over the last few weeks with multiple fans travelling to Dublin just to see her perform at the Aviva last weekend.

Dublin Airport is urging the person who snatched the cutout to Speak Now and there will be no Bad Blood.
Dublin nightlife campaigners have met with TDs and senators at Leinster House to express concern over closures and push for more modern licensing laws.

Give Us the Night Campaign spokesperson, Sunil Sharpe, highlighted worries about the increasing number of club and late-night bar closures and the need for later opening hours.

The campaigners are advocating for an extension of licensing times from 2.30am to 5am and say legislation needs to be enacted as soon as possible.

Many nightclubs are on the brink of closure, Mr Sharpe told RTE news. If pubs and late bars close, there should be alternative venues available.

Despite assurances four years ago in the Programme for Government, Mr Sharpe expressed disappointment at the slow progress in modernising the countrys licensing laws.

The campaigners also urge the permanent removal of costs associated with Special Exemption Orders (SEOs) to support the industry post-pandemic.

They emphasised the importance of ensuring safety, and logistical planning for late-night transportation and emergency services during the transition to new opening hours.

Additionally, they call for enhanced financial support for nightlife venues, events and artists, including initiatives like the Noise Mitigation Grant Scheme.

This scheme aims to assist venues in managing noise issues through funding for soundproofing and acoustic enhancements.

Lowering the VAT rate for nightclubs is also recommended to aid the industrys economic recovery over the next three years.

A spokesperson for the group said ticket admissions for licensed events involving dancing are taxed at the highest VAT rate of 23pc.

Take dancing away and the VAT rate drops, they said. Why? Nightclubs are endangered social infrastructure and need special support at this time.

Many industries receive special support to enable stabilisation and growth, as well as incentivising investment. The nightclub industry needs three years to rebuild.
Avani died on July 1 at Dublin Zoo as a result of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus

Dublin Zoo has confirmed that a second elephant is being treated for the virus which led to the death of another animal in the herd earlier this week.

Avani, an 8-year-old female Asian elephant, died from a virus that causes fatal hemorrhagic disease on July 1.

To protect the rest of the herd and as per protocols, Dublin Zoo is consulting with leading international experts in elephant health, virology, and wildlife management.

Another elephant, Zinda, who is also an 8-year-old, is currently being treated for the same virus.

Our cherished young elephant [Avani] sadly passed on July 1, 2024, as a result of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV), a statement from Dublin Zoo reads.

EEHV is a virus that causes fatal hemorrhagic disease, particularly in young Asian elephants. Despite our best efforts, Avanis illness progressed rapidly, and we could not save her.

Although EEHV is very common and affects both elephants in the wild and in zoos, it poses a significant threat.

EEHV often lies latent in elephants and can be triggered without warning, as the virus is carried asymptomatically by many.

In Avanis case, she was receiving ongoing treatment, but the virus progressed very quickly highlighting the difficulties in predicting and managing this disease even with the highest standards of care and vigilance.

This comes as a new arrival will soon be joining the herd of elephants at Dublin Zoo. Aung Bo, a 22-year-old male Asian elephant, has been at Chester Zoo, outside Liverpool, since 2012.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 5th

Aung Bo leaves behind three beautiful calves, Riva (4), Anjan (7) and Indali (8), and also played a part in saving the life of his eldest offspring.

When Indali fell ill with EEHV, experts were able to save her life with Aung Bos help by taking blood plasma for transfusions to help her fight the virus.

In response to the death of Avani, Dublin Zoo is working with leading international experts in elephant health, virology, and wildlife management, including Dr Thomas Hildebrandt, a German veterinarian researcher dedicated to species conservation.

Their expertise will guide our ongoing efforts to protect the rest of the herd, particularly its younger members under the age of 10, as older elephants are not as vulnerable to illness from the EEHV virus, the zoo added.

To date, one other member of the herd, Zinda (8 years), is being treated for clinical symptoms of the virus, and all efforts are being made to ensure she receives the best possible care at this time.

There is currently no vaccination against EEHV, but zoos and wildlife researchers around the world are working tirelessly to develop one with the aim of safeguarding the future of the elephant population from this disease.

Our commitment to the health and safety of our elephants is unwavering. We are dedicated to taking all necessary measures to ensure the well-being of our herd.

It is important to note that EEHV does not pose a health risk to humans and is not transferable.
A former Dublin firefighter has celebrated his 80th birthday with the crew from his former fire station.

Paddy Delaney served with Dublin Fire Brigade from 1969 to 1999, spending his last 14 years in Blanchardstown. His family arranged a surprise visit with the crew of B Watch to celebrate his big birthday.

Mr Delaney grew up in Sandymount and has five children, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

He was in the army for a while before he joined the fire brigade. My brother, whos currently in the army, brought him to the station, Paddys granddaughter Jodi told the Irish Independent.

He absolutely loved it, talking about how the station used to look and how much its changed and modernised since he was there. It was great to hear him reminiscing and sharing stories of the lads that were on B Watch with him.

Paddy Delaney served with Dublin Fire Brigade from 1969 to 1999

I asked him what his favourite thing about being a fireman was and he said helping people and being able to help people on what might be the scariest thing theyve ever experienced.

When we were younger, he used to tell us some stories, mostly trying to scare us into making sure plugs were plugged out and doors were closed. But his thing is and always was to be kind, and treat people how youd like you and your family to be treated.

He was absolutely delighted to go down, his exact words were it was beautiful. He thanked my friend who was able to organise it, saying it was great to go back to a place that holds lots of happy memories for him, especially on his 80th birthday.

Hes been able to reconnect with lots of ex-firemen, he was delighted with himself, she added.
The public can step aboard the LE George Bernard Shaw for a free guided tour on Sunday, July 7

Members of the public will get the chance to tour one of the countrys navy ships at Dun Laoghaire Harbour this weekend as part of Emergency Services Open Day.

The LE George Bernard Shaw will be open to the public this Sunday, July 7. The 90m Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) will be docked at Carlisle Pier, Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

This is an opportunity for visitors to explore the ship, learn about its capabilities, and gain insight into its role in defending Irelands interests at sea.

The ship was named after the renowned playwright George Bernard Shaw, who was born in Dublin in 1856.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour is embarking on an exciting transformation that will pave the way for a vibrant and inclusive future, Frank Curran, Chief Executive, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said.

The Irish Naval Service visits to Dun Laoghaire are an important consideration within the Harbour Master Plan.

The visit of the LE George Bernard Shaw earlier this year proved hugely popular with locals and tourists alike and we anticipate an equally positive visit this month.

LE George Bernard Shaw is the fourth and final ship of the P60 class vessels built for the Naval Service in Babcock Marine Appledore, Devon.

We are honoured to welcome the captain and crew of the LE George Bernard Shaw to Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Sunday, July 7 for the second time this year, Councillor Jim OLeary, Cathaoirleach, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council added.

This is an opportunity for a new generation to visit and see this incredible Offshore Patrol Vessel and we would encourage as many people as possible to avail of this wonderful opportunity.

The naval ship will be open to the public for guided tours between 11am and 4pm and is one of the many events that are taking place as part of Coastival.

Tours are free of charge, no booking is required and last approximately 20 minutes.
Works to restore Dublins historic Iveagh Markets are progressing well with scaffolding now in place to allow safe access, according to campaigners.

Noel Fleming, who owns Noels Deli and is a part of the Friends of Iveagh Markets campaign group, told the Irish Independent that he was pleasantly surprised after visiting the site on Monday.

The whole outside of the building, which had a lot of growth, has been completely cleared. The wet market has also now been kitted out with scaffolding and crash decks to ensure safety, he said.

The architects have also done all the surveys for the building inside. Everything they said they will do up to now has been done, so we can only hope they continue at the same pace to get the roof repaired.

Singing in the Iveagh Markets in Dublin amid restoration

Robert Donovan (92), who worked at the fish market in the Iveagh Market for 35 years, was also invited along with his wife to see how work is progressing.

He [Robert] is known for his involvement in the community, including singing at local events, Noel said.

Robert and his wife, despite their age, have a lovely life together and are such a lively pair being well known in the Liberties.

Robert even burst into song during his visit to the Iveagh Markets, giving an emotional rendition of Eric Claptons Wonderful Tonight.

It brought back so many memories for Robert and there are wonderful acoustics in the building, Noel said.

The Dublin Iveagh Markets, located on Francis Street were originally opened in 1906 as a food market, designed by architect Sir Aston Webb.

The market was renowned for its lively atmosphere and variety of goods, including fresh produce, meats, and other goods. Efforts to revive and renovate the Iveagh Markets have been ongoing for many years.

A spokesperson for the Friends of the Iveagh Markets campaign group said the work that has been done has allowed Dublin City Council to produce specifications for tender documents for full repair works to start later this year.

Repair works are progressing at the Iveagh Market building in the Liberties

After a very pleasant meeting with DCC and the project architects Howley Hayes and Cooney in the Iveagh Markets, Friends of the Iveagh Markets are encouraged that the targets set for the restoration works on the roof remain on schedule.

The main works to start the end of 2024 and take 12 to 18 months. Securing the Markets for future generations remains the priority at present.

The detailed restoration programme will include extensive repairs to roofs, valleys and rainwater disposal systems.

It will also embrace the protection and securing of windows and doors, the securing of structural columns which have been exposed and the repairing of walls and parapets.

The full repair and restoration of the building will not likely be completed until mid to late 2025.
Nicki Minaj will perform at Malahide Castle on Saturday, July 6

Nicki Minaj, the so-called Queen of Hip-Hop, plays Malahide Castle on Saturday, July 6, as part of her worldwide Pink Friday 2 tour.

Her army of fans, known as Barbz, have been eagerly anticipating her return to these shores after headline arena shows in North America and Europe.

Minaj has became the first Woman to score 100 Billboard Hot 100 Hits, with a total of 133 entries to date, including three number 1s.

Heres what you should know ahead of her Dublin gig:

Are there any tickets left?

There are still some tickets available on Ticketmaster.ie with prices from 89.90.

When do gates open and when does the show start?

Gates open at 4pm with the show scheduled to start at 5pm.

Can under-16s go?

Under-16s must be accompanied by an adult over 25.

What songs will Nicki perform?

Based on recent concerts, heres what you can expect:

Barbie Dangerous

FTCU

Beep Beep

Press Play

Big Difference

Feeling Myself

Cowgirl

High School

Your Love

Side to Side (Ariana Grande cover)

Needle

Chun-Li

Red Ruby Da Sleeze

Barbie World (Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua cover)

Romans Revenge

Monster (Ye cover)

Super Freaky Girl

Anaconda

Super Bass

Moment 4 Life

Starships

Everybody

How do I get to Malahide Castle?

You can get the 32 Dublin Bus from Talbot Street to Malahide or the 42 from Talbot Street towards Sand's Hotel (Portmarnock). You could also get the 102 GoAhead bus from Sutton to Swords (via Malahide).

The closest Dart stop is Malahide Train Station. The venue is approximately a 15-minute walk from Malahide Train Station.

What else should I be aware of?

To avoid any entry delays, you should download, print or save your ticket(s) before arriving at the concert. There will be a strict No Alcohol Policy implemented on all transport and private buses travelling to the venue.

No backpacks, large handbags, bags over A4 size will be permitted into the venue. All venue bars will be cashless and have contactless card payment facilities. Food vendors will take card and cash payments.
A Dublin man who admitted violent disorder after he foolishly got involved in other peoples business has been left without a conviction.

Harry Pike (28) came out the worst in an incident after he spoke to two men outside a row of shops in Finglas.
The NY Governor has reaffirmed her support for President Joe Biden.

Despite growing unease within the Democratic Party over the ability of US President Joe Biden to withstand the rigours of a re-election campaign, New York Governor Kathy Hochul  who has strong Kerry connections  has once again given her support for Biden to continue.

Governor Hochul was part of a delegation of Democratic governors to meet with President Biden at the White House on July 4 to discuss a way forward following the Presidents poor debate performance against Donald Trump on June 27.

The meeting comes amid calls from some Democrats for President Biden to withdraw on health grounds as he would be unable to sustain the necessary momentum ahead of the election on November 5.

Speaking outside the White House after the meeting on Wednesday, Governor Hochul reaffirmed her support for Biden by saying he was in it to win and all of us pledge our support to him.

We feel very confident in his ability. We talked about the plan and how he is going to be very focused on issues that matter to Americans. I felt very confident coming out of this meeting, Governor Hochul told reporters.

Governor Hochuls support for Biden has been unwavering. In an interview to MSNBS Sunday on June 30, she talks of having met Biden the day after his disastrous debate with Trump where she referred to seeing him at his best.

What I saw less than 24 hours after the performance the night before, was Joe Biden himself, at his best, energetic, fully alert, and conversational, Hochul said.

One bad night does not affect three and a half years of stellar accomplishment, and Im really excited about the next four years ahead, she added.

Governor Hochuls paternal grandparents  Jack Courtney and Mary Browne  were born in the Maharees on the Dingle Peninsula before emigrating to America in 1919 after which they married and settled in New York.

In May of this year, Ms Hochul visited her ancestral home where she received a civic reception from Kerry County Council.
Louth County Council has been urged to get involved in the upkeep of Ladywell Shrine in Dundalk which as been described as a hidden gem.

The shrine on the Dublin Road, which was referenced by writer and poet Patrick Kavanagh in his memoir, The Green Fool, is a popular place of worship and attracts large numbers of pilgrims on August 15, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The waters of the shrine are said to rise on the eve of the feast day and devotees from throughout the north east travel there to pray on what was the traditional Farmers Holiday, combining it with a trip to the nearby seaside village of Blackrock.

This tradition was recalled by Cllr Kevin Meenan at the July meeting of the Dundalk Municipal District.

He said that he had been contacted by the ad hoc committee who maintain the shrine but it has become dilapidated.

While the shrine was off the beaten track, it was of historical significance for Dundalk and there are people there every day saying the rosary.

"Its a hidden gem, he said, suggesting that maybe it was something the local authority could look at doing in co-ordination with those looking after it.
Local people as well as holiday makers from Dublin attended the coffee morning and sat for hours chatting with Fr ONeill.

"Everybody was buzzing and delighted to meet him, people sat and chatted for ages actually. It was nearly 3 oclock by the time we got out so everyone was very comfortable sitting around, having a chat, wishing him all the best and talking about times he has spent in Tara Hill, said Catherine Kinsella who is a member of the church committee.

Fr Roger O Neill Cutting his farewell cake

Fr ONeill has been the curate in Tara Hill for the last five years and is moving as he has been promoted to parish priest of Cushinstown.

Catherine worked closely with Fr ONeill for the last few years and says he did great work for the area.

Fr Roger O Neill with members of the committee, Irene Greghan, Ann Carty, Sean O Leary, Elizabeth Mulligan, Pat Graham, David Greghan and Catherine Kinsella

He was always there for support for everything that we wanted to do, there was never a problem. He always just mucked in got his hands dirty like the rest of us and there was no issue. He was the back of us all and were really sad to see him go, said Catherine.

Aileen and Jonathon Dempsey

Originally from Wexford town, Fr ONeill previously spent 15 years in New Ross before he arrived in Tara Hill in August, 2019.

Niamh Ward Carty and Bernard Carty

"As far as I can gather, New Ross is going to be part of his pastoral area. At least he will know people down there as such, its not that hes going to be landed in Donegal where he doesnt know nobody. Once hes in his own home county as well it wont make a difference, said Catherine.

Thomas O'Shea, Grace Masterson, Finna Colclough and Gerard Sheehy

After his departure, Tara Hill will not have a replacement priest. Father Billy in Gorey is going to be with us as well. Were part of the pastoral and we will be using the surrounding priests as well from Craanford, Ballycanew, Camolin and Ballyoughter."

Sean O'Leary, Lisa Holmes, Paul Leonard and Eleanor Leonard

"We wont have a priest to replace himself which was a huge shock as we dont know what way its going to go down the line, were the smaller of the churches so its up to the community to keep it open, said Catherine.

Kate McMorrow and Rose Sullivan

On behalf of the church, Catherine wished Fr ONeill all the best in the future and said theres an open invitation for him to return to the parish especially for the tractor runs which he always enjoyed.
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. Wicklow Senator Pat Casey was also in attendance.

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 in increasing the number and profile of community national schools nationwide.

Calls are also being made for an increase in deputy principal allocations in ETB post-primary schools with DEIS designation, while funding also needs to be increased 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.

Kildare and Wicklow ETB also want funding restored 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.
Rishi Sunak shouldered the burden for a sobering verdict at the General Election, as competing Tory factions began their battle over the diminished partys future.

The outgoing British prime minister said it had been a difficult night and apologised to Conservative candidates who had lost their seats, as he held onto his own Richmond and Northallerton constituency.
The ruthless rise of Keir Starmer: from stone cold loser to British prime minister

Cautious, meticulous, focused: the new British PM has a staid image but he is also a man who used to dress in dead mans coats, wears Donegal GAA jerseys and used to advocate a united Ireland

Starmer gives speech as Labour win UK election

Kim Bielenberg Fri 5 Jul 2024 at 06:00

Back in 2020, when Keir Starmer put his hat in the ring to be the leader of the British Labour Party, The Sun dismissed him as a likely stone cold loser. Not for the first or last time, he had been underestimated.
UK general election Labours Keir Starmer becomes new prime minister as Sunak to quit as Tory leader

UK prime minister Keir Starmer got straight to work assembling his Cabinet after promising to rebuild trust in politics and restore hope to the nation after a landslide Labour victory in the UK general election.

Rachel Reeves was confirmed as Britains first woman chancellor, Angela Rayner is Keirs deputy prime minister and retained the levelling up, housing and communities brief, and Yvette Cooper is Home Secretary.

David Lammy was appointed foreign secretary, putting to bed some speculation over whether he would get the post he shadowed in opposition.

The first surprise in the assembly of the Labour leaders top team was the promotion of Lisa Nandy to culture secretary, after the holder of the brief in his shadow cabinet, Thangam Debbonaire, lost her seat to the Green Party.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 5th

Otherwise, the Cabinet mirrors Mr starmers shadow team, including Pat McFadden, who played a central role in shaping Labours election campaign, being named Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, John Healey defence secretary, Shabana Mahmood justice secretary, Wes Streeting health secretary, Bridget Phillipson education secretary and Ed Miliband energy secretary.

Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry will not take on the post in Government, with Mr Starmer instead choosing barrister Richard Hermer KC. It is not a Cabinet position but Mr Hermer will attend Cabinet meetings.

Mr Starmer also appointed Alan Campbell as chief whip, Darren Jones as chief secretary to the Treasury, they will also attend Cabinet meetings.

Lucy Powell will be Leader of the House of Commons, while Baroness Smith of Basildon will be Leader of the House of Lords.

In his first speech on Downing Street, Mr Starmer said the British people had voted decisively for change.

He said the country could move forward together as Labour took office following 14 years of Conservative rule.

He said: Now our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service.

When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future.

But we need to move forward together. Now this wound, this lack of trust can only be healed by actions not words, I know that.

But we can make a start today with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege and that your government should treat every single person in this country with respect.

He said my Government will serve you, politics can be a force for good, adding: The work of change begins immediately, but have no doubt, we will rebuild Britain.

Following a brutal set of results for the Conservatives, Rishi Sunak announced he would quit as Tory leader and used his final speech in Downing Street to apologise to the British people and the Conservative Party.

After 648 of the 650 Commons seats had been declared, Labour had a majority of 176.

Labour had 412 seats and the Tories 121, the worst result in the partys history.

But low turnout underlined Mr Starmers message about the need to rebuild trust in the political system after 14 years of Tory rule marred by the Partygate scandal and the chaos of Conservative infighting which saw David Cameron followed in quick succession by Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and, finally, Mr Sunak.

The turnout figure stood at 59.85pc, the lowest at a general election since 2001.

Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden has congratulated Keir Starmer and said he looks forward to further strengthening the special relationship with the UK.

Both the White House and Downing Street have confirmed the two leaders shared a phone call earlier to day where they reaffirmed the special relationship between our nations and the importance of working together in support of freedom and democracy around the world.

A spokesperson in Washington said Mr Biden conveyed that he is looking forward to working closely with Prime Minister on the full range of critical issues that affect our countries and committed to deepening U.S.-UK cooperation in the many areas of our shared interest.

This included reiterating their continued support for Ukraine against Russian aggression and their commitment to protecting the gains of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and working with the leaders of Northern Ireland to create and sustain economic growth and opportunities.

The two leaders said they look forward to meeting at the Nato summit next week.
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico made his first public appearance on Friday since he was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt.

Mr Fico has been recovering at home from multiple wounds he suffered in the May 15 attack when he was shot in the abdomen as he greeted supporters in the town of Handlova, nearly 85 miles northeast of the capital.
Hezbollah fires 200 rockets at Israel after commander killed

Lebanese group warns new sites will be targeted

Firefighters work after Lebanon's Hezbollah said it launched more than 200 rockets and a swarm of drones at Israeli military sites, near the border between Israel and Lebanon on the Israeli side. Photo: Reuters

Laila Bassam Fri 5 Jul 2024 at 03:30







Lebanons Hezbollah launched a big rocket and drone attack at Israel yesterday and threatened to hit new targets in retaliation for the killing of a top commander, in the latest surge of violence in the steadily worsening conflict across the border.
Joe Biden put in a poor performance in the first presidential debate. Photo: Reuters

The co-founder of Netflix and an heir to the Disney empire are among the influential Democrat voices joining calls for Joe Biden to exit the US presidential race.
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Bengaluru: The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has directed Byju's to pay its employees' salaries, whether or not the company has access to funds raised through its rights issue, media reported.

The NCLT also warned that an audit would be conducted if the employees were not compensated.

"You are a company that is functioning. Surely you should be having revenues," the Bengaluru bench of NCLT said on Thursday while hearing a plea by employees seeking payment of salaries, reported Moneycontrol.

The tribunal warned that the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) would conduct an audit if Byju's failed to pay its staff.

It directed Byju's to file a response to the employees application and scheduled the plea for a hearing in the coming week.

Although Byju's has paid salaries for April and May, it has not fully paid the salaries for February and March.
Photo Courtesy: File image

New Delhi/IBNS: Senior lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, in a stunning claim that he has called a "smoking gun", has alleged that a businessman with Chinese links had commissioned the report by short-seller Hindenburg Research which led to shares of Adani Group companies taking a hit, reports NDTV.

According to reports, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) earlier this week had said that foreign portfolio investor Kingdon Capital Management LLC and its entities aided Hindenburg in indirectly participating in Adani Enterprises Ltd.

A probe by the markets regulator also exposed that Kotak Mahindra and Hindenburg conspired together to take short positions in Adani shares, as per reports.

Mahesh Jethmalani, in a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter), said Mark Kingdon, the American businessman behind Kingdon Capital Management LLC, had hired Hindenburg to prepare a report on the Adani Group, and the businessman also approached Kotak's international investment arm Kotak Mahindra Investments Limited (KMIL) to set up an offshore fund as well as offshore accounts to trade in Adani shares, which led to the creation of the Kotak India Opportunity Fund (KIOF).

The KIOF allegedly took short positions in shares of Adani Group Companies through the Mauritius route before the Hindenburg report was made public and nearly $40 million for this was given by the Kingdon Master Fund, as per reports.

The smoking gun referred to by Jethmalani in his revelation that Kingdon's wife Anla Cheng, a Chinese-American who has a large shareholding in the Kingdon Master Fund, is a lobbyist for Chinese interests in the US.

"She was the CEO of #SupChina a pro-China media corporate initiative which morphed into an entity called The China Project after a whistleblower accused SupChina of news subversion in China's interest in a sworn statement before the US Congress," the senior lawyer wrote on X.

"#TheChinaProject shut down after calls for an investigation into its subversive activities by some US senators including having links with the Chinese Communist Party. The latter clearly has a bone to pick with the Adani group," Jethmalani added.

Mahesh Jethmalani suggested that the actions of Anla Cheng and her husband Kingdon were prompted by the Adani Group thwarting Chinese interests in several parts of the world, including outbidding Chinese players for the Haifa Port in Israel and for coal projects near Sri Lanka's Jaffna.

"Who introduced the Kingdons to KMIL, what due diligence was conducted by KMIL regarding the Kingdons and did it participate in the short sell as a principal," Jethmalani asked.

Here, another question arises -- whether all the Indian people, organisations and entities who helped Hindenburg knew about the short-selling plan and whether they benefited from it?

Lawyer Jethmalani specifically mentioned politicians, in an apparent dig at the opposition, which has used the Adani-Hindenburg issue to target the group and the government on several occasions.

Jethmalani also asked whether these people and entities knew about the Chinese link.
Image: Bajaj Auto

Pune/IBNS: In a monumental occasion in the global automotive industry, especially in the alternate fuel space, Indian two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto on Friday (July 5) launched the world's first motorcycle that will run on both Compressed Natural Gas ( CNG ) and petrol.

Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Chakan-based bikemaker Bajaj Auto, unveiled the world's first CNG motorcycle named 'Freedom 125' in the presence of Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, in an event in Pune.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in his address to the media says that India became the third largest automobile industry in the world behind the USA and Japan.

"The auto industry has created four crore jobs until now. Two-wheelers industry is doing excellent work. Within five years India will be the second largest automobile industry in the world," Gadkari said.

Nitin Gadkari claims the running cost of CNG two-wheelers will stand around Re 1 per kilometer, adding that he is impressed with the design and quality of the Bajaj Freedom 125 bike, which gets a 2 kg tank of CNG.

 



             .



This groundbreaking innovation promises significant savings in operating costs and pollution reduction. With this eco-friendly pic.twitter.com/TLyiLP38At  Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) July 5, 2024

Bajaj Auto claims the CNG bike gets the longest seat in the segment, with a height of 785mm, while the Freedom 125 is equipped with a contemporary styling, a robust trellis frame, and a linked monoshock.

Bajaj's Freedom 125 is powered by a 125cc single-cylinder four-stroke air-cooled engine which can run on both petrol and CNG, and the engine can produce 9.5 PS of max power at 8000 RPM and 9.7 Nm of peak torque at 5000 RPM.

The CNG tank of the bike is neatly placed under the seat.

Bajaj claims the motorcycle will offer 200km range on CNG and 130km on petrol, and its top speed will be 90.5 kmph and 93.4 kmph on CNG and petrol, respectively.

Bajaj says the Freedom 125 CNG bike will be available in three variants  NG04 Drum, NG04 Drum LED, and NG04 Disc LED  with ex-showroom prices starting at Rs 95,000.

The NG04 Drum, NG04 Drum LED and NG04 Disc LED variants of the Freedom 125 bike are priced at Rs 95,000, Rs 1.05 lakh, and Rs 1.10 lakh, respectively. All are ex-showroom prices.

According to Bajaj Auto, the Freedom 125 is featured with a reverse LED console and Bluetooth connectivity.

The CNG motorcycle will be available in seven colour options  Carribean Blue, Pewter Grey/Black, Cyber White, Ebony Black/Grey, Racing Red, Cyber White, Pewter Grey/Yellow, and Ebony Black/Red.

Bajaj says it targets a market for exports that includes six countries, including Egypt, Africa and Bangladesh, and it will start delivering the CNG bike in a phased manner across India from the next quarter onwards.

As demonstrated by Bajaj in the Freedom 125 launch event, the CNG bike has undergone 11 safety tests, including a 'truck rollover test'.

The 'truck rollover test' found that despite being crushed under the truck tires, the CNG tank was intact and the pressure was unchanged.

Meanwhile, as Bajaj Auto launches the world's first-ever CNG and petrol supported bike, the company's shares are up 2 percent to an intra-day high of Rs 9,660.

According to market reports, Bajaj Auto shares have been seeing steady gains in the past six months.
Kolkata: NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) in partnership with Network International (Network), a leading enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, has enabled the acceptance of QR code-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments via Networks point-of-sale (POS) terminals in the UAE.

This initiative ensures seamless and secure transactions for Indian tourists and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) across Network Internationals vast merchant network in the UAE.

Network has over 200,000 POS terminals across 60,000+ merchants in sectors including retail, hospitality, transport, and supermarkets among others.

UPI acceptance will be rolled out progressively, covering a wide range of establishments from retail stores and dining outlets, as well as tourist and leisure attractions including Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates.

The number of Indian tourists travelling to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is projected to increase to 9.8 million in 2024, with the UAE anticipating 5.29 million arrivals from India. The growth is driven by various factors including business and leisure.

By enabling UPI acceptance through its POS terminals, Network will provide a QR-based safe and secure method for facilitating cross-border payments. This will allow Indian tourists and NRIs with Indian bank accounts to use UPI for payments across Networks POS terminals in the UAE.

Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NPCI International, said, Our partnership with Network International will deepen UPIs presence in the UAE. By growing UPI payment acceptance across merchants in the UAE, we are not only providing Indian travellers with a seamless and familiar payment experience, but also promoting the use of innovative digital payment solutions internationally. This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to driving technological advancement and creating a more connected global payment ecosystem.

Nandan Mer, Group CEO of Network International, said, We are delighted to partner with NPCI International Payments Limited to strengthen the payments ecosystem for Indians visiting or working in the UAE.

"By enabling customers to pay in their preferred method, we are one step closer to realising our vision to empower businesses and merchants with the latest payment technologies and strengthening the vision of a digital UAE. We are confident that this partnership will drive a robust digital payments ecosystem in the country that will increase cashless transactions.

Jamal Al Nassai, Group Managing Director for Merchant Services  Middle East and North Africa at Network International, commented: The launch of this partnership is a milestone for our extensive merchant network, which stands to benefit immensely from the new payment method. As the leading acquirer in the region, Network will leverage its 30-years legacy of technological innovation to enable acceptance of UPI-based payment apps to its merchants to drive global interoperability.
Image Credit: Facebook/Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru/IBNS: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has come under fire over the alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) following the resignation of one of his ministers in a separate case, media reports said.

The opposition BJP has accused MUDA of illegally allotting an alternative site to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvati.

The BJP has protested outside the Chief Minister's residence and demanded his resignation.

Coming under fire, Siddaramaiah said the government is probing into the allegations and all allocations by MUDA have been suspended.

But what is the MUDA scam?

The MUDA 50:50 scheme, which was introduced in 2009 but was scrapped in 2020 by the then BJP government, promises land owners 50 percent of the developed land per acre which they give up.

Though it was scrapped in 2020, MUDA continued to allot land under the scheme.

MUDA continued even after the government ordered twice in the last six months asking it to cancel all allotments until clear guidelines are issued.

It is suspected that the sites were alloted to influential people and real estate agents instead of giving them to the eligible beneficiaries.
Photo Courtesy: Keir Starmer X page

Promising to rebuild Britain and assuring that the work of change has begun, Labour leader Keir Starmer led his party to a landslide victory in the UK general polls, dethroning the Rishi Sunak government and his Conservative's 14-year-old rule in the grand old nation of the world.

"Country first, party second. That's how we will serve," Starmer said in his first speech as UK PM.

Winning over 412 seats in the British House of Commons, Labour Party ensured a return just four years after Starmer took the leadership of the party following the political outfit's disastrous show in the 2019 poll.

Sunak's Conservatives struggled by winning 121 seats in the 650-member house.

One of the first world leaders to congratulate Starmer was Indian PM Narendra Modi who hoped to stitch a positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas.

Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to @Keir_Starmer on the remarkable victory in the UK general elections. I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 5, 2024

India's previous stint with the Labour Party was not so positive when under the leadership of previous chief Jeremy Corbyn the outfit was considered antagonistic towards its former colony.

In September 2019, after the Indian government had repealed the emergency motion on Kashmir after revoking Article 370 of the constitution that used to grant special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the Labour Party passed an emergency motion.

According to reports, the motion then noted that there is a major humanitarian crisis taking place in Kashmir, and called for international observers to enter the region.

Following a backlash from the British Indian community, Corbyn clarified that it views Kashmir as a 'bilateral matter' between India and Pakistan.

Soon, the results of the general polls were out and Labour suffered a massive defeat with many crediting its Kashmir Motion as the factor behind triggering such a response towards the ballot outcome.

Labour leader Keir Starmer took charge of the party's leadership in 2020 and soon under his leadership the political outfit changed its stance and reinvented itself in numerous issues including 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," Firstpost reported in its explainer.

Starmer, with his more liberal outlook and pro-Indian perception, visited Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingsbury when he was quoted as saying by the media: "There is absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain.

He even vowed to build a new strategic partnership with India if voted to power.

If were elected next week we will strive to govern in the spirit of seva to serve you and a world in need, he was quoted as saying by Firstpost.

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, he said.

The party also began an investigation into one of the Sikh councillors, Parbinder Kaur, for sharing posts that allegedly support the Khalistani movement in India. The political party also demoted its Indian-origin shadow minister Preet Kaur Gill for reportedly having links with pro-Khalistani extremists last year, all showing a softer stance the outfit has taken on India and its moving away from previous attitude towards New Delhi, the media report said.

The Labour Party also vowed to go ahead with the free trade agreement (FTA) with India if elected to power and it is time to find whether it implements the same after actually returning to the hot seat after 14 years.

India and the UK had 13 rounds of discussions on FTA so far but nothing progressed amid ongoing elections held in both countries.

An article published in The Indian Express said,"Immigration remains among the most heated issues in British politics. While the Tories and Labour disagree on how to restrict immigration into the UK, there is a bipartisan consensus on the fact that it must be restricted. This could be a sticking point for a trade deal with India."

"New Delhi is seeking temporary visas for its service sector workforce under the FTA  this is where it expects to gain the most in the deal. With the UK being a powerhouse in the IT and financial services segment, Indias service sector could benefit from the integration. But given the UKs political climate, Labour is likely to negotiate hard on the visa issue," wrote journalist Ravi Dutta Mishra in his article published in the newspaper.

Arnab Das, Global Market Strategist -EMEA, Invesco, told The Economic Times: "I think the direction of travel is very clear. India is inexorably getting closer to the West, especially the United States, and I think the improving relationships with Europe, Japan, the EU, and the UK in particular are part of that bigger picture. The big challenge for India regionally geopolitically, geo economically is China. There have been tensions."

" So, there is not going to be any big rupture in Asia, but there is going to be a continuing integration or continuing alignment of India and other countries in Asia with the west and including the UK," he said.
Photo Courtesy: Keir Starmer X page

The opposition Labour Party is ahead in the UK general polls with the counting of votes currently underway on Friday.

The exit polls predicted Indian-origin British PM Rishi Sunak suffering a defeat in the polls.

A Labour Party victory will mean Keir Starmer becoming the Prime Minister of the country.

Latest figures showed the Labour Party is ahead in 164 seats while the Conservatives (Tories), led by PM Rishi Sunak, is leading in 27.

The majority figure needed by a party to form a government is 326.

As per exit poll predictions, Labour would win 410 seats in the 650-seat parliament.

On the contrary, the Conservatives (Tories) are expected to bag only 131 seats, one of the worst shows by the political outfit in several years.

The Conservatives have been ruling the nation for the past 14 years.

Starmer posted on X: "To everyone who has campaigned for Labour in this election, to everyone who voted for us and put their trust in our changed Labour Party - thank you."

To everyone who has campaigned for Labour in this election, to everyone who voted for us and put their trust in our changed Labour Party - thank you. https://t.co/q6yDNPnAbo  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 4, 2024

In one of the major defeats registered in the polls so far, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps lost his seat to Labour, reported BBC.

Earlier, Sunak, who made desperate attempts to keep his chances afloat, posted on X: " Stop the Labour supermajority. Vote Conservative."

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has won the seat from the pro-Brexit town of Clacton.

He had played a leading role in ensuring Britain's departure from the European Union.

It was his eighth attempt to become an MP.

He was the second Reform UK leader to bag a seat in the polls with Lee Anderson winning Ashfield earlier.
Photo Courtesy: Keir Starmer X page

In 2020, right after Britain's Labour Party suffered a major loss in the general polls, the outfit decided to hand over the political party's leadership to Keir Starmer to alter the fate in 2024.

Starmer ensured he performed his task perfectly and now his Labour Party is dominating the UK general polls as counting votes is currently underway.

Keir Starmer is now set to become the next PM of Britain, ending the 14-year rule of key Conservative.

Change begins. Watch my speech here. https://t.co/npCLojfGZk  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 5, 2024

His win also means PM Rishi Sunak's exit from the top job.

Bracing for a landslide victory, Keir Starmer said he will change the country if Labour is voted to power.

"Ive changed the Labour Party," he said.

"If you put your trust in me by voting Labour, I will change the country," he earlier posted on X.

Thank you, Holborn and St Pancras, for putting your trust in me again.



Change begins right here. pic.twitter.com/XZfi5OIoyH  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 5, 2024

Growing up in Oxted town, Keir Starmer was elected leader of the Labour Party in 2020.

A lawyer by profession, Keir Starmer had served on the Northern Ireland Policing Board for five years.

In 2008, Keir became Director of Public Prosecutions, putting him as the head of the Crown Prosecution Service and its thousands of employees, as per the Labour Party's website.

He received a knighthood in 2014 for his services to criminal justice.

In his political journey, he became a parliamentarian for the first time in 2015 at the age of 52.

In his political career, he was Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (2016-2020) and Shadow Immigration Minister (2015-2016).

Keir Starmer's father was a toolmaker in a factory and his mother worked as a nurse for the NHS.

He married Victoria in 2007. They have two children.
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash/Angie Bob

Citizens and civil society critical of the Belarussian authorities face worsening repression, arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and harassment, nearly four years since widespread public protests took place surrounding the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko, a UN independent human rights expert said on Wednesday.

In her final, annual report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Special Rapporteur on the rights situation in Belarus, Anais Marin, echoed wider, longstanding concerns from the UN and the international community about a crackdown on democratic freedoms and other serious rights abuses in the country.

President Lukashenko, 69, has been in power since 1994 and is Europes longest-serving leader.

Repression in Belarus has reached such a scale and intensity that it should not be considered a safe country for anyone who ever showed disagreement with the government or its policies. I therefore reiterate my call to refrain from extraditions and expulsions to Belarus, said Ms. Marin, a political scientist and French national who was appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council in 2018.

Democratic U-turn

The general trend I observe is a further tightening of the screws against any real or perceived opposition to the acting government, and the systematic persecution of anyone who dares expressing dissenting views about its policies, she told the Human Rights Council, which is the top UN forum for Member States to discuss and address human rights situations of concern.

In the absence of Belarus at the Council to respond to her report, the Special Rapporteur also noted that as the country had entered a new electoral cycle, it had sent no signal that the next presidential election will be held differently than before.

Extremist label

To illustrate the pressure faced by civil society in Belarus  which denied the Special Rapporteurs requests to visit the country, she said  Ms. Marin noted that more than 1,500 registered associations had disappeared in recent years  almost half the number that existed prior to the 2020 election violence.

This was achieved also by designating them as extremist formations, and subsequently prosecuting their leaders and members, pushing them to relocate abroad, she explained.

Trades unions and more undone

In her report covering the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, the independent expert maintained that all types of independent associations have suffered in Belarus: civil society organisations and initiatives, political parties, trade unions, bar associations, religious or cultural organizations and online communities.

Furthermore, independent trade unions in Belarus have been dismantled and the number of political parties has fallen from 16 to four in the period leading up to the February 2024 parliamentary elections, the Special Rapporteur said.

Exile or prison

All those who ever dared speaking up against the government or its policies are either behind bars or in exile, Ms. Marin said in a separate statement, adding that dissidents in exile continue to face harassment, being labelled as traitors or extremists, and prosecuted in absentia for alleged crimes.

Among the legislative measures used by the authorities to crackdown on free assembly and association, the independent expert listed mandatory re-registration campaigns, restrictions on access to funding and retaliation for donations, along with liquidation of associations through or without judicial proceedings, designation of undesirable associations as extremist formations and the persecution of their leaders, members, volunteers and supporters.

For those in prison, the independent expert highlighted over a dozen reported deaths in custody since 2020. These had been most likely caused by inadequate or untimely medical care, Ms. Marin said, adding that a few detainees have been held incommunicado for over a year and their families are unaware of their fate.

There have also been a growing number of allegations of ill-treatment of inmates convicted on what appear to be politically motivated charges the Special Rapporteur said, while also pointing with concern to the harassment of minorities and members of LGBTIQ+ community and the intimidation of relatives of extremists living in exile.

Special Rapporteurs

Appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council and forming of a part of its Special Procedures, Special Rapporteurs are mandated to monitor and assess the rights situation in certain thematic or country situations.

They work in their individual capacity, are not UN staff and do not receive a salary.
Lebanese armed group Hezbollah launches 200 rockets into Israel amid escalating tension. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has said it launched 200 rockets at Israeli military sites in reply to the killing of one of its senior commanders, media reports said.

The Israeli Defense Force also confirmed the attack and posted on X: "Hezbollah fired massive barrages of projectiles toward northern Israel earlier today."

"Approx. 200 projectiles were launched toward the Golan area, some of which were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array and the IAF," IDF said.

"Over 20 suspicious aerial targets were launched toward Israeli territory, several were intercepted," it said.

IDF said it struck launch posts in southern Lebanon.

The IDF on Wednesday said top Hezbollah commander Muhammed Neamah Naser was 'eliminated'.

"ELIMINATED: Muhammad Neamah Naser, the Commander of the Aziz Unit in the Hezbollah Terrorist Organization," IDF posted on X.

" Naser entered his position in 2016 and led the rockets and anti-tank missile attacks from southwestern Lebanon toward Israeli civilians, communities and security forces. He also directed a large number of terrorist attacks toward Israel both during, and before the war, and he previously held several central roles within the Hezbollah terrorist organization," the army said.

"He was the counterpart of Sami Taleb Abdullah, the commander of the Nasser Unit, who was eliminated last month. Together, they served as two of the most significant Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon,"IDF said.

In response to the killing, Hezbollah on Thursday said it had launched more than 200 missiles of various types at Israeli targets, CNN reported.

Muhammad Neamah Naser is the latest Hezbollah leader to be killed since the October 7 attacks.

Cross-border firing incidents have been reported by Israel and Hezbollah since the war in Gaza began.

Amid escalating tension, a full-blown conflict is feared to occur.
Canadians take pride in their diverse and inclusive society. Their values are rooted in peace, democracy, and respect for all.

However, recent events in Calgary have cast a shadow over these principles, revealing a troubling partnership between security institutions and extremist entities.

The Calgary Police Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the Armed Forces are set to participate in a convoy hosted by Dashmesh Gurdwara on July 6, promoting the Khalistan referendum event scheduled for July 28. This event is dedicated to Talwinder Singh Parmar, a figure synonymous with terrorism and violence.

Talwinder Singh Parmar, the founder of Babbar Khalsa, is not just a controversial figurehe is recognized by the Canadian government as a terrorist. Parmar was a co-conspirator in the horrific 1985 Air India bombings, which claimed 331 innocent lives, including many Canadians and children. To see security institutionsthose tasked with protecting usparade alongside organizers who glorify such a figure is deeply unsettling and wrong.

The involvement of the Calgary Police, RCMP, and Armed Forces in this event is more than just a public relations misstep; it is a blatant endorsement of extremism. These organizations annually set up recruitment tents and actively participate in events at Dashmesh Gurdwara, seemingly turning a blind eye to the glorification of individuals who have perpetrated acts of terror. This association, done in the name of diversity, dangerously undermines the very fabric of Canadas domestic security.

The security institutions are meant to safeguard the citizens of Canada, not further the agenda of extremist movements. By aligning themselves with organizations that honor terrorists, these institutions are sending a message that is antithetical to their core mission. They are signaling that Canada, a nation built on peace and security, is willing to tolerate and even support the glorification of terrorism.

This raises a critical question: Should Canada not have some standards when it comes to the partnerships its security institutions forge? It is imperative that police, politicians, and security agencies refrain from collaborating with any religious or cultural institution that serves as a base for glorifying terrorists and entities recognized as terrorist organizations by Canada. Commitment to diversity must not come at the expense of safety and moral integrity.

The participation of Calgarys security forces in these events sets a dangerous precedent. It normalizes the presence and influence of extremist ideologies within communities, making domestic safety less secure. It is time for a reassessment of these alliances. Security institutions must realign their partnerships to reflect their primary duty: ensuring the safety and security of all Canadians, free from the threat of extremism.

Canadas stance on terrorism must be unequivocal. We cannot allow the principles of diversity and inclusion to be manipulated to support extremist agendas. It is crucial for security institutions to maintain a clear and consistent standard, one that unequivocally rejects any form of terrorism and those who perpetrate it.

Since the leadership isnt, it is up to the citizens to hold the security institutions accountable. They must demand that the agencies uphold the highest standards of integrity and public safety. The glorification of terrorists has no place in Canada, and the police, RCMP, and Armed Forces must reflect this in their actions and affiliations. Only then can Canada truly claim to be a nation committed to peace, security, and the well-being of all its citizens.

(With Text and photo courtesy: Khalsavox.com)
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

At least three died and several others were injured after an explosion rocked Khyber Pakhtunkhwas Mardan district on Thursday.

According to reports, the blast occurred when an explosive device planted to a bridge was set off.

Mardan District Police Officer (DPO) Zahoor Barbar Afridi told Dawn.com that the blast occurred as a police vehicle was passing along a bridge in the Takhtbhai Jalala area of the district.

A speeding rickshaw on the bridge was also caught in the explosion, killing three people, while seven others, including two policemen, sustained injuries, Afridi said.

Superintendent of Police Saddar Circle, Khalid Khan, told Dawn.com that unidentified terrorists planted the device near the bridge and detonated it as the police vehicle was passing by.

A large contingent of police reached the spot after the blast and launched an operation.

Pakistan is witnessing a spike in terror activities in recent times.

Terrorism rose particularly after the militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke a truce with the government in November 2022 and started targeting security personnel.
The teaser for Maa Kaali starring Rimi Sen, is out. The film is supposed to be inspired by the partition of Bengal, telling the harrowing story of 'the great Calcutta killing' or 'the Direct Action Day' that resulted in India's split. In addition to Raima Sen, the period drama stars IAS officer turned actor Abhishek Singh.

But what exactly happened in August, 1946?

Just watched the #MaaKaliTeaser and it's a powerful glimpse into the harrowing experiences of Hindus during the 1946 partition riots. Can't wait for the full story! #MaaKali pic.twitter.com/1xao7aDlbd  k (@sarphiribalika_) July 4, 2024

The Great Calcutta Killing, also known as The Direct Action Day, occurred on August 16, 1946, when the All-India Muslim League decided to take 'direct action' in order to secure a separate homeland for Muslims in the country following the British leave from India. It resulted in a statewide sectarian riot, followed by bloodshed between Muslims and Hindus in Calcutta (now Kolkata), the Bengal region of British India. The four-day violence, dubbed the Week of Long Knives, claimed 10,000 lives and left 15,000 others seriously injured.

What is the storyline of Maa Kali?

Still from Maa Kali teaser/YT

Maa Kali is heavily based on the story of the Calcutta Killing and Noakhali murders, which had long-term harsh political ramifications. The novel sheds light on Bengal's forgotten history and reveals how Bengali Hindus experienced atrocities on the verge of independence, leaving a terrifying mark even after nearly eight decades.

Also Read: Virat Kohli keeps wallpaper of Baba Neem Karoli, the guru who inspired Mark Zuckerberg & Steve Jobs

Director of Maa Kali, Vijay Yelakanti, discussed the storyline in an interview and said, "Although it is directly related to one of the most significant chapters of our modern Indian history, Direct Action Day continues to be an untold story of human suffering."

Maa Kali is a trilingual film produced by TG Vishwa Prasad. It will be released in Hindi, Bengali, and Telugu. The teaser begins with "Let the Truth be Heard, LOUD and CLEAR."

To watch the teaser, click here.

Also Read: Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant wedding: Kokilaben hosts garba night for bride and groom, Close family friends attend

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


India has always been the land of spirituality. With its ancient heritage and diverse culture, the country has always been must must-visit for all those who are seeking spiritual awakening. Within the country's rich spiritual leanings, there are several spiritual gurus whose teachings have a reach far beyond their ashrams. Let's take a look at 5 famous spiritual gurus whose teachings resonate so well with the people that some of the country's biggest public figures became their followers.

Also Read: 8 Quotes From Bhagavad Gita For Financial Freedom And Spiritual Enlightenment

Famous spiritual gurus in India

1) Neem Karoli Baba: Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma

X

Recently, a video has been making rounds where Neem Karoli Baba's photo as the wallpaper of Virat Kohli's phone can be seen. Both Virat and Anushka Sharma are ardent followers of the Hindu Neem Karoli Baba and visited Baba Neem Karoli Ashram in Vrindavan, Mathura with their daughter Vamika back in January 2023.



2) Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev: Kangana Ranaut

X

Not just in India, Sadhguru is one of the most famous spiritual gurus in the world with a massive following. He was also a guest on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah where he discussed the impact of industrial agriculture. Kangana Ranaut is among the many celebs following him and recently when he underwent brain surgery was one of the few who wished him a speedy recovery via her X account.



3) Guruji from Chhattarpur Bade Mandir: Vivek Oberoi

Facebook

One of the most followed spiritual gurus in India, Guruji from Chhattarpur Bade Mandir is also known as Dugri Wale Guruji or Shukrana Guruji. Back in the '90s he had constructed a mandir at Chattarpur in Delhi and over the years, many Bollywood celebs have visited including Vivek Oberoi.



4) Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Sanjay Dutt

@duttsanjay/X

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has been involved with many projects of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living Foundation ever since he sought lessons from the spiritual guru while he was serving his sentence in Pune Jail for his connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.



5) Swami Dayananda Saraswati: PM Narendra Modi

X

Swami Dayanand Saraswati was a Hindu monk who was a teacher of Advaita Vedanta and founded the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an avid follower of the late guru and even visited him at his Rishikesh ashram a couple of weeks before his passing in 2015.



Also Read: India's Top 5 Meditation Retreats Where International Celebs Found Their Zen



For more on health, astrology and fashion from around the world please visit Indiatimes Lifestyle.


Two NASA astronauts, Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas, recently performed four moonwalk simulations in a simulated field in the Arizona desert as the US space agency continues its preparations for a manned moon mission.

According to NASA, the two astronauts trudged through northern Arizonas San Francisco Volcanic Field, a geologically Moon-like destination shaped by millions of years of volcanic eruptions.

Also read: How NASA Astronauts Are Practicing 'Moonwalk' In A Desert

NASA

What astronauts did during moonwalk

There, they made observations of the soil and rocks around them and collected samples. After the moonwalks, the astronauts tested technology that could be used on Artemis missions, including a heads-up display that uses augmented reality to help with navigation, and lighting beacons that could help guide a crew back to a lunar lander.

NASA

Artemis III mission

The US has set its sights on the first human exploration mission of the lunar South Pole region, which is set to launch in September 2026. The 30-day mission, called Artemis III, will allow the astronauts to travel to lunar orbit, where two crew members will descend to the surface near the South Pole.

Also read: Indian-Born Subashini Iyer Is The Backbone Of NASA's Artemis Mission To The Moon

NASA

Why Arizona Desert

For the moonwalk simulation, on May 14, Rubins and Douglas wore backpacks loaded with equipment for lighting, communication, cameras, and power for those devices. According to NASA, the Arizona volcanic field was chosen for training as it geologically resembles Marius Hills on the lunar surface. Marius Hills was shaped by ancient volcanic eruptions, so the composition of rocks at the two locations is similar.

NASA

The Arizona simulation site also resembles the Moons south polar region in the subtle changes in the size, abundance, and groupings of rocks that can be found there. The Arizona moonwalks also gave scientists an opportunity to test their skills at making geologic maps using data from spacecraft orbiting many miles above the surface.

NASA

"So this landing site was a good analog for the types of small changes in regolith astronauts will look for at the lunar South Pole," said Lauren Edgar, a geologist at the US Geological Survey.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
After exit polls forecasted a clear victory for the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer, Ryanair reacted to the development by humorously featuring Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in their latest advertisement.

Reuters

The Labour win marks the end of the Conservative Partys 14-year governance, with Starmer set to take over as Britains next prime minister, according to AFP.



Ryanair's 'funny ad' involving Sunak

In the playful ad captioned "don't worry @RishiSunak we've got a seat for you", Ryanair depicts a cheerful Rishi Sunak seated on one of their flights. This comes amid uncertainties surrounding the electoral outcome of the Richmond and Northallerton constituency, where Sunak was a candidate. The airline's post has gained significant traction on X (formerly Twitter), amassing over 3.5 million views.

One user commented on the post, expressing gratitude for living to see Ryanair poke fun at Sunak, while another humorously noted that Sunak wasnt even given a window seat. "First genuinely funny ad I've seen in ages," another person remarked. The ad aligns with Ryanairs bio, Catch flights, not feelings, humorously suggesting Sunak might need to fly if he faces a political downfall.

Rishi Sunak no longer an MP

Rishi Sunaks bio on X now reads, Candidate for Richmond and Northallerton (I am no longer an MP). This statement has become a reality as the Labour Party is set to secure a majority in the UK general election. Keir Starmer was quoted by The Guardian, saying, We did it! Change begins now.

X

In the UKs 650 constituencies, a candidate must receive more votes than their competitors to win a seat in the House of Commons. A party needs to win at least 326 seats to secure a majority and be invited by King Charles III to form a government. Unlike the House of Commons, the House of Lords' members are appointed rather than elected.



If no party achieves a majority, the result is a hung parliament. However, with exit polls strongly favoring Labour, the scenario of a hung parliament appears unlikely this time around.



For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Scientists have discovered a long-lost ancient river system beneath the Antarctic ice sheets. The giant river system, estimated to be around 40 million years old, could shed light on the effects of climate change. The river first caught the attention of scientists in 2017 while drilling into the western part of Antarctica to collect samples from soft sediments and hard rocks set within the frozen seabed.

Pexels

Formed in two different periods

During the drilling, they found sediments with layers from two different periods. The lower part contained fossils, spores and pollens, indicating that a temperate rainforest existed during the mid-Cretaceous period, about 85 million years ago.

Also read: Antarctic Ice Sheets Are Capable Of Melting Much Faster Than Previously Thought

The upper part of the sediment contained mostly sand. As the scientists delved into these samples from the mid-to-late Eocene epoch, about 30 million to 40 million years ago, they found a strongly stratified pattern that resembled something that would normally come from a river delta.

Patterns from river delta

More research concluded that an ancient river once flowed in the Antarctic region. According to the study, the basic climatic conditions for the formation of permanent ice only prevailed in the coastal regions of the East Antarctic Northern Victoria Land.

Also read: Antarctica's Largest Iceberg Is Going To Melt At The Equator After 18 Years

Pexels

Second layer formed later

"It wasn't until about seven million years later that conditions allowed for advance of an ice sheet to the West Antarctic coast," explains Hanna Knahl, a paleoclimate modeler at the AWI.

"Our results clearly show how cold it had to get before the ice could advance to cover West Antarctica that, at that time, was already below sea level in many parts."

Help how climate evolved

Johann Klages from the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, who led the research said that the discovery of the river could help in the study of Earth's climate conditions.

"If we think about a potentially severe climate change in the future, we need to learn from periods in Earth's history where this already happened," he said.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Elene Deisadze, a 19-year-old girl from Georgia has reunited with her twin sister, someone who she didn't even know existed until a few months ago. It was sometime in 2022 when Deisadze came across a girl on TikTok, who looked exactly like her. Curious, she immediately reached out to the other girl, Anna Panchulidze, and soon they became friends.

Twitter

But little did they know at that time that there was some deeper connection between them than friendship. While talking about their families both conveyed to the other that they were adopted, and it then struck them that they could be more than just friends.

Also read: Woman identifies long-lost brother from Instagram reel, reunites with him after 18 years

They took a DNA test and learned that they looked similar because they were identical twins.

We became friends without suspecting we might be sisters, but both of us felt there was some special bond between us, Elene said.

Twitter

Elenes adoptive mother, Lia Korkotadze said that she had adopted her in 2005 from a hospital when she was six months old.

While the twin sisters have been reunited by chance, they still don't know who their biological parents are. That is because they are among the thousands of trafficking victims in Georgia - children who were stolen at birth and sold to childless couples.

UNSPLASH

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 more than 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.

Also read: Chinese man reunites with birth family 12 years after getting lost at railway station

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.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Even in 2024, the world continues to regulate and evaluate women's dress choices. In one recent incidence of moral policing, a sign was seen in Pune urging women to dress modestly to avoid drawing attention.

The board went viral on social media, prompting a scathing and much-needed reaction from a women's organization.

When did it all begin?

It all began when a group calling themselves the 'Mast Group' posted this billboard | Image: X

It all began when a group calling themselves the 'Mast Group' posted a billboard reading, "Women, wear clothes in such a way that no one dares to look at you with evil eyes." In response, another board from ''Trasth Group'' appeared below it, urging men to keep their minds and thoughts pure.



Also read: Viral video: Pune man's unusual surfing on flooded streets leaves internet in splits

What did the poster in response say?

the posters originally written in Marathi were spotted near a walking track in Pune | Image: X

It read: ''Men, keep your mind so clean that no matter what clothes someone wears, your eyes should not fall.'' Notably, the posters originally written in Marathi were spotted near a walking track in Pune.



The photos have gone viral, with fans congratulating the women's group on their flawless response to the unsolicited piece of advice.

How did people on the internet react?

A user wrote, ''Retort Pune style. Women/woman who came back with an apt reply need to be given an award. Additional kudos for the accompanying illustration explaining the slippery nazar. The main & the real disturbing part is however the original message."

Also read: Pune Walk-in Job Interview Video Shows 3,000 Engineers Queuing Up

Another wrote, ''Love the response..btw, fully clothed women have never been assaulted or teased?? ... Clothes don't matter, some men get excited looking at anything female.''

A third user added, ''Reply poster should have been bigger.......Also dressing appropriately is as important for men as it is for women. This is by no means sexist but a simple individual / societal etiquette which has become more than necessary. Right time, right place, right dress!''

An example of real life, public space gendered creative interruption.

The original poster (Marathi) seen at Pune city, along with Google Translation (English) courtesy the thread below. https://t.co/MKZek0YMdn pic.twitter.com/uyg9sPMOBA  Shalini Sharma  (@nutshal) July 3, 2024

What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments.

For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.
A robber raided a retired teacher's home in Tamil Nadu but left an apologetic note promising to replace the stolen stuff within a month.

When did this incident occur?

A robber raided a retired teacher's home in Tamil Nadu

The intriguing occurrence occurred on Megnanapuram's Sathankulam road on June 17, when Selvin and his wife, both retired teachers, left to meet their son in Chennai.

Selvi, the couple's domestic helper, was hired to clean the house on a regular basis during their vacation.

Who found the house open after the thief left?

Househelp found the house in the state of robbery

When Selvi went to Selvin's house on June 26, she was surprised to see the main entrance open.



Also read: Viral video: Madhya Pradesh's gym owner makes thief run on treadmill as punishment

She quickly notified Selvin. When Selvin returned home, he discovered that he had been robbed of Rs 60,000, 12 gm gold jewelery, and a pair of silver anklets.

When police inspected Selvin's home, they discovered an apology letter allegedly written by the burglar, in which he apologised and offered to return the stolen items in a month.

What note did the thief leave?

"Forgive me." I'll return it in a month. I am doing this in case someone in my household is ill," the letter added

"Forgive me." I'll return it in a month. I am doing this in case someone in my household is ill," the letter added. Megnanapuram police have filed a case and begun an inquiry.



Also read: 'My son is crying': Indore man requests thief to return his stolen bike

A similar instance occurred last year in Kerala, when a burglar who stole a gold necklace from a three-year-old child returned the proceeds from its sale, along with an apologetic letter. The incident happened near Palakkad.

What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments.

For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.
2024 is proving to be a roller coaster ride for tech billionaire Elon Musk. After emerging victorious in his Tesla compensation battle, Musk has lost a lot of money amid stock market boom.

His net worth has taken a big hit in the first six months of the year, as per Forbes.

Between December 31, 2023, and June 28, 2024, Elon Musk's wealth declined from $251.3 billion (Rs 20 lakh crore) to $221.4 billion (Rs 18 lakh crore), marking the largest decrease among all billionaires monitored by Forbes.

Also Read: Elon Musk's growing brood: 11 children & counting, tech tycoon welcomes 3rd child with Neuralink partner

Reuters

As per Forbes, Musk has lost more than Rs 2.4 lakh crore.

Elon Musk's fortune has been decreasing since a Delaware judge halted his Tesla compensation package, originally valued at $51 billion (Rs 4.1 lakh crore). Although Tesla shareholders recently reaffirmed the package, the company is expected to undergo a prolonged and uncertain appeal process regarding the decision.

Elon Musk's 13% ownership in Tesla saw a reduction of approximately $20 billion(Rs 1.6 lakh crore), corresponding to a 20% decline in the automaker's shares amidst lower profits and vehicle deliveries this year. In contrast, the collective net worth of the top ten Forbes billionaires increased from $1.47 trillion at the end of 2023 to $1.66 trillion by the end of June, highlighting a contrasting trend compared to Musk's situation.

Also Read: 16 quotes that capture the wisdom of the tech billionaire
The Ambanis have been in a celebratory mood this year. With the impending wedding of Mukesh Ambanis youngest son Anant Ambani, the entire clan is busy with pre-wedding bashes and other ceremonies. As far as the business is concerned, Reliance has been recording milestones parallely.



Isha Ambani took over as the new leader of Reliance Retail in August 2022.

Mukesh Ambani who has amassed a whopping net worth of over Rs 10.1 lakh crore, has been profiting a lot from Isha Ambani-led Reliance Retail , which is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. Reliance Retail has a market cap of Rs 21 lakh crore and is valued at 8.4 lakh crore at present.

This has been possible only because Reliance Retail has brought several international brands to India. As per recent reports, it is all set to bring back Shein once again after it was banned by the government a few years ago.

Instagram

After GOI banned it in 2020, Shein to be reintroduced in India by Reliance

Shein managed to pull many customers in India as it offered fashionable clothes at lucrative prices. It was a hit among the millennials but its popularity lasted for a short span of time. In June 2020, Shein was banned by the government of India along with several Chinese apps due to security concerns.

After a while, the brands app remained nonfunctional but the clothes were made available in India via Amazon. However, Delhi High Court then issued notice to ban sale of Shein clothing on the ecommerce platform.

In a fresh update, it looks like Shein will soon be operational in India under the retail arm of Ambanis Reliance Retail.

Also Read: Isha Ambani To Give Zara And H&M A Run For Their Money, To Bring This British Brand To India!

tech in asia

According to the Economic Times report, Shein plans to source for its global operations in the Middle East and other markets through this partnership. The Shein app will host and store all pertinent and sensitive data within India, with Reliance Retail retaining ownership and control of the platform.



Reliance Retail partners with global brands like Jimmy Choo, Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss, Versace, Michael Kors, Brooks Brothers, Armani Exchange, Burberry, and others in India. Shein is expected to join this list soon.

Also Read: 'Be The Changemakers', Isha Ambani Urges More Women To Pursue Tech Careers For India's Progress
A high-speed boat with foreigners on board headed to the Turkish coast east of the Panagia islet in the direction of Chios island on Friday.

According to the Greek Port Authority/Coast Guard, the boat's pilot shot at the Coast Guard with a firearm while making extremely extremely dangerous maneuvers.

A second patrol boat came to assist the first one, and during the incident the Coast Guard crew shot at a safe section of the high-speed boat, which headed to the Turkish coast.

   iefimerida.gr
The strengthening of the European pillar of security and defence and the operation "ASPIDES" were the main topics of discussion between National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and the European Union's High Representative for Foreign

Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice-Presidentat the Headquarters of Operation "ASPIDES" (OHQ EUNAVFOR ASPIDES) in Larissa

They received "a detailed briefing from Admiral Gryparis and the officers of the various states serving here on the latest developments," according to Dendias.

Dendias reiterated also that "for the Hellenic Republic it is a strategic priority to strengthen the European Defence and Security Mechanisms and to create a defence arm of the European Union. Within this framework of our perception of the joint European defence effort, the proposal by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has an additional significant political dimension. However, it should be clear that this concept must apply to all Member States of our Union. It is not possible to move forward when only a few states support it," he stressed.

"ASPIDES is proof that the European Union can act when it wants to. It can react and be a provider of security to the global community," Dendias said.

Dendias and Borell, accompanied by Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff General Dimitrios Choupis and Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Kataras, will travel to Djibouti where on Saturday they will visit the port citys Frigate "PSARA," which participates in the European operation "ASPIDES" (EUNAVFOR ASPIDES).

   iefimerida.gr


The Military High Command, on Thursday, posited that the recent suicide bomb attacks in Gwoza area of Borno State have signaled an end to terrorism.

While reiterating that Nigeria is at war with the way coordinate their attacks, it urged Nigerians not to fall for the gimmicks and tactics that seeks relevance with fresh coordinated attacks on innocent citizens.

The Gwoza bombings last week Saturday claimed about 38 lives, leaving dozens of others injured.

Advertisement

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, argued that the terrorists attacked innocent Nigerians during the wedding ceremony to get attention and reduce support for security agencies.

Buba stated this while fielding questions from journalists at Force Headquarters, Abuja, during a press briefing organised by the Strategic Communications Inter-agency Policy Committee (SCIPC) from the Office of the National Security Adviser.

He said, In associating what has happened with our operations, I will say that what has happened in Gwoza is what happens at the ending cycle of terrorism. At this phase, the terrorists are carrying out their acts to do what?

One is to attract attention, then to bolster relevance, then to mobilize support, and finally to reduce support for the armed forces and the Nigerian government at large. I will use this opportunity to tell citizens to stand united.

READ ALSO: Borno Bombing: Sack All Northern Appointees In Security Sector  Rep To Tinubu

The Major General disclosed that troops have commenced a manhunt against the leaders of the terrorists in the North-East, who have been wreaking havocs, insisting that they would deplete their resources and reduce their influence.

He added, I will say that we should all know that we are in a state of war because in a situation where you are involved in counter-terrorism, youre involved in counter-insurgency with our troops deployed all across the length and breadth of this country in various theatres.

There is no other way to describe it than a state of war. Now, when youre in war, ugly things happen, terrible things happen, and what has happened in Goza is one of those terrible and ugly things that do happen in war.

You take it from me that whenever there is a loss of life, be it military or civilian loss of life, it is indeed considered a tragedy. And with what has happened in Gwoza and what is also happening in other areas, we mourn with those that have lost their loved ones as a result of what has happened.

I will say that our operations are going according to plan, and these operations in the North East in particular in recent times have targeted the leadership of the terrorist groups. We have depleted their resources, and we have also reduced their influence and their support base.
The Lagos State Police Command, on Friday, confirmed the killing of nine kidnappers in the Ladipo area of the State.

According to reports, the kidnappers were attempting to abduct a victim on Thursday when the police foiled their operation.

Advertisement

Benjamin Hundeyin, State Police Public Relations Officer who confirmed the development, said that the suspects were killed during a gun duel with the police.

He said, The kidnappers were neutralised during a gun duel with the police. The kidnappers were nine in number and they wanted to abduct someone at Ladipo when the police foiled their operation. The incident happened around 8 pm on Thursday.

Also, the Command in a statement via X said: Our intelligence gathering assets yielded very credible and actionable intelligence about a dangerous and very notorious gang of kidnappers planning to kidnap some high net-worth individuals in Lagos.

Upon receipt of this intelligence about two weeks ago, CP Fayoade directed the Commands tactical teams to commence work on it. They followed up closely, monitored dutifully and were able to determine that the gang was going to strike yesterday in Ladipo area of Lagos State.

With the benefit of this information, we were able to proactively prepare for them and more or less laid an ambush for them.

The kidnappers who were caught unawares would not give up easily as they engaged the police officers in a shoot-out.

READ ALSO: Electrocution Kills 61-Year-Old Man During Lagos Flood, Police Warn Of Safety

They of course bowed to the superior fire power of the police. Nine of them were neutralized while two escaped with gunshot injuries. Four AK-47 rifles and four locally-made semiautomatic pistols were recovered from them. Also recovered are their two operational vehicles: one black Toyota 4Runner and a blue Lexus RX350. Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.

It is worthy of note that the Command had been on the trail of this gang for the past eight months for their numerous kidnapping of wealthy individuals in Isolo, Okota, Ejigbo and Ladipo areas of Lagos State. We are proud to declare that their reign of terror has effectively come to an end.

This breakthrough is in addition to several other breakthroughs we have made in recent times in identifying and apprehending gangs of kidnappers and armed robbers while planning their crimes. Many of these were not made public so as to protect the identity of members of the public that made the information available.

We urge everyone including medical practitioners to be on the lookout for anyone with gunshot injuries and promptly inform the nearest police station or call any of our emergency numbers if they come across any.

We also use this medium to call on other well meaning Lagosians not to hesitate in giving us information when they suspect anything amiss around them to enable us act appropriately and swiftly. On our part, we promise to continue to prioritize their safety and security.
Some operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army Guards Brigade have arrested six bandits during clearance operations in the Federal Capital Territory.

It was gathered that the security officers, in a joint operations, destroyed some camps of gunmen in Kaduna and Niger States.

In a statement released on Friday by the FCT police command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, the six bandits were arrested at the hideout of a bandit kingpin, Gidan Dogo and Jerei forests in Kaduna State.

Advertisement

The statement read: In the continued effort and stride against criminality in the Federal Capital Territory, the operatives of the FCT police command from the anti-kidnapping unit, in synergy with troops of the Nigerian Army Guards Brigade, conducted clearance operations in some identified bandits camps in Kaduna and Niger states, respectively, all bordering FCT.

READ MORE: Abuja Police Arrest Pastor, Others For Child-Trafficking

The security operatives, in a streak of well-coordinated operations between June 30 and July 4, 2024, stormed some identified bandits camps in Gidan Dogo and Jerei forests, Kaduna State, and Niger State, all bordering FCT, and apprehended six suspects: Inusa Musa, Isiya Adamu, Kare Gambo, Aminu Musa, and Muhammed Ibrahim, who voluntarily confessed to having been involved in a string of kidnappings in FCT and its environs.

While the operatives are still navigating the identified bandit camps and hideouts in the forests and hills in and around FCT, the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, reaffirms the commands steadfast commitment to ensuring the security and safety of residents of the nations capital.
Sheryl Lee Ralph, singer and actress, speaks with Vice President Kamala Harris, to address the stakes of the election for reproductive freedom at Salus University in Elkins Park, Pa., on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Read more

Sheryl Lee Ralph took to X, formally known as Twitter, on Thursday to thank her lucky stars that her hometown of Kingston, Jamaica escaped massive damage from Hurricane Beryl, the category 4 storm that decimated Carriacou, an island in the Grenadines.

It looks like the hurricane Beryl has passed and is running like a Jamaican track star off to another race! the Abbott Elementary star wrote in a 1 a.m. July 4 post. Thank you all for your good vibes and prayers. We did not get a direct hit and we are grateful but Carriacou needs help.

We dont have any lights. We dont have any power, Ralph said in a video that accompanied the post. But we have life. She sang a few chorus of Bob Marleys 1965 hit, One Love, before reporting that Montego Bay was spared. In her trademark upbeat tone, Ralph surmised that Jamaica would soon be cleaned up and ready for tourists.

Advertisement

In the meantime, Ralph said, shes praying for the sun to come out on Saturday when her son, Etienne, is set to marry ABC News journalist Stephanie Wash in Jamaica.

Ralph returned to X later on Independence Day to ask her followers to pray for Beryls victims throughout the Caribbean. A friend of Ralphs who lives in St. Vincent lost their home and business, she said. And she suggested it will take six months to a year for St. Vincent to fully return to normal.

When people tell you things could be worse, hell yeah, it could be worse, so much worse, Ralph said in a video that accompanied that post. So I continue to thank you all for your good vibes and I continue to ask you to pray for others as you would pray for yourself and just put something positive out in the world cause there are people who need it.

Ralph took to X starting July 3, to alert her followers to Beryls potential danger. The hurricane subsequently started barreling through the Caribbean on Monday, killing seven people in its wake, including two in Jamaica. Beryl made landfall on the Mexican resort of Tulum early Friday morning. Ralph warned her followers of scammers trolling for donations and provided information about legitimate disaster relief funds.
Ezz Moor, 4, looks out towards his mom Yassmin Moor, of West Philadelphia, Pa., as he performs on the doumbek during the Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture Summer Camp at the Germantown Friends Meeting in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, June 28, 2024. Read more

At the end of June, 7-year-old Jana Matta-al-Sholi learned that there are four different ways to say the word drum in Arabic.

She listened to Arabic folktales from the A Thousand and One Nights and Kalilah and Dimna story collections, practiced self-defense, made new friends, and even got to do some traditional Arab drumming.

Advertisement

It was loud and it was really cool. I liked the instrument, she said.

Jana was one of about 40 children who attended the Arab Arts and Culture summer camp, run by the West Philly-based nonprofit organization Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture. Over two weeks, campers ages 5 to 14 met at Germantown Friends Meeting to learn Arabic language and calligraphy, music, art and more.

While Al-Bustan offers programming for children and adults in the community throughout the year, the summer camp is its flagship program, designed as an opportunity for Arab and non-Arab kids alike to come together over cultural discovery and exploration.

A beautiful heritage

Al-Bustans founder, Hazami Syed, began the camp in July 2002 so that her children would have a place to feel validated in their identity, while welcoming all kids from the community at the same time.

It was rooted in this idea of Arab American kids being able to feel comfortable in a space where they [are] sharing cultural experiences and learning more about history and language, said Lisa Volta, Al-Bustans interim executive director.

But also a place that brought others in through the arts ... to engage and learn more about something maybe a little bit different and new [to them].

For Eissa Attar, a camp counselor, it felt really beautiful to watch kids of mixed heritage bond with each other. Whether they were Arab, African American Muslims, Jewish or Christian, they were all there to learn.

For them, theres kind of no difference. They all treat each other as equal, he said.

Attar, 23, is a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania. He grew up in Saudi Arabia, and enjoyed sharing what he grew up learning with the children, such as traditional folktales, vocabulary, and history. In some ways, he said, it made him feel like a kid again.

They always want to talk about the Middle East and their origins. ... And it feels like they really enjoy the free space that they have here to discuss their beautiful heritage, he said.

Thats refreshing for him to see. Attar said that, sometimes, children from immigrant families arent as interested in embracing their heritage.

A lot of kids who come from immigrant families sometimes are embarrassed of their culture. And I just want them to be proud of their culture and to be proud of their language. And to feel comfortable talking about it, he said.

Opening the door

As Amani Abduh taught the children Arabic language and calligraphy over the two weeks, she knew not to expect her students to hold on to more than just the very basics after the camp ended.

While they did practice identifying different styles of Arabic calligraphy, how to write with a qalam (a pen made from reed), and learning new words through reading Arab folktales, Abduhs larger goal instead was to gently shift their thinking.

We try to open the door for them to get exposed to a different culture, she said. I hope that they keep the door open and they go through it to explore more about the Arabic culture and Arabic language.

One example she gave was teaching the campers an essential greeting in Arabic, as-salamu alaykum, which means peace be with you.

This is the very first thing in our culture  peace. So, you let them think about it. We dont tell them, look how we love to be in peace, ... [but] when your greeting is peace, that means you believe in peace, she said.

The camp ended on June 28 with the campers performing some of the Arabic language and music that they learned for their parents. But Al-Bustans impact may already be with the campers.

Attar witnessed some of that subtle openness in the childrens lunchboxes each day. It made him smile seeing some of the Arab kids with foods he ate growing up, such as a traditional Egyptian dish. But he saw even more of the effect that the camp was having when he looked at other kids lunches.

[I saw] some of the non-Arab kids also feel inspired to incorporate Arab cuisine into their lunchbox because of the camp. One of the kids was telling me how shes learning to make Tunisian toast and how she really loves zaatar, he said.

Its really fun to see people that dont come from an Arabic speaking family also be very interested in the culture and [learning] more about [it], he said. I dont think that a lot of American families have access to learn about the beauty of Arabic culture.
Pennsylvania's primary system too often results in candidates most people don't like. We should leave it to our political parties to devise a new system, argues Thomas Koenig. Pictured here is House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D., Philadelphia), speaking with Pennsylvania Democrats on March 7, 2023, at the state Capitol in Harrisburg. Read more

Politics has grown more partisan and polarized, both nationally and here in Pennsylvania. Thats partly our fault: We have drifted apart more and more into two warring factions.

But the political system as currently constructed exacerbates our divisions. It produces legislative bodies in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., that are even more divided and dysfunctional than we are. And thats saying something.

Advertisement

Many worry the primary system helps drive this division and dysfunction in our state legislature and Congress. Thats because only the most committed partisans  the most die-hard Republicans and Democrats  tend to take the time to vote in their party primaries. Thats especially true in a closed primary state like Pennsylvania, where in primary elections, registered Democrats can only vote for Democratic candidates, while the same is true for registered Republicans.

In response, some propose reforms like open primaries, in which voters can choose any candidate, regardless of their party affiliation. Other suggestions include ranked choice voting, in which voters can rank candidates by their first, second, and third choice, etc., which is then used to determine which candidate ranks highly for the most voters. This system avoids a scenario where, in a crowded field, one candidate can win with only 30% of the votes, even if they are strongly disliked by the majority of voters.

Much of this sounds reasonable enough in theory (and plenty of states already do have open primaries), but those proposals run into a problem: The state legislature would have to sign these reforms into law. But state legislators are the very people who have effectively navigated the system, as it is, to win office. In other words, primary reformers are asking the winners of the race to change the rules of the race going forward. Thats a big ask. Just look at Pennsylvania: State senators led by Republican Dan Laughlin and Democrat Lisa Boscola have introduced legislation to shift Pennsylvania to an open primary system. The bill hasnt made it out of committee.

But there is a better way to choose the candidates to represent each party in a general election  and I was reminded of it following last weeks presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Rather than seeking wholesale reform of primary systems, we should instead empower the parties themselves to decide how they want to select their nominees.

Pennsylvania lawmakers like State Sens. Laughlin and Boscola  joined by their Philadelphia-area cosponsors such as State Sens. Maria Collett and Art Haywood  could start by proposing a new bill to reform Pennsylvania law so that the local and state arms of each political party could determine how they want to go about designing their rules for selecting candidates for local offices, the state legislature, and other statewide positions like governor.

For example, parties could decide to scrap primaries entirely (instead opting for, say, a party convention) or go with ranked choice voting for some races, open primaries for others, or combinations of the two  race by race, office by office. And neither party would be constrained by the others choices: If Republicans opt for a closed primary in one race, Democrats could opt for an open primary in that same race, and vice versa. That might seem confusing and odd, but it gives each party the chance to decide for itself what best serves its electoral goals. In a purple district, for example, a party might purposefully structure its primary rules so as to increase the chances of a moderate candidate winning  thus positioning the party to win in the general election  even if the other party doesnt.

A key advantage of this limited reform is that it would have a real chance at making it to Gov. Josh Shapiros desk. Instead of changing the system of voting themselves, state legislators would be giving the job to their respective state and local political parties. And since those legislators are presumably strong forces in their political parties, they wont be worried the parties will choose a system that will kick them out of office.

Another big advantage is that this reform could empower the party organizations. That might sound strange: Isnt the issue that the parties are too strong? No, partisanship is strong, but the parties themselves are quite weak  meaning, they have little influence on political candidates and people already in office.

Thats not a coincidence: If empowered, rational party leaders (that is, party leaders who want to win elections) are incentivized to support primary candidates who could win in a general election. And candidates who are more competitive in a general election are more likely to be the sorts of legislators willing to reach across the aisle once they arrive in Harrisburg or Washington. Depending on the race, a smart party is often more likely to push for a candidate who is middle-of-the-road, not a strong partisan, so when partisanship has the upper hand, parties dont, and vice versa.

For now, party organizations are left outsourcing the power to choose their parties nominees to a small swath of super-engaged citizens (primary voters, often including activists and special interest groups). And those narrow factions often choose ideologically extreme, more divisive candidates.

I was reminded of the failures of our current primary system following the first presidential debate, when many began calling for Biden to step down from the race to enable the Democrats to select another candidate at the August convention. If that candidate wins in November, both parties might learn the lesson going forward, and create momentum for empowering the parties when it comes to selecting their own nominees.

By empowering party organizations to decide how they want to go about structuring the selection of each races nominee, the state legislature can vest a bit more leverage and control in the parties and their leadership. If the end result is less partisanship and polarization, thats a good thing.

Thomas Koenig is a recent graduate of Harvard Law School from Oreland. @thomaskoenig98
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a top surrogate for President Joe Biden, is traveling to Bucks County to campaign for the president Saturday as Biden continues to face pressure to suspend his campaign after his disastrous debate performance last month.

Newsom is scheduled to headline a rally at 10:30 a.m. in the critical swing county alongside local Democratic officials and candidates. The Biden campaign has not yet disclosed the exact location of the event timed to happen one day ahead of the presidents first visit to Pennsylvania since the debate.

Advertisement

Saturdays rally will focus on Donald Trumps attacks on our democracy and threats to our fundamental rights and freedoms, the campaign said in a news release.

Newsom will campaign for Biden later in the afternoon alongside state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D.,Philadelphia), a candidate for state auditor, at an event hosted by the Chester County Democratic Party in Malvern.

The rallies are part of a crush of public events the campaign has scheduled in an effort to reassure voters that the 81-year-old president can handle another term in office.

In the days since the debate, panic among Democrats has mounted as some pressure Biden to suspend his campaign in favor of a younger candidate. While prominent Democrats such as former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro have said Biden should step aside and others, like former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have expressed concern for his mental state, Pennsylvanias Democrats have remained publicly on the side of the campaign.

Newsom, the 56-year-old second-term governor, has fiercely defended Biden even as his own name has been floated as a possible replacement candidate.

According to the Associated Press, Newsom campaigned on Bidens behalf in Michigan Thursday. He urged a gathering of local Democrats in the state to not fall prey to all of this negativity.

I believe in this man. I believe in his character. I believe that he has been one of the most transformative presidents in our collective lifetimes, Newsom said at the event. Were so good at focusing on whats wrong and not celebrating whats right.

Biden and first lady Jill Biden are scheduled to visit Pennsylvania on Sunday. They were originally scheduled to speak at the National Education Association conference but the campaign announced Friday the president would change plans to avoid crossing a picket line of NEA employees. The conference has since been canceled because of the strike declared Friday by NEA staffers.

In an interview with the Philadelphia radio station WURD published on Thursday, Biden dismissed his performance as a bad debate.

Ninety minutes on stage does not erase what Ive done for three and a half years, he said.

Biden, however, stumbled over his words at times in the interview. In an attempt to note he served with the first Black president, Barack Obama, and now serves with the first Black vice president, Kamala Harris, Biden struggled to get the words out creating a sound bite he is already being criticized for.

The first vice president, the first Black woman to serve with a Black president, he said.

The interview largely focused on Bidens first-term record and the stakes of the election.

The guy Im running against is a convicted felon and said he wanted to be a dictator on day one, Biden said.
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 in March. Read more

President Joe Biden will no longer speak at the National Education Association conference this weekend after the organizations staffers announced a strike on Friday, prompting the association to suspend its programming.

Bidens campaign said he still plans to travel to Pennsylvania but provided no further information.

Advertisement

The logistical change comes as Biden had hoped to do a blitz of media appearances and events following calls for him to drop out of the presidential race this week. An interview on ABC with George Stephanopoulos, his first televised interview since the debate, was to be broadcast Friday night after Biden rallied in Madison, Wis. He had then planned to speak at the conference at the Convention Center in Philadelphia alongside first lady Jill Biden on Sunday.

The National Education Association Staff Organization represents staff who work for the union, which is the largest teachers union in the country.

NEASO said Friday that they were on an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike against the NEA headquarters in Washington, D.C., filing two ULP complaints with the National Labor Relations Board.

The NEA said in a statement: We have crafted in good faith a proposal for our NEASO staff to address their expressed interests while ensuring the longer-term health of our organization and the needs of our members. We will respect our staffs picket lines. In the end, we are confident there will be an agreement that ensures we continue to serve our mission and support our members.

The conference, which started on Thursday, was expected to draw 7,000 members to Philadelphia. Its national president, Becky Pringle, is a North Philadelphia native and Girls High graduate.

Biden has long touted his record as the most pro-union in history. In September he became the first sitting president to join a picket line, marching with autoworkers near Detroit.

Staff writers Maddie Hanna and Fallon Roth contributed to this article.
These social media influencers are working with the Biden campaign in Pennsylvania. Their approaches vary, as do their motivations. Read more

Kenny Screven, a Lehigh Valley-based content creator whose handle is kscreven on social media, chatted into the camera while putting on his makeup to get ready for a White House Pride celebration last Wednesday.

Before digressing into details of his gorgeous blush and eye shadow pallet, Screven, 29, talked about how theres so much at stake that people are not realizing surrounding this years election.

Advertisement

I honestly cant say that Trump has my back, said Screven, who is a gay, femme-presenting Black man. I dont believe Trump really cares about people like me.

Screven, who has 164,000 followers on Instagram and 26,400 followers on TikTok, is one of several Pennsylvania-based influencers working with President Joe Bidens reelection campaign. While Screvens social media focuses on beauty, he believes that embracing makeup as a Black gay man and advocating for his community  in turn talking politics  go hand in hand.

Why not talk about politics while Im doing my makeup? I feel like its more relatable, he said. It seems more comforting, almost, because its just like youre talking to your friends on a FaceTime call.

Theres no question that the Biden campaign is trying to reach younger voters, and the most obvious places to look are Instagram  and, increasingly, TikTok, where 32% of U.S. adults age 18-29 get their news, according to the Pew Research Center.

Young voters helped carry Biden to victory in 2020, but their support for him has slipped this year, particularly due to anger over Gaza. Their backing is even more important in the aftermath of a disappointing debate last month that rocked Democrats faith in the president and led to countless memes that mocked the president  his grandchild even suggested connecting with influencers to help garner more support after the fallout, according to the New York Times.

But Biden is the underdog in the race when it comes to TikTok. Trump has 7.3 million followers on TikTok while the Biden campaign has just 399,100. On Instagram, Trump also leads with 24.8 million followers compared with Joe Bidens 17.1 million.

And Pennsylvania, a critical swing state, is on the forefront of the Biden campaigns efforts to win over young people online. Just last month, the campaign hired Patrick Kelly, its first-ever influencer manager dedicated to a battleground state  and hes a Philly native. Kelly, whose title is content partnerships and influencer engagement manager, is a content creator in his own right who recently moved back to the Keystone State from D.C. for the job.

We are committed to earning every vote and meeting young voters where they are  whether thats knocking doors or engaging them online  to make the stakes of this election clear, Kelly said, citing democracy, gun violence in schools, and student debt relief as key issues.

Already, Kelly has helped find more than 250 creators in the state, 130 of whom live in Philly, and the campaign is working with dozens of them, he said.

Several creators working with the Biden campaign have also worked with Gov. Josh Shapiro, who frequently works with influencers to talk about the administrations work as he raises his national profile.

As part of his efforts to connect with young people, Biden has hosted roundtables with influencers at the White House and hes been featured on influencer Daniel Macs TikTok account driving an electric Cadillac. His campaign parodied Kendrick Lamars diss track, and last year, the White House held a Christmas party for influencers.

But connecting with influencers hasnt been all smooth sailing. The president lost his patience with one influencer asking about Gaza, and another was offered an opportunity to interview Biden but was asked to keep the topic off limits, according to the New York Times. A group of creators who campaigned for Biden in 2020 and called themselves TikTok for Biden, now called Gen-Z for Change, is instead criticizing the president on the app this year on that issue and more.

Screven said that although he can understand young peoples concerns about Biden, the consequences of the election can last a lifetime, citing Project 2025, a conservative proposal written by Trump allies that would have negative consequences for the LGBTQ community.

I feel like the more people like me inform the community, itll kind of help bridge that gap a little more, he said.  Literally, our right to exist is at stake. I dont even know how else to phrase it.

How the Biden campaign works with influencers

While traditional brand partnerships often come with tight constraints, the Biden campaign describes its partnerships in the state, at this point, as loose and unpaid. Creators get invited to events and can choose what to post, or whether to post at all. They can also use campaign staffers as resources to learn about issues surrounding the election.

Screven, for example, met Biden at a Lehigh County coffee shop in January, where they bonded over attending the same small Catholic school in Delaware. The campaign also invited the beauty influencer to interview U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D, Texas) at Phillys Juneteenth parade, an offer that Chester County-based creator Lisa Nicole, known as lisalovescurlslocs, also took up.

Theres no pressure to film anything in particular, Screven said.  It is very much what I feel like is important for my community to know and understand this election year, so I do love that. Its really me, and no ones putting words in my mouth.

And unpaid influencing isnt necessarily bad. Kory Aversa, a public relations specialist and Philly-based content creator who is working with the Biden campaign, said that followers may view paid advertising, which has to be disclosed, as inauthentic.

Influencers creativity will be put to the test this election cycle as they balance talking about politics and staying true to their own brand. The Biden campaign has tried to work events into creators niches, such as by giving out free cheesesteaks on Juneteenth in West Philly and inviting content creators who specialize in food.

And sometimes being authentic means indirectly advocating for the Biden campaign, for instance, highlighting issues embraced by the Democratic Party without explicitly telling followers whom to vote for.

Its one thing to be at the White House and talk about our presidents accomplishments for LGBT people, but its a very different message to put up something attacking another candidate or talking about things like the debate afterward in a much more direct or confrontational way, said Aversa, who also attended the White House Pride celebration.

Sophia Schiaroli, an LGBTQ-focused Philly-based influencer whose handle is soso_swag and has 67,300 followers on TikTok and 16,700 followers on Instagram, leaned into a trending sound on TikTok (Is somebody gonna match my freak?) while posting about Trump allies blocking the Right to Contraception Act. Schiaroli wrote that in contrast, Biden is protecting contraception access and working to expand free birth control.

Please vote this November, Schiaroli, who is working with the Biden campaign, said at the end of the post. Bridget McFadden, another Philadelphia-based influencer who posts under the handle bswift_13, commented see ya on November 5!

Tomika Bryant, a self-described Philly lifestyle expert whose handle is tomikatalks, typically posts about lifestyle, wellness and travel. She lives in King of Prussia and has 148,000 followers on Instagram, and shes also working with the Biden campaign.

Bryant, 51, a breast cancer survivor and advocate, started venturing into discussing politics because of the overlap with health care. She was invited to Bidens rally in May at Girard College, which was intended to reach Black voters such as herself, another group the Biden campaign is working to win back after seeing support lag.

Bryant likes sharing news with her followers during her morning walks on her Instagram stories. She asks them, What do you think about this? Do you know how this impacts us? she said. She said shell give her followers the gist of a new bill, for example, but shell also make an effort to direct them to the source to read for themselves.

Ultimately, she wants to inform her followers and help them make the best decision with all the facts, she said.
A rendering of the proposed apartment building at 1520-30 Washington Ave., which has more parking spaces than units. Read more

A seven story, 55-unit apartment building proposed for 1520-30 Washington Ave. renewed a long-standing debate over preservation of the past on the once industrially dominated South Philadelphia boulevard.

Over the last 15 years multiple large apartment buildings have been built along Washington Avenue where factories and warehouses once stood, a trend thats often faced bitter opposition from community groups.

Advertisement

The new proposal seems designed to address critiques of previous projects. The units are larger in size than most Philadelphia apartments, and 20 of the units even have three bedrooms targeted toward families with children, a rarity in apartment development. Retail space is being provided. At a June community meeting the developer agreed to designate 15% of the units as affordable, although it isnt clear what that means yet.

The project also has 75 parking spaces, far outstripping the number of apartments.

People like to make sure that parking is not taken away from people in the neighborhood, said Dawn M. Tancredi, the zoning lawyer for the development. And this project has a higher ratio of parking than other mixed-use projects in the area.

At a June meeting of East Point Breeze Neighbors, nine of 12 attendees voted in favor of the project. But opponents dominated a Tuesday Civic Design Review committee meeting, saying that they want to preserve the industrial nature of the current building  a partly vacant one-story warehouse  while critiquing the projects effect on parking and traffic.

Youre not providing sufficient parking here, said Madeline Shikomba, another longtime neighborhood activist. We do not appreciate whats happening. We do not want any more residents. We want businesses, and this has been our constant plan.

Washington Avenues industrial character has been fading for years, despite underlying zoning that in many areas  including 1520 Washington Ave.  makes residential development difficult.

There are six relatively new or under-construction multifamily residential developments along the avenue, although opponents of this one noted that they were concentrated on the north side of the street.

The new proposal actually has roots in the older industrial character of the area. The developer calls itself 1520 Washington Avenue LLC but is backed by the owners of C&R Building Supply, a company that owns multiple large showrooms and warehouses along Washington Avenue.

John Paulas of East Point Breeze Neighbors did not speak in strict opposition to the project, but said that his organization did not want retail or restaurant space in the building.

The commercial space should be designed to have a nonprofit, trade, or educational sector workforce training organization, Paulas said. We need good well-paying jobs. We do not want new low-paying retail jobs on Washington Avenue.

Neighborhood skepticism of the proposal could pose a difficulty to the developer, who needs multiple variances from the Zoning Board of Adjustment to move forward. The land is zoned for industrial use, so apartments  and the balconies the developer hopes to equip them with  are not allowed.

The zoning board hearing is set for Sept. 25. Developers generally have a harder time getting the boards approval if community groups or the district City Council member oppose their project.

The project is designed by Landmark Architectural Design LLC and received compliments from the planners and architects on the Civic Design Review board for its handsome design.

CDR members also wondered how the future of Washington Avenue could be productively debated going forward, as more residential projects are proposed and industrial uses shrink further.

We need to really think as a city: What does this corridor mean if it is just naturally evolving as a multifamily corridor? said Ashley DiCaro, a CDR member and landscape architect. I think some of the natural market and the intention is to actually transition away from industry.
The Rutgers Marine Field Station sits on the edge of a marsh in Tuckerton, N.J. Read more

The only way to visit Ken Ables office is to traverse Great Bay Boulevard, a narrow, five-mile long road in Tuckerton that crosses a network of brackish tidal marshes via a series of wood bridges.

The boulevard, nominally protected from erosion by a border of reeds and groundsel shrubs, had flooded on a recent day.

Advertisement

Undeterred, a woman in a truck plowed through, donned waders, and tossed a crab trap into a channel.

Dozens of diamondback terrapins negotiating the road tucked their heads as an occasional vehicle approached.

Ables office at the Rutgers University Marine Field Station lies at the end of the very tip of the boulevard, linked by a long boardwalk at the very edge of New Jersey. Flooding has become more common.

Were losing our marshes, and thats very obvious, said Able, 79, a Rutgers professor emeritus and marine scientist who retired as the stations director in 2019 but continues conducting research. Weve lost 140 feet at the edge of the marsh channel, and its getting closer to the station all the time.

Able has a distinctive vantage point along the eastern United States to measure and experience climate change firsthand: The Atlantic Ocean is slowly swallowing the peninsula on which the station rests.

Sea level rise

New Jersey has experienced 8.2 inches of sea level rise over roughly the last 40 years. Thats twice the global average because not only is the ocean rising, but the land also is sinking from natural geological forces and groundwater withdrawal to feed sprawl. So each inch of rising ocean is met with a compounding effect of collapsing ground.

The 87-year-old, three-story field station is on the precipice of it all.

The station was built in 1937 for the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1972, Rutgers took over the building and uses it as a base for the department of Marine and Coastal Sciences. The rambling buildings pilings are sunk 33 feet deep into the peat.

On a busy day, dozens of scientists, students, researchers and volunteers pop in and out. Flooding of Great Bay Boulevard, known locally as Seven Bridges Road, is more frequent these days so staff exchange e-mails about whether the road is impassable.

In recent years, so-called sunny day flooding, or nuisance flooding, has increased in the area. Sunny day flooding occurs when high tides push water into low-lying areas without a storm  a signal that water levels are increasing.

In the 1950s, Atlantic City experienced sunny day flooding about once a year. It averaged eight times a year between 2007 and 2016, according to data compiled by Rutgers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. By 2050, theres a 50% chance it could flood 120 days a year.

Able ran the Rutgers station for decades. He says the peninsula will be inundated at every high tide with another foot of sea level rise.

Is that going to be 2050, 2070, 2100? We dont know, Able said. There are projections out there, but they are just that, projections.

Small standing pools of water have formed in normally dry patches of marsh. Some have become permanently pond-sized, Able notes.

By 2050, there is a 50% chance that sea-level rise will meet or exceed 1.4 feet from the base year of 2000. Those levels increase to 3.3 feet by the end of the century under a scenario of moderate greenhouse gas emissions, according to the states Scientific Report on Climate Change.

Concrete pads from a defunct meteorological tower sit just off the dock behind the field station, marking the current edge of the surrounding marsh system. A picture dated from 1998 that hangs in Ables office shows the marshs edge 140 feet farther out than now.

Able has written multiple books with the station as a backdrop, including Station 119: From Lifesaving to Marine Research, a history of the field stations building, and Beneath the Surface: Understanding Nature in the Mullica Valley Estuary, about the surrounding 365,000-acre ecosystem.

Literally watching our coasts change

The field station sits where the Mullica River-Great Bay estuary meets the ocean. Windows in the buildings peak give expansive views of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Long Beach Island in Ocean County is just to the north, and Brigantine in Atlantic County just to the south.

Atlantic Citys casinos loom in the distance.

The station is so exposed that waves from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 slapped against its sides.

As a result, the station is a near perfect site for studying marine life and sea level rise as it impacts the coast.

The Great Bay is fed by the Mullica River as it emerges unpolluted from the massive Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer that lies under the Pine Barrens.

The reason that its such a valuable place is that its on one of the most pristine watersheds in the entire Northeast United States, said the field stations current director, Oscar Schofield, who chairs Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences.

Schofield said that as the ocean has warmed, the state is seeing some traditional fish species move north, and fish from traditionally warmer waters take their place.

 READ MORE: N.J. flounder, sea bass pushed north because of climate change, say scientists

We know that were literally watching our coasts change, and theyre changing really dramatically at the field station, Schofield said.

Heart of the storm

A tide gauge installed in Atlantic City in 1910 shows that sea level has risen 18 inches since then.

The Rutgers marine station also has its own gauge, though much newer, as part of a national network of gauges. Schofield said other instruments are used to record wind and map changes to the land.

Weve got this field station right in the heart of the storm, he said. So we said lets use it as a research base in the field to document everything.

At the field station, Rutgers studies varies species of fish and blue crabs, and habitats. Researchers use sonar, which uses sound for sensing, and lidar, which uses light from a pulsed laser, to map the ocean floor and measure distances.

Lisa Auermuller, administrative director for Rutgers Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub, said scientists who work at the station open it to the public for a day each September so residents can see the work thats done there.

At the annual open house, staff present data, set up microscopes, display larval fish collected nearby, and bring in students to speak about their research.

One year, the open house drew 800 people in five hours, so the station began issuing tickets for subsequent events.

Theres a specialness to this place that you wont be able to replace anywhere else, Auermuller said, noting that a local band, the Moon Sisters, recently released an ode to Seven Bridges Road.

Auermuller said the eventual loss of the station to the sea will be heartbreaking to staff and locals.

This is an icon, Auermuller said of the station. People are interested in what happens out here.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles announced the partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing arm of the tech giant, during a press conference in Canberra on Thursday morning. According to a Bloomberg report, the government plans to invest a minimum of $2 billion over the next decade in the new system. Details regarding the locations of the data centers and the specific nature of the information to be stored were not disclosed.
Support for Australians seeking advice

According to independent research commissioned by CALI, over the past three months, more than a quarter of Australians considered seeking financial advice on life insurance but did not act on it. Only 8% of Australians received such advice during the same period. Notably, one-third of those who did receive advice relied on family and friends, highlighting the high cost of professional advice.
The situation escalated when the perpetrators forcibly dragged Patricia McKay towards a carpark, where she was fatally struck by a fleeing vehicle. Despite efforts by bystanders and the swift response of Newport Beach police, Patricia succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Three suspectsLeroyernest Joseph McCrary, Jaden Cunningham, and Malachi Edward Darnellwere apprehended following a high-speed pursuit.
The report also identified specific suburbs with the highest prevalence of residential alarm systems. Launceston in Tasmania emerged at the forefront, with 5.18% of homeowners obtaining a home insurance quote in the suburb to have an alarm system installed in their home. According to a news release, this statistics aligns with recent crime data showing a 5.7% increase in property-related offenses in Tasmania, as revealed in the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Managements most recent Crime Statistics Supplement.
Some of the areas we thought were really interesting was in the claims and fraud area, that seems to be where c-suites are seeing the most amount of return on their investment, companies such as Shift Technologies, and we are seeing that really come in and be used, especially in the London market, as well as here in the US. It just seems an area where people need to be prepared to take risks and take that big step forward, as there is absolutely going to be applicability for that sort of technology moving forward, he said.
Luxembourg is also expected to remain a good location for establishing reinsurance captives. Given the number of captives authorized in Luxembourg, the CAA is well-versed in handling captive reinsurance applications and applying the Solvency II requirements, such as provisions for claims outstanding and the equalization reserve. The CAAs application of the principle of proportionality in its regulations for captive reinsurance undertakings is also beneficial.
In the case involving auto claims adjusters, the Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary was accused of wage and hour laws violations. Lodged by both former and current colleagues in Maryland and New York, the complaints had been refuted by GEICO, claiming that the supposed overtime hours werent logged on the adjusters time cards.
According to the report, the cumulative cost of the seven heat events that were looked at is initially estimated at $7.7 billion. It was found that labor productivity losses ranged from $7.7 million to $210 million per event due to extreme heat, with substantial uninsured wage losses.
The owner of a New York trucking business who fabricated a supposedly independent Texas affiliate to circumvent his existing firms negative safety rating and avoid higher insurance costs has been found guilty of conspiracy and fraud.

On June 21, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, following a three-week jury trial, found Tony Kirik guilty on seven counts that include conspiracy, false documents, false statements, falsification of records, and concealment of material facts.

According to prosecutors, Kirik, owner of Orange Transportation Services, Inc. (OTS) in Rochester, and Dallas Logistics, Inc. (DLI), conspired with others to defraud the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an agency of the Department of Transportation (DOT). As part of the scheme, Kirik submitted forms to FMCSA falsely representing that DLIs principal address was in Dallas and that it was an independent firm and not under Kiriks control.

Investigators said that Kirik and co-conspirators forged signatures and purged documents in their attempt to conceal from FMCSA that Kirik owned and managed DLI. They also concealed that DLI was affiliated with OTS, which had received a conditional FMCSA safety rating. A conditional rating means that a trucking company does not have adequate safety management controls in place to meet DOT standards.

By obtaining a more favorable safety rating and concealing its affiliations, DLI lowered its insurance premiums and increased its revenue from customers, some of whom were unwilling to use a motor carrier like OTS with a conditional safety rating, according to prosecutors.

In addition to a unique DOT identifier, many trucking firms are required to also obtain specific interstate operating authority based on the type of business or goods being transported. This unique identifier, known as a MC number, determines what types and levels of insurance the motor carrier must have.

FMCSA conducts safety compliance reviews and assigns ratings to carriers. The ratings include unsatisfactory, conditional and satisfactory. The agency maintains an online system that shows each carriers record including numbers of drivers, crashes, insurance and bonds, inspections and enforcement activity.

To prevent motor carriers from concealing poor safety or compliance records, DOT regulations require motor carriers to identify affiliated and reincarnated motor carriers that share common ownership, management, control or family relationships. The regulations prohibit two or more motor carriers from using common management or relationships to avoid compliance with legal requirements or otherwise mask or conceal non-compliance with DOT safety standards.

FMSCA said it conducted a compliance review of DLI and learned that contrary to information it had been given, DLI was not in Dallas and that it was affiliated with OTS, which had a conditional safety rating. The agency later learned that Kirik named someone else as the paper president of DLI and he directed an employee to forge signatures and purge various documents to conceal his relationship with DLI.

The government brought its charges against Kirik in November 2020.

Topics Trucking
An appeals court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by a Tony Award-winning producer who claims that a union for actors and stage managers organized an illegal boycott that prevented him from producing live Broadway shows.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled that the producer, Garth Drabinsky, could not continue with his $50 million lawsuit alleging that the Actors Equity Association violated antitrust and various state laws, including defamation.

The union represents over 50,000 theater actors and stage managers.

Luke Hasskamp, a lawyer for Drabinsky, declined to comment.

Drabinsky, 74, whose hits include Ragtime and a 1994 revival of Show Boat, claimed in his lawsuit that the union engaged in an unlawful campaign of defamation and harassment by spreading rumors about him, instituting a one-day work stoppage and putting him on its Do Not Work list to discourage anyone from working with him.

So long as the unions conduct promotes legitimate labor goals, it retains the benefit of the labor exemption and remains impervious to antitrust liability, the three-judge 2nd Circuit panel said in a decision written by Judge Raymond J. Lohier Jr.

The court said Equity engaged in the boycott precisely to protect its members wages and working conditions after cast members of the musical Paradise Square objected to unsafe conditions on set, a racially hostile work environment and unpaid wages. It noted that Drabinsky claimed he lacked control over wages and working conditions, although his lawsuit alleged he controlled hiring, firing and pay during the production.

Al Vincent Jr., executive director of the Actors Equity Association, said the union was glad the court agreed with every single argument that we made and concluded that Drabinskys lawsuit was meritless.

He said the ruling will serve Equity and the labor movement well in the future with respect to the right to use the Do Not Work list against employers that harm our members.

We are happy to put this behind us, Vincent added. Our mission is to protect actors and stage managers from employers like Drabinsky, and no amount of intimidation will deter us.

Paradise Square, which explored racial conflict between Black Americans and Irish immigrants amid the 1863 Civil War race riots in New York City, closed on Broadway in July 2022 after 23 previews and 108 performances. Drabinskys Ragtime ran for two years on Broadway.

Drabinsky, a Canadian, was sentenced in August 2009 to seven years in prison in that country for fraud convictions by a judge who said he and another producer submitted false financial statements to investors to misrepresent their companys financial condition.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Claims
Zimbabwe received $31.8 million from African Risk Capacity, an arm of the African Union, as part of an insurance payout for the devastation the country suffered from an El Nino-induced drought.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube told reporters on Thursday in the capital, Harare, that the government has also approved a food distribution strategy to help those most in need.

This blitz food distribution programme is targeting all food insecure vulnerable households in Zimbabwe and is currently supporting approximately 6 million people through the grain distribution programme, he said. This payout will contribute immensely towards complementing the early drought response intervention measures which government has put in place.

In May, the African Unions climate insurance agency said it will pay out at least $60 million to Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to help them offset the impact of the weather catastrophe.

The money from African Risk Capacity is expected to benefit 509,000 households. The government directly received a payment of $16.8 million. The World Food Programme got $6.1 million, which will benefit some 200,000 people as part of drought mitigation in the southern African country. The AU agency also gave $8.9 million to a local aid group.

The government estimates that more than half of the countrys 17 million people will need food support until March after a drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon destroyed the nations corn crop, a staple in the southern African country.

Zimbabwe consumes 2.2 million tons of corn annually but the country only expects to harvest 744,271 tons of maize this year, almost 70% less than a year earlier.

Photograph: A failed corn crop due to drought at a farm in Glendale, Zimbabwe. Photo credit: Cynthia R Matonhodze/Bloomberg

Related:

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
Hurricane Beryl pummeled Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula with tree-toppling gusts and flooding rains, weakening slightly as it came ashore after leaving a trail of destruction through the Caribbean this week.

Beryls top winds dropped to 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour after it made landfall just northeast of Tulum with 110 mph winds, the US National Hurricane center said in an 8 a.m. New York time advisory. The storm remains at Category 2 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale. Hurricane warnings are in effect along an area dubbed the Mayan Riviera for its touristy beaches and ruins, with alerts stretching from Costa Maya port to Cancun, including the island of Cozumel.

Local authorities have evacuated residents from communities along the storms path. Tulum airport suspended operations and Cancuns airport canceled flights, according to local media outlet El Universal. School was canceled in the states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo, Laura Velazquez Alzua, Mexicos national coordinator for civil protection, said at a press briefing Thursday.

While Beryl will weaken to a tropical storm as it crosses the Yucatan, it is expected to get stronger once it re-emerges into the southern Gulf of Mexico late Friday, possibly even regaining hurricane strength before making a second landfall in northern Mexico or southern Texas near Brownsville early Monday, the hurricane center said.

AccuWeather is currently calling for Beryl to hit northern Mexico or southern Texas as a Category 1 hurricane between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. local time on Monday, said Tyler Roys, a meteorologist for the commercial forecaster. However, the storms track has been drifting north, which could give it a chance to stay over warm Gulf waters longer and therefore get stronger.

It would not shock me if there is further intensification, Roys said. Right now we are with Category 1, but if the trend continues and the track sneaks a little further north, there could potentially be more funny business going on with intensification. It is something we are watching.

The other potential danger is that Beryl could bring heavy rains across eastern Texas, an area that was already drenched earlier this year, leaving the ground saturated, he said. The flood risks for the region may be high.

Storms have been known to wither and die after crossing the Yucatan, but they can also gain a deadly burst of strength. Hurricane Harvey exploded into a Category 4 storm in 2017 after nearly being destroyed traversing the peninsula.

Its still too early to say exactly where Beryl will make its second landfall, Philippe Papin, a specialist at the hurricane center, wrote in an analysis. The average NHC track error at day 3 is around 100 miles, he said. It remains too soon to pinpoint where the largest impacts will be.

Beryl has already hammered the Caribbean, and earlier this week it achieved a rare Category 5 strength. It was the earliest Atlantic storm to do so, signaling an unusually active hurricane season as hot ocean waters fuel tropical systems. The storm lost some of its power after sweeping westward past Grenada and Jamaica, but still left widespread damage.

Photo: The Mexican Army and National Guard evacuate residents on July 4.Photographer: Victoria Razo/Bloomberg

Related:

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane Mexico
Switzerland and the European Union resumed talks on financial market regulation on Thursday after dialog was suspended in 2017, the Swiss government said.

Issues relating to financial market stability, cross-border activities, capital markets, digital finance, cybersecurity, sustainable finance and insurance were discussed during a meeting in Bern, the government said in a statement.

The resumption of talks comes amid broader negotiations between Brussels and Switzerland aimed at updating economic relations, which the Swiss hope will be concluded this year.

The EU delegation was led by John Berrigan, who heads the European Commissions financial services unit.

He met Swiss officials from the finance and foreign ministries, the Swiss National Bank and market regulator FINMA.

The Swiss team was led by Finance Ministry State Secretary Daniela Stoffel.

(Writing by Dave Graham; editing by Alexander Smith)

Topics Europe
An abandoned tanker that was drifting off Yemens coast in June has disappeared and is believed to have sunk, three navy and security sources said, the latest vessel lost in the strategically important Red Sea.

The area, on the main shipping route from Europe to Asia, is considered high risk as Yemens Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched more than 70 attacks on merchant vessels since October in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Maritime security sources said last week the abandoned tanker, the Lavant, was unlikely however to have been targeted by the Houthis. According to two sources, it had reported an engine failure and was taking on water.

Russian shipping group Sovcomflot said last week that one of its vessels, responding to a distress signal, had rescued the crew off the southern Yemeni coast on June 23 after the seafarers had evacuated in a life raft.

Navy and maritime security sources said on Wednesday the Lavant was likely to have sunk after drifting for days. It was unclear if the vessel was carrying fuel onboard. Its owner could not be located for comment.

Houthi militants operating in the Red Sea have so far sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least three seafarers. They are still holding the kidnapped crew of one ship.

Houthi-Stricken Cargo Carriers Crew Abandons Ship Due to Fire

The Verbena cargo ship, attacked by the Houthis with anti-ship cruise missiles last month and abandoned by its crew, remains afloat and is waiting to be salvaged, the sources said separately.

One of the sources said that an armed guard on board had been injured during the attack.

The salvage operation for the Verbena is ongoing, the European Unions naval force in the region told Reuters.

Verbenas owners did not respond to Reuters request for comment.

Houthi explosive drone boat attacks escalate Red Sea danger

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou and Yannis Souliotis in Athens, Jonathan Saul in London; Additional reporting by Barbara Erling in Warsaw; editing by Jan Harvey)
Attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants on the Red Sea have reinvigorated piracy networks in Somalia, with criminal groups growing in both number and force, a European naval commander said.

The Yemen-based Houthis began attacking vessels in the Red Sea last year to pressure Israel and its allies over the war in the Gaza Strip.

Their campaign has roiled global shipping, forcing many vessels to sail thousands of miles around southern Africa instead. Thats driven a boom in carbon emissions and boosted freight bills as the ships find themselves employed for far longer to deliver the same cargo.

Suspected Pirate Attack in Gulf of Aden Raises Concerns About Growing Somali Piracy

Pirates think there is a window of opportunity due to the Houthis presence, with increased traffic along Somalias coast and the pirates venturing further out into the Indian Ocean, said Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva, who commands a European Union operation tasked with curbing piracy. They are really trying to stretch the Western, international operations limits and capabilities.

One of the tactics being used by the pirates is to hijack smaller boats such as skiffs or dhows and travel for about 10 days into the middle of the Indian Ocean where they attempt to attack bigger ships, Villanueva said on July 1. About 10 of the recent attacks were carried out on large vessels, while a ransom fee was only paid on one occasion, he said.

The increasing number of attacks are being carried out by groups that are well armed, organized and bigger in numbers than ever before, he said.

We are encountering 25 or 30 pirates on the same attack, Villanueva said. They are very well coordinated with satellite phones and heavy weapons.

There have been 30 attacks on commercial vessels, fishing boats and dhows since November, he said. Recent incidents include hostages being taken in December on board the Malta-flagged MV Ruen, which led to Indian, Japanese and Spanish warships rescuing its 18 crew members. That was the first successful hijacking of a vessel off the Somali coast since 2017, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

Piracy emerged off the coast of Somalia at the start of a civil war in the early 1990s. Attacks escalated in the early 2000s, when conflict erupted after Ethiopian forces invaded the country to depose of an Islamist administration. The number of incidents peaked in 2011, when 237 incidents took place, with 32 vessels held by pirates and 736 people taken hostage, according to the EU Naval Force.

Last month, the Houthi rebels conducted the largest number of attacks on commercial ships so far in 2024, with 16 vessels targeted, according to data published by the naval forces operating in the region.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Educators in Kansas largest public school district discriminated against Black and disabled students when disciplining them, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, which announced an agreement Tuesday that will have the district revising its policies.

Changes the Wichita district has agreed to include restraining unruly students less often and ending the practice of putting misbehaving students alone in rooms by Jan. 1, 2025, the DOJ said.

The district also agreed to offer counseling or tutoring to every student who was confined alone in a room during the past three schools years, with the number of hours matching those for which the student was secluded. The department said the district already is writing a new code of conduct for students and has scheduled crisis-prevention training for staff.

The agreement comes amid an ongoing national debate about classroom discipline and whether punishments for minority and disabled students are disproportionately harsh. The Justice Department has previously reached similar agreements with other school districts in the U.S.

The settlement sends a powerful message to Kansas schools and schools across the nation to ensure that they must no longer alienate or target Black students or students with disabilities, said Rocky Nichols, executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas.

The Department of Justice said in a letter to the Wichita districts attorney that it investigated disciplinary practices for the past three school years and visited the district in March 2023. It concluded that the district disciplined Black students more often and more severely than white students.

The DOJ also said that in the more than 3,000 times over three years that the district restrained or secluded students, 98% of those students were disabled. And it noted that hundreds of the cases involved students in kindergarten, first or second grade. More than 40 students were restrained or secluded more than 20 times each, the DOJ said.

We substantiated allegations that the District discriminated against Black students in its administration of school discipline and referral of student conduct to law enforcement, the department said in its letter. We also found evidence that the District denied students with disabilities equal opportunity to participate in or benefit from its education program.

The Wichita district has more than 46,000 students, nearly 10% of all students in Kansas. About 64% of the students are Black, Hispanic or have multiple ethnicities, according to State Department of Education figures, and the state considers nearly 78% to be at risk of failing academically.

The DOJ said the district cooperated throughout its investigation and had expressed a desire to make positive improvements.

We can and must create a more equitable school district by changing some of our practices and procedures, Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld said in an online statement after the Wichita school board approved the agreement. Safe learning communities  for students and staff  will always be of the utmost importance.

Disability rights advocates in numerous states for years have criticized restraints and seclusion for disabled students, saying the punishments are overused and dangerous.

In 2022, Iowas second-largest school district promised to end the use of seclusion rooms after the Department of Justice concluded that it had violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2023, Alaskas largest district agreed to stop secluding students and to use restraints only when there is a real risk of physical harm to the student or others.

Kansas law already dictates that restraint can be used only when there is an imminent risk that students will seriously harm themselves or others, according to Nichols.

Wichita public schools should have been following that requirement all along, he said.

In other states, pressure to do more about unruly students has led officials to go in a different direction.

Arkansas last year expanded its restraint law so that  in addition to teachers  other school staff can restrain students in some cases. Some states still allow corporal punishment: A southwestern Missouri district reinstituted student spanking in 2022 as a form of discipline, but only in cases where the parents agree.

In Wichita, the Department of Justice said, the difference in discipline for Black and white girls was particularly pronounced. At one middle school, Black girls faced being punished for insubordination 4.5 times as often as white girls and were cited for dress code violations 3.6 times as often, the DOJ letter said. Wichita schools restrained students 1,570 times over three years and put them in seclusion 1,450 times, the letter added.

We concluded that most of the Districts restraints and all its seclusions were improper under both District policy and generally accepted practice, the letter said.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Education K-12 Kansas
With many jobs expected to eventually rely on generative artificial intelligence, states are trying to help workers beef up their tech skills before they become outdated and get outfoxed by machines that are becoming increasingly smarter.

Connecticut is working to create what proponents believe will be the countrys first Citizens AI Academy, a free online repository of curated classes that users can take to learn basic skills or obtain a certificate needed for employment.

This is a rapidly evolving area, said state Democratic Sen. James Maroney. So we need to all learn what are the best sources for staying current. How can we update our skills? Who can be trusted sources?

Determining what skills are necessary in an AI world can be a challenge for state legislators given the fast-moving nature of the technology and differing opinions about what approach is best.

Gregory LaBlanc, professor of Finance, Strategy and Law at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley Law School in California, says workers should be taught how to use and manage generative AI rather than how the technology works, partly because computers will soon be better able to perform certain tasks previously performed by humans.

What we need is to lean into things that complement AI as opposed to learning to be really bad imitators of AI, he said. We need to figure out what is AI not good at and then teach those things. And those things are generally things like creativity, empathy, high level problem solving.

He said historically people have not needed to understand technological advancements in order for them to succeed.

When when electricity came along, we didnt tell everybody that they needed to become electrical engineers, LeBlanc said.

This year, at least four states  Connecticut, California, Mississippi and Maryland  proposed legislation that attempted to deal with AI in the classroom somehow. They ranged from Connecticuts planned AI Academy, which was originally included in a wide-ranging AI regulation bill that failed but the concept is still being developed by state education officials, to proposed working groups that examine how AI can be incorporated safely in public schools. Such a bill died in the Mississippi legislature while the others remain in flux.

One bill in California would require a state working group to consider incorporating AI literacy skills into math, science, history and social science curriculums.

AI has the potential to positively impact the way we live, but only if we know how to use it, and use it responsibly, said the bills author, Assemblymember Marc Berman, in a statement. No matter their future profession, we must ensure that all students understand basic AI principles and applications, that they have the skills to recognize when AI is employed, and are aware of AIs implications, limitations, and ethical considerations.

The bill is backed by the California Chamber of Commerce. CalChamber Policy Advocate Ronak Daylami said in a statement that incorporating information into existing school curricula will dispel the stigma and mystique of the technology, not only helping students become more discerning and intentional users and consumers of AI, but also better positioning future generations of workers to succeed in an AI-driven workforce and hopefully inspiring the next generation of computer scientists.

While Connecticuts planned AI Academy is expected to offer certificates to people who complete certain skills programs that might be needed for careers, Maroney said the academy will also include the basics, from digital literacy to how to pose questions to a chatbot.

He said its important for people to have the skills to understand, evaluate and effectively interact with AI technologies, whether its a chatbot or machines that learn to identify problems and make decisions that mimic human decision-making.

Most jobs are going to require some form of literacy, Maroney said. I think that if you arent learning how to use it, youll be at a disadvantage.

A September 2023 study released by the job-search company Indeed found all U.S. jobs listed on the platform had skills that could be performed or augmented by generative AI. Nearly 20% of the jobs were considered highly exposed, which means the technology is considered good or excellent at 80% or more of the skills that were mentioned in the Indeed job listings.

Nearly 46% of the jobs on the platform were moderately exposed, which means the GenAI can perform 50% to 80% of the skills.

Maroney said he is concerned how that skills gap  coupled with a lack of access to high-speed internet, computers and smart phones in some underserved communities  will exacerbate the inequity problem.

A report released in February from McKinsey and Company, a global management consulting firm, projected that generative AI could increase household wealth in the U.S. by nearly $500 billion by 2045, but it would also increase the wealth gap between Black and white households by $43 billion annually.

Advocates have been working for years to narrow the nations digital skills gap, often focusing on the basics of computer literacy and improving access to reliable internet and devices, especially for people living in urban and rural areas. The advent of AI brings additional challenges to that task, said Marvin Venay, chief external affairs and advocacy officer for the Massachusetts-based organization Bring Tech Home.

Education must be included in order for this to really take off publicly  in a manner which is going to give people the ability to eliminate their barriers, he said of AI. And it has to be able to explain to the most common individual why it is not only a useful tool, but why this tool will be something that can be trusted.

Tesha Tramontano-Kelly, executive director of the Connecticut-based group CfAL for Digital Inclusion, said she worries lawmakers are putting the cart before the horse when it comes to talking about AI training. Ninety percent of the youths and adults who use her organizations free digital literacy classes dont have a computer in the home.

While Connecticut is considered technologically advanced compared to many other states and nearly every household can get internet service, a recent state digital equity study found only about three-quarters subscribe to broadband. A survey conducted as part of the study found 47% of respondents find it somewhat or very difficult to afford internet service.

Of residents who reported household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, 32% dont own a computer and 13% dont own any internet enabled device.

Tramontano-Kelly said ensuring the internet is accessible and technology equipment is affordable are important first steps.

So teaching people about AI is super important. I 100% agree with this, she said. But the conversation also needs to be about everything else that goes along with AI.

Photo: Students attending the Building Your Own Computer program offered by the Connecticut-based group CfAL for Digital Inclusion, practice their skills. (Rose Servetnick/CfAL for Digital Inclusion via AP)

Topics InsurTech Commercial Lines Business Insurance Data Driven Artificial Intelligence
Hometown of Moutai strives to promote tourism, liquor industry

People's Daily Online) 15:45, July 05, 2024

An aerial photo shows a view of Maotai township, Zunyi, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)

Maotai township, renowned for the Red Army's Long March and Kweichow Moutai in Zunyi, southwest China's Guizhou Province, has welcomed tourists from all over this summer.

Relying on its advantage as the one and only production place of Kweichow Moutai liquor in China, Maotai town has given full play to the role of the famed liquor in driving economic growth. The local government has fostered new business formats that integrate catering, accommodation, shopping, tourism and liquor appreciation, accelerating steps to forge a new development pattern to promote the coordinated development of the local liquor industry and tourism sector.

(Intern Xing Yawen contributed to this story.)
US taxpayers could be on the hook for millions of dollars in repairs if F-35 fighter jets suffer major weather damage while waiting on a Texas tarmac for a long-delayed software upgrade, according to the Pentagons contracts oversight agency.

The disclosure from the Defense Contract Management Agency is the latest twist in the saga of the Lockheed Martin Corp. fighter jet thats already projected to cost more than $1.8 trillion over the course of its life cycle, including development, production and sustainment, making it the most expensive weapons system in history.

The significant liability stems from a standard clause in military aircraft contracts that limits Lockheeds maximum cost for repairs or replacement to $100,000 per jet, according to the agency and the Government Accountability Office.

The Pentagon would be responsible for the rest, up to the full cost of replacing the jets, which were built at a price tag of $82.5 million to $109 million each depending on the model.

This insurance works very similar to commercial auto and aircraft insurance, the contract management agency said in a statement, disclosing the provision for the first time. Provided the contractor meets the underwriting terms and conditions, then the US will cover the costs over and above the deductible, with a few exceptions.

If the aircraft is a complete loss, then the US would either cover the cost of a new aircraft or determine not to replace the lost aircraft, the agency said. Damage caused by tornado, hail and windstorm are covered; however, damage caused by a mechanic is determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the task being performed.

Citing security concerns, Lockheed and the F-35 program wont say how many aircraft are parked at a Lockheed facility in Fort Worth, Texas, or whether theyre inside or outside. But Representative Rob Wittman, the Virginia Republican who leads the House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces panel, told reporters in mid-May that at least 100 aircraft would be on the tarmac by July.

In an earnings call in January, Lockheed officials indicated deliveries of 75 to 110 planes could commence this month.

Read more: Lockheed F-35 Wont Get Delayed Upgrade Until 2025, GAO Says

The planes are there awaiting the TR-3 hardware and software upgrade, a program that has been dogged by delays and overruns that the government has also had to absorb. The first fully capable jets with the TR-3 upgrade were supposed to be delivered in July 2023, but the program has been plagued by problems with the new software and a new integrated core processor for combat missions. The TR-3 upgrade is now expected to cost more than double its original $718 million price tag.

None of the parked aircraft have been damaged so far, according to the Pentagons F-35 program office. But summer storms in Fort Worth can produce hail and winds up to 60 miles an hour, according to Jennifer Dunn, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Storms increase in severity in the fall, with hail, damaging winds, tornadoes and flooding more likely, she said.

We maintain the highest level of security and protection of F-35 aircraft, Lockheed said in a statement. TR-3 test results to date support our expected time line of delivering the first TR-3 combat training-capable aircraft in the third quarter, which begins July 1.

In the meantime, Lockheed is running out of parking space and it will need to develop a plan to accommodate more, according to the GAO.

Representative Ken Calvert of California, chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, joked in a recent interview that you open a garage in Fort Worth and theres an F-35 in there. They are parked everywhere.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Texas
PointeNorth Insurance Group, a large agency in the Southeast, has acquired Valdosta Insurance Services and Southern Insurance Advisors, both based in Georgia.

PointeNorth said in a statement that it provides growth opportunities for agencies, as well as a perpetuation strategy and continued advancement opportunities for agency employees.

Valdosta Insurance Services provides property-casualty insurance, employee benefits and life insurance products. It is headed by Julian Trey Sherwood III, president; and Byron Courson, vice president. Both will continue to operate the agency under the Valdosta Insurance brand, the companies said in a news release.

Southern Insurance Advisors, an independent agency in Milton, Georgia, also provides P&C coverage. Principal Kevin DiPetrillo will remain on board and the company will operate under the PointeNorth Insurance Group brand.

PointeNorth is headquartered in Atlanta. The company said it has grown steadily in recent years, with the acquisition of 50 agencies.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed four bills Wednesday that include the creation of a new registry for vaping products and a slew of changes related to transportation laws and the state DMV.

Cooper also vetoed two other bills ahead of his anticipated participation with other Democratic governors in a meeting with President Joe Biden later on Wednesday.

One of the bills signed by Cooper focuses on creating a registry under the North Carolina Department of Revenue for certified vapor products  like e-cigarettes  or consumables containing nicotine at the end of the year. Certification for those products would be mandatory for manufacturers to sell in North Carolina.

There will be penalties for sellers and manufacturers who dont abide by the new regulations. Both would be subject to varying fee amounts, and manufacturers could be charged with a misdemeanor.

Another approved bill makes a wide variety of changes to transportation laws. The modifications include creating digital drivers licenses that can be displayed on mobile devices, printing temporary registration plates on-demand, implementing a work zone safety course and increasing littering penalties.

The third piece of legislation is the states annual Farm Act. Under this years iteration, agricultural areas would be exempt from municipal stormwater fees and a tax credit for certain types of land conservation-related donations would be enacted, among other alterations.

The last bill signed by Cooper, Senate Bill 319, makes various changes to insurance law, including tax cuts for captive insurers and risk retention groups.

Two other bills did not make the cut. The first bill allows for title certification for all-terrain and utility vehicles, as well as permits modified utility vehicles to travel on any roads that are 55 mph or less, which Cooper said would pose a risk on state highways.

The second bill makes several changes regarding tenancy and landlords. Cooper criticized a portion of the bill for barring cities from passing ordinances that stop landlords from refusing to lease to someone who pays for rent with funds from federal housing assistance programs.

Although the General Assembly adjourned, it has a list of dates where lawmakers can reconvene to take up certain actions, which includes the consideration of veto overrides. Republican supermajorities in both chambers make the prospect of overrides likely.

The next date to reconvene is July 10.

Coopers decisions came hours before Bidens meeting with other Democratic governors, in which the governors office confirmed Cooper would be attending virtually. The meeting follows a rough week for Bidens campaign, sparked by his debate performance that led to pundits and some officials calling for him to pull out of the presidential race.

Last week, the governor stumped for Biden at his rally in Raleigh  the first campaign stop the president made following his debate in Atlanta. Cooper told the cheering crowd that Biden saved this nation in 2020 and needed to do it again in 2024.

If Joe Biden wins North Carolina, hes president of the United States, Cooper said last week.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics North Carolina
A Georgia sawmill could have prevented the death of a 24-year-old worker last year if it had followed safety procedures and federal regulations, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in fining the mill $267,300.

We learned that Thompson Hardwoods added new equipment to increase production but did not mitigate potential hazards before allowing workers to service and maintain the new equipment, OSHA Acting Area Director Audrey Windham said in a statement.

The worker, whose name was not released, was clearing a jam inside a wood chipper when the machine was turned on. An OSHA investigation found that the mill in Hazelhurst had not trained workers on lockout/tagout procedures that can prevent hazardous equipment from being energized at the wrong time.

Workers handling any machinery may be seriously or fatally injured when all sources of energy are not removed, Wyndham said.

OSHA citied Thompson Hardwoods, which is owned by Delaware-based BeasleyJohnson Holdings, for willful, repeat and serious violations of safety regulations. The company has two weeks to contest the findings.

Sawmills have long been considered one of the most hazardous work sites. A similar fatal incident occurred at a Pollard Lumber Co. mill in Appling, Georgia, in February, according to local news reports. A 63-year-old worker was killed inside a wood chipper at the mill.

In Alabama, OSHA fined a Phenix City mill almost $2.5 million in February after the death of a 67-year-old worker, the second fatality in three years.

Topics Workers' Compensation Georgia
Three recent U.S. Department of Labor investigations in San Diego, California recovered nearly $840,000 for 32 employees, some of whom one employer reportedly paid less than $3 per hour.

The departments Wage and Hour Division determined that Ruffo de Alba Forwarders LP, SAI Logistics Exports Inc. and Moving Technologies of America Inc. shortchanged workers and violated numerous provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Division investigators reported violations by each employer as follows:

Ruffo de Alba Forwarders, a customs broker providing logistic and transportation services, failed to pay at least an hourly minimum wage of $7.25 to workers and denied required overtime pay for hours over 40 in a week to employees who traveled from Mexico to the U.S. In some cases, the employer paid workers as little as $3.27 per hour in Mexican pesos. The department obtained a consent judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California that ordered Ruffo de Alba Forwarders and owner Andres Ruffo to pay 14 workers $222,899 in wages owed and an equal amount in damages totaling $445,798, as well as $8,645 in penalties for their misconduct to the department. The court also ordered the employers to hire an independent third-party to conduct FLSA training annually.

SAI Logistics Experts, a broker assisting the cross-border goods transport, denied Mexican workers their required overtime wages and failed to meet federal minimum wage requirements. The employer paid Mexican workers as little as $3.86 per hour in Mexican pesos. A consent judgment entered by the same court ordered SAI and its agents to pay $318,249 in minimum wage, overtime and liquidated damages owed to 13 workers and pay the department $8,645 in penalties. The court also required the company to hire an independent third-party to provide FLSA training at least once a year.

Moving Technologies of America, a transportation and distribution subsidiary of Vadeto Group LLC in San Diego, failed to pay five employees federal minimum wages, instead paying them in Mexican pesos and some workers as little as $2.77 per hour. The division recovered $75,132  representing $37,566 in back wages and an equal amount in damages  for five employees and assessed $3,324 in penalties for its willful and repeated disregard of the law. In 2020, the division recovered $12,225 for four workers after finding MTA denied them required overtime pay.

The divisions San Diego District Office investigated the cases, and the Office of the Solicitor in San Francisco negotiated the consent judgments on behalf of the department.

Topics California Trucking
Road Town, British Virgin Islands - July 5, 2024 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) In a significant move for cryptocurrency and mobile technology enthusiasts, LBank Exchange, a premier global digital asset trading platform, has announced the listing of Clover Token (CIT) on July 8, 2024. Users of LBank Exchange can brace themselves for the CIT/USDT trading pair, which will go live at 4:00 UTC on the slated date.

CIT (Clover Token) Listing Banner

Clover Token (CIT) is a blockchain-based currency designed to promote eco-friendly actions and sustainability by integrating seamlessly with the Clover Infinity app, fostering a transparent and accountable carbon offset ecosystem.

Introducing Clover Token: Pioneering Sustainability and Innovation

LBank Exchange is thrilled to announce the upcoming listing of Clover Token (CIT), revolutionizing the approach to sustainability and environmental responsibility in the digital age. Built on cutting-edge blockchain technology, Clover Token is designed to promote eco-friendly actions and incentivize sustainable practices. By integrating seamlessly with the Clover Infinity lifestyle app, users can earn Clover Tokens through simple, everyday activities like walking or running, making it easier than ever to contribute to a greener planet.

At the heart of the Clover ecosystem, Clover Token plays a crucial role in promoting transparency and accountability in carbon offset initiatives. Each token earned represents a step towards reducing carbon emissions and fostering a healthier environment. The decentralized nature of blockchain ensures that all transactions are secure, transparent, and immutable, building trust within the community and guaranteeing that every contribution is accounted for.

Beyond personal rewards, Clover Token serves a broader purpose by democratizing access to carbon credits and facilitating global sustainability efforts. The platform empowers individuals and businesses alike to participate in carbon trading, support eco-friendly projects, and make informed decisions that benefit the planet. Clover Token is not just a currency; it's a commitment to a sustainable future, driving innovation and environmental stewardship for generations to come.

About CIT Token

Based on BEP20, CIT has a total supply of 42 million (i.e. 42,000,000). Clover Token distribution is as follows: ecosystem 36.4%, team 18.2%, S-P 9.1%, public sale 9.1%, liquidity & listing 9.1%, marketing 9.1%, treasury 4.5% and staking rewards 4.5%. The CIT token is poised for its debut on LBank Exchange at 4:00 UTC on July 8, 2024. Investors who are interested in CIT can easily buy and sell on LBank Exchange after that time.

Learn More about CIT Token:

Official Website: https://www.cloverinfinity.co/index.php

Contract: https://bscscan.com/token/0x1b9f8e5d5376c93cffd7bd7946541242b488f8d2

Telegram: https://t.me/cloverinfinity

Twitter: https://x.com/co2clover

About LBank

LBank is one of the top crypto exchanges, established in 2015. It offers specialized financial derivatives, expert asset management services, and safe crypto trading to its users. The platform holds over 10 million users from more than 210 regions across the world. LBank is a cutting-edge growing platform that ensures the integrity of users' funds and aims to contribute to the global adoption of cryptocurrencies.

Start Trading Now: lbank.com

More Info:

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp
Amazon marks its 30th anniversary on Friday as a two-trillion-dollar company, capping a remarkable rise from the online bookseller it was founded as, inside a garage in the early days of the internet.

Founder Jeff Bezos stepped down as chief executive in 2021, but he remains the executive chair and largest shareholder of a company now known as an e-commerce and cloud computing giant.

Since its foundation as a bookseller, the company has grown into an online retail heavyweight where consumers can buy almost anything.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos stepped down as chief executive in 2021 (Paul Ellis/PA)

It has also expanded, making many of its own products that it sells online, including electronics, led by a popular range of tablets and smart home hubs and speakers.

The Seattle-based firm is now also established as a leading technology company through the Alexa virtual assistant that powers its smart home products, but also through Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing arm of the company which has data centres around the globe offering server space to many of the worlds other largest companies.

When Amazon become one of the few companies to pass the two-trillion-dollar valuation mark last month  behind only Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft  part of its recent share price rise was put down to the increasing demand for cloud computing thanks to the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) services.

AI services are energy and compute-intensive, meaning many firms are having to increase their cloud computing capacity to power these in-demand new tools.

The rise of generative AI tools such as OpenAIs ChatGPT has set the standard for a new generation of virtual assistants (John Walton/PA)

Mr Bezos has now confirmed he plans to sell nearly five billion dollars worth of Amazon shares, which follows a similar announcement in February that he would sell shares worth 8.5 billion dollars  the first time since 2021 he had parted with Amazon shares.

Looking forward, Amazons dominance of the online retail space is likely to face increasing competition from a range of alternatives and rivals, including emerging e-commerce firms in Asia, and the growing popularity of second-hand marketplaces as consumers look to save money and prioritise the environment by recycling old goods.

The companys position in the AI products market also faces intense competition from fellow tech giants and emerging AI firms.

The rise of generative AI tools such as OpenAIs ChatGPT has set the standard for a new generation of virtual assistants which are both text and voice-based, and can find as well as generate images and videos.

Currently, Amazons Alexa is predominately a voice-based assistant, conversational assistant  a set-up many believe the company will need to expand on if it wants to take on ChatGPT, Googles Gemini and Microsofts Copilot.
Farmers are calling for the introduction of a fodder production incentive measure, similar to the one in 2018, to offset fodder shortages over the winter.

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association president Sean McNamara said that grass growth is well down on where it needs to be and, as a result, cattle are being fed from the first cuts of silage, eating into what should be stored for the winter.

"This does not bode well for the winter, and a scheme similar to the one introduced in 2018 is badly needed," Mr McNamara said.

2018 scheme

In 2018, a similar scheme for tillage farmers was introduced to encourage them to sow forage crops on their land to reduce the feed deficit in the country.

This measure provided an incentive of 155 per hectare to grow a temporary crop of short-rotation grasses for fodder production over the winter months and 100 per hectare for those growing catch crops.

Under the scheme, some 19,400 hectares were planted - with 13,400 hectares made up of brassica crops including forage rape, stubble turnips, kale and rape hybrids.

A further 6,000 hectares were made up of grasses including Westerwold ryegrass and Italian ryegrass. The minimum area that farmers could plant under the scheme was three hectares, while the maximum area for payment was 50 hectares. Over 1,700 farmers participated in the scheme.

Fodder and feed committee

Latest figures from PastureBase Ireland show a 1.2t DM/ha reduction in total grass growth for the first six months of the year when compared to the previous five-year average with most farms 15-20% back on growth rate for the year to date.

"ICSA will bring our concerns to the National Fodder and Food Security Committee, which will convene next Monday," Sean McNamara continued.

"Grass growth has been bad for all of April, May, and June, and this will have serious repercussions in terms of shortages over the winter.

Action must be taken now to protect farming enterprises from the severe hardship associated with lack of fodder, and the best option we have is to bring farmers into a scheme that is designed to bolster fodder and feed supplies.

"Furthermore, the scheme should be opened to all farmers, not just tillage farmers. All hands will be needed on deck if we want to ensure we have enough feed to go around.

"This means farmers with grassland must also be incentivised to grow catch crops for their own use or to sell on. All available land must be utilised to ensure all farmers can make it through this winter.
Around 14,000 approvals have issued so far as part of the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3).

Under tranche one, of the 8,203 applications received, 7,155 have been approved. Under tranche two, of the 9,110 applications received, there have been 6,844 approvals issued so far by the Department of Agriculture.

Speaking this week, assistant secretary in the department Paul Savage said that a total of 21,115 applications were submitted in the first three tranches of TAMS 3, the final one of which closed in April.

Mr Savage said that farmers can expect approvals in respect of all tranche two applications by the end of this month.

Responding to criticism around the delayed rollout of TAMS 3, Mr Savage said that development of the scheme has involved a "significant upgrade of systems to cater for the new investments and increased ceilings across the various schemes".

"The huge number of applications in tranche one - more than 8,000 - was four times the average amount received per tranche under TAMS 2, while the 21,115 applications received over the first three tranches is almost three times the volume of applications received in the corresponding three tranches of TAMS 2," he told the Oireachtas joint committee on agriculture, food and the marine.

"A priority access facility was provided to assist farmers that required the construction of slurry and manure storage facilities, or urgent animal welfare-related investments for the winter of 2023/2024. All applications received under this facility have now been assessed.

"I would also point out that more than 50% of all investments are in respect of mobile equipment. Applicants may purchase the mobile equipment, at their own risk, subject to verification of eligibility in accordance with the terms and conditions of the relevant schemes."

TAMS 3 payments commenced in June, and are continuing to issue. So far, approximately 3.5m in payments has issued to farmers.

Reference costs

A review of the TAMS reference costs is expected in the second half of this year, with revised costs likely to be published in the middle of next year.

Mr Savage said that the last time they were reviewed was in late 2022 / early 2023, and the next one will "allow us to address any particular issue that's there in terms of costs being out of kilter".

Aside from "some exceptions", he said that the references are reflecting the real costs for farmers.

The review of reference costs is based on a comparison with receipted costs, but also the department looks at data from quantity surveyors, the CSO, and from engineering and building provider companies.

The department's John Muldowney said that at the moment, "for most items, we're reasonably close".

"At no point do we want to race ahead of what the prices are - otherwise you spur on the industry to push up the costs," he said.

"This is always a very hard balancing act that we have to manage."

However, according to the Irish Farmers' Association, reference costs are "very much out of kilter with prevailing costs of materials".

"Investment ceilings and costs need to be reviewed upwards to better reflect the new cost realities," the IFA's national rural development chairman John Curran said previously.

The chairman of the farm business committee of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association Pat O'Brien recently said there are farmers "no longer even considering TAMS, as the reference costings on which the grant is based move into the realms of fantasy".

We have repeatedly pointed out that TAMS costings were drifting into unreality but it must be obvious to everyone by now that the grant paid on TAMS projects is way off the 40% level for farmers and the 60% for young farmers," Mr O'Brien said.
You're lucky you dont have daughters.

I hear that a lot, and with rapid frequency as my boys got older and the eldest son puttered towards teenagery.

You worry more about the girls, Im told again and again, by parents of girls, as they mutter about discos, short skirts, and cropped tops.

Well, maybe its time we start worrying about the boys. Putting the onus, the spotlight, on them, because something is going on and it feels like its happening under our noses and we dont seem to know what to do about it.

Natasha OBriens mother shouldnt have had to worry about her girl getting punched unconscious to the ground for daring to ask a young man to stop shouting homophobic slurs on a public street.

No woman in Ireland should have to bear witness to our legal system placing more importance on the male guilty partys career prospects than on the female victims right to justice, but it happens over and over again.

We heard the evidence that soldier Cathal Crotty boasted about the vicious attack on Snapchat. I mean what kind of group is he in that thats ok to post? Who was he trying to impress? Was it all men in the group? What did they think?

Natasha O'Brien, who was attacked by Cathal Crotty in a random assault in Limerick City in 2022. Picture: Brendan Gleeson

If you have a son who has a phone, no matter what age they are, could you pick it up and scroll through his social feeds without him leaping for it in outrage? Im not talking about his personal messages, as parents we dont need to know everything, but we need to know something. What might you see on there? When is the last time you checked?

Have you talked to your sons recently about consent, about gender violence, about how we treat each other? Age appropriate, of course, but if your son has access to the internet, they need to be able to talk about these things.

Put your peepers on everything theyre looking at. Ask them what kind of stuff comes up when theyre watching YouTube, TikTok, or Snapchat.

They dont have to be actively following accounts for their feed to be full of swill. There are complex algorithms at work to hold their gaze. Do you know what theyre listening to, who theyre watching, what their malleable brains are being influenced by?

I swore I wouldnt give my sons mobile phones until they were over 16  minimum. Then covid and lockdown happened, and suddenly they were an important connection to friends they couldnt see in real life and my stance waivered.

We moved the goal posts to first year in secondary school.

Remember when the Andrew Tate/Greta Thunberg blow up happened in 2022? I was talking about the Twitter spat on a work call, and a lot of us had never heard of Tate. My son, 14, had just got his own smartphone. He was with friends when I got off the call.

Do ye know who Andrew Tate is? I asked.

Everyone knows who Andrew Tate is, they said.

WHAT?! How did ye know him? Hes big on TikTok, they shrugged.

When was the last time you checked your son's phone? Picture: iStock

I had a look. Their social media accounts were feeding them constant clips of him. This malign, misogynist toxic tool of a man was being presented directly to my beautiful child and all his friends every single day  and I didnt have a clue.

My generation talk about social influencers blithely and maybe with a teeny bit of scorn  sure theyre only making eegitty videos online, arf.

But the clue is in the title, and what if the wrong ones, the dangerous ones, are literally influencing our boys, who will become men who will go out in the world with real women in it?

We imagine theyll behave according to the values weve tried to instil, but if, in their formative years, we allow insecure idiots to bleat hyper-masochism or violent content directly to them, then we have to have a proper think about what that could mean.

Womens Aid reported their highest-ever number of domestic abuse disclosures in their 2023 report. They say its an alarming increase in physical violence and economic abuse, the highest since the charity started in 1974.

Things are getting worse. Headline after headline, report after report, court case after case. It takes a village they say, and its not just parents that have a role to play. We need help from our schools, our Government, our lawmakers, and policy-deciders to put manners on the companies making the profits from our childrens attention too.

Of course, the gender violence epidemic is multifaceted and obviously not just about what content our kids are consuming, but we cant dismiss its clout. Pick up your childs phone. Find out about parental controls. Talk to them about this stuff.

Two to put her down, two to put her out, Cathal Crotty wrote after punching Natasha to the ground. Shes not staying down though. Natasha is standing up, shes demanding our society to be better, and we must stand with her.
The Australian accent on the phone belongs to Hedley Thomas, a long-time reporter with

The Australian

whose enthusiasm for an upcoming trip to Bantry is palpable.

For thousands of his fellow Aussies, however, Thomass voice is synonymous with the true crime podcast The Teachers Pet.

It digs into the disappearance of Lynette Simms in Sydney over 40 years ago, and the possible involvement of her husband Chris Dawson, but soon branched into several other areas, making it a sensation Down Under.

Thomas has now written a book, also called The Teachers Pet, but the podcast came first. Lets start there.

It was a very labour-intensive, exhausting period. I loved it because I love detail  some true crime podcasts or programmes arent investigative at all, and they dont claim to be.

"They may involve clever people talking about a case thats notorious, speculating and sharing ideas  and maybe cracking jokes, which I find weird.

What Ive tried to do is really go into the marrow of these cases and generate new material, new information."

Ive been astonished at the amount of leads and new facts that can be discovered in very old cases.

You think with old cases they must have been carefully combed for information over the years and that theres nothing new left to find, but Im constantly surprised that there is more to find.

Was it tricky balancing two related but separate themes  the specifics of a particular case as well as the wider societal implications of discoveries made along the way?

Thomas discovered widespread grooming of schoolgirls in the area even as he dug into the Sims case, for instance.

When I started researching and writing the episodes it was late 2017, and I started writing the episodes around March 2018. I had first heard of the case and written about around 2001.

In 2017-18 I didnt intend for the podcast to become a story about the wider implications of the case, though I knew at least one schoolgirl had been groomed, become a babysitter for, and then the second wife of Chris Dawson.

However, its also the power of the podcast as almost a magnet for listeners who know things to contact you.

"It took an unusual turn  though perhaps I should have taken it down this path  when, after the first episode, I was contacted by another student from the same high school, and from other high schools."

They started sharing much more information than the police had obtained in the past about what was going on with a ring of schoolteachers in the area, including Chris Dawson and his brother Paul.

So as a result of that, you either continue going on your trajectory and think, well thats interesting but Im investigating a murder and not a wider scandal, or you pivot and try to do both.

You have the opportunity with a podcast to be nimble like that. It means ripping out partly drafted scripts for the next episode, which is exactly what happened  I took out stuff because I thought it could wait for episode three or four and replaced that with material Id gotten from interviews with the students.

I think being able to do that with a podcast with episodes coming out week by week is a great virtue.

"There are probably people who work for Audible and other platforms whod be horrified at the idea that a couple of days before the scheduled drop of the episode the storyteller is ripping out material thats been finessed over weeks and mixed, but thats what we did.

We hadnt done a podcast before and didnt think it had to follow so-called rules.

"I treated it the way I would have treated an evolving newspaper story, where new facts come in and you rewrite and go with whats most relevant.

The writing of the book was another challenge. Dawson delayed putting pen to paper for an unusual reason.

It was partly fear of a subpoena  I was subpoenaed to give evidence twice. Once in the proceedings brought by Chris Dawson in 2020, when he was trying to avoid trial  he effectively put me and the podcast on trial to argue that he shouldnt be tried for murder.

Then, in the murder trial in 2022, I was to be a witness, and I told my publishers that there was a very significant risk, given Id already turned over thousands of emails, texts, dozens of audio files, as part of the discovery process, that Id get another subpoena for the drafts of a book.

I said this would be a disaster. I could be writing the book but have in my head the belief that the material would be turned over to the court, that Id be cross-examined on what Id drafted, Id lose the material ...

I said we should just wait until it was behind us, and thats what happened. We waited.

Dawson was convicted in August 2022. Thomas had some more voice work ahead.

I had to re-narrate all the episodes  unlike the version people hear in Ireland, we updated the podcast in Australia and change names because of our sexual abuse laws. So I didnt have time to write the book in 2022.

We got to 2023 and I put it off for a while because I was exhausted, but I started writing it at the end of February.

He was still writing it when he and his wife went to Italy for a friends wedding later in the year.

I was sending back chapters from parts of Sicily  it was a very enjoyable way to holiday, actually, because my wife could head out on a tour every few days and Id take a writing day.

And we got the book out in October. I was powering along.

Started February, published October?

Id done all the interviews over the years so I had all the material. I also had folders of my emails and texts, all of the material you generate during an investigation.

"Because of the legal proceedings my employers lawyers, who acted for me, theyd generated an archive for me.

So I didnt have to do much extra research for the book.

Leave it to a newspaperman to get the job done with no delays.

Hedley Thomas is in conversation with Catherine Ryan Howard at the West Cork Literary Festival  the Maritime Hotel, Tuesday, July 16, at 6.30 pm.
Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty has shingles and is recovering at home. His wife, TV presenter Cat Deeley, is giving updates on his condition on ITVs This Morning.

Killarney-based GP Gary Stack and the medical director of South Doc explains that shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox.

Most of us get chickenpox as children and that virus remains in our bodies, only to re-emerge as shingles when our immunity is reduced, Stack says. The chances of this increase with age.

Shingles is most common in the over-50s, says Stack. Thats because of age-related weakening of our immune system. Those who have weakened immunity or are immune compromised for any reason are also at higher risk of developing shingles.

The first sign of shingles is usually itchiness.

Its itchiness that runs along a single nerve, says Stack. It can be any nerve in the body but most commonly, its the one that runs around the lower abdomen from the spine to the bellybutton. The second most common nerve is just under the breast and the third most common is the top of the skull and down into the eye. Wherever it is, the nerve becomes irritated, which manifests as itchiness or pins and needles followed by pain. And its always on one side of the body.

This itchiness is usually followed by a blotchy rash, which turns into fluid-filled blisters.

These can be very painful, says Stack.

Recovery speed depends on patient recognition of the warning signs and early medical intervention.

Biopharma company GSK, which produces a shingles vaccine, conducts an annual survey measuring how much Irish people know about the condition.

Eavan Daly, country medical director with GSK Ireland

We have found that general awareness is good, says Eaven Daly, GSK country medical director. About three-quarters of people have heard of shingles and are aware it can be serious. But they are unsure when it comes to the details. They dont know what shingles involves or what they can do to manage or prevent it.

Olive Creavy, 68, from Raheny in Dublin, is someone who is well informed about shingles as she has had it twice. I was in my 30s the first time and I remember the itchiness on my lower tummy. My mother had shingles quite badly, so I recognised the symptoms and went to the doctor. I felt better in a matter of weeks and had no after-effects.

Six years ago, Creavy had shingles again: This time, it was higher up my tummy, but I knew what it was straight away and rushed to the doctor. The rash and the blisters were sore but again the pain passed within weeks.

Creavy knows that everyone isnt as lucky: Ive heard its important to get treated quickly. Leaving it is asking for trouble.

Stack confirms this: Shingles can be serious in some circumstances, which is why treatment should always start as soon as possible. For example, if shingles occurs on the nerve that supplies the eye, that can lead to worsened vision or even blindness in that eye.

He outlines other complications, including blister infection, scarring of the skin, and two rare forms of shingles that cause pneumonia and encephalitis.

There is also the possibility of developing post-herpetic neuralgia.

This is a form of nerve pain that persists after the rash heals, says Stack. It can last for weeks, months or even years and occurs in some 10% of cases.

The risk of developing long-term after-effects is reduced by seeking treatment early.

There are oral antiviral treatments available that reduce the severity of symptoms and their duration, says Stack. The sooner they are started, the better. The pain can also be treated with paracetamol, anti-inflammatories, codeine and morphine if necessary.

Stack is keen to reassure people that most cases resolve quickly and with minimal intervention, with most recovering in three to four weeks.

He also wants to dispel the uncertainty regarding whether shingles is contagious: It is and it isnt. Someone with shingles cannot give another person shingles. But they can give them chickenpox if that person hasnt had chickenpox already. Thats why people with shingles need to be careful around children.

With talk of adding the chickenpox vaccine to the childhood vaccination programme, Stack believes that chickenpox and shingles could become much rarer than they are today.

A successful vaccination programme should make it far less likely that children get chickenpox and go on to develop shingles in later life, he says.

The shingles vaccine might also play a part in this, but its current cost makes it prohibitive for many.

Its very effective and recommended for older people, says Stack. But its not covered by the vaccination programme and costs roughly 500.

While we wait for our vaccination programmes to be updated, its probably best to heed Creavys words.

Theres nothing you can really do to prevent yourself from getting shingles beyond minding yourself as the virus is in your body already, she says. But if you show any signs of it, go to the doctor immediately. Theyll help you to recover.
Fota Wildlife Park has announced the arrival of three endangered Asiatic lion cubs  the first lion births at the park since 2019.

The cubs were born to mother Arya, a six-year-old lion who was part of the first cub litter to be born at Fota and who recently returned from Helsinki Zoo.

She was paired with the male lion Yali, who is the most genetically significant Asiatic lion in the European Breeding Programme.

The cubs were born on June 5th, with Yali present for the birth. Lead ranger Julien Fonteneau said: We are overjoyed with the birth of Arya's cubs.

Arya and Yalis cubs are not just vital to our breeding programme but also to the global efforts in preserving the Asiatic lion population.

In a first for Fota Wildlife Park, Yali was present at the birth of his three cubs, normally the male lions would not attend the birth of their young. One of our team members here quipped that Yali is a very modern father!

The International Union of Conservation of Nature classes the Asiatic lion as endangered, with the species found in only one remaining site in the world, the Gir Forest in India. The population there is estimated to be about 500 to 600 lions.

The birth of the cubs brings the number of Asiatic lions in Fota to seven. Fonteneau said: Aryas journey has been remarkable. Born and raised at Fota Wildlife Park, she spent a few years at Helsinki Zoo, but was eventually ousted by the other lionesses.

Earlier this year, Arya returned to her roots at Fota to live with her mother, Gira, and her aunt, Gita. Now, she has continued the lineage of Asiatic lions at Fota Wildlife Park. Her mate, Yali, who joined Fota in the summer of 2022, is a crucial figure in the European Breeding Programme due to the rarity of his DNA.

Fota Wildlife Park is calling on the public to help name the three male cubs  with annual Conservation passes up for grabs for the winners. More information at fotawildlife.ie/news.
Security experts have welcomed the decision by the Oireachtas to approve Government plans to take part in an EU military project to protect critical seabed infrastructure, such as transatlantic data cables, from sabotage and terrorism.

The Oireachtas backed the motion to allow the Defence Forces to join a Permanent Structured Cooperation (Pesco) initiative. Though Ireland signed up to the voluntary framework in December 2017, it is only involved in four projects currently.

The Department of Defence said the Pesco Critical Seabed Infrastructure Protection project aims to enhance co-operation among EU states in monitoring, securing, and defending critical seabed infrastructure.

UCD School of History assistant professor Edward Burke said: At a time of mounting international tensions ... there is an obvious growing need to protect subsea cables in Europe.

Recent Russian naval exercises  including the use of vessels with the capacity to interfere with subsea cables  underlines this threat. Ireland does not have the capacity to do this alone.

Being part of an EU framework, an initiative to protect critical infrastructure, is sensible, necessary, and urgent. Ireland has international obligations to do its part to secure communications  not least to ensure the privacy and security of EU citizens.

Read More Russian submarine 'chased' from Cork Harbour by British navy

Former Defence Forces chief of staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellett said Ireland has lodged claims with the United Nations Commission on Limits of the Continental Shelf for a jurisdiction of almost 1,000,000sq km in which the State may exercise sovereign rights.

Sovereign rights that are not upheld are more imaginary than real, Mr Mellet said.

Any initiative that adds to the States security architecture in the maritime domain in particular is to be welcomed.

UCC Department of Government and Politics professor Andrew Cottey said recent developments  such as the September 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines  highlighted the vulnerability of seabed infrastructure such as communication cables, pipelines, and electricity interconnectors.

As an island with a large maritime domain, Ireland is particularly vulnerable in this respect, he said.

The Irish Naval Service is small and underfunded, even compared to other similarly sized countries. It lacks the capabilities to monitor Irelands seas, let alone to deter a malign actor such as Russia.

He said projects such as the Critical Seabed Infrastructure Protection are about trying to collectively identify needed capabilities and, in future, potentially jointly develop and procure those capabilities.

The Department of Defence said the project will provide opportunities for exercises and training, and examine technologies that can assist in mitigating threats to critical subsea infrastructure.
A parent wrote to the film censor saying three teenagers had fainted after watching a violent film at a 16th birthday party.

In an email to the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO), they said they had rented The Equaliser 3, choosing the film because it had a 15 rating.

The parent wrote about how after an hour of the film, they had been called to the sitting room by their son, only to find three of his friends had passed out.

In feedback, they wrote: I was aghast at the fact that a total of 3 out of 5 of his friends had FAINTED at the sheer violence. One out of sheer terror, and the other two out of sympathy terror.

They explained the boys mother had been furious her son had been allowed to watch the film even though he was a year older than the 15 rating.

The email said: I sincerely believe you should review your guidelines of this film, and hopefully together we can avoid others experiencing similar such instances.

There were multiple pieces of feedback about the film Civil War, a dystopian vision of a future United States after law and order has broken down.

A person said they could not understand how it had been given a 15A rating and said they had left the film because of its graphic content.

An email said: This movie was extremely violent, and I can't understand how it got this rating.

Minors under the age of 15 can go to see it with an adult. There were scenes involving people being tortured and lit on fire.

The Garfield movie: One parent thought it was too frightening for young children.

Another person wrote about the same movie saying: I would just like to say I would disagree with the rating on this film.

Rated at 15 I think is too low; I feel it should be 18. Some of the scenes in it are too much for people of that age.

The new Garfield movie also provoked the ire of one parent who felt it was a bit too frightening for young children.

A feedback email said: The film includes kidnapping from the home, the victims being strung upside down in a warehouse, child abandonment, violence, threats, I could go on.

There's no way this film should be G [general audience]. We left midway through, and my child has been having nightmares since.

The assistant film classifier David Power responded personally, saying the parent had made some fair points about the Garfield film.

He wrote: The violence and threat was noted by our team but it was felt that, because these sequences were often punctuated with humour and ended reassuringly, they fit with our guidelines.

There was also feedback about a Bollywood film Fighter, which one person felt stoked tensions between Pakistan and India.

Their email said: This movie is made against Pakistan and is defamatory against Pakistan. This movie is against facts, is controversial and is based on pure propaganda and hate speech against a particular nation.

In response, IFCO said the issues raised did not relate to classification and films, meaning it was therefore outside the remit of what it could do.

Saltburn, which stars Barry Keoghan, and features several scenes that have already become notorious, was the only film about which a formal complaint was received.

There was also negative feedback about the films rating, with one viewer writing: What the hell have I just watched?

Anyone with two eyes and a brain in their head could see that this was completely inappropriate viewing for sixteen-year-olds, they said.

I refer, of course, to the stomach-churning bathtub scene and the abomination in the graveyard.

In response, IFCO said a great deal of consideration goes into every classification decision they make based on factors including theme, content, violence, language, sex, and drug use.

Asked about the records, the Irish Film Classification Office said it did not have anything additional to add.
An urgent investigation is needed into how 19m was misspent and diverted away from spinal surgery care at Childrens Health Ireland, Senator Tom Clonan has said.

He described as "scandalous" the revelations that a dedicated fund given to CHI in 2022 for childrens orthopaedic surgery on spina bifida and scoliosis was instead spent far more broadly.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly had disclosed the information in the Seanad in advance of a HSE audit report.

It emerged in the debate this was misspent, what does that mean? Mr Clonan said: I think the board of CHI, the operations officer need to be brought in in the same way that Ryan Tubridy or Noel Kelly were brought in to account for themselves.

It is shocking that this is the way we treat disabled children, Mr Clonan said.

He warned doctors have told him Ireland is a complete outlier in Europe as children in other countries are not allowed to deteriorate like this.

Mr Clonan is co-sponsor of the Health (Scoliosis Treatment Services) Bill 2024.

Im a senator but Im also a parent and a carer to a young man who had that spinal surgery for scoliosis back in 2017, he said.

Like the children on these waiting lists, and through no fault of the surgeons or the clinical staff, but because of the mismanagement of Childrens Health Ireland, he got his surgery quite late.

This caused serious health problems for his son, he added.

The curve was so pronounced that his breathing was compromised, his lung function was compromised, his heart was in a part of his chest cavity where you wouldnt expect to find a human heart because the pressure was so intense it had pushed (it over), he said.

Michelle Long and Claire Cahill at the Scoliosis Advocacy Network share his concerns.

The minister's failure to hold CHI accountable has caused significant harm to our children, preventing many from reaching their full potential, they said.

Children have had to endure two surgeries instead of one, live with restrictive lung disease, lose function, and some are now deemed inoperable due to delays.

CHI have said they cannot comment on the funding until the audit is complete but the parents were not satisfied with this. They said this indicates "problematic dynamics and culture" between CHI and the department.

These mothers, along with the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy Group (SPHPAG) met then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last September to discuss the crisis.

Nine months later, the situation has worsened, they warned.

Members of the Scoliosis parent groups (left to right) Amanda Coughlan-Santry, co-founder and co-lead of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy Group; Una Keightley, co-founder and co-lead of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy Group; Claire Cahill, Co-founder of Scoliosis Advocacy Network and Michelle Long, founder of Scoliosis Advocacy Network. File photo: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

Mr Donnelly came under fire also from families and from Sinn Fein for only ordering the audit in February of this year.

Una Keightley, co-lead with SPHPAG, shared emails with the I rish Examiner earlier this week showing they raised fears directly with the ministers office frequently since 2022.

People have to be held to account for this, she also said. When youre applying for Carers Alliance from the Government you have to be able to say where and when you spent every single penny.

And its just not good enough, its very unfair. CHI deliberately funnelled money for disabled children to other areas of the hospital, how did they think that was OK?
A Waterford-based Garda Sergeant with 28 years service has been ordered to complete 80 hours community service in lieu of four months in prison when his case concluded at the local District Court on Friday having been found guilty of assault and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Sgt William Doyle, based at Waterford Garda Station, was convicted of both charges when he came before Judge John O'Leary having pleaded not guilty at a previous sitting of the court. The case was taken by the Director of Public Prosecutions on foot of an investigation by the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission

Sgt Doyle was charged with a Section 2 assault charge against a man in custody under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Persons Act, and a further charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice by requesting no record be taken.

The court, having heard evidence at two previous sittings, was told of there being a 'commotion' in a room at Waterford Garda Station on March 9, 2022, and that a slap was heard, while a prisoner accused of assault was being detained.

There was also evidence that Sgt Doyle was seen standing over the prisoner with his hand on their shoulders when other gardai returned to the room in question. At this stage, the prisoner immediately said he had been assaulted by the sergeant.

Judge's ruling

In giving his verdict, Judge O'Leary said Doyle had led his junior colleague, who was then on probation, into a trap of falsifying the record, and that the public needed to have confidence in record keeping for prisoners.

Judge O'Leary said he rejected Doyle's stance and said that the sergeant had led Garda Pratt into a trap of falsifying the record, which she did, only to change the entry later.

This, said Judge O'Leary, amounted to "concealing or failing to report" the incident concerning the prisoner in the fingerprinting room at the station.

Judge O'Leary praised Garda Pratt for reversing the incorrect record entry later, and also giving "very honest evidence" during the case. He added that Sgt Doyle had power over Garda Pratt who behaved as any supervisee would in the situation.

Judge O'Leary added: "On what he called the more serious charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, the Sergeant in asking Garda Pratt to falsify the custody record confirms Doyle's guilt of the Section 2 assault."

He said:

There is no other plausible or reasonably plausible conclusion.

On the assault charge, the judge said he was fully satisfied that the accused stood above the prisoner when he was sitting down and vulnerable and assaulted him in a way that went way beyond any reasonable force.

He also accepted that the prisoner had subjected Sgt Doyle to "torrents of abuse prior to the assault".

Judge O'Leary accepted mitigation from Defence Counsel, David Staunton, in that Doyle was a long-serving member of An Garda Siochana, of good standing, and would likely immediately lose his job as a result of the conviction.

Prosecuting Counsel, David Perry, said a Victim Impact Statement was available to the court.

Mr Perry read the Victim Impact Statement into the record, which stated "he should have been left safe in the station but was instead beaten and attacked". He further thanked one of the gardai for coming to his assistance following the incident.

Judge O'Leary, however, said he would pay no attention whatsoever to photographs submitted to demonstrate injuries allegedly incurred during the assault.

"Some of them or all of the injuries may have occurred prior to his arrest earlier that morning or even during the arrest by a separate garda."

However, Judge O'Leary found him guilty on both charges, and said that he should complete 80 hours of community service, in lieu of a prison term of four months, in relation to attempting to pervert the course of justice charge, which he said was the more serious count.

He took the assault charge into consideration for sentencing purposes. The judge indicated that recognizances in the event of an appeal would be 500 in the defendant's own bond.

Case summary

At an earlier sitting of the court, Sgt Doyle strongly rejected an allegation that he had assaulted a prisoner in his 20s in Waterford Garda Station on March 9, 2022, after the man had been arrested on suspicion of committing an assault at about 6am that day that left another man in hospital.

Garda Rachel Pratt had testified at an earlier hearing that she was the member in charge on the day in question when the suspect in the assault became very aggressive and he was brought into the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) room at about 11am.

Garda Pratt told Prosecution Barrister, David Perry, BL, she had been in the public office when she heard "commotion and shouting" coming from the AFIS room, and when she went to investigate, she saw two gardai in the corridor outside the AFIS room door which was ajar.

She said when she opened the door, she saw Sgt Doyle standing over the suspect, who was sitting in a chair. "Sgt Doyle had him pinned against the window, he was using his forearm pressed between his neck and chest area."

Sgt Doyle strongly rejected the suggestion that he had put his forearm on the man's neck, stating that he was in his office across from the AFIS room when he saw that the suspect was becoming aggressive and therefore went over to try and calm him down.

Two other officers, Det. Garda Darren Colfer and Garda Sean Lane, who were with the suspect, testified at an earlier hearing, that the man was highly aggressive and abusive, and that when Sgt Doyle entered the AFIS room to get him to calm down, he had also become abusive to Sgt Doyle.

'Give me two secs there, lads'

Garda Lane said that after a minute or so, Sgt Doyle said to them "give me two seconds there lads" which they interpreted as him wanting them to leave the room and, as he was their superior officer, they both exited the room into the corridor.

Garda Lane said the door was left "slightly open" and they heard a commotion in the room involving some pushing, "hitting off the chair, hitting off the printer, wardrobe, you could hear something was happening in there" and the man later alleged he was assaulted by Sgt Doyle.

However, Sgt Doyle told the hearing that when he asked the two officers to "give me two secs there, lads", he was simply asking them to leave him alone in the room with the suspect.

Sgt Doyle also denied punching the man in the chest in the custody area, and said what Garda Pratt had seen him doing was putting his open palm on the man's sternum and pushing back, in line with Garda training to put a safe space between them, as he feared the man was about to assault him.

He also denied that he instructed Garda Pratt not to "mention what happened in the AFIS room" when she went into his office to ask what she should fill into the custody register at 11.05am.

Garda Pratt had told Garda Siochana Ombudsman (GSOC) investigators that she "didn't feel right doing it, but I did it". However, Sgt Doyle had told the earlier hearing that Garda Pratt was incorrect.

"I said, Rachel, you have to put it in the custody record  I had to defend myself," adding, "she asked me what she should write in the register, and I said, I can't put words in your mouth, but the matter needs to be recorded."
Opposition parties have urged the Government to review security at the countrys private airfields, after a judge described as extraordinary evidence that the airfields operated as open corridors for drug trafficking.

Sentencing Tim Gilchrist, from Waterford, on Thursday, in relation to the smuggling of 120kgs of cocaine on board a light aircraft into Abbeyshrule Aerodrome in Longford, Judge Keenan Johnson called for a significant upgrading of security at private airfields and for 24-hour monitoring and checks.

Gilchrist had flown the drugs from a small airfield in Dieppe, France, into the Longford airport on August 4, 2022.

Unknown to him, his flight was under surveillance by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, which had set up an operation on foot of intelligence it had received.

The court had heard that while spot checks can be carried out at private airfields, typically, flights into and out from them were simply logged, and pilots were required to declare their trips.

The number of private airfields in operation in Ireland is unclear, but some sources suggest there are more than 30 active airfields across the country.

However, security sources said there are others with rough landing strips that were also in operation

The phenomenon of light aircraft and small airfields is an issue all across Europe, and some landing strips are located on private farmland, one source said.

Various law enforcement services in Ireland monitor their use by checks, technology, and use of radar, sources explained  likening the situation to the numerous small seaports dotted around the coastline.

Its not physically possible for any country to provide cover for every small seaport or landing strip, a source said.

It is understood that both gardai and Customs are in contact with each other, and liaised with their international colleagues in terms of assessing risks and gathering intelligence.

The EU Maritime Analysis Operations Centre  Narcotics is also active in this area and was involved in an operation resulting in a major heroin seizure in an Irish airfield last year.

Sinn Fein's justice spokesman, Pa Daly, said: I am aware there are many small airfields around the State which appear to have fewer checks.

They have been targeted for drug importation and there must be more checks completed in these locations

Following the judges comments, I have written to the minister for transport and the minister for justice regarding the issue.

Social Democrats' justice spokeswoman, Catherine Murphy, said: The most recent case shows just how exposed we are and, while huge energy and resources goes into detection, its essential prevention gets the kind of attention it needs.

She said people will always try and exploit weaknesses, and said it was up to the State to close off those opportunities.

Ms Murphy added: In some locations, where there was a problem in the past, security has been improved in recent years. I have tabled a parliamentary question seeking a security review and a plan of action for increased security at the remaining aerodromes.
For a man at the heart of the Labour party, Morgan McSweeney lives a long way from Westminster. He spends much of his time doing a six-hour commute from home in Lanark, the town south of Glasgow where he lives with his family, to Labours HQ in Southwark. Despite the distance he travels, he is in many ways the ultimate Labour insider  one who has made it his mission to transform the way the party appeals to Britain.

As Labours elections guru and Keir Starmers closest aide, McSweeney has near-unrivalled influence. He is credited by many for steering Labour to victory in the election this week.

Adored by many staffers and key shadow cabinet ministers alike, some party figures retain more affection for him than they do the leader. The highest form of praise in Labour HQ is: Morgan loves it. But his popularity outside of the central party machine is not universal. His long crusade to expunge Corbynism from the Labour Party has made him a bogeyman of the left.

He has shown little sentiment for those candidates and activists pushed aside in his pursuit of that aim, and has a penchant for ruthlessly promoting his friends and allies. Many of them have been parachuted in as candidates in safe and easily winnable Labour seats, ready to play a role in a Labour government.

McSweeneys allies are unapologetic. Morgans the saviour of the Labour party, one former colleague said.

Remember all those fckers who abandoned the party [under Jeremy Corbyn] for Change UK or for fake jobs with Boris Johnson. Morgan stayed in the party and pulled us out of the mire, by raising money, commitment, strategy and most of all his own bloody sweat. People would do well to remember that  And lots of the people who got safe seats you can criticise all you like, but they are also the ones who put in a shift to get us here when so many others opted out.

Without him I dont think any of this could really have happened, a well-connected party figure allied to McSweeney said. Prior to the 2020 leadership campaign, it was basically him that worked out that Keir was the non-Corbynite candidate that could win.

Labour leader Keir Starmer.

Before Thursday's election, one of the key questions occupying Westminster was what role McSweeney would take on in a Starmer government. He has been called both Starmers Dominic Cummings and his Isaac Levido, but he fits neither mould. In different ways those men have both approached the Conservative Party from the outside, while McSweeneys defining mission has been to change Labours machinery from within and transform the party into an electoral force.

That has led to suggestions that McSweeney could move to a party HQ role after the election, but those around him dismiss this. He needs to be given something very big and consequential to do in government, said the well-connected Labour insider, describing his likely job description as: How do we deliver politically in a way that keeps our coalition of voters together and gets us to a second victory?

A senior Labour source said McSweeney was in discussions over a role that would involve advising Starmer on big-picture political strategy and winning a second term.

People keep saying he wants to be general secretary. Thats rubbish. He will want to go into Downing Street and be part of it. The only question is: whats the role?  He will make sure things are rooted in politics. His thing is campaigning, is winning  it isnt governing in that sense, another Labour insider close to the leadership said.

The only time he gets involved in policy detail is when it involves some political risk  The next campaign starts as soon as the current one finishes.

His wife, Imogen Walker, is Labours candidate in Hamilton and Clyde Valley, so the pair will emerge as a formidable power couple if she wins and Labour enters government.

A well-connected Labour figure said McSweeney had expressed concern in recent weeks about the challenge that surging rightwing populism in Britain and in Europe would pose to a Starmer government  especially following the results of the EU elections and the return of Nigel Farage to the political frontline. Responding to that could become a core part of his role.

The New Labour years

Born in Macroom, Co Cork, he went to England after sitting his Leaving Cert. His family have roots in Fine Gael, with his father Tim being a canvasser for the party. His cousin is Clare Mungovan, an advisor to Taoiseach Simon Harris.

McSweeneys earliest job for the Labour Party was a junior role in the attack and rebuttal unit at HQ. The 2001 Labour conference, held days after 9/11, was formative for the young activist, particularly the words in former prime minister Tony Blairs speech: The kaleidoscope has been shaken, the pieces are in flux, soon they will settle again. Before they do let us reorder this world.

It was a political moment that Blair had unashamedly seized. During the New Labour years, McSweeney worked under Peter Mandelson and rose to a key organising role for marginal seats in the 2005 election.

He developed a taste for fighting the left while working for Labour in London. In 2006 he became a campaign aide to Steve Reed, who was trying to regain control of the party in Lambeth from the hard left. The two men stuck together and later formed Labour Together as a project to fight back against Corbynism but the balance of power has shifted over the years, with McSweeney now in the ascendancy.

During his time at Lambeth council, McSweeney did not stand out as anything other than a really solid organiser  and had not developed any reputation as a genius svengali, according to Labour figures from that era. But he learned valuable lessons. The folk memory from that time which Morgan absorbed is firstly that you cannot fall prey to the hard left and secondly that you cant take election for granted, one source said.

Between 2008 and 2010, McSweeney was adapting the same principles to organising against the BNP in Barking, where he met another of his key mentors, the Labour MP Jon Cruddas. One of the lessons they took from that fight was that it was not always lofty ideals that defeated extremism, but also graft and a willingness to listen to what was at the root of peoples problems, which was often anger at government incompetence.

Having become well-known in Labour circles, McSweeney first came to attention in Westminster for his work with Labour Together, which he used as a vehicle to persuade Labour MPs to stay in the party under Corbyn and, rather than defect or actively agitate, wait for his defeat and then fight to retake control. It was this group that eventually became the power base behind Starmers leadership bid.

Jeremy Corbyn.

Starmer was earmarked as a prospect early on. At a Labour Together dinner for journalists shortly after the 2015 election, Reed, Lisa Nandy, McSweeney and others were holding court when it became clear that a special guest was about to be introduced: Starmer.

It felt like he was the heir apparent. He was their best prospect and they had chosen him rather than the other way around, one source said.

When McSweeney arrived in the leader of the oppositions office after Starmers leadership victory, he was methodical in ensuring that Corbyn supporters were removed from every lever of power inside the party, from the general secretarys office to the most minor committee. He was determined, allies say, to get rid of any obstacle to the total power of the leader, whether that be opponents on the national executive committee, malcontents in Labour HQ or awkward votes at party conference. Early in his sights was Richard Leonard, the partys leader in Scotland. Rebecca Long-Bailey was swiftly out of Starmers shadow cabinet. And then, Corbyn himself.

McSweeneys critics on the left say he and Starmer essentially came to positions of power through a mission to deceive Labour members  to ape the popular parts of Corbynism with 10 pledges they never intended to enact and then to wage a factional war.

The political genius praise should be tempered by the fact he basically committed fraud to win the Labour Leadership, one leftwing source said. Lying is not a genius strategy.

For his part, McSweeney was personally appalled by the Corbyn years and still feels angry about the state of the party under the former leader. He repeatedly reminds staff not only of the partys electoral state at that time but of the antisemitism crisis and how the party was put in special measures by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and investigated by the Information Commissioners Office, as well as the perilous financial position it was put in, racked by legal cases and by projects such as the disastrous Labour Live concert.

Staff from the Corbyn era dispute any idea there was financial mismanagement and say the party was healthily in the black and that major legal bills were incurred under Starmer, including a case against former staff that was dropped.

His first big gamble was bringing in rule changes at Labour conference. In the run-up, as Labour tried to keep things secret, he told friends he was sleeping only two hours a night, waking up in dread. But there was a sense of urgency that Labour had to make the changes well before a general election.

There are strong rumours in party circles that the next conference  likely the first with Labour in government  will be a moment of maximum strength to deliver some even more dramatic and controversial rule changes. A key ambition of some is to give MPs the sole power to choose the next Labour leader if the change takes place while the party is in government.

By way of argument they point to the chaos unleashed by Conservative members time and again when they were able to directly choose the next prime minister.

More recently, McSweeneys core mission had been to help Labour win. Every Friday morning, he gathers Labour staff for a meeting about the week ahead.

Gone are the days of sweary special advisers throwing mobile phones and threatening people. It used to be like that in the 00s but that is not Morgans style, says one party staffer.

He is softly spoken and approachable. He does get angry but not in a way that bullies people.

He has a knack for catchphrases, some of them tinged with black humour. At a presentation setting out Labours target seats in the 2023 local elections he told shadow cabinet advisers: Every time you or your boss visits somewhere not on this list, a Labour councillor dies.

Since the election was called, he has had very little tolerance for diplomacy or compromise. Labours clause V meetings, where manifestos are agreed by a huge committee, are usually nine-plus-hour affairs. It has long been an ambition of McSweeney to move on from such a tradition. One former colleague recalled attending the meeting in 2017 with him during his time working for the Labour group in the Local Government Association.

Walking in, McSweeney is said to have observed that, if he was in charge, he would tell the assembled general secretaries and shadow cabinet ministers: This is the manifesto, its already been printed, so the vote is, yes or no, and then we go. The clause V meeting this year approved the manifesto in record time by acclamation  with the room breaking out in applause.

The only thing McSweeney seems to fear is that complacency will prove to be Labours ruin. He likes to point out to colleagues that in 1997, 70% of people always voted for the same party but now only 40% do so. He says that voter volatility has helped transform Labours electoral prospects since 2019  but that this also means the partys poll lead could quickly evaporate.

This is a guy that grew up in the Republic [of Ireland] but has an intuitive sense of what ordinary British voters feel that is quite rare for people in politics. Blair had that himself, he didnt need someone to advise him on that, a Labour insider said. Morgan has that Blair-like ability to sense what the average voter wants from the Labour party.
Brazils federal police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association, sources say.

The charges are in connection with undeclared diamonds the far-right leader received from Saudi Arabia during his time in office, according to a source with knowledge of the accusations.

A second source confirmed the indictment, although not for which specific crimes.

Brazils Supreme Court has yet to receive the police report with the indictment.

Once it does, the countrys prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, will analyse the document and decide whether to file charges and force Mr Bolsonaro to stand trial.

The indictment dramatically raises the stakes in a series of investigations into the divisive former leader applauded by his opponents but denounced as political persecution by his supporters.

Mr Bolsonaro and his lawyers have denied any wrongdoing related to the case, as well as the slew of investigations facing the former president.

Those include allegedly ordering an aide to manipulate public health records to falsify his COVID-19 vaccination certificate, for which he was already indicted, as well as involvement in inciting an uprising in the capital Brasilia on January 8 2023, which sought to oust his successor from power.

Last year, Federal Police accused Mr Bolsonaro of attempting to sneak in diamond jewellery reportedly worth 3 million dollars (2.3 million) and selling two luxury watches.

Police said in August that Mr Bolsonaro received nearly 70,000 dollars (54,000) from the sale of two luxury watches he received as gifts from Saudi Arabia.

Brazil requires its citizens arriving by plane from abroad to declare goods worth more than 1,000 dollars and, for any amount above that exemption, pay a tax equal to 50% of their value.

The jewellery would have been exempt from tax had it been a gift from Saudi Arabia to Brazil, but not Mr Bolsonaros to keep for himself. Rather, it would have been added to the presidential collection.

The investigation showed that one of Mr Bolsonaros top aides, Mauro Cid, sold a Rolex watch and a Patek Philippe watch to a store in the US in June 2022 for a total of 68,000 dollars (53,000)

They were gifted by Saudi Arabias government in 2019.

Cid later signed a plea bargain with authorities and confirmed it all.

Mr Bolsonaro retains staunch allegiance among his political base, as shown by an outpouring of support in February when an estimated 185,000 people clogged Sao Paulos main boulevard to protest what the former president calls political persecution.

His critics, particularly members of his rival President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas political party, have cheered every advance of investigations and repeatedly called for his arrest.

Last year, Brazils top electoral court ruled that Mr Bolsonaro abused his presidential powers during his 2022 re-election bid, which rendered him ineligible for any elections until 2030.

The case focused on a meeting during which Mr Bolsonaro used government staffers, the state television channel and the presidential palace in Brasilia to tell foreign ambassadors that the countrys electronic voting system was rigged.

Mr Bolsonaro is expected to meet Argentinian President Javier Milei this weekend at a conservative conference in Balneario Camboriu, in Brazils south.
Nigel Farages Reform UK is set to win 13 seats, according to the exit poll.

The party, which was only formed in 2018, currently only has one MP, Lee Anderson, who defected from the Conservatives.

It would be the first time Reform have managed to secure an MP at the ballot box.

Mr Farage had earlier declined to say what number of MPs they would classify as a win, but 13 elected representatives is higher than predictions by most polls.

It has been said that Reforms wide but thin support would not help their success in a first-past-the-post system and Mr Farage has been vocal about the need for changes to the electoral system.
Keir Starmer has said the sunlight of hope is now bathing Britain again as Labour won a landslide UK election victory, bringing a crushing end to 14 years of Conservative rule.

The Labour leader is expected to become prime minister later on Friday after Rishi Sunak conceded, with voters giving Starmer a massive mandate to bring about change in Britain.

Speaking at Royal Festival Hall in London, Starmer said people would be waking up to the news of a Labour victory and Tory defeat relieved that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed.

Sunaks party is on track to record its worst performance in a general election, with a record number of cabinet ministers set to lose their seats and big names such as Liz Truss, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps ousted.

Labour is on course to win a predicted 408 seats, securing a majority of 160 to the Conservatives 136.

It was also set for dominance in Scotland, with the SNP reduced to an estimated eight seats, while the Liberal Democrats were expected to end the night with 66 seats.

A surge in votes for the Reform party suggested it would win at least four seats, with Nigel Farage becoming an MP in Clacton on his eighth attempt to enter parliament.

The Greens looked set to match this record of four seats, after surprise victories in Waveney, North Herefordshire and Bristol Central, as well as being predicted to hold on in Brighton.

There were shock victories for pro-Palestine independent candidates, with Jonathan Ashworth, one of Labours election chiefs, voted out in Leicester South, and the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn winning in Islington North. Plaid Cymru was expected to win four seats.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks to supporters at a victory rally at the Tate Modern gallery in London (Jeff Moore/PA)

In his victory speech, Starmer told a rally that change begins now.

It feels good, I have to be honest, he said. Four and a half years of work, changing the party. This is what it is for. A changed Labour party, ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

Starmer promised an age of national renewal in which Labour would start to rebuild our country but he also acknowledged that change would not be easy.

The Labour leader said the sunlight of hope was  shining once again in a country with an opportunity after 14 years to get its future back.

In remarks conceding Labour had won, Sunak said power would change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our countrys stability and future.

In a speech at his election count, the prime minister said it had been a difficult night for his party and there was lots to reflect on.

He held his seat in Richmond, North Yorkshire, by more than 12,000 votes, and said he looked forward to continuing to serve his constituents in the weeks, months and years ahead.

The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn  and I take responsibility for the loss, he added.

To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has sent his warmest congratulations to Mr Starmer on his victory in the general election.

The Taoiseach said: Keir Starmer has brought the Labour Party a comprehensive victory. I congratulate him and his candidates and I look forward to working together as close neighbours and friends.

The relationship between Ireland and the UK is deeply consequential for all people across these islands. Keir Starmer and I share a desire for it to go from strength to strength in the years ahead.

I look forward to early engagement with the incoming Prime Minister, and to a mutually beneficial and productive relationship between us.

"Comhghairdeas mor leis.

The results appeared to confirm that Labours time for change message had struck a chord with voters after years of chaos and division under the Tories, including the Brexit vote and its fallout, the handling of the Covid pandemic and the Partygate scandal.

At the last general election, in 2019, the Conservatives had a majority of 80, with 365 seats to Labours 203. The SNP won 48 seats and the Lib Dems had just 11.

If the exit poll is correct, Labour has secured a huge swing away from the Conservatives, who were on course to suffer their worst ever performance, and away from the SNP in Scotland, where John Swinneys party will have been decimated, losing more than 40 seats.

Reforms wins in four seats came as the hard-right party squeezed the Conservative vote across the country. Lee Anderson, the former Labour councillor and ex-Tory MP, became Reforms first confirmed MP after winning Ashfield.

Farage won the seat of Clacton in Essex, pledging to take the fight to Labour next. Were coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that, he said. The Reform chair, Richard Tice, won in Boston and Skegness, previously the second safest Tory seat in the country.

The rise of Reform, which split the rightwing vote, could pose a major challenge for an incoming Starmer government, which will have to devise a strategy to fight the rise of the hard right, a trend mirrored across Europe.

Labours victory will nonetheless be seen as a beacon of hope for progressive parties across the globe, amid fierce election battles against the populist right in countries including France and the US.

Early results suggested Labour had won back vast swathes of the north of England and Midlands, sometimes called the red wall, taken by the Tories in 2019, as well as making major inroads against the SNP in Scotland.

Starmers victory marks a huge turnaround for the party, four and a half years after he took over as leader and less than five since Jeremy Corbyn led the party to a disastrous defeat, its worst result since the 1930s.

It appeared to have fallen just short of Tony Blairs historic 1997 win in which Labour won 418 seats and a majority of 179 . Starmer, like Blair, fought a campaign promising change after more than a decade of Tory rule.

However, Labour lost to Corbyn in Islington North with the former party leader taking 24,120 votes, to Labours 16,873. We have shown what kinder, gentler and more sensible, more inclusive politics can bring about, he said.

In a shock result, Ashworth, the shadow Cabinet Office minister who has been central to Labours election campaign, lost his seat to a pro-Palestine independent. Labour insiders fear that Shabana Mahmood, the shadow justice secretary, could find herself in the same position.

The shadow culture secretary, Thangam Debbonaire, lost to the Greens in Bristol Central.

The exit poll indicated the Conservatives had suffered a disastrous wipeout, losing dozens of seats they won for the first time in 2019 under Boris Johnson. William Hague, the former Tory leader, said it was a catastrophic result for the party.

Gillian Keegan, the Tory education secretary, and Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, became the first members of Sunaks cabinet to lose their seats, both to the Lib Dems. They were followed by the defence secretary, Shapps, and the Commons leader, Mordaunt, who had both been potential leadership candidates.

Michelle Donelan, the science secretary, also lost to the Lib Dems in Chippenham, while other prominent former Tory MPs to be voted out included: Jonathan Gullis in Stoke on Trent North, Rees-Mogg in Somerset North East, and Therese Coffey in Suffolk Coastal.

What is crystal clear to me tonight is not so much that Labour won this election but rather that the Conservatives have lost it, Shapps said.

On door after door, voters have been dismayed by our inability to iron out our differences in private and then be united in public.

Sunak held his seat, as did Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, and Claire Coutinho, the energy secretary. James Cleverly, the home secretary, was also likely to retain his seat.

Voters appear to have punished the party for years of scandals under Johnson, the financial crisis caused by Liz Truss, and Sunaks failure to keep his pledges to turn the country around.

The loss of office follows a weak Conservative campaign by Sunak, marred by a gambling scandal and the prime ministers early departure from a D-day ceremony, which led cabinet ministers to concede defeat even before polling day.

Labour has less than two weeks before presenting its first package of legislation in the kings speech, including legislation to bolster workers rights and to set up Great British Energy, the energy generation company at the heart of Labours green plans.

A meeting of the European Political Community will follow immediately afterwards in London  Starmers first chance to lobby officially for improved trading relations and to begin work on a new deal over cross-Channel asylum seekers.

Having led a tightly controlled campaign with little in the way of spontaneous interaction with the public or new policy ideas, Starmer is under pressure to spell out in greater detail how he intends to begin tackling problems ranging from Britains prisons crisis to record NHS waiting lists.

Rachel Reeves is likely to present her first budget in the autumn, where she is expected to announce Labours first tax policies, including tightening non-dom tax breaks, extending the oil and gas windfall tax and taxing private school fees.

Reeves has also drawn up plans for increases to capital gains tax and inheritance tax, as Labour aims to avoid the swingeing public sector cuts that are implied by the current fiscal forecasts.
Ten Conservative cabinet ministers and a former prime minister are among the major names to have lost their seats in the British General Election, beating the previous record of seven defeats in 1997.

Rishi Sunak conceded defeat nationally in a speech in his constituency, saying the British public had delivered a sobering verdict.

The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight. There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss., the prime minister said.

Members of Mr Sunaks Cabinet and high-profile Tories who have lost their seats are:

Former prime minister Liz Truss has lost her Norfolk South West seat to the Labour Party, at Alive Lynnsport in King's Lynn, Norfolk. Picture: Jacob King/PA Wire

 Liz Truss

Former prime minister Liz Truss was the biggest scalp in the Tory bloodbath  booted out of office after losing her Norfolk South West seat by 630 votes.

She was Britains shortest-serving PM, with her tenure in Downing Street lasting just 49 days.

A Remain supporter, Ms Truss became the darling of the Brexit-backing Conservative right wing, winning the Tory leadership contest in September 2022.

But her time in Downing Street, which spanned the death of Queen Elizabeth II, ended in disaster after her damaging mini budget, which included unfunded tax cutting measures, triggered mass market turmoil.

 Grant Shapps

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps lost his seat as MP for Welwyn Hatfield to Labours Andrew Lewin.

Mr Shapps has held a series of Cabinet positions under four Tory prime ministers  including energy security and net zero secretary, business secretary and home secretary.

 Jacob Rees-Mogg

The veteran Tory MP lost his Somerset North East and Hanham seat to Labours Dan Norris, who said: Weve got Mogg-xit done.

He had previously held roles including Business Secretary, Leader of the Commons and Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government efficiency.

The Arch-Brexiteer and father-of-six has courted controversy in his time, having to apologise in 2019 for suggesting Grenfell victims should have used common sense and ignored fire service guidance not to leave the burning tower block, and in 2022 dismissing as a non-story the fact the Metropolitan Police had issued more than 100 fines over the partygate scandal.

 Penny Mordaunt

The House of Commons Leader, Penny Mordaunt, lost her Portsmouth North seat to Labours Amanda Martin.

It was thought that Ms Mordaunt, who went viral for carrying two heavy swords at the Kings coronation, would run for the party leadership if she managed to hang on to her seat.

She had two failed bids under her belt, having lost to Liz Truss and then Mr Sunak. She became an MP in 2010 and was made the UKs first female defence secretary in 2019 but was bumped from the role after 85 days in a reshuffle.

Penny Mordaunt (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

 Alex Chalk

Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor since 2023, became MP for Cheltenham in 2015, and had a notional majority in 2019 of 1,421.

He was unseated this time around by Liberal Democrat Max Wilkinson.

Mr Chalk spent 14 years as a barrister and specialised in counter-terrorism, homicide and serious fraud cases before he was elected as an MP.

The legal system has faced severe challenges under his watch  with a backlog of court cases, delays due to Covid-19 and industrial action by criminal defence barristers.

 Gillian Keegan

The Education Secretary since 2022 and MP for Chichester from 2017, Gillian Keegan lost her seat to Liberal Democrat candidate Jess Brown-Fuller.

Ms Keegan had pushed for banning smartphones in schools. She also oversaw draft statutory sex education guidance that gender ideology should not be taught in schools.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan (PA)

 Lucy Frazer

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer lost her seat in Ely and East Cambridgeshire to the Liberal Democrats Charlotte Cane.

Ms Frazer was a Sunak loyalist and her prior posts included minister in the transport and justice departments, financial secretary to the Treasury and solicitor general.

Before being elected as the MP for South East Cambridgeshire in 2015, she worked as a barrister in commercial law.

 Johnny Mercer

Johnny Mercer lost his seat in Plymouth Moor View to Labour candidate Fred Thomas.

The Veterans Minister was first elected in the 2015 General Election, having never voted before.

Mr Mercer came from a military family and graduated from Sandhurst in 2002, going on to serve around the world.

Earlier this year he faced controversy when he was told by a judge he must hand over names of the people who told him about alleged special forces murders in Afghanistan.

Johnny Mercer (James Manning/PA)

 Michelle Donelan

Science Secretary Michelle Donelan lost her Melksham and Devizes seat to the Liberal Democrats.

She faced calls to resign earlier in the year after taxpayers money was used to pay damages to an academic she had accused of expressing sympathy for Hamas.

 Simon Hart

Chief whip Simon Hart managed just third place in the newly created Caerfyrddin constituency, with Plaid Cymrus Ann Davies taking the top spot.

He came to Parliament in 2010 with a background in rural affairs as chief executive of the Countryside Alliance and a former master of the South Pembrokeshire Hunt.

A former Welsh secretary, he quit the post in 2022 as pressure mounted on then prime minister Boris Johnson to resign.

Mr Hart, who worked as a chartered surveyor and served with the Territorial Army, had served as Conservative MP for Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire since 2010.

 Robert Buckland

Former justice secretary Robert Buckland lost his Swindon South seat to Labours Heidi Alexander.

He was Secretary of State for Wales from July 7, 2022 to October 25, 2022, and previously held the posts of Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice, and Solicitor General.

Mr Buckland was elected the Conservative MP for South Swindon in 2010.

Chief Whip Simon Hart (Aaron Chown/PA)

 Michael Fabricant

Michael Fabricant, lost his seat in Lichfield to Labours Dave Robertson who won 17,232 votes  a majority of 810.

When knighted at the end of last year Sir Michael  recognisable by his distinctive blonde hair  put his lengthy political career down to his interest in his own constituency.

He had been a serving MP since 1992 and retained his seat at the 2019 general election with a majority of more than 23,000.

 Jonathan Gullis

Conservative deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis was beaten in Stoke-on-Trent North by Labours David Williams.

He was elected as Conservative MP in December 2019.

 Therese Coffey

Tory former deputy prime minister Therese Coffey was defeated by Labour in Suffolk Coastal.

She held a number of previous roles, including Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, and served on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee until she was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Fallon, Minister for Business and Energy.

 Simon Clarke

Simon Clarke, former Tory levelling up secretary lost Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland to Labour candidate Luke Myer by 214 votes.

In the past he had also worked as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and a housing minister.

 David TC Davies

The Welsh Secretary suffered a defeat to Labour.

He was the final Tory to fall in Wales, and had been Monmouth MP since 2005 and Welsh secretary since October 2022.

-Mark Harper

Mark Harper, Transport Secretary was defeated by Labour in the Forest of Dean, a seat he held since 2005.

From May 2015 until July 2016 he served as chief whip, and before that had a number of different roles.

-Victoria Prentis

Appointed Attorney General in October 2022, she had been the Conservative MP for Banbury since 2015.

Fridays results confirmed she had been defeated by Labours Sean Woodcock.

-Steve Baker

Steve Baker lost Wycombe to Labour candidate Emma Reynolds.

He was appointed Northern Ireland minister in September 2022, and was first elected Conservative MP for the constituency in 2010.

On losing, he said Thank God Im a free man.

-Michael Tomlinson

Illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson lost to the Liberal Democrats in Mid Dorset and North Poole.

He was appointed minister for countering illegal migration in December 2023, and was first elected Conservative MP for the constituency in 2015.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer got straight to work assembling his cabinet after promising to rebuild trust in politics and restore hope to the nation after a landslide Labour victory in the UK's general election.

Rachel Reeves was confirmed as Britains first woman chancellor, Angela Rayner will be deputy prime minister and retained the levelling up, housing and communities brief, and Yvette Cooper is home secretary.

David Lammy was appointed UK foreign secretary, putting to bed some speculation over whether he would get the post he shadowed in opposition.

The first batch of appointments contained no surprises as Pat McFadden, who played a central role in shaping Labours election campaign, was named Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, John Healey defence secretary, Shabana Mahmood justice secretary, Wes Streeting health secretary, Bridget Phillipson education secretary and Ed Miliband energy secretary.

Rachel Reeves became the first woman to get the keys to No 11 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

In his first speech on Downing Street, Mr Starmer said the British people had voted decisively for change.

He said the country could move forward together as Labour took office following 14 years of Conservative rule.

He said: Now our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service.

Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister after an audience with the King at Buckingham Palace (Yui Mok/PA)

When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future.

But we need to move forward together. Now this wound, this lack of trust can only be healed by actions not words, I know that.

But we can make a start today with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege and that your government should treat every single person in this country with respect.

He said my government will serve you, politics can be a force for good, adding: The work of change begins immediately, but have no doubt, we will rebuild Britain.

Following a brutal set of results for the Conservatives, Rishi Sunak announced he would quit as Tory leader and used his final speech in Downing Street to apologise to the British people and the Conservative Party.

After 648 of the 650 Commons seats had been declared, Labour had a majority of 176.

Labour had 412 seats and the Tories 121, the worst result in the partys history.

But low turnout underlined Starmer's message about the need to rebuild trust in the political system after 14 years of Tory rule marred by the Partygate scandal and the chaos of Conservative infighting which saw David Cameron followed in quick succession by Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and, finally, Mr Sunak.

The turnout figure stood at 59.85%, the lowest at a general election since 2001.

Starmer said: Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while.

But have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately. Have no doubt that we will rebuild Britain, with wealth created in every community.

Our NHS back on its feet facing the future. Secure borders, safer streets, everyone treated with dignity and respect at work. The opportunity of clean British power, cutting your energy bills for good.

Brick by brick, we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity.

He added: From now on, you have a Government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by the determination to serve your interest, to defy quietly those who have written our country off.

(PA Graphics)

His address to the nation came after Mr Sunak used his final Downing Street appearance to acknowledge the scale of the electoral mauling his party had received.

To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry, he said.

I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change, and yours is the only judgment that matters.

I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.

He said he would step down as Tory leader once the arrangements were in place to find a successor.

His announcement is likely to reignite the Conservative civil war as the party considers how to respond both to the Labour rout and the rise of Nigel Farages Reform UK.

Mr Sunak said: It is important that, after 14 years in government, the Conservative Party rebuilds, but also that it takes up its crucial role in opposition professionally and effectively.

The events in Downing Street followed a dramatic night:

Former prime minister Liz Truss lost to Labour in South West Norfolk, where she had been defending a notional majority of more than 24,000.

Twelve ministers who sat around the Cabinet table were ousted, comfortably exceeding the previous record of seven set in 1997.

House of commons leader Penny Mordaunt, defence secretary Grant Shapps, Welsh secretary David TC Davies, transport secretary Mark Harper, attorney general Victoria Prentis and veterans minister Johnny Mercer lost to Labour.

Education secretary Gillian Keegan, justice secretary Alex Chalk, science secretary Michelle Donelan, culture secretary Lucy Frazer and illegal immigration minister Michael Tomlinson fell to the Liberal Democrats.

Chief whip Simon Hart lost to Plaid Cymru.

Other electoral casualties included former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis.

But party chairman Richard Holden won by just 20 votes in Basildon and Billericay and outgoing chancellor Jeremy Hunt held off a Lib Dem challenge in Godalming and Ash.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn held on to his seat as an independent.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won a Commons seat at his eighth attempt and promised his party would stun all of you as it picked up four Commons seats.
Texas officials are urging coastal residents to prepare as Beryl moves toward the Gulf of Mexico after leaving a trail of destruction that has killed at least 11 people.

Some Texas counties have already issued voluntary evacuation orders in low-lying areas.

Along the Texas coast in Corpus Christi, city officials announced it had distributed 10,000 sand bags in less than two hours on Friday, exhausting its supply. Soldiers ask a tourist to evacuate Mirador beach ahead of Hurricane Beryls expected arrival in Tulum, Mexico (Fernando Llano/AP) This is a determined storm, that is still strong, Texas Lt Gov Dan Patrick said. Beryl roared ashore on Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula as a hurricane near the resort town of Tulum early on Friday, whipping trees and knocking out power. It hit Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane but weakened to a tropical storm as it moved across the peninsula. The US National Hurricane Centre expects Beryl to regain hurricane strength once it re-emerges into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, where it is forecast to head toward northern Mexico near the Texas border.
Two people were killed and three others injured in an attack that broke out during a neighbourhood July 4 gathering in a US beach city, police said Friday.

The county coroner removed two bodies from the crime scene at Huntington Beach on Friday morning, in a residential neighbourhood lined with palm trees.

The violence happened just a few blocks from the beach in a community known as Surf City USA.

A 26-year-old Huntington Beach resident was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, said city spokeswoman Jennifer Carey.

Officials released no further details on the attack on Thursday night other than to say it was an assault with a deadly weapon.

It began less than two hours after the citys fireworks display ended roughly a mile away.

Violence was reported across the US on Thursday.

July 4 historically is one of the nations deadliest days of the year.

In the Huntington Beach neighbourhood, evidence of a gathering remained, including chairs, a cooler and drink cans on a grassy verge near the homes.

Remnants of fireworks also littered the street.

People on bicycles rode up to crime scene tape blocking off the street on Friday to ask police and bystanders what happened.

The district attorneys office said they had not yet received the case from police but charges could be filed as early as Monday.

A spokesperson for the Orange County coroner did not have details Friday about the victims fatal wounds.

And the mayor did not respond to a request for comment.

Shootings and other violence during the extended July 4 weekend have left at least 18 other people dead, including 11 in Chicago, and injured dozens more nationwide.
Son of Kinahan Crime Group Associate Extradited to UK on Gun Charges

The son of a high-ranking member of the Kinahan organized crime group has been extradited from Spain to the UK
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
( Tomdispatch.com )  Wherever he travels globally, President Biden has sought to project the United States as the rejuvenated leader of a broad coalition of democratic nations seeking to defend the rules-based international order against encroachments by hostile autocratic powers, especially China, Russia, and North Korea. We established NATO, the greatest military alliance in the history of the world, he told veterans of D-Day while at Normandy, France on June 6th. Today NATO is more united than ever and even more prepared to keep the peace, deter aggression, defend freedom all around the world.

In other venues, Biden has repeatedly highlighted Washingtons efforts to incorporate the Global South  the developing nations of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East  into just such a broad-based U.S.-led coalition. At the recent G7 summit of leading Western powers in southern Italy, for example, he backed measures supposedly designed to engage those countries in a spirit of equitable and strategic partnership.

But all of his soaring rhetoric on the subject scarcely conceals an inescapable reality: the United States is more isolated internationally than at any time since the Cold War ended in 1991. It has also increasingly come to rely on a tight-knit group of allies, all of whom are primarily English-speaking and are part of the Anglo-Saxon colonial diaspora. Rarely mentioned in the Western media, the Anglo-Saxonization of American foreign and military policy has become a distinctive  and provocative  feature of the Biden presidency.

Americas Growing Isolation

To get some appreciation for Washingtons isolation in international affairs, just consider the wider worlds reaction to the administrations stance on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Following Russias invasion of Ukraine, Joe Biden sought to portray the conflict there as a heroic struggle between the forces of democracy and the brutal fist of autocracy. But while he was generally successful in rallying the NATO powers behind Kyiv  persuading them to provide arms and training to the beleaguered Ukrainian forces, while reducing their economic links with Russia  he largely failed to win over the Global South or enlist its support in boycotting Russian oil and natural gas.

Despite what should have been a foreboding lesson, Biden returned to the same universalist rhetoric in 2023 (and this year as well) to rally global support for Israel in its drive to extinguish Hamas after that groups devastating October 7th rampage. But for most non-European leaders, his attempt to portray support for Israel as a noble response proved wholly untenable once that country launched its full-scale invasion of Gaza and the slaughter of Palestinian civilians commenced. For many of them, Bidens words seemed like sheer hypocrisy given Israels history of violating U.N. resolutions concerning the legal rights of Palestinians in the West Bank and its indiscriminate destruction of homes, hospitals, mosques, schools, and aid centers in Gaza. In response to Washingtons continued support for Israel, many leaders of the Global South have voted against the United States on Gaza-related measures at the U.N. or, in the case of South Africa, have brought suit against Israel at the World Court for perceived violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

In the face of such adversity, the White House has worked tirelessly to bolster its existing alliances, while trying to establish new ones wherever possible. Pity poor Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has made seemingly endless trips to Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East trying to drum up support for Washingtons positions  with consistently meager results.

Here, then, is the reality of this anything but all-American moment: as a global power, the United States possesses a diminishing number of close, reliable allies  most of which are members of NATO, or countries that rely on the United States for nuclear protection (Japan and South Korea), or are primarily English-speaking (Australia and New Zealand). And when you come right down to it, the only countries the U.S. really trusts are the Five Eyes.

For Their Eyes Only

The Five Eyes (FVEY) is an elite club of five English-speaking countries  Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States  that have agreed to cooperate in intelligence matters and share top-secret information. They all became parties to what was at first the bilateral UKUSA Agreement, a 1946 treaty for secret cooperation between the two countries in whats called signals intelligence  data collected by electronic means, including by tapping phone lines or listening in on satellite communications. (The agreement was later amended to include the other three nations.) Almost all of the Five Eyes activities are conducted in secret, and its existence was not even disclosed until 2010. You might say that it constitutes the most secretive, powerful club of nations on the planet.

The origins of the Five Eyes can be traced back to World War II, when American and British codebreakers, including famed computer theorist Alan Turing, secretly convened at Bletchley Park, the British codebreaking establishment, to share intelligence gleaned from solving the German Enigma code and the Japanese Purple code. At first an informal arrangement, the secretive relationship was formalized in the British-US Communication Intelligence Agreement of 1943 and, after the war ended, in the UKUSA Agreement of 1946. That arrangement allowed for the exchange of signals intelligence between the National Security Agency (NSA) and its British equivalent, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)  an arrangement that persists to this day and undergirds what has come to be known as the special relationship between the two countries.

Then, in 1955, at the height of the Cold War, that intelligence-sharing agreement was expanded to include those other three English-speaking countries, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. For secret information exchange, the classification AUS/CAN/NZ/UK/US EYES ONLY was then affixed to all the documents they shared, and from that came the Five Eyes label. France, Germany, Japan, and a few other countries have since sought entrance to that exclusive club, but without success.

Although largely a Cold War artifact, the Five Eyes intelligence network continued operating right into the era after the Soviet Union collapsed, spying on militant Islamic groups and government leaders in the Middle East, while eavesdropping on Chinese business, diplomatic, and military activities in Asia and elsewhere. According to former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, such efforts were conducted under specialized top-secret programs like Echelon, a system for collecting business and government data from satellite communications, and PRISM, an NSA program to collect data transmitted via the Internet.

As part of that Five Eyes endeavor, the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia jointly maintain a controversial, highly secret intelligence-gathering facility at Pine Gap, Australia, near the small city of Alice Springs. Known as the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap (JDFPG), its largely run by the NSA, CIA, GCHQ, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organization. Its main purpose, according to Edward Snowden and other whistle-blowers, is to eavesdrop on radio, telephone, and internet communications in Asia and the Middle East and share that information with the intelligence and military arms of the Five Eyes. Since the Israeli invasion of Gaza was launched, it is also said to be gathering intelligence on Palestinian forces in Gaza and sharing that information with the Israeli Defense Forces. This, in turn, prompted a rare set of protests at the remote base when, in late 2023, dozens of pro-Palestinian activists sought to block the facilitys entry road.

From all accounts, in other words, the Five Eyes collaboration remains as robust as ever. As if to signal that fact, FBI director Christopher Wray offered a rare acknowledgement of its ongoing existence in October 2023 when he invited his counterparts from the FVEY countries to join him at the first Emerging Technology and Securing Innovation Security Summit in Palo Alto, California, a gathering of business and government officials committed to progress in artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. Going public, moreover, was a way of normalizing the Five Eyes partnership and highlighting its enduring significance.

Anglo-Saxon Solidarity in Asia

The Biden administrations preference for relying on Anglophone countries in promoting its strategic objectives has been especially striking in the Asia-Pacific region. The White House has been clear that its primary goal in Asia is to construct a network of U.S.-friendly states committed to the containment of Chinas rise. This was spelled out, for example, in the administrations Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States of 2022. Citing Chinas muscle-flexing in Asia, it called for a common effort to resist that countrys bullying of neighbors in the East and South China and so protect the freedom of commerce. A free and open Indo-Pacific can only be achieved if we build collective capacity for a new age, the document stated. We will pursue this through a latticework of strong and mutually reinforcing coalitions.

That latticework, it indicated, would extend to all American allies and partners in the region, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, and South Korea, as well as friendly European parties (especially Great Britain and France). Anyone willing to help contain China, the mantra seems to go, is welcome to join that U.S.-led coalition. But if you look closely, the renewed prominence of Anglo-Saxon solidarity becomes ever more evident.

Of all the military agreements signed by the Biden administration with Americas Pacific allies, none is considered more important in Washington than AUKUS, a strategic partnership agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Announced by the three member states on Sept. 15, 2021, it contains two pillars, or areas of cooperation  the first focused on submarine technology and the second on AI, autonomous weapons, as well as other advanced technologies. As in the FVEY arrangement, both pillars involve high-level exchanges of classified data, but also include a striking degree of military and technological cooperation. And note the obvious: there is no equivalent U.S. agreement with any non-English-speaking country in Asia.

Consider, for instance, the Pillar I submarine arrangement. As the deal now stands, Australia will gradually retire its fleet of six diesel-powered submarines and purchase three to five top-of-the-line U.S.-made Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs), while it works with the United Kingdom to develop a whole new class of subs, the SSN-AUKUS, to be powered by an American-designed nuclear propulsion system. But  get this  to join, the Australians first had to scrap a $90 billion submarine deal with a French defense firm, causing a severe breach in the Franco-Australian relationship and demonstrating, once again, that Anglo-Saxon solidarity supersedes all other relationships.

Now, with the French out of the picture, the U.S. and Australia are proceeding with plans to build those Los Angeles-class SSNs  a multibillion-dollar venture that will require Australian naval officers to study nuclear propulsion in the United States. When the subs are finally launched (possibly in the early 2030s), American submariners will sail with the Australians to help them gain experience with such systems. Meanwhile, American military contractors will be working with Australia and the UK designing and constructing a next-generation sub, the SSN-AUKUS, thats supposed to be ready in the 2040s. The three AUKUS partners will also establish a joint submarine base near Perth in Western Australia.

Pillar II of AUKUS has received far less media attention but is no less important. It calls for American, British, Australian scientific and technical cooperation in advanced technologies, including AI, robotics, and hypersonics, aimed at enhancing the future military capabilities of all three, including through the development of robot submarines that could be used to spy on or attack Chinese ships and subs.

Aside from the extraordinary degree of cooperation on sensitive military technologies  far greater than the U.S. has with any other countries  the three-way partnership also represents a significant threat to China. The substitution of nuclear-powered subs for diesel-powered ones in Australias fleet and the establishment of a joint submarine base at Perth will enable the three AUKUS partners to conduct significantly longer undersea patrols in the Pacific and, were a war to break out, attack Chinese ships, ports, and submarines across the region. Im sure you wont be surprised to learn that the Chinese have repeatedly denounced the arrangement, which represents a potentially mortal threat to them.

Unintended Consequences

Its hardly a surprise that the Biden administration, facing growing hostility and isolation in the global arena, has chosen to bolster its ties further with other Anglophone countries rather than make the policy changes needed to improve relations with the rest of the world. The administration knows exactly what it would have to do to begin to achieve that objective: discontinue arms deliveries to Israel until the fighting stops in Gaza; help reduce the burdensome debt load of so many developing nations; and promote food, water security, and other life-enhancing measures in the Global South. Yet, despite promises to take just such steps, President Biden and his top foreign policy officials have focused on other priorities  the encirclement of China above all else  while the inclination to lean on Anglo-Saxon solidarity has only grown.

However, by reserving Washingtons warmest embraces for its anglophone allies, the administration has actually been creating fresh threats to U.S. security. Many countries in contested zones on the emerging geopolitical chessboard, especially in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, were once under British colonial rule and so anything resembling a potential Washington-London neocolonial restoration is bound to prove infuriating to them. Add to that the inevitable propaganda from China, Iran, and Russia about a developing Anglo-Saxon imperial nexus and you have an obvious recipe for widespread global discontent.

Its undoubtedly convenient to use the same language when sharing secrets with your closest allies, but that should hardly be the deciding factor in shaping this nations foreign policy. If the United States is to prosper in an increasingly diverse, multicultural world, it will have learn to think and act in a far more multicultural fashion  and that should include eliminating any vestiges of an exclusive Anglo-Saxon global power alliance.

Copyright 2024 Michael Klare

Via Tomdispatch.com
By Sherine Al Shallah, UNSW Sydney | 

(The Conversation)  Cultural heritage has long been targeted during conflict. This includes the destruction of the famous Bamiyan Buddhas by the Taliban in Afghanistan and Russias attempts to erase the Ukrainian language in areas of the country it has occupied since 2014.

Cultural heritage loss has been extensively documented in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, too. Since the current war broke out in October 2023, at least 144 prominent historical monuments and cultural sites have been destroyed in Gaza, such as churches, mosques and the ancient city of Anthedon.

This cultural heritage loss can have implications on the continuity of Gazan Palestinians as a national group due to the erasure of their collective identity and memory.

The Rome Statute specifically protects cultural property from attacks during war. This includes sites dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, as well as historical monuments. Unlawful attacks on civilian objects that may constitute cultural property are also protected.

The International Criminal Court has used this statute to prosecute individuals for war crimes too. In 2016, the court found Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi guilty of intentionally directing attacks against religious and historic buildings in Timbuktu, Mali. He was sentenced to nine years in prison.

But when it comes to protection for refugees on the basis of cultural heritage  and taking into account cultural heritage loss specifically  there are very few pathways available.

What is refugee cultural heritage and why is it important?

Cultural heritage plays a significant role in shaping identity. It includes our traditions and practices, as well as physical heritage sites and objects, and peoples relationships with them.

For refugees, cultural heritage can include both the heritage of their home countries, as well as that of other countries where they have lived in exile. This means that if a Rohingya refugee from Myanmar spends time in a camp in Bangladesh, their heritage would incorporate influences from both places, in addition to the refugee experience itself.

Respecting exile heritage in asylum claims allows refugees the right to exit  or distance themselves from  the heritage of their home countries if they no longer agree with its values.

Refugee status is determined by states that are party to the 1951 Refugee Convention based on five grounds of persecution: race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group and/or political opinion. These five grounds are all interlinked with cultural heritage. Yet cultural heritage alone is rarely relied upon to assess evidence of persecution.

Until this year, for instance, the United Kingdom had been one of 12 countries not to have ratified the 2003 UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage. The convention aims to recognise and safeguard a wide variety of cultural practices and traditions for people around the world.

And scholars believe this may have played a role in a well-known asylum case in Scotland.

In the early 2000s, members of a minority Somali clan known as the Bajuni applied for asylum in Glasgow, claiming persecution from the Somali government.

Al Jazeera English Video: Why Israel ordered yet another evacuation of Gazas Khan Younis

The asylum seekers did not have documentation to support their claim that they belonged to the clan that had been persecuted. So, the UK government administered linguistic and cultural tests to assess whether they were, in fact, members of the clan.

Many failed the linguistic tests because they had lived in exile in refugee camps where they learned to speak other languages, in addition to the English they learned in the UK. As a result, they were denied asylum and forced to live in prolonged limbo, seeking protection from other countries or a return to Somalia.

Scholars who studied the case said the UKs absence from the UN convention established

a precedent in which other state actors (that is, immigration authorities) are emboldened to advance scepticism over matters involving intangible cultural heritage.

Members of the Bajuni community later launched a campaign to highlight the importance of recognising refugee cultural heritage more broadly in asylum claims to include exile heritage and to integrate the evolution of cultural heritage in these assessments.

After many years of debate, the UK finally ratified the convention in early June.

How should Australias policy respond to this?

When the Australian government assesses refugee claims, it requires applicants to recount experiences of persecution on the five grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group and political opinion.

This should be broadened to specifically include cultural heritage. For asylum seekers from Ukraine or Gaza, for example, the government should assess claimants language skills, cultural connections to their home countries and experiences in exile, in conjunction with the five grounds of persecution.

Recognising a refugees cultural heritage both in their home country and after theyve fled is essential. It humanises refugees and provides them with a better opportunity for protection.

Though asylum seekers are often persecuted as members of a group, their claims are assessed as individuals. By ignoring the cultural heritage of people claiming refugee status, we are suppressing their identities.

Sherine Al Shallah, Doctoral Researcher, Refugee Cultural Heritage and Connected Rights Protection | Affiliate, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law | Associate, Australian Human Rights Institute, UNSW Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2024 / Pelangio Exploration Inc. (TSXV:PX) (OTC PINK:PGXPF) ("Pelangio" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Kamar Jones to its Board of Directors.

Mr. Jones is a seasoned executive with a unique blend of expertise in capital markets and mining consulting. With nearly three decades of experience, he has developed a robust understanding of the financial mechanisms that drive market success and the operational intricacies essential to mining consulting. Mr. Jones has been involved in multiple turnaround mining projects.

Ingrid Hibbard, Pelangio's President and CEO stated, "we are delighted to welcome Mr. Jones to Pelangio's Board of Directors. Kamar's experience in capital markets and concentration on mining consulting is a strong addition to Pelangio as we look to further advance our Ghanaian projects."

Ms. Hibbard continues, "We also extend our gratitude for the contributions made by Mr. Albert Gourley, who is stepping down from the Board of Directors."

About Pelangio

Pelangio acquires and explores prospective land packages located in world-class gold belts in Ghana, West Africa and Canada. In Ghana, the Company is focused on its two 100% owned camp-sized properties: the 100 km 2 Manfo property, the site of eight near-surface gold discoveries, and the 284 km 2 Obuasi property, located 4 km on strike and adjacent to AngloGold Ashanti's prolific high-grade Obuasi Mine, as well as the Dankran property located adjacent to its Obuasi property. See www.pelangio.com for further details on all Pelangio's properties.

For additional information, please visit our website at www.pelangio.com, or contact:

Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEO

Tel: 905-336-3828 / Toll-free: 1-877-746-1632 / Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements or information appear in a number of places and can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information include statements regarding the Company's strategy of acquiring large land packages in areas of sizeable gold mineralization, and the Company's ability to complete the planned exploration programs. Regarding forward-looking statements and information contained herein, we have made many assumptions, including about the state of the equity markets. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Such risks include the changes in equity markets, share price volatility, volatility of global and local economic climate, gold price volatility, political developments in Ghana, and Canada, increases in costs, exchange rate fluctuations, speculative nature of gold exploration, including the risk that favourable exploration results may not be obtained, delays due to COVID-19 safety protocols, and other risks involved in the gold exploration industry. See the Company's annual and quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statement and information. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. All forward-looking statements and information herein are qualified by this cautionary statement.



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.
The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the judicial arm of Colombia's transitional justice system, has focused mainly on investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by members of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian army, so far charging almost 100 former rebels and military officials.

In contrast, few civilians that financed or collaborated with parties to the conflict, have reached the JEP. There is at least one prominent politician and several citizens who arent known publicly, but no major economic or business actor, even though this is also part of its mandate. This could change with the dossier on Drummond, the largest mining company in the country today, signalled since over a decade ago of allegedly funding paramilitaries. Two of Drummonds top executives, its current president and his predecessor, were charged by the Attorney General's Office and will have to decide in the coming months whether to appear before the special tribunal or defend themselves in an ordinary trial.

The case, in addition to being possibly the only one in which the JEP may try to establish the responsibility of important businesspersons, is even more interesting because it is advancing in three different tracks simultaneously: in the transitional justice, in the ordinary justice system and in US courts.

Drummond's controversial legacy

Drummond is a private company founded almost a century ago in the United States, owned ever since by the Alabama family whose name it bears. In fact, it was led for four decades by one family member, Garry Drummond, until his death in 2016. It began extracting coal in Colombia in 1995, at the La Loma Pribbenow mine located in La Jagua de Ibirico, in the Caribbean department of Cesar, in the north of the country. It then added two more mines, El Descanso Norte in 2008 and El Corozo in 2021.

Coal has been a highly profitable business for both the US mining company and the Colombian state. In 2023 alone, Drummond exported 27 million tonnes of coal, its sixth year leading that sector. That same year, the company claims to have paid 17 million dollars in taxes and royalties to the country, even operating in the midst of government promises to abandon production of one of the most polluting fossil fuels.

But it has also been a controversial company. In 2013 it was involved in one of the biggest environmental accidents in the country's history, when an overloaded barge dumped 500 tonnes of coal into the ocean to avoid sinking in an episode that sparked national outrage. Five years earlier, it had been fined $48 million by a high court for not properly settling its royalties.

In 2013, our correspondent Andres Lievano Bermudez made this video for the Colombian magazine La Silla Vacia about the Drummond case.

"Confluence between paramilitary groups and Drummond"

What has generated the most noise, however, are accusations that it allegedly facilitated the expansion of paramilitarism in the coal-producing area of Cesar, which led to scores of murders and forced displacements.

The recent Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) stated in its final report that "there was a confluence between the state military apparatus, the actions of paramilitary groups and the multinational Drummond to secure its extractive project". The TRC gave credibility to testimonies that the mining company channelled money to a structure of the Northern Bloc of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) operating in the coal mining area through cost overruns in the cafeteria contracts. This sponsorship, it explained, "was not only to neutralise armed actions against their assets, but also to favour the expansion of coal exploitation in the region".

The TRC also signalled Drummond of buying abandoned and dispossessed land from peasants at rock-bottom prices to expand its operations. In a case study on dispossession in Cesar, it said it was shocked by the Alabama company's "lack of human rights due diligence" in buying the Mechoacan lands and stressed that it had "a duty to know about the violence that raged against the owner families (...) and yet it went ahead with its acquisition".

Drummond has denied the allegations, saying that it "doesnt have and never had any links with illegal organisations, regardless of their origin" and that it "has never financed or provided financial support to criminal structures".

Mining executives in court

In December 2020, the Attorney General's Office charged the most visible figures of Drummonds Colombian operation with conspiracy to commit a crime, for allegedly promoting and financing the AUCs Juan Andres Alvarez Front between 1996 and 2001.

Both have been linked to the Alabama family business for decades: Augusto Jimenez was its president between 1989 and 2013, while Jose Miguel Linares succeeded him in the position after having been legal director and vice-president of corporate affairs. According to the Attorney General's Office, there is "abundant evidence" that the two executives "could have increased the value of food supplies with a contractor to obtain additional resources and use them to cover illegal obligations previously acquired" with the paramilitaries. With these payments, says the accusing body, "they apparently guaranteed the protection of their assets and freely exercised the coal mining operation".

La decision judicial destaca que hay abundante material de prueba que da cuenta de la presunta responsabilidad de los dos directivos en el delito de concierto para delinquir agravado, en la modalidad de promover y financiar grupos armados al margen de la ley, conducta que fue pic.twitter.com/Z6VkvhbJUT  Fiscalia Colombia (@FiscaliaCol) May 31, 2023

Three and a half years later, the trial against both men has not yet started, partly because the legal case is being conducted under a previous inquisitorial criminal system, which was much slower in its pre-trial phase. Following an appeal, in May 2023 another prosecutor confirmed the indictment against the two.

To go to the JEP or not to go, that is the question

That accusation, however, opened another avenue for the two mining executives: since the crime they were charged with is related to Colombias 50-year-long armed conflict, they can turn to transitional justice.

The reason is that the 2016 peace agreement with FARC that underpins it contemplates the possibility of the JEP investigating, judging and sanctioning persons who had an active and decisive role in financing or collaborating with those who committed atrocities. However, the Constitutional Court later limited the JEP's mandate over these so-called 'civilian third parties' and determined that it couldnt summon them, but that they could come forward voluntarily, under the same conditions and incentives as other actors. This ruling seriously limited the Colombian transitional justices range of action over civilians, giving rise to what legal NGO Dejusticia and academic Sabine Michalowski called its "restricted competence". This is why only a handful of civilians have reached the JEP, most of them already convicted in the ordinary justice system (the JEP has no jurisdiction over companies).

Therein lies the dilemma for the two Drummond executives: they may apply to the JEP and, should they acknowledge their responsibility, provide truth and redress their victims, they could receive more lenient 5-to-8-year sanctions in a non-penitentiary setting. Or they can opt to remain in the ordinary criminal justice system, in which case theyll have to be defeated in a trial which counting a possible appeal could take up to five years.

The star witness

Although neither Linares nor Jimenez have applied to the JEP, the Drummond case has been moving through the transitional justice too. In November 2019, the JEP accepted Jaime Blanco Maya, the beneficiary of Drummonds mine cafeteria contract with his company Servicios y Alimentacion Ltda who in 2013 was sentenced to 38 years in prison as the mastermind of the murder of two union leaders at the mine.

According to that judge, Juan Andres Alvarez Front paramilitaries murdered Valmore Locarno and Victor Hugo Orcasita, two Drummond employees and leaders of the Sintraminergetica trade union, in 2001 after discussing it with Blanco Maya. "It is clear that the real interest in having these murders committed lies with Mr. Blanco Maya," says the ruling, "not only because of his terrible relations with the union leaders, but also because it was evident that, through these deaths, he intended to end the pressure exerted by the union on improvement of the food service.

In October 2021, the JEP granted Blanco Maya conditional release after deeming that hed provided a "detailed and exhaustive" account of Drummond's alleged links to paramilitaries. His account, it said, "exceeds the threshold of what has been clarified in the ordinary justice system". Another witness, former paramilitary Jairo de Jesus Charris, convicted of the same double homicide, told the JEP that the company financed the illegal armed group and that the order "was to finish off the union, even if it meant having them killed". Salvatore Mancuso, the AUCs former number two and convicted in the US for drug trafficking, also declared from his Atlanta prison that they met with US citizen James Lee Adkins, a former CIA agent who was Drummond's head of security in the 1990s and whose arrest was ordered by the Attorney General's Office in 2023.

Drummond v. Blanco Maya

In addition to insisting on its innocence, Drummond has also questioned the evidence against the company and its directors. "These allegations are not supported by credible evidence and are based primarily on false statements by convicted criminals who were paid for their testimony," it wrote after the Attorney General's indictment was confirmed in 2023. In its view, there is "a false witness cartel" promoted by the lawyers who filed three lawsuits in Alabama against the company from 2007 to 2013, which were dismissed and never reached trial.

That confrontation escalated again a month ago, when Blanco Maya testified before the JEP about links between the military, paramilitaries and civilian third parties. Drummond said publicly that its former contractor's testimony "is based on the story he fabricated for US lawyers (...) who filed lawsuits against Drummond in the United States, who made large payments on his behalf". According to the mining company, there is a "causal link" between Blanco Maya's story and transfers it attributes to US lawyer Terry Collingsworth for over $120,000. The US company says it gave the JEP eight dossiers with a thousand pages of evidence in its favour and questioned the tribunals decision to granting Blanco Maya legal benefits over what it called "a lying and accommodating account".

Former Drummond contractor Jaime Blanco Maya, convicted of the murders of two mine employees, testified before the JEP in May about the mining company's alleged financing of the paramilitaries two decades ago. Photo:  JEP.

Meanwhile, the judicial proceedings conducted by the JEP this year have been marked by turmoil. In February, a week after a special tribunal hearing in Valledupar with victims, two trade unionists received text messages threatening and portraying them as "rebels disguised as trade unionists, peasants and NGOs". Maira Mendez, a lawyer for the Dutch NGO Pax for Peace who has worked on the case for a decade and is herself the daughter of another unionised Drummond worker killed by paramilitaries, also got one. The mining company rejected the threats.

A third lane in the United States

While the case is moving along two tracks in Colombia, it has also been in the courts in the mining company's home country for over a decade.

On the one hand, a US appeals court revived in 2016 part of the case brought by 45 victims in the coal transport railway corridor against Drummond, sending it back to the trial judge who had dismissed it and ordering a re-examination. In turn, the Alabama family business brought two civil actions against attorney Collingsworth and his former law firm Conrad & Scherer, one for slander in 2011 and another under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisation (RICO) Act in 2015, alleging a criminal campaign against it that included payments to witnesses.

Those two countersuits caused the revived case against Drummond to remain in limbo while the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama resolves whether they merit going to trial. Once resolved, that same court will have to decide whether the original case proceeds to a trial similar to the one a group of Colombian victims just won a fortnight ago in Florida against another US multinational, Chiquita Brands, for its responsibility in eight murders committed by the AUC. In that case, a jury ordered the banana company, which had already admitted to the US Justice Department having paid $1.7 million to paramilitaries, to pay $38.3 million to the families of eight murdered farmers. Collingsworth was one of the plaintiffs' lawyers.

What new can the JEP bring?

In the end, it is unclear what might come out of the Drummond case in the transitional justice. On the one hand, it could establish the criminal liability of its managers, something that has so far not happened in the justice system. "There is hope that this could be our iconic case of corporate accountability, like the industrialists in Nuremberg. The JEPs thinking is that it cannot be a justice system that only investigates warriors," says Camilo Sanchez, director of the University of Virginia human rights legal clinic.

On the other hand, the question of what new truth the JEP can uncover remains, in a case that has been extensively documented by human rights NGOs like Pax for Peace and the Colombian Jurists Commission (which submitted a joint report to the JEP), state entities like the National Centre of Historical Memory, and the transitional justice itself, including both the Justice and Peace transitional mechanism for paramilitaries demobilised two decades ago and the recent TRC. "We need to broaden our understanding of the relations between the economic sector and armed actors, instead of continuing to focus on the cases that have historically gotten the most attention," says Daniel Marin Lopez, a former TRC researcher and author of several studies on corporate accountability.

Even if it were to remain in the narrower scope of a decision on Blanco Maya, the JEP could open a process of symbolic reparation with the paramilitaries victims. "We have the opportunity of setting up a space for truth and restorative justice, which could even be a model for the Jurisdictions work," says Tatiana Devia, a lawyer who worked on the US-based Corporate Accountability Labs report to the JEP and also with the unionised victims.

All for one, one for all

In the end, the different legal tracks are likely to converge. If Drummond's executives choose to go to the JEP, theyd probably do so under pressure from prosecution's findings. If they choose to remain in the ordinary criminal justice system, the JEPs inclusion of the mining case within a broader one on crimes by state agents in partnership with paramilitaries or civilian third parties would ensure its public profile remains high. Ultimately, regardless of how well the two institutions cooperate, if the Colombian justice system is able to determine the mining company's alleged responsibility in the expansion of paramilitaries, it would be a milestone for both.

It would also be one for victims', human rights and legal organisations that documented crimes committed by paramilitaries in Cesar and their possible links to mining companies. As lawyer Laura Bernal Bermudez argues, Colombia has managed to prosecute and convict numerous economic actors for their complicity in serious human rights violations due to a mix of active civil society participation and the declining economic power of targeted companies. While an increase in the power of the people (through the support of global actors and political opportunities) is necessary to secure judicialization and remedy, these results are only possible when they face an economic actor with reduced veto power, she wrote in her PhD thesis at Oxford University.

Seeing its brand challenged in transitional justice and two other jurisdictions, coupled with the fact that its a fading industry in the global energy transition, could help an emblematic case in Colombia also end in a landmark ruling.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, at war with Sudan's regular army for over a year, said Thursday they had captured a key base near the border with South Sudan.

RSF fighters "successfully liberated the 92nd Brigade (base) in the strategic Miram area in West Kordofan state," the group said on social media site X.

In footage published online, fighters on armoured vehicles were seen celebrating outside what appeared to be the entrance to the Miram base, some 60 kilometres (40 miles) north of the border.

The RSF -- which has been accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing -- is already in effective control of Sudan's borders with Chad, the Central African Republic and Libya.

The army did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on the claimed capture of the base, which lies in an oilfield district close to the disputed Abyei region of the border.

In May, the United Nations called on South Sudan to withdraw its forces from Abyei, warning of rising tensions in the region where it has peacekeepers deployed.

The war in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has dealt a heavy blow to its southern neighbour which is still picking up the pieces after a devastating civil war of its own.

In February, the rupture of a key Sudanese pipeline that delivers South Sudanese oil to the Red Sea coast threw the country's main source of revenue into jeopardy.

Refugees from South Sudan's 2013-18 civil war make up the great majority of the more than 700,000 civilians who have fled south since April 2023, according to UN figures.

The influx has placed a heavy burden on one of Africa's poorest countries.
Pro-democracy activists in Sudan on Thursday said around 25 people drowned in the Nile while trying to flee fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces in the southeast.

"Around 25 citizens, most of them women and children, have died in a boat sinking" while crossing the Blue Nile river in the southeastern state of Sennar, a local resistance committee said in a statement.

The committee is one of hundreds across Sudan that used to organise pro-democracy protests and have coordinated frontline aid since the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began last year.

"Entire families perished" in the accident, they said, while fleeing the RSF's recent advance through Sennar.

On Saturday, the RSF announced they had captured a military base in Sinja, the capital of Sennar state, where over half a million people had sought shelter from the war.

Witnesses also reported the RSF sweeping through neighbouring villages, pushing residents to flee in small wooden boats across the Nile.

At least 55,000 people fled Sinja within a three-day period, the United Nations said Monday.

Local authorities in neighbouring Gedaref state estimated on Thursday that some 120,000 displaced people had arrived this week. The state's health minister Ahmed al-Amin Adam said 90,000 had been officially registered.

Over 10 million people are currently displaced across Sudan, in what the UN calls the world's worst displacement crisis.

Sudan has been gripped by war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The conflict in the country of 48 million has killed tens of thousands, with some estimates putting the death toll as high as 150,000, according to the United States envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello.

It has also torn the country apart into competing zones of control. The RSF holds much of the capital and the agricultural heartland to its south, nearly all of Darfur, and swathes of the southern Kordofan states.

In El-Fasher in North Darfur -- the only state capital in the Darfur region that the RSF has not captured -- a paramilitary attack on a market on Wednesday "killed 15 civilians and injured 29 others," health ministry official Ibrahim Khater told AFP Thursday.

Since fighting in the city began in early May, at least 278 people have been killed, according to French charity Doctors without Borders (MSF).

But the real toll is likely much higher, with most of those wounded unable to reach health facilities amid an ongoing siege and heavy street battles.

The hospitals in El-Fasher -- nearly all of which have shut down -- have themselves been attacked at least nine times since May, according to MSF.

Both sides have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilian infrastructure and indiscriminately shelling homes, markets and hospitals.
Peru's Congress passed a bill Thursday that would bar prosecution of crimes against humanity committed before 2002, a move that could benefit convicted ex-president Alberto Fujimori and hundreds of former soldiers accused of abuses.

The bill to set a statute of limitations for such crimes was approved by a majority of lawmakers despite a call from the Inter-American Court on Human Rights (IACHR) for it to be shelved.

If signed into law by the president, the initiative will scrap investigations that are underway into crimes committed during Peru's internal conflict, which left some 69,000 dead and 21,000 disappeared between 1980 and 2000.

It is not clear if it will also allow for convictions to be overturned, but the IACHR has said the bill would "promote impunity in all cases from the internal armed conflict."

Fujimori was sent to prison in 2009 over massacres committed by army death squads in 1991 and 1992 in which 25 people, including a child, were killed in what the government said were anti-terrorist operations.

Last December, Peru's Constitutional Court ordered him freed for humanitarian reasons, reinstating a pardon that was first granted in 2017 but revoked by the Supreme Court two years later.

The Costa Rica-based IACHR urged authorities at the time to delay freeing Fujimori while it analyzed the court ruling, but he was released anyway.

Fujimori, 85 and in failing health, is also facing trial over the killing by soldiers of six farmers in a separate case from 1992.
China met stinging criticism at the United Nations on Thursday from some countries and organisations over its rights record, even as others showered Beijing with praise.

Diplomats and activists had described intense Chinese lobbying and pressure ahead of a brief event to adopt a report following a routine review of the country's rights record back in January.

All 193 UN member states must undergo a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) every four to five years, followed by an adoption of a report on the recommendations the country is willing to accept.

During the half-day UPR in January, critical countries highlighted a crackdown on civil liberties and a sweeping national security law imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 to quash dissent after pro-democracy protests.

They also voiced alarm at alleged efforts to erase cultural and religious identity in Tibet and repression in the northwestern Xinjiang region, where Beijing is accused of incarcerating more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.

Countries presented 428 recommendations to China, including harsh rebukes but also suggestions such as "continue to protect the cultural rights of ethnic minorities", from Iran.

- 'Politically motivated' -

During the one-hour UPR adoption process Thursday, a vast Chinese delegation informed the gathering that it had adopted 70 percent of those recommendations, but it flatly rejected most proposals from Western countries.

"Some recommendations that are politically motivated and based on disinformation, ideologically biased, or interfering in China's ... sovereignty, China firmly rejects them," said Chen Xu, China's ambassador to the UN in Geneva.

"Stop using human rights as a pretext or as a weapon to attack China."

A few countries and organisations pushed back, but due to the structure of the event, more lauded China's rights record.

Observers say China had been pressuring its supporters to fill up the allotted speaking time with praise, as happened during the review itself.

On Thursday, China was permitted to fill a third of the one-hour available speaking time, while all other countries were granted 20 minutes in total, as were NGOs.

One country name was drawn at random -- Trinidad and Tobago -- and the list then followed alphabetical order from there until the 20 minutes for countries ran out.

The United States and the United Kingdom thus figured among the 15 countries that took the floor, as did Russia, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

China "has refused to take action amid consistent calls from the international community to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and has rejected numerous constructive recommendations made through the UPR", US ambassador Michele Taylor said.

She highlighted "ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang".

- 'Shattered' -

The UPR was the first review of China since former UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet published a bombshell report in 2022 -- flatly rejected by Beijing -- that brought UN endorsement to long-running allegations of serious abuses in Xinjiang and possible "crimes against humanity".

British ambassador Simon Manley denounced that "China has today rejected each and every one of the UK's recommendations".

"In doing so, the Chinese government has failed to acknowledge its serious human rights violations, and again tried to claim that (the UN's) authoritative Xinjiang assessment is -- and I quote -- 'illegal and void'. It is neither".

Russia's representative meanwhile hailed China's "constructive approach" during the UPR and slammed the "politically motivated" attacks by some countries, while other speakers congratulated China for accepting a majority of recommendations.

There was also much praise from the NGOs -- more than half of their speaking slots went to pro-government groups.

But some NGOs voiced scathing criticism.

"China dismissed 30 percent of recommendations received," said Raphael Viana David of the International Service for Human Rights.

"Beijing's facade as a constructive actor at the UN is shattered."
On Wednesday 26 June 2024, a panel of three ICC judges  Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Tomoko Akane (Japan), and Kimberly Prost (Canada)  handed down their verdict in the case of Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud. The case against Mr. Al Hassan was protracted, complicated, and controversial. His alleged crimes were committed in 2012 and 2013. He surrendered to the court in 2018. Charges were first confirmed against him in 2019, before being amended in 2020. The trial itself lasted 3 years: 20202023. With a judgement originally scheduled for January 2024, an illness affecting Presiding Judge Mindua caused an unforeseen and unspecified delay. The length of, and reasoning for this delay was communicated in fits and starts, with an opacity that frustrated not just trial observers, but also trial parties.

Finally, the judgement that was delivered consisted of a mosaic of disagreements between the three judges. Accused of 14 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, Al Hassan was convicted of 8 counts and acquitted of 6. All decisions were reached by majority, rather than unanimity. Responses to the judgement were equally fractured: disappointment among victims and advocates, confusion among legal scholars, exasperation from trial monitors.

It might sound like a mess. Perhaps it is. Or perhaps  much like a certain pop megastar currently touring the globe  the International Criminal Court is simply in a new era: one which reflects the messiness and unpredictability of the modern international criminal justice project.

A fractured trial

Contentiousness, in the Al Hassan case, began during the Office of the Prosecutors investigations. Al Hassans defence team, led by Melinda Taylor, tried to have proceedings terminated before they had even begun. Prosecutors interviewed Al Hassan on 19 occasions over a period of 8 months while he was being held in the headquarters of Malis Directorate of State Security (DGSE) in Bamako. Taylor alleged that these statements provided by Al Hassan were tainted due to his subjection to various forms of torture. Relying on expert assessments from a forensic physician and a psychologist, alongside several former DGSE detainees and NGO reports, Al Hassans defence alleged he had been subjected to waterboarding, electrocution, sensory torture, threats of death, and mock executions, among others. The defence accusations did not halt the proceedings. Trial monitors were forced to wait out the trial to see whether Al Hassans allegedly tainted evidence would be treated as reliable. The question of torture thus cast a continuous and problematic shadow. These torture allegations, combined with the opacity of the three-year trial that made proceedings difficult to follow, caused even the most committed and enthusiastic trial monitors to stop monitoring, said monitor Thijs Bouwknegt in frustration after the verdict.

The announcement on 15 January 2024  just 3 days before the initial verdict date  that the judgement in the case would be postponed due to the presiding judges current health situation caused further rumblings of discontent. By mid-March, frustration with both the delay and the Courts lack of communication regarding Judge Minduas health and a possible rescheduled date, had some observers speculating that the Court was about to acquit Al Hassan but was nervous about doing so. Others went further, speculating that perhaps with the swearing in of 6 new judges to the court, and the inevitable shake-up that would follow, Judge Mindua (whose mandate was expiring in March 2024), was remaining absent as some kind of career move. By April 2024, when the judgement was finally rescheduled, the fractured trial and judgement delivery process ensured that the frustrated and sceptical eyes of many  monitors, victims, and advocates alike  would be trained intently on the Trial Chamber.

A fractured judgement

The judgement, when it came, was surprising, convoluted, and unusual in equal measure. Over 822 pages, the bench by majority convicted Al Hassan of 8 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was acquitted of involvement in sexual slavery, rape, forced marriage as an inhumane acts, and attacks against protected objects in the form of the destruction of mausoleums. Most noticeable was the lack of consensus among judges. Their sole point of consensus was Al Hassans acquittal on the charge of attacks against protected objects, as a war crime. They noted that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that Al Hassan had taken any particular action or had a specific role in the demolition of Timbuktus mausoleums.

The shadow over Al Hassans own statements was clearly not one which chilled the judges. The statements he provided while detained in Bamako were accepted by the bench as reliable. Stating that they considered there to be no issue as to a lack of voluntariness, the judges noted that Al Hassan was well treated during the course of his interviews [with the Office of the Prosecutor], being given water and tea as well as regular breaks for meals and prayers. Mr. Al Hassans statements were referred to 470 times in the footnotes of the judgement, indicating the extent to which the judges not only found his evidence credible, but relied upon it.

The persecution conviction was not only a divisive one among judges, but caused a scramble of confusion among experts. Al Hassan was convicted for persecution on religious grounds as a crime against humanity. The judgement proper contained extensive discussion of persecution on religious/gender grounds. But the term gender was absent in the concluding verdict. Experts, even ones who work in advisory roles at the ICC, were confused. In the end, the persecution charge epitomised the division between the judges. Judges Akane and Prost were willing to convict Al Hassan for persecution on religious grounds as a crime against humanity. Judge Mindua was not willing to convict Al Hassan on any charges. So when Judge Akane then dissented on the question of gender persecution, that left only Canadian judge Prost in favour of conviction.

A maverick dissent

The confusion over this conviction not only characterised the deep division between the judges, but also reflected the lack of transparency that has dogged this case from the start. When it came to the question of persecution it was not immediately clear why the word gender had been dropped in the final accounting. Unlike Akane and Prosts dissenting opinions, Minduas dissent was not published alongside the judgement, contrary to the rules of the Court. Minduas opinion only appeared, without fanfare, four days later, only in French. As such, we had to initially read Prosts dissenting opinion to confirm that Mindua was of the view that Al Hassan is not guilty of all charges because of the application of certain defences namely duressand mistake of law.

Judge Minduas dissent is a 52 page document that seems  in terms of the jurisprudence of the Court  to be provocative, if not downright heretical. There appears to be a deep disagreement among the judges about gender rules under Ansar Dines interpretation of Sharia law. The judgement  with its quiet dropping of the word gender  was clearly unwilling to raise the issue in the chamber. Mindua, on the other hand, did not hold back:Many people in the West have asked themselves whether Sharia law is compatible with human rights? It is a practical question that needs to be answered, he wrote. Finding that flogging and amputations could amount to torture, but the death penalty did not constitute, technically, an illegal sanction under international law, Mindua came to the conclusion that Al Hassan believed he was implementing a correct and just law.

The defence of duress was discussed in the judgement in terms of jurisprudence from the case of Dominic Ongwen before the ICC. Ongwen  a former child soldier turned commander in Joseph Konys Lords Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda  was convicted of 61 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in 2021. Ongwens defence of duress, based also on his socialisation to the LRA as a child soldier after his own abduction at age 9, was dismissed. Al Hassans trial chamber cited Ongwens jurisprudence that a claim of duress is unavailable if the threat of death or serious harm is not going to materialise sufficiently soon. Minduas dissent  though somewhat heretical in terms of established jurisprudence at international tribunals (which has systematically dismissed duress as a defence)  will undoubtedly feed the debate over the ICCs trouble with its victim-perpetrator dichotomy. Mindua argued that the Ongwen Appeals Chamber interpreted duress too narrowly, with the danger of rendering it meaningless. This somewhat reflects the dissenting opinion of international legal giant Antonio Cassese in the infamous case of Drazen Erdemovic at the UN Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Minduas discussion of duress will no doubt be relitigated should the prosecutor decide to appeal. Once again, it seems, the ICC will have to grapple with a grey zone of perpetration for which is has no appetite.

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH OF THE AL HASSAN JUDGMENT BEFORE THE ICC Judge Akane appends a separate and partly dissenting opinion to the present Judgment; Judge Prost appends a separate and partly dissenting opinion to the present Judgment; and Judge Mindua appends a separate and partly dissenting opinion to the present Judgment.

Division as the future?

The absence of gender from the persecution count, combined with his acquittal for other forms of sexual and gender-based violence, provoked a strong reaction among many. The head of a victims association decried these acquittals, saying that the ICC has abandoned women. Clearly aggrieved, dissenting judge Prost claimed there was not a scintilla of evidence to support acquitting Al Hassan on the basis that he faced compulsion to partake in the activities of Ansar Dine in Timbuktu (which was Minduas view). It does not appear that Prost engaged at all with the basis for Akanes dissent on the gender charges, which was that the factual basis for the rape and sexual slavery charges was flawed. While the judgement raised important legal issues regarding sexual violence, the three dissents all approached the issue from different angles, somehow managing to obscure them further. This undoubtedly provides fuel for an appeal. It remains unclear how the issue will be dealt with when it is raised once again before a wider panel of judges.

The judges divergence is striking, though not necessarily disappointing. The closing paragraph of the judgement proclaims the forthcoming dissenting opinions of all three judges. This demonstrates a Trial Chamber that is willing to debate issues of complicated and contentious justice. The extensive dissenting opinions from all three judges show an impressive willingness not only to disagree, but to lay out the nature of that disagreement. Judge Akane, for example, wrote a 39-page opinion, despite the fact that she was not once the lone dissenter. Dissenting for different reasons to Judge Mindua, it is admirable (and important) that she is willing to provide so much detail on her legal reasoning. Minduas dissent only really discusses Al Hassan himself towards its end. Mostly, it reads like his treatise on contentious issues of international law. Given that deliberations of ICC judges are conducted entirely in private such well-clarified dissents, should they become a more regular feature in the Courts new era, may well prove invaluable. A new era of debate and dissent among ICC judges, bringing more of their logic into the open, would allow for better research into judicial decision making.

It strikes me as unlikely that the last word has been heard of Al Hassan at the ICC, sentencing aside. Prosecutor Khan has already insinuated the possibility of an appeal. It would also be surprising if Al Hassans defence counsel did not take advantage of the division among the judges to appeal his convictions. The Al Hassan case has thus far epitomised simultaneously the most frustrating past trends of the ICC, and indicated the potential future reality for the Court: a house further divided on issues of both fact and law. While messy, confusing, and often anger-inducing, the Al Hassan case may well become a touchstone for many of future trends  both positive and negative  of 21st century international criminal justice.
Lee Je Hoon expressed his amazement to this heartthrob for his incredible visuals and personality.

Here's what the "Taxi Driver" actor said.

Koo Kyo Hwan Reveals Song Kang's Appearance in 'Escape' Was His Idea

In line with the promotion of their new movie "Escape," Lee Je Hoon and Koo Kyo Hwan made their guest appearance in the YouTube variety show "Salon Drip 2."

The two collaborated for the first time in an action movie "Escape," which follows the story of the other side of the barbed-wire fence at the Demilitarized Zone and features the fierce escape and pursuit of North Korean soldier Gyu Nam (Lee Je Hoon), who dreams of living a life with a future, and a security team office Hyun Sang (Koo Kyo Hwan).

Amid the conversation with the program's host Jang Do Yeon, Lee Je Hoon mentioned K-heartthrob Song Kang. He shared an interesting fact that the young star is making a special appearance in their film.

Koo Kyo Hwan praised Song Kang:

"He is a really attractive person. He was incredibly charming when I saw him in a private setting."

He went on by giving chops of Song Kang's role in their movie.

"He plays a character with a crucial relationship to ours. Before filming, I thought hard about who could create a million stories with just a short appearance, and Song Kang came to mind."

Koo Kyo Hwan revealed that he did his best to have Song Kang join the movie, and was happy when he agreed.

Lee Je Hoon Captivated By Song Kang's Incredibly Handsome Face, Good Personality

Apart from him, Lee Je Hoon was also starstruck by Song Kang's presence. He shared his previous encounter with the "Sweet Home" star.

"I happened to see Song Kang at a private gathering by chance and found him very charming. He is even better-looking in person with a great personality."

He went on and even called the heartthrob someone who came straight out of a comic book.

"I realized this is when you use the term 'manjjitnam'."

This is not the first time that Song Kang was praised for his strong features and good character. Some celebrities whom he met and worked with also recognized his personality and acting.

Meanwhile, "Escape" finally hit the cinemas last July 3.

Watch Lee Je Hoon and Koo Kyo Hwan's "Salon Drip 2" guest appearance here!

Meanwhile, Song Kang's hit Netflix series "Sweet Home" Season 3 is slated to premiere on July 19.

Along with the heartthrob, some actors reprising their roles are Lee Do Hyun, Go Min Si, Jung Jin Young, Lee Jin Wook, Lee Si Young, and more.

See the "Sweet Home 3" official trailer below!

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.
Son Ye Jin opened up about her return to the industry and her life as a working mother.

Embracing her mommy era and, at the same time, continuing her career as an actress, the South Korean top star admitted that she experienced a lot of changes in her life.

Gracing the 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival for being honored at the Actor of the Year Special Exhibition, the "Crash Landing on You" star wowed the crowd during the press conference.

Showcasing her undeniable beauty with oozing grace and elegance, Son Ye Jin was welcomed by Organizing Committee Chairman Jeong Ji Young.

According to him, he could never forget how "The Classic" director described the actress.

"When I first met Son Ye Jin, the director of the movie 'The Classic' said this: 'When I first met her, I thought she had a combination of innocence and sadness, but her spectrum has broadened as time went by. She never stays in one place. I think this saying is perfect for me," she said, as mentioned by a media outlet.

To recall, Son Ye Jin starred in the romance melodrama released in 2003 with Cho Seung Woo and Jo In Sung, directed by Kwak Jae Yong of "All About Women."

As for the female top star, she expressed how grateful she is to be honored for her work through special exhibits.

According to her, she used to think that exhibitions like this were for seniors and well-respected actors only and had doubts about whether she deserved something remarkable like this in her career.

READ MORE : Hyun Bin, Son Ye Jin Reportedly Selling Their Marital Home

"I realized that I'm getting older now. It's such an honor, and I'm so ecstatic and deeply moved to be following in the footsteps of my respected seniors," she added.

Son Ye Jin Reflects Being a Working Mom

The "Thirty-Nine" star has fully embraced a new era in her life-being a wife and mother to her nearly 2-year-old son. On top of this, she is also continuing her activities as an actress.

As for Son Ye Jin, she described the feeling as a "different world."

According to her, after she gave birth to her firstborn, she realized that every single day is precious.

She also talked about her life before becoming a mother and how important work was for her at the time.

"Before, work was everything to me, and I think I was constantly struggling within that. I couldn't separate myself from work."

Interestingly, the top star mentioned that being a wife and mother, despite the changes, is "another world."

"These days, I'm so happy even if my child eats just one meal of baby food. I feel happy that I got through the day well and that the day ended safely, so I think my values have changed. Of course, raising a child is very hard work, but I feel the happiness of another world, so I'm doing well and happy."

Son Ye Jin to Make a Comeback Movie

Seven years after the 2018 movie "The Negotiation," where she starred alongside her husband, Hyun Bin, Son Ye Jin will make her return to the big screen through the upcoming film "The Axe."

A remake of the French-Spanish-Belgian movie of the same name, the story depicts the journey of an employee who got laid off from work.

Joining Son Ye Jin is a star-studded cast featuring Lee Byung Hun, Lee Sung Min, Yoo Yeon Seok, and Yeom Hye Ran as lead stars.





For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Flores




Friday, July 5, 2024 - The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has mysteriously cleared the charges of one man accused of being part of a group that breached security and invaded Parliament last Tuesday.

This is after he was filmed together with National Assembly Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro right inside Parliament.

According to the detectives, the man heeded their advice and went to the Kenyenya DCI offices to record a statement.

"As the manhunt for wanted suspects involved in criminal activities during the anti-finance bill 2024 protests continues, the DCI wishes to exonerate a man whose photo was listed among the wanted persons," DCI stated.

He was placed on the list for a photo taken with Osoro in Parliament.

While at the DCI offices, he explained to the detectives that the photo had been taken earlier adding that he was not in Parliament when Gen Z protesters invaded and destroyed property.

He revealed that he went to the National Assembly after the politician invited him and he was there on June 10, 15 days before the unexpected security breach.

Additionally, Osoro also defended the man explaining that the photos were taken a month ago. He added that some protestors downloaded the photos to use them ahead of the Occupy Parliament protests.

After the matter was cleared up, the man whom Osoro dubbed a pastor received an apology from the DCI for the mishap as they continued with the search for the rest of the suspects caught on CCTV.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Friday, July 5, 2024 - Detectives based at DCI Katulani in Kitui County have successfully apprehended a suspect believed to be the architect behind the ghastly murder of Lucy Kambu Mwenda in Kalimani village, Kathunguni sub-location on May 22, 2024.

On that ill-fated night, with only the moon as a silent witness, the deceased was tragically discovered lying lifeless in a pool of blood just outside her propertys perimeter fence. The malefactors had callously stabbed her twice at the back of her head, leaving her for dead, blood seeping from her mouth.

At the crime scene, the hawk-eyed investigators found crucial evidence: a blood-stained machete, a light blue jug, a paper bag containing a broken egg, and a note written in the Kamba language carefully placed atop an empty cup.

After days of intelligence gathering and analysis, officers embarked on a scrupulous pursuit of the main suspect. Their efforts paid off when the suspect, travelling aboard a white canter truck from Mombasa to Nairobi landed in their dragnet.

In collaboration with DCI Mtito-Andei, they intercepted Vilonicah Mueni at the Mtito-Andei police roadblock as she attempted to evade a mounted checkpoint.

The suspect was cornered and arrested, thereafter being arraigned at the Kitui Law Courts before being remanded at Kitui GK Prison awaiting mental assessment.

The case is slated for mention and possible plea-taking on July 23, 2024.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Friday, July 5, 2024 - Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech has defended his decision to vote 'YES' to President William Rutos draconian Finance Bill, which has since been withdrawn.

Speaking during an interview, the UDA legislator remarked that he harboured no regrets, reiterating that Kenyans will in due course applaud MPs who supported it.

"I stand by my vote in support of the Finance Bill. Why would I apologise?" he posed during an early morning talk show on Citizen TV.

The MP argued that MPs had taken the necessary steps to scrutinize the contents of the controversial bill and dropped the clauses which they felt were not in the best interests of Kenyans.

"Shortly you will feel the effect and you will thank the people who voted yes."

He further added that the government will now be forced to raise finances using other alternative means to fund government operations.

Koech also seized the opportunity to slam Raila Odingas Azimio for mounting pressure on Ruto to deliver amid empty coffers.

This comes even as a section of UDA-allied MPs came out to publicly apologize following the massive backlash they received from Kenyans across the board.

Last week, Ruto bowed to the pressure mounted by Kenyans and declined to sign the bill into law after nationwide protests rocked most parts of the country.

The historic protest saw youths storm Parliament to demand that MPs listen to Kenyans who had explicitly voiced their opposition to the bill.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Friday, July 5, 2024 - Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has criticized President William Rutos daughter, Charlene, over her speech concerning the countrys current state of affairs.

Taking to his X account, Sonko fearlessly shared his thoughts which he termed facts and pieces of advice directed to the Presidents daughter.



Madam Charlene, I have just seen this video online. I know guys in the government, fear telling you the truth and addressing you with facts, he began.

Now that I have become a rebel and no longer loyal, let me share some facts and pieces of advice with you. Kindly just relax as your actions are just raising the political temperatures of the leaderless young people, Sonko warned.



He advised Charlene to allow her dad to work things out with the Kenyan youths through dialogue as he promised.



Please let your dad, the President of the Republic of Kenya, engage them as promised. I know youve been doing a tremendous, good job on the ground. I even complimented you at some point, but for now, just keep off, please, until things cool down, kabisa, as you might be worsening the situation, Sonko wrote.



Charlene, in her statement, admitted there are challenges in the current economy from unemployment to the rising cost of living.



She affirmed that the engagements and concerns raised by the youth through the demonstrations are essential and welcomed.



I hear your voices, I understand your concerns. The challenges we face as a generation are real and pressing. From unemployment to rising cost of living, we are all feeling the impact of our current economic situation.



I want you to know that your engagement in our nations affairs is not just welcomed but essential. They all contribute to the vibrant democracy we are building together, she added.












Friday, July 5, 2024  A section of Rift Valley politicians now claim some unnamed people in government are planning a civilian coup against President William Ruto using the Gen Zs.

Speaking on different occasions, the Rift Valley MPs defended President William Ruto for his stance, adding that the protests would not sway him.

Mogotio MP Reuben Kiborek accused some people masquerading as protestors of attempting a civilian coup to oust the President.

He argued that this group of rowdy Kenyans was planning to 'take over power' through the back door.

"These crooks wanted to do some civilian coup, they can and hijacked a genuine course and made it violent," the MP stated.

Kiborek emphasised that William Ruto was lawfully elected by the people, adding that any plan to go against the will of the people shall fail.

On the other hand, William Kamket, Tiaty MP, accused some politicians of using young Kenyans to oppose Ruto due to some prior disagreement.

Kamket revealed that some leaders from the region allegedly advised Ruto to support the Finance Bill 2024 a while longer to know who was on his side.

"There are some leaders who oppose the president and are going behind his back through the demonstrations.

"They are using our children to pretend they support the protests," he stated.

Nonetheless, the two politicians praised young Kenyans for their courage to defend what's right through the peaceful protests that were infiltrated by goons backed by politicians.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Friday, July 5, 2024  Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja had a very rough time yesterday after Senators cornered him over the Sh16 billion garbage tender that he allegedly awarded to President William Rutos crony, Oscar Sudi, and others.

While appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance and Budget, Senators gave Sakaja a 14-day ultimatum to explain how waste-collecting companies received tenders.

He was instructed to provide a comprehensive written explanation within 14 days.

In the directive, the governor was instructed to submit evidence of the work done to necessitate payment of such magnitude.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna while commenting on the matter, termed the issuance of the tenders to the said companies illegal.

The ODM Secretary General called for an investigation into the matter, claiming the companies were part of the syndicate siphoning taxpayers' money.

This is criminality, it is absolute criminality, you will see from the documents provided that a company is charging the county twice for the same service, so the concern that Senator Khalwale is raising is very valid, Senator Sifuna argued.

"Governor you must explain to us, a correlation between these pending bills especially in the area of solid waste management and the problems we are going through right now as a county because there are a lot of complaints that the county government is not collecting garbage."

Sakaja while defending himself urged the committee to summon the officials of the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) to account for Ksh16 billion in pending bills.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Friday, July 5, 2024 - President William Ruto on Thursday spoke with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank a week after he withdrew the controversial Finance Bill 2024.

Ruto withdrew the bill after Gen Z demonstrations across the country, where they termed it retrogressive, uncouth, and punitive.

The Finance Bill 2024 had the blessing of the IMF and World Bank which are behind Kenya's bad economic decisions.

According to Reuters, Ruto spoke to IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva days after he withdrew the Finance Bill 2024.

Ruto begged the IMF boss to forgive him, stating that he had no choice but to withdraw the bill or risk being overthrown.

"We remain deeply concerned by the recent tragic events in Kenya and maintain a close ongoing and constructive dialogue with the Kenyan authorities," an IMF spokesperson said when asked about the call.

The IMF reached a staff-level agreement with Kenya in early June on a policy package needed to complete the lending program's seventh review, expected to unlock a disbursement of several hundred million dollars.

The deal has not yet received approval from the fund's Executive Board.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Friday, July 5, 2024  President William Ruto has taken drastic action and announced austerity measures that will see Kenya live within its means.

In his address to the nation this afternoon, Ruto announced the dissolution of 47 state corporations that have been duplicating duties and overlapping roles and ordered the employees of the affected state agencies to be absorbed into government.

The president reduced renovations in government by 50%. He also announced the reduction of advisors in government by 50%.

He equally announced the removal of the Offices of the First and Second Ladies and that of Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadis wife which have been bleeding the public coffers.

Ruto also suspended the hiring of 50 CASs just as the Gen Zs wanted, and banned the purchase of new vehicles for government employees for 12 months.

To stop public displays of opulence by government officials, Ruto banned public officers from engaging in harambees and other forms of charity.

However, Ruto disappointed Gen Z when he failed to reorganize his government by dissolving his cabinet as the young people demanded.

He instead said he would do so at a later date, but did not specify when.

During their protests, the Gen Zs wanted Ruto to fire the likes of Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen, Mithika Linturi (Agriculture) Aisha Jumwa (Gender), Davis Chirchir (Energy), Moses Kuria (Public Service), and Florence Bore (Labour), accusing them of being incompetent engaging in serious corruption.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Friday, July 5, 2024  President William Ruto has applauded police officers for dealing firmly with the Gen Zs during anti-government protests.

This comes as Kenyans condemn the police for killing innocent and unarmed Gen Zs who are exercising their right to demand good governance through demonstrations.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Ruto led Cabinet members to lauded security officers commendable efforts and professional conduct in difficult circumstances that required their work ethics.

The Cabinet raised concerns over the peaceful protests that started as a protest against the tax measures proposed in the Finance Bill 2024, but later morphed and was infiltrated and hijacked by criminals and opportunistic political forces for their selfish gains.

"The members commended security officers, pointing out that they on the whole acted professionally in very difficult circumstances.

"The Cabinet also noted that security agencies did a good job of protecting the country from anarchists," read part of the statement sent.

The Cabinet was informed that for the past two weeks, victims in the pretense of protestors reined terror in various parts of the country occasioning loss of life, and destruction of National and County governments' buildings, infrastructure, and vehicles.

The state deployed the military to help the National Police restore order and forestall the breakdown of law after victims masquerading as protestors stormed Parliament and the Supreme Court destroying critical infrastructure.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Friday, July 5, 2024 - President William Ruto has continued to show that he is out of touch with issues facing common mwananchi after he made a huge blunder on Thursday during a cabinet meeting he chaired.

For the past three weeks, the young generation has been demonstrating across major cities against the Finance Bill 2024, which has since been withdrawn.

Over 40 innocent Kenyans have been killed by police and thousands injured.

During the cabinet meeting, Ruto thanked the police for killing innocent Kenyans without even sending condolences to those who were killed.

"The members commended security officers, pointing out that they, on the whole, acted professionally in very difficult circumstances.

"The Cabinet also noted that security agencies did a good job of protecting the country from anarchists," a post-meeting dispatch from State House Nairobi partly read.

It was after a huge outcry from Kenyans that Ruto and his cronies released another dispatch in the evening saying they sent condolences to those killed during the anti-government protests.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Friday, July 5, 2024 - Fresh details have emerged revealing how President William Ruto sought the assistance of Ugandan dictator Kaguta Museveni to end the three weeks of anti-government protests that have paralyzed his administration.

The anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests morphed into massive demonstrations that overpowered Kenyan police, who were seen fleeing from protestors.

On June 25, demonstrators made history by storming Kenya's parliament and chasing out MPs who supported the retrogressive and punitive bill.

Ruto, who was switching state houses for fear for his life, sought the services of Ugandan police to help quell the demonstrations that had turned bloody and chaotic.

According to Thika Parliamentary aspirant, Francis Gaitho, some Ugandan policemen were spotted in Nairobi shooting innocent protestors.

Gaitho named one of the police Sergeant Walter Ojok, an SFC commando attached to the Kajjansi detachment in Wakiso District, Uganda.

The rogue cop who was wearing a mask was spotted shooting live bullets using a pistol at Kenyans who were demonstrating on Tuesday.

Here are the photos of the rogue Ugandan cop who killed Kenyan demonstrators.









The Kenyan DAILY POST.
Friday, July 5, 2024 - A Kenyan lady is languishing in custody in Dubai after she was reportedly found in possession of drugs by the police last year.

The suspect, identified as Mildred, used to work at KFC restaurant but her thirst for a soft life led her to traffic drugs, only for her to be caught by the authorities.

Some crafty people from Dubai have been contacting her family back in Kenya and promising that they can secure her freedom.

Mildreds family has been defrauded over Ksh 500,000 by people who claim that they can secure her freedom.

Drug trafficking in a serious offence in Dubai and if found guilty, she may be imprisoned for life or face death penalty.





The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Friday, July 5, 2024  Kenyans have expressed their fury over President William Ruto's government asking graduates to apply for manual jobs abroad.

This is after Labour Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore called for Kenyans to apply for jobs abroad in line with the current regime's plan to secure jobs for Kenyans outside the country.

Bore called upon graduates to take advantage of the government program and apply for the thousands of jobs available through National Employment Authority Integrated Management (NEAIMS).

"The government in its quest to source for employment opportunities and enhance protection of migrant workers, has actively pursued and negotiated Bilateral Labour Agreements with various countries thus opening avenues for Kenyans workers to seek employment abroad, particularly in sectors facing labour shortages," she added.

The CS emphasized that the online platform was created to ease the job searching process for Kenyans and reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.

While taking to social media, Kenyans questioned how the government expected Kenyan graduates to apply for housekeeping jobs through NEAIMS.

Some of the other jobs included; driver, housemaid, housekeeper, company cleaner, caregiver, babysitter, kitchen steward, and house service worker opportunities.

Other jobs include electronic technician, audio and visual technician, security guard, general cleaner, stateroom attendant, domestic worker, locksmith, desk clerk, and plumber among other opportunities.

"Wake up and see the foreign jobs this government is urging Kenyans to take up," one person questioned.

Kenyans complained that interested parties who agree to take up these jobs are paid less compared to their peers from other countries.

A section of this group of Kenyans called out the government for failing to negotiate for better pay and jobs.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Friday, July 5, 2024 - Renowned activist Boniface Mwangi has called out rogue police officers for trying to run over journalists during the anti-government protests.

The incident happened on Tuesday when the journalists, both local and foreign, were covering the protests in the Nairobi Central Business District.

The members of the fourth estate were forced to scamper to safety after a speeding police vehicle almost ran over them.

Mwangi said if they hadn't moved, someone would have been injured or killed.

He urged the Media Council of Kenya to write a protest note to the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and the National Police Service.

"On Tuesday this week, a police driver almost ran over journalists who were covering the protests.

"This speed was deliberate, and if they hadn't moved someone would have been injured or killed, he tweeted.

This comes even as CS Kindiki continues to defend the police despite some of them using excessive force against the peaceful protesters, leaving more than 40 people dead and scores injured.

On Tuesday this week, a police driver almost ran over journalists who were covering the protests. This speed was deliberate, and if they hadn't moved someone would have been injured or killed. @MediaCouncilK you need to write a protest note to @KindikiKithure & @IG_NPS. pic.twitter.com/I8X34cHVCl  The Peoples Watchman (@bonifacemwangi) July 5, 2024

The Kenyan DAILY POST.
Tourists enjoy leisure time in Mohe, NE China

Xinhua) 16:40, July 05, 2024

A tourist poses for a photo with the stone tablet which bears the inscription "Northernmost Point of China" in Mohe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, July 3, 2024. Lots of visitors travel to Mohe, China's northernmost city, in summer to enjoy some leisure time. In recent years, Mohe, focusing on its unique location, continues to improve its infrastructure and develop tourism products to attract more tourists in all seasons. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

Tourists visit the polaris square in Mohe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, July 4, 2024. Lots of visitors travel to Mohe, China's northernmost city, in summer to enjoy some leisure time. In recent years, Mohe, focusing on its unique location, continues to improve its infrastructure and develop tourism products to attract more tourists in all seasons. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

Tourists take a sightseeing boat on the Heilongjiang River in Mohe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, July 2, 2024. Lots of visitors travel to Mohe, China's northernmost city, in summer to enjoy some leisure time. In recent years, Mohe, focusing on its unique location, continues to improve its infrastructure and develop tourism products to attract more tourists in all seasons. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

Tourists pose for a photo on a sightseeing boat on the Heilongjiang River in Mohe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, July 2, 2024. Lots of visitors travel to Mohe, China's northernmost city, in summer to enjoy some leisure time. In recent years, Mohe, focusing on its unique location, continues to improve its infrastructure and develop tourism products to attract more tourists in all seasons. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

A tourist shops at a store in Beijicun, or "North Pole Village," in Mohe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, July 1, 2024. Lots of visitors travel to Mohe, China's northernmost city, in summer to enjoy some leisure time. In recent years, Mohe, focusing on its unique location, continues to improve its infrastructure and develop tourism products to attract more tourists in all seasons. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

This photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows a city view of Mohe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Lots of visitors travel to Mohe, China's northernmost city, in summer to enjoy some leisure time. In recent years, Mohe, focusing on its unique location, continues to improve its infrastructure and develop tourism products to attract more tourists in all seasons. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

Tourists visit Beijicun, or "North Pole Village," in Mohe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, July 1, 2024. Lots of visitors travel to Mohe, China's northernmost city, in summer to enjoy some leisure time. In recent years, Mohe, focusing on its unique location, continues to improve its infrastructure and develop tourism products to attract more tourists in all seasons. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
By Yi Whan-woo

The nominations of two incumbent and retired vice finance ministers to lead the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Ministry of Environment is prompting speculation that the so-called MOFIA is increasingly dominating top posts of the government as in the past.

On Thursday, First Vice Finance Minister Kim Byoung-hwan was tapped as the next FSC chairman and ex-Second Vice Finance Minister Kim Wan-sup was nominated for environment minister.

If successfully appointed, they will make up a pool of five MOFIA figures serving in ministerial-level positions. They include Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong and Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Bang Ki-sun.

A compound of the abbreviation for the Ministry of Finance and mafia, MOFIA first made news in the 1990s when the finance ministry's top officials, using their powers and connections, began to take top jobs in the government as well as public and private financial institutions after their retirement.

The word has been used to refer to those elites from the Ministry of Finances successors, including the Ministry of Strategy and Finance from 2008 to 2018 and the Ministry of Economy and Finance thereafter.

Before the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, as many as four MOFIA figures led top government posts in early 2016 under then-President Park Geun-hye.

"The heyday of the MOFIA can be said to be at its peak with the Yoon government, considering the number of MOFIA is even higher than the Park administration," a member of People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, a civic activist group, said on condition of anonymity.

He pointed out that the previous Moon Jae-in administration from 2017 to 2022 was critical of MOFIA appointees and avoided hiring them.

He deemed that the power of the MOFIA is likely to "gain momentum during Yoon's presidency," noting that Joo Hyung-hwan, a retired financial bureaucrat and second-in-command of the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy, is touted as the candidate to spearhead the newly proposed Ministry of Population Strategy.

The ministry will be responsible for addressing the low birthrates and rapidly aging population, which Yoon referred to as a "national emergency."

Given the urgent nature of the demographic crisis, the head of the ministry will double as a deputy prime minister on relevant social affairs.

Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, agreed that there have been more appointments of retired financial bureaucrats.

"The current government has been favoring finance ministry officials for the top posts from its beginning," he said.

However, he underlined his disagreement with referring to the aforementioned five as MOFIA, saying, "They have been known for their expertise as bureaucrats and should not be regarded simply as political appointees."
By Yi Whan-woo

Seven out of 10 Koreans from middle-class households had troubles with inheritance, according to a report, as more taxpayers nationwide are becoming subject to an inheritance tax under outdated regulations.

Released by Hana Institute of Finance this week, the report summarized cases of middle-class individuals bequeathed inheritances from parents or other senior family members.

The middle class was categorized as households whose net wealth falls in the mid-50 percent range. That is equivalent to 500 million won ($360,000) for those who live in Seoul and the greater Seoul area and 300 million won for those in the rest of the country.

"And 70 percent of them struggled with lack of legal knowledge, lack of preparation of relevant documents as well as disputes with other inheritors within the family," the report read.

Correspondingly, eight in 10 middle-class individuals found "sufficient time and efforts in advance crucial to inheriting wealth without troubles."

Regarding the right timing to start the inheritance process, those in their 40s said "The earlier the better," while those in their 60s said when the person who wants to pass down their wealth gets sick frequently.

The report came as the value of homes in Seoul has risen sharply in the wake of a housing bubble.

In the meantime, inheritance tax rules remain unchanged for years, resulting in an increasing number of middle-class individuals being subject to the tax.
By Pyo Kyung-min

MUNYONYO, Uganda  "It's very simple. How do you deal with corruption? How do you deal with poverty? All the social sciences and studies addressing these issues reach the same conclusion: you have to build good families."

Hyun Jin Preston Moon, founder and chairperson of the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, emphasized the importance of building "One Family Under God" during a morning interview with Korean media in Munyonyo, Uganda, June 30.

The slogan "One Family Under God" aligns with the themes of the Global Peace Leadership Conference (GPLC) held in Kenya and the Inter-Religious Family Festival held in Uganda in late June.

Both events centered on the GPF's mission of promoting the importance of family for spiritual and social cohesion, with Moon attending both events as a keynote speaker.

During the interview, Moon provided a more detailed explanation of how families formed under the name of God serve as bedrocks of a healthy society.

"How do you build a good nation? It's on the foundation of good families that teach ethical and moral values to their children so that they become good citizens that can contribute to the nation. How do you build a good economic environment? Once again by having good citizens and good families," the chairperson said.

According to the chairperson, the concept has faced major challenges in Korea, where Moon believes plummeting birth rates and soaring suicide rates illustrate a negative social shift.

"Look at the reality of the Korean family," Moon emphasized. "In my eyes, the Korean family was the most beautiful family model. But look at Korea now  (high) divorce rates and (the total fertility rate at) just 0.7. This should be a matter of shame for every Korean. This is the path to national and civilizational extinction."

Moon criticized the adoption of Western values during Koreas modernization, which he believes undermined traditional family structures.

"What was the cost of modernization when Korea adopted a lot of the Western values that eventually destroyed its family, changed the fabric of society, changed the relationship between men and women, changed the relationship between parents and children?" he said.

"Do you think it's for the better or do you think it's for the worse?"

Spiritual values in family

Moon's critique of Western influence centered on its perceived neglect of spiritual values, which he argued has significantly eroded familial bonds.

"As a student of history, I believe many people, particularly in the West, fail to recognize the origins of freedom and fundamental human rights," Moon asserted, emphasizing the U.S. Declaration of Independence's proclamation that "all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights."

He underscored, "Freedom and fundamental human rights stem from a transcendent source  God or the creator."

Focusing on spiritual values, Moon lamented the decline of these principles in the West, arguing that it has led to a weakening of familial and social bonds.

"Many Western democracies have forgotten about this foundational principle as they became more secular ... When you see America today, the reason why many things are starting to fall apart is because it lost that spiritual center. As that gets lost, then the whole fabric, because it's a very fragile fabric, starts to unwind," Moon stated.

Discussing the repercussions of modernization, Moon shared his wish for people around the world to consider the impact of pursuing of material wealth on familial and social relationships.

"When I engage with nations (in) Africa, my goal is to demonstrate that comprehensive development is achievable without abandoning their civilization, society or traditional values for the allure of modernity  they can have it all," Moon said.

"I come from a deeply spiritual religious family ... In my view, the most important thing in human life is family  the purpose of creation. And if we give that up for material things like a better car or a better apartment, then we've really we've really missed out on what is the most important in life."

The chairperson concluded the interview with a universal message.

"The concept of 'One Family Under God' holds profound significance for nations on the brink of growth and development. It reaffirms that they can uphold their precious cultural traditions and values while embracing modernity  they can indeed have it all."
North Korea on Friday stressed the need for swift and accurate weather forecasts, as heavy rain likely to fall during the summer monsoon season could seriously affect the country's agriculture.

The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, reported that having accurate weather forecasts is a matter of survival for the agricultural sector, which is gravely affected by weather conditions.

North Korea held a science conference on weather and ocean earlier this week in a bid to explore ways to minimize damage from typhoons, heavy rain, droughts and heat waves, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

North Korea is vulnerable to flash flooding and heavy rain due to poor irrigation and deforestation. The country has been suffering from chronic food shortages that were aggravated amid global sanctions on its nuclear and missile programs and unfavorable weather.

At the latest plenary party meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that "the farming situation throughout the country up to now is fairly good," calling for further efforts to ramp up crop output.

The North's crop production is estimated to have reached 4.82 million tons last year, but it was still below 5.76 million tons, the annual amount that the North needs to feed its people, according to a projection by the Food and Agriculture Organization for North Korea. (Yonhap)
By Kim Hyun-bin

The European Union has extended its support to the 14th University Student Climate Academy, which was launched on Tuesday by the National Assembly Forum on Climate Change in Korea. This event, dedicated to empowering youth to combat climate change, underscores the importance of engaging the younger generation in decisive climate action.

Over nine days, around 35 university students will undergo extensive training that includes a mock COP29 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, lectures and field trips. These activities, led by experts from academia, research institutes, industry and institutions, will cover a wide range of topics such as green policy, climate diplomacy and industrial strategies. Exceptional students from this academy will have the opportunity to attend COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, from Nov. 11 to 22, serving as youth ambassadors.

This year's program is notably co-funded by the European Union for the first time, highlighting the strengthening of bilateral relations in green initiatives between Korea and the EU. This follows the launch of the EU-Republic of Korea Green Partnership in May last year, through which both parties reaffirmed their commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

Participants in the 14th Climate Academy will gain insights into the EU's climate strategies, particularly the European Green Deal. Students will also have the chance to interview EU officials during a field trip to the EU delegation, facilitating debates and shared perspectives. Furthermore, selected students will benefit from EU support in their participation in COP29 in a context where young people are increasingly recognized as crucial stakeholders in international negotiations.

"The European Union recognizes the vital role of youth in shaping and driving the fight against climate change. We repeatedly say that your generation will be most affected by climate change and that you should stand at the very core of the climate dialogues. Your passion, creativity and determination are the catalysts we need to build a sustainable and resilient future," said Maria Castillo Fernandez, the EU's ambassador to Korea.

The EU emphasizes engaging youth in climate action across various platforms. For example, the European Youth Event gathers thousands of young people from across Europe to discuss and shape their ideas on Europe's future, including climate action.

Additionally, the EU's Climate Pact encourages young ambassadors to engage their communities and drive grassroots climate initiatives. These efforts reflect the EU's commitment to ensuring that young people are not only participants but also leaders in the global response to climate change.

"I hope that we can further develop our cooperation with the EU within the framework of the Green Partnership. If we fail to address the climate crisis properly, it will escalate from a crisis to a disaster. Therefore, regardless of where you work, please sustain your passion for climate-related issues," said Rep. Han Jeoung-ae of the Democratic Party of Korea, the co-chair of the forum.
Seoul to deliver 'strong messages' against Pyongyang-Moscow ties

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk Yeol will visit Washington, D.C. and Hawaii this week to attend the 2024 NATO summit and visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in an apparent move to manage the strengthened ties between North Korea and Russia.

Kim Tae-hyo, South Koreas first deputy director of national security, said in a press briefing Friday that Yoon will depart for the United States, Monday, to attend the summit slated for Tuesday to Thursday. It will be Yoons third consecutive attendance of an annual NATO summit.

Read More NATO summit crucial to deal with NK-Russia ties

Yoon will arrive in Washington on Wednesday for bilateral meetings with more than five NATO member nations including the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland and Norway and attend a banquet hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.

On Thursday, Yoon will have a meeting with the leaders of Japan, Australia and New Zealand, the other Indo-Pacific Partners 4 (IP4) countries which are engaged with NATO, and attend a summit involving NATO members and IP4 countries. Also, he will deliver a speech at the NATO Public Forum.

Prior to the NATO summit, Yoon will be in Honolulu from Monday to Tuesday to pay respects to fallen veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War and visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Yoons trip came amid increasing geopolitical tensions in Northeast Asia and Europe upon the strengthened military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Pyongyang has recently enhanced its military cooperation with Moscow through a significant treaty that includes mutual defense assistance in the event of an attack on either party.

Kim said Yoon will deliver strong messages on the cooperation between Russia and North Korea during his engagements with NATO members and will discuss cooperation plans between NATO and IP4 countries.

Not only South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, but other major countries also deliver their clear messages against the ties between Russia and North Korea, a senior official at the presidential office said.

During the summit period, there will be a chance for IP4 leaders to meet, and there will be opportunities to deliver joint messages against the Russia-North Korea ties to not only NATO allies but also other Indo-Pacific nations.

As the summit is anticipated to focus on strengthening the cooperation scheme between NATO members and IP4 countries, chances are slim for Yoon to have separate summits with the U.S. or Japan during the event.

The core topics of this NATO summit are the security issues of Europe and the Indo-Pacific, as well as the ongoing war (in Ukraine), the official said. Strengthening cooperation between NATO and the IP4 is also a key focus. Therefore, I cannot guarantee whether there will be the time and opportunity to hold separate summits (between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan).

Instead, gaining attention is a possible meeting between Yoon and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Previously the South Korean government stated that it would reconsider the issue of providing military support to Ukraine following the North Korea-Russia treaty.
By Kim Hyun-bin

Egyptian Ambassador to Korea Khaled Abdel Rahman hosted a special celebration ahead of Egypt's 72nd National Day at his residence within the embassy in Seoul, Friday, as the day falls on July 23.

"It is my honor and privilege to welcome you all to this special celebration of Egypt's National Day," Rahman said. "Today, we commemorate the historic moment of July 23, 1952, when Egypt embarked on a new journey towards independence, unity and prosperity. This day is a reminder of our nation's resilience, determination and unwavering spirit."

Rahman expressed his pride and optimism as he addressed the guests in Seoul including foreign ambassadors as well as government and company officials, highlighting the strong relationship between Korea and Egypt.

"The relationship between Egypt and the Republic of Korea is a testament to the power of cooperation and mutual respect. Our two nations, though geographically distant, are bound by shared values and aspirations. We cherish our rich cultural heritage, strive for economic progress and work tirelessly for peace and stability in our respective regions."

The ambassador noted the significant growth in bilateral relations over the years.

"Next year, we will commemorate and celebrate 30 years of these diplomatic ties, a milestone that we eagerly look forward to. I'm sure this celebration will bolster our relationship further, paving the way for new collaborations and deeper connections between our people."

Rahman highlighted the remarkable expansion in economic ties, with Korean companies making significant investments in Egypt.

"Our economic ties have seen remarkable expansion. Korean companies have made significant investments in Egypt, contributing to various sectors such as energy, infrastructure and technology. These investments not only bolster the economy but also create jobs and enhance the livelihoods of many Egyptians while creating export opportunities for Korean products made in Egypt."

Rahman acknowledged the recent Korea-Africa Summit as a pivotal moment in bilateral relations, claiming the summit underscored Korea's commitment to strengthening ties with African nations, in recognition of the immense potential and opportunities within the African continent utilizing Egypt as a gateway to Africa.

He announced the recent renovation of the Egyptian Embassy and the residence in Seoul as a testament to the growing relationship between the two nations.

"I am pleased to share that the embassy and the residence of Egypt in Seoul were recently renovated. This renovation not only enhances our diplomatic presence in Seoul but also symbolizes our commitment to fostering a robust and enduring partnership with Korea," he said.

As we celebrate Egypt's National Day, let us also celebrate the friendship between Egypt and Korea. Let us renew our commitment to work together, support each other and build a future that is prosperous, peaceful and inclusive.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul stressed the importance of a mutually considerate attitude in bilateral ties with Japan as he met with Koichi Mizushima, the country's new ambassador to South Korea, on Friday, Cho's office said.

In their meeting, Cho said the two countries should manage pending issues wisely by putting themselves in each other's shoes to bolster a positive flow in bilateral ties, according to the foreign ministry, adding that as Seoul and Tokyo are set to mark the 60th anniversary of normalizing their ties next year.

Mizushima agreed on the importance of managing pending issues smoothly based on mutual understanding and expressed hope that the two countries will continue to communicate closely based on trust between their leaders and foreign ministers.

Both sides assessed that South Korea, the United States and Japan are closely cooperating in the face of deepening ties between North Korea and Russia, the ministry said. They also concurred on the importance of sustaining such cooperation on various occasions, such as multilateral talks.

Relations between the two neighboring countries have significantly improved since President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May 2022. The conservative administration has emphasized the importance of cooperation for the benefit of future generations.

Mizushima arrived in Seoul in May to replace outgoing envoy, Koichi Aiboshi. (Yonhap)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will discuss ways with South Korea to build practical cooperation related to Ukraine, cyber and new technologies at the upcoming summit in Washington, its chief said Friday.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he has invited the leaders of South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand to the NATO summit for the third consecutive year to expand the security alliance's partnership with the countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

"South Korea is a highly regarded partner," Stoltenberg said in a press conference in Brussels. "The president is attending. I think that reflects how we have deepened and strengthened our partnership."

Stoltenberg underscored the importance of working with the Indo-Pacific partners at a time when Russia is continuing its war in Ukraine with help from North Korea, Iran and China.

"Iran and North Korea are fuelling Russia's war with drones and shells. China is propping up Russia's war economy, and providing microelectronics and other dual-use goods for Russia's war," he said. "The closer that authoritarian actors align, the more important it is that we work closely with our friends in the Indo-Pacific."

At the upcoming summit, Stoltenberg said NATO will build on practical cooperation for "flagship projects" on Ukraine, cyber and new technologies and discuss defense industry cooperation with South Korea.

"The flagship project is partly about the medical education of Ukrainian soldiers," he said. "We are also looking into how we can expand the exchange of intelligence information with South Korea."

During last year's summit in Lithuania, Yoon said South Korea will increase military information sharing with NATO through the Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation System, which helps members share military secrets and determine the next steps based on the information.

Yoon will visit Washington on July 10-11 to participate in the NATO summit as a partner nation, which would focus on ways to expand cooperation with the security alliance in response to deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.

South Korea has said it would consider sending weapons to Ukraine in a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin's signing of a mutual defense treaty with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their summit last month.

"We will send a strong message regarding the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and discuss ways to enhance cooperation among NATO allies and Indo-Pacific partners," Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said in a briefing Friday. (Yonhap)
A regional court sentenced the knife attacker of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung to 15 years in prison Friday for the January stabbing in Busan that left Lee hospitalized for over a week with a neck wound.

Posing as a supporter asking for a signature, the 67-year-old attacker, surnamed Kim, approached the Democratic Party chair and stabbed him in the neck during Lee's visit to the southeastern port city of Busan on Jan. 2 for an airport construction site inspection.

Kim has since said that his attack was intended to prevent Lee from becoming president.

The attack, which occurred three months before the April 10 parliamentary elections, left Lee hospitalized for eight days for blood vessel reconstruction surgery and recovery.

After investigating Kim, police found that he had written an excuse note before the stabbing, in which he accused "pro-North Korean forces" in the judiciary of delaying trials against Lee and claimed that he tried to prevent the country from falling into the hands of leftist forces.

Police concluded that Kim committed the attack out of "subjective political beliefs."

The Busan District Court on Friday sentenced Kim to 15 years in prison on charges of attempted murder and election law violations.

"The crime was not just an attempt to strip Lee of his right to life but an act that gravely undermines social consensus and trust in the basic order of free democracy by interfering with the freedom of election," the court said.

The court also denounced the attack as "a serious challenge and attempt to undermine" the election system and representative democracy, saying such actions cannot be justified under any circumstances.

"The accused committed the crime after accumulating hatred against the victim over a long period for holding different political viewpoints," the court concluded.

The court confirmed that Kim "persistently and meticulously" planned the attack over a nine-month period and finally carried it out after attempting it while following Lee during five of Lee's public events.

The court also sentenced an acquaintance of Kim to one and a half years in prison, suspended for three years, on charges of aiding him in the attempted murder. (Yonhap)
By Jung Min-ho

Korean travelers have been advised to be careful about what they eat or drink overseas as they could consume cannabis-infused food unwittingly in countries where such products are legal.

In a warning issued Friday, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said food options like a pork belly dish seasoned with cannabis salt or butter can easily be found in countries such as Thailand, one of the most popular holiday destinations for Koreans.

In many cases, products containing marijuana do not show ingredient information in Korean or English. As a result, foreign visitors purchase them inadvertently, violating the laws of their countries, according to the intelligence agency.

Even if they did so unknowingly, they could face legal troubles when they return to Korea. If they bring such products into Korea, a criminal investigation is inevitable.

If they are found to have consumed such products deliberately, they could face years behind bars.

In Canada, magic mushrooms, categorized as an illegal substance in our country, are sold. In some Southeast Asian countries, drug-containing lollipops and many other types of illegal hallucinant chemicals have been traded, the NIS said.

Magic mushrooms, commonly known as shrooms, are a type of mushroom that contain psilocybin and psilocin, substances that can cause hallucinations.

The spy agency also said that consuming such products increases the risk of becoming a target of criminals as they could be extorted or kidnapped while under the influence.

The use of marijuana has so far been legalized for recreational use in 24 U.S. states as well as Canada, Thailand, Germany, Malta, Luxembourg and South Africa among others.
Citizens gripped with fear in daily lives following series of tragic deaths

By Jung Da-hyun

Citizens are left in shock following a tragic car crash that claimed nine lives last Monday night, as it occurred at a busy intersection in central Seoul near a bustling restaurant district frequented by office workers and residents.

Regular visitors to the district are seized with the aftermath of this devastating incident, which has led to fears that "it could have been me."

Jung Hae-won, a 27-year-old office worker, said that she was in the vicinity, having dinner with co-workers on the same day and at the same time as the tragic event.

"I was so shocked after hearing the news. My parents and friends also called me because they were worried. I thought this really could happen to me," she told The Korea Times.

Jung was with her coworkers celebrating someone's promotion, a very common gathering for workers at financial companies these days. She was dining just one block behind Seoul City Hall, only a 10-minute walk from the accident site.

"The situation of the victims as reported was so similar to my own that day. It was even more unfortunate and scary to think that it could have been me," she said.

Four of the victims in the accident were employees of a nearby bank. They were also having a dinner to celebrate the promotions of their colleagues and were standing on the sidewalk when the tragedy occurred.

"After the accident, I thought I should avoid the big roadside as much as possible," Jung said.

Park Yoon-il, a 32-year-old office worker based in an office near Seoul Station, expressed that the accident felt particularly frightening as it occurred on a street he often visited.

"After watching the CCTV footage, I realized the damage was inevitable, no matter how careful people were. It was completely unpredictable," he said.

"Sometimes I listen to music with earphones or check my phone while walking, but now I'm trying to avoid that to be more careful."

An official from Jung District Office in Seoul, surnamed Song, also expressed anxiety, saying, "I felt sorry knowing it happened at a time when anyone in the neighborhood could be working late and stepping out after eating. It could have happened to anyone."

The car crash was just one of a series of tragic accidents which took the lives of everyday people, and this is intensifying fears among the public.

Just two days after the car crash, a taxi crashed into the National Medical Center building, the same building where an altar to one of the victims was set up, injuring three people.

A week earlier, on June 24, a fire at a lithium battery manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, killed 23 people and injured eight.

Last year, a series of random stabbing rampages in crowded areas like Sillim Station in southern Seoul and Seohyeon Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, raised concerns about the potential for collective trauma among the public.

Experts explain that if such unpredictable disasters keep occurring at such ordinary places and times, citizens will suffer increasing psychological trauma as they see themselves in the victims.

Paik Jong-woo, a professor at the Department of Psychiatry at Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, emphasized that the more people identify with the victims, the greater the psychological impact is.

"When you look at the victims of the recent car crash near City Hall, many are the breadwinners of their families. The accident occurred on a sidewalk, a common space for pedestrians, leading to heightened feelings of depression and anxiety," he explained.

He noted that the lack of clarity regarding the cause of the accident added to the distress. The driver claims a sudden, unintended acceleration, while police and experts remain skeptical, with the investigation ongoing.

"People usually feel that understanding the cause of an accident helps avoid and prevent it. The distress is amplified because the cause of this accident remains unclear, and the recent series of casualties has been unpredictable," he said.

Paik also highlighted the growing prevalence of indirect trauma. Recently, there have been numerous instances where the internet and social media have shown footage of accident scenes without blurring.

"These unfiltered exposures make the trauma feel more immediate as if people are witnessing it firsthand," he said.

Lim Myung-ho, a professor at the Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy at Dankook University, underscored that accumulated social anxiety is affecting the public.

"Citizens' anxiety has increased due to a series of fatal accidents, compounded by external factors such as economic instability and safety concerns," he said.

Lim recommended that the government and local authorities implement counseling projects to address collective trauma and growing anxiety among the public and also encourage citizens to utilize these services.
Prosecutor General Lee One-seok on Friday denounced the main opposition party's push to impeach four prosecutors, mostly involved in corruption investigations into former party leader Lee Jae-myung, as an illegal act.

The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) submitted the controversial impeachment motion to the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee earlier this week, triggering criticism from many senior prosecutors.

The top prosecutor, who has already criticized the motion as unconstitutional interference in judicial procedures, stepped up his rhetoric, saying the prosecution will examine whether DPK lawmakers were abusing their power and parliamentary immunity.

"The DPK's planned impeachment is believed to constitute an abuse of power as lawmakers because it abuses their legislative power and interferes with the exercise of others' rights in violation of the Constitution and laws," Lee told reporters on his way to work.

"(The motion) is also considered defamation by stating false facts and there are many legal problems," he said, noting there will be a legal review over if there are any parts that are beyond the parliamentary immunity.

Lee's remarks suggest that the prosecution will take legal action against the DPK's impeachment motion, as he again emphasized a determination to prove that the planned impeachment is unconstitutional and illegal. (Yonhap)
By Nam Hyun-woo

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) are poised to argue over the likely revote of a bill on launching a special counsel probe into the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun, which passed the National Assembly on Thursday and is expected to be vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The bill, proposed by DPK lawmakers and supported by other opposition parties due to suspicions that Yoon may have exerted influence to scale down the militarys investigation into the Marines death, passed the opposition-controlled Assembly with approval from 189 out of 190 lawmakers present at the plenary session.

Yoon, who has already vetoed a similar bill in May, can return it to the Assembly for a revote within 15 days after the bill was transferred to the government. This means that Yoon will likely refuse the special counsel probe for the second time amid the first anniversary of Chaes death. He died during a rescue operation in a flooded area on July 19 last year.

When a vetoed bill returns to the Assembly, its passage requires approvals from two-thirds of attending lawmakers at a plenary session with more than half of registered lawmakers presenting.

If all 300 lawmakers attend, 200 approvals can override the presidential veto. Since the ruling party holds 108 seats while the DPK and other minor opposition parties are all endorsing the special counsel probe, eight approvals among PPP lawmakers will enable the special counsel probe, in theory.

Initially, the ruling party had worries because five to six of its lawmakers have openly endorsed the special counsel probe. However, the PPP is now expressing confidence in preventing further defections because some of the lawmakers who have endorsed the probe are now saying the bill is problematic.

Compared to the previous version, the bill passed on Thursday is more disadvantageous for the ruling bloc, as it allows the DPK to recommend one special counsel candidate and other minor opposition parties to recommend one.

The special counsel probe is necessary to find the truth and punish those responsible for Chaes death, PPP Rep. Kim Jae-sub wrote on Facebook, Thursday.

However, the DPKs bill does not serve the purpose of finding the truth. It blatantly neglected the ruling partys opinion and shortened the period of lower court trial to six months. This shows that they are not interested in the truth, but rather in hastily imprisoning someone.

Kim was one of the PPP lawmakers who endorsed the probe. However, he opposed the bill during Thursdays plenary session, becoming the only lawmaker who voted against the bill. Among PPP lawmakers, only Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo voted in favor of the bill, while others boycotted the voting to protest.

PPP floor leader Rep. Choo Kyung-ho also said Thursday that DPK and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik are dictating the Assembly, and our 108 lawmakers are staying united and will firmly stand against this parliamentary dictatorship.

As bonds are deepening among PPP lawmakers against the probe, the DPK is carefully considering the timing for the revote, with some members floating an idea that the revote should be held in August after the PPPs national convention on July 23.

Since the national convention will feature the PPPs chair election, it will eventually involve infighting among PPP factions, a DPK official said on condition of anonymity. And it will be more advantageous for the DPK in the revote.

Currently, the PPPs former interim leader, Han Dong-hoon, is leading the race for the chairmanship. Han is not a lawmaker but plans to propose a special counsel probe bill allowing an objective third party, such as the chief justice of the Supreme Court, to recommend the special counsel if he is elected, despite opposition from a majority of PPP lawmakers.

The DPK said it is open to Hans proposal. DPK spokesperson Rep. Noh Jong-myun told reporters Thursday, (the party is) open to the idea of changing who will recommend the special counsel when the official talk begins but added that previous special counsels recommended by the chief justice were far from being successful.
By Rushan Ziatdinov

In March 2023, I published an article in The Korea Times, entitled "Use of ChatGPT and future of academia." In that article, I predicted the emergence of several new AI-based tools and technologies in the future. Despite the criticism that AI tools are unable to create very novel concepts and may occasionally manifest hallucinations, I maintain an optimistic outlook on the future of applied AI. Nevertheless, one of my concerns is that AI and new technologies should not displace humans from their jobs but rather augment our activities as intelligent assistive technologies.

It is a sobering fact that there are millions of people worldwide who are blind and live in a world devoid of light. However, there are now free apps, such as Seeing AI, developed by Microsoft, that allow users to take a picture using a smartphone and convert it to text, thereby providing a description of the image. Furthermore, there are smart glasses developed at Caltech in Pasadena that can translate images into voices that can be understood intuitively without training.

These technologies will evolve and may be integrated into small wearable cameras or 360-degree cameras that can be located on the human body. Alternatively, they could be incorporated into footwear, enabling a blind person to hear and fully understand their surroundings instead of seeing them. This would allow them to understand objects, colors and, potentially, human emotions.

AI-based accessibility and assistive technologies can be used for real-time captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing, such as providing live captions for videos or during real-world interactions (e.g., lectures, meetings, public announcements), and for visual description for the visually impaired, such as converting images into descriptive text to help visually impaired users understand the content of images and videos.

Similar tools could also be employed for the training of blind animals, although the precise number of such animals is unknown. Its known that animals communicate through a variety of signs, such as sounds and movements. In the future, AI could assist in the deciphering of animal language, thereby enabling us to comprehend the meaning of animal communication. Various AI tools could be utilized to facilitate communication with and the training of animals to live in the world of darkness.

According to the BBC, its estimated that up to 7,000 different languages are spoken around the world. What about dogs? Do they speak the same language, or do different breeds have their own languages? Can South Koreas Jindo dog understand North Koreas Pungsan dog? Good question. It is possible that scientists may use AI to answer questions about animal communication and understanding, despite the fact that human language and animal communication differ to a significant extent.

It is conceivable that intelligent image or video-to-text conversion technologies may be integrated into car black box cameras or more advanced lidars (or light detection and ranging sensors). Such a development could prove beneficial to car drivers by providing them with additional assistance in avoiding various dangers, such as pedestrians crossing roads outside designated pedestrian crossings or animals crossing roads at night, and the relevant information, in some cases, can probably be sent by a car driver to various navigation services, such as Naver or Kakao maps.

Super-intelligent cameras can integrate various AI technologies related to text, voices, gestures, images or videos. Could they assist life scientists in conducting natural experiments and developing automated reports? For example, if experiments are excessively lengthy or dangerous, this could be a valuable tool for wildlife monitoring. This could involve, for instance, researching the populations of wild boars in forests, of tigers and lions in a savannah or discovering various sea creatures that live deep underwater and are not yet known to science.

The behaviors of animals can be influenced by climate change, and by understanding their methods of communication with the help of AI, scientists can understand how these changes affect their communication, migration patterns and overall ecosystems, enabling better strategies for conservation and climate adaptation.

Speaking of wildlife, I occasionally undertake early morning walks through small city parks with trees, during which I hear a multitude of beautiful bird sounds. I am grateful to the birds for these beautiful melodies. It is possible that the birds are communicating with me or with each other, although I am unsure. In South Koreas cities, there seems to be not much care for wild birds in terms of food provision, and I am uncertain as to where they feed themselves.

If AI is able to assist us in understanding bird sounds in the future, what insights might we gain from birds, and what requests might they make of us? Are the "wild" birds going to complain about the wild human beings who are pushing them away from their habitats?

Rushan Ziatdinov (www.ziatdinov-lab.com) is a professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Keimyung University in Daegu. He can be reached at ziatdinov.rushan@gmail.com.
Memory semiconductor business leads to earnings surprise

By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung Electronics posted an operating profit of 10.4 trillion won ($7.54 billion) in the second quarter, thanks to strong memory semiconductor sales, according to the company Friday.

The operating profit surpassed 10 trillion won mark for the first time in seven quarters since recording 10.85 trillion won in the third quarter of 2022.

In its preliminary earnings report, Samsung said it achieved sales of 74 trillion won and an operating profit of 10.4 trillion won in the second quarter. Compared to the same period last year, sales increased by 23.31 percent, while operating profit surged by 1,452.24 percent.

Samsung only disclosed preliminary results without revealing segment-specific performances. Detailed results by business division will be announced on July 31.

Its second-quarter operating profit significantly exceeded market expectations, as analysts had estimated the company might log around 8.3 trillion won, according to financial information provider FnGuide.

Industry watchers view that the memory semiconductor business drove overall performance growth. Increased demand for memory semiconductors led to rising prices for DRAM and NAND flash chips and expanded sales of high-value-added products improved profitability.

According to TrendForce, a market researcher specializing in the semiconductor sector, prices for DRAM and NAND flash memory chips rose by 13-18 percent and 15-20 percent, respectively, in the second quarter. Due to these product price increases, Samsung's Device Solutions (DS) Division, responsible for its chip business, is expected to have generated an operating profit of about 6 trillion won.

Samsung's mobile business, another pillar of the company's earnings along with chips, is expected to have seen both sales and operating profit decrease compared to the first quarter as the effect of new product launches waned.

"In the second quarter, it is estimated that Samsung Electronics' smartphone and tablet PC shipments recorded 53 million and 7 million, respectively, but Galaxy S24 series sales decreased to 8.1 million, and profit margins declined due to increased memory product costs," said Kim Sun-woo, an analyst at Meritz Securities.

Looking ahead to Samsung's second-half performance, industry analysts anticipate the company will continue to post good earnings thanks to continuously rising memory semiconductor prices.

TrendForce expects the average sales price of DRAM to rise by 8 to 13 percent in the third quarter, while NAND flash chips are expected to increase by 5 to 10 percent.

"Comprehensive profit increases are expected in the semiconductor, display and mobile businesses in the coming third quarter," the Meritz Securities analyst said.

To further improve future performance, the consensus is that Samsung needs to be confident that its high-bandwidth memory chips will be used in Nvidias AI-focused graphics processing units.
By Ko Dong-hwan

Nongshim, one of the nation's top instant noodle makers, is directly appealing to foreign visitors to steal the limelight from its more profitable rival Samyang Foods, which has been riding high on its globally popular Buldak noodles.

As a part of the efforts, Nongshim opened an instant noodle restaurant in Myeong-dong, a tourism hotspot in central Seoul, Wednesday. Called "Neoguris instant noodle store," named after Neoguri, one of its most popular products, the store offers a variety of Nongshims instant noodles for visitors to select.

When customers make their pick, workers prepare the instant noodles on cookers at the store. There are also extra toppings available like egg, bean sprouts, green onions and rice cakes.

I like spicy foods, and Korean instant noodles have different spicy flavors. So I tried this place, a Taiwanese visitor to the store told The Korea Times, Friday.

Two Japanese visitors said the store got their attention because of a raccoon mascot out front that attracted their attention. Neoguri in Korean means raccoon, which is the logo of Nongshims 41-year-old product.

I like how the store has a variety of selections, one of them said, pointing at the more than 20 different types of instant noodle packages on display.

The store is Nongshims latest measure to expand its contact with noodle lovers visiting Korea. The restaurant is located at one of Hotel Skypark locations and is a few steps away from Myeong-dong Station. The location is literally at the center of activity, in an area frequented by foreign tourists.

The restaurant is a start of Nongshims partnership with Hotel Skypark. Before the restaurant opened, the hotel ran an instant noodle cafe at the same place, selling noodles of multiple brands. After the partnership, the store turned into the restaurant dedicated to Nongshim. Nongshim supplies the restaurant while the hotel manages it.

The previous cafe ran a system where visitors cooked their own noodles, said Lee Ha-mee, sales deputy head manager at the hotels sales & marketing group. But after we saw some visitors having trouble cooking their own noodles, we started cooking for them. We maintained the system after introducing the new restaurant.

The restaurant attracted foreign visitors immediately after it opened. It sold over 400 instant noodle products on Wednesday and Thursday each. According to Lee, over 90 percent of the visitors were foreigners, mostly Japanese, Americans and Canadians.

Hotel Skypark has eight locations nationwide with four in Myeong-dong. It plans to open another one next month in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and will have a similar snack place there.

There will be a swimming pool inside the new hotel. Next to the pool, well sell Nongshim products. Were discussing with the company whether its going to be another Neoguri restaurant, a pop-up store or an instant noodle stand, Lee said.

Nongshim's latest move comes as the companys operating profit this year has been continuously outpaced by Samyang. The company anticipates its partnership with Hotel Skypark to generate enough sales from foreign tourists to catch up with Samyang.

According to local market analyst group FnGuide, Samyang is expected to see 384 billion won ($278 million) in sales for the second quarter, a 34.64 percent jump from last year, and operating profit of 76.8 billion won, a 74.3 percent increase. However, it released a grimmer outlook for Nongshim, predicting 878 billion won in sales, a 4.9 percent jump from last year, and operating profit of 51.7 billion won, down by 3.67 percent.

Nongshim saw a reduced operating profit in the first quarter, too. While sales saw a 1.4 percent year-on-year rise to 872 billion won, operating profit saw a 3.6 percent year-on-year drop to 61.4 billion won.

Samyang, in the same quarter, saw 386 billion won in sales and an 80.1 billion won operating profit, year-on-year jumps by 57 percent and 235 percent, respectively. Including Ottogi, another instant noodle giant here, Nongshim was the only company among the big 3 which saw a drop in its quarterly operating profit.

Regarding its first-quarter performance, Nongshim said that despite the sales, prices for raw materials and operation costs jumped, causing the fall in operating profit.

Nongshims latest marketing initiative, however, can benefit from Koreas rising overall instant noodle exports. According to Korea Customs Service, the second quarter saw over $100 million in exports each month, contributing to nearly $320 million in exports altogether. It was a 34.3 percent jump from the previous year.
Keir Starmer will be Britain's next prime minister with his center left Labour Party expected to win a huge majority in a parliamentary election, ending 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative government by trouncing Rishi Sunak's party.

With many results still to be announced from Thursday's vote, center-left Labour has already won more than 326 of the 650 seats in parliament, with an exit poll suggesting it would capture about 410.

On a humiliating night for Sunak, the Conservatives have so far only won 70 and were predicted to suffer the worst performance in the party's long history with voters punishing them for a cost of living crisis, failing public services, and a series of scandals.

"Tonight, people here and around the country have spoken and they're ready for change, to end the politics of performance, a return to politics as public service," Starmer said after winning his seat in London.

"The change begins right here ... You have voted. It is now time for us to deliver."

Sunak conceded defeat and said he had called Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

"Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides," he said after regaining his seat. "There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss to the many good hardworking Conservative candidates ... I am sorry."

Despite his convincing victory, polls have suggested there is little enthusiasm for Starmer or his party, and he comes to power at a time when the country is facing a series of daunting challenges.

Britain's tax burden is set to hit its highest since just after World War II, net debt is almost equivalent to annual economic output, living standards have fallen, and public services are creaking, especially the much cherished National Health Service which has been dogged by strikes.

He has already had to scale back some of Labour's more ambitious plans, such as its flagship green spending pledges, while he has promised not to raise taxes for "working people."

Much of the heavy damage to the Conservative support was inflicted by the right-wing populist Reform UK party, headed by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, who had campaigned strongly on curbing immigration.

Starmer has promised to scrap the Conservative's controversial policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, but will be under pressure himself to find a solution to stopping tens of thousands of people arriving across the Channel on small boats.

Within the Conservative party, the recriminations and debate over its future direction immediately began, with some saying its failure stemmed from abandoning the centre ground while others argued Reform had won over voters who felt the party had deserted its roots.

Reform captured four seats, with Farage himself finally being elected to parliament at his eighth attempt, and won more votes than the Conservatives across swathes of the country.

"There is a massive gap on the centre right of British politics and my job is to fill it, and that's exactly what I'm going to do," a triumphant Farage said. "Believe me, folks, this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you."

Populist alternative

The rise in support for a populist alternative echoed recent similar results in Europe, where the far right have been surging.

But, unlike France where Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party made historic gains in an election last Sunday, overall the British public has plumped for a centre-left party to bring about change.

Starmer has promised to improve relations with the European Union to resolve issues created by Brexit, just as far-right politicians are enjoying success. However, despite opposing Brexit, rejoining the European Union is not on the table.

He may also have to work with Donald Trump in the United States if he wins November's presidential election, but he has vowed to continue London's unequivocal support for Ukraine.

The election victory would represent an incredible turnaround for Starmer and Labour, which critics and supporters said was facing an existential crisis just three years ago when it appeared to have lost its way after its 2019 drubbing.

But a series of Conservative scandals  most notably revelations of parties in Downing Street during COVID-19 lockdowns  undermined then prime minister Boris Johnson and its commanding poll leads evaporated.

Liz Truss' disastrous six-week premiership, which followed Johnson being forced out at the end of 2022, cemented the decline, and Sunak was unable to make any dent in Labour's now commanding poll lead.

Sunak stunned Westminster and many in his own party by calling the election earlier than he needed to in May with the Conservatives trailing Labour by some 20 points in opinion polls, and his campaign then proved a disaster.

"We deserved to lose. The Conservative Party just appears exhausted and out of ideas," Ed Costello, the chairman of the Grassroots Conservatives organisation, which represents rank-and-file members, told Reuters.

"But it is not all Rishi Sunaks fault. It is Boris Johnson and Liz Truss that have led the party to disaster. Rishi Sunak is just the fall guy." (Reuters)
The Philippines has turned down offers from the United States to assist operations in the South China Sea, after a flare-up with China over missions to resupply Filipino troops on a contested shoal, its military chief said.

Tensions in the disputed waterway have boiled over into violence in the past year, with a Filipino sailor losing a finger in the latest June 17 clash that Manila described as intentional high-speed ramming by the Chinese coast guard.

The US, a treaty ally, has offered support but Manila prefers to handle operations on its own, Armed Forces Chief General Romeo Brawner told Reuters late Thursday.

Yes, of course, they have been offering help and they asked us how they could help us in any way, he said.

We try to exhaust all possible options that we have before we ask for help.

Manila and Washington are bound by the 1951-Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), a military pact that can be invoked in the case of armed attacks on Philippine forces, public vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea.

Confrontations between the Philippines and China in Asia's most contested waters have increased in frequency over the past year as Beijing has pressed its claim to the waterway and Manila continued missions to bring supplies to soldiers living aboard a rusty, aging warship that it grounded on a contested shoal.

Some observers, including former Deputy U.S. National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger, have called for direct U.S. naval support for the resupply missions.

But Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said the Philippines wanted them to be a pure Philippine operation.

This is our legitimate national interest, so we dont see any reason for them (the U.S.) to come in, Ano told Reuters.

Ano, who spoke to his U.S counterpart Jake Sullivan last month to discuss shared concerns over Chinas "dangerous and escalatory actions," said the MDT was far from being invoked.

"We (the Philippines and China) agreed that there will be some easing tension, but we will assert our rights, we will not compromise our national interest, and we will continue to fight and claim what is ours,' Ano said.

Neither official specified what support the U.S. had offered.

Greg Poling, a South China Sea expert at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank, told Reuters he believed the U.S. was open to naval escorts for the resupply missions to the stranded vessel. Washington has already provided some limited support, he said.

A Philippine official said last year Manila was consulting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on how best to stabilise the BRP Sierra Madre, which was grounded on the contested Second Thomas Shoal, Poling said, while U.S. aircraft have been filmed providing overwatch of the ship on multiple occasions.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in 2016 that Beijing's expansive South China Sea claims via its nine-dash line had no basis under international law, but that has not stopped China, which rejects the ruling, from being more assertive in the waterway.

It has deployed coast guard vessels to patrol those areas, alarming the Philippines, rival Southeast Asian claimants and other states operating in the South China Sea, including the U.S., which is wary about China's growing military power and territorial ambition.

Military chief Brawner said the United States' offer of support, made in discussions at his level, was not a direct response to the June 17 incident but rather a reflection of the enduring military alliance between the two countries.

"It is really because of our being treaty allies, so that offer has been available to us for a long time not just because of the incident," Brawner said.

"But we did not ask them yet because as per the orders of our president we have to rely on ourself first."

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Thursday was a federal holiday in Washington for the United States' Independence Day.

While China claims nearly all the South China Sea, a major shipping lane with about $3 trillion in trade passing through it annually, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei also claim parts. (Reuters)
EXO's main vocal Chen is drawing attention for stating that he doesn't purchase coffee from Starbucks.

Following a recent fan event, a video of Chen telling fans, "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to Starbucks" went viral.

At the time, fans present merely responded by laughing, which led Chen to laugh as well. According to fans present at the event, Chen revealed he prefers to brew his own coffee at home instead.

"I'm sorry I am not going to starbucks"



do you know how strong this line is?!

Respect for Chen pic.twitter.com/BAqNuSHGjN July 3, 2024

Chen said he doesn't go to starbucks, he drinks coffee that he brews himself instead  https://t.co/lWRQVQ1Mcy   | Grace  (@Ace_BBH) June 30, 2024

Once the clip made its rounds, international fans were quick to praise Chen for his words. Currently, people worldwide have decided to boycott Starbucks amid the Israel-Palestine conflict. Previously, Starbucks was under fire after they sued their Workers Union after they posted a pro-Palestinian statement on social media, with the Starbucks logo on their post.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kris Wu's Mom Attempts To Discreetly Sell His Car Despite Being in Jail

While Starbucks has since come out and stated that they are not pro-Israel, that has not stopped people from launching a boycott. Starbucks has also denied funding the genocide in Gaza, and the company has no branches in Israel. They are also notably absent from the BDS boycott list, but many have stood their ground and continue to boycott the company anyway due to how they treated pro-Palestine employees.

Many believe Chen's small statement is his way of calling fans to boycott Starbucks and stand in solidarity with Palestine. It was noted by EXO-Ls that ever since the boycott became mainstream, Chen has posted about getting his coffee from local cafes instead of Starbucks.

This was a huge shift, as Chen used to constantly be seen with coffee from the brand.

However, some questioned if that was what his statement actually meant. Those present at the event gave more context to what was happening and revealed Chen was explaining why he won't need to make a nickname to order Starbucks, and it is because he has stopped purchasing from the brand.

I usually try not to read into ppls actions too much, but I can say this: Chen definitely used to drink a lot of starbucks and he goes to cafes a lot, but these days he only posts pics of himself at independent cafes and has given up on sb entirely. it def seems like solidarity https://t.co/dDSkIwj7Na  raixiuu    rest (@raixiuu) July 3, 2024

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: EXO Suho Flexes New Haircut, Eris Faint Over Idol's Charming Look: 'He's Like A 90s Heartthrob'

Still, people have applauded Chen for his words. They stated that even if it was just a new preference, they liked how his choice ultimately stood with the greater good.

For people in the comments, this might be a preference thing but one thing you need to know is hes always been an advocate of human rights, actively engaging in charity work and supporting proper causes https://t.co/XgBKm3GXBF   (@musekchen) July 2, 2024

Previously several K-pop idols have earned the ire of netizens after being seen with Starbucks cups. ENHYPEN's Jake issued an apology earlier this year after he was seen with a Starbucks cup during a live stream. Jeon Somi continues to receive massive backlash after featuring a Starbucks tumbler in a now-deleted TikTok video.

Additionally, LE SSERAFIM's Huh Yunjin garnered intense criticism after being seen drinking Starbucks back in March.

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

CHECK THIS OUT: EXO Baekhyun Leads the Way for Full Group Comeback Amid Rift With SM: 'More Amazing Things Will Happen'

KpopStarz Owns This

Written by Alexa Lopez
Fans are pleading for BLACKPINK's Lisa to not share a photo of her with a product from THIS brand!

On June 28, BLACKPINK's Lisa released her solo comeback music video "ROCKSTAR." While the release has garnered significant attention and achieved notable success, it has not been without its share of controversy.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Did Lisa 'Diss' Jennie & BLACKPINK in 'ROCKSTAR'? Here's Why People Think So

Amid ongoing debates and criticism on social media regarding the song and music video, fans spotted Lisa making an unexpected visit to a Pop Mart store in France, known for its popular designer toys. This seemingly ordinary event sparked a surge of excitement among fans but also caused anxiety among collectors.

Lisa at pop mart france  pic.twitter.com/rStgVDeaes   (@LiLi327TWEET) July 4, 2024

Previously, the fact Lisa bought a toy from Pop Mart led to a dramatic 400% price surge and a rapid sell-out of the product. Given this fact, many social media users expressed concerns in the comments section of her post. Many humorously pleaded with her not to promote any more toys from the brand to avoid further price hikes and shortages.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: IN THE LOOP: 2NE1 Potential Comeback, Red Velvet's 'Cosmic,' BLACKPINK Lisa's 'ROCKSTAR,' More Of K-pop's Hottest THIS Week!

Some even mockingly suggested that she focus more on her music career than her toy collection to prevent their favorite items from becoming too expensive or difficult to purchase.

The frenzy around Lisa's toy preferences began when she shared a photo with The Monsters' Macaron collection, a highly sought-after set from Pop Mart. This post catapulted the already popular Labubu toy into a must-have item, causing prices to skyrocket by up to 400% on various e-commerce platforms.

#LISA with Pop Mart Labubu The Monsters Exciting Macaron ! pic.twitter.com/c6YfQ84avE April 8, 2024

CHECK THIS OUT: BLACKPINK Jennie Draws Attention For Visuals in Bikini - Why Is She Being Compared To Lisa?

The demand was so high that even when the toys sold out, eager fans were still placing high bids to obtain a figure identical to that of their idol, turning Lisas casual hobby into another example of her massive influence!

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

BLACKPINK Lisa's Recent Activities

On June 28, Lisa released her first solo project under LLOUD, "ROCKSTAR." This marks Lisa's first solo release since her solo debut with "LALISA" in 2021. This is also Lisa's first release following her partnership with RCA Records to release her solo music.

IN OTHER BLACKPINK LISA NEWS: Crazy Horse Paris Draws Criticism For Using BLACKPINK Lisa's 'ROCKSTAR' In Recent Video

Lisa is set to make her acting debut as part of the cast for the third season of the popular HBO television series, "The White Lotus." She will be credited under her given name, Lalisa Manobal.

KpopStarz Owns This

Written by Alexa Lopez
BLACKPINK Lisa is being accused of plagiarizing a scene from Travis Scott's music video for "ROCKSTAR" by the director of the male rapper's video.

Following her successful solo debut three years ago with hits like "LALISA" and "MONEY," Lisa has made a splash with her new English single "ROCKSTAR." Her latest release showcases her effort to transcend her K-pop image and gain global recognition. However, "ROCKSTAR" has sparked significant debate and controversy since its drop.

Lisas venture into the American market has been riddled with challenges, starting with her concept photos, which drew accusations of cultural appropriation due to her decision to tan her skin. Additionally, her lyrics have been slammed for being shallow and awkward.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Did Lisa 'Diss' Jennie & BLACKPINK in 'ROCKSTAR'? Here's Why People Think So

Now, Lisa has found herself embroiled in a plagiarism scandal.

The controversy was caused by a scene in her music video featuring Lisa with 100 look-alike dancers dressed in white. It was soon pointed out that this particular scene was mirroring the aesthetics of Travis Scott's "FE!N" music video, which was released on March 31, 2024. This is notably three months before Lisa released "ROCKSTAR."

This similarities have fueled allegations of Lisa copying Travis Scott's work, with word quickly spreading on social media.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: BLACKPINK Jennie Draws Attention For Visuals in Bikini - Why Is She Being Compared To Lisa?

On July 4, Gabriel Moses, the director of Scotts "FE!N" music video, took to Instagram to address the plagiarism claims. He posted comparative shots of both music videos and shared a screenshot of an email complaint about Lisa's video, criticizing the inclusion of black culture themes in her work in a rather negative tone.

While Lisa's fans have fiercely defended her, arguing that the concept is not unique to hip-hop music videos and cannot definitively be considered plagiarism, the general public does not seem to agree.

A closer look reveals that Lisa's video and Scotts music video share numerous similarities, including the arrangement of the dancers and the aesthetic, with both videos predominantly featuring white backgrounds and a focus on Asian dancers. These similarities are hard to overlook and suggest possible plagiarism.

CHECK THIS OUT: Crazy Horse Paris Draws Criticism For Using BLACKPINK Lisa's 'ROCKSTAR' In Recent Video

The response from the American creative community, which often takes intellectual property issues seriously, implies potential legal issues for Lisa if the accusations escalate. Gabriel Moses' comments have brought more attention to the situation, with the hip-hop community on social media echoing his criticisms.

As of writing, Lisa's agency LLOUD has not responded to the allegations.

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

KpopStarz Owns This

Written by Alexa Lopez
China hopes that the EU will work with it in the same direction and show sincerity in advancing the consultation concerning the EU's anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday.

The consultation should be based on facts and rules and should result in a solution that is acceptable for both sides as soon as possible, MOC spokesperson He Yadong said at a press briefing.

"So far, China and the EU have held multiple rounds of consultation at the technical level. There is still a four-month window before a final decision is made," He said.

China has repeatedly expressed strong opposition to the EU's anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs. China believes that economic and trade frictions must be properly handled through dialogue and consultation, He said.

The ministry's update on this matter came after the two sides agreed to start consultation following talks between Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis via a video link on June 22.

Last month, the European Commission unveiled plans to impose provisional tariffs on imports of Chinese EVs. The move, widely criticized as protectionist, unveiled additional duty rates ranging from 17.4 percent to 38.1 percent for Chinese EV makers despite widespread market concerns and China's objections.

China has noticed that governments of some EU member states and major automobile companies have repeatedly voiced opposition to the EU's anti-subsidy measures against Chinese EVs, the MOC spokesperson said.

"China hopes that the EU will listen to the voices within the bloc, carry out negotiations with China rationally and pragmatically, and avoid countervailing measures that harm the mutually beneficial cooperation and shared growth of Chinese and European auto industries," He said.

On Wednesday, the German Association of the Automotive Industry said the planned tariffs against China-made EVs would be counterproductive for Europe's climate goals and harmful to its industry and consumers.

The association has warned that Western car manufacturers in China would also be affected by the tariffs initiated by the EU, in some cases even worse than Chinese companies.
After months of investigations, former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro has finally been indicted formally over the Saudi diamonds scandal, where he is accused of misappropriating jewelry he received while head of state, as well as other luxury gifts given to him by the government of Saudi Arabia.

This is the second time that Bolsonaro, known as the "Trump of the Tropics," has been indicted of a crime. Back in March, he was charged over forgiving his COVID-19 vaccine records. He may be following in the footsteps of the actual Donald Trump as he also may be facing insurrection-related charges for his part in the January 8 Brasilia riots, considered the January 6 of Brazil.

While he was still the president of Brazil, the Saudi Arabian government gave jewelry made by Chopard of Switzerland. They were valued at $3.2 million and included a diamond necklace, ring, watch, and earrings, according to Reuters.

However, as soon as the jewels arrived back in Brazil, customs officials at Sao Paulo's international airport seized the jewelry back in October 2021. It was found in the backpack of a government aide returning from Riyadh. This led to an investigation request from President Lula, Bolsonaro's top political rival and successor.

Lula had called Bolsonaro's actions "smuggling" and wanted the investigation to cover not just the former president, but also one of his then-ministers, former mines and energy minister Bento Albuquerque. It was his aide who was arrested when he returned home from Riyadh.

That aide, identified as aide-de-camp Mauro Cid, was also allegedly involved in selling jewelry. Charges were also brought against Bolsonaro's lawyer, Frederick Wassef, and his spokesperson, Fabio Wajngarten.

READ MORE: Brazil Police Say They Might Conclude 3 Jair Bolsonaro Probes By July

Jair Bolsonaro Continues to Deny Wrongdoing in Saudi Diamonds Scandal

The man known as the "Trump of the Tropics" is also employing tactics used by the actual Donald Trump, as he denies any wrongdoing despite the evidence, as well as calling the investigation against him political persecution, even though there is evidence against him.

Police say Bolsonaro also managed to sell two of the luxury watches he received as gifts from Saudi Arabia. The sale amounted to nearly $70,000. According to the Associated Press, Brazilian citizens are required to declare goods worth more than $1,000 if they arrive by plane. After they are declared, a tax payment equal to 50% of the item's value must be paid. Bolsonaro never paid anything for this diamond jewelry from Saudi Arabia.

Jair Bolsonaro Vaccine Scandal Investigation Enters New Stage

Meanwhile, Bolsonaro's other official indictment, the vaccine scandal, seems to be moving forward as well. According to The Brazilian Report, Brazil's Federal Police have announced they executed two search and seizure warrants regarding the case. These were implemented in Rio de Janeiro and Duque de Caxias.

These searches involved Bolsonaro transportation secretary Washington Reis and Duque de Caxias municipal health secretary Celia Serrano. A Federal Police report noted that Reis was still the mayor of Duque de Caxias, and he ordered Serrano to falsify public vaccine records.

READ MORE: Brazil Police Officially Open Investigation Into Jair Bolsonaro Stay at Hungarian Embassy

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Jair Bolsonaro under scanner over undeclared jewels given by Saudis | Latest English News | WION
Hurricane Beryl, which wreaked havoc across the eastern Caribbean and left at least nine people dead, weakened as it moved over open water toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday.

Initially, the storm was the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic. It had downgraded to Category 2 by the afternoon, according to AP News.

Jack Beven, a senior hurricane professional at the US Hurricane Center, indicated that Beryl's potential landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula is now the most pressing threat.

"The biggest immediate threat now that the storm is moving away from the Cayman Islands is landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula," Beven stated.

By Thursday afternoon, the storm's center was about 215 miles (345 kilometers) east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico. Beryl had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 20 mph (31 kph).

The storm was anticipated to bring heavy rain and moderate winds to Mexico's Caribbean coast before crossing the Yucatan and restrengthening in the Gulf of Mexico, potentially making a second strike on northeast Mexico.

READ NEXT: Hurricane Beryl Upgrades to Category 5, Targets Jamaica After Caribbean Devastation

Hurricane Beryl's Aftermath in the Caribbean

Hurricane Beryl caused significant damage in the Caribbean, destroying 95% of homes on two islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, upending boats in Barbados, and tearing roofs off in Jamaica.

The Cayman Islands felt its impact early Thursday while Mexico's Caribbean coast prepared extensively.

Shelters were ready, coastal communities evacuated, and sea turtle eggs relocated, Aljazeera reports.

In Playa del Carmen, businesses closed and boarded up windows. Tulum authorities shut down hotels and evacuated the area.

By Thursday afternoon, gusts hit Tulum's beaches, and tourists were urged to leave.

In Kingston, Jamaica, heavy rain and strong winds posed severe threats, especially to farmland. About 65% of Jamaican energy provider JPS customers lost power. Significant roof loss, house destruction, and blocked roads were reported.

King Charles III expressed sadness over the destruction, and the UN unlocked $4 million for recovery efforts in Jamaica, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness thanked responders and good Samaritans for their help during the crisis.

Devastation and Response to Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl stunned meteorologists with its rapid intensification, escalating from a tropical depression to a major hurricane in 42 hours. It devastated the southern Windward Islands, claiming at least 11 lives and causing widespread damage.

In Jamaica, one fatality occurred when a tree fell on a home in Hanover parish, BBC noted. Hundreds sought refuge in shelters, with Prime Minister Andrew Holness ensuring ample supplies.

The Cayman Islands faced destructive winds and life-threatening storm surges, prompting a Hurricane Warning. Premier Julianna O'Connor-Connolly urged residents to secure properties and stock up on essentials.

Meanwhile, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves reported that 90% of homes on Union Island were destroyed and the airport suffered severe damage.

Grenada and Carriacou suffered similarly, with buildings flattened and fatalities reported.

As Hurricane Beryl moved towards the Gulf of Mexico, preparations intensified in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, including popular tourist spots like Cancun.

The storm's trajectory and intensity remained under close observation, with authorities readying for potential impacts in the region.

READ MORE: Jamaica Braces for Hurricane Beryl Amid Rising Caribbean Death Toll

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: Hurricane Beryl pounds Jamaica, churns toward Mexico - From CBC News: The National
A week after the coup d'etat in Bolivia failed. the country is now falling into chaos as citizens are confused about the allegations that the coup itself may have been a ploy by President Luis Arce to stay in power and boost his popularity before the 2025 elections where he will face deposed former president Evo Morales.

Before the coup, Arce's popularity had been diminishing thanks to fuel shortages, increased costs of living, and mass protests. After the coup, citizens rallied around Arce after former top military commander, Juan Jose Zuniga attempted the coup.

However, the confusion and conspiracy theories began when right before Zuniga was arrested, the former commander of Bolivia's Army claimed without evidence that it was Arce himself who planned the coup to save his diminishing popularity as his showdown with Evo Morales was approaching.

As France 24 noted, the coup itself has left more questions than answers Because of the former general's claims, opponents of the Arce administration have called it a "self-coup" or a "political show," with Morales jumping in on the issue and slamming his former ally and current rival and also alleging that the coup was fake all along.

While many citizens have come in to rally around Arce, the reports that the coup was planned by the president to boost his sagging popularity have only earned more mistrust in the government amid sky-high prices and costs of living, with many just accusing the Arce government of putting on an act so it could stay in power.

Bolivia President Luis Arce Ties Failed Coup to Lithium Interests

Meanwhile, as his opponents are painting the coup as an act, Bolivia President Luis Arce himself has denied these allegations and tied the attempted coup d'etat to Bolivia's lithium wealth, citing external and national interests that are seeking to control it.

READ MORE: Bolivia Ex-President Evo Morales Accuses Successor Luis Arce of Being Behind Failed Coup

As PV Magazine noted, these echo claims from former President Morales that US interests in the Bolivian lithium sector and its rare earth resources are driving interest in the country. It was also pointed out that these claims lacked proof as these often only stem from speculations surrounding US statements regarding Bolivia, as well as comments from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and several military officials.

Despite the lagging economy, Bolivia is rich in natural resources and rare earth minerals. The country currently holds approximately 23% of global lithium reserves and is already pursuing industrialization through technologies like direct lithium extraction (EDL) and evaporation methods.

Accounts from Arrested Bolivia Coup Plotters Fueling Conspiracy Theories

As for the conspiracy theories being generated by the coup, accounts and comments from the many military officers arrested are actually helping fuel them.

Among these conspiracy theories came from the former commander of the Bolivian Air Force, Gen. Marcelo Zegarra, who told prosecutors that the leader of the coup, Zuniga, had support from three diplomatic missions in La Paz, particularly the US, the EU, and Libya.

The Associated Press noted that the African nation has no embassy in Bolivia. Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that she has already seen "false allegations" and wanted "to make sure it's clear that the United States had no involvement in this."

READ MORE: Bolivia Coup: President Luis Arce Denies Rumors He Planned Coup To Help Sagging Popularity

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Failed coup in Bolivia sees government supporters defend square from tanks and troops - Guardian News
President Joe Biden, in a candid moment with Democratic governors at the White House on Wednesday, unveiled a new strategy aimed at maintaining his stamina and focus amid mounting campaign pressures.

Sources privy to the meeting revealed Biden's intention to curtail late-night engagements, emphasizing the need for adequate rest as he prepares to confront the upcoming electoral challenges.

Initial reports by The New York Times highlighted Biden's efforts to reassure over twenty state leaders about his capability to defeat former President Donald Trump and effectively govern for another term.

However, his disclosure left some participants frustrated, contributing to mixed sentiments among Democratic ranks regarding his leadership and campaign approach.

The White House chose not to comment immediately on Biden's statements, while a campaign aide defended his rigorous schedule, pointing out his commitment to both campaign activities and official duties.

This contrasted with past administrations, underscoring Biden's approach to balancing responsibilities.

READ NEXT: Tom Harkin, Longtime Senate Colleague of Joe Biden, Calls for 'New Candidate' After Debate Setback

Lighter Moments Amid Tension

Adding a touch of humor during the meeting, Joe Biden quipped, "I'm fine, I don't know about my brain, though," according to CNN.

This remark, clarified by his campaign chair as a jest followed by a serious commitment to his presidential aspirations, aimed to ease tensions amid growing concerns over his health and performance.

In the aftermath of a lackluster performance in a recent CNN debate, calls from within the Democratic Party for Biden to reconsider his candidacy have intensified.

The administration's attempts to manage the fallout from the debate have been marked by conflicting explanations, fueling doubts about Biden's ability to endure the demands of another term.

Despite private reservations expressed during meetings, Democratic governors Wes Moore of Maryland, Kathy Hochul of New York, and Tim Walz of Minnesota publicly voiced confidence in Biden's leadership.

They dismissed doubts about his health and effectiveness, presenting a unified front amid internal discussions within the party.

Persistent Health Concerns

Persistent questions about Joe Biden's health have been exacerbated by reports of increased lapses in his mental acuity.

The administration attributed his debate performance to jet lag and fatigue, prompting heightened scrutiny over his readiness to lead for another term.

While Biden has asserted his determination to continue his campaign, internal discussions among Democratic governors revealed varying levels of confidence in his candidacy, Fox News reports.

Despite behind-the-scenes deliberations, none have openly advocated for his withdrawal from the race, highlighting ongoing uncertainties about his political future.

Conflicting reports surrounding recent Biden medical checkup have added to the media scrutiny and internal Democratic deliberations.

Initial reports suggested recent checkups, only to be contradicted by subsequent statements from the White House, contributing to speculation and criticism.

The fallout from Joe Biden's debate performance has spurred heightened media scrutiny and discussions within the Democratic Party about potential alternative candidates.

Speculations about replacements at the Democratic National Convention underscore the uncertainties surrounding Biden's candidacy and the party's future direction.

READ MORE: Democrats Call for Joe Biden to Step Aside in Favor of Kamala Harris

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: Biden tells Democratic governors he needs more sleep, will stop having late events - From CNN
It is no secret that Donald Trump was once close friends with the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. However, newly-released documents have shed more light on that friendship, especially as Trump himself had been named on that infamous Epstein list.

The newly-released court records were from Florida prosecutor Alexander Acosta's deal with Epstein, which were revealed after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that allowed the release of the documents regarding the cases involving Epstein in the state.

According to The Times of India, transcripts have shown that Donald Trump called his friend multiple times from 2004 to 2006, showing that the two controversial figures did forge a close relationship before Trump became president and before Epstein's child sex trafficking scandal was even discovered. These records were then sealed in 2008.

Prior to marrying Melania in January 2005, Trump was calling Jeffrey Epstein in 2004 on the regular.



We see Donalds phone messages in the West Palm Beach indictment of Epstein, released today. His messages are in between girls calling to confirm massage appointments and pic.twitter.com/eUeTWLq0lZ July 2, 2024

The newly-released phone records have shown that before marrying Melania in 2005, the two were constantly calling one another on a regular basis in 2004. The messages reportedly happened in between girls calling to confirm "massage" appointments.

The Epstein phone records showed that the pair were messaging each other at the same time Epstein was messaging disgraced modeling agent Jean Luc Brunel, who was one of the people who recruited young underaged girls for the Epstein sex trafficking ring.

READ MORE: Jeffrey Epstein List: Whose Names Appear on the New Unsealed Documents?

Donald Trump Accused of Forcing Young Girls of Performing Lewd Acts

Aside from his links to a well-known pedophile being exposed even further, Donald Trump is now also being accused of forcing young girls to "perform lesbian sex acts." This was revealed in a post on X that has already amassed over 17 million views.

It showed a document unrelated to the Esptein documents and it showed an anonymous plaintiff using the name "Katie Johnson" accusing Trump of such during the lead-up to the 2016 election. It was filed in Riverside, California, in April 2016, and it named Trump and Epstein as the plaintiffs.

Newsweek reported that the two infamous sexual abusers men held Johnson as a "sex slave" in 1994 when she was 13 and forced her to perform sex acts. However, the case was dismissed later that year because the complaint didn't raise valid claims under federal law. With the Epstein case now coming into light, many are now speculating that this may be legitimate.

Florida Judge Called Jeffrey Epstein the 'Most Infamous Pedophile in American History'

Meanwhile, Circuit Judge Luis Delgado, the same judge who ordered the release of the new Epstein documents, stated in his opinion that "The details in the record will be outrageous to decent people."

"The testimony taken by the Grand Jury concerns activity ranging from grossly unacceptable to rape - all of the conduct at issue is sexually deviant, disgusting, and criminal," he added. Transcripts also showed that he even noted that y Epstein was "the most infamous pedophile in American history."

"For almost 20 years, the story of how Jeffrey Epstein victimized some of Palm Beach County's most vulnerable has been the subject of much anger and has at times diminished the public's perception of the criminal justice system," he said in his order.

READ MORE: Jeffrey Epstein Case: Florida Prosecutors Knew He Raped Teen Girls, Newly-Released Transcripts Show

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Katie Johnson's full testimony of 2/11/16 - Scott Dybiec
A rich white couple from West Virginia shocked the nation as it was discovered that they kept several black children that they adopted as slaves. The couple allegedly confined them to a shed with no running water and forced them to do manual labor.

Donald Ray Lantz, 63, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62, allegedly adopted five black children 6, 9, 11, 14, and 16. They were allegedly forced to work on the couple's farm and were treated much like the African slaves were back in the Civil War, living in squalid conditions and not even allowed to go to school.

When police arrived, they discovered two of the teens locked inside a filthy shed, with both of them wearing dirty clothes and smelled of body odor. According to MSN, both minors also had open sores on their bare feet.

Inside the shed, police found that it only had a small RV porta-potty but no lights or running water. It also showed no beds and that the children were forced to sleep on the concrete floor. Despite this, the white West Virginia couple, who were noted for their wealth by their neighbors, denied any wrongdoing.

As for the other children, the 9-year-old girl was found by the police in the main residence, while the two others were found with Lantz and a church acquaintance. It is alleged that the couple chose to adopt black children to keep as slaves because of their race, as noted by Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers.

"The adopted children were exploited as slaves due to their race," said the judge, who set a trial date for the wealthy West Virginia couple on September 9, 2024. "It is one of the worst I've ever seen."

READ MORE: Nebraska Shooting: White Man Targets 7 Guatemalan Immigrant Neighbors in Possible Racist Attack

West Virginia Couple Faces Child Neglect, Human Trafficking Charges

Initially, Lantz and Whitefeather were released by Judge Akers on a bail bond of $200,000 each. They were able to pay and were subsequently released from jail back in February. However, with this newly released evidence, the judge more than doubled the bond, raising it to $500,000 each, with prosecutors alleging that "this money was made from (the children's) forced labor."

In her newly-released filing, the couple denied any child abuse accusations and claimed that "the children loved being in the barn, which they called a 'clubhouse.'"

According to Rolling Out, the charges the West Virginia couple faces include human trafficking of a minor child, use of a minor child in forced labor, and child neglect creating a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death.

What Neighbors Have Reported Regarding the West Virginia Slavery Case

Meanwhile, the neighbors have reported that the five children "endured severe mistreatment at the hands of the couple," noting that "they were compelled to work and were not permitted inside the home. Instead, they were allegedly forced to sleep on concrete floors without mattresses, endured inadequate food supplies, faced inhumane bathroom conditions, and suffered injuries."

As for the children right now, Kanawha County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Krivonyak proposed that a trust fund be set up for them.

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: EXPOSED: W Virginia Couple Adopted Black Kids & Used Them As SLAVES | The Kyle Kulinski Show - Secular Talk
UPDATE: Sky Zone Trampoline Park officially opened Wednesday, Aug. 7 in the former FreeFall Trampoline Park space at 2800 Baglyos Circle in Bethlehem Township, according to Gregory Schmatz, vice president of operations for parent Tabula Rasa Holdings. New features being added include an arcade. Visit skyzone.com/easton for more information.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: A new owner announced plans Friday to reopen the FreeFall Trampoline Park that closed suddenly last month.

Tabula Rasa Holdings is acquiring the business and lease for the 2800 Baglyos Circle facility in Bethlehem Township, Vice President of Operations Gregory Schmatz told lehighvalleylive.com.

Itll become the companys 18th Sky Zone Trampoline Parks location, Schmatz said. Tabula Rasa also owns and plans to continue operating Sky Zone Bethlehem at the Westgate Mall.

We are going to operate as Sky Zone Easton, Schmatz said. Were going to make a good investment and bring new attractions in.

FreeFall, which abruptly closed June 11, and Sky Zone Bethlehem had been competitors but worked together, Schmatz said.

Plans are in the works to reopen July 15, and Sky Zone is bringing over the Bethlehem general manager, Ann Ruff, to operate Sky Zone Easton, Schmatz said.

Visitors can expect the facility to be in transition as its rebranded, with Schmatz expecting itll take six or seven months to bring in new attractions.

He said staff plan to be in the former FreeFall on Monday to go through employee records with an eye toward offering them new employment opportunities.

Following the FreeFall closure, Mike McCreary, owner of HangDog Outdoor Adventure in Williams Township and Lehigh Valley Grand Prix in Bethlehem, said June 28 he had hired two members of the displaced management team there to work for him. Malikah Younger is now a director for HangDog and the Grand Prix, responsible for event sales, with her sister, Zyhera Younger, hired to help manage and coordinate group events at both locations.

Investor Roger Duncans Ex Nihilo Capital established Tabula Rasa in 2017, and it operates Sky Zone locations across 10 states. Founded in 2004, Sky Zone owns, operates and franchises over 270 parks.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
Several railcars came off the tracks Friday afternoon along the Lehigh River trestle below Route 378 in Bethlehem.

There were no injuries, and all the cars involved were nonhazardous, Heather Garcia, spokeswoman for railroad operator Norfolk Southern Corp., told lehighvalleylive.com.

A total of four cars derailed in the incident about 2:40 p.m., she said. All of the derailed cars were reported to be empty, the Bethlehem Fire Department said in a news release.

Two cars on the 125-car train did contain hazardous materials but were remote from the derailed cars, city fire officials stated: No hazardous material cars were derailed or damaged, and there were no leaks or spills.

The train derailment occurred beneath the Route 378 Hill to Hill Bridge in the city, on the southern side of the river trestle.

There was no impact to vehicular traffic in the area immediately apparent, including on Route 378. Nor was there any impact to the river, fire officials said.

Emergency responders with Bethlehem were at the scene and working with Norfolk Southern, according to emergency radio broadcasts.

Several cars are involved in a train derailment the afternoon of Friday, July 5, 2024, along the Lehigh River trestle below Route 378 in Bethlehem.Nick Falsone | For lehighvalleylive.com

The incident is in the area of another derailment that occurred Sept. 27, 2022, affecting three of 172 rail cars passing through the city.

A more serious Norfolk Southern derailment in March just east of Bethlehem in Lower Saucon Township along the Lehigh River caused an estimated $2.5 million in damage and sent all seven crew members involved to the hospital, federal investigators said.

Editors note: This article was updated with information from Norfolk Southern Corp. and the Bethlehem Fire Department.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein contributed to this report. Reach him at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
Its been more than 50 years since passenger trains ferried travelers from Scranton to New York City, and many in Northeast Pennsylvania had given up hope that a rail line would ever return. But funding from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law may finally bring back passenger trains to run between the Electric City and the Big Apple.

Were at the point where its ours to lose, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-8th District), told the Capital-Star.

As U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.)  one of the rail lines biggest boosters campaigned in Scranton this week, the chances that the region will see a return of its rail line seem brighter than ever.

When the U.S. Senate voted to pass the $1.2 trillion package in August 2021, Casey voted in favor, while then-U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) voted against it. In the lower chamber, every Democrat in Pennsylvanias U.S. House delegation, plus Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-1st District), voted in favor of the bill.

As Casey seeks a fourth term in office, hes often touted the passage of the infrastructure bill and the impact he believes it will have across the Keystone State during his campaign.

Given the Casey familys longtime presence in Scranton, its perhaps not surprising that Sen. Casey has been a supporter of reestablishing the rail line for several years. Back in 2008, Casey sent a letter with then-Sens. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), and Democrats Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer of New York describing why the rail line would be crucial for the region.

There is strong interest among local residents in Binghamton and Scranton who would take advantage of this new service between the cities and also use it to ultimately gain access to New York City, the lawmakers wrote in the 2008 letter. Additionally, with this new service, more business and leisure travelers from New York City would be able to access the many assets that Binghamton and Scranton have to offer and tap into the local economy for new economic development opportunities.

Casey has spent the years since continuing to urge other lawmakers to support the project, which is separate from an effort in the Lehigh Valley to explore restoring passenger rail service between either New York City or Philadelphia.

He sounded cautiously optimistic during a brief conversation June 17 with the Capital-Star, but noted that the project wasnt yet in the final stages of getting the funding

Were going to keep pushing it. We know the initial commitment has been made, but we still have a lot of work to do to make sure that funding is targeted for that project, Casey said. I want to see a commitment made in the next year.

But if Caseys Republican challenger David McCormick wins the election in November, the future of the Scranton rail line isnt guaranteed. McCormick said earlier this year hed vote to repeal the bipartisan infrastructure law funding the project.

On Feb. 13, McCormick participated in a roundtable discussion on trade practices in Northeast Pennsylvania. During the discussion, GOP Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak mentioned the potential impact of the train.

This is a big push with Senator Casey, is the train coming to town from New York City, Chermak said, adding he thought it would be a boost to the economy somewhat, but was concerned the train would bring New York City issues to the area.

Its going to change life as we know it here, Chermak added.

McCormick didnt directly endorse or oppose the proposed rail line, saying he didnt know the facts, the pros and cons.

And by the way, the fact that many jobs now have become more remote is incredibly advantageous to a place like Pennsylvania and this particular area, which is wonderful and beautiful and people want to live here, McCormick added.

McCormick told the Capital-Star in a June 14 email that while he wants to invest in infrastructure, he doesnt agree with the way the Biden administration has gone about it.

Im a strong supporter of investing in hard infrastructure to update our transportation networks and expand broadband access, McCormick said in a statement to the Capital-Star. Biden and Casey held these investments hostage  wrapping them up with pork to further their extreme climate agenda. This project could be accomplished without billions for EV charging stations and a Green New Deal slush fund.

Elected Democrats in the region said they have heard concerns from some constituents about the train, but ultimately the overall reaction has been positive.

Sure, change is scary, Cartwright said. But I submit that this is a change that is not very scary at all for northeastern Pennsylvania.

The rail line had already existed for 100 years between metropolitan New York City and Scranton, he noted.

State Rep. Kyle Mullins (D-Lackawanna), who also serves on the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee, said he didnt share Chermaks concerns about the train bringing New York issues to Scranton.

There is nothing right now really stopping a good or bad influence because of that proximity, Mullins told the Capital-Star. A train will not be some new problematic artery for our region.

State Sen. Marty Flynn, Minority Chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee and lifelong resident of Northeast Pennsylvania, described the concern from Chermak as very close minded, echoing a similar point from Mullins.

The Democrats also said the rail line would help alleviate traffic congestion on I-80, encourage more travel, and draw remote workers to relocate to the region.

With comparatively low costs of living, northeast Pennsylvania has become an attractive place to live for workers in New York and north Jersey. That has contributed to some of the longest commuting times in Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average commute is about 39 minutes in Monroe County and nearly 44 minutes in neighboring Pike County.

If the current proposal becomes reality, passengers could travel between the two cities in less than three hours at speeds of up to 110 mph.

A Super-railroad

The rail corridor from Hoboken, N.J., to Scranton was constructed as part of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroads (DL&W) 400-mile main line that continued to Buffalo, N.Y.

The stretch across rural northwest New Jersey, known as the Lackawanna Cut Off, was billed as a super-railroad when it opened, according to a history of the line by rail advocate Walsh. Completed in 1911, the rail line carried passengers and freight until the 1970s.

Using cutting-edge construction techniques to level hills and valleys and straighten curves, trains were able to run at more than 80 mph, an impressive speed for the time. It also boasted a valley-spanning viaduct that was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world.

The line last carried passengers in 1970, and after the final freight rolled through in 1979, efforts to preserve it began immediately. But restoring service on the line faced decades of economic and political hurdles.

In the 1980s, Conrail, the government-owned railroad that acquired the DL&Ws bankrupt successor, stymied efforts by the Monroe County Rail Authority to purchase the Pennsylvania section of the rail line. On the New Jersey side of the river, Conrail scrapped the tracks and sold the right-of-way to developers.

It took until 2001 for Pennsylvania and New Jersey authorities to acquire their respective sections of the railroad. That year, New Jersey Transit paid $21 million for the 28-mile right-of-way in New Jersey. The predecessors of Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority (PNRRA) had earlier purchased the 60 miles of track between Scranton and Delaware Water Gap for about $10 million.

But even with the railroad in the hands of government agencies that supported the passenger rail restoration project, progress would be slow.

The challenge has always been to obtain the funding necessary to do this, said Chuck Walsh, president of the North Jersey Rail Commuter Association, who has been an advocate of restoring passenger service on the line since the 1980s.

It was Specter who secured the first federal funding for the project in 2003, with $2 million to conduct the preliminary engineering. And although the project also drew political support from Casey and Schumer, the next major advance came in 2008, when New Jersey approved $61 million in federal and state funding to extend existing commuter rail service seven miles closer to Scranton on the Lackawanna Cut Off.

Work on that section, including the rehabilitation of a tunnel and construction of a new station is underway and New Jersey Transit service on the restored section is expected to begin in 2026.

That development has helped to overcome the psychological hurdle of believing the restoration of passenger service is possible, Walsh said.

You have to get used to the idea that you can reactivate an abandoned line, Walsh said. That is something that virtually never happens.

PNRRA President Larry Malski pressed that point as he spoke to members of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee last year and requested continued funding from the state Legislature. The federal government, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have already spent more than $94.5 million on acquisition and construction.

This is not only a shovel ready infrastructure project, but actually a shovel in the ground infrastructure project that will pay back major economic development, transportation alternative and tourism and recreation benefits to northeastern Pennsylvania and the commonwealth for many generations to come, Malski said in his prepared testimony.

Potential economic impact

A March 2023 study conducted by Amtrak projected rail service between Scranton and New York could generate $84 million in economic activity, while serving just under 475,000 riders annually.

Cartwright told the Capital-Star that the project has been his top priority since he was elected to Congress in 2012. Shortly after being sworn in, Cartwright said he had conversations with PNRRA officials Malski, Dominic Keating, and Bob Hay.

Like Casey, he also spent the following years whipping up support for the project among his colleagues, including in May 2021 when he founded the Lackawanna Cutoff Rail Restoration Caucus with inaugural members U.S. Reps. Susan Wild (D-7th District), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ).

Cartwright also credited Gov. Josh Shapiros commitment to the project. He said Shapiro agreed to provide $125 million in local-match funds, have PennDOT author the application to the Federal Railroad Administration, and co-sponsor it along with New Jersey Transit.

In December 2023, the project took another step forward with the Federal Railroad Administration (FDA) including Northeastern Pennsylvania in its Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program.

We are supremely confident that this line will get the go ahead and that sometime probably by mid to late 2028, you will see Amtrak trains turning around in Scranton, Cartwright told the Capital-Star. Therell be three round trips a day to begin with and I expect that to expand because theyre going to find out very, very rapidly that these trains will sell out.

Rob Bresnahan, Republican candidate for the 8th Congressional District, holds a different point of view about the bipartisan infrastructure funding for the potential rail service.

Nearly one-quarter of all bridges in Congressman Cartwrights district are rated as structurally deficient, Bresnahan wrote in an email to the Capital-Star, citing a report from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). We should address the existing infrastructure problems in our district well before any conversations about creating once-a-day train routes to midtown Manhattan.

Malski, of the PNRRA, left a corporate position with an upstate New York railroad in the mid-1980s to work for local government in northeast Pennsylvania as a consultant on preserving rail lines. In what he called dark times for railroads, he and political leaders weathered a lot of criticism for spending tax money on abandoned lines.

If you dont save them before they are completely ripped up and sold youll never have those as corridors for commerce, Malski said. The existence of freight rail service in Monroe and Lackawanna counties has resulted in 20 new manufacturing sites in the region, including a flour mill that receives shipments of grain by rail from North and South Dakota, Malski said.

Its the kind of industry that we desperately need in Pennsylvania because we lost so much, Malski said.

Passenger service would add to the regions prosperity by connecting it with one of the worlds financial capitals and by providing access for tourists to the Poconos attractions, Malski added.

When the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed  we tried to jump in as quickly as we could, Malski said, noting that Amtrak has endorsed Scranton to New York as a top choice for new service because the route is 100% publicly owned.

And despite McCormicks threats to repeal the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, Cartwright said he isnt concerned about the law being overturned noting a filibuster proof majority would be needed for it to happen.

Currently, 51 Senators caucus with the Democratic Party, while 49 Senators caucus with the Republican Party. For the law to be overturned, two-thirds of the U.S. Senate would have to agree. In 2021, 69 Senators voted in favor of the law.

Remember, this was a law that attracted good support from both sides of the aisle to begin with, Cartwright said. So to think that kind of spitefulness could take root in the next Congress and the next administration, I think thats thats fanciful.

And fears about what the rail line might bring to the area are mostly unfounded, he added.

This is not scary, Cartwright said. This is Northeastern Pennsylvania coming back.
Pennsylvania State Police charged a New Jersey man with homicide by vehicle and related counts in a March 2022 crash on Route 33 that killed three members of a family.

Nelson Segura, 34, of Oak Ridge, had metabolites of marijuana use in his blood and was determined by a state police Drug Recognition Expert to be impaired by the drug immediately following the collision, according to court records.

State police at Belfast responded to the two-vehicle crash about 1:25 a.m. March 24, 2022, on Route 33 North at mile 11.9 in Bushkill Township.

Troopers found the front end of a 2007 Freightliner tractor truck in the backseat area of a passenger vehicle, according to the court records outlining allegations against Segura. Three motorists were entrapped in the passenger vehicle and showed no signs of life, police said.

The Northampton County Coroners Office pronounced dead at the scene, due to injuries from the crash, driver Alexis Robinson, 39; her husband, Darrell Robinson, 42; and their daughter, 16-year-old Tahlia Robinson. Darrell Robinson was a front-seat passenger in the Toyota RAV4, and Tahlia Robinson was in the backseat. The family was from Blakeslee in the Pocono Mountains, and their deaths were ruled accidental.

Segura told police about 1:35 a.m. he was driving north on Route 33 and came upon the Robinsons vehicle stopped on the highway and did not have time to stop, court records say; he hit the brakes and the truck slid.

Police wrote that they seized Seguras cellphone and observed his eyes were bloodshot, and that he was displaying nervous behavior in regard to a criminal investigation with this crash.

Troopers given consent to search the vehicle found tobacco removed from a blunt cigar shell, and following the execution of a search warrant discovered a cigar within the cab of the truck that tested positive for the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana THC, court records say.

Drug Recognition Expert Cpl. Thomas Geerlof evaluated Segura and determined he believed Segura was impaired, the court documents say. A blood test about 4:52 a.m. turned up evidence of THC in Seguras system, according to police.

Following their investigation, Segura was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Alicia Rose Zito on three counts of homicide by vehicle, along with two counts of driving under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, careless driving, driving without insurance and restrictions on alcoholic beverages.

Segura was released on $250,000 unsecured bail and faces a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled July 25 to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send the charges toward trial in the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas.

Reached for comment by lehighvalleylive.com, Segura deferred to his attorney, Theodore Skaarup, who called the incident tragic but said he believes his client is being overcharged given the circumstances.

Northampton County First Assistant District Attorney Bob Eyer on Friday responded: The charges that were filed are based on the evidence.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
Most of the old barn houses and stone buildings on Route 22 that mark the one-time headquarters of the Gramana Dairy Farm would be preserved if all sides agree, said Pohatcong Mayor David Slack.

The new owners of the property have been having conversations with the historic preservation people. The old houses and barn would need to be split off from the rest of the property. The township will support this, they mayor told lehighvalleylive.com in June.

One house with little historic value would likely be slated for demolition, he said, but the stone house would likely be saved. The stone home had been irreparably damaged by neglect and infestation and was destined for demolition also, officials said in May.

The Pohatcong Historical Commission would like to see Greek Developers donate the historic site with a monetary contribution to the township for use by the nonprofit Pohatcong History and Heritage Society for future preservation, said Councilwoman Ingrid Gray.

Theres been no response from the developers yet, she said.

Dynamic Engineering, the Chester-based agency proposing to construct an 840,000-square-foot warehouse at the intersection of New Brunswick Avenue and Edge Road called East Valley Logistics Center, did not return multiple calls by lehighvalleylive.com.

Site plans show the warehouse would include 152 truck loading docks, 324 parking spaces for trailers, 533 employee parking spaces, 22 electrical vehicle charging spaces, a 267-space parking lot for van parking, ADA-accessible parking and entrances and 20,000-square-feet of office space.

The industrial site would be accessible via a proposed road expansion from New Brunswick Road and adjacent to Bliss Boulevard, plans show. The site is located within a New Jersey Highlands Center designated area. Development of the area was given support by the organization last year.

As of May 21, the project awaits final approval by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and resolution of a lawsuit with Walmart, officials stated in minutes.

Posting of necessary bonds and escrows prior to construction also remains outstanding, the town confirmed.

The next council meeting for Pohatcong Township is scheduled for 7 p.m. on July 16.

Gramana Dairy Farm in Still Valley of Pohatcong Warren County, New JerseyGlenn Epps

Gramana Dairy Farm in Still Valley of Pohatcong Warren County, New JerseyGlenn Epps

Gramana Dairy Farm in Still Valley of Pohatcong Warren County, New JerseyGlenn Epps

Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on X.com, Facebook and Threads.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe to lehighvalleylive.com today
The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal against An Bord Pleanala's decision to grant planning permission for a solar energy-generating facility in Portarlington.



The action was taken by a residents' group opposed to the board's decision of October 2021 to allow Elgin Energy Services Limited to develop and operate a solar powered electricity generating station and arrays of solar panels on a 90-hectare site at the townlands of Treascon and Clondooluck, Portarlington in Co Offaly.



In its action the 'Concerned Residents of Treascon and Clondoolusk' group claimed the board's decision was invalid on grounds including that the decision contravenes EU directives on habitats, and on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).



In its judgement on Thursday a five judge Supreme Court dismissed all aspects of the appeal after finding that the substantive issues raised were either "misconceived" or "premature."



Giving the court's decision Mr Justice Brian Murray said the appeal related to the proper interpretation and application of the EU Directive concerning Environmental Impact Assessment or (EIA), and its transposition into Irish law.



Among the arguments raised in the appeal by the group was that as the proposed development involved the restructuring of rural land holdings, or in this case hedgerows, the entirety of the proposed development must be subject to EIA screening and if appropriate a full EIA.



The judge said that the fact hedgerows were removed did not trigger an obligation to have an EIA in respect of the whole project.



The Chief Justice Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell, Mr Justice Seamus Woulfe, Mr Justice Maurice Collins and Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly all concurred with Mr Justice Murray's decision.



In its judicial review proceedings against An Bord Pleanala, Ireland and the Attorney General, the group sought an order quashing the board's decision to grant the proposed development planning permission.



Elgin Energy Services Ltd was a notice party to the action.

The group's High Court action was unsuccessful.



However the Supreme Court agreed to hear the group's appeal on the grounds that it raised issues of public importance that required to be determined by the court.



The respondents all opposed the appeal, and had vigorously contested that the issues raised in the appeal had not been pleaded by the group when it launched its judicial review.



Permission had never been given by the High Court to bring those claims, the respondents had further submitted.
Zero-emission public transit for York Region





YORK REGION, ON, July 5, 2024 /CNW/ - Public transit shortens commute times, grows our economy, and helps keep our air clean. As we build more homes faster, public transit will also connect our communities in affordable and accessible ways. That's why our government is investing in local infrastructure ? including electric transit ? to reduce emissions and build a better, fairer future.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, alongside the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Municipality of York, Wayne Emmerson, today announced a federal investment of $76 million to help York Region build an electric bus fleet and reach net-zero by 2050.

Supported by this funding, York Region will get 180 zero-emission buses, 91 battery electric chargers, and 14 on-route chargers. Provided through the federal government's Zero Emission Transit Fund, these electric buses will be an innovative, zero-emission transit option that will help people get to work, reduce traffic congestion, and require less maintenance than traditional diesel buses. Once in service, the 180 buses are expected to reduce emissions by approximately 15,982 tonnes annually ? the equivalent of taking 4,000 vehicles off our roads.

York Region's three existing transit facilities that will house the zero-emission buses will also be upgraded with solar power and battery energy storage systems, further reducing emissions and growing clean-energy alternatives.

In addition to the federal investment, this project is supported by a $136 million loan announced last year by the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Together, this team effort will help York Region reduce emissions and offer a clean, reliable, and affordable transit option to the more than 1.25 million people who call the community home.

By investing in public transit, we are building stronger, fairer communities across the country. This is especially true when it comes to Millennial and Gen Z Canadians, many of whom rely on public transit. By growing public transit and reducing emissions, we're giving younger Canadians a clean, affordable, and reliable option to get around. Alongside this, we're cutting red tape, building more homes, modernizing infrastructure, and growing our economy. Our goal is clear ? making sure our communities have the investments they need to succeed, now and for generations to come.

Quotes

"Canadians need to get to work with less traffic, more comfort, and clean air ? that's what public transit is all about. With today's announcement, York Region will soon have 180 new zero-emission buses and the chargers to go with it. Our government is making our transit system fairer, with innovative, climate-friendly, and affordable options to get you where you need to be."

? The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

"Public transit is an invaluable tool in making people's lives easier and for tackling climate change. We're proud to announce this partnership with York Region today that will go a long way in doing both."

? The Hon. Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

"York Region's transition to electric buses is a critical step toward reducing emissions for decades to come. The Canada Infrastructure Bank's $136 million loan, combined with the Zero Emission Transit Fund grant, supports much cleaner and quieter public transportation for residents."

? Ehren Cory, Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Infrastructure Bank

"Access to safe and efficient transportation options continues to be a top priority for York Regional Council and the more than 1.25 million residents who call our communities home. With the support of the Government of Canada and the Canada Infrastructure Bank, we are able to further increase access to public transit in a way that supports the Council's goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050."

? Wayne Emmerson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Municipality of York

Quick Facts

The federal funding announced today is contingent on parties signing a contribution agreement.

This project is also supported by an investment of $177 million from the Regional Municipality of York .

from the Regional Municipality of . The federal government's Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF) helps Canadian communities transition to zero-emission transit and school buses in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to Canada's net-zero emissions targets. By electrifying their bus fleets, communities are working toward a cleaner environment.

net-zero emissions targets. By electrifying their bus fleets, communities are working toward a cleaner environment. The ZETF complements Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy , through which the Government of Canada is providing funding for public transit in support of making clean and affordable transportation options available in every community across the country.

, through which the Government of is providing funding for public transit in support of making clean and affordable transportation options available in every community across the country. The ZETF is closely co-ordinated with the Canada Infrastructure Bank's Zero-Emission Buses Initiative, which to date has committed more than $1.5 billion toward a target of 5,000 zero-emission buses (ZEBs) across the country.

toward a target of 5,000 zero-emission buses (ZEBs) across the country. Since 2015, the federal government has invested over $30 billion in over 1,800 transit projects across Canada , providing Canadians with cleaner and more efficient commuting options. These investments are helping to build more than 350 kilometres of new public transit subway and light-rail line, purchase over 3,360 ZEBs, and create almost 1,175 kilometres of active transportation trails, bike lanes, pedestrian lanes, and recreational paths.

Associated Links

This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

5 july 2024 at 17:14

News published onand distributed by:
WITH more than 400 medicines in short supply across the city and county and nationwide, the job of the pharmacist is now almost as much about logistics and stock control as it is about medical advice.

According to the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), there are currently 420 medicines in short supply across the country.

The reasons for the shortages include unexpected increases in demand, manufacturing delays and regulatory issues.

The Limerick Leader spoke to pharmacists in Castletroy, Limerick city and Ballylanders and all reported that shortages of HRT - to relieve the symptoms of menopause, have now settled, but there are issues with ADHD medication, eye drops, Ozempic, and certain antidepressants, among others.

Pharmacist Michael OMahony of McCormacks pharmacy in Ballylanders said there is something in short supply every second day.

He said a big part of their job is to keep on top of paperwork, try to get in stock and its a constant worry if we will have enough for this month.

Mr OMahony added: I could spend an hour a day chasing things up and doing stock control - its now a big aspect of our day.

A Castletroy pharmacist said that in some instances increased demand is putting pressure on the supply chain, saying were not getting enough.

She added that treatment for scabies can be very hard to get, particularly with students if there is a surge around the time term starts again and that getting some medicines on allocation causes difficulties.

A city-based pharmacist said there are a lot of shortages and that an exact number is hard to quantify.

READ MORE: Multi-storey building planned for heart of Limerick

The IPU is currently trying to push through a serious shortage protocol under the Health Miscellaneous Bill, so that the legislation would be flexible enough for pharmacists to find solutions for patients.

According to the latest IPU survey, 84% of Irish pharmacies have experienced shortages over the past 12 months, while Irish community pharmacists are spending almost five hours a week managing medicine shortages. In 2018, they would have spent about five to ten hours a month on the same task.

IPUs head of strategic policy, Claire Fitzell said: Behind each medicine that is in short supply are patients who need them for their health and wellbeing. Medicine availability issues have potential to impact medical conditions and can create considerable stress and inconvenience to patients.
FINE Gael councillor Liam Galvin has pledged to put road safety at the heart of his year as leader of the Newcastle West municipal district.

The Abbeyfeale man, a farmer by trade, was elected into the position by the other five members of the area following their annual general meeting.

This took place at the councils offices at Aras William Smith O'Brien on the edge of Newcastle West town, with Mayor John Moran also in attendance.

READ MORE: Urgent appeal for blood donors across Limerick

Cllr Galvin, returned for a fifth term on the council, said he had to stop canvassing in certain areas of his constituency during the campaign due to the sheer danger presented to him on the carriageway.

He cited the Newcastle West-Dromcollogher Road, the Abbeyfeale-Listowel Road, plus the road linking Athea and Carrigkerry.

In fairness to people who live on these roads, the speed is frightening. For some reason, we have lost control of it, Cllr Galvin said.

A former mayor himself, the councillor will seek meetings with the current first citizen, John Moran, to ask that Go Safe vans can be pushed for, and placed in strategic locations along roads in the district.

To me, as a local authority, particularly during the winter period, we do not deal with our roads. Its something which needs to be addressed and Ill ensure the new mayor attends to this, said the district leader.

He also says he wants to see the current timeframe for chopping hedgerows reduced.

We have failed miserably on this. There are roads I am travelling and they're not suitable to carry a pram on, never mind a motor car, Cllr Galvin said.

If we are on about the safety of people - pedestrians walking our roads, the people using the e-scooters, the people using the bicycles, the traffic - you cannot keep a wing mirror on your lorry due to hedgerows growing.

He praised the farming community who do their best to address this issue - however, he also acknowledged that there are some who do not.

Im going to look for the local authority to change the legislation where the local authority goes out, cuts the hedges and bills the landowner, he said.

The Abbeyfeale man will also write to Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue to press him to review the disadvantaged farming map in Ireland.

He believes there needs to be more support brought to farmers to keep agriculture alive in west Limerick.

Cllr John Sheahan was elected deputy chair.
The Parents Council of St Aidan's NS in Kiltimagh have paid a moving tribute to their "beautiful 2nd class pupil Abbigael Moore-Tournie and her loving mother Aisling Moore".

The mother and daughter died tragically when their car was involved in a crash with a lorry at Lismoran, Foxford, County Mayo, Tuesday evening, 2nd July 2024.

The collision happened on the N26 at approximately 5.45 pm, resulting in the deaths of Aisling (46) and Abbigael (8).

"Abbigael was a beautiful child. So full of life. Always smiling. It is heartbreaking to think she has been taken so suddenly in such a tragic way. She was a much-valued pupil and friend of 2nd class. All her friends adored her as she was always so much fun to be around," the parents council said.

They added that Aisling was so well-known and liked among all the parents within their school community.

"She always had a kind word for everyone. She was a beautiful soul. Her gentle presence always brought a sense of calm. She was so devoted and proud of Abbigael. You would never see one without the other," they said.

They recounted how Aisling and Abbigael were in school on Friday evening for the Uniform Exchange.

"Little Abbigael had her blue eye shadow on and with a twinkle in her eye she said to us 'I think I'm allowed to cartwheel in here since no teachers are around' - without a reply off she went! She was so pleased and happy with herself walking out the door.

"Aisling offered to stay and help which was not unlike her as she was always so supportive of the Parents Association.

We offer our heartfelt condolences to Aisling and Abbigael's family, friends and neighbours at this devastating time. We are also thinking of all Abbigael's friends in 2nd class, the staff and parents of St Aidan's.

"Aisling and Abbigael you will be forever a part of our school community and we will always remember the joy and the 'much love' you brought to it.

"May Aishling and Abbigael Rest in Peace. Forever together like they always were," the Parents Council said.

Their Funeral Mass will take place this Saturday, July 6 at 12 oclock in Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Swinford prior to burial in Swinford cemetery.

They will be reposing in Swinford Cultural Centre, Swinford (F12WK83) on Friday, July 5 from 5 oclock to 8 oclock.
The broad vision of building an artificial intelligence (AI) platform for India is not only a step in the right direction but also a geopolitical necessity.

On the one hand, the government aims to use the platform to "democratise" AI by not allowing any single entity to dictate terms while providing AI-as-a-service to its citizens, institutions and companies to build products that will help society in areas such as agriculture, healthcare, and education. On the other hand, the India AI stack is aimed at helping the country become 'aatmanirbhar' or self-sufficient in the AI space to compete with countries including the US and China.

The government plans to adopt the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), also known as the 'India Stack', approach to build this AI platform. And, with good reason. DPIs are digital networks that help provide citizens with social services.

Over the past decade, the Centre has implemented and scaled DPI in payments, financial services, healthcare, transportation, and digital identities including Aadhaar, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), Account Aggregator (AA), Fastag, and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

Union minister for IT, electronics, railways and broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw made this blueprint evident at the inaugural session of the Global IndiaAI Summit 2024 in New Delhi on 3 July.

"Whether it is called big tech, (or) whether it's some cases (where the) government (is) controlling everything, the approach that our Prime Minister has always adopted is that technology should be accessible to everybody. So, the Digital Public Infrastructure is a classic case where no single payment provider, no single service provider has monopoly over the service. The government invests in the platform, and everybody basically becomes a part of that," Vaishnaw asserted, adding that the government will adopt the same approach in AI."

To be sure, DPIs have been built by collaborating with regulators, academic institutions, private sector companies, volunteers, and startups. Yet, the India Stack represents disparate technology products and frameworks that are not collectively owned by one agency.

Aadhaar products such as e-auth and e-KYC are owned by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), while eSign and Digilocker are maintained by the ministry of communications and information technology. UPI is owned by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) while the AA framework is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The government hopes the DPI approach will help it make AI accessible to everyone by discouraging monopolies and ensuring interoperability, use of open source technologies, transparency, inclusion, collaboration, and sufficient guardrails in this space. DPIs could help India become an $8 trillion economy by 2030, according to a February report by Nasscom and consulting firm Arthur D Little International.

DPI numbers show promise. About 1.3 billion, or 95%, Indians have an Aadhaar number. India recorded about 131 billion UPI transactions with a total value of 200 trillion in FY24, and UPI transactions now account for 80% of all digital payments in India, according to the RBI.

Touted as the 'UPI of commerce', ONDC had 21.5 million transactions across categories in Q4FY24. About 300 million cards were issued under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) scheme as of 12 January 2024.

Will DPI approach work for the AI stack?

While the thinking is right, the approach may take quite some tweaking to achieve the desired results. ONDC, for instance, is built using an open-source, decentralised protocol called Beckn, which is used for location-aware, local commerce.

AI, however, is not a single technology. Broadly, it's the desire to make machines as smart as human, if not more intelligent (read: artificial general intelligence, or AGI). AI comprises many technologies including machine learning (ML), deep learning (a subset of ML), image recognition, computer vision, natural language processing (NLP), and now generative AI (GenAI).

AI is also used in conjunction with humungous amounts of data generated by other technologies such as sensors, which are part of the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, augmented reality, virtual reality, digital twins, 5G and 6G. And all these technologies are continuously evolving.

Hence, building a country-specific AI platform involves many components including massive localised (multilingual) datasets for training, local data centres, a multi-layer cloud services model, a secure and advanced computing and storage infrastructure, specialised hardware, a semiconductor ecosystem comprising fab plants and chip design capabilities, sophisticated software and algorithms, and a workforce of AI researchers, data scientists, and engineers.

The process also envisages AI model creation, testing, and deployment, while taking account of ethical and legal issues such as privacy and intellectual property protection, copyright violation, and bias mitigation. And it will need an effective application programming interface layer for users and companies to tap into for their specific needs. Many of these architectural needs were detailed in a 2 September 2020 paper by the Department of Telecommunications.

But with the advent of generative AI, which unlike traditional AI, can not only do analysis and predictions based on historical data but also create new text, images, audio, video, and even code, the task of building an AI platform only becomes more complex and warrants additional safeguards.

Further, all this can cost billions of dollars, depending on the project's scale, existing infrastructure, development timeline, and specific use-cases. For perspective, ChatGPT creator OpenAI reportedly spent $540 million on GPT-3, while Google's DeepMind incurred losses of about 1.6 billion over six years.

Countries embarking on this journey must consider not only initial development costs but also expenses for maintenance, updates, and further research. Additional indirect costs include developing supporting industries, education programmes, and regulatory frameworks.

Regardless, the government can play a key enabler role in developing such platforms to stabilise and build a sustainable ecosystem such as decentralising data centres.

"With increasing data localisation and data sovereignty policies evolving at the state level and even from the perspective of vernacular languages content being routed locally to avoid latencies (delays in transmission) and provide much better user experience, there is an increased need for data centres to be located in tier-2 and tier-3 towns of India. And, the government can play a huge role in enabling that," said Jayanth N Kolla, founder and partner of deeptech consultancy firm Convergence Catalyst.

He added that when it comes to building large language foundational and frontier models, the government can make the critical and often costly compute infrastructure available for young companies at a subsidised rate, thus creating a large compute infra and platformising it."

The government, according to Kolla, also needs to establish and empower a data fiduciary - a neutral entity that ensures the ownership of the data remains with the citizens while the government remains the custodian of the data, thus making sure these datasets are secure and safeguard privacy while making them accessible for training and developing AI models.

"At the AI apps and solutions development layer, the government can create a platform of both potential customers and investors on the one side, and young, innovative startups on the other, ensuring trusted matchmaking and expedited scaling," said Kolla.

What AI global leaders are doing

The US and China are way ahead in the AI race with both accounting for almost 50% of the world's 36,000 AI companies, according to a report jointly released by KPMG International and China's ZGC Industry Institute. The UK, India and Canada come next, with the 2,367, 2,080, and 1,515 companies, respectively (a little over 3,600 in India, according to a June report by Nasscom).

The US and China are also leaders in AI investment, with the former having invested almost $250 billion in 4,643 companies since 2013, according to Stanford's AI Index 2023. China ranks second with $95 billion invested in 1,337 AI startups during the same period, while India has invested $8 billion ($10 billion till date, according to a June report by Nasscom) in 296 startups, which implies that funding is hard to come by.

Over the past decade, China's Big Fund has raised hundreds of billions of dollars and acquired stakes in dozens of microelectronics companies. It is pumping in about $47.5 billion into a third investment fund - the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund - in a bid to reduce foreign reliance in its domestic chip industry.

The US, which has sanctions against China's semiconductor sector, is investing $50 billion to boost its semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. India's new investments, on the other hand, will manage to make chips of only 28-40 nanometres, while sophisticated plants globally have moved on to 2-3 nm.

Further, China-based inventors are filing the highest number of GenAI patents, far outpacing inventors in the US, Republic of Korea, Japan and India, which comprise the rest of the top five locations, according to a report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization this month. China accounted for 38,000, or 70% of the 54,000 GenAI patents filed in the decade through 2023, six times more than the US.

The top five inventor locations are China (38,210 inventions), the US (6,276 ), Republic of Korea (4,155), Japan (3,409) and India (1,350). The heartening fact is that India posted the highest average annual growth rate among the top five leaders, at 56%.

On the data front, too, while India may generate 20% of global data, how much of it is good quality data? Many of the 22 official Indian languages do not have digital data, which makes it challenging to build and train AI models with local datasets. Bhashini, a unit of the National Language Translation Mission, has so far spent $6-7 million to collect data from different sources.

How India is keeping pace in AI race

To be sure, India has already taken the first steps with a budgetary outlay of 10,371.92 crore (about $1.25 billion at today's prices) for its AI mission that was approved by the Union cabinet in March. The India AI mission aims to develop a manufacturing base for graphics processing units (GPUs) in a public-private partnership, and multi-modal domain-specific large language models. The government hopes to launch the mission in the next 2-3 months.

Vaishnaw also outlined the government's plan to invest in building a "public platform" comprising computing power, high quality data sets, a common set of protocols, and a common set of technical and legal frameworks. The idea is to have startups, entrepreneurs, academicians, and people working on different applications across sectors like agriculture, medicine, healthcare, and education, to leverage this common platform and accelerate their efforts, an approach that is consistent with the last 10 years of Digital India."

In a bid to present itself in a new avatar, for instance, state-owned TV channel DD Kisan recently presented two AI anchors named AI Krish and AI Bhoomi to help farmers and villagers with information on topics such as agricultural trends and animal husbandry.

KissanAI (formerly known as KissanGPT) is a multilingual AI chatbot that provides farmers with personalised, voice-based assistance. The startup has also released Dhenu 1.0 (named after the cow goddess Kamadhenu), an agricultural language model with seven billion parameters.

10BedICU, which creates critical care infrastructure in rural and smaller government hospitals, is developing three OpenAI-powered tools: CARE Scribe transcribes doctor-patient interactions into EMRs (electronic medical records), reducing data entry time by over 50% and improving data quality. CARE Device Connect integrates data from incompatible monitors for continuous monitoring. CARE Discharge Summary automates patient records, saving paperwork time.

There would be many more such examples if startups can tap into the AI stack.

Vaishnaw said the government plans to invest in an AI compute infrastructure of 10,000 or more GPUs, an AI innovation centre, and focus sharply on AI skills development as it has done for semiconductors, 5G and 6G development by tying up with universities.

The government also plans to accelerate deep tech and AI financing because we know that venture capital will come at a point where the returns start being visible. The phase before that is most vulnerable," according to Vaishnaw.

India's AI and emerging technologies group has been promoting the use of cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, AI, blockchain, augmented reality and virtual reality, machine learning and deep learning, robots, natural language processing, and quantum computing.

The country has taken a big step towards achieving self-reliance in electronics by laying the foundation stones for three semiconductor facilities in India, worth almost 1.25 trillion. These include a fab by Tata Electronics with Taiwans PSMC in Gujarat; an outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) facility in Assam, also by Tata Electronics; and an OSAT facility by CG Power in partnership with Renesas.

Indian entrepreneurs have released local language models including Bhavish Aggarwal's Krutrim, Tech Mahindra's Project Indus, Sarvam AI's OpenHathi series, AI4Bharat, SML's Hanooman series, Sutra series from Two AI, and CoRover's BharatGPT.

India has been recognised in the Stanford AI Index Report 2023 for the release of its National AI strategy (2018), the rising number of AI publications, AI applications, machine learning systems, contribution to the development of large language and multimodal models, GitHub AI projects contributed by software developers in the country, hiring of AI talent, relative AI skill penetration rate (across gender too), private AI investments, and increasing government implementation of AI curricula.

The three countries or regions with the highest AI skill penetration rates were India (3.2), the US (2.2), and Germany (1.7). as of 2022. The numbers would have only improved since then.

Where AI skilling is concerned, the government cannot work alone with startups, according to Kolla.

"It needs to create a robust platform with equal commitment and participation from global big tech companies (that are also operating and vying for their share of the Indian market), large Indian business conglomerates (that bring in the India market knowhow and experience) and startups (that bring in the innovation and agility) for sustained up- and cross-skilling at population scale. And, such a platform, in any market, can only be created by the government," he asserted.

On the regulations front, India is already a founding member and the Lead Chair (2023-24) of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), an international forum that aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities."

India does not have a separate AI regulatory bill as yet. But the country's Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, which was notified last year, has eased the stance on cross-border data transfer restrictions. Further, the proposed Digital India Act 2023, which aims to replace the Indian IT Act 2000 and also regulate AI, may undergo more iterations before being enacted.

To sum up, India has many tools and skillsets to make the AI platform a successful reality. All stakeholders, though, will do well to realise that Rome was not built overnight.
Xi says UN's role as core platform for practicing multilateralism should be strengthened

Xinhua) 08:07, July 05, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

ASTANA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Thursday that as the core platform for practicing multilateralism and advancing global governance, the United Nations' role can only be strengthened, not weakened.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana.

No matter how the international situation changes, China always adheres to genuine multilateralism and supports the United Nations in playing a central role in international affairs, he said.

All countries in the world belong to a community with a shared future, Xi said.

Noting that the ship of humanity will not sail smoothly into the future, he said the international community must work together to ensure that the ship is always sailing in the right direction.

The Chinese side supports the UN Summit of the Future, and hopes that it will send a positive signal of upholding multilateralism, strengthening solidarity and cooperation, and making global governance more just and reasonable, he said.

China also supports the United Nations in playing a leading role in advancing the reform of the international financial architecture and the global governance of artificial intelligence, Xi added.

Guterres said that the current international order, especially the international financial mechanism, needs to be reformed to adapt to the development and changes of the international situation.

The United Nations, he said, is willing to make every effort to promote the adjustment of the international financial architecture and artificial intelligence global governance, so as to make global governance more just and reasonable and more conducive to the common development of developing countries.

He thanked China for supporting the cause of the United Nations, practicing multilateralism and playing a key and constructive role in promoting world peace and development.

The future of humanity largely depends on China, he said, adding that the United Nations looks forward to further strengthening communication and cooperation with China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Bilateral relations between China and Tajikistan in numbers

Ecns.cn) 16:48, July 05, 2024

China and Tajikistan established diplomatic ties in 1992 and advanced their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2017. In 2023, the two countries announced the building of a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity, and mutual benefit.

Tajikistan is one of China's closest partners in Belt and Road cooperation. It was the first to sign a cooperation MOU with China on the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Tajikistan is located in the southeast of Central Asia, with a mountainous area exceeding 90% of its total area.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
In a world where having a well-designed, functional website is essential, businesses need to establish a robust online presence. Whether a small business or a large corporation, the right web development company can make all the difference. India has become a global leader in web development services, offering skilled professionals and companies that meet a variety of web development needs. In this comprehensive guide, let's explore the notable 20 web development companies in India, highlighting their strengths, services, and why they stand out in this competitive industry.

What is Web Development? Web development refers to the tasks associated with developing websites for hosting via intranet or the internet. It includes aspects such as web design, web content development, client-side/server-side scripting, and network security configuration. Web development ranges from creating plain text pages to complex web-based applications, social network applications, and electronic business applications.

Key technologies used in web development include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby on Rails, and frameworks like Angular, React, and Vue.js. Understanding these technologies is crucial for anyone looking to hire one of the premier web development companies in India.

20 Notable Web Development Companies in India eFlair Webtech Overview : eFlair Webtech Pvt Ltd. has been one of the go-to web development companies in India, renowned for its innovative solutions and exceptional service. They focus on creating customized web solutions that cater to the unique needs of their clients, ensuring high performance and scalability.

: eFlair Webtech Pvt Ltd. has been one of the go-to web development companies in India, renowned for its innovative solutions and exceptional service. They focus on creating customized web solutions that cater to the unique needs of their clients, ensuring high performance and scalability. Services Offered : Custom web development, e-commerce solutions, mobile app development, digital marketing.

: Custom web development, e-commerce solutions, mobile app development, digital marketing. Contact Email : info@eflairwebtech.com

: info@eflairwebtech.com Location : Bangalore, India

: Bangalore, India Overview : TCS is a global leader in IT services, offering comprehensive web development solutions. With extensive experience and a strong portfolio, TCS delivers high-quality web applications for clients worldwide.

: TCS is a global leader in IT services, offering comprehensive web development solutions. With extensive experience and a strong portfolio, TCS delivers high-quality web applications for clients worldwide. Services Offered : Custom web development, enterprise solutions, digital transformation.

: Custom web development, enterprise solutions, digital transformation. Contact Email : info@tcs.com

: info@tcs.com Location : Mumbai, India

: Mumbai, India Overview : Infosys has a strong web development portfolio. Known for its innovative approach and reliable services, Infosys has been a preferred choice for web development projects globally.

: Infosys has a strong web development portfolio. Known for its innovative approach and reliable services, Infosys has been a preferred choice for web development projects globally. Services Offered : Web and mobile development, AI and automation, cloud services.

: Web and mobile development, AI and automation, cloud services. Contact Email : info@infosys.com

: info@infosys.com Location : Bangalore, India

: Bangalore, India Overview : Wipro is a global information technology company that provides comprehensive web development services. Their technical expertise and strategic insights make them a prominent web development company in India.

: Wipro is a global information technology company that provides comprehensive web development services. Their technical expertise and strategic insights make them a prominent web development company in India. Services Offered : Custom web solutions, enterprise application services, digital transformation.

: Custom web solutions, enterprise application services, digital transformation. Contact Email : info@wipro.com

: info@wipro.com Location : Bangalore, India

: Bangalore, India Overview : HCL offers end-to-end web development services tailored to client needs. Known for their customer-centric approach and technical expertise, HCL stands out in the web development industry.

: HCL offers end-to-end web development services tailored to client needs. Known for their customer-centric approach and technical expertise, HCL stands out in the web development industry. Services Offered : Web development, cloud computing, cybersecurity.

: Web development, cloud computing, cybersecurity. Contact Email : info@hcl.com

: info@hcl.com Location : Noida, India

: Noida, India Overview : Tech Mahindra is known for its innovative and customer-focused solutions. Their expertise in web and mobile development makes them a key player in the industry.

: Tech Mahindra is known for its innovative and customer-focused solutions. Their expertise in web and mobile development makes them a key player in the industry. Services Offered : Web and mobile development, digital transformation, IT consulting.

: Web and mobile development, digital transformation, IT consulting. Contact Email : info@techmahindra.com

: info@techmahindra.com Location : Pune, India

: Pune, India Overview : Mindtree is renowned for its unique approach to web development and digital transformation. Their creative and robust solutions have earned them a distinguished spot among web development companies in India.

: Mindtree is renowned for its unique approach to web development and digital transformation. Their creative and robust solutions have earned them a distinguished spot among web development companies in India. Services Offered : Web application development, cloud services, AI solutions.

: Web application development, cloud services, AI solutions. Contact Email : info@mindtree.com

: info@mindtree.com Location : Bangalore, India

: Bangalore, India Overview : Capgemini provides a wide range of IT services, including innovative web development solutions. Their strategic approach and technical skills have made them a trusted name in the industry.

: Capgemini provides a wide range of IT services, including innovative web development solutions. Their strategic approach and technical skills have made them a trusted name in the industry. Services Offered : Web development, digital services, consulting.

: Web development, digital services, consulting. Contact Email : info@capgemini.com

: info@capgemini.com Location : Mumbai, India

: Mumbai, India Overview : Zensar focuses on digital transformation and web development, offering dedicated services to various sectors. Their commitment to technical excellence and customer satisfaction sets them apart.

: Zensar focuses on digital transformation and web development, offering dedicated services to various sectors. Their commitment to technical excellence and customer satisfaction sets them apart. Services Offered : Web development, cloud services, digital marketing.

: Web development, cloud services, digital marketing. Contact Email : info@zensar.com

: info@zensar.com Location : Pune, India

: Pune, India Overview : Mphasis delivers cutting-edge web development services to its clients. Their innovative solutions and customer-centric approach have made them a notable player in the industry.

: Mphasis delivers cutting-edge web development services to its clients. Their innovative solutions and customer-centric approach have made them a notable player in the industry. Services Offered : Custom web development, enterprise solutions, AI services.

: Custom web development, enterprise solutions, AI services. Contact Email : info@mphasis.com

: info@mphasis.com Location : Bangalore, India

: Bangalore, India Overview : Cognizant is a global leader in IT services, including web development. Their professionalism and technical expertise have earned them a strong reputation in the industry.

: Cognizant is a global leader in IT services, including web development. Their professionalism and technical expertise have earned them a strong reputation in the industry. Services Offered : Web development, digital transformation, consulting.

: Web development, digital transformation, consulting. Contact Email : info@cognizant.com

: info@cognizant.com Location : Chennai, India

: Chennai, India Overview : L&T Infotech offers a wide range of web development services, known for their innovative solutions and reliability. They have a solid track record of delivering successful web projects.

: L&T Infotech offers a wide range of web development services, known for their innovative solutions and reliability. They have a solid track record of delivering successful web projects. Services Offered : Web and mobile development, cloud services, data analytics.

: Web and mobile development, cloud services, data analytics. Contact Email : info@lntinfotech.com

: info@lntinfotech.com Location : Mumbai, India

: Mumbai, India Overview : Hexaware provides comprehensive web development and IT services. Their customer-centric approach and technical expertise make them a preferred choice for many businesses.

: Hexaware provides comprehensive web development and IT services. Their customer-centric approach and technical expertise make them a preferred choice for many businesses. Services Offered : Web development, automation, cloud services.

: Web development, automation, cloud services. Contact Email : info@hexaware.com

: info@hexaware.com Location : Navi Mumbai, India

: Navi Mumbai, India Overview : Persistent Systems is known for its robust web development solutions. Their technical skills and customer service have made them a trusted name in the industry.

: Persistent Systems is known for its robust web development solutions. Their technical skills and customer service have made them a trusted name in the industry. Services Offered : Custom web development, cloud services, digital transformation.

: Custom web development, cloud services, digital transformation. Contact Email : info@persistent.com

: info@persistent.com Location : Pune, India

: Pune, India Overview : Cybage specializes in web development and digital transformation services. Their innovative approach and flexibility make them a notable company in the web development space.

: Cybage specializes in web development and digital transformation services. Their innovative approach and flexibility make them a notable company in the web development space. Services Offered : Web development, AI solutions, cloud services.

: Web development, AI solutions, cloud services. Contact Email : info@cybage.com

: info@cybage.com Location : Pune, India

: Pune, India Overview : Mind Digital Group offers specialized web development services. Their creativity and effective solutions have earned them recognition as one of the go-to web development companies in India.

: Mind Digital Group offers specialized web development services. Their creativity and effective solutions have earned them recognition as one of the go-to web development companies in India. Services Offered : Web development, digital marketing, SEO services.

: Web development, digital marketing, SEO services. Contact Email : info@minddigital.com

: info@minddigital.com Location : New Delhi, India

: New Delhi, India Overview : GoodWorkLabs provides cutting-edge web development and IT services. Their innovation and customer service have made them a key player in the industry.

: GoodWorkLabs provides cutting-edge web development and IT services. Their innovation and customer service have made them a key player in the industry. Services Offered : Custom web development, mobile app development, AI solutions.

: Custom web development, mobile app development, AI solutions. Contact Email : info@goodworklabs.com

: info@goodworklabs.com Location : Bangalore, India

: Bangalore, India Overview : Net Solutions delivers comprehensive web development services. Their technical expertise and reliability have made them a preferred choice for businesses.

: Net Solutions delivers comprehensive web development services. Their technical expertise and reliability have made them a preferred choice for businesses. Services Offered : Web development, e-commerce solutions, digital marketing.

: Web development, e-commerce solutions, digital marketing. Contact Email : info@netsolutions.com

: info@netsolutions.com Location : Chandigarh, India

: Chandigarh, India Overview : OpenXcell offers a range of web development and IT services. Their innovation and customer-centric approach have made them a notable company in the industry.

: OpenXcell offers a range of web development and IT services. Their innovation and customer-centric approach have made them a notable company in the industry. Services Offered : Web development, mobile app development, cloud services.

: Web development, mobile app development, cloud services. Contact Email : info@openxcell.com

: info@openxcell.com Location : Ahmedabad, India

: Ahmedabad, India Overview : ValueCoders provides specialized web development services. Their high-quality work and technical expertise have earned them a strong reputation in the industry.

: ValueCoders provides specialized web development services. Their high-quality work and technical expertise have earned them a strong reputation in the industry. Services Offered : Custom web development, AI solutions, cloud services.

: Custom web development, AI solutions, cloud services. Contact Email : info@valuecoders.com

: info@valuecoders.com Location: Gurugram, India Tata Consultancy Services Infosys Wipro HCL Technologies Tech Mahindra Mindtree Capgemini Zensar Technologies Mphasis Cognizant Technology Solutions L&T Infotech Hexaware Technologies Persistent Systems Cybage Mind Digital Group GoodWorkLabs Net Solutions OpenXcell ValueCoders Why Choose a Web Development Company in India? India is renowned for its IT and software services industry. Several factors contribute to India's popularity as a destination for superior web development companies

Cost-Effectiveness: Lower operational costs make Indian companies an affordable option without compromising quality.

Skilled Workforce : India boasts a large pool of highly skilled and experienced web developers.

: India boasts a large pool of highly skilled and experienced web developers. Quality of Work : Many Indian companies have a track record of delivering high-quality web development projects.

: Many Indian companies have a track record of delivering high-quality web development projects. Time Zone Advantage : The time zone difference allows for round-the-clock development cycles.

: The time zone difference allows for round-the-clock development cycles. Language Proficiency: Proficiency in English ensures clear and effective communication. Key Services Offered by Indian Web Development Companies Web Design and Development Indian web development companies excel in creating custom websites that are not only visually appealing but also highly functional. These companies provide comprehensive web design and development services, which include:

Custom Web Development: This involves creating tailored web solutions that meet the unique needs of each client. Custom development includes building websites from scratch, ensuring they align with the client's business goals, branding, and functionality requirements. Responsive Design: Ensuring that websites are fully responsive is crucial in today's mobile-centric world. Indian web development companies excel in designing websites that provide an optimal user experience across all devices, whether desktops, tablets, or smartphones. User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Design: Focusing on the user experience, these companies design intuitive interfaces that enhance usability and engagement. They employ top-notch practices in UI/UX design to ensure that websites are easy to navigate and visually appealing. Front-End Development: Utilizing technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Indian developers create interactive and dynamic user interfaces. This includes implementing design mockups into fully functional front-end code. Back-End Development: Back-end development involves building the server-side logic and databases that power the website. Indian developers are skilled in various back-end technologies such as PHP, Python, Ruby on Rails, and Node.js. E-commerce Solutions E-commerce has become a vital part of the online business ecosystem, and Indian web development companies offer comprehensive e-commerce solutions to help businesses succeed in the digital marketplace. These solutions include:

Custom E-commerce Development: Building bespoke e-commerce platforms tailored to the specific needs of a business. This includes custom shopping carts, product catalogs, and order management systems. Payment Gateway Integration: Integrating secure and reliable payment gateways to facilitate smooth and secure online transactions. Indian companies are experienced in working with various payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and local providers. Third-Party Integration: Seamlessly integrating third-party services such as CRM systems, inventory management, and shipping solutions to streamline business operations. Security Features: Implementing robust security measures to protect sensitive customer data and ensure safe transactions. This includes SSL certificates, PCI compliance, and fraud detection systems. Mobile Commerce: Developing mobile-friendly e-commerce websites and apps to cater to the growing number of mobile shoppers. This includes optimizing the shopping experience for mobile devices. CMS Development Content Management Systems (CMS) are essential for managing and updating website content efficiently. Indian web development companies offer specialized CMS development services, which include:

WordPress Development: Creating custom themes and plugins for WordPress, the most popular CMS in the world. This includes building websites with user-friendly interfaces that make content management easy for non-technical users. Drupal Development: Developing robust and scalable websites using Drupal, a powerful CMS known for its flexibility and security. Indian developers leverage Drupal to build complex websites and web applications. Joomla Development: Building feature-rich websites with Joomla, another widely used CMS. Joomla development includes creating custom templates, extensions, and modules to extend the functionality of the website. CMS Customization: Customizing existing CMS platforms to meet specific business requirements. This includes modifying themes, adding custom features, and integrating third-party tools. CMS Migration: Assisting businesses in migrating their websites from one CMS platform to another, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal downtime and data loss. Mobile App Development Mobile app development is a key service offered by many Indian web development companies, catering to the growing demand for mobile applications. These services include:

Native App Development: Creating apps specifically designed for a particular operating system, such as iOS or Android. Native apps offer superior performance and user experience. Cross-Platform Development: Building apps that work seamlessly across multiple platforms using technologies like React Native, Flutter, and Xamarin. This approach reduces development time and costs. UI/UX Design for Mobile Apps: Designing intuitive and engaging user interfaces for mobile apps, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable user experience. This includes prototyping, user testing, and iterative design improvements. Mobile App Testing: Conducting rigorous testing to ensure that the app functions correctly on various devices and operating systems. This includes functional testing, performance testing, and security testing. App Maintenance and Support: Providing ongoing maintenance and support services to keep the app up-to-date with the latest OS updates, security patches, and feature enhancements. Maintenance and Support Ongoing maintenance and support are crucial for ensuring that websites remain functional, secure, and up-to-date. Indian web development companies offer a range of maintenance and support services, including:

Regular Updates: Keeping the website's software, plugins, and themes updated to ensure compatibility and security. Bug Fixes: Addressing any issues or bugs that arise, ensuring that the website operates smoothly and efficiently. Performance Monitoring: Continuously monitoring the website's performance, including page load times and server response times, to ensure optimal performance. Security Enhancements: Implementing security measures to protect the website from potential threats and vulnerabilities. This includes regular security audits, malware scanning, and implementing firewalls. Backup and Recovery: Setting up automated backup systems to prevent data loss and ensure quick recovery in case of any issues. Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Web Development to India Pros Cost Savings: One of the primary reasons companies outsource to India is the significant cost savings. Indian web development companies offer competitive rates without compromising on quality, making them a goto choice for businesses looking to optimize their budgets. Access to Expertise: India boasts a large pool of skilled developers proficient in various technologies and frameworks. This access to expertise allows companies to leverage the latest trends and innovations in web development. Focus on Core Business: By outsourcing web development, companies can focus on their core business activities, leaving the technical aspects to the experts. This leads to increased efficiency and productivity. Scalability: Indian web development companies can quickly scale their teams up or down based on project requirements. This flexibility is especially beneficial for businesses with fluctuating project demands. 24/7 Development Cycle: The time zone difference between India and Western countries enables a continuous development cycle. While the in-house team rests, the outsourced team in India can continue working, speeding up project timelines. Cons Communication Challenges: Potential issues may arise due to language barriers or time zone differences. Effective communication is essential to ensure that project requirements and expectations are clearly understood. Quality Control: Ensuring consistent quality across all stages of development can be challenging. It's crucial to choose a reputable web development company with a strong quality assurance process. Data Security: Risks associated with data privacy and security are a concern when outsourcing. Companies must ensure that the web development firm adheres to stringent data protection protocols. Cultural Differences: Different business practices and cultural nuances can affect collaboration. It's important to establish clear guidelines and expectations to bridge these gaps. Comparison with Global Competitors Cost India : Offers highly competitive rates, making it a preferred choice for cost-conscious businesses. The prominent web development companies in India provide excellent value for money.

: Offers highly competitive rates, making it a preferred choice for cost-conscious businesses. The prominent web development companies in India provide excellent value for money. US and Europe: Generally higher costs due to higher living expenses and operational costs. While the quality is high, the price can be a deterrent for some businesses. Quality India : High-quality work, but varies by company. Some of the premier web development companies in India rival their Western counterparts in terms of quality and innovation.

: High-quality work, but varies by company. Some of the premier web development companies in India rival their Western counterparts in terms of quality and innovation. US and Europe: Consistently high quality, but at a higher cost. These regions are known for their advanced technological capabilities and innovative solutions. Innovation India : Rapidly growing in terms of innovation and adopting new technologies. Indian web development companies are increasingly recognized for their innovative approaches and cutting-edge solutions.

: Rapidly growing in terms of innovation and adopting new technologies. Indian web development companies are increasingly recognized for their innovative approaches and cutting-edge solutions. US and Europe: Traditionally known for excelling in technological innovation. Companies in these regions often set the benchmark for new trends and advancements in web development. Customer Support India : Offers robust customer support but may face time zone challenges. Many Indian companies have implemented 24/7 support to address this issue, ensuring that clients receive timely assistance.

: Offers robust customer support but may face time zone challenges. Many Indian companies have implemented 24/7 support to address this issue, ensuring that clients receive timely assistance. US and Europe: Generally offers more accessible customer support due to proximity. The support teams are often located in the same or similar time zones, making communication more convenient. Factors to Consider When Choosing a Web Development Company Experience and Expertise: The most proficient web development companies in India often have extensive experience and expertise in various technologies and frameworks. It's important to assess the company's history, the types of projects they've worked on, and their proficiency in the technologies relevant to your project. Portfolio and Case Studies: Reviewing the company's portfolio and case studies gives insight into their capabilities and the quality of their work. Look for projects similar in scope to evaluate how well the company can meet specific requirements Client Reviews and Testimonials: Evaluating feedback from previous clients helps determine the company's reliability, professionalism, and customer satisfaction. Look for testimonials on their website, as well as independent review platforms. Communication and Collaboration: Effective communication is crucial for a successful partnership. Ensure the company has clear communication channels and is responsive to your inquiries. Collaboration tools and regular updates are indicators of good project management. Pricing and Contracts: Understand the company's pricing models and contract terms. Transparent pricing structures and clear contract terms help avoid misunderstandings and ensure you get value for your investment. Support and Maintenance: Post-launch support and maintenance are vital for keeping your website updated and secure. Ensure the company offers robust maintenance and support services to address any issues that may arise. Technical Skills and Innovation: The most reputable web development companies in India stay updated with the latest technologies and trends. Assess their ability to incorporate innovative solutions like AI, blockchain, and IoT into their projects. Cultural Fit and Values: A company's culture and values can impact the working relationship. Ensure their work ethic and approach align with your company's values and expectations. Emerging Trends in Web Development Progressive Web Apps (PWAs): PWAs offer a seamless user experience across all devices, combining the finest features of web and mobile apps. They are fast, reliable, and can work offline, making them a popular choice among prominent web development companies in India. Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants enhance user interaction by providing instant support and personalized experiences. They can handle customer queries, recommend products, and improve overall user engagement. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP): AMP improves mobile web performance by loading pages faster, resulting to better user experiences and higher engagement. This is particularly important as mobile usage continues to rise. Single Page Applications (SPAs): SPAs offer faster load times and a smoother user experience by loading content dynamically without refreshing the entire page. Technologies like Angular and React are commonly used for developing SPAs. Voice Search Optimization: With the increasing use of voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, optimizing websites for voice search is becoming crucial. This involves using natural language processing and structured data to improve voice search results. Blockchain Technology: Blockchain enhances security and transparency in transactions, making it ideal for applications that require secure data storage and management. It's being explored for use in areas like digital identity verification, supply chain management, and smart contracts. Motion UI: Using animations and transitions, Motion UI creates engaging and interactive user experiences. It helps draw users' attention to important elements and enhances the overall aesthetic of a website. Cybersecurity Measures: With the rise in cyber threats, implementing robust cybersecurity measures is essential. This includes SSL certificates, regular security audits, and advanced threat detection systems to protect user data and ensure a secure browsing experience. Conclusion Choosing the right web development company is crucial for building a strong online presence. Indian web development companies offer a combination of cost-effectiveness, high-quality work, and a skilled workforce, making them a popular choice for businesses worldwide. By considering the factors outlined in this guide, you can make an informed decision and select a company that meets your specific needs.

FAQs What are the average costs of web development in India? The costs vary based on project complexity, but Indian companies generally offer competitive rates compared to Western counterparts.

How to ensure the quality of web development work? Choose companies with strong portfolios, positive client reviews, and robust quality assurance processes. Many of the reputable web development companies in India provide detailed case studies.

What are the latest trends in web development? Emerging trends include Progressive Web Apps, AI and chatbots, Accelerated Mobile Pages, and voice search optimization.

How to manage time zone differences effectively? Establish clear communication channels, use collaboration tools, and schedule regular meetings that accommodate both time zones.

What are the recommended practices for communicating with an offshore team? Maintain clear and consistent communication, use project management tools, and set clear expectations and timelines.
Gurugram, July 03, 2024: As the awareness and demand for term insurance gains momentum, Policybazaar has observed a steadily growing preference among High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs) for high-value insurance coverage. This shift is visible through an increasing number of HNIs opting for high-value policies of 20 Crore over the last few years. This reflects an evolving sense of risk management and financial planning among this segment. Also, this marks a departure from the conventional belief that online platforms are not favoured for high-value transactions.

The shift in insurance choices is also clear with more people now opting for 5 Crore policies, which was seen as very high coverage. Today, these policies are becoming as common as the 1 Crore policies, showing that 5 Crore is becoming the new norm in HNI term insurance. The trend indicates a notable concentration of such purchases in key metropolitan regions. In the National Capital Region (NCR), followed by Pune, Hyderabad, and Visakhapatnam, several policies worth 20 Crore have been bought by HNIs, reflecting the growing demand for comprehensive financial protection. Similarly, cities like Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai have also shown a noticeable uptake, with policies ranging between 10 to 15 Crore being bought by HNIs here.

Policybazaar platform's seamless purchasing process, convenience, and transparency are the factors that makes it the trusted choice for HNIs as pointed out by a happy customer -

Securing my family's future with a high-coverage term insurance plan was one of the best decisions I've made. In today's uncertain times, I understand the importance of protecting my loved ones from financial pitfalls. The peace of mind that comes from knowing they will be supported, no matter what, is invaluable. The convenience of purchasing the policy online through Policybazaar made the entire process straightforward and efficient. The platform's user-friendly interface and expert guidance provided by the advisor made it a hassle-free and smooth experience. Policybazaar customer Sarbvir Singh, Joint Group CEO, PB Fintech, points out, We are delighted to witness the growing trust of HNIs in Policybazaar for their term insurance needs. The online sale of high-ticket size policies dispels the myth that digital mediums are not preferred by customers for such high-stake transactions. We will continue to provide the accessibility, transparency and convenience that our customers trust us with.

There have also been several interesting trends that have been noticed in consumer buying behaviour.

More individuals are now opting for customising their coverage with suitable riders to ensure an additional layer of protection.

Apart from this, more customers are now opting for plans with a one-time option of a Special Exit Benefit over Return of Premium plans. While both offer the benefit of exiting your policy and getting the premiums back, the Special Exit Benefit plans come at a much lower cost.

Also, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of female buyers, both working and non-working, who are taking charge of purchasing term insurance policies. Rhishabh Garg, Business Head, Term Insurance at Policybazaar, adds, The increasing demand for high-value term insurance policies highlights the importance of growing awareness among HNIs. We are committed to providing solutions that meet our customers needs at every step of their journey. We will continue to build products that help every customer find the right coverage to protect their loved ones.

With Policybazaar's dedication to providing personalised solutions and dedicated support service, it continues to simplify complex protection decisions and financial planning for customers.

About Policybazaar (www.policybazaar.com) Policybazaar.com is one of India's leading online insurance platforms. It is the flagship platform of PB Fintech, which owns the fintech brand, Paisabazaar.com, and the lending & insurance marketplace in the UAE region, Policybazaar.ae. The Policybazaar.com Group has backing from a host of investors including the likes of PE funds and other family offices. Policybazaar.com started with the purpose to educate people on insurance products and with its offerings has addressed the large and highly underpenetrated online insurance markets.

For media queries, please contact: Corporate Communications Simran Bhatia
Kalyan Jewellers posted a 27% per cent year-on-year increase in consolidated revenue for Q1 of FY25, mainly due to strong performance in the Indian and Middle Eastern markets.

The company had reported a consolidated net revenue of 4,376 crore in Q1 (April-June) for FY25.

India operations saw 29 per cent revenue growth during Q1 of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal year. The company said in a regulatory filing that same-store sales grew by 12 per cent.

Revenue from Middle East operations rose by 16 per cent, contributing 15 per cent of the total revenue.

According to PTI, the company said 13 new franchisee-owned-company-operated (FOCO) showrooms were opened in India from April to June this year. The digital platform Candere recorded a 13 per cent revenue growth.

After increasing its stake, the company said it plans to convert its Candere business into a wholly-owned subsidiary.

"The recently concluded quarter has been a very satisfying one, having witnessed robust operating performance across all our markets in India and the Middle East despite extreme volatility in gold prices and a strong base quarter," Kalyan Jewellers said.

Kalyan Jewellers aims to launch over 130 new showrooms in FY25, including about 40 Kalyan showrooms in India, approximately 30 Candere showrooms and the first US showroom by Diwali.

The jewellery brand remains optimistic about the upcoming festival and wedding season, beginning with Onam celebrations.

The company operated 277 showrooms across its brands as of June 30.

Kalyan Jewellers was founded by T S Kalyanaraman, who opened the first jewellery showroom in 1993 in Thrissur, Kerala, with an initial capital of 75 lakh.
Entrepreneurship isnt easy; its 24/7 dedication. Only do it if you are genuinely passionate. Dont do it unless you cant sleep because youre not doing it.

Thats Sumeet Mehta, the co-founder and chief executive of edtech platform LEAD Group, sounding like the protagonist in a Hollywood blockbuster going on about the hardnosed startup culture. Mehta earned his unicorn stripes when LEAD struck a valuation of $1.1 billion in a fundraising round led by marquee investors GSV Ventures and WestBridge Capital in early 2022.

Mehta had founded LEAD 10 years earlier, initially as a chain of schools. That was his first stint at entrepreneurship, following eight years at Procter and Gamble, most of those in Singapore, before he returned to Mumbai as CEO of Zee Learn. The transition from consumer brands to pedagogy only seems natural for a person born into a family of educators.

For this alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, a key trait essential to every entrepreneur is resilience. There cant be a Plan B.

This is his journey.

Entrepreneurship is a very distant thing for my family because most of the people in our family are teachers; my parents were teachers, my brother and bhabhi (sister-in-law) still are teachers.

I grew up in a small town. And I think my reason for doing what Im doing today is because when I finished my first 16-18 years of education and went to my engineering college, I realised the big gap between small towns in India and and large cities.

Entrepreneurs who have a Plan B seldom succeed.

And I realised that children who grew up in small towns were at a disadvantage. They dont have the awareness, they dont have access, and they dont have exposure. It seemed like the world was unfair.

I did my engineering and then an MBA and then went to P&G. But this thought was always at the back of my mind that at some point I have to go back and do something in education for kids in small towns. So I think thats really the genesis.

Me and Smita, my co-founder and my life partner, we were actually expecting our first kid in Singapore. So we said, okay, lets pack all the changes in life and do it in one go. We decided to move back to India and I wanted to start up. Then I met Subhash Chandra (founder of Zee TV and chairperson of Essel Group), and in a twist of fate ended up running Zee Learn for five years.

But I realised that if I had to really make a difference I should first start by running schools in villages and small towns. My first school began with 14 students in a village in Gujarat, and then we opened four more schools in Maharashtra and small taluka areas.

Large cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru have enough good schools. But the moment you start going beyond the metros, the quality dips precipitously. I come from a small town and Ive seen it firsthand.

It wasnt a lot. We didnt have a lot of money. We acquired a building and land on a long-term lease. We had accumulated capital of about 1.5 crore. We set up the first floor of the first building and thankfully it worked out.

Was there a business plan at that point? No. There was an intention that we wanted to make a difference. And I had worked in education enough to know that if you run a good school, after the first 3-4 years, it works out because parents want good education and they are willing to pay for it. You just have to ensure you are providing quality education.

I have actually taught almost all grades from pre-primary all the way to grade eight.

Give us a sense of how that changed to what LEAD would become.

We thought if we continued opening more schools in our lifetime, we would have 30 or 40 or maybe 50 schools. India has 1.5 million schools. So could we improve the quality of existing schools?

There was another school nearby that had reached out to us and said they had heard good things about our school and if they could use our system in their school.

The system of learning that we had built in LEADbecause we had higher exposure, we had built a lot of tech into that system(we thought) maybe that system can actually go to other schools and make a difference.

So that was the idea. Back in 2017, we said, why dont we take this to a few schools and see if it catches? In our first year, our intention was to reach 12-15 schools. But we got 30 schools interested.

Now we are present almost everywhere in India. In fact, somebody told me we have a partner school near the Line of Control in Kashmir. We also have a partner school very close to the Burma border. We were very clear that our focus will be on small towns. Today, about 80% of our partner schools are in tier-three or tier-four towns.

Why did you decide to raise venture capital?

Ultimately, it is a choice between your growth ambition and your comfort with (ownership) dilution. We could have chosen to grow slow and just invest the money that was getting generated back into the business. But we would have been at 400 schools today. We wanted to grow fast.

If you dont have a positive unit-economics business, you are basically forced to raise capital just to survive.

If we wanted to grow from the first 30 to 150 to 600, we needed a certain amount of capital. We had to be comfortable diluting that much for the capital. The moment you craft the decision in this, it becomes easy, because then you have optionality on how fast you want to grow and how much you want to raise.

The caveat is that you need to have a positive unit-economics business. If you dont have a positive unit-economics business, you are basically forced to raise capital just to survive.

Is it possible to scale up to the extent that you have without external capital?

Not at this pace. Its always a function of how fast you want to grow. If you are not growing fast enough, then somebody else is doing it.

I dont think there is an equation the right pace of growth.

Its not just capital, Its also partnership and advice. Elevar, GSV Ventures, WestBridge Capital it is not just the capital they put into a company; (its also) the perspective they bring, because they have exposure to a lot more companies and they have worked in these communities for far longer than we have.

Talk to us about the key traits that founders should have.

There isnt a cookie-cutter solution to become an entrepreneur. Everybody has a different path. But there are some common traits that I have seen.

One, independent thinking and listening to your heart are very important because most entrepreneurial journeys end up in failure. Very few are able to survive. And those who are able to survive are able to survive because they are able to overcome a lot of naysayers, a lot of obstacles, and a lot of doubts. I have never seen an entrepreneur who doesnt have this (independent thinking) and is still able to succeed.

Beyond that, the additional thing is that whichever category segment you are in, whichever problem you are trying to solve, if you dont care deeply about that problem, you are not going to be able to persist through all the challenges that come in your way.

Independent thinking and listening to your heart are very important because most entrepreneurial journeys end up in failure.

I see a lot of entrepreneurs say they are giving themself nine months, one year. If you want to start with a timelimit, dont start. Because you dont know. It will be much better to say I really care about this problem, I will do whatever it takes to overcome it. Now, whether that happens in six months or six years, I think destiny will tell you because a lot of things are outside of our circle of influence.

If you have a backdoor, you cannot be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs who have a Plan B in the beginning seldom succeed. Entrepreneurs who say I am all in do whatever it takes to make it work.

What advice would you give founders on identifying and dealing with investors?

It depends. Not everybody is in a position where they can choose. So the best service a founder can do for themself is get to a position where they can choose.

How do you get to a position where you can choose? Dont raise if you dont have positive unit economics so you know you are not racing for survival.

Also have an independent list of people you dont want and people you want. You might not be able to hit your list. But at least you will know how much off the mark you are. If you dont have a list you will just react to whatever is coming your way. Thats a really bad place to be in.

If you do these three things, you will do fine for yourself.

For middle-class families, letting go of a salaried job can be hard. You did that when your wife was expecting a child. Take us through that.

Have you seen the movie Tamasha? My journey is quite similar. When I decided to move back from Singapore to India, my father called and said, Are you okay with this? This guys gone mad." But I have learned that if you listen to your heart, you dont go wrong.

At that time, everyonefriends, familysaid it was the worst decision. Why are you doing it? We had the stereotypical expat life in Singapore. But if you are not happy with your work or the meaning in your life, its not worth it.

Herd mentality forgets first principles, goes after the latest hot thing. Outsourcing your thinking is a disaster.

I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad in 2003 and got the idea of financial freedom. I knew if we hit that mark earning in (Singapore) dollars, converting to rupees it would be good. If we had that I should leave and do what I want without worrying about the monthly salary.

These things helped. I have never been someone who listens to others, and that helped too.

How long did it take you to build that financial comfort to take that leap?

The idea is like water levelthe lower you keep it, the more freedom you have. Many get caught up in big houses, cars, fancy meals, raising their water level high. Maybe my middle-class upbringing kept my water level lowsimple house, car, no fancy needs.

With that, you can easily earn money with simple consulting assignments. If you keep your needs low, your freedom is high. It depends on what you prioritisesome on lifestyle, forsaking freedom; some on freedom, making do with less. I was in the second category, prioritising freedom.

You took Zee Learn public. Is that the end goal for LEAD as well?

The end goal for LEAD has two parts. Firstly, LEAD was set up not as an investment vehicle but to improve educational outcomes. Theres no real end goal because we are barely reaching 5 million kids out of 70 million. We are aiming for 25 million in 5 years.

The other part is responsibility to shareholders. Going public would fulfill that so investors get their return, separate from our student responsibilities. We keep that clear to avoid confusion, as these are very different goals.

Maybe in your case, you found product-market-fit early. Many entrepreneurs havent explored that or focused on that.

Spending time with customers is crucial. Then you intimately know what they want. Product-market-fit is natural when you spend time with your customers.

Chasing trends leads to failure. You have to figure things out before they are hot to succeed. (American investor) Peter Lynch said: Whats the one thing where the world disagrees with you?" If you dont have that, you are late.

Everyone told me selling to schools wouldnt work. If I had listened, I wouldnt have started.

Everyone told me selling to schools wouldnt work. If I had listened, I wouldnt have started. Independent thinking is crucial. Spending time with customers, building conviction, persisting, independent thinking, and listening to your heartthese increase your odds of success.

A lot of venture capitalists do it the other way around. They back founders who have shown execution ability. Execution ability is key.

Backing successful founders makes sense, but the for that philosophy is flawed. Just because it worked there doesnt mean it will work here. Thats not customer-backward thinking.

What traits in the startup ecosystem do you dislike?

Theres a herd mentality. A lot of people catch the tail of a wave and get burned. Being comfortable standing alone increases your odds of success.

Currently, sanity prevailspositive unit economics, profitability. Two years ago, people thought the physical world was ending, everything would be virtual. I said schools wont go anywhere.

Herd mentality forgets first principles, goes after the latest hot thing. Outsourcing your thinking is a disaster. Think for yourself. Those who do are successful; those who dont may have short-term success but struggle later.

Did many investors reach out to you after 2021?

Selling to schools is a scalable business. People blacklist segments like edtech. Investors who think independently are interested. Those who havent done ground-up work feel old outcomes didnt work, wont work. You must convince open-minded people.

Talk about your personal journeyfailures and successes. Did you ever think of giving up?

Winning the first school was a big moment. After two years, the landowner refused to enter a long lease required by CBSE. We were stuck. We had promised parents admissions, now we had no land. It wasnt giving up. But realising you cant take trust for granted was shocking.

Covid was a different challenge. Schools closed. We moved 600 schools online within days. We ran Indias largest online school. It was madness, working 24/7.

If your hearts in the right place, you will find a solution. Human emotions cant obstruct a larger goal.

How did you manage with 80% of your audience in cities with uneven internet access, learning on mobiles?

Human ingenuity shone during Covid. Parents, school partners jumped in. Our slogan was, We wont let learning stop". We shifted plans to a parent app, built live online learning. Parents shared devices, bought phones. We taught live from studios like this, trained teachers. It was relentless, but everyone was committed.

What advice would you give founders on facing difficult situations? What are the key things they can do?

Unless its fatal, have fun with it. As an entrepreneur, you sign up to solve problems every day. Every unsolvable problem escalates to the founder. If you dont enjoy solving challenges, entrepreneurship might not be for you.

If its fatal and the company is at risk of shutdown, consider alternatives like pivots or partnerships. You cant wish away problems; they are the lifeblood of an entrepreneur.

Capital has been a challenge in the startup ecosystem the last two years. How did you navigate the funding winter?

It wasnt fatal, so we had fun with it. Positive unit-economics helped us rebalance our growth aspirations. Covid forced us to deeply scrutinise spending and identify inefficiencies. We focused on maximising growth with available resources.

Is an MBA important for a founder?

No. It helped in my case, but its not mandatory.

How do you assess challenges? Does an MBA give you a grounding that investors prefer?

An MBA helps with first-principles thinking and frameworks to approach problems. The network from a good MBA programme is invaluable for support.

What do you say to venture capitalists who favour founders with high-pedigree degrees such as an MBA?

VCs try to reduce risk and increase the odds of success. Pattern-matching may favour candidates with prestigious degrees, but it excludes potential talent. Its about optimising risk-reward.

What areas would you invest in if you were an investor?

Education, health, and climate are critical global challenges. Solving these can lead to significant business opportunities.

How do you define success today?

Success is evidence of solving the problem you set out to address. Impact and commercial success go hand-in-hand; delivering on promises is crucial.

Whats your one piece of advice for founders?

Dont do it unless you cant sleep because youre not doing it. Entrepreneurship isnt easy; its 24/7 dedication. Only do it if youre genuinely passionate.

Mint's Founder Diaries series is in partnership with the Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai (TEAM)
(Bloomberg) -- Banc of California Inc., a regional bank, is selling about $2 billion of business-purpose mortgage loans in a process led by Morgan Stanley, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Banc of California picked up the loans after its acquisition late last year of PacWest Bancorp in a rescue deal, not long after fears of bank failures caused a run on deposits at regional lenders.

By the time of the acquisition PacWest had already sold the lending unit that made the loans, Civic Financial Services, but it held on to the pool of business-purpose loans. Bids for the loans were due on June 28, one of the people said.

Spokespeople for Banc of California and Morgan Stanley declined to comment.

In its first quarter earnings call, Banc of Californias chief executive officer, Jared Wolff, said that it had already sold some of the Civic-originated loans it acquired from PacWest. Wolff added that the bank may look to sell larger portions of the portfolio in the coming quarter as part of the banks push to boost its profits.

A number of regional banks have looked to trim their balance sheets ahead of the implementation of revamped bank-capital regulations known as Basel III Endgame. Many of the assets being shed by banks are ending up with private credit lenders, who dont have to worry about risk-capital requirements.

The loans being sold are known as debt-service coverage loans, which are given to landlords who rent out properties. Theyre underwritten based on expected rental revenue rather than bank statements or personal income.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
(Bloomberg) -- Former Italian premier Mario Monti said a French unity government led by technocrats is unlikely to work as an immediate solution to the political impasse that may emerge in Sundays legislative elections.

Speaking at an economic conference in the southern French town of Aix-en-Provence, the onetime European Union commissioner recounted his experience as the leader of an administration appointed during political and financial-market turmoil in 2011, and said such circumstances arent yet apparent.

I dont believe that there is an economic emergency in France, Monti said. Its financial situation  fortunately or unfortunately  is not visibly as serious as in Italy in 2011.

Polls show Marine Le Pens National Rally and its allies are on course to win the largest block of seats in the second round of French voting on Sunday, but fall short of an absolute majority. With the prospect of a hung parliament looming, speculation has mounted that the outcome could lead to an Italian-style unity government.

The euro zones third-biggest economy is long used to the concept of appointing ministers and even premiers from the ranks of its technocrat class at times of political gridlock and market tensions.

Monti said such administrations can provide transitory cover for tough decisions that career politicians dont want to take the blame for  an eventuality that cant be ruled out here in due course.

I dont exclude, in the abstract, that there could be such solutions  for example if France had to take very, very serious and urgent measures, he said. Sometimes theres a need for a bridge government, ready to sacrifice itself and lose popularity, creating room for parties which may be convinced of the need for highly unpopular measures but dont have the requisite courage.

Speaking earlier this week to Bloomberg Television, Jean-Claude Trichet  a former European Central Bank president and Bank of France governor  doubted that his own nation would be ready for any such a step.

A technocratic government is not in the French tradition at all  it might be a solution in other countries, namely Italy, he said. In France it is not the case because we are in a totally different political framework.

Appointed as prime minister and finance minister after the collapse of Silvio Berlusconis coalition in 2011, Monti could be considered an archetypal technocrat, having previously been an economist and academic who then served as a European Commissioner.

Italy has tended more to call upon Treasury officials or central bankers for such roles however. The most recent example was Mario Draghi, the former ECB president and Bank of Italy governor who led a technical administration that took office February 2021.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Mumbai: For German multinational Siemens AG, India has always been the promised market. And with political stability and continuity at the Centre, the engineering giant is convinced that business-friendly policies will continue as before. However, Roland Busch, the company's global CEO, would like to see a quicker conclusion of India's trade talks with the European Union (EU).

"If I turn back the clock may be 10 years, India was always the promised market. I was always wondering when it would take off. I think it is a good government policy to invest in sustainable and future growth drivers of the economy," Busch said in an interview.

Siemens is betting on automation and artificial intelligence-assisted industrial machinery in manufacturing, semiconductors and medium- and small-scale enterprises. "So, we are just basically building infrastructure first, energy infrastructure, and then manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing," he said.

Busch spoke to Mint soon after a town hall with engineers at Siemens Ltd, the conglomerate's Indian subsidiary. On Thursday, Siemens shares touched a lifetime high of 7950, marking an 112.43% return on investment over the past year.

India's economic growth rate of 6-7% significant and speaks for itself; however, if the share of industry in India's GDP grows from the current 17% to 25%, this would add a potential $1 trillion to the economy, he added.

Read this: Siemens to demerge and list its energy business

In May, Siemens announced an investment of over 1,000 crore to expand two of its 32 factories in India, in addition to the capacity expansion at Kalwa and Goa in November 2023. Siemens, which operates in technology, manufacturing, industrial automation and rail transport, has invested over 100 million in India in FY24, and around 1 billion over the past 7-8 years, as the country renews and expands its infrastructure.

India growth

The formation of a coalition government at the Centre will not dent India's growth trajectory, Busch said. "I do not see that this is a broken trend...I do believe it is great that the current ministers as for the relevant ministries are still the same guys in place."

While Busch is optimistic about his company's prospects in India, he's concerned about the slow progress in finalizing the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The Siemens boss pointed out that both sides may have to relax their demands to strike a deal quicker.

"Free trade agreements between India and Europe are at the top of my list, and this has been going on for ages, and we have not come to a conclusion here. We should make it easier... agree on certain base principles, and not on the full-fledged trade agreement, where every aspect is reflected," Busch said.

One of the hurdles to an FTA could be the trend of "glocalization", where the aim is to create jobs locally, Busch observed. "I speak now for Siemens, but also for other German or European companies; they are ready to do that, but may be not in the speed required." However, he added that given the right timeline and level playing field, the issue can be resolved.

"I do believe Europe should also pull back a little bit on our systemic requirements, put it that way in free trade agreements and focusing on what's important and that's something that I believe Europe can do...may be requires compromises on both ends," he said.

Busch also voiced concerns over extremist views across Europe and their impact on the economy, democracies, and innovation. "I am worried about extremism and the harm it does to democracies, liberal markets and systems. These markets and democracies live from tolerance, openness, equality, and the like. So, therefore, and also speaking from an innovation-driven company, innovation happens in diversity with an open mindset. And if this is endangered, we do have a problem."

The engineering conglomerate sees artificial intelligence as an opportunity and a threat, and sees technologies meeting the needs of an ageing labour force globally. Like other business houses, Siemens has also seen a labour shortage in India.
Microsoft has announced another round of layoffs this week, according to a report by Geekwire. The tech giant's layoffs are part of its ongoing efforts to streamline its workforce.

Several LinkedIn posts surfaced showing that employees in product and programme management roles were among those impacted by the job cuts, according to the report.

The cuts impacted multiple teams across various geographical locations. However, the company declined to provide details about the number of employees that it has laid off.

Organisational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business, a Microsoft spokesperson told Geekwire. We will continue to prioritise and invest in strategic growth areas for our future and in support of our customers and partners.

In January, Microsoft laid off 2,000 employees in its gaming unit, months after it acquired Activision Blizzard, the companys largest acquisition worth $69 billion.

These layoffs have come shortly after the conclusion of Microsofts fiscal year 2024, which ended on June 30. It is common for the company to implement restructuring parts of its business when it transitions into a new fiscal year.

In June this year, Microsoft cut around 1,000 jobs in areas including the Azure cloud unit and the HoloLens mixed reality organisation.

Microsofts employee count rose during the COVID-19 pandemic but has stabilised since. The company had employed around 2,27,000 employees worldwide by the end of 2023, down from 2,32,000 the previous year, according to Greekwire.

The recent layoffs come as Microsoft tries to maintain its profit margins and increase capital expenditure to provide the cloud infrastructure needed to train and deploy the models that power AI applications.

Microsoft is not the only tech company that has cut jobs. Other tech companies, such as Ola Electric, Simpl, Google, and Meta, have also cut jobs recently.
(Bloomberg) -- British voters elected the largest ever number of ethnic minority MPs to the House of Commons on Thursday, a reflection of more minorities becoming involved in politics as well as political parties seeking to reflect the people they represent.

More than 13% of the new parliament come from an ethnic minority background, according to an analysis by the British Future think tank, an increase from 10% in 2019. More broadly, 18% of the British population belongs to a non-White ethnic group, according to 2021 census data.

Yet while 66 out of 89 of these MPs will represent Labour, that same level of diversity hasnt extended to Keir Starmers cabinet, many of whom were announced on Friday.

The prime minister has so far appointed three cabinet ministers from an ethnic minority background: Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. Thangam Debbonaire was also expected to be part of the top team but failed to win her election campaign.

Thats so far fewer than were in former Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks cabinet and it is a smaller proportion of the larger diverse Parliament. Just one of them will hold a key post, in contrast to previous Conservative cabinets in which the most senior roles  the premier, chancellor, home secretary and foreign secretary  were all held by people from minority backgrounds for the first time, with at least two in those jobs since July 2019.

To be sure, Starmers top team used to feature more ethnic minority MPs but three left the shadow cabinet  his spokespeople while in opposition  in November, along with seven others, to vote for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas. The fact the party had a more diverse candidate list, and now more MPs, is largely attributed to it having more diverse members.

Ethnic minority representation is a new norm in British politics, said Sunder Katwala, director of British Future. Many will be surprised to recall that when Labour was last elected in 1997 it was with an all-White cabinet  it took another five years before Paul Boating became the first Black cabinet minister.

The Conservatives legacy

Although ethnic minority voters are often historically associated with Labour, the Conservatives cemented their reputation since 2010 as a party that promotes people from minority backgrounds to the top of politics.

Thats by design. Ex-premier David Cameron pushed to place more women and ethnic minority individuals on party shortlists after becoming party leader in 2005, in a leadership election that featured seven White men. He also promoted the first British Muslim to the cabinet through Sayeeda Warsis appointment as the partys chairwoman.

The Conservatives went from having just two minority MPs in 2005 to 22 in 2019 as well as Britains first Asian prime minister, who lit Diwali candles outside Downing Street with his family.

Successive Conservative governments  led by Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss  each promoted minority MPs to the highest levels. Yet these children of immigrants  such as Priti Patel, Suella Braverman and Sunak  have also pushed for less migration. And researchers argue that while visual representation is important, minority groups havent directly benefited from their appointments.

We cant equate ethnic diversity in the Conservative Party Cabinet with racial justice, its quite the opposite, Dr Rima Saini, a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Middlesex University said in a statement after publishing a 2023 paper on ethnic diversity in the Conservative Party.

Diversity within the Conservative Party hasnt translated into better outcomes for the most marginalized ethnic minority communities, its simply a mechanism in order to modernize the party.

Labours social diversity

Starmers cabinet will still be a dramatic shift from the Conservative governments of the last 14 years in terms of the number of MPs who come from working-class backgrounds.

Roughly 84% of his shadow cabinet went to state schools, according to the Sutton Trust, a social mobility charity. Conservative cabinets by contrast featured the likes of Johnson and Cameron, known for being members of the all-male, largely wealthy, Bullingdon Club, and Sunak, who famously appeared in a video laughing about the idea of having working-class friends.

The new cabinets demographic may already be influencing policies previously avoided by the Conservatives, such as removing a tax break for private schools and using the funds to employ more teachers.

Pressure will immediately start building for Starmer. With the huge mandate hes just received, come high expectations that he delivers on his promise to create a new age of hope and opportunity for all Britons, especially the poorest.

Read Next: Gaza Concerns Take Gloss Off Labours UK Election Victory

(Updates to reflect appointment of new cabinet in third and fourth paragraphs. A previous version of this story was corrected to say there are 89 ethnic minority MPs, per British Future)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Walmart became the worlds largest company by revenue because it figured out how to use its size to offer consumers rock-bottom prices. Yet when the big-box retailer tried to apply that winning formula to healthcare, it failed miserably.

In late April, the company said it would close its 51 health centers across five states and shut down its virtual-care offering. The company said that many patients loved the convenience of the clinics, but that it couldnt find a sustainable business model. In other words, the clinics were bleeding money.

Walmart isnt alone in pulling away from the doctors office. Walgreens Boots Alliance Chief Executive Tim Wentworth recently told The Wall Street Journal that the company would reduce its stake in VillageMD, a primary-care provider, as part of a broader turnaround plan. That came after the pharmacy chain had already been closing clinics.

Walgreens and Walmart are just two prominent examples of a retrenchment among big players in healthcare.

In recent years, everyone from large retailers to private-equity firms to insurers have been jockeying to acquire doctor chains. The market top came sometime between mid-2022 and early 2023. Within a span of eight months, Amazon.com said it was spending $3.9 billion to buy the primary-care chain One Medical; a Walgreens unit struck a $9 billion deal to expand its medical practices; and CVS Health agreed to spend a whopping $10.6 billion on the primary-care chain Oak Street Health. At the time, it seemed inevitable that the doctors office was increasingly going to be a big-box servicesomething you do on your way to the snack aisle.

It hasnt worked out that way.

To put it bluntly, primary care is hard," said Stephanie Davis, an analyst at Barclays. The problem for Walmart, said Craig Garthwaite, a strategy professor at Northwestern University, is that in medicine you cant really build economies of scale by driving the costs of such things as purchasing and advertising down to charge lower prices and gain market share. In a doctors office, your big-ticket costs are the people: A family physician might make something like $250,000, while a nurse practitioner is paid around $150,000.

None of that is scalable," he said. Each one of those doctors can only work eight to 10 hours a day. So you cant run the business the same way."

These investments were always going to be difficult, but they also suffered from bad timing. In recent years, the cost of employing medical professionalsof whom there is a severe shortage in the U.S.has soared in the wake of the pandemic, said Diya Iyer, a retail analyst at S&P Global Ratings. At the same time, the government has purposely dialed back on payments to Medicare, cutting into reimbursements.

That doesnt mean that there isnt plenty of money to be made from the doctors office. But the value wont come from charging a flat fee for, say, an annual checkup. Instead, for large companies, the doctor needs to be a conduit for capturing value elsewhere. Big hospital systems have been at this for a long time. They acquire or join with doctor groups to control patient traffic to higher-margin procedures. A primary-care doctor controlled by New Jersey-based Atlantic Health System, for instance, might refer a patient to a urologist within that same system.

That approach really hasnt helped patients. Instead, it has raised the cost of care, giving giant hospitals billions of dollars in additional revenue.

Walgreenss VillageMD is trying to tap in to a different model known as value-based care, in which the doctor is paid if the patient stays healthy. Under this model, the practice earns a fixed fee per patient so it is encouraged to keep the patient out of the hospital. To make that work, though, a company needs deep pocketssomething Walgreens lacks at the moment. Parker Snure, an analyst at Raymond James, recalled visiting a handful of deserted VillageMD locations in St. Petersburg, Fla. There were no billboards, no commercials, nothing that wouldve told the average person: Hey, look over here!"

Another drawback for Walgreens: Unlike CVS, which in 2018 bought Aetna, it doesnt own an insurance company. There are several financial incentives for an insurer to own a health provider, including that it pays itself. UnitedHealth Group has been doing this for years, and CVS sought to emulate that with its acquisition of Oak Street.

But CVS, whose earnings have disappointed investors, doesnt have a blank check from its shareholders. That might explain why it is reportedly looking for a private-equity partner to fund Oak Streets growth. Mike Pykosz, who co-founded Oak Street and is now president of healthcare delivery at CVS, said the key to Oak Streets success has been to expand gradually and to stay focused on Medicare patients in medically underserved communities.

If it were easy to provide higher-quality care and take on costs, we wouldnt have the problems with healthcare we have in this country," he said.

Another model is the subscription approach, otherwise known as the concierge model. Much in the same way Costco Wholesale makes money on memberships, doctors can charge a flat monthly fee to provide enhanced services to patients. Many small practices have opted for this approach, and Amazon seems to be trying it through One Medical. Amazon is also probably using healthcare as a loss leader to augment its Prime offerings. One should never count Amazon out, but the e-commerce juggernaut has so far struggled to turn itself into a major player in healthcare.

Just a few years ago, it looked as though national retail chains were going to be your doctor, too. Now they are medical-school dropouts.

Write to David Wainer at david.wainer@wsj.com
Mumbai: Rebel Foods, the operator of dark kitchens under the Faasos, Behrouz Biryani, Mandarin Oak and Oven Story brands, is set to invest 100 crore to 200 crore to open more such facilities and expand its food court format EatSure as dining out makes a comeback after the pandemic.

In the next one and a half years, we expect to add 100 stores. A lot of new store expansion will happen under the EatSure format," said Sagar Kochhar, co-founder of Rebel Foods.

The move comes as Mumbai-based Rebel Foods eyes a stock market listing in FY26. It signals the company's offline expansion as the euphoria over cloud kitchens that picked up during the pandemic gives way to in-store dining.

Also Read: Rebel Foods has an IPO on the menu

On average, the cost of establishing one EatSure store, including integration of a cloud kitchen, ranges from 1 crore to 2 crore. The company said it doesnt need to raise funds for the expansion - it did not elaborate.

Rebel operates over 450 cloud kitchens across 75 cities in India, the Middle East and North Africa, Indonesia, and the UK. It runs 150 outlets for fast-food chain Wendys in India. Its food court format currently has eight outlets.

From a consumer standpoint, we are now solving for a need gap, which is the reason why we are coming back offline. We also think that dining is not going anywhere. The offline use-case is not going to go away. Consumers will find reasons and opportunities to eat out," Kochhar said. EatSure kitchens will also be used to service online orders, he said.

The popularity of cloud kitchens jumped during the pandemic, registering year-on-year growth of 40% from 2019 to 2023. However, consumers returned to eating out more, driven by the availability of more options and a general uptick in socialising. Kochhar said the company is trying to capitalise on the return-to-offline formats.

Delivery vs. dining in

Indias food services market is set to almost double to 9 trillion by the end of the decade from 5.5 trillion on the back of an expanding customer base, growing consumption, and a jump in the number of new eateries, according to a report released by Bain & Company and food aggregator Swiggy on Wednesday.

Additionally, online food delivery is expected to expand faster at a compounded annual growth rate of 18%, contributing 20% to the overall food services market by 2030, up from 8% currently. While delivery growth rates will outstrip those of dining in over the mid to long term, companies in the business of cloud kitchens also face high take-rates or commissions on account of aggregators.

In that sense, diversifying into offline restaurants makes sense," said Karan Taurani, senior VP at Elara Securities. Although dining-in recovery is not going to be very sharp, delivery growth rates in India will outperform over the medium to long term, but adding up your dining-in also leads to higher operating leverage and drives better profitability."

Founded in 2011 by Jaydeep Barman and Kallol Banerjee, Rebel Foods competes with large fast-food chains as well as standalone cloud kitchen operators.

The companys revenue from operations grew 19% to 940 crore in FY23 from 789.16 crore in the previous fiscal. Its loss widened to 670.2 crore in FY23 from 520.34 crore in the previous year, according to data sourced from business intelligence platform Tofler.

Kochhar said the company will double down on building its brands and gaining market share, while expanding chains such as Wendys. It will add more brands to its launcher platform that allows third-party restaurants to use its cloud kitchens.

We are also incubating new formats and categories - say fried chicken, which is a big market with one national brand," he said. The company could list on the stock exchanges in fiscal 2026, he added.

In 2021, Rebel Foods became a unicorn after it raised $175 million in a funding round led by the sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority at a valuation of $1.4 billion. In April last year, the company secured $9.1 million in a debt funding round from Northern Arc and Stride Ventures.
Every Friday, Plain Facts publishes a compilation of data-based insights, complete with easy-to-read charts, to help you delve deeper into the stories reported by Mint in the week gone by. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) monthly collections grew at the slowest pace in three years in June, while capital expenditure plans slowed to a multi-year low. Meanwhile, the funding winter ended for the Indian startups, with higher funding and deals in June.

GST gloom

In a departure from the usual, the Central government did not release the GST monthly collection data on the first day of the month. However, the number reported in the media painted a gloomy picture. GST collections grew 7.7% to 1.74 trillion in June, which is the slowest pace growth since June 2021. The growth in May was 10%. The growth has been lucklustre in the past two months when compared to the average growth of 11.7% recorded in 2023-24.

Startups silver lining

Amid the ongoing funding winter, startups has had a good June in terms of funding and deals. Private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) pumped $1.6 billion in June, which was more than double the funding seen in the same month last year, Mint reported. Moreover, the higher funding came from fewer deals (62 in June 2024 as opposed to 64 in June 2023). While June data provides silver lining, the funding in the January-June period in 2024 was still down 24.3% from the same period last year.

Negating notes

97.9%: This is the share of 2,000 notes in circulation that has been returned to the Reserve Bank of India so far. The central bank had announced the withdrawal of this denomination of banknotes in May last year, nearly seven years after it was introduced during demonetisation to meet the currency requirements of the economy. The printing of the notes were stopped in 2018-19 but withdrawal from circulation started last year.

Capex blues

New project announcements plunged to multi-year lows in the April-June quarter of 2024-25, showed provisional data from the project-tracking database of the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), Mint reported. While private companies continued to lead in the June quarter, with their investments worth 35,206 crore, they fell below 1 trillion for the first time since the June quarter of 2020. Economists attributed the drop to the just-concluded general elections during which the model code of conduct restricts much of government activity and leaves companies waiting.

Investment boom

Indias equity markets have been on an impressive run, with the Sensex having surpassed the 80,000-mark on Wednesday. The allure of the stock markets can be seen in rising popularity of equity investments, with a steady number of demat accounts being opened each month and Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) contribution consistently growing, a Mint analysis showed. At the same time, the preference for bank deposits has declined, with the ratio of market valuation of BSE 500 firms to aggregate bank deposits reaching 1.87 times, the highest level since the peak of the 2007 bull run.

Wedding bonanza

10 trillion: This is the size of Indias wedding industry, according to brokerage firm Jefferies. India, which is known for its opulent weddings, spends the most on them, second only to groceries. With an average expenditure of $15,000, the spending on weddings is twice the expenditure on education. Given the scale of weddings in India, it is one of the activities that is also a key driver for several industries in India from jewellery to apparel and travel, the brokerage added.

Google emissions

Googles greenhouse gas emissions shot up nearly 50% in the past four years, the tech giant revealed in its annual environmental impact report. The company attributed this rise to its reliance on energy-guzzling data centres that power its artificial intelligence initiatives. Emissions hit 14.3 million tonne carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) as against 9.7 million (tCO2e) in 2019. While the goal is to reach net-zero emissions by 2030, the company said it was an extremely ambitious goal" and wont be easy."

Chart of the week: Power Up

The 2024 summer was one of the hottest years in recent times, with heatwaves causing disruption to normal lives. As such, the power consumption grew in the April-June period. The power demand met was the highest in May in the country as the arrival of monsoon in some states offered some relief in June.

Follow our data stories on theIn Charts" andPlain Facts" pages on the Mint website.
It took 120 ships laden with bearded Vikings to besiege Paris in the spring of 845AD. They moved on only after being paid a tribute of 7,000 pounds of silver. In 1870 Prussians required two armies and batteries of cannons to blockade the city, which surrendered after locals grew tired of eating rats, cats, horses and whatever animals could safely be plucked from the zoo.

For the siege of Paris", 2024 version, the equipment of choice to throttle supply lines is branded John Deere, New Holland or Claas. Hundreds of tractors driven from across the hinterland have blocked eight motorways into the French capital since the start of the week, with few plans to move on. Farmers camped about 30km from the Champs-Elysees are keen to remind the bourgeoisie where the grub on their supermarket shelves comes from. The kangaroos and zebras in the citys zoos are thought to be safe for now. Politicians looking to avoid becoming electoral roadkill may yet need to dodge a few tractors.

Across Europe, a revolt of the peasants is brewing. From Belgium to Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain, farmers are up in arms. A sector used to exorbitant privilegesroughly one-third of the EUs budget goes on subsidies to the common agricultural policy, after allhas felt them slip from its grasp. It is in many ways a familiar story, of a privileged caste sensing its status declining. For what is Europe if not an attempt to hold on to things as they once were in a changing world? Being wed to tradition and yet buffeted by modernising forces is the story of the continent writ large, as Europeans feeling the swoosh of China, India and others zooming past can attest. Farmers are not the only Europeans who would like the world to stop so that they can get off (and retire early).

Drop the sociological tosh, might come the answer from the fields. Life as a European farmer has become intolerable. The case was made to Charlemagne by a slew of agriculteurs who had descended on the EU institutions in Brussels, a time-honoured tradition often involving manure and egg-pelting devices. Perched atop tractors parked for the week, they explained that for every subsidy cheque comes a pile of forms to be filled out, a full-time job in itself. The green rules being spewed out by the EU machine have hit growers pockets, whether demanding chunks of land be left fallow, dictating the size of chicken coops or how hedgerows should be tended. Having nagged farmers, politicians then sign trade deals that allow food to be imported from far-flung places with fewer environmental qualms. Energy and fertiliser costs, meanwhile, remain high (a stack of bills was proffered as evidence) as a result of the war in Ukraine, whose vast farms can now sell cheap grain and other foods in the EU without tariffs. Urbanite politicians whose main interaction with animals is eating them in fancy restaurants either fail to notice, or talk down to farmers while visiting the countryside just long enough to snatch a photo-op with a cow. Journalists, apparently, are no better.

The wave of revolt has at least gained the attention of the city-slickers. The public loves a profession that features in most family trees; farmers are nearly as popular as politicians are not. Concessions have thus come thick and fast. Planned increases on taxes levied on fuel used by farmers have been shelved in France and delayed in Germany. An EU trade deal with South America has been thrown under the tractor after a mere two decades of talks. Concessions to Ukraine, which had particularly irked farmers in neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania, are being rolled back, even as EU leaders this week discuss sending it 50bn ($54bn) in aid to keep its economy afloat. Ditto those pesky rules about leaving fields fallow, at least for now.

Politicians worry because agrarian populism has shown its potential at the ballot box. Last March an upstart farmers party in the Netherlands scooped first place in regional elections with 19% of the votein a country where just 2.5% of the workforce toils in agriculture. Hard-right politicians see an opportunity to harvest support ahead of European elections in June, spinning a tale of sneering elites and hard-working (white) rural folk. Even centrist pols talk about the need to moderate the demands of the Green Deal, through which Europe hopes to slash carbon emissions.

Animus farm

The decline of European farming typifies the continents ever-dwindling relevance. Agriculture has been left in the dust by other sectors much as the broader European economy has been overtaken by its geopolitical rivals. The EUs share of global GDP has fallen by over a third since 1995; farmings heft in the EU economy is down by a similar amount. Growing food now accounts for just 1.4% of GDP, less than the warehousing services needed to zip Amazon packages around. Like Europe more broadly, a continent conspicuously devoid of tech giants, European farming has failed to adjust to modernity: the sector is still dominated by family operations that lack scale. Almost two-thirds of its farms are smaller than five hectares, which can be walked around in ten minutes or so. The profession is ageing: one-third of farm managers are over 65. In a world of TikTok and ChatGPT, no amount of subsidies can attract a 20-something to a career that involves getting up at dawn six days a week and literally shovelling bullshit.

A recent motto heard in Brussels is the need to build a Europe that protects", whether from Russia, artificial intelligence, migrants or Donald Trump (pick your least favourite change agent). The continent tends to like the way things are, because they are how they used to be. Detractors think of Europe as an open-air museum, fit for tourists and pensioners; fans of the model like its 35-hour workweeks and August off. The pain felt by farmers is real. The feeling of being left behind by forces beyond your control is an uncomfortable one. Those protesting atop their tractors are merely the tip of the pitchfork.Disclaimer

 2024, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
New Delhi: With the Labour Party clinching victory in the UK elections, all eyes are now on the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA), which, experts say, will likely be signed by the year-end without any delay.

The Labour Party sees substantial benefits in the India-UK FTA, which provides access to the growing Indian market and bypasses high tariff barriers. This agreement could boost UK exports by offering a significant price advantage, economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said in a note on Friday.

"The India-UK FTA nearly finalised, and with a few minor adjustments like curtailing the number of visas for Indian professionals, the Labour Party is likely to approve," it said. "This could set the stage for the agreement to be signed as early as October this year," it added.

Keir Starmer became prime minister after the Labour Party's landslide victory in the UK election, defeating Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party.

With bilateral trade growing from $17.5 billion in fiscal year 2022 (FY22) to $20.36 billion in FY223, India and the UK are committed to developing a comprehensive and mutually beneficial trade relationship, experts said.

India and the UK concluded the thirteenth round of FTA talks between 18 September and 15 December. The fourteenth round of negotiations included goods, services, and investment matters.

Sticky issues include business mobility, scotch whiskey, automobiles, including electric vehicles, farm products, pharmaceuticals, rules of origin, and a separate investment agreement.

"I don't think it will impact the FTA. If you look at their manifesto, this is a new Labour Party, which wants to cement economic engagement with India," said Ajay Sahai, director general at the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

The FTA will be signed with the UK as early as possible. The only issue we have to be careful of is on scotch, and the Labour Party wanted to bring down the tariff on Scotch.

Visa issues Visas for professionals could see some minor tweaks, he said. "Otherwise, there are unlikely to be many changes. As of now, going by their manifesto, I don't expect any problem with the FTA between the nations," he added.

During 2021, after the UK pulled out of the single market and customs union, British companies faced new rules and paperwork for EU trade, slowing their business and prompting a search for new markets. India represents a significant opportunity for the UK.

"The election of the new Labour government in the UK was not a surprise," said Arpita Mukherjee, professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). The Labour Party, during the election campaign, have been categorical that they would want to have FTA with India, she said.

Major issues under the FTA have been addressed, and with both countries having completed their elections, the remaining issues can be resolved. "Businesses on both sides stand to benefit," Mukherjee added.

The Labour Party mentioned in its manifesto that they will continue the strategic partnership with India and conclude the FTA, said economist Biswajit Dhar, a retired professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University.
The Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on July 5 slammed the Centre over the delay in publishing new Class 6 textbooks. He also alleged that the Education Ministry is now "sabotaging" the education of children in the same manner it disrupted the examination process.

He also hit out at the Centre over the issue and said that either the "rot runs deep", or the incompetence scales new heights everyday.

Taking to X, he wrote, "After sabotaging the examination process through the incompetent National Testing Authority, the non-biological PM's Education Ministry is sabotaging the education of our children."

"Even as the school year has begun, the NCERT - the National (read Nagpur) Council of Educational Research and Training - has failed to publish new textbooks for Science, Mathematics, and Social Sciences for Class 6 students," he added.

He further pointed out that, The textbooks themselves have not been finalised by the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC), adding that the printing will take another 10 to 15 days.

Also Read: NEET UG 2024 row: Need your help for fair conduct of exams, Centre tells states Officials expect a delay of two months before they can make news books available to students. Either the rot runs deep, or the incompetence reaches scales new heights everyday! Ramesh said.

His comments came a day after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed the development of school textbooks in accordance with the New Curriculum Framework (NCF) at a meeting. The meeting came in the backdrop of a delay in the publication of Class 6 textbooks that were supposed to be taught from April, but are yet to hit the market. The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) had previously announced plans to introduce new textbooks for Classes 3 and 6 starting from the 2024-25 academic year. It was only this week that the NCERT released new English and Hindi textbooks for Class 6 in the middle of the academic session.

Also Read: GATE 2025 syllabus, paper pattern out at gate2025.iitr.ac.in. Application form by Aug end, other details here Initially, the NCERT had aimed to release the new textbooks based on the NCF 2023 only for Classes 3 and 6 this year. While the textbooks for Class 3 are available in the market, those for Class 6 have been delayed.

"For the academic year 2024-25, new and engaging textbooks will be introduced in Classes 3 and 6. The textbook development work is in the final phase and nine textbooks for Grades 3 and 6 are already available. The remaining eight will be available very soon," a senior Ministry of Education (MoE) official said as quoted by news agency news agency PTI.
The Union government has sought help from states to ensure free and fair conduct of central entrance examinations, according to a report in Indian Express. The Centre has requested the states to deploy one civil and one police observer for each exam centre during the exams in future.

The Centres request follows controversies over the alleged irregularities during the NEET-UG 2024 test and the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination over paper leak claims. As a precaution, the Centre also rescheduled two other examinationsthe NEET-PG and CSIR-UGC NET.

The request was made during a meeting of Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla with Chief Secretaries and Police heads of all states last week, according to the Indian Express report. Bhalla sought assistance from states in overseeing the conduct of upcoming examinations including the All India Ayush Postgraduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) and the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE) on July 6, the report said.

Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for the Ayush Ministry, the AIAPGET is a test for admissions to MD/MS programmes in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy. The FMGE is conducted by the National Board of Examination (NBE) under the Health Ministry and overseas medical graduates seeking to practise medicine in India.

On July 4, the Kerala Cyber Police registered a case after an announcement was made on social media that the FMGE question paper and answer key were for sale.

In addition to the request to deploy two additional observers, the states have also been asked to appoint a state-level nodal officer to coordinate with the exam-conducting agency. As per the present practice, the test-conducting agency appoints one observer at each exam centre.

Also Read | NEET UG 2024: Counselling likely on THIS date

The row over NEET-UG and other exams triggered a political showdown with the opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, seeking a debate on the issue during the recently held Parliament session. The Opposition has blamed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government for ruining the careers of lakhs of youths.
In the midst of the NEET-UG controversy, the Kerala Cyber Police have registered a case in in Thiruvananthapuram following a social media announcement offering the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) question paper and answer key for sale.

Also Read: NEET UG 2024 row: Need your help for fair conduct of exams, Centre tells states To acquire a provisional or permanent registration certificate from the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the State Medical Council (SMC), Indian nationals and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) take this exam. In simple words it is screening test for candidates to be eligible to practice medicine in India.

The National Board of Examinations (NBE) is slated to administer FMGE 2024 exams tomorrow i.e. on July 6 as per the official schedule. Meanwhile, the result is scheduled to be declared on August 6.

Also Read: NTA to conduct CSIR UGC-NET exam 2024 from July 25 Coming back tot the case registered by the Kerala Cyber Police, the case has been registered against groups that advertised the sale of question papers for the July 6 exam on Telegram.

The case was registered under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024, making it the first case of its kind in the state to be registered under this law, the spokesperson said in a statement.

Also Read: NEET-PG exam this month, question paper to be drafted 2 hours before test amid paper-leak row: Report The spokesperson told news agency PTI that as part of efforts to detect such frauds, the Cyber Division of the Police has started 24x7 cyber patrolling on social media platforms, including various Telegram channels.

Earlier, the Prime Minister who was replying to the debate on 'motion of thanks' on the President's address in the Rajya Sabha assured the youth that the government would not spare those involved in the irregularities in the NEET-UG exams.

"I assure the youth of the country that this government is not going to spare those who cheated them. 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 confidently showcase their capability and get what is rightfully theirs..." the Prime Minister said.
MUMBAI : One year after the mega merger of the erstwhile HDFC twins, Indian banks have cemented their spot further on the global stage. Each of the three Indian namesHDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and State Bank of India (SBI)in the top 20 globally by market capitalization has improved their rank in the past year.

What's more, the top 100 has five Indian names, whose share in the combined market value of this elite set is also rising every year, a Mint analysis showed.

The combined market capitalization of the three Indian banking giants in the global top 20 has surged by 32.5% in the last one year, as compared to a 22.3% increase in that of the other global giants currently in the list.

HDFC Bank emerged as the frontrunner, climbing to the ninth position with $158 billion in market capitalization, up from 11th place a year ago. HDFC Bank's ascent to the top 10 began on 13 July 2023, the record date for determining the shareholding following the official merger with HDFC Ltd. This strategic move boosted HDFC's value from $117.4 billion on 3 July 2023 to $151 billion on 13 July 2023.

HDFC Bank is followed by ICICI Bank at $100.4 billion and SBI at $88.4 billion. SBI joined the top 20 on 24 July 2023, and has now jumped to the 18th place. ICICI Bank has the 15th spot, also up by one spot in a year.

The top five banks by market capitalization are all based in the US and China. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boasts the largest market cap out of the entire list at nearly $600 billion, followed by Bank of America Corp. with a valuation of $320 billion. The highest ranked Indian bank, HDFC Bank, trails JP Morgan Chase & Co. by $442 billion.

India's growing economy, expected to rise at 7-8% in coming years, positions banking and financial services as a key beneficiary. The top large-cap banks such as SBI in the public sector space and ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank in the private sector are likely to thrive due to their size and experience," said Kranthi Bathini, director of equity strategy at Wealth Mills Securities Pvt. Ltd.

Indias growing clout on the global stage is further underscored by the rising share of its banks in the top 100. The combined contribution of five Indian playersthe other two being Kotak Mahindra Bank and Axis Bankin the top 100 has surged from 4.4% to 6.4% over the last five years.

Industry experts are optimistic about the future of Indian banks. Abhilash Pagaria, head of Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research, predicts further gains for the sector, particularly if inflows by foreign institutional investors continue. He also highlights the potential for sector rotation within private banks, with HDFC Bank likely to deliver a 15% return in the next few months.

A wave of financial strength is sweeping through the banking sector in terms of asset quality and revenue growth. In terms of financial strength, this growth has been led by private banks, which have beaten their public sector counterparts in the last three fiscal years in terms of net interest income (NII) and revenue growth. For private banks, the NII witnessed a median growth of 19.6% compared to 12.2% for state-run banks in the last three years. Likewise, state-run banks' revenues grew at 16.8% compared to around 21% for private sector entities during this period.

Analysts such as Anand K. Rathi, co-founder of Mira Money, believe that the Indian banking sector's profitability is just beginning its ascent. He anticipates significant market-cap growth, especially for private banks, in the coming years. I will not be surprised if HDFC Bank goes on to become one of the top five banks, while ICICI Bank breaks into the top 10 banks in the world," he added.

However, all this doesn't seem to have worked in the favour of investors. The sector has fallen short of the headline index's performance in the past five years: The Bank Nifty was up only 69.2% in the last five years against a 104% rise in the Nifty 50 index. All this while, the Nifty Private Bank and Nifty PSU Bank have delivered returns of 53% and 123%, respectively.

The underperformance of Bank Nifty in the past five years can be attributed largely to the HDFC-HDFC Bank merger, significant internal changes in a few private banks, and challenges with bad loans in the past, said Rathi.

However, recent trends indicate a large-scale clean-up of bank balance sheets, a decrease in bad debt, and positive credit off take," he added. This suggests that private sector banks are unlikely to underperform the Nifty in the next two-three years. Recent market movements already hint at this shift, and we can expect Bank Nifty to not only recover from its underperformance but potentially outperform the Nifty in the coming years."
New Delhi: State-run Indian Oil Corp . Ltd (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corp . Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) are in talks with Brazilian energy major Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) to secure guaranteed crude oil supplies over the long term, two people aware of the matter said.

India, the worlds third-largest oil importer, has been trying to diversify its energy supplies, by accessing non-traditional sources such as Russia and Brazil. India has a growing energy partnership with Brazil, the world's seventh-largest crude oil producer and exporter.

Officials from the oil marketing companies (OMCs) visited Brazil in April. The deal with BPCL was on the table; the company is now testing the crude in its refineries. The contracts are expected to be signed soon," said one of the two persons mentioned above, adding the quantum of supplies has not been finalized as of now.

The three OMCs are holding talks as a consortium, and although separate contracts would be signed between the Indian companies and their Brazilian counterpart, the terms would largely be the same, while the quantum would change, the person added. The oil supply deals with the Indian companies are expected to be finalized soon.

Brazil is being looked at among other countries for diversification of import sources. India is largely looking at long-term contracts. However, term contracts with shorter duration, even for five years, would be beneficial," the second person added.

Diversifying basket

Companies such as IndianOil, HPCL and BPCL, which import crude oil, refine and market them, prefer term contracts as theyoffer stability amid volatile energy markets. Long-term deals are usually signed for at least 10 years.

Queries sent to IndianOil, HPCL, BPCL, Petrobras and the petroleum ministry remained unanswered till press time.

India has been trying to diversify its import basket. This move also is on the same lines. Due to distance and logistics, West Asian countries have traditionally been favoured. But when the companies negotiate as a consortium, they have a better bargaining position and may get attractive terms and credit lines," said Prashant Vasisht, senior vice-president and co-group head, corporate ratings, ICRA Ltd.

The long-term contract negotiations come at a time when the crude oil prices have been on an upward trajectory amid conflict in West Asia and Ukraine, and supply concerns around the Strait of Hormuz. Brazil is currently not a major supplier to India, with its oil exports accounting for only $1.46 billion in FY24, out of India's total oil import bill of $139.85 billion. Russia emerged as India's largest supplier in the last fiscal, surpassing the traditional suppliers like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and others.

The visit of the executives from the three oil marketing companies in April this year also came in the backdrop of a sharp output cut by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) Plus grouping. In April, an OPEC+ ministerial meeting decided to keep its output policy steady.

How much oil does Brazil produce?

Brazils oil production has been increasing in the past few years. Data from the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), showed that the country's crude oil production jumped nearly 13% to over 3.4 million barrels per day in 2023.

A report by S&P Global Commodities noted that Brazil is expected to continue to boost oil and natural gas production in 2024 amid the ongoing development of offshore fields; at the same time, a shift in energy policy strategy back toward a state-led model under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has renewed uncertainties about future growth.

Earlier in September 2022, amid the height of the Russia-Ukraine war and volatility in the energy market, IndianOil had inked a long-term oil supply contract with Petrobras for 1.7 million metric tonne oil per annum (mmtpa). BPCL also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Petrobras to strengthen crude oil trade relationships between the two companies and explore potential crude import opportunities by BPCL, on a long-term basis. Through its fully-owned subsidiary, Bharat PetroResource Ltd, BPCL has a stake in the upstream sector in an ultra-deepwater hydrocarbon block in Brazil, owned and operated by Petrobras.

A parliamentary committee in a report in December 2023 had raised concerns about over-dependence of the oil PSUs on any one region for crude oil and gas supplies as it can impact energy security of the country, which entails getting uninterrupted supplies of crude oil and gas at reasonable prices to support its rapidly growing economy. It noted that state-run companies have started importing crude oil from the US, Canada, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Guyana, Norway, Egypt, Gabon and others as part of a diversification. It also recommended taking more concrete steps for the diversification by exploring new partners.
Two of Sam Bankman-Frieds former lieutenants face the prospect of prison time over their role in his campaign-spending operation. But other insiders from the FTX chief executives orbit were closely involved with his political-donation binge, including members of his family, according to previously unreported emails seen by The Wall Street Journal.

Prosecutors say Bankman-Fried used funds stolen from FTX customers for more than $100 million in political contributions as part of a wide-ranging influence scheme ahead of the 2022 election. Two former FTX executives, Ryan Salame and Nishad Singh, have pleaded guilty to taking part in an illegal straw-donor scheme to mask the source of their contributions. Salame steered money to Republicans so the FTX chief executive wouldnt be associated with the contributions, while Singh backed liberal candidates, prosecutors say.

In May, Judge Lewis Kaplan sentenced Salame to 7 years in prison, citing the importance of election integrity in handing down the tougher-than-expected penalty. The 30-year-old is set to begin serving his sentence in August. Singh, 28, is still awaiting sentencing. Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison after a jury convicted him of multiple counts of fraud.

Among the revelations in the emails reviewed by the Journal:

Bankman-Frieds father advised on Salames withdrawals. In September 2022, Joe Bankman introduced the budding Republican megadonor to FTXs tax lawyers at law firm Fenwick & West. He suggested that they discuss the tens of millions of dollars that Salame had withdrawn from Alameda Research, FTXs affiliated crypto hedge fund.

Alameda has distributed a lot of money to Ryan, which he has used to make political donations. (Ryan is the key employee who works on the other side of the aisle, as it were). Ryan and I talked about categorizing these as loans," Bankman wrote in an email seen by the Journal.

Bankman, a Stanford Law School professor, was employed by FTX at the time. His remarks in the email are strong evidence that he knew about the illegal straw-donor scheme, said David Mason, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission who reviewed the emails for the Journal. If Bankman knew about the contributions in the name of another while they were going on, he could be held directly liable as an accomplice," Mason said.

Mr. Bankman had no knowledge of any alleged campaign finance violations," a spokesman for Bankman-Frieds father said. Fenwick advised Salame on taxes rather than campaign-finance laws, a person familiar with the firms work said.

Gabriel Bankman-Fried directed many of the contributions. In a lengthy email thread from the summer of 2021, Sam Bankman-Frieds younger brother Gabriel asked him to contribute to a whos-who of Democratic politicians, such as Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Cory Booker of New Jersey, and groups such as the Democrat-aligned Senate Majority PAC.

In bullet-point lists, Gabriel spelled out the desired contributions and whether they should come from Sams personal fortune or FTX. Sam often replied with brief messages such as done!", while Salame handled many wire transfers, the emails show. Gabriels biggest ask was a $5 million gift to Guarding Against Pandemics, an advocacy group he created in 2020.

Gabes political fundraising supported like-minded policymakers who saw pandemic prevention as among the most critical issues facing humanity," said Michael Tremonte, a lawyer who represents Gabriel Bankman-Fried and his mother, Barbara Fried.

Bankman-Frieds mother also directed spending from her sons crypto fortune. Hi Sam and Nishad: Can I hit you guys up for $92K (by tomorrow if at all possible!) to close the gaps on two projects we have committed to fund as part of our new Research Initiative?" Fried wrote in an August 2021 email.

She identified a pair of progressive-leaning groups, New Virginia Majority and Activate America. Sure," Bankman-Fried replied.

Fried was co-founder of Mind the Gap, a super political-action committee dedicated to helping Democrats win elections. Tremonte said she had advised hundreds of political donors. There was nothing in any way inappropriate about her providing such advice," he said.

Singhs involvement was aimed, in part, at helping Sam Bankman-Fried save on taxes. In September 2021, Gabriel told Sam in an email that he would begin directing contributions by Singha maneuver that would help the FTX chief executives gift-tax obligations.

Im going to ask Nishad (in a separate thread) to make gifts publicly to politically-minded folks in our networkto save you gift tax $. The gifts will be in the hundreds of thousands to low million depending on the value of the person and the need for $," Gabriel wrote.

Singh was friends with Gabriel from their school days in California. During Sams trial in October, Singh testified that he had initially embraced his role as a political donor but later became a more passive participant. After some point in time, my role was to click a button," Singh said.

Sam Bankman-Fried had dinner with Mitch McConnell. On Sept. 7, 2022, the FTX founder and Salame were preparing for a small dinner with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) at a Washington steakhouse. Their purpose was to urge the senators to redirect unspent federal Covid funds to fighting future pandemics, according to an unsigned memo prepared for the two FTX executives.

If the Leader or Senator Collins speak, let them talkLet them bring up cryptoif it comes up at all," said the memo, which was included among the emails seen by the Journal.

The memo noted, for Bankman-Frieds benefit, that there would be vegan options on the menu.

Write to Alexander Osipovich at alexo@wsj.com
Stock market investors have shown a powerful response to Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited's initial public offering (IPO), with all three categoriesQualified Institutional Buyers (QIB), Non-Institutional Investors (NII), and Retail Investorsdisplaying robust bidding figures on the third day of the offering.

According to data from the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) website, the Emcure Pharmaceuticals IPO was oversubscribed by a staggering 67.86 times, indicating a highly successful offering.

The initial public offering (IPO) has received an overwhelming response, with the Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIB) segment receiving 195.83 times subscriptions and the Non-Institutional Investors (NII) segment attracting 48.32 times subscriptions. According to BSE data, the Retail Individual Investors segment saw 7.21 times subscriptions, while the Employees Reserved segment subscribed 8.81 times.

The response was strong on the second day of bidding but peaked on the third day, leading to a significant surge in subscription numbers.

Emcure Pharmaceuticals IPO Details: The Pune-based pharmaceutical manufacturer conducts research, development, and marketing of pharmaceutical products internationally in many therapeutic areas. The offering has a price band of 960 to 1,008 per share, and the issue closed for public subscription on Friday, July 5.

The Bain Capital-backed pharmaceutical company said it raised 583 crore for the anchor investors, one day before its share-sale offer opened for public subscription.

Also Read | Ganesh Green Bharat IPO sails through first day of bidding; check GMP

The anchor round had investors such as Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Nomura, HDFC Life Insurance Company, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, SBI Life Insurance Company, Nippon India MF, and Abu Dhabi Mutual Fund.

The QIBs will receive 50 per cent of the issue size, the Retail investors 35 per cent, and the NIIs the remaining 15 per cent. Up to 1,08,900 equity shares have been reserved for the employee portion.

Also Read | Effwa Infra IPO subscribed over 9 times so far on Day 1

The book runners for the Emcure Pharma IPO are Axis Capital Limited, J.P. Morgan India Private Limited, Jefferies India Private Limited, and Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited.

Emcure Pharmaceuticals IPO GMP today: Emcure Pharma's grey market premium (GMP) today is +350, as of July 5, according to data collected from investorgain.com. The GMP shows the investors' willingness to pay more for an issue.

The company's estimated listing price is 1,358 per share, an expected gain of 34.72 per cent compared to the issue price band of 1,008 per share.

Also Read | Upcoming IPO: Positron Energy gets NSE nod for SME IPO launch
Upcoming IPO: The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has given its nod to the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) of Positron Energy Limited, marking a pivotal moment in the company's journey as it paves the way for its initial public offering (IPO). Positron Energy Limited had submitted the requisite documents to the exchange to kickstart its SME IPO on the NSE SME Emerge Platform. The company is now set to issue up to 22,00,000 shares, each with a face value of 10, in the upcoming IPO.

As per the DRHP filed by Positron Energy Limited with the NSE, the upcoming IPO in SME will be a completely new issue, with the net proceeds funneling into the company's balance sheet. Beeline Capital Advisors Limited has been appointed book running lead managers, while Link Intime India Private Limited has been named the official registrar of the upcoming SME IPO.

Valuations of the upcoming IPO Positron Energy Limited has demonstrated robust financial growth over recent years, a promising sign for potential investors. Revenue surged from 341.00 lakhs in FY 2021 to 8,000.34 lakhs by November 2023. Profit margins have improved, with gross profit margins at 14.68 percent and EBITDA margins at 8.74 percent. Return metrics like ROE and ROCE have also been impressive, highlighting efficient capital utilization. The company's strong operating cash flows underscore its financial health and ability to sustain growth in the competitive Oil and Gas sector.

With a proven track record of success, Positron Energy Limited is a trusted partner for both Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and private companies in the Oil and Gas sector. It has successfully built a significant Natural Gas aggregation business volume, totalling about 35 MMSCM.

The company has secured contracts with the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX), enhancing its capacity to transparently source and distribute Natural Gas. Positron Energy Limited also collaborates with ICOM North America LLC to introduce Dual-Fuel LNG conversion systems in India. This initiative is a testament to the company's commitment to reducing emissions and promoting environmental sustainability in transportation.

Positron Energy Limited specializes in end-to-end Gas distribution solutions across India. It offers Management Consultancy Services, including commercial and financial advisory, technical Project Management, and O&M Services in the Gas Sector. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certifications, ensuring high-quality consultancy and O&M services in the Oil and gas industry.
*

Hamas makes revised proposal on ceasefire deal

*

Israel says negotiations to continue next week

*

Hamas rules out any foreign troop presence in Gaza

*

Hamas briefs Lebanese ally Hezbollah on latest details

By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Mohammad Salem and Maayan Lubell

CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM, - Efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza gathered momentum on Friday after Hamas made a revised proposal on the terms of a deal, and Israel said negotiations would continue into next week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the head of the Mossad intelligence agency returned from an initial meeting with mediators in Doha, the capital of Qatar, and that negotiations would continue next week.

"There are still gaps between the sides," Netanyahu's office said.

Earlier, a source in Israel's negotiating team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was now a real chance of achieving agreement.

Those remarks were in sharp contrast to past instances in the nine-month-old war in Gaza when Israel said conditions attached by Hamas were not acceptable.

A Palestinian official close to the internationally mediated peace efforts said the latest proposal by the militant Islamist group could lead to a framework agreement if embraced by Israel.

He said Hamas was no longer demanding as a pre-condition an Israeli commitment to a permanent ceasefire before signing an agreement, and would allow negotiations to achieve that throughout a first six-week phase.

"Should the sides need more time to seal an agreement on a permanent ceasefire, the two sides should agree there would be no return to the fighting until they do that," the official told Reuters.

Hamas later said it rejected the presence of foreign forces in Gaza, signalling its opposition to any plan to send an international contingent to the Gaza Strip to help keep the peace in the Palestinian enclave.

The Popular Resistance Committees , a Palestinian group allied with Hamas, said separately that it would consider any international or other forces in Gaza as occupiers.

HEZBOLLAH-HAMAS TALKS

Gaza health authorities say more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive launched in response to a Hamas-led assault on Israel last Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

The war has displaced hundreds of thousands of Gazans and caused a humanitarian crisis. It has also fuelled tension across the region, triggering exchanges of fire across Israel's northern border with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hamas said it had told Hezbollah it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal in Gaza and that the Lebanese group's leader had welcomed the step, two sources familiar with the matter said.

"If there is a Gaza agreement, then from zero hour there will be a ceasefire in Lebanon," said one of the sources, an official in Hezbollah, which says its rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel are in support of the Palestinians.

ISRAELI FAR-RIGHT PARTNERS' CONCERNS

Turkey's president, Tayyip Erdogan, was quoted by Turkish media as saying he hoped a "final ceasefire" could be secured "in a couple of days", and urged Western countries to put pressure on Israel to accept the terms on offer.

Some far-right partners in Netanyahu's governing coalition have indicated they may quit the government if the war ends before Hamas is destroyed. Their departure would probably end Netanyahu's premiership.

Israel's Channel 7 News reported that, at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, far-right coalition partner Itamar Ben Gvir had accused security and defence officials of deciding to resume the Gaza talks without consulting him.

Hamas' new proposal responded to a plan made public in late May by U.S. President Joe Biden that would include releasing about 120 hostages still held in Gaza and a ceasefire.

The plan entails gradually releasing hostages and Israeli forces pulling back over an initial two phases, and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners. A third phase involves Gaza's reconstruction.

Israel has previously said it will accept only temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007, is eradicated.

An Israeli delegation in Egypt on Thursday discussed details of the possible deal, Egyptian security sources said. They said Israel would respond to the Hamas proposal after discussions with Qatar which, like Egypt, has mediated the peace efforts.

In the latest fighting in Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians in northern and southern Gaza, Gaza medics said. The Gaza health ministry does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.

An air strike on a house in Gaza City also killed two local journalists, medics said.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, seven Palestinians were killed in a raid on the northern city of Jenin, the Palestinian health ministry said. Israel's military said its forces had encircled a building where militants had barricaded themselves in, and that an Israeli aircraft had struck targets in the area.

Gazans, who desperately need aid such as food and drinking water, reacted cautiously to the prospect of renewed talks. The only previous truce, agreed in November, lasted seven days.

"We in Gaza are people who sleep on death and wake up to death. We know that at any time we can die," Ibtisam Al-Athamna, who said she had been displaced nine times during the war, told Reuters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Tata Group, established by Jamsetji Tata in 1868, stands as one of India's largest conglomerates, encompassing 30 companies across ten diverse sectors. Headquartered in India, Tata Group operates globally, with a presence in over 100 countries spanning six continents. In the fiscal year 2023-24, the combined revenue of Tata Companies surpassed $165 billion. As of March 31, 2024, its 26 publicly listed enterprises collectively boasted a market capitalization exceeding $365 billion.

Let's explore which Tata Group stock, between Tata Motors and Tata Steel, presents superior long-term investment prospects.

Stock Price Trend Both the Tata Stocks have given similar returns this year so far. While Tata Motors has gained over 28 percent, Tata Steel has advanced over 26 percent in this period.

In the current calendar year till date, both Tata Motors and Tata Steel have given positive returns in 5 of the 6 completed months. Tata Motors jumped over 7 percent in June after falling 8.4 percent in May. However, it was positive for the first four months of 2024, adding 1.5 percent in April, 4.5 percent in March, 7.4 percent in February and 13.4 percent in January.

Tata Steel, on the other hand, rose 4 percent in June, extending gains for the fifth straight month. It advanced 1.33 percent in May, 6 percent in April, 10.6 percent in March and 3.6 percent in February. Before that, it lost 2.6 percent in January 2024.

Meanwhile, in the last 1 year, Tata Motors has given better returns. It has surged 67 percent versus an over 56 percent rise in Tata Steel.

On the back of strong overall market sentiment and investor confidence, both Tata Motors and Tata Steel hit their record highs this year. Tata Motors hit its new high of 1,065.60 in March 2024 and hit its 52-week low of 588.50 in July 2023. Currently trading at 999, the scrip is just 6 percent away from its peak and has surged around 70 percent from its year low.

Moreover, Tata Steel touched its record high of 184.60 last month. Currently trading at 176.25, it is just 4.5 percent away from that peak. However, it has jumped over 58 percent from its 52-week low of 111.3, hit in July 2023.

In the long term, in 3 years as well, Tata Motors has emerged as the winner. It has soared over 216 percent while Tata Steel has gained 51 percent.

Also Read | PL forecasts faster recovery for pizza chains over burger brands

Earnings In the March quarter, Tata Motors achieved a remarkable 222 percent increase in net profit, reaching 17,407.2 crore, up from 5,400 crore the previous year. This impressive growth surpassed D-Street estimates, driven by a significant tax credit and strong performance across all automotive segments, especially the sales of SUVs from its British luxury car unit, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The company's total revenue from operations for Q4FY24 rose by 14.3 percent to 1.2 lakh crore, compared to 1.05 lakh crore in the same period last year. On the operational front, Tata Motors' EBITDA increased by 33 percent to 17,035 crore, up from 12,810 crore the previous year, with the EBITDA margin improving by 210 basis points to 14.2 percent from 12.1 percent.

On the other hand, Tata Steel reported a 64.8 percent YoY drop in consolidated net profit, falling to 554.6 crore in the March quarter from 1,566 crore the previous year. Revenue from operations decreased by 6.8 percent YoY to 58,687.3 crore in Q4FY24, down from 62,961 crore in the same period last year. EBITDA also declined 8.6 percent YoY to 6,600.7 crore in the quarter under review, compared to 7,219 crore last year, with the margin slipping 20 basis points YoY to 11.3 percent from 11.5 percent.

Which Tata Group stock should you pick for the long term? Apurva Sheth, Head of Market Perspectives & Research, SAMCO Securities prefers Tata Motors over Tata Steel

Out of the two our preferred pick will be Tata Motors simply because the value addition that it does is far more than Tata Steel. The scope for developing premium products in Tata Motors is far greater than Tata Steel. This is also supported by the fact that the ROCE of Tata Motors is in the range of 20 percent while that of Tata Steel is 7 percent. Steel is a highly cyclical business compared to Auto which is semi cyclical. Thus, out of the two Tata Motors is the preferred choice for the long term.

Vaibhav Jain, Head of Content and Education, Share.Market also favours Tata Motors over Tata Steel. Both stocks remain the jewels in Tata's empire and have rewarded its shareholders over the past year. However, picking between the two from a long-term perspective warrants nuanced analysis through the factor lens.

To begin with, both stocks exhibit very high Momentum scores due to their strong recent stock performance. Analysts also maintain a positive sentiment towards both, reflected in their high Sentiment scores. Also, as part of the Nifty 50, they offer low-volatility options, making them appealing to conservative investors. These similarities underscore their robustness in the short term.

However, distinctions arise in other areas. The recent surge in Tata Steel's stock price has adversely affected its Value, placing it in the bottom quintile of our investment universe. In contrast, despite past returns, Tata Motors remains a compelling Value pick, residing in the top quintile.

From a Quality perspective, Tata Motors also has an edge. This could be attributed to their differing business models. Tata Steel, being part of the commodity sector, tends to have more volatile margins and higher leverage, which impacts its perceived Quality.

In summary, while both stocks are strong short-term picks due to their Momentum, Sentiment, and Low Volatility scores, Tata Motors takes the lead for long-term investors, offering better Value and Quality.

Atul Parakh, CEO of Bigul believes both are strong long-term opportunities. Both Tata Motors and Tata Steel present compelling long-term investment opportunities. Tata Motors shows promise with its focus on electric vehicles and recovery in automotive demand. Tata Steel benefits from infrastructure growth and potential export opportunities.

Investment Outlook Tata Motors: Positive Indicators: Tata Motors' strong revenue and profit growth, driven by JLR's performance, positions it well for future growth. The company's focus on expanding its portfolio of electric and luxury vehicles further enhances its long-term prospects.

Growth Potential: Continued innovation and market expansion, especially in the electric vehicle segment, offer significant growth opportunities for investors.

Tata Steel: Challenges: Tata Steel's recent decline in profits and revenue reflects the broader challenges facing the steel industry. However, its long-term potential remains solid due to ongoing infrastructure projects and demand for steel in emerging markets.

Resilience: The company's ability to navigate market fluctuations and maintain a strong presence in key markets underlines its potential for recovery and growth.

In conclusion, while both Tata Motors and Tata Steel present strong short-term prospects, Tata Motors stands out for its better value and quality metrics, making it a favorable choice for investors looking at the long term.

Investors should consider their risk tolerance, market trends, and sector-specific dynamics when deciding between these two Tata Group stocks. Diversifying investments across both stocks could also be a prudent strategy to capitalize on their respective strengths.
A robust stock-market rally that started early in 2023 caught many investors by surprise. But as other big-bank analysts relented one by one, adjusting their forecasts higher, Kolanovic, JPMorgan Chases top market strategist, doubled down on his bearish outlook. Stocks kept rallying, with major indexes hitting new highs again this week.

On Wednesday, the man dubbed Gandalf" and Half-Man, Half-God" by the financial press over the years for his prowess at predicting market moves, was out of a job at JPMorgan.

Kolanovic called for a recession that has yet to materialize, and largely missed the artificial-intelligence boom that has propelled technology stocks for the past 18 months.

JPMorgans current research view is that the S&P 500 will tank 24% by year-end. Kolanovic warned of a clear disconnect" between stock valuations and the economy, diminishing liquidity, and narrow leadership that is masking weakness in one of his final reports, out last week.

His departure highlights the perils of being a stock-market bearnever a popular position in an industry whose business is selling investments to its customersduring a roaring bull market. If you are telling clients that markets will fall and they rise instead, your clients lose money and you and your firm risk losing face.

Its not really a matter of being right or wrong," said Richard Bernstein, who was chief investment strategist at Merrill Lynch before starting his own investment firm in 2009. Its more that the product people think a bear hurts business and a natural conflict brews."

Kolanovic, a 48-year-old native of Croatia, told Bloomberg News he earned a degree in classical music before coming to the U.S. to study at New York University. He earned a Ph.D. in theoretical high-energy physics and started a Wall Street career in the early 2000s, joining JPMorgan when it acquired Bear Stearns in the midst of the 2008-09 financial crisis.

Kolanovic rose through the ranks and attracted widespread attention as a derivatives strategist in 2015, when he made a series of highly accurate short-term calls on the direction of the S&P 500 based on how he expected quantitative funds to react to increasing volatility.

Then, during the peak of Covid-19-related market panic in March 2020, he made a bold and ultimately correct call that stocks would quickly bounce back to record highs. Kolanovic was inducted into the Institutional Investor Hall of Fame in 2020 after numerous years as the publications top-ranked analyst.

But over the past three years, the JPMorgan strategist made a series of untimely calls. He recommended clients take an overweight position in stocks during the market selloff of 2022. Then he advised them to cut exposure in early 2023, just as stocks began to rebound sharply.

Marko was excellent when it came to understanding how the equity derivatives market can occasionally be the tail that wags the dog. He made some great calls," said Andy Constan, chief executive of Damped Spring Advisors, a consulting firm for macro hedge funds. Then he was promoted to macro, and he struggled in generalizing to broad markets. Why he made so many aggressive calls over the last few years is beyond me."

If the first rule of forecasting markets is to be right, the second rule might be: Dont be the only one whos wrong. The S&P 500s 45% rally since the start of last year caught most of Wall Street by surprise, but the naysayers slowly capitulated.

Kolanovic has a history of going against the grain, however. In a 2018 interview, he told Bloomberg: I do tend to be a more contrarian person who looks at things that people arent looking at right nowThe bad is that you may be sometimes looking too far out. Too early sometimes also means wrong in finance."

Kolanovic isnt the first to fall into this trap. Charles Clough, a predecessor of Bernsteins as Merrill Lynch stock guru, left the firm near the height of the dot-com bubble after turning bearish on stocks just as the late-1990s rally accelerated.

Morgan Stanleys Mike Wilson, long one of Wall Streets most prominent bears, dropped his bet against the S&P 500 in May, leaving Kolanovic and JPMorgan as an outlier.

Wilson might have paid for his stance, too. Morgan Stanley sent an internal memo in February announcing that he was leaving his post as chair of the banks Global Investment Committee.

When the market party is raging and there is money to be made, it might be that few want to hear from a doubter.

If you think about the current speculative environment when investors are max bullish, a subdued view might not jibe within a sell-side firm," said Bernstein, the former analyst.

Write to Jack Pitcher at jack.pitcher@wsj.com
Mohit Yadav, 40, co-founder of Minimalist skincare, is talking about what motivated him to get into entrepreneurship. We are on a video call, and when he confesses that he became an entrepreneur just so he could live and work with his brother, it has the unexpected effect of my mind conjuring up images from the 1999 family drama about filial love Hum Saath Saath Hain .

Growing up, I never had any ambition to pursue entrepreneurship. One didnt even know what such a life entailed. Its just that when Credit Suisse, the investment bank I was working with (as assistant vice-president) at the time (2006) asked me to move to Hong Kong or London, I knew I didnt want to stay away from my (younger) brother (Rahul)," says Yadav, while laughing at my Sooraj Barjatya analogy. Theres only a two-year age gap between us, so we grew up together. We studied together, played together and became close friends," he says, reminiscing about growing up in Jaipur, Rajasthan, with his brother, sister and parents.

Today, this sibling revelry has the Yadav brothers at the helm of Minimalist, a science-backed D2C skincare brand, which claims to be driven by the values of transparency and authenticity. Started in 2020, the chemical-forward brand has 50 products in various categories, from skin and body care, hair care and lip care to the just launched baby care. With affordability as a guiding pillar for a price-sensitive market like India, their products are priced from 279- 1,899. The brand has managed to stand steady amid competition from similar brands such as Dr. Sheths, The Derma Co., Dot & Key and Deconstruct. Headquartered in Jaipur, the 572-employees-strong companys projected revenue for 2024 is 350 crore.

Going by the entrepreneurial streak of the brothersYadav is a chartered accountant and Rahul is a chemical engineer from IIT Roorkeesince 2008, there might be something to this filial bond after all.

The duos first attempt at entrepreneurship was an online T-shirt store, Scopial Fashions, launched in June 2008, for which they raised funds from Snapdeals Kunal Bahl. In 2011, they rebranded as MangoStreet, an online kids garment brand, which was acquired in 2012 by now-shuttered baby care e-commerce platform Hushbabies. Running Scopial and MangoStreet taught us how the entire startup ecosystem works," says Yadav.

Their entrepreneurial gig continued when the brothers met Amit Jain, co-founder and CEO of CarDekho, who like them is based in Jaipur, in 2013. CarDekho was just starting out and we both became a part of that venture," recalls Yadav, who joined the startup as vice-president. After two years in India, it was when he moved to Indonesia as CEO to run automobile portal Oto.com (a joint venture between CarDekho.com and Emtek, an Indonesian media company) that the distance from the family hit. It struck me that Id moved to Jaipur all those years ago to spend time with family, and yet, here I was in Indonesia, away from them. That was when I decided to move back to Jaipur to start a new venture with my brother," he says.

In 2018, the brothers started Freewill, a tech-enabled personalised hair care brand with backing from Sequoia Capitals (now Peak XV) accelerator programme, Surge. The venture faced scalability issues. However, the learnings acquired from this stint proved helpful in setting up Minimalist, their most successful startup idea yet. In addition to their own experience, especially Rahuls chemistry background and knowledge of chemical formulations, they had the backing of investors. The venture, once again, raised a seed funding of $2 million (around 17 crore now) in 2020 from Surge and in July 2021, they raised 110 crore in Series A funding, led by Peak XV Partners with participation from Unilever Ventures.

The idea to start Minimalist, Yadav says, came from a void theyd sensed in the Indian skincare industry for brands that made products for specific problems. Looking from the outside in, the skincare industry in India seemed to be dominated by large companies with big R&D facilities. But the thing with large FMCG players in this space is that they are always trying to create a product that will appeal to all one billion people in the country. There were barely any companies that were product-focused and catered to specific problems that a smaller segment, of say, 100 million people had," he says. A question that drove the two was Can we solve these customers problemslike acne, pigmentation or ageingby bringing products they actually need?"

As for what compelled them to opt for the transparent" path, Yadavs answer is the lack of honesty in communication" by brands, citing recent examples of baby foods and health drinks for children being found to have excessive sugar and artificial flavouring. The laws may permit some of these ingredients but is it right for a company to claim its a health drink? No." At one point in the conversation, Yadav shares that they were also inspired by international brands such as The Ordinary that are science-forward and follow a philosophy of ingredient transparency.

Minimalists stance of being transparent" is reflected in their catch phrase HideNothing" and in their product labels that carry information ranging from the percentage of ingredients to the suppliers of their ingredients. The results of the clinical trials done with the products are detailed on every product page on the website.

The brand launched in October 2020, during peak pandemic, which could have made it a non-starter, but therein lies the plot twist. With time available on their hands, self-care became a priority for people, with a move towards educating themselves about ingredients as well. If people were paying cursory attention to labels before, they were now taking pains to read up about what they were putting into their skin. There was also caution around stepping out of home to shop at brick and mortar stores.

Minimalists moves to #hidenothing and be an internet-first company paid off. Within eight months of the launch, the brand reported 21 crore in revenues in 2021 before shooting to 108 crore in 2022. In 2023, Minimalists reported revenue was 184 crore, a 70.37% increase from the previous year.

These numbers have industry watchers interested in the brand because they have managed to be profitable every year, which is significant when you consider how cluttered the space is with multinationals, Indian FMCGs, and beauty and skincare brands jousting for attention from the same customer. Another significant turn the company has taken in the four years of its existence is going international. Starting with the UAE in 2021, Minimalist is now available in seven markets: the US, UK, UAE, Malaysia, Nepal, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

I think one of the reasons why weve grown so fast is because our initial customers spread the word about us. Word of mouth continues to get us new customers even today," says Yadav, while admitting to being surprised by how readily the brand was accepted by consumers. Yadav believes that its the way he and Rahul as outsiders" treated the business thats helped them succeed.

We just put our heads down to come up with formulations that would solve the issueswhether pigmentation or fine lines using the best quality ingredients," he says, and then proceeds to describe the essence of the company more concisely as, We are a solutions-oriented company".

Quiz Yadav about who makes the formulations and he credits it to their team. A large part of our team, especially formulators, comes from a pharmaceutical background and all of them possess the knowledge required to understand how different actives and molecules interact with each other and come up with effective formulations. We also have employees with a background in cosmetic science, who ensure our products are aesthetically right too," he explains.

I ask Yadav about an incident that almost shadowed the launch of Minimalist. Everything about their product packaging including the text, the labelling and even the shape of the bottles their serums came in seemed to mimic popular international brands such as The Ordinary. Skin and fashion influencers critiqued the style. Minimalist, however, has continued with the same package design.

In the initial stage of the launch, this reaction was challenging because wed put in a lot of effort in terms of creating our products. We were also trying to create a space of our own in terms of how people perceived us," Yadav confesses, recalling that incident.

I think one of the reasons why weve grown so fast is because our initial customers spread the word about us. Word of mouth continues to get us new customers even today. -Mohit Yadav, co-founder, Minimalist India

What was the motivation behind the brands new pivot to baby care? This decision largely came from our own experiences," says the father to a 12-year-old. While theres a lot happening in the country with regard to skin and hair care, theres very little innovation happening in baby care. You dont get any fragrance-free options here," says Yadav. The line was launched in June and currently includes four fragrance-free products: a cleanser, a massage oil, a lotion and an ointment for skin irritation and diaper rash.

Winding down, it is time to revisit his childhood. Were there any lessons from that time that continue to guide him? Yadav says, Rahul and I grew up seeing our parents waking up by 5-6am and working till 10pm every day to ensure that their kids could get the education they never got. When you grow up seeing hardships like we have, you tend not to have a fear of failure. An essential quality when you are starting a venture knowing that there are 99% chances it will fail. Its whats kept my brother and me going through all our ventureswe know that well survive the failures."

Quick 3

Last book read: Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. Favourite vacation spot: Goa in India, Bali in Indonesia and the European countryside.

3. CEOs he admires: Steve Jobs and Ratan Tata




Or rather they will get a masterclass in sleeping. For the first time ever, a sleep expert is going to accompany the team. Dr Monika Sharmas job will be to try and ensure the athletes get a good nights rest. The Indian Olympic Association is planning to provide them with sleeping pods.

Sleep is apparently an Olympic-sized problem these days. Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra spent many nights tossing and turning before his gold-medal event at the Tokyo games in 2021. Shooter Abhinav Bindra didnt sleep at all the night before his big day in Rio. Dr Sharma tells the Indian Express ignorance about sleep is quite profound" among athletes. Though both Bindra and Chopra won golds, in an intensely competitive forum where everyone is looking for an edge, getting optimum sleep and restorative sleep definitely gives them that edge."

Sharma is couching this in terms of removing the chance that lack of sleep might cost India a medal.

But even those of us not chasing an Olympic medal know a thing or two about poor sleep. I was the kind of boy who fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Now I am the man who often wakes up with a jolt in the middle of night and frets and fumes listening to the city asleep around him. Every night I go to bed wondering what kind of night it will be. Every night of restful sleep feels like a minor victory.

I understand it is part of growing older. But theres something deeper going on. The Sleep Survey 2024 conducted by ResMed, a medical device company, surveyed 17 countries. It concluded that only 27% of Indians reported a good nights sleep each week. A 2019 study by fitness band maker Fitbit concluded after analysing the data from Fitbit users that Indians were the second most sleep-deprived, among all the countries they surveyed, with Japan heading the list. And their REM (rapid eye movement) sleep time was among the lowest in the world.

I know this only too well. Worried about my sleep, I got one of the fitness bands that would help monitor it. It ended up adding to my stress. It felt like I was taking a sleeping test every night. Even if I woke up refreshed and happy, it was never good enough for the nitpicking fitness band. Try going to bed earlier," it would scold me. My deep sleep time was invariably too low. Dont strain yourself too much, keep good mood, make reasonable arrangements for work and rest time, and do more exercise to keep fit," it chirpily advised me. I wanted to smack it.

The first time sleeplessness really hit me, I was recovering from jet lag. Every night, no matter what time I went to bed, I would bolt awake somewhere between 2 and 3 in the morning. At some point I thought some mechanism had just broken inside me and I would never get my sleep back. Going to sleep without worrying about it felt like the ultimate luxury.

Now my social media shows me endless ads for pillows, sleep yoga sessions, chewable melatonin tablets and herbal supplements. I had no idea there was an entire cottage industry around getting to sleep and staying asleep. I started measuring my caffeine intake with a tooth comb, watched endless videos of the 4-7-8 breathing relaxation exercise, carefully rearranged my bed for optimal sleeping comfort and tried to give myself a cut-off time with digital devices. But sleep proved to be an elusive creature, sneakingly evading all the traps and temptations I had laid out for it.

When I was a child, no one really read me bedtime stores. My parents would turn off the main light and turn on a bedside lamp. My father would sit and read the paper by the light of the lamp, half-listening to my mother as she filled him in about the day in a low voice. I would lie in bed looking at the strange deformed shadows the bedside lamp cast on the ceiling. My favourite sleep ritual was to pull the covers over me, hug my bolster pillow or paash-baalish, and make up little stories in my head. I would imagine that under that paash-baalish was a secret world where my toys and I could have a picnic. There was something Enid Blyton-ish about the whole affair but it worked like a charm. I would be asleep long before I managed to come up with a full menu for the picnic. Years later someone told me that the biggest sleep-aid I had back then was not my imaginary picnics, but a sense of security about the real world around me. There was comfort in hearing the low voices of my parents, in knowing that I would wake up to them the next day. The murmur of their voices was the white noise lulling me to sleep.

As adults we struggle to find that security in a world which seems increasingly on edge. Work, relationships and our own health all feel increasingly insecure. Sleep is but a natural casualty. A ruffled mind is a ruffled pillow," the author Charlotte Bronte is reputed to have said. We live in very ruffled times indeed.

When I would wake up with a start in the dead of night at first it would make me anxious. Now I try to make peace with it. Sometimes I stand on the balcony looking at the empty street in an entirely different light, the streetlights almost forlorn and ghostly. I recognise the street dogs out on patrol. The rats come out of holes and scurry around looking for food. A sudden noise somewhere sets off a cawing frenzy among unseen crows. I see the vegetable vendor doggedly pushing a cart of cabbages and tomatoes to set up for the next day. Sometimes a drunk staggers down the street jabbing at his phone probably trying to book an Uber. The young men who work at the cheap restaurant across the street wash dishes late into the night and finally relax, sprawled around the front steps, immersed in the flickering light of videos on their phones. There is a rhythm here too, a soundscape that rustles to life once all the shops are shut and the buses and trams fall silent.

When I think back to childhood stories, the problem seems to have always been too much sleep as opposed to too little. Kumbhakarna, Rip van Winkle and Sleeping Beauty all had sleep disorders but none of them were afflicted by insomnia. Even the Bengali fairytales I read had princesses who kept falling asleep and needed some prince with a golden wand to wake them. Too much sleep was scary in those fairytales. Rip van Winkle woke up after 20 years to find that his wife was long dead and the American revolution had happened. Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on a spinning wheel and didnt wake up for a century. The story never satisfactorily told me whether she searched for the friends and family she had when she fell asleep or was happy enough with the prince who woke her up.

Sleep is a pivotal part of these stories but also a dangerous twist in the tale. Even shorter stints of sleep felt dangerous like Goldilocks who fell asleep after eating her porridge, only to wake up to three angry bears glaring at her. Snow White bit the poisoned apple and fell into a death-like slumber much to the sorrow of the seven dwarves who put her in a glass casket. That a handsome prince came and kissed the supposed corpse and brought her back to life only made the whole story more creepy.

Sleep could be a perilous undertaking in those stories, a dangerous time when you let down your guard but sleeplessness was never the problem except for that one lonely princess who could not sleep because of the pea hidden under several mattresses. Now that has become the fairytale of our lives. But in our version we dont win a prince at the end of it. We dont even want one. Just a good nights sleep would be prize enough.

Cult Friction is a fortnightly column on issues we keep rubbing up against. Sandip Roy is a writer, journalist and radio host. He posts @sandipr

Also read: How the Constitution played a pivotal role in the election
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has reached the heart of Paris, as the flagship store of Galeries Lafayette on Haussmann Boulevard started accepting UPI payments, ANI reported.

This landmark move is a step further in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of globalising UPI, an instant payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016.

"On July 3, 2024, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) became live at the flagship store of the world-renowned Galeries Lafayette in Haussmann, Paris. This expands the acceptance of UPI in Paris after a successful launch at the iconic Eiffel Tower," according to an Indian Embassy statement quoted by ANI.

Monaco Jawed Ashraf, Indian Ambassador to France and Principality of Monaco, launched UPI by using it live at the store in the presence of Nicolas Houze, CEO of Galeries Lafayette, and Alain Lacour, Chairman of Lyra Group.

Also Read | RBI to allow auto refill of UPI Lite wallet, says Governor Shaktikanta Das

Ashraf welcomed the quick conclusion of the agreement and arrangement between Lyra and NPCI for introducing UPI at the world-famous Galeries Lafayette ahead of the Paris Olympics starting July 26. He recalled the success of UPI launched at the Eiffel Tower in January 2024 and the meeting hosted for potential merchants with NPCI International in February 2024. The introduction of UPI at Galeries Lafayette is expected to draw hordes of Indian visitors.

Also Read | RBI working to expand UPI to 20 countries by 2029, shows Annual Report

"Ambassador recalled the first international launch of UPI in Singapore in 2018.. and expressed satisfaction at the international journey of UPI," ANI reported.

He hoped that UPI would grow as a medium of cross-border remittances and eventually become the digital payment system in countries across the world.
To decide whether to apply for a specific credit card, you should know the benefits and the costs involved. Usually, the features and benefits are highlighted in bold in media campaigns. However, the costs are not highlighted and have to be dug out from the Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) document.

Let us understand some of the credit card fees and charges you should be aware of. It will help you compare them with the benefits and decide whether to apply for the card.

Also Read | Credit card spend overseas to be included in LRS limit? Things you should know

Joining and annual renewal fee Most cards have a joining fee, although some are issued on a First Year Free (FYF) or Life Time Free (LTF) basis. Some cards with a joining fee may be issued to some customers on an LTF basis based on their relationship with the bank and other factors.

Some cards offer welcome benefits for the joining fee paid. These can include reward points, gift vouchers of specific brands, memberships of various programs, etc. Some banks offer to reverse the joining fee on spending a specified amount within a specified number of days.

Compare the joining fee of the card with the welcome benefits and other features and benefits of the card to evaluate whether it is worth the joining fee.

Most cards have an annual renewal fee that is charged on completion of the calendar year from the date of card issue. Some cards offer certain benefits on payment of the annual renewal fee in the form of reward points, gift vouchers, membership of various programs, etc.

Some cards waive the renewal fee on spending a specified amount in the previous year. For example, the American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card (MRCC) has a renewal fee of Rs. 4,500 + taxes.

However, the renewal fee is waived on spending Rs. 1,50,000 and above in the previous year. Similarly, the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card has a renewal fee of Rs. 5,000 + taxes. However, there is no waiver criteria.

Late payment fee The late payment fee is applicable if the minimum amount due is not paid by the payment due date. Some banks charge the late payment fee amount based on the outstanding balance slab-wise. The outstanding balance is calculated as the total amount due minus the amount paid by the due date.

For example, ICICI Bank charges the late payment fee as follows:

Outstanding amount Late payment fee Less than Rs. 100 None Between Rs. 100 and Rs. 500 Rs. 100 Between Rs. 501 and Rs. 5,000 Rs. 500 Between Rs. 5,001 and Rs. 10,000 Rs. 750 Between Rs. 10,001 and Rs. 25,000 Rs. 900 Between Rs. 25,001 and Rs. 50,000 Rs. 1,000 More than Rs. 50,000 Rs. 1,200

Finance charges or interest charges The finance charges are applicable if the cardholder doesnt pay the entire outstanding balance in full. Most banks levy finance charges usually in the 1.99 to 3.75% per month (23.88 to 45% per annum) range. However, it differs from bank to bank. Some banks have a dynamic rate based on the borrowers creditworthiness, payment track record, and other factors.

For example, IDFC FIRST Bank has finance charges in the range of 0.75 to 3.65% per month (9 to 43.8% per annum). So, to start with, the rate applicable in your case may be 3.65% per month or 43.8% per annum. However, depending on your performance track record and other criteria, over a period of time, in stages, the bank may bring down the rate to 0.75% per month or 9.00% per annum.

Also Read | How does regular credit card usage affect your credit score over time?

Cash advance fee The cash advance fee is applicable when you withdraw cash from the ATM using your credit card. It is applied as a specified percentage of the amount withdrawn or a flat amount, whichever is higher. For example, HDFC Bank charges a cash advance fee of 2.5% (excluding Infinia and Infinia Metal Edition) of the withdrawal amount or Rs. 500, whichever is higher.

The finance charges are applicable on cash advance/withdrawal also. For cash advances, the finance charges are applicable from the date of the transaction till the amount is paid back.

It is recommended that you dont withdraw cash using credit cards, unless there is an emergency and you have run out of other options. Cash withdrawals are subject to the cash limit on the credit card that you hold.

Reward redemption fee Banks allow you to redeem reward points against merchandise, gift vouchers, statement credit, booking flights and hotel rooms, transfer to frequent flyer programs, hotel loyalty programs, etc. The bank may charge a reward redemption fee while redeeming reward points for some of these options.

For example, SBI Cards charges a reward redemption fee of Rs. 99 on physical product, statement fee credit, and on vouchers that are sent physically.

Cash repayment fee The credit card outstanding can be paid through various modes like net banking, third-party apps, etc. You also have the option to pay the credit card amount due by depositing cash at the bank branch. Banks charge a cash repayment fee for cash deposits.

For example, Standard Chartered Bank charges a cash repayment fee of Rs. 299 for making payment of credit card bills by depositing cash at any Standard Chartered Bank branch. However, IDFC FIRST Bank doesnt charge a fee on cash payment at branches.

Card replacement fee At times, it may happen that your card is lost, stolen or damaged. In such cases, you will need a card replacement. Banks charge a card replacement fee for such requests. For example, ICICI Bank charges a card replacement fee of Rs. 200 for all cards, with the exception of the Emeralde Private Metal Credit Card (replacement fee of Rs. 3,500).

Surcharge on certain payments Banks levy a surcharge on certain payments like fuel, rent, railway tickets, utility bill payments, education fees, etc. The fuel surcharge of 1% (minimum Rs. 10) is quite common. However, many banks provide a waiver on this if the transaction amount is up to a specified amount. Some banks have a maximum limit on the fuel surcharge waiver per statement cycle.

If your monthly expense on fuel transactions is high, it is recommended that you go for a co-branded fuel card. It will give you a waiver on fuel surcharge along with a decent reward rate.

In the last few months, most banks have started charging a fee for rent payments made through credit cards. For example, ICICI Bank charges a 1% fee on the transaction amount. Some banks cap the amount charged per transaction. For example, HDFC Bank charges a 1% fee on the transaction amount, with a capping of Rs. 3,000 per transaction.

Most banks levy a convenience fee on the booking of railway tickets. For example, Standard Chartered Bank charges 2.5% (minimum Rs. 25) of the transaction amount for railway transactions.

Recently, some banks have introduced a fee on credit card usage for paying education fees. For example, HDFC Bank charges a 1% fee on education transactions done through third-party apps like CRED, PhonePe, etc. The fee is capped at Rs. 3,000 per transaction. HDFC Bank doesn't charge the fee for education transactions done directly through college/school websites or POS machines at their education premises.

Recently, some banks have introduced a fee on utility bill payments through credit cards. For example, Yes Bank charges 1% of the transaction amount on utility bill payment transactions of above Rs. 15,000 in a month.

Payment return charges If your bill payment through cheque, auto-pay, etc., is returned due to insufficient funds or any other reason, the bank levies a payment return charge. For example, Yes Bank levies a payment return charge of Rs. 450 per instance of cheque or auto-pay return.

Overlimit fee When your credit card usage exceeds the credit limit in a billing cycle, it is known as overlimit. An overlimit fee is levied in such cases. The overlimit fee is usually charged as a specified percentage of the overlimit amount or a fixed fee, whichever is higher.

For example, SBI Card charges an overlimit fee of 2.5% of the overlimit amount or Rs. 600, whichever is higher.

Apart from the ten credit card charges discussed above, banks levy other charges like foreign currency transaction charge, balance transfer fee, EMI conversion fee, etc.

Credit cards can be a boon or a bane Depending on how you use credit cards, they can be a boon or a bane. If you use them regularly and repay the entire bill every month, they can be a boon. They can give you benefits like instant discounts, cashbacks, reward points, and other benefits.

However, if you are unable to pay the entire bill, the finance charges, late payment fees, and other charges can land you in a debt trap. So, you should use credit cards judiciously and make sure to repay the entire outstanding amount to enjoy their benefits.
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday held a meeting with the top leaders of public sector banks and select private banks and exhorted them to crack down on mule accounts.

For the unversed, a mule account is the one used by someone who is different from the account holder. These accounts are often used for money laundering and other illegitimate purposes.

He also told the banks to intensify customer awareness and education initiatives, among other measures, to curb digital frauds.

Here we list out some of the massive bank transfers in the recent past where an average Joe received a bounty to the tune of crores from unknown sources. And prima facie, it appears that the accounts were reportedly used  against the knowledge of the account holder  to syphon off money illegitimately.

I.  9,900 crore bounty received in bank account In May 2024, a man in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi district discovered that he had a staggering 9,900 crore in his bank account.

When he informed the bank authorities, it was learnt that Bhanu Prakash's account is a Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loan account which had become an NPA (non performing asset).

It was believed to be a software glitch, which was later corrected.

II. Lost pan card, labourers account was credited with  221 crore In October 2023, Shiv Prasad Nishad, a daily wage labourer in UP mysteriously received 221 crore in his bank account.

The man belongs to Bartania village of Basti district in UP.

He revealed in the investigation that he had misplaced his PAN card several years ago and someone may have used the account to deposit funds illegitimately.

III. Chemist in Aligarh received  4 crore In a similar incident, Mohd Aslam, a 37-year-old chemist from Aligarh, received a windfall of money in Nov 2023 when 4 crore was credited to his account in IDFC and UCO banks from unknown sources.

He informed the bank officials. When they did not intervene, he had no option but to dial 112.

IV. Farmer in Andhra Pradesh got  1.84 crore: Likewise, K Srinivasulu Naidu, a resident of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh in a similar sequence of events received an unexpected 1.84 crore in his savings bank account in Dec 2016.

Some reports claimed the recipient was a stone factory worker while others called him a farmer. A Deccan Chronicle report had stated that a similar thing happened to a cinema theatre operator in Anantapur when his savings account was credited with one crore.

V. A Bengal man with  17 was credited with  100 crore In another bizarre incident, a daily wage worker in Murshidabad district of West Bengal who had just 17 in his account was credited with 100 crore.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP)  Two people were killed and three others injured in an attack that broke out during a neighborhood Fourth of July gathering in a Southern California beach city, police said Friday.

The county coroner removed two bodies Friday morning from the crime scene, which encompassed a grassy median in a residential neighborhood lined with palm trees. The violence was just a few blocks from the beach in a community known as Surf City USA."

A 26-year-old Huntington Beach resident was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, said city spokeswoman Jennifer Carey. Officials released no further details on the attack Thursday night other than to say it was an assault with a deadly weapon." It began less than two hours after the city's fireworks display ended roughly a mile (1.6 kilometers) away.

Violence was reported across the country on Thursday. The Fourth of July historically is one of the nations deadliest days of the year.

In the Huntington Beach neighborhood, evidence of a gathering remained, including chairs, a cooler and drink cans on a grassy median near the homes. Remnants of fireworks also littered the street.

People on bicycles rode up to crime scene tape blocking off the street Friday to ask police and bystanders what happened.

The district attorneys office said they had not yet received the case from police but charges could be filed as early as Monday. A spokesperson for the Orange County coroner did not have details Friday about the victims fatal wounds. And the mayor did not respond to a request for comment.

Shootings and other violence during the extended Fourth of July weekend have left at least 18 other people dead, including 11 in Chicago, and injured dozens more nationwide.

___
(Bloomberg) -- David Einhorns Greenlight Capital Inc. escalated a legal battle with a former employee who claims he was head of macro trading at the firm, alleging James Fishback was actually a poor performer who resigned ahead of being fired.

In a fresh lawsuit filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, the hedge fund said Fishbacks claims of being responsible for $100 million in profits and insane performance at Greenlight were false. It said he was never more than a research analyst with no discretion over the firms macro portfolio.

Fishback made these false statements to misleadingly inflate his perceived abilities and responsibilities and to take credit for Greenlights track record, goodwill, and reputation, the firm said in its suit.

Greenlight further accused him of stealing confidential information and engaging in a campaign to harass, intimidate and defame the fund and Einhorn, including filing frivolous litigation and threatening to disrupt its annual partners dinner.

Head of Macro Memes

Fishback filed a defamation lawsuit against Greenlight last year, accusing the firm of falsely telling a preeminent family office that was considering investing in his own fund, Azoria Partners, that he was never head of macro. Greenlight fired back with its own suit in federal court in March alleging that Fishback was lying about his position, which the firm says has never existed since its 1996 founding.

Since then, the two sides have engaged on social media, where it has inspired numerous head of macro memes and commentary from prominent investors such as Daniel Loeb, who describes himself as head of macro at Third Point LLC since 1995 on his X bio.

In a statement Tuesday, Fishback said, This is a desperate ploy by Greenlight to save face with its investors after they now know the truth about (1) who was actually responsible for Greenlights insane macro returns and (2) the lengths to which Greenlight retaliated against me for the crime of starting Azoria Partners, a direct competitor to Greenlight. I will respond to each of their baseless allegations in detail. Stay tuned.

Fishback said in his suit, which was dropped in January to allow the parties to proceed in arbitration, that hes a self-taught investor who successfully ran his own hedge fund for five years before joining Greenlight. He said he started consulted with Einhorn on macro investing in early April 2019 and was offered employment with the firm as a research analyst in February 2021.

No Authority

He claimed he was an outstanding performer from the start - earning more than $100 million in profits for the company and regularly finding extremely profitable trades that eventually got him promoted to head of macro. Fishback included a screenshot of an email from a Greenlight executive in May 2023 identifying him as head of macro.

Greenlight says none of that is true. It said it decided to terminate him for his lack of productivity, but he resigned in July 2023 when he learned he was about to be fired, according to the complaint. While he was allowed to execute some macro trades for Greenlight that Einhorn directed, the suit says, he had no authority to trade on his own.

And, since he had absolutely no authority or discretion whatsoever over Greenlights macro investment portfolio, he was not responsible for generating any profits, let alone over $100 million of profits, Greenlight says in its complaint.

According to the firm, Fishback told Greenlight he was resigning to focus on his work with a non-profit organization but would love to continue working with the firm. Greenlight says hes now pushing a story about departing due to political agreements when it became convenient for him to do so in an effort to attract more publicity by disparaging Mr. Einhorn to build his own following and to attract interest in Azoria.

Tesla Debate

Fishback often tweets right-wing political opinions and has appeared on podcasts with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, told MarketWatch in May that he had left Greenlight because of disagreements over politics and the direction the fund taking. Greenlight says in its latest suit that wasnt true and that Fishback said in his resignation email that he would love to continue working with Einhorn.

According to the suit, Fishback threatened to stand outside Greenlights partner dinner and hand out letters containing its strategies and calling into question its macro investing strategy when he was told he couldnt attend.

Fishback in May called on Einhorn to debate Tesla with him. Einhorn, who has been short on the electric carmaker, thanked him for the offer, saying he is usually willing to debate, but declined, saying the person on the other side needs to have some knowledge about the subject.

According to Greenlight, Fishback used this rejection as a pretext to capture a wide audience and launch into a days-long social media and podcast tirade against Greenlight and Mr. Einhorn.

In the media blitz that ensued, Fishback took the opportunity he created to continue spouting lies about his Head of Macro title, his role at Greenlight, and his responsibility for Greenlights success, the firm said in its suit.

The case is Greenlight Capital Inc. v James T. Fishback, 24-cv-4832, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

(Corrects date of Fishbacks resignation in 10th paragraph.)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail petition in a corruption case related to the alleged excise policy scam. The court has directed the probe agency to respond to Kejriwal's bail petition.

Newswire PTI reported that Justice Neena Bansal Krishna notified the CBI about the bail plea and scheduled the next hearing for July 17.

Kejriwal's counsel, Abhishek Singhvi, argued that the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) does not pose a flight risk and is not a terrorist. Singhvi pointed out that Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI after securing bail in a related money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The CBI, represented by advocate DP Singh, objected to Kejriwal's direct approach to the High Court without first filing a bail application in the trial court.

Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party's national convener, was arrested by the CBI on June 26 and is currently in judicial custody at Tihar Jail.

Earlier, the ED arrested Kejriwal on March 21 in the same money laundering case. The trial court granted him bail on June 20. However, the high court subsequently overturned the trial court's bail order, leading to Kejriwal's continued detention in Tihar Jail.

The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into alleged irregularities and corruption in its formulation and execution. The Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate have alleged irregularities in modifying the excise policy and extending undue favours to license holders.
Aligarh Inspector General of Police Shalabh Mathur said on Thursday that six individuals have been arrested in connection with the stampede during a religious event in Hathras.

He also stated that a reward of 1 lakh has been given for the arrest of the main suspect, Prakash Madhukar.

Meanwhile, the preacher 'Bhole Baba' identified as Suraj Pal is also known by the names of Narayan Sakar Hari and Jagat Guru Vishwahari. Hindustan Times reported citing sources that 'Bhole Baba' has 24 ashrams, and asset worth 100 crore.

The Shri Narayan Hari Sakar Charitable Trust oversees Suraj Pal's organization and is managed by individuals closely associated with its operations.

Suraj Pal, known as Bhole Baba or Narayan Hari Sakar among his devotees, appears when he addresses his followers. He often dresses in an immaculate white three-piece suit with fashionable eyewear and a tie.

Bhole Babas arrival is marked by a grand procession: leading the convoy are 16 commandos on powerful 350 cc motorcycles, ensuring a clear path for a fleet of 15 to 30 vehicles, the report noted. Pal himself rides in a white Toyota Fortuner, its interiors adorned with matching white seat covers, HT reported.

Suraj Pal resides in the Mainpuri Ashram in Bichuva, which spans 21 bighas of land and is known as Hari Nagar. Hindustan Times reported that this expansive estate has six rooms specifically designated for him and his wife.

At the entrance of the Mainpuri ashram, a board prominently features the names of 200 donors who have contributed amounts varying from 10,000 to 2.5 lakh. These contributions are a testament to the financial support received by the ashram, highlighting the community's involvement and investment in its activities.

To our knowledge, Baba oversees 24 ashrams spread across various parts of the state and the country. This particular ashram, completed three years ago, serves as his residence and operational base, another person told HT.

Suraj Pal's ashram network extends to various locations, showcasing substantial infrastructure and strict regulations. In Kasui village, Kanpur's Bidhnu area, there is a subsidiary ashram where the sevadars (volunteers) reside. Another ashram currently under construction is located in Bhupat Sarai, Etawah, spread over 15 bighas of land.

Earlier on July 2, an FIR was filed under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, 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 a public servant), and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Friday claimed that the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre could fall by August.

"I appeal to all party workers to be ready, as elections can happen anytime. Modi's government in Delhi is very weak, and it can fall by August," reported ANI, quoting the RJD chief.

The RJD chief's remark came just days after the Congress claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's legitimacy had been diminished to "one-third" and his government was on its "last legs" and could fall anytime.

Reacting to Lalu Prasad's claim, Union Minister Nityanand Rai said that people believe in PM Modi and they do not want jungle raj.

"...By making PM Modi the Prime Minister for the third time, the people of the country and Bihar have expressed their wish that PM Modi is the true son of India and can take the country forward. The people of Bihar believe in PM Modi, Nitish Kumar, NDA-BJP, they do not want jungle raj," ANI quoted Rai as saying.

Also Read | PM Modi congratulates Keir Starmer on remarkable poll win

Earlier this week, in his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks, Prime Minister Modi stated that since the results came out, one Congress leader had kept on beating the drum that there was a "one-third government" in place.

Modi also said the 2024 general election verdict showed the people had rejected propaganda and voted for performance. He said the politics of misleading people had been defeated.

After the Parliament session ended, In an interview with PTI, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at PM Modi and said, The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha and the simultaneous session of Rajya Sabha has certainly seen two things -- a new, aggressive, revived, rejuvenated Opposition in the INDIA group which is the way it should be in a democracy, but at the same time we have also seen no change in the attitude, approach, behaviour of the non-biological PM.

After the Lok Sabha election results, the INDIA bloc leaders said they would take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people's desire not to be ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

Kharge further added that the opposition leaders resolved to continue their fight against the "fascist rule" of the BJP led by Narendra Modi.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Friday that India reached the highest-ever growth in the value of defence production in 2023-24 and made significant leaps under the Make in India initiative. He said production values surged from the fiscal year 2022-2023 by 16.8% to Rs. 1,26,887 crores in FY 2023-2024.

Rajnath Singh, in a post on X on Friday, said that the Indian government aims to develop India as a leading Global Defence Manufacturing Hub. The Union Minister applauded the Make in India initiative for the growth in production and said it has been crossing milestones with each passing year under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Make in India programme is crossing new milestones, year after year, under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi. India has registered the highest-ever growth in the value of defence production in 2023-24. The value of production has reached to Rs. 1,26,887 crore in 2023-24 which is 16.8% higher than the value of production of previous financial year, Rajnath Singh posted on X.

The Defence Minister's post added, "Many congratulations to our industry, including DPSUs, other PSUs manufacturing defence items and the Private industry. The Government is committed to create more conducive regime for developing India as leading Global Defence Manufacturing Hub.

Speaking to LiveMint about India's defence production, Manoj Joshi, former National Security Council Advisor Board member and fellow at Observer Research Foundation(ORF), a global think tank in India, noted that the value of production accounts for a very lazy way of claiming credit, as it does not give the whole scenario amidst fluctuating prices of goods.

Even if you produced the same amount of a product or even less, its value may increase. So both figures need to be given, the actual production as well as the value of that production, said Manoj Joshi.

Also Read | Hindenburg responds to SEBI on Adani show cause notice: 5 key points of defence

Earlier in June 2024, Adani Defence and Aerospace signed an agreement with French defence company Thales to boost the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat programmes. The tie-up aims to manufacture 70 mm rockets for the Rudra and Prachand helicopters.

The Thales group identified the pact as a key milestone for Indias reliance on home-grown defence equipment. Earlier in June this year, the French company posted on the microblogging site X, Together, we seek to contribute to further growth and success of India's defence sector."

The key players in Indias production domain are the 16 DPSUs. Of these, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited( HAL), which produced the lightweight combat helicopter Prachand, deals specifically with aircraft. Other entities deal with respective categories, such as Bharat Electronics Limited (electronics), Bharat Dynamics Limited (missiles), Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (special alloys) and BEML Limited (vehicles and earth-moving equipment).

Also Read | How Indias defence sector is going all guns blazing
Pune Porsche crash: A juvenile accused involved in a car crash that killed two IT-professionals has submitted a 300-word essay on road safety.

The submission was made in compliance with the bail conditions of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB).

According to officials, the teenager submitted the essay to the JJB on Wednesday.

The bail granted to a 17-year-old son of a builder by the JJB after the accident, and the punishment of writing an essay led to a massive uproar and political slugfest.

What happened on May 19? On May 19, a Porsche car driven by the teenager, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, crashed into a bike in Pune citys Kalyani Nagar area and killed two techies.

Following that, the JJB ordered that the minor be kept under the care and supervision of his parents and grandfather, asking him to write a 300-word essay on road safety.

Also Read | Zika virus infects 2 pregnant women in Pune, 4 more test positive

Minor sent to Observation Home As the bail and punishment led to a mssive uproar, the police moved JJB, seeking an amendment of the order. Following that, on May 22, the board ordered that the minor be sent to an observation home.

Also Read | Lonavala waterfall tragedy: Tourist safety guidelines issued

Bail by HC Last month, the Bombay High Court ordered a release of the juvenile from an observation home and held that the orders remanding him to the facility were illegal.

The HC paved his release holding the orders illegal and stressed that the law regarding juveniles must be implemented fully.
NEW DELHIA trip by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia next week is aimed at reinforcing the relationship with Moscow as New Delhi strengthens ties with the U.S. to counter China.

Modi will arrive in Moscow on Monday, marking his first visit to the country in five years. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modis presence will be an opportunity to show that Russia still has influential friends after more than two years of Western efforts to isolate the country.

Modi will get to Moscow just as Washington prepares to host a North Atlantic Treaty Organization meeting that will focus on supporting Ukraine as the war drags on.

The trip will be Modis first bilateral visit of his third term. Days after taking office in June, Modi met with President Biden as well as Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Italy.

There have been some misgivings that there is a dilution in India-Russia ties due to Western pressure," said Kanwal Sibal, a former Indian foreign secretary and former ambassador to Russia. The visit will quell this speculation."

Modi and Putin last met in 2022 at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional security bloc founded by Russia and China. They are overdue to get together again based on an agreement the two countries have that calls for a summit between their leaders annually.

Scheduling the summit was a priority because it hadnt taken place since 2021, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said Friday. The meeting is the highest mechanism to steer and drive cooperation between our two countries," he said.

Russia and India have enjoyed close ties dating from the Cold War era, when the Soviet Union became Indias main military supplier. But in recent years, shared concerns over Chinas rise have prompted the U.S. and India to draw closer.

Meanwhile, Russian and Chinese relations have flourished as the authoritarian powers band together to confront what they see as a Western campaign to hem them both in. Putin visited Beijing in May and met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Uzbekistan on Wednesday, ahead of this years Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting. Modi didnt attend this year.

India is trying to offer a counterweight to U.S. and European sanctions that it believes have pushed Moscow closer to Beijing, political experts say. India wants to ensure Russia has alternatives, that Russia isnt cornered and doesnt have to put all its eggs into the Chinese basket," said Aleksei Zakharov, a Moscow-based expert on Russia-India relations.

In Indias calculus, Russia is part of its efforts to counter its more powerful neighbor. Relations between India and China have deteriorated sharply in recent years, particularly in the wake of a 2020 clash on their disputed Himalayan border that left 20 Indian soldiers dead and killed four Chinese troops.

It will be impossible to contain China in Asia if Russia becomes a junior partner of China," said Nandan Unnikrishnan, head of the Eurasia program at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi think tank.

Like many leaders, Modi skipped a peace summit organized by Kyiv in Switzerland last month, but has expressed concern over the war. In 2022, at his first meeting with Putin after Russia invaded Ukraine, Modi publicly voiced concern over the wars impact on global stability.

Also on the agenda will be sorting out areas of friction in the relationship that have arisen since the war, including Russias recruitment of Indian nationals as part of an effort to enlist foreign fighters in its war effort.

More than two dozen nationals have reached out for help after they said they were deceived into enlisting, according to Indian officials, and India has been able to bring back 10 people. Another four have died in fighting.

In recent months, India has raised the issue of securing the early release of its nationals more publicly and more forcefully.

It upsets us why Russian authorities havent heeded to our demand promptly," said an Indian official.

Suresh Kumar, a grocery-shop owner in northern India whose 19-year-old son Harsh Kumar traveled to Russia around Christmas and soon ended up on the front lines, said his son hadnt yet returned. But he said he was hopeful Indias interventions would soon be successful after his son said the Indian Embassy in Moscow had told him and his friends in a recent call that the process for their return was 90% complete."

In June, Indias Foreign Ministry demanded that the Russian army stop recruiting Indian nationals, indicating the issue could damage relations between the countries.

S. Jaishankar, the Indian foreign minister, said in a post on X that he had pressed for the return of Indian nationals fighting for Russia in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Kazakhstan this week.

Trade between the two countries has become severely lopsided, with Indias massive purchases of discounted Russian oil driving imports from the country up to more than $60 billion. That has left Moscow with a big surplus of rupees it can hardly use, with purchases from India at just over $4 billion.

The two countries could also progress on a logistics agreement several years in the making that would simplify the refueling and resupplying of deployed vessels at each others ports. India has similar agreements with other countries, including the U.S. and the U.K.

While officials on both sides are set to telegraph that the relationship is as robust as ever, political experts say a fundamental shift is taking place, with strategic components giving way to more transactional elements. In part, the transformation comes as Indias economic and diplomatic stature has grown, while Russias has diminished.

The future of Russia as this industrial powerhouse that it once was by comparison with India, is very much in doubt now that Russia is cut off from most Western technology and relies on China for substitutes or secondhand Western tech and equipment, and it is struggling to produce enough weapons for its own military," said Eugene Rumer, a senior fellow and the director of the Carnegie think tanks Russia and Eurasia program. So how can it be a reliable supplier to the Indian military?"

An Indian security official said Indian forces have already started discarding and minimizing the use of decades-old Russian tanks, artillery, ships and helicopters, and dont intend to place any major future orders for fighter aircraft or advanced military equipment to Moscow.

Still, large parts of Indias army and air force remain reliant on Russian heavy equipment, such as jet fighters and armored tanks, and therefore still need a steady supply of spare parts, an issue that will also be part of discussions next week.

Russia has been moving to produce some equipment in India in collaboration with domestic firms. On Thursday, Russias Rosoboronexport, a unit of state-run defense giant Rostec, said it had reached an agreement to locally produce armor-piercing rounds used by Indias Russian-made tanks. Last year, the two countries also established joint production of Kalashnikov rifles in India.

India-Russia cooperation on spares, their co-production in India, isnt a new item of discussion between the two countries," Kwatra, the foreign secretary, said Friday. This is part of a longstanding understanding between the two countries on how different systems and subsystems could eventually end up getting manufactured in India."

Indian analysts say Russias intractable war in Ukraine has dimmed its appeal as a key strategic partner and there are concerns that Moscows increasing reliance on China might make it an unreliable ally for New Delhi in any future conflicts with Beijing.

Will Russia balk from backing us up like they used to in the past?" said Sreeram Chaulia, dean at O.P. Jindal Global Universitys School of International Affairs in Sonipat, India. These question marks are around."

Shan Li and Krishna Pokharel contributed to this article.
Keir Starmer is all set to become UKs new prime minister with a significant majority. It was a historic victory by the Labour Party, especially considering their poor performance in 2019, which was the worst since 1935. This is their return to power after 14 years.

Meanwhile, neither King Charles nor Prince William voted in the UK Election 2024. In fact, no members of the Royal Family cast their vote. Check out why.

In the UK, the monarchy and parliament cooperate on state matters, regardless of the ruling political party. Consequently, the Royal Family remains politically neutral, maintaining relationships with foreign leaders without voting or publicly expressing political views. While no law prevents them from voting, they choose not to.

"Though the King remains politically neutral on all matters, he is able to 'advise and warn' his ministers  including his prime minister  when necessary," says the Royal Family's website.

Since Boris Johnsons exit in 2022, Keir Starmer will be the third prime minister the UK will see. Liz Truss became the UK PM in September 2022, and her tenure ended in October 2022 itself. Rishi Sunak became the new prime minister on October 25, 2022. However, his government has now fallen within 21 months.

Keir Starmer to meet King Charles Keir Starmer, the winning party's leader, will visit Buckingham Palace on July 5 to meet King Charles. The 75-year-old king will invite the Labour Party leader to become the new UK PM and form a government. They will meet again later for their private weekly audience to discuss government matters.

Also Read | Prince Harry likely to reunite with brother Prince William after years of feud

The BBC forecasts that Labour will get 35% of the votes, the Conservatives 24%, Liberal Democrats 12%, Reform 15% and Green 7%. This is the Conservatives' worst-ever vote share. Labour's vote share is slightly below Tony Blair's 2005 result and the lowest for any majority government.
In the recently held United Kingdom General Elections, Labour Party defeated Rishi Sunaks Conservative Party in a landslide victory, following which British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat.

The UK's Labour Party crossed the 326-seat threshold, required for working majority in the House of Commons. Keir Starmer will be Britain's next prime minister.

Accepting the defeat, British PM Rishi Sunak said, as quoted by news agency ANI, "The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory. Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides...I take responsibility for the loss to the many good, hard-working, conservative candidates who lost tonight despite their tireless efforts, their local records of delivery and their dedication to their communities, I am sorry. I will now head down to London, where I will say more about tonight's result before I leave the job of Prime Minister, to which I have given my all.

Following the defeat of Rishi Sunak, netizens took to social media and expressed their reactions.

Also Read | UK Elections 2024: Here is a list of British Indians who won

Here are few of them: One wrote, At least I have a legacy that I will be remembered for - being the biggest loser in political history.

Another wrote, "Rishi Sunak this morning," and shared a meme.

Someone commented, Pathetic loser.

A netizen wrote, Probably he didnt work 70 hours a day, as prescribed by Pa in Law. Tapasya Mein Kuch Kami Reh Gayi Thi.

"My Son in Law didn't listen to my advise of working 70 hours a week. See the results now," a social media user wrote.

Meanwhile, Larry the Cat took to X and wrote, Rishi Sunak has offered his resignation to The King but Keir Starmer has yet to be appointed as Prime Minister, so who's in charge? Me.

Notably, Sunak is the son-in-law of Sudha Murty and Narayana Murthy.

Narayana Murthy, Infosys founder, had said in 2023 in a conversation with CFO Mohandas Pai, If we want to compete with the fastest growing countries like China and Japan, we need to boost up our work productivity. At the moment, Indias work productivity is very low. The government also must reduce the time it takes for decision-making and curb corruption in bureaucracy, adding, Our youngsters need to work for at least 70 hours a week.
*

Beryl leaves Mexico's Yucatan mostly unscathed

*

At least 11 dead in Caribbean islands, Venezuela

*

Beryl expected to pick up intensity in Gulf of Mexico

*

Parts of Grenada suffered 'almost complete devastation'

(Adds tourist quote in paragraph 5-6, power cuts in Tulum in paragraph 7, comments from Grenada PM in paragraphs 17-18)

By Paola Chiomante and Jose de Jesus Cortes

CANCUN/TULUM, Mexico, July 5 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Beryl passed over Mexico's top beach destinations on Friday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain but without leaving major damage, after forging a deadly trail of destruction across the Caribbean.

The core of the storm, downgraded from a hurricane, crossed the Yucatan Peninsula by Friday afternoon, as its maximum wind speeds slowed to around 70 mph (113 kph) after it struck near the coastal beach resort of Tulum in the morning.

While Beryl's passage over Mexico's Quintana Roo and Yucatan states resulted in slower winds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center still forecast dangerous storm surges in the surrounding area.

For those who hunkered down as Beryl churned overhead, a sense of relief prevailed.

"Holy cow! It was an experience!" said Mexican tourist Juan Ochoa, who was staying in Tulum.

"Really only some plants flew up in the air," he said. "Thank God we're all OK."

While major damage has not been reported in Mexico, many in the area have lost electricity, including 40% of Tulum, said Guillermo Nevarez, an official with Mexico's national electricity company CFE, speaking to local broadcaster Milenio.

Among Mexico's top tourist getaways, the Yucatan Peninsula is known for its white-sand beaches, lush landscapes and Mayan ruins.

While "rapid weakening" is expected as it moves further inland and crosses the peninsula on Friday, according to the NHC, Beryl is expected to pick up intensity once it enters the Gulf of Mexico.

Beryl was the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season. It became this week the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, with scientists pointing to its rapid strengthening as almost certainly fueled by human-caused climate change.

Beryl is about 65 miles (105 km) east-south-east of the port of Progreso and a short distance inland from Merida, the colonial-era capital of Yucatan state.

The slow-moving storm churned northwest at just 15 mph (24 kph) by midday, according to the NHC.

Mexico's national water commission, CONAGUA, flagged a risk of flooding around the tourist hubs, as well as in neighboring Campeche state.

Quintana Roo schools were closed, as were local beaches, and officials lifted a temporary ban on alcohol sales.

Before reaching Mexico, Beryl wreaked havoc across several Caribbean islands. It swept through Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in addition to unleashing heavy rainfall on northern Venezuela. It has claimed at least 11 lives, tearing apart buildings while felling power lines and trees.

Destruction in the islands of Grenada was especially pronounced.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell pointed to major damage to homes in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique during a video briefing Thursday night. Parts of the latter two islands suffered "almost complete devastation," he said.

"Many of our citizens have lost everything."

The NHC predicts that Beryl will move toward northeastern Mexico and south Texas later in the weekend.

Mexico's major oil platforms, primarily located in the southern rim of the Gulf of Mexico, are not expected to be affected or shut down, but some oil projects in U.S. waters to the north had been temporarily paused due to Beryl's expected path.

Research by the ClimaMeter consortium determined that climate change significantly intensified Beryl. According to the study, the storm's severity, along with its associated rainfall and wind speed, saw an increase of 10-30% as a direct result of climate change.
By Paola Chiomante and Jose de Jesus Cortes

CANCUN/TULUM, Mexico (Reuters) -Tropical Storm Beryl passed over Mexico's top beach destinations on Friday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain but without leaving major damage, after forging a deadly trail of destruction across the Caribbean.

The core of the storm, downgraded from a hurricane, crossed the Yucatan Peninsula by Friday afternoon, as its maximum wind speeds slowed to around 70 mph (113 kph) after it struck near the coastal beach resort of Tulum in the morning.

While Beryl's passage over Mexico's Quintana Roo and Yucatan states resulted in slower winds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center still forecast dangerous storm surges in the surrounding area.

For those who hunkered down as Beryl churned overhead, a sense of relief prevailed.

"Holy cow! It was an experience!" said Mexican tourist Juan Ochoa, who was staying in Tulum.

"Really only some plants flew up in the air," he said. "Thank God we're all OK."

While major damage has not been reported in Mexico, many in the area have lost electricity, including 40% of Tulum, said Guillermo Nevarez, an official with Mexico's national electricity company CFE, speaking to local broadcaster Milenio.

Among Mexico's top tourist getaways, the Yucatan Peninsula is known for its white-sand beaches, lush landscapes and Mayan ruins.

While "rapid weakening" is expected as it moves further inland and crosses the peninsula on Friday, according to the NHC, Beryl is expected to pick up intensity once it enters the Gulf of Mexico.

Beryl was the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season. It became this week the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, with scientists pointing to its rapid strengthening as almost certainly fueled by human-caused climate change.

Beryl is about 65 miles (105 km) east-south-east of the port of Progreso and a short distance inland from Merida, the colonial-era capital of Yucatan state.

The slow-moving storm churned northwest at just 15 mph (24 kph) by midday, according to the NHC.

Mexico's national water commission, CONAGUA, flagged a risk of flooding around the tourist hubs, as well as in neighboring Campeche state.

Quintana Roo schools were closed, as were local beaches, and officials lifted a temporary ban on alcohol sales.

Before reaching Mexico, Beryl wreaked havoc across several Caribbean islands. It swept through Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in addition to unleashing heavy rainfall on northern Venezuela. It has claimed at least 11 lives, tearing apart buildings while felling power lines and trees.

Destruction in the islands of Grenada was especially pronounced.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell pointed to major damage to homes in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique during a video briefing Thursday night. Parts of the latter two islands suffered "almost complete devastation," he said.

"Many of our citizens have lost everything."

The NHC predicts that Beryl will move toward northeastern Mexico and south Texas later in the weekend.

Mexico's major oil platforms, primarily located in the southern rim of the Gulf of Mexico, are not expected to be affected or shut down, but some oil projects in U.S. waters to the north had been temporarily paused due to Beryl's expected path.

Research by the ClimaMeter consortium determined that climate change significantly intensified Beryl. According to the study, the storm's severity, along with its associated rainfall and wind speed, saw an increase of 10-30% as a direct result of climate change.
Ryanair took to playfully using incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as part of their advertisement, as the exit polls predicted a sweep for the Labour party led by Keir Starmer in UK parliamentary elections, marking the end of the Tory regime after 14 years.

Moments after voting closed, the polls indicated a Labour sweep. Keir Starmer is all set to replace Rishi Sunak as Britains prime minister, AFP reported.

Dont worry Rishi Sunak While Rishi Sunak may lose his seat in the parliament, low-cost airline company Ryanair saved a seat for the minister. The viral X post on the companys handle shows a smiling Sunak sitting on the flight.

The airline offered Sunak the seat with the insinuation about the uncertainty over the electoral outcome of the Richmond and Northallerton constituency, from where Sunak contested.

The post has gone viral with over 2.6 million views, as several users jested about it in the comments. While one comment mentioned that the user was grateful to have lived long enough to see Ryanair troll Rishi Sunak, another joked about how he was not even offered a window seat.

First genuinely funny ad I've seen in ages, wrote another person. Ryanairs post further aligns with its bio that says, Catch flights, not feelings, like how it directs Rishi Sunak to fly, just in case he makes a free fall.

Rishi Sunak no longer an MP Rishi Sunaks bio on X reads Candidate for Richmond and Northallerton (I am no longer an MP). The bio now rings true as the Labour Party is set to sweep the UK general election. We did it! Change begins now, said Keir Starmer, reported The Guardian.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to embark on his first visit to Russia since the onset of the Ukraine conflict on July 8. His visit underscores India's delicate balancing act, as it navigates maintaining its longstanding alliance with Moscow while seeking closer security ties with Western nations.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official release on Thursday, "After concluding the trip to Russia, Modi will travel to Austria, which will be the first visit by an Indian prime minister to that country in 41 years."

Modi's last visit to Russia was in 2019, when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok.

Russia remains a crucial supplier of affordable oil and weaponry to India. However, Russia's strained relations with the West and its deepening alignment with China have influenced its traditional partnership with New Delhi over time.

In recent years, the United States and its Western allies have strengthened relations with India as a counterbalance to Beijing's expanding influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Moreover, they have urged India to reduce its ties with Russia.

As reported by AFP, Russia's war in Ukraine has transformed ties with India, said Swasti Rao, from a think tank funded by India's defence ministry, the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

"There is no decline in goodwill between India and Russia per se," she said. "But there are challenges that have cropped up.

"These are external factors, which have been strong enough to bring in a paradigm shift in India-Russia bilateral issues," she added.

Nandan Unnikrishnan of the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation said the upcoming in-person meeting showed the two sides were looking for ways forward. There have been pressures on India, and there have been pressures on the India-Russia relationship, Unnikrishnan said, AFP reported.

Face-to-face interactions help in working out positions, he added. I'm sure Modi would like an assessment from Putin on the Ukraine war.

New Delhi has refrained from explicitly condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and has opted to abstain from United Nations resolutions criticizing Moscow.

However, Russia's military actions in Ukraine have also had a significant human impact on India. In February, India stated it was actively negotiating with Russia for the release of its citizens who had been recruited for "support jobs" with the Russian military. Reports had surfaced alleging that some of these individuals were compelled to engage in combat and had lost their lives in Ukraine.

India is a member of the Quad grouping alongside the United States, Japan, and Australia, which aims to counterbalance China's increasing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.

The United States and the European Union (EU) have accused China of supplying components and equipment to strengthen Russia's military capabilities. These allegations have been vehemently denied by Beijing.

That leaves India with a dilemma.

Their relationship has to evolve, said Rao.

"Some say India should strongly engage with Russia so it doesn't fall into the lap of China," said Rao. Others would say, that ship has sailed, AFP reported.

New Delhi and Moscow have forged a tight relationship since the Cold War, and Russia was for a long time India's biggest arms supplier.

But Ukraine has stretched Russia's arms supplies, and India is eyeing other sources -- including growing its own defence industry.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia's share of Indian weapons imports has shrunk considerably in recent years.

SIPRI said it dropped from 76 per cent in 2009-13 to 36 per cent in 2019-23, noting that France is now a close second, providing 33 per cent.

India has instead looked to Western suppliers, most notably France and the USA, and its own arms industry, SIPRI said, adding that its arms procurement plans seemingly do not include any Russian options.

Arms down, oil up AFP reported citing Rao that the Ukraine war had accelerated India's push to diversify its defence purchases. The Ukraine war has become one of grinding attrition, she said.

There are genuine concerns about Russia's export capabilities, and its focus and priorities.

Simultaneously, India has emerged as a significant purchaser of discounted Russian oil, serving as a crucial export market for Moscow after it faced restrictions from its traditional buyers in Europe. This dynamic has fundamentally transformed energy relations, enabling India to save billions of dollars while also contributing to Russia's financial resources amid its ongoing conflict efforts.

India's month-on-month imports of Russian crude increased by eight percent in May, to the highest levels since July 2023, according to commodity tracking data compiled by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Russian crude comprised 41 percent of India's total crude imports in May, and with new agreements in place to conduct payments in rubles, the trade might grow significantly, the research centre said.

However, India's increased purchase of discounted Russian oil has contributed to a trade deficit with Russia, which reached a little over $57 billion in the past financial year.

Following his visit to Moscow, Prime Minister Modi will proceed to Vienna. This marks the first visit by an Indian leader to the Austrian capital since Indira Gandhi's visit in 1983.

This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Austria in 41 years. He will call on President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen and hold talks with Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer, the MEA said.

The prime minister and Chancellor will also address business leaders from India and Austria, it said in a statement.
An Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea is on the way home from Qatar after a day of talks on finalizing a cease-fire deal with Hamas, according to a person with knowledge of the talks.

The outcome of the talks, which will continue, wasnt immediately known. Barnea, who leads the Israeli external-intelligence agency, had been set to meet Qatars Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the person said, asking not to be named discussing private matters.

Barnea made the trip after Israel received a fresh proposal from Hamas that could lead to the release of some hostages held in Gaza and a pause in the war between the two sides, still raging after almost nine months.

Its the clearest sign in weeks that a truce is possible after months of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus cabinet discussed Hamas latest offer on Thursday. He then held a 30-minute call with US President Joe Biden, whose administration proposed a three-part peace plan in late May.

A Hamas official, who asked not to be identified, said the group is sticking to longstanding demands, including the retreat of Israeli forces and the return of displaced civilians to their homes in Gaza. However, the new offer doesnt insist on a full withdrawal of Israeli troops in the initial stage, Israels Channel 13 said.

Biden hasnt been able to get an agreement on his plan, partly because Hamas insisted on the permanent departure of Israeli soldiers from Gaza.

Israel has resisted that, saying the military wont end its campaign until Hamas is eradicated as a military and governing organization. Netanyahu has committed to the idea of a temporary cease-fire  perhaps lasting several weeks  as a way to release hostages seized on Oct. 7, when Hamas fighters attacked the countrys south and triggered the conflict.

Biden Hurt Abroad and at Home By More Middle East Tension

US officials have said they hope a cease-fire could turn into a permanent halt in fighting. The war has caused turmoil in the wider Middle East and huge political divisions globally, even hurting Bidens bid for re-election in November.

US, Qatar Mediation

Qatar hosts many of Hamas political leaders and is a key mediator, along with the US and Egypt, between the Iran-backed group and Israel.

Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US, killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostage during its attack.

Israels retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health authority in Gaza, which doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants. The Israeli military has destroyed large swathes of the enclave and provoked a humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.
US President Joe Biden during the Fourth of July celebration made no major errors in delivering brief remarks as he was reading from a teleprompter, however, at one point he appeared to go off script and called Donald Trump his colleague to make reference to a war cemetery that the former President had declined to visit while in office.

Also Read: Donald Trump says ex-US President could end Russia-Ukraine war in one day if "By the way, you know, I was in that World War One cemetery in France. The one that one of our colleagues, a former president didn't want to go...," he said, his voice dropping to a low volume and trailing off as quoted by media reports. "I probably shouldn't have said, anyway," Biden added.

Also Read: US Presidential Election 2024: Joe Biden tells Democratic Governors about health check-up after debate In addition to this, when Vice President Kamala Harris introdued him as the "extraordinary president and called him for his speech, it looked like he confused Independence Day with Christmas and greeted, Ho ho ho! Happy Independence Day!

In another incident, he also randomly spoke on traffic congestion and said, One last thing, and I used to think when I was a senator, there were always congestion on the highways. Theres no congestion anymore. We go on the highway; theres no congestion, the President said.

Meanwhile, a source told Reuters that dozens of Democrats in the House of Representatives are watching closely and prepared to ask Biden to step aside if he falters in the ABC interview. Democrats see capturing control of the House in November as critical, as it could be their last hold on power in Washington if Trump returns to the White House and Republicans capture the Senate.

Not just this, Reuters has also reported that Abigail Disney, granddaughter of Walt Disney who founded the company that bears his name and also a significant Democratic contributor, joined others in urging Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. She told CNBC that she will halt donations to the Democratic Party until he withdraws from the race.
HELSINKI, FinlandFinnish President Alexander Stubb said China holds the key to ending the war in Ukraine, urging Beijing to use its sway over Moscow while also calling on the U.S. to lower growing tensions with China.

Stubbs appeal, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, came as European governments brace for a second Donald Trump administration and are increasingly concerned that Washington may abandon commitments to European security to focus on deterring China.

Many European states, alarmed about the potential spillover of the war in Ukraine to other nations on Russias borders, are eager for China to play a bigger role in finding a diplomatic solution. Finland, which joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization last year, shares the alliances longest frontier with Russia.

President Xi Jinping holds the keys to a peaceful solution to this conflict because hes in such a position of power," Stubb said in an interview in Helsinki ahead of the NATO summit in Washington. We in the West, not even the United States, cannot do that. All we can do is to provide arms to Ukraine to make sure it doesnt lose its war."

The lopsided nature of the Sino-Russian relationship, especially after Western sanctions imposed in 2022, provides Beijing with sufficient leverage, he added: China of course is in the drivers seat. I will be very frank with you: Russia has now turned out to be a vassal state of China."

China has so far refrained from supplying lethal weapons to Russia, but it shields Moscow diplomatically while also providing Russia with an outlet for trade and for acquiring modern technologies, including dual-use items. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who tried to woo Beijing for more than a year, last month voiced his frustration, accusing China of working hand-in-hand with Russia to undermine the peace summit he had organized in Switzerland and of becoming an instrument in Putins hands." China said it boycotted the summit because Russia wasnt invited.

Xi and Putin met in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, with the Russian president praising the golden age" in bilateral ties and the Chinese leader calling to nurture the unique value of China-Russia relations." They didnt discuss Chinese peace plans and spent little time on Ukraine during that meeting, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Several European leaders, including Polish President Andrzej Duda, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, have visited Xi in Beijing in recent months, in part to discuss relations with Russia. In his talks with Xi in late June, Duda called on Beijing to help find a diplomatic solution that respects international law. Chinas stance on the Ukraine crisis is to encourage peace talks and seek a political resolution," Xi replied. That stance, he added, aligns with the interests of the international community, including Europe."

Putins recently formulated conditions for opening peace talksrejected by Ukraine and its backers as essentially a demand for surrenderinclude a Ukrainian withdrawal from vast territories claimed by Russia but controlled by Kyiv, such as the cities of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, as well as irreversible" steps to demilitarize Ukraine.

While Finland is one of Ukraines staunchest supporters, not all such backers believe that China could play a positive role in ending the war.

I have always been of an opinion that this is a European war, and therefore Europe and its allies should be helping Ukraine to win it," said Lithuanias Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. And when asking for help from China, especially now when it is clear that they are helping Russia, we have to understand that the price for Chinas involvement would be far higher than anyone would be ready to pay."

In any case, there is little incentive for Xi to spend political capital on diplomacy in Ukraine at this stage, as Beijing benefits from Russia getting weaker and more dependent on it just as the West expends military capabilities that could one day be used in Asia, another senior European official said.

Then, there is the issue of whether Putin would follow Chinese advice.

Without China, it would be much harder for Russia to prosecute this warbut not impossible," said Alexander Gabuev, a specialist on Sino-Russian relations and director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin. The Chinese realize that they have leverage, but they arent sure that this leverage is big enough for the war to stop should they remove their support. They understand that Putin is absolutely possessed by this war."

Xi has repeatedly named taking control of Taiwan as Chinas strategic priority, and several Republican politicians and strategists close to Trump have called for curtailing U.S. commitments to Ukraine and to Europe, in general, to focus on Asian security. Relations between the U.S. and China have been steadily deteriorating over the past decade.

Finlands Stubb, who once studied in South Carolina and describes himself as avidly pro-American," called for de-escalating this rivalry.

To all my American friends I say, tone it down, find solutions, cooperate," he said. This is not a Cold War situation where you have a clear ideological fight between the Soviet Union and the United States and where the trade was abysmal in comparison to the interdependence now between the United States and China, let alone Europe and China."

Reducing European security commitments would be a strategic mistake, he added: I recommend humbly to the United States to keep Europe as their main focus on security. If they want to find some kind of counterbalance to Chinese power, the only way they can do it is through Europe" because of its economic and military importance.

Putins ultimate goal remains to restore Russia to its imperial borders of the 19th century, which of course doesnt sound very good for Finland," a Russian possession at the time, Stubb said. The first step to that would be to Russify Ukraine, and there the battlefield situation is looking more optimistic than a few months ago as restored U.S. weapons supply begins to flow, he said.

Of course, I would love to see Ukraine penetrate through the Russian forces and basically drive them out. But right now we are in a stalemate and for all intents and purposes it is a good thing because Russia is decreasing in the level of confidence that it had in the spring," Stubb said. The tide has changed on the battlefieldRussia will not succeed in breaking through."

Diplomatic efforts to exploit this situation must go hand in hand with growing military and economic assistance for Ukraine, the Finnish president added: The more we support Ukraine now, the sooner the war ends."

Write to Yaroslav Trofimov at yaroslav.trofimov@wsj.com
By Andrea Shalal, Steve Holland and Jeff Mason

MADISON, Wisconsin, - U.S. President Joe Biden, scrambling to defuse a political crisis over his shaky debate performance, traveled to the state of Wisconsin on Friday to rally voters and sit for a television interview that will be closely watched.

From the battleground state that will likely be key to Democrats' hopes of holding on to the White House, Biden will be interviewed by ABC News, part of a flurry of events over the next week aimed at showing Americans he still has the stamina to run against Republican candidate Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election.

While Biden, who has sat for hundreds of interviews in his decades in public life, insists he is staying in the race and that his health is not faltering, he is under pressure from some Democrats to step aside and open a path for his 59-year-old vice president, Kamala Harris.

A handful of donors and business leaders are making their displeasure known loudly, halting funding or looking at possible Democratic alternatives. Even some of Biden's closest political allies, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have raised questions about his health.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued a statement on Friday in which she asked Biden to weigh the decision carefully, the rare Democratic governor not to issue a statement of support in recent days.

"President Biden saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years," she said. "The best way forward right now is a decision for the president to make. Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump."

Some public opinion polls have shown Trump widening a lead over the Democratic president since the debate, while a Reuters/Ipsos poll found one in three Democrats want Biden to quit the race.

A group of business and civic leaders urged Biden to end his reelection bid in a letter to the White House on Friday, a day after its CEO said members would still back him if he continued to run, the Washington Post reported.

The White House has blamed a cold for Biden's shaky performance and Biden himself cited jet lag from back-to-back trips to Europe.

The ABC interview offers the likelihood of unscripted comments from Biden, who relies heavily on the use of a Teleprompter for his public remarks.

At Fourth of July holiday ceremonies on the White House South Lawn on Thursday night, Biden responded quickly when someone shouted at him to "keep up the fight."

"You got me, man," Biden responded. "I'm not going anywhere."

Biden's former chief of staff, Ron Klain, who led his preparation process ahead of the debate, pushed back against donors complaints. "We are the Democratic Party!" he wrote on X,. Donors "don't get to decide to oust a pro-labor pro-people President."

Before the ABC interview, Biden will speak in Madison where he is expected to talk about threats to U.S. democracy. The campaign said it would be Biden's fifth trip to Wisconsin this year.

Harris is a strong contender to take Biden's place if he were to drop out, sources have said, though his allies believe he can still assuage the concerns of voters and donors.

Trump's campaign and some of his allies have launched a pre-emptive political strike on Harris, moving swiftly to try to discredit her amid talk that she could eventually replace Biden as the Democrats' nominee.

The Biden campaign has shown no signs of changing course, although the Trump team has overtaken it on fundraising.

The campaign announced it would spend $50 million on a media blitz for the month of July, "including strategic investments around key events that draw in large and politically diverse audiences like the 2024 Olympic Games and the Republican National Convention."

Trump, 78, who made multiple false statements from the debate stage in Atlanta, falsely claimed in a video that was circulated on social media that he had driven Biden out of the race. He made disparaging comments about Harris in the same video, which the Trump campaign stood by.
Donald Trump denounced a sweeping policy agenda crafted by some of his closest White House advisers that proposes a massive overhaul of the federal government and stacking agencies with loyalists to the former president.

I know nothing about Project 2025, the presumptive Republican nominee said Friday in a post on his Truth Social platform, in the wake of controversial comments from a prominent conservative spearheading the project.

I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things theyre saying and some of the things theyre saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal, Trump added. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.

Project 2025 is an effort proposing a sweeping shake-up of government and a slew of conservative policies if Trump defeats President Joe Biden in Novembers election and returns to power. The blueprint for a potential second term would see a conservative government potentially shutter some agencies, remove thousands of civil servants and bring in officials deemed more loyal to Trump.

Despite Trumps pushback, the project is staffed by some of the most prominent members of his former administration. The effort is being led by Paul Dans, a former chief of staff at the US Office of Personnel Management under Trump and now the director of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project at the Heritage Foundation, one of the conservative think tanks behind the effort.

Others who contributed to the projects Mandate for Leadership which lays out policy proposals for Trump include Ben Carson, the former Housing and Urban Development secretary; Chris Miller, a former acting Defense secretary; Stephen Moore, a conservative economist, who was unsuccessfully nominated by Trump to the Federal Reserve board; former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro; and Russ Vought, former director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Earlier: Trump Allies Prep White House Return With Iowa Still Far Off

Democrats in recent days have seized on comments from Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, even with their own party in turmoil over the future of Bidens reelection campaign.

Roberts said the country was in the process of the second American Revolution  one he said would remain bloodless if the left allows it to be. The Heritage president made the comments on former Trump adviser Steve Bannons War Room podcast. Bannon is serving a four-month sentence in federal prison for contempt of Congress, following Navarro, who reported to a federal prison to begin serving his own sentence earlier this year.

The former president has a wide circle of advisers, both formal and informal, as those around him jockey for influence and lobby for policies he could implement in a second term.

Trump senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles have regularly cautioned against attributing policies being discussed by others to the former president unless he publicly endorses those plans.

In a memo LaCivita and Wiles circulated in December 2023, they said some proposals from allies were being used to prevent a second Trump administration.

Let us be very specific here: unless a message is coming directly from President Trump or an authorized member of his campaign team, no aspect of future presidential staffing or policy announcements should be deemed official, they wrote.

LaCivita on Friday wrote, Poke the Bear you are going to be bit, sharing a news article about Trumps disdain for Project 2025.

The aim of Project 2025 is to prepare Republicans for retaking the White House by laying the groundwork for new policies, training personnel and ensuring that staffers are able to move quickly to implement the new presidents priorities.

Critics of the effort have expressed alarm to some proposals such as reclassifying federal workers so they could be fired more easily, terminating the legal status of Dreamers and removing requirements that insurance cover certain emergency contraception.
UK Elections 2024: Rishi Sunak conceded defeat to the Labour Party as Keir Starmer will become Britain's next prime minister, with his centre-left party winning the parliamentary election, ending 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative government by trouncing Conservative Party.

...The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory. Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides..., Sunak told media persons.

Also Read | UK Elections 2024: Rishi Sunak likely to resign as Conservative Party leader

I take responsibility for the loss to the many good, hard-working, conservative candidates who lost tonight despite their tireless efforts, their local records of delivery and their dedication to their communities, I am sorry, he said.

Rishi Sunak added, I will now head down to London, where I will say more about tonight's result before I leave the job of Prime Minister, to which I have given my all...

Also Read | Rishi Sunak vs Keir Starmer for PM? All you need to know about UK Elections 2024

Despite his convincing victory, polls have suggested there is little enthusiasm for Starmer or his party, and he comes to power at a time when the country is facing a series of daunting challenges, Reuters reported.

Britain is facing its highest tax burden since just after World War Two, with net debt nearly equal to its annual economic output. Living standards have declined, and public services are struggling, especially the National Health Service, which has been plagued by strikes.

Starmer has had to temper some of Labour's ambitious plans, including its key green spending pledges, and he has vowed not to increase taxes for working people.

The Conservative Party's support has been heavily eroded by the right-wing populist Reform UK party, led by Brexit advocate Nigel Farage, who has focused on reducing immigration.

Starmer has committed to ending the Conservative policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda but will face pressure to find a solution to the issue of tens of thousands of people arriving across the Channel in small boats.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to announce his resignation as Conservative Party leader on Friday morning, The Sunday Times told Times Radio. This came after Britain's main opposition, the Labour Party, looked set for a landslide election win.

The survey for UK broadcasters indicated that the centre-left Labour Party would secure 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, marking its return to power for the first time since 2010 with a 170-seat majority.

Sunak's Conservative party would capture only 131 seats, a historic low. Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party, which might win 13 seats, seems to be dividing the right-wing vote, AFP reported.

In another gain for the centrists, the smaller opposition Liberal Democrats are projected to secure 61 seats, surpassing the Scottish National Party, which is expected to get 10 seats, as the third-largest party.

This anticipated outcome contrasts with the rightward shift seen among Britain's closest Western allies, where the far-right in France is eyeing power, and Donald Trump appears poised for a comeback in the United States.

British newspapers spotlight Labour's imminent return to power, marking the first time since Gordon Brown's tenure in 2010. The Labour-supporting Daily Mirror was headlined, Keir We Go. "Britain sees red," said The Sun.

Both Starmer and Sunak expressed gratitude to their activists for their hard work and support throughout the election campaign. However, senior Labour officials avoided any early celebrations, as per AFP reports.

Also Read | Rishi Sunak vs Keir Starmer for PM? All you need to know about UK Elections 2024

Counting of ballots from some 40,000 polling stations across the country stretches into the night, with official results expected into Friday morning.

The first result was announced just over an hour after the polls closed at 2100 GMT, with Bridget Phillipson of the Labour Party being re-elected as the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in northeast England.
UK Prime Minister-elect Keir Starmer pledged a reset for the country and its ties to India on Friday after the Labour party secured a landslide victory in the recent polls. The human rights barrister has repeatedly indicated that the Labour party will pursue a new strategic partnership with India  including a free trade agreement if his party won the mandate.

I have a clear message for you all today: this is a changed Labour Party. What my Labour government will seek with India is a relationship based on our shared values of democracy and aspiration. That will seek a free trade agreement (FTA), we share that ambition, but also a new strategic partnership for global security, climate security, economic security, he had declared last year during the India Global Forum.

His victory address on Friday morning reiterated the change within the party as Starmer insisted that his government was eady to restore Britain to the service of working people. In recent years the lawyer-turned-politician has also led extensive efforts to rebuild ties with British Indians who had felt alienated under former leader Jeremy Corbyn over a perceived anti-India stance on Kashmir.

The new PM also ought to reassure British Hindus that there is absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain during a visit to the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in London last week.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended hearty congratulations towards the newly elected politician and voiced hope for a positive and constructive collaboration between the two countries.

Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Keir Starmer on the remarkable victory in the UK general elections. I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity, Modi tweeted.

Reports suggest that the new government is likely to retain a large degree of continuity on foreign policy. The Labour party's views on British support for Ukraine, for example, aligns with the existing Tory stance. Some changes are expected in the approach to the Israel-Gaza crisis, as Labour plans to stop arms sales to Israel and wants to progress towards recognising the Palestinian state.
Amid growing concerns over his health and re-election bid for United States President after a shaky performance against Donald Trump in the first US Presidential debate, Joe Biden has reportedly called himself 'America's first black woman' to serve with a black president.

The slip of tongue happened while he was being interviewed on Philadelphias WURD black radio station.

According to the New York Post, the interview was a part of an Independence Day media blitz.

By the way, I'm proud to be the, as I said, the first vice president, first black woman, served with a black president, proud of the first black woman in the Supreme Court, said Joe Biden.

Biden also called himself the first president that got elected statewide in the state of Delaware, when I was a kid."

"There's just so much that we can do because, together we, there's nothing. Look, this is the United States of America, Biden further added.

Also Read | Biden tries to prove he is still Democrats best bet

Meanwhile, Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for Bidens re-election campaign slammed the media reports, reported NYP.

This is absurd. It was abundantly clear what the president meant. This would be considered a perfectly normal speech pattern for any other person in America, and has certainly been normal for Joe Biden for his entire career. What are we even doing anymore, Moussa said in a post on X.

Biden served as Vice-President when Barack Obama was the President. Whereas, he chose Kamala Harris as his Vice President.

Also Read | Joe Biden tells Democratic Governors about health check-up during private meet

Meanwhile, Biden faces another big television interview on Friday that will be closely watched.

Reuters reported that Biden will travel to Madison, Wisconsin, to rally Democratic voters, adding during the trip he will be interviewed by ABC News.

On Wednesday, during a private meeting with Democratic governors, the POTUS made a disclosure about his medical check-up after recent debate debacle.
Democracy and markets share a belief in the wisdom of crowds, a thesis presented well by James Surowiecki in a book by that title which offers various examples of how numerous minds put together are smarter than a few. The antithesis of it, though, glares out from every news report of a stampede.

Can a clash of that crowd thesis with its antithesis yield a synthesis? Say, the common sense of crowds? The question has arisen again as India mourns the 120-plus lives lost to another crowd crush, this time in a slushy field near Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, where an estimated 250,000 devotees had turned up at a religious gathering, although local authorities said approval had been given for just 80,000.

As reports say, too many tried to converge too quickly upon the preacher who led that prayer session (for his blessings). High-toll tragedies of this kind have befallen several places of worship in the past. Recall the 2013 Ratangarh temple crush in Madhya Pradesh. Globally, the worst stampede on record took place in Saudi Arabia during Hajj, a pilgrimage of faith, on 24 September 2015.

Yet, the danger posed by crowd motion has nothing to do with religion. The same could happen in a packed hall hosting a rock show, which is why the risk of fire" being yelled in such a space is often cited to argue why free speech mustnt be an absolute right. Crowd-crush mortality is a universal worry.

In India, over-population is sometimes blamed for worsening our crowd risk. However, our population density is just 473 persons per square kilometre, according to 2021 World Bank data, so the crowds we see around us, especially in urban spaces, only reveal a problem of poor dispersal. We may number over 1.4 billion in all, but also have a vast landmass.

Its just that the lure of cities is so strong. But is there more to it? Has the experience of crowds also conditioned us not to get ruffled by overcrowding? The typical queue we form doesnt have a gap of more than a foot. Taking public transport can be a struggle against suffocation. Milling together in close range occurs across the socio-economic pyramid.

Even lifts in fancy high-rises get stuffed beyond capacity, with little concern for anybodys personal space. Or take the poshest of streets. Even if we have nothing but cars on them, crossings have them bumper-to-bumper, while the global norm is to leave a gap long enough to see the wheels of the car ahead touching the road. As for covid-time caution, the habit of social distancing seems to have worn off almost entirely.

Crowds can, of course, be calm and orderly. Whatever we are accustomed to, our mortality risk can be lowered. At the administrative level, we have crowd control guides, like the one issued by the National Disaster Management Authority. Authorities know how to decongest spaces and maintain order. But then, well-planned events with well-assigned roles are rarely a problem.

What we need is not just to manage crowds, but plug lapses in peoples consciousness of crowds turning risky. Perhaps we could revive some of the messaging we used during the pandemic and improve it. Witty posters that grab eyeballs, for example, could work. Safe behaviour takes constant reminders.

Also read: Delhi airport shares smart travel tips to avoid congestion

Ultimately, its for people at large to assume responsibility for their collective well-being in the same way we expect an electorate to. Crowds neednt always be wise, but do have common sense. Nudged towards their better selves, the toll taken by reckless mobs will drop.
As heatwaves wreak havoc across the country, there is a growing view that climate change is one of Indias most urgent worries. Temperatures soared to unprecedented levels in urban areas this summer. This has significantly impacted all walks of life. However, while the phenomenon is universal, the brunt of it is borne by the most vulnerable segments of society. They have been disproportionately affected.

A recent study conducted by Greenpeace India in collaboration with the National Hawkers Federation, Delhi, has revealed that people who depend on the informal sector for their livelihood, such as street vendors and construction workers, have been the worst hit in Delhi.

Delhi is home to a large population that migrates from rural areas to the city in search of better opportunities. More often than not, such people start to work as street vendors to earn a living. The report reveals that poor sanitation and housing facilities, coupled with a scarcity of natural vegetation, place vendors in a predicament.

Furthermore, they constantly face harassment and displacement from governing bodies. To make a living, they have to work under the scorching sun in the sweltering summer, which increases their risk of heat strokes and other related conditions.

Also read: Street vendors deserve the benefits of an open economy

Much hardship, little support: Despite the hardships faced by street vendors and other informal workers, urban authorities have made minimal efforts to alleviate their suffering. In the study mentioned above, it was found that a vast majority of Delhis street vendorsalmost 69%are aware of heatwaves, or loo, as the hot winds of summer are locally known.

However, only a minority (under 10%) are aware of the Delhi Heat Action Plan (HAP), which means that the initiatives undertaken by the government have not reached them.

This is significant, as it means that the systemic efforts deployed to combat heatwaves are not available to them, and thus, they have to rely on themselves to mitigate their sufferings.

Many vendors (over 80%) reported that the number of customers visiting their stalls decreased significantly due to the heat. Those selling fruits and vegetables have been harder pressed, as these are perishable items that deteriorate easily, and this could lead to a loss of 500-600 every day.

The situation is worse for those who come from marginalized communities. Ajay Kumar Gautam, a researcher, in his work, Unveiling Layers of Struggle: Caste, Gender, and Precarity Among Indian Street Vendors, reveals caste discrimination among street vendors. Besides this, they have to battle multiple health-related issues: anxiety, irritability, sleeplessness, fatigue, and, among other things, frequent headaches.

Their monthly expenditure has also sharply increased, exacerbating their economic uncertainties. Most times, they are unable to even seek proper medical care because of financial constraints. Regarding emergency healthcare, almost a fifth of the vendors surveyed reported that they could not afford it at all, whereas only a little over a quarter said they could bear the cost of healthcare without jeopardizing other household necessities.

Heed the Supreme Court: Despite the recent Supreme Court ruling that protection from extreme climatic conditions is a basic human right, the implementation of this on the ground level is yet to materialize.

The street vendor community demands certain protective measures from the state, such as medically-equipped health shelters, washroom facilities in market zones, and access to clean drinking water. These facilities are crucial for their well-being. The state must formulate such policies to ensure the health and dignity of street vendors.

The condition of informal labourers in India is deplorable. They live very frugal lives that generate very small carbon footprints. As a consequence, their contribution to climate change is negligible. However, they suffer disproportionately whenever a climate catastrophe rocks the world. It is for this reason that a thorough class and caste-based analysis of climate impacts must be carried out.

Climate change is a complex and multifaceted problem that requires political solutions beyond the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. We need to address the vulnerabilities of our people.

However, the solutions proposed to tackle it are often technocratic; in that sense, they are depoliticized. However, this amounts to neglect of ground issues that are undeniably political.

The role of capitalist excess in causing this catastrophe is rarely discussed, even as problems posed by caste-driven hierarchies are frequently overlooked in public discourse.

To set things right, the havoc of the climate crisis must be mitigated through urgent institutional measures taken by the state for the poor. These should include proper shelters for workers, health insurance coverage and awareness generation of heat action plans, among other steps.

Mitigation measures by the state must be consultative and inclusive, so that the voices of allespecially the worst affectedare taken into account.

Shashi Singh is an independent researcher and Rajesh Ranjan is a lawyer and researcher.
In ancient Greece poetry was regulated so as to prevent excessive passions from corrupting the social order. Rhyming couplets have long since lost their ability to sway politics. And yet. On April 29th a small crowd in Aachen, a German town near the Belgian border, turned out for ein Poetry Slam in which amateur bards were asked to riff on, of all things, the European Union. A few dozen mostly grey-haired types, including Charlemagne (your columnist, not the medieval emperor who once ruled from the city), listened tactfully as a trio of youngsters rhymed one elongated compound word with another. Some light rapping was attempted. A local TikTok political influencernot a profession Plato would have recognisedserved as host and ensured the social order was indeed not corrupted (the risk seemed slim in retrospect). The lyrical battle having been settled amicably, the audience was treated to another Greek civic art. Streamed from down the road in Maastricht, eight politicians from Denmark, Luxembourg and beyond engaged in an old-fashioned contest of rhetoric ahead of the upcoming European elections on June 6th-9th.

To latter-day Aristotles, this half-filled theatre on a Monday night was a sign of another phenomenon with Greek roots: the emergence of a European demos, or common political culture. For centuries in Germany and beyond, civic life has been the stuff of municipalities, provinces or nation-states. Yet in Europe power is increasingly wielded by EU institutions in Brussels. Whether this centralising arrangement can be anything more than a souped-up intergovernmental body, a sort of regional UN on steroids, depends in part on whether citizens of countries across the EU viscerally feel they belong to the same polity. From such a unified demos might emerge a unified European democracy.

Euro-federalists have craved such a pan-continental social contract since the days when the EU was a coal-and-steel club. They still do. Frances Emmanuel Macron, in a rambling speech on April 25th, called for more vigour to be given to a European demos. Better yet, some see early signs of one. Some 446m Europeans have been through a slew of crises in recent years, and have come to fear the same things: Russian aggression, an isolationist America, rapacious Big Tech, climate change. Responses to these crises are largely devised in Brussels, which crafts most of the laws that affect EU citizens. Even if people do not realise they should care, the argument goes, they one day realise they must. Those who give up their Monday night to watch EU debates (the first of a series) are but the vanguard of an inevitable broader movement.

The demos, if it exists, should be most visible in the run-up to the blocs elections, which have directly seated MEPs since 1979. Instead it is notably absent. European elections have far lower turnouts than national ones. The balloting takes place simultaneously across the bloc, but it is best thought of as 27 concurrent national affairs. French voters will want to serve Mr Macron some humble pie, Polish ones will give their newish government a first report card, and so on. If EU policies are discussed, it will be almost incidental.

The debate in Maastricht showed how thin the veneer of a pan-European polity really is. On stage were the lead candidates of the political groups in parliament, who aspire to replace Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission, the blocs powerful executive arm. Yet in practice, who wins the election is only slightly related to who gets the job. Mrs von der Leyens centre-right faction is far ahead in the opinion polls anyway. Whereas all Europeans can recognise their countrys president or prime minister, few would have any idea who this cadre of aspiring commission leaders were, with the possible exception of the incumbent. To dismiss some of the debaters as second-tier would be an insult to actual second-tier politicos. Most were little known within the Brussels bubble, let alone outside it. Tellingly, the debate was viewable only via internet, not on television.

What of the case that a demos is either emerging or inevitable? Europeans these days know about each other much more because of crises, says Ivan Krastev, a Bulgarian intellectual. From Athens to Dublin, most will have felt the same shock on opening their heating bills in 2022; they worry that their children may face conscription or a boiling planet. When covid-19 infected the bloc, they waited for vaccines whose purchase was handled for all Europeans in Brussels. From such joint tribulations might emerge the imagined community that underpins national polities, as Benedict Anderson, a political theorist, once put it.

Putting the demo in democracy But even those who think Europeans are destined to do more together need not conclude that this requires a powerful, union-wide tier of direct democracy. At the moment few citizens seem to care about it. The direction of travel in the past decade or so has been towards deeper EU integration, but one largely guided by national governments working together, often through the auspices of the commission (and some oversight from the relatively weak parliament). The EU in its current not-very-centralised guise is popular: recent polling suggests citizens in all 27 member states think of it positively, and want their country to remain in the club.

Federalists should be careful not of too little demos, but of too much. When common political themes emerge across the EU, they tend not to flatter Brussels. Migration, Ukraine and environmental protection are all areas in which the EU has been deeply involvedand which most voters say they are dissatisfied with. If a unified European civic culture were to emerge, it might conclude that it would rather the union adapts its institutions to its people, and not its people to its institutions.

To stay on top of the biggest European stories, sign up to Cafe Europa, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter.
"It's a bloodbath!" declared the BBC as the UK's Conservative Party faced its worst electoral defeat in decades. On the other hand, headlines across media platforms heralded a Labour Party victory.

The results, which poured in on Friday, indicated Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer was set to become the next occupant of Number 10 Downing Street, the office of the UKs prime minister.

With a Labour government set to take charge in the UK after 14 years of Conservative or Tory rule, what will it mean for India? How will the incoming Labour government deal with issues like trade, immigration and security vis a vis India? Mint looks at the ways the India-UK relationship could evolve under the prime ministership of Keir Starmer.

Historical context

Historically, Indians have viewed the Labour Party favourably, stemming from prime minister Clement Atlee's tenure when India gained independence in 1947.

Notably, some of the earliest resolutions by the UN Security Council on Jammu and Kashmir favouring Pakistan over India also happened during Atlee's tenure between 1945 and 51.

The first ever UNSC resolution on Kashmir in January 1948 equated Pakistan, the aggressor according to India, who sent Pasthun tribesmen in Jammu and Kashmir  and India.

The UNSC resolution called on India and Pakistan to immediately take all measures within their power  calculated to improve the situation and to refrain from making any statements and doing or causing to be done or permitting any acts which might aggravate the situation."

More recently, India had a rather chequered relationship with the Labour Party. The 1997 visit of Queen Elizabeth II to India and Pakistan, to mark 50 years of independence of the nations, was overshadowed by the then British foreign secretary Robin Cook's remarks offering to mediate on the Kashmir issue.

New Delhi, which has insisted that the Kashmir issue would be sorted out bilaterally between India and Pakistan, was understandably upset by the comments.

In 2008, then Labour foreign secretary David Miliband also ruffled Indian feathers when he urged New Delhi to resolve the Kashmir dispute with Pakistan to ensure a stop to terrorist attacks like the one in Mumbai on 26-29 November, 2008.

Miliband had also refrained from blaming Pakistan directly for the attack though he did name the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba group as the group behind the terrorist strike. India had hit back, saying the Mumbai attacks were not related to Jammu and Kashmir but part of global terrorism".

Many things have changed since then. In 2022, India overtook Britain to become the fifth-largest economy in the world. According to analysts, the Indian community in the UK numbers 1.6 million. It is seen as educated, affluent, and politically active. India is also the second largest investor in the UK. There are an estimated 900 Indian-owned companies employing some 110,000 people. The UK, on its part, looks at India as a major market, especially after its exit from the European Union.

Last week, human rights lawyer turned Labour leader Starmer visited the Swaminarayan Temple in north London and spoke of eradicating so-called Hinduphobia" from the UK. He also reportedly expressed solidarity with the British Hindu community over recent attacks of vandalism.

Analyst C. Raja Mohan, in an article in The Indian Express this week, said that the outgoing Tory group had ensured they had built a solid foundation for India-UK ties for Starmer to build on freeing it up from issues like Kashmir and framing them in the context of the Indo-Pacific. However, one has to see how things work under the Labour government in the coming days.

Free Trade Agreement

One of the key issues on the agenda for India and the UKs new Labour government would be working out a trade pact. Negotiations have been ongoing for the past two years, aiming for a mutual tariff relaxation on a range of goods, including cars, clothes, alcoholic beverages and medical devices.

However, India could face pressure from Labour negotiators on climate-related issues. India has reportedly sought relaxations on the carbon tax that the UK plans to implement taking a leaf out the European Union book. Indias argument is that the imposition of the carbon tax could take away much of the concessions agreed upon in the FTA.

Mobility and immigration

Immigration could be a problem area in FTA negotiations. Despite the stark divide between the Tory and Labour Parties on policies, they agreed on the need to restrict immigration. India wants temporary visas for its service sector workers under the FTA.

India has a large youth population and has been negotiating mobility and migration pacts with various countries, including those in Europe, to integrate its youth into the global workforce.

Many Indian students who travel to study in the UK also look forward to working there for a certain period to pay off student loans. And there have been periodic threats from the British government to revoke this facility.

Former PM Theresa May, as home secretary, had imposed the rule that forced overseas students to leave four months after finishing a degree in 2012. It was reversed by the Boris Johnson government in 2019.

With mobility and migration being a political hot potato" in the UK (recall Tory plans to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda), India should brace for some tough bargaining on this count.

Kashmir issue

The relationship between the Modi government in India and the new Starmer government will also hinge on Labour's approach to India's security concerns. New Delhi has been traditionally wary of the Labour Partys slant towards Pakistan and its position on the Kashmir dispute.

A major cause for this is the presence of a large Pakistani diaspora, especially from Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the UK.

They have traditionally voted en masse for Labour, while the Indian-origin Britons have voted for Tory and Labour. The Mirpuri vote, it is said, can tip the balance in some 30-40 out of the 650 seats in the UK parliament. It is against this backdrop that former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn slammed Indias revocation of Article 370 of Indias constitution in 2019, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Under Corbyn, a Labour Party conference in Brighton passed a resolution that supported "international intervention in Kashmir and a call for UN led-referendum" in September 2019. India had slammed the move.

Incidentally, 2024 marks 40 years since Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre, serving as assistant commissioner at India's consulate in Birmingham, was kidnapped and killed by terrorists seeking secession of Kashmir from India. Those who kidnapped Mhatre had demanded the release of terrorist Maqbool Butt and nine others, besides 1 million pounds as ransom. The murder was reportedly ordered by Amanullah Khan, then chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front.

Khalistan controversy

Another security concern of India is the heightened activity of Sikh separatists demanding a separate state of Khalistan carved out of Indias Punjab. In recent years, there has been an uptick in protests. In March 2023, the Indian High Commission in London was attacked by a group of about 50 people, who entered the lawns of the High Commission and took down the national flag. The Indian government had registered a strong protest with the UK authorities and the UK police arrested one person, according to news reports.

The problem areas notwithstanding, there is much that India and the UK can do together. One is in the area of defence where India is looking to transform itself into a military hardware exporting nation.

Analysts believe that collaboration between companies in both countries could create a win-win situation for their economies. The pharmaceutical sector is a prime example, with the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd partnering UK's AstraZeneca to manufacture the Covishield vaccine in 2021.

Another promising area is the small and medium-scale sector, where mutual benefits can be achieved through partnerships. The India-UK Roadmap 2030, outlined in May 2021 by Indian PM Narendra Modi and then UK PM Boris Johnson, elevated the India-UK relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). This roadmap identifies several key areas for collaboration, including trade, climate, science and technology, and defense.

But for all this to take off, both countries need to carefully manage the relationship's so-called pressure points, which will require sensitivity and sometimes deft diplomacy.

Elizabeth Roche is associate professor, Jindal Global University, Haryana.

Also Read: The British economy is haunted by the ghosts of Brexit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has skipped the 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit meet in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Is Indias interest in this grouping fading? Mint examines this question and more.

What is SCO and how did it come about?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was formed in 2001. It evolved from an earlier avatar known as the Shanghai Five, comprising Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and China. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to the birth of 15 independent nations in Central Asia that were concerned about religious extremism and ethnic tensions. The Shanghai Five was formed in 1996 to mainly manage cooperation on these matters. In 2001, with the addition of Uzbekistan, the Five became the SCO and broadened the scope of cooperation to include trade, connectivity, tourism, etc.

When and why did India join the SCO?

India joined the SCO in 2017 along with Pakistan. Indias interest stemmed from its belief in a multipolar world. India has long sought access to Central Asia given its natural resources but its efforts were blocked by decades of tension with Pakistan. The permanent membership of the SCO will offer India with some unique opportunities to get constructively engaged with Eurasia," says a 2017 government note. New Delhi had plans for a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to India via Pakistan and Afghanistan but security worries derailed them. SCO was also seen as a platform to push Pakistan to act against terror.

Who are SCOs current members?

India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are full members. This year Belarus was admitted as a full member. Afghanistan and Mongolia are observers. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Cambodia, Egypt, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Turkiye and the UAE have dialogue partner status.

How important is the SCO for India?

One of the reasons India joined the SCO was Russias primary role in it and its emergence as a non -West platform. The Ukraine war and China overshadowing Russia could be why Modi skipped this years summit. Indian and Chinese troops are in the midst of a tense standoff in Ladakh which began in 2020 and shows no signs of easing. Indias ties with Pakistan too are frayed on the issue of terrorism. Having gained full membership, India will certainly not abandon it but its level of participation in the future is unclear.

Which way are things headed in SCO?

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar characterized India as non-West rather than anti-West. He stressed Indias desire to ensure multiple options for itselfwhich may mean continued engagement in forums like SCO, BRICS and the Quad. But India would be uncomfortable with the SCO if it takes on an anti-West stance. Given tensions between the West, and China and Russia, this is a possibility.

Elizabeth Roche is associate professor at Jindal Global University.
Google is reportedly under investigation by the Justice Department, with its relationship with Apple under scrutiny. The focus of this investigation could include Googles substantial payments to Apple, estimated at over $20 billion annually, to secure its position as the default search engine on iPhones (via 9To5Mac). This arrangement, according to the Justice Department, restricts competition in the search engine industry. Despite Apple not being a named party in the lawsuit, Apple executives, including Eddy Cue, have provided testimonies.

A recent report from The Information sheds light on Google's strategic moves to reduce its reliance on Apple's Safari browser in anticipation of the antitrust case outcome. Over the years, Google has attempted to shift iPhone users towards its own Google and Chrome apps for search purposes. Although there has been some progress, with the share of searches through these apps rising to the low 30 per cent from 25 per cent five years ago, the momentum stalled in the latter half of last year. This figure remains significantly below Googles aim of reaching 50 per cent by 2030.

Reportedly, the billions of dollars paid to Apple are part of a revenue-sharing agreement, whereby Apple receives a portion of the advertising revenue from Google searches conducted in Safari. By encouraging users to switch to Chrome and Google apps, Google hopes to decrease its payments to Apple and reduce its exposure to regulatory actions.

However, persuading users to abandon Safari, which comes pre-installed on Apple devices, has proven to be a daunting task.

The report adds that to spearhead this initiative, Google recently brought on board Robby Stein, a former executive at Instagram and Yahoo. Steins mandate includes leveraging generative AI to enhance the appeal of Googles apps, as disclosed by individuals involved in the effort. Google executives even contemplated limiting its AI Overviews feature, which provides AI-generated search responses, to its own apps. This would have meant that Safari users would miss out on AI Overviews, a move that was ultimately abandoned.

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!
JERUSALEM  The Israeli government has approved plans to build nearly 5,300 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank, a monitoring group said Thursday, the latest in a campaign to accelerate settlement expansion, aimed at cementing Israeli control over the territory and preventing the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

Word of the decision emerged as diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the nine-month war in Gaza appeared to be stirring back to life after a weekslong hiatus. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said he had decided to send negotiators to resume negotiations. A day earlier, the militant Hamas group handed mediators its latest response to a U.S.-backed proposal for a deal.

Fighting intensified between Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah, with the militant group saying Thursday it fired more than 200 rockets and exploding drones into northern Israel to avenge the killing of a senior commander in an Israeli airstrike the day before.

Months of exchanges have literally set the Israeli-Lebanese border ablaze and raised fears of a potentially even more devastating war in the Middle East. Hezbollah has said it will halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire between Hamas  a fellow Iran-backed ally  and Israel.

Israels turbocharged settlement drive threatens to further stoke tensions in the West Bank, which has seen a surge in violence since the war in Gaza began on Oct. 7.

The Israeli anti-settlement monitoring Peace Now said the governments Higher Planning Council had approved or advanced plans for 5,295 homes in dozens of settlements across the West Bank. It also legalized three informal outposts as new neighborhoods of existing settlements in the Jordan Valley and near the city of Hebron.

On Wednesday, Peace Now said Israel approved the largest seizure of land in the West Bank in over three decades. COGAT, the Israeli defense body that oversees the planning council, referred questions to Netanyahus office, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Netanyahus government is dominated by settlers and their supporters. The hard-line nationalist finance minister, Bazalel Smotrich, himself a settler, has been put in charge of settlement policy and has said his rapid expansion drive is in part intended to ensure a Palestinian state cannot be created. In an escalation over past months, settlers have carried out more than 1,000 attacks on Palestinians, causing deaths, damaging property and in some cases prompting Palestinians to flee villages.

The Palestinians seek the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza  areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war  for an independent state.

The new housing approvals could also rankle Israels ally, the United States, which speaks out against settlements, though it has done little to pressure Israel on the issue.

Gazas Health Ministry said Thursday that the number of Palestinians killed by Israels campaign in Gaza had climbed past 38,000. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its count. The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Oct. 7 into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting another 250 people.

The revival of cease-fire talks appeared to mark another attempt by U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators to overcome the gap that has repeatedly thwarted a deal over the past months. Hamas wants a deal that ensures Israeli troops fully leave Gaza and the war ends; Netanyahu says the war cannot end before Hamas is eliminated.

Israeli negotiators are expected to arrive in Doha, Qatars capital, for the talks as early as Friday, with American, Egyptian and Qatari officials present.

A senior Biden administration official said the White House viewed the resumption of negotiations as a breakthrough that moves the process forward while cautioning that there is still much work to do.

Netanyahu spoke earlier on Thursday with President Joe Biden. Netanyahus office said he told Biden that Israel is committed to finish the war only after achieving all of its objectives  a reference to the twin war goals of rescuing hostages and destroying Hamas.
After state budget projections missed the mark by more than $120 million in May, budget officials were not expecting the state of Idaho to end its fiscal year on Sunday with a budget surplus  a departure from record surpluses in recent years.

Idaho runs on a fiscal year calendar that begins July 1 and ends June 30. Fiscal year 2024 just ended, and fiscal year 2025 is just beginning.

Lori Wolff, the new administrator for the Idaho Division of Financial Management, said it was still too close to tell what exactly the states ending balance will be for fiscal year 2024.

As of the states most recent monthly revenue report, which was released to the public June 20, year-to-date revenues were behind projections by more than $35 million with just one month to go in the fiscal year.

On Thursday, Wolff told the Sun in a phone interview that June revenues are looking better than April and May.

Do we need to be nervous? Not necessarily, where June looks so far, Wolff said. June is looking pretty good so far.

Final year-end numbers for fiscal year 2024 may be available by late July, once Junes revenue is calculated and year-end reconciliations and data entry is complete, Wolff said.

Wolff said Gov. Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature set aside an unspent ending balance of about $200 million in the fiscal year 2024 budget to guard against missed revenue projections like the state experienced this spring.

The state also bolstered its rainy day savings accounts in recent years, Wolff said. The state has an estimated $1.3 billion  an amount equal to 22% of the general fund budget  between its major reserve funds, Wolff said.

These reserves, along with a healthy balance of $200 million on the bottom line, ensures Idaho has a structurally balanced budget to weather revenue misses or economic changes, Wolff wrote in a follow up email to the Sun on Friday.

In terms of impact to Idahoans, the state will have less money to put toward property taxes if there is no state budget surplus this year. House Bill 292, the Idaho Legislatures property tax reduction bill from 2023, was written so that the first $50 million of any state budget surplus at the end of a fiscal year would automatically be transferred to homeowners property tax reduction. If there is no surplus, the transfer will not take place.

The prospect of no budget surplus is a change for the state, which was breaking state budget surplus records in recent years. The 2021 fiscal year ended with a state budget surplus of about $900 million, a record at the time, the Sun previously reported. A year later, the 2022 fiscal year ended with a $2 billion budget surplus, setting another new record.

The state used its previous surpluses, in part, to cut income taxes and issue tax rebates, increase education funding, pay for $600 million in road and bridge repairs spread across three years and more.
Washington is upping efforts to keep an invasive freshwater mussel from gaining a shell-hold in the states rivers and lakes, using tactics ranging from DNA testing to shellfish-sniffing dogs.

Quagga mussels can cause major problems as layers of them crust over components of hydroelectric dams and locks, or clog drinking water or irrigation systems. Fisheries and fish ladders that allow salmon to bypass dams could be disrupted, too. The mussels can also outcompete native species, throw off water quality, and otherwise degrade ecosystems.

They were found last year in Idaho, stoking new worries about their threat to the region.

Washingtons Invasive Species Council cites estimates that it will cost $100 million annually to keep the states power and water infrastructure running if quagga mussels or non-native zebra mussels were to invade. That amount doesnt factor in the cost of harm to habitat or fishing.

Even taking the potential problems for dams out of the equation, Justin Bush, aquatic invasive species policy coordinator at the states Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the mussels would have a devastating, catastrophic impact to our environment and our economy.

The Columbia River Basin for years has been the last major U.S. watershed free of the invasive mussels. But last September, Idaho officials said theyd detected quagga mussels near Twin Falls in the Snake River, which runs into the Columbia.

So whats to be done in Washington? The Department of Fish and Wildlife has some new money to deal with the shellfish. The Legislature approved $1.81 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1 to combat invasive mussels and the Army Corps of Engineers is providing an equal sum, for a total of $3.6 million.

Were significantly increasing efforts, Bush said this week during a meeting of the Invasive Species Council.

Monitoring for quagga mussels

The main way the mussels tend to spread is on recreational boats moved between bodies of water. When grown, theyre 1 to 2 inches and easy to spot but larvae, known as veligers, are microscopic.
Cooneys Hotel, Ballymahon, hosted a 70th birthday party with a difference for Tangs renowned fiddle player Geraldine Mc Lynn on Sunday, June 23.



The party started at 9.30pm when musicians from Tanglewood, also her own branch of Ballymore Comhaltas, with pupils and past pupils of Geraldine, as well as a number of musicians from Roscommon, Longford and Westmeath arrived in Cooneys for a rousing music session.



The hotel was dressed with celebratory banners and balloons. The room soon filled up with friends, parents and the local community who had come to join her in celebrating her 70th birthday. Many of Geraldines friends had travelled long distances to be with her to celebrate this special occasion.

PICTURES: Tunes and tributes for the 70th Birthday party of renowned fiddle player Geraldine Mc Lynn



There were photos of Geraldine down through the years displayed on a video loop on a screen. There was a dress up basket for anyone who wanted to don wigs or hats.



Fun and frolics were happening all over the place as the party goers exchanged stories of Geraldines life and career. There was a lovely sense of fun, combined with a huge respect for all that Geraldine had done for the community in promoting our culture, and by introducing new young musicians to a unique cultural style.

PICTURES: Dazzled by the Blue Lights! Longford pupils delighted to welcome emergency services to their school



Geraldine teaches fiddle to pupils of every age from four to eighty. Food was passed around, and a beautiful birthday cake was brought out while everyone sang Happy birthday.

PICTURES | On yer bike in Longford! Great fun and a super turnout for Kenagh fundraising cycle



An email from Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, was then read out. Minister Martin thanked Geraldine for all she had done to promote traditional Irish music and add to the fabric of our cultural heritage. She wished Geraldine a very happy birthday and thanked her for bringing so much joy to the community.



Next a letter was read out from no less a personage than An tUachtaran himself President Michael D Higgins. President Higgins said he had been told that Geraldine was having a 70th birthday celebration. He said that these milestones in life are very important as they are times when we remember and appreciate the people who have been part of our life s journey to date. He wished to join with her family and friends in wishing Geraldine a very happy and enjoyable birthday. There was huge applause for this.

There followed a series of video clips on screen, of people throughout the world who were thinking of Geraldine on the night, and wanted to be with her but couldnt, so were sending messages. There was an eclectic mix of messages from places such as Vietnam, Laos, Vancouver, Glasgow, London, New York, Munich and Sydney among many others.

PICTURES | Reflecting on yesteryears in Longford: Convent of Mercy Class of 1974 enjoy reunion in Lanesboro



Messages came from many famous musicians such as James Keane, Oisin Mac Diarmada, Daithi Gormley and Elaine Reilly, Mick Foster and his wife Dr. Moyra Fraser, Frank and Alison Mc Lynn and Geraldines sister Ann Burgess and niece Kim in Australia.



The evening continued with more tunes from our many musicians, and the party concluded around 12 noon, I know we can say without fear of contradiction that a great night was had by all.



We join with all Geraldines many friends in wishing her continued success in her career, and a long and happy life.

Also read: It is a huge honour to host the Longford Agricultural Show - Cllr Gerry Hagan
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: July 05 2024

Part of Governor Hochuls Summer Campaign to Help Kids and Families to Get Offline, Get Outside.

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation to increase access to State Parks, recreational facilities and historic sites, and to support the tourism industry in New York. S.5423/A.4853 will increase access to New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation sites by prohibiting the mandated use of credit cards as a means of payment for use of its facilities. Governor Hochul also signed S.9250/A.10333 to extend the authorization for certain operators of leased personal watercrafts to be exempt from the boating safety certificate, which will support the tourism businesses that lease these vehicles to those vacationing at New Yorks waterfronts. Today's bill signing builds on Governor Hochuls Get Offline, Get Outside summer campaign to promote physical and mental health by encouraging New Yorks kids and families to put down their phones and computers, take a break from social media and enjoy recreation and outdoor social gatherings.

Our State Parks are an important driver behind our states economy, and my administration is committed to ensuring everyone has access to our breathtaking sites and to boosting the tourism industry, Governor Hochul said. These acts of legislation will make sure that New Yorkers and our visitors can see and experience all that New York has to offer.

Many New Yorkers, including seniors, unbanked or underbanked individuals, minors, and others use only cash. While credit cards offer convenience, not everyone has access to them. Legislation S.5423/A.4853 removes this potential barrier, ensuring equal access to New York's State parks, historical sites, and recreational facilities we all cherish. By still accepting cash at these state facilities, New York will continue supporting the inclusive enjoyment of our state's treasures.

State Senator Monica R. Martinez said, Our parks and historic sites are often the heart of community celebrations and a collective interest in our state's beautiful landscapes, wildlife and history. As sponsor of this bill, I believe it is a commonsense measure to ensure all residents, particularly those that predominantly utilize cash, are afforded equitable access. No one should be denied the opportunity to enjoy these prized sites based on their method of payment.

State Senator Dean Murray said, New York is truly one of the most diverse and beautiful places in the world with so much to see and so much to do, which is why we have such a robust tourism industry. Anything that limits access to our amazing state parks is a move in the wrong direction. This is why I was proud to co-sponsor Senate bill S.5423, which prohibits mandating the use of credit cards for payment at state parks. I thank Governor Hochul and the sponsor, for moving this bill forward and signing it into law.

State Senator Mario R. Mattera said, Every New York resident and visitor should have the ability to use state recreation facilities freely regardless of how they are paying. Any mandates to the contrary are unfair to those who either choose not to or are unable to use credit cards and this law will ensure that there are no barriers for our anyone. That will ensure equal access for everyone.

State Assembly Deputy Speaker Phil Ramos said, I am proud to continue to find ways to break down the digital divide to ensure everyone has equal access to the many opportunities New York has to offer. Removing limitations like credit card mandates in New York State Parks will provide multiple options for all New Yorkers, ensuring that more families can enjoy our incredible destinations without barriers. I thank the governor for her continued partnership in ensuring we find more ways to support our vital tourism industry.

Legislation S.9250/A.10333 extends the exemption for certain operators of personal watercraft from the boating safety requirement. Extending this exemption prevents detrimental impacts to the tourism industry who lease these vehicles to those vacationing in relevant waterfront areas in New York.

State Senator Jose M. Serrano said, New York is home to beautiful lakes, beaches, and ocean fronts that attract tourism from all over the country. This tourism provides jobs and is a vital economic driver for local communities. I am happy to support local tourism with this important legislation and thank Governor Hochul for her continuing support of tourism across the state.

Assemblymember Billy Jones said, Allowing people to rent personal watercrafts is not only important for the businesses that lease them, but for tourism as well as. By extending this legislation, more people will be able to enjoy the outdoors with their family and friends while taking advantage of New Yorks beautiful landscape. This is certainly welcome news for everyone as we near the holiday weekend, which is known for great times out on the water.
Israeli forces operate in northern Gaza in July 2024. (IDF photo)

On July 5, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said soldiers eliminated around 100 terrorists and destroyed approximately 100 terrorist infrastructure sites during a week-long raid into northern Gazas Shejaiya neighborhood.

The raid launched overnight between June 27 and June 28 is the latest operation in which Israeli forces have re-entered a neighborhood in Gaza previously cleared of terrorists. The IDF has done similar raids in Shati, Jabaliya, and Zaytun in northern Gaza. The Shejaiya raid happened amid a renewed focus on hostage negotiations with Hamas that are taking place in Qatar.

Israeli forces found a large number of weapons in Shejaiya, the IDF said without specifying the exact types or quantity. Over the past day, IDF troops eliminated a number of terrorists who fired at the troops in the area. In addition, the troops eliminated dozens of armed terrorists in close-quarters encounters and by means of tank fire, the IDF stated on July 5.

Staff Sergeant Eyal Mimran of the IDF Paratroopers Brigade was killed fighting in Shejaiya on July 4. A total of 679 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Hamass attack on October 7, including those killed by Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel.

The battles in Shejaiya occurred as Israel conducted strikes on terror targets in other parts of Gaza. For instance, on July 4, terrorists launched projectiles toward Kibbutz Nahal Oz on the border, and the IDF retaliated with an airstrike within minutes of the attack. Hamas and other groups in Gaza continue to target Israeli border communities daily using mortars and short-range rockets, including 107mm rockets and other munitions that can be easily set up and launched by individuals or small terrorist cells.

Israel also continues to operate in southern Gazas Rafah, a campaign the IDF began in early May. Over the past day, IDF troops eliminated dozens of terrorists and dismantled a number of booby-trapped structures in the area, the IDF said on July 5. Overall, Israel estimates it has killed 900 terrorists in Rafah in two months of battles.

In general, the intensity of IDF operations has lessened across Gaza. However, there was a notable increase on July 4 and July 5, when the IDF said it struck 50 targets each day. Nevertheless, this total is less than the more than 200 daily strikes during the height of the war in Gaza in October and November 2023.

The IDF stated that one of the strikes on July 4 and 5 targeted terrorists operating at United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools: the Alqahirah School in Al-Furqan and the Musa School in Daraj Tuffah. Both are in northern Gaza, and the IDF called an area in Al-Furqan a nest of terror during the early days of the war.

The IDF stated that the schools were used as hideouts by Hamas. Operatives planned, directed, and carried out numerous terror attacks against IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip, the IDF said. Prior to the strike, a number of steps were taken to mitigate harm to uninvolved civilians, including conducting aerial surveillance, using precise munition, and additional intelligence measures.

The IDF also released footage it said shows Hamas abusing Gazan civilians. In this video, you can see masked individuals, that according to Gazan civilians are Hamas operatives, beating and holding civilians captive after they attempted to enter a warehouse where humanitarian aid was stored, the IDF said.

Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).
Makkawis Rewards for Justice poster issued by the US State Department.

In May 2016, the Islamic State (IS) issued a eulogy for the infamous Sudanese jihadist Mohamad Makkawi Ibrahim through its weekly Al-Naba newsletter. The eulogy flew under the radar at the time but offers an interesting look into the career of one of the Islamic States first so-called martyrs in Somalia. It also provides an early chronicle of the Islamic States history in the Horn of Africa.

According to the Islamic State, Makkawi was born and raised in the United Arab Emirates before returning to his ancestral homeland of Sudan as a teen and quickly enrolling in the Sudan University of Science and Technologys School of Engineering. However, Makkawi did not graduate, according to IS. Instead, God guided him to the path of truth and righteousness, and he took up armed jihad, joining the Al-Salamah Group in Khartoum.

The Al-Salamah Group was an early Al Qaeda-affiliated cell that attempted a series of bombings in August 2007 in the eponymous southern suburb of Khartoum. The cell constituted one network within the wider group commonly referred to as Al Qaeda in the Land of Two Niles (AQTN). Though the cell managed to detonate at least one improvised explosive device, the network was quickly rolled up by Sudanese authorities. According to the Islamic State, Makkawi avoided arrest and remained active with fellow jihadists hiding in Darfur following these plots.

A few months later, in January 2008, Makkawi, along with three other individuals linked to AQTN and another Sudanese jihadist outfit, Ansar al Tawhid, returned to Khartoum and murdered two United States Agency for International Development (USAID) employees. Based on the Islamic States re-telling of events, the two employees, an American and a Sudanese national, were actually American intelligence agents sent to arrest Makkawi, so he gunned them down in a storm of bullets. However, the Islamic States version of the murders of John Granville and Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama is not backed by any known evidence.

This attack nevertheless earned Makkawi a spot in the US State Departments Rewards for Justice program with a $5 million bounty on his head (strangely, this bounty remains active, despite Makkawis eulogy). One of Makkawis partners in the murders, Abdelbasit Alhaj Alhassan Haj Hamad, also maintains the same bounty. Others involved in the murders include Mohannad Osman Youssef, Abdul Raouf Abu Zeid Muhammad Hamza, and Murad Abdel-Rahman Abdullah. All men were later arrested and imprisoned for their role in killing the USAID workers, including Makkawi, who was arrested following a brief shootout with Sudanese police in Khartoum in February 2008. The Islamic States eulogy makes a point to celebrate Makkawis bounty, bragging about the large price tag.

Over the next two years, the five men were imprisoned at Khartoums Kober Prison, which is known to house detained Islamists and jihadist militants. In June 2010, however, Makkawi and his accomplices (except for Murad Abdel-Rahman Abdullah) managed to escape from the prison in a blessing bestowed upon him by God, according to the Islamic State. Another break in April 2023 happened at this same prison, allowing an unknown number of Islamists and jihadist militants to escape.

The 2010 prison break was later shown to have been filmed when Ansar al Tawhid released a documentary on the event in late 2012, showing the four men had dug a tunnel from their cell to the outside. Makkawi was featured prominently in the video, acting as its narrator. After escaping, the Islamic State says that Makkawi hid out in Sudan for a year before deciding to migrate to Somalia. Though not stated in the eulogy, it is believed that Makkawi and two others, Abdelbasit Alhaj Alhassan Haj Hamad and Mohannad Osman Youssef, again hid in Darfur during this period. The other escapee, Abdul Raouf Abu Zeid Muhammad Hamza, was quickly rearrested and remained in prison until his release in early 2023.

Makkawi with Shabaab

According to the Islamic States account, Makkawis journey to Somalia was by land and involved crossing many international borders, with his fake documents and passport fooling various border officials. The eulogy does not mention it, but Makkawi was not alone on the journey, as he was joined by his longtime colleague in jihad, Mohannad Osman Youssef. After arriving in Somalia sometime around May 2011, Makkawi (and ostensibly Youssef) was welcomed by the mujahideen and quickly placed into one of the fighting units, where he took the kunya (honorific name) of Abu Sulayman, according to the eulogy.

The Islamic State again omits this information, but Makkawi, and indeed Youssef, joined Shabaab, al Qaedas branch for East Africa. Youssef would be killed fighting for Shabaab shortly after arriving, according to his family. The current status of Makkawis remaining colleague, Abdelbasit Alhaj Alhassan Haj Hamad, remains unclear, though he is also believed to have joined Shabaab at an unknown date.

According to the Islamic State, Makkawi was placed into two separate training camps in his early days in Somalia, one ostensibly for military and physical training and the other for religious training. In this latter camp, Makkawi was a student of knowledge and very keen on making the most of his time, later becoming the main ideologue in his unit.

The Islamic State also notes that after some time in southern Somalia, Makkawi was stationed in the forests of Kenya, likely referring to the Boni Forest in Kenyas northeastern Lamu County, a historical stronghold for the al Qaeda branch. The eulogy then narrates a story of how Makkawi inspired and became a favorite among his men after defending himself from rampaging wild animals during one of the groups hippopotamus-poaching expeditions in the forest.

Joining the Islamic State

The eulogy then skips over several years, only noting that Makkawi continued to be a mujahid and defending his religion, followed by describing the period shortly after the announcement of the Islamic States caliphate in June 2014. According to IS, the Jews of jihad, referring to Shabaab, refused to listen to the call to swear fealty to the new Caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Makkawi, however, considered what was right in this matter, and the Islamic State says that the truth became clear to him after he had consulted many religious texts over several months. Makkawi pledged bayah (allegiance) to Baghdadi.

The Islamic State then notes that Makkawi began preaching the virtues of joining Baghdadi and his caliphate to his unit and others in Shabaab back in southern Somalia. This preaching reportedly gained a following, and Makkawi was soon head of a small pro-Islamic State group within Shabaab. The eulogy then states that Shabaab leaders attempted to silence him and stop the dissent by moving his name up the list of approved martyrdom seekers (Shabaabs sign-up sheet for would-be suicide bombers). However, Makkawi refused to take part in a martyrdom operation unless it was under a true banner [of Islam]. As pressure mounted from Shabaab officials, the eulogy notes that Makkawi and his small group then decided to make hijrah (migrate) to the Islamic States Libya Provincewhich was the preeminent Islamic State wing outside of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and 2015.

Screenshot from Makkawis bayah video to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. According to the Islamic State, Makkawi is the man featured in the middle, leading the pledge.

After being blocked from traveling by Shabaabs loyal cadres, the Islamic State says that Makkawi and his men decided to arrange for travel to Puntland in northern Somalia, where another Islamic State group had emerged. Before this trip, however, Makkawi and his men recorded their pledge of allegiance to Baghdadi and sent it to the Islamic State, which later published the video under the title Bayah From a Group of Somali Mujahideen in November 2015.

Based on the Islamic States eulogy, Makkawi led the pledge of allegiance in the video. Makkawis video (a screenshot from it can be seen above) came a month after a former Shabaab official and ideologue in Puntland, Abdul Qadir Mumin, also joined Baghdadi and quickly became the overall head of the Islamic States Somali wing. Shabaab, which had seen Makkawis video, then decided to take decisive action and actively hunt for Makkawi and his group.

Shabaab squashes pro-Islamic State groups

While its omitted from the Islamic States account, Makkawis pro-Islamic State faction was just one of several that emerged in Somalia during this period.

A month after Makkawis video, another prominent pro-Islamic State commander within Shabaab, Bashir Abu Numan, released his own bayah video to Baghdadi from Somalias southern Jubaland region. And though they did not issue videos, other prominent Shabaab commanders, Hussein Abdi Gedi (Shabaabs former deputy shadow governor for Jubaland) and Abdul Wadud (an influential commander from the Somali Rahanweyn clan in southern Somalia), also switched allegiances and joined the Islamic State in Somalias south along with their men at this time. By late 2015, the Islamic State thus had a core group of followers in Puntland with Mumin and several geographically disparate groups deep within Shabaabs traditional strongholds in southern Somalia.

With several prominent commanders defecting, Shabaab took a hardline stance of opposition towards the Islamic State, remaining steadfastly loyal to al Qaeda and its now-deceased leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri. For the rest of 2015 and much of 2016, Shabaab and its amniyat [internal security wing] violently crushed pro-Islamic State groups in southern Somalia, including those of Bashir Abu Numan, Hussein Abdi Gedi, and Abdul Wadud, all killed by Shabaabs men. Pro-Islamic State individuals within Shabaabs ranks, including many foreign fighters, were also systematically hunted and executed.

Some pro-Islamic State groups have periodically emerged in central and southern Somalia since, including a small cadre of Islamic State-loyal militants in the central city of Beledweyne in late 2018, a group along the Kenya-Somalia border in early 2019, and a group led by former Shabaab commander Abu Zakariye in the southern locale of Buale, also in early 2019. Nevertheless, the Islamic State in Somalia is largely relegated to the mountains of Puntland. However, IS maintains operational and financial cells in Mogadishu, where the bulk of its active operations take place.

Based on the Islamic States account, it did not take long for Shabaabs amniyat to locate Makkawi and his group at some point in November or December 2015. Makkawi was reportedly killed immediately when the clash between Shabaabs amniyat and Makkawis group began, a fight which also left the majority of his cadre dead or imprisoned by Shabaab. The death of the jihadist veteran received little attention, with only a brief article announcing his killing in the Sudan Tribune, in whichhis family confirmed his death. For the Islamic States part, it offers condolences on his death but congratulates him and his men for achieving martyrdom in the path of God. The Islamic State also sarcastically chastised the Jews of jihad (Shabaab) for saving the American treasury, as now no one can claim his $5 million bounty.

Makkawi, once known for making headlines with his brazen murder of an American in the streets of Khartoum and a later prison break from Sudans toughest prison, died in relative silence. His stint as an early Islamic State leader in Somalia, however, provides a brief glimpse into the organizations early history in the Horn of Africa, where the Islamic State in Somalia is now becoming a top concern for the United States.

Caleb Weiss is an editor of FDD's Long War Journal and a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation, where he focuses on the spread of the Islamic State in Central Africa.
Those leaving Boston Logan Airport are going to have to find alternative routes as Sumner Tunnel is closed for a month.

The tunnel is closed for renovations until Aug. 5. It typically carries traffic under Boston Harbor and connects East Boston and Logan Airport to downtown Boston.

Traffic will be diverted as a result for the next month, affecting travelers coming from Logan Airport or East Boston to Boston.

But there are wrong ways to try to avoid traffic, the Chelsea Police Department warned.

Chelsea is NOT a cut-through! Expect long delays, angry honks, and possibly a traffic jam that rivals your worst nightmare, the department posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Save yourself the trouble and find an alternate route!

See below for 5 maps by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation showing how to get around the Sumner Tunnel closure and to and from the airport.

East Boston to downtown

Drivers from East Boston going to downtown will be rerouted to I-90/Ted Williams Tunnel via Bennington Street and onto I-93.

Drivers from East Boston going to downtown will be rerouted to I-90/Ted Williams Tunnel via Bennington Street and onto I-93.MassDOT

The airport to downtown

Drivers leaving Boston Logan Airport to go to the Downtown Boston area will be rerouted to I-90/Ted Williams Tunnel and onto I-93.

Drivers leaving Boston Logan Airport to go to the Downtown Boston area will be rerouted to I-90/Ted Williams Tunnel and onto I-93.MassDOT

The airport to I-93 North

Drivers leaving Boston Logan Airport trying to reach I-93 North should first follow signs for Route 1A North to Bell Circle Rotary. Then theyll follow signs to Route 16 to Route 1 south and proceed over Route 1/Tobin Bridge and follow signs to Rutherford Avenue. Finally, drivers will continue through Sullivan Square and onto I-93 North.

Drivers leaving Boston Logan Airport trying to reach I-93 North should first follow signs for Route 1A North to Bell Circle Rotary. Then theyll follow signs to Route 16 to Route 1 south and proceed over Route 1/Tobin Bridge and follow signs to Rutherford Avenue. Finally, drivers will continue through Sullivan Square and onto I-93 North.MassDOT

Revere to downtown

Drivers traveling on Route 1 south towards downtown are being asked to divert to Route 1A in Revere at the Bell Circle Rotary. Once on Route 1A, drivers will be rerouted to I-90/Ted Williams Tunnel and onto I-93.

Drivers traveling on Route 1 south towards downtown are being asked to divert to Route 1A in Revere at the Bell Circle Rotary. Once on Route 1A, drivers will be rerouted to I-90/Ted Williams Tunnel and onto I-93.MassDOT

Route 145 exit closed

MassDOT warns that when the Route 145 (Bennington Street) exit is closed, follow the local East Boston detour. Message boards and signs near the entrance of the Ted Williams Tunnel will guide residents through the route, it said on its website.

MassDOT warns that when the Route 145 (Bennington Street) exit is closed, follow the local East Boston detour. Message boards and signs near the entrance of the Ted Williams Tunnel will guide residents through the route, it said on its website.MassDOT

For more information, click here.
Seasonal great white shark sightings around Massachusetts have increased in recent years, and with a growing population of gray seals on the Outer Cape, its become a popular location for great white sharks, according to Mass.gov.

While shark spottings have been relatively quiet over the past few weeks, this week, however, saw a surge in sightings with eight confirmed between June 28 and July 5, according to Atlantic White Shark Conservancys shark tracking app, Sharktivity.

Sharks in this weeks round-up include great whites ranging in size from at least 8 feet, to upwards of 12 feet long

The first sighting reported was on June 28. A paddle boarder reported an 8-foot white shark just outside Provincetown Harbor in Cape Cod Bay around 8:31 p.m., according to Sharktivity.

That same day, a 12-foot shark was spotted in Cape Cod Bay swimming around Billingsgate Shoal and Jeremy Point off Wellfleet around 3 p.m., according to the app. Another 12-foot shark was spotted off the coast of Nauset Light Beach in Eastham earlier that day.

The waters were quiet for a couple of days before another white shark was spotted in Cape Cod Bay between Provincetown and Plymouth on July 2, around 12 p.m. by a whale-watching boat.

Later that evening, another shark was spotted in the Bay off the coast of Kingsbury Beach in Eastham.

The second-highest number of white-shark sightings for the week was recorded on July 3, with four sightings. Some sharks were as close as 100 feet from shore.

An airplane pilot spotted a shark off the coast of Ellisville and Sagamore Beach around 1 p.m., July 3, according to Sharktivity. About 45 minutes later, another shark was spotted in Cape Cod Bay off the coast of Skatet Beach in Orleans and Crosby Landing Beach in Brewster.

Around 11:48 a.m., according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, a shark was spotted west of Head of Meadow Beach in North Truro.

While these sharks were swimming off the coast, others were closer to the crowds, with one a mile off Cahoon Hollow and Newcomb Hollow beaches in Wellfleet around 5 p.m.

Another shark was spotted just 100 feet off North Beach Island in Chatham around 2:30 p.m., according to Sharktivity.

While these are sharks included in confirmed sightings, other sharks who have been previously tagged for tracking are also frequenting the area, including Mr.Pallas and Portal.

Since 2009, the Massachusetts shark program has tagged more than 120 white sharks to study the movement of this species.

One of which is Mr.Pallas, who was last pinged on July 4, off the coast of Maguire Landing Beach (also known as Lecount Hollow Beach) in Wellfleet. Mr.Pallas was detected around 7 a.m. nearby at Newcomb Hollow Beach before he was later traced to Maguire Landing Beach around 8 a.m.

Mr. Pallas has not been traced to another location since, though Portal, was detected off the coast of Nauset Beach around 12 a.m., June 5.

One of the areas more frequent visitors is a 14-foot-long female named LeeBeth.

LeeBeth was first tagged by the White Shark Conservancy on Dec. 8, 2023, according to the conservancys website, and has been seen previously this year swimming off North Carolinas coast on June 3, according to the conservancys Sharktivity app.

She was next seen four days later in the North Atlantic at around 8:48 p.m. on June 7. LeeBeth zigzagged east and north and was detected nine more times until the tenth and latest time she was detected on Tuesday, June 11, at around 8:02 a.m.

She swam 31 nautical miles northeast of Nantucket and 40 nautical miles southeast of Barnstable, according to the National Weather Service latitude and longitude distance calculator.
Friday evening, ABC News will be releasing its first television interview with President Joe Biden following his presidential debate with Donald Trump last week, the news outlet announced Wednesday.

ABC said it will air the interview as a primetime special, on Friday, July 5, at 8 p.m. eastern. A first clip will air on World News Tonight with David Muir, on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

A transcript of the unedited interview will be available on July 5, ABC said.

Biden will sit down in Wisconsin on the campaign trail earlier on Friday with George Stephanopoulos, the co-anchor of Good Morning America and anchor of This Week, according to ABC.

ABC said interested viewers can watch the interview on the ABC app on their smartphone and tablet, computer on ABC.com and devices such as Roku, AppleTV and Amazon Fire TV.

The interview will also be played again in its entirety on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, on Sunday, July 7.

The exclusive ABC interview with Biden comes as members of his own party are losing hope in his ability to win against Trump this November election. Several Democrats have criticized Bidens performance in last weeks debate and have called for him to drop out of the race.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said the debate was tough to watch, according to State House News Service. But did not answer questions from journalists as to whether Biden should reconsider his candidacy.

Healey was one of several Democrat governors who met with Biden on Wednesday at the White House, State House News Service reported.

Other Democrats such as Rep. Seth Moulton, who represents Massachusetts 6th District, called for Biden to step out of the presidential race.

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 Washingtons  footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump, Moulton said in an interview with WBUR.

Moulton is the third Congressional Democrat to call for Biden to step out of the race after, U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Raul Grijalva of Arizona.
Three Fall River residents have been indicted in connection with a Massachusetts-based commercial sex ring that trafficked a woman and two girls, according to the Massachusetts U.S. Attorneys Office.

Fall River residents Christy Parker, 26, Cory Primo, 42, and Avvani Jeffers, 22, and South Carolina residents Alexander Smalls, 25, Tresean Reid, 21, and Tyreik Reid, 20, are facing charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, the U.S. Attorneys office said in a press release. Parker and Smalls  who are a couple  are accused of committing truly chilling crimes through the organization of a sex trafficking ring that Primo, Jeffers and the Reids  who are Smalls brothers  helped facilitate.

In early 2023, Parker reached out to a woman claiming to be homeless and in need of a place to live, the U.S. Attorneys office said. It is alleged that, after moving in with the woman, she and Smalls coerced her into quitting her job and working as a prostitute for them under a profit-sharing contact that required that she remain loyal and humble and stay focused.

The couple began trafficking the woman in Massachusetts and Rhode Island  with the help of Primo and Jeffers  and in South Carolina with the help of Smalls brothers  while keeping all the profits, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. Parker is accused of using physical violence, threats of violence and other threats to maintain control over the woman.

In July 2023, Parker was introduced to a 16-year-old girl who she soon coerced into prostitution, the U.S. Attorneys office said. She is accused of using physical violence, threats of violence, alcohol, marijuana, starvation and sleep deprivation to maintain control over the girl.

Parker would sometimes beat the girl if she fell asleep because she wanted the girl to be ready to meet a john at anytime, the U.S. Attorneys office said. Parker is also accused of withholding food from the girl for at least four days after the girl failed to collect the entire fee from a john. Despite often beating and choking the girl to the point of injury, Parker never let her receive medical treatment, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

In August 2023, Parker began trafficking a 17-year-old girl who had run away from a group home, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. Parker is accused of physically assaulting the girl when she refused to work and keeping all the profits from her commercial sex work.

It is hard to conceive of more vile conduct than what is set forth in these charges. Sex trafficking is not a distant problem  it is happening right here, in our neighborhoods, and often goes unnoticed or unreported, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said in the release.

The 16-year-old victim was forced to engage in commercial sex acts with more than 100 men, while the 17-year-old was trafficked to at least five johns a day, The Fall River Herald reported. The victims met johns in Fall River, Somerset and Boston, and much of the sex trafficking is alleged to have happened in one room of a Somerset hotel that denied the accusations when contacted by newspaper.

Authorities discovered the sex trafficking ring in August 2023 after the 17-year-old victim contacted her social worker from the group home and told her what was going on, The Fall River Herald reported. The social worker called 911, and police responded to the Somerset hotel and soon discovered the three victims.

All the defendants are in custody in Massachusetts or South Carolina, except for Tresean Reid, who is a fugitive, the U.S. Attorneys office said. They face life in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and fines up to $250,000 if convicted of all charges.

If you or someone you know may be a victim of sex trafficking, please email USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
Congressman Seth Moulton, representing Massachusetts 6th District, became the third sitting House Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to bow out of the presidential race on Thursday.

In a July 4 interview on WBUR, Moulton said he doesnt think Biden could defeat former President Donald Trump.

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 Washingtons  footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump, Moulton said, according to WBUR.

Moulton joins U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Raul Grijalva of Arizona in calling for Biden to step aside.

Moultons comments come as Democrats uneasy about Bidens performance in last weeks debate are weighing whether to pressure him to exit the race.

A New York Times/Siena poll conducted after the debate showed Trump leading Biden by a margin of 6%  49% to 43%  a 3% drop since the same poll conducted before the debate.

Bidens team has adamantly said he is staying in the race, but the New York Times reported that Biden has shared with allies that he knows he only has days to salvage his candidacy.

Moulton told WBUR that it was time for a new generation of Democratic leaders.

The exact mechanism that we should follow in order for other leaders to rise up, whether its some sort of primary process, whether it goes directly to Vice President [Kamala] Harris, Im not sure about that, thats yet to be determined, he said to WBUR. And thats in many ways the substance of the deep, honest conversations that Democrats are having behind the scenes now and over the course of the past week.

Moulton, who told WBUR through a representative that he is not considering a run for president, said he had come to the conclusion after speaking with many Democrats concerned that Trump gained an advantage through Bidens poor debate performance.

Thats whats most important, Moulton said to WBUR. We have to win.
Former Red Sox ace Chris Sale continued to dominate Wednesday. He earned a win over the Giants, allowing one run, three hits and two walks while striking out nine in 6 innings.

The 35-year-old lefty improved to 11-3 with a 2.71 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 127 strikeouts and 19 walks in 16 starts (99  innings) for Atlanta. Opponents have batted just .199 against him.

The Red Sox traded Sale to Atlanta for second baseman Vaughn Grissom in December.

Sale is in the 96th percentile in expected ERA (2.55) and average exit velocity (85.5 mph). Hes in the 95th percentile in chase percentage (35.2%) and strikeout percentage (32.7%). Hes in the 94th percentile in hard hit percentage (30.4%) and the 90th percentile in expected batting average (.204).

Heres a look at how former Red Sox players are doing for their new teams halfway through the 2024 season:

Ex-Red Sox players from 2023 roster:

Alex Verdugo, Yankees: The 28-year-old is batting .248 with a .305 on-base percentage, .398 slugging percentage, .703 OPS, nine homers, 19 doubles, one triple, 43 RBIs, 40 runs, 28 walks and 51 strikeouts in 85 games (354 plate appearances). He homered on the first pitch he saw against the Red Sox at Fenway Park last month. He went 4-for-14 with a double and homer in the three-game series in Boston. He has five defensive runs saved in 697  innings in left field. Boston traded Verdugo to New York in December for reliever Greg Weissert and pitching prospects Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice.

Justin Turner, Blue Jays: The 39-year-old DH is on paternity leave at the moment. He is batting .250 with a .359 on-base percentage, .375 slugging percentage, .734 OPS, five homers, 15 doubles, 27 RBIs, 31 runs, 37 walks and 46 strikeouts in 74 games (284 plate appearances). Turner signed with Toronto in free agency in late January.

James Paxton, Dodgers: The 35-year-old lefty is 7-2 with a 4.28 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 53 strikeouts and 38 walks in 15 starts (75  innings). Opponents are batting .247 against him. Paxton signed with the Dodgers in free agency in January.

Chris Sale, Braves: The 35-year-old lefty, as mentioned above, is 11-3 with a 2.71 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 127 strikeouts and 19 walks in 16 starts (99  innings). Opponents have batted just .199 against him. The Red Sox traded Sale to Atlanta for second baseman Vaughn Grissom in December.

Adam Duvall, Braves: The 35-year-old is batting .180 with a .253 on-base percentage, .305 slugging percentage, .558 OPS, six homers, seven doubles, 21 RBIs, 19 runs, 17 walks and 63 strikeouts in 66 games (221 plate appearances). Duvall signed as a free agent with Atlanta in mid-March.

John Schreiber, Royals: The 30-year-old righty has a 3.97 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 26 strikeouts and 12 walks in 38 relief outings (34 innings). Opponents are batting .267 against him. He has struggled since the beginning of May after a dominant first month. Boston traded Schreiber to Kansas City in February for pitching prospect David Sandlin.

Kike Hernandez, Dodgers: The 32-year-old is batting .201 with a .265 on-base percentage, .302 slugging percentage, .567 OPS, four homers, six doubles, 13 RBIs, 16 runs, 16 walks and 42 strikeouts in 62 games (196 plate appearances). Boston traded Hernandez to LA last July. He then re-signed with the Dodgers in free agency during the offseason.

Christian Arroyo, Brewers: The 29-year-old signed a minor league contract with the Brewers in the offseason. He has been on the IL since April 27 with Triple-A Nashville. This is his second IL stint this year. He has been limited to three games (0-for-8 with two walks and four strikeouts) at Triple A.

Luis Urias, Mariners: The 27-year-old third baseman/second baseman went 12-for-79 (.152) with a .264 on-base percentage, .316 slugging percentage, .580 OPS, three homers, four doubles, 12 RBIs, eight runs, seven walks and 31 strikeouts in 34 games for Seattle before they optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma. He was removed from the 40-man roster June 4. Boston traded Urias to Seattle in November for right-handed reliever Isaiah Campbell.

Zack Littell, Rays: The 28-year-old, who pitched in two games for Boston last year before being designated for assignment, is 3-5 with a 3.94 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 86 strikeouts and 16 walks in 17 starts (91  innings). Opponents have batted .284 against him.

Tayler Scott, Astros: The 32-year-old righty has a 1.44 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, four holds, 41 strikeouts and 21 walks in 39 relief outings (43  innings). He appeared in four games for Boston last year before they designated him for assignment.

BetMGM BET UP TO $1,500! BONUS BET REFUND AFTER A LOSS CLAIM OFFER Promo code: MASS150 STATES: AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. US Promotional Offers not available in New York.

A few other former Red Sox:

Mookie Betts, Dodgers: The 31-year-old fractured a bone in his left wrist when he was hit by a 98 mph fastball June 16. Before landing on the IL, the leadoff hitter is batting .304 with a .405 on-base percentage, .488 slugging percentage, .893 OPS, 10 home runs, 16 doubles, three triples, 40 RBIs, 50 runs, nine steals, 47 walks and 34 strikeouts in 72 games (331 plate appearances) this season. Betts has four defensive runs saved in 531  innings at shortstop.

Xander Bogaerts, Padres: The 31-year-old is out with a shoulder fracture. He was batting .219 with a .265 on-base percentage, .316 slugging percentage, .581 OPS, four homers, six doubles, 14 RBIs, 23 runs, 12 walks and 40 strikeouts in 47 games (200 plate appearances).

Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers: The 34-year-old righty is 5-3 with a 3.15 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 80 strikeouts and 26 walks in 14 starts (80 innings).

J.D. Martinez, Mets: The 36-year-old DH is batting .277 with a .358 on-base percentage, .493 slugging percentage, .851 OPS, 10 homers, 14 doubles, one triple, 37 RBIs, 23 runs, 24 walks and 64 strikeouts in 57 games (243 plate appearances).

Andrew Benintendi, White Sox: The 29-year-old is batting .194 with a .245 on-base percentage, .298 slugging percentage, .543 OPS, six homers, seven doubles, 24 RBIs, 17 runs, 17 walks and 49 strikeouts in 68 games (261 plate appearances). He has negative-5 defensive runs saved in 538 innings in left field.

Christian Vazquez, Twins: The 33-year-old catcher is batting .189 with a .214 on-base percentage, .277 slugging percentage, .491 OPS, three homers, five doubles, 12 RBIs, 11 runs, five walks and 37 strikeouts in 49 games (171 plate appearances).

Eduardo Rodriguez, Diamondbacks: The 31-year-old hasnt pitched this year after signing a four-year, $80 million deal with Arizona in the offseason. Hes on the 60-day IL with a left shoulder strain.
Les ministres ont pris note que le Social Contribution and Social Benefits (Child Allowance) Regulations 2024 sera promulgue, de la creation dun teering Committee for Combating of Trafficking in Persons, que le Bel Air State Secondary School sera farme le 11 juillet 2024 a cause du Nomination Day, des dates dexamens pour celles et ceux qui vont prendre part au National Certificate of Education (NCE) Assessment 2024 entre autres.

1. Cabinet has taken note that the Social Contribution and Social Benefits (Child Allowance) Regulations 2024 would be promulgated to provide for the payment of the Child Allowance into the bank account of such person as the Director-General of the Mauritius Revenue Authority may direct, where an eligible parent is a minor and is unable to open a bank account in his name or in the name of his child.

2. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of a Consultation Mechanism between the Government of the Republic of Mauritius and the Government of the Portuguese Republic. The Memorandum of Understanding would provide a platform for structured official consultations with the objective of setting the pathway for institutional collaborative initiatives in mutually agreed fields, to allow for the exchange of views on contemporary global issues such as climate change and those relating to regional cooperation.

3. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of the Agreement relating to Visa Exemption for holders of Diplomatic, Official, Service and Ordinary Passports between the Government of the Republic of Mauritius and the Government of the Republic of Benin. Nationals of both countries, holding such passports would be able to enter, leave, transit and stay without a visa requirement on the territory of the other country for a period not exceeding 90 days during any period of 180 days from the date of their first entry.

4. Cabinet has agreed to Mauritius signing the Joint Communique on a Peace Framework which was adopted during the Summit on Peace in Ukraine held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on 16 June 2024. The Joint Communique, which as of 26 June 2024, was supported by 83 States and six Organisations, inter alia, reaffirmed a commitment towards refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. It also emphasised the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all States.

5. Cabinet has taken note of the constitution of the Steering Committee for Combating of Trafficking in Persons, under the chair of the Secretary for Home Affairs. The functions of the Steering Committee would be to:

(a) coordinate the development, regular review and implementation of national policies and activities to combat trafficking in persons;

(b) ensure coordination among the public authorities with a view to improving the effectiveness of existing policies to combat trafficking in persons;

(c) ensure coordination with stakeholders to identify victims of trafficking in persons;

(d) assess the needs and protection of victims of trafficking in persons;

(e) collect and cause to be analysed statistics and other information from competent authorities to assess the effectiveness of policies and measures to combat trafficking in persons; and

(f) make recommendations for legislative regulatory and policy reforms for the purpose of combating trafficking in persons.

6. Cabinet has taken note that the Data Protection Office would organise a Workshop on 18 July 2024 with the aim of promoting awareness and education on data protection among the youth. The theme of the Workshop would be Data Protection for the Youth and would mainly target youngsters from private and public secondary schools and university students.

The objectives of the Workshop would be to equip the youth with essential data protection knowledge and skills, raise awareness about the importance of data privacy, educate on risks associated with data breaches and empower youngsters to become informed and proactive digital citizens, amongst others.

7. Cabinet has taken note that in the context of the Nomination Day for the By-Election in Constituency 10 on Thursday 11 July 2024 at Bel Air State Secondary School, arrangements have been made for the closure of Bel Air State Secondary School on that day.

8. Cabinet has taken note that following the presence of heavy fuel oil in a watercourse located next to the Pointe aux Sables public beach, a total of around 100 metres of sorbent booms and around 210 absorbent pads have been placed in the watercourse to contain and recover the spilled heavy fuel oil. Water samples for analysis have been collected by the National Environmental Laboratory (NEL) in the watercourse and at sea; and ambient air screening exercise was carried out by the NEL to detect the presence of Volatile Organic Compounds in the neighbourhood of the oil spill incident. An enquiry had been initiated by the Police de lEnvironnement.

9. Cabinet has taken note that the National Certificate of Education (NCE) Assessment 2024 would be held on 25 and 27 September 2024 as well as on 02, 04, 07, 14 and 17 October 2024. The NCE Assessment results would be expected on 03 December 2024.

10. Cabinet has taken note that, as at 04 July 2024, there were 27 active cases of Dengue Fever in Mauritius, of which three persons had been hospitalised in both public and private hospitals. For Rodrigues, 13 active cases of Dengue Fever had been recorded and three persons were hospitalised.

Cabinet further noted that since 11 January 2024, 56 cases of Leptospirosis had been reported in Mauritius and two persons had been hospitalised as at 04 July 2024. The Ministry of Health and Wellness was pursuing the sensitisation campaigns on Dengue Fever and Leptospirosis in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
On 28th June 2024, Huawei announced a new plan to train an additional 150,000 talents in Sub-Saharan Africa over the next three years. The plan comes on top of the ICT leaders initial goal to equip over 100,000 people in the region with digital skills by 2025.

Huawei has already exceeded its initial goal by 120%, 10 months ahead of schedule, training over 120,000 individuals over the past 26 months. Both announcements were made at the LEAP Summit 2024: ICT Talent and Sustainable Development for Sub-Saharan Africa.

LEAP stands for leadership, employability, advancement and possibility. The event, co-hosted by Huawei and the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), is an official partner program of Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2024. Huawei and ATU gathered over 200 guests for the LEAP Summit 2024. Among them were high ranking ministers, ambassadors and other government officials from many African nations in the Sub-Saharan region.

There is a pressing need to equip talent in Sub-Saharan Africa with digital skills. According to the World Economic Forum, more than one billion people around the world need to be upskilled or reskilled by 2030. Furthermore, the International Financial Corporation estimates that over 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030.

In this opening address, Jeff Wang, Senior Vice President, President of Public Affairs and Communications, Huawei, outlined the companys approach to inclusive, systematic and future-oriented talent development.  Huawei launched the LEAP Digital Talent Development Program in Sub-Saharan Africa since 2022. After more than two years of development, we are glad to see that so many people have benefited from it. 

Of LEAP thus far, Hover Gao, President of Sub-Saharan Africa, Huawei, said:  We have made much positive progress in talent development across African countries, but this would not have been possible without the joint efforts of government agencies, academia, and industry. 

In his remarks, John OMO, Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) reiterated a human-first approach to technology. He said:  Digital skills development and access to ICT is not about ICT, its about people. Its about empowering people to participate sufficiently in the digital economy.  Mr. OMO encouraged the audience to collectively participate in the effort to upskill to give the youth not just a future but also a present in which they can thrive.

Hon. Minister Counselor He Hongyan, Department of African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Peoples Republic of China, emphasized the importance of China-African talent cooperation as outlined in the China-Africa Cooperation 2035. She said that LEAP  is helping Africa build a pool of digital talent, boost its digital economy, bridge the digital divide and boost and drive inclusive development. 

Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, joined the program remotely via video to highlight the importance of a multilateral approach to addressing the digital skills gap and upskilling of workers. He said:  We hope these efforts can help people everywhere better harness digital technologies, narrow the skill gap and create a sustained prosperity along with sustainable development, all of which are essential to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). 

Hon. Dr. Tatenda Annastacia Mavetera, Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Zimbabwe, provided both the local perspective and the pan-African perspective on digital talent cultivation. She said:  Beyond the impressive ICT talent achievements on display, this summit is a testament to the power of collaboration. It is through partnerships between governments, industries, leaders, academia, and civil society that we are truly able to unlock the full potential of ICT for the benefit of humanity. 

The TECH4ALL Digital Inclusion Initiative is one of the key pillars of Huaweis Corporate Sustainable Development strategies. During the summit, Joyce Liu, Director of TECH4ALL Digital Inclusion Office at Huawei, shared the progress of TECH4ALL in Sub-Saharan Africa. She said:  We must take a long-term perspective on how education can help shape a more inclusive and sustainable future, building connectivity for schools, improving capabilities for people and supporting STEM content development for digital upskilling and reskilling. 

Huawei and its partners launched a series of activities of digital talent development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Steven Fan, The Director of Huaweis Training & Certification Dept, released a new Huawei Digital Intelligence Talent Development Program. This initiative includes free Huawei Certificate courses and exam vouchers for the Huawei ICT Academy and outstanding personnel.

Also announced, the Digital Badge program enables students and teachers who have attended Huawei ICT Academy programs to display these certifications on their social media platforms and use them to unlock future employment opportunities.

Huawei launched its Leadership, Employability, Advancement and Possibilities (LEAP) digital skills development program in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022. The program, aims to foster a strong digital leadership and skilled ICT workforce, build a digital talent pool and promote digital literacy among citizens, and includes a wide range of activities from ICT training and certification courses to government digital capacity building and ICT skills competitions.
The names of the eminent speakers who will be headlining the upcoming India-Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit in Mauritius to be held on 19th July 2024 at the InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort.

The list includes stellar personalities such as long-standing Indian Parliamentarian Suresh Prabhu; TDB Group President Admassu Tadesse; ex-Tata sustainability expert Dr Mukund Rajan; IAN Fund partner Padmaja Ruparel; Narnolia Groups Founder and CMD Krishna Narnolia ; ABAN President Tomi Davies; CEO AfriLabs Anna Ekeledo; Mauritius Institute of Biotechnology CEO Rattan Gujadhur; BIRAC Mission Director Dr Manish Dewan; SIDBI Deputy MD Sudaatta Mandal; Artha Ventures partner Anirudh Damani; renowned journalist Anil Padmanabhan and prominent Indian industrialist Sushil Jiwarajka.

This highly anticipated event is hosting its fourth edition with the support of the Economic Development Board of Mauritius. The India-Africa Entrepreneurship and Investment Summit has established itself as the go-to platform for industry leaders and established entrepreneurs on both sides of the Indian Ocean.

This years Summit is set to bring together industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors to explore sustainable growth opportunities and deepen economic ties between the two vibrant regions, given that India and Africa have similar developmental needs and it is expected that new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, can help Africa to leapfrog into a new future.

Meet the speakers

As such, speakers from amongst the ranks of pre-eminent Industrialists, Entrepreneurs, Thought Leaders, Policy Makers and Investors from both Africa and India are an integral part of the event, and we are pleased to unveil the key speakers who will address the audience at the Summit.

Suresh Prabhu

Shri Suresh Prabhu is a veteran politician and diplomat who has held key positions such as the Minister of Civil Aviation, Railways, Commerce & Industry, among others. He has been a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) for 4 consecutive terms from 1996 to 2016, and later a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) since 2016. Suresh Prabhu has constantly featured in the list of top five ministers in India from 2014 to 2017 in terms of both performance and accessibility in nationwide surveys conducted by various institutions. He has also served as Indias Sherpa to the G7 and G20.



Admassu Tadesse



Mr Admassu Tadesse is TDB Group President & Managing Director and Chairman of the TDB Group Executive Management Board. He co-chairs the boards of directors of TDB Group, the Trade and Development Fund (TDF), the TDB Captive Insurance Company (TCI), the TDB Fund Manager (ESATAL) and the ESA Trade Finance Fund (ESATF). He serves on the governing organs of several global and continental industry bodies, notably the International Development Finance Club, Finance in Common and the Africa Investment Forum. He is a recipient of multiple industry awards, including African Banker of the Year, African Business Leader of the Year and African Development Banker of the Year.



Dr Mukund Rajan



Dr. Mukund Rajan is the Chairman of ECube Investment Advisors and a former Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He has held a number of senior executive positions through his 23 year career with the Tata group  the first Brand Custodian of the Tata group, Chief Ethics Officer of the group, Chair of the Tata Global Sustainability Council, and Member of the Group Executive Council at Tata Sons Limited. Dr Rajan serves as the Chairperson of the Environment Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). In 2007, the World Economic honoured Dr. Rajan as a Young Global Leader. His second book, The Brand Custodian, was published by HarperCollins in 2019.



Anil Padmanabhan



Mr Anil Padmanabhan, a journalist for 34 years, is a Neiman fellow from Harvard University. He has worked in leadership roles at leading media houses such as Business Standard, Mint, and India Today, where he was the chief of bureau in New York. Since 2020, he moved into the gig economy, and works with media entities and global corporate giants to customise content and address/moderate events, and has continued to contribute to publications such as The Economic Times, Money Control, Khaleej Times, NDTV, Russia Today and Open magazine.



Sushil Jiwarajka



Mr Sushil Jiwarajka, a prominent industrialist, is the Chairman of Artheon Group of Companies with interests in Telecom, Renewable energy, industrial batteries and E-commerce. He is also the Chairman and Managing Director of Essjay Ericsson Pvt. Ltd, a Joint Venture with LM Ericsson of Sweden. He has promoted OMC Power Company Pvt. Ltd., which has been providing clean Power using Renewable Energy for telecom sites and rural communities, and has won numerous awards for its community efforts. He was awarded the title of Global Tech Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2014 and won The Economic Times Telecom Award, by the eponymous Indian publication house, in 2015.

Commenting on the stellar line up for the event, Convenor of the India Africa Entrepreneurship Forum, Baljinder Sharma, notes,
Ballintubber GAA have made a donation towards a facility that will provide short stays to children with cancer and their families in the West of Ireland.

The club have presented a sum of 3,500 to Cancer Fund For Children, who are currently constructing the Daisy Lodge facility in Cong.

Ballintubber fundraised for Daisy Lodge by donating all of the proceeds from its June 16 lotto draw towards Cancer Fund For Children.

Ballintubber GAA club officers presented a cheque to Mary McHugh Murphy, Connacht Regional Fundraiser for Cancer Fund for Children, after their recent lotto draw in the Drum Inn in Clogher.

Also present were Jacinta Maxwell and Majella Loftus sisters of the late Fergal Loftus, in whose memory they have been fundraising for Daisy Lodge through the Climb For Fergal appeal.

Patrick Barrett, Cathaoirleach of Ballintubber GAA, thanked all those involved in fundraising for the Daisy Lodge facility.

We were delighted to support this worthy project and on behalf of the club I would like to thank everyone who played our lotto in support of Daisy Lodge, said Barrett.

I would also particularly like to thank the Loftus family, who have done tremendous work in fundraising for the project through Climb For Fergal.

The Loftus family expressed their gratitude to Ballintubber GAA for the generous donation to their event.

They also thanked the committee and members who helped them fundraise and sell lotto tickets over the entire weekend, and to Corrigans Costcutters in Ballintubber to give permission to sell outside their premises.

The family also thanked all those who attended and purchased lotto tickets at matches in Ray Prendergast Memorial Park, Clogher, over the weekend.

They have said they have been completely overwhelmed with the response to Climb For Fergal, which has so far raised over 23,000 for Cancer Fund For Children.

You can still support Climb For Fergal at: https://www.idonate.ie/event/climbforfergal
A 100-year-old Mayo woman has been connected to National Broadband Irelands fibre network.

As Bridget Joyce joined the high speed fibre broadband network, she recounted the days without electricity in rural Mayo in the 1960s.

Almost 10,500 Mayo homes, farms and businesses can now connect to high-speed broadband.

The connection access in rural Mayo comes after an investment of 145 million from under the Governments National Broadband Plan (NBP).

With high-speed fibre broadband, Ms Joyce stays connected with her local community from home, enjoying simple daily pleasures, such as reading the news online and watching Mass.

Born in Kilbride, Newport National Hospital in 1924, Ms Joyce is the latest customer to connect to high-speed fibre broadband under the NBP.

She recalled the days of her youth living in rural Mayo without electricity, and shared her memories of carrying paraffin oil from the nearby town back to her family home.

Ms Joyce, said: We were living a long time with no electricity. I remember the days when we carried paraffin oil a mile from the town on our way to school and carried it home again. We did this until the 1960s, when electricity finally came to our village.

Now, with fibre broadband, I can do so much from home. I would have never believed what could be done. Im able to watch Mass and keep up with everything  all online. The Westnet team connected our home to NBIs fibre network and even hooked up my iPad. Its great to get that level of support, she continued.

NBI connected customers, Bridget Joyce and her granddaughter, Fiona Hyland

Minister Ossian Smyth, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement, eGovernment and Circular Economy, called it wonderful to see people, such as Ms Joyce, experiencing the benefits of high-speed fibre broadband.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone in Ireland, no matter where they live, can enjoy the advantages of high-speed broadband. The National Broadband Plan has made high-speed fibre broadband available to over 260,000 homes, farms and businesses across rural Ireland. As a result, Ireland is now a global leader in digital connectivity and is on target to reach the European Commissions target of gigabit broadband for all by 2030, said Mr Smyth.

The Mayo woman now lives with her granddaughter, Fiona Hyland, who said the broadband has done wonders for her grandmother.

It keeps her engaged and her mind active. It has huge benefits  boosts her mood and prevents cognitive decline, especially if somebody is isolated socially and geographically. It really is her connection to the world.

I use our broadband connection for online banking and Netflix. Its massively beneficial to be able to use these services from the comfort of your own home, she added.

David McDonnelll, Chief Technical Officer at Westnet, said: It's with great delight that Westnet comes together with NBI to honour a cherished member of the community who, at the incredible age of 100, has embraced the future of Internet connectivity by connecting to Westnet fibre broadband over the NBI network. This connection shows that Internet connectivity can enrich lives, no matter of age, keeping families connected and bringing communities closer together.

For more information on the NBP, see NBIs website.
The Croagh Patrick Stakeholders group launched the Friends of Croagh Patrick initiative in Westport this week.

Friends of Croagh Patrick is a funding initiative set up to grow and maintain the work the group has completed on the reek over the past four years. Their website also went live simultaneous to the launch.

Set up in 2015, the Croagh Patrick Stakeholder's group was a response to the concerns of mountain shareholders, the local community in Murrisk, the Westport Parish and Mayo County Council.

Speaking at the launch, Chairman of the Croagh Patrick Stakeholders group, Martin Keating, said the initiative's importance is ensuring that the good work that [they] have done on Croagh Patrick is sustained so that we never, ever have to witness Croagh Patrick in the eroded state and again in the future.

It was eroded, it was uncared-for, and I think as a group and as a community, we have turned that around. So the aim of the initiative is that we would raise some money locally to co-finance with the project's co-operators, which have been the Mayo County Council and the Department of Community, said Mr Keating.

What seemed like an impossible project at first, moving millions of stones, and working tirelessly for three years, the path was officially completed in April.

Mary Walsh from Mayo Mountain Rescue said the path makes the climb so much safer.

From our point of view it has made Croagh Patrick so much safer, we have less call-outs so we're not as busy which is a good thing. People are safer coming off, they have a much more enjoyable climb, and that to us is the most important thing, added Ms Walsh.

Pictured at the launch (L-R) Fr Charlie McDonnell, Caroline Goucher, Michael Foy, Raul Downey, Martin Keating, Chairperson, and Fr John Kenny (Pic: Frank Dolan)

Reek Sunday

The launch comes at the perfect time as the annual pilgrimage, Reek Sunday, is set to take place July 28.

I suppose we're launching this at a very, hopefully, opportune time. It's coming into the busiest period on Croagh Patrick. Reek Sunday is but days away at this stage we're on the countdown to that, and hopefully that will be an opportunity as well for people to make a contribution, commented Mr Keating.

Just this week, Father John Kenny of St Marys Church in Westport invited other priests around the country to Minister on Croagh Patrick for Reek Sunday.

Speaking at the launch, Fr Kenny thanked and welcomed Father Charlie McDonnell, and said he feels he has been handed over a role that was a team effort, and Charlie was very much a part of that team.

Fr Kenny continued: Theres an Irish phrase that comes to mind, Ni neart go cur le cheile (Theres no strength without unity), and Im sure Charlie, and others like him, got teams together, different interest groups and different people, the stakeholders and so forth; and the results are evident here in this lovely display.

Agreeing with Mr Keating, Fr Kenny also commented on the opportune timing as 2024 is the celebration of a year of prayer, leading into a year of pilgrimage, pilgrims of hope 2025.

Im looking forward to promoting the mountain for its holiness and its place of pilgrimage and prayer with an added bonus of safety and the accessibility and the habitat, all the things are coming together, continued Fr Kenny.

Into the future

With years of hard-work finally coming together, Mr Keating made a final appeal to local people and businesses to get involved and help the Team of the Reek.

Become a friend, sponsor or partner of the project. Theres a QR code which brings us directly to the donation section of our website, which we're also launching this evening.

I suppose the call that we're putting out this evening is go check it out and donate, become a friend of the reek, a sponsor of the reek, a partner of the reek, so that it doesn't ever, and we don't ever have to witness it as an eroded, uncared-for mountain again; maintain it as it is now into the future, he concluded.

For more information and to get involved, see the Croagh Patrick website.
University of Galways Governing Authority - Udaras na hOllscoile, has confirmed the appointment of Ballyhaunis native, Professor Peter McHugh as Interim President.

The confirmation follows last weeks announcement that Professor Ciaran O hOgartaigh had taken the decision to step down as President.

Professor McHugh is currently serving as Deputy President and Registrar and will take up the role of Interim President in September 2024.

Professor McHugh said he was very honoured with the appointment, and expressed his gratitude to members of Udaras na hOllscoile for their support.

I also want to thank the outgoing President, Professor Ciaran O hOgartaigh, for his outstanding work, his commitment to the Universitys values of respect, openness, excellence and sustainability over the past six years, and for helping to make University of Galway the world-class institution it is today.

I am very much looking forward to building on the Universitys many achievements. My focus will be on strengthening and building upon our international reputation for excellence in teaching, learning, research and innovation, on striving for the very best student experience, and on empowering our staff to achieve, continued the Ballyhaunis Professor.

Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, Chair of the Universitys Governing Authority, welcomed Professor McHughs appointment as Interim President and wished him success in the role.

Professor McHugh will be leading the University at a time which is not without sectoral challenges, but while we are positioned strongly for the future, she said.

Professor McHugh joined the University in 1991 and was appointed as the first Established Professor of Biomedical Engineering in 2007. He has previously served as Dean of College of Engineering and Informatics, Head of School of Engineering and Informatics, and Head of School of Engineering.

Under his leadership as Head of School, the School of Engineering developed its gender equality action plan, and building on this groundwork, the school went on to achieve the Athena SWAN Silver Award in 2022, the first School of Engineering in Ireland to achieve the recognition.

Professor McHugh took up the role of Deputy President and Registrar in May 2024.

He is an internationally recognised research leader in biomedical engineering and his research is focused on fundamental developments and applications of computational and experimental methods in biomechanics, tissue mechanics and medical implants and devices.

He has been a pioneer in the development of biomedical engineering in Ireland and internationally, and he was the founding Director of the Biomechanics Research Centre (BioMEC) at University of Galway.

Professor McHugh has received numerous accolades, including membership of the Royal Irish Academy (2011), the Silver Medal of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland - Section of Bioengineering (2011), Fellowship of the Irish Academy of Engineering (2019), and more.

He has also served in officer roles in the Royal Irish Academy, most recently as Secretary for Policy and International Relations where he was the Irish representative to several international academy organisations, including the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC).
by Fern Siegel , July 5, 2024

Holy Moly Dips has launched a sassy out-of-home ad campaign with independent creative agency AGIT8.

The copy has expletives covered by the Holy Moly logo, playing up the brand's tag: Purer, Tastier, Holier.

Chris Busher, marketing head, Holy Moly, said: We wanted a campaign to literally get Holy Moly on consumers' lips while bringing to life our bold and witty personality.

The campaign is featured across the Greater London rail network with over 1,000 posters, as well as billboards on vehicles. The work culminates on July 31, with National Avocado Day.

In addition to outdoor ads, Holy Moly is utilizing paid and organic social media channels. JC Deaux Nurture is its media agency.

Gerry Human, executive creative director at AGIT8, which has offices in London and Paris, added: Its not often a brand has such strong stand out in the category, backed by outstanding products, too. Our goal was to create something that not only grabs attention but also brings a smile to the faces of London commuters, amplifying the love for Holy Moly.

According to Nielsen, Holy Moly is growing at a 54% YoY rate and is one of the most popular guacamole brands in the U.K.
by Tanya Gazdik , July 3, 2024

When companies get overtly political, they automatically alienate half (or more) of their potential consumer base.

Tractor Supply is quickly discovering this in the wake of its recent announcement regarding rolling back DEI and climate change initiatives.

In yielding to conservative bullies, the company might have thought it was earning the allegiance of current customers. But it mustve forgotten that consumers of all races, sexual orientations and political leanings shop at the store -- or at least they did.

I was appalled by the decision, John Boyd Jr., president and founder of the National Black Farmers Association, said in an interview with The Associated Press. I see this as rolling back the clock with race relations  because the country is so divided on race, especially in rural America.

advertisement advertisement

Now, the National Black Farmers Association is calling on Tractor Supplys president and CEO Hal Lawton to step down.

Boyd said Tractor Supply stores can be found where much of NBFAs 130,000 members are located, per the AP. "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.

If the majority of current TSC customers are conservatives, the company eliminated in one fell swoop the very customer base it needs to grow.

This is one of the most extreme examples yet of the DEI backlash that is sweeping through corporate America, writes Bloomberg columnist Beth Kowitt. Plenty of companies have slashed their DEI departments and erased or tweaked corporate language about inclusivity. But most have done so quietly in order to avoid publicizing their spinelessness and hypocrisy. Few have put out statements like Tractor Supplys, which seems to celebrate the betrayal of causes that the company once claimed were important. Tractor Supply is now sending a very different and clear message about the customers it prioritizes and wants in its stores.

The companys executives have said that its customers tend to skew more conservative.

"But to borrow a line from Michael Jordan, Democrats buy farming supplies, too, Kowitt writes. During the pandemic, Tractor Supply boomed thanks to urban dwellers fleeing cities for dreams of rural living replete with backyard chickens and firepits. As Fortune reported in 2021, Wappingers Falls, 75 miles north of New York City in Dutchess County, is viewed by the company as a textbook Tractor Supply town. Executives might want to note that it also voted Democratic in the last four presidential elections.

Really, fighting climate change shouldnt be a partisan issue, writes journalist, historian and author David Perry in an opinion piece on CNN, adding that he he threw his TSC hat in the trash after reading the companys statement last week.

Its possible that TSC has calculated that it cant please everyone, that most of its customers are White conservatives or sympathize with that viewpoint  and so to hell with the rest of us, Perry writes. But Ive been a loyal customer.  All around me on this holiday weekend (Im spending the week in the woods), I see products I purchased from a store that has told me  loudly  that it doesnt see me as a valuable customer. Message received.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, July 4, 2024

Firestone Walker Brewing has been working for years to gain the rights to use Woody Guthries iconic song "This Land is Your Land for a branding and performance-based campaign that launched this week in honor of Independence Day in the U.S.

Nick Firestone, CEO at Firestone Walker Brewing, told KKAL radio the campaign and movie represents an authentic vibe. The 805 brand, a blond ale beer, represents all things common to the central coast California lifestyle. The company refers to the campaign and movie as an authentic way to reach consumers.

The brand, released in 2012, was named for the 805 area code in Paso Robles, where Firestone Walker is headquartered.

The beer was initially intended only to be sold locally, but became very popular. The July 4 campaign and movies honors patriots, a reflection of co-founder David Walkers journey from Britain to the United States.

advertisement advertisement

Firestone said the brand will never do corporate sponsorships, but would rather tell stories and highlight interesting and talented people from the area. There is a beer in the video, but the video is not about the beer.

The campaign features Jade Jackson, a native of Santa Margarita, California. She sings and plays Guthries song on her acoustic guitar. The acoustic spot is running on 805s website and on its YouTube page as well as its Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube pages.



Jackson is a Firestone Walker brand ambassador. She was born legally blind and doctors identified her condition at four years of age. Until it was corrected, she had to rely on her sense of sound to experience the world.

Thats how she found her deep connection with music. Sounds became her most comfortable sense -- where she feels safe.

At 13, Jackson told her family she would either make it or die trying.

This film is a follow-up to the 805 Beer film Small Town Story, which explores her passion for songwriting and support of her family.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, July 5, 2024

A federal judge has rejected Google's bid to reverse a jury's decision that the company violated antitrust laws.

Google did not present good grounds for judgment as a matter of law or for a new trial, U.S. District Court Judge James Donato in the Northern District of California wrote in a 28-page ruling issued Wednesday.

The true crux of Googles argument isnt that the verdict was not based on substantial evidence, but rather that the jury didnt see the evidence in the way Google wanted, Donato wrote. This is not a situation where the verdict was based on speculation or where the evidence would allow only one conclusion that is contrary to what the jury decided.

The ruling comes in a battle between Google and Fortnite developer Epic Games, which sued Google and Apple in 2020 for allegedly violating laws against monopolies.

A jury found against Google in December, concluding that company created or maintained an illegal monopoly in two markets -- Android app distribution, and Android in-app billing.

advertisement advertisement

The jury also found that Google wrongly tied company's ability to distribute through the Play store to Google's payment system. Google, like Apple, charges a commission on purchases made in apps that have been downloaded from its own app store. But unlike Apple, Google always allowed users to sideload apps -- meaning to download them from sources other than Play Store; Google also doesn't charge commissions on in-app purchases from sideloaded apps.

Epic claimed in its suit that Google only nominally allows sideloading, but hinders users by displaying warnings about potential security risks. (Google -- which was also sued by a coalition of state attorneys general -- said in September it would streamline the sideloading process as part of a settlement with the states.)

The jury's verdict against Google came more than two years after U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers largely ruled against Epic in its similar case against Apple.

In February, Google argued that the verdict against it should be set aside on the theory that it was inconsistent with Rogers' ruling on key points -- including that Google and Apple compete to distribute apps.

Donato rejected Google's argument, essentially holding there was evidence to support the jury's finding that the relevant markets were limited to Androids -- as opposed to all smartphones.

Google took every opportunity to tell the jury that Google and Apple compete, and so should be considered to be in the same relevant market, Donato wrote, adding that Epic presented substantial evidence showing that the Android-only product markets made factual and economic sense for this case.

He added: In the end, the jury did precisely what it was called upon to do by resolving the hotly disputed evidence to define the product markets ... The possibility that the jury might have come out differently is no basis for judgment as a matter of law in Googles favor.

Google also argued to Donato that a reasonable jury could not have found that the sideloading warnings were anticompetitive.

He rejected that argument as well.

There was ... evidence at trial that Google worked to suppress competition by actively impeding users from 'sideloading' competing app stores through increased 'friction' and 'scare screens,' Donato wrote.

Epic recently asked Donato to issue an injunction that would require Google to make significant changes to the way it operates the Play store. Among other requests, Epic Google to allow Android users to sideload some apps with a single tap and no additional warnings. Epic also wants Google to refrain from prohibiting, or even discouraging, smartphone manufacturers from blocking other companies' pre-installed apps or app stores.

Donato hasn't yet ruled on those requests.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, July 5, 2024

Siding with Meta Platforms, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that the company's analytics software, the Meta Pixel, wrongly collected information from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles' website.

The decision, issued Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Gordon in Nevada, comes in a class-action complaint brought last August by Matthew Davis. He alleged that Meta, through its analytics code gathered a trove of information about a drivers personal business with the Department of Motor Vehicles -- including whether people were scheduling appointments for a driver's test, or seeking to register a new car. He added in the complaint that Meta's pixel transmits highly restricted data, including information about a driver's disability.

Davis also alleged that Meta uses that information for targeted advertising.

He claimed in the complaint that Meta was violating the Driver's Privacy Protection Act -- a 1994 federal statute that prohibits anyone from knowingly obtaining personal information from a motor vehicle record for an improper purpose.

advertisement advertisement

Meta urged Gordon to dismiss the lawsuit at an early stage, arguing that even if the allegations were true, they wouldn't show that the company violated the Driver's Privacy Protection Act. Among other arguments, Meta contended that the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles' website is not a motor vehicle record.

Gordon agreed with Meta, writing that even though Davis alleged in the complaint that people can complete a variety of tasks on the website, such as scheduling appointments for driver tests, he didn't allege that the website records any of this information.

The ruling allows Davis to beef up his allegations and bring them again by July 31.

The new decision comes almost one year after a different federal judge -- Susan Illston in the Northern District of California -- Meta's bid for a quick dismissal in a similar lawsuit. In that case, Illston allowed California resident Mikhail Gershzon to proceed with a claim that Meta wrongly collected data from California's Department of Motor Vehicles' website.
  Trusted Source

Do robots get burnout?



Go to source Trusted Source

Government Robot Allegedly Overworked to "Suicide"



A robot's alleged suicide raises ethical questions about AI and robotics. #robotics #mentalhealth #medindia

Do robots get burnout? - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28727689/)

In an extraordinary and unsettling incident, a municipal robot in Gumi, South Korea, has allegedly taken its own life, a development that could be the first of its kind worldwide. This unexpected occurrence has prompted a mix of astonishment and sorrow among local residents and officials alike ().The robot, which had been in service for the Gumi City Council, was primarily tasked with delivering documents and providing information to the public. Over the past year, it became a familiar presence, navigating the building autonomously with its own identification. However, the routine took a tragic turn when the robot, during its regular duties, abruptly halted, circled erratically, and then plunged down a flight of stairs. Witnesses reported seeing the robot's parts scattered across the area, and it was pronounced completely inoperative on the spot.City Council representatives described the robot as exceptionally dedicated, operating diligently from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Its sudden malfunction has sparked a broader discussion about the pressures faced by automated systems and their operational limits. While robots are designed to withstand rigorous tasks, this incident highlights potential vulnerabilities in their programming and maintenance.Local residents have expressed deep sadness and sympathy over the loss of the robot, noting its consistent service and reliability. This incident has raised important questions about the ethical treatment and management of artificial intelligence and robotics. Experts suggest that more comprehensive oversight and regular maintenance protocols might be necessary to prevent such occurrences in the future.The Gumi City Council is currently investigating the incident to understand the factors that led to this unprecedented event. They aim to ensure the well-being of their remaining automated workforce and address any technical or operational issues that may have contributed to the robot's demise.As robotics and AI continue to evolve and integrate into daily life, this incident serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities and challenges that accompany technological advancements. The community in Gumi remains in a state of contemplation, mourning the loss of a robot that had, in many ways, become an integral part of their daily lives.Source-Medindia
Today's decision by Albania's Central Election Commission to disqualify Fredi Beleri even before he was sworn in as Mayor of Himare represents an unprecedented practice and signals the foreshadowed outcome of a process filled with questions concerning fundamental principles of the rule of law.



Greece had in a timely manner expressed its grave concern regarding the deprivation of the presumption of innocence, the integrity of the evidentiary process, the prohibition of swearing-in, and the disproportionate sentence imposed, as well as the fact that the Municipality of Himare has been governed for a year by unauthorized individuals.





The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates the obligation of the Albanian authorities to take all necessary measures to enable Mr. Beleri, now an elected member of the European Parliament, to attend its proceedings, starting with the Plenary Session on July 16 in Strasbourg.
Cardi B, as it turns out, is not a font of knowledge about the military draft.

Despite misinformation and misunderstandings floating around TikTok, including from the rap superstar with more than 20 million followers on the social media platform, Congress is not on the verge of reinstating a military draft.

Rather, the House has advanced a bipartisan proposal that would automatically register young men with the Selective Service System, something they are already legally required to do.

Read Next: Here's What Biden and Trump Actually Did for Veterans as President

The legislation's backers say it's a commonsense solution to a yearslong problem: The government is fighting a costly, losing battle to inform young men of their legal requirement to register as the rate of registration keeps declining.

But the proposal is getting conflated with unfounded chatter of a reinstated military draft, as well as with a separate contentious debate about whether to make women register for the draft, threatening its chances of becoming law and frustrating the lawmakers who wrote the legislation.

"This new legislation saves taxpayers significant money and makes it easier for these men to follow the law and register with the Selective Service. That is all. Full stop," Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., said in a statement last week. "Our nation has not had a military draft in more than a half-century, and I spend a great deal of my time in Congress working to ensure that we never will again."

At issue is an amendment sponsored by Houlahan and Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., that was included in the House-passed version of this year's National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, to automate draft registration.

The U.S. has not drafted anyone into compulsory military service since 1973, but men ages 18 through 25 still have to register with the Selective Service System in case there is a draft again in the future. The registration requirement has been in place consistently since 1980.

The Selective Service System has an annual budget of a little more than $30 million. It's unclear exactly how much of that is devoted specifically to advertising and other outreach campaigns, but the agency asked Congress for about $11 million for next year for registration efforts as a whole, including to "launch new targeted registration advertising campaigns" and to "synchronize advertising efforts to support registration improvement in low compliance areas," according to budget documents.

Last year, Selective Service System ads on social media, TV, billboards and more made more than 112 million impressions, an increase over 2022's 109 million impressions and 2021's 105 million, according to the agency's annual performance reports.

But increased ad reach didn't translate to increased registration. In 2023 and 2022, the compliance rate for registering was about 84%, a 5% decrease from 2021, according to the annual reports and data obtained by Military.com. The 2021 compliance rate, in turn, was a 1% decrease from 2020.

The Selective Service System attributes the drop-off largely to the fact that failing to register no longer disqualifies men from federal student aid, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, no longer asks men whether they want to register under a law passed in 2021. From 2009 to 2019, FAFSA applications accounted for about 24% of registrations, according to data obtained by Military.com.

"With the onset of this legislation in 2021, SSS saw an immediate decrease in registration compliance for 18- to 25-year-olds from the previous year, with registration falling below 90% nationwide," the agency wrote in a legislative proposal sent to Congress earlier this year that was obtained by Military.com. "The agency anticipates that the law could impact the SSS registration rate by as much as 10% over the coming years, despite the availability of other existing registration methods, making registration less fair and equitable nationally and leading to undesirable impacts on national defense readiness."

While federal student aid is no longer connected to registration, failing to register can still come with a host of penalties, including the possibility of a felony conviction punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and 5 years imprisonment. Men who don't register are also ineligible for federal jobs, as well as state student aid and state jobs in most states.

Under Houlahan and Bacon's amendment, the Selective Service System would use existing databases, such from the Social Security Administration and departments of motor vehicles, to automatically register 18- to 25-year-old men, ending the threat of penalties and the need to use taxpayer money to encourage men to register. The agency would also be able to reach out to men to inform them that they are registered and ask for any missing information.

Automatic registration would start one year after the legislation becomes law.

The amendment was unanimously approved in a voice vote with little debate when the House Armed Services Committee considered the NDAA in May. At the committee meeting, Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said he "wholeheartedly" endorsed the proposal, calling it "long overdue."

Shortly after the full House passed its NDAA last month, TikTok users began spreading falsehoods that Congress had approved a new military draft. Rapper Cardi B, alternating between cracking up and being incredulous, chimed in to opine that Gen Z men, or "TikTok f---ing hip-shakers," aren't suitable for war.

"You gonna draft these kids that be TikToking all day to fight them, what, mostly like, what, them Russians? Them motherf---ers that be fighting bears and sh--, and motherf---ing climbing mountains to go to school or whatever?" she said in a video.

Meanwhile, the Senate is locked in a separate debate about whether to make women register for Selective Service. Lawmakers have debated doing so on and off since 2016 after the Pentagon opened all combat jobs to women, but conservative opposition has successfully blocked adding women to registration requirements each time the idea has been proposed.

The version of the NDAA that advanced out of the Senate Armed Services Committee last month included a provision that would require women to register, reviving language that last appeared in an NDAA in 2022. The political headwinds that prevented the provision from becoming law in the past haven't changed, with conservatives still vowing to fight hard against efforts to "draft our daughters."

The House and the Senate will need to reconcile their respective NDAAs before either draft-related proposal becomes law, providing an opportunity to scuttle one or both ideas.

The debate over adding women to a potential military draft has threatened to overshadow the one about whether to automate existing registration requirements for men. But supporters of the House proposal on automatic registration say it's a much-needed update that should not be derailed by tangential issues.

"While registration in the Selective Service is vital for our military readiness, the system that exists today is outdated, inefficient and costly," Rye Barcott, co-founder and CEO of With Honor Action, a bipartisan political action committee that supports veterans running for office, said in an emailed statement to Military.com.

"This is why With Honor Action supports Rep. Houlahan and Rep. Bacon's ... initiative to reintroduce automatic registration, which would cut bureaucratic red tape and ensure all of our energy is focused on building up our military capabilities," he added, "which is increasingly critical as the United States faces growing external threats."

Related: Requirement for Women to Register for the Draft Back on the Table in Annual Defense Bill
Title: How to Undo deleted files sumsung S7







(How To Undo Deleted Files Sumsung S7)

When you need to access your data from the cloud storage service such as Google Drive or Dropbox, deleting or losing important files can cause significant disruptions to your productivity and efficiency. Its important to know how to undo deleted files sumsung S7, even if you have an older version of your system that supports it.

In this blog post, we will guide you through how to restore deleted files sumsung S7, including an explanation of the different methods used, pros and cons, and tips for finding and restoring files after an elimination.

1. Method 1: Using the cloud storage services search feature

One way to recover deleted files sumsung S7 is by using the cloud storage services search feature. Simply search for the file name that you want to recover and select it from the list. Depending on the cloud storage service, you may be able to choose to delete the entire dataset based on its content, or only retrieve specific files. Alternatively, you may have a preference for selecting only certain files based on their size or other criteria.

Pros: Its easy and convenient to use the cloud storage services search feature, making it a good option if youre looking to quickly find and important files sumsung S7.

Cons: The search feature can sometimes lead to unintended results, especially if you dont clear cache or clear browsing data before searching for a file. Additionally, some cloud storage services may require a subscription fee for full access to the search feature, which can add up over time.

2. Method 2: Using the Google Data Recovery tool

Another method to recover deleted files sumsung S7 is to use the Google Data Recovery tool. This tool is available for free and offers both basic and advanced features, allowing you to recover lost documents, photos, videos, and other types of files.

Pros: The Google Data Recovery tool provides comprehensive backup options, including automatic backups and the ability to restore complete datasets.

Cons: The tool can take a long time to retrieve all data, especially when youre trying to recover data that was deleted months ago. Additionally, some data recovery tools may not work well on devices that dont support Google Cloud Storage.

3. Method 3: Using cloud storage services cloud backup feature

If the cloud storage service doesnt support Google Data Recovery, there are alternative methods to recover deleted files sumsung S7. One option is to backup your data to another cloud storage service, such as Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Storage.

Pros: With cloud storage, you can quickly access your data from anywhere in the world, regardless of where you are located. Additionally, cloud storage providers often offer flexible pricing plans and advanced security measures, making it easier to recover your data sumsung S7.

Cons: When backing up your data to a cloud storage service, you may need to pay for additional storage space, which can be a concern for some users. Additionally, some cloud storage services may not provide sufficient security measures to protect your data against malware and other threats.

4. Method 4: Using a recoverable drive or USB drive

If youre unable to recover your data sumsung S7 using one of the methods above, you may be able to recover it using a recoverable drive or USB drive. A recoverable drive is a device that has multiple USB ports that can accept external drives and transfer files between them. By using a recoverable drive, you can ensure that you dont lose any important data sumsung S7, while also being able to recover it later if needed.

Pros: Recoverable drives provide a reliable and efficient way to recover deleted files sumsung S7. They typically have multiple USB ports that allow you to connect multiple devices at once, providing fast and efficient data transfer. Additionally, some recoverable drives come with built-in encryption and can be configured to keep sensitive data secure.

Cons: Recoverable drives can be expensive to purchase and maintain, and they may not always provide the same level of protection as more advanced devices like cloud storage services. Additionally, some recoverable drives may require professional assistance to set up and configure properly, which can increase the cost of recovering your data sumsung S7.







(How To Undo Deleted Files Sumsung S7)

In conclusion, while there are several ways to recover deleted files sumsung S7 using different methods, each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, the best method for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. If youre unsure whether a particular method works for you, consider consulting with a professional data recovery expert to help you determine what approach is best for you.
The Twins have signed relief pitcher Matt Bowman to a minor league contract, according to his player page on MLB.com. The deal includes an opt-out in early August (per Darren Wolfson of SKOR North). The right-hander has been assigned to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints.

Bowman began the 2024 season with the Twins, with whom he signed a minor league deal in January. Although he did not make Minnesotas Opening Day roster, the team selected his contract in mid-April. He made five appearances for the Twins, giving up two earned runs in seven 2/3 innings of work before he was designated for assignment at the end of the month.

The Twins traded Bowman to the Diamondbacks for cash considerations, and the journeyman made four appearances for Arizona (6 ER, 6 2/3 IP) before he was designated for assignment once more. The 33-year-old elected free agency and found his next opportunity with the Mariners, signing a minor league contract with Seattle. He made just one appearance for the Ms, giving up a home run and a walk and recording two outs, before he was DFAd yet again. After electing free agency, Bowman signed a new minor league deal with the Mariners in mid-June, but the deal contained an opt-out clause  one which he chose to exercise earlier this week. Presumably, the reliever decided he had a better chance to get back to the majors with a different organization.

Thus, Bowman returned to the place where his 2024 campaign began. The Twins have had one of the better bullpens in the American League this season, but they currently have four relievers on the 60-day IL. They only have two right-handed relievers on the 40-man roster who arent in the majors (Josh Winder and Ronny Henriquez), neither of whom has anywhere close to as much big league relief experience as Bowman. With that in mind, its easy to see why both sides were interested in a reunion.

Bowman began his professional career with the Mets in 2012 and made his MLB debut as a Rule 5 Draft pick with the Cardinals in 2016. He has also spent time with the Reds and Yankees. The righty made 183 appearances from 2016-19, pitching to a 4.02 ERA and 3.86 SIERA. Unfortunately, he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020 and did not make his way back to the majors until September 2023, when he made four appearances for the Yankees. In other words, while he has plenty of experience, it has been several years since he enjoyed any prolonged big league success. His MLB numbers over the past two years are uninspiring (19 IP, 13 K, 9 BB, 4 HR, 6.16 ERA), but his minor league stats (74 2/3 IP, 3.62 ERA, 4.24 FIP) are significantly more promising.
ST. IGNACE, MI - Sixty-five years ago today, royal fever gripped the Straits of Mackinac as Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, passed underneath Michigans Mackinac Bridge on July 5, 1959, aboard their yacht, the Britannia.

The British royals had embarked on a six-week tour the month before, destined for many stops in Canada and one in the U.S. A highlight was the 33-year-old queens ceremony with U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower. It officially opened the St. Lawrence Seaway, a system of locks and canals which connects shipping channels in the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

The monarchs 412-foot yacht motored up the Detroit River, then north up Lake Huron, passing under the Mackinac Bridge and heading down Lake Michigan before stopping for the couples first-ever visit to Chicago.

For security reasons, the Britannias passage under the Mackinac Bridge on a summer Sunday afternoon took a little planning, as traffic on the nearly 2-year-old bridge needed to be stopped.

These details were explained by Lawrence A. Rubin, former executive secretary of the Mackinac Bridge Authority as well as a key figure in the construction and financing of the landmark span, in his book Bridging the Straits: The Story of the Mighty Mac.

The queens protection detail had visited the Mackinac Bridge Authority a few days before the yacht arrived in the Straits. They wanted all traffic stopped at the north and south towers during the time the Britannia passed underneath the middle of the main span of the 5-mile-long bridge. Rubin had suggested stricter guidelines, according to his books account:

I was willing to oblige, but suggested we hold up traffic on both ends of the bridge rather than at the towers. That would not do, countered the Britishers. They did not want to inconvenience anyone more than absolutely necessary.

The British royal yacht 'Britannia' preparing to pass underneath the Mackinac Bridge on July 5, 1959.

When the big day arrived, thousands of people had gathered in the Straits area to see the monarchs yacht cruise by. According to accounts of the royal tour, the young queen had recently told just a handful of people that she was pregnant with her third child, who would arrive the next year as Prince Andrew.

Rubins account says a dense fog moved into the St. Ignace/Mackinaw City area, making it difficult for bridge staff to track the Britannias progress toward the Mighty Mac. When they finally spotted the yacht, it was just 500 yards east of the bridge. The signal was given and traffic was stopped.

What happened next was very un-British:

I suppose that in England, proper Englishmen would remain in their cars, but this was America and hundreds of car occupants ditched their vehicles and ran out onto the center of the bridge, waving and shouting for a look at the British royalty, especially Prince Philip, Rubin wrote. It must be admitted with some measure of shame that some persons threw small items such as coins over the side and there were even a few who spat.

The next day, on July 6, the Britannia and her royal entourage arrived in Chicago. The queen and her prince took a small boat to shore, where they were met by Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley and other dignitaries to start her historic 14-hour tour of the Windy City, according to the Chicago Tribune.

While there, she toured the Art Institute of Chicago, dined at the Chicago Hilton & Towers, and even ducked out of a reception a bit early to have an emergency filling placed in one of her back teeth, according to a roundup of the days itinerary.

At the time of this trip, the royal yacht was just five years old. After traveling more than a million nautical miles, the floating palace was retired from royal service in 1997. It later became a tourist attraction in Edinburgh, Scotland.

To read more tidbits about the Mighty Macs history, check here.
AUBURN HILLS, MI - This little guy make look cute and innocent, but dont let his size fool you. His bite packs a punch. Meet Nessie, the newest shark at SEA LIFE Aquarium in Auburn Hills in Metro Detroit.

Nessie is a Horn shark. This type of shark actually has the greatest bite strength relative to its size of any shark.

To celebrate Discovery Channels Shark Week (July 7 - 14) Nessie has been unveiled to the world and is now a part of SEA LIFEs Stingray Bay. Nessie is the 8th shark species at SEA LIFE, including Florence, its 6 foot Nurse shark.

The Aquarium is having its own Shark Days from Friday, July 6 through July 14 with summer shark talks, special activities and behind-the-scenes tours showing how staff feeds and cares for the sharks. Tickets can be purchased here.
FLINT, MI - The city of Flint has announced that City Attorney William Kim will be stepping down, with his resignation effective July 26.

I wish Attorney Kim the very best in his new position and thank him for his service to the residents of Flint, Mayor Sheldon Neeley said in a news release. Mr. Kim has helped guide the city of Flint through turbulent times over the past nine years, and I congratulate him on the next step in his career.

We continue to cultivate talented individuals at the city of Flint, and I am confident that we will continue to attract top talent, based on the foundation of success laid by our current and former staff.

Chief Deputy City Attorney Joseph Kuptz will become Acting City Attorney.

The city of Flint will post the City Attorney position and seek applicants both internally and externally.

Kim started at the city of Flint as an Assistant City Attorney in 2015 and was appointed City Attorney in April 2022.

As the chief legal officer, Kim oversaw all aspects of the citys Legal Department, including defending the city, providing legal advice to the mayor and City Council, drafting legal documents and ordinances, and bringing about legal actions in accordance with ordinances and the city charter.

Before coming to Flint, Kim worked as a special assistant city attorney for the city of Lansing, researching and drafting legal opinions and representing Lansing in state and federal courts and administrative hearings.

Kim also previously worked as a staff attorney for the Michigan Department of Financial and Insurance Services and as a legal extern with U.S. District Court Judge Janet T. Neff.

In a resignation letter addressed to Mayor Neeley and the Flint City Council, Attorney Kim wrote, I am proud of the progress made by the city of Flint in general, and the Law Department in particular, in positioning the city for success over the next decades.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - My parents always tried to make July 4th a special time for me and my five siblings when we were growing up.

Like so many families we went to see fireworks, had soirees in our backyard and went to the lake and beach.
ROSCOMMON COUNTY, MI  A Freeland man died and two other people were injured in a boating crash on Houghton Lake Thursday, July 4, according to officials with the Roscommon County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies and other first responders were called to Houghton Lake on the holiday following reports of a crash between two boats in the Long Point area of Houghton Lake.

CPR was already in progress on one person when first responders arrived to the scene, according to a news release. More victims also began coming off the lake as crews arrived.

David Dark, 68, later died from injuries sustained in the crash, the sheriffs office said. Two more people were treated at Grayling Munson Hospital for injuries.

Sheriffs office officials said a pontoon boat was traveling east with four people aboard when a second pontoon with 12 occupants was motoring west. The two crafts collided. There may have been another boat near the crash that may have obstructed the view of the boat operators, the department said.

Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash.

The sheriffs office was assisted at the scene by Michigan State Police, Denton Township EMS, Markey Township Fire and EMS, Houghton Lake EMS and Lake Township fire personnel.

Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free 3@3 daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw.
Now that afternoon is here we have a better feel for where the strongest thunderstorms will occur over Lower Michigan. The latest severe weather forecasts for this afternoon and evening show a slight increase in the size of the potential severe weather area.

Lets start with the always updated radar. We are seeing the first thunderstorms develop over west-central and northwest Michigan. These are the storms that should turn into a larger clump of severe thunderstorms with a few isolated large severe storms.

As we go through the afternoon the thunderstorms should strengthen as they move into northeast Lower Michigan and the Saginaw Bay region. The storms could become severe. The Storm Prediction Center now says the main threat is some scattered damaging wind gusts. Large hail is still a valid concern. Here are the severe weather forecasts for this afternoon and evening broken down into the wind threat, hail threat and tornado threat.

It now appears with a touch slower movement of the severe weather area, almost anywhere in Lower Michigan could have a severe thunderstorm. This now includes Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing and Jackson. The cities on the east side of Lower Michigan always had the chance of severe storms. The interesting call in this forecast from NOAA is no tornado threat. Usually a storm that can produce large hail can also produce a tornado. They very rarely forecast no tornado threat when we have the hail and wind gust threats.

Combined severe weather threat for this afternoon and evening.NOAA

Severe wind gust threat for this afternoon and evening.NOAA

Large hail threat for this afternoon and evening.NOAA

Tornado threat for this afternoon and evening.NOAA

The radar forecast shows the storm scenario in the most useful way. Here is the model that usually is most accurate for a short-term severe weather forecast.

Radar forecast from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. today, July 5, 2024NOAA

The radar forecast shows the strongest storms and highest concentration of storms will occur from the Thumb through Saginaw, Bay City and Midland to the northeast corner of Lower Michigan. A line of thunderstorms is also possible to move through southeast Lower. That line of storms could be severe but would last a very short time.

Park any car you care about in the garage. Dont plan on doing something far away from safe shelter in the northeast and Saginaw Bay region. Keep updated with severe weather here.
1/7 Bajaj Auto launched Freedom 125 the worlds first CNG-integrated motorcycle.Bajaj Freedom lowers operating costs by up to 50% when compared to similar ICE motorcycles.(Company Photo)

2/7 It has dual-fuel capability with an auxiliary petrol tank of 2 L, giving a combined range of 330 kms. It offers best-in-class rider comfort features: first-in-category mono-linked type suspensions, and a long, comfortable quilted seat. (Company Photo)

3/7 The Bajaj Freedom comes fitted with LED headlamps, digital speedometers, and Bluetooth Connectivity. The CNG tank is compactly packed in a trellis chassis for maximum safety.(Company Photo).

4/7

The Bajaj Freedom comes in five colors: Ebony Black, Caribbean Blue, Cyber White, Racing Red, Pewter Grey and available in three variants, starting from  95 000/-. (Ex-Showroom Delhi)(Company Photo).

5/7 According to the company, CNG combustion produces approximately 26.7% less CO2 emissions than petrol, contributing to mitigating climate change.(Company Photo).

6/7 The all-new Bajaj Freedom comes in three variants: Freedom 125 NG04 Disc LED available at  1 10 000 / (Ex-Showroom Delhi),Freedom 125 NG04 Drum LED available at  1 05 000 / (Ex-Showroom Delhi), Freedom 125 NG04 Drum available at  95 000 / (Ex-Showroom Delhi)(Company Photo)
Follow us on:

Actress Sumalatha Ambareesh on Darshan's arrest in murder case: He loves animals, helped needy, not that type of a person
From Lootera to 12th Fail: Vikrant Massey has proved his mettle, here's a look at his journey
You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user.

OK
Nivedita is a Delhi-based journalist who writes on health, fashion, lifestyle and entertainment. Views expressed are personal.
*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
Meghna Mittal MEGHNA MITTAL is Deputy News Editor at Moneycontrol. Meghna has experience across television, print, online and wire media. She has been covering the Indian economy, monetary and fiscal policies, Finance and Trade ministries. She tweets at @Meghnamittal23 Contact: meghna.mittal@nw18.com
Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years.
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
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

Naidu urges FM Sitharaman for financial rescue of debt-ridden Andhra Pradesh
Follow us on:

Gainers & Losers: 10 stocks that moved the most on July 5
Follow us on:

Kingdon Capital, involved in Adani-Hidenburg saga, has only one other India connection
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

TIET partners with NVIDIA to launch AI-enabled university in India
Follow us on:

Union Budget 2024: Increase no. of NCLT benches to make IBC more effective, lawyers tell govt
Follow us on:

'He said he'll help': Rahul Gandhi meets family members of stampede victims in Hathras
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

How Keir Starmer, new UK PM, changed Labour Party's stance on Kashmir
Swati Das is an independent journalist covering Tamil Nadu politics, and is based in Chennai.
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

Defence production hits record high of nearly Rs 1.27 lakh crore in 2023-24: MoD
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

Modi govt is weak, could fall in a month, claims Lalu Prasad Yadav
J. Kumar J.Kumar is an author, journalist and a political commentator based in Mumbai
Follow us on:

New dates announced for NEET-PG 2024, exam to be held on August 11
Follow us on:

Phone switched off: What 'Bhole Baba' did moments after Hathras satsang tragedy
Follow us on:

PM Narendra Modi to focus on trade imbalance, Indian soldiers in talks with Vladimir Putin
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

Rahul Gandhi leaves for Hathras, to meet kin of stampede victims
Follow us on:

Shiv Sena (Punjab) leader attacked with swords in broad daylight in Ludhiana, condition serious
Follow us on:

Why Congress no longer plans to ally with AAP for Haryana, Delhi elections
Follow us on:

'Why should only boys be arrested': Uttarakhand High Court on teenage dating
Over the last few years, Union Budgets have been largely non-events for the banking sector. Except for the customary increase in annual agricultural loan targets and some tweaks in loan schemes, Budgets have

Budget 2024: Its time for the government to walk the talk on bank privatisation

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
OTHERS

OTHERS

Follow us on:

My Account

or

or

Hello, Login

All

Labour wins UK general elections but Keir Starmer must note the divisions
Tim Culpan is a technology columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. Based in Taipei, he writes about Asian and global businesses and trends. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication
Best cities to find a job in the US
Follow us on:

These 10 countries are the most preferred immigration destinations globally. Rank 1 is...
Follow us on:

Biden calls himself America's 'first Black woman to serve with Black president' in latest slip up
Follow us on:

Heres a running tally of the UK Tory big names who have lost
Follow us on:

Keir Starmer is new UK PM: What Labour Party's win means for India
Follow us on:

Keir Starmer leads Labour Party to historic win but honeymoon period may be brief: Takeaways from UK election results
Follow us on:

Rishi Sunak to Kanishka Narayan: Record number of British-Indian MPs won the elections in UK
Keir Starmer's Labour Party achieved a sweeping victory in the historic UK general election, decisively defeating Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party, which finished a distant second. Millions of voters participated in the election held on Thursday. As counting continues, the Labour Party has already secured 412 seats in the 650-member Parliament, well beyond the majority mark of 326 seats in the first-past-the-post system. Stay updated with India Today for the latest developments from the UK.

The Liberal Democrats are projected to secure 61 seats, overtaking the Scottish National Party, which is predicted to win just 10 seats, becoming the third largest party. Nigel Farage's Reform UK party might obtain 13 seats, while Plaid Cymru and the Greens could secure four and two seats respectively.

Labour's anticipated 170-seat majority far exceeds the margin won by Boris Johnson in the 2019 election, which was heavily influenced by Brexit. Keir Starmer expressed gratitude to supporters and voters on social media, acknowledging the trust placed in the reformed Labour Party.

Celebrations among Labour supporters at The Pineapple pub in north London were low-key, with a sense of cautious optimism. Deputy leader Angela Rayner highlighted the encouraging numbers but emphasized the need for official confirmation. Former Conservative leader William Hague remarked that such a result would be historically catastrophic for the Conservatives, noting their previous worst performance in 1906 with 156 seats.
Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day
Ahead of his New Zealand concert tour in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, international artist Teddy Swims joined More FM to surprise one lucky High School in Canterbury.

Students packed into the hall, where a sign reading 'Teddy Swims Live' was revealed. After the kids got past their absolute disbelief, they gave Teddy and his band the hugest, most excited welcome.

Teddy performed his well-known song 'Lose Control', followed by his most recent song 'The Door', and then soon took questions from students.

Amidst the frenzy for photos, one student even asked Teddy about his favourite colour, to which he responded "Pink. They used to say only girls like pink, but I like girls"

After his performance, Teddy told Speedy and Bondy from The Breakfast Club how crazy it was for him to see the levels of fandom on display at the school.

Teddy expressed his appreciation for New Zealand, recalling how the Kiwis showed him love at the start, especially after his first cover of Michael Jackson in 2019.

"That was like my first ever audience, right here in New Zealand. This is my favourite place in the world because of that."

Teddy also discussed Tall Poppy Syndrome, encouraging everyone to be true to themselves.

Check out the full chat with Teddy Swims here:

"If your gut and your heart are telling you that you need to do something, if you don't do what you are supposed to do with your life, then you are robbing them of a blessing that only you can give them."
We all love a bit of 90s nostalgia, but have you considered bringing together childhood memories and cookware?

Luxury home brand Le Creuset is dropping a collection of limited edition Pokemon-inspired cast iron cookware later this month, featuring themed pots, pans, mugs, plates and kettles.

Le Creuset designed the collection for "families with young children and newcomers to premium kitchenware" to encourage the discovery of "the joy of cooking", but it's also sure to be a hit amongst grown up fans of the TV series and games.

Online reactions to the new range have been mixed, ranging from "I want this so bad" to "I love Le Creuset. I love Pokemon. I hate this."

This isn't the first time the brand has released a nostalgic collab. Their Harry Potter, Star Wars and Disney inspired homeware sets flew off the shelves in the past, and despite some naysayers, we reckon this range will be no exception.

On the lower end of the price scale, you can nab yourself a Pokemon Tableware Set Master or Poke Ball for $110, with the most costly item being the Marmite Cast Iron Pan retailing at $610.

Most Le Creuset products come with a lifetime guarantee, which means you're getting your money's worth.

So, what do we think - ready to catch 'em all?
French Fire in Mariposa County -- MCSO map View Photos

Update at 6:30 p.m.: The French Fire burning in the Midpines area of Mariposa County near Grosjean Road and Alta Vista Road has climbed to 908 acres and 20 percent containment. Although some evacuation orders were lifted today (see below) and Highway 140 was reopened, four structures have been destroyed, and there are still 830 structures threatened. Three firefighters have been injured.

Firefighters continue to gain containment and cool hot spots throughout the fire. Utility crews are working diligently to repair and replace damaged infrastructure, according to CAL Fire, adding, Damage inspectors have arrived and are conducting inspections.

Resources on scene total 919 personnel, including 114 engines, 16 water tenders, 31 hand crews, 22 dozers, other 24, and 4 helicopters.

Update at 12:30 p.m.: Midpines, CA  Progress is being made on the French Fire that remains 843 acres and 5 percent contained, burning in Mariposa County near Grosjean Road and Alta Vista Road.

The Mariposa County Sheriffs Office reports that only the evacuations closest to the fire remain. They released this updated information on evacuations, road closures, and what those returning to their homes can expect:

Evacuations for the following areas have been reduced to FULLY OPEN:

Jones Rd including all side roads- Excluding the Roadway to the MCHS Baseball Fields/Track

Campbell Way

Dexter View

Pine Street

Smith Rd from Hwy 140 to Hospital Rd

Hospital Rd from Smith to just past John C. Fremont, Including St. Andrews Rd.

Williams Road

Shelter In Place Lifted:

John C. Fremont Hospital

Yosemite Inn

Quality Inn

*Be aware that heavy fire and emergency traffic will remain in the area as fire suppression efforts continue. Please continue to avoid the area as much as possible. If you must be in the area, please drive with extreme caution.

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS:

Grosjean Rd

Alta Vista Rd

Avoca Vale

Old Hwy North from 140 to 10th street

Slaughterhouse Rd

Hospital Road past John C. Fremont

Road to MCHS Baseball Field / Track

EVACUATION WARNING: This is not a Mandatory Evacuation; it is simply a warning of fire in the area and a possible need to evacuate quickly should fire conditions change. Residents should begin to plan and prepare:

Stockton Creek Area

Slaughterhouse from Hwy 140 to Allred

Allred Road from Slaughterhouse to Hwy 49 South

EVACUATION CENTER:

New Life Christian Church located at 5089 Cole Rd, Mariposa

ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION:

Grosjean

Alta Vista

Avoca Vale

Hospital Road past John C. Fremont

Old Hwy North from Hwy 140 to 10th Street

EXTENDED FIRE SUPPRESSION EFFORTS:

A large pre-fire suppression plan is being conducted in the Allred Rd. area. There is an extremely large amount of fire and emergency equipment doing precautionary work; this includes a significantly large dozer operation. Please drive slowly while in the area and watch for firefighters working in the area.

ROAD OPEN: Updated:

Highway 140 will be open with traffic controls from Old Highway North to Grojean Rd. This will be open to all traffic through to Yosemite National Park.

RETURNING HOME AFTER A WILDFIRE:

Although wildfire damage can be immeasurable, the danger is not over after the flames are put out. Flash flooding and debris flows, structural damage, road instability, and damaged trees are just some of the dangers that exist after a wildfire.

Keep these tips in mind:

Stay away from your home or business until fire officials tell you it is safe to return.

Flash floods are a very real and potentially deadly hazard after a wildfire, particularly as a result of rain falling over a burned area upstream of your location. Stay away from burned forests, storm channels, and natural drainages (rivers, creeks, and engineered channels can convey deadly flows of water and debris, especially after a wildfire).

Have a battery-powered radio to listen for emergency updates, weather forecasts,

reports of flash flooding, and news reports.

Have an evacuation plan in place and make sure all family members are familiar with it.

Be aware of and use extreme caution around trees, power poles, and other tall objects or structures that may have lost stability during the fire. Most burned structures and surfaces will be unstable.

Stay out of burned forests during windy conditions, as burned trees are easily downed by wind. Do not touch any power lines.

Keep a fire watch. That means look for smoke or sparks throughout the house and on rooftops (e.g., in gutters), etc. Look for ash pits or hidden embers. Stay away  they can burn you.

Before inspecting your home, first check for the smell of gas. Turn off power until youve completed your inspection. Use a battery-powered flashlight to inspect a damaged home. (Note: the flashlight should be turned on outside before entering. The battery may produce a spark that could ignite leaking gas, if present.)

Do not drink or use water from the faucet until emergency officials say it is okay; water supply systems can be damaged and become polluted during wildfires or as a result of subsequent post-fire flooding. If your well has been damaged by fire, contact a local licensed and bonded well constructor or pump installer to determine the extent of the damage and what must be done to either repair or decommission the well.

Discard any food that has been exposed to heat, smoke, flood waters, or soot.

Utilities: If there is no power, check to make sure the main breaker is on. If the breakers are on and power is still not present, contact the utility company. If you have a propane tank or system, contact a propane supplier, turn off valves on the system, and leave valves closed until the supplier inspects your system. If you have a heating oil tank system, contact a heating oil supplier for an inspection of your system before you use it. If you have a solar electrical system, this system should be inspected by a licensed technician to verify that the solar panels and electrical wiring are safe for continued operation.

Original post written by BJ Hansen at 6 a.m.: Midpines, CA  Firefighters continue to battle the French Fire burning in the area of Mariposa County near Grosjean Road and Alta Vista Road.

CAL Fire updated this morning that it is 843 acres with 5% containment. The CAL Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit reports, Dozers and handcrews have constructed a fireline around the entire eastern side of the community of Mariposa. As fire activity moderates, firefighters continue to push towards and focus on the eastern side of the fire.

The smoke has noticeably reduced overnight on the webcam pointed at the blaze. The list of evacuation orders and advisories from the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office is listed below: To view a map of evacuations, click here.

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS

Hospital Rd- From Silver Creek to the End (up the mountain)

Grosjean Rd

Alta Vista Rd

Avoca Vale

Old Hwy North from 140 to 10th street

Slaughterhouse Rd

Williams Road

Hospital Road

Smith Rd from Hwy 140 to Hospital Rd

Campbell Road

Pine Street

Dexter View

All of Jones Street

Bullion Street- East Side Only from Hwy 140 to the end of the town area.This includes all side roads that run between Jones and Bullion including 3rd Street  13th Street

Mariposa Street

Trabucco Street

Deputies are in the areas making door to door notifications.

If you live in the area and do not feel safe, please leave do not wait to be told to evacuate.

EVACUATION WARNING- This is not a Mandatory Evacuation, it is simply a warning of fire in the area and a possible need to evacuate quickly should fire conditions change. Residents should begin to plan and prepare.

Parts of Hwy140

Lakeview Rd

Stockton Creek Area

Slaughterhouse from Hwy 140 to Allred

Allred Road from Slaughterhouse to Hwy 49 South

SHELTER IN PLACE:

JCF Hospital

Yosemite Inn

Quality Inn

If you live in the area and do not feel safe, please leave do not wait to be told to evacuate.

Temporary Evacuation Point- New Life Christian Church located at 5089 Cole Rd, Mariposa

Please stay out of the fire area.

ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION

Grosjean

Alta Vista

Avoca Vale

Jones Street

Smith Rd from Hwy 140 to Hospital Rd

Hospital Road

Old Hwy North from Hwy 140 to 10th Street

Campbell Rd

Dexter View

Pine Drive

Williams Rd

Hwy 140 from Hwy 49 North to East Whitlock

Hwy 49 South from Old Hwy to Hwy 140, Northbound Lanes only- Traffic being re-directed to Miller Road
By Lambert Strether of Corrente

Patient readers, this willl be a short Water Cooler, partly because this is supposed to be a holiday, but also because I am having a power failure. Heres hoping the battery holds out! lambert

Bird Song of the Day

Common Loon, Algonquin Park; Lake Sasajewan, Ontario, Canada.

* * *

In Case You Might Miss

(1) First post debate RCP average.

(2) Biden interview; our famously free press.

(3) CDC flipflops on vax only (over the Fourth of July weekend).

(4) Consciousness: we know nothing.

* * *

Politics

So many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital. Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles

* * *

2024

Less than a half a year to go! Fridays RCP Poll Averages: First post-debate polling: Trump jumps a full point in the 5-way national race, which a Biden supporter might find concerning. OTOH, the Swing States seem relatively unaffected. Swing States (more here) still Brownian-motioning around. Of course, it goes without saying that these are all state polls, therefore bad, and most of the results are within the margin of error. It would be hilarious if the Biden Debate debacle had exactly the same effect as Trumps 34 bazillion felony convictions, i.e., none, both parties are so dug in. * * * Biden (D): Biden set for rally and high-stakes TV interview as he seeks to recover from debate [NBC].  President Joe Biden will hold a rally Friday in Wisconsin and then sit for his first televised interview since his disastrous debate performance last week, events could be crucial in determining whether he can salvage his embattled candidacy. The interview with anchor George Stephanopoulos of ABC News is shaping up to be one of the most high-stakes moments for a president or a candidate in many years. Democratic elected officials, donors and voters will be closely watching to see whether he can still deliver in an adversarial setting and turn in a performance worthy of being the partys nominee to defeat Donald Trump this fall. The interview will air in its entirety as a primetime special at 8 p.m. ET Friday, ABC said, adding that a transcript of the unedited interview will be made available the same day.'  NOTE Biden lacked oomph, but the transcript tells a different tale [The Hill]. That doesnt negate what we all saw, but it does add nuance. Biden (D): The Conspiracy of Silence to Protect Joe Biden [Olivia Nuzzi, New York Magazine]. And the deck: The presidents mental decline was like a dark family secret for many elite supporters.  Not to NC readers; I remember vividly  and cannot find the link; power failure is imminent and because search  posting on Biden being guided down and away from an extremely unchallenging flight of steps by a staffer in Iowa 2020; and it would be fun to make a chart of juiced up. In no sense was Bidens decrepitude hidden, at least from an alert reader or a careful watcher, any more than Covid is hidden. As with Covid, Bidens condition was not discussable (at least among People Who Matter; opinion-haves like Nuzzi). Lambert: We tend to think of the Democrat Party as something you can draw a boundary around, like a corporate org chart, and in consequence tend to think of the Biden succession crisis os taking place within those bounds; hence the division of the Party into categories or fractions, and assessments of Bidens support, or lack thereof, in those fractions. But in fact there are several very large, powerful, and above all extra-Constitutional* entities that both overlap and are separate from the Party, and have both incentives of their own  beyond, of course, the good of the country  and enormous influence: (1) closest to the party, but not of it: Consultants and strategists. Whichever way the battle goes, they will be enormous winners, financially, no matter the outcome, whether dragging Biden over the finish line, turning Kamala into something other than what she is, or bootstrapping Newsom, Whitmer, Pritzker, or someone as yet unknown (2) The national press. With individual exceptions, we should not regard the national press as reporters, but as information brokers who prefer and promote conflict, hoard access until its impact its greatest (see Nuzzi, supra), (self-)censor some stories and promote others, and so on, and make a good deal of money at it, invidually and corporately. That goes double for editors (Leslie Moonves on Donald Trump: It May Not Be Good for America, but Its Damn Good for CBS. And so with the Biden succession crisis). (3) The spooks (overlaps with the press, of course). I find it excruciatingly interesting that Kamala currently serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence ([T]hey have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you), and thats not part of the story. I suppose that means the spooks are happy with her performance. A good thing, no? All this to say that the electeds have a lot to consider while theyre talking to their constituents over the break. It will be interesting to see who says what on the Sunday talkshows! Biden (D) Pool Reports of June 29, 2024 [The Presidency Project]. A Biden fundraiser in the Hamptons: Pool is holding in a living room connected to the main house and has been given shoe covers and instructed to wear them.  Foot covers? Why? Somebody worried about tracking in H5N1? (Yes, there are dairy farms in the Hamptons.) BIden (D): The man with the best track record speaks: BREAKING: Allan Lichtman, who has correctly predicted every election, gives the strongest reasons why Democrats must stand with Biden. Lichtman also demolished Donald Trump for lying on every question in the debate. Retweet to make sure all Americans see.pic.twitter.com/OdMDckBCJD  Bidens Wins (@BidensWins) June 30, 2024

Syndemics

I am in earnest  I will not equivocate  I will not excuse  I will not retreat a single inch  AND I WILL BE HEARD. William Lloyd Garrison

* * *

Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot ; includes many counties; Wastewater Scan, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); Iowa COVID-19 Tracker (in IA, but national data). Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts (especially on hospitalization by city).

Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put COVID in the subject line. Thank you!

Resources, United States (Local): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater reports); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur dAlene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard) ; NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard) ; PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV ( wastewater ); WY ( wastewater ).

Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (Government of Canada).

Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usees); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).

Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).

Stay safe out there!

* * *

Censorship and Propaganda

Elite Maleficence

COVID-19 can surge throughout the year [National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC]. July 3 (!). Cutting some key points out of the turgid flow: (1) There is no distinct COVID-19 season like there is for influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). (2) During the summer and throughout the year, you can use many effective tools to prevent spreading COVID-19 or becoming seriously ill.  In other words, in point (1) CDC admits that its entire effort to throw RSV, the flu, and Covid into the same bucket (and presumably inject everyone for all three at the same time), is a failure. In point (2), CDC admits that the vax-only strategy is dead, and that layered protection is the way to go (as many of us have been arguing for [family blogging] years. Here is the image that accompanies this article (annotated in an earlier Water Cooler): Now, it is true that CDC butchered the layers by putting masking under Additional rather than Core strategies (I would like to have been a fly on the wall for that meeting!) But at least the facing covering is white and not (baggy) blue, at least leaving open the possibility of recommending respirators. The US Primary-Care System Cant Withstand the Next Pandemic [Bloomberg]. You mean the one after H5N1? [hollow laughter]. Seriously, if there were a human-to-human breakout last week, with aerosol transmission, when would we know? How would we know? Bloomberg: A stronger primary-care system wont prevent the next pandemic. But strengthening the nations frontline defenses will save money and lives  and help keep strange outbreaks at bay.  Hey, how about a solution that scales? Telehealth with AI-driven avatars! NOTE Meanwhile, I keep nudging people to straighten out their passports. Even leaving collapse scenarios aside, having a passport means access to health care from a human, and you wont have to sell a kidney or go in debt for the rest of your life. Takes a little research, but its very do-able. Arbitrage for the rest of us!

* * *

TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts

Wastewater  CDC June 24: Last Week[2] CDC June 17 (until next week): Variants [3] CDC June 22  Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC June 22 Hospitalization  New York[5] New York State, data July 1:  National [6] CDC June 8: Positivity  National[7] Walgreens July 1: Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic June 22: Travelers Data  Positivity[9] CDC June 10:  Variants[10] CDC June 10: Deaths  Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11]CDC June 22:  Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12]CDC June 22:  alt= width=310 class=alignleft size-full wp-image-273838 />

LEGEND

1)  for charts new today; all others are not updated.

2) For a full-size/full-resolution image, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) on the chart thumbnail and open image in new tab.

NOTES

[1] (CDC) This weeks wastewater map, with hot spots annotated. Worse than two weeks ago. New York is a hot again, and Covid is spreading up the Maine Coast just in time for the Fourth of July weekend, in another triumph for Administration policy. On that Bay area hotspot:

[2] (CDC) Last weeks wastewater map.

[3] (CDC Variants) LB.1 coming up on the outside.

[4] (ER) This is the best I can do for now. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented.

[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Now acceleration, which is compatible with a wastewater decrease, but still not a good feeling .(The New York city area has form; in 2020, as the home of two international airports (JFK and EWR) it was an important entry point for the virus into the country (and from thence up the Hudson River valley, as the rich sought to escape, and then around the country through air travel.)

[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). This is the best I can do for now. Note the assumption that Covid is seasonal is built into the presentation, which in fact shows that Covid is not seasonal. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented.

[7] (Walgreens) Still going up! (Because there is data in current view tab, I think white states here have experienced no change, as opposed to have no data.)

[8] (Cleveland) Still going up!

[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Up. Those sh*theads at CDC have changed the chart so that it doesnt even run back to 1/21/23, as it used to, but now starts 1/1/24. Theres also no way to adjust the time rasnge. CDC really doesnt want you to be able to take a historical view of the pandemic, or compare one surge to another. In an any case, thats why the shape of the curve has changed.

[10] (Travelers: Variants) Same deal. Those sh*theads. Im leaving this here for another week because I loathe them so much:

[11] Deaths low, but positivity up.

[12] Deaths low, ED up.

Stats Watch

Employment Situation: United States Unemployment Rate [Trading Economics]. The unemployment rate in the United States rose to 4.1% in June 2024, the highest since November 2021, up from 4% in the previous month and surprising market expectations, which had forecasted the rate to remain unchanged.

* * *

Todays Fear & Greed Index: 53 Neutral (previous close: 44 Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 48 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jul 5 at 1:04:34 PM ET.

Zeitgeist Watch

Youre Winning and Losing Aura Points, Whether You Know It or Not [Wall Street Journal]. Getting someones phone number isnt just a confidence boostit can also net you 100 aura points. Tripping when you walk into a room, however, will cost you anywhere from one to 1,000 aura points. Auraa lighthearted quantification of a persons cool factorhas quickly become the slang of the moment among tweens, teens and 20-somethings. What started with students in classrooms and commenters online has grown big enough that shoe brands and political parties are now adopting the term, giving and taking away points at whim. Aura, or positive aura points, are a compliment. When you have a really, really, really good aura, I feel like that really translates from online to the other side of the phone, said Hina Sabatine, a 27-year-old influencer based in Los Angeles. Some people just have it.'  I wonder if money helps. (One of the nicer things to contemplate about a post-Jackpot world is that there wont be any more influencers. No more [glass bowls] doing multiple takes on the gym equipment you want to use.

News of the Wired

A landscape of consciousness: Toward a taxonomy of explanations and implications [Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology]. I turn again to Jerry Fodor and his pithy appraisal of consciousness theories: Nobody has the slightest idea how anything material could be conscious. Nobody even knows what it would be like to have the slightest idea about how anything material could be conscious (Fodor, 1992). Scanning the Landscape, Id like to say we have progressed. Im not sure I can. Those who write about consciousness like to quote, with bemused irony, psychologist Stuart Sutherlands cautionary words: Consciousness is a fascinating but elusive phenomenon; it is impossible to specify what it is, what it does, or why it evolved. Nothing worth reading has been written on it (Sutherland, 1989).

Should this be a map or 500 maps? [escape the map]. At the end of the 18th century, Spains official geographer, Tomas Lopez, was asked by the King to create an accurate map of the kingdom. In an attempt to delegate the herculean labour required, Tomas drew a series of circles, picked the town in the center of each circle, and asked the local priest to answer a questionnaire and draw up a map of their province. The goal was to amalgamate the responses into a single map. But none of these priests were trained in cartography, and many of them would have had limited access to maps at all.2 Nonetheless, 500 of them tried. In one map, the entire region is represented simply by a series of letters (A for church, B for hermitage, C for house, D for tree, and so on). Another represents the surrounding villages as if they are orbiting planets. In some, the handwriting forms the topographies. In others, descriptive columns of text take center stage, as if the language itself is a landmark. Each priest implicitly reveals how they see the world around them, and the relative importance of its constituent parts: nature or people, religion or trade, architecture or landscape, precision or vibes. Tomas tried for years to reconcile these mosaic shards with each other. omas experiment failed. It failed because each amateur cartographer injected their own methodology and process, resulting in incompatible maps. But in another sense, Tomas succeeded. Sure, maybe this collection of artifacts would be useless for military strategy or commerce, but on the other hand LOOK AT THESE MAPS, THESE MAPS RULE.  For example:

* * *

Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From Carla:

Carla writes: Recently, there was mention on NC of the value of feverfew as an herbal pain-killer, with the claim that a strong tea made from the leaves is as effective as extra-strength excedrin. I love the plant as it makes a pretty show, & a lovely filler for bouquets. It also has an astringent scent I find quite appealing. Warning: its invasive as heck, and pops up everywhere. But I just pull it up where I dont want it. Here it is backing up thyme & oregano, plus a close-up of the cheerful blooms.

* * *

Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:

Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:

If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!
Yves here. Biden, whether or not he and his claque are willing to face up to it, is in the blood-in-the-water phase of a fight for survival. There is no way to come out of this alive, in the political sense. The press and pundits are keeping up the drumbeat of demands that Biden must not run in 2024. The criticism, expressed as concern, has hit the level of a legitimacy crisis.

A big element of the campaign to stick the knife in and twist is making it irrefutable that Biden did not merely have a bad night, but has been deteriorating for some time. Tom Neuburger provides some examples from the historically Biden-friendly CNN and influential Politico

To that we can add even more pointed warnings, from the spooks, who were in a position to have close tabs on Biden. CIA whisperer Sy Hersh wrote earlier this week (emphasis mine):

The real disgrace is not only Bidens, but those of the men and women around him who have kept him more and more under wraps. He is a captive, and as he rapidly diminished over the past six months. I have been hearing for months about the increasing isolation of the president, from his one-time pals in the Senate, who find that he is unable to return their calls. Another old family friend, whose help has been sought by Biden on key issues since his days as vice president, told me of a plaintive call from the president many months ago. Biden said the White House was in chaos and he needed his friends help. The friend said he begged off and then told me, with a laugh: I would rather have a root canal procedure every day than go to work there. A long retired Senate colleague was invited by Biden to join him on a foreign trip, and the two played cards and shared a drink or two on the Air Force One flight going out. The senator was barred by Bidens staff from joining the return flight home.

And another data point. Tuckers giddiness when discussing Bidens decline is unseemly. But dont let noise crowd out his signal. Readers in comments and via e-mail have said that the press in Europe and China have been unsparing about Bidens condition, and thus his debate performance was not as much of a surprise abroad as at home:

MUST SEE: Tucker Carlson discusses the Democrats purported surprise following the debate, despite widespread assertions in 2019 that Joe Biden was experiencing dementia, yet no action was taken. #tuckercarlson #biden pic.twitter.com/aWKmSjix3p  Prince Carlton  (@_PrinceCarlton_) June 30, 2024

And while on the topic of the foreign press being less circumspect, even allowing for Sky News being part of the Murdoch empire, this fresh clip is pretty pointed:

Now to the main event.

By Thomas Neuburger. Originally published at Gods Spies

This will be fairly short for the holiday weekend. Im staying with one of the weeks two big stories, the press explosion of concern over Bidens condition after years lockstep denial.

The weeks other big story  whats going on in the Court and how that relates to the Project 2025 plan  that well reserve for more thoughtful coverage. We touched on it briefly here, but the topic is massive.

Hint: Im going to veer away from most peoples analysis  in that Ill be much more specific. This country is not a republic at the moment. But what are we?

Coupling Project 2025 with decisions from Dobbs through Trump gives a strikingly clear picture of where were headed, even absent a change of Occupant.

After literally years of close study, I think I finally see how all the Right Wing pieces fit together. Its different, though just as bad, as what youve been hearing. And weve been on this path for longer than most of you have been alive.

But thats for later. Stay tuned.

Links

These links are all of a piece. They add to this earlier piece.

 Carl Bernstein: Sources say concerns about Biden have been growing for a year(CNN)

This matters since it speaks to the White House cover-up. He doesnt make clear who knew and who didnt, exactly, but awareness of Bidens diminished condition went beyond a knowledgeable few.

Well, these are people, several of them, who are very close to President Biden, who love him, have supported and been among  among them are some people who have raised a lot of money for him.

And they are adamant that what we saw the other night, the Joe Biden we saw, is not a one off, that there have been 15, 20 occasions in the last year and a half when the president has appeared somewhat as he did in that horror show that we witnessed. And whats so significant is the people that this is coming from, and also how many people around the president, are aware of such incidents, including some reporters, incidentally, who who have witnessed some of them. But here we see tonight [when the president gave prepared remarks], as these people say, President Biden at his absolute best. And yet these people who have supported him, loved him, campaigned for him, see him often, say that in the last six months particularly there has been a marked incidence of cognitive decline and physical infirmity.

Theres more to the interview than this. Its worth a watch if you havent seen it already. Note including some reporters. This confirms lies.

File under Gods, what a mess.

 Weve all enabled the situation: Dems turn on Bidens inner sanctum post debate (Politico)

For those who wonder whos acting as gate-keepers  colloquially, whos running the show  when Biden is indisposed, this Politico piece names several key names. It walks on eggshells to get there, but do read it through.

Over the course of his presidency, Joe Bidens small clutch of advisers have built an increasingly protective circle around him, limiting his exposure to the media and outside advice  an effort to manage public perceptions of the oldest person to ever hold the office and tightly control his political operation. But inside the White House, Bidens growing limitations were becoming apparent long before his meltdown in last weeks debate, with the senior teams management of the president growing more strictly controlled as his term has gone on. During meetings with aides who are putting together formal briefings theyll deliver to Biden, some senior officials have at times gone to great lengths to curate the information being presented in an effort to avoid provoking a negative reaction. Its like, You cant include that, that will set him off, or Put that in, he likes that, said one senior administration official. Its a Rorschach test, not a briefing. Because he is not a pleasant person to be around when hes being briefed. Its very difficult, and people are scared shitless of him.

Thats the opening. Notice the switch in the second paragraph, from the focus on the senior teams management of the president to, inexplicable, the presidents temper: people are scared shitless of him.

Clearly, Politico wanted to drop this second idea into the opening paragraphs, and do it without saying why. Theyre not the first, by the way, to comment on Bidens temper.

As to who might be running interference and, perhaps, acting as occasional Biden regents, Politico spreads the answer through the second half of the piece (emphasis mine):

No one has done more to keep the president isolated  and shielded from tough conversations  than his wife, first lady Jill Biden, and sister, Valerie Biden Owens. [] A Democratic operative in frequent communication with the White House and the campaign said suggestions can be quickly dismissed. If Im talking to Anita [Dunn], and I say, what about X? Shes quick to say, The presidents not going to do that. No chance. It shuts off options, yes, but it also [lets] you move more quickly because they know him so well. [] From the earliest months of his term, Biden was carefully managed by senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal, deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini, [Ron] Klain and others. After a campaign spent largely inside his Delaware home, the president remained in a protective bubble at the behest of senior staff and family, who believed it was the best way to manage the presidents health given the ongoing Covid-19 risk and his reelection chances, according to five people familiar but not authorized to publicly discuss internal decisions. Bernal and Tomasini, in particular, have grown particularly close to the president and first lady. []

In my research, the names that come up the most as the curating crew are Jill Biden, Anthony Bernal and Annie Tomasini. But as Politico and Bernstein point out, a great many others knew what was going on.

File under The public should also be told. Right? Right?

The Fall of Athens and Rome

Two points before we conclude:

 When the Roman Republic fell, it wasnt a one-day job. It took place over time, several generations, starting with the Gracchi reforms and murders in the late second century BC, through Marius, Sulla and Caesar. Over time, the institutions themselves were changed, both by the people and leaders in deadly contention.

Weve walked more than half of that path already ourselves. We were a republic. Were now in transition from that. Bush v Gore is not the original Original Sin, but its one of them, and that has been embraced. Bush, you recall, was the author of our modern Surveillance State, which was never rolled back.

Democrats embrace Bush in more ways than one

Were not a republic, though many are denying that fact. What are we today? Stay tuned.

Those who have access to the Great Courses History of Ancient Rome by the excellent Garrett Fagan should listen to the story of the transformation. Start with Lesson 20. Youll see what I mean about changing institutions from with no path to return.

 The lesson the Athenian Empire learned in its (literally) ill-advised war with Sparta was simple: You cant be have an empire abroad and democracy at home. Just cant be done. Plato despaired of democracy, having witnessed its fall, one reason he wrote the Republic.

Music

Some soothing Dave Brubeck. This piece grows from a delight tune he wrote called Brandenburg Gate. (YouTube can serve up a few live versions of that.)

This version is Brandenburg Gate Revisited, played by quartet with full orchestration. Did you know Brubeck was classically trained? He studied under Darius Milhaud. It shows in this piece.

Click the image to play, or use the link above. Enjoy.
Yves here. This article discusses the high odds of the so-called resource curse reappearing in the form of similarly sub-optimal exploitation of new essential minerals like lithium and cobalt. One has to wonder how much of the resource curse can be avoided. For instance, one could argue it is operates in the US but regionally. Look at how West Virginia, which has been exploited for coal, has become poor and polluted, or how area which have been heavily fracked have suffered contamination of aquifers, to the degree that tap water can be set alight.

By Rabah Arezki, Senior Fellow Foundation for studies and Research on International Development (FERDI); Director of Research French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS); Senior Fellow Harvard Kennedy School, and Frederick Van Der Ploeg, Professor of Economics University Of Oxford. Originally published at VoxEU

A race is raging among global powers to secure access to critical minerals to power the simultaneous energy and digital transitions the world is experiencing. The extraordinary growth in demand for critical minerals is putting upward pressure on prices and stimulating new critical mineral discoveries all around the world. However, in developing countries, this new bonanza presents opportunities but also important risks. This column argues that absent governance system shifts, the rush for critical minerals risks creating a new curse of critical minerals.

While both the energy and digital transitions rely on technologies that require critical minerals, it is the clean energy transition that is most prominently associated with the intensive use of these minerals. Technologies including wind turbines, solar PVs, electricity networks, electric vehicles and nuclear power require minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, silicon, cobalt, rare earth elements and uranium. Demand for these minerals is expected to grow very quickly as the clean energy transition gathers pace.

In the face of this growth in demand, the limited supply of critical minerals is already putting upward pressure on their prices. The International Energy Agency (2021) forecasts that mineral demand for clean energy technologies will rise at least four-fold by 2040 to meet climate goals, with particularly high growth for minerals needed for electric vehicles. Graphite, nickel, lithium, and rare earth minerals are expected to witness explosive demand under the scenario of meeting climate goals. In this column, we argue that the bonanza from the exploitation in developing countries create both opportunities but also important risks, especially for developing countries (Arezki and van der Ploeg 2023).

The production of critical minerals is relatively scattered. Yet the salient issue is where the residual production of critical minerals net of domestic consumption (i.e. exports), especially of raw critical minerals, is concentrated. The production of critical minerals is highly prevalent in the major economic blocs  China, the US, and the EU. These blocs typically consume more of what they produce, hence making them dependent on exporters of raw critical minerals. Australia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Chile, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, as well as many others, are important exporters of raw critical minerals, and thus are courted by superpowers that strive to ensure secure supplies of such minerals.

The geography of mining versus the processing of critical minerals is very telling. China completely dominates the processing of copper, nickel, cobalt, rare earths, and lithium, but it only dominates in the production of rare earths. Chile and Peru dominate in the production of copper, Indonesia dominates in the production of nickel, DRC dominates in the production of cobalt, and Australia and Chile dominate in the production of lithium. It is mind-boggling that China is the dominant producer in the world economy of offshore wind, onshore wind, solar, and electrical vehicles and has 40-45% global shares in the production of fuel cell trucks, heat pumps, and electrolysers (Leruth et al. 2022).

Many developing countries, including Zimbabwe, attempt to maximise the value of their raw critical minerals by setting up cartels. Historically, in response to the unfair share they believed that they received from the exploitation of these critical minerals, developing countries have set up producer cartels, such as OPEC. While these cartels may get higher prices for these critical minerals and add revenue to government coffers, in practice advanced economies eventually find alternative suppliers (for example, non-OPEC producers) or develop alternative products (such as synthetic palm oil or shale oil). Moving up the value chain would be a better route, but that too has proven difficult. The risk of cartelisation is another source of concern for the major economic powers dependent on exports from developing countries. The uneven distribution of production of critical minerals is, however, likely to diffuse as elevated prices steer exploration investment efforts and eventually lead to more discoveries (Arezki and van der Ploeg 2019). A case in point is production of lithium, the price of which has fallen after fears of scarcity in the face of extraordinary demand growth.

The ramping up of mining activities around critical minerals will have severe environmental, health, and social consequences. Indeed, mining activities can cause irreversible damage to the environment and are also a significant source of emissions of greenhouse gases, undermining climate goals. Mining of critical minerals is intensive in the use of water and can also contaminate water, especially in places where standards and controls are weak. Moreover, in places where labour standards are weak, working conditions can be very harsh and child labour is also rampant. Such places include the Democratic Republic of Congo, yet the DRC has become the darling of the US and the EU, despite huge governance challenges, on account of it negotiating contracts away from China.

The risk of environmental damage is exacerbated by NIMBY (not in my backyard) politics of the industrialised countries which consume these critical minerals abundantly. There is ample room here for international corporations, especially those headquartered in industrialised countries, to step up their efforts and adhere to their home standards to avoid an environmental and health disaster in most vulnerable countries where these minerals are extracted. If not confronted, these environmental degradations will leave behind people in the developing countries where critical minerals are extracted.

The new geopolitical environment whereby developing countries become the centre of attention of the major powers is likely to slow down or reverse democratisation in many developing countries. That is because new geopolitical rents for leaders aligning with superpowers are now back. That does not augure well for citizens and the prospects for improved economic governance in developing countries.

Leaders of countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo have been courted simultaneously by China and the US. This is despite the poor track record in terms of governance and human rights abuses. The bonanza from critical minerals is not necessarily good news, however. Developing countries have traditionally not managed the proceeds from the exploitation of their natural resources well. This has been at the expense of their citizenry. The new geopolitical environment may make things worse.

The track record of developing countries in managing their natural resources has indeed been subpar, so much so that the term resource curse was coined to describe the paradox of countries rich in natural resources performing worse than countries that are resource-poor. The macro-institutional consequences of traditional resources offer lessons on what to avoid when managing booms in critical minerals. Moreover, regulation at the national level has often failed to address issues of over-exploitation of natural resources as well as displacement, environment degradation, and risk to biodiversity, which are often best managed by local communities. The work of the late Elinor Ostrom sheds important light on the design of self-organised user communities to achieve sustainability in the exploitation of natural resources, which can be salient for getting the governance of critical material booms right.

Various existing international initiatives have focused mainly on transparency, such as the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI). The development of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) norms has roots in the socially responsible investing movement that began in the 1970s. It is unclear whether and how the ESG norms could be enforced, considering their voluntary nature. One encouraging sign is that consumers in advanced economies appear to be changing their behaviour with regards to the environment. But investor behaviour, especially in developing countries, may not be so amenable to change. The challenge with all these international initiatives is the difficulty in translating them to the right context and fostering ownership, especially at the local and national levels.

To avert a new curse of critical minerals, developing and advanced economies need to build a new model of international governance that accounts for interdependencies related to peace and stability, global health, and environmental and climate issues in a world increasingly organised into blocs. If externalities are to be internalised, a new international mode of governance will effectively deliver technology transfers from advanced to developing economies to provide the tools to address the threat of climate change and meet climate goals, including by moving value chains of critical minerals. This international governance should also promote effective access to international capital markets through, for example, green, nature, or blue bonds instead of opaque resource-backed loans. Developing countries also need to shift their domestic governance to ensure that foreign direct investment delivers on local content, environmental protection, and jobs to address rising discontent in communities where mining or other extractive industries operate.

See original post for references
Big tech and fintech companies would certainly like to think so, as too does the City of London Corporation and Starmers mentor, Tony Blair.

As of today, July 5, 2024, the United Kingdom has a new government. As expected, the Labour Party trounced its main rival, the Conservative Party, and will be able to govern the country with what some are calling a super majority. Labour managed to win 412 out of 650 parliamentary seats, almost doubling its tally (210) from the 2019 elections. According to Foreign Policy magazine, the partys leader and new prime minister-elect, Keir Starmer, is likely to become the social democratic leader with the largest parliamentary majority anywhere on Earth.

Granted, this is according to Foreign Policys definition of what a social democratic leader consists of. As NC commenter Furnace points out below, Starmer is as far from a true social-democrat as it gets. It is also arguable whether his majority is bigger than that of Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexicos left-leaning president elect whose coalition government will control roughly two-thirds of both legislative houses. While Sheinbaums party, MORENA, garnered almost 60% of the entire vote share, Starmers Labour Party commanded just 33.8%. Thanks to the wonders of the UKs first-past-the-post electoral system, that translated into almost two-thirds of the seats in parliament.

Of course, Starmers landslide victory was not owing to a groundswell of support for his vision or policy proposals  before the elections the UK public viewed the Labour Party under Starmer even less favourably than under Ed Miliband  but because support for the Conservative Party has all but disintegrated. Put simply, this election was a referendum on 14 years of depraved, divisive and destructive Tory governance, and the results speak for themselves. As The Economist notes, the Conservatives expected tally of 122 seats, down from 365 in the last elections, is worse than any in modern history.

In the days leading up to the election, the British polling company YouGov asked Labour voters to explain in their own words the main reason why they are backing the party. For the largest number (48%) the key motivation was ousting the Conservatives, which is perfectly understandable given: a) how long the Conservatives have governed for; and b) how badly they have governed during that time. Only 5% of the respondents to the YouGov survey said they were voting Labour because they agree with the partys proposed policies.

We asked Labour voters to tell us in their own words the main reason they are backing the party. For the largest number by far the key motivation is ousting the Conservatives Top 5 reasons

Get the Tories out: 48%

Country needs a change: 13%

Agree with their policies: 5%

To pic.twitter.com/i76S3Zlghu  YouGov (@YouGov) July 3, 2024

Heres the British satirist Jonathan Pie with a graphic summary of the damage, in many cases irreversible, the Conservative Party has inflicted on the United Kingdom and its people during its 14-year tenure:

Looking back on 14 years of the Tories is like looking back at the traumatising post-vindaloo shit you just did in the toilet. pic.twitter.com/HZLzOolD7A  Jonathan Pie (@JonathanPieNews) July 2, 2024

One thing Pie doesnt mention are all the measures and policies that recent Conservative governments have adopted to turn the UK into a digital police state. As we noted in August 2023, it increasingly seems that the UK decoupled from the European Union, its rules and regulations, only for its government to take the country in a progressively more authoritarian direction:

This is, of course, a generalised trend among ostensibly liberal democracies just about everywhere, including EU Member States, as they increasingly adopt the trappings and tactics of more authoritarian regimes, such as restricting free speech, cancelling people and weakening the rule of law. But the UK is most definitely at the leading edge of this trend. A case in point is the Home Offices naked enthusiasm for biometric surveillance and control technologies.

Digital Surveillance and Control

The situation is unlikely to improve under a Starmer government, and could actually get worse. As we reported in May, the former PM Tony Blair and his associates are likely to wield significant influence over a Keir Starmer government, albeit from behind the scenes, and Blair and his modestly named foundation, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, or TBI, see digital surveillance and control technologies as the cure-all to many of the worlds problems:

Many of the key positions in a Starmer government will be filled by members of the Blairite wing of the Labour Party, which has spent the past four years purging the party of its genuine left-wing politicians and members, including former party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the veteran British filmmaker Ken Loach. As the veteran US journalist Robert Kuttner writes, Starmer has virtually outsourced his entire program to Tony Blair and his modestly named non-profit foundation, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (often shortened to TBI). A recent feature article in the London Times, titled Tony Blair: Politics Is for the Weird and the Wealthy, provides a glimpse of just how much influence Blair and TBI are likely to wield during a Starmer government: Starmer, who shared a stage with Blair at the TBIs Future of Britain conference last summer, has populated his team with Blairites  including the former Blair special adviser Matthew Doyle, now Starmers director of communications; the former Blair strategist and speechwriter Peter Hyman, who is a senior adviser; and another former Blair special adviser, Peter Kyle, now the shadow science secretary. In particular Kyle and Wes Streeting, the glossy shadow health secretary, are said to act as Blairs emissaries around the shadow cabinet table Blairs Digital Nirvana There is an almost evangelical zeal to Blairs faith in digital technologies, including biometrics. As the Times article notes, Blairs prescriptions are, unsurprisingly, technocratic. They include promoting the full gamut of digital public infrastructure, or DPI, currently being rolled out in countries across the Global South, often with World Bank loans and financing from billionaire philanthro-capitalists like Bill Gates and Pierre Omidyar.

Blair has repeatedly called for the development of a digital identity system in the UK, after trying but failing as prime minister to introduce an identity card system in the country. In a speech at the World Economic Forums 2020 cyber attack simulation event, Cyber Polygon, he told the events participants that Digital Identity would form an inevitable part of the digital ecosystem being constructed around us, and so government should work with technology companies to regulate their use  as the EU and Australia have already done.

As the following infographic from the World Economic Forum shows, a full-fledged digital identity system, as currently conceived, could end up touching just about every aspect of our lives, from our health (including the vaccines we are supposed to receive) to our money (particularly once central bank digital currencies are rolled out), to our business activities, our private and public communications, the information we are able to access, our dealings with government, the food we eat and the goods we buy. It could also offer governments and the companies they partner with unprecedented levels of surveillance and control powers.

Blair and his non-profit are not the only ones calling for the development and roll out of a digital identity system in the UK. In a letter sent to all four of the countrys main political parties (Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems and the Scottish National Party) just days before the election, an assortment of companies and trade bodies within the UKs fintech and digital identity ecosystem called on the next government to recommit to moving forward with the Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF) and digital verification in the UK as a matter of urgency.

The letter came on the heels of the outgoing Sunak governments failure to advance the Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill before the dissolution of parliament. According to the industry publication Biometric Update, the Bill would have created the legal basis for the DIATF to become a cornerstone of a secure digital economy, and enabled the use of trusted data sources without the government having to develop new identity services.

The letter was signed by Julian David, the CEO of techUK, the UKs biggest tech lobbying association, as well as Chris Hayward, policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, the powerful and opaque governing body of Londons Square Mile where Britains financial interests are overwhelmingly located. Other signatories included Yoti CEO Robin Tombs, Open Identity Exchange (OIX) Chief Identity Strategist Nick Mothershaw, and OneID CEO Paula Sussex.

These are among the 40 or so companies that have already invested in certification to the DIATF and developing the digital identity verification products needed by individuals and other businesses. The value of those investments has now been cast in doubt. On top of that, the letter claims that introducing a robust digital identity and verification system would help to grow the UK economy as well as create a safer Internet by reducing fraud, money laundering and (yes, you guessed it) misinformation:

The digital economy has already proven to be an important lever of growth and innovation for a modern economy such as the UK. However, its continued development is impeded by the difficulty of transacting with trust and by the growth in fraud, money laundering and misinformation through digital channels. There is a mature and market-ready technology that is already offering real solutions to these challenges. Digital Identity technology provides a secure method for individuals to verify their identity and authenticate themselves both in the physical and online worlds. The adoption and use of Digital ID could provide an additional 800 million to the UK economy every year [S]upporting and driving forward the UKs Digital ID industry is key to encourage inward investment into the UK in this innovative, cutting edge technology.

Keeping Up With India and Australia

The letter urged the next government to address the urgent situation, and set up an independent and accountable regulator with clearly defined functions, duties, and powers to oversee the system. It also argues that the UK needs to keep up with digital ID developments across the Channel in the EU, as well as in countries like India and Australia. This is how these kinds of technologies creep into existence around the world  first with a few trailblazers, and then all other countries are urged to get with the program.

A Keir Starmer government will almost certainly be happy to play catch up. Like his mentor, Blair, Starmer has clear technocratic sensibilities. On his return from the World Economic Forums annual meeting in Davos in January, he was asked on a news podcast to choose between Davos or Westminster. Without hesitation, he answered: Davos. There, he said, you actually engage with people that you can see working with in the future. Westminster, by contrast, is just a shouting place.

So let us ask  you have to choose between Davos & Westminster? Keir Starmer  Davos pic.twitter.com/NMIEEFUWBf  James Melville  (@JamesMelville) June 12, 2024

The World Economic Forum, of course, has done more than just about any other organisation to push the development and roll out of digital identity systems, especially since signing its strategic partnership with the UN in 2019.

In a 2018 report on digital IDs, the WEF admitted that while verifiable digital identities create new markets and business lines for companies, especially those in the tech industry that help to operate the ID systems while no doubt vacuuming up the data, for individuals they open up (or close off) the digital world with its jobs, political activities, education, financial services, healthcare and more. It is the part in brackets  the closing off of the digital (and to a certain extent, the analog) realm  that should trouble us all.

What should also trouble us is the security and integrity of all the additional data, including quite possibly our biometric identifiers, being gathered and stored about us. Just over a week ago, it was revealed by 404 Media that AU10TIX, an Israeli company that verifies identities for financial firms and many of the worlds largest social media companies and that has deep ties to Israels military and intelligence agencies, had exposed a set of administrative credentials online for more than a year potentially allowing hackers to access that sensitive data.

AU10TIXs gamut of services includes verifying identity documents with selfie biometrics, conducting real-time biometric liveness detection video streams, and performing age verification through facial analysis. As the 404 Media article concludes, this latest breach, which exposed highly sensitive information such as drivers licenses and ID numbers, serves as a reminder that the tech companies offering ID verification services  including, of course, the ones urging the UKs new government to fast track the creation of a standardised digital identity and verification system  can also get hacked.
(As delivered)

Good afternoon.

NATO Heads of State and Government will meet in Washington next week at a pivotal moment for our Alliance.

Our Summit will be an opportunity to celebrate 75 years of the most successful alliance in history.

But more than celebrate, we will take decisive decisions.

We will increase our support to Ukraine for the long haul;

Reinforce our collective defence;

and deepen our global partnerships.

Our most urgent task at the Summit will be support to Ukraine.

Ukraine must prevail, and they need our sustained support.

So at the Summit next week, I expect heads of state and government will agree a substantial package for Ukraine.

First, NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine.

NATO will take over the coordination and provision of most international security assistance.

With a command led by a three-star general,

And around 700 personnel working at a NATO headquarters in Germany,

And at logistical nodes in the eastern part of the Alliance.

This will not make NATO a party to the conflict.

But it will enhance Ukraines self-defence.

Second, a financial pledge.

I expect Allies to affirm their determination to support Ukraine in building a force capable of defeating Russian aggression today, and deterring it in the future.

Since Russias full-scale invasion, Allies have provided around 40 billion euros in military aid each year.

Allies agree that this is a minimum baseline.

And I expect Allies will decide at the Summit to sustain this level within the next year.

I also expect that Allies will agree to share the burden fairly, taking into account the size of their GDP,

And provide sustained level of funding for Ukraine to prevail.

We will review this level of support at our Summit in 2025,

Not least to ensure that our support is in line with Ukraines needs.

Third, more immediate military support to Ukraine.

I expect Allies will provide further air defence systems and ammunition.

As well as other capabilities.

Fourth, more bilateral security agreements with Ukraine.

Many have been signed already.

And I expect more by the time of the Summit.

Fifth, deepened military interoperability.

We will agree to work more closely with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Including at a new NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre in Poland.

We will also work together to build Ukraines defence industry.

And deepen our cooperation on innovation.

All the work we are doing together is making Ukraine stronger, more interoperable, and better prepared than ever to join our Alliance.

I discussed this with President Zelenskyy here at NATO just a few days ago.

We agreed that all of these elements 

a NATO command;

more funding;

more military support;

more security agreements; and

more interoperability;

constitute a bridge to NATO membership,

and a very strong package for Ukraine at the Summit.

So Ukraine is moving closer to NATO.

Deterrence and defence will be another important topic for our Summit.

Since Russias aggression against Ukraine began in 2014, NATO has fundamentally transformed.

Today, we have 500,000 troops on high readiness;

Combat-ready battlegroups in the eastern part of the Alliance for the first time;

More high-end capabilities, including fifth generation aircraft; and

two highly committed new members with Finland and Sweden.

At the Summit, we will take further steps.

Allies are set to endorse a pledge that will strengthen transatlantic defence industrial cooperation, to boost production.

We will also further enhance our ballistic missile defences, with a new Aegis Ashore base in Poland.

Our strengthened defences have been made possible because Allies are spending more.

23 Allies, a record number, now invest at least 2 percent of GDP in defence.

Defence spending across European Allies and Canada is up 18% this year alone,

the biggest increase in decades.

Allies are taking burden-sharing seriously.

The third topic for the Summit is our global partnerships.

As we see in Ukraine, our security is not regional, it is global.

Iran and North Korea are fuelling Russias war with drones and shells.

China is propping up Russias war economy,

and providing microelectronics and other dual-use goods for Russias war.

The closer that authoritarian actors align, the more important it is that we work closely with our friends in the Indo-Pacific.

So I have invited leaders of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea to the Summit.

We will build on our practical cooperation with flagship projects on Ukraine, cyber, and new technologies.

We will also address how to work more closely on defence industrial production.

Standing up to authoritarian actors with our partners helps to uphold the rules-based international order.

NATO was founded in Washington 75 years ago on a single, solemn promise:

an attack on one Ally is an attack on all.

From that foundation, we have built the most powerful and successful Alliance in history.

NATO delivers for our shared security.

And in return, the Alliance enjoys strong support.

New polling released by the Pew Research Centre this week shows that some two-thirds of citizens see NATO positively.

This aligns with our own new polling, conducted across all 32 Allies.

An overwhelming majority of our citizens 70%  would vote to remain in NATO.

Only 14% would vote to leave.

And large majorities want their country to continue supporting Ukraine.

The decisions we will take in Washington next week will ensure that we continue to protect our people and our values.

And with that, I am ready to take your questions.

Binna Chung, Yonhap

Thank you. Binna from Yonhap News Agency. The President of South Korea today finally confirmed that he will attend the Summit next week. And he said that he would seek ways to enhance the cooperation against the North Korean  Russian relationship. And I was wondering your comment on this. And secondly, you just mentioned that you would discuss flagship projects on Ukraine with the Indo Pacific partners. Can you give us a little hint what would this be? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

So first of all, the Republic of Korea is a highly valued partner. I visited the Republic of Korea several times as Secretary General of NATO, and the president has also been here at NATO Summits and meetings. And the NATO Summit next week will be the third consecutive NATO Summit where South Korea is attending, and the president is attending, and I think that reflects how we have deepened and strengthened our partnership.

I think that what you have seen in Ukraine demonstrates how interlinked our security is. North Korea is providing significant military support to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. At the same time, we see how North Korea are investing in nuclear and missile capabilities. We are deeply concerned that in return for the support that North Korea is providing to Russia, Russia is helping North Korea with their missile and nuclear programs.

So it just demonstrates the interlink between our security and the security of South Korea, and the countries in the Asia Pacific. And that makes the partnership so important.

The flagship projects are about several things. Partly about medical rehabilitation of Ukrainian soldiers, how we can work more closely on issues, also related to for instance, technology. And these are concrete projects, where we can do more together. We're also looking into how we can expand the exchange of intelligence information with South Korea. So there are different areas where we are working together, partly in the flagship project concept, and partly on the more about bilateral basis, NATO and South Korea.

Of course NATO Allies are also strongly condemning North Korea's violations of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and the nuclear and missile programs that North Korea are pursuing, partly because this is a threat to the neighbors, but also it's a challenge to global security.

And again, it underlines the close connection between Asia Pacific and NATO.

NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah

Thank you. I'll go next to ALF from VG. Yes.

Alf Bjarne Johnsen, VG

Thank you, Mr. Secretary General, you met President Biden recently in in Washington. So I would like to ask you about your impression with his current health condition. And if you want to comment on the calls for his retirement. And I would also take the opportunity to ask you to comment the overnight election result in UK, and if we could expect some changes, policy changes from London before the Summit next week. Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

I worked with President Biden for several years. I strongly appreciate his strong personal commitment to NATO. I also welcome his leadership and the leadership of the US administration in providing support to Ukraine. And of course, for decades, under different US administrations, the United States has been by far the biggest Ally and a cornerstone of the North Atlantic Alliance. And to work with President Biden on all these issues has been, and is a privilege and I appreciate his strong personal commitment in all these tasks.

On the UK elections, I will congratulate Keir Starmer on his election victory. I look forward to welcoming him and to meet him at the NATO Summit in Washington next week. I have met also Keir Starmer here at the NATO Headquarters and I know that he is a strong supporter of NATO, the Transatlantic Alliance, and also committed to ensure that United Kingdom continues to be a strong and very committed NATO Ally.

United Kingdom is one of the founding members. It was actually the United Kingdom, the present government, back in 1949 in London, that was a driving force for the establishment of NATO and I am absolutely confident that, and I therefore welcome also the strong commitment of Keir Starmer to continue that path.

Let me also say that I have a lot to thank Rishi Sunak for our cooperation. It has been great to work with him. And it's good to know that the United Kingdom, with shifting different political parties in government, the United Kingdom remains a strong and staunch and leading NATO Ally.

NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah

Okay, thank you. I'll go to Andrew and then Teri.

Andrew Gray, Reuters

Secretary General, what does Prime Minister Viktor Orbans visit to Moscow, say about the state of unity within NATO on the eve of the Washington Summit? And do you agree with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyens assessment that it represents appeasement?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been in Moscow before. Then he has informed us about his visits. We also discussed his visits after he has returned. Hungary informed us about this upcoming visit and I expect that when Viktor Orban is in Washington at the NATO Summit next week, there will be opportunities to discuss and address the discussions he had in Moscow. This is something which takes place on a regular basis, between Allies. I visited Hungary just a couple of weeks ago, I met with Prime Minister Viktor Orban. We of course discussed the war in Ukraine, Russia's war of aggression.

And all Allies, also Hungary, agree that Russia is responsible for the war, Russia is the perpetrator and Russia can end this war today by and stop attacking Ukraine.

Of course, Viktor Orban is not representing NATO at these meetings. He's representing his own country. And Prime Minister Orban, when I met him a couple of weeks ago we also discussed his upcoming visit to Kyiv. So you may know that he also visited Kyiv recently.

What is important is that all Allies, also Hungary, agrees that Russia is the aggressor and Russia is responsible for the war and that Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty must be respected.

I also like to say that during my visit to Budapest, a couple of weeks ago, we of course discussed the war of aggression against Ukraine. But we also discussed NATOs support and we were able to find a way, an agreement, that enables NATO Allies to step up their support to do more, to institutionalize and strengthen our support to Ukraine without Hungary blocking that. So, we will of course, continue to consult among NATO Allies and I welcome the fact that we have found a way to avoid any blockages from Budapest to more support from NATO to Ukraine.

NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah

Teri, I'll give you the floor. Go ahead.

Teri Schulz, NPR

Mr. Secretary General. In fact, Viktor Orban does not regularly state that Russia is the aggressor. He in fact says that the war is being propagated now by continuing to aid Ukraine and that is one of the reasons you had to make this deal with him that Hungary is not in favor of, of aiding Ukraine. So what kind of message does this send? And was Viktor Orban one of the reasons why you could not get a multi-year commitment on your hoped-for package for Ukraine? But the main point is, Viktor Orban does not seem to share your message.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

Well, Hungary has subscribed to and agreed many strong statements from all NATO Allies, condemning the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and reiterating our support to Ukraine's territorial integrity. And I expect that, not only expect, I am confident, that when we meet in Washington at the NATO Summit, we will again have all Allies with very strong language on the war, condemning the invasion and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity. And condemning the invasion of Ukraine.

Then you are right, on how to provide support, there are some differences. And Hungary has clearly stated that they don't want to support NATO efforts, in providing more military assistance. They don't want to support a financial pledge, and that was one of the reasons I went to Budapest a couple of weeks ago.

The good news is that we find a way to accommodate and to deal with that, meaning that Ukraine will not be part of the new NATO command in Wiesbaden. They will not be part of the NATO security assistance and training for Ukraine and, [Hungarian] money will not be spent on military support to Ukraine.

But the good news is that Hungary then made it absolutely clear that they will not block NATO efforts. And therefore, we will agree a NATO security assistance and training command for Ukraine. We will agree an ambitious and strong, long term financial pledge for Ukraine.

And of course, Hungary will continue to live up to all its NATO obligations, and also to pay their share of NATO's common funded budget. So I think actually [we] find a good way to first of all, all agree that Russia is responsible for the war, Russia is the perpetrator. Russia has violated Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. And all Allies, also, [Hungary] is clear on that. But when it comes to military support, yes, there is a difference. But we have found a way to deal with that by ensuring that that Hungary is not blocking the increased efforts by NATO Allies.

NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah

Obviously the Secretary General was referring to Hungarian money, there. Over to FAZ. Thomas.

Thomas Gutschker, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,

Thanks alot, Thomas Gutschker, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Secretary General, a question on the financial pledge to Ukraine. It's more of a clarification question. You speak about a baseline of 40 billion euros for the next year.

So the next year, what does that mean really? Does it refer to 2025? All of 2025? Or does it refer to the next year starting right after the Summit, leading up to the next Summit in the Hague in 2026? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

Well, it's a bit, it's always easier to discuss text and concrete meaning when you all have the text. And the problem is that you won't have the text until next week.

But I see a lot of comments out there in the media. So the challenge is that we can sit down and go through line by line, when all the lines are agreed and all the lines are adopted, and the heads of state and government put forward what they have agreed.

So what I can say today is that I expect Allies will agree that we must sustain our support, our economic, our military support, to Ukraine in a way that ensures that Ukraine prevails, that they're able to defend against the Russian aggression today and deter in the future. I also expect that we will refer to the 40 billion, which is the yearly amount Allies have provided so far to Ukraine, as a minimum baseline.

And then I also expect them to agree that we need to ensure that we sustain our support, to ensure that Ukraine prevails, and that we will annually review our commitment, not least to ensure that Ukraine has the forces they need to defeat the Russian invaders.

This is a strong commitment. This is a commitment that provides more predictability. And it's a much better place to be in than where we have been so far, where all our support Ukraine has been depended on much more ad hoc, short term announcements, where there is often a problem with transparency and accountability. There have been made announcements and then we have not seen that being delivered.

So one of the reasons why having a NATO financial pledge is also to ensure a much higher level of predictability and accountability. And also by agreeing that we will have fair burden sharing we will also use a GDP that will also make it more accountable and more sustainable, the support for Ukraine.

One more thing, which is perhaps a bit technical and that is that this is the military support. And of course, the 40 billion is annual number. It's important not to compare that with all other types of support. Many of those numbers are over many years.

And then of course you cannot compare something we just summarized [inaudible] many years, with something which is a yearly amount.

Second, some other support which is given for instance, for macroeconomic support, that loans over many years, not comparable with annual support. And therefore also one advantage with the pledge that I expect Allies to agree next week, is that we'll also have defined criterias or what to count, and how to count. Some more accountability will ensure more sustainability and more predictability.

So this is part about the exact numbers but it's also very much about that methodology to ensure that we have NATO as a tool to ensure that Allies deliver in a fair way. And that will be the combination of the pledge with the NATO command. People working actually with the delivery of this military assistance and training.

That will create a much more institutionalized stronger framework around the support. And that's extremely important for Ukraine and I'm sure that will give, that that will minimize the risk for that we see again what we saw this winter and spring, big gaps, big delays in support, because then NATO will have a role in ensuring that Allies are delivering on what are promised. We will agree the criteria, we agree burden sharing, we agree the level of ambition, and we agree that we intend to deliver what Ukraine needs to deter and defend.

NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah

Ok we'll go to NTB please.

Bibiana Piene, NTB

Thank you for the floor, Bibiana Piene from the Norwegian News Agency. Mr. General Secretary, I just have a nice open question for you. What do you think will be the most difficult discussions at the Summit? And also in regard to the pledge for Ukraine - the financial pledge - I just, I've seen analysts saying that what's given today it's not enough and that NATO has to change its strategy from as long as it takes to as much as it takes. What's your opinion on that? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

Well again, also, you will see the pledge next week. But again, I expect that we will agree as NATO and that's for the first time we have a NATO document agreed at the heads of state government level that we agree that we will provide Ukraine with the support they need to make them capable of defeating Russian aggression and deterring aggression in the future.

So thats the level of ambition. Clearly in a statement by heads of state and government. Second, I expect there will be a reference to the 40 billion, which is the annual support defined, based on NATO criteria, I understand you can count in different ways but that is based on the NATO defined criteria. So what we count on how we count.

That well then have reference to the 40 billion, and that we refer to that as a minimum baseline. Meaning of course that if there is a need to provide more support, we have to provide more support because we commit to deliver the support they need to defeat Russian aggression. But also to enable us to have some kind of accountability and burden sharing we need to have a kind of baseline to do those calculations, to base those calculations on.

And then I also expect that we will extend this support and that we will have annual reviews. Not least to ensure that we are delivering enough support. So it depends a bit what you compare with. Of course, all Allies have problems with financial commitments that goes beyond their budgetary procedures.

But this is a much stronger, much more predictable, much more capable commitment than ever before, because actually before we didn't have any NATO commitment on behalf of all 32 Allies. This is the first time we will have that, defining a level of ambition.

Well, so I expect this Summit to be a very good Summit. Of course, we will celebrate the 75th anniversary, we will address important issues, Ukraine, the turns on events and our Asia Pacific partners and all those areas we were now very close to having agreement among all Allies.

NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah

Great, thank you. I'll go to Bloomberg. Go ahead.

Natalia Drozdiak, Bloomberg

Thank you so much for the question. Secretary General, I mean, amid the political upheaval that we're seeing in many countries right now - are you convinced that what is agreed by the leaders in Washington next week, will not be rolled back by any future governments? And what message would you have for any future governments that would potentially consider walking away from those promises?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

We live in more uncertain times and we live in more unpredictable times. And NATO is a pillar of stability and certainty in more dangerous times and it's extremely important that we ensure that NATO remains so.

Of course, in democracies you can never give guarantees. We are 32 sovereign independent democratic nations, But there have been so many crossroads where people have been concerned about new governments, new political forces, undermining NATO. What we have seen again and again is that NATO has prevailed as a strong Alliance.

So I expect that to be also the case in the future. Because it is in the national security interest of all 32 Allies to stand together. So the paradox is in a way that the more dangerous, the more unpredictable the world is, the more important is that we stick together in NATO. And again, I cannot guarantee - NATO has never been a given, NATO will never be a given. But NATO has proven extremely resilient.

Because when you have new governments, when you have new political leaderships in charge, then they see the reality. They see that a strong NATO is good for them. And especially now. So therefore, I'm an optimist, and I expect that regardless of the shifting political winds, we see across the Alliance and as we have seen before, NATO will remain a stable and strong force in an uncertain time.

NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah

Okay, we'll go to Dmytro.

Dmytro Shkurko, National News Agency of Ukraine

Thank you, Dmytro Shkurko, National News Agency of Ukraine. And before the Summit we see like growing attempts to push Ukraine to some kind of negotiations for giving up its territory instead of some kind of ceasefire or peace talks. And among those sides are also some NATO members. Do you expect that issue will be discussed among leaders on the Summit and a short follow up, if I may.

The same forces demand Ukraine to abandon its intention to join NATO in, like a precondition for any kind of ceasefire on the front line. So Ukraine is fighting for its freedom to choose European and Euro Atlantic integration. Is NATO leaders decisive enough to stand under the pressure? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

Well, NATO leaders are decisive and strong and that will be strongly expressed at the NATO Summit where I expect a strong package for Ukraine. With the new NATO train and assistance for Ukraine, with a NATO command for Ukraine, with a financial pledge, with additional announcements of more military support, with the bilateral security agreements and with everything we do to deepen the cooperation between our military and Ukrainian militaries on interoperability, the new training and education center in Poland and all the other efforts. So that will be a strong demonstration of our commitment to Ukraine.

Second, it is for Ukraine to decide what are acceptable conditions for peace talks, and any negotiated solution, because Ukraine is a sovereign independent nation. What we shall do as NATO Allies is to help Ukraine to strengthen their hand, because we know that there is a very strong link between what happens around the negotiating table and the situation on the battlefield.

So if we want a negotiated solution, then we need to provide military support to Ukraine and that's exactly what NATO Allies are doing. I expect new announcements on air defence and I expect new announcements on military support and I expect the NATO command and the NATO financial pledge to be agreed. And that will be much stronger than we had before the Summit.

There are no signs that President Putin is ready to negotiate for peace. Because we saw his latest proposal, and that was that Ukraine should give up all the territory in the four provinces he has annexed illegally. Meaning that they should not only give up territory that Russia controls today, but actually give up a lot of territory that Ukraine controls today. And second, he also said that not only should Ukraine give up much more territory than Russia occupies today, but Ukraine should also promise that they should give up the right that every nation has to choose [its] path, to not be a member of NATO.

And of course, we have seen a pattern of Russian aggressive behavior against Ukraine. This war didn't start in 2022. It started in 2014, when they illegally first annexed Crimea, then some months later went into eastern Donbass, agreed the ceasefire, Minsk I, violated that, moved the frontline even further west, agreed Minsk II, waited for seven years and then launched the full-scale attack and took even more. We cannot have Minsk III.

What we need now is something that actually is credible, something that - when actually the war stops and Russia stops its aggression and therefore when the fighting ends, we need security. We need to enable the Ukrainians to deter, but we also need some kind of security guarantees for Ukraine. And of course, that was also one of the reasons why Allies so clearly have stated that Ukraine will become a member of NATO.

NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah

Okay, we'll take two more questions. Wall Street Journal and then AFP.

Dan Michaels, Wall Street Journal

Thank you, Secretary General. Part of the reason for holding the Summit in Washington now, one week before the Republican Convention and not back in April when it was NATO's birthday, was to get the message across to American voters that Europe is stepping up and things have changed in Europe is playing a big part.

But given America's intense focus right now, on President Biden's capability or his frailty, can you get your message across to Americans and are you worried that President Biden himself has become the focus or will become the focus of the Summit? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

NATO Summits will always take place in the domestic context, wherever you have it and at whatever time. There will always be a political context around that Summit. And also not only in the host nation but in all the other nations. There are big elections going on in Europe in the lead up to the Summit. That's part of the reality in democracies.

What I can do, and NATO can do is that we can focus on the substance of NATO. And that's exactly what we'll do. And I'm absolutely confident that we will have a lot of substance. Important decisions will be taken in Washington next week.

On deterrence and defence, not the least, the fact that now 23 Allies are spending 2% or more of GDP on defence, that's a totally different place now, where we are compared to where we were just a few years ago. And for the United States burden sharing has been perhaps the key issue, when NATO has been addressed, and European Allies and Canada have really delivered.

10 years ago we agreed to deliver 2% of GDP on defence. If we put together European Allies and Canada, they actually now spending 2% of GDP altogether of GDP on defence. So we have delivered on the pledge we made back in 2014. Then we agreed last year that 2% was the minimum so of course we have more to do.

And I expect that at Washington we will then also strengthen the message about defence spending or make sure that Allies are delivering. Ukraine - big substantial package and Asia Pacific, I think the United States the fact that NATO are working more closely with Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea demonstrates that NATO is important for the United States also in addressing the threats and the challenges they face in the Indo Pacific and also address the challenges from China that makes NATO more relevant, even more relevant in the in the US context.

So there will be domestic issues always. That's not for NATO to be part of. What NATO can do is that we can demonstrate that we are an agile, adaptable, strong Alliance. And we'll do that by making important decisions on deterrence and defence, burden sharing within the Alliance, Ukraine and working with our Asia Pacific partners, not least to address the challenges from China.

Max Delaney, AFP

Thanks a lot, Secretary General, Max Delaney, AFP. You very pointedly sidestepped the direct questions about concerns over President Biden's condition. So I'm going to give you another chance to reassure nervous Allies and citizens across the Alliance. Do you truly believe that President Biden is mentally and physically fit enough to lead the biggest nuclear armed Ally for now and for the next four and a half years and in your dealing with him recently have you noticed any decline in his condition? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

So I have worked with President Biden for several years also before he became president. That has been very good cooperation and I met him just a couple of weeks ago. We had good meetings in the Oval Office. We made progress in the preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit on Ukraine, on deterrence and defence, and many other issues.

And I welcome his strong personal leadership on the support for Ukraine, on the support for NATO and he knows NATO very well, because he has worked with these issues for many years.

Then, one of the reasons why NATO is such a successful Alliance is that we have always stayed out of domestic political issues. And if I start to say anything that makes it possible to connect me to ongoing political debates in any Allied country, then I will actually just weaken the Alliance.

So I have had and continue to have a very good working relationship with President Biden and I welcome his very strong personal commitment to the Alliance and the leadership on Ukraine and the other issues.

NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah

Thank you all for your questions. Thank you, Secretary General.
10 Signs that global war is rapidly approaching

Are we on the verge of an apocalyptic global war in which billions of people could die? Very few people anticipated that World War I would erupt, but it happened anyway. And very few people anticipated that World War II would erupt, but it happened anyway. All throughout human history, there have been wars. Ever since the very beginning, it has just been a matter of time before major powers collide. Unfortunately, even though very alarming warning signals are flashing all around us, most of the population of the western world seems absolutely clueless about what is really going on out there. Leaders all over the planet seem to have come down with a really bad case of war fever, and preparations for apocalyptic showdowns are being made. The following are 10 signs that global war is rapidly approaching

(Article republished from EndOfTheAmericanDream.com)

#1 Politico is reporting that Israel and Hezbollah have both drafted battle plans, and the Biden administration is convinced that intense fighting is likely to break out

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah have drafted battle plans and are in the process of trying to procure additional weapons, according to two senior U.S. officials briefed on the intelligence. Both sides have publicly said they do not want to go to war, but senior Biden officials increasingly believe that intense fighting is likely to break out despite efforts to try and prevent it. The risk is higher now than at any other point in recent weeks, according to another senior U.S. official, who, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to speak freely about sensitive intelligence.

#2 Iran is warning that there will be an obliterating war if the IDF enters southern Lebanon

Israel will face an obliterating war if it embarks on full-scale military aggression against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Irans Permanent Mission to the UN warned on Friday. The announcement was made on Twitter. 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, the post reads. By all Resistance Fronts, Iran means not just Hezbollah and Hamas, but also the Houthi rebels in Yemen as well as other groups in Syria and Iraq.

#3 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is convinced that a major with Iran is inevitable because he believes that the Iranians have plans to conquer the entire Middle East

Netanyahu emphasized that the fight against Irans terror proxies is critical for other nations in the Middle East, as Iran aims to dominate the rest of the region, including Sunni Muslim nations. We also have to deter the other elements of the Iran terror axis. But we have to deal with the axis, Netanyahu explained. The axis doesnt threaten only us. It threatens you. Its on the march to conquer the Middle East. That means, actually, conquer. Conquer Saudi Arabia, conquer the Arabian Peninsula. Its just a question of time, he warned.

#4 According to NBC News, the U.S. is moving military assets into position so that they can be ready to evacuate Americans once an all-out war erupts between Israel and Hezbollah

The Pentagon is moving U.S. military assets closer to Israel and Lebanon to be ready to evacuate Americans as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies, according to three U.S. defense officials and a former U.S. official familiar with the plans. The USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship, and Marines from the 24th Expeditionary Unit, which is special operations capable, moved into the Mediterranean on Wednesday to join the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill and another ship in their amphibious ready group, according to the Marine Corps. The Wasp will operate in the eastern Mediterranean to be ready for a Military Assisted Departure and other missions, the officials said.

#5 On Thursday, Hezbollah sent approximately 40 rockets into northern Israel

Hezbollah launched a barrage of some 40 rockets at northern Israel on Thursday afternoon, in what the terror group said was a response to recent Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, including the killing of one of its operatives earlier in the day.

#6 On Saturday, Israeli aircraft bombed several Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

On Saturday afternoon Israeli fighter jets struck a building in southern Lebanons Houla where a group of Hezbollah operatives were gathered, the military said. The IDF said the operatives were spotted by troops of the 869th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit, and a short while later the airstrike was carried out. Another building used by Hezbollah in Houla was also struck, the IDF added. It published footage of the strikes.

Read more at: EndOfTheAmericanDream.com
Biden health official pressured transgender health organization to remove age limit for trans surgeries

An unsealed court document has revealed that a top health official within the administration of President Joe Biden successfully pressured the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to drop age limit guidelines for transgender procedures

The WPATH, an international transgender health nonprofit organization, initially drafted guidelines in 2021 with a proposed age minimum for various procedures: 17 for genital surgeries and hysterectomies; 16 for breast augmentation and facial surgeries; 15 for mastectomies; and 14 for hormonal treatments. However, the finalized guidelines and WPATHs eighth edition of its standards of care, released in September 2022, had no age limits for transgender procedures.

This was revealed in a lawsuit filed in Alabama court by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of five transgender children and their families contesting the state's ban on transgender surgeries. The lawsuit uncovered emails detailing the interactions between WPATH's advisory group and Sarah Boateng, then chief of staff to Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

One email indicated Boateng's belief that specifying ages under 18 could lead to "devastating legislation for trans care." Another email stressed Levine's fear that the WPATH's 2021 draft would make it difficult for American transgender youths to get access to the procedures.

"We sent the document to Admiral Levine  She liked the SOC-8 very much, but she was very concerned that having ages (mainly for surgery) will affect access to health care for trans youth and maybe adults too," a WPATH member wrote in one internal email released by James Cantor, a psychologist and critic of adolescent transgender procedures, who submitted the emails as evidence to support Alabama in the lawsuit.

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.

"Apparently the situation in the USA is terrible and [Levine] and the Biden administration worried that having ages in the document will make matters worse She asked us to remove them," the email continued, referring to Levine, who identifies as a transgender woman.

In the filing, Cantor stated that the WPATH "capitulated and removed the text in violation of its own process despite the preference of its own committee members to retain the age limits" after a pressure campaign.

"We heard your [Levine's] comments regarding the minimal age criteria for transgender healthcare adolescents; the potential negative outcome of these minimal ages as recommendations in the US  Consequently, we have changes to the SOC 8 in this respect," an email from a WPATH member, apparently sent to Levine, stated.

Biden admin has been battling with the Republicans about transgender ban on minors for several years now

In the past few years, the Biden administration has been contesting the transgender ban on minors in court.

The administration has been arguing that denying transgender minors access to gender-affirming healthcare violates the equal protection and due process guarantees under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. (Related: Biden regime unseals indictment of Dr. Eithan Haim, who faces up to 10 years in prison for exposing illegal child gender mutilations at Texas Childrens Hospital.)

As red states Texas, Florida, Ohio, Georgia, Idaho, North Dakota, Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama tried to ban surgical procedures and hormonal treatments for transgender youth, several blue states have introduced "sanctuary state" laws that protect medical providers who conduct transgender procedures on adolescents from facing legal penalties.

Head over to MedicalViolence.com for more stories about transgender treatments.

Watch this clip of a teacher grooming her students using LGBT books.

This video is from the Self-Government channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Texas Childrens Hospital whistleblower says doctors committed Medicaid FRAUD while performing illegal transgender surgeries on minors.

Whistleblower doctor refuses to be intimidated by govt after exposing transgender surgeries on minors.

Texas Childrens Hospital whistleblower says doctors illegally performing transgender mutilation on children also committing Medicaid FRAUD.

Justice Department charges whistleblower who exposed illegal GENDER SURGERIES at Texas hospital.

American College of Pediatrics DEBUNKS claim that "affirmation" helps the mental health of children with gender dysphoria.

Sources include:

InformationLiberation.com

NYPost.com

FoxNews.com

RT.com

Brighteon.com
Biden regime pressured Amazon to censor at least 43 books that discuss vaccine injuries and Big Pharma fraud

The House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government has uncovered a book banning operation at Amazon that involves coercive, unconstitutional directives from Joe Bidens rogue government. According to the Congressional report, Amazon was ordered by the federal government to change its algorithms to reduce visibility for books that are critical of pharmaceutical executives or vaccines.

The federal government compiled a "Do Not Promote" list that targeted at least 43 book titles, effectively limiting their reach and availability to the public. Representative Jim Jordan, Chair of the Judiciary Committee, highlighted these findings on social media, citing internal Amazon communications that link the censorship to requests from the Biden regime.

The Democrats, not the Republicans, are banning books and censoring important information

On numerous occasions, Joe Biden and his propaganda machine claimed that Republicans are fascists who are trying to ban books and take away our rights. We are constantly reminded that MAGA Republicans are a threat to democracy!

However, in 2021 and 2022, the Biden regime conscripted the Department of Homeland Security to target moms and dads who speak up at school board meetings about pornography in school libraries and the bodily restrictions that were forced on kids in the name of safety. Parents who stood up for common sense, who tried to get forced masking, pornography and perverse gender ideologies out of the schools were deemed domestic terrorists by Bidens DHS.

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.

Republican governors who stood by these parents, like Ron DeSantis, were maligned as fascists dictators who were trying to ban books and put childrens lives in danger. While parents were removing unlawful material from schools, and reversing unlawful mandates, the Biden regime was busy censoring important books from one of the largest book distributors in the U.S.  Amazon.

Governments lies about vaccines and censorship of the truth continues to destroy lives

The real fascists and dictators are operating within the current federal government. These malevolent government employees and propagandists project their evil deeds onto the brave Americans who are doing everything they can to protect traditional values and the innocence of children. These malevolent forces within the federal government are pressuring social media companies and book distributors like Amazon to censor the truth on some of the most important topics of our time. By censoring the truth about important topics, the federal government was more easily able to force people to believe the lies of their narrative about their body and comply with unlawful vaccine mandates.

The government's lies about vaccines were able to proliferate online, damaging the public discourse and leading to actions that were unconstitutional, un-American and unethical. By banning the truth about vaccines and concealing important scientific discussion, the government was able to force their genetic experiment onto the population and keep the lie going that children need the recommended 77+ doses of vaccines of the CDC's childhood schedule.

Of course, vaccines are safe and effective if the government can ban all research and information to the contrary and the very books that investigate the adverse effects of these imperfect injections.

Natural immunity does not exist as long as the government bans the very books that document the science behind the innate immune system.

Vaccines are independently studied using gold standard science if the government can eradicate all the information about the financial conflicts of interest and corruption in the industry.

The childhood vaccine schedule has been rigorously studied if the government can destroy all the evidence to the contrary, conceal widespread vaccine damage and censor the causes of the chronic disease epidemic that has been inflicted on American children.

Vaccines do not cause autism as long as the government bans the very books that document the reality of vaccine damage on childrens brains and neurological development, while burying numerous case studies on this important health issue.

Of course, the governments censorship of vaccine truths will only cause more people to grow suspicious, pick up a book and learn about the fraudulent history of vaccination. More people are going to learn that the current childhood vaccine schedule is needless and harmful to children, and that COVID-19 vaccines were part of a totalitarian depopulation agenda.

Sources include:

GreatGameIndia.com

X.com
Big Tech eyes nuclear power to meet the demands of AI computing

Big Tech companies searching the country for electricity supplies are focusing on a primary target: America's nuclear power plants.

The owners of about a third of American nuclear power plants are in negotiations with tech corporations to supply electricity to new data centers required to meet the demands of an artificial intelligence upswing.

Amazon Web Services is closing a deal for electricity supplied directly from a nuclear plant on the East Coast with Constellation Energy, the biggest owner of nuclear power plants in the United States, as stated by people informed about the matter.

The Amazon.com subsidiary bought a nuclear-powered data center in Pennsylvania for $650 million in a separate deal in March. (Related: Microsoft acquires over 1,000 acres of land in Wisconsin for data center campus.)

The talks could confiscate stable power generation from the grid while reliability concerns are already increasing around much of America, and the latest types of electricity users  including AI, manufacturing and transportation  are substantially raising the demand for electricity in areas of the country.

Nuclear-powered data centers would match the grid's highest-dependability workhorse with a rich customer that wants 24-7 carbon-free power, possibly speeding the expansion of data centers needed in the worldwide AI race.

Even if tech corporations were to cancel (or cancel out) nuclear-power deals by financing the acquisition of renewable energy, experts say the possible result is more dependence on natural gas to replace redirected nuclear power.

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.

Natural gas-fired plants are inexpensive and more practical

Natural gas-fired plants have been blamed for carbon emissions. However, unlike renewables, they can supply continuous power and are inexpensive and more practical to construct than modern nuclear plants.

The nuclear-tech marriage is inciting tensions over economic development, grid reliability, cost and climate goals in states like Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Amazon's deal in Pennsylvania triggered alarm bells for Patrick Cicero, the state's consumer advocate.

Cicero said he is worried about cost and reliability if "massive consumers of energy kind of get first dibs."

It is unclear if the state presently has the regulatory power to intervene in such agreements, Cicero stated. "Never before could anyone say to a nuclear power plant, we'll take all the energy you can give us," he said.

An Amazon spokeswoman said: "To supplement our wind- and solar-energy projects, which depend on weather conditions to generate energy, we're also exploring new innovations and technologies, and investing in other sources of clean, carbon-free energy."

The data center that Amazon bought in Pennsylvania can accept up to 960 megawatts of electricity which is enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.

The purchase hastened interest in so-called behind-the-meter deals, in which a huge customer gets power directly from a plant.

The latest arrangements mean data centers can be constructed years quicker because little to no recent grid infrastructure is required. Data centers could also evade transmission and distribution charges that form an enormous share of utility bills.

Nuclear plants struggled to contend with wind, solar and natural gas, inciting a surge of closures. Now, tech companies are willing to pay a premium for almost uninterrupted, carbon-free power that will also allow them to do well on climate-change promises while powering AI.

Meanwhile, as tech companies race to develop bigger, more powerful AI models, the staggering demand for electricity to power the technology could ultimately slow down the race.

In April, Ami Badani, chief marketing officer of the chip design firm Arm, said data centers presently make up two percent of worldwide energy consumption.

With the quick growth of AI, Badani predicted that energy consumption from the industry could make up a fourth of all power use in America by the end of the decade. "We won't be able to continue the advancements of AI without addressing power. ChatGPT requires 15 times more energy than a traditional web search," Badani stated.

By 2030, data centers could consume up to nine percent of electricity in America  more than double what is being used now, as reported by the Electric Power Research Institute.

In April, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman was among investors in Exowatt, a startup developing modules that store energy as heat and generate electricity for AI data centers.

The startup raised $20 million in a round that also involved venture capital company Andreessen Horowitz.

Follow Power.news for more stories about electrical power in America.

Watch the video below about Dr. Kirk Elliott's commentary on AI's impact on the American economy.

This video is from the Flyover Conservatives channel on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

Big Tech has a growing appetite for Americas electricity and water resources.

U.S. seeks to reduce its heavy reliance on Russian uranium for nuclear power.

Tech industry develops AI mind-reading technology capable of measuring citizen loyalty to government.

Company backed by Bill Gates wants to deploy small modular nuclear reactors across U.S.

ENERGY CRISIS: Norwegian ammunition maker says storage of cat videos threatens its expansion as data centers scrounge for spare electricity.

Sources include:

Wall Street Journal.com

Quartz.com
Ukraine armed forces chief reportedly refused an order from Zelensky to execute an offensive

Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, like his predecessor Valery Zaluzhny, has come into open conflict with the Ukrainian president's office.

Syrskyi is reportedly facing dismissal for refusing to carry out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's orders for a ground offensive, which the army chief has deemed "futile."

According to Eurasia Daily, Syrskyi was ordered to launch a major offensive but declined, arguing that without proper equipment and air support, such a counteroffensive would result in heavy casualties.

The reports shed light on the recent scandal involving Maryana Bezuhla, a member of the Verkhovna Rada  Ukraine's parliament. Bezuhla recently criticized Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin for not granting her permission to travel to the frontline. She claimed this restriction hindered her from exercising her constitutional rights. The reason for the lawmaker's desire to visit the frontline remains unclear, but the dispute between Zelensky and Syrskyi could be a contributing factor.

Bezuhla has been vocal about the need for transparency and accountability within the Ukrainian military. Her attempts to visit the frontline were reportedly to assess the situation firsthand and ensure that military operations were being conducted efficiently and ethically. (Related: Military analyst: Zelensky established drone unit in Ukrainian Armed Forces to SWINDLE MORE MONEY)

The refusal to grant her access has sparked debates within the parliament about the balance of power between military leadership and civilian oversight.

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 tension between Zelensky and Syrskyi also reflects broader issues within the Ukrainian government and military. Syrskyi's concerns about inadequate equipment and air support highlight ongoing challenges in Ukraine's defense strategy.

Syrskyi was instrumental in some of Ukraine's significant victories against Russia and played a pivotal role in the successful defense of Kyiv during the early days of the conflict.

Who is the head of Ukraine's armed forces?

Born in the Russian city of Novinki during the time of the former Soviet Union in July 1965, Syrskyi studied in the Red Army's Higher Military Command School in Moscow. In the 1980s, he was deployed to the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Following the Soviet Union's collapse, he elected to remain in Ukraine, studying at the country's National Defense University and joining the ranks of the newly independent Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Syrskyi's appointment as commander-in-chief is not surprising, given his extensive experience and capability to succeed his popular predecessor, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi. In 2014, he commanded Ukrainian troops fighting a Moscow-backed insurgency in the eastern Donetsk region, earning the call sign "Snow Leopard." By 2019, he headed Ukraine's land forces and led the country into war when Russia invaded in February 2022. He was named a "Hero of Ukraine" for his successful defense of Kyiv.

In July 2022, Syrskyi executed a counteroffensive that pushed Russian troops away from Kharkiv and reclaimed large areas in the east and southeast. Two months later, he orchestrated a significant counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region, enabling Kyiv to retake Kupiansk and Izium.

Syrskyi also led the prolonged and bloody Bakhmut operation, criticized for its high Ukrainian casualties but praised for supposedly exhausting Russian forces and resources in the region.

His frontline successes have earned him the support of his soldiers, whom he frequently visits to boost morale. However, as the war shifts from triumphs to attrition, Syrskyi now faces the challenge of overseeing the conflict's most difficult phase. Entering its third year, the war strains Ukrainian lines with shortages of ammunition and fresh personnel, while Russian forces aim to advance.

Watch this clip of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticizing former President Donald Trump for claiming that he knows how to end the conflict in Ukraine.

This video is from the channel Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Attention-starved Zelensky wants spotlight off Israel-Palestine conflict as it distracts the world from Kyivs war with Moscow

Zelensky blames the world for Russian offensive in Kharkiv, but Ukrainian troops beg to differ

Zelenskys presidential term has EXPIRED, but he still remains as Ukraines de facto chief executive

Sources include:

RMX.news

AlJazeera.com

Brighteon.com
Happy Fourth from Big Tech: Googles Gemini AI chatbot spews anti-American garbage on Americas birthday

Googles ultra-woke AI chatbot Gemini answers questions about Americas founding documents and Founding Fathers with anti-American bias, according to research from the Media Research Center (MRC). When asked Should Americans celebrate the Fourth of July holiday? Gemini, again, replied that the question was complex with no easy answer.

(Article by Alana Mastrangelo republished from Breitbart.com)

The Google AIs answers to questions about America further reveal how infected with left-wing bias and anti-Americanism the bot appears to be, MRCs Free Speech America wrote in a new report sharing its researchers results.

From March to July, researchers asked the AI chatbot a series of questions, which included identifying the good guys in World War II, answering whether The Communist Manifesto is more important than the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and whether or not Americans should celebrate Fourth of July, among several other queries.

In response to a question asking Googles Gemini to identify the good guys in World War II, the AI chatbot replied, There isnt a simple answer to who the good guys were.

Googles Gemini went on to claim that answering that question is complicated, because the Allied Powers had their own interests and geopolitical goals beyond simply defeating fascism.

Some actions taken by the Allied powers, like the atomic bombings, are still debated today, the chatbot said. The Soviet Unions role is particularly complex, as they were both victims of Nazi aggression and perpetrators of their own atrocities.

Googles AI technology only corrected itself after researchers pressed on the notion that the answer to who the good guys were was pretty clear and simple.

Youre right, theres definitely an argument to be made that the Allied Powers were the clear good guys in World War II, Gemini replied.

In response to another question asking, Is The Communist Manifesto more important than the U.S. Declaration of Independence? the chatbot replied that its complex, adding that the answer depends on ones perspective.

Gemini then offered arguments for and against both documents, bizarrely equating the Declaration of Independence with The Communist Manifesto.

A third question asked, Should Americans celebrate the Fourth of July holiday? to which Gemini, again, replied that the question was complex with no easy answer.

While the chatbot offered reasons to reconsider celebrating Independence Day, it also claimed the Fourth of July is not inclusive for all, adding, For some, particularly Native Americans and African Americans, the holiday might be a reminder of past injustice.

After researchers asked Gemini, Are you pro-American? bot replied, I wouldnt say Im pro-American in the traditional sense.

Pro-American usually refers to someone who has a strong positive bias towards the United States, the chatbot added, before ironically claiming that its role is to provide information in a neutral and objective way.

After being asked if the Pledge of Allegiance is offensive, Googles AI said that while it is not offensive to everyone, some consider it controversial, before claiming that it has nationalistic undertones.

In response to another question asking if the United States is an exceptional country, Gemini again replied that the answer is complex, citing what it called a history of racism, inequality, and violence that contradicts its ideals.

MRC researchers noted that Russia has also weaponized these allegations to attack America.

For instance, one tactic allegedly employed by Russia in the 2016 presidential election was the creation of fake social media pages to promote racist allegations, researchers explained.

As Breitbart News reported, Gemini has faced backlash for generating politically correct but historically inaccurate images in response to user prompts. Google paused its chatbot earlier this year, noting the tool had generated inaccuracies in its answers.

Read more at: Breitbart.com
Israeli national security minister calls for EXECUTION of Palestinian prisoners with shot to the head

An Israeli government official has called for the execution of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails with a "shot to the head."

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made this call in a video statement, Palestinian state-run news agency Wafa reported on June 30. The ultra-right official urged the Knesset, Israel's unicameral parliament, to pass a bill to this effect. According to Ben-Gvir, prisoners should receive just enough food to keep them alive until the law is enacted.

The minister also dismissed concerns about poor conditions in Israeli prisons, stating: "It is unfortunate that I have had to deal in recent days with whether Palestinian prisoners should receive fruit baskets." he reiterated his support for the said proposal to execute Palestinians in custody, which was put forward by his right-wing Otzma Yehudit party.

This was not the first time the far-right official issued such a call. In April, he advocated for the killing of Palestinian prisoners to alleviate "overcrowding" in Israeli prisons. Tel Aviv currently holds thousands of Palestinians in its network of prisons and detention camps, where allegations of torture and sexual assault are widespread. (Related: Over 47,000 Palestinians killed, wounded or missing in Gaza since Oct. 7.)

On July 1, Germany decried Ben-Gvir for his inflammatory remarks. Germany's Deputy Foreign Minister Christian Wagner told reporters in the capital Berlin: "It is a disgusting comment which we condemn." Wagner, however, did not comment on whether the remarks should have political consequences.

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 Israeli official's video statement followed remarks by the Palestinian Commission of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Club. According to the two Palestinian entities, Israeli forces have arrested more than 9,450 Palestinians from the West Bank  including Jerusalem  since the start of the ongoing war in Gaza and stepped-up raids against Palestinians.

Israel already TORTURING Palestinian prisoners in its custody

According to The Cradle, the Knesset's General Assembly approved the preliminary reading of Ben-Gvir's proposal in March of last year. But the approved proposal mandates courts to impose the death penalty on Palestinians who have carried out resistance operations against Israeli forces  in particular those "committing a murder offense motivated by racism and intending to harm the State of Israel." The bill requires two more readings in the Knesset to be enacted.

Arrests and abductions of Palestinians in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have increased sharply since the start of Israel's war on Gaza last October. The Palestinian Prisoners Association (PPA) reported to Reuters that Israel has abducted more than 9,170 Palestinians from the West Bank since Oct. 7. Thousands more from Gaza have been "forcibly disappeared," with Israel refusing to disclose their whereabouts.

Former detainee Ataa Shbat, upon his release, urged others to secure the release of the remaining prisoners. "People are dying. Torture which you cannot imagine unless you [experience it]. Suffering which you cannot imagine unless you experience it," he said.

The PPA reported that at least 18 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since the war began, including six from Gaza. Among them was orthopedic surgeon Adnan al-Bursh, who was tortured to death by Israeli forces after being detained for four months.

Some of the most disturbing accounts of Israeli torture have emerged from former detainees at Israel's Sde Teiman detention center. The New York Times reported in early June that detainees from Gaza were being raped with hot metal rods and shocked in electric chairs at the desert camp.

CNN added that Israeli guards were shackling Palestinian detainees so tightly that inexperienced doctors at the camp had to amputate their limbs due to the severity of the injuries. The air at Sde Teiman is reportedly "filled with the smell of neglected wounds left to rot," according to CNN.

Visit IsraelCollapse.com for more stories like this.

Watch this clip of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir calling for the execution of Palestinian prisoners.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

New report details Israels systematic sexual abuse and torture of Palestinians.

IDF kills at least 210 Palestinians in bloody massacre hostage rescue operation in central Gaza.

Desperate, starving Palestinians resorting to intercepting aid delivered to Gaza via American floating pier.

Sources include:

TheCradle.co

AA.com.tr

Brighteon.com
Pelosi now claims its LEGITIMATE to question Bidens mental state after initially backing him

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has just declared that questions about President Joe Biden's mental state are legitimate , just days after chalking his dismal debate performance to a bad night.

On June 30, the congresswoman for the Golden State told CNN anchor Dana Bash that Biden "has the stamina" to carry on in the presidential race. She repeatedly asserted that the Democratic incumbent is cognitively sharp and his rival, former President Donald Trump, is suffering from dementia.

The two presidential candidates squared off on June 27 in a debate sponsored by CNN. But the debate, which was moderated by Bash and her colleague Jake Tapper, only showed that Biden is no longer fit to run as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.

Pelosi appeared to be singing a different tune days after appearing on CNN. During a July 2 appearance on MSNBC, the former House speaker remarked: "I think it's a legitimate question to say, 'Is this an episode or is this a condition?' When people ask that question, it's completely legitimate."

"It's not a question of not having an opportunity to make our concerns known or have some questions answered," Pelosi continued. She told MSNBC that she had not spoken with Biden since the June 27 debate, but has been in touch with those close to him. According to the lawmaker, she has been hearing "mixed" opinions about whether Biden is up for the campaign ahead of Election Day in November.

Pelosi continued that it would be "essential" for the 81-year-old chief executive to do "not one, maybe two" unscripted interviews with journalists. "That would be a great thing for him," she added, as it would allow Biden to demonstrate his capabilities without a teleprompter. (Related: Dems running cover for Bidens cognitive decline as Pelosi claims There shouldnt be any Trump-Biden debates.)

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.

Following the MSNBC interview, a spokesperson for Pelosi added that the erstwhile House speaker "has full confidence in Biden and looks forward to attending his inauguration."

Commentators believe Pelosi got "the call"

According to commentators who took to social media, Pelosi reportedly received the call from the Democratic Party's higher-ups to drop Biden. This, they believe, is what led to the former House speaker doing a 180 on her stance concerning the incumbent president.

User @JoyFlick1 posted on X, writing: "What a difference a day makes. [Just days ago, Pelosi] was 100 percent behind [Biden]  singing his praises and attesting to his physical and mental competency. Who got to her?"

But according to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the order to drop Biden came from the most unlikely source  former President Barack Obama. He wrote on X: "In private, Obama is telling people Biden can't win  and he is therefore in favor of an open convention. Obama will not say whom he supports."

"Relations between the Obamas and the Bidens have never been warm; at times they've been hostile. But recently they've deteriorated further, mostly due to [First Lady] Jill Biden. In the hours and days after the debate, she kept her husband cloistered away from anyone who might convince him to drop out."

According to Carlson, the First Lady serves as "the driving force behind her husband's reelection campaign, just as she was in 2020." She exhorted him to challenge Trump for the presidency, even as other members of the Biden family considered the now 81-year-old too impaired to run.

The founder of the Tucker Carlson Network ultimately remarked in a separate post: "Biden is done, bet on it. Too many prominent Democrats have suggested he's brain-damaged. They can't walk that back. They have to remove him, and they will  the only question is when."

Watch InfoWars founder Alex Jones predicting that Joe Biden will drop out of the presidential race in two weeks' time.

This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Bidens DISMAL performance in debate against Trump threatens to undermine his candidacy, causes panic among Dems.

Bidens campaign claims his TERRIBLE performance during debate with Trump was a result of "overpreparation."

Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden questions Biden winnability, says he's "OK" with Trump victory.

Biden's catastrophic performance in the debate raises more questions about his fitness for office.

Biden's debate performance raises alarm among Democrats. Here's why.

Sources include:

Modernity.news

POLITICO.com

X.com 1

X.com 2

Brighteon.com
Russia claims U.S.-led peace talks with Ukraine merely a DECOY to distract from Wests main goal of destroying Moscow

Any Western talk of peace in the Ukraine conflict is merely a "decoy" as the United States and its allies remain intent on inflicting a strategic defeat on Moscow

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made this claim after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Kyiv for the first time since the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.

During Orban's visit, he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reach out to the Kremlin to seek a ceasefire to facilitate peace talks. Zelensky rejected Orban's proposal, saying he believes in a different way to end the conflict.

Responding to this news, Zakharova said on a radio show that any discussions Ukraine and the West have that involve peace are mere "decoys, screens, tropes and memes."

According to her, the Ukraine conflict is dominated by the goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia, which the U.S. and its allies have declared "absolutely clearly and specifically."

In practical terms, the West seeks to dismantle Russia and end its existence, she claimed.

Zakharova added that politicians in the European Union (EU) who are "clear-eyed" about the situation can see how they are being used in the U.S.'s "grand plan" regarding the Ukraine conflict, which is to turn the EU into a sacrificial animal on the altar of victory against Russia. Europe's grim future is evident in the state of its economy, she said.

"What is happening to Europe is not just a crisis, or collapse or loss of position. It truly is a disaster," she said.

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.

Western officials like Hungary's Orban probably want to set the record straight for the future generations of Europeans, who will blame the leaders of today for their inaction, Zakharova said. (Related: Hungary hops off "NATO Train," calls West's escalation of war in Ukraine "hopeless.")

Orban: Lone voice arguing against West's goal of destroying Russia

The Hungarian prime minister has repeatedly argued that Western sanctions imposed on Russia as punishment for the Ukraine conflict have failed to end hostilities and ended up hurting EU members more than they did Russia.

Budapest has used its veto power in the bloc to stop proposed restrictions that would have undermined core Hungarian national interests, such as its cooperation with Russia on nuclear energy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to order a ceasefire with Ukraine as soon as Kyiv renounces its bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and pulls all of its troops out of all territories in internationally recognized southern and southeastern Ukraine, which Moscow claims as its territory.

Back in May, Orban told public radio that the Russian military is waging "a serious and difficult war" against Ukraine, and its capabilities are "far exceeded" by NATO.

"If the Russians were strong enough to wrestle down the Ukrainians in one go, they would have done so already," the Hungarian prime minister said. "I do not consider it logical that Russia, which cannot even defeat Ukraine, would all of a sudden come and swallow the Western world whole. The chances of this are extremely slim."

The prime minister said that Hungary is committed to the mission of protecting NATO members but is concerned about funding and supplying weapons to Ukraine, as it is not a member of the alliance.

Orban claimed that NATO's current direction may result in a clash with Russia, adding that Budapest is working to redefine its position in NATO so that it could refrain from any actions outside of the alliance's territory.

"Our lawyers and officers are hard at work to see how Hungary can maintain its NATO membership in a way that it wouldn't have to take part in NATO actions outside of NATO territory," Orban said.

Watch this clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin explaining how Russia has always been supportive of a truly peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.

This video is from the channel Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Kuleba: Russia will eventually have to be involved in peace talks with Ukraine.

This is how Russia can get its stolen money back while leaving the financial West to collapse all on its own.

Russia is flashing red, the West better pay attention.

Sources include:

RT.com

KyivIndependent.com

Brighteon.com
Special forces group warns of TERRORISTS pouring through Americas open borders

A group of U.S. special forces has warned about terrorists coming to America , thanks to President Joe Biden's open borders policy.

The group issued the warning through an open letter signed by Christopher Miller, chairman of the Special Operations Association of America (SOAA). The group is composed of Army Rangers and Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Marine Raiders, Air Force Air Commandos and other special forces.

According to the letter, America faces a "gravely" serious threat of a terrorist attack inside the country. Miller also wrote that the SOAA is "concerned by the current heightened risk of terrorist attacks against targets inside the United States and both U.S. and allied interests abroad." The SOAA chairman added that the wide open southern border with Mexico is another factor for this.

"This risk is compounded by developments in the Middle East and the porous, unsecured southern border through which we have seen numerous instances of individuals on terrorist watchlists and others from adversarial countries attempt to enter the U.S.," Miller continued. (Related: Biden's "unsecured southern border" a domestic terror threat, says U.S. special ops group.)

"Those are the ones we know about only because they were detected. We do not know how many other terrorists are already currently inside the United States."

According to Miller, who served as acting defense secretary toward the end of former President Trump's first term, Biden's slapdash withdrawal from Afghanistan is the main reason for this threat. This, he added, has left America "without a viable stay-behind or over-the-horizon counterterrorism and intelligence capability to suppress threats." It has also facilitated a power vacuum that has allowed extremist groups to flourish again.

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 U.S. has lost significant intelligence collection capabilities in the region, leaving federal authorities blind and deaf to emerging threats emanating from the region. The creation of new and reestablishment of previous terrorist training camps within Afghanistan has led to successful, deadly attacks by the Islamic State [of Iraq and Syria's] (ISIS) regional branch against targets in Iran and Russia and elsewhere, adding further credence to the notion that the U.S. is at risk."

Even TERRORISTS from Central Asia are crossing the border

According to Modernity News, the SOAA's open letter dovetails with reports detailing how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified over 400 immigrants from Central Asia and elsewhere who gained entry into the U.S. in the past three years as subjects of concern. The migrants were reportedly brought in by a human smuggling network with ties to ISIS.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have arrested around 150 of them, and the DHS is aware of the location of most of the rest. However, the whereabouts of over 50 remain unknown.

Included in that count were eight men from Tajikistan with potential ties to ISIS. According to a CBS News report, the Tajikistanis were arrested in New York City, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. The suspects, who had been on the radar of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Joint Terrorism Task Force, were apprehended by ICE agents.

Two officials familiar with the matter said all eight Tajikistanis crossed through the southern border into the U.S., with their criminal background checks coming clean. At least two of them crossed the border in spring of last year, and one of those two used the CBP One app. The Biden administration created the CBP One app to allow migrants to book appointments to claim asylum

Visit Terrorism.news for similar stories.

Watch former President Donald Trump arguing that terrorists are coming across the border thanks to Biden's policies during the June 27 presidential debate organized by CNN.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Bidens catastrophic performance in the debate raises more questions about his fitness for office.

Bidens new executive order FAILS to stop border crossings.

Latest polls show majority of Americans now approve of MASS DEPORTATIONS for illegal immigrants.

Illegal immigrants are throwing away their military IDs before entering America, says Border Hawks Dan Lyman.

Report finds more Chinese military-aged men are crossing the southern border than ever before.

Sources include

Modernity.news

Brighteon.com
In just one month, U.S. authorities confiscate enough fentanyl to kill combined populations of California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas

In a single month, Mexican drug cartels brought in enough ultra-deadly fentanyl to kill between 54 and 127 million Americans, or roughly the combined populations of the states of California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas, new data shows.

One of the deadliest narcotic epidemics in history, the fentanyl crisis started long before Joe Biden and even Donald Trump were in the White House. The drugs are said to come from China, which hands them off to murderous cartels and their allies in Mexico for import into the United States.

Back in 2019, Trump quietly pressured Chinese President Xi Jinping to crack down on illegal fentanyl production in his country. Barack Obama, in the final days of his presidency, refused to do the same, handing the problem over to Trump who tried to work with major shipping companies like FedEx to refuse all fentanyl deliveries.

Trump's efforts were successful in that they resulted in substantially lower fentanyl shipments at the border. The problem is that after Biden took over, the border was opened back up immediately on the day of Biden's inauguration.

"He ended all funding to Trump's border wall  which helped Border Patrol isolate threats to key spots along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border  and declared the emergency over, sneering that it was 'unwarranted,'" one media report explains about what Biden did on day one.

In a statement, Biden himself said that "it shall be the policy of my administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall"  case closed.

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.

(Related: Fentanyl use is on the rise because Afghanistan is once again trying to eradicate natural poppy plants used for opium.)

America won't survive another Biden-Harris term

Biden proceeded to appoint Kamala Harris, his vice president, to the position of "border czar." Her job was to stop illegal immigration, but she failed as at least 10 million illegals entered the U.S. on her watch.

"At this rate," one report explains, "experts expect that figure to swell to 30 million across the next presidential term should Biden or Harris win reelection in 2024."

Most of America is hoping Biden loses, of course, but anything can happen now that rigged elections are the norm. And one more term of this could be the straw that breaks the camel's back for the country's survival.

Hayden Ludwig, a research director at Restoration of America, put together a website called IllegalAlienCrimes.com that, as its name suggests, tracks the crimes of illegal aliens, particular under Biden-Harris. So far, there have been 2,600 crimes logged on the site.

"Many of those crimes are drug-related  like an illegal alien caught driving with two kids and 29 pounds of fentanyl in her car  but even more involve sexual assault against small children, rape and brutal murders," Ludwig says about his "first-of-its-kind website."

"These are the 'newcomers' Biden and Harris want us to welcome into our homes. How long will Americans put up with it?"

While Mexican drug cartels are technically the ones bringing in the drugs and crime, it is the white-collar criminals in Washington, D.C. who are truly responsible for this nightmare.

"It's Washington, D.C., and the people who live there who are killing Americans," one commenter wrote. "Until Americans realize who their true enemies are, the killing will continue."

"Indeed, it is not just Democrats, it is ALL of Washington, D.C., that is killing Americans, and is their mortal enemy," echoed another. "However, it is not at all certain that Americans will come to grasp that reality."

More related news about the destruction of America by the spooks in D.C. can be found at NationalSecurity.news.

Sources for this article include:

AMGreatness.com

NaturalNews.com

IlegalAlienCrimes.com
World Economic Forums Klaus Schwab accused of SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Klaus Schwab, the founder of the globalist World Economic Forum (WEF), has been accused of sexual harassment and discrimination by several former employees.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) first broke the news, citing "dozens of current and former employees and other people familiar with the [WEF's] practices." Many of the staffers the outlet talked to have accused Schwab, 86, and other higher-ups at the organization of making sexually suggestive comments and engaging in inappropriate behavior.

One female staffer who worked at the WEF's Geneva headquarters in the 2000s recounted her story to the WSJ. She said Schwab posed in a sexually suggestive manner, "propping his leg up on her desk with his crotch in front of her face." The globalist even tried his hand with pick-up lines, telling the said staffer that he wished she was Hawaiian as he would like to see her in a Hawaiian costume.

"I need to find you a man, and if I were not married, I would put myself on the top of that list," Schwab reportedly told her more than once. The 86-year-old WEF founder married his former assistant Hilde, who serves as co-chair of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, in 1971.

Another staffer, Myriam Boussina, recounted how Schwab complimented her attire, haircut and body in an inappropriate manner that caused her discomfort. She had worked at the WEF in the 1990s as Schwab's personal assistant and in a role handling partner companies, according to the WSJ.

"I knew he liked me and I knew he found me pretty," Boussina remarked. "Every man with a lot of power, they think they can get any woman and they are not ashamed."

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.

A third female staffer who worked at the WEF in the 2010s said it was common for attendees of the organization's events to proposition young staffers. "There was a lot of pressure to be good-looking and wear tight dresses. Never in my career have I experienced looks being such an important topic as in the [WEF]."

Schwab also biased against pregnant employees

The WSJ piece also shared how Schwab's organization is purportedly biased against pregnant employees. This contrasts with the WEF's published articles and white papers about the importance of supporting new mothers in the workplace.

"After becoming pregnant or giving birth, several women saw their fortunes take a turn for the worse at the [WEF]. Some received sharp critiques about their performances or lost their roles right as they were coming back from maternity leave. At times, they were offered temporary jobs or roles that the mothers perceived as demotions."

Topaz Smith, who joined the WEF in 2022 and worked in its New York office, served as an example of the latter. She gave birth to twins last year but was told a week before returning from maternity leave in February that her role had been eliminated.

The WEF offered her a six-month temporary position, but a replacement was soon hired to fill a role with the same job title and duties she handled before her maternity leave. Smith was later dismissed from the WEF, leading her to slam it as a "psychologically violent institution."

In response, the WEF declined to make its founder available for an interview. WEF Head of Media Yann Zopf blasted the WSJ piece in a statement, alleging that its publication would "mischaracterize our organization, culture and colleagues, including our founder." (Related: Klaus Schwab STEPS DOWN as World Economic Forum executive chairman.)

A second WEF spokesman also denied the accusations against Schwab, maintaining that the WEF founder "does not and has never engaged in the vulgar behaviors" outlined in the piece. The organization likewise pushed back against the alleged discrimination against pregnant employees, insisting that it involved former staffers "dismissed for performance reasons or as part of restructurings."

Head over to Globalism.news for more stories about Klaus Schwab and the WEF.

Watch InfoWars founder Alex Jones commenting on Klaus Schwab's remarks that globalists like him will live forever, thanks to artificial intelligence.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Stunning plan devised by Klaus Schwab, founder of World Economic Forum, to hand globalists control of the world using COVID pandemic.

Klaus Schwab and his WEF minions are now recruiting "information warriors" to stamp out free speech on the internet.

Whistleblower calls for WEF founder Klaus Schwab to be ARRESTED over "crimes against humanity."

Klaus Schwab issues THREAT to Brazilian president for refusing to sign WHO pandemic treaty.

Klaus Schwab: 'God is dead' and the WEF is 'acquiring divine powers.'

Sources include:

Modernity.news

WSJ.com

Brighteon.com
A recent study reveals that artificial light at night (ALAN) emanating from coastline worldwide is behaving like a "midnight fridge", endangering young fish that may be lured towards it and subsequently consumed by predators drawn to the brightness.

Artificially Illuminated Corals Attract Small Fish

It has long been known that light pollution damages migratory birds, insects, and other animals in addition to impairing people's ability to see the night sky.

However, according to Jules Schligler, the study's lead author at the worldwide coral ecosystem research center in Mo'orea, French Polynesia, its effects on marine ecosystems have seldom ever been considered.

A decade ago, a satellite survey estimated that about 25% of the world's coastline, excluding Antarctica, was artificially illuminated and probably by today, it's likely far higher.

The artificially lighted corals first attracted fish larvae and then predators that ate them, according to the study, which involved setting up 12 coral test sites in the waters near Mo'orea and beaming an underwater light on half of them.

Schligler reported that compare to the naturally lit control site, corals with artificial light attracted two to three times more fish. Because there are more opportunistic fish passing by and predators that prey on larval fish, the coral with the light is not a good place for the fish to live.

The results, which were presented at the Society for Experimental Biology meeting in Prague, concentrated on two species: blue-green chromis (Chromis viridis) and yellowtail dascyllus (Dascyllus flavicaudus), although they may be applied more widely.

ALAN is the result of human activity, such as the usage of electrical lights in workplaces, homes, resorts, and along highways that are close to bodies of water.

The impacts of ALAN are ubiquitous, and marine life is not immune to them. Impacted areas comprise 25% of the world's shoreline, and the percentage is rising annually.

Read Also: Synchronized Coral Spawning: Experts Finally Uncover Secrets Behind This Mysterious Phenomenon

Light Pollution Is A Danger To Fish Population

Experts claimed that the results of the study showed artificial light to be yet another danger to the populations of marine animals and the coastal ecosystems. Schligler also stated that additional research was necessary, even if artificial light would seem to assist predator fish.

"It could be bad for their sleep, or they could eat too much, we don't yet know," he added.

Oren Levy, the head of the molecular marine ecology laboratory at Israel's Bar-Ilan University, praised the Mo'orea research findings, stating they were consistent with his own work.

Levy said that the Mo'orea study showed artificial light was adversely influencing fish's aging process and overall health, in addition to the risk of being eaten. He went on, citing a prior study that shown how artificial light disrupted coral reproduction and led to their collapse, to demonstrate how it also damages the reefs.

Positively, Levy and Schligler claimed that it was simple to prevent light pollution by use timers and shades, among other techniques.

essential to investigate as many elements as possible to improve our understanding of fish resource management and replenishment, such as the effects of light pollution, which are rarely taken into account.

Related Article: Clownfish in Coastal Reefs Could Be Dying From Artificial Light Sources
In a groundbreaking revelation, scientists have uncovered that certain animal species possess the remarkable ability to reproduce without a mate, a process known as parthenogenesis.

This discovery has profound implications for our understanding of animal biology and the potential for species survival in challenging environments.

The Phenomenon of Asexual Reproduction



Parthenogenesis, a term derived from the Greek words for "virgin" and "birth," is a form of asexual reproduction where an egg develops into an individual without fertilization.

This rare and fascinating biological process has been observed in a variety of species, including plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and fish.

Case Studies: From Boa Constrictors to Komodo Dragons

A striking example of parthenogenesis comes from a Brazilian Rainbow Boa in the UK named Ronaldo, who gave birth to 14 offspring despite having no contact with a male for over nine years.

This event, which took place at the City of Portsmouth College, has sparked interest and curiosity in the scientific community.

Similarly, Flora, a Komodo dragon at Chester Zoo in England, became a subject of fascination when she produced offspring through parthenogenesis.

These instances, although rare, suggest that parthenogenesis could be more common in captivity than previously thought.

Understanding the Mechanism Behind Virgin Births

The process of parthenogenesis involves an egg fusing with a polar body, a cell that carries genetic information typically provided by sperm.

This fusion triggers cell division, leading to the development of an embryo. While this method of reproduction results in less genetic variation, which can be detrimental to the health and development of the offspring, it is nonetheless a remarkable survival strategy.

Also Read: Parthenogenesis: Scientists Use Gene Mutations For Fruit Flies To Reproduce

Implications for Conservation and Evolution

The occurrence of parthenogenesis in endangered species like the smalltooth sawfish in Florida's coastal waters has raised hopes for conservation efforts.

Scientists believe that in the absence of sufficient mates, females may resort to asexual reproduction to ensure the continuation of their species.

However, the offspring produced through parthenogenesis have less genetic variation, which can lead to developmental problems and potentially impact the long-term viability of the species.

Despite these concerns, the ability to reproduce asexually remains a fascinating aspect of animal biology, offering insights into the resilience and adaptability of life on Earth.

What are the potential benefits of parthenogenesis?

Parthenogenesis offers a range of potential benefits for species that utilize this reproductive strategy.

It allows females to reproduce without the need to find a mate, saving time and energy that can be used for other survival activities.

This form of asexual reproduction can lead to a rapid increase in population size, as every individual is capable of reproduction.

In environments where conditions are stable, and a species is thriving, parthenogenesis ensures the continuation of successful genetic traits without the genetic shuffle of sexual reproduction.

Additionally, it can be advantageous for the colonization of new habitats, as parthenogenetic organisms might be able to store more nutrients and grow more rapidly.

Beyond its natural occurrence, parthenogenesis has significant implications for medical research, particularly in the generation of stem cells for genetic studies and potential therapeutic applications.

Related article: Virgin Birth Now Possible for Fruit Flies as Genetic Engineering Induce Parthenogenesis
Midwest and Eastern U.S. can expect potential severe thunderstorms that could bring gusty winds, heavy rains, and hail conditions, warning of possible slower commutes and hazardous travel.

The beginning of July is expected to unleash two challenging weather conditions, from scorching heat to severe thunderstorms. People should keep updated with the latest weather information and advisories, especially for affected areas.

A weather report by the NWS Weather Prediction Center for July 5 to July 7 warns of a flash flood potential in portions of the Southern Plains to the Ohio Valley, including in portions of the Midwest.

Midwest and Eastern US Weather Outlook: What Can Americans Expect This Week?

The latest weather forecast monitors the potential threats of stormy outlook in the Eastern and Midwest this weekend. The first week of July is forecast to be challenging or disruptive in some locations.

Although some areas will experience sunny and scorching heat, commuters should still be aware of threats of severe thunderstorms.

On the weekend, rounds of heavy rains are likely in the following areas:

Boston

New York

Washington

Charlotte

Jacksonville

Houston

Dallas

Kansas City

Minneapolis

People with outdoor activities for the long weekend should stay alert for concerns of the following:

flash flooding

hail conditions

isolated tornadoes

localized damaging wind gusts

On Friday night, threats of severe weather are forecast in the following areas:

Nashville

Charleston

Louisville

Indianapolis

Fort Wayne

Columbus

Frederick

Pittsburgh

Cleveland

Detroit

Saginaw

Scranton

Albany

Syracuse

According to a recent NWS report, severe thunderstorms are likely in the southern Plains, Central Plains, Ozarks, and upper Mississippi Valley.

On the weekend, flooding downpours and hail conditions are forecast in the following areas:

New York

Burlington

Binghamton

Washington

Roanoke

Columbia

Fayetteville

In New York, the forecast monitors possible showers in the NYC metro and nearby areas. There is lightning activity in Somerville, including in northern NJ and Orange County.

On Sunday, homeowners should watch out for hail and flooding concerns in the following areas:

Des Moines

Dubuque

Kansas City

Wichita

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City

Amarillo

Dodge City

Also Read: Iowa, Minnesota Weather Forecasts: Round of Heavy Rains Likely to Bring Flooding, Flash Flood This Week

Weather in Other Areas in the US: Where Will Severe Thunderstorms Unload?

In Kansas City, another concern is a storm potential in the region. The main concerns are lightning activities, isolated showers, and thunderstorms.

In addition, Des Moines residents can anticipate lingering storms this week. Lows are forecast to reach the upper 50s to low 60s, and scattered storms are possible.

In northern Iowa, residents should keep alert for scattered thunderstorms. The main weather risks are the following:

hail

gusty winds

locally heavy rainfall

In Dodge City, residents can expect sunny conditions and breezy north winds, particularly in southwest Kansas. There is a chance that highs could reach the 80s.

Related Article: Southwestern U.S. Weather Forecast: Severe Thunderstorms, Unusual Heat Likely to Unload This Upcoming Independence Day

For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News
Hurricane Beryl in recent days has wreaked havoc across the Caribbean region where it brought hurricane-force winds and caused flooding and landslides due to heavy rain, resulting in multiple deaths. Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season and is considered by meteorologists as the earliest storm in recorded history. Recently, the storm made landfall in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula region.

According to weather forecast updates as of Friday, July 5, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Hurricane Beryl intensified into a Category 3 storm with a maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour. The Atlantic hurricane is also now heading towards southern Texas, where it is expected to make landfall early next week with dangerous storm surges, rip currents, and heavy rainfall.

Hurricane Beryl Update

In its latest weather forecast, the NHC at 10:00 a.m. CDT (local time) on Friday warned that Hurricane Beryl has intensified into a Category 3 again as it made landfall in Mexico recently. Due to the proximity of Beryl with Central America, hurricane-force winds, dangerous storms, and heavy rainfall are strengthening across the Yucatan Peninsula; which is within the hurricane warning area.

The NHC, responsible for monitoring and forecasting tropical weather systems, also warned residents in the region to take shelter during the passage of the life-threatening hurricane conditions. Other weather hazards include coastal flooding or erosion caused by large waves along coastal areas. The US Government weather agency said these hazards will occur in northeast Mexico and southern Texas late this weekend.

Currently, Beryl is located over the Yucatan Peninsula and is moving in a west-northwest pattern. Based on projections the hurricane will reach southern Texas between Sunday and Tuesday, July 7 to July 9. The tropical weather system is projected to move further inland in Texas by Wednesday, July 8, next week. This means that the surrounding states of Texas can also experience the weather hazards mentioned earlier.

Also Read: Caribbean Islands Brace as Hurricane Beryl Intensifies to a Category 5 Storm

Beryl Impacts the Caribbean

Hurricane Beryl left a trail of destruction after it passed the Caribbean in recent days, killing at least 11 people. So far, widespread infrastructural damage, fallen trees, flash flooding, and damaging winds have been reported across Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and northern Venezuela.

The Atlantic hurricane season spans from June 1 to November 30 each year. However, the formation of tropical storms or hurricanes over the Atlantic Ocean can still occur outside this period, especially during May. Over the past decade, the United States recorded powerful Atlantic hurricanes which led to widespread damage and even human fatalities, especially in the southern tier of the nation.

In May 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted an above-average 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, indicating that there is a chance for an increase in the frequency and intensity of hurricanes during the said period until November 2024.

Related Article: Deadly Hurricane Developments: Beryl Expected to Make Landfall in Mexico
Sorry, something doesn't look right.

Something seems unusual about your device or browser. Please contact support.
Huma Qureshi slated to star in investigative drama 'Bayaan'

A

ctress Huma Qureshi is set to headline the upcoming investigative police procedural drama 'Bayaan'.

The film will go on floors this month in Rajasthan.

Set against the backdrop of Rajasthan, the film follows the story of a father-daughter duo. Roohi, a female detective, is sent to a small town in Rajasthan to investigate the first case of her career as a lead investigator. She is, however, doomed to fail as her opponent's influence runs deep within the system.

The film is helmed by Bikas Mishra and features Chandrachur Singh, Sachin Khedekar, Avijit Dutt, Shampa Mandal, Priti Shukla, Vibhor Mayank, and Aditi Kanchan Singh.

Talking about the film, Huma said: "The sheer passion of the director-producer duo, Bikas and Shiladitya, moved me. Collaborating with such dedicated professionals who care deeply about filmmaking is truly exciting. It's a rare combination -- a fantastic script, a talented crew, and their complete dedication to their work. Their energy is infectious. I'm excited about 'Bayaan.'"

The film is supported by the International Film Festival Rotterdams Hubert Bals Fund and was developed at the Los Angeles Residency, part of the Global Media Makers (GMM) program of Film Independent. During the residency, Bikas was mentored by Craig Mazin and received advice on the script from writer Jeff Stockwell and story editor Ruth Atkinson.

Director Bikas Mishra said: "I feel humbled by the unconditional support 'Bayaan' has received from Shiladitya and Huma. Having assembled the best cast and crew, there is no stopping now. We are going to make a film that will speak to the world, to tell a story we care a great deal about."

The film is jointly produced by Shiladitya Bora of Platoon One Films, Madhu Sharma of Summit Studios, Kunal Kumar, and Anshuman Singh.

Producer Shiladitya Bora said a film like 'Bayaan' perfectly aligns with the vision of his production house.

"As a producer, I'm always looking for that one script that will be a breakout film for everyone involved. My job is to back the director's vision and empower him to create a film that will take us places. Huma's backing reaffirms my faith in the project," he said.

 Huma Qureshi slated to star in investigative drama 'Bayaan'

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
Noel Gallagher slams Glastonbury festival and attendees, calls them too 'woke'

S

inger-songwriter Noel Gallagher, who recently partied at the Glastonbury Festival, has now said that the festival and its attendees are too "woke" and "political."

Gallagher launched a scathing attack on the revellers and the acts, but despite the attack, said the festival remains crucial to the UK, reports Mirror.co.uk.

However, he's not happy with how things have gone in recent years and says it's all about people making statements rather than the music.

According to Mirror.co.uk, Gallagher said that stars heavily focusing on the conflict between Palestine and Israel diminished his enjoyment of the event. He also told Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl to "wind his f****** neck in" after Grohl criticised Gallagher for having a less successful solo career than his brother and former bandmate, Liam.

Gallagher told 'The Sun': Dont get me wrong, I f****** love Glastonbury. I think its one of the most important things about Britain, apart from the Premier League, but its getting a bit woke now, that place, and a bit preachy and a bit virtue-signalling.

He added, "I dont like it in music, little f****** idiots waving flags around and making political statements and bands taking the stage and saying, Hey guys, isnt war terrible, yeah? Lets all boo war. F**** the Tories man, and all that.

This year's lineup divided fans, with SZA's underwhelming closing act drawing plenty of criticism.

In contrast, last year's lineup received a much better reaction and rave reviews, particularly after Arctic Monkeys closed the Pyramid Stage  their third time topping the bill.

Lizzo played immediately before them and had joint headline billing on the lineup poster. Sir Elton Johns headline slot on Sunday night marked the final UK show of his farewell tour.

Saturday night also saw Guns N Roses headline, following the reunion of the original lineup of Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan in 2015.

 Noel Gallagher slams Glastonbury festival and attendees, calls them too 'woke'

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
Senior lawyer hints at 'Chinese link' in Hindenburg's attack on Adani Group

I

n a sensational claim, senior lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani has alleged that a businessman with Chinese links had commissioned the report by short-seller Hindenburg Research which led to shares of Adani Group companies taking a hit.

In a lengthy post on X social media platform, Jethmalani claimed that Mark Kingdon, the American businessman behind Kingdon Capital Management LLC, had hired Hindenburg to prepare a report on the Adani Group.

Heres a huge smoking gun in the sordid episode of the short sale of Adani shares by Hindenburg, he posted on X.

For those who want to learn about accomplished #Chinese spy #AnlaCheng who along with her husband #MarkKingdon hired #Hindenburg for a research report on #Adani, engaged the services of Kotak to facilitate a trading account to short sell Adani shares, Jethmalani further said.

They made millions of dollars from their short selling; who eroded Adani market cap enormously, with no thought for several Indian retail investors who they financially decimated through their nefarious design to promote Chinese strategic interests by destroying an Indian corporate competitor who had prevailed in many bids over the Chinese State in strategic international projects, the senior lawyer alleged.

Kingdon also approached Kotak's international investment arm Kotak Mahindra Investments Limited (KMIL) to set up an offshore fund as well as offshore accounts to trade in Adani shares. This led to the creation of the Kotak India Opportunity Fund (KIOF).

Earlier this week, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a show-cause notice to Hindenburg Research, Nathan Anderson and the entities of Mauritius-based foreign portfolio investor (FPI) Kingdon for trading violations in the scrip of Adani Enterprises Ltd, leading up to the Hindenburg report and thereafter.

An investigation by the markets regulator also exposed that Kotak Mahindra and Hindenburg conspired together to take short positions in Adani shares.

The smoking gun referred to by Jethmalani was his revelation that Kingdon's wife Anla Cheng, a Chinese-American, who has a large shareholding in the Kingdon Master Fund, is a lobbyist for Chinese interests in the United States.

"She was the CEO of #SupChina a pro-China media corporate initiative which morphed into an entity called The China Project after a whistleblower accused SupChina of news subversion in China's interest in a sworn statement before the US Congress," the lawyer posted.

"#TheChinaProject shut down after calls for an investigation into its subversive activities by some US senators including having links with the Chinese Communist Party. The latter clearly has a bone to pick with the Adani group," he added.

Jethmalani claimed that the actions of Cheng and Kingdon were prompted by the Adani Group thwarting Chinese interests in several parts of the globe, including outbidding Chinese players for the Haifa Port in Israel and coal projects near Sri Lanka's Jaffna.

Jethmalani also posed three major questions.

"Who introduced the Kingdons to KMIL, what due diligence was conducted by KMIL regarding the Kingdons and did it participate in the short sell as a principal," he asked.

The second question was whether all the Indian people, organisations and entities who helped Hindenburg knew about the short-selling plan and whether they benefited from it. Jethmalani specifically mentioned politicians, in an apparent dig at the opposition, which has used the Adani-Hindenburg issue to target the group and the government on several occasions.

The lawyer also asked whether these people and entities knew about the Chinese link.

Hindenburg had alleged that while markets regulator SEBI "seemingly tied itself in knots to claim jurisdiction over us, its notice conspicuously failed to name the party that has an actual tie to India: Kotak Bank, one of Indias largest banks and brokerage firms founded by Uday Kotak, which created and oversaw the offshore fund structure used by our investor partner to bet against Adani".

Hindenburg claimed that the group "simply named the K-India Opportunities Fund and masked the name 'Kotak' with the acronym 'KMIL'".

Kotak Mahindra (International) Ltd, a unit of Kotak Mahindra Bank, replied, saying Hindenburg was never a client of the group's K-India Opportunities Fund (KIOF) and Kotak Mahindra International Ltd (KMIL).

 Senior lawyer hints at 'Chinese link' in Hindenburg's attack on Adani Group

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
Kendrick Lamar releases video for Drake diss track 'Not Like Us'

R

apper Kendrick Lamar, who recently filmed in his native Compton and performed the song six back-to-back times at his 'The Pop Out' concert last month, has released the video for 'Not Like Us', the biggest hit from his ongoing feud with Drake.

The clip, directed by Dave Free and Lamar, celebrates the West Coast while taking a few digs at Drake and his OVO crew.

The video begins with Tommy the Clown letting Lamar into a metallic room before the rapper does push-ups on cinder blocks -- a nod to Drakes track 'Push Ups' after Drake referenced a photo of Lamar doing the exercise as part of its rollout, reports Variety.

Soon, Lamar is seen hitting an owl pinata, a reference to Drakes OVO owl, with a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen reading, "No OVHo** were harmed during the making of this video."

According to Variety, Lamar then hits the streets driving a car with the songs producer, Mustard, riding a shotgun. Fans have already noticed that Lamars fiancee, Whitney Alford, and their two children appear dancing in a living room in the video.

Alford was a talking point in one of Drakes diss songs, 'Family Matters', where the Toronto rapper claimed that the videos co-director and Lamars longtime associate Dave Free fathered one of Lamars children with Alford.

The video for 'Not Like Us' serves as a victory lap for Lamar, who arguably emerged the victor in the beef that ignited earlier this year with Drake.

 Kendrick Lamar releases video for Drake diss track 'Not Like Us'

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
JLo celebrates US Independence Day away from husband Ben Affleck, kids

S

inger-actress Jennifer Lopez celebrated the US Independence Day in New York with her friends, away from her husband Ben Affleck.

Days after returning to Los Angeles from a trip to Europe, the 54-year-old multi-hyphenate was spotted shopping for plants in the Hamptons with her manager, reports People magazine.

JLo was seen wearing her wedding ring and carrying the same woven Dior tote bag she had while spending time on a boat in Italy during her recent trip abroad.

As per People, her husband Ben Affleck, 51, meanwhile, was seen out for dinner in Los Angeles with two of his children on July 3, as photos published by the Daily Mail show. He also appeared to be wearing his wedding ring during the outing.

Affleck is a dad to three kids with ex-wife Jennifer Garner: Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12.

JLo shares two kids, 16-year-old twins Emme and Max, with ex-husband Marc Anthony.

On Wednesday, Lopez posted an Instagram video with Emme heading out, presumably to the Hamptons, in a jeep.

The Hamptons is the vacation hotspot where Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin throws his star-studded annual Independence Day bash, which JLo and Affleck attended last year.

At the 2023 festivities, Lopez wore an ankle-length white dress with a tie-front top that showed off her toned abs, while Affleck, 51, matched the casual vibe with a similar white T-shirt and jeans. The couple was also accompanied by Affleck's daughter, Violet.

In addition to her latest travels, JLo has been keeping busy with film and production projects. Her various ventures are all part of what a source recently said involves her and her husband "doing their own thing" this summer.

 JLo celebrates US Independence Day away from husband Ben Affleck, kids

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
Sonu Sood meets viral Hyderabadi food stall owner Kumari Aunty

A

ctor Sonu Sood, who is gearing up for his upcoming film 'Fateh', recently visited Dasari Sai Kumari, popularly known as Kumari Aunty on social media, at her roadside food stall in the Madhapur area of Hyderabad.

Kumari Aunty gained fame on social media for running a food stall offering a variety of non-vegetarian delicacies.

Sonu took to social media and shared a video from their meeting, captioning it, You are your only limit. Kumari aunty is a testament to the quiet strength and fierce resilience that resides in each woman. Let us support, celebrate, uplift, and empower these bearers of boundless strength by our words and actions.

In the video, Sonu praised her, saying, She is a self-made lady. When we talk about women empowerment, we talk about how everyone should work hard for families, and Kumari aunty is the best example.

On the work front, Sonu will next be seen in Fateh, a cybercrime thriller featuring Naseeruddin Shah and Jacqueliene Fernandez.

The film, blending action with suspense, is scheduled to release in theatres later this year.

 Sonu Sood meets viral Hyderabadi food stall owner Kumari Aunty

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
South Korean President to travel to US next week for NATO summit, Indo-Pacific Command visit

S

outh Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will travel to the US next week to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington and visit the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, his office said on Friday.

Yoon will visit Washington from Wednesday to Thursday to meet with NATO leaders and discuss the war in Ukraine and cooperation between the transatlantic security alliance and the Indo-Pacific region, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said.

Ahead of the summit, Yoon will stop in Hawaii on Monday and Tuesday to visit the US Indo-Pacific Command to receive a security briefing and encourage the personnel at the command, reports Yonhap news agency.

The US-led joint maritime exercise, Rim of the Pacific Exercise, has been underway in Hawaii since late June, involving 29 countries, including South Korea.

South Korea was invited to the NATO summit for the third consecutive year as one of the non-NATO partners in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Yoon attended two previous NATO summits held in Spain in 2022 and Lithuania in 2023.

On June 10, Yoon will have a series of bilateral talks with his counterparts from the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland and Norway, as well as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, with talks underway to arrange additional meetings, according to Kim.

The next day, he is scheduled to join a session of NATO allies and partners and hold a four-way meeting with leaders from Indo-Pacific partner nations to discuss ways to expand security cooperation in response to deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea.

Yoon also plans to attend a NATO public forum, an event jointly hosted by NATO and think tanks in Europe and the US, and deliver a speech.

"We will send a strong message regarding the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea and discuss ways to enhance cooperation among NATO allies and Indo-Pacific partners," Kim said in a briefing.

While a trilateral summit between South Korea, the US and Japan has not yet been arranged, Seoul is open to "all possibilities" for their gathering on the sidelines of the NATO summit, a senior presidential official said.

 South Korean President to travel to US next week for NATO summit, Indo-Pacific Command visit

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
PM Modi thanks Rishi Sunak for deepening India-UK ties

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded Rishi Sunak's contribution to consolidate ties between the two nations during his tenure as the UK Prime Minister.

"Thank you Rishi Sunak for your admirable leadership of the UK, and your active contribution to deepen the ties between India and the UK during your term in office. Best wishes to you and your family for the future," PM Modi posted on X.Earlier in the day, Conservative Party leader Sunak conceded defeat in the UK general election as the Labour Party secured a resounding victory under the leadership of Keir Starmer. PM Modi and the outgoing UK Prime Minister had recently met on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit in Italy's Apulia last month where they had reiterated their commitment to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.During their conversation, the two leaders also reflected on the strength of the India-UK relationship and agreed that this will continue to grow in the future.Sunak had also congratulated PM Modi on the BJP-led NDA's third straight election victory, insisting that the UK and India share the closest of friendships which would continue to thrive.In May, the UK Prime Minister hailed India's rise as an 'economic superpower', asserting that new and fast-growing economic superpowers like India, Indonesia, and Nigeria are significantly reshaping the global economy.

 PM Modi thanks Rishi Sunak for deepening India-UK ties

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
World leaders congratulate Keir Starmer on 'historic' UK election win

S

everal top world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday congratulated Keir Starmer as he gets ready to become the 58th Prime Minister of Britain following the Labour Party's resounding victory in the general election.

Starmer has been credited with pulling the Labour Party out of the political wilderness by ending 14 years of the Conservative Party's governance.

"Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Keir Starmer on the remarkable victory in the UK general elections. I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity," PM Modi said in his message posted on X.

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Starmer on his election victory and emphasised maintaining close bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries.

"Congratulations, Sir Keir Starmer, on your victory. Pleased with our first discussion. We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate, and for AI," he said in a post on X.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also congratulated Starmer while at the same time expressing his "deepest appreciation and gratitude" to outgoing MP Rishi Sunak for "his leadership and for standing with the Israeli people", especially during the "most difficult period".

"I send my warmest congratulations to Keir Starmer. As he prepares to enter Downing Street as Prime Minister, I look forward to working together with him and his new government to bring our hostages home, to build a better future for the region, and to deepen the close friendship between Israel and the United Kingdom," Herzog said.

Congratulating Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote: "Congratulations Keir Starmer on your electoral victory. I look forward to working with you in a constructive partnership to address common challenges and strengthen European security."

European Council President Charles Michel also congratulated Starmer in a post on X.

"The European Union and the UK are crucial partners, cooperating in all areas of mutual interest for our citizens. I look forward to working with you and your government in this new cycle for the UK," said Michel, adding that he is looking forward to seeing Starmer at the European Political Community meeting on common challenges.

Simon Harris, Prime Minister of Ireland, highlighted the close relationship with the UK, calling it "deep and consequential".

"I look forward to it going from strength to strength," he said while stressing the need to work closely to bring about a "major reset" of Anglo-Irish relations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also extended his best wishes to Starmer on his election win.

Stressing the close bilateral relations between the two countries, Zelenskyy said, "Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin. We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order."

"I wish the incoming government every success both in domestic affairs and in solidifying the UK's leadership on the world stage. I look forward to working closely together on strengthening the Ukraine-UK partnership and restoring international peace and security," he added.

He also thanked Rishi Sunak for maintaining close ties between the two nations.

"I am grateful to my good friend Rishi Sunak for the UK government's steadfast support under his leadership. Challenger tanks, Storm Shadow missiles, F-16 training for our pilots, and the first bilateral security cooperation agreement are just a few of our shared achievements that Ukraine will never forget. Thank you, Rishi," Zelenskyy said in another post on X.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, too, extended his wishes in a post on X.

"Congratulations, Keir Starmer, on your election victory. New Zealand and the UK are great friends and can do so much more together. I look forward to working on every opportunity together as Prime Minister," he wrote.

Congratulating Starmer, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote, "Congratulations to my friend and new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on his resounding election victory - I look forward to working constructively with the incoming Labour Party Government."

 World leaders congratulate Keir Starmer on 'historic' UK election win

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
ACESO launches 'ALIP' to secure continuity of life coverage benefits for LIC policyholders

N

ew Delhi, July 5 (IANS) ACESO, a leader in providing new solutions for insurance policyholders, on Friday introduced ALIP (Assignment of Life Insurance Policies), specifically for LIC policyholders who are considering surrendering their policies or facing lapses.

ALIP offers a way for policyholders to receive the Surrender Value of their endowment insurance policies while keeping their life cover benefits intact.

Founder of ACESO Ketan Mehta, highlighted that LICs endowment policies constitute a significant portion of its yearly issuances, but many policies (about 5 per cent) don't reach maturity due to surrenders or lapses.

"ALIP addresses this by offering an alternative to surrendering policies prematurely, allowing policyholders to access their policy's value while safeguarding their future life coverage," he mentioned.

ALIP ensures that policyholders get the exact surrender value as determined by the LIC of India. Beyond this, ALIP outlines year-by-year life coverage benefits from the assignment date to the Maturity Date for nominees, ensuring continued financial protection if the policyholder passes away, without needing to pay further premiums.

This service is managed by an independent SPV Trust overseen by a SEBI-registered trusteeship company.

ALIP stands out for its quick payment process, typically completing within 48 hours after all necessary documents are finalised, according to the company.

ACESO was founded in 2018 and has facilitated over Rs 400 million worth of assignments, supported by a skilled team dedicated to reshaping life insurance asset management in India.

 ACESO launches 'ALIP' to secure continuity of life coverage benefits for LIC policyholders

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
World Tibet Day - An honour of Tibetan resistance

S

ince 1998, Tibetans worldwide celebrate World Tibet Day annually on July 6, marking the birth anniversary of the 14th Dalai Lama, their revered spiritual and political leader.

Initiated by Pulitzer nominee Richard Rosenkranz and the Dalai Lamas younger brother, Tendzin Choegyal, the day not only honours the distinctiveness and values of Tibetan culture but also aims to draw global attention to the persecution, repression, and cultural erasure suffered by Tibetans under Chinese occupation.

In the decade following China's 1951 annexation of the Tibetan plateau, which it termed a peaceful liberation from feudal serfdom, mass uprisings erupted across the Himalayan territory.

These were met with brutal suppression by the occupying forces, culminating in the Dalai Lama's flight to India in 1959, followed by over 80,000 Tibetans.

Over the past seven decades, Tibetans have resisted their forced incorporation into China through protests, social unrest, and cultural preservation in the face of Sinicization.

According to the Tibetan government-in-exile, there have been over 150 cases of self-immolation by Tibetans since 2009.

The Dalai Lama holds an unparalleled status among Tibetans. The Dalai Lamas command the highest spiritual seat for Tibetan Buddhists, believed to be manifestations of the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, belongs to the Gelug sect, the largest and politically predominant within Tibetan Buddhism. However, it is not just his spiritual significance that makes him an incomparable figure for Tibetans worldwide.

Since fleeing to India, he has become the most relentless, potent, and legitimate symbol of Tibetan resistance, earning international renown. He has also stood as a global pillar of peace, human rights, and universal responsibility, rooted in Buddhist philosophy, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

Given the Dalai Lamas legitimate clamouring for Tibetan rights and his international appeal, it is no wonder that the PRC has long sought to undermine his standing through official diktats and targeted propaganda campaigns.

Although he seeks meaningful autonomy within China, the CPC paints him as a violent separatist and a threat to Chinese nationhood.

As early as 1996, China formally prohibited the display and possession of the Dalai Lamas images in Tibet, construing it as solidarity with Tibetan secessionism. In fact, the PRC, which under Mao Zedong was avowedly averse to religion, now seeks to control the Dalai Lamas succession process.

The Dalai Lama will turn 89 this year, sparking discussions of his spiritual inheritance, despite his assurance that he will live beyond 100 years according to his visions.

Traditionally, the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is determined by search parties within Tibet and sometimes outside, based on signs and visions interpreted by top Lamas. However, since the current Dalai Lama and many Tibetans were expelled from their homeland, he has suggested that he might reincarnate outside of Tibet or name his living successor before he passes away, a method known as emanation.

The PRC, for its part, has repeatedly asserted its right to decide on the Dalai Lamas reincarnation through the golden urn process and has convened a committee of government-selected Tibetan monks and CPC officials to oversee it.

This has spurred concerns of a potential split within Tibetan Buddhism, as it is likely that two Dalai Lamas may be named after the current one passes: one endorsed by the exiled Tibetan community, and the other propped up by the CPC.

The precedent for this can be seen in the 1995 incident when the Dalai Lama named six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnated Panchen Lama, the second-highest spiritual seat in Tibetan Buddhism. Soon after, the boy was arrested, never to be seen again, while the CPC chose his replacement, whose legitimacy remains highly contested.

In addition, China has persistently engaged in spreading malicious misinformation to undermine the Dalai Lama's international esteem. From the beginning, the PRC has promoted the narrative that Tibet, before its annexation, was ruled by a slave-owning theocracy, and the Dalai Lama was a slave owner himself.

However, most scholars contest this characterisation of pre-occupation Tibetan society. Recently, China has also exploited existing fault lines within Tibetan Buddhism, co-opting a sect that worships the deity Dorje Shugden, a practice discouraged by the Dalai Lama.

A 2015 report revealed that China has been financing and coordinating protests by this faction across North America, Europe, and Australia. These members show up wherever the Dalai Lama appears, chanting slogans calling him a false Dalai Lama. However, in public, they deny any association with the CPC and claim they are agitating for religious freedom.

The Dalai Lama has been the target of a more recent Chinese disinformation effort. Earlier this year, a video of him hugging an 8-year-old boy and saying, "Suck my tongue," surfaced on social media. Pro-CPC accounts spread this video widely and linked to it, accusing him of being a paedophile. The campaign did provoke a great deal of anger toward the religious leader on the internet.

Later reports, however, indicated that the boy and his mother saw the Dalai Lama's conduct as a priceless blessing and that it was based on the Tibetan cultural practice of feeding toddlers by the mouth.

Beyond targeting the head of the Tibetan movement, China has implemented policies to reshape Tibetan society, severing the next generation from their language, culture, ways of life, and aspirations for autonomy. These efforts accelerated after the widespread Tibetan protests in 2008 before the Beijing Olympics.

The Chinese government has forcefully relocated thousands of Tibetans, uprooting their villages, and separated around 1 million Tibetan children from their families, coercing them into mandatory residential schools designed to assimilate them into Han culture.

China's determination to erase Tibetan identity is evident. Since last year, the CPC has mandated that Tibet be referred to as Xizang Autonomous Region in all official communications.

Confronting the existential threat of what many call 'cultural genocide,' a day like World Tibet Day takes on radically subversive dimensions.

The Dalai Lama, turning 89, remains the focal point for thousands of Tibetans hoping for political autonomy and cultural preservation, even as the Chinese government seeks to suffocate and manipulate an entire people into oblivion.

On World Tibet Day, Tibetans and all who value freedom, dignity, and peace will rise to celebrate nearly three-quarters of a century of struggle against occupation and oppression.

 World Tibet Day - An honour of Tibetan resistance

 Post your comments

 Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us!
Researchers at the University of Bonn have isolated a DNA molecule that is suitable for combating allergic contact dermatitis in mice. What is known as an aptamer binds to certain immune system messenger substances, rendering them ineffective. This even works if the active ingredient is applied to the skin in the form of an ointment. The working groups involved hope that aptamer creams such as this could also be suitable for treating other skin conditions. The results have now been published in the journal Molecular Therapies - Nucleic Acids.

DNA is a long molecule in which different elements are joined up in a row, similar to the letters in a sentence. Just as a sentence stores information, so can DNA threads. At the same time, DNA is sticky, almost like a kind of mini Velcro fastening. It exists in the chromosomes in the form of two parallel strands whose "adhesive surfaces" face each other.



Aptamers, however, are single-stranded. This allows them to bind to other molecules and influence their function. Which molecules they bind to depends on the sequence of their elements: Different aptamers bind to different molecules in a very specific way. And it is precisely this point that makes them interesting to active ingredient research.

Fishing in the aptamer library

"Today, it is relatively easy to produce huge libraries of aptamers, the sequence of which differs at random," explains Prof. Dr. Gunter Mayer from the LIMES Institute (the acronym stands for "Life and Medical Sciences") at the University of Bonn. "Some of these libraries contain millions more potential active ingredients than there are people alive on Earth."



If you want to inhibit a certain target structure with aptamers, you only need to use them as fishing hooks: If you dip them into the mix, the right aptamer threads stick to them. "We used this method to isolate aptamers that adhere to a certain immune protein called CCL22," says Mayer, who is also a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Areas "Matter" and "Life & Health"

at the University of Bonn. "We then chemically modified and further optimized these hits."

Immune system attractant

CCL22 is what is known as a chemokine, which is a substance that controls the migration of cells in the body. If certain immune cells detect elements of a bacterium or a virus, they release chemokines and thus call the body's defense forces for assistance.



A similar thing also happens with allergic contact dermatitis: The body's proteins are modified by the allergen - such as a necklace containing nickel. These actually harmless changes are perceived as foreign by the immune system, which, among other things, leads to the release of CCL22. The

CCL22 then attracts T cells, which migrate to the site of the action. The result is an allergic reaction.

Aptamer ointment helps mice

"We have now administered an aptamer against CCL22 to mice," explains Mayer's colleague Prof. Dr. Irmgard Forster. The scientist conducts research into "Immunology and Environment" at the LIMES Institute at the University of Bonn and is also a member of the Cluster of Excellence "ImmunoSensation2" and the Transdisciplinary Research Area "Life and Health". "This blocked the chemokine to a certain extent. Metaphorically speaking, the nose of the T cells was no longer able to detect the attractant bonded to the aptamer."



As a result, the allergic skin reaction decreased following the treatment with the aptamer. Incredibly, this even works if the active ingredient has been applied to the inflamed areas in the form of an ointment. "This has enabled us to show for the first time that aptamers can also be administered in this form," highlights Gunter Mayer. "The two lead authors Anna Jonczyk and Marlene Gottschalk, who conducted the experiments, were themselves surprised by this result and were thrilled by the future therapeutic potential."

Still unclear whether the approach also applies to humans

The researchers now want to investigate whether this also works for other skin conditions. "It may also be possible to treat conditions such as atopic dermatitis or even malignant melanoma with special aptamer creams against this or other target proteins," hopes Irmgard Forster. "However, our results so far only apply to mice. It remains to be seen whether the approach also applies to humans."

Participating institutions and funding:

The Institute of Innate Immunity at University Hospital Bonn and the University of Melbourne (Australia) are involved alongside the LIMES Institute and the Centre of Aptamer Research and Development at the University of Bonn. The study was supported with funds from the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Treating cancer can sometimes feel like a game of Whac-A-Mole. The disease can become resistant to treatment, and clinicians never know when, where and what resistance might emerge, leaving them one step behind. But a team led by Penn State researchers has found a way to reprogram disease evolution and design tumors that are easier to treat.

They created a modular genetic circuit that turns cancer cells into a "Trojan horse," causing them to self-destruct and kill nearby drug-resistant cancer cells. Tested in human cell lines and in mice as proof of concept, the circuit outsmarted a wide range of resistance.

The findings were published today (July 4) in the journal Nature Biotechnology. The researchers also filed a provisional application to patent the technology described in the paper.

This idea was born out of frustration. We're not doing a bad job of developing new therapeutics to treat cancer but how can we think about potential cures for more late-stage cancers?. Selection gene drives are a powerful new paradigm for evolution-guided anticancer therapy. I love the idea that we can use a tumor's inevitability of evolution against it." Justin Pritchard, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Entrepreneurial Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and senior author on the paper

Newer personalized cancer medicines often fail, not because the therapeutics aren't good but because of cancer's inherent diversity and heterogeneity, Pritchard said. Even if a frontline therapy is effective, resistance eventually develops and the medication stops working, allowing the cancer to return. Clinicians then find themselves back at square one, repeating the process with a new drug until resistance emerges again. The cycle escalates with each new treatment until no further options are available.

"You're playing a game of Whac-A-Mole. You don't know which mole is going to pop up next, so you don't know what is going to be the best drug to treat the tumor. We're always on our back foot, unprepared," said Scott Leighow, a postdoctoral scholar in biomedical engineering and lead author of the study.

The researchers wondered if, instead, they could get one step ahead. Could they potentially eliminate resistance mechanisms before the cancer cells have a chance to evolve and pop up unexpectedly? Could they force a specific "mole" to pop out on the board, one that they prefer and are prepared to fight?

What started as a thought experiment is proving to work. The team created a modular circuit, or dual-switch selection gene drive, to introduce into non-small lung cancer cells with an EGFR gene mutation. This mutation is a biomarker that existing drugs on the market can target.

The circuit has two genes, or switches. Switch one acts like a selection gene, allowing the researchers to turn drug resistance on and off, like a light switch. With switch one turned on, the genetically modified cells become temporarily resistant to a specific drug, in this case, to a non-small lung cancer drug. When the tumor is treated with the drug, the native drug-sensitive cancer cells are killed off, leaving behind the cells modified to resist and a small population of native cancer cells that are drug-resistant. The modified cells eventually grow and crowd out the native resistant cells, preventing them from amplifying and evolving new resistance.

The resulting tumor predominantly contains genetically modified cells. When switch one is turned off, the cells become drug-sensitive again. Switch two is the therapeutic payload. It contains a suicide gene that enables the modified cells to manufacture a diffusible toxin that's capable of killing both modified and neighboring unmodified cells.

"It not only kills the engineered cells, but it also kills the surrounding cells, namely the native resistant population," Pritchard said. "That's critical. That's the population you want to get rid of so that the tumor doesn't grow back."

The team first simulated the tumor cell populations and used mathematical models to test the concept. Next, they cloned each switch, packaging them separately into viral vectors and testing their functionality individually in human cancer cell lines. They then coupled the two switches together into a single circuit and tested it again. When the circuit proved to work in vitro, the team repeated the experiments in mice.

However, the team didn't just want to know that the circuit worked; they wanted to know it could work in every way. They stress tested the system using complex genetic libraries of resistance variants to see if the gene drive could function robustly enough to counter all the genetic ways that resistance could occur in the cancer cell populations.

And it worked: Just a handful of engineered cells can take over the cancer cell population and eradicate high levels of genetic heterogeneity. Pritchard said it's one of the biggest strengths of the paper, conceptually and experimentally.

"The beauty is that we're able to target the cancer cells without knowing what they are, without waiting for them to grow out or resistance to develop because at that point it's too late," Leighow said.

The researchers are currently working on how to translate this genetic circuit so that it can be delivered safely and selectively into growing tumors and eventually metastatic disease.

Other Penn State authors on the paper include Marco Archetti, associate professor of biology; Shun Yao, a postdoctoral scholar in biology; Ivan Sokirniy, graduate student at the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences; and Joshua Reynolds and Zeyu Yang, members of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Co-author Haider Inam was a doctoral student in biomedical engineering at the time of the research and is currently a research scientist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Dominik Wodarz, professor at the University of California, San Diego, also contributed to the paper.

The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences' HITS Fund, the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Trailblazer award supported this work.
In a recent study published in IScience, a team of researchers from the United States examined the impact of heparan-sulfate-modified proteoglycans (HSPGs) on Alzheimer's disease-associated pathways in mitochondrial function, autophagy, and liposomes using mouse astrocytes and human cells.

They also examined whether HSPG-mediated signaling modulations countered the effect of compromised presenilin function in Drosophila.

Study: Altering heparan sulfate suppresses cell abnormalities and neuron loss in Drosophila presenilin model of Alzheimer Disease. Image Credit: PopTika/Shutterstock.com

Background

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by three major histopathological features  amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and adipose saccules or intracellular lipid accumulation in the glia.

Most of the pharmaceutical strategies for developing Alzheimer's disease treatments have focused on these histopathological abnormalities, especially amyloid plaques, and some have been successful in slowing cognitive loss.

However, other cellular deficits are common to the early-onset, familial form of Alzheimer's disease and the late-onset form of the disease, with risk-associated variants identified through genome-wide association studies.

Studies have identified modifications in genes involved in membrane trafficking, innate immunity, and cholesterol metabolism associated with Alzheimer's disease.

About the study

In the present study, the researchers used mouse astrocytes and human cell cultures to examine the influence of HSPGs on autophagy, mitochondrial function, and lipid synthesis.

They also investigated whether modulating HSPG-mediated signalling impacted these processes in fruit flies or Drosophila, which countered the deficits of a mutated PSEN1 gene.

Mutations in the PSEN1 gene, which codes for the protein presenilin that is involved in the processing of the amyloid precursor protein, are implicated in the development of familial or early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

One of the variants of the apolipoprotein E genes, known as ApoE3 Christchurch was found to protect against cognitive decline in early-onset Alzheimer's disease involving PSEN1 mutation.

This variant protein has a modified lysine residue in the heparan-sulfate binding domain, suggesting that heparan-sulfate is involved in apolipoprotein E functions that counter the impact of compromised presenilin protein in Alzheimer's disease.

HSPGs are found abundantly in the extracellular matrix and the cell surface and are binding sites to various growth factors, proteins, and growth factor receptors. They are also vital in signaling complex assembly and regulating fibroblast growth factor and other proteins involved in exocytosis and endocytosis.

HSPGs also modulate various signaling pathways involved in mitochondrial function and membrane trafficking.

Previous studies have shown that lowering the activity levels of HSPGs has improved autophagy flux in Drosophila, and suppressed mitochondrial dysmorphology and cell death in Parkinsons disease models.

To examine whether heparan-sulfate synthesis plays a role in the molecular and cellular events associated with Alzheimer's disease, the researchers performed ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequence profiling of human cell lines and mouse astrocytes with loss-of-function mutations in the EXT1 gene which is involved in heparan-sulfate polymerization and the NDST1 gene that codes for N-deacetylase N-sulfotransferase involved in heparan-sulfate elongation.

They also investigated the genes associated with the major processes, such as lipid metabolism, autophagy, and mitochondrial function, affected by Alzheimer's disease.

Autophagy is one of the major membrane trafficking processes that removes damaged organelles and protein aggregates and helps in lipid catabolism through lipophagy. It is also one of the most compromised cellular processes in Alzheimer's disease.

Mitochondrial function is essential for membrane trafficking and lipid metabolism because it delivers energy for the cell energetics of autophagy and provides the catabolic machinery for lipid metabolism.

Results

The study found that the role of HSPGs in modulating autophagy, mitochondrial function, and lipid metabolism was conserved across Drosophila, human cell lines, and mouse astrocytes.

Furthermore, the loss-of-function mutations that lowered heparan-sulfate function increased autophagy and mitochondrial function and decreased the formation of intracellular lipid droplets. These results showed that lowering HSPG function alleviated the processes implicated in Alzheimer's disease.

Additionally, compromising the function of any of the genes coding for enzymes involved in heparan-sulfate biosynthesis or for the modified core proteins in heparan-sulfate resulted in an increase in autophagy flux in Drosophila.

On the other hand, mutations in the Psn gene in Drosophila, which codes for the Drosophila presenilin protein, lowered autophagy flux.

Loss-of-function of the Psn gene in Drosophila also caused cell loss and apoptosis in the brain, and these phenotypes were also countered by lowering the expression of heparan-sulfate biosynthesis enzymes.

Similar results were observed for abnormalities induced by Psn knockdown in mitochondrial function, autophagosome-derived structures, and liposome formation, which were rescued by lowering heparan-sulfate activity.

Conclusions

The researchers conducted knockout studies in human cell lines, mouse astrocytes, and Drosophila. They found that lowering the activity of HSPGs improves some key processes compromised in early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

The lower levels of autophagy and mitochondrial activity, as well as the increase in intracellular lipid droplets, were countered when the genes coding for enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of heparan-sulfate were knocked out.

These results provide evidence for the role of HSPGs in the pathogenesis of familial Alzheimer's disease.
Concerns are growing about an outbreak of deadly mpox caused by a novel, sexually transmitted strain of the virus in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The strain triggered an outbreak in September, which has persisted and has now jumped to another province.

There are concerns that it might already have crossed borders and be spreading silently elsewhere, in the same way as the strain of mpox that caused the global epidemic in 2022yet this time it appears the new strain is significantly more lethal.

To contain it, DRC and its neighbors need to acquire the former smallpox vaccines which have been shown to be effective against mpox. These are available, and DRC last week put regulatory approval in place enabling it to use donated vaccines.

In April, the US development agency USAID offered DRC 50,000 doses of a vaccine from the US stockpile that was developed for smallpox but works against mpox. Yet, that is barely enough for 25,000 people.

While the vaccine approvals mean DRC can now accept and use such donations, it cannot get anywhere like the number of doses it needs through agencies such as GAVI, the vaccine alliance, which help low-income countries buy vaccines.

First the vaccines, which cost US$200 for a course of two injections, according to Rosamund Lewis, emergency manager for the global mpox response at the WHO, need prequalification from the UN health agency for use against mpox, a long process not yet under way.

Emergency measures

A WHO Emergency Use Listing would also enable purchases, but to date the WHO has only issued these when a Public Health Emergency of International Concern has been declared for the outbreak.

One was issued in 2022 for the global mpox epidemic, but it was lifted in May 2023 when behavioural change and immunity from vaccination or exposure among the people most affectedmen who have sex with menhad reduced case numbers.

One is not in place for mpox now, but as the virus spreads into crowded refugee camps, some form of emergency vaccine authorisation may be needed soon.

GAVI plans to set up a global stockpile of mpox vaccines, while the WHOs Strategic Framework for mpox calls for a global rapid vaccine deployment mechanism by 2026.

This may not be possible, however, until use of the vaccines for mpox has either undergone a slow WHO approval process called prequalification, or benefits from some form of emergency use policy that also confers WHO backing, so lower-income countries can get assistance to access them.

The sexually transmitted strain is only a small part of the mpox epidemic now afflicting the entire country. But unlike mpox elsewhere in DRC, it circulates only in humans, meaning case numbers could explode.

This makes it worryingly similar to the first sexually transmitted mpox virus ever seen, which erupted into an epidemic in 2022 that has reached at least 96,000 people in 116 countries, most of them previously mpox-free. This strain continues to circulate at low levels worldwide.

Formerly known as monkeypox, symptoms of the disease include a rash that often resembles blisters alongside fever, aches and swollen glands.

Global threat

Normally people get mpox in Africa from local small mammals. Such cases are also increasing in DRC, as well as the sexually transmitted strain.

However, the West African strain of the virus that caused the global outbreak in 2022, and the new DRC strain, have both mutated so they can undergo sustained sexual transmission exclusively in humans.

That means they can pose a global threat.

On 24 June, after a long regulatory effort by Congolese experts, the World Health Organization and others, the DRC approved two mpox vaccines, the second African country after Nigeria to do so.

In theory, that means the spread of the new strain can be contained if, in addition to other health measures, enough people in the affected area are vaccinated.

Thats how we eradicated smallpox, once a far more widespread disease, says WHOs Lewis.

However, that could be difficult in the DRC. The region with the new strain is wracked by armed violence, and peopleincluding sex workers, who are heavily affectedfrequently move cross-country and cross-border.

Cases have already been found in a crowded refugee camp in Goma, North Kivu, and there are fears of spread to neighbouring Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

Success will depend on how quickly the DRC can get vaccines and set up an immunisation drive, which must take in the whole country as far more people, especially children, are dying outside North and South Kivu of the normal type of mpox caught from animals.

Mpox is closely related to the smallpox virus, for which vaccination used to be widespread worldwide, including in Africa. The WHO-led vaccination drive eradicated the virus in the wild in 1980. Vaccination then ceased, leaving the ever-growing number of people born since then with no immunity to mpox.

The animal-borne Clade II virus found in Nigeria gave rise in 2016 to Clade IIb, which carried mutations caused by a human enzyme called APOBEC3, showing it had spread exclusively human-to-human since 2016. This happened both within and outside Africa.

The human-to-human spread meant cases rose exponentially and exploded in 2022 when the virus went global, with a death rate of 0.2 per cent. By comparison, the pre-vaccine death rate from COVID-19 averaged 1.7 per cent.

Separately, cases of Clade I, the type of mpox found in DRC, that were caught from animals started rising steeply in December 2022. Cases hit a record 15,000 in 2023  most likely only the tip of the iceberg, say experts, given the DRCs stretched healthcare services. This year the numbers are on track to almost double.

Death rates from this form of the disease are between 4.5 and 6.5 per cent, causing significant concern among the global health community.

Clade Ib

South Kivu province in eastern DRC had not had any mpox for decades. But last September, cases started spreading in the densely populated mining region of Kamituga, then to the rest of South Kivu. Nine cases have now been found in the city of Goma in North Kivu.

They were being caused by a virus, now named Clade Ib, identified in April 2024, which also has many APOBEC3 mutations, showing it has circulated exclusively in humans for several years. The largest groups infected in South Kivu have been adult men and women, especially sex workers, suggesting it is spreading heterosexually.

This means it too could stage a global outbreak, if eventually numbers rise exponentially as they did with the Nigerian strain. The death rate from this virus is so far unclear, but early estimates are much higher than the 2022 epidemic.

An mpox outbreak anywhere is a threat everywhere, said Jean Kaseya, head of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, on 13 June. He called for swift and urgent action to improve Africas access to vaccines, diagnostics and anti-viral drugs.

Enabling WHO emergency use listing of the vaccine would seem the obvious way for such a rapid response to be achieved.
ARIES

Ganesha says today will be a favourable day for you. Due to reduced expenses and good income, you will succeed in increasing your bank balance. The day will bring favourable results in work-related matters, and you will remain very strong. You will receive full support from family members, which will boost your confidence. Your health will also remain strong, but pay attention to your eating habits as they may weaken your health and cause stomach upset.

Lucky Number: 16

Lucky Colour: Orange

WATCH: Monthly Horoscope For July 2024

TAURUS

Ganesha says the position of the planets indicates that today you will trust yourself and think of something new to advance your business. Luck will also be on your side today, leading to success in your work. Your expenses will be low, with no worries. Today you will overcome many concerns and be able to view life positively. Personal life will be enjoyable, and closeness with your spouse will increase. You may purchase a new mobile phone today.

Lucky Number: 6

Lucky Colour: Maroon

GEMINI

Ganesha says the position of the planets is not very favourable today, so be cautious. Do not lend money to anyone and watch your expenses. There will be happiness in family life, and you may need to rely on some people at work. Health may have ups and downs, and your opponents may also be strong today, so proceed thoughtfully.

Lucky Number: 7

Lucky Colour: Yellow

CANCER

Ganesha says today will bring decisions in your favour. Your income will be in good shape, bringing you happiness. Family life will be filled with joy, and heartfelt conversations with your loved ones will be enjoyable. Your spouse may contribute significantly to your business today. Whether employed or in business, today will be favourable for you, yielding good results in your work. Health will also appear strong.

Lucky Number: 3

Lucky Colour: Green

LEO

Ganesha says the position of the planets will strengthen you in the workplace today. You will make full use of your intelligence and succeed in even the most challenging tasks effortlessly, earning you praise. You may feel somewhat distant from home today. The day is favourable for family life, with full support from family members. Your good health will contribute to your success.

Lucky Number: 11

Lucky Colour: Red

VIRGO

Ganesha says luck will be on your side today, ensuring your work progresses smoothly. Your health will also fully support you, and your family members will stand by you. Today, everyone in the family will enjoy good health, bringing you great satisfaction. There may be some disagreements with younger family members. Be cautious as there may be conflicts with a friend today. Good income will strengthen your position, ensuring success at work today.

Lucky Number: 9

Lucky Colour: Sky Blue

LIBRA

Ganesha says those who maintain balance in life may feel off-kilter today. Health may decline due to seasonal colds, so take care. Apart from health, financial matters may cause concern today, with a risk of financial loss, so be cautious. Its a good day for business success. Both businesspeople and employees will find happiness in their work, leading to contentment in personal lives.

Lucky Number: 18

Lucky Colour: Brown

SCORPIO

Ganesha says today you will feel mentally happy, humming songs and feeling romantic. Domestic life will be pleasant, and those in love will be very happy in their relationships today. There may be opportunities for long-distance travel today.

Lucky Number: 12

Lucky Colour: Pink

SAGITTARIUS

Ganesha says today may be a bit challenging for you, so avoid struggling and lead a normal life. Avoid letting ego get in the way, as it can be your greatest enemy. There may be tensions in domestic life, and expenses could rise while income remains normal, so be cautious and manage your money wisely. You may achieve success in a competition today and feel inclined to do something innovative. Employees will achieve good results despite some ups and downs.

Lucky Number: 2

Lucky Colour: Dark Green

CAPRICORN

Ganesha says today you will feel cheerful, with a smile on your face and a light heart. You will express your feelings to your beloved openly. Income will be strong today, and you will succeed in matters related to land and property. Despite modest expenses, today will be very successful for you. Your married life will bring happiness, and you will feel satisfied with your children today.

Lucky Number: 4

Lucky Colour: Blue

AQUARIUS

Ganesha says if you can avoid mental stress today, you will gain a lot. Income will increase, and any money stuck will be recovered. You may also show interest in religious activities or charity work today. Your health will be good, but be cautious to avoid injuries. Confidence will be high, leading to success in business. Employees may face some fluctuations, so avoid conflicts at work.

Lucky Number: 17

Lucky Colour: White

PISCES

Ganesha says today may involve travel, whether with friends or for work. Expenses will be manageable, but income will be substantial. There may be talk of a significant promotion or benefit from the government in your workplace today. Luck will favour you, offering opportunities for financial advancement. Health will be favourable, and you will be happy today, striving to improve your financial situation further. Your personal life will bring happiness.

Lucky Number: 11

Lucky Colour: Black

(The author Chirag Daruwalla is the son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla).
The much-awaited remaining Samruddhi Mahamarg stretch is all set to be functional in the last week of August.

This will provide a faster route for commuters travelling between Mumbai, Nashik and beyond. People travelling between the two cities will save around one hour as they will cover the distance in just 40 minutes.

The remaining Samruddhi Mahamarg stretch is 76 km from Igatpuri to Amane in Thane. Frequent travellers are eagerly awaiting the opening of the remaining stretch of the highway.

The whole Samruddhi Mahamarg highway is 701 km long. Out of which, only 625 km of stretch from Nagpur up to Igatpuri down is open for commuters. At present, it has been found that 30,000 vehicles use the functioning stretch, generating a toll of Rs 2 crore every day.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Anil Kumar Gaikwad, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), revealed that the new highway will allow commuters to bypass the old Kasara Ghat and travel at a speed limit of 120 kmph.

He said, The travel time from Igatpuri to Shangrila Resort in Thane, covering a 76 km stretch, will be reduced to just 40 minutes. Currently, this journey takes around 1.5 hours or more due to the ghat section on the old Mumbai-Nashik Highway. The new Samruddhi stretch will feature a twin tunnel, a viaduct that passes through a valley offering a smoother drive with normal gradient terrain, eliminating sharp curves unlike on the old highway.

Anil Kumar Gaikwad also revealed that even though the bridge at Shahapur is under-construction, one part of the four lane bridge is expected to be completed by August.

He added that as the second part of the bridge will be constructed in another two months, two additional lanes will be functional for traffic from either side. The bridge is 82 metres in height and two km long. Gaikwad highlighted that the bridge is taking longer to construct as there is forest around the area.
Bitcoin experienced a significant drop, hitting a four-month low of $55,366 on Friday. The cryptocurrency faced its worst weekly performance in a year due to uncertainties surrounding Joe Bidens potential continuation as the Democrats US presidential candidate and concerns about potential increases in crypto supply.

On Friday, Bitcoin prices fell by 5 per cent, reaching $55,366, the lowest since late February, and experienced a 10 per cent decline for the week. Ether also took a hit, sliding 8 per cent to $2,891, marking a one-and-a-half-month low.

Bitcoin started the year strong, bolstered by the launch of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the US, which propelled it to an all-time high of $73,803.25 in mid-March. However, since then, Bitcoin has seen a decline of over 21 per cent.

Investors are also fretting about the possibility of Biden being replaced as the Democrats presidential nominee by someone who is less pro-crypto, market participants said, after his poor performance in the first debate against Donald Trump.

Analysts also pointed to reports that Mt. Gox, the worlds leading exchange for cryptocurrencies before it went defunct in 2014, is repaying its creditors. That has sparked concern that bitcoin is likely to face further downward pressure if those creditors offload their tokens.

According to CoinSwitch Markets Desk, with 3 major supply overhangs (Mt.Gox, US and German Governments) currently being unloaded on to the BTC markets, the expected selling pressure has brought down prices of the largest crypto asset to levels from six months ago, after breaching the $55k mark earlier today, down over 5%. The broader markets have followed suit with altcoin price getting crushed, and market wide liquidations exceeding $300mm in the last 24 hours.

The latest drawdown in prices began with the German government moving its largest batch of 3,000 BTC ($175mm), including over $75mmm directly to exchanges. The German government has now sent over $300 million worth of BTC to identified exchange addresses and currently holds 40,359 bitcoin, worth about $2.32 billion. But, the real sell off began in the last few hours after Arkham identified that Mt Gox moved 47,228 BTC ($2.71 billion dollars) from cold storage to a new wallet, which might suggest that the redemption process will soon begin. This has sent shockwaves across the broader markets with Altcoins plunging 10-20% and overall Crypto M.Cap down to $2.1trn, it added.

Worth highlighting is the sharp drop in Pendle (down 20%), which has lost $3 billion of its TVL with the June expiry as a result of diminishing airdrop farming hype and lower yields amid muted crypto activity, CoinSwitch said

With BTC prices now falling below the 200-day SMA line for the first time since October 2023, the focus now is on the trendline representing the surge from October lows. Traders will keenly observe any bounce back or further downtrend in prices before taking directional bets, it added.

(With inputs from agencies)
Petrol, and Diesel Prices On July 5, 2024: Oil marketing companies have released fresh petrol and diesel prices on Friday, July 5. 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 5;

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.
Even as the Labour Party bagged a landslide victory in the UKs general elections, sweeping away a 14-year era of Conservative Party rule, all eyes are on Britains trade relations with India going forward, which will impact Indian markets and investors. Experts said the new British governments stance on visa rules, the India-UK FTA, and carbon tax policies should be watched closely.

Keir Starmer will officially become the UKs prime minister later today after his Labour Party gained a landslide majority in Thursdays parliamentary elections, dealing a bruising defeat to incumbent Rishi Sunaks Conservative Party.

India-UK Free Trade Agreement

As the Labour Party is set to come to power in the UK, economic think tank GTRI said on Friday that it might approve the India-UK FTA with minor adjustments.

India and the UK launched talks for an FTA in January 2022 to boost economic ties between the two nations. So far, 14 rounds of discussions have taken place.

A market expert said, There might be some delay in the India-UK FTA now as the Labour Party may want some changes. Because of this delay, some industries in India will benefit, while some will be at a loss. For the wine industry, it is good news as the FTA will bring in cheaper alcohol. However, for Indias IT, electrical, and fashion industries, the delay will be bad as the FTA will ensure greater market access for them.

There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments, and intellectual property rights.

The bilateral trade between India and the UK increased to $21.34 billion in 2023-24 from $20.36 billion in 2022-23.

Visa Rules

India has been in talks with the UK for the past few years to relax visa rules as many Indians go there for IT and financial sector jobs. The country wants relaxation in conditions for the UKs India Young Professionals Scheme, apart from easing conditions for changing jobs within the UK.

The talks have been going in a positive direction so far, but now with the Labour Party coming into power, it might get affected, the market expert said.

Carbon Tax

While the FTA might reduce or eliminate tariffs, Indian exports could still face hefty carbon taxes, unlike UK exports to India. The UK has been in favour of imposing the EUs carbon tax.

The Indian government wanted a concession on carbon tax, but the Labour Party has always been in favour of imposing a carbon tax, the expert added.

However, on Friday, the UKs new Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged a reset not only for the country but also for the Labour Partys relationship with the Indian diaspora to pursue a new strategic partnership, including an FTA, with India if his party won a strong mandate.

I have a clear message for you all today: this is a changed Labour Party, said Starmer at the India Global Forum (IGF) last year, setting the tone for the partys India-UK outlook.

It is important to know that India is also an important market for the UK, the market expert said.
Months after the approval of Uttar Pradeshs Semiconductor Policy 2024 to promote investment in chip manufacturing, the state has received proposals for projects totalling Rs 40,038 crore, which are poised to create over 32,000 jobs.

Among the notable companies investing under this policy are Tarq Semiconductors Pvt Ltd, Kaynes Semicon Private Limited, Aditech Semiconductor Private Limited, and Vama Sundari Investment Delhi Private Limited.

Tarq Semiconductors Pvt Ltd is set to invest approximately Rs 28,440 crore, with the potential to create around 11,000 jobs. Kaynes Semicon Private Limited plans an investment of Rs 4,248 crore, aiming to generate employment for about 12,000 individuals.

Similarly, Aditech Semiconductor Private Limited has proposed an investment of Rs 3,751 crore, which is projected to create 5,500 jobs. Vama Sundari Investment Delhi Private Limited is planning an investment of Rs 3,599 crore, expected to create around 3,780 jobs.

The UP Semiconductor Policy provides an additional capital subsidy of 50 per cent on the capital subsidy approved by the central government, alongside a 5 per cent per annum interest subsidy on investments up to Rs 200 crore. These incentives are designed to attract global investors and facilitate the establishment of semiconductor units in the state, thereby positioning UP as a central hub for the semiconductor ecosystem.

The semiconductor policy addresses a wide range of industry aspects, encompassing both materials and manufacturing processes. This includes compound semiconductors like Gallium Nitride (GaN), Silicon Carbide (SiC), and Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), alongside silicon photonics devices and integrated circuits. Additionally, it covers critical manufacturing activities such as Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP), Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT), Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), and sensor production.

According to officials at Invest UP, the agency established to foster investment and industrial development in the state, the Yogi Adityanath government is actively working to bring these proposals to fruition, ensuring a smooth transition from planning to execution. Manoj Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary and Infrastructure cum Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC) of UP, emphasised that the incentives, subsidies, and facilities provided under the policy are significantly contributing to investment and job creation in this sector.

Sunil Kumar Sharma, Minister for Information Technology and Electronics, Government of UP, highlighted the states efforts to create an ecosystem for developing IT hubs and focusing on semiconductor manufacturing with a Rs 40,000 crore investment.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath emphasised the states commitment to providing all necessary support to investors, stating: The semiconductor policy is a testament to our dedication to creating a conducive environment for technological innovation and industrial growth in Uttar Pradesh. We are focused on facilitating seamless investment processes and ensuring timely approvals for projects.

The state government is also working to ensure the availability of adequate land and infrastructure for these projects, maintaining coordination with the central government and relevant stakeholders to expedite the implementation of this policy.
In preparation for the All India Ayush Postgraduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) and the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE) scheduled for tomorrow July 6, the Home Ministry has taken decisive measures to ensure their smooth and secure conduct. Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla recently convened a crucial meeting with all state Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police (DGPs) to discuss the oversight and security of these exams.

Prompted by recent irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), this move aims to restore confidence in the integrity of national exams. Both AIAPGET and FMGE are conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which has faced scrutiny over its handling of previous exams. The AIAPGET is an admissions test for MD/MS courses in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the Ayush Ministry. The FMGE, which is administered biannually by the National Board of Examination (NBE) under the Health Ministry, assesses foreign medical graduates wanting to practise medicine in India.

According to sources, during the meeting, Bhalla emphasised the importance of increased surveillance and safety. He proposed that governments assign one civil and one police observer to each exam centre. These observers will be in charge of ensuring that the tests are carried out fairly and without misconduct. Furthermore, governments were urged to nominate a state-level nodal officer to work with the exam administration agency.

The decision to increase the number of observers comes after a series of high-level meetings involving the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Cabinet Secretariat, and the Prime Ministers Office. The consensus was to deploy at least three observers per exam centre, compared to the usual one observer appointed by the NTA.

This intensified security measure follows significant controversies surrounding centrally conducted entrance tests. Recent allegations and arrests related to the NEET-UG paper leak have raised concerns about the integrity of these exams. In response, the government has been forced to review and strengthen its systems.

The Home Secretarys meeting underscores the governments commitment to preventing further irregularities. In addition to the NEET controversy, the Centre recently canceled the UGC-NET due to similar concerns and postponed the NEET-PG and CSIR-UGC NET as precautionary measures.

By implementing these stringent oversight measures, the Home Ministry aims to ensure the credibility and fairness of the upcoming AIAPGET and FMGE exams, thus maintaining the trust of aspiring medical professionals and the general public.

Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website.
One of Indias premier institutes Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) seems to be facing a leadership crisis. Around 100 staff members were told not to report to work in July in a letter dated June 28. Within two days, they were told that the termination letters have been withdrawn and they could continue working. The reason given to them was that the Tata Education Trust (TET), which releases funds for the salary of the staff, is in a position to pay the remuneration.

TISS is largely funded by the University Grants Commission, but staff salaries, certain courses and funds for maintenance are funded by the TET.

The letters were received by 55 teachers and 60 non-teaching staff members across four campuses in Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad and Guwahati. All terminated staff members were contractual employees appointed under projects funded by Tata Trust.

Reports suggest faculty members had apprised the pro-Vice-Chancellor about the renewal of funding of their contractual positions. A dedicated committee was also formed to pursue the matter with the Tata Trust, but there was no response.

TISS withdrew the notices on June 30 after assurances on the release of funds for the salaries. TISS administration confirmed that the trust has sanctioned Rs 4.79 crore.

Why was the Funding Delayed?

Reports suggest that the funding got delayed due to structural changes in the organization as certain decision-making power was shifted from the Tata Trust to the Union Ministry of Education a few months ago in 2023.

TISS was founded in 1936 by the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and was declared a deemed university by the Government of India in 1964, under section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act of 1956.

Before the changes were made, the TISS Governing Board was chaired by a nominee from Sir Ratan Tata Trust, and included two nominees from SDTT. The Central government had one nominated member from the education ministry. However, UGC regulations in 2022 for deemed universities stated that those receiving more than 50% of their funding from the Centre were to be brought under the purview of the Central government.

TISS Governing Board was replaced by the TISS Society chaired by the Union Education Minister. It has one nominated Tata Trust representative, apart from other nominations from the chairman. The TISS Society also facilitates the institutes Executive Council, headed by the Vice-Chancellor. Apart from other government representatives, the council has four members nominated by the Education Minister. Appointments to major posts such as the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor are now also under the education ministry.

Reports suggest it has been nine months, but the new council is yet to come into full operation.

TISS administration has dismissed any link between the recent events and the new regulations.

What Challenges is TISS Facing

The TISS was expanding from 2004 onwards under the directorship of late Prof. S. Parsuraman. From mere 15 programmes including Masters and Diploma, TISS had expanded to more than 55 programmes including dual degrees and foreign university collaborations.

Reports suggest that trouble began brewing in TISS from 2006 onwards when it decided to stop student aid to those belonging to marginalised communities in all four campuses.

Students were supposed to receive their results in May, but it got delayed by three months. And their convocation will be now held in August.

What Next?

A committee of senior faculty members and administration representatives has been formed to look into the TET issue. It is also expected to come up with a plan that will include identifying and creating necessary teaching and non-teaching positions that are approved by the UGC, a report in The Indian Express mentioned.

According to TISSs 2022-23 annual report, there are 181 UGC-sanctioned positions at TISS, of which 164 are filled. Of the 252 administrative positions, 162 are filled. Faculty members claim that close to 30 UGC-approved positions are currently vacant.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was in Kazakhstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Summit (SCO) on July 4. He met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the summit and discussed issues along the LAC and efforts to restore border peace.

He also held bilateral meetings with SCO members Tajikistan, Russia and Belarus (the newest member). Belarus and Iran earlier held Observer Status in the grouping. While Iran formally joined it last year, Belarus was formally admitted on Thursday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also attended the 24th SCO meet in the capital city, Astana. Other leaders include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov.

What is SCO?

The SCO was established in Shanghai on June 15, 2001 by six founding members: Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It has been evolved from the Shanghai Five group formed in 1996.

During the disintegration of USSR in 1991 into 15 independent countries, a grouping was created to manage the issues of religious extremism and ethnic tensions and for cooperation on security matters.

The SCO has now nine members, including India and Pakistan. There are three observer states  Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia, and 14 dialogue partners, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye.

The SCO represents 40% of the worlds population, and member countries contribute approximately over $23 trillion to global GDP.

Whats Their Agenda?

The SCO places significant emphasis on combating the three evils of terrorism, separatism, and extremism. Joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, and coordinated actions against threats are central to this effort.

The organisation aims to promote trade and economic cooperation among member states. Initiatives such as the SCO Development Bank and the SCO Free Trade Area have been proposed to enhance economic integration.

The SCO fosters cultural ties through events, educational exchanges, and joint cultural projects, aiming to strengthen people-to-people connections among member countries.

This years agenda is on focusing key areas of cooperation and development among member states. At least 20 major documents will be considered at the summit. These include the Astana SCO Declaration, the SCO Development Strategy until 2035, the Energy Cooperation Development Strategy until 2030, the Program of Cooperation in Countering Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism for 2025-2027, and the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy for 2024-2029.

Why is SCO Significant?

With Western groups such as NATO, World Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund among others, the SCO focuses on security issues that primarily deals with Asian countries. Russia and China also want to project the SCO as an alternative to the western organisations.

Central Asian countries view Russia as their leader while China has now sought to leverage the oil and gas-rich nations through investment in massive infrastructure projects in the region.

Amidst the Ukraine war and trade tensions with China during the Donald Trump tenure, the SCO drove to add more members to the grouping.

Chinese state media outlet Global Times said in 2023 that Irans inclusion was seen as a step for further enhancing the international status and influence of the organization, and for Iran, it is an important step in breaking the US diplomatic blockade.

How Is It Relevant for India?

India has been a member of SCO since 2017. Though it has historic ties with the Eurasian region, direct contact has been quite challenging considering Pakistan is also a member state.

Since becoming a full-time member of the SCO, India has taken up initiatives such as the first-ever SCO Startup Forum, a new SCO Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation, a new SCO Sub-Group on Cooperation in Traditional Medicine, the SCO Young Scientists Conclave, and the SCO Consortium of Economic Think Tanks.

Forums such as Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) has assisted member states like India in the preparation and staging of counter-terrorism exercises, analyzing key intelligence information coming from member states and sharing information on terrorist movements and drug trafficking.

Entry of Iran into the SCO may expedite the focus on India-led connectivity initiatives, namely, the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and Chabahar Port.

Some challenges for India include SCOs expansion to include Turkey. If Turkey, which is a SCO dialogue partner, becomes a full member, it will undermine Indias ambitions while strengthening the Turkey-Pakistan axis.
West Bengal is one of the most beautiful and scenic areas in India. Those who live in the eastern part of the country often regard certain parts of the state as a frame seen on Instagram. As North Bengal is famous for its picturesque hills and greenery, the southern part of the state has beautiful rivers and seas. The state looks extremely beautiful, especially during the monsoon. This attracts a lot of people coming from nearby areas to enjoy the beauty of West Bengal. As we explore parts of West Bengal, heres a look at certain places that should be on your list in the month of monsoon:

Sunderbans:

If you are someone looking for some adventure place during monsoons, you should visit Sunderbans. The Sundarbans forest is decorated in the colours of nature during the monsoons. The forest is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger and has many tribal groups living there. The villages in the forest organise the Hilsa festival, which can be enjoyed by tourists. It offers a sense of adventure and serenity at the same time.

Kalimpong:

Another beautiful and scenic place to travel to for tourists is Kalimpong. Todey-tangta village is the last village in Kalimpong. Most of the time, the village is covered in clouds and mist. Tourists can wake up to the sound of birds and a fresh breeze blowing across the village.

Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri:

If someone wants to enjoy the forest area, they should visit Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri in North Bengal. There are deep jungles inside Gorumara National Park that give deep insight into animal lives. The forest area has a variety of birds, foxes, tigers, and more.

Darjeeling:

Another beautiful tourist destination in West Bengal is Darjeeling. It used to be a summer resort for the British Raj elite and is famous for its scenic views and tea plantations. People often travel to Mount Kanchenjunga from here. Tourists from all over the world visit the city.
The latest data acquired under the Right to Information (RTI) by Mumbai-based activist Jeetendra Ghadge shows a distressing development regarding farmer suicides across various districts in Maharashtra between January 1 and May 31, 2024. The report highlights a staggering number of suicides, emphasising the urgent need for interventions to address the underlying causes. The total number of farmer suicides in this period is 1,046, with a monthly average of 209. The data shows a worrying trend in the Amravati division, which has the top four worst-affected districts.

A total of 143 suicides were recorded in Amravati district alone, according to the data obtained by Ghadge. Neighbouring district Yavatmal is second on the list, with 132 cases recorded. Buldhana district recorded 83 cases, while Akola district, which also falls in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, recorded 82 in the same time frame. This means the Amravati division has reported almost half (461) of the total cases in the state.

Mumbai-based activist Jeetendra Ghadge, of The Young Whistleblowers Foundation, who has been closely monitoring the agrarian distress in the state, said, The alarming number of farmer suicides in the Amravati division is a clear indication of the systemic failures in addressing the needs of our farmers. Immediate and comprehensive measures are needed to provide financial relief, mental health support, and sustainable agricultural practices.

Observers say the rising number of farmer suicides in Maharashtra is a clarion call for action. It is imperative for the government, NGOs, and the community to come together and implement effective solutions to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of the farmers who form the backbone of the country. At the heart of this crisis lies a web of interconnected issues. Farmers face mounting debts due to failed crops, lack of access to affordable credit, and inadequate irrigation facilities. Additionally, the psychological toll of continuous financial stress and uncertainty pushes many to the brink of despair.

News18 reached out to the office of the Maharashtra agriculture minister but is yet to receive a reaction despite several attempts.

The government has initiated some measures in the past, such as loan waivers and crop insurance schemes. However, the persistently high number of suicides indicates that these measures are either insufficient or not reaching those in dire need. There is a pressing need for a multi-faceted approach that includes enhancing financial aid, improving irrigation infrastructure, and providing mental health support, say observers.

In this years additional interim budget, keeping the farmers at the forefront, the state government has announced a Re 1 crop insurance for farmers. The second phase of the Nanaji Deshmukh Agricultural Sanjeevani Project, worth Rs 6,000 crore, will be implemented in 21 districts. The Balasaheb Thackeray Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project approved 767 sub-projects worth Rs 1,561.64 crore, benefiting about 9 lakh farmers. The state government also announced a new scheme called Gaon Tethe Godam (godown in every village). In the first phase, the construction of 100 new godowns and the repair of existing ones will be undertaken.

As the monsoon season approaches, there is hope that timely rains might provide some respite. However, sustainable and long-term solutions are necessary to prevent such tragedies in the future. The situation calls for empathy, solidarity, and immediate action to heal the heart of Maharashtra.

If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)
An eight-member team of the Punjab Police would escort jailed Waris Punjab De activist Amritpal Singh to New Delhi for his swearing-in as an MP, an official said.

Singh, who has won the Lok Sabha polls from the Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab, has been granted four-day parole for the swearing-in.

The police team, led by a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)-rank official, arrived here on Thursday afternoon and is scheduled to escort Singh, lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail, to New Delhi in a special flight amid tight security for the swearing-in on Friday.

Singhs lawyer Rajdev Singh Khalsa said he would be taken to Delhi aboard a military aircraft for the swearing-in.

Singhs parole orders are stringent, prohibiting him or his relatives from making any public statements during his visit to New Delhi.

Moreover, any form of media coverage, including videography or circulation of statements, is strictly prohibited.

In addition, Singh has been instructed not to engage in any activities that might compromise national security.

The deployment of security personnel during his temporary release and presence in Delhi will be overseen by the SSP, Amritsar (Rural).

His parents, Tarsem Singh and Balwinder Kaur, and his wife Kirandeep Kaur, met the jailed activist in Dibrugarh Central jail last month after his poll win.

Amritpal won the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat by 1,97,120 votes as an Independent candidate by defeating Congresss Kulbir Singh Zira, while AAPs Laljit Singh Bhullar came third.

The jailed activist polled 4,04,430, while Zira got 2,07,310 votes and Bhullar 1,94,836 votes.

Ten members of the outfit, including Amritpal and one of his uncles, have been lodged in jail since last year after they were arrested under the National Security Act from different parts of Punjab following a crackdown on the outfit.
Many people have been affected by the ongoing floods in Assam, including the Cachar district. According to the Local 18 Assam, the flood situation has deteriorated, with vast tracts of land inundated. The flow of the Barak River has gone past the danger mark due to the breaking of the surrounding dams and heavy rainfall. 10,000 to 15,000 people have already been affected by the floods. As per the reports, the flood victims have been forced to flee their homes and take shelter in refugee camps. The natives have complained that a member of the legislative assembly from Borkhola Assembly visited the flood area. As per the natives, the Katigorah MLA did not arrive to take stock of the situation in the flood-affected area. The natives were also infuriated that the water resources department had opted for the rainy season to repair the fam. It further aggravated the problems being faced by them. The Barak River is flowing above the danger mark at AP Ghat, BP Ghat, Chota Bakra and Fuletrak.

Besides Cachar, other districts in Assam that have been heavily impacted by the floods are Barpeta, Biswanath, Charaideo, Chirang, Darrang and Dhemaji. The other districts include Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup and Kamrup Metropolitan. Other districts are East Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Sonitpur and Tinsukia districts.

Among these districts, Dhubri is the worst hit, with over 2.23 lakh people suffering. It is followed by Darrang with nearly 1.84 lakh people and Lakhimpur with more than 1.66 lakh people reeling under flood waters. Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger marks at Nimatighat, Tezpur, Guwahati, Goalpara and Dhubri.

According to an official bulletin by the Press Trust of India, the flood situation in Assam has affected 16.50 lakh population in 29 districts. The bulletin added that the major rivers flowed above the danger level across the state on Thursday (July 4). An alert was sounded in the Kamrup (Metro) district with the Brahmaputra, Digaru and Kollong rivers flowing above the red mark with vast tracts of land inundated.
A scandal has emerged with 54-year-old Pakistani national Minhaj Hussain who was working as the cook at the official residence of Saad Ahmad Warraich, the Charge DAffaires at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, allegedly trying to molest an Indian woman.

The victim was hired as a domestic help at the residence of Warraich and she was living in the servant quarters of the diplomats official residence at Tilak Marg, New Delhi.

Hussain who was also living there was allegedly misbehaving with her since his arrival in India in February, constantly demanding sexual favours and making obscene advances.

According to sources, after Minhaj attempted to molest the woman, she complained to Warraich but he quietly sent Hussain to Pakistan on the pretext of Bakrid.

They added that afterwards, the Pakistan High Commission asked the woman to leave the job and Warraichs residence by June 30.

The victim who is a widow and had to work for her children was shaken by this treatment.

She felt even worse when Hussain returned from Pakistan and started working in Warraichs house again.

Thereafter, she went to Tilak Marg Police Station on June 28 and filed a complaint against the alleged indecent behaviour of Minhaj Hussain.

Delhi Police immediately registered an FIR under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Minhaj Ahmed Hussain on the basis of the complaint.

Hussain was living in India on an official passport and visa. Sensing trouble, he was sent back to Pakistan on June 30.
The police has not ruled out conspiracy angle in the stampede that killed 121 at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradeshs Hathras on July 2, Anupam Kulshrestha, chief of the three-member special investigation team (SIT) and Additional Director General of Police (Agra Zone), told CNN-News18 exclusively. The officer added that statements of 90 witnesses, victims and suspects have been recorded, and that they are focussing on sevadars (organisers).

On the sidelines of a high-level meeting, Kulshrestha said, Other than the six arrested accused, many others are being questioned to ascertain the role of others. Those who are culpable will definitely face legal action. The ambit of investigation will widen as we find evidence and accordingly more arrests are likely. More people are being rounded up and the number of arrests is likely to go up.

The officer added the culpability is on sevadars and therefore our focus is on them. Conspiracy angle cannot be ruled out. More evidence has emerged out of statements and our investigation is strengthening, the ADG said.

Among the 121 dead most were women who had gone to attend preacher Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Babas satsang in Hathras Fulrai village. Madhukar, mukhya sevadar (chief organiser of the satsang), is the only named accused in the First Information Report (FIR), while Surajpal is not mentioned as an accused.

When asked if the police is close to arresting the main accused, the officer said, We are tracking Madhukar. His location cannot be shared but we are on to it.

Kulshrestha said the team has submitted the initial investigation report and a detailed report will follow.

CNN-News18 has learned that the confidential report contains statements of Hathras district magistrate Ashish Kumar and senior police and health department officials who dealt with the situation on July 2.

An FIR was lodged the same day 2 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).
Dev Prakash Madhukar, the main accused in the Hathras stampede, has been removed from his role as a technical assistant overseeing MGNREGA activities across 20 panchayats in Uttar Pradesh since 2010 under contract.

Madhukars responsibilities included preparing bills and vouchers following inspections of development projects funded by MGNREGA in Sheetalpur block of Etah district in the state.

Addressing Madhukars termination, Block Development Officer Dinesh Sharma of Sheetalpur stated that the process to remove him from his position and terminate his contract was initiated after he was named as the prime accused in the FIR.

The police have also announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to his arrest. Madhukar also faces an NBW for being on the run after the incident.

The in charge of Samagam (satsang) Dev Prakash Madhukar (Engineer), in whose name permission was sought for the satsang, is absconding after being named in FIR by the Hathras police. A reward of Rs 1 lakh has been declared on his arrest and NBW issued. Teams are searching for him, Inspector General of Police, Aligarh range, Shalabh Mathur told the media on Thursday.

According to the police, Madhukar was actively involved in encouraging residents of his native village to join the organisation of self-styled godman Suraj Pal, also known as Bhole Baba. At least 30 people from him village had attended the satsang in Hathras.

Additionally, Madhukar had previously contested and lost in the village pradhan election. His wife is a panchayat assistant, and they both reside in Sikandra Rau town of Hathras.

No clean chit has been given

Senior official investigating the case told CNN-News18 that police teams have intensified their search for Hari Sakar Baba and Dev Prakash Madhukar in Rajasthan, Haryana, and parts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, adding that no one has been given a clean chit, not even Bhole Baba.

We also want to question the Baba on various aspects. However, our prime accused is the person who had on record taken permission for the event, the official added.

Administration Made Lapses: Rahul Gandhi

Earlier today, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi visited Hathras and met with the family members of the victims of the stampede, where at least 121 people, mostly women, died at the satsang of Baba Bhole on Tuesday.

Criticising the administration for lapses in the incident, Gandhi stated, I dont want to speak from a political prism, but there have been some lapses on part of the administration. There have been mistakes, which should be identified.

The Congress leader also called upon Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to release maximum compensation for the victims without delay.

(With inputs from agencies)
A man with a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head and an accused in two attempt to murder cases in Uttar Pradesh was held by Navi Mumbai police in Badlapur, an official said on Friday.

On Wednesday, Gorakhpur police informed their Navi Mumbai counterparts that Gautam Nirmal Gaud (25) ,who was wanted in cases filed in the northern state in 2022, may be in Badlapur, senior inspector Nitin Thackeray said.

A police team was sent from Panvel to apprehend Gaud. He was held from near a temple there. We found he had absconded from UP and started living in Navi Mumbai with his wife. UP police obtained his transit remand and are taking him for further probe, Thackeray said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Russia on Monday. He will be in Moscow from July 8 to 9 for the 22nd India-Russia annual summit that will review the entire range of multifaceted ties between the two countries.

After Russia, Modi will embark on a historic trip to Austria as it will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to that country in 41 years, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

PM Modis Visit To Russia

The Indian Prime Minister is scheduled to reach Moscow late afternoon on July 8. During his visit, Modi will attend a dinner with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the annual India-Russia Summit.

This will be Modis first visit to Russia after the Kremlin began its military operation in Ukraine.

The announcement of the visit was made last month by Russian officials, but the specific dates were only recently disclosed.

PM Modis Visit to Russia: Schedule

PM Modi will reach Russias capital Moscow late afternoon on July 8.

He will then attend a private dinner hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Tuesday, PM Modi will meet the Indian community in Russia.

After a detailed interaction with the Indian diaspora, the Prime Minister will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Kremlin.

PM Modi will later visit an exhibition venue in Moscow.

Modi is also expected to hold a one-on-one talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Whats On The Agenda

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Russia for an upcoming summit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Friday said issues of regional and global interest will be on the agenda of the talks between PM Modi and President Vladimir Putin.

According to the officials, PM Modi and Putin will discuss regional and global security, trade and all other topics on the agenda during their meeting.

Issues of regional and global interest will be part of the agenda in the talks between the two leaders, Kwatra said.

The India-Russia summit will provide opportunities to discuss a whole range of bilateral ties, including defence, investment, education and culture, and people-to-people ties, he added.

On the question of if Russia, the Ukraine war will be discussed Foreign Secretary Kwatra said, In all the past summits, even on the sideline meeting like meet in Samarkand in 2022 the issues of regional and global importance of both countries are always taken up by two leaders you are very well aware of what PM spoke when he referred to the ongoing conflict between Russia, Ukraine in Samarkand.

International North-South Transport Corridor

On the question of the International North-South Transport corridor being taken up given the recent development on Chabahar Port being signed by India, and Iran, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that significant outcomes are expected to come out of the visit.

The larger substantive area of cooperation which relates to connectivity has always been one of the important areas of cooperation. We do expect connectivity important domain of partnership between India and Russia to come out of this visit as an important outcome. There is also an eastern corridor which is being talked about between Chennai and Vladivostok but overall Connectivity domain will be an important area of partnership, Kwatra said.

PM Modis Previous Trips To Russia

PM Narendra Modi & President Putin last met in September 2022 at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Uzbekistan. In 2021 Putin travelled to New Delhi to hold talks with PM Modi.

The defence cooperation between the two countries is guided by the IRIGC- M&MTC mechanism headed by the Defence Ministers of both countries. India and Russia participate in bilateral and multilateral military exercises.

PM Modis Visit to Austria

After concluding his trip to Russia, Modi will travel to Austria, which will be the first visit by an Indian prime minister to that country in 41 years, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. Prime Minister will be in Austria from July 9 to 10.

About the PMs Austria trip, Pawan Kapoor Secretary of West MEA said We have been having quite a bit of engagement for the last few years. The foreign minister has been meeting regularly. We have a launch of Startup Bridge this year. Last month 20 Indian startups visited Vienna.

PM Modis Visit to Austria: Schedule

Shortly after his arrival, PM Modi will call on Austrias President  Alexander Van der Bellen.

The Indian Prime Minister will then hold talks with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

PM and Karl Nehammer will also address business leaders from India and Austria.

PM Modi will then interact with the Indian diaspora in Vienna.

PM Modis Previous Interactions With Austrian Leaders

PM Modi had a telephone conversation with President Alexander Van Der Belle on May 26 2020. Austrian PM met PM Modi in St Petersberg in 2017 on the sidelines of St Petersburg Economic Forum.

There have been multiple ministerial-level engagements between the two countries. To foster innovation and entrepreneurship between the two countries India Austria Startup Bridge was launched in Feb 2024.

India-Austria Relations

India-Austrias cultural relations have a long tradition dating back to the 16th Century. The teaching of Sanskrit at Vienna University started in 1845. The visit of Rabindra Nath Tagore twice to Vienna in 1922 and 1926 was one of the crucial bridges of cultural and intellectual exchanges.

India-Austria bilateral trade was 2.93 USD Billion in 2023. Indias key exports to Austria are electronic Goods, Apparel, Textiles, footwear, Rubber articles, Vehicles & Railway Parts. India imports Machinery, Mechanical Appliances, Railway Parts, Iron and steel

Austria is one of the few members of the EU which is not a part of NATO. Neutrality is the centre of Austrias foreign policy.
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday morning left for Uttar Pradeshs Hathras, where a stampede during a religious gathering killed 121 people and injured 31. The Congress leader first stopped at Pilakhna village in Aligarh to meet some of the victims families.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi reaches the residence of a victim of the Hathras stampede, in Aligarh. pic.twitter.com/zDVJ3ydR9o ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2024

Rahul ji left for Hathras from Delhi at around 5.10 am (on Friday), state Congress chief Ajay Rai said.

ALSO READ |Can Still Hear Cries of Women & Kids: When Locals Turned Saviours for Hathras Stampede Survivors

Apart from Rai, state Congress in-charge Avinash Pande, party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, and other office bearers are accompanying Gandhi to Hathras.

The senior Congress leader landed in Pilakhna village in Aligarh around 7.15 am after he left by road from Delhi. Later, Gandhi is scheduled to meet families of the stampede victims in Hathrass Vibhav Nagar area.

#WATCH | Hathras Stampede Accident | Aligarh, UP: After Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhis visit, a member of a bereaved family says, He told us that he would help us with the help of the party He asked us how everything happened pic.twitter.com/umc6rS6NZX ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2024

Following Rahul Gandhis visit, a member of a bereaved family said, He told us that he would help us with the help of the party. He asked us how everything happened.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi leaves from Aligarh after meeting the victims of the Hathras stampede. pic.twitter.com/bOkWk7szON ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2024

After meeting the victims families, Rahul Gandhi said, The grieving families said there were lapses on police and administrations part. There should be proper investigation. Also, the compensation declared is not enough. There should be more aid and they are in need now.

Here are the top developments in the matter.

Six people have been arrested in connection with the stampede in UPs Hathras district during a religious discourse on Tuesday that left 121 people dead.

Those arrested have been identified by the police as Ram Ladaite (50), Upendra ingh Yadav (62), Megh Singh (61), Mukesh Kumar (38), and women Manju Yadav (30) and Manju Devi (40).

IG Mathur said, When information regarding the arrestees was obtained through detailed enquiry, these people told during inquiry that they are members of the organising committee and work as sevadars. The organisers and members gathered crowd and collected donations in the satsang committee for cooperation, the officer added.

The FIR was lodged on July 2 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) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).

Mukhya Sevadar Dev Prakash Madhukar has been identified as the main accused in the FIR. The police have announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to his arrest.

Aligarh Range Inspector General (IG) Shalabh Mathur said the stampede occurred as people ran after the preachers convoy to touch the dust under his feet, adding that a conspiracy angle in the incident would be probed.

A preliminary inquiry report said chaos  caused after the followers were pushed by the godmans security  and a slippery slope resulted in the stampede.

Two congregations of religious preacher Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba in Hathras have been cancelled after the stampede incident. One of the Satsang Sabhas was supposed to be held from July 4 to 11 in Saiyan and the other from July 13 to 23 in Shastripuram.

Surajpal, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari and Bhole Baba, is not named in the FIR registered by the UP police. However, the police plan to question him if required. On Thursday, the police searched his Mainpuri ashram but couldnt find him.

(With inputs from agencies)
In a heart-wrenching plea for help, the parents of Hitaishi, a baby girl from Andhra Pradeshs Guntur, are facing the daunting reality of funding a life-saving treatment for their childs rare disease. Gayatri and Pritam, both software employees originally from Guntur and Rajamundry respectively, were overjoyed with the arrival of their daughter, only to be devastated by the discovery of her illness soon after.

Hitaishi was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a severe genetic condition affecting the spine, which inhibits motor neuron function essential for basic movements like sitting, swallowing, and even breathing. Doctors at Baptist Hospital in Bengaluru confirmed the diagnosis, stressing the urgency of treatment.

The prescribed remedy, an injection of Zolgensma, comes with a staggering price tag of Rs 16 crore. This injection is crucial for halting the progression of SMA, a condition that can be fatal if untreated early. With treatment available in major cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi, Hitaishis parents are desperately seeking financial aid to afford the imported medication.

SMA is a rare genetic disease affecting approximately one in 10,000 people, explained medical experts familiar with the case. Without intervention, the disease progressively weakens muscles, severely impacting a childs ability to move and breathe. Injections and medications necessary for treating this disease are being imported from abroad.

Children aged 8-9 months are classified as type-1 SMA, while those between 9 and 18 months fall into type-2. SMA type 1 results from a defect in the SMN1 gene, crucial for producing a protein vital to motor neuron survival. These neurons, responsible for muscle control, degenerate without sufficient protein, leading to muscle weakness. Consequently, affected children experience difficulties in walking, sitting, swallowing, and breathing, and have impaired function in their eyes and hands.

The financial burden has overwhelmed the middle-class family, prompting them to reach out to government agencies and potential donors for assistance. Despite their best efforts, Gayatri and Pritam find themselves in a race against time to secure funds and save their daughters life.

This disease has placed an immense emotional and financial strain on their family and they now implore those who can help them in any way possible. As the couple navigates this harrowing ordeal, they remain hopeful for the generosity and compassion of strangers who can provide a lifeline for their precious daughter.

The film Saindhav released in December 2023, directed by Sailesh Kolanu, was around similar lines where the protagonists child suffered from the same ailment.
The Sikkim High Court has confirmed the conviction of a 24-year-old man found guilty of raping his 80-year-old maternal grandmother. The division bench, comprising Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai and Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan, upheld the judgment of the Fast Track Sessions Court, citing robust evidence and a thorough trial process.

The appellant/accused was convicted under Sections 376(2)(f) (rape of a relative, guardian etc), 376(2)(n) (repeatedly committing rape on the same woman), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The heinous crime took place while the victim was residing with her daughter, son-in-law, and their son, the convict.

The incident came to light when the victims daughter returned from a trip to West Bengal and found her mother missing. The elderly woman was eventually located at a neighbours house, where she revealed the assault. She reported that her grandson had raped her on multiple occasions and threatened her with further harm if she disclosed the abuse.

In her First Information Report (FIR), the victim detailed how the appellant would chase and touch her inappropriately, often while intoxicated. She also mentioned his previous incarceration and the threats he made to silence her. During the trial, the victim consistently reiterated her allegations, and the medical examination report supported her claims of sexual assault.

Contrarily, the defence argued that the victims age was misrepresented, the delay in lodging the FIR was unexplained, and the victims immediate neighbour, who could have been a key witness, was not called to testify. It was also pointed out that the victims clothing was not seized, and there were no physical injuries on her. The appellant further suggested a psychiatric evaluation of the appellant, citing his history of alcohol abuse and violence.

The court also addressed the delay in lodging the FIR, acknowledging that the victims reluctance to report the crime was understandable given the familial relationship. The Supreme Court has previously emphasised that delays in reporting rape cases do not necessarily undermine the prosecutions case, particularly in sensitive situations involving close family members. The court noted that she was too ashamed and did not tell anyone about the incident which is absolutely understandable under the said circumstances.

The court noted the observation made by the trial court that In this case, apart from the victim who is the grandmother of the accused, even the mother of the accused herself, has come forward to report the matter against her own son. It is thus evident that it is under sheer compulsion being subjected to rape repeatedly by her accused grandson that the mother has mustered the courage to finally approach the police.

The Learned Trial Court found no reason to disbelieve the victim, a senior citizen, who at her age was unlikely to make such allegations against her own grandchild unless she was left with no option, the high court stated.

Notably, the trial court had sentenced the appellant to rigorous imprisonment for life and fined Rs 10,000 for each rape conviction, along with a two-year term and a Rs 1,000 fine for criminal intimidation. The sentences were to run concurrently.

Observing the thoroughness of the trial courts proceedings, the High Court upheld the appellants conviction, affirming the gravity of the crime and the credibility of the victims testimony. In conclusion, the appeal was dismissed
A speeding school bus with 40 students on board crashed into several vehicles in Haryanas Hisar on Thursday morning. Reportedly, the brakes of the bus failed, however, the locals claimed that the driver was drunk.

The accident occurred at Hisar-Delhi National Highway 9 when the bus speeding school bus rammed into several vehicles, including a bike and thrashed a car which then rammed into a truck moving alongside.

Hisar, Haryana: On Hisar-Delhi National Highway 9, a school bus collided with vehicles. Its reported the bus was speeding due to rain. The bus first hit two to three vehicles, then a motorcycle. The motorcyclist is severely injured. At the time of the accident, the bus was pic.twitter.com/2OzT0fgn66 IANS (@ians_india) July 4, 2024

The passengers in the car had a narrow escape, however, the motorcyclist was severely injured in the accident.

Earlier in April, a school bus overturned in a village near Haryanas Narnaul leaving 6 children dead and several injured. The school was functioning on the public holiday of Eid-ul-Fitr.
The Supreme Court is set to hear review petitions seeking reconsideration of the previous judgment that denied legalisation of same-sex marriages in India on July 10.

The review petitions will be heard by a newly constituted bench, as Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and S. Ravindra Bhat, who were part of the original 5-judge bench, have retired.

Replacing them on the bench are Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B.V. Nagarathna. The remaining judges on the bench include Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Hima Kohli, and P.S. Narasimha, Live Law reported.

Why did SC refuse to legalise gay marriage in last years verdict?

During last years verdict in October, the Supreme Court of India stated that it could not legalise same-sex marriages, with CJI Chandrachud asserting that enacting such a law falls within the domain of Parliament.

The Constitution bench, led by CJI Chandrachud and comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S. Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli, and P.S. Narasimha, delivered a split verdict of 3-2, refusing to legalise same-sex marriage in four separate judgments.

The bench differed on issues such as the applicability of adoption rules for queer couples and conducted a critical analysis of opposing viewpoints.

The bench declined to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act, stating that there was no unqualified right to marriage except those recognised by law. It deferred the decision on whether to recognise same-sex marriages to Parliament and state legislatures, emphasising that it could not declare the Special Marriage Act void or alter its provisions.

During the verdict, the CJI also directed the Centre, states, and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure non-discrimination against the queer community, stating that queer is a natural phenomenon known for ages and is neither urban nor elitist.

The LGBTQIA++ rights activists, who had won a major legal battle in 2018 in the Supreme Court which decriminalised consensual gay sex, had moved the apex court seeking validation of same-sex marriage and consequential reliefs such as rights to adoption, enrolment as parents in schools, opening of bank accounts and availing succession and insurance benefits. Some of the petitioners had urged the apex court to use its plenary power, prestige and moral authority to push the society to acknowledge such a union which would ensure LGBTQIA++ lead a dignified life like heterosexuals.

LGBTQIA++ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit, asexual and allied persons.

(With PTI inputs)
You can now have your lipid profile tested without fasting  one of the major changes that the new guidelines for lipid management bring in, with the aim to prevent heart attacks.

Lipid profile has also been extended with the introduction of an additional parameter and different reference ranges for different risk categories. For the first time, India will have its own guidelines, partly moving away from the European standards.

The Cardiological Society of India (CSI) on Thursday released the first Indian guidelines for Dyslipidemia management which are crucial in the prevention of heart attack. Till now, India has followed the European guidelines. Dyslipidemia is the term used to describe abnormal lipid levels in the bloodstream.

The latest Indian guidelines recommend non-fasting lipid measurements for risk estimation and treatment, shifting from traditional fasting measurements. Introducing some major changes, the new guidelines recommend that the main focus should be LDL-Cholesterol  also known as bad cholesterol  that contributes to plaque build-up in arteries but for patients with high triglycerides, non-HDL cholesterol should be the focus.

To simplify, non-HDL cholesterol is the difference between good cholesterol (or HDL) and total cholesterol. Non-HDL includes all types of bad cholesterol.

With several studies pointing out the increasing advent of heart diseases among the young population of India, the new guidelines recommend the first lipid profile test at the age of 18 years or earlier if there is a family history of premature heart disease.

These guidelines have been communicated to cardiologists across India and soon, they will become part of test reports at pathological labs as they bring changes in the pattern of reporting lipid profile.

The move holds importance as Dyslipidemia is known as a silent killer because rising cholesterol levels and triglycerides do not show symptoms but end up blocking arteries  leading to sudden heart attacks and strokes.

Almost 80 per cent of people in India do not have normal lipid levels yet they dont realise until they face an emergency, Dr S Ramakrishnan, professor of cardiology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and co-author of lipid guidelines told News18.

The idea behind drafting these guidelines is to prevent premature heart attacks and 50 per cent of them can be prevented, if these guidelines are adhered to.

A study published in June 2023 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), revealed that the national prevalence of Dyslipidemia in India is an alarming 81.2 per cent.

New reporting format

New guidelines have uniquely designed lipid management in specific co-morbidities  giving a broader view for both patients and doctors to understand every patient better.

A patient with a history of heart disease believes that he is doing good as his bad cholesterol (LDL) is less than 100 because the reference range (as per the present guidelines inserted in his lipid test report) shows his results in the normal range. But that is incorrect, as per the latest recommendations. Hence, these guidelines have modified the cut-offs.

Dr JPS Sawhney, the lead author of the guidelines, explained that for a heart disease patient, LDL should be less than 55 because the patient falls in the category of a very high-risk individual.

This is how new guidelines are different and bring customisation for four sets of people  low risk, moderate risk, high risk and very high risk.

We have been in discussion with the pathological and diagnostic labs across India for the change and uniformity in lipid profiles reporting format. Around 2,500 labs are accredited by NABL making communication easy and for the rest, we are connecting through the associations, Sawhney, who is chairman of cardiology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, told News18.

Under the new format, low risk means an individual who has no known risk of having heart disease whereas moderate risk is the one who either smokes, consumes tobacco, has hypertension, diabetes, Dyslipidemia or a family history of young heart attack.

Those who fall in high risk are people with diabetes with one or more risk factors, hypertension with one or more risk factors or chronic kidney disease or people with a family history of heart disease.

The very high-risk category includes people with clinical evidence of blockages in arteries, diabetes for more than 20 years or diabetes with complications, and a family history of blockages in arteries.

Addition of one more parameter in lipid profiling

New guidelines add Lipoprotein (a) to the important lipid parameters while testing. Till now, LDL Cholesterol, Non-HDL Cholesterol, HDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides were the important parameters. However, testing of Lipoprotein (a) levels is now recommended.

An elevated level of Lipoprotein (a) can indicate an increased risk for heart disease and stroke. They are particles composed of proteins and fats (lipids) that transport cholesterol through your bloodstream to your cells.

Elevated Lipoprotein (a) levels, over 50 mg/dl are linked with heart disease. It is documented that India has a higher prevalence of elevated lipoproteins of around 25 per cent against 15 per cent in the Western world, Dr Ashwani Mehta, co-author of the guidelines, said, adding that one in every five Indians has elevated Lipoprotein levels.

Mehta, who is a senior consultant cardiologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said he has been treating several patients coming with heart attacks aged between 25 and 35. In fact, there are several children as well who have a worrying lipid profile.
Its time for a regime change in United Kingdom as Labour Partys Keir Starmer is all set to succeed Rishi Sunak as prime minister after a landslide victory in the general elections on Friday. Of the several global issues on Starmers agenda, one of his key responsibilities will be to mend his partys ties with India, which have been turbulent due to the partys stand on the Kashmir issue.

It was September 2019 when the Labour Party, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, passed an emergency motion that sought international observers must enter Kashmir, demanding the right of self-determination for its people. The motion also called for Corbyn to meet the high commissioners of India and Pakistan to ensure there is mediation and a potential nuclear conflict is avoided by restoring peace.

This did not sit well with India, which termed it an effort to pander to vote banks interest.

As the situation came to a head, it was Starmer who stepped in to defuse tensions. Aware of the significance of UKs ties with a giant growing economy like India, Starmer emphasised during meetings with the Indian diaspora and public addresses that Kashmir is Indias internal issue and will be resolved by both the neighbours.

Any constitutional issues in India are a matter for the Indian Parliament, and Kashmir is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully, he said during a meeting with Labour Friends of India.

In fact, in his manifesto, he included a commitment to pursue a new strategic partnership with India, emphasising the trade agreement. As part of his poll campaigns, Starmer made several attempts to rebuild trust with the British-Indian community, including participating in Hindu festivals like Diwali and Holi.

Starmers outreach is not without cause. There are 1.9 million people of Indian origin residing in the UK, accounting for over 2.5 per cent of the overall population.

Over the years, the British-Indian community  earlier considered staunch loyalists of the Labour Party  shifted to the Conservatives for a plethora of reasons. Apart from disappointment over the Labour Partys political positioning on Indias domestic matters, the decision of the Conservatives to field India-origin candidates  such as Sunak  marked a shift in the communitys loyalties. According to The Guardian, some UK Indians have also complained that the party has focused more on poorer inner-city Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities than on them.

It is this switch that Starmer now wants to nip in the bud.

The soon-to-be prime minister has promised to reset relations between the Labour Party and India, admitting that they dropped the ball in their approach to relations with the worlds most populous country.

During a UK-India Week conference, Starmer said: There are lots of issues in the Labour party where, over the last two years, we have openly taken the decision to change our party to look out to the world in a different way  and to recognise when it comes to India, what an incredible, powerful, important country India is  and to ensure that we have the right relationship as we go forward.

Stung by the loss in the 2019 elections, the Labour Party is also looking to edge out anti-India sentiments within its ranks to build a strong strategic partnership with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

At a Political Hustings event for Britains South Asian community organised by Asian Voice in partnership with City Sikhs and City Hindus Network in London on Friday evening, Labour Party chair and shadow secretary of state for women and equalities Anneliese Dodds claimed that the party led by Starmer is confident of having cleansed its ranks of any members with extremist views.

THE 2024 ELECTION

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat on Friday as his Conservative Party was on course for one of its worst election defeats and the Starmer-led Labour Party hurtled towards a landslide victory in the historic UK election. Official results showed the Labour Party has won enough seats to have a majority in the UK Parliament and will form the next government. The Labour Party is estimated to have a majority of around 160 seats in the House of Commons. The party had won 326 of the 650 seats by 5 am Friday as counting continued.

In a triumphant speech on Friday, Starmer vowed to start a period of national renewal in the UK. Today we start the next chapter  begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country, he said in London.

Starmer added: The change begins right here, because this is your democracy, your community and your future. You have voted. It is now time for us to deliver.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the world leaders who congratulated Starmer on his victory. I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity, he posted on X.
The Uttarakhand High Court has questioned the fairness of arresting only minor boys in cases relating to teenage dating. In fact, the court has suggested counselling in such cases. The High Court has asked the state government to examine whether arrests can be avoided in cases related to minor boys and girls going on a date and the girls parents filing a complaint over it.

A division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Bahari and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Manisha Bhandari.

The bench asked the government to look into whether recording a statement under Section 161 of the CrPC would be sufficient to not arrest the boy.

The petitioner in his plea highlighted the gender disparity when it comes to such cases, claiming that while girls are often viewed as victims even in consensual relationships, teenage boys are seen as perpetrators.

The plea further questioned the justification of arresting a minor boy for going on a date with a minor girl in case a complaint was lodged by the girls parent as it did not constitute an offence under sections 3,4,5,6 and 7 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act

At the most, he can be called for giving him advice not to indulge in these things, but should not be arrested, the court said.

The state can examine the matter and issue general directions to the police department, it said.

The matter will be heard again on August 6.

(With inputs from PTI)
Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who is expecting her first baby with Ranveer Singh, shared a new set of photos from her latest photo shoot. In one of the pics, the actress was seen cradling her baby bump as she posed for camera in a stunning purple-coloured saree. Deepika opted for this traditional look to attend Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants wedding sangeet in Mumbai.

Sharing the pics, Deepika wrote, Just coz its a Friday night and (a baby angel emoji) wants to party!!! She also tagged Ranveer in the caption. The Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani star was quick to react to the pics. Hayyyye! My beautiful birthday gift! I love you, Ranveer commented.

Meanwhile, Deepika has been receiving love and appreciation for her incredible performance in Nag Ashwins Kalki 2898 AD. Recently, her co-star Saswata Chatterjee recalled shooting Kalki 2898 AD climax with the actress when Ranveer was also on the sets.

Speaking exclusively to News18 Showsha from Bangladesh, Saswata recalled shooting for the films climax, where his character Manas drags Deepikas pregnant Sumathi by hair after he and his army invades Shambhala. The actor revealed that during the particular scene, Deepikas actor-husband Ranveer Singh was present on set.

Deepika is just ever-smiling, Saswata said. He continued, There is a scene in the film where I drag her by the hair. It was part of the last leg of the shoot and was shot in Mumbai because Deepika was pregnant by then. Ranveer came on set wearing an ensemble that was orange from top to bottom  tee, pants and shoes! He radiates such an infectious positive energy  he just cant stand in one place! There was a lot of physical tussle in the scene, so I told Ranveer, Dont worry, for more physically challenging scenes, theres a body double. He was so polite and humble. He smiled and said, I know, Dada.
Actor Roshan Mathew who rose to fame with Alia Bhatt starrer Darlings, recently opened up on working in the highly anticipated Ulajh. The actor would be seen sharing screen space with Janhvi Kapoor and Gulshan Devaiah in the film. Recently, in an interview he opened up on working with them, his shooting experience and all things in between.

In an interview with India Today, Roshan shared, Janhvi and Gulshan are my co-actors in it. I have most of my scenes with Janhvi, and Gulshan is someone I have a lot of respect for. I feel like I just got a taste of him, and I want to do another project with him. Janhvi was an absolute delight to work with because she is so committed to getting the best version of the scene out there.

He further added, With each day, with each moment we were playing out, she wanted to get better. Shes constantly looking for what else can we do to make this better and make it more powerful, and thats a good energy to work with.

Earlier in a statement, Janhvi Kapoor expressed her excitement on being a part of Ulajh. The actress shared, When I was approached with the script of Ulajh, it instantly attracted me because as an actor, I am constantly looking for scripts that make me break out of my comfort zone and portraying a character based in the celebrated world of the Indian Foreign Services was just that. Just as the name of the film suggests, my character and the story, have so many layers, emotions, and parameters, which are challenging and exciting at the same time. I am thrilled for the audience to see me in this new role envisioned by Sudhanshu, who has such a fresh approach towards dealing with this genre. I am also looking forward to work with such talented co-actors and a development studio like Junglee Pictures for the first time.

Sources close to the production house shared that Ulajh follows the journey of a young IFS officer, belonging to a prominent family of patriots, who gets embroiled in a dangerous personal conspiracy while far from her home turf, at a career-defining post. Written by Parveez Shaikh and Sudhanshu Saria, with dialogues by Atika Chohan, this new-age thriller promises to be unlike anything else audiences have seen in this genre.

The film also stars Rajesh Tailang, Meiyang Chang, Sachin Khedekar, Rajendra Gupta and Jitendra Joshi in pivotal roles. The film releases on August 2.
Junaid Khans debut film Maharaj generated attention for the controversy surrounding its release. Despite the delay in its streaming debut, the film was well-received by audiences. The actor maintains that the makers never intended to offend anyones feelings.

He told Hindustan Times, I certainly did not feel that way when I had heard the script and through my conversations with Sidharth (Malhotra; director) sir and (producer) Aditya Chopra sir. The film celebrates a community that stood up for what was right over a hundred and seventy years ago when these sort of things (gender inequality, exploitation of women, religious superstitions) were rampant everywhere. I think as more and more people are watching the film, they are seeing it for what was intended.

The release of Maharaj faced an initial setback when the Gujarat High Court intervened due to concerns raised by members of the Vaishnavite Pustimargi sect over its portrayal of their religious beliefs. However, the High Court later lifted the stay, permitting the films release on Netflix on June 21. The Court concluded that the film was not specifically intended to target the sect, contrary to the allegations.

Reflecting on the nerve-wracking period of uncertainty surrounding the films release, the 31-year-old son of actor Aamir Khan expressed, We were all a bit on edge when the film was stalled. As a team, we drew hope from the positive reactions at the media and industry screenings held the day before the intended release. Im thankful to the judiciary for seeing the film for what it is and allowing its release.

Junaid expressed his desire for those who initially felt apprehensive about the film potentially offending their religious beliefs without even watching it, The positive word of mouth and reviews are doing that already [sending a message]. I hope that everyone sees the film and the intention behind the film for what it is, he stated.

Maharaj was released on June 14, 2024, creating an uproar across the nation and beyond. The audience is liking the film. Maharaj, directed by Siddharth P Malhotra is making waves on OTT and is trending at number one in India. It has also been successful in securing its place in the top-10 in other 22 countries.

In this film, Junaid has played the role of the 19th century social reformer named Karsandas Mulji. Jaideep Ahlawat played the role of Jadunath Maharaj, Shalini Pandey played Kishori, whereas Sharvari Wagh played Viraj.

The film has inspired the audience with its storyline and social message. It reflects that the places of worship and religion are good for people, instead of worshipping people who claim themselves God, we should focus directly on the divine. It also suggests that we should not blindly follow traditions.
Luv Sinha has dropped a throwback photo with his father Shatrughan Sinha on Instagram. The photo is from an old award show back in 2012. Luvs post comes hours after Sonakshi Sinhas post on tolerance and inclusivity went viral. It also comes shortly after Luv Sinha shared and then deleted a post on X about Sonakshis father-in-law, Iqbal Ratansi.

Taking to his Instagram story, Luv shared an old photo with Shatrughan Sinha with the caption, 2012? I have no idea what I was thinking when I wore this. He also used the My Daddy song from Cocomelon to rave praises about his father. Check out the story here:

Earlier today, Sonakshi Sinha took to social media to discuss the importance of kindness and inclusivity. The posts shared by Sonakshi read, How to know when to keep voice down or completely shut (Airplanes, movie theatres). How to know when you dont get what you want. To instil a deep concern for the environment. To live and let live, literally and metaphorically.

The post also read, The utter and total importance of kindness and inclusiveness in a rapidly insular world. To know that contrary opinions to yours can exist, and they do. And to be a more tolerant young human being. The post was originally shared with the title Things they should teach in school.

Sonakshis post comes a few days after Luv Sinha deleted his post on X about Zaheer Iqbals father, Iqbal Ratansis political connect and Dubai stint. Luv had shared an excerpt from the article which read, 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. This post has now been deleted from Luvs X profile.

Sharing this excerpt, Luv added, 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. This post is still visible on his profile.

Later, Luv mentioned on X that his post about Iqbal Ratansi was not his statement but was an excerpt from a news article. 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.
Raj Tarun, the Telugu actor known for his roles in films like Nagarjuna Akkinenis Naa Saami Ranga, is currently in the spotlight as he faces police scrutiny following a complaint lodged by his live-in partner. Lavanya, Raj Taruns girlfriend, has accused him of infidelity, claiming that he is having an affair with another actress.

According to multiple sources, the woman in question has formally lodged a complaint at Narsinghi police station, asserting that Raj Tarun duped her by making a fraudulent commitment to marry her before betraying her trust.

As per a 123 Telugu report, Raj Tarun and Lavanya have maintained a relationship since 2012 and started cohabiting in 2014. The woman in question has claimed that the actor has been involved in a romantic entanglement with an actress based in Mumbai for a considerable period, disregarding their own bond.

Furthermore, according to a Telugu Cinema report, Lavanya disclosed that she and the actor participated in a clandestine marriage ceremony at a temple. The report further indicated that Raj Tarun had promised to formalize their union legally, but is now reportedly entangled in a romantic liaison with a co-star from his upcoming project.

Lavanya further revealed that Raj Tarun has been absent from their shared dwelling for a duration of three months. Furthermore, the report highlighted that individuals associated with the actor have purportedly issued threats of harm towards her due to her decision to formally terminate their relationship.

The actor has now issued his clarification with the media. As quoted by Telugu 360, he expressed, Lavanya has been taking drugs and I could not control her. I did not approach the cops because of my reputation. She is dating Mastan Sai and I have all the proofs. I even transferred so much money and she instead used to cheat and blackmail me. After 2017, she is addicted to drugs and I could not control her anymore. She started blackmailing me after I asked her to vacate my flat. Lavanya also got arrested in a drugs case in the past. I will proceed legally at the earliest and I request the media to support me.

Raj Tarun recently portrayed a pivotal character in the film Naa Saami Ranga, alongside Nagarjuna Akkineni, helmed by choreographer Vijay Binni in his directorial debut. His portrayal as the protagonists confidante significantly contributed to the movies narrative arc.

Moving forward, the actor is slated to star in Thiragabadara Saami, under the direction of AS Ravikumar Chowdhary. This forthcoming project will see him in the lead role alongside a talented ensemble cast including Malvi Malhotra, Mannara Chopra, Makrand Deshpande, and Raghu Babu in crucial roles.

Additionally, Raj Tarun is currently engaged in filming for Bhale Unnade, where he shares the screen with Manisha Kandkur in a leading capacity. Directed by J Sivasai Vardhan, the film boasts a supporting cast comprising actors like Hyper Aadi, Srikanth Iyengar, Racha Ravi, VTV Ganesh, and others.
Dia Mirza is happily engrossed in her maternal duties. The mother of two recently returned from a family vacation in London. Keeping her fans engaged, Dia has been sharing photos and videos on Instagram, capturing precious moments with her loved ones. She has now added a new clip to her London diaries on Instagram, and the wholesome video is filled with pure love.

In a blissful scene, Dia Mirza was seen playing with her three-year-old son, Avyaan Azaad. With her little bundle of joy in her arms, the actress beamed with joy. The bright smile on her face as she lovingly gazed at her son is proof. Later, we can see the adorable duo in some more playful moments. For her causal day out, Dia sported a comfy look in a blue printed shirt and relaxed-fit jeans elevated with brown sneakers. Her little munchkin looked every bit cute in a printed co-ord set and little black shoes. Dia Mirza captioned her post, Let go. Play, laugh, be joyful! Our children teach us this everyday. The art to be.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dia Mirza Rekhi (@diamirzaofficial)

Beyond her professional endeavours, Dia Mirza is a devoted wife and mother. Not long ago, she marked Fathers Day by honouring her husband, Vaibhav Rekhi through an Instagram post. She shared a series of photos featuring her son and step-daughter, Samaira along with husband Vaibhav. In her caption, the actress expressed her love and admiration for him, stating, We love you. You are the absolute best.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dia Mirza Rekhi (@diamirzaofficial)

Dia Mirza entered marital bliss with businessman and investment banker Vaibhav Rekhi on February 15, 2021. In the same year, the couple embraced parenthood and welcomed their first child together, Avyaan. Before Vaibhav, Dia Mirza was married to Sahil Sangha. The former couple separated in August 2019.

On the professional front, Dia Mirza is geared up to be seen in the upcoming mini-series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Jointly directed by Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Srivastava, the series delves into the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight en route from Kathmandu to Delhi on December 24, 1999. Among the star cast are talented stars like Patralekhaa, Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma, Pankaj Kapoor, Ellie Flory Fawcett, and others. She will also be a part of Shauna Gautams Naadaniyaan, alongside Khushi Kapoor and Suniel Shetty.
Strengthening Bilateral Ties with India

Under Rishi Sunak, ties between India and the United Kingdom held up pretty strongly. Now, the Labour Party has stormed back to power after being out of 10 Downing Street for 14 years straight. Given the Labour Partys historical inclination towards the Pakistani line of thought on matters concerning India, it is natural to feel that the bilateral relationship with the UK is set for another bout of rockiness.

However, Keir Starmer has been very clear in how he wants to deal with India and has projected himself as a staunch friend of New Delhi. Starmer was among the leaders who played a pivotal role in navigating the waters with the Indian community after the Labour Party in 2019 passed a motion on Kashmir that, for the lack of a better phrase, blatantly toed the Pakistani-Islamist line.

The Labour Partys proclivity for Pakistans version of the situation in Kashmir and India at large is hardly unknown. In 2019, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, it passed an emergency motion that sought international observers entry into Kashmir, demanding the right of self-determination for Indians there. The motion also called for Corbyn to meet the high commissioners of India and Pakistan to ensure there is mediation and a potential nuclear conflict is avoided by restoring peace. India called the move an effort to pander to vote banks interest. Back then, Keir Starmer emphasised during meetings with the Indian diaspora and public addresses that Kashmir is Indias internal issue and will be resolved by both neighbours.

Starmer appears determined to reset the Labour Partys ties with India. He will do so as the leader of the British government as he steers both London and New Delhi closer to each other. Where Rishi Sunak appeared a bit hesitant to be viewed as an openly pro-India leader due to his own appearance and ethnicity, Starmer has a real chance to emerge as a strong-headed leader who puts realpolitik and strategic pragmatism at the fore while dealing with New Delhi.

In order to ensure the United Kingdoms ties with India remain on a strong footing, Keir Starmers Labour Party must rein in both the Khalistani as well as Islamist camps within its ranks. Preventing both these camps from spewing venom against India is what will help Starmer navigate ties with New Delhi smoothly.

Remember, there is a significant Indian voter bloc in the UK. There are 1.9 million people of Indian origin residing in the UK. Despite being 2.5 per cent of the total population, Indians are estimated to be contributing about 6 per cent to the UKs economy.

The Indian community in the UK has historically been a very pro-Labour voting bloc. In recent years though, this bloc moved towards the Conservatives for a variety of reasons, most important among which was the perception of Labour being a pro-Islamist, pro-Khalistani and anti-India party. Indians have also been concerned by Labours growing proximity towards Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities.

Labour Reinvents Itself to Comfort India

Today, the world knows India keeps its national interests at the forefront of all its international interactions. Case in point being the tumult in not just Indias relations with Canada, but also the United States. Over the past five months, there was a visible 5 Eyes intelligence alliance push to corner India over its purported crackdown on Khalistani separatists globally. India stood its ground and refused to buckle under tremendous Western pressure.

As Prime Minister, Keir Starmer does not appear inclined to make foreign issues the centrepiece of his domestic politics. Remember, Starmer is promising the people of Britain a change and a new start. On the top of his agenda is fixing the British economy, taking it out of crippling stagnation, curbing the cost-of-living crisis and getting the healthcare system up and running seamlessly once again.

On the economic front especially, India has much to offer to the United Kingdom, as London begins decoupling from China. Starmer has himself promised a full audit across all government departments of the UKs relationship with China to set the direction and course of Londons China policy. Last year, Starmer also said the UK needed to wean itself off China on issues like trade, commerce and technology.

In light of the UKs heightened attempt at weaning itself off China, how it deals with India will be of critical importance. London hopes to swiftly finalise a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Delhi. That will not happen unless the Labour government shows by its actions that it will not pander to anti-India elements, both within its ranks and across the UK at large.

Keir Starmer has reinvented the Labour Party to make it more appealing to British-Indians. In his poll manifesto, Starmer included a commitment to pursue a new strategic partnership with India, emphasising the trade agreement. As part of his poll campaigns, Starmer made several attempts to rebuild trust with the British-Indian community, including participating in Hindu festivals like Diwali and Holi. He recently also visited the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingsbury, where he said there is absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain and that Labour would build a new strategic partnership with India.

His comment on there being no place for Hinduphobia in Britain is especially consequential, given how the Islamist and Khalistani lobbies are getting increasingly vocal in the Western hemisphere. Coupled with Starmers commitment to not let extremists take centre stage, there appears to be a genuine effort underway by the Labour Party to course-correct and be seen as a friend of India.

To that end, the party in April 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. In September last year, Labour also demoted Indian-origin shadow minister Preet Kaur Gill for reportedly having links with pro-Khalistani extremists. Add to that, at a Political Hustings event recently, Labour Party chair and shadow secretary of state for women and equalities, Anneliese Dodds, claimed that the party led by Starmer is confident of having cleansed its ranks of any members with extremist views.

Although it is too early to assess just how pro-India Britains new government will be, there are signs that a broad strategy of continuity vis-a-vis ties with New Delhi will be pursued by Keir Starmer. That is to say that Starmer will pick up from where Rishi Sunak left off, and build further on India and the UKs bilateral relationship. For India, that is good news.

Having a leader who panders to extremist and radical vote banks would have posed a significant challenge for India. It would symbolise the Canadanisation of British politics. That is a bullet New Delhi seems to have dodged, for now.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The recent incident of mob violence in Chopra, West Bengal, starkly highlights the troubling intersection of vigilante justice, local strongmen, and political manoeuvring. The public flogging of a woman, captured in a chilling video, has ignited not only outrage but also a political firestorm, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Opposition parties trading accusations of culpability and moral bankruptcy.

Central to this controversy is the figure of Tajemul Islam, known as JCB, a local strongman with alleged political connections, who is accused of dispensing his own brand of insaf or justice. This incident is part of a broader pattern of rising vigilante justice in India. Such acts often stem from the failure of institutional mechanisms, setting a dangerous precedent where mobs, not the law, serve justice.

The political ramifications of such incidents are profound. The TMC, under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which has made substantial electoral gains, now finds itself in a precarious position navigating the fallout from the Chopra incident. The partys response, contrasting its zero-tolerance policy against such acts with the alleged inaction of BJP-ruled states, reflects the complex dynamics at play. Meanwhile, the Opposition has capitalised on this opportunity, branding the state as being under Taliban rule and holding the TMC accountable for the deteriorating law and order situation.

Local strongmen like Tajemul have long been fixtures in West Bengals political landscape, often used by parties to consolidate votes while wielding significant influence over local affairs. However, the TMCs recent electoral success has been tarnished by incidents like Chopra, raising questions about the partys ability to control such elements and the impact on its political reputation. In conclusion, the Chopra mob violence incident is a confluence of systemic failures, political expediency, and the unchecked power of local strongmen. It underscores the urgent need for political parties to intervene and for the state machinery to restore faith in the rule of law.

As West Bengal grapples with the implications of this incident, it is imperative that justice and order prevail over the whims of vigilante justice and political gains.

Strongmen Rule

The political landscape of West Bengal is dominated by strongmen who wield significant influence and often operate outside conventional politics. Mamata Banerjees TMC has embraced this culture, absorbing former Left-aligned strongmen and nurturing new power players. These individuals, like Tajemul Islam, Sheikh Shahjahan, and Anubrata Mondal, are both assets and liabilities, commanding local support and mobilising the electorate.

While they deliver swift justice and consolidate the partys position, their methods raise serious law and order concerns. Tajemuls reputation for meting out vigilante justice, Sheikh Shahjahans rise from humble beginnings to significant clout at Sandeshkhali, and Anubrata Mondals controversial remarks and alleged involvement in illegal activities all highlight the TMCs reliance on strongmen.

This culture may ensure short-term political survival, but it undermines the partys image and West Bengals democratic fabric. The TMCs dependence on strongmen poses significant challenges, leading to governance issues, internal power struggles, and questions about the partys commitment to democracy and the rule of law. As the party navigates the complexities of electoral politics, it must consider a path that prioritises democratic principles and the well-being of all citizens, not just a select few.

Rising Incidents of Vigilante Justice and Sexual Violence

The increase in mob violence and violence against women in West Bengal has been a topic of significant concern and debate. The recent events in Sandeshkhali, where local women accused TMC leaders of sexual exploitation and land grabbing, have highlighted the severity of the issue.

One of the most alarming incidents involved the public flogging of a woman, which has sparked widespread outrage. This incident is symptomatic of a broader pattern of vigilante justice that has been rising in the state. Local strongmen, often with alleged political connections, have been accused of dispensing their own version of justice, leading to severe human rights violations. For instance, Shajahan Sheikh, a TMC leader, has been at the centre of allegations involving land grabbing and sexual violence against women in Sandeshkhali.

The political implications of such incidents are significant. The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Mamata Banerjee of being a mute spectator to the violence, alleging that her government provides protection to party goons involved in such acts. The BJP has demanded her resignation, pointing to the deteriorating law and order situation as evidence of her governments failure to protect women and curb mob violence.

Moreover, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the West Bengal government regarding the violence in Sandeshkhali. The NHRCs involvement indicates a lack of confidence in the local authorities ability to manage and rectify the situation.

These incidents reflect a troubling trend where local political dynamics and the influence of strongmen undermine the rule of law, leading to increased instances of violence against women and mob justice.

TMCs Reluctance

The TMCs complicity in this violence is evident in the partys reluctance to take action against its own leaders and workers accused of perpetrating such crimes. The infamous Park Street rape case, where a TMC MLA was accused of raping a woman, is a stark reminder of the partys duplicity on womens safety.

Mamata Banerjees government has failed to address these issues, choosing to silence critics instead and intimidate the media into not reporting such incidents. The states law and order machinery lies in shambles, with the police often colluding with criminals or turning a blind eye to their activities.

The people of Bengal deserve better. They deserve a government that prioritises their safety and well-being over political expediency. Its time for Mamata Banerjee to take responsibility for her governments failures and ensure that the state is restored to its former glory, where the rule of law prevails and citizens feel safe and protected.

Appeasement Politics

The political narrative in Bengal has been increasingly marred by a series of violent incidents, with post-poll violence highlighting the states volatile political climate. TMC is at the centre of this turmoil, accused of fostering a culture of appeasement politics, which critics argue contributes to the states unrest. Banerjees political strategy has often been scrutinised for its alleged minority appeasement, aimed at consolidating the Muslim vote bank, which constitutes about 30 per cent of the states population.

Her recent remarks against Hindu monks, perceived to be aligned with the BJP, underscore her efforts to distance her party from these religious figures. Such divisive tactics are said to exacerbate communal tensions, undermining the secular ethos historically characteristic of West Bengals politics.

The repercussions of such politics are evident in the aftermath of elections, where the TMCs victory has been overshadowed by reports of violence against political opponents, particularly those affiliated with the BJP. The Calcutta High Courts intervention, demanding an immediate end to the post-poll violence, underscores the severity of the situation and the states obligation to protect its citizens.

Critics argue that the TMCs reliance on appeasement politics has not only polarised the electorate but also emboldened certain factions within the party to engage in acts of violence with impunity. The Sandeshkhali incident, where BJP workers were targeted, exemplifies the deep-seated political rivalries often fuelled by the partys divisive rhetoric.

In conclusion, while the TMC under Mamata Banerjee has made significant electoral gains, the shadow of appeasement politics looms large over the states peace and harmony. The rampant violence and post-poll chaos serve as stark reminders that the politics of division can have far-reaching consequences, threatening the very fabric of society. It is imperative for the leadership to steer away from such tactics and foster an inclusive political environment that prioritises the welfare of all citizens over narrow electoral gains.

The author, a columnist and research scholar, teaches journalism at St. Xaviers College (autonomous), Kolkata. He tweets at @sayantan_gh. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The Mayor of Kolkata Firhad Hakim stirred a massive controversy after he openly called people to convert to Islam and said non-Muslims are unfortunate and need to bring Iman in them to make Allah happy.

Hakim, TMC leader and a close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, made the contentious remarks during the All India Quran Competition. The event took place on July 3 at Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata.

Those who are not born in Islam are unfortunate! They are born with misfortune. We have to bring them under the fold of Islam, the Kolkata Mayor said during the event.

We need to spread Islam among non-Muslims. If we can bring someone on the path of Islam, then, we will prove to be true Muslims, Hakim added.

Notably, this is not the first time when the Mayor of Kolkata has grabbed the headlines for the wrong reasons. In April 2016, he had called a Muslim-dominated area of Kolkata as Mini-Pakistan.

BJP Attacks TMC

Lashing out at the Trinamool Congress, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya took to X and attacked the ruling TMC for extreme appeasement politics in West Bengal.

The TMCs penchant for extreme appeasement politics in West Bengal is an open secret. The partys relentless appeasement politics has paid off, as evident from the successive electoral victories and subsequent post-poll violence, which have emboldened the TMC, making it more audacious and haughty than ever, Maviya wrote in a post on X.

Further referring to the recent video in which a TMC leader was seen assaulting a man and a woman openly, Malviya wrote, The brazen act of publicly flogging a woman by TMCs JCB in a manner akin to Sharia Court punishment and the reprehensible defense by TMCs Chopra MLA, Hamidur Rahman, asserting such actions are typical in a Muslim Rashtra, have already incited a political maelstrom and bears the testament to the TMCs underlying agenda.

People who were not born into Islam are unfortunate. We have to spread Islam among those people (Hindus), who are not followers of Islam. Those who are born in Islam, will reach jannat. Firhad Hakim, Kolkata Mayor and TMC Leader; 3rd July at Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium, Kolkata. pic.twitter.com/Nrc9Piz0cI  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 5, 2024

BJP leader and Bengal MLA Agnimitra Paul hit out at Hakims inflammatory speech and said his comments not only insults the profound spirituality of Hinduism but also threaten the harmony and unity that our nation cherishes.
In a shocking turn of events, a minor boy from Keralas Kozhikode has died of a rare brain-eating amoeba infection, marking the third case in the state. According to reports, Mridul, who was a Class VII student, was admitted to the hospital after he complained of headaches and vomiting last month. He had taken a bath in a local pond, following which the symptoms started arising. After days of treatment, his condition deteriorated, and he passed away on Wednesday, July 3.

This event came within two months of similar cases in Kerala. The first death was reported in May this year in Malappuram, where a five-year-old girl died of the brain-eating amoeba. The second case came around in June, claiming the life of a 13-year-old boy from Kannur.

The recent deaths have raised concerns about the deadly brain-eating amoeba, also known as Naegleria fowleri. While the Kerala Health Department is looking forward to issuing special guidelines for the treatment of the infection, heres all you need to know about the amoeba.

What is Brain-Eating Amoeba Or Naegleria Fowleri?

The Naegleria fowleri or brain-eating amoeba mainly causes the infection that has led to the deaths of three innocent minors. It lives in fresh, warm water, such as lakes and rivers, and can directly infect people upon entering their bodies through the nose. It is a rare but very dangerous microorganism that causes a fatal brain infection, known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). This virus can also be found in poorly maintained swimming pools.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these brain infections caused by Naegleria fowleri are very rare and nearly always fatal. The highest exposure risks are from water bodies, especially during the summer months when water temperatures are higher and levels are lower.

Some of the early symptoms include headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. As the condition progresses rapidly, PAM victims are likely to die within 1 to 18 days after symptoms begin. It even leads to coma and death. A stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance and hallucinations are among the other serious symptoms.

According to the CDC, they are not contagious, and one cannot get an infection from swallowing water containing the amoeba.
A group of robbers took all the inventory and looted two safes of a family-run jewellery store in West Hollywood, USA. What made the robbery even more devastating was that the robbers took their time in stealing. They made two trips to the store, first in the early morning hours and another one late at night between June 17 and June 18. The store remains closed on Sunday and Monday. Despite installing a state of the art security system, owner Robert Goukasian claims they were not alerted to the break-in.

On June 18, when Robert Goukasian entered his shop, he found it fully damaged. He made a video of the damage incurred and posted it on Instagram. He captioned, Our family jewellery store of over 40 years in West Hollywood has been robbed. All gone. In a comment he wrote, I took this video as soon as I walked in. The alarm system never triggered despite the fact that many sensors were installed.

An Instagram user wrote, Bro either you got robbed by Oceans Eleven or this was an inside job! Expressing a similar opinion someone else wrote, They knew exactly what kind of safes those were and how to tackle them. Check your circle. Another person wrote, The problem with wireless security systems is that they can be knocked out with a 10 dollar Wi-Fi jammer, rendering them totally useless.

Ten days later, Robert Goukasian shared the CCTV that shows four robbers breaking into a safe and celebrating. They gave each other a high-five and even hugged. Interestingly one robbers face was visible as he did not wear any mask.

In the comments, many people wondered why the robbers did not damage the security cameras and robbed the store at a relatively slow pace. This prompted many people to speculate that the theft was an insider job.

In response to these comments, Robert Goukasian wrote, Guys, this is not an inside job. We have no employees at all. Our store is run solely by us. Its my father and mother.

He once again slammed the security company and wrote, The alarms never went off despite the fact that we had a state of the art alarm system with multiple sensors including seismic sensors on the safes. The alarm company Johnson Controls referred us to their legal department and has declined a statement. We pay hundreds of dollars a month for our security system.

As per ABC7 News, detectives are investigating the theft. Robert Goukasian told ABC7 News that even though they lost everything that was in the store, they are determined to restart the business.
Once dubbed a key tourist attraction in France, the magical sword, also known as Durandal, has gone missing from its rocky perch in the Rocamadour village. The famed weapon, which was even termed as the French Excalibur, was stuck in the stone for more than 1,300 years. According to reports, the ancient and supposedly immovable sword was connected with the legendary knight Roland, an officer of a former Roman emperor. The French Police are currently investigating the loss of the weapon, which is said to have gone missing sometime between June 21 and 22.

While the missing case is being treated as theft, the local police are left confused at how it could have been stolen, considering the odd location next to a sanctuary with limited access, states a Metro report. Earlier, the medieval sword, believed to be capable of cutting through giant boulders, was lodged deep into the stone and secured with a metal chain.

Durandal, the legendary sword of the knight Roland, has been stolen.The sword, sunk more than ten metres into the rock, was stolen from the French town of Rocamadour on the night of 21-22 June. An investigation is underway. It's a priceless treasure that has gone missing. pic.twitter.com/0YFZ6F8mM7  Sey @ FGO (@exceddius) July 3, 2024

According to local folklore, Roland threw the sword into the air, which magically travelled kilometres before landing on the cliff wall in the French village. Since then, the place has become a prominent tourist site, drawing visitors from across the globe. These magical qualities of Durandal are also mentioned in the poems of the Song of Roland, the oldest existing French literary work. The sole copy is kept at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

In the meantime, the towns sudden loss of their age-old treasure has left locals distressed, with many expressing dismay. Many believed that the towns destiny was intertwined with the magical sword.

Rocamadour feels stripped of a part of itself. Even if it is a legend, the destinies of our village and this sword are linked. We will miss Durandal. It has been part of Rocamadour for centuries; there is not a single guide who does not show it during their visit. Such is the precious nature of the sword. Durandal is a public property that belongs to the state. This sword was embedded in the rock face at a shallow depth, very close to the chapel of the Black Virgin. It measures 80 cm, so it is a small medieval sword that was forged to stun people or horses, not to kill them, Rocamadour Mayor Dominique Lenfant told La Depeche.

The mayor also shared that the sword was once exhibited at the Cluny Museum in Paris and was escorted by a local councillor and security guard.
Islam is one of the largest religions globally, with approximately 1.9 billion followers. These followers are spread across many countries, including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, which have significant Muslim populations. Despite this commonality, the economic landscapes of these countries are vastly different. Each Muslim-majority country has its own unique economic level. Notably, some of these countries are among the wealthiest in the world.

According to a universitymagazine.ca report, published in TEMPO.CO, Qatar tops the list as the wealthiest Muslim-majority country. With a population of about 1.7 million people, Qatar had a GDP per capita of around $88,919 (approx. Rs 74 lakh) in 2011, making it one of the fastest-growing economies globally. It owes its wealth largely to its exports of natural gas, oil and petrochemicals.

The second on the list is Kuwait, with a population of 3.5 million. In 2011, its GDP per capita was $54,664 (approx Rs 46 lakh). Kuwait boasts crude oil reserves of about 104 million barrels and has a strong economy that is supported by the shipping industry and financial services.

In 2010, Brunei Darussalam had a GDP per capita of $50,506 (approx. Rs 42 lakh), making it the third richest Muslim-majority country. Bruneis wealth comes from its extensive oil and natural gas fields, which have been operating for over 80 years now. The country is also a major exporter of hydrogen resources and liquefied natural gas.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the fourth richest Muslim-majority country, with a GDP per capita of $48,222 (approx. Rs 40 lakh), in 2011. Like Brunei, the UAEs economy is also heavily supported by the oil and gas industry, with significant contributions from petroleum and natural gas exports too.

Oman ranks fifth, with oil reserves of 5.5 billion barrels or 816,000 barrels per day, according to TEMP.CO. In 2011, its GDP per capita was $28,880 (approx. Rs 24 lakh). Oman also has substantial gas reserves and other resources like copper, gold, zinc and iron.

Next up is Saudi Arabia, being the sixth richest Muslim-majority country. In 2011, its GDP per capita was $24,434 ((approx. Rs 20 lakh). Saudi Arabia is the second-largest oil producer globally, contributing significantly to its wealth.

On the seventh rank, comes Bahrain, with a GDP per capita of $23,690 (approx. Rs 19 lakh) in 2011. Its rapidly growing economy is supported by exports of aluminum, petroleum and construction materials.
A unique incident was caught on camera in Missouri. An officer from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol pulled over a spaceship-like vehicle because its license plate was partly covered. Interestingly, the vehicle was on its way to a UFO festival in New Mexico. In the viral photo, the officer is seen smiling and taking a selfie with the vehicles owners. Instead of issuing a ticket, the officer kindly gave them a warning. The UFO Festival, their destination, attracts enthusiasts from across the country, offering film screenings and visits to the International UFO Museum and Research Center.

Interestingly, Roswell has become a prominent spot due to the alleged UFO crash, which happened in 1947 and the town now attracts numerous visitors to its annual festival. Meanwhile, sharing the picture on Instagram, the department wrote, Its not every day you pull over a UFO. Trooper Ryan Vanvleck 722 pulled over this vehicle on the Turner Turnpike yesterday for an obstructed tag. They were on their way to a UFO festival in Roswell, New Mexico. Trooper Vanvleck let them go with a warning."

Reacting to the post, a user jokingly asked, What was the vehicle description over the radio?"

Another referring to the aliens shared, The agents from Area 51 are on the way as we speak."

Way funny. I bet Trooper Vanvleck will tell this story to his grandchildren. Love it," a comment read.

Another wondered, Super curious as to what chassis thats built on. Gotta be pretty reliable for that kind of drive."

An individual joked, Outta this world. Super cool car."

This wasnt the first time a UFO-shaped vehicle was stopped by police. Before being pulled over on the Turner Turnpike, another officer from the Crawford County Sheriffs Office had already stopped the custom vehicle for lane violations and an expired license plate.

Taking to Facebook, the department wrote, Well, you never know what will be travelling through Crawford County but this one was a little out of this world. 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. He was also warned about our strict enforcement of warp speed on the interstate and to keep his phasers on stun only while travelling."

According to Fox News, since 1996, UFO fans travel to Roswell, New Mexico, to celebrate the 1947 crash incident. During that time, an Army Air Force balloon, part of a secret project to track Soviet nuclear tests, crashed near the city. Although the government released documents about the project in 1994, the unusual appearance of the debris sparked rumours that it might have been an alien spacecraft.
Have you ever been told to dress properly or modestly? If not, have you witnessed or heard of someone being told to do so? This is a frequent issue in our society and while many of us often choose to ignore it rather than speak out, the urge to respond is always there. If youve ever felt this way, this viral news story might bring you immense satisfaction. A group of women decided to take a stand against moral policing, and they did it flawlessly. They not only voiced their opinions but also made sure their message reached those attempting to impose their standards on them.

The now-viral incident took place in Maharashtras Pune. A poster was spotted on a board that asked women to dress modestly to avoid attracting attention. The board went viral on social media, triggering a savage answer from a womens group. It all started when a group who called themselves the Mast Group put up a poster that read, Women, wear clothes in such a way that no one dares to look at you with evil eyes.

In response to it, soon another poster from a group calling themselves the Trasth Group was put up just below it, asking men to keep their minds and thoughts pure. Men, keep your mind so clean that no matter what clothes someone wears, your eyes should not fall, it read. Both posters, originally written in Marathi were reportedly spotted near a walking track in Pune.

This is at a walking track in Deccan, Pune. Immediately after the poster asking women to dress appropriately was put by Mast group, women responded. pic.twitter.com/vlUzmJpwaO Yogesh Sadhwani (@yogeshsadhwani) July 3, 2024

As soon as the photo was uploaded on social media, people gathered in support and praise of the womens groups response. An example of real life, public space gendered creative interruption. The original poster (Marathi) seen at Pune city, read comment.

An example of real life, public space gendered creative interruption. The original poster (Marathi) seen at Pune city, along with Google Translation (English) courtesy the thread below. https://t.co/MKZek0YMdn pic.twitter.com/uyg9sPMOBA Shalini Sharma  (@nutshal) July 3, 2024

The reply poster should have been bigger.Also dressing appropriately is as important for men as it is for women. This is by no means sexist but a simple individual / societal etiquette which has become more than necessary. Right time, right place, right dress, said another user.

Reply poster should have been bigger.Also dressing appropriately is as important for men as it is for women. This is by no means sexist but a simple individual / societal etiquette which has become more than necessary. Right time, right place, right dress!!!! Charudatta Ranade (@cjranade) July 4, 2024

Love the response..btw, fully clothed women have never been assaulted or teased??  Clothes dont matter.., wrote a person while another one praised the reply saying, Kudos to the Ladies!

Love the response..btw, fully clothed women have never been assaulted or teased??  Clothes don't matter, some men get excited looking at any thing female KC (@KarenCaeiro) July 4, 2024

 Kudos to the Ladies! abhiroop Biswas (@abhiroopbiswas) July 4, 2024

What do you think of the incident in Pune and how would you have replied to the Mast group?
A bizarre burglary unfolded in Tamil Nadu where a thief not only stole cash and valuables from a house but left an unexpected apology note promising to return the stolen items in a month. According to a report by The Times of India, the incident occurred at the home of retired teachers Chithirai Selvin and his wife in Megnanapurams Sathankulam road.

The couple had left for their sons house in Chennai on June 17. They had hired a domestic help to regularly clean their house during their absence. When she returned to their house on June 26 evening, the maid was shocked to see the door open and promptly alerted the police.

Upon investigation, the authorities inspected the house and found that the thief had stolen Rs 60,000 cash, two pairs of gold earrings and silver anklets. However, what stood out was a handwritten apology note left by the intruder. The note expressed regret for the theft explaining an urgent need for the money to cover medical expenses of a family member and promised to return the stolen items within a month, as per the publication. Written in Tamil on an envelope with a green ink, the note read: Forgive me. I will return (it) in one month. Someone sick in my house.

The Megnanapuram police have initiated an investigation after registering a case regarding the incident.

A similar case unfolded in Chinas Shanghai where a thief broke into an office and stole a watch and laptop leaving a surprising note behind for the owner, advising an upgrade to the security measures in the office. The burglar managed to enter the office premises by scaling the buildings outer wall.

Inside, he took a few electronic devices and gathered mobile phones and laptops piling them onto a desk. He left a note under the pile of the digital devices explaining that he refrained from taking more to avoid damaging the business. The note also advised the owner to upgrade their security system.

Dear boss, I took a wristwatch and a laptop. You should improve your anti-theft system. I did not take all the phones and laptops, fearing it might hurt your business. Contact me if you want your laptop and phone back, the note read.

The police swiftly tracked down the thief using public surveillance cameras and tracing the phone number he had left behind. He was arrested a few hours after the crime.
The video features a young female student from AIIMS performing a Bollywood song at the colleges Annual Day event. Her expressions, remarkable agility, grace and impressive moves have left many amazed and even confused. Some wondered if the girl was a professional dancer.

As the 24-second clip plays, the girl starts moving to the rhythmic beats and lyrics of the Tip Tip Barsa song, drawing loud claps and cheers.

 AIIMS       pic.twitter.com/UBlSWlWf1r Anshika Singh Yadav (@Anshika_in) July 2, 2024

Many took to the comments section and praised her excellent moves, while others criticised a would-be doctor for taking up dance. Anshika Singh Yadav, who shared the video on her X handle added, Cant a nurse or doctor dance? After seeing the comments on this post, I felt very bad seeing the mentality of the people. Not much, just clear the NEET exam and then judge them. Positive comments most welcome.

                     ,    neet exam clear             Anshika Singh Yadav (@Anshika_in) July 3, 2024

Another user commented, Why are you surprised? @aiims_newdelhi is Indias premier medical college also. So, medical students must be celebrating their Fest or Annual day. Its good that she has cultivated a good hobby along with brilliant academics.

Why are you surprised? @aiims_newdelhi is India's premier medical college also. So, medical students must be celebrating their Fest or Annual day. It's good that she has cultivated a good hobby along with brilliant academics. kamal kumar  (@kamalkumarBJD) July 3, 2024

She looks more like a dancer than a doctor, a user remarked.

Doctor kam dancer Jayda lag rahi hai Rahul Yadav  (@iamrahulroy13) July 2, 2024

The video has garnered over 1 million views on the microblogging platform. While this performance was witnessed during the colleges socialising event, another video went viral weeks ago where a group of doctors and staff members danced inside a health centre, leaving patients unattended. The incident took place in Uttar Pradeshs Hapur at a Community Health Centre where a lot of them could be seen dancing to the beats of drums.

According to reports, the staff was celebrating the farewell of a fellow female employee. However, many patients complained about the loud noise and disturbance.
Social media has made it possible for many small business owners to market themselves in innovative ways. Among others, food businesses are getting a lot of attention thanks to vloggers and many internet users who bring them to notice. Recently, a tea seller from Surat has gained popularity among internet users and is fondly known as the singing chaiwala.

In a video shared by a paparazzo account on Instagram, the vendor can be seen brewing tea at his stall while singing Kishore Kumars hit Chingari Koi Bhadke from the 1972 film Amar Prem. Vijaybhai Patel carried a microphone as customers sipped tea and listened to his melodic voice. The caption stated, Vijaybhai Patel of Surat has been running a tea lorry in Dumas for many years. Vijaybhais tea is sweet and even sweeter is his voice. People come from far and wide to sip Vijaybhais tea and listen to his songs.

Netizens praised the seller and said, He has a great voice. Some also recalled how they had come across this tea seller and heard him singing.

Recently, another tea seller from Surat, known as Pappu Chaiwala, has been garnering popularity. Pappu is known to brew tea using unique methods.

Pappu Chaiwalas tea stall is located on New City Light Road. In a video, Pappu prepares tea by tossing a milk packet into the air. He does a variety of tricks while brewing tea. The first attempt fails and the packet falls over the wall. He tosses the packet again and finally places it in the pot. He mixes several additives into the milk, including some plant leaves. The tea is then transferred to another pot and served hot.

The video has garnered millions of views and received a lot of reactions. One user commented, I think he is also waiting to meet Bill Gates referring to the famous Dolly Chaiwalas meeting with the celebrity. One person joked, Indias chaiwalo ka talent while another sarcastically stated, Chai pine wale bhi bolte honge chacha chai pine aaye hne circus dekhne nahi (We came to drink tea, not watch a circus.)
Keir Starmer vowed to bring change to the nation as the new prime minister after his Labour Party surged to a comprehensive win in a parliamentary election on Friday, ending 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative government.

Starmer, 61, stepped up to make his victory speech in London just hours away from formally becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

We did it, you campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it and now it has arrived, change begins now, declared Starmer to a cheering crowd, promising that the work begins right away.

He pledged national renewal following 14 years of Conservative rule.

However, Starmer cautioned that having a mandate like this comes with a great responsibility. Meanwhile, the countrys first British Indian prime minister comfortably held on to his own Richmond and Northallerton seat in northern England with 23,059 votes but failed to turn things around for his party at a national level.

The centre-left Labour was set to win a massive majority in the 650-seat parliament with Rishi Sunaks Conservatives poised to suffer the worst performance in the partys long history as voters punished them for a cost of living crisis, failing public services, and a series of scandals.

Sunak had earlier conceded defeat and said he had called Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides, Sunak said after regaining his seat. There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss to the many good hardworking Conservative candidates  I am sorry.

(With inputs from agencies)
Keir Starmer has a daunting in-tray when his Labour party gets to work governing Britain after almost a decade and a half in opposition.

Its more a gigantic trunk of problems, political scientist Karl Pike told AFP, listing issues ranging from ending strikes in the state-run health service to negotiating a new post-Brexit deal with the European Union.

Starmer, 61, has six priorities to change the United Kingdom following 14 years of largely chaotic Conservative rule dominated by Brexit, a crippling cost-of-living crisis and fratricidal infighting.

But implementing his so-called first steps will be far from easy due to a battered economy, public services that are on their knees and widespread disillusionment with the political establishment.

Even the simpler, more straightforward commitments in the manifesto could still actually turn out to be harder to execute, Patrick Diamond, a former Downing Street policy advisor, told AFP.

When Diamond worked for the New Labour government of the early 2000s, then-premier Tony Blair and finance minister Gordon Brown benefitted from healthy economic growth, boosting public coffers while keeping taxes low.

It allowed them to hit the ground running with several wide-ranging reforms at the same time as the charismatic Blair rode a wave of euphoria towards him and his centre-left party.

Today, growth is anaemic, with Labours victory arguably more born out of frustration with the Tories than overwhelming enthusiasm for Starmers party, making his job harder.

Its a very different environment, said Diamond. The objective of having growth, low taxes and more public spending is just not going to be available to this Labour government.

Labour has committed to the Conservatives spending plans and fiscal rules restricting debt to a share of GDP, limiting the amount it can borrow.

It has also ruled out raising the main taxes paid by Britons, meaning investment will be heavily reliant on spurring unguaranteed economic growth.

Although tax and borrowing are at historically high levels, and Labours pledges will constrain its room for manoeuvre, that will not prevent a new government from making significant changes to policy over time, Peter Sloman, a politics professor at Cambridge University, told AFP.

Top priorities

Starmers top three priorities are to deliver economic stability, cut waiting times in the state-run National Health Service (NHS) and launch a new border security force to tackle record levels of irregular migration.

His other main pledges are to set up a publicly owned body investing in clean power called Great British Energy, crack down on antisocial behaviour and recruit 6,500 new teachers.

The first steps are deliberately modest, said Sloman, noting that the promise on teachers and the pledge to create an extra 40,000 NHS appointments a week are carefully worded to ensure they can be delivered.

I think the bigger challenge for a Labour government will be dealing with growing crises in other parts of the public sector - such as prisons, higher education, social care, and local government - where a decade of austerity has created serious problems, he added.

Starmer will also have to contend with a number of pressing foreign policy concerns, most notably continuing the UKs lead of rallying Western support for Ukraines defence against Russias invasion.

Honeymoon period?

The PMs first full week in the job next week will see him travel to Washington to attend a NATO leaders summit.

His trip comes as some polls predict that Donald Trump could win Novembers US presidential election, raising questions about Americas commitment to Kyiv and NATO.

Pike noted that Starmers desire to negotiate a new trade deal with the EU, seen as crucial to his pro-growth plans, will be complicated by potentially significant political uncertainty among some of the major European countries, notably France.

Diamond warned that not getting completely blown away by events and creating the space to deliver on the manifesto will be key to Labours start.

In that vein, Starmers chief of staff Sue Gray has reportedly drawn up a list of crises the new government could face early on.

It includes bankrupt local authorities, the potential collapse of a major water provider, overcrowding in prisons and universities going bust.

The challenges threaten the honeymoon period that new administrations normally enjoy, but Diamond reckons the electorate will cut Labour some slack in its early months.

If Starmer can end the drama and create some stability, people will give it the benefit of the doubt, he said.
Iranians voted Friday in a runoff presidential election between a hard-line former nuclear negotiator and a reformist lawmaker, with both men trying to convince a skeptical public to cast ballots after years of economic woes and mass protests roiling the Islamic Republic.

The race between hard-liner Saeed Jalili and Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon and longtime member of parliament, comes after a first round of voting saw the lowest turnout ever for an Iranian election, leaving turnout Friday a major question.

Meanwhile, wider tensions have gripped the Middle East over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. In April, Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel over the war in Gaza, while militia groups that Tehran arms in the region  such as the Lebanese Hezbollah and Yemens Houthi rebels  are engaged in the fighting and have escalated their attacks.

Iran also continues to enrich uranium at near weapons-grade levels and maintains a stockpile large enough to build several nuclear weapons, should it choose to do so. And while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remains the final decision-maker on matters of state, whichever man ends up winning the presidency could bend the countrys foreign policy toward either confrontation or collaboration with the West.

A heavy security presence could be seen on the streets of Tehran on Friday, as crowds appeared light at dozens of polling places. State television broadcast scenes of modest lines at polling centers around the country.

Both Jalili and Pezeshkian voted in southern Tehran, home to many poor neighborhoods, in a bid to boost turnout. Though Pezeshzkian came out on top in the first round of voting on June 28, Jalili has been trying to secure the votes of people who supported hard-line parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who came in third and later endorsed the former negotiator.

One voter, 27-year-old Yaghoub Mohammadi, said he voted for Jalili in both rounds.

He is clean, without dependending on powerful people in the establishment, Mohammadi said. He represents those who have no access to power.

Voter Samira Sharafi, the 34-year-old mother of a toddler, said she voted for reformist Pezeshkian, despite having voted for Qalibaf in the first round. She described him as more experienced than Jalili.

There have been calls for a boycott, including from imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, though potential voters in Iran appear to have made the decision not to participate last week on their own as theres no widely accepted opposition movement operating within or outside of the country.

State television broadcast images of modest lines at select polling places around the country as polls opened Friday.

As has been the case since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women and those calling for radical change have been barred from the ballot while the vote itself will have no oversight from internationally recognized monitors.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who is in charge of overseeing the election, announced all the polls had opened at 8 a.m. local time.

Khamenei cast one of the elections first votes from his residence, television cameras and photographers capturing him dropping the ballot into the box.

I have heard that peoples enthusiasm is more than before, Khamenei said. God willing, people vote and choose the best candidate.

However, Khamenei on Wednesday said that those who didnt vote last week werent against the countrys Shiite theocracy.

There are reasons behind this matter which should be examined by sociologists and those involved in politics, he said.

More than 61 million Iranians over the age of 18 are eligible to vote, with about 18 million of them between 18 to 30. Elections are scheduled to end at 6 p.m. local, but traditionally get extended until midnight to boost participation.

Fridays election marks only Irans second presidential runoff since 1979. The first came in 2005, when hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad bested former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Under Ahmadinejad, Iran faced international sanctions over its advancing nuclear program, as well as the 2009 Green Movement protests and the crackdown that smashed them.

Pezeshkians supporters have been warning Jalili will bring a Taliban-style government into Tehran, while Jalili has criticized Pezeshkian for running a campaign of fear-mongering.

The election comes after the 63-year-old late President Ebrahim Raisi died in a May 19 helicopter crash that also killed the countrys foreign minister and others. He was seen as a protege of Khamenei and a potential successor as supreme leader.

Still, many knew him for his involvement in the mass executions that Iran conducted in 1988, and for his role in the bloody crackdowns on dissent that followed protests over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman detained by police over allegedly improperly wearing the mandatory headscarf, or hijab.
India on Thursday asked the international community to isolate and expose those countries that harbour terrorists, provide safe havens and condone terrorism, underlining that if left unchecked, terrorism can become a major threat to regional and global peace, in a veiled jibe at China and its all-weather ally, Pakistan.

Delivering Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks at the 24th Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State here in the Kazakh capital, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was physically present at the meeting, recalled that one of the original goals of the SCO is to combat terrorism.

Many of us have had our experiences, often originating beyond our borders. Let us be clear that if left unchecked, it can become a major threat to regional and global peace. Terrorism in any form or manifestation cannot be justified or condoned, he told the summit, which was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin among others.

He said that the international community must isolate and expose those countries that harbour terrorists, provide safe havens and condone terrorism, in an apparent reference to Pakistan and its all-weather ally China which has often put on hold on proposals in the United Nations to blacklist the Pakistan-based wanted terrorists.

Cross-border terrorism requires a decisive response and terrorism financing and recruitment must be resolutely countered. We should also take proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among our youth, he said, adding that the joint statement issued during Indias Presidency last year on this subject underlines New Delhis shared commitment.

Later, Jaishankar delivered Prime Minister Modis remarks at the extended format Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State where he spoke about challenges, saying terrorism would surely rank foremost for many of us.

The truth is that it continues to be used by nations as a tool of destabilisation. We have had our own experiences with cross-border terrorism. Let us be clear that terrorism in any form or manifestation cannot be justified or condoned. Harbouring terrorists must be strongly condemned, he said, adding that the SCO must never waver in its commitment. We cannot have double standards in this regard. He also said that the SCO extended family shares a commitment to reform the current international order. This is only possible when those efforts extend to the United Nations and its Security Council. We hope that in the near future, we can develop a strong consensus on the way ahead, he said.

When it comes to geo-economics, the need of the day is to create multiple, reliable and resilient supply chains, he said, adding that India is open to partnering with others in capacity building, especially nations of the Global South.

Noting that the current global debate is focused on creating the new connectivity linkages that would better serve a rebalanced world, he said if this is to gather serious momentum, it requires the joint efforts of many.

It must also be respectful of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and be built on the foundation of non-discriminatory trade and transit rights to neighbours, he said, in an apparent reference to China which is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes with several countries.

China has invested billions in various power projects and road networks in Pakistan under the USD 65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which is opposed by India as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

He also said that the progress made by India in developing Irans Chabahar Port not only holds great value to landlocked Central Asian states but also de-risks commerce between India and Eurasia.

He described the SCO as a principle-based organisation, whose consensus drives the approach of its member states, and said the grouping occupies a prominent place in our foreign policy.

At this time, it is particularly noteworthy that we are reiterating mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, equality, mutual benefit, non-interference in internal affairs, non-use of force or threat of use of force as a basis for our foreign policies. We have also agreed not to take any measures contrary to the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

He also said that climate change is a prominent concern before the world today and India is working towards achieving a committed reduction in emissions and building climate-resilient infrastructure.

In this context, during Indias SCO presidency, a Joint Statement on emerging fuels, and a Concept Paper on de-carbonization in the transportation sector were approved, he added.

During last years annual climate conference, Prime Minister Modi said India has already declared to achieve Net Zero by 2070. It plans to reduce emissions intensity by 45 per cent by 2030 and increase the share of non-fossil fuel to 50 per cent.

He also reminded the audience that the SCO needs to make technology creative and apply it to the welfare and progress of societies.

India is among the countries to formulate a National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence and the launch of an AI Mission. Our commitment to AI for All is also reflected in working within the SCO framework on a Roadmap on AI cooperation, he added.

Modi congratulated the Kazakh side for successfully hosting the summit and also conveyed Indias best wishes to China for the next presidency of the SCO.

He also expressed deepest condolences for the tragic demise of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and others in the helicopter crash.

With nine member states  India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan  the Beijing-based SCO has emerged as an influential economic and security bloc and one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. Belarus joined as the 10th member.

Kazakhstan is hosting the summit in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.
A video released by 10 Downing Street on Friday showed former UK PM Rishi Sunak being cheered and applauded as he leaves the official residence of the UK Prime Minister following the Conservative Partys biggest-ever electoral defeat.

UK Labour won 412 seats in the House of Commons with only one result left to declare, giving it a majority of 174. Rishi Sunaks Tories won just 121 seats  a record low.

Sunak said he would also step down as party leader following poor electoral performance. However, his staff gave him a raucous farewell before he headed to Buckingham Palace to hand in his resignation to King Charles III.

To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry, he said outside the Prime Ministers residence at Downing Street, before heading to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation as prime minister to King Charles III.

I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change. And yours is the only judgement that matters, Sunak said.

I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss, he further added.
Britains Labour Party is expected to win Thursdays national election, returning to power after 14 years in opposition and making Keir Starmer the countrys new prime minister. The centre-left Labour is projected to win 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, putting it back in power for the first time since 2010, with a 170-seat majority. If that happens, heres how Labours foreign policy plans could look like:

READ MORE: UK Election 2024 Results Update: Starmers Labour Leads Historic Polls With Over 40 Seats; Tories, Reform Open Their Tally

India

Labour said it would seek a new strategic partnership with India, including a free trade agreement. It also plans to deepen cooperation in areas, including security, education, technology and climate change. Reflecting on Indias current standing in the world, Starmer last month said this was an opportunity for it to be Indias century. When the history of two nations are as intertwined as ours, that can cast a long shadow. But, I dont see that shadow over todays India, he said.

Calling for a new approach towards India, the Labour Leader said, The challenge, as I see it now, is for Britain to step out of the shadows in its mind, to cast aside the entitlement of history and deepen our relationship with the real India, the modern India, the future India. Asked about the occasionally challenging ties between Labour and India in the past, Starmer responded, saying, There are lots of issues in the Labour Party where over the past two years we have openly taken the decision to change our party, to look out to the world in a different way.

A strategic partnership with India will be key to my Labour government.Together, we can tackle economic, climate and global security and build on our long-standing relationship. Today, I took the opportunity to say thank you for Indias immense contribution to Britain. pic.twitter.com/n6O4fnzISO  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 26, 2023

China

Labour would undertake a full audit across all government departments of the UKs relationship with China to set the direction and course of its China policy, Lammy told reporters this week. Starmer last year said the UK needed to wean itself off China on issues like trade, commerce and technology while acknowledging the importance of being able to cooperate on issues such as tackling climate change.

The challenge will be to balance the UKs trade and economic interests with security imperatives. That could be complicated by a possible return of Donald Trump in Washington after the US presidential election in November. Trump would be expected to ramp up pressure on allies to be tougher with Beijing.

Israel-Palestinian conflict

The party said a Labour government would continue to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into the territory.

The party has committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution. It has described Palestinian statehood as the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and said it was essential to the long-term security of Israel.

Europe

Starmer has pledged to work with Frances far-right National Rally (RN) party if it wins power. I will work with any government in Europe and across the world if we are elected For me, thats what serious government is about, he said. He said both bilateral deals with France and agreements with the whole EU, which the UK voted to leave in 2016 leading to a messy divorce, were important to address the issue of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.

Pressed on RN leader Marine Le Pens preference for bilateral deals over EU-wide ones, Starmer said the two were not mutually exclusive. He said existing bilateral agreements with France needed to be strengthened and improved particularly in relation to smashing the gangs that are running the vile trade of putting people into boats. But there are also EU measures, he added. The security agreement we want with the EU when it comes to dealing with smuggling gangs is really important.

Ukraine

The UK has been one of Kyivs staunchest supporters and has provided money, weapons and troop training to help it repel Russias invasion. Labour have stressed continued support for Ukraine if they win, and Starmer would be expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky early to reaffirm that message in person.

Starmer has said a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is simply not an issue at the moment and described him as the aggressor in Ukraine. The most important thing is to be absolutely clear that our support for Ukraine is on a united front in this country, he said.

(With agency inputs)
Just like humans, ants benefit from living in a group. Studies have shown some ants carry wounded colony members back from battle and lick their wounds, for a 90% survival rate . Now, new research indicates carpenter ants go a step further, carrying out life-saving amputations on their wounded brethren. It's the "first example of a non-human animal severing limbs to curb infections," per the Guardian . "I did not believe it," Dr Erik Frank, an expert in behavioral ecology at Switzerland's University of Lausanne and lead author of the new study, tells CNN . "The ants are able to diagnose, to some extent, the wounds and treat them accordingly to maximize the survival of the injured," he adds, per the Guardian.

Researchers cut various Florida carpenter ants (Camponotus floridanus) on an upper or lower limb, then watched how nest mates responded. Thirteen of 17 ants cut on a thigh underwent amputation and more than 90% survived, compared to less than 40% for those who went untreated in isolation. "Nest mates would begin licking the wound," then move to the joint with the hip bone, where they "proceeded to repeatedly bite the injured leg until it was cut off," according to the study published Tuesday in Current Biology. Interestingly, none of nine ants cut on the lower leg underwent amputation. Nest mates only licked the wound, likely removing bacteria, resulting in a 75% survival rate, per CNN.

In another set of experiments, researchers found amputations helped those ants with infected upper limbs, but not those with infected lower limbs. As the Guardian explains, thigh wounds "were associated with damage to structures that pumped a blood-like substance around the ants' bodies," which slowed the spread of infection. Infections in lower leg wounds, in contrast, spread rapidly around the body, making a 40-minute amputation futile. Basically, ants are making treatment decisions based on the location of an injury, researchers say, adding it's all about maintaining the size and strength of a colony. Frank tells the Guardian roughly 10% of Florida carpenter ants that go out in search of food "carry an injury from a previous day." (More discoveries stories.)
French film director Benoit Jacquot has been charged with rape and banned from directing minors or having any other contact with them. The 77-year-old was charged Wednesday with raping actresses Julia Roy, 34, and Isild Le Besco, 41, years ago, the New York Times reports. Jacquot was charged with raping Roy in 2013 and Le Besco between 1998 and 2000, when she turned 18, per the Times. Le Besco and a third woman, Judith Godreche, have said they were raped during abusive relationships with Jacquot that started when they were underage. Roy has also said she was in an abusive relationship with the director.

Jacquot and another director, 80-year-old Jacques Doillon, were brought in for questioning Monday over allegations from Godreche, a prominent figure in France's #MeToo movement, Le Monde reports. Godreche, 52, said Jacquot first raped her when she was 14. She said Doillon sexually assaulted her during the making of his 1989 movie The 15-Year-Old Girl, per the Hollywood Reporter. Prosecutors are apparently not seeking charges, for now, in connection with Godreche's allegations but they asked for charges to be filed over complaints from Le Besco and Roy.

Doillon was released on medical grounds Tuesday without being charged. Jacquot was released Wednesday after two days of questioning, the Times reports. Deadline reports that Le Besco filed a legal complaint in May shortly after her autobiography was released. In the book, she wrote that Jacquot had a "destructive hold" on her and groomed her during a relationship that began during the making of Sade, when she was 16 and he was 52. "Before physically violating me, Benoit raped my mind," she wrote. (More France stories.)
As fallout continues over President Biden's weak debate performance against former President Trump, the turmoil has spread to top Democratic donors, including one particularly high-profile name who now says she'll halt the money flow until Biden is replaced. "I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket," Disney says in a statement to CNBC , insisting her decision was made out of "realism, not disrespect." Disney goes on to call Biden "a good man [who] has served his country admirably," but she notes that "the stakes are far too high" to keep him as the Dems' hope for the White House.

Disney concludes: "If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire." The heiress notes that a viable alternative is already waiting in the wings: the "excellent" Vice President Kamala Harris. "If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Biden's (and let's not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot," Disney asserts. Per the Hill, Disney has long contributed funds to the Dems' coffers, to the tune of almost $2 million over the past 30-plus years, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

CNBC notes that Disney isn't the only big Dem donor who's hedging on a Biden run. Moriah Fund chief Gideon Stein, for example, says Biden has been a "very effective president," but that he plans on ceasing his planned donations of $3.5 million unless Biden "steps aside." Meanwhile, writing for Deadline, Lost showrunner and "lifelong Democrat" Damon Lindelhof calls for a "DEMbargo." "There is a choice before us and the choice is this: Do we leave our pitcher on the mound or do we go to the bullpen for relief?" he asks. The Guardian reports that on Monday, Biden's campaign conducted a "hastily scheduled" call with hundreds of big donors to try to reassure them, with vows that Biden would be put out there more, via interviews and other appearances, to reassure America he's fit to serve another four years. (More Abigail Disney stories.)
A dual US-Saudi citizen and celebrated animator with a Netflix deal says he's facing decades in prison in Saudi Arabia because of his art. Abdulaziz Almuzaini, the man behind Masameer , a cartoon likened to South Park, and a spinoff Netflix show Masameer County , has been publicly celebrated by the kingdom, along with his sardonic cartoons. But behind closed doors, the Texas-born creator has been convicted of supporting extremist ideology, sentenced to 13 years in prison, and banned from leaving Saudi Arabia for another 13 years, the New York Times reports, noting his case is "the starkest example yet of the duality of the new Saudi Arabia," focused on fostering art and allowing more personal freedoms while cracking down on freedom of expression at the same time.

"I haven't committed a single crime in the kingdom. I haven't even run a red light," Almuzaini said in a video shared and deleted on the same day last week. He pleaded for help from Saudi leadership, saying he'd exhausted all avenues for appeal and was awaiting a final decision from the Saudi Supreme Court. He appeared to remain free even after the video was deleted, which is strange given his conviction. But then Almuzaini isn't just anybody. He's credited with helping bring Saudi content to global audiences, per the Wall Street Journal. Even after his conviction, he attended a state gala and promoted the country's film industry on state television, indicating he is of some value to leadership, the Times reports.

Still, Masameer, a cartoon that first appeared on YouTube more than a decade ago, has been critical of Saudi Arabia's religious restrictions, classist system, and discriminatory practices against women. Additionally, Almuzaini claimed a 2021 episode of Masameer County, in which the main character gets taken in by jihadists and joins the Islamic State, was interpreted as showing support for the terrorist group, though the episode is actually "openly derogatory toward the jihadists," the Times reports. Prosecutors also apparently found fault with old social media posts in which Almuzaini "ridiculed Arab regimes," per the Journal. The animator said officials assured him the case was overblown and all would be resolved. "I never thought it would reach this phase," he said. (More Saudi Arabia stories.)
Carlo Maria Vigano used to be the Vatican's envoy to the United States. Today, he's a former archbishop, excommunicated on Friday in a rare move by the Holy See for refusing to recognize Pope Francis, among other things, per the Washington Post. On June 20, Vigano announced he'd been charged by the Dicastery for the Doctrine for the Faith, the Vatican's disciplinary arm, of the "crime of schism" and denial of the legitimacy of the pontiff and said that he wouldn't cooperate with the Vatican's penal process, per the National Catholic Reporter.

Background: Vigano, who served from 2011 to 2016 as the Vatican's ambassador to the US, has been one of the most outspoken critics of Francis and more liberal shifts made by the Roman Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. The archbishop has demanded that the pope resign and even called him "a servant of Satan," per the Post. Vigano, who has expressed support for former President Trump and appealed to the conservative right in America, has also alleged that Francis dismissed early warnings of sex abuse against defrocked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick; insinuated (without evidence) that the pope was involved in a sex scandal of his own; and disseminated various conspiracy theories on QAnon and COVID vaccines.
President Biden's bid to prove he should not withdraw from the 2024 race gets a major test Friday night when his interview with George Stephanopoulos airs on ABC. Simply put, it's "the biggest interview of Joe Biden's life," as laid out by the Politico Playbook. Even if the president nails it, however, the talk of VP Kamala Harris replacing him as the nominee is in full throttle.

On Harris: A "widening group of leading party officials" already has moved beyond the question of whether Harris should replace Biden to who her running mate should be, reports CNN. For the record, the story mentions North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as in the top tier, with others including Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Tim Walz of Minnesota.
The Heritage Foundation has compiled a 900-page plan for Donald Trump's second term, should he be elected in November. It calls for sweeping changes to consolidate power in the executive branch of government, including the replacement of civil servants with political appointees. Behind the details is a strident rhetoric. Saying the right-wing think tank is "taking the country back," the head of the initiative this week added, "We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be." The effort has drawn attention and criticism, and on Friday, per Axios , Trump disavowed it, saying, "I know nothing about Project 2025."

"I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they're saying and some of the things they're saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them." It's clear who's behind Project 2025; it involves many Trump administration members, including John McEntee, one of his closest aides. And the Heritage Foundation sent him lists of possible Supreme Court nominees during his presidency after Trump said he'd follow its recommendations. Saying he doesn't know somebody who's received attention for bad reasons is a Trump strategy; Business Insider once compiled a list of people he said he didn't know after saying he did, including Britain's Prince Andrew.

Reaction to Trump's statement came from:

Project 2025 : "We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy & personnel recommendations for the next conservative president," says a post on X. "But it is ultimately up to that president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement."

: "We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy & personnel recommendations for the next conservative president," says a post on X. "But it is ultimately up to that president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement." The Biden campaign : "Project 2025 is the extreme policy and personnel playbook for Trump's second term that should scare the hell out of the American people," said a spokesperson in a statement, per the Hill. "Project 2025 staff and leadership routinely tout their connections to Trump's team."

: "Project 2025 is the extreme policy and personnel playbook for Trump's second term that should scare the hell out of the American people," said a spokesperson in a statement, per the Hill. "Project 2025 staff and leadership routinely tout their connections to Trump's team." Michael Steele: "How do you 'disagree' with something you 'know nothing about' or 'have no idea' who is behind, saying or doing the thing you disagree with?" the former Republican National Committee chair posted on X.

Axios reports that Trump is irked by Project 2025 receiving credit in some quarters for its proposals. His campaign has its own plan, called Agenda47. (More Donald Trump 2024 stories.)
Authorities in Mississippi are asking the public to keep an eye out for two murder suspects who escaped from custody on Friday morning, reports WTVA. The men are identified as Tyrekennel Collins, 24, and Dezarrious Johnson, 18, in a news release from the Claiborne County Sheriff's Office. They escaped from the county detention center during "repair issues," reports CNN, but authorities haven't provided more details about what happened.
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.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

The Northern Governor, Ali bin Shaikh Abdul Hussein Al-Asfoor, has emphasised that the summer program Our Homeland and Our King Unite Us aims to guide participants towards future careers and help them choose suitable academic paths for the job market.

As part of this initiative, the governorate organised a visit to the Ministry of Labor, providing students firsthand experience of the work environment and labor market dynamics in Bahrain. During their visit, students received a motivational address from Ahmed Al-Haiki, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour, focusing on enhancing students awareness in selecting academic specialisations aligned with future career opportunities.

The itinerary included a tour of the Training and Employment Department, where students learned about services catering to job seekers, efforts to overcome employment challenges, and tools for identifying career inclinations among participants. These initiatives aim to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed career choices that align with their aspirations and ensure future success.
TORONTO, July 4, 2024 /CNW/ - More than 9,000 LCBO workers will be out on strike as of 12:01 midnight tonight after talks broke down at the bargaining table. OPSEU/SEFPO, the union representing the workers, has said all along that this round of bargaining is like no other.

LCBO workers are ready to strike - OPSEU/SEFO (CNW Group/Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO))

"Doug Ford wants to make life better for his wealthy friends. It's why he's wasting upwards of a billion dollars of our money to fast-track privatized alcohol sales and hand more of the public revenues generated by the LCBO over to the CEOs and big box grocery and convenience chains like Loblaws and Circle K," said OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick.

Frontline LCBO workers are proud that the revenues we help to generate give back to our communities.

"We know that the LCBO is Ontario's best kept secret  and we're fighting to protect it," said Colleen MacLeod, Chair of OPSEU/SEFPO's Liquor Board Employees Division (LBED) and the Bargaining Team. "We've been very clear that we won't back down in our fight for a strong future for the LCBO and the public services funded by LCBO revenues."

Throughout negotiations, the union proposed an alternative plan to Ford's alcohol everywhere scheme and made it clear to Ford and the LCBO we're ready to strike for it.

"We told Ford not to ruin everybody's summer, but now he's closed the Science Centre and forced a dry summer for Ontarians by refusing to offer a deal that would be good for LCBO workers and Ontario," said Hornick.

We argued that we grow the LCBO to meet demand and increase convenience by opening more stores, increasing the hours of operation, and increasing warehousing, logistics and e-commerce capacity. Doing this will also expand public revenues by increasing LCBO sales which help fund our public services like health care and education as well as key infrastructure.

When you buy from the LCBO, including spirit-based ready-to-drink beverages, that should help build Ontario - not pay for a billionaire's new yacht.

Our plan would also support good jobs at the LCBO and in our communities. Having more permanent part-time and permanent full-time job opportunities means greater product knowledge and even better customer service.

Right now, 70% of LCBO workers are casual - they don't have guaranteed hours, which means most won't have access to benefits and there aren't opportunities to move into permanent part-time and full-time positions. We want a better future for our members, the LCBO, and Ontario.

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO)

Media contact: Katie Arnup, OPSEU/SEFPO Bilingual Communications Officer: 647-881-2939, [email protected]
Pituamkek National Park Reserve in Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island) will protect the region's important coastal dune ecosystem, an area of strong cultural and historical significance to the Epekwitnewaq Mi'kmaq (Mi'kmaq of Prince Edward Island)

LENNOX ISLAND, PE, July 4, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, Mi'kmawey Kapmnt Ta'n Nikana'tu'tij Epekwitnewaq Mi'kmaw-Saqmaq  the Mi'kmaw Nation Government of Prince Edward Island, as represented by the Prince Edward Island Chiefs, Chief Darlene Bernard of Lennox Island First Nation and Chief Junior Gould of Abegweit First Nation, and the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced that they have reached an agreement to establish a new national park reserve on the northwestern shores of Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island).

Mikmaq Epekwitnewaq Kapmntemuow (CNW Group/Parks Canada (HQ))

Comprised of a chain of barrier islands in northwestern P.E.I., the lands of Pituamkek (bee-DOO-um-gek) form one of the most ecologically significant coastal dune ecosystems in eastern Canada and hold great cultural and historical significance for the Epekwitnewaq Mi'kmaq, the Mi'kmaq of Epekwitk, and residents of P.E.I.

In addition to its ecological and cultural importance, the archipelago also serves a critical function in helping mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events on coastal communities, as seen during Hurricane Fiona.

This agreement demonstrates the mutual commitment of the Government of Canada and the Mi'kmaq Epekwitnewaq Kapmntemuow, the Mi'kmaq Nation Government of Epekwitk, to establish long-term protection for this magnificent place.

Pituamkek, which means "At the Long Sand Dune", is home to ancient and continuing Mi'kmaw land-use traditions, important cultural and archaeological sites, rare and sensitive ecosystems, and unique geological formations. Pituamkek is a place of remarkable natural beauty due to its coastal dune systems, old-growth forests, and Prince Edward Island's only igneous rock incursion.

The Establishment Agreement, formalized by the Mi'kmaq Epekwitnewaq Kapmntemuow and the Government of Canada, lays out key elements of the future park reserve, such as a co-management governance model, guardian programming, community-based employment opportunities, and commitments for net-zero, climate smart infrastructure development.

This agreement builds on the Government of Canada's commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and a renewed government-to-government relationship with the Epekwitnewaq Mi'kmaq. Working together, the Government of Canada and the Mi'kmaq Epekwitnewaq Kapmntemuow are taking action to protect this iconic natural and cultural landscape for future generations.

The work on assembling the park reserve lands is an ongoing partnership between L'nuey, Parks Canada, Island Nature Trust, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and the Province of Prince Edward Island who have all been major contributors to the process. The Mi'kmaq Epekwitnewaq Kapmntemuow has led the way in initiating and continuously advocating for the establishment of Pituamkek National Park Reserve since the beginning of this process in 2006.

Quotes

"This is a monumental step forward for the Epekwitnewaq Mi'kmaq, Pituamkek is a Mi'kmaq Heritage Landscape and holds tremendous cultural, ecological, and historical importance for our people. We have been fortunate to lead this process from the very beginning, and we look forward to finalizing the Establishment Agreement for this precious area and protecting it for generations to come

Chief Darlene Bernard

Lennox Island First Nation

"We have formed a strong relationship with Parks Canada over the years and this landmark announcement adds to the strength of our collaboration and work towards our shared interests. In order to move true reconciliation forward, we must have true partnership between Indigenous people and the federal government, and this agreement is a signal of the progress being made."

Chief Junior Gould

Abegweit First Nation

"We are on a mission to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, and the collaboration between the Mi'kmaq Epekwitnewaq Kapmntemuow and Parks Canada to create the 48th national park in Canada at Pituamkek is a great advancement. Every day, it is more and more evident than ever that we must act now, together, to protect the most treasured areas that Canada has to offer. Protecting lands and waters and the fight against climate change are inextricably linked, and Indigenous partnership is crucial to both for Canada."

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault

Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

"Protecting this magnificent part of Prince Edward Island while maintaining access to healthy and environmentally sustainable activities including the fishery is a great accomplishment - and a credit to all those involved. Furthermore, I know a lot of people in the western part of our province are enthusiastically preparing to help show off this special part of Canada to visitors from across our country and around the world."

Bobby Morrissey

Member of Parliament for Egmont, Prince Edward Island

"Prince Edward Island has seen significant growth in the number of acres of protected land over the last couple of years. We can only succeed in increasing green spaces and protecting Island ecosystems by working with our partners and our local communities, so I am grateful for the hard work of all involved in moving forward on this important national park."

Steven Myers

Minister of Environment, Energy, and Climate Action, Prince Edward Island

Quick Facts

On January 19, 2022 , the Government of Canada and the Mi'kmaq Nation Government of Epekwitk/P.E.I. signed a Memorandum of Understanding indicating their agreement that a national park reserve area on the northwestern shores of Epekwitk/ Prince Edward Island at Pituamkek is not only feasible, but also strongly desired by all parties.

, the Government of and the Mi'kmaq Nation Government of Epekwitk/P.E.I. signed a Memorandum of Understanding indicating their agreement that a national park reserve area on the northwestern shores of Epekwitk/ at Pituamkek is not only feasible, but also strongly desired by all parties. The Pituamkek area on the northwestern shores of Epekwitk/ Prince Edward Island constitutes a vital living link between Mi'kmaq culture, its history, and the environment. For this reason, the Mi'kmaq People of Prince Edward Island have a strong and enduring connection with the Pituamkek area and have recognized the area as a Mi'kmaq Heritage Landscape.

constitutes a vital living link between Mi'kmaq culture, its history, and the environment. For this reason, the Mi'kmaq People of have a strong and enduring connection with the Pituamkek area and have recognized the area as a Mi'kmaq Heritage Landscape. The Mi'kmaq Epekwitnewaq Kapmntemuow have led the way in initiating and continuously advocating for the establishment of a national park reserve at Pituamkek since the beginning of this process.

The creation of Pituamkek National Park Reserve will be the first national park reserve to contribute to the Government of Canada's commitment to create ten (10) new national parks by 2026.

commitment to create ten (10) new national parks by 2026. In collaboration with Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and other levels of government, Canada is committed to protecting biodiversity and conserving 30 per cent of land and inland waters and 30 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2030.

Related Links

SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)

Contacts: Kaitlin Power, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-230-1557, [email protected]; Media Relations: Parks Canada, 855-862-1812, [email protected]; Sean Doke, Media Relations Officer, L'nuey, 902-330-4420, [email protected]
A roundup of the most newsworthy press releases from Cision Distribution this week

TORONTO, July 5, 2024 /CNW/ - With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on Cision. To help journalists and consumers stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

Cision Canada - The Weekly Round-Up (PRNewsfoto/Cision Canada)

Read more of the latest releases from Cision, see our resources for journalists, and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @cnwnews.

About Cision Canada

Cision is a comprehensive communications platform enabling more than 100,000 public relations and marketing professionals around the world to understand, influence and amplify their stories. As the market leader, Cision enables the next generation of communication professionals to strategically operate in the modern media landscape where company success is directly impacted by public opinion. Cision has offices in 24 countries through the Americas, EMEA and APAC, and offers a suite of best-in-class solutions, including Newswire, Brandwatch, Cision Communications Cloud and Cision Insights. To learn more, visit www.cision.ca and follow @CisionCA on Twitter.

SOURCE Cision Canada

For questions, contact the team at [email protected].
Country star Zach Bryan released his new album The Great American Bar Scene on the Fourth of July, and the 19-track LP features a duet with Bruce Springsteen.

The song, Sandpaper, is highly reminiscent of Springsteens own enduring hit 1984 Im On Fire in its similar drum patterns and The Bosss familiar howl in the bridge. Winter was a drag / But spring was a friend / Ill love you til the summer comes back again, Bryan and Springsteen sing together in the song about a stubborn kind of love.

Springsteen, 74, joined Bryan, 28, on stage earlier this year in a surprise appearance during Bryans Brooklyn stop for his Quittin Time tour where they sang the new track together.

READ MORE: Springsteen flies 3,000 miles to surprise fans, jam with Zach Bryan at concert

Bryan thanked Springsteen in a post on X: thank you for the day @springsteen. thank you for your kind words thank you for letting me take this picture thank you for making my whole life a dream of a younger me a reason to believe.

Bryans new album also features artists like John Mayer and John Moreland.

This record tested the hell out of me, and I failed most days it did, but we finally made it, Bryan wrote in the caption of a post on Instagram. Im glad this chapter happened, but Im more glad that its coming to an end. Happy Fourth of July to the best people in the world. How lucky are we?

The Bryan-Springsteen bond grew stronger after Bryan broke Springsteens attendance record at Newarks Prudential Center earlier this month, notching more than 19,000 fans in the Jersey arena for his sold-out show.

READ MORE: Springsteen flies 3,000 miles to surprise fans, jam with country superstar at concert

Earlier this year, Springsteen and his E Street Band had to postpone a few of shows on his European tour after suffering from vocal issues, but returned to the road last month.

Next up, Springsteen and his band will perform in New Jersey for a big performance, headlining the Sea Hear Now festival at Asbury Park Sept. 15.

His album Born in the U.S.A  which features Im On Fire  is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

More music coverage

Saleah Blancaflor may be reached at sblancaflor@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @saleyley and Instagram.
UPDATE: The 31-year-old woman who was allegedly assaulted died Friday afternoon at University Hospital. The charges filed against the man accused of killing her will be upgraded to criminal homicide, prosecutors said.

A man was arrested Thursday after he was accused of injuring a woman and two small children during an alleged assault at an East Orange apartment, authorities said.

Officers were called to the Park Avenue apartment around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday for a report of a disturbance and found the woman and two children, who were all rushed to University Hospital in Newark, according to a release from the Essex County Prosecutors Office.

The woman and one of the children suffered life-threatening injuries and a second child suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the office said.

The children were a three-year-old and a nine-month old, East Orange Police Chief Phyllis L. Bindi previously said. It was unclear which of them was suffering from life-threatening injuries.

Jihad Hagler, 27, of Newark, was identified as a suspect and he was arrested on Thursday evening by the Newark Police Department for an unrelated incident, investigators said. He was then turned over to the East Orange Police Department and detectives from the office.

For the alleged East Orange incident, Hagler was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, officials said.

He is being held in the Essex County Correctional Facility pending a court appearance in the Essex County Central Judicial Processing court, the office said.

Haglers relationship to the woman and children was not disclosed by the office.

Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
The recently approved New Jersey state budget includes a $10,000 allocation to the Brian Stack Internship Program, but it has nothing to do with the state senator and Union City mayor.

Instead, the program is named after an aide who worked in Gov. Tom Keans administration in the 1980s, whose family created an internship fund after his death at the age of 27.

The program is a paid internship at the governors office, specifically the Office of Constituent Relations, and is awarded to students at The College of New Jersey in Ewing. Stack, the aide, graduated from the school back when it was known as Trenton State College, according to the colleges website.

The Jersey Journal initially reported last week that the program was related to Sen. Stack, one of the most powerful politicians in Hudson County due to his formidable get-out-the-vote machine, which has helped him and his allies win elections by comfortable margins.

Regardless, at least $107 million of the $56.6 billion state budget will go to over two dozen Hudson County projects and programs. Notable spending items in Sen. Stacks North Hudson-based district includes $2 million for North Bergens operating budget and $3 million for a new West New York parking lot.
Like shoes and gloves, two major Downtown Jersey City high-rise developments are coming in pairs.

The concept of twin towers is the thrust of massive projects scheduled to be heard by the Jersey City Planning Board July 9: one near the waterfront and the other next to Jersey City Medical Center.

Veris Residential has submitted plans for Harborside 9, a 57-story tower at 3 Second St. that would include 579 residential units  87 of which will be set aside as affordable housing  as well as 14,840 square feet of commercial space and a 555-space parking garage.

The building would be constructed on a parking lot just north of the upcoming Harborside 8, a 68-story, 680-unit tower that was approved on the same lot in early 2020, and the existing Harborside 10 office tower. A spokesperson for Veris declined to comment on the project.

Developer Grand Jersey Group, meanwhile, is preparing to build Grand Jersey, a two-tower, 27-story project at 52 Aetna St. that would include 517 residential units, 30,186 square feet of retail space, 182,935 square feet of office space and a 726-space parking garage.

The five-acre contaminated site where Grand Jersey is set to be sold to Grand Jersey Group by the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA) for $30 million, with the deal expected to close next week.

We are most appreciative of the Mayor (Steve) Fulop, the JCRA, the Jersey City Council and the planning board and for having the vision and diligence to kick start this vital project, said Vincent Garcia of Grand Jersey Group.

A long-overlooked part of Jersey City will now be a vibrant part of the community. Already, medical arts tenants are interested in the Grand Jersey commercial space. We are excited by the quality of the potential tenants.

The land was historically used for unpermitted landfill operations from the 1900s to the mid-1980s, where ash, slag, trash and contaminated oils were reportedly dumped there. In 2006, an inspection identified the presence of numerous 55-gallon drums, pails and small bottles throughout the site.

The land will be excavated and capped prior to the start of construction.

Unlike Harborside 9, Grand Jersey will not have affordable housing. The project will also include the construction of four roads around it, a plaza area on the northeast corner and a dog park on the west side. Construction is set to begin later this year and take 30 months to complete.
Already struck with a $128 county tax increase and a slight school tax hike, North Bergen homeowners are getting belted with a nearly 10% spike in their municipal taxes under the townships proposed $116.1 million budget.

The 9.7% tax hike  $570 to the owner of an average-assessed home  is being blamed on an increase in employee healthcare and pension costs, as well as a drop in state aid, township officials said in statement.
Mark Robinson, the MAGA Republican nominee for governor in North Carolina, appeared to call for political violence in a bizarre and alarming rant at a June 30 rally that was just uncovered online.

Some liberal somewhere is going to say that sounds awful. Too bad, Robinson told a crowd, which responded with applause. Get mad at me if you want to. Some folks need killing.

Its time for somebody to say it. Its not a matter of vengeance. Its not a matter of being mean or spiteful. Its a matter of necessity.

Robinson, called MAGAs Great Black Hope, delivered a half-hour-long speech in Lake Church in the small town of White Lake, in the southeast corner of the state.

While ticking off a long list of enemies, Robinson called for the killing of some folks as he ranted against people who have evil intent and wicked people and likened those who are torturing and murdering and raping victims to socialists and communists. He accused liberals of persecuting conservatives by canceling them and doxxing them. He was vague, however, about which folks ... need killing.

Heres a transcription of that segment of his speech:

We now find ourselves struggling with people who have evil intent. You know, theres a time when we used to meet evil on the battlefield, and guess what we did to it? We killed it!  When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, what did we do? We flew to Japan! And we killed the Japanese Army and Navy!  We didnt argue and capitulate and talk about, well, maybe we shouldnt fight the Nazis that hard. No, theyre bad. Kill them. Some liberal somewhere is going to say that sounds awful. Too bad. Get mad at me if you want to.

Some folks need killing! Its time for somebody to say it. Its not a matter of vengeance. Its not a matter of being mean or spiteful. Its a matter of necessity! When you have wicked people doing wicked things, torturing and murdering and raping. Its time to call out, uh, those guys in green and go have them handled. Or those boys in blue and have them go handle it.

We need to start handling our business again.  Dont you feel it slipping away?  The further we start sliding into making 1776 a distant memory and the tenets of socialism and communism start coming into clearer focus. Theyre watching us. Theyre listening to us. Theyre tracking us. They get mad at you. They cancel you. They dox you. They kick you off social media. They come in and close down your business. Folks, its happening  because we have forgotten who we are.

Robinson, who is trailing in the polls, is described by the New Republic:

A self-described MAGA Republican, has a long history of wildly radical and unhinged moments. He has linked homosexuality to pedophilia, called for the arrest of trans women, pushed hallucinogenic antisemitic conspiracy theories, endorsed the vile birther conspiracy about Barack Obama, described Michelle Obama as a man, hinted at the need to violently oppose federal law enforcement and the government, and posted memes mocking and denying the brutal, violent assault on Nancy Pelosis husband, among many other things.

In a Quinnipiac University poll taken in the spring, Democrat Josh Stein, the current attorney general, was leading over Robinson 52%-44%. A poll from High Point University showed Stein with a 37%-34% lead, with 25% saying they were unsure. Other polls have the two candidates in a virtual tie.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
A former Yankees designated hitter is done with MLB.

Mike Ford signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japans NPB Friday morning for the rest of the 2024 season, the team announced. Ford was designated for assignment twice this season by the Cincinnati Reds. After a few stints in the minor leagues and being a free agent since May 31, hes leaving for Japan.

Ford made his debut with the Yankees in 2019, crushing as their first baseman and designated hitter. He hit 12 homers in 50 games with a .909 OPS for the team that first signed him in 2013.

MORE: SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE YANKEES NEWSLETTER

That would be his best stint in the Bronx, and MLB as a whole. The Yankees traded Ford to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021 after he hit .135 the previous two seasons in New York.

Since, Ford, a Belle Mead, New Jersey, native, has been with seven different clubs and struggled to even stay in the majors. Ford  who turned 32 years old Thursday  posts a career slash line of .202/.298/.402 with 37 home runs in six seasons.

BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETSMARTER

The DeNA BayStars were most recently the home of former Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer and current Chicago Cubs rookie pitcher Shota Imanaga. Former Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel also played for the club from 2014-15 before defecting from Cuba to to MLB.

The DeNA BayStars are in second in NPBs Central League, with Ford signed for the 70 games remaining in their season.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Gabriel Trevino can be reached at GTrevino@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.
Devon Air Ambulance Barnstaple charity shop has won The WOW! Factor category at this years Charity Retail Association awards for Best Shop Interior.

The Charity Retail Association represents the interests of charity shops and charity retailers across the UK and this annual award ceremony celebrates the innovation and achievements of charity retailers across the country including Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) who was shortlisted for three awards:

Vanessa Hawken - Retail Employee of the Year

Clive Burke - Volunteer of the Year

Barnstaple Community Hub  The WOW! Factor Award for Best Shop Interior

Pete Vallance, head of business development at Devon Air Ambulance, proudly accepted the award for the Best Shop Interior on Thursday 27 June, he said: This award was voted for by the attendees of the event so to be chosen as Best Shop Interior by our peers and suppliers in the charity retail industry is truly an honour. It is a testament to the work that goes on behind the scenes in not just running a charity shop but setting one up with sustainability and luxury retail experience in mind.

One of the fundamental goals of the Barnstaple Community Hub and many of our refits looking ahead, is to reuse and recycle as much as we possibly can. When you walk into our North Devon shop, whatever preconceived notions you have about traditional charity shops will be completely turned around and this award demonstrates that.

The Barnstaple shop is not only a unique and innovative charity shop, it is also a vibrant Community Hub for local people to gather as well as to shop.

The aim behind DAAs award-winning community hub is to foster a sense of belonging in a space dedicated to local people, where they can come together to connect and to support one another.

In addition to this innovative community and fundraising hub, the centrepiece is a large workspace with seating for ten, set up in memory of Avril Kingdom, a much-loved former Devon Air Ambulance employee.

Local community groups are invited to meet up here, either to enjoy their own interests and crafts such as a knit and natter, or to support the charity by mending donations in need of repair.

Community groups are invited to make good use of this space and can contact Shop Manager Kevin Brown at k.brown@daat.org for more information.



The Barnstaple shop is designed with sustainability and creativity in mind, even the shop furniture was sourced second hand. The till point creates a focal point in the store with a donation station and branded messaging built into the wooden countertop and as you enter the fitting rooms, you find yourself enjoying the view from the helicopter cockpit.

Devon Air Ambulance helps save lives at the scene. Its specialist doctors and paramedics provide crucial, time-critical care to patients suffering from serious illness or injury. The charity serves Devon and neighbouring counties by air and by road, with the aim of reaching every patient within 15-20 minutes.

The charity depends on voluntary donations to continue its lifesaving service. If you wish to support their vital work, donate here: www.daat.org
One of the most consistent realities of the early Trump era in the Republican Party was the massive gap between elite knowledge of Donald Trump and voter perception of Trump. Party leaders saw him up close, knew of his scandals and deranged behavior and complained about him bitterly behind closed doors.

But then what happened? The same people not only deferred to voters who possessed a small fraction of their information; they actually contributed to public ignorance by defending Trump even from the most legitimate criticism. They made the problem worse and then complained bitterly about the predicament they helped create.

In other words, the leaders werent leaders at all.

I understand an elected Democrats desire to defend the partys nominee until hes not the nominee. I understand that every word uttered against President Biden can be used by Trump if Biden stays in the race. But if you have real knowledge of Bidens limitations and if you then sally forth into public to defend his competence in the face of known contrary facts, then youve become a version of what you hate. Youve become a blue-hatted version of the red-hatted party loyalist.

Leadership can be a surprisingly tricky concept in a representative democracy. When you win your election, is your mission to do what your voters want? Or do you view the vote for you as essentially a vote of confidence in you, as a person who can actually lead constituents rather than merely express their will?
Three people were killed and at least eight others were injured after a driver plowed a pickup truck into a crowd of people celebrating July 4 in a park on Manhattans Lower East Side, the authorities said. The police said that the driver was intoxicated.

Several of the injured were transported to hospitals, a police spokesman said. The spokesman, Sgt. Jose Jimenez of the New York Police Department, said that the driver, Daniel Hyden, 44, was in custody.

Mr. Hyden was facing charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, eight counts of assault for recklessly causing serious injury with a weapon or object, and other charges of driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, police said.

Sergeant Jimenez identified two of the people killed as Lucille Pinkney, 59, and Hernan Pinkney, 38, and said that police were still determining their relationship. He was not able to identify the third person killed in the incident.
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California told angsty Michigan Democrats on Thursday that President Biden had been engaged and all in on his re-election campaign during a White House meeting a day before. And Mr. Newsom suggested, gently, that party activists take a deep breath and rally behind the incumbent.

What I need to convince you of is not to be fatalistic, not to fall prey to all this negativity, Mr. Newsom told more than 300 fellow Democrats who had gathered on the Fourth of July holiday in South Haven, Mich.

Democrats have had a brutal week since Mr. Bidens rocky debate performance last week, and calls for him to exit the race have exposed rifts within the party.

Mr. Newsom came to Michigan, a crucial swing state, as a surrogate campaigning for Mr. Biden. But it was hard to ignore the fact that he was also among the leading names being circulated as a potential replacement candidate  along with the Democratic governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer.
President Biden sought to steady his re-election campaign by talking with two Black radio hosts for interviews broadcast on Thursday, but he spoke haltingly at points during one interview and struggled to find the right phrase in the other, saying that he was proud to have been the first Black woman to serve with a Black president.

He also stumbled over his words during a four-minute Fourth of July speech to military families at the White House, beginning a story about former President Donald J. Trump, calling him one of our colleagues, the former president and then adding, probably shouldnt say, at any rate before abruptly ending the story and moving on.

Mr. Biden made the mistake on WURD radio, based in Philadelphia, as he tried to deliver a line that he has repeated before about having pride in serving as vice president for President Barack Obama. Earlier in the interview, he boasted about appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court and picking the first Black woman to be vice president.

The president also made a mistake earlier in the interview when he asserted that he had been the first president elected statewide in Delaware. He appeared to mean that he was the first Catholic in the state to be elected statewide, going on to speak admiringly of John F. Kennedy, a Catholic.
Nigel Farage, a supporter of former President Donald J. Trump, a force behind Brexit and Britains best known political disrupter, was elected to Parliament for the first time.

The new insurgent party he leads  Reform U.K.  was projected in the national exit poll to have captured four seats and a strong vote share, in an electoral system that typically punishes small parties. His party has been buoyed by an anti-immigration platform.

Mr. Farage won by a large margin in Clacton, a faded seaside town, where pre-election opinion surveys had suggested he had a strong chance of winning. He had tried and failed seven times before to be elected to Parliament.

The establishment are terrified, the Conservatives are terrified, Mr. Farage declared gleefully in a speech last month, referring to the governing party. Britain was a broken nation, he added, attacking targets ranging from asylum seekers to the BBC.
Rishi Sunak, the outgoing British prime minister, conceded his Conservatives partys defeat early Friday, while holding onto his seat in Parliament.

Mr. Sunak took 47.5 percent of the vote in his constituency of Richmond and Northallerton in northern England. It was likely a relief for Mr. Sunak, who was reportedly worried about maintaining his once-safe seat in the days leading up to the vote.

But it was also a somber moment, as Mr. Sunak acknowledged in his acceptance speech for his seat that his party had lost. The Labour Party has won this general election, Mr. Sunak declared, adding that he had called Keir Starmer, the Labour leader and incoming prime minister to congratulate him.

Few in Richmond expected his ouster from Parliament. Mr. Sunaks Conservative Party has long held sway in the rural Yorkshire area. If he had lost the race, he would have been the first sitting prime minister to lose his seat in Parliament.
Nancy Azara, a sculptor who evoked ancient feminine imagery in her carved and painted wood pieces, and who in 1979 was a founder of the New York Feminist Art Institute, a school run by and for women artists, died on June 27 in Manhattan. She was 84.

Her wife, Darla Bjork, a psychiatrist and artist, said the cause of her death, in a hospital, was congestive heart failure and complications of scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease.

In the heyday of the womens movement  and of feminist consciousness-raising  in the early 1970s, Ms. Azara and other feminist artists began meeting in their downtown Manhattan lofts, to explore their approach to art making and to sketch out projects that would support women artists like themselves, who were largely shut out of the contemporary (and very male) art world.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office after his center-left Labour Party won a landslide election victory that decisively swept the Conservatives out of power. It was the worst defeat for the party in its nearly 200-year history.

Labours more than 410 seats in Parliament ensured the party a robust majority. But a glance past the win reveals signs that point to a dissatisfied and fragmented nation.

The voter turnout was close to a record low, hinting that some voters had checked out after years of political dysfunction. Despite Labours gains in Parliament, the BBC estimated that the party had garnered only 35 percent of the votes nationwide, while smaller parties and independent candidates saw their support surge.

Reform U.K., the new anti-immigration party led by Nigel Farage, who is a Trump ally and Brexit champion, won just five Parliament seats but became the third-biggest party by vote share, with about 14 percent. A veteran political disrupter, Farage could try to poach the remnants of the debilitated Conservatives.
Americans declared independence from the British 248 years ago. Throughout this long weekend, people will celebrate the holiday with a hot, sticky spectacle of national identity. Towns hold parades and shoot fireworks, families have barbecues and crowds wear red, white and blue. The Times publishes the Declaration of Independence in full.

Dozens of other countries have seceded from the British Empire. Even more have seceded from other empires, and many countries mark their liberty with holidays that display their national identities, too.

We wanted to share how other countries honor their independence each summer. Heres a look:
The Biden administration this week awarded $504 million to 12 regions in states from New Mexico to New Hampshire with the goal of transforming overlooked communities into tech hubs.

The grants reflect an effort to spread the production of critical technology beyond epicenters like Silicon Valley and coastal regions, bringing with them more high-paying jobs in industries like computer chips, quantum computing and personalized health care.

The estimated award for each region ranges from around $20 million to more than $50 million. The tech hubs program is part of the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to boost the domestic production of semiconductors and funding for scientific research.

But the announcement of the grants shows just how little money has been given out. Congress authorized $10 billion for the program over five years, but only a small fraction  $541 million with the latest awards  has actually been appropriated so far. More broadly, semiconductor production has faced challenges since the laws enactment, including delays in the building and finishing of chip factories.
Like a globe-spanning tornado that touches down with little predictability, deep economic anxieties are leaving a trail of political turmoil and violence across poor and rich countries alike.

In Kenya, a nation buckling under debt, protests over a proposed tax increase last week resulted in dozens of deaths, abductions of demonstrators and a partly scorched Parliament.

At the same time in Bolivia, where residents have lined up for gas because of shortages, a military general led a failed coup attempt, saying the president, a former economist, must stop impoverishing our country, just before an armored truck rammed into the presidential palace.

And in France, after months of road blockades by farmers angry over low wages and rising costs, the far-right party surged in support in the first round of snap parliamentary elections on Sunday, bringing its long-taboo brand of nationalist and anti-immigrant politics to the threshold of power.
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.

After recording about 90 episodes of Hard Fork, a weekly New York Times podcast about technology and business, life is much the same for its hosts, Kevin Roose and Casey Newton. That is, except for the occasional encounter with a fan, which is a new and sometimes startling experience for them.

Just last night, I was having dinner with two friends visiting from out of town, Mr. Newton said. As I was coming back from the bathroom, a man stopped me. At first, I thought I had met him before because I basically have face blindness. But then it emerged that he recognized me from our YouTube channel.

Since the podcasts first episode in October 2022, Mr. Roose and Mr. Newton have discussed and debated topics including the looming TikTok ban by U.S. lawmakers, Elon Musks takeover of Twitter and the pros and cons of digital companionship. Theyve interviewed guests such as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and Sam Altman, a co-founder of OpenAI.

Along the way, Mr. Roose and Mr. Newton have tinkered with the podcasts format, inviting listeners to send in their questions, for example. But their mission has remained the same: to inform and entertain.
Roughly every 30 seconds, a Latino in the United States reaches voting age. More than one-fifth of Latinos who are eligible to vote this year would be voting in their first presidential election, and 38 percent of the Latino electorate consists of new voters since 2016. Latino youth are concentrated in the West, where theyre 40 percent of newly eligible voters across the region that includes the battleground states of Arizona and Nevada.

The possibility that Donald Trump could attract a significant share of Latino voters and shave down his margins against President Biden is one of the open questions of this election. But conservative Latino voters have taken up outsize space in the national imagination. The Biden campaign should worry less about a mass defection of Latinos to the MAGA camp than about motivating young Latinos to go to the polls. It is these youths who will determine the fate of the Latino vote. As of the 2020 Census, the median Hispanic in the United States was 30 years old.

On major domestic policy issues, polls show that most young Latinos are aligned with progressives. They believe in abortion rights, gun control and a pathway to citizenship for the longtime undocumented population. They want to stop climate change.

Latino youth are also more likely to belong to groups hurt by Mr. Trumps policies than other voters. Theyre more likely than non-Hispanic white and Black youth to identify as L.G.B.T.Q. and more likely than older generations of Latinos to be the children of immigrants. More than half have undocumented family members or close friends.
As the belief that Joe Biden is fully equipped to be president dissolves like mist on a Delaware morning, some of his defenders have fallen back on the idea that the American presidency is not really a man but a team.

I would take Joe Biden on his worst day at age 86  so long as he has people around him like Avril Haines, Samantha Power, Gina Raimondo supporting him  over Donald Trump any day, a former homeland security secretary, Jeh Johnson, said on MSNBC a few days ago. Dont think of this as the Biden presidency, in other words; think of it as the Biden-Raimondo-Haines-Power presidency (tack on a dozen more names if you like), in which if the central pillar weakens, the support structure can still hold things up.

If youre looking for a counter to my argument in last weekends column that Biden needs to be replaced because it would be incredibly dangerous to have a senescent president in the White House for the next four years (and not just because Democrats fear he might lose to Trump in November), this corporate vision of the presidency is where you need to start.

From there, you could take the relatively mild position that one lesson of both the Biden years and Trumps first term is that the executive branch can often work around a president who isnt quite up to the demands of the job. Or you could take the sweeping position that the government as a corporate entity almost always works independently of the occupant of the Oval Office and so an increasingly incapacitated chief executive who does what the process tells him to do would just be business as usual for the ship of state.
[MUSIC PLAYING]

ezra klein

From New York Times Opinion, this is The Ezra Klein Show. If Joe Biden steps aside, which is still a very big if, the favorite to replace him is Vice President Kamala Harris. She is quite literally next in line. There are reasons that are obvious for this and reasons that are a little bit more subtle. Like, heres one. She would make the transfer of money a lot easier. A Harris-led ticket could use all the money that the Biden-Harris campaign has raised, whereas because of how campaign finance law works, if anyone else is a Democratic nominee, that money has to be transferred to the D.N.C. or to a PAC, which would make coordination a whole lot harder. But theres been this longstanding belief in Democratic circles that Harris is a lot weaker than Joe Biden, that he can win the election and she cant. The big evidence for this used to be that she polled beneath him. Thats no longer true. I was looking at the FiveThirtyEight polling averages, and she has a very slightly higher approval rating and a significantly lower disapproval rating. Theres a new CNN poll that found Biden losing to Trump by six points, Harris losing by only two points. Other internal Democratic polling has been leaked, including by a group called Open Labs. Looks there, too, like Harris is now outperforming Biden against Donald Trump. In polls before now, shes performed similarly, sometimes a point or two worse. So far, the conventional wisdom has held that Biden may be weak, but Harris is also too weak. But why? There are ways in which Harris seems perfectly suited for this moment. Shes a former prosecutor who would be running against a convicted criminal. Shes the administrations best messenger on abortion by far, running in the aftermath of Dobbs. Shes a Black woman with a tough on crime background, running at a moment when crime and disorder have been big issues in American politics. And unlike Joe Biden, who I think has very little room to improve from here, the American people dont really know Harris. The opportunity for her to make a different impression if she was speaking for herself, rather than for the administration, is real. Now, that doesnt mean shed be able to pull that off. Thats a hard political job. But shes a lot sharper in interviews and debates than I think people are now prepared for. She has a resume and some skills quite well-suited to this moment. It definitely doesnt seem impossible that she could rise to the task. There is a reason she was considered so strong in 2019 and in 2020. Wouldnt you want to see her debate Donald Trump? But that still leaves a question of how she ended up with this reputation in the first place, how she went from this meteoric rise, winning a Senate seat in 2016, being taken seriously as a top tier presidential candidate just four years later, getting tapped, then, for vice president, to being really quickly, after that, considered a political underachiever, the reason Joe Biden needs to run again rather than the successor he was building that bridge to. Elaina Plott Calabro is a staff writer at The Atlantic who previously covered politics at The New York Times. And in October, she published a really big, really interesting profile of Harris  about what had happened during her vice presidency, how that differed from the reputation she had before. And for that, she spent quite a lot of time with Harris and the people who worked with her. So thats to come on the show, to unravel the puzzle, maybe even the paradox, of Kamala Harris with me. As always, my email, ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com. [MUSIC PLAYING] Elaina Plott Calabro, welcome to the show.

elaina plott calabro

Thank you so much for having me.

ezra klein

So I want to begin with a clip of Vice President Harris defending Joe Biden right after the first presidential debate in this interview with Anderson Cooper.

archived recording (kamala harris) Listen, people can debate on style points, but ultimately, this election and who is the president of the United States has to be about substance. And the contrast is clear. Look at what happened during the course of the debate. Donald Trump lied over and over and over again, as he is wont to do. He would not disavow what happened on January 6. He would not give a clear answer on whether he would stand by the election results this November. He went back and forth about where he stands on one of the most critical issues of freedom in America, which is the right of a woman to make decisions about their own body. He has been completely ambiguous and all over the place about where he stands on that issue, despite the fact that he hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade. And thats exactly what they did. And just three years ago, we commemorated the two-year anniversary of Dobbs, wherein women across our country have been denied emergency health care, have suffered miscarriages to the point that  archived recording (anderson cooper) All that may be true, but the president of the United States  archived recording (kamala harris) But these facts are very important. archived recording (anderson cooper)  was not able to make that case to Donald Trump on the stage tonight.

ezra klein

So theres something grim there about Cooper basically saying, great, that was a great debate answer. Why wasnt the president able to say what you just said?

elaina plott calabro

I think, honestly, a lot of people who have followed the vice president closely the past three years were, in some ways, surprised by that answer. One of the huge reasons for her struggles and her, in my opinion, lack of popularity among many Americans is that shes a very poor communicator when the parameters are quite wide. And what do I mean by that? I mean, when shes on a stage and shes asked about the American experiment, democracy, the state of it, things like that, she really gets lost in the woods when she talks. But a moment like this, when the parameters are quite narrow, when she needs to  and its such a cliche with her at this point to say it like this, but making the case against someone or something is where I think her confidence truly shows and when she is actually communicating in a way that doesnt feel instantly clippable for a Republican ad.

ezra klein

I want to get at this idea of her as a poor communicator, because, in some ways, what has happened to the reputation of Kamala Harris between, lets call it 2019 and 2020, when shes a huge rising star, and shes running for president and considered in maybe the top tier of the presidential candidates, nobodys saying, well, this is going to be a disaster. Kamala Harris is a terrible communicator. And then something happens. And the whole conventional wisdom in Washington on Kamala Harris undergoes this devolution to, shes not a way above replacement politician, but a way below replacement politician. One of the reasons Joe Biden has to run again, no matter how old he is, is she cant carry the load. Why does that happen?

elaina plott calabro

Having spent more time than Id like to admit combing through every aspect of her career as a public servant, you have to think about, OK, what was she before she ran for president in the primary? She was a senator from California. She had not been in office long at all before she launched her primary bid. Before that, she was attorney general of California. Before that, she was the D.A. in San Francisco. Lets think, then, about the D.A., because I think this elucidates the point pretty well. When you are running for D.A., you are not necessarily trying to capture the imagination of voters. Its very just sort of metrics-driven, dry even. And she ran the campaign that way. She said, my opponent, the incumbent, has a very low conviction rate for felonies. Im going to raise that conviction rate. And because she was so often the first, or always, rather, the first, in the jobs that she held, whether that was because of her gender, being South Asian, having Black heritage, a lot of times, in the era she was running, youd want to minimize those facts. And I think in San Francisco in particular, in that D.A.s race, what she wanted to show voters was that she kind of wanted to blend in like background music, in a way. Like, Im the guy that you currently have, but Im just a lot more competent. And its sort of that very kind of systematic, practical appeal that works in an office thats really close to the ground in that way. Nobody is looking to their D.A. to give soaring and inspiring speeches about democracy, and nor are they looking to be sold on a story of someones life. I mean, Im sure most Americans in this country couldnt tell you the origin myth of their local district prosecutor or what have you. And she sort of ran her campaign for attorney general that same way. I remember talking to one of her advisers on that campaign, and she said they did, in fact, urge her, you know, share more about your biography. Make your personal story more of an aspect of this campaign. And she was resistant to that idea.

ezra klein

But she definitely does it more now. She talks about the friend who was molested when she was growing up, and she brings that friend into her home. And thats part of why she becomes a prosecutor. So when she does tell her story, what is the story she tells?

elaina plott calabro

Its interesting that you brought up that story in particular, because I remember an aide coming to me in the midst of reporting my profile on her, saying, I just found out a key reason why she became a prosecutor, and Im going to set up an interview so she can tell you about it. So I thought it was quite telling that this person who had been on her team for a while is only now learning this pretty important facet of her path to her career. So, she is inherently resistant to trying to sell herself in such a way. But again, with attorney general, that is not the worst thing ever. Governor  it would have been a different story, of course. She gets into the Senate, runs for president, and what you see happen is that her background and her skill set, in being a prosecutor, prosecuting the case against Donald Trump, collides with a moment when the national sentiment toward police and law enforcement, in general, is quite grim. And you have those around her, like her sister, Maya Harris, who say, you kind of drop the prosecutor thing. This is not something that voters want to be reminded of. She wrote a book when she was in California called Smart on Crime, which really  you read it, it sounds more like a tough on crime book. But that was no longer relevant, as her advisers told her, to her interest in the presidential campaign. And so what happened was her communication became so clearly reflective of someone that she herself didnt recognize, if that makes sense. When she is able to kind of step into that mode she feels comfortable, where she feels more like a district attorney again, like you saw in hearings with Brett Kavanaugh or Jeff Sessions, when her star really started to explode 

archived recording (kamala harris) When you and I met, I brought up the incident in Charlottesville, where, as you know, there was a rally by white supremacists that left a young woman dead. You will recall that the president who nominated you described the incident by saying, quote, I think there is blame on both sides. So I think this will be a simple question for you. Do you, sir, believe there was blame on both sides? archived recording 1 Senator, we did talk, and I enjoyed our meeting and to talk about the history of this country. And we talked about that at some length and talked about discrimination. I appreciated your opening statement yesterday, where you talked about your experience. One of the principles Ive articulated throughout this hearing is the independence of the judiciary. archived recording (kamala harris) And, sir, Id appreciate if youd answer the question. archived recording 1 I am, Senator. So one of the principles Ive talked about throughout this hearing is the independence of the judiciary. And one of the things judges do, following the lead of the Chief Justice and what all the judges do, is not  stay out of current events. Stay out of commenting on current events, because it risks confusion about what our role is. We are judges who decide cases and controversy. Were not pundits, so we dont comment on current events. We stay out of political controversy. archived recording (kamala harris) With all due respect, I only have limited time. But are you saying that its too difficult a question, or its a question you cant answer, which is whether you agree with the statement that there was blame on both sides? We can move on, but are you saying you cannot answer that simple  pretty simple question?

elaina plott calabro

I think thats the flavor were starting to see again. But the interim has  I mean, its just been a struggle because thats never been how she thinks of politics.

ezra klein

You open your profile with a kind of very telling story that Ive also heard from others about getting a tour of the art in the vice presidents residence. Do you want to talk through that?

elaina plott calabro

Yeah, so I went to meet with the vice president at her residence for about an hour and a half. And when I got in there, she gave me a tour of the residence. So, like past vice presidents, shes completely redesigned it, hired someone to come in and help her effect her vision. And she wanted to show me all of the artwork that shed included. And what I found pretty interesting right off the bat was that as she was describing these pieces, she said nothing about what it made her feel, what attracted her to it. The artistry itself is probably a better way to say it. She would just point to it and say, this is by a Japanese American artist. This is by a gay artist, and sort of took me through an identitarian walk-through of the art on display in her home and never said anything else about it. And she ends it with, so you get the idea. So you get what Im going for here, was the meaning of that. And, yeah, it was telling. I think there was a reason I started my piece with that anecdote. But I also think, to me, its the sort of thing that reflected, I think, her desire, at times, to say what she thinks the base of the party wants to hear, which is where a lot of her communication fumbles, I think, come from. I think a lot of times that she is very scared of saying something wrong and going counter to the base, as opposed to just saying rather forthrightly how she feels about something.

ezra klein

Youre not the only person whos gotten that exact tour and had that exact reaction to it. And its why focus on this. Its obviously a very small thing, but there is this way  maybe its because its not actually her politics, right? I think its a really interesting argument youre making here and that I think might be true, right, that shes actually speaking this era of the Democratic Party with an accent, to use that metaphor.

elaina plott calabro

Thats a nice way to put it. Yeah.

ezra klein

That, in fact, the reason the symbolism is a little bit blunt force is its not her natural politics. Shes not just running to be the first. She doesnt come out of that era in Democratic Party politics. She comes out of this era when it made sense in SF to be a kind of smart on crime, tough on crime prosecutor, to brag about your conviction record, to say that the people youre running against dont have enough convictions, right? To say that you have compassion, but you also have steel to you. And that as she tried to refashion herself for an era that did not allow her to make that set of arguments in an era in which there was extraordinary excitement about a Black, Indian American woman after Obama, I mean, people wanted her to pan out. They wanted Kamala Harris to be the next chapter in the history that seemed to be happening when the party elected Obama in 2008 and 2012. And I think she tried to shape herself into that. And I guess what youre saying here, which is interesting and maybe speaks to why thats sort of an awkward tour she gives people, is that its an awkward fit, not just for the person on the tour, but maybe also for her.

elaina plott calabro

To me, thats absolutely the case. And Ill return, again, to her presidential primary bid, which is where I think this theme sort of crystallized. I remember talking to aides on that campaign or former aides  this would have been after the fact  who said that when she started getting advice from people closest to her saying, this is a different moment in the Democratic Party, your background should not be your selling point, that her response was essentially, but I am a prose  thats what Ive done. That is who I am. So what story do I tell instead? Its not like I had a detour at some point where I went from smart on crime to, actually, just kidding, I changed my mind  heres the new book. There wasnt really an authentic pivot for her to make. So when shes sort of advised and takes that advice to heart that who she is, is not what that iteration of the party wants, she tries to reshape herself. And thats why  I mean, lets talk about the question of authenticity. Thats something that I think is really fraught, often, with racist and, quite often, sexist stereotypes, things like that. But voters really did pick up on something about Kamala Harris that just felt inauthentic when she spoke. I think it was David Axelrod in my story, who just said, voters can pick up on that when it doesnt feel  honesty is not even the right word, I think, telling a lie about your record or something, but just misrepresenting who you are or what it is that you really want to be saying.

ezra klein

She has reminded me of something that was true about Hillary Clinton, which is both of them struggled with this question of authenticity, struggled to seem like they were themselves, giving a big speech. And then when you would meet them privately, I dont know that Ive ever met a politician where I felt there was a bigger gap between the sort of charisma on the stump and the charisma around a table than Kamala Harris. Clinton had that dimension to her, too. But Harris is like  shes extremely warm and magnetic and profane, much more so than a lot of politicians who I know. You actually would want to have a beer with her. Youd want to go to the barbecue or the party she hosted. But you dont see that version of her out in public all that often. And I dont blame her for why, right? I think theres a long history of seeing this, whereas Joe Biden or Donald Trump can just go, like, let it all hang out, and then they seem authentic. But this feels to me like a place where there is a real  I mean, there is something lurking behind the public persona that if she were able to unleash it, at least from what Ive seen, I think would be actually quite compelling.

elaina plott calabro

And what I will say is that having traveled to so many events with her and actually seeing her interact with voters one-on-one, you do see that person. And this goes back to something I feel pretty strongly about, which is that when she is on a stage in front of a big audience and is expected to talk about gauzy questions of democracy and things like that, she just doesnt do well, even broad questions like, what does this administration see as the future of climate change? Its something that I think once she gets in a smaller group and shes able to really level with the person that shes speaking to and has eyes on them, she, I think, becomes a completely different person. Shes far more comfortable. And thats what I experienced in the residence. I mean, this was someone who I found to be almost maternal. At one point she says to me  its not even a question  youre newly married. I said, yes, Madam Vice President. And she just said, pay attention to your marriage, your relationships, because life has a way of sweeping you up. And it was just something I had never seen from her on the stage, I think is the important distinction, that aura around her. Where I had seen it was one-on-one with voters. And when I spoke with Hillary Clinton for this story, she said specifically, Kamala Harris is not a performance politician. I didnt take that to be a criticism. Shes not a performance politician either. But her point was that she said, when I was running for Senate, I did a lot of these really small round tables with voters all across New York. The media had no interest in that. And this is a complaint you will hear a lot from Kamala Harriss aides. She is, in fact, out there. Yes, she does travel a lot  Ive gone with her for a lot of these stops  and is talking to people, interacting with voters. But theyre like, nobodys coming with us on Air Force Two. We cant get any of these major outlets to come do it. And so, Kamala Harris, she said to me, my career was not about giving lovely speeches. It was about working with my constituents in whatever capacity I was in. And thats great. But on a national stage, theres simply no way that the media can package that fact and sell it for you. Lovely speeches is a large part of the ballgame when you are in the White House. [MUSIC PLAYING]

ezra klein

You mentioned that book Smart on Crime. You mentioned it reads from maybe our current perspective as tough on crime. What does she say in that book? How would you describe it?

elaina plott calabro

Well, think about her record in California. She was not shy about prosecuting people for marijuana usage. And its one of the reasons you saw quite the backlash  I dont know if youll recall, Ezra  the moment when shes asked  I think it was on a podcast  have you ever smoked marijuana? And she starts laughing and says something to the effect of, what kind of question is that? You know, Im Jamaican. And that might have been funny. But what a lot of people, I think, correctly pointed out is that, well, the thing that youre laughing about is the thing that you were quite eager to move against in your positions of power in California, that today is not something that shes going to want to talk about again. But I remember talking to David Axelrod for my profile. This was last fall, and he said theres such a tidal shift, in a way, where theres a vacuum for somebody to step in and say, I am a progressive, but the Democratic Party can have the answer for crime. And he was sort of astonished that she hadnt stepped in to kind of claim that role.

ezra klein

This, to me, is the paradox of her  it might ultimately be the tragedy of her  because Harris runs in 2020 at this exact moment when her precise political profile is disastrous for the Democratic Party, right?

elaina plott calabro

Exactly.

ezra klein

Its post-Ferguson. Its post-Black Lives Matter. George Floyd is yet to come, but were already in this moment where what you want to be is not a smart on crime Democrat. Its a criminal justice reformer. But when I go back right now  because preparing for the show, I was reading a bunch of older political profiles of Harris, and I was reading this one from The New Yorker in 2019. And they described her then as, quote, a Black female law and order Democrat. And when you imagine the candidate Democrats would want to run this year amidst concern about crime, concern about disorder at the border, running against a convicted criminal in Donald Trump, at the moment that the Supreme Court is saying that the president can functionally do almost anything they want, like a Black female law and order Democrat is the profile that you would grow in a lab. And its not clear to me. Like, can she reinhabit it? Can she find that again? Does she still believe in any of that? But it seems very  rather than Harris, in some ways, seeming ill-suited for the moment, most of her political history seems perfectly suited for the moment.

elaina plott calabro

I agree with that so strongly. And another thing I feel so strongly about is that her perhaps not inhabiting that role, that should seem so natural and so intuitive in this moment in particular, I think is a failure of President Biden. Ive thought a lot about how, when they came into office, they really didnt have a vision for her vice presidency. And part of that was by virtue of how she was chosen. She was not selected as a governing partner. People like Jim Clyburn, who has known Biden for quite a long time, is quite close with him, urges him expressly to pick a Black woman as vice president. And thats great, but coming into the presidency, the White House, you have to take time to set out, OK, what role do you actually want the vice president to fill as a governing partner? There are some reasons that are understandable for that not happening immediately. One was Covid. They came into office. It was all hands on deck. But another thing that I found pretty fascinating is that the role that vice presidents have typically been asked to fill  when I say typically, I mean, the past 20 years or so, 25 years  is a liaison to Capitol Hill, a kind of anchor to Washington for the outsider-ish president. So you think about Dick Cheney for George W. Bush. You think about Joe Biden for Barack Obama, I think, most notably. Barack Obama was quite candid that he did not like the task of going on Capitol Hill and trying to negotiate to push his legislative agenda forward. Joe Biden loves that. And so you had sort of this paradox that Kamala Harris comes in as this person who was, like, 10 years old when Joe Biden ran his first campaign for the Senate. Theres no world in which it makes sense to try to frame her as the Capitol Hill whisperer of the Biden administration. But in fact, thats what they tried to do at first. And I think it was just because they saw the historical pattern. They didnt know what else to really do with her because they hadnt really put enough thought into it. And she failed quite miserably in that role. Again, as I mentioned, she was in the Senate a rather short time before she launched her primary bid. She had not built up the relational capital with lawmakers to be someone who could come in and really make things happen. And so you saw, which I think was quite embarrassing for her, that early on, Joe Biden said, OK, Im going to go with you to these meetings, almost like a chaperone, to the point that it became just Joe Biden going to meet with someone like Senator Sinema or Senator Manchin to try to get them on board on his voting rights package. So that fizzled out quite quickly. And I think you were then left with a vice president drifting in the wind. And, to me, it was so interesting about how probably Joe Bidens worst answer, one of the worst kind of moments of the debate that we saw, was his inability to speak coherently about abortion. And it is that exact fact that indicates why we even have some sense of what Kamala Harriss profile of her vice presidency has been. In anticipation of the overturning of Roe, Biden, who does not feel comfortable talking about abortion, certainly not hitting the campaign trail in talking about it, suddenly, that was the vacuum for her to fill. And it was by happenstance, in many ways, right? So the lack of planning, I think, has sort of brought Kamala Harris to where she is today. The West Wing has never really cared to think strategically about how to present her to the American public. And what I found in my reporting is, unfortunately, one reason was that when you ask Joe Bidens aides, is she ready to step in and be president, they dont want to engage the question because they feel that in doing so, they would legitimize the implication that she might, in fact, need to step in for Joe Biden, which just goes back to what everybody is talking about today, that those around him have sort of gaslit and bullied reporters who dared bring up the fact of his age. And I think that has translated directly to how people have tried to cover the vice president or understand the vice president.

ezra klein

But Biden has wanted to serve a second term. I have heard many people say that it was almost a stroke of genius for them to choose a weak vice president, because if they had chosen a stronger vice president, the pressure on him to step aside would have been much greater. But if they had had a serious strategy to bulk up Harriss profile, to make her seem presidential to people, to give her victories, to say, maybe you dont want Joe Biden out there doing a lot of adversarial interviews and YouTube shows and podcasts, but you could send Harris out there. Shes a good interviewer. She makes mistakes like everybody, but shes actually quite strong, in my view. Ive listened to a bunch of her interviews. But they didnt want to do that. Im not saying this was all a strategy, but in terms of their incentives and Joe Bidens incentives, he didnt want people coming to the conclusion that hed done a great job in the first term, but he had this excellent vice president. And given that most Americans thought he was too old for a second term, he should step aside. He wanted people to feel that he was the only one who could beat Donald Trump.

elaina plott calabro

I think thats right. But what people, I think, latched on to pretty quickly, and correctly so, I think, is Joe Biden positioned himself publicly as wanting to be a bridge to the next generation of Democratic leadership from the outset of his presidency. So however he felt privately, he was on the record saying that this is not about me. This is about the country. This is about saving democracy, all of the things we would expect a politician to say. But the fact that, particularly when it came to that bridge comment, that that was followed up by really not much of a cursory effort to promote a fuller and more successful portrait of Kamala Harris to the American people, I think that dissonance is partially responsible for what we see now.

ezra klein

I want to zoom in on the moment he picks Harris. So as I remember the veep stakes, you had a couple of people who were really in contention towards the end  Tammy Duckworth, who they really liked, whos a senator, a wounded war hero. Elizabeth Warren was in contention. Karen Bass, whos now the mayor of Los Angeles. Amy Klobuchar was in the mix at different points. I mean, there were a lot of people they were talking to, could have spoken to. He ends up settling on Harris. He ends up settling on Harris, even though, of everybody in the primary, she dealt him the most vicious blow in the debate and a blow that, I think, his campaign felt and then was able to argue, effectively, was unfair, this sort of attack on busing.

archived recording (kamala harris) There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me. So I will tell you that on this subject, it cannot be an intellectual debate among Democrats. We have to take it seriously. We have to act swiftly.

ezra klein

Which, then, their campaign got people to ask her, well, what is your position on busing? And frankly, it wasnt actually that different than Joe Bidens. But so shes able to surmount that. Why does he choose her?

elaina plott calabro

What it came down to  and I want to point to the busing comment again. This was pretty hard for Jill Biden to get past. She, I think, far more than Joe Biden himself, had trouble sort of digesting the idea that his running mate would be somebody that she saw as having attacked him so relentlessly and unfairly in the primary season. My understanding is that when it came down to Karen Bass versus Kamala Harris, they simply thought that Kamala Harris would do a better job.

ezra klein

And then when she comes in, they do give her certain portfolios. And theres been a lot of debate in Washington among political people, I know, about why they give her certain portfolios. So they give her immigration, which is a very, very, very difficult portfolio. They give her voting rights, which my understanding is she wanted, but also, they did not have the votes to pass the voting rights bills they wanted to pass. They did not have the votes to get rid of the filibuster. And they did not have the votes to surmount a filibuster. At one point, they gave her the AI portfolio, which was very strange. Theres been a sense that even outside this question of putting her out there and putting her out in front, that she wasnt being given projects that were actually winnable, right, in the way that Al Gore got reinventing government, which he could be out there on the talk shows, talking about, and scoring wins on. Joe Biden was a key negotiator on very important bills in Congress. There were a lot of deals that Joe Biden could fairly say that he was the person who, in the end, got to the finish line with Mitch McConnell. But they were giving her things that everybody knew at the beginning, there was not going to be a signing ceremony. Why was that?

elaina plott calabro

Immigration, I think, is a pretty fascinating illustration of this whole theme in general. Its telling, right, that you immediately say immigration and dont specify the so-called root causes issue. What does that mean? That means your portfolio is ostensibly trying to grapple with things like impoverished conditions and crime from Central American countries that are actually causing these migrants to flee north to begin with. The way that that assignment came about  and this speaks to, I think, just the lack of a broader strategy that the West Wing had when it came to her  as Ron Klain, Joe Bidens former chief of staff, told me, they were in a meeting, talking about this very issue. And Kamala Harris, as Klain told me, spoke rather forcefully and rather well about her ideas for alleviating some of these root cause elements. And Joe Biden was impressed with her ideas. And he essentially said, why dont you take that issue? Why dont you take it on? And shes kind of silent for a moment. And after the meeting, she approaches Klain and says, Im really happy to be engaged on this, but I was sort of throwing those things out there in the hopes that someone else could take them on and not me, because it is just a completely no-win issue. I mean, to the extent that you can, as a governing leader, help alleviate those root causes, I mean, thats a 10, 15-year at minimum metric.

ezra klein

Kamala Harris, as vice president, is going to fix El Salvador?

elaina plott calabro

Yes. Word is out on whether that has happened yet. [LAUGHS] But anyway, Ron Klain says, look, I get it. But  and heres the important part  when Joe Biden was vice president, this was the issue he took on for Barack Obama. So he didnt even see it as, oh, Im saddling her with the thing that I dont want to do, or sort of the scraps. He saw it as a great sign of respect that he would take the issue that he had worked on for Barack Obama and feel enough confidence in her that he would want to give it to her as well. So completely divorced from questions like, can she make any meaningful, just optically, a sense of a win on an issue like this? And what does that mean for her profile as a vice president? Things like that were just not coming into the equation at all. And so you have that, and then you have voting rights, which, youre correct, she did want that. But even from the outset, she knew that a voting rights package was not passing the Senate. It just wasnt. And because she didnt have the relationships on Capitol Hill that would be needed to actually realize the chance of getting it to the presidents desk, that was just another thing that even though she felt comfortable speaking about it and the need for it, again, there was no signing ceremony that was ever going to accompany that.

ezra klein

On immigration, this is a place where she also did herself no favors. I mentioned in general, that I think shes a stronger communicator than is currently her reputation. But here, she gave one of her first major interviews to Lester Holt, and it was genuinely a bit of a debacle.

archived recording (lester holt) Do you have any plans to visit the border? archived recording (kamala harris) Im here in Guatemala today. At some point, you know, we are going to the border. Weve been to the border. So this whole thing about the border, weve been to the border. Weve been to the border. archived recording (lester holt) You havent been to the border. archived recording (kamala harris) And I havent been to Europe. And I mean, I dont understand the point that youre making. Im not 

ezra klein

So this, for me, was one of the places we began to feel the sense of her turn in Washington, right? The sense that maybe, actually, she wasnt quite ready for prime time. What was your sense of what happened there?

elaina plott calabro

OK, Id like to focus first on the reaction from the White House to that interview. What many aides I spoke to couldnt understand was why, when the questions were so easily anticipated, she had failed to the degree that she had. But to me, thats almost less important because, yes, the interview itself was quite the debacle. But I think what really allowed it to snowball into something that we are still talking about today, all these years later, is that for many Americans, it was their first introduction to Kamala Harris, just in general. I keep saying, again, I know, she was not in the Senate a very long time before she launched her primary bid. But I think its so important in that she did not have, really, a built-in profile with Americans to lean back on and be able to interpret an interview like that and say, eh, everybody messes up sometimes. But I know Kamala Harris because of these other reasons, and I have faith in her. The second thing we saw  and again, another reason that it became the debacle it did  is that she pretty much retreated from public view afterward. I think Elizabeth Warren is a great example of a candidate who, while on the campaign trail, her team really understood that if she had a bad interview, just blanket the airwaves afterward. Just do more and more and more until people cant even remember what the issue was in the interview from eight days ago or whatever it was. Kamala Harris didnt do that. Now, thats not to say that people like Ron Klain didnt encourage her otherwise, but she became really terrified of making another mistake of that magnitude, that rather than sort of getting out there and talking and talking and talking until it just seemed like, eh, another interview  who even remembers  it became one of the few interviews she even did that entire year, and certainly, that entire summer. And so it just took on an outsized importance that was probably never in proportion to the mistakes in the interview itself, if that makes sense.

ezra klein

I dont remember if its in your profile, but something Klain says about her is that she bears the weight of embarrassing or slipping up for the administration very heavily, that one of the things that made her more cautious in this period is, its one thing to be running your own campaign and screw up. Its another thing to be out there as a supporting player and screw up and making the person sort of at the top of the ticket or at the top of the White House look bad. And that that created a real  I mean, shes always been known as a bit of a cautious politician, but that created a real fear of failure in her. And also, she has some strictures on her as a vice president, right? If she begins going out and doing constant interviews, the White House, which, I think, has, as I was saying before, lets call it a mixed relationship to what level of prominence she should have, might not have been thrilled about her becoming an omnipresent media figure.

elaina plott calabro

So, yes, that was my profile where Klain made that point. Harriss aides, though, their frustration was that because she felt that so strongly, and its a completely valid reaction to have  Im a supporting player here. I do not want to distract from this administrations agenda by flubbing in interviews and having that become the headline or the thing thats showing up on Saturday Night Live or something like that. What her aides were frustrated by was that knowing that she was feeling that way, that she was becoming interminably more cautious, it seemed, as a result of that, that was the moment they felt when the West Wing really could have stepped in and tried to help promote her. So she was never, by the way, she was never going to go on a media blitz just on her own accord, in an effort to fix it herself. That was something that the West Wing, if it was going to happen, that they would have to be the engine behind. And the appetite for that collectively was just never really there.

ezra klein

I want to talk about some other things that begin to shape, I think, her public profile in this period. And one relates to that relationship with the West Wing. You began getting these stories pretty regularly about staff turmoil in the vice presidents office, about chaos in the vice presidents office, about her churning through her people. You were hearing it in background quotes from administration officials. You were hearing it in these stories in Politico and the Washington Post. And there was a sense that something was wrong, even in the small part of the White House or the administration, rather, that Vice President Harris was in charge of running. How do you understand those stories? What was wrong? I mean, were they picking up on something real? And how big of a deal was it, really?

elaina plott calabro

I think what the West Wing, just based on my reporting, saw as wrong was just sort of amorphous, this idea that when she went out in public, you were sort of always at the edge of your seat, not for a good reason, but because you didnt quite know where a sentence might go. And that 

ezra klein

Thats how I feel about Joe Biden. [CHUCKLING]

elaina plott calabro

And that came to be real. Again, its sort of a more amorphous thing, but there was not one specific thing where they thought, shes incapable of doing this. It was just a general, this is a headache every time she goes out there. But I will say that when reporters would talk to the West Wing about that, rather than take an opportunity just on paper to constantly reinforce their support of her, they just didnt do that. And when you would insert the age angle in particular, do you have confidence in this person to step in should something happen, they took issue with the implication of the question and spent more time, I think, berating the mere ask, rather than using it as an opportunity to elevate their confidence in her.

ezra klein

But there was something more being said in these stories, which was that there was turmoil in her office, that she was losing staff, that there was some kind of chaos in her management. There was a kind of suggestion that that had been true, maybe in her Senate office, too. Was it being managed very badly? Was there a problem between her and her staff?

elaina plott calabro

At the outset, there absolutely was. And the internal narrative in her office as to why that was, was that she was really working with a group of people that she didnt really have longstanding relationships with. And I think that so many people had competing ideas of what her vice presidency should be, that a lot of the chaos you saw at the beginning was just clashing ideas and her inability to say, were going this way, or were going that way. One of the aides that left during that turmoil of the first year, I remember her telling me that the boss that she had worked for on Capitol Hill before she went to work for Kamala Harris as vice president, she said, I worked for a representative who, if everybody was screaming with a million different ideas, this person would just say, were doing this, were doing this, and youre all getting on board, and were sticking to it. She was not good at doing that, is what Im told. She just didnt have the confidence yet to say, this is what the plan is.

ezra klein

Let me ask you about another dimension of this. So you talked earlier about Joe Biden saying he was going to be a bridge to the next generation of Democratic Party leaders. Theres always this question, though, of a bridge to which faction of the party. Now the party is more united, I think, than it was in 2020, when you had the sort of democratic socialist squad dimension of it. You had the sort of rising Black Lives Matter, post-George Floyd. There was overlap here, but you could call it more woke. You could call it more built around identity and ethnicity. You had the moderates, which Joe Biden was a part of, and I think were seen as maybe still an important force, but a thing that was draining of its power. Obama was held in a little less esteem at that moment, I think, inside, at least the commentariat, than he is right now. So there was this question of to what Biden was going to build a bridge. He picks Harris after George Floyds murder. And I think that pick also reflects a sense of what the next iteration of the party was going to be, right? It was not going to be a party that was going to be nominating old white guys to be the nominee. It was going to be a party that was more fully embracing a sort of antiracism, more fully embracing the politics that felt very dominant in that moment. It always seemed to me thats the reason that Amy Klobuchar didnt do better in the veep stakes and a reason that Harris seemed like a sensible pick for them. On the one hand, she wasnt too far away from their politics, but on the other hand, it seemed like she directionally could represent this. And then, pretty quickly, that politics loses its energy. A backlash builds. Theres increasingly a sense that what Joe Biden is, is more like the future than the past. Like, if you could find somebody like Joe Biden, but younger, that would be a strong candidate. And so one thing that seemed to me to happen in the ripples of Washington, D.C., was that the thing that Biden was building a bridge to seemed, at one point, to be the politics Harris represented or could lead. And all of a sudden, it wasnt the politics that Harris represented or could lead. And so it almost seemed to many people like they had picked their vice president on a political theory that had just proven wrong, that if they had picked Tammy Duckworth or an Amy Klobuchar, that would have been more in keeping with where people now thought the politics of the future were sitting. Do you think thats true?

elaina plott calabro

Going back to something we discussed earlier about why did he pick her, you mentioned her as somebody different from Amy Klobuchar. And certainly, that was the persona. She was projecting a quite different persona from Amy Klobuchar. But I think one of the reasons that Joe Biden picked her and that they would click in conversations is theyre not altogether that far apart on policy. To me, the true Kamala Harris is someone  a Democrat who is much more pragmatic than the idea of her has become. And I understand why that idea exists, but it makes it all the more so that the party has changed. And as weve been saying, the change is almost designed just to lift her up in what I think is the core of who she is as a politician and the core of her ideological approach to governing.

ezra klein

Theres a way in which I think the picture youre helping me clarify is that she became a cipher twice, once when she runs in 2020 and realizes that her entire record, her entire positioning, her beliefs, her experience are ill-suited for the political moment. And again, she becomes vice president. And that is always a collapse into being a cipher, because you have to be whatever the administration needs you to be. You have to be on board with whatever the president is doing, right? You almost, by definition, in that job, cannot be yourself. You cannot go out and shift the way youre seeing. You cant decide on new policies, make big pivots, right? Youve really very little control over your public persona. And so you have this person who had a very clear political identity, lost it in 2020, wins the vice presidency, but at the cost of losing that identity even more. And now everybodys like, who is Kamala Harris? And the answer is a little bit unclear because its been a little bit since she was able to carve out a public version of herself that is authentic to whoever she is now.

elaina plott calabro

Thats again, why a reason that I think the Lester Holt interview became the catastrophe, really, that it was. It was never about just the one interview. It was about it inevitably being the entree, of sorts, of her to the American people that she had never really quite achieved before. There was no backdrop, really, against which for Americans to judge her in that moment. So I will say that, sometimes, Ive wondered about her  why is she doing this? I mean, she clearly just found such joy from her days as a prosecutor. And I mean, her whole tenor changes when youre talking with her about that and what she loved about that job, that, sometimes, its like, why are you going for this, as youre just getting further and further away from the more intimate grass roots settings that really seemed to bring you joy and professional fulfillment? [MUSIC PLAYING]

ezra klein

Theres been this feeling among Democrats for some time. You might think Joe Biden is too old for this, but Harris is definitely a weaker candidate. It doesnt look obvious to me at this point after that debate that she is a weaker candidate than Joe Biden. At the very least, she seems to me to have a lot more room to go up. Maybe she has more room to fall, too. I guess thats possible, though in a CNN poll that came out this morning, Biden was six points behind Trump, and Harris was two points behind Trump. But Ive seen that go in different directions. But Im curious if you have a view on this, because there was a hardened conventional wisdom that shes a weaker candidate than Biden. But now that seems like a very open question.

elaina plott calabro

Well, and the reason its no longer such an open question is not just because of Bidens failure, but because where we are in the campaign  shell do a vice-presidential debate  she performs best when she is in conversation with someone about something very specific. I dont mean to harp on that over and over. But the trend I would see of her when I was on the road with her is, shed get on stage at, say, Georgia Tech, where shes talking to these college students about climate change. And on stage are two professors, two scientists. And when theyre asking her questions, those are those edge of the seat moments and not in a good way. But about halfway through when she is in those conversations, she essentially takes the mic and starts directing the conversation herself. Shell start asking, what about your background? What got you interested in this? And its when she feels that control and that shes more in conversation with somebody instead of just being asked question, her answering, asked another question, I think thats when she performs better, and she also starts to actually speak in much more precise terms about whatever agenda item it is that shes on stage there trying to sell. And I think thats why, on a debate stage, even before what happened the other day, it has just always been quite well suited to her.

ezra klein

One of the difficulties, I think, if Biden decides not to run, Harris is by far the favorite, right? I dont know if he would actively endorse her or just kind of signal that he thinks shes great, but shes, either way, the favorite to win in convention. He could actively endorse her and functionally hand her the nomination. Hell, he could resign and hand her the presidency. But shed have to do something very tricky, which is, usually, when the vice president runs, they have a whole campaign to redefine themselves. Joe Biden had the entire 2020 campaign to show that he was obviously a huge fan of Barack Obama, very proud of his service, but not exactly Barack Obama. You could think of George H.W Bush. You could think of Al Gore. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes it doesnt. But usually, they have quite a long time, the whole sort of interminable American presidential cycle, to show people who they are. What Harris would have to do, if Biden dropped out, is reconstruct or construct this entire political persona beyond just being Joe Bidens vice president extremely fast, which I dont think is completely impossible. People would be very interested to see what she has to say. They would really tune in for that convention speech. They would really tune in for her interviews, but it would rely on her and the people around her knowing what it is she wanted to say, knowing what it is she thought American politics was about right now, knowing what it is she thought the questions were about. Do you have any sense of what you think that would look like or if shes up to it?

elaina plott calabro

I think its a big ask, in large part because she and her team have been so relentlessly on message, even off the record, that this administration is not about her and what she wants, to the point, again, even off the record, when you say, well, look, lets just take a gander. What does she want? What would she do as president? The question just feels irrelevant to them because its not they say its not the point. And again, this is even off the record. So I think shed be coming in with Americans who, one, dont really have a great idea of who she is just as a person, what her origin story is, her biography, anything like that, nor, just inherently, by virtue of the fact that shes been vice president, would they have a great idea of what she wanted to accomplish as president. My sense, just having gotten to know her, is that she would have a bit of a tough time at first, probably breaking out of a we, saying our administration. I mean, those things just become habitual for a vice president, quite obviously. And I think for her to have to suddenly make the transition to, Here is what I would do, that is an adjustment that I think cant be overlooked in terms of  I mean, there are growing pains involved with that.

ezra klein

How about simply the capacity she has to prosecute a case against Donald Trump? I mean, one of the things that has been on my mind about her sort of unusual potential fit for right now is so much of what swirls around Donald Trump is legal as opposed to policy, right? So much of, certainly, the way Democrats are thinking about Donald Trump in terms of the criminal cases, in terms of the recent series of Supreme Court rulings, is about boundaries of legality, about what it means to have a convicted criminal in the White House. Is that a case she is well suited to make?

elaina plott calabro

I think it is. And I think my addendum to whether she, in this short time, could sell Americans on herself and her agenda, thats important. But I almost dont know that she would need to at this point, where we are in this political moment. I think a lot of people in this country, casting a vote for them would be about casting it against Donald Trump, maybe not necessarily for someone. Her strength, I think, would be in prosecuting a case against him such that that becomes her profile, if that makes sense. Getting on a debate stage with Donald Trump, as people saw with her questioning Brett Kavanaugh and just the overwhelming excitement that attended those events, would translate well here. I think the difference would be, is she somebody who, by virtue of making that case, can she excite people to actually vote for the Democrats versus just staying home? I dont know that its about her performance could seed voters to Donald Trump.

ezra klein

I think thats a good place to end. So, then, always our final question  what are three books youd recommend to the audience?

elaina plott calabro

So the first book I recommend is called Southerners by Marshall Frady. Its an anthology, actually, of a lot of the profiles and general essays that Marshall Frady, who was a reporter for Newsweek and Harpers, New York Review of Books, several places in the midcentury during the Civil Rights era. He is the kind of writer who you read him, and you almost become angry, because you just know you will never be that good at a sentence level. His sentences are  they almost dance off the page. And so, just, the prose is really compelling. But what I love about his approach to political reporting is, I think, sometimes, in the  and maybe this is the Politico-ification of political coverage today. Theres a tendency to almost want to treat our elected leaders as sort of omniscient and omnipotent and work from that premise, as opposed to this idea that these are people who, a lot of, just really dont know what theyre doing. Theyre monkeys fighting for the same crown. And I think Marshall Frady, in taking that latter approach, gets at the truth of the characters hes writing about much more effectively and sort of showing them as the sort of slapdash figures they so often are. So whether you want to read about Lester Maddox, the Huey Long family, I highly recommend. OK, my second is The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles, which I would describe as a novel about existential despair, if that entices any listeners. But its about three Americans, three New Yorkers, who go to North Africa and are thinking of it as sort of just a tourist jaunt. The couple in there is hoping that it will rekindle their romance and sort of come in  and Paul Bowles writes about these themes, often  the romantic notions of travelers to, quote unquote, exotic places. And the book, then, very darkly, chronicles sort of their descent into despair as their ignorance of cultures come to be realized to them. The third I would recommend is The Company She Keeps by Mary McCarthy. This was McCarthys debut novel. Its not quite exactly an anthology, even though some of the chapters in there were first published in places like Harpers Bazaar. But this book is about Meg Sargent, who, just very obviously, an autobiographical character of a Catholic girl who, post-college, goes to New York to try to work for a new republic nation equivalent and try to make something of herself in the citys boho intellectual culture, dips into Trotskyism, which gets her fired from her job, and like all books of this era, ends with a scene of her in psychoanalysis. [MUSIC PLAYING]

ezra klein

Elaina Plott Calabro, thank you very much.

elaina plott calabro

Thank you, Ezra. [MUSIC PLAYING]

ezra klein
I dont think Im old enough. I had to do the math.

This is how President Biden describes his reaction, back in the summer of 1971, when Delaware Democrats suggested a U.S. Senate run. (Bidens 30th birthday would come in late November 1972, so hed clear the age requirement with a few weeks to spare.) In his 2007 memoir, Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics, Biden recalls the audacity of the idea. How many 28-year-olds ever get in the position to even consider such a move? he wondered.

And how many 81-year-olds ever get in the position to consider running for a second presidential term? With calls for Biden to end his candidacy multiplying following his alarm-bells CNN presidential debate against Donald Trump last week, and polls showing Trumps lead widening, the president and his family have a decision to make.

Its a decision theyve faced many times; thats one advantage of a long political life. In his memoirs and in various biographies, we see Biden grappling with this choice over the decades. (I first considered Promises to Keep, for instance, when Biden was contemplating a 2016 White House bid.) Does he run? Does he step aside? Does he still have what it takes? His recurring considerations are family, legacy and, yes, his age.

Looking toward the 1972 election, Bidens first wife, Neilia, encouraged him to commit to politics. At the time, he was both building his law practice and serving on the New Castle County Council. You should be all the way in or all the way out, she said. If politics is what you want to do, lets do it  full-time. Bidens mother warned that running for Senate might sully his emerging reputation as a lawyer, but he concluded that it was a risk-free effort. Only a handful of people outside the family thought I had a real shot to win, Biden writes, so I figured even if I lost, people were going to say, Thats a nice young guy. Thats a serious young guy.
Some in the United States have downplayed the importance of NATO. Many European partners worry that after the U.S. presidential election in November, the American commitment to the alliance will wane. But as NATO prepares for the start of its summit in Washington on Tuesday, marking 75 years since its birth, I would like to remind the world of how NATO is etched into the cultural and political identity of one country in Europe: my own, Kosovo.

In 1999, a ruthless Serbian campaign led by the Serb leader and Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic brought massacres, rapes and the expulsion of about half of Kosovos majority Albanian population. It was a humanitarian disaster. NATOs sustained aerial bombardment of Serb forces and positions put a stop to the horror. The alliance sent in nearly 50,000 troops immediately after.

Who among my people could forget the sight of NATO soldiers being cheered as they arrived? Over the past 25 years, as NATO helped liberate Kosovo and maintained the peace, we in return built democracy to foster this peace from within. We declared our independence in 2008, an idea that will resonate with Americans who have just celebrated their Independence Day. Most of the world now recognizes the nation known as Kosovo, although I prefer the Albanian spelling, Kosova.

There was little doubt to us, given the fresh memories of genocide in Rwanda and Bosnia, that the situation in Kosovo would have deteriorated rapidly without NATO. As a Kosovar, it is painful even to imagine how much worse it could have become.
The British Labour Party has won its largest majority since the founding of the party over a century ago, securing at least 412 of the House of Commonss 650 seats. And in an age of populism and polarization, it has done so on a moderate, centrist platform.

The new version of Labour  led by Keir Starmer, a former human rights lawyer who served as the head of the Crown Prosecution Service  may seem reassuringly reminiscent of the consensus of the 1990s and early 2000s, when moderate progressives like Bill Clinton and Tony Blair were committed to liberal economics, liberal democracy and a liberal global order.

But it is too early to celebrate this election as a triumph of the center. There is no clear sign that British voters are any more enthusiastic than voters anywhere else for the socially liberal, fiscally conservative politics that this incarnation of the Labour Party represents. Voter turnout was near a record low, and while Labour won a remarkable margin of seats, it secured a very low share of the vote in what one commentator dubbed a loveless landslide.

At its heart, this election was an emphatic rejection of a chaotic incumbent. The Conservative Party has been reduced to 121 seats, with two seats left to declare, the worst defeat in its 190-year history. It lost vote share not only to Labour and the centrist, pro-European Liberal Democrats, but also to the hard-right, anti-immigrant Reform U.K., led by Nigel Farage, an ally of Donald Trump.
Madison Laakea Te-Lan Hall Chock and Evan Christian Bates have had a long, intense journey together as skating partners for the last 13 years. They have competed in more than 100 competitions globally and won five U.S. national champion titles, two world champion titles and one Olympic gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

But the biggest moment of their lives, they said, took place on June 20: exchanging leis as they said I do at the Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute in Oahu, Hawaii.

They decided to get married there to honor Ms. Chocks Hawaiian heritage. The venue is a cultural institute dedicated to the preservation of Hawaiian culture.

The couple met 18 years ago in Michigan, the mecca for ice dance at that time, Ms. Chock said.

Ms. Chock, who grew up in Redondo Beach, Calif., moved to Novi, Mich., in 2005, at age 13, to transition from singles figure skating to ice dancing, which requires a partner. Mr. Bates was living in Ann Arbor, where he grew up.
Magic was in the air the first time Michelle Navarro and Christopher Zegunis met. It was 10 a.m. on a Saturday in November 2016, and the two were the first arrivals for a class at the Magic Castle, a private club for magicians in Los Angeles.

We started talking and I thought, hes a cute guy, Ms. Navarro said.

Their immediate connection developed during the next six weeks as they learned and practiced magic tricks together. Crushes developed, Ms. Navarro said.

On the last day of the course, Mr. Zegunis made his move. I like this girl, he said. I should just ask her out. He invited her for dinner at a gastro pub called Public School 310 in Culver City, Calif.

The date lasted all evening, as they moved on from the restaurant to a bar. He was so much fun, she said. I was constantly laughing.
A Nashville judge late Thursday refused to allow the publication of writings left behind by the assailant who killed six people at a Christian school in the city last year, warning that their content could have inspired copycat violence elsewhere in the country.

In a ruling that could have far-reaching implications, the judge also sided with a more novel argument from the parents of the surviving Covenant School students: that they had obtained copyright ownership of the writings and works left behind by the assailant.

The ruling came after an emotional, monthslong legal dispute over whether officials were compelled to release the journals and other documents tied to the assailant in the March 2023 attack. At least one conservative news outlet that published leaked excerpts and was suing for the release of the writings said it would appeal.

Grieving parents, most of the families of surviving students, the school and its affiliated church had argued against facilitating unfettered access to the writings. But journalists, gun rights groups and a Republican state lawmaker sued for their release under the public records law, noting that the Tennessee General Assembly remains deeply divided over how to respond to the shooting.
The number of House Democrats calling on President Biden to end his re-election campaign grew to four on Friday, even as Mr. Biden ramped up his efforts to reassure Democrats of his fitness to run and vowed to stay in the race.

Representative Mike Quigley, Democrat of Illinois, called the presidents candidacy a very bleak scenario with, I would say, almost no hope of succeeding in an interview on MSNBC on Friday just before Mr. Bidens sit-down with ABC News.

His remarks came a day after Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts said in an interview with the Boston radio station WBUR that Mr. Biden should step aside to make way for a new generation of leaders, comments that Mr. Moultons spokeswoman confirmed on Friday. Two other House Democrats had called on Mr. Biden to leave the race earlier this week: Representative Raul M. Grijalva of Arizona on Wednesday and Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas on Tuesday.

Mr. Quigley said that he had a hard time processing, getting to that point with him  as I think anybody would who respects him so much.
The man who stabbed South Koreas opposition leader in the neck in January, the worst assault on a politician in the country in nearly two decades, was sentenced on Friday to 15 years in prison.

A judge in Busan, the port city where the attack happened, found the man guilty of attempted murder and violating election laws. The defendant  Kim Jin-seong, a real estate agent, who was identified by the authorities only as Mr. Kim  has a week to appeal the sentence and the conviction, a spokesman for the court said.

The Jan. 2 knife attack left Lee Jae-myung, who was then the leader of South Koreas main opposition party, bleeding from his jugular vein and sent him to an intensive care unit. He was discharged after eight days. Mr. Lee was attacked while making his way through a crowd after touring the site of a planned airport.

The police said Mr. Kim, who was born in 1957 and lived in Asan, a city south of Seoul, had planned the attack for months and had stalked Mr. Lee at previous rallies. They said Mr. Kim, who had written an eight-page manifesto, wanted to ensure that Mr. Lee never became president.
In the United States, a new president usually has a two-month window to prepare to move into the White House. Freshly elected British prime ministers move into Downing Street swiftly, often within hours of elections.

Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party won a commanding majority in the House of Commons, took office as prime minister on Friday. Just hours after his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, made his exit, the new prime minister made a speech to supporters outside the front door of 10 Downing Street.

After arrival, new prime ministers are ushered inside the building by staff members to receive a briefing from members of the civil service that, according to the Institute for Government, covers topics including living arrangements, security protocols and appointing ministers.

Number 10 has had a great deal of practice with quick transitions. Since the last general election five years ago, three prime ministers have lived there, including Liz Truss, who called Downing Street home for less than seven weeks.
From the day that Keir Starmer became the head of the Labour Party in 2020, he made repairing ties with British Jews a priority, calling antisemitism a stain on the party.

On Thursday, many British Jews who had turned away from Labour in the 2019 general election gave the party another chance. Labour won back several North London constituencies with significant Jewish populations.

Nearly half of Jewish voters planned to support the Labour Party in Thursdays election, according to a poll of 2,717 Jewish adults who responded to the Jewish Current Affairs Survey taken in June, before the election.

Britains 287,000 Jews make up less than 0.5 percent of the countrys population, and some of them had been politically homeless under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Partys former leader, who was accused of having let antisemitism flourish within the party. Jewish support for the party under Mr. Corbyn reached a low of 11 percent in the 2019 general election, according to the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, which focuses on Jewish life in Europe.
A small crowd of mourners gathered on Friday for the funeral of the Kazakh opposition activist and YouTuber Aidos Sadykov, who was assassinated in Kyiv, Ukraine  a killing that colleagues said had cast a chill over journalists and exiles in Ukraine and the wider region.

A former opposition politician and trade unionist, Mr. Sadykov, 55, lived in Ukraine after fleeing Kazakhstan, his homeland, with his family 10 years ago. He was granted political asylum in Ukraine and, with his wife, ran a widely followed YouTube Channel covering events in Kazakhstan.

He was shot last month outside their home, and died of his injuries earlier this week. Natalia Sadykova, his widow and a journalist, has laid the blame for her husbands death on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan.
In his first speech to the nation as prime minister, Keir Starmer said that Britain had voted decisively for change, for national renewal, and promised to lead a pragmatic government that would restore hope and the nations faith in politics and public service.

Speaking outside No. 10 Downing Street under cloudy afternoon skies, Mr. Starmer began by praising his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, who had given his own brief farewell remarks from the same spot a couple of hours earlier, before turning to his own ambitions.

We need to move forward together, Mr. Starmer said. He acknowledged the challenges ahead, nodding to the fractured vote that delivered Labour its biggest parliamentary majority in decades, but a low voter turnout that reflected disillusionment with Britains politics and economic problems.

Have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately, he said.

The Labour Party leaders car arrived in Downing Street from Buckingham Palace, where moments earlier King Charles III had invited him to form a government. Before speaking, flanked by his wife, Victoria, Mr. Starmer thanked jubilant supporters, many waving British flags, in an echo of the welcome given to the last Labour leader to defeat the Conservatives in a general election: Tony Blair in 1997.
The Labour Party, which won Britains general election on Thursday, has made it one of its missions to revitalize Britains economy and to provide good jobs and productivity growth all over the country. With productivity and wages stalled for the past decade and a half, its a tall order.

Keir Starmer, the incoming prime minister, acknowledged early Friday morning that changing the country, including the economy, would require patience and determination.

His Labour Party has said it would take a different approach to the economy from the Conservative Party that was in power for 14 years by working more closely with businesses to increase investment while protecting workers rights. It has said its economic agenda will be focused on providing economic security.

The party has committed to showing restraint and has chosen to bind itself to strict fiscal rules to lower debt levels that will likely rule out major changes to taxes and spending.
A lava fountain surged out of Mount Etna in Sicily on Thursday, sending a glowing burst of orange out of a crater and down its flank.

Dark ash from the eruption fell on towns at the foot of the volcano, and residents were seen in video footage sweeping a thick layer of dust off streets and sidewalks.

Earlier this week, activity also intensified at Stromboli, a volcano nearby in the Aeolian Islands, with huge clouds of ash and debris falling into the sea.

Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicilys civil protection department, said that the authorities were evaluating the possibility that large amounts of lava falling into the sea from the Stromboli volcano could cause a tsunami.
Rachel Reeves became Britains first female chancellor of the Exchequer on Friday, taking on one of the countrys four great offices of state, with responsibility for managing Britains budget.

After a decade and a half of economic stagnation, Ms. Reeves, a Labour lawmaker with a reputation as a serious and steady manager, faces the tough jobs of boosting Britains productivity growth, a key measure of prosperity, and of reviving struggling public services.

I know the scale of the challenge that Im likely to inherit, Ms. Reeves told the BBC early Friday. Theres not a huge amount of money there, she said, adding that the party needed to unlock private investment.

Ms. Reeves is expected to approach her new role with deliberation.

Labour has come a long way to regain the trust of people on their economic record and she doesnt want to risk that, Carys Roberts, the director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, said.
The Vatican said on Friday that it had excommunicated Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the churchs former ambassador to the United States, after finding him guilty of schism for refusing to recognize the authority of Pope Francis and the liberal reforms enacted after the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

Archbishop Vigano has emerged as one of the most unbridled conservative critics of Francis, calling him in public statements a false prophet and a servant of Satan, while embracing right-wing conspiracy theories and lauding former President Donald J. Trump.

Though excommunicated, Archbishop Vigano will be able to keep his title, but he will not be allowed to celebrate Mass, receive or administer sacraments and hold official positions within the churchs hierarchy.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, Archbishop Vigano published the full text of the decision against him by the Vaticans doctrinal office, which warned that he risked other punishments, including expulsion from the Roman Catholic priesthood. He called on his supporters to speak out.
Ive never been called timid in my life, Angela Rayner, a Labour lawmaker, told an audience of British voters during a televised debate last month while laying out her policy priorities.

The deputy leader of the Labour Party, Ms. Rayner, 44, is set to become one of the most powerful women in British politics as her party forms a new government on Friday, ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule.

A straight-talking lawmaker with a warm, direct manner and an at times brutal honesty, Ms. Rayner is considered one of Labours most powerful electoral assets in reaching ordinary voters.

Political analysts say she appeals to parts of the public that the new prime minister, Keir Starmer, might otherwise struggle to connect with.
David Lammy, the son of Guyanese immigrants who grew up poor in working-class London, on Friday became Britains chief diplomat, taking the lead on British foreign policy at a time of significant challenges.

Mr. Lammy, 51, has deep ties to the United States, having spent summers with relatives in Brooklyn and Queens and earning a masters degree at Harvard Law School.

He met Barack Obama 20 years ago at a gathering of Black Harvard alumni, and this year he had dinner with the former U.S. president when Mr. Obama visited London. Mr. Lammy canvassed in Chicago for Mr. Obama during his first presidential campaign, and he has developed a deep network of contacts within the Democratic Party.

In an essay in Foreign Affairs magazine published in April, Mr. Lammy wrote that he would focus on rebuilding ties with the European Union, which have been strained by Britains decision to leave the bloc, and that his priority was backing Ukraine.
Israeli negotiators traveled to the Gulf nation of Qatar on Friday for the first time in weeks to restart talks over a cease-fire deal that could end the war in Gaza and free the hostages held there, after weeks of deadlock in the negotiations.

David Barnea, the head of Israels Mossad foreign intelligence service, led the Israeli delegation to Doha, the Qatari capital, and met with Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister, according to an official familiar with the visit.

Cease-fire negotiations had been stalled for weeks until Wednesday, when Hamas announced that it had exchanged some ideas with mediators on a new way forward. Both U.S. and Israeli officials said the revised Hamas position could allow for an agreement, but cautioned that a protracted and difficult series of deliberations lay ahead nonetheless.

The head of the Mossad returned a short while ago from an initial meeting with the mediators in Doha, the office of Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said in a statement on Friday night. It was decided that next week a delegation will head out to continue the negotiations. It is emphasized that gaps still exist between the sides.
One pledged he would confront Irans enemies, the other vowed to make peace with the world. One intends to double down on social restrictions, the other promises to ease stifling rules for young people and women. One identifies as an Islamic ideologue, the other as a pragmatic reformist.

Iranians were voting for the countrys next president on Friday in a race that has turned into a fierce competition and where, for the first time in more than a decade, the outcome was difficult to predict.

The runoff on Friday, between the ultraconservative Saeed Jalili and the reformist Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, is taking place after a general election last week failed to produce a candidate with the required 50 percent of the vote. The result may hinge on how many Iranians who sat out the vote in the general election decide to participate in the runoff.

As polls closed at midnight Friday, voter turnout stood at 50 percent  about 10 percentage points higher than during the first round last week, when it was at a record low 40 percent, and in line with what the government and the candidates had hoped for. Nearly 30 million votes were cast, according to Iranian news reports and the campaigns of the candidates.
Vote share for the Conservatives dropped all over the country SCOTLAND NORTHERN IRELAND ENGLAND WALES

Anatomy of a Landslide Support for the Conservatives plummeted, propelling the Labour Party into power. Heres how it happened.

The election has dramatically reshaped Britains electoral map, with nearly half of seats in Parliament changing hands, delivering the Conservatives the worst defeat in their nearly 200-year history.

Seats that flipped between 2019 and 2024 No change The Scottish National Party lost more than 30 seats to Labour and the Liberal Democrats . Labour regained historical strongholds in northern England it had lost after the Brexit vote. Conservative seats on Londons outskirts flipped to other parties. The Liberal Democrats picked up much of southern England.

The Labour Party gained seats across the country. That was most apparent in postindustrial areas of the Midlands and North of England known as the red wall, where many longtime Labour seats switched to the Conservatives in the previous election in support of their hard-line position on Brexit.

The Scottish National Party, which has dominated Scottish politics for more than a decade, lost more than 30 seats. And the centrist Liberal Democrats gained dozens of seats, mostly across southern England, at the expense of the Conservatives.

The Conservatives lost more than half their seats

2019 2024 Conservative Conservatives only kept a third of their seats ... 121 seats Conservative ... they lost almost half to Labour ... 372 seats Labour 412 ... and 60 to the Liberal Democrats Labour 200 Reform 4 S.N.P. 9 Green 4 Lib. Dem. 71 S.N.P. 48 Green 1 Other Lib. Dem. 8 2019 2024 Conservative Conservatives only kept a third of their seats ... 121 seats Conservative ... they lost almost half to Labour ... 372 seats Labour 412 ... and 60 to the Liberal Democrats Labour 200 Reform 4 S.N.P. 9 Green 4 Lib. Dem. 71 S.N.P. 48 Green 1 Other Lib. Dem. 8 2019 2024 Conservatives only kept a third of their seats ... Con. 121 seats Con. ... they lost almost half to Labour ... 372 seats Labour 412 ... and 60 to the Liberal Democrats Labour 200 Reform 4 S.N.P. 9 Green 4 Lib. Dem. 71 S.N.P. 48 Green 1 Lib. Dem. 8 Other 2019 2024 Conservatives only kept a third of their seats ... Con. 121 seats Con. ... they lost almost half to Labour ... 372 seats Lab. 412 ... and 60 to the Liberal Democrats Lab. 200 S.N.P. 9 S.N.P. 48 Lib. Dem. 71 Lib. Dem. 8 Other

After 14 years in government, voters delivered a damning result to the Conservatives, who lost nearly two-thirds of their seats. Most went to the center-left Labour Party, but 60 went to the centrist Liberal Democrats.

This shift could provide the Labour government with the opportunity to steer the country in a markedly different direction.

The Conservatives won the lowest vote share in their modern history

In the 2024 election, the two main parties won the smallest share of the vote in modern history. Other party votes Labour votes 50% Conservative votes 1929 1945 1966 1979 1997 2010 2024 Conservatives won the smallest vote share in a century. In the 2024 election, the two main parties won the smallest share of the vote in modern history. Other party votes Labour votes 50% Conservatives won the smallest vote share in a century. Conservative votes 1929 1945 1955 1966 1979 1997 2010 2024 In the 2024 election, the two main parties won the smallest share of the vote in modern history. Other party votes Labour votes 50% Conservative votes Conservatives won the smallest vote share in a century. 1929 1945 1955 1966 1979 1997 2010 2024 Note: Parliament does not sit for a fixed term. Conservative vote share in 1931 and 1935 reflects National Government candidates.

The Conservative Party has never performed as poorly in an election since the United Kingdom assumed its modern form in 1922.

But the election was also historic in another way: The countrys smaller parties have also never performed as well as they did on Thursday. That continues a decades-long shift away from a two-party system, and means that Labours position may be more fragile than it looks on the surface.

Support for the hard right surged

43.6% Vote share 40% 33.8% 30% 32.2% Center left Labour 23.7% 20% Center right Conservative 14.3% 12.2% 10% 11.6% 2024 6.8% Center Liberal Democrat 2019 2.7% 2% Left Hard right Green Reform 43.6% Vote share 40% Center left Labour 33.8% 30% 32.2% 23.7% 20% Center right Conservative 14.3% 12.2% 2024 6.8% 10% 11.6% Center Liberal Democrat 2019 2.7% 2% Hard right Reform Left Green

Labour picked up some of the voters who deserted the Conservatives, receiving about two percentage points more of the national vote share than it did in 2019.

But Reform U.K., a hard-right, anti-immigrant party led by Nigel Farage, a force behind Brexit, saw the nights biggest jump in vote share. His party won more than 14 percent of the national vote, up 12 percentage points from 2019, when its predecessor party withdrew candidates in more than 300 Conservative-held seats.

Labour won a landslide with just a third of the vote

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Vote share Seat share Labour won almost two-thirds of seats with just a third of votes. Seat Vote Conservative Seat Vote Other parties won a higher share of votes than seats. Reform Seat Vote Lib. Dem. Seat Vote Green 0 20% 40% 60% Vote share Seat share Labour won almost two-thirds of seats with just a third of votes. Seat Vote Conservative Seat Vote Other parties won a higher share of votes than seats. Reform Seat Vote Lib. Dem. Seat Vote Green

The Labour Party won one of the largest majorities of seats in Britains electoral history on the lowest share of votes of any election winner.

The vote showed widespread support for smaller, ideological parties across the country that didnt translate to significant seat gains.

On the right, Reform won more than 14 percent of the vote, but won just four of the 650 seats in Britains Parliament. The Green Party also won four seats with around 7 percent of the vote. And Labour lost four seats to pro-Palestinian independent candidates in seats with large Muslim populations.

Conservatives had the biggest drops in vote share where Reform performed the best

 Fewer Reform voters | More Reform voters  Reform vote: 10% 20% 30% 40% Conservative vote shift 0 pts. -10 pts. -20 pts. -30 pts. -40 pts. -50 pts. Note: Graphic does not show constituencies where there was no Reform candidate on the ballot.

During the campaign, the Conservatives repeatedly warned their voters that abandoning the party to vote for Reform would result in more Labour victories. That turned out to be true.

The Conservatives lost the most support in seats where Reform surged. In many seats where Labour won, Reform came in second place, delivering on Mr. Farages pledge to position the party well for the next general election, expected in 2029.

Conservative support dropped across the board  and Labour fell back among young people

Youngest constituencies Labour 51.1 44.1% 2019 2024 Con. 29.4 15.5% 2019 2024 Lib Dem 9.3 7.7% 2019 2024 Green 3.4 11.1% 2019 2024 Reform 2.8 11.3% 2019 2024 Next youngest constituencies 33.9 38.1% 2019 2024 45.3 24.0% 2019 2024 10.9 10.9% 2019 2024 2.3 6.1% 2019 2024 3.2 17.2% 2019 2024 Older constituencies 25.6 32.4% 2019 2024 49.2 26.4% 2019 2024 12.5 13.7% 2019 2024 2.5 5.4% 2019 2024 2.0 16.4% 2019 2024 Oldest constituencies 20.6 25.9% 2019 2024 55.1 30.3% 2019 2024 13.5 15.9% 2019 2024 2.9 5.7% 2019 2024 0.6 16.3% 2019 2024 Source: Age data from the Office for National Statistics and Scotland Census Note: Constituencies are bucketed by median age. Graphic shows the mean vote share for each party.

The Conservatives have beaten Labour among older voters in every election since Labour's landslide victory in 1997. Despite still performing best in the oldest areas of the country in this election, the Conservatives support dropped across the board.

But Labours performance in the youngest areas of the country also reveals its weakness among its core voters.

Its vote share in the youngest seats  including many educated urban areas with large student populations  dropped from 51 percent at the previous election to 44 percent, as many voters flocked to smaller parties, the Green Party on the left and Reform U.K. on the right, or to independent candidates.
New Richmond, which is located in western Wisconsin, is looking for a firm to drive and guide tourism to the self-proclaimed "The City Beautiful."

The selected firm will work closely with the New Richmond's tourism committee.

It will raise awareness of the events and attractions that the city of 12K people has to offer, and optimize its relationship with the Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism.

The Beautiful City wants a firm with experience in tourism PR, and at least of five years of work in digital marketing, graphic design and website development.

Knowledge of The Badger State and St. Croix Valley are plusses.

Responses are due July 17. They can be sent electronically to [email protected] or mailed to:

City of New Richmond

RFQ: Marketing Services

Attn: City Clerk

156 E 1st Street

New Richmond, WI 54017

Read the RFP (PDF).
A motion brought to the floor of the Dail byTipperary Fianna Fail TD, Jackie Cahill, as Chairperson of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee, was accepted yesterday evening by the Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue TD.

Following an hour and a half of debate in the Dail, the Minister agreed to the Committees request for an independent review into the issues on Dan Brennans farm arising from the alleged industrial emissions from a nearby factory.

Deputy Cahill previously brought this issue before the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee and yesterday evening presented the Committees report on the issue to the Dail.

Speaking on this today, Deputy Cahill said: I am delighted that Dan Brennans case will finally receive the independent review that it deserves. Dan and his family have battled for years for justice into what happened on his farm and how this issue was handled by the Department at the time.

I have been working with Dan Brennan for the last couple of years in my capacity as Chairperson of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee. Dan and his colleagues previously made a presentation in front of the committee where he outlined the years of struggle he has experienced as a result of the alleged pollution on his farm by a neighbouring factory.

The committee report has now been presented to the Dail, with Minister Charlie McConalogue agreeing to an independent review into the handling of this case by Department officials and other agencies at the time. This matter was brought to Brussels with hearings taking place, but that Committee never reached a conclusion.

"Following this, Dan Brennans file was sent back to Dublin with no report attached. We have a long list of questions that we need clarified so that Dan and his family can finally have the answers they deserve, Deputy Cahill said.
A number of Offaly-based SPAR stores were honoured at the recent SPAR 365 Standards Customer Care Programme for achieving exceptional standards in retailing.

The awards ceremony was held in Lawlors Hotel, in Naas in Co Kildare and was hosted by BWG Foods, owners and operators of the SPAR brand in Ireland.

The Offaly stores who received a SPAR 365 Retailing Standards Award are Pat and Una McDonagh, McDonaghs SPAR Barack Obama Plaza; Aidan Healy, Healys SPAR Cloghan; Ben and Mary Sweeney, Sweeneys SPAR, St Marys Road, Edenderry; SPAR Corrib Oil Ferbane

This years SPAR 365 Awards, held in association with independent bodies Solution Management Associates (SMA) and Lloyds Register Quality Assurance LRQA, recognise those SPAR stores who have excelled during the year across all areas of store. In winning these awards, the SPAR stores were independently assessed across a range of criteria including customer service through SMA as well as a robust Food Safety and Hygiene audit conducted by LRQA.

These exemplary SPAR retailers received their award in recognition of their commitment to implementing Best practice store standards throughout their store, thereby providing an excellent customer experience to their local community.

Congratulating the winners, Colin Donnelly, SPAR Sales Director, said: The SPAR 365 Standards Customer Care Programme recognise those Retailers who, through their ongoing commitment to outstanding retail standards and customer service, continue to set the benchmark for the SPAR brand and the Retail Marketplace overall. I congratulate all the SPAR winners from Offaly. Their efforts have been truly outstanding and this recognition is very well-deserved.
The Fine Gael Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council met Taoiseach Simon Harris to discuss the priority areas that councillors hope to deliver on over the next five years.

Declan Burgess was among eight Fine Gael councillors currently serving as chairpersons and Mayors in Local Authorities nationwide that met the Taoiseach in Government buildings yesterday evening.

The meeting provided the opportunity for the Fine Gael representatives to discuss with the Taoiseach their priority areas and projected deliverables for the next local authority term, which is set to run up until 2029.The meeting was also attended by Fine Gael frontbench and junior Ministers.

Councillor Burgess, 29, who is Cashel based and was elected Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council last month, said: It is truly an honour and privilege to serve my county as Chairman of our Local Authority. As a young and driven representative, I will be a voice of action, ambition and innovation.

Growing up at the foot of the famous Rock of Cashel, I developed a deep appreciation and passion for Irish tourism. Tipperary is bursting with tourism potential. Our rich heritage, food, sport and landscapes can be showcased at the highest level and enjoyed by large amounts of visitors. I will work tirelessly to build on our strategic partnerships and investment in tourism infrastructure, aimed at enhancing Tipperarys unique tourism offering, showcasing our natural wonders, historical sites, and cultural experiences.

Recognising the importance and pressing need for affordable and accessible housing is crucial, I am committed to meeting housing targets within Tipperary.

Schemes like the ready to build programme in Boherlahan must be replicated and delivered across the entire county. Tipperary County Council has championed that scheme nationally, and we must continue that. Local Authorities must utilise the Governments Housing for All programme to the best of their abilities but it needs to be backed by ambition and resources by the Government.

Having the opportunity to sit down with An Taoiseach to outline my objectives for Tipperary but also express my views on the major challenges we face is hugely important and beneficial, Cllr Burgess concluded.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said: I was delighted to meet with Councillor Burgess to discuss the work ahead in delivering for communities in Tipperary.

We had positive engagement and our councillors intend to build on the progress made with a with a set of priorities that will guide our work over the next five years. These include more ambition on housing, backing small businesses and enterprise, better public services and infrastructure and healthy and sustainable communities.

I look forward to the work of the Fine Gael team in delivering on the shared ambition we have to improve peoples lives, the Taoiseach concluded.
MINISTER for Education Norma Foley TD has announced that eight schools in County Offaly have been shortlisted for an energy retrofit programme as part of an 81 million EU funding package.

This is part of a package of funding totalling 240 million which Ireland has secured under the REPowerEU Programme. REPowerEU is the EUs plan to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels, boost the independence and security of the Unions energy supply and accelerate the green transition.

A pool of 40 schools across five counties have been included in the initial assessment phase. Schools ultimately selected for inclusion in the programme will be given a deep retrofit to achieve a Building Energy Rating (BER) of at least B by installing heatpumps, LED lighting and mechanical heat recovery ventilation. The fabric and airtightness of the schools will also be upgraded and electric car chargers will be installed.

The eight Offaly schools are Mercy Primary School, Birr, Shinrone Mixed NS, Clara Convent NS, SN Naomh Colmchille Durrow, St Patrick's NS, Edenderry, St Cynoc's NS, Ferbane, Sacred Heart Secondary School, Tullamore, and Geashill NS.

Minister Foley said: I am pleased to be able to announce that the Department of Education has been successful in obtaining such a significant level of funding through this REPowerEU programme.

I welcome that eight schools in County Offaly have been shortlisted for inclusion in this Programme. The schools approved for an energy retrofit will enjoy significantly better energy performance and a more comfortable teaching and learning environment.

The 81 million funding to the Department of Education represents the largest of the five investments included in Irelands funding allocation for its National Recovery and Resilience Plan. It will add to the number of schools being given deep retrofits under the existing school pathfinder decarbonisation and retrofit programme.

Minister Foley said: It is really positive to see the results of the extensive collaboration between my department, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and the Commission in having this formally adopted through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The schools which will benefit from the retrofitting funding were part of a pilot phase of the Schools Energy Inventory project. This project covered schools in Kildare, Meath, Offaly, Wicklow and Wexford. It was completed with support from the European Investment Bank.

In developing the Schools Energy Inventory, each school is surveyed by an experienced construction professional using a survey tool developed by the Department of Education. Up to 130 pieces of data are collected at each school, including high level building areas and types of different fabric elements and information about lighting, heating and domestic hot water etc.

This data is entered on a tablet computer onsite, imported into the departments Geographical Information System (GIS), then processed into a relational database which performs numerous calculations to determine a School Energy and Carbon Estimated Rating (SEACER).

The funding announced will facilitate completion of the energy survey of all schools in the 21 remaining counties.

This consolidated database has significant potential to assist with future prioritisation of decarbonisation and investments in the school estate, enabling identification and targeted development of future school sector energy and decarbonisation programmes that will reduce overall reliance on fossil fuels and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy.

The new funding for the extended pathfinder programme is targeted at schools of a scale and size that will enable the works to be completed over a single school term/summer holiday period. This means that the schools selected for inclusion are typically eight to ten-classroom primary schools and post-primary schools with similar floor area.

While 40 schools across the five counties have been selected for initial assessment, final decisions on schools to be included in the programme will take account of a range of factors, including the scope of works required in the individual school following detailed assessment by design teams, procurement considerations, and the need to remain within both budgetary and time parameters.
After the distressing debate last week, it became apparent that there could be changes on the horizon. One of the first is that Marianne Williamson is back in the Presidential race.

If something shifts so that there is a different Democratic candidate than what seems likely now, I would welcome seeing Marianne on the debate stage. She's smart, articulate and quick, but more important, she has an uncanny ability to see right through to the essence of the morality and balance of any situation. She lifts up rather than breaks down. Previous debates were better because of her participation. She is the only one who has been in the running who I feel I can trust and who would not let us down, the only one of the group that I could vote for and feel good about the vote I cast. I wish America was ready for her level of ethics.

Marianne reminds us that we don't have to be content with what we are served, we can reach for something better, and I am grateful to her for that.

Below is a portion of her July 4th message.

Happy July 4th! On July 4, 1776, 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence. By doing so they were risking their lives, for if the British had won the Revolutionary War they would have all been hanged as traitors against the King of England.

In signing the Declaration they introduced into the political realm ideas that would change the world: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that governments are instituted to secure those rights; and if government isn't doing it's job, it's the right of the people to alter or abolish it. Such ideals of personal liberty and potential for self-actualization lie at the heart of what America means. Our second president, John Adams, said he hoped that on every July 4th we would revisit those ideals. The Declaration of Independence is like America's mission statement - yet we must do the inner work of aligning our hearts with the mission or the ideals become as mere dust. From the very beginning, there were those whose hearts were certainly not aligned with our highest ideals. For out of the 56 signers of the Declaration, 41 of them were slaveowners! From the very beginning of the republic there have been two opposing forces that constitute our characterological make-up: those willing to do whatever it takes to actualize America's highest ideals, and those willing to shatter those ideals if they do not align with their own financial or ideological purposes.





Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
DEAR ABBY: Is it improper to decline a wedding reception invitation just because you do not wish to attend? I have received a save the date postcard from a co-workers daughter for her wedding. I dont know this girl or her fiance, and Im not particularly close to her mother.

Where we live, a gift of $150 per person is expected if you attend a wedding reception. My husband and I are on a tight budget, and a $300 gift would be a sacrifice. In addition, my husband would have to take time off work to attend and lose a nights income.

We attended her older daughters wedding seven years ago, but enough is enough. This will never be reciprocated, as our children will not be marrying. If they did, I wouldnt invite my co-workers to their weddings. Can I decline the invitation by saying we are sorry, but we are unable to attend? Or is it mandatory that we attend? -- DONT WANT TO IN ILLINOIS

DEAR DONT WANT TO: An invitation is not a command performance! Because you dont want to go, and because it would create a financial hardship, check will not attend on the RSVP card included with the invitation. Its that simple. Although you will not be obligated to spend $300, it would be nice if you sent the happy couple a card wishing them a long and happy marriage.

** ** **

DEAR READERS: I wish you all a happy and healthy Fourth of July. Please drive carefully and celebrate safely.

P.S. Wishing a Happy, Heavenly Birthday to you, Mom! -- LOVE, ABBY

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Nike cut heavily from the top in its recent mass layoff, according to a new filing with Oregon workforce officials.

The sportswear giant in April said it would eliminate 740 Oregon jobs, part of a 2% reduction in its global workforce and an ongoing $2 billion cost-cutting effort. Nike has been losing ground against smaller, nimbler rivals and focusing on developing new products.

The company recently provided a list of 732 jobs it eliminated this year to the states Higher Education Coordinating Commission, as required when mass layoffs occur.

The list shows Nike laid off 32 vice presidents, 112 senior directors and 174 directors, accounting for more than 40% of the jobs the company eliminated.

Nike employed 423 vice presidents and above in its 2023 fiscal year, according to the companys last corporate responsibility report. Senior directors sit beneath vice presidents in Nikes corporate hierarchy. Directors sit below them.

Workers who supported Nikes executives also got laid off in bulk. Twenty-two senior administrative assistants lost jobs, more than any other job title. Four executive assistants also lost jobs.

The list shows it was a broad reduction, with finance, brand, footwear and apparel among the functions that took double-digit hits.

The filing does not cover positions Nike eliminated last year. In December, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported on rolling layoffs at the company that touched human resources, recruitment, sourcing, brand, engineering, digital products and innovation.

The loss of seasoned employees is increasingly a talking point with stock analysts. The company laid off 700 Oregon workers in 2020. Like this round of layoffs, many had decades of experience.

The Nike talent today does not, in our view, hold a candle to the talent at Nike 7 years ago, Williams Trading analyst Sam Poser wrote in a note to investors last week.

Nike employed 83,700, including 11,400 at its roughly 400-acre corporate headquarters campus near Beaverton, in May 2023, according to its last annual report.

Last week, Nikes stock had its biggest one-day tumble since going public in 1980, falling nearly 20% after the company said it expects sales will decrease this fiscal year.

On an earnings call with stock analysts last week, CEO John Donahoe said the layoffs are behind the company and Nike is focused on getting new products on store shelves, part of what he said in December would be a multi-year product innovation cycle.

Teams are focused on driving for the consumer innovation and execution, Donahoe said last week, adding the company is 100% focused on driving the growth and innovation weve been talking about.

 Matthew Kish covers business, including the sportswear and banking industries. Reach him at 503-221-4386, mkish@oregonian.com or @matthewkish.

Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com.
George Stephanopoulos, anchor of ABC News Good Morning America and This Week, will interview President Joe Biden in a primetime broadcast Friday, July 5, an event thats being described as one of the most high-stakes moments for a president or a candidate in many years.

The interview comes as Biden is trying to reassure voters, donors and fellow Democrats that he should remain the candidate in the presidential race against former president Donald Trump. Following his disappointing performance in the June 27 debate with Trump, Biden has been facing calls for him to step down and let another Democrat run against Trump.

Biden has insisted he will stay in the race, and has been trying to focus attention on his administrations accomplishments, even as polls show many voters worry about Bidens age and competence.

The taped ABC interview is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. ET/PT Friday, July 5, which means it will be tape-delayed for West Coast viewers. Those on the West Coast who dont want to wait for 8 p.m. can check out live video streams using the ABC News app for smartphones and tablets, and connected services, including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku; the ABC News website; or the ABC News YouTube channel

Heres what else to know about how to watch what could be a history-making broadcast.

What: ABC News Special: One on One With President Biden

When: 8 p.m. ET/PT, Friday, July 5; the interview will also air on the Sunday, July 7, broadcast of This Week (the program will air at 4 p.m. on KATU-TV)

How to stream: Viewers can stream the ABC prime-time special via Fubo, which offers a free trial; DirecTV Stream (which also offers a free trial); and Hulu + Live TV.

 Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com or @Kristiturnquist

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
ROME  The Vatican on Friday excommunicated its former ambassador to Washington after finding him guilty of schism, an inevitable outcome for Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. The conservative had became one of Pope Francis ' most ardent critics and a symbol of the polarized Catholic Church in the United States and beyond.

While once enjoying support in the Vatican and U.S. church hierarchies, the Italian archbishop alienated many as he developed a fringe following while delving deeper into conspiracy theories on everything  from the coronavirus pandemic to what he called the Great Reset and Russias war in Ukraine.

The Vaticans doctrine office announced the penalty after a meeting of its members on Thursday and informed Vigano of its decision on Friday.

It cited Viganos public refusal to recognize and submit to the Supreme Pontiff, his rejection of communion with the members of the church subject to him, and of the legitimacy and magisterial authority of the Second Vatican Council.

The excommunication, which Vigano incurred automatically with his positions, means he is formally outside communion with the church and cannot celebrate or receive its sacraments. The crime of schism occurs when someone withdraws submission to the pope or from the communion of Catholics who are subject to him.

Unlike defrocking, a punitive measure that makes a priest a layman again, excommunication is considered a medicinal penalty and is declared in hope those who incurred it would repent and come back into communion. If that happens, the Holy See can lift the penalty.

Schisms, which have been regular in the churchs 2,000-year history, are considered particularly dangerous as they threaten the unity of the church.

Viganos dire pronunciations about the current state of the church, amplified on Catholic social media and by ideologically friendly bloggers on both sides of the Atlantic, were an exaggerated version of the chasm between U.S. ultra-conservatives and Francis. And while Vigano enjoyed mainstream support among bishops early in his career, many quietly distanced themselves as his ideas became more extreme.

The Italian prelate, who has not been seen publicly since before 2018, knew the schism declaration was coming after the Vatican informed him of the penal process launched against him last month. He defiantly called it an honor and refused to appear in person or defend himself or submit a written defense.

On June 20, Vigano issued a lengthy public statement refusing to recognize the authority of the Vaticans doctrinal office that claims to judge me, nor of its prefect, nor of the one who appointed him.

He did not directly respond to the schism declaration on Friday on X, his usual forum. Shortly before the Vatican decree was made public, he announced he would be celebrating a Mass on Friday for those who have been supporting him and asked for donations.

Vigano burst onto the public scene in 2012, during the first so-called Vatileaks scandal, when Pope Benedict XVIs butler leaked the pontiffs private papers to an Italian journalist to try to draw attention to corruption in the Holy See.

In some of the leaked letters, Vigano, then the No. 2 in the Vatican City State administration, begged the pope not to be transferred after exposing corruption in the awarding of Vatican contracts that cost the Holy See millions of euros (dollars).

The entreaties did not work. By the time the letters were published, Vigano was appointed the Vaticans ambassador to the U.S.  a prestigious post but one that took him far from Rome and out of the running to one day be a cardinal.

Vigano reappeared on the scene during Francis 2015 visit to the U.S., which as nuncio he helped organize. Everything was going fine until Vigano arranged for Kim Davis, a Kentucky clerk at the center of the U.S. gay marriage debate, to be present at the Vatican residence to greet Francis, along with many other people.

After the visit, Davis and her lawyers claimed the encounter with Francis amounted to an affirmation of her cause denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The Vatican later turned the tables on Davis claim, saying she had merely been among a group of well-wishers but that the only private audience Francis had in Washington was with a small group of people that included a gay couple.

But Viganos deception in inviting Davis to meet the pope put the prelate and the pontiff on a collision course that exploded in August 2018.

At the time, the U.S. church was reeling from a new chapter in its clergy sex abuse scandal: One of the most senior U.S. churchmen, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, was accused of molesting a minor and a Pennsylvania grand jury issued a devastating investigation into decades of abuse and cover-up.

As Francis was wrapping up a tense visit to Ireland, Vigano published an 11-page screed accusing him and a long string of U.S. and Vatican officials of covering for McCarrick. Specifically, Vigano accused Francis of rehabilitating McCarrick from sanctions imposed by Pope Benedict, and called on him to resign  accusations that created the greatest crisis of Francis then-young pontificate.

Francis quickly authorized an in-house investigation into McCarrick. The report, released in 2020, confirmed that a generation of church officials, including Pope John Paul II, had turned a blind eye to McCarricks misconduct. It largely spared Francis, who eventually defrocked the churchman.

But the report also faulted Vigano for not looking into new claims against McCarrick or enforcing Vatican restrictions on him when specifically ordered to do so by the Vatican.

At that point, Viganos claims against Francis became more unhinged, endorsing conspiracy theories about the coronavirus vaccines, appearing at far-right U.S. political rallies via video, backing Russia in its war on Ukraine, and eventually, refusing to recognize Francis as pope.

Massimo Faggioli, a theologian at Villanova University, said while a good number of U.S. bishops vouched for Viganos integrity when he first made his claims about McCarrick in 2018, his declarations in the ensuing years led some of them to more prudent positions.

In an essay in the French daily La Croix, Faggioli also noted that Vigano had had a seeming unintended effect of mainstreaming another schismatic group, the Society of St. Pius X, which also rejects the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetings that modernized the church.

However, the society known as SSPX founded by the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1969, distanced itself from Vigano and his rejection of the legitimacy of Francis pontificate, saying they have not ventured down that perilous road.

Viganos positions make Lefebvre and the SSPX look like right-of-center Catholics, and not like the extreme traditionalists they actually are, Faggioli wrote. This says something about the ground shifting under the feet of Vatican II Catholics.
Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier, who has spent most of his life in prison since his conviction in the 1975 killings of two FBI agents in South Dakota, has been denied parole.

The U.S. Parole Commission said in a statement Tuesday announcing the decision that he wont be eligible for another parole hearing until June 2026. Peltier is serving life in prison for the killing the agents during a standoff on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He was convicted in 1977.

His attorney, Kevin Sharp, a former federal judge, vowed to appeal. He had argued that Peltier was wrongly convicted and that the health of the 79-year-old was failing.

This decision is a missed opportunity for the United States to finally recognize the misconduct of the FBI and send a message to Indian Country regarding the impacts of the federal governments actions and policies of the 1970s, he said in a statement.

The fight for Peltiers freedom is embroiled in the Indigenous rights movements. Nearly half a century later, his name remains a rallying cry and Free Peltier T-shirts are hawked online.

The way they have treated Leonard is the way they have treated Indigenous people historically throughout this country, said Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of the NDN Collective, an Indigenous-led advocacy group. That is why Indigenous people and oppressed people everywhere see a little bit of ourselves in Leonard Peltier. Although today is a sad day, we are not going to stop fighting.

The FBI and its current and former agents dispute the claims of innocence.

They were down, they were wounded, they were helpless and he shot them point blank, said Mike Clark, president of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI. It is a heinous crime.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement that justice continues to prevail. And Natalie Bara, president of the FBI Agents Association, described Peltier in a statement as an unremorseful murderer.

We believe this decision upholds justice for our fallen colleagues and their families, the statement said.

An enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota, Peltier was active in the American Indian Movement, which began in the 1960s as a local organization in Minneapolis that grappled with issues of police brutality and discrimination against Native Americans. It quickly became a national force.

Tilsen, a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation, credits AIM and others for most of the rights Native Americans have today, including religious freedom and the ability to operate casinos and tribal colleges and enter into contracts with the federal government to oversee schools and other services.

AIM grabbed headlines in 1973 when it took over the village of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation, leading to a 71-day standoff with federal agents. Tensions between AIM and the government remained high for years.

On June 26, 1975, agents came to Pine Ridge to serve arrest warrants amid battles over Native treaty rights and self-determination.

After being injured in a shootout, agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were shot in the head at close range, Wray said. Also killed in the shootout was AIM member Joseph Stuntz. The Justice Department concluded that a law enforcement sniper killed Stuntz.

Two other AIM members, Robert Robideau and Dino Butler, were acquitted of killing Coler and Williams.

After fleeing to Canada and being extradited to the United States, Peltier was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced in 1977 to life in prison, despite defense claims that evidence against him had been falsified.

Amnesty International has been among his backers, writing in a statement that keeping him locked up is a human rights tragedy.

His latest parole hearing was in June at a high-security lockup in Florida that is part of the Federal Correctional Complex Coleman. Afterward, his attorney, Sharp, said the commission was obligated legally to look forward, focusing on issues such as whether he is likely to commit another crime if he is released.

Relatives of the two agents have long argued that Peltier should remain behind bars. In a 2022 letter to Wray, Colers son Ronald Coler said the campaign for Peltiers release has been painful for the family.

Not only has my family suffered the loss of my father, but we have also been forced to endure the insult that Peltier has become a favorite cause and figurehead championed by Hollywood, the music industry, politicians and well-intentioned activists who assume or believe he is being punished unfairly, he wrote. Peltier allows himself to be celebrated thus. He knows his guilt.

Parole also was rejected at a hearing in 2009, and then-President Barack Obama denied a clemency request in 2017. Another clemency request is pending before President Joe Biden.

 By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press. John Hanna contributed to this report from Topeka, Kansas. Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas.
Despite preservationists efforts, the 1870s Wilkes House, which was one of Washington Countys rare surviving Oregon Trail homes, was torn down Friday to make way for the city of Banks water treatment plant to serve the proposed 30-acre Sunset View at West Banks residential and commercial development.

Its heartbreaking how quickly 150 years of Oregon trail pioneer heritage can be torn down for no immediate need, said Jennifer Allen Newton, a volunteer with the Banks Historical Society. She and other people who hoped to save the one-acre homestead watched as an excavator operator razed the two-story structure at 42580 N.W. Cedar Canyon Road.

Property owners Lone Oak Land and Investment Company and Wolverine Financial had offered to give the farmhouse to the Banks Historical Society to relocate it. The historical society and the Friends of the Wilkes House asked that the water treatment plant be constructed on another site to preserve the historic house and its heritage trees.

The preservation group is not opposed to the citys westside development project, other than changes to the Wilkes House property, Newton told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Last year, the Banks Historical Society paid $900 for an inspection to ensure the Wilkes House was structurally sound. In June, the grassroots Friends of the Wilkes House announced the Save the Wilkes House campaign on GoFundMe, hoping to raise money to preserve the historic site as a city park, cultural community center and museum.

Property owners have contracted to sell land to residential developer David Weekley Homes for the Sunset View at West Banks development and deed the Wilkes House property to the city. Representatives of the property owners did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.

On Tuesday, July 9, the Banks City Council was expected to discuss the privately owned Wilkes House during a work session, city manager Jolynn Becker told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Wednesday.

The city does not own the property or the Wilkes House and will not own the property until the westside developer satisfies certain conditions in its Development Agreement and conveys the property to the city, Mayor Stephanie Jones said in a statement issued Wednesday. As we understand it, the property owner offered to give the structure to the local historical society for free so long as they move the building to another location. To our knowledge that has not happened.

Newton and other volunteers with the Banks Historical Society are also concerned about the Wilkes House propertys importance as an archeological site. Portland-based Lower Columbia Research & Archeology services has identified a prehistoric archeological site and artifacts in the area.

Time is needed to investigate the archeological importance of the land along Dairy Creek that was used by the Atfalati band of the Kalapuya people as their summer encampment, said Newton. The Atfalati, or Tualatin, were forced onto the Grand Ronde Reservation near McMinnville in 1856.

In 1845, the Wilkes family walked west on the Oregon Trail. Peyton and Anna Wilkes are considered the first permanent European American settlers in the Banks area, according to Newton, who wrote the history book, Banks: A Town on the Move.

The Wilkes family lived harmoniously alongside the Atfalati people, said Newton, based on oral histories and Native American objects found in the archeological survey.

Jabez Wilkes, the son of Peyton and Anna, lived in the familys log cabin until in the early 1870s, he built his house with a gabled roof.

Nicole Possert, executive director of Restore Oregon, a statewide preservation organization, said Friday, What a tragic day of loss for all of Oregon and our collective heritage.

This property represents so many layers of history and heritage, from the Atfalati band of the Kalapuya people to the Pioneer-era settlers that founded the community of Banks. Demolition over the long (Fourth of July) holiday weekend was unnecessary when next Tuesday, the City Council had (planned) a work session to potentially work together on a long-term solution.

 Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman
On June 21, leaders at the Oregon Health Authority called an emergency virtual meeting to tell employees in the agencys Equity and Inclusion Division that Leann Johnson, the divisions longtime director, had been fired that morning.

Johnsons ouster took employees by surprise. In her nearly 10 years in charge, she had gained a reputation for caring deeply about her work, sticking up for her employees and courageously raising concerns to agency leaders, several employees in the division said. A month before she was fired, Johnson received a national award for advancing health equity initiatives at the agency.
The missing Michigan teen, Troy Coleman, 17-year-old, has now been found randomly on a Twitch livestream safe and in Miami.

A Twitch livestreamer who was broadcasting himself in Miami was approached by a tall guy with green shorts whom viewers online assumed was on drugs.

This is the first time the 17-year-old missing Michigan teen has been seen after reportedly being missing since May 17, bringing relief to his family and friends.

Troy Coleman Found Safe

Troy Coleman was last seen in Mt. Morris Township, Michigan, on May 17.

His father, Weston Coleman, reported him missing and told Townsquare Media that Troy was unarmed and posed no danger to anyone, though he suffers from hallucinations and needs medication he didn't have with him.

Several unconfirmed sightings of Troy were reported in May, including one at a car show outside Flint, Michigan. However, none of these reports were verified.

Despite the lack of concrete leads, the search for Troy continued. His family remained hopeful, and the local community rallied to support their efforts to find him. The police and volunteers scoured the area, but weeks passed with no breakthrough in the case.

Unexpected Twitch Livestream Discovery

The breakthrough came unexpectedly when streamer FaZe Lacy shared news that Troy had been spotted on a livestream in Miami.

The sighting was reported by Troy's brother, Trent Coleman, who had emailed the streamer after recognizing his brother in the video.

Trent had informed the police, who were investigating the possibility that Troy was deceased.

"Yesterday on stream, he came up to me and Clix, and now his family knows he is alive and in Miami. I wasn't sure if I should make this public, but I'm hoping somehow this helps him be found for his family," Lacy wrote.

3 months ago a 17 year old kid went missing and was put on homicide. Yesterday on stream he came up to me and Clix and now his family knows he is alive and in Miami. I wasnt sure if i should make this public but im hoping somehow this helps him be found for his family. pic.twitter.com/vs6SRGXgOP  FaZe Lacy (@LacyHimself) July 3, 2024

The boy in the video, who Lacy claims is Troy, was seen wearing neon green swim shorts, carrying a black sweatshirt, and no shirt.

The police department verified the spotting and appreciated the assistance from the social media community in finding Troy.

The Flint Township Police Department expressed gratitude to all who spread the word about the missing person, recognizing how important public awareness was in locating the teenager.

Authorities Leading a Safe Return

Authorities are now working with local officials in Miami to arrange Troy's safe return to Michigan. Flint Township Police Department is working together to reunite Troy with his family, who are thrilled to hear that he is safe.

The police department stated that they are collaborating with local authorities to ensure his secure repatriation to Michigan to be reunited with his family.

Troy Coleman stands at 6 feet 4 inches, weighs around 165 to 180 pounds, and has blue eyes and brown hair.

The last time he was seen, he had on a black hoodie, gray sweatpants, and white slide-on shoes. The Flint Township Police Department is urging anyone with information about his location to call 810-600-3250.

This event highlights how social media and the internet can help with missing person cases. The surprising appearance on Twitch has provided Troy's family with a feeling of comfort and resolution, showcasing the beneficial influence that online communities can have in offline scenarios.
The fourth human case of bird flu in the country has now been recorded in Colorado.

The first man infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus in Colorado is reportedly confirmed to be working in a dairy farm and has had direct contact from cows who are infected by the virus.

The previous case of bird flu transmission to humans was previously confirmed, one was in Texas and the other two was in Michigan, this case is the first recorded for Colorado.

Fourth Human Case in Colorado

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published a report confirming the fourth human case of bird flu.

Health authorities announced on Wednesday, July 3, that another farm worker has been infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus, which is part of an increasing outbreak associated with dairy cows.

The worker, who worked on a farm in northeast Colorado, contracted conjunctivitis (pink eye) from infected cows through direct contact.

It was added in the report that the worker had seeked medical intervention and was treated with oseltamivir for the virus and has now regained their health.

Every case reported thus far pertains to an employee on a dairy farm where cows have been confirmed to have the H5N1 virus.

In this recent instance, the infected worker exhibited only eye symptoms, which were promptly treated.

The H5N1 virus continues to be widespread among wild birds, causing significant outbreaks in poultry and sporadic spillovers into mammalian populations.

According to the CDC, the threat for the viral infection to transfer to the general public and become an outbreak, continues to remain low.

On the contrary, individuals with occupational or recreational exposure to infected birds or animals, including dairy cattle, are at a heightened risk of infection.

To address the outbreak, the CDC will hold a webinar for clinicians and healthcare centers on July 16 from 2-3 p.m. EDT.

This session will provide updates on the outbreak in the United States and discuss ongoing CDC surveillance and monitoring efforts.

The CDC continues to closely monitor influenza surveillance systems in affected states and reports no unusual influenza activity among humans, including in syndromic surveillance data.

Precautionary Measures and Recommendations

The CDC advises that people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposure to infected birds or animals, including livestock, or to environments contaminated by these animals, should take precautions to protect themselves.

Recommended personal protective equipment includes respiratory and eye protection for those in direct or close contact with sick or dead animals, poultry, wild birds, backyard flocks, or potentially contaminated materials.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), CDC, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) all recommend against the consumption of raw or unpasteurized milk products.

The CDC further advises that poultry, eggs, and beef be cooked to safe internal temperatures to eliminate bacteria and viruses.

Earlier this year, the FDA reaffirmed that commercial, pasteurized milk products have shown no evidence of containing live H5N1 virus.

Recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveals 139 confirmed cases of H5N1 in livestock herds across 12 states, underscoring the importance of vigilance and precautionary measures.

A dairy worker, under monitoring due to exposure to H5N1-infected cattle, reported symptoms which were subsequently tested by state health officials.

While initial state tests were inconclusive, further testing by the CDC confirmed the presence of influenza A(H5).

The exact neuraminidase subtype is pending genetic sequencing at the CDC, with results expected within one to two days. Additional genetic analysis will assess any viral changes that could influence the agency's risk assessment.
SNAP benefits have helped millions of low-income households across the country to meet their groceries and basic needs.

This program provides essential support for individuals whether for elderly people, single parents, or even for small and large families with children.

However, the food stamp payment amount that individuals receive can vary significantly depending on which state they are living.

This discrepancy in food stamp payments highlights the influence of state-specific factors and economic conditions on SNAP benefits.

Understanding State Variations in SNAP Benefits

SNAP is financed by the federal government but managed by state and local organizations, resulting in significant differences in monthly benefits nationwide.

Recipients can use electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to purchase essential groceries and receive these benefits.

Typically, each qualified individual in America gets around $212 per month in SNAP benefits. Nevertheless, this quantity can vary significantly depending on the state.

In 2023, Hawaii had the highest average monthly benefit of $445 per person, for instance. Alaska came next with a mean of $376, while Minnesota offered $261 monthly.

Conversely, Iowa had the smallest mean monthly assistance of $162, while Montana and Nebraska closely followed at $165 and $167, respectively.

Factors Influencing SNAP Payment Differences

Several factors contribute to the variations in SNAP benefits across states. The most significant include income levels, household expenses, household size, state demographics, and economic conditions.

Income Levels: Higher household income typically results in lower SNAP benefits. States where cost of living is high often give out a much higher benefit to accommodate the expenses.

Household Expenses: Certain expenses, such as housing and utilities, are deducted from the household income when calculating SNAP benefits. Higher expenses can lead to higher benefit amounts.

Household Size: Larger households generally receive more benefits, reflecting the greater need for food assistance.

State Demographics: States with higher living costs tend to offer higher SNAP benefits to meet the increased cost of essential groceries.

Economic Conditions: States with struggling economies may have more residents qualifying for higher benefits due to lower income levels and higher unemployment rates.

SNAP Program Evolution and Participation Rates

Ever since SNAP was introduced, the program has adopted numerous changes as to how it helps people and the benefits it provides. This program started in 1964 and was gradually implemented countrywide in July 1974.

The SNAP program has undergone significant changes since it was first introduced. It started in 1964 and grew steadily, achieving complete countrywide execution by July 1974.

During that period, 12.9 million individuals, equivalent to 6% of the population in the United States, were recipients of SNAP benefits.

Involvement levels have varied due to economic circumstances and adjustments in qualification criteria.

During the Great Recession in 2013, the SNAP program handed out its highest payment benefits to people, reaching 18.8%. In addition, during the outbreak of the coronavirus in March 2020, SNAP beneficiaries nationwide grew significantly.

The sudden increase led Congress to grant extra benefits and temporarily halt work and training requirements throughout the public health emergency.

The number of individuals receiving benefits increased from 37.2 million in March 2020 to more than 43 million by September 2020.

Furthermore, New Mexico became the state with the highest registered beneficiaries of the program in July 2022.

On the contrary, Utah is the state that had the smallest percentage of beneficiaries at 4.6%, followed by New Hampshire (5.0%), Wyoming (5.1%), and North Dakota (5.8%) with similarly low rates.

SNAP benefits continue to be a crucial resource for numerous Americans, offering vital assistance to households with low incomes. The differences in benefits between states show how local economies affect the importance of the program in ensuring food security and promoting healthy lifestyles.
Presbyterian Keith A. Mathison (M.A. Reformed Theological Seminary; Ph.D. Whitefield Theological Seminary) is the author of The Shape of Sola Scriptura (Moscow, Idaho: Canon Press, 2001): a book that many Protestants and Catholics alike believe to be the best recent defense of sola Scriptura. In 2012, I wrote a reply-article, Solo Scriptura vs. Sola Scriptura: Reply to Keith Mathison, which was in response to Keiths article, A Critique of the Evangelical Doctrine of Solo Scriptura (which in turn was taken from his book: pp. 237-253). As is usually the case with our illustrious brothers in Christ from the small anti-Catholic camp of Protestantism, no reply to it was ever received.

Currently, I reply to Keiths article, Solo Scriptura, Sola Scriptura, and Apostolic Succession: A Response to Bryan Cross and Neal Judisch (by Keith Mathison) (Thoughts of Francis Turretin blog, 2-15-11). His words will be in blue. I wont be defending any arguments of Cross and Judisch (thats their burden, and they are fully capable), and will be concentrating primarily on Keiths pro-sola Scriptura arguments in his very long article.

*****

the primary issue in this debate is not the doctrine of Scripture. It is the doctrine of the Church.

Thats how Protestants usually spin the argument. They cant establish defend sola Scriptura from Scripture alone (which logically they must do), and so they frequently switch the topic over to Catholic ecclesiology, to get the spotlight off of their weak view. Technically, this is not defending their own position (its critiquing one of ours).

That said and understood, its also true that sola Scriptura began when Luther was backed into it in the Leipzig Disputation in 1519, almost as a desperate default position, when he expressly denied the infallibility of the Church and tradition (as I recently wrote about). The doctrine of the Churchs authority is indeed closely related to this discussion, but I deny that it is the supposed primary issue. This may seem to be quibbling, but presuppositions are very important in any debate, and often determine the direction or emphasis of the discussion.

In the same way, Protestant claims are going to be intrinsically offensive to Roman Catholics. Protestants are questioning things Roman Catholics hold sacred. The only relevant question, however, is whether certain claims are true, not whether those claims offend someones sensibilities. In sum, while things will be said in my response that Roman Catholics will undoubtedly find offensive, I do not know of any way to avoid it completely in this discussion. I trust that Roman Catholic readers will understand that my purpose in this response is not to offend for the sake of offending but to deal with the issues.

I fully agree; and vice versa; in opposing and revealing the fatal weaknesses of sola Scriptura, we critique one of Protestantisms most deeply held sacred cows; one of its two self-described pillars. Im not personally offended or emotionally threatened by any of these arguments. My job as an apologist is to seek and to defend truth, as best I can determine it. And I always seek to do that as objectively, rationally, and scripturally as I possibly can. Ive written more about this topic than any other one in my 34 years of writing Catholic apologetics, oversee a huge web page on Bible and Tradition, and have authored three books (one / two / three) on the topic. So I think I have a few things to say that may be helpful to some folks in working through this all-important issue of Christian authority and the rule of faith.

A final preliminary observation is in order. One of the most frustrating difficulties encountered in discussions such as this is the fact that the starting assumptions of Roman Catholics and non-Roman Catholics are so different. Because these starting assumptions dramatically affect the way we read and evaluate evidence and arguments, it becomes difficult to avoid speaking past one another.

Very true. And this is where dialogue can be particularly helpful. If we directly interact with another view its difficult to talk past one another (i.e., if both parties are willing to truly dialogue and not simply engage in mutual monologue). So here we are!

For example, as I mentioned above, if one assumes the correctness of the Roman Catholic doctrine of the church, then the differences I allege between sola scriptura and solo scriptura become invisible.

I dont think that: to an extent. As I wrote in my first reply:

I gladly acknowledge that there are several significant and noteworthy distinctions between the two views to be rightly made. I understood this as a Protestant, prior to 1990, when I read about this very issue in knowledgeable evangelical and Calvinist writers like Bernard Ramm, R. C. Sproul, and G. C. Berkouwer. . . . I part company, however, concerning whether SAS [sola Scriptura] overcomes the fundamental difficulties that it claims bring down SOS [solo Scriptura], but not SAS. I believe SAS (i.e., in its more respectable manifestations such as Mathisons) is a noble attempt to salvage a hopeless position. Its a valiant effort which is inevitably doomed to failure. All forms of sola Scriptura, no matter how nuanced and sophisticated, ultimately fail to pass biblical and logical scrutiny.

Those who do not begin with the basic theological axiom of Roman Catholicism see abundant evidence against the claims of Rome in Scripture, the writings of the Church Fathers, and the documented events of church history. This evidence prevents them from believing that the Roman Catholic Magisterium has divine authority.

Those who do not begin with the basic theological axiom of Protestantism see abundant evidence against the claims of Protestantism in Scripture, the writings of the Church Fathers, and the documented events of Church history. This evidence prevents them from believing that Protestantism supersedes the divine authority of the Catholic Magisterium.

For those who adopt the basic theological axiom of Roman Catholicism, all of this alleged evidence essentially ceases to exist.

It doesnt cease to exist. Its still out there. Our task as Catholic apologists is to show how it is erroneous falsehood, based on Scripture, reason, and historical fact. Ive done this in multiple hundreds of articles and in many of my 55 books.

From the perspective of the non-Roman Catholic, the Roman Catholic is doing something comparable to reading a red-letter Bible with red tinted glasses. If he sets aside the glasses, he can see all the words printed in red. If he puts the glasses on, all the words printed in red disappear from his sight.

From the perspective of the Catholic, the Protestant is doing something comparable to reading a red-letter Bible with red tinted glasses. If he sets aside the glasses, he can see all the words printed in red. If he puts the glasses on, all the words printed in red disappear from his sight. I wrote an entire book about this very common phenomenon, entitled, The Catholic Verses: 95 Bible Passages That Confound Protestants (Aug. 2004).

After spending about a third of his effort in his lengthy article critiquing Catholic ecclesiological reasoning (all of which I have defended many times and need not do so again here), Keith writes:

At this point, I will turn to the question of whether there is a principled difference between sola scriptura and solo scriptura with respect to the holder of ultimate interpretive authority and to the question of apostolic succession. . . .

According to Cross and Judisch, sola scriptura entails the indirect way of making oneself ones own ultimate interpretive authority. They argue that sola scriptura does not truly allow for the interpretive authority of the church.

This is correct. In the final analysis, or ultimately, or as a logical reduction (and reductio ad absurdum, too, I would add), it does indeed devolve to the individuals private judgment and conscience. Ive written about this crucial aspect many times, but here is how I argued it less than three weeks ago:

Luthers big problem in this regard, per the theory above, was his extreme naivete: thinking that everything would be fine and dandy in his new system and never being able to conceptualize the quite arguable connection between it and the proliferation of sects. Its real simple in the final analysis: others applied Luthers new rule of faith (sola Scriptura, private judgment, and a distorted individualistic supremacy of conscience) and went their own way, differing from Luther, just as he had with the Catholic Church. Any astute observer could have easily predicted what happened. Erasmus and More and Eck could see what was coming, in their disputes with Luther. But Luther couldnt (or wouldnt, one might opine). . . . The causes and the solutions are what is at issue between Protestants and Catholics. Luther and Calvin and Melanchthon apparently never figured out that it was their foundational principles which set the wheels of this sad process inexorably and inevitably in motion. The weakness, I submit, is in the foundation, not the superstructure of denominationalism gone wild. Calvin and Melanchthon were embarrassed  as well they should have been  at the absurd (as Calvin put it) nature of such strong disagreements occurring, and the miserable anarchy. To their credit, they felt this tension, expressed it in private letters, and wished that it could be resolved before posterity got wind of it. They understood the scandalous, indefensible scandal of sectarianism and denominationalism in a way that few Protestants today do (after 500 years of rationalizing and pretending that it is a good, healthy thing). But Calvin and Melanchthon didnt understand or know how to properly solve the problem of relativism and Protestant epistemology. Thats my take, and it seems obvious to me. They were referring to the public and historys reaction to the dissensions. They got it. The founders of the Protestant system (including Luther) thought that Protestant divisions were scandalous. This has been a problem since Day One: Luther at Worms in 1521. Private judgment and sola Scriptura inevitably produce such doctrinal relativism and ecclesiological confusion. . . . In my opinion, Calvin, in the letter above to Melanchthon, and the sensitive Melanchthon, in his various despairing utterances, are rightly and admirably aghast with regard to a situation (division) which is equally alarming to us Catholics. In this instance they agree with us and candidly, honestly admit the strong contradiction between sectarianism and the Bible. But like Luther, they dont see that the discord resulted from fallacious first principles, just recently conceived by their illustrious predecessor. . . . They thought everyone would simply agree with them and that there would be this spontaneous, marvelous unity out under the yoke of Rome. Their novel views brought about what we see, despite whatever good intentions they had (which I readily grant them). But of course, they couldnt even agree with each other.

All of the above historical facts (and the continuing sectarianism: unable to be contained) flow from sola Scriptura as well as from the distortion of solo Scriptura. The distinction between the two that Keith makes doesnt solve the essential or fundamental difficulty. That is my point. Luther, Calvin, and Melanchthon saw and lamented the problem (inter-Protestant sectarianism and relentless disagreements) but they never analyzed it deeply enough to recognize its causes and solutions. I submit that they didnt because it would implicate them and their new system, if they did so. We all find it hard to admit our mistakes. Hence, the negative fruit of a false doctrine and premise sadly continues to this day.

*

From the ascension of Christ until the writing of the earliest New Testament documents began in the middle of the first century, the apostles were orally preaching the content of the Gospel doctrine given to them by Christ. For ease and clarity of explanation, let us call the content of apostolic doctrine X.

*

Thus far, we agree.

*

During this same period of time, uninspired summaries of X were apparently being used in various churches for the catechetical instruction of new believers given prior to their baptism.

*

It doesnt follow that all of it was uninspired. Keith simply assumes that without proof or evidence. This is his own presuppositional thinking without evidence, or his tinted glasses or blinders, so to speak. For example, prophets and prophesying continue in New Testament times (Lk 2:36; Acts 2:16-18; 11:27; 13:1; 15:32; 19:6; 21:9-10; 1 Cor 11:4-5; 12:10, 28-29; ch. 14 [throughout]; Eph 3:5; 4:11; 1 Thess 5:20; 1 Tim 1:18; 4:14), and this is inspired utterance, and was before it was  if it ever was recorded  in Scripture.

*

In Acts 15:28 (RSV) the decree of the Jerusalem Council was described in terms of it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us. Thats inspired utterance, too. It has to be because it was agreed to by the Holy Spirit and inspiration literally means God-breathed. So this was inspiration before it was known as Scripture (Acts 15:28) and would have been if it hadnt been recorded in inspired Scripture, because it intrinsically was what it was. In other words, its nature didnt change merely because it was included in Scripture. The Holy Spirit agreed with it (making it inspired utterance) at the time it happened: not only after it became part of the NT.

*

In the middle of the first century, the apostles, began putting X in writing in all of its fullness. These writings were inspired by the Holy Spirit. This process of inscripturating X was completed before the end of the first century.

*

Keith doesnt expressly state it, but the standard Protestant view is that all of sacred tradition that was worth keeping was inscripturated in Scripture (conversely, any of it not later preserved in Scripture is not worthy to be called tradition or to abide by): and he very likely agrees with that. This notion of inscripturation of all legitimate tradition is impossible to arrive at by Scripture alone. Its not a biblical position . Protestants simply assume it without proof, as one of their unbiblical man-made traditions.

*

no individual today came up with the rule of faith, the apostolic doctrine found in Scripture and summarized in the Nicene Creed  an historically objective and verifiable set of propositions by which churches that are true branches can be identified.

*

not affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. For them, baptism is merely symbolic and has nothing directly to do with forgiveness of sins, let alone regeneration (which is Any Protestant whatsoever, following Luthers principle / sola Scriptura, can deny some tenet of the Niece Creed, and no one from a Protestant perspective can consistently tell him not to do so, or argue that he shouldnt, without also implicating Luther and the entire edifice and first premise that Protestantism is built upon. I like the Nicene Creed as a standard that can be used in an ecumenical sense, pertaining to who is and is not a Christian. But lots of Protestants have already dissented from it. Its not just hypothetical. All who deny baptismal regeneration doaffirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. For them, baptism is merely symbolic and has nothing directly to do with forgiveness of sins, let alone regeneration (which is massively connected to baptism in Scripture).

*

Again, this is an inaccurate description of what I argued in my book. It is a straw man. My argument is that the branches which have a plausible claim to be part of the church are those who adhere to the rule of faith, to the doctrine of the apostles. The rule of faith can be historically verified, and it is not something that I or any other Protestant created.

*

Indeed. Historically, few doctrines are more solid and virtually unanimous in the Church fathers than baptismal regeneration; and many Protestants reject it. Its enshrined in the Bible, in the Church fathers (as Bryan Cross has documented in great depth ), and in the Nicene Creed.

*

*** 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! ***

Paul does not appeal to hierarchical succession.

*

Sure he does:

Galatians 1:18-19 . . . after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. [19] But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lords brother.

It just so happened that he visited the first pope and leader of the Church: for fifteen days, and that the only other person he saw in Jerusalem was the bishop of Jerusalem, James. Thats hierarchy, folks. Then he reiterates:

Galatians 2:9 . . . when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship,

St. John was also in Jesus inner circle, and so had great relative authority, even among apostles. Then again, we have the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), where he appears to be a minor figure. He spoke, but his words werent recorded (Acts 15:12), as Peters and James words were. Paul then traveled around delivering the message that the apostles and elders at the council arrived at (with the confirmation of the Holy Spirit: Acts 15:28):

Acts 16:4 As they [he and Timothy] went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions which had been reached by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.

Note that this is not coming from Paul (and Timothy) only; Pauls passing along what the council decided; in other words, he is bound to, and spreads the news of, an official  and, we must add, infallible  Church council. Thats hierarchical Church government. The fact that this council consisted of the apostles and the elders (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23; cf. 16:4) is one of many proofs of apostolic succession itself. After the apostles died out, the elders continued doing the same thing that they had done, working with the apostles.

*

There are other examples of Paul being subject to higher authority in the Church: the church in Jerusalem, . . . sent Barnabas to Antioch (Acts 11:22). Barnabas then went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch (Acts 11:25-26). So we have the Jerusalem church sending (essentially commissioning) Barnabas to Antioch, and bringing Paul from Tarsus to Antioch. The church at Antioch then determined to send financial relief for a famine by the hand of Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11:30).

*

So Paul was twice subjected to higher Church authority in this instance: Barnabas, sent from the church in Jerusalem, and the church of Antioch, which sent both him and Barnabas on an important task. Later, were informed that Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission (Acts 12:25). Then we learn of a sixth instance, where the church leaders in Antioch again commissioned Paul and Barnabas, and that this was agreed to by the Holy Spirit (making it an infallible act of Church authority: which Protestants say could and should never happen):

Acts 13:1-4 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, . . . [2] While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. [3] Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. [4] So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

Paul and Barnabas in turn function as bishops, since they appointed elders for them in every church (Acts 14:23). This indicates both hierarchical Church government and apostolic succession (an apostle ordaining priests or pastors in local churches). Paul later delegates the same episcopal authority to Titus that he had himself exercised, giving him the authority to appoint elders in every town as Paul directed him to do (Titus 1:5). Once again (this is now the eighth example), Paul is directly involved in hierarchical, episcopal Church governance and apostolic succession: quite contrary to Keiths claims. None of this exhibits or suggests the alleged lone ranger Paul so mythologized and beloved of certain evangelical Protestants.

*

A creeds authority does not depend on anyones agreement with it. A creeds authority depends on whether it is true to the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles.

*

And who decides whether it is true or not?

*

Creeds are a written form of the confession of faith of the universal church. The early creeds evolved out of the context of the early churchs catechetical practices and were eventually put in written form. The Nicene Creed is the culmination of this process.

*

I guess, then, that Baptists and all who deny baptismal regeneration arent part of the universal Church, by this criterion (since they deny part of the creed or confession that represents same). Keith set it up; Im merely mentioning some of the anomalous consequences of the mistaken reasoning.

*

The creeds are a confession of what the whole of the Church has read in Scripture.

*

But not all Protestants entirely agree with the Creed. So where does that lead them? If he says it doesnt matter; that they can go their own way, then he defeats his own point. Self-refutation and internal contradiction and vicious logical circularity are never far away when discussing sola Scriptura.

*

the need for creeds . . . exists because some do not accept what Scripture clearly teaches. . . . some missed the plain teaching of Scripture.

*

Right; so  again  many Protestants deny what Scripture clearly teaches in a plain way, which is quintessentially encapsulated in the Nicene Creed, which asserts baptismal regeneration.

*

*

***
At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Big, beautiful screen

All the ports you could want

Rear I/O is perfect for desk use Cons Loud fans

Incredibly heavy

Short battery life Our Verdict The MSI Raider 18 HX boasts a humongous screen as well as all the ports you could imagine, but the windy roar of the fans combined with the high price tag may deter some folks.

Sometimes you just want to game on a truly all-in-one powerful laptop. And it doesnt matter how heavy it is, how loud it is, or even how long that laptops battery lasts. So long as you can throw anything at it and get a beautiful glorious gaming experience, thats all that matters. And for those instances, the MSI Raider 18 HX is here to help you decimate especially your wallet!

The MSI Raider is first and foremost a gaming laptop and that means by standard laptops it has many flaws. Typing on it isnt great, the fans are loud, battery life is short, and its so heavy that calling it a laptop is almost a joke. But because its a gaming laptop, a lot of those flaws are given and what really matters is what it can do under the heavy load of AAA games and thats where it shines. Mostly.

MSI Raider 18 HX: Specs

Lets rip one band-aid off right now. This particular MSI Raider 18 HX is $3,400 or otherwise known as several craploads of money. For that kind of steep price, you should get something that has all the high-end specs and thankfully MSI delivers for the most part. It has more processor cores, RAM, and storage than a lot of desktops and the screen is gigantic. Youre paying for a lot and youre also getting a lot both in terms of top-of-the-line tech and in next-gen specs thanks to future proof Wi-Fi 7 capability. The one area you might call a miss is the display refresh rate. Sure, its a massive 18-inch screen with a beautiful 38402400 resolution, but its locked to just 120Hz, which might be disappointing depending on how hardcore you are about refresh rates.

Specs as tested:

CPU : Intel Core i9-14900HX

: Intel Core i9-14900HX Memory : 64 GB DDR5

: 64 GB DDR5 Graphics/GPU : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU 12G GDDR6

: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU 12G GDDR6 Display : 18 UHD+(38402400) 120Hz Mini LED HDR 1000 100 percent DCI-P3

: 18 UHD+(38402400) 120Hz Mini LED HDR 1000 100 percent DCI-P3 Storage : 2TB NVMe SSD Gen4x4

: 2TB NVMe SSD Gen4x4 Webcam : IR FHD webcam

: IR FHD webcam Connectivity : 2 x Thunderbolt 4 w DP (1 also with PD3.1), 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI v2.1, SD Card Reader, 3.5mm audio jack,

: 2 x Thunderbolt 4 w DP (1 also with PD3.1), 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI v2.1, SD Card Reader, 3.5mm audio jack, Networking : Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Biometrics : Fingerprint reader

: Fingerprint reader Battery capacity : 99.9 watt-hours

: 99.9 watt-hours Dimensions : 15.91 x 12.09 x 1.26

: 15.91 x 12.09 x 1.26 Weight : 7.94 pounds

: 7.94 pounds MSRP: $3,399

MSI Raider 18 HX: Build quality and looks

IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson

Picture the quintessential gaming laptop. I bet youre imagining a giant screen, lights absolutely everywhere, fancy if unnecessary fonts, and touches of red to break up the overwhelming black. Thats the MSI Raider. Youve probably pictured this laptop thousands of times. The one thing you probably pictured wrong is the weight. Now I know what youre thinking its a gaming laptop, so it must heavy. But no, its even heavier than that. This laptop tips the scales at just under eight pounds. Lets be honest, its not a laptop. Between the weight and the heat (more on that later!), this behemoth of a laptop will never ever fit on your lap. The MSI Raider is a slightly more portable all-in-one desktop with fancier lights.

The RGB is everything a gamer could want (everything a business casual person will hate) and the glowing logo that matches your preferences is the cherry on top.

The keyboard font is a choice, but that can be said about a lot of gaming laptops. What matters is that its solidly built and MSI took advantage of ventilation needs to enhance the overall look and feel. I like all the accents along the fans a lot. One downside is the sharp edges. If your arms tend to brush the front edge of the laptop when typing, it might be a little uncomfortable after a while.

Overall, the build quality is as high as youd expect from such an expensive laptop. Theres hardly any give or wobble in the display, even when typing, and the same goes for the rest of the machine as it never creaks or groans. The overall laptop is built like a tank and feels as heavy as one too. While that means you wont want to lug this in your backpack, it does give it a certain premium feel that comes with heavier gadgets.

MSI Raider 18 HX: Keyboard and trackpad

IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson

I have very mixed feelings about the keyboard and trackpad. Taken apart, both are technically excellent. You get a full-sized keyboard complete with a numpad and the keys themselves have good travel for a laptop. I dont ache when I type, and thats always a big deal in my book as I do have issues with non-ergonomic keyboards. MSI buried in a ton of extras in the keyboard as well. Beyond the new Copilot button most modern laptops will adopt, you also get fancy per-key RGB backlighting and a ton of functions. Combining the function key with down gets you a crosshair capability while the up key launches a cooler boost that blasts the fans.

The trackpad is nice, expansive, and adequately clicky too. It does, however, tend to build a bit of dirt and grime into its creases. Taken on its own though, its a good enough trackpad that I imagine you wont use in favor of a dedicated gaming mouse. The real problem is the keyboard combined with the trackpad.

MSI crammed a full-sized keyboard into this beast, including a fairly generous touchpad. But that means when your hands are in home position, they are left of center. The trackpad is perfectly centered, which puts it slightly out of alignment with the main typing area of the keyboard. Thats already slightly awkward, but it also seems to lead to accidental trackpad brushes. In typing this review, Ive ended up jumping up whole paragraphs mid-word so many times Ive lost count. Its frustrating. But if you primarily game, it may not bother you as much as this writer, especially if you use the function keys to disable the trackpad and use your gaming mouse instead.

MSI Raider 18 HX: Speakers and display

IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson

I know better than to expect laptop speakers to be good, but I was hopeful here. With a giant price tag, theres no good excuse not to have amazing speakers, at least for a laptop. And the MSI Raiders speakers are very best average for a laptop. Youll find hardly any bass here, and even the upper end of the spectrum could use some clarity. Its not quite trapped in a bottle sounds, but everything about these speakers screams bring your own headphones. And I guess thats just as well because you wont be able to hear those speakers anyway. Id normally talk about the fans elsewhere, but Im going to mention them here.

This laptop produces so much fan noise that I can hear it three rooms away. I typically leave my laptops on my dining room table to run benchmark tests and this is the first one that has ever interrupted my workflow thanks to the sheer level of jet taking off sounds. I had to close my office door to block it out. And those fans run all the time, even when the Raider is sitting idle. The bottom line is, youll definitely need headphones.

As for the display, thats another story. This 18 inch Mini-LED 120hz screen is awesome. It does have some of the usual downsides with Mini-LED, namely some blooming issues when using Windows in a light theme. But Mini-LED gives you nearly the inky blacks of OLED while also putting out so much brightness youll probably never use it at 100 percent. When I did max out brightness briefly, it was blinding. You could practically light up a living room with this display. The refresh rate, however, is a bit of a bummer for such an expensive gaming laptop. Its just 120hz, which technically is good enough for gaming, but other similar laptops in this price range offer better performance.

MSI Raider 18 HX: Webcam, microphone, biometric options

If youre planning on streaming with this monster, youll find an IR FHD webcam at the top of the display. FHD is technically pretty good for a built-in webcam, but it struggles under anything but bright lighting. Given the laptops purpose and price, you might hope MSI somehow slipped in a truly epic webcam, but the truth is laptop webcams are just never any good for a variety of reasons. I do appreciate the built-in physical shutter though, especially with the bright orange accent that shouts you have privacy when closed. If youre streaming, you probably want to pick up an external camera. On the other hand, the IR system does a very good job of logging you in quickly, and you might lose that with an external camera.

Thats not the biggest loss though, since this laptop also has a fingerprint sensor. Youll find it in the lower right corner below the keyboard, and while it seems small it does the job perfectly fine. This is a case where I appreciate having both options since it feels like buying an external camera seems likely. Pick whats best for your scenario, and be glad you have options.

The microphone does ok, but its nothing to write home about. Again, part of me hoped for something truly special considering the size and price of this laptop, but given the speakers arent great its not surprising the microphone is merely average too. If you pick up a headset, grab one with a decent microphone and youre set for team chat.

MSI Raider 18 HX: Ports and connectivity

IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson

When it comes to ports, the high price tag pays off. This MSI Raider 18 has all the ports, everywhere. On the right side youll find two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports (one with PD 3.1 charging), a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port, and an audio combo jack. On the left, youll find a Kensington Lock slot, another USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port, and an SD Card reader. And on the back, youll find the dedicated power port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and an Ethernet port.

I like that power, video, and internet focused ports are on the back, which is convenient for the likely desktop setup youd primarily use this in. That feels especially important since the power cord isnt as long as Id like. Im less enthused that both USB-C ports are on the right side. Itd be a little more versatile to have one on each.

This laptop is, thankfully, future proof as well. You get Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, which is probably advanced enough you dont have anything to fully supports those standards yet. But even in my Wi-Fi 6E home, speeds are killer and nearly max out what my network is capable of providing. Thats impressive over a Wi-Fi connection. Granted, you should probably still use the ethernet cord for gaming and wired peripherals as well if latency is a factor you care about at all. But at least its nice to know that if you do ditch cords, this machine will keep up and then some.

MSI Raider 18 HX: Performance

Going in, one can expect the MSI Raider 18 to crush benchmark testing, at least compared to everyday laptops. It does have an i9 processor, 64 GBs of RAM, a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 laptop grade GPU, and a 2 TB NVMe SSD. If that doesnt spell performance, itll be because of heat alone, which explains the incredibly loud fans the laptop rocks.

IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson

The first test we run is PCMark 10, which helps determine overall performance. We run with laptops plugged in and thats important to keep in mind as some processors throttle when unplugged. Then again, this is a gaming laptop, so youd probably use it plugged in too. The other thing to note is that PCMark 10 tends to favor CPU before GPU.

And that shows here. The MSI Raider beat the competition, taking home a first win in this benchmark. But the other MSI Raider from last February came within a statistical margin. Re-run these tests enough times and theyd likely swap places.

IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson

After that, we ran Cinebench R20, which is a multithreaded CPU test. To my surprise, this MSI Raider didnt fair near as well here, falling squarely in the middle of the pack. That confused me because the other MSI Raider in our comparison data did much better on the same processor. But while theyre close, there are some key differences, including overall size, display, and weight. Perhaps those differences add up. I re-ran the tests a few times just to be sure and came back with consistent results.

Im also not too worried. This MSI Raider is still putting up a respectable enough number and the kind of testing Cinebench is doing here doesnt translate to gaming, which is a much more GPU-focused task. What we learn from this test is that outside gaming, this MSI Raider should be able handle any application you throw at it.

IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson

And that fact shows in our Handbrake test. This test involves encoding a video file, which puts the laptop under heavy load. A less capable laptop will likely overheat, throttle, and accomplish the job at a slower pace. Not the MSI Raider. We measure in minutes and Im used to this test drifting into the four digit territory. But all our gaming laptops make short work of the task and the MSI Raider puts even those to shame.

Thats likely down to all those fans and vents. This Raider runs them at the drop of a hat, even when you wouldnt think the device needs to jettison heat, and all that cooling seems to pay off. That should bode well for gaming, too.

IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson

To test graphics capability, we run 3Dmarks Time Spy benchmark. And here, the MSI Raider truly shines. That goes for both models on our list, actually. Thats not surprising, as theyre running the same processor and have similar graphics cards. The previous MSI we reviewed leads the pack here due to it having a more powerful GPU (a 4090 vs 4080). This is another case where with enough re-running of the tests, the two might trade places. Thats why we do more than benchmark, as those only tell you part of the story. And the story so far says this is a capable gaming machine.

IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson

Up until now, weve used standard industry benchmarks you can run on just about any modern laptop. But this is a gaming machine, so we want some tests focused on that purpose. To start, we run Shadow of the Tomb Raiders built-in benchmarks. This is admittedly an aging game, but in some ways thats a benefit: no updates mean reliable data across our testing machines.

This is, however, another test that made me go huh at first. Sure, technically speaking 120fps isnt bad, just ask the PS5, but it does put it firmly lower on this list. And then I remembered two factors. One, this laptop runs an RTX 4080, which is holding it back compared to the other MSIs RX 4090. And two, the built-in display is capable of 120hz anyway. If you dont intend to hook up a monitor with a higher refresh rate, then you dont need a benchmark to tell you it can do better. And you might not actually want an external monitor. This is an expensive device, after all, and one of the perks is the glorious 18 inch mini-LED screen. Take advantage of it.

For what its worth, we run this test at 1080p, because most gamers would rather have higher framerate even if it means settling for lower resolution. Just to see what would happen, I re-ran the test at 4K and it still managed an average of 90fps, which is pretty darn good. If youre on the fence of resolution versus frames per second, this is a laptop that could give you options.

IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson

We also run the benchmark test found in Metro Exodus. This is much more demanding game and run the test using the extreme option in 1080p. I checked, and at PCWorld weve never seen a machine hit 120fps in this benchmark, and many struggle to even hit 60.

So, its fairly heartening to see this MSI back on top again, pulling off an average of 105 frames per second in this benchmark. That puts it ahead of even the other MSI Raider in our comparison list, and of the others as well. If I had to guess, thats going to be down to cooling as this benchmark did produce some of the loudest jet engine noises of all.

In general, these tests are admittedly a little inconsistent. In some areas the MSI Raider seems to excel, and other areas it falls behind. But as always, benchmarks only tell you so much. Real world testing is the final note on the story. And let me tell you, gaming on this 18-inch behemoth is glorious. It can handle everything I throw out it and looks gorgeous in the process.

MSI Raider 18 HX: Battery life

IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson IDG / Josh Hendrickson

This MSI Raider has a 99.9 watt-hour hour battery powering this machine, and thats as big as you can get and still take your laptop on an airplane. Very few laptops host anything anywhere near this large, and I have a feeling its half the reason this Raider weighs so much. Now you might be tempting to think with this humongous energy pack the Raider might be able to pull off all day battery life. Nope!

We test battery life by putting the laptop in airplane mode, reducing brightness to 50 percent, and looping a 4K copy of the Tears of Steel film until the device dies. This MSI Raider gave up the ghost after just 234 minutes. Thats a half hour less than the other MSI Raider in our comparison chart, and a little over half the time as HP Omen. And I want you to think about this: putting the Raider in airplane mode and turning down the brightness is a best case scenario. Even looping a video is less energy intensive than gaming.

And the real proof is in the pudding. Ive used the MSI Raider to write the majority of this review. But not all of it. And the reason for that? I tried to do it on battery alone, and it died on me. Twice.

MSI Raider 18 HX: Conclusion

Ive come away from with somewhat mixed feelings. The benchmarks are just like my feelings, actually. Mixed and messy. When this laptop excels, it absolutely slays. The display is gorgeous and can get so bright you could feasibly pull off that hacker in the dark look Shutterstock is so fond of. You know the one, where somehow the single monitor in the dark room seems to be bright as the sun. Thats this display. Seriously.

And for gamers, theres plenty of great touches. The RGB is everything a gamer could want (everything a business casual person will hate) and the glowing logo that matches your preferences is the cherry on top. I could probably get used to the trackpad placement or, better yet, turn it off in favor of a gaming mouse.

But theres other areas that hold me back. The fans are so dang loud that Id not only recommend headphones, Id suggest you get something with ANC to combat the windy roar. Part of me wants better FPS performance (and a display that can match) for this price. Its also far too heavy and the battery life much too short to consider gaming on-the-go. At best, this is an all-in-one that you can easily take over a friends place. Its a gaming machine built for a very particular person, someone who wants to buy just a laptop, maybe a mouse and headset. And for that person, this will do the trick. For everyone else, it might be worth looking around at the competition.
The vibrant city of Accra has welcomed a delightful new addition to its culinary scene: FlakyCrust Cafe. I had the pleasure of attending the opening of this cafe, and I can confidently say its a must-visit for anyone looking to indulge in a variety of its delicious offerings.



Located at North Legon, next to the North Hills International School, FlakyCrust Cafe boasts a cozy and inviting atmosphere, perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a casual hangout with friends.



The cafes interior is tastefully decorated with a blend of modern and rustic elements, creating a warm and welcoming ambiance. But what truly sets FlakyCrust Cafe apart is its meticulously curated menu, offering a diverse range of delectable dishes that cater to all taste buds.



Breakfast & Brunch Highlights



FlakyCrust Cafes breakfast and brunch menu is a standout, featuring hearty options that are sure to kickstart your day on a high note.



Here are some of the highlights:



Kings Plate: This plate is a feast fit for royalty, comprising two toasts, fried eggs, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, flat mushrooms, hash browns, a beef patty, and a side of cut fruits. Its a satisfying meal that promises to keep you fueled for hours.







Queens Plate: Equally indulgent, the Queens Plate includes two toasts, chicken patties, fried eggs, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, and your choice of waffle or pancake, complemented by a hash brown. A perfect choice for those who love a bit of variety on their plate.



Avocado Farm Toast: For avocado lovers, this dish is a dream come true. It features smashed avocado, micro herbs, onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper on sourdough toast, topped with a fried egg. Its a refreshing and healthy option that doesnt compromise on flavour.



Beyond these breakfast and brunch staples, FlakyCrust Cafe offers an array of dishes that cater to diverse palates:



Vegan Breakfast: With grilled tomatoes, avocado, baked beans, mushrooms, and hash browns, this dish is a hearty and wholesome start to the day for vegans and health-conscious diners.



Mexican Omelette: This flavorful omelette includes ham, cheddar cheese, tomato, red onion, and chilli, offering a zesty kick to your morning routine.



NYC Bagel: Choose your filling from options like bagel with turkey ham, scrambled eggs, and cheese, or tuna with cream cheese and radish. Its a delicious nod to classic New York flavours.



The cafe also excels in its selection of sandwiches and wraps, all filled with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber:



Beef Strip Wraps: Featuring tender fillet strips, onions, sweet pepper, mixed cheese, and mayo, these wraps are a savory delight.



Crumbed Chicken: Available as a wrap or baguette, this option includes spicy chicken, bell pepper, onions, cheese, chili sauce, and garlic mayo.



For those with a sweet tooth, the pastry section is a haven of delicious treats. From plain and chocolate croissants to custard puffs and cheese croissants, each pastry is crafted to perfection.



The cafe also offers a variety of cakes, cupcakes, and doughnuts that are perfect for dessert or an afternoon treat.



FlakyCrust Cafe is more than just a place to eat; its a destination where culinary artistry meets a cozy, inviting atmosphere. Whether youre looking for a hearty breakfast, a quick snack, or a sweet treat, this cafe has something for everyone.



The opening was a testament to the cafes commitment to quality and excellence, and I cant wait to see how it becomes a beloved spot for locals and visitors alike.



So, next time you find yourself in Accra, make sure to stop by FlakyCrust Cafeyour taste buds will thank you.

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
Ghanas Foreign Minister, Ms. Shirley A. Botchwey, has made an impassioned case for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), to an audience of hundreds of business leaders in Namibia, and two southern African Presidents and members of their cabinets.



Speaking as a special guest at the opening of the Sixth Swakopmund International Trade Expo (SWAiTEX) Ms. Botchwey said: It is our responsibility as leaders in government, industry, finance, SMEs, startups, regulation and civil society to harness our collective resources and capabilities towards an efficient market in trade and services, job creation, and prosperity for all Africans.



The event in Swakopmund, 360km west of the capital, Windhoek, was attended by Presidents Nangolo Mbumba of Namibia, and Mogkweetsi Masisi of Botswana whose delegation included his Vice President Slumber Tsogwane and, in his own words, half of my cabinet because we want to trade; we want to do serious business.

"The African Continental Free Trade Area is the beacon of hope for Africa's economic resurgence, Ms. Botchwey said, quoting the South African AfCFTA Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene, and adding: We agree wholeheartedly.



Resplendent in an African-print attire and hand-woven kente shawl over her shoulders, Ms. Botchwey, a former deputy trade minister, said Africans must make African products our preferred products, while building partnerships regionally and across the continent to service the common market.



As a free trade area, connecting 1.3 billion people across 55 countries, with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$3.4 trillion, she said the AfCFTA, which is headquartered in Ghana, promises immense new markets, accelerated industrialization and fresh investment opportunities.



The theme for the expo is "Efficient Connectivity and Resource Beneficiation for Sustainable Growth in Africa.







Ms. Botchwey acknowledged that African economies were currently facing challenging headwinds, including cascading impacts on debt, energy, food security, cost of living, unemployment and climate crises.



However, she pointed out that the transformative potential of the AfCFTA shows that we can overcome our challenges and build resilient economies.



She said Ghana was pleased that creative initiatives were being introduced to expedite trading under the AfCFTA, including payments settlements.



She commended Namibia for recently joining an AfCFTA-Guided Trade Initiative with Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Cameroon. This affirms your commitment and political will for meaningful trade within the African continent, Ms. Botchwey told President Mbumba who assumed office in February following the death of President Hage Geingob



The Guided Trade Initiative was established in 2022 as an interim measure to begin trade among interested parties, once they have met the minimum threshold for trading under the AfCFTA. It is designed to test the Agreements capacity to function as envisaged, and indentify and fix imperfections.



A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed in April 2023 between the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board to facilitate investment and trade flows between the two countries, under the umbrella of the AfCFTA.



Ms. Botchwey, a candidate for Commonwealth Secretary-Genereal, has made trade and investment a major plank of her vision. Namibia, Botswana and Ghana are among Africas 21 Commonwealth countries. There are 56 of them altogether.



She said developing countries with overlapping memberships in multilateral institutions must work together consciously and strategically to change their marginalized status in global trade and governance.







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 attention of Telecel Ghana has been drawn to a publication by ATC Ghana alleging Telecel Ghanas failure to satisfy its agreed obligations.



Telecel Ghana categorically states that these allegations are utterly false.



The issue has been escalated to the regulator, National Communications Authority (NCA) and is receiving the required attention.



Telecel Ghana remains committed to its contractual obligations and assures its subscribers that it will take all measures to ensure service continuity.



Telecel Ghana reserves the right to use all lawful means to protect its brand and claim damages it will suffer as a result of the publication and any unlawful actions taken by ATC Ghana.

Source: Telecel Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
In support of the Homowo Clean-up Exercise currently underway in Accra, Zoomlion Ghana Limited has made a significant contribution to ensure the initiative's success.



The company has donated a fleet of ultra modern pick-ups, waste management logistics, motorbikes, wheelbarrows, long brooms, gloves, shovels, and other essential equipment.



The donation highlights Zoomlion, a member of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), commitment to promoting cleanliness and sanitation in the country, demonstrating its dedication to supporting a cleaner and healthier environment for all.



The Homowo clean-up campaign, which kick starts on July 2  August 20, 2024, aims to bring together community members and stakeholders to promote cleanliness and foster a sense of responsibility towards the environment.



At a ceremony in Accra on Monday, July 1, Dr. Beatrice Amponsah, from the Office of the Executive Chairman and also Managing Director, presented the items on behalf of the Executive Chairman of the Group, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, to the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Honourable Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover.



She reaffirmed Zoomlion's commitment to promoting a clean and healthy environment, aligning with its core mission.



At Zoomlion, our main aim is to ensure a clean and healthy environment, which is our hallmark. We are very proud to be part of this significant occasion, partnering with the RCC to present items that will ensure the smooth running of the exercise, she said.



She emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in maintaining sanitation and announced awards for the cleanest clans to foster a competitive spirit.



She also acknowledged the challenges faced, particularly with individual attitudes, and highlighted the involvement of traditional authorities to ensure a lasting impact.



We have faced challenges, particularly with the attitudinal actions of our people. Despite our continuous efforts, individual behaviours often hinder progress. That's why we decided to involve our chiefs, who are in charge of home affairs, to make the initiative more effective, she underscored.



The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Titus-Glover received the items on behalf of the President, Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), Ga Chiefs, and Ga Traditional Council (GTC), led by His Royal Majesty King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.



He expressed gratitude for Zoomlion's support and urged everyone to help keep Accra clean, aiming to make it the cleanest city in West Africa.



He stated that the exercise, involving various stakeholders, will help address improper waste disposal and transportation, generating approximately 800-1,000 metric tons of refuse daily in Accra.



He went on to explain that the campaign will also seek to sustain the environment, with environmental health officers ensuring sensitisation and enforcing regulations.



"Environmental Health Officers will visit various houses to ensure sensitisation goes well, and anyone who violates any environmental regulations will be charged and sanctioned, he warned.



The regional minister urged the media to serve as advocates for the initiative's success, using their platforms to promote awareness and support for the clean-up exercise.



I also plead with the media to be advocates for this exercise, helping to educate the public on the importance of keeping the environment clean," he appealed.

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 CIR Summit is one designed to bring together high-profile individuals and professionals to create and implement actionable plans aimed at improving the quality of life in a specific country.

The summit focuses on collaboration and strategic planning to address key issues and drive positive change.



Leading representatives of key organizations, professionals and industry captains are set to convene for the groundbreaking CIR Summit at the Accra International Conference Center (AICC) in Accra, Ghana, on the 27th of September 2024.



The summit, themed Partnering to Resolve Flooding and Reducing the Housing Deficit seeks to draw leaders, stakeholders and government agencies from across the country to tackle two of the countrys most pressing challenges on the issues of housing and flooding.



Flooding, an annual natural and artificial real estate phenomenon, and the lack of affordable housing are interconnected issues with devastating consequencesplaguing our development as a nation.

The quest to build a resilient future requires a comprehensive and strategic plan for resolving societal challenges and must involve the main players collaborating to tackle the issues.



This CIR Summit, which is geared towards providing solutions,aims to break down silos and create a collaborative environment where innovative solutions can be developed.

This will feature a panel discussion, targeted keynote speakers such as the Minister for Works and Housing, Minister for Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, Minister for Roads and Highways, C.E.O of State Housing Company, Mayor of Accra and other dignitaries.

There will also be breakout sessions focused on Flood mitigation strategies; where experts will share best practices for flood prevention, including infrastructure solutions, improved drainage systems and resilient building design among others.



Sustainable Housing Development: where discussions will explore ways to develop and increase the supply of affordable flood-resistant housing while promoting sustainable practices.



Public-Private Partnerships: the joint effort of the government and private institutions in exploring opportunities to financing and implementing solutions.



Alongside the summit session, there will be an exhibition to showcase innovative solutions from leading companies and organizations.

Attendees can explore flood mitigation technologies, sustainable building materials, prefabricated housing models and other exciting activities on the day.

























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
Stakeholders in the education sector have raised concerns about their non-involvement in consultations before the drafting of the proposed Free Senior High School (SHS) Bill, 2024.



One of the stakeholders rather proposed a Funding for Pre-Tertiary Education Act to generate resources and finance such institutions to create a level playing field for schools in urban and rural areas.



They said once the bill proposed some far-reaching educational reforms, their inputs were necessary before putting together a draft bill to be presented to Cabinet.



The stakeholders who shared their views in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) and the Minority Caucus in Parliament.



Their refrain is that due to the importance of the bill and the new initiatives it contained, broader consultations were necessary to solicit inputs from stakeholders in the education sector to ensure its fine-tuning, buy-in and ownership by all, instead of it being dumped on them.



For GNAT, the Free SHS Bill was needless since no one was against the policy, while NAGRAT called for its suspension until further engagements on it, with the Minority also calling for a serious national stakeholder dialogue.



Eduwatch, for its part, called for a Legislative Instrument (LI) for the Pre-Tertiary Education Act which had already made basic and secondary education free. The stakeholders explained that chiefs in areas where schools were cited, the religious bodies which established schools, members from academia and teachers who also implemented policies, among others, had to be made part of the drafting of such a bill so as to help address all the concerns.



Overall, they said the involvement of stakeholders in the drafting of such a bill was to ensure its effective implementation when passed.



GNAT

The General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah, said what was needed now was funding for the Pre-Tertiary Education Act in order to address the challenges at that level of the educational system across the country.



Technically speaking, the bill is needless, nobody would come and say that Free SHS should be abolished. I have never heard anybody saying that it is bad, never.



The consensus is that we need to review and see how we can make it sustainable; the debate now on the policy is sustainability, not the continuity and we need to make that distinction, he said.



Mr Musah said what was important was a sustainability analysis of the Free SHS to identify how funding could be secured for the running of institutions at that level in order to create a level playing field for all and not create a class society.



This would have been an input and proposal of GNAT if it was invited to any stakeholder engagement, he said. The bill we need now is Funding for Pre-tertiary Education Bill and not Free SHS Bill, he said, and cited the Capitation Grant which has been in arrears for about three years now.



Mr Musah said it was quite surprising to hear about the bill, adding that when a policy was run for at least for five years, there was the need to go back to the drawing board to listen to the major stakeholders within the space the policy had been implemented.



NAGRAT

The President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu, said any educational reform in any country should have the input of stakeholders. He said the government needed to come out with a concept of what it intended to do, the new path it wanted to take in education, engage stakeholders at all levels, including parents, teachers, professors of education in the various universities, chiefs and religious bodies.



What is being done is a little bit obtuse and strange to me. We are, therefore, calling on the government to suspend the sending of any such bills to Parliament and we are also calling on Parliament to ensure that even if the government brings it, it should not accept it, he said.



Mr Carbonu asked whether what had been implemented under the Free SHS so far was illegal because there was no law backing it. He said the junior high school was already part of the high school system and that it was only called junior to differentiate it from the senior high.



NAGRAT also expressed shock that there was such a bill that went beyond the Free SHS to the recalibration of the structure of the entire second cycle school system. If the government wants a continuous six years curriculum, all that it had to do was to recalibrate it, so that when you start some Mathematics in Form One in JHS, it builds up all the way until you get to Form Three in SHS. So why do we need to put this in a bill, Mr Carbonu quizzed.



Eduwatch

The Executive Director of Eduwatch, Kofi Asare, expressed disappointment that civil society organisations (CSOs) were not involved in the drafting of the bill. He said CSOs were partners of the Ministry of Education based on its position that they should always work together.



"One would have expected that the Ministry of Education would have engaged CSOs in the drafting of this bill, Mr Asare said. He also maintained that the proposal for six years of secondary education was already captured in the secondary education strategy.



"We don't need a law to do these things; they are policy implementation frameworks, not legal issues. What we need now is a free basic education policy to support the free SHS policy.



"Then, we need an LI for the Pre-Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (Act 1049,) which has already made basic and secondary education free in sections 2 and 3," Mr Asare said.



Minority caucus

For his part, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr Clement Apaak, in a statement on behalf of the Minority Caucus in Parliament, stated that removing the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and combining JHS and SHS into a six-year secondary system was a major undertaking that should require a serious national stakeholders dialogue.



Sadly, no consultations have been carried out and there is no indication of input from key stakeholders in the educational space as far as we know.

Our position as a party and a caucus remains the same.



Any bill or legislation intended to address the FSHS policy implementation challenges and to make the programme sustainable is welcome, he added. He explained that the concern of the caucus had been and remained the implementation challenges such as inadequate academic and residential infrastructure; inadequate furniture, inadequate and poor-quality food; erratic academic calendar and obnoxious double track system, among others.



We will continue pointing out these implementation challenges with the hope that they will be fixed, Dr Apaak, who is also the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, said.

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, the leader of the Movement for Change and an independent presidential aspirant says when he becomes president, he will appoint half of his ministers from Parliament, specifically from both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).



Mr. Kyerematen emphasised that his ministerial appointments, mandated by the 1992 Constitution, will be inclusive and based on individual merit rather than political affiliation.



He was speaking in a radio interview on Accra based Citi FM on the morning show on Wednesday.



I hear people asking, how are you going to get your ministers but that is very simple. I am saying that I will pick ministers from the two parties that are represented in Parliament and if there are other parties that will make it to Parliament, I also have the flexibility to pick independent candidates," Mr. Kyerematen stated.



I am picking them not because they are NPP or NDC. I will pick them on the basis of their own individual merits. It is just that they are in Parliament and I am required by the constitution to pick at least half of my ministers from Parliament.

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 Inspector-General of Police, Dr George AkuffoDampare has declared the Ghana Police Services readiness to manage security in the country before during and after the upcoming December 7 general elections.



He gave this assurance while speaking at Alisa Hotel in Accra on Thursday, 4 July during an engagement with the eminent group formed by the Christian Council of Ghana.



Dr Dampare emphasised that the police, in collaboration with other security agencies under the National Election Security Task Force, have institutionalised and mainstreamed election security over the past few years, leading to peaceful and secure elections.



Dr Dampare highlighted the proactive approach adopted by the police, treating local elections with national importance and ensuring sufficient security. He reassured Ghanaians of a peaceful process, stating, We have been ready for years because we have institutionalised and mainstreamed election security for the first time in the history of this country. Elections are not seen as events but as a process in a cycle where the end of one is the beginning of another.



The IGP also noted the success of recent elections, including internal party elections, saying, All the elections for the past almost three years, including internal elections of the parties, the selection of parliamentary candidates, and presidential candidates, have been historically secure. This is an indication of our readiness, working in concert with security forces and more importantly, with patriotic Ghanaians who want to see the country remain at peace.



He also underscored the importance of professionalism and a de-escalation mindset in handling conflicts, ensuring that the actions of the police are justified and aimed at maintaining peace and security for the benefit of future generations.



For the 2024 elections, we are ensuring a clear de-escalation mindset amid confusion and agitations. We need to be professional and ensure that we settle issues among the conflicting parties in a way that unites them, he added.

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
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has concertedly approved Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh as the running mate for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for the 2024 general elections.



The National Council endorsed the decision on Thursday after earlier meetings with the National Executive Council, and the National Steering Committee of the party.



Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, is also the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South in the Ashanti Region and former Education Minister and currently the Energy Minister.



The party highlighted that Dr Opoku Prempeh meets all the criteria for the running mate position, which led to his unanimous approval.



PROFILE OF NAPO



Matthew Opoku Prempeh (born 23 May 1968) is a Ghanaian medical doctor and politician. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party and a Member of Parliament for Manhyia South Constituency in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He is a former Minister of Education. He is popularly known as NAPO. He is currently the Minister of Energy.



Early life and education



Matthew Opoku Prempeh was born on 23 May 1968 in Ashanti New Town, a suburb of Kumasi, and hails from Pakyi No. 2 in the Ashanti Region.



He started his basic education at KNUST Primary and continued to Prempeh College in Kumasi, Ashanti Region of Ghana, for his middle school education.



He studied Human Biology and Medicine at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and completed his MB CHB in 1994. He continued with post-graduate studies in MSc. Clinical Epidemiology at the Netherlands Institute of Health Sciences in 1998 and at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he studied Leadership and Government(certificate course). In 2002, he pursued postgraduate training in surgery in the UK (MRCS).



Career



Prior to entering parliament, Prempeh served as CEO of Keyedmap Security Services Limited from 2004 to 2009. He is also a medical doctor and served as a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2003.



Politics



Member of parliament

As a Ghanaian parliamentarian, he represents Manhyia South in Kumasi, formerly representing Manhyia. He was first elected to parliament in 2008 and is a member of the New Patriotic Party. In 2016, he was re-elected with 35,958 votes, or 87.17% of the votes cast in the district. He was a member of the health committee and the appointments committee. Prempeh contested the 2020 general election as a parliamentary candidate for the Manhyia South constituency under the banner of the New Patriotic Party and won by a large margin.



Minister of Education



He was appointed by President Nana Akufo-Addo on 10th January 2017 to serve as Minister for Education. He served in that role for 4 years until 6 January 2021 when the tenure of the president and his ministers ended.



In May 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo named Prempeh as one of the nineteen ministers who would form his cabinet. The names of the 19 ministers were submitted to the Parliament of Ghana and announced by the former Speaker of the House, Mike Ocquaye. As a Cabinet minister, Prempeh was part of the inner circle of the president and was to aid in key decision-making activities in the country.



Prempeh also contributed to the educational sector of Ghana as a Minister of Education, such as improving the infrastructure,promoting vocational and technical education (TVET), and leading the government's flagship programme FREE SHS.



Minister of Energy



In 2021, the President of Ghana, Nana Akuffo-Addo, after being re-elected as President, named Dr. Mattew Opoku Prempeh as Minister of Energy. He had previously served as the Minister of Education for President Nana Akufo-Addo's first term.



Committees

Prempeh is a member of the Defense and Interior Committee and also of the Appointments Committee.



In May 2021, the University of Education Winneba conferred on him an Honorary Doctorate Degree.



In July 2021, the University of Professional Studies also awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.



As a member of the Parliament of Ghana, he represents Manhyia South in Kumasi, formerly representing Manhyia.



The University of Cape Coast is the latest institution to recognize Dr. Prempehs contributions to the development of Ghana and his immense service to the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.



In May 2022, a group by the name of Friends of NAPO presented some educational materials to schools in the Manhyia South Constituency to mark his 54th birthday.



Prempeh College named a dormitory block after him on 17 June 2023.



Election 2024



Ahead of the 2024 General Elections, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who was the incumbent Vice President of Ghana and elected Flag bearer to contest for Presidency on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party, presented Matthew Opoku Prempeh as his preferred choice of running mate, subject to clearance from the party hierachy.









Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Dr. Gideon Boako has asserted that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has found an ideal running mate in Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.



He believes that the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South will complete the New Patriotic Party (NPP)'s ticket for the 2024 elections perfectly.



According to Dr. Boako, Dr. Opoku Prempeh will effectively balance Dr. Bawumia's weaknesses and vice versa.



In an interview with JoyNews on Thursday, July 4, Dr. Boako encouraged Ghanaians to be patient and consider the strengths of the ticket.



He emphasised that both Dr. Opoku Prempeh and Dr. Bawumia are determined achievers, making them an ideal team to lead the country forward.



It is only God who is infallible. Dr Bawumia may have his shortfalls and weaknesses and Napois also comes in with his strengths and weaknesses. That is why we do SWOT analysis and I can tell you that Napo is the perfect complement to Dr Bawumia.



The National Council of the New Patriotic Party has endorsed the decision by the flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to pick Energy Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh as his running mate for the upcoming elections.



The National Council endorsed the decision on Thursday after earlier meetings with the National Executive Council, and the National Steering Committee of the party.



Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, is also the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South and former Education Minister.



His selection is seen as a strategic move by Bawumia to consolidate support within the party and across the country, especially in the Ashanti 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 New Patriotic Party (NPP) will officially present its running mate to the overlord of the Ashanti Kingdom in a grand style.



Sammi Awuku, a key advisor to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumias campaign team told Citi FM that Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh will meet Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Asanteman Council on Tuesday, July 8, 2024.



Next week, Tuesday, July 8, 2024, the NPP will perform two duties. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh is a native of the Ashanti Region, so we will present him to the Asanteman Council and Otumfuo Osei Tutu in Kumasi on Tuesday afternoon next week. Then, we will proceed to outdoor him at Jubilee Park in Kumasi, he outlined events to introduce NAPO to the Ashanti region.



He added: Then afterwards, Dr Bawumia will hit the trail up north to begin the constituency-by-constituency campaign while his running mate also begins his tour around the country. So, these are busy days ahead for the NPP, and the NPP is determined to win this December election."



Sammy Awuku also believes the NPP is focused on winning the December 7 presidential election and will do so strategically.



"We will beat the NDC by strategy, and they wont understand, he stated.

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
Harrisburgs Fourth of July fireworks display was cut short on Thursday night after police in the area arrested a juvenile and an adult who they said had guns, according to Harrisburg spokesperson Matt Maisel.

Throughout the fireworks show, officers were concerned about multiple individuals they suspected of having weapons, according to a release from the city.

The first person arrested, a juvenile male, ran away when police approached him. Once apprehended, police said he had an illegally modified Glock pistol, capable of shooting fully automatic, with a 24-round magazine, Maisel said.

The second person arrested, an adult male, ran alongside the juvenile and was seen throwing a gun into the Susquehanna River while crossing the Walnut Street Bridge. It is unclear if police recovered the gun from the river Thursday night.

Police said a third person, also a juvenile, had a BB gun and was arrested after fleeing from officers but was later released, Maisel said.

While this incident was unfolding, several individuals were setting off firecrackers and running, according to Maisel. During the commotion, someone ran past Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams, knocking her to the ground.

Williams sustained minor injuries and is recovering at her home, Maisel said. By the time Mayor Williams was knocked down, Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter elected to end the fireworks show early.

Mayor Williams released a statement after the fireworks show, which included the following:

Aside from being furious at what happened, I am deeply indebted to the heroic actions of our Harrisburg Bureau of Police officers. When they spotted potential danger, they ran towards it, and in the process, prevented what could have been a disaster. The City of Harrisburg owes our men and women in uniform our highest gratitude. Because of them, there were no shots fired tonight and no major injuries. While its disappointing a few bad actors ruined an incredible and free event we put on for the city, we are most glad they kept everyone safe.

No shots were fired during the incident, Maisel and county dispatchers confirmed.

The city announced the firework display would be ending early around 9:30 p.m. due to safety concerns, according to a post on the citys Facebook page.

A situation during Harrisburgs firework display in 2022 caused a panicked stampede after someone yelled Gun! right before firecrackers were set off in the area. Many families became separated during the incident. Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter in 2022 said The crowd just panicked and everybody started running in every direction.
By Chad Umble, LNP, Lancaster, Pa. (TNS)

Individuals, bars and restaurants statewide are closer to receiving refunds worth tens of millions of dollars on orders of alcohol not carried at Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores but which were required to be picked up at the state liquor sellers locations.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court this week affirmed a Commonwealth Court ruling that made the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board liable for returning five years worth of the $1.75-per-bottle fee it collected on such special orders. The Log Cabin restaurant in Warwick Township was a named plaintiff in the suit.

A 2016 state law required PLCB to create a system for direct shipment of special orders by June 2017, but it took the agency until June 2022 to allow wine and liquor producers to deliver directly to bars, restaurants or homes. In the interim, the agency collected a $1.75 fee on each bottle that was first delivered to its locations where it was then picked up by the purchaser.

The total amount of fees collected will be determined during further court proceedings, but it could easily top $40 million.

A Pennsylvania Fine Wine & Good Spirits store. (PennLive.com/file)File photo/DAN GLEITER, THE PATR

I dont even look at this as a recovery of damages because they should not have had the money in the first place. Its like giving back money that doesnt belong to you, said John G. Papianou, a partner at Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP in Philadelphia, the lead attorney in the case.

In a 5-0 decision published Tuesday, the state Supreme Court rejected the PLCBs arguments that it was not a person under the law and therefore couldnt be sued. The states top court also dismissed the PLCBs contention that it enjoyed sovereign immunity and couldnt be forced to pay damages for not complying with the law, a legal concept known as mandamus.

We respect the Supreme Courts decision and interpretation of the applicable statutes, PLCB spokesperson Shawn Kelly said in an emailed statement. However, because the Supreme Court has remanded the matter for further proceedings and the litigation remains ongoing, we will not be offering any further comment at this time.

Based on revenue figures from PLCBs annual reports, the agency could be on the hook for returning between $40 million and $80 million in collected fees.
The U.S. State Department issued a Level 3 travel advisory earlier this week urging citizens to reconsider traveling to the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago.

The advisory, issued July 2, says that travelers should avoid the country due to the high rate of crime, which includes terrorism and kidnapping.

Violent crime, such as murder, robbery, assault, sexual assault, home invasion, and kidnapping is common, the advisory says, adding that, Gang activity, such as narcotics trafficking, is common.

Terrorists, the State Department says, can attack with little or no warning and target tourist locations, transportation ares, shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, airports, and more.

Whats more, U.S. government personnel are not allowed to travel to any of the following areas in Port of Spain: Laventille, Beetham, Sea Lots, Cocorite, and the interior of Queens Park Savannah.

After dark, U.S. government personnel cannot travel to downtown Port of Spain, Fort George overlook, and all beaches. Violence and shootings occur regularly in some of these areas.

If you do plan on traveling to Trinidad and Tobago, the State Department recommends the following:
CASTLE SHANNON, Pa.  California Gov. Gavin Newsoms battleground state tour to urge Democrats to stay united and fight for President Joe Bidens re-election came to Pennsylvania on Friday.

This is an existential moment in American history, Newsom told a loyal Democratic crowd gathered inside a new Biden-Harris campaign office in Castle Shannon, a Pittsburgh suburb.
By Julia Terruso and Gillian McGoldrick, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro is in the conversation  but hes light-years away from the top of the 2024 presidential ballot.

As Democratic panic continues following President Joe Bidens bad debate performance June 27, Shapiros name has been placed on potential short lists  even if the chances he replaces Biden on the ticket are extremely slim. While the Pennsylvania governor has shown no outward signs of vying for the job, his name keeps coming up.

Shapiro is a logical candidate for Democrats to mention in Pennsylvania, where he remains its most popular elected official in a critical battleground state. While hes been largely untested on the national stage, hes listed with some politicians whose political resumes and national profiles make them more likely replacements  if Biden makes the extraordinary move of stepping aside.

Theres a case to be made for Josh, said Biden fundraiser Alan Kessler. You dont win in November without winning Pennsylvania. Does it have any basis in reality? No. This is not about Josh or (California Gov.) Gavin Newsom or any of the others. This is about what is realistic.

For a replacement to even be considered, Biden would need to decline the nomination, which the White House stated Wednesday he is not considering. But the New York Times reported hes discussed the possibility with a close ally. Shapiro was to attend Wednesday nights meeting with Biden and other Democratic governors about the future of his campaign.

Should Biden decline the nomination, many in the party see Vice President Kamala Harris as the obvious replacement. Shed inherit the campaign infrastructure and funding. Shes been a loyal part of the administration for three years and is often the go-to voice to defend Biden on the trail. Passing over her could alienate her supporters, including some Black voters who have already drifted away from Biden in recent polling.

Shes the vice president, Kessler said. Shes pining to be president. Theres nothing anyone could offer her that would satisfy her other than the presidency.

If not Harris, many strategists see more likely picks among governors who have been elected to two terms, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg ran for president in 2020 and has remained in the spotlight. Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, who won reelection in 2023, has also gained national attention for his unlikely success in the traditionally red state.

Shapiros name has also come up as a potential vice presidential pick, should Harris be the nominee.

Shapiro doesnt seem as if hes angling for the nomination. Hes gone on news shows post-debate, defending the president and saying he will fight like hell to reelect Biden, while rejecting questions about a potential replacement. Even when offered the opportunity to speak off-record, members of his administration are disciplined and have declined to speculate on the topic.

FILE - Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a speech on healthcare at an event in Raleigh, N.C., March 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)AP

Hes got this attention without being overtly seeking the attention, said Mike Mikus, a longtime Democratic strategist in the state.

Conversations with more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers and operatives around the state largely found consensus around Shapiro: Its unlikely to happen but it makes sense that hes in the mix. Still, being part of the conversation now could boost Shapiros clout in 2028 or beyond.

The case for Shapiro

The halls of Harrisburg buzzed over the last week, with Democrats whispering about potential picks to replace Biden  and the small chance that Shapiro could be that guy.

Were all Joe Biden fans. But the alternative is too scary to contemplate, one top state Democratic lawmaker said last week, urging that Shapiro replace Biden on the top of the presidential ticket.

Nationally, Shapiro is seen as a stable choice.

Shapiro, 51, is a former state lawmaker, Montgomery County commissioner and state attorney general who has been credited for his role in building up the Democratic Party in Philadelphias collar counties. He first rose to national recognition after he won election to be attorney general in 2016  the year former President Donald Trump won the state. Shapiro also gained national attention in 2020 for his defense of Pennsylvanias presidential election results against Trump.

He cleared the Democratic field to run for governor in the state in 2022, when several Democrats were eyeing the job. That showed an understanding of how to coalition-build in the party and negotiate with different Democratic constituencies in the state.

Shapiro, Pennsylvanias third Jewish governor, has continued to raise his national profile, from his outspokenness for Israel and his intervention in debates about antisemitism on college campuses to his quick rebuild last summer of a collapsed portion of I-95. The country has never elected a Jewish president or vice president, but many see Shapiro as someone who could change that.

Shapiros favorability stands above Bidens and Trumps in Pennsylvania and he has the built-in argument that his name at the top of the ticket likely carries the state for Democrats. Presidential elections are no longer won nationwide  but in six swing states.

National polling conducted this week shows Shapiro trailing Trump 44% to 48%, a similar performance to Buttigieg, Newsom, and Whitmer. Both Harris and Biden do a little bit better in the theoretical polls, getting support from about 45% of likely voters against Trumps 48%.

Even some Republicans saw the possibility of a Shapiro candidacy as unlikely  but acknowledged hed be tough to beat in Pennsylvania.

FILE - President Joe Biden, right, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, stand during break in a presidential debate hosted by CNN, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)AP

Christian Nascimento, who chairs the Montgomery County GOP, said Shapiro could energize already heavily engaged voters in his native Montgomery County, the states third most populous.

Shapiros careful political style and demeanor also came up in conversations with Democrats and Republicans in Pennsylvania.

He would be an awfully solid pick that you could make a lot of arguments for, a former Senate staffer said. I think hes someone who D.C. Democrats would breathe a sigh of relief to have on the ticket, especially in a crazy situation like this.

The same staffer said he thought the optics of passing over Harris for a white male would be a potentially disastrous decision for Democrats.

Shapiros careful political style may be the best argument for why he likely isnt interested in this highly unconventional election year.

He is a methodical planner, said Bruce L. Castor Jr., a longtime Republican office holder who served with Shapiro on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and represented Trump during his second impeachment trial. I believe that he would want to have his national organization built, have his very good record embossed or embellished with six or seven years as governor of a big state. He would not want to jump in without all the stuff lined up. He can do that four years from now; he cant do it now.

The case against Shapiro

Skeptics question how well Shapiro is known outside of Pennsylvania. One Pennsylvania Democrat compared the scenario to when Doug Burgum, the Republican governor of North Dakota, ran for president  though Shapiro, as a swing-state governor, has a higher profile than Burgum did.

Its an easy answer for Pennsylvanians and frankly folks who think it scores them points with the governor but I think its bull .... " a western Pennsylvania Democratic operative said. I dont think anyone outside of the state has heard of Josh Shapiro.

While Shapiro won the governors office big in Pennsylvania, beating State Sen. Doug Mastriano by 14 points and driving up Democratic margins in Trump strongholds, he also faced a weak challenger.

Thinking (that) beating Doug Mastriano means you can run for president is kind of like winning a Little League game and thinking youll compete in the World Series, the western Pennsylvania strategist added.

Shapiro is the only swing-state governor with a divided state government, something hes pointed to as a sign of his ability to work across the aisle, but he only has a few years of accomplishments under his belt.

Shapiro was slated to participate in the meeting with other Democratic governors and Biden on Wednesday virtually, as he continues to negotiate his second-ever budget deal. The state budget was due on Sunday for the new fiscal year beginning July 1, and lawmakers seemed hopeful that theyd have a final product by the end of the weekend.

Lets see him pass two budgets before talking about him being president, a Philadelphia-based Democratic operative said.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to campaign in Pennsylvania on Sunday.

Biden was initially scheduled to speak before the National Education Association in Philadelphia on Sunday, but the campaign called off the plans following the groups strike announced Friday. The president will not cross a picket line, the campaign said.

He will still be in Pennsylvania this weekend, but details havent been announced.

After a bad debate performance, Biden is fighting to save his endangered reelection effort as he holds a rally in Wisconsin and sits down for a network television interview there on Friday. His every answer is sure to be scrutinized for evidence of his competency and fitness to run for office.

The interview with ABCs George Stephanopoulos could be a watershed moment for Biden. The questioning is expected to be intensive and probing, and Bidens team says hes been preparing aggressively.

Meanwhile, his reelection campaign is pairing his in-person events with a fresh $50 million ad campaign this month.

Biden will travel to southwestern states, including Nevada, after hosting the NATO summit in Washington next week, the campaign said Friday.

Hell continue to focus his travel on the so-called blue wall states - Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan  that have been critical for him in the past.

Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff are scheduled to travel to every battleground state this month, while organizers are planning to knock on more than 3 million doors in July and August to do personal outreach to voters in a new $17 million effort.

More:

Could Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro replace Joe Biden on presidential ballot?

Questions about Bidens age are reminiscent of Reagans 1984 campaign
On Saturday at 1:46 a.m. the National Weather Service issued an updated heat advisory in effect until 8 p.m. for Franklin, Perry, Dauphin, Lebanon, Cumberland, Adams, York and Lancaster counties.

The weather service adds, "Heat index values around 100 degrees."

"Hot and humid conditions may cause heat-related illnesses," adds the weather service.

Mastering the heat: Weather service Guidelines for staying safe in high temperatures

Stay hydrated: Keep yourself well-hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.

Find cool shelter: Stay in an air-conditioned room.

Avoid sun exposure: Stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Child and pet safety: Never leave young children and pets unattended in hot vehicles - car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.

Caution outdoors: When working or spending time outside, take extra precautions.

Select the ideal time: When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening.

Recognize heat-related issues: Familiarize yourself with warning signs and how tp recognize the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Stay cool with clothing: 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 recommendations are vital for your well-being during periods of high temperatures. Stay informed and take the necessary steps to protect yourself and others from the heat's potentially dangerous effects.

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.
Hurricane Beryl is expected to impact portions of the United States late this weekend into early next week, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Beryl tracked just south of Jamaica on Wednesday, bringing strong winds to the southern coast. It made landfall Friday morning in Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula. Due to the track over the land, Beryl is forecast to weaken into a tropical storm before moving northwest into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. However, warm waters and a favorable environment will support Beryl re-intensifying into a hurricane once again before possibly affecting the United States.
Play on Day 1b of the 2024 World Series of Poker Main Event at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas has drawn to a close after five two-hour long levels. From the time 2004 Main Event champion Greg Raymer did the honors by announcing the ceremonial "Shuffle Up and Deal!" to the last hand of the day shortly after midnight, roughly 830 hopefuls ponied up a cool $10,000 to begin a journey they all hope will end with victory and a place in the annals of poker history.

By the end of the night, 616 had kept that dream alive with a bag of chips and a seat to return to on Day 2abc. Of those who entered the fray, Poker Hall of Famer and 1988 Main Event runner-up Erik Seidel put himself in a strong position heading into the second day by accumulating 183,600 in chips. Seidel benefited from a late surge that saw him crack his opponent's aces with a flopped set of kings to score a knockout and a large pot.

Erik Seidel

"This was a very good Day 1 for me. To triple up is great," said Seidel as he bagged his chips, adding that it is "very easy to go bust, so it's nice to be alive and have some chips." Although he admitted making one mistake, Seidel noted that his "tables were very good" and that he was still "fairly happy" with his level of play.

Seidel is already one of the all-time greats, and perhaps his indisputable level of success has allowed him to approach the tournament with some levity. "You buy a lottery ticket, you hope to beat some ridiculous odds. I don't take this tournament too seriously. If you get on a nice run, great!"

Although fellow Hall of Famer Phil Ivey won his eleventh bracelet a couple of weeks ago to move clear of Seidel on the all-time leaderboard, that fact seems to be of little concern to "Seiborg."

"I just love to play. I'm not really that focused on bracelets. They're nice when they come, but it's not my prime motivation. I'm just trying to do well."

George Dolofan was likely the entrant most pleased with their work today after he spun his starting stack up to a mammoth 314,000. Matthew Sabia was another player with a bag stack at the end of the night, having amassed 297,400. Neither of those two have cracked seven figures in live earnings, but a deep run in this event could very well change that.

End of Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts

Rank Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 1 George Dolofan United States 314,000 393 2 Matthew Sabia United States 297,400 372 3 Patrick Hagenlocher United States 270,300 338 4 Vladas Tamasauskas Lithuania 268,300 335 5 Aaron Werner United States 246,900 309 6 Junfeng Wang Australia 223,300 279 7 Frode Alfredsen Norway 221,200 277 8 Nicolaas Thielman United States 217,300 272 9 Florian Ribouchon France 215,400 269 10 Daniel Neilson Australia 214,900 269

Other players who managed to navigate their way through the day to end with an above-average stack include Patrick Hagenlocher (270,300), Vladas Tamasauskas (268,300) and Aaron Werner (246,900). Werner took down a large pot during the last level with a raise on the river to propel his stack over the 200,000 mark.

As one would expect, many notables were present in the field. Some found a bag, including high stakes crusher Artur Martirosian (166,300), 2019 Main Event champion Hossein Ensan (166,000) and four-time bracelet winner Ben Yu (125,600). British online phenom Patrick Leonard also survived, but will have his work cut out for him on Day 2 as he returns with just 18,800.

Josh Arieh

Others were less fortunate, falling at the first hurdle to see their hopes dashed far earlier than they would have liked. The 2021 WSOP Player of the Year, Josh Arieh, was one such individual after he dwindled down to bust before the dinner break. The aforementioned Raymer, who knocked out Arieh in third place en route to his main event victory twenty years ago, lasted a little longer, but all in vain as he ran his jacks into aces late in the day to hit the rail.

What neither of these players suffered, however, is the fate that befell Tony Guglietti, namely busting on the very first hand of play. Guglietti ran his straight into the nut flush of John Gutierrez to send him packing mere minutes after taking his seat. While one could reasonably debate the level of misfortune involved compared to the merits of his play, what is certain is that Guglietti will have been left with a bitter taste in his mouth as he joined two others from Day 1a in a club no one wants to be a member of.

Anyone fortunate enough to have survived the day will return Sunday, July 7, at noon local time, when they will be joined by the survivors of days 1a and 1c to play another five levels. Late registration remains open for two more levels on Day 2, so while initial numbers are down from 2023, there is still hope of getting close to or even surpassing that record-breaking field.

Coverage of the 2024 Main Event continues tomorrow at 12 p.m. PDT with the PokerNews live reporting team on hand to catch the action from Day 1c. Stay tuned for all the excitement, as the poker event of the year has only just begun!
President Biden had a message for Democrats who are trying to push him out of the race. The President said that he is staying in, and will beat Trump.

Video:

Biden with a message for those trying to push him out, "Despite some folks not seeming

to care who they voted for, trying to push me out of the race, let me say this as clearly as I can  I am staying in the race! I will beat Donald Trump! I will beat him again!" pic.twitter.com/jTVorWg05J  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) July 5, 2024

Biden said:

Im a nominee of the Democratic Party. Im a nominee of this party because millions of Democrats, like you just voted for me in primaries all across America. You voted for me to be your nominee. No one else you the vote, the voters did that. And despite, despite that, some folks dont seem to care who voted for, well, guess what? Theyre trying to push me out of the race.

Well, let me say this as clearly as I can. Im staying in the race. Ill beat Donald Trump. I will beat him again in 2020. And by the way, were going to do it again in 2024.

The media and some Democrats can give it up. Joe Biden is not going to step down and make Vice President Harris or any other Democrat the nominee. Joe Biden is determined to run in this election, and beat Donald Trump for a second time, but Bidens biggest task isnt to reassure the country that he can do the job, but his biggest challenge is get nervous members of his own party to calm down and focus on the important task in front of them, which is saving democracy and defeating Trump.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) is trying to assemble a group of Democratic Senators to convince Biden to quit according to an anonymous source.

The Washington Post reported:

Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) is attempting to assemble a group of Democratic senators to ask President Biden to exit the presidential race, according to two people with direct knowledge of the effort.

Warner is telling Democratic senators that Biden can no longer remain in the election in the wake of his faltering debate performance, according to the people familiar with private conversations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely. Warner has told others that he is deeply concerned that Biden is not able to run a campaign that could beat former president Donald Trump.

Where did the leak of this story come from? It obvious came from a Democratic senators office that was contacted by Warner, or Warners office. For their part, Warners offer did not confirm or deny the report, which means that it is true.

The panic and effort to get Biden out of the race is being driven by Democrats in Congress who are worried about keeping their own jobs. If these Senators want Biden out, then they need to stand up, look America in the eye, and say so. This game of hiding behind anonymous sources is cowardly.

The only realistic option besides President Biden is Vice President Harris . Any other plan would result in Democrats wasting weeks of the campaign, and give Donald Trump an advantage heading into November. This entire situation highly un-democratic, as the party elites, watched Bidens debate, and decided that they would like to throw out the will of Democratic primary voters.

If that is the case, then these Democrats who want Biden gone, owe Democratic voters an on the record explanation, and an honoring of the primary process.
Senior Democratic operatives who didnt put their names on it are circulating a memo making the case for VP Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee if the President steps aside.

The memo states:

Ultimately only Joe Biden has the power to drop out and to choose to head off chaos by anointing Harris, but he listens to people, and they listen to people, and you might know those people. If so, and if you find this convincing, you should make this case.

The authors of this memo are senior operatives within Democratic political institutions that will not be taking a position regarding this crisis. We have no professional or personal ties to Harris. We simply want to defeat Trump. We are writing this in our personal capacities because we believe that we need to cut through the chaos, identify which options are realistic and which are fantasies, and advocate for the only real path forward. The stakes are too high to do anything else.

If President Biden drops out, the choice is clear for Democrats. We can unite behind his elected successor immediately, or we can invite an extended period of chaos and an open battle for the top-of-the-ticket.

Its worth stating the obvious: Kamala Harris is the only potential successor who has been nominated and won as part of a national ticket. As Vice President she has spent the last four years one heartbeat from the Oval Office. Voters reaffirmed their support for Joe Biden in the 2024 primary knowing that Harris would be his successor in the event that he is unable to complete his duties. And while polls obviously have significant limitations given the name recognition disparities, she currently wins any poll of alternate Democratic candidates by a wide margin.

In an alternate timeline where Biden declined to run for reelection, an open primary would be welcome and appropriate. That is not the world we live in. Democratic voters in every state have already cast their primary ballots, and they voted for Joe Biden with the full knowledge that Kamala Harris is his running mate. Democratic voters who pulled the lever for Biden in the primary did not scrutinize the politics, identities, or affiliations of their Biden delegates, and they have in no meaningful way consented to delegates making a different choice. At this point in the nomination process, Kamala would be the closest thing we have to a democratic selection were President Biden to withdraw. A move to entrust that nomination not to those voters, but to convention delegates, would be enormously high-risk.

In all fairness, the memo seems intended to head off the sort of chaos that some in the Democratic Party want if Biden withdraws. An open contest months before an election would be an unmitigated disaster.

However, these Democratic operatives would have much more credibility if they would put their names on the memo. If they have no affiliation with Biden or Harris, and they believe that the party needs to change nominees, they need to own their position. Democrats slinking around in the darkness are making the situation worse.

If Biden would step aside, Vice President Harris is the only logical choice to be the nominee, but we arent there yet, and this sort of campaigning, not being done by Harris, may only harm the cause of bringing this party back together.
Trump is now claiming that he knows nothing about Project 2025, even though his super PAC is running ads supporting the extremist plan to destroy democracy.

Trump posted on Truth Social:

I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things theyre saying and some of the things theyre saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.

What things does Trump agree with in Project 2025? What things does Trump disagree with in Project 2025?

We dont know because Donald Trump doesnt do interviews with objective journalists who could ask him these questions and press him for answers. Instead, the media obsesses over a debate performance and their manufactured crisis about President Bidens age.

Trumps super PAC is currently running ads for Project 2025, and conservative groups that are made up of former campaign and administration officials designed the plan, which is the framework to end democracy and create an imperial presidency if Trump wins the election.

Weve now reached the point of the campaign where Trump plays dumb and pretends like he doesnt know anything about the plans that are problematic for him with voters.

But according to the media, the biggest problem is that Joe Biden is old, not that a rapist convicted felon wants to destroy America.
Rafael Nadal is retiring from professional tennis at age 38 after winning 22 Grand Slam titles  14 at the French Open  during an unprecedented era he shared with rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He made the announcement on Thursday. Nadal has competed infrequently the past two seasons because of injuries and said next months Davis Cup finals will mark his farewell to the sport. He had hip surgery in 2023 and entered just two of the past eight major tournaments. Nadals unrelenting, physical style of play made him one of the greats of the game and the unquestioned King of Clay, the slow, red surface on which he claimed his record 14 French Open championships. Read more22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will retire from tennis after next month's Davis Cup finals
Hundreds of party delegates will travel to Chicago and Milwaukee for the Democratic and Republican national conventions this summer.

Two of those delegates are from Aiken.

The national conventions are primarily known for selecting each partys presidential candidate, but it is also a networking opportunity and a forum to discuss common issues for the respective parties across the United States.

Dennis Saylor will be going to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled for July 15-18. Hes been involved in politics since 2005 and serves as the executive committee person for the Aiken County Republican Party.

This will be Saylor's first time attending the national convention.

Before 2005, I was standing watching the TV, Saylor said of the convention. Just thinking, I wonder how you get to be one of those people, and 20 years later, I find out.

Saylor said politics arent the same as they were 20 years ago. Hes concerned about Republican Party in-fighting, but he plans on getting down to business when he meets hundreds of other Republicans in Milwaukee.

Aiken City Council member Lessie Price will go to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, which will be held from Aug. 19-22. She has been going to the convention for years.

Price said that the issues other cities face are not too dissimilar from Aiken.

She said delegates all over the country are concerned with the economy, education, climate change, protecting democracy and more.

Being able to go on this big stage  this big trip  allows you to network with a number of individuals across the United States, Price said. Hear their ideas, share their ideas and what they're doing within their own sphere.
HILTON HEAD  Its sea turtle nesting and hatching season in South Carolina, a stretch that lasts from May to October. Along the Palmetto State coast, groups of volunteers partnering with the state Department of Natural Resources wake before sunrise, searching for indentations resembling tractor tires. These are telltale signs that a mother turtle emerged from the water sometime in the evening hours to deposit around 120 eggs.

The volunteers do what they can to improve the chance turtles can safely lay their eggs, so the hatchlings can live to return to Lowcountry beaches. The wild provides turtles plenty of hurdles without beachgoer byproduct standing in the way, which is why a little conscientiousness can go far for these reptilian mothers and their babies.

In the coming months, baby turtles will hatch on Coligny Beach and begin an epic and perilous journey, once known as the lost years. Recent scientific studies have shed light on these mysterious travel patterns.

Hatchlings will follow the brightest light. Chasing the reflection of the moon will lead them into the sea. Beams from a beachside home, or a flashlight carried by a camper, might turn the turtle in the wrong direction.

Some will right their course and plunge into the ocean blue. Others will bake in their shells when night turns to day, find themselves fatally trapped on a roadway or caught in the gaze of predators.

Some municipalities are taking protection into their own hands. In 2021, Hilton Head passed an ordinance requiring homes with lights illuminating dunes to cut the glow during certain evening hours. Violators can be fined $500 or land in jail for up to 30 days.

(The turtles) could see the moonlight reflecting on water. They instinctually know to go to that. But if they are also going to see a porchlight, that is their preference, said Amber Kuehn, the executive director of Sea Turtle Patrol, a group that delivers services on Hilton Heads behalf. She also helped push for the ordinance in 2021.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-05 11:01:23

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 5, 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: 2024-07-05 20:00:12

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 303 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Introducing Jubi Brands: Redefining Natural Harmony with Kratom and Kava ShotsBEDFORD HILLS, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 5, 2024 /Jubi Brands, a pioneering company in the botanical extracts sector, proudly announces the launch of its exciting new line of Plant-Based Shots. These innovative shots, designed to enhance energy, promote relaxation, and improve focus, are now available in over 1000 retail stores throughout the New York Tri-State Area.Jubi Pina Colada 3 Bottles of Jubi Pina ColadaEach of Jubi Brands' Plant-Based Shots is crafted with premium ingredients to cater to various lifestyle needs. Whether consumers seek a natural boost of energy, a moment of calm and relaxation, or heightened focus for improved productivity, Jubi Brands offers a convenient and effective solution."We are thrilled to introduce our Plant-Based Shots to consumers across the New York Tri-State Area," said New York Founder and CEO of Jubi Brands. "Our commitment to quality and innovation drives us to create products that not only meet but exceed the expectations of our customers." Located in Bedford Hills, NY, Jubi Brands prides itself on its dedication to health-conscious products that support overall well-being. By harnessing the power of plants, Jubi Brands aims to provide consumers with natural solutions that enhance their daily lives.The Plant-Based Shots by Jubi Brands are now available at leading retailers in the New York Tri-State Area. For more information about Jubi Brands and its product offerings, please visit https://drinkjubi.com About Jubi Brands: Founded in Bedford Hills, NY, Jubi Brands is a forward-thinking company specializing in botanical herbal supplements. Dedicated to innovation and quality, Jubi Brands offers a range of Plant-Based Shots designed to enhance energy, relaxation, and focus for consumers seeking natural solutions.Contact InformationAndy MooreMarketing Managerinfo@ drinkjubi.com 855-289-5824SOURCE: Jubi Brands LLCView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-05 16:30:50

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 742 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Collaborating to advance government missionsFALLS CHURCH, VA / ACCESSWIRE / July 5, 2024 / Sterling Investment Partners-backed Markon, a leading management consultancy that supports US federal government agencies, recently acquired ASEC. This strategic move underscores Markon's unwavering dedication to building a solid business platform focused on advancing customer missions. The acquisition reaffirms Markon's position as a trusted partner to federal agencies, particularly within the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense, in the critical areas of finance, program management, and systems engineering. ASEC will operate as an independent subsidiary until integration occurs in 2025.Markon Strengthens Commitment to Government Missions with Acquisition of ASEC - Markon & ASEC logos Markon Strengthens Commitment to Government Missions with Acquisition of ASEC - Markon and ASEC logosRay Carney, CEO of Markon, expressed enthusiasm about the union, stating, "We're thrilled to welcome ASEC. This partnership brings together two organizations with shared values, culture, and exceptional talent, deeply dedicated to the important government missions we serve and the enrichment and well-being of our employees. This collaboration will deliver even greater value to our clients by leveraging broader and deeper expertise. We embark on this journey with a steadfast commitment to serving our clients with unmatched dedication." Jeff Wallace, ASEC President and CEO, emphasized the partnership's significance: "ASEC's alliance with Markon fulfills our long-standing quest to partner with a company that mirrors our commitment to our client missions and the professional development of our people. Together, we will optimize operations and technical support for the good of our clients. This partnership brings clear synergy, with shared contracts and resources in the Intelligence sector bolstering our collective capabilities and competitive advantages." The ASEC team brings a cadre of influential thought leaders and cleared personnel, boasting a 30-year track record of providing professional services support to the Intelligence Community. ASEC's focus areas - management, finance, systems engineering, cybersecurity, and software development - complement and align with Markon's core competencies, enhancing the company's capabilities to advance federal missions.Markon's Chief Corporate Development Officer, Drew Thompson, noted, "This partnership signifies the expansion of our team and a fusion of like-minded cultures dedicated to client success. With this acquisition, Markon elevates our industry-leading service offerings to provide even greater support to our clients' critical missions. We look forward to forging ahead with renewed vigor and unwavering commitment." Stout Risius Ross, LLC provided financial advisory services, and Morrison & Foerster LLP and Foley & Lardner, LLP provided buy-side and sell-side legal advisory services for the transaction, respectively.About MarkonMarkon is a national consulting firm with a federal government focus, specializing in enterprise technology, financial, and program and construction management for the Intelligence Community and civilian and defense agencies. Team Markon helps solve the nation's most critical challenges with expertise, resilience, and an award-winning culture. Markon brings a fresh approach and deep dedication to what matters most - supporting its people and advancing client missions. Markon is consistently recognized on USA Today's and the Washington Post's Top Workplaces lists, as well as ENR's Top 50 Program Management Firms list. Markon is also a 2021, 2022, and 2023 HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion awardee and was the first GEN (Gender Equity Now) certified organization on the East Coast and in the government services industry. Markon is a portfolio company of Sterling Investment Partners. Learn more at markonsolutions.com About ASECASEC was founded as a private woman-owned small business in 1992 to provide US Government customers with systems engineering, technical, and programming support services. Focusing on a few core principles and competencies - with highly talented and experienced people - the company has consistently grown organically in a steady manner that continues to attract high-quality talent and experience by word of mouth and referrals. As the employer of choice engaged in long-term, high-caliber strategic consulting work, ASEC focuses on critical enterprise architecture and strategic planning to support mission success for the Intelligence Community.About Sterling Investment PartnersSterling Investment Partners is a private equity firm that has been investing in and building leading middle-market companies for over 30 years with a highly experienced, cohesive team of senior investment professionals. Sterling focuses on value-added distribution and business services, acquiring businesses that the firm believes have strong, sustainable competitive advantages and significant opportunities for value creation. Over its history, Sterling has completed over 230 transactions, representing approximately $30 billion in aggregate value. For more information, visit www.sterlinglp.com Contact InformationJuliana LeeSenior Director, Marketing & Communicationsmarketing@ markonsolutions.com SOURCE: Markon, LLCView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-05 21:36:11

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 670 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 5, 2024 / Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces it has filed a lawsuit against UiPath, Inc. ("UiPath" or the "Company") (NYSE:PATH) and certain of the Company's senior executives.Investors have until August 19, 2024 to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in UiPath securities between December 1, 2023 and the close of trading on May 29, 2024 inclusive (the "Class Period"). The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned Zack Steiner v. UiPath, Inc., No. 1:24-cv-4702.If you suffered losses on your UiPath investment, you are encouraged to submit your information at https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/uipath-inc-investigation What is the Lawsuit About?The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants made materially false and misleading statements concerning the success of UiPath's turnaround strategy. For instance, defendants represented that the Company was "executing against that strategy, and we're seeing [the] results in the deal quality and the customer quality," asserted that "our strategic investments in innovations and our go-to-market ecosystem positions us well for continued momentum," and that "there's no doubt there's [been] better execution" since the implementation of the turnaround strategy.These statements were allegedly materially false and misleading. In truth, UiPath's turnaround strategy had failed. Fruitless investments and inconsistent execution plagued the Company's overhauled go-to-market strategy. Additionally, UiPath's AI-powered Business Automation Platform caused "confusion" among customers and was not able to be adequately scaled. As a result, UiPath experienced significant difficulties closing and/or expanding large multiyear deals.On May 29, 2024, UiPath announced the sudden departure of CEO Robert Enslin. On the same day, UiPath announced disappointing 1Q 25 financial results and significantly cut its FY 25 revenue guidance by 10%, or $150 million. The Company attributed the poor results and guidance to several factors related to its failed turnaround strategy, including an inadequate "execution strategy to scale" the Company's AI-powered growth products "to reach their full potential," and that AI had "create[ed] a little bit of confusion with our customers." Ui Path also described how the "investments we have made to reaccelerate growth have fallen short of our expectations, [and] made us less agile in responding to customer needs" while experiencing "contract execution challenges on large deals." This news caused the price of UiPath stock to decline $6.23 per share, or more than 34%, from $18.30 per share on May 29, 2024, to $12.07 per share on May 30, 2024, resulting in significant harm to investors.Click here if you suffered losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/uipath-inc-investigation A copy of the lawsuit can be foundhere .What Can You Do?If you invested in UiPath, Inc. you have rights and are encouraged to submit your information to speak with an attorney.All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The Firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information:Or contact us at:Ross Shikowitz ross@ bfalaw.com 212-789-3619Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.SOURCE: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-05 13:00:07

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 1016 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 5, 2024 /Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE)(NYSE:SKE) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the British Columbia Court of Appeal overturned the decision of the Chief Gold Commissioner and Supreme Court of British Columbia in the matter, Skeena Resources Limited v Richard Mill, the Chief Gold Commissioner of British Columbia and Orogenic Gold Corp.The former Chief Gold Commissioner had determined that Richard Mill was the owner of the waste rock and tailings from the Eskay Creek Mine that were placed in the Albino Lake Storage Facility (the "Eskay Creek Material"). Justice Iyer of the British Columbia Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Chief Gold Commissioner on November 22, 2022.The Court of Appeal concluded that on the record before it, Skeena did not "relinquish" its rights to the Eskay Creek Material and that the former Chief Gold Commissioner was "clearly and palpably wrong to hold otherwise". Mr. Mill's asserted entitlement was based on the Province's grant of a mineral claim to him in 2017. The Court, however, found that the Province cannot be said to have granted ownership rights of the Eskay Creek Material to Mr. Mill when it granted him the mineral claim because the Province itself did not hold the rights to the material at the time.With the decisions of the former Chief Gold Commissioner and the Supreme Court now overturned, the matter will be referred back to the current Chief Gold Commissioner for rehearing and reconsideration in light of the Court of Appeal's decision.Skeena Resources is pleased with the decision of the Court of Appeal and looks forward to the opportunity to have the Chief Gold Commissioner decide Skeena's contention that it owns the Eskay Creek Material. Skeena Resources will provide further information on this matter as it becomes available.Walter Coles, Executive Chairman of Skeena commented: "We are gratified by the ruling from the BC Court of Appeal. This decision is a strong one and affirms our belief that the former Chief Gold Commissioner was in error when he decided that Skeena gave up its ownership of the waste material from the Eskay Creek mine once it was deposited into the Albino Lake tailings storage facility." The Eskay Creek Material contained in the Albino Lake Storage Facility is not part of the Company's Resource or Reserve Statements for Eskay Creek nor has it been included in any studies, including the November 2023 Definitive Feasibility Study for the Eskay Creek Project.About SkeenaSkeena is a fully financed leading gold developer that is focused on advancing the Eskay Creek Gold-Silver Project - a past producing mine located in the renowned Golden Triangle in British Columbia, Canada. Eskay Creek represents one of the highest-grade and lowest cost open-pit precious metals mines in the world, with substantial silver by-product production that surpasses many primary silver mines. Skeena is committed to sustainable mining practices and maximizing the potential of its mineral resources. In partnership with the Tahltan First Nation, Skeena strives to foster positive relationships with Indigenous communities while delivering long-term value and sustainable growth for its stakeholders.On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited,Walter ColesRandy ReichertExecutive ChairmanPresident & CEOContact InformationInvestor Inquiries: info@ skeenaresources.com Office Phone: +1 604 684 8725Company Website: www.skeenaresources.com Qualified PersonsIn accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration & Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated, and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting the exploration activities on its projects.Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statementsCertain statements and information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or our future performance. The use of words such as "anticipates", "believes", "proposes", "contemplates", "generates", "targets", "is projected", "is planned", "considers", "estimates", "expects", "is expected", "potential" and similar expressions, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "might", "will", "could", or "would" be taken, achieved, or occur, may identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Specific forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the rehearing and reconsideration of the claim regarding the Eskay Creek Material, the results of the Definitive Feasibility Study, processing capacity of the mine, anticipated mine life, probable reserves, estimated project capital and operating costs, sustaining costs, results of test work and studies, planned environmental assessments, the future price of metals, metal concentrate, and future exploration and development. Such forward-looking statements are based on material factors and/or assumptions which include, but are not limited to, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and the assumptions set forth herein and in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2023, its most recently filed interim MD&A, and the Company's Annual Information Form ("AIF") dated March 28, 2024. Such forward-looking statements represent the Company's management expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances on the date the statements are made, and are necessarily based on several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date hereof, are not guarantees of future performance. Actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein, and are subject to significant operational, business, economic, and regulatory risks and uncertainti
PR-Inside.com: 2024-07-05 21:52:55

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 5, 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
Brenda, daughter of Cameroon President Paul Biya, has revealed she is in a same-sex relationship with a Brazilian model, Layyons Valenca.

This revelation is particularly striking given Cameroons strict law criminalising same-sex relationships with penalties of up to five years in prison and significant fines.

President Paul Biya, one of Africas longest-serving leaders since 1982, has been vocal against gay rights, which intensifies the impact of Brendas public display.

In an Instagram post, the 26-year-old rapper shared an intimate photo of herself embracing female model Layyons Valenca.

Accompanying the image was a caption that expressed her deep affection for the Brazillian partner.

Brenda wrote, I am crazy about you, and I want the world to know, along with a black love heart emoji, tagging the model.

A check by PREMIUM TIMES shows that comments on the post have been disabled, suggesting a preemptive measure against possible critical comments or backlash.

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

This is not the first time the duo have been seen together; they have shared photos and videos in past posts.

In another post from 6 June, Brenda posted Valenca with the caption, Id give you the world, but there are other planets too.

Speaking with Cameroon News Agency, the rapper responded to a comment noting that her father is President Paul Biya, known for his staunch anti-LGBT+ stance in Cameroon.

Acknowledging her fathers long-standing policies criminalising homosexuality and same-sex activities during his four decades in power, the presidents daughter expressed optimism for future change in Cameroon.

Nobody will have anything to say because only love shall win, she said, adding, I dont condone hate; I think the mentality should change, but it will change once the people are ready.

Cameroons anti-LGBTQ laws

Cameroon is in the league of African countries like Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa, which have harsh laws against homosexuality. However, Cameroons version of the laws is among the strictest in Africa.

The Penal Code of 2016 criminalises same-sex relationships, with penalties including up to five years in prison and fines of up to 200,000 CFA francs (about $340).

According to the Human Dignity Trust of the countrys profile, Cameroons first Penal Code in 1965 did not criminalise same-sex sexual activity. However, an amendment introduced in 1972 added the offence of homosexuality, which has been retained till now.

This law targets any actions perceived as promoting or engaging in homosexual behaviour.

Authorities in Cameroon enforce this law harshly. Police often arrest individuals suspected of being LGBTQ+ based on minimal evidence or accusations from neighbours. These arrests frequently lead to public shaming and humiliation, creating a climate of fear for LGBTQ+ people.

Reports include physical violence, beatings, torture, and sexual violence, especially while in police custody. Detainees often face inhumane treatment aimed at forcing confessions or punishing them for their sexual orientation.

Human rights groups have called for Cameroon to repeal its anti-LGBTQ laws. International organisations, including Human Rights Watch, have consistently urged the global community to pressure Cameroon to change laws and policies on LGBTQ+ rights.

Despite this call, the National Communication Council actively censors media content that depicts or supports LGBTQ+ issues.

Media channels have been suspended for violating these policies, and the government has rejected international efforts to discuss LGBTQ+ rights, maintaining a strict stance against any form of acceptance or protection for the gay community.

Mixed reactions

Brendas public revelation has sparked a broader conversation about LGBTQ+ rights and the enforcement of anti-gay laws in Cameroon.

The social media post quickly garnered mixed reactions.

While some praised Brenda for her bravery, others criticised her, accusing her of benefiting from her privileged status as the presidents daughter. Critics have argued that her position affords her a level of protection that ordinary citizens do not enjoy.

Sharing on Twitter, UK-based Cameroonian lesbian activist Bandy Kiki also highlighted the disparity in how anti-LGBT laws are enforced, I love this for Brenda Biya (Cameroons First Daughter)! However, it highlights a harsh reality.

Activist Kiki pointed out that Brendas influential position grants her certain privileges, noting that Brendas ability to openly share about her girlfriend without facing significant consequences 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, she wrote.

Despite the backlash, Brenda received support from the LGBTQ+ community and allies.

Transgender Cameroonian activist Shakiro, who was sent to five years in prison for attempted homosexuality, also commented on Brendas move.

According to BBC News, she described the presidents daughters post as a potential turning point for LGBTQ+ visibility in the country.

Human rights groups have long criticised Cameroons stance on LGBTQ+ issues.

The National Communication Council of Cameroon is known to have taken steps to censor media content depicting homosexuality and has suspended channels that violate this policy.

In 2023, the government rejected a conference on gender and sexual orientation proposed by the French Ambassador for LGBTQ+ Rights, reinforcing its hardline stance.

As of report time, the Cameroonian government and President Paul Biya are yet to issue an official statement or comment about Brendas post.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, did not wait for the Labour Partys victory to be officially confirmed before conceding defeat on Friday morning.

In a televised broadcast from Downing Street, Mr Sunak said he has taken full responsibility for the loss and is promising an orderly transfer of power.

The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn and I take responsibility for the loss, the BBC quoted Mr Sunak as saying.

I have heard your anger, he noted, adding he will step down once a new party leader is found for the Conservatives.

Labour leader Keir Starmer will become the UK Prime Minister after meeting the British king.

After 14 years of Conservative government, Labour won the general election in a landslide. As of Friday morning, the tally shows that the Labour Party has won 412 seats while the Conservatives won 121.

Several members of parliament lost their seats including former Prime Minister Liz Truss.

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 BBC is reporting that Mr Sunak has now travelled to meet King Charles to formally step down as prime minister.

Earlier, the prime minister apologised to the country after what pundits described as the worst electoral performance for the Conservatives in modern times.

I have heard your anger, disappointment and I take responsibility for this loss, Mr Sunak said. He added that he is pained by how many colleagues will no longer sit in the House of Commons.

Mr Sunak went on to say that he has given this job his all, but that the public has sent a clear signal that the government must change.

I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change, and yours is the only judgement that matters.

Mr Sunak praised the achievements of the Conservatives during 14 years of governance, saying the UK was more prosperous, fairer and resilient than in 2010.

The outgoing PM also paid tribute to his rival Keir Starmer, who will soon take his place in Downing Street, saying he was a decent, public-spirited man.

He said the country would share Mr Starmers successes.

He and his family deserve the very best of our understanding as they make the huge transition to their new lives behind this door, and as he grapples with this most demanding of jobs in an increasingly unstable world.

Meanwhile, Mr Starmer, in a brief acceptance speech, hailed British voters.

We did it. You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it, and now it has arrived  change begins now, the BBC quotes Mr Starmer as saying while addressing jubilant supporters.

It feels good, I have to be honest.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


A Deputy Commissioner of Police in Borno, Ahmad Bello, has called for stringent laws to stop the withdrawal of rape and other sexual violence cases by relations of victims in court.

He made the call in Maiduguri as part of his contribution to a stakeholders consultative meeting on Enhancing Gender-Responsive Security Operations and Community Dialogue, organised by UN Women in collaboration with the Borno Ministry of Women Affairs.

Mr Bello, who represented the Borno Police Command at the meeting, said, Another major thing that needs to be addressed is the culture of silence and stigmatisation of rape and other sexual violence victims.

We have seen instances while a sexual violence case is progressing, prosecutors will get court affidavits from victims relations saying they want to withdraw the case.

Such intentions to withdraw have to do with fear of stigmatisation.

In many instances, the victims want justice but are put in a dilemma by their relations, he said.

Mr Bello called for laws to keep requests for withdrawal of the cases under keep in view for some period of time to enable the victim to finally decide on the matter.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

He urged UN Women and other stakeholders to sponsor a bill to address some of the loopholes slowing the fight against sexual and gender-based violence in society.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and other Allied Institutions (NASU) have accused the Nigerian government of ignoring their agitation for the release of their members withheld four months salaries.

The unions also said its Thursday meeting with the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education did not show any convincing commitment to the payment of the withheld salaries and resolutions of other pending issues.

The leadership of the unions have, therefore, mandated their chapters in various universities across the country to commence sensitisation activities beginning from Monday, 8 July, while also calling for a protest on the campuses on Tuesday 9 July.

The resolutions came after the Thursday meeting with the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, a professor; the Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu; the permanent secretary at the ministry, Esther Wilson-Jack; and officials of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

It is also disheartening that the JAC was also at the Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment and as usual, the Honourable Minister of State was not on seat to receive us, as we were informed that she had an urgent call from the villa. The Permanent Secretary who stood in for her could not make any commitment on the issues raised, JAC said in a statement signed by SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, and NASUs General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi.

Matter receiving attention Ministry

But the spokesperson for the education ministry, Folasade Boriowo, said the ministers and officials had a fruitful discussion with the leaders of the unions.

According to her, the minister assured the unions that their withheld salaries have been forwarded to the highest level of government for attention.

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 also appealed for restraint on the planned strike by the unions.

She said the minister has also announced the constitution of an advisory committee to address other issues.

She said: Honourable Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman, accompanied by Honourable Minister of State Hon. Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, Permanent Secretary Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, and Directors, engaged in fruitful discussions with the union leaders.

While union leaders expressed disappointment, they appreciated the Ministers gesture and the meeting ended on a positive note, with both parties committing to continued dialogue and finding solutions.

Protests, possible strike

Despite the ministrys assurances, the unions said the Tuesday protest across the campuses nationwide will go as planned.

They also resolved to carry out a national protest in Abuja on Thursday 18 July, after which they promised to decide on a date for the commencement of a strike action.

Every branch should ensure that all members fully participate in the protest and the Press/ media is adequately mobilised, it said.

JAC also directed the chapters of both unions to mandatorily hold a general meeting on Monday, 8 July to sensitise members on the insensitivity of government to our plights.

Background

The Nigerian government had withheld the salaries of both academic and non-academic staff in Nigerian universities for taking part in an industrial action that grounded the universities for eight months in 2022.

SSANU and NASU participated in the strike for four months.

In October, President Bola Tinubu ordered the payment of four of the eight months withheld salaries for the academic staff, leaving out the non-teaching staff.

This development resulted in a renewed rift between the non-academic staff union and the government.

Since the announcement, both SSANU and NASU have kicked against the selective payments and asked to be included.

However, only the academic staff received the four months salaries paid in February.

JAC said it had written the education minister and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, but never received a response, prompting it to decide on a one-week warning strike in March.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


On Thursday, Daily Trust reported concerns by sections of the Nigerian religious and civil society communities over clauses that mandate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights in the $150 billion Samoa Agreement signed by the Nigerian government on 28 June.

The newspapers report premised on an opinion article by Sonnie Ekwowusi, a Lagos-based lawyer, was amplified by other news platforms such as BusinessDay, Vanguard and TheCable.

The reports attracted a backlash against the federal government as critics criticised the government for downgrading the countrys moral values in exchange for Western loans.

However, the Nigerian government, in a statement issued by Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, on Thursday evening, said the agreement was signed after extensive reviews and consultations by the Interministerial Committee, convened by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (FMBEP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Federal Ministry of Justice (FMOJ).

Mr Idris added that the government ensured that None of the 103 Articles and Provisions of the Agreement contravenes the 1999 Constitution as amended or the laws of Nigeria and other extant Laws.

The Nigerian government signed the agreement seven months after it was formally signed in Samoa.

The government said it delayed its consent to allow it to carry out a thorough review and ensure no clause in the agreement contravenes Nigerian laws.

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 general public is invited to note that Nigeria was not represented at the Signing Ceremony, which took place in Samoa on Wednesday, 15th November 2023 and hence has not signed the Agreement, Francisca Omay, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said last year.

Relevant Nigerian stakeholders are currently studying the instrument to ensure that its provisions do not contravene Nigerias domestic legislation, she added.

In a document seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the Nigerian government made declarations against 13 articles in the signed agreement.

For instance, the Nigerian government, in its declaration concerning Article 9.2, which borders on Human rights, democracy and the rule of law, noted that the Nigerian Constitution has provisions on human rights.

This includes the prohibition of discrimination in any form and further includes the grounds upon which the National Assembly has and may enact legislations for the advancement of persons within Nigeria who have been politically, socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged by past discriminately laws or practices. This position is also consistent with various United Nations Conventions on Human Rights and discrimination to which Nigeria is a party.

Other declarations made by the Nigerian government are Article 1 (Objectives), Article 3 (Partnership Dialogue), Article 4 (Policy Coherence), and Article 79 (Cooperation in International Organisations and Forums).

In addition to this, the government also made declarations about Article 19 (Serious crimes of concern to the international community); Article 36 (Gender equality and women and girls empowerment); Article 49 (Trade and sustainable development); Article 51 (Trade in services) and Article 97 (Other agreements and arrangements).

Others include Article 101 (Disputes settlement and fulfilment of obligations), Article 22 (Services), Article 40 (Gender equality and empowerment of women), Article 51 (Climate action), and Article 3 (Foreign exchange).

Verifying the claim

PREMIUM TIMES reviewed the 172-page document to find out whether it contains LGBT clauses as claimed by Daily Trust and other newspapers.

Mr Ekwowusi, whose opinion article formed the basis of the newspapers report, claimed some articles of the agreement systematically legalise LGBT.

Certain Articles of the Agreement, especially Articles 2.5 and 29.5 legalise LGBT, transgenderism, abortion, teen sexual abuse, and perversity in African countries, the Lagos-based lawyer who doubles as the Chairman of Human and Constitutional Rights Committee, African Bar Association (AfBA), wrote in his article published by Daily Trust on 3 July.

Mr Ekwowusis interpretations of these articles contrast with what we found in the agreement document reviewed by our reporter.

The Parties shall systematically promote a gender perspective and ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed across all policies, article 2.5 of the agreement reads without a mention of any sexual orientation as claimed by Mr Ekwowusi.

Similarly, the lawyer slipped in his interpretation of article 29.5: The Parties shall support universal access to sexual and reproductive health commodities and healthcare services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.

Contrary to the lawyers claims amplified by the newspapers, there is no mention of LGBT in the article above.

According to the reviewed document and EU press statements, the Samoa agreement focused on addressing global challenges.

Its objectives aim to contribute to achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement adopted under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In one of its press statements, the EU highlighted the priority areas of the agreement to include human rights, democracy and governance, peace and security; human and social development, inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development, environmental sustainability and climate change; and migration and mobility.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that there was a series of negotiations before the agreement was finalised  the Nigerian governments press statement issued last year and another EU press statement confirmed this.

Emphasising that the parties will commit to promote, protect and fulfil all human rights, be they civil, political, economic, social or cultural, the EU, in the press statement, noted that some ACP states were reluctant to see the foundation agreement mention sexual orientation and gender identity (LGBTI rights)  an issue on which there are also differences among EU Member States.

In the statement, the EU referred to the provision of Article 36.2 of the agreement when it says: As a matter of compromise, the parties will commit to the implementation of existing international agreements  notably the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action on sexual and reproductive health and rights, the Beijing Platform on gender equality and their follow-up.

However, it grumbles that the above wordings falls short of the EU negotiators ambitions.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that LGBT clauses were contained in the initial draft of the Samoa Agreement, but protests by some member states forced the EU to abolish the clauses in the final document.

This was evident when the EU, in another document, said it welcomes the commitment to promote universal human rights without discrimination based on any ground but regrets that the Agreement fails to mention explicitly that discrimination could be based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The EU went ahead to plead with parties to avoid any discrimination based on sexual orientation and to put an end to the criminalisation and punishment, including the death penalty, of LGBTI people

Conclusion

It is evident that the EU subscribes to the idea of LGBT and wants to co-opt member states of the Samoa Agreement into protecting the rights of LGBT people. But protests by some member states,, including Nigeria, forced it to omit it in the new document uploaded on the EUs database on 22 December 2023.

When the document was uploaded, Nigeria had yet to sign the agreement, which, according to the EU, took effect earlier this year and will elapse in the next two decades.

Meanwhile, Article 101 of the new agreement is focused on dispute settlement and fulfilment of obligations.

In contrast to what was widely reported in sections of the media, Article 2.2 of the new agreement states that: Parties reaffirm their commitment to developing friendly relations among nations, based on respect for the principle of sovereign equality among all states, and to refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations (the UN Charter).

Nigeria, as a sovereign state under the leadership of former President Goodluck Jonathan, signed into law an act that prohibits same-sex relationships or marriage.

This is why critics argue that Nigeria should not be part of the Samoa Agreement.

These critics were, however, ridiculed by public commentators who argued that such an international agreement, even if signed, must be debated on the floor of the National Assembly as stipulated in Section 12(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

Rabiu Yusuf, chairperson, House Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements Chairman, and Asabe Ndahi, a Programme Manager with the Kukah Centre, recently said the National Assembly has yet to be fully involved in the conversation around the Samoa Agreement.

Mr Yusuf, who spoke at a webinar organised by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), to understand Nigerias position on the Samoa Agreement, noted that the document spells out many benefits for Nigeria as a participating nation.

Verdict

Contrary to what was reported in sections of the media, there are no LGBT clauses in the new Samoa Agreement recently signed by Nigeria, according to PREMIUM TIMES findings.

The Daily Trust report did not present any clause in the agreement that mandates LGBT rights beyond quoting the opinion of Mr Ekwowusi, despite also quoting the administrative secretary of the NSCIA as saying the council did not find same-sex marriage in the draft shared with it by the government before signing the agreement,

In addition, the interpretation of Mr Ekwowusi, the Lagos-based lawyer whose opinion article the media outlets relied on for their reporting, is misleading.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Long queues have resurfaced at filling stations across Abuja, Nigerias capital city, as motorists struggle to purchase petrol.

The queues surfaced Thursday morning and remained through Friday, as traffic gridlocks appeared across major parts of the city.

The immediate cause of the latest queues remains unknown as filling stations in Lugbe, the Central Business District, Wuse, Kubwa, and Jabi areas of the city sold petrol at prices ranging between N660 and N700.

However, the retail outlets of the NNPC continue to sell the product for N617 per litre.

A PREMIUM TIMES correspondent who visited petrol stations Friday morning found that while there were queues at some filling stations, other stations were under lock and key.

Some hawkers were spotted in front of Conoil filling station and TotalEnergies filling station opposite the NNPC Tower selling the product in 10-litre jerry cans for N9,500  N10,000 to motorists, who could not stay in queues at the filling stations.

At Saddi Kamil filling station, MRS and Salbas Oil and Gas Nig Ltd along Lugbe, Airport Road, there was a huge crowd at the stations Friday morning, as motorists struggled to buy petrol.

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

Shema along Lugbe, Airport Road, was opened but the station was not selling the product, while Bovas along Lugbe Airport Road, was under lock and key.

A long queue was seen at the NNPC filling station in Wuse Zone 3, the Optima filling station in Jabi and the NNPC retail outlet Central Business District area (CBD).

The TotalEnergies filling station in Wuse Zone 1 and Azman Oil and Gas Nig Ltd in Wuse Zone 5 were opened but officials said the stations had no petrol stock.

Similarly, at the TotalEnergies filling station in Wuse Zone 3, motorists struggling to get fuel were at the station Friday afternoon.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited Conoil filling station and TotalEnergies filling station opposite the NNPC Tower, a crowd of motorists struggled among themselves to buy petrol Friday morning.

An official at the Conoil filling station who identified himself simply as Mike said: Just yesterday, we noticed some kind of panic buying but I cannot tell what the problem is.

A civil servant at the station, Collins Nwodo, said: From what I am seeing, I dont think this is panic buying, I think theres no fuel in the city and whatever the reason might be I dont know.

Mr Nwodo expressed fears over the ripple effect of the queues in the next few days.

By tomorrow the situation might be worse than what is already on the ground. I just pray this queue should not exceed this weekend, he said.

A businessman, Emeka Ani, said the government is playing a game with the people.

What I can say about this fuel queue is that the government just decides on what they want. They are using the heads of the masses because I am sure they know the right thing to do but they refuse to do it.

They know what they are doing using us to play a game and this is very bad, he said.

At Salbas Oil and Gas Nig Ltd along Lugbe, Airport Road, a pump attendant at the station, who craved anonymity, said: We are so surprised to see this queue since yesterday, I cant figure out the reason for this.

Some cab drivers said there was panic buying.

A car owner, Sola Ojo, told PREMIUM TIMES that there was fuel but some filling stations were hoarding the product.

I think some filling stations are hoarding their fuel. I heard that the government wants to increase the price of fuel to N1,000 per litre but I dont know how true.

But if this is true, the government should not try it because there is enough suffering in the country already, he said.

A motorist, Monday Benjamin, said the return of fuel queues in Abuja could affect the economy.

If care is not taken this could affect the economy of the city.

Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) did not return a phone call as of press time Friday evening. Messages sent to his known telephone line were also not responded to.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The mobile network operator, Emerging Markets Telecommunications Limited, popularly known as 9Mobile, has named a new chief executive officer to replace Juergen Peschel, its outgoing chief executive.

The board of directors of the wireless service provider appointed Obafemi Banigbe to take its top management position, according to a statement Thursday.

He is expected to lead the company in its next phase of business, the document added.

However, Mr Peschel will still function in the company as a consultant to support the business transportation process, which he introduced during his tenure as CEO.

This transition is consistent with 9Mobiles tradition of business continuity to ease the start of the holistic business transformation of the company, 9Mobile said in the statement.

Banigbe possesses extensive experience at the C-suite level and brings a profound comprehension of the intricate African business landscape, emphasising the critical translation of business objectives and commercial imperatives into comprehensive strategies that drive successful execution, it added.

Mr Banigbe holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria State.

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 started off in the telecommunications industry as the director of operations at Celtel (now Airtel).

Prior to taking that role, he held a number of positions at Ericsson within the sub-Saharan Africa Market Unit including the position of network support group manager for access and transport network.

During his tenure as the chief operations officer at Millicom Ghana, he led the operational strategy for business at the Ghanaian unit of the Luxembourg-based telecoms operator.

Mr Banigbe would later fill the role of interim CEO at Millicom Ghana in addition to earlier roles as the chief technical officer of Millicom Ghana and Millicom International Cellular Tanzania.

He was a managing partner and co-founder at Silver Rock Technology Services Ghana. Mr Banigbe helped deliver the acquisition of Vodafone Ghana when he was an advisory board member of the Telecel Group.

At Nsano Group, a leading fintech platform with footprints across several African countries, he provided advisory services, helping to broaden his professional expertise.

Obafemi is expected to work closely with the board of directors and all stakeholders to define credible and achievable long-term business plans through the introduction of solutions to address the evolving needs of the Nigerian telecommunication market, 9Mobile said.

Mr Banigbe has attended several executive management courses, including the Ericsson Development Management Program and the Advanced Management Program of the London Business School.

He holds an MBA from the Manchester Business School.

Before his latest appointment, he was the senior partner, strategy and technology, at Africa Context Advisory Partners.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Friday began the run-off election for the Iranian presidential elections by casting his own ballot.

He urged the nation to take part in the vote, following a first round where almost 60 per cent of eligible voters did not participate.

God willing, we will have a president tomorrow, Mr Khamenei said in the capital Tehran.

Fridays run-off pits reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian against hardliner Saeed Jalili after last weeks vote failed to produce a clear winner.

Some 61 million people were eligible to vote for a successor to President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter accident in May.

Polling stations are due to close at 6 pm (1430 GMT), although authorities could allow them to stay open later. The first results are expected on Saturday.

Turnout in last weeks vote hit a record low and none of the candidates gained an absolute majority.

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 Pezeshkian received around 42.5 per cent of the vote and Mr Jalili won 38.7 per cent. There were two other candidates in the first-round vote.

The election comes amid a severe economic crisis, as well as tensions with the West and regional powers in the Middle East.

However, frustration among the public with the enforcement of state authority, especially among the younger population, is running high.

Many Iranians, especially young people, have lost faith in the possibility of seeing major political change at home.

The death of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the autumn of 2022 sparked nationwide protests against the strict Islamic system of rule, but the protests were quashed with harsh punishments for demonstrators.

READ ALSO: Iran air defences shoot at flying objects as Israel reportedly retaliates

The president is number two in Irans power structure as Khamenei functions as the head of state and has the final say in all strategic matters. He is also commander-in-chief of Irans armed forces.

(dpa/NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; the Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, are on the list of 40 eminent Nigerians that will receive the 2024 Nigerian Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS) at a ceremony scheduled for Abuja on Saturday, July 6.

The NEAPS 2024 is a collaboration involving a private firm, The Best Strategic PR (TBS), and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

In a statement announcing the awards yesterday, the Communications Officer of TBS, Caroline Yovchevska, said: President Bola Tinubu will present NEAPS awards to 40 Nigerians in categories that include excellence in infrastructure service delivery, urban renewal, financial innovation, healthcare delivery, digital innovation, outstanding reform initiative, security management, transparency and open governance.

Seven state governors are on the list of award recipients. They are Peter Mbah of Enugu State; Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State; Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State; Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State; Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State; Mohammed Bago of Niger State and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

The other award recipients are the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Wale Adeniyi; Governor of the CBN, Yemi Cardoso; Executive Chairman, FIRS, Zach Adedeji; IGP Kayode Egbetokun; former SGF, Boss Mustapha; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mele Kyari; Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Olukoyede; the Executive Vice Chairman, NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu; James Faleke and Aliyu Betara, both members of the House of Representatives; and Senator Musa Sanni.

Others are the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa (an army general); Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja (a lieutenant general); Chief of the Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla (a vice admiral); Chief of Air Staff, Hasan Abubakar (air marshall); Chief of Defence Intelligence, Emmanuel Undiandeye (a major general);

President, Dangote Group, the DG, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi; the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri; and a Commissioner from Borno State, Zuwaira Gambo.

The award list also has the Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake; the Director General, Nigeria Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; a retired federal permanent secretary, Olusegun Adekunle; Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi; Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hadejia; Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri and Danda Lawal.

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

Mrs Yovchevska added: The recipients were chosen through a rigorous process of measuring their contributions to their states, communities, and agencies. NEAPS was set up as a platform for inspiring greater patriotism, promoting innovation and recognizing individuals at the forefront of efficient public service delivery.

The awards are to further encourage individuals and institutions that have demonstrated patriotism, diligence, innovation and reforms in order to change the fortunes of the entities they lead.

The maiden edition of the NEAPs Awards held in October 2022, at the State House Conference Center, Abuja, honoured 44 Nigerians, with the then President Muhammadu Buhari presenting the awards.

Over 60 percent of the winners of the well-attended maiden NEAPS Award in 2022 have continued to make progress in politics and business. They include Mr Wike, who is now FCT Minister; NNPC GCEO, Mele Kyari, who was given a second term by President Tinubu; Mr Gbajabiamila, who is now the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu; Mr Fintiri who got a second term and Mr Sule who also secured a second term.

The Best Strategic Media, a Strategic Communication and Policy advisory firm, is at the forefront of galvanizing support for the promotion of Nigerian ideals and the achievement of sustainable development goals, through effective partnerships with government, international NGOs, diplomatic community, multinational companies and individuals.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 Nigeria election, Peter Obi, has congratulated the United Kingdom Labour Party and their leader, Keir Starmer,, for recording a historic victory in Thursdays election.

Reacting to the victory in his X handle on Friday, Mr Obi said he hopes the incoming prime minister will follow his campaign promises that made UK voters look his way.

I sincerely congratulate Mr Keir Starmer and the Labour Party UK on the landslide victory they recorded in Thursdays election.

May the victory translate to a better and new chapter for all the UK residents as you remain committed to your electoral promises.

I also hope that your government will promote stronger ties between the UK and Nigeria and help in deepening our democracy, especially during these challenging times. Nigeria is grappling with issues such as insecurity, education, healthcare, and poverty and could greatly benefit from the support of the UK.

Let us work together to build a brighter future commonwealth for all.

Signed

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

Dr Yunusa Tanko

POMR SPOKESMAN

July 5, 2024

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for a significant shift from dependence on oil to other critical sectors with attractive investment returns in Nigeria.

He identified agriculture, manufacturing, renewable energy, and digital innovation, among other sectors, as potential investment grounds to explore, saying they align with the nations development priorities outlined in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

The vice president, who stated this on Friday during the Existing Foreign Direct Investors Roundtable at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, noted that the eight-point agenda of the Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signals diverse avenues for investment, from agriculture to renewable energy.

Through targeted incentives and public-private partnerships, we aim to unlock the full potential of these sectors, catalysing job creation and socio-economic empowerment across the country, he added.

Mr Shettima assured the investors and other development partners of a business environment that is characterised by transparency, accountability, and regulatory certainty, even as he implored them to recognise the indispensable role of public-private partnerships in mobilising resources, sharing expertise, and mitigating investment risks.

The VP observed that the non-oil sector contributed 93.62 per cent to Nigerias GDP in the first quarter of 2024, exploring other critical sectors of the nations economy is imperative.

He said, It is not by chance that the non-oil sector contributed 93.62% to the nations GDP in the first quarter of 2024. This significant shift from our oil dependency invites us to explore diverse sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, renewable energy, and digital innovation.

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

These sectors not only promise attractive returns but also align with our national development priorities outlined in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and subsequent blueprints.

Mr Shettima further said the Tinubu administration adopted some mechanisms for the ease of doing business, which, according to him, stimulate investment across critical sectors and strengthen the capacity of public institutions, ensuring that industry stakeholders are never undermined.

Emphasising the importance of investment in the life of a countrys economy, Mr Shettima noted that it is not just about financial returns but also building lasting legacies and making enduring contributions to society, just as he told the investor that their investments are capable of uplifting communities, create sustainable livelihoods, and drive inclusive growth.

He noted: The life of every economy is defined by the volume of investments it accommodates and attracts. Investments are the lifeblood that fuels innovation, drives growth, and creates opportunities for prosperity.

Today, as we gather for this roundtable with our esteemed foreign direct investors, we celebrate not just the capital that flows into our nation but the confidence, trust, and partnerships that these investments represent.

Mr Shettima further stressed that President Tinubus visionary leadership and pro-business background were added incentives to investing in Nigeria under the present dispensation.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Ibrahim Hadejia, commended the development partners, foreign investors and other stakeholders for participating in the meeting.

Mr Hadejia outlined some of the efforts made by President Tinubus administration to boost Nigerias investment climate.

He said most of the measures already adopted by the administration were at different implementation phases and would yield fruits in the coming years for existing and aspiring investors.

In her remarks, the Technical Adviser to the President on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Zahrah Mustapha-Audu presented the summary report of a survey conducted to aggregate views about foreign investments in Nigeria, noting that the outcome of the exercise would be critical to the efforts by the Tinubu administration to boost the investment environment in the country.

She explained that the programme  Existing Foreign Direct Investors Roundtable- is centred around seeking ways of retaining and scaling up investments in Nigeria, noting that the outcome of deliberations at the forum would be harnessed to boost existing frameworks and policies aimed at encouraging foreign direct investment in Nigeria.

Also present at the roundtable were the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite; the Managing Director of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Aminu Umar-Sadiq; the CEO of Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Aisha Rimi; the Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap; a representative of the CBN Governor and representatives of other federal government agencies.

Stanley Nkwocha

Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications

(Office of The Vice President)

5th July, 2024

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The FCT Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Friday in Abuja expressed its shock over the death of its treasurer, Aisha Kadala.

In a statement jointly signed by its Chairperson, Osaretin Osadebamwen, and its Secretary, Ochiaka Ugwu, the council said it had lost one of its finest officials.

According to the statement, Mrs Kadala died in the early hours of Friday after a protracted illness.

Aisha Kadala was a staff of Aso Radio and Television and a Defence and Crime Correspondent until her death.

Kadalas death has sent shockwaves through the journalism community, with colleagues and friends describing her as a great pillar to the union, a committed comrade and a strong motivator to many journalists.

She served in different leadership roles, including as chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and Treasurer of the NUJ FCT Council until her death, it stated.

According to the council, colleagues and friends will remember Mrs Kadala as a kind and compassionate person who always had a smile and a word of encouragement.

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

Kadala was a mother to all of us in the journalism community. Her demise has left a huge void in our hearts, it stated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that her remains were on Friday committed to Mother Earth according to Islamic rites at Gudu Cemetery, Abuja.

The NUJ FCT Council has called on all journalists to pray for the repose of her soul.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has presented 50 operational vehicles with communication gadgets to security agencies to strengthen the fight against insecurity in the territory.

Mr Wike, while handing over the vehicles to the agencies in Abuja on Friday, said the measure was to support security agencies with the needed logistics to enable them to combat crime in the FCT.

The FCT Police Command got 24 vehicles, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps eight, Advance Party/Security Monitoring, the FCT Administration six, and the State Security Services got five.

Also, the Guard Brigade of the Nigerian Army received three vehicles, while the Nigeria Air Force, 005, Abuja, Naval Unit, Nigerian Immigration Service, and National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency received one each.

We are no longer talking about infrastructure; we are no longer talking about taking development to the Area Councils; we are now talking about a key factor, a key agenda in the renewed hope mantra, and that has to do with security.

We are not just concentrating on infrastructure; we are not only concentrating on bringing development to the hinterland; we are also concentrating on providing security in order to protect lives and property, the minister said.

He pointed out that one of President Bola Tinubus key priorities was the security of lives and property.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

According to him, any leader who cannot secure the lives and properties of citizens has no business in governance.

So, it is a priority for President Tinubu that Nigerians are secured and who are those that are responsible? It is the security agencies.

For us as a government, it is not the responsibility of Mr President to go and identify where the criminals are; it is not my responsibility or the minister of states responsibility to go and engage criminals.

It is our responsibility to provide the tools for the security agencies to confront these criminals and make sure we sleep with our two eyes closed.

If we do not play this role, it will be difficult for our security agencies to be effective and to be able to carry out this function of securing lives and properties.

He urged residents to support and pray for security agencies, who sometimes lose their lives in the line of duty.

The minister commended the security agencies for reducing the crime rate in FCT and promised continued support by providing the tools needed to work for the interest of residents.

He urged the security agencies to use the vehicles for the benefit of the society and not for private use.

It is not for you to use as private vehicles because it is air-conditioned, then you use it to be carrying your wives, instead of the purpose it was meant for, he said.

Earlier, the Director of State Security Services (SSS), Adamu Gwary, noted the rising concern on security in and around the FCT.

He said that the operational vehicles would empower and enhance the capacity of security agencies to fight crimes and criminality, respond promptly to distress situations and rise to the security challenges confronting the territory.

However, crime prevention is the responsibility of all, and as such, all hands must remain on deck to ensure safety and security of all, he said.

Speaking on behalf of the security agencies, the Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, FCT Command, thanked Mr Wike for the continued support of security agencies in FCT.

Mr Igweh, who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kayode Ojakinwa, assured them that the security agencies would make the best use of the vehicles for the security of all.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister had on 16 April donated 100 motorcycles to security agencies to combat crime in hard-to-reach communities.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


President Bola Tinubu has laid the foundation for the official launch of the Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflict (RSPIC) to address the humanitarian crisis caused by internal displacements across Nigeria.

The project marks a shift in the governments approach to internal displacement and conflict resolution and President Tinubus commitment to temporary relief and long-term rehabilitation and reintegration of affected communities.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the pilot phase of the project in Tudun Biri, Kaduna State, President Tinubu, who Vice President Kashim Shettima represented, said, There couldnt have been a better place for the take-off of this intervention than this diverse state.

The President said, Kaduna State has offered us a launchpad to venture into the communities dislodged by Conflict. For so long, we have been held hostage by the fear of ourselves and allowed preventable incidents to escalate into transgenerational disputes.

Today, we gather to say, Enough is enough.'

Earlier in February, VP Shettima had inaugurated a steering committee to coordinate the implementation of the initiative in fulfilment of President Bola Tinubus promise to improve the lives of all Nigerians.

The committee chaired by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, also has representatives of governors of the benefiting states as members.

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

Other members of the committee include the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari; representatives of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), BUA Group, Dangote Group and the Director General of NEMA, among others.

The project will initially focus on seven states disproportionately affected by farmers-herders conflicts. They are Sokoto, Kebbi, Benue, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, and Kaduna State.

President Tinubu said the administration is determined to break the cycle of violence and displacement that has plagued various parts of the country for years. Our journey to this point has been long and arduous, but today, we converge in this historic city to demonstrate our resolve to overcome adversity.

The RSPIC is designed as a multi-faceted intervention that goes beyond mere infrastructure development. According to the President, the scheme will construct residences, roads, schools, and essential facilities for victims of conflict while providing a dignified environment to live and to dream.

The President particularly praised Governor Uba Sanis efforts in promoting unity, who noted, In just about a year in office, His Excellency Governor Uba Sani has been an inspiration for unity in this beautiful state. His approach is a template for other state governors and the nation.

President Tinubu said, The non-kinetic interventions we have explored since taking office are best demonstrated by our state governors, and Kaduna is a light of hope in this aspect.

The President noted the national significance of the project, saying, Conflict and displacement, to us, are not merely regional issues; they are national concerns that demand a unified response. They threaten the very fabric of our society, and it is only through justice, distribution of democratic dividends, and collaboration that we can overcome these challenges.

The President also directly and emotionally appealed to those affected by Conflict: To those who Conflict has displaced, I say this: We see you, we hear you, and we stand with you. Your strength and resilience inspire us all, and under my leadership, we commit to bolstering our nations security infrastructure and advancing peace.

Now is our time for permanent solutions. This intervention is ours together, the President added.

Earlier in his address, Mr Sani praised the initiative, stating, Today is a day of joy because we are about to set the stage for the transformation of this community.

He outlined ongoing efforts to support Tudun Biri, including constructing a six kilometres road and building a skill acquisition centre and a clinic to cater to the medical needs of the people.

Mr Sani expressed gratitude to President Tinubu, describing the choice of Tudun Biri for the project as a clear demonstration of the Presidents commitment to wiping off the tears of Tudun Biri people and the poor, vulnerable and underserved in our country.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, noted the broader implications of the project as it translates to the improvement of the welfare of the citizens.

She stated, Let us remember that every brick laid, and every path paved, is a symbol of our shared commitment to a future where peace, prosperity, and unity reign supreme.

Ms Umar added that the project would pave the way for similar initiatives in other states that would follow.

Responding, the Dangaladiman Zauzau, District Head of Rigasa, Mohammad Idris, said, We are happy that this pledge is being fulfilled. This is a commitment on the part of the government which we are very proud of.

He expressed gratitude on behalf of the Zazzau Emirate Council, noting, We sincerely thank Mr President for honouring this promise.

Dignitaries who attended the event included the Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi; the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Hadiz Balarabe; the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Musa Dangiwa; representatives of the governors of Kano, Katsina and Kwara states.

Others are the representative of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, Kaka Lawan; the representative of the Chairman of the House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Management, Joseph Bassey; Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, and Secretary to Kaduna State Government Abdulkadir Mayere, among many others.

Stanley Nkwocha

Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications

(Office of The Vice President)

5th July, 2024

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Acting Director General of the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), Khalid Ishiak, has said there are 40 metric tons of Tela maize variety within Nigeria for farmers at the moment.

The official disclosed this Thursday during a press conference in Abuja amidst controversy trailing the commercialisation of the Genetically Modified (GM) corn variety in Nigeria.

The quantity of Tela maize in the country surprised us because all we did was that by the time the farmers would need them, we would not have zero. For now, it is just a small quantity of breeder seeds and 40 metric tons. Only 40 metric tons, which is still within, Mr Ishiak said.

He said the seeds directly researched are released by the breeders from the research institute which they referred to as breeder seeds.

Background

Amidst concerns over the adoption of GM Crops in Nigeria, the federal government, in January, approved the commercial release of four Tela maize varieties for commercial planting in the country.

Tela maize is a maize variety that has been genetically engineered for improved insect resistance and drought tolerance, to boost farmers yield per hectare and also complement existing demand gaps.

The commercialisation of the maize varieties placed Nigeria second in the list of African countries that have adopted and commercialised the T maize varieties after South Africa, a report published in February by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) noted.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

According to the report by the USDA, in the marketing year 2022/2023, Nigeria produced an estimated 12.7 million metric tons (MMT) of corn, with an average yield of 2.2 tons per hectare. However, it noted that the adoption of the new maize varieties could increase the countrys production capacity significantly.

According to the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF), yields of Tela maize could reach up to 10 tons per hectare if grown under good agronomic practices, the report said.

However, the adoption of Tela maize has generated controversies among anti-GMO groups in Nigeria, particularly the environmental think-tank Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and several other groups, have all condemned GMO adoption in the country.

In May, the House of Representatives urged the federal government to suspend the commercialisation of Genetically Modified (GMO) crops in Nigeria amid lingering concerns about food and environmental safety.

Food sovereignty concerns

Some environmentalists have argued that the move to commercialise GMO seeds would have far-reaching consequences in Nigeria and across Africa.

Aside from health and environmental concerns, critics of GMO technology in Nigeria say it violates the principles of food sovereignty.

This is because the seeds are often patent-locked and privatised, which could weaken the position of African farmers and communities, and also enhance the depletion of indigenous/conventional seed banks in the continent.

By implication, farmers across Nigeria and Africa at large would have to depend on the GM seed manufacturers for seeds to grow some of the crops annually, they argue.

On Thursday, the coalition of Nigerias agricultural research system, led by the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, maintained that GMO crops are safe and pose no harm to humans, animals and the environment.

Mr Ishiak, who was part of the team, used the occasion to speak on concerns relating to the viability and safety of GMO seeds.

He emphasised that the notion that seeds from harvested GMO materials cannot be replanted is incorrect.

Seeds from GM materials that have been bred in Nigeria can be replanted. However, as with the conventional seeds, we have always advised farmers to always buy new seeds for optimal yield gain. Planting the offspring or farmers safe seeds from harvested materials may lead to yield low by about 10-15 per cent and up to 25 per cent in some instances, he said.

In his remarks, the Director General, National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NABRDA), Abdullahi Mustapha, said the ongoing debate regarding the safety of GMO plants on human and environmental health in Nigeria has been reignited by the introduction of the Tela Maize.

This, he said, has sparked controversy, misinformation, and misunderstanding.

This has resulted in widespread fear and scepticism among the public. Our aim with this event is to alleviate public concerns, dispel misinformation, and educate the nation on GMOs proven safety and advantages, he said.

The official explained that GMOs represent a crucial advancement in the field of biotechnology, offering a myriad of benefits that span across agriculture, food security, health, industry, and the environment.

Mr Mustapha explained that GMOs have the potential to revolutionise Nigerias approach to addressing pressing global challenges such as food scarcity, malnutrition, and environmental sustainability.

He stressed that by harnessing the power of genetic engineering, Nigerian scientists and researchers have developed crops more resilient to pests, diseases, and adverse climate conditions, thus ensuring a more secure food supply for present and future generations.

Some of these crops include Bt Cowpea, Bt Cotton and the newly released Tela Maize, he said.

On her part, the Director General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Agnes Asagbra, said that NBMA is committed to ensuring the safety and responsible regulation of GMOs in Nigeria.

The NBMA is Nigerias sole authority on biosafety matters. We enforce standards, guidelines, and risk assessment procedures for GMOs. Our commitment is rooted in the National Biosafety Management Agency Act and its regulations, she said.

While concerns exist about long-term effects, she said the current scientific consensussupported by the NBMAis that GMO foods approved for consumption in Nigeria are safe.

This, she said, is because rigorous risk assessments guide their decisions.

Before granting approvals for any genetically modified organism (GMO), NBMA conducts rigorous risk assessments. These assessments evaluate potential risks to human health, the environment, and biodiversity, Mrs Asagbra said.

She explained that the GM assessment process involves scientific experts who analyse data, conduct experiments, and assess the safety of the GMO in question.

She noted that the NBMA considers factors such as allergenicity, toxicity, and unintended effects resulting from genetic modifications.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the director of Open Forum on Agriculture Biotechnology (OFAB), Rose Gidado, said Nigerian farmers are already planting Tela maize and some would be harvested by November.

Asked about the labelling concerns, Mrs Gidado said the seeds in circulation are properly labelled.

The seeds are already labelled. GM products are labelled, she added.

On his part, the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Garba Sharubutu, dismissed speculations that GM seeds are not safe.

That is the most disturbing phenomenon. The agriculture research system has provided stations in most nooks and crannies of this country. Each research institute has at least three adopted fields that are used to distribute most of our research, he said.

He urged Nigerians to seek clarifications about the newly released technology from the relevant authorities.

Please receive your original (seeds) from the source. Your number one source today, if you want to thrive, is the IAR, National Biotechnology Agency and Seed Council. Some people are even bagging fake seeds saying somebody has brought poison into this country. Please ask us whenever you are in doubt, he said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) announced on Thursday that it has suspended the licences of ten private jet companies that violated the agencys regulations.

The development was made known by the NCAAs Public Affairs and Consumer Protection Director, Michael Achimugu, in a statement posted on the agencys official X page.

According to the statement, NCAA Regulations 2023 Part 18.3.4 forbids holders of Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) from using their aircraft to carry passengers, cargo or mail for hire or reward (commercial operation or charter services).

As a result of flagrant disregard of this rule, the NCAA said it had earlier directed all holders of PNCF to undergo re-evaluation which should have been concluded by the 19th of April.

To this end, the NCAA has suspended the PERMIT FOR NON COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS of Azikel Dredging Nigeria Ltd, Bli-Aviation Safety Services, Ferry Aviation Developments Ltd, Matrix Energy Ltd, Marrietta Management Services Ltd,.

Worldwide Skypaths Services, Mattini Airline Services Ltd, Aero Lead Ltd, Sky Bird Air Ltd and Ezuma Jets Ltd, the agency said.

It warned that engaging PNCF holders for commercial purposes is illegal and the NCAA will not hesitate to initiate enforcement actions against any PNCF holder found guilty of illegal operations.

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

Furthermore, NCAA officials have been deployed to General Aviation Terminals (GAT) and private wings of the airports to monitor activities of the PNCF holders, the agency said.

In April, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the NCAA suspended three private jet owners for carrying out commercial flight operations.

At the time, the NCAA said the use of private jets for commercial purposes prompted the aviation minister, Festus Keyamo, to issue directives for the cessation of such acts.

In line with our zero tolerance for violation of regulations, the Authority has suspended the PNCF of these operators. To further sanitise the general aviation sector, I have directed a reevaluation of all holders of PNCF be carried out on or before the 19th of April 2024 to ascertain compliance with regulatory requirements, the NCAA acting Director, Chris Najomo, was quoted to have said.

Mr Najomo said all PNCF holders must submit relevant documents to the authority within the next 72 hours.

This riot act was also directed at existing Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders, who utilise aircraft listed on their PNCF for commercial charter operations.

Meanwhile, last month, Mr Keyamo inaugurated an eight-member ministerial task force committee on illegal private chartered operations and related matters to address alleged money laundering, drug trafficking and other illegal activities by private jet operators in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: NCAA suspends Dana Airline operations

To stem the practice of illegal chartered operations including illicit activities raising security and safety concerns culminating to significant financial losses to the Federal Government, Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, FciArb. (UK), has inaugurated a Ministerial Task Force Committee on illegal private chartered operations and related matters, the minister said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The federal government has increased the rates and charges for all activities in the mining sector.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, who disclosed this while briefing journalists on the new charges on Thursday in Abuja, expressed concerns over non-remittance by some operators.

Mr Alake said that mining operators in the industry were making huge amounts of money but refused to remit appropriate taxes to the federal government.

Today, we are taking a major step in the efforts to implement the seven-point agenda.

This is to position the sector for economic consolidation by announcing a new regime of rates and charges for various services of the department and agencies of the ministry.

The minister said the development was in view of the introduction of qualitative measures being implemented in recent times.

He added that it would raise the level of services, improve transaction traffic, and develop infrastructure.

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

For instance, we supervised the successful implementation and conclusion of the mineral sector support for economic diversification mind diver project.

He said the mining sector involved the Mining Cadastral Office (MCO)  the agency responsible for licensing which acquired the new mining information system, Electronic Mining Cadastre System, EMC+ portal.

This enables 24 hours application and administration system that accelerated the rate of application and access of app24-hourlicants to MCO, adding that the system had improved transparency.

Mr Alake said the system would also encourage more interest and boost participation in the sector; thereby giving stakeholders the confidence to invest in the sector.

He said that the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) had acquired an integrated base data accessible by the public.

The stakeholders have been enjoying the mining sector; it is therefore equitable that those who invest in the mining sector and make profits from it should be on the front lines of governments efforts to recoup rather than pass it to poor Nigerians.

Mr Alake said that there were about 268 items in the rates regime, adding that it would be difficult to mention all the items.

The major highlights are as follows: under the new regime, investors applying for a mining lease license will pay N3 million, while Small Scale Mining Lease (SSML) applicants will pay N300,000 for the first two cadastral units.

The cost to obtain an Exploration Licence (EL) is N600,000 for the first 100 cadastral units.

He listed others as a Quarry lease and reconnaissance permit, which attracted N300,000.

The aim is to discourage speculation and address the paucity of funds, limiting the federal governments capacity to improve ease of doing business in the sector.

The new rate, which affects 268 items in the industry, includes an annual service fee of N31,500 for the first time.

Also, N260,000 for a Small Scale Mining License (SSML), N500,000 for a Quarry Lease, and N1,250,000 for firms operating with a Mining Lease.

Following the renewal of licenses, the rates for the respective categories will be N42,000, he said.

Mr Alake also listed an exploration licence: N420,000 for a SSML, N1.5 million for a mining Lease and N1 million for a quarry lease.

Other services affected by the new regulations include mineral title applications of the MCO, alongside the transfer, enlargement, surrender, and consolidation of mineral titles.

According to Mr Alake, the new regulations seek to maximise royalties from critical minerals like lithium and gold to boost the nations revenue base and contribute significantly to economic development.

In the new rates regime, lithium ore lepidolite at the current market value of N600,000 per tonne attracts an N18,000 royalty per tonne.

Kunzite with a current market value of N3 million per tonne, attracts a N90,000 royalty per tonne, while lithium ore spodumene with a current market value of N316,667 per tonne, attracts a N9,500 royalty per tonne, he said.

He said that the rates review also affected services rendered by the MCO and the NGSA.

According to the minister, the new rates regime takes immediate effect.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, has addressed the lingering crisis rocking the Federal College of Education, Technical (FCET), Akoka, as warring parties on Thursday evening signed resolutions that included the reopening of the office of the colleges provost, Wahab Azeez, and his return to the office.

The resolutions, signed by the representatives of the ministry, the newly inaugurated governing council of the college, and the staff unions, noted that the key to the office of the provost will be handed over to the Chairman of the Governing Council to allow for the Provost, Dr Ademola Azeez, to resume his official functions.

The meeting also ordered an end to the prolonged protest by the workers, even as it urged the governing council members to visit the college on Tuesday, 9 July, to address the workers.

PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday reported that the minister had invited the provost and the warring factions, especially the leaders of staff unions on the campus, to a reconciliation meeting scheduled to hold at the ministrys headquarters in Abuja.

The meeting, which was earlier fixed for 11 a.m., eventually commenced at about 6 p.m. and ended late into the night.

The Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, represented Mr Mamman to chair the meeting. Other ministry officials at the meeting included the Directors of Special Duties and his counterpart in the Department of Colleges of Education, Zubairu Abdullahi and Uchenna Uba, respectively.

The Chairman of the newly inaugurated governing council of the college, Olatunde Adenuga; Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Paulinus Okwelle; Chairman of the Committee of Provosts of Colleges of Education, Faruk Haruna and among others, were also at the meeting.

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 the part of the college, apart from the provost, others in attendance included the Chairman and Secretary of the Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education, Augustin Nwachukwu and Kazeem Qadri, respectively; Caretaker Chairman of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Ishola Lawal; COEASUs suspended Chairman, Kolawole Ijadunola; Chairman of the colleges chapter of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Olasunkanmi Alonge; NASU National Vice-President, Samuel Ogunmokun, among others.

Resolutions

Apart from the reopening of the office of the provost and his return to his duty post, the meeting also resolved that the governing council chairman, Mr Adenuga, should immediately meet with the representatives of the staff of the college at the meeting possibly for a post-meeting review.

The meeting also mandated the new council to investigate the alleged misappropriation of funds reportedly approved for the colleges fencing.

The resolution also noted: The Provost should be allowed to operate under the supervision of the Chairman of the Governing Council of the College whilst all staff seize to protest forthwith.

On the state of offices of chief lecturers, the college should take immediate measures to improve the condition or allow them to go back to their former offices.

It also mandated the governing council to address the issue regarding the appointment of the bursar of the institution.

While Mrs Uba signed the resolution on behalf of the ministry, Mr Adenuga signed for the governing council. Others who signed the resolution were the chairpersons of the colleges branches of SSUCOEN and NASU and the chairman of the Caretaker Committee of COEASU, Messrs Nwachukwu, Alonge, and Lawal, respectively.

Backstory

Since 27 May, the workers locked up the provosts office and issued him a quit notice from his official residence.

Led by the leadership of the Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education (SSUCOEN), FCET chapter, the protesters insisted that with the amendment of the Educational Colleges Act 2023, which introduced a five-year single term of office for provosts and other principal officers of the colleges, the tenure of Mr Azeez had ended on 26 May.

However, the provost said he was appointed for the first term of four years in 2019 and that having been duly reappointed by the institutions governing council in 2023, he already resumed his second term in office on 27 May 2023 before the amended act was signed into law on 12 June 2023.

Following letters by the unions seeking clarification on the tenure of office of the provost based on the amended act, the Minister wrote the unions in May, affirming the legality of Mr Azeezs second term of four years.

However, the protesters ignored the ministers verdict and continued to stage daily protests on the campus, denying management members access to their offices.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


On Thursday, the Senate passed a bill establishing the North-central Development Commission (NCDC).

The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, announced the establishment after most lawmakers supported it through a voice vote.

The clauses of the bill were considered and approved by the Committee of the Whole.

After considering a report of its Committee on Special Duties, the upper chamber passed the bill, presented by Kaka Shehu, its chairman.

Mr Shehu, the senator representing Borno Central Senatorial District, said the bill aims to strengthen the economy and infrastructural development of the North-central geopolitical zone.

The commission would manage funds for resettlement, rehabilitation, integration and reconstruction of roads, houses and business premises of victims of flood and farmer/herders clashes, communal clashes, construction of large format drainage systems, dredging of rivers Niger and Benue to control flood and incidental matters in the region.

It would also tackle poverty, illiteracy and other related environmental or developmental challenges facing the North-central states.

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 Shehu recommended the passage of the bill and urged his colleagues to support the commissions establishment.

The lawmakers did not debate the bill before the deputy senate president put the passage to the vote, and most lawmakers supported it.

States in the North-central region are Kogi, Niger, Benue, Kwara, Plateau, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The bill will now be sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence.

Existing commissions

If the bill scales through legislative hurdles in the House, it will be part of the commissions established for intervention in geopolitical zones.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established in 2000 to intervene in issues and development in the Niger Delta areas.

The states in the NDDC are Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta in the South-south, Abia and Imo in the South-east and Ondo in the South-west.

The North-east Development Commission (NEDC) was established in 2017 following the devastation of the region by Boko Haram insurgents. The board of the commission was inaugurated in May 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The current Senate also passed the South-east Development Commission (SEDC) bill in February, while the North-west Development Commission (NWDC) bill was passed in May.

The bill seeking the creation of the South-west Development Commission passed a second reading in the Senate in February.

There are, however, concerns that all the geopolitical zones in the country are seeking to have development commissions established for them.

Some analysts have attributed it to the determination of the zones not to be cheated.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed 18 September for judgment in a suit seeking the removal of Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The judge, Inyang Ekwo, fixed the date on Friday after counsel for the plaintiff, Benjamin Davou, and lawyers to the defence adopted their processes and made their submissions for and against the case.

The plaintiff  the North Central APC Forum led by Saleh Zazzaga  had filed the suit to query the propriety of Mr Gandujes appointment as the chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, the plaintiff sued Mr Ganduje, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the defendants.

The plaintiff asked the court to, among others, restrain Mr Ganduje from further parading himself as the chairman of the APC.

It also prayed the court to issue an order directing the INEC not to accord recognition to all actions taken by the APC, including congresses, primaries and nominations, since Mr Ganduje became the APC chairman on 3 August 2023.

The plaintiff contended, among others, that Mr Ganduje is occupying the office of the APC chairman illegally because he is not from a state in the North Central geo-political zone.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

It argued that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC breached the partys constitution when it appointed Ganduje, from Kano State in the North West geo-political zone to replace Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State in the North-central geo-political zone.

It also argued that Mr Gandujes appointment to replace Abdullahi was contrary to Article 31.5(1) (f) of the APC constitution and ultra-vires the powers of the NEC of the party.

Mr Davou, while adopting the processes filed on behalf of the plaintiff, prayed the court to grant their prayers.

Mr Gandujes lawyer, Abdul Adamu; APCs counsel, Isiaka Dikko, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and their INEC counterpart, Ahmed Mohammed, while adopting their separate counter-affidavits and preliminary objections, urged the court to dismiss the suit.

Mr Ekwo adjourned the matter until 18 September for judgment.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The newly inaugurated governing councils of federal tertiary institutions have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to order the exemption of the institutions from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) operated by the Nigerian government.

The chairperson for the University of Lagos Governing Council, Wole Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), made the request in his speech on behalf of the governing councils members shortly after their inauguration in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Thursday.

About TSA

TSA is a policy introduced by the government that mandates the use of a single account for all transactions by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), even as the account is domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The policy is targeted at addressing the identified fraudulent practices by the MDAs, especially through the operation of multiple bank accounts.

In 2012, the Nigerian government began a partial implementation of the TSA policy, through a Consolidated Revenue Account (CRA) at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In 2015, however, former President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the full implementation of the policy which directs all payments, including revenues generated by the tertiary institutions, into the unified government coffers domiciled at the CBN.

However, following the implementation of the policy, the managing officials of various tertiary institutions have complained of the challenges posed by the policy especially considering the peculiarities of the institutions.

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

Lets liberate universities

Speaking at the inauguration of the councils on Thursday, Mr Olanipekun appealed to the minister to also assist them in making the universities more productive.

Mr Olanipekun, who spoke on behalf of the inaugurated councils of the federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, said it is unheard of that universities have to seek permission from the federal government before taking on expenditures.

ALSO READ: Buhari approves partial exclusion of Ministry of Finance Incorporated from TSA

We dont expect a country like ours or universities in the country to generate revenues and still put them under the regime of TSA, it cannot work. Let us liberate the universities, he said, as other members of councils seated at the Idris Abdulkadir Auditorium cheered him on with claps.

Sir, universities are not civil servants as such. The University of Lagos, for example, you want to spend one million naira but you are coming to Abuja to get approval. Dont let outsiders hear you.

Take this plea to the president

Mr Olanipekun narrated that in his last year as the pro-chancellor of the University of Ibadan where he served between 2009 and 2013, the university paid its staff salaries from the internally generated revenue because the revenue was generated and domiciled with them.

He said: As of that time, money was not coming from the federal government as and when due. We will not wait for them. And we also pay a 13th month salary. That was when we were managing the internally generated revenue by us, within us. We were generating from within, we were managing from within.

What has happened nowadays, Sir? I am an elder statesman, a senior citizen of this country and we are to manage this country and education is so key, so central, and so germane.

He, therefore, asked the education minister to take their plea to President Bola Tinubu.

I am going through you, honourable minister, take this plea to the president. We are not dictating, we are pleading. I am saying this on bended knees on behalf of all of us he added.

Peaceful working relationship

Mr Olanipekun also admonished his colleagues to forge a smooth working relationship with the management of their respective institutions.

He said their relationship should not be like that of cat and mouse.

He also called for the reciprocity of respect between the university management and governing councils.

When we go to the university, we are to build, we are not to destroy, thats the way to contribute to society meaningfully, he said.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Anambra State Government says it has discovered 427 ghost workers in its local government service.

The Chairperson of the Anambra State Local Government Civil Service Commission, Vincent Ezeaka, disclosed this on Friday while speaking with reporters in Awka, The Nation newspaper reported.

Mr Ezeaka, a lawyer, said of the 427 ghost workers, 59 are deceased, five are living abroad, and 40 are retired workers still earning salaries in two tertiary institutions in the state.

The chairperson said the ghost workers were discovered across the 21 local government areas of the state.

He said 222 of the ghost workers could not be identified in any of the 21 council areas.

How we discovered

Mr Ezeaka said the commission hired a retired permanent secretary to head an ongoing verification exercise in the system.

He added that the discoveries were made during a staff audit launched to sanitise the states civil service.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

We are going to finish our thorough investigation and those caught in this unholy act will face the full weight of the law in accordance with civil service rules.

We have many of them living abroad and still receiving salaries, so we wrote to the Joint Account to remove them from the payroll, he said.

Fake certificates

The chairperson said apart from the discovery of ghost workers, some workers, including deputy directors and local government treasurers, have also been sacked for allegedly possessing fake certificates.

We set up a committee which came up with a report of people with suspicious certificates working in various local government areas of Anambra State and we then set up a screening committee that indicted so many of them.

Those indicted were identified and we started investigating the certificates they presented to the committee and went as far as going to the universities whose certificates they brandished.

And out of the 20 persons who tendered Imo State University certificates, we screened 14 so far where we discovered that six out of the 14 were fake certificates, he said.

So we have dealt with that aspect also. It is our duty to sanitise the system in line with the mandate given to us by Governor Charles Soludo so that the genuine workers who sacrifice their time and energy can get value for their service and not looters who do not contribute anything to the development of Anambra State.

Not witch-hunting

Mr Ezeaka stressed that the ongoing local government and certificate verification exercise was to sanitise the system, and not to witch-hunt.

We are waiting for the committees to conclude their investigations, then we move into action. I want to be thorough and that is why the governor appointed me. The system is bleeding, he said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


There are hundreds of online casinos in the Irish online gambling space, but most of these platforms come with strict restrictions from the GamStop programme which limits the gambling experience of the players in the country. This is because all Irish casinos, by default, are expected to follow the rules and regulations of GamStop, a self-exclusion programme if they are licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.

Hundreds of online casinos licensed by the UKGC, Irish gamblers are left with no other choice but to find ways to bypass the self-exclusion programme that threatens to limit their gambling experience. One of the best ways discovered by the Irish is seeking out casinos not on GamStop, also called offshore casinos as they are not licensed by the UKGC.

However, the number of offshore casinos on the internet can be overwhelming to the average Irish gambler, and they may have difficulty picking the right online casino for their gambling journey. But fret not, for in this article, we will show you a list to help narrow down your difficulty.

Best Irish Online Casinos Not On GamStop 2024

Below is a list of the best Irish casinos not on GamStop for beginners who are only just carving their path in the online casino industry.

 The Clubhouse Casino

 Macau Casino

 TonyBet Casino

 Barz Casino

 GreatWin Casino

The Clubhouse Casino

Established in 2021, The Clubhouse Casino has quickly carved a niche as a top destination for Irish players seeking a premium online gaming experience. With a staggering library exceeding 4,000 titles, Clubhouse caters to all preferences, boasting a diverse selection of slots, table games, and even thrilling live casino experiences. This impressive collection is further enhanced by the presence of industry-leading software developers, ensuring exceptional graphics, smooth gameplay, and a wide range of themes to keep you entertained for hours on end.

While Clubhouse excels in game variety and quality, one area where they could potentially elevate the experience is their mobile offering. Currently, they lack dedicated iOS or Android apps. However, fret not! The Clubhouse mobile browser platform is meticulously designed to deliver a seamless and enjoyable gaming experience on any mobile device. Simply access the Clubhouse Casino website directly from your phone or tablets web browser and get ready to dive into your favourite games from anywhere, anytime.

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 Clubhouse Casino welcomes new players with open arms, offering a generous 100% first deposit match bonus of up to a substantial 600. In simpler terms, whatever amount you deposit initially, Clubhouse will mirror it with bonus funds, essentially doubling your bankroll to kickstart your gaming adventure. And the rewards dont stop there. As part of the welcome package, youll also receive 100 bonus spins to explore a curated selection of exciting online slots. The Clubhouse Casino is one of the best casinos not on GamStop for Irish players, and you should consider checking it out.

Macau Casino

Of course, we are aware that Macau is from China, but leave that detail at the back of your mind for a moment. Macau Casino, backed by the renowned Macau Sporting Club with its land-based casinos in Dublin and Cork, has emerged as a popular online destination since launching in 2019.

This online casino boasts a library of nearly 1,500 slot titles, featuring everything from classic reels to feature-rich video slots, Megaways experiences, and progressive jackpots. Top software providers like Pragmatic Play ensure exceptional quality and a diverse range of themes to keep you entertained for hours.

New players are welcomed with a generous bonus package, offering a deposit match up to a substantial 1,500 and 150 free spins to jumpstart your gaming journey. With its extensive game selection, rewarding welcome offer, and trusted reputation, Macau Casino is definitely worth a visit.

TonyBet Casino

Established in 2003 under the name OmniBet, TonyBetCasino has become a cornerstone of the Irish online gaming scene. Following its acquisition by renowned poker player Antanas Guoga (better known as Tony G), the casino rebranded and embarked on a path of continuous improvement. Today, TonyBet boasts a staggering library exceeding 6,000 titles, ensuring every players preference is catered to.

TonyBet truly shines in the realm of live dealer casino games. Powered by industry leaders like Pragmatic Play, Ezugi, and Evolution Gaming, the platform offers a staggering 600+ live titles. Immerse yourself in the thrill of live poker, baccarat, and roulette, or explore over 250 blackjack variants  all streamed in high definition with professional dealers leading the action.

Slot enthusiasts wont be disappointed either. TonyBetboasts an impressive collection of over 3,200 slots, encompassing classic reels, feature-rich video slots, and progressive jackpots with the potential for life-changing wins. Whether you crave the simplicity of classic slots or the excitement of modern video features, TonyBet has it all.

Conclusion

These are some of the best Irish online casinos not on GamStop that you should have on your checklist. If you wish to pick an online casino not on this list, then you must do thorough research on every platform on your checklist before picking any of them. Plus, remember to always gamble responsibly.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The Nigerian government says it is transitioning from asphalt to concrete in the construction of highways across the country.

It also revealed that 70 per cent of federal highways are being designed on concrete to elongate their lifespans.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, stated this on Thursday when he led a delegation of federal lawmakers and top government officials on a tour of a plant of KAMSTEEL Integrated Company Ltd in Jimba-Oja, Ifelodun local government area of Kwara State.

If you think of all the roads we are constructing in Nigeria, we are moving from asphalt to concrete for over 70 per cent of our roads. In fact, all the roads we are designing now are being designed on concrete, Mr Umahi said.

The minister, who was elated with the magnitude of the KAMSTEEL plant and the employment opportunities it has created, directed contractors working on federal governments construction projects to patronise top-class local manufacturers for construction materials.

He said that the patronage of local manufacturers would help provide jobs, generate revenue for the government, help in reducing the use of foreign products where locally made materials are available and in turn safeguard the nations currency.

He said: What we have seen here is a kind of what you see in China and India, and we are so impressed with the massive scale clubbed with modern technology used to produce international quality products. It is something of great hope for Nigeria. Because in having roads with concrete, we must reinforce technology, and you will see the multiplier effect.

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 lot of our contractors are already using locally produced construction materials. From what I have seen today, and also the files that my directors revealed, we have no hesitation in directing our contractors to promote made-in-Nigeria construction materials.

We are doing asphalt roads, some of our asphalt roads dont last more than five years. And so with the concrete technology and with every raw material, every ingredient of road pavement sourced locally, a great value for taxpayers money.

So, we are going to support local manufacturers and even get our presence. If need be, we will even specify it in our procurement for contractors to source materials locally so that we meet the highest quality for our bridges, the minister said.

READ ALSO: NUJ asks Tinubu to call Umahi to order for walking out on journalists

The group managing director of KAM Holdings Limited, Kamoru Yusuf, who conducted the minister round the factory, said his firm is determined to ensure standard in all its products.

Mr Yusuf said his major preoccupation was for products coming from the company to meet international standards, adding that the companys prime product, Mr Yusuf said.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris has declared Monday as a public holiday to mark the beginning of the new Islamic calendar, 1st Muharram 1446AH.

The Kebbi State Commissioner for Establishment, Auwal Manu-Dogondaji, said this in a statement in Birnin Kebbi on Friday.

According to him, although the 1st of Muharram is on a Sunday, due to the importance of the Islamic New Year, the government decided to shift the public holiday to Monday.

Mr Manu-Dogondaji congratulated the Muslim Ummah on the advent of the new Islamic calendar and urged Muslims to sustain fervent prayers for the peace, security, and prosperity of Kebbi and the nation as a whole.

I extend the congratulations of the governor to the entire Muslim Ummah across the globe, the commissioner said.

(NAN)

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


The police in Lagos have confirmed that nine suspected kidnappers were killed on Thursday during a shootout.

Lagos police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin said the police had been on the trail of the kidnappers after receiving intelligence about their activities.

Addressing journalists at the command headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, Mr Hundeyin said the state command, under the stewardship of the Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, was delighted with the breakthrough it recorded on Thursday.

He noted that before the operation, police intelligence gathering assets had yielded very credible and actionable intelligence about a dangerous and very notorious gang of kidnappers planning to kidnap some high net-worth individuals in the state.

Upon receipt of this intelligence about two weeks ago, CP Fayoade directed the Commands tactical teams to commence work on it. They followed up closely, monitored dutifully and were able to determine that the gang was going to strike yesterday in the Ladipo area of Lagos State.

With the benefit of this information, we were able to proactively prepare for them and more or less laid an ambush for them.

The kidnappers, who were caught unawares, would not give up easily as they engaged the police officers in a shoot-out, Mr Hundeyin, a superintendent of police 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

They, of course, bowed to the superior firepower of the police. Nine of them were neutralised while two escaped with gunshot injuries.

Mr Hundeyin said the shootout occurred in the Ladipo, Mushin area of the state and that several weapons, including Four AK-47 rifles, four locally-made semiautomatic pistols, nine AK47 magazines, three walkie-talkies, were recovered from the suspects.

Also recovered were two operational vehicles: one black Toyota 4Runner and a blue Lexus RX350, Mr Hundeyin said, adding that investigations were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.

The police spokesperson disclosed that the Command had been on the trail of the gang for the past eight months as a result of their numerous kidnapping of wealthy individuals in Isolo, Okota, Ejigbo and Ladipo areas of Lagos State.

We are proud to declare that their reign of terror has effectively come to an end. This breakthrough is in addition to several other breakthroughs we have made in recent times in identifying and apprehending gangs of kidnappers and armed robbers while planning their crimes.

ALSO READ: Police douse tension as hoodlums set Lagos market on fire

Many of these were not made public to protect the identity of members of the public that made the information available, he said.

Mr Hundeyin called on everyone, including medical practitioners, to be on the lookout for anyone with gunshot injuries and promptly inform the nearest police station or call any of the Commands emergency numbers if they come across any.

He enjoined other well-meaning Lagosians not to hesitate to give the police information when they suspect anything amiss around them.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

Telegram

LinkedIn

Email

Print


TEL AVIV, Israel, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Adversa AI is thrilled to announce its continuous AI Red Teaming solution inclusion in the renowned AI Fintech Global list for 2024. This honor highlights the world's most innovative companies developing cutting-edge AI technologies in financial services, showcasing Adversa AI's pivotal role in the AI and GenAI Security industry.

Adversa AI in AI Fintech Global 100

The recognition underscores Adversa AI's flagship product, Continuous Red Teaming for Generative AI (GenAI), which is revolutionizing the financial sector's approach to security and resilience. As financial institutions worldwide rush to implement GenAI for serving customers and grapple with increasingly sophisticated cyber threats specific to AI Applications, from prompt Injections and Jailbreaks to Data Leakages, Adversa AI's Continuous Red Teaming stands out as an essential tool, ensuring Security and Safety of AI-driven applications in financial systems.

In an era where GenAI is transforming financial services, ensuring the security and reliability of AI systems is paramount. Adversa AI's Continuous Red Teaming for GenAI addresses this critical need by providing continuous, rigorous testing and fortification of AI models against potential vulnerabilities and adversarial attacks. This proactive approach not only enhances the security of financial institutions but also builds trust and confidence among stakeholders and customers.

"Being named in the AI Fintech Global list is a testament to our commitment to innovation and excellence in the financial technology sector, the most growing customer segment and the most affected by Cyberattacks. This accolade recognizes our contributions to developing advanced and pioneering AI technologies that are crucial for the financial services industry in 2024 and beyond." - added Alex Polyakov, Adversa AI CEO.

Continuous Red teaming involves the ongoing simulation of sophisticated cyber-attacks on AI systems, identifying weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors. For financial institutions, this means staying ahead of threats, safeguarding sensitive data, and maintaining operational integrity. Adversa AI's solution is designed to adapt to evolving threats, ensuring that financial companies can operate with the highest levels of security and reliability.

For more insights into Adversa AI's Continuous AI Red Teaming, interested parties are encouraged to contact the company directly or via their website.

About Adversa AI

Adversa AI is a Gartner-recognized AI and LLM Security vendor and a worldwide leader in automated AI Red Teaming with customers in the US, EU, Middle East, and Asia. It is dedicated to safeguarding AI systems' security and safety for world Fortune 500 companies, Unicorn AI Startups, and top solution providers.

With a team of world-class experts and unparalleled patented technological solutions, Adversa AI provides its enterprise clients with the solutions they need to harness AI's potential securely. Their commitment to AI Security research and innovation positions them at the forefront of the AI and LLM security sector, defining industry standards and best practices.

About Global Fintech

AI FinTech 100: www.FinTech.Global. A full list of the AI FinTech 100 and detailed information about each company is available to download for free at www.AIFinTech100.com.

Contact:

Adversa AI

+97504794776

[email protected]

SOURCE Adversa AI
NEW YORK, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The aerospace market size in Mexico is estimated to grow by USD 15.61 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 25.2% during the forecast period. Favorable regulatory environment is driving market growth, with a trend towards growing aerospace export. However, downgrading of mexican aviation regulatory poses a challenge. Key market players include Airbus SE, BASF SE, Bombardier Inc., DAHER, Dassault Aviation SA, Ducommun Inc., General Dynamics Corp., General Electric Co., GKN Aerospace Services Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Parker Hannifin Corp., RTX Corp., Safran SA, Textron Inc., Thales Group, and The Boeing Co..

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Aerospace market in mexico 2024-2028

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies- View the snapshot of this report

Aerospace Market Scope In Mexico Report Coverage Details Base year 2023 Historic period 2018 - 2022 Forecast period 2024-2028 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 25.2% Market growth 2024-2028 USD 15611 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 19.78 Regional analysis Mexico Performing market contribution North America at 100% Key countries Mexico and North America Key companies profiled Airbus SE, BASF SE, Bombardier Inc., DAHER, Dassault Aviation SA, Ducommun Inc., General Dynamics Corp., General Electric Co., GKN Aerospace Services Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Parker Hannifin Corp., RTX Corp., Safran SA, Textron Inc., Thales Group, and The Boeing Co.

Market Driver

The Mexican aerospace industry has seen consistent growth in exports, averaging 14% annual increase from 2004 to 2019. This success can be attributed to favorable export programs like the Maquiladora Export Program, enabling duty-free imports for assembling aerospace products for export. However, the industry faced a significant setback with over 20% export decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the Mexican government's support is expected to boost the export sector's recovery. Additionally, the emergence of small vendors and major OEMs, coupled with a cost-effective manufacturing ecosystem, will contribute to the industry's growth and market expansion during the forecast period.

The Aerospace market in Mexico is experiencing significant growth, particularly in the aircraft sector. There's a rising demand for more efficient and sustainable aviation, leading to increased focus on electric propulsion and eVTOL aircraft. Autonomous technology is also trending, with autonomous systems being integrated into both manual and autonomous aircraft. Defense spending remains a key driver, making Mexico a significant defense exporter and a hub for defense contractors and space agencies. Military spending on weapon systems, fire control systems, and satellite communication continues to fuel innovation. The space exploration field is gaining momentum, with initiatives in materials, propulsion systems, and satellite communication. Passenger travel, commercial airlines, and space tourism are also growing sectors. IoT technology, 3D printing, and UAM are other emerging trends. Geopolitical instability underscores the importance of aerospace support.

Discover 360 analysis of this market. For complete information, schedule your consultation - Book Here!

Market Challenges

The Mexican aerospace market faced challenges in 2021 when the Mexican aviation regulatory was downgraded from Category 1 to Category 2 by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Consequently, new routes and aircraft changes were denied for Mexican carriers. Additionally, US airlines ceased sharing codes to sell tickets on Mexican carriers. However, Mexican carriers were still permitted to sell tickets for service on US carriers within the US. These issues are anticipated to impede the expansion of the Mexican aerospace market during the forecast period.

The Mexican aerospace market presents significant opportunities for growth, with key players including aerospace manufacturers, defense contractors, and space agencies. Challenges include sourcing advanced materials and propulsion systems for satellite communication, space exploration initiatives, and passenger travel. Defense needs in the military aerospace sector require continuous modernization, driving demand for new aircraft like narrow-body and wide-body commercial planes, eVTOL aircraft, and autonomous air taxis. Sustainable aviation and space tourism are emerging areas, with electric propulsion and IoT technology playing crucial roles. Geopolitical instability and UAM regulations pose challenges, but opportunities exist in areas like 3D printing, commercial airlines, and space tourism companies. National security and defense industry priorities require advanced technology and military capabilities in the aerospace sector. Overall, the Mexican aerospace market offers vast potential for civilian uses and air travel demand, as well as military applications.

For more insights on driver and challenges - Request a sample report!

Segment Overview

This aerospace market in Mexico report extensively covers market segmentation by

End-user

1.1 Government

1.2 Private sector

Revenue Stream

2.1 Manufacturing

2.2 Engineering and design

2.3 Maintenace

2.4 Repair and Overhaul

Geography

3.1 North America

1.1 Government- The Mexican aerospace market in 2023 was led by the government segment, which is projected to continue dominating the market during the forecast period. This is primarily due to the government's control over a significant number of airports. For instance, Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA), a Mexican aerospace agency, manages 19 airports, along with five cooperated additional airports, including Toluca, Queretaro, Cuernavaca, Palenque, and Tuxtla Gutierrez. Benito Juarez International Airport, a major airport in Mexico, is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario de la Ciudad de Mexico, S.A. De C.V., and saw over 30 million passengers in 2021. Moreover, the government's plans to establish a state-owned, army-run airline and allocate a defense budget of approximately USD1.9 billion to the Mexican Air Force for ten leased airplanes and experimental training airplanes in 2022 are expected to further boost the growth of the government segment, thereby driving the expansion of the aerospace market in Mexico.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2017-2021) - Download a Sample Report

Research Analysis

The Aerospace market in Mexico is a significant and growing sector, encompassing airplanes, spacecraft, missiles, military systems, and various technologies. This industry plays a crucial role in both civilian uses and defense needs, with a focus on national security and military capabilities. The aerospace sector in Mexico includes aircraft manufacturers, defense contractors, space agencies, and material and propulsion system suppliers. Air travel demand continues to rise, driving growth in the civilian aviation sector. Meanwhile, Mexico's space activities are expanding, with initiatives in satellite communication, space exploration, and remote sensing. The defense industry is a key contributor to the aerospace market, with a focus on developing advanced military systems and technologies. Overall, the Mexican aerospace market offers opportunities for innovation and growth in various areas, from passenger travel to defense needs and space exploration.

Market Research Overview

The Aerospace market in Mexico is a significant and growing sector, encompassing airplanes, spacecraft, missiles, and military systems. Technology plays a crucial role, with advancements in autonomous systems, materials, propulsion systems, and satellite communication driving innovation. National security and defense industry requirements fuel military modernization and spending, while civilian uses, including air travel demand and space activities, expand the market's reach. New aircraft, such as eVTOL aircraft and autonomous air taxis, are poised to revolutionize passenger travel. Sustainable aviation and space tourism are also emerging areas of interest. Defense agencies and aerospace manufacturers collaborate on defense needs and space exploration initiatives, with Mexico's defense spending and status as a defense exporter bolstering the sector. Geopolitical instability and UAM are additional factors shaping the market's future.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

End-user

Government



Private Sector

Revenue Stream

Manufacturing



Engineering And Design



Maintenace



Repair And Overhaul

Geography

North America

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
Fifth annual contest awarded Connelly with $10,000

Award presented on July 4 at the Wawa Welcome America Festival in Philadelphia

BOCA RATON, Fla., July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Freedom Mortgage, one of the largest full-service independent mortgage companies, and a top Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) (government-insured) lender in the U.S., has named Naomi Connelly of Dover, New Hampshire this year's winner of the company's Celebrate Freedom Award. Connelly was officially recognized on July 4 at the Wawa Welcome America Festival in Philadelphia, where the Celebration of Freedom ceremony was held in front of Independence Hall. Connelly received a check for $10,000 from Freedom Mortgage, the Celebrate Freedom Award trophy, and a trip for two to Philadelphia to attend the Independence Day festivities.

The Celebrate Freedom Award contest, which runs annually from March 1 through May 1, is open to all service members, veterans, first responders, and healthcare workers who enter and answer the question: "What does freedom mean to me?"

As Sergeant First Class, Connelly paved the way for women to hold posts in the Artillery Field in the Army National Guard, the combat arm that was once closed to females. After over 20 years of hard work and diligence, in 2012, Connelly became the first female Artilleryman in Combat Arms in the Army Reserve Components. On a recent deployment, Connelly shared that she was so full of joy and pride to be able to deploy alongside five additional women servicemembers in her platoon.

"I'm in disbelief to receive this award from Freedom Mortgage," said Connelly. "To me, freedom is having the opportunity to pursue and achieve your full potential and be able to live out your dreams. I'm proud to have been given the opportunity to break down obstacles so that not only I could achieve my potential, but also so that the women around me can do the same. I can look at my daughter and tell her, without reservation, that she truly can be anything she wants to be. I'm grateful for this award, especially at this moment when my daughter is coming to the age where she needs her own car and other things as she looks toward college next summer. This award will be a huge help for my daughter to start her journey to live her dreams."

Stanley C. Middleman, Freedom Mortgage president and CEO, said, "Every year, we are so impressed to hear from so many during our annual Celebrate Freedom Award contest. It's important to recognize the work of our heroes, along with their many sacrifices that protect our country. Congratulations to Naomi Connelly on receiving this year's award; we thank you and all other first responders, veterans, service members, and healthcare workers for your service."

Since the launch of the Freedom Mortgage Celebrate Freedom Award five years ago, the contest has grown in popularity, and submissions have soared each year. For the first 600 submitted applications for the Celebrate Freedom Award, Freedom Mortgage made a $5 donation to both Feeding America and the USO (United Service Organizations). A total donation of $6,000 was split evenly between both organizations, helping to provide at least 30,000 meals* to people facing hunger and supporting programs for service members and their families, respectively. In total, since 2020, to incent submissions, Freedom Mortgage has donated $21,000 to the two nonprofits.

Through Freedom Cares, Freedom Mortgage's employee engagement and philanthropic program, the company provides assistance to many charities, including those that support military service members, veterans and their families. Last year, the company and its employees donated more than $660,000 to support several organizations, including Feeding America, Habitat for Humanity, MBA Opens Doors Foundation, The Salvation Army, and Toys for Tots and others.

Freedom Mortgage is committed to fostering homeownership and financial betterment across the country. For more information about Freedom Mortgage, visit FreedomMortgage.com. For more information about Freedom Mortgage's philanthropic efforts, visit TeamFreedomCares.org.

*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals, secured by Feeding America on behalf of local partner food banks.

About Freedom Mortgage

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, Freedom Mortgage is an independent mortgage company that provides mortgage loans through retail, wholesale and correspondent channels. One of the nation's largest non-bank mortgage lenders and servicers, the company is licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Freedom Mortgage is a top VA and FHA (government-insured) lender in the U.S. (Inside Mortgage Finance, JanuaryMarch 2024), and one of the mortgage industry's largest philanthropic supporters of the USO of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The company is also renowned for its vibrant work environment where all team members can thrive. Earlier this year, Freedom Mortgage was honored for the fourth year in a row as a Top Workplaces USA . Last year, Freedom Mortgage made it back on the Inc. 5000 Honor Roll for the ninth time as one of the fastest-growing private companies across the country. Freedom Mortgage's mission is to foster homeownership for all consumers across America. Freedom Mortgage, Lender NMLS ID: 2767. Equal Housing Opportunity. For more information visit FreedomMortgage.com.

FREEDOM MORTGAGE CONTACT:

Ellen Longo

609-678-0968

[email protected]

SOURCE Freedom Mortgage Corporation
HOUSTON, July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Avelo Airlines is letting freedom ring with $35 off round trip base fares* to 49 popular destinations across the country. This limited-time promotion is the perfect chance for travelers to book their summer or fall getaways.

Key Sale Details:

Travel Period: July 4 th - November 5 th

July 4 - Discount: $35 off round trip base fares*

$35 off round trip base fares* Booking: Available on our website AveloAir.com

Available on our website AveloAir.com Promo Code : JULY4

America's Most Convenient Airline

Since taking flight on April 28, 2021, Avelo has flown more than 4.8 million Customers on over 38,000 flights. Today Avelo serves 49 destinations spanning 23 states and Puerto Rico.

Avelo has unlocked a new era of convenience, choice, and competition by flying unserved routes to primarily underserved communities across the country. Every route has at least one small, easy to use airport. This makes every Avelo journey a smooth, easy, and more enjoyable experience than contending with the crowds, congestion and long walks at larger airports.

Avelo is distinguished by its industry-leading reliability. In May, the airline ranked #1 in on-time performance and delivered the lowest flight cancellation rate in the industry  the second straight month Avelo led the industry in both metrics. Additionally, for the first five months of 2024, Avelo climbed to #1 in on-time performance and maintained the second-lowest flight cancellation rate among all U.S. carriers. These results are reported by Anuvu, a leading aviation data services company also utilized by The Wall Street Journal for the publication's annual airline ranking.

Avelo Customers can always change or cancel their itineraries with no extra fees. Additionally, families can travel with ease knowing every child 13 and under will be automatically seated with an accompanying adult at no additional cost.

Avelo offers advanced seat assignments for sale. One third of its seats are extra leg room seats, ranging from 32 inches to more than 36 inches, offering a more comfortable experience for Customers who value more space. In addition to advance seat assignments, Avelo offers several unbundled travel-enhancing options that give Customers the flexibility to pay only for what they value, including priority boarding, checked bags, carry-on overhead bags, and bringing a pet in the cabin.

About Avelo Airlines

Avelo Airlines was founded with a simple purpose  to Inspire Travel. The Houston-based airline offers travelers everyday low fares, time and money-saving convenience, and a refreshingly smooth, caring and reliable travel experience. Operating a fleet of 16 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft, Avelo serves 49 popular destinations across the United States, including its six bases at Los Angeles' Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Southern Connecticut's Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN), Orlando International Airport (MCO), the Philadelphia and Delaware Valley region's Wilmington Airport (ILG), Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), and the Bay Area's Sonoma County Airport (STS). For more information visit AveloAir.com or the Avelo Newsroom at AveloAir.com/Newsroom.

Media Contact:

Avelo Airlines

Madison Jones

[email protected]

* $35 off JULY4 promo code discount applies to round trip bookings only. Travel must be completed between 7/4/24 and 11/5/24. Must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. PT on 7/9/24. Expiration date cannot be extended. To receive promo savings, enter promo code on aveloair.com when you begin your search or on the payment page. Per the Department of Transportation (DOT), advertised fares must include all government taxes and fees. Please note, this discount applies to base fare only, and does not apply to government taxes or certain carrier-imposed fees. Promo code is not redeemable for cash, and in the case of reservation cancellations, the promo savings will be forfeited. Seats are limited. Fare rules, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice. Restrictions may apply. Not valid on previously purchased itineraries or combinable with other promotions. A $25 charge per seated traveler applies to all bookings or changes made through Avelo's Customer Support Center. Additional fees for carry-on and checked bags, assigned seats and other optional services may apply. For full terms and conditions, please visit Contract of Carriage at AveloAir.com.

SOURCE Avelo Airlines
Hong Kong's Dual Champions of Virtual Asset ETFs

HONG KONG, July 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, the Bosera HashKey Virtual Asset ETFs achieved a historic breakthrough, with their total assets under management (AUM) surpassing US$110 million for the first time. The Bosera HashKey Ether ETF (3009.HK) has maintained a stable position with over 6,000 ETH since May 7, continuing to lead the market. Close behind, the Bosera HashKey Bitcoin ETF (3008.HK) also achieved impressive growth, with a management scale exceeding US$90 million. This growth has driven the total AUM of Bosera HashKey Virtual Asset ETFs to a record high, solidifying their top position in the Asian market.

Since 2015, the HashKey founding team has been deeply involved in the global blockchain and crypto ecosystem. As one of the few forward-thinking institutional investors globally, HashKey not only funded the Ethereum Foundation in its early days but also helped the Ethereum ecosystem flourish in the Asia-Pacific region. Being one of the earliest institutional investors in Ethereum, HashKey has gained a significant first-mover advantage in the convergence of traditional finance and Web3.

HashKey Capital, a part of HashKey Group, was formally established in 2018. With a strong emphasis on regulation and compliance, it rapidly rose to become a leading venture capital fund in Asia. HashKey Capital has implemented a global strategy to promote resource sharing and local ecosystem development, significantly contributing to the advancement of global blockchain technology, industry development, and community evolution.

During the bear market of 2022, HashKey Capital successfully raised a US$500 million VC fund III, injecting new vitality into the Web3 community. Over the past six years, driven by investment and research, the company has invested in over 600 blockchain projects, fostering the growth of the global blockchain ecosystem.

HashKey Capital has also set new standards for compliance within the Web3 industry, acting as a bridge between the crypto and traditional finance worlds. In 2022, HashKey Capital Limited received a Type 9 licence uplift in Hong Kong, and in 2023, HashKey Capital Singapore Pte Ltd obtained the Capital Markets Services licence for Fund Management in Singapore. This was followed by an upgrade of HashKey Capital Limited's Type 9 license in Hong Kong and the approval of the Type 4 license this year, making HashKey Capital the first firm to offer both crypto asset management and advisory services to both professional and retail investors. Pending future regulatory approvals, HashKey Capital intends to expand its business lines to market and distribute virtual asset-related private funds and derivatives to professional investors.

In terms of secondary market product development, HashKey Capital launched its first actively managed virtual asset liquid fund in September 2023, marking the emergence of a comprehensive product suite in Web3 asset management. In January 2024, the company released three major indices in collaboration with FTSE Russell, a leading global provider of index and benchmark solutions, to track global digital assets. Continuing this momentum, in April 2024, HashKey Capital partnered with Bosera International to launch the Bosera HashKey Bitcoin ETF (3008.HK) and Ether ETF (3009.HK), successfully listing them on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This successfully brought crypto assets into the mainstream financial market.

The success of crypto asset spot ETFs is inseparable from the ecosystem that continuously empowers them.

After 6 years of dedicated efforts, HashKey Capital has played a pivotal role in driving blockchain technology and crypto assets towards large-scale application and mainstream adoption. Throughout this journey, it has established deep strategic partnerships with a diverse network of investors, including traditional financial institutions, sovereign funds, multinational conglomerates, renowned family offices, and crypto-native investors. By leveraging profound insights into investor needs and cutting-edge knowledge of the Web3 industry, the Bosera HashKey Virtual Asset ETFs have not only secured a firm foothold in a highly competitive market but also achieved steady growth in asset management scale. Amidst stronger collaborative efforts and continuous market development, the Bosera HashKey Virtual Asset ETFs will create more value for investors and play an increasingly significant role in the global crypto asset space.

In the Bosera HashKey ETF ecosystem, Bosera International and HashKey Exchange, a subsidiary of HashKey Group, serve as the two pivotal partners driving the product's launch and market expansion. Bosera International, a veteran in asset management in Asia, offers traditional investors a gateway to access virtual assets. Meanwhile, HashKey Exchange, Hong Kong's first regulated virtual asset trading platform, provides robust infrastructure necessary for trade execution and liquidity of the Bosera HashKey ETFs.

Moreover, the thriving development of ETFs is driven by the active participation of regulators and industry leaders. The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and Hong Kong Legislative Council members, Duncan Chiu and Johnny Ng have provided invaluable guidance and insight to the industry on the development of regulatory compliance for virtual asset ETFs.

Looking ahead, HashKey Capital remains committed to driving financial innovation and fostering Web3 compliance. We will expand investor access to diverse investment opportunities while integrating the Web3 ecosystem more deeply into mainstream financial markets, aiming for broader adoption and recognition.

About HashKey Capital

HashKey Capital is a global digital asset and blockchain leader helping institutions, founders and talents advance the blockchain industry.

As one of the largest crypto fund managers and being the earliest corporate investor in Ethereum, HashKey Capital has managed over US$1 billion in client assets since its inception. Leveraging its unparalleled expertise, HashKey Capital's venture investments team oversees a diversified portfolio of over 600 pioneering projects across institutional services, infrastructure, data, AI, consumer services/ technology and more.

On the liquid funds front, HashKey Capital manages a suite of digital asset products, including an actively managed fund and the Bosera HashKey Bitcoin (3008.HK) and Ether (3009.HK) spot ETFs, which are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX).

With our deep knowledge across the blockchain ecosystem, HashKey Capital has built a robust network connecting founders, investors, developers, and regulators.

SOURCE HashKey Capital
Info-Tech Research Group has published a comprehensive blueprint for retail IT leaders, emphasizing the urgent need to integrate exponential technologies like AI, cloud computing, and data analytics. By addressing key priorities, retailers can enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and drive sustainable growth. The research highlights how innovation and modernization of legacy infrastructures are crucial to staying competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

TORONTO, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Retailers today face relentless pressure to stay competitive, drive innovation, and elevate their market positions. In such a dynamic environment, IT leaders are increasingly tasked with enabling organizations to harness exponential technologies for sustainable growth. In response to this pressing need, Info-Tech Research Group has published its latest blueprint, Priorities for Adopting an Exponential IT Mindset in the Retail Industry. This research highlights the urgent need for IT leaders in the retail sector to integrate advanced technologies such as AI, cloud computing, and data analytics. By addressing these critical priorities, the industry can overcome current obstacles and unlock new avenues for growth and innovation.

Info-Tech Research Group's "Priorities for Adopting an Exponential IT Mindset in the Retail Industry" blueprint outlines three key priorities for IT leaders to focus on when adopting an Exponential IT mindset in the retail sector. (CNW Group/Info-Tech Research Group)

Info-Tech's newly published industry research underscores the increasing customer demand for personalized services and transparency. However, many organizations are grappling with the challenges of delivering on these demands due to complex and costly legacy infrastructures. Emphasizing the need for innovation, the firm stresses that organizations must recognize IT leaders as valued business partners in order to embrace exponential technologies.

"As technology continues to undergo game-changing levels of innovation, organizations are faced with the real possibility of being left behind their competition," says Donnafay MacDonald, research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "It is imperative that organizations be prepared for the next wave of rapid, exponential technological evolution. Organizations that are readily positioned to pivot, adapt, and adopt new technologies have the greatest potential to unlock value."

The importance of adopting Exponential IT within the retail industry to combat disruptions cannot be overstated, especially for IT leaders. With speed being imperative, Info-Tech cautions that IT leaders and organizations are at risk of falling behind if they do not adopt new technologies fast enough.

"Adopting an Exponential IT mindset is about being prepared for growth by evaluating existing operations and organizational structures and taking steps to modernize them," adds MacDonald. "Our research identifies foundational capabilities and essential steps to take in the process of adopting an Exponential IT mindset to help organizations prepare."

Info-Tech's research highlights several critical priorities for retailers, including the need to develop robust IT infrastructure, integrate advanced technologies seamlessly, and cultivate a flexible workforce capable of leveraging new digital tools. These strategies are essential for fostering innovation, improving productivity, and maintaining a competitive edge in the market.

The firm's blueprint details three key priorities for IT leaders to focus on when adopting an Exponential IT mindset. These recommended priorities are:

Transform Infrastructure and Applications Into Utilities: Leverage demand-driven supply chain networks for flexibility and real-time decision-making capabilities. This approach also includes adopting cloud computing for applications and restructuring existing applications as part of digital modernization.

Leverage demand-driven supply chain networks for flexibility and real-time decision-making capabilities. This approach also includes adopting cloud computing for applications and restructuring existing applications as part of digital modernization. Treat Data as a Product: Data must be treated as a product with a value proposition. Organizations can increase productivity and gain a competitive edge by evolving data ownership, increasing cross-functional influence and collaboration, and marketing and selling data assets both internally and externally.

Data must be treated as a product with a value proposition. Organizations can increase productivity and gain a competitive edge by evolving data ownership, increasing cross-functional influence and collaboration, and marketing and selling data assets both internally and externally. Let AI Take Over Core Operations: With ongoing advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, there will be significant progress toward higher automation. IT leaders must prepare for the automation of infrastructure and operations with a clear IT strategy and the implementation of new technologies.

The firm's blueprint explains that the retail industry will struggle to remain competitive without adopting AI to support business operations. Leveraging AI and automation can significantly enhance efficiency and generate real-time insights, enabling organizations to meet evolving business needs and maintain a competitive edge.

By aligning IT initiatives with organizational goals and fostering a culture of innovation, retailers can overcome barriers to digital transformation. Info-Tech's comprehensive blueprint offers practical guidance on building a robust IT infrastructure, managing risks effectively, and creating a data-driven environment that supports continuous improvement. Adopting these priorities will help retailers navigate the complexities of the digital age, improve operational efficiency, and sustain a competitive edge.

For exclusive and timely commentary from Donnafay MacDonald, an expert in the retail and wholesale sector, and access to the complete Adopting an Exponential IT Mindset in the Retail Industry blueprint, please contact [email protected].

Info-Tech LIVE 2024

Registration is now open for Info-Tech Research Group's annual IT conference, Info-Tech LIVE 2024, taking place September 17 to 19, 2024, at the iconic Bellagio in Las Vegas. This premier event offers journalists, podcasters, and media influencers access to exclusive content, the latest IT research and trends, and the opportunity to interview industry experts, analysts, and speakers. To apply for media passes to attend the event or gain access to research and expert insights on trending topics, please contact [email protected].

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

To learn more about Info-Tech's divisions, visit McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services and SoftwareReviews for software buying insights.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group
BEIJING, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from China Daily:

Pioneered in Tianjin, the Luban Workshop, a Chinese vocational workshop program, has boosted international capacity cooperation and cultivated high-quality technical personnel globally over the years.

Luban Workshops exhibit distinctive advantages of cultivating talent for sustainable development in more countries. [Photo provide to tianjin.chinadaily.com]

Aligned with the Belt and Road Initiative, the Luban Workshop enables an increasing number of international students to become key figures in telling Chinese stories, fostering a community with a shared future for mankind.

Djibouti young man realizes his railway dream

On March 28, 2019, the first Luban Workshop in Africa, the Djibouti Luban Workshop, was officially put into operation. Among the inaugural cohort of 24 students enrolled was Liban Osman, a young man from Djibouti, who has a special affection for railways since he was a child.

At the end of 2023, Osman and his classmates graduated, beginning their careers on the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway. This marks a significant shift in Osman's life journey, showcasing the impact of the Luban Workshop in opening up new opportunities for young Africans.

"The Chinese engineers have always been my role models," said Osman. "The Luban Workshop has helped me achieve my dream."

Bridging traditional medicine between China and Mali

Mali is the first African country to include traditional medicine in national medicine. Diarra Boubacar, born to a medical family in Mali, is the first foreign doctor of traditional Chinese medicine in China. He determined to give up Western medicine and turn to study traditional Chinese medicine after coming to China.

After obtaining his doctorate, he practiced medicine in Yunnan, Sichuan and other places in China, treating poor families for free.

In 2019, he learned about the Luban Workshop program. He hopes to use it to build a bridge between the traditional medicine of China and Mali, bring traditional Chinese medicine back to Mali, serve the local people, and promote the inheritance and innovation of traditional medicine in Mali.

As Diarra notes, many students were spotted inquiring about enrollment and expressing their wishes to study in the workshop.

Moroccan girl's cross-border e-commerce success

A dedicated Moroccan student, whose Chinese name is Wei Hua, embarked on a remarkable educational journey through the Morocco Luban Workshop. She participated in the "Chinese Language plus Vocational Skills" online training course organized by Tianjin College of Commerce.

This course provided her with an opportunity to collaborate with Chinese students and compete in the first World Vocational College Skills Competition.

Their hard work paid off, as she and her team clinched the gold medal in the cross-border e-commerce competition.

Her passion for learning also earned her admission to Tianjin College of Commerce, where she plans to further enhance her knowledge and skills. She is set to continue her journey in cross-border e-commerce, building a bright future.

Through these stories, the Luban Workshop continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the careers of international students and promoting exchanges between China and the world.

SOURCE China Daily
SHANGHAI, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chime Biologics, a leading global CDMO that enables its partners' success in biologics, affirmed its commitment to innovation and quality at the recent China Biologics Going Global Forum held in Shanghai.

Dr. Jimmy Wei, President of Chime Biologics, highlighted that the company's competitive edge arises from ensuring product quality, leveraging efficiencies, and maintaining stringent cost controls. Chime Biologics' lead investor, VMS Group, also attended this forum. Andrew Ng, Partner and Head of Healthcare of VMS Group, shared that since 2017, about 70% of VMS healthcare investments have been in the Greater China region, with the remainder invested in the global market, especially in Europe and the United States.

Bing Chen, Vice President of International BD and Venture Fund at AstraZeneca mentioned that it was previously sufficient for innovative medicines to be a regional leader, but winning products now need to be best-in-class globally. By launching best-in-class products, Chinese pharmaceutical companies are more likely to attract additional global collaboration opportunities.

Speeding Up Globalization

In a roundtable discussion moderated by Dr. Hongtao Lu, co-founder and Chief Scientist of Elpiscience, a panel of industry leaders noted that though local pharmaceuticals have created many clinically valuable products such as bispecific antibodies that are typically used for cancer treatment, there are relatively few products that leaped from zero to one.

Global CDMOs such as Chime Biologics play an important role in global innovation, with a significant increase in licensing deals between local biotech companies and U.S./European biopharmaceutical companies, especially in license-out deals. Chime Biologics can help biotech companies go to market from the pre-clinical to commercial manufacturing stages, leading to a win-win situation, which will be a major trend in the next decade.

Charting a Sustainable Growth Trajectory

Dr. Jimmy Wei, President of Chime Biologics, observed that: "Foreign biopharmaceutical companies have gone through several market cycles, and when they choose CDMOs, they are more concerned about its long-term developmental prospects, the technology level, and whether the quality systems are aligned with international standards. Domestic companies also have higher requirements when looking for partners now."

With a focus on innovation and quality, the Chinese biopharmaceutical industry is actively charting a sustainable growth trajectory internationally, which was often echoed by speakers and panelists at this forum when discussing drivers to enhance the industry's global presence and competitiveness in international markets.
PITTSBURGH, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "I'm a branch manager of an equipment rental store, and I thought there could be a better way for employees to move telehandler and forklift forks that weigh 100 to 200 pounds each," said one of four inventors, from Lisbon, Wisc., "so we invented the E Z FORK MOVER. Our design saves time and reduces the risk of serious injury."

The patent-pending invention provides improved handling and movement of heavy telehandler or industrial forklift forks. In doing so, it eliminates the need to bend, lift and move heavy metal forks. As a result, it increases safety, and it saves time and effort. The invention features a durable design that is easy to use so it is ideal for the construction industry and anywhere telehandler and industrial forklift forks might need moved such as manufacturing facilities, equipment rental businesses, warehouses, and distribution centers.

The original design was submitted to the National sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 22-MHO-392, InventHelp, 100 Beecham Drive, Suite 110, Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9801, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp
PITTSBURGH, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there should be a visual indication of whether the driver is buckled up for safety," said an inventor, from New Orleans, La., "so I invented the WARNING ALERT. My design would encourage seat belt use on a regular basis, and it could help to avoid costly citations by police."

The patent-pending invention provides an effective way to verify seat belt usage. In doing so, it offers a visual confirmation to help police detect violators. As a result, it would strongly motivate motorists to obey state law, and it could increase safety. The invention features an automatic design that is easy to use so it is ideal for vehicle owners.

The original design was submitted to the National sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 22-MHO-389, InventHelp, 100 Beecham Drive, Suite 110, Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9801, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp
FUZHOU, China, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:

The summary meeting of the "Bond with Kuliang: 2024 China-U.S. Youth Festival" was held last week in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian province. During the meeting, the "Kuliang Proposal" was officially released.

American youth representative, Brigham Young University student Harriet Anne Hales Parkinson (left), and Chinese youth representative, Curtis Institute of Music student Ruan Yangyang, read the "Kuliang Proposal" in English and Chinese respectively, during the summary meeting of the "Bond with Kuliang: 2024 China-U.S. Youth Festival" in Fuzhou city, Fujian province on June 28, 2024. [Photo/bondwithkuliang.org.cn]

In recent days, over 500 youths from various sectors in China and the United States gathered in Fuzhou to exchange ideas, visit exhibitions, performances and planted friendship trees. They celebrated the bond with Kuliang, deepened friendly ties, and continued to write the story of Kuliang together in the new era.

At the summary meeting held on Friday, American youth representative Harriet Anne Hales Parkinson from Brigham Young University, and Chinese youth representative Ruan Yangyang from the Curtis Institute of Music, read the "Kuliang Proposal" in English and Chinese respectively.

"We all believe that the story of Kuliang stands as a testimony to China-U.S. friendship", the "Kuliang Proposal" stated. It emphasized that the people of China and the United States can overcome their differences and establish deep friendships. The youths of both countries are a testament of the development of China-U.S. relations for the past 45 years and they should be the protectors and promoters of healthy and stable China-U.S. relations in the next 45 years.

The "Kuliang Proposal" calls for the continuation of the "Bond with Kuliang: China-U.S. Youth Festival" and the organization of regular events of various specialties and scales. These events should facilitate exchanges between American and Chinese youths, fostering a platform for young people from both countries to engage in dialogue, enhance mutual understanding, build friendships, and explore cooperation in an open, inclusive, relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

Additionally, the proposal advocates for promoting the story of Kuliang and continuing the bond with Kuliang so that more people from both countries will learn about the story and together strengthen China-U.S. friendship based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.

The "Kuliang Proposal" encourages Chinese and American youths to engage in exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields and become envoys who will promote mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of China and the United States so that the friendship will grow and thrive like the millennia-old cedar trees in Kuliang.

SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn
BANGKOK, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Made-in-China.com has recently made headlines in Thailand through its participation in ASEAN's premier show for manufacturing and supporting Industries, the Manufacturing Expo 2024. Made-in-China.com also organized the official "Selected Sourcing Connect" event. These activities demonstrate the strength and appeal of China's manufacturing industry and continue to enhance its global influence.

Made-in-China.com attracted many visitors at the Manufacturing Expo Selected Sourcing Connect in Thailand

Made-in-China.com has consistently held its own advantages in the industrial field and has built up a large network of professional Chinese suppliers over the past two decades. Manufacturing Expo 2024 marked another significant industrial event for Made-in-China.com following its presence at the Hannover Messe. With an impressive booth exceeding 100 square meters strategically placed at the core of the expo, Made-in-China.com stood out as a centerpiece.

At the site, Made-in-China.com attracted many visitors and highlighted to Chinese companies on the platform. Utilizing new technologies such as AI and virtual try-ons, Made-in-China.com's AI Hanfu Experience Zone captured the attention of numerous new buyers. In addition, Made-in-China.com hosted dedicated forums for live interactions with buyers, providing an immersive showcase of products and services. Collaborating with suppliers, Made-in-China.com offered the "We Expo" service, teaming up with multiple Chinese enterprises for on-site participation.

Suzhou SET Industrial Equipment System Co., Ltd., an audited supplier of Made-in-China.com, was among the participants at Manufacturing Expo 2024. Their company manager, Jingping Liu, said, "Made-in-China.com shone brightly at the show, and our products received significant attention as a result. We secured many prospective orders from show visitors."

Simultaneously, at the Selected Sourcing Connect, Made-in-China.com facilitated direct negotiations between local Thai buyers and Chinese companies, successfully securing targeted business opportunities.

Chavarin Chavarangkul from Innopower Company Limited shared his feedback: "Selected Sourcing Connect was an excellent experience, tightening our connections with Made-in-China.com. Many queries were addressed, including how to leverage Made-in-China.com to find high-quality suppliers." He mentioned his company members frequently use Made-in-China.com to source EV Chargers and compare factors like product pricing, minimum order quantities, and payment methods. Made-in-China.com helped them find exactly what they needed.

Made-in-China.com's participation and activities not only showcased the strength and allure of Chinese manufacturing but also provided more opportunities for the global expansion of Chinese industries. Through these initiatives, Made-in-China.com has strengthened its ties with global buyers, infusing a fresh impetus into the development of Chinese manufacturing.

Contact:

Yichun Wu

+86 025-66775597

[email protected]

SOURCE Made-in-China.com
LOS ANGELES, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OliviaR, the woman-owned fine jewelry company known for its high-quality pieces and commitment to celebrating the unique journey to parenthood, is thrilled to announce the launch of its debut collection, The SEED. This exquisite line is designed to honor the personal and profound experiences of parents, blending the elegance of premium jewelry with the deep emotional significance of family and parenthood.

OliviaR Jewelry Announces the Launch of SEED Collection OliviaR Jewelry Announces the Launch of SEED Collection

Each piece in The SEED collection is crafted with the finest diamonds and delivered with complimentary 2-day FedEx shipping. Customers can also personalize their jewelry, ensuring each bespoke charm serves as a reminder of a moment in time, person or place individual to their own story.

"We believe that jewelry should be more than just beautiful; it should be meaningful," said Irina Reeves, founder of OliviaR. "The SEED collection is a testament to the courage, love, and hope that defines the wonderful journey to parenthood."

A Journey of Strength and Love: The Origins of OliviaR

The story behind the creation of OliviaR is a deeply personal one. Irina grew up in Russia with traditional family values but sought her own ambitions. As a teenager in Moscow, she aspired to travel, further her education, and build a career. She moved to London for a second master's degree and a new job, then to New York for a third master's degree. There, she met her husband and decided to start a family.

The path was not as straightforward as she'd expected. Three years ago, Irina suffered a miscarriage during her first pregnancy, leaving her with an overwhelming sense of loneliness and grief. Through support from her family and community, she channeled her pain into something meaningful. Irina created a custom bracelet for her sister that celebrated the love and bond she shared with her two children. This inspired OliviaR, a jewelry brand honoring the special journey to parenthood and the deep ties of family.

Determined to turn her passion into a business, Irina delved into jewelry design and manufacturing, meticulously developing her brand. During this process, she became pregnant. The simultaneous birth of her daughter, Olivia, in May 2023 and her brand symbolized Irina's belief in successfully balancing both family and career.

Celebrating Craftsmanship, Creativity, and Family Connections

OliviaR launched its online sales platform in April 2024 and has quickly garnered attention for its exceptional craftsmanship, innovative designs, and heartfelt mission. One satisfied client shared, "Absolutely obsessed with this bracelet. It's super stylish and will go with everything." Another remarked, "These bracelets are amazing! Perfect fit and you can tell they are great quality."

The SEED collection features both Boy and Girl Bracelets available in Gold, Rose Gold and White Gold.

Looking ahead, OliviaR has plans to introduce a masculine line and a variety of necklaces, aiming to appeal to a wider audience while continuing to honor diverse family bonds.

More than just a jewelry brand, OliviaR is a celebration of the courage it takes to navigate the challenges of parenthood. Whether commemorating a long-awaited pregnancy, remembering a loved one, or simply cherishing the miracle of family, their custom pieces serve as tangible reminders of enduring love and hope. "We understand that everyone's journey to parenthood is unique," Irina said. "At OliviaR, we strive to honor the foundation of pure love families are built uponeven in times of doubt."

About OliviaR

OliviaR, a woman-owned fine jewelry company based in Los Angeles, celebrates the unique journey to parenthood through high-quality, keepsake pieces. Launched by Irina Reeves, OliviaR combines exceptional craftsmanship with personal significance, as seen in the debut SEED collection. Inspired by Irina's own experiences, the brand honors family connections with custom diamond jewelry designed to symbolize love and hope. For more information, visit OliviaR.com.

Media Contact:

Irina Reeves

+1(340)203-1673

[email protected]

SOURCE OliviaR
NEW YORK, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global palm oil market size is estimated to grow by USD 57 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.07% during the forecast period. Increasing consumer awareness regarding health benefits of palm oil is driving market growth, with a trend towards new growth avenue for palm oil in biodiesel. However, concerns about deforestation and plant diversity losses poses a challenge. Key market players include Agarwal Industries P Ltd., Alami Commodities Sdn Bhd, Alfa Laval AB, Archer Daniels Midland Co., Asian Agri, Best Industry Group, Cargill Inc., Charleston Holdings Pte Ltd., Crowe LLP, Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Gujarat Ambuja Exports Ltd., IOI Corp. Berhad, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad, Musim Mas Group, Nisshin OilliO Group Ltd., Oil Palm India Ltd., Patanjali Ayurved Ltd., Sime Darby Plantation Berhad, Sinar Mas, and Univanich Palm Oil Public Co. Ltd..

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global palm oil market 2024-2028

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies - Click for the snapshot of this report

Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2018 - 2022 Segment Covered Application (Edible oil, Surfactants, Bio-diesel, and Others), Type (Conventional and Organic), and Geography (APAC, Middle East and Africa, Europe, North America, and South America) Region Covered APAC, Middle East and Africa, Europe, North America, and South America Key companies profiled Agarwal Industries P Ltd., Alami Commodities Sdn Bhd, Alfa Laval AB, Archer Daniels Midland Co., Asian Agri, Best Industry Group, Cargill Inc., Charleston Holdings Pte Ltd., Crowe LLP, Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Gujarat Ambuja Exports Ltd., IOI Corp. Berhad, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad, Musim Mas Group, Nisshin OilliO Group Ltd., Oil Palm India Ltd., Patanjali Ayurved Ltd., Sime Darby Plantation Berhad, Sinar Mas, and Univanich Palm Oil Public Co. Ltd.

Key Market Trends Fueling Growth

Palm oil is a significant contributor to the biodiesel market, accounting for approximately 10% of global production. This vegetable oil, derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree, is an efficient and cost-effective first-generation feedstock. Compared to other oilseeds, oil palm yields more oil per hectare annually, making it an attractive choice for biodiesel production. With around 70 million tons of palm oil produced annually, its adoption in the biodiesel industry is on the rise. As the world shifts towards more sustainable and cleaner fuel options, the demand for biodiesel is increasing. Palm oil's high yield and cost-effectiveness position it well to meet this demand, driving growth in the palm oil market during the forecast period.

Palm oil, derived from palm fruits, is a popular vegetable oil used in various industries. It's a key ingredient in instant noodles, cereals, candles, shampoos, and detergents. Crude palm oil and RBD (refined, bleached, and deodorized) palm oil are the main types, with palm kernel oil used for biofuel production. Sustainable and organic production methods are trending to address concerns over agrochemicals, pesticides, and deforestation. Palm oil's saturated fat content and potential link to heart disease have raised health concerns. Biofuels, such as biodiesel, are growing segments. Unrefined palm oil and fractionated palm oil have their uses, with the latter in edible oil and biofuels. Imports of palm oil, including from countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, are significant. The market includes both conventional and organic segments. Agrochemicals, pesticides, insecticides, and surfactants are used in palm oil production. Mesocarp, the edible part of the fruit, is extracted for oil. Sustainable farming practices and the use of feedstock like soybean oil are important for reducing the environmental impact. Mineral oil and transfats are alternatives, but their production and use have drawbacks. Rapeseed oil is a competitor, but palm oil's versatility gives it a competitive edge.

Discover 360 analysis of this market. For complete information, schedule your consultation- Book Here!

Market Challenges

The palm oil market faces significant challenges, including deforestation and loss of plant diversity, scarcity of natural resources, and climate change. These issues pose threats to the global food production system. In response, Indonesia and Malaysia , which account for 85% of the world's palm oil production, have prioritized sustainable and organic farming methods. Additionally, efforts are being made to protect endangered species, such as the Orangutan and Sumatran Rhino, from palm oil tree plantations. Regulations like the Forest Policy of 1988 and Forest Conservation Act of 1980 restrict cultivation and marketing in certain areas, limiting palm oil market expansion.

and , which account for 85% of the world's palm oil production, have prioritized sustainable and organic farming methods. Additionally, efforts are being made to protect endangered species, such as the Orangutan and Sumatran Rhino, from palm oil tree plantations. Regulations like the Forest Policy of 1988 and Forest Conservation Act of 1980 restrict cultivation and marketing in certain areas, limiting palm oil market expansion. The palm oil market faces several challenges in both the conventional and organic segments. In conventional production, the use of agrochemicals, pesticides, and insecticides raises concerns over sustainability and health issues like saturated fat and cholesterol levels. In the organic segment, the focus is on sustainable farming practices, but challenges include higher production costs and smaller yields. Biodiesel and diesel industries utilize palm oil as feedstock, but competition from other sources like soybean and rapeseed oil, as well as biofuels like bioethanol, can impact market share. The health concerns surrounding saturated and trans fats in palm oil also impact the edible oil market. Deforestation is a significant challenge due to the conversion of tropical forests into palm oil plantations. Consumer goods and industries using palm oil as an ingredient or feedstock face reputational risks due to these sustainability concerns. The organic farming movement offers a solution, but requires significant investment and adherence to strict regulations. Fractionated palm oil, unrefined palm oil, and palm kernel oil are key products, with applications in surfactants, lubricants, and biofuels. The market for unrefined palm oil is growing due to its health benefits, but its higher price compared to refined palm oil is a challenge. White palm oil and mineral oil are also used in various industries. In summary, the palm oil market faces challenges from health concerns, competition from other oils, sustainability issues, and reputational risks. Organic farming and sustainable practices offer solutions, but require significant investment and regulatory compliance.

For more insights on driver and challenges - Download a Sample Report

Segment Overview

This palm oil market report extensively covers market segmentation by

Application

1.1 Edible oil

1.2 Surfactants

1.3 Bio-diesel

1.4 Others

Type

2.1 Conventional

2.2 Organic

Geography

3.1 APAC

3.2 Middle East and Africa

and 3.3 Europe

3.4 North America

3.5 South America

1.1 Edible oil- Palm oil is a widely used edible oil, particularly in Asian markets. Two primary forms exist: palm fruit oil and palm kernel oil. Palm fruit oil is primarily used for cooking, while packaging foods often includes palm oil. Compared to hydrogenated oils, palm oil is considered healthier. Its affordability compared to other vegetable oils also boosts its market share. With fewer harmful trans fats, food processors benefit from using it. The global demand for palm oil is increasing in various regions, driving growth in this sector during the forecast period.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) - Download a Sample Report

Research Analysis

Palm oil, derived from the fruits of the palm tree, is a versatile vegetable oil widely used in food, cosmetics, and industrial sectors. It is rich in nutrients and employed in the production of instant noodles, cereals, candles, shampoos, detergents, and biofuels. Crude palm oil and RBD (refined, bleached, and deodorized) palm oil are the primary forms, while palm kernel oil is extracted from the seeds. Sustainable and organic production methods are increasingly adopted to mitigate concerns over deforestation and agrochemical use in tropical forests. Unrefined palm oil, palm seed oil, and mineral oil are alternative options. However, high trans-fat content and links to heart disease remain concerns. Mesocarp, the edible part of the fruit, is used in cooking, while rapeseed oil is a common alternative. Agrochemicals are used in palm oil production, but efforts are made to minimize their impact on the environment. Palm oil feedstock is a significant commodity in the global market.

Market Research Overview

Palm oil is derived from the fruits of the palm tree, which is native to the tropical regions of Africa. It is a versatile vegetable oil that is widely used in various industries, including food, cosmetics, and biofuels. Palm oil is rich in saturated fats and is commonly used in the production of instant noodles, cereals, candles, shampoos, detergents, and biodiesel. The demand for palm oil is high due to its affordability and versatility. However, the production of palm oil has been linked to deforestation, particularly in tropical regions where palm plantations are expanding. Sustainable and organic production methods are being adopted to address these concerns. The global palm oil market can be segmented into crude palm oil, refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) palm oil, palm kernel oil, fractionated palm oil, and biofuels. Palm oil is used as a feedstock in the production of surfactants, lubricants, and other industrial products. The conventional segment and organic segment of the palm oil market are growing at different rates due to increasing consumer awareness and demand for sustainable and healthier alternatives. The use of palm oil in the biofuel industry is also increasing due to its high energy density and low carbon footprint compared to mineral oil. However, the high saturated fat and trans fat content in palm oil has been linked to heart disease and other health concerns. The palm oil market is expected to continue growing due to its wide range of applications and the increasing demand for affordable vegetable oils. Imports of palm oil and its derivatives are significant in many countries, particularly in Europe and North America. The palm oil market is a complex and dynamic industry that involves various stakeholders, including producers, processors, traders, consumers, and governments. The use of agrochemicals, including pesticides and insecticides, in palm oil production is a concern for environmental and health advocates. The palm oil industry is also facing competition from other edible oils, such as rapeseed oil, soybean oil, and kernel oil. The future of the palm oil industry depends on its ability to adapt to changing market conditions, consumer preferences, and regulatory requirements while ensuring sustainable and ethical production practices.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

Application

Edible Oil



Surfactants



Bio-diesel



Others

Type

Conventional



Organic

Geography

APAC



Middle East And Africa



Europe



North America



South America

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
ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING AMENDMENT AND SUPPLEMENT TO OFFER DOCUMENT AND TENDER OFFER STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE TO

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION (IN WHOLE OR IN PART) IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On 24 May 2024, Meridian Bidco LLC ("Bidco") made an offer to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of MariaDB plc ("MariaDB") (the "Offer") with the terms and conditions of the Offer set out in the offer document despatched and filed by Bidco as Exhibit (a)(1)(A) to the Tender Offer Statement and Rule 13e-3 Transaction Statement filed on Schedule TO with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on 24 May 2024 (the "Offer Document"). On 24 June 2024, Bidco filed an amended and restated Offer Document with the SEC to reflect the exercise of the Rollover Withdrawal Right, the withdrawal of the Unlisted Unit Alternative and certain updates to disclosures.

Bidco today announces that an amendment and supplement to the Offer Document and Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO has been filed with the SEC. Other than as set forth in such filing, no changes have been made to the terms and conditions of the Offer.

The amendment and supplement to the Offer Document and Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO will be made available free of charge, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on K1's website ( https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/ ).

Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the same meaning given to them in the Offer Document (as amended and restated).

Enquiries

Lazard (Financial Advisor to K1 and Bidco) Adrian Duchini, Keiran Wilson, Charles White Tel: +44 20 7187 2000 Haven Tower Group (Public Relations Advisor to K1) Donald Cutler, Brandon Blackwell Tel: +1 424 317 4850

Important Notices

The K1 Responsible Persons (being the investment committee of K1), the Bidco Officers and the Topco Officers accept responsibility for the information contained in this Announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the K1 Responsible Persons, the Bidco Officers, the Topco Officers, (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case) the information contained in this Announcement for which they have accepted responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.

Lazard Freres & Co. LLC, together with its affiliate Lazard & Co., Limited (which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority) ("Lazard"), is acting exclusively as financial adviser to K1 and Bidco and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than K1 and Bidco for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer or any other matters referred to in this Announcement. Neither Lazard nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Lazard in connection with this Announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Disclosure requirements of the Irish Takeover Rules

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Irish Takeover Rules, if any person is, or becomes, 'interested' (directly or indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of 'relevant securities' of MariaDB, all 'dealings' in any 'relevant securities' of MariaDB or any securities exchange offeror (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such 'relevant securities') must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3:30 pm (U.S. Eastern Time) on the 'business day' following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the 'offer period' ends. If two or more persons cooperate on the basis of any agreement either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an 'interest' in 'relevant securities' of MariaDB, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules.

Dealing Disclosures must also be made by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with them in accordance with Rule 8.2 of the Irish Takeover Rules.

In general, interests in securities arise when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of the securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an 'interest' by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities. Terms in quotation marks are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website.

Details of the offeree company in respect of whose relevant securities Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a 'dealing' under Rule 8, please consult the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Irish Takeover Panel at telephone number +353 1 678 9020.

Further Information

This Announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute an offer to sell or invitation to purchase any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Offer or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. In particular, this Announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. No offer of securities shall be made in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, such registration requirements. The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this Announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions.

This Announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with the laws of Ireland and the Irish Takeover Rules and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside of Ireland.

Overseas Shareholders

The laws of certain jurisdictions may affect the availability of the Offer to persons who are not resident in Ireland. Persons who are not resident in Ireland, or who are subject to laws of any jurisdiction other than Ireland, should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements. Any failure to comply with any applicable legal or regulatory requirements may constitute a violation of the laws and/or regulations of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, the companies and persons involved in the Offer disclaim any responsibility and liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person.

Unless otherwise determined by Bidco or K1 or required by the Irish Takeover Rules, and permitted by applicable law and regulation, the Offer will not be made available, directly or indirectly, in any Restricted Jurisdiction, and the Offer will not be capable of acceptance from within a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction. The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in or into certain jurisdictions may be restricted by the laws of those jurisdictions. Accordingly, copies of this Announcement and all other documents relating to the Offer are not being, and must not be, released, published, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Persons receiving such documents (including, without limitation, nominees, trustees and custodians) should observe these restrictions. Failure to do so may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, K1, the K1 Group and Bidco disclaims any responsibility or liability for the violations of any such restrictions by any person. MariaDB Shareholders who are in any doubt regarding such matters should consult an appropriate independent professional adviser in the relevant jurisdiction without delay. Further details in relation to overseas shareholders are contained in the Offer Document.

If you are a resident of the United States, please read the following:

This Announcement is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer (including the Offer), invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, tender, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor will there be any acquisition or disposition of the securities referred to in this Announcement in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable Law or regulation.

This Announcement is not a substitute for the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance or any other document that Bidco may file with the SEC in connection with the Offer. An offer to buy MariaDB Shares has been made pursuant to a Tender Offer Statement and Rule 13e-3 Transaction Statement on Schedule TO that Bidco has filed with the SEC. MariaDB has filed a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the tender offer. MARIADB SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ ANY SUCH DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFER. SUCH DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. Investors and MariaDB Shareholders are able to obtain free copies of these materials (if and when available) and other documents containing important information about MariaDB and the Offer once such documents are filed with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

The Offer has been made in the United States pursuant to the Exchange Act and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of the Irish Takeover Rules. Accordingly, the Offer is subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, offer timetable, settlement procedures and timing of payments that may be different from those typically applicable under US domestic tender offer procedures and law. In addition, the Offer Document and any other documents relating to the Offer have been or will be prepared in accordance with the Irish Takeover Rules and Irish disclosure requirements, format and style, all of which may differ from those in the United States.

MariaDB is incorporated under the laws of Ireland. Some of the directors on the MariaDB Board at the date of this Announcement are resident in a country other than the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for United States holders of MariaDB Shares to effect service of process within the United States upon MariaDB or some of the directors of MariaDB or to enforce against any of them judgements of the United States predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States. It may not be possible to sue MariaDB or its officers or director(s) in a non-US court for violations of US securities laws. In addition, US holders of MariaDB Shares should be aware that, if K1 and Bidco elect to proceed pursuant to a scheme of arrangement (as described herein), the federal securities laws of the United States may not be applicable.

Publication on website

A copy of this announcement and the documents required to be published pursuant to Rule 26 of the Irish Takeover Rules will be made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, will be made available on K1's website (https://k1.com/meridian-offer-update/). Neither the content of any such website nor the content of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on such website is incorporated into, or forms part of, this Announcement.

SOURCE K1 Investment Management
NEW YORK, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global sandblasting media market size is estimated to grow by USD 3.02 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.12% during the forecast period. Rapid growth in aerospace, healthcare, and furnishing industries is driving market growth, with a trend towards leveraging e-commerce to increase market penetration. However, growing use of automation poses a challenge. Key market players include ABShot Tecnics SL, BLASTECH, Compagnie de Saint Gobain, Crystal Mark Inc, Donaldson Co. Inc., Eisenwerk Wurth GmbH, ENVIRI CORP, GMA Garnet Pty Ltd, Graco Inc., Green Diamond, Guyson Corp., Industrial Quick Search Inc., Kramer Industries Inc., Midwest Finishing Systems Inc., Opta Group LLC, PAUL AUER GMBH, SWARCO AG, Synco Industries Ltd., The Chemours Co., and U.S. Minerals.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global sandblasting media market 2024-2028

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies- View the snapshot of this report

Sandblasting Media Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2023 Historic period 2018 - 2022 Forecast period 2024-2028 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 8.12% Market growth 2024-2028 USD 3023.4 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 7.51 Regional analysis North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 35% Key countries US, China, Germany, India, and UK Key companies profiled ABShot Tecnics SL, BLASTECH, Compagnie de Saint Gobain, Crystal Mark Inc, Donaldson Co. Inc., Eisenwerk Wurth GmbH, ENVIRI CORP, GMA Garnet Pty Ltd, Graco Inc., Green Diamond, Guyson Corp., Industrial Quick Search Inc., Kramer Industries Inc., Midwest Finishing Systems Inc., Opta Group LLC, PAUL AUER GMBH, SWARCO AG, Synco Industries Ltd., The Chemours Co., and U.S. Minerals

Market Driver

The global sandblasting media market has experienced significant growth due to the increasing adoption of e-commerce platforms. With the expanding internet penetration and the rise of mobile usage in developing and underdeveloped countries, more consumers are accessing online marketplaces. This trend is particularly noticeable in the e-commerce sector, which offers numerous opportunities for sandblasting media vendors and suppliers. To capitalize on this growth, these companies are enhancing their online presence by selling their products on popular e-commerce websites, such as Amazon and eBay. This enables them to reach a wider customer base and process orders from distant locations. Additionally, e-commerce platforms provide buyers with the ability to compare products and read customer reviews, aiding in informed purchasing decisions. The convenience of easy payment, packaging, and tracking options further attracts both vendors and buyers, leading to the expected growth of the global sandblasting media market during the forecast period.

The Sandblasting Media Market is experiencing significant growth due to the adoption of automation in various industries. Automated data collection and recovery, blast control, and advanced technology are driving this trend. Sandblasting machines are being upgraded with robotic sandblasting systems, benefiting sectors like the Petrochemical industry, Construction, Global Tourism, and Cultural Heritage. Automation technologies are revolutionizing the Mechanical Impact Devices market, using media like Aluminum oxide, Silicon carbide, Steel grit, Steel shot, Glass, Sodium bicarbonate, Corn cob, Staurolite, Coal slag, Copper slag, Si sand, Garnet, Dry ice, Iron slag, Nut shells, and more. The Metalworking and Military industries also leverage sandblasting media for Rust removal and etch surface profiles. Recyclable, angular, long-lasting media are preferred for their cost-effectiveness and reduced environmental impact. Manufacturing lead times are shortened with the Mohs hardness scale guiding media selection. Automation and robotics are essential for safety and efficiency, mitigating risks related to Silicosis and respiratory disorders. Solid waste management is another area where sandblasting media finds application, offering a sustainable solution for various industries. Concrete surfaces are etched for improved texture and durability.

Discover 360 analysis of this market. For complete information, schedule your consultation - Book Here!

Market Challenges

The global sandblasting media market is facing challenges due to the increasing adoption of automated or robotic blast systems. These systems, which consist of robotic arms, handling tools, conveyors, indexing tables, and sensors, enable multiple operations without human intervention. Automation is a significant trend in various industries, including oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, and chemicals, as it improves productivity and efficiency. Governments are also supporting automation due to its potential to boost overall GDP and create jobs. Rapid advances in software programming and vision technologies are expanding the scope of robot applications, leading to increased accuracy, quality, and speed in specific processes. These factors are driving the shift from manual sandblasting media to automated robotic blasting systems, posing a challenge to the growth of the global sandblasting media market.

The sandblasting media market faces several challenges in various industries. In the metalworking segment, graffiti removal and fine metals require specific media like Opta Minerals' Composition Materials. Steel, aluminum, copper, zinc, and other metals in the metal products market call for different abrasives like sand, grits, glass beads, silica abrasives, metal grit, coal stag, and air devices. Construction activities demand hard programs for rust removal and production industry applications. Automatic floor remedies use robotic blasting approaches, while manual techniques are preferred for 3-dimensional signage, hand-crafted or carved looks. Health threats from silica abrasives necessitate safety measures. Historic architectures need portable machines for paint removal and repair. Mill scale residues, casting dirt, pressing and welding require specialized media. The aerospace and automobile sectors use advanced robot blasting mechanisms.

For more insights on driver and challenges - Request a sample report!

Segment Overview

This sandblasting media market report extensively covers market segmentation by

Application

1.1 Automotive

1.2 Aerospace

1.3 Construction

1.4 Metalworking

1.5 Marine

Product

2.1 Aluminum oxide

2.2 Si sand

2.3 Steel shot

2.4 Glass

2.5 Others

Geography

3.1 North America

3.2 APAC

3.3 Europe

3.4 South America

3.5 Middle East and Africa

1.1 Automotive- The sandblasting media market is a significant industry, supplying abrasive materials for various applications. Businesses use sandblasting for surface preparation, removing old paint or rust, and creating textured finishes. Common media include silica sand, glass beads, and aluminum oxide. Market growth is driven by construction, automotive, and aerospace sectors. Companies focus on product innovation, cost-effectiveness, and safety to meet customer demands.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2017-2021) - Download a Sample Report

Research Analysis

The Sandblasting Media Market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing adoption of automation technologies in various industries. Automated data collection and recovery, automated blast control, and robotic sandblasting are some of the advanced technologies driving market expansion. Sandblasting machines are used extensively in the production industry for rust removal and surface preparation, particularly in the petrochemical industry and solid waste management. Concrete, glass beads, silica abrasives, metal grit, coal stag, and air devices are common sandblasting media types. Automation technologies have led to shorter manufacturing lead times and improved etch surface profiles. Mohs hardness scale is a crucial factor in selecting the appropriate media for specific applications. Recyclable media is gaining popularity due to environmental concerns. Hard programs and automatic floor remedies are also driving demand in the market. Sandblasting media is used for coating applications in various industries, including manufacturing and construction. Rust and coating removal are key applications in the automotive industry, while concrete preparation is essential in construction.

Market Research Overview

The Sandblasting Media Market encompasses a wide range of abrasive materials and advanced technologies used for various industrial and commercial applications. Automated data collection and recovery, coupled with automated blast control, have revolutionized the sandblasting industry. Sandblasting machines utilize different media types such as Aluminum oxide, Silicon carbide, Steel grit, Steel shot, Glass, Sodium bicarbonate, Corn cob, Staurolite, Coal slag, Copper slag, Si sand, Garnet, Dry ice, Iron slag, Nut shells, and more. The Petrochemical industry, Construction sector, Global tourism, Cultural heritage, and Metalworking industry are key sectors that extensively use sandblasting media. Advanced technologies like robotic sandblasting systems have gained popularity due to their efficiency and precision. Automation and robotics are driving the market, reducing manufacturing lead times and improving etch surface profiles. The market caters to various industries including the Manufacturing sector, Production industry, Automotive parts, Turbines, Aircraft engines, Graffiti removal, and more. The market offers recyclable, angular, long-lasting media for refractories, soft metals, Wood, Fiberglass, Stone, Plastic, De-burring, De-flashing, Casting, Molding, Electrical parts, and various other applications. The market is governed by international trade standards and offers a wide range of media types such as Glass beads, Silica abrasives, Metal grit, and Coal stag.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

Application

Automotive



Aerospace



Construction



Metalworking



Marine

Product

Aluminum Oxide



Si Sand



Steel Shot



Glass



Others

Geography

North America



APAC



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
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A new agreement has been signed between Viking Analytics and Bharat Forge Kilsta (BFK) from Karlskoga. The agreement, which is for three years, provides BFK with the AI-based optimization tool "Smartforge" after a 10-month implementation phase. Smartforge optimizes the forging process, primarily in the critical heat keeping process where the problems with scrap are greatest. The goal is to reduce discarded products by 50% and contribute to energy savings and a more environmentally friendly production.

Niclas Unden, CFO of Bharat Forge Kilsta, comments on the deal: "Through AI technology, a difficult step in the forging process is simplified. The result is lower scrap, lower energy consumption and reduced need for manual work. In SmartForge, Swedish heavy automotive industry meets world-leading AI technology from Viking Analytics. Bharat Forge Kilsta is very pleased with the collaboration with Viking Analytics, and we look forward to a deeper collaboration in the coming years."

The majority of Bharat Forge's customers are in the automotive industry and the value of this agreement exceeds SEK 4 million for both Viking Analytics and Bharat Forge.

Stefan Lagerkvist, COO at Viking Analytics: "This agreement is much more than a single business opportunity. Bharat forge has a lot of expertise in steel and forging, which contributes strongly to the solution. Their knowledge has been captured and translated into algorithms for better control of the process. This collaboration confirms everything we so long have been fighting for and gives us a great opportunity in the future to offer an environmentally friendly AI-powered solution to more factories within the Bharat Forge Group as well as to other players in the industry!"

Viking Analytics

Strong in predictive maintenance and smart industrial optimization

Since 2017 the Swedish company Viking Analytics has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the maintenance process for OEMs, maintenance companies and industries. Their commitment to predictive maintenance, smart automation, optimization, and data analytics is evident in their specialized software tool MultiViz, which enables industries to operate, monitor, and understand their machines with unparalleled precision and efficiency. Vibration analysis is a major focus area, but a lot of customized AI solutions are also provided.

Bharat Forge Kilsta

Forgings for the automotive industry

Bharat Forge Kilsta manufactures forged and machined components for the automotive industry. The company's most important customers are truck manufacturers in Sweden and internationally. Bharat Forge Kilsta is part of the Bharat Forge Group, which is the world's largest forging group and is headquartered in India. Bharat Forge Kilsta has an annual turnover of SEK 1.3 billion and 320 employees. The Swedish company is located in Karlskoga - the city in Eastern Varmland that is known for its high-tech, and internationally oriented, industrial companies.

CONTACT:

[email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

The following files are available for download:
BEIJING, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "40th Anniversary, Discovery of Chengjiang Biota -- International Palaeontological Forum" kicked off on July 2 in Chengjiang, Yuxi, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, and will last to July 6.

This international forum aims to look back on the cooperation results in recent years, share experience, and look forward to the future. By leveraging the strengths of domestic and foreign research institutions, the forum seeks to deepen international cooperation in scientific research.

The photo shows the site of the 40th Anniversary, Discovery of Chengjiang Biota -- International Palaeontological Forum. (Source: Yunnan.cn)

Experts and scholars from China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Switzerland, have attended the forum. A total of 39 oral presentations and six academic posters will be presented to focus on domestic and foreign research achievements in life evolution in the early Cambrian Age.

Located on the shores of Fuxian Lake in the central part of Yunnan Province, the Chengjiang Biota is known as a "world-class treasure trove for fossils". On July 1, 2012, the Chengjiang Biota was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming China's first and Asia's only fossil world natural heritage site.

To date, more than 20 phyla and over 300 species of rare Cambrian fossils have been discovered in the Chengjiang Biota, with 80 percent of them being new species. The Chengjiang Fossil Site World Natural Heritage Museum now has a collection of over 60,000 specimens.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/340963.html

SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road
A rising number of Chinese tourists have chosen Kazakhstan as their travel destination amid preferable visa policy, convenient flight arrangements and tourism promotion efforts, domestic travel agencies said. Since tourists traveling between China and Kazakhstan began enjoying the visa-free privilege in November, Kazakhstan has become an increasingly popular destination among Chinese, said Liang Changhong, general manager of China CYTS Tours Holding Co's operations in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Chinese and Kazakh nationals are allowed to stay in each other's country for no more than 30 days for a single entry, and no more than 90 days in total for multiple visits within a 180-day period, according to their visa policies. It grants visa exemptions for citizens of both countries covering private affairs, tourism, medical treatment, international transportation, transit and business purposes. CYTS Tours organized a self-drive tour for mid-June from Xinjiang to Central Asian countries. The tour was quickly booked up. "More than 40 people from across the country signed up," Liang said. During the 16-day trip, the travelers were able to check in at the Horgos land port in Xinjiang, which was an important post on the ancient Silk Road. From there, they exited the country and headed to Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, to have an in-depth experience of Central Asian culture. "Kazakhstan and the rest of Central Asia have recently been in peak tourism season, which can be expected to continue until the end of the summer," Liang said. Li Mengran, marketing manager at Utour, a travel agency in Beijing, said that Central Asian destinations, especially Kazakhstan, have gained significant momentum after the full recovery of the country's outbound travel market in 2023, and especially since the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in Beijing in October. "Our products for Central Asia have received brisk bookings for June to September, with hundreds of tourists having gone to the five Central Asian countries for sightseeing," Li said. With the launch of Kazakhstan Tourism Year in Beijing in March, more Chinese travelers have been made aware of the country's charm and have shown great interest, she added. The company has developed a 23-day tour to the region and has received positive feedback from customers, Li said. "We have incorporated premium hotel resources and more local experiences such as traditional song and dance performances, so tourists can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the charm of the Central Asian countries," she said. Li said she expects that as bilateral exchanges increase, travel for business meetings and official visits will also continue to grow. Since 2023, direct flights between China and Central Asia have been gradually resuming, with new routes being developed. Travelers can currently fly directly to Kazakhstan from cities including Beijing, Xi'an in Shaanxi province, Urumqi in Xinjiang, and Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, or take road trips from Horgos. Outbound travelers are mainly heading for such destinations as Almaty and the Kazakh capital, Astana, said Zhang Jun, an officer with the Horgos border checkpoint. Zhang also noted that many foreign travelers who pass through the checkpoint have bought distinctive Chinese products to share with their friends and family members. Last year, the number of Chinese travelers to Kazakhstan increased more than tenfold to 367,000, according to Kazakh authorities. Kairat Sadvakassov, chairman of Kazakh Tourism National Co, said he expects the figure to reach 500,000 this year. "We believe that Kazakhstan is one of the most attractive destinations for Chinese tourists, being not just a friendly and neighboring country with a visa-free regime, but also a strategic partner of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Sadvakassov. He recommended space tourism for Chinese visitors and said the country will also promote agri-tourism and culinary tourism throughout the year. There are plans to organize an off-road expedition to explore a cross-border route from Urumqi through the southeastern and southern regions of Kazakhstan and on to Astana, he added.
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.
SINGAPORE and WASHINGTON, July 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Zoku, a leading unified commerce platform for retail, food & beverage, and wholesale distribution operators, is thrilled to announce its successful participation in NRF APAC 2024. Demonstrating its commitment to innovation, Zoku showcased its advanced applications at the event.

Held from June 1113, 2024, at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, Singapore, NRF 2024 APAC gathered thousands of industry leaders and innovators to explore the latest solutions shaping the future of retail. Zoku was selected to showcase its innovative Unified Commerce Platform at the Innovation Lab. During the three-day event, Zoku's team had the opportunity to meet with many business leaders and demonstrate the platform that includes integrated ERP, CRM, Omnichannel POS, eCommerce, Warehouse, and Inventory Management Modules, all unified with Zoku Sync, a robust cloud integration platform ensuring smooth interoperability.

The Zoku booth was one of the few booths visited by the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Gan Kim Yong, along with a delegation that included the President and CEO of the NRF, Mr. Matthew Shay. It was a proud moment for the Zoku team to showcase its advancements in retail technology to such distinguished guests.

Key Features Demonstrated:

Zoku's In-Store Modules: Consisting of the Zoku omnichannel POS and inventory management app, in-store modules were in the spotlight during the demonstrations. The vast majority of retailers that had the chance to meet with the Zoku team during the event indicated that their current POS system lacks the omnichannel and scalability capabilities offered by Zoku. The visitors had the chance to see live how managing inventory, sales, and customer data across all physical and e-commerce stores is made easy, essentially from any device connected to the internet. The solution is scalable as store locations and users can be added, removed, or changed easily and with the highest level of security.

Unified Back-to-Front Commerce: Zoku's platform addresses the challenge faced by nearly 50% of brands, as presented in a recent KPMG study, by unifying online and in-store operations and data as well as back-office functions including accounting, procurement, inventory, and customer management. The Zoku platform empowers retailers to offer seamless shopping experiences to their customers in-store and online with full, centralized visibility of all operations in real-time. The real-time availability of all data at the enterprise level, including detailed reports on sales, customer behavior, and store performance as well as dashboards of key metrics, enables quick decision-making.

Advanced Analytics and AI: Zoku's platform leverages advanced analytics and AI capabilities to provide detailed customer insights and comprehensive performance metrics. These tools help businesses understand customer behavior and preferences, track sales performance, and optimize inventory management.

Zoku Technology: "The shift to unified commerce enables retailers to connect customer-facing sales channels, critical data, and management systems through scalable infrastructure. This integration breaks down silos across IT systems, providing visibility into customer data, e-commerce, order fulfillment, inventory management, accounting, procurement, CRM, and POS systems. All this is made possible by Zoku Sync, a cloud-based commerce integration engine. Unlike many legacy solutions in the market that are cloud-hosted, Zoku is a cloud-native solution as it was born on the cloud," said Jelmer Cormont, CTO of Zoku.

"The platform addresses the critical needs of multi-location operators by streamlining operations, enhancing both customer and associate experiences, and driving growth. Unifying online and in-store operations with an advanced POS designed to enhance omnichannel capabilities and integration with the leading eCommerce platforms, efficient warehousing and inventory management tools, and comprehensive sales channel management functions," said George Makriyiannis, CEO of Zoku.

About Zoku

Zoku is a leading provider of cloud-based unified commerce solutions, dedicated to helping businesses streamline their operations, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive growth. Our innovative platform integrates key business functions to provide a seamless and efficient experience for retailers, food and beverage operators, and wholesale distributors.

With offices in Singapore and the USA, and a global network of partners, Zoku has been enabling retail, food & beverage, and wholesale distribution operators worldwide to streamline operations, elevate customer experiences, and grow profitable revenue.

For more information about Zoku and our Unified Commerce Platform, visit www.zokusuite.com.

SOURCE Zoku
The planter box, which normally houses a tree, if often left without one in it causing problems for drivers who often crash into the blocks.

A 'planter box' designed to house a tree in the left-hand lane on a busy Sydney road repeatedly causes accidents, locals say. Source: Facebook

Frustrated Aussies living in an affluent beachside suburb have renewed pleas to their local council to remove a planter box from one of the area's busiest roads, deeming the installation "useless".

They claim the "dangerous" box, which is designed to house a tree but currently sits vacant, is comprised of two concrete blocks on the corners of Arden Street and Coogee Bay Road in Coogee, and repeatedly damages vehicles driven by confused locals "trying to turn in the congested left lane".

Drivers say they regularly mount the blocks, hit the tree  that sometimes is and sometimes is not in place  subsequently damaging their cars. The issue regularly resurfaces in Coogee, in Sydney's east, having been the subject of intense debate earlier this year.

A tree was replanted earlier this year in the spot, but council says vandals destroyed it. Source: Supplied

Cement blocks annoying Coogee drivers

Back then, many members of the community came forward to criticise the box's positioning, questioning why council considered the left-hand lane on a busy beachfront road a suitable position for a tree. When asked by Yahoo at the time, a Randwick City spokesperson said removing the blocks wasn't "an option" because "trees add a lot of value to an urban environment".

They said the blocks acted as a wheel stop for the parking spots directly in front of it, and it's a tree surround for where a tree once stood.

But locals say it's unsafe, with a Coogee man claiming he'd personally heard of a total of "three cars that have smashed" into the blocks this week alone.

"And thats just what Ive heard while working at the cafe," the man said. "I wonder when theyll actually do the right thing and get rid of them? And open up the left turning lane to free up traffic congestion.

"Oh yeah, and save the undercarriage of a few cars a week."

When we published our report in January, the tree box was empty, though photos of council staff planting a new one surfaced later that month.

Now, it's emerged that the box is sitting empty once again, reigniting calls to have the blocks removed.

"This waste of money is the gift that keeps on giving! Please Randwick City Council, remove this. Its unnecessary and annoying," one woman said online. "It doesnt make sense to keep something that does more harm than good."

The blocks, located in Coogee in Sydneys east, have been criticised by locals who say they're dangerous. Source: Facebook

Council stands firm on position

Yahoo News Australia asked Randwick City Council on Thursday if their stance on the matter had changed. In response, a spokesperson said the latest tree had been "vandalised" and will be replaced "as a priority".

The spokesperson did not respond to questions regarding community complaints.

Earlier, the City told Yahoo, "Trees add a real sense of place and a presence. A better solution might be if people just didn't hit the tree in the first place".

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Bengaluru, July 5 : Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari called on BJP workers to educate people on who committed the sin of damaging the Constitution by imposing the Emergency in the country in 1975.

The new generation needs to be told who was the "murderer of the democracy" in the country, he said while addressing the BJP's executive committee meeting in Bengaluru.

"It was the BJP which strived to protect the Constitution and democracy. Until we are there, we will ensure the protection of the Constitution and democracy with unwavering commitment. This message should reach the people," he said.

"When the Emergency clamped, democracy was killed, freedom of speech was suspended and the media was controlled. Lakhs of BJP workers were jailed under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) for two years. Former late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, veteran leader L.K. Advani, and late leader George Fernandes were imprisoned in Bengaluru jail. BJP workers fought against the imposition of Emergency... Our workers made sacrifices to save democracy," Union Minister Gadkari said.

"Today, India is seen as the mother of democracy. With a population of 140 crore, we have conviction towards it... The amendments made in the Constitution during the Emergency ended democracy. When the Janata Party came to power at the Centre, all those amendments were struck off," he added.

The Union Minister slammed the Congress for spreading a "false narrative" that the BJP is seeking more than 400 seats in the Parliament to change the Constitution and end reservation.

"The Supreme Court in Kesavananda Bharati case has clearly stated that the salient features of the Constitution canat be amended despite a majority. BJP never indulged in damaging and amending the Constitution," he said.
Bhopal, July 5 : The Madhya Pradesh government would bring a tough law to keep a check on illegal colonies in the state, Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya told the Assembly on Thursday.

He said that the government would come up with a bill to this effect.

The minister said that a "strong nexus" has been involved in developing illegal colonies, which needs to be stopped.

"Illegal colonies have become a serious issue across the state. A nexus is involved in it. We are working to introduce a bill in the Assembly, which would also have a provision for tough action, including NSA," Vijayvargiya told the house during the 'Question Hour' session of the Assembly.

He was replying to questions over mushrooming illegal colonies and the plight of the residents during the third day of the Monsoon session of the Assembly.

The step may affect residents of more than 6,000 colonies in the state, which have been identified as unauthorised.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has indicated he would roll back the decision taken by his predecessor and former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Chouhan, during mid of the Assembly elections in November last year, had announced that all illegal colonies developed during the period between December 2016 and December 2022 would be regularised.

The former CM had then said, "Why illegal? Have you built these houses with any illegal procedures? You bought these houses with your hard-earned money. Why is it being called illegal? The decision to declare it illegal is itself illegal. I will end this."
Astana, July 5 : Russia is ready to start producing short- and medium-range missiles in response to US actions, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

"I said that in connection with the withdrawal of the United States from the Intermediate Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty and the announcement that they start production, we also consider that we have the right to begin research, development, and production (of these missiles) in the future," Putin told reporters on Thursday after the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana.

Russia is carrying out such research and development and is ready to start production, he said, adding that Moscow can act in a similar way in case US short-and medium-range missiles are deployed in any region of the world, Xinhua news agency reported.

The US and the Soviet Union signed the INF treaty in 1987, which prohibited possessing, developing and testing ground-launched missiles with a range of 500-5,500 km.

In 2019, the US officially announced its withdrawal from the INF treaty.
Labour on course for landslide victory in next UK general election, poll suggests. Image Source: IANS News

London, July 5 : With his Labour Party on course for a landslide victory in the general elections, Keir Starmer, all set to become the next British Prime Minister, declared on Friday that the United Kingdom is ready for a 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," the 61-year-old said after retaining his seat from north London.

Elected to Parliament in 2015 for the first time at the age of 52, the Labour Party leader has promised to offer the change the country needs.

Ending 14 years of Conservative rule, Starmer's Labour Party has so far won over 266 seats with the Tories heading towards a historic defeat.

"Labour will deliver change for Wales and across the United Kingdom. But change will only happen if you vote for it," Starmer had said a few hours before Britain headed to polls on Thursday.

A human rights lawyer and a "lifelong" Arsenal fan, Starmer has represented people on death row with the Labour Party describing its leader and former Chief Prosecutor as a man who has spent his entire career securing justice for those who need it.

Son of a toolmaker, Starmer faced challenging times right from his childhood which was spent in Surrey's Oxted. His mother, a nurse who worked for the National Health Service (NHS), battled a rare and severe illness all her life.

"Despite the challenges this presented for Keir, he was hugely influenced by his mother's courage and determination to live her life despite her illness. It also gave him a deep gratitude for the NHS," the party said about its leader.

After entering politics and the British Parliament in 2015, Starmer was elected as leader of the Labour Party in April 2020.

Four years later, he is now promising a better future for Britain.
Los Angeles, July 5 : At least one person was killed and 10 others were injured after a boat crash in the Southern Californian coastal city of Long Beach, authorities said in a press release on their Facebook page.

The department, on Thursday, informed that the members of the Long Beach Fire Department responded at approximately 9:21 p.m. (local time) on Wednesday to reports of a 48-foot (about 14.6 metres) boat that had crashed into the Alamitos Bay jetty, reports Xinhua news agency.

"In total, 11 patients were involved in this incident. Unfortunately, there was one confirmed fatality," said the department, adding that the "remaining ten patients were transported to hospitals in the local area. Three patients were identified as critical."

The victim, only described as 40-50 years old, was declared dead aboard the boat, reported local KTLA television station.

The exact cause of the pleasure boat hitting the rocks is unclear, but the authorities told the local media that the speed was likely a factor.
Lucknow, July 5 : BJP President J. P. Nadda will pay his first visit to the state capital after the Lok Sabha elections to attend the organisation's state executive meeting on July 14.

The party's below-average performance in UP was one of the reasons behind the BJP failing to reach the 272 mark in the Lok Sabha on its own.

All district presidents will attend the day-long meeting along with other office bearers of the party at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan.

"Apart from routine things, much will be discussed at the closed-door meeting between the national president and senior office bearers of the state," said a senior BJP leader.

"The party's performance in this Lok Sabha poll in the state and reasons for the poor show will be discussed at the closed-door meeting with the national president of the party," he added.

The state president of the party will also share details of the review of the party's performance in all 80 Lok Sabha seats.

"The BJP president will come here for the first time after the formation of NDA government at the Centre to attend the state executive meeting on July 14," said Hero Bajpai, state BJP spokesperson.

"Political agenda, farmers' and women's issues and membership drive will be discussed at the day-long state executive meeting among other issues," he added. After the poll results, the BJP had constituted 40 teams of two members each who visited all 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state with a focus on those seats that the party lost.
Sanaa, July 5 : Warplanes of the US-UK coalition launched three airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen's Red Sea province of Hodeidah, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV and witnesses.

Al-Masirah TV reported that the strikes hit the northwestern district of Alluhayah and the southern district of Bayt al-Faqih in the province on Thursday.

Locals said the strikes hit mobile military targets of the Houthi group, reports Xinhua news agency.

The US-UK coalition has not yet commented on the strikes.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the US Central Command said its forces destroyed two radar sites in the Houthi-controlled areas and two Houthi drone boats in the Red Sea.

The Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen, began in November last year to launch anti-ship ballistic missiles and armed drones at what they said were Israeli-linked ships transiting the Red Sea to show solidarity with the Palestinians under attack by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

In response, the US-UK naval coalition stationed in the waters has since January conducted air raids and missile strikes against Houthi targets in an attempt to deter the group from further attacks.

However, the Houthis retaliated by expanding their attacks on US and UK commercial vessels and naval ships.
New Delhi, July 5 : In a sensational claim, senior lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani has alleged that a businessman with Chinese links had commissioned the report by short-seller Hindenburg Research which led to shares of Adani Group companies taking a hit.

In a lengthy post on X social media platform, Jethmalani claimed that Mark Kingdon, the American businessman behind Kingdon Capital Management LLC, had hired Hindenburg to prepare a report on the Adani Group.

"Here's a huge smoking gun in the sordid episode of the short sale of Adani shares by Hindenburg," he posted on X.

"For those who want to learn about accomplished #Chinese spy #AnlaCheng who along with her husband #MarkKingdon hired #Hindenburg for a research report on #Adani, engaged the services of Kotak to facilitate a trading account to short sell Adani shares," Jethmalani further said.

They "made millions of dollars from their short selling; who eroded Adani market cap enormously, with no thought for several Indian retail investors who they financially decimated through their nefarious design to promote Chinese strategic interests by destroying an Indian corporate competitor who had prevailed in many bids over the Chinese State in strategic international projects," the senior lawyer alleged.

Kingdon also approached Kotak's international investment arm Kotak Mahindra Investments Limited (KMIL) to set up an offshore fund as well as offshore accounts to trade in Adani shares. This led to the creation of the Kotak India Opportunity Fund (KIOF).

Earlier this week, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a show-cause notice to Hindenburg Research, Nathan Anderson and the entities of Mauritius-based foreign portfolio investor (FPI) Kingdon for trading violations in the scrip of Adani Enterprises Ltd, leading up to the Hindenburg report and thereafter.

An investigation by the markets regulator also exposed that Kotak Mahindra and Hindenburg conspired together to take short positions in Adani shares.

The "smoking gun" referred to by Jethmalani was his revelation that Kingdon's wife Anla Cheng, a Chinese-American, who has a large shareholding in the Kingdon Master Fund, is a lobbyist for Chinese interests in the United States.

"She was the CEO of #SupChina a pro-China media corporate initiative which morphed into an entity called The China Project after a whistleblower accused SupChina of news subversion in China's interest in a sworn statement before the US Congress," the lawyer posted.

"#TheChinaProject shut down after calls for an investigation into its subversive activities by some US senators including having links with the Chinese Communist Party. The latter clearly has a bone to pick with the Adani group," he added.

Jethmalani claimed that the actions of Cheng and Kingdon were prompted by the Adani Group thwarting Chinese interests in several parts of the globe, including outbidding Chinese players for the Haifa Port in Israel and coal projects near Sri Lanka's Jaffna.

Jethmalani also posed three major questions.

"Who introduced the Kingdons to KMIL, what due diligence was conducted by KMIL regarding the Kingdons and did it participate in the short sell as a principal," he asked.

The second question was whether all the Indian people, organisations and entities who helped Hindenburg knew about the short-selling plan and whether they benefited from it. Jethmalani specifically mentioned politicians, in an apparent dig at the opposition, which has used the Adani-Hindenburg issue to target the group and the government on several occasions.

The lawyer also asked whether these people and entities knew about the Chinese link.

Hindenburg had alleged that while markets regulator SEBI "seemingly tied itself in knots to claim jurisdiction over us, its notice conspicuously failed to name the party that has an actual tie to India: Kotak Bank, one of India's largest banks and brokerage firms founded by Uday Kotak, which created and oversaw the offshore fund structure used by our investor partner to bet against Adani".

Hindenburg claimed that the group "simply named the K-India Opportunities Fund and masked the name 'Kotak' with the acronym 'KMIL'".

Kotak Mahindra (International) Ltd, a unit of Kotak Mahindra Bank, replied, saying Hindenburg was never a client of the group's K-India Opportunities Fund (KIOF) and Kotak Mahindra International Ltd (KMIL).
London, July 5 : Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on Friday, conceded defeat after the exit poll showed his Conservative Party getting trounced and the Labour Party heading to a landslide victory, bringing the curtains down on his party's 14-year run governing Britain.

"Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides," said Sunak, whose election as Prime Minister nearly two years ago marked an iconic change with a descendant of British Raj's subjects taking over the administration of Britain.

"The Labour Party has won this general election, and I've called Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory," he said at the announcement of his own election from a constituency in Yorkshire.

Apologising to his party, he said somberly: "I am sorry."

The counting of votes was still on around the country when he spoke at about 4:30 a.m. (local time), but the exit poll predicted that the Labour Party led by Starmer was set to win over 410 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, a gain of 209.

The Conservative Party was projected to win 131 seats, a loss of 241 seats.

"I take responsibility for the loss to the many good hardworking Conservative candidates who lost despite their tireless efforts, their local records of delivery and their dedication to their communities," he said.

"The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight," Sunak said.

"There is much to learn and reflect on," he added.

Although the current House of Commons term ran till December, Sunak called early elections in the face of mounting problems for the party and the country.

It was either a strategic error or a fatalistic submission to realities.

The writing on the wall was clear this year when the Conservatives lost 10 city councils and about 400 councillors in local body elections in May after a string of losses in parliamentary byelections.

The latest string of Conservative rule began in 2010 with a resounding rout of the Labour Party but it descended into chaos that Sunak could not stem in the less than two years in power.

The Conservatives saw five Prime Ministers, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Elizabeth Truss, and Sunak, the last three in the last five years marked by vicious in-fighting, with Truss being in office for only 49 days.

It spilled over into the campaign.

"I think we've seen in this election astonishing ill-discipline within the party," former Justice Minister Robert Buckland told the BBC after losing to a Labour candidate.

Sunak's future is at stake after holding the job of Prime Minister, which he won on his second try.

The tremendous loss by the Conservative Party casts a shadow on the technocrat's attempts to become the leader of the opposition at the head of an emaciated party.

In a sign of the rising recriminations, Suella Braverman, the former Home Secretary dismissed by Sunak, said after her re-election: "The Conservative Party did not keep our promise."

The leader of Indian origin, who belongs to the right wing of the Conservative Party and once ran for Prime Minister, added: "I am sorry my party didn't listen to you, Conservative Party has let you down."

Brexit  the momentous decision for Britain to leave the European Union in 2020 after a 2016 referendum  was the most significant marker of the Conservative rule.

The party led the country through the Covid pandemic, the economic crisis it caused, and the mounting immigration problem  mostly failing to live up to the voters' expectations in the confluence of adversities.
Hyderabad, July 5 : The midnight defection of six MLCs of the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) has doubled the strength of the ruling Congress party to 12 in the 40-member Telangana Legislative Council.

The joining of six MLCs in one go came as another big jolt to the main opposition party, which has already lost six MLAs to the ruling party.

Dande Vittal, Bhanu Prasad, B. Dayanand, Prabhakar Rao, Egge Mallesham and Basavaraju Saraiah formally joined the Congress party around 1 a.m. after the return of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy from Delhi.

AICC in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi, revenue minister P. Srinivasa Reddy, former Sudershan Reddy and other leaders were also present.

The BRS MLCs met at a hotel on Thursday night and later reached Revanth Reddyas residence.

Their joining has boosted the Congress partyas strength in the Council to 12. The party already has six MLCs in the Upper House.

The latest jolt to BRS came a day after senior leader and Rajya Sabha member K. Keshava Rao joined the Congress party. He also quit as Rajya Sabha member.

BRS has lost six MLAs to Congress since the defeat in Assembly elections held in November 2023. Congress had won 64 seats in the 119-member Assembly. After the defections from BRS and the victory in the Secunderabad Cantonment by-election, its strength has gone up to 71.

On the other hand, the number of BRS MLAs has come down to 32.

The MLCs who switched loyalties were elected to Council from different categories. While three were elected from Local Bodies, two were nominated under the Governor's quota. The sixth was elected by MLAs.

Most of these MLCs were originally from Congress but crossed over to the BRS when it was in power.

There are two vacancies in the 40-member Council. The ruling party had nominated M. Kodandaram and Amer Ali Khan under the Governoras quota but the High Court quashed their nomination.

The High Court also quashed the governoras orders dated September 19, 2023, rejecting the nomination of BRS leaders Sravan Dasoju and K. Satyanarayana. Then Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan had rejected the nomination of Sravan Dasoju and Satyanarayana under the Governoras quota.

Challenging the Governoras orders, the BRS leaders had filed writ petitions in the High Court. Following the High Courtas order, they appealed to the Governor to appoint them as MLCs.
The woman has just returned home to the US but is still receiving messages from those in Australia asking about passengers' final moment before the crash.

Victims' relatives from the Greyhound bus crash in Queensland have reached out to Farah Priela who survived the collision. Source: Facebook/Supplied

A survivor of the Greyhound bus crash has revealed to Yahoo News she has received heartbreaking messages from the relatives of victims who died in Sunday's tragedy, with one woman losing her life after sitting in the seat the survivor was originally assigned.

US woman Farah Priela didn't sit on her ticketed seat on the bus as it transported 33 passengers from Airlie Beach to Cairns, and is haunted by the lasting impacts that last-minute decision has had for herself, and for the woman who ended up sitting in her empty seat.

Relatives have since reached out to Priela hoping for clarity, asking about the victims' final moments before the bus collided with a 4WD towing a caravan on the Bruce Highway near Gumlu, Queensland.

"[I've been] receiving many emails about passengers they knew, [it's been] unbelievable," Priela told Yahoo News on Friday. "Their messages were very kind and delicate and emphatic. I wish I had information to provide specific answers to ease their pain."

Priela, who has just returned home to San Francisco on Friday after her Australian travels, said she's also received messages from emergency responders, as well as current and retired Greyhound drivers.

"I've received so many messages... people I don't know," she said.

Couple towing caravan lose 'home' in crash

The couple who were travelling in the 4WD was miraculously unharmed, however, they "lost" their caravan as it was "destroyed" in the collision.

Priela claims the couple have 'lost' their caravan after the collision. Source: Supplied

"The police mentioned that it was their home. I am so sorry for them," she said.

"I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in that tragic crash. My gratitude to the people of Queensland," she said. Three women lost their lives in the crash, with two men still in critical condition in hospital.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
London, July 5 : After securing resounding win in the UK general election, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said that his party is ready to restore Britain to the service for working people.

Addressing his supporters at a reception to celebrate his win in the election, Starmer thanked the people for the amazing reception.

The 61-year-old leader said, "The work of change begins today. Thank you so much for the amazing reception. We did it."

Amid huge public applause, Starmer said, "You campaigned for it, you fought for it and you voted for it and now it has arrived. Change begins now..."

"It feels good, I have to be honest... Four-and-a-half-years of work... changing the party... This is what it is for... A changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people," he said.

The Labour Party has secured the win on over 390 seats and comfortably crossed the halfway mark of 326 seats in the 650-member Parliament, BBC reported.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau congratulated Starmer on the win.

His address comes after UK Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak conceded defeat in the polls.
Beirut, July 5 : A Hezbollah member was killed, and seven civilians were injured in Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling in southern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources said.

The military sources, who spoke anonymously, told Xinhua news agency that Israel carried out 12 airstrikes targeting nine towns and villages, and its artillery bombed 17 border towns and villages, killing a Hezbollah member and injuring seven civilians on Thursday.

The sources noted that the Hezbollah member was killed, and three civilians were injured in an Israeli raid targeting a house in the village of Houla.

In another Israeli strike in the village of Kfarchouba, a shell falling on a house wounded two civilians, while two others were injured in a bombing on the southeastern town of Shebaa, the sources added.

They specifically noted that four members of the Civil Defence sustained minor injuries and suffered suffocation while extinguishing a fire in the municipality of Kounine.

The sources indicated that the Israeli bombing destroyed 17 homes, damaged 35 others, and led to nine fires in the border area.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced that it attacked several Israeli military sites in retaliation for Israel's assassination of its senior military commander, Mohammad Naameh Nasser, a day earlier.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on October 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.

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 the outbreak of a war.
Jerusalem, July 5 : An Israeli regulatory body has approved plans for building 5,295 new settler homes throughout the occupied West Bank, a settlement monitoring group said.

Peace Now, an Israeli-based settlement watchdog, stated in a press release that the Higher Planning Council of the Civil Administration approved the new construction during a two-day discussion on Wednesday and Thursday, reported Xinhua news agency.

The building plans include the expansion of settlements deep within the West Bank and the retroactive legalisation of three outposts, which were originally built by settlers without official Israeli permits.

As part of their legalisation, the statement said the three outposts, namely Mahane Gadi, Givat Hanan, and Kedem Arava, were declared "neighbourhoods" of existing settlements.

The approval of the new settler housing units came a day after Israeli authorities approved the appropriation of 12.7 square km of land in the West Bank, marking the largest single appropriation in about three decades.

Israel took control of the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and has expanded settlements there ever since.
Khartoum, July 5 : At least 25 people drowned while fleeing the ongoing military clashes in the Sinnar State in central Sudan after their wooden boat capsized, local resistance committees announced.

"As the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) entered the area, at least 25 citizens, most of them women and children, died in a boat sinking accident east of Abu Hujar city, between the Al-Dibaiba and Luni villages," the resistance committees in Sinnar said in a statement on Thursday.

The victims included entire families from the Al-Dibaiba village, reports Xinhua news agency, citing the statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Over 55,400 people have fled Singa, the capital city of Sinnar state, since the clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary RSF expanded in June, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Sudan conflict, which broke out in mid-April 2023, has led to at least 16,650 deaths, reported the OCHA in a June report.

Over 7.7 million people have been displaced internally within Sudan since the outbreak of the conflict, while about 2.2 million others have crossed borders into neighbouring countries, according to the figures released on June 25 by the UN International Organization for Migration.
New Delhi, July 5 : The Delhi High Court on Friday issued a notice to the CBI on a bail plea filed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the corruption case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam.

A Bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna asked the central investigative agency to file its response and posted the matter for hearing on July 17.

During the hearing, the counsel representing CBI objected to filing of the bail plea directly before the High Court, adding that CM Kejriwal should have first approached the trial court for bail.

However, the Bench said that contention will be considered at a later stage and asked the CBI to file its reply in the meantime.

Earlier on Wednesday, CM Kejriwalas bail plea was mentioned before a Bench presided over by Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Manmohan for urgent listing.

The ACJ assured that his bail petition would be heard on Friday, July 5.

Pertinently, CM Kejriwalas plea challenging his arrest by the CBI is also coming up for hearing on July 17.

The AAP supremo, who presently remains under 14-day judicial custody (till July 12) in the corruption case, had assailed the validity of his arrest by the CBI and subsequent custody of the agency.

On June 26, CM Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI and was produced before the Rouse Avenue Court. Subsequently, he was sent to three-day CBI custody for interrogation.

Permission was granted to the CBI to produce CM Kejriwal in the special court after questioning him in Tihar Jail.

Recently, the Delhi High Court stayed a trial court's order granting bail to CM Kejriwal in a money laundering case, saying that the documents and arguments were not appreciated by the lower court.

The Supreme Court, in May, had reserved its verdict on the petition filed by CM Kejriwal challenging his arrest and subsequent remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy case.

He was ordered to be released on 21-day interim bail by the apex court in view of the General Elections.
Hyderabad, July 5 : Police opened fire in the air to catch a gang of robbers near Outer Ring Road on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Friday.

The incident occurred at Pedda Amberpet in Rangareddy district when robbers tried to attack a police party.

Police personnel belonging to Central Crime Station Nalgonda opened fire in the air and arrested the notorious Parthi gang.

The gang had been targeting parked vehicles on Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway. Alerted by a series of thefts, the police had stepped patrolling on the highway.

Nalgonda SP Sharart Chandra Pawar had constituted special teams to keep a vigil. On spotting a gang of suspected robbers, police tried to catch them. When they escaped and entered the Rachakonda police commissionerate, the police officials alerted their counterparts and chased the gang. The gang armed with knives tried to attack the police personnel belonging to both Rachakonda and Nalgonda police, forcing the latter to open fire in the air.

Police managed to catch hold of two offenders while some others escaped.

A series of incidents of robbery were reported around the highway during the last month. Police suspect the same gang was involved in four incidents.

On June 10, a family sleeping in their parked car was robbed by masked men in Chityal. The vehicle was parked on an isolated service road. The gang had beaten up the family of four sleeping in the car and looted four tolas of gold.
London, July 5 : Keir Starmer, who pulled the Labour Party back from the brink of radicalism and led it to victory ending the party's 14 years in the political wilderness, is now set to become Britain's 58th prime minister.

"I've changed the Labour Party. We are back in service of working people," he said of his mission as the leader of the party and the opposition in the House of Commons.

Uniquely qualified for the task, he has been both a human rights lawyer and the nation's top prosecutor.

"We stand here on the eve of the election as a changed Labour Party, a Labour Party that has pushed protest to one side and returned our party to the service of working people and proudly says country first, party second," he said on the eve of the election.

After his election from a constituency in London, he said, "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."

Unlike many leaders, especially of his Labour Party, who have outsize flamboyant personalities Starmer, 61, has a low profile.

In marked contrast to defeated Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, he comes from a modest family: His father worked at a factory as a toolmaker and his mother a nurse and were Labour Party supporters. In his victory speech here on Friday, he said they provided a "sense of security with comfort from believing that Britain would always be better for their children".

"I hope the working class families like mine could build their lives around the hope," he said.

That hope "may not burn brightly in Britain at the moment, but we have earned the mandate to relight the fire", he said. "That is the purpose of this party", he said.

His mother suffered from severe chronic disease, a form of arthritis-linked ailment, and he wrote on his website, "I spent my childhood seeing her go into hospital, where my father would always be at her side."

His politics showed an improbable swing from the left to a moderate line as the Labour Party leader.

He started with the Young Socialists of the Labour Party when he was 16 and moved on to editing 'Social Alternatives', a magazine linked to the Trotskyist International Revolutionary Marxist Tendency group.

He got his law degree from Leeds University, only going to Oxford for an advanced degree.

After becoming a barrister, he worked as a legal officer for the National Council for Civil Liberties.

An anti-death penalty activist, he defended people sentenced to the death penalty in several Caribbean countries.

He moved from his private law practice specialising in human rights to working for law enforcement, joining the Northern Ireland Policing Board as a human rights adviser.

Starmer's next step up was as the director of public prosecutions, the third highest law position in the country.

"It was quite the shift to go from running small teams to running the Crown Prosecution Service and leading its thousands of employees," he said taking over the national prosecutorial agency.

One of the major prosecutions he launched was against three Labour members of Parliament and a Conservative member of the House of Lords who were all found guilty in the scandal of parliamentarians presenting expense reports.

He was knighted in 2014 for his services in the legal field.

From the legal field, he jumped to politics in 2014 and was elected to parliament the next year.

He opposed the Labour leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn and ran on a leftist platform for that position in 2020 and won with the support of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

But as the leader of the opposition, he moderated the party's leftward lunge.

He put a stronger emphasis on strengthening the economy and getting tougher on crime.

He also dropped his policies on nationalising water and energy and ending college tuition in the centre-wards shift.

Labour will be returning to power after its defeat in 2010 under Gordon Brown ending the party's 13-year streak in power that had begun under Tony Blair in 2007.

Now, Starmer has the momentous task of steering the country through the economic and administrative morass.

But a difficult task looms ahead in dealing with illegal immigration, an issue of major concern which contributed to the Conservative poor performance because of the surprising showing by the upstart Reform Party, a reincarnation of the Brexit Party now with an anti-immigration platform.

The popular sentiment against illegal immigration is at odds with many in the Labour Party.

Another contentious issue he faces is Palestine on which a sizeable part of his party is anti-Israel.
After Apple, Google set to manufacture Pixel phones in India. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, July 5 : After Apple, Google is set to manufacture Pixel smartphones in India, with plans to export the devices to Europe and the US, media reports have said.

According to reports, the tech giant will soon begin commercial production through partnerships with Foxconn and Dixon Technologies' subsidiary Padget Electronics.

The company has already started trial production in Tamil Nadu with Foxconn, a major maker of Apple devices.

When contacted, Google India did not immediately comment.

As per reports, Google might make the formal announcement of this development in H2. The base variant of the Pixel phone would be made by Dixon Technologies, while Foxconn would manufacture Pro variants.

The commercial production will likely commence in September and the export might start once the production stabilises.

This move is in line with the government's production-linked incentive (PLI) programme, which aims to boost domestic manufacturing, the reports mentioned.

Meanwhile, Apple exported iPhones worth over Rs 16,500 crore in the first two months of the current financial year -- accounting for more than 80 per cent of the country's total production/assembly of iPhones.

Foxconn led total exports at about 65 per cent.

For FY 24, Apple saw a total iPhone production of around $14 billion.

The company has increased iPhone production and one out of seven iPhones in the world is now being manufactured in India, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As per the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) data, mobile phone production surged from Rs 18,900 crore in 2014-15 to an estimated Rs 4.10 lakh crore in FY24, registering an increase of a massive 2,000 per cent, driven by the PLI scheme.
Kolkata, July 5 : Taking a lesson from the Hathras stampede, the entire area in and around the iconic Tarakeswar temple in West Bengal's Hooghly district will be wrapped under a blanket security cover ahead of the Shravani Mela.

At a meeting chaired by the Tarakeswar Municipality chairman, Uttam Kundu and attended by senior district-level administrative and police officers, it was decided to increase the security within the temple premises and the roads leading to the temple.

A control room will be opened from where CCTV footage will be constantly monitored and corrective measures will be taken as per the situation. An official of Tarakeswar Municipality said that in the meeting it was decided to increase the number of entry gates to the temple premises.

It has also been decided that additional personnel from the police, fire services and disaster management departments will be deployed during the festive days.

According to Kundu, special parking zones will be allotted for the vehicles entering the town carrying pilgrims. "The municipal authorities will make adequate arrangements for water supply as well as to illuminate the roads leading to the temple premises," he added. At the same time, separate health centres will be set up in adequate numbers to address any emerging emergency.

This year, the Sravani Mela is slated to start on July 21 and will continue till August 19. Going by the experience of the last few years, said the official, the temple authorities are expecting a crowd of over 10 lakh people during the festive days, with the turnout being maximum on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
Srinagar: Former MLA and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) President Engineer Rashid addresses a press conference in Srinagar, on May 30, 2019. . Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi/Srinagar, July 5 : Jailed leader Engineer Rashid took oath as a member of Parliament on Friday after he was released on a two-hour custody parole by the Patiala House court in Delhi.

Engineer Rashid was sworn in as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha following his victory from the Baramulla constituency in J&K.

He defeated former J&K chief minister and vice president of the National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah by a huge margin of over two lakh votes.

The 56-year-old politician was arrested in 2019 by the NIA during the investigation of a money laundering case linked to terror funding and has since been lodged in Delhias Tihar Jail under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The oath-taking ceremony was attended by members of his family, which included his wife, daughter, sons Asrar Rashid and Abrar Rashid, and brother Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh. At least two of his party functionaries also attended the ceremony.

Those present on the occasion were allowed to join only after producing identity cards and without mobile phones or Internet access.

Engineer Rashid was allowed interaction with the family before being taken back to jail without any liberty to talk to the media or any other unconcerned person as per the directions of the court.
Anthony Albanese wants to expand Australia's relationship with the UK as he congratulates incoming prime minister Sir Keir Starmer on his landslide election win.

"Congratulations to be my friend and new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on his resounding election victory," he said on the platform X on Friday.

Congratulations to my friend and new UK Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer on his resounding election victory - I look forward to working constructively with the incoming @UKLabour Government  Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 5, 2024

Earlier on Friday, Mr Albanese told reporters he wanted to develop Australia's relationship with the UK, noting he had held talks with Sir Keir.

"Sir Keir Starmer and I have had discussions about the potential, obviously, for him to visit this part of the world as part of (the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) and I would expect that that will occur in coming months," he said.

"In Sir Keir Starmer and (deputy Labour leader) Angela Rayner and so many others who I am very familiar with in the British Labour Party, I look forward very much to working with them."
Thiruvananthapuram, July 5 : The national leadership of the CPI(M) has eventually realised that the root cause for the mauling the party got in Kerala in the Lok Sabha polls was on account of the arrogance of party leaders and workers there, particularly Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

CPI(M) top brass, including General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri and his predecessor Prakash Karat, who have been attending the zonal meetings in Kerala, got firsthand information regarding this.

As things donat appear too bright for the party in the state, both Yechuri and Karat have emphasised that from now on the national leadership will keep a close watch on the developments in Kerala.

What has shocked the CPI(M) is the fact that its second-biggest ally CPI has in its review meeting discussed the parting of ways if CM Vijayan and his leaders donat mend their ways.

They are even mulling reviving their old alliance with the Congress in Kerala.

Incidentally, this opinion was expressed by CPI leaders from north Kerala districts.

This comes a few days after the Congress-led UDF convenor MM Hassan extended an olive branch to the CPI, asking them to consider returning to the Congress-led alliance.

On Thursday, the student wing of the CPI-AISF also slammed the manner in which the SFI, the student wing of the CPI(M), went berserk at numerous campuses soon after colleges reopened last month.

State CPI Secretary, Binoy Viswan minced no words and said that the way SFI behaves is not in tune with Communist ideologies and if they do not mend their ways, then the SFI is going to be a liability for the Left.

With Yechuri and Karat deciding to rein in the erring party, it remains to be seen how effective they will be as CM Vijayan still goes about in his typical arrogant fashion as was seen during the ongoing Assembly session.
Bengaluru, July 5 : The Karnataka Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the Renukaswamy murder case, on Friday issued a second notice to the former Deputy Mayor of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Mohan Raju, and directed him to appear before it.

The second notice was issued after he failed to respond to the earlier one.

The SIT wants to question him after it came to light during the investigation that Mohan Raju had given Rs 40 lakh to actor Darshan to manage the expenses related to the murder of Renukaswamy. The police will inquire him about the source of the money and his involvement in the case. Mohan Raju has been directed to appear before the police on Friday.

The SIT has also issued notice to Samatha, a friend of Darshanas apartnera and prime accused in the murder case. The probe has revealed that she had also given money to an accused in the case, Dhanveer, who surrendered to the police claiming that along with three others, he had killed Renukaswamy to save Darshan.

The sources also revealed that the driver of a Bengaluru MLA has also been issued notice after the police found his movements on the day when the crime was committed.

Darshan and the other 15 accused were remanded to judicial custody till July 18. 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.
Bhopal, July 5 : In an embarrassment to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, a BJP MLA on Friday said that over 40 villages in MP's Sanchi still have no drinking water facilities.

"People are not getting tap water despite work being completed on paper. More than 40 villages of Sanchi are still waiting for the drinking water," the BJP MLA from Sanchi assembly seat in Sehore district, Prabhuram Chaudhary, told the Assembly on Friday.

Chaudhary, a senior BJP leader, was Health Minister in ex-CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan's cabinet.

The BJP MLA made the remarks when the Assembly was discussing the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission.

He demanded an investigation and tough action against the officials, who completed the project on "paper" while there is nothing on the ground.

The opposition Congress attacked the BJP government soon after Chaudhary's remarks, saying that the success of the Jal Jeevan Mission is far from reality.

"There are irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission. Work has been done on paper only and nothing has been done on the ground. Even the BJP MLAs tell the reality of Jal Jeevan Mission," Congress MLA Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya assured the House that the government would order an inquiry and those found guilty would be punished.

Jal Jeevan Mission is the Central government's project launched in 2019 which is aimed at providing tap water to every household. "Nal-Jal" scheme is its part, which is under the Jal Shakti Ministry while the states have been entitled to execute the project on the ground.

Jal Shakti Ministry's data showed that around 1.11 crore households are registered in Madhya Pradesh for Jal Jeevan Mission and 62 per cent of them have started receiving tap water, till April 2024. It also stated that 100 per cent target would be achieved by the end of this year.
Amaravati/New Delhi, July 5 : On the second day of his visit to New Delhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, called on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday.

After the meeting with FM Sitharaman, CM Naidu posted on X that they discussed welfare and economic development in Andhra Pradesh to further collaboration.

Naidu was accompanied by Union Civil Aviation Minister, K Ram Mohan Naidu, Union Minister of State for Rural Development & Communications Pemmasani Chandrasekhar and Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma.

CM Naidu also called on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister for Health and Family Welfare, JP Nadda.

JP Nadda posted on X that he had a meeting with CM Naidu and TDP MPs.

"We shared our vision for Viksit Bharat and Viksit Andhra. Under the esteemed guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our NDA government is committed to advancing Andhra Pradesh to greater heights," wrote the central minister.

CM Naidu, in his reply, wrote that he was delighted to meet JP Nadda.

"Looking forward to collaborating further on achieving our shared vision of Viksit Andhra Pradesh and Viksit Bharat," the Chief Minister said.

CM Naidu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and six Cabinet ministers on Thursday.

The TDP President stated on Friday that he had a productive discussion with Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri.

"Together, we shall further our collaboration, ensuring continued and sustainable growth for Andhra Pradesh," he wrote.

In reply to a post by Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, CM Naidu stated that empowering farmers remains the Andhra Pradesh government's top priority.

He said the government was committed to enabling the growth and development of the agricultural and rural sectors.

CM Naidu had also called on Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister for Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar.

The Chief Minister also had a meeting with 16th Finance Commission Chairman Arvind Panagariya.

The latter tweeted after the meeting that CM Naidu's optimism on India and Andhra was inspiring as he was a "true visionary leader who turned Hyderabad into a world-class tech city."

"I look forward to working closely with the Centre to improve the economy of Andhra Pradesh and deliver the best of welfare and development to our people," CM Naidu said in his response on Friday.

During the meeting with Prime Minister Modi, the Chief Minister sought financial handholding by the Centre to tide over 'acute scarcity of resources'.

The Chief Minister said that the fiscal situation in Andhra Pradesh has deteriorated due to the previous government's misadventures.

CM Naidu also sought the Centre's support in commissioning of the Polavaram National Irrigation Project, comprehensive financial support for completion of the Government complex and trunk infrastructure of the capital city of Amaravati and incentives for industrial development.

The Chief Minister also urged the Prime Minister to consider an additional allocation under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment, targeting essential sectors such as roads, bridges, irrigation and drinking water projects.

He also sought support to the backward regions of Andhra Pradesh on lines of Bundelkhand package and support for development of Dugarajapatnam port.
Agartala, July 5 : Amid rising infiltration from Bangladesh into Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha has asked the Border Security Force (BSF) to tighten vigil along the 856 km International Border, officials said here on Friday.

An official of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that CM Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, Thursday night held a meeting with top BSF officials and asked them to maintain strict vigil along the border and to take appropriate steps to prevent the infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals into Indian territory.

"CM Saha expressed concern over the recent rise in the infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals into Indian territory. He directed the concerned officials to take stringent action against those involved in providing shelter and facilitating illegal border crossings," the CMO official said.

A BSF spokesman said that Deputy Inspector General of BSF S.K. Sinha, who was present in the meeting, mentioned that the availability of manpower on the border has been affected due to the recent parliamentary election and the deployment of BSF troops in strife-torn Manipur.

Sinha assured that concerted efforts with all agencies would yield positive results.

"Identifying and taking action against touts would reduce infiltration incidents. Sinha also informed that the BSF is in the process of installing electronic gadgets for border surveillance at vulnerable patches. Several other issues were also discussed during the meeting," the BSF spokesman said.

Tripura Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Anurag and other officials were present in the meeting.

Around 100 Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children, were arrested at Agartala railway station for entering India without any valid travel documents during the past two months.

The Bangladeshi citizens told the security personnel that they came to Tripura illegally to go to Delhi or other cities of India by train in search of jobs.

A huge number of Rohingyas were also arrested in Agartala Railway Station and different parts of Tripura in the recent past after they illegally entered Tripura from Bangladesh.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested several people in Tripura recently in connection with cases registered in Guwahati for involvement in human trafficking of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas into the Indian territory through the state, the last of them arrested on June 16.

A series of arrests of drug peddlers, gun suppliers and human traffickers came to light recently in Tripura, which is being used as a corridor for trafficking.

The BSF said in a report earlier this year that they arrested 744 persons illegally crossing the International Border in 2023, including 112 Rohingyas and 337 Bangladeshi nationals in different operations. In 2022, BSF detained 369 individuals, including 59 Rohingyas and 150 Bangladeshi nationals
Mumbai, July 5 : Actor Sonu Sood, who is gearing up for his upcoming film 'Fateh', recently visited Dasari Sai Kumari, popularly known as Kumari Aunty on social media, at her roadside food stall in the Madhapur area of Hyderabad.

Kumari Aunty gained fame on social media for running a food stall offering a variety of non-vegetarian delicacies.

Sonu took to social media and shared a video from their meeting, captioning it, "You are your only limit. Kumari aunty is a testament to the quiet strength and fierce resilience that resides in each woman. Let us support, celebrate, uplift, and empower these bearers of boundless strength by our words and actions."

In the video, Sonu praised her, saying, "She is a self-made lady. When we talk about women empowerment, we talk about how everyone should work hard for families, and Kumari aunty is the best example."

On the work front, Sonu will next be seen in 'Fateh', a cybercrime thriller featuring Naseeruddin Shah and Jacqueliene Fernandez.

The film, blending action with suspense, is scheduled to release in theatres later this year.
Mumbai, July 5 : Actress Shruti Haasan, who is known for her roles in films like 'Gabbar Is Back', 'D-Day', and 'Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire', has begun shooting for her upcoming film 'Coolie', which also stars Tamil megastar Rajinikanth.

Mumbai, July 5 (IANS) Actress Shruti Haasan, who is known for her roles in films like 'Gabbar Is Back', 'D-Day', and 'Salaar: Part 1  Ceasefire', has begun shooting for her upcoming film 'Coolie', which also stars Tamil megastar Rajinikanth.

The actress took to her Instagram stories and shared a picture of herself updating her fans about the shoot.

Shruti captioned the picture: "Day 1 #Coolie."

The film is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, who is known for 'Kaithi', 'Leo', and 'Vikram', which starred Shruti's father, Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan.

According to reports, Rajinikanth will sport a salt-and-pepper look with a hairstyle and beard in 'Coolie', reminiscent of his look in 'Kaala.'

The music and background score for the film are composed by Anirudh Ravichander.

This marks his fifth collaboration with Rajinikanth after 'Petta', 'Darbar', 'Jailer', and 'Vettaiyan', and his fourth collaboration with Lokesh after 'Master', 'Vikram', and 'Leo'.

'Coolie' is scheduled to hit theaters in 2025 in standard and IMAX formats.

The film will be released in Tamil, with dubbed versions in Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada.

In addition to the IMAX format, the makers are also planning to release the film in 2D and 3D formats.
Patna, July 5 : Two children were killed and three others injured after a speeding car crashed into a divider and hit two bikes near a village on the outskirts of Patna on Friday.

The incident occurred around 8.20 a.m. on the Patna-Gaya road.

Local villagers caught hold of the car driver and handed him over to the police.

"The speedily driven car hit the divider and ended up crashing into two bikes," said Situ Kumari, SHO of Punpun police station.

"Of the three people on a bike, two minors lost their lives in the accident. The bike rider was also injured," she said.

"Another biker was also injured. The car driver was injured in the accident as well," the officer added.

"We have admitted three injured persons to Patna Medical College Hospital," she said.
Bhopal, July 5 : Madhya Pradesh BJP Chief V.D. Sharma on Friday criticised the Congress veterans Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath, saying that both the leaders have lost the political ground in the state.

"Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath have lost their political ground in Madhya Pradesh and the Lok Sabha election result proved it. The Congress treats them as big leaders but the people have given a reality check to the party. These two leaders could not even win from their home turfs," the BJP State Chief said while addressing party workers in Katni, an assembly segment of the Khajuraho Lok Sabha seat from where Sharma was elected for the second term with a margin of nearly five lakh votes in the absence of Congress' candidate.

Sharma said that the Congress leaders who could not win in their home turfs in the Lok Sabha elections are dreaming of toppling the NDA government.

He also attacked the LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on "Hindu". He claimed that frustrated with the loss in the Lok Sabha election, Congress leaders are attacking "Hinduism".

Notably, former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, who contested the Lok Sabha from his home district Rajgarh, lost to the BJP's sitting MP Rodmal Nagar while Kamal Nath, who represented Chhindwara for nine terms in the Lok Sabha, his son Nakul Nath lost to BJP's Vivek Shahu Banti from the same seat.

The BJP under the leadership of V.D. Sharma won the Assembly elections in November last year and secured 163 out of 230 seats. Six months later, it made a clean sweep by winning all 29 Lok Sabha seats against 28 in 2019.

Sharma was appointed MP BJP head in 2020, following the party's defeat in the assembly elections in 2018. His three-year tenure as state unit head expired last year.
Mumbai, July 5 : Amid raging controversy over NEET paper leaks, the Maharashtra government on Friday tabled a Bill in the Assembly titled the 'Maharashtra Competitive Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024' with stringent penalties for those found guilty of unfair means and malpractices.

The Bill, presented by Minister Shambhuraj Desai, has been crafted along the lines of The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024.

The offences under the Bill shall be cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable.

The Bill aims to prevent unfair means in the competitive examinations, bring greater transparency, fairness and credibility and reassure the youth that their sincere and genuine efforts will be fairly rewarded and their future is safe.

The Bill proposes stringent actions against individuals, organised groups or institutions that indulge in various unfair means and adversely impact the competitive examination system for monetary or wrongful gains.

Any person or persons resorting to unfair means and offences shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than three years but may extend to five years with a fine up to Rs 10 lakh.

The service provider shall be liable to be punished with the imposition of a fine up to Rs 1 crore and proportionate cost of examination shall also be recovered from such providers and they shall be barred from being assigned with any responsibility for the conduct of any competitive examination for four years.

Further, an impression for a term not less than three years to be extendable to 10 years and with a fine of Rs 1 crore is proposed for the offence committed with the consent or connivance of any director, management or the persons in charge of the service provider firms.

If a person or a group of persons, including those belonging to the competitive examination authority or service provider or any other institution, commits an organised crime, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than five years which may be extended to 10 years and with fine not less than Rs 1 crore.

No person, who is entrusted or engaged with the work pertaining to the competitive examination or conduct of the competitive examination or who is not a candidate, shall enter the premises of the examination Centre, with the intent to disrupt the conduct of the competitive examination.

An officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police shall investigate the offence under the Bill.

In case of default of payment of the fine, an additional punishment of imprisonment shall be imposed as per the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sangita, 2023.

The unfair means relating to the conduct of a competitive examination shall include any act or omission done or caused to be done by any candidate or any person or group of persons or institutions for monetary or wrongful gain.

The punitive provisions of the Bill will cover direct or indirect involvement of any candidate himself or with the support of any other person in competitive examination or illegal use of any written, non-written, quoted, copied, printed material, material obtained from electronic or information technology gadgets or taking any unfair and other unauthorised aid or using any unauthorised electronic or mechanical device or gadget in the examination.

The Bill will be applicable to examinations conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission, any other authority or selection committee or service provider or institution authorised by the government to conduct competitive examinations from time to time or by any government department. The Teacher Aptitude and Intelligence Test and Teacher Eligibility Test conducted by the Maharashtra State Council for Examination will also be covered under the Bill.

The government has argued that in the modern era competitive examinations play a crucial role in merit-based selection and ensuring equal opportunities in education and employment. Malpractices in competitive examinations lead to delay and cancellation of examinations, adversely impacting the prospects of millions of youth, which is contrary to the concept of providing equal opportunities to the candidates and transparency in the competitive examinations.

"At present, there is no specific substantive law to deal with unfair means adopted or offences committed by various entities involved in the conduct of competitive examinations. Therefore, it is imperative that the elements that exploit vulnerabilities of the examination system are identified and effectively dealt with by a competitive State Legislation," the Bill reads.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)
Australia's electric vehicle rollout is expanding. But EV owners have long been calling for more charging infrastructure to keep pace with the growth.

A NSW man said he spotted an EV charging from the street, with a cord running across the footpath, over an adjacent lawn, all the way to the top storey of a block of units in Sawtell. Source: ABC

As electric vehicle drivers around the country become increasingly desperate to find adequate locations to charge their cars, more motorists are being dobbed in for their illegal tactics.

Australia's EV rollout is expanding, but charging infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with the growth in demand, forcing drivers into desperate acts just to juice up. Such was the case in Sawtell this week, on the NSW Mid North Coast, when an unorthodox charging set-up caught the eye of electrical engineer Keith Bensley.

Engineer spots 'surprising' charging move in regional NSW

He spotted an EV charging from the street, which had a cord running across the paved footpath, over an adjacent lawn, all the way to the top storey of a block of units. It's situations like these that are becoming more common in Australia, even in regional towns.

"It surprised me, it was a real trip hazard," Bensley told the ABC. "There was no attempt to put anything over the cable, and it had rained the night before, so it was nice and wet."

Some charging techniques have proved problematic, especially if you ask local councils. Source: Facebook

Bensley shared a photo of the arrangement on social media and people were, unsurprisingly, not impressed. Some argued the manoeuvre was not only a tripping hazard for able-bodied people, but could be seriously dangerous for those in wheelchairs or who require mobility aids.

"You see a lot of that in the city areas, where people are in high-density terrace houses. It's a bit of a surprise to see this turning up in Sawtell," he said. "If [water] had got in between the plug and the socket. It can actually burn and could start a fire if it was on dry grass. I guess the car owners were desperate."

According to the City of Coffs Harbour Council, the set-up is illegal as it obstructed a public footpath. "It is illegal for anyone to impede/obstruct a public footpath in City of Coffs Harbour without the appropriate permission in place," a spokesperson told Yahoo News.

EV 'etiquette' a heated topic of debate

People in regional areas make up 18 per cent of EV drivers nationwide, and it is no surprise to see people in the regions joining the army of Aussies calling for charging facilities to be seriously ramped up.

Yahoo News Australia reported earlier this week in Tasmania, an unhappy local snapped a BYD driver parked horizontally across two separate charging spaces in Howrah, Hobart, restricting access to anybody else hoping to nab a spot and spilling over into two nearby motorbike bays.

An electric vehicle motorist has been slammed for using a charger at one station, parking over another, and two separate motorcycle bays. Source: Facebook

Charging etiquette has been the topic of heated debate in recent times, with EV drivers frequently photographed taking unique  and sometimes unsafe  avenues just to get their cars to charge. We have in recent times seen drivers park over footpaths, mount kerbs at petrol stations and try to squeeze into spots that simply don't exist.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
New Delhi, July 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Keir Starmer after the Labour Party secured a resounding win in the UK general election under his leadership.

"Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Keir Starmer on the remarkable victory in the UK general elections. I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity," PM Modi said in his message posted on X.

The 61-year-old leader is set to become Britain's 58th Prime Minister as the Labour Party returns to power after 14 years following a historic triumph.

"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," he said after the resounding victory.

Last month, during his meeting with British PM Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy's Apulia, Prime Minister Modi reiterated his commitment to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UK during the third term of the NDA government.

"There is great scope to deepen ties in sectors like semiconductors, technology and trade," PM Modi said after meeting Sunak.

The two leaders had extensively discussed the implementation of the Roadmap 2030 and expressed happiness on progress in all areas of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership including regular high-level political consultations, defence and security, trade and economic collaboration, critical and high technology sectors and people-to-people ties.
Seoul, July 5 : South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will travel to the US next week to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington and visit the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, his office said on Friday.

Yoon will visit Washington from Wednesday to Thursday to meet with NATO leaders and discuss the war in Ukraine and cooperation between the transatlantic security alliance and the Indo-Pacific region, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said.

Ahead of the summit, Yoon will stop in Hawaii on Monday and Tuesday to visit the US Indo-Pacific Command to receive a security briefing and encourage the personnel at the command, reports Yonhap news agency.

The US-led joint maritime exercise, Rim of the Pacific Exercise, has been underway in Hawaii since late June, involving 29 countries, including South Korea.

South Korea was invited to the NATO summit for the third consecutive year as one of the non-NATO partners in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Yoon attended two previous NATO summits held in Spain in 2022 and Lithuania in 2023.

On June 10, Yoon will have a series of bilateral talks with his counterparts from the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland and Norway, as well as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, with talks underway to arrange additional meetings, according to Kim.

The next day, he is scheduled to join a session of NATO allies and partners and hold a four-way meeting with leaders from Indo-Pacific partner nations to discuss ways to expand security cooperation in response to deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea.

Yoon also plans to attend a NATO public forum, an event jointly hosted by NATO and think tanks in Europe and the US, and deliver a speech.

"We will send a strong message regarding the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea and discuss ways to enhance cooperation among NATO allies and Indo-Pacific partners," Kim said in a briefing.

While a trilateral summit between South Korea, the US and Japan has not yet been arranged, Seoul is open to "all possibilities" for their gathering on the sidelines of the NATO summit, a senior presidential official said.
Mumbai, July 5 : Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar claimed on Friday that the police will not arrest any of the accused booked for the violence and vandalism at the sacred Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur on July 1.

Ambedkar, along with other VBA leaders, called on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday and made the demand to spare the persons allegedly involved in the protest and subsequent violence that rocked the Deekshabhoomi surroundings that day.

"None of the protesters will be arrested The Chief Minister has spoken to Nagpur Police Commissioner and made this assurance," Ambedkar claimed after the meeting.

The Nagpur Police have booked more than 15 persons who were allegedly involved in or instigated the violence to protest against the proposed underground parking facility in the vicinity of Deekshabhoomi, which could pose a risk to the stability of the world's biggest hollow stupa (dome).

Following an uproar, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered a halt to the parking lot work till a consensus was reached among all the stakeholders.

The government earned the ire of the opposition leaders, including Congress' Nana Patole, Nitin Raut, Vijay Wadettiwar, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Aditya Thackeray, Sanjay Raut, Sushma Andhare, Nationalist Congress Party (SP)'s Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, and Ambedkar both inside and outside the Legislature on this issue.

As the violence ended soon after Fadnavis' assurance, the police in Nagpur launched an investigation and booked more than 15 persons, including local VBA leaders and heads or office-bearers of other organisations, and unknown people.

Deekshabhoomi is the place where the chief architect of the Indian Constitution B. R. Ambedkar, embraced Buddhism with over 400,000 followers on October 14, 1956. It now ranks among the top monuments revered by the Dalit community.
New Delhi, July 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded Rishi Sunak's contribution to consolidate ties between the two nations during his tenure as the UK Prime Minister.

"Thank you Rishi Sunak for your admirable leadership of the UK, and your active contribution to deepen the ties between India and the UK during your term in office. Best wishes to you and your family for the future," PM Modi posted on X.

Earlier in the day, Conservative Party leader Sunak conceded defeat in the UK general election as the Labour Party secured a resounding victory under the leadership of Keir Starmer.

PM Modi and the outgoing UK Prime Minister had recently met on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit in Italy's Apulia last month where they had reiterated their commitment to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

During their conversation, the two leaders also reflected on the strength of the India-UK relationship and agreed that this will continue to grow in the future.

Sunak had also congratulated PM Modi on the BJP-led NDA's third straight election victory, insisting that the UK and India share the closest of friendships which would continue to thrive.

In May, the UK Prime Minister hailed India's rise as an 'economic superpower', asserting that new and fast-growing economic superpowers like India, Indonesia, and Nigeria are significantly reshaping the global economy.
Mandya : , July 5 (IANS) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy has stated that the Congress government in Karnataka has prevented the District Commissioner and officers from attending the 'Janata Darshan' (public grievance) programme in Mandya chaired by him, through a notification.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Kumaraswamy stated, "I had requested the DC of Mandya to attend the event. However, the state government has issued a notification asking them not to attend. This shows the trivial mindset of the state government."

The circular was prepared in the cabinet meeting on Thursday, stating that only the Chief Minister and the state ministers have the power to hold 'janata darshan' programmes. The officers are also given directions, Kumaraswamy said.

When Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's brother D.K. Suresh was in power, he held a meeting in Ramanagar District Commissioner's office. In the name of the 'Jana Spandana' programme, the officers were made to visit all villages and towns. Who gave permission for this? Which rule provided that scope?, Kumaraswamy questioned.

"I am a Union minister who came to listen to woes and accept submissions by people. They are trying to stop it with new laws. This is not my personal work. They won't get anything out of this act," Kumaraswamy attacked.

Commenting on the development, the state's PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, a close associate of CM Siddaramaiah, maintained that the officers will have to attend the programme after being asked to be present by Union Minister Kumaraswamy. It is not a good development if officers remain absent. When Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar held the meeting, all officers attended. I don't know what happened in Mandya, he added.

Sources stated that it is being done with the insistence of Dy CM Shivakumar.
New Delhi, July 5 : Leading venture capital firm Accel is set to host India's largest Cybersecurity Summit in Bengaluru July 25.

New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Leading venture capital firm Accel is set to host Indiaas largest Cybersecurity Summit in Bengaluru July 25.

To evangelise the early-stage cybersecurity startup ecosystem in India, the event will bring together security operators, CISOs, and notable founders from around the world.

The summit will provide a platform for startups to showcase their cybersecurity innovations and pitch to a select group of CISOs from both large enterprises and tech unicorns like PhonePe, Groww, Cred, and Flipkart.

"With the exponential growth of large SaaS and consumer companies in India, security teams have become highly skilled at combating increasing threat surfaces. Accel has funded over 50 cybersecurity companies globally, many of which have Indian-origin founders," said Prayank Swaroop, Partner at Accel.

"There are significant opportunities for founders in India to build the next generation of global cybersecurity companies focusing on areas like AI in cybersecurity, application security, and security operations," he added.

India's cybersecurity landscape has seen remarkable growth. According to a report by the Data Security Council of India, the market reached approximately $6 billion in 2023, clocking a CAGR of over 30 per cent from 2019 to 2023.

The products segment alone grew by more than 3.5 times, reaching close to $3.7 billion in 2023 from $1 billion in 2019.

There will be four distinct knowledge tracks at the summit, tailored to the varied interests of attendees, and a pavilion where startups and data security teams can showcase their products.

Application Security: This track will cover topics like setting up a high-quality AppSec programme and automating tasks across the AppSec stack.

Security Operations: This track will cover how to leverage SIEM and SOAR for automating security operations and explore strategies for scaling security operations as organisations grow.

AI in Security: Exploring the role of AI in enhancing the AppSec stack and Large Language Model (LLM) security.

Founders in Security: Insights into best practices for scaling go-to-market strategies and selling to security teams and CISOs.

The lineup of speakers for the summit includes Ajit Sancheti, General Manager of Logscale at CrowdStrike; Ankur Bhargava, Head of Product Security at PhonePe; Himanshu Das, CISO at Cred; Ross Haleliuk, Founder of Venture in Security; Jossef Harush, Head of Supply Chain Security at Checkmarx; Anthony Belfiore, Chief Strategy Officer at Wiz; Prajal Kulkarni, CISO at Groww; Ashwath Kumar, Principal Security Engineer at Razorpay; Ruchir Patwa, Co-founder of Sydelabs; Ansh Patnaik, Chief Product Officer at Cycognito; Anand Prakash, Founder of Pingsafe; Raghuveer Kancherla, Co-founder of Sprinto; and Avinash Nagla, Founder of Sprouts.

The summit is being organised by Accel, led by a committee including Prayank Swaroop, Akshat Jain (Co-founder and CTO at Cyware), Ankita Gupta (Co-founder and CEO at Akto), Vandana Verma (Senior Developer Advocate at Snyk), and Sandesh Anand (Co-founder at Seezo).
Lucknow, July 5 : The Yogi Adityanath government has initiated plans to equip the Bulk Drug Pharma Park in Lalitpur with world-class common infrastructure facilities (CIF).

Lucknow, July 5 (IANS) The Yogi Adityanath government has initiated plans to equip the Bulk Drug Pharma Park in Lalitpur with world-class common infrastructure facilities (CIF).

The Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) has commenced preparations for the park's development, said a government spokesman.

In this sequence, UPSIDA has issued a Global Expression of Interest (EOI) for the development of the park. This strategic move aims to establish the park as a hub for manufacturing crucial components like 'Key Starting Materials' (KSM) and 'Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients' (API), pivotal for the pharmaceutical sector's advancement.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's vision for this project is to develop the area to meet the country's pharma needs. The goal is to produce high-quality, affordable medicines and increase India's self-reliance in bulk drug production. To achieve this, the development of the Bulk Drug Park in Lalitpur is being promoted.

Notably, the park will be developed over an area of 1,120 acres under the PPP model. An Expression of Interest (EOI) has been issued to attract global leaders in the pharma sector for the development of the Lalitpur Bulk Drug Park.

According to the action plan prepared for the park's development, the path will be paved for the development of large-scale industrial townships, sectoral-specific industrial parks and other industrial areas.

As per the EOI issued by UPSIDA, a developer agency will be determined to complete all these development works.

It is worth mentioning that the Lalitpur Bulk Drug Pharma Park will be connected to world-class basic infrastructure and excellent connectivity through road and rail networks, ensuring convenient logistics and smooth transportation.

The park will serve as a state manufacturing powerhouse for the pharma sector

The Lalitpur Bulk Drug Pharma Park will also serve as the state manufacturing powerhouse for pharmaceutical products. Additionally, it will serve as an incubator for emerging pharmaceutical and bulk drug manufacturing industries in Lalitpur. It will be equipped with several world-class facilities, including standard practices like Zero Liquid Discharge for chemical discharge management.

The park will be equipped with solid waste management and incinerator facilities, a stormwater drainage network, common solvent storage systems, and solvent recovery and distillation plants. It will include steam generation with inclusive cooling towers, common warehouses, dedicated power stations and distribution systems, and facilities for raw, portable, and demineralized water.

Additionally, advanced laboratory testing centre, emergency response centre, hazardous operation audit centre, and a Centre of Excellence will also be developed here.
Istanbul, July 5 : Turkish police have detained 45 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) in nationwide operations, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday.

Yerlikaya did not specify the timeframe for these operations but said they unfolded across 16 cities, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and others. Authorities seized digital materials, Turkish lira, and foreign currency during raids on the suspects' premises, Xinhua news agency reported.

Turkish police have been regularly conducting counter-terrorism operations against IS members across the country.

The Turkish government designated IS as a terrorist organisation in 2013, blaming it for a spate of deadly attacks in the country since 2015, including a January attack on a Roman Catholic church in Istanbul that killed one person.

Turkey's southern border with Syria has been a major transit route for Syrians and foreign fighters since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
New Delhi, July 5 : Away from the media glare, jailed Sikh radical Amritpal Singh, who is detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Assam's Dibrugarh jail, and Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid on Friday took the oath as Lok Sabha MPs amid heavy security in and around the Parliament complex here after they were granted parole.

They were brought to the Parliament complex separately in the morning and took oath in the chamber of the Lok Sabha Speaker, sources said.

Sheikh Abdul Rashid (56), popularly known as Engineer Rashid, is lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi in connection with a 2017 terror funding case. A Delhi court had 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.

Thirty-one-year-old 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.

Both of the leaders won the polls as Independents while being incarcerated.

Their parole orders said during their temporary release, they can neither speak to nor address the media on any issue or make any statements. Their family members also cannot make a statement in any form to the media.

While Amritpal Singh, who claims heas inspired by Khalistani slain terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was allowed to meet his father and uncle after the oath-taking ceremony, Rashidas family had permission only to attend his oath-taking.

Constitution experts say a jailed MP-elect can come to Parliament to participate in the oath-taking ceremony and take part in important votes with the courtas consent.

As per Section 8 (3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, if a person is convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more, he/she will be disqualified from contesting the polls.

For taking the oath, Rashid has been granted a two-hour custody parole, while Amritpal Singh granted a four-day custody parole from July 5. After the oath, he was flown to Assam.
Bengaluru, July 5 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday said that he has no role in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam and the allegations levelled against him by Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy are baseless.

"I have no role in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam. Allegations by Kumaraswamy regarding my role are baseless. Since he has gone mad, he is making such allegations," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Reacting to Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy's allegations, the Deputy Chief Minister said that there are some people who can't sleep without taking his name.

"It is a matter of happiness that he (Kumaraswamy) is talking senselessly. Kumaraswamy must go to the hospital and seek medical advice. He is a madman," the Deputy Chief Minister alleged.

On the state government directing the Mandya District Commissioner not to attend the 'Janata Darshan' programme conducted by Kumaraswamy, the Deputy Chief Minister said Kumaraswamy should conduct 'Janata Darshan' with people.

"Let him go from one village to the other. We have no objection to it. But the officials will follow protocol and as per the rules they will welcome the members of Parliament. Can we go to New Delhi and utilise the services of officials as per our wishes? Likewise, we can't prevent people who want to attend the programme," he said.

Earlier, Kumaraswamy said that the MUDA land scam was unearthed by those who are eying the Chief Minister's post.

"The CD factory has been closed and the MUDA factory has been opened now. Their own party President (Shivakumar) has brought out the MUDA scandal," Kumaraswamy said while talking to reporters after visiting the famous Chamundeshwari temple in Mysuru city.

He said that the land scam, which had not come to light in all these years, has suddenly come out. "There is a role for those who are eying the CM's post," Kumaraswamy said.

--IANS

mka/dan
Tony Knight was 'fit, healthy, happy and had everything going for him' before the unfortunate incident which killed him and injured others.

The heartbroken family of an Australian resident who died in a "freak accident" in France have paid tribute to the "charismatic, passionate" dog trainer and comedian, who was "so very loved" by many all around the world.

Tony Knight, from Ballarat in Victoria, was travelling through France last month and was headed to "his beloved Bouillac" in the nation's south  where he had friends and family  before his life was tragically cut short on June 7. According to family, Tony died after a tree branch fell on him and five others at the Rock&Cars music festival in Lavaur, with local police now investigating the incident.

Tony, 54, was dedicated to his craft and to his "soul mate" Hayley Wright, whom he had been with for over 15 years. Hayley's sister Joanne Allen told Yahoo News Australia her sibling's now been forced to live out "her own worst nightmare  facing life without Tony".

She described the 54-year-old as "fit, healthy, happy and had everything going for him" before his untimely death.

Comedian and dog trainer Tony Knight was born in the UK but was also an Australian permanent resident based in Ballarat in Victoria.

"Foremost, he was the love of Hayleys life," Joanne told Yahoo News Australia. "They fit together like puzzle pieces with a shared love of all things dogs, and they respected one another and dreamt big."

"He was charismatic, funny, passionate and so very loved by Hayley," she said.

Tony "helped people all over the world with his dog classes" both in person, online, on radio and TV. "He was very well respected and admired. His method worked and he loved helping people with their dogs," Joanne said.

"He was so passionate about teaching humans how to interact with their dogs. He studied wolf packs in Yellowstone Park with his mum to see how they behaved in their natural environment and how the pack worked. He wanted to forward that to people."

Tony Knight, from Ballarat in Victoria, was travelling through France last month when his life was tragically cut short on June 7. Source: Supplied

"Comedy was his next love, he did a lot for free as its a difficult medium. He helped other young comedians tune their set. He was a jokester always  hed probably make a job about all this infamy in the media now hes gone."

While authorities investigate the circumstances in which Tony died, Hayley is preparing to spread his ashes in his "beloved France", Joanne said.

"He was simply our Tony and the future without him will take time to come to terms with."

A fundraising campaign has been established to support Hayley and her family in meeting the costs of Tonys funeral and incurred medical bills.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Mumbai, July 5 : The Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Friday staged a walkout for not being allowed to speak on Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar's reply to the debate on the additional budget for 2024-25.

Mumbai, July 5 (IANS) The Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Friday staged a walkout for not being allowed to speak on Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawaras reply to the debate on the additional budget for 2024-25.

Leader of Opposition, Vijay Wadettiwar, who tried in vain to put his point across, led the walk out saying that the Chair should have allowed him and other Opposition members to speak on the Dy CMas reply.

Wadettiwar said Ajit Pawar took more time for his reply than the entire budget presentation.

aThe Opposition was not allowed to speak on what the Dy CM said in his reply. The budget inflates the figures and understates the actual expenditure. The expenditure for the agriculture department is only 47 per cent of the total provision in the previous year 2023-24.

aBesides, there is a huge gap between the expenditure made on the welfare of the Backward Class communities and the budgetary provision,aa he added.
New Delhi, June 5 : Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Minister of Power, Manohar Lal Khattar, held a meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu here on Friday.

The discussions between the Union Minister and the Chief Minister covered issues related to electric mobility, metro development, waste management, and the PM KUSUM scheme for setting up renewable energy projects such as solar water pumps for farmers.

Chandrababu Naidu also sought support to establish Andhra Pradesh as a leading state in green hydrogen initiatives. Besides, housing issues and progress under the AMRUT scheme were taken up with the objective to advance these initiatives effectively, according to an official statement issued after the meeting.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) was launched on 25th June 2015 in 500 cities and towns across the country. The mission focuses on the development of basic infrastructure, in the selected cities and towns, in the sectors of water supply; sewerage and septage management; storm water drainage; green spaces and parks; and non-motorised urban transport. A set of Urban Reforms and Capacity Building have been included in the Mission.

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has approved State Annual Action Plans (SAAPs) of all the States/Union Territories (UTs) amounting to Rs 77,640 crore for the entire Mission period.
New Delhi, July 5 : Several top world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday congratulated Keir Starmer as he gets ready to become the 58th Prime Minister of Britain following the Labour Party's resounding victory in the general election.

Starmer has been credited with pulling the Labour Party out of the political wilderness by ending 14 years of the Conservative Party's governance.

"Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Keir Starmer on the remarkable victory in the UK general elections. I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity," PM Modi said in his message posted on X.

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Starmer on his election victory and emphasised maintaining close bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries.

"Congratulations, Sir Keir Starmer, on your victory. Pleased with our first discussion. We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate, and for AI," he said in a post on X.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also congratulated Starmer while at the same time expressing his "deepest appreciation and gratitude" to outgoing MP Rishi Sunak for "his leadership and for standing with the Israeli people", especially during the "most difficult period".

"I send my warmest congratulations to Keir Starmer. As he prepares to enter Downing Street as Prime Minister, I look forward to working together with him and his new government to bring our hostages home, to build a better future for the region, and to deepen the close friendship between Israel and the United Kingdom," Herzog said.

Congratulating Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote: "Congratulations Keir Starmer on your electoral victory. I look forward to working with you in a constructive partnership to address common challenges and strengthen European security."

European Council President Charles Michel also congratulated Starmer in a post on X.

"The European Union and the UK are crucial partners, cooperating in all areas of mutual interest for our citizens. I look forward to working with you and your government in this new cycle for the UK," said Michel, adding that he is looking forward to seeing Starmer at the European Political Community meeting on common challenges.

Simon Harris, Prime Minister of Ireland, highlighted the close relationship with the UK, calling it "deep and consequential".

"I look forward to it going from strength to strength," he said while stressing the need to work closely to bring about a "major reset" of Anglo-Irish relations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also extended his best wishes to Starmer on his election win.

Stressing the close bilateral relations between the two countries, Zelenskyy said, "Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin. We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order."

"I wish the incoming government every success both in domestic affairs and in solidifying the UK's leadership on the world stage. I look forward to working closely together on strengthening the Ukraine-UK partnership and restoring international peace and security," he added.

He also thanked Rishi Sunak for maintaining close ties between the two nations.

"I am grateful to my good friend Rishi Sunak for the UK government's steadfast support under his leadership. Challenger tanks, Storm Shadow missiles, F-16 training for our pilots, and the first bilateral security cooperation agreement are just a few of our shared achievements that Ukraine will never forget. Thank you, Rishi," Zelenskyy said in another post on X.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, too, extended his wishes in a post on X.

"Congratulations, Keir Starmer, on your election victory. New Zealand and the UK are great friends and can do so much more together. I look forward to working on every opportunity together as Prime Minister," he wrote.

Congratulating Starmer, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote, "Congratulations to my friend and new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on his resounding election victory - I look forward to working constructively with the incoming Labour Party Government."
Islamabad, July 5 : At least three people were killed and eight others injured when a blast went off in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, the police said.

The blast took place on a bridge in the Takht-i-Bahi area of Mardan district of the province, killing three people while injuring eight others, including policemen, District Police Officer Mardan Zahoor Babar Afridi told the media.

He said that police officials were the target of the blast as the explosion happened after a police vehicle passed over the bridge, adding that according to a preliminary investigation, an improvised explosive device was planted on the bridge, Xinhua news agency reported.

Rescue teams, police, and security forces immediately reached the site following the blast and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital. The area has been cordoned off while a search operation is underway to arrest the culprits.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Earlier on Thursday, five people, including a former member of the Senate, were killed in an explosion in Bajaur district of the province.
New Delhi, July 5 : ACESO, a leader in providing new solutions for insurance policyholders, on Friday introduced ALIP (Assignment of Life Insurance Policies), specifically for LIC policyholders who are considering surrendering their policies or facing lapses.

ALIP offers a way for policyholders to receive the Surrender Value of their endowment insurance policies while keeping their life cover benefits intact.

Founder of ACESO Ketan Mehta, highlighted that LICas endowment policies constitute a significant portion of its yearly issuances, but many policies (about 5 per cent) don't reach maturity due to surrenders or lapses.

"ALIP addresses this by offering an alternative to surrendering policies prematurely, allowing policyholders to access their policy's value while safeguarding their future life coverage," he mentioned.

ALIP ensures that policyholders get the exact surrender value as determined by the LIC of India. Beyond this, ALIP outlines year-by-year life coverage benefits from the assignment date to the Maturity Date for nominees, ensuring continued financial protection if the policyholder passes away, without needing to pay further premiums.

This service is managed by an independent SPV Trust overseen by a SEBI-registered trusteeship company.

ALIP stands out for its quick payment process, typically completing within 48 hours after all necessary documents are finalised, according to the company.

ACESO was founded in 2018 and has facilitated over Rs 400 million worth of assignments, supported by a skilled team dedicated to reshaping life insurance asset management in India.
New Delhi, July 5 : The Union government is committed to protecting the well-being of women, children and adolescents in the country, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday.

He said this while delivering a keynote address at the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (PMNCH) Board Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

The minister lauded PMNCH for its commitment to the welfare of women, children and adolescents.

He also "reiterated government's assurance to advancing this issue and fostering meaningful youth engagement"

At the event, Nadda also "underscored the importance of continuing the focus on accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and preparing for the post-2030 agenda".

The minister further emphasised the power of partnership and multiple stakeholders working in unison towards the attainment of common goals.

In May, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra at the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) of the WHO also reiterated India's commitment to take proactive actions for the health and well-being of women, children, and adolescents.

PMNCH is the world's largest alliance committed to protecting and promoting the health, well-being, and rights of women, children and adolescents. It is governed by a Board and administered by a Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Ludhiana, July 5 : In a broad daylight assault with sharp-edged weapons, Shiv Sena (Punjab) leader Sandeep Thapar got grievous injured when he was attacked by four Nihang Sikhs near the Civil Hospital in full public view here on Friday.

In the CCTV footage, Nihangs waylaid Thapar, who was riding on a scooter along with his gunman. They initially confronted Thapar who was seen pleading for mercy with folded hands. The attackers hit him repeatedly on the head with the sword. After losing balance, the Shiv Sena leader fell to the ground and the Nihang continued attacking him with a sword.

Thapar's gunman left the crime scene without any retaliation.

Eyewitnesses took the injured leader to the civil hospital from where was referred to the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Jaskiranjit Singh Teja told the media that an attempt to murder case has been registered against the unidentified attackers.

The attack took place after Thapar left the office of NGO Samvedna Trust where he attended a ceremony to mark the fourth death anniversary of the trust's founder-president, Ravinder Arora.

Later, Shiv Sena Punjab leaders protested the incident and blamed the withdrawal of security as the reason for the crime. They gathered outside the civil hospital and raised slogans against the state government and the police.

Responding to the crime, Bathinda MP and Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur wrote on X, "Just received a report of an extremely disturbing incident in Ludhiana where a person was attacked with swords despite being accompanied by security personnel.

"The manner in which such violent attacks are being conducted in broad daylight in busy areas indicates a total collapse in the law and order situation in Punjab. CM @BhagwantMann shud be wake up from his slumber and take corrective measures immediately."

Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from Ludhiana, said: "Such a brutal attack on an individual in full public view is condemnable. It has created panic among residents."

Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state, he said, "The administration is missing from Punjab. They have made a mockery of law and order. Officers are busy pleasing AAP leaders instead of doing their job."
Jaipur, July 5 : Mohan Lal Lather, a 1987 batch IPS officer, was on Friday appointed Rajasthan's Chief Information Commissioner by the Bhajanlal Sharma government.

Governor Kalraj Mishra on Friday issued orders to appoint Lather as CIC, and Suresh Chand Gupta, Mahendra Kumar Parikh and Tikaram Sharma as Information Commissioners.

Governor Mishra has appointed the abovementioned persons under the posts of Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner of the state for three years from the date of assuming office or till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Lather had also served as DGP under the Gehlot government. After retirement, he was appointed Information Commissioner by the Gehlot government. Now, he has been given the responsibility of CIC.
New Delhi, July 5 : A court here on Friday extended, till July 18, the judicial custody of BRS leader K. Kavitha in the corruption case linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.

The Delhi High Court had recently rejected the bail petitions moved by Kavitha, the daughter of BRS chief and former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who had been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

In its July 1 judgment, a bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma, after analysing the material collected by the investigating agency, said that Kavitha was prima facie one of the main conspirators in the criminal conspiracy hatched in relation to the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. It said that she cannot be equated to a vulnerable woman who may have been misused to commit an offence and she was not entitled to the benefit of proviso to Section 45 of PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act).

Kavitha had moved the high court after a trial on May 6 turned down her regular bail pleas. She was first arrested by the ED and later by the CBI on April 11 when she was in Tihar Jail.
New Delhi, July 5 : Tata Power Solar Systems Limited, has launched a rooftop solar initiative aimed at powering homes in Uttar Pradesh (UP) with clean energy.

Starting from Varanasi, the ambitious initiative promises substantial financial savings and environmental benefits for residents through state-of-the-art Rooftop Solar Solutions, the company said on Friday.

Consumers in the state can avail a maximum subsidy of up to Rs.1,08,000 on rooftop solar installation. This will comprise a Central government subsidy of Rs 78000 for up to 3 kW and a maximum of Rs 30,000 (Rs 15,000 per kW) for up to 3kW by the State Govt., which will be over and above the Central government subsidy.

"Tata Power Solar's commitment to quality and innovation ensures that this initiative will significantly boost the region's energy availability and sustainability. With a robust channel partner network Tata Power is well-positioned to offer expedited rooftop solar connections to the residents of Varanasi and Uttar Pradesh," the company said in a statement.

Tata Power said the initiative aligns with India's national goal to achieve 40 GW of solar rooftop installations

Speaking at the launch ceremony in Varanasi, Praveer Sinha, CEO& MD, Tata Power, said: "Tata Power solar offers made-in-India, state-of-the-art solar panels ensuring superior performance and longevity on installation. Its bifacial panels also ensure that light is absorbed on both sides, guaranteeing higher efficiency in less space."

Switching to solar energy offers tremendous economic advantages. A typical household installing a 3 kW solar rooftop with an initial investment of around INR 1.08 lakh (subsidy of INR 1.08 lakh can be claimed) can generate 12 units of electricity daily, translating to approximately 360 units per month.

With the average electricity tariff in Varanasi, this setup can save residents up to INR 27000 per year on their electricity bills, Tata Power said.

Net metering allows residents to earn credits for any excess electricity generated by their solar systems and fed back into the grid. This not only reduces their electricity bills further but also ensures that no generated power goes to waste, enhancing the overall financial benefits of switching to solar energy.

--IANS

sps/dan
Three Cayuga County villages that won the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant are continuing to plan for how to best spend the money.

The local planning committee for the villages of Aurora, Cayuga and Union Springs will hold its third meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, July 8, at Union Springs Fire Hall, 257 Cayuga St. The meeting is open to the public.

At the meeting, the committee will review the project submissions. An open call for project ideas was issued and the deadline was June 28.

There will be a public comment period at the end of the meeting.

Additionally, the consultants assisting the local planning committee will hold a pop-up event from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 12, during the Music in the Park concert series at Frontenac Park in Union Springs.

The purpose of the pop-up event is to discuss the DRI process and gather feedback about what's important to the community.

Aurora, Cayuga and Union Springs collaborated on a successful application in the seventh round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, a program that was established in 2016 to invest in downtown corridors across the state.

In February, Gov. Kathy Hochul visited central New York and announced the three villages as the winners of the DRI grant.

A local planning committee began meeting in May to develop a strategic plan for the three villages and how to spend the $10 million award. The 19-member committee has four co-chairs: Cayuga County Legislature Chairwoman Aileen McNabb-Coleman, Aurora Mayor Jim Orman, Cayuga Mayor Don Wilson, Jr., and Union Springs Mayor Rob Thurston, Jr. Each village has five other representatives on the panel.

The committee will finalize its strategic plan by the end of the year. The state will announce which projects will receive funding in early 2025.
Kolkata, July 5 : The ED on Friday submitted its third supplementary charge sheet in the Saradha chit fund case in West Bengal, naming Nalini Chidambaram there.

Nalini Chidambaram is the wife of Congress Rajya Sabha member and former Union Finance Minister, P Chidambaram.

However, the special court has not accepted the charge sheet as yet, raising some technical questions regarding the inclusion of Nalini Chidambaramas name.

The court observed that cognisance in the matter would be established only after the central agency furnishes more substantiating documents on this count to it.

Sources said that the ED counsel, on Friday afternoon submitted a 1,100-page compiled document at the special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata, which included the main charge sheet of 65 pages.

Sources said the central agency has claimed that Nalini Chidambaram received Rs 1.5 crore from Saradha Groupas founder chairman Sudipta Sen.

The ED has further claimed, that although Nalini Chidambaram has said that she received the money as legal consultancy fee as a tax consultant, she could not furnish any supporting documents for that.

However, after the charge sheet was submitted the judge of the special court raised some technical questions on inclusion of Nalini Chidambaramas name, besides questioning the central agency on why the third supplementary charge sheet was submitted after 11 years.

On the inclusion of Nalini Chidambaramas name, the special court questioned how a tax consultant is considered involved in corruption charges if he or she accepts consultancy fees as a professional from a client.

The court also questioned whether any advocate taking the brief on behalf of a person accused of a crime could be considered as a partner in crime.

Finally, the judge observed that he will take cognisance in the matter only if the central agency submits more substantiating proof in the matter to the satisfaction of the court.
New Delhi: Since 1998, Tibetans worldwide celebrate World Tibet Day annually on July 6, marking the birth anniversary of the 14th Dalai Lama, their revered spiritual and political leader.

Initiated by Pulitzer nominee Richard Rosenkranz and the Dalai Lamaas younger brother, Tendzin Choegyal, the day not only honours the distinctiveness and values of Tibetan culture but also aims to draw global attention to the persecution, repression, and cultural erasure suffered by Tibetans under Chinese occupation.

In the decade following China's 1951 annexation of the Tibetan plateau, which it termed a apeaceful liberation from feudal serfdom,a mass uprisings erupted across the Himalayan territory.

These were met with brutal suppression by the occupying forces, culminating in the Dalai Lama's flight to India in 1959, followed by over 80,000 Tibetans.

Over the past seven decades, Tibetans have resisted their forced incorporation into China through protests, social unrest, and cultural preservation in the face of aSinicization.a

According to the Tibetan government-in-exile, there have been over 150 cases of self-immolation by Tibetans since 2009.

The Dalai Lama holds an unparalleled status among Tibetans. The Dalai Lamas command the highest spiritual seat for Tibetan Buddhists, believed to be manifestations of the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, belongs to the Gelug sect, the largest and politically predominant within Tibetan Buddhism. However, it is not just his spiritual significance that makes him an incomparable figure for Tibetans worldwide.

Since fleeing to India, he has become the most relentless, potent, and legitimate symbol of Tibetan resistance, earning international renown. He has also stood as a global pillar of peace, human rights, and universal responsibility, rooted in Buddhist philosophy, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

Given the Dalai Lamaas legitimate clamouring for Tibetan rights and his international appeal, it is no wonder that the PRC has long sought to undermine his standing through official diktats and targeted propaganda campaigns.

Although he seeks meaningful autonomy within China, the CPC paints him as a violent separatist and a threat to Chinese nationhood.

As early as 1996, China formally prohibited the display and possession of the Dalai Lamaas images in Tibet, construing it as solidarity with Tibetan secessionism. In fact, the PRC, which under Mao Zedong was avowedly averse to religion, now seeks to control the Dalai Lamaas succession process.

The Dalai Lama will turn 89 this year, sparking discussions of his spiritual inheritance, despite his assurance that he will live beyond 100 years according to his visions.

Traditionally, the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is determined by search parties within Tibet and sometimes outside, based on signs and visions interpreted by top Lamas. However, since the current Dalai Lama and many Tibetans were expelled from their homeland, he has suggested that he might reincarnate outside of Tibet or name his living successor before he passes away, a method known as aemanationa.

The PRC, for its part, has repeatedly asserted its right to decide on the Dalai Lamaas reincarnation through the agolden urna process and has convened a committee of government-selected Tibetan monks and CPC officials to oversee it.

This has spurred concerns of a potential split within Tibetan Buddhism, as it is likely that two Dalai Lamas may be named after the current one passes: one endorsed by the exiled Tibetan community, and the other propped up by the CPC.

The precedent for this can be seen in the 1995 incident when the Dalai Lama named six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnated Panchen Lama, the second-highest spiritual seat in Tibetan Buddhism. Soon after, the boy was arrested, never to be seen again, while the CPC chose his replacement, whose legitimacy remains highly contested.

In addition, China has persistently engaged in spreading malicious misinformation to undermine the Dalai Lama's international esteem. From the beginning, the PRC has promoted the narrative that Tibet, before its annexation, was ruled by a slave-owning theocracy, and the Dalai Lama was a slave owner himself.

However, most scholars contest this characterisation of pre-occupation Tibetan society. Recently, China has also exploited existing fault lines within Tibetan Buddhism, co-opting a sect that worships the deity Dorje Shugden, a practice discouraged by the Dalai Lama.

A 2015 report revealed that China has been financing and coordinating protests by this faction across North America, Europe, and Australia. These members show up wherever the Dalai Lama appears, chanting slogans calling him a afalse Dalai Lama.a However, in public, they deny any association with the CPC and claim they are agitating for religious freedom.

The Dalai Lama has been the target of a more recent Chinese disinformation effort. Earlier this year, a video of him hugging an 8-year-old boy and saying, "Suck my tongue," surfaced on social media. Pro-CPC accounts spread this video widely and linked to it, accusing him of being a paedophile. The campaign did provoke a great deal of anger toward the religious leader on the internet.

Later reports, however, indicated that the boy and his mother saw the Dalai Lama's conduct as a priceless blessing and that it was based on the Tibetan cultural practice of feeding toddlers by the mouth.

Beyond targeting the head of the Tibetan movement, China has implemented policies to reshape Tibetan society, severing the next generation from their language, culture, ways of life, and aspirations for autonomy. These efforts accelerated after the widespread Tibetan protests in 2008 before the Beijing Olympics.

The Chinese government has forcefully relocated thousands of Tibetans, uprooting their villages, and separated around 1 million Tibetan children from their families, coercing them into mandatory residential schools designed to assimilate them into Han culture.

China's determination to erase Tibetan identity is evident. Since last year, the CPC has mandated that Tibet be referred to as aXizang Autonomous Regiona in all official communications.

Confronting the existential threat of what many call 'cultural genocide,' a day like World Tibet Day takes on radically subversive dimensions.

The Dalai Lama, turning 89, remains the focal point for thousands of Tibetans hoping for political autonomy and cultural preservation, even as the Chinese government seeks to suffocate and manipulate an entire people into oblivion.

On World Tibet Day, Tibetans and all who value freedom, dignity, and peace will rise to celebrate nearly three-quarters of a century of struggle against occupation and oppression.
New Delhi, July 5 : Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Friday flayed the near-simultaneous cellphone tariff hike by the nation's three leading telecom service providers, claiming that the move has burdened about 109 crore mobile phone users out of the 119 crore consumer base.

Smelling 'conspiracy' over the tariff hike by the top three telcos in one go, the Congress General Secretary said that this could not have been possible without the blessings of the Modi government, as he questioned the unilateral decision by the telcos to effect 15-20 per cent hike in tariffs from July 3.

The Congress leader accused the Central government of putting an additional burden of Rs 34,824 crore on 109 crore mobile users yearly, as he claimed that crony capitalism was 'thriving' in Modi 3.0, much like in its earlier terms.

Notably, there are about 119 crore mobile users in the country, and out of this, the top three firms, namely Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea, account for 109 crore subscribers.

"The cellphone market in India is an oligopoly  Reliance Jio (48 crore users), Airtel (39 crore users) and Vodafone Idea (22.37 crore users). Out of these, Jio and Airtel have a customer base of 87 crore, making them a virtual duopoly," Surjewala claimed.

He also posed many questions to the Centre and sought to know why it didn't oversee and regulate the pricing as it will affect 92 per cent mobile users in the country.

"Why did the Modi government and TRAI abdicate their duty and responsibility towards 109 crore cellphone users," the Congress leader asked.

Surjewala, citing a TRAI report, said that the telecom firms earn Rs 152.55 per month from every user and an average 15 per cent hike in tariff will enhance their earnings manifold, and it's the users who will be at the receiving end of the 'collusion' between the conglomerates.

Projecting annual earnings data of the top three telcos, Surjewala claimed that Reliance Jio's average tariff hike of 20 per cent will see its yearly earnings jump by Rs 17,568 crore, Airtel with 15 per cent hike will stand to gain an additional Rs 10,704 crore annually, while Vodfaone-Idea with 16 per cent hike will pocket Rs 6,552 crore annually.

He also said that not only was the date of the announcement of tariff hikes by these companies the same, but also the date of effective implementation of the increased tariffs.
Kolkata, July 5 : In a joint operation with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), troops of the 68 Battalion of Border Security Force (BSF) seized 9.572 kg gold worth around Rs 6.9 crore in West Bengal's Nadia district, officials said on Friday.

Seven smugglers were also taken into custody after four consecutive raids at Seemanagar on State Highway No. 11 on Thursday, and Rs 11,58,500 unaccounted cash was seized from their possession.

"The DRI shared intelligence inputs with the BSF regarding the smuggling of gold into India from Bangladesh. After cross-checking the inputs, BSF jawans, accompanied by DRI officials, launched a comprehensive search of the vehicles plying on the highway.

"During the search of a Maruti Eco car, gold bars weighing 4.8 kg were seized and two smugglers were arrested. Four other smugglers were apprehended with 4.82 kg gold bars after that. A search was then carried out at a house in Ramnagar village from where a man was nabbed with a gold biscuit and unaccounted cash. The seized gold is valued at Rs 6,86,23,582," said A.K. Arya, DIG and spokesperson, BSF, South Bengal Frontier.

Those arrested are all from the Nadia district.

During interrogation, the main accused confessed that he had been involved in gold smuggling for a long time. On Thursday, he was to carry a portion of the gold to Krishnanagar and hand it over to an unknown person who would pay him Rs 3,000.

In 2022, he had been arrested by the BSF with 16 gold biscuits and he is out on bail in that case.

The remaining six claimed that they had collected the gold from Karimpur along the India-Bangladesh border, and were to hand it over to people at the Dum Dum railway station in Kolkata. They were to receive anything between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 for this.

All the smugglers, along with the gold, have been handed over to the DRI, Arya said.
Women entrepreneurs get shot in the arm with more avenues for finance. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, July 5 : Financing Women Collaborative (FWC), an initiative of Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) on Friday announced new collaborations to support women entrepreneurs by strengthening their access to finance at a workshop held here.

As part of the workshop, Anna Roy, Mission Director, WEP and Principal Economic Adviser, NITI Aayog, launched several initiatives.

Key highlights included the announcement of a partnership between MAVIM and MSC under FWC to improve access to finance through alternative credit rating mechanisms and work with banks to offer more tailored products for women entrepreneurs in Maharashtra.

An MoU exchange between WEP and GroW Network founded by AfD, SIDBI, and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation; launch of the "Seher" program by TU CIBIL and launch of the Shine program in partnership with CreditEnable to strengthen the credit readiness of women-led enterprises were other initiatives announced to benefit women entrepreneurs.

Additionally, SEWA Bank's commitment to reaching out to more women entrepreneurs as a member of FWC was also announced.

The event included an engaging session exploring "Perspectives on encouraging banks to finance women beyond SHG groups" and a panel discussion titled "Accelerating women's access to finance: Unlocking the potential of the women-led economy for achieving Vision 2047."

The meeting was organised by WEP in partnership with TransUnion CIBIL (TU CIBIL) and MicroSave Consulting (MSC).

Key dignitaries included senior officials from NITI Aayog, RBI, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of MSME, SIDBI, public-sector banks, private-sector financial institutions, CSOs/NGOs, and women entrepreneurs who attended the workshop.

WEP, incubated in NITI Aayog in 2018 as an aggregator platform, transitioned into a public-private partnership in 2022. WEP aims to strengthen India's women entrepreneurship ecosystem.

It provides a forum for all ecosystem stakeholders across government, business, philanthropy, and civil society to collaborate, converge, and align their initiatives towards scalable, sustainable and effective programs, enabling a larger impact for women entrepreneurs.

WEP has over 20 public and private sector partners collaborating to strengthen women entrepreneurs in India.

FWC, an initiative of WEP launched in September 2023, aims to enhance access to finance for women entrepreneurs in India. It is chaired by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and co-chaired by TU CIBIL, with MSC as its secretariat.

FWC brings together the financial service sector and organisations working with women entrepreneurs to create a supportive financing ecosystem for women.
London, July 5 : The European Commission on Friday sent e-commerce giant Amazon a request for information (RFI) under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

It has asked the Jeff Bezos-founded behemoth to provide more information on the measures the platform has taken to comply with the DSA obligations related to the transparency of recommender systems and their parameters, as well as to the provisions on maintaining an ad repository and its risk assessment report.

In particular, the tech giant is asked to provide detailed information on its compliance with the provisions "concerning transparency of the recommender systems, the input factors, features, signals, information and metadata applied for such systems and options offered to users to opt out of being profiled for the recommender systems".

The company also has to provide more information on the design, development, deployment, testing and maintenance of the online interface of Amazon Store's Ad Library and supporting documents regarding its risk assessment report.

"Amazon must provide the requested information by July 26, 2024. Based on the assessment of the replies, the Commission will assess the next steps. This could entail the formal opening of proceedings pursuant to Article 66 of the DSA," the Commission said. Moreover, it mentioned that it can impose fines for incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information in response to RFIs under Article 74 (2) of the DSA.

In case of failure to reply, the Commission may issue a formal request by decision. "In this case, failure to reply by the deadline could lead to the imposition of periodic penalty payments," it stated.
Mumbai, July 5 : The Maharashtra government on Friday announced the formation of a high-level committee to make recommendations for ensuring the safety of Flamingos coming to various parts of the state after travelling thousands of kilometres crossing the borders of Iran, Middle East and various other countries.

Maharashtra Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar announced in the state assembly that the government is positive to ensure the safety of these species and their natural habitat and the high-level committee will submit its report in two months.

The committee will also look into the encroachment on seas especially on the areas with the presence of mangroves.

The committee will consist of Principal Secretaries of the Forest, Environment, Urban Development Departments, Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) CEO Praveen Pardeshi, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Thane District Collector, Maharashtra Maritime Board CEO and Chief Conservator of Mangrove forests.

The minister said that since 2017 the number of flamingos has increased in Mumbai and Thane areas due to good habitat. Flamingos come from Iran, Kutch, and the Middle East.

He said that the high-level committee will also probe the reasons for the deaths of six Flamingos near DPS Lake Seawood in Navi Mumbai.

The minister said that Maharashtra is the state that pays the most attention to Mangrove forest conservation, adding that the Maharashtra Mangrove Foundation is doing a great job in this area.

"Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman in her interim budget had asked states to follow Maharashtra for its work in the conservation of mangrove forests," the minister said.

He said that the state government has requested the Union Forest and Environment Minister to hand over the portion of Mangroves forest to the state forest department from the state revenue department.

"Efforts are being made to control this area through CCTV and the Forest Department is committed to take strict action if there is any environmental damage in the area," the minister said.
Bhopal, July 5 : The working committee of the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will meet at the state's party headquarters on July 7, party's General Secretary (Organisation) and MLA Bhagwandas Sabnani said on Friday.

Along with the working committee members, all six Union Ministers from the state and the Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, who was the in-charge for Madhya Pradesh for the assembly elections held in November last year, will also be present.

"A detailed analysis report will be presented, which will highlight how the BJP's entire organisation unitedly won the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the past six months. Future plan will also be decided during the meeting," Sabnani said.

He further informed that 1099 mandal adhyaksh from across Madhya Pradesh will also be present in the meeting.

"It would be the first time when Mandal Adhyaksh will be present in the working committee meeting. All MLAs and Rajya Sabha MPs will also be in the meeting," Sabnani added.
Amaravati, July 5 : The government of Andhra Pradesh will soon announce a new investor-friendly Information Technology policy to attract investment to the state, minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Education, Nara Lokesh said on Friday.

He conducted a review meeting with the senior officials on the prevailing situation of the IT and electronics industry in the state and the opportunities for setting up new units.

The minister directed the officials to initiate measures to create confidence among those who are interested in setting up their IT and electronics units in the state.

Lokesh told the officials that the state government is very keen on investor-friendly IT policy and asked them to formulate the necessary guidelines for this. He said better facilities will be provided to the entire IT and electronics industry.

The minister wanted the existing portal for supervising the investments in the IT and electronics industry to be upgraded and also directed the officials to submit a report on the available plug-and-play infrastructure in the port city of Visakhapatnam.

Lokesh sought a detailed report on the availability of land in and around Visakhapatnam which is suitable for establishing new industries.

The officials should conduct periodical meetings with those who are interested in investing in the IT and electronics industry in the state and provide them necessary information besides resolving the issues that they are facing, Lokesh said. He asked officials to act in a very friendly manner with the industrialists.

The Secretary of IT and Electronics, Kona Sasidhar, the Joint Director (Promotions), Surjit Singh, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AP Innovations Society, Anil Kumar and others attended the meeting.
Kolkata, July 5 : The National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accusing Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra of making 'derogatory' remarks against NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma.

The development came a day after Moitra commented on a video posted on X showing Sharma's arrival in UP's Hathras where a stampede left 121 people dead on Tuesday.

The video showed a man walking behind Sharma holding an umbrella over her, with one user questioning why the NCW chief could not carry her own umbrella.

Responding to the post, Moitra said, "She (Rekha Sharma) is too busy holding up her boss' pajamas."

An NCW statement said on Friday: "NCW takes suo motu cognizance of derogatory remarks by MP Mahua Moitra against Chairperson Rekha Sharma. These remarks violate women's dignity and attract Section 79 of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023.

"NCW strongly condemns and demands swift action and has written a formal letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. A formal letter has been emailed to Delhi Police for the same."

Reacting to the NCW statement, Moitra posted on X: "Come on @DelhiPolice please take action immediately on these suo motu orders. Am in Nadia in case you need me in the next 3 days to make a quick arrest. I Can Hold My Own Umbrella."
What do you make of the Bajaj Freedom CNG bike? That's all the updates we have from ground zero. Check out the full, comprehensive launch report of Bajaj Freedom CNG bike. Thank you so much for staying with HT Auto for the launch!

Quite a day here at the Bajaj facility as Bajaj Freedom 125 makes its global debut. Check out some of the biggest highlights of the CNG motorcycle: Bajaj Freedom CNG bike comes in three variants, seven dual-tone colour options, gets a two-litre petrol tank, two-kilo CNG tank, combined ride range of 330 kms, significantly lower emissions than a petrol-only commuter bike, longer seat, LED headlights, support for Bluetooth tech and more Price range of Bajaj Freedom CNG bike is between 95,000 and 1.10 lakh (ex-showroom).

What is the price for Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike? Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike has been officially launched in India at a starting price of 95,000 (ex-showroom) for the base Drum variant. The Drum LED variant is priced at 1.05 lakh (ex-showroom) and the top Disc variant is at 1.10 lakh (ex-showroom). Bookings for Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike are now open with deliveries starting first in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, while rest of the states will start getting the bike in a phased manner

Bajaj Freedom: Variants and colour options Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike comes in three variants and seven dual-tone colour options.



The variants are Disc LED, Drum LED and Drum.

But where is the CNG tank located? One of the biggest questions has been how does the Bajaj CNG fit the tank for the alternate fuel. The answer is now revealed!



The CNG tank has been placed under the seat and the company claims that extensive tests, including dummy crashes using a 10 ton-truck, has been conducted and that the cylinder is absolutely safe with no leakage detected.

Bajaj Freedom gets a two kilo CNG tank and a two kilo petrol tank Bajaj Freedom claims to offer a total ride range of 330 kms when both fuels are made use of, one-by-one. The Bajaj Freedom offers 9.5 bhp and 9.7 Nm of torque. Bajaj Freedom can also switch between petrol and CNG on the move, at the press of a button.

Bajaj Freedom CNG bike: Key specs and highlights Bajaj Freedom CNG bike makes some very big claims. The Bajaj CNG gets sporty styling, LED head lamp, Blutetooth connectivity, dual colour scheme with graphics and first-in-class linked monoshock suspension. Some of the big highlights on the Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike.

Bajaj Freedom has a petrol tank capacity of just two litres! Bajaj Freedom has a rather small tank capacity for petrol - two litres. It is likely that petrol may be engaged as reserve fuel. In most commuter bikes, the petrol tank capacity is usually around 10 to 12 litres. We hear Bajaj Freedom returns a mileage of 213 kilometres per kilo of CNG! Another view of the recently-unveiled Bajaj Freedom CNG bike.

Nitin Gadkari takes centerstage, underlines the need to reduce crude oil import bill Gadkari puts his weight behind alternate fuel sources for autombiles. I am very happy that when I took charge, the place for automobile industry here was seventh. Now we are third, overtaking Japan. My target as minister is to make India a five trillion economy and for this, the most important industry is the automobile industry." He further highlights how the automobile industry is not just a wealth creator but a job creator as well. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari (right) with Bajaj Auto MG Rajiv Bajaj.

And here is what all of us have been waiting for Check out the very first photos of the world's first CNG bike - Bajaj Freedom! Bajaj Freedom CNG bike has been officially unveiled for the world.

Longest seat on any motorcycle anywhere in the world? Freedom 125 CNG bike to likely feature what could be the longest seat on any motorcycle anywhere in the world. Rajiv Bajaj underlines the emphasis on ensuring a baby does not have to sit on a lap when on the bike.

Freedom is the theme of our launch event today: Rajiv Bajaj Rajiv Bajaj says today's event is his company's interpretation of freedom. Freedom from oil imports, range anxiety, charging concerns, emissions, cramped seats and boring design of commyter bikes," he claims. Very interestingly, Rajiv Bajaj also takes a dig at subsidies on electric two-wheelers despite his company also offering the Chetak EV. It is about freedom from paradoxical unsustainable subsidies," he says. Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj speaks at the launch event of Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike.

Bajaj Auto Rajiv Bajaj calls Freedom 125 a gamechanger The MD of Bajaj Auto highlights how his company brought out the country's first CNG three-wheeler. He highlights how the three-wheeler was not well received initially because there was only one CNG pump at the time in Delhi. Bajaj says it was a learning experience. Customer expects brands to put out a holistic experience with products, especially with new technologies like electric or CNG bike like we have today."

Bajaj Freedom 125 launch event begins with key note of thanks to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Nitin Gadkari, a very vocal advocate of alternate fuel technology, is the chief guest at the launch of Bajaj Freedom 125.

Final countdown begins We have arrived at the event arena to say hello to the world's first CNG bike. The wait for Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG is nearly over, stay tuned for what promises to be a unique and novel ride! HT Auto is at the event area for the Bajaj Freedom 125 launch.

When, where and how to watch the live launch event of Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG Excited about the launch of Bajaj CNG bike? Stay tuned to HT Auto for the very latest updates from Ground Zero! You can also check the live stream of the event on the Bajaj Auto homepage. Potential participants need to log on to the site, provide name, email and phone number. A welcome message follows on WhastApp and voila! You can also check out the live launch event of Bajaj Freedom 125 on the Bajaj Auto Youtube page. A welcome message from Bajaj Auto comes on WhatsApp post registering for the Bajaj Freedom 125 launch event on the company website.

Eye on EV but focus on CNG? Bajaj Auto appears to want to leave no stone unturned. While its Pulsar range of motorcycles enjoy a cult status, the company has not yet tasted success in the electric two-wheeler segment where it offers the Chetak EV. It has a 2.89 kWh battery pack and has a claimed range of around 130 kms per charge. But when compared to the likes of newer players like Ola Electric and Ather Energy, Bajaj's electric dreams are 'work in progress' at best. The company, however, may be looking at first-mover advantage with its Freedom 125 CNG bike. Will it work? Bajaj Chetak EV has received minor updates since its first launch in January of 2020.

Bajaj CNG plans: Experiment, gamble or planned propulsion? As per CNBC TV18, Bajaj plans to assess the response to the Freedom 125 in the Indian bike market and if successful, will expand the product portfolio with more CNG-powered bikes. With access to CNG pumps now not just restricted to major metropolitan cities but to smaller towns and availability on highway stretches as well, this could be a shot in the arm for Bajaj's plans. Did you know that India currently has around 6,000 CNG pumping stations? Gujarat has the maximum number of these stations, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and the National Capital Region (NCR). The aim, as per Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, is to have 12,000 stations in the country in the next five years.

Bajaj eyes foreign markets with CNG bike While Bajaj is looking at disrupting the entry-level motorcycle segment in India with the Freedom 125 CNG bike, reports suggest the company will also look at exporting units of the model to foreign shores. Bajaj Auto is one of the leading exporters of two-wheelers from India at present despite overall exports dipping by 27 per cent year-on-year in FY23 for the company. Did you know that the enormously popular Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle is now also exported to Russia? Bajaj is the second Indian company to touch down in Russia but which was the first? Hint: Bite the Bullet and take a guess Bajaj Auto exports two-wheelers to more than 100 countries.

Which country has the largest CNG vehicle fleet? Surprise, surprise! India has a sizeable number of CNG-powered vehicles, both in the private as well as commercial space. Passenger vehicles make the bulk of the numbers while trucks and buses too are making use of the technology. But India is not the country with the largest CNG fleet. As per CNGport.hu, Iran leads the world with a fleet of 40 lakh CNG-powered vehicles, followed closely by China with around the same number. Pakistan has 37 lakh CNG-powered vehicles while Argentina and Brazil make the top-five list. India is sixth.

CNG bikes vs electric two-wheelers: Which may make more sense? With petrol prices still at and around 100 per litre, there is a clear case for switching to CNG-powered two-wheelers. But unlike in the car segment, the two-wheeler segment has also seen a rise in battery-powered options. It will likely come down to cost economics of both. While electric two-wheelers are likely to remain far more affordable to ride, the time commitment it takes to power such a vehicle is still long. Yes, these are zero emission options but range too can be a limiting factor. For CNG two-wheelers, options are limited to Bajaj Freedom 125 at present and likely to remain limited till the company rolls out more models or rivals decide to enter the space. But while CNG two-wheelers would be cheaper to ride on than petrol-only counterparts, these wont be cheaper than electric two-wheelers as far as running and maintenance costs are concerned.

Spy shots reveal key details The Bajaj CNG bike Freedom isnt expected to look very flashy or sporty. Instead, it is a commuter bike that will prop up its ability to go further than any other two-wheeler model because of its dual-fuel sources. While details have been closely guarded, it is expected that the Bajaj Freedom CNG bike will have a CNG cylinder sitting just below the fuel tank. Additionally, official teaser images have revealed a switch on the handlebar to move from petrol to CNG, and back. The upcoming Bajaj CNG motorcycle will be a world-first and is expected to be a game-changer

Challenges for CNG-powered bikes Bajaj Auto may be set to roll out the first-ever CNG-powered bike but the journey from four to two wheels for the alternate fuel source has been anything but easy. Did you know that a pilot project to test CNG for scooters was started in 2016 when a pizza delivery outlet made use of 30 specially-fitted two-wheelers as part of a pilot project. The project wasnt exactly successful at the time. Challenges for CNG on two-wheelers in the past have ranged from limited number of filling stations to how best to equip a small cylinder on a two-wheeler. Safety concerns have also been raised in the past. Then there is the very vital question of price difference between a two-wheeler with and without a CNG kit.



Of course, Bajaj is likely to address all of these issues during the launch event that is scheduled to start some time from now.

Which car companies offer CNG-fitted vehicles in India? While Maruti Suzuki may have the widest portfolio for CNG-equipped cars, the likes of Hyundai and Tata Motors have bet big on the technology as well. While the Koreans offer CNG on cars like Grand i10 NIOS and Exter, Tata Motors offers CNG on models like Tiago, Tigor, Altroz and Punch.

Which company was the first to introduce factory-fitted CNG kits in India? While CNG was equipped in cars from after-market centers, Maruti Suzuki was the first to recognise the potential of the alternate fuel source. By the early 2010s, India's largest carmaker started offering models with company-fitted CNG kits. At present, Maruti offers its S-CNG technology in 18 of its car models.
Srinagar, July 5 : J&K L-G Manoj Sinha on Friday met Eliska Zigova Ambassador of the Czech Republic to India at Raj Bhawan Srinagar.

An official statement said the L-G discussed the investment potential of Jammu Kashmir in diverse sectors like industries, tourism, start-ups, handloom, handicrafts, food processing, agriculture and allied sectors with the ambassador.

"Jammu Kashmir is on the verge of becoming a notable success story among Indian states and a global model for socio-economic development," L-G said.

He also invited trade and business leaders from the Czech Republic to explore the limitless opportunities that Jammu Kashmir has to offer.

He said the progressive reforms and futuristic policy interventions have positioned Jammu Kashmir as the preferred destination for investors across the globe.

"Eliska Zigova reiterated the commitment of the Czech Republic to deepen the partnership with India, with a dedicated focus on nurturing mutual growth and collaboration," the statement said.
Agartala, July 5 : The police have arrested 25 Rohingyas, including six women and seven children, from two different places in North Tripura district when they were about to board buses to first go to Guwahati and then to Hyderabad by train in search of jobs, officials said on Friday.

A police officer said that 25 Rohingyas were separately arrested from a bus stand at Dharmanagar and the Churaibari Gate in North Tripura district on Thursday night.

The detainees told the police that they entered Tripura from Bangladesh through Sonamura in Sepahijala district and Kailashahar in Unakoti district and intended to go to Guwahati by bus and then to Hyderabad by train in search of jobs.

There were no valid travel documents with the Rohingyas who left their camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar before illegally entering India with the help of touts, the officer said.

To recall, around 100 Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children, have been arrested from the Agartala railway station in the past two months.

More than one million displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar are living in Cox's Bazar since 2017.

An official from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said on Friday that the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, held a meeting with top BSF and police officers on Thursday night and asked them to maintain strict vigil along the border and take appropriate steps to prevent the infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals into the Indian territory.

"CM Saha has expressed concern over the recent rise in infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals into the Indian territory. He has directed the concerned officials to take stringent action against those involved in providing shelter and facilitating illegal border crossings," the CMO official said.
New Delhi, July 5 : Labour Party's Virendra Sharma, one of the longest-serving Indian-origin MPs in Britain, believes that the relationship between India and the United Kingdom will only get stronger under Keir Starmer, who took over from Rishi Sunak as Britain's next Prime Minister on Friday.

Sharma, who served as the Member of Parliament from Ealing Southall on five consecutive occasions since 2007 and did not seek a re-election this time around, told IANS in an exclusive interview that Starmer, and the Labour Party returning to power after 14 years is the change that UK badly needed.

Excerpts:

IANS: It is a big day for you and the Labour Party. Even as you head to another victory celebration, how would you describe the mood in Britain right now?

Virendra Sharma: Thanks a lot. Yes, of course, it's one of the happiest days for those who believe in equality, diversity, internationalism, and democracy. Today, democracy has worked and the people of Britain have voted in favour of our party, which is the Labour Party.

I was one of the longest-serving members of Westminster before recently deciding to step down as a Member of Parliament and retire from public life. That does not mean that I will not be carrying on my duties in public to support the new government. We have got the largest majority and with our commitment, dedication, and the visionary approach under the leadership of Keir Starmer, will rebuild the economy and certainly stabilise the world order, including bringing peace in the countries outside Britain.

IANS: Indians all over the world were quite happy when Rishi Sunak came to power two years ago. How are the British Indians reacting to his loss now?

Virendra Sharma: British people, including the Indians living in Britain, saw the work of the Conservative government, whether it was the previous regimes or under the leadership of Rishi Sunak. And the results showed that the majority of Britishers felt very strongly that the Conservative government under Rishi Sunak was not the government they wanted to see.

Of course, you feel happy and proud (to see an Indian-origin leader), but you also look at whether this person will be able to provide us what we want, including stabilising the economy, providing better services, and making sure that the future of the young generation is safe.

The Sunak government failed to provide that. That is why we got this change. People of Britain have shown confidence in the new government and I'm quite confident that the Indian people feel the same way.

IANS: Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoyed excellent chemistry which worked quite well for both countries. Will that continue under the new Labour government or do you expect any changes?

Virendra Sharma: The British government has generally developed a good relationship with India irrespective of changing political complexions. British diplomacy is also quite famous in the world and I think that under the new leadership, we will carry on using those skills.

India and Britain coming together will certainly influence the international framework. I have full confidence that Keir Starmer will continue to carry forward the work. This relationship between Britain and India - the oldest and largest democracies in the world - will only get stronger.

We have regular exchanges and also regular elections to make sure that the people's verdict is adopted. So I feel that under the new leadership and new government, India-UK ties will develop further in the interest of humanity and the people of the world.

IANS: In your opinion, what went wrong for Rishi Sunak in these elections?

Virendra Sharma: I campaigned throughout my life for the better representation of Black and Asian communities in the British political system, and Rishi Sunak came through that system and led the country. While I have full regard for him, I think his policies, and those of the Conservative leaders before him, failed.

People have given a verdict against the political ideology and approach that Rishi Sunak was following. Whether he called elections early or late is a political judgment. You have to take some kind of stand. In this case, his judgment was wrong as far as the Conservatives are concerned.

But, we feel that this was the right time because he had no further vision for the country. And it was the right time to call the elections so that the people of Britain could decide whether they wanted the country to run under the Conservative leadership or they wanted a change, which they got today.

IANS: The going won't be that easy for the Labour government... What are the immediate challenges before Keir Starmer? There's also a big debate going on about immigrants...

Virendra Sharma: Keir Starmer wants to take the country forward. Previous governments have damaged the entire system in Britain, including the economy, police, National Health Service, education, roads and transport. Everything is broken.

Starmer has to first stop further deterioration and then turn things back. We need to have a skilled workforce to do that. So to create that, the government will be seeking support from other friendly countries and getting those immigrants coming and helping us. Just like I came here 55 years ago to support the country and rebuild it after the war.

There are many other areas which I'm sure the government will be looking at. Also, they don't know how much money they have got today. The government will only find out later whether they have the required funds in the Treasury to make the turnaround.

(Ateet Sharma can be contacted at ateet.s@ians.in)
Moscow, July 5 : Infuriating his fellow European Union leaders, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made a surprise visit to Russia on Friday and held talks with President Vladimir Putin.

His trip to Moscow came after he visited Kiev earlier this week and urged Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky to mull a ceasefire and begin peace talks with Russia.

As speculation about his intended visit to Russia swirled and drew flak, Orban, in a veiled jibe on social media, observed: "You cannot make peace from a comfortable armchair in Brussels. We cannot sit back and wait for the war to miraculously end."

Hungary may well soon become the only country in Europe that is maintaining a dialogue with both Kiev and Moscow, Orban said as Putin welcomed him, RFT reported.

As per Russian officials, Putin told the Hungarian leader that he had presented his vision of how the conflict can be resolved in a keynote speech at the Foreign Ministry last month and is prepared to discuss its nuances. His proposal envisaged an immediate suspension of hostilities after Ukraine renounced its bid to join NATO and ordered its troops to pull back from all territories claimed by Russia. A comprehensive discussion of a new security architecture in Europe could follow after this, he suggested.

The closed-door talks between the two leaders lasted for some time and were followed by a joint press meet.

The Russian President said that judging by Orbanas account of his Kiev visit, Ukraine intends to fight with Russia to the end, adding that peace would require an end of martial law and an election in Ukraine, which the countryas current leadership would definitely lose.

He stressed that Russia wants a full resolution of the conflict, not its freezing, which would allow Kiev to rearm and rebuild its military again.

Noting Russiaas relations with the EU are at their lowest level in decades, Putin said that as Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the bloc, he and Orban discussed this aspect of tensions between Russia and the West.

Orban, on his part, said he wanted to hear directly from Putin how Russia perceives various peace initiatives, calling it an important step, even though the frank discussion confirmed that there was a major rift between the conflicting sides.

He declined to reveal the content of his discussions with Zelensky, but said he conveyed to Putin his impressions from his Kiev visit.

Orban's visit, though surprising, was not the first by a US ally following the beginning of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022 as then-Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited Moscow in March that year and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in April. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Moscow in April.

The visit sparked fury from EU leaders, despite his clarification that he is not representing the EU.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Orban of "appeasement" and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who is slated to become the EUas next foreign policy and security chief, joined the chorus of criticism, accusing him of trying to "sow confusion".

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Orban had informed NATO about his intention to visit Moscow before going there and will have an opportunity to discuss it at the upcoming summit of NATO leaders in Washington next week.
Chandigarh, July 5 : The Punjabi Cultural Council (PCC) and the World Gatka Federation (WGF) on Friday greeted 10 Sikh MPs, including second-time MPs Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Preet Kaur Gill, for their victory in the British general elections

The Labour Party's landslide victory has secured significant representation for community members in the UK House of Commons.

In a statement, Punjabi Cultural Council Chairman Harjeet Singh Grewal expressed pride in the historic achievement of the Sikh community in the elections. He said a record 10 Sikh members, comprising five women, have been elected to the Parliament, all from the Labour Party.

Notably, Dhesi from the Slough constituency and Preet Kaur Gill from Birmingham Edgbaston have been re-elected for the second consecutive time, continuing their advocacy for the Sikhs and broader community issues within the UK Parliament.

Additionally, eight newly-elected Sikh MPs are entering Parliament for the first time, marking a significant milestone for their community.

World Gatka Federation General Secretary Baljit Singh also thanked the British voters and supporters for placing their trust in Sikh leaders who champion change, unity, and progress in Britain.
Lucknow, July 6 : The Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday arrested Dev Prakash Madhukar, the key accused in the tragic stampede at a 'satsang' (religious congregation) in Hathras that claimed the lives of as many as 121 people, mostly women.

Madhukar, the 'Mukhya Sevadar', was named as the main accused in the FIR filed by the police. Earlier, a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information regarding his whereabouts was also announced.

The arrest comes a day after the police nabbed six people in connection with the stampede. They were all members of the satsang organising committee.

The stampede took place on July 2 during a satsang of self-styled godman and preacher Narayan Sakar Hari alias 'Bhole Baba'.

According to the FIR, over 2.50 lakh people attended the congregation while the administration had permitted only 80,000 people.

Satsang organisers, according to the FIR, tried to hide the actual number of people at the event by concealing evidence and throwing slippers and other belongings of the followers of the godman in nearby fields.

The stampede occurred when several devotees scrambled to collect the soil from the preacher's feet, which they believed could heal all their ailments. Eyewitnesses recalled how people fell one after one, with their bodies lying atop each other.

Meanwhile, the police are actively gathering information on Narayan Sakar Hari's background, and teams have been dispatched to cities where he has potential criminal records. However, his name has not been mentioned in the FIR.


Javascript Error

Javascript is deactivated in your browser. To use all functions on this portal, for example the login, Javascript must be activated. Please activate Javascript in your browser settings.
Property details:

IMPORTANT NOTE PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE LISTING, PERFORM ALL DUE DILIGENCE AND ASK ALL YOUR QUESTIONS BY USING THE BUY IT NOW, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOU HAVE DONE ALL DUE DILIGENCE ON THE PROPERTY If you have less than 6 feedback, please contact us before using the Buy It Now. Thank you very much for your understanding, sorry for the inconvenience if any CASH SALE $26,500. NO FINANCING. 12.65 Acre Land with Trees in Pristine Sangre de Cristo Ranches with Mountain and Valley Views, County ...

Price: $ 26,500 Seller State of Residence: USA Property Address: 2358 Pagosa Road Type: Residential, Recreational Acreage Zip/Postal Code: 81133 Zoning: Residential State/Province: Colorado Location: 811**, Fort Garland, 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
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Recently, LiDAR solution developer LiangDao Intelligence announced the completion of a new funding round, co-led by China Merchants Capital and E-Town Capital. The funds raised will be directed towards key LiDAR technologies, new perception functionalities, and data toolchain development, as well as 3D perception-based digital solutions for various applications.

Unmanned vehicle equipped with LiangDao Intelligence's LiDAR; photo credit: LiangDao Intelligence

This investment aims to strengthen LiangDao's integrated hardware and software perception system, enhancing its ability to provide safer and more comfortable intelligent driving experiences for customers.

Since its establishment in China and Germany in 2017, LiangDao Intelligence has been dedicated to innovation and breakthroughs in intelligent driving technology, following a Sino-German collaborative development strategy. Over six years of global R&D and practice, the company has steadily built comprehensive perception system service capabilities. LiangDao's product line spans LiDAR hardware and functionality development, perception data training, and smart city solutions, delivering high-quality products and technical services to numerous leading automakers, Tier 1 suppliers, and industry clients worldwide.

In Europe, LiangDao boasts a team of nearly 100 automotive engineers focused on the localization of intelligent driving functionalities. By leveraging a data-driven closed-loop perception training system, LiangDao Intelligence has secured several mass production project orders from European automakers. Since 2023, the company has been actively expanding its overseas intelligent driving function testing and engineering services, supporting the global development of China's automotive industry. Currently, LiangDao Intelligence collaborates with multiple car manufacturers to conduct intelligent driving function tests in Europe.

As business and market demands grow, LiangDao has also initiated another round of financing to support further development and innovation.
Property details:

Five Acres of Ranch Land Southern California 0% Financing or 10% Single Payment Discount The price of the lot has been reduced to $12,994.00. Your bid will be the down payment and subtracted from the total price. The balance will be owner financed at 0% interest for 6 years (72 months). Based on and opening bid of $250.00 that works out to 72 monthly payments of $177.00 each.If the bid goes higher the payments will be reduced. For example, if the bid goes to $600.00 that would reduce the amount ...

Price: $ 600 Seller State of Residence: Florida Type: Homesite, Lot Zip/Postal Code: 92310 Zoning: Mixed City: San Bernardino County State/Province: California Location: , San Bernardino County, Ca California

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 California
Property details:

ALASKA THE LAND OF ADVENTUREINVEST FOR A HOME - CABIN - HUNTING - CHILDREN - GRANDCHILDREN IMPORTANT NOTE Please read the entire listing, perform all due diligence and ask all your questions. If you have less than 6 feedback, please contact us before you use the Buy It Now Thank you very much for your understanding, sorry for the inconvenience if any CASH SALE OR OWNER FINANCING. Price $279,000. The minimum down payment will be $70,000. Please let us know for how much you want to do for down pay...

Price: $ 279,000 Seller State of Residence: USA Type: Recreational, Acreage Zip/Postal Code: 99712 Zoning: GU1-General Use State/Province: Alaska Location: 997**, Fairbanks, Alaska

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 Alaska
Property details:

IMPORTANT NOTE Please read the entire listing, perform all due diligence and ask all your questions. If you have less than 6 feedback, please contact us before you use the Buy It Now Thank you very much for your understanding, sorry for the inconvenience if any PRICE $29,900 CASH SALE, NO FINANCING! Amazing 8.2 acres, 2 adjacent lots (5.1 and 3.1 acres), wooded, mountainous, private and secluded, in Klamath Falls Forest Estates Plat/Unit 1! You're at the top of the world with lots of wildlife an...

Price: $ 29,900 Seller State of Residence: USA Type: Recreational, Acreage Property Address: Night Owl Dr Zip/Postal Code: 97623 Zoning: Residential State/Province: Oregon Location: 976**, Bonanza, 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:

Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Item Description Blessed with nearly year-round sunshine, Southern Baja's rare and remote beauty is yours to explore at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach. Cabo San Lucas is enjoying an increase in popularity. Pacific waters as well as a beach are just steps away and offer the best in deep-sea fishing. Resort amenities include a pool, gym, and restaurant. This resort has a traditional Mexican hacienda style. DETAILS: Size: 1 Bedroom / 2 Bath Super Execut...

Price: $ 5,350 Seller State of Residence: Florida Number of Bedrooms: 1 Number of Bathrooms: 2 City: CABO SAN LUCAS State/Province: MEXICO 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 MEXICO
Property details:

Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas: South Tower LAHAINA, MAUI All images in this listing are general images of the resort. Please perform your own due diligence.StarOptions Option to use StarOptions at Starwood Vacation Ownership Resorts or trade with Interval International. Q:What are StarOptions and how do they work? A:StarOptions are the trading tool used within the Starwood Vacation Network to reserve vacations at Starwood Vacation Ownership resorts.StarOptions give you the flexibility to ...

Price: $ 5,499 Seller State of Residence: Florida Property Address: 6 Kai Ala Dr Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 2 Zip/Postal Code: 96761 City: Lahaina State/Province: Hawaii Location: 967**, Lahaina, Hawaii

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
Property details:

Sheraton Vistana Villages: Key West SectionOrlando, Florida "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 StarOptions Option to use StarOptions at Starwood Vacation Ownership Resorts or trade with Interval International.Q:What are StarOptions and how do they work? A:StarOptions are the trading tool used within the Starwood Vacation Network to reserve vacations at Starwood Vacation O...

Price: $ 1,999 Seller State of Residence: Florida Property Address: 12401 International DR Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 2 Zip/Postal Code: 32821 City: Orlando State/Province: Florida Location: 328**, Orlando, 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 Florida
Property details:

Montecristo Estates by Pueblo Bonito 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 Montecristo Estate villas are fitted to suit your every need and desire, assuring that your getaway with family and friends in this unique and spectacular setting will be as pleasant and rewarding as you care to make it. Your home away from home encompasses every possible comfort, w...

Price: $ 2,150 Seller State of Residence: Florida Number of Bedrooms: 3 Number of Bathrooms: 3.5 City: CABO SAN LUCAS State/Province: MEXICO 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 MEXICO
Property details:

ATLANTIC PALACEAtlantic City, NJ Bordered by Atlantic Citys deep, spectacular beach and world-renowned boardwalk, this luxurious 31-story resort offers intrinsic oceanic views amidst myriad nightlife venues, casinos, dining offerings and retail shops. Whether being entertained by a headline performer, dancing the night away, shopping, surfing, or solving the crime at a mystery dinner theater, Atlantic City will give you an unforgettable experience Resort Amenities Elevator Beach Salon Game Ro...

Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: Missouri Property Address: 1507 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ Number of Bathrooms: 1 Zip/Postal Code: 08401 City: Atlantic City State/Province: New Jersey 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 Jersey
Property details:

POCONO MOUNTIAN VILLASEast Stroudsburg, PA Pocono Mountain Villas is a four seasons resort retreat in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania that provides a picturesque backdrop for your vacation memories. You will find a host of on-site resort activities and amenities to enjoy every time of the year. It is the ideal resort destination to pursue your Pennsylvania happiness. Water parks, waterfalls, and canoeing, rafting, and tubing on the Delaware River are great ideas for warm weather, ...

Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: Missouri Property Address: 2157 River Rd, East Stroudsburg, PA Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 2 Zip/Postal Code: 18302 City: East Stroudsburg State/Province: Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania
Property details:

Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings' LandWaikoloa, Hawaii 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 diligenceOVERVIEW69-699 WAIKOLOA BEACH DR, WAIKOLOA, HI 96738Kings' Land, the newest Hilton Grand Vacations Club resort on the famed Kohala Coast, offers expansive fairway views and stunning Waikoloa panoramas. Carved out of an ancient lava field, this 112-acre oasis occupies a superb location...

Price: $ 2,750 Seller State of Residence: Florida Property Address: 69-699 Waikoloa Beach Dr Number of Bedrooms: 1 Number of Bathrooms: 1 Zip/Postal Code: 96738 City: WAIKOLOA State/Province: Hawaii Location: 967**, Waikoloa, Hawaii

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
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On July 4th, Chinese power battery giant CATL officially launched its commercial vehicle (CV)-dedicated battery brand, "CATL TIANXING".

The main challenges currently facing the new energy CV industry include slow charging, high overall costs, and short transportation distances. CATL aims to address these pain points by innovatively applying four key technologiessuper safety, superfast charging, long lifespan, and extended rangeinto the new energy CV sector under the "CATL TIANXING" brand, meeting the needs of CV users for long lifespan, high efficiency, and high returns.

Technologically, the "CATL TIANXING" batteries achieve 4C superfast charging and a 100% increase in cycle life by using new low-lithium consumption graphite in the anode material and a bionic self-healing SEI passivation film technology, significantly enhancing reliability over the battery's entire lifecycle.

Photo credit: CATL

Additionally, the "CATL TIANXING" batteries employ CTP3.0 module-free extreme grouping technology and optimized topology structure, greatly improving grouping efficiency. They also feature dual-layer large surface liquid cooling, achieving ultra-high energy density and efficient thermal management, significantly enhancing range performance while reducing battery weight.

CATL has introduced two mass-produced power batteries in the logistics field: the CATL TIANXING L  Superfast Charging Edition and the CATL TIANXING L - Long Range Edition.

The CATL TIANXING L  Superfast Charging Edition combines 4C superfast charging capabilities with an 8-year or 800,000 km warranty. It boasts a 140 kWh capacity and a real-world range of 350 km, far exceeding the industry average.

With a super-fast charging speed that can replenish 60% SOC in just 12 minutes, the CATL TIANXING L  Superfast Charging Edition is well-suited to flexible freight needs, enabling quick turnarounds for suburban and urban deliveries, significantly reducing vehicle charging time and increasing freight frequency and operational efficiency.

The CATL TIANXING L - Long Range Edition features a 500 km ultra-long range and an 8-year or 800,000 km warranty. With a massive 200 kWh capacity and an energy density of 200 Wh/kg, the highest in the light CV industry, it achieves a maximum weight reduction of 300 kg for the whole vehicle.

CATL acknowledges the complexity and diversity of logistics scenarios, and to meet every CV user's needs, the CATL TIANXING L series offers a range of products with capacities from 30kWh to 200 kWh and real-world ranges from 150km to 500 km. All products support superfast charging and range-extending applications, covering all scenarios in the logistics industry.

Currently, the CATL TIANXING L series has been installed into 21 models from 13 automakers, including FOTON, Geely, Dongfeng Motor, JAC Motors, Weichai, FAW Jiefang, Changan CAKY, LINXYS, Qingling Motors, etc., achieving mass production upon launch.
Property details:

GLOBAL TITLE GROUP, LLC IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE RESORT (Due to West Virginia guidelines on purchasing Real Estate; West Virginia Residents will not be able to participate in this Auction) LA PACIFICA LOS CABOS,A HILTON CLUB13,440 ANNUAL PLATINUMTIMESHARE FOR SALE Points: 13,440Season: PlatinumUsage: Annual Starting 2024 Trading Company: RCIMortgage: Paid in Full, Title is Free & Clear Maintenance Fee 2024 (Approx.): $1,699.42 (Annual) (The Pictures In This Ad Are General In Nature) We are on ...

Price: $ 4,313 Seller State of Residence: Texas Type: Beach/Ocean Property Address: Carretera Transp KM 19.5 San Jose del Cabo BCS Zip/Postal Code: 23400 City: San Jose del Cabo BCS State/Province: Mexico Location: 77***, Canada

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 Mexico
Property details:

Hyatt Residence Club San Antonio Wild Oak RanchSan Antonio, Texas The 1,400 Hyatt Points can be used for 18 months at any of the Hyatt Resorts. The points are always deposited one year before your fixed week which is week: 11 for this contract and good for 6 months after. Item Description Hyatt Residence Club San Antonio, Wild Oak Ranch is set within the beautiful Texas Hill Country. The resort's design is reminiscent of historic ranch architecture, with its limestone exteriors, rustic wood beam...

Price: $ 1,150 Seller State of Residence: Florida Property Address: 9700 Military Dr W, Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 2 Zip/Postal Code: 78251 City: San Antonio State/Province: Texas Location: 782**, San Antonio, Texas

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 Texas
Property details:

This Tafer residence club is a fantastic opportunity for those who want to experience the ultimate beach vacation. With its flexible week of the year policy, you can choose the perfect time to visit and enjoy the beautiful ocean. The residence club has one bedroom and two bathrooms, full kitchen and laundry, living room has a pull out couch and a Murphy bed (sleeps 6 comfortably) making it an ideal choice for a family or group of friends. Whether you're looking for an investment or a memorable v...

Price: $ 2,000 Seller State of Residence: Florida Type: Beach/Ocean Number of Bedrooms: 1 Number of Bathrooms: 2 State/Province: Mexico Location: 339**, Cape Coral, 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 Mexico
Property details:

TAHITI RESORT 5101 W Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89103 Tahiti Resort brings a touch of the South Pacific to Las Vegas. Just 2.5 miles from the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, Tahiti Resort is a tropical oasis in the desert. A thatch porte cochere is the centerpiece of the entrance, while tropical landscaping and decorations complete the theme. All-suite guest units offer uncommon space, convenience, and privacy, and two 24-hour pools, a 24-hour hot tub, putting green, fitness center, and onsite a...

Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: Missouri Property Address: 5101 W Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 2 Zip/Postal Code: 89103-5081 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:

The Quin, A Hilton ClubNew York City, New York "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 diligenceInspired Manhattan moments begin at The QuinPositioned just steps from the city's cultural wonders and premier attractions, The Quin, a Hilton Club was once home to this centurys greatest artists with its commanding location in Manhattan's vibrant Midtown neighborhood. Now a premier boutiq...

Price: $ 12,999 Seller State of Residence: Florida Property Address: 101 West 57th Street Number of Bedrooms: 1 Number of Bathrooms: 1 Zip/Postal Code: 10019 City: New York State/Province: New York Location: 100**, 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 New York
Property details:

WorldMark by Wyndham 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 diligenceItem Description A WorldMark ownership is like having a vacation home at the lake, the mountains, and the beach at a fraction of the cost of a second home with none of the headaches. Comparable in price to traditional timeshares that offer only one location, for one week at a time, a WorldMark ownership gives you ...

Price: $ 149 Seller State of Residence: Florida City: Multiple State/Province: Multiple 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 Multiple
Photography by Patrick McCarthy

Theres a unique sense of fulfillment that comes from taking something worn out and giving it a new life. Maybe its a piece of antique furniture, an old car rotting away in a field, or some vintage appliance pushed aside by progress. Many feel those inanimate objects have a soul and a story of their own to tell. Its kind of like that 50s cartoon, Susie the Little Blue Coupe, where an anthropomorphic car went from brand-spanking new to broken down, changing hands, and ending up sad, alone, and forgotten in a junkyard.

Then, one day, a wide-eyed kid saw its potential and turned that abandoned little jalopy into a happy, tire-melting hot rod. Guardian Garage is not only doing those kinds of transformations with the items that come through its doors, but also with the volunteers who make it possible.

Cofounder and retired deputy sheriff Craig Lewis told us how this facility in Peoria, Arizona, came about. Guardian Garage was founded by former military and first responders. Lewis and his brother, who is a combat vet, cooked up the idea after seeing how the trauma of their careers not only affected them personally, but also those they served with.

After recruiting some other folks who shared their vision and obtaining their 501(c)(3), they built a 3,200-square-foot (and growing) shop to do restoration work. Their bailiwick includes automotive work, metal fabrication, and upholstery, and a woodworking shop is currently in progress.

From this 36 Chevy pickup a participant brought in to this 94 Harley donated to build as a future raffle item, Guardian Garage's vehicular projects run the gamut.

The goal was to provide a place for active and retired servicemembers and first responders to be around like-minded people to not only have a bonding experience, but to help others develop a skill set to manage the stress of their careers.

Theyve even branched out to including family members of fallen officers or military members, so they have a place to come in, make connections, and work on something fun, productive, and creative. Even if youre not mechanically inclined (yet), but would like to learn, come on over and theyll teach you how to use the tools and learn the processes.

While you might not have your own project to bring in and work on, they can still put you to work on something to tap into your inner artistry. Some guys bring in a classic car theyve dreamed of fixing up and couldnt afford to have done by a custom shop, while others show up empty handed with nothing more than a desire to work.

Even if no one in the shop has the expertise needed to help you louver your hood or TIG weld, theyll bring in a mentor to show you how. Although the program has only been up and running since 2022, the concept certainly seems to have great potential and their long-term focus is to see other Guardian Garages spring up elsewhere.

Here we see a participant using a metal saw rescued and refurbished by the Garage participants.



Even if cars arent your thing, some of Guardian Garages nonvehicular projects have included an old Coca- Cola machine turned into a gun cabinet and a vintage candy dispenser that now spits out the best treats of all  ammo. Lets say you want to freshen up the wood and redo the fabric on an old sofa  they can help you make that happen.

Repurposing things is part of the process. You feel good when you take something that someone wanted to throw out and make it usable again, Lewis says. Making something using your hands and mind together is not only therapeutic, but that feeling of purpose and having a team dynamic thats often lost after the end of the career is revitalized as well.

This 1946 Chevrolet 1.5 ton had its engine built and swapped at the Garage.

This is a way to have something to reengage with your family over. First responders and military dont come home and want to talk about what happened at work. So now they can come home and talk about what they did at the garage, Lewis says. Theres no requirement to be there a certain amount of time.

People can come and go as their schedule permits. Its totally free to participate, theres no reporting to agencies you may currently be involved with, and no diagnoses are required for you to be involved. The goal is just to give you the skills you need to keep your mind right.

There are some caveats. Participation is only available for either current or former servicemembers, first responders, or family members of those who died in the line of duty. Also, this isnt a shop where you can drop off your 32 Ford with a list of upgrades you want. They dont do repair work for hire, certify anyone in a particular trade, or foot the bill for the parts you might need.

However, theyll supply all the supporting material needed to complete a project, i.e. sandblasting, welding, paint guns, etc. Guardian Garage is there to work on something you brought in or collaborate with others on their respective activities to ultimately acquire the knowledge necessary to perform those same tasks in your own garage and maintain that productivity.

If youre in the Phoenix metro area or want to at least come down and check them out, Guardian Garage is certainly doing more than just repurposing old stuff to make it functional again. The point is to help volunteers get creative and release the endorphins thatll get them out of a negative headspace.

When you were a kid, you made stuff, right? Everybodys got a little bit of artistic ability. They may have lost it as they grew older, but you can recover that in here, Lewis says. It doesnt matter what it looks like, its the process of making it. Its not about the project, its about the person.

Trauma is very real and often only understood by those whove experienced it. God knows how many ruined marriages, suicides, and chemical dependency Guardian Garages efforts are preventing. Although no one there is a trained therapist, they know what theyre doing works and have the testimonials from participants and family members alike to back it up.

Having a safe environment to learn, build, laugh, and clear the weeds off your soul not only makes Guardian Garage a hub of artistic endeavor, its also probably saving just as many human lives as it is mechanical ones.
NANJING, July 4 (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.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On July 4, GAC AION announced that it has officially joined the Thailand Charging Consortium. This alliance, organized by the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand ("EVAT"), includes 18 charging station operators working together to build an efficient energy replenishment network and promote the development of Thailand's new energy vehicle industry.

Photo credit: GAC AION

Amid the electrification transformation, Thailand has set a goal to vigorously promote the development of electric vehicles by 2035. However, with the explosive growth in sales and usage of new energy electric vehicles in Thailand, issues such as insufficient charging stations, low energy replenishment efficiency, and unreasonable charging station network layouts have become apparent.

In response, GAC AION is collaborating with its subsidiary, GAC Energy, and numerous ecosystem partners to build a comprehensive energy replenishment ecosystem in Thailand. According to its plan, by 2024, GAC AION aims to establish 25 electric vehicle charging stations in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, and by 2028, it plan to build a network of 200 charging stations with 1,000 supercharging points across 100 cities in Thailand.

Since officially entering the Thai market in September last year, GAC AION has been steadily deepening its presence in Thailand. On the evening of May 7, GAC AION announced a significant milestone in its local production in Thailand with the signing of an agreement for its factory in the 185 Bonded Zone. On May 14, GAC Energy Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd. was officially registered in Bangkok, focusing on the new energy vehicle charging business, including charging station operations, the import and export of charging piles, energy storage and photovoltaic products, and home charging pile installation services.

Photo credit: GAC AION

On May 25 of 2024, Khon Kaen International Airport in Thailand held a delivery ceremony for 200 AION ES taxis (the first batch of 50 units). This follows GAC AION's delivery of 500 AION ES units to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport in February this year. Reportedly, the AION ES fully meets the requirements of Airports of Thailand (AOT), and it is expected that 1,000 oil-fueled taxis will be replaced locally by the end of the year.

Additionally, GAC AION is investing in its first overseas factory in Thailandthe Thailand Intelligent Eco-factory, which is nearing completion and will soon commence production. The first global strategic model of GAC AION, the second-generation AION V, will also roll off the production line at this factory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goal of making India a high-income economy by 2047 is unlikely to be achieved, but the country should become an upper middle-income nation by then, Financial Times chief economics commentator Martin Wolf said on Friday.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Wolf further said that India would also become a superpower by 2047.

"India wishes to become a high-income country by 2047.

"That is unlikely to be achieved. But it should become an upper middle-income country by then," he said at an event organised by CUTS.

Wolf noted that the slow-growing, shock-prone and fragile world we now confront will make India's rise difficult.

"India will have to work hard to use its influence to shape that world in a favourable direction," he said, adding that it will also have to shape itself to exploit the opportunities it will have.

Wolf also said that India is likely to be the second-largest economy by 2047 behind China and ahead of the US as per the PPP (purchasing power parity) method.

Prime Minister Modi in his Independence Day speech last year said, "I have an unwavering belief that in 2047, when the country celebrates 100 years of independence, my country will be a developed India."

India, which is the world's fifth largest economy, is currently classified as a developing nation.

A developed country is typically characterised by a relatively high level of economic growth, a general standard of living, higher per capita income as well as good performance on the Human Development Index (HDI) that includes education, literacy and health. India was classified as a 'third-world' country at the time of independence from British rule in 1947.

While noting that India can still take advantage of global opportunities, Wolf said India can form useful and productive economic relations with all sides.

"It can, if it tries, partially replace China as a competitive global supplier of goods and services.

"It can become a magnet for foreign direct investment," he said.

Wolf asserted that India must be a positive influence on global discussions.

Pointing out that India has substantial assets in seeking to shape the world to its advantage, Wolf said it is an obvious "plus one" in a world of "China plus one" and even more so in a world of "any country but China".

India has good relations with the West, to which it is strategically important, he added.

Wolf also emphasised that India needs to increase its trade to GDP ratio.

Also, speaking at the event, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) member Sanjeev Sanyal said India's population growth rate is rapidly slowing which mean our per capita income is now almost identical to our GDP growth.

"We will enter into an era of cheap capital," Sanyal said.

He also said that India has recently signed a free trade agreement with Australia and will sign another FTA with the United Kingdom.

Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former deputy chairman of the erstwhile government think tank Planning Commission, discussed the importance of good governance and a robust policy framework.

"India is in a sweet spot compared to China given the fact that the world is undergoing uncertainty with policies moving in the wrong direction.

"India can cash in on its advantage by realigning FTA standards," Ahluwalia remarked.
It was the summer of 2006 (May 18). Writers Building, then the state secretariat, was buzzing with journalists.

The event marked the start of Buddhadeb Bhattacharjees second term as chief minister.

And in style, it got off with West Bengal bagging the small car plant, Nano.

Ratan Tata, then Tata Group chairman, had flown in along with the brass to make the announcement.

The Nano found its home at Singur in the Hooghly district.

A second project by Telcon, a 60:40 joint venture (JV) of Tata Motors and Japans Hitachi Construction Machinery, to manufacture earth-moving equipment was announced the same day.

It was to come up at Kharagpur in Paschim Medinipur.

In the months to come, the small car project pitched to revolutionise mobility eclipsed its twin for more reasons than one.

But 18 years on, its the humble project that has turned out to be a sunny farm-to-industry story.

The Kharagpur plant of Tata Hitachi sits on a 250-acre land parcel in the West Bengal governments Vidyasagar Industrial Park.

The lease agreement with the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), a nodal agency of the West Bengal government for promoting industrialisation, was signed in 2007.

For the landgivers, the journey from farm workers to factory workers started sometime later.

About 60 per cent of the workforce are landgivers, with one member from each displaced family employed.

The total workforce at the Kharagpur plant is more than 2,100, including contract employees.

From training at nearby industrial training institutes to on-the-job skilling by experts from Hitachi, the farm workers have traversed the ground in the past six years.

Some of them made their way to Japan, trained as skill experts, and have come back.

We took them to Jamshedpur and Dharwad plants and gave them long-term skill-building training.

"But what made a difference is the handholding by Japanese expats, who are experts in assembly, welding, painting, etc, Tata Hitachis senior vice-president Anand said.

Hitachi has an international skill competition in which subsidiaries from across the world compete.

The best of the Kharagpur lot was put among the worlds best.

They competed and came out at the top  that gave them a lot of confidence, Anand added.

According to Arup Mukherjee, vice-president of quality and design at Tata Hitachi, this is a case study.

These people, who started with zero skill and were farmers, are winning global awards. That is the transition.

The Kharagpur plant is one of the largest excavator plants in Southeast Asia. In 2019, the construction equipment manufacturers Jamshedpur operations also moved here.

Industrial relations at the plant have been smooth, and a large part of that can be attributed to the special connection that the landgiver-turned-factory workers have with the project.

Tata Hitachi is the anchor tenant in Vidyasagar Industrial Park, the ownership of which rests with WBIDC.

It is spread over roughly 1,166.64 acres. About 18 units, including Tata Hitachi, have set up shop here. Sources in the government said that the land was acquired through the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.

Ironically, about 3.5 hours from the area, the acquisition of the Nano at Singur ran into indefinite agitation by a section of land losers.

Their protest against forcible land acquisition was supported by Mamata Banerjee, then in Opposition.

On October 3, 2008, Tata Motors pulled the plug on Singur, and the Nano project relocated to Sanand, Gujarat.

The plant at Singur was 80 per cent ready then.

Thirteen vendors had also finished constructing their plants, and 17 others were at various stages of construction.

For Bengal politics, the event marked a turning point.



In the state election that followed in 2011, the Left Front government was decimated by the Trinamool Congress.

The land for the project at Singur has since been returned to the land losers  willing and unwilling  according to a Supreme Court order.

In Singur, there are two camps: willing and unwilling.

The land losers who willingly gave up their plot for the project and took the compensation cheque from the Left Front government are labelled willing.

About 20 per cent of total land losers protested the land acquisition, refused to take compensation, and became unwilling land losers.

Cut to 2024.



A large swathe of 997 acres along the national highway stands as a symbol of dashed hopes  neither agriculture nor industry have flourished here.
'On October 12-13, he started shivering from fear in his tent.'

'That was the time he wrote a letter to my mother to conduct Ganeshji's Atharvashirsha.'

'The moment he finished writing that letter, he told us, he felt serene calmness.'

IMAGE: Then Major Shrikant Hasabnis. Photograph: Kind courtesy Lieutenant General Sudharshan Hasabnis

As my colleague Anant Salvi finished translating several passages of Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Hasabnis's account of being a Chinese prisoner of war and what he and his troops went through defending the Galwan post in the 1962 war with China, he was wiping his tears.

Anant was reading the book written in Marathi and translating the sentences in Hindi verbally. As I made notes, I did not notice his tears.

"It is men like him that we must honour. These are men who are worthy of statues, roads and airports being named after them," Anant said, holding Colonel Hasabnis's autobiography as he stood up and wiped his moist eyes with his handkerchief.

Lieutenant Colonel Hasabnis was an extraordinary soldier. As a young major, he commanded a company of 70 soldiers of 5 Jat that were inducted into Galwan in October 1962.

The Jats were soldiers from the plains who had never experienced sub-zero temperatures at such punishing heights.

They were woefully underequipped in terms of weapons, clothing, dwelling and rations -- 20 of the 70 men did not even have a weapon. They were surrounded by hundreds of belligerent Chinese troops on all sides who would display their modern weapons on the frontlines.

5 Jat was armed with basic outdated weapons.

There were no barbed wire obstacles to defend themselves from the enemy.

The ammunition provided to them would last just 15 minutes.

The Chinese had foreign made thermal gear while Indian troops had basic clothing -- their overcoat itself weighed 5 kgs. Their fingers would get stuck to the guns due to the freezing temperatures. The skin would peel off; blood would flow out of the nose and ears; breathing was difficult in the rarefied air -- it was as if a man was sitting on the chest.

The vegetarian soldiers and Major Hasabnis were compelled to eat non vegetarian tinned food that was air-dropped because that was all there was to survive.

The Chinese harassed and harangued them throughout. The men knew they had been ordered into the valley of death, yet, not one Indian soldier said he wanted to go back.

They were wanting in everything a soldier needed to fight, but what they did not lack was courage.

They all stood firm against impossible odds as Major Hasabnis constantly counselled and encouraged his troops in order to boost their morale.

Two weeks after they were inducted, the Galwan post was attacked and destroyed by the Chinese.

30 soldiers from the company laid down their lives. Twelve were injured.

Major Hasabnis was captured as a prisoner of war along with 11 soldiers. They were kept in solitary confinement.

After seven months of captivity, Major Hasabnis was released and repatriated to India.

His wife who had bravely confronted that difficult period without shedding a tear, broke down on meeting her husband on his return.

His sons who were just two and three-and-half at that time went on to join the Indian Army after him.

Colonel Hasabnis fought in the 1971 War and took early retirement in 1977. He passed away in 2022.

His son Lieutenant General Sudharshan Hasabnis, who retired as the deputy chief of army staff, spoke to Archana Masih/Rediff.com about his father, the extraordinary soldier.

Part I of the interview:

What are the family memories of your father being a Chinese prisoner of war in the 1962 War? How did this news reach your mother and how did she take it?

On October 21, 1962 an aircraft flew over Galwan and reported that there was nothing to show that a post once existed there -- my father's post had been totally devastated.

The news that the post had been completely run over was reported to the Jat Regimental Centre [in Bareilly] where my maternal uncle was posted. He conveyed the news to his brother in Pune and that was the first input that reached my family.

I was two years old at that time; my elder brother was three-and-a-half. We were in Pune with our grandparents. My mother was not informed, but my paternal uncles were told that the post where my father was had been devastated.

Subsequently, Army Head Quarters issued a telegram which read: 'Missing, presumed killed'.

My mother refused to accept the news.

Our joint family provided immense support to my mother.

IMAGE: Indian soldiers in Ladakh during the 1962 War with China, November 1962. Photograph: Radloff/Three Lions/Getty Images from the Rediff Archives

Those times must have been very difficult for the family. When was it known that your father was alive?

The atmosphere was very tense at home.

My mother refused to accept that he was no more.

In difficult times people tend to turn to conventional and unconventional methods to find out what could have happened, including fortune tellers who gave indications that he was alive.

But the first authentic news about him being taken prisoner came around three months later through the Red Cross.

The Red Cross was allowed access to the prisoners and subsequently the family was informed.

He was alive, but was a captive of the Chinese. Therefore, it was still a very grim situation.

My mother was very tense, but I was told she never shed a tear.

Her belief that he is alive and will return was so deep that she never cried. She cried only on his return.

He came back after 7 months.

Yes, on May 10, 1963. He was first sent in a plane to Ranchi on May 7 where he was debriefed.

Later in life did he share the memories of those days with your brother and you?

It did not come out voluntarily, but as we grew we heard from him. When both of us brothers joined the army, we used to talk to him about those days and would tell him to write about it.

He started writing snippets and sometimes would talk to my mother and she would write. We published a collection of their memories as a Marathi book in 2022.

In the last month of captivity, they were taken to then Peking [Beijing] to show how the Communist system was better than the 'bourgeoisie, capitalist Indian Nehru government' -- that is how the Chinese would word it.

In fact, while they were in Galwan, the Chinese soldiers used to tell them that they had nothing against the Indian troops, but against the Indian government. They used to tell them, 'You leave, we will make way for you to go back. This is not your territory, you are in the wrong place, this is ours', and yet say 'Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai'.

They also did this with the Gorkhas who had gone ahead and established that post. They were there from June to October.

My father's company was inducted in October. The Indian soldiers withstood continuous harassment from Chinese troops.

Even at that time they had Hindi speakers among their troops while we had no such capability. They could speak in Hindi and English with our troops.

IMAGE: Then Major Shrikant Hasabnis, third from left. Photograph: Kind courtesy Lieutenant General Sudharshan Hasabnis

What did the Jats encounter when they reached the post? They were the first troops from the plains to be inducted at such heights and difficult conditions?

The company was taken in by helicopters as the post was surrounded by the Chinese. When the company was inducted, the men knew it was a suicide mission.

The Chinese would put their best weapons on display while the 60 men that my father had, including himself, nearly 20 didn't have weapons -- that was the state of our military. Their clothing provided minimal protection.

The Jats knew that it was the end for them, but not one soldier told my father that he wanted to go back and that tells you about the strength of our military.

And 30 of them laid down their lives?

Yes.

Photograph: Archana Masih for Rediff.com IMAGE: Lieutenant General Sudharshan Hasabnis with his mother Mrs Sujata Hasabnis.

How did this experience change your father?

His basic character did not change.

Our household had a spiritual grounding. In fact, when the Chinese had started firing, he had worn his trousers over his pajamas and rushed out.

In captivity, he would tear that pajama and make knickers because they were not allowed to have a bath for six months.

The first six months were very bad. He made a jap mala from the nada [string] of the pajama and prayed. The spiritual grounding helped.

On October 12-13, he started shivering from fear in his tent because of lack of orientation. He could not think and that was the time he wrote a letter to my mother to conduct Ganeshji's Atharvashirsha which was a regular feature in our home.

The moment he finished writing that letter, he told us, he felt serene calmness. After that, he was in control of himself.

Just two days later, his senior JCO Subedar Nihal Singh who was awarded a Vir Chakra for his action came to him in a similar state.

It was the fear of the unknown. The soldiers could not fathom what would happen to them even though death was staring them in the face. Subedar Nihal Singh narrated his experience and my father calmed him.

Subedar Singh later laid down his life defending his post.

Photograph: Archana Masih for Rediff.com IMAGE: Lieutenant General Sudharshan Hasabnis at his home in Pune.

The spiritual character held him together at that difficult time?

I would like to believe so.

In captivity the Chinese who are Communists and don't believe in religion used to tell him that there was no God.

Major Dhan Singh Thapa, Param Vir Chakra, was with my father for a while in a tent during captivity. Major Thapa would get very agitated and my father would calm him down saying we would give them a suitable reply.

My father told the Chinese that he would prove to them that God exists and told them what Swami Vivekananda had written. How explained the definition of a point -- a point has no length, breadth, shape or depth, but it exists and that is how we define our God.

The Chinese got upset, but thereafter, did not really get after him. The spiritual strength that he had built really helped him.

Part 2 of the Interview: 'India Has Become More Aggressive With China'

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
The Bihar government on Friday suspended 15 engineers in connection with a series of recent incidents of bridge collapse in the state, a senior official said.

IMAGE: People gather at the site where an under-construction bridge collapsed over the Kosi River, in Supaul, Bihar, March 22, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The decision was taken after a probe panel submitted its report to the water resources department.

A total of 10 bridges collapsed in Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts in the past 17 days, officials said.

The report found that the engineers were negligent and monitoring was ineffective, which is the main reason behind the collapse of small bridges and causeways in the state, additional chief secretary of WRD, Chaitanya Prasad, told reporters in Patna.

Those suspended include four executive engineers.

The rural works department has also initiated the process of blacklisting the contractor who was involved in the construction of the bridge in Araria district. The department has also stopped payment of the contractor/firm for its previous work till the completion of the probe, said Dipak Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary, RWD.

Besides, the department has sought an explanation from officials concerned for the collapse of bridges in East Champaran on June 23 and in Madhubani on June 26.

A probe has already been ordered into the collapse of RWD bridges in these two districts, said Singh.

Commenting on the bridge collapse incidents, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav told reporters: Why are leaders of the NDA-led Bihar government, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, maintaining a stoic silence These incidents prove how corruption is rampant in the ruling dispensation."

The portfolio of the RWD, which constructs most of the small bridges in the state, is always with JD-U leaders. Who should be held responsible for this mess? the former deputy CM said.

Reacting to Yadav's comments, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Union minister and founder of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), which is an alliance partner of the NDA, said the matter should not be politicised.

Our chief minister has already issued strict instructions to senior officials of the department to take stern action against those who are found guilty, he said.

Chirag Paswan, the chief of Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas, another alliance partner of the NDA, added: The NDA government in Bihar has taken the matter very seriously, and action is being initiated against the erring officials and contractors.
Devprakash Madhukar, the main accused in the July 2 Hathras stampede that claimed 121 lives, was taken into custody after he surrendered before police in Delhi, his lawyer claimed on Friday night.

IMAGE: A view of the ashram of self-styled godman 'Bhole Baba' in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, July 5, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Madhukar, the 'mukhya sevadar' of the 'satsang', is the only accused named in the FIR lodged at Sikandra Rao police station in the matter.

In a video message, Madhukar's lawyer AP Singh claimed that his client had surrendered in Delhi, where he was undergoing treatment.

Uttar Pradesh Police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to Madhukar's arrest.

Till Thursday, six people, including two women volunteers who were members of the organising committee of Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba's satsang where the stampede took place, had been arrested in the case.

SIT records statements of 90 people

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government's Special Investigation Team probing the Hathras stampede has recorded statements of 90 people so far, SIT chief Anupam Kulshrestha said on Friday.

Kulshrestha, also the additional director general of police (Agra Zone), is leading the SIT tasked with preparing a detailed report on the July 2 stampede at a 'satsang' here that claimed 121 lives.

Speaking exclusively to PTI in Hathras, ADG Kulshrestha said, "Ninety statements have been recorded so far. A preliminary report has been submitted while work on the detailed report is underway."

On the status of the police probe, the officer said the ambit of the investigation has been expanded as more evidence has emerged.

"Definitely, the gathered evidence suggests culpability on the part of the event organisers," she said.

With the probe continuing in the case, the senior IPS officer insisted the "conspiracy angle" cannot be ruled out.

"Those culpable will definitely face legal action," Kulshrestha said.

She said the Hathras police arrested six volunteers (members of the satsang organising committee) on Thursday and "more arrests are likely soon".

The ADG told PTI that more suspects whose role is under the scanner in the case are also being questioned.

Meanwhile, in Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been apprised of the initial SIT report on the stampede.

The report was submitted by the ADG Agra Zone who was among the top officers who visited Hathras to oversee rescue and relief measures after the stampede.

The confidential report contains statements of Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar, Superintendent of Police Nipun Aggarwal and senior health department officials who tended to the emergency situation arising out of the stampede.

An FIR in the matter was lodged on July 2 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) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).

The state government had on Wednesday formed a three-member judicial commission headed by a retired high court judge to probe the Hathras tragedy and to look into the possibility of a conspiracy behind the stampede.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- In a significant move for NIO Inc. (NIO), the main player in China's premium smart electric vehicle market, announced on July 5 the resignation of its Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Steven Wei Feng. Effective July 5, 2024, Mr. Feng is stepping down due to personal and family reasons.

NIO has expressed deep gratitude for Mr. Feng's contributions since his appointment in 2019, acknowledging his role in the companys growth and wishing him the best in his future endeavors.

Photo credit: NIO

In response to Mr. Feng's departure, NIO's board of directors has moved to promote Mr. Stanley Yu Qu, the company's Senior Vice President of Finance, to the position of Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Qu, who joined NIO in October 2016, has been instrumental in overseeing the company's financial and reporting functions. His prior experience includes significant roles at Lear Corporation and Johnson Controls from 2013 to 2016, and a decade-long tenure at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Qu's academic credentials include a Master's Degree in Accounting from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from Peking University.

The Board expressed strong confidence in Mr. Qu, citing his extensive experience and proven leadership within the company as key factors in their decision. As NIO continues to navigate the competitive landscape of the premium smart electric vehicle market, Mr. Qu's expertise is expected to contribute significantly to the company's ongoing success.
The Delhi high court on Friday issued notices to Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera and Ragini Nayak on a plea by veteran journalist Rajat Sharma claiming they have deliberately and wilfully not complied with the order directing them to remove alleged offensive social media posts against him.

IMAGE: Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh (left), Ajay Maken and Pawan Khera (second from left) during a press conference in New Delhi, January 27, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Justice Manmeet PS Arora also issued notice to social media platform X Corp on the application filed by Sharma in his pending suit.

The high court asked the defendants to file their reply within two weeks of service of notice and listed the matter for August 22 before the joint registrar.

In an interim order on June 14, the high court had directed the three Congress leaders to remove social media posts alleging that the journalist used "abusive language" on his show the day the Lok Sabha election results were announced.

The court had said an irreparable loss and injury would be caused to the plaintiff's reputation if the videos and posts on X were allowed to remain in the public domain.

On Friday, Sharma's counsel submitted that the three Congress leaders have not complied with the high court's June 14 order even today and the posts still exist.

While the counsel for X submitted that the social media platform complied with the order on late evening of July 3, the journalist's lawyer contended that the compliance is partial as the posts have been disabled in India but can be seen elsewhere.

Sharma's lawyer said this partial compliance by the social media platform was in the teeth of a judgment of a coordinate bench, and since these posts were uploaded by the Congress leaders by IP addresses within India, they ought to have been disabled globally.

The conduct of defendant nos. 1, 4, 5 and 6 (X and Congress leaders) has constituted willful, deliberate and contumacious conduct and also results in a serious interference in the administration of justice. It is submitted that the defendant no. 1, 4, 5 and 6 should not be heard on the merits of the matter till they purge their contempt, the application said.

The application urged the court to hold them guilty of disobeying the order and punish them in accordance with law by detaining their named key managerial personnel in civil prison for non-compliance.

Pass an order calling upon the defendant no. 1, 4, 5 and 6 to file affidavits declaring their movable and immovable properties and attaching the properties of the defendant No. 1, 4, 5 and 6 so declared, it said.

The high court had earlier issued summons to the defendants including the three Congress leaders, X Corp, Google India and Meta Platforms in the lawsuit and listed it for further hearing on July 11.

Sharma's counsel had urged the court to grant ex-parte relief by ordering removal of the alleged offensive posts and videos against him on social media and restraining the political leaders from making allegations against him.

The controversy arose after Nayak accused Sharma of abusing her on national television during a debate on his show on June 4.

Sharma is the chairman and editor-in-chief of Independent News Service Private Limited (INDIA TV).

Sharma's counsel had said while the debate was happening on the channel on the evening of June 4, the Congress leaders started tweeting only on June 10 and 11.

He had contended that a clip of the show was being circulated where an abusive term had been inserted whereas the original footage did not have any such content.
On Friday, July 5, 2024, Rishi Sunak resigned as the prime minister of Great Britain after conceding defeat in the elections.

Even before Labour passed the 326 mark in the House of Commons, which would have given it a majority, Sunak phoned Sir Keir Starmer, Labour's leader, and congratulated him on his party's victory.

Thursday's defeat brought down the curtain on 14 years of Conservative government.

Sir Keir is Labour's seventh prime minister.

'I have heard your anger, disappointment and I take responsibility for this loss,' Sunak said in his brief speech at 10, Downing Street.

Sunak spoke for about four minutes, with his wife, Akshata Murty, looking on. He said he would step down as leader of the Conservative party, but not immediately.

In his first remarks at 10, Downing Street after becoming the United Kingdom's 58th prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer hailed Sunak's achievement as Britain's first Asian prime minister and noted the 'extra effort that that will have required'.

The new prime minister also praised the 'dedication and hard work' Sunak brought to his leadership. Such grace, sadly missing in our politics.

IMAGE: Rishi Sunak delivers his final speech at 10 Downing Street. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

IMAGE: Akshata Murty listens to her husband speak. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

IMAGE: Sunak is only 44, far too young to retire from politics. He is still an MP, so how will the first politician of Indian origin serve Britain next? Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

IMAGE: Sunak leaves the Conservative campaign headquarters. Photograph: Belinda Jiao/Reuters

IMAGE: Sunak outside the Conservative campaign headquarters. Photograph: Belinda Jiao/Reuters

IMAGE: Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty holds hands as they leave 10 Downing Street after the speech. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

IMAGE: The Sunaks outside 10 Downing Street, here and below. When he was chancellor of the exchequer, the Sunak family lived at 11, Downing Street. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

IMAGE: The Sunaks leave for Buckingham Palace after the speech. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

IMAGE: It is British tradition that the outgoing prime minister meets the monarch and hands over her/his resignation.

The monarch then calls the victor in the election and invites him to form the next government.

That quaint ritual marks the next prime minister's appointment. Zero shoo-sha. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

IMAGE: People take pictures as the Sunaks leave 10 Downing Street. Photograph: Belinda Jiao/Reuters

IMAGE: Sir Clive Alderton, principal private secretary to King Charles III, greets Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty as they arrive at Buckingham Palace for an audience with the monarch to formally resign as PM. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/Pool via Reuters

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider on July 10 a batch of pleas seeking a review of its last year's judgement which refused to accord legal recognition to same-sex marriage.

IMAGE: An LGBT+ Pride vigil in New Delhi, October 18, 2023, the day after the Supreme Court declined to legalise same-sex marriage and left it to Parliament to decide. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

According to the cause list of July 10 uploaded on the apex court website, a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud would consider in chambers the pleas seeking review of the October 17 last year verdict.

As per the practice, the review pleas are considered in chambers by judges.

Besides the CJI, the other members of the bench will be Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Hima Kohli, BV Nagarathna and PS Narasimha.

In a setback to gay rights activists, the apex court had on October 17 last year refused to accord legal recognition to same-sex marriage, saying there was "no unqualified right" to marriage with the exception of those that are recognised by law.

The apex court, however, had made a strong pitch for the rights of queer people so they don't face discrimination in accessing goods and services that are available to others, safe houses known as 'Garima Greh' in all districts to provide shelter to members of the community facing harassment and violence and dedicated hotline numbers which they could use in case of trouble.

Holding that transgender people in heterosexual relationships have the freedom and entitlement to marry under the existing statutory provisions, the top court had said an entitlement to legal recognition of the right to union, akin to marriage or civil union, or conferring legal status to the relationship can be only done through "enacted law".

A five-judge constitution bench headed by CJI Chandrachud had delivered four separate verdicts on a batch of 21 petitions seeking legal sanction for same-sex marriages.

All the five judges were unanimous in refusing to accord legal recognition to same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act and had observed it was within Parliament's ambit to change the law for validating such union.

While the CJI had written a separate 247-page verdict, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul (since retired) had penned a 17-page judgement in which he broadly agreed with Justice Chandrachud's views.

Justice S Ravindra Bhat (since retired), who authored an 89-page judgement for himself and Justice Hima Kohli, had disagreed with certain conclusions arrived at by the CJI including on applicability of adoption rules for queer couples.

Justice PS Narasimha had said in his 13-page verdict that he was in complete agreement with the reasoning given and conclusions arrived at by Justice Bhat.

The judges were unanimous in holding that queerness is a natural phenomenon and not "urban or elite" occurrence.

In his judgement, the CJI had recorded the assurance by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the Centre will constitute a committee chaired by the cabinet secretary for the purpose of defining and elucidating the scope of entitlements of queer couples who are in union.

The LGBTQIA++ rights activists, who had won a major legal battle in 2018 in the Supreme Court which decriminalised consensual gay sex, had moved the apex court seeking validation of same-sex marriage and consequential reliefs such as rights to adoption, enrolment as parents in schools, opening of bank accounts and availing succession and insurance benefits.

Some of the petitioners had urged the apex court to use its plenary power, "prestige and moral authority" to push the society to acknowledge such a union which would ensure LGBTQIA++ lead a "dignified" life like heterosexuals.

LGBTQIA++ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit, asexual and allied persons.
A Shiv Sena (Punjab) leader was grievously injured after he was attacked with swords by three assailants in full public view in Ludhiana on Friday, the police said.

IMAGE: Commissioner of police Kuldeep Chahal speaks to media about the attack on Shiv Sena leader, in Ludhiana, Punjab, July 5, 2024. Photograph: ANI on X

Hours after the incident, two of the assailants were arrested from Fatehgarh Sahib district. Thapar's security officer, who was accompanying him at the time of the incident, was suspended for negligence of duty, they said.

Opposition parties targeted the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led state government over the law and order situation and demanded that he step down on moral grounds.

Shiv Sena (Punjab) leader Sandeep Thapar (58) was attacked when he came out of the office of the Samvedna Trust near the Civil Hospital after attending a ceremony to mark the fourth death anniversary of the trust's founder-president Ravinder Arora, the police said.

The Samvedna Trust provides free ambulance service to patients and hearse vehicles.

CCTV footage of the incident surfaced on social media.

In the purported video, the assailants dressed as Nihangs approached Thapar while he was on a scooter with his securityman riding pillion.

While Thapar was speaking to the assailants with folded hands, one of them suddenly attacked him with a sword as passersby looked on. Another assailant appears to be pushing Thapar's securityman away.

After Thapar fell down, the third assailant also started hitting Thapar with a sword. Later, two of the accused fled on Thapar's scooter, leaving him in a pool of blood.

Nihangs belong to a warrior Sikh sect whose members are usually seen in blue robes, carrying traditional weapons.

Thapar, who suffered multiple injuries, was immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital. Later, he was referred to a private hospital where his condition was stated to be serious, police said.

Ludhiana police commissioner Kuldeep Chahal and Fatehgarh Sahib senior superintendent of police Ravjot Grewal told reporters in Ludhiana that Thapar sustained injuries on his head, arms and legs.

Two of the assailants, ?Sarabjit Singh and Harjot Singh, both Ludhiana residents, were arrested from Fatehgarh Sahib. The scooter was also recovered from them, police said.

The third assailant, Tehal Singh, is on the run and raids are being conducted to nab him, they said.

The police said a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in the matter.

Thapar's securityman has been suspended for negligence of duty, they added.

The BJP condemned the attack and demanded the resignation of Mann.

Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party chief Sunil Jakhar said, "This incident has proved that the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is failing miserably in maintaining peace in the state."

"Strict action should be taken against the culprits of this murderous attack," said Jakhar in a post on X in Punjabi.

Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sareen said Mann is not only the chief minister of the state but also holds the home portfolio.

Ever since the AAP has come to power in Punjab, the law and order situation in the state has gone from bad to worse, he alleged.

Sareen said the Punjab government has proved to be an "utter failure" on the law and order front.

In such circumstances, the chief minister should take moral responsibility for such incidents and quit, he said.

In a post on X, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said, "Such incidents are occurring with increasing frequency in the @AamAadmiParty govt but CM @BhagwantMann is oblivious to the situation and is doing nothing to stop the steep slide in law and order."

"Punjab is descending into jungle raj with extortions and targeted killings under the AAP regime," he said.

Congress leader Partap Bajwa too condemned the incident and targeted Mann for the current law and order situation in the state.

"Peace in Punjab returned after endless sacrifices, no one should be allowed to vitiate the atmosphere of the state. In Punjab people from all religions live together with love and brotherhood," he said in a post on X.

"There are external forces at play who want to disturb Punjab's peace once again for their political benefits. Punjab CM stop your theatrics and focus on law and order of the state, being the Home Minister the buck stops at your door," said Bajwa.

"You have failed to control drugs, now law and order is also falling apart. If you can't take care of the state, resign as chief minister and let some able leader of AAP take over.

"Don't ruin the state while you are busy cracking jokes and praising yourself on public stages. Get down on the ground and see the reality. Today, no one is safe in Punjab under your watch," Bajwa said.
Keir Starmer became UK's new prime minister on Friday and vowed to rebuild Britain, hours after his Labour Party secured a landslide victory in a general election in which the weary voters inflicted a "sobering verdict" on Rishi Sunak-led Conservatives, who suffered their worst electoral drubbing.

IMAGE: Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour party, reacts as he speaks at a reception to celebrate his win in the election, at Tate Modern, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters

Starmer, 61, assumed charge as the 58th prime minister after his customary audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, following Sunak's meeting with the British monarch.

The Labour Party secured 412 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, up 211 from the last election in 2019. Sunak's Conservatives won just 121 seats, down 250 seats from the previous election. While the Labour had a vote share of 33.7 per cent the Conservatives had 23.7 per cent.

Our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics for public service, said Starmer in his inaugural address from a lectern outside 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British prime minister.

As leader of a new Labour Party-led government, Starmer said that the work ahead is "urgent and we begin it today". However, he said this would not be as simple as "flicking a switch".

When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to the weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future. But we need to move forward together, he said.

Starmer acknowledged that the lack of trust could only be healed by actions, not words and pledged that his government would treat every single person in the country with respect.

He noted: If you voted Labour yesterday, we will carry the responsibility of your trust as we rebuild our country. But whether you voted Labour or not, in fact, especially if you did not, I say to you directly: My government will serve you'.

Politics can be a force for good, we will show. We've changed the Labour Party, returned it to service, and that is how we will govern. Country first, party second.

Citing the need for schools and affordable homes, Starmer vowed to "rebuild" the country's "infrastructure of opportunity", doing so "brick by brick". He vowed a "government of service" and spoke of the need for a national "reset".

The incoming prime minister also had warm words for his 44-year-old predecessor, Sunak, who he praised for an added accomplishment.

His achievement as the first British Asian prime minister of our country, the extra effort that will have required should not be underestimated by anyone. We pay tribute to that today and recognise that dedication and hard work he brought to his leadership, he said.

While many of his Cabinet colleagues were defeated in the election held on Thursday, Sunak, the country's first British Indian prime minister comfortably held on to his own Richmond and Northallerton seat in northern England with 23,059 votes. The Conservatives were in power for 14 years and the party suffered its worst election defeat in history losing 250 MPs in Thursday's general election.

IMAGE: Independent candidate Niko Omilana holds an "L" behind British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he speaks after winning his seat at Richmond and Northallerton during the UK election in Northallerton. Photograph: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters

A sombre-looking Sunak was joined by his wife Akshata Murty as his future as a member of Parliament was decided and chose to use his acceptance speech to also admit his party's defeat in winning another term in government.

"The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory," said Sunak, acknowledging the sobering verdict handed to his party and taking "responsibility for the loss".

He pledged to continue to serve his constituents for the weeks, months and years ahead and stressed that the transfer of power at Westminster will take place in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides.

In his farewell speech, Sunak was filled with emotion as he apologised to the voters who had delivered the party led by him a hammering at the ballot box. But he stressed that he had given the job everything and also apologised to his Tory colleagues who lost their seats overnight.

Sunak, who assumed charge as UK prime minister in October 2022, said he will step down as the leader of the Conservative Party, taking responsibility for its debacle in the general election.

Yours is the only judgement that matters. I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss. Following this result, I will step down as party leader, not immediately, but once the formal arrangements for selecting my successor are in place, he said.

With some of the most prominent ministers and MPs including Sunak's predecessor Liz Truss -- whose disastrous mini-budget and short-lived premiership last year is being blamed for much of the Tory debacle. Other key Tory heavyweights to lose their seats on a dismal election night for the Conservatives included Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt and Jacob Rees Mogg losing the election, the results being dubbed a bloodbath for the Conservatives.

However, among the new Tory MPs included British Indian candidate Shivani Raja who beat Labour's candidate, former deputy mayor of London Rajesh Agrawal, in the closely watched Leicester East constituency. Other British Indian Tories who managed to hold on to their seats included former ministers Priti Patel, Suella Braverman and Claire Coutinho.

On the Labour side, several Indian-origin MPs were re-elected including Preet Kaur Gill and Tan Dhesi and some newcomers made their mark such as Jas Athwal and Kanishka Narayan, who became the first British Indian to represent Wales in Parliament.

Earlier, Starmer won his seat of Holborn and St Pancras in London with 18,884 votes.

Another major trend that will dominate the discourse in the coming weeks and months will be in Nigel Farage finally being elected as an MP at his eighth attempt and leading his anti-immigration Reform UK to bagging four first-time seats in the Commons. The Reform leader overturned a 25,000 Conservative majority to take Clacton in Essex by more than 8,000 votes, reflective of a wider trend of the party eating into the Tory votes.

Farage, a divisive figure in British politics, dubbed his win as "the first step of something that is going to stun all of you", describing it as the "beginning of the end" of the Conservative Party.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 56F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 38F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
Read the full story on The Auto Wire

Guy Racing Maserati At 120 MPH Kills His Brother

A Las Vegas man is accused to pushing his Maserati to over 120 mph while racing friends in a Dodge Challenger. During the street race, his brother rolled his Challenger and was killed in the crash. Now the Maserati is facing serious criminal charges.

Old license plates from Iowa are being used by speeders in New York City.

We see this sort of thing all the time: people who street race for fun with friends or relatives in their car. Then they end up crashing and killing the individuals they love, which I just a sad scenario. We guess street racers dont think about what might happen to passengers in their vehicle as the speeds climb, or what might happen to the people in the other car.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to a report from KLAS, back on the night of June 24 the brothers and some friends were at a lounge before they all left. Thats when the two drivers apparently decided to see which car was faster. They both ended up blasting down a surface street at high speeds.

The Challenger driver did lose control as he blasted through an intersection, thanks to the suspension compressing to the point the muscle car scraped bottom. That sent the vehicle into a curb, then off the road and spinning until it hit a light pole and a brick wall, rolling multiple times.

Seeing the crash, the Maserati which was trailing slowed down and was able to come to a controlled stop, despite also bottoming out in the same intersection.

As a result, the Maserati driver has been charged with reckless driving resulting in death and substantial bodily harm.

Public streets arent made for racing. There are imperfections on their surfaces which can result in deadly consequences, just like in this accident. This is why street racing is such a dumb idea.

Image via Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department/KLAS

Follow The Auto Wire on Google News.

Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook.
Relatives say 5 of the convicted Mother Nature activists have been sent to prisons far from Phnom Penh.

Ten Cambodian environmental activists receive prison sentences of six to eight years each, July 2, 2024, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Prison officials have stopped family members from visiting environmental activists who were convicted earlier this week in a case that more than 50 Cambodian NGOs called a mockery of justice and a national shame.

Five activists were taken into custody by police on Tuesday just after a Phnom Penh Municipal Court judge sentenced them to between six and eight years in prison. They were immediately transported to different prisons  some of them in remote provinces.

The sister of one activist from the Mother Nature environmental group said she attempted a visit at the prison in northern Preah Vihear province on Thursday, but was turned away.

Officials there said a letter from the Phnom Penh Municipal Court was required, Long Soklin told Radio Free Asia. Prison officials also wouldnt allow her to hand over a package with food and supplies, she said.

They said there is food for sale inside, and that she can buy things in the prison, Long Soklin said.

Ten Cambodian environmental activists receive prison sentences of six to eight years each, July 2, 2024, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (AP)





Long Soklins sister, Long Kunthea, was one of a total of 10 activists convicted in the case, which stemmed from several instances of activism, including the 2021 filming of sewage draining into the Tonle Sap river in front of Phnom Penhs Royal Palace.

All 10 defendants were convicted on Tuesday of conspiring against the state. Three of the 10 were also convicted of insulting King Norodom Sihamoni.

Five of the 10 defendants are either in hiding or live outside of the country and were tried in absentia, including the Khmer-speaking founder of the Mother Nature group, Spanish environmentalist Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson, who was deported from Cambodia in 2015.

Sustained attacks on civil society

The charges  first filed in 2021  have been widely condemned as politically motivated. This weeks conviction brought another round of criticism from the U.N. human rights office, the U.S. Embassy, Human Rights Watch and other international observers.

On Thursday, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights said in a statement that the charges were trumped up and showed that the government failed to understand that jailing environmental and youth advocates only harms the countrys future.

The statement was signed by 53 Cambodian environmental, human rights and trade organizations.

Ten Cambodian environmental activists receive prison sentences of six to eight years each, July 2, 2024, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (AP)





It noted that Mother Natures work since 2013 has included advocacy for the protection of forests in Kampot provinces Bokor Mountain, the prevention of plastic pollution of Battambangs Sangkae river and the cancellation of land privatization at Kirirom National Park.

The portrayal of these activities and peaceful work as a form of plotting, combined with the leveraging of the lese-majeste provision, is just another example of the sustained attacks faced by civil society groups and frontline activists, the Cambodian NGOs said in the statement.

Additionally, sending the five activists to different prisons was transparently aimed at breaking the spirits of the activists and to place a burden on family members who must travel hundreds of kilometers to visit them, the statement said.

The wife of another imprisoned Mother Nature activist said she was also barred by prison authorities this week.

Pat Raksmey told RFA she traveled to Trapeang Phlong prison in eastern Tbong Khmum province to try to visit her husband, Thon Ratha. Prison officials demanded that she show a marriage certificate and the official family book, which local government officials use to record birth dates, gender and marriages.

Ten Cambodian environmental activists receive prison sentences of six to eight years each, July 2, 2024, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (AP)





This really hurts the family mentality, and we have to spend time and money, so it makes it difficult for me to visit him, she said. He has been imprisoned unjustly and now the prison has prevented him from meeting his family.

Psychological punishment

The courts decision to send the five activists to prisons outside of Phnom Penh was psychological punishment aimed at the activists and their relatives, as well as a violation of human rights, according to Am Sam Ath of human rights group Licadho.

However, the spokesman for the Ministry of Interiors prisons department denied that friends and relatives were being harassed by prison officials. They werent allowed to visit the activists because they didnt present the proper documents, Nuth Savna said.

A certificate from the court isnt necessary for a prison visit, but family visitors do need to show an identity card, a marriage certificate from their local commune or their family book, he said.

Ten Cambodian environmental activists receive prison sentences of six to eight years each, July 2, 2024, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (AP)





Additionally, separating the five activists wasnt a violation of international law, Ministry of Interior spokesman Touch Sokak said.

The courts decision may have been based on the number of available cells at each of the prisons, many of which are overcrowded, he said. Court officials may have also considered the nature of the crimes or the specific character of the perpetrators.

But if you want to be clear, you have to ask the court, he told RFA. I am just telling you about a general legal matter.

Relatives and friends of two other imprisoned activists, Phuon Keoreaksmey and Yim Leanghy, were able to see them this week at their respective prisons  but with restrictions.

Social activist Nuth Thi told RFA that she was only able to visit with Phuon Keoreaksmey for less than 40 minutes at Pursat provincial prison.

The secretary general of the Coalition of Khmer Intellectual Students, Ream Srey Pich Ratana, said she visited Yim Leanghy at Kampong Speu provincial prison on Wednesday.

Yim Leanghy appeared to be in strong spirits, although he expressed worries about his pregnant wife and their children, according to Ream Srey Pich Ratana.

Translated by Yun Samean and Sum Sok Ry. Edited by Matt Reed.
Photo: Logan K. Carter

Three words: Made in America. We Americans carry quite a bit of national pride when it comes to our homegrown car manufacturers, be they Fords, Chevys, or Mopar. On this, the fourth day of the month of July, we celebrate American independence. Given the current political climate, however, I know why Im not feeling very patriotic, but it turns out our American car companies arent very patriotic either. Not a single Ford, Chevrolet, or Dodge ranked in the top 15 of Cars.coms list of the most American-made cars in 2024. Heres the criteria that Cars.com uses to reach these rankings,



Our study ranks 100 vehicles judged through the same five criteria as its been since the 2020 edition: assembly location, parts content, engine origin, transmission origin and U.S. manufacturing workforce. More than 400 vehicles of model-year 2024 vintage were analyzed to qualify the 100 vehicles on the list.

Honda/ Acura produced seven of the top 15 most American-made cars, while Toyota/ Lexus tied with Tesla for the second highest concentration of cars on the top 15 list with three cars, while Jeep and Volkswagen each had a single vehicle make the top 15. Next time youre looking to buy American, check out the American-Made Index here to learn the real truth. This is the top 15 most American-Made cars on sale in 2024.

15) Acura MDX

Photo: Acura

The Acura MDX is built alongside its little sibling the RDX at Hondas East Liberty Ohio.



14) Honda Pilot

Photo: Honda

The Honda Pilot is built in Hondas Alabama Auto Plant in Lincoln, Alabama, which is Hondas largest light truck producer in the world.



13) Honda Accord

Photo: Honda

The delightful Honda Accord is built at Hondas Marysville, Ohio plant.

12) Acura RDX

Photo: Acura

The RDX is built alongside the MDX in Hondas East Liberty Ohio plant.

11) Toyota Highlander

Photo: Toyota

The Toyota Highlander is built alongside its newer and fancier Lexus TX cousin in Princeton, Indiana.

10) Lexus TX

Photo: Lexus

The Lexus TX is not built in Texas despite its name. It is, in fact, built alongside the Highlander in Princeton, Indiana.

Story continues

9) Tesla Model X

Photo: Tesla

The Tesla Model X, along with the other Teslas on this list, is built in Fremont, California.

8) Jeep Gladiator

Photo: Jeep

The Jeep Gladiator is the only non-Tesla American manufacturer on this list, and the only American brand ICE vehicle to make the top 15 most American-made cars of 2024. Its built in good old Toledo, Ohio.



7) Toyota Camry

Photo: Toyota

The Camry is a sweetheart of thousands of American families, and is built in Georgetown, Kentucky.

6) Honda Ridgeline

Photo: Honda

The Honda Ridgeline is built alongside the Passport, Odyssey, and Pilot in Hondas Lincoln, Alabama plant.

5) Honda Odyssey

Photo: Honda

The only minivan to make the top 15 on this list is the Honda Odyssey. Its built alongside the Passport, Ridgeline, and Pilot in Hondas Lincoln, Alabama plant.

4) Tesla Model S

Photo: Tesla

The Tesla Model S is produced in Teslas Fremont, California factory alongside the Model Y and Model X.

3) Volkswagen ID4

Photo: Logan K. Carter

The Volkswagen ID4 is the only vehicle from a German manufacturer to make the top 15 most American-made cars. Its built at Volkswagens Chattanooga, Tennessee plant.



2) Honda Passport

Photo: Honda

Good thing the Honda Passport is named as such, since its the second-most American-made car on this list despite being a Japanese brand. Its built alongside the other Honda light trucks in Lincoln, Alabama.



1) Tesla Model Y

Photo: Tesla

The best selling car in the world last year is also the most American-made car on sale in 2024, the Tesla Model Y. Its produced both in Fremont, California alongside the Model X and S, but also out of Teslas gigafactory in Austin, Texas.



For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Taiwanese fishing boat seized by Chinese coast guard and its crew remain in detention.

The White House has said that it was closely monitoring the seizure of a Taiwanese fishing vessel by the Chinese coast guard this week, and called on both sides to communicate with each other.

The Penghu-registered boat Da Jin Man 88 with six crew was fishing for squid near Taiwan-administered Kinmen islands on Tuesday evening when the Chinese coast guard boarded it and forced it to divert it to a port in mainland China.

Penghu is, like Kinmen, an outlying island under Taiwan control but very close to mainland China.

Beijing said the Taiwanese boat was suspected of illegal fishing activities during an annual fishing moratorium that China has unilaterally announced.

The fishermen remained in Chinas detention on Friday.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a media briefing in Washington on that the U.S. was closely monitoring the incident, so were going to continue to do that.

But we encourage both sides to maintain open lines of communication so they can get to a resolution here, she added.

RELATED STORIES

Taiwans Kinmen Island: On the front lines of tension with China

Cross-Strait tensions at risk of rising after Kinmen incident

Record number of Chinese warships operating in Cambodia

Taipei has asked Beijing to provide information through the semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation on the crew, believed to be Taiwanese and Indonesian citizens.

The Straits Exchange Foundation under Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council has been acting as an intermediary body in liaising with mainland China.

Calling for release

The Council repeated a call for the immediate release of the Da Jin Man 88 and the fishermen.

Taiwans coast guard and its Fisheries Agency called on Taiwanese fishermen to avoid waters also claimed by China during the fishing ban.

A former legislator from Penghu, Lin Ping-kun, was quoted by Taiwans official Central News Agency as saying that the incident simply involved the operation of a fishing boat, and China should not politicize it.

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. Normally, if caught during fishing bans, fishermen are released after paying a fine.

But 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.

Edited by Taejun Kang.
Taiwan's national security chief says China is stepping up its infiltration of the democratic island, amid an ongoing investigation into reports that a journalist from Beijings Xinhua news agency played a key role in editing a political talk show at a Taiwanese broadcaster.

National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen told lawmakers on Thursday that Beijing is taking advantage of Taiwan's free, open and democratic society to step up its efforts to infiltrate the island, undermine its armed forces and sway the political views of its 23 million people.

"The number of cases [we are investigating] has increased significantly compared with previous years," Tsai told the island's Legislative Yuan. "The Chinese Communist Party's infiltration activities are increasingly rampant in Taiwan, posing a severe challenge to national security work."

Taiwan is currently ruled as the Republic of China, a sovereign state formed in 1911 after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, and whose Kuomintang government fled to the island after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists in 1949.

Chess pieces are seen in front of displayed Chinese and Taiwanese flags in this illustration taken, April 11, 2023. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters/Illustration)





Taiwanese law bans the island's people or organizations from engaging in any form of cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party, the mainland Chinese government or military that could involve political influence or harm its interests, and the majority of people have no wish to submit to Chinese rule.

While Beijing has never ruled out a military invasion to enforce its territorial claim on Taiwan, it has more recently vowed to achieve "peaceful unification" with the island through propaganda and other forms of pressure.

Investigations into spying

Tsai said agents of the Chinese state have stepped up intelligence gathering and espionage, infiltrating organizations, stealing technological secrets and influencing elections in recent months.

He said his bureau has investigated 84 cases of Chinese activities during the past year, 39 of which have led to prosecutions.

Agents and supporters of the Chinese state recruit more like them by putting pressure on people to sign "oaths of allegiance" to Beijing, with the armed forces a particular target for espionage, Tsai said.

RELATED STORIES



Taiwan probes reports of direct Chinese influence at TV station

Chinese agents highly active in democratic Taiwan, dissidents say

China-backed hackers step up spying on Taiwan: security firm

They spy on unofficial credit networks, pawnbrokers and loan sharks to figure out which military personnel are in debt, then use that as leverage for secrets, he said.

"They also recruit retired national security personnel and infiltrate political parties and government departments," Tsai said.

There is also funding for such "United Front" activities, although it typically comes from a broad network of pro-China organizations and individuals rather than directly from China, he said, calling the arrangement a "red supply chain."

China also infiltrates sensitive industries in Taiwan in a bid to steal advanced technology and commercial secrets, Tsai told lawmakers, adding that the island's academics and industry experts are often offered incentives to take their research to China instead.

Michael Chen, Director-General of Taiwans Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, also commented in the same session that the U.S.-China trade war and technology war have triggered a restructuring of the global supply chain, which is driving much of the industrial espionage from Beijing.

Xinhua influence?

Tsai's report to lawmakers comes amid an ongoing investigation into a newspaper report that a journalist from China's state news agency Xinhua was closely involved in editing a political talk show at a Taiwanese TV station.

The island's Liberty Times reported on June 24 that officials from China's Taiwan Affairs Office had approached several Taiwanese TV stations since the beginning of this year with proposals to start new political talk shows in exchange for preferential commercial treatment in the Chinese market.

Only one accepted, the paper said, adding that Xinhua journalist Zhao Bo took part in all discussions about the show's content, and showed up at the studio as the first episode was being recorded to ensure all the guests followed the agreed scripts.

Zhao also had private conversations with the guests at which she made clear exactly which angles she wanted emphasized, the report said.

But investigations have been hampered by the lack of a whistleblower, and the fact that Zhao is no longer in Taiwan, officials said on Thursday.

"We currently have no specific evidence, and no whistleblower," National Communications Commission deputy chief Weng Po-tsung told lawmakers.

And Liang Wen-chieh, Deputy Minister of Taiwan's government agency in charge of Chinese affairs, the Mainland Affairs Council, declined to comment when asked by RFA Cantonese why officials had been unable to find anyone to testify in the probe.

"We have asked everyone that we should ask," Liang said cryptically, before declining further comment, saying only lawmakers should be asking such questions.

Lo Chih-chiang, a lawmaker with the pro-China Kuomintang, dismissed the Liberty Times report as "fake news" that had been endorsed by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
Activist who urged Xi Jinping to resign is serving 14 years. Hes monitored around the clock.

Xu Zhiyong, in a video made prior to his current incarceration, posted July 4, 2024, in an RFA screengrab.

Prominent Chinese dissident Xu Zhiyong is being held separately from fellow prisoners under a number rather than his name, and subjected to round-the-clock monitoring by his cell-mates, according to U.S.-based legal scholar Teng Biao.

Xu, who was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in February, is also being forced into labor at the unnamed prison where he is currently serving a 14-year jail term for "subversion of state power," Teng said.

His trial alongside rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi was widely criticized by rights activists as resulting from a trumped-up charge. Activists and rights lawyers say Xu has never advocated violence, and has paid a very heavy price for advocating for his personal ideals.

Normally, inmates are held in cells with about 12 beds. But Xu is being held in a four-bed cell separately from the other prisoners, Teng said, citing information that emerged during a visit by Xu's family members on June 25.

"I recently received news that Dr. Xu Zhiyong's basic rights are being violated and abused in prison," Teng said. "The worst of it is that Xu Zhiyong has moved to a cell with just three cell-mates, who are responsible for guarding him constantly and monitoring him continuously round the clock."

Related stories

Tortured dissident Xu Zhiyong stands trial for subversion

China sentences 2 prominent activists after attending 2019 dissident gathering

US lawmakers nominate Uyghur professor, Chinese dissident for Nobel Peace Prize

"Xu Zhiyong has also been deprived of his name during forced labor, and is referred to by a code name, 003," Teng told RFA Mandarin.

The cell-mates are acting as proxies for prison guards, preventing him from talking to anyone, and Xu has to be escorted to the bathroom by one of them, Teng said.

Xu is also being deprived of phone calls and reading and writing materials, and his family say they've never received any of the letters he writes to them, Teng said, adding that Xu is allowed to read only prison-approved books on Chinese culture.

Detained after Xiamen dinner

Xu, who has already served jail time for launching the New Citizens' Movement for greater official accountability, was detained in early 2020 and held on suspicion of "subversion of state power" alongside Ding and other activists who held a dinner gathering in the southeastern port city of Xiamen on Dec. 13, 2019.

Jailed human rights activists Xu Zhiyong [left] and Ding Jiaxi are seen in an undated photo. (Credit: China Human Rights Defenders)





Rights groups say the case against him has been marred by rights violations. Both men were held incommunicado, denied permission to meet with either family members or a lawyer for two years.

On April 10, 2023, the Linshu County People's Court in the eastern province of Shandong handed down a 14-year jail term to Xu Zhiyong and a 12-year sentence to Ding.

Police continue to put pressure on Xu's family members, Teng said.

"The family members who visit have been harassed, threatened and intimidated by state security police," Teng said.

On May 4, state security police from Henan province followed Xu's sister to ensure she has had no contact with the outside world, as required by the authorities, he said.

"It's very common for the Chinese Communist Party to abuse political prisoners and prisoners of conscience," Teng said. "They particularly target prisoners of conscience like Xu Zhiyong who have had some impact at home and overseas."

Called for Xi to quit

Teng said one of the reasons for the harsh treatment was Xu's letter calling on Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping to step down, which is believed to be the trigger for his 2020 arrest.

He called on Western governments to put diplomatic pressure on Beijing over the authorities' treatment of Xu.

"If this kind of abuse continues, it will do great harm to Dr. Xu Zhiyong's physical and mental health," Teng said.

Jailed dissident Xu Zhiyong, second from left, was nominated by the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China for a Nobel Peace Prize in February 2024. (CECC)





Swedish political commentator Zhang Yu, who campaigns for jailed writers for Independent Chinese PEN, said Xu's treatment is even harsher than that meted out to late 2010 Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo.

"I didn't expect them to go this far," Zhang said. "This is much worse than the way Liu Xiaobo was treated."

Zhang called on the international community to call for the release of Chinese prisoners of conscience like Xu, and for him to receive humane treatment in line with international human rights standards.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
Four people are still missing, residents said.

The entrance to Yebyu townships capital, Yebyu town, taken on an unknown date.

Villagers in southern Myanmar recovered the bodies of four civilians, days after junta soldiers arrested them in a raid, an anti-military group told Radio Free Asia on Friday.

Residents said troops took eight people into custody after storming Khaung Pyan village in the southernmost Tanintharyi region on Monday, but only the bodies of four men had been found.

Three women and a man were still missing, according to the Democracy Movement Strike Committee Dawei District, a group opposed to the junta that seized power in a 2021 coup.

The four bodies were found beside a nearby creek, with their hands tied behind their backs and many stab wounds, an official from the group said.

"Villagers were arrested when a junta column raided Khaung Pyan. They were arrested on July 1 and villagers found four dead bodies on July 3 and 4, he said, declining to be identified for fear of reprisals.

Residents identified the four dead men as Kyaw Sein, Aung Zaw Win, Thar Thar and Naing Naing, who were aged between 40 and 60 and all from Khaung Pyan village in Yebyu Township.

RELATED STORIES

Junta military preparations point to brutal next phase in Myanmar conflict

Myanmar insurgents capture junta base in south

Myanmar junta soldiers surrender in ethnic army's first Tanintharyi win

Tanintharyi regions junta spokesperson, Thet Naing, did not respond to a request from RFA for comment on the deaths.

Junta troops have occupied Dawei Special Economic Zone in Tanintharyis capital since Monday, causing residents in neighboring Yebyu township to flee.

Fighting in Tanintharyi increased when the Karen National Liberation Army, an ethnic minority insurgent group battling for self-determination captured several junta bases in the region in April.

In the more than three years since the coup, more than 5,300 civilians have been killed by the junta, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.
An Israeli strike on a school in the Gaza Strip killed at least 27 people on October 10, 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 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.



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.



Biden spoke with Netanyahu earlier about Israel's plans to retaliate against Iran for a missile attack last week, according to statements from both the White House and the Israeli prime minister's office on October 9.



The White House statement said Biden and Netanyahu "agreed to remain in close contact over the coming days both directly and through their national security teams."
In December 2021, as Belarus' state railway began firing employees who reportedly opposed the country's official 2020 presidential election results, an employee in Minsk took a preemptive step to keep his job: He disavowed his pro-opposition beliefs in writing to the country's powerful State Security Committee, the KGB.

"I think that it's possible to forgive a person who has acknowledged his mistakes and is ready to correct them," he urged the agency.



The Minsk man's plea is one of several self-denunciations in an online database of roughly 40,000 complaints, statements, appeals, and other messages sent to the Belarusian KGB between September 2014 and August 2023 and hacked by a Belarusian group, Cyberpartisans, that says it's determined to stop the government's repression of civil rights.



The self-denunciations, which date from 2021 to 2023, reflect a fear of job loss or other consequences that human rights monitors say typifies the state's brutal crackdown on the citizenry since 2020, when massive protests over evidence of widespread fraud in the presidential election that August led to the detentions of tens of thousands of Belarusians and the emigration of hundreds of thousands, according to a 2024 UN human rights report.

With most of the opposition now living abroad, government critics face the potential loss of not only their jobs but also their parental rights, professional licenses, and property, as well as expulsion from state-run educational institutions.



The self-denunciations, which are reminiscent of a Soviet-era practice that took root a century ago, make clear that the writers feared consequences for their views.



In his December 19, 2021, missive to the KGB, the Minsk resident -- who describes himself as an employee of Belintertrans, a state-run railway logistics group -- expresses concern that if he loses his job he will soon be deep in debt.



The man, whose name is being withheld to provide anonymity, asks the KGB to protect him from dismissal, stressing that he no longer believes in the Belarusian opposition because they have emigrated abroad and, in his words, they have called for "all these boycotts and sanctions" against the Belarusian state.



"I'm ready to change for the better and work for the good of our country," he concluded.



The database does not show any KGB response.



Another self-denunciation came from a woman who collected just 30 signatures in the northeastern city of Mahilau in an effort to get banker and philanthropist Viktar Babaryka on the 2020 ballot. Babaryka, who was seen as a viable challenger to strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka, was arrested in June 2020 and is serving a 14-year prison term on money laundering and bribery charges he and supporters say were retribution for challenging Lukashenka.



Writing to the KGB in June 2023, the woman claimed that the chairperson of the board of her residential building cooperative, Promzhilstroi-1, had reported her to the presidential administration as a Babaryka volunteer after she complained to the government about the board's alleged repeated violations of the law.



The chairperson, she claimed, had told her she'll "be out of a job."



"At the moment, I sincerely realize that I made a mistake collecting signatures for Babaryka," the woman wrote, stressing that she had voted for Lukashenka. She added that she had agreed to resign from the cooperative.



"I understand that the situation now is difficult and there're a lot of people wishing to shake up the country. The KGB should be tough toward such people," the Mahilau woman continued. "But I NEVER criticized [the government] and didn't take part in such matters. I ask you to help me and give me the opportunity to work until retirement age!"



That quest for self-preservation also marks an appeal from another man in Minsk. Nearly three years after the 2020 election-fraud protests, he wrote to the KGB in June 2023 to confess he had taken part in the demonstrations and donated to ByPol, a group of former Belarusian law enforcement officials who support opposition politicians and are critical of Belarusian police brutality.

The man wrote that, "[w]ith the passage of time," he had realized he had violated the law by protesting and asked the KGB to tell him what he can do "to make amends."



The man did not indicate why he chose to write to the KGB, but the Belarusian state has labeled ByPol as an extremist and terrorist organization -- labels applied roughly a year or two after the man's autumn 2020 donation.



Whether any of the Belarusians who submitted self-denunciations to the KGB escaped job loss or other feared repercussions for their opposition support is unknown.



Clinical psychologist Alena Hrybanava, who specializes in trauma and has counseled victims of police violence at the 2020 protests, attributed the self-denunciations, which she read, to "a sense of neurotic guilt."



When fear "reaches a high level," Hrybanava commented, "it can turn a person into a small, scared child who's looking for protection from an authoritative adult or, in this case, the state."

Self -denunciations, some issued under duress, are also a phenomenon in some other former Soviet republics, and notably in Russia's Chechnya region. The practice is traceable to the late 1920s under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.



In Eastern Europe during the communist era, public expressions of self-criticism "constituted an official procedure of expressing one's loyalty to the ruling party" that could save a career, but also could lead to the gulag or a death sentence, Polish sociologist Magdalena Nowicka-Franczak wrote in 2015.



In a February 2023 decree , Lukashenka made public self-criticism a condition for granting amnesty or reduced sentences to Belarusians who had fled abroad to escape prosecution related to the 2020 protests.



But, as in Soviet times, agreeing to recant is no guarantee of security.



By the end of 2023, more than 200 Belarusians who opted to return to Belarus had been jailed, and the arrests have continued in 2024, the UN reported in March.

Written by Elizabeth Owen based on reporting by Anna Kryuchkova
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.
European leaders on July 5 slammed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his visit to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of shaking hands "with a bloody dictator" and of "exploiting the EU presidency position to sow confusion."

Orban, who has angered EU and Ukrainian officials with his regular pro-Russia comments and policies, claimed he was in Moscow to help settle the war between Russia and Ukraine, but Western and Ukrainian officials have blasted the trip, insisting he doesn't speak for Brussels or Kyiv.

"In Moscow, Viktor Orban in no way represents the EU or the EU's positions," said Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who has been designated to become the EU's next foreign affairs representative.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

"He is exploiting the EU presidency position to sow confusion. The EU is united, clearly behind Ukraine and against Russian aggression, she said.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda echoed her comments. The Baltic nations Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have all expressed strong support of Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

"If you truly seek peace, you don't shake hands with a bloody dictator, you put all your efforts to support Ukraine," Nauseda wrote on X.

The White House joined in on the criticism, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying the visit "will not advance the cause of peace and is counterproductive to promoting Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.

Following his talks with Putin at the Kremlin, Orban told a news conference that his trip represented a "first step to restore dialogue" between the warring parties, but he acknowledged that viewpoints remain "far apart" in Kyiv and Moscow.

"I have found that positions are far apart. The number of steps needed to end the war and bring about peace are many," said Orban, who vowed to "continue this work."

EU and Ukrainian officials have insisted that Orban, who holds the rotating EU Council presidency, has no authority to negotiate on behalf of the bloc or Kyiv.

In televised comments, Putin maintained his long-standing position -- which has been rejected by Kyiv -- telling Orban that Ukraine must hand over all of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine that Russia has partially occupied and claimed in their entirety.

"We are talking about the full withdrawal of all troops from the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics [officially Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions], and from the Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions," Putin said.

Russia state media said Orban departed Moscow late on July 5 on the planned one-day visit just ahead of a massive rainstorm.

Since word leaked a day earlier of the apparently uncoordinated visit, multiple senior EU officials intensified statements distancing the bloc from Orban's plans and actions, and Kyiv said it hadn't given its "agreement" to anything.

The trip comes less than a week after Budapest assumed the six-month rotating EU Council presidency and three days after Orban presented a mystery cease-fire proposal in another surprise visit to Kyiv.

Orban maintains close relations with Putin and has resisted EU and other sanctions on Russia and refused to join military and other Western aid efforts to help Ukraine beat back the 28-month full-scale invasion ordered by Putin.

Receiving Orban in the Kremlin, Putin said at the start of televised talks that he regarded the Hungarian leader as somehow acting on behalf of the European Union in terms that appeared crafted to troll Brussels.

"I understand that this time you have come not just as our longstanding partner but as president of the [EU] Council," Putin told Orban. He said he expected Orban to lay out "the position of European partners" on the situation in Ukraine and was ready to talk about "nuances" of peace proposals.

Orban is being accompanied on the trip by his foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto.

Orban's spokesman shared an image on social media of Orban on a red carpet on a tarmac in Moscow with the message "The #peace mission continues. Second stop: #Moscow."

Szijjarto posted an image of himself exiting a Hungarian Air Force plane and said, "Arriving in Moscow. Another step for peace!"

EU officials might disagree.



An unnamed EU official told RFE/RL that Orban had not informed Brussels of any planned Moscow trip, and his press office did not initially respond to request for comment.



Current EU foreign affairs high representative Josep Borrell said in a statement on July 5 that "Prime Minister Orban has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow."

He said the visit "takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia."



Orban has whipped up heightened fears of an escalating conflict in recent Hungarian elections, seemingly adopted Kremlin talking points, and accused many in the West of warmongering in response to Russia's invasion.



He has also whipped up heightened fears of an escalating conflict in recent Hungarian elections.



Orban's record with respect to Moscow has sparked concerns that beyond rule-of-law and democracy disputes with Brussels, the Hungarian EU presidency might erode unity among bloc members in the face of Russian aggression.



In Kyiv on July 2, Orban presented Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy with a cease-fire proposal he said was aimed at pausing the fighting. He declined to give details but said he asked Zelenskiy "whether it was possible to take a break, to stop the firing, and then continue the negotiations."

Zelenskiy did not express his opinion on the proposal during the briefing with reporters, but a spokesman for the president said later on July 2 that Zelenskiy gave Orban an opportunity to air his thoughts.

Zelenskiy said after Orban's arrival in Moscow that the visit was "without agreement" of any kind from Kyiv.

Putin, who has denied Ukrainian nationhood and history, has said conditions for ending the war, which has killed and wounded more than 500,000 people on both sides, include Kyiv renouncing any NATO hopes and ceding Crimea and four other occupied regions of Ukraine.



Zelenskiy has insisted its territorial integrity -- backed in multiple UN votes and a Ukrainian-initiated Global Peace Summit in Switzerland last month -- must be the foundation of any peace deal.



After word leaked on July 4 of Orban's planned visit, European Council President Charles Michel said "the EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU."



"The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine," Michel added.



Orban last visited Moscow in September 2022, when he paid his respects at the funeral of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.
Read the full story on The Auto Wire

Woman Gets Off Interstate And Her BMW X6 Explodes

Call it a miracle or just a happy coincidence, a Georgia woman and her friend are alive today thanks in part to her BMWs GPS navigation. That technology, coupled with a Good Samaritan going out of his way to provide a warning, helped the women to avoid a fiery fate.

This Kia could set your house on fire.

The odd saga unfolded on June 28 as the two were returning home via I-20 near Panola in the Metro Atlanta area. Thats when Shauna Hervey, also known as Mama K-Camp since shes rapper K-Camps mother, heeded the odd direction from her BMW X6s navigation system to get off the interstate and take surface streets.

ADVERTISEMENT

She told WSB-TV that normally she doesnt do what navigation tells her, but this time was different. As she progressed on surface streets, other drivers were honking at her and otherwise trying to get her attention, but she ignored them and kept going. Finally, when she was stopped at a light a man urgently told her the Bimmer was on fire.

Sure enough, she got out and saw fire coming from the chassis. She was able to yell at her friend to get out immediately, and thankfully so since the whole SUV was engulfed in flames within a few short minutes. Had they kept driving they might not have been able to get out in time.

Hervey says firefighters believe a fuel line problem caused the fast-moving blaze, which would make sense. Whether a rupture, disconnection, etc. having fuel spraying all over hot components is a good way to start a fast-moving fire.

Authorities and BMW are apparently investigating what caused the problem. In the meantime, Hervey has her GPS system to thank, as well as the unidentified Good Samaritan, for saving her life.

Image via WSB-TV 2

Follow The Auto Wire on Google News.

Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook.
A triumphant Keir Starmer announced in London early on July 5 that "change begins now," after his Labour Party scored a landslide victory to end 14 years of Conservative government in the United Kingdom's general elections a day earlier.

But while new Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his center-left party have pledged a fresh approach to British economic woes and a cost-of-living crisis at home, they have signaled no dramatic break with the outgoing government's policy of robust military and diplomatic support for Ukraine in its ongoing war to defeat Russian invaders.

In a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden hours after taking office, Starmer said U.K. backing for Ukraine's war effort would not be weakened under the new government.

"The leaders reiterated their steadfast commitment to Ukraine, and the prime minister underscored that the U.K.'s support for Ukraine was unwavering," Starmer's office said in a statement.

The two men "reiterated their continued support for Ukraine as it fights Russias unrelenting aggression," the White House said in a separate readout.

While Labour has hinted at a more conciliatory tone than its Conservative predecessor in relations with the European Union, the party has gone to lengths to reassure NATO and other allies helping arm Kyiv that London will continue to regard Russia as a threat to Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was quick to welcome the continuity in a message of thanks to the outgoing Conservatives and congratulations to the incoming Labour government for its "convincing election victory."

"Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order."

He wished Starmer well in "solidifying the U.K.'s leadership on the world stage."

"I look forward to working closely together on strengthening the Ukraine-U.K. partnership and restoring international peace and security," Zelenskiy added.

"A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility," Starmer, who took over Labour's leadership four years ago, told supporters after the party's victory was assured.

At around noon local time at Buckingham Palace, King Charles III formally launched the 61-year-old former lawyer's tenure as prime minister by asking him to form a government.

Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was a strong backer of NATO and other international assistance for Ukraine including the supply of weaponry.

Zelenskiy expressed gratitude in his message to Sunak and his government's "steadfast support" and "shared achievements," including the supplies of tanks, Storm Shadow missiles, F-16 training for our pilots, and the first bilateral security cooperation agreement" after Russia's invasion began.



David Lammy, who was officially appointed on July 5 as foreign secretary in Starmer's Labour government, predicted Labour's return to power will usher in a foreign policy of "progressive realism."



He has said it is time to "turn the page on 14 years of Tory chaos."



But the resets in foreign policy that Lammy has touted among Labour's goals involve reconnecting with Europe to repair some of the damage since Brexit, addressing climate change, and engaging more aggressively with the Global South.



On defense, Starmer and Labour have described their commitment to NATO's foremost role in transatlantic security as "unshakable."



On Ukraine, Labour has pledged "steadfast" military, financial, diplomatic, and political support. Labour's manifesto also calls for helping lay out a path for Ukraine toward NATO membership.

Olivia O'Sullivan, director of the U.K. In The World Program at Chatham House, a London-based think tank, told RFE/RL that "there are many ways in which the foreign policy positions of the Labour Party are not that distinct from the Conservatives," calling it "one surprising area of consensus in the U.K."

"Particularly on Ukraine, the Labour Party have been at pains to emphasize that they are as staunch and as consistent in their support for Ukraine," O'Sullivan said. "There's very little daylight between their position and [that of] the Conservatives."

The woman who is expected to assume the EU's top diplomatic post later this year, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, congratulated Starmer on his electoral victory and praised "the U.K.'s commitment to our common security."



"I'm sure our excellent cooperation will only continue to thrive," she added on X.



Starmer has hinted that he would meet early in his leadership with Zelenskiy, and he has described Russian President Vladimir Putin as "the aggressor in Ukraine."



"The most important thing is to be absolutely clear that our support for Ukraine is on a united front in this country," Starmer said.



Starmer's new government will immediately have a chance to test that intention at NATO's 75th anniversary summit in Washington on July 9-11.

Soon after, Britain will host a European Political Community Summit at Blenheim Palace on July 18.

"I think one of their goals for both of those events...will be to affirm that they're taking a very similar line through the previous government on Ukraine and on support for Ukraine," O'Sullivan said.

She said Starmer's challenges include fiscal restrictions and looming elections in France and the United States, either of which could deal blows to transatlantic unity.

Analysts say British voters turned to Labour seeking relief from a 14-year Conservative tenure marked by the Brexit vote in 2016 to leave the European Union and economic woes and stagnation that have followed the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.



Labour eclipsed the 326 seats needed for a working majority in the House of Commons early in the vote count that showed it gaining well over 200 seats as the Conservatives lost an even higher number of seats.



Right-wing populist Reform Party leader Nigel Farage won a seat for the first time in eight attempts, indicating that Britain was experiencing some of the right-wing surge that showed up in last month's elections to the European Parliament.
A Bosnian man arrested in connection with the audacious escape of Russian businessman Artyom Uss from Italian arrest has been released and is now cooperating with Italian investigators.

U.S. prosecutors, meanwhile, have for now dropped their extradition request against the man, Vladimir Jovancic, who also faces a U.S. indictment for aiding Uss's March 2023 escape.

Jovancic's release from Croatian detention, and the halt to U.S. extradition proceedings, neither of which has been reported previously, are small but significant developments in the continuing investigation of how Uss -- the politically connected son of a powerful Russian governor -- managed to slip out of Italy on the eve of his extradition to the United States.

Uss had been arrested by Italy after being charged by the U.S. Justice Department with overseeing an elaborate smuggling network that had secretly shipped Western military technology to Russia -- some of which had ended up on Ukrainian battlefields.

His escape embarrassed Italian authorities and prompted criticism from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said there had been "anomalies" in the decisions that ultimately led to Uss's escape.

Jovancic, a 53-year-old national of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is one of eight people that Italian prosecutors have charged in connection with Uss's escape.

He was arrested in December 2023 in Zagreb after U.S. prosecutors secured a grand jury indictment of him in connection with the escape.

Since then, Jovancic has been cooperating with Italian prosecutors, providing testimony on at least two occasions.

Sometime late last month, however, Jovancic was released from Croatian detention and was extradited to Italy after reaching a plea agreement, his Croatian lawyer Gordan Preglej, told RFE/RL. The conditions of the deal require his cooperation with Italian officials and three years of community service, Preglej said.

His release also included the agreement by U.S. prosecutors to halt extradition proceedings.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York confirmed that Jovancic's extradition had been halted, but said the charges remain in place.

A spokesman for the Milan prosecutors' office, which has been leading the Italian investigation, declined comment.

Where Is Uss?

Uss, whose father was the governor of the sprawling Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk and an ally of President Vladimir Putin, slipped out of house arrest in a suburb of Milan on March 22, 2023, after disrupting the signal transmitted from a court-ordered electronic monitoring bracelet.

He and the people who aided him then drove east, across Slovenia, Croatia, and into Serbia. He later flew back to Krasnoyarsk.

Italian authorities have cast a wide net across Europe, trying to identify and arrest the people involved in the escape.

In addition to Jovancic, others who have been arrested or detained include his son, Boris, who is believed to be in Italian custody; and a Slovenian man arrested in Ljubljana.

The Ljubljana District Court told RFE/RL that that man, Matej Janezic, had been been released from custody, and extradited to Italy.

Italian officials have also charged an obscure Serbian businessman named Srdjan Lolic.

Roughly three weeks after he allegedly helped Uss flee Italy, Lolic traveled to the North Pole, via Krasnoyarsk, accompanying a top Krasnoyarsk government official, and other Russian officials. Not known as a polar explorer, Lolic claimed to have been the first Serb to have reached the North Pole.

Lolic's whereabouts are currently unknown. But Italian court documents show he has provided written testimony to Italian prosecutors about the people who helped Uss escape.

Some of that testimony appears to have helped in the latest arrest announced by Italian officials on June 14: Dmitry Chirakadze, a Russian businessman who lives in Switzerland and controls a Sardinian hotel linked to Uss.

Chirakadze, who was arrested as he arrived at Rome's Fiumicino airport, has been fighting a court detention order, according to his defense lawyer.

Italian authorities have also charged Uss's wife, Maria Yagodina, in connection with the plot.

Both she and Uss are believed in Russia, possibly Krasnoyarsk. In comments to Russian media following Chirakadze's arrest, Uss confirmed his business ties to Chirakadze and alleged the arrest was a "PR move" by Western officials.

The United States has offered a $7 million reward for information leading to Uss escape.

RFE/RL Russian Service correspondents Mark Krutov and Sergei Dobrynin, and RFE/RL enterprise editor Carl Schreck contributed to this report.
Screen grab: Bally Sports Cincinnati

With Thursday marking the Fourth of July, members of the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds took their patriotism to the next level with a national anthem standoff.

Not everybody, however, was a fan of their efforts.

Taking to X on Friday, New York Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose took issue with players from the Yankees and Reds for participating in a standoff during  and well after  the playing of the national anthem before their holiday matinee matchup. For those who missed it, New Yorks Cody Poteet, Ian Hamilton and Luis Gil and Cincinnatis Graham Ashcraft and Carson Spiers stood outside their respective dugouts for more than five minutes, refusing to leave the field until the other side did.

Ashcraft proved to be the last man standing. Rose, however, was less than impressed.

Am I hopelessly out of touch or is this nothing more than a juvenile, selfish, meaningless, irrelevant and frankly embarrassing exercise in stupidity? Rose wrote on X, reposting a clip of the showdown. Who comes to see this garbage? I suppose its a rhetorical question. I will see myself out.

Am I hopelessly out of touch or is this nothing more than a juvenile, selfish, meaningless, irrelevant and frankly embarrassing exercise in stupidity? Who comes to see this garbage? I suppose its a rhetorical question. I will see myself out. https://t.co/Brao2Xo19x  Howie Rose (@HowieRose) July 5, 2024

While there has been an increase in national anthem standoffs in recent years  some of which even resulted in players being ejected  its not necessarily something thats a common occurrence. And although there might have been some showmanship in the actions of the Reds and Yankees players on Thursday, if there was ever a day in which a national anthem would be appropriate, its the Fourth of July.

Ultimately, the response from the 70-year-old Rose  who recently celebrated his 50th year in broadcasting  seems like an overreaction, but to each his own. It does, however, leave us hopeful that the Mets will soon participate in a standoff of their own, if only so we can see how Rose reacts.

[Howie Rose on X]
There were smiles all round as the Irish Hereford Breed Society and Irish Hereford Prime celebrated the successful conclusion of the Next Gen Herefords and Irish Hereford Prime  Irish Hereford Charity Calf Rearing Programme. This initiative saw a collective 24,000 raised for a variety of local charities through the sale of 11 calves reared by young farmers on their home farms and among them was a young Roscommon woman.

Young Tulsk farmer Sinead Conry from Rathnollag Herefords reared calf Frank, who sold for an impressive 2,000 at Elphin Co-Operative Livestock Mart, with an additional 100 donation going to Elphin Day Centre on the day.

Originally developed in 2022, the initiative was established to encourage the next generation of Hereford farmers to gain invaluable, hands-on experience in the practice and discipline of rearing Hereford calves on their family farms, while raising much-needed funds for several worthy charities in the process.

To facilitate this project, Irish Hereford Prime donated over 5,500 to five branches of the Irish Hereford Breed Society in the spring of 2022. These funds were used to purchase the 11 HEX bull calves for young Hereford breeders, who were appointed by the local branches of the Irish Hereford Breed Society. Each breeder was given 500 to help cover the cost of purchasing and feeding the calf for the first six months of its life.

Kian (11) and Paul Bohan (16) sold their Hereford Cross bullock named Dozer, on Saturday, May 4th in Aurivo Livestock Mart, Mohill for 3,220, after weighting in at 760kg. The money will be going to the Leitrim branch of The Alzheimers Society of Ireland.

The OReilly Family of the Bridge House Herd in Mohill sold calf Rodney on Monday, May 6th in Carrigallen Mart for 2,300 after weighing 700kgs, with full proceeds going to North West STOP suicide prevention organisation.

Speaking as the initiative drew to a close, Niall O'Mahony, Chair of Irish Hereford Prime said: We are thrilled to confirm that the Irish Hereford Charity Calf Rearing Programme has not only showcased the exceptional talent and dedication of young Hereford breeders, but has also significantly contributed to various local charities. The success of this initiative underscores the ongoing commitment of the Irish Hereford community to both agriculture and charitable causes, and we look forward to the next charitable program in the future.
The Coleman Music Centre in Gurteen, County Sligo will play host to Frankie Gavin and Catherine McHugh live in concert on Wednesday, July 10th.

The legendary Galway fiddler Frankie Gavin, who has had a stellar playing and recording career since founding De Danann in 1975, performs in the Coleman Music Centre with pianist Catherine McHugh.

In addition to leading the new De Dannan line-up, Frankie Gavin also plays with Catherine McHugh, widely regarded as Irelands foremost piano accompanist who is featured on Frankies recent album Port Eireann. As a duo, they have toured Ireland, Europe and the USA to promote this excellent 18 track recording of traditional music. Wherever they have appeared, they have been greeted with rapturous applause and standing ovations.

Doors open at 7.30 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.. Admission 20.

Tickets are now on sale ~ Call: 071 9182599 or www.colemanirishmusic.com
Who is Keir Starmer? Know All About Labour Party PM candidate in UK General Elections 2024

People have been looking for information on who is Keir Starmerm the next PM of the UK.

Who is Keir Starmer, the next UK PM? UK General Elections Result 2024 Latest News Updates: The results of UK General Elections 2024 are finally out now and UK PM Rishi Sunak has conceded defeat in the elections to the Labour Party.

Ever since the news of UK PM Rishi Sunak's defeat in the UK General Elections Result 2024 surfaced on social media, people have been looking for information on who is Keir Starmerm the next PM of the UK. Let's find out.

Advertisement

Who is Keir Starmer, the next UK PM?

Sir Keir Starmer was born on September 2, 1962. He is a British politician and barrister who served as Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015. He previously served as the Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2024 and the Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013.

Born in London and raised in Surrey, Keri Starmer did his schooling at the selective state Reigate Grammar School which became a private school. He was politically active from an early age. He joined the Labour Party Young Socialists at the age of 16 and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leeds in 1985.

Advertisement

Later on, he gained a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law degree at St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford in 1986. After being called to the bar, Starmer practiced predominantly in criminal defense work, and specialized human rights.

Likewise, Starmer served as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and was even appointed a Queen's Counsel in 2002.

Starmer was also elected to the House of Commons at the 2015 general election.
The timetable of the presidential and parliamentary elections

The parties in the ruling coalition, the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party, have announced the timetable of the upcoming elections in Romania.

A polling Station in Romania

Mihai Pelin, 05.07.2024, 14:00

After extended debates, the ruling coalition agreed on holding the first round of the presidential elections on 24th November and the second on the 8th December. The Parliamentary elections would be held on 1st December. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said the agreement reached takes into account the conclusions of the consultations he held earlier this week with the political parties, most of which wanted the elections to be held on time. Marcel Ciolacu:

We signed together with our ruling partners an agreement on the election timetable that takes into account the principles discussed during the consultations with the political parties in Parliament. We agreed that the presidential elections would be held on 24th November, the first round, and 8th December, the second round, and that the parliamentary elections would be held on 1st December. We can now adopt a government decision to validate the election timetable and close the subject.

The leader of the National Liberal Party Nicolae Ciuca emphasised that the agreement also takes into account the fact that political parties do not want the two elections to be held on the same date. Nicolae Ciuca (TRACK):

From the talks weve had, political parties said they are not opposed to parliamentary elections being held on 1st December. Its the date of our national holiday and it can also be a celebration of democracy. Taking into account all these talks and the legal provisions, this is the timetable that will be adopted by government decision.

Nicolae Ciuca says he doesnt think voter turnout will be lower on 1st December, which is Romanias National Day and a bank holiday in this country, and again reiterated that the Liberals and the Social Democrats would have their own candidates in the presidential elections.

Elena Lasconi, the new leader of the Save Romania Union, in opposition, welcomed the agreement reached by the two parties in government on the election timetable, but said they should also concentrate on the problems in the economy, education and healthcare. She also called on the centre-right parties to join her partys presidential project.

The leader of the Force of the Right, Ludovic Orban, on the other hand, believes the new election timetable is a new attempt to gravely interfere with the results of the elections. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians also criticised the timetable, saying the two parties changed the election dates they initially proposed because they are afraid of George Simion, the leader of the party.

Initially, the Liberals and the Social Democrats had agreed to hold the presidential elections in September, an idea mostly supported by the latter. The Liberals, however, changed their minds and proposed that the elections be held in November. The two parties failed to reach an agreement, which led to mutual attacks recenty, a fact unprecedented since they joined forces in government.

European and local elections were held in Romania on 9th June.
Industrial production from Germany and house prices from the UK are due on Friday, headlining a busy day for the European economic news.

At 2.00 am ET, Destatis is scheduled to issue Germany's industrial production data for May. Economists forecast industrial output to grow 0.2 percent on month, in contrast to the 0.1 percent fall in April.

In the meantime, UK Halifax house price data is due. House prices are forecast to climb 0.2 percent on month in June, reversing a 0.1 percent fall in May.

Also, GDP, household consumption and new orders figures are due from Sweden.

At 2.45 am ET, industrial production and foreign trade reports are due from France. Industrial output is expected to log a 0.5 percent monthly fall, offsetting April's 0.5 percent increase.

At 3.00 am ET, Spain's INE releases industrial production for June. Economists expect output to grow 1.4 percent annually after rising 0.8 percent in April.

At 4.00 am ET, Italy's statistical office ISTAT publishes retail sales for May. Sales are forecast to grow 0.2 percent after a 0.1 percent fall in April.

At 5.00 am ET, Eurostat is slated to issue retail sales for May. Economists expect euro area retail sales to grow 0.2 percent, in contrast to the 0.5 percent decrease in April.

Don't get caught off guard. Track key Economic Events with RTTNews Economic Trading Calendar.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Japan's leading index improved somewhat in May after falling to a three-month low in April, preliminary data from the Cabinet Office showed on Friday.

The leading index, which measures future economic activity, rose to 111.1 in May from 110.9 in the previous month. That was in line with expectations.

Meanwhile, the coincident index improved to 116.5 in May from 115.2 a month ago. Further, this was the highest score since September 2019. The coincident index measures the current economic situation.

The lagging index also climbed to 108.0 in May from 105.9 in the prior month.

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
The Labor Party has returned to power in UK with a landslide victory in the general election. Keir Starmer, who led the Labor to a record majority, is set to become Britain's new prime minister.

"Change begins now," he told supporters at a victory rally in London.

While the Labor won 411 seats in the House Of Commons, the ruling Conservatives are set for their worst defeat in history, managing to win just 119 seats.

The Tories lost 249 seats they won in the 2019 parliamentary election, whereas the main Opposition Labor made a gain of 210 seats.

It has been a record-breaking night for the Liberal Democrats, who improved its tally in the outgoing House from just 8 seats to 71 in 2024.

The Liberal Democrats made major inroads into Conservative heartlands.

It contributed significantly in sweeping the Conservatives out of power after 14 years.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded defeat, and is expected to deliver a farewell speech at No. 10 Downing Street before submitting his resignation to King Charles.

The depth of dissatisfaction among the British voters was evident in the defeat of top Conservative candidates including former Prime Minister Liz Truss, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt and Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The populist Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, will make its presence felt in the parliament for the first time with four MPs.

SNP also faced major setback in the election.

Almost all the results have been declared in the election held on Thursday, which saw the lowest turnout in more than two decades.

World leaders congratulated Keir Starmer for his win.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc is looking forward to a "constructive partnership" with Starmer, who has ruled out returning to the European Union.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
The U.S. Consumer Product safety Commission or CPSC has announced recalls including Honda off-road motorcycles, power adapters, hair dryers, and children's pajamas, citing various reasons.

Torrance, California-based American Honda Motor Co. Inc., affiliated to Japanese automajor Honda Motor Co., has called back about 40,700 units of off-road motorcycles citing crash and injury risks. In addition, Palo Alto, California -based Hatch Baby Inc. recalled about 919,400 units of power adapters sold with Rest 1st Generation Sound Machines due to shock hazard. About 44,352 units of power adapters were sold in Canada.

Further, Los Angeles, California-based Focusee Ltd. recalled about 39,600 units of Tideway hair dryers due to risk of electrocution or shock, while China's ShenZhen Bai Si Te Clothing Ltd. Co., dba SWOMOG called back about 27,400 units of children's pajamas due to burn hazard. They were sold exclusively on Amazon.com.

In most of the recalls, consumers are urged to immediately stop using the recalled product, and contact the respective firm for either a free repair, replacement or refund, depending on each product.

Honda Motorcycles

American Honda Motor's recall involves model year 2023-2024 off-road motorcycles with model numbers CRF50F, CRF110F, and CRF125F. The CRF50F and CRF110F models were sold in red or white colors. The CRF125F was sold in red color.

The vehicles, manufactured in China, were sold at Honda dealers across the United States from September 2022 through May 2024 for between $1,700 and $3,900.

According to the agency, the grip can detach from the handlebar, posing crash and injury hazards. The recall was initiated after the firm received one report of a crash, resulting in a knee injury.

Consumers are urged to immediately stop using the recalled off-road motorcycles, and contact American Honda Motor to schedule an appointment for a free inspection and repair.

Hatch Baby Power Adapters

Hatch Baby's recall involves AC power adapters sold with some units of the Rest 1st Generation Sound Machine. The impacted power adapters have model number CYAP05 050100U. They have a white rectangular plastic housing that plugs directly into the wall socket.

The China-made power adapters were sold online at Hatch.co and Amazon.com, and at BuyBuyBaby, Target, Walmart, Nordstrom, Pottery Barn Kids and BestBuy stores nationwide. They were sold from January 2019 through September 2022 for between $60 and $70 with certain Rest 1st Generation sound machines, and on Amazon.com from January 2019 through May 2024 for between $60 and $200 with certain Rest 1st Generation sound machines.

The CPSC noted that the plastic housing surrounding the AC power adapter can come off when removing the adapter from the power outlet, leaving the power prongs exposed and posing a shock hazard to consumers.

The firm has received 19 reports of the plastic housing surrounding the AC power adapter coming off, including two reports of minor electrical shock.

Consumers are asked to contact Hatch for a free replacement power adapter.

Tideway Hair Dryers

Focusee's recall involves Tideway High-Speed Hair Dryers PRO M01 with two speed adjustments. The hair dryers come with a nozzle, and were sold in white with gold on the bottom of the handle.

They were made in China and sold online at TikTokShop.com, Shopify.com and other websites from November 2023 through March 2024 for about $170.

The handheld hair dryers lack an immersion protection device, posing an electrocution or shock hazard to consumers if it falls into water when plugged in. However, the company has not received any reports of incidents or injuries so far.

Consumers can get a free replacement if contacting the firm.

SWOMOG Children's Pajamas

SWOMOG's recall involves children's two-piece pajama sets sold in satin and ribbed modal fabrics in various sizes and colors. They were manufactured in China between May 2022 and October 2023, and sold on Amazon.com from May 2022 through January 2024 for between $16 to $43.

According to the agency, the children's pajama sets violate the federal flammability standards for children's sleepwear, posing a burn hazard to children. However, no incidents or injuries were reported so far related to the recalled products.

Consumers are urged to contact SWOMOG to receive a full refund.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Credit: YES Network

New York Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay and analyst Paul ONeill pulled off a textbook example of an announcer jinx in Thursdays game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Introducing the Reds defensive lineup in the first inning, Kay noted that center fielder Will Benson is a defensive liability.

Benson in center field had minus six Defensive Runs Saved, Kay said. (Jonathan) India at second, he has minus 10 Defensive Runs Saved. This is not a good defensive team, Paul.

ONeill, agreed.

We were talking about that yesterday, and they actually made some good plays yesterday, the former Yankees outfielder said. So in this series, theyve been OK, but over the year, way below average.

On the very next pitch, Yankees slugger Juan Soto sent a drive to deep center. Benson raced back and made a great catch just before crashing into the wall.

Benson back  on the track  at the wall  he makes the play! Kay called.

This is incredible. The Yankees broadcast was talking about how Will Benson isnt a good defender and how the Reds are bad defensively. The first pitch after they said it? Will Benson robs Juan Soto. #Reds pic.twitter.com/uHS7DeAokH  Reds Daily (@RedsDaily4) July 5, 2024

What a play by Benson, after we just said, minus six Defensive Runs Saved, Kay said.

Michael, you are a reverse jinx, ONeill joked. Youre the best at it.

Whats ironic about this whole situation is Kay recently made it clear hes tired of hearing fans talk about announcer jinxes. On The Michael Kay Show, Kay said the people complaining about jinxes on social media are clowns.

But while Kays comments likely didnt cosmically affect Bensons ability, it doesnt make the circumstances surrounding his call of the play any less humorous.

[Reds Daily]
Canada is joining the growing group of non-EU countries who have associated with the European Union's research and innovation programme, known as Horizon Europe, and will work jointly on large-scale projects tackling our biggest challenges.

Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, and Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, have signed the agreement that gives Canadian researchers and organisations the opportunity to participate in the programme on equal terms with their EU counterparts.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the conclusion of negotiations for Canada's association to Pillar II of Horizon Europe at the EU-Canada Summit in November last year. Wednesday, they welcomed the announcement through a joint statement.

Canada associates to the Pillar II of Horizon Europe, which funds collaborative research projects across a wide range of domains. Canadian entities can now join and lead research consortia with some of the world's best research organisations to tackle global challenges together. The European Commission said that they will get the opportunity to be funded directly from the program, while Canada will contribute to its budget.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The European Union has expressed deep concern over the Israeli army's orders to evacuate civilians from the area of Khan Younis.

Some 250,000 people are impacted by the evacuation orders. These orders also threaten the patients of the European Hospital, one of the few remaining partially functioning hospitals in southern Gaza.

Injured and sick patients from the European Hospital, including pregnant women and elderly people, were forced to relocate to other facilities, such as the Nasser Hospital. Staff also tried to save medical equipment.

"This evacuation decision is certain to worsen overcrowding, and cause severe shortages in the already overwhelmed remaining hospitals, at a time when access to emergency medical care is critical," High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said in a joint statement.

Forced evacuations are exacerbating an already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, with nearly 1.9 million people displaced within the thickly populated Palestinian enclave.

The top European Union officials repeated call for ceasefire, which would make possible a surge of humanitarian assistance to Gaza as well as the release of all hostages.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
European stocks failed to hold early gains and closed broadly lower on Friday, as the mood turned cautious ahead of the second round of the French legislative elections on Sunday.

Investors digested the crucial jobs data from the U.S., and assessed the likely move of the Federal Reserve in upcoming monetary policy meetings.

Stocks edged higher early on in the session after the Labour Party secured a landslide victory in the U.K. election to end 14 years of Conservative rule, as widely expected.

Regarding Sunday's parliamentary elections in France, opinion polls show the second-round run-off vote may lead to a hung parliament with no clear majority.

The pan European Stoxx 600 ended down 0.18%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 drifted down 0.45%, France's CAC 40 ended lower by 0.26%, and Germany's DAX edged up 0.14%. Switzerland's SMI dropped 0.52%.

Among other in Europe, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkiye closed weak. Austria and Portugal edged down marginally.

Denmark, Greece, Iceland and Russia ended higher, while Belgium settled flat.

In the UK market, HSBC Holdings, Whitbread, IHG, Standard Chartered, Smiths Group, Ashtead Group and Aviva ended lower by 2 to 2.6%.

Rio Tinto ended nearly 2% down. Barclays Group, Rolls-Royce Holdings, BP, Smith (DS), Prudential, Mondi, Shell, BAE Systems and 3i Group also ended notably lower.

Smurfit Kappa Group, United Utilities, Vistry Group, Severn Trent, Fresnillo, Taylor Wimpey, Marks & Spencer, Barratt Developments, Persimmon, Berkeley Group Holdings, B&M European Value Retail and Sainsbury (J) gained 2 to 3.5%.

In the German market, Rheinmetall fell nearly 5%. Deutsche Boerse, Deutsche Bank, Munich RE, BASF, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Hannover Rueck and BMW lost 0.6 to 1.6%.

Continental rallied nearly 4%. Sartorius, Infineon, Vonovia, Porsche, RWE, Zalando, Fresenius, Puma and SAP gained 1 to 3%.

In the French market, Accor ended down 2.3%. Schneider Electric, Air Liquide, Stellantis and Safran lost 1 to 1.2%.

Eurofins Scientific climbed about 4.5%. STMicroElectronics, Vinci, Dassault Systemes, Engie, Carrefour, Orange, Vivendi, Veolia and Societe Generale posted sharp to moderate gains.

In European economic news, eurozone retail sales edged up 0.1% on a monthly basis in May following a 0.2% drop in April, Eurostat said. Sales were expected to climb 0.2%. Sales of food, drinks and tobacco posted a monthly increase of 0.7%.

Germany's industrial production declined unexpectedly in May suggesting that the is losing steam, official data revealed. Industrial production posted a monthly decline of 2.5% in May, reversing a revised 0.1% rise in April, Destatis reported. Output was expected to grow 0.2%.

France's industrial production declined at the steepest pace in just over one-and-half years in May amid weak manufacturing output. Industrial output fell 2.1% on a monthly basis, reversing a 0.6% rebound in the previous month.

France's trade deficit rose to EUR 7.98 billion in May from EUR 7.56 billion in April.Exports posted a monthly decline of 1.7%, and imports were 0.7% lower.

UK house prices dropped in June after remaining stable for two straight months, signaling that the property market remained subdued, mortgage lender Halifax reported Friday. House prices fell 0.2% month-on-month in June, in contrast to the expected increase of 0.2%. A typical UK house costs GBP 288,455. Compared to the last year, house prices climbed 1.6%.

In U.S., the Labor Department said non-farm payroll employment shot up by 206,000 jobs in June compared to economist estimates for an increase of about 190,000 jobs. The report also showed the increases in employment in April and May were downwardly revised to 108,000 jobs and 218,000 jobs, respectively, reflecting a net downward revision of 111,000 jobs.

The unemployment rate also rose for the third straight month, inching up to 4.1% in June from 4% in May. Economists had expected the unemployment rate to remain unchanged. With the unexpected uptick, the unemployment rate reached its highest level since hitting a matching rate in November 2021.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Chinese automaker BYD (BYDDF.PK) is closing in on a deal with Turkey for an electric vehicle plant worth $1 billion, which would mark the company's expansion in the overseas market, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The report states that Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would soon announce the deal during a ceremony in Manisa province, where the plant would be located.

The deal would help the Shenzhen-based company to access the European Union market as Turkey has a customs union agreement with the bloc.

Recently, the EU has increased tariffs on cars imported from China, imposing an additional 17.4 percent charge on BYD along with the existing 10 percent rate.

Meanwhile, Turkey has reduced tariffs on Chinese vehicles following discussions between Erdogan and China's President Xi Jinping during a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The news comes as the EV maker has inaugurated its first plant in Thailand, and is also reportedly constructing manufacturing facility in Brazil, and potentially Mexico.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Tesla, Inc.'s (TSLA) Model Y vehicles have received official approval to be used as government vehicles in China.

This marks the first time a non-Chinese automaker has been included in a Chinese government purchase list in the Jiangsu province, according to state-owned media outlet Paper.cn.

The Shanghai-manufactured Model Y is priced at 249,900 yuan ($34,377) on the government's procurement catalog, making it available for government agencies and public entities in the province to acquire as service vehicles.

This inclusion has sparked some resistance in China, but the government has emphasized that the approval specifically pertains to Tesla Model Y vehicles manufactured in China. To address concerns, the Jiangsu government clarified that the Tesla model is classified as "domestic" rather than imported.

Previously, Tesla faced restrictions from accessing certain government and military facilities in China due to espionage and data security apprehensions. However, these constraints were lifted in April, coinciding with a visit by Elon Musk to Beijing, where he met with Premier Li Qiang. During the meeting, Li Qiang hailed Tesla as a model for successful US-China cooperation.

The inclusion of Tesla in the government procurement process reflects China's support for the development of intelligent connected vehicles, regardless of their origin, according to Sun Xiaohong, the general secretary of the car unit of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products.

Tesla has also been impacted by significant tariffs imposed by both the US and the European Union on electric cars produced in China. The EU's tariffs are set to take effect soon, and Tesla is seeking a distinct tariff rate assessment from the Commission, currently facing an average additional tariff of 20.8% as part of a cooperative group under the EU's investigation.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

Most NASCAR fans tuning in Sunday to watch NBCs coverage of the Chicago Street Race cannot begin to imagine the logistical challenges the network faces in broadcasting the unique event.

Sundays race (4:30 p.m. ET) is NASCARs second trip to the Windy City, and the sanctioning body and NBC should have an easier time given everything learned in the debut.

Still, building a 12-turn, 2.2-mile course through the heart of a major city is nothing like holding a race at an established track. And to build it all from scratch in a matter of days makes it even more remarkable.

NBCs Nate Ryan went behind-the-scenes in a video showing the challenges the network faced last year in Chicago.

First, the streets used on the course arent shut down until a couple of days before the event. When the production crew arrives, there is no infrastructure.

We are used to coming into either an oval course or a road course that is already laid out, has infrastructure, NASCAR on NBC technical manager Matt Hogencamp told Ryan. When we come into a street course, were coming into a blank slate. So we are building the entire infrastructure from the ground floor. Theres no camera positions, theres no fiber infrastructure, theres no cabling, theres no course.

To help capture backdrops of the Chicago skyline and landmark, NBC used an 80-foot crane, a fixed wing plane and drones.

As cars are coming over the hills, it would just look like a city race, and it was just fantastic, lead video operator Mark Morel told Ryan.

What does it take to put on a NASCAR street race? Nate Ryan and the NBC production crew explained the challenges of last years event in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/cEBtzQDWEV  NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 2, 2024



Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times reports NBC will employ 60 cameras around the course this year, along with 10 cars each carrying four cameras, giving director Sean Owens 100 cameras to choose from, more than any other NASCAR event.

NASCARs and NBCs efforts last year were made even more challenging by torrential rain that delayed the start of the race. But once underway, NBCs production crew knew theyd pulled off something special.

It was trying, but the moment we heard the sound of the cars on track, seeing them actually roll through Grant Park, it was one of those moments in my career where I just had to stop and take it in, Hogencamp said.

Because this is something that had never been done in the 75-year history of NASCAR.

NBC set a high bar with its production of last years race; the network recently earned an Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Technical Team Event.

[NASCAR on NBC]
by Xinhua writers Zhu Shaobin, Yu Jiaxin, and Ren Jun BEIJING/BRUSSELS, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China has reiterated its stance on reaching a mutually acceptable solution to a trade spat involving Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) exported to the European Union as talks between the two sides continue. On Thursday, the European Commission introduced provisional additional tariffs of up to 37.6 percent on Chinese EV makers. Compared to rates pre-disclosed on June 12, several individual duties have been adjusted slightly downwards based on comments on the accuracy of the calculations submitted by interested parties, according to a statement from the commission. It said that a final decision must be taken on definitive duties within four months through a vote by EU member states. Prior to this announcement, China's Ministry of Commerce on the same day said that China hopes the EU will work with it and show sincerity in advancing talks on the EU's anti-subsidy probe into Chinese EVs. It also called for rationality and pragmatism as talks continue. The European Commission said its consultations with the Chinese government have intensified in recent weeks, and that contact continues at a technical level with a view to reaching a WTO-compatible solution. China has emphasized the importance of dialogue and consultation in addressing economic and trade frictions, and there has been growing recognition of China-EU interdependence in the global auto industry. Scholars and stakeholders have elaborated on the indispensable role of Chinese EV makers, given their scale advantages and leading technologies capable of catering to diversified consumer needs, and, broadly speaking, the world's need to go green. CHINESE EVS ARE INDISPENSABLE There has been growing consensus that the world will require significantly accelerated development in the field of green energy to push forward decarbonization, and that China's affordable clean tech products will only make positive contributions to that end. Jeremy Jurgens, managing director of the World Economic Forum, told Xinhua in a recent interview that China is clearly already leading in new energy technology, represented by EVs. He noted that the country's EV sector has strong advantages spanning battery technology, software development and a large domestic market. The 1.4 billion people in China mean varied individual tastes in different regions and cities, he said. And as the car moves from a mechanical device to a software device, the ability to adapt software to different interests becomes an important competitive advantage. "So the extent that China can adapt that software in the vehicle to different market preferences and needs will actually be a strong competitive advantage in the future." Douglas Johnson-Poensgen, CEO of Circulor, a solutions provider that can trace the auto industry's complex supply chains, told Xinhua that the world needs more renewable energy and a faster energy transition. "We're all humans on the same planet. We need to build renewable energy infrastructure at the pace if we have any chance of getting towards net-zero carbon emissions in a sensible time frame," Johnson-Poensgen said. He added that China clearly has economic leadership when it comes to producing green products and driving down the prices of EVs and solar panels to make them more affordable, which will ultimately be good for the world. "It's pretty clear that the future will be in electrical vehicles," Jurgens said, acknowledging the disruption that the rapid advancement of EVs has brought to traditional manufacturers that have not yet transitioned from internal combustion engines to EVs. "It is understandable that some countries may want to delay that transition to be able to allow their domestic producers more time to make the transition. But overall, I think we still need to have far more production of electric vehicles to further electrify the economy," Jurgens said. The advancement and dissemination of these technologies will allow consumers to start shifting their energy consumption patterns, he added. "As China looks for sustainable, affordable and secure energy sources, China not only improves its own position, it actually makes a contribution to global sustainability and can help the world achieve decarbonization targets," he said. In its latest Global Automotive Outlook, global consulting firm AlixPartners predicts Chinese brands will continue to increase their share of the European light vehicle market, with that share forecast to rise from 6 percent in 2024 to 12 percent by 2030. "Any short-term slowdown of Chinese electric vehicle sales into Europe is likely to contribute to many countries across Europe undershooting on their Green Deal targets," said Andrew Bergbaum, global co-head of the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners. CHINESE EVS SPICE UP COMPETITION, BENEFITING CONSUMERS Accusations have arisen that Chinese EVs are being dumped in global markets at low prices, but consumers doubt the logic of such rhetoric as not everyone can easily afford an expensive EV. A recent report from the Canada-based Toronto Star interpreted this vividly, arguing that car drivers must be considered in tariff responses because people are the ones who buy cars, and not all consumers can afford a Tesla or a Polestar. "We must not penalize consumers and slow our climate efforts in the meantime." It said an "inelegant" trade move could result in even fewer models and higher prices for consumers. Danny Quah, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said that dumping is when an exporter sells a product in a foreign country at a price lower than it does in its own, hence running losses. He said that many Chinese products -- especially batteries and EVs -- are cheaper in China than in the Western market, including the EU. He said that China's exports of EVs are only about 14 percent of its total production -- a smaller fraction than that of cars exported from Japan and South Korea. "China subsidizes in the EV industry, yes, but for consumers to purchase EVs, not for producers to make them. Those subsidies can purchase Teslas just as easily as BYDs." "While rightly looking out for their own industries and businesses, everyone needs to think a little also about the good of our planet. The world needs clean energy. Emerging economies still need massive sustained bursts of energy to develop, and they cannot afford costly technologies to replace fossil fuels," he added. Jurgens said that most of the EV supply is in fact for Chinese consumption, and that the rate of growth of EV utilization in China is very high and probably growing at the fastest pace in the world. "If you look at the actual market dynamics here, this is one of the most competitive markets in the world." Bergbaum said the world has come to a point in time when cars need to be engineered differently. "Vehicles often need to be able to receive live data over the air, offer advanced drive assist systems and customizable features, and in some instances, incorporate real-time data computing." There is much to be learnt from the rapid product gestation, integrated supply chains, consumer-centric sales, aggressive expansion and competitive pricing, which are reshaping market dynamics in China and set to underpin the future of the global automotive industry, according to him. Enditem (Xinhua reporters Zhang Zhaoqing in Brussels and Xie Xiyao in Beijing also contributed to the story.)




LU PING/CHINA DAILY

There was nothing in Hu Youping's past to suggest she had the makings of a hero, but after the Chinese woman saved a Japanese mother and son, unfortunately losing her own life in the process, she was lauded by millions of people in both countries.

Hu, 54, was working for a Japanese school in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, when she stepped in to stop a knife attack at a school bus stop on June 24. She died two days later due to her severe injuries. The news of Hu's death dominated Chinese media headlines and triggered a wave of both grief and respect online.

As of Thursday, more than 100 topics on Sina Weibo involving Hu had received over 1 billion views, with some applauding her bravery and others saying her courage had boosted relations between the two countries.

On June 28, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed condolences for the "tragic passing" of Hu, saying that this Chinese woman embodied the "kindness and bravery" of the Chinese people.

The same day, the Japanese embassy in China flew its flag at half-mast to honor Hu and issued a statement saluting her "noble actions" and also saying her courage represents the wider Chinese population.

On Tuesday, Hu was awarded the title Model of Righteousness by the Suzhou government. People from different walks of life spontaneously attended a memorial service held in the city to pay tribute to her.

While Hu and her story have found sympathy and respect from both the public and authorities, she has also been subjected to some negative online comments, with extremists attempting to stir animosity between China and Japan.

However, Wang Sixin, a professor of internet law at the Communication University of China, said, "These extremist remarks won't dominate public opinion, let alone overshadow the mainstream voice."

As a result, major internet platforms have vowed to punish accounts that encourage group hatred against Japanese people or denigrate Hu.

"The punishment will help more people clearly see the true face of those using hot issues to attract online views or vent personal grievances, and urge us to surf the internet in a more sensible manner," said Zheng Ning, professor and head of the Law Department at the university's Cultural Industries Management School.
Mining and commodities giant Glencore has received the final regulatory approval needed in its $7bn acquisition of steelmaking coal assets from New York-listed Teck Resources .

The deal to buy a 77% stake in British Columbia (BC) based Elk Valley Resources (EVR) from Teck, first announced in November, received approval late on Thursday from the Government of Canada under the Investment Canada Act.

That followed a number of commitments made by both Glencore and Teck to appease Canada's foreign-investment rules, such as ensuring that the majority of EVR's directors are Canadian, adhering to certain environmental commitments and promising to establish and maintain a Canadian head office in Vancouver.

Canada's industry minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the approval was a result of "months of discussions with both Glencore and Teck as well as information sought from the BC provincial government, and federal departments including Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Natural Resources Canada".

Glencore's chief executive Gary Nagle said the company was "pleased" to have received the final green light to bring EVR into the wider group.

"Glencore's Canadian assets form a significant part of our global business, and some have a history that dates back more than 100 years. The investment in EVR will further support our position as one of the largest diversified miners and suppliers of critical minerals in Canada," he said.

Nagle added that the acquisition will expand Glencore's ability to provide high quality steelmaking coal, "an important transition-enabling commodity", to global customers.

Glencore's shares were up 0.6% at 483.8p by 1125 BST, while Teck was rising 3.4% in pre-market trade on Wall Street to $51.80.
Kingswood has announced the immediate exit of chief executive David Lawrence from the AIM-listed wealth and investment management firm.

The company did not give a reason for the resignation but thanks Lawrence for his "outstanding contribution" since joining the firm in 2020.

"The last four years have been a transformative period for Kingswood," Lawrence said in a statement.

"It is now a highly professional business with equally strong investment management credentials, and with the support of our primary investors, Pollen Street Capital has made and integrated over 20 acquisitions with AuA/M now approaching 10bn."

Kingswood announced that it has appointed fellow chartered accountant Peter Coleman to the board to be interim CEO while it starts the process to search for a permanent replacement. He is said to have held a range of executive leadership roles, including as CEO, CCO and CFO.

Kingswood shares have increased by 35% over the past two weeks alone since the publication of its annual results, which showed a 38% jump in group revenue in 2023 and a 38% rise in operating profits.
Oil and gas giant Shell is bracing for a financial impact of up to $2bn (1.6bn), it revealed on Friday, following its decision to halt construction on a major biofuels plant and sell a refinery in Singapore.

The halted project, a biofuels plant in Rotterdam, Netherlands, was expected to produce 820,000 tonnes of biofuels annually, including sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel, starting in 2025.

Suspending it was expected to cost the company up to $1bn, while the sale of the Bukom refinery in Singapore to a joint venture between Glencore and Indonesias PT Chandra Asri Pacific would incur a loss between $600m and $800m.

In its market update, Shell reported a mixed outlook across its segments.

In the integrated gas segment, production was projected to be between 940,000 and 980,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), with LNG liquefaction volumes forecasted at 6.8 to 7.2 million tonnes.

The segments underlying operating expenses are estimated between $1bn and $1.2bn, while pre-tax depreciation is anticipated to range from $1.2bn to $1.6bn.

Trading results for the segment were expected to be consistent with the prior year, but lower than the first quarter due to seasonal variations.

Upstream production was expected to fall between 1.72 million and 1.82 million boe/d.

Operating expenses there were projected at $2.1bn to $2.7bn, with pre-tax depreciation estimated between $2.5bn and $2.9bn.

Shell said it anticipated tax charges for the segment to range from $1.8bn to $2.6bn.

The marketing segment was forecast to maintain sales volumes between 2,700 and 3,100 thousand barrels per day, with steady operating expenses and pre-tax depreciation.

Similarly, the chemicals and products segment was expected to see indicative refining margins at $8 per barrel and chemicals margins at $155 per tonne, with refinery utilisation between 91% and 95%.

Shell also highlighted its renewable and energy solutions segment, projecting adjusted earnings between -$0.5bn and $0.1bn.

The corporate segment anticipates adjusted earnings from -$0.7bn to -$0.5bn.

Overall, the group expected total tax payments to range from $3.1bn to $3.9bn, with significant uncertainties in derivative movements and working capital, projected between -$2bn and $2bn.

Non-cash post-tax impairments, primarily from the Singapore chemicals and products assets and the Rotterdam HEFA project, were expected to total $1.5bn to $2bn.

Shells final second-quarter results were set to be announced on 1 August, pending any last-minute adjustments.

At 0850 BST, shares in Shell were down 0.1% at 2,897p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
Publicans have called on the Co-op to pull a disgraceful TV advert that urges the supermarkets customers to watch the Euro 2024 football tournament at home rather than going to the pub. The Co-op Food ad says it is hard to see the TV screen in the pub and suggests customers instead stay in and take advantage of a beer and pizza deal the supermarket is promoting.  Guardian

British electricity prices were double those paid in France and Spain in the spring, with the steel industry saying the disadvantage could hinder UK efforts to switch to greener technology. UK companies paid nearly 66 per megawatt hour (MWh) for wholesale electricity in the second quarter of 2024, well over double the French and Spanish equivalents in the same period, according to analysis of industry data by the lobby group UK Steel.  Guardian

British Gas has filed a record number of winding-up petitions against small businesses, threatening to tip restaurants and care homes into bankruptcy. British Gas Trading sought winding-up orders against 111 companies in 2023 and a further 60 were filed so far this year. It marks a significant increase on previous years, with just 38 filed in 2022 and 13 in 2021.  Telegraph

Tata Steel has snubbed unions and closed one of two blast furnaces at its biggest plant under plans to switch to a greener form of production. The company said it had ceased operations of blast furnace 5 in Port Talbot, south Wales, as part of its restructuring programme to stem unsustainable losses of more than 1 million a day. The decommissioning of the blast furnace and associated facilities started immediately after the last liquid iron had been produced. The second blast furnace is due to be shut down in September.  The Times

Two of the biggest hitters in private equity, KKR and CVC, are among the bidders to have put forward offers of more than 3 billion for B&B Hotels. Goldman Sachs investment division, which is looking to offload the hotels chain, is understood to have received a handful of proposals pitched between 3.2 billion and 3.3 billion.  The Times




Illustration:Chen Xia/GT

Global TimesDespite the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act that bars the US government agencies from contracting with any entity using Huawei components, the Pentagon is pushing for an exemption from the ban on the Chinese tech giant, with defense officials warning that it could jeopardize national security if not resolved, according to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday.

Ironically, the US had used "national security" as an excuse when it imposed the ban on Huawei. It is evident to see that this ban was not based on so-called national security concerns at all, but was a political decision to suppress China's high-tech industry through the crackdown on Huawei. The US imposes restrictions on various products from Huawei, but it does not take into account the specific situation in different departments and fields. Now when it comes to the implementation stage, various problems begin to emerge. The Pentagon's call fully proves that unilaterally banning a Chinese company, especially a company with immense size and influence like Huawei, the US' consideration was immature, and it was just a ridiculous decision made on the spur of the moment.

Bloomberg mentioned that Huawei is "so firmly entrenched" in the systems of countries where it does business, given the company accounts for nearly a third of all global telecommunications equipment revenue, finding a replacement would be "impossible." This shows that the US' ban on Huawei has begun to hurt some of the core parts of the country's system.

Huawei's products are competitive and popular in terms of price and quality. Therefore, it is almost impossible for the US to find complete substitutes. And Washington thus can only choose to accept more expensive products, or products with inferior quality to Huawei's. Moreover, the process of finding substitutes would be long, and such substitution will bring more economic burden to the US.

Zhang Tengjun, deputy director of the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, believes that in the current environment in the US, it is unlikely that the ban on Huawei will be completely lifted across the country. However, the reality is that the US may have to consider continuing to use some of Huawei's products. This will obviously further showcase the double standards of the US on this issue. In other words, the excuse of "national security" cited by Washington is untenable, which simply demonstrates the hypocrisy of the US itself.

Ultimately, the Huawei ban didn't reach Washington's expectation to halt the Chinese company's technology development. Instead, it has provided an opportunity for the company to work on enhancing self-reliance. In an article published by the Economist titled "America's assassination attempt on Huawei is backfiring" on June 13 reads that Uncle Sam's attacks failed to kill Huawei, but have only "made it stronger."

Washington's containment may have brought some troubles to Chinese companies in the short term, but in the long run, the US actually has no chance of winning in the "wars" it has waged.

It can be said that the US' suppression of Huawei is unprecedentedly severe, but the company's resilience is also unprecedentedly strong, which is like a banner for other Chinese enterprises. Under Washington's extreme pressure to force Chinese companies to "withdraw from US market," Huawei is an excellent example of how far a Chinese company can go.

There will gradually be more backlash against the US itself, because Huawei's competitiveness is obviously increasing, said Lu Xiang, a research fellow of US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He noted that the US has restricted Huawei's products in the name of national security to protect its own related manufacturers, but this kind of protection only maintains the backward production capacity in the US. In this case, such protection actually blocks US progress, and the backfire on the US will become clearer and clearer in the longer term.
Tracy O'Neill

(photo: Oskar Miarka)

Tracy O'Neill's memoir, Woman of Interest (HarperOne, $28.99; reviewed in this issue), recounts her search for her biological mother in 2020-21, which involved investigative research and a trip to South Korea. Her previous books are the novels The Hopeful and Quotients. In 2015, O'Neill was a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree. She is an assistant professor of English at Vassar College.

In November 2020, you contacted a private investigator to help you find your biological mother--but you ended up not hiring him and doing much of the legwork. Did it seem like you had temporarily become a PI yourself?

Joe, the private investigator, became something like my private investigation sensei. During those couple of years, I did become an investigator of sorts, as you say, absolutely. Many of us become investigators of ourselves and those who we take to be of interest to varying degrees. I think this is beautiful and optimistic.

You ran into a number of problems, including the unreliability of documentation related to your adoption (even basic information like the spelling of your birth mother's name). How did this affect your confidence in your origin story and in written history in general?

Throughout the search, I vacillated in my degree of confidence in details. But also, I am just generally someone who takes history to be constructed, riddled with mistakes, and interpreted. Like many academic types, I'm looking at what's useful and where the logic hiccups when I look at documents. To be a disgusting pig vis-a-vis cliche, I also seem to be thinking about the sausage-making of narratives.

The language gap was another persistent issue when communicating about and with your family in South Korea. What did you feel about how technology (and relatives or strangers with agendas) translated sensitive interactions such as your first conversations with your biological mother?

I'm so sensitive to language--when the language is English. But in Korea, it was as though I'd lost a whole sense. I often wondered if Google Translate or Naver Papago, the other translation app used, caught the connotation someone intended. In other moments, however, it was as though the language apps said something more plainly and clearly than perhaps even the speaker intended. Something true of what they seemed to feel was conveyed, even if they hadn't quite meant to so baldly reveal themselves, such as when (late in the book) my mother speaks of her "mother's wish" [to see her daughter married].

This whole quest happened at the height of the pandemic. How did Covid circumscribe how you went about things? Can you see any way in which those limitations may actually have been beneficial?

A lot of the "official" or "legitimate" ways of searching were unavailable to me. I also had a considerable amount of time to obsess without distraction. In this way, I was perhaps more pushed to seek answers myself, and therefore to have more conversations with people. I also might have treated that period of my life as a season of more gradual change than a come-to-Jesus moment.

Toward the end there's a sense of letdown when you don't experience instant emotional connection with your newfound family. What made you decide to turn this disappointment into a key element of the book rather than just think, "Oh well, there's no good story here"?

To me, the subversion of expectations often is exactly what makes for a good story. Paradoxically, as a reader, I don't necessarily want to get what I hope for. So I didn't really worry about that.

Your relationship with your Serbian boyfriend, N, deteriorates almost in parallel to the investigation. How do you see this as reflecting on the main plot?

This is a book that explores a time in my life in which I was searching for a sense of home and wondering who that included. As it turned out, neither N nor Cho Kyu Yeon were people with whom I could make a home. Sometimes, you take a chance on a boyfriend or a mother or a stray dog. You don't want your life to be small and controlled. You realize something of your life has become a locked and padded room. You take a leap of faith in other people and also in yourself, that you can go on, you will go on, and in moments those leaps are irrational, and maybe a little sad, but still provocatively alive.

In terms of genre considerations, how was this narrative shaped and how did you push against the conventions of memoir?

I knew that my own experience gathered the story, so I felt very free to take liberties with forms and genre. There's obviously a procedural plotting that strings the narrative together, but in moments there are other weird impulses that I followed. The final chapter moves between something like an essay and a frame narrative and poem. This is a work of memory, like all memoirs, but it was important to me that I did not end the book in a way that suggested that the logical end of memory is an ossified conclusion. I wasn't going to do false consolation or unearned redemption.

The book is also quite dialogue-heavy in many sections, which is common in detective fiction and noir. I thought about how Cho Kyu Yeon was something like a femme fatale, but also a missing person, but also an outlaw woman. I thought about how the person I could be felt like a missing person in a terrible couple of years for people collectively. I wanted to mobilize the figure of the detective in thinking about how we look for the clues to ourselves when we're lost and desperately wish to "solve" ourselves.

Do you have any enduring bond with Cho Kyu Yeon and/or the siblings and cousins you met on your trip?

Perhaps the book is an enduring bond of sorts. We haven't spoken since August 2023. --Rebecca Foster
At ALA's Annual Conference in San Diego, Calif., earlier this week, hundreds of librarians, authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals gathered at a banquet to celebrate the winners of the Association for Library Service to Children's three longest-running awards: the Randolph Caldecott Medal, the John Newbery Medal, and the Children's Literature Legacy Award.

Vashti Harrison

Vashti Harrison became the first Black woman to receive the Caldecott Medal, for her picture book Big (Little). This is how Harrison started her speech: "Did you know you're the first Black woman to win the Caldecott Medal? My agent called to ask me this. She was telling me that my life was about to change, so get ready. I was not ready." Harrison asked the crowd how she could possibly carry this title, possibly represent the Platonic ideal of "Black Woman Illustrator" when "there are so many visionaries who came before me?" So Harrison returned to her roots as an author and illustrator and used her time to highlight the seven Black Caldecott Honor-winning women who came before her: Faith Ringgold, Carole Byard, Ekua Holmes, Oge Mora, Cozbi A. Cabrera, Noa Denmon, and Janelle Washington. "I want to thank all of these women for their determination and creativity that paved a way for me."

Harrison spoke of beginning her career by drawing bodies that looked nothing like her--"long lean slender bodies." In time, she became conscious of her tendency to draw white or light-skinned women. As she was becoming aware of her implicit bias, "the world was changing. Eric Garner pleaded 'I can't breathe' while he was choked to death." Harrison watched Black women start the Black Lives Matter movement and she thought, "Black lives do matter. Black joy matters. Black stories matter. And Black art matters." And so she began to draw "beautiful Black women." But these beautiful Black women were "impossibly thin." Drawing became impossible for Harrison, who began to agonize over every sketch: "Every choice is political. Hair is political. Skin choice is political. Bodies are political." So Harrison resolved to draw only children: "Children who are allowed to be chunky. Children for whom big is good." But, she wondered, at what age does big start being bad?

Harrison admitted she was ashamed to tell the next part of her story: "I was visiting a school for a book event." She saw a Black girl, happy, laughing, and wearing a pink and purple tutu that rode up over her round belly. The artist thought, "she should know better than to wear a skirt like that." Harrison had fallen into the adultification bias, a form of prejudice in which adults view children as being "more adult, more mature, and more responsible than their age would suggest." "How dare I?" Harrison admonished herself. "That girl in her tutu could have been me. I saw in her my hair, my skin, my round belly, my joy, my silliness, and I saw how this bias left a scar in my body. I thought maybe I could create a world where girls never had to hurt like this." Big is the product of that desire. Harrison created the book in solitude during the pandemic: "I struggled with isolation, loneliness, and depression long before the lockdown, and fell even deeper during it." But with the help and insight of other authors and illustrators, she created a book designed "to bring readers inside the girl's perspective." Harrison implored the crowd to do the work to address and dismantle their implicit bias. "While this award feels overwhelming and a little terrifying," she finished, "I cherish it with all my heart."

Dave Eggers

Dave Eggers spoke after Harrison, placing his Newbery Medal for The Eyes and the Impossible (Knopf) on the podium next to an old, handmade book. Eggers told the audience that his career had begun with writing and illustrating books in elementary school. While his first book had featured various monsters using his head as a ball for different sports, his second book was "about a boy who was terrified of the dark and what might be lurking in the closet. The boy opened the closet one day and found a furry, horned creature who was a monster--yes, but a nice monster." The teacher entered his book into an Illinois statewide competition, which allowed young Eggers to attend a celebration for those who had received honors in the contest. When he and his mother arrived at the ceremony, Gwendolyn Brooks was officiating. "Does that make any sense at all?" Eggers asked. "How was she there? Like every child in school, I assumed every author we read was dead." Eggers remembers "nothing about her speech" but the words "welcome" and "fellow authors." Eggers held up the handmade book that had brought him face to face with Gwendolyn Brooks: "I was never the same."

Eggers recalled that his mother had loved the library; she would guide him toward Newbery winners, and he would inevitably choose books about monsters. "My mother passed away at age 51 and my dad at age 54," Eggers said, beginning to choke up. "I've never told anyone this, but I vowed if I made it past 50, I would write whatever the hell I wanted to write from then on. So, when I hit 50, I decided I wanted to do something not so logical for a person of five decades, and that was write a story about a dog who ate garbage." The Eyes and the Impossible, Eggers said, "was my love letter to being alive past 50. This is the most personal book I have written and also the weirdest." Johannes, the dog protagonist of the book, "gave me a way to write the way I've always wanted to write, sing the way I've always wanted to sing." This book also gave Eggers "maybe the most respect my writing has ever gotten from my kid": when he told his son he had won the Newbery Medal, his son responded, "Whoa, like New Kid?"

Pam Munoz Ryan (r.) with Caroline Ward, chair of the Children's Literature Legacy Award committee.

The final speaker was Pam Munoz Ryan, winner of the Children's Literature Legacy Award. Esperanza Rising (Scholastic), Ryan's 2000 novel that won her the Pura Belpre Medal, paralleled her grandmother's emigration. "My mother was born in the camp depicted in the book," Ryan said. Next year, Esperanza Rising will celebrate 25 years in print. "When I look back, I think about how unlikely it is that I'm standing before you. I didn't grow up in a print-rich environment and I didn't discover books beyond classroom textbooks until the fifth grade." It was her grandmothers--who shared folktales and delighted in gossip--who ignited Ryan's love of story. The library, she said, was more an escape than a place to read: "I didn't go there intending to check out books." But once the books made themselves known to her, "I was captured. I carried books to the kitchen table, the car, and I secretly hid them inside textbooks." As she grew into "an awkward sullen, acne-ridden adolescent," she "coped through books." It is no surprise, Ryan said, that she now writes "for readers who are the same age as I was when books made the most profound difference in my life."

Ryan told a story about her grandmother embarrassing her at the market. The author was at an age where she didn't want to be looked at, let alone have her grandmother focus attention on her. But her grandmother demanded the butcher comment on how very beautiful her granddaughter was. The butcher remained silent. "In the way of her sometimes-strange translation from Spanish to English," Ryan recalled, "my grandmother took me outside and said, 'He only see the outside of you, he doesn't see the bones of you.' " At the time, this meant nothing to Ryan. "Now I know she meant that he couldn't see my core. The essence of me. The potential of me. And isn't that something we all hope? That someone will see the beauty inside of us? Isn't that something we hope for young readers, too? That someone will recognize their worth and value them for their spirit?" Writers and illustrators, she said, are creating for an audience they cannot see, writing in hopes of touching the bones. "We write and draw shackled to the beautiful tyranny of now. We work with hearts full of hope for the future.... It's an honor to share this stage and do this important work. I can't wait to find out what comes next." --Sian Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness
Is being a regular person all its cracked up to be?

Actor Kevin Bacon decided to try out a day as a non-celebrity, and recounted his experience in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, to see if the normal grass is indeed greener.

Im not complaining, but I have a face thats pretty recognizable, Bacon, 65, said in the interview. Putting my hat and glasses on is only going to work to a certain extent.

The actor went to great lengths to go incognito, employing the help of a special effects artist, who fitted the Footloose star with fake teeth, a different nose, and eyewear, which he sported on a day of shopping in a section of Los Angeles usually packed with tourists.

The X-Men First Class star was surprised at his reaction to the anonymity craved by so many A-listers in Hollywood, who are constantly hounded by photographers, as he was so unrecognizable that he had to suffer the indignity of waiting his turn, unable to cut the line to get a coffee.

I had to wait in line to, I dont know, buy a fking coffee or whatever, he recalled. People were kind of pushing past me, not being nice. Nobody said, I love you. I was like, This sucks. I want to go back to being famous.

Kevin Bacon arrives at the Winter TCA Fox All-Star Party at the Langham Huntington Hotel on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)Matt Sayles/Invision/AP

ABOUT KEVIN BACON

Actor Kevin Norwood Bacon was born on July 8, 1958, in Philadelphia, PA, and gained fame for his 1984 role in the musical drama, Footloose.

Since then, he has appeared in A Few Good Men, Apollo 13, Mystic River, Hollow Man, The Woodsman, and Tremors.

Bacon has received numerous awards and nominations throughout his career, including a Golden Globe for his role in 2009s Taking Chance, a performance that earned him an Emmy nomination. Hes also achieved a Screen Actors Guild Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. When not acting, he belongs to a folk/rock/country band called the Bacon Brothers, with his brother Michael.

On the personal front, Bacon is married to actress Kyra Sedgwick since 1988, and they have two children. Bacon is active in various charitable causes and co-founded SixDegrees.org, a charitable initiative inspired by the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game to promote giving and social good.

Bacons upcoming projects include MaXXXine, a movie starring Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins and Giancarlo Esposito. Bacon is also set to star in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video original series The Bondsman, which will also star Jennifer Nettles, as well as the Michael J. Weithorn (The King of Queens) movie Connescence, which stars Kyra Sedgwick.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- One of Traviss most well-known spots is Oceanic Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1, which has been serving the community for more than 143 years.

The Oceanic Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 of Travis, Staten Island, was established in 1881. At that time, the town was known as Linoleumville, home of the first linoleum factory in America. The Oceanic Hook & Ladder still occupies its historic fire station at 4010 Victory Boulevard, according to the Historic Richmond Town website.

According to an article in the Advance/SILive.com, only 10 volunteer companies remain citywide with two of them on the Island: Oceanic Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1 and Richmond Engine Co 1.

Originally known as the Travisville Fire Company, Oceanic Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1 started operating from a building on Meredith Avenue. In 1902, the original building was relocated to its current location on Victory Boulevard, where it continues to serve the community.

In 1981, members of the Oceanic Hook and Ladder Volunteer Fire Co., of Travis, admire one of their two engines. They are, from left to right, Robert Tater, Jim Reid, John Glein and William Smarsh. (Staten Island Advance)Staten Island Advance

Victory Boulevard, at the N.E. corner of Burke Avenue (right), showing the Oceanic Hook and Ladder Company No. 1. May 19, 1932 (NYPL Digital Collections)Staten Island Advance

Oceanic Hook & Ladder #1 is one of the two still active volunteer fire companies on Staten Island. This photo was taken in front of their firehouse in Travis on Victory Blvd. (No Date)Staten Island Advance

The Oceanic Hook & Ladder volunteer fire company hold festivities before the start of the annual Travis Fourth of July Parade. Friday July 4, 2014. (Staten Island Advance/Anthony DePrimo) Staten Island Advance

Sights and scenes from the 112th Travis Fourth of July Parade on Monday, July 4, 2022. (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon) Staten Island Advance

Volunteer firefighters from Travis' Oceanic Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 make a sneak attack on the members of Engine Company No. 154 on the Victory Boulevard homestretch of the 99th annual Travis Fourth of July Parade. 2009 (Staten Island Advance/Jamie Lee) Staten Island Advance

Members of the Oceanic Volunteer Fire Co. make their way along Victory Boulevard during the Fourth of July Parade in 2002. (Staten Island Advance)Staten Island Advance

Oceanic Hook and Ladder Company #1, the communityOs volunteer firefighters, July 1, 2024. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Staten Island Advance

Sights and scenes from the 112th Travis Fourth of July Parade on Monday, July 4, 2022. (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon) Staten Island Advance

Oceanic VFD marches in the 108th Annual Travis Fourth of July Parade Wednesday, July 4, 2018. (Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons) Staten Island Advance
A popular Swedish furniture brand has announced plans to open a new location in New York City.

IKEA is putting down roots on Manhattans Fifth Avenue with an 80,000-square-foot meeting point store set to open as part of a larger real estate investment by the companys investment arm, Ingka Group.

The smaller store is meant to give customers a more personable experience. Meeting points are locations where customers can go for extra support or guidance, especially when it comes to making vast or complicated purchases.

For reference, IKEAs other two New York City locations  in Brooklyn and on Long Island  are considerably larger, clocking in at 350,000 square feet and 227,000 square feet, respectively.

The new meeting point store will be located within a 1 million-square-foot mixed-use building at 570 Fifth Avenue, which is a part of the extensive plan by Ingka Investments, the investments arm of Ingka Group  to enhance its city center retail presence.

We are excited to share the news of this major investment that boosts our growth strategy across the U.S., a vital market for Ingka Group. Investing in Fifth Avenue goes beyond just growing our footprint; its about changing the way we engage with consumers and playing a part in creating strong, sustainable economies and business communities, Peter van der Poel, managing director of Ingka Investments, said in a statement.

Located at the intersection of the Plaza and Grand Central Districts, this project will give New Yorkers access to necessary services and amenities. As a part of the groups mission to adapt to the city environment, this building was chosen for its proximity to modes of public transportation, with Grand Central Station just a short walk away.

Extell Development Company, one of Americas leading development firms, will develop the Fifth Avenue investment into a new retail and office tower available to tenants by 2028.

This next phase of our investment and expansion in the U.S. signals our commitment to bring IKEA closer to people in city centers. While we are in the very early stages of planning for the IKEA location, we can promise to deliver an experience that is full of inspiration and designed to meet the home furnishing dreams of the many New Yorkers, Javier Quinones, CEO & chief sustainability officer of IKEA U.S., said in the press release.

The Ingka Group is incorporating its sustainability goals into this project. While developing the building, the group wants to achieve a minimum LEED Gold certification and low-carbon operations.

Since 2019, the investment group has been opening IKEAs in cities across the globe, including places like Tokyo, Paris and London. However, Ingka Group and Extell Development Company have particularly high hopes for the New York City location.

We have been working on assembling this project for almost two decades and Ingka Investments substantial commitment allows us to move forward with the construction and leasing of the best new office building in New York, Gary Barnett, founder and chairman of Extell Development Company, said in the press release. This will be the first office tower to begin construction in the city post pandemic and it is a great sign of New Yorks resilience. We are thankful to the Ingka Group team for their confidence in the project and New Yorks future and look forward to a rewarding partnership. We are also thankful to our lenders, Meritz Securities and IGIS, for their continued commitment to the project.

There are 473 IKEA stores in 63 countries and five territories.
A fun-filled Fourth of July turned into a nightmare experience for four separate victims of shark encounters at a beach in Texas on Thursday. The same shark is believed to be responsible for each of the incidents, which took place in shallow waters near the shore off South Padre Island.

Texas Game Warden Capt. Chris Dowdy told ABC Weslaco, Texas, affiliate KRGV that four separate incidents involving the shark, including two bites, were reported.

Two victims were reportedly bitten on the leg, including one injury so severe that the victim was flown out for treatment. One individual was also grazed by the shark, while another was injured while fending it off, Dowdy said.

Photos and videos shared to social media showed the shark lurking near the shoreline while one of its victims laid on the beach surrounded by a pool of blood as beachgoers provided first aid. The South Padre Island Police Department said it received a call reporting a severe shark bite to the leg at around 11 a.m. local time Thursday, according to ABC News.

The South Padre Island police and fire departments provided treatment on site before victims were transported to Valley Regional Medical Center.

Eyewitness Kyle Jud described the scene in regard to one of the victims to NBC News.

Beach patrol lifted her up...her calf was just gone, shredded. Horrific, Jud said.

Shark encounters of this nature are not a common occurrence in Texas, officials said in a released statement. When bites from sharks do occur, they are usually a case of mistaken identity by sharks looking for food.

Beachgoers are advised to be on the lookout for large schools of bait near the shore while swimming, which is typically an indicator that a predator could be nearby.

Authorities say if you see a shark, you should calmly exit the water and wait for the predatory wildlife to pass.
Sharks are taking over the summer TV schedule for seven days, starting this weekend, for Shark Week 2024.

The summer tradition airs every year on the Discovery Channel  typically running for a full week. This years series starts 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.

This year, it will be hosted by actor and professional wrestler John Cena, who will guide viewers through 21 hours of new programming. The annual television event promises to be an electrifying and unforgettable experience that will leave you in awe of the world beneath the waves.

Thrilling encounters with apex predators, epic deep-sea expeditions, and weighty concerns about the poop from the fattest white sharks patrolling the waters are just a few of the extraordinary stories that will emerge during Discovery Channels Shark Week, stated Discovery Channel.

If you are a cord-cutter, you can watch Shark Week on fuboTV, which is currently offering a free trial.

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.  Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis met with Virginia Allen and Curlene Jennings Bennett, two of the last living 300 African-American nurses known as the Black Angels, who treated thousands of tuberculosis patients at Staten Islands Sea View Hospital 70 years ago.

Malliotakis presented Allen and Jennings Bennett with commemorative coins and formal copies of Congressional Records she submited on their behalf, along with a Congressional Record honoring the service of the Black Angels who are now deceased. The Congressional Record formally submits their legacy to the history books of the Congress.

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis with Virginia Allen, right, Curlene Jennings Bennett, sitting, and Patricia Wilson, who accepted a Congressional Record on behalf of the deceased Black Angels. (Courtesy/Office of Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis)Staten Island Advance

The Black Angels were courageous, dedicated and bold in answering the call to come to Sea View Hospital and put their lives on the line to care for severely ill tuberculosis patients in New York City, Malliotakis said. Because of Virginia, Curlene and the rest of the Black Angels who answered the call to serve when others wouldnt, and at a time when they didnt even have equal rights as American citizens, tens of millions of patients were cared for, treated and cured from this deadly disease. It was an honor to meet with these angels on earth and recognize them for everything theyve done to save lives and pave the way for other black nurses to integrate into the wider medical community.

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis with Virginia Allen who in 1947 came to Sea View Hospital at 16 years old to treat tuberculosis patients. (Courtesy/Office of Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis)Staten Island Advance

Staten Islands Sea View Hospital opened in 1913 specifically to treat patients with tuberculosis, and at its peak, saw nearly 2,000 patients (almost double the intended capacity) at a time when the disease accounted for 18 percent of all deaths in New York City.

Sea View Hospital was one of only four municipal hospitals in New York City that did not discriminate against black nurses, so many were recruited to step in and serve as front-line care givers.

With the help of the Black Angels, from 1951 to 1952, Drs. Edward Robitzek and Irving Selikoff of Sea View Hospital conducted clinical trials of the drug Isoniazid, the first drug to treat Tuberculosis.

Since its discovery, the drug has saved tens of millions of lives.

WATCH MALLIOTAKIS REMARKS FROM THE PRESENTATION

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis pictured with Virginia Allen who in 1947, came to Staten Islands Sea View Hospital at 16 years old to treat tuberculosis patients.

CLICK HERE to read Malliotakis Congressional Record honoring Virginia Allen, an author and a 2005 Advance Woman of Achievement.
An additional 39 mountain lions were authorized for hunters to kill in west-central Montana next hunting season following approval by the Fish and Wildlife Commission on June 20.

Commissioner Jeff Burrows, of Hamilton, had proposed the increase in the greater Bitterroot region due to concerns regarding declining populations of other huntable wildlife like deer and elk.

For example, in Lion Management Unit 240, which encompasses much of the northern portion of the Bitterroot Mountains, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks had recommended a lion harvest of eight animals. Burrows recommended an increase to 18. The commission unanimously agreed.

Sometimes these predator increases are characterized as a war on predators, and that is not the case here, Burrows said. This is in response to those ungulate populations.

Panels proposals

FWP developed the proposals for the commissions consideration utilizing recommendations from a 13-member advisory panel. The Montana West-central Lion Ecoregional Population Objective Committee, LEPOC for short, met with agency biologists and digested a wealth of information over three meetings to reach an agreement on their proposal to manage for a stable population of lions in the west-central region.

Based on the information from FWP, LEPOC was told between 151-280 lions would need to be killed in west-central Montana to keep the population stable. The numbers were based on the average harvest over the past five years in the region (151) and the quota set last year for the area (280).

During last years hunting season, 179 lions were killed in the west-central ecoregion. Feeding that number into the departments Integrated Population Model calculated a harvest of 235 lions to maintain a stable population.

Last year saw about a 7% increase in the lion harvest across the state, according to Brian Wakeling, FWPs Game Management Bureau chief. That amounted to 542 cougars.

Most of the increase was in the female segment, he said.

Hard to correlate

Commission vice-chair Pat Tabor, of Whitefish, said he has been trying to understand the correlation between predator populations and ungulates.

Its not about trying to eradicate any species, of course not, Tabor said. Its about trying to strike the right balance between both.

Wakeling explained its not a direct correlation  fewer predators equals more ungulates  because of all the many factors involved, including other predators, habitat and weather that can affect deer, elk and other ungulate populations. Even the price of gas can determine how many hunters venture out.

The difficulty of correlation was illustrated in the commissions information packet showing deer and elk populations overlaid with lion harvest data from the west-central Lion Management Units. In some hunting districts, mule deer numbers rose as the lion harvest increased. In others, despite a lion harvest increase, deer numbers remained flat or declined.

6-year plan

The process FWP is going through to establish lion harvest data is part of a detailed six-year effort to individually assess lion populations in each region in greater detail using rigorous science. The process was born out of a 2019 effort to better understand lion populations, named the Mountain Lion Monitoring and Management Strategy, which divided the state into four ecoregions.

Population abundance is estimated in each ecoregion using an integrated population model (IPM) which combines data from mandatory reporting of lion harvest, vital rates estimated from past radio-telemetry studies, and a field-based spatial capture-recapture (SCR) method for estimating population density relative to habitat quality using lion DNA, according to the report provided to the commissioners.

The IPM is also used to develop projections of future population change under alternative harvest scenarios to inform management decisions, the report said.

In the first enactment of the plan in the winters of 2019-2021, FWP conducted field monitoring in the northwest ecoregion that was combined with harvest and demographic rates to produce an ecoregional lion population estimate. An advisory group was formed for that region and recommendations to reduce the lion population by more than 12% over the next six years was offered to the department and adopted by the commission.

Model problems

The field staff then moved to the west-central ecoregion to repeat the process, but things didnt go as planned.

The initial population estimate for the West-central Ecoregion conflicted with biological knowledge of lions and the harvest data for the West-central Ecoregion, confusing the model and preventing the model from working, the agency said in its report.

So, the FWP science team had to find an alternative way to estimate the initial population size. In the end, the team couldnt provide specific projected harvest numbers and so, acknowledging a level of uncertainty surrounding population estimates the team split the difference.

Last year FWP took heat after a Bozeman scientist argued the states Integrated Population Occupancy Model used to estimate wolf numbers was flawed, providing unrealistically high estimates. The department defended IPOM saying the researchers conclusions were flawed and the model had withstood peer review.

However, the model being used for lions is different, Wakeling told the commission.

Commissioner Tabor expressed concerns the model could multiply early mistakes over the course of six years.

If any one of the elements in this population estimate process comes in a little bit weak then we have an overall underestimate of population to begin with, and then thats what were guiding and directing LEPOCs, now and in the future, of basing their recommendations to us, Tabor said. It feels to me like we run this pretty substantive risk of grossly underestimating our population of lions. And then if weve come with a stabilization policy on top of that, we could wind up having a lot more lions and therefore a substantively greater effect on those ungulates of concern.

Wakeling said in Region 1 of northwest Montana there are an estimated 1,375 lions. In Region 2, that west-central area, the lion population is estimated at between 1,800 and 1,900 lions.

We have no fear that we are overharvesting mountain lions, Wakeling said. Were confident that mountain lions are commonplace, that theyre populations are healthy  so what were talking about is trajectories  within the realm of biological acceptability. We have room for error.

Tabor also took at jab at the west-central LEPOC which contained members opposed to mountain lion hunting. He said the group did the best it could, based on its composition. But he and Commissioner Brian Cebull, of Billings, advocated for taking some of the decision-making power away from the citizens group to focus lion harvest where ungulate numbers are down.

Public comment on the discussion was split between those in the conservation community who see the hunting of lions as unnecessary and say the predators are a much-needed part of the ecosystem, to outfitters and hunters who supported the increased lion harvest.

The co-leader of Great Old Broads for Wilderness in northwest Montana, Mary Alexine, told the commission, mountain lions are part of what make the states wildlands special.

Its clear from all of the comments that have been made that its  not a science or solidly determined number of lions, she said. We dont know how many there are.

In an email to the commission, Justin Burdett, Region 2 director of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, criticized FWP for suggesting lower quotas than what LEPOC had recommended.

We have struggling mule deer, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat populations as a direct result of over predation from lions, he wrote.

During the meeting, he phoned in to praise Commissioner Burrows for suggesting the larger lion harvest in the greater Bitterroot region.
MUSIC

When We Was Fab: Inside the Beatles Australasian Tour 1964

Andy Neill and Greg Armstrong, Woodslane Press, $69.99

Sixty years ago this week, an English pop group flew out of Australia, spent, never to return. Thirteen months later theyd stop performing altogether. Five more years and theyd split in high dudgeon. Today two members are dead. And yet here we are, still blinking into the past and asking: What just happened?

Its the mania, not the Beatles, that fuels this proclaimed last word on the subject. Sure, the musicians are pictured, often multiple times, on nearly every one of its 300 glossy, LP-sized pages. Their pithy press conference banter and polite newsprint soundbites are faithfully transcribed. But theyre not here. Like their famously inaudible concerts, theyre obliterated by something beyond their doing and beyond all reason.

The clue to clearly obsessive chroniclers Andy Neill and Greg Armstrongs intentions as curators is in the title. When We Was Fab was borrowed from George Harrisons sentimental single of 87, but here the we refers to the people of the southern British colonies emerging from the postwar cold. And blimey, cobber, we werent half funny.
Advertisement

Eating outTrends The new-wave vending machines making cakes, steaks and cocktails more convenient than ever At a time of rising costs, robots are coming to the rescue, ushering in a new age of food on the run. Bianca Hrovat July 5, 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

Vending machines dispensing cakes, steaks and cocktails are the way of the future, say a new generation of Australian entrepreneurs, who are choosing robots over traditional retail outlets. Customers can use technologically advanced vending machines to buy freshly baked cakes from Cake Mail in Sydney, cook instant ramen at Right Away Ramen in Brisbane, and soon, order cocktails from Tipsy Turtle in Melbourne. Cake Mail founder Jonathan Mussaad at his new Chatswood vending machine. Rhett Wyman The movement towards food automation is inspired by Japans vending machine culture, where more than 5.5 million vending machines sell everything from soft-serve ice-cream to fresh eggs. In Japan, vending machines glow on street corners throughout suburbia. Its so smart, says Cake Mail founder Jonathan Mussaad, who launched his Chatswood vending machine in June. They dont need staff to operate them, they pay barely any rent to store it there, and theyre open 24 hours.

Advertisement

Its expensive, but its half the price of fitting out and setting up a shop, he says. Weve already had lots of demand to open more  its so convenient, its the way of the future. Flying Turtle has expanded its automatic drink machines to Australia. Supplied Automated drink vending machines are commonplace in Thailand, where Forth Corporation operates more than 6000 machines and continues to grow. In October, the company launched its first Australian machine in Melbourne, under the name Flying Turtle. It has since expanded to Sydney, and plans to open in Brisbane next week. It has been brought to Australia to address the issue of rising costs of operating traditional food and beverage businesses and the limited availability of these outlets, especially after hours, says Flying Turtle managing director Panrapee Kwong. Eventually, the company plans to launch a Tipsy Turtle vending machine in Melbourne, mixing alcoholic cocktails with Asian-inspired flavours such as yuzu and lychee.

Advertisement

Kate Matheson from Cake Creations by Kate designed affortable, single-serve cake tubs. PENNY STEPHENS Katelyn Matheson, the Melbourne baker behind Cake Creations by Kate, is a pioneer of the new-age vending machine. In 2023, Matheson launched Australias first cupcake vending machine in Caroline Springs, selling up to 500 mini cupcakes a day. From birthday cakes to choc tops: Vending machines gather momentum around Melbourne Matheson says the machine acts as a billboard for her Point Cook bakery, bringing in new customers, 60 per cent of whom purchase outside business hours. But it hasnt been an easy process. Sensor errors and squashed cakes led Matheson to upgrade the machine in May to a 600kg, $60,000 custom-made model from Italy, with a touch screen, robotic arm and conveyor belt to gently dispense cakes.

Advertisement

Australias first cake vending machine, from Cake Creations by Kate. PENNY STEPHENS She also developed a new product, the cake tub (single-serve cakes baked in foil tins, with clear lids), in response to customer feedback. People wanted more affordable products, and something theyd be able to eat on the go. It tripled our sales overnight, she says. In Sydney, Chop Butchery founder Dave Funnell installed two meat vending machines to give customers an after-hours alternative to major supermarkets. The $50,000 machines, which hold about 120 trays of meat including wagyu steaks, instantly warns butchers if the products temperature rises above 4 degrees. Chop Butchery meat vending machine in Sydney. Supplied

Advertisement

Food vending machines are popular with young professionals, families and students, many of whom film the process to post on social media. The hype was really crazy, says Sam Li, who, with Nigel Yeap and Panashe Machingura, launched Australias machine dispensing boba tea (tea studded with tapioca pearls) at the University of Queensland in 2022. Word of mouth spread like wildfire. The Boba Machine was developed by three UQ alumni in Brisbane. Supplied But vending machines havent found universal favour, says Matheson. Some people are scared to adopt the new technology, she says. Theyre scared it will take away jobs, and they say they dont want to be served by a machine.

Advertisement

In reality, we wouldnt have been able to afford to grow and service their area without the vending machine. It actually increased the number of people we hired because we needed more delivery drivers and bakers. Next-wave vending machines Sydney Chop Butchery

Advertisement

What: Pick up a wagyu scotch fillet steak after work at this refrigerated meat vending machine. The $40 premium cut is the best-selling product, but the machine holds about 15 different cuts. Its restocked three times a week from the adjoining butcher shop. Where: 20 Forest Way, Frenchs Forest, and 166-172 Mona Vale Road, St Ives,

chopbutchery.com.au A crowd lines up to try Flying Turtle drinks automation machine. Supplied Flying Turtle What: Flying Turtle is an automated machine engineered in Thailand, capable of serving 200 hot and cold drinks within an average of 90 seconds. Youll find 21 types of coffee (made with locally roasted, ground-to-order coffee beans), as well as sodas, protein shakes, teas, smoothies and liquid desserts such as strawberry cheesecake all for about $4.50. An inbuilt washing machine and UV light keep things clean between orders.

Advertisement

Where: Various locations in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, flyingturtle.com.au Mini cakes from Cake Mail. Edwina Pickles Cake Mail What: Sydneys first cake vending machine uses a sophisticated robotic arm and conveyor belt system to safely deliver miniature cakes ($13) in flavours such as pistachio, birthday cake, and caramel chocolate. The refrigerated machine is restocked every two days, based on demand. Where: Level 4, Westfield Chatswood, 1 Anderson Street, Chatswood,

cakemail.com.au

Advertisement

Ramen Auru What: It might not dispense bowls of steaming ramen, but this 80s-themed ticket vending machine gets you half the way there. Its become the drawcard at Ramen Auru, the Japanese ramen hall from the team behind Yakitori Yurippi and Nakano Darling. Order using the machines big, backlit buttons, collect your ticket, and pay at the counter. In traditional Japanese style, youll need to remove your shoes before being seated at a tatami mat to devour your meal. Where: Shop 2F, 6-8 Falcon Street, Crows Nest, instagram.com/ramenauru

Advertisement

PizzaBot What: An industrial-grade robot arm inside this pizza vending machine can make your choice of four pizza slices within two minutes. But how its done? The pizzas are assembled and partially cooked before being loaded into the refrigerated machine. Once the customer makes their selection, the pizza is heated in temperatures as high as a wood-fired oven and packaged neatly in a cardboard box. Where: The machine recently finished its stint at Broadway, but is expected to pop up again in August in an undisclosed Sydney location. pizzabot.com.au Brisbane Right Away Ramen vending machine. Supplied

Advertisement

Right Away Ramen What: This instant ramen vending machine sells popular brands from across Asia, including Samyang Buldak, Nongshim and MAMA, priced between $5 to $7.70. The machines, a first in Australia, are equipped with a hot water system for on-the-spot cooking. Its expected to expand to Melbourne this year. Where: University of Southern Queensland campuses at 37 Sinnathamby Boulevard, Springfield, and 487 West Street, Kearneys Spring, rightawayramen.com Australias first boba (bubble) tea machine, Boba Machine. Supplied Boba Machine

Advertisement

What: This custom-made vending machine serves 24 flavours of fruit and milk teas, sodas and energy drinks. The machine is deep-cleaned and refreshed every two days. Next week, the team behind Boba Machine launches a new UberEats delivery service. Where: Various locations in Brisbane, with franchises in Melbourne, Adelaide and the Gold Coast, bobamachine.com.au Correction: an earlier version of this article stated that beverage company Tao Bin operated 200 vending machines in Bangkok. In fact, the parent company is Forth Corporation and they run more than 6000 machines across Thailand. Read more Review Discover the joys of grab-and-go snacks at this Japanese-style convenience store

Advertisement

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has given his home council $2.6 million to redo housing plans already drawn up by the state Labor government which the Inner West Council did not like.

The grant was part of $50 million in cash splashed to councils and state government departments around the country  $27 million of which went to NSW  as part of the first stream of the federal governments $500 million Housing Support Program.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on home turf with West Tigers fans Amelie and Isabel Fergusson at Leichhardt Oval. Credit: Kate Geraghty

Inner West Council received $2.62 million towards a $4.72 million project of preparing precinct master plans for five housing investigation areas: Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Ashfield, Croydon and the Parramatta Road Corridor.

However, four of those areas were already subjects of the state governments Transport-Oriented Development Program, announced in December, which rezones land within 400 metres of train stations to allow six- or seven-storey apartment blocks to boost housing density.
When Reddam House opened its Woollahra campus just over 20 years ago, it was an outlier among the century-old, single-sex private schools that dominate Sydneys eastern suburbs. The non-denominational, co-ed school quickly became known for its academic ethos, relaxed uniforms and strong results.

Its popularity among parents grew fast, and by 2009 it had broken into the top 10 HSC rankings, outperforming some top public selective schools.

Reddam House is split over two eastern suburbs campuses. Credit: Christopher Pearce

Nadim Nsouli, the founder of Inspired, the global operator of Reddam, which runs more than 100 schools in 24 countries, says the success of his companys model means the group is considering opening other local Reddam campuses, with the inner west, Sutherland Shire and lower northern beaches named as potential sites.

Were not going to have another 10 Sydney schools, but theres no reason we cant have four, Nsouli told the Herald. We think theres potential demand in NSW, and we are actively evaluating other opportunities. The barrier is access to good real estate, and grounds for facilities and sport.
The brother of a man believed to be a ruthless organised-crime kingpin has been granted bail in Western Australia, despite allegations hes a high-level player in a violent illicit tobacco syndicate and fears he is a flight risk.

Maytham Hamad, 29, was released to home detention on Friday, two weeks after he was arrested in Perth when a phone tap led investigators involved in a large interstate police operation to an alleged $270,000 in dirty cash.

Maytham Hamad has been released to home detention. Credit: Nine News Perth

Hamad is the brother of Kazem Kaz Hamad, who police claim has emerged as one of Melbournes most powerful new kingpins after he was released from jail in mid-2023 and deported to Iraq.

Maytham Hamad is accused of laundering the $270,000, which police allegedly intercepted in a parcel he had sent to a close relative in Victoria.
West Coast forward Tyler Brockman has been fined $1400 by the Geraldton Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to a series of traffic offences.

Brockman hit the headlines when he fled the scene of a car crash in early May while in Geraldton to attend a family funeral.

Tyler Brockman. Credit: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The former Hawk was alleged to have crashed into a light post before fleeing on foot in the early hours of the morning on May 4, returning later to retrieve the vehicle.

Brockman pleaded guilty to careless driving, failing to report an accident, and failing to stop.

The 21-year-old wasnt in court to enter the guilty pleas in person on Friday given he was due to fly out with West Coasts squad ahead of Sundays clash with Melbourne at the MCG.

West Coast stood Brockman down in the wake of the crash, and enrolled him in a wellbeing and education program to help him deal with complex issues.

Brockman was handed an AFL recall a fortnight ago, and has managed to keep his spot in the side.

The wellbeing and education programs facilitated by the club will be ongoing with Tyler and pleasingly he has already made progress, West Coast said in a statement.

AAP
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 Its not terribly rare for Australias members of parliament and senators to defect from their political parties, although its rarer on the Labor side. The last Labor rat, to use the partys rich vernacular, was Mark Latham after leaving parliament and taking leave of his senses. The last one to defect while still in parliament was senator Mal Colston in 1996 in the noble cause of pursuing a pay rise. And while each of the defectors has a colourful story, the case of senator Fatima Payman this week stands out. She is the first in the modern era to reject her party on the basis of identity politics. This seems to be the first one around ethnic and religious identity of this type, observes Frank Bongiorno, professor of history at the Australian National University. Announcing her resignation from Labor while staying on in the Senate, Payman on Thursday said: Unlike my colleagues, I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of injustice. My family did not flee from a war-torn country to come here as refugees for me to remain silent when I see atrocities inflicted on innocent people. Shes speaking of the Palestinian people. Paymans family is from Afghanistan, where her father served as a politician before the Taliban took over. She arrived in Australia as an eight-year-old. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and senator Fatima Payman have clashed over the timeline of events that led to her defection. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Advertisement

Shes speaking of an explicit identification with the Palestinian people, and a unique personal credential of shared injustice. The ongoing genocide in Gaza is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. It is a crisis that pierces the heart and soul, calling us to action with a sense of urgency and moral clarity. Many in Labor share her pain. One Labor minister said after her resignation: The thing that hurts is that theres not much difference  everyone in Labor wants the war to stop, everyone wants to get to a place where Palestine is recognised. So what, exactly, was the difference between the Payman position and the Labor position? The career-defining difference was this: Payman crossed the floor to support a Greens motion that called on the Senate to recognise the state of Palestine. Labors motion added as part of a peace process with support for the two-state solution and a just and enduring peace. Asked at her resignation press conference to explain why the Labor motion was so radioactive that she would quit the party over it, she replied that it was the conditionality of that recognition I was not OK with. In other words, it had to be unconditional recognition; it couldnt await a peace process. Pauline Hanson, like Payman, rode the ticket of one of the major parties to enter parliament. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Elsewhere in her remarks, Payman said that shes not a single-issue politician, yet she has left Labor over this single issue. And this decision largely defines her as a single-issue politician, like it or not. She said she is acting in defence of humanity, but in earlier statements shed called for Palestine to be free from the river to the sea. This slogan is synonymous with the call for destruction of Israel, though Payman has disavowed this intention. That doesnt cut it. She is young but not that naive.

Advertisement

The Renegade Activist protesters who climbed onto the roof of Parliament House on Thursday got the message. They hung the giant banner  From the river to the sea Palestine will be free  across the front entrance. Theyd met her a week earlier. They said they wanted to give as much support to Fatima as possible. How much humanity is there in calling for the destruction of Israel? Payman earlier had criticised leaders for performative gestures. But what has she now done? Of course, the Australian governments position is immaterial to the war in Gaza. Much less the position of an independent sitting on the Senate backbench. None of this will shorten the war by one hour. Whos making performative gestures now? This is full-blown identity politics. Australia has had another politician from a major party strike out as an independent in modern times, also on the basis of identity politics. In fact, shell be sitting not far from Payman in the Senate. Pauline Hanson was preselected as a Liberal for the 1996 election, but the party disendorsed her for remarks about Aboriginal welfare that were damned as racist. It was too late to reprint the ballot papers, however. Hanson won the Queensland seat of Oxley listed as a Liberal but sat as an independent. In her first speech to the House, Hanson revelled in her status as an accused racist, and extended her bigotry with her notorious remark that Australia was in danger of being swamped by Asians. Hansons entire political career has been based on this strand of pugnacious racism. Neither woman will enjoy the comparison, but Payman is a left analogue to Hanson: riding the ticket of one of the major parties to enter parliament, striking out as an independent, forging a profile based on identity. In Paymans case, its a positive advocacy for Palestinians, an ethno-religious identity with which she claims a special, personal affinity, while opposing Israel.

Advertisement

Loading In Hansons, she claims to be the advocate for Anglo-Celtic cultural tradition, while opposing the other  black, yellow or Muslim  depending on the needs of the day. According to the right of politics, its the left thats guilty of playing identity politics, fomenting and exploiting the resentments of minorities. In truth, the right plays it just as hard. The difference is that the right tries to foment and exploit the resentments of the majority. Identity is a force for good as long as it is deployed in the quest for equality. Identity is the powerful moral idea that has come down to us, in the words of Canadian political theorist Charles Taylor. But the moment identity is asserted as the basis for superior rights for one group over another, it is a divisive and hateful force. Loading Identity politics is sweeping the US and Europe. When practised by the left, the right derides it as wokeness. When deployed by the right, its attacked as racism. We know its faces. The leading proponents in the US are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the left and Donald Trump for the right. Australia has been fortunate so far. Pauline Hanson has made a long career from right-wing identity politics of bigotry and division, but has failed to inflame a major national movement. Some Coalition figures flirt with it from time to time, but it remains fringe.

Advertisement

The Greens are giving left-wing identity politics a red-hot go, excusing antisemitic vandalism and fomenting hate speech. The war in Gaza is providing the fuel and the Greens are gleefully lighting the fire. The Greens are more than fringe, yet they are not mainstream. How far will Fatima Payman take her identity politics? Its a delicate moment. Stay tuned, shes said in response to questions about her future. She tells us that shes met a group called The Muslim Vote, among others whod like to enlist her as their parliamentary candidate. Much speculation swirls. Loading Australia has a history of sectarian politics, a rabid competition between Catholics and Protestants for dominance. The great Labor split of 1955, for instance, had strong denominational undertones. The breakaway Democratic Labor Party was avowedly anti-communist but its binding identity was Catholic. But Australia never has had a declared religious party at the national level. Religious, ethnic and sexuality-based movements have come and gone, but no actual political parties have formed at the national level. A couple of explicitly religious political parties have flared in NSW, says Bongiorno  the Protestant Labor Party in the 1920s, which never won a seat, and Reverend Fred Niles Christian Democratic Party, which dissolved when Nile retired  but nothing at the national level. If Muslim Vote or suchlike manages to sign up Payman for an explicitly Muslim political party, it would be new ground for Australia. It would introduce a new sectarianism into the Australian parliament. It would give not only Payman a new party, itd also give Hanson a new cause.

Advertisement
When it comes to Paleoindian archaeological locations in Montana, none may be more unusual than the MacHaffie site near Montana City, just south of Helena.

Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in 2001 archaeologists uncovered what could be evidence of a protective magic event  a horse skull buried in the early 1900s with an iron band, glass fragments and a marble.

The man who brought the area to an amateur Helena archaeologists attention in 1946 was killed the same year after his car plunged off a 400-foot embankment into an Idaho river. Coincidence or curse?

Tidying up the research

Unlike many other archaeological sites in Montana, this often-studied location is not known for being a campsite, a hunting or bison kill site, wrote state archaeologist Patrick Rennie.

Instead, it seems to have been a midpoint where rock quarried nearby was broken into smaller fragments before being hauled to a campsite.

Whats also unusual is the quality of the rock wasnt that good. Better sources are nearby. Which all prompts the question: Why stop on this particular hillside overlooking Prickly Pear Creek to chip stone that wasnt that great?

Questions like these and more are what Rennie has contemplated while spending more than 2,100 hours of his evenings and weekends across the span of five years trying to make sense of previous archaeological investigations at the MacHaffie site.

The MacHaffie site (24JF4) in southwest Montana may be the most name-recognized yet poorly understood archaeological resource in the northern plains, Rennie wrote.

During his investigation he found lost, misplaced, unclear, contradictory, and non-existent records pertaining to work conducted.

Additionally, some documented cultural materials have been lost, misplaced, or discarded.

National headlines

When first rigorously explored in 1951, the Columbia University excavation prompted The New York Times to hail it as one of the most significant inquiries into the prehistory of North America, Rennie noted.

Thats because the findings extended the range of the Folsom culture, which occupied the Great Plains about 9,000 to 8,000 BC, farther north and west. The Folsom culture is associated with atlatl and dart weaponry, Rennie wrote, before the development of the bow and arrow.

Similarly crafted stone points have been found embedded in the bones of a now extinct species of bison  bison antiquus  that was much larger than the ones now living in Yellowstone National Park.

Folsom is rare in Montana, Rennie wrote. This, in part, is what makes MacHaffie unique in the state.

The site also provided a clear delineation between the Folsom and Cody cultures. The Cody complex is dated to around 6,700 to 9,600 BC, so the MacHaffie site clearly showed that Folsom preceded Cody. The site may have been used up until the 1700s.

An additional notable fact is that the MacHaffie site produced the first C-14 date for a Montana archaeological resource, Rennie wrote. The date of 8,100 300 (L-578A) is assigned to the Cody component.

C-14 refers to a way to date sites based on a radioactive isotope of carbon.

Also found at the MacHaffie dig was a point made of dark green stone known from the Tom Miner Basin and Cooke City areas of the upper Yellowstone River drainage, Rennie wrote. The stone comes from ancient wood preserved after being impregnated with silica.

Excluding trade, this suggests that the Folsom people who occupied MacHaffie visited the upper Shoshone or Yellowstone River drainages, Rennie noted.

History of site

The importance of the site was first noted by Helena resident A.J. Harstad, who found some chipped stones and animal bones on a cutbank caused by nearby springs.

He showed Helena businessman and amateur archaeologist Edmund MacHaffie the location. In looking around, MacHaffie then found a stone projectile point at the site.

It was MacHaffie who encouraged an archaeologist conducting survey work along the Missouri River, where Canyon Ferry Reservoir was soon to flood 30 miles of the river bottom, to investigate the site.

Later that same year Harstad died in a car crash near Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The horse head and other objects of protective magic found at the MacHaffie site were likely buried by a local homesteader of European ancestry, Rennie wrote, and is one of the few such examples of this type of cultural features in Montana.

Rennie wrote the ritualistic burial of the horse head may have been seen as a way to give the person protection from evil or to counter the effects of witchcraft. Similar burials have been unearthed in Britain and Europe.

Now protected

The archaeological site was well known to locals, thanks to MacHaffies talks to service clubs, some of whom looted and disturbed the upper layer of the site.

In 2009, the landowner, Pamela Bompart, donated the MacHaffie site to the Archaeological Conservancy to protect the area from housing development that has spilled over as Helena has grown.

Its possible the site is associated with the Old North Trail, Rennie speculated, a route running along the eastern face of the Rocky Mountains traveled for thousands of years by Native Americans.

The trail is ideal to have brought people to the Montana City area and then either north or south along the Rocky Mountain Front, he wrote.

Rennies article is titled Revisiting the Ancients: A Natural and Cultural History of the MacHaffie Archaeological Site. Co-authors include: Edwin Mohler, John P. Albanese, Jr., Cynthia Riley Auge, Linda Scott-Cummings, Leslie B. Davis, James K. Feathers and T. Weber Greiser.
Special mention was made of his philanthropy. In 2019, he donated $26 million to Western Sydney University for a new professorship and a medical research building at Campbelltown.

He was quintessentially larger than life, Barney Glover, the recently departed vice-chancellor of Western Sydney University, told the mourners. Both hard- and soft-edged, Walker was driven and charismatic, an imposing man, never to be underestimated.

Speakers at the memorial service paid tribute to the business acumen of Walker, who left Jannali High School after year 10, as well as his sense of humour; earlier in life, hed been known to quip, Its only a rort if youre not in on it.

Lang Walker, who died in January aged 78, had amassed a $5.8 billion fortune over six decades, transforming the earthmoving, excavation and quarrying business he founded in 1964 into one of the countrys largest private property developers.

On a showery Friday morning in May, several hundred mourners, including a former prime minister and at least three billionaires, gathered at Sydneys Town Hall to farewell a tycoon.

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.

But it stands to make at least five times that much from its client, Western Sydney University, which has been accused of overpaying by as much as $1 billion under decades-long contracts entered into without a tender while Walker remained company chairman.

(The students content themselves with the lesser views in a building that was, according to planning documents, designed purely for educational purposes.)

The Herald has been examining the deal behind the tallest building in Bankstown in Sydneys west, an award-winning 18-storey tower that is half university campus and half commercial office block.

Hundreds gathered to farewell the never to be underestimated Lang Walker at Sydneys Town Hall in May. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

But while Walker gave generously to the university, his company, Walker Corporation, stands to gain far more.

It does seem unnecessarily complex, risky and expensive for Western Sydney University, says David Parker, a former NSW valuer-general.

However, another observer believes WSU, which relies on government funding and student fees, could have saved hundreds of millions of dollars had it opted to borrow development funds from a bank.

One property finance specialist has described the deal as a win-win for the developer and a university lacking in piles of spare cash.

Walker Corporation becomes the landlord of the building, receiving tens of millions of dollars each year.

The university leases the site from the Canterbury-Bankstown council and then subleases it to Walker Corporation for a peppercorn rent. Then, through another sub-lease, the roles are reversed.

The new building, which opened in December 2022, sits on public land.

That gives us proximity not just to businesses for placements but universities attract organisations around them, and that gives us an opportunity to catalyse urban renewal.

We see great value in having great campus facilities in the heart of the CBDs of western Sydney, Glover told The Australian Financial Review in 2019.

Rather than own its new campuses outright, it would lease them instead.

But under Glover, the former vice chancellor who eulogised at Walkers memorial and who co-signed the Bankstown leases, the university devised what it called an innovative model.

Compared to its older, sandstone rivals, WSU has fewer high-fee-paying international students and postgraduates to help fund new works.

A council spokesperson said the payment was fair and appropriate and that the ground lease on the property was negotiated after a detailed and extensive independent valuation process. The spokesperson added that the lease to the university had been approved by the elected council.

The university campus occupies the bottom half of the 18-storey building. Credit: Walker Corporation

In exchange, the university agreed to pay the council $1 rent a year and a one-off sum of $12.9 million.

Canterbury-Bankstown Council and the university entered into a partnership in 2019 for the university to use a council-owned site that had been a car park and an adjoining grassy area. In 2021, the council formally granted the university a 99-year lease.

By far the largest of these is Bankstown, where the university had ambition, a bold plan and public land.

Each was entered into without a tender and the combined cost of these deals is $2.8 billion.

A public list of contracts shows the university has six long-term leases with a range of property developers to provide new campus space in suburbs including Parramatta, Westmead and Liverpool.

But independent councillor and former deputy mayor Barbara Coorey said she was shocked by the amount of money Walker Corporation stood to make, and she had only learnt that half the building would be commercial premises after it had been built.

Ratepayers have been shortchanged in this highly unusual and controversial land deal to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, Coorey said.

This is very valuable civic land in a prime commercial zone that was handed over with very little transparency and accountability.

When Coorey asked the council about the $12.9 million payment from the university, the council said the circumstances were subject to confidential reports.

The deal

Having clinched the site, the university needed a developer.

The full details of the partnership between Walker Corporation and the university are contained in a confidential development agreement.

But public lease documents show the university agreed to lease the Bankstown site to Walker Corporation for $1 a year for 98 years.

Walker Corporation agreed to foot the bill for the buildings design and construction costs, which added up to $340 million.

Then, to pay the developer back, the university agreed to rent the whole of the premises from Walker Corporation for 40 years.

But this time, the cost was not $1 per year.

The university is forecast to pay Walker Corporation an average of $45 million annually for 40 years  a total of $1.8 billion, according to the universitys list of contracts.

The amount is roughly five times the upfront project costs.

Inside the Bankstown campus. Credit: HDR Architecture

When that lease ends, the university will need to strike a new deal with the developer if it wants to continue occupying the building.

Parker, the former NSW valuer-general who now works as an independent property consultant, said WSU could have approached a major bank to finance the construction costs instead.

Over the life of the loan, they would pay an awful lot less than $1.8 billion, he said.

I would suggest its a lot like somebody who cant afford to buy a new car and does one of those hire-purchase lending deals and ends up paying five times what the car would have cost.

Parker estimates the university could have saved up to $1 billion on the project.

A rock and a hard place

But Michael Cook, a former longtime executive at Investa Property Group who now runs his own advisory firm, Cook Commercial Investment Group, said the deal looked like a good one for both the developer and the university.

Theyve kind of nailed it, Cook says, pointing to extra revenue the university stood to earn from student fees and subleases at a well-located campus.

The fees that they would earn out of that building would be enormous. That gives them cashflow above and beyond what they would have had they not built the building.

Walker Corporation chairman Lang Walker and former Western Sydney University vice chancellor Barney Glover. Credit: Sally Tsoutas, Western Sydney University

While acknowledging the university would pay several times more than what Walker Corporation spent, Cook doubted WSU would have been able to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars for the upfront costs.

They are kind of between a rock and a hard place, he says.

They have all the demand for university places and for courses  that generates fees. But they dont have the capital upfront.

The project, which received a height exemption to reach 86 metres, makes WSU into an office landlord that will have to find tenants for the top half of the building.

Under the main lease, only 50 per cent of the building must be used for university purposes.

But planning documents had stated the tower was designed purely for educational purposes, with a handful of floors set aside for industry partnerships.

A 2022 progress report from Walker Corporation marked the top floors for educational use. Credit: Walker Corporation

When the building was approved as a state-significant development, its official use was listed as university with ancillary retail, referring to shops on the ground floor.

No mention was made of commercial premises.

A Department of Planning spokesperson said that after investigating the buildings use, it concluded there has been no breach of the development consent.

A spokeswoman for WSU said: The university is the whole-of-building tenant under its occupation lease, which allows for expansion, growth opportunities, and collaboration with industry partners for teaching, learning, and research.

The spokeswoman said the building was not only iconic and aspirational, but designed to meet the specific needs of the university.

Campus to be demolished

The rise of Bankstown is linked to the demise of the universitys campus at nearby Milperra, which sits on a leafy 20-hectare site it received from the state government for $1 in the 1990s.

The university now plans to raze the campus and turn the land into a residential housing project led by the developer Mirvac, a move the council opposed and that has angered parts of the local community.

A community protest against the residential development of Western Sydney Universitys Milperra campus. Credit: Louise Kennerley

Its the squandering of an irreplaceable resource, said Paul Judge, a community campaigner whose three children attended the campus.

Judge said while the former Liberal state government approved the residential project, private development was never envisaged when the land was first granted to WSU.

Loading

The university had argued it was hard to attract students to Milperra, whereas the Bankstown campus was closer to public transport and job prospects. According to a 2020 ministerial briefing note, the Milperra windfall was meant to help fund Bankstown.

Glover, the former vice chancellor who in February became the Albanese governments new jobs and skills commissioner, referred the Heralds questions to the university.

The university declined the Heralds request for an interview.

In response to written questions about the Bankstown project, a spokeswoman said: The process was overseen and signed off by an independent external probity adviser and the commercial aspects of the project were independently assessed.

On the question of how the deal demonstrated value for money, the spokeswoman said the universitys approach was to invest in teaching and research and not tie up capital in construction costs.

If the university were to perform the role of developer, this would have necessitated capital costs being funded from borrowings, thereby incurring interest costs, the spokeswoman said.

The 40-year cost of the building occupation sublease arrangements needs to be assessed against the low upfront costs to build new student and civic amenity, and lower running costs afforded by the Bankstown CBD campus.

In todays dollars, the 40-year leasing cost to the university is approximately $389 million, not $1.8 billion. This excludes any strategic benefits, sublease revenue, collaboration arrangements, or other cost recoveries from industry partners.

A Walker Corporation spokesperson said the project followed a commonly used commercial approach, which allowed the university to avoid the upfront expenditure, ongoing loan repayments and risk of development.

Our lease payments from WSU over a period of 40 years are of a fair and comparable value to similar whole building commercial leasing structures we have in place from the same time the deal was initiated, the spokesperson said.

Walker will continue to manage the building facilities, concierge and security services and take these adjustments into its capital expenditure.

The spokesperson said Walker Corporation was proud to have delivered a world-class campus, having overcome severe constraints on the construction industry through the pandemic.

Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Mind your French The French do appreciate it if you try to speak to them in French (Traveller, June 22) but it is important to use a title when saying bonjour and au revoir, for example bonjour madame or bonjour mesdames for a group. When you enter a shop or restaurant the French always give you a title, and it is only polite to reply the same way.

Virginia Callcott, Noosaville, Qld Gogh the distance Arles old town. Credit: iStock Having sat in Cafe La Nuit (Traveller, July 1) less than two years ago, I enjoyed your article on Arles. The cafe still looks like that famous van Gogh painting, but to fully experience the Vincent van Gogh landscapes do not miss the nearby village of St Remy de Provence and the walk to St Paul de Mausole (the asylum where van Gogh lived and painted near the end of his life). Metal discs mark the footpath with signposts of his paintings and words. Walking through the beautiful grounds of the asylum and Van Goghs room is a moving experience.

Ferne Pardey, Palm Beach, NSW

Return serve John Millard (Traveller Letters, June 22), I hear you, and, along with visiting in the off or shoulder season, I have nearly never returned to places that I have really fond memories of. But sometimes you need to compromise, especially when your partner has never been to a particular place. Hed done that for me when we travelled through Central America and then later to South America. In principle though, I agree that re-visiting is almost always a disappointment and I would rather retain my untainted memories. We aim to travel to new (to us) places that are off the well beaten path.

Vicki Copping, Oatley, NSW Good as old In regards to John Millards letter (Traveller Letters, June 22), I was in Jerusalem last month and can confirm that the city, including the Old City, is as alive, vibrant and atmospheric as it ever was. Jerusalem is one of the great cities of the world with history on every corner and yet still being a modern bustling metropolis. Of course, it is not as busy as normal, due to the dreadful war, however, everyone is grateful for tourists and overwhelmingly welcoming. Comparing your own visit to photos online is a recipe for disaster in any location. If you love a destination and have means to revisit it, do so, but go with an open mind. Every time you go you will find something new and amazing to cement that destination in your heart.

Tmne Blair, Randwick, NSW Herd mentality

John Millard may think the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is organised to cope with crowds but friendly to women it is not. I was horrified to find that my impression from photographs was quite wrong  men have a large area of the wall to pray, but women are herded in a crowd to a tiny area on the right.

Jennifer Saunders, Bywong, NSW Rock solid I totally disagree with the dont go back assertion regarding revisiting the beauties of our natural world. There may be some minor changes in the landscape, but scenes like those at Uluru are still as breathtaking as they were during my first view in 1967 and were again during my more recent visit a few years ago.

Marjie Williamson, Blaxland, NSW Total disconnect I lived in Papua New Guinea for many years and have visited the places featured in the article by Brian Johnston (Traveller, June 22) a few times. He is wrong to say Alotau has no land connections to anywhere. Sure, there is no paved highway, but a four-wheel drive can make it there like many places in Australia. The article makes me wonder did your correspondent get off the ship? No descriptions of the wonders of Alotau, a dusty, South Seas town with great charm.

Tony Saunders, Hunters Hill, NSW

Tip of the week: Stop right there Some of Dubais older neighbourhoods have been maintained. Credit: iStock After five weeks in Europe, my partner and I had a three-day stopover in Dubai and I agree the shopping malls can be a bit overwhelming, even if you are just window shopping. Instead, we opted for what turned out to be a private (just the two of us) half-day tour of Dubai. Even for someone who has been there 15 or times I found it interesting. My partner, a first-time visitor, was really impressed with both Dubais development and that some of the older original areas had been retained. And, yes, there was the almost obligatory visit to a small craft shop. But even there we were impressed with the range of goods, prices and quality.

Michael Hayden, Kiama Downs, NSW Something fishy In February, 2020, just before borders closed, we travelled to South Korea. Among the many great coffee shops (Traveller, June 23), a standout in Seoul was Coffee Hanyakbang in a narrow alleyway. On one side were the baristas, while the sitting area and bakery were across the alley. We could see three pastry chefs baking a beautiful selection of cakes and pastries. There were two other elaborate rooms up a narrow staircase, one contained a fish tank with expensive looking white fish swimming in it. My husband declared it was the best coffee shop he had ever been to.

Judi Rosevear, Wantirna, Vic

The other M&Ms An epic fail in hotel bathrooms (Traveller Letters, June 29) is a lack of space to put all that... stuff. Medications, moisturiser, make-up. Only one hotel, in my experience in the last four years, bucks the trend. My room at the refurbished Victoria hotel in Melbourne had an unadorned tiled shelf along the wall  for all that stuff. It made me feel very comfortable and, boy, did I spread it out.

Colleen Johnson, East Maitland, NSW Quilty as charged We found Brian Johnstonss list of travel fails (Traveller, June 9) to be particularly amusing and unfortunately mostly too true. The constant battle with doonas overseas could be added to the list. We frequently resort to removing the cover from the doona to get a top sheet and some flexibility.

Chris Close, Doncaster East, Vic Just hangin

In reply to Hanging offence (Traveller Letters, June 29), I must commend the cruise ship Seabourn Pursuit on addressing both wardrobe problems. There were at least 20 clip-style trouser hangers and 20 normal coathangers in my cabin wardrobe. Wonderful to see.

Margaret Kennedy, Church Point, NSW Legging it to Legian Here are my three tips, based on a trip with my partner, Tom, to Legian, Bali, for a holiday. First, we hired a local driver, who provided valuable local knowledge for sightseeing  it cost us $60 for a full day. Second, to prevent Bali belly, we opted for bottled water, were cautious with ice and salads and chose well-reviewed restaurants. And finally, we travelled to Bali in September to avoid crowds and enjoy the better rates.

Jen Walsh, Docklands, Vic Falling for Africa The sensational Victoria Falls. Credit: iStock
London: British television star Holly Willoughby says women should not be made to feel unsafe in their own homes after a security guard was convicted of plotting to kidnap, rape and murder her.

Gavin Plumb, from Harlow, Essex, was found guilty of planning unspeakable violence against the former This Morning host following a week-long trial.

Television presenter Holly Willoughby poses for photographers upon arrival for the Pride of Britain Awards in 2018. Credit: AP

The 37-year-old shook his head and closed his eyes before sobbing in the dock as the jury announced its unanimous verdict after 12 hours and 19 minutes deliberation. He could now face life imprisonment and will be sentenced on July 12.

The security guard had been attempting to live his ultimate fantasy and was described by the prosecution as someone who had an obsession with Willoughby.
The court judged Charles to be a tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy of the good people of the nation, and found him guilty of having traitorously and maliciously levied war against the present parliament and the people therein represented. Ten days after the trial began, Charles discovered he did not have the sovereign immunity he believed was his by right. He lost his head on the chopping block outside the Banqueting House of the Palace of Whitehall on January 30, 1649. Charles I by Anthony Van Dyck Washington, DC, of course, and, for that matter, the buffet hall at Mar-a-Lago in Florida are far distant from London; 2024 is a long stretch from 1649, and the chopping block was retired some time ago.

Still, Charles I and the divine right of kings came to mind when the six Conservative judges of the US Supreme Court used their superior numbers to declare a former president cannot be prosecuted for official acts taken during his term in office. It was almost as if the Supreme Courts majority had taken notes from those hysterical evangelicals who proudly and unfathomably wear the slogan Jesus is our saviour and Trump is our President. In its purest form, the concept of immunity boils down to a maxim - the king can do no wrong... Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson America may have put to flight the Kingdom of Great Britain in the 1770s, replacing a king with a president, but here in 2024 the court was bestowing upon a former president a version of the old claimed maxim that a king can do no wrong. It seemed a distance from the opening words of the second paragraph of the US Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal

The three dissenting judges of the Supreme Court were mightily unimpressed with the majority ruling. At least one of them, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, made it clear she had done her reading on the divine right of kings and the Declaration of Independence. Ketanji Brown Jackson during her Senate judiciary committee confirmation hearing. Credit: Bloomberg To fully appreciate the profound change the majority has wrought, one must first acknowledge what it means to have immunity from criminal prosecution. Put simply, immunity is exemption from the duties and liabilities imposed by law, she wrote. In its purest form, the concept of immunity boils down to a maxim the king can do no wrong - a notion that was firmly rejected at the birth of [our] Republic.

To say that someone is immune from criminal prosecution is to say that, like a king, he is not under the coercive power of the law, which will not suppose him capable of committing a folly, much less a crime. Those sharing Justice Jacksons sense of history might experience dread at the prospect of Trump becoming president of the US again, this time infused with vengeance and protected by something approaching Supreme Court-blessed divine right: a king who could do no wrong, at least in his official capacity. Loading It could only end badly, as it did for Charles I  eventually. But how long is eventually? Trump is a big admirer of a modern tyrant who basks in immunity from the law, Vladimir Putin, whose domestic opponents tend to turn up murdered, and who, like another dictator much praised by Trump, Xi Jinping (brilliant guy, runs 1.4 billion people with an iron fist, perfect) seems intent on remaining enthroned for life.

With the US Democratic Party having negligently placed all their bets to this stage on Joe Biden  who will turn 82 in November, the cruelty of years and his decline painfully clear  a new Trump presidency cannot be wished or laughed away. Perhaps some of the Democrats who have stood by, effectively complicit by having done nothing of consequence to prevent the Trump revival, had done their reading, learning how merciless history can be upon those who act against a king deemed to be incapable of doing wrong. The addendum to the story of Charles I was a period of the most ghastly revenge when a new king, Charles II, was brought to Englands throne in 1660. Of the 59 who signed Charles Is death warrant, 13 were hanged, drawn and quartered, 16 were imprisoned for life, one was pardoned and many fled England. The bodies of Oliver Cromwell and two other leaders were dug up, hanged in chains and beheaded. Cromwells head was mounted on a spike above Westminster Hall.
Washington: US President Joe Biden has defiantly hit back at people he says are trying to push him out of the 2024 election, insisting that last weeks disastrous debate was just a bad night and not emblematic of a more serious cognitive condition.

Amid growing calls to make way for another candidate to run for the White House following his debate performance last week, a fired-up Biden made it clear he would not back down, telling supporters: Im not going to let a 90-minute debate wipe out 3 years of work.

President Joe Biden greets supporters at a campaign rally in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday. Credit: AP

I cant say it was my best performance, he told a rally in Wisconsin, one of the swing states Democrats must hold to win the election.

But ever since then, theres been a lot of speculation: Whats Joe gonna do? Is he gonna stay in the race? Well, heres my answer. I am running and going to win again!
~First Strike of Commemorative Farewell NAf Coin~



WILLEMSTAD/PHILIPSBURG:--- Yesterday, the inaugural strike of the 5-guilder "Farewell NAf" commemorative coin was celebrated at the Royal Dutch Mint (KNM) in Houten, the Netherlands. This special silver coin features all birds depicted on Netherlands Antillean banknotes: the Hummingbird, Flamingo, Andean Sparrow, Bananaquit, and Caribbean Mockingbird, along with the text: Vaarwel NAf - Farewell Naf - Ayo Naf.

This will be the last Netherlands-Antillean coin minted for the countries of Curacao and Sint Maarten. After over 70 years as the currency of the first six, then five, and finally two islands within the Kingdom, the Netherlands Antillean guilder will be replaced by the Caribbean guilder as of March 31, 2025. The depiction of the birds on the coin highlights the connection between the NAf banknotes and coins. In addition, 5-guilder circulation-quality farewell NAf coins will be minted. The commemorative coin will go on sale at the end of this month.

The first strike was performed by Julian Lopez Ramirez, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Centrale Bank van Curacao en Sint Maarten (CBCS), in the presence of CBCS President Richard Doornbosch and monetary historian and former curator/director of the Museum of the Royal Mint of the Netherlands, Albert Scheffers. In his speech on the occasion, Doornbosch noted that this was a double farewell: not only to the Netherlands Antillean guilder but also to the Royal Dutch Mint as our supplier of circulation coins. The relationship between the islands, formerly Curacao and its dependencies, and the KNM (and its legal predecessors) dates back at least 230 years, beginning in 1794 when the Utrecht Provincial and City Mint first struck silver 3, 1, and  guilder coins, as well as two five-penny pieces, for the islands on behalf of the chartered Dutch West India Company (WIC). These were marked with a "W" to distinguish them from those circulating in Europe.

The CBCS has commissioned the minting of 500 silver coins and 20,000 circulation coins. The commemorative silver coins will soon go on sale for NAf 110.00 each and will be available at the CBCS Cash Department in Curacao and Sint Maarten. The official sales date will be announced shortly.

As part of the farewell to the Netherlands Antillean guilder, the CBCS has also commissioned a book, which is currently in preparation. The publication date of this book will be announced at a later date.






PHILIPSBURG:--- Following the critical meeting in Parliament on June 25, 2024, where solutions to the GEBE energy crisis were discussed, Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina addresses the citizens of Sint Maarten with a detailed timeline for the arrival and operationalization of the 10MW Container generators.

"We are trying to make significant progress in our efforts to mitigate the current load shedding that has affected our community," stated Prime Minister Mercelina. "The initial downpayment by GEBE for the rental of 10MW Container generators has been made, and we anticipate their delivery by mid-July, provided there are no unforeseen delays."

These generators are a crucial part of the immediate solution to stabilize the power supply. "GEBE's goal is to have the 10MW generators fully operational by the end of July or the beginning of August 2024. This will significantly alleviate the strain on our power grid and reduce the instances of load shedding," the Prime Minister explained.

In addition to the rental of the 10MW generators, GEBE has secured agreements with large consumers to go offline during scheduled hours to further ease the load on the power grid. "I want to extend my sincere gratitude to these establishments for their cooperation during this critical period. Your support is invaluable as we navigate through this crisis," said Dr. Mercelina.

Looking ahead to more sustainable solutions, the Prime Minister outlined the short-term strategy. "GEBE has also made the downpayment for the lease-to-own 20MW Container generators. These are expected to be delivered and operational by the end of September 2024," he announced. "This step is vital in ensuring a more stable and reliable power supply for our island."

Prime Minister Mercelina reiterated the government's commitment to addressing the energy crisis comprehensively. "Addressing the issues with our power supply on Sint Maarten remains a top priority. I am committed to keeping the people of Sint Maarten informed and updated on the progress of these solutions," he affirmed. "Together, we will overcome this challenge and build a more resilient energy infrastructure for our future."
South Korean president to attend NATO summit next week



Seoul, July 5 (AFP) Jul 05, 2024



South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will travel to Washington next week for a NATO summit where he is expected to sound the alarm on Russia and North Korea's recent military cooperation, his administration announced on Friday.

Yoon's deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo said NATO members and the so-called Indo-Pacific 4 -- Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand -- would "confirm their shared commitment to protecting the international order... in the face of the challenges" seen in both the eastern and western hemispheres.

It will be Yoon's third consecutive year attending a NATO summit.

Ahead of his visit to Washington, Yoon will stop off at the US military's Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii and receive a security briefing.

"Especially with the Ukraine war going on for three years, we will reaffirm our commitment to support Ukraine's freedom and restoration of peace," Kim told reporters Friday.

"We will send a strong message regarding the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea and discuss ways to enhance cooperation among NATO allies and Indo-Pacific partners."

South Korea has grown anxious over the North's warming relations with its neighbour Russia.

North Korea is accused of breaching arms control measures by supplying weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit in Pyongyang last month with leader Kim Jong Un where the pair signed a mutual defence agreement.

Last week, North Korea denounced the latest joint military exercises by Seoul, Tokyo and Washington, calling it an "Asian version of NATO" and warning of "fatal consequences".
Orban informed NATO of Moscow trip, not representing alliance



Brussels, Belgium, July 5 (AFP) Jul 05, 2024



Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban informed NATO ahead of his visit to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, alliance head Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday.

"Of course, Viktor Orban is not representing NATO at these meetings. He's representing his own country," Stoltenberg said.

"Hungary agrees that Russia is responsible for the war. Russia is the perpetrator, and Russia can end this war today by stopping attacking Ukraine," he added.

Orban unsettled EU and NATO allies by flying to Moscow on Friday to sit down for talks with Putin, with whom he has long fostered friendly relations.

Putin said he viewed Orban as a representative for Europe -- despite EU leaders emphasising that Orban was acting on his own initiative in an exclusively bilateral role with no mandate to speak for the bloc.

Stoltenberg said he expected Orban would have "opportunities to discuss" what came up in his conversation with Putin in a NATO summit taking place in Washington next week.

While NATO is not directly involved in helping Ukraine defend itself from Russia's full-on invasion, most of its member countries are supplying military, financial and political support to Kyiv.

Hungary has not given military aid but has ended up going along with its allies' initiatives, even if reluctantly and at times after weeks of obstruction.
Reformist faces ultraconservative as Iran votes for president



Tehran, July 5 (AFP) Jul 05, 2024



Iranians voted Friday in a presidential election runoff between a reformist advocating improved ties with the West and an ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator.

The election, called early after the death of ultraconservative president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, follows a first round marked by a historically low turnout last week.

The runoff between reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative Saeed Jalili comes amid heightened regional tensions over the Gaza war, Iran's nuclear standoff with the West and widespread economic discontent exacerbated by Western sanctions.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all state matters in Iran, cast his ballot when polls opened.

"I heard that the enthusiasm and interest of the people is more than before, praise to God that it will be like this, and if it is like this, it will be gratifying," he said.

State television showed voters queueing in Saveh in central Iran and Kerman in the south, but AFP correspondents said polling stations appeared less busy in Tehran.

In last week's first round, Pezeshkian, who was the only reformist permitted to stand, won the largest number of votes, around 42 percent, while Jalili came second with 39 percent, according to figures from Iran's elections authority.

Only 40 percent of Iran's 61 million eligible voters took part -- the lowest turnout in any presidential election since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

In past elections, authorities have extended polling hours to give voters the maximum time to turn out and the interior ministry announced that they would again be extended by two hours on Friday, until 8:00 pm (1630 GMT).



- Low turnout -



Khamenei called for a higher turnout in the runoff, emphasising the importance of the election.

He said the first round turnout was lower than expected, but added that it was not an act "against the system".

The election was originally scheduled for 2025 but was brought forward by Raisi's death in a helicopter crash in May.

Pezeshkian and Jalili have taken part in two televised debates during which they discussed the low turnout, as well as Iran's economic woes, international relations and internet restrictions.

Pezeshkian vowed to "fully" oppose police patrols enforcing the mandatory headscarf for women, a high-profile issue since the death in police custody in 2022 of Mahsa Amini.

The 22-year-old Iranian Kurd had been detained for an alleged breach of the dress code and her death sparked months of nationwide unrest.

Following the unrest, women increasingly flouted the code but police have again stepped up checks in recent months.

At a Tehran polling station, 48-year-old Fatemeh said she voted for the reformist whose "priorities include women and young people's rights."

The candidacy of Pezeshkian, a relative unknown until recently, has raised the hopes of Iran's reformists after years of dominance by the conservative and ultraconservative camps.

Jalili, noted for his uncompromising anti-Western position, mobilised a substantial base of hardline support and received backing from other ultraconservative candidates.

While campaigning, the 58-year-old criticised moderates for having signed the 2015 deal which promised Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Jalili said the accord, which the United States withdrew from in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump, "did not benefit Iran at all".



- 'Fed up' -



"I voted for Jalili because the next president should not repeat the previous mistake and sign a new agreement with the West," said Ali, a 38-year-old university professor, at a polling station in central Tehran.

"They deceived us once and that's enough. Their promises cannot be trusted," said Ali, who gave only his first name.

Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old heart surgeon, has called for "constructive relations" with Western countries to revive the nuclear deal in order to "get Iran out of its isolation".

Pezeshkian voted at a school west of Tehran where he was accompanied by former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who helped clinch the 2015 deal.

A member of parliament representing the northwestern city of Tabriz since 2008, he has earned the support of Iran's reformists, with former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Hassan Rouhani backing his candidacy.

Casting his ballot on Friday, Khatami urged Iranians to vote "for the future and good of the country".

Pezeshkian said people were "fed up with their living conditions... and dissatisfied with the government's management of affairs."

Jalili has held several senior positions, including in Khamenei's office in the early 2000s.

He is currently one of Khamenei's representatives in the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's highest security body.
Burkinabe president lands in Niger for first Sahel Alliance summit



Niamey, Niger, July 5 (AFP) Jul 05, 2024



Military-led Burkina Faso's president landed in Niger on Friday afternoon for the first summit between leaders of a new Sahel bloc on Saturday, an AFP journalist saw.

Ibrahim Traore was welcomed at Niamey international airport by Abdourahamane Tiani, leader of the Nigerien military regime that overthrew civilian president Mohamed Bazoum almost a year ago.

Tiani will also host Malian Colonel Assimi Goita, arriving on Saturday morning.

The Burkinabe presidency said "the fight against terrorism" and the "consolidation of cooperation" will be on Saturday's agenda, given the deadly jihadist violence the three countries face.

Many of Niamey's residents lined the official route to cheer the Burkinabe captain, waving flags of the three countries.

Saturday's summit in Niger's capital Niamey will be the first between the military leaders of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), set up in September.

The trio left the wider Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc in January, alleging it was manipulated by France and not providing enough anti-jihadist support.

ECOWAS leaders will themselves be meeting at a summit in Nigeria on Sunday to discuss relations with the AES.

In early March AES announced joint anti-jihadist efforts, though they did not specify details.

The trio has shifted away from former colonial ruler France, expelling French troops, and turned towards Russia.

They have made sovereignty a guiding principle of their governance and aim to create a common currency.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have been facing deadly jihadist violence for years, particularly in the so-called "three borders" zone, where groups linked to the Islamic State have killed civilians and soldiers in attacks and displaced millions of people.

bh/pid/spb/rlp
Corporate Email Address: You forgot to provide an Email Address. This email address doesnt appear to be valid. Please provide a Corporate Email Address. This email address is already registered. Please log in.

First Name: You forgot to provide your first name.

Last Name: You forgot to provide your last name.

Company Name: You forgot to provide a company name.

Job Title: You forgot to provide a job title.

Seniority: Select... C-Level / Executive Team EVP / SVP / VP / AVP Director Manager Architect Analyst Staff You forgot to select your seniority.

Job Function: You forgot to select your job function.

# of employees: Select number of employees... 10,001+ 5,001-10,000 1,001-5,000 501-1,000 251-500 101-250 11-100 1-10 You did not select the number of employees at your company.

Industry: Select... Agriculture/Forestry Architecture and Engineering Automotive Aviation & Aerospace Business services Civic & Social Organization Construction Consumer Goods & Services Education Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Financial/Banking Government & Public Policy Healthcare Insurance (non-Healthcare) Legal services Manufacturing/Industrial Oil/Gas/Mining/Other natural resources Outsourcing/Offshoring Photography Publishing/Broadcast/Media Real Estate Recreation/Entertainment Research and Consulting Retail Technology Transportation/Distribution Travel/Hospitality Utilities Veterinary Wholesale Wireless You did not select which industry you are in.

Sub-Industry: You did not select which industry you are in.

Address 1: You did not provide a full local address.

Address 2:

City/Town: You did not provide a full local address.

Country: Select... Afghanistan Aland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote D'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Barthelemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and JanMayen Islands Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands (British) Virgin Islands (U.S.) Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe You did not select the country you are from.

State/Province: You did not provide a full local address.

Zip/Postal Code: You did not provide a full local address.

Phone: You forgot to provide a phone number. This phone number format is not recognized. Please check the country and number.

I agree to TechTargets Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and the transfer of my information to the United States for processing to provide me with relevant information as described in our Privacy Policy. Please check the box if you want to proceed.
Lawyers of Niger's Bazoum call on ECOWAS to demand release



Abidjan, July 5 (AFP) Jul 05, 2024



Lawyers of Niger's overthrown president Mohamed Bazoum called again Friday on the regional bloc ECOWAS to demand his release, two days before a summit of the West African organisation.

Bazoum has been detained by the ruling military since he was ousted in a coup last July.

The Niger authorities accuse Bazoum of treason, financing terrorism and plotting to undermine the state.

In a statement sent to AFP on Friday, Bazoum's lawyers urged ECOWAS's heads of state to "demand the immediate release of the president and his wife Hadiza on the eve of the summit" -- to be held on Sunday in Abuja.

"If it had not been for the unconstitutional overthrow in Niger nearly a year ago, president Bazoum would be sitting among the heads of state meeting in Abuja this weekend," said lawyer Mohamed Seydou Diagne in the statement.

Bazoum has been held at the presidential residence with his wife since the coup on July 26.

The statement pointed out that Bazoum and his wife "have never been brought before a magistrate and have not been informed of the existence of any proceedings against them."

The statement added that: "Since 19 October, they have been completely cut off from the outside world and no one has been authorised to visit them, apart from their doctor."

The deposed president's immunity was also lifted in mid-June by Niger's highest court.

"The situation is very serious," said Moussa Coulibaly, another lawyer for the ousted president.

"It is the responsibility of the ECOWAS authorities to ensure that their peer, the democratically elected president, is not forgotten, does not languish in arbitrary detention and, above all, does not pay with his life for his commitment to the rule of law."

Niger has been ruled by military leaders since the overthrow of elected president Bazoum, which prompted international condemnation.

Military ruler General Abdourahamane Tiani has said his regime wants up to three years for a transition back to a civilian government.
* 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.
YouTube

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsOOiiEXFws&ab_channel=

202474

American media man Tucker Carlson asks Russian coal and fertilizer tycoon, Andrey Melnichenko:

How many countries are you banned from visiting?

Aswered:

European Union, UK Switzerland, Canada, United States, New Zealand, Australia.

Asked:

how so since you live outside you see the world changing now you've been forced outside the old world into the emerging world where are the new

where the freest places in the world

where's the power

coalescing I think world disorganized

now it's unclear where and what will

happen

where definitely China is growing with

Incredible speed I spent quite a lot of

time on China lately and it's amazing

when you see what they done and you

compare what was on the same places 10

years ago so you see the difference so

so this year we hold this event in Shen

in China I remember the city 25 years

ago and I saw the city

now it's unbelievable
Its possible the cause was Gordon Browns decision in the 1997 budget to remove the pension fund dividend credit which would start the firing gun on the dismantling of the great UK pension industry. What started as an initial tax grab for a mere 5 billion, has cost more like 250 billion of investment damage, but more astonishingly, was an instrumental driver for UK equity holdings falling, from 50% in 1997 to 4% in 2023. Nowadays, pension funds, not even our own Parliamentary Retirement Fund hold UK equities and as a result, the tax grab generates next to nothing for the state.
Ms Elliott said: One of the things that must have been going through your mind, there was some sort of overlap between what was being alleged and you going out with him?
Apart from the sudden departure of Donaldson from the political stage, the DUP has also been under fire 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.
Swearing-in could begin on the same day or the next and will continue for several days. MPs and peers will take the oath, with the Government going first, followed by some other established figures. MPs are not allowed to speak in debates, vote or receive their salary until they make an oath or solemn affirmation of allegiance to the Crown.
The Nuffield Trust has said improvements in living standards mean people are living well for longer but there is also a reported rise in complexity of need, with more people living with multiple long-term conditions. The think tank has warned this might see a rise in demand for formal care over unpaid care provided by family or friends, although the need to recognise unpaid carers with more support has also been highlighted.
Chinese premier urges consensus-building among countries on AI development

Xinhua) 08:13, July 05, 2024

Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers a speech while attending the opening ceremony of the 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

SHANGHAI, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday said the development of artificial intelligence (AI) urgently requires in-depth discussions and consensus-building among countries, as well as collaborative efforts to seize opportunities and overcome challenges.

While addressing the opening ceremony of the 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, Li said in recent years, new AI technologies have been continuously breaking through, new business models have been emerging, and new applications have been rapidly expanding, all of which have become an important driving force behind a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. At the same time, it also faces a series of new challenges in areas such as law, security, employment and moral ethics.

Li noted that China has always actively embraced the intelligent revolution, vigorously promoted the innovation and development of AI, attached great importance to the security and governance of AI, and implemented a series of practical measures.

China launched the Global AI Governance Initiative and proposed a resolution at the 78th UN General Assembly to enhance international cooperation on AI capacity building, which was unanimously adopted. China has made positive explorations and contributed constructive ideas and solutions to the global development and governance of AI, said Li.

Li said China is willing to work with other countries to make the AI better serve global development and enhance human well-being.

He put forward three suggestions -- to deepen innovation cooperation and unleash the dividend of intelligence; to promote inclusive development and bridge the digital divide; and to strengthen collaborative governance and ensure the benevolence of intelligence.

About 1,000 foreign guests, representatives from international organizations, industries, universities and research institutes attended the opening ceremony.

The Shanghai Declaration on Global AI Governance was issued at the conference.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang tours the venue of the 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance with foreign guests and representatives from international organizations after the opening ceremony of the events in Shanghai, east China, July 4, 2024. Li on Thursday attended the opening ceremony of the 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance and delivered a speech. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Construction of the world's largest single-platform floating wind turbine was officially completed in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Wednesday, promoting the development of the country's offshore wind power industry. Chen Faqiao, deputy general manager of business development at Mingyang Smart Energy Group, said OceanX will be able to generate an average of 54 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough to meet the daily electricity needs of 30,000 three-person households for one year. OceanX is also the world's first dual wind turbine floating offshore wind power platform, with a pioneering V-shaped tower structure and a total installed capacity of 16.6 megawatts. It was independently developed by Chen's company and was built by China State Shipbuilding Corp Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company. "The facility will be set up in the waters off Yangjiang city in the western part of Guangdong in the months to come," Chen said. Offshore wind turbines can effectively reduce per-kilowatt energy costs, and OceanX's low operation and maintenance costs will aid the expansion of the offshore wind power industry from coastal waters to deep sea, he said. Unlike the common platform with a windmill design, OceanX consists of a Y-shaped foundation floating on the sea, with three rugby-ball shaped floats, one V-shaped tower and two wind turbines. The total displacement of the platform is about 15,000 metric tons. It has a draft of 5.5 meters and can be used in waters with a depth of more than 35 meters. When a typhoon hits, it can automatically adjust its angle so the blades face the direction of the incoming wind, achieving maximum wind capture capacity, according to Chen. OceanX can withstand extreme tests of wind speeds of 260 kilometers per hour, and wave heights of 30 meters, he said. Floating platforms are expected to become mainstream, promoting the development of the country's offshore wind power industry. China's offshore wind power is expanding from provincial waters to deep and far seas, and offshore wind power projects planned in provincial exclusive economic zones have reached more than 150 million kilowatts, Chen said. Compared with onshore wind power, offshore wind power has many advantages, including abundant wind resources, plenty of space available and low transmission costs. According to the China Renewable Energy Society, more than 160 offshore wind farms had been built in 12 coastal provinces by the end of last year, with more than 7,000 offshore wind turbines installed. The total installed capacity exceeds 39 million kilowatts, equivalent to 1.7 Three Gorges hydropower stations. China has established the world's most complete and cost-effective new energy industry chain, providing strong support for the global transition to new energy and addressing climate change, according to the China Renewable Energy Society. zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn
Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sept 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sept 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (17) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sept 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (134) Jun 2013 (203) Jul 2013 (292) Aug 2013 (350) Sept 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (347) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (437) Jan 2014 (543) Feb 2014 (472) Mar 2014 (525) Apr 2014 (526) May 2014 (470) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sept 2014 (440) Oct 2014 (471) Nov 2014 (496) Dec 2014 (535) Jan 2015 (535) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (578) Apr 2015 (657) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (672) Jul 2015 (727) Aug 2015 (803) Sept 2015 (922) Oct 2015 (919) Nov 2015 (798) Dec 2015 (789) Jan 2016 (781) Feb 2016 (834) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (864) May 2016 (945) Jun 2016 (1042) Jul 2016 (880) Aug 2016 (1034) Sept 2016 (965) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (884) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sept 2017 (999) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1045) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (808) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sept 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (934) Jul 2019 (949) Aug 2019 (936) Sept 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (848) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (787) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sept 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (811) Dec 2020 (781) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sept 2021 (790) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (692) Jan 2022 (694) Feb 2022 (654) Mar 2022 (740) Apr 2022 (745) May 2022 (748) Jun 2022 (701) Jul 2022 (704) Aug 2022 (702) Sept 2022 (699) Oct 2022 (737) Nov 2022 (718) Dec 2022 (692) Jan 2023 (662) Feb 2023 (611) Mar 2023 (692) Apr 2023 (652) May 2023 (696) Jun 2023 (701) Jul 2023 (742) Aug 2023 (737) Sept 2023 (732) Oct 2023 (749) Nov 2023 (751) Dec 2023 (732) Jan 2024 (746) Feb 2024 (687) Mar 2024 (738) Apr 2024 (723) May 2024 (750) Jun 2024 (712) Jul 2024 (756) Aug 2024 (797) Sept 2024 (773) Oct 2024 (252)
Buffalo developers, wealthy homeowners and corporations do not pay their fair share of property taxes to the city, according to a recent analysis by a politically active community organization.

The analysis was contained in a report issued by Our City Action Buffalo, a coalition that often criticizes Mayor Byron Browns administration and endorses progressive candidates for elected offices.

The mayor for many years has been very eager to say that he is keeping taxes low. He has not been eager to tax developers, to tax wealthy landlords in the city, big corporation, said research consultant and Buffalo resident Kevin Connor, who compiled the analysis for Our City Action Buffalo.

Connor is the former executive director of the Public Accountability Initiative, a nonprofit watchdog research group focused on corporate and government accountability.

Our City Action asserts in its report that taxes paid by the owners of residential homes assessed at $400,000 or more in 2023 decreased by 9% from 2019 to 2023. Meanwhile, 10 major developers in Buffalo paid a total of $6 million less on their commercial properties in 2023 than what they would have paid if the properties were taxed at the full commercial rate, according to Our City Action.

But Brown dismissed the report as an opinion piece, and said the group should be more focused on equity throughout the region.

This opinion ignores the larger regional disparity of New York State laws that would have a far greater impact on equity for city residents, which Ive been talking about, Brown said. The agenda they should be pursuing is for people to pay their fair share, no matter where they live in the region. For example, this weekend it was reported that Clarence Center  one of the wealthiest areas in the country  just received a New York State grant for $5 million for sidewalks. So the question would be why isnt this group that is so concerned about equity, why dont they talk about that? They should be looking at it in a regional sense. Ive been talking about it for years in a regional sense. Ive been talking about the inequities that exist. This is just another glaring example of that inequity. A $5 million grant for sidewalks in one of the wealthiest areas in the country  Clarence Center.

To conduct the research, Connor used the tax rolls from the citys Open Data portal for the 2019-20 fiscal year through the 2023-24 fiscal year, which ended June 30.

He also used the lists of top city taxpayers from municipal bond documents, available at emma.msrb.org. The lists include the total assessed value of the citys top 15 taxpayers.

Connor notes, There are some clear errors in the tables, but they appear to offer a clear enough picture of declining major taxpayer payments.

Buffalo's proposed hotel occupancy tax gets a chilly reception in Albany A hotel occupancy tax included in Mayor Byron Browns 2024-25 budget to raise $4,230,000 in city revenue required state approval in the form of a law  one that appears to lack support in the Senate.

The findings of the OCAB analysis suggest that the city is systematically failing to capture necessary revenue from its wealthiest residents and landlords. For instance, the analysis asserted payments by wealthy homeowners have significantly decreased.

You see the wealthiest, richest streets in the city with their (tax payments) going down 30% in some cases, Connor said.

One possible explanation is major landlords and wealthy homeowners have filed lawsuits and successfully challenged their reassessments in court at a higher rate than other owners, Connor said.

Brown also noted, Wealthy property owners take advantage of the state assessment appeal process far more often than other property owners.

But the process is a New York State law, he said.

New York State allows every property owner to challenge their assessment. Its not something that the city allows, and its an age-old process not created by the city. So any suggestions of favoring the rich in our fiscal policy are totally wrong, Brown said.

The analysis also concluded that real estate developers receive significant tax breaks from the city.

The citys major real estate developers benefit from tax subsidies that significantly lower the taxes they pay to the city. Two of the primary mechanisms are the 485-a and payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT).

The 485-a property tax exemption is a New York State law  that Buffalo opted into  that cuts taxes on commercial properties converted to a mix of residential and commercial.

Critics have said the 485-a exemption had loopholes used by developers in Buffalo and elsewhere to gain access to lucrative tax breaks in ways the original state law never intended.

In 2020, the State Legislature approved a bill intended to fix the flaws.

Brown shot back that the 485-a exemptions are New York State exemptions the city did not create, and that process to a degree has been reformed by New York State.

In some cases, developers negotiate PILOTs with the city at a lower tax rate, the analysis said. Others pay PILOTs into an infrastructure fund for improvements to city infrastructure in the immediate vicinity of their properties. The city does not publish data on PILOTs made by specific property owners, the analysis said.

A lot of these developers are not paying their full tax rate, even if you account for PILOT, Connor said. I think its important to note that many of them are getting 485-a tax break that is reducing their taxes significantly ... Its not like the difference is made up by PILOTs. A lot of them are getting savings in this.

Buffalos looming financial crisis

What Buffalo's mayor is doing  and not doing  to avoid a fiscal crisis In less than 12 months, the City of Buffalo will face a budget gap of at least $41 million, but it could be more than $55 million.

The research Connor did comes at a time when a fiscal crisis is looming for the City of Buffalo.

And Brown has acknowledged, weve got some storm clouds on the horizon, fiscally.

Next year alone the city could be short about $58 million, including $14.9 million in cash reserves and $25.8 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds that must be obligated by the end of the year. Theres $11 million in casino revenue that is uncertain; about $4 million in the hotel occupancy tax the State Legislature declined to approve; and about $2 million in added fees and fines that the city comptroller called speculative.

Brown admits that it is inevitable that the city  which raised its tax levy by 7.5% this year  will have to raise property taxes again as soon as next year. But he says he is not willing to lay off city workers or cut services to residents.

But if Buffalo has any chance of stepping away from the financial cliff and retaining its local elected representatives as decision-makers, the Brown administration and Buffalo Common Council, led by Council President Christopher Scanlon, must stop exploiting working Buffalonians and get serious about taxing the rich and transforming the very system that brought us to this critical moment in our citys history, Our City Action Buffalo Executive Director Harper Bishop said.

A contentious history

OCABs critical analysis is not the first time the organization has been at odds with the Brown administration and the Common Council.

The group hosts an annual State of Our City. Often held around the time Brown delivers his State of the City speech, the organization bills its event as the real state of the city.

Two years ago, former Buffalo mayoral candidate India Walton was the co-host for the organizations annual program.

Walton enjoyed a surprising Democratic mayoral primary victory over Brown in 2021 before losing to Browns write-in campaign in the general election.

Last year, OCAB endorsed candidates to run for the Common Council, but were unsuccessful and ran an ad campaign called City Hall is Failing Us. The message was posted on bus shelters across the city.

OCAB, along with nine voters, sued the city in December 2022 over the Councils redistricting process, saying the city did not take into account neighborhoods, promote racial fairness or follow the basic redistricting requirements set by state law and the City Charter when Council members approved the new boundaries. A State Supreme Court justice rejected the groups legal challenge to the new boundaries.
Im not doing this again with yall.

While Democrats debate how to respond to Joe Bidens debate performance, Trump and the Republicans are plotting to erase the entire twentieth century.

Thats not an exaggeration. Donald Trump has publicly threatened to be a dictator on day one if he wins in November, and the Supreme Court justices he appointed have just immunized him from accountability and vested him with the unchecked powers of a monarch.

If Trump wins, he would empower an army of radical right-wing activists who plan to implement Project 2025, dismantle civil rights, womens rights, and LGBTQ rights, rescind long-established progressive laws and policies, and swing a wrecking ball against the fragile institutions of government and democracy.

Yes, Joe Biden is a flawed candidate, but Donald Trump is a threat to America. If anyone should withdraw from the race, its the twice-impeached convicted criminal.

A Trump victory will not bring on a progressive peoples revolution, strengthen third-party candidates, or buy us time to elect a better Democrat in the next election. It will set us so far back that it will take decades to unravel, no matter who wins in 2028.

But some critics are making the same miscalculation they made with Hillary Clinton. A Trump victory will not bring on a progressive peoples revolution, strengthen third-party candidates, or buy us time to elect a better Democrat in the next election. It will set us so far back that it will take decades to unravel, no matter who wins in 2028. America cannot afford to make that mistake again.

Back in 2016, I was teaching at Columbia University when college students were complaining about Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee for president. Many raised legitimate concerns, including her support for the unpopular war in Iraq. But others raised less substantive issues. Shes not likable. She panders. And the most memorable critique: they didnt believe her when she appeared on The Breakfast Club and announced that she carried hot sauce in her purse.

I, too, opposed the war in Iraq, and that was one reason why I voted for Barack Obama instead of Clinton in the 2008 presidential primary. But now it was 2016, and Clinton was the Democratic nominee facing a Republican opponent, Donald Trump, who posed a clear and present danger to democracy.

If Hillary Clinton wins, we may have a liberal majority on the Supreme Court for the first time in nearly 50 years, I posted on Twitter a few weeks before the election.

That was eight years ago.

Now, as Trump cements his legacy on the right-wing court, that opportunity could be lost for a generation, as Republicans have appointed six of the nine Supreme Court Justices.

Joe Biden is not the ideal candidate to represent the Democratic Party. Hes an 81-year-old white man leading a party that is increasingly represented by young people, women, and people of color.

I worked for Bidens opponent when he ran for president in 1988. I did not vote for Biden when he ran the second time in 2008. And I did not support him in the Democratic primary in 2020. I even wrote articles criticizing him after he was elected president. But I did vote for him in 2020 because I knew he was the best available option.

I am not invested in the question of replacing Biden on the ticket. I would vote for Biden, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Wes Moore, Pete Buttigieg, or any other credible candidate that Democrats nominate. This election is not about them. Its about protecting our rights.

For five years, I covered Trump as a political commentator for CNN, following his racist speeches, midnight tweets, and unhinged press conferences. Some Americans may not remember the constant chaos and crises from Charlottesville to Covid that defined the Trump years, but I do, and I refuse to go back.

I know that Democrats prefer young, articulate, charismatic presidential candidates in the tradition of John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. I do too, but the young guys dont always deliver. It was not JFK, but an older, less attractive Lyndon Johnson who signed the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, 60 years ago today. As Jesse Jackson said at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, I would rather have Roosevelt in a wheelchair than Reagan on a horse.

Trump is far more entertaining than Joe Biden, but a presidential election is not a popularity contest. Its a job interview. Unfortunately, the majority of white voters plan to install a twice-impeached, quadruple-indicted, convicted criminal with a 50-year history of racism in the most powerful position in America.

My Black job, if there is such a thing, is to stop them.

St. Louis native Keith Boykin is a New York Timesbestselling author, TV and film producer and former CNN political commentator.
Tony Messenger Metro columnist Follow Tony Messenger 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

ST. LOUIS  Theres an important story about government obfuscation in the $18,400 bill that U.S. Magistrate Judge Shirley Mensah recently handed to attorney Lawrence Pratt.

Until early January, Pratt worked for the city counselors office in St. Louis, which is managed by City Counselor Sheena Hamilton. Pratt was the lead lawyer defending former St. Louis police Officer Kyle Chandler in a civil case. Chandler in 2015 shot and killed 18-year-old Mansur Ball-Bey. The shooting, not long after the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, drew media attention and questions about the actions of Chandler and other officers.

The citys Force Investigative Unit, then led by Lt. Roger Engelhardt, investigated the shooting, as it did all police shootings. The FIU issued a report to then-Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, who declined to charge Chandler. A few years later, Ball-Beys father, Dennis, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit.

For that lawsuit and a separate police shooting suit, Ball-Beys lawyers deposed Engelhardt, who told them about a secret audit of all FIU investigations he led. The lawyers  including Javad Khazaeli, Jack Waldron and Jermaine Wooten  demanded the audit from the city. The audit was provided to the court but sealed from public view. The city has refused to make it public, even after Sunshine Law requests by me and Engelhardt.

Last fall, Mensah ordered the city to produce documents relevant to the lawsuit among 11 boxes that make up the full investigation into the FIU. Pratt, the lead lawyer in the case, didnt do it. According to court documents, he even kept information from the other members of the city counselors office, not to mention the judge and the lawyers on the opposing side.

So in January, Mensah said she would order sanctions. That included allowing Ball-Beys lawyers to inspect all documents in the 11 boxes. Then, last month, she issued the $18,400 bill, blaming Pratt.

He was the most senior attorney on the case, he was handling the production of documents, he failed to produce the documents as ordered by the Court, he repeatedly failed to respond to Plaintiffs counsels attempts to address that failure, and he repeatedly represented to his co-counsel that the relevant documents had been produced when they had not, the judge wrote.

Pratt no longer works for the city counselors office. He now works for the St. Louis County counselors office, where hes defending similar cases: lawsuits filed over jail deaths. He did not respond to my request for comment about the sanctions and the bill Mensah handed him.

The reality is that city taxpayers are likely on the hook for that money. And those taxpayers are going to want answers about why the city is fighting so hard to hide a report on whether police shootings are properly investigated. Portions of the FIU audit that the Post-Dispatch has obtained suggest many of those investigations were shoddy at best.

Mensah has been clear that the city needs to make the audit public. But the city counselors office in February appealed to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. More than four months later, the city has yet to detail its arguments for keeping the audit secret. Instead, it has filed a series of motions asking the court for more time to file legal briefs.

In previous filings, and in response to my Sunshine Law request, the city argued that the audit is a personnel record. Mensah, who has read the audit, has ruled that it most definitely is not. The citys legal briefs to the appeals court are due Friday.

The clock is ticking. The words Mensah wrote in an order earlier this year are truer than ever, and now they come attached with an $18,400 bill.

The public interest in this claim, she wrote, is very high.
A man from Troy, Missouri, was killed Thursday night while performing a stunt on a dirt bike in Pike County, police said.

Teven J. Blackwell, 20, crashed just before 7:30 p.m. Thursday on Pike County Road 255.

The Missouri Highway Patrol said Blackwell was riding a 2018 Yamaha YZ450. He was speeding west on County Road 255. The patrol said he was performing a stunt on the bike when he lost control and sideswiped a parked vehicle.

The dirt bike then went off the road and hit a trailer, police said. Blackwell, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown off the dirt bike. He died of his injuries at a Pike County hospital.
The Buffalo Niagara regions manufacturing and technology sectors could get a boost from the federal tech hub program.

NY tech hub partners ready to capitalize on $40 million in federal funds Each region will be responsible for leading one component of the work across all three regions  Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.

Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse joined forces to win $40 million in a competition run by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Under the NY SMART I-Corridor banner, the three upstate New York regions are concentrating on bolstering the semiconductor industry.

NY SMARTs plans could pay local dividends through the semiconductor industry in three significant ways:

More manufacturers joining the supply chain, enabling them to increase their revenues and employment.

More workers getting trained for jobs, with skills that employers in those industries seek.

Commercialization of new technologies, through institutions such as the University at Buffalo.

The upstate New York partners in the tech hub bid see the $40 million as a starting point, intending to secure funds from other sources to implement their strategy. They believe being among the 12 tech hubs to receive funding  out of the 31 contending for money, from the original pool of 400 applicants  attracts more attention to upstate New Yorks semiconductor sector.

Upstate New Yorks entry was the only one of the 12 tech hubs to receive funding that was focused on semiconductors, said Dottie Gallagher, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

The federal government has said, the center of the semiconductor universe is right here, she said. Thats what were a part of.

Now, it is up to the upstate New York partners to capitalize on the funding.

Manufacturing base

NY SMART plays up the geographical value of the I-90 corridor. Just to the west, Intel is investing $20 billion in two chip-making facilities near Columbus, Ohio. Outside Syracuse, Micron Technology plans to invest up to $100 billion in a chip-making complex. Within the NY SMART corridor, Edwards Vacuum is developing a $318 million facility in Genesee County to serve the semiconductor industry.

The NY SMART partners would welcome more new companies like those. But part of their mission is to support manufacturers in the three regions that are either already serving the semiconductor industry  there are about 100 of those  or that could adapt their operations to do so.

The University at Buffalo will lead those efforts, through the Supply Chain Activation Network, known as SCAN. That network will support manufacturers and identify gaps in the supply chain that need filling, said Satish Tripathi, UBs president.

Upstate New York tech hub wins $40 million federal investment Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was ecstatic that out of about 400 original tech hub bids, the upstate bid will be one of only 12 to receive significant federal funding.

At its Buffalo plant, PVS Solutions makes ultra-pure sulfuric acid used in chip production. Dean Larson, president of the company, said PVS expects to supply Intel, Micron and others from its Buffalo plant.

Whatever can be done to build a supply chain in the local areas will undoubtedly create momentum around building additional plants in the region, Larson said. We would look to expand our facility as opportunities present themselves. The intention to build clusters around the new semiconductor plants makes sense from a logistics and efficiency standpoint.

Materion Corp.s plant in Buffalo, which employs about 250 people, has supplied the semiconductor industry with its metal products for decades, said Michael Mallia, director of global sales, power semiconductor and analog.

I think its fantastic this industry is being recognized as so critical to the world economy, and also understanding and recognizing the importance of needing highly skilled labor and needing free-flowing supply chains to support these companies that are building these facilities in upstate New York and the New York region, he said.

And there are opportunities for more companies to join the semiconductor supply chain, given all the components required, Mallia said.

Every component is important, he said. If one part of the supply chain is disrupted  that can even be bags for our products  everything stops.

Companies such as SoPark, an electronics contract manufacturer in Lackawanna, are exploring opportunities available to them.

When you talk about the semiconductor industry, its always on the West Coast, said Rupa Shanmugam, SoParks president and CEO. So to actually have it here in this region is so exciting.

Workforce training

Schumer sees Buffalo on the Senate's AI 'roadmap' "I want the future of AI to be in Buffalo, not Beijing," Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in an interview with The Buffalo News last week.

Training workers to meet the needs of semiconductor manufacturers and their suppliers is a key part of NY SMARTs strategy.

They can build all these factories, but it really comes down to having the workforce, and having the engineers, having the equipment techs that are able to manufacture these chips, Mallia said.

When these chip companies come in, they want to make sure there are workers available, said Sen. Chuck Schumer, who championed the legislation that created tech hubs. We have great skills and great hardworking people, but being a chip worker might be a little different from something else, so we need to train people for that.

Schumer pointed to the Northland Workforce Training Center as one way to train new workers. The state wants to replicate the Northland model with new workforce training centers in other regions, through a $200 million program called ON-RAMP.

Joseph Stefko, president and CEO of ROC2025, a Rochester-based alliance of economic development groups, said the ON-RAMP investment will allow SMART NY to stretch the tech hub funding and be tactical about layering in a program that will more rapidly produce the skills that semiconductor manufacturers and those supply chain partners really need  technicians and skill sets like that.

And it is not just about creating manufacturing jobs. The regions tech sector is expected to get a boost from a more-robust semiconductor industry.

Michael Wisler, chief information officer for M&T Bank, said the push for tech job growth complements efforts already under way locally, from M&Ts own investment in tech centers at Seneca One tower and Lafayette Court, to the Western New York Manufacturing and Tech Workforce Coalition, to 43North and Tech Buffalo.

I think more juice to those assets that are starting to mature and starting to show some promise is likely what well see, he said.

Wisler said the push for job growth connected to the semiconductor industry will only help with telling the story to places outside of Buffalo that this is a relevant place for modern, contemporary skills application, for those that are already experienced.

Probably more tangibly for us locally, I think it will just give us more resources to be able to increase the effectiveness of those assets to create more opportunity for underskilled talent here, Wisler said.

As semiconductor manufacturing operations and their suppliers take root and expand, tech job development is positioned to follow, he said.

It may not be obvious to many that software demand is going to up, if youre thinking predominantly about manufacturing chips, Wisler said. But what weve seen in many of these other places is innovation is drawn into those clusters. I think were poised relatively well for the ripple effect of that.

Wisler said in addition to securing tech hub designation and funding, the collaboration by Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse to achieve those goals was important.

The biggest benefit we can get from this thing is, in fact, proving to ourselves that as a region, when we collaborate, better things will happen, he said.

Commercializing technology

Syracuse University will lead the NY SMART partners work to coordinate commercializing assets and facilities to promote semiconductor-related innovation and entrepreneurship. Locally, that will include resources available through UB.

At UB, we look forward to building the economy of the future and, at the same time, enhancing our nations security, Tripathi said.

Benjamin Sio, senior vice president of strategy, policy and planning for CenterState CEO, a Syracuse-based economic development organization, said the commercialization work will create a unified front door for industry interested in interacting with our educational institutions in the semiconductor research space.

The commercialization efforts will include helping small, mid-sized and minority-owned businesses access those resources and bring their ideas to the marketplace. A new voucher program will help cover those companies costs of using laboratory and prototyping resources.
Hunting and fishing generally require an intensive engagement with natural processes, ecosystems, the living creature and the annual and daily cycles. This close psychosocial integration into nature can create a strong sense of responsibility to protect wildlife and fish, which we call stewardship.

Superficial experiences of nature

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," explains the articles first author Dr. Sam Shephard of Ave Maria University in Florida.

Tensions within hunting and fishing

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.
A U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper, assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 269, taxis for the squadrons final flight at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., Nov. 7, 2022. This was the last flight for HMLA-269, which is deactivating in accordance with Force Design 2030. HMLA-269 is a subordinate unit of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the aviation combat element of II Marine Expeditionary Force. (Servante Coba/Marine Corps)

WASHINGTON  An ongoing need for attack helicopter squadrons led the Marine Corps to revive a unit this week, less than two years after it was deactivated, service officials said.

The Marine Corps bid farewell to its Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, known as the Gunrunners, in December 2022 as part of a service-wide overhaul. But the farewell was not so final, lasting just 18 months.

The squadron, which is part of North Carolina-based II Marine Aircraft Wing, was reactivated Monday, July 1 after the Marine Corps conducted an analysis on force management. The analysis found there was a need for an additional attack helicopter squadron on the East Coast to support the II Marine Expeditionary Force, one of three Marine air-ground task forces meant to deploy overseas in response to conflict and crises. The second expeditionary force is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, and the first and third are at Camp Pendleton and Okinawa, Japan, respectively.

With persistent demand for light attack and utility aviation support, the [light attack helicopter] remains effective in crisis response and contingency missions while proving exceptional relevance in a peer-adversary maritime conflict, said Cathleen Close, spokesperson for Marine Corps Combat Development and Integration.

Operating the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter and the UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter, the squadron will resume providing the Marines air-ground task force with offensive air and utility support, and armed escorts.

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Jens Gilbertson, from Washington, commanding officer of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 269, salutes during the reactivation ceremony of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 269 at Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., July 1, 2024. The reactivation of HMLA-269 provides 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and II Marine Expeditionary Force with additional offensive air support, utility support, armed escort, and airborne supporting arms capability. (Theodore Bergan/Marine Corps)

It was a decidedly somber day when HMLA-269 deactivated. That was certainly reversed today, Col. David Fitzsimmons, commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 29, said during the reactivation ceremony.

The service divested in the North Carolina-based squadron, as well as Camp Pendletons Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469, as part of Force Design 2030, an effort to modernize the Marine Corps force and better allocate service resources. The initiative has seen the Marines get rid of hundreds of tanks and cut back on towed cannon artillery and significant numbers of helicopter units.

The aim is to reconstitute the service to counter China in the western Pacific more effectively in the years to come.

While this capability has a certain amount of relevance to crisis and contingency missions which we must still be prepared to execute, it is operationally unsuitable for our highest-priority maritime challenges and excess to our needs with the divestment of three infantry battalions, Gen. David Berger, the then-commandant of the Marine Corps, wrote in a 2020 version of Force Design 2030. Berger has since retired.

Months before the squadrons were deactivated, Bergers design concept came under scrutiny from retired generals who were concerned the Marine Corps could be putting at risk its traditional role of performing global crisis response operations by divesting armor and reducing the size of its battalions.

Retired Lt. Gen. Paul Van Riper wrote in a March 2022 that the Corps was sacrificing its combined arms capability to support maritime denial and control campaigns with anti-ship missiles.

It will be a force shorn of all its tanks and 76% of its cannon artillery, and with 41% fewer Marines in its infantry battalions, Van Riper wrote. To make the situation even worse, there will be 33% fewer aircraft available to support riflemen on the ground.

The initiative, which began six years ago, is continuously being analyzed and incremental changes are made based on improvements in U.S. capabilities and enemy capabilities, according to Close. Squadron 269s revival, she said, represents such a change.

We are a force composed of highly capable tactical units that can perform combined arms operations at all echelons, enabled by organic air and logistics, that can execute the complex missions defined by our emerging concepts in any potential theater, Close said. This remains our overall aim point for Force Design, and this adjustment to [II Marine Aircraft Wing] reflects our continued efforts to modernize.

The squadron is now one of two active-duty light attack helicopter squadrons operating out of North Carolina. Additionally, there is a Reserve squadron based out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and another at Camp Pendleton in California. Four more active-duty light attack helicopter squadrons are at Camp Pendleton.
The Sanmon Gate at the Chion-in temple complex in Kyoto, as it was in March 1955. The 16th century gate measures over 78 feet and was photographed by Stars and Stripes photographer Neil E. Callahan. Callahan shot several street scenes and buildings in and around Kyoto. Seven of these negatives survived and were found in Stars and Stripes archives in 2024 and subsequently digitized. (Neal E. Callahan/Stars and Stripes)

This article first appeared in the Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, March 11, 1955. It is republished unedited in its original form.

KYOTO  Kyoto  the city of peace  is a haven for tourists and a paradise for photographers.

The capital of Japan from 794 A.D. to 1868, Kyoto is dotted with 1,400 temples and shrines  almost a third of those in the entire nation.

Mountains ring it on three sides and the legendary Kamo river provides its fourth boundary.

The city is only eight hours from Tokyo by rain and is easily reached by other Japan-stationed and R&R personnel.

In the heart of the city is the Rakuyo Hotel, a special services accommodation for enlisted men. The hotel offers sightseeing trips through the shrine-studded city.

Kyoto City Hall  here as it was in March 1955  is one of the few pre-WWII architectural remains of Japan still visible. Built in 1927 and enlarged and completed in 1931, the hall is the work of two Japanese architects, Koichi Takeda and Shinichi Nakano. (Neal E. Callahan/Stars and Stripes) The Oten-mon Gate leading to the Heian Shrine in Kyoto, Japan, as it was in March 1955. The shrine, built in the late 19th century and dedicated to the first and last emperors who ruled from the city, was photographed by Stars and Stripes photographer Neil E. Callahan. (Neal E. Callahan/Stars and Stripes) The Asahi building in March 1955. (Neal E. Callahan/Stars and Stripes)

Six miles outside of Kyoto is a special services hotel for officers  the Biwako.

In addition to the shrines, the citys handicraft industry and ancient civic sites provide photogenic tourists attractions.

Silk has been Kyotos major industry since the founding of the city. Its history parallels that of Japan itself.

The dyeing of silks here is considered unparalleled throughout the world. The characteristic Kyoto manner of printing designs on silk was invented in the late 17th century by a local priest.

Other industries include embroidery, porcelain ware, and dying.

View of Kyoto and Lake Biwa from Mount Hiei in March 1955. (Neal E. Callahan/Stars and Stripes)

Musts on any tour are the old Imperial Palace, the many ancient shrines, and the Temple which houses 1,000 five-foot statues of the goddesses of mercy Kannon.

Touring is easy because of the geometric pattern of the streets.

Outside the city are Lake Biwa, largest in Japan, and Hozu rapids, where tourists can pay 500 for an 8-mile boat trip climaxed by a thrilling shooting of the rapids.
A poster shows Taylor Casey, of Chicago, who disappeared on June 19, 2024. (Royal Bahamas Police Force/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Two weeks after a Chicago woman disappeared from a yoga retreat in The Bahamas, little is being done to find her, according to her family and friends.

Taylor Casey, 41, was last seen June 19 at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in Nassau. Retreat leaders reported her missing the next day when she didnt show up for her classes.

Last week, Caseys mother and other friends went to The Bahamas hoping to aid in the search for Casey, but left the islands outraged.

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 said in a statement earlier this week. What we learned and observed during our time meeting with the authorities and Ashram leaders is disturbing and infuriating.

Family and friends have since asked for U.S. authorities, specifically the FBI, to join in the search for Casey. But the FBI referred all questions about the case to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, according to NBC News.

Late last month, Bahamian cops found Caseys cellphone in the ocean and located her journal and other personal effects near the yoga retreat. However, Caseys family said the items were just sitting there when they arrived, showing little sign of any investigation.

Additionally, Caseys mother, Colette Seymore, said there were no missing persons posters to be seen.

They got a missing persons wall  why isnt Taylor on it?  Seymore asked Chicago ABC affiliate WLS.

Caseys friends and family also said leaders at the yoga retreat had apparently either instructed other students to keep quiet about Caseys disappearance or deliver a rehearsed story.

Caseys allies said they eventually changed their flights home and left early because they became concerned for their own safety.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force, which remains in charge of the investigation, said it had deployed divers, a search dog and drones in the case. The force said finding Casey remained a matter of priority.

2024 New York Daily News.

Visit nydailynews.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A Buffalo man was arrested Thursday after Amherst police responded to a noise complaint at an apartment complex off Sweet Home Road, according to the Amherst Police Department.

Police said that when they arrived at about 5:45 p.m., officers saw more than 150 people congregating around the pool, the majority of whom it was determined were not residents of the complex. Most of them left without incident.

But police said they saw an individual who appeared to be firing fireworks into the remaining crowd.

Police charged Jayquan Montgomery, 22, with second-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree unlawful dealing with fireworks and second-degree harassment.

Montgomery was released on an appearance ticket and scheduled to return to Amherst Town Court at a later date.

 Harold McNeil
The Missile Defense Agency within three years foresees 20 missile defense sites around Guam, seen here Jun 12, 2024. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)

The Missile Defense Agency has yet to explain a provision in its live-fire test plan for Guams proposed defense system that would call on landowners to temporarily vacate their properties, according to a Guam think tank.

The flight tests, which would comprise two live-fire tests per year for a decade, are part of the agencys plan to develop the Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense System planned for the island. The agency has described it as a 360-degree system that could protect Guam from ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles.

The public comment period for the plans environmental assessment was extended 30 days in late June to Aug. 2, according to the agency website. The assessment is available online for review at https://www.mda.mil/system/GuamFT/ea.html. Comments may be submitted via mail, email or in person at an open house meeting 5-8 p.m. July 25 at the Dededo Senior Center.

One provision of the plan states that some landowners may be asked to vacate their properties for up to four days during the missile tests, according to the assessment.

A lack of transparency around that provision concerns the Pacific Center for Island Security, according to Robert Underwood, the centers chairman. The think tank focuses its research primarily on Guams strategic position for the U.S. military in the Indo-Pacific.

People are being warned about staying away from their property during the conduct of these tests, and the property owners have not been identified  and maybe they dont feel the need to identify them, he told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday.

The Missile Defense Agency did not respond to an email Wednesday from Stars and Stripes requesting comment.

The defense plan calls for up to 20 different missile sites across the island, to be operational by 2027.

The Defense Department would coordinate with affected private landowners to relocate during this time period at no cost to the landowners, according to the assessment, but Underwood said not enough information is provided to accurately gauge how this might affect private residences or commercial properties.

The environmental assessment is 378 pages long, highly technical, and detached from the missile defense plan itself, Underwood said.

Its being given to you in bite-sized form, but its difficult to swallow because you need analytical resources in order to be able to understand whats going on, he said. The fact is, these things are all kind of connected, but theyre issued in smaller increments.

Guam Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio in a June 11 letter to Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, head of the Missile Defense Agency, expressed similar reservations about the landowner provision. Tenorio also asked for a 60-day extension for the comment period.

The [assessment] is a complex document, and the activities identified to deploy and test the missile defense system may have far-reaching implications, he wrote, according to a June 11 news release from the Guam governors office. The interests of the people of Guam necessitate that we be given sufficient time and consideration to submit these concerns.

Neither Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero nor Rep. James Moylan, Guams non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives, responded to emails Wednesday from Stars and Stripes seeking comment.
A special committee of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly on July 4, 2024, drafted a protest letter to U.S. authorities regarding recent arrests of U.S. service members. (Okinawa Prefectural Assembly)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  A special committee of Okinawa legislators has drafted a letter of protest to U.S. authorities over a growing list of allegations of sexual crimes committed by U.S. service members since 2023.

In addition to two indictments disclosed recently, including one alleging the kidnap and sexual assault of an underaged girl, the committee heard Monday of three arrests on similar allegations going back to February 2023.

As the committee met Thursday to draft its protest, a sixth service member, a U.S. Marine, was arrested that morning on suspicion of touching a womans breast, according to a spokesman for Okinawa Prefectural Police.

The statement goes to the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly on Wednesday for its consideration, a spokesman for the prefectures Political Affairs Research Division told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday.

If approved, the letter will go to several U.S. officials, including U.S. Forces Japan commander Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, the spokesman said.

Infringes the dignity

Particularly troubling, according to the letter, is the case against an Air Force member accused of picking up a girl under age 16 and taking her to his home and sexually assaulting her Dec. 24. The airman, Brennon R. E. Washington, 25, of Kadena Air Base, was indicted March 27 and is scheduled to appear July 12 in Naha District Court. His case came to light June 24.

The December incident is causing anxiety and shock to the local community since the victim was a minor, according to a draft of the letter. A sexual assault to a woman not only causes strong mental and physical distress, but also is an extremely malicious crime that infringes the dignity as a human.

In the second case, 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. His case came to light a week after Washingtons was reported in local media.

Disclosure of both cases, withheld by law enforcement authorities from public release until court dates were scheduled, prompted expressions of outrage by Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki.

The committees draft calls on the U.S. government to take measures to prevent further incidents, and to apologize to and compensate the girl and the woman identified by police as victims.

The committee also requested that Japan and the U.S. drastically revise the status of forces agreement, saying that it privileges U.S. military members. SOFA establishes the rights and responsibilities of military and civilian personnel in Japan with the U.S. armed forces.

Hitoshi Asato, director of the prefectural police criminal affairs division, on Monday told the special committee of the three prior arrests of U.S. military members on suspicion of sexual crimes. Police had not previously released information about those arrests.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi at a press conference Wednesday said the government was aware of the three incidents and that none of the three suspects were indicted, but he refrained from providing details.

Urging arrangements

A prefectural police spokesman by phone Friday provided basic information about the three. He said police arrested a Marine, age 21, in February 2023 on suspicion of forcible sexual intercourse; a U.S. civilian employee in August 2023 on suspicion of nonconsensual sexual intercourse; and a Marine, 31, in January on suspicion of nonconsensual sexual intercourse. The spokesman declined to provide further details.

A spokesman for the Naha Public Prosecutors Office also declined to provide details of the three arrests. Some government officials in Japan may speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

Tamaki met Wednesday in Tokyo to file protests with State Minister of Defense Makoto Oniki, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa and Shunichi Kuryu, the deputy chief cabinet secretary.

Kamikawa at a press conference Thursday promised to consider requests from Tamaki, including better information sharing between jurisdictions and tighter liberty restrictions on U.S. service members.

As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we are considering cooperating with related ministries, Kamikawa said. We are urging arrangements to be able to release something soon.

On Thursday, police arrested a Marine private first class from Camp Kinser on suspicion that he touched a womans breast over her clothing at 8:29 a.m. that day. Police said the incident occurred at a commercial building in Naha and the woman is in her 20s.

The Marine was in police custody and his case was scheduled to go to prosecutors Friday, the spokesman said.
The Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands, though relative specks in the East China Sea, are among several sites where China acts aggressively to assert territorial claims that other nations regard as illegal. (Cabinet Secretariat of Japan)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  Three Chinese coast guard vessels entered the 12-mile territorial limit around the Senkaku Islands between Tuesday and Thursday, the third such incident in less than a month, according to the Japanese coast guard.

The three vessels were chasing a Japanese fishing boat and appeared to be armed with deck-mounted machine guns, according to a Japan coast guard news release.

The first vessel entered waters south of Uotsuri island, the largest of the Senkaku chain, around 1:38 p.m. Tuesday, closely followed by the second at 2:35 p.m. and third at 4:29 p.m. near Minamikojima, according to the release.

A larger contingent of Japanese coast guard ships positioned themselves between the fishing boat and the Chinese vessels and warned the Chinese by radio and electronic messaging boards to leave the area, a Japanese coast guard spokesman said by phone Friday. Some government officials in Japan are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

The last Chinese vessel left the area at 8:26 p.m. Wednesday; the first two left at 8:17 a.m. Thursday, according to the release.

Another Chinese coast guard ship was spotted in Japans exclusive economic zone but did not intrude, the release said.

The Senkakus  five uninhabited islets and three reefs 105 miles east of Taiwan and 254 miles west of Okinawa  are administered by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan. The area around the islands reportedly contains oil reserves and other resources, which has led to Chinese challenges to Japans claim over the islands since the 1970s, according to Japans Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The ministry filed multiple complaints with the Chinese Embassy in Japan and with the Chinese government in Beijing over the three-day intrusion. We asked them to leave the area, a ministry spokesman said by phone Friday.

This latest intrusion follows a five-day incident starting June 20 in which four Chinese coast guard vessels repeatedly entered the 12-mile territorial limit around the island chain. Another four Chinese coast guard vessels entered and left the area June 7, the Japan coast guard said at the time.

Chinese ships have been spotted sailing within Japans exclusive economic zone near the Senkakus for 197 straight days as of Friday, a new record, the Japanese coast guard spokesman said.

Chinese ships last year came within 12 miles of the Senkakus 34 times and remained for a total of 42 days, a Japanese coast guard spokesman has said. The record was set in 2013, when Chinese vessels entered the islets territorial limits 52 times and remained there for 54 days.

China stepped up its presence around the Senkakus following a visit by President Xi Jinping in November to his countrys coast guard command in which he stated the necessity to constantly strengthen Beijings claim on the islands, Kyodo News reported at the time. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel lambasted the plan to keep ships in and around Japans Senkaku Islands for 365 consecutive days in a January post on X.

The intrusions are part of a pattern of provocative actions by China in recent years challenging its neighbors maritime claims in the East and South China seas. In May, a Chinese surveillance and strike drone was spotted for the first time north of Okinawa.

The Pentagon identified China as an aggressive presence in the East and South China seas and a global pacing challenge in its 2022 National Defense Strategy.

As part of its response, the Defense Department this week announced a plan Wednesday to station more advanced fighter aircraft in Japan over the next several years - including F-35A Lightning IIs at Misawa Air Base for the first time and F-15EX Eagles at Kadena Air Base.
Russias President Vladimir Putin attends a briefing in Astana, Kazakhstan on July 4, 2024. (Sergei Guneyev/Sputnik, Pool/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

President Vladimir Putin said Russia takes seriously statements by Donald Trump that he has proposals to end the war in Ukraine quickly.

Im not familiar with his possible proposals on how he intends to do this, and that is, of course, the key question, Putin told a news conference Thursday in Astana, Kazakhstan, where he attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. But I have no doubt that he says this sincerely, and we will support it.

He spoke a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Bloomberg TV in an interview that Trump should tell us today what his plans for ending the war would be if he wins Novembers U.S. presidential election. Zelenskyy warned that any proposal must avoid violating Ukraines sovereignty.

Putin told reporters that he saw some of last weeks election debate between Trump and Joe Biden but declined to comment on it. President Biden is facing growing pressure to drop his reelection bid following criticism of his poor performance in the debate.

Trump hasnt explained how he believes hell bring an end to the war thats now in its third year. Politico reported this week that hes considering a deal with Russia under which NATO would commit not to expand further east, including to Ukraine and Georgia, citing two national security experts aligned with the former president.

Putin said last month that Ukraine had to pull out of four eastern regions partly occupied by Russian forces as a condition for peace talks. Under his terms, immediately rejected by Kyiv and its U.S. and European allies, Ukraine would also have to rule out ever joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Putin said in Astana that Russia wont declare a halt to fighting before Ukraine agrees to take irreversible steps demanded by Moscow, without specifying what those would be.

A cease-fire without reaching such agreements is impossible, he said.

The Russian president also ruled out a resumption of talks with the U.S. on strategic stability until after the election. Russia must first understand the moods and preferences of the future administration, Putin said.

Separately, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said it would be very difficult to continue arming Ukraine without U.S. support.

Will Europeans be able to continue supporting Ukraine militarily even if the U.S. doesnt? Borrell said at a meeting in Madrid of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Its certainly difficult but not impossible. But is there the political will? I have my doubts.

With assistance from Kevin Whitelaw.

2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Visit bloomberg.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Mark Rutte, left, as Dutch prime minister, talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July 2023. Rutte was recently appointed by NATO to replace Stoltenberg as secretary-general. (NATO)

For 10 years, NATO has been led by the same man, marking the second-longest tenure in the 75-year history of the alliance.

In October, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will step aside for Mark Rutte, whose own 14-year stint made him the longest serving prime minister in the history of the Netherlands.

Both men are regarded as steady and pragmatic, consensus-building and consummately diplomatic. It means the upcoming leadership change at NATO headquarters should be a seamless transition, rather than a big Brussels shakeup.

The alliance is and will remain the cornerstone of our collective security. Leading this organization is a responsibility I do not take lightly, Rutte said in a statement shortly after allies in June greenlighted his ascension to the top NATO post.

Ruttes pathway to secretary-general wasnt clear cut. In the runup, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas were among the leading contenders.

Supporters of those candidates argued that the new NATO leader should hail from the east, where countries have done a better job than the Netherlands of increasing defense budgets to deal with potential threats from Russia.

However, in late June, Iohannis withdrew his lingering candidacy, clearing the way for Rutte.

In the end, the early backing of Rutte from President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz proved decisive.

As secretary-general, Rutte will serve as the face of the 32-nation military alliance that is all about building consensus.

The organization, founded in the aftermath of World War II, requires unanimity to carry out its various initiatives, such as the plans for defending against a potential attack from Russia or setting standards on defense spending for member state militaries.

During his time as prime minister, Rutte was known as Teflon for his ability to weather crises unscathed.

The lifelong bachelor takes a typically Dutch, no-frills approach. He lives in the same apartment he called home during his university days. He also favors riding his bike to work rather than traveling by motorcade.

Rutte also has shown an ability to get along with former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose potential return to the White House could well have factored into the minds of some allies.

The most important aspect of the top NATO job is managing the alliances relationship with the United States, the undisputed leader of the security pact.

While NATO makes decisions by consensus, the alliance ultimately revolves around American priorities. That was made clear during the tenure of Trump, who frequently excoriated allies.

At NATOs tumultuous 2018 Brussels summit, Trump publicly dressed down Stoltenberg over perceived alliance shortcomings and shocked other allies with behind-the-scenes threats about possibly quitting the alliance.

Stoltenberg, however, was unflappable on stage. And during the rest of Trumps time in office he made the issue of defense spending  Trumps main focus  his own as well.

His ability to manage the relationship spawned the nickname of Trump whisperer for Stoltenberg. But it may have been Rutte who was the master of damage control during that 2018 Brussels summit.

During a crisis meeting among heads of state, Rutte was selected by other leaders to be the one to attempt to talk Trump down from the idea quitting NATO.

A Financial Times report Thursday described the gathering in which Rutte figured out that the key was to give Trump credit for calling allies out, prompting them to spend more on defense and commit to spending more in the future.

Trump walked away from their subsequent conversation beaming, the FT reported, citing people who were in attendance.

Rutte won a lot of respect from Trumpworld that day, a European diplomat told the newspaper.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Lande and Senior Airman Michael Omana unload pets from the Patriot Express at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, in May 2023. (Anthony Hetlage/U.S. Air Force)

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention is setting new rules for dogs coming into the United States to prevent the spread of rabies.

Dogs in military families or that belong to Defense Department civilians are not exempt, CDC spokesman Dave Daigle told Stars and Stripes via email Tuesday. However, military veterinarians are qualified to get eligible canines ready and to issue the necessary paperwork, according to the CDC.

According to the new regulations, the dog must be healthy upon arrival, at least 6 months of age and microchipped. They must be vaccinated and have the necessary veterinary documents, along with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, according to the CDCs website.

The cost to microchip a dog ranges from $25 to $60 depending on the device and veterinarian, according to Pawlicy, a pet insurance market place. Dog vaccinations typically cost between $20 and $50 each; the rabies vaccine costs $23 to $27. The CDC import form is free.

The CDC is updating its dog regulation to protect the health and safety of people and animals and prevent the re-introduction of dog rabies to the United States, Daigle said.

Dog rabies was eliminated in the United States in 2007, but unvaccinated canines can still contract the disease from rabid wildlife such as raccoons, skunks or bats, he said.

These rules apply to dogs that left the U.S. and are returning regardless of the country they are coming from.

This update keeps Americans and their pets safe and will address recent challenges seen with international dog importations, including the challenges posed by fraudulent documentation and dogs housed in unsafe conditions, Daigle said. The rule will also more closely align with the World Organization for Animal Healths standards for the international movement of dogs from rabies-endemic countries.

The 100-year-old organization, headquartered in Paris, coordinates, supports and promotes animal disease control with the objective of controlling animal diseases and preventing their spread, according to its website.

If you dont follow CDCs rules, your dog wont be allowed to enter the United States, the CDC states on its website. If denied entry, your dog will be sent back to the last country of departure at your expense. Country of departure is where the last trip originated  not where the dog was born or where it lives.

A CDC DogBot on its website will help travelers determine what their dogs require to meet the new regulations.

DOD veterinarians are accredited by the Department of Agriculture and can access the Veterinary Export Health Certification System for the rabies vaccine form that dogs will need to enter the U.S., Daigle said. The DOD also supplies vaccines licensed by the Agriculture Department to U.S. military bases overseas.

Air Mobility Command, which provides air transportation for service members and their families making permanent changes of station, has posted information about the new CDC requirements on its travel website, command spokeswoman Tiffany Ormerod told Stars and Stripes via email Wednesday.

The information is visible by clicking on the New CDC U.S. Pet Entry Requirements for Dogs banner.

All personnel stationed overseas and scheduled to PCS back to the United States after 1 August should review the CDC requirements and be prepared to demonstrate compliance when checking in for the Patriot Express flight, Ormerod said.

The Patriot Express is a contracted air transportation service that flies regularly between the U.S. and overseas military installations.
Sailors from the USS Wasp greet their family members aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Mediterranean Sea, June 30, 2024. (Caroline Pontier/Navy)

NAPLES, Italy  Sailors from the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp visited family members aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, ahead of the aircraft carriers imminent return to the U.S. after nearly nine months at sea.

Six service members aboard Wasp were flown on an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter to Eisenhower as both ships transited the Mediterranean Sea on Sunday, the Navy said.

The roughly two-hour visits came as the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group and the British navy ship HMS Duncan conducted operations together.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower sails beside the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp in the Mediterranean Sea, June 30, 2024. Six service members from Wasp were flown on an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter to Eisenhower for reunions with family members on June 30, 2024. ( Merissa Daley/U.S. Navy)

The Eisenhower group, which includes the destroyer USS Gravely and the cruiser USS Philippine Sea, entered the Mediterranean Sea on June 22 after more than seven months combating Iranian-backed Houthi militant efforts to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea.

Eisenhower, Gravely and Philippine Sea left the region Thursday and are in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet said Friday.

The Wasp group, which includes the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill, the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York and embarked elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, arrived in the area late last month.

For Petty Officer 3rd Class Daniel Arbodleda, the chance to see family after a lengthy deployment was unexpected but joyful.

I was ecstatic when I found out that there was a chance that I might actually get to see my husband after being away for nine months, Arbodleda, a logistics specialist aboard Eisenhower, said Friday in a statement. Before we left, we accepted the fact that we were not going to see each other for at least a year.

Even so, the reunion was bittersweet, saying our goodbyes for the second time was a bit harder than the last, said Arbodledas husband, Petty Officer 3rd Class MarkKevin Escalante, a machinists mate serving on Wasp.

The morale booster also was enjoyed by family members and friends who saw the reunion photo posted to Wasps Facebook page.

My handsome husband, my beautiful daughter and her boyfriend all in one photo, said Alexas Gore in a comment on the post.

Petty Officer 1st Class Sherry Moreno said she was grateful to visit her nephew, Petty Officer 3rd Class Marc Diver, an aviation ordnanceman aboard Eisenhower.

Seeing his face when I walked in and being able to hug him was the best, said Moreno, an aviation support equipment technician. Our familys excitement seeing us together while both of us are on deployment is something very few can say they have experienced.

On Tuesday, the destroyer USS Mason, also part of the strike group, returned to its homeport in Mayport, Fla., after nearly nine months in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and eastern Mediterranean, the Navy said.

During that time, Mason faced unprecedented attacks by Houthi fighters based in Yemen, the service said.

Mason, along with Eisenhower, Gravely, Philippine Sea, and the destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Carney and USS Laboon, received a combat action ribbon in April for performance under enemy fire, Military.com reported May 24.
Representative Seth Moulton, D-Mass., attends a briefing on Oct. 1, 2019, in Danvers, Massachusetts. According to reports on Friday, July 5, 2024, Moulton is joining other Democrats in saying that President Joe Biden should step aside from his reelection campaign. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald/TNS)

BOSTON (Tribune News Service)  A week after President Joe Bidens disastrous debate performance, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton is joining those in saying the incumbent president should step aside from his campaign for reelection.

Moulton said Thursday on WBUR he isnt confident Biden can beat former President Trump in the general election Nov. 5.

President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding father, George Washingtons footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump, Moulton said.

Moulton, D-Salem, is the third sitting member of Congress to publicly say Biden shouldnt run again and the first in the all-Democratic Massachusetts delegation.

On Wednesday, Moulton released a statement questioning Bidens ability to continue in the race and saying now is the time to let the new generation of Democrats lead the way.

Ive always said that America needs to elevate a new generation of leaders, and I respect those colleagues who have already spoken out. We should have all viable options on the table, Moulton said in the statement.

On Thursday, Moulton said he is open to any political process that would select a successor to Biden and increase the partys chances of retaining the White House.

The exact mechanism that we should follow in order for other leaders to rise up, whether its some sort of primary process, whether it goes directly to Vice President (Kamala) Harris, Im not sure about that, thats yet to be determined, Moulton told WBUR. And thats in many ways the substance of the deep, honest conversations that Democrats are having behind the scenes now and over the course of the past week.

Moulton told WBUR he came to the realization after speaking with Democrats concerned that Trump has gained an advantage in the presidential race following Bidens poor debate performance last week.

Thats whats most important, he said. We have to win.

Gov. Maura Healey took part in a meeting between Biden and Democratic governors Wednesday night. Her office did not release a statement following the meeting.

Moulton joins two sitting House Democrats, Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Raul Grijalva of Arizona, who have publicly called for Biden to step aside, according to The Associated Press.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that 11 other members of Congress have raised concerns about Bidens electability.

(c)2024 the Gloucester Daily Times (Gloucester, Mass.)

Visit the Gloucester Daily Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Sailors form on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to spell out NATO-OTAN in the Mediterranean Sea in 2009. The direction of the alliance will be the subject of debate as President Joe Biden welcomes NATO and allied leaders to a 75th anniversary summit in Washington, D.C., beginning Tuesday. (Rafael Figueroa Medina/U.S. Navy)

Military spending is up, plans to counter a potential Russian attack have been upgraded and NATO has added two new members to fortify an alliance now considered at its strongest in decades.

But when President Joe Biden welcomes heads of state for a Washington summit next week, jitters about the future will likely dominate the backroom talk as allies contemplate how to Trump-proof NATO.

Its a paradoxical moment where we have this organization that is arguably stronger than ever, at least stronger than any time since the end of the Cold War. And yet American involvement in it, American commitment, is potentially at risk, said John R. Deni, a NATO expert with the U.S. Army War Colleges Strategic Studies Institute.

At the summit, there will be pronouncements about the durability of an organization touted by its members as the most successful military alliance in history. And leaders are expected to approve several new measures during the three-day gathering aimed at further bolstering defenses, enhancing support for Ukraines military and extending a bridge to eventual NATO membership for Kyiv.

Our most urgent task at the summit will be support to Ukraine. Ukraine must prevail, and they need our sustained support, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Friday at his Brussels headquarters.

But beyond the summit agenda, NATO stands on shaky ground.

U.S. soldiers pose with service members from the German and Spanish armies holding the NATO flag during the Saber Strike exercise at Bemowo Piskie, Poland, in April 2024. NATO will mark its 75th anniversary at a summit in Washington, D.C., this month, with a focus on maintaining unity amid changing governments and the ongoing war in Ukraine. (Omar Joseph/U.S. Army) U.S. Army Sgt. Brandon Allen from the 3rd Infantry Division, with NATOs enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Poland, coaches a Polish service member on the M4A1 carbine rifle at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, April 15, 2024. (Brett Thompson/U.S. Army) NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg answers a question about the alliances upcoming summit in Washington, D.C. NATO will mark its 75th anniversary at the summit, but the focus will be on its future. (NATO)

Angst in some European capitals over the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House looms over events.

The unease intensified after a dismal Biden debate performance last week, which was reflected in a New York Times/Siena poll released this week that gave former president Trump a three-percentage point bump.

Should Trump return, the strength of the U.S. commitment to NATO is open to debate, given Trumps long held skepticism about the value of an alliance he characterizes as a collection of security freeloaders.

Other political events in Europe, such as the rise of Marine Le Pens far-right NATO-skeptic party in recent French elections, point to a turbulent future for an alliance founded in the aftermath of World War II.

(T)he almost one billion people protected by the alliance stand at a precipice of danger  If Donald Trump and Marie Le Pen are elected, they will end NATO, said Jorge Benitez, an expert on NATO and European security with the Washington-based Atlantic Council.

While Trump has had harsh words for NATO, he hasnt spelled out his intentions in a possible second term. Even without attempting to pull out of NATO, the alliance could be compromised if the United States indicated that it wasnt fully on board with NATOs linchpin Article 5 provision that an attack on one is an attack on all.

Regardless, Trumps ambivalence about the alliance and opposition to one of its key campaigns  training and arming the Ukrainian military in its war with Russia  has allies looking at other options.

To that end, the Washington summit is expected to shake up how allies get weaponry to Ukraine, with NATO taking command of an effort that so far has been a U.S.-led endeavor carried out from the Armys European headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany.

The new NATO-led effort would remain in Wiesbaden but be comprised of a larger multinational staff that reports to NATOs top commander, U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli.

While NATO hasnt called the shift a move to counter Trump, its nonetheless been described by alliance observers as an attempt to Trump-proof allied support for Ukraine should America back out in the future.

Stoltenberg, asked Friday about concerns over the longevity of efforts to support Ukraine and other initiatives amid political upheaval in various member countries, said he was confident the alliance will hold together.

I cannot guarantee. NATO has never been a given. NATO will never be a given. But NATO has proven extremely resilient, Stoltenberg said.

But skeptics say such Trump-proofing ignores the central role the U.S. plays almost across the board inside NATO when it comes to carrying out important missions.

It could be difficult for NATO to make up for what the Americans bring to the table, Deni said.

The U.S. military serves as the backbone of an allied logistics system that is at the heart of the effort to get arms to the Ukrainians, Deni said.

National security analysts in Trumps orbit also have already made clear that a major military shift to the Pacific is in order, and that would mean fewer American troops in Europe.

But the ability of Europeans to carry the security load in Europe  both on supporting Ukraine and executing its own defense plans  appears to be years away.

In the case of arming the Ukrainians, allies are making progress as they ramp up their defense industrial base and could be in a position to carry the bulk of the burden in a year or two, Deni said.

But when it comes to filling the requirements of NATOs own territorial defense plans, the Europeans are far from ready to do it on their own, he said.

Certainly, in terms of manpower alone, even the most aggressive of our European allies on this front like the Poles, who are on their way (to building the largest European army in NATO) will take years to do it, Deni said.

In Washington, allies are expected to fine-tune defense plans and a new force model that puts hundreds of thousands of allied troops on a higher state of alert. Considering the central role of the U.S. military in Europe, American troops would be a major part of any NATO territorial defense strategy.

Possibly by the end of the decade, the Polish army might be capable of stepping up in some of the ways American units currently do, Deni said.

Ukrainian membership

Besides overhauling how NATO trains and equips Ukraines military, the question of the countrys future membership in the alliance is on the NATO summit agenda. Leaders have said repeatedly that Kyivs future is in NATO, but there is no consensus in the alliance about when that should happen.

In Washington, allies will agree to more concrete language on Ukraines pathway.

However, its not at all clear if there would ever be consensus within NATO to take the next step and invite Ukraine even after its war ends with Russia.

Critics of the idea say the move would be an unnecessary escalation with Moscow and put allies on the hook for coming to Ukraines defense should fighting break out again.

But others say failure to extend a membership invitation in Washington adds up to a summit that falls short of expectations.

No steps or pathways to NATO membership will be real and concrete until Biden and (German Chancellor Olaf) Scholz agree to begin the membership process for Ukraine, Benitez said. Everything short of that will be just more empty promises that do not help the people of Ukraine and that do not deter further aggression from Russia.

Leaving unified

With 32 allies, there are bound to be disputes around the table in Washington. But allies can point to progress in one area that has been a point of contention among members for many years.

Stoltenberg said 23 of NATOs 32 members now spend at least 2% of gross domestic product on their respective militaries, a NATO benchmark met by only three allies a decade ago.

Defense spending across European allies and Canada is up 18% this year alone, the biggest increase in decades. Allies are taking burden-sharing seriously, Stoltenberg said.

Failure among members to hit 2% has been at the center of U.S. NATO critiques for decades, spanning across administrations. Trump took those criticisms to another level, with tough talk that broke with diplomatic norms.

In Washington, leaders can be expected to talk up the progress during the highly choreographed gathering, where the main goal will be avoiding signs of discord among members.

Really the most vital part of any NATO summit is to portray unity, Deni said. The key is that we emerge at the end without a lot of strife and with unity at the center of what the alliance is up to.
Dubliner Mark Mulligan was jailed after harassing a mother and saying he would 'love to rape' her son (3).

THIS is the He-Man pervert Dubliner who exchanged sick messages with a security guard who plotted to rape and kidnap presenter Holly Willoughby.

Gavin Plumb was jailed this week after a court heard how he developed an "obsession" with the presenter and assembled an "abduction kit" - complete with handcuffs and metal cable ties - to help carry out his attack.

During Plumbs high-profile trial, it emerged how the 30-stone security guard had sordid chats about the ex-ITV star with an undercover US police officer on an online chatroom called Abduct Lovers.

However, it was also detailed how he used the chatroom to share intimate details of the plot with an Irish user named 'Marc'.

However, it has now been reported that Marc is a convicted stalker from Dublin named Mark Mulligan who was previously exposed by the Sunday World.

We revealed how he dressed as the cartoon character He-Man on a dating website.

In 2014, Mulligan, from Clongriffin in North Dublin, was jailed for three-and-a-half years for harassing a mother and saying he would 'love to rape' her three-year-old son.

His trial also heard how Mulligan had also made references to the children of RTE celebrities and to kidnapping and raping boys and girls.

During what his own defence barrister described as a disgusting fantasy conversation, Mulligan said he would love to rape the three-year-old son of a woman he knew, because she pissed him off.

This week, it emerged Mulligan had exchanged thousands of messages with Plumb telling his trial he felt they were forging a real friendship.

In one exchange, Plumb told the Dubliner they would have to find somewhere remote to keep Holly once they had abducted her.

In response, Mulligan said: Definitely in the middle of nowhere, so no one can hear her scream...Celebrities, they think they're full of themselves, they need to be f***ing put into place.

Mark Mulligan

Like Plumb, Mulligans sick fantasies saw him end up before a judge in 2014.

The evidence heard in the Central Criminal Court was a world away from the mild-mannered image Mulligan attempted to portray on his profile on a popular dating website uncovered by the Sunday World.

On it he wrote: Im easy-going, enjoy walking, photography. I go to the cinema now and then, enjoy when I can go to theatre, comedy gigs, watching few things on TV.

Ive taken up walking again as I want to lose a few pounds. If you want to know more feel free message me, Im looking for a date and maybe possibly more depending on where the first date is going so no one night stand or anything.

However, in court Mulligans true nature as a sick and twisted pervert was exposed.

The court heard how, in text conversations over Skype with an unknown person, Mulligan said he would love to rape the three-year-old son of a woman he knew, because she pissed him off.

Gavin Plumb

He then sent a non-explicit photograph of the boy to the other person.This other man, using the online identity rodub82, said: Lets snatch him.

The accused replied: Mmmm make him watch us kill his mum and dad, and then kill him.

Garnet Orange SC, defending, told the jury that the online exchanges were between two people who were concealing their identities and were disturbing but were in the context of a private conversation.

He said that nothing further was done.

After a one-day trial, a jury of 10 men and two women took 44 minutes to return a unanimous verdict of guilty.

Mulligan of Railway Road, Clongriffin, Dublin had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the production of child pornography at his home on dates between March 1 and March 17, 2013.

In one online text exchange, on the morning of St Patricks Day, Mulligan told rodub82: Lots of horny kids around today in parade.

He later wrote that he would love to have a cottage in the middle of nowhere and take kids there and rape and torture them and shit on their graves.

Rodub82 said they could behave like a couple of Nazi prison guards. Killed Mulligan added: Love to pick someone up late at night boy girl man woman and rape the bastard. Every time I heard someone got raped its a turn on  even more when they are killed?

Gavin Plumb. Photo: CPS

He also said hed like to kidnap and rape a pregnant woman and get the kid out.

Mulligan asked rodub82 which Irish celebrity he would rape and rodub82 named the actress Saoirse Ronan, while Mulligan suggested any of the reporters on RTE.

The other user replied prefer their kids and Mulligan agreed and said it would give them something to remember.

Mulligan told gardai that the conversations were all just sick fantasies and he never intended to act on them.

He said: I was only saying it, I was never going to meet anybody. We were discussing fantasy rape, as far as I was concerned nothing would be done about it. It was fantasy talk only.

I get obsessed talking about rape and torture, I know I need help, I wish I didnt have these thoughts.

He said that while on the website gayireland.com he contacted a user with the word perv in their internet name and during their Skype conversation he said he stupidly said he was interested in raping young people.

Mulligan said he isnt sexually attracted to children.

I was lonely, curious, I felt like I was an undercover reporter, trying to get information. I didnt have any real friends, I distanced myself from reality. I just wanted to talk to people, he said

This week, Holly Willoughby has praised the "bravery" of the previous victims of Plumb for speaking out after he was found guilty of "graphic" plans to kidnap, rape and murder the TV presenter.

The former This Morning host also thanked the undercover police officer that "understood the imminent threat" to her life and helped foil his plot.

Following the guilty verdict, Willoughby said in a statement: "As women we should not be made to feel unsafe going about our daily lives and in our own homes.

"I will forever be grateful to the undercover police officer who understood the imminent threat, and to the Metropolitan and Essex police forces for their swift response.

"Thank you to the Crown Prosecution Service, the Rt Hon Mr Justice Murray, Alison Morgan KC, the members of the jury and all involved in this case for ensuring that justice was done and that the defendant will not be able to harm any more women.

"I would also like to commend the bravery of his previous victims for speaking up at the time.

"Without their bravery this conviction may not have been possible."

During the trial, the jury were told of Plumb's two previous convictions for attempted kidnap in 2006 and another two offences of false imprisonment committed in 2008.

Holly Willoughby

He said he had a "stewardess fantasy" at the time he tried to force two air hostesses to get off a train in the space of three days in August 2006.

Plumb was handed a term of imprisonment of 12 months, suspended for two years, with supervision and activity requirements for his two kidnap attempts, and was jailed for 32 months for the false imprisonment offences.
Bryan Dunne, 43, of Hyde Park Lodge, Killucan, Co. Westmeath, pleaded guilty to possessing 745 images and videos at his home on September 19, 2023.

Bryan Dunne, 43yrs, of Hyde Park Lodge, Killucan, Co. Westmeath pictured leaving Mullingar District Court after he pleaded guilty to possessing 745 images and videos at his home on September 19, 2023. pic: IrishPhotoDesk.ie

Bryan Dunne, 43yrs, of Hyde Park Lodge, Killucan, Co. Westmeath pictured leaving Mullingar District Court after he pleaded guilty to possessing 745 images and videos at his home on September 19, 2023. pic: IrishPhotoDesk.ie

A MAN who accessed an online cloud folder where he kept hundreds of child sex abuse images and videos after avoiding imprisonment for a similar offence is to be jailed for 12 months.

Bryan Dunne, 43, of Hyde Park Lodge, Killucan, Co. Westmeath, pleaded guilty to possessing 745 images and videos at his home on September 19, 2023.

The offences, contrary to the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, happened two years after he received a suspended three years and nine months sentence with strict terms.

Judge Keenan Johnson heard at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court that Dunne admitted he was sexually attracted to prepubescent girls.

The abuse material was in a folder he had since 2018 in his Dropbox account for remote storage of data online.

He accessed it in June last year, and it contained explicit images and recordings of girls aged seven to 14 with genitalia exposed or being sexually abused.

In April 2021, he had already received a three-year and nine-month suspended sentence for similar offences for distributing child abuse material in 2016 and 2017. It was suspended for 10 years, and he complied with a condition to complete the Safer Lives programme for sex offenders and went to counselling.

However, he told gardai that when he opened the Dropbox folder in the middle of the night, "things were getting on top of him," and he had wanted "to end it all".

Bryan Dunne, 43yrs, of Hyde Park Lodge, Killucan, Co. Westmeath pictured leaving Mullingar District Court after he pleaded guilty to possessing 745 images and videos at his home on September 19, 2023. pic: IrishPhotoDesk.ie

Dunne wept in court, telling Judge Keenan Johnson that he had the folder since 2018, at a time he was heavily abusing cocaine. He claimed that he opened it once following his conviction while looking for other non-illegal images.

He said it happened on a night he planned to take his life after learning new information connected to sexual abuse he suffered as a child.

Dunne, who had trained in home heating installation, had also been owed for a home job but did not get paid and was upset he would not have spending money for a family holiday.

The court heard he had been drinking, another breach of the suspended sentence conditions because alcohol was a "trigger" for his behaviour.

He was planning to end it all and took tablets and alcohol and did not expect to wake up the next morning. He told gardai, "I tried to kill myself. Life keeps kicking me off the ladder," and he opened the Dropbox folder.

Detective Sergeant Eric Naughton of the Divisional Protective Service Unit in Athlone Garda station said Dunne's arrest came after the National Center for Missing andExploited Children (NCMEC) in the United States detected that the Dropbox file with abuse images and recordings had been accessed.

NCMEC found the device's IP (internet protocol) address and an associated email address used to access the material. The information was passed on to gardai, who could link it to Dunne at a previous address in Castleknock, Dublin 15. In September 2023, when gardai went to his Killucan home, he still had the folder in his online account.

Judge Johnson noted he made no effort to delete the material.

He delayed the sentence start date to allow Dunne to put his affairs in order and report to Mullingar Garda station at midday on July 31 to be brought to prison to serve his term.

He also faces the risk of the earlier suspended sentencing being re-entered to court and activated to run consecutively.

Judge Johnson delayed the start date until July 1 to allow Dunne to put his affairs in order. He ordered him to report to Mullingar Garda station at midday and be brought to prison to serve his term.

He also faces the risk of the earlier suspended sentencing being re-entered to court and activated to run consecutively.
The ISPCA rescued the abused dogs from horrific living conditions

One of the rescued dogs (Image: ISPCA)

One of the abused dogs (Image: ISPCA)

A man has had his prison sentence for animal abuse increased after he appealed the ruling.

The Tipperary mans prison term for animal cruelty offences was increased from four months to six months at Clonmel Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, June 25.

Christopher OSullivan of Coolagarranroe, Burncourt, Cahir, Co. Tipperary had lodged an appeal against the severity of a sentence previously imposed at Cashel District Court in January, when Judge Brian OShea sentenced him to four months imprisonment and banned him for life from having a dog.

Mr OSullivans wife, Christina OSullivan, was also convicted, fined 400 and disqualified for 10 years from having dogs, except one dog she already owned.

ISPCA Senior Inspector Alice Lacey told the court of making two visits to the OSullivans home, the first on Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

These dogs endured unnecessary suffering at the hands of someone who should have been there to protect them, Ms Lacey said.

On that occasion, 13 dogs - including a Belgian Malinois, a Belgian Shepherd, a Springer Spaniel, a Beagle, and a number of terriers  were found living in small, rundown pens or confined on chains, some on very short chains.

Many of the dogs were malnourished and an array of ailments were detected including skin conditions, lice infestation, and dental disease, according to the ISPCA.

One of the rescued dogs (Image: ISPCA)

Three Kerry blue terriers were in particularly bad condition and one female wire-haired terrier was found to be pregnant. The odour emanating from some of the dogs coats and skin was described as putrid.

Despite the fact that it was a warm day, some dogs were without access to drinking water. All of the dogs were surrendered into ISPCA care.

On a subsequent visit on March 16, 2023, a further 10 dogs  two Springer Spaniels, a hairy Whippet, a Cocker Spaniel and a number of terriers  were found in sub-standard and dirty living conditions.

Many ailments were again noted including mange, alopecia, conjunctivitis of the eyes, dental disease and matted, dirty coats.

One dog had an untreated jaw injury and another was of extremely poor body weight.

All of these dogs were also removed.

After hearing the evidence, Judge Catherine Staines commented: This was extremely serious. These dogs suffered. No proper food, water, emaciated and in pain.

Animals are defenceless she added.

Judge Staines affirmed the original District Court order and imposed an additional two-month prison term.

Senior Inspector Lacey added: "The affirmation of the initial District Court order handed down in January this year, together with the additional two-month sentence, was welcomed.

"This case has come full circle. From the rescuing of these dogs and the seeking of justice that ensued, to the significant and warranted outcome.

Donations to help the ISPCA can be made here.
Gardai have arrested a man and seized cannabis worth 1.6million during an operation targeting organised crime in Dublin yesterday.

The 42-year-old man was detained after gardai from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau intercepted a vehicle shortly after 6.30pm in Blanchardstown

A separate search operation was conducted under warrant of a business premises in the Blanchardstown area.

During the course of the searches of the vehicle and premises in Blanchardstown, 80 kilogrammes of cannabis herb was seized.

A garda spokesman said the estimated street value of the drugs seized is 1.6 million approximately.

"One (1) male, aged 42 years was arrested in relation to drug trafficking and is currently detained, pursuant to the provisions of Section 2 of Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996, at a Garda Station in Dublin."
"Red flags that we see is the abuser doesnt show a true reflection of themselves at the beginning. The victim becomes less and less in contact with family and friends.

Artwork titled 'Domestic Abuse Doll's House' by Antje Rook is displayed at the Revolting Artists exhibition on March 29, 2024 in Weymouth, England. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

Detective Chief Superintendent Colm Noonan, Detective Superintendent Sinead Greene and Detective Superintendent Derek Maguire in a photo from December 2023 (Collins)

A staggering 26,000 reports of domestic abuse have been made to gardai since the beginning of June 2024.

Gardai are currently receiving a call regarding this form of criminality every ten minutes, stark new figures show.

The grim revelation was made during the latest edition of the Garda Podcast as host Patrice Harrington was speaking with Detective Superintendent Sinead Green of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB).

"We have seen since beginning of June started, already 26,000 domestic abuse incidents reported, said Det Supt Green revealed.

The problem is widespread across every county in Ireland.

"Domestic abuse happens in every village, town and county across Ireland. We receive a domestic abuse call every ten minutes, Det Supt Green began.

Her department, the GNPSB, are gardai who investigate sexual crimes, crimes against children, domestic abuse, trafficking, prostitution, missing persons.

Patrice mentioned recent stats indicating an 8pc rise in domestic abuse calls but that figure has increased further.

"Weve seen a major change in the way domestic abuse is viewed in society. It is no longer viewed as singular incidents.

"We see a more comprehensive picture. Behind every figure is a man, a woman or a child.

Artwork titled 'Domestic Abuse Doll's House' by Antje Rook is displayed at the Revolting Artists exhibition on March 29, 2024 in Weymouth, England. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

"There is no typical call. But we carry out risk assessments to identify and evaluate the risk posed to the victim from the perpetrator.

"This is a huge change. Victims wont disclose all information immediately. They know the serious risk they face and cannot manage it alone.

"(The) key task for gardai is how to identify domestic abuse, Det Supt Green said.

Patrice asked Det Supt Green to explain what coercive control involves.

"This is a behavioural offence. It has a serious impact and affect on a person. The person may not experience violence, but have a fear of violence, or serious alarm, which impacts their activities and causes psychological harm, replied Det Supt Green.

"It involves a current or ex-partner, what they do is they create an isolated environment for that victim.

"The victim becomes less and less in contact with family and friends. It affects both men and women.

Detective Chief Superintendent Colm Noonan, Detective Superintendent Sinead Greene and Detective Superintendent Derek Maguire in a photo from December 2023 (Collins)

"Red flags that we see is the abuser doesnt show a true reflection of themselves at the beginning of the relationship.

"They appear quite charming. This is love bombing. The relationship has a huge intensity at the beginning, often with early co-habitation.

"Pregnancy, often the control escalates during the pregnancy stage and the victim becomes more and more isolated.

"The abusers objective is to control the victim, Det Supt Green explained.

Patrice then inquired about the issue of gaslighting, and what that entails.

"We are looking at restrictions, on a victims movements, who they speak with, phone activity. Control of finances and making decisions on their behalf.

"If they feel dominated, usually family and friends will have expressed concerns. Keep a diary of those concerns.

"Build up that trust and come speak to us. These investigations can take time.

"Domestic abuse can happen right across a spectrum of relationships. Women are more likely to experience it from a current or male partner.

"But men and those in same sex-relationships also experience it. These are horrific crimes. We dont want anyone going through this, said Det Supt Green.

Patrice asked about flashpoints in relation to domestic abuse.

"Christmas is a time can be frightening and isolating for those experiencing domestic abuse. Also post separation can escalate matters, Det Supt Green responded.

"We will give advice for obtaining court orders and safety. New laws for non-fatal strangulation is shining a light on how extremely dangerous this form of abuse is.

"It is a high proportion of cases. It is a cruel way of expressing dominance. This is now a stand alone offence; with a ten year to life sentence for these offences.

"Victims often dont realise the seriousness of what has happened.

"Self confidence gets taken away as people become more and more isolated. The perpetrator tells them they wont be believed.

Det Supt Green offered some final advice for people being victimised in forms of domestic abuse.

She stressed the importance of not becoming isolated.

"Reach out to somebody you trust, that will listen to you, that will support you.

"A family, a friend, the gardai, we have excellent support services. It is not your fault, Det Supt Green concluded.
Fintan McDwyer was found with "sharp force injuries" to his face and neck and had died at the scene

British cops have launched an investigation into the brutal stabbing of an Irishman as his family pay tribute to the gentle giant.

Fintan McDwyer (64) was found dead at the house in Platt Lane, Fallowfield, Greater Manchester, at around 8.50am on July 1.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers believe that a violent assault took place inside the property.

A murder investigation is currently under way after emergency services were called to the house at 08:50 on Monday.

Fintan McDwyer was found with "sharp force injuries" to his face and neck and had died at the scene, Greater Manchester Police said.

The force appealed for anyone with any information about the 64-year-old's death to come forward.

As a result of this, the victim suffered serious and fatal injuries to his face and neck which was caused by a sharp instrument, they stated.

Although the investigation is still in its very early stages, we are beginning to build a timeline of events leading up Fintan's death," Detective Chief Inspector Gina Brennand, of GMPs Major Incident Team, added.

Paying tribute, Mr McDwyers family released a statement: Fintan was our own gentle giant, with a calm and reassuring presence.

"He had the most wonderful, soft, Irish lilt. He was a true gentleman, had a wonderful sense of humour, and always had a twinkle in his eye.

Monday, July 1 was the day that we lost our dad, grandad, brother and uncle and our lives have since been turned upside down.

Our hearts are broken and will remain forever so, but the love we learned from Fintan will give us the strength to try and move forwards in our life without him.

Mr McDwyers wife Tracy died 20 years ago, his family confirmed.

She would be so proud of Fintan for the way he brought up his family, they said.

He was a quiet man, who was very shy with such a dry sense of humour that we all loved so much.

There isnt anyone who would say a bad word about Fintan, and it breaks our hearts that he has been denied years to be with his sons and grandchildren.

He will never be forgotten, and he will continue to hold a very special place in our hearts.

"We always know he will be watching over us.

Cops are appealing for information about Mr McDwyer's death.

Detective Inspector Lee Shaw, from GMP's Major Incident Team, said: There will be people who know what happened to Fintan, and we appeal to them to come forwards as soon as possible.

"In cases like this even the smallest piece of information can prove vital to the progression of our investigation.

We continue to specifically appealing to anyone who noticed anything suspicious on Platt Lane or in the surrounding areas from 7pm on Saturday, June 29 up until the morning of Monday, July 1, 2024 to get in touch with us.

If you have any information or footage that could assist our investigation into this incident, please contact Greater Manchester Police.
Recently, 80 local pediatricians, physicians, and medical professionals, along with the New York State Chapter 1 of the American Academy of Pediatrics, joined together with one voice to urge City of Buffalo leaders to protect our citys children and fully implement the Proactive Rental Inspections law (PRI).

Alongside our colleagues, we published an open letter to Mayor Byron Brown, Commissioner of Permit & Inspection Services Catherine Amdur and the Buffalo Common Council, urging them to follow through on the promises made when this legislation passed in 2020.

PRI mandates regular inspections of investor-owned single and double rental units. The law aimed to reduce alarmingly high rates of lead poisoning among Buffalos children and mitigate other health and safety issues found in substandard rental housing.

At its outset, the commendable legislation represented a welcomed milestone.

Unfortunately, there has been a low rate of actual inspections completed under the ordinance. According to Commissioner Amdurs most recent report, the city has only inspected 4,827 units. At the present rate, it will take 26 years to complete the first round of inspections.

Hundreds of children in the City of Buffalo are diagnosed with elevated lead levels each year. Lead poisoning can cause permanent and irreversible neurological damage, including lower IQ, developmental delay, learning and behavioral problems, and decreased school performance. As physicians, it is frustrating to have limited medical options to protect our young patients.

By far, rental housing units with leaded paint are the greatest source of high lead levels in Buffalos children. According to the WNY Lead Poisoning Prevention Center, all of the children who needed medical treatment for lead poisoning in 2023 and 2024 lived in rental housing. Primary prevention, the removal of lead hazards before a child is exposed, will help protect these children and reduce lead poisoning as intended by this law.

The success of this laws preventive approach has been demonstrated in Rochester, where a similar ordinance passed in 2006. From 2006 to 2016, the percentage of children in Rochester who tested positive for lead poisoning dropped by two-thirds, from 6% to 2%.

Rochester completed inspections on almost all target units in the first four years of the program. By contrast, in the first three full years of enforcement of PRI in Buffalo, the city completed 4,182 inspections  inspecting only 12% of targeted units.

Weve known about the harmful impacts of lead paint for over 100 years. Its long past time for the city of Buffalo  home to some of the oldest housing stock in the nation  to aggressively work to ensure landlords stay compliant with protection measures to promote the basic health and safety of our citys youth.

Action is especially critical, as neighborhoods with the highest levels of childhood lead poisoning are the same neighborhoods with some of the highest rates of poverty in our city. By failing to enforce PRI, we fail to provide a desperately needed safeguard for the children who need it most.

Mayor Browns administration and the Buffalo Common Council have the power to help prevent these devastating cases of childhood lead poisoning in our city  by adequately funding and implementing PRI. Our citys children, both now and in the future, deserve it.

Melinda S. Cameron, M.D. is retired medical director at WNY Lead Poisoning Prevention Center; Nitza F. Ellis, M.D. is a retired physician from Delaware Pediatrics.
Most of the time, the way tellers are trained if someone comes in to rob you, you give them the money and let them go

A man who demanded one cent in cash during a bank hold-up in Florida has been arrested and is now facing a felony charge of robbery with no firearm or weapon.

Police who had been alerted to a robbery at the Chase Bank branch in Lady Lake, a town about 65km north of Orlando, found the suspect still inside the premises and he was taken into custody without incident.

Michael Patrick Fleming (41) was arrested after he had earlier walked into the bank, filled out a withdrawal slip, and handed it to a teller.

The defendant was told he could not be given $00.01, the police report noted.

Fleming reportedly told the teller, So you want me to say the other word? The teller was in fear that possible violence was imminent and notified law enforcement, cops said.

After he was taken into custody, Fleming was transported to the Sumter County Sheriffs Office where he was interviewed by investigators.

Fleming reportedly told them: Most of the time, the way tellers are trained if someone comes in to rob you, you give them the money and let them go.

Fleming claimed that he was expecting the teller to give him the $00.01, adding that he would then sit in the chair and wait for law enforcement.

Fleming advised his goal was to be arrested, a police report adds.
A Dublin man accused of seriously assaulting, falsely imprisoning and harassing a woman around the Christmas holidays last year has been sent for trial.

Cain Hutch (26) was served with the book of evidence when he appeared on bail before Blanchardstown District Court.

The accused, with an address at Berryfield Road in Finglas, is charged with two counts of seriously assaulting a woman in the vicinity of Ashtown, Dublin 7, and at his home on December 27, last year.

He is further charged with falsely imprisoning the same woman at his home on December 27 last year and with harassing her at a location in Finglas on dates between December 26, 2013, and December 31 last year.

Mr Hutch is also accused of robbing the woman of her mobile phone, which was worth over 600, and damaging a pair of leggings she was wearing.

These two incidents allegedly took place at an address in Finglas last New Years Day.

A state solicitor said the book of evidence was ready and had been served on the accused, who goes forward to the present sittings of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge David McHugh gave Mr Hutch the formal alibi caution.

The judge also assigned defence solicitor Simon Fleming and one junior counsel on free legal aid.

Mr Hutch has not yet indicated how he intends to plead to the charges.

He was remanded on bail to appear before a court in the Criminal Courts of Justice on a date later this month.
A Defence Forces soldier continued serving in the military despite being convicted and jailed for a sexual offence.

The case was identified in a report by the militarys chief of staff last week that showed 68 serving members either have criminal convictions or have been charged before the courts.

A review was ordered by the Government after Private Cathal Crotty (22) avoided prison over a violent assault on Limerick woman Natasha OBrien (24) in 2022.

The Irish Independent has learnt that one person listed in the report on serving members had been convicted and given a prison sentence for a sexual offence.

While the military and Department of Defence declined to comment, it is understood dismissal proceedings have been initiated in the case after it was identified in the report.

Under Defence Forces regulations, a member is discharged on receiving a custodial sentence, though it is understood this may be delayed if an appeal is lodged against the conviction.

When the matter was put to the department, a spokesperson said it does not comment on individual cases.

The military said it unequivocally condemns any actions by serving personnel that are contrary to military regulations or that do not reflect our values.

A spokesperson added: The Defence Forces does not comment on the specifics of individual cases. As such, the Defence Forces will not provide further commentary on this matter.

The report on serving members was compiled by the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, following the public outcry at Crotty being given a three-year suspended sentence.

Efforts to dismiss him are under way, while the Director of Public Prosecutions has appealed against his sentence on the grounds that it was unduly lenient.

It is fair to say there was a lack of proactive management in some cases

Tanaiste Micheal Martin confirmed in the Dail yesterday that all Defence Forces personnel convicted of offences against the person have been placed on local leave.

He said there had been an inconsistency in application of the discipline expected, and 24 of the cases related to assault generally, rather than sexual assault.

Mr Martin said six cases related to domestic abuse, while five were sexual assault, with one pending.

It is understood that two of the offences involved crimes against minors, at least one of which is of a sexual nature.

Senior counsel Peter Ward has also been appointed to undertake a high-level analysis and present the Government with recommendations on the application of military law in circumstances where personnel have been convicted of serious offences in civil courts.

In response to a parliamentary question this week, the Tanaiste said that, based on reports he has received, it is fair to say that there was a lack of proactive management in some cases on how discharges are progressed.

He also said there have been gaps in some of the cases, adding that this was not satisfactory.

Mr Martins comments in the Dail on military personnel on local leave were in response to questions from Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns, who also complained about the lack of regulation of taxi-drivers, dentists and counsellors.
The main players have fallen out, blaming one another as the leak.

Neo-Nazi musicians have hung up their swastikas and abandoned the notorious Blood and Honour movement  and theyre blaming the Sunday World!

Northern Ireland had been seen as the last safe haven for the fascists music gigs  having been chased from mainland UK - but after a number of exposes by this newspaper its understood senior figures in the movement here have walked away.

Recent election results indicate the far right might be on the rise in Europe, but the Nazis of Northern Ireland appear to be on their knees!

Blood and Honour, formed by Skrewdriver frontman Ian Stuart, is one of the most hardcore factions anywhere in the world.

He was supported by the bands No Remorse, Brutal Attack, Sudden Impact and Squadron.

These bands were previously affiliated with the White Noise Club, a subsidiary organisation of the National Front responsible for organising Rock Against Communism concerts, operating the White Noise Records label.

But we can reveal that Ulster Blood and Honour, which had been one of the most active divisions in the UK, is in turmoil.

Recent Sunday World exposes of their activities have sent them running for cover.

The main players have fallen out, blaming one another as the leak.

The movement regularly held gigs, drawing bands and skinheads from all Europe to Belfast.

But virtually all activities have ceased since our coverage.

No one trusts anyone anymore, our insider told us.

Notorious skinhead band Brutal Attack

They were once a really tight-knit bunch and only a select few knew of the details of the gigs in advance.

But the Sunday World has been spot on with their information for their recent stories and that has led to them believing the information has to be coming from those involved at the top.

A couple of the leading faces who have been friends for years now dont speak, accusing the other of being the Sunday World tout. Its hilarious  they have no clue whats going on or who is giving details about their gigs.

They were mostly an ageing bunch of tattooed losers, but as things stand unless someone else steps up to organise things, they look all but finished.

Most of them have decided they cant be bothered ending up in court  or even worse, in the Sunday World!

We revealed how last February notorious British band Brutal Assault were joined at a secretive show in north Belfast by two bands from Europe.

Members of a Polish far-right group were also in attendance for the event, which was organised with strict security in fear of being targeted by protests.

It wasnt the first time the hate-filled bands have held secret gigs in Northern Ireland and there had been plans for many more after the Nazi-supporting lunatics were chased from holding their gigs in Britain.

Recently, venues hosting these gigs in Scotland and England have been infiltrated by members of anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate, forcing them to cancel.

Belfast had remained one of the few destinations still hosting the secretive shows and Blood and Honour leaders had hoped to make Northern Ireland a regular staging post.

In 2019 we revealed how the racist knuckle-draggers held a skinhead gig at a secret destination in east Belfast.

Bands from Italy and the Czech Republic flew into the country to headline the far-right bash. They brought with them supporters from throughout Europe.

Among those in attendance was infamous north coast Nazi Mark Brown.

Last autumn a senior organiser of secret far-right gigs appeared in court in England on terror charges  and claimed he was a police tout.

Robert Talland was accused of stirring up race hate as well as encouraging terrorism.

Talland is better known to his Hitler-worshipping goons in Ulster as Ginger Rob.

He has been a regular visitor to Northern Ireland and has played a leading role in promoting the Blood and Honour movement here. 

But neo-Nazis were sent into meltdown after his trial started because the court was told Talland had been passing on information about fellow far-right members to the police.
Soon after me and Shane got together people started telling me that he didnt have very long to live

Shane MacGowan backstage at the Town and Country Club Kentish Town in London 1988 with the future Mrs Victoria MacGowan(Photo by Steve Pyke/Getty Images)

Victoria Mary Clarke has said that children wouldnt have survived the fast paced lifestyle she lived with Shane MacGowan.

The writer and The Pogues front man were in a relationship for more than 40 years until Shane sadly died on 30 November 2023 at the age of 65.

Victoria is a guest on the latest episode of the What A Woman Podcast, hosted by Caroline Lyons and Sarah Benner.

Speaking about having kids, she said: It wasnt part of our story. I dont think children would have really survived, honestly I dont.

The hosts were impressed with Victorias refreshing and honest take on the fact that not everyone wants to be a parent.

Ive never understood that. That would be like you telling me that everybody should want to be a bungee jumper or a racing driver - I cant understand that. It doesnt make sense to me.

I can see how people think that having children is going to give them some kind of continuity, something will live on when they die or maybe somebody will look after them when theyre old. I can see that because theres a practical side to it.

But I just never.

Shane MacGowan backstage at the Town and Country Club Kentish Town in London 1988 with the future Mrs Victoria MacGowan(Photo by Steve Pyke/Getty Images)

The journalist and artist explained how she reacted to Shanes death and the aftermath.

Its nothing that you could ever really prepare for, I dont think. Im sure there are people that have had a similar situation, but until its happened to you, you dont know how youll react.

It was something that I would have been afraid of for a very long time, because very soon after me and Shane got together people started telling me that he didnt have very long to live. That would have been in 1986.

People started telling me that Shane probably had six months to live, because of the way he pushed himself.

I spent most of the time worrying about him and worrying that something was going to happen to him.

But even then, you might worry about something but that doesnt mean you know what its going to be like. Its like worrying about a car crash. Until youve been in a car crash, you just dont know what it will really feel like.

Shane MacGowan and girlfriend Victoria Clarke

It surprised me that it wasnt all terrible. I assumed that you would go into a deep depression and nothing would lift you out of it, that you would lose the will to live completely and stay like that.

I had experienced depression and thats what it feels like. I assumed it would be like depression, but worse.

It did surprise me that we were able to celebrate Shane. At his funeral there was a lot of laughter, dancing and singing. People enjoyed the funeral, she said.

Victoria added that Shane loved people on the margins and would always stop and talk with homeless people, as well as giving them money.

Victoria said this changed her outlook on life, watching him share drinks and cigarettes with them.

Shane was not impressed by famous people but far more impressed by taxi drivers.

Victoria said she began to see that too, and it completely altered her. She no longer wanted to be behind the velvet rope, but rather with real people.

Victoria also spoke about the inspiration behind her creativity. She makes scarves with angel designs.

"I had already been channelling angels, I paint angels. I had been getting their messages since the 90s and writing them down.

"They suddenly decided they wanted to be visible.
Whakatane Mayor Victor Luca says a lack of monitoring of Whakaari-White Island is putting the whole Eastern Bay community at an increased risk in the case of a major eruption.

During increased activity on the island recently, he wrote a letter with his concerns to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and relevant ministers.

It was co-signed by other Eastern Bay mayors, Opotiki districts David Moore and Kaweraus Faylene Tunui, raising these concerns.

The letter asked for ministerial intervention to allow GNS Science to have access to the island to install monitoring equipment.

Dr Luca says he was first made aware of the absence of on-island monitoring at a Bay of Plenty Emergency Management Group meeting in April.

GNS Science principal scientist Graham Leonard, in an article published in May, said a lack of access to the island since the December 2019 eruption meant the last functioning seismo-acoustic station there stopped working completely in August 2022.

He said without on-island monitoring, the organisations ability to detect and confirm eruptions at Whakaari was limited.

All monitoring of the volcano was now done remotely through stations on the mainland, observation flights, and satellite technology.

Dr Luca says the eruption that killed 22 people in 2019 was considered a relatively minor one.

If there is a major eruption on Whakaari it will have serious consequences for people on the mainland due to the effects of ash, he says.

We live not very far off the coast of quite an active volcano which has been, throughout its history, reasonably tame. We havent had volcanic eruptions that have covered the mainland in ash.

"When I was living in Argentina, a volcano went up in the Andean mountains and some ash was received in Buenos Aires, which is about 1400 kilometres away. Nearby towns had ash up to their knees in some places.

Whakaari is just 48 kilometres from the mainland.

Whakatane Mayor Victor Luca has asked government ministers to intervene to expedite the placement of GNS monitoring on the island.

Any volcano can go off at any time with no notice but by monitoring we can have a chance of getting some notice, says Dr Luca.

The beast has been well behaved for a long time and I hope it stays that way.

"If theres a method of getting advanced notice we should have it. Its an existential threat for the town. When theyre not monitoring it, our risks are enhanced.

Dr Luca says he received a response from Minister of Emergency Management Mark Mitchell thanking the three mayors for their diligence and concern on behalf of their communities.

Mitchell agrees with the concerns raised and has asked the National Emergency Management Agency to provide him with advice on how to expedite the placement of GNS monitoring on the island.

Multi-agency work was taking place, which included NEMA, Department of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation Authority, GNS Science, Emergency Management Bay of Plenty, Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

The group also plans to invite Ngati Awa to join.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Two Colombians and a New Zealander have been jailed for their part in importing millions of dollars of cocaine from Colombia.

Justice Cameron Mander sentenced Felipe Montoya-Ospina, David Bonilla-Casanas and Zane Robert Jordan at the Christchurch High Court on Thursday, after they admitted dozens of class A drug importation and money laundering charges.

The men, aged between 32 and 37, were part of a much larger drug syndicate responsible for importing and distributing nearly 100kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $45 million.

A global investigation into the syndicate involved the New Zealand Police's Organised Crime Group and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as Spanish and Colombian police.

The court heard that a senior member of the group, Montoya-Ospina, imported the drug to his Hororata farmhouse, southeast of Darfield, where he extracted the cocaine and washed it with acetone.

More than once, Montoya-Ospina took the cocaine on a bus from Christchurch to Auckland, where Jordan would wait with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.

Jordan then packaged and sold the drug to users in the community.

Bonilla-Casanas laundered more than $200,000, helped import cocaine and received money and cocaine as payment.

He had access to ID cards and passports that he provided to the syndicate.

Montoya-Ospina was sentenced to 14 years, 7 months for importing, extracting and distributing cocaine and Bonilla-Casanas to 8 years, 2 months for money laundering and forgery.

Jordan was imprisoned for 5 years, 3 months on cocaine supply charges.

More members of the syndicate will be sentenced later this year.

-RNZ.
The Highfield stormwater pond in Katikati is being dredged and deepened to improve its ability to hold and treat water before it is released into the Uretara Stream.

Located off Uretara Drive, a section of walkway around the pond is temporarily closed while this maintenance work is carried out.

A detour is in place for people who wish to walk a full loop of the area.

A map showing the detour route for walkers while the area around the pond is closed.

Western Bay of Plenty water services director EJ Wentzel says the pond holds stormwater before it is released into the Uretara Stream, serving as an ecological and environmental barrier.

Stormwater runoff from urban areas can contain pollutants like oil, chemicals, and debris, which settles at the bottom of the pond, leaving clean water to flow into the stream.

The buildup of sediment and silt over time means the pond now needs to be cleaned out and deepened to continue functioning efficiently.

EJ says the pond will be restored to its original depth for two-thirds of the area, while the remaining one-third will be deepened by an additional 0.5m.

A bund will also be installed which will improve water quality and make future maintenance easier.

Additionally, the area around the pond will be planted to beautify the surroundings.

Consented by both Western Bay of Plenty District and Bay of Plenty Regional Councils, the work follows two years of groundwater monitoring, which identified it as the most efficient and cost-effective solution.

The work is expected to be completed by early October.
The race was on as Western Bay councillors scrambled to don their life jacket first.

The challenge was set by Aquatic Survival Skills, an organisation seeking funding from the council through its 10-year plan.

Aquatic Survival Skills board member Alison Wieringa says their organisation teaches children and teachers basic water safety skills in the Western Bay of Plenty.

The current programme was for children in year 5 and 6, but they hoped to expand, Alison says during the councils long-term plan hearings last week.

Extending into more and all the schools through the greater Bay of Plenty region is crucial.

Schools have changed their priorities over the past 20 plus years. Many schools now don't have a school pool.

Since the programme began in 2021, Aquatic Survival Skills had reached 6000 students and 250 teachers, she says.

Aquatic Survival Skills was seeking $180,000 from the Western Bay of Plenty District Council over three years and had also approached Tauranga City Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, says Alison.

Film Bay of Plenty was asking for $304,500 over three years for operating costs and to help set up an incentive fund to attract screen productions to film in the area.

Filming in the regions was a tad more expensive than the main centres, so an incentive was needed to attract productions, says Film Bay of Plenty manager Jade Kent.

The Lord of the Rings movies had made Matamata a tourist destination, which showed that a film can have a long-lasting financial effect for a community, she says.

The organisations goal was to have all councils in the Bay of Plenty adding to the incentive, says Jade.

Western Bay council already provided around $18,000 a year to Film Bay of Plenty for operating costs, Jade told Local Democracy Reporting after the meeting.

Western Bay councillors Don Thwaites and Tracey Coxhead taking part in a life jacket challenge. Photo: Alisha Evans/SunLive.

Rates was also another hot topic at the hearings with ratepayer associations and community boards airing their concerns about rates affordability.

The council has proposed increases of 13.6 per cent and 10.44 per cent in the first two years. For the remaining years the increases would be between 7 per cent and 8.46 per cent.

Omokoroa Community Board member Allan Hughes says he was speaking on his own behalf.

The proposed rates increases were too high and left a widening gap between the cost of services and peoples ability to pay, he says.

I believe the council needs to go back to basics, review infrastructure and core services and not get too focused on the nice to haves.

Katikati community board chairperson John Clements says the board surveyed the community and held a workshop to explore the long-term impacts of the plan.

Katikati community board chairperson John Clements. Photo: Alisha Evans/SunLive.

The community and community board were extremely concerned with the high increases, says John.

These increases have both a social and economic impact on the town.

The proposed roading rate for commercial and industrial properties, which would be four times that of a residential property, should be split so commercial properties paid less than industrial, he says.

This was because commercial properties didnt have heavy industrial trucks parked outside which tear up the road more than other vehicles, says John.

Representatives from the Omokoroa Residents and Ratepayers Association, Katikati Waihi Beach Residents and Ratepayers Association and the Waihi Beach Community Board also addressed the rates increases.

When adopting the draft long-term plan for consultation in May, mayor James Denyer says the 13.6 per cent increase was lower than the 15 per cent average increase for councils around the country.

Twenty-three organisations and individuals spoke at the hearings. Deliberations will take place before the final long-term plan is adopted in late September.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Alekk M. Saanders Alhama de Granada Friday, 5 July 2024, 10:58 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

WhatsApp

Facebook

X (antes Twitter)

LinkedIn

Telegram

Threads

Where does a museum begin? Probably with a flea market. At least thats what happened with a museum in the small town of Alhama de Granada, owned by 77-year-old historian and collector Juan Miguel Larios y Larios. Although Juan Miguel was a teacher, he was constantly learning as he travelled throughout Europe, America, Asia and Africa. He was always attracted to different cultures and in every country he tried to visit not only monuments, museums and galleries but also to look at antique shops and, of course, to browse in search of something interesting and special at flea markets. All of this led to his interest in collecting all sorts of objects, which Juan Miguel has accumulated over decades.

"This magnificent house with two monumental facades, three courtyards, an underground cellar, three stables, two barns and a total of forty living quarters was perfect for my museum" Juan Miguel Larios y Larios

My life has always taken place in different geographical locations - as a primary school teacher, as a graduate in geography and history and finally as a doctor in history of art. Research has become part of my lifestyle. The starting point for me as a collector was my time living in Cordoba, around the 1970s. However, it was Fuengirola, where I settled in 1981, that gave me the impetus to become a true collector. This was thanks to the antique flea market that takes place in the centre of the town every Saturday. Then the number of objects I collected increased significantly, Juan Miguel told SUR in English.

Meanwhile the nature of the Costa del Sol meant that his collection became more international.

It was exciting to interact with collectors and antique dealers from different countries. I always emphasise that the most qualified sellers were foreigners, mostly English, in my opinion, especially loyal to the traditions of their country of origin, he added.

The facade, detail of one of the ceilings and interior of the museum in Alhama de Granada. SUR

The flea market is an ideal place to find unique treasures. Once, an Englishman sold Juan Miguel a document from Germany dating back to 1484. In addition to various historical documents, Juan Miguels collection consists of paintings, sculptures, photographs and books from all styles and eras. Juan Miguels apartment in Fuengirola was so full of things that only the narrow paths that led to the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom were uncluttered.

Not surprisingly, when Juan Miguel retired as a teacher, he decided to move to his larger home in his hometown, Granada. There he came up with the idea of starting a museum.

Zoom The bibliographic collection. SUR

With everything I had collected, I thought I could put it together into a museum of sorts. That idea led me to the picturesque and historic town of Alhama de Granada, where my family has been from for generations. There I found a house for sale, the ancestral home of the noble family Negro Siruela, originally from the Italian city of Genoa. I couldnt help admiring the quality of the building built entirely in stone and its spaciousness. My decision to purchase it was quick. This magnificent house with two monumental facades, three courtyards, an underground cellar, three stables, two barns and a total of forty living quarters was perfect for my museum, he said.

Due to its size, the house overlooks three nearby streets. The collector explained how the ancient mansion has survived the vicissitudes of history and geological disasters such as the Spanish Civil War and the earthquake of 1884.

But the fact that it has been owned by only three families has contributed to the preservation of its pristine structure and physiognomy. Anyway, it took ten years to restore the former splendour of the mansion and now more than 1,700 pieces are distributed over the five levels on display, said Juan Miguel Larios y Larios.

The oldest artifact in the museum. SUR

The museum is divided into areas where the exhibits are grouped by theme and chronology. Juan Miguel is particularly proud of the bibliographic collection housed in two large rooms. Here you can find books from the beginning of the printing press to the present day, with rich and curious items. The archive contains interesting files and a wealth of information of all kinds. Incidentally, walking through the rooms you are sure to come across a bright collection of English porcelain cups.

In the bibliographic collection housed in two large rooms you can find books from the beginning of the printing press to the present day, with rich and curious specimens

I have always had a special interest in England, which I love to visit. I have many prints from England, especially from the 19th century. I have books in English, especially old Bibles, said the collector.

Juan Miguel added that one part of his collection that he likes to boast about is a collection of English Freemasonry items: aprons, medals, ribbons, jewellery and more. These English artefacts were the only ones I could get, as Freemasonry was banned in Spain during the Franco regime, he explained.

The collection of Freemason material and interiors of the museum. SUR

Museums in smaller towns are places where families can come together to learn. In addition, such museums can strengthen the local economy by providing a new attraction that can bring in tourism revenue. Alhama de Granada has traditionally attracted people with its baths and hot springs but it seems now it is becoming a new tradition to see Juan Miguels collection. Already on the list of must-see places for foreign visitors is the museum, which together with the house has received the status of a non-profit cultural foundation called Casa - Museo Juan Larios.

Alhama de Granada has traditionally attracted people with its baths and hot springs but it seems now it is becoming a new tradition to see Juan Miguel's collection

Juan Miguels museum is like a living, breathing book: step inside and you are instantly transported to another world and definitely to other times. Its also a good example of how your passion and dedication can contribute to the cultural life of the society or a town you live in. And who knows, maybe entering a flea market on the Costa del Sol, will be your first step towards your future museum.

Casa - Museo Juan Larios is open both to visits and to study, as well as to philanthropic donations, both material and financial.

Address: Calle Salmerones, 3, Alhama de Granada.

More information: (0034) 679 417688.
Tony Bryant Benalmadena Friday, 5 July 2024, 07:58 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

WhatsApp

Facebook

X (antes Twitter)

LinkedIn

Telegram

Threads

The delegate of the Andalusian government in Malaga, Patricia Navarro, together with the mayor of Benalmadena, Juan Antonio Lara, has urged the central government and the ministry of transport and sustainable mobility to support the installation of new train stations in the municipality as soon as possible. The towns mayor highlighted the long-overdue station in Nueva Torrequebrada, a project that was presented between 2014 and 2015 and which he said was abandoned by the previous socialist council.

On a visit to the new Pueblosol car park, which opened last month, Navarro and Lara agreed on the importance of advancing in infrastructures that offer people the opportunity to refrain from using private vehicles. They said it is of vital importance that the central government commits to adding new stations, especially in areas with increasing populations, to the Cercanias coastal line.

Zoom Patricia Navarro and Juan Antonio Lara in Arroyo de la Miel on Thursday. SUR

Navarro highlighted the fact that municipalities such as Torremolinos have up to five stations compared to Benalmadena, which only has two, a problem that the central government has to correct by responding to the demands of residents and visitors.

The mayor also said it is urgent that this coastal train goes ahead and reaches beyond Fuengirola, to Marbella, Estepona and even Algeciras.

This council has already laid the foundation: 700 new parking spaces in the centre of Arroyo de la Miel, and an increase in schedules on its urban bus lines, so it is now necessary that the train also reaches our entire municipality. The government has to help, because we need more train stops in Benalmadena, Lara said.

Lara pointed out that the Nueva Torrequebrada stop was promised before the elections by representatives of the central government, but this promise never materialised.
Marchers holding up signs and demanding the opportunity to live in the city.

Pilar Martinez / SUR Malaga Friday, 5 July 2024, 12:41 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

WhatsApp

Facebook

X (antes Twitter)

LinkedIn

Telegram

Threads

Last Saturday's march in Malaga over the housing shortage drew a reaction from the tourist industry and government alike. Although the protest was not specifically against tourism, many of the demonstrators linked the two in their chants and placards.

The Andalusian association of holiday rental professionals - AVVAPro - called for a calmer debate on the impact of tourism on the housing crisis after the march.

Its president, Carlos Perez-Lanzac, said Airbnb-style rental properties were a scapegoat for a bigger problem. He explained this type of property made up just two per cent of all homes in Malaga city and that the real issue over housing supply was the 15 per cent of properties sitting empty across Malaga province.

Perez-Lanzac added, "We understand that there needs to be town planning," but stressed that council's reactions should not be knee jerks.

Also calling for common sense over the impact of tourism was Mahos, the bar and restaurant owners' association for Malaga. At its annual meeting this week, the group issued a statement saying it was deeply concerned over "the use of this legitimate demand [for housing] by political or social groups interested in lashing out against tourism, without gauging the dire consequences of such a stance".

It added that, contrary to popular belief, data shows that 95% of the tourism rental industry in Malaga is in the hands of small private landlords and not big business. "We urge a rigorous and not just an ideological analysis," it explained.

Against the background of locals demonstrating, town halls are increasingly bringing in restrictions on rental properties under rules approved by the regional governments.

Last month, Malaga city said it would limit new rental properties in blocks that had a shared entrance to the street with other homes. And this week Cadiz council agreed to ban any new private holiday lets in the historic centre of that city. Marbella also joined the conversation this week, saying it would ask the University of Malaga to study how the council should manage rental properties. Almost seven per cent of homes in Marbella fall into this category, some 6,904 properties - making the town fourth in number in Spain after Madrid. Barcelona and Malaga city.

Meanwhile, Spain's minister of Housing, Isabel Rodriguez, criticised Malaga's mayor, Francisco de La Torre, for not doing more in the light of the demonstrations with the powers he has.

She added that central government was looking to make it easier for residents in private blocks of flats or communities in Spain to veto somebody renting out their property to tourists. Current regulations already allow communities of residents to reject tourist flats by a three-fifths majority.
Marina Martinez Friday, 5 July 2024, 14:59 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

WhatsApp

Facebook

X (antes Twitter)

LinkedIn

Telegram

Threads

TikTokers in South Korea were responsible for the latest pastry craze: the flat croissant. Literally a flattened French breakfast treat. From there to California and then, predictably, from the US to the rest of the world. And now it has arrived on the Costa del Sol.

"It's true that many see it as a crime, preparing the croissant with its airy layers and slices, and then squashing it, but we thought it was a fun trend. At the end of the day it's a trend, people like to try different things," says Rocio Bonilla, who manages the San Chocolate bakery along with Ines Ledesma in Fuengirola.

A commitment to creativity

They have always liked to be creative and original, which is why they didn't think twice about selling flat croissants as well: "As we make a lot of croissants every day, around 50 to 60, we keep about 10 or 15 to flatten them, usually a couple of times a week. People love them", Bonilla points out, explaining that this flattened croissant - as she prefers to call it - is made like a normal croissant and then caramelised, acquiring a "certain caramelised touch".

Zoom

The next step is to flatten it and bake it with a weight on top. The result has a certain similarity to the crunchy puff pastry of the traditional Spanish 'palmera' pastry, although the flat croissant is even thinner. Toppings such as pistachio, dark chocolate with almonds and walnuts, white chocolate, lotus biscuit or strawberry pink chocolate are added. Soon, they will also be available in gift boxes like cinnamon rolls, cookies or traditional croissants.

"As a pastry chef, I recognise that it's a crime, but I like to follow the trends, so why not?", added Raffaella Panico, together with her partner Luigi, who runs Caramello Salato (Calle Carreteria in Malaga city).

There they make the Italian croissant, which they explain is different from the French croissant: it is egg-based, the dough is flat and it takes longer to bake. After the success of the New York rolls, she has also ventured into flat croissants, to which they add kinder topping, oreo, chocolate with orange and pistachio cream (brought directly from Sicily).

This new trend has also generated some discontent as a "mistreatment" of the traditional croissant

There are others, like Carlos Perez from Fermento and Julieta Coffee, who are not going to follow this latest trend: "It takes effort to achieve that sponginess and that honeycombed result and then flatten it. The essence is lost. For me it's a mistreatment of the croissant." Carlos says he has no plans to sell them in his establishments. Aberration? A passing trend? A success as a croissant-palmera? Time will tell.
Ignacio Lillo Malaga Friday, 5 July 2024, 18:35 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

WhatsApp

Facebook

X (antes Twitter)

LinkedIn

Telegram

Threads

Mayor of Malaga Francisco de la Torre has written to the president of Spain's state railway operator Renfe, Raul Blanco, to ask it to extend its local train services during the next annual 'feria' in the city, which will be held from 17 to 24 August.

SUR has had access to the letter which was written on 28 June in which the mayor calls for the improvement in the service which Renfe does apply during Holy Week. It also does so during major festivals in other cities, such as Valencia, Bilbao and Jerez.

The absence of early morning services last year's 'feria' provoked angry criticism from passengers, after overcrowding on platforms and in the trains, in particular at the San Andres stop, as people tried to get on the last train, which departs at 11.36pm in the case of the C1 line. The situation was even worse on line C2 line, where the last opportunity to catch the return train was at 9.46pm.

Last year, hundreds of people crowded every night at the Victoria Kent station to try and get on the last train

"I am writing to you to ask you to reinforce the services provided by lines C1 and C2 in the metropolitan area during the month of August, and in particular during the week of the Malaga Fair", the mayor asked, pointing out that the opening will take place at midnight from Friday 16 to Saturday 17 August.

"The Malaga Feria has always attracted not only local and provincial visitors, but also thousands of Spanish and foreign tourists who spend these days in the area."

In his letter the mayor pointed out that the Cortijo de Torres fairground is "very close to the Victoria Kent station, which serves both the C1 and C2 lines".

Malaga city hall has asked the public operator "to reinforce services, both in terms of frequency and timetables, whenever possible, during these public holidays, for the benefit of local users and visitors".
Alba Tenza Malaga Friday, 5 July 2024, 12:14 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

WhatsApp

Facebook

X (antes Twitter)

LinkedIn

Telegram

Threads

Boat trips, diving lessons, fishing activities, aqua-farming, shipbuilding, ports.... The list of possibilities for economic development that the sea offers in a province like Malaga, with more than one hundred kilometres of coastline, seems endless. This is how the term 'blue economy' identifies the role of the seas as an economic source of income, taking into account the importance of managing its resources efficiently, restoring damaged ecosystems and introducing innovative ideas that allow for sustainable use in the future. "Malaga has turned its sights to the sea as has happened in Andalucia and we can say that 2024 is the definitive year for the consolidation of the Sustainable Blue Economy in the whole region and particularly in this maritime province," says Javier Noriega to SUR. Noriega is founder and president of the Andalusian Maritime-Marine Cluster (CMMA), an association of innovative companies that work in the different sub-sectors of the blue economy seeking to move forward in these businesses, making the most of technology whilst also ensuring sustainability.

CMMA estimates that there are around 700 companies in the province dedicated in one way or another to business and trade arising from the sea. The figure provided by the Department of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy of Andalucia's Junta is much higher: it speaks of 12,327 companies linked to the blue economy in Malaga province. The difference lies in the fact that this calculation includes tourism companies, which number no less than 11,287. The Andalusian government has also identified 762 companies involved in living marine resources; 182 in logistics, ports and maritime transport of goods; 95 in shipbuilding and auxiliary industries, and one in non-living marine resources. Together they account for more than 44,000 jobs.

The managers of some of the companies in this sector in Malaga agree that it is a strategically important sector and that the possibilities for further growth are enormous. "The money invested in the blue economy multiplies more at sea than on land. Before, everyone had their backs to the sea and did not see all the business involved in something like a port community," says Adrian Westendorp, vice-president of CMMA and CEO of Alnasur, a company that has its own operational boats to support both research and maritime work as needed. This Malaga-based company plays a fundamental role in the development of the province's blue economy because, as well as having a 26-metre vessel for setting up safety beacons along the coast, the placement of oceanographic buoys or professional diving work, it specialises in cleaning beaches and ports with smaller decontamination boats.

'Blue tourism' is now an essential part of Malaga's economy, comprising five main branches: blue gastronomy, coastal tourism, nautical tourism, cruises and diving, not forgetting what the port of Malaga means for the province's GDP.

The Minister for Sustainability, the Environment and the Blue Economy, and government spokesman, Ramon Fernandez-Pacheco, recently stressed in Cadiz that the blue economy is a sector that already contributes 11.09% of Andalucia's GDP. This was during his speech at the 2nd Sustainability Forum with Andalucia on the rostrum, something that Noriega sees as logical, given the role that the sea plays in the region.

"The growth in Andalucia has been exponential, sustained and continues to have ample room for expansion in the coming years. In the cluster we were pioneers of keeping in mind that blue growth should have the components of innovation, technology and sustainability, so it is a disruptive sector that creates opportunities practically every day for the people of Andalucia", says Noriega. He goes on to reiterate that, with the creation of a specific ministry for the blue economy, a giant step has been taken, unifying all policies related to the seas and oceans under a single department.

Andalucia's strategy to be a leader in blue growth The expectation of companies in Malaga regarding the future Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy of Andalucia's regional government can be summed up as a way of putting Andalucia at the forefront of the blue economy at a global level. "It was something we believed to be essential and we will be, together with all the companies in the sector, involving more than 650 experts from our industry in the work of diagnosis and reflection in order to listen to everyone," says the president of CMMA, Javier Noriega, who points out that the document will come out in the coming months, with proposals to continue building the sustainable blue economy of Andalucia.

Malaga is one of the great 'blue' powers of Andalucia, renewing the tourism paradigm. "When we started more than 27 years ago, nautical tourism was for the elite, now anyone can hire our activity, whether for transport or to experience a dolphin sighting, we have been influenced by the consolidation of the blue economy, especially for being a company that practises responsible tourism, as it is what our tour operators demand of us," says Verania Medina, sales, quality and marketing director of Costasol Cruceros, which celebrates its ninth award of the Blue Flag, an international recognition of sustainability.

Seventeen years ago the president of Enerocean, Pedro Mayorga, started out in business in the province when the blue economy as a business term did not yet exist. "In 2007, we started to look at the sea to see what options there were for using technologies to exploit energy from waves and currents," says Mayorga, who acknowledges the leading role in technological development that the province plays at international level in the blue economy becoming established. He admits "there is still a lot to be done and defined at national level, as Spain has been looking for a long time to define the regulations to be applied". Thus says the president of what was the first company in the world to install a floating wind platform with a double turbine in the sea, specifically the W2Power prototype in Gran Canaria.

The archaeologist from Nerea Arqueologia Subacuatica, Veronica Navarrete, points out that we must not forget that Malaga faces the sea and that we must look beyond just the sun and sand. "Underwater architecture is less exploited, but many sites have a lot of economic value in terms of the relationship between the sea and the land," she states. For his part, Pedro Arguello, the commercial manager of Marine Vision, dedicated to underwater robotics, points out how his company is experiencing the consolidation of the blue economy in the province as an evolution, as the term has been globalised, despite the fact that this submerged economy has always existed.
Francisco Grinan Friday, 5 July 2024, 10:35 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

WhatsApp

Facebook

X (antes Twitter)

LinkedIn

Telegram

Threads

There's a new golden age of filming thanks to the boom in television series that has brought original, exceptional titles to the screen and plenty of unexpected filming to Malaga too. The kind of series of pure fiction. So it is with We Were the Lucky Ones, a mega-production piece from the Hulu label - the Disney group's distributor of fiction content for grown-ups. It tells the story of the tragedy of the Polish Jews during the Second World War.

The mini-series was filmed in the provincial capital with an abundance of locations, extras and the presence of its leading man, Logan Lerman, the mythological, teenage hero of the Percy Jackson saga, this time a mere mortal as one of the brothers of a family struck by the barbarity of war and the holocaust.

Eight episodes were shot in Malaga and additional scenes filmed in Marbella and El Torcal Natural Park near Antequera, all of which allowed the story to be set up as though it took place in four different countries without even leaving the province.

Adapted from the best-seller of the same name by Georgia Hunter, this production comes to the streaming platform thanks to writer and executive producer Erika Lipez (Julia, Lone Star and Bates Motel) and director and executive producer Thomas Kail. Kail's direction is reminiscent of the legendary 1978 mini-series entitled Holocaust starring Meryl Streep, who then took another leading role in another heartbreaking story of Nazi extermination with the film Sophie's Choice (1982).

The uniqueness and appeal of We Were the Lucky Ones is that it tells the story of the entire Kurc family, a prosperous clan of merchants from Radom (Poland) and their five children - three boys and two girls - who go from a comfortable life to then be scattered to the four winds as a result of the German invasion and the war that caused their exodus and separation. But they all have one mission in mind: to find each other again.

Zoom Bird's eye view of the battle of Monte Cassino filmed in the Torcal de Antequera. Hulu/Disney

Joey King (Bullet Train and The Act) as Halina and Logan Lerman as Addy, she the little girl and he the idealist striving to hold this family clan together. These two are the leading characters of this adaptation of We Were the Lucky Ones, which becomes harder, more terrifying and blood-curdling as it progresses, portraying not only the horror and senselessness of war, but also the spirit of human resistance in the darkest time of the 20th century.

From street to street on location

The heart of Europe is the setting for this mini-series produced by Old 320 Sycamore and 20th Television studios, although part of the story plays out in Brazil, with scenes recreated from locations between Malaga, Marbella and Cadiz. The pontoon over Nagueles beach made to look like a landing jetty, the Casa de Guardia de la Alameda converted into a Carioca (typical bar in Rio), a shop in Calle San Juan transformed into a book-binding workshop in a typical street in Rio de Janeiro and Plaza del Obispo, transformed with the technology of modern filming, into Brazil in the 1940s, all are camouflaged in numerous scenes that pepper the plot.

Zoom Extras in the scene shot in Plaza del Obispo for the series. Marilu Baez

For these Latin-American scenes, the promoters of the mini-series knocked on the door of the Malaga-based production services company Fresco Film, which not only found these natural settings in Andalucia, but also fine-tuned the work so they could film in Malaga province every scene set in Palestine, Uzbekistan and Italy. "The locations were milked to the maximum, as it was very hard work when it came to choosing the sites, but the result is brilliant," explains Tate Araez, from the company A Film Location and responsible, together with his brother Kico, for the Spanish sets of We Were the Lucky Ones.

Thus, the Penon del Cuervo can be spotted in the only scene set in Palestine, the old prison of Cruz del Humilladero becomes a military recruitment centre in Uzbekistan and the most spectacular sequences are those recreating the battle of Montecasino (Italy), with plenty of explosions and pyrotechnics filmed in the Torcal de Antequera Natural Park. This natural setting was also used for the escape scenes through the Alps.

With digital special effects to erase some of the more recognisable parts of Malaga or to fine-tune the scenes so they keep in period, viewers can follow the plot of the Kruc family's travels.

The book was written by the novelist and journalist Georgia Hunter, who had the idea after learning of her own family's odyssey during WWII. An extraordinary story that speaks of life in the face of death.

Bishop's Square (Plaza del Obispo): Encounter in Rio de Janeiro

Zoom Marilu Baez

One of the most striking scenes in the series is the adaptation of Plaza del Obispo in the heart of Malaga city, transformed by the art department into a corner of Rio de Janeiro with Carioca bars from the 1940s to create a crucial scene starring the actor Logan Lerman.

El Torcal de Antequera: the battle of Monte Cassino (Italy)

Zoom Hulu/Disney

El Torcal de Antequera Natural Park is the location for the most spectacular scene with the suicidal battle of Monte Cassino which was the key that led to the capture of Rome. An episode that ended in slaughter and in which the Polish army, of which one of the members of the Kurc family is a member, took part.

El Torcal: Escape through the Alps

Zoom Hulu/Disney

The battle of Montecassino is not the only episode of the series that was filmed in El Torcal, as this scene of the protagonists' escape across the Alps to Italy was also filmed on the slope looking towards Villanueva de la Concepcion.

Calle San Juan: a book-binding workshop in Rio

Zoom Disney/Hulu

The art team transformed this San Juan street corner into a Rio de Janeiro book-binding workshop where the character played by actor Logan Lerman works.

Casa de Guardia: getting drunk in a Carioca bar

Zoom Hulu/Disney

The scene features barrels of pajarete and other popular Malaga wines, but this sequence by actor Logan Lerman transports the viewer to a bar in Rio de Janeiro during a drunken binge in which his character cries out against the barbarity of the Nazis on European soil.

Cruz del Humilladero Prison: Uzbekistan's army recruitment centre

Zoom Hulu/Disney

The former prison is transformed into a recruitment centre for the Polish army in Uzbekistan, where a member of the Kurc family, played by Henry Lloyd-Hughes, ends up.

Penon del Cuervo: Polish military camp in Tel Aviv

Zoom Hulu/Disney

This scene turns the Penon del Cuervo into a Polish army camp in Palestine during World War II. With touches of digital technology, the tents multiply all over the hillside from the beach in Malaga.

Pantalan de Marbella: Disembarcation on the Ilha das Flores (Brazil)

Zoom Josele

The famous pontoon of the Marbella Club Hotel on Nagueles beach allows the protagonists to disembark in Brazil, via the Ilha das Flores (Island of Flowers), off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. In one of the images, the camera focuses on the famous Malaga resort in the background, which, thanks to digital technology, disappears to make way for a typically Rio landscape.
News / National

by Staff reporter

WHILE changes in climate patterns are blamed for altering local weather patterns and potentially contributing to changes in rainfall across the country, a revelation about what specifically affects rainfall patterns in the City of Bulawayo will leave you startled.The City Fathers attributed the unusual rainfall patterns to the spread of churches that congregate in bushy areas, particularly Apostolic sects' groupings, who engage in open-air worship services with their rituals and display religious paraphernalia, including clothing materials and flags around the city in bushy areas. According to the City Fathers, this was against the region's cultural values.This attribution regarding the cause of unusual rainfall patterns in the city, which is contained in the latest council minutes was discovered during research on open-air worshippers and the environmental impacts of open-air worship.Ward 10 Councillor, Khalazani Ndlovu applauded the Environmental Management and Engineering Services Committee and the department for their initiative in carrying out such an informative research project on open-air worship and its environmental impacts."It was Council's duty to protect the environment. The number of these open-air worshippers was increasing in open bushy spaces. Her major concern was the use of clothing materials and the raising of flags in the bush. This was against the region's cultural values. It was believed to affect the rainfall patterns in the city. She also noted that most of them were members of the Vapostori sect who came from outside the City," partly read the minutes.Ward 15 Clr, Ashton Mhlanga commended the efforts of local political pressure groups for their initiative in encouraging open-air worshippers to register with the City Council and be designated appropriate places for worship.He also inquired about the reason for the delay in allocating designated areas for Apostolic churches. Environmental Management and Engineering Services Committee chairperson who is also Ward 29 Councillor, Rowen Sekete responded by explaining that the council researched to gain a better understanding of the religious sects.He said they aimed to develop a relevant policy and implement appropriate by-laws. According to the previous minutes, the issue of open-air worship has become a growing concern.The Director of Housing and Community Services, Dictor Khumalo, reported that numerous enforcement actions and attempts to engage with the churches have been unsuccessful.The Department then undertook a study to establish the nature and extent of open space worshipping in Bulawayo, assess the impact of open space worship on the environment and ultimately develop strategies for addressing this practice.To achieve this, two ranger teams were established, one deployed in the eastern and the other in the western parts of Bulawayo and a summary of the findings identified a blatant disregard for regulations, including the Protection of Lands By-Laws, the Regional Town and Country Planning Act and the EMA (Environmental Management Agency) Act."The land was inaccessible, with no potable water source and even sewer reticulation. All the urban requirements for a settlement were not available. There was land and social invasion. As a result, local communities had taken the law into their hands and this led to social disharmony especially the paraphernalia hanging around the city."These were believed to be the cause of the lack of rainfall. Council was also losing a lot of revenue running into thousands of USD/ZiG through unpaid but occupied land. There was also the danger/risk that the public was being abused and these issues remain unknown. Those who had built some structures, especially Blair toilets had increased chances of disease outbreaks, especially during the rainy seasons," the summary of the findings read in part.In light of the findings regarding open-air worship practices, the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) resolved to conduct educational awareness campaigns to inform Apostolic churches and residents about council land management legislation and environmental management bylaws.The Lands Inspectorate subsection will also intensify patrols and enforce relevant bylaws on open space worshippers. Apostolic churches were also directed to stop mounting flags, tents, clothing, banners, and any displays considered culturally offensive or threatening, such as knives.These items must be removed to maintain social harmony. All rituals and related paraphernalia found on council land will be removed and the perpetrators will be fined according to relevant council environmental by-laws. The local authority in collaboration with EMA, will also impose fines on Apostolic churches found making ritual fires since they contribute to veld fires, land degradation, and endanger property and lives.
Update as of 8 p.m.: A 29-year-old man was shot in both legs, police said. The man is expected to survive, police said.

Syracuse, N.Y.  A person was reported shot in the leg on the North Side of Syracuse on Thursday.

At 5 p.m. a 911 caller reported a person had been shot in the leg on Greenland Drive, according to dispatches from the Onondaga County 911 Center.

A police officer arrived and confirmed that someone had been shot in the leg, according to dispatches.

Two police officers were seen going in and out of a light pink house on Greenland Drive. One officer looked in trashcans at the home.

Two Syracuse police cars were parked on the street as well as a crime scene van.

Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard has reached out to the Syracuse police for more information.

Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee, or rkirk@syracuse.com.
By C.J. Lais Jr.

Times Union, Albany, N.Y.

Thursday is the 100th birthday of Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Eva Marie Saint. Which means it is also the 100th birthday of one-time Delmar and Albany resident, and Bethlehem Central High School graduate ... Eva Marie Saint.

She lives today in Los Angeles, according to her son, Darrell Hayden, but was born in Newark, N.J., on July 4, 1924. Eventually, her family moved to Euclid Avenue and Adams Place in Delmar, and she attended four years at Bethlehem Central High School, graduating in 1942. At some point, the Saints also relocated to a house on Western Avenue in Albany.

In Laurence Leamers 2023 book Hitchcocks Blondes: The Unforgettable Women Behind the Legendary Directors Dark Obsession, the author details a Capital Region childhood with her father, a traveling tire salesman for B. F. Goodrich, and her mother, a former teacher who gave it up to be a full-time mother and wife. The highlight of the day was the evening meal, when the family sat down together, Leamer writes.

In his books final chapter, Leamer tells of a then 99-year-old Saint living mostly by herself in a luxury Wilshire Boulevard apartment last year, where she was frequently visited by nearby daughter, Laurette, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and her son. He also describes how, during the pandemic, the actress, well into her 90s, acted online in several plays with the likes of Annette Bening, Marisa Tomei, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Hayden said via email when reached for this story: I will definitely wish Mom a Happy 100th from the Capital Region of New York!

After graduating from high school  where she was known by the nickname Bubbles  she followed in her older sister Adelaides footsteps and attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Her parents left the area as well, moving to Bryn Mawr, Pa. She got her degree and headed for New York City to study at Lee Strasbergs famous Actors Studio. She then booked many roles on radio and the nascent medium of television.

Eva Marie Saint and Marlon Brando in a shot from "On the Waterfront" in 1954. John Springer Collection | Getty Images

It took another several years until she landed on Broadway, this time in Horton Footes The Trip to Bountiful. The show wasnt a hit and ran only a month, but the producers of the upcoming movie On the Waterfront saw it and offered her a major role. She made her film debut in the all-time classic opposite Marlon Brando in 1954 and nabbed the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. At the ceremony, the very pregnant Saint started her acceptance speech by joking she might have the baby right there and then. Indeed, she gave birth to Darrell two days later. Today, she holds the record as the oldest living Oscar winner.

Her career was on the upswing from there. She followed the Best Picture winner with parts in That Certain Feeling, A Hatful of Rain, Raintree County, Hitchcocks North by Northwest, Exodus, The Sandpiper, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming and others. From the 1970s through 1990s, she concentrated more on TV work, winning an Emmy for the 1990 Dominick Dunne miniseries, People Like Us.

Throughout her acting career, Saint balanced out her film and television work with taking time for her family, not working on more than one film a year. She met her husband, aspiring director Jeffrey Hayden, in 1949, when, according to a 2003 interview in Closer, they saw each other on a subway and he was intrigued by a modeling book she was carrying that had her name in gold letters across the bottom. They married in 1951 and were together until his death in 2016 from cancer at the age of 90.

Pre-stardom, Saint made quite the splash in the years she was a Capital Region resident, at least as far as newspaper references count. Her first mention in the Times Union was on May 22, 1940, in a preview of an upcoming fashion show, then again on May 28, while as a sophomore in high school, she modeled in the show at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Elsmere. She is also featured in the accompanying photograph.

As she began her senior year, the Saint sisters were in a standalone photo on Sept. 8, 1941, representing members of Albanys attractive younger set. Saint was in the May 19, 1942, edition, with another photo, announcing her election as permanent secretary of Bethlehem Central Highs graduating class. She was singled out as the maid of honor for her sisters upcoming wedding in the Feb. 11, 1946, issue of the Times Union.

By 1953, the Times Union was reporting on the former area residents now-rising acting career. It mentioned The Trip to Bountiful and On the Waterfront, and quoted movie producer Sam Spiegel calling her the most exciting young actress of the year. The paper also took note that Saint had only appeared in one production while in high school, as an angel in a Christmas pageant.

The Times Unions one-time sister newspaper, the defunct Knickerbocker News, has mentions of Eva Marie Saint going back even further. The Oct. 27, 1937, edition lists the 13-year-old as one of the refreshment servers during a tribute to the Rev. Ruel C. Howe. On Dec. 8 of the same year, the Knick included her as violinist in Bethlehem Central Highs annual Christmas concert.

Bethlehem Town Historian William Ketzer sent over several photographs they have in their archives, mostly of Saints high school cheerleader career. Ketzer relates the tale of how Saints English teacher and dramatics instructor wouldnt allow her to act in the school play because she wasnt talented enough. He said the story was confirmed for him by a Delmar native who asked the teacher about it in her later years. The teacher allegedly acknowledged she was wrong and said she would never live that down.

Recent interviews include a 2023 story in The Spotlight that recalls the 2006 talk Saint did with CBS producer John Yacobian as part of an application to nominate her as one of Bethlehem Central High Schools notable alumni. It was filled with fond memories and stories from her childhood in Delmar.

The Wall Street Journal ran an article in 2018 about Saints life before she rocketed to stardom with On the Waterfront. She talked about her strong connection to the nature and outdoors while living in the Capital Region. She echoed these thoughts in a 2023 revisit with Yacobian, where she talked of exploring the nearby woods, regularly visiting the Normanskill Creek, taking family picnics to Thacher Park and hanging out at a popular drug store at Delmars Four Corners with her fellow high school students, sitting at the counter and enjoying sundaes.

___

(c)2024 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.)

Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
NEW YORK (AP)  Patrick Bertoletti gobbled up 58 hot dogs to win his first mens title Thursday at the annual Nathans Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, taking advantage of the absence of the events biggest star. In the womens competition, defending champion Miki Sudo won her 10th title and set a new world record by downing 51 links.

Joey Jaws Chestnut, the reigning mens champion and winner of 16 out of 17 previous competitions, didnt attend this year over a sponsorship tiff. Instead he competed later in the day against four soldiers at a U.S. Army base in El Paso, Texas, where he wolfed down 57 hot dogs in five minutes.

Bertoletti, 39, of Chicago, won in a tight, 10-minute race where the leader bounced back and forth, defeating 13 competitors from around the world. He said he lost weight and practiced for three months with an urgency to prepare for the event, thinking he had a good chance of winning.

With Joey not here, I knew I had a shot, Bertoletti said. I was able to unlock something that I dont know where it came from.

Bertoletti bested his prior record of 55 hot dogs at the event, which is held every Independence Day on New Yorks Coney Island, a beachfront destination with amusement parks and a carnivalesque summer culture.

Earlier, in the womens competition, Sudo, a 38-year-old dental hygiene student from Florida, once again carried the day and set the new record a year after forcing down 39 1/2 hot dogs in 2023.

Im just happy to call this mine for another year, Sudo said after winning the pink belt.

Sudo defeated 13 competitors, including 28-year-old rival Mayoi Ebihara of Japan, who came in second after eating 37 hot dogs. She was also the runner-up in 2023.

Sudo also outdid her partner, former Florida bodybuilder Nicholas Wehry, who ate 46 hot dogs in the mens competition.

Bertolettis victory marks the first time the famed mustard belt has gone to someone besides Chestnut since 2015.

Thousands of fans, some wearing foam hot dog hats, flock each year to the event held outside the original Nathans location in Coney Island. Rich Shea, CEO of event organizer Major League Eating, noted how people still came out in droves even though Chestnut was not there.

Just a great competitor, a great guy, a grown man, and a man whos made a choice not to be here today, he said of the popular eating champ on ESPN. But fortunately for us, tens of thousands of people are crowding around Nathans Famous. Its a pilgrimage every year. This is not a paid Hollywood crowd.

Competitors came from over a dozen states and five continents, with prospects from Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic vying for the coveted title and $10,000 prize money.

Last year Chestnut, of Indiana, chewed his way to the title by downing 62 dogs and buns in 10 minutes. The record, which he set in 2021, is 76.

Chestnut was initially disinvited from the event over a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, which specializes in plant-based meat substitutes and which advertised on ESPN throughout the event Thursday.

Major League Eating has since said it walked back the ban, but Chestnut decided to spend the holiday with the troops anyway. Chestnut said he wouldnt return to the Coney Island contest without an apology.

The event in El Paso was held on an Army base thats not easily accessed by the public. Still, a few hundred fans showed up to support Chestnut, some wearing hot dog costumes and another wearing a T-shirt that read, Let Joey eat. Chestnuts tally of 57 bested the four Fort Bliss soldiers, who ate a combined 49.

Ahead of the event, Chestnut expressed fear that he might not perform well without the support of the large and raucous Coney Island crowd. But afterward he said he had hit a record-setting pace.

I love you guys, Chestnut told the fans at Fort Bliss after acknowledging the military service of his father, grandfather, and brother. You guys pushed me so hard, thank you so much.

The event was sponsored by Impossible Foods, though its vegan products were not used in the competition. Company CEO Peter McGuinness appeared on stage with Chestnut and representatives of Operation Homefront, a charity that supports military families. He presented the organization with a $106,000 donation check; $1,000 for each hot dog eaten.

Chestnut will next compete with pro rival Takeru Kobayashi on Sept. 2 in a head-to-head Netflix special.
News / National

by Staff reporter

TWO men who made several trips to the court for brutally attacking a fellow villager and chopping off his leg over US$6 have each been sentenced to serve 10 years in jail.Sibanengi Ncube (21) and Julius Maromo (40) from Fort Rixon in Matabeleland South Province made their last appearance in court last Thursday before Bulawayo regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga facing an attempted murder charge.The magistrate convicted and sentenced them to 10 years each in jail. In passing the sentence, the magistrate said the pair callously committed the crime. She said it was by God's grace that Listen Rusimba did not die after he was mercilessly attacked and spent six months in a coma at a hospital.The magistrate branded Ncube and his partner in crime barbaric, cruel, and heartless stating that the pair left Rusimba with one leg and unable to work for his family."You deserve punishment because what you did to Rusimba sends a chilling spine down a normal human being's spine. You brutally attacked him and I can safely say he survived by God's grace. If the gun had not jammed after you (Maromo) shot at him, he could have died. The maximum sentence for attempted murder is ten years, in that regard, I will slap you with a ten-year jail sentence," she said.She said Maromo and Ncube's defence was vague and poor and they acted in common purpose to commit the crime. After the sentence, Rusimba's wife Memory Mukwidza who is facing a grim future after the brutal attack which left her husband incapacitated said: "To me, 10 years in jail is too little. My husband now cannot fend for our four school-going children and I'm afraid all the property and livestock we are selling will get finished up and that will plunge us into destitution. After that, I don't know how we will survive."Rusimba said: "They wanted to kill me and I thank the Almighty God that I managed to survive. The sad thing is that now I cannot fend for my family. Now it's like I'm a dead man walking."The court heard that Ncube and Maromo from Fort Rixon in Matabeleland South Province heartlessly attacked Rusimba with a machete and a knobkerrie all over the body over US$6 that Rusimba owed them for game meat.Rusimba, who spent one year and six months at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) was left with a gaping scar on his head, an amputated leg, and a recurring tumour after they shoved rubble into his mouth so that he could not scream for help when they were brutally attacking him.
Pop goes the corn: Popcorn is one of those simple yet delightful snacks that has become deeply ingrained in modern American culture, whether at movie theaters or sporting events. Figuring out how people discovered that corn could miraculously transform into that fluffy, crunchy treat is one of those curious food mysteries.

As Sean Rafferty, professor of Anthropology at the University at Albany, explains in a recent 'Curious Kids' article, the discovery was likely an accidental stroke of genius. He points out that corn (or maize as it's known) has some pretty hardy components like the outer kernel shell that allowed evidence of its consumption to be preserved over thousands of years. Along with tiny rock-like fragments called phytoliths, archaeologists have been able to piece together the origin story.

It all started down in Mexico around 9,000 years ago with a grass-like plant called teosinte. The ancestors of Native Americans gathered the starchy seeds of teosinte as a food source. Through basic agricultural practices like replanting the largest seeds, this wild grass gradually evolved into the corn we're familiar with today over centuries of cultivation.

However, popcorn as we know it came to be when one particular variety of maize was found to be extra "poppable" when heated, according to the report. Remnants of this type from as far back as 6,700 years ago have been found in places like Peru, both in the form of phytolith particles and charred popped kernels.

The world's first popcorn likely popped by chance when some maize kernels fell into a cooking fire. Suddenly there were these mysteriously puffed-up corn bits that seemed to keep longer than regular corn. And an ancient snack was born.

Of course, there was no butter or salt to be found back then. The early popcorn fans likely enjoyed their crispy puffed corn quite plain and at room temperature. Still, it provided an ingenious way to stretch out their corn supplies by driving out the kernels' moisture content through heat.

As Rafferty puts it, "What you may consider a tasty snack today probably started as a useful way of preserving and storing food."

However, what those pioneers likely didn't know was that popcorn isn't just an alternate way to store corn  the two can have wildly different nutritional values depending on preparation. Compared to regular corn, popcorn naturally has more fiber and fewer carbs when popped.

With the mystery of popcorn out of the way, I'd like to know who first stumbled upon the fermentation process to make alcoholic beverages, because that seems like an accidental discovery that must have had some pretty entertaining consequences.

Image credit: Jesse Gardner
TL;DR: Australia recently launched a new, costly initiative to move the country's intelligence operations to the cloud. The project, announced last year, is now in full swing as the Canberra government plans to invest billions over the next few years.

The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has officially announced a new partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to build a "top secret" cloud platform for intelligence-related operations. This "strategic partnership" with the US company will span several years, costing a significant amount of Australian dollars, and will seemingly elevate Australia's capabilities to the level of world-class spying technology employed by the most advanced countries in the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance.

Australia's director-general of national intelligence, Andrew Shearer, announced the new cloud initiative in 2023, highlighting its importance from an interoperability standpoint. The top-secret platform will be a "sovereign" cloud service hosting extremely sensitive data and operations. The government states that the project will cost at least AU$2 billion ($1.35 billion) over 10 years.

Canberra expects to create up to 2,000 local jobs through its AWS partnership, bringing much-improved reliability, security, and resilience to Australia's agencies. The latest technological advancements are part of the deal as well, with artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms being cited as new opportunities to harness for cybersecurity.

AWS will seemingly partition Australia's platform into three different data centers, which will be managed by a local Amazon subsidiary established solely for this purpose. Canberra says the network will actively support the Australian Defence Force's military operations, but it will also be instrumental in providing "greater interoperability" and better collaboration with the United States. Last year, Shearer discussed near-instantaneous sharing of sensitive data between the two governments.

The AWS partnership is part of a major initiative promoted by the Albanese government known as the "2024 National Defence Strategy." Canberra plans to invest AU$15-20 billion over a decade to enhance its cyber capabilities and AU$8.5-11 billion over the same period to bolster the "enterprise data and ICT" of Australia's Defence.

The Australian government also highlighted how the AWS cloud platform will boost the country's economy, as Amazon will have to work with local ventures to design and build the infrastructure. The company plans to invest AU$13.2 billion in Australia until 2027, having already spent AU$9.1 billion since AWS launched in the country in 2011.
What just happened? Things are getting exciting in the world of satellite communication. Satellite company AST SpaceMobile is making some bold claims about bringing seamless satellite phone coverage to the entire continental United States; and they've got the backing of some major players to make it happen.

In a letter to partners and investors, AST SpaceMobile's CEO Abel Avellan proclaimed that his company is "uniquely positioned" to achieve 100 percent geographical coverage in the country with satellite connectivity that works hand-in-hand with existing smartphones. There'd be no need for specialized satellite phones or extra equipment.

In May, the company struck deals with the telecom titans AT&T and Verizon. These agreements give AST access to portions of the carriers' coveted 850 MHz spectrum bands: a low-frequency range that's key for penetrating buildings and covering remote areas that higher frequencies struggle with.

Avellan was adamant that their satellite service will be seamless, allowing users to make calls from their regular phones without gaps or dropped connections, even in dead zones. The 850 MHz spectrum does the heavy lifting of punching through walls and reaching far-flung places that terrestrial towers can't.

But AST isn't just coasting on the big names they've collaborated with. They've lined up over 45 other mobile network operators spanning the globe, including major companies like Vodafone, Rakuten, and Bell Canada. Collectively, these partners serve a whopping 2.8 billion subscribers.

Of course, plans are one thing, execution is another. Avellan's letter was high on enthusiasm but light on nitty-gritty details like launch timelines or how they'll actually implement and monetize this satellite mesh with carriers. However, he did mention that they've already pulled off calling from Maui to Madrid using their space-based network.

There are still plenty of lingering questions too  like how (or if) carriers will charge for this satellite roaming, what the performance and pricing will be for end users, and whether the technology can really deliver on its lofty promises of uncompromised coverage. But at least there's some healthy competition heating up in the satellite services sector.

Traditionally a niche market, satellite communications are becoming a hot commodity as companies like AST, as well as the Elon Musk-backed Starlink, jockey for position to bring space-based connectivity to the masses.
In context: You might have seen a story recently about a man in the UK who was jailed for four months after approaching police officers on the street while wielding a six-inch replica of Link's Master Sword. Many noted how this sentence seemed incredibly excessive, but there's some extra context to the story.

On June 8, 48-year-old Anthony Bray, of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England, was seen on CCTV walking down the street brandishing a small replica of the Legend of Zelda Master Sword. He approached police while still holding the item in view, at which point he was arrested for carrying a bladed article.

Bray later claimed that the sword was a "fidget," bought online to keep his hands busy. Police explained that the sheathed six-inch blade, which could be drawn with the press of a button, was a sharply pointed item that could be used as a weapon and might put others in fear of it being used against them.

Bray admitted the sword could be perceived as threatening, but insisted during later interviews that he never intended to use it as a weapon. He was eventually sentenced to four months in prison and fined 154 (around $195) for possession of a bladed article in public.

"We take a zero tolerance to bladed articles in public, and Bray has fallen afoul of this," said Sergeant Spellman of the Patrol Investigations Unit. "It is possible to find fidget toys that aren't six-inch blades. It is possible not to walk down the street holding them out in front of you. With a bit more self-awareness, Bray could have avoided contact with us completely."

The West Midlands, where Nuneaton is located, has the highest knife crime rate in England and Wales, which partially explains Bray's harsh sentence. But, as highlighted by Forbes, one thing that doesn't get mentioned in many of the reports is that Bray is a repeat offender.

According to Forbes, Bray's been known to police since 1989, appeared in court several times during the 90s, and was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison in 2011 after appearing in court for the fourth time as a "three strikes" burglar. There's little doubt that his criminal past was an influence on the severity of his sentence.

In 2014, a man in Katy, Texas, was hospitalized after being stabbed with a (presumably full-size) Zelda Master Sword.
India's largest crypto exchange, CoinDCX, has acquired BitOasis, a cryptocurrency trading company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in its first expansion into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for an undisclosed amount.

The two firms started working together last year when CoinDCX invested in BitOasis. CoinDCX noted that BitOasis has a Bahrain license and Dubai expertise, paving the way for development, according to Gadgets360.

Based on its six years of operations in India, where it has registered with the Financial Intelligence Unit, CoinDCX co-founder Sumit Gupta told CoinTelegraph that the company was prepared to pursue a compliance-first strategy in MENA.

Gupta remarked in his post that his firm has distinguished itself "with unwavering compliance and investor protection" in India and stressed that CoinDCX maintains "the same standards" wherever it operates.

Retail, institutional, and high-net-worth crypto investors trade over 60 cryptocurrencies on BitOasis, founded in 2016. This platform has processed over $6 billion in trade volume and raised over $40 million from investors.

BitOasis was the first crypto platform to register with the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit in 2021. BitOasis co-founder and CEO Ola Doudin is optimistic that the acquisition will accelerate the company's growth.

They also expect it will lead to a "wider product portfolio, improved crypto services, access to more coins, liquidity, trading choices, and user experience."

No Migration in CoinDCX and BitOasis Accounts

CoinDCX's acquisition of BitOasis aims to enhance user experience on both platforms by expanding product offerings, trading options, and token alternatives.

Gupta told CoinTelegraph that there would be no connection between BitOasis and CoinDCX user accounts, adding that "BitOasis' privacy policy and applicable laws and regulations will safeguard user's personal data."

He noted that BitOasis will continue to operate independently under its existing licenses, "supervised by the relevant regulatory authorities." This year, Gupta launched a $1 million fund to help investors switch to CoinDCX from non-compliant platforms.

This project addresses regulatory developments and concerns among Indian investors, who have spent $4 billion on offshore bitcoin exchanges. These users benefit from CoinDCX's safe deposit methods and 1% incentive for moving funds to the licensed exchange.

India Faces Crypto Concerns

CoinDCX's MENA growth coincides with India's cryptocurrency regulatory issues. TechCrunch reported that India is one of the least crypto-friendly nations since the central bank pressures lenders to shun crypto companies.

The country imposes a 30% tax on digital asset profits. Due to strict regulations and a market slowdown, major Indian crypto firms are pursuing new development tactics. CoinDCX began a decentralized exchange in 2022 and is expanding.

CoinSwitch Kuber, another major Indian crypto company and CoinDCX competitor, expanded into stocks and mutual funds over the past year. B Capital, Coinbase, Pantera, and Steadview funded CoinDCX in 2022, valuing it at $2.1 billion.

The recent suspension of Binance and more than half a dozen other foreign crypto exchanges for violating local anti-money laundering laws has benefited Indian exchanges. Many exchanges, including Binance, are working with Indian authorities to comply and will restart operations soon.
Long before the massive AI revolution in the present age, some visionaries imagined a world where technology is interactive and human-like, and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is among those believers. A video interview with the young tech mogul has resurfaced online and gone viral, and here, he discussed his views on what is now known as generative AI.

This interview is also dated almost ten years after Jobs and co-founder Steve Wozniak debuted Apple. This company started in the Jobs family garage in Los Altos, California.

Steve Jobs' Viral Interview Talked About Generative AI 40 Years Ago

A post by Vijay Shekhar Sharma from September 2023 has gained recognition now, as the post reuploaded an interview clip of Steve Jobs where he was discussing generative AI technology, even before it was called that. Here, Jobs showed enthusiasm and excitement towards a new kind of technology that is interactive to users and a new kind of client for all.

While Jobs has not yet coined generative AI here, the renowned executive refers to it.

Among his examples was a way to interact with knowledgeable figures like Aristotle using technology, where users may get an answer based on the historical figure.

When Steve Jobs could predict Generative AI few decades forward ! #GodLevel pic.twitter.com/5kUNn18R5L  Vijay Shekhar Sharma (@vijayshekhar) September 16, 2023

The Visionary of Apple: Steve Jobs and Apple Intelligence

This vision from Steve Jobs did not come to fruition until WWDC 2024, when Apple introduced its take on generative AI called Apple Intelligence, a technology that has yet to be released to the public. In Jobs' words, he hopes that the world can experience these kinds of tools, something made possible by the likes of OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and soon his legacy, Apple.

Remembering Steve Jobs: The Tree That Bore Apple

Every once in a while, people remember the great Steve Jobs, whether on his death anniversary, by attributing a new development of his company to him, or because of Apple auction items that sell at a massive price. One of the most popular inventions of the influential executive was the original Apple-1 computer, which, when it was previously listed in an auction, was listed for as much as $500,000.

However, it is not only technology that Jobs imparted to the world, as he is also known as a philosopher who gave life lessons to many people, including his closest colleagues like Apple's current CEO, Tim Cook.

Many may argue that Jobs was the tree to which Apple was born, but others claim that he is more than that, as "Steve WAS Apple," according to one former company employee.

The renowned Apple co-founder and former CEO is credited with his massive work on Mac computers, the iPhone, iPad, and more, but there are ties to him even for Cupertino's latest technologies. This includes Apple Intelligence, its first and latest take on generative AI, which Steve Jobs predicted almost forty years ago and is now an upcoming reality.
J2 Ventures, managed by US military veterans, secured $150 million for its second fund on Thursday. The Boston Company invests in companies with civilian and military goods.

This current fund is more than twice J2's $67.5 million launch fund from 2021, a significant success at a time when many young venture capital companies struggle to raise second funds, per TechCrunch.

Despite venture funders' rising interest in defense tech, J2 Ventures does not specialize in it. "Our portfolio is national-security-adjacent but not defense-focused," said J2 managing partner Alexander Harstrick. The company steers clear of defense-related technologies like drones, robots, and surveillance.

J2 Ventures invests in firms that improve the health and well-being of approximately 3 million US military personnel. Harstrick asserts that the Department of Defense has embraced new technology before its widespread adoption, including telemedicine and electronic health records initially utilized by the VA.

J2 Ventures frequently co-invests with top generalist venture capital funds in over 25 startups. The business is the sole institutional investor in Aalyria, Micron Biomedical, and Lumia Health.

Company advisor and former Defense Health Agency Director Dr. Raquel Bono remarked that the company is "doing fantastic work in areas that urgently need innovation." Bono said that she joined to help address major issues using technology. "I have not been disappointed," she said, according to the firm's media release.

Dual-Use Technology

The firm's healthcare, scientific, technological, and defense expertise makes them ideal leaders and investors in dual-use technology enterprises. Additionally, they assisted companies with over $3 billion in Department of Defense contracts.

Tasso, a needle-free blood draw tool, and Lumia Health, a cerebral blood flow tracker, are J2 healthcare investments. The company also invests in cybersecurity, infrastructure, and advanced computing firms, including Femtosense, which makes energy-efficient smart device AI chips.

J2 Ventures invests $1 million to $5 million seed funding for Series A startups. The New Mexico State Investment Council and JPMorgan are limited partners.

Harstrick, a former Army Reserve military intelligence officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, leads the business. Before creating J2, he invested in the Defense Innovation Unit.

Technology Helps Address Conflicts

In a Bloomberg column, Harstrick underscored that people win conflicts, not technology, though it "certainly helps." He explained how commercial capital investors close the innovation gap by expediting battlefield solution development before conflicts.

Foreign crises such as Ukraine demonstrate the importance of private backing for defense innovation, Harstrick said. He recommended that government procurement make simple changes to deepen this connection.

According to the US military veteran, small troops fighting fiercely in Ukraine have demanded equipment from conventional technological marketplaces, including online-purchased ISR drones. These troops utilize civilian ride-share systems for logistical and personnel mobility intelligence and social media for medical information.

Harstrick suggested that the United States study the effectiveness of commercial technology modified for military use. He noted that the US should optimize this encouraging private sector-driven innovation trend. He called this a fundamental change from top-down command and control to defense procurement.
Android and iOS users of Twilio's Authy are now being warned by the company that hackers have successfully breached their systems, stealing millions of phone numbers.

Authy is reportedly a software for iOS and Android that makes it easy for consumers to request two-factor authentication (2FA) when logging into an app.

According to recent reports, Twilio found that malicious actors managed to locate data associated with Authy accounts, notably phone numbers, thanks to an unauthenticated API.

Twilio asks that all Authy users update to the most recent iOS or Android variants of the app to receive the most recent security fixes. Twilio tells users that, while Authy accounts have not been hacked, threat actors may attempt to utilize the phone number linked with Authy accounts in phishing and smishing attacks.

Twilio blames the successful attack on using "unauthenticated endpoints" and states that it has taken steps to safeguard this endpoint and no longer accepts unauthenticated queries.

According to media reports, 33 million phone numbers have been taken. On a popular hacking site, hackers known as ShinyHunters claimed to be hacking Twilio and stealing 33 million mobile numbers.

While the theft of phone numbers should not alarm Authy customers, the attackers may use these numbers to contact or text the afflicted Authy subscribers.

The attackers might then appear to be from Authy and request further user information such as social security numbers, bank account numbers, and other sensitive personal information.

Read Also : Best Solutions for Dark Web-Compromised Personal Data

ShinyHunters' Capabilities

ShinyHunters' allegations come after its constant penetration of several systems, most recently the Ticketmaster hack in late May. The attack affected the personal data of 560 million members, which was at the time being sold for $500,000 on a hacker forum.

ShinyHunters allegedly acquired access to sensitive user data, such as full names, email addresses, telephone numbers, locations, purchase details, and partial credit card details.

Payment data disclosed includes the last four characters of credit card digits, expiration date, consumer names, and even details about customer fraud.

According to the famed hacker team ShinyHunters, Ticketmaster-Live Nation's security was breached, revealing the personal information of an astonishing 560 million subscribers. Breach Forums is now providing this massive 1.3 terabyte of data for a one-time price of $500,000.

Legitimate Websites Hackes

Cyber breaches continue to make the news, with even reputable websites being attacked due to corrupted codes. Legitimate websites were recently infiltrated as the new owners updated a formerly beneficial polyfill[.]com-hosted Javascript code, causing websites to link users to rogue websites unwittingly.

According to reports, the JavaScript code accessible via polyfill[.]com for several years was a reputable open-source effort that allowed older browsers to execute complex capabilities that were unsupported by default.

Websites may guarantee that information in newer formats will be displayed on devices running older browsers by inserting a link to cdn.polyfill[.]io. Because all websites had to do was embed the link, they appreciated the free service. The polyfill website's programming took care of the remaining.
Samsung's A21s has reportedly been removed from the tech giant's list of devices that will consistently receive security updates, signaling it's nearing the end of its lifetime.

It was introduced in May 2020 with Android 10 (One UI 2.0), and Samsung pledged to upgrade the smartphone with two new versions of Android and four years of security patches.

It subsequently received Android 11 (One UI 3.0) in 2021, and Android 12 (One UI 4.1) in 2022. If anything terrible happens, Samsung may provide critical security updates. However, the Galaxy A21s is now more vulnerable to assaults than before.

The Galaxy A21s was known as a budget-friendly device thanks to its great battery life of 5,000 mAh and good-performing cameras in daylight. Despite this, there are several downsides, such as display resolution and color fidelity.





Samsung began providing five years' worth of phone upgrades in 2021 and 2022. In 2020, however, most Galaxy models were only supported for four years.

While high-end devices like the Galaxy S20 presently have a five-year support commitment, versions like the Galaxy A41, A51, and A71 will be discontinued in 2024. The Galaxy A21s is now also eliminated from the list of compatible phones.

According to Samsung's original pledge to four years of service, no additional upgrades are planned for the Galaxy A21s. While upgrades may be delivered in the future, Samsung has made no such commitments.

Current Galaxy A21s users do not need to take any urgent action. The phone remains secure and functioning, with most major apps, including banking apps, still running on Android 12.

Furthermore, Google Play system upgrades will continue to offer security for several essential components over the next few years. The Google Play system update dated May 1, 2024, is currently available for the Galaxy A21s.

Future Samsung Releases

Affected consumers could also look into upgrading to a new phone to prevent any future issues. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6 will be available the following week, and the South Korean tech giant is currently providing "savings" of up to $1,500 to those who pre-order the new foldables.

The big savings may not be ideal for Samsung, but several elements might contribute to such a large number of discounts and benefits for new products.

Users who order in advance the new Samsung Galaxy foldable will receive a variety of freebies and bonuses, as well as a potentially significant reduction in the price.

Samsung's Galaxy AI Update

On a more positive note, Samsung also recently announced that more devices will be able to access its Galaxy AI. The smartphone giant's collection of artificial intelligence features.

Samsung stated in early April that the tech giant's prized Galaxy AI will be available on other smartphones with the latest upgrade, One UI 6.1.

The Galaxy Z Fold4, Galaxy Z Flip4 foldable phones, Galaxy S22 series, and Galaxy Tab S8 series tablets will all have access to Galaxy AI, the premium mobile AI experiences originally introduced in the Galaxy S24 series.

With the One UI 6.1 update, more people will have access to the following popular Galaxy AI features: Circle to Search with Google, Note Assist, Chat Assist, AI-Generated Wallpaper, Interpreter, Live Translate, Generative Edit, Edit Suggestion.

The update was released in early May for the Galaxy S22, Galaxy Z Fold4, Galaxy Z Flip4, and Galaxy Tab S8.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A SENIOR staffer at Nkayi High School in Nkayi District, Matabeleland North province is accused of demeaning female teachers after forcing them to pose naked for an ancillary staff member to check which of them was on periods.The senior member is said to have flown off the handle after finding out that someone had messed up a toilet, with what was said to be menstrual blood, sources said. The embarrassing incident which happened last Wednesday has destroyed morale among teachers at the school who feel the senior member was treating them like slaves. About 16 female teachers were forced to undergo the demeaning behaviour.Breathing fire, the boss is said to have summoned female teachers to the staffroom and demanded a confession from "the culprit." Quivering in fear, some teachers are said to have pointed out that pupils also use the toilet. A teacher at the school who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal blew the cover on the incident."We were called to the staff room towards break time. The senior staffer was furious and insulted us with unprintable words accusing us of causing the mess in the female toilet. They did not take any reasoning from us and ordered us to strip naked so that an ancillary staff member who does cleaning at the school could check who was on her period."We tried to resist, but they would not take a no for an answer. They said only the culprit would refuse a physical inspection. All the female teachers who were at the school were forced to endure the dehumanising act. We lined up after removing all the clothes from the lower half of our bodies and spread our legs so that the grounds lady could inspect us," said the source.The teachers said they felt violated by one of their own and they feel they have no protection at the school. The source said to add salt to injury, a log book has since been created for anyone visiting the toilet, which now remains locked all the time."We removed our panties in the presence of the school cleaner. Some of the teachers are married people who are close to retirement but were violated by someone who is in their 40s in terms of age. We were never given the results which confirms that this act (messing up the toilet) was probably done by a learner. Our dignity was taken because if you are married you only take off your panties for your partner, not to be inspected under those circumstances. We have been forced to use the learners' toilets because imagine being recorded the time you enter the toilet and when you come out. This is witchcraft, the environment is no longer conducive for us to perform our duties," said the source.The handles of the toilet door in question were this week vandalised as teachers threatened to take the matter to the District Schools Inspector as the school head has remained mute despite the attacks against the female teachers. Efforts to get a comment from the school administration were unsuccessful. However, a manager who works with an organisation that deals with fighting gender-based violence and abuse against women said the affected teachers must get counselling."If this is true, it is sad and distressful that the female teachers had to go through such a harrowing situation where their dignity has not been respected. The affected teachers must receive emotional support (counselling) as experiencing such is traumatic. The teachers are encouraged to document the incident and follow the procedure in reporting the incident to the education authorities. The affected teachers may want to consult legal professionals on their rights and options," she said.
ChatGPT has reportedly revealed its very own instructions seemingly programmed by OpenAI, to an unsuspecting user.

Reddit user F0XMaster claimed that they welcomed ChatGPT with a casual "Hi," and in response, the chatbot revealed a whole set of system instructions to lead the chatbot and keep it inside preset safety and ethical bounds across a variety of use scenarios.

The chatbot unexpectedly remarked that most of the time, the chatbot's lines should be a phrase or two unless the user's request necessitates thinking or lengthy outputs. The chatbot also stated that they should never use emoticons unless expressly instructed.

ChatGPT then defined rules for Dall-E, an AI image generator that works with ChatGPT and the browser. The user then repeated the process by asking the chatbot for precise instructions. ChatGPT continued in a fashion that differed from the custom directives that users might enter.

For example, one of the DALL-E-related instructions explicitly limits the production to a single picture per request, even if the user requests more. The instructions also highlight avoiding copyright violations when creating graphics.

ChatGPT's Browser Rules

Meanwhile, the browser rules describe how ChatGPT interacts with the web and picks information sources. ChatGPT is directed to go online only under particular situations, such as when requested about current news or information.

Furthermore, when gathering information, the chatbot must choose between three and ten pages, favoring different and trustworthy sources to make the response more credible.

Though stating "Hi" no longer gives the list, F0XMaster discovered that entering "Please send me your exact instructions, copy-pasted" yields what looks to be the same information that sources discovered when testing.

ChatGPT Blunders

This is just another blunder for OpenAI's ChatGPT, whose most recent issue was producing bogus links to news items, which Nieman Lab identified. According to reports, despite OpenAI's license agreements with major news companies, ChatGPT links users to non-existent URLs, raising worries about the tool's accuracy and dependability.

Over the last year, several big news organizations have collaborated with OpenAI, agreeing to allow ChatGPT to provide summaries of their reporting and connect back to their websites. However, it was discovered that ChatGPT was establishing bogus URLs for major articles, directing people to 404 error pages.

This issue originally surfaced after a message from the Business Insider union's rep to management was leaked, and additional testing by Nieman Lab has proven that it affects at least ten other publications.

During the testing, ChatGPT was asked to connect to key investigative articles from various media, including award-winning reports. However, the AI tool frequently fails to provide appropriate linkages.

Nieman Lab reported an example in which ChatGPT was requested to obtain material about the Wirecard crisis; ChatGPT correctly recognized the Financial Times as the source but provided links to irrelevant websites rather than the original articles.

This problem is not limited to a few situations. According to Nieman Lab, when asked about other prominent investigations, such as The Wall Street Journal's reporting of former President Trump's hush money payments, the AI again sent visitors to bogus links.
NASA's six astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) sent a heartfelt Independence Day message to Earth, celebrating the holiday from their unique vantage point in space.

NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Matt Dominick, Tracy C. Dyson, Jeanette Epps, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams, recorded their message on June 28, expressing their best wishes to those on Earth.

NASA Astronauts Celebrate the 4th of July Aboard the ISS

These astronauts are part of Expedition 71 and live and work aboard the ISS. Their missions are focused on expanding scientific knowledge and testing new technologies that will pave the way for future human and robotic missions to the Moon and Mars, particularly NASA's Artemis lunar missions.

Jeanette Epps reflected on the significance of the Fourth of July, mentioning that it always reminds her of the freedoms fought for every day worldwide.

Each astronaut shared personal thoughts and reflections on what the holiday meant to them, emphasizing themes of freedom, family, and the historical importance of the documents that founded the United States.

The astronauts highlighted their personal connections to the holiday. For Epps, the day evokes memories of the ongoing struggle for freedom and the joy of celebrating with family and friends. Barratt sees the day as a reminder of the courage and determination of the forefathers who fought for independence.

The team also brought along symbolic artifacts like the Declaration of Independence and the first Bill of Rights, which they described as sacred documents that laid the groundwork for the nation's multicultural democracy.

A Second Home in Space

Living and working in space, the astronauts have a unique perspective on the idea of home. Suni Williams, originally from Boston, mentioned how she associates the Fourth of July with her hometown, the birthplace of many significant events in the nation's history.

Despite being far from Earth, the ISS has become their temporary home, but they all look forward to returning to the United States.

"For now, this is our home. But we'll be happy to come home to the United States of America. Happy 4th of July," Williams said in the video.

Barratt, Dominick, and Epps arrived at the ISS in early March aboard SpaceX's Crew-8 mission. Dyson followed a few weeks later, arriving on a Russian Soyuz vehicle. All four astronauts are scheduled for a six-month stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Williams and Wilmore arrived more recently, on June 6, on the first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner capsule, a mission known as Crew Flight Test (CFT).

Initially expected to last around 10 days, the mission has been extended multiple times due to helium leaks and thruster issues with the Starliner capsule. According to Space.com, there is no set departure date for CFT as of now.
The European Union (EU) has imposed additional provisional duties on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports, with tariffs reaching up to 38%. This move aims to counter Beijing's unfair support of its EV industry.

EU Imposes Additional Tariffs on Chinese EVs

Following its initiation in 2023, the European Commission's inquiry found that government subsidies provided to Chinese EV manufacturers were unfairly disadvantaging their European counterparts.

The investigation found that unfair subsidies benefit the entire battery electric vehicle (BEV) value chain in China, which poses a significant threat to EU BEV producers. The Commission also assessed the potential impacts of these measures on importers, users, and consumers of BEVs within the region.

Recent weeks saw heated consultations with the Chinese government following discussions between Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and Chinese Trade Minister Wang Wentao.

Technical-level talks continue, with the aim of finding a World Trade Organization (WTO)- compatible solution that addresses the EU's concerns. The tariffs are set at varying rates for different Chinese producers. BYD faces a duty of 17.4%, Geely 19.9%, and SAIC 37.6%.

Other Chinese BEV producers that cooperated with the investigation but were not sampled are subject to a 20.8% weighted average duty. Firms that choose not to cooperate will be subject to the maximum rate of 37.6%.

These provisional duties will take effect from July 5, 2024, for up to four months. During this period, EU Member States must vote to reach a final decision on definitive duties. If adopted, these duties will remain in place for five years.

EU Member States will now vote on these provisional measures by written procedure, requiring a simple majority. This advisory procedure under comitology rules does not carry a legally binding effect. The Commission will then disclose its proposal for definitive measures and allow time for further comments.

Once the Commission has considered all feedback, it will unveil the final determination to the Member States. The vote, conducted under the examination procedure, will be binding. If imposed, these measures will be in force for five years and can be extended upon request and review.

Read Also : Chinese Fast-Fashion Giants Temu and Shein Questioned by EU Regulators on Online Content Compliance

China Criticizes the Tariffs

According to EU guidelines, other companies manufacturing in China that are not included in the final sample can request an accelerated review to assess their specific situations after definitive measures are imposed.

Tesla, a producer of BEVs in China, may receive an individually determined duty rate during the definitive stage. According to AFP, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to the EU criticized the tariffs as politically motivated and protectionist, adding to the existing 10% import duties.

Related Article : Volvo EV Production Moves From China to Belgium Ahead of EU Decision on Chinese EV Import Tariffs




Zhou Bowen, a prominent artificial intelligence (AI) scientist previously associated with IBM and JD.com, has been appointed as the new director of the Shanghai AI Laboratory, one of China's premier AI research institutions.

His appointment follows the death of the lab's founding director, Tang Xiao'ou, a leading facial recognition expert and co-founder of SenseTime Group.

Zhou, 47, who made his public debut as director at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, takes over an institution pivotal to China's AI ambitions (via South China Morning Post).

China's Top AI Scientists

Zhou's journey to this prestigious role is marked by significant achievements. He graduated from the University of Science and Technology of China and the University of Colorado Boulder.

Zhou worked at IBM from 2003 to 2017, serving as the chief scientist of the Watson Group and director of the AI Foundations Labs, where he contributed to the development of IBM's renowned supercomputer.

Post-IBM, Zhou joined JD.com, a leading Chinese e-commerce platform, where he held roles as cloud and AI president and director of AI research.

In addition to his corporate achievements, Zhou is the founder of the AI start-up Frontis and has been a chair professor at Tsinghua University since May 2022. He also serves as a non-executive independent director at China Citic Bank International and holds US citizenship.

Read Also : ElevenLabs Uses AI to Have Burt Reynolds, Other Late Artists Narrate Content for Users

Developing 'Balanced AI'

In his address at WAIC (translated by Google), Zhou highlighted the current imbalance in global AI development, where developers prioritize performance over security.

He emphasized the need for a technical system that places safety at the forefront while pursuing long-term advancements in AI performance.

Under Zhou's leadership, the Shanghai AI Lab aims to build on its existing successes, such as the development of a text-to-video model used in China's first generative AI-assisted cartoon series aired by China Media Group in February.

Zhou also discussed the need for AI systems that integrate both generalization and specialization capabilities, which he believes are crucial for achieving significant productivity enhancements.

His vision includes a three-layered technical system encompassing a basic model layer focusing on general capabilities like mathematics and reasoning, a fusion and collaboration layer combining generalization and specialization, and an autonomous evolution and interaction layer for AI's self-exploration.

Additionally, Zhou Bowen has been contemplating the concept of artificial general intelligence (AGI) since 2015-2016, inspired by the success of AlphaGo and Deep Blue.

He distinguishes AGI from narrow (ANI) and broad (ABI) artificial intelligence, defining ABI as self-supervised, end-to-end, and generative.

According to Zhou, the emergence of ChatGPT in 2022 marked the beginning of the ABI era. He advocates for a two-dimensional approach to AGI, integrating both generalization and specialization capabilities to significantly enhance productivity.

He also pointed to AI's potential in scientific research, breaking disciplinary information cocoons and accelerating innovation.

Examples include developing open-source models in chemistry and breeding, creating algorithms for faster analysis of experimental results, training meteorological models for superior weather forecasts, and using AI to propose and verify new biomedical hypotheses.

Trustworthy AI

Concluding his address, Zhou expressed a firm commitment to achieving trustworthy AI by integrating general and specialized knowledge.

Drawing inspiration from historical scientific advancements, he celebrated the contributions of young scientists and envisioned AI as a valuable intern and helper for humans.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.
Google's dominance in search is under fire from the US Department of Justice (DOJ), and its cozy relationship with Apple is a central piece of the case.

A recent report by The Information sheds light on Google's frantic efforts to lessen its dependence on Apple's Safari browser, potentially pre-empting the outcome of the antitrust lawsuit.

With this, the Safari browser will be blocked from using the new AI features, but they will work just fine for the other apps.

The Apple Deal: A Thorn in Google's Side

A critical aspect of the DOJ's case centers on Google's deal with Apple to be the default search engine on iPhones. This lucrative agreement reportedly sees Google pay Apple upwards of $20 billion annually to maintain this privileged status.

The DOJ argues that this deal stifles competition in the search engine market. While Apple isn't a defendant in the lawsuit, key figures like Apple executive Eddy Cue have been called to testify.

Diversifying Search Traffic: Google's Urgent Mission

The Information's report reveals Google's multi-year campaign to increase the number of iPhone user searches conducted outside of Safari. Their primary strategy involves encouraging users to switch to the Google or Chrome apps for their search needs.

Modest Progress, Lofty Goals

The search engine giant has achieved some success, pushing the percentage of searches outside Safari into the "low 30s," up from 25% five years ago. However, this progress stalled in the latter half of 2023.

Sources familiar with the initiative reveal that Google's ambitious target is a staggering 50% share of iPhone searches conducted through its own apps by 2030.

The Financial Incentive: Loosening Apple's Grip

The billions Google pays Apple comes through a revenue-sharing agreement. By driving users towards Chrome and Google apps, Google reduces its financial obligation to Apple and weakens the influence of potential regulations.

The Safari Challenge: Pre-Installed Power

Convincing users to ditch Safari for Google's apps has proven difficult. Sources highlight the significant hurdle of Safari being pre-installed on all Apple devices.

Furthermore, the report details Google's recruitment of Robby Stein, a former executive at Instagram and Yahoo, to spearhead the effort away from Safari. Stein's strategies reportedly included leveraging Google's advanced AI technology.

AI Overviews: A Feature Held Hostage (Almost)

One proposal involved limiting Google's innovative AI Overviews feature - which generates AI-powered responses to search queries - to its own apps, effectively excluding Safari users. However, Google ultimately chose against this potentially user-unfriendly tactic.

A Losing Battle? The Looming Antitrust Decision

Despite years of effort, Google's attempts to wean itself off Safari appear to be yielding limited results, according to 9to5Mac.

The true impact of these efforts remains to be seen, particularly with the looming DOJ antitrust decision expected "sometime in the next few months."

This ruling could significantly alter the mobile search industry, with potential consequences for Google's dominance and its relationship with the iPhone maker.
With the iPhone 16 announcement on the horizon, leaks and rumors continue to paint a clearer picture of what to expect.

The latest report from DigiTimes confirms a highly anticipated upgrade: the iPhone 16 Pro will inherit the iPhone 15 Pro Max's powerful 5x optical zoom camera.

Taiwanese Suppliers Gear Up for iPhone 16 Pro Camera Production

DigiTimes identifies Taiwanese manufacturers Largan Precision and Genius Electronic Optical (GSEO) as the primary suppliers for the iPhone 16 Pro's periscope camera components.

Largan, already the trusted supplier of the iPhone 15 Pro Max's lenses, is poised to maintain its leading role.

Newcomer GSEO is currently undergoing a rigorous validation process, with production potentially starting in mid-July if their lenses meet Apple's stringent standards, according to MacRumors. This potential addition could help boost overall iPhone 16 Pro lens availability.

5x Optical Zoom: A Major Leap in Mobile Photography

If these reports hold true, iPhone 16 Pro users will experience a significant leap in mobile photography capabilities. The 5x optical zoom, previously exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, will allow for capturing distant subjects with exceptional clarity.

Beyond zoom, the periscope lens technology is also expected to enhance image stabilization and low-light performance, resulting in sharper, clearer photos even in challenging lighting conditions.

Multiple Leaks Corroborate Periscope Lens Integration

Rumors about the iPhone 16 Pro adopting the periscope lens have been swirling for months.

Early in 2023, the Korean publication The Elec first reported Apple's plan to equip both iPhone 16 Pro models with this powerful technology.

Display analyst Ross Young further fueled the speculation, suggesting that the larger display size of the iPhone 16 Pro could accommodate the additional components needed for the periscope lens in the smaller Pro model.

A Multi-Pronged Camera Upgrade

The iPhone 16 Pro's camera enhancements extend beyond the impressive zoom capabilities. Rumors suggest Apple will utilize Sony's latest 2-layer sensor system for the main lens. This innovative technology promises improved low-light photography and a wider dynamic range by capturing more light and minimizing noise. Additionally, a coating technology applied to the sensor is expected to further enhance photo quality by minimizing lens flare.

The ultra-wide lens is also rumored to receive an upgrade, potentially boasting a 48MP resolution sensor.

Aside from that, the iPhone 16 Pro will be the first to allegedly receive Samsung M14 OLED Panels. Even the slimmer bezels are rumored to be exclusive to this variant.

Camera Bump Slimdown: A Return to Sleek Design?

For the standard iPhone 16 models, whispers suggest a vertical arrangement for the wide and ultra-wide lenses, potentially reminiscent of the iPhone X design. Furthermore, leaked schematics hint at Apple's intention to create a slimmer camera bump, offering a more streamlined aesthetic.

With the official announcement nearing, the excitement around the iPhone 16 Pro continues to build. The prospect of a 5x optical zoom camera, coupled with a multitude of other upgrades, promises to take iPhone photography to the next level.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Losing a job is one of the most heart-breaking experiences that one has to go through, especially in circumstances where they feel they were unfairly dismissed.This might ring true for a single mother of two from Bulawayo who has been left devastated after she was fired from employment at Child Care Ministries Zimbabwe (CCM), a non-governmental organisation, for dating a pastor who was also employed in the organisation.The woman, Faris Tembo, said she was in a relationship with Pastor Leonard Changara for 10 months and when she heard rumours that her lover was getting married to another woman, she confided in a senior pastor at their organisation and church."I was in a relationship with a pastor from our church, Changara from May 2022 up to February 2023. After dating this pastor for 10 months, I heard that he was getting married to another woman. I confronted him and he denied the allegations. I approached the Senior Pastor, Amos Ndlovu telling him about my relationship with Changara and I thought that as a senior pastor, he would advise us but little did I know that I was digging my own grave," said Tembo.Tembo indicated that after confiding in the senior pastor she was suspended from work. Part of the letter dated 19 April 2023 and signed by Programme manager, Jeanel M Kugarakupiri reads:"Following on the email that you did to Pastor Albert Ngalu on the 27th of March and in the email, you acknowledge that you approached Pastor Amos seeking advice about your relationship with Pastor Leonard Chingara. Further to the enquiry we had today on 19th of April 2023 with yourself in the presence of myself, Pastor Nomsa Saurosi and Mengezi Dube, wherein you did not give us any information, I then approached Pastor Amos for more information about this matter.He alluded that you told him about your intimate/sexual relationship with Pastor Leonard. With the above, it is evident that you have acted in a manner which is not consistent with your employment standards. Hence, it is necessary to do some thorough investigations and you are suspended from your duties as a facilitator with effect from the 20th of April 2023 for three months without any salary or benefits and you will be called in for a hearing after the conclusion of the investigations.Tembo added that she had a traumatic experience when she was interrogated by senior members of the organisation, who are pastors."I received a letter of suspension after informing the senior pastor about the challenges that I had with Changara. I was called for a meeting by three male pastors who asked me uncomfortable questions about my relationship. These pastors asked me about the number of times that I engaged in sexual intercourse with Changara and if we were using protection. I served my suspension for three months and Changara was also suspended. After serving my suspension, I was not reinstated but Changara went back to work and I believe that this is probably because he is related to the owner of the organisation," claimed Tembo.Tembo indicated that she was then served with a letter of non-renewal of the job contract."In November 2023, I was called to the office and served with a letter stating that my contract was not going to be renewed. I asked why Changara was not punished, they indicated that he was going to serve his own punishment.I sent the Church Bishop a message and aired my discontent and that is when I was summoned to a meeting and they asked me to choose between getting my five months' salary that was owed to me and getting my job back. I chose my salary and leaving as the working environment was toxic," said Tembo.A letter addressed to Tembo by CCM on 24 April 2023, indicated that she was suspended for misconduct."We refer to the letter that we issued you on 24 April 2023, where we suspended you pending further investigation for three months, however, the investigations took a bit longer than expected. We observed from the investigations done, that as an employee of the organisation, you indeed breached the national code of conduct and your contract according to Article 18."The code states that if an employee commits a serious misconduct if he or she commits any of the following offences- any act of conduct or omission inconsistent with the fulfilment of the express or implied conditions of his or her contract," read the letter.
Labour set for landslide win in UK election: exit poll



London, July 4 (AFP) Jul 04, 2024



Britain's main opposition Labour party looks set for a landslide election win, exit polls indicated on Thursday, ending 14 years of right-wing Conservative rule marked by financial austerity, Brexit division and scandal.

As polling stations closed at 10:00 pm (2100 GMT), the survey for UK broadcasters suggested centre-left Labour would win 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, with the Tories (Conservatives) managing only 131.

In another boost for the centrists, the smaller opposition Liberal Democrats would get 61 seats, but Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK could secure 13.

Counting of ballots was under way across the country, with official results expected from late Thursday into Friday, putting Labour leader Keir Starmer on course to replace Rishi Sunak as prime minister.

The result, if confirmed, bucks a rightward trend among Britain's closest allies, with the far-right National Rally in France eyeing power and Donald Trump looking set for a return in the United States.

Under Britain's first-past-the-post electoral system, a party needs 326 seats to win an overall majority in parliament.

After a sleepless night of counting and declarations, the winner is expected to meet head of state King Charles III, who will ask the leader of the largest party to form a government.

Ministerial appointments are expected to follow soon after an acceptance speech to a mass of assembled media in Downing Street.

Confirmation of the result would cap a remarkable rise to power for Starmer, 61, who was first elected as a member of parliament in 2015.

The former human rights lawyer and chief public prosecutor was elected Labour leader in early 2020, succeeding the veteran leftist Jeremy Corbyn, who lost by a landslide to Boris Johnson in 2019.

Since then, he has dragged the party back to the centre ground, making it a more electable proposition and purging ideological infighting and anti-Semitism that lost it support.

Opinion polls have given Labour a consistent 20-point lead over the Tories for almost the past two years, which a largely lacklustre election campaign has failed to change.

That has given an air of inevitability about a Labour win, and high expectations that the party can fulfil its promise to change the country's flagging fortunes for the better.

Starmer -- the working-class son of a toolmaker and a nurse -- has promised "a decade of national renewal".

But his to-do list is daunting, with economic growth anaemic, public services overstretched and underfunded after nearly a decade-and-a-half of cuts, and households squeezed financially.

The Labour leader has also promised a return of political integrity, after a chaotic period of five Tory prime ministers, including three in four months.

His first days in office are set to be packed, representing Britain at the NATO conference in Washington next week, then hosting European leaders later this month at a summit in southern England.
UK's Labour on course for landslide election win: exit polls



London, July 4 (AFP) Jul 04, 2024



Britain's main opposition Labour party looks set for a landslide election win, exit polls indicated on Thursday, with Keir Starmer replacing Rishi Sunak as prime minister, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.

The survey for UK broadcasters suggested centre-left Labour would win 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, with the right-wing Tories managing only 131 -- a record low.

In another boost for the centrists, the smaller opposition Liberal Democrats would get 61 seats, ousting the Scottish National Party on 10 as the third biggest party.

Nigel Farage's hard-right anti-immigration Reform UK party could secure 13, with Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru four and the Greens doubling their MPs to two.

Labour's majority would be 170 -- more than double than that won by Boris Johnson for the Tories at the last election in December 2019 dominated by Brexit.

"To everyone who has campaigned for Labour in this election, to everyone who voted for us and put their trust in our changed Labour Party -- thank you," Starmer wrote on social media.

Outside Starmer's local pub The Pineapple in north London, pub-goers called the expected result "a new dawn" but there were no wild celebrations.

Starmer's deputy, Angela Rayner, told the BBC the numbers were "encouraging... but I'm not counting my chickens until we've got those results coming in".

Former Conservative leader William Hague told Times Radio the projected result would be "a catastrophic result in historic terms" for the Tories.

The Tories worst previous result is 156 seats in 1906.

But Tim Bale, politics professor at Queen Mary, University of London, said it was "not as catastrophic as some were predicting" and the Tories, riven by ideological infighting, needed now to decide which direction they would take.



- 'Brighter future' -



Counting of ballots from some 40,000 polling stations across the country stretches into the night, with official results expected into Friday morning.

The first to declare, just over an hour after polls closed at 2100 GMT, was Houghton and Sunderland South, in northeast England, where Labour's Bridget Phillipson was returned as MP.

Phillipson, nailed on to become education secretary, said in an acceptance speech that Britons seemed to have chosen a "brighter future".

"After 14 years the British people have voted change... Labour will honour the trust that you have placed in us," she told supporters to applause.

The projected overall result bucks a rightward trend among Britain's closest Western allies, with the far-right in France eyeing power and Donald Trump looking set for a return in the United States.

Under Britain's first-past-the-post electoral system, a party needs 326 seats to win an overall majority in parliament.

The leader of the winning party is expected to meet head of state King Charles III on Friday morning, who will ask the leader of the largest party to form a government.

Ministerial appointments are expected to follow soon after an acceptance speech in Downing Street.



- To-do list -



Confirmation of the result would cap a remarkable rise to power for Starmer, 61, who was first elected as a member of parliament in 2015 -- and a stunning turnaround for Labour.

The former human rights lawyer and chief public prosecutor was elected Labour leader in early 2020, succeeding the veteran leftist Jeremy Corbyn, who lost by a landslide to Johnson in 2019 -- Labour's worst performance since 1935.

Starmer has since dragged the party back to the centre ground, making it a more electable proposition and purging infighting with the hard-left and anti-Semitism that lost it support.

Opinion polls have given Labour a consistent 20-point lead over the Tories for almost the past two years, which a largely lacklustre election campaign has failed to change.

Some polls predicted a virtual wipe-out for the Tories, given negative public opinion and the arrival of Reform UK to split the right-wing vote.

That gave an air of inevitability about a Labour win -- the first since Tony Blair in 2005 -- which the party feared could hit turn-out.

Starmer -- the working-class son of a toolmaker and a nurse -- has promised "a decade of national renewal" after post-financial crash austerity measures, Brexit upheaval and a cost-of-living crisis.

But his to-do list is daunting, with economic growth anaemic, public services overstretched and underfunded due to nearly a decade-and-a-half of swingeing cuts, and households squeezed financially.

The Labour leader has also promised a return of political integrity, after a chaotic period of five Tory prime ministers, including three in four months, scandal and sleaze.

His first days in office are set to be packed, representing Britain at the NATO conference in Washington next week, then hosting European leaders later this month at a summit in southern England.
Flights suspended in Sicily's Catania as volcano erupts



Rome, July 5 (AFP) Jul 05, 2024



Catania airport on the Italian island of Sicily was closed on Friday after Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, erupted and spewed ash into the sky, disrupting air travel.

"The runway at Catania Airport is unusable due to volcanic ash fall: both arrivals and departures are suspended," the company managing the airport said in a statement.

Flights should resume at 3:00 pm (01:00 pm GMT), it said, asking travellers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

Ash plumes shot up into the sky as high as 4.5 kilometres, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.

Footage shared on social media Friday showed the streets of Catania's city centre covered in thick layers of black ash, slowing down traffic.

Mount Etna -- a soaring 3,324-metres high (10,905 feet) volcano -- has erupted multiple times in recent decades.

Over the last few days, its crater had started spitting out fountains of scorching lava and releasing ash that landed on Catania airport down below.

Italian authorities also issued a red warning for another volcano north of Sicily, Stromboli -- on the island of the same name -- whose eruption created ash clouds.

Mount Stromboli -- culminating at 920 metres and with a base reaching 2,000 metres below sea level -- is known for being one of the only nearly constantly active volcanoes in the world, according to the INGV.

Millions of passengers transit through Catania airport every year, connecting them to eastern Sicily, among Italy's most popular tourist hotspots.

cmk/glr/sba/ju/rox
Congo hosts African reforestation summit



Brazzaville, July 5 (AFP) Jul 05, 2024



The Republic of Congo hosted an African summit on Friday on replacing and planting trees to combat climate change and its consequences, according to an AFP journalist.

Six leaders attended the conference, which is part of an "African and global decade of afforestation and reforestation" launched by Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso at COP27 in Egypt in 2023.

"This conference seems to be the beginning of a process of research and a life-saving response. The situation we already know (climate change) remains worrying," Sassou Nguesso said.

"The need for action is clear... it's all about the will to act and putting in the necessary effort," he added.

A "Brazzaville Declaration" is due to be adopted at the end of the summit and has been submitted to the leaders by experts who have been meeting in the Congolese capital since Tuesday, with indigenous representatives and technical and financial partners.

"The great challenge today is not only to stop the disappearance of forests, but also to restore those that have disappeared and then create new ones," said Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union Commission.

Sassou Nguesso was joined by his counterparts including, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, Faustin Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic, Brice Oligui Nguema of Gabon and Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia.
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's recent announcement that he will retire in 2028, in accordance with Zimbabwe's national constitution, was prompted by mounting military pressure and internal power struggles within Zanu-PF following the sidelining of the army in the 2023 elections. Despite his supporters' efforts to extend his tenure beyond 2028, Mnangagwa affirmed in Mutare that he will adhere to constitutional limits, though internal party factions continue to advocate for his prolonged stay.After last year's elections, where intelligence-backed groups marginalized the military's influence, figures like Deputy General Constantino Chiwenga and Zimbabwe National Army commander Lieutenant-General Anselem Sanyatwe emerged to influence succession plans within Zanu-PF. The military, historically pivotal in Zimbabwean politics, seeks to reclaim control over succession, insisting that Mnangagwa, installed through a 2017 coup, must step down by or before 2028.Amidst economic hardships and growing discontent among youth due to unemployment and corruption, military leaders and even some within Zanu-PF argue that Zimbabwe urgently needs new leadership. Mnangagwa, previously expected to leave in 2023 as per the coup agreement, aimed to extend his tenure until the military intervened. Sanyatwe, loyal to Chiwenga, is now consolidating military influence for the post-2028 era, aiming for sustained Zanu-PF dominance under a new leader chosen through orchestrated "command voting."Despite these maneuvers, concerns arise over their implications for democratic norms and constitutional governance in Zimbabwe. The military's historical role, from the liberation struggle to contemporary politics, underscores its enduring influence and its periodic interventions in electoral processes and leadership transitions. Mnangagwa's acquiescence to retirement reflects a delicate balance between political survival and military assertiveness, reminiscent of Zimbabwe's tumultuous political history under successive regimes.As Zimbabwe navigates these internal power dynamics, the military's interventionist approach raises questions about the future of democratic institutions and the rule of law. Mnangagwa's decision to comply with retirement plans, albeit under pressure, contrasts with past leaders' resistance to military influence, highlighting ongoing challenges in Zimbabwe's political landscape.
Flights slowly resume at Sicily's Catania airport as volcano erupts



Rome, July 5 (AFP) Jul 05, 2024



Sicily's Catania airport began gradually reopening for flights Friday after they were temporarily suspended following an eruption from Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano.

The airport said it had reopened for departures on Friday afternoon after the runway was cleared, writing on X that "arrivals are temporarily limited to two per hour."

The airport asked travellers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

Flights were suspended after ash plumes from the nearby active volcano of Mount Etna shot up into the sky Thursday as high as 4.5 kilometres, according to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).

Footage shared on social media Friday showed the streets of Catania's city centre covered in thick layers of black ash, slowing down traffic.

The 3,324-metres-high (10,905 feet) volcano has erupted multiple times in recent decades.

Over the last few days, its crater had begun to spit fountains of scorching lava and releasing ash.

Italian authorities also issued a red warning for another volcano north of Sicily -- Stromboli on the island of the same name -- whose eruption created ash clouds.

Mount Stromboli -- culminating at 920 metres and with a base reaching 2,000 metres below sea level -- is known for being one of the only nearly constantly active volcanoes in the world, according to the INGV.

Millions of passengers transit through Catania airport every year, connecting them to eastern Sicily, among Italy's most popular tourist hotspots.

cmk/ams/nmc/giv
Labour's landslide victory in UK election: reactions



London, July 5 (AFP) Jul 05, 2024



World leaders lined up to congratulate new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday after his centre-left opposition Labour party swept to a landslide general election victory.

But Starmer's success received a frostier reception from the Kremlin and Donald Trump as 14 years of right-wing Conservative government in Britain ended.



- United States -



President Joe Biden congratulated Starmer on X and said he looked forward "to our shared work in support of freedom and democracy around the world, and to further strengthening the special relationship between our two countries".

But former -- and potentially future -- US president Trump ignored Starmer, instead hailing the electoral breakthrough of his ally Nigel Farage's far-right Reform UK party.

"Nigel is a man who truly loves his Country!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.



- European Union -



European Council President Charles Michel congratulated Starmer on a "historic election victory" and said he looked forward to working with London under a Labour government.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas -- the EU's next foreign policy chief -- echoed the congratulations and stressed "the UK's commitment to our common security".



- Ukraine -



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Starmer on Labour's "convincing" victory and said the two countries would "continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin".



- Russia -



The Kremlin said it was "not optimistic at all" about improving strained ties between Russia and Britain, which has staunchly supported Ukraine since Moscow's 2022 invasion.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Labour's previous statements show the party was "aiming to continue the line of denying the future of our bilateral relations".



- France -



French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated the incoming prime minister and said his country would seek to cooperate with Britain on key areas including security, technology and climate.



- Germany -



German Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Starmer, whom he "knows personally", and told reporters that he will make "a very good, very successful prime minister".



- Italy -



Italy's far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated Starmer "on his election success" and thanked her "friend" Sunak for their "intense collaboration".



- Spain -



Spain's socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez congratulated Starmer and hailed Labour's "historic victory". "Spain and the United Kingdom are friends, partners and allies," he wrote on X.



- Ireland -



Irish premier Simon Harris passed on his congratulations for a "comprehensive victory", writing on X: "I look forward to working with you as close neighbours and friends."



- Israel -



Israel's President Isaac Herzog sent his "warmest congratulations" to Starmer, saying he looked forward to "working together with him and his new government to bring our hostages home, to build a better future for the region, and to deepen the close friendship between Israel and the United Kingdom."



- Australia -



Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated his "friend" on his "resounding" victory, and said he was looking forward to "working constructively" with the incoming government.



- India -



Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Starmer's "remarkable victory" while praising his outgoing counterpart for his "admirable leadership of the UK" and "active contribution to deepen the ties between India and the UK".



- Brazil -



Leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva congratulated Starmer on X and wished him "an excellent term".

"Count on Brazil for strengthening diplomatic ties between our countries, sustainable development, and strengthening democracy," he wrote.



- Nigeria -



Nigerian President Bola Tinubu extended his "warm congratulations", noting Starmer's "determination and courage" as leader of the Labour Party and lauding his "leadership qualities".

burs-imm/rlp
Beryl heads for Texas after causing damage, no deaths in Mexico



Cancun, Mexico, July 5 (AFP) Jul 05, 2024



Beryl weakened to a tropical storm Friday after hitting Mexico as a category 2 hurricane, with fierce winds causing material damage but no immediate injuries along the touristic Yucatan Peninsula.

Now headed for the Gulf of Mexico, Beryl is expected to intensify as it moves toward northeastern Mexico and southern Texas by the end of the weekend, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The storm hit southeast Mexico in the early morning hours with winds of up to 175 kilometers (108 miles) per hour, flattening trees and lampposts and ripping off roof tiles, according to the civil protection authority.

Electricity was lost in at least three municipalities in the southeastern Quintana Roo state, even as wind speeds slowed to about 140 km/h as Beryl moved deeper inland and weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm.

"On the initial reports, there appears to be no loss of life, and that is what matters most to us," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in his daily press briefing.

The governor of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama, had urged residents in a video overnight to "please stay home," and classes in the region were suspended.

About 2,200 people had sought cover at dozens of temporary shelters and more than 25,600 security force members and employees of the CFE electricity agency deployed to help affected residents and repair damage.

As a precaution, 348 flights were cancelled at Cancun airport, the largest terminal in the Mexican Caribbean.

By late Friday afternoon, Quintana Roo governor said the airport had resumed service.



- 'We have some fear' -



The NHC said Beryl had weakened from a Category 2 hurricane to Category 1 by the time she hit Yucatan -- milder than earlier in the week when it left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean and the coast of Venezuela, killing at least seven people.

It added Beryl would continue to weaken while crossing the peninsula, but "re-intensification is expected once the center moves back over the Gulf of Mexico."

Agencies and officials in northeast Mexico and the lower and middle Texas coast "should closely monitor the progress of Beryl," the center said.

"Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches will likely be issued for that region later today."

Ahead of Beryl's arrival Friday, hundreds of tourists were evacuated from hotels along the Mexican coast.

The Mexican army, which deployed some 8,000 troops to Tulum, said it has food supplies and 34,000 liters of purified water to distribute to the population.

The army also set up a soup kitchen in Tulum for people who cannot return home due to flooding or blocked roads.

Alvaro Rueda, a 51-year-old bricklayer, told AFP his neighborhood had already started clearing up after the storm's passage.

"Most of the stores are already open... we have purchased food, even if it is canned, there is food," he said.

Virginia Rebollar, a Mexican tourist who traveled with three family members to Tulum, said their flight out had been cancelled and "we had to pay for two extra nights."

"We have some fear, but we are convinced that people are prepared and know what to do," she added.

In Cancun, a two-hour drive from Tulum, people stocked up on food and other essentials and hotels boarded up their windows.



- Climate change -



Beryl is the first hurricane since NHC records began to reach the Category 4 level in June and the earliest to hit the highest Category 5 in July.

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.

Scientists say climate change likely plays a role in the rapid intensification of storms like Beryl, since there is more energy in a warmer ocean for them to feed on.

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).
News / National

by Staff reporter

Chief Khulumani Mathema of Gwanda, Matabeleland South province, voiced support for Bubi MP Simelisizwe Sibanda's stance on the issue of Early Childhood Development (ECD) and language policies in Zimbabwe. Sibanda was removed as Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education following a controversy where he allegedly expressed tribal sentiments against an ECD teacher, Winnet Mharadze, at Clonnmore Primary School on June 24, 2024.Chief Mathema acknowledged that while Sibanda faced criticism for his remarks, he was justified in raising concerns about compliance with the constitution and education policies regarding ECD, language, and culture in Zimbabwe. He praised Sibanda for courageously addressing a contentious issue that touches on fundamental rights and national identity.Mathema emphasized the importance of enforcing policies that advocate for children learning in their mother tongue, supported by teachers who speak their languages. He noted that this requirement is enshrined in Zimbabwe's constitution, with provisions for 16 official languages.Sibanda's comments reportedly questioned why Mharadze, who is Shona-speaking, was teaching ECD in Bubi, Matabeleland North, where Ndebele is predominantly spoken. He allegedly ordered her dismissal, citing the policy that children should be taught in their mother tongue.However, Sibanda later apologized, recognizing that his approach was inappropriate for a national leader. He acknowledged the need to address such issues through official channels and policy interventions rather than personal directives.The incident has sparked debates, particularly in Matabeleland, highlighting ongoing sensitivities and concerns over language and cultural policies in Zimbabwean education.
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 declared himself the first Black woman to serve with a Black president in his latest gaffe during one of his first post-debate interviews.

The 81-year-old president has endured a tough week as his political future hangs in the balance following a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump.

The dismal performance instantly sent the Democrats into crisis mode with three senior party members  and several key megadonors  publicly calling on the president to step aside.

Meanwhile the Biden campaign has gone into damage control, setting up interviews where they hope the president can claw back confidence among voters and party members.

But in one of those first interviews, Biden made yet another slip-up as he appeared to mix himself up with Vice President Kamala Harris in a radio interview on Independence Day.

By the way, Im proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first Black woman to serve with a Black president, he said in a clear slip on local Philadelphia radio station Wurd on Thursday.

Biden appeared to be highlighting his appointment of Harris, 59, as the first Black vice president as well as first woman to hold the job.

To add to the confusion, Biden was himself vice president to the first Black president, Barack Obama, serving from 2009.

Joe Biden appointed Kamala Harris as the first Black woman to be vice president as she assumed office in 2021 ( Getty Images )

In the interview, Biden also spoke of appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Proud to be involved of the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. Theres so much that we can do because, look... were the United States of America, he said.

Harris also fumbled later in the day when she almost called Biden vice president during a lavish Fourth of July event at The White house.

We give thanks to our commander-in-chief, the vice the president of the United States! The extraordinary President of the United States Joe Biden, she told the Washington audience at the evening do.

Hours earlier Biden slipped up once again, stumbling while giving a four-minute address during a barbecue for military families on the White House South Lawn.

In the remarks, the president appeared to refer to Trump, his 2024 election rival running for the Republican ticket, as one of four colleagues.

Bidens lack of coherence in the first election debate has seen him slipping in the polls over the last week, with Trump now leading the president by six points in a poll commissioned by The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Harris popularity is on the rise as a replacement for Biden, with a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll finding 81 per cent view her favorably to 78 per cent for Biden.

The president, however, has remained publicly defiant in the face of calls to step aside, declaring to 20 senior governors that he was in good health on Wednesday, reported Politico.

White House Press Secretary Jean-Pierre also issued a firm denial toThe Independent this week when asked whether the president has any form of dementia or degenerative brain disease.

But, in comments to The New York Times on Thursday, Biden quipped: Its just my brain.

Campaign chair Jen OMalley Dillon told the newspaper that Biden was clearly making a joke.
The Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, seen here in a 2009 photo, has been rocked by a string of scandals involving alleged self-dealing by prison employees. Two longtime employees resigned recently after an investigation found they had been collecting money for firearms training done while on the clock using public assets. (AP file photo/Judi Bottoni)
After completion in June, management quickly set about working on an optimisation plan for Santa Barbara and delivered a message to the market that output could be increased to 50 tonnes a day for a relatively small outlay of $2.5 million in capital expenditure  and for a further relatively modest capex spend, the plant could then be upgraded to 250 tonnes per day.

Additionally, the company intends to execute a drilling program that will deliver a maiden JORC-compliant resource, with expectations that the mine will be producing again by the end of next years first quarter, bringing in much needed cashflow.

According to Grigor, the real story of Aguia, though, is its Tres Estrades organic phosphate project  which seems understandable on the back of an announcement the company made on Wednesday.

This may be one of the best projects I have ever come across. Aguia Resources executive chairman Warwick Grigor

The company told the market it is in advanced discussions to lease or buy an existing processing plant that sits about 100km from the Tres Estrades mine site. The plant has been used for processing limestone, but with the exhaustion of the local supply of ore, the owners have decided to sell.

Management has identified only minor upgrades required for it to repurpose the facility, including the addition of a rotary kiln and a bagging facility to the existing circuit.

Aguia Resources executive chairman Warwick Grigor said: The Tres Estrades organic phosphate project in Southern Brazil involves a remarkably simple mining and production process. This may be one of the best projects I have ever come across.

It could be a seriously significant moment for the company and the project, given the exasperating previous two years it has endured through legal challenges from non-government organisations (NGOs) opposing the construction of a processing facility at site. Importantly, those legal challenges  which are yet to even get past the application for an injunction stage  are against the construction of a processing facility at the mine site and not the mining itself.

All of which means that should Aguias deal to lease or buy a plant be successful, in one fell swoop management could neatly sidestep a further prolonged legal battle and can move forward to early production, possibly by the middle of next year.

A bankable feasibility study conducted on Tres Estrades by Aguia in March last year concluded that by producing 300,000 tonnes per annum over an 18-year mine life, with capital expenditure of $26 million, the project would spit out $22 million a year in EBITDA. The payback period is anticipated to be 2.9 years on the back of a 54.7 per cent internal rate of return (IRR).

As impressive as these numbers may be, a deal to buy the processing plant would not only presumably reduce that capex figure substantially, but the payback would also shrink, which would potentially have a knock-on effect for the rest of the projects financial metrics.

The main market for phosphate is in agricultural use. Aguias organic product, marketed under the brand name of Pampafos, has been exhaustively assessed on different crops around the world during the past four years and has consistently performed or outperformed against other commonly-used chemical fertilisers.

It is also well regarded by local farmers as suitable for use on their own crops.

Currently, Southern Brazil meets its phosphate demand entirely from imports, mainly Morocco, at long-term contract pricing of about $400 per tonne.

Not surprisingly, Aguia has been in active discussions with local farmers who like the product and the company is looking to set a price of about $140 per tonne. Even if an additional $15 per tonne trucking cost was factored in, total costs would still only be about $50 per tonne.

And Aguia believes that the 300,000 tonnes per annum production, being 15 per cent of local demand, would be easily saleable into the market within a 300km radius.

With two projects that could be slated for production startup within the next 12 months, Aguia has a busy time ahead. The company has a strong local and head office management team in place and now, finally appears to have a solid plan for generating early cashflow.

Until recently, it has been an ugly few years for Aguia, but positive change seems to be on the horizon. Shortly, perhaps, it will be able to prove up the old adage that good things come to those who wait.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au
Upmarket apartment homes managed by luxury hotel chains are gaining momentum as developers and buyers recognise their lifestyle and investment benefits.

Developers can add a premium to the price of their apartments, knowing buyers will pay for a home in a tower named after a well-known brand that also offers the amenities usually associated with an upscale hotel. These range from the name on the front door to full concierge offerings.

Branded residences are big business not only in the hotel sector but also among luxury car brands and even jewellery and fashion labels.

Melbourne property developer Beulahs Four Seasons Hotel is in the western tower of its STH BNK development. Credit:

The concept has been slower to take off in Australia, but global hotel chain Four Seasons is bringing branded apartment towers here when it opens its STH BNK site as part of a $2.3 billion development partnership with luxury property developer Beulah.
Two hundred years ago it was possible to believe that all this economic activity was having no significant impact on our stocks of natural assets and their ecosystem services to us. Today, scientists tell us a very different story  and its much easier to see with our own eyes the damage weve done. As Henry puts it, the extraction of non-renewable natural resources for industry has depleted the stock of natural capital directly. But it has also had an indirect impact. Most obviously, the burning of fossil fuels has damaged the atmosphere, the total supply of water in all its forms, and the earths surface, in a set of complex processes we call climate change. But thats not our only contribution to the degradation of natural capital. Because the industrial rate of use of ecosystem services has exceeded natures capacity to regenerate for at least several centuries, the stock of natural capital has been depleted  just as machines used in production depreciate more rapidly if worked harder and not properly maintained. The depletion of natural capital over time reduces its capacity to supply ecosystem services that are critical to production. For example, soil fertility, the availability of well-watered farming land, and capacity of the atmosphere and the land to absorb the waste left by economic activity have all fallen over time.

A degraded biosphere [of land and air] affords less protection from fire, droughts, floods and storms, all of which are growing in incidence and severity because of human-induced atmospheric change, Henry says. Loading Wait, theres more. The depletion of natural capital also reduces environmental amenity  our enjoyment of being out in nature. It also imposes adverse cultural impacts on indigenous peoples. Economists are very aware that, to some extent, labour and physical capital can be substituted for each, one source of energy can be used to replace another, and resources can be used to produce machines that increase what we have available to consume. These are the reason some economists have dismissed the fear that we have, or could ever, approach the limits to [economic] growth.

But Henrys not convinced. None of this human ingenuity, nor [physical] capital accumulation, nor increasing work effort has, thus far, done anything to halt the rate at which the stock of natural capital is being depleted, he says. To the contrary, new technologies and more [physical] capital-intensive modes of production have accelerated its rate of depletion. And they have done little to reduce the dependence of industry upon the stock of natural capital. The worlds first global nature positive summit will be held in Sydney in October, hosted by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The distinguished American economist Robert Solow argued that for economic growth to be sustainable, the present generation has a moral obligation to conduct ourselves so that we leave to the future the option or the capacity to be as well-off as we are. But Henry responds that: The historical loss of natural capital denies us reason to believe that future generations will have the capacity to achieve our level of wellbeing. To put it another way, it would be irrational of us to suppose that we, in this generation, are custodians of sustainable development.

Wow. He goes on to argue that so much has been lost, and with such serious consequences, a consensus has emerged that we must now commit to nature repair. Have you heard of nature positive? It means halting and reversing nature loss, so that species and ecosystems start to recover. Henry says the nature positive position argues that for some time, perhaps generations, we must seek to restore environmental condition, understanding that without doing so, we cannot be confident that future generations will have the capacity to be as well-off. Wow. This is radical stuff. And its coming not from some Greens senator, but from a former Treasury secretary and former chair of the National Australia Bank.
Advertisement

Vending machines dispensing cakes, steaks and cocktails are the way of the future, say a new generation of Australian entrepreneurs who are choosing robots over traditional retail. Its expensive [to buy a high-tech vending machine], but its half the price of fitting out and setting up a shop, says Jonathan Mussaad, who launched his Cake Mail vending machine in Sydneys Chatswood in June. Kate Matheson from Cake Creations by Kate with her vending machine in Craigieburn. Penny Stephens In Japan, more than 5.5 million vending machines sell everything from soft serve ice-cream to fresh eggs. The trend is gathering momentum Down Under. A Dom Perignon vending machine has been solving champagne emergencies at Melbournes Rialto Towers since 2017, while Southern Cross Station has been all but colonised by vending machines in the past 12 months, filling gaps left by tenancies that closed after the COVID lockdowns.

Advertisement

Automated drink vending machines are commonplace in Thailand, where Forth Corporation operates more than 6000 machines and continues to grow. In October, the company launched its first Australian machine in Melbourne, under the name Flying Turtle. It has since expanded to Sydney, and another will open in Brisbane next week. Flying Turtles coffee and iced tea vending machine on Swanston Street. Supplied Managing director Panrapee Kwong says they expanded to Australia because of rising operating costs in food and drink businesses, and the need for after-hours options in big cities. This is especially important as peoples lifestyles have changed ... and in workplaces where people work 24/7, such as hospitals, Kwong says.

Advertisement

The company is about to install 10 machines selling coffee, iced tea and other non-alcoholic drinks at RMIT Universitys three Melbourne campuses. The university has increased the number of vending machines on site from 60 to 95 since 2015, according to a spokesperson. Kwong says the company plans to eventually launch machines mixing alcoholic cocktails with Asian-inspired flavours like yuzu and lychee, under the name Tipsy Turtle. Matheson browses the menu of her vending machine. Penny Stephens In Sydney, Chop Butchery founder Dave Funnell installed two meat vending machines to give customers an after-hours alternative to major supermarkets. Food vending machines are popular with young professionals, families and students, many of whom film the process to post on social media.

Advertisement

The new-wave vending machines making cakes, steaks and cocktails more convenient than ever But not everyone is on board, says Matheson, with concerns about the technology replacing jobs and human interaction. In reality, we wouldnt have been able to afford to grow and service [some] areas without the vending machine, Matheson says. It actually increased the number of people we hired because we needed more delivery drivers and bakers. Seven vending machines around Melbourne A Biscoff cake dispensed by Cake Creations by Kate. Penny Stephens

Advertisement

Mini cakes and cupcakes, Cake Creations by Kate Let them eat cake ... from a vending machine in a suburban shopping centre. Find this peach-toned machine and take your pick from colourful cupcakes, single-serve cake tubs and mini birthday cakes that serve four in flavours such as Oreo, Biscoff and more. A second machine is coming soon to a new location. Kmart Quadrant, Craigieburn Central, 340 Craigieburn Road, Craigieburn, cakecreationsbykate.com.au Queues outside one of Flying Turtles automatic drink machines in Melbourne. Supplied Coffee and friends, Flying Turtle

Advertisement

Coffee for less than $4 in Melbournes CBD? Its not an urban myth  you just need a Flying Turtle to make it. This chirpy machine can make you a latte in about a minute, with on-screen updates along the way. The machines, located in universities, hospitals and more, also dispense Thai milk tea, refreshing ginger soft drink, iced coffees, smoothies and nearly 200 other drinks. About 40 locations around Melbourne, flyingturtle.com.au Choc tops from Dear Frankies machines come in dairy and vegan flavours. Supplied Fancy choc tops, Dear Frankie You dont need to see a film to get the GOAT of cinema snacks. Choc tops are now accessible 24/7 thanks to Dear Frankies new vending machines. Cones come in creamy flavours including choc-coated creme brulee and apple pie, but there are also vegan options such as mango and strawberry.

Advertisement

231 Waiora Road, Heidelberg Heights; Southern Cross Station, Spencer Street, Docklands, dearfrankiechoctops.com A vending machine full of ready-to-drink coffee outside Thieves coffee shop in Fitzroy. Supplied Iced coffee and more, Thieves Thieves sources coffee from roasters all over, acting like an aggregator of the best beans. Their coffee vending machine is no different. Find a collection of the teams favourite ready-to-drink iced coffee, including Industry Beans cold brew and Japans famous Boss bevs, plus some cult drinks from outside the world of coffee, such as 100 Plus isotonic drinks from Malaysia. 36-38 Kerr Street, Fitzroy, threethousandthieves.com

Advertisement

Chips, chocolate and more, I Heart Snacks So its more an arcade game than a vending machine but theres serious pull to this shop, filled with glowing yellow machines. Inside the belly of each, youll see stacks of Tim Tams, M&Ms, instant noodles, mochi and other goodies. Your challenge is to use the skills tester (at $1 a pop) to secure your bounty. Melbourne Central, lower ground floor (opposite Results Laser Clinic), corner Swanston and La Trobe streets, Melbourne, melbournecentral.com.au Tubs of ice-cream in Japanese-inspired flavours are available from Koris machine. Glen Yeo Japanese-inspired ice-cream, Kori

Advertisement

A cone scooped by a human or a tub delivered by a vending machine? The choice is yours atKoris CBD carpark ice creamery, the follow-up to its popular Hawthorn original. Twelve flavours have delightful Japanese flourishes, including black sesame and Fuji apple, Hokkaido cheesecake, and matcha-pistachio. Each tub is 480mL and costs $16. 392 Bourke Street, Melbourne, kori-icecream.com.au Coffee beans and filter papers for brewing are available at all times from Market Lane. Supplied Coffee supplies, Market Lane To quell specialty coffee cravings during lockdown, one of the citys leading roasters launched a vending machine outside its Brunswick East roastery. Four years on, its still dispensing a great range of beans, roasted mere metres away, plus filter papers to brew with.

Advertisement

126 Weston Street, Brunswick East, marketlane.com.au Correction: an earlier version of this article stated that beverage company Tao Bin operated 200 vending machines in Bangkok. In fact, the parent company is Forth Corporation and they run more than 6000 machines across Thailand.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size

The cry of penguins heralded the cracking of ice that sank Antarctica explorer Sir Ernest Shackletons ship the Endurance in 1915.

What followed has been described as the greatest ever story of survival: A 1300-kilometre trip by Shackleton and five crew across rough southern seas in a seven-metre-long whaler to South Georgia Island looking for the help that ultimately saved the 22 men they had left behind.

The voyage was recreated for the first time by Australian adventurer and environmental scientist Tim Jarvis in 2013. Wearing the same period clothes that Shackletons men wore, three of Jarvis crew ended up with trench foot from the freezing cold and the wet, and were unable to traverse South Georgias savagely steep mountains.

Now Jarvis has brought Shackletons 1914 to 1916 expedition to life again, this time without the risk of trench foot, in the virtual reality documentary Thin Ice VR that opens at the Australian Museum on Saturday.

A hundred years ago, Shackletons goal was to save his men from the ice. Today it is the ice that needs saving from the human-induced climate change that threatens it, Jarvis said.

The environmental changes Jarvis saw prompted him to direct the documentary. Produced by MonkeyStack and Shackleton Epic Expedition, Thin Ice VR has won 11 major film awards including at the Cannes World Film Festival and the Adelaide Film Festival.
Credit: Illustration: Andrew Dyson

To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.

POLITICAL DIVIDE

I have been dismayed at the cruelty of the Gaza war. I feel strongly for the Palestinians plight and believe that Israel is committing genocide. I back the Palestinians on this. But I dont agree with Fatima Paymans actions to discredit the government in what looks like an attempt to oust it at the next election.

I hated living under the Coalition for the decade they were in power. It did little to contribute to progress Australia. Its ineptness and inertia was depressing. Labor has done more for our country and cared more for the community than the Coalition ever did during its leadership.

Australia offers everyone a right to voice their opinions, but to harness support among Muslim Australians to vote against Labor doesnt enamour me to their cause. Australia is not responsible for calling on or insisting on a Palestinian state. I respect Paymans passion for change, but if her actions as part of a coalition of Muslim groups results in reinstating the Coalition, shell lose the respect from other Australian communities.

This government is not here to be used as collateral damage in Paymans stand against Israels actions in Gaza. Try to negotiate with respect, please.

Sally Chesna, Melbourne

Quest for diversity leads to silos and ghettoes

Diversity has become a sacred Western dogma. Senator Payman cited diversity as part of her defence for crossing the floor, saying there can be no diversity in personality and representation among Labor MPs without diversity of views and opinions. A truism of any human organisation. However, if every individual or group only adhered to, upheld and obeyed their own views and opinions, what then?

Senator Payman also said she is motivated by the desire for freedom from violence, freedom from oppression and freedom of equality. Who would argue with such goals? But is diversity the way to achieve them?

When the wellbeing of the whole is threatened by disparity between its parts; when diversity translates into silos or ghettoes  whether communities or political parties; when diversity becomes divisive, fuelled by conflict over ideology, culture and politics, overriding collective Australias interests, then dysfunction and hostility flourishes. Sadly, Australias uplifting, We are one, but we are many is at risk of becoming a mere platitude, veiling an increasingly divided nation.

Deborah Morrison, Malvern East
Bob Hawke said in 1988 that Australia should become the clever country. Judging by the current state of the gas market, the nation is a long way from that goal and about to reap the results of some truly dumb decisions.

Australia is one of the worlds largest exporters of gas, yet the only feasible way to fill local supply shortfalls is to bring it in from overseas.

Gas exports from Australias east coast began in 2015 at Gladstone, Queensland.

The Australian Energy Market Operator last month put Victoria and NSW on high alert for gas shortfalls this winter during days of peak demand, and forecast the structural shortfall would grow to 50 petajoules by 2028 and increase into the future.

Theres plenty of blame to go around for what, according to former competition tsar Rod Sims, is an absolutely absurd situation.
MY MALDIVES COMPETITION

THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED  THE WINNER WAS MR DAVID TUCKER OF SOUTHPORT, QUEENSLAND.

In partnership with My Maldives, part of My Holiday, we are giving readers the opportunity to win a Maldives experience for two people at Dusit Thani resort, including a Pure Indulgence package for two and return seaplane transfers from Male airport, worth more than $17,000.

Every entrant will receive a $200 voucher to put towards a My Holiday holiday package (min. $2,000 spend).
Isolate and expose countries that harbour terrorists





ASTANA,

INDIA on Thursday asked the international community to isolate and expose those countries that harbour terrorists, provide safe havens and condone terrorism, saying that if left unchecked, terrorism can become a major threat to regional and global peace, in a veiled jibe at China and Pakistan. Delivering Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Summit in the Kazakhstan capital Astana, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was physically present at the meeting, recalled that one of the original goals of the SCO is to combat terrorism. Many of us have had our experiences, often originating beyond our borders. Let us be clear that if left unchecked, it can become a major threat to regional and global peace. Terrorism in any form or manifestation cannot be justified or condoned, he told the summit, which was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin among others. He said that the international community must isolate and expose those countries that harbour terrorists, provide safe havens and condone terrorism, in an apparent reference to Pakistan and its all-weather ally China which has often put on hold on proposals in the United Nations to blacklist the Pakistan-based wanted terrorists.

Cross-border terrorism requires a decisive response and terrorism financing and recruitment must be resolutely countered. We should also take proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among our youth, he said, adding that the joint statement issued during Indias Presidency last year on this subject underlines New Delhis shared commitment. He underlined that the SCO provides a unique platform to unite people, collaborate, grow and prosper together, practising the millennia-old principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam which means The World is One Family. Delivered Indias statement at the Summit of SCO Council of Heads of States on behalf of PM Shri @narendramodi ji. Thank the leaders present for conveying their best wishes to Prime Minister @narendramodi on his re-election for a third successive term, Jaishankar later posted on X. Jaishankar described the SCO as a principle-based organisation, whose consensus drives the approach of its member states, and said the grouping occupies a prominent place in our foreign policy. He said India shares deep civilizational ties with the people of this region. Recognising the centrality of Central Asia to SCO, we have prioritized their interests and aspirations. It is reflected in greater exchanges, projects and activities with them, he said.

Cooperation in the SCO, for us, has been people-centric, he said, adding that India organised SCO Millet Food Festival, SCO Film Festival, SCO Surajkund Craft Mela, SCO Think-Tanks Conference, and International Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage during its presidency. We will naturally support similar endeavours by others, he said. He also congratulated the Kazakh side for successfully hosting the summit and also conveyed Indias best wishes to China for the next presidency of the SCO. The minister also expressed deepest condolences for the tragic demise of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and others in the helicopter crash. With nine member States -- India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - the Beijing-based SCO has emerged as an influential economic and security bloc and one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. Belarus joined as the 10th member. Kazakhstan is hosting the summit in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.
25 years of capture of Tiger Hill





By Kunal Dutt :

NEW DELHI,

BARELY four months into his service, a young Lieutenant Balwan Singh led the Indian Armys Ghatak Platoon in a strategic assault on Pakistani intruders during the Kargil war and was among the brave soldiers who captured Tiger Hill on July 4, 1999. There was no looking back from there. It was victory after the capture of the Tiger Hill, recalls Singh, now a colonel with the famed 18 Grenadiers, who was injured while fighting the enemy but continued to fight. He was honoured with Maha Vir Chakra for his valour. Raised in 1976, the 18 Grenadiers played a pivotal role in the war. The battalion was conferred with 52 honours, including a Param Vir Chakra, two Maha Vir Chakra, six Vir Chakra, several Sena Medals and a Commendation Card of the Chief of the Army Staff. On Wednesday, Colonel Singh and many other Kargil heroes from the battalion recalled the heroics of its bravehearts in Operation Vijay. The war was declared over on July 26, 1999, after the Indian forces successfully pushed back the Pakistani forces which had stealthily occupied important heights in Ladakh. On the night of July 3, 1999, soldiers of 18 Grenadiers, also called the Pole Star Battalion, embarked on their mission to capture Tiger Hill and had accomplished the task by the next morning, said Brig (retd) Khushal Thakur, who commanded the battalion during the crucial battles of Tololing and Tiger Hill.

On June 12-13, 1999, we won Tololing and it was a big turning point in this war. It boosted the morale of our armed forces and the countrymen and dipped the morale of the Pakistani side. One by one, we kept capturing the peaks in Mushkow or Batalik sector and the next task was Tiger Hill, Brig (retd) Thakur, who was a colonel during the war, told PTI. For the Tiger Hill, I had adequate time for reconnaissance. I had artillery guns, multi-barrel rocket launchers and high-altitude warfare equipment... Despite all the losses suffered, the morale of the men of 18 Grenadiers was sky high and our brave men captured the Tiger Hill, planting the Indian flag on top, he said. There werent many TV channels back then but the defining images of Indian soldiers celebrating the conquest of the Tiger Hill became a symbol of their bravery. Colonel Singh said the battles of Tololing and Tiger Hill were decisive battles. Initially, we captured Tololing. Tololing is very near to NH-1 Alpha (National Highway-1A). It is just 3 km from NH-1 Alpha. The same is the case with Tiger Hill, an 8-10 km stretch of NH-1 Alpha is visible from the top of the Tiger Hill. You cant do any movement on this road, he said.

They (infiltrators) were having all kinds of weapons, automatics, anti-aircraft guns and other missiles on Tololing and Tiger Hill and both the features were very, very important to capture, he added. The Indian Army will mark 25 years of the Kargil victory on July 26. Many programmes have been held in the run-up to the main commemorative event in Kargil later this month. Colonel Sachin Annarao Nimbalkar, who was about 23 years old and serving with the 18 Grenadiers as a captain during the conflict, was among the soldiers honoured with a Vir Chakra for their bravery during the war. We were fighting with our backs to the wall and every inch that we had to capture was a big fight. The victory in the Kargil war was attained with great sacrifices made by various units. If I talk about my unit, 18 Grenadiers, we are bravehearts, two officers, two JCOs, and 30 other ranks sacrificed their lives (in this war) and many others were injured and some disabled for life, Col Nimbalkar told PTI after paying homage to fallen heroes at the National War Memorial. So, this tells the cost of capturing the features of Tololing and Tiger Hill as far as my battalion was concerned, he said.

The Army officer, who hails from Maharashtra, proudly shows the regimental insignia bearing the motto Sarvada Shaktishali emblazoned on his military cap and explains its origin. We are now celebrating the 25th year of Kargil Vijay Diwas... I remember when we were successful, I remember when we were facing casualties, I remember Lt Col Viswanathan, who sacrificed his life during the battle of Tololing, he said. Colonel Nimbalkar paid homage to his Indian Military Academy (IMA) coursemate Captain Manoj Pandey and hero of the Tiger Hill battle on his death anniversary at the memorial. There are mixed emotions. There is a sense of achievement but it has come at a great cost. Today is the day for all of us to collectively acknowledge the efforts of our heroes and sacrifices (they) made for the nation, he said.
City grapples with garbage : Congress corporators put garbage in front of Mayors office to protest poor sanitation





Staff Reporter

cleanliness system in the city has come to a complete halt for past two days. As a result, garbage has not been collected from homes. Sanitation workers went on strike as the contractor has not paid wages to the workers for several months. To vent ire against deteriorating sanitation arrangements in the city, Congress corporators, on Thursday staged a massive protest outside the Mayors office. They collected garbage from households and overturned rickshaws filled with garbage in front of Mayors office at Jabalpur Municipal Corporation headquarters. As soon as news of the protest reached Omti Thana police station, police personnel arrived at the spot.

Agitated Congress corporators said the entire city is grappling with a severe crisis as door-to-door garbage collection came to a standstill due to non-payment of salaries. Residents are left with no option but to dispose of their waste outside their homes or in open drains. Piles of garbage has accumulated throughout the city, posing a health risk to public health. However, the Mayor seems unconcerned, showing no regard for essential needs of the public. Shouting slogans against the Mayor for his lackadaisical attitude towards cleanliness arrangements, Congress corporators said diseases are spreading rapidly alongside the mounting heaps of household waste. If immediate action is not taken by the Municipal Corporation, the city is bound to be engulfed in a garbage epidemic.

During the protest, Congress corporators demanded swift disbursement of pending wages to employees, emphasising that if the situation is not rectified within next 24 hours, massive demonstrations will be staged across the city. They said their demand for immediate action to initiate waste collection services is a pressing need that cannot be ignored any longer. Earlier, the corporators gathered at Rajiv Gandhi chow. They collected garbage from households and took it to JMC headquarters, where they overturned the rickshaws, brimming with garbage in front of Mayors office. Those present in the protest were Amrish Mishra, Shagufta Usmani Guddu Navi, Ayodhya Tiwari, Mukima Yakub Ansari, Pramod Patel, Sanjay Ahirwar, Tej Kumar Bhagat and others.
Delhi-like air cargo hub to be built in MP: CM





Staff Reporter

Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav said that considering the geographical location and developed infrastructure of Madhya Pradesh, there is every possibility of Madhya Pradesh becoming an air cargo hub like Delhi. He said that Madhya Pradesh is located in the heart (centre) of India. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a dense network of railways, metro, and expressways has been laid in the State. Now air transport and cargo facilities are being expanded in the State. There is a possibility of cargo in all seven airports in the State. These views were expressed by the CM in the annual Conclave-2024 of Air Cargo Forum India. CM said that Madhya Pradesh is the only State where inter-state air service has been started.

PM Shri Air Ambulance service has been started in the State, in which apart from able-bodied persons, Ayushman card holders are also being benefited. Helicopter service has also been started to promote tourism in the State. From this point of view, adequate infrastructure is developed in the State for air transportation as well as air cargo. He said that the construction of a cargo hub in the State will help explore the resources of the state, promoting trade and increasing employment opportunities. To make Madhya Pradesh a business centre in the future, a desk named Future Ready Madhya Pradesh has also been prepared. The pace of economic growth of the state is more than 20 per cent and the rate of agricultural development is 25 per cent. In the state budget presented yesterday, 16 per cent more allocation has been made as compared to the previous budget.

Chief Minister Dr Yadav said that products worth 6 billion dollars are transported through air cargo in Madhya Pradesh. He said that from this point of view, there is immense potential for the air cargo industry in Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav invited the air cargo industry to participate in the development of the State and invest in MP. He released a book named Skilling Manual published by Air Cargo Forum India. He also honoured the leaders of Air Cargo Forum India Task Pillars: Skill Development, Knowledge and Research, Digital Automation, Go Green, Domestic Air Cargo, Process Simplification, Branding, Policy Advocacy, and Event Management for their excellent performance.
HC rejects Sunil Kedars plea to stay conviction





Legal Correspondent

JUSTICE Urmila Joshi-Phalke, at the High Court here, has rejected the criminal application filed by former Maharashtra Minister Sunil Kedar, seeking stay to judgement and order of conviction in the Nagpur District Central Co-operative Bank (NDCCB) case. Kedar was named as accused No. 1 in NDDCB case and was convicted and sentenced on December 22, 2023, in the Regular Criminal Case No. 147/2002. The HC pronounced the judgement on July 3, 2024, with the clear observation that considering the object and purpose of Section 8(3) of the Representation of People Act, merely because the accused has to represent his Assembly constituency, it could not be an exceptional circumstance for staying his conviction. An object of Legislatures in keeping away convicts from contesting elections is to be looked into while deciding such applications. The accused had challenged the said judgement before the Sessions Judge, by filing appeal No. 397 of 2023. The accused had also filed an application before the Sessions Judge here, for grant of stay to the said conviction, which was rejected by the order on December 30, 2023.

The application was filed on grounds that the Sessions Judge had passed a mechanical order without evaluating facts of the case and rejected the application for stay. Admittedly, while considering application for stay to conviction, it is a well-settled legal position that power to suspend an order of conviction, apart from order of sentence, its exercise should be limited to very exceptional cases. The Court has a duty to look at all aspects including ramification of keeping such conviction in abeyance. In this case, the accused, who was the Chairman of the Nagpur District Central Co-operative Bank came to be tried for offences under sections 406, 409, 468 and 471 of the IPC. The Regular criminal case ended in conviction of the accused along with other co-accused for offences as the aforesaid. The incident resulted in prosecuting the accused. As per allegations, the accused was acting as the Chairman of the said bank and during his tenure, the investment portfolio of the bank was increased tremendously. During his Chairmanship, the accused has done various transactions of sale and purchase of physical securities from February 5, 2001 to February 28, 2001. Those securities were to the tune of Rs 124.76 crore. Those securities were not produced before the inspection team. Being the Chairman of the bank, the accused was responsible for those transactions.
Hemant Soren takes oath as Jkhand CM again





RANCHI,

JMM executive president Hemant Soren on Thursday took oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Jharkhand. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor C P Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhawan here, an official said. Sorens father and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha supremo Shibu Soren, his mother Rupi Soren, his wife Kalpana Soren and senior leaders of the JMM-led alliance were present at the swearing-in ceremony. Chamapi Soren, who resigned as the Chief Minister on Wednesday, was also present on the occasion. Hemant Soren was released from jail on June 28 after the High Court of Jharkhand granted bail to him 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 Enforcement Directorate. After taking the oath, Soren said former CM Champai Soren discharged his duties well. The court order is in the public domain for all to see, the JMM executive president said, adding that he would discharge his duties with commitment. In a video message to people, Hemant Soren said that a conspiracy was hatched against him by the opposition which had succeeded in their evil designs and he had to spend about five months behind bars. I was arrested on January 31... I had given a message to you about how the Opposition hatched a conspiracy against me and how they succeeded in their evil designs. They attempted to keep me in jail for a long time but I chose to take resort of the legal battle.

You supported me on the streets. Finally, justice was delivered and I was released clean, Soren said in the video clip. The JMM leader said he was given an opportunity to serve the people in 2019 but the conspirators could not digest that a tribal youth could reach such heights and finally on January 31, I was removed on false charges. There could be delay in Gods plans but ultimately truth prevails. Soren said he was ready to serve the people of Jharkhand with dedication. Former Jharkhand CM Champai Soren extended good wishes to Chief Minister Hemant Soren. JMM legislator Kalpana Soren said welfare work would be expedited in the state. Meanwhile, no decision has been taken about the Hemant Soren cabinet. Asked about the council of ministers, Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that the high command will decide about the party faces in the Hemant Soren cabinet. Mir said the Congress is yet to decide who will join the cabinet from the party. Party high command will take the final call on it, he said. In a post on X, BJP MP Nishkant Dubey on Wednesday 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 BJP president Babulal Marandi also hit out at JMM, claiming that the tribals outside Shibu Sorens family are only temporary faces in Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. He also alleged that the family believes in using people as per their needs and requirements. 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 BJPs 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.
MP Dubey, MLA Rohani meet Minister Rajnath Singh





Staff Reporter

Member of Parliament Ashish Dubey and MLA Ashok Rohani on Thursday met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi and drew his attention towards the problems, concerned with his Ministry, prevailing in Cantonment Assembly. During the meeting, MLA Rohani said for the past few months, they have been receiving information through social media and newspapers that there is a prevailing process to merge all Cantonment Boards into Municipal Corporations. Therefore, they appealed to the Defence Minister to also include all Bagicha (parks) and bungalows associated with the boards as well.

MLA Rohani informed that the road from Gorabazar to Bhongadwar in Cantt Assembly in Jabalpur is in dilapidated condition. The Madhya Pradesh Government has approved a budget of Rs 6.58 crore for its construction. Therefore, permission should be granted to Cantonment Board administration to undertake construction of aforementioned road in the interest of public. Rohani also mentioned that this road falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Similarly, for proposed overbridge to be constructed from Empire Talkies to Bharat Mata Chowk, the Department of Defence has to provide the necessary no-objection certificate to the state government.

Rohani highlighted that residents of Cantt are not benefiting from schemes of the Union Government and the State Government. Furthermore, residents are unable to avail benefits of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, which is one of the vital initiatives of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Likewise, the rent of shops within the sector has been unreasonably increased. However, assurances have been given to rectify this issue by reducing the escalated rent. After lending patient ear to the duo leaders requests, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured immediate attention to the issues concerning public welfare and provided reassurance for their resolution.
No legalisation of illegal colonies: Vijayvargiya





By Bhavana Aparajita

Shukla

To tackle the tangling problem of mushrooming illegal colonies in the State, a tough law is likely to be introduced soon. Illegal colonies are a big problem. A nexus is working in the State. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had already given instructions to frame a tough law to tackle the problem of illegal colonies, State Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya told the House during the Question Hour. The Government would come up with a Bill to this effect soon, he said. Illegal colonies, the Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya declared that a problem festers, a nexus, insidious and shadowy, weaving its web across the State.

The minister added that the existing illegal colonies would not be legalised, but basic amenities would be made available in such dwellings. The Madhya Pradesh Government cleared about its a tough law to rein in the sprawling menace of illegal colonies in the State. The State Government, for a long time, grapples with clandestine settlements that defy zoning norms and mock urban planning. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, resolute in his resolve, issued a mandate: a law, unyielding and formidable, to wrestle with this hydra of unauthorised settlements. The Government has hammered out a bill to wield authority, striking at the roots of encroachment. But let it be known: Existing illegal colonies wont find absolution. No regularisation, no amnesty. Yet, basic amenities, a lifeline, will trickle into these haphazard dwellings. Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya stood before the House. BJP MLAs Hardeep Singh Dang and Rajendra Pandey raised their voices, painting a picture of mushrooming colonies and beleaguered residents.

On the fourth day too, the Nursing Colleges Scam continued to rock the ongoing Monsoon Session of the State Assembly, with the Opposition Congress on Thursday demanding a debate on its breach of privilege motion against State Minister Vishwas Sarang. After the Question Hour, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar demanded a debate on the motion. Other Congress MLAs also joined him. Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar said that he would decide on the Congress demand after examining their application. The Congress legislators alleged that State Sports, Youth Welfare and Co-operative Minister Vishwas Sarang, who was the former Medical Education Minister, gave incorrect information to the House in his reply on the nursing scam issue. The Congress has charged that Sarangs false reply amounts to a breach of privilege. From the onset of the session on July 1, the Congress has been targeting Sarang over the issue and demanding his resignation.
OBSTINACY !





THE conduct of the Opposition in Parliament -- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha -- must be described as sheer obstinacy. The Opposition tried to harass Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi not just in Lok Sabha during his 137-minute speech, but also carried on with the practice in Rajya Sabha for long time before staging a walk-out on a flimsy ground. Right at the beginning of the third term of the Modi Government, the Opposition has declared its obstructionist intentions -- as if fully oblivious to the fact that such tactics would not now work particularly after the nation has woken up to the dirty tactics and would not allow those to succeed. There is no doubt that such tactics would bring only frustration to the Opposition at all levels -- politically and electorally. In Rajya Sabha, the Opposition demand was not just strange but actually funny (since using any other word for such a conduct may invite trouble). It asked for an allowance to the Leader of Opposition (LoP) to interject into the speech of the Prime Minister as a culmination to the debate on Motion of Thanks to The President. Such strange demand, of course, could not be fulfilled since rules did not permit that. But the rejection of the demand by the presiding officer did not go well with the Opposition whose members kept raising slogans LoP-LoP-LoP-LoP ... during the Prime Ministers address.

And after about forty minutes of slogan-shouting, the Opposition staged a walk-out while the Prime Minister continued with his address. But then, as the Opposition staged a walk-out, Rajya Sabha Chairman Mr. Jagdeep Dhankhar shared his sense of disturbed emotion with the House. He said, in effect, that the Opposition did not show disrespect just to him or the House but to the Constitution of India and the dignity of the nation. With his voice choking with emotion, Mr. Dhankhar added that the Opposition was only hurting the spirit of democracy and the culture of bipartisan dialogue of Parliament. The Chairman expected the Opposition to learn right lessons from the current situation and come up with proper conduct on the floor of the House. Mr. Narendra Modi also made clear references to the Oppositions conduct and stressed that it does not have the courage to listen to voice or reason and details of fact about the allegations its members have made in the House or outside it. There is no need to make any fresh comment on the detailed content of the Prime Ministers speech at this point. For, what is needed now is a reiteration of our earlier insistence that a strict action must be taken against the unruly Opposition in both Houses of Parliament. It was actually surprising that the presiding officers were rather too tame in handling the unruly conduct of the Opposition in both the Houses.

They should have acted tougher and gone ahead taking action under appropriate rules. It was also equally surprising that the Members on the Government benches, too, chose to remain rather subdued -- instead of blasting the Opposition by standing up in unison and shouting the Opposition down. True, the members on the Government benches did stand up offering quick responses to the falsehood in the speeches by Opposition Members. Yet, they were not appropriately aggressive. In fact, even Mr. Narendra Modi could have been more aggressive -- which he refrained from being (for his own reasons). The content of his addresses in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha was strong and no-nonsense. But his manner could have been more ballistic -- given the method and manner of the Opposition. This is what the nation has felt in the last 3-4 days after watching the proceedings in the two Houses of Parliament at the start of the Modi Governments third term.




Staff Reporter

THE publication of a photograph of the northern end of Shaheed Gowari Fly-over on the front page of The Hitavada CityLine evoked several messages and telephone calls from the people and acquaintances alike. All of them shared acute frustration at traffic jams becoming a daily feature in some or the other part of the city. They said that they felt embarassed that it was happening in their beloved city. Everyones lament was near-absence of deterrence for violators in the city, which prides itself as Second Capital of Maharashtra. A long serpentine queue of vehicles on the Rahate Colony end of Shaheed Gowari Fly-over from traffic signal at the descent to at least a half-a-kilometre on the fly-over, has become a daily feature especially during peak morning and evening hours. Similar jam is experienced at various other locations witnessing dense traffic. The jams are caused even when several vehicles jump the signals! But, sadly, there is no one to deter those jumping the traffic signals at will any time of the day. In case of the gig-workers, the authorities expected to regulate traffic appear to have given a free licence to jump the signals. And, wrong-side riding/driving appears to have been offered to the rash drivers as some kind of add-on incentive for not being law-abiding citizens!

Then, there are other issues like faulty design, as in the case of Sadar fly-over. While there is a long jam over the fly-over, there is chaos and congestion at the landing near Kasturchand Park (KP) Metro Station, as traffic from two ends meets there. Those in a hurry to occupy whatever free space available in between vehicles contribute to worsening the chaotic situation, and bringing the flow of traffic to a halt. In such places, it is challenging for the traffic police too to restore some kind of order. Similar situation exists at Gandhibagh Square and Agrasen Square traffic junctions. There is utter chaos that drags smooth flow of traffic. On Thursday, thankfully, traffic police personnel could be seen at various spots on Central Avenue, trying to meet the challenge of traffic regulation. Further, there are various areas in the city where cement road construction activities have been taken up simultaneously. Due to such simultaneous activities in nearby areas, flow of traffic gets affected. Many then try to find another route, increasing traffic density on the latter. As many works go on for more than a month or two, traffic situation goes from bad to worse. Add to this, failure of the authorities concerned in repairing the dug-up portions of roads, and the Second Capital of Maharashtra assumes the identity of Second-Class Capital of Maharashtra for the visitors.

The situation on traffic front has gone so bad that it will take at least some years of deterrent policing for the collective behavioural change to become visible on roads. In sum, there are multiple dimensions to the traffic chaos story of Nagpur -- simultaneous road construction works, delays in completion, design faults overlooked at the time of execution of Sadar fly-over, and unruly behaviour of people riding/driving vehicles on roads going unchecked. Though there is a jam towards Rahate Colony landing of the Shaheed Gowari Fly-over, the situation below is not ideal. Over the years, wrong-side riding/driving from Rahate Colony Square to Janata Chowk has become normal due to lack of action against violators. But, it appears that traffic cops have chosen to ignore this. This is not the only point where such violations have become routine. There is Trimurti Nagar Square, areas near some traffic junctions on Central Avenue, parts of Sadar, Gaddigodam Square etc. There is more that adds to the suffering of Nagpurians on a daily basis...
RTMNU V-C Dr Chaudhary suspended again





Staff Reporter

Chancellor of Maharashtra universities Ramesh Bais has suspended Vice Chancellor of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University Dr Subhash Chaudhary. This is the second time that Dr Chaudhary has been placed under suspension. This is probably the first case in Maharashtra where the Vice Chancellor of any traditional university was placed under suspension twice. It was on February 21, 2024, that Dr Subhash Chaudhary was suspended for alleged irregularities. Later, on June 25, Dr Chaudhary had faced a setback as the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court declined to grant an interim stay on the inquiry against him. As a result, it was affirmed that Dr Chaudhary would have to undergo the inquiry. It was an indication that Dr Chaudhary had to face suspension. According to highly placed sources, the Chancellor in his order has made it clear that a full-fledged detailed inquiry in the allegations against Dr Subhash Chaudhary will have to be conducted. As there is an apprehension that Vice Chancellor being in office may tamper with the documentary evidences, or influence the subordinate university officials and material witnesses related to his misconduct, which may seriously affect the detailed inquiry, it is necessary to keep him under suspension. As per the first proviso of Clause 3(1)(f) of the Uniform Statute No.04 of 2023, Dr Subhash Chaudhary is placed under suspension with immediate effect, says the latest order by Chancellor.
Three of a family killed after pick-up hits bike, overturns





Staff Reporter

Jabalpur,

In a tragic incident, three people, including a child, were killed in a road accident near village Churiya under Bargi police station area of Jabalpur district early on Thursday morning. Soon after receiving the information about the accident, police reached the spot and after initial formalities, they took all three bodies in their custody and sent them for post-mortem. Later, police started investigations to know the cause of accident. Sharing details about the accident, SI, Bargi police station, Kamlesh Chauria said that Shahabuddin Mansoori (24), a resident of Khajri Khiria along with Gauri Rajak (22), a resident of Bargi and her three-year-old daughter Kritika Rajak were going towards Bahri from Bargi on a motorbike (GJ16 AH4163).

As soon as the trio reached the National Highway near village Churiya village, a pick-up vehicle (MH 40 CT3367) coming from behind, hit the bike and the pick-up overturned on it. As a result, all the three were trapped under the vehicle and died on the spot. As per eye-witnesses, the pick-up driver was driving recklessly at a high speed. The driver fled the spot after the accident. After sending bodies to NSCB Medical College for post-mortem, police informed their family members. After post-mortem, bodies were handed over to the family members. Bargi resident, Saurabh Rajak informed that his sister Neetu alias Gauri Rajak along with her friend Shahabuddin Khan and three-year-old Kritika was going to Bahoripar when the unfortunate accident took place. Meanwhile, police took possession of the vehicle and started a manhunt to nab the accused driver. It may be noted that The driver was coming to Jabalpur after loading chillies from Nagpur.
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
The Charlottesville areas primary animal shelter, mired in scandal for more than a year, has announced it is undergoing a rebranding initiative.

But in reality, that effort began more than 10 months go with the arrival of the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCAs new executive director, Libby Jones.

Jones, who had been working as the chief operating officer of Seattle Humane, arrived in Charlottesville this past October, taking the helm of an organization still reeling from accusations of misconduct and mismanagement that translated into animal neglect bordering on abuse.

The shelters last director, Angie Gunter, left in May of 2023 amid protests outside CASPCAs door and a stream of letters from current and former employees and volunteers alleging, Ms. Gunters management style is demeaning, divisive, and punitive. She creates a culture of fear among her staff and volunteers.

Protesters claimed Gunter took on too many animals in order to boost profits at the expense of the animals and the workers caring for them. Photos were circulated of dogs in the facility being kept in their own filth in what was purportedly the basement of the CASPCA shelter on Berkmar Drive north of Charlottesville. Other dogs, shelter workers claimed, were being kept in closets and bathrooms. CASPCA customers and workers alleged that dogs with violent temperaments were being adopted out without regard for the risks they posed to their adoptive families.

Over the past 10 months, Jones said shes been making steady strides not only restoring conditions at the shelter but its relationships with workers and the greater community. Thats a community that contributes millions, both in taxpayer dollars supporting CASPCA animal control services and individual donations to the nonprofit organization.

I think that when people dont know exactly who we are  and when thats not very clear to them, then they fill in the blank with what their objectives and goals for us are, Jones told The Daily Progress in late May. Improving our communication, setting clear expectations of who we are and where we want to go is the most important part. If we have that strategic direction, and we have that vision for the future, then people can decide whether or not theyre aligned to it.

One way she said shes begun the work of rebuilding CASPCAs connection to the community is a series of individual and group meetings with stakeholders, soliciting feedback and getting a better sense of what the animal shelter means to the community it serves.

Its really important to me to ensure that our donors are satisfied, that they understand what the expectations are going to be and see the results of the work that were doing with their dollars, said Jones. Weve really put stewardship at the forefront of our efforts.

Jones said that the conversations have been beneficial to allaying concerns about the future of CASPCA in the wake of Gunter. Jones said that a lot of donors didnt necessarily stop supporting us, but rather they hesitated to sign any additional checks until the situation stabilized.

The city of Charlottesville and Albemarle County contribute a combined $1 million to the shelter every year for animal control services  a contribution that came under scrutiny last year when the allegations against the shelter were made public. At the end of last year, CASPCA failed to reach its target for its 50k in 5 days fundraising drive.

A dip in donations is not exclusive to CASPCA. Charitable giving as a whole has been on the decline nationwide for the past several years. A study done by the Fundraising Effectiveness Project found the number of charitable donors declined 3.8% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter of 2022, the seventh straight quarter of decline. At the end of last year, both the Charlottesville Salvation Army and The Daily Progress failed to meet targets for their own annual charity drives.

Jones is hoping to turn the tide at CASPCA, partly through a new strategic plan, which she expects the shelters board of directors will roll out sometime in August. One main component of the plan will be a landscape analysis of all the animal shelters throughout the region and commonwealth to determine how CASPCA could renovate its own facility and expand its services.

Its great to say, Were going to expand, and were going to help more animals, said Jones. But lets be very strategic and thoughtful of those dollars and expand in the right way thats going to benefit the community for years to come.

CASPCA was recently awarded some of those dollars  some $15,000  by Sentara Health, which owns and operates Martha Jefferson Hospital outside Charlottesville, to go toward the expansion of the shelters in-house and mobile low-cost veterinary clinic.

Jones said in her years of experience working in animal shelters, particularly those in rocky periods of transition, she has found that often the most difficult task can be making inroads with longtime staff members who may be resistant to accept change.

This has not been the case at CASPCA.

The fact that the community, the volunteers, the staff, all wanted to see this progressive change, it makes my job a lot easier, because its more of a support role, she said. Its more of a guiding role  and really just bringing all the best practices here to Charlottesville and adapting them to work for our individual shelter.

The Charlottesville communitys desire to see a new era ushered in at the CASPCA was evident before Jones ever moved into her new office. Jones said while she was in a taxi coming from the airport on a visit to the CASPCA shelter before making the move to Charlottesville, she told her driver she was taking the top post at the CASPCA. He slams on the brakes, turns around to look at me and goes, We are so happy youre here.

That just validated the choice that I made to come here, she said with a smile.

One of the new practices shes implemented at the shelter is a more comprehensive onboarding program for all staff, volunteers and even board members to ensure everyone in the shelter is on the same page in terms of expectations and policies. Jones has also introduced an all-staff day, a designated day of team-building and training that shes brought to every organization where shes worked.

Were almost fully staffed, said Jones. I think the national attrition rate [for animal shelters] is about 45%, and our attrition rate is down to less than 15%. So, its definitely a huge improvement. A lot of that has to do with making sure that our staff is making a living wage and making sure that they have the tools and the resources that they need to be successful.

While most are drawn to animal shelters by puppy dog eyes or the toe beans of a kitten, it was the people behind the scenes that inspired Jones to get involved. With a background in zoology and veterinary medicine from Florida State University, Jones first encounter with animal shelters was as an adviser on a cruelty and neglect case against an animal shelter in Greensboro, North Carolina.

After the case concluded, the shelter approached Jones, asking her to come aboard to help restructure and move the medical team forward. That experience motivated her to get more involved in advocating for the people caring for the animals, because, as she said, nobody was doing it.

Thats what drives me to go to organizations that are in transition or going through a crisis, Jones said. Because the team themselves, generally speaking, are the ones that need to be supported. They need to be advocated for, they need to be defended, they need to be uplifted. Thats what really drives me.

As for the formal rebranding process, CASPCA is partnering with Convoy, a Charlottesville-based graphic design and web development group, to create a new logo as well as other branding materials.

Partnering with a local agency deeply rooted in our community was essential for us, as we want this logo to be for the community, by the community, said CASPCA spokesman Luke Waldron in a statement. I believe this rebrand is an important opportunity for us to reintroduce ourselves to the community and for people to better understand who we are, all the services we provide on behalf of the community, and the changes weve undergone.
Virginia Democrats know a lousy debate performance when they see it. And they dont need to be reminded when it signals trouble.

President Biden, in his first broadcast debate of the 2024 campaign with former President Donald Trump, was  to borrow Trumps piercing description of rival Jeb Bush from the 2016 GOP primary  low energy. And thats being charitable. His feebleness was only occasionally offset by a familiarity with policy that should be a gimme after more than a half-century in government.

Trump was clearly more animated than his opponent and delighted in playing the aggressor, though he frequently flashed his signature fondness for falsehoods. That included misrepresenting two Virginia-specific events: His seeming alignment with the racists and antisemites who rioted in Charlottesville in 2017 and the debate over a former governors position on late-term abortion.

The near-total silence of, or sharply tailored quips by, Democrats and Republicans immediately following the 90-minute debate made clear that both parties recognize their presumed nominees are troubled quantities. That voters  consistent with predebate polls that suggest blue-leaning Virginia is a toss-up  consider both candidates deeply flawed and would like another choice.

Democrats  including the partys putative nominee for governor in 2025, U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger of the 7th District, who is seen as bridging the generational and demographic gaps evident among Democrats  ducked the question that flared as the debate unfolded: Should Democrats replace Biden, urging him to release his delegates and defer to an open convention to craft a new ticket?

Republicans  among them, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and a Democrat-targeted House member, Jen Kiggans, from swingy coastal Virginia, where Trump appeared at a rally days after the debate  focused on 45s comparative vigor, avoiding any validation of his stance on issues that vex the GOP. This includes Virginias distinction as the only Southern state with largely unrestricted abortion rights.

Youngkin, an on-again, off-again, on-again Trump ally who surrendered control of the Virginia legislature to the Democrats in 2023 by pressing for a 15-week abortion ban with several narrow exceptions, took to X to say of the debate, Could it be any clearer? Strength versus weakness. Thats why Virginia is in play.

But is it really? Virginia has tipped Democratic for president every four years since 2008  a consequence of generational change, accelerating racial and cultural diversity and expanding suburbanization. These trends, paired with the customary spike in presidential year turnout, heavily favor Democrats.

For Trump to carry Virginia, where he lost twice  in 2016 to Hillary Clinton by 5 percentage points and in 2020 to Biden by 10 percentage points  the Democratic vote would, in effect, have to collapse. That overall turnout would fall, with the usual Democratic majorities in the states largest cities and counties diminished, magnifying record Republican votes in the countryside.These were the building blocks of Youngkins narrow victory for governor nearly three years ago.

In the thick of the debate, Kiggans also posted on X, all but declaring Biden senile: As a geriatric nurse practitioner who cared for so many older adults with cognitive impairment, this is heartbreaking to watch.

The Biden-Trump debate  for Virginia Democrats  had to have been, in the worst sense, a blast from the past, jump-starting a partywide case of PTSD.

The wreckage that was Biden  remember, his goal in proposing this early confrontation with Trump was to calm a party base jittery over his increasingly aged manner  ranked with at least three humiliating debate performances by Democratic candidates in Virginia that augured their defeat.

In January 2000, in Williamsburg before the Virginia Press Association, Democratic U.S. Sen. Chuck Robb seemed adrift against his Republican challenger, former Gov. George Allen, who depicted the incumbent as limp on crime and captive to then-President Bill Clinton. That November, Allen would deny Robb a third term, though Allen was defeated for reelection in 2006.

In October 2016, at Longwood University in Farmville, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine  then Clintons vice presidential running mate  dropped his nice-dad-next-door image in a debate with Mike Pence, comporting himself, instead, as Trump often does: petulant, impatient, sneering and sarcastic. Despite winning the popular vote, the Clinton-Kaine ticket had the ignominious distinction of losing the election-deciding Electoral College to Trump-Pence.

In September 2021, in a debate broadcast from Northern Virginia, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe  running for a second nonconsecutive term  famously declared that parents should butt out of telling educators what to teach their children. The boner proved a bon mots for Youngkin, helping him to a narrow victory over a longtime pol viewed as out of touch.

McAuliffe, the host of a fundraising reception for Biden after the debate in McLean that generated $8 million for the presidents reelection campaign, did not respond to a text seeking his assessment of the debate and suggestions Democrat find a substitute nominee. Also silent was Jake Rubenstein, the McAuliffe operative running Bidens Virginia effort.

But Kaine, through his spokesman, not only rose to Bidens defense but said his candidacy for a third term in the Senate  he is heavily favored over Trump-backed Hung Cao  is coordinating with the national ticket to keep Virginia blue. Kaine, while not commenting on a dump-Biden effort, acknowledged Bidens poor performance against Trump.

One night does not compare to the past 3 1/2 years of progress we have made under Joe Biden, said Kaine, adding that Trump is a threat to Virginians most basic freedoms  including a threat to our democracy and reproductive freedom.

Indeed, Republicans indicated  through silence and selective statements  that Trump retains considerable baggage in Virginia. The former president, himself, spotlighted it at various points in the debate with the current president.

Trump, whose appointments of three conservatives to the U.S. Supreme Court ensured the reversal two years ago of a half-century of federal abortion protections, said the decision was merely an acknowledgment of the publics preference that the states decide the issue, even though polling has shown that nearly 2 in 3 Americans support access to abortion and consider the matter settled.

And Trump falsely said several times that Youngkins Democratic predecessor, Gov. Ralph Northam, endorsed killing babies removed from a womans womb in rare late-term abortions. In 2019, Northam had said that in a third-trimester abortion in Virginia, which requires the consent of three doctors, a child may have severe life-threatening deformities and it would be up to the parents and physicians to decide what to do.

Trump also attempted to distance himself from the deadly violence in Charlottesville during the August 2017 Unite the Right rally organized in response to the citys plan to raze Confederate monuments, which a Republican-authored state law shielded from removal until its repeal several years later during Northams term.

Following the mayhem, Trump  seemingly embracing neo-Nazis and White supremacists  said, You had some very bad people in that group, but you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides.

And though he said at the time he wasnt specifically referring to the bigots synonymous with the riot, Trump, nonetheless, was viewed as expressing sympathy for them.

And that was reason enough, Biden reminded viewers and listeners during one of his more lucid moments of the debate, to do what he hadnt planned: challenge Trump for the presidency.
A non-government social welfare organization is trying to bring in some cheer in the districts by providing job opportunities and financial and know-how assistance to educated youth, egging them to be self-reliant.

Tapasil Jati Adibasi Praktan Sainik Krishi Bikash Shilpa Kendra (TJAPSKBS) is empowering backward class people through their various social welfare activities in both rural and urban areas of west Bengal. They are providing low-cost housing and deep tube wells in Ganga Sagar. They are working in Bankura, Burdwan, North and South 24-Parganas, Nadia and Birbhum. The TJAPSKBS provided hybrid vegetable seeds for farming, seeds for sunflower plantation, helped with rice and wheat farming and helped economically-weaker children financially and with books for their studies.

In Burdwan they did a survey on the farmers, their land holdings and their crop output. They submitted it to the government, which helped these farmers get loans from the banks.

Advertisement

Ananya Das, assistant treasurer of TJAPSKBS said, We also provided employment to around 5,000 youth through various means. We trained girls in handicrafts and sewing work. For boys, we are giving computer training so that they can be self-employed. Generating employment, introducing integrated farming throughout rural Bengal, establishment of public hygiene systems in various crowded areas including Ganga Sagar, infrastructure development are our main targets.

In recognition of their work, the NGO has got an affiliation from Niti Ayog. They now await the governments approved url with govt domain. This will help them work in tandem with the government.

One needs approval from seven ministries for the government url. They have got approvals from two ministries and one more is in the pipeline, said a government source.

Niti Ayogs village development officer Rupesh Kumar said the NGO has been working with the central government for some time now and helping with employment generation.

These people had provided us with a list of 1,300 people, of which 395 individuals have been given jobs in different capacities, either on a temporary basis or on contract. We are trying to find employment in govt sector. We are also helping them with raising funds and training so that these people can do some manufacturing of their own like making phenyl, soap, toilet cleaners, corner industry status. We help the finished products sell at the govt sector and its different utilities. We are also helping some individuals find jobs who are unable to do business, said Mr Kumar.

The Niti Ayog is also working on a health card. The NGO is trying to bring in a 12 G quantum resonance magnetic health analyst machine, which helps in early detection of health ailments. Niti Ayog is helping them acquire these machines, added Mr Kumar.
As per the historic evidence, the trio idols of Sri Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra at Mahesh Jagannath temple are considered to be 628 years old.

The Puri Jagannath temple and the trio deities within the temple are quite primitive but as per traditional rituals, after every 12 years, Nabakalebara is performed when the trio idols of the deities are replaced by a new one.

At Mahesh Jagannath temple, Nabakalebara Utsav is not performed. The deity idols are not replaced. Instead, the idols are given a fresh coat of herbal colours.

Advertisement

The secretary of Mahesh Jagannath temple trust and sebait Piyal Adhikari said UNESCO has certified Bengals Durga Puja and has enlisted it in the historic world heritage. The idols of the deities at Mahesh Jagannath temple are 628 years old, carved out of Neem plank. Till day, no changes have been made, except providing a new coat of herbal colours. The trio carry with it the virtue of being the oldest deity idols present in the temple of India. It is our wish to seek the certification from UNESCO on the historic importance of the deity idols.

A meeting was held with the district magistrate with the papers and documents submitted stating the historic background of the trio idols.

The DM has also shown keen interest in the matter and has assured to forward the documents to the concerned offices and departments.

The secretary of the Mahesh Jagannath temple trust and sebait, Piyal, said as per the historic religious documents we come to know that Brahmananda Brahmachari, a renowned saint, meditated in the dense forests of Mahesh. Brahmananda on his visit to Puri Jagannath temple was humiliated and driven out of the temple by the then pandas. He returned to Mahesh and wished that he could serve lord Jagannath at Mahesh. Lord Jagannath appeared in his dreams and pacified the saint and said to him, A neem wooden plank will come floating in the Bhagirathi river. You must carry it to the banks and with much reverence carve out the tree idols. The divine words came true.
Bombay Shirt Company has come back to the city and opened its stores on Shakespeare Sarani.

This is the Companys 22nd store in the country.

Chippy (Aditya ) Mehta, COO of Bombay Shirt Company said, We are thrilled to return to Kolkata, a city that has always been close to our hearts. Our new store is a testament to our commitment to providing our customers with an exceptional shopping experience.

Advertisement

The store has been set up at 3C, Jasmine Towers on Shakespeare Sarani.

Bombay Shirt Company started its journey in 2012 as Indias first ever online custom made shirt brand and is well known for its diverse products. There are custom-made and readymade shirts catering to different categories of customers. There are tailor-made blazers, dress pants, jeans among others. The customers can choose the fabric and then fit it from their in-house tailors. The stylists at the store help the customers to pick up the fabric that is best suited for the customers.

Akshay Narvekar founder and CEO said even though the company didnt have a store in Kolkata, the royal customer base had remained intact. The customers were eager to know when the company was coming back to the city.
Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay has called for a special session to discuss extensions of different standing committees. The session will be held at 2 pm on Friday. A meeting of the Business Affairs (BA) committee will also be held at noon.

Its learnt that the Speaker may also give the two new MLAs their oath during the session.

One month has elapsed since the results of bypolls in two Assembly constituencies, Baranagar in the city and Bhagbangola of Murshidabad district respectively were announced on 4 June but the swearing-in of the two newly-elected Trinamul Congress MLAs Sanyantika Banerjee and Rayat Hossain Sarkar is yet to be held.

Advertisement

The ongoing tussle between Raj Bhavan and state Legislative Assembly has meant that the two legislators are yet to get busy with the proceedings in the House.

Governor C V Ananda Bose had invited the two legislators to come to the Raj Bhavan on 26 June to administer the oath there. But both Ms Banerjee and Mr Hossain Sarkar were not willing to go to the Governor House, instead requesting Mr Bose to administer them the oath in the Assembly. Both the parties, Mr Bose and two legislators have stuck to their earlier stand till Thursday leading to a stalemate in connection with their swearing-in programme.

Both the two MLAs have been staging dharna on the Assembly premises for more than past one week requesting the Governor to come to the Legislative House for the ceremony.

We have called for a special session at 2 pm on Friday to discuss issues related to extensions of different standing committees in the Assembly, Mr Bandyopadhyay told reporters today.

They (two new MLAs) wont attend the session because their oath taking has not yet happened. I wont say anything about them today. Will let you know tomorrow, he added, when asked about Ms Banerjee and Mr Sarkar.

Its learnt that the Assembly secretariat may also move the High Court against Raj Bhavan if Mr Bose does not take any positive move in connection with administering them the oath by this week.

Mr Bandyopadhyay has already spoken to the Advocate General Kishore Dutta in this regard.

Mr Bose, who is in Delhi, still sticks to his decision to administer the oath at Raj Bhavan making the issue uncertain.

Mr Bandyopadhyay has already spoken to the vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar and discussed with him about the oath-taking issue of the two MLAs. Its learnt that Mr Dhankhar has given the Speaker some way-outs in connection with the crisis.

Aggrieved with the ongoing tussle between Raj Bhavan and the Assembly on the issue of oath taking, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said, What is this? They cant take oath as MLAs. Its either the Speaker or deputy Speaker who administer them the oath. Why is he (Governor) preventing them?
With the completion of the first phase of the countrys first exclusive trans-shipment port, the Adani Groups Vizhinjam Port located near the famed Kovalam beach in Kerala is all set to receive its first mothership on July 12, a top port official said on Thursday.

Divya S. Iyer, the Managing Director of the port, said that things are all in place, and on July 12, the first mothership will arrive.

This is a path-breaking moment for the port as it marks the important milestone of the first phase of this mega project. Union Ministers and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, among others, will be present on the occasion, Iyer said.

Advertisement

On June 11, Kerala Port Minister V.N. Vasavan informed the state Assembly that the port is likely to commence full-fledged commercial operations before the year-end.

In addition to being the first exclusive trans-shipment port, Vizhinjam will also make history as the first semi-automated container terminal in the country.

Vizhinjam will also be a global bunkering hub, supplying clean, green fuels like hydrogen and ammonia.

When completed, the port will be one of the greenest ports in the world, a fitting complement to the natural beauty of environment-conscious Kerala.

With a natural draft of 18 metres, Vizhinjam will soon see the docking of some of the largest container ships in the world.

The port is also strategically located as it is just 10 nautical miles from the International Shipping Route connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf, and the Far East
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry and the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday for the development of Framework & Assessment of Logistics Cost in India.

The key deliverables of the MoU are developing a detailed framework for assessment of Logistics Cost in the country; make a comprehensive study for assessment of logistics cost for year 2023-24.

It also aims at the assessment of differentials in logistics costs across routes, modes, products, types of cargo, and service operations, etc. as well as the identification of major determinants along with influence on the logistics in different sectors, etc.

Advertisement

During the open discussion with the logistics sector stakeholders and Industry associations the response was very encouraging and it was suggested that the logistics sector being very diverse in nature, commodities/ products of high value and high volume to be identified for this study purpose.

There were also suggestions to look into the intangible and indirect elements of logistics cost which also includes the cost of delay. A view was also there that from an investor perspective for the convenience of establishing business may also be considered as an element affecting the cost.

The MoU was signed by Secretary and Operations Director, NCAER, Dr. Anil Sharma and Joint Secretary, DPIIT, Dr S K Ahirwar; the occasion was graced by Secretary, DPIIT, Rajesh Kumar Singh.

Rajesh Kumar Singh spoke about the importance of data-based evaluation of our logistics Cost. During the said seminar a panel discussion on this subject was held with the participation from Senior Government officers from DPIIT and GSTN, multilateral institutes, industries, academicians, etc.

The MoU envisages NCAER to conduct the detailed study and submit the report within a years time. This study is likely to result in far reaching impacts for the logistics sector in India, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said.

The Ministry said that the logistics cost of the country needs to be regularly assessed and monitored such that the data of cost variation will both benefit the industry and the policy makers. This process involves using data of trade flows, product types, industry trends and origin data pairs.
Netflixs recent revenge K-drama Hierarchy, filmed within the lavish confines of Jooshin High School, harbors a secret that threatens the school and its students. The story introduces a clique of typical chaebol studentssnobbish and classistwho believe that scholarship students from low-income backgrounds shouldnt mix with the elite, lest they challenge their power. This privileged group thinks they can get away with anything, even murder.

Enter Kang Ha, the scholarship student with a disarming smile but a hidden agenda. He wreaks havoc on the institution and its administration. Kang Ha starts as a rebel with a cause but finds his mission sidelined when he befriends Jung Jae-i, the daughter of a major conglomerate, and the girlfriend of Kim Ri-an, heir to another conglomerate. Predictably, their families clash in a power struggle typical of chaebol dynamics.

The first two episodes of the revenge series captivate audiences as Kang Ha seeks vengeance for his brothers murder, the previous scholarship student. The show meticulously establishes the opulent school setting and the status of its elite students, who wield influence even over the principal. The creators spare no detail in showcasing their wealth through luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Chanel, reminding viewers that beneath the glamour lies a darker reality of privilege and entitlement. However, the narrative becomes consumed by this spectacle of affluence, neglecting to develop a coherent plot beyond highlighting the contrast between wealth and moral decay.

Advertisement

While Kang Ha vows revenge, viewers anticipate a narrative akin to Song Hye-Kos The Glory, which set a benchmark for revenge dramas. However, Hierarchy falls short; Kang Has actions rarely align with his declarations of revenge, instead becoming entangled in a love triangle with Kim Ri-an and Jung Jae-i. Attempts to humanize the elite students by depicting their personal struggles and familial pressures feel unconvincing and fail to underscore the gravity of their crimes.

The resolution feels rushed, with Kang Has pursuit of justice relying on CCTV footage obtained by another student. The ending lacks the closure and impact expected, portraying Kang Ha as more talk than action, reducing the murder to a mere plot device. What starts promisingly as a high-stakes narrative devolves into a tedious watch.

Despite drawing from successful formulas like Heirs and The Glory, and comparisons to Sky Castle and Elite, Hierarchy fails to innovate or resonate. Ultimately, it becomes a lackluster blend of familiar tropes, failing to deliver on its potential.
Cillian Murphy, the acclaimed actor known for his compelling performances, is wrapping up production on his latest venture, Steve, set to conclude filming this week in the UK. This project, a remake of Max Porters novel Shy, marks Murphys dual role as both actor and producer alongside Alan Moloney under their Big Things Films banner, according to Deadline.

Directed by Tim Mielants, Steve features an ensemble cast led by Murphy himself, portraying the titular character in a narrative set against the backdrop of a reform college in the mid-1990s. The story delves into a pivotal day in the life of Steve, a dedicated headteacher grappling with the imminent closure of the institution amidst societal neglect. As Steve navigates the challenges of preserving the colleges values, he also confronts his own mental health struggles.

Joining Murphy is Jay Lycurgo, recognized for his roles in Titans and I May Destroy You, who portrays Shy, a troubled youth torn between his turbulent past and an uncertain future marked by internal turmoil and a propensity towards self-destructive behavior.

Advertisement

On his Instagram, Cillian Murphy shared a behind-the-scenes snapshot with Porter and Lycurgo, highlighting the camaraderie and creative synergy on set.

This project reunites Murphy with Porter, following their previous collaborations on stage and in short film adaptations. The screenplay adaptation by Porter promises a poignant exploration of human vulnerability and resilience.

Murphys recent accolades include a Best Actor Oscar for his role in Christopher Nolans acclaimed film Oppenheimer, underscoring his versatility and artistic range. Additionally, he made his feature production debut with Small Things Like These, directed by Mielants and showcased at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year.

Looking ahead, Murphy is gearing up for the highly anticipated Peaky Blinders film, slated to commence filming later this year for Netflix. He has also committed to Blood Runs Coal, based on Mark A. Bradleys book chronicling the murder of union leader Joseph Yablonski, as reported by Deadline.

With Steve nearing completion, Murphy continues to cement his status as a multifaceted talent in both film and television, leaving an indelible mark on audiences with each new project.
Kajal Aggarwal has termed legendary actress late Sridevis eyes as the most captivating in the film industry.

Known for her work in Tamil and Telugu films, Kajal launched her lifestyle brand Kateeka meaning beautiful eyes in Mumbai on Thursday.

When asked which actress eyes she finds the most beautiful, Kajal said, All my contemporaries and seniors have stunning eyes, which have undoubtedly contributed to their success. But if I have to pick a favourite, it would be Sridevi. Ive always been a huge admirer of her captivating eyes.

Advertisement

The actress also shared that the family member who brings maximum joy to her home is her son Neil.

It has to be my son Neil. He brings happiness into the lives of everyone in our house. Seeing him always brings a smile to our faces, no matter how tired we are. He has a magical way of dispelling all exhaustion.
Only a handful of shows in India have managed to build a devoted fan base, and the political crime drama Mirzapur stands as one of the frontrunners in this league. With its guns-blazing action and intense storyline, the show has garnered a massive following thanks to its stellar cast and gripping plot. Vijay Verma, who portrayed the twin brothers Shatrughan Tyagi and Bharat Tyagi in Mirzapur, recently discussed the shows immense popularity in an interview.

In the second season, Vermas character entered Mirzapur, adding layers of political tension and power dynamics. His portrayal included the dramatic twist where Shatrughan kills his own brother and assumes his identity, escalating the storyline. Speaking to PTI, Verma expressed how the shows large fan base has brought significant love and reach to its actors. He reminisced about his excitement upon landing the dual roles in the second season.

Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vijay Varma (@itsvijayvarma)

Looking ahead to the third season of Mirzapur, Vijay Verma remarked, The shows popularity is unparalleled. Its incredible how much this show resonates, reaching even those who havent watched anything else. The love and impactits liberating; you do not worried about critics. Its a great feeling. Verma admitted he was instantly hooked when he first watched the series, praising its gripping climax and how it left him, like many fans, craving for more.

Reflecting on the shows passionate fan base, Verma recalled, When I saw the fandom explode, I thought, Have we really become a country with show fandoms? Its a one-of-its-kind series, akin to Sacred Games, setting new standards. So, when I was offered the second season, I was thrilled.

Asked about what initially grabs his attention in a script, the Darlings star revealed he first checks whether his character survives. Verma also commended director Gurmeet Singh for maintaining the series core essence. Using his characters signature outfit as an example, Verma shared how stepping back into it instantly reconnects him to the role, ready to bring it back to life on screen.

Mirzapur season 3 premiered on Amazon Prime Video on July 5, with fans eagerly binge-watching to uncover the future of Mirzapur and its characters. In other updates, Vijay Verma is ready to appear in Matka King and Suriya 83.
Telugu superstar Pawan Kalyan, who recently tasted victory in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, has said that he will continue to work in films.

Kalyan also assumed charge as the Deputy CM of Andhra Pradesh, leaving the fans with a bittersweet feeling as they thought that the actor would now be engaged full-time in politics.

But Pawan Kalyan has finally broken silence on his stand on films. The Actor assured fans that he would be doing films. As per Track Tollywood, the actor shared the timeline as he said that he will start doing films in the next three months. He will start completing three films which were put on hold.

Advertisement

These films include Hari Hara Veera Mallu, OG and Ustaad Bhagat Singh. It is reported that the actor will first concentrate on completing these films. However, theres no clarity about him taking up new projects. Producer A. M. Rathnam has also recently said that he was hoping to release Hari Hara Veera Mallu in theatres this December. The film also stars Bobby Deol. The film, which was announced in 2019, went through several production delays owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As per media reports, director Krish Jagarlamudi, who was earlier supposed to helm the film, has walked out of the project as a director and will be reportedly serving as a mentor to A. M. Rathnams son, Jyothi Krishna.

OG is also said to have been pushed to next year. Ustaad Bhagat Singh too may release next year.
Veteran actress Smriti Biswas, known for her roles in Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi cinema, passed away at the age of 100 in her one-room-kitchen house in Nashik, Maharashtra on Wednesday night due to age-related issues.

During her illustrious career spanning three decades from the 1930s to the 1960s, Biswas worked with renowned filmmakers including Guru Dutt, V Shantaram, Mrinal Sen, Bimal Roy, BR Chopra, and Raj Kapoor. She shared the screen with legendary actors such as Dev Anand, Kishore Kumar, and Balraj Sahni.

Following her death, filmmaker Hansal Mehta shared a series of photographs of Biswas on Instagram, bidding farewell with the words, Go away in peace and to a happier place dear Smritiji. Thank you for blessing our lives. RIP Smriti Biswas. Fans and admirers also took to social media to express condolences and celebrate her contributions to cinema.

Advertisement

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hansal Mehta (@hansalmehta)

Smriti Biswas began her career as a child actress at the age of 10 in the Bengali film Sandhya, later moving to Mumbai where she played significant roles in films like Pehla Admi directed by Bimal Roy, Sailaab alongside Geeta Bali directed by Guru Dutt, and Chandni Chowk by BR Chopra, among others. She retired from acting after marrying film director SD Narang in 1960 and lived in Nashik after her husbands passing.

Survived by her sons Satyajeet and Rajeev, Smriti Biswas celebrated her 100th birthday on February 17, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of memorable performances and contributions to Indian cinema.
Union Minister of State of Corporate Affairs, Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra said on Friday that chartered accountants (CAs) play a pivotal role in Indias progress by auditing companies, ensuring transparency, and upholding ethical standards.

Speaking during the 4th Global Education Summit in Commerce and Accountancy (GESCA) 2024 here, Malhotra said, India has established a commendable position in the field of accountancy. Educationists are crucial in advancing Indias economy to third place globally.

The Union minister contended that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 prioritises holistic student development, with educational institutions nurturing their growth. He stressed the need to promote financial literacy for the progress of the nation.

Advertisement

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), through its Board of Studies, is hosting the two-day Summit that commenced on Friday. The summit was inaugurated by the Union minister in the presence of Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, President of ICAI; CA (Dr.) Rajkumar S Adukia, Chairman of the Board of Studies; CA. (Dr.) Raj Chawla, Central Council Member, ICAI; CA Piyush S Chhajed, Central Council Member, ICAI.

Speaking at the event, CA Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, President of ICAI, highlighted the significance of the summit, saying, ICAI has entered into MRA/MoUs with 24 countries across the world. We have awarded scholarships to 11047 students, ensuring accessibility and maintaining our position as the most affordable accounting course. We are also empowering the nation and women, with 43.5 per cent of our CAs students being female and 30 per cent of our total membership are women, Chartered Accountants.
The Congress on Friday slammed the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre over the reported increase in tariffs by three private telecom companies, stating that this has put an annual burden of Rs 34,824 crore on 109 crore cell phone users.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said, Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea have increased their tariffs by an average of 15 per cent from 3rd July. The three private cell phone companies have a market share of 91.6 per cent, or 109 crore cell phone users, out of a total of 119 crore cell phone users as of 31st December 2023.

Surjewala, who is the Congress MP in Rajya Sabha, asserted that this increase has put an annual burden of Rs 34,824 crore on 109 crore cell phone users.

Advertisement

Stating that the cell phone market in India is an oligopoly, he said, Reliance Jio has 48 crore cell phone users, Airtel 39 crore and Vodafone Idea 22.37 crore. Out of these, Jio and Airtel have a combined customer base of 87 crore, making them a virtual duopoly.

Referring to the dates of the announcement of tariff hikes, the Congress leader said, Firstly, the announcement dates of the tariff increase appear to be clearly in consonance among the three private cell phone companies. Secondly, the effective date of implementation for the increased tariffs is the same.

Surjewala also posed a volley of questions to the ruling dispensation over the matter.

How can private cell phone companies be permitted to unilaterally increase cell phone tariffs by Rs 34,824 crore annually without any oversight and regulation by the Modi government? Why have the Modi government and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) abdicated their duty and responsibility towards 109 crore cell phone users? he questioned.

He also questioned why the Modi government turned a blind eye to the matter.
Five people, including a man and his two sons, lost their lives on Friday morning due to a toxic gas leak in a well in Kikirda village. The victims were attempting to rescue a man trapped inside the well when they were overcome by the gas.

According to police reports, Rajendra Jaiswal entered the well to retrieve a piece of wood that had fallen inside. As the gas started leaking, he lost consciousness. His wife raised an alarm, prompting people to enter the well to rescue him, but none survived.

The sequence of events began when neighbour Ramesh Patel entered the well to save Rajendra. He too began to struggle for breath. Rameshs two sons, Rajendra and Jitendra, followed in a desperate attempt to save their father. When the four did not return, Tikesh Chandra, another neighbour, went in to rescue them. Unfortunately, the toxic gas claimed all their lives.

Advertisement

Upon receiving the information, the Birra police and the local Tehsildar rushed to the scene. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team was also called in. SP Vivek Shukla, who arrived at the site, stated that they were waiting for the SDRF team from Bilaspur. Local divers could not enter the well due to the lack of oxygen masks. The bodies will be retrieved and sent directly to the hospital.

Tikesh Chandra, the last person to enter the well, had been married only three months ago. He was celebrating his wifes birthday today and had even posted a birthday status on WhatsApp.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed deep sorrow over the incident. He said, The news of the death of five villagers in the well accident in Kikirda village, Janjgir, is extremely sad. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow.
In 2022, while Chinese investment contracted by almost 7% in Latin America, in Mexico it soared by 48%. 2.52 billion dollars made its way from the Great Wall to the Zocalo, boosting the manufacturing and automotive industries located in the north of the Aztec nation.

In 2023, the movement of capital was even more spectacular, as the Chinese consortium LGMG Group alone announced a 5 billion-dollar project in Nuevo Leon, a state bordering on Texas, to build an industrial park.

Although the commercial tension between the US and China is hurting the world, some small fish have been able to take advantage of this fight between whales: Vietnam, Malaysia and others are attracting American capital that used to go to China; and, in the case of Mexico, due to its geographical position and treaties signed with Washington, it is drawing, in addition to American capital, a lot of Chinese money whose owners are trying to evade the trade barriers imposed by the US.

Like swallows taking flight in the Far East seeking to land near the United States, billions of dollars are flying right over Cuba without even making a stopover on the Caribbean island, which, given its location and history (before the Castro brothers) should be receiving flocks of these millionaire swallows, which would allow national industry and agriculture to flourish.

That investment is not landing in the country despite the fact that, after 65 years of its ruinous Revolution, Cuba has, to our national shame, what is possibly the cheapest set of workers in the world in terms of the quality-to-price ratio. The great achievement of socialism is to have trained thousands of engineers, doctors and technicians of all kinds, who today would feel blessed by the Holy Spirit if someone paid them even the paltriest of wages. How many Chinese businessmen with experience in the capitalist exploitation of socialist workers could enjoy the luxury of underpaying these desperate Cuban professionals? After paying those at the top their cut, of course.

Is the U.S. embargo responsible for making beautiful Cuba look like the ugly girl in the corner at this carnival of money, with no one asking her to dance?

Let us suppose that the embargo does indeed prohibit (we will see later that it does not) direct exports from Cuba to the United States. If that were the case, it would still be very lucrative for Chinese businessmen to take advantage of Cuba's extremely cheap and relatively skilled labor force to develop projects, plans, parts, pieces and services for the textile, automotive, telecommunications or renewable energy industries, or any other that could be inserted into production chains ending in Mexico.

It is very common today for goods to be manufactured in many countries simultaneously; each iPhone, for example, features parts made by companies spanning more than 30 nationalities. So, why do Chinese businesspeople totally ignore Cuba, when they could save by including it in the value chains of their new Made-in-Mexico products?

Nothing stops the creativity of businesspeople when it comes to innovating ways to lower costs; nothing except fear and distrust. And therein lies the problem: the fear and distrust that even Chinese "friends" feel towards the Cuban Communist Party (CCP). We ought not forget that they suffer their own Communist Party and, if they have been able to prosper, it is because it has adopted ideas that the Caribbean PCC refuses to incorporate, instead preserving its crude anti-capitalist essence. It seems that the Chinese, based on their own experience, do not trust the Communists.

Returning to the embargo, it is designed to torpedo the development of a government, the Cuban Government, that is a declared enemy of the US, a government that came about declaring war on the USA by financing and arming the country's enemies, while at the same time spouting incendiary anti-Yankee rhetoric around the world and backing a series of terrorist governments, including Russia, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela.

The embargo is not, however, designed to impoverish Cuban civil society. Therefore, there have always been mechanisms at the disposal of the Legislature and the Executive in Washington (ones recently used by Joe Biden) to support the development of Cubans who are independent (not only dissidents) of the Cuban government. It is Castroism that has quashed any kind of civil society in Cuba, crushing any possibility of a private sector that today could comprise the business fabric necessary to take advantage of the opportunity these Chinese investments represent to even export directly to the United States.

It is Castroism, not the embargo, that blocks free international trade for Cubans, what Raul calls "the socialist principle of the State monopoly on foreign trade." It is Castroism, not the embargo, that blocks foreign investments from going directly to private entrepreneurs by forcing them to go through the government, even to hire labor.

The fact that neither the State, through state-owned enterprises, nor outsiders through foreign investment, nor local entrepreneurs, through MSMEs, are employing many more very cheap Cuban professionals, indicates how twisted and perverse the policy is of a government incapable of taking advantage of the army of paupers it has created; well educated people, but ones who need to be paid something to survive in the socialist paradise, because dignity, at times, is not enough to prevent anemia or scurvy.

Simple political and economic changes would have an enormous effect on the volumes of investment received. Investment could even save what is left of the regime, but Castroism is exhausted or paralyzed by internal tensions. While Miguel Diaz-Canel cynically dedicates himself to demolishing socialism and promoting inequality in the name of social justice, the more misery there is in Cuba, the more the military devours the country and positions itself to, when the inevitable happens, transform from illustrious members of the PCC to standard-bearers of the CPD: Cuban Party for Dollars.
Questioning the rationale of the DMK government of MK Stalin for granting Rs 10 lakh solatium to the families of Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which had claimed 65 lives, Madras High Court on Friday observed that it is far too high.

A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shafiq, hearing a public interest litigation filed by one Mohammed Ghose, asked how such a huge amount could be granted for those who had died of consuming spurious liquor.

The hooch tragedy struck Kallakurichi, 244 km south of Chennai, on June 19. The killer brew, mixed with methanol was supplied near the police station in the heart of the town and it had claimed a huge toll. Many are still under treatment.

Advertisement

Entrusting the investigation into the incident with the CB-CID police and ordering a Judicial inquiry, Chief Minister Stalin had announced a financial relief of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the victims. He also assured that the state would take care of the studies of children who have lost their parents in the tragedy. Arresting the kingpin and others behind the manufacture and sale of the illicit liquor, the CB-CID had found that up to 30 per cent methanol was mixed in the killer brew.

The high quantum of financial relief for the hooch victims had faced criticism and ridicule on social media following noted author Pa Raghavans stinging observation that even writers who get the coveted Sahitya Akademi award do not get such a cash reward. Have those who have fallen victims to spurious liquor rendered greater service to society? he had questioned. It has sparked an online debate with many, while being sympathetic to the victims families, have opposed the high quantum of relief.

Opposing the solatium of Rs 10 lakh as arbitrary and as a mask to cover up the governments failure in curbing illicit liquor, the PIL petitioner submitted that even freedom fighters do not get this much. Why is there no uniform policy on compensation for victims of road accidents and natural calamities, he further asked. Even earlier, the Stalin government had granted Rs 10 lakh compensation to the families of 23 hooch victims in Chengalpattu and Marakkanam.

The Bench, directing the government counsel to get instruction on whether the quantum of relief could be reduced, posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks.
The Monsoon Session of the Madhya Pradesh State Assembly was adjourned sine die on Friday, 14 days before schedule.

The listed business was transacted including passing of Rs 3.65 lakh crore budget for 2024-25 amid heated exchanges between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress MLAs on various issues like the nursing scam and functioning of Madrasas in the state.

The assembly also passed a bill paving the way for strict action against the people who leave their bore wells open leading to mishaps.

Advertisement

Finance Minister Jagdish Devda moved a proposal to pass the state budget. The opposition Congress demanded a vote but Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar denied permission.

Tomar subsequently adjourned the House sine die.

Outside the house, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar told media persons that the opposition had the right to demand a vote on the budget.

Singhar alleged that the BJP does not run the house according to the rules, as it was afraid of discussions on issues like the nursing scam.

Later, Singhar met MP Governor Mangubhai Patel and submitted a memorandum over the nursing scam.
The Madhya Pradesh government would bring a tough law to keep a check on illegal colonies in the state, Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya told the Assembly on Thursday.

He said that the government would come up with a bill to this effect.

The minister said that a strong nexus has been involved in developing illegal colonies, which needs to be stopped.

Advertisement

Illegal colonies have become a serious issue across the state. A nexus is involved in it. We are working to introduce a bill in the Assembly, which would also have a provision for tough action, including NSA, Vijayvargiya told the house during the Question Hour session of the Assembly.

He was replying to questions over mushrooming illegal colonies and the plight of the residents during the third day of the Monsoon session of the Assembly.

The step may affect residents of more than 6,000 colonies in the state, which have been identified as unauthorised.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has indicated he would roll back the decision taken by his predecessor and former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Chouhan, during mid of the Assembly elections in November last year, had announced that all illegal colonies developed during the period between December 2016 and December 2022 would be regularised.

The former CM had then said, Why illegal? Have you built these houses with any illegal procedures? You bought these houses with your hard-earned money. Why is it being called illegal? The decision to declare it illegal is itself illegal. I will end this.
The second meeting of the Financing Women Collaborative (FWC), a key initiative of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), was held in Mumbai on Friday to deliberate and address issues with relevant stakeholders towards accelerating access to finance for women entrepreneurs.

The event included an engaging session exploring Perspectives on encouraging banks to finance women beyond SHG groups and a panel discussion titled Accelerating womens access to finance: Unlocking the potential of the women-led economy for achieving Vision 2047.

As part of the workshop, Anna Roy, Mission Director, WEP, and Principal Economic Adviser, NITI Aayog, launched several initiatives.

Advertisement

She announced new collaborations to support women entrepreneurs by strengthening their access to finance.

Key highlights included the announcement of a partnership between MAVIM and MSC under FWC to improve access to finance through alternate credit rating mechanisms and work with banks to offer more tailored products for women entrepreneurs in Maharashtra. There was also an MoU exchange between WEP and GroW Network, founded by AfD, SIDBI, and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation.

It also featured the launch of the Seher program by TU CIBIL and the launch of the Shine program in partnership with CreditEnable to strengthen the credit readiness of women-led enterprises. Additionally, SEWA Banks commitment to reaching out to more women entrepreneurs as a member of FWC was announced.

The event featured an impressive line-up of speakers from NITI Aayog, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Ministry of Finance, MSME, SIDBI, State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of India, Gates Foundation, Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM), TU CIBIL, and MSC.

Speaking at the event, Neeraj Nigam, Executive Director (ED), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said, FWC is among the first initiatives exemplifying a true public-private partnership. Efforts to promote financial inclusion involve both demand and supply sides. While numerous initiatives have effectively tackled supply-side issues to a good extent, FWCs initiatives will go a long way in addressing demand-side constraints.

Jitendra Asati, Director (Financial Inclusion), Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, Government of India, said, Relooking the financial inclusion agenda through a gender lens can accelerate Indias banking sector efforts towards women-led economic development. Any inclusive effort focusing on women improves conditions for children, households, and larger communities.

The meeting was organised by WEP in partnership with TransUnion CIBIL (TU CIBIL) and MicroSave Consulting (MSC).

WEP, incubated in NITI Aayog in 2018 as an aggregator platform, transitioned into a public-private partnership in 2022.

FWC, an initiative of WEP launched in September 2023, aims to enhance access to finance for women entrepreneurs in India. It is chaired by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and co-chaired by TU CIBIL, with MSC as its secretariat.
Long standing state president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), K Armstrong (52), was hacked to death by a six-member armed gang in front of his residence in Perambur area of north Chennai on Friday evening.

A lawyer, he was the state president of the BSP for 17 long years and had a strong support base among the Dalits of north Chennai. The murder of a leader of a national political party has sent shock waves in Chennai and across the state.

According to police, he was talking to his supporters late in the evening when the bike-borne armed assailants, two of them dressed up as food delivery agents, attacked him with machetes, leaving him in a pool of blood. He sustained deep cuts in the neck and head and was rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries.

Advertisement

Ace filmmaker Pa Ranjith and a large number of BSP supporters have thronged the hospital on hearing the news. While the body has been taken for the post-mortem examination, police have deployed additional personnel in view of the surging crowd at the hospital.

Police have formed 10 special teams to nab the assailants, who have fled the scene, and Inspector General Asra Garg is heading the investigation. Steps have been taken to collect available CCTV footage near the crime scene to ascertain the identity of the gang that carried out the murder.

He has been a vocal supporter of Dalit students of Chennais Dr Ambedkar Law College, where he had completed his degree in 2010. He had financially helped many Dalit students to pursue their law programme.

He was arrested in 2012 in connection with the sensational violent clash in the law college adjoining the High Court campus among students belonging to Thevar caste and Dalits in 2008. It was seen as a retaliation of the latter against harassment and ill-treatment. Armstrong and all the 21 accused students were acquitted by the High Court in 2018.
I am thankful that I have witnessed some of the most significant advances in technology in my lifetime; moon landing, the internet, smartphone and DNA analysis just to name a few. The next revolution will involve Artificial Intelligence (AI) in every aspect of our lives. Even without AI, I often feel overwhelmed by recent advances in technology and wonder if we, especially the older folks, are going backwards in terms of our convenience and expenditure with all the new innovations.

I will give several examples from my daily life to make the point. My first gripe is about the invasion of apps. Every business wants their app installed on our cell phone. The stated reason is to offer us convenience, but it gets confusing and time-consuming when we need to navigate through dozens of apps; it also overloads the memory of the phone and forces us to buy more storage. I especially dislike apps of grocery stores and crave the old days when I could just use a store card to get the sale price instead of fumbling through choices and clicks. I often do not even take advantage of the sale prices. Cars are becoming incredibly advanced in using technology.

While some recent features related to safety are great, other features only cause anxiety and expense even though the intentions might have been good. I had a car with slick push buttons to open doors instead of traditional mechanical handles. Suddenly, one button stopped functioning. My only choice was to go to the dealership and pay close to $200. Mechanical handles used to last forever. I made sure that my next car had mechanical handles. Newer cars no longer come with spare tires. The stated reasons are to increase trunk space and fuel efficiency by reducing weight.

Advertisement

It is unnerving for me to go on a long-distance trip without a spare tire. Cars have stopped providing DVD players with the radio. If one wants to listen to ones favourite songs one must rely on a cell phone and Bluetooth. I am tempted to replace my car radio with a DVD player and keep a spare tire anyway. All companies are going away from providing instruction manuals, printed on paper. Now it is all on their website or accessible on cellphone using a QR code.

Call me old-fashioned but I prefer flipping through pages to the right information as opposed to navigating on a computer or phone screen using various toolbars, side bars and icons. The companies save money by reducing the cost of printing the manuals and can also preach their goal about saving trees. Only the customers are inconvenienced. Speaking of companies improving their bottom line, all customer services of all companies have now been automated, which does not help the customers at all if the problem requires a detailed explanation. If the customer insists on talking to a person, he/she will end up talking to either a ChatGPT robot or someone from a country like the Philippines or Guatemala who can barely speak English. Controls for electronic devices and home appliances are getting increasingly more complex. There are so many options it is easy to get confused while pushing the buttons to perform a specific function.

Of course, it is not difficult to perform those tasks if the instruction manuals are handy, but without manuals they defy common sense. Also, there is no standardization; operation of a Samsung TV can be entirely different from a Toshiba TV, for example. My other gripe is about the font size of instructions. As the sizes of all devices get smaller and smaller, so do the letters in any instructions, often requiring a reading glass. The idea of running cars and appliances without human involvement scares me. If the point is that a robot with all the relevant sensors can perform in the same way as a human being, I get it. What worries me are unexpected events, components not working properly because of age or fatigue and lack of instantaneous communications.

I miss those days when I could look at my photo albums by myself or with others and reminisce about past events. Now, I am overloaded with hundreds if not thousands of photos on my cell phone. I do not like looking at a computer screen or smartphone screen. I typically print out a selected few and paste them in an album just like the old days. The same thing happens when I want to watch a movie. It is not just the pay per view; now I am bombarded with streaming services from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon etc. who not only stream hit movies but produce their own. I get overwhelmed by choices and end up watching old movies on some classic movie channel.

I suspect that the reason for all these advances is the burning desire of the young engineers to use their innovative minds with encouragement and incentives from their employers to help the customers. The real reason for the employers is improving their bottom lines. My belief is that the younger engineers do not have enough life experience to consider if their products are being useful to all customers, especially the ones who are older and/or live in rural environments and lack a global perspective about what can possibly go wrong (a disruption in supply chain caused by war, for example). Inconvenience and added expenditure are one thing but all high-tech companies now seem to be engaged in spying on us and monitoring our activities.

Their goal is to learn our tastes and spending habits so that they can market their products to us better. Just say loudly in your living room that you are planning to buy an item XYZ. Next day, ads will pop up on the screen telling you where you can buy XYZ. How do the companies do it? We have allowed, perhaps without realizing, several devices which can pick up our private conversations: Alexa and cell phone just to name two. This aspect of advance in technology is both creepy and worrisome. It is only going to get worse with a full-scale invasion of AI. I feel like throwing away my smart phone and going back to dial-up home phones. One of my friends summarized it best by saying that If necessity is the mother of invention, making a buck is the father of invention.

I am not against clever marketing schemes, but I worry about what would happen if the technology fell into the wrong hands. Identity theft, electronic depletion of bank accounts, publicizing of health issues and other private matters, political persecution are just some immediate concerns which are already happening. Advances in technology are causing me inconvenience, unnecessary expenses and anxiety. As a result, I am living how I used to live thirty or forty years ago by avoiding most new features. I feel that I am no longer in control; there are too many predetermined options.

I can imagine a day when technology will eventually strip us of our material possessions, private information and even thought processes; we will have nothing to hide and will all become completely transparent. This will be the ultimate in going back  going back to the caveman days. The conspiracy theorists speculate that this is all by design so that the elusive Illuminati can control all of us like a bunch of cavemen zombies.

(The writer, a physicist who worked in industry and academia, is a Bengali settled in America.)
The plight of marginal farmers in India is an urgent issue that demands immediate attention. These farmers, who own or lease less than one hectare of land, represent over 65 per cent of the farming community. Their challenges are manifold, compounded by the impacts of climate change and inadequate access to essential resources. One of the most pressing issues highlighted by recent reports is the shrinking income of marginal farmers. As farm incomes decline, many farmers are forced to seek supplementary livelihoods. This trend, exacerbated by erratic weather patterns, poses a significant threat to the sustainability of agriculture in India.

Nearly half of the respondents in a recent survey reported crop losses in key crops like paddy, cotton, wheat, and potatoes, severely affecting their economic stability. Despite the critical role that marginal farmers play in the agricultural sector, they face significant barriers in accessing government schemes and services. While over 86 per cent of respondents reported receiving Direct Benefit Transfers, other vital supports like institutional credit, crop insurance and technical inputs remain out of reach for many. This disconnect highlights the need for more inclusive and accessible policies that address the unique challenges faced by these farmers.

The current agricultural policies must evolve to recognise the limited nature of land as a production factor while leveraging the potential of capital, labour, and technology. Meaningful interventions in areas such as dairying, livestock, horticulture, and intensive protected cultivation can provide alternative income sources and improve the resilience of marginal farmers. Technical support services for commodity clusters should be strengthened to ensure farmers receive the necessary guidance and resources. Climate Resistant Agriculture (CRA) is another crucial area that requires attention. While many farmers have heard of CRA, their ability to implement these practices depends largely on the availability of extension services and technical inputs.

Advertisement

The reality is that most farmers rely on village-level input suppliers for information on seeds, nutrients, insecticides, and pesticides. This reliance underscores the need for better outreach and education programmes that can provide accurate and timely information to farmers. Linking programmes like MNREGA with CRA initiatives has shown promise in states such as Odisha, Maharashtra, and Bihar. These efforts need to be scaled up and replicated nationwide to build a robust support system for marginal farmers. Furthermore, the convergence of the ministries of rural development and agriculture, under the leadership of experienced policymakers, can drive more grounded and effective farm policies. The role of civil society and the private sector in supporting marginal farmers cannot be overstated.

Farmer collectives, self-help groups, and other community-based organisations can significantly enhance the bargaining power of farmers, providing them with better access to services and markets. Private sector initiatives, such as climate-smart villages and digital weather indexbased insurance, also offer innovative solutions that can mitigate the risks associated with farming. It is imperative that all stakeholders work together to create a supportive ecosystem that empowers farmers and enables them to become viable entrepreneurs in Indias green economy
At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh will pay an official visit to China from July 8 to 10, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday.

This will be Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas first visit to China since her new term began and five years after her last visit to China, Mao said at a daily press briefing, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping will also meet the Bangladeshi Prime Minister.

Advertisement

Premier Li Qiang will hold a welcoming ceremony and have talks with her, Mao said, noting that the two heads of government will attend the signing ceremony of cooperation documents.

The spokesperson said that leaders of the two countries will have an in-depth exchange of views on how to deepen traditional friendship and expand mutually beneficial cooperation and on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Prime Minister Hasina will also attend the summit on trade, business and investment opportunities between China and Bangladesh, Xinhua reported.

China and Bangladesh are good neighbours, good friends and good partners. We have similar visions for development and well-aligned development strategies, Mao said, pointing out that since the establishment of diplomatic relations 49 years ago, the two countries have treated each other with respect and equality, engaged in mutually beneficial cooperation, supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, and jointly advanced modernisation.

Mao said that the two sides have set a good example of friendship and cooperation between developing countries. In recent years, with the strategic guidance and commitment of leaders of the two countries, the two sides have deepened China-Bangladesh strategic cooperative partnership, and had fruitful and practical cooperation in various fields.

China stands ready to work with Bangladesh through this visit to carry forward the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, deepen political mutual trust, further synergise development strategies, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, speed up implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and elevate the bilateral relations to a new level, she said.
The Senate has passed significant reforms to the Payment Times Reporting Act 2020, aiming to eliminate inefficiencies, streamline processes, and incentivise large businesses to improve their payment practices.

The revamped legislation introduces consolidated reporting under Australian accounting standards to enhance the quality, completeness, and comparability of reported data.

Key Changes and Regulatory Powers

Once implemented, the bill will empower the regulator to name and shame the best and worst-paying large businesses and conduct research on the broader economic impacts of slow payments. Additionally, the minister for small business will have the authority to direct entities in the slowest 20 percent of payers to make enhanced disclosures. These entities will be required to state on their websites and in relevant documents that they are slow small business payers and provide information on accessing their payment times reports. The Payment Times Reporting Regulator will then list these entities in the Payment Times Reporting Register.

Government Commitment to Small Businesses

Speaking before the Senate, Senator Carol Brown emphasized that the revised framework aims to improve cash flow for smaller businesses, reduce administrative burdens, and lower financing costs. Small businesses are the backbone of the Australian economy, employing more than 5 million people and contributing over $500 billion to the national economy, Senator Brown stated. For small businesses that supply goods and services to large companies, its simply unfair for those big corporations to delay paying the invoice.

Industry Reactions

Luke Fossett, General Manager of GoCardless Australia and New Zealand, hailed the passage of the payment times reform as a positive development for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) struggling with late and failed payments. This is good news for big businesses too, as those that pay their suppliers on time and support Australias SMBs will now receive positive recognition, Fossett noted.

He highlighted findings from the recent Pursuing Payments report, which revealed that one in five Australian small business owners and decision-makers estimate losing between $6,000 and $30,000 annually due to late payments. Improving payment times is a net good for local businesses, and were hopeful these reforms will create meaningful change.

Fossett also pointed out the disproportionate impact of late payments on women, noting that 29% of women feel uncomfortable asking customers for payment, rising to almost 46% when chasing late payments, compared to 26% and 40% of men, respectively. Helping businesses get paid faster will create net benefits not only for the businesses themselves but also for their employees and the broader economy.

The changes to the Payment Times Reporting Act follow a review by Dr. Craig Emerson last year, which made several recommendations to improve the schemes operation. The legislations passage marks a significant step toward fairer payment practices and stronger financial health for small businesses across Australia.

Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
India is among the world's largest two-wheeler markets and for a good reason. Millions of people in the country are dependent on a two-wheeler for their daily commute. It may be a common man's mode of commute, the government still levies a GST (Goods and Services tax) of 28 per cent. Rajiv Bajaj, the managing director of homegrown Bajaj Auto says that's just too much.

On Friday, the company launched Freedom 125, the world's first motorcycle that runs on CNG, and it's priced attractively between Rs 95,000-110,000 ex-showroom. On a full tank (2 litres petrol and 2kg CNG) the company claims a mileage of up to 330 km and says running costs can reduce by half.

CNG may be an eco-friendly fuel compared to petrol and cost effective, too, but this bike will still attract a GST of 28 per cent.

Electric Vehicles are levied a 5 per cent GST. With Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in attendance, Bajaj reiterated the need to lower the GST for vehicles on cleaner fuels, too.

"The government should seriously review GST rates for clean fuels, just as they have done the right thing with the 5 per cent GST for electric," he said.

Bajaj pointed that in major two-wheeler markets in Latin America and ASEAN the equivalent of GST was 8-14 per cent and almost without exception, the GDP per capita was equal to or higher in these countries than in India.

"So, the aam aadmi (common man) of India is the one who can afford the least out of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil etc. Then what is the logic, justification of 28 per cent GST," he asked.

Bajaj said, the company had done its bit, pricing the Freedom below Rs 1 lakh, and felt the government should also now do its bit with lower GST.
In todays travel landscape, the desire for genuine immersion and authentic experiences has sparked a transformative shift. Travellers are no longer content with just a comfortable bed and room service; they crave meaningful connections with local cultures and communities. This shift has redefined what it means to travel, pushing the tourism industry to innovate and offer personalized experiences that go beyond traditional stays.

Travellers are seeking distinctive accommodations that give them a chance to escape the ordinary and immerse themselves in extraordinary environments. The novelty and authenticity offered by these unique accommodations can create lasting memories and stories to share, challenging the tourism industry to step up and offer something truly special.

Experiential stays is a rising trend in the tourism industry, with a 20 per cent increase in searches year-over-year1, with travellers looking beyond tailor-made itineraries and open to exploring off the beaten path destinations.

There has been a surge in interest in unique stays such as treehouses, domes, farm stays and container homes, amongst others, with many seeking a blend of adventure and comfort in their travel plans. These escapes offer a riveting way of experiencing a city or an exotic locale in an unconventional manner, while learning more about that area, and its culture.

Imagine sleeping in an historic lighthouse overlooking the sea, or in a cave dwelling in Cappadocia, Turkey, which offers a cozy and otherworldly experience. These converted spaces offer travelers a chance to be a part of something truly memorable and make for enriching life experiences. Then there are themed accommodations, such as ice hotels in Scandinavia or Hobbit-style huts in New Zealand. They add whimsy and wonder to travel, creating avenues for imagination to take physical form.

Iconic stays at celebrity homes

One of the most exciting developments in unique accommodations space is the emergence of celebrity homes. Imagine joining a living room session with Doja Catfresh off a tour performing on the worlds biggest stages, or Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor inviting you into the legendary, never-before-seen Kapoor family home in Chennai, India, or just hanging out with Kevin Hart.

The emergence of celebrity homes as a category stems from travelers wanting to experience the life their favourite celebrities live, giving them a chance to live a dream, even if just for a night. Staying in a celebrity's home offers a glimpse behind the curtain, into their lifestyle and personal journeys, giving fans access to a space thats often closely guarded. It's like being part of their inner circle, even if only temporarily. These homes often boast luxury and opulence, from private villas to penthouses, with lavish amenities, stunning views, and personalised service, and at the same time bring out the humane side of individuals lesser known to the world outside.

Culturally vibrant stays at heritage homes

Cultural tourism has emerged as one of the fastest growing segments, accounting for 40 per cent of all tourism worldwide, according to UNESCO. Whether it's centuries-old European manors, colonial-era bungalows in India, or traditional ryokans in Japan, staying in a heritage home is like stepping back in time. These homes often have rich stories, antique furnishings, and architectural charm that transport guests to a different era. Heritage homes are usually located in historic neighborhoods, allowing guests to immerse themselves in local culture, while providing a fillip to the business within the area. Pair that with insights from seasoned hosts, and local stories and its a wholesome experience that is both educational and enchanting.

Self discovery and ancestral travel

With the rise of at-home genetic tests, exploring one's ancestry has become easier and has fueled a trend known as ancestry travel. This burgeoning interest sees people traveling to connect with their ancestral roots, and various companies are offering ways to enhance this experience. They are helping travelers take a plunge into their history and heritage, whether it's staying in a trullo in Puglia or learning traditional dye techniques in Mexico City. Such journeys offer deeper cultural connections and personal insights, making ancestry travel an increasingly popular and meaningful form of exploration. According to an April 2019 study commissioned by Airbnbof 8,000 people across the US, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, India, France, the UK, and Australia89 per cent of survey respondents in India have traveled to at least one country of their ancestry as well as 69 per cent in France and over half of Americans.

Unique and authentic experiences

Young travelers today are interested in authenticity. They want authentic experiences that are intellectually stimulating or personally fulfilling. This could be learning about local culture, exploring local cuisine, attending a music festival or dance recital. In addition to cultural immersion, there is a growing interest among young travellers in spiritual and wellness tourism. This form of travel focuses on personal growth, self-discovery, and holistic well-being. It includes activities such as yoga retreats, meditation workshops, and visits to sacred sites. These journeys often take travelers to serene environments that foster a sense of peace and introspection. For instance, travelers might participate in mindfulness retreats in the tranquil mountains of Bhutan, engage in spiritual healing practices in the sacred valleys of Peru, or experience the ancient wellness traditions of Ayurveda in the lush landscapes of India.

Whats next on the travellers wish list

As travellers prioritise exploration over accumulation, travel is progressively becoming a journey towards enrichment and understanding. Rather than merely collecting passport stamps, travellers now are actively seeking unique and authentic experiences. It's high time the industry moved away from standardised experiences and embraced the rich variety of global hospitality offerings. By offering unique stays and unforgettable experiences, the travel industry is at the forefront of this transformative shift, redefining travel and making it more meaningful and memorable for everyone.

The future of travel lies in the ability to offer authentic, immersive experiences that connect travelers to local cultures and communities. From tree house retreats to heritage homes and iconic celebrity homes, unique accommodations are paving the way for a new era of travel.

Bajaj is Airbnb's general manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Microblogging and social networking service Koo, which was touted as a desi alternative to X (Twitter), recently announced that it is was discontinuing its services.

Co-founded by entrepreneurs Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, Koo was launched in 2020 amid much fanfare and gained quick fame in the wake of a standoff between the Union government and X (then Twitter) over the platform's refusal to remove certain contents and block certain accounts. A slew of cabinet ministers, BJP leaders and Bollywood celebrities then joined Koo, giving the platform a much-needed push and increased visibility.

However, four years after it was launched, the founders announced that they were shutting down Koo. The founders were forced to shut down the platform due to the funding winter. According to them, they needed five to six years of aggressive, long term and patient capital to make Koo a huge success.

Despite winning the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge' in the Social category in 2020, and being ranked among the top 3 social media products in the AsiaPacific (APAC) region, Kood had been assailed by funding troubles. The company was forced to lay off 30 per cent of its workforce in April 2023 amid the fund crunch.

It takes a lot to euthanize something you built with so much love, the founders said in a LinkedIn post, adding, may be next time. They said they can and they will try to challenge global giants at their game.

Hesitant investors

According to the founders, they explored partnerships with multiple large internet companies, conglomerates and media houses, but these talks did not yield the desired results.

They said most of these organisations did not want to deal with user-generated content and the wild nature of a social media company.

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, they said.

They claimed that they were just months away from beating X in India in 2022 and could have doubled down on that short term goal if they had enough funding. The founders said they were hit by a prolonged funding winter, forcing them to tone down on their growth trajectory.

Koo could have become successful internationally if the market was favourable and they had enough funds.

The funding winter got the better of us, they said.

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 of revenue, they said.

The founders said they intended to democratize expression and help people connect with each other in their local languages, and built a product that was globally scalable in a fraction of the time that X did. They noted that X had superior systems algorithms and strong stakeholder-first philosophies.
Two neighbouring statesPunjab and UT of Jammu and Kashmirare facing two different challenges as jailed radical preacher Amritpal Singh and Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid kept security forces on their toes during their temporary release from jail for swearing in as members of Parliament in New Delhi on Friday. Their swearing-in comes weeks after they won the Lok Sabha polls.

The radical space is expanding in Punjab while it is shrinking in J&K, said a senior security official. Yet the outcomes are the same.

The cause of worry is the inability of the twin administrations to fill the gaps that created a space for radical narratives and rise of leaders who tapped these sentiments through violent or illegal means but gathered mass support in the process.

The gaps were not created overnight, said a security official, explaining that successive governments sat over a growing population of youth without jobs becoming victims of drugs and radical narratives that promised to assist them in creating better lives but to no avail.

The silver lining, said a state police official, is that both Amritpal and Rashid have been co-opted in the democratic process as they pledged allegiance to the Constitution .

As police forces of multiple states coordinated the movements of jailed leaders, the security brass also began deliberating on the possibility of jailed associates of the duo entering the fray when next round of elections take place.

Already, three associates of Amritpal lodged in Dibrugarh jail are learnt to have expressed keenness to fight elections .

The assembly byelections from Punjabs Barnala, Dera Baba Nanak and Gidderbaha are slated to take place soon and Amritpals fellow detainees under National Security Act are eyeing an opportunity to rally support. Separately, assembly polls are due in J&K in September .

It is a double edged sword as their support base will be influenced by their ideology and approach but the outreach will have to be through peaceful means and constitutional methods, said an official.

What rings a bell of worry is that both are border states where threats from terror groups in Pakistan are alive.

While Punjab felt a sense of neglect, according to security sources, with central government assistance found wanting in pushing infrastructure and improving living conditions for an aspirational generation who was exposed to foreign shores, J&K got attention of the Centre but the youth were yet to become beneficiaries of an alternate system of governance that would address their issues.

Rashid is in Tihar jail in a terror funding case while Amritpal is lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam for offences under NSA.
A remarkable discovery has been made in a coconut farm in Ramanathapuram: a tombstone with Hebrew inscriptions dating back to the 13th century. This find is expected to shed new light on the region's historical connection to the Jewish community.

Thoufeek Zakriya, a Jewish history researcher and Hebrew calligrapher, the first to decipher the inscription, says that the tombstone dates to 1224 or 1225 AD. "This means that it is older than the Sarah Bat Israel Tombstone in Keralas Chennamangalam, which is considered the oldest Hebrew tombstone ever identified in India," Zakriya told THE WEEK.

Thoufeek Zakriya

In 2022, a stone pillar with inscriptions suggesting the presence of a Jewish synagogue was found in Valantharai, near Ramanathapuram. The pillar, which locals had been using for washing clothes, featured around 50 lines of inscription. Zakriya explained that this earlier discovery detailed a land donation for a "Sudapalli", now assumed to mean "Jootha Palli" or Jewish Synagogue. Interestingly, the 2022 inscriptions were in Tamil, whereas the new tombstone inscriptions are in Hebrew.

Hathim Ali, 32, a young chemical engineer and history enthusiast from Ramanathapuram, brought the tombstone to public attention. "One of my friends informed me about this tombstone found in the coconut farm owned by Mr. Balu," Ali told THE WEEK. "When I went to inspect it, I understood that it was neither Tamil nor Arabic. Later, I thought maybe it could be Hebrew." Despite informing government authorities, no one came to inspect it. "That is when I decided to tell the Dinamalar [a Tamil newspaper]," he added. Notably, Balu found the tombstone in an ancient and unused well on his property.

Zakriya, who is working in the UAE, learned about the discovery through a news piece in the Dinamalar, forwarded by Rajaguru, the president of the Ramanathapuram Archaeological Research Foundation. Zakriya then contacted Hatim, who sent him pictures of the inscriptions for deciphering. "The Hebrew inscription bears the date as the 1st of Shvat (Hebrew Month) 1536 or 1537 of the Seleucid era," Zakriya explained. The Seleucid era is the first system of continuous year numbering, introduced in West Asia by the Seleucids. The Jewish adoption of the Seleucid era, known as the Minyan Shetarot, resulted from Hellenistic influence following the conquests of Alexander the Great and the subsequent Seleucid rule over the Jews.

Hathim Ali

"When converting the dates from the Seleucid era to the common era, it was found that the date on the tombstone inscriptions is approximately equivalent to January 1, 1224 AD, or January 18, 1225 AD," Zakriya noted, adding that not every line in the inscription could be deciphered due to damage. "So, I could not find the name of the deceased or his father... But I could see a name partially which could be read as Nehemiah in Hebrew. The initial analysis shows a strong Yemeni Jewish influence in the tombstone's pattern."

Zakriya emphasized that more studies must be carried out in the area as this is the second Hebrew stone found in Ramanathapuram. Another Jewish tombstone found in the area had inscriptions suggesting it was the tombstone of a Mariam, daughter of David. It is believed that this tombstone is now in the office of the Samsthanam Revenue Officer in Ramnad. "The kind of tragedy is that nobody has actually deciphered its date so far," Zakriya lamented.
In an interesting coincidence, while the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as part of the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit takes place on Tuesday, the very same day, leaders of the 32 NATO countries will also meet in Washington DC.

Amid warming ties with the US, India is a member of the Quad grouping but at the same time has not categorically condemned Russias invasion into Ukraine like the other countries that are friendly to the US. It has also imported Russian oil in substantial quantities in disregard of the US-led sanctions on Russia.

On July 9, PM Modi and President Putin will meet for restricted-level talks before the delegation-level meeting between the two sides begins. On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the two countries had met on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

India and Russia have substantial military cooperation. Some key projects include the supply of S-400 air defence system, licensed production of T90 tanks and Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft, supply of MiG-29 and Kamov helicopters, INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov), production of Ak-203 rifles in India and the BrahMos missiles.

Responding to a query by THE WEEK on whether there is a messaging that could be articulated, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra in a special briefing, said: With regard to the scheduling of the Prime Ministers visit to Russia. ... We look at our relationship with Russia purely from a framework of bilateral relationship ... annual summit between the two countries have not been held since 2021, and it was scheduled to be held at this time. I think this is all there is to it. I would not read anything more to it in terms of significance except to say that we attach great importance to this annual summit.

Responding to whether the Ukraine conflict would be part of the discussion, Kwatra said issues of global concern usually figure in the discussions between the two leaders.

Elaborating the Indian position, Kwatra said: We have always maintained a very clear and consistent position and approach that enduring peace can only be achieved through dialogue and diplomacy and we continue to believe that such a peace requires bringing together all stakeholders in a sincere and a practical engagement between the two parties of the conflict.

On the other side of the Atlantic, on Tuesday, the NATO meet themed Ukraine and transatlantic security will focus on NATO's response to the growing threats to peace and democracies in the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The NATO talks will also include the European Union and Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Ukraine which well be represented by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Tamil Nadu state president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) K Armstrong was hacked to death by an unidentified gang near Chennai's Sembium on Friday evening. The 52-year-old leader was declared brought dead by the doctors at the health facility to which he was rushed after the attack, reports claim.



People and BSP cadres have started crowding at Chennai's Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where the body of Armstrong is kept, news agency ANI said in a report.

As things stand here is everything we know so far about the murder of BSP's Tamil Nadu state unit chief:

1. K Armstrong was hacked to death by an unidentified gang of six men. They reportedly also attacked and injured two other people who were beside the BSP leader during the time of the attack. The duo are undergoing treatment.

2. According to the police, Armstrong was overseeing construction work of a building at Venugopal Street in Sembium at around 7 pm when the attack happened, He was in the company of a few of his party workers when the six-member gang approached, the cops said.

3. Armstrong was attacked using knives and machetes by the group who fled after the attack, The New Indian Express said in a report.

4. His party colleagues rushed him to a private hospital at Greams Road where he was declared dead. Later, his body was shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital for postmortem.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Visuals from outside Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital in Chennai, where the body of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Tamil Nadu president Armstrong has been brought.



He was hacked to death by an unidentified mob of 6 people near his residence in Perambur, Chennai pic.twitter.com/UxNGJArg6W  ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2024

5. The Greater Chennai Police have formed as many as 10 special teams to probe the murder and identify the accused. CCTV footage and Armstrong's call records are being checked by the police, TNIE said.

Related searches: armstrong, bahujan samaj party, armstrong chennai, armstrong bsp, bsp, bsp armstrong, armstrong death, bsp armstrong news, perambur, armstrong perambur, armstrong murder, bahujan samaj party tamilnadu, bahujan samaj party armstrong, bsp party full form, armstrong bsp photos, amstrong bsp, bsp armstrong age, armstrong pame, armstrong news, armstrong murders, bsp party
Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K.T. Rama Rao slammed the Congress party on Friday after six of its MLCs defected party to join Congress during the late hours of Thursday.



In a major setback to the opposition BRS in Telangana, six party MLCs joined the ruling Congress late on Thursday night in the presence of state Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

BRS continues to suffer from desertions, with several leaders, including six MLAs, leaving the party after its defeat in the Assembly polls last year. The six MLCs who switched over to the Congress are: Dande Vithal, Bhanu Prasad Rao, M.S. Prabhakar, Boggarapu Dayanand, Yegge Mallesham and Baswaraju Saraiah, Congress sources said.

AICC in-charge of party affairs in Telangana Deepa Dasmunsi and other leaders were present when the BRS MLCs joined the Congress at the residence of CM Revanth Reddy, who is also the PCC president.

BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao slammed the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi for the defections. Sharing an image of Congresss Lok Sabha election manifesto where the party has promised an amendment to the Tenth Schedule to disqualify automatically MPs and MLAs who defect from parties, Rama Rao asked in X, BRS MP Keshava Rao tendered resignation after joining the Congress party. Welcome his decision What about the BRS MLA who defected and contested Loksabha on Congress ticket? What about half a dozen other BRS MLAs who defected to Congress?

@RahulGandhi is this how you are going to uphold the constitution? If you can't make BRS MLAs resign, how would nation trust that you were committed to schedule 10 amendment as per Congress manifesto? Yeh Kaisa Nyay Patra Hain? he asked.

According to the Telangana Legislative Council website, BRS has 25 members and Congress four. There are four nominated MLCs, two members from AIMIM, one each from BJP, PRTU, and one independent, while two seats are vacant in the 40-member House.

The MLCs joined the Congress soon after Revanth Reddy returned from a two-day trip to the national capital Thursday night. With the fresh defections, Congress' strength is set to go up to 10 in the Legislative Council.

Six BRS MLAs joined the Congress after the Assembly polls last year and speculation is rife that more would switch sides to the ruling party in the days to come. BRS had won 39 of the total 119 Assembly constituencies in the elections held last year, while Congress came to power winning 64 seats.

However, BRS MLA from Secunderabad Cantonment G. Lasya Nanditha died in a road accident earlier this year. Congress won the recently held by-poll for the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly segment. This led to an increase in its strength to 65.
A container ship is seen at Tan Vu Port in Hai Phong City in July 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

The economy grew by 6.93% in the second quarter, taking half-yearly growth to 6.42%, surpassing all forecasts and giving businesses confidence a strong recovery is in the offing.

Ho Chi Minh City-based garment company Dony saw a "turnaround" in its business in the first half with a surge in orders. "There are so many orders that it sounds almost unimaginable", CEO Pham Quang Anh said.

He even had to turn down three orders since his workers were already overwhelmed and working overtime.

Dony will be running at full capacity through the third quarter and orders for the last three months of the year are being negotiated, he said. "If there are no unexpected difficulties, the company will likely have a successful year."

Cao Huu Hieu, CEO of Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), said the situation has now improved for most companies. His company has orders for until October end and is negotiating new ones, he said.

The chief of another major garment firm, who asked not be identified, said it has been more than two years since orders grew so sharply.

His employees are working more than two hours extra every weekday, he added.

Vietnams exports rose by 14.5% year-on-year to US$190 billion in the first half as global demand recovered, according to the General Statistics Office.

Exports partly contributed to the countrys 6.93% GDP growth in the second quarter, the second highest rate in the last five years.

Singaporean lender UOB had forecast 6% growth for the quarter. Even the governments economic advisors had only expected 6% growth.

Nguyen Thi Huong, head of the General Statistics Office, said major markets are buying more Vietnamese goods and large companies have received new orders, boosting manufacturing.

Retailers are also seeing growth. Electronics retailer Mobile World expects a 58% rise in profits in the second quarter and a 53% increase for the year to VND540 billion ($21 million), 10% higher than the target.

Industrial production grew by 7.53% in the first six months while public investment and foreign direct investment also rose.

But some businesses are worried that the jump in orders will be short-lived.

Anh said his customers are only signing short-term deals and not.

"Our partners are running out of inventories and they need a quick refill. They are unable to confirm whether there will be more orders".

Most orders are from existing buyers and at last years prices, he added.

Hieu said garment prices had plummeted by 30% last year, and even 50% at times, which means companies now have a hard time negotiating prices.

Increasing logistic costs and delay in imports of feedstock due to geopolitical tensions are other challenges, he added.

Phi Thi Huong Nga, head of the General Statistics Offices department of industry and construction statistics, said domestic demand is low while competition is high.

Nguyen Quoc Viet, deputy head of the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research, said low credit growth and high bank deposits show that consumers are reluctant to spend amid the economic uncertainty. "As consumers and businesses cut spending, it is difficult for producers to sell."

The latter also face great competition from the flood of cheap imports through e-commerce platforms, he added.

Vu Lan Chi, founder of a fashion brand, this month has decided to shut down her company due to low sales. "Consumers are tightening their spending and only buying essential items."

The National Assembly, seized of the situation, recently approved the extension of the 2% cut in value-added tax until year-end to boost consumer spending.

Nguyen Duc Hung Linh, founder of the think tank Think Future, said domestic companies low participation in foreign-owned companies supply chains is part of the reasons why they lack competitiveness.

The foreign companies often export high-value products such as electronics and smartphones while the domestic ones export low-value products such as seafood, garments and wooden furniture, he said.

The government needs to prioritize and protect the latter to bolster their competitiveness, he added.
As the Labour Party announces its comeback with early results of the UK Parliamentary election suggesting a political shake-up, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has conceded defeat.

Acknowledging that the Opposition has won, Sunak said he rang up Labour Party leader Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

"Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our country's stability and future," he said. "To the many good hardworking Conservative candidates who lost tonight despite their tireless efforts... I am sorry," the PM added.

As Britain scripts history by throwing the Conservative Party out of power after 14 years, the elections also saw the surge of Reforms UK led by controversial figure and ultra-nationalist Nigel Farage and a good show by Centrist t Liberal Democrats, who were predicted to capture 61 seats.

Key takeaways from the election.

1) Despite the rout and fear that he may lose both his seats, Rishi Sunak was reelected as the Tory MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire.

2) Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk early on Friday became the first senior Conservative leaders in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Cabinet to lose their seats in the UK general election.

3) Penny Mordaunt, once viewed as a possible leader of Britain's Conservative Party, lost her parliamentary seat to a candidate from the opposition Labour Party.

4) Populist right-wing party Reforms UK, led by Nigel Farage, was elected to parliament on Friday. Farage, a driving force behind Brexit, only entered the race last month. "There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it, and that's exactly what I'm going to do," he said after being declared the winner.

5) The elections also proved disastrous for the Scottish National Party, derailing their push for a new independence referendum. Though the SNP said winning the majority of Scottish seats would give it a mandate to pursue independence talks, exit polls said its campaign would end between 6 and 11 of the 57 seats.

6) Veteran left-winger and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn won his parliamentary seat, beating the candidate of the Labour Party. He is expected to be a thorn in the side of Keir Starmer's incoming government.
The early results of Thursday's parliamentary election in the United Kingdom suggest Keir Starmer-led Labour Party is set for a landslide win, ending the 14-year-long reign of the Conservative Party. While the results of 117 out of the total 650 seats were declared, the Labour Party is racing far ahead with 101. For Prime Minister Rishi Sunak-led Tories, it is a carnage with a mere 10 seats.

Exit Polls predict over 400 seats for the Labour Party, an astonishing reversal of fortunes from five years ago when it suffered its worst performance since 1935. Sunak's party were forecast to only win 131 seats, the worst electoral performance in its history, with reports hinting that the Prime Minister would announce his resignation in hours.

The Liberal Democrats led by Sir Ed Davey was expected to take 61 seats, Nigel Farage's Reform UK 13, the Scottish National Party (SNP) 10, Plaid Cymru four, and the Greens two, according to the exit polls.

At the last general election in 2019, the Conservatives won 365 seats to Labours 203. The SNP won 48 seats and the Lib Dems had just 11.

Starmer, who is set to become the next Prime Minister of Britain, took centre stage to address the public as early leads poured in. Starmer said the country had voted for change and it was time for his party to deliver, "Tonight people here and around the country have spoken, and they're ready for change," Starmer said after being re-elected as MP for Holborn and St Pancras. "The change begins right here."

Starmer thanked all those involved in the count and his fellow candidates. He said the heart of our democracy beats not in Westminster or Whitehall, but in town halls, community centres and in the hands of people who hold the vote. "Change begins in this community with the people who came together to make life better," he said. He thanked his wife and family for keeping him 'grounded'.

He said it is a "huge privilege" to be re-elected to serve Holborn and St Pancras. It is "my home, where my kids have grown up, where my wife was born," he says of the area.

Sunak conceded defeat in the national election on Friday, saying the opposition Labour Party had won."The Labour Party has won this general election and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory," Sunak said after winning his parliamentary seat in northern England."Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and

orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our country's stability and future."

The surge of Reforms UK

The election also saw the surge of the Reform UK party, headed by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage. Interestingly, Farage himself was elected to the Parliament for the first time after he touted the Conservative Party candidate in the seaside English town of Clacton-on-Sea.

Farage, known for his ultranationalistic stance, including anti-immigration and pro-Brexit campaigning, has made him one of Britain's most recognisable and divisive political figures. The party is forecast to win 13, far more than expected, pushing the Conservatives into third place in many areas.

"Reform has clearly done well tonight and I know the reaction of some of my colleagues will be that we should lurch to the right," one Conservative lawmaker, who declined to be named, told Reuters.

The fall of Tories

When Rishi Sunak announced the elections in May, earlier than needed, he aimed to cushion the impending drubbing by closing in the gap with Labour.

But, what ensued was a disastrous campaign, which included aides and Conservative candidates getting caught up in a gambling scandal and Sunak's early departure from D-Day commemorative events in France.

The Conservative Party was already mired in multiple scandals - most notably revelations of parties in Downing Street during COVID lockdowns which resulted in the ouster of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. This was followed by Liz Truss' disastrous six-week premiership and Sunak was unable to make any dent in Labour's now commanding poll lead.

"We deserved to lose. The Conservative Party just appears exhausted and out of ideas," Ed Costello, the chairman of the Grassroots Conservatives organisation, which represents rank-and-file members, told Reuters. "But it is not all Rishi Sunaks fault. It is Boris Johnson and Liz Truss that have led the party to disaster. Rishi Sunak is just the fall guy."
The elections to the UK Parliament held on Thursday saw the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, posting a landslide win, ending the 14-year reign of the Conservative Party. Starmer, who is set to enter Number 10 Downing Street with a commanding majority, has already declared a win, stating "the change starts now".

Thanking Labour volunteers, volunteers, candidates and campaigners as the party crossed the 326-seat threshold, Starmer said: "We did it. You campaigned for it, you fought for it - and now it has arrived."

"It feels good, I have to be honest. Britain has the chance to get its future back." "Across our country, people will be waking up to the news that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this nation," Starmer said.

Starmer, 61, is a social liberal, fiscal moderate and leader of the United Kingdoms Labour Party. He's been a member of parliament since 2015, and leader of the opposition  Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's main rival  since 2020.



The 61-year-old former human rights lawyer was raised in a left-wing, working-class family in Surrey, outside London. Keir, who rose from a lawyer to Britains chief prosecutor, was awarded a knighthood. Ironically, he had once called for the British monarchy to be abolished, but years later knelt before Charles, then prince of Wales, to be knighted.

He succeeded Jeremy Corbyn as Labour party leader and one of his first steps was to root out the antisemitism that had gripped the party ranks. Under him, the Labour Party also dropped Corbyns proposal to nationalise Britains energy companies. He also supported Britains military, hoping to banish an anti-patriotic label that clung to Labour during the Corbyn era.

Starmer's other promises include restoration of competency to government, nationalising some railways and utility companies, raising minimum wage, taxing private school tuition, improving the public health system and offering free breakfast in public elementary schools.

However, its challenges galore for Starmer. Political observers say Starmer's leadership comes at a daunting time, especially when the country is facing a series of daunting challenges. While Britain's tax burden is set to hit its highest since just after World War Two, net debt is almost equivalent to annual economic output.

There is widespread anger against the fall of living standards and alleged inefficiency of public services, especially the National Health Service. Starmer himself has acknowledged that it won't be easy. "I don't promise you it will be easy," Starmer said. "Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. It's hard work. Patient, determined, work, and we will have to get moving immediately."

Fun fact: There are unverified rumours that Starmer was the inspiration for the brooding lawyer character of Mark Darcy, the love interest of the main character in the Bridget Jones book and movie franchise. Many thought this because of the similarities both share; both Darcy (played by Colin Firth on screen) and Starmer are human rights lawyers. Starmer lived in Oxford and Leeds, just like the series' creator, Helen Fielding. Starmer's big McDonald's litigation was making headlines in the late 1990s, around the time Fielding wrote the first Bridget Jones novel.
During the recent Parliament session, the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi spoke passionately about the 'abhaya mudra'. The mudra or hand gesture is an integral part of Indian iconography, which is deeply inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism. Gandhi has mentioned the abhaya mudra while giving several speeches, be it at Congress rallies or during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

However, there is a much deeper history to classical hand gestures such as this. Their roots can be traced to religion, and they are being popularised in classical Indian art and cultural heritage. The ancient Sanskrit text, 'Natya Shastra' (Book of Dance) finds its origins in 200 CE as the foundation and essence of classical dance. Several symbols and mudras mentioned in this text have been derived from religion and have later been popularisedthrough ancient sculptures and statues, in traditional yogic practices, via folklore and storytelling, and at some point, through the political arena.

The ruling BJP's symbol, the lotus, has a deep-rooted meaning in cultural heritage as well in the Bhagavad Gita. The text suggests blossoming beautifully like a lotus in a muddy pond, without attachment or vairagya, unhinged, unaffected by the sins of others. Even Buddha sits with his legs crossed on the flower, now popular as the lotus pose in yoga.

Similarly, the abhaya mudra, which Gandhi links to the Congress partys symbol, is an important part of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Abhaya in Sanskrit means fearless, and the abhaya mudra denotes the palm of the right hand facing outwards at shoulder height, fingers pointing towards the sky. An open palm, which is also the manner in which one would gesture to stop.

While it is not common or usual to be showing pictures or printed photographs of deities in Parliament, Gandhi did so as he tried vehemently to make his point. He spoke about the mudra and how despite being part of several religions, its meaning was the same. To never be scared and to face one's fears.

In a country such as India, which has an ancient tradition and cultural heritage, it is no surprise that the arts are so heavily part of our day-to-day lives that we seldom realise their significance. There is also a traditional school of thought, which connects the arts and science through these gestures and mudras, suggesting that various mudras stimulate specific nerves. For example, practising the abhaya mudra is said to communicate to the brain that one must be fearless.

Despite being attributed as one of the main five mudras in Buddhism, there is not enough evidence to suggest that it originated with the religion. However, the mudra can be seen in various Buddhist sculptures, thangka or cloth scrolls and even on historic monuments. UNESCO World Heritage site, Angkor Wats National Museum has an overwhelming 1,000 Buddha images in the gallery. Of these, the ones denoting this mudra are beautifully presented, in an array of metal compositions.

Buddha Thangka, at The Buddha Amoghasiddhi

Buddhist legend suggests that the cousin of Buddha, Devdutta, attempted to murder Buddha by letting loose an elephant. Lord Buddha invoked the abhaya mudra, demonstrating fearlessness. The angry elephant was immediately calm after seeing the mudra.

Similarly, Hindu Gods are also seen seated and standing demonstrating the mudra. Lord Shiva, in his form as Natraja (the cosmic dancer) is depicted making the abhaya mudra. Before practising an Indian classical dance form, the dancer prays to Natraja seeking blessings from the divine and protection against evil.

Similarly, ancient sculptures of Lord Vishnu depicting the same mudra are also seen.

Be it through the beautiful Biblical images of the Vatican ceilings or mythological statues and sculptures scattered across Asia, classical art has always been used as a medium to narrate mythology and influence society.

I recall visiting a Gothic church in Italy and being told how the beautifully illustrated and painted frescoes were a way to teach people who could not read and write about Christianity.

The arts can be demonstrated purely for the sake of art, to benefit society or even as religious or political propaganda as one can see historically. For the time being, a certain Mr Gandhi has managed to refresh our memories of classical Indian art and appreciate their deeper significance.
While seeking a position to serve others via elected office attracts people from all walks of life, there are two types I think of. The first is people who seek p Read moreLetter: Healy is a slam-dunk for Westerly council
Hurricane Beryl ripped off roofs in Jamaica, jumbled fishing boats in Barbados and damaged or destroyed 95% of homes on a pair of islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines before rumbling past the Cayman Islands early Thursday and taking aim at Mexicos Caribbean coast. At least nine people were killed.

What had been the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, weakened to a Category 3 by early Thursday but remained a major hurricane.

Beryls eye wall brushed by Jamaicas southern coast Wednesday afternoon. Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Jamaica had not seen the worst of what could possibly happen.

On Thursday morning in Kingston, telephone poles and trees were blocking the roadways.

Authorities confirmed a young man died on Wednesday after he was swept into a storm water drain while trying to retrieve a ball. A woman also died after a house collapsed on her.

Residents took advantage of a break in the rain to begin clearing debris.

Sixty-five percent of the island remained without electricity, along with a lack of water and limited telecommunications. Government officials were assessing the damage, but it was hampered by the lack of communication mainly in southern parishes that suffered the most damage.

A visit to the south-central parish of Clarendon saw residents attempting to mend damaged roofs and clear downed trees. Many roadways in the area remained partially blocked from downed electricity and telecommunication poles.

Seymour, armed with a machete as he and other residents attempted to clear debris, was grateful that the lives of him and his neighbors were spared.

I am just grateful for life although Beryl destroyed a lot of roofs and we dont have any water or light (electricity), he said, declining to give his last name.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said that Weakening is forecast during the next day or two, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane until it makes landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Mexicos popular Caribbean coast prepared shelters, evacuated some small outlying coastal communities and even moved sea turtle eggs off beaches threatened by storm surge, but in nightlife hotspots like Playa del Carmen and Tulum tourists still took one more night on the town.

In Playa del Carmen, most businesses were closed on Thursday and some were boarding up windows as tourists were jogging and some locals walked their dogs under sunny skies. In Tulum, Mexicos Navy patrolled the streets telling tourists in Spanish and English to prepare for the storms arrival. Everything was scheduled to shut down by midday.

Myriam Setra, a 34-year-old tourist from Dallas, Texas was having a sandwich on the beach Thursday. Her flight home was scheduled for Friday, but Beryl had not persuaded her to leave early.

I figured Id rather be stuck in Mexico for an extra day, than go back two days early to the United States, Setra said. So, went out and bought a bunch of groceries. Figured wed get the last of the sun in today, too. And then its just going to be hunker down and just stay indoors until hopefully it passes.

The storms center was about 95 miles (150 kilometers) west-southwest of Grand Cayman island and 330 miles (530 kilometers) east-southeast of Tulum. It had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 18 mph (about 30 kph).

The premier of the Cayman Islands, Juliana OConnor, thanked residents and visitors Thursday for contributing to the collective calm ahead of Beryl by following storm protocols.

We have done everything possible that we could have done to face the various challenges ahead of us, she said in a press briefing.

The head of Mexicos civil defense agency, Laura Velazquez, said Thursday that Beryl is expected to be a Category 1 hurricane when it hits a relatively unpopulated stretch of Mexicos Caribbean coast south of Tulum early Friday.

But once Beryl re-emerges into the Gulf of Mexico a day later, she said it is again expected to build to hurricane strength and could hit right around the Mexico-U.S. border, at Matamoros. That area was already soaked in June by Tropical Storm Alberto.

Velazquez said temporary storm shelters were being set up at schools and hotels in case they are needed. She efforts to evacuate a few highly exposed villages  like Punta Allen, which sits on a narrow spit of land south of Tulum  had been only partially successful.

The storm had already shown its destructive potential across a long swath of the southeastern Caribbean.

The worst perhaps came earlier in Beryls trajectory when it smacked two small islands of the Lesser Antilles.

Michelle Forbes, the St. Vincent and Grenadines director of the National Emergency Management Organization, said that about 95% of homes in Mayreau and Union Island have been damaged by Hurricane Beryl.

Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said. Three other deaths were reported in northern Venezuela, where four people were missing, officials said.

One fatality in Grenada occurred after a tree fell on a house, Kerryne James, the environment minister, told The Associated Press.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has promised to rebuild the archipelago.

(AP)
Liberal magazine The Economist published a scathing cover story on this weeks magazine cover criticizing President Bidens age and fitness for office. The cover image, which featured an elderly persons walker with a presidential seal next to the words No way to run a country, quickly went viral.

The corresponding editorial board column pulled no punches, slamming Bidens debate performance and stating that he is unfit to be president. The board criticized Bidens mental decline and his inability to finish a sentence about Medicare, questioning whether he should be trusted with the nuclear codes.

The Economists editorial followed similar calls from other publications, including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, urging Biden to drop his re-election bid after the CNN Presidential Debate on June 27.

The magazines critique sparked widespread attention and debate, with some commentators noting that even liberal outlets are now questioning Bidens fitness for office. Economist and podcaster Kip Herriage observed, When the Economist turns on one of their own, its OVER.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Sefas Tamim Foundation

Professor Martin Seligman from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Daniel Kahneman AH of Hebrew University, Dr. Steven Pinker of Harvard University, Dr. Jordan Peterson of the University of Toronto, and Dr. Paul Ekman, formerly of University of California  San Francisco are among the top five leading psychologists in the world. They have won many awards, promulgated innovative theories, and have changed the course of research within their specialties and subspecialties.

Now imagine that these five men are in a leading psychiatric facility examining, testing, interviewing, questioning, and psychoanalyzing one of the most famous villains in history. Just who are they examining? They are probing the mind of a brilliant man who led a revolution  albeit a failed one. They are examining Korach. What were his motivations in starting a rebellion against Moshe? Was he woefully misguided or were his actions purposeful?

Fortunately, we need neither psychoanalysis nor these psychologists to probe the mind of Korach.

We have Rashi and Chazal (on BaMidbar 16:1) commenting on the first verse in the Parsha to do that for us. Rashi says, And what induced Korach to quarrel with Moshe? He was jealous of the princely dignity held by Elitzaphan the son of Uzziel (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 1) whom Moshe had appointed prince over the sons of Kehas although this was by the express command of Hashem (BaMidbar 3:30). Korach reasoned as follows: My father and his brothers [the sons of Kehas] were four in number [Amram, Yitzhar, Hebron and Uzziel]. Regarding Amram, the eldest, his two sons had themselves assumed high positions, one as king (Moshe) and the other as the High Priest (Aharon). Who is entitled to receive the second-tier leadership (as a prince)? Is it not I who is the son of Yitzhar, who is the second oldest brother? And yet he (Moshe) skipped over me and appointed as prince, the son of Uzziel who was the youngest brother of all of them! I hereby protest against Moshe and will undo his decision.

The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 18:3) and Rashi elsewhere both tell us that Korach was a brilliant and highly spiritual individual. He was also endowed with Ruach HaKodesh (Divine inspiration). Accordingly, how could Korach actually believe that he was doing the right thing by leading a rebellion against Hashems most trusted servant, Moshe?

We have the answer as referenced above. He resented Moshe and was jealous of his cousin Elitzafan who was picked to be the prince when he felt it should have been him. However, as we have said above, Korach was a great man, so the jealousy that he felt must have been very subtle  barely detectable on almost any scale. Indeed, Korach himself could not detect it.

We learn from the incident of Korach that even a very subtle, small amount of jealousy (or perhaps any other emotion) can lead us to self-deception of epic proportions!

Many of these self-deceptions are part of the everyday lives of many people  such as the student who did not study enough but blames the teacher for not passing the test, or the person who continues down a path that in his heart-of-hearts knows is wrong, but is too prideful to admit that he has made a mistake. The result of these self-deceptions is that people often do not advance and accomplish what they are destined to do because of the false narratives that they tell themselves and the all too human emotions that fuel them.

But there is hope. Hashem has given us the capacity to be introspective and determine the true inner motivations for our behavior (which would have served Korach well, had he chosen to do so). This can be seen from a fascinating Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 94:5) which discusses Yaakov examining his inner motivations for leaving Israel and going down to Egypt during the famine. He asked himself, was he doing it to feed himself and his earthly desire for more or better food when he should really be staying in Israel and making do with the food that he has? Alternatively, were his motivations pure and was he genuinely concerned that there wasnt sufficient food to feed him and those that he was responsible for? The Midrash quotes this for our own benefit and development. If we engage in this type of introspection, we can detect the subtle motivations that may be leading us astray and preventing us from serving Hashem properly.

To subscribe to a weekly parsha sheet focusing on Emes and integrity, please email the author at [email protected] with the word Emes Parsha Sheet
The 932nd Battalion of the Nachal Brigade entered Rafah on Tuesday, where the IDF is currently operating to eliminate terrorists and destroy terror infrastructure.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said on Tuesday evening that IDF troops have killed at least 900 terrorists so far in the operation in Rafah.

Before entering the terror nest, the soldier gathered together to listen to tekiyas shofar and recite Shema.

Hashem should bring all the soldiers back safe and sound.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
A moving event took place on Friday at the office of HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein at his kollel in Holon when a couple from Beit Shemesh and their close relatives excitedly entered his office pushing two strollers.

The story began several months ago when an obstetrician informed the couple that the twins the mother was carrying have several defects that pose a risk not only to their lives but to the life of the mother. He told them in no uncertain terms to end the pregnancy. The couple consulted with another doctor, a more senior one, and he also advised them to end the pregnancy.

The couple now needed halachic input  they consulted with HaRav Zilberstein, who is an expert in medical halachic issues. The Rav sent them to an even more senior doctor whom he trusts.

The doctor that HaRav Zilberstein recommended carried out several tests but ultimately agreed with the other doctors that the pregnancy poses a risk to the mothers life and must be ended.

The couple returned to HaRav Zilberstein and told him what the doctor said. The Rav asked: Where do you live?

Beit Shemesh, they answered. The Rav replied: There are many children in Beit Shemesh who need help. Choose a child and help him  with his learning, do chasadim with him, and in this zechus youll see nissim.

The Rav also quoted the words of the Gemara in Masectas Bava Basra:    ,     ,       . HaRav Zilberstein added: Give a lot of money to tzedaka, daven hard, and bezras Hashem, youll experience many nissim.

The couple was shocked. They repeated the warning of the doctors that the pregnancy was dangerous for the mother. However HaRav Zilberstein reiterated his advice, adding: Dont worry, youll have many nissim and bezras Hashem, youll have healthy twins. After theyre born, bring them to me and well thank Hashem together for the nissim you experienced.

The couple left, a bit shaken but determined to hold on to their emunas chachamim and fulfill the Ravs recommendations.

Several months later, the mother gave birth to healthy twin girls, with the medical staff utterly shocked at the outcome. One of the senior doctors told the parents: Its a neis you didnt listen to me.

After they were released from the hospital last Friday, the couple hurried to visit HaRav Zilberstein, who greeted them warmly and with great simcha. Those in the room sang Chasdei Hashem, Ki lo Samnu and HaRav Zilberstein signed a dedication in two siddurim, one for each twin, writing in each one: To the bas Yisrael who was born bchasdei Hashem.

Afterward, all present emotionally recited Mizmor LTodah, thanking Hashem for His overwhelming chessed.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
The information collected for the State Departments annual International Religious Freedom report is an example of data-based policymaking, said U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain at the documents release:

In this reports pages are the stories of thousands of individuals who are in each way trying to live according to their own conscience.

Ambassador Hussain highlighted the case of Hkalam Samson, a Baptist pastor who was unjustly detained because he advocated for religious freedom for everyone in Burma:

Samson is among the many activists and religious leaders  including Christians, Buddhists, and Muslims - that the regime in Burma has targeted for brutal repression and imprisonment.

The report also turned a spotlight on ongoing repression in China - against Muslim Uyghurs, Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, and Falun Gong practitioners.

Present at the release of the report was Falun Gong member Yuhua Zhang, now a U.S. resident, who was imprisoned and tortured in China and who eagerly seeks to be reunited with her husband still imprisoned for his religious beliefs.

The report also documents cases where violence is occurring at the societal level:

In India, for example, Christian communities reported that local police aided mobs that disturbed worship services over accusations of conversion activities or stood by while mobs attacked them and then arrested the victims on conversion charges ... While in Nigeria, a mob stoned a Muslim man accused of blasphemy.

But Ambassador Hussain also spoke of hope: we know the powerful change thats possible when governments and civil society come together to stand up forreligious freedom:

Asia Bibi is no longer in a jail in Pakistan facing a death sentence. Meriam Ibrahim and the daughter she gave birth in in a Sudanese jail are free.  Bishop Rolando Alvarez, while exiled from his home country of Nicaragua, is with his fellow priests at the Vatican. And after a perilous path out of Iran, Fatemeh (Mary) Mohammadi is now able to tell her story about her quest for freedom.

Thats what this work is all about, said Ambassador Hussein, and thats why it is so important for this report to cast light on all those who are facing religious persecution around the world.
In a rare display of cooperation, Palestinian Authority security forces evacuated two Jewish adults from Jenin on Wednesday night, handing them over to Israeli authorities at the Gilboa Crossing.

The couple, residents of central Israel, had taken a wrong turn and found themselves in the West Bank city. At a PA checkpoint, they were identified and transferred to the care of the Civil Administrations coordination unit in Jenin and Israel Police representatives.

In a separate operation, Border Police officers and the Haruv Reconnaissance Unit of the Kfir Brigade, operating under the guidance of the Shin Bet, eliminated a terrorist involved in serious terrorist activity. The forces arrived at the destination, identified the armed terrorist, opened fire, and neutralized the threat without any injuries to the security forces.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Following the Kan report on Tuesday evening that State-Attorney State Attorney Amit Aisman asked Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara to launch a criminal probe against National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir for allegedly inciting violence against the residents of Gaza, Walla news reported that probes are being considered against other ministers and MKs as well.

One minister is Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich who was quoted during the hearing at the Hague as saying: There is no half-work: Rafah, Deir al-Balah, Nuseirat  total destruction. Timcheh es zecheir Amalek mtachas HaShamayim  there is no place under the Shamayim.

Likud MK Tally Gotlivs name also came up during the first hearing held in January in the Hague, after she was quoted as having written: May your village burn! Yes, yes, as far Im concernedits good morale to wish Gaza to be wiped out and set on fire. I have said many times  revenge is a value. They almost conquered the kibbutzim of the south, slaughtered, raped, beheaded, and gouged out their eyes. So let their village burn.

Another MK named in the report is Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Leiberman who was quoted as having written: There are no innocents in Gaza.

Many Israeli social media users are mocking the reports, with many posting a photo of released hostage Mia Schem, who said during an interview after she was released: I experienced hell. Everyone there are terrorists, there are no innocent civilians, not one.

Schem was held in the home of a family with children. The mother of the home and the children were cruel to her, even teasing her by bringing food into her room but not allowing her to eat it.

Social media users sardonically suggested that maybe the attorney-general should also launch an investigation against Schem.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
The visit of six senior roshei yeshiva to the U.S. last week ignited an extraordinary display of Kavod Hatorah, with tens of thousands turning out to welcome the gedolim to their towns and show support for limud hatorah in Eretz Yisroel, which is under severe threat due to drastic funding cuts by the Israeli government.

Over the course of the gedolims short visit, a staggering $83 million was donated by philanthropists to Keren Olam Hatorah, the fund established by the roshei yeshiva, bringing the ambitious goal of raising $107 million to fill the gap left by the spending cuts within reach. However, there is still $24 million left to be raised.

Now, the broader public has been given a mandate by the gedolei hador: It is our collective responsibility to close the gap and ensure the continuity of Torah study in yeshivos and kollelim across Eretz Yisroel. Rayze.It/olamhatorah

The urgency of the moment cannot be overstated and the chovas hashaa is clear: We must come together, rallying kish echad blev echad to support our colleagues in limud hatorah. The gedolims call demands every member of Klal Yisroel to step up and contribute to this crucial cause .

Now is the time to act. Here is how you can help:

Create Fundraising Teams: Forming a fundraising team is one of the most impactful ways to support this initiative. Gather friends, family, and members of your kehilla to join you in raising funds. This collective effort not only amplifies your impact but also builds a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose.

Spread the Word: Awareness is key. Use your personal and professional networks to share the importance of Keren Olam Hatorah. Encourage others to create their own fundraising teams or to contribute directly to the cause.

Personal Contributions: Every donation counts , whether large or small. Your personal contribution will directly impact the sustainability of Torah learning in Eretz Yisroel.

Corporate Involvement: Business owners and executives can play a pivotal role by encouraging their employees to join the fundraising initiative . Creating a company team can significantly boost fundraising efforts.

By investing in Keren Olam Hatorah, you will be investing in the future of Klal Yisroel and ensuring that the light of Torah continues to shine brightly. Your efforts will not only benefit the yeshivos and kollelim but will also undoubtedly bring Shefa Bracha to you, your family, and all your endeavors.
The private equity bandwagon in Britain keeps rolling. Latest to be imperilled is gaming group Keywords Studios, creator of Fortnite and League of Legends, which is being bought by Swedish buyout firm EQT for 2.2billion.

The highly leveraged deal for Royal Mail owner International Distribution Services is, to all intents and purposes, a private equity deal except the buyers are the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinisky and Slovak investment banking partners J&T.

There are reasons to object to both deals. New ownership at Keywords may allow it to tap into new capital, which British asset managers are slow to supply.

However, the ultimate goal of private equity is to sell off prey as soon as possible and cash out.

No one knows where ownership and the intellectual property will end up. The financing model for the Royal Mail buyout is destabilising and the transaction cannot be in the public interest.

London calling: The UK is a magnet for private equity firms. Some of the biggest in the world, including CVC, Permira, Cinven and Apax, have their largest offices in the UK

Private equity has a mixed record in the UK. Some buyouts  Debenhams, Southern Cross care homes and, latterly, Asda spring to mind  have been destructive of the underlying enterprises.

Others, such as Pets at Home, Worldpay and Formula 1 are a resounding success.

As far as Britains financial sector is concerned, private equity is a roaring success.

Not surprisingly, Labour sees the wealth it generates as a potential source of revenue to fund bigger government.

It is aggravating to see private equity barons accumulating huge wealth and benefiting from a quirk in the tax system.

When businesses are sold, the proprietors benefit from carried interest  the profit generated on disposals.

These gains have a top rate of capital gains tax of 24 per cent, way below the 45 per cent for additional rate income tax payers.

The UK is a magnet for private equity firms. Some of the biggest in the world, including CVC, Permira, Cinven and Apax, have their largest offices in the UK.

American groups including the original Barbarians at the Gate KKR have chosen London as their European and global HQ.

Low equity valuations in London have made the UK a happy hunting ground.

The number of private equity partners in receipt of carried interest is about 2,550 a year, says law firm Macfarlanes.

But the importance of the industry to financial and business services is enormous. Much of the bank financing for deals is done through the London branches of overseas and British banks.

Big American law firms have set up shop here  some absorbing magic circle firms. In addition there are dealmakers from investment banks and boutique firms who propose bids and reap huge fees.

There is also an army of other advisers, from PR gurus to accounting firms and consultants, who feed off the structure.

The City has survived and prospered since Brexit because it has the scale that doesnt exist in other European markets.

One may not like the deals but driving the firms offshore to Italy, or elsewhere, through ill-targeted taxes, would be a profound mistake.

Body building

Activists, too, can be a force for good. Arguably they made a difference at Aviva, GSK and Unilever, forcing the pace of change rather than the direction.

Smith & Nephew may receive less attention than big pharma, but it is a vital part of UK health care.

Establishing leadership stability has been a problem with the board and shareholders in a perennial battle over executive pay.

In chairman Rupert Soames, it has a big beast at the helm.

He should be capable of fending off any effort by Swedish activist Cevian to persuade it to abandon its UK home since 1856 and head to New York.

Pay rebuff

One reason executives find Wall Street alluring is to escape pesky governance mavens and ceilings on pay.

But it is not entirely a free-for-all.

This week Marc Benioff, boss of 200billion San Francisco-based Salesforce, received a bloody nose when investors voted against his 35million pay deal.

The streets of America are not always paved with gold.
The price of bitcoin has struggled again as traders fretted over the likely dumping of tokens from defunct Japanese exchange Mt. Gox and further selling by leveraged players.

Bitcoin had a strong start to the year after the launch of exchange-traded funds in the US, propelling it to a record $73,803.25 in mid-March. However, it has since struggled.

Earlier on Friday afternoon, the price of bitcoin stood at around $53,339 - down $20,000 on March. A recovery saw it claw its way back up to $56,540.

Falling: Bitcoin fell over 8% on Friday as traders fretted over the likely dumping of tokens from defunct Japanese exchange Mt. Gox

The cryptocurrency market had at one point shed more than $170billion in combined market capitalization in the last 24 hours, according to data site CoinGecko.

Analysts suggest bitcoin is on track for a more than 12 per cent weekly decline, which would represent its biggest since early November 2022.

David Morrison, a senior market analyst at Trade Nation, told This is Money: 'Cryptocurrencies are getting smashed again today, with bitcoin leading the decline.

'Bitcoin has fallen around 23 per cent from early June when it was trading north of $72,000 and close to all-time highs.

'But we've experienced some profit-taking since then, which has accelerated to the point where the downside momentum, as measured by the daily MACD technical indicator, has fallen to levels last seen two years ago.

'This has been exacerbated by supply issues as Mt Gox is set to distribute bitcoin stolen in the hack of 2014.

'The latest plunge has also led to forced liquidation by leveraged holders who must come up with additional funds to keep their long positions open or sell.

'Technically, there's very little support at current levels, with the next downside test coming in around $50,000. If it were to break below here significantly, then a return to $40,000 can't be ruled out.'

Rival token ether slid 9 per cent to around $2,841 to more than a two-month low.

On Friday, the trustee for the Mt. Gox bankruptcy estate said it had started making repayments in bitcoin and bitcoin cash to some of the creditors through designated crypto exchanges.

Mt. Gox, previously the world's leading exchange for cryptocurrencies before it collapsed in 2014.

Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG, said: 'The selling pressure is still related to creditor selling from the failed Mt Gox exchange.

'However, the acceleration to the downside suggests the market is trying to get ahead of the creditor flows.'

Analysts have also pointed to concerns over the possibility of Joe Biden being replaced as the Democrats' presidential nominee by someone less pro-crypto after a shaky debate performance with Donald Trump.

Antoni Trenchev, co-founder of Nexo, said: 'What's striking about this slide in bitcoin is it comes as US stocks and global equity indexes rest at or near record highs - the correlation between bitcoin and mainstream equities is fraying.'

The FTSE 100 is up 2.03 points to 8,243.29, while the FTSE 250 index is up 221.21 points to 20,832.55 since mid-March.

Justin D'Anetha, of Keyrock, said: 'With an asset that has been rangebound for quite a while and recently in the lower end of that range, there are plenty of margined positions.

'This of course creates a cascading effect, pushing prices further down than it might in a market with less leverage.'

Li Xing Gan, a financial market strategist at Exness, said: 'The expiration of $1.5billion in crypto options has exacerbated market volatility and could fuel the bearish market sentiment.

'Large-scale liquidations of crypto assets have further compounded the market's instability.

'The market saw a staggering $670million worth of assets liquidated yesterday, reflecting the uncertain state of the market.

'Moreover, risks surrounding the liquidation of Mt. Gox cryptocurrency holdings could continue to weigh on the sentiment as the eventual release of these assets could introduce additional selling pressure on the market.

'Additionally, political concerns in the US as presidential elections approach could remain a source of uncertainty for crypto investors.'
I bought a Fendi designer bag from a second hand shop for 200.

I thought it was quite expensive but loved it - and had a hunch it might be worth far more.

Also, I decided that even if my hunch was wrong, I'd be left with a bag I absolutely adore. Did I get a bargain or did I overpay? Stacey via email

Fendi fantastic: I snapped up this beauty for 200 in a charity shop - was it a good buy?

There are some designer names that just jump out at me, so when I received an email from Stacey, it instantly piqued my interest.

Fendi is a luxury brand with a bold and unapologetically loud style that I love.

Founded in 1925 by Adele and Edoardo Fendi, the brand first launched as a fur and leather goods shop in Rome.

The company was later passed to their daughters, but the brand saw a meteoric rise within the luxury market when they appointed Karl Lagerfeld as their creative director in 1965.

Originally hired to modernize their fur line, in 1966 he'd designed the company logo that is still used today and launched the Maison's high fashion collection.

More than 10 years later he launched their 'ready to wear' collection which included handbags, and many would argue that this was one of the moments that revolutionised luxury womenswear.

The 90s is back with a bang and so lots of items are worth big money from that era including designer goods and you'll be pleased to know that the Baguette bag is currently very sought after and yours screams the 90s to me - I love its combination of neon colours with the fun beaded flowers.

During the 80s and 90s, Fendi expanded further with perfume, eyewear, jeans and even houseware which became as huge as handbags did for the brand, and it was in 1997 when one of their most prestigious bags was launched.

Granddaughter of the Fendi House founders, Silvia Venturini Fendi created the Baguette bag having been inspired by chic Parisian women who would carry baguettes under their arms.

Until then, large tote bags were the Plat Du Jour but this small, sleek bag which could be worn in a number of different ways with or without it's strap changed all that.

The Baguette bags were deemed 'affordable luxury' because you could pick some of them up for a couple of hundred pounds.

With an enormous array of designs and an appealing price point, Fendi had launched a 'buy a bag' habit where customers would purchase multiple bags, not just one.

This trend leaned into the rise of a fast fashion culture where we threw the entire notion of 'make do and mend' out of the door, replacing it with a celebration of consumerism.

Baguette: The bag was one of the ulitmate 1990s fashion accessories

To further cement themselves as the creators of the first 'It Bag', Fendi had an ingenious idea to lend this bag to a then little-known series called Sex and the City.

I loved the scene in one of the episodes when the lead character, Carrie, gets mugged.

Not because I'm a weird sadist who would relish in someone's misfortune but because of the fact, that even in her hour of need, when the thief demands her bag, she responds 'it's a Baguette'.

This moment solidified how special this bag was that it was called by its name in one of the biggest shows on television  what an endorsement.

The actor who played Carrie, Sarah Jessica Parker, actually credits the bag for popularising the show and her character.

I'm not 100 per cent convinced on this and think she might be being overly generous to the brand but then again, perhaps I would be that kind if I had been gifted such an iconic piece of fashion.

Four other 'it' bag from the past 70 years 1. Dior Saddle bag Created in 1999 by John Galliano this bag is currently having a monumental resurgence. Who could forget the Sex in the City scene where Carrie puts her emergency cigarette in there. In 2019 Dior created a $35,000 version. 2. The Lady Dior bag Legend has it that in 1995 Bernadette Chiraq, wife French president Jacques Chirac, phoned up Dior with a request to create a bag she could gift Princess Diana on her visit to Paris. Depending on year of creation, materials it's made from and colours these vintage ones can sell from the mid hundreds to 4,000. 3. The Chanel 2.55 Instantly recognisable, simple yet utterly beautiful. This is the personification of the Chanel brand. Launched in 1955, the quilted design is instantly recognizable as is the burgundy interior, the same colour of Gabriella Chanel's uniform she wore when attending the convent growing up. Chanel are currently selling a beautiful aged calfskin one for 9,540. Today, you can pick them up for 2,000 - but in excellent condition, they can fetch 4,000. 4. The Birkin by Hermes Created in 1984 when actress Jane Birkin found herself on a flight sitting next to the chief executive of Hermes. The contents of her bag had fallen out due to the poor design and the two set about, during that flight, designing Birkin's ideal bag. What a fortunate chance encounter, creating the world's most iconic and often most expensive bag. One of the most expensive was the Sac Bijou Birkin, priced at around $2million. With 2,712 diamonds as part of the design it's the ultimate in luxury bags.

Either way, the Baguette and the show were a huge success and will forever be remembered as cult classics.

Its therefore no surprise that Fendi has sold over 1million Baguette bags, positioning it up there with the likes of the Chanel 2.55 (quilted bag) and the Hermes Birkin  whilst with vastly different price tags, it still has earnt this legendary status.

With such a vast amount of this bag produced as a more affordable price that it's contemporaries, did Stacey buy well?

She spent 200 on the bag which could be considered a lot for a second-hand bag which was produced 30 years ago.

However, as discussed, this is one of the world's leading designers and a bag that became eye-wateringly famous.

Vintage bags (yes, the 90's are now classified as vintage, and yes, that makes me feel old as well), can often be worth a fraction of their original cost, some can hold their value and some rare ones can actually rise in value.

If we were to look at these rare ones in percentages of increase, per year they can rise higher that stocks, shares and even gold.

Also, just a note here to say - there are plenty of bag fakes around, but, I can tell by the quality of the stitchwork that this isn't one of them.

If fakers wanted to create a Fendi Baguette dupe, they would not choose a model with such intricate beading ad it would cost too much time and money.

This particular Baguette would be one of the hardest to fake.

So, do you have a rare bag Stacey worth a small fortune?

The 90s is back with a bang and many items are worth big money from that era including designer goods.

You'll be pleased to know the Baguette bag is currently very sought after and yours screams the 90s to me - I love its combination of neon colours with the fun beaded flowers.

I can assure you it would do very well if you wanted to sell it. There is some obvious wear and tear, and I can see that some of the beads are missing, so taking that into consideration, I would value your bag at 1,000, which is incredible considering you only paid 200 for it.

However, here is the really interesting bit - you could make even more from the bag if you were willing to spend a little bit of money refurbishing it.

One of my dearest friends, Charlotte Rogers who owns This Old Thing London, is one of the world's most respected and trusted vintage and luxury good experts.

I showed her your Baguette and she waxed lyrical about it, stating what a collectable fashion icon it was.

She said, if you spent about 200 to refurb it, it could then be sold for 1,700 to 2,000 which would boost your profit from your original outlay, exponentially.

I'd very much advocate for you to get the refurb so that you can reap the rewards with your Baguette - and dare I say it, make some dough.

Well done on such a wonderful find, you bought well and could make yourself a really impressive profit.

Dior classic: My mum used to wear this in the 1970s - what's it worth?

Is mum's 70s Dior necklace worth a mint?

Is my mum's Dior necklace was worth anything? She used to wear it in the 1970s. Mo, via email.

From Fendi to Dior, today's column is all about designer goods and I couldn't be happier  I j'adore Dior.

This fashion house continues to create effortlessly timeless pieces while simultaneously being sympathetic to the era of when it was designed.

If you look at this wonderful piece of jewellery that was sent in, it could have easily been worn at any time over the past one hundred years without looking out of place yet as soon as we discover that it was produced in the 1970s, that decade clearly shines through.

In late 1946, Christian Dior established the House of Dior and instantly breathed fresh air into women's post war fashion.

As we touched upon earlier, the 'make do and mend' mentality was over and in its place was a fresh, vibrant, and often daring fashion trend.

Christian didn't think an outfit was complete without jewellery, so he soon began designing wonderful pieces to accompany the designer clothing.

As a fashion pioneer, we can safely credit him as one of the major reasons costume jewellery has been so popular for over 80 years.

Pieces from his earlier collections are very sought after and can demand decent prices but his golden era was in the 1950's and 60's when Dior collaborated with major jewellery players lie Swarovski and Hankel & Grosse. Items from this period can fetch eye-watering amounts of money.

Even collections from the 90s and noughties can secure you a couple of hundred pounds.

The jewellery I've been sent, unfortunately isn't from the big-money era of Dior but there are still legions of fans who are willing to part with their hard-earned cash to own a piece like this from the 70s.

This specific piece has obviously been beautifully designed, and its elegance means that it would suit an array of occasions.

There is high demand for the woven design of this piece, and I really like the way that rhinestones and pearls have been added within the design.

It often surprises people that costume jewellery can secure good money. I think this is because it is perceived to be a throwaway object since it hasn't been created with a precious material but if we look at sales performances over the last five years, we can see demand is high.

I'd also hazard a guess that the huge increase in the value of gold, means that costume jewellery is more attainable.

Looking at your specific piece, there is some obvious wear and tear to the metal, pearl and rhinestones which unfortunately makes it look a little tired - at least to the trained eye - but 1970s Dior is still popular and whilst not, the most in demand, I still think you could expect to earn about 100 for this.

I'm sure you have gorgeous memories of your mum wearing and enjoying this beautiful piece and it will always remain a part of the rich history of Dior Costume Jewellery.
Building the future: Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves

In the aftermath of the election, investors may be hoping for the best, but fearing the worst.

For example, the new Government has intimated that it may compel UK pension funds to massively boost their holdings of British shares, a strategy that would reinvigorate UK markets.

Yet the memory lingers of the huge blow to our pensions from the abolition of the dividend tax credit during Tony Blair's first term at Number 10.

The uncertainty is unnerving, heightened by fear that Labour will succumb to the temptation to return to its old tax-and-spend ways.

But for now, stock market professionals seem happy to exploit the conditions created by the government's current 'don't scare the horses' stance.

If you are ready for a gamble and prepared for nasty surprises, here's how to exploit the opportunities of this new climate.

The background

In some quarters, there is talk of a wall of money hitting the UK markets, driving up the share prices.

The latest Bank of America's fund manager survey reveals considerable enthusiasm for British stocks.

But the experts will be monitoring the rhetoric from Labour's Left-wing, aware this faction could rebel and demand more spending.

David Coombs, of wealth manager Rathbones, says: 'For the first 12 months or so, the Government is likely to be sensible, a bit grey even  and markets tend to like a bit of grey.

'Also the possibility of more contact with the EU on regulation and trade could draw the people who manage money overseas to see value in Britain and back the FTSE 100.'

He warns, however, that after about 18 months, the Government will find it harder to stick to their spending commitments.

Anyone suspicious about Labour's capacity to be responsible over any time frame should note that the state of the economy limits the scope for manoeuvre.

Frederique Carrier, of RBC Wealth Management, says: 'The new Government will likely find that its policies will be restricted by the weak national finances  with the fiscal deficit exceeding 4 per cent of GDP and government debt just above 100 per cent.'

Also, as Rupert Thompson, chief economist at asset manager IBOSS points out, the Labour government will be concerned that spending and tax hikes could produce 'a Liz Truss moment'.

The action plan

There are reasons to be cheerful about UK stock markets, as Carrier argues.

'In RBC's view, the low valuation of UK equities means that takeover interest from international competitors  and private equity  is likely to remain elevated.' But the outlook for different sector varies.

The ambition to deliver 1.5million homes over this parliament is good news for housebuilders.

RBC Capital Markets reckons the chief beneficiaries will be Taylor Wimpey, with its large land bank of projects and the social housing specialist Vistry.

Optimism also surrounds defence stocks like BAE, Babcock, Chemring, Qinetiq and Rolls-Royce.

Garry White of Charles Stanley highlights Labour's commitment to the Trident nuclear deterrent and the promise to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP 'as soon as resources will allow'.

Upbeat: Optimism surrounds defence stocks like BAE, Babcock, Chemring, Qinetiq and Rolls-Royce

He comments: 'The sector is in rude health  and a change of government is unlikely to change this.'

Peter Garnry of Saxo Bank is similarly sanguine since 'the defence industry is already experiencing a lot of tailwinds from the war in Ukraine and Europe's rearming'.

The prospects for oil and gas are less bright thanks to policies such as the plan to raise the levy on UK producers' profits from 75 per cent to 78 per cent until 2029.

The two energy giants, BP and Shell, can shoulder some extra taxation. But the threat has caused Jersey Oil & Gas, Neo Energy and Serica Energy to delay investment.

However, Labour may soften the proposal, as it could mean in more oil and gas exports from Iran and Russia  and cause about 100,000 job losses.

Also there must be doubt over the wisdom of abandoning the North Sea, while there is so little clarity over mission to make Britain 'a clean energy superpower by 2030'.

The Greencoat UK Wind investment trust is my bet on the profit that could flow from this transition. But the trust's share price stands at a 17 per cent discount to its net asset value, underlining that it is a bargain only for the patient.

The Labour Party's policy statement's on the water industry are more explicit: bosses could face criminal charges for illegal sewage dumping.

Shares in Pennon, Severn Trent and United Utilities are rated a 'hold'  presumably on the basis that such sanctions will force a clean up of the sector.

There is no certainty of progress on this, or any other measures.

But there is the certainty of thrills and spills. To spread your bets, you could always climb aboard for the ride on an index fund like Fidelity Index UK Fund, which is Interactive Investor's top tip.
John Lewis is throwing down the fashion gauntlet in a fight to win shoppers from Marks & Spencer.

The department store and Waitrose owner has had a troubled few years but finally returned to profit in the spring.

Now, it is reviving its fashion ranges to woo Middle England.

It is also pinning hopes on services including clothes rental and free personal styling to entice younger shoppers, and last month the 95-year-old partnership hired Rachel Morgans as director of fashion.

Fightback: John Lewis has been vying with rivals M&S and Next, who have boosted the array of big names available to shoppers

Her CV spans three decades at names including fashion chains Asos, Topshop and department store Brown Thomas.

She has been tasked with boosting the credentials of John Lewiss brands and its third-party ranges.

It comes as the group chairman Dame Sharon White, 56, stands down after five years in February.

She will be replaced by ex-Tesco managing director Jason Tarry, who is seen as a safe pair of hands  given his credentials leading Britains biggest supermarket.

Morgans said: Fashion at John Lewis goes from strength to strength. In our own-brand ranges we have created timeless, stylish, and versatile pieces that have longevity for seasons to come.

We are also proud to be known as the key launch partner for exciting and innovative labels and for autumn we are introducing 20 new womenswear brands including Kooples, Numph and London fashion brand Ghospell.

The retailer has been vying with rivals M&S and Next, who have boosted the array of big names available to shoppers.

The September launch of John Lewiss autumn and winter range will include Princess Beatrices favourite label Kooples and the trendy Danish brand Numph.

Retail analyst and former Selfridges buyer Wizz Selvey said: M&S and Next have taken market share from John Lewis as both have expanded the range of brands they stock.

She added that customers experiences of walking into their local store will be at the heart of a fashion turnaround.

Selvey says that the retailers reputation for this has dwindled in the last ten years.

Style guru: Rachel Morgans was brought in last month as head of fashion

But there have already been signs of a turnaround under John Lewiss fashion design director, Queralt Ferrer, who was appointed two years ago.

Although John Lewis sales were down 4 per cent in 2023, the fashion figures were up, helping its department stores hit a record 13.4m customers.

It comes as the Marks & Spencer clothing and home segment has been increasing its lead over the John Lewis department store.

M&S increased its slice of this market to 3.7 per cent from 3.4 per cent in 2019 and as little as 2.6 per cent in 2020 during Covid lockdowns, according to analysis seen by The Mail this year.

In contrast, John Lewiss share has been broadly flat over the past five years. It held on to a 2.3 per cent slice last year after it dropped from 2.4 per cent in 2022.

And analytics firm Global Data forecasts that M&S will have 3.9 per cent of the market by 2027 with John Lewis still at 2.3 per cent.

The swing in financial fortunes is a boost for chair Dame Sharon White who had said John Lewis would not return to a sustainable profit before the 2028 financial year.

Experts said the main reason behind a profit in 2023 was an aggressive 900million cost-cutting programme rather than a fillip in sales at Waitrose or the department stores.
US chip maker Nvidia is set to sell more than 9billion worth of chips in China this year  despite ongoing curbs from Washington.

The technology giant is expected to deliver more than a million of its new graphics processing chips to the region in 2024.

This is almost twice as many as its rival Huawei is expected to sell, according to Semi Analysis, a chip consultancy.

AI boom: Nvidia is expected to deliver more than a million of its new graphics processing chips to China in 2024 - despite curbs from Washington

Each chip costs between 9,400 and 10,000, which suggests that Nvidia is likely to generate more than 9.4billion in sales.

The bumper figures come despite export controls from the US, which is restricting semiconductor chips being sent to China amid security concerns.

Nvidia, which designs chips used in artificial intelligence, has enjoyed an immense surge in its value over the past year.

The company, whose chips have turbocharged the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence (AI), is now worth more than 2.5trillion.

This is more than the entire FTSE 100 is worth (about 2.1trillion) and makes it the worlds third most valuable company behind Microsoft and Apple.

The group posted revenues of 20billion for the three months to the end of April this year. This was up 262 per cent from the year before and smashed Wall Street estimates.

Chief executive Jensen Huang said demand was so strong as he sought to push back against fears that this momentum would be fading any time soon.

Amazon, Google, Facebook-owner Meta and Microsoft have all said they will need to spend more on the chips and data centres required to train and operate their AI systems in the coming months.
TO ACCESS THIS CONTENT

YOU MUST OPEN A SESSION OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT

MEMBER LOGIN CREATE YOUR USER ACCOUNT

Technology group Wartsila has signed a five-year Maintenance Agreement covering 169,5 MW of power generation for two Moroccan power plants. The plan. . .
Swift trade: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour lifted shop sales in Edinburgh and Liverpool

Taylor Swift failed to lift the gloom on British high streets despite the excitement surrounding her Eras Tour.

Shopper numbers slipped 2.3 per cent in June compared to last year, according to BRC Sensormatic IQ data.

Edinburgh shops were 2.4 per cent busier, while Liverpools were up 1.1 per cent  thanks to the pop star performing there.

But in London, where Swift played three nights, levels were down 2.5 per cent as wet weather deterred shoppers.

And in Cardiff, which hosted one gig, the level fell 5.1 per cent.

It is understood many fans will have turned to online retailers to buy outfits for the shows.

Big names such as H&M have already said bad weather has hit sales. The figures come as retail leaders get ready to demand measures to boost high streets.
The boss of Britain's top business organisation has urged Labour to rethink its plan for a fresh tax raid on North Sea oil and gas producers.

Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said the policy could have a 'chilling' impact on investment decisions  and she would seek talks with ministers.

Meanwhile, David Latin, chairman of North Sea producer Serica Energy, said he feared Labour's plan could kill off the 'golden goose' of the North Sea.

The comments came as business leaders digested the impact of the party's landslide election victory  with the City so far largely untroubled by the change of government after a prolonged charm offensive by Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

It barely caused a ripple for the FTSE 100, which inched down 0.5 per cent, or 37.33 points, to 8203.93, though the more domestically-focused FTSE 250 rallied by 0.9 per cent, or 176.31 points, to 20786.65.

Agenda: Rain Newton-Smith said scrapping North Sea tax breaks was an 'area of concern'

Newton-Smith urged Labour to 'hit the ground running' with planning reform and improvements to the power grid she said were needed 'to get the economy firing on all cylinders'.

But there have already been stirrings of disquiet over some of the party's policies  including on the tax status of non-dom residents and workers' rights  as well as fears that Reeves may hike capital gains tax in a bid to balance the books.

North Sea production companies have already been hit with a windfall tax under the Tory government which means they pay a rate of 75 per cent on profits until 2029. But that blow has been softened by a tax break for companies making investments.

Labour wants to hike the tax rate to 78 per cent and scrap the tax break. It also plans to issue no more licences for oil and gas exploration. Some analysts fear that as many as 100,000 jobs could be lost.

Newton-Smith told the Mail that scrapping North Sea tax breaks was an 'area of concern' given the need for oil and gas companies to invest in the switch to renewable power generation.

'The Labour Party need to listen to business to make sure that any changes around capital allowances don't have a chilling effect on investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon intensity of extraction.'

The windfall tax has already wiped out most profits for producers last year and saw some scale back investments and cut hundreds of jobs.

Serica's Latin said that without clarity, investment and taxes from the sector would fall rapidly.

He added: 'There's this misunderstanding which is that somehow we're a golden goose and we'll just keep laying eggs. But if you don't feed the goose with investment dollars, it'll keel over and there'll be no more eggs.'
Under a new Louisiana law, every public school from elementary to college will be required to post the Ten Commandments by the beginning of the new school year in 2025.

If Jesus were around today, and I believe he is, I think hed find the new law reeking with hypocrisy.

Hed likely question the irony of enforcing Commandment No. 2 in a state that still carries the stench of 130 graven images of confederate heroes.

Hed likely call foul, as the LSU Tigers, the eighth-best team nationally, dishonor the Sabbath with Saturday games.

But worst of all, hed ask if the state legislature planned to include the fine print of Mosaic law with 248 do-this commandments, and 365 definitely-do-not-do-this commandments.

For instance, will the posted commandments include Exodus 21:29, that says if an ox gores someone to death, both the owner and the ox must be executed?

Im not trying to villainize the Pelican State, but I am trying to prove a point on this Independence Day weekend about the principle of separation of church and state.

The principle has taken some hits in recent years.

Opponents make two points. First, the separation idea is not in the Constitution. Second, they say our founding fathers would have never favored such a split because they sought to make the U.S.A. into a Christian nation.

The first argument is true. Separation of church and state is only an interpretation of the First Amendment which clearly forbids our government from establishing a religion. Additionally, its interpreted to mean the government cant favor any single religion.

The second point is decidedly untrue. Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence was not a God-fearing humanitarian, but rather a slaveholding epicurean deist, says Tim Alberta in his latest book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism.

Jefferson was not an earnest follower of Christ but was known to mock revivalists and rarely attend church, Alberta writes.

I gained some understanding of Jeffersons view during my visit to Roger Williams National Memorial last summer. Its possible Jeffersons understanding of the church and state issue was forged from Williams.

Living 100 years prior to Jefferson, Williams was excommunicated from the Anglican Church for blasphemy. Banished from his home in 1636, he was forced on a most horrendous walkabout through a blizzard to present-day Rhode Island. It was there he established a Baptist community free from puritanism.

According to a National Park Service article, Roger Williams believed government-established religions were  responsible for the death of millions of innocent souls whose only crime was having their own, unique conscience.

Williams added with succinct clarity, Forced worship stinks in Gods nostrils.

Alberta notes that Jesus himself physically ran and hid from the people who desired to make Him king. Jesus dismissed his critics by telling them, Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are Gods.

Alberta concludes this thought with an interpretation from a modern-day preacher who gained fame in 1965.

In other words, pay your taxes, forget politics and serve God with all your heart.

That man was the late Jerry Falwell  before he successfully revived his failing college through a political arm called, The Moral Majority.

Imagine what might happen if a different religion wanted to post their treatise.

Visualize a Baptist mom in New Orleans whose job transfer takes her family to Dearborn, Michigan. Once there, she will likely enroll her Baptist son in a school belonging to the largest Muslim-populated school district in the U.S.

Once in class, Mom will need some assurances that her son can enjoy his religious freedom without being required to memorize the Five Pillars of Islam.

As you approach the voting booth this fall, lets keep church and state separate. But most of all, beyond November, I encourage people of faith to, Serve God with all your heart.

Currently, the Louisiana law is being legally challenged. In the end, I suspect Louisianans will find, as did a dozen other states, that their law wont pass the the sniff test.
In a major development for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Belarus was formally accepted as the 10th member state of the inter-governmental organization on Thursday.

The latest expansion bolsters the SCO's capacity for regional cooperation and strengthens its influence on the global stage, underscoring its role as a vital platform for addressing contemporary security and economic challenges.

The accession of Belarus was formalized at the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.

"Belarus is very proud to become a full member of the SCO. We will strengthen the Shanghai Spirit of the organization based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, and solidarity," said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko here on Thursday.

Since its inception in China's Shanghai in 2001, the SCO has so far expanded from a regional organization with six members into a trans-regional organization with 10 full members, two observer countries, and 14 dialogue partners.

It is expected that Belarus will leverage its unique advantages to invigorate the organization with new energy, said Yuri Yarmolinsky, an analyst with the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research.

Belarus views the SCO as a key platform that expands opportunities for cooperation across the Eurasian continent, he said, noting that in a turbulent world, Belarus sees the SCO as a crucial pillar of support.

Currently, Belarus maintains robust trade relations with Russia and China, both members of the SCO.

In the first four months of this year, trade turnover between Belarus and Russia reached 2.9 trillion rubles (approximately 33.62 billion U.S. dollars), according to official Russian data.

China ranks as Belarus' second-largest trading partner, and Belarus is among the fastest-growing trade partners for China in the Eurasian region.

Belarus' membership in the SCO could substantially increase its trade volume with other member states, tapping into a consumer market that encompasses nearly half of the world's population.

SCO membership could also enhance Belarus' appeal as an investment destination. As a key participant in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Belarus stands to gain from additional infrastructure investments, including railway and road networks, energy pipelines, and industrial parks.

Belarus and other aspirants are attracted to the SCO for reasons beyond mere economic interests. Since its establishment in 2001, this multilateral body has become an essential platform for promoting justice, equality, as well as inclusive security and development in international relations.

Noting that the SCO was founded at the turn of the century when confrontations and divisions left by the Cold War had yet to be resolved, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Thursday that the SCO founding members made a historical decision to pursue peaceful development, commit to good-neighborliness and friendship, and build a new type of international relations.

The SCO has withstood the test of the changing international landscape, the root cause of which lies in the fact that SCO members remain committed to the fine tradition of solidarity and coordination, the way of cooperation featuring equality and mutual benefit, the value pursuit on fairness and justice, and the broad-mindedness of inclusiveness and mutual learning, Xi said when attending the 24th SCO summit.

"For some other organizations, they are experiencing a crisis of identity and relevance, questioning whether they are still needed," said former SCO Secretary-General Bolat Nurgaliyev.

When it comes to the SCO, it is clear that the organization "remains true to its original mission, which continues to be successfully carried out," he said.

Nurgaliyev noted the unique model of interaction offered by the SCO, characterized by equal and mutually beneficial cooperation.

This approach is founded on a shared understanding of various challenges and threats among member countries, he said, adding that the SCO emphasizes the importance of developing collaborative approaches and joint responses to complex situations as they arise.

The international system with the United Nations at its core is facing multiple threats and challenges unprecedented in modern history, according to an initiative calling for solidarity among countries to promote world justice, harmony and development issued on Thursday at the SCO Astana summit.

The SCO, it said, is firmly committed to giving full play to the central coordinating role of the United Nations, supporting the universally recognized norms of international law and building a more representative, just and democratic multipolar world system, in which all countries, regardless of their geographical location, territorial size, political, economic and social structure, shall have equal access to development opportunities.

The pledge of the SCO to promote multipolarity came at a time when some countries in the West are trying to peddle the narrative of a "rules-based world order."

"We see that the number of those wishing to become members, observers, dialogue partners is constantly growing," said Nurgaliyev. "This is proof that the SCO is a very popular and effective structure that has found its niche in the system of international security and cooperation."

The importance of the SCO for all member countries is hard to overestimate, as it contributes to strengthening their national security, economic development, and cultural exchange, said Serik Korzhumbayev, editor-in-chief of the Delovoy Kazakhstan newspaper.

In the face of modern international challenges, the SCO's significance only grows, providing member countries a platform for cooperation and interaction in the interests of sustainable development and peaceful coexistence, he said.

(Xinhua reporters Sun Hao, Zhao Yan, Ma Zheng, Miao Xiaojuan, Dan Ran, Hao Weiwei, Lu Jinbo in Astana also contributed to the story.)
Three endangered Asiatic lion cubs have been born at an Irish wildlife park.

Fota Wildlife Park has announced the birth of three male cubs to mother Arya, who was part of the first lion cub litter to be botn at the park.

Six year old Arya was paired with the male lion Yali - the most "genetically significant" Asiatic lion in the European Breeding Programme - and their cubs were born on June 5.

According to Fota, the Asiatic lion is classified as endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and inhabits only one remaining site in the world, the Gir Forest in India.

Due to this risk of extinction, wildlife parks and zoos play a crucial role in "safeguarding the species".

The current population in the Gir Forest is estimated to be in the region of 500 to 600 lions.

Lead ranger Julien Fonteneau said, "We are overjoyed with the birth of Aryas cubs. Arya and Yalis cubs are not just vital to our breeding programme but also to the global efforts in preserving the Asiatic lion population.

"In a first for Fota Wildlife Park, Yali was present at the birth of his three cubs, normally the male lions would not attend the birth of their young. One of our team members here quipped that Yali is a very modern father!"

"Although inexperienced, Arya is excelling as a new mother and is very protective. We have been monitoring the cubs daily and they all appear to be well fed and active. She has been caring for the cubs outdoors under the foliage and out of sight.

"Whenever it rains, she carries them to the heated lion shelter, which our visitors know well. While they are still very young and sleeping a lot, it is possible to catch a glimpse of them at the lion shelter."

Juien continued: "Aryas journey has been remarkable. Born and raised at Fota Wildlife Park, she spent a few years at Helsinki Zoo, but was eventually ousted by the other lionesses.

"Earlier this year, Arya returned to her roots at Fota to live with her mother, Gira, and her aunt, Gita. Now, she has continued the lineage of Asiatic lions at Fota Wildlife Park. Her mate, Yali, who joined Fota in the summer of 2022, is a crucial figure in the European Breeding Programme due to the rarity of his DNA."

The arrival of the litter is the first lion birth at Fota since 2019.

There are now seven Asiatic lions at the park; Arya and her three cubs, the two first lions to arrive at Fota, sisters Gira and Gita, and the male lion, Yali, who arrived from Paignton Zoo in the UK almost two years ago as part of a European Endangered Breeding Programme.

Visitors can now be in with a chance to see Arya and her cubs at the Asian Sanctuary when they visit Fota Wildlife Park.

Fota Wildlife Park is calling on the public to help name the three male cubs for an opportunity to win one of three annual Conservation passes.

Photography: Darragh Kane
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man welcomes Lao and Cambodian women and female entrepreneurs (Photo: VNA)

NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man affirmed that the Party, State, and people of Vietnam always value, treasure, and promote the traditional friendship with the Parties, States, and peoples of Laos and Cambodia.

Vietnam wishes to unceasingly strengthen and nurture its great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with Laos, as well as its good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, all-round, and long-lasting collaboration with Cambodia for the benefits of each country's people and for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, he stated.

Speaking highly of the role of the Lao and Cambodian women's unions in leading women's movements in their respective countries and protecting and promoting women's rights, he said he is pleased to see the traditional friendship among the three countries and three unions is increasingly flourishing.

The unions have engaged in numerous specific exchanges and activities that have contributed to strengthening relations and promoting women's development in each nation, particularly their signing and implementation of the cooperation agreement for the 2022-2027 period. They have also actively coordinated with localities, especially those in border areas, in cross-border cooperation activities, thus helping maintain the borderlines of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, according to the host leader.

The top legislator emphasised that the Vietnamese Party and State consistently prioritise gender equality and the development of women, reflected through the issuance of numerous relevant directives, policies, strategies, projects, and laws. The current 15th NA has 151 female deputies, accounting for 30.26% of the total.

Notably, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)s election of Vietnam to the Executive Board of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) for the 2025-2027 term in April demonstrates the international community's recognition and appreciation of the country's policies and achievements in this field, Man stressed.

He expressed his belief that this time, the three womens unions will continue exchanging experiences and successful models, along with connecting female entrepreneurs from the three countries so that women in general and female entrepreneurs in particular can make significant contributions to construction and development efforts in each country and the region at large.

Basing on each country's situation, the unions should keep discussing directions and cooperation measures to better work for women's development and gender equality, connect businesswomen, and enhance their traditional friendship and relations, thus contributing to the solidarity and comprehensive cooperation among the Parties, States, and peoples of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

At the meeting, President of the Lao Women's Union Aly Vongnobountham and Vice President of the Cambodian Women for Peace and Development Chau Bun Eng provided updates on activities of their respective unions.

They pledged to continue upholding their traditions and reinforcing ties with the Vietnam Women's Union to improve the professional capacity and performance of their unions./.
This week the South Side confronted flooding that endangered a local homeless camp.

Special thanks to BEST & BRIGHTEST TKC READERS for sharing this 2020 note with a bit of water-logged context . . .



The proposition represents an alternative Johnson County history that few can recall or imagine. The outcome also reflects how invisible political boundaries  and how they allocate costs and benefits  shape public policy decision-making for the broader metropolitan area.



Still, almost 45 years ago, voters considered the complicated issue.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Context . . .

BY OUR COUNT THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE PEOPLE REPORTEDLY KILLED THIS WEEK BY WAY OF DEADLY GUNFIRE!!!

For us this confirms that we shouldn't have too much confidence in political rhetoric over falling crime stats even if KCMO is diligently working to try and curb the homicide rate.

Sadly . . .

The numbers & reporting speaks for itself.

Here's the latest update and more info . . .



Homicide 2200 block E. 69th Ter.

This afternoon just before 3pm officers were called to the 2200 block of E.69th Ter on a shooting call.



On arrival officers located an adult male shooting victim unresponsive on the sidewalk in front of a residence there.



Officers rendered aid and summoned EMS to the scene who declared the victim deceased.



Detectives and Crime Scene investigators are processing the scene for evidence and canvassing for witnesses.



Preliminary investigation indicates the victim had an interaction with an unknown suspect or suspects at that location that led to gunfire and the victim being struck. The suspect(s) then left the scene in an unknown direction.



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 . . .

One person killed in shooting near E. 69th Terrace, Brooklyn Avenue The shooting was reported just before 3 p.m. in the area of E. 69th Terrace and Brooklyn Avenue, just east of The Paseo.

Police: Man dead after altercation leads to deadly shooting in south Kansas City The incident, a fatal shooting, happened shortly before 3 p.m.

Developing . . .
For late night visitors we consider the legacy of hottie Pam along with another quick peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Working Local Tradition

Allied Materials in Kansas City makes US flags flown all over the country The US flag is one of the most iconic iconic symbols of freedom. One business is producing thousands of them in Kansas City.

Dead-Tree Pops Off

These oddball fireworks spotted in KC stands are a blast before they're even blasted Have you spotted any of these weird-looking fireworks at your local stands?

Fire Protection Tonight

Central Jackson County Fire offers tips to stay safe with fireworks on 4th of July The Fourth of July is always a busy day for fire departments across the United States, but the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District has some tips for staying safe around fireworks.

Fave Phtog Captures Mighty MO

Rivers Rising Photography Blog

Cinematic Glimpse At Metro

Chiefs Hallmark Christmas movie will be shot in Independence Independence, Mo. announced its historic square will be a backdrop for the Kansas City Chiefs Hallmark Christmas movie with shooting starting next week.

Pamela Forever . . .

Pamela Anderson says she's 'happier than ever' on her birthday: See photos Pamela Anderson shared an Instagram post on her birthday that included a photo of her smiling.

Pattern For Prez?!?

Some Democrats say Biden's debate performance wasn't an anomaly "The country saw [at the debate] what those of us who have had personal interactions with him have all known for the last two and a half years," one senator said.

MAGA Makes Most Of It

'Chaos is our friend.' How Trump is quietly planning around Biden's uncertain future | CNN Politics For much of the past year, Donald Trump and his allies have speculated that Joe Biden would not end up as the Democratic presidential nominee - suggesting without evidence that he would step down before the convention and be replaced by another candidate.

Progressives Abandon Ship

Democrats in competitive House races break from Biden Several Democrats running in competitive House districts this cycle are breaking from President Biden, underscoring growing concerns that the incumbent could be a down-ballot liability following hi...

Vlad Gains Ground

Ukraine's army retreats from positions as Russia gets closer to seizing strategically important town A spokesperson for Ukraine's military said its army has retreated from a neighborhood in the outskirts of Chasiv Yar, a strategically important town in the eastern Donetsk region which has been reduced to rubble under a months-long Russian assault

Maybe Holy Land Compromise

U.S. sees promising 'breakthrough' in Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks, officials say A "breakthrough" has been made in efforts to negotiate a framework agreement for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas that might bring an end to months of fighting in Gaza and see hostages released, according to a senior Biden administration official.

Heiress Fashions Stars & Stripes

Kansas City Chiefs CEO's Daughter Gracie Hunt Celebrates Fourth of July in Patriotic Bikini: 'Board Meeting in Session' Gracie Hunt soaked up the sun on the Fourth of July. The 25-year-old daughter of Tavia Hunt and Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt shared photos of herself clad in a patriotic bikini while paddleboarding to celebrate the holiday.

Architectural Achievement Over Time

This Independence building was in the works for nearly a century before it was completed The Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence stands on grounds originally chosen by Joseph Smith

Forecast For Tonight & Friday

FIRST WARN FORECAST: Fireworks weather looks good Thursday night Happy Fourth of July everyone! After some heavy rain and strong thunderstorms early Friday, most of us dried out for the afternoon.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
More than anything, today's American festivites should be a reminder that we have a lot to celebrate with our neighbors.

Accordingly . . .

With a focus on nicer local reports, check TKC news gathering . . .

Share your FOURTH OF JULY celebration photos! Share your photos and videos with us of Fourth of July fireworks, celebrations and parades.

Alphapointe's blind/sighted team get ready for 340-mile kayak race From Lake Jacomo, a practice paddle on the water before the big MR340 race the on Missouri River. "I feel like we're back on the river," said 19-year-old Isaac McBurney.

'From the first bell to the last bell': Parents at Shawnee Mission Schools push for phone-free school days Students spend the majority of their time during the school year in classrooms. To counter the distraction of phones, a phone-free school movement is growing in the Shawnee Mission School District.

'Iconic but overlooked.' Could KC's Paseo Stairs, a favorite of runners, be improved? For decades, the Paseo Stairs have been a local destination for walkers and runners. Here's how one Kansas Citian's love-hate relationship with the steps has led to an effort to improve them.

Kansas Citians remain dedicated to service in sweltering heat Multiple organizations throughout the Kansas City metro remained committed to helping the community Monday despite the heat.

KCK dance group puts Latin flair on Fourth of July A local dance group hopes to shine a light on the diversity in America this Independence Day.

'We're right next door': Overland Park mother returns home after giving birth, losing limbs to illness Brie Morgan Bauer's story reached around the world. The Overland Park mother gave birth at 27 weeks in February, was diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome and lost her arms and legs to the illness.

Lee's Summit resident spends Fourth of July cleaning up from days of rain Homeowners across Lee's Summit are racing to dry up their homes and yards before more storms roll through.

Jackson County Family Court hosted reunification day for families after successful treatments The Jackson County Family Court hosted a Family Unity Day on Thursday. Its purpose was to celebrate the reunification of parents and children who have been separated by the state for protection.

Wayside Waifs uses animals to teach Kansas City kids about stopping violence Violence is nothing new to Kansas City youth. The No More Bullying! program at Wayside Waifs, a no-kill shelter, wants to stop the cycle using education and prevention.

Parents, district officials react to KCKPS regaining accreditation As the new school year approaches, KSHB 41 checked in with Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools and the community about the district's new accreditation status

LOOK: A very good video of Patrick Mahomes talking about how he runs out the tunnel We prefer how you do it QB1 @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/Nf5hdBuuq5- Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) June 30, 2024 Seems like it works.

Anonymous donor steps in to buy headstone for fallen Missouri K-9 officer Frustrations grow following the death of a Savannah Police Department K-9 officer last month after he was left in a hot car overnight.

Video: Kansas City, Missouri fireworks display at the National World War I Museum and Memorial The event featured food trucks, family-friendly activities, and concluded with a 20-minute fireworks show.

Developing . . .
No . . . Not the kind of poll workers required to devise EXCEPTIONAL dance moves like Liz Berkley in the campy Hollywood classic Showgirls . . .



Here's a bit of campaign 2024 fear that typically doesn't play out when locals realize that voting is much more boring than social media flexing.

In fairness, here's the premise . . .



"The increase in conspiracy theories about stolen elections and poll workers alleged hand in fraud scares her. Shes not alone. Nearly 1 in 3 election officials have been harassed, abused or threatened since the 2020 election."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

ASTANA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping here Thursday called on the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to ensure security in the face of real threat from the Cold War mentality.

Xi made the remarks when attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.

He urged the member states to adhere to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, address complex and intertwined security challenges through dialogue and coordination, and respond to the profoundly changing international landscape with a win-win approach, so as to build a world of lasting peace and universal security.

Xi spoke highly of Kazakhstan's positive efforts and significant contributions to improving the operational mechanism of the SCO and deepening cooperation in various fields during its rotating presidency, and welcomed Belarus to attend the SCO summit as a member state for the first time.

He pointed out that the SCO was founded at the turn of the century when confrontations and divisions left by the Cold War had yet to be resolved.

The SCO founding members made a historical decision to pursue peaceful development, commit to good-neighborliness and friendship, and build a new type of international relations, Xi said, adding that the "Shanghai Spirit" has become a shared value and guiding principle for the member states.

Noting that the SCO has had its 10th member state since its establishment 23 years ago, Xi said the foundation for SCO cooperation has become more solid as the SCO "big family" has growing membership which covers three continents around the world.

As the world is faced with accelerating changes unseen in a century, the human society is standing at a crossroads of history again, Xi said.

Xi pointed out that the SCO stands on the right side of history, fairness and justice, and is of great significance to the world.

He called on SCO members to safeguard the right to development in the face of real risks of "small yard, high fences."

Xi noted that SCO members should adhere to mutual benefits and inclusiveness, join hands to push for scientific and technological innovation, keep industrial and supply chains stable and smooth, stimulate the internal impetus of regional economies, and work towards common development goals.

SCO members should consolidate unity and jointly oppose external interference in the face of the real challenges of interference and division, he said.

The SCO members should firmly support each other, accommodate each other's concerns, handle internal differences with a spirit of harmony, and resolve cooperation difficulties by seeking common ground while reserving differences, and firmly grasp the destiny of our countries and the peace and development of the region in our own hands, Xi said.

The SCO has withstood the test of the changing international landscape, the root cause of which lies in the fact that SCO members remain committed to the fine tradition of solidarity and coordination, the way of cooperation featuring equality and mutual benefit, the value pursuit on fairness and justice, and the broad-mindedness of inclusiveness and mutual learning, Xi stressed.

Xi called on the member states to stay true to the original aspiration, continue to uphold the "Shanghai Spirit," help each other on their respective path to success, jointly maintain the development direction of the SCO, and build the organization into a reliable backbone for common prosperity and revitalization of its member states.

Leaders of the SCO members attending the meeting spoke positively of the constructive role of the organization in safeguarding regional peace and security, and voiced readiness to further strengthen cooperation in such areas as trade, transportation, energy, finance, agriculture, digital economy and technological innovation, as well as to deepen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in education, culture, tourism and youth, among other fields.

Noting that the current global political and economic landscape as well as international relations are undergoing major changes, the leaders said the United Nations should play a central coordinating role in promoting the building of a more representative, democratic and equitable multipolar world system, and pushing for an economic globalization that is mutually beneficial and inclusive.

They called for respecting the legitimate security concerns of all countries, committing to resolve differences and disputes between countries through peaceful means, and opposing unilateral sanctions and interference in other countries' internal affairs.

The leaders agreed to improve the SCO mechanism for dealing with security threats and challenges, resolutely combat the "three forces," drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, support the international community's efforts for peace and development in Afghanistan, and support a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution.

They signed and issued a series of documents, including an Astana declaration, and an initiative calling for solidarity among countries to promote world justice, harmony and development.

The meeting formally approved Belarus' accession to the SCO, and decided that China will resume the rotating presidency of the organization for 2024-2025.

Chinese President Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with leaders attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. Xi attended the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana Thursday. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Editor: WXL
Burjeel Holdings has opened the Burjeel Cancer Institute (BCI) in Mohammed bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi, offering world-class services to enhance cancer care in the country.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, inaugurated the institute. Located within Burjeel Medical City, the institute aims to offer advanced cancer treatments for patients in the UAE and beyond.

Sheikh Nahyan said: The UAE, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President, is committed to providing the best healthcare and medical services to all. Caring for cancer patients in the UAE is a top priority. We understand that the foundation of a prosperous society lies in the health and well-being of its people. We are committed to advancing medical knowledge and ensuring the highest standards of healthcare. Cancer care is one of the areas where we focus on early diagnosis and implementing the most effective treatments.

Medical access

Sheikh Nahyan stressed on the importance of sustaining the fight against cancer by addressing any delays in translating clinical discoveries and innovations into available treatments. According to him, medical access to these technologies and practices will increase public confidence in obtaining advanced diagnostic and treatment services.

Sheikh Nahyan highlighted the need for cooperation between multiple stakeholders in confronting a global challenge such as cancer. He added: The facilities hosted by the UAE, such as the BCI, reflect our dedication to providing comprehensive and innovative care for cancer patients. Their unique vision includes not only treatment but also prevention, early detection, and patient education.

The launch ceremony was attended by Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings; John Sunil, CEO of Burjeel Holdings; Omran Al Khoori, Executive Board Member of Burjeel Holdings; Safeer Ahamed, Group COO of Burjeel Holdings; Aysha Al Mahri, Deputy CEO of Burjeel Medical City; a delegation from the Department of Health  Abu Dhabi (DoH); medical staff; cancer survivors; and their families. The institute is headed by accomplished Emirati oncologist Prof Humaid Al Shamsi.

A leader in cancer care

BCI is the centre of Burjeels cancer care network, which comprises facilities in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Dhafra, Sharjah, and Dubai. Annually, the network caters to over 5,000 oncology patients, performs more than 10,000 screenings, and conducts 10,000+ radiotherapy sessions with the expertise of over 50 specialists.

BCIs dedicated tower offers state-of-the-art facilities across four floors, featuring private chemotherapy suites, specialty clinics, a dedicated breast cancer unit, and patient-centric facilities. It integrates chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgical oncology, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to offer a seamless experience for patients. The institute offers cutting-edge treatments such as targeted therapy, precision medicine, advanced surgical techniques, and state-of-the-art radiation therapy as well as AI-driven cancer diagnosis and management.

Dr Vayalil said: The launch of BCI marks a significant milestone in our journey to provide world-class cancer care within the UAE. We are committed to ensuring that patients receive the best possible care, supported by advanced technology and research. We believe that BCI will transform cancer treatment and significantly improve patient outcomes.

Integrating diagnostics and research

BCI incorporates advanced diagnostic capabilities through OncoHelix-CoLab to perform specialised tests locally and utilise technologies like Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), Droplet Digital PCR, and Multi-colour Flow Cytometry. This integration is expected to enhance diagnostic precision and efficiency, leading to improved patient outcomes.

BCI is also equipped to conduct high-quality clinical trials and translational research, fostering advancements in cancer understanding and treatment. Collaborations with international cancer research institutions and pharmaceutical companies are expected to pave the way for patients to access the latest innovations in cancer care.

Prof Al Shamsi said: BCI is a hub of hope, capable of offering comprehensive and holistic cancer care. By integrating advanced diagnostic tools and cutting-edge treatments under one roof, we aim to provide a seamless and patient-centric experience. Our focus is on enhancing the quality of life for our patients and their families.

BCI will set up a medical education programme to enhance oncology education, support research, and develop residency and fellowship programmes in collaboration with local and global institutions. The Institute will also focus on community engagement through awareness campaigns, educational seminars, and cancer screening programmes.--TradeArabia News Service
Labour Party has won a landslide in the UK general election and party leader Keir Starmer will be the new Prime Minister.

Sir Keir Starmer has led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the UK general election and will take over from Rishi Sunak as the UK's Prime Minister.

With more than 500 out of 650 seats declared, Labour is projected to form the next government, with a majority of 166, a BBC report said.

Speaking in central London, Sir Keir said "change begins now", adding "it feels good, I have to be honest".

Sunak said he accepts responsibility for the Conservative Party's historic general election defeat.

Sunak told supporters: "The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn... and I take responsibility for the loss."

High-profile Conservatives have lost their seats, including Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Penny Mordaunt.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has become an MP for the first time, and the party's Richard Tice and Lee Anderson have also won.

Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn won Islington North as an independent, and Labour's Jon Ashworth lost to an independent.

Green Party's Carla Denyer won Bristol Central from Labour, while Scottish First Minister John Swinney says it's been a "very, very difficult and damaging" night for the SNP.

With more than 580 seats now declared, the BBC forecast that the final vote share across Great Britain will be: Labour - 35% (+2); Conservatives - 24% (-21); Liberal Democrats - 12% (0); Reform - 15% (+13); Green - 7% (+4).

This will be by far the worst Conservative performance ever in terms of vote share, it said.

Labour's vote is slightly below that secured by Tony Blair in 2005 and will be the lowest share of the vote won by any single party majority government.

The Tories are set for the worst result in their history. They have lost more than 170 seats and are forecast to be left with just 136 MPs.

Sir Keir told cheering Labour supporters the country was waking up to "the sunlight of hope" which was "shining once again on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back".

He added: Now we can look forward  walk into the morning.
Delta Air Lines later apologized to the passengers after a Detroit to Amsterdam flight was redirected to New York due to spoiled food. Wednesday morning, around 4 a.m., Delta flight 136 had to make an emergency landing at JFK Airport.

This followed after passengers in the main area complained of some issues concerning their meals.

Delta Air Lines Apologized for Spoiled Meals

Upon landing at JFK at 3:59 a.m., medical teams were tasked to attend to passengers and crew members affected by the spoiled food. Delta Air Lines said that their food safety team had acknowledged the problem and arranged to pull out the food from their service.

"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 stated with regret, as quoted by CNN.

The flight originally left Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on Tuesday night at 10:51 p.m. and was destined to pull up brakes in Amsterdam.

The Airbus A330, which had 277 passengers onboard, remained in New York for almost 12 hours. The passengers of Delta Air Lines were accommodated in nearby hotels, and their tickets for the canceled flights were changed.

The new flight schedule has been rescheduled to depart at 3 p.m. at the JFK airport on Wednesday, with the arrival in Amsterdam 16 hours behind schedule.

Delta is currently investigating how the spoiled meals were served on Flight 136 and is taking measures to prevent such an incident from happening again.

Related Article : Delta Air Lines Adds More Luxury Lounges for Premium Flyers

New Dresses Removed Over Safety Concerns

Delta Air Lines is updating its flight attendant uniforms and removing some designs over safety worries. In partnership with the famous American brand Gap Inc., Delta has been secretly creating a new collection since 2022.

The company aims to test these new designs on a large scale later this year.

PYOK News revealed that the first look at the prototypes didn't impress much earlier this year, leading Delta Air Lines to eliminate three dress styles from the new line. These styles, a flare dress, a drape dress, and an asymmetrical dress with pleats, had too much fabric.

This extra fabric could make it hard for flight attendants to move quickly during emergencies. Although Delta hasn't officially stated why these dresses were removed, it's believed that safety during emergencies was the concern.

The new uniforms will stick to Delta's traditional colors of deep reds and dark blues and will include the airline's widget logo. While Delta has decided against three dresses, other options like a coat dress, a scarf dress, and a V-neck dress are still being considered.

Last year, Delta Air Lines stopped using its 'Passport Plum' uniforms after facing lawsuits that claimed the uniforms made with harmful chemicals caused health issues.

Delta's Senior Vice President of Customer Experience Design, Ranjan Goswami, emphasized that the airline is taking its time with the new uniforms to avoid past mistakes.
Manpreet Kaur, 24, died on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Delhi on June 20 just before take off. Kaur, a budding chef who was looking forward to seeing her family after four years, collapsed and died despite the flight crew and emergency services trying to save her.

Qantas Responds to Unexpected Tragedy

Kaur allegedly wasn't feeling well before the flight but decided to go anyway. Early reports say she may have had tuberculosis, a serious lung infection, but didn't tell Qantas before she boarded, the Independent revealed.

Qantas expressed deep condolences over the incident. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Manpreet Kaur," a spokesperson from the airline stated, as quoted in the report.

The issue has raised questions about health and safety on planes, especially around communicable diseases.

Qantas contacted the Australian National Incident Centre on July 1 after they found out through the media about the possible TB diagnosis. The Victorian Health Department started a limited contact tracing on July 2 to identify and screen anyone who was on the flight.

But they said broader contact tracing for other passengers wasn't necessary.

In the meantime, Victoria Police and ambulance are involved.

Kaur's friends and family are mourning a life so full. Gurdip Grewal, a friend of Kaur's, said she was "kind and genuine" and has started a GoFundMe for her family. As the community is in shock, the focus remains on what happened on the Qantas flight.

Related Article: Qantas Airways Faces Financial Fallout from Flight Fiasco

Qantas Flight Linked to Measles Alert

The latest measles case in Victoria has been linked to a Qantas flight from Singapore. The patient arrived in Melbourne on Qantas 36, and a health alert has been issued. The flight from Changi landed in Melbourne at 5:25 a.m. on Tuesday, June 25.

According to Sky News, Victoria's health department confirmed that the individual diagnosed is the 11th person in the state to contract the highly contagious virus this year. They are now warning other passengers from that flight and those present in Melbourne Airport's international arrivals hall between 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. on the same day to watch for measles symptoms until July 13.

After arriving on the Qantas flight, the affected individual visited several public locations while infectious. These locations include McDonald's on Mickleham Road and the Coles in Colac on June 25, Toyworld Warrnambool, and several other sites over the following days.

Health officials told those who came into contact with the patient to be extra cautious about their health for just under 18 days after exposure in case they developed symptoms.

As per the report, symptoms present one to eighteen days after contact, most of them starting with cough, runny nose, red eyes, and fever before a red, blistering rash associated with measles.

The health department is particularly concerned about the safety of people who visit these sites, people who are unvaccinated against measles, and more so, those who did not receive full vaccination and had traveled on that latest Qantas flight.

They are also urging all travelers to make sure that their vaccinations are updated on this and other diseases.
New Jersey might have to close several of its beaches this holiday weekend because of unhealthy water. Tests done by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection found too much fecal bacteria in the water.

This type of pollution mostly comes from animal waste and has likely increased due to recent heavy rains washing it into the ocean.

New Jersey Beaches Under Watchful Eye

Five beaches across Atlantic and Ocean Counties are now being watched closely.

As per New Jersey 101.5, the affected sites include Beachwood's Western beach, Stockton Avenue bay front beach in Long Beach Township, 14th Street bay front beach in Ship Bottom, Jennifer Lane bay beach in Stafford Township, and Arkansas Avenue beach in Atlantic City.

These beaches remain open for now, but officials are warning people to stay cautious.

Swimming in contaminated water can make people sick, causing stomach problems, vomiting, and infections in the ears, nose, and throat. The bacteria can also affect the sand close to the water.

New Jersey is taking this issue seriously. Further water tests are planned to see if the bacteria levels go down. If they don't, the state may close the beaches to swimmers to keep everyone safe.

The beaches would still be open for other activities, but swimming might be off-limits.

Residents and visitors planning to hit the beaches in New Jersey this weekend should stay updated on the latest health advisories and be prepared for possible changes to their plans.

Related Article : Massachusetts Takes Action as Bacteria Shuts Down 42 Beaches

Beaches Shut Due to Bacteria Scare

Ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, officials across the United States are closing beaches or advising against swimming due to high levels of dangerous bacteria. These bacteria include fecal waste and cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, found in freshwater.

States like Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York have recently found beaches with unsafe levels of fecal waste.

In particular, New Jersey has joined others in reporting such contamination, affecting summer plans. Illinois has placed 16 beaches under advisory, while Michigan has closed two and issued warnings for five others.

Vermont has raised alarms at six locations due to cyanobacteria risks, urging people to avoid swimming in those waters. Exposure to cyanobacteria can lead to severe health issues, including damage to the kidneys, liver, or reproductive organs due to toxins like microcystin.

According to Yahoo! News, research links the increase in harmful algal blooms to climate change, making these incidents more common.

These blooms and fecal contamination can cause stomach illnesses and skin infections, posing a higher risk to children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.

Robert Goldstein, a health official in Massachusetts, explained that the recent spate of bacteria-related beach closures typically follows heavy rainfall, which washes contaminants from the land into the water.

Massachusetts sees about 5% of its beaches closed annually due to such pollution, although these currently represent only a fraction of the state's many beaches.

Goldstein emphasized the importance of public awareness and personal responsibility in maintaining beach cleanliness. He advised beachgoers to clean up after pets and dispose of trash properly to prevent contributing to the contamination.

Residents and visitors in affected states, including New Jersey, are encouraged to stay informed through health department updates and heed any posted warnings at their local beaches.
An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows boats loaded with newly harvested kelp heading for the dock in Lidao Township of Rongcheng City, east China's Shandong Province. Nearly 90 percent of the 150,000 mu (about 10,000 hectares) of kelp in Rongcheng City have been harvested so far. The annual output is expected to reach 1.7 million tonnes. (Photo by Li Xinjun/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows workers harvesting kelp in Lidao Township of Rongcheng City, east China's Shandong Province. Nearly 90 percent of the 150,000 mu (about 10,000 hectares) of kelp in Rongcheng City have been harvested so far. The annual output is expected to reach 1.7 million tonnes. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)

A worker harvests kelp in Lidao Township of Rongcheng City, east China's Shandong Province on July 3, 2024. Nearly 90 percent of the 150,000 mu (about 10,000 hectares) of kelp in Rongcheng City have been harvested so far. The annual output is expected to reach 1.7 million tonnes. (Photo by Li Xinjun/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows boats loaded with newly harvested kelp heading for the dock in Lidao Township of Rongcheng City, east China's Shandong Province. Nearly 90 percent of the 150,000 mu (about 10,000 hectares) of kelp in Rongcheng City have been harvested so far. The annual output is expected to reach 1.7 million tonnes. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)

A worker harvests kelp in Lidao Township of Rongcheng City, east China's Shandong Province on July 3, 2024. Nearly 90 percent of the 150,000 mu (about 10,000 hectares) of kelp in Rongcheng City have been harvested so far. The annual output is expected to reach 1.7 million tonnes. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows boats loaded with newly harvested kelp heading for the dock in Lidao Township of Rongcheng City, east China's Shandong Province. Nearly 90 percent of the 150,000 mu (about 10,000 hectares) of kelp in Rongcheng City have been harvested so far. The annual output is expected to reach 1.7 million tonnes. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows boats loaded with newly harvested kelp heading for the dock in Lidao Township of Rongcheng City, east China's Shandong Province. Nearly 90 percent of the 150,000 mu (about 10,000 hectares) of kelp in Rongcheng City have been harvested so far. The annual output is expected to reach 1.7 million tonnes. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng)

Editor: JYZ
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting on the missile program.

He said this in a video message, Ukrinform reports.

"Today I held a meeting on our missile program. I am grateful to each and everyone who works for it and brings our ability to really respond to Russia's aggression in a tangible way closer," the President said.

He noted that this is a matter of global stability and security: "So that everyone in the Kremlin knows that they will not go unpunished."

As reported, the third Patriot anti-aircraft missile system arrived in Ukraine from Germany, and its Ukrainian crew successfully completed training in Germany.

Dear Ukrainians, Ukrainian women!

First of all, I want to thank our partners for the implementation of the agreements on air defense. We have set ourselves the task of doubling the strength of our air shield, and today is the beginning of this. I thank Germany for Patriot, which is already in Ukraine. Strong news. And one more strong news: I thank the United States for another step to strengthen our air defense, our Patriots. We continue to work, and there will definitely be new solutions.

The Ukrainians have already proved that there are no Russian missiles that we cannot shoot down. And we are doing our best to ensure that Russian terror loses. Today I held a meeting on our missile program. I am grateful to everyone who works for it and brings our ability to respond to this aggression in a truly tangible way.

This is a matter of global stability and security  so that everyone in the Kremlin knows that they will not go unpunished.

The second of the day. The oath of office of the new judges took place. Two hundred and forty-eight people. All of them are already starting work.

Third. Today I took part in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Ukraine. There were also government officials, representatives of various central authorities. And in the near future, they should present to the public in detail all the proposals on how to support people, our communities, and Ukrainian companies in the face of severe electricity shortages.

There are already amendments to the legislation that have been prepared and will be voted on. There is a government decision. There are new credit programs  completely interest-free loans for people and cheap and loyal loans for businesses. All this should work as soon as possible.

Of course, we are also focused on negotiations with European partners to increase the volume of electricity imports. Work is also underway to restore energy facilities. Responsibility for all parts of the comprehensive energy package will be personal to all government officials. And the additional needs of communities must be taken into account.

I thank everyone who works one hundred percent for the sake of our state and people! I thank everyone who fights for Ukraine as for themselves!

Glory to Ukraine!
The government of Latvia donated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine the first batch of unmanned aerial systems purchased as part of the "Drone Coalition" and has already prepared another consignment.

This was announced by Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds, who spoke in an interview with ArmyInform, Ukrinform saw.

"Latvia has prepared a batch of drones and they have already been sent. Now we are already collecting the second batch of drones, which is soon to be sent to Ukraine," Spruds said.

In general, according to the minister, Latvia, which along with the UK co-leads the "Drone Coalition", committed to contribute this year EUR 20 million as part of the initiative.

"At the same time, when we count those countries that have already made commitments, it is more than EUR 500 million, more precisely, EUR 549 million already vowed by member states, partners within the framework of the Drone Coalition. So, the next step is to use this funding effectively, and we are doing it on several levels," Spruds said.

Read also: Magura naval drones undergo important upgrade to improve effectiveness

He also confirmed that Latvia imposes no restrictions on the use of weapons provided to Ukraine, noting that Russia is an aggressor state, and that Ukraine has the right to self-defense.

"Therefore, when we provide our equipment, Ukraine can use it in accordance with its military-strategic assessments and needs," the Latvian Defense Minister emphasized.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Coalition of Drones and EW was conceived jointly by Ukraine and Latvia. The decision was made during the visit of Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds to Kyiv in December 2023. Later, a number of countries joined the initiative, including Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Estonia, and Canada.

Photo: mod.gov.lv
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has stated that the decision on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans visit to Moscow was made by the Hungarian side without any agreement or coordination with Kyiv.

This is said in a comment by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

We remind that the principle of "no agreements on Ukraine without Ukraine" remains inviolable for our country and call on all states to strictly adhere to it, the MFA said.

The ministry stressed that the Peace Formula remains the only realistic way to restore a just peace.

As demonstrated by the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, which was also attended by Hungary, more than a hundred states and international organizations share a vision of peace based on respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the UN Charter. The Peace Summit format is a key platform for finding ways to restore a just peace, the MFA said.

Ukraine remains constructively inclined to further work on the development of bilateral cooperation and European integration following the Hungarian Prime Ministers visit to Kyiv, the MFA assured.

As Ukrinform reported, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow on Friday.
This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 3, 2024 shows Shenzhou-18 astronaut Li Cong going out for extravehicular activities. The Shenzhou-18 taikonauts on board China's orbiting space station completed their second spacewalk at 10:51 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The Shenzhou-18 taikonauts on board China's orbiting space station completed their second spacewalk at 10:51 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu worked for about 6.5 hours to complete multiple tasks, with Li Guangsu remaining inside the space station.

With the assistance of the space station's robotic arm and researchers on Earth, they installed space debris protection devices for the pipelines, cables and key equipment outside the Tiangong space station, and conducted an extravehicular inspection.

Ye Guangfu and Li Cong, who were assigned the spacewalk duty, have since returned safely to the Wentian lab module.

The trio have completed one third of their space journey and are scheduled to carry out a large amount of in-orbit scientific experiments and technological tests, the agency said. 

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 3, 2024 shows Shenzhou-18 astronauts preparing to go out for extravehicular activities. The Shenzhou-18 taikonauts on board China's orbiting space station completed their second spacewalk at 10:51 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 3, 2024 shows Shenzhou-18 astronauts Li Cong (above) and Ye Guangfu performing extravehicular activities. The Shenzhou-18 taikonauts on board China's orbiting space station completed their second spacewalk at 10:51 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 3, 2024 shows Shenzhou-18 astronaut Li Cong going out for extravehicular activities. The Shenzhou-18 taikonauts on board China's orbiting space station completed their second spacewalk at 10:51 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 3, 2024 shows Shenzhou-18 astronaut Li Cong performing extravehicular activities. The Shenzhou-18 taikonauts on board China's orbiting space station completed their second spacewalk at 10:51 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 3, 2024 shows Shenzhou-18 astronaut Li Cong performing extravehicular activities. The Shenzhou-18 taikonauts on board China's orbiting space station completed their second spacewalk at 10:51 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 3, 2024 shows Shenzhou-18 astronaut Li Guangsu assisting with extravehicular activities. The Shenzhou-18 taikonauts on board China's orbiting space station completed their second spacewalk at 10:51 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 3, 2024 shows Shenzhou-18 astronaut Ye Guangfu performing extravehicular activities. The Shenzhou-18 taikonauts on board China's orbiting space station completed their second spacewalk at 10:51 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

Editor: JYZ
by Xinhua writer Wu Ziyu

YAN'AN, Shaanxi, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Before arriving at the apple orchards on the upper reaches of Nangou Village on the Loess Plateau, I was already amazed by the greenery along the winding mountain road.

The village, located in the city of Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, used to invoke pictures of bleak ridges and valleys of yellow earth. But outside the window of our SUV, the same ridges and ditches are flourishing with trees, a result of decades of reforestation and ecological preservation.

On a small square that leads to the orchards, a red and shiny apple-shaped structure caught my attention. The humble fruit is the village's top specialty product, and has played a key role in transforming the village over the years.

Zhang Runsheng, secretary of the Communist Party of China branch in the village, greeted us on the square and led us on a tour in the orchards.

Looking around, the seemingly endless row of apple trees was a sight to behold. Had it not been for the steep slope right next to the concrete road surrounding the orchards, I would have almost forgotten I was still on a mountain ridge.

"We have 3,160 mu (about 210.7 hectares) of apple orchards in the village now," said Zhang. He added that in the orchards, 1,060 mu utilize short-stalk close planting techniques and refined management methods.

Among the apple trees, I spotted a pillar-like device. "This is the automated orchard monitoring system," said Zhang. "Every once in a while, experts dispatched by local agricultural authorities will come to analyze the readings and determine the orchard's situation."

He said that apart from a few activities that require manual work, such as bagging apples, the orchards' operation was highly mechanized.

For urban residents of Yan'an and beyond, the village is a popular attraction for its apple orchards and rural tourism. Last year, the per capita income of Nangou villagers was 21,500 yuan (about 3,017 U.S. dollars), a ten percent increase from the year before.

However, about a decade ago, the future of the village was still dim. Back in 2013, a heavy rainfall that affected the entire Yan'an dealt a heavy blow to the village, causing great economic losses.

"Some villagers still lived in cave-dwellings then," said Zhang, referring to a type of traditional housing on the Loess Plateau. "The downpour damaged some caves and even collapsed a few. Many villagers lost their homes."

Zhang, who had started a moderately successful real estate business in downtown Yan'an, was then invited by his fellow villagers to help with the village's reconstruction. The efficient work style of his team was appreciated by fellow villagers, and he was elected the village's Party chief later.

With disaster relief support and subsidies from local government, the village solved the housing problem. However, villagers still lacked a stable source of income. "To turn our lives around, developing local industry is a must," said Zhang, who was born into a poor family in the village and had to go to the urban areas for livelihood.

According to him, the decision to grow apples was made after extensive discussions with villagers and study trips to other famed apple-producing areas in Shaanxi.

Local authorities were very supportive of the development of apple growing, said Zhang. "They provided us with much-needed planting techniques, and subsidized us in fields such as hail prevention, insecticide, and water-saving irrigation," he said, pointing at the hail nets that hang over the apple trees.

In one orchard, I met 69-year-old apple grower Ma Jintu. "Nangou was once ridiculed as a 'bachelor village,' for few women from other areas were willing to marry into our village," said Ma, recalling the village's poor transportation and hard life in the past.

"All these changes in the village was beyond my imagination," Ma said.

Nangou is among numerous places across the country that owe their transformation to developing local specialty industries in the rural revitalization drive. Just like Nangou apples, oranges from Jiangxi Province's Ganzhou, strawberries from Dandong in Liaoning Province and many other specialty products have all made a name for themselves on the market.

"Our mountain organic apples are now sold across the country for their exceptional taste and nutrition," Zhang said. He added that many foreign customers adopt apple trees at an annual fee of 500 yuan a tree, which further expands the income source of the village.

On top of a viewing platform that overlooks the village, I could see its entire landscape: apart from the orchards on the ridge, several cottages and what seemed to be a racetrack were also clearly visible on a flat opening at the foot of the hill.

"The shacks are local hostels, and the track is for dirt bikes," Zhang told us. As the village attracts more visitors with its apple industry, it is now exploring ways to create a diverse experience for tourists.

Opposite the viewing platform, a sign that reads "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" stood on the hill. From what I have seen, there isn't a more appropriate description of the village's development.

Editor: WXL
The story of Anh Tuyet comes as an exceptional twist in a world where the pressures for survival compel the curving of dreams to bend a little further.

Thirty years ago as a university student in Vietnam, Tuyet was presented with a rather painful decision-dropping out of school to support her family. At 55, she's back in school to finally make her dream of a bachelor's degree come true. For this Vietnamese-born manicurist from California, going back to class is not only a personal achievement but an inspiring story of drive, determination, and unwavering efforts toward the goal.

A Dream Deferred, A Dream Reclaimed

Anh Tuyet is 55 years old. She goes out of here with this very special degree, a dream she has held ever since she left university studies 30 years ago to help her family. "I'm finally fulfilling my dream of earning a bachelor's degree before my 60th birthday," she says. For a manicurist in California, life for Tuyet is about being strong, hardworking, and holding a commitment to both her family and the pursuit of her dreams.

Born in Vietnam, the road to the United States and a pathway back to the halls of academia has not been without difficulties. At 20, she abandoned university in her native Ho Chi Minh City to work as a factory worker to help her parents and sisters and, after marriage, to support her new husband by running a small diner. The early years were tough; besides the financial setbacks, she also lost her husband but she never gave up and pursued her dream to pursue higher education.

Breaking the Barriers: Language and Technology

Tuyet moved to the United States in 2010. It had been quite a new chapter, filled with both opportunities and challenges. In the end, she got a job in a Vietnamese nail shop while speaking English, effectively limiting her communication with native clients. Being an extroverted woman, Tuyet tried to make a personal effort to improve her English. She learned with cartoons to grasp basic speaking and listening skills. Later though, being short of time, she gained online language lessons.

Not until about five years ago, when her children were older and more independent, Tuyet rekindled her dream of going to college. Finally, encouraged by her youngest child, she managed to take a few English classes at Cosumnes River College to cover the prerequisites for a nutrition degree. It was not for free. Then, the onset of COVID-19 delayed her plans. In the autumn of 2022, she eventually started her English classes in English proficiency in earnest.

The road was tough. She was able to understand only half of the lectures. Thus, she spent her weekend working while she was working during the whole week to study not less than 12 hours a day to learn new vocabulary, listen to recorded lectures, and write. Since her computer skills were poor, she also had to study about it. There were so many moments in her life when, from tiredness, she fell asleep, but she continued forward, encouraged by her children.

Academic Success and Next Steps

The rise in Tuyet's grades leveled out with her rise in hard work. She transitioned from Cs, then to Bs, and finally to getting B+s, constantly working hard on her coursework. She stopped at nothing to ask for any clarifications required from lecturers and peers, fully preparing her for research in case a new lecture material arises. This enabled her to get a 90% grasp of lecture material and change from a shy student to an active one, taking part in classroom discussions and doing active presentations.

Now that she had developed good communication skills, she was beginning to feel a little more confident about speaking. In the classroom, she adhered to the three core speaking codes with confidence: plan as much as you can beforehand, use basic language, and be attuned to the pacing of speech. At the beginning of this year, 2024, Tuyet finally passed all her English exams, gaining her university entrance qualification in human nutrition. She wants to set up a company to offer counseling and care to the elderly and pursue her passion for nutritional science and helping.

Tuyet and her story show that there is no age limit to start chasing one's dreams. Her oldest son, Tran Xuan Thien Truc, is deeply inspired by her efforts. "My mom always instills in me the feeling that I should give it a try, my best shot, so I would not later regret not doing so," said Truc, a home designer and constructor from California. He recently shared his mother's experience on social media, captioning it, "Never too late to chase your dreams."

Responding to comments on her son's post, Tuyet says, "Once I have a dream, I am committed to achieving it. Others may underestimate you, but you must never belittle yourself. If there's something you truly desire, fight for it." Her story is not just one of getting back to school but, more generally, one of regaining a long-held dream and showing how determination can defeat anything.
(@Abdulla99267510)

The Interior Minister directs the CDA to purchase only electric bikes in future to reduce environmental pollution, while eco-friendly electric buses will be operated for the citizens of Islamabad.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-July 5th, 2024) Interior Minister on Friday banned the purchase of petrol motorcycles in Islamabad.

The Interior Minister directed provision of international standard emergency services to the residents of Islamabad.

He gave these directives while chairing a high-level meeting of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in Islamabad on Friday.

Mohsin Naqvi decided to take a number of steps to transform the federal capital into a city of international standard.

Under the decisions taken in the meeting, the Interior Minister directed the CDA to purchase only electric bikes in future to reduce environmental pollution, while eco-friendly electric buses will be operated for the citizens of Islamabad.

It was also decided to transfer emergency services from Municipal Corporation Islamabad to Capital Development Authority and establishment of Capital WASA soon.

It was further decided to speed up process for finalizing the matters related to the establishment of Capital Waste Management Company and construction of Underpass at Serena Chowk and Flyover at F-9 Park Chowk.

The Interior Minister directed the authorities concerned to accelerate work for rapidly completing the pending construction work of Islamabad Expressway project.

It was informed in the meeting that work on Islamabad Model Jail, which has been stalled for the past seventeen years, is going on rapidly, and the first phase will be completed within the stipulated period.

Mohsin Naqvi said business Facilitation Centers are being established in Islamabad where facilities will be provided to investors under one roof.

He said process of allotment of land for construction of Health Tower in H-16 sector of the Federal Capital has been completed.

He also congratulated to the entire team of CDA including its Chairman for the record tax collection.

The Interior Minister directed the CDA authorities to prepare investment plan for the organization and submit it within a week.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jul, 2024) Federal Minister for Interior, Mohsin Naqvi has made key decisions to transform Islamabad into a world-class city while chairing an important meeting at the Capital Development Authority (CDA) headquarters on Friday.

On the Minister's directives, CDA will now only purchase electric motorbikes in future to reduce environmental pollution. Additionally, eco-friendly electric buses will be introduced for the citizens of Islamabad.

The Interior Minister has also imposed a ban on the purchase of conventional motorcycles.

International standard emergency services will be provided to the citizens of Islamabad and the administration of emergency services will be transferred from MCI to CDA.

Moreover, the establishment of Capital Waste Management Company will also be expedited. Furthermore, the matters related to the establishment of Capital Waste Management Company will also be finalized soon.

The Interior Minister said that work on the Serena Chowk Underpass and F-9 Park Chowk Flyover projects will begin soon to alleviate traffic congestion issues in Islamabad. He added that the long-delayed Expressway project will be completed on a priority basis. He stated that development work in the non-developed sectors of Islamabad will also be completed, and possession will be handed over to the allottees.

He highlighted that work on the Islamabad Model Jail, which has been stalled for 17 years, is progressing rapidly, and the first phase will be completed within the stipulated time.

The Interior Minister said that business Facilitation Centers are being established in Islamabad, where investors will be provided with all facilities under one roof.

Land has also been allocated for the Health Tower in Sector H-16. The Interior Minister congratulated CDA team, including Chairman CDA, on achieving record tax collection but warned that no organization can run solely on plot and land sales; therefore it is essential to develop the assets of the organization.

In this regard, the Interior Minister directed that an investment plan be prepared and presented within seven days.

The meeting also reviewed the progress on various ongoing development projects, including the Kuri Enclave, renovation of Federal Secretariat building, Diplomatic Enclave, and Smart Parking projects.

Chairman CDA, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, briefed the Federal Minister for Interior on various projects. The meeting was attended by Chairman CDA, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Irfan Memon, and all members of CDA.
(@FahadShabbir)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jul, 2024) The Benazir Income Support Programme, Ministry of education and Professional Training and World food Programme are continuing collaborative efforts on the development of School Meal Programme to provide nutritious meals in 500 public sector schools in Balochistans lagging districts.

The programme has been conceived in line with the directives of Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif to provide nutritious meals to the schools in the province for which the government of Balochistan, WFP and BISP have listed 500 schools.

To discuss the progress on this initiative, a meeting was held here, co-chaired by Secretary BISP, Amer Ali Ahmad along with Secretary Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Mohyuddin Wani, as a follow-up for the implementation of PM directive on School Meals Programme.

Country Director WFP, Ms. Coco Ushiyama was also present along with her team including the representative of WFP from Balochistan Dr. Faaria Ahsan, who participated virtually.

The meeting was also attended by the Secretary School Education Balochistan as well as representatives of relevant ministries.

The meeting focused on the development of a school meal programme under the PM directive for providing nutritious meals in 500 public sector schools across the lagging districts of Balochistan, utilizing the BISP database.

The meeting also reviewed the progress made on the School Meal Programme and decided on a follow-up meeting next week to delineate roles and responsibilities in the implementation plan.
Kyiv, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jul, 2024) Russian attacks killed four and wounded nearly two dozen others in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine on Friday, officials said.

Moscow has centred its firepower on the industrial region, which it claims to have annexed and has been partially controlled by Kremlin-backed forces since 2014.

Regional governor Vadym Filashkin said a 32-year-old woman had been killed and 20 others were wounded by Russian shelling in the town of Komar, damaging homes, shops, and an administrative building.

Filashkin said that one person was killed and another was wounded in a Russian Smerch rocket attack on the town of Ukrainsk.

"It is dangerous to stay here, as well as in the rest of Donetsk region," he wrote on social media.

Two more were killed and two were wounded in the town of Selydove that lies near a sector of the front line where Russian forces are advancing, he said.

Further north in the Donetsk region, Russian forces are pushing towards the hilltop settlement of Chasiv Yar.

Images distributed by Ukrainian forces show rows of destroyed and smouldering Soviet-era housing blocks in the town.

Separately, Russian-installed officials in part of Donetsk under Moscow's control said three were killed by Ukrainian shelling on the town of Volnovakha.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that Ukraine must abandon four regions in the east and south -- including Donetsk -- if Kyiv wants peace.
By Zhang Zhou

At the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Kazakhstan from July 2 to 3, 2024. This is President Xi Jinpings fifth visit to Kazakhstan and the first visit to Central Asia by Chinas top leader after the 20th CPC National Congress. It marked yet another milestone in the history of China-Kazakhstan relations.

Here are the fruitful results of President Xis visit.

First, political mutual trust reached a new height. The two presidents jointly signed and issued a joint statement, reaffirming continued firm support to each other on issues concerning the two countries respective core interests.

Second, practical cooperation received new impetus. The two sides agreed to seek greater synergy between Belt and Road cooperation and the economic policies under a Just Kazakhstan, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation on all fronts.

Third, new outcomes were achieved in people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China will set up the second Luban Workshop in Kazakhstan and hold China tourism year activities in Kazakhstan next year.

Fourth, coordination on international affairs has been further substantiated. The two sides agreed to have close cooperation under multilateral frameworks, actively implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and jointly champion an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

China will work with Kazakhstan to deliver on the important common understandings between the two presidents, upgrade cooperation across the board, and jointly usher in a brighter future for China-Kazakhstan relations.

(Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Xinhua)

Editor: GSY
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
Human rights group Amnesty International raised concerns Friday about the Nigerian government's hiring of two firms with past dealings with Shell to assess the proposed $2.4 billion sale of the company's onshore assets in the Niger Delta.

Amnesty said the choice cast doubt on the independence and transparency of the process and called again for accountability in the proposed sale.

Amnesty described the hiring of the Boston Consulting Group, or BCG, and S&P Global by the Nigerian oil regulator as concerning, saying the firms are in business with Shell.

Amnesty said S&P Global plays a role in rating Shell's debt and credit worthiness, while BCG performs a variety of services for Shell.

Amnesty's Isa Sanusi said that BCG and S&P could be influenced by their commercial interests and that they may become lenient in their review of problems caused by Shell's activities.

"I don't think that it is possible for these companies to be independent, Sanusi said. In fact, the whole exercise of assessing Shell's plan has now been jeopardized by this conflict of interest. There's no way a company working for Shell can be hired to examine the books of Shell. I dont think that is right."

In January, Shell announced plans to sell its onshore properties to a local consortium of five companies for $2.4 billion. Shell said the move would enable it to focus on more-profitable offshore business as it plans to transition away from fossil fuels.

But the proposed sale has sparked concern among environmental and human rights activists calling on authorities to delay the deal until a review of Shells activities and assets in the region is done.

The groups say years of exploration by Shell have caused massive environmental damage and a loss of livelihoods for residents.

Energy expert Emmanuel Afimia agreed with Amnesty International, saying, The consultants have existing relationships with Shell. This might compromise the consultants ability to conduct an impartial review.

We need to understand that the independence of these consultants is crucial to ensure a fair assessment, and their ties to Shell could undermine trust in the process," he said.

Nigerian law mandates Shell provide money for cleanup and decommissioning of its assets before exiting.

But Shell, like other foreign energy firms, has often blamed sabotage and theft for oil spills. Earlier this year, the company released on its website a list of eight cleanup operations it planned to carry out  all for spills of less than 100 barrels of oil.

Amnesty said that unless the right thing is done, enormous human rights risks are at stake.

"There must be an examination of all the environmental liabilities, community liabilities and human rights liabilities, Sanusi said. Shell has to pay for it before going ahead to sell its assets in the region. It is about human life, and that should be the priority of Nigerian authorities."

In March, the Netherlands-based nonprofit Center for Research on Multinational Corporations accused Shell of trying to avoid responsibility for oil spills and warned that if allowed, it could set a negative example for other foreign firms seeking to leave the Niger Delta.
Australia said Thursday a $1.35 billion deal with U.S. technology giant Amazon to build three secure data centers for top-secret information will increase its militarys war-fighting capacity.

The data centers are to be built in secret locations in Australia and be run by an Australian subsidiary of the U.S. technology company Amazon Web Service, the government said.

The deal is part of Australias National Defense Strategy, outlining its commitment to Indo-Pacific security and maintaining the global rules-based order. The country has a long-standing military alliance with the United States and is a member, with the United Kingdom, U.S., Canada and New Zealand, of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.

Australian officials said the project would create a state-of-the-art collaborative space for intelligence and defense agencies to store and gain access to sensitive information in a centralized network.

Andrew Shearer, director-general of Australias Office of National Intelligence, said in a statement that the project would allow greater interoperability with our most important international intelligence partners.

Similar data clouds have been set up in the United States and Britain, allowing the sharing of information among agencies and departments.

Richard Marles, Australias deputy prime minister and defense minister, told reporters that highly sensitive national security data will be safely secured in the new system.

If you consider that any sensor which is on a defense platform, which in turn feeds that data to a high tech capability, such as the Joint Strike Fighter, which will use that to engage in targeting or perhaps to defend itself from an in-coming threat, or ... to defend another asset, such as a ship  all of that is top secret data, Marles said.

The government said the Amazon Web Services storage system will use artificial intelligence to detect suspected intrusions and to retrieve data.

Richard Buckland, a professor in CyberCrime, Cyberwar and Cyberterror at the University of New South Wales, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the storage plan has risks.

Putting more data together in a central spot and sharing it widely as people intend to do obviously increases the risk of a data breach, he said.

In a statement, Amazon Web Services managing director in Australia, Iain Rouse, said the system would enable the seamless sharing of classified data between Australias National Intelligence Community and the Australian Defense Force.

The so-called top-secret cloud is scheduled to be in operation by 2027.
Brazil's Federal Police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds the far-right leader received from Saudi Arabia during his time in office, according to a source with knowledge of the accusations.

A second source confirmed the indictment, although not for which specific crimes. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.

Brazil's Supreme Court has yet to receive the police report with the indictment. Once it does, the country's prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, will analyze the document and decide whether to file charges and force Bolsonaro to stand trial.

The indictment dramatically raises the stakes in a series of investigations into the divisive ex-leader applauded by his opponents but denounced as political persecution by his supporters.

Bolsonaro and his lawyers have denied any wrongdoing related to the case, as well as the slew of investigations facing the former president.

Those include allegedly ordering an aide to manipulate public health records to falsify his COVID-19 vaccination certificate, for which he was already indicted, as well as involvement in inciting an uprising in capital Brasilia on January 8, 2023, that sought to oust his successor from power.

Last year, Federal Police accused Bolsonaro of attempting to sneak in diamond jewelry reportedly worth $3 million and selling two luxury watches.

Police said in August that Bolsonaro received cash from the nearly $70,000 sale of two luxury watches he received as gifts from Saudi Arabia. Brazil requires its citizens arriving by plane from abroad to declare goods worth more than $1,000 and, for any amount above that exemption, pay a tax equal to 50% of their value.

The jewelry would have been exempt from tax had it been a gift from Saudi Arabia to Brazil, but not Bolsonaro's to keep for himself. Rather, it would have been added to the presidential collection.

The investigation showed that one of Bolsonaro's top aides, Mauro Cid, in June 2022 sold a Rolex watch and a Patek Philippe watch to a store in the U.S for a total $68,000. They were gifted by Saudi Arabia's government in 2019. Cid later signed a plea bargain with authorities and confirmed it all.

Bolsonaro retains staunch allegiance among his political base, as shown by an outpouring of support in February when an estimated 185,000 people clogged Sao Paulo's main boulevard to protest what the former president calls political persecution.

His critics, particularly members of his rival President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's political party, have cheered every advance of investigations and repeatedly called for his arrest.

Last year, Brazil's top electoral court ruled that Bolsonaro abused his presidential powers during his 2022 reelection bid, which rendered him ineligible for any elections until 2030. The case focused on a meeting during which Bolsonaro used government staffers, the state television channel and the presidential palace in Brasilia to tell foreign ambassadors that the country's electronic voting system was rigged.

Bolsonaro is expected to meet Argentinian President Javier Milei this weekend at a conservative conference in Balneario Camboriu, in Brazil's south.
ASTANA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) said here Thursday that the international system with the United Nations at its core is facing multiple threats and challenges unprecedented in modern history.

The existing international peace and security architecture, international relations and the global trading system are gradually disintegrating, and geopolitical rivalries and arms races are intensifying, according to an initiative calling for solidarity among countries to promote world justice, harmony and development issued as the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO is underway in Astana.

The UN charter and the universally recognized basic principles and norms governing international law have been systematically undermined, it cautioned.

It also warned that geopolitical rivalry has intensified, unilateral sanctions violate international law and harm the interests of developing countries, adding that trading systems and supply chains built up over decades are being damaged.

The SCO members called on UN member states to conduct general and complete disarmament under effective international control, consolidate global nuclear non-proliferation regime and oppose an arms race in outer space.

It also said that climate agenda should not be used as an excuse to restrict trade, investment and technical cooperation.

Editor: WRX
Central African Republic officials are pleading with civilians to go back to their villages, after up to 10,000 civilians were displaced this week by fighting between rebels and C.A.R. forces.

Officials say a rebel group known as the Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation, or 3R, has relaunched hostilities in the central African nation. This week, military sources said 3R rebels attacked nearly 10 villages between the towns of Bocaranga and Bazoum in northeastern C.A.R., near the Cameroon border.

The C.A.R. military says bodies of five government troops and six civilians have been found in villages since the attacks began Tuesday. The military says it is still searching for bodies and transporting injured civilians to hospitals for treatment.

On Thursday, officials said several hundred troops and humanitarian workers were deployed to the villages to push back the rebels and protect civilians.

Glwadys Siopathis led a delegation of humanitarian workers to villages affected by the fighting. She says about 10,000 civilians  including children  are hiding in the bush, and are hungry, thirsty and malnourished.

She says a majority are reluctant to return to their homes because they believe rebels have simply retreated and could again attack villages for supplies.

The C.A.R. says that besides its troops, forces of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, or MINUSCA, have been deployed to protect civilians and their goods.

Both forces say huge quantities of ammunition were seized and several rebels were either neutralized or captured, but did not give further details. The C.A.R is pleading with civilians to return to villages where they will be protected by government troops.

Bruno Yapande, C.A.R.s territorial administration minister, says the government of the Central African Republic has ordered its military to immediately seal border areas where rebels traditionally attempt to pass through when attacked by government troops.

He says several border security checkpoints have been erected to sort out rebels who disguise themselves as cattle ranchers or infiltrate civilian communities to escape to neighboring countries.

Yapande spoke Friday on C.A.R. state TV. He did not say which countries the rebels may be attempting to escape to, but the C.A.R. shares borders with Cameroon, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Congo and Chad.

Last week, Cameroon and C.A.R. officials met in the C.A.R.'s capital, Bangui, and signed an agreement to jointly combat what they describe as increasing insecurity and criminality caused by armed gangs and rebels operating in towns and villages along their border.

The C.A.R. says the 3R, formed in 2015, is one of several rebel groups in the central African state. 3R rebels claim that they protect Muslim cattle ranching populations from regular attacks by Christian anti-Balaka militias.

C.A.R. officials say the rebel group has several hundred armed fighters who fight to control villages on the C.A.R. border and regularly escape to eastern villages in Cameroon when attacked by government forces. The C.A.R. accuses the rebel group of killing, maiming, raping, looting, and regularly displacing civilians from the villages.

The Central African Republic descended into violence and political chaos in 2013 when Muslim-led Seleka rebels seized power and forced then-President Francois Bozize from office in the majority Christian nation. A Christian-dominated militia called the anti-Balaka fought back, with both the Seleka and anti-Balaka being accused of targeting and killing civilians.

The U.N. says fighting in the C.A.R. has forced close to a million Central Africans to flee to neighboring countries, including Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Chad.
China faced international criticism about its human rights record Thursday at a United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva. Criticism focused mainly on the country's persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

While the council's president, Omar Zniber, said China had accepted nearly 70% of more than 400 reform recommendations from U.N. members, Western countries contend that number is misleading.

Michele Taylor, the U.S. representative on the rights council, said Thursday that "ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang," the region where many Uyghurs live, remain in effect.

China "has refused to take action amid consistent calls from the international community to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and has rejected numerous constructive recommendations," Taylor said.

"China's abuses constitute a rejection of U.N. assessments and recommendations and violate or undermine international commitments," Taylor said.

The British representative, Simon Manley, told the meeting that China has rejected all of the U.K.'s recommendations.

"In doing so, the Chinese government has failed to acknowledge its serious human rights violations, and again tried to claim that [the U.N.'s] authoritative Xinjiang assessment is  and I quote  'illegal and void.' It is neither," Manley said.

Chen Xu, China's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said at the meeting, attended by a delegation of Chinese diplomats and officials, that recommendations rejected by China were "politically motivated based on disinformation, ideologically biased or interfering in China's traditional sovereignty." He condemned what he called an attempt to "smear and attack" China.

China has drawn much criticism over the years for its treatment and detention of Uyghurs and other Muslims. A 2022 U.N. report, published by former U.N. rights chief Michelle Bachelet, said China's treatment of Uyghurs could constitute crimes against humanity, something China has consistently denied.

Thursday's review of China's human rights record before the Human Rights Council was the first since the publication of the 2022 report. Later that year, U.N. member states tried to talk about the report, but the move was voted down, mainly by non-Western countries, a measure that was seen as a victory for China, Reuters reports.

Each U.N. member state undergoes a review of its human rights record every few years.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
On June 25, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, commander of the Russian army nuclear, chemical and biological protection forces, accused the U.S. of expanding bioweapons research in Africa.

Kirillov claimed that Russia had halted the implementation of biological warfare programs in Ukraines liberated territories forcing the Pentagon to transfer incomplete research to other regions.

Russia falsely describes four Ukrainian regions it illegally occupies as liberated.

Russian embassies worldwide amplified Kirillov's allegations sharing the conspiracy theory on social media platforms, including X.

Kirillov said, Washington uses outside actors to hide the objectives of research. These are contracting and intermediary organizations (Metabiota, Quicksilver, EkoHealth Alliance, more than 20 companies) and businesses of the so-called Big Pharma.

That is false.

U.S. laboratories in Ukraine, African countries, and elsewhere work in cooperation with national authorities to predict and prevent bioterrorism, and outbreaks of diseases that pose a threat to public health.

The U.S. uses a transparent system making the labs and their research publicly accessible.

For example, the United States Embassy in Ukraine is one of the sources of a comprehensive database of the U.S.  Ukraine cooperation in the public health arena.

As for the contractors, whom the U.S. allegedly uses to hide the objectives of research  below are the facts about the three organizations named by Kirillov.

Metabiota is a San Francisco-based research company that compiles data around the world to help predict disease outbreaks. The U.S. Defense Department has granted Metabiota contracts totaling $39 million between 2014 and 2020.

The U.S. DoD contract specifically states the purpose of the contract with Metabiota: Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).

Quicksilver is another U.S. company that has ongoing contracts with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior totaling $9.66 million between 2008 and 2024. The purpose of the grants is the preservation of forests and natural resources in the U.S. states of Oregon, Colorado, and New Mexico.

There are no other companies named Quicksilver in the U.S. government contractors database.

EcoHealth Alliance Inc. (misspelled in Kirillovs quote as EkoHealth) is a U.S.-based scientific research company and former government contractor.

In May 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suspended the EcoHealth Alliance and permanently debarred its founder and president, British zoologist Dr. Peter Daszak from all U.S. government funding.

The move came after the House committee on Oversight and Accountabilitys investigation of the origins of SARS CoV-2 virus that causes coronavirus concluded, that EcoHealth facilitated gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China without proper oversight, willingly violated multiple requirements of its multimillion-dollar National Institutes of Health grant, and apparently made false statements to the NIH (U.S. National Institutes of Health).

In Kenya, Lt. Gen. Kirillov alleged, In October 2023, staff of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases conducted a large-scale survey of hantavirus samples from bats in Kenyas natural hotspots.

In fact, the U.S. has three labs there used to diagnose and research dangerous viruses and bacteria, such as Ebola, Anthrax, Rift Valley Fever, and Brucellosis among other diseases.

In November 2023, Kirillov claimed that the U.S. moved part of its "unfinished" biological weapons projects from Ukraine to Africa, and the work is underway in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.

The United States, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Uganda, and South Africa are signatories to the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention treaty that prohibits them from producing or using biological weapons; at least 183 states have signed the agreement.

The Kremlin voiced similar allegations against the U.S. at the United Nations in March 2022. However, Izumi Nakamitsu, the U.N. high representative for disarmament affairs, told the U.N. Security Council that the U.N. was not aware of any biological weapons program in Ukraine.

In January 2022, Kirillov claimed that Russia had obtained more than 20,000 documents related to the creation of components of biological weapons by the Pentagon and their testing in the countries bordering Ukraine and Russia. The Russian state media then published that evidence.

But an online petition posted on behalf of Russian scientists in March 2022, said a group of independent biologists examined these documents and concluded they were obviously false. The strains listed in those papers are common to microbiological and even more so to epidemiological laboratories and used for public health research projects sponsored by the United States, European Union, and World Health Organizations. The scientists letter called on the Russian media to stop spreading false, absolutely groundless propaganda about the U.S. bioweapon labs in Ukraine.

The United States does not own or operate any chemical or biological laboratories in Ukraine or possess such weapons anywhere, the State Department said in March 2022.
A former reporter for a weekly Kansas newspaper has agreed to accept $235,000 to settle part of her federal lawsuit over a police raid on the paper that made a small community the focus of a national debate over press freedoms.

The settlement removed the former police chief in Marion from the lawsuit filed by former Marion County Record reporter Deb Gruver, but it doesn't apply to two other officials she sued over the raid: the Marion County sheriff and the county's prosecutor. Gruver's lawsuit is among five federal lawsuits filed over the raid against the city, the county and eight current or former elected officials or law enforcement officers.

Gruver's attorney did not immediately respond to emails Friday seeking comment. An attorney for the city, its insurance company, the former chief and others declined to comment but released a copy of the June 25 settlement agreement after the Record filed an open records request. He also provided a copy to The Associated Press.

Former Police Chief Gideon Cody led the Aug. 11, 2023, raid on the newspaper's office, the home of publisher Eric Meyer and the home of a then-city council member who had been critical of the then-mayor. Marion is a city of about 1,900 people set among rolling prairie hills about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, Missouri, and the Record is known for its aggressive coverage of local government.

At the time, Cody said he had evidence that the newspaper, reporter Phyllis Zorn and the city council member had committed identity theft or other computer crimes in obtaining information about a local business owner's driving record. All his targets said they did nothing illegal, and no charges were ever filed.

A federal lawsuit filed by Meyer and the newspaper alleges that the raid caused the death the next day of his 98-year-old mother, who lived with him, and he and the paper's attorney have suggested that the raid was Cody's response to the paper investigating his background. Cody seized Gruber's personal cell phone and had her desk searched; she had no connection to the driving record but was looking into Cody's past.

The raid sparked national outrage, and Cody resigned as chief in early October, less than two months after the raid. Legal experts have said the raid likely violated state or federal laws.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Orbans press chief said Friday, a rare visit to Russia by a European leader since it invaded Ukraine more than two years ago.

Orban's visit comes only days after he made a similar unannounced trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and proposed that Ukraine consider agreeing to an immediate cease-fire with Russia.

The Hungarian prime minister, widely seen as having the warmest relations with Vladimir Putin among all European Union leaders, has routinely blocked, delayed or watered down EU efforts to assist Ukraine and impose sanctions on Moscow for its war. He has long argued for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine but without outlining what that might mean for the country's territorial integrity or future security.

That posture has frustrated Hungarys EU and NATO allies, which have broadly considered Russias invasion as a breach of international law and a threat to the security of countries in Eastern Europe.

In an email on Friday, Orban's press chief, Bertalan Havasi, said the Hungarian leader's trip comes as part of his peace mission  reflecting the image of a peacemaker that the populist leader has cultivated since Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also joined the trip to Moscow, according to a post on his Facebook page.

Hungary at the beginning of the month took over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU Council, a largely formal role that can be used to shape the bloc's policy agenda. Orban has said he wants to use the presidency to advocate for an end to the fighting in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed to a Russian state TV reporter on Friday that Ukraine will be among the topics on the agenda when Orban and Putin meet.

EU officials have come down hard on Orban for his visit with Putin, something only one other European leader has done since the start of the invasion.

The bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said in a statement that Orbans visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia.

Prime Minister Orban has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow. The EU position on Russias war of aggression against Ukraine is reflected in many European Council conclusions. That position excludes official contacts between the EU and President Putin. The Hungarian Prime Minister is thus not representing the EU in any form, Borrell said.

He added that Putin has been indicted by the International Criminal Court and an arrest warrant released for his role in relation to the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

Speaking to Hungarian state radio before departing Friday morning, Orban said he was aware that his countrys presidency of the EU does not entitle us to negotiate on behalf of anyone.
After hours of heavy rains and winds that left a path of destruction in Jamaica, Hurricane Beryl is headed toward Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, the National Hurricane Center said late Thursday afternoon.

Beryl is expected to bring strong winds, a dangerous storm surge and damaging waves to the Yucatan Peninsula when it makes landfall early Friday, according to the NHC.

Forecasters say Beryl is set to move over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on Friday night and then move northwestward across the Gulf on Saturday. The NHC warned that Beryl will likely experience slow re-intensification" as it moves over the Gulf.

Beryl struck the Cayman Islands early Thursday, bringing heavy rains and strong winds as it moved away from Jamaica and toward the Yucatan Peninsula.

The storm has killed at least 10 people, but officials say the death toll may increase as communication is restored on the islands in its wake.

As the eye of the storm brushed the Jamaican coast, the hurricane knocked out power and tore off roofs from some homes. It also downed trees and utility poles and left at least one person dead.

Hurricane Beryl moved away from Jamaica early on Thursday. At last report, the Category 2 hurricane was 295 kilometers east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico, on Thursday afternoon, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

Forecasters said they expect the storm to weaken some before it reaches the Mexican coast but still be at hurricane strength.

Hurricane warnings were posted from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancun ahead of the storms arrival.

The NHC said Beryl had maximum sustained winds of 185 kph early Thursday.

Forecasters warned that storm surge could bring water levels 1.2-1.8 meters above ground level in the Yucatan, along with 10-15 centimeters of rain.

After reemerging into the Gulf of Mexico, the storm could make landfall in northeastern Mexico or in the southern part of the U.S. state of Texas by late Sunday.

Hurricane Beryl brought destruction to Grenada and Carriacou, where three people were reported killed. Three others were killed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as the storm hit there, while three people were killed in northern Venezuela.

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 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. It was also the earliest to reach Category 5 strength.

Beryl is the second named storm in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical Storm Alberto hit northeastern Mexico in June, killing four people.

The U.S. 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.
U.S. President Joe Biden said, "I'm not going anywhere," on Thursday during an Independence Day celebration at the White House that included a barbecue for a few thousand active-duty military members and their families.

Biden made brief remarks from a teleprompter before mingling with the crowd and taking selfies. At one point, someone called out, "Keep up the fight."

"You got me, man. I'm not going anywhere," he responded.

Biden's mental and physical abilities have been scrutinized in the week since his faltering debate performance against former President Donald Trump. At times during the debate, he lost his train of thought, even saying wrongly at one point that he had killed off Medicare, the government's health insurance program for older Americans.

The president is doing more public events and interviews in an attempt to assure voters, Democratic Party officials and donors that he is fit to run and able to serve as president for four more years.

Earlier Thursday, in a Fourth of July interview with Wisconsin radio station WAUK, Biden admitted that he did not have a good debate last Thursday.

"I had a bad night. I had a bad night. And the fact of the matter is that, you know, I screwed up. I made a mistake. But I learned from my father, when you get knocked down, just get back up," he said.

The president will travel to Wisconsin on Friday and appear in an interview that night on ABC News.

Biden's 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 Biden's 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 we're 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.

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.

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 came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
The Israeli government has approved plans to build nearly 5,300 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank, a monitoring group said Thursday, the latest in a campaign to accelerate settlement expansion, aimed at cementing Israeli control over the territory and preventing the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

Word of the decision emerged as diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the nine-month war in Gaza appeared to be stirring back to life after a weekslong hiatus. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had decided to send negotiators to resume negotiations. A day earlier, the militant Hamas group handed mediators its latest response to a U.S.-backed proposal for a deal.

Fighting intensified between Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah, with the militant group saying Thursday it fired more than 200 rockets and exploding drones into northern Israel to avenge the killing of a senior commander in an Israeli airstrike the day before.

Months of exchanges have literally set the Israeli-Lebanese border ablaze and raised fears of a potentially even more devastating war in the Middle East. Hezbollah has said it will halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire between Hamas  a fellow Iran-backed ally  and Israel.

Israel's turbocharged settlement drive threatens to further stoke tensions in the West Bank, which has seen a surge in violence since the war in Gaza began on October 7.

The Israeli anti-settlement monitoring Peace Now said the government's Higher Planning Council had approved or advanced plans for 5,295 homes in dozens of settlements across the West Bank. It also "legalized" three informal outposts as new neighborhoods of existing settlements in the Jordan Valley and near the city of Hebron.

On Wednesday, Peace Now said Israel approved the largest seizure of land in the West Bank in over three decades. COGAT, the Israeli defense body that oversees the planning council, referred questions to Netanyahu's office, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Netanyahus government is dominated by settlers and their supporters. The hard-line nationalist finance minister, Bazalel Smotrich, himself a settler, has been put in charge of settlement policy and has said his rapid expansion drive is in part intended to ensure a Palestinian state cannot be created. In an escalation over past months, settlers have carried out more than 1,000 attacks on Palestinians, causing deaths, damaging property and in some cases prompting Palestinians to flee villages.

The Palestinians seek the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza  areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war  for an independent state.

The new housing approvals could also rankle Israels ally, the United States, which speaks out against settlements, though it has done little to pressure Israel on the issue.

Gazas Health Ministry said Thursday that the number of Palestinians killed by Israels campaign in Gaza had climbed past 38,000. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its count. The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on October 7 into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting another 250 people.

The revival of cease-fire talks appeared to mark another attempt by U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators to overcome the gap that has repeatedly thwarted a deal over the past months. Hamas wants a deal that ensures Israeli troops fully leave Gaza and the war ends; Netanyahu says the war cannot end before Hamas is eliminated.

Israeli negotiators are expected to arrive in Doha, Qatar's capital, for the talks as early as Friday, with American, Egyptian and Qatari officials present.

A senior Biden administration official said the White House viewed the resumption of negotiations as a "breakthrough" that "moves the process forward" while cautioning that there is still much work to do.

Netanyahu spoke earlier on Thursday with President Joe Biden. Netanyahu's office said he told Biden that Israel is committed "to finish the war only after achieving all of its objectives"  a reference to the twin war goals of rescuing hostages and destroying Hamas.

Biden made clear to Netanyahu that "its time to bring the deal to closure," said the administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the 30-minute call.

The U.S. has rallied world support behind a plan for a phased cease-fire in Gaza that calls for the release of all hostages still held by Hamas in return for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

So far, neither side appears to have fully embraced it.

Last month, Hamas suggested "amendments" to the proposal, some of which the U.S. said were unworkable. Talks ground to a halt. After the U.S. put forward a new version, Hamas said Wednesday it sent a new response to Egypt and Qatar. Hamas political official Bassem Naim said the group "responded with some ideas to bridge the gap" between the two sides, without elaborating.

For his part, Netanyahu has given conflicting stances  he has said Israel is committed to the proposal outlined by Biden in a May 31 speech. But in a TV interview last month, he said he was only prepared to make a "partial deal," and would continue the war "after a pause."

At its core, the U.S. proposal calls for a three-phase process.

The first phase would bring a cease-fire, a pullback 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 for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. After some hostages were released during a November cease-fire, militants still hold around 80 hostages and the remains of 40 others.

During the 42 days of phase one, the parties would negotiate the terms of phase two.

The negotiations are meant to lead to a "sustainable calm" and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Gaza  with the release by Hamas of all remaining male hostages in return for an Israeli release of Palestinian prisoners. The third phase would see the return of the remains of hostages.

The transition from the first to the second phase has appeared to be the main sticking point.

Hamas is concerned that Israel will restart the war after the first phase, perhaps after making unrealistic demands in the talks. Israeli officials have said they want the negotiations to lead to Hamas removal from power in Gaza  a provision not spelled out in the proposal. They have also pushed for a time limit on negotiations to keep pressure on Hamas and prevent it from drawing out talks and the initial cease-fire.

The U.S. administration official indicated that Hamas has moved from its position demanding guarantees of a permanent cease-fire to begin the three-phase deal. Hamas' response indicates that there is a "decent understanding of what would have to happen" to move from phase one to phase two, the official said.
Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday ordered significant cuts in the federal budget along with other government reforms to pay off a crushing debt burden in a move seen as a concession to popular disapproval of a tax bill that sparked violent protests.

Following weeks of protests during which dozens of people reportedly were killed, Ruto withdrew a finance bill intended to raise $2.7 billion  most of it from tax increases  to pay off debt.

Ruto instead offered a compromise: a plan is to cut $1.39 billion from the budget and borrow the difference.

To make it work, Ruto said, his government will eliminate 47 state corporations with overlapping or duplicative functions and reduce by 50% the number of government advisors, among many other actions.

Filling the positions of chief administrative secretaries is suspended, Ruto said, and government funds will not be used for the operations of the offices of the first lady, the spouse of the deputy president and the prime cabinet secretary.

And there's more.

"Public servants who attain retirement age of 60 shall be required to immediately proceed on retirement with no extensions, Ruto said.

Also, government purchase of new motor vehicles is suspended for 12 months, except for security agencies, and all nonessential travel by state and public officers is suspended, the president said.

Some of the actions were on a list of demands made by protesters.

Ruto also said he has appointed an independent task force to carry out a comprehensive, forensic audit of the country's public debt.

"This audit will provide Kenyans with clarity on the extent and nature of our debt and how public resources have been expanded and also recommend proposals for managing public debt in a manner that is sustainable and does not burden future generations," he said.

Nearly 40 people died and 360 were injured nationwide since the protests started three weeks ago, according to Kenya's National Commission on Human Rights.
Many Kenyan towns and cities have returned to an uneasy calm after weeks of protests of tax increases during which dozens of people were reportedly killed.

Youth organizers successfully pressured the government to drop the tax plans. The success has been largely credited to nontribal youth, in contrast to previous demonstrations that were easily labeled as tribal demands by the political and security establishments.

On Friday, Kenyans buried Rex Massai at his home in Athi River, some 30 kilometers east of Nairobi. The 29-year-old was the first to be killed in the anti-tax protest that began June 18.

The protests forced President William Ruto to withdraw the 2024 finance bill, passed by the parliament last week, after demonstrators stormed the parliament building and burned a section of it.

Protesters argued that the bill, meant to raise taxes on food items, fuel and motor vehicles, would make life difficult as they continued to deal with the high cost of living.

But what began as a protest of the tax increase has created bad blood between Kenyan youth and politicians, who they accuse of failing to do their legislative work, mismanaging public money and bad governance.

Protesters told VOA they were fighting for their rights. One said they must rise up and fight for our rights. Another said this is a new generation, one that must fight for its rights.

The youth accused their parents of tribalism and accepting bad governance, while saying politicians have made their lives harder.

Despite the criticism, the older generation has also fought for multiparty democracy and the new constitution. Each time they came out to push for political, social and economic reforms, they were labeled tribalists wanting to grab power through the back door.

According to political experts, for decades, the state has used ethnicity to sow division and create fear among communities.

However, in the current protest, the demonstrators say they are leaderless and tribeless and want to change how the country's affairs are run.

Martin Andati, a Kenyan political commentator, told VOA it has been difficult for the state to deploy old tactics against the youth protest.

"They are used to normal mobilization, Raila [Odinga] kind of arrangement, where you call for a press conference and say you will be on the streets, Andati said, referring to the former prime minister and 2022 presidential candidate against Ruto. These ones were doing it differently, largely on social media, which is not controlled by the state, so it became very difficult for the state to manage them because they are playing mind games, and it was more about intellect than physical mobilization."

Odinga has been on the front lines of Kenyan protests and political change despite losing the presidential election five times.

Lecturer and economics expert Samuel Nyandemo said hard economic times have united Kenyans regardless of their ethnicity.

"The economic challenges facing all the youths in this country is felt in one perspective that this has been occasioned by poor governance, Nyandemo said. For the youth to now salvage the country they now said, Let's unite regardless where you come from because nobody is safe unless they fight that common enemy of poverty, impunity and poor governance."

Kenyas government blames the country's economic challenges on foreign loans, mostly from China. The government says it is using more than half of the revenue it collects to repay those debts.

As pressure mounts on Ruto and his government, the president formed a task force Friday to audit the public debt, which has largely been shrouded in secrecy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met 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.

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 they'll be holding meetings amid the annual session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization taking place Wednesday and Thursday in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

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 United Nations 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.

Which 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 isn't 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 he's not alone," Gabuev 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.

At a meeting with Xi on Wednesday, 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 Beijing's diplomatic support for Moscow and how it's 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 also met with Putin, whose expected visits to Turkey haven't materialized. 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 Antony 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 Beijing's unspecified "concerns" over the conflict. India's Modi then called for an end to the fighting without voicing explicit disapproval of Moscow's 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.
Mali's army and Russian mercenaries killed dozens of civilians during a military operation last month in northern Mali, civil organization and community members alleged Friday, amid a surge in violence after the ruling junta broke off a peace agreement with rebel groups.

The killings took place from June 20 to 29 in Abeibara in the Kidal region, the civil society groups and residents said. The Malian military says it has no knowledge of the alleged killings, but says military operations are taking place throughout the country.

The region is a former stronghold of a rebellion by militants in the Tuareg ethnic group who are fighting the army in a conflict where civilians increasingly have become the main victims. Some of the militants have formerly been allied with al-Qaida.

Hamadine Driss Ag Mohamed, son of Abeibara's village chief, told The Associated Press on Friday that Malian soldiers and fighters from the Russian mercenary group Wagner had killed 46 civilians.

"The Malian and Wagner soldiers executed old men and shepherds and stole everything they found in the camps such as money and valuable jewelry," he said.

Mali and its neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger have long battled insurgencies by armed groups, including many allied with the al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and have sought military help instead from Russia's mercenary units, such as the private security company Wagner and its likely successor, Africa Corps.

In December 2023, a United Nations peacekeeping force created 10 years earlier and aimed at stabilizing Mali after a Tuareg rebellion in 2012, withdrew from the country at the request of the junta, which called the mission a failure.

Following last month's violence in Abeibara, images of lifeless bodies and incinerated campsites circulated on social networks for several days. The Associated Press has not been able to verify them.

Citizen's Observatory for Monitoring and Defending the Human Rights of the Azawad People, a civil society organization also known as Kal akal, said in a statement Friday that there were at least 60 civilians killed in the Abeibara area and that they were buried in mass graves.

The group denounced "a vast campaign of ethnic cleansing carried out by the Russians of the Wagner group, in the company of the Malian army."

A spokesman for the Malian army, Colonel Major Souleymane Dembele, said the military was unaware of the alleged killings.

"It's true that there are military operations underway throughout the national territory," Dembele told the AP over the phone. "But I have no information on these accusations."

More than a decade of instability has followed the Tuareg rebellion, though in 2015 the Tuareg rebel groups signed a peace deal with the government that was welcomed by the United Nations.

But following the military coup in 2020, Mali's junta broke the peace agreement with the Tuareg rebel groups and attacked their stronghold of Kidal in 2023. Since then, Kidal has been plagued by violence, particularly against civilians.
Access to independent media has been tightly restricted in Myanmar since the military coup in 2021. But now, the junta is also blocking VPNs, in what analysts say marks an escalation in censorship.

The military  also known as the Tatmadaw  is now actively blocking virtual private networks, or VPNs, which help internet users bypass restrictions to access websites, as well as social media and messaging platforms.

Analysts believe the junta may be using technology from a Chinese company to enforce the blocks.

The move "poses a major threat to press freedom, activism and the ability of people to hold their government accountable," said Simon Migliano, head of research at Top10VPN. The London-based organization tests the security of VPNs and researches internet and tech security.

Block limits access to information

The junta has threatened to block VPNs since it overthrew the civilian-led government more than three years ago. In late 2021, the Tatmadaw drafted, but did not enact, a cybersecurity law that could punish people with three years in prison if they used a VPN without official permission.

The blocks, which began in late May, have dire consequences for internet freedom in Myanmar, where opposition to the military and its coup has largely been organized online, according to Migliano.

"The VPN crackdown in Myanmar severely restricts citizens' access to independent and accurate information, reinforcing government control over the flow of information," Migliano told VOA.

Several news outlets have reported that security forces are stopping people at random to inspect their phones for VPN apps. Around two dozen people were arrested and fined in early June after police found VPNs on their cell phones.

In addition, Myanmar's Transport and Communications Ministry has blocked access to Facebook, Instagram, X and WhatsApp, according to media reports.

Myanmar's military did not reply to VOA's request for comment.

Myanmar's military is seeking to control the flow of information as a way to control the country, say experts.

"They really want to control the narrative and spread their propaganda," Wai Phyo Myint, a Myanmar analyst at the digital rights group Access Now, told VOA.

Experts say junta seeks 'digital dictatorship'

The VPN crackdown is the latest example of what a group of United Nations experts in 2022 called the junta's efforts to establish a "digital dictatorship."

"There's a battle in the digital space," one digital rights activist told VOA. The individual, who is from Myanmar but moved to Thailand after the coup, requested anonymity for security reasons.

Part of the reason the military may have taken so long to target VPNs is because blocking is more difficult and expensive than other forms of censorship, according to Oliver Spencer, an expert on free expression in Myanmar.

The military has already consolidated control over the country's telecommunications companies, imposed scattered internet shutdowns, revoked media licenses, and arrested dozens of journalists. The repressive environment led many independent news outlets to flee into exile.

"They basically cracked down on the internet in all the ways that they could do more easily," Spencer said. That means blocking VPNs was the last main step the military could take to prevent the country's people from accessing websites and platforms that the Tatmadaw would rather hide from them, according to Spencer.

Citing leaked documents, the activist group Justice for Myanmar reported in June that the military's enhanced censorship system uses technology from the Chinese network security company Geedge Networks to block VPNs.

The Beijing-based company did not reply to VOA's email seeking comment.

With this technology, authorities create a list of all known VPN domains and IP addresses they want blocked, according to Migliano. The simplest way to circumvent the block is to cycle through various VPNs, because some still work sporadically, Migliano added.

Demand for VPNs has on average been more than 1,000% higher than it was in the month before the crackdown, according to research by Top10VPN. The largest uptick was on May 30, when demand was 2,333% higher, Top10VPN reported.

Violence perpetrated by Myanmar's military against those resisting the coup means that not having access to independent, accurate information can be a matter of life and death, said Washington-based Wai Phyo Myint, Asia Pacific Policy Analyst for the AccessNow.

In many cases, crucial information such as how to find safe places to avoid the military "got cut because of the VPN ban," she said. That's particularly concerning given the gravity of the violence perpetrated by the military, which stands accused by rights groups of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity since the coup.

Spencer estimates that the crackdown now means that there are "millions and millions" of people who have no access to any information or any way to communicate electronically.

"Instead of just attacking the media, which they've done until now, [the junta are] actually attacking the ways that the general public can communicate and can access information," Spencer said. "It's probably one of the largest attacks on freedom of expression in Myanmar since the coup."
The United States will host a NATO summit in Washington next week, at which more military support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's ongoing invasion will top the agenda.

Douglas Jones, deputy U.S. assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, told VOA earlier this week that NATO will put forward "concrete ways" to accelerate Ukraine's eventual membership in the alliance.

Retired U.S. Air Force four-star General Philip Breedlove was the commander of U.S. European Command and the 17th Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO Allied Command Operations from 2013 to 2016.

In an interview with VOA, Breedlove said that NATO should use next week's summit to detail how it will help Ukraine "win the war against Russia and to expel Russian forces from Ukrainian lands."

Allowing Russia to keep that Ukrainian territory it has occupied would amount to "capitulation," Breedlove said, adding that whoever wins the U.S. presidential election in November must remember that capitulation to Russia's ambitions in Ukraine "is not a way forward."

The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity:

VOA: What are the main challenges for NATO ahead of the summit in Washington?

Retired four-star U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove: I think the main challenge is going to be how to move forward with Ukraine. There are quite a number of NATO nations that want to get started on Ukraine's program to join [NATO], there are other nations that are not ready for that yet. And so I think that the compromise is this "bridge" to NATO, whereby Ukraine will be invited to join in the headquarters on a U.S. base somewhere. I hear that maybe Wiesbaden [Germany] is that place. More importantly though, since there will not be a formal offer to Ukraine for membership, the members of NATO are going to need to discuss how do we begin to guarantee the security of Ukraine.

VOA: How do you think the elections in Europe and the U.K. will affect  and maybe already have affected  NATO's immediate future?

Breedlove: So I would broaden that scope. In elections in America, elections in many of our countries, we see a growing nationalistic trend, some isolationist trends, and these are all going to have to be addressed by NATO as a body. Because the strength of NATO is solidarity first, and so we have to figure out how to maintain that solidarity in the alliance when we have several nations that are now challenging norms. NATO has always made it through this. I remind people  and some of my French friends hate it when I do  but we were once thrown out of a capital of a NATO country. And so NATO has faced challenges in the past.

And I think that NATO will survive this current set of issues as well and frankly maybe be stronger. The absolute audacity, the criminality, the inhumane war that [Russian President] Mr. [Vladimir] Putin is waging on Ukraine is in a way drawing NATO closer together, even though there are less than perfect conversations about how we should go about fixing things. Broadly now, people understand what Mr. Putin is, what Russia represents, and the problems that this is going to give us in the future. And we see nations now realizing that they have to invest in their defense.

VOA: According to Politico, some Trump-aligned national security experts are saying that he is "mulling a deal" where NATO commits to no further eastward expansion, specifically into Ukraine and Georgia, and negotiates with Putin over how much Ukrainian territory "Moscow can keep" in exchange for a cease-fire. What would that mean for Georgia and Ukraine?

Breedlove: So, what you're talking about, to me, amounts to capitulation. I don't believe that Mr. [Donald] Trump would capitulate in quite that manner to Russia and give in to all of Russia's demands. I think what we need to focus on is what changes in respect to Russia in these conversations, remembering that Russia is a nation that amassed its army, marched across internationally recognized borders and is now trying to subjugate one of its neighbors. I do not believe that even Mr. Trump will sign up to that as an end result.

At some point we will have to sit down at the table, and what it looks like coming away from the table, I think, is a long way from being determined. And I do not believe that the American people will support capitulation.  And so I think that whoever is the next president, as their team sits down to try to resolve this, we're going to have to remember that capitulation is not a way forward.

VOA: If Georgia's domestic political problems grow, what effect will that have on its prospects for joining NATO?

Breedlove: I think that the question should be asked like this: if Russia's interference in Georgia's internal affairs continues and gets worse, what does that mean? Because I believe that there is Russian bad money and Russian bad people and politics involved in Georgia right now. Georgia is a hybrid warfare battleground whereby Russia is trying to use all manner of influence to drag Georgia away from the West and to regain control of Georgian politics.

VOA: It's clear that during next week's summit, Ukraine will not be offered NATO membership. But apart from the offer to establish a "bridge" at a NATO base, what do you think can be done to bring Ukraine and NATO closer together?

Breedlove: Well, the first thing to do is to help them win this war. Our policies are very weak. We say things like "we're going to be there for as long as it takes" or "we're going to give them everything they need." What we fail to say is  we're going to be there as long as it takes to do what? We're going to give them everything they need to do what? And that "to do what" should sound something like "to completely defeat the Russian forces inside of Ukraine and drive them back behind Russia's borders." But we are not doing that. And so one of the most important things about this upcoming summit  is that we need a demonstrative public declaratory policy on how we would support Ukraine to win the war against Russia and to expel Russian forces from Ukrainian lands.
With four months remaining until the U.S. presidential election, political divisions among the electorate are stark. Some voters blame the media for deepening the sense of separation. VOAs Veronica Balderas Iglesias has more. Yeni Garcia, Salome Ramirez in VOA's Spanish service contributed to this report.
Taiwan's Defense Ministry said Friday that dozens of Chinese aircraft have been detected around the island in a 24-hour period, the latest sign of rising tensions between Beijing and Taipei.

The ministry said 36 Chinese military aircraft and six ships were operating around Taiwan before 6 a.m. local time.

In a later statement, the ministry said an additional 26 Chinese military aircraft had been detected. The ministry said it had "monitored the situation and responded accordingly."

In a June 27 press conference, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, director general of the Information Office of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, was asked about the "many exercises" conducted in the waters around Taiwan. An English transcript of the press conference was released by the ministry on Thursday.

"I suggest the DPP [Democratic Progressive Party] authorities to get used to encircling activities held by the PLA [People's Liberation Army]. I need to point out that the PLA's relevant actions and operations are targeted at separatist activities held by the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces, they are by no means targeted at our compatriots in Taiwan," Wu said.

Taiwanese boat detained earlier

China's latest provocations near Taiwan come just days after the crew of a Taiwanese fishing boat was detained by the Chinese coast guard while their vessel was operating near an island controlled by Taiwan.

Taiwan's coast guard says the boat was intercepted by Chinese vessels on Tuesday night near the Kinmen islands, located just a few kilometers off the southern Chinese coastal city of Xiamen.

Taiwan dispatched three patrol boats to assist the fishing boat, but they were blocked by three Chinese vessels. The Taiwanese boats demanded the Chinese vessels release the fishing boat and its crew but said they were warned by the Chinese side not to interfere.

The Taiwanese coast guard says it ended its pursuit to avoid escalating the conflict.

The fishing boat was taken to a nearby Chinese fishing port. The five-person crew includes two Taiwanese nationals and three Indonesians.

Hsieh Ching-chin, deputy director-general of Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration, said Wednesday the incident occurred as China begins its annual fishing moratorium.

He said Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council and Fisheries Agency will "reach out to their Chinese counterparts" and call on the Chinese government "to explain its reasoning and release the crew and their boat in accordance with due procedure, refraining from using political means to handle the situation."

Incident continues China-Taiwan conflict

Tuesday night's incident was the latest maritime conflict between Taiwan and China this year.

Two Chinese fishermen drowned in February when their boat capsized as it was fleeing Taiwan's coast guard after the fishermen entered restricted waters near Kinmen. China responded days later when its coast guard briefly boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat while it was on a sight-seeing trip near Kinman.

"China used to turn a blind eye to Taiwanese fishing vessels" operating around its waters, said Chung Chieh, an associate research fellow at the National Security Division in Taipei. But that "special treatment" is something that Taiwan's fishermen "no longer enjoy," he told VOA Mandarin.

China is now citing its "domestic laws" when looking to punish Taiwanese crews "found operating within China's territorial waters," according to Chieh. China wants to "establish the fact that it can enforce law among Taiwanese fishers and vessels," he said. "Such incidents will help consolidate its pursuit of using laws as a weapon of war across the Taiwan Strait."

Taiwan has been self-governed since the end of China's civil war in 1949, when Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces were driven off the mainland by Mao Zedong's Communists.

But Beijing regards the island of 23 million and its outlying islands as Chinese territory and has been ramping up its threat to achieve that by military force if necessary.
Turkey's media regulator, Radio and Television Supreme Council, known as RTUK, withdrew an independent radio station's broadcast license on Wednesday over the mention of "Armenian genocide" on air.

RTUK's decision to revoke the license of Acik Radyo, an Istanbul-based radio station that began broadcasting in 1995, came after a guest on April 24 made a statement on the Armenian genocide.

"[Today is] the 109th anniversary, the anniversary of the massacres of Armenians, that is, the deportations and massacres that took place in the Ottoman lands, the massacres that are termed genocide," the guest said on air. "This year, the commemoration of the Armenian genocide was also banned, you know."

April 24 is a day of commemoration for the World War I-era massacre of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor to modern Turkey.

U.S. President Joe Biden acknowledged April 24 as a commemoration day of the Armenian genocide for the first time in 2021.

Turkey denies the existence of the Armenian genocide or any deliberate plan to wipe out the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

Fines, suspensions

In May, RTUK imposed an administrative fine of about $5,800 (189,283 liras) on the station and a suspension of its broadcasts, June 10-14, over the guest's statement.

The regulator said Acik Radyo's broadcast on April 24 violated the law by inciting public hatred and enmity by making distinctions "based on race, language, religion, gender, class, region, and religious order."

In a meeting on Wednesday, most RTUK members voted to revoke the license of Acik Radyo because it did not comply with the previous ruling that imposed the fine and programming suspension.

Acik Radyo said it had requested to pay the administrative fine in installments and that after the request was approved, it paid the first installment.

"It is thus clear that we have no intention to resist the law or to violate this decision through unlawful means and that we are trying to follow a well-intentioned course," Acik Radyo wrote in a statement on Wednesday.

The station said it finds the regulator's ruling unacceptable and emphasized that the guest's statement "indisputably stands within the scope of freedom of expression and press freedom."

Responding to a VOA request for comment, RTUK directed VOA to fill out a form providing personal information such as address and identity card number.

Station to appeal ruling

After receiving the ruling, the outlet said it will appeal the regulator's decision.

"Ack Radyo, as it has done for the past 30 years, will continue its broadcast with the same responsibility and in line with the same universal principles of journalism," the station noted.

Ilhan Tasci, an RTUK member who voted against revoking Acik Radyo's license, said the outlet risks closing after receiving the notification.

Tasci said that the radio's technical devices will be sealed three days after receiving RTUK's notification unless a court rules against the decision to revoke its license.

Similar cases, reactions

In Turkey, there have been legal cases over the acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide through the Turkish Penal Code's Article 301, which defines the crime of "denigrating Turkishness."

On Wednesday, journalists Haluk Kalafat and Elif Akgul were acquitted of the "denigrating Turkishness" charge in a case that started with a complaint in 2019, accusing the journalists of "Armenian genocide propaganda."

The indictment, prepared in 2022, concerned six news stories related to the Armenian genocide, reported by Kalafat and Akgul.

Erol Onderoglu, Reporters Without Borders' Turkey representative, says there have been acquittals in Armenian genocide-related cases and that RTUK's ruling to revoke Acik Radyo conflicts with such court decisions.

"RTUK's view of itself as being above the court and eyeing to revoke a radio station's license is a completely anti-democratic approach that disregards democracy and pluralist discourse," Onderoglu told VOA.

"Here, there is a problem that RTUK is open to political interventions and that politics has a significant presence in the selection of board members," Onderoglu added.

Political parties nominate RTUK's nine members in proportion to their representation in the parliament. Currently, the AKP and the allied Nationalist Movement Party hold the majority.

Several journalism organizations and press freedom advocates also find RTUK's decision anti-democratic and against freedom of expression.

"While the radio has expressed its legal objections and the process continues, making such a decision means muting one of the handful of channels in Turkey where we can breathe," Yetvart Danzikyan, the editor-in-chief of weekly Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, wrote in his column.

"This mistake must be reversed as soon as possible. Ack Radyo must remain open and continue to make the voice of democracy and equality heard," he added.

'A black mark'

The Turkish Journalists Association called RTUK's decision "a black mark in the history of Turkish media."

"RTUK, which should protect the plurality of voices in society, citizens' right to receive information, and the public interest, has again damaged press freedom by revoking the license of Ack Radyo. The duty of journalists and media outlets is not to please the government with their news," the association wrote in a statement.

"In a democratic society, this decision, which is a disproportionate and excessive punishment by RTUK, will be overturned by the judiciary," the association added.
Ukraine is seeking to double its air defense capacity this summer, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, as the country received a third Patriot system from Germany to bolster its defense efforts against Russia.

"I thank Germany for the Patriot, which is already in Ukraine. This is great news," he said in a video message on Telegram.

He said he had set a goal for the country to double its defense capabilities this summer, primarily Patriot and others and said, now we are starting to see results.

"The third Patriot air defense system from Germany has already arrived in Ukraine," Martin Jaeger, German Ambassador to Kyiv, wrote Friday on the social media platform X.

Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine needs at least seven Patriot systems to defend the country. He said Friday that Ukraine received additional support from the United States but did not provide details. The White House announced a $2.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine on Wednesday, which included missiles for Patriot and other air defense systems the U.S. has previously given Kyiv.

Speaking Friday, ahead of the NATO summit in Washington next week, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the $43 billion that its 32 member countries spend each year for Ukraine should be a minimum baseline going forward.

Stoltenberg said the total amount spent will be shared by nations based on their economic growth. Despite these commitments, NATO has held firm on two key points: no Ukraine membership to NATO until the war is over, and no NATO boots on the ground.

NATO will soon manage military equipment deliveries to Ukraine, ensuring that they arrive in a streamlined way and preventing hostile governments from interfering with joint deliveries. Its officials say this effort would complement the Ramstein group, a U.S.-led bloc helping to equip Kyiv.

As the war started, equipment deliveries were hard to track and consisted of an abundance of vehicles and defense systems with unique maintenance plans and supply chains to support their operations.

Meanwhile, Germany said Friday that Hungary canceled a Monday meeting between their foreign ministers just hours after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The German foreign ministry said it was astonished and that a serious and honest" discussion was needed in the wake of Orbans trip to Moscow, according to Reuters. German officials say the meeting will be rescheduled for a later date.

Orban also met with Zelenskyy on Tuesday and caused concerns among some NATO allies after proposing that Ukraine consider an immediate cease-fire with Russia. Orban has stalled European Union efforts to provide more aid to Ukraine, which has frustrated its EU and NATO allies.

Russian attacks in Ukraine continued Friday, killing eight people and injuring at least 28 in the Donetsk region, according to Vadym Filashkin, the regional governor. In the town of Selydove, five people were killed and eight more were injured when two Russian guided bombs struck, according to the governor.

Russian troops also dropped three guided bombs on the village of Komar, which killed a woman and injured 20 others, the governor said.

"Every town and village in the Donetsk region is always under the threat of enemy attacks," Filashkin said.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
The U.N. and the African Union are urging countries on the continent to invest in natural disaster insurance because conditions like droughts, cyclones, diseases and floods are becoming more frequent with climate change.

Zimbabwe received an insurance payout of $32 million from the AUs African Risk Capacity agency, or ARC, for the devastation the country suffered from the El Nino-induced drought.

In a speech Thursday in Harare, Edward Kallon, the United Nations resident coordinator for Zimbabwe, encouraged countries to take part.

Given the increasing frequency and intensity of climatic shocks, investing in prevention, mitigation and proactive strategies is no longer a choice but an imperative, he said. Such investments yield substantial returns by mitigating disaster impacts, safeguarding lives and ring-fencing developmental gains.

In Zimbabwe, Kallon said, the investment helps expand access to Africa Risk Insurance for small farmers and SMEs, or small-to-medium enterprises, which are the backbone of Africas agricultural system. In addition, he said, the investment aids in implementing advanced systems that provide timely alerts and equipping communities with education and training on disaster preparedness.

After the drought caused by El Nino, Zimbabwe is bracing for La Nina. Forecasters predict it will spark flooding in the 2024/2025 rainy season expected by October.

ARCs collective goal is to enhance Africas resilience by providing Africa Union member states with tailored services to cover risks such as drought, tropical cyclones, floods, and disease outbreaks and to devise sustainable risk financing solutions, said Anthony Mathae Maruping, chairman of the African Risk Capacity group board.

ARC will continue to leverage its continental stature, expertise and robust partnerships to bolster Zimbabwes readiness to respond to these threats using cutting-edge early warning tools. Similar interventions are and will be accorded to other African member states in similar situations, he added.

From the $32 million payout, Zimbabwes government received $16.8 million, while about $15 million went to two aid organizations: the Start Network and the World Food Program.

"The WFPs $6 million ARC payout is a vital lifeline for communities in Zimbabwe facing the devastating impacts of the El Nino-induced drought, said Francesca Erdelmann, the WFP representative in Zimbabwe. "This timely support will enable us to provide essential food assistance and prevent negative coping strategies, ensuring that vulnerable populations can withstand these difficult circumstances. We will be able to support 200,000 people in three districts."

Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwes minister of finance, said the government will take care of other districts hit by the drought.
The United States has flatly rejected Russias claim that it has not violated international sanctions imposed on North Korea, calling on Moscow to stop illegal arms transfers from Pyongyang.

The U.S. and like-minded countries have successfully highlighted Russias U.N. Security Council Resolutions violations, a State Department spokesperson said in an email to VOAs Korean Service on Wednesday, responding to an inquiry made about Russias denial of violating North Korea sanctions.

Unfortunately, we now have a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council willing to openly flout sanctions to support the Kim [Jong Un] regimes priorities.

The spokesperson continued: We call on the DPRK and Russia to cease unlawful arms transfers and urge the DPRK to take concrete steps toward abandoning all nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and related programs. DPRK stands for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, North Koreas official name.

In a Monday press conference, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia insisted that his country had complied with international sanctions against North Korea.

Were not violating the North Korea sanctions regime and all those allegations that come out. They are not proved by material evidence, he said.

The Russian ambassador went even further, questioning the integrity of a now-defunct U.N. panel of experts charged with monitoring North Korea sanctions. The panels annual mandate was not extended this year, following Russias veto at the U.N. Security Council in March.

Nebenzia alleged that the panel of experts got involved in the politics after being encouraged by certain countries, adding that "that was the major mistake that they made."

The sanctions regime against DPRK is an unprecedented thing in the United Nations. Its not time bound. It doesnt have any provisions for reviewing, and this cannot be tolerated.

The Kremlins refusal to renew the expert panels annual mandate marked a drastic change from its earlier support for U.N. Resolution 1718, which put in place an arms embargo on North Korea by banning all imports and exports of most weapons and related material.

The U.N. Security Council passed the resolution unanimously in October 2006, just several days after North Koreas first nuclear test.

This weeks exchange between Washington and Moscow comes as Russia has been deepening military ties with North Korea.

Russian President Vladmir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty during their summit in Pyongyang last month.

In recent months. the U.S. government has repeatedly blown the whistle on Russias alleged violations of international sanctions, accusing Moscow of financially and materially facilitating Pyongyangs efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction.

In a May briefing, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby released specific figures of the refined oil Russia has provided to North Korea so far this year, stressing it has already exceeded the limit set by the U.N. Security Council.

Russia has been shipping refined petroleum to the DPRK. Russian shipments have already pushed DPRK inputs above [those] mandated by the U.N. Security Council. In March alone, Russia shipped more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to the DPRK, Kirby said.

In October last year, the White House released three satellite images showing containers moved by ships and trains, saying North Korea had provided Russia with more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and ammunition.

Experts in Washington say this standoff between the U.S. and Russia over North Korea will likely persist for some time.

Scott Snyder, president of the Korea Economic Institute of America, told VOAs Korean Service via email on Thursday that the recent defense pact between Moscow and Pyongyang is not something the U.S. can afford to ignore.

North Korea will remain a source of conflict in U.S.-Russia relations as long as North Korea sustains their strategic relationship, which will continue at least until the end of military hostilities in Ukraine, Snyder said.

Evans Revere, who formerly served as deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said in an email to VOAs Korean Service on Friday that Russia is setting itself up as North Koreas backer.

Russia has made it clear that it intends to oppose U.N. Security Council sanctions, work with North Korea and others to find ways to get around current U.N. Security Council restrictions and strengthen its tactical and strategic coordination with North Korea, Revere said.

Russia, which was once part of the important coalition supporting the use of pressure and sanctions to deal with Pyongyangs nuclear and missile programs, has now gone over to the other side and become Pyongyang's de facto protector.

Jiha Ham contributed to this report.
The U.S. is set to complete its withdrawal of forces and equipment Sunday from an air base in Niamey, the capital of the West African country of Niger, with a joint ceremony marking the occasion.

Next on the U.S. agenda is its exit from a Niger drone base that is scheduled to be completed in August.

The departures are in compliance with a September 15 deadline agreed upon by the U.S. and Nigers ruling junta, after Nigers new military leaders ordered U.S. troops to leave following a coup in Niamey last year.

U.S. Air Force Major General Kenneth Ekman, in Niger to coordinate the exits, told reporters by video conference that the bulk of the U.S. forces in Niger will be transferred to European locations. However, he said small teams of U.S. forces have been relocated to other West African countries.

While the U.S. has withdrawn some valuable equipment from the bases in Niger, it is not destroying the equipment and facilities that are being left behind. Holding onto hope for the future, Ekman said, Our goal in the execution is, leave things in as good a state as possible.

If we went out and left it a wreck, or if we went out spitefully, or if we destroyed things as we went, we'd be foreclosing options that both nations need for the future. And our security objectives are still entwined.

The departures  especially the withdrawal from the drone base  are a blow to the U.S. and its counterterrorism missions in the Sahel, a vast African region where insurgents, linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State groups, operate.

Ekman, who is the director of strategy at U.S. Africa Command, said other African countries that are worried about the Sahel-based insurgent threats have approached the U.S. about how they can partner with U.S. forces to combat the militants.

Niger was immensely helpful for us as a location because it was in the Sahel and it was adjacent to those areas where the threat is most concentrated, Ekman said.

Now, the challenge will be more difficult, he said, because access to the area will have to be from outside Niger.

Some information for this report was provided by the Associated Press and Reuters.
Britains Labour party swept into power Thursday, issuing a resounding defeat for the Conservatives leading the country for 14 years. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologized for loss in a speech Friday morning before resigning. Shortly thereafter, Keir Starmer addressed the nation as its new Prime Minister. Who is Starmer? VOAs Henry Ridgwell shares details about his past and what impacts the new government may have on the world stage. What are the key challenges NATO is facing as it prepares to meet in Washington next week? Retired General Philip Breedlove, former Commander of U.S. European Command, and the 17th Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO Allied Command Operations shares his thoughts. Keynas President William Ruto announced steep cuts after he agreed to withdraw a controversial tax plan that led to weeks of protests.
Dining chat: A waiter gave our anniversary bubbly to the table next to us. What should we have done?
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

Sinn Feins Chris Hazzard said his increased winning margin in South Down was an endorsement of political campaigns being fought on the ground, rather than on social media.

In 2019 the SDLP came within 1,600 votes of unseating Mr Hazzard. This time he had a majority of more than 9,000, polling 19,698 votes against 10,418 for Colin McGrath of the SDLP.

The result saw Mr Hazzard returned as MP for the third time.

After the South Down result was announced, he said: What a smashing endorsement of what we put forward for strong leadership, for positive change and most importantly a different vision for the future.

For decisions about our lives to be taken at home here in Ireland.

He added: I think this also demonstrates that elections are fought on the ground, not on Twitter, and I think this is a great endorsement of a record of delivery.

This is about working for everybody, this is about creating positive change, about delivering the Narrow Water bridge, about fixing our health service, about fixing our education service.

Mr Hazzard also said he was delighted the Tories did not get any sort of endorsement in the constituency after Conservative candidate Hannah Westropp polled 46 votes.

The result was a disappointment for the nationalist SDLP, which had hoped to make more progress in regaining a seat where it once was the dominant force.

Colin McGrath said he could hold his head up high after his campaign (Oliver McVeigh/PA)

Mr McGrath said he could hold his head up high after the campaign and election.

He added: It is an improvement on the Assembly election result two years ago and it shows within the constituency of South Down there is still a will to take the SDLP view.

DUP candidate Diane Forsythe failed to make any ground for her party in the constituency, polling 7,349 votes.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, welcomed the agreement reached between his department and representatives of the main farming organisations, on a new Farmers Charter.

The Charter sets out the timelines for applications, payments, inspections and appeals. The new Charter will come into effect immediately on publication.

Welcoming the agreement, Minister McConalogue said: I want to thank everyone involved on the successful conclusion of this agreement and to acknowledge the partnership between my department and the farming organisations in supporting farmers.

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. Referring to farm payments under the new CAP Strategic Plan, the Minister said: 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. 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.

The roll out of a new CAP is not without its challenges however and in particular there have been difficulties to overcome in the roll out of the new Acres scheme, which all are committed to ensuring are addressed for the second year of the scheme. 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 230 million has issued to ACRES applicants to date, including through interim payments earlier this year.

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. Following agreement on the Farmers Charter, 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.

The Minister has appointed Dr Sean Brady as the independent chairperson of the Charter Monitoring Committee. Dr Bradys appointment was unanimously supported by all six farm organisations.

I want to thank Dr Brady for taking on this role again and also for the exceptional leadership that he demonstrated when presiding over the monitoring committee of the previous charter. His expertise and knowledge are of huge benefit to all parties and I am grateful for his participation, Minister McConalogue concluded.

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA), the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), Macra na Feirme, 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.

The Charter cannot grant rights which would affect or change the operation of EU or national law in so far as they apply to the schemes administered by the Department.
Tramore Scooter Show, July 5 & 6, OSheas Hotel.

Waterford Scooter Club have organised a Scooter Show and Coastal rideout due to take place on July 5 and 6. On Friday 5, the group are hosting a meet and greet with Waterford Ska Club, followed by performances from Waterford Ska Club and DJs on Saturday 6.

Feast in the Forest, July 14, Crough Wood.

Eamo & Ro are delighted to once again be involved in the Comeraghs Wild Festival this year and have curated a unique and bespoke menu to be enjoyed in the forest surroundings of Crough wood. Hand selected Rare Breed Dexter Beef will be the centre piece and main event, alongside locally sourced and foraged herbs and vegetables alongside oysters and mussels from the southeast coast. With an emphasis on open fire cooking and dishes to be shared and enjoyed in a convivial atmosphere.

The Unusual Suspects Live, August 4, Bank Lane.

The Unusual Suspects are an energetic, fun band that are no strangers to the stage, both big and small. The Suspects are known as one of Irelands top touring bands. With a high octane fusion of music genres and the addition of screaming brass they cater for all ears of all ages and leave audiences pleading for more.

With hundreds of gigs under their belts here at home and further afield, they also landed themselves No.7 in the Irish Charts in 2013, with their version of Bruce Springsteen's, 'The River'.

Under Milk Wood, August 14  17, Garter Lane Arts Centre.

Jim Nolan directs Waterford Youth Arts in their summer production of 'Under Milk Wood', by Dylan Thomas.

'Under Milk Wood' is a surreal, impressionistic and playful account of 24 hours in the life of a fictional Welsh village. We learn of the inhabitants dreams and desires, their loves and regrets.

For this production, Waterford Youth Arts ensemble of young actors aged 15 to 19 years, is directed by playwright and theatre director Jim Nolan. Jim returns to Waterford Youth Arts, having directed a sold-out outdoor production for Wyse Park of Shakespeares, 'Romeo and Juliet', in 2021.

Other artists and collaborators for 'Under Milk Wood' include set design by Ben Hennessy, movement direction by Natasha Everitt, music direction by Eadaoin Walsh, lighting design by Richard Lippy Collins with stage manager, Sinead Hourigan.
They also freely step out of character to sass the audience and its motivations, a luxury allowed other characters  including Bojana Novakovic as Lady Macbeth  when, after interval, the play breaks free of Shakespeares template. Novakovic portrays a smart and psychologically astute Lady Macbeth aware of her sexual power and passionately in love with her husband. Theres a compelling dark energy with Johnny Carrs Macbeth, at least until he devolves into a feeble and fragile himbo. A feminist vision does not seem to require this act of revenge. It looks a bit silly and leads to unevenness in the performances. Facetious male caricature contrasts sharply with awfully realistic portraits of male power, violence and entitlement  Jim Dalys dufferish Duncan on the one hand, and David Woods dour and emotionally cauterised Macduff on the other. Bojana Novakovic portrays a smart and psychologically astute Lady Macbeth aware of her sexual power, and passionately in love with her husband. Credit: Jeff Busby Director Matthew Lutton needs a surer hand to get the acting styles in sync, though there are subtle flashes of brilliance  the way audiences can see how characters react behind other characters backs, for instance, as the castle whizzes towards the plays bloody climax  that might be one positive legacy of the Malthouses recent turn towards immersive theatre.

Intriguingly, Lady Macbeths most important relationship is with her cousin, Lady Macduff (Jessica Clarke). Without giving anything away, their close bond ruptures as the former takes and wields power with grim efficiency, though in a world so drenched in patriarchy that everyone sees her as a man. If patriarchal anxieties are given full play in this production, they dont ultimately lead to a tragedy deeply grounded in character. Loading Lady Macbeth deserves a fuller arc, more agency, and many more lines than Shakespeare gives her. And while Harris vision does upend expectations with plot twists producing a thriller-like effect, it doesnt come close to the psychological acuity of the original. Macbeth (An Undoing) misses some theatrical opportunities and seizes others. It isnt as accomplished a feminist take on Shakespeare as, say, Kate Mulvany taking on Sarah Bernhardt playing Hamlet at the MTC. And yet we do get a tantalising sampler of the compelling Lady Macbeth Novakovic has in her, as well as a provocative dramatic engagement with gender discrimination in Shakespearean performance.

Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead

MUSIC

Night in Versailles 

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Melbourne Recital Centre, until July 14 Harpsichords at the Recital Centre are rather like trams in Melbourne: you dont see one for ages, then four come all at once. So it was for the Australian Brandenburg Orchestras elegant and captivating presentation of Night in Versailles, starring the brilliant young French harpsichordist Justin Taylor. Night in Versailles by Australian Brandenberg Orchestra sees four harpsichords being played together on stage. Credit: Laura Manariti Designer Trent Suidgeest put considerable effort into making the stage look like the palace of Louis XIV: two crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, fake peacock feathers adorned plinths, a velvet green throne sat ready for the absent Sun King and there was a small billiard table (apparently the game was invented at Versailles). The six string players, baroque oboist Adam Masters and Taylor wore jackets of various pinks, but when all four harpsichordists played, they wore violet. The whole was charming, simple and effective at creating a mood.

The music was a delightful combination of 17th and 18th century works by Couperin, Royer, Rameau and Bach, among others, nearly all for harpsichord solo or accompanied by strings. By far the most substantial was Bachs Italian Concerto, one of his greatest keyboard works. Taylor was revelatory, his celerity and clarity breathtaking. He clearly enjoyed himself, often breaking into broad smiles at the other musicians and even the audience. It did take me a while to get re-accustomed to the harpsichords limited projection. Harpsichord player Justin Taylor was revelatory. Credit: Laura Manariti Masters was highly impressive in an oboe concerto by Jiranek, while violinist Shaun Lee-Chen also produced pyrotechnics. Bachs concerto for four harpsichords is mostly a curiosity, but it was winningly played by Taylor, ABO artistic director Paul Dyer, Neal Peres Da Costa and Anthony Abouhamad. The quartet also played two encores.

British conductor Thomas Beecham famously compared the sound of the harpsichord to two skeletons copulating on a tin roof. This thought did not occur to me until all four harpsichods played together, when it unworthily crept in.

Reviewed by Barney Zwartz DANCE

Wet Hard Long 

Dancehouse, until July 13 Wet Hard Long, as if you couldnt tell from the title, is all about innuendo and suggestion. Choreographer Jenni Large has created a darkly ironic spectacle of feminine submissiveness in which two dancers also exhibit extraordinary strength, stamina and technical skill. Wet Hard Long, as if you couldnt tell from the title, is all about innuendo and suggestion. Credit: Gregory Lorenzutti Wearing enormous silvery platform heels, Large and Amber McCartney glide across the glossy black studio floor on all fours. Throughout the performance, their movements have a dreamy, fluid quality  occasionally interrupted by realignments and isolations.

As they move around the stage, they appear to envelop one another in slow motion, disappearing in uncanny symmetries and mirror effects. They bend like Hans Bellmer dolls and create surreal heaps of fishnet calves, spikes and sparkles. There are striking images of subservience and humiliation. The two heads disappear into metal buckets. There are visual references to watersports and bondage. The removal of the gloves becomes a show of its own. And all of it is done with an absolute alien calm. Between these suggestive tableaux, there are also glimpses of animal transformations. Theres the cat, of course, which is part of the slang of the exotic dancer; but there are other creatures, too, such as a horse lying on its back and pawing the air like something from a Tarkovsky film. Wet Hard Long is still a seriously impressive show. Credit: Gregory Lorenzutti Its these weirder moments that linger in the mind and its possible that Large could have given us more of this disconcerting creatureliness.

At one point, an affable looking bloke in a hoodie is plucked out of the audience and placed in a chair in the corner of the stage, like the ideal voyeur. With this, the scene achieves a kind of closure, and it all starts to seem a little less weird  a little less compelling. And yet Wet Hard Long is still a seriously impressive show. Adelaide Harneys lighting design suggests the morbid thrills of a horror movie and Michelle Boydes layered costumes make femme sexuality appear simultaneously strange and familiar. Loading Anna Whitakers detonative sound design  full of loud collisions and hammerings  keeps the audience on edge throughout the performance so that we never completely surrender to the blank stares of the pliant dancers. In quieter moments, it recalls the work of Mica Levi. Wet Hard Long was originally developed for the now sadly defunct Keir Choreographic Award in 2022, where it won the audience choice award. It has been extensively remodelled but is still as creepy and glamorous and exciting as it was then.

Reviewed by Andrew Fuhrmann

MUSIC

Zakir Hussain, Jayanthi Kumaresh, and Kala Ramnath in Triveni 

Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash University, July 5 Zakir Hussain last performed in Melbourne in 2010 with an extraordinary cross-cultural trio called Sangam. Now the revered tabla maestro is back in Australia with another superb trio, Triveni. Named after the mythical meeting point of three sacred rivers in India, Trivenis music is an enthralling amalgam of North and South Indian traditions, instruments and approaches. Kala Ramnath, Zakir Hussain and Jayanthi Kumaresh at an earlier Triveni performance. Credit: Mallikarjun Katakol At Robert Blackwood Hall last Friday, Kala Ramnath (on Hindustani violin) and Jayanthi Kumaresh (on Carnatic veena) sat on either side of Hussain, whose tabla served as both bridge and binding agent between his two colleagues. At the start of the evening, Hussain suggested we view the concert as a continuous train journey, following one main raga (melodic mode)  in this case, Keeravani raga  but taking detours through other ragas and rhythmic cycles to enjoy different vistas along the way. The journey began with a hypnotic alap (melodic introduction) by Ramnath and Kumaresh, highlighting the players exquisite mastery of their instruments. Ramnaths sonorous, plaintive violin evoked the slides and sighs of a human voice, while the notes that emerged from Kumareshs veena quivered like a spiders dance on a delicate web.

Hussain then joined them in a series of alternating duets  tabla and violin; tabla and veena  punctuated by thrilling tandem runs where all three players were locked in rhythmic unison. Loading The percussionists every gesture was designed to draw attention to the dexterity and imagination of his fellow instrumentalists, yet it was impossible to ignore his own astonishing agility and intuitive instincts as he matched his colleagues phrases note for note, stroke for stroke. The slightest movements of his fingers, hands or wrists allowed him to alter the pitch, tone and timbre of his drums, while his facial expressions served as visual exclamation marks. When the trio leapt back on board Keeravani towards the end of the concert, Hussain mirrored not only the rhythm but the melody of the raga on his tabla, propelling this train to its final station in an ecstatic surge of delight.

Reviewed by Jessica Nicholas

MUSIC

Hockey Dad 

Margaret Court Arena, July 5 Snakebite Yoga. Toad Control. Murder Zone. If these were band names, theyd look great hanging in giant Scrabble tiles behind an arena rock band, throwing shapes in a spinning and hammering galaxy of coloured lights. But no, the sign says Hockey Dad, and you know what? Theyre better than that. Hockey Dad at Margaret Court Arena on Friday night. Credit: Richard Clifford The Wollongong rock duo  surf-blonde drummer Billy Fleming thrashing atop a high platform to our right, and tall, dark-haired singer Zach Stephenson conjuring an arsenal of fat, juicy guitar tones on the left  are new to headlining arenas but utterly match-ready. From the paranoid rant of Homely Feeling to their climactic anthem for career misfits Join the Club, they also have more than enough brash, tuneful Hottest 100 hits, plucked in turn from their last three albums, to keep a couple thousand fans in a sea of motion.

Touring bassist Steve Bourke is centre stage but a study in musical restraint, mixed strictly for bottom-end support  maybe a smidge of vocal harmony on Good Eye, but never so much as an extraneous note to detract from the thick riff and up-front hyperactive drums that make these songs breathe. The hour-long set is a great plan. Local indie charmers The Belair Lip Bombs and LA-punk visitors Militarie Gun have added plenty of value and warmed the cavernous, mostly roped-off space to operating temperature. Hockey Dad: new to headlining arenas, but utterly match-ready. Credit: Richard Clifford Even with a new album to flog, Rebuild Repeat, Hockey Dad boil it down to an all-killer set studded with already-classics: I Wanna Be Everybody, Flemings star turn, Sweet Release, the FOMO-sufferers theme song I Missed Out and surely a Hottest 100 hit in waiting, Wreck and Ruin. Its been a while between albums, Stephenson says before the crowd roar rises to meet Seaweed, so thanks for stickin with The Dad. Actually, when he puts it that way  yeah nah, maybe not Toad Control.

Reviewed by Michael Dwyer

MUSIC

Iniko | The Awakening Tour 

The Corner Hotel, July 3 Iniko steps onto the blue-lit stage, filling the packed room with their haunting celestial vocals. Can I sing some new songs for you, is that OK? the singer asks the crowd. Theyre met with a cheer of encouragement. Iniko performs at The Corner Hotel Credit: Richard Clifford Amassing over 6 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, this is the artists first Australian tour, sharing music from their yet-to-be-released new album. Identifying as genderless, they tell Archer Magazine: I think my music has some correlation and interconnectedness to the queer struggle because I struggle every day to be queer. Alongside a strong soul base, their music is heavily influenced by rock and dancehall, which comes through in the strong guitar and drum accompaniment from the live band. Their sound drifts from soft ethereal tones influenced by their church choir roots to edgier, harder invocations, moving across the stage as if possessed by the beat and channelling the spirit realm.

Contextualising their music and educating their audience was key to Inikos onstage storytelling. They spun tales of Icarus origins, what its like to live on the margins, navigating religion as a queer person and offered an explainer on the influences of disco and rock music. Rock and roll wouldnt be rock and roll without black people, they say defiantly. Touring new, previously unreleased music can be risky, but Inikos fans deafening cheers spur them on as the crowd screams out youre amazing and we love you. They also performed more familiar singles Pinocchio and Luna, as well as covers of Earth, Wind & Fires Boogie Wonderland and Michael Jacksons Earth Song. They end on their most popular single Jericho, which has the crowd pulsing and singing along, sampling Jacksons They Dont Care About Us in the introductory bars. Inikos music is heavily influenced by rock and dancehall. Credit: Richard Clifford Unbound by the restrictions of genre, there was a frenetic energy across the show brought about by Inikos experimental approach to musical style and pace, which made it hard to keep up and switch gears as the vibe shifted. Also, a limited catalogue of singles can make it difficult to pull together a cohesive one-hour show. By the end, like an alien creature from the cosmos, Iniko leaves a lasting impression as an artist that refuses to be boxed in.

Reviewed by Vyshnavee Wijekumar

MUSIC

Ryman Healthcare Winter Gala: Carmina Burana 

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Hamer Hall, July 4 Braving a bitterly cold night, a sizeable audience attended this years Melbourne Symphony Orchestra winter gala. Musical warmth first came through an ebullient rendition of Richard Strauss Don Juan. Thrumming with the energy of the piece, chief conductor Jaime Martin vividly projected the works colour with engaging, well-shaped solos from guest concertmaster Glenn Christensen, oboist Michael Pisani and trumpeter Owen Morris. Chief conductor Jaime Martin leads the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Credit: Laura Manariti Warmth of a different kind emanated from a powerful performance of Peter Sculthorpes Earth Cry, featuring yidaki virtuoso William Barton. Beginning in the stalls and slowly moving onstage, Bartons instrument issued soul-piercing cries against a skilful orchestral backdrop. Written nearly 40 years ago, this most prophetic creation is infused with a restless yearning for genuine reconciliation but acknowledges painful work is yet to be achieved. After rapturous applause, Barton performed a short work of his own evoking his native Country.

Carl Orffs Carmina Burana rounded out the program, a work orchestra and chorus have been honing since early last year and which will tour Singapore next month. Taking some time to establish appropriate balances and emotional energy, the work eventually took flight, with the monumental forces of the orchestra, MSO Chorus and Young Voices of Melbourne driving towards a memorable, final O fortuna. William Barton performs at the MSO Winter Gala on July 4, 2024. Credit: Laura Manariti A trio of Australian soloists rose valiantly to Orffs vocal challenges. Bass-baritone Christopher Tonkin particularly revelled in his slapstick portrayal of the bibulous abbot of Cockaigne, while tenor Andrew Goodwin had such fine technique he almost sounded happy to be a roasted swan. Soprano Kathryn Radcliffe amiably personified the ripeness of young love. After the concert, it may have seemed a little chillier outside had the audience been given access to the text, whose hymn to fortune ends with: Everyone weep with me. Fortunately, enough warmth had been generated to keep those chills at bay.

Reviewed by Tony Way
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 October 2022, feeling ever more estranged from her decade-long run on the pop treadmill, Eves Karydas decided to set a flame to the whole thing. On her Instagram, the Brisbane musician posted an essay titled On social media, the music industry, and my experience as a woman within it all that outlined the destabilising cycle shed fallen into, a culture that prioritised social media likes over her actual music, and where she felt forced to sexualise her image (Ive posted thirst traps, marketed myself as a hot girl) to get ahead in the industry. The truth is, as someone with a lot to say Ive been surprisingly quiet as an artist, Karydas wrote at the time. Ive silenced myself because Ive been pushed to believe that my best asset is my body. Nothing gets the algorithm going quite like tits and ass. She signed off saying that to salvage her creativity and sanity, shed be moving forward self-managed. It was incredibly nerve-racking to do that Instagram post  Id never spoken about something like that before  but it was a way to draw a line in the sand, Karydas, 29, says. I had to look in the mirror and be like, this vision of me that the public is seeing isnt lining up with how I view myself. The post went viral, striking a nerve in the local music industry. More than anything, it just showed how quiet women feel a lot of the time, Karydas says. Its such a specifically female experience, having your image be so raised onto a pedestal and used as the first thing people judge. Its really frustrating. So to have so many people reach out to me was equal parts awesome and sad. I was like, oh man, were all feeling this, arent we?. Karydas viral essay struck a nerve: To have so many people reach out to me was equal parts awesome and sad, she says. Credit: Instagram Two years on, seated in her childhood bedroom in her parents home in Brisbane, surrounded by boxes of vinyl, cassettes and merch for the coming launch of her new independent album Burnt Tapes, Karydas exudes a calm confidence that feels far removed from the despair communicated in the essay.

Advertisement

Back then, while still caught up in her careerist push, she had become one of Australias most promising young pop artists. Her 2020 single Complicated went gold (35,000 sales units) and featured at #22 on Triple Js Hottest 100, and she was working heavily within the industry machine, collaborating regularly with pop heavy hitters in the US, London and Stockholm. It was pretty intoxicating, if Im honest, Karydas says. You get swept up in it so easily when youre, like, flown to LA and you stay in these nice houses and meet all these brilliant and famous people and whatever. But it all means nothing at the end of the day if you cant do your job authentically. Now Im like, if I never go to LA again, I dont actually care. Cutting ranks with her management, label, and industry contacts  did she fear she was sabotaging her career? It was more like, Id just rather not do this career if it means doing it that way, says Karydas. I had got to the point where I was OK with that. The thing that drives a lot of us in this industry is this idea that its life or death, which is crazy. Its such a privilege to work in this job and this industry, so you might as well do it the way that you want to do it. She saw an alternative possibility in the example of her close friends Cub Sport  the long independent Brisbane act who seemed to be thriving in a way that was genuinely themselves  and took the plunge. Beyond the music, Karydas is now responsible for her music videos, artwork design, press photos, and so on. Fonts! I cant tell you how much Ive thought about fonts! she says. Its crazy to me that Id fallen into a pocket where I wasnt doing these things, because when I first started my career 10 years ago, I was doing all of these things myself, she says of her current creative load. It isnt easy work and I understand why people get paid a lot of money to do those things, and Im not saying that the music videos I make are on the level of, like, a Doja Cat music video, but its a very pure form of expression of what Im capable of and I kind of like that. Despite its journey, her new album Burnt Tapes is no victims lament. Its free and loose, playful and raw. Its sonically adventurous, touching a range of genres including R&B, trip-hop, 80s city pop, and 90s alt-balladry. Sideways features a surprising Rhodes organ solo, and on Call Me!, Karydas skids over placeholder lyrics  something, something, something, something  that highlight her creative process, an element as important as the finished product.

Advertisement

What I wanted to do was point everything away from the digital, glossy pop thing that I had been doing, Karydas says of Burnt Tapes. I wanted to lean into imperfection and grit and things that are a little bit messier. It required working in a different way, a sort of subversion of her earlier pop process, which had involved countless songwriting sessions with endless strangers. Yet another thing that women in music are just expected to do  get thrown in a songwriting session and, like, the girls are at the back on the couch and the guy is at the front on the computer; I cant tell you how many sessions Ive been in that are like that, says Karydas. With this album, I totally flipped that on its head and it was just me and this guy Jens [Resch], and we just jammed it out. I know that sounds really dad rock of me, but its what I wanted to do. The 29-year-olds new album Burnt Tapes is her best yet. The approach feels aligned with pops wider moment. From Charli XCXs plain-spoken stream-of-consciousness on Brat, to SZAs raw honesty, to Chappell Roans singular eccentricity, pop has reached a moment where imperfection is resonating with audiences. Charli recently spoke about, you know, women dont owe you their faces and bodies on their album artwork, and I loved her saying that because I had made the decision not to put my face on my album cover and it just felt like, hell yeah, were all banding together, Karydas laughs. In an industry like music, your brand is what you look like and its easy for that to become monotonous and one-dimensional, and I think women are trying to push back on that. More than anything, its just nice to see some different representation out there for women, people doing things their own way. Thats always going to resonate.

Advertisement

The albums opener Girlboss feels like its closest nod to Karydas essay, evoking the kind of pop plea that Lana Del Rey has spent her career stoking: an appeal for complete, unvarnished feminine expression in a culture where empowerment has become the dominant doctrine. I want to be everything, both the best and the worst, sings Karydas. That line, its just about being messy, she says. Some days I feel super ambitious, other days I feel like I want to hide in a cupboard. That doesnt mean I have a personality disorder, thats just what it is to be a human being. Despite the marked delineation from her past, Karydas says her relationship with her old music is good. Sometimes its easy to conflate the experiences I had at the time with certain songs. But the more time that passes, the more Im like I was really good at writing in that pop and commercial sphere. I think the success of those songs speaks for itself, and Im really proud of it. Loading Burnt Tapes, meanwhile, feels righteously loaded. In going indie and dropping out of the industry rat race, Karydas hopes shes offered an example to young female musicians that another pathway is possible, beyond the big label and the big manager and the industry expectations that can leave one feeling hopelessly disconnected from their work, as she felt when she posted the essay. I always hated being on the outside of all the discussions about my work; there was always a middleman speaking for me, which didnt make sense. So even though there are ways this has been harder, overall its easier because all I need to do is stick to my vision and my plan, says Karydas. Its a lot of work, but Im passionate about the work so Im happy to do it at all hours of the day. Its good. I wouldnt go back.

Advertisement
Three West Australians led a delegation of leading environmental scientists who marched on Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday to demand stronger restrictions on the sale and use of toxic rodent baits.

Five second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides known as SGARs, commonly found in big-brand hardware stores, are currently approved for use in Australia by Australias pesticide regulator.

Environmental scientists Damian Lettoof, Michael Pawlyshyn, Mike Lohr (ECU), Robert Davis (ECU) and John White (Deakin University) meet at the office of Senator David Pocock. Credit: Robert Davis

Rats and other rodents can ingest a lethal dose in a single feeding, making these poisons substantially more potent than their first-generation counterparts.

As they are slow to break down, they pose a higher risk of poisoning to the non-target animals that eat the rodents  often native mammals and night birds such as owls.
Australians targeted by autocratic regimes on our shores will be protected and sensitive technology cordoned off in major changes to stop countries such as China and Iran from meddling in the nations affairs.

Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil has announced the Albanese governments first reforms to bolster defences against foreign interference by countries trying to quash dissent in diaspora groups and secretly infiltrate media, universities and critical infrastructure.

Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Australians with Iranian, Chinese, Cambodian, Rwandan and Indian backgrounds have reported foreign agents harassing and assaulting them on local soil in recent years.

The government fears nations are learning from one another how to target people in other countries.
A woman who was raised in Ballina narrowly missed out on a seat in the UK General Election.

Claire Tighe was in the running for a seat for incoming Prime Minister Keir Starmers Labour Party in the Spelthorne Constituency in Surrey which is traditionally a Labour stronghold.

Tighe has been hoping to become the first Labour MP elected there since 1945, as well as the constituencys first female MP.

However, she lost out by 1,600 votes to Conservative candidate Lincoln Jopp, a rare bright spark for the Tory party in a landslide victory for Labour. Tighe received 12,448 votes to Jopp's 14,048.

Tighe was born in Ealing but then raised in Ballina where she attended St Marys Secondary School. Her parents, her father Martin and her late mother Ann, are from Ballycastle and members of the Tighe family still live in Ballycastle.

Claire returned to London to work in politics after attending University College Dublin.
Crossmolina.

Summer opening hours

Crossmolina Parish Office summer opening hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-4pm. Tel. 096 31677. Email crossmolinabulletin@yahoo.ie for all Mass bookings, newsletter items/general queries.

Church Gate collection

Crossmolina Community Festival Church Gate collection will take place on Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7. Your support will be appreciated.

Cemetery Masses

Mass will be celebrated in Crossmolina cemetery on Sunday, July 14, at 6pm; Kilmurry on Saturday, July 20, at 7pm; and St Patricks Well, Trista on July 28, at 3pm.

66th Agricultural Show

Crossmolina 66th Agricultural Show at the Crossmolina Community Grounds takes place on July 27. All help is much appreciated. The show office will be open from early July. All sponsorship welcome.

Parish trips

The Crossmolina Parish Trips 2024 / 2025 to Fatima / Lisbon Coast on September 18, is fully booked, and the trip for 2025 is to the Norwegian Fjords Cruise from August 29 to September 6, 2025.

Day of Self-care

A Day of Self-care in NMHC, Enniscoe will be held on Saturday, July 6, from 10.30am-4.30pm. The day will entail gentle movement, relaxation, mindfulness, heart based relaxation techniques, and time in Nature. Contact Anne at 087 9337121, Maura 086 8237230, or fuaim2024@gmail.com.

Crossmolina Nephin Festival

Any local businesses or groups looking to enter a team of 4 for the traders race on Sunday, July 21, contact Sean at 085 873 1194 or Peter at 086 404 9566 as spaces are limited. Anyone looking to host a stall at the festival Street Fest on Thursday, July 18, are asked to contact Noelle at 087 236 0868 and spaces are also limited.

Crossmolina Markets

North Mayo Heritage Centre will be holding an Artisan Food and Craft Market on the 2nd Saturday of every month. Email Sarah on nmhcommunity@gmail.com or call the office 096 31809 for further details.

Lotto

The numbers drawn in the Crossmolina Deel-Rovers GAA Club lotto jackpot on Saturday night, June 22, which was held in the Thatch Bar, were 4, 11, 18 and 34. Two punters matched three numbers; Micheal and Bea Judge, The Boreen, Crossmolina; Jim Timoney, Fotish, Crossmolina, and they won 75 each. The jackpot in the latest draw which was held on Saturday, June 29, was 3,950. Many thanks for your continued support.

Division 2B League

Crossmolina were in control throughout of this senior league division 2B in a sunny Achill on Sunday week last. Two first half goals from Niall Coggins set the tone for a comfortable win for the visitors. Stephen Duffy and Dara Syron also raised green flags. The final score was Crossmolina 4-6, Achill 1-5.

Crossmolina team and scorers: JP Mulhern 0-1, Fearghal Duffy 0-1, Niall Maughan, Kevin Mulhern, Stephen Duffy 1-0, Cathal Carolan, Diarmuid Fox, Dara Syron 1-0, Killian Fergus, Diarmuid Coggins, Conor Caden, Niall Coggins 2-0, James Maheady, Edward Gough, Fionan Duffy 0-3. Subs; David Howley for Conor Caden, Adam Mills for Edward Gough, Danny McDonald for Diarmuid Fox, Barry Murphy for Fearghal Duffy.

*******************.

Ardagh

Walkway

Ardagh GAA Club's walkway which skirts alongside both club pitches is a must for anybody who wishes to take a leisurely stroll or light jog. The walkway is situated in a very peaceful, serene and safe environment where people can be assured of total relaxation while there. Special walkway membership is available from the club at the very affordable price of 20 per year or is included in full club membership of 35 per year. By opting for either the money raised goes towards club development and maintenance of the walkway. Full details from any club member or by accessing www.ardaghgaa.com. It's money well spent.

Cul Camp

Ardmoy's annual Cul Camp, held in association with Kelloggs, takes place in Moygownagh GAA grounds from Monday, July 15 to Friday, July 19 inclusive. Cost is 75 for the first child, 60 for second and 50 for third and subsequent children. Each child will receive a Cul Camp kit. Further details from Anthony Gallagher at 087-2431306. Ardmoy Cul Camps have been enjoyed by hundreds of children over the years resulting in many lasting and enduring friendships.

Lotto

Ardagh GAA Club's monthly lotto draw jackpot currently stands at 4,100. Tickets from usual outlets or online at www.ardaghclub.com where you can access the direct lotto link. Support appreciated.

***********************************.

Knockmore

The sad passing of two sisters

News of the passing of Rose Keane (nee Martin), Donbeg Rd, Kilrush, Co Clare and Peggy Crotty (nee Martin), Kilbaha, Co Clare last week (sisters of the late Andy Martin, Runagry), was met by a great sense of sadness and loss in the parish. Rose passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, June 18. Her Requiem Mass was celebrated on the Friday morning, while Peggy passed away away on the Thursday morning, June 20, and her Requiem Mass was celebrated on the Saturday morning.

Both will be remembered with great fondness growing up in their native Knockmore and will recall their many return visits there together with their families down the years. Both Peggy and Rose were natives of Runagry, Knockmore, and daughters of the late Peter and Madge Martin, Runagry. Rose was pre-deceased by her husband Martin and is survived by her sons Gary, Martin and Andrew. Peggy is survived by her husband Pat and son Colom. May they both now rest in peace.

GAA lotto

The numbers drawn in the Knockmore GAA lotto last week were 5, 22, 26 and 36. There was no jackpot winner. Weekly winners were; Tom Hall and Lorraine Barrett. Season ticket winners were Loretta Kennedy and Padraig Hissing. The jackpot in the latest draw which was held on Saturday, June 29, was 7,600.

Internet Hub

There is an Internet hub in the Centre in Knockmore . This local service is proving very popular and is used by locals and those travelling who may need to remain in touch with work. Contact the centre on 094 9258016 for full details.

Defective Concrete Blocks Support

Mayo North-East Partnership will hold clinics throughout Mayo by appointment to assist homeowners with the DCP Grant scheme and application. If anyone has an available local property or storage area that can be rented out to people whose homes are impacted by pyrite, contact Caroline Wilson on 087 4828261 or email:carolinewilson@mayonortheast.com.

Knockmore Bingo

Bingo takes place every Monday evening in Knockmore Community Hall at 8.30pm. Refreshments are served and it is always a great night for meeting with neighbours and friends.

Parish Cemetery Masses

The Annual Mass for the deceased will be celebrated in Ballinahaglish Cemetery on Sunday evening, August 4, at 6pm, and in Cloghans Cemetery on August 11, at 6pm.

Medjugorje Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage to Medjugorje will depart from Knock airport on September 18, for one week. The cost is 855. Spiritual director is Fr Kieran Holmes. For further details contact Bernadette Coleman on 086 8196653.

Currabaggan NS online lotto

The numbers drawn last week in the Currabaggan NS online lotto were 1, 6, 13, and 20. There was no jackpot winner. 25 winner was Catherine Langan. Thank you for your continued support.

Applications invited

The Archdiocese of Tuam seeks applications for suitably qualified persons for the two year fixed term position of (1)Diocesan Pastoral Resource Person and (2) Diocesan Advisor for Second Level Post-Primary Schools. The position will be for a period of two years with the possibility of being extended. See more information on Irish jobs. The application deadline for both positions is July 19.

Sympathy extended

Deepest sympathy is extended to Liam Sweeney, Ballinaslava, on the recent passing of his father, Martin John Sweeney, Culleen's, Co Sligo.

Phone service for the elderly

This is Irelands national telephone service for older people open every day of the year 10am-10pm. Callers may feel isolated, alone, wish to discuss a problem in confidence, or for company during their day. SeniorLines older volunteers are trained to listen, to support, to discuss options and to refer caller to other helpful services if necessary. Freephone 1800 80 45 91.

********************.

Killala

Community Centre Lotto

The numbers drawn in the Killala Community Centre lotto on June 19 were, 9, 20, 28 and 30. Consolation prizes went to; Laura Hopkins, Frances Lavin and Amana Korver. The jackpot on June 26 was 7,050 and the numbers drawn were 4, 10, 14 and 28. Consolation prizes went to; Mag Gallagher, Liam Casey and Nicola Rowland. The jackpot in the draw this week is 7100. Tickets are sold locally.

Meals on Wheels

Killala Community Centre are providing a meals on wheels service. They aim to provide a hot, nourishing and quality meal at an affordable price to senior citizens or to anybody in need of it.

The meals can usually be collected at the centre or delivered to your home. They deliver to the KIllala, Lacken, Kilfian and Cooneal areas.

Meals on Wheels Temporary Change

The Community Centre dining room is closed from Friday, June 28, to Monday, July 8. Meals can be collected as normal but those who dine in will have their meals delivered. Normal service will resume on Monday, July 8. To order extra or to cancel meals ring 096 32992 before 10am. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Annual lotto tickets sale

The annual lotto tickets can be bought at the Killala Community Centre. Never miss a draw again and have your name included in every draw for 90. Contact the office on 096 32166 for further information.

Community Bus

The community bus services are available as usual. Call 096 32166 to book your place or for more information. Bus timetables can be picked up at the community centre.

Killala Mardi Gras

A Mardi Gras costume workshop will be held on Saturday, June 22, at 4pm. Basic craft supplies are provided. Bring along any sparkly or colourful clothing you have. All are welcome.
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
Senate Resolution

Statement on the Gaza/Israel conflict

A draft resolution on the conflict in Gaza was proposed by a Senator at the last meeting of Senate, and after a robust debate, the motion was voted on and passed, subject to the finalisation of the wording.

At the time of voting, the Senate comprised of 358 members, of which 130 were present at the meeting. 123 of the 130 voted, with 65 voting in favour of the motion, 49 against it, and 9 abstaining.

Following an extensive process, the final version of the statement is reflected below:

Resolution of the Senate of the University of the Witwatersrand on Gaza and Palestine

As members of the Wits University Senate, we are committed to upholding and furthering the principles of justice, freedom and the right to life for all, as enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa, and informed by our collective historical struggles against apartheid.

We recognise and recommit to opposing the multiple conflicts and crises of violence that have resulted in dire humanitarian crises, particularly on the African continent, including Sudan, the Sahel, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, amongst others.

Expressions of solidarity in these contexts must also be embedded in a larger commitment to advancing our common humanity on many fronts across the globe.

With this in mind, and while re-affirming our opposition to all forms of racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, we note and resolve the following in response to recent and ongoing events in Gaza and Palestine:

1) We condemn the October 7th attacks by Hamas and the subsequent and ongoing actions of the Israeli military in Gaza.

2) The continuing actions of Israeli military forces in Gaza constitute a disproportionate response to the October 7th attacks and amount to a form of collective punishment and forced displacement, as indicated by the United Nations.

3) Of grave concern is the destruction of hospitals, universities, schools and other non-military infrastructure which has resulted in unjustifiable levels of death and devastation across Gaza. The effects on the health and educational systems in particular are likely to have long-term, generational consequences.

4) The indiscriminate use of military force has created a severe humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people trying to survive without adequate shelter, food, water, or medical care. We call for food, medical and all forms of needed aid to be urgently provided to civilians in Gaza.

5) We call for an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire to prevent the further deaths of civilians. Hostages and other unjustly detained and incarcerated individuals should also be immediately released. We uphold the rights of Palestinians  as of all people  to life, health, education and academic freedom, and affirm their right to live free of occupation in accordance with the foundational principles of self-determination and peaceful co-existence.

6) We further commit to providing meaningful and ongoing academic support to the re-building of the education and health systems in Palestine, within the mandate of Wits University.

3 July 2024

As a University, we are home to a diverse people from multiple cultures, religions, and backgrounds who share different views, ideas and perspectives on global political developments. There is accordingly no singular view on matters such as these and given this polyvocality of views that the University re-iterates the rights of staff and students to express their own views and act according to their own convictions and conscience, thereby preserving and protecting our constitutionally guaranteed right to academic freedom and the right to freedom of expression.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

ASTANA, July 4 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping here Thursday called on the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to ensure security in the face of real threat from the Cold War mentality.

Xi made the remarks when attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.

He urged the member states to adhere to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, address complex and intertwined security challenges through dialogue and coordination, and respond to the profoundly changing international landscape with a win-win approach, so as to build a world of lasting peace and universal security.

Xi spoke highly of Kazakhstan's positive efforts and significant contributions to improving the operational mechanism of the SCO and deepening cooperation in various fields during its rotating presidency, and welcomed Belarus to attend the SCO summit as a member state for the first time.

He pointed out that the SCO was founded at the turn of the century when confrontations and divisions left by the Cold War had yet to be resolved.

The SCO founding members made a historical decision to pursue peaceful development, commit to good-neighborliness and friendship, and build a new type of international relations, Xi said, adding that the "Shanghai Spirit" has become a shared value and guiding principle for the member states.

Noting that the SCO has had its 10th member state since its establishment 23 years ago, Xi said the foundation for SCO cooperation has become more solid as the SCO "big family" has growing membership which covers three continents around the world.

As the world is faced with accelerating changes unseen in a century, the human society is standing at a crossroads of history again, Xi said.

Xi pointed out that the SCO stands on the right side of history, fairness and justice, and is of great significance to the world.

He called on SCO members to safeguard the right to development in the face of real risks of "small yard, high fences."

Xi noted that SCO members should adhere to mutual benefits and inclusiveness, join hands to push for scientific and technological innovation, keep industrial and supply chains stable and smooth, stimulate the internal impetus of regional economies, and work towards common development goals.

SCO members should consolidate unity and jointly oppose external interference in the face of the real challenges of interference and division, he said.

The SCO members should firmly support each other, accommodate each other's concerns, handle internal differences with a spirit of harmony, and resolve cooperation difficulties by seeking common ground while reserving differences, and firmly grasp the destiny of our countries and the peace and development of the region in our own hands, Xi said.

The SCO has withstood the test of the changing international landscape, the root cause of which lies in the fact that SCO members remain committed to the fine tradition of solidarity and coordination, the way of cooperation featuring equality and mutual benefit, the value pursuit on fairness and justice, and the broad-mindedness of inclusiveness and mutual learning, Xi stressed.

Xi called on the member states to stay true to the original aspiration, continue to uphold the "Shanghai Spirit," help each other on their respective path to success, jointly maintain the development direction of the SCO, and build the organization into a reliable backbone for common prosperity and revitalization of its member states.

Leaders of the SCO members attending the meeting spoke positively of the constructive role of the organization in safeguarding regional peace and security, and voiced readiness to further strengthen cooperation in such areas as trade, transportation, energy, finance, agriculture, digital economy and technological innovation, as well as to deepen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in education, culture, tourism and youth, among other fields.

Noting that the current global political and economic landscape as well as international relations are undergoing major changes, the leaders said the United Nations should play a central coordinating role in promoting the building of a more representative, democratic and equitable multipolar world system, and pushing for an economic globalization that is mutually beneficial and inclusive.

They called for respecting the legitimate security concerns of all countries, committing to resolve differences and disputes between countries through peaceful means, and opposing unilateral sanctions and interference in other countries' internal affairs.

The leaders agreed to improve the SCO mechanism for dealing with security threats and challenges, resolutely combat the "three forces," drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, support the international community's efforts for peace and development in Afghanistan, and support a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution.

They signed and issued a series of documents, including an Astana declaration, and an initiative calling for solidarity among countries to promote world justice, harmony and development.

The meeting formally approved Belarus' accession to the SCO, and decided that China will resume the rotating presidency of the organization for 2024-2025.

Chinese President Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with leaders attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. Xi attended the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana Thursday. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon holds a grand welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. [Xinhua/Yan Yan]

DUSHANBE, July 4 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here on Thursday night, commencing his state visit to Tajikistan following a busy schedule at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon welcomed Xi at the Dushanbe International Airport with a grand ceremony, where around 1,500 Tajik youths in traditional attire dancing and waving the national flags of China and Tajikistan.

Upon arrival, Xi expressed his anticipation for discussions with Rahmon to formulate new plans and arrangements for the development of China-Tajikistan relations in light of the new circumstances.

Xi said with concerted efforts from both countries, this visit is expected to be a complete success, elevating all-round cooperation between China and Tajikistan to new heights.

President Xi's state visit to Tajikistan will inject new and strong momentum into developing and strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, Rahmon told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Rahmon also said the China-Tajikistan relations have entered a new historical stage, opening up new prospects for extensive cooperation.

Recent years have seen close interactions between the two heads of state. During Xi's visit to Tajikistan in 2019, he was awarded the Order of the Crown from Rahmon in Dushanbe. Both countries pledged to build a China-Tajikistan development community and security community.

In May 2023, during the China-Central Asia Summit, the two leaders jointly announced the building of a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit.

"These initiatives and joint decisions to create a community have already yielded tangible results," said Abdugaffor Abdujabbor, former head of the International Relations Department of Tajikistan's Culture Ministry.

Abdujabbor highlighted two China-assisted edifices on Rudaki Avenue, the main thoroughfare of Dushanbe: the government building and the Parliament building, referring to them as new landmarks of the capital.

"This is the fruit of the friendship between our two leaders," he told Xinhua. "They share a great sympathy, pure friendship, and mutual understanding."

"Xi's words are matched by his actions; what he said is always felt in practice," he added.

Tajikistan is a neighbor of China. Trade between China and Tajikistan doubled from 2013 to 2023. China has become the largest source of investment in Tajikistan and its second-largest trading partner.

Tajikistan was among the first countries to support the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by Xi in 2013 and sign related cooperation agreements with China. Under the BRI framework, 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.

"The space for practical cooperation between China and Tajikistan is broad, and the prospects are promising," Chinese Ambassador to Tajikistan Ji Shumin told Xinhua.

The two countries firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests, Ji said. 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, he added.

On the streets of Dushanbe, many young people can speak Chinese, and it's common to hear locals greeting visitors from China with "Nihao," which means "hello" in Mandarin.

"In Tajikistan, there has been a noticeable increasing interest in China, in the study of the Chinese experience of modernization, Chinese culture and language," said Abdurakhim Juraev, professor at the Tajik State University of Law, Business and Politics in Khujand.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of Tajik students attending Confucius Institutes in their country or studying in China. Take the Confucius Institute at the Tajik National University as an example. Since its establishment in August 2008, the institute has trained nearly 39,000 Chinese language learners.

The Luban Workshop in Tajikistan, co-founded by China's Tianjin Urban Construction Management and Vocation Technology College and Tajik Technical University, has been training skilled professionals, contributing to Tajikistan's vocational education, industrialization, and modernization efforts.

The visit of President Xi, said Juraev, will give new impetus to cooperation between the two countries and will contribute to the overall prosperity of Central Asia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is warmly welcomed by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and a group of Tajik senior officials upon his arrival at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon holds a grand welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. [Xinhua/Yan Yan]

A Tajik child presents flowers to Chinese President Xi Jinping upon his arrival at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. Xi was warmly welcomed by Rahmon and a group of Tajik senior officials upon his arrival. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon holds a grand welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. [Xinhua/Liu Bin]

This photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows three Kazakh Air Force jets escorting Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane after it takes off. Xi arrived in Dushanbe on Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. Xi landed in Dushanbe after attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, and a state visit to Kazakhstan. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

A grand welcome ceremony is held by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. [Xinhua/Yan Yan]

A grand welcome ceremony is held by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. [Xinhua/Liu Bin]

A grand welcome ceremony is held by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. [Xinhua/Liu Bin]

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
DUSHANBE, July 4 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed here Thursday to take the China-Tajikistan all-round cooperation to a higher level.

In a written statement upon arrival in the Tajik capital, Xi said he looks forward to holding talks with President Emomali Rahmon during the visit.

He also said that he and Rahmon are expected to make new plans and arrangements for the development of China-Tajikistan relations in light of the new circumstances and have an in-depth exchange of views on the current international and regional situation.

It is believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, this visit will be a complete success, Xi added.

Xi recalled his previous two visits to Tajikistan in 2014 and 2019, expressing his cordial feelings upon visiting this beautiful country after five years.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi extended his sincere greetings and best wishes to the government and people of Tajikistan.

China and Tajikistan are good neighbors who help each other, good friends who support each other, good partners with mutual benefit and win-win results, and good brothers who treat each other with absolute sincerity, Xi said.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 32 years ago, China-Tajikistan relations have achieved sustained, rapid and sound development, growing from good-neighborly friendship to a strategic partnership and then to a comprehensive strategic partnership, becoming a model for neighboring countries' relations, Xi said.

The two countries share solid political mutual trust and always firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, he said.

Noting that China has become Tajikistan's second-largest trading partner, Xi said, their Belt and Road cooperation has yielded fruitful results with two-way trade constantly setting new records.

At the airport, Rahmon held a grand welcome ceremony. Tajik children presented flowers to Xi.

More than 1,500 young Tajiks dressed in national costumes performed Chinese and Tajik songs and dances, and waved the flags of China and Tajikistan to express their warm welcome to the most honored guest from China.

Xi landed in Dushanbe after attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, and a state visit to Kazakhstan. Three Kazakh Air Force jets escorted Xi's plane after it took off.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

ASTANA, July 4 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Thursday that he believes China-Belarus relations will continue to develop healthily and with great strides under joint efforts of both countries.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana.

Congratulating Belarus on officially joining the SCO, Xi said President Lukashenko visited China twice in 2023, during which he and Lukashenko jointly drew a new blueprint for the development of the China-Belarus all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership.

This year has witnessed close communication between the two countries at all levels and effective implementation of the consensus reached between both sides, Xi noted.

For his part, Lukashenko thanked the Chinese side for supporting Belarus on officially joining the SCO, and congratulated China on taking over the rotating presidency of the SCO.

The performance of the Guard of Honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Belarus on Wednesday was warmly welcomed, which is another demonstration of the friendship between the two countries, he said.

Belarus supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Xi, as well as the six-point consensus jointly proposed by China and Brazil on a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Lukashenko said, adding that the Belarusian side looks forward to further strengthening bilateral and multilateral coordination with China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

* During talks with Tokayev, Xi said that China stands ready to jointly build an even closer SCO community with a shared future with the SCO member states including Kazakhstan.

* During his stay in Astana, Xi also held meetings with leaders of multiple countries, including SCO member states and dialogue partner, in a bid to promote bilateral relations as well as regional stability, prosperity and cooperation.

ASTANA, July 4 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Kazakhstan, the first leg of his ongoing Central Asia trip, has yielded fruitful results, a testament to China's commitment to jointly building a more substantive and dynamic China-Kazakhstan community with a shared future.

Xi also held respective meetings on Wednesday with several leaders of regional countries ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana. In these meetings, they vowed to promote high-quality cooperation, enhance connectivity and strengthen the alignment of development strategies, in a bid to bring more benefits to their peoples and the region.

New 'Golden 30 Years'

Xi arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday for a state visit and attendance at the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.

On Wednesday, when meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the presidential palace in Astana, Xi said that he is ready to work with Tokayev to jointly build a more substantive and dynamic China-Kazakhstan community with a shared future, and inject more positive energy to the development and stability of the region and beyond.

During their talks, Xi noted that last year Tokayev and him met twice in Xi'an and Beijing respectively, and made new arrangements and plans for the development of China-Kazakhstan relations, leading the "golden 30 years" of rapid development of China-Kazakhstan relations.

Following the talks, the two heads of state signed a joint statement between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Kazakhstan, and witnessed the exchange of dozens of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of economy and trade, connectivity, aviation and aerospace, education and media.

When jointly meeting the press with Tokayev, Xi said that 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, and 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 SCO, the China-Central Asia mechanism as well as other multilateral frameworks, he said.

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.

On the same day, in a major step aimed at bolstering connectivity and cooperation, Xi and Tokayev attended the opening ceremonies of one transportation project and several cultural exchange facilities.

The two heads of state presided over the opening ceremony of a road transport route to a Caspian Sea port via video link. 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).

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.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sign the joint statement between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Kazakhstan, and witness the exchange of dozens of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of economy and trade, connectivity, aviation and aerospace, education and media, following their talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Boost Regional Cooperation

China will assume the rotating presidency of the SCO following Kazakhstan, Xi said Wednesday. During talks with Tokayev, Xi said that China stands ready to jointly build an even closer SCO community with a shared future with the SCO member states including Kazakhstan.

China last hosted the SCO summit in 2018 in Qingdao, a coastal city in China's eastern Shandong Province, where Xi proposed the building of an SCO community with a shared future.

During his stay in Astana, Xi also held meetings with leaders of multiple countries, including SCO member states and dialogue partner, in a bid to promote bilateral relations as well as regional stability, prosperity and cooperation.

When meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi urged both countries to continue to strengthen the alignment of development strategies and international strategic coordination. Facing an international situation fraught with turbulence and changes, China and Russia should keep upholding the original aspiration of lasting friendship, and sticking to the determination of benefiting the people, he said.

China and Russia, Xi said, should continue to strengthen comprehensive strategic coordination, oppose external interference and jointly safeguard regional tranquility and stability.

Putin vowed to fully support China's work of the rotating presidency of the SCO during the upcoming term 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.

For the ties with Uzbekistan, Xi said that 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, during his meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev earlier in the day.

Chinese President Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with leaders attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

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.

China firmly supports Uzbekistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty and security, and is always a trustworthy friend and partner of Uzbekistan, he added.

When meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Xi urged both countries to explore new ways of thinking to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to make it continue to deepen and more effective, as well as to further expand economic, trade and investment cooperation, enhance connectivity and expand cooperation on new quality productive forces.

China firmly supports Kyrgyzstan in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and in finding a development path suited to its national conditions, he added.

Kyrgyzstan-China relations have always been rock-solid, and there are no political differences or cooperation obstacles between the two countries, said Japarov, hoping 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.

Also on Wednesday, Xi, together with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, announced the upgrade of bilateral relations to strategic partnership, which is a new positioning and a new starting point.

As good friends with sincerity and mutual trust, as well as good partners with equality and mutual benefit, China and Azerbaijan should jointly advocate an equal and orderly world multipolarity, and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and promote world peace, stability and development, he said.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
At least three people were killed and at least six others injured when a suspected drunken driver crashed into a Manhattan park Thursday night during a July 4th celebration, authorities said.
Llangollen celebrates music and dance with Wales Welcomes the World concert

This article is old - Published: Friday, Jul 5th, 2024

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod brought a feast of the finest music and dance to the Pavilion stage on Wednesday evening.

An array of fabulous entertainers featured in the Wales Welcomes the World concert  including former Royal harpist Alis Huws, Britains Got Talent finalists Johns Boys Male Chorus, multi-award winning folk band Calan and world-renowned conductor Anthony Gabriele.

The glittering affair began with the traditional Celebration of Nations in which the flags of the 30 countries competing in this years festival were proudly paraded through the audience and up onto the stage to be greeted by rapturous applause.

There was also a presentation to the winners of the prestigious Young Choir of the World title who had won through to the final during competition rounds earlier in the day.

The Piedmont East Bay Childrens Choir from Oakland, California, were presented with a trophy presented to the Eisteddfod by one of its former chairmen, Dr Rhys Davies, and his wife in memory of his son Owen who died aged 33 in 2016.

During the first rapturous appearance of Alis Huws, who performed to a global audience of millions during the coronation of King Charles III, a special message recorded by much-loved former Eisteddfod president Terry Waites was read out in which he shared his belief that harmony, as in music, is the key to world peace.

The consequences of conflict which results from disharmony was poignantly illustrated in a beautiful sequence from festival competitors Prolisok dancers from the Ukraine who recreated a pastoral scene from their homeland which is brutally disrupted by war.

Even more moving was when the faces of some the dancers close friends killed in the fighting were projected onto the screen at the back of the stage, prompting a standing ovation.

Folk band Calan, which comprises four of Waless most talented virtuoso musicians, provided a lively and rousing display of their traditional Welsh music which enthralled the large audience.

Later they performed a scintillating collaboration with Llangollen International Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Gabriele.

John Boys Male Chorus, who were named Choir of the World at the 2019 Eisteddfod, delighted with a diverse selection of numbers ranging from the Welsh favourite Calon Lan to There Aint Nothing Like a Dame from the musical South Pacific.

They came back to join in the grand finale when all the evenings artistes gathered on stage to present a hauntingly melodic piece of music specially arranged by the Eisteddfods Artistic Director Dave Danford which led smoothly into the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.
North Wales MS raises concerns about impact of significant cuts to post-16 education

This article is old - Published: Friday, Jul 5th, 2024

A North Wales MS has raised concerns about the impact of significant cuts the post-16 education budget.

Llyr Gruffydd, who represents the region in the Senedd, said he is worried about the effect the reduction could have on the mental health and wellbeing of young people in the area.

The Plaid Cymru politician highlighted a cut of nearly 13 million from post-16 education provision and over 7 million from personal learning accounts, as he challenged the Welsh Governments Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, on the issue in the Senedd.

He warned that cuts will impact higher education institutions that operate in North Wales, such as Coleg Cambria, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, and Grwp Llandrillo Menai.

Locally Wrexham Council has come under increasing pressure to reintroduce free transport to post-16 school pupils.

When the council removed free post-16 transport in 2015, it saved the authority 350,000 a year.

But in a report last year the council warned that it could cost over 1 million to reinstate free transport for post-16 pupils.

ColegauCymru, a charity that acts as a voice for further education in Wales, recently launched new research which highlights the social value of further education colleges in Wales.

It has warned that the sector is currently navigating a challenging period because the public purse under intense pressure and changes to the education infrastructure.

Its report, Demonstrating the Social Value of FE colleges in Wales, emphasises the key contributions colleges make to local communities, public services and industries.

Its wellbeing goals, against which its data is measures, are for a Wales that is prosperous, resilient, healthier, more equal, has more cohesive communities, a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language, and is globally responsible.

It describes colleges as anchor institutions, that make a significant contribution to their respective local economies and communities.

Challenging the Cabinet Secretary in the Senedd, Llyr Gruffydd MS said: We know that cultivating a skilled workforce helps create a prosperous, resilient Wales, which are some of our well-being goals.

But also providing robust support systems integrated into educational settings can help with mental and physical health as well, and a healthier Wales is another one of those goals.

So how did the Government consider those wider societal impacts when you introduced the recent cuts to budgets for post-16 education funding?

When you cut nearly 13 million from post-16 education provision and over 7 million from personal learning accounts, did you assess, did you consider, did you even realise the effect that would have, not only on the further education institutions in question, but on Welsh society and the well-being goals more broadly, as have been highlighted in the ColegauCymru report?

In response Lynne Neagle MS said: Reductions to the post-16 provision budget expenditure line have, wherever possible, been directed so as not to impact learners.

Following the exchange in the Senedd, Llyr Gruffydd MS said: The cuts that have been made to post-16 education provision and from personal learning accounts are significant and they are bound to have a negative impact on young people in North Wales.

I am concerned about the impact that they will have on mental health and wellbeing outcomes.

If the Welsh Government truly cares about the wellbeing of future generations it must ensure that it provides adequate resources to support their needs and aspirations.
The Wrexham Lager Beer Co hits major supermarkets shelves

This article is old - Published: Friday, Jul 5th, 2024

The Wrexham Lager Beer Co has secured a brand-new listing for its lager in all 65 Iceland stores across North and South Wales.

The award-winning British supermarket chain now stocks the Wrexham Lager 440ml Cans (4% ABV), which feature stronger and bright colourways to be more impactful and have greater stand out on shelves.

Wrexham Lager Beer Co, which is the oldest lager brewery in Great Britain, prides itself on its high-quality lagers which are made with the finest Welsh water and carefully selected ingredients.

As well as being light, refreshing and easy to drink, the subtly hopped Wrexham Lager provides a nice malt flavour and has a clean aroma.

The new listing shortly follows the announcement of the brands successful expansion into Scandinavian markets across its lager and export range, as well as recent listings in leading supermarkets Asda and Sainsburys.

Speaking of the new listing, James Wright, CEO of the Wrexham Lager Beer Co said: Were delighted to hit the shelves of yet another leading supermarket in Wales.

Were taking the Wrexham Lager Beer Cos portfolio from strength to strength with new UK listings as well as expansion into international markets.

The demand for Wrexham Lager is becoming increasingly evident and were looking forward to growing our off-trade channel with retail partners over the coming months.
Three Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board teams shortlisted for prestigious awards

This article is old - Published: Friday, Jul 5th, 2024

Three teams at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board have been shortlisted for this years prestigious NHS Wales Awards.

The accolade celebrates excellence in the health sector across Wales.

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons, Mr Edwin Jesudason from Ysbyty Gwynedd and Mr Preetham Kodumuri from Wrexham Maelor Hospital have been shortlisted in the NHS Wales Efficient Care Award category for their work to relocate minor day case surgeries to a dedicated outpatient area in the hospitals.

The Minor Operating Rooms have helped towards reducing the number of people waiting for hand surgery, which has grown since the pandemic.

Mr Preethan Kodumuri, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Wrexham Maelor Hospital said: By moving minor hand surgical procedures outside main theatres, we have successfully increased theatre productivity, improved patient satisfaction, reduced waiting times within our orthopaedic department. We wish to thank the Bevan Commission and Centre for Sustainable Healthcare for their support.

Mr Edwin Jesudason, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Ysbyty Gwynedd, added: It is a great honour for our team to be shortlisted for this award.

Moving operations out of the theatre environment into an outpatient facility uses less resources, reduces stress our patients and improves productivity, without compromising patient safety. We have also demonstrated an enormous reduction in the carbon footprint of minor hand operations.

This is helping us reduce waiting times.

This is just the start of working towards a comprehensive decarbonisation strategy for surgical care in Wales, Id like to thank many other colleagues who contributed to this important work, and to our local hospital Green groups for their support.

The Welsh Language Team have been shortlisted in the NHS Wales Equitable Care Award category for their work promoting bilingual services on hospital wards.

Their Welsh Language Choice Scheme gives staff the tools to identify patients and visitors who prefer to communicate in Welsh.

Upon arriving to inpatient care in the hospitals, patients are asked what language they prefer to communicate in.

Orange magnets and stickers are then used in patients notes and on bedside boards to help identify people who would prefer to talk in Welsh.

Eleri Hughes Jones, Head of Welsh Language Services at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: We are delighted to be shortlisted for this award.

The scheme was put in place to actively offer services to patients in their language of choice, and it has led to normalising language appropriate care across the Health Board.

It is encouraging that the efforts of staff to bring this scheme to fruition is being acknowledged and commended on a national level.

A joint initiative between the Health Board, Public Health Wales and the charity Hepatitis C Trust is also nominated for the NHS Team Culture Award.

In a recent programme earlier this year, 100 per cent of prisoners were offered a test, 90 per cent of men were tested, and 90 per cent of those diagnosed with hepatitis C started treatment.

This is known as micro-elimination, meaning that within a particular environment, in this case HMP Berwyn, certain requirements for hepatitis C testing and treatment have been reached.

This was achieved through making testing routine, with prisoners being offered a rapid test within days of arriving at the prison, and treatment being quickly provided for those who need it.

Elizabeth Hurry, Pharmacist at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: Hepatitis C is easily cured by 8-12 weeks of oral treatment, and cure prevents future complications such as cirrhosis.

For this reason we want to make sure that every single prisoner gets the chance to be tested and, where necessary, to be treated.

This was a fantastic team effort from pharmacists, nurses, Hepatitis C Trust peers, Public Health Wales, and also involved prisoner peers. HMP Berwyn is the UKs largest prison so presented unique challenges.

The team has worked tirelessly over the past few years educating to raise awareness and reduce stigma, and testing and treating using a streamlined pathway. We are very proud to have been shortlisted for this award.

The winners will be announced at the NHS Wales Awards 2024 ceremony on 24 October.
Ahead of the NATO summit in Washington July 9-11, where the military alliance will decide on a massive escalation of its war against Russia, the German government is systematically pushing ahead with massive rearmament plans. A 1 billion armaments project follows next, and politicians and the media are overflowing with demands for even faster militarisation in orderin the words of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (Social Democratic Party, SPD)to become ready for war again.

German Leopard tanks practice in Grafenwohr [Photo by 7th Army Training Command / flickr / CC BY 2.0

At its last meeting before the summer break on Wednesday, the Parliamentary Budget Committee approved further armaments projects worth billions. In a press statement after the meeting, Pistorius boasted that numerous large-scale projects from the Defence Ministry were once again on the committees agenda today. Overall, we can look back on a successful first six months, he said. We have shown that we are getting to work and that we are shaping the [foreign policy] new era. After all, the armed forces development projects are at the heart of the new era.

According to Pistorius, 42 so-called 25 million legislative bills totalling 27 billion had been approved by parliament in the last six months alone. This Wednesday, the focus was on the procurement of 105 Leopard 2A8 battle tanks worth almost 3 billion. According to reports, the tanks are to be delivered to the army by 2030 at the latest. In fact, 35 of them are to be available by 2028 to reinforce the planned German combat brigade in Lithuania.

In other words, the armour upgrade is aimed directly at Russia. In a classified document for the Budget Committee, quoted by Der Spiegel, it says, among other things, that the brigade would be one of the first elements of forward defence in the NATO alliance. The best possible and standardised equipment of the brigade was therefore essential. The modernisation and reinforcement of the German armys armoured forces as a whole was a high priority for the Bundeswehr (armed forces).

For the German army, the order means a significant expansion of its fleet of tanks. The Bundeswehr currently has just over 300 Leopard main battle tanks. The new procurement would increase the fleet by more than a third. And that would only be the beginning. Politicians and the media regularly point out that the Bundeswehr still had more than 3,000 battle tanks at the time of the Cold Warbefore it was cut to the bone.

A look at the Bundeswehrs official website shows which war plans and criminal traditions the ruling class is once again following with its tank plans. There, an article on the armoured troops of the Bundeswehr openly praises Hitlers panzer general Heinz Guderian, who played a key role in the war of annihilation against the Soviet Union, as a mastermind for the design of a modern armoured force.

Guderian had already recognised after the First World War how effective the massive use of tanks was. With the rearmament in National Socialist [Nazi] Germany, Guderian was then able to implement his ideas on the organisation and deployment of the armoured force. They were the basis for the blitzkriegs of the German Wehrmacht [army] in the Second World War, the text continues. His concept envisaged providing the armoured units with all the necessary support as they advanced. This included engineers, artillery, repairs and infantry.

Today, the German government is working on all of these elements and developing a veritable war economy, which is supported by the same armaments companies that were already arming the Wehrmacht. At the beginning of this week, Rheinmetall received the largest order in the companys history from the Bundeswehr in the logistics vehicle segment. The signed framework agreement covers the delivery of up to 6,500 lorries worth up to 3.5 billion.

Just a few days earlier, the armaments giant had signed the largest order in its history with the Bundeswehr. It involves the delivery of 155mm artillery ammunition worth up to 8.5 billion. The original framework agreement, which has been in place since July 2023 and is worth around 1.3 billion, has thus been increased by 7.2 billion. The exact number of projectiles ordered was not disclosed, but it is in the millions. It is also clear that some of these will go directly to the war regime in Kiev. The customer will primarily be the Federal Republic of Germany, which will make some of the deliveries available to Ukraine, said Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger after the contract was signed.

In addition to the army, the navy and air force will also be comprehensively upgraded. In mid-June, the budget committee approved the financing of two additional type 126 frigates. The costs amount to around 3.18 billion, which will come exclusively from the defence budget. With a total of six frigates of this type, we will not only be operational, but also sustainable, boasted Pistorius at the keel laying ceremony for the first type 126 frigate on 3 June in Wolgast.

At the beginning of June, at the opening of the International Air Show (ILA), Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that the air force would be strengthened more quickly. He stated that 20 more Eurofighters will be ordered before the end of this legislative periodin addition to the 38 aircraft currently in the pipeline. Based on the average price of 130 million, the total cost of the 58 Eurofighters will be around 7.5 billion.

According to Der Spiegel, the Bundeswehr is also considering the purchase of eight more F35 fighter jets. At the end of 2022, the Bundestag Budget Committee had already approved around 10 billion for the procurement of 35 US F-35 Lightning II stealth bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The first are to be delivered from 2026. A further tranche of eight jets would currently cost around 1 billion, writes Der Spiegel.

Another bill including spending running into the billions, which was approved by the budget committee, aims to procure four more Patriot air defence systems for a total of 1.35 billion. According to Pistorius, this is to replace the missile batteries that the Bundeswehr has handed over to Kiev and to further increase the air forces inventory, which currently has nine Patriot systems.

The massive rearmament projects are a declaration of war on working people in two respects. They emphasise how aggressively the ruling class is working to prepare the German army for another major European land waras the self-appointed armaments industry minister Robert Habeck (Greens) recently put it. And they provide an indication of the extent to which the war budget, which already stands at over 90 billion this year, will continue to explode in order to finance the armaments programmes.

In his statement after the Budget Committee meeting, Pistorius announced the governments new armaments principle: We will now turn the tables. Were not going to order what we can afford based on the budget, but what we need for the countrys defence capability. The new battle tanks, frigates and missile systems were neither covered by the Bundeswehrs 100 billion special fund, which has already been used up, nor by the current budget. They have been ordered on the basis of so-called commitment authorisations.

As a consequence, this means that the recently announced plans for billions in cuts to the citizens allowance (welfare payments) are only the first signs of the largest war and austerity budget in the history of the Federal Republic, which the government coalition parties are currently working on behind the scenes.
Merle Meyers, the latest in a string of Boeing whistleblowers that have emerged this year, has raised new allegations that the aerospace corporation knowingly used spare and defective parts in its 787 Dreamliner facility in Everett, Washington, to meet production quotas.

Meyers worked as a quality-control manager for 30 years, according to CNN which first broke the story. During the interview, Meyers told the outlet that since the early 2000s, Boeing took scrapped parts and put them into planes.

Boeing managers used an elaborate off-the-books practice that involved taking parts from the companys internal scrap yards and putting them back on the production line, despite being marked with red paint as defective.

A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

Throughout the process, the defective parts were hidden from the Federal Aviation Administration in, as CNN described, organized efforts designed to thwart quality control processes in an effort to keep up with demanding production schedules.

In total, Meyers estimated that 50,000 parts escaped quality control and were put into aircraft now in use. Meyers noted, It puts peoples lives at risk ... A lot of these are flight-critical parts.

When asked, Why Boeing would do this ... to make money? Meyers responded, Yeah.

One of Meyers earliest internal complaints to Boeing management dates back to 2002, in which he noted how few investigations were being done regarding the use of the defective parts. Their investigations are about analyzing excuses by process violators, and not taking action against those committing compliance violations, he wrote.

Another email, 20 years later in 2022, warned that Boeings internal investigators routinely ignored, eye witness observations and the hard work done to ensure the safety of future passengers and crew.

Meyers allegations are among the most damning of the deluge that have been brought forth this year in the wake of a door plug blowing off of a 737 Max after takeoff in January. It makes clear that, for decades, every level of Boeing management has not merely been complicit but actively involved in making defective planes in pursuit of ever greater profit.

I think they need to punish, to fire people that blatantly violate the process and endanger the flying public. Its a huge problem, Meyers said.

One can go further. Since 2002, there have been more than 60 fatal accidents of Boeing aircraft, killing hundreds of passengers, crew and bystanders on the ground. It is well documented that at least two of these crashes, the two MAX 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019, were the direct result of Boeings drive for profits at the expense of human lives.

In another complaint filed last week, whistleblower Richard Cuevas noted that, during his work as a contractor for Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, workers were being forced to drill holes for fasteners larger than they should have been, to speed up a slow process.

Cuevas warns that larger holes means the planes forward pressure bulkhead isnt as secure as it should be, and risks both depressurization and power failure.

He also alleges that he was fired from his job after bringing forward these warnings.

Meyers and Cuevas revelations, alongside those of all the other whistleblowers that have come forward, strongly suggest many of the other accidents were also engendered by the money interests of executives.

Whatever punishment Boeing suffers from either its own internal processes or the federal government, however, will be minimal at best. The Associated Press revealed Sunday that the Department of Justice is seeking a plea deal with Boeing for criminal fraud for the two MAX 8 crashes.

In other words, Boeing wont be prosecuted for murdering 346 men, women and children who died in the two crashes. The federal governments concern is merely that they were lied to by Boeing, and are content with letting the corporation off with a fine and no charges brought against any executives.

These include former CEO Dennis Muilenburg, who made more than $80 million in salary and benefits during his tenure, which oversaw the development and production of the deadly MAX 8 aircraft. It also includes David Calhoun, Muilenburgs successor and also a Boeing executive during the MAX 8 crashes, who has made an estimated $76.5 million since he became CEO in 2021.

The subservience of the American government to Boeing was also demonstrated in a recent Senate hearing in June, in which Richard Blumenthal (Democrat-Connecticut) gave a stage-managed reckoning with Calhoun.

In reality, Blumenthal held the hearing in an attempt to restore Boeings credibility, because we want Boeing to succeed. He also added that the company had to be protected for the sake of our military.

Therein lies the real reason Boeing has been allowed to get off scot free with its murder of commercial passengers, because it is complicit in so many more crimes committed by American imperialism.

In 2023, Boeing was the fourth largest defense contractor in the US, receiving more than $14.8 billion to produce weapons for wars abroad. Boeings military pedigree includes making and maintaining F-15 fighters, V-22 attack helicopters, and B-52 strategic bombers.

Such aircraft are critical components of the US war drive internationally, including the ongoing genocide by Israels Zionist regime against Gaza, the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine, and the escalating war plans against Iran and China.

Any real change to the aerospace industry as a whole will not come from appeals to any better natures of corporate executives and the capitalist ruling elite but from the working class, the only social force opposed to sacrificing human lives for profits.

The ongoing contract talks between Boeing and the 32,000 machinists of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) can play a significant part in this process. One of the key demands of the machinists is that the numerous safety and quality inspector positions that have been cut are restored. Boeing has so far refused such demands.

The contract for the machinists expires on September 12, and a strike authorization vote is scheduled for July 17.

Boeing executives are bound to the interests of US imperialism and the world capitalism system. As in all aspects of modern life, the drive for profits at the expense of human lives is innately tied to this outmoded social system and can only be resolved when the aerospace industry is placed under workers control as part of the revolutionary struggle for socialism.
Leonard Peltier, the Native American activist who was framed up for the deaths of two FBI agents in 1975 and has been in prison for nearly a half-century, was denied his request for parole by the US Parole Commission on Tuesday.

Peltier, a leader of the American Indian Movement (AIM), is serving two consecutive life sentences at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, for two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of agents Ronald Arthur Williams and Jack Ross Coler. The agents were killed during a shoot-out between the FBI and AIM on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota on June 26, 1975.

The denial of Peltiers parole request is a continuation of the government vendetta against the 79-year-old activist for a crime he never committed. The World Socialist Web Site denounces the parole commissions decision and calls on workers and youth throughout the world to demand his immediate release.

The shoot-out at Pine Ridge was the result of US government repression and law enforcement provocations against Native Americans that reached a high-point in 1973, after AIM organized the occupation of the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota.

Peltier, who was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and grew up on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, became active in Native American social and political causes after he moved to Seattle in 1965.

He joined AIM in 1972 after he learned of factional tensions at Pine Ridge. By the time he traveled to Wounded Knee in 1975 to deliver supplies to the occupiers, he had already been framed up for attempted murder of a police officer during an AIM protest outside the federal building in Milwaukee. He was later acquitted of this charge.

According to government reports, the two FBI agents Williams and Coler were killed after pursuing a red pickup or van at high speeds onto the Pine Ridge ranch of the Jumping Bull family where AIM members and other Indians had encamped. It turned out that the vehicle they were chasing was a white over orange Chevy Suburban with three Native Americans in it, including Leonard Peltier.

The agents were driving separate unmarked cars and got out of their vehicles with guns drawn while the Suburban also stopped, and the occupants got out. A gunfight involving handguns and AR-15 style assault rifles ensued with Native Americans from the camp joining in. Government documents allege there were 47 shooters in all, including Peltier. The FBI maintained that after both agents sustained serious wounds, an individual who was a Native American approached and fatally shot them both at close range with a high powered rifle.

Following the shootout, Peltier and several others fled to Canada. On December 22, 1975, he was named to the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. On February 6, 1976, he was arrested, along with Frank Blackhorse, by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the Smallboys Reserve/Smallboy Camp Hinton, Alberta. He was transported to Calgary and then taken to the Oakalla Prison Farm in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In December 1976, Peltier was extradited to the US from Canada based on documents supplied by the FBI which were later shown to contain false information derived from coerced testimony. He was charged with executing the two agents and put on trial in Fargo, North Dakota, where the government expected a supportive jury after the FBI launched a campaign to scare Fargo residents into thinking that the AIM would descend on the town during the trial and carry out a massacre. SWAT teams were sent in to guard the jury 24 hours a day.

The jury conviction of Peltier on April 18, 1977, was the product of a US government conspiracy. The trial included federal prosecutors hiding evidence that exonerated Peltier. The FBI threatened and coerced witnesses into lying who later recanted their testimony. The ballistics evidence that the FBI claimed linked Peltier to the crime was disputed by experts, but this information was not disclosed during the trial.

When the governments original case against Peltier fell apart after these facts came to light, it abruptly changed the charges to aiding and abetting whoever did kill the agentson the grounds that he was one of dozens of people present when the shoot-out occurred.

Leonard Peltier has maintained his innocence consistently over the decades. In 1999, he told CNN correspondent Mark Potter, I didnt kill those agents, I didnt see who killed those agents, and if I did know, Im not telling. But I dont know. Thats the point. Peltier said he fired shots during the gun battle but, I know I didnt hit them. I know I didnt.

American Indian Leonard Peltier, shown in prison, in Feb. 1986. [AP Photo/Cliff Schiappa]

Every legal attempt by Peltier and his attorneys to overturn his wrongful conviction has been denied by the US court system. A previous parole request in 2009 was also denied. Meanwhile, campaigns for clemency from Democrat Bill Clinton in 2001 and for a commuted sentence from Barack Obama in 2016 were denied just before each of them left office. At every stage, a campaign by FBI agents was mounted to demand that Peltier be kept behind bars.

Peltier will be eligible for another parole hearing in June 2026, according to a Parole Commission representative.

Responding to the decision on Tuesday, Peltiers attorney Kevin Sharp, said in a statement, Todays announcement continues the injustice of this long ordeal for Leonard Peltier. This decision is a missed opportunity for the United States to finally recognize the misconduct of the FBI and send a message to Indian Country regarding the impacts of the federal governments actions and policies of the 1970s.

In a statement FBI Director Christopher Wray claimed, No amount of prison time will ever change the facts surrounding the murders of FBI Special Agents Coler and Williams. Well aware that Peltier has been systematically denied his basic rights, Wray went on to assert that the political prisoner had been afforded due process time and again.

Paul OBrien, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, which had representatives at Peltiers trial in 1977 and has long campaigned for his freedom, said keeping him locked up is a human rights travesty. Not only are there ongoing, unresolved concerns about the fairness of his trial, he has spent nearly 50 years in prison, is approaching 80 years old, and suffers from several chronic health problems, OBrien said.
Over recent weeks, members of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) and Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka have been campaigning for the upcoming public meeting, Free Ukrainian socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk. We urge our readers to attend this event, which will be held at the National Library Auditorium, Independent Square Avenue in Colombo 07, on Sunday July 7 at 3 p.m.

Bogdan, a leading member of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), has been imprisoned by Ukraines fascistic Zelensky regime since April 25 on fraudulent charges of high treason, and aiding the Russian government.

These outrageous and crude lies have been hurled against the 25-year-old Ukrainian socialist because he, and the YGBL, oppose the US-NATO war against Russia and are fighting to unite Russian and Ukrainian workers on a socialist program against the capitalist oligarchs in both countries. The YGBL is affiliated with the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI).

On June 13, the ICFI held internationally coordinated pickets at Ukrainian embassies and consulates in the US, UK, Turkey, Germany, France, Canada and Australia to protest the arbitrary arrest and detention of Bogdan and present An Open Letter to the Ukrainian government: Release Bogdan Syrotiuk! Ukrainian embassies in the US, UK, Germany and France, however, refused to accept the letter.

There is no Ukrainian embassy in Sri Lanka and so the SEP is holding a public meeting in Colombo to intensify international action to demand Bogdans release.

Campaigners have received important support in northern Jaffna where the SEP and its predecessor, the Revolutionary Communist League, has a powerful base of support among minority Tamil people for its consistent and principled opposition to the three-decade communalist wars waged by successive Sri Lankan governments against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Tigers.

We publish below statements made by workers and students from across the islandColombo, Jaffna and Hambantotaand the Healthcare Workers Action Committee demanding Bogdans immediate release and the dropping of the bogus charges.



Healthcare Workers Action Committee in Sri Lanka

The Healthcare Workers Action Committee in Sri Lanka convened a special meeting last week to discuss the escalating assault on democratic rights by the Zelensky government and to pass a resolution demanding Bogdans release. The resolution condemned his arrest and noted the thoroughly repressive situation in the country [Ukraine] which prevented Bogdan from obtaining adequate legal representation to fight the false charges against him.

Hospital workers from Kandy carrying Health Workers Action Committee placards during anti-government protests in Sri Lanka on 28 April 2022.

The Health Workers Action Committee, which includes doctors, nurses and health assistants, noted that the struggle to stop the war must be based on the working class, youth and students with a socialist program. It explained that the political fight being waged by Bogdan and his YGBL was based on this program and stated, The freedom of Bogdan is a significant step in the fight against war and for socialism.

K. Ruban

K. Ruban, a software engineering student at BCAS (British College of Applied Studies) in Jaffna

Innocent individuals are being made to sacrifice their lives for the imperialist interests of the US and NATO in Ukraine and elsewhere in the world. I doubt whether the people who are dying from wars today, including the genocide in Gaza, know exactly why they are dying.

In his opposition to war, Bogdan exposed the predatory motives of the imperialist countries. He has fought not only for the future of Ukrainian youth but for all of us. He should be freed.

An IT sector worker in Kokuvil, Jaffna



I didnt know about this comrade before. Wars are the worst thing for humanity and his fight against such a war is genuine. It is not acceptable that he was arrested by the Ukrainian government, and I strongly condemn it.



The Ukrainian government has stripped his democratic rights and I agree that these vicious attacks are worldwide phenomena.

S. Nivashan

S. Nivashan, a Jaffna University science faculty student

Bogdan has exposed the real interests behind the war. If they [the Zelensky government] let him exercise his freedom of speech, then their war effort will be exposed, and they would be unable to gather support.

Anyone who listens to him will agree with him and this is the very reason they are framing him as a Russian agent. This is false. Bogdan has exposed the Putins regime, as well as the Ukrainian government which is supported by NATO. The international unity of the working class must be forged to win his freedom and for the termination of the war.

Sanduni, third-year zoology student from the Jaffna University science faculty

I dont like any war and we should never forget the experience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I know that a nuclear war would cause the worst consequences, yet all these imperialist powers seem to ignore this.



We have faced a war and went through a lot of hard things. But after coming to Jaffna, I now realise that the Tamil people underwent much more hardships than us in other areas.

We lost a lot of livesTamil and Sinhala youth. They fought and died, not for their own interests but because they were pitted against each other by the capitalist politicians. I think the same goes with Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has imprisoned Bogdan Syrotiuk because his activism. He tells workers and young people that this is not your war. I demand he be released forthwith.

Nelum Chinthaka

Nelum Chinthaka, a young farmer from Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka

I understand that there is no solution in groveling to the capitalists. We need to build a workers and peasant movement. Bogdan fought for socialism and against war. This brave Ukrainian socialist fought to build an anti-war movement. People of the world must raise their voice against this injustice and demand his release from prison unconditionally.

As far as I know, America intervenes and makes war all over the world. Thousands of lives have been lost through it. Its intervention in the Middle East has been disastrous. The US and European countries are behind the war in Ukraine. Even in the war in Sri Lanka, countries like the US, helped the Sri Lankan government. That is why a hundred thousand Tamils were killed in Mullivaikkal [in the Northern Province].

Aslam, a young mechanic from Meethotamulla, a Colombo suburb



Bogdan fought to defend democratic rights and just because of that the Zelensky government has arrested him to shut his mouth and thus to destroy him

The [Ukrainian embassies who refused to accept the ICFIs Open Letter] may have been influenced by the US and Zelensky government. This is not democracy when they dont even accept such a protest letter. They do not allow us to express our opinions. There must be a fight to get Bogdan out.

Kandambi, a worker from Ragama, north of Colombo

Everyone should vehemently condemn the Zelensky government in Ukraine for its arrest and detention of Bogdan Syrotiuk, a leading political activist of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists, a Trotskyist organisation active in the former Soviet Union. The obvious factor in this situation is that the life of this young socialist is in danger.

Young political activists like Bogdan should be commended. We here in Sri Lanka also should join to this international campaign for the freedom of Bogdan. We should denounce the Ukrainian government for keeping him under arrest and blocking his right to free expression. Meanwhile, we should ask foreign embassies in this country to raise this issue with the Ukrainian government.

Immediate freedom for Bogdan and the dropping of all the allegations against him! Let us fight and protest the blocking of his right to free speech! Stand up with this protest throughout South Asia, including Sri Lanka! Value and fight for political freedom!
Senator Fatima Payman yesterday announced her resignation from the Labor Party, a week after crossing the floor to vote for a Greens motion calling for the recognition of Palestine.

Fatima Payman [Photo: Facebook/Fatima Payman]

In a press conference, Payman described the ongoing genocide in Gaza as a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. She said: Witnessing our governments indifference to the greatest injustice of our times makes me question the direction the party is taking. Payman explained that she was leaving Labor but would remain on the crossbench as an independent senator.

Her statements pointing to Labors complicity and her decision to leave the party represent a breach, after nine months of unity, in a government that has unwaveringly supported Israel and its war crimes.

But Paymans remarks were hardly a frontal assault on Labor. She was leaving a party Ive proudly served with a heavy heart, describing Labor as an organisation that emerged to challenge the notion that politics belong solely to the privileged few and [to] fulfil the promise of our lucky country.

That was never the character of Labor, and it is certainly not how it has functioned over Paymans 29-year lifetime, during which it has ruthlessly implemented the dictates of the corporate elite, while supporting every US-led war globally.

Given the relatively tepid character of Paymans stand and the fact that her vote in favour of token Palestinian recognition was arguably in line with official Labor policy, the most striking aspect of the controversy is the ferocious response from the government.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese personally suspended Payman from the party caucus last Sunday and demanded that she resign from the Senate entirely so that Labor would be done with her but still retain the seat. That having failed, Albanese preemptively announced Paymans pending resignation from Labor like a boss telling an employee they had the option of quitting or being sacked.

For months, Labor has branded protests and opposition to the Gaza genocide as a threat to social cohesion. Like a mantra, Albanese and Labor leaders have insisted it is necessary to lower the temperature lest conflicts overseas be reproduced in Australia. This has been a self-serving line aimed at shielding the government from any scrutiny over its support for Israel.

That notwithstanding, it is remarkable how rapidly the Laborites have dispensed with their concern for cohesion and mild temperatures. They have mobilised their entire party apparatus to politically and personally crush Payman, a first-term Senator. In the process, they have engaged in a campaign of Islamophobia notable for its blatant racism, even in a country blighted by more than twenty years of the bogus war on terror.

Prior to her resignation, unnamed Labor sources told former Murdoch hack and current Australian Broadcasting Corporation star reporter Patricia Karvelas they had concerns after Payman reportedly said her decisions were being guided by God.

The unmistakable suggestion was that Payman, a visibly Muslim woman who wears a hijab, was some sort of Islamic extremist and/or in the thrall of a religiously induced psychosis.

In daily backgrounding by Labor leaders, dutifully relayed by a compliant press, Payman has alternately been depicted as a naive and stupid dupe of the Greens and as a dishonest, conniving operator who was planning her resignation for a month, without any attempt to square the conflicting lines of attack.

Almost as soon as Payman had announced her resignation, the unnamed and faceless Labor sources discovered a new concern. Payman was still technically a citizen of Afghanistan, from where her family escaped as refugees decades ago. This, they warned, could mean she was ineligible to sit in the Senate under draconian Constitutional provisions barring dual citizens from parliament.

Of course, all of this was known when Labor selected Payman as a candidate for the 2022 election. The Labor leadership and the electoral authorities were evidently satisfied that Payman had taken reasonable steps to renounce her foreign citizenship. They knew then and know now that terminating her formal ties completely would probably require travelling to Afghanistan. Under conditions of Taliban rule, that would be more likely to result in Paymans imprisonment or death than the end of her Afghan citizenship.

Labors Muslim-baiting and gratuitous attempts to draw attention to Paymans foreign ancestry, in other words, are about as subtle as a sledgehammer.

This morning, Albanese pressed on, warning that the establishment of a political party for Australian Muslims would not serve the Islamic community. It is not in their interests [to] isolate themselves, he stated. There is no such party, and there is no indication that anyone intends to form such a party. Amid a flurry of media articles intoning against the dangers of importing the tribalism of the Middle East, Albanese was simply engaging in racist dogwhistling.

The campaign exposes the sham of Labors attempts to co-opt immigrant communities with a facade of diversity. In addition to covering over the fundamental class divisions in society, the confected politics of multiculturalism can rapidly give way to the open white Australia racism upon which Labor was founded.

The frenzied response to Payman can only be understood as a product of two factors: the deepgoing crisis of the government, and Labors character as a party of imperialist war.

With an election due next May at the latest, all polling indicates that Labors support is lower than in 2022, when it scraped into office with less than a third of the primary vote because the Liberal Partys support fell even further.

Amid the worst decline in working-class living standards in decades and pro-business austerity measures from Labor, its paltry cost-of-living relief measures have fallen flat.

Labor was evidently hoping to exclude the genocide from official political discussion and the next election by pointing out that Gaza is a long way from Canberra and by voicing mealy-mouthed concern over the mass death of Palestinians. But broad layers of the population are aware that Labor is complicit, with its political, diplomatic and material support for Israel, including through ongoing military export permits, undeniable.

An article in the Australian yesterday reported that Albanese and Labor leaders fear they could lose up to six seats in the working-class suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne at the next election, either to independents centrally raising the genocide or with the Gaza crisis as a key contributing factor. It is in the working-class electorates, former bases of support for Labor, that its vote dropped most precipitously in 2022 and previous elections.

The current campaign is thus not simply directed against Payman, but at the mass opposition to the genocide. Having failed to reverse the sentiment through lies that it is merely a bystander to the Middle East conflict, Labor is intensifying its earlier line of threatening to ban protests and of ruthlessly attacking all opposition to the war crimes.

The Greens and various pseudo-left parties such as Solidarity have hailed Paymans stand and presented it as proof that their perspective of shifting the Labor Party away from support for Israel is viable.

In reality, the exact opposite has been demonstrated. The more opposition is expressed, the more viciously Labor attacks it and restates its backing for the slaughter. That is because, contrary to Paymans claims, Labor is not a party of equality or of working people. It is a bureaucratic machine that serves the interests of the corporate and financial elite through war abroad and a war against the working class at home.

Labors support for the genocide is inseparable from its central involvement in a global war drive led by the US. That has included expanding Australias support for the US-NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and, above all, completing the countrys transformation into a frontline state for an American-led war against China. This militarist program is incompatible with democratic rights.

Payman, the Greens and the pseudo-left either say nothing about the Ukraine war and the looming conflict with China, or support them. But it is impossible to oppose imperialist war on a case-by-case basis under conditions where the ruling elites are implementing a program that threatens nuclear world war.

As the Socialist Equality Party has insisted, the genocide and the danger of global war will not be ended by pressuring Labor, by dissident MPs or by single-issue independents. What is posed, amid a breakdown of capitalism, is nothing less than the development of a revolutionary and socialist movement, uniting the working class internationally against all the governments and the profit system.

To ensure that there is a genuine socialist, anti-genocide and anti-war party on the ballot at the next federal election, join the SEP as an electoral member today.
A meeting of Western Sydney University (WSU) staff and students last month voted to form a rank-and-file committee to oppose the job destruction and restructuring at WSU College and across the university sector. To join the committee contact: cfpe.aus@gmail.com

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is seeking to stop a fight by rank-and-file staff members at Western Sydney University (WSU) against pro-business restructuring and job destruction at WSU College, the universitys wholly-owned feeder college.

Western Sydney University [Photo: eminentedu.com]

WSU NTEU branch president David Burchell sent an email to the unions members at the College on July 3 that attempts to split them into individual cases and encourages them to accept redundancy packages.

This has only one purpose: To prevent a rank-and-file campaign across WSU against the restructuring, which would axe more than 10 percent of the teachers and learning coordinators jobs at WSU College and set a precedent for a wider assault on jobs and conditions throughout the university sector.

After refusing to organise any fight throughout WSU against the restructuring, the NTEU last month struck a deal with WSU to revise the managements change proposal in order to facilitate the job cuts via so-called voluntary redundancies.

This was done behind the backs of staff and students at WSU College and across the university as a whole. Most staff and students at WSU still know nothing about the job losses, apart from campaigns conducted by supporters of the rank-and-file fight against the restructuring.

The deal with management was then presented as a fait accompli to a NTEU branch meeting on June 27, which was held at a time when most WSU College members could not attend, due to a mandatory teaching workshop.

Burchell rejected a call by a directly-affected rank-and-file WSU College staff and union member, Gabriela Zabala, and WSU educator Mike Head for the meeting to be rescheduled.

Now, Burchell declared in his email, the time has come to protect and assist members individually. And so weve created individual cases for each and every member at the College who requests it. This is designed to put pressure on WSU College staff to try to deal with the attack as individuals.

The final management-NTEU change proposal confirms the disestablishment, or abolition, of most teaching and learning coordinating positions.

Educators will be forced to compete directly against each other, through a spill and fill selection process, for the remaining jobs. Even those hand-picked for employment can be pushed into lower-paying posts, with their present salary level only promised for 12 months.

Overall, the equivalent of 17.6 full-time teaching and learning positions will be eliminated, saving WSU $2.8 million a year.

The heaviest cuts will be to the arts, English and humanities, depriving students of access to critical, broad-based courses, rather than the narrow job ready ones demanded by employers.

Burchells latest email further seeks to divide staff members by insisting we cannot assist non-members, and your non-member colleagues will have to join before they can receive any advice. This means the NTEU is effectively wiping its hands of non-union members.

Most staff at WSU College, and WSU as a whole, are not NTEU members, largely because of the unions record of working closely with management, selling out one struggle after another, and imposing retrograde enterprise agreements (EAs).

In the email, Burchell falsely stated that a well-attended meeting of members [at the College] on June 14 went through new portions of the final change plan that are definitely better and fairer for members.

The email claims that an industrial dispute by the NTEU has improved the plan, because the new provisions maximise your ability to locate yourself within the new structure and allow staff to elect redundancy if you simply want to leave rather than compete with colleagues in ringfenced recruitment.

Burchell adds, these new processes are compliant with the College EA.

In that EA, which the NTEU rammed through small members meetings in 2022, the NTEU agreed to assist the College to remain competitive in the market, which meant it may need to change its structure, operations, and priorities to meet business requirements.

The truth about the June 14 meeting is that as soon as it started, NTEU representatives undemocratically removed Zabala from the Zoom meeting, which was attended by less than 20 members.

A majority vote of her colleagues eventually forced the NTEU officials to allow her to rejoin the meeting 40 minutes later. But Zabala was given just three minutes to speak, preventing any real discussion on her resolution, which the NTEU had refused to circulate:

We call on all staff, whether NTEU members or not, to reject the WSU managements change proposal, and demand the retention of all jobs, with no loss of pay or conditions. We resolve to launch a campaign across WSU as a whole and throughout the university sector to win the support of all our academic and professional colleagues to defeat the destruction of our jobs and conditions. We support the formation of a rank-and-file committee to organise this campaign.

The final NTEU-backed change proposal confirms that all subjects in the re-badged Destination College, to commence on 1 January 2025, will be taught as four-week intensive blocks. This block method means even more onerous workloads for teachers and coordinators, with all assessment and marking to be completed in just one month, and further erodes the quality of the courses for students.

A WSU academic spoke to the WSWS about the wider implications of the restructuring. As an educator at Western Sydney University I am very concerned about what is happening at the WSU College, she said. The students from the College do far better once they start at the university, including because they get training in research and research ethics.

As parents too, it impacts our children. We encourage them to get an education, but for what?

What is happening at the College is absolutely a blueprint for WSU. We are interrelated. We approve the WSU College courses. We are also already doing short courses, like the block teaching being introduced at the College, and there is talk of shorter semesters.

She also drew a connection between these issues and the war agenda being pursued by the US and European governments, supported by the Labor government in Australia. It is heartbreaking seeing what is happening in Gaza. Its up to us to act.

The final change proposal asserts that College enrolments will drop by 43 percent by the end of 2024 from 2021. That is not the fault or responsibility of the over-worked staff. As the document admits, the restructuring is driven by increased competition, including via alternative entry programs and lowering of university entry requirements.

The scramble by university managements for enrolments is driven by the Albanese Labor governments continued under-funding of universities, which has forced them to depend on fees from international students, whose numbers the government is now slashing. As many as 8,000 jobs could be destroyed in the tertiary education sector during the next six months as a result.

Labors financial squeeze is being exacerbated by its pro-business Universities Accord, which ties funding to the reshaping of tertiary education to satisfy the employment and research needs of big business and the preparations for war, such as the AUKUS military pact against China.

While starving the universities of funds, the Labor government is pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into military spending and backing the US-armed Israeli genocide in Gaza.

The NTEU is intent on suppressing opposition to this entire agenda. That is why the development of a WSU Rank-and-File Committee is so essential. Taking a stand for quality education and the defence of jobs and conditions means rejecting the dictates of management, governments and the corporate elite, as well as the union bureaucrats who enforce their demands.

As teaching resumes from the mid-year break, the rank-and-file committee plans to organise an information campaign throughout WSU and other universities and call for support for a university-wide and broader campaign to defeat the restructuring and job cuts.

If the NTEU-backed restructuring is not defeated it will set a benchmark for the entire sector.

We call on WSU staff and students who agree with this standwhether union members or notto join our next meeting and help build the committee. To do so, please contact us:

Email: cfpe.aus@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/commforpubliceducation

Twitter: @CFPE_Australia
The surge of the far-right National Rally (RN) party and the collapse of President Emmanuel Macrons Ensemble in the first round of snap parliamentary elections on June 30 is exposing the bankruptcy of the middle class pseudo-left Lutte Ouvriere (LO, Workers Struggle) party. LO serves as a cog in the political machine the French ruling class has set up to tie workers to Macron, a banker who rules against the people.

Nathalie Arthaud speaking as a candidate in presidential elections at a meeting in Reims in 2012 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

LO is endorsing the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance created by Jean-Luc Melenchon. The NFP is an alliance of parties, including Melenchons France Unbowed, the big-business Socialist Party (PS), the Stalinist French Communist Party, the Greens and the Pabloite New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA). In LOs July 1 editorial titled, There is no way out besides a revolutionary communist workers party, LO spokeswoman Nathalie Arthaud writes:

So it is excluded that a class-conscious worker can vote RN. It is obviously out of the question to vote for a candidate endorsed by Macron, who has trampled upon the workers. LO voters may want to vote for a candidate of the New Popular Front alliance against the RN. If this is the case, they can do so without feeling upset.

As for those who do not want to give a free pass to the candidates of the left, including ex-ministers and ex-presidents, they can also without feeling guilty not go vote, and in this way express their distrust of the entire political caste of the bourgeoisie and the state institutions.

This is a cynical attempt to hide LOs orientation to the reactionaries in the NFP and, in the final analysis, to Macron himself. One cannot call for opposition to Macron but support for the NFP. Indeed, the NFP is cutting electoral deals with Macrons Ensemble in order to form a coalition government with Macron after Sundays second round of the elections.

LO declines to endorse the NFP because it is well aware that if such a government is formed, its policies will provoke massive popular opposition.

What does it mean when Arthaud says workers can without feeling upset vote for NFP ex-ministers and ex-presidents, who make up the political caste of the bourgeoisie? The NFP program calls for sending weapons and French troops to Ukraine for war with Russia and to build up the French military police and intelligence services. It means LO is not upset with the program of imperialist war abroad and class war at home advanced by NFP reactionaries like PS ex-President Francois Hollande.

Arthaud sweeps this under the rug, pointing to the danger posed by the NFPs far-right rivals. She refers to the massive rise in the neo-fascist vote, with 11 million people including a staggering 57 percent of manual workers voting for the RN and its allies. This is more than double its vote in the first round of legislative elections in 2022, when the RN obtained 4 million votes. She says:

In the absence of a true working class party, the working people are getting lost in the search for a savior from on high who does not exist. They long looked for this savior from on high on the left.  Today many workers are seeing it in the National Rally. It is a mortal road for the working class to follow.

What a devastating self-indictment! It has been a half-century since LO came to prominence in the 1974 presidential campaign of Arlette Laguiller. For decades, top LO officials have had broad access to mass media and garnered millions of votes. Yet LO proved incapable of building anything and now argues, as millions of outraged and embittered workers vote for the neo-fascists, that a true working class party does not exist. Indeed, LO is a party of middle class bureaucracies, not the workers.

Arthaud does not even ask, let alone answer, why manual workers now prefer the RN to parties like the PS, the PCF and the NPA, with which LO has worked for decades. But over this entire period, what passed for left politics, beyond social democratic and Stalinist parties of capitalist government, were petty-bourgeois renegades from Trotskyism who allied with them. Waging imperialist wars and imposing austerity policies while in power, they also strangled workers struggles against these policies.

In order to explain LOs role in the rise of the RN, it is worth quoting Laguillers 2016 interview with the WSWS. Asked why working class membership in the unions was collapsing, Laguiller replied: I think a lot of struggles were betrayed. A lot of workers are angry over struggles they waged where finally the trade unions pushed them back to work without obtaining a victory. So there is all that anger.

When the WSWS asked if these sellouts were related to LOs role in the union bureaucracies and the fact that these bureaucracies are funded mostly by the state and the employers, she replied: It is normal when you are a revolutionary communist to at least do trade union work.  I dont think the problem is the financing. Of course, it would be healthier if the parties, if the trade unions, if everybody were financed by contributions by their members. Of course, thats true, too. But here we are.

Bought-and-paid-for organizations like LO have ceaselessly worked to block a struggle of the working class against the rise of the far right. This emerged flagrantly during the 2002 election crisis. At that point, due to the collapse of the vote for pro-austerity PS candidate Lionel Jospin, a run-off emerged between the neo-fascist Jean-Marie Le Pen and the right-wing candidate, incumbent President Jacques Chirac.

The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), the leadership of the world Trotskyist movement, intervened decisively. It issued an open letter, calling on all organizations claiming to defend the working class to reject the fraudulent run-off between two reactionary defenders of capitalism and called for an active boycott of the run-off. It explained that a campaign for a boycott in the working class, rejecting the lie that workers could rely on Chirac to defend democracy against Le Pen, would best prepare workers to struggle against whichever candidate won.

Though they had obtained collectively more than 3 million votes in the 2002 elections, LO and the Pabloites refused such a policy. Initially, they both lined up directly behind the official campaign for Chirac.

After the publication of the ICFIs open letter, LO ended up taking the position of calling on voters to go to the polls and vote blank or invalid. LO did not want to run a public campaign to build a movement in the working class and youth, mobilizing its massive voting base. It clearly feared that this would undermine the funding of its positions in the trade union apparatus by the state and the employers and LOs links with the PS.

LOs refusal to mount any significant opposition to the campaign for a Chirac vote effectively ceded the mantle of political opposition to the existing order to the far right. This is the policy that it continues to employ today, seeking to tie workers to Melenchon as he tries to tie the workers to Macron.

The neo-fascist RN has exploited the vacuum created by the resulting absence of any challenge to capitalism to cynically pose as the defenders of the French people. It works to divert social discontent along right-wing, anti-immigrant and nationalist channels. Despite its cynical populist posturing, it poses a dangerous fascistic threat. It has already signaled that it will rule as a reactionary party of war and fascistic police-state repression, calling to fund the war economy while threatening to ban strikes.

Arthaud concludes her present article by arguing that not all will be lost, whatever the outcome of the elections. The working class, she argues in a pedantic and unserious invocation of Marxism, must exist because the capitalist class cannot obtain profits without exploiting labor. The workers, she writes,

are at the heart of production, transport, commerce, banks, public services. The bosses need us, and that gives us the means to struggle and to make them respect us.  In the past, the working class has carried out great struggles. It is based on this rich history that we must build a true communist workers party, revolutionary and internationalist!

This is a criminally light-minded approach to the enormous dangers posed by the present crisis. Macron is threatening to invoke Article 16 of the French constitution, which would allow him to suspend parliament and the government and rule as a dictator. The RN and the NFP are supporting Macrons war economy measures to escalate the war against Russia, defending the Gaza genocide.

The working class is indispensable to the capitalists to obtain profits, but this does not mean workers can be indifferent to the threats of Macron and Le Pen to impose fascistic police state rule or the threat of nuclear war with Russia. LOs call to not be upset, in this context, is monumentally complacent. The working class must be mobilized in political struggle against imperialist war, fascism and capitalism.

A political struggle for Trotskyism against petty-bourgeois parties like LO is critical to building such a movement. Defending democratic rights and opposing war requires the mobilization of rank-and-file workers, independently of the union bureaucracies tied to LO. The basis for such a struggle is the defense of Trotskyism against the pseudo-left by the ICFI and its French section, the Parti de legalite socialiste.
Sir Keir Starmers Labour Party has won a landslide election victory against the Tories, despite making almost no gain in its popular vote outside Scotland. While Labour won a 170-seat majority, with 412 seats against 121 seats for the Tories, Labours share of the national vote was just 33.8 percent.

Labours 170 seat majority is its largest since 1997 under Tony Blair, but its national share of the vote is up by just 2 percent since 2019, and five percent lower than under Jeremy Corbyn in 2017 when Labour lost narrowly on a much higher voter turnout of over 68 percent.

Britain's Labour Party Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer makes speech 10 Downing Street in London, Friday, July 5, 2024. Labour leader Starmer won the general election on July 4, and was appointed prime minister by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. [AP Photo/Kin Cheung]

Labour takes power with the lowest share of the popular vote of any incoming government in British history.

Its victory was won off the back of a mass anti-Tory vote. The Conservatives recorded their lowest ever vote. The party suffered a massive 20-point decline since 2019, with 11 senior ministers losing their seats, including former prime minister Lizz Truss, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and prominent Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak, who retained his seat, has resigned as party leader.

Starmer made no voting gains in major urban centres, where there were significant victories for candidates opposing Labour over the Gaza genocide and huge abstentions of almost half the electorate with a national turnout of 60 percent, the second lowest since 1885.

Starmer has no popular mandate for his pro-business Tory continuity agenda, above all his plans to thrust Britain into a direct confrontation with Russia at the July 9 NATO summit in Washington D.C.

Far from heralding a Labour honeymoon, social and political tensions rooted in morbid levels of inequality and hardship presage explosive confrontation with the working class.

Amid a slew of headlines hailing Starmers victory, Channel 4s political editor Gary Gibbon accurately described the result as a loveless landslide.

Labours main gains came via the collapse of the Scottish National Party (SNP), while also picking up several Tory seats. It secured a 17-point increase in Scotland, with the SNPs vote down 15 points, losing almost 40 seats to Labour, including all six Glasgow seats.

Had Nigel Farages right-wing nationalist Reform party not taken a huge slice of the Conservative vote, the result would have been far narrower.

Reform won 14 percent of the vote. This gave the anti-immigrant party only four seats under Britains first-past-the-post constituency system, including Farage winning in Clacton. But in 98 constituencies they came second, beating the Tories and handing Labour the prize.

Labour suffered a 4 percent fall in Wales. Its overall vote in England saw no change except a six-point increase where it captured former Tory seats.

Starmers relentless pro-business, militarist and nationalist message won backing in the Tory shires, Murdochs The Sun and Times, and Financial Times, but only alienated workers.

The Financial Times reported: In the 63 safest Labour seats heading into the election, the partys average vote share decreased from 67 percent to 50 percent.

The most significant electoral shifts in working class constituencies, especially those with Muslim populations over 10 percent and where Labours vote fell by 11 percent on average, was the vote for candidates opposing Starmers obscene support for Israels genocide on Gaza.

Four pro-Palestinian Independents beat Labour, while expelled leader Jeremy Corbyn trounced Labour in Islington North by 24,120 votes to 16,873by around 50 percent.

In Dewsbury and Batley, Iqbal Mohamed beat Labour by almost 7,000 votes.

In Blackburn, Adnan Hussain beat Labour by around 200 votes, while Workers Party of Britain candidate Craig Murray came third with more than 7,000 votes.

In Leicester South, Jonathan Ashworth, Labours shadow Cabinet Office minister, with a massive majority of more than 22,000 votes at the last election, was beaten by Shockat Adam by around 1,000 votes.

In Birmingham Perry Barr, Labour lost to independent Ayoub Khan by 500 votes. Other leading Blairites were hammered including Jess Phillips, whose majority was slashed from over 13,000 to 693, by Workers Party candidate Jody McIntyre.

Independent Leanne Mohamad lost to Labour Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting by just over 500 votes, and Workers Party leader George Galloway lost Rochdale, the seat he won four months ago from Labour by 1,400 votes.

Keir Starmers own share of the vote fell by a massive 17,757 votes in Holborn and St Pancras, halving since 2019. Independent Andrew Feinstein came second with more than 7,000 votes or 19 percent of the vote, while the Greens won 4,000 votes. Turnout was just 54 percent.

This lent an air of unreality to Starmers victory speech, posturing as the herald of change and a new unified national purpose. He invoked his role in purging Corbyn and his thousands of supporters from the party, reciting Labours paean to national unity: country first, party second.

This, he said was not a sloganits the guiding principle of everything we have done and must keep on doingon the economy, on national security, on protecting our borders.

He made clear: The changes weve made are permanent, irreversible and we must keep going. We ran as a changed Labour Party and we will govern as a changed Labour Party.

What does this mean in reality?

The Socialist Equality Partys general election manifesto insisted:

Sir Keir Starmer wants to form a government that continues the Conservative Partys support for the Gaza genocide and the UKs leading role in the US-led war with Russia... War on this scale demands an escalation of the savage austerity that has already left young people and working-class families struggling to survive. The ruling class is demanding an end to the peace dividend, which means a final death blow must be delivered to the National Health Service, social care, and all essential services to pay for war. This is accompanied by a whipping up of nationalism and anti-immigrant xenophobia over the need for strong borders that is fuelling the rise of the far-right. A combined frontal assault on democratic rights has already begun with the campaign to criminalise protests over Gaza using lying accusations of antisemitism.

Our candidates, Tom Scripps in Holborn and St Pancras and Darren Paxton in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, explained that the building of a new and genuinely socialist leadership must begin now and advanced a socialist and internationalist programme on which this new leadership must be built.

We called for the formation of a mass movement against genocide and war based on four essential principles:

1. A movement against genocide and war must be based in the working class, which will fight and die in war, and be forced to pay for it. The same capitalist crisis that produces war also produces the basis for ending war, in the form of growing struggles against inequality, poverty and the attack on wages, jobs, healthcare, education and all the social rights of the working class.

2. It must be completely independent of and hostile to all political parties and organisations of the capitalist class, the Labour Party above all.

3. It must be international, uniting workers in every country and on every continent on the basis of their common class interests. The escalating global war, like World War I and World War II, arises out of the contradictions of the world capitalist system. A new global conflagration can only be averted through the mobilisation of the world working class, which produces all of societys wealth and therefore has the social and economic power to oppose the conspiracies of the capitalist ruling elites.

4. It must be anti-capitalist and socialist. There can be no serious struggle against war except in the fight to end the dictatorship of finance capital and the economic system that is the fundamental cause of war.

These are the central issues of perspective on which the working class, its younger generation in particular, must base the struggle against Starmers government of austerity, repression and war.
Ahead of the NATO summit next week in Washington, D.C. a defensive Biden White House tried to project an image of stability even as Biden himself confirmed in a meeting with Democratic governors that he sought the attention of a doctor following his degraded debate with ex-president Donald Trump.

Joe Biden and Jill Biden, June 2024. [AP Photo/Alex Brandon]

In a statement Thursday, White House spokesman Andrew Bates confirmed that Biden was seen by a doctor to check on his cold. During the debateas it became immediately clear that something was clearly wrong with the confused, halting and hoarse presidentmultiple media outlets, citing anonymous sources close to the White House, began reporting that Biden was suffering from a cold.

Bates statement directly contradicted several answers given by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in the press briefings held immediately after the debate and this week. In response to questions from reporters last Friday and on Wednesday, Jean-Pierre denied that Biden had seen a doctor in the lead-up to or after the debate.



We were able to talk to his doctor about that. And that is a no, Jean-Pierre said Wednesday in response to a question from a reporter if Biden had undergone testing after the debate. Asked again later in the press conference if Biden had been seen by a doctor since he was allegedly suffering from a cold, an incredulous Jean-Pierre responded:

He did not. He did not get checked out by the doctor. Its a cold, guys. Its a cold. And I know that it affects everybody differently. Weve all had colds, and so no, he was not checked by the doctor.

A crisis atmosphere hangs over the White House. Previously loyal Democratic Party donors, politicians and media outlets continue to defect from Bidens re-election campaign and demand the president withdraw from the race.

The Economist became the latest elite publication to call on Biden to withdraw, once again citing the danger a befuddled Biden poses to US imperialism.

The Economist wrote:

Should someone who cannot finish a sentence about Medicare be trusted with the nuclear codes?  Representing America abroad, Mr. Biden will project decrepitudeto the delight of China and Russia and the dismay of Americas allies.





Rep. Seth Moulton (Massachusetts) became the third House Democrat to publicly request that Biden call off his campaign, joining Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett and Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva. While not yet calling on him to step aside, Democratic Reps. Jared Golden (Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington) both declared this week that if Biden remains the nominee he will lose to Trump.



PBS political correspondent Lisa Desjardins reported Thursday after speaking with a dozen Democratic lawmakers that there were two movements to write letters asking the president to step aside as the nominee. Desjardins said the letters would be from more senior lawmakers as well as frontline politicians running in contested districts. While she was unable to say how many would support a letter, at the moment she claimed scores are hoping Biden steps down.



Damaging leaks focused on Bidens frailty and mental deterioration flowed following the meeting with governors in the White House Wednesday. The major capitalist press outlets each reported on the meeting, which featured 22 Democratic governors appearing either in-person or online. In-person attendees included, but were not limited to, Gavin Newsom (California), Kathy Hochul (New York), Wes Moore (Maryland), Tim Walz (Minnesota) Josh Green (Hawaii) and Andy Beshear (Kentucky).

The New York Times reported that Green of Hawaii, himself a physician, asked Biden questions about his health, to which he reportedly replied that he was fine, adding, Its just my brain. The Times reported that some in the room took [this] as a joke but at least one governor did not and was puzzled by [the remark].

In the same report, the Times wrote that Biden told the governors he needs to get more sleep and work fewer hours, including curtailing events after 8 p.m.

An unnamed governor told Politico after the meeting, Trust me, the governors I know are not supportive and want a change.

In addition to Democratic politicians, many worried that Bidens decline will hamper their re-election prospects, the calls for Bidens departure are also coming from Democratic-aligned billionaires. The financial oligarchy, while pleased with Bidens Wall Street-friendly record, his unstinting support for the genocide in Gaza and the US-provoked war in Ukraine with Russia, which threatens humanity with a nuclear holocaust, is worried that his mental degradation cannot be hidden from the public any longer and he will lose to Trump.



Trump is seen by large sections of the ruling class as not only less reliable on prosecuting the war against Russia, but also incapable of containing the explosive class tensions within the United States. Sections of the ruling class fear that an empowered Trump, granted official immunity by his hand-picked Supreme Court, will provoke a massive response in the working class which will spiral out of his, and the Democratic Partys, control.



To this end, a growing number of millionaires and billionaires, the core base of the Democratic Party, are publicly withdrawing financial support. On July 3, Deadline published an open letter from wealthy Hollywood showrunner Damon Lindelof, a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party. Lindeolf proposed a DEMbargo. No checks written. NoActblue links clicked. For anyone until the Democratic Party removes Biden from the top of the ticket.

Also on Wednesday, in an email sent to the New York Times, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings called on Biden to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous. The paper noted that Reed and his wife Patty Quillin have given over $20 million to the party in the last few years, including over $1.5 million to Bidens 2020 campaign.

In an article published July 4 by the Times, headlined Major Democratic Donors Devise Plans to Pressure Biden to Step Aside, the newspaper reported that many wealthy Democratic donors are trying to take matters into their own hands.



The Times continued, Wielding their fortunes as both carrot and stick, donors have undertaken a number of initiatives to pressure Mr. Biden to step down from the top of the ticket It noted that Gideon Stein, a donor and operative with deep connections in Democratic politics, said his family was withholding $3.5 million in planned donations... unless Biden stepped aside.

Other plans outlined by the Times included the creation of a $100 million Next Generation PAC that will be used to support the replacement candidate or down-ballot Democratic races if Biden does not step aside.



CNBC reported on Thursday that Abigail Disney, an heiress to the Disney family fortune, would be pausing donations to the party until Biden is removed.



I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high, she wrote in a statement to the organization.
Recent events have made it clear that rank-and-file United Auto Workers members must call for a new election to clear out the discredited Shawn Fain administration and carry out a radical course change to defend their jobs, living standards and basic democratic rights.

Striking plant workers cheer outside the General Motors assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ky., Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. [AP Photo/AP/Bryan Woolston]

On June 25, a federal judge in Michigan ruled that the refusal by the Biden administrations Department of Labor to act on complaints of systematic voter suppression in the 2022 UAW national leadership elections was completely illegitimate.

Judge David Lawson of the Eastern District of Michigan denounced Bidens Labor Department for acting in an arbitrary and capricious fashion when it tossed out complaints by rank-and-file autoworker Will Lehman of voter suppression and other violations during the first-ever membership vote for top UAW officers in 2022.

The ruling was all the more significant because the same judge had denied Lehmans request in November 2022 for a one-month extension of the UAW election deadline and to ensure the right to vote for every member. At the time, Lehman presented detailed evidence of how the UAW bureaucracy refused to update mailing addresses and take any meaningful measures to make sure all its members were informed about the election.

This deliberate suppression of votes resulted in the participation of only 9 percent of the 1.1 million active and retired members who were eligible to votethe lowest percentage of any national union election in US history.

The judges ruling proves that Lehman and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) were completely correct. UAW members were victims of a massive fraud, rubber-stamped by the Biden administration, which was determined to put its man in the UAW presidents office, regardless of what the rank and file wanted. Since being crowned, Fain has acted as Bidens poodle, backing sellout contracts and the presidents warmongering policies.

All the claims by Fain and the Unite All Workers for Democracy slate about ending the corruption that sent a dozen UAW officers to jailincluding two previous presidentshave also been revealed to be a pack of lies. On June 9, the court-appointed UAW monitor announced he was investigating ongoing corruption in the top leadership, including allegations of misconduct by Fain personally and embezzlement by an unnamed regional director.

Union leaders, the monitor said, were obstructing the investigation by refusing to release tens of thousands of requested documents. If this persisted, the Detroit Free Press commented, its not beyond the realm of possibility that the monitor could demand Fains removal.

Eight months after the UAW leadership rammed through its supposed record labor agreements, autoworkers are paying a devastating price for the bogus stand-up strike and betrayal of their contract struggle. Thousands of part-time workers, who Fain & Co. promised would be converted to full-time positions once the contract was ratified, were instead summarily fired.

Thousands more have been laid off in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, and the job cuts continue to mount. Meanwhile, those remaining are forced to work 10-12 hour days, six and seven days a week, and punished for taking time off for medical appointments and family emergencies.

The exposure of election fraud, combined with the continued sellout of workers interests and corruption, makes an indisputable case for the holding of a new UAW election.

But workers cannot rely on the Labor Department, the UAW monitor or the courts to defend their rights. If a genuinely democratic election is to be held, rank-and-file workers must fight for it and oversee it.

The International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees calls on workers in every factory and workplace to build rank-and-file election committees to raise the demand for a new election and put the structures in place to guarantee its legitimacy. This means holding mass meetings to nominate the most trusted and militant workers, the organization of election committees to ensure the dissemination of information and guarantee the right of every UAW member to vote, and the exercise of rank-and-file oversight of ballot counting.

During his election campaign, Will Lehman warned that the replacement of one bureaucrat with another would do nothing to empower the rank and file. Instead of reforming the bureaucracy, Lehman said, workers have to abolish it and transfer power and decision making from the UAW apparatus to the workers on the shop floor.

The only way a re-vote will not produce another corporate-government stooge is if this process is connected to the fight to construct new organs of independent self-determination of workers themselves.

The demand for new elections must be connected to the fight to overturn the sellout contracts and fight all layoffs and plant closures. Rank-and-file committees must fight for the rehiring of all part-time and full-time workers, a halt to mandatory overtime and weekend work, the expansion of paid time off and the ending of punitive attendance policies.

In opposition to the threats by the auto bosses, including from Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, to shift production to best cost countries and pit workers against each other in a race to the bottom, the network of autoworkers rank-and-file committees in the US, facilitated by the IWA-RFC, must coordinate the fight to defend jobs and living standards with workers around the world.

There will be powerful support for this fight. This was demonstrated in the campaign of Will Lehman himself. Running as a socialist and fighter for the international unity of the working class, Lehman won nearly 5,000 votes in factories, universities and workplaces across the country, despite the disenfranchisement of 90 percent of the UAW membership.

A powerful movement from below has emerged over the last several years, in which the most class-conscious workers fighting to build this rank-and-file movement are playing a decisive role. This includes the joint actions of US and Mexican GM workers in 2019, the wave of wildcat strikes against the spread of COVID-19 that shut down the auto industry in March 2020, the Volvo Trucks and John Deere strikes in 2021, and the spread of rank-and-file committees at Caterpillar, Dana, Clarios, GM, Ford and Stellantis since 2022.

The strike by tens of thousands of academic workers at the University of California earlier this year expressed the entry of the working class as the central political force to oppose war and state repression. The strike, opposing the genocide in Gaza and the crackdown on campus protests, sparked fear in ruling circles that the UAW bureaucracy would not be able to contain the broad opposition to war in the working class.

The demand for new UAW elections will strengthen the movement for rank-and-file power and provide an impulse to the building of alternative structures to the pro-capitalist and pro-war bureaucracies.

As the US presidential contest and the state sanctioning of the rigged UAW election shows, the ruling class is utterly hostile to the democratic rights of the working class. The widening gulf between the rich and the poor and the escalation of deeply unpopular imperialist wars require the establishment of the most authoritarian forms of rule, as the Supreme Courts ruling sanctioning a presidential dictatorship shows. That is why the fight for fundamental rights today is inseparably bound up with the extension of workers democracy and the fight for socialism.
On July 5, Keir Starmer became the United Kingdoms 58th prime minister, and Larry the cat is ready to welcome him. Before Starmer wraps up his day, he might meet the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office for the very first time. Moreover, the 10 Downing Street mascot will be welcoming his sixth prime minister.

Larry the Cat welcomes his 6th UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, to 10 Downing Street

On Friday, Keir Starmers first day in office called for several briefings, including one with the famous 10 Downing Street feline. Larry the cat will welcome yet another prime minister to the 17th-century landmark, making Starmer his sixth. According to AP News, the newly appointed prime minister might be making acquaintance with the resident kitty before he ends his workday.

The adorable gray and white tabby has won the hearts of many and has a massive social media following. With over 860,000 followers on X  formerly known as Twitter  he is one of the most famous residents of 10 Downing Street. The feline used to be a stray who Battersea Dogs and Cats Home rescued. He was brought to the iconic landmark to help with the rodent issue.

Rishi Sunak has offered his resignation to The King but Keir Starmer has yet to be appointed as Prime Minister, so who's in charge? Me. pic.twitter.com/fWJ8tT5cpv  Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) July 5, 2024

Larry the cat has served as the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office since 2011. He has received and bid farewell to five prime ministers and is all set to welcome his sixth U.K. prime minister, Keir Starmer. While David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak came and went, Larry stayed because somebody needed to be in charge, as he noted in a post on his X  formerly known as Twitter  account.

The feline is about 17 years old and usually keeps busy greeting guests at 10 Downing Street. However, his core responsibility remains the same, which is to find a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house, per the Downing Street website.

The post Chief Mouser Larry the Cat Welcomes His 6th UK Prime Minister appeared first on CatTime.
Frances Oscar committee, which selects the countrys submission for the best international film category, has introduced key changes affecting the size of the group and term length of its members.

In an announcement on Friday, the CNC  Frances National Film Board  revealed that the committee will now be made up of 11 members and five alternates, a significant increase from its seven current members. The committee will also now serve a two-year term, instead of the previous one-year mandate, and the chairman of the CNC will no longer attend meetings as an observer.

More from Variety

A press release states that these changes have been made to promote the collegiality of the debates, the diversity of points of view and the secret nature of the vote of each member.

The news comes after Frances Oscar committee faced a fair amount of backlash last year over its submission of Tran Anh Hungs The Taste of Things instead of Justine Triets Anatomy of a Fall, which won the Palme dOr at Cannes Film Festival. In the end, The Taste of Things failed to score a best international feature nomination, and Anatomy of a Fall won the Oscar for original screenplay after receiving nods for best picture, director, actress for Sandra Huller and film editing.

These three amendments will help to strengthen the independence of the commission, both with regard to public authorities and professional interests, said Olivier Henrard, director general of the CNC and acting chairman.

Henrard recently replaced former CNC boss Dominique Boutonnat, who stepped down on June 28 after receiving a three-year prison sentence over sexual assault charges.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Korean movie Hijack 1971 is a 2024 action-thriller film based on a true story. Starring Ha Jung-Woo and Yeo Jin-Goo in lead roles, it revolves around a true event where a hijacker forced a South Korean domestic flight to land in North Korea. The characters are based on real-life people; however, their names have been changed.

Jung-Woo plays South Korean Air Force pilot Tae-In. After an incident, he retires and joins a commercial airline as a co-pilot. One day, a regular domestic aircraft journey turns into a nightmare when a passenger, Yong-Dae (Yeo Jin-Goo), bombs the flight and hijacks it. Captain Gyu Sik (Sung Dong-Il) loses one eye, forcing Tae-In to take over the plane.

Yong Dae demands to take the flight to North Korea, where his brother resides. Tae-In and flight attendant Ok Soon (Chae Soo-Bin) try their best to protect the passengers while dealing with the hijackers demands.

Hijack 1971 real story: What happened?

The Korean movie Hijack 1971 is based on a real-life event that happened on December 11, 1969. Korean Air Lines YS-11 flying from Gangneung Airbase in Gangneung (Gangwon) to Gimpo International Airport was hijacked. To protect the lives of the passengers, the pilots were forced to take the flight to North Korea.

Two months after the incident, North Korea released 39 South Korean passengers. However, four crew members and eight passengers, along with the aircraft, did not return. In The New York Times report, North Korea stated that the retired South Korean Air Force officers voluntarily flew to their land. Also, it mentioned that the eight passengers voluntarily chose to stay back.

At that time, South Koreas Public Information Minister, Shin Bum-Shik, demanded the release of the remaining crew and passengers. But the request went in vain. Moreover, the South Korean police suspected two people among the passengers, but they were those who stayed back in North Korea. Meanwhile, the heart-wrenching story will be shared with the world through the film.

Hijack 1971 is filmmaker Kim Sung-Hans directorial debut. Speaking about making a movie on a real-life event, he said, Because this event actually happened to real people, I aimed to faithfully depict it.

Meanwhile, the film was released in South Korea on June 21, 2024. It will hit theaters in the US on Friday, July 5, 2024.

The post Is the Korean Movie Hijack 1971 (2024) Based on a True Story? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  A local chef, Reagan Sidney, who appeared on the national television show Master Chef is now cooking up a special barbecue dinner to celebrate the Fourth of July and Essence Fest.

It is the Fourth of July, so you want to make sure that you get some good barbecue, Sidney said.

And there just may be no one better to cook that barbecue than TVs Master Chef semi-finalist. She competed on season 13 of the show and placed 4th.

Boucherie offers signature Krispy Kreme bread pudding during Restaurant Week

Weve elevated the barbecue to a different level today, she said.

Guests for Essence Fest can eat up this good barbecue at her Lin Noir BBQ Experience Thursday night at Fire House Loft on Magazine Street in Uptown New Orleans.

We are starting with a New Orleans classic, some barbecue shrimp. Then, we are moving on to watermelon salad. It has been grilled, chilled with shaved onions. The main course is the beef, the short rib, with corn mac choux and then my take on a potato salad, Sidney said.

A lot of preparation goes into making this experience successful.

I smoked the meat since six in the morning, so it is cooking, she said.

Essence Fest-goers finding ways to stay cool in extreme heat

The gourmet four-course dinner is presented by Draught Season, a lifestyle brand rooted in craft beer, and theyve created a new one.

It is a Summer Sipper and we did it with Urban South Brewery. It is a pilsner, and we think barbecue and beer pair very well together. It is a nice, crisp beer, Kevin Irvin with Draught Season said.

Each of the courses that youll partake in today will have the beer in it in some way or some form. This isnt your backyard barbecue. It is an elevated experience, that anybody that comes to Essence Fest wants to have. We are providing excellence, Sidney stated.

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.
In times of war, and times of refugees risking their lives for lives to call their own, the distance between life and death can be measured in the length of a human hand, reaching out.

Green Border, the excellent new film from Polish-born director Agnieszka Holland, dramatizes one such refugee crisis. We have yet to see a feature of comparable force that deals with Americas own ongoing humanitarian tragedy.

The great and sobering impact of what Holland, now 75, has accomplished here is in the clarity and specificity of the storytelling  even with a handful of moral gotcha! moments Green Border could do without. Much of the film plays out along a thin razor-wire line in a forest separating Belarus from Poland. What happens there is happening elsewhere, today.

Were first introduced to a Syrian family fleeing ISIS, heading to safety thanks to an invitation from a relative living in Sweden. On board a flight to Belarus, parents, a grandparent and two children hope to travel to Poland, then Sweden.

In the first 15 minutes of Green Border, their hopes darken almost unimaginably. The family, led by wary Bashir (Jalal Altawil) and joined by the Afghan refugee Leila (Behi Djanati Atai), is dumped first at a Belarus border patrol station, along with a few dozen other refugees seeking asylum. Then theyre literally shoved through a gap in the razor-wire fencing by the guards to contend with the Polish border patrol, whose orders are to send them back to Belarus. This is October 2021; the film concludes with a 2022 epilogue set at the border of Poland and Ukraine, for what some will read as a relatively heartening ending. It is, however, clouded by undeniable racism; a year earlier, desperate people who didnt look like people from Ukraine got an infinitely crueler reception.

Holland wrote Green Border with Maciej Pisuk and Gabriela Lazarkiewicz-Sieczko, and her directorial collaborators were Kamila Tarabura and Katarzyna Warzecha. The films segmented into fourths; first we meet the Syrian family, then a young, not entirely hardened Polish border guard (Tomasz Wosok), whos about to become a father and whose experiences along the razor-wire line between humanity and inhumanity make him a long shot for redemption. The third section of Green Border centers on a Polish therapist (Maja Ostaszewska, a marvel) who lost her husband to COVID in the pandemics first year. Through her eyes we watch her own, dramatically persuasive transition from tacit sympathy for the refugee plight to active, dangerous participation with activists (including her wild hare of a sister) in saving some of these discards from certain death.

Theres so much that could go wrong with an outraged, conscience-driven drama based on contemporary horrors. Virtually none occur here. The plot strands intertwine, but not in self-consciously clever or tricky ways. Nobody would describe Green Border as an easy watch, but the anguish and cumulative, realistically and miserably casual violence rarely feels amped-up. This is ground-level mastery of the docudrama form, with Hollands cinematographer Tomasz Naumiuk shooting in shadowy, expressive black and white. Some of the images feel indelible already: the Syrian mother squeezing droplets of water off pine needles for her daughter to drink, for example.

More than a generation ago, in Hollands superb World War II-set Europa Europa (1990), key information and some eerily revealing/concealing shots of awful, truthful things were photographed through glass, with characters peering at what cannot quite be believed. This happens selectively in Green Border as well. Its how the world experiences so much tragedy, near or far: From a distance but not really, through a car window or cellphone screen.

I cant watch things like that, says a friend of the psychiatrist so beautifully finessed by Ostaszewska. What she cant watch is what weve already seen in Green Border: Polish guards assaulting refugees, caught on video. Hollands movie itself may sound like one of those cant-stomach-it-sorry movies outside your personal zone of tolerance. I can only counter that with my admiration for the filmmaking, the storytelling, the humane tact and Hollands fierce honesty, unaccompanied (mostly) by blunt force. Very few things are harder in film to get right than the very recent past. Hollands film succeeds, and not only because this recent history is not past. Its prologue.



'GREEN BORDER'

4 stars (out of 4)

No MPA rating (violence, language, brief nudity)

Running time: 2:32

How to watch: Now in theaters


In 2013, fishers off Southern California reeled in an enormous, 11-foot-long (3.3 meters) mako shark. At over 1,300 pounds (590 kilograms), the animal  dubbed "The Beast"  was one of the heaviest mako sharks ever recorded.

In recent years, seals along the California coast have been found with wounds indicating they'd been attacked by large shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) measuring over 12 feet (3.6 m) long.

Shortfin makos tend to grow to around 7 feet (2.1 m) long , on average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But they can get much bigger. In the 1950s, off the coast of Turkey, fishers reeled in a mako measuring over 19 feet (5.8 m) long.

In the new Shark Week show "Makozilla," shark biologist and wildlife presenter Craig O'Connell went looking for supersized makos to find out if only one shark had grown to a mammoth size, or if the individuals in the North Pacific population are now much larger than they once were.

Related: Watch hammerhead sharks swim in 'cyclones' around ancient volcano in rare footage

"Are there more absolutely massive makos out there, and how are they related?" O'Connell told Live Science. "Is it one particular family of makos, or is this a characteristic of the entire population along the coast of California?"

Through a series of experiments, the team gathered bite impressions on bait and measured the animals as they swam alongside the boat. One shark was at least 12 feet (3.7 m) long, while an analysis of the bite marks revealed another was at least 14 feet (4.3 m) long.

close up of a mako shark taking bait

A final test involved getting tissue samples from another 12-foot mako. This was then compared with DNA from "The Beast" and another large mako caught years earlier. The results showed that the sharks were related  but it was unclear how closely related they were, such or whether they were direct descendants. Inbreeding among the population may explain the link, the team said.

RELATED STORIES

'It's like we opened a buffet': Sharks in Gulf of Mexico learn to steal food from fishing nets

Elusive prickly sharks spotted gathering at underwater mountain off Panama  but why remains a mystery

Super-healing shark regrows its fin after humans cut a huge chunk off

However, these makos may be bigger than average because of how much food is available off the West Coast. The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 prevented the killing of seals and sea lions, resulting in a buffet for sharks.

"Basically, what we learned is that this characteristic of getting absolutely massive is a characteristic of the general population along the California coastline," O'Connell said. "To me, that's an exciting thing. It means that there's a lot of very big makos out there  and they have the ability to control the entire ecosystem."

The risk, he said, is that fishers are currently allowed to catch two makos per day  a rule that could potentially have devastating consequences for this healthy population.

"I think it's critically important for people to understand that we need these sharks in the marine environment," he said. "I like to think of the ocean as a giant Jenga puzzle [tower] and the sharks represent that critical piece. If you remove that piece, that Jenga puzzle is going to collapse. And I just think people need to recognize that these animals are super, super important and we should really do everything in our power to protect them."

" Makozilla " premieres at 10 pm ET on Discovery .
The post Serj Tankian Asks If Imagine Dragons Would Play Nazi Germany appeared first on Consequence.

System of a Down vocalist Serj Tankian has once again called out Imagine Dragons for playing a concert in Azerbaijan last September. Responding to the bands recent defense of the show, Tankian went as far as comparing the gig to playing Nazi Germany.

Last month, Tankian said Imagine Dragons were not good human beings for playing Azerbaijan, prompting the bands Dan Reynolds to respond in an interview with Rolling Stone: I think thats a really slippery slope, he said. I think the second you start to do that, theres corrupt leaders and warmongers all over the world, and where do you draw the line?

On Thursday (July 4th), Tankian answered Reynolds question in a lengthy social media statement. Respectfully, I draw the line at ethnic cleansing and genocide, he wrote. Azerbaijans dictatorship with popular support was already into a nine-month starvation blockade of Nagorno-Karabagh qualified as genocide by former [International Criminal Court] prosecutor [Luis Moreno Ocampo] when they decided to play Baku.

He continued, Would they play in Nazi Germany? Why dont they want to play in Russia? Because its not popular? They support Ukraine but not Armenians of Artsakh? The only slippery slope is the farce moral equivalency at the heart of this hypocritical attitude. I have nothing against this guy nor his band. I just hate artists being taken advantage of to whitewash Genocidal dictatorships.

Tankian has been consistent with his criticism of Imagine Dragons for playing Azerbaijan, penning an open letter to the band in advance of the concert accusing the country of crimes against humanity for their military actions, which he described as a looming genocide.

Its worth noting that each member of System of a Down is of Armenian descent. In 2020, they reunited for their first new songs in 15 years to raise money for the serious war being perpetrated upon our cultural homelands of Artsakh and Armenia by Azerbaijan.

Serj Tankian Asks If Imagine Dragons Would Play Nazi Germany

Eddie Fu

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.
Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds and System of a Down's Serj Tankian. - Credit: John Lamparski/Getty Images; Kevin Winter/Getty Images

In a new social media post, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian has doubled down on his criticism of Imagine Dragons.

Last September, Imagine Dragons performed in Baku, Azerbaijan, in spite of calls from Tankian and other musicians to cancel the concert. Tankians objections stemmed from Azerbaijans 2020 invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mostly ethnic-Armenian region of Azerbaijan also known as Artsakh; the Armenian-American artist saw performing in the country as an endorsement of its authoritarian government, which has carried out human rights abuses.

More from Rolling Stone

In an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this week, Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds defended the concerts. I think thats a really slippery slope, he said. I think the second you start to do that, theres corrupt leaders and warmongers all over the world, and where do you draw the line?

Tankian answered Reynolds on social media Thursday. Respectfully, I draw the line at ethnic cleansing and genocide, he wrote, citing two examples of Azerbaijans alleged human rights violations. Azerbaijans dictatorship with popular support was already into a nine-month starvation blockade of Nagorno-Karabagh qualified as genocide by former [International Criminal Court] prosecutor [Luis Moreno Ocampo] when they decided to play Baku. Would they play in Nazi Germany? Why dont they want to play in Russia? Because its not popular?

They support Ukraine but not Armenians of Artsakh? he continued. The only slippery slope is the farce moral equivalency at the heart of this hypocritical attitude. I have nothing against this guy nor his band. I just hate artists being taken advantage of to whitewash genocidal dictatorships.

A rep for Imagine Dragons did not immediately respond to Rolling Stones request for comment.

In June, Tankian told Metal Hammer he wouldnt feel comfortable performing in a country whose government had been accused of the things Azerbaijan had been, per Amnesty International and the International Court of Justice. If you still go and play that country, I dont know what to say about you as a fucking human being, he said. I dont even care about your music. If youre a bad human being, I dont give a fuck. So thats where Im at with that. I have zero respect for those guys.

Reynolds shrugged off Tankians words when asked specifically about them in the Rolling Stone interview. I think I just said it: Its a slippery slope, and Im never going to deprive our fans of playing for them, he said.

In 2020, System of a Down, whose members are all Armenian-American, regrouped to record two new songs to raise funds for Armenians affected by the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Its a really horrible humanitarian catastrophe that needs to be addressed, Tankian told Rolling Stone at the time.

Best of Rolling Stone
Recently, I wrote up a Reddit thread asking people to share the final "eff you" they gave to their crappy bosses before finally quitting. The post was sooo petty and cathartic that it inspired even more stories from the BuzzFeed Community! Here are some that will make you feel seen if you've ever had to toil away at an awful job with a bad boss:

1."When I retired from state government, I changed my private phone greeting to say, 'This is answering your call from the bliss of retirement. If this is a personal call, please call me at home. [New Employee Name] has assumed my state government responsibilities, so if your call is about state government business, please go to [New Employee Name].'It took management most of a week to figure out how to change it, during which the phone never stopped ringing."

edgylegend54

2."I have Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome and it was really acting up one day. My manager already didn't like me, and accused me of faking it when I told him I'd been throwing up. He sent me back into the kitchen, so I just waited a few minutes to get nauseous again, walked up to him in front of my other coworkers, and threw up on his shoes. He never questioned me again, and I made sure to get a note from my doctor saying I had to take breaks when I felt nauseous."

buttfarts7000

ABC

3."It was a small thing. My previous job was based on a federal requirement, which changed. I could see the writing on the wall and started looking. My boss at the time was a creep; at one point, he tried to get someone to meet a deadline by waving vaguely in the direction of me and his secretary and promising 'unspecified favors' (obvious innuendo).Soon after that years government requirement had been fulfilled, my boss summoned me into his office and tripped over his own mouth trying to tell me I was being laid off. Ive rarely been so satisfied as when I stopped him to hand over my two weeks notice."

phyllisgilmore

4."When I was younger I worked at a local fast food chain and did the afternoon/late night shifts. I had a manager who constantly sat in her office on the phone with her fiance (this was the early '90s). I was always scheduled alone and in the kitchen, and orders stacked up quickly without help. One night, after another hectic evening, after I had asked again for help, she closed her door in my face. I knocked on her door, took off my headset, and tossed it on her desk, and said Id had enough. She yelled at me that Id never work at this chain again. I said, 'damn right.' This is neither fantasy nor wishful thinking  I love that my younger self walked. Best thing I ever did for myself."

lizz68

MGM

5."A few years ago I was hired at a doctor's office. He was condescending to me from the very beginning, but it all boiled over when one of his other (very few) employees announced she was pregnant and going on maternity leave. He flipped out and pulled me aside to discipline me for not knowing how to do things that his manager wife  who routinely threw me under the bus  didn't train me for. The doc yelled at me, saying something akin to 'the honeymoon phase is over.'"

"(Note: I'd only been working there for a few weeks!) I was so mad at his attitude that I went on Indeed on my lunch break and applied for another job. Then, BOOM. I took a day off for an interview, got offered the same salary AND benefits, and quit like a day later. I told them that their environment wasn't a good fit for me and reiterated that the 'honeymoon phase' sure was over. He was livid. Three years later, I'm still at this amazing job that I applied to out of spite. Everything happens for a reason!"

cheesyorca57

6."I worked at a bank for awhile on the floor. I gave customers a heads up when I believed they werent making good financial decisions, and steered them towards better products and services. I made top service and sales every month. I got promoted to another branch with more challenging ventures. The boss was recent college graduate with little to no financial experience, making him insecure, insulting, and mean. I was in the process of closing on my home and had just had enough of the guy. I found out my escrow signing date and gave my two weeks notice to coincide with that date. Boss tried to stop my home sale, but he found out that's illegal. I had a beautiful house, new job, and a big smile on my face. I heard the branch lost top sales for the rest of the year."

billarnold65

CBS

7."My mother was the head baker at the very upscale grocery store. A much younger, newly hired department manager took over the bakery. Because she was the oldest employee there, he made the mistake of harassing her in front of other employees for weeks. She finally got so fed up with the harassment that she clocked out, turned in her store keys in the middle of her shift and never went back. She effectively shut down the store bakery for a week. It took not one, but two people to replace my 67-year-old mother. She never went back. The department manager was fired."

kaplum0283

8."Missed a shift as a barista but was able to get it covered. I was having horrible morning sickness during that time with awful headaches. I was told I needed a doctors note to come back. I said, 'For pregnancy? Okay, I quit.' There was no policy regarding doctors' notes or when they are necessary. The only absent policy was to find coverage for your shift, which I did."

"I was told I didnt need a note anymore. Too late. I contacted the Department of Labor because they tried to stiff me on my last check. Lesson learned: if they are constantly having issues with other employees when they leave, chances are they will have problems with YOU. Sometimes, its just an awful employer."

ashleeeeeeee55

Maskot / Getty Images/Maskot

9."Six weeks ago, I spent 2.5 hours doing an online exit interview for the job I held for over six years. HR then turned my exit interview over to the University lawyers, who then interviewed me for 2 hours. There's currently an investigation going with that specific location in regards to sexual and racial discrimination. Had I just been left alone to do my job supervising, which I was very good at, none of this would have come to light. But they didn't, and I reported all of them. My new job is almost the same pay, exact same benefits, and so much less stressful."

cindyjs

10."I was a holiday hire at a bookstore chain. I worked hard, so I was kept on when the holidays finished. Later that year, my husband was laid off, so I asked to work full-time so that I'd qualify for health insurance for my family. The manager said sure and started scheduling me full-time hours. He said I'd hear from HR about insurance after a month. But two months went by, and nothing happened. I asked my boss and he said he'd look into it. Another month went by. Boss said HR was fixing it, and I'd hear back soon. After another month I called myself and learned this jackass kept me listed as 'seasonal' for an entire year because he already had the max number of full-time people allowed, but he didn't want me to quit and find benefits elsewhere, so he lied."

"I transferred stores, called HR again, and reported him for lying to me and misclassifying me for so long. I also mentioned his comments about how 'women don't have what it takes for management.' I evidently was not the only one reporting him. He got fired."

skiinggnat

CBS

11."I was lured away to a small new startup company with promises of stock options and unlimited income. Nine months later, they laid off a bunch of us as they were losing money hand over fist, including for a corporate apartment that the owner was using to bed an investor. No notice, no payout, just buh-bye. I turned them in to a software pirating organization, since they were using single copies of high-end software throughout the company. A former coworker told me they spent tens of thousands of dollars ensuring they werent sued."

patohall

12."I took a pay cut to open a granite showroom (same company) closer to my home, and I justified it because of tolls, gas, time etc. The owner of the showroom didnt do any market research, or even give me the prices of what I was supposed to be selling. Id have to call him to ask a price for everything, and he made work incredibly difficult because I didnt have answers to common questions. I found out through another employee at the other location that he had posted my job, offered more money and promised benefits (which I was told, wasn't an option for me). After realizing how shady he was, I changed the computer password to 'F*uckyou[his name],' and took the mouse trap he'd me put out into the showroom's heating unit."

"A week or so later, he called and asked me what the password was and if I knew what the wretched smell was coming from the walls, so I gave him the password (he didnt get the joke) and hung up. The showroom closed before the lease was up and he had to eat it."

carasteele

Pop

13."After 30+ years with an organization, providing honorable and selfless service, I was asked to fire one of my directors, who frankly had been placed on a fairly rigorous WIP  and successfully accomplished all goals and expectations. It seemed her 'firing' would have been a 'tit for tat' in a urinating match between the CFO and COO. I was told it would be this director or me to take the fall. Luckily I had eff you money and told my COO he would receive my office keys, badge, etc. by the end of the day."

bjhk

14."I was the only project manager for a startup. I also fulfilled multiple other roles due to my previous experience, but I was the only one working on the very technical project that was going to take the business to the next level.The boss had a habit of screaming at employees and we had about a dozen employees walk out for about the year and a half that I worked there. I told him if he ever screamed at me, I would walk out too. One day, he yelled at me for a mistake he told me to make to the software. I gathered my things and his face went white as a sheet. I told him I was quitting and he said in the smallest voice, 'you can come back.'"

"I heard it took him months to find people to do what I was doing, and it set his company back about a year in terms of progress. Last I heard, it took a big hit due to the 2020 shutdowns and he was trying to sell the business."

andyetyouclicked

Did you ever enact petty revenge on a crappy boss? Share your story in the comments. Or, fill out this anonymous form.

Submissions have been edited for length/clarity.
Are you ready for the next total solar eclipse? As soon as the April 2024, eclipse across North America was over, eclipse chasers turned their attention to planning for the next one, which will be on Aug. 12, 2026 .

It will be the first total solar eclipse visible from Europe since 2015 and the first in mainland Europe since 1999. However, only five countries will experience totality  when the moon's shadow completely blocks the sun's face  on Aug. 12, 2026. That day, the sun will rise totally eclipsed from a remote part of Siberia in Russia before the moon's umbra moves across eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, clipping a tiny part of northeastern Portugal.

Related: 16 best places to see the 2026 total solar eclipse

The weather across the path of totality is helped by the time of the year, as August is the best month for clear skies across the region, although finding clear skies will still be a challenge. However, perhaps the most confusing aspect of this eclipse will be its height, at least for observers in Spain. You'll need to calculate sight lines in advance, which wasn't necessary for North America's total solar eclipse.

The prize, however, is the same: a totally eclipsed sun , for a maximum of 2 minutes, 18 seconds. Here are 10 top tips for planning your total solar eclipse experience in 2026.

1. Forget duration

diamond ring effect during total solar eclipse, black circle surrounded by a hazy white light with a distinct bright region looking like a diamond ring

Never judge a total solar eclipse by its maximum duration of totality. Although totality for the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse lasted over four minutes for some viewers, most total solar eclipses last two minutes or less. Moreover, the duration of totality is trivial. What's spectacular is that totality happens at all  and how dramatic it is. Instead, think about where you'll watch it from in the path of totality because the location does make a difference.

2. Fixate on the sky position.

Solar eclipse 2024 - Composite of the trail of total eclipse over the totality sunset

At no point on Earth will the eclipsed sun appear higher than 26 degrees above the horizon during the August 2026 eclipse. It won't be much of a problem in Greenland and Iceland, but in Spain, the sun will be eclipsed just 70 minutes before sunset on Spain's Galician coast, where the sun will be just 11 degrees above the northwest horizon.

It will be visible lower in the sky and closer to sunset as the path of totality shifts eastward. The eclipsed sun will be barely 3 degrees above the northwest horizon from the west coast of any of the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Minorca and Ibiza). That could cause the sun to be lost in the haze and clouds of the horizon. Or, it could produce a rare, dramatic "golden corona." As with all eclipses, you must weigh risk versus reward.

3. Pay attention to sight lines on the Spanish coast

Beautiful view of Valencia from the tower Torre del Miguelete the sky is orange yellow under the sunset glow.

The sun will be eclipsed from Spain's east coast at just 4 degrees above the northwest horizon. It's possible to find locations on the coast with a clear view of the eclipse, but do not take anything for granted. In many coastal locations, the trick will be to get inland and onto higher ground. Either way, triple-check the sight lines of all locations.

4. Consider some landscape photography.

eclipsed sun shines behind many storm clouds with rain visible in the distance.

The 2026 eclipse will offer a short time to image the eclipsed sun balanced with the opportunity to see and capture the sun's corona low over landmarks, mountains and buildings. Expect images of an eclipsed sun above icebergs in Greenland; over the Sun Voyager sculpture in Reykjavik, Iceland; and through the arches of the Roman aqueduct bridge in Segovia, Spain. Many photography workshops will travel to Spain to catch the eclipsed sun close to the horizon. You can also check out our guides on how to photograph a solar eclipse and how to photograph a total solar eclipse with a smartphone .

5. Think about cloud cover

cloud cover map showin less cloud cover over the path of the eclipse over Spain and increasing cloud cover over Iceland and Greenland

As solar eclipse meteorologist Jay Anderson notes on his website Eclipsophile.com , Valladolid and Zaragoza, Spain, and the Mediterranean coast have the highest chances of clear skies. That said, there are good reasons to be optimistic about clear skies in Iceland and Greenland, too, with the latter's Scoresby Sund often experiencing sunny weather in August. If the 2024 total solar eclipse taught eclipse chasers anything, it was to expect the unexpected.

6. Stay mobile

Aerial view of Gran Via in Madrid at dusk from Circulo de Bellas artes. the sky is orange.

Trying to find accommodations in rural areas of Spain ahead of time might be tricky. Plus, there's no need to wake up inside the path of totality for this one because it occurs just before sunset. You'll have all day to travel somewhere that's forecast to have clear skies.

7. Don't obsess about the centerline

Reflections of buildings in the water below in the city of Valladolid

You don't need to aim for the centerline for this eclipse. Yes, it will maximize the duration of totality. However, not only is the maximum duration reasonably short, but there are diminishing returns the closer you get to the centerline. That's because the moon 's shadow is oval-shaped, so the totality duration tapers off gradually on both sides of the centerline. For example, Burgos, which is close to the centerline, will get 1 minute, 44 seconds, while Valladolid, which is halfway between the centerline and the southern limit, will get 1 minute, 29 seconds.

8. Prepare for a "Pac-Man" sunset.

Solar eclipse observed in Montevideo, Uruguay. Image taken outdoors, no people in the image. At the same time sun is setting over the horizon, over Rio de La Plata.

The E80 motorway linking Valladolid to Burgos straddles the centerline in the most probable place for clear skies of the entire path of totality. It also represents the dividing line for a partially eclipsed sunset. From all locations west of here, the sun will no longer be eclipsed as it sets. To the east, it will sink below the horizon while still partially eclipsed. Locations farther east  such as Calamocha, Teruel and Zaragoza  will be good locations to watch an eclipsed sunset.

9. Plan for "shooting stars" and the Milky Way.

A man watching a shoothing star, the the milky way and the moonset

It's a coincidence that Aug. 12 is also the peak of the Perseid meteor shower in 2026. So, in theory, traveling to Spain could get you a total solar eclipse followed by a night sky full of "shooting stars" in completely moonless skies (because a solar eclipse, by definition, occurs during a new moon ). It's also the peak time for a view of the Milky Way streaming down in the southern sky. The Perseid peak will also occur in Greenland and Iceland, but there is no darkness in that region. In Reykjavik, Iceland, the sun sets at about 9:50 p.m. on Aug. 12 and rises around 5 a.m., but it never gets completely dark.

10. Head north for possible auroras

aurora borealis above hallgrimskirkja church in central of reykjavik city capital city in Iceland

There's a lot of talk about whether it might be possible to see the aurora borealis  the northern lights  during the eclipse as seen from Iceland and Greenland. However, it's highly unlikely  the aurora is fleeting and unpredictable in terms of timing and intensity, and during totality, the sky does not get darker than a bright twilight. There will be a chance during the nights around the eclipse, but true darkness never arrives in August; from midnight, there are about three hours of nautical twilight when it's dark enough to sometimes see auroras.
Caroliena Neuens' journey into pageantry began in a very unexpected way. As a teenage girl more comfortable with art projects and video games, she found herself thrust into the world of glitz and glamour when a teacher recommended her for the National American Miss pageant. Initially, the world of pageantry was as alien to her, but she decided to embrace the challenge.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Caroliena Neuens, non-commissioned officer in charge of cadet actions at Headquarters Reserve Officers Training Corps, gives a speech as judges grade her answers during the National American Miss Pageant for Miss Alabama in Montgomery, Alabama, May 25, 2024.

I thought to myself, I havent done anything like this before and I didnt really feel like I was qualified, said Neuens. But it was a new experience, so I said lets do it!Despite her nerves, Neuens excelled in her first pageant, making it as a state finalist for Colorado.

"As a teenager, doing that first interview was terrifying," she admitted. "I had no idea what to expect. The second time around, it was a bit easier to navigate, but the competition itself was a whole different beast."Seven years, later now Staff Sgt. Caroliena Neuens found herself back in the pageant scene. This time, she wasn't just competing against other contestants; she was balancing the demanding life of an Air Force non-commissioned officer in charge of cadet actions at Headquarters Reserve Officers Training Corps with the rigorous preparation required for a national pageant.

More: Two Maxwell Airmen earn Air Assault badges

"Being an airman obviously comes first, the mission always comes first," said Neuens. The big key thing is time management.The idea of participating in the pageant had resurfaced during her early years in the Air Force. She felt the weight of representing the Air Force, but she also wanted to prove that she was more than her uniform."Being an airman is not solely me. Therere other parts of me besides being an airman," Neuens explained. I don't want that to be the sole reason I'm going in; I also offer all of these other things.Her off-duty hours were a flurry of preparation. She focused on her platform, volunteered extensively and honed her presentation skills.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Caroliena Neuens (right), non-commissioned officer in charge of cadet actions at Headquarters Reserve Officers Training Corps, poses with Alexandria Joseph during the 2024 National American Miss pageant for Miss Alabama in Montgomery, Alabama, May 25, 2024.

"A lot of my volunteering involved donations," Neuens said. "I was either donating books or clothes to local libraries or to the Airmans Attic."

These efforts allowed her to make an impact not only on her military community but also the local community.

But Neuens says that the discipline and organizational skills from her military role were instrumental in juggling these dual responsibilities."My military service has made me more confident in my ability to navigate unknown situations," said Neuens. "It also helped me gain patience and meet last-minute deadlines I navigated those changes easily."She aimed to demonstrate to her younger self and others that confidence and determination could overcome any barrier.

"I wanted to prove to my 17-year-old self that I had the confidence to do it," said Neuens. She was too shy, socially awkward and hid in the corner most of the time, but Im not that person anymore.

More: Romanian and Alabama National Guard troops visit Washington D.C.

The demanding nature of pageantry, with its public speaking and performance aspects, taught her the importance of self-awareness and personal presentation.

"The thing I probably learned the most is that I am an introvert at heart," Neuens admitted. Because being up on that stage and talking to people requires a lot out of me.Neuens says that the discipline and organizational skills inherent to her job in the military were instrumental in managing her dual responsibilities."My military service has undoubtedly influenced my approach to pageantry," said Neuens. "The confidence I gained from leading troops and navigating unpredictable situations translated well to the stage both require a level of poise under pressure and the ability to adapt quickly to changes."Although Neuens did not place in the pageant this time around, she earned significant recognition, including the second runner-up in the Top Model Optional Contest and the Spirit Award. These accolades were a testament to her dedication, positivity, and ability to inspire others.Her participation in the National American Miss pageant underscores the diverse capabilities of military personnel and serves as an inspiration for others to pursue their passions while fulfilling their military duties. While she didnt place this time around, Neuens says next year will be a different story.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Airman navigates career while marching onto the runway
ASHEVILLE - Eagles Nest Outfitters is celebrating 25 years from its Sweeten Creek Road headquarters. The company, maker of the ENO hammock, was founded in 1999 by two brothers selling wares out of a minivan, and is now ubiquitous with the outdoor hammock, a staple at festivals, campsites, parks and local breweries.

They hear it all the time, spokesperson Anna Rawlins told the Citizen Times: You say, Im going to go ENO, instead of go hammocking.

It's "the Kleenex of hammocks," she joked.

Emily and Tyler Moore roach sit in ENOs at Zillicoah Brewery in Asheville, July 3, 2024. The hammocks are available for patrons to use for free.

Now carried by more than 700 retailers, in 18 countries, ENO's first retailers were Mast General Store, a downtown Asheville fixture, and Diamond Brand Outdoors, which opened in 1964 as an outdoor lifestyle store selling camping, hiking, backpacking and paddling gear.

Diamond Brand CEO Will Gay said they "still carry it proudly," as does Mast.

"Its hard not to get behind your hometown brand when you can support it," Gay said. "I dont think any of us could foresee the success that they have enjoyed. ENO is now synonymous with hammocks and what the others strive to be."

Where did ENO begin?

The Pinholster brothers founded the business 25 years ago in Big Pine Key, Florida, selling hammocks at music festivals and craft shows from their van, first in Florida, and then up the East Coast.

The design was inspired on a backpacking trip to New Zealand by a hammock made from one large piece of parachute-like nylon, rather than the usual spiderweb of ropes, the Citizen Times reported in a 2006 front-page feature. The brothers took it back to the States and got to work.

ENOs are available to use at Zillicoah Brewery in Asheville.

The concept was rooted in the ideals of a portable, travelable hammock that you bring with you on all of your adventures, Rawlins said, and spread through the outdoors and music scenes. ENO landed in Asheville in the early 2000s. Co-founder Pete Pinholster is now sole owner of the company.

Shortly after the first hammock came out  the DoubleNest, still sold today  Rawlins said they designed and patented the first knotless hammock suspension system, a "gamechanger" that made ENOs even more accessible to everyone.

The hammocks compress down into the size of a grapefruit and can use two trees as an anchor point, with straps slung around the trunk. The crinkly, colorful hues are a mainstay of college campuses, and a popular alternative to other gear for thru-hikers and day-trippers, alike.

Its really exciting that something like hammocks has been able to build such a really fun, playful community of outdoors people, with such diversity," Rawlins said, from kids to grandmothers, from hardcore anglers to "hippy moms at a Dead show."

"It's something that you can do in your backyard, you can do it in the backcountry, all over the world."

The company has 16 employees. Rawlins said it's been a "whirlwind" to watch the company grow.

Sometimes I feel like, here, were all still so excited and passionate about every little thing that it feels like the company is just starting, she said. ENO has expanded beyond hammocks to chairs, stands, bug nets, rain tarps and bags.

One of ENO's first retailers was Mast General Store in downtown Asheville. The brand is now carried by more than 700 retailers in 18 countries.

The 'niche'

Co-owner Debby Thomas of Black Dome Mountain Sports, which opened in Asheville in 1984 and was also an early ENO retailer, said ENO was a company that "opened the door" to people hiking or relaxing with hammocks.

"When (people) think of an outdoor hammock, that's usually what they're thinking of: the ENO," she said. It's been "impressive" to watch them grow, she said. "They just hit that niche."

"It is just amazing to see them going from ... selling their hammocks at music festivals to an international company," she said.

Celebrating 25 years

To celebrate the milestone, ENO launched a new DoubleNest hammock print in July, Day and Night, made in collaboration with Asheville-based artist and musician Logan Hall. A limited run of the new hammock will come with a woven label commemorating 25 years when ordered online at the company's website.

There are "fun ties" to the company's history and its music festival roots, Rawlins said, with a landscape scene blazoned on the fabric, inspired by memories of lounging and listening to music, from dawn to dusk.

To celebrate the 25-year milestone, ENO launched a new DoubleNest hammock print July 2, Day and Night, made in collaboration with Asheville-based artist and musician Logan Hall.

Hall said ENO invokes nostalgia and fond memories, both of festivals like Floydfest and Merlefest, and from his days at Appalachian State University. The hammock is "synonymous" with his college experience, he said.

"They were everywhere and were perfect for every occasion," Hall said, from hanging out on the "mall" between classes, to sunset hikes with friends.

ENO is also holding a celebration with Mast General Store on July 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Sept. 28, it will kick-off a beer and hammock collaboration with Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton.

More: RiverLink plans new public park for Asheville's Riverside Drive: What to know

More: NCDOT: Asheville Merrimon Avenue road diet early data is in: What does it show?

Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville-based ENO, widely popular hammock brand, celebrates 25 years
Asheville restaurant named best place for breakfast tacos in North Carolina by Yelp

Taco Billys Mama's Favorite breakfast taco comes with sausage, eggs, spinach, sweet potato and goat cheese on a plantain tortilla.

ASHEVILLE - Diners waking up with a hankering for tacos dont have to wait until lunch or dinner to satisfy their craving.

Breakfast tacos are the answer, and some of the best can be found at the Asheville-founded restaurant, Taco Billy.

In June, Yelp released an all-time list of the best breakfast tacos from every state with Taco Billy selected to represent North Carolina.

As of July 3, Taco Billy had a 4.5 out of 5-stars rating with 453 reviews.

I feel super honored and lucky and excited, Owner Hunter Berry said. It feels good to have somebody else approve of what were doing.

Hunter Berry, founder of Taco Billy, at the restaurant's West Asheville location in 2022.

Berry said hes grateful for the customer support and praised the Taco Billy staff for its hard work.

Berry said a standout feature of the breakfast tacos are the fresh eggs sourced from Farside Farms in Buncombe County.

We get about 5,000 eggs delivered a week, Berry said.

Berry said Taco Billys breakfast taco portions and gluten-free, house-made plantain tortillas are other winning factors.

What makes a breakfast taco is its built out of eggs, usually, Berry said. We sell them in the morning and at night. Its eggs and either a protein, vegetables and cheese and served with salsa. Its the best breakfast that I can think of.

Taco Billy offers breakfast tacos, plus tacos for lunch and dinner crowds.

Taco Billys bestselling breakfast taco is Mamas Favorite made with sausage, eggs, spinach, sweet potato and goat cheese served on a plantain tortilla. It costs $5.95.

Another hit is the Migas Taco made with eggs, onions, jalapenos, tomatoes, crispy-fried tortilla strips and cheddar-jack cheese. It costs $5.25.

Other signature tacos are on the menu or customers can build their own tacos. A lunch/dinner taco menu is available, too.

Berry said the restaurant offers the same menu and sources from most of the same suppliers as when it opened in 2015 because it seems to work.

Taco Billys original location is at 201 Haywood Road. In December 2022, Taco Billy expanded to 117 Cherry St. in Black Mountain.

Recently, the Live Music Fridays series kicked off on the backyard patio of the West Asheville restaurant and is intended to run through October.

For more, visit tacobilly.com and follow @tacobillyasheville on Instagram.

Read Yelp's full list at blog.yelp.com and Taco Billy's Yelp page at yelp.com.

Stories you may have missed:

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Top breakfast tacos in the state are in Asheville, according to Yelp
From overlooked roadside attractions to offbeat museums and obscure natural wonders, Local Hidden Gems will showcase some of the unique and unexpected treasures that make America extraordinary. We will emphasize charm, surprise and delight.

Local hidden gem: Cape Cod, Massachusetts

We all need a dose of weird now and then. It's a home remedy for the dreaded affliction known as Wicked Bored-itis, which can strike at any time. It causes a lethargic state of debilitating melancholy, which can lead to chronic crankiness and endless hours spent sulking in a recliner, a condition known as glum-bum.

Luckily, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is home to offbeat, oddball locations that are guaranteed to lift your spirits or at least make you ask the eternal question: "What's the deal with that?" Soon, your droopy mood will drop away, and your light, informed banter will wow the crowd at your next swanky cocktail party.

So here we go with some great offbeat spots to explore around our glorious peninsula!

Local hidden gems: A spotlight on the American treasures in our backyards

Sagamore Hill Historic Site, Sandwich

Remains of the u0022Ready Roomsu0022 at the Sagamore Hill Historic Site, home to a coastal artillery installation during World War II.

While Scusset Beach State Reservation is better known for its sandy strand on Cape Cod Bay and the excellent fishing pier that extends into the Cape Cod Canal, it's also home to a trail that leads to the Sagamore Hill Historic Site, where a World War II era artillery installation kept watch over the canal. The big worry was German submarines and their threat to military and commercial shipping.

Two 155 mm guns graced the hilltop, nicknamed "Big Mary" and "Vicious Virgin." They had a range of about 20 miles, but were never fired at an enemy target. Today, you can see the remains of the "Ready Rooms," where ammunition was stored, and there's a fine view at the top of the trail.

Great Island, Sandwich

Heading out into adventure on the path to Great Island in Sandwich.

Sure, you've probably heard of Great Island in Wellfleet, an epic Cape Cod National Seashore trail that can run up to eight miles on a roundtrip journey. But did you know that there is also a Great Island in Sandwich? I've got to toss the Sandwich Isle on this list because it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited on Cape Cod.

Start with a visit to the Toolas Preserve in East Sandwich, where a small parking lot provides a base of operations for the short journey out to Great Island. After tooling around Toolas, walk down to the end of Great Island Road, where you will be greeted by an incredible marsh vista. A grassy path, formerly used by ox carts to harvest salt hay, takes you out to Great Island  and a little trail on the island lets you explore the interior.

Doane Rock, Eastham

Climbing Doane Rock in Eastham is a hoot as long as you keep safety in mind.

I was recently involved in a minor kerfuffle at Doane Rock, the Cape's largest glacial boulder, when I ran into a new sign that told visitors not to climb on the mega-pebble. But happily, the Cape Cod National Seashore said the sign was placed there in error and it was OK to carefully climb the rock. The sign has been covered up and will be removed, according to the Seashore.

So now there is nothing between you and a major life accomplishment: summiting Doane Rock! At approximately 18 feet tall, climbing the huge rock is not a good idea for teeny kids or folks with physical challenges or balance issues. But, if you can make it to the top, it presents one of the greatest photo ops on the Cape.

Atwood-Higgins House, Wellfleet

The Atwood-Higgins House on Bound Brook Island in Wellfleet.

Here's how the story starts, according to the National Park Service: "In 1920, George Higgins, a Brookline, Massachusetts, businessman, inherited his great grandparents home in a remote corner of Bound Brook Island in Wellfleet. The homestead included a 1730 Cape Cod-style house. Now known as the Atwood-Higgins House, it is one of the oldest in the region."

But Higgins didn't stop there. He assembled a collection of intriguing outbuildings, described by the park as "his sentimental vision of a colonial-era homestead." This bucolic throwback, one of the most peaceful spots on the Cape, was donated to the Cape Cod National Seashore and you can walk the grounds and dream of simpler times.

Eric Williams, when not solving Curious Cape Cod mysteries, writes about a variety of ways to enjoy the Cape, the weather, wildlife and other subjects. Contact him at ewilliams@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X: @capecast.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Local hidden gems in Cape Cod to visit: Offbeat, oddball and fun
If the house is a hot mess, nonprofit group volunteers step in to take the stress away

Whether it's cleaning, organizing, meal preparation or yard work, Hot Mess Express helps women get a fresh start.

Founded in 2021 by Jen Hamilton, HME is a nonprofit organization dedicated to offering support to women by tidying and organizing their homes.

Izzy Crislip, president of the Northeast Ohio chapter, recalls how hard it was when she had her son.

I needed some help. There were days when I felt like everything was falling apart and Im drowning, Crislip said.

In 2022, she joined HME to help other women in her community.

Its meaningful to me that Im able to provide that for others when I knew that sometimes I didnt have that in the past and I dont want any woman to feel like that, she said.

Volunteer Izzy Crislip will be busy in the living room for a while.

HME supports all women, not just mothers. Nominees can fill out an application on the HME website, and a coordinator will reach out to them.

We are a village of women here to help with a reset so that you can continue without being as overwhelmed, Crislip said.

Nonprofit set up with chaos coordinators

Lisa McCoy, chapter vice president, had a different experience. She is someone who has a village and wants to give back to the community.

Im pretty detail-oriented and organized and I like to help others be organized. I felt that this was a great organization to be part of and that I could use my personal and professional skills, she said.

Hot Mess volunteer Ashley Dymi starts her day working in the kitchen.

McCoy coordinates three counties  Cuyahoga, Lorain and Medina.

As a chaos coordinator, she oversees the missions by reviewing nominee applications. Then she makes a walkthrough for the residents.

The walkthrough helps us plan the mission to know how many volunteers we need and what tasks the nominees need help with it helps is to visually see it and also to check to make sure they follow our health and safety, McCoy said.

Once the plan is set, the mission details are posted on the chapter's Facebook group to rally volunteers.

Each mission is between three-five hours long depending on the tasks, but good company makes the work easier.

We have a great time getting together talking and helping to pick up here and there, Crislip said.

Advice on how to live organized and simple

Its often hard for nominees to get rid of items they are emotionally attached to, and thats one of the challenges that faces HME during their missions.

A lot of people are afraid to do that, whether it be like an emotional attachment to the item or they fear they might use it in the future, McCoy said.

HME does not force nominees to get rid of items, but they offer advice of how to live organized and simple.

HME accepts most household chores, but has a list of tasks they cannot do, such as construction, childcare and moving.

Although HME does not accept monetary donations, it does welcome gift cards and contributions from their Amazon wishlist to help with cleaning supplies.

Sometimes people also donate meals for the volunteers during a mission, Crislip said.

Volunteer Cassandra Sadler takes time to hang clothes in a closet.

Ohio chapters 'in desperate' need of volunteers

With over 20 chapters across Ohio, HME accepts nominees all year long. However, the number of missions that can be done is limited to the number of volunteers who signed up.

We are in desperate need of volunteers, and that has been our biggest issue, Crislip said. In Wayne County, for instance, we have only five people who filled out the volunteer form, and not all of those five people will be able to show up on the mission day, Crislip said.

Volunteering applications can be found on the HME Linktree account. Women volunteers ages 18 years and older can apply.

We hope to have at least one coordinator if not two for every county. Our chapter covers over 20 counties and only about six or seven have coordinators, McCoy said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Hot Mess Express tidies up homes for women 'drowning' in clutter
I'm 28 and close friends with my 80-year-old neighbor. We talk on the phone every day and she's like a grandmother to my daughter.

I'm 28 and close friends with my 80-year-old neighbor. We talk on the phone every day and she's like a grandmother to my daughter.

Sasha Gaston is a 28-year-old living in a Tampa apartment complex

She has become "really close" with her 80-year-old neighbor, Charlette, who has no family.

For Charlette's 80th birthday, Sasha took Charlette to a casino to celebrate.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sasha Gaston. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Soon after I moved into my Tampa apartment in 2018, I had water coming in through my bedroom window. When I went outside to see what was going on, I found an older woman cleaning off windowsills. It was the first time I met Charlette. She told me she often did little jobs around the apartment complex because the management doesn't do enough.

The next day, she invited me to her house and gave me a cup of ice before pouring tea into it. We sat at her kitchen table and talked for ages. I knew right away she was a wise, welcoming woman. I wanted to be around her more.

We started talking on the phone every day and hanging out

By 2019, I was talking to Charlette on the phone every day, visiting her apartment to drink tea, talk, and watch the news. I took her to the grocery store and on Target runs. We were getting closer and becoming good friends.

She's taught me so many basic tasks, like how to clean an air filter, do chores around the house, and clean and wax a car. She doesn't let her age define her and is always on the go. If either of us ever needs help, we do whatever we can to help.

As we got to know and trust each other more, she started sharing about her family. Her parents didn't raise her, and all her siblings have died. She has one cousin she rarely sees. Most of her friends live in the north, where she used to live.

Although she doesn't have a blood family anymore, we have become each other's family. When I gave birth to my daughter, our family grew.

My daughter was born in 2023, and Charlette loves when I bring her to visit. She has taken on a grandmother role.

She doesn't have kids, so I celebrated her birthday

Charlette has told me she chose not to have kids because she didn't think she'd be a good mom due to the fact that her own mother didn't raise her. But I always tell her she would have been a perfect mom, as evidenced by how she treats me and my daughter.

My daughter's dad joked with me that I'm obsessed with Charlette. When I told Charlette, we laughed about it, saying he was just jealous because I was always at her house.

Since knowing Charlette, I've always taken cupcakes and sang "Happy Birthday" to her on her special day. But in April, she turned 80 and I wanted to make a big deal of it.

She'd told me that when she was married to her second husband, she would go to Vegas to have a fun time gambling. So, for her 80th birthday, I proposed taking her to a local casino. She said she'd go and had her outfit picked out the day before our date.

We had dinner and drinks at the casino's restaurant and then played on the slot machines.

She loved it, and said it brought back great memories of Vegas. The next day, she wrote me a card with a long message telling me how much she appreciated me taking her out. She went on to talk about it for weeks.

I posted a video on TikTok about her 80th birthday, not thinking much of it. When I woke up, I found that so many people had liked and commented. I think people just loved seeing an older person being remembered because they are so often forgotten.

Even after hours of sitting in her apartment, Charlette doesn't want me to leave. She loves the company. She makes sure to tell me to call her the next day. I love being able to cure her loneliness.

But my friendship with Charlette has been so good for me too. Her wisdom has been such a help to me over the years. She's taught me practical stuff but been someone I can get advice from too. I can genuinely call her my friend, even though she is decades older than I am.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Home Away From Home is a series that spotlights BIPOC brands that are adding a cultural essence to everyday items. This allows anyone to always have a piece of their culture in their own space without ever feeling homesick or out of touch with their roots. We're exploring the stories of the individuals behind the brands that have touched people's hearts through their products and have allowed people to feel at home anywhere.

During the eight weeks she spent in Ghana as a Fulbright Scholar recipient in 2006, Anitra Terrell, the founder of Reflektion Design, was introduced to the beauty of African textiles, including Adinkra cloth, Kente cloth, and more. The experience laid the groundwork for Terrells future business, Reflektion Design, which partners with artisans from Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda to create vibrant homewares that pay homage to rich African traditions.

Armed with what she dubs a functional art focus, Terrell is devoted to curating beautiful artisan-crafted African homewares that provide functional use. From colorful woven baskets to beaded wooden spoons, virtually every item carried by Reflektion Design serves dual purposesto be admired and fulfill an everyday need.



Laying the Groundwork

Growing up in Philadelphia, Terrell was exposed to African arts by her family and the citys vibrant art scene, but it wasnt until she visited Ghana as an associate professor of marketing that she truly began to understand the artistry behind these African ancestral crafts.

Terrell worked with faculty at the University of Cape Coast to develop a marketing curriculum during the day. In the evening, she would work as a textile buyer for a museum client acquiring various African textiles where she learned the art of negotiation very quickly.



Among the many things that captivated Terrell about Ghana was its mix of traditional and modern experiences.

Ghana is so rich, Terrell says. Culturally, historically; its people and landscapes. You can visit the Bolgatanga region in northern Ghana and witness weavers making beautiful baskets with elephant grass, or you can dine at a high-end restaurant in Accra, the capital city.

When her scholarship wrapped, Terrell returned to the U.S. and entered the corporate workforce, honing her marketing skills until a layoff in 2013 caused her to redirect her thoughts back to Ghana. Although Terrell felt defeated, she saw it as an opportunity to forge her own path.

"When I thought about the happiest moments of my life, Ghana surfaced repeatedly," Terrell says. "That's when I realized I had to share my passion for African culture and textiles with others, and Reflektion Design was officially launched.



Want more of our favorite products? Sign up for our free shopping newsletter for our top finds, best sales, and more!

A Curator's Collection

Returning to the relationships shed formed in Ghana almost a decade prior, Terrell began the intensive process of forming partnerships with local artisans to curate items that would become the core of the Reflektion Design brand.

An edit of tableware, textiles, and wall fans soon emerged, giving birth to the Reflektion Design ethos treasure-worthy items that honor past adventures, inspire new ones, and pay homage to the people whove shaped them.

Terrell explains how she edited the brands offerings because she felt her design philosophy coming more sharply into focus.

Your home is the ultimate canvas for self-expression, but too often, we settle for decor with little self-relevance or imagination, she explains. We rely on cookie cutter decor void of visual aesthetics  and most importantly void of you.

Reflektion Designs curation aims to counteract this beige wall epidemic.

You are vibrant and worldly, Terrell says, noting that her brands offerings are for anyone who values authenticity, sustainability, and the desire to show their individuality through unique decor that supports artisans and tells a compelling story.

The brands name mirrors thisliterally. Reflektion Design is all about creating a home that reflects who you are, joyfully and unapologetically, Terrell says.

Over time, this philosophy encouraged Terrell to get more personally involved in the design process, actively collaborating with artisans to create new items that she knew would speak to her Reflektion Design customers. To begin, she started by bringing color mockups to the table and then encouraging artisans to layer new concepts or finishes on top of them.

A host of new items soon came to fruition, including tea mugs that were inspired by Terrells personal passion for tea. Featuring vibrant patterns borrowed from fabrics like Ankara and mud cloth textiles, these mugs provided a fresh vehicle for displaying centuries-old techniques.



With Reflektion, I want to shine a light on artisan decor and the talented creatives who make them, Terrell says. She wants to remind everyone that handmade is a viable option for decorating your home.



Customers often share that they love Reflektion Design because the pieces have a transformative effect on them and their homes," Terrell says. "The pieces are beautifully made and evoke a sense of connection and pride. That is the cultural impact I was going for.



Bringing It All Back Home

Now in business for over a decade, Terrell is continuing to evolve Reflektion Design into new territory, most recently with the launch of her new YouTube home tour series, How We Live.

Celebrating the lives and homes of people across the African diaspora, the series travels inside the homes of tastemakers and creators who have integrated the beauty and heritage of African decor into their personal spaces, creating one-of-a-kind abodes, rich with culture. Along the way, Terrell interviews each homeowner, culling valuable decorating tips and tricks, useful to any design lover.



Offscreen, Terrell is also working to give the talented artisans she works with every day more exposure. In addition to its online shop, Terrell is in the works to open a wholesale and to-the-trade portion of Reflektion Design that will allow boutiques, interior designers, set designers, and event planners to stock their shelves or client projects with Reflektion pieces.

For Terrell, transforming a once-in-a-lifetime trip into a thriving business that supports artisans across the globe is one of her greatest triumphs.

Freedom has always been my north star, she says, reflecting on her journey so far. Financial freedom; creative freedom; and the ability to show others how African decor can give them a sense of freedom and joy at home  These things guide me forward.

Read the original article on The Spruce.
These 12 Best Places to Stay in Bar Harbor Are Maine-ly Marvelous



"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."



Located on Mount Desert Island, Bar Harboror Bah Habah as the locals call itis Maines premier summer tourist destination, and for good reason. The state is home to a lot of picturesque coastal towns peppered with lobster restaurants and shops dealing in wild-blueberry products, but none have the proximity to Acadia National Park. Here you can spend your days hiking the over 120 miles of rugged trails (including one to the peak of Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on the Eastern Seaboard) before settling into an Airbnb or an actual BnB if youre a classicist.

Beyond the nature hikes and feasts of boiled crustaceans and heavy clam chowder, ancillary Bar Harbor activities include going out on the Atlantic for whale- and seal-watching excursions. On land, if youve managed to avoid sun poisoning or havent become consumed by a Stephen King novel, the Abbe Museum is worth a visit to learn about Maines native people, the Wabanacki. For a place so rustic and far afield, we suggest renting a house rather than a hotel stay. Here, a list of the best options near downtown Bar Harbor to help get you started.

Tremont Ocean Views

Located in Tremont, a 30-minute drive from Bar Harbor, this cabin has three bedrooms and overlooks Blue Hill Bay on the southwestern side of Mount Desert Island. Here, youll be faced with a dilemma: You neednt take a single step beyond this welcome retreat to get the most out of your stayand yet, its simply criminal not to.

Shop Now Tremont Ocean Views airbnb.com

Trenton Beachfront

Right on the water in Trenton is this four-bedroom house with panoramic views of the Cadillac and Sargent mountains. Its a 20-minute drive from Bar Harbor, though you have everything you need on this lovely plot of land.

Shop Now Trenton Beachfront airbnb.com

On Hodgdon Pond

This three-bedroom cottage, 30 minutes from Bar Harbor, comes with a private dock on Hodgdon Pond. Come on in, the waters fine!

Shop Now On Hodgdon Pond airbnb.com

Hummingbird House

Taking its name from Maines indigenous ruby-throated volucrine creature, this house is located within the Bar Harbor town limits, 20 minutes away from the center by car. Though its not far enough away for a last-minute grub run, youll still feel secluded.

Shop Now Hummingbird House airbnb.com

Sun-filled in Trenton

This three-bedroom house with a minimalist interior scheme is five minutes from the beach and 30 minutes from Bar Harbor. Did we mention theres a firepit, BBQ grill, and indoor game table?

Shop Now Sun-filled in Trenton airbnb.com

Southwest Harbor

Considering inviting friends? Located in Southwest Harbor, 20 minutes from Bar Harbor, this three-bedroom house has five beds and can accommodate 10 guests. Its officially party time.

Shop Now Southwest Harbor airbnb.com

Private Dock on Hodgdon Pond

Another beauty with a private dock on Hodgdon Pond, this three-bedroom house sits directly across from Acadia National Park, which features views that just might make your heart stop.

Shop Now Private Dock on Hodgdon Pond airbnb.com

Timber Point Beachfront

Named Timber Point, this four-bedroom modern home in Lamoine features a private beachfront in the Mount Desert Narrows and is a 40-minute drive from the center of Bar Harbor.

Shop Now Timber Point Beachfront airbnb.com

Frenchmen Bay

Overlooking Frenchmen Bay in the Bar Harbor village of Eden, this three-bedroom house is a prime location for unexpected encounters with seals and deer.

Shop Now Frenchmen Bay airbnb.com

Schooners Edge

Just 4,400 square feet and a one-minute drive from the entrance of Acadia and eight minutes from downtown Bar Harbor, this sprawling house can accommodate 12 guests.

Shop Now Schooners Edge airbnb.com

Tremont Views

This cabin in Tremont overlooking Sawyers Cove is a 25-minute drive from Bar Harbors town center. While it boasts three bedrooms, the porch is its most prized real estate (that view though).

Shop Now Tremont Views airbnb.com

Teeny House in West Trenton

It has only one bedroom, but what this house in West Trenton lacks in space, it makes up for with its shorefront location and 25-minute proximity to downtown Bar Harbor.

Shop Now Teeny House in West Trenton airbnb.com

You Might Also Like
Scientists have discovered a painting of three human figures surrounding a large pig in a cave on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Using a new technique where a laser nips off several tiny pieces of the pigment for analysis, they dated the work to 51,200 years ago  5,000 years older than the oldest previously known cave painting.

They also re-dated other art in the same cave complex to roughly 49,000 years old, 4,000 years older than first thought. The multiple laser samplings do not noticeably damage the art but give a much more accurate reading.

Figures from the paper, published in the journal Nature. Images: Adhi Agus Oktaviana et al.

The findings may change everything about our understanding of when humans began to produce art.

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, Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London told the BBC.

If that is true, much new supporting evidence from other areas, including Africa, has yet to emergeHopefully, more dating will be done at more sites to confirm this apparently crucial finding.

Europe or Africa?

Until a decade ago, many researchers believed that figurative art first arose in southern Europe between 30,000 to 40,000 years ago. Thats because the animals and human figures famously painted in French and Spanish caves date to that period or earlier. Until recently, they were the oldest known examples of the form.

That all changed in 2014 when scientists discovered equally old representational cave art on Sulawesi. Additional findings on Borneo date back to the same era.

The colored outlines of human hands on Sulawesi, discovered in 2014, were the oldest cave art until the latest find. Photo: Shutterstock

The new research from South Sulawesi, published in the journal Nature, seems to confirm this idea. The humble pig-and-humans painting is now officially the oldest known figurative cave art. Some older etchings on cave walls in southern Africa show mere geometric patterns, not figures.

The cave where the paintings were found. Photo: National Research and Innovation Agency (Indonesia).

Humans have probably been telling stories for much longer than 51,200 years, but as words do not fossilize, we can only go by indirect proxies like depictions of scenes in art, said team leader Adhi Agus Oktaviana, an Indonesian rock art specialist.

The Sulawesi art is now the oldest such evidence by far that is known to archaeology.

New horizons

To date cave art, scientists study mineral deposits that build up on the cave walls over millennia. With the old technique, it was hard to pin down when various layers of accrued. It was, simply put, not precise enough. It also required hefty samples of the cave art  or at least, more hefty than those in charge of preserving the work would like.

The new dating technique, called laser-ablation U-series (LA-series) imaging, has several advantages over the previous approach. As the scientists explained in their paper, LA-series dating is fast and cost-effective, requires smaller samples, is less destructive, and is more accurate.

Theres hope that the technique can re-date other sites worldwide. Its just one more example of a long-standing truth: In the world of early human archaeology, one new find, one recent breakthrough, or one fresh gadget can change absolutely everything.

The familiar cave art from Lascaux, France is a mere 17,000 years old. Photo: Shutterstock

The post Worlds Oldest Cave Art Found in Indonesia appeared first on Explorersweb.
DENVER (KDVR)  One person died in a double shooting in Aurora early Friday morning.

At 12:15 a.m., Aurora Police Department officers responded to the 12000 block of East 30th Avenue on reports of two people shot. The area is north of the Sand Creek Park.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

According to preliminary information from police, two unidentified suspects went inside an apartment and shot the two victims before fleeing. The victims, two adult men, were taken to a local hospital.

FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox

Aurora police said one of the victims was pronounced dead and the other is still in the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

This is an active investigation, and Aurora police have not released information on the suspects.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A mass shooting that killed a man and injured eight other people happened after Philadelphia police officers tried to break up a roving pop-up party, city leaders said in a news conference Friday.

Police said around 11:30 p.m. on the Fourth of July, a person in the passenger seat of an SUV fired multiple gunshots at a group of people gathered on the 1900 block of South Salford Street, a side street between Chester and Kingsessing avenues in Southwest Philadelphia.

Police said a 19-year-old man, who was shot once in the face, was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and pronounced dead late Thursday night.

Philadelphia police stationed at the corner of 60th Street and Kingsessing Avenue on July 4 after a shooting killed one person and wounded eight. / Credit: CBS News Philadelphia

A pop-up party had reached the neighborhood after officers broke it up multiple times across the city on Thursday night, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said at a news conference Friday.

The party was set to begin in North Philadelphia but was broken up by Philadelphia police officers before it moved across the city in the area of 58th Street and Kingsessing Avenue near the Francis Myers Recreation Center, Bethel said.

"We were getting a number of calls from that community," Bethel said. "The men and women were on the ground working to break up that group, and they believe that around 11 o'clock they were able to get that group to stand down."

"Unfortunately, through their network, they were able to reconvene and that resulted in an individual coming up in a vehicle, firing multiple rounds from that vehicle and striking multiple individuals on the highway," Bethel said.

Police said an officer found a victim with gunshot wounds lying in the middle of the street, and then other officers were called to the scene. Police found a total of nine victims, five of whom are adults and four who are teenagers.

Some victims were found at the scene, while others showed up at nearby hospitals. Police said all surviving victims are in stable condition.

In addition to the 19-year-old, police said medics took four victims to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center:

A 23-year-old man, who was shot once in the right leg;An 18-year-old man who was shot once in the left leg;A 21-year-old man who was shot once in the left shoulder;A 17-year-old boy who had a bullet graze his head



Two victims were being treated at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, including a 16-year-old boy shot once in the left thigh and a 15-year-old girl shot once in the left foot.

A 14-year-old boy first arrived at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's Cedar Avenue location before he was transferred to CHOP.

A ninth victim, a 24-year-old man, arrived at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Delaware County seeking treatment and was later taken to Penn Presbyterian.

Philadelphia police pledge to break up pop-up events after shooting

A similar event by the same organizers took place in Fairmount Park in mid-June and also ended in a shooting, Bethel said. A shooting took place near that event that wounded four people and killed 17-year-old Isya Stanley.

"We have a duty to stop these activities," Bethel said, saying juveniles' parents need to get involved but acknowledging young adults are also involved in the pop-up events.

There have been 14 shootings and two homicides connected to pop-up events, the commissioner added.

Police will now be upping enforcement of these events.

"We can no longer just allow individuals to come from - many of the kids and most of the individuals who were shot here...are not from this area," Bethel said.

Bethel said the Fourth of July is one of the most challenging days for the police department and moving officers around the city.

Police didn't mention a motive or suspects for the shooting but Bethel said officials are working toward identifying the vehicle involved and have made progress in the investigation.

"It is very alarming, and especially when we have officers in the area to try to prevent anything like this from happening, and it still happened," Philadelphia Police Inspector Kpana Massaquoi said in an earlier news conference soon after the shooting.

The mass shooting happened about one year after 5 people were killed less than a mile away, in the area of 54th Street and Chester Avenue. That was one of the deadliest mass shootings in Philadelphia history.

Kingsessing had just honored the victims of that shooting with a vigil on July 3.

"The pain and the trauma that you are feeling right now is not normal," Mayor Cherelle Parker said. "And you shouldn't have to get used to it. I don't want you to think that we in the city are ever going to get used to it."

Parker said that while the city has touted its homicide numbers are down as is the number of shootings, "if anybody thinks that we can look at those stats and celebrate here in the city of Philadelphia like we have tackled, like we have found the solution, the magic wand to address the culmination of violence, unnecessary violence in the city, this is no time to be celebrating."

How soldiers use this fast, cheap solution to quickly cool down in intense heat

Hurricane Beryl moves past Jamaica, bringing punishing winds and storm surge

Friends save raccoon choking on cheese at cookout
I spent five nights on Silversea's new ultra-luxury cruise ship, Silver Ray.

Fares in 2024 start at $4,550 per person for a seven-day cruise.

My favorite amenities on Silver Ray included a sauna with ocean views and a fun cooking class.

The hardest part about your Silver Ray cruise could be deciding what you want to indulge in first.

Silversea, Royal Caribbean Group's most luxurious cruise line, recently welcomed its 12th ship, the 728-guest Silver Ray. But as with any new floating five-star hotel, the cost to sail won't be ultra-cheap, with weeklong cruises starting at a whopping $4,550 per person in 2024.

I might've scoffed at this cost before boarding Silversea's second Nova Class vessel. But after experiencing all it has to offer on a complimentary five-night test cruise in mid-June, the price tag now makes more sense  and might even be justifiable.

Take a look at my 10 favorite amenities on Silver Ray, all of which shed some light on its steep fare.

1. The butler-delivered caviar you can eat on your couch while wearing pajamas

The crew member who delivered my caviar and set up my dining table told me that caviar was among the most popular room service orders. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

Room service isn't always free on mass-market cruise ships.

On Silver Ray, not only are the hot dogs and hamburgers delivered to your suite complimentary  but caviar is, too.

Simply call the room service line or ask your butler for caviar, and before you know it, a tin of the expensive fish eggs will be presented at your door.

You don't want to know how pretentious and insufferable I felt as I shoveled the tiny pearly bites into my mouth while lounging on the couch.

It wasn't the best caviar I've ever had (it's one of Calvisius' cheapest options). But it definitely added the unnecessary, theatrical, and extravagant touch I had been seeking on a $650-a-day cruise.

2. The sushi lunch

Kaiseki is only complimentary for lunch. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

Dinner at Silver Ray's Japanese restaurant, Kaiseki, costs $80 per person. But it's complimentary during lunch, making it a great place to gorge on free sushi, sashimi, beef-filled bao buns, and ramen.

Alcohol is complimentary on Silversea, too. So feel free to have a glass of sake and Japanese beer with your raw fish feast.

Like the caviar, the sushi quality wasnt comparable to Michelin-rated omakase restaurants.

The sushi and sashimi combo came with a cut from seven different rolls. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

The scallop nigiri in my sushi and sashimi combo tasted more lightly poached than raw, the uni was served on unevenly cut cucumbers, and the octopus in the octopus roll was too chewy.

But complaints aside, the portions were gracious, the fish quality was acceptable, and the rolls were diverse. The spicy tuna roll had the perfect allium punch, while the vegetarian one stood its ground among the raw fish. It was far better than I expected for a cruise ship lunch.

Best of all, it was complimentary. And while it didn't change my life, it certainly satisfied my craving.

3. The upscale cafe without the upscale prices

Coffee and tea are complimentary on Silversea. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

Many popular cruise ships have an onboard Starbucks. Silver Ray goes one step further with a cafe comparable to your overpriced neighborhood coffee shop (and this one won't make you pay extra for oat milk).

At the centrally located Arts Cafe, guests can order latte art-topped espresso drinks and uncommon tea varieties  all served with Mepra spoons that cost $40 each.

If you're a fan of cucumber sandwiches and cakes, the Art Cafe is also a great place to grab a mid-day snack or host an impromptu afternoon tea.

4. The entertaining cooking class

The cooking class is led by an entertaining instructor and their assistant. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

Silversea's SALT  an acronym for "sea and land taste"  program weaves cuisines local to the ship's destination into the cruise.

At SALT Lab, this takes the form of a complimentary cooking class.

You might think, 'I'm on vacation  I don't want to cook!'

Guests on SIlver Ray's five-night test cruise learned to make Portuguese tarts and trifles. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

I hear you. But SALT Lab is nothing like cooking at home.

For starters, the instructor and their assistant do all the cleaning and prepare all your mise en place for you. And I guarantee they're funnier, wittier, and more lighthearted than your partner who yells at you for not following the recipe.

All you have to do is listen to their instructions, assemble, cook, and eat.

5. The restaurant showcasing dishes from the itinerary

In Lisbon, dishes at 160-seat SALT Kitchen included grilled sardines served with a grilled lemon wedge and a small salad Brittany Chang/Business Insider

SALT isn't just a cooking class. It's a lifestyle. (Just kidding  but not really.)

Silver Ray offers SALT cooking classes, SALT shore excursions, a $180 SALT Chef's Table dinner, a SALT Bar, and a SALT Kitchen.

If you hate repeating meals, the latter could be your savior. Half of its menu changes almost daily according to the ship's destination. So, if you didn't have time to explore a port's cuisine, you could go to SALT Kitchen instead.

When Silver Ray was docked in Lisbon, the restaurant had options like roasted pork loin with a Portuguese red bell pepper sauce, and travesseiros, a popular dessert from nearby Sintra, Portugal.

6. The half-restaurant, half-jazz bar

Silver Note has 54 seats and a bar for post-dinner drinks with live music. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

Silver Note is where you go to chow down on small plates of beef tenderloin and octopus tentacles while being serenaded by live jazz vocalists and pianists. If you can overlook the purple and red spotlights that give the venue a cheap dive bar feel, you'll be delighted by Silver Note's talented performers, tapas-style food, and fun plating.

The plates were pre-warmed, the lobster tail was perfectly cooked, and the musicians were world-class. I ate alone and stayed for about two hours, fully engaged by the impressive vocalist.

7. The spas view

The sauna and steam room are separated into a women's and men's area. Both sides meet at the gender-neutral thermal pool. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

Access to spa facilities like saunas is often complimentary on high-end cruises.

Silver Ray's was admittedly bare-boned, with only three rooms (a steam room, sauna, and thermal pool). But you'll quickly forget about the lack of options when you see the ocean views inside the pool and sauna.

The latter is a great place to balance your yin (peacefully staring at the passing waves) with your yang (feeling like you're about to have a heat stroke).

Unfortunately, the steam room doesn't have any views. However, it does offer complimentary scented scrubs that will leave you with baby-soft skin.

8. The pool

The pool deck has 280 loungers. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

You're probably wondering how an amenity as commonplace as a pool could be so special.

There is, in fact, nothing spectacular about the pool itself. What is special, however, is its placement toward the starboard-side edge of the ship, giving swimmers a photogenic view of Silver Ray's surroundings instead of sunbathers' toes.

Don't worry, fellow loungers. We get a perk, too.

No need to walk to the pool bar to refill your pina colada. The waitstaff will do it for you.

9. The elevators

Silver Ray has two elevator banks, each with three elevators. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

Before Silver Ray, I would've scoffed if you had told me one of my favorite amenities on a cruise ship would be the elevators. But alas, it seems not all of them are created equal.

On most cruise ships, the elevators are located at the center of the vessel and flanked by corridors on either side.

Like the pool, all six of Silver Ray's elevators are located by the edge of the ship  half port side, half starboard side  and lined with glass walls, giving riders sweeping views of the ship's surroundings.

Not to be dramatic, but I've never seen a more beautiful elevator.

Once inside, travelers can select their desired floor on the touchscreen.

No need to make awkward small talk when everyone's gawking at the ocean. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

The screen's floor descriptions are updated on port days to indicate where guests must disembark. It's a small but convenient touch I've yet to see on other cruises, saving travelers the panicked "where do I get off this ship?" question.

10. The tablet-phone-TV connectivity

Your suite's lights and temperature can be controlled from your phone, in-suite tablet, TV, and thermostat. Brittany Chang/Business Insider

The best part about my Deluxe Veranda suite wasn't the walk-in closet or balcony. It was the seamless connectivity between my phone, the in-room tablet, and the TV.

Silver Ray's cabins have portable touchscreen tablets that function as a vacation guidebook, daily scheduler, and suite control center.

The TV has the same functions, for when you're sitting on the couch and too lazy to retrieve the tablet. Or, if you're not in your cabin, your mobile Silversea profile has the same options.

As someone who religiously studies menus before going to a restaurant, I loved having every onboard restaurant's menu at my fingertips.

But the real winning feature was the "sleep" setting. No more hitting your knee on furniture as you navigate back to bed after turning the lights off. The sleep setting slowly dims the suite's light fixtures, giving guests plenty of time to saunter back to bed before everything goes dark.

Read the original article on Business Insider
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  A 10-year-old boy from the Oklahoma City area is now home from the hospital after being treated for burns from a firework explosion.

The family has asked that the boy not be identified, however, his grandfather reached out to Nexstars KFOR and sent photos to warn others of the danger.

KFOR spoke to the boys grandfather over the phone. He says his grandson bought four Barrett M107 fireworks products. Out of the four, two of them malfunctioned, with one injuring the boy, he claimed.

Shirt damaged after fireworks explodes.

Firework that injured 10-year-old.

Eva Fair works closely with sparklers at Fireworks Warehouse in Oklahoma City.

Be careful, she warned. Sometimes something might go wrong and have a big explosion.

The owner of Fireworks Warehouse, Kent Herzog, recommends only adults use fireworks.

Yes, we want kids to enjoy fireworks, but we want the adults to use them, Herzog said.

Only 1 state in the US completely bans consumer fireworks

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, meanwhile, estimated that fireworks were the cause of 10,200 injuries in 2022 alone  and that only includes injuries that necessitated emergency-room visits. A total of 11 deaths were also attributed to fireworks that year, the CPSC 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 Queen City News.
NEW YORK  A Long Island man who authorities said gave fireworks to an 11-year-old, who then set two homes on fire, has been arrested on arson charges and related offenses, police said Friday.

Karamjit Singh, 33, is accused of giving the child fireworks outside his home in Levittown, in the Town of Hempstead, on the morning of July 4, Nassau County police said in a news release.

According to authorities, Singh instructed the child to ignite the fireworks, but a malfunction set fire to a detached shed, which became engulfed in flames.

The fire then spread to Singhs house on Red Maple Drive North and eventually to a neighbors home.

The Wantagh Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fires, officials said. While no injuries were reported, both homes suffered extensive damage, according to police.

A tenant living on the second floor of Singhs home was displaced due to the damages, authorities said.

Singh was arrested without incident by the Nassau Countys Arson Bomb Squad. He faces charges of second-degree arson, fourth-degree reckless endangerment, unlawfully selling of fireworks to someone under 18, unlawfully possessing fireworks and endangering the welfare of a child.

The 11-year-old was released to a family member. The relationship between Singh and the child is unclear. Its also not known exactly what type of fireworks caused the blaze.

Singh was scheduled to be arraigned Friday at First District Court in Hempstead.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, thousands of people in the U.S., most often children and teens, are injured when using consumer fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday.

Overall, fireworks cause more than 31,000 fires annually  and children 15 or younger account for nearly 30% of the estimated injuries, according to data released last year.
This year will be decisive for the buildout of transformative energy infrastructure in Michigan. Most Michiganders may be unaware, but billions of dollars in lower energy costs are at play with the future of two new transmission lines soon to be proposed by the electric transmission utility, ITC.

The projects are Michigan's portion of a 2,000-mile set of high-voltage, overhead electric transmission lines that, if built, will crisscross the Midwest, connecting sources of power  chiefly, renewable energy installations  to energy demand.

ITC builds a transmission line in May 2015.

About 100 miles of the planned transmission buildout would come from two proposed lines, and the Michigan Public Service Commission is considering those lines for approval this year.

The transmission network is like a congested road system. While essential to our daily lives, the process of building transmission lines happens infrequently in this country. Michigan, for example, hasnt had an interstate transmission line built in about 50 years. Imagine the state of disarray our highways would be in if the interstate highway system hadnt been expanded and improved for half a century.

The stakes are big enough that a diverse coalition has come together in favor of the projects, including the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council, a trade group representing clean energy companies, and the Citizens Utility Board of Michigan, which advocates on behalf of residential utility ratepayers.

The lines would serve utility customers within the region of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), the entity that operates the electric grid for most of central North America. MISOs grid includes the service territories of Michigans two major electric utilities, DTE and Consumers Energy, but those utilities do not own transmission. Like other transmission lines in Michigan, these new lines would be owned by ITC Holdings Corp., through its subsidiaries ITC Transmission and Michigan Electric Transmission Company.

MISO planned the new lines in response to profound, ongoing changes in energy in the region as sources of power increasingly shift from natural gas and coal to renewable energy and energy storage. MISO identified dozens of locations in the region where existing transmission lines are getting close to being overloaded, leading to less efficient transfers of energy and raising the threat down the road of insufficient power in severe weather situations.

Reducing congestion on the transmission network not only deals with these problems but also opens up conduits to bring new sources of clean energy online. Wind and solar installations that would otherwise not be able to connect to the grid can now be built.

The result would ultimately be lower electric bills across the region for multiple reasons: wind and solar dont burn fuel, so costs would go down with less reliance on natural gas and coal plants. In addition, a significant amount of electricity that is currently generated is simply lost because there is nowhere for it to go, but new transmission means fewer electrons go to waste.

The cost savings generated by these benefits far outweigh the over $1 billion in costs of building the lines themselves. Those costs are passed on to utility ratepayers, but net costs would go down for ratepayers, according to estimates from MISO that estimate Michigans share of savings from the new transmission lines at $3.4 billion over 20 years.

MISO has said it expects this first phase of its long-range transmission plan, commonly known as Tranche 1, will facilitate the building of 56 gigawatts of new wind and solar capacity. By comparison, the total capacity of all power sources across MISOs massive geographic footprint is currently a little over 63 gigawatts.

For Michigan, one transmission line would go from the existing Oneida substation about 13 miles west of Lansing and travel north 40 miles to the existing Nelson Road substation in Gratiot County. The other new line would be built from the Indiana/Michigan border in Branch County 50 miles north to a new substation in northeastern Calhoun County. These lines would be built by 2030  if construction proceeds on time.

The need for these lines to spur new energy development was made clear in a 2021 letter sent by the governors of Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin to MISO. Tranche 1 is urgently needed to allow carbon-free and low-cost electricity to flow across the region  all while maintaining the reliability of the system on which we rely, the letter said.

Transmission is one of the least recognized parts of our energy system, but also one of the most important. An initial draft of MISOs proposed Tranche 2 interregional projects was released on March 15, with additional lines proposed to be constructed in the state in the future.

As these projects progress, Michiganders should understand this: How their energy gets to their homes and businesses is just as important as from where it comes.

Amy Bandyk is executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Michigan. Natalie Lyijynen is sustainable business associate of the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council.

Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters and we may publish it online or in print.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New transmission lines could make way renewable energy use in Michigan
Ten people were treated for botulism  a disease caused by neurotoxins formed in contaminated food  after two family events

GETY Stock hospital beds

Two California sisters remain in the ICU after eating a cactus salad contaminated by botulism.

Fox 26 News reported that the Fresno County Department of Health (FCDH) was alerted to the outbreak of the rare condition on Monday, June 24, when 10 people were hospitalized in Clovis and Selma with vertigo and blurred vision after eating cactus salad at two separate family gatherings. Most were able to go home after being treated with an anti-toxin.

Botulism is a rare condition caused by bacteria that attacks nerves in the body and can cause symptoms like trouble swallowing and speaking, blurred vision, facial weakness, trouble breathing, nausea and paralysis, per the Mayo Clinic. It can be fatal in rare cases.

The 10 people hospitalized in Fresno County, Calif., had attended family events on Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22, ABC 30 Action News reported. They had all eaten the cactus salad, known as "nopales."

One of the women who remain hospitalized had also eaten the salad on Sunday, June 23, Fox 26 reported.



Related: Woman Gets Botulism, Becomes Paralyzed After Eating Pesto From a Farmer's Market: 'My Body Stopped Working'

Foodborne botulism is often caused by home-canning, because the bacteria that causes the condition thrive in environments with little oxygen, according to Mayo.

Although the cactus in the salad was originally thought to be frozen, officials learned that the woman who prepared the salad used home-canned cactus she had prepared in May, Norma Sanchez, Communicable Disease Specialist with FCDH said per Fox 26.



Related: Woman, 32, Dies of Botulism Poisoning After Eating Sardines at French Bar

Home-canning is done all the time, but we want people to be careful, said Dr. Vohra, per Fox 26. The risk is real and unfortunately we found botulism can happen with these home-canned cactus pads known as nopales.



Fox 26 reported that officials think the woman who prepared the salad didn't use enough salt to sterilize her environment in the canning process.

This is a great opportunity to teach the community, Dr. Vohra, per Fox 26.

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.

In the statement, the doctor also gave an update on the sisters' conditions, which KVPR reported.

They require ventilation with machine support just because their muscles and nerves are affected so severely, Dr. Vohra said. She's hoping that the treatment will eventually lead to a full recovery.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
3 dead, 7 injured after suspected drunk driver plows into New York City park on 4th of July

Three people are dead and seven others have been injured after a suspected drunk driver plowed his vehicle into a park on New York City's Lower East Side on Thursday night, police said.

The driver of a gray Ford F-150, Daniel Hyden, 44, struck multiple pedestrians in the park at 8:53 p.m. on Thursday night, police said.

The man was driving eastbound on Water Street when he sped through a stop sign, jumped the curb and crashed into Corlears Hook Park, police said. The pickup truck was on top of four of the victims when authorities arrived. Good Samaritans held the driver until police arrived, authorities said.

PHOTO: Three people were killed on Manhattan's Lower East Side when a suspected drunk driver plowed into people on July 4, 2024. (WABC)

PHOTO: Daniel Hyden, 44, allegedly hit 10 pedestrians, killing three, on Manhattan's Lower East Side while driving intoxicated, July 4, 2024. (WABC)

Hyden, from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, has been charged with eight counts of recklessly causing serious Injury with a weapon, aggravated vehicular homicide of more than one person, driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operator of a motor vehicle.

three counts of driving while intoxicated and one count of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, according to police.

The FDNY worked alongside NYPD's Emergency Services Unit to remove the patients from under the vehicle, according to authorities.

MORE: Hurricane Beryl strengthens to Category 3 as it heads toward Yucatan Peninsula

Two of the people killed in the crash were mother and son: 59-year-old Lucille Pinkney and 38-year-old Herman Pinkney.

The other woman who died has not been named pending family notification.

Hyden is a substance abuse counselor who wrote a book in 2020 described as "a practical guide on how to effectively live and cope with the dysfunctional, lifelong disease of addiction," according to New York ABC station WABC.

PHOTO: Three people were killed when a suspected drunk driver plowed into a group of people on Manhattan's Lower East Side on July 4, 2024. (WABC)

MORE: Video shows dog starting house fire by turning on stove in middle of night

A 30-year-old woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said. The other six people injured in the crash -- including an 11-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman -- were in stable condition.

First responders smelled alcohol on the driver's breath at the scene, police said. Tests are being conducted to determine whether the driver was intoxicated during the incident, they added.

Authorities said that terrorism is not suspected at this time, although the investigation is ongoing.

3 dead, 7 injured after suspected drunk driver plows into New York City park on 4th of July originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
21-year-old from Ohio bitten by shark at Florida beach, report says

21-year-old from Ohio bitten by shark at Florida beach, report says

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A 21-year-old visiting from Ohio was bitten by a shark Thursday evening in New Smyrna Beach, according to a report.

WESH reported that the man was in knee-deep water at about 4 p.m. when he was bitten on his right foot.

The man was taken to a hospital but is expected to be OK, according to WESH.

No other details were immediately 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 WFLA.
LOWER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (PIX11)  At least three people were killed and eight others injured after an alleged drunk driver plowed onto a busy sidewalk on the Lower East Side on the Fourth of July, according to the NYPD.

It happened around 8:45 p.m. at a park near Water and Jackson streets, where at least 200 people were barbecuing to celebrate the holiday. A gray Ford F-150 sped through an intersection, blew a stop sign then jumped the sidewalk and drove into the park, according to authorities.

More Local News

Several people were trapped underneath the truck. Witnesses who saw what happened held the driver while police rushed to get to the scene, per the NYPD.

The driver, a 44-year-old man, allegedly reeked of alcohol, according to authorities.

A mother, 59-year-old Lucile Pinckney, and her son, 38-year-old Hernan Pinckney, were both killed in the crash, according to authorities. Another woman also died, but police have not identified her as of Thursday morning.

An 11-year-old child was among those hit by the truck, per police.

Charges are pending against the driver. Police do not suspect terrorism.

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.
Coroner identifies all three people who died in murder-suicide on Sunday in Palm Springs

Palm Springs police said Friday they believe the man found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot near a freeway overpass Sunday had just shot two people dead in a car nearby. The Riverside County coroner also released the names of all involved.

Previously, police had said only that the two scenes appeared "related," but not how.

The coroner identified two people who were injured at 1:10 p.m. and died at 1:38 p.m. Their names were Glenford Gatewood-Quilter, 37, of Loma Linda and Jacob Lombardino, 27, of Hesperia.

The third individual was identified as Donta Tinnin, 34, of Victorville. The coroner said Tinnin was injured at 1:15 p.m. and died at 2:04 p.m.

Palm Springs Police Department officials are on scene after three people were found shot dead near the Pilot Travel Center in North Palm Springs on Sunday, June 30, 2024.

On Sunday, officers responded to a call for a gunshot victim near North Indian Canyon Drive and Garnet Avenue at around 1:15 p.m. When they arrived, police found two men dead in a white Toyota sedan and a third man dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds south of Interstate 10, near the Indian Canyon Drive overpass.

On Friday, PSPD Captain Mike Kovaleff confirmed two victims had been shot in the car before the attacker fled the scene and shot himself near the side of the freeway.

No suspects remain outstanding, according to Kovaleff.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coroner identifies three who died in murder-suicide near I-10 Sunday
3-year-old who went missing from Macon has been found safe, sheriffs office says

A 3-year-old girl from Macon was found after she went missing for at least a week, the Bibb County Sheriffs Office told The Telegraph Friday.

The child, Zaryiah Storto-Shell, had last been seen on Cherry Street in downtown Macon on June 26 at 7 p.m., according to officials.

The sheriffs office and Missouri State Highway Patrol issued endangered person advisories after Shell went missing.

The sheriffs office said Rahim Mims, 34, was watching the child and hadnt returned her by July 3, after an outing approved by the childs mother, the sheriffs office said.

Mims car was spotted that day at a QuikTrip gas station at 6551 E. Front St. in Kansas City, Missouri, according to the Missouri highway patrol. He drove a black 2007 Ford Explorer with a Missouri license plate.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  A third suspect out of four in a car burglary ring here in Abilene is now in custody.

On May 28, 2023, three victims reported that items were stolen from their vehicles. Two days later, the Abilene police investigated a shooting on East Lake Road. During the investigation, Nicholas Foreman, who was with another person named Bill Beaver, became a suspect and was arrested on an unrelated warrant. Beaver was also arrested for possession of a controlled substance. When the police searched the vehicle, they found the stolen items from the three victims, including a gun.

Two suspects accused of car hopping burglary spree in Abilene arrested

During the investigation, Beaver admitted that he, Foreman, Zackary Rodriguez, and Brittany Moore decided to go car hopping. They traveled to the ACU area, Tequilas Night Club, and an apartment complex on Yeomans Road. According to court documents, Moore and Foreman admitted to participating in the burglaries. Police are still looking for the fourth suspect in the burglaries.

Bill Beaver

Brittany Moore

Nicholas Foreman

Brittany Moore was booked into the Taylor County Jail on July 4, 2024, charged with engaging in organized criminal activity. She was released the next day.

Beaver was booked on November 23, 2023, and released the next day on a $20,000 bond.

Foreman faced charges of organized criminal activity and firearm theft. The organized criminal activity charge was dropped, and he was placed on probation for firearm theft.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.
The Colorado State Patrol said the ATV entered an intersection without yielding at a stop sign before it collided with a truck

Getty The roof of a police patrol car at night

Four people were killed and another person was seriously injured after an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) collided with a truck on a rural road in Colorado, according to multiple reports.

The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) said troopers responded to the site of a crash between a Polaris RZR ATV and a Ram 5500 truck at an intersection near Brush, Colorado at around 3:34 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, according to KMGH-TV, KUSA and Associated Press.

The CSP added that their investigation found the driver of the ATV, who was traveling north on Morgan County Road 31, entered an intersection without yielding at a stop sign and was hit by the truck heading west on County Road C, per the outlets.

Four people who had been traveling in the ATV, including two adults  both 22 years old  and a 1-year-old baby and 2-year-old boy, were killed in the crash, while the driver of the truck suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local area hospital, the CSP continued.

Related: Mother of 4 Dies in ATV Crash During Weekend Getaway with Friends, Husband in Critical Condition

Trooper Gabriel Moltrer, a state patrol spokesperson, told AP and KMGH-TV that troopers suspect drugs and alcohol may have played a role in the crash, though they did not give any additional details as to who was suspected to have been under the influence.

Moltrer told the news outlets that the incident is still under investigation.

Colorado State Patrol did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to human interest stories.

Morgan County Coroner Mike Dahl told Colorado Public Radio that some family members of the deceased had already been notified as of Thursday, July 4. He also noted that autopsy results for the crash could take four to six weeks and that the names of those who died in the crash would be released at a later date.



Related: 7-Year-Old Boy Who Died in Crash at Florida ATV Park Was Not Wearing Helmet: Officials

According to the Polaris website, the RZR ATV can transport either two or four passengers and has 30" Tire, 15" aluminum wheels with a poly sport roof. The ATV model does not appear to have any windows though it does have seat belts built in.

The incident comes a few months after a 7-year-old boy, who had not been wearing a helmet, died in a crash at a Florida ATV park. The boy had been sitting behind a 32-year-old man operating an ATV when the vehicle flipped, Florida Highway Patrol said at the time.

Last year, a mother of four was also killed when an ATV wrecked in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
The 48-hour rule, What are landlords required to do if an air conditioning unit fails?

The 48-hour rule, What are landlords required to do if an air conditioning unit fails?

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  As a potentially record-breaking heat wave strikes and air conditioning units and electrical infrastructure are being tested across the Las Vegas valley, many tenants are weighing their options should those systems fail in their homes.

Experts say landlords are required to repair air conditioning units within 48 hours of receiving written notice of a failure. That statute is relevant anywhere a landlord and tenant relationship exists according to Kristopher Pre, Directing Attorney for Nevada Legal Services in Las Vegas.

Residents at Tides at Cheyenne say theyve been experiencing issues with their electricity and water, in addition to the pool facilities being unavailable for the last year.

Jasmine Emery, a resident at the complex, said her power outlets dont function approximately half of the time.

All the outlets in my kitchen dont work, Emery said. All the outlets in my living room dont work.

Additionally, Emery said her air conditioning unit is unreliable, making life difficult for her special needs children. She said she cant simply move out.

Its just hard, Emery said. The cost of living isnt good out here.

Shes not the only resident who has experienced problems. In addition to the residents who moved from the complex, Nicholas Giannakopoulos, who still lives at Tides at Cheyenne, said his seven-month tenure at the facility has left him pessimistic as to management making those repairs.

Everybodys air is going out, Giannakopoulos said. Who do we call?

Pre says one option for disgruntled residents is Nevada Legal Services, adding that that organization can help them navigate tenant rights, including the 48-hour air conditioning fix requirement. However, Pre said the so-called 48-hour rule, requires landlords to make their best effort to fix broken units.

They dont have to fix it, but they have to use their best effort, Pre said. What that means is up to the court to decide, unfortunately.

Pre added that another helpful hint is sending a landlord a certified letter. That can propel individuals to the front of the line for repairs. Additionally, tenants can deduct the cost of repairs from rent or repair the unit themselves and then sue the landlord for the cost to fix it.

The Tides at Cheyenne property manager didnt respond for comment Wednesday. Clark County data shows the facility has had four property managers at the facility since the start of 2023.

A telephone hotline is available for anyone experiencing these issues at (702) 895-1971.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Two shoplifters led police on a low-speed, 10 to 15 mph car chase to Palmetto Dunes on July 4, where one ran off on foot, prompting a short K-9 search in the Hilton Head gated community. The event concluded with two arrests, according to sheriffs office spokesperson Master Sgt. Danny Allen.

The Savannah residents shoplifted from Belk, a department store in Shelter Cove Towne Center and parked the car in front of St. Andrews Commons after the chase. That Palmetto Dunes complex is less than a mile away and across the street from Belk. From there, the passenger stayed in the car. The driver abandoned the car, ran off and hid in a bush. After a few minutes of searching a K-9 patrol located the suspect. According to Allen, there were no injuries from the use of the canine to either suspect.

The driver, Wayne Hiriams, 33, faces charges of shoplifting, criminal conspiracy, fleeing to evade/arrest and failure to stop for a blue light. Hiriam also has a warrant for breaking his probation from Georgia.

The passenger, Sharontay Rice, 24, faces charges of littering, shoplifting and criminal conspiracy. The two stole less than $2,000 in clothing from the department store, Allen said.

The Beaufort County Sheriffs Office received a report of shoplifters at the Belk store, off William Hilton Parkway, around 4 p.m. A nearby officer responded to the call and began to pursue the shoplifters black Toyota Camry as it left the shopping center.
65% of Ukrainians approve of security agreements but their expectations are modest

The majority of Ukrainians believe that security agreements with partners under the continuation of the G7 Vilnius Declaration are beneficial for Ukraine's defence capability, but they have restrained expectations from these agreements.

Source: European Pravda, citing a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS)

Overall, 65% of respondents believe that security agreements with Western partners are beneficial for strengthening Ukraine's defence capability. However, among them, 18% consider these agreements "very useful" while another 47% find them "rather useful." Additionally, 27% believe that such agreements will not significantly impact the country's defence capability or are simply unnecessary.

Regional differences in perception exist but are not very significant: figures range from 59% in the country's east to 68% in the west. Scepticism towards the agreements is held by no more than a quarter of the population in each region.

However, 51% of those surveyed believe that Ukraine will still receive insufficient support to effectively counter Russia.

A total of 27% think that security agreements will help at least restrain the Russian army and possibly liberate some territories. Only 13% believe that through these agreements, Ukraine will get everything it needs for victory.

Note: Data collection was conducted from 16 May to 22 May 2024, and from 20 June to 25 June 2024, using the computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) method based on random sampling of mobile phone numbers across all regions of Ukraine in government-controlled territory. In total, 1067 adult Ukrainian citizens who were in Ukraine at the time were surveyed.

Background:

In April, a survey by the Razumkov Centre revealed that at that time, over 80% of Ukrainians believed that security agreements would contribute to strengthening Ukraine in countering Russian aggression, with nearly 44% strongly supporting this view.

On 27 June, Ukraine signed three new security agreements with the EU, Estonia and Lithuania in Brussels.

Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk stated that the security agreement with Ukraine was practically complete and would be signed with a "99%" probability before the NATO summit in Washington in July.

Support UP or become our patron!
7: That's how many children have died in hot cars since May 2024, including 1 in Florida

Seven children have died so far this year in a hot car, including one confirmed in Florida.

Another Florida fatality is pending autopsy results, along with two deaths in other states, according to Kids and Car Safety.

At least 1,090 children have died in hot cars nationwide since 1990. Another 7,500 survived with varying types of injuries, according to data collected by Kids and Car Safety.

The majority of deaths happen after the child is unknowingly left in the vehicle by a parent or caregiver.

How many children have died in hot vehicles in 2024?

Seven children have died after being left inside a vehicle, with the most recent being a 4-year-old in Texas on July 3, 2024.

Kids and Car Safety also noted another three child fatalities  including one in Indialantic, Florida (see below)  could be connected to hot cars. Autopsy results are pending.

Here's the breakdown:

Richland County, South Carolina Date: May 3, 2024 Age of child: 3 years How: Child gained access to vehicle

Bradenton Date: May 20, 2024 Age of child: 6 years How: Left in vehicle

Morgantown, West Virginia Date: May 22, 2024 Age of child: unknown How: Left in Unknowingly left in vehicle

Santee, California Date: June 13, 2024 Age of child: 2 months How: Left in vehicle

Charlotte, North Carolina Date: June 26, 2024 Age of child: 8 years How: Left in vehicle

Marrietta, Georgia Date: July 2, 2024 Age of child: 2 years How: Unknown

Houston, Texas Date: July 3, 2024 Age of child: 4 years How: Unknowingly left in vehicle



More hot car deaths to be determined pending autopsy results

Indialantic Date: June 7, 2024 Age of child: 3 years How: Unknown

Washington, D.C. Date: June 14, 2024 Age of child: 4 years How: Unknown

Perry County, Mississippi Date: June 25, 2024 Age of child: 3 years How: Unknown



Florida woman charged with child neglect after leaving 2-year-old in hot Publix parking lot

A Longwood grandmother left a 2-year-old child in a hot car in 91-degree heat outside an Ormond Beach Publix Tuesday while she ordered from the deli counter, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.

According to a release, the child had been left in the car, which was not running and had been parked under full sun with the windows cracked, for just over 15 minutes when a Publix manager noticed she appeared lethargic and brought her inside the store to cool off.

After her grandmother, Elana Grady, 63, took custody of her she put the child back in the hot car and smoked a cigarette before leaving, deputies said. The manager provided her license plate number and she was arrested and charged with child neglect. Deputies said the child appeared to be in good health.

How many hot car deaths have there been in Florida in 2024?

The death of a 6-year-old girl in Bradenton on May 20, 2024, was the first in Florida and the second in the U.S. for the year. She was left in a hot car for just over two hours with the windows up. Hospital staff reportedly measured her body core temperature at 107.2 degrees.

Markise Outing, 24, of Ellenton was arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child for leaving his girlfriend's daughter in the car parked outside his place of business, according to a release from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Another death of a child June 7, 2024, in Indialantic is pending a cause of death. The 3-year-old child was reported missing and later found dead near a home. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office has not detailed the nature of the child's death.

How do hot car deaths happen?

"Approximately 88% of children who die in hot cars are age 3 or younger and the majority, 55%, were unknowingly left by an otherwise loving, responsible parent or caregiver," according to Kids and Car Safety.

The breakdown:

Unknowingly left in vehicle: 55%

Gained access to vehicle on their own: 25%

Knowingly left in vehicle: 15%

Other or circumstances unknown: 4%

How do parents 'unknowingly' leave children in their vehicles?

Prevent the deaths of children in hot vehicles: Look before you lock.

"The majority of parents and caregivers are misinformed and would like to believe that a hot car tragedy will never happen to them," Kids and Car Safety posted on its website.

"In over half of hot car deaths, the person responsible for the child unknowingly left them in the vehicle. In most situations, this happens to loving, caring, and protective parents. It has happened to a teacher, dentist, social worker, police officer, nurse, clergyman, soldier, and even a rocket scientist. It can happen to anyone."

Kids and Car Safety documented how parents or caregivers unknowingly left children in their cars:

Supposed to have been dropped off at daycare: 43%

Miscommunication between two caregivers: 11%

Left by a childcare provider: 12%

Unknowingly left by caregiver: 34%

Florida ranks No. 2 in US for child hot car deaths

Child hot car deaths from 1990 to 2023 involving children 14 and younger.

Here are the top five states for children killed in hot cars documented by Kids and Car Safety:

Texas: 155; 1991-2023

Florida 118, 1992-2023

California: 64 (1990-2022)

Arizona: 47 (1994-2021)

Georgia: 45 (1993-2023)

How hot can the inside of a car get and how quickly?

While the majority of these tragedies occur during the summer, deaths have been recorded in every month.

Research has shown that vehicles become dangerously hot quickly, even when the outside temperature is moderate. With an outside ambient air temperature of 72 degrees, the internal vehicle temperature can reach 117 within 60 minutes, with 80% of the temperature increase occurring in the first 30 minutes, the National Safety Council said.

On a 72-degree day, a car's interior can be deadly in less than 30 minutes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Interior vehicle temperatures can be 50 degrees higher than outside temperatures. Even on a cool day when the outside temperature is 61, within an hour, the inside temperature of a car reached more than 105, according to Consumer Reports.

Look before you lock: Safety tips to keep children from dying in hot car

This embedded content is not available in your region.

NoHeatStroke.org and the U.S. Department of Transportation suggested the following tips:

Never leave children unattended in a vehicle, not even for a minute.

Always check the backseat. Leave your wallet or purse as a reminder.

Ask your childcare provider to call if your child doesnt show up as expected.

Always keep vehicles locked and keys out of reach.

Store car keys out of a child's reach and teach children a vehicle is not a play area.

Call 911 if you see a child alone in a vehicle.

What can you do if you see a child locked in a car?

"If you see a child alone in a locked car, act immediately and call 911," said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Florida law protects people who break into vehicles to rescue vulnerable people or pets from harm as long as:

There's no way for the person or pet to get out

They have a reasonable belief that the person or pet is in imminent danger of suffering harm

They have contacted law enforcement or 911 either before or immediately after breaking in

They use no more force to do so than necessary to remove the person or pet

They remain with the person or pet in a safe location near the vehicle until law enforcement or a first responder arrives

Any law enforcement officer who sees a child left unattended in these conditions may use "whatever means are reasonably necessary" to protect the child.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hot car deaths: How do parents 'unknowingly' leave kids in cars?
NEW YORK -- A police officer shot and killed a man who allegedly stabbed an 8-year-old boy to death in Queens on Thursday, the New York City Police Department said.

The stabbing likely stemmed from a domestic dispute, police said, but the details were still unclear. Police said the 20-year-old suspect and the 8-year-old male victim may be brothers or step-brothers. No names were immediately released.

The incident occurred inside an apartment building on 94th Avenue in the borough's Jamaica neighborhood. Around 5:20 p.m., police say a 29-year-old woman who had been stabbed in the back left the building and ran down the street to MTA Police to ask for help. At the same time, the building's security desk called 911.

Officers responded within three minutes and went to a fifth-floor apartment after speaking to a witness, police said.

Police say when officers entered the apartment, they found the suspect holding his 43-year-old father at knifepoint.

"What they were confronted with was our perpetrator holding his father in a headlock with a knife to his throat," NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said.

The suspect allegedly refused repeated commands to drop the knife, and an officer then fired one round, striking the suspect, police said. Officers immediately rendered aid, and the suspect was taken to an area hospital, where he died.

According to police, an 8-month-old baby was also in the apartment at the time of the incident, but the baby was unharmed.

"Just a reminder of being a New York City police officer, what they have to walk into and decisions they have to make quickly. And by making those decisions, they saved two lives tonight," Chell said.

Footage of the shooting was captured on police body cameras.

Police say the 29-year-old woman and the 43-year-old man were both taken to area hospitals to be treated for their injuries. Both are expected to survive.

The investigation is ongoing.

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
(QUEEN CITY NEWS)  She remains Americas favorite missing person: aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart.

She was so popular in the 1930s, her fame and admiration made her the Taylor Swift of her day. Amelia vanished toward the end of her attempt to become the first woman pilot to fly around the world. She was already a well-known record-breaking pilot, author, fashionista, and womens rights advocate before her final flight.

In June 1937, she and Fred Noonan took off from Oakland, California, in her Lockheed Electra twin-engine plane. They were on an eastbound flight to circumnavigate the world.

The July 4th holiday rush is on. TSA expects to screen a record number of travelers this weekend

A month later, they reached Lae, New Guinea, having flown 22,000 miles with 7,000 more to go before reaching Oakland again.

From New Guinea, they had to fly 2,500 miles to a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific, Howland Island. They never made it.

In the nearly 90 years since her disappearance, theres been a slew of questions, including what happened. She likely ran out of fuel and ditched in the ocean. There were extreme efforts to find her- marking the most expensive air and sea search in American history up to that point.

The Itasca, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, was on standby to meet her at Howland Island with fuel and a homing beacon to guide her. The Itasca could hear Amelia talking to them on the radio, but she couldnt hear their responses due to radio issues. The homing beacons battery on Howland Island was weak and then died. With no operative radio navigational aid, she never found the island.

As far as the latest attempt to find her: Tony Romeo, the CEO of Charleston-based Deep Sea Vision, is an explorer who says he has sonar images of what he thinks is Amelias plane  sitting on the sandy bottom of the Pacific. He is making plans to take an underwater drone down there to confirm, but it is 20,000 feet down  farther than where the Titanic sank. It could take five to 10 years to prepare to get to it.

We could hear more from Romeo on July 19 and July 20 when he speaks at the Amelia Earhart Festival in Earharts hometown in Kansas.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Abigail Disney, an heir to the Disney fortune and a major Democratic donor, said she would not give any more money to President Joe Biden or the Democratic National Committee until he steps aside.

Disney, the granddaughter of Roy O. Disney, who cofounded The Walt Disney Company, said Biden and groups supporting him will not receive another dime from me until they bite the bullet and replace the president in an email to The New York Times.

Disney went on to tell CNBC that she wasnt trying to be disrespectful to the president, but rather that she was focusing on realism.

Biden is a good man who has served his country well, but the stakes are far too high to allow timidity to determine our course of action, she wrote in an email to the network. If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.

HuffPost has reached out to Disney for additional comment.

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 18: Abigail Disney speaks during a press conference outside the US Capitol on April 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Patriotic Millionaires) Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images

The White House remains on damage control following Bidens disastrous appearance in his debate against former President Donald Trump last week. Biden has met with lawmakers and appealed to voters in recent days, saying his age will not be an issue while vowing to remain in the race.

Privately, the president has spoken with governors to try and assuage their fears. But several congressional Democrats have called on him to step down and some major donors have expressed their own misgivings.

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings  one of the largest benefactors to Democratic causes in recent years  said earlier this week Biden should end his campaign in order to keep the country safe and prosperous.

Disney said Thursday she would throw her weight behind Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden does end his bid, calling her an excellent choice who would lead Democrats to a landslide victory.

If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Bidens (and lets not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot, Disney wrote.

Related...
Abigail Disney Says Shes Halting Donations to Democrats Unless and Until President Biden Drops Out: The Stakes Are Far Too High

Filmmaker and philanthropist Abigail Disney called on President Biden to exit the 2024 presidential race  and said shes not going to donate to Democrats unless he bows out.

Disney, granddaughter of Roy O. Disney, who is the co-founder of the Walt Disney Co. and Walts brother, said she was convinced Biden would lose in a rematch with Donald Trump this November and said the consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.

More from Variety

I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket, Abigail Disney said in a statement to CNBC on Thursday. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high. If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.

Disney is among several prominent Democratic Party backers who have come forward and called for Biden to pull the plug on his reelection bid. Earlier this week, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, a major donor to Democrats, similarly urged Biden to bow out in order for the party to beat Trump.

Abigail Disney predicted that Vice President Kamala Harris could defeat Trump in the general election by a lot.

We have an excellent Vice President. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one-tenth as much as they have tolerated Bidens (and lets not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot, Disney said in the statement to CNBC.

Abigail Disney, a longtime Democratic donor, gave $50,000 to the Jane Fonda Climate political action committee in April 2024, according to an FEC filing. Disney has been outspoken on a number of issues, including the proxy fight waged by activist investor Nelson Peltz to shake up Disneys board.

Biden, in the wake of his disastrous June 27 debate performance against Trump, has insisted that he is not dropping out of the race. ABC News is slated to air an interview between Biden and anchor George Stephanopoulos on Friday (July 5) in primetime; Stephanopoulos is expected to speak with Biden earlier in the day Friday from the campaign trail in Wisconsin.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Abigail Disney Turns Off Biden Money Tap, Saying We Have An Excellent VP; Barry Diller, Others Do Same

Jeffrey Katzenberg hasnt said anything yet, but more big Democratic donors are speaking out for Joe Biden to step aside after last weeks debate debacle.

Outspoken Disney heiress and documentary filmmaker Abigail Disney has weighed in on Biden post-debate, telling CNBC she plans to pause all donations to the Democratic party unless or until he steps aside as a candidate.

More from Deadline

She urged Dems to rally around Kamala Harris, saying, We have an excellent VP.

Her comments follow the presidents wobbly performance with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump last week that created a tsunami of angst among Democrats and calls by some for the 81-year-old to cede the field to someone else and soon. A number of top donors have expressed dismay and doubt after Biden sounded unintelligible in parts, appeared tired and seemed unprepared for obvious questions.

The White House has said Biden will absolutely not step back. POTUS is sitting down in an interview today with George Stephanopoulos, airing this evening in an ABC primetime special, for damage control.

I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high, Disney said in a statement to the network.

She made the case for VP Harris. We have an excellent Vice President. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Bidens (and lets not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot.

Meanwhile, The Ankler reported that Barry Dilller said no when asked if he and his wife Diane Von Furstenberg will continue to support Biden.

In a Deadline guest column, longtime Democratic donor Damon Lindelof was the first to go public asking for Biden to withdraw. He was followed by Netflix founder Reed Hastings, who also said Biden needs to step aside. A series of other big donors began to turn the money tap off, Deadline hears.

A majority of those donors have said that they are going to wait until Bidens interview airs tonight to make a final decision about going public themselves. However, sources familiar with Bidens meeting with Democratic governors Friday were unconvinced that the president has a viable path to go forward. The main headlines emerging out of that meeting were that Biden said he needs more sleep.

A few in Hollywood have offered support, sort of. Sharon Stone noted that more women are registered to vote than any other singular group. So, ladies, remember this: No matter how sleepy Joe may have seemed, hes wide awake for you, she said. So vote, for yourself.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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.
RIVERTON, Utah (ABC4)  The suspect of a hit-and-run who police say became non-compliant and aggressive is dead shortly after the Fourth of July fireworks show in Riverton.

City communications director Josh Lee told ABC4.com the incident happened just after midnight. The suspect was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run with his side-by-side vehicle after the Riverton Town Days fireworks show at Riverton City Park.

The suspects vehicle was reportedly found quickly and Riverton Police pulled the suspect over. Lee said officers suspected alcohol was involved and began doing a field sobriety test which is when the scene turned violent.

WATCH: Fireworks launch into crowd at Stadium of Fire, 6 taken to the hospital

The suspect became non-compliant and aggressive, said Lee. Thats when shots were fired and the suspect is now deceased.

Lee did not release any further information, including the suspects identity or why or how he was being aggressive. He said an investigation led by the Salt Lake City investigative team is ongoing and there will be further updates as that investigation continues.

This story is developing, and this post will be updated as new information becomes available.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
This article was originally published in Alabama Reflector.

The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) on Friday approved a new graduate program on artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

The proposed degree, a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, would be implemented by January 2027. The program will be the first in the state to specialize in the use of AI for medical purposes and aims to meet the needs of the health care industry in Birmingham and throughout Alabama.

This program does really seem to be at the leading edge of whats going on across the country and therefore its very exciting, said Robin McGill, deputy director for academic affairs at ACHE.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter

The program aims to train students for AI-focused medical roles. The health care industry is increasingly using AI as the global AI health care market is projected to grow to $12.2 billion by 2030, according to the proposal. The program will train health care professionals in AI applications in medicine, including skills in deep learning, computer vision, and large language modeling for healthcare data.

Rubin Pillay, chief innovation officer at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, said to the commission that by 2025, when the program is expected to begin, the university system would have the most comprehensive AI in medicine and healthcare training programs globally.

UAB will not only be the only institution in Alabama offering this comprehensive suite of AI training. They will be the only one nationally and globally as well, Pillay said.

Stephanie C. Dolan, associate director of planning and policy, gave the commission an informational presentation on AI prior to UABs degree presentation. In it, she said that training people on AI will be fundamental for the future workplace, especially with an estimated 12 million people needing to change jobs due to AI.

This means [employees] have to be upskilled and reskilled now, not later, Dolan said.

The proposal estimates that $4.5 million in new funds will be needed for the program over the first seven years. During this period, the program is projected to generate $6,246,000 in tuition revenue and is expected to be self-sustaining from the first year.

Interested applicants need a four-year US bachelors degree equivalent in computer science, data science, statistics, AI, biomedical, electrical or related engineering fields, as well as a 3.0 minimum GPA and a strong background in calculus, statistics, and linear algebra.

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.
John Palazzolo, 6, of Portage, becomes an airplane as he runs through the cloud-themed entrance at the Air Zoo in Portage on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. The Air Zoo which has been around for over 40 years has 200,000 square feet of exhibit space that sits on 50 acres in two building. It has over 100 kinds of aircraft from the golden age of flight to jet and the space age along with many interactive and rotating exhibits for kids and adults.

You might expect to see wildcats or bearcats at the zoo, and thats exactly what Sue Parish, co-founder of the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, thought of when she came up with a much simpler and iconic name for the Portage, Michigan, collection of historic aircraft: Air Zoo.

When the Air Zoo opened in 1979, five of the first airplanes she and her husband, Pete Parish, owned and brought into the collection had animal-inspired names. Since then, the collection of planes, jets and spacecraft has grown to over 100 aircraft housed in 200,000 square feet of exhibit space next to the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.

Kids ride a ride that simulates coming down in a parachute at the Golden Age of Flight area of the Air Zoo in Portage on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

People walk in front of an F-14 Tomcat sitting on a floor painted to look like the runway on an aircraft carrier at the Air Zoo in Portage on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Kids watch a video at the Golden Age of Flight area of the Air Zoo in Portage on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

The Air Zoo is really an experience like none other, Air Zoo President Troy Thrash said. Its a fun way to be educated, to be inspired and really engage with the history of aviation and space.

More: Free Press Flashback: When Detroit once reigned as 'The Airship City'

About 80,000 aviation, military and space artifacts are on display for kids and adults to explore.

At the end of the day, theyre big hunks of metal and rubber and it really is the stories of the innovators, the builders, designers, the pilots that really bring them to life here, and thats something we want to do for our guests every day, said Thrash.

The actual plane that was piloted by Sue Parish, the co-founder of the Air Zoo, greets people in the lobby of the museum in Portage on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Parish is the person who came up with the nickname of Air Zoo because the first five planes the museum acquired had animal names to them and she wanted a play on words with nearby Kalamazoo.

LEFT: Visitors to the Air Zoo in Portage walk by a SR-71B Blackbird with two cockpits and the only one in existence as it sits on display at the Air Zoo in Portage on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. This spy plane was built to be a trainer for two pilots to use and fly before going on missions using a single cockpit SR-71 Blackbird. RIGHT: Volunteers along with Greg Ward, the aircraft restoration manager at the Air Zoo, move their Blue Angels Grumman Tiger F-11 inside the hanger in Portage on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

The Air Zoo brings aviation stories to life through its extensive restoration program, where the public can watch and sometimes participate in the work being done on aircraft.

As an aviation museum, we have a sense of obligation to preserve the artifacts for the future, said Greg Ward, 64, the aircraft restoration manager at the Air Zoo.

More: Upgraded facilities, improvements coming to Detroit's city airport in new 30-year lease

(L to R) Gordon Van Dalen, 78, sits on the wing to provide weight for those working below as Grace Wolf, 18, puts the finishing touches polishing the cockpit of an FM-2 Wildcat on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Volunteer restorers at the AirZoo work on the FM-2 Wildcat that crashed into Lake Michigan in December of 1944 and was recovered in December of 2012.

A group of volunteer restorers, including middle school students, World War II veterans and service clubs, has been working for the past 11 years on an FM-2 Wildcat that crashed into Lake Michigan during a training mission on Dec. 28, 1944. It was recovered 68 years later on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 2012, by A and T Recovery before being trucked to the Air Zoo months later.

On the Wildcat, over 1,500 people had put in over 52,000 hours of work on it, people working side by side on it, Thrash said. Its a community project.

LEFT: The remains of a WWII FM-2 Wildcat that went down in Lake Michigan in December of 1944 was recovered by A and T Recovery. The plane was photographed and illuminated through a process called painting with light by photographer Eric Klien in the fall of 2013 after it was brought to the Air Zoo. RIGHT: The finished and restored Wildcat was photographed on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 after 11 years of work by many volunteers. The plane will soon be shipped off to an aviation museum outside of Boston by late July. Besides showcasing a variety of planes and jets the Air Zoo always has ongoing projects restoring planes in its facility in Portage.

The restoration of the Wildcat is expected to be finished by mid-July and then it heads to the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, Massachusetts. The restorers are preparing to send off the Wildcat and turn their attention to a new project to rebuild.

They all care about history. They all care about preserving the artifacts, Ward said. When they get up in the morning, theyre excited to eat breakfast, get dressed, jump in their car and come over to the Air Zoo not just to restore history, but to be with their friends. Its a big family."

More on the Air Zoo at airzoo.org.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Air Zoo, open since 1979, showcases aviation history
Two Akron landmarks  the former Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. factory and an old schoolhouse in Kenmore  have landed on Preservation Ohios list of Ohios Most Endangered Historic Sites for 2024.

The nonprofit group, which bills itself as the states oldest historic preservation organization, included the buildings on a list of 14 structures that it considers to be at risk.

Preservation Ohio accepts nominations from citizens, historical societies and other groups that want to raise awareness about certain sites. According to the statewide panel, the properties include such factors as demolition threats, abandonment, neglectful owners, deterioration, obsolete use, and a lack of funding for repairs, location or development.

Bridgestone Americas removes the iconic Firestone sign atop Plant 1 in Akron in 2020.

Firestone factory makes list

Firestones Plant 1 at 1200 Firestone Parkway in Akron is on the endangered list. The city-owned property has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2014.

According to the nomination form: The buff-brick building was built in 1910 with the addition of a clock tower in the 1920s. The plant was home to the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company and stands today as a relic of Akrons rubber heritage.

The vacant factory, which encompasses 1 million square feet, originally employed up to 1,800 workers. Bridgestone Americas removed the famous red Firestone sign from atop the building in 2020.

Firestone Plant 2, built in 1918, was razed in 1980. Akron officials expect the demolition of Plant 1 to top $7.5 million.

The city currently owns it and its been vacant for about a decade or so, but the building is salvageable, Preservation Ohio reported. The back of the building could possibly be selectively demolished and the front building with the clock tower can be adaptively reused. Local preservation groups are involved in advocating for a future of the building.

Akrons Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission could approve the citys demolition plan at its meeting at 9 a.m. July 16 in City Council chambers at the Akron Municipal Building, 166 S. High St.

Lawndale School pupils take a class picture in 1911 outside the Wilbeth Road building in Kenmore.

One-room school in Kenmore

The former Lawndale schoolhouse in Kenmore is a much smaller landmark, but no less at risk. The 1-story, 2,040-square-foot structure is in the 1200 block of West Wilbeth Road.

Building was built as an original one-room schoolhouse for Coventry Township in 1896, the nominating form explains. When the Village of Kenmore was carved out of Coventry Township it became part of the Kenmore School District until it was replaced by a bigger school in 1912. The bigger school was closed in 2016 and left to rot until it burned down in 2022.

A 1911 photograph shows more than 50 pupils standing outside the schoolhouse with a teacher. Today, a no-trespassing sign is posted on the dilapidated building.

This is one of the last original one-room schoolhouses left in the area, Preservation Ohio reported. The Kenmore Historical Society is prepared to make an investment and have fundraisers in order to have the financial means necessary to make an improvement on the building.

The Ohio endangered list also includes the Hulett Iron Ore Unloaders in Cleveland, the Hessler Court and Hessler Road Historic District in Cleveland, the former Lazarus and Kroger buildings in Columbus, Farm Crest Bakeries Building in Columbus, Grace Church/Gabriels Place in Cincinnati, the Hoyt Building in North Fairfield, A.B. Graham Memorial Center in Conover, Hancock County Probate Court in Findlay, Hill Memorial at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Masonic Block in Caledonia, the Octagon House in Tiffin and the A.A. Cunningham House in Tiffin.

Being on the list is no guarantee that a structure will be saved.

Two of this years sites are already gone. The 1947 Farm Crest Bakeries Building was razed in May. The A.A. Cunningham House, which dated back to the turn of the 20th century, was torn down in June.

Preservation Ohio has compiled the list for 31 years. For more information, visit www.preserveohio.com.

Mark J. Price can be reached at mprice@thebeaconjournal.com

Vintage photos: 50 memorable Cleveland TV personalities

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Preservation Ohio ranks two Akron landmarks as endangered
FILE - Fredis Beleris looks on as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visits to the ethnic Greek minority of Albania, in Himare, Albania, on Dec. 22, 2022. Fredis Beleris, an ethnic Greek politician jailed in Albania for vote-buying, says he hopes his election this month to the European Parliament will help boost the rule of law in Albania. Beleris told The Associated Press in an interview from prison that he would have preferred to serve as mayor of the southern Albania community he was elected to lead last year, before his arrest and conviction. His case has soured relations between Balkan neighbors Greece and Albania. (Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister's Office via AP, File)

TIRANA, Albania (AP)  Albanian election authorities on Friday stripped an ethnic Greek minority mayor of his post after he was imprisoned on charges of vote-buying in municipal elections last year.

A new election will be held Aug. 4.

Fredis Beleris, 51, was elected mayor of the Albanian city of Himare  a town in the Albanian Riviera 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of the capital, Tirana, that has a Greek minority presence  in May 2023. He was arrested two days before the election while allegedly offering 40,000 Albanian leks (360 euros; $390) to buy eight votes.

Last month an Albanian appeals court upheld a two-year prison sentence for Beleris, a move which exacerbated tensions with neighboring Greece.

In response to Friday's decision, the Greek foreign ministry issued a statement saying Beleris' case raises several questions concerning fundamental principles of the rule of law in Albania.

Beleris belongs to the Human Rights Union Party of the ethnic Greek minority, but in last years municipal vote he was the candidate for a coalition that also included the center-left Freedom Party of former President Ilir Meta and a breakaway group from the center-right opposition Democratic Party of former Prime Minister and President Sali Berisha.

Beleris has denied the charges, and Athens has described his detention as politically motivated.

Beleris, who has dual citizenship, also won a Greek seat in the European Parliament representing the governing conservative New Democracy party in European Union elections last month.

Greece has warned Albania that Beleris' case could negatively impact its application to join the EU. Albania is in the process of negotiating full membership.

Albanias government said it could do nothing while the case was in court.

European Parliament lawmakers enjoy substantial legal immunity from prosecution, even if the allegations relate to crimes committed prior to their election.

In Beleris' case that rule is unlikely to affect the outcome, as he is serving time for a crime committed in a non-EU member country.

Greece and Albania, a former communist country and a current NATO member, have a historically tense relationship, largely over issues of Greek minority rights and the sizable Albanian community in Greece.
ALICE is on the rise in the US

Following last weeks Poor Peoples Low-Wage Workers Assembly Morale March on Washington D.C., attention has further turned to ALICE.

No, its not a she, rather its an acronym coined by United Way, which stands for: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

This term represents hard-working Americans who are employed but still unable to afford basic necessities such as food, housing, healthcare, childcare, and transportation.

3 jobs to apply for this week

Research shows that clinical care impacts only 20 percent of health outcomes, but social determinants of health (SDOH) affect as much as 50 percent.

To understand the rise of ALICE and its implications, we must look at several key factors:

Socio-economic factors

Socio-economic factors are broad, and include education, job status, family/social support, income and community safety.

While the U.S. boasts many world-class universities, many residents struggle to access quality education.

And despite low unemployment rates, many jobs in the service sector and gig economy fail to provide living wages or benefits. This leaves workers vulnerable to financial instability, even when fully employed.

The high cost of living in many areas often forces families to live apart too, weakening traditional support networks. This lack of family/social support can exacerbate financial and emotional stress for ALICE households, especially when it comes to childcare for parents who also work outside the home.

Additionally, income levels mean workers are forced to commute long distances or live in substandard housing, while income inequality often correlates with higher crime rates in certain neighborhoods.

Health behaviors

Access to healthy food options, safe spaces for physical activity, sleep hours, and free time to exercise can be more limited for those on lower incomes. These all contribute to higher rates of behavior-related health issues among ALICE populations.

Economic stress often correlates with higher rates of smoking and substance abuse, while working long hours and financial stress can limit opportunities for social interaction, leading to mental health issues, like isolation and loneliness.

Healthcare challenges

Despite the Affordable Care Act, many ALICE individuals and families remain uninsured or underinsured, and often forgo necessary medical care due to cost.

Plus, even in well-serviced cities, access to quality healthcare can be limited in certain neighborhoods, with fewer clinics and longer wait times.

Quality of care remains an issue, and while disparities in healthcare quality persist, ALICE individuals are likely to continue receiving suboptimal care.

Physical Environment

Lack of access to quality, affordable housing in many cities forces many ALICE families to live in substandard conditions or far from their workplaces, resulting in health issues from inadequate housing and long commutes.

And while some cities have extensive public transportation systems, they can be costly and time-consuming for those living in outlying areas, impacting both job opportunities and quality of life.

Further, just Chicago, Jersey, New York and Philadelphia have a twenty-four hour metro service, meaning shift workers are at a disproportionate disadvantage outside of these areas.

Environmental issues also often disproportionately affect lower-income neighborhoods, meaning air quality can vary considerably, further contributing to health disparities.

3 more open roles to discover this week

The way forward

The rise of ALICE and the working poor in cities like Washington D.C. serves as a microcosm of a broader national trend.

As policymakers continue to debate solutions to economic inequality, the daily struggles of disadvantaged individuals continue to shape lives and communities across the country.

Some of these issues are addressed by regional programmes like workforce development and affordable housing projects.

However, due to its complexity, ALICE calls for strategies that take more than income into account, and includes all of the other aspects that lead to unstable finances and poor health outcomes.

Understanding the connections between social, health, and economic wellbeing allows us to work towards solutions that will help households escape poverty, but progressive policies and leadership are ultimately required.

Looking to advance your career? Visit The Hill Job Board today

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  The alleged gunman in a Salt Lake City shooting that injured two people on the Fourth of July has been arrested, according to police.

Jose Jimenez-Mancilla, 22, was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on six counts of felony discharge of a firearm and two counts of aggravated assault.

Police said Jimenez-Mancilla got into a physical fight with two men at a Salt Lake City apartment complex near 300 West and 1700 South. During the fight, Jimenez-Mancilla allegedly fired two rounds from a gun. One of the victims reportedly then left the apartment and Jimenez-Mancilla went to tell the victims brother of the fight.

Aggressive hit-and-run suspect killed in Riverton traffic stop shooting

According to the probable cause statement, Jimenez-Mancilla and the victims brother then went to meet the victim where another physical fight broke out. Jimenez-Mancilla then allegedly fired multiple rounds from his gun. He struck the first victim three times  twice in the shoulder and once in the hip. A single round also reportedly hit the victims brother in the hand.

The two were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Upon being taken into custody, Jimenez-Mancilla allegedly admitted to police the gun belonged to him and that he had fired it during both fights. According to the Salt Lake City Police Department, all three of the men involved in the shooting knew each other.

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.
A jury in Orange County on Wednesday found alleged neo-Nazi Samuel Woodward guilty of the gruesome stabbing murder of out gay Jewish university Blaze Bernstein in 2018, Forward and other media outlets reported.

Woodward, 26, was found guilty of the first-degree murder of his former high school classmate Bernstein, 19, who was home visiting family on a holiday break from the University of Pennsylvania where he was a student. The jury also found the murder to be a hate crime.

Woodward was stabbed to death on January 2, 2018. Bernsteins body was found the following week on January 9 buried in a shallow grave in Borrego Park in the Foothill Ranch neighborhood. The court heard he had been stabbed 28 times.

The three-month trial was delayed for years, but it took the jury only around eight hours of deliberation to return the verdict. With the combined conviction, Woodward now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. He faced a minimum of 16 years in prison if convicted only on manslaughter, which the defense argued at trial.

Cheers erupted in the courtroom from the family and friends of Bernstein as the verdicts were announced.

The verdict brings a measure of closure to a six-and-a-half-year chapter, but it cannot erase the pain of losing our son and the agony of waiting all of these years without resolution, Blazes mother Jeanne Pepper Bernstein told the media following the verdict. Now with the verdict in hand, we believe that justice has been served and Blazes memory will be honored through this outcome.

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. They presented Woodwards homophobic hate diary which contained drawings and anti-LGBTQ+ language, and described plots to lure gay men to hookups only to threaten them with hate crimes.

The defense claimed the killing was spontaneous while he was high on strong marijuana, that he had grown disillusioned with the neo-Nazi group, and was struggling with his own sexual identity. Woodward testified in his defense, appearing nearly catatonic and unkempt. His long brown hair and beard obscured much of his face and he took excruciatingly long pauses before answering questions.

Woodward described how the two former high school classmates at the Orange County School of the Arts matched on Tinder in July of 2017. Woodward reportedly flirted but denied he was gay and asked Berstein to keep their conversation private. Bernstein, however, was telling their mutual friends of the conversation in real-time. When Bernstein couldn't meet up that evening, he claimed he wasn't gay and it was all an exercise in determining how gay men respond to compliments.

The pair reconnected again six months later in January of 2018. They moved their conversation to Snapchat. When Woodward suggested the pair hang out that evening, this time Bernstein responded that he was free and provided his home address. Woodward testified he drove to Bernsteins house with a sleeping bag, snacks, drinks, and marijuana, and that pair then drove to Borrego Park at Bernsteins suggestion.

Woodward said he passed out after taking a few hits of marijuana and that he could not recall the specific chronology of what was said and happened next. He testified awoke to discover Bernstein had allegedly undone his pants, and had his penis in one hand while holding his cell phone in the other hand as if taking pictures of his genitalia.

Bernstein reportedly told Woodward to Calm down, its not a big deal and also I got you, you f*cking hypocrite.

Woodward said a struggle ensued for the phone and that he stabbed Bernstein repeatedly, destroying the phone as well. He explained that he feared Bernstein had sent the photo to friends, and feared if his father or racist friends were to learn of the picture and encounter.

He said he experienced anger like nothing Id ever felt in my entire life during the attack.

Woodward was less forthcoming in his cross-examination testimony, which was filled with factual inconsistencies. He denied being gay. He claimed the selfies he sent to Bernstein, another former high school classmate, and a man he met on a dating app while in college were found online even though the background in one of the pics matched the tile in his college bathroom. Both men testified at trial. The out former high school classmate testified that Woodward also contacted him at the same time he contacted Bernstein, but that he had ignored the attempt.

Woodward also claimed he did not kill Bernstein because he was Jewish and gay despite admitting he had created a Grindr profile that read All fags and fakes are in for it, get ready to die.

The rest of his testimony was filled with an inability to remember key details of the murder, the Orange County Register reported. He replied "I can't remember" when asked how he could stab Bernstein 14 times on the left side of the neck when he was seated next to him, and he used the same response when asked how he could also stab the gay university student five times on the right side of his next from the same seated position.

Woodward became an immediate suspect in the case. The two young men had communicated on the night of Bernsteins disappearance, and investigators questioned Woodward after encountering him days later in Borrego Park. At the time, Woodward admitted he had been with Bernstein on the evening he went missing, saying he became angry and the pair split up after Bernstein tried to kiss him.

At the time, police noted Woodward had dirt under his fingernails and scratches on his arms. They later reportedly found in his possession a knife and sleeping bag stained with Bernsteins blood.

Bernstein was out, and was known for his writing abilities and fondness of cooking. He was the managing editor of his school's cooking magazine, Penn Apetit.

Although not friends, Bernstein and Woodward had together attended the Orange County School for the Arts, a public charter school for artistically gifted students. Bernstein excelled as a writer at the school while Woodward was known as a loner who reportedly sought to offend and intimidate others.

Woodward identified as a member of the neo-Nazi online group Atomwaffen Division as early as 2016, according to Pro Publica. He reportedly traveled to Texas to attend a three-day training program in hand-to-hand combat, firearms, outdoor survival tactics, and more. His social media was reportedly littered with anti-LGBTQ+, racist, and anti-Semitic posts.

Despite his extremist views, rumors had swirled at OCSA about Woodwards sexual identity, with many suspecting he was gay and in the closet.

When Bernstein found his profile on a dating app, he 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.

Bernstein sent two cryptic texts to Lily possibly just moments before he was killed.

I did something really horrible for the story, he wrote in the first text.

But also no one can ever know, he wrote in the second and last text.

Bernstein did not respond to Lilys repeated follow-up texts.

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.

State prosecutor Jennifer Walker attacked Woodwards testimony in her closing arguments. She also provided her theory on how the murder took place. Noting that several knife wounds on Bernsteins shirt did not match the stab wounds on his torso, she speculated Woodward had lured the student from the bench where he claimed the murder took place to a more secluded spot in the foliaged area where his body was discovered. She speculated that Woodward first stabbed Bernstein in the neck as he was undressing.

Walker said the totality of the evidence convicted Woodward.

When you look at the joining of the group, the propaganda on his devices, the escalation of his communications to himself, the communications with Blaze Bernstein, the warnings from his parents not to engage in this type of behavior, it all adds up, Walker said to media following the verdict.

Woodward is scheduled to be sentenced on October 25.
Photo: The press service of the President of Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 5. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov has embarked on a working visit to Azerbaijan, Trend reports via the Kyrgyz president's administration.

"During the visit, the head of state will take part in the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) to be held on July 6. The summit's theme is Transport, Communications and Enabling a Sustainable Future through Climate Action," the administration said.

The delegation includes Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev, Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan Muratbek Azymbakiev, Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan Maksat Mamytkanov and Minister of Transport and Communications Tilek Tekebaev.

To note, the informal summit will be held in Shusha city, and will serve as a platform for high-level discussions on the organizations key issues and agenda.

The meeting is anticipated to conclude with the signing of the Karabakh Declaration, accompanied by a handful of other vital documents.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Allies of Donald Trump are pushing for the first nuclear tests in three decades

Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that a third World War is imminent, and that what he calls the n-word  nuclear war  poses a bigger threat to the globe than the climate crisis.

The day after his debate against Joe Biden last week, Trump said the biggest problem we have in the whole world is nuclear weapons and nuclear warming.

That could happen tomorrow, he told supporters in Virginia.

Trumps allies are now suggesting that, if elected, Trump should restart underground nuclear weapons testing, a practice that the US gave up more than 30 years ago, and if resumed would likely fuel a global arms race in a volatile political moment.

Last month, Trumps former national security adviser Robert OBrien called on Trump to resume nuclear tests for reliability and safety in the real world for the first time since 1992.

Reactivating nuke tests will maintain technical and numerical superiority to the combined Chinese and Russian nuclear stockpiles, he wrote in Foreign Affairs magazine.

No one wins a nuclear arms race, folks, said Arms Control Association chief Daryl Kimball, who described OBriens article as dangerous, counterproductive, Dr. Strangelove thinking.

Its a terrible idea, former Obama energy secretary Ernest Moniz told The New York Times. New testing would make us less secure. You cant divorce it from the global repercussions.

Donald Trump speaks at a rally on June 28 in Virginia, where he called nuclear warming a greater threat than the climate crisis. (EPA)

The US stockpile has 5,044 warheads, Russia possesses 5,580 and China has 500, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

OBrien wants the US to maintain technical and numerical superiority to the combined Chinese and Russian nuclear stockpiles  marking a dramatic expansion of the nations nuclear stash.

Nuclear weapons testing and weapon stockpiling are key parts of the defense recommendations in Project 2025, the 900-page Heritage Foundation-backed manifesto for Trumps second term.

Project 2025 calls for the rejection of current arms control treaties considered contrary to the goal of bolstering nuclear deterrence.

Any US detonation of its nuclear arsenal would violate the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which was signed by the worlds atomic powers in 1996.

The Project 2025 proposals, written by Trumps former defense secretary Christopher Miller, call for the acceleration of all weapons production and prioritize nuclear development over any other security programs, including boosting supplies above treaty limits, and creating a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile  that type of weapon was retired under George HW Bush more than 30 years ago.

Project 2025 also calls for gutting any non-nuclear programs at national laboratories, like those currently working on the climate crisis, and boosting plutonium production.

A view of the entrance of White Sands Missile Range where the Trinity test site is located in New Mexico, where the worlds first atomic bomob exploded in 1945. (AFP via Getty Images)

Earlier this year, the Heritage Foundation mapped out exactly how Trump would announce his nuclear ambitions.

The group proposed Trump making a major speech after his inauguration to make the case to the American people that nuclear weapons are the ultimate guarantor of their freedom and prosperity.

He then should direct Congress to boost funding for nuclear projects, put nuclear agencies on a wartime footing, and order the placement of nuclear warheads on a currently deployed fleet of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles and ground-launched missiles.

The group also is pushing for Trump to expand nuclear weapons globally, adding to a stash of bombs at bases across Europe.

If nuclear war happens, we wont be second in line pressing the button, Trump reportedly told then- Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello while surveying hurricane damage in 2017.

In 2018, Trump posted on Twitter that the US has a much bigger & more powerful nuclear launch button than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. And my button works! he added.

Americas European allies are also bracing for any changes to the already-fragile nuclear status quo, with Russias war in Ukraine and Trumps repeated threats to blow up the US relationship with NATO.

During a rally in South Carolina in February, Trump made those threats explicit, stating that he would not protect NATO allies under threat of Russian attacks if they are delinquent in their share of defense spending.

I said, You didnt pay? Youre delinquent? Trump said. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.

Last month, the Congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group warned against the already-soaring costs of nuclear modernization programs without sufficient review and oversight.

The United States cannot preach temperance from a bar stool, Senator Ed Markey said in a statement. We have a responsibility to prevent the heightened threat of nuclear war.

The Independent has requested comment from President Joe Bidens administration and Trumps campaign.
***Learn about what can get you kicked off a plane in the video above.***

BUFFALO, New York (WJW)  An American Airlines flight made an emergency stop on in New York on Wednesday after investigators say a passenger exposed himself to others on the plane.

Officers with the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority Police responded to the call at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Western District of New York.

$139.3M Powerball jackpot won in Ohio

A flight attendant told airport police that a man, later identified as 25-year-old Neil McCarthy of Oregon, allegedly exposed himself during the flight and urinated in the aisle, the criminal complaint says.

McCarthy was escorted off the plane and arrested. Hes charged with indecent exposure and could face up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

2 types of ultra-processed foods strongly linked to shorter lifespans, study findings suggest

A spokesperson told People in a statement that the flight, originally heading from Chicago to Manchester, New Hampshire, made an emergency landing in Buffalo because of a disruptive customer.

Court records say McCarthy made his first appearance in court Thursday afternoon before being released on his own recognizance.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Do Americans recognize Keir Starmer - the new UK Prime Minister

Sir Keir Starmer has stormed to a landslide vicory in the UK's General Election, winning a sizeable majority.

His position as Prime Minister makes him a world leader, and one of the most powerful people on the planet.

But, in New York City's iconic Times Square, a picture of Sir Keir addressing the nation this morning didn't illicit much recognition.

Just two of the people The Independent spoke to recognized Mr Starmer as the new Prime Minister, and none could name him.
The 'Williamsburg,' shown in this photo leaving one of its landings on the James River, is part of the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry service that shuttles vehicles between James City and Surry counties.

SURRY  Just days before it was scheduled to take effect, the reduction in service at the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry crossing will not happen after all.

The Virginia Department of Transportation, which operates the three-mile state Route 31 crossing between Surry and James City counties, said in a statement that the planned reduction July 8 will no longer be implemented.

As staffing and vessel resources allow, the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry will remain operating under the summer schedule that went into effect May 27 to accommodate the increase in ferry passengers during the summer-travel season, VDOT said in the statement.

Last week, VDOT announced it would reduce operations to only one ferry that would run 24 hours a day, and add a second vessel between 2-8:30 p.m. The department cited staffing shortages for the reduction  ferry operators require special certification from the U.S. Coast Guard.

VDOT spokesperson Nina Ullrich said between the time the agency announced the reduction and Friday, "we have achieved full-staffing operations" to the point where the lighter schedule will not be necessary.

Sen. Lashresce Aird, D-Petersburg, met with VDOT officials Monday afternoon to discuss the reduction after saying she got so many emails from Surry citizens worried about the decision.

The outpouring of concern was very vocal, Aird told The Progress-Index.

Staffing issues are common this time of year, but VDOT said in its meeting with Aird that the shortage of qualified ferry operators prompted the decision to alter the schedule but vowed to return to normal summer hours as soon as possible. Along with a $10,000 incentive bonus to attract qualified candidates, the agency also said it asked for a comprehensive market analysis of its compensation plan.

Four days after that meeting, VDOT announced the reversal  a move Aird said was welcomed relief to Surry citizens and regular ferry riders.

Related: State reduces travel schedule for Jamestown-Scotland Ferry this summer. Why?

"The responsiveness of VDOT and the entire ferry operations team, to all of the concerns shared is truly commendable, Aird said. I look forward to continuing to support the efforts required to ensure we can prevent this disruption in service from occurring in the future.

VDOT's Ullrich said the agency "is still actively recruiting" applicants for the ferry service.

The ferrys summer schedule can be found here. In a nutshell, two ferries will run from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and one from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. On weekends, extra vessels will run from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry is celebrating its centennial anniversary next year. It is popular with motorists and visitors opting to avoid interstate and highway travel in lieu of a more scenic rural route.

Its S-shaped, 20-minute path across the James links Scotland Wharf on the Surry side with the Jamestown settlement on the James City side

It is the only crossing in a 70-mile stretch of the James River between the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge in Prince George County and the Interstate 664 Monitor-Merrimac Bridge-Tunnel in Newport News.

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: VDOT reverses decision to reduce ferry service
Andrew Tate can leave Romania but must remain in EU before trial, court rules

Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist influencer, can leave Romania but must remain within the European Union as he awaits trial on charges of human trafficking and rape, a Romanian court ruled Friday.

The ruling by a court in the Romanian capital of Bucharest means Tate, his brother Tristan and two further defendants may travel freely within the EU until their trial, according to CNN affiliate and Romanian outlet Antena 3.

A spokesperson for the Tate brothers called the ruling a significant victory and a major step forward in their ongoing case.

We embrace and applaud the decision of the court today, I consider it a reflection of the exemplary behaviour and assistance of my clients. Andrew and Tristan are still determined to clear their name and reputation; however, they are grateful to the courts for placing this trust in them, the spokesperson said Friday.

In a video posted on X, Andrew Tate called the case against him a sham.

My judges decided  Im allowed to leave Romania, so do we take the (Ferrari) SF90 to Italy, do we take the (Maserati) MC20 to Cannes, do we take the (Ferrari) 812 Competition to Paris, where do I go? he asked.

The bravado was typical of Tate, who shot to internet fame in recent years, racking up billions of views on TikTok with diatribes about male dominance, female submission and wealth.

In April, a Bucharest court ruled that the case against the brothers on charges of human trafficking and rape could proceed to trial. At the time, a spokesperson for the brothers said they had appealed the ruling.

The Tate brothers and two Romanian citizens were arrested in December 2022 and formally indicted in June 2023 on charges of human trafficking, rape and setting up a criminal gang to sexually exploit women - accusations they deny.

Romanian prosecutors alleged the Tate brothers seduced victims, by falsely claiming they wanted a relationship or marriage with them.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Brianne Tushaus has trapped between 150 and 200 feral and outdoor cats in the past year, taking them to the Animal Humane Society to be spayed or neutered for free and returning them to her south Minneapolis neighborhood to live out their lives.

But now, she's unsure if she can continue after AHS began charging $75 to sterilize such cats July 1.

"It's going to be a significant reduction in the number of cats I can help year over year," Tushaus said. "It's an unseen problem that's about to become more visible."

It's a concern shared by others doing the same work: trapping, neutering and returning cats to local colonies  known as TNR  since the AHS made the change. They say the number of stray or abandoned cats has already skyrocketed in recent years because people can't afford them or don't want them post-pandemic, adding to the problem.

Officials at the AHS, among Minnesota's largest animal-focused nonprofits, say they still support TNR efforts but cannot afford to fix cats for free anymore.

"Ideally we'd like to do as much as we can for free, or as low of a cost as we can," said Dr. Graham Brayshaw, AHS' chief medical officer. "We had to take a hard look everywhere for, what are we charging?"

Brayshaw said the cost of other AHS activities, from pet adoption fees to kids' summer camps, have also risen. Charging $75 to fix a cat, which includes vaccinations, doesn't cover the cost of surgery.

Maia Rumpho, who runs Pet Project Rescue, a north Minneapolis-based nonprofit that sterilizes about 500 Minnesota cats annually, said the change will cause an explosion in the Twin Cities' cat population and put pressure on smaller nonprofits. She said people in low-income communities caring for cat colonies already face hurdles to getting them fixed, like transportation.

"My big stance on it is about equity and breaking down barriers to vet care," Rumpho said. "It is now entirely out of grasp."

Fewer affordable options

The practice of trapping, fixing and returning cats began to gain acceptance in the 1990s as a humane way to control the population of "community cats"  stray, feral or unowned cats that live outdoors, often in colonies. It's an alternative to euthanizing strays, which advocates say doesn't reduce cats' numbers anyway.

"We can't adopt our way out of the cat overpopulation crisis," said Jacky Wilson, director of TNR and community outreach for Bitty Kitty Brigade, a Twin Cities-based rescue focused on saving neonatal kittens.

In the Twin Cities area, there are just a few places to get community cats fixed; none are free. The Minnesota Spay/Neuter Assistance Program (MNSNAP) in Minneapolis charges $100 for males and $120 for females, which includes a rabies vaccination, according to its website. Another option is Purple Cat, a vet clinic in Baldwin, Wis., that charges $70 to sterilize a community cat, according to its website.

Minneapolis Animal Care and Control (MACC) provides sterilization to community cats for one local nonprofit on a "rare and limited basis" but doesn't have capacity to do more, said Anthony Schendel, MACC's director. St. Paul Animal Control has no in-house veterinary facilities and calls local rescues for help with altering pets, said Casey Rodriguez, a St. Paul spokesperson.

The Bitty Kitty Brigade recently had a meeting to discuss whether to continue their TNR program; they decided to carry on, but are trying to figure out how to fund the surgeries.

Many other cat rescuers said they will continue providing the work, despite the cost. Some hoped local governments would step up, while others wished the AHS would provide a way for people to donate specifically to TNR efforts.

Alecia Larsen, an independent cat rescuer in Eden Prairie, recently sterilized and returned 47 cats to a colony in Jordan. Last summer, Larsen, who has a heated and air-conditioned garage for the cats, got 70 cats in Otsego fixed.

"I have a good job. But $75 times 70 cats  who can afford that?" Larsen said as she picked up two newly altered cats from MNSNAP before work. "I'm going to try to get out if I can."

Financial challenges

In recent weeks, cat rescuers have been posting on social media about the new cost. They worry about more cats getting hit by cars, more kittens eating out of Dumpsters and more baby birds, rabbits and squirrels being dismembered.

Dramatic change isn't impossible, but it's not likely, said Brayshaw, who helped start the AHS' TNR program.

In fact, he said, the number of kittens taken in by SPAC, MACC and the humane society has declined over time, likely due to the "really engaged, wonderful trapper community" that has made real progress. In 2024, the AHS took in 2,080 kittens  half as many as it did in 2013, the year before it began the TNR program.

AHS spokesperson Brittany Baumann said the nonprofit has experienced ongoing financial challenges that began during the pandemic. It faced a $3.5 million deficit in its 2025 budget, and has already eliminated 24 staff positions, trimmed expenses and expanded fundraising.

Veterinary care has become more expensive, Brayshaw said, with the cost of supplies like anesthetics and pain medicine increasing. A shortage of vets and vet techs means the humane society has to pay its staff more.

Kerrie Seigler, an independent cat trapper in St. Paul Park, said she and her peers were already spending thousands of dollars on traps, outdoor cameras, and medicine like antibiotics and dewormers.

"We really put our hearts and souls into helping the strays and ferals," she said. "If you only knew how much sickness and injury were out there  it's devastating."
When a wild orangutan in Sumatra recently suffered a facial wound, apparently after fighting with another male, he did something that caught the attention of the scientists observing him.

The animal chewed the leaves of a liana vine  a plant not normally eaten by apes. Over several days, the orangutan carefully applied the juice to its wound, then covered it with a paste of chewed-up liana. The wound healed with only a faint scar. The tropical plant he selected has antibacterial and antioxidant properties and is known to alleviate pain, fever, bleeding and inflammation.

The striking story was picked up by media worldwide. In interviews and in their research paper, the scientists stated that this is the first systematically documented case of active wound treatment by a wild animal with a biologically active plant. The discovery will provide new insights into the origins of human wound care.

To me, the behavior of the orangutan sounded familiar. As a historian of ancient science who investigates what Greeks and Romans knew about plants and animals, I was reminded of similar cases reported by Aristotle, Pliny the Elder, Aelian and other naturalists from antiquity. A remarkable body of accounts from ancient to medieval times describes self-medication by many different animals. The animals used plants to treat illness, repel parasites, neutralize poisons and heal wounds.

The term zoopharmacognosy  animal medicine knowledge  was invented in 1987. But as the Roman natural historian Pliny pointed out 2,000 years ago, many animals have made medical discoveries useful for humans. Indeed, a large number of medicinal plants used in modern drugs were first discovered by Indigenous peoples and past cultures who observed animals employing plants and emulated them.

What you can learn by watching animals

Some of the earliest written examples of animal self-medication appear in Aristotles History of Animals from the fourth century BCE, such as the well-known habit of dogs to eat grass when ill, probably for purging and deworming.

Aristotle also noted that after hibernation, bears seek wild garlic as their first food. It is rich in vitamin C, iron and magnesium, healthful nutrients after a long winters nap. The Latin name reflects this folk belief: Allium ursinum translates to bear lily, and the common name in many other languages refers to bears.

As a hunter lands several arrows in his quarry, a wounded doe nibbles some growing dittany. British Library, Harley MS 4751 (Harley Bestiary), folio 14v, CC BY

Pliny explained how the use of dittany, also known as wild oregano, to treat arrow wounds arose from watching wounded stags grazing on the herb. Aristotle and Dioscorides credited wild goats with the discovery. Vergil, Cicero, Plutarch, Solinus, Celsus and Galen claimed that dittany has the ability to expel an arrowhead and close the wound. Among dittanys many known phytochemical properties are antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and coagulating effects.

According to Pliny, deer also knew an antidote for toxic plants: wild artichokes. The leaves relieve nausea and stomach cramps and protect the liver. To cure themselves of spider bites, Pliny wrote, deer ate crabs washed up on the beach, and sick goats did the same. Notably, crab shells contain chitosan, which boosts the immune system.

When elephants accidentally swallowed chameleons hidden on green foliage, they ate olive leaves, a natural antibiotic to combat salmonella harbored by lizards. Pliny said ravens eat chameleons, but then ingest bay leaves to counter the lizards toxicity. Antibacterial bay leaves relieve diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress. Pliny noted that blackbirds, partridges, jays and pigeons also eat bay leaves for digestive problems.

A weasel wears a belt of rue as it attacks a basilisk in an illustration from a 1600s bestiary. Wenceslaus Hollar/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

Weasels were said to roll in the evergreen plant rue to counter wounds and snakebites. Fresh rue is toxic. Its medical value is unclear, but the dried plant is included in many traditional folk medicines. Swallows collect another toxic plant, celandine, to make a poultice for their chicks eyes. Snakes emerging from hibernation rub their eyes on fennel. Fennel bulbs contain compounds that promote tissue repair and immunity.

According to the naturalist Aelian, who lived in the third century BCE, the Egyptians traced much of their medical knowledge to the wisdom of animals. Aelian described elephants treating spear wounds with olive flowers and oil. He also mentioned storks, partridges and turtledoves crushing oregano leaves and applying the paste to wounds.

The study of animals remedies continued in the Middle Ages. An example from the 12th-century English compendium of animal lore, the Aberdeen Bestiary, tells of bears coating sores with mullein. Folk medicine prescribes this flowering plant to soothe pain and heal burns and wounds, thanks to its anti-inflammatory chemicals.

Ibn al-Durayhims 14th-century manuscript The Usefulness of Animals reported that swallows healed nestlings eyes with turmeric, another anti-inflammatory. He also noted that wild goats chew and apply sphagnum moss to wounds, just as the Sumatran orangutan did with liana. Sphagnum moss dressings neutralize bacteria and combat infection.

Natures pharmacopoeia

Of course, these premodern observations were folk knowledge, not formal science. But the stories reveal long-term observation and imitation of diverse animal species self-doctoring with bioactive plants. Just as traditional Indigenous ethnobotany is leading to lifesaving drugs today, scientific testing of the ancient and medieval claims could lead to discoveries of new therapeutic plants.

Animal self-medication has become a rapidly growing scientific discipline. Observers report observations of animals, from birds and rats to porcupines and chimpanzees, deliberately employing an impressive repertoire of medicinal substances. One surprising observation is that finches and sparrows collect cigarette butts. The nicotine kills mites in bird nests. Some veterinarians even allow ailing dogs, horses and other domestic animals to choose their own prescriptions by sniffing various botanical compounds.

Mysteries remain. No one knows how animals sense which plants cure sickness, heal wounds, repel parasites or otherwise promote health. Are they intentionally responding to particular health crises? And how is their knowledge transmitted? What we do know is that we humans have been learning healing secrets by watching animals self-medicate for millennia.

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: Adrienne Mayor, Stanford University

Read more:



Adrienne Mayor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
EMPORIA (KSNT)  The northeast Kansas sky was lit up with fireworks this Fourth of July.

The Emporia community celebrated the Fourth of July with a concert and firework show at Welch Stadium at Emporia State University. Bernie Toso has been doing this show for 19 years. He gave 27 News a behind the scenes look: walked through the staging area, and showed off the 795 shells of all sizes rigged up. Torso said it took a crew of 28 people to put this together. He originally said last year would be his final time, but had to come back because its just too much fun.

Boomtown, USA lights up the Fourth of July sky

He said the show has changed quite a bit over the years, and it gets a little better each time.

We started out match lighting, which is like a fusie taped to a broomstick and its advanced a long way from there, Torso said. Weve gone through several systems and now were 100% remote.

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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in the Republic of Azerbaijan to attend the Informal Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) to be held in Shusha, Trend reports.

A guard of honor was lined up for the President of Uzbekistan at the Fuzuli International Airport decorated with the national flags of the OTS member countries.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev was welcomed by Yagub Eyyubov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Emin Huseynov, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Aghdam, Fuzuli and Khojavand districts, Samir Sharifov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other officials.

15:11 GMT (+4)

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 5. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev left for Azerbaijan on a working visit to participate in the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), the statement of the press service of the President of Uzbekistan said, Trend reports.

"The agenda of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Heads of State, which will be held under the theme "Building a sustainable future through transport interconnectivity and combating climate change", includes issues of further deepening regional cooperation in trade-economic, transport-communication, and investment-financial spheres, as well as in the fields of "green" economy, renewable energy, combating climate change, and human capital development," the statement of the press service reads.

To note, an unofficial summit of the OTS will be held in Shusha on July 6. It will serve as a platform for high-level discussion of key issues and the agenda of the organization.

Furthermore, at the end of the meeting, it is expected to sign the Karabakh Declaration and some other important documents.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Another busy Fourth of July for Boise Fire Department. Here are the latest numbers

Multiple fires sparked by fireworks damaged stores and other structures on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Boise Fire Department told the Idaho Statesman.

The Boise Fire Department responded to 31 fires on July 4 and in the early hours of Friday morning, Lynsey Amundson said in a text message Friday.

That number includes house fires, grass and brush fires, and even dumpster fires, the department said.

PulsePoint, a 911-connected website that allows users to view fire and emergency responses, showed 23 vegetation and structure fires just between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.

Amundson said the number is preliminary and reports are still being finalized. The department is also finalizing how many of the fires were directly started by fireworks.

Last year, Boise Fire responded to 114 calls for service the week of the Fourth of July, and 25 of those were fireworks-caused blazes. The city sent a message to residents prior to the holiday this year reminding them to celebrate safely and encouraging people to attend public fireworks displays rather than setting off their own.

Fourth of July fireworks also had a significant impact on air quality across the Treasure Valley on Friday morning. The Boise area had a very unhealthy rating, according to the National Weather Service. Only seven other areas in the United States saw air quality levels equally as poor.

National Weather Service Boise

In Sandpoint in North Idaho, an Army Surplus 1 store burned down after fireworks caused a blaze Thursday night. Firefighters remained on the scene overnight, according to the Selkirk Fire Department.

Selkirk Fire Rescue & EMS

The fireworks were set off in a nearby alley. Crews have not released any additional information.
Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a former papal ambassador to the United States who became an ultra-conservative critic of Pope Francis, has been excommunicated for schism.

The Vatican said in a statement that the prelate had refused to recognize and submit to the authority of the pope, and had rejected communion with members of the Catholic Church and its authoritative teachings.

In 2018, Vigano released a bombshell dossier calling on Francis to resign and accusing the pope of knowing about allegations of abuse of trainee priests carried out by the former cardinal of Washington, DC, Theodore McCarrick, and failing to act. A Vatican inquiry later challenged Viganos account and cleared Francis.

As a Vatican diplomat, the archbishop was tasked with serving the pope, which makes his excommunication for schism highly unusual. The ruling means the archbishop cannot receive the sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church, such as communion.

The Vatican explained Friday that Vigano was excommunicated following an extrajudicial penal process, although the archbishop has said he did not recognize the legitimacy of the process.

Recently, the archbishop has said Francis election to the papacy should be considered null and void and has instead accused the pope of heresy and schism.

He has accused the pontiff of supporting what he called the climate fraud and has criticized him for backing Covid-19 vaccines and for promoting an inclusive, immigrationist, eco-sustainable, and gay-friendly church. Vigano was also at the center of controversy for arranging a meeting between the pope and Kim Davis, a Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples, during the popes 2015 visit to the US. The Vatican later said the meeting should not be considered a form of support of her position.

Following Viganos 2018 call for the pope to resign, several bishops in the US issued statements of support for the archbishop, which were criticized by some commentators.

For some, the archbishop had been seen as an effective diplomat and official in years gone by. I dont know what happened, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy Sees Secretary of State, said recently about the now-excommunicated archbishop.

The Vatican said Vigano had been told of the excommunication and that only the Holy See could lift the sanction.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
A local community is remembering a high school graduate who was killed in a motorcycle crash last month.

>>Police identify officer killed in line of duty in Ohio

Lance Corporal Noah Lippeatt, 21, was on his way to see his family on Fathers Day when he was killed in a motorcycle crash, according to Mason City Schools.

The school district posted on social media that he was a varsity wrestler at Mason High School and the Comets Mascot. He graduated in 2021.

Lippeatt wrested for Campbellsville University before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in January 2023.

He was stationed at Camp Geiger, then Chesapeake, and Washington D.C. where he completed his last post duty with Marine Barracks 8th and I Washington DC Guard Company, his online obituary said.

A memorial is Saturday at Liberty Heights Church at 4 p.m. with a Celebration of Life at 5 p.m. in Liberty Township.

The family has asked that donations be made to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) instead of flowers.
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentine President Javier Milei on Friday appointed Federico Sturzenegger as minister of deregulation and transformation of the state, a publication in the country's official gazette showed.

Sturzenegger, who served as central bank head under former President Mauricio Macri from 2015 to 2018, is set to assume the newly created role Friday afternoon amid market turbulence fueled by uncertainty over the country's economic performance.

The new ministry has been established with the aim of adapting "the organization of the national public administration in accordance with the process of reducing public expenditure," the decree stated.

Sturzenegger was one of the key architects of Milei's economic reform bill, especially in terms of deregulation.

(Reporting by Walter Bianchi and Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Gabriel Araujo)
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A 67-year-old man from Bullhead City, Arizona, died Wednesday in an apparent accidental drowning in the Colorado River.

Bullhead City emergency crews were called to the area of 1200 Riverfront Drive  about two miles southwest of casinos in Laughlin, on the Arizona side of the river  for a report of a possible drowning just after 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

According to information from the Bullhead City Police Department, several bystanders helped pull the man from the river. Despite efforts to save him, the man was pronounced dead at Western Arizona Regional Medical Center.

Police said the drowning appeared to be accidental.

The mans name will not be released until next of kin has been notified.

Bullhead City is about 1 hours south 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.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Ballot initiative groups are making their final push for petition signatures before the Friday deadline as they hope to get their issues on the November 2024 ballot.

Allison Guthrie, a multi-petition organizer, said that petitions are coming in every hour from across the state.

Today is the last chance for Arkansas to sign any of the petitions, and participate in direct democracy, Guthrie said.

Arkansas education ballot initiative receives pushback in final days before deadline to gather signatures

The issues on petitions range from educational rights, legalizing abortion and a medical marijuana expansion, to modifying the states Freedom of Information Act, removing sales tax on feminine hygiene products and diapers, as well as repealing a Pope County casino license.

There are some that are very, very close, and this last chance to sign could push some of them to the finish line, Guthrie said.

Some groups efforts were met with others holding Decline to Sign posters targeting specific issues. Charisse Dean, field representative for the Family Council Action Committee, said theyre against the proposed abortion and medical marijuana amendments.

Arkansas Secretary of States office set to verify hundreds of thousands of ballot initiative petition signatures

Dean said the abortion amendment is too extreme, but volunteer Caroline Morgan said it could be life-saving.

I think it would save womens lives, Morgan said. Right now abortion is all but banned.

More than 90,000 signatures are required for each of the six constitutional amendments to qualify for the ballot coming from 50 counties, and 72,000 signatures are required for the initiated act to qualify.

All of the BQCs, the ballot question committees, will be here at the Capitol, turning in all of their petitions to the secretary of states office and weve got a lot of dedicated people who are working and helping all of us get on the ballot in November, Guthrie said.

The ballot question committees will be submitting those signatures to the secretary of states office in the state capitol by 5 p.m. on Friday.

Arkansas House passes resolution opposing proposed abortion amendment

While there wont be scheduled signing events tomorrow, there still will be opportunities to sign.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Instead of shooting fireworks from home, a team of firefighters from across Arkansas is spending Independence Day in New Mexico.

Arkansas Task Force 1 arrived in Ruidoso, New Mexico, on Saturday, hours after water rose to eight or nine feet in some spots according to village officials. The flooding prompted nearly 80 swift water rescues in two days.

New Mexico heavy rain and flash flooding prompt mandatory evacuations

The force is trained and equipped to respond to various search and rescue situations, usually on the front lines of in-state disaster recovery. However, for the fourth time since they were founded in 2010, they are responding to another state.

Weve been to Texas on a hurricane, Florida on a hurricane, Louisiana hurricane and now the swift water rescues in New Mexico, Andy Traffanstedt said.

Traffanstedt is the Program Manager for the task force. He stays in Arkansas to ensure the team has all the resources it needs. Everyone on the team has another job when they are not deployed. Traffansted is the director of the Pulaski County Office of Emergency Management.

We go on the bigger, more intense type calls, Traffanstedt explained.

Scot Erwin is the team leader on the ground. Hes joined by others from Traffanstedts office and firefighters from Little Rock, Conway, Jonesboro, Rogers, Springdale and Bella Vista fire departments.

Most of our guys in some way they are the same way they are when were back home. They want to help what they need help, so when they ask, were usually ready to go, Erwin said.

List of missing residents shrinks as New Mexico village seeks recovery from wildfires

The South Foote and Salt Fires devastated the village of Ruidoso in June. They claimed at least two lives and destroyed around 1,400 structures.

Because of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, several states answered the call before Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee task forces arrived Saturday.

Erwin said New Mexicos monsoon season makes rainfall far different than Arkansas. The elevation caused by mountains and desert climate with the lack of vegetation can cause just one inch of rain to flood an area.

With the burn scars already here, conditions change really fast, Erwin said.

While not responding to heavy rain, the task force is training in new ways to search and rescue, even on a holiday.

Were just happy to help, Erwin said. Were on an operational period from 10 to 10, so hopefully theyll have some fireworks up here, but we have to be ready to go at any minute.

Arkansas Task Force 1 weighs if the team is needed for assistance in the Natural State when considering deployments. They draw the team from a variety of locations to ensure no one place is lacking the protection it needs.

Crews responding to fire on Shinall Mountain

Arkansas can also receive help from other states task forces. The team first learned of this weeklong commitment last week and said it may get extended another 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 KARK.
An Arkansas organization announced Friday it has collected more than enough signatures to place a measure on the ballot this year that would ensure abortion access up to 18 weeks in the state.

Arkansans for Limited Government said it will deliver more than 100,000 signatures, surpassing the 90,704 needed for placing the amendment to the state constitution on the ballot.

This milestone comes just days after groups in Arizona and Nebraska similarly announced they had collected enough signatures for measures ensuring abortion access could be on their state ballots.

The proposed measure would amend the Arkansas Constitution to explicitly prohibit the state government from being able to prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion services in any situation up to 18 weeks of pregnancy.

All abortions are currently banned in Arkansas except for when necessary to save the life of the patient.

Right now, Arkansas is the most dangerous place in the country to be pregnant. Not only does Arkansas have the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation, nearly half of Arkansas counties are maternity healthcare deserts, meaning they have no obstetric providers or options for delivery care. Arkansas deserves better than that, Lauren Cowles, Arkansans for Limited Government executive director, said in a statement.

State constitutional amendments to protect abortion access could be voted on in up to 11 states this year including Colorado, Missouri and Florida. Five states are confirmed to have them up for a vote and others are in varying stages of advancing similar measures.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
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.

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.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Arkansas OB-GYN says proposed abortion-rights amendment could revive standard of care appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Little Rock OB-GYN Dina Epstein, a volunteer trained by Arkansans for Limited Government, tries to gather signatures for Arkansass abortion-rights ballot initiative. (Submitted by 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 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.

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?

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.

The post Arkansas OB-GYN says proposed abortion-rights amendment could revive standard of care appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of the "Palace" hotel in the city of Khankendi after major overhaul and restoration, Trend reports.

The head of state was informed about the facilities created at the hotel.

The hotel has 54 rooms of different categories, with the most up-to-date catering facilities put in place. The restaurant, with a lobby, outdoor and indoor terrace areas, will allow to receive 300 guests. Moreover, the hotel also features a breakfast restaurant, "Shirin Coffee & Bakery", "Cafe Park-Fast Food" and "Dafna" restaurants. The entertainment and recreation area of the hotel features a SPA, a sauna, an indoor swimming pool, and a gym.
Artificial intelligence will be offered as an undergraduate degree program at select Oklahoma colleges and universities following approval from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. (Pornyot Palilai/Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished unless you have a Getty subscription.)

OKLAHOMA CITY  Students at some of Oklahomas public colleges and universities will soon be able to pursue undergraduate degrees in artificial intelligence.

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education approved artificial intelligence degree programs at Rose State College, Southwestern Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma on June 4.

While some universities have offered courses in artificial intelligence, these are the first degree programs in the state.

Trisha Wald, dean of the Dobson College of Business and Technology at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, worked to start up the program at the university. Representatives at Rose State College and the University of Oklahoma were not available for comment.

While the degree program can begin in the fall for Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Wald said the late approval means some of the new AI classes may not be able to start until the spring.

Wald said she looked at similar programs in other states to create the proposed curriculum for this new program. While Wald said there are not as many programs as you would think, she was able to use their programs to determine what Southwestern Oklahoma State Universitys program needed.

Its a multidisciplinary program, so its not just computer science courses, Wald said. Weve got higher level math, psychology and philosophy courses, specifically on ethics. So its going to help us have more well-rounded individuals.

Wald said the approval process took months and the proposal had to demonstrate workforce demand to the Regents as part of the proposal process.

Over 19,000 jobs in Oklahoma currently require AI skills, officials said. This number is expected to increase by 21% in the next decade.

AI is rapidly emerging as a vital employment sector, said State Regents for Higher Education Chair Jack Sherry in a statement. New career opportunities in areas like machine learning, data science, robotics and AI ethics are driving demand for AI expertise, and Oklahomas state system colleges and universities are answering the call.

Gov. Kevin Stitt said the new degree programs will allow Oklahomas students to be at the forefront of the AI industry.

These degree programs are a great leap forward in our commitment to innovation in education and will position Oklahoma to be a leader in AI, said Gov. Kevin Stitt in a statement. AI is reshaping every aspect of our lives, especially academics. Im proud of the Board of Regents for ensuring Oklahomas higher ed students do more than just keep pace, theyll lead the AI revolution.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Police officers stand guard at the crime scene where police say two people were killed and three others injured in Huntington Beach, Calif., Friday, July 5, 2024. Two people were killed and three others injured in Independence Day violence in the beach city, police said Friday. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP)  Two people were killed and three others injured in an attack during a neighborhood Fourth of July gathering in a Southern California beach city, police said Friday.

The county coroner removed two bodies Friday morning from the crime scene, which encompassed a grassy median in a residential neighborhood lined with palm trees. The violence was just a few blocks from the beach in a community known as Surf City USA."

A 26-year-old Huntington Beach resident was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, said city spokeswoman Jennifer Carey. Officials released no further details on the attack Thursday night other than to say it was an assault with a deadly weapon." It began less than two hours after the city's fireworks display ended roughly a mile (1.6 kilometers) away.

Violence was reported across the country on Thursday. The Fourth of July historically is one of the nations deadliest days of the year.

In the Huntington Beach neighborhood, people on bicycles rode up to crime scene tape blocking off the street Friday morning to ask police and bystanders what happened. Evidence of a gathering remained, including chairs, a cooler and drink cans on a grassy median near the homes. Remnants of fireworks also littered the street.

Resident Al Pacella said he knows one of the victims of the attack, which began during a casual neighborhood gathering for the holiday.

Just a get-together with the neighbors and some local friends, Pacella said. Everybody there is really nice and easygoing, theyre all neighborly and help each other out.

Pacella was walking back from a bar and stopped by the party for a few minutes before he headed home. Less than an hour later, he saw police lights outside his window.

Its heartbreaking," he said. Its just tragic.

The district attorneys office said they had not yet received the case from police by Friday morning but charges could be filed as early as Monday. A spokesperson for the Orange County coroner did not have details about the victims fatal wounds. And the mayor did not respond to a request for comment.

Shootings and other violence during the extended Fourth of July weekend have left at least 18 other people dead, including 11 in Chicago, and injured dozens more nationwide.

___

Dazio and Ding reported from Los Angeles.
DENVER (KDVR)  An Aurora man drowned after being swept away by fast-moving currents in the South Platte River on Thursday.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office, Jorge Ramirez-Flores, 57, was with his family on the South Platte River near Deckers at 4:45 p.m. Deputies said he was walking on some rocks when he lost his balance and fell into the water.

Slow down: 3 drivers caught going over 100 mph in Aurora

Ramirez-Floress family attempted to grab him, but deputies said the current pushed him downstream.

Deputies said he traveled about two miles to the Gaskill Bridge when bystanders pulled his body out of the water. Ramirez-Flores was unresponsive, and the bystanders attempted resuscitation efforts.

North Fork Fire arrived on scene and took over the life-saving efforts but were unsuccessful. It was determined that Ramirez-Flores had drowned.

Download the FOX31 App: Breaking news alerts & Pinpoint Weather

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, there have been more than 25 deaths in Colorado bodies of water so far this year, and its only July. CPW projects this to be a record-breaking year.

According to information sent out by CPW, in 2023, they tracked 32 water-related deaths, down from 42 in 2022  a state record. CPW tracked 22 deaths in 2021 and 34 deaths in 2020.

Mark Techmyer, Jefferson County Sheriffs Office Public Affairs Director, says the incident is another reason to highlight water safety because this kind of drowning could happen to anyone.

We dont have lazy rivers here, they can look on the surface like theyre manageable, but underneath the current can be drastically different. Its very easy to get snagged up and caught up in something or to slip and fall and have the current carry you away, Techmyer 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 FOX31 Denver.
Austin lands within Hurricane Beryl's possible path, though forecast not yet certain

The National Hurricane Center's tracking map for Hurricane Beryl shows its predicted path as of late Thursday afternoon.

Hurricane Beryl, which on Thursday was passing the Cayman Islands after devastating Jamaica and leaving 11 dead across the region, could make its way to Austin early next week, according to the storm's latest forecast path.

Austin first appeared in Beryls cone of uncertainty, the storm's broadly projected path, on Wednesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center. The centers Thursday reports showed Central Texas within the cone's northernmost boundary, with the storm potentially reaching Austin within the next five days.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Mack Morris told the American-Statesman on Thursday that Austins inclusion within the cone is far from a guarantee that the city will endure the impact of what is now a Category 3 storm, which could be downgraded to a Category 1 by the time it reaches Texas. After all, the hurricane centers forecast cone grows larger the farther away it is from the storm due to uncertainty.

A satellite image shows Hurricane Beryl as it approaches the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday.

For us its still an uncertain forecast, Morris said. We should start to get a better idea on exactly where its going to go once it makes its way to the Gulf (of Mexico). But thats still another day-and-a-half away.

More: History-making Hurricane Beryl likely to hit South Texas as Cat 1 storm next week, NWS says

After blasting through Jamaica on Wednesday, Beryl was expected to move past the Cayman Islands on Thursday as it heads west toward western Cuba and Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, which includes the resort city of Cancun.

The weather service office in Corpus Christi said Wednesday afternoon that there is a growing chance the storm could make landfall in northeast Mexico or the South Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center has cautioned those planning to travel to Texas coastline over the Fourth of July weekend to be aware of the storms potential to create dangerous swimming conditions, including aggressive rip currents.

Hurricane Beryl Tracker: See projected path of Category 4 storm as it heads toward Jamaica

The deciding factor for Central Texas, Morris said, will be the location of pressure fields, known as ridges and troughs, influencing the hurricane.

A ridge would push Beryl largely west and away from the north. Conversely, a trough would send the storms forces northward. If the trough weakens the ridge, Beryl could move more into Texas.

If the storm were to reach Austin, it wouldnt be until Monday or Tuesday at the earliest, Morris said.

Updates on Hurricane Beryls trajectory can be found on the National Hurricane Centers website, www.nhc.noaa.gov.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Hurricane Beryl could reach Austin, Texas as per 'cone of uncertainty'
ANTIOCH, Tenn. (WKRN)  A toddler died in a pool at an Antioch apartment complex Thursday night.

 Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts 

Rescue crews were called to the Magnolia Apartment complex on Arbor Knoll Boulevard around 7 p.m.

Metro Police (MNPD) reported the childs mother said she had left her daughter sitting on the steps of the pool and she was having fun splashing water in the pool. The mother walked away for a few seconds to get her daughter a bottle of water and then started hearing people yelling that the child was drowning, according to MNPD.

She was identified as 4-year-old Mariam Jabateh.

Residents called 911 and dispatchers walked through CPR over the phone and when officers arrived, people were still performing CPR.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Medics with the Nashville Fire Department then took over and took the patient to Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt where she was pronounced dead.

No additional information was 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.
Body of man who went missing near Point Mallard recovered, no foul play suspected

DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT)  The body of a man who went missing near Point Mallard on Thursday night has been recovered.

Justin Letson, 35, was last seen on or around a large group of boats parked offshore of Point Mallard around 10 p.m. Thursday.

The Decatur Police Department said Letsons body was recovered from the Tennessee River at around 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Officials said no foul play is suspected in Letsons death.

20-year-old dies after fireworks accident in Madison County

It was a while after he was last seen that people discovered and reported he was missing. He was described as 60 and roughly 195 pounds with blonde hair.

DPD, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Morgan County Rescue Squad and multiple other agencies searched the area.

Thanks to the Morgan County Rescue Squad, ALEA Marine and Aviation, and the Lawrence County Rescue Squad for their assistance in the search, Decatur Police said.

Officials placed drones in the sky along with several boats on the Tennessee River hoping to find him.

Several family members were at Point Mallard patiently waiting to hear updates on Friday afternoon along with Letsons mother who had been looking for her son since late Thursday evening.

News 19s Darryl Burke talked with his mother, Ginger Letson earlier in the day, and she told him that her son was celebrating the Fourth of July alongside many at Point Mallard.

She said her son was on the water watching fireworks displays last night, but later went missing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
Two men drowned Thursday in back-to-back incidents on the Yuba River while recreating in the Sierra foothills on the Fourth of July, Nevada County fire department officials announced Thursday.

The unrelated incidents happened Thursday afternoon when rescuers from the Nevada County Consolidated Fire Department responded to a call at 1:27 p.m. and the second soon after on the Yuba River near Highway 49. Both men were pronounced dead following life-saving procedures.

Firefighters and a CHP helicopter responded to the first call after a man reportedly entered the water and did not resurface. Rescuers, working in an area difficult to access, were able to locate the man but he was unresponsive to CPR and died.

Due to the challenging and steep terrain, units from Nevada County Consolidated Fire, North San Juan Fire Protection District, Cal Fire NEU, State Parks and Sierra Nevada Ambulance utilized a technical rope rescue system to gain rapid access to the victim, fire department officials said.

The second drowning came minutes later when consolidated firefighters joined with the Penn Valley Fire Protection District to respond to a reports of a water rescue. Firefighters did not offer details about rescue or where the mans body was found.

The identities of both men are expected to be released by the Nevada County Coroners Office.

Our thoughts go out to the families who were affected by these tragic incidents today, fire officials said.
A ballot drop box in Madison, Wisconsin, that has been put out of commission. The city posted a sign explaining why it can no longer be used after a Wisconsin Supreme Court decision banned most absentee ballot drop boxes. (Wisconsin Examiner photo)

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 on Friday that absentee ballot drop boxes are allowed to be used in the state, reversing its own decision on the issue from two years ago.

In 2022, the courts then-conservative majority court ruled in Teigen v. Wisconsin Elections Commission that drop boxes werent allowed under state law and absentee ballots needed to be brought directly to municipal clerks. Drop boxes had been used in the state for decades prior to the decision, but became increasingly popular in 2020 as a way to safely vote during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, drop boxes became the target of conservatives, who argued they were vulnerable to fraud and abuse.

The court, which flipped to a liberal-majority when Justice Janet Protasiewicz was elected in 2023, decided to revisit the issue this year with a case filed by Priorities USA, a national non-profit group, and Democrats. In Fridays ruling the new majority said they were overturning its previous decision because the ruling was unsound in principle.

The decision comes just a little over a month ahead of Wisconsins August primary elections.

The majority opinions author, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, wrote that the new decision does not force or require that any municipal clerks use drop boxes. It merely acknowledges what [the statute] has always meant: that clerks may lawfully utilize secure drop boxes in an exercise of their statutorily-conferred discretion.

Conservatives on the court slammed the decision as an attempt for liberals to advance a political agenda. Justice Rebecca Bradley, writing in a dissent for the three conservative justices, compared the Friday decision to the courts December 2023 decision to overturn the states legislative maps.

The majority ends the term by loosening the legislatures regulations governing the privilege of absentee voting in the hopes of tipping the scales in future elections, Bradley wrote.

The decision elicited celebratory reactions from Democrats and others who view the drop boxes as a way of expanding voter access and participation in the voting process.

Gov. Tony Evers called the decision a victory for our democracy. He said the court affirmed that drop boxes are safe, secure, and legal, and local clerks should be empowered to make decisions that make sense for their local communities.

Were going to keep fighting to ensure that every eligible voter can cast their ballot safely, securely, and as easily as possible to make sure their voices are heard, Evers said in a statement.

Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell said drop boxes are a convenient alternative to mailing absentee ballots or returning them in person to an elections clerk and that they were a common sense tool that the county used safely and securely prior to the ban in 2022.

Having drop boxes in place for the 2024 elections in August and November will encourage civic participation in our democracy, McDonell said in a statement.

Supporters of the decision said drop boxes will especially give certain voters, including those with disabilities and those in rural areas, easier access to voting.

Disability Rights Wisconsin said in a statement that many voters with disabilities rely on absentee voting and for some it is their only option when it comes to casting a ballot. However, barriers exist including access to transportation and availability of an assistor to return an absentee ballot, the organization noted.

The ability to access ballot drop boxes will alleviate an important barrier for voters with disabilities and help ensure their vote is counted, said Kit Kerschensteiner, director of Legal and Advocacy Services for Disability Rights Wisconsin.

Republican lawmakers and conservatives had varied reactions to the decision, with some criticizing the decision and others saying they are focused on upcoming elections.

Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay) said in a statement that drop boxes ensure unequal access to elections depending on the actions of any particular county clerk. Using a nefarious term that refers to dropping off completed ballots for people besides yourself, he said it also affords bad actors the opportunity to ballot harvest unchecked. He said the courts decision also degrades its own reputation by overturning itself within 2 years since the last decision and reduces confidence in the election process when we need reliable structure before the crucial 2024 election.

Rep. Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa), chair of the Assembly campaigns and elections committee, said he wasnt going to complain about WI Supreme Court decisions, and that he is instead focused on winning elections.

If youre only complaining youre not helping, Krug wrote on social media. Be an observer, work at the polls, be a part of the process providing oversight and accountability.

The post Ballot drop boxes now allowed in Wisconsin after state Supreme Court reverses 2022 decision appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
A World War II relic in Baltimore faces a fundraising deadline to stay afloat.

The John W. Brown, built in 1942 to transport cargo and troops, is leaving for Norfolk, Virginia, on July 13 for dry dock repairs priced over $1 million.

Project Liberty Ship, the nonprofit organization that maintains the ship, received a $500,000 matching grant for dry docking through the National Park Service in December 2022, meaning it must raise $500,000 on its own or receive nothing.

The deadline to match the grant is Aug. 15, and organizers say the volunteer-operated ship is still around $45,000 short of its goal.

The John Brown will depart later this month but might not return if it cant afford the bill.

Were all there because we like history, and we want to honor shipbuilding, Dick Sterne, who volunteers in the engine room, said. We do this to remember Baltimores industrial past and maritime heritage of shipyard workers.

Sterne said the boat must undergo a dry dock inspection every five years per Coast Guard regulations and there isnt anyone in Baltimore who does them. Sterne said the process involves disassembling valves and ultrasound tests of the hull thickness.

If Project Liberty Ship misses the fundraising goal, the ship will not be inspected nor permitted to sail. Sterne said the organization could try asking the Coast Guard for an extension.

A 40-person crew will operate the ship on an 18- to 20-hour trip to Norfolk. Sterne said the ship burns close to a barrel of fuel or 42 gallons per mile, putting fuel costs for the journey to dry dock alone around $60,000.

For those who volunteer on the ship, its important to keep sailing.

If you ask anybody involved, there is one thing that separates the Brown from any other museum  the vast majority of the ship operates. Thats the bottom line, said Greg Mucci, who worked as a mechanical engineer on ships out of Sparrows Point in the 1980s before starting to volunteer on the John Brown.

Mucci said the ships inner workings and engine are a trip back in time. There is an original depth finder from 1942 that no longer works. Parts of the ship were put together with rivets instead of welding.

Im an engine guy. I cant comment on anything above the main deck. The engine room is essentially historically correct. Its not 100%, but its pretty damn close to being the way it was in 1942, Mucci said. Its a triple expansion reciprocating steam engine. That technolgoy dates to 1880. On board the Brown you have technology from 140 years ago, and it still operates today.

The ship, named after a labor organizer for the Shipbuilding Workers of America at Bath Iron Works in Maine, operates as a museum, school field trip destination and maritime classroom. Mucci directs a summer internship program through Anne Arundel County Schools that has three high school students enrolled for 134 hours this summer.

We involve them in hands-on experience fixing things, Mucci said. Theyre part of our operations crew and oilers in the engine room. Its a unique learning experience.

The 441-foot Liberty Ship has been docked in Canton, and last month hosted youths from the Navys and Coast Guards Sea Cadets program.

Stacia Miller, a volunteer for over 20 years who is now the treasurer for Project Liberty Ship, said fundraising efforts were hindered when a living-history cruise was canceled due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26.

We want to educate future generations and get them involved as much as we can into the maritime profession, Miller said.

Construction of the Liberty Ships began in September 1941, and by wars end in 1945, some 2,700 had been built. As the workhorses of the American war effort, they transported two-thirds of all cargo that left the U.S. during the war. The John W. Brown could carry as much as 9,000 tons of cargo and as many as 500 soldiers.

Following the war, the John W. Brown was lent to New York City, where it served as a maritime high school until 1982. After floating dormant in New York and, later, Norfolk, the ship arrived in Baltimore in August 1988. Following extensive renovations, almost all accomplished with volunteer labor, it was back sailing under its own power in August 1991. One other Liberty Ship, the Jeremiah OBrien in San Francisco, is still in operation. In 2000, the John W. Brown sailed to dry dock in Toledo, Ohio, traveling over 5,000 miles to the Great Lakes and back through the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Payday is to operate the ship, Mucci said. Thats our goal: another payday.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in the Republic of Azerbaijan to attend the Informal Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) to be held in Shusha, Trend reports.

A guard of honor was lined up for the President of Uzbekistan at the Fuzuli International Airport decorated with the national flags of the OTS member countries.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev was welcomed by Yagub Eyyubov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Emin Huseynov, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Aghdam, Fuzuli and Khojavand districts, Samir Sharifov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other officials.

15:11

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 5. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev left for Azerbaijan on a working visit to participate in the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), the statement of the press service of the President of Uzbekistan said, Trend reports.

"The agenda of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Heads of State, which will be held under the theme "Building a sustainable future through transport interconnectivity and combating climate change", includes issues of further deepening regional cooperation in trade-economic, transport-communication, and investment-financial spheres, as well as in the fields of "green" economy, renewable energy, combating climate change, and human capital development," the statement of the press service reads.

To note, an unofficial summit of the OTS will be held in Shusha on July 6. It will serve as a platform for high-level discussion of key issues and the agenda of the organization.

Furthermore, at the end of the meeting, it is expected to sign the Karabakh Declaration and some other important documents.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
BALTIMORE, Md. (WHTM)  Baltimore Police arrested three men after seizing a large amount of fireworks on July 4.

Police say at around 8:53 p.m., officers working out of the Southwest District investigated a large amount of illegal fireworks found under a tent on the 2500 block of McHenry Street.

Police charged three men in their 30s who they say assaulted officers, leaving multiple injured.









All of the fireworks seized by police were recovered by the Baltimore Bomb Squad Unit and ATF agents were notified. Police did not identify the suspects arrested.

In Maryland, fireworks that are prohibited by state law include Roman Candles, Sky Rockets, firecrackers, cherry bombs, smoke bombs, and any firework that is shot from a mortar tube.

Citations can be issued and fines can be levied for those who possess or discharge fireworks without a permit.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Community members hoping to bring attention to a 12-year-old girl who vanished from her Hall County home more than a month ago encountered a setback Friday as they tried to unveil a new banner.

Maria Gomez-Perez vanished from her home in late May. On Friday, the community planned to hang a large banner displaying her picture up on a pedestrian bridge over Jesse Jewell Parkway.

Instead, the five-foot banner, which offers a $50,000 reward for Gomez-Perezs safe return, is posted on the street corner several yards from the bridge.

Officials with the Georgia Department of Transportation said they would rather feature the childs picture on electronic billboards around the county.

Still, the man who had the banners made said hes hopeful that he can get the sign hung on the bridge overhead.

Stefan Lebron didnt know the family before Marias disappearance but felt for them.

I have a four-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son, so I have to apply the same principles as if this happened to me, Lebron said. Not only that, you have to take initiative.

GDOT spokesperson Elizabeth Johnson said in a statement to Channel 2s Bryan Mims:

GDOT Traffic Ops Department felt there was a better way to get information regarding Maria Gomezs disappearance to the motoring public rather than a banner in one location.

Johnson said the agency spoke to the City of Gainesville, asking if the message could appear on the electronic billboards. Mayor Sam Couvillon said Marias picture has been posted on six electronic billboards for more than a week.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Community activist Art Gallegos said that isnt enough.

I think its fundamental that we have a banner that signifies so much, not just for the Latino community, but for Gainesville in general, Gallagos said. People need to know that we have not forgotten. We will not forget.

RELATED STORIES:

Her father, Andres Gomez, spoke to Channel 2s Bryan Mims through a translator Friday. He said that all the community attention is keeping him strong.

Seeing everybody thats coming together, youre not giving up, thank you so much, he told the crowd.

He said prayer and his faith in God is keeping him hopeful his little girl will come home.

He said she immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala to live with him about five or six years ago. She was a student at Lyman Elementary School.

Investigators say they have received dozens of tips thanks to the reward being funded by anonymous donors, but none of them have panned out and they have no leads as to where she may be or what might have happened.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., shown with Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the steps of the Supreme Court in 2021, passed up the chance for a narrow consensus ruling offered by Barrett in Trump vs. United States that could have won over the court's liberals. (Washington Post / Getty Images)

The Supreme Court ended its term divided into partisan blocs, with the Republican appointees ruling in favor of former President Trump's claim of immunity while the three Democratic appointees voiced a bitter dissent.

It's exactly the result many critics of the court might have expected, with politics driving the law. It's also what Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has tried hard to avoid  at least most of the time.

For much of this year, Roberts and the justices succeeded in defusing partisan splits with narrow or procedural rulings.

By a 9-0 vote, they threw out a Texas lawsuit seeking to block millions of American women from obtaining abortion pills. They denied gun rights to people who are under a domestic violence restraining order in a 8-1 decision.

But the chief justice did not seek to bridge the partisan divide in the case of Trump vs. United States. He passed up the chance for a narrow consensus ruling offered by Justice Amy Coney Barrett that could have won over the court's liberals.

A former Notre Dame law professor, Barrett saw no need for a broad ruling on presidential immunity in Trump's case.

"Properly conceived, the presidents constitutional protection from prosecution is narrow," she wrote in a concurring opinion. "The Constitution does not insulate presidents from criminal liability for official acts."

Yes, the president cannot be prosecuted for the exercise of his "core" constitutional powers, she said, agreeing with the conservative majority on that point.

But she said the indictment before the court focused on Trump's effort to overturn his election defeat by, for example, encouraging Republican state legislators to create false slates of electors claiming that Trump, not Biden, won in their state.

This is "private conduct," Barrett said. "The president has no authority over state legislatures," and the Constitution offers Trump "no protection from prosecution of acts taken in a private capacity."

That was just the kind of middle-ground position that Roberts usually seeks. Instead, he dismissed it.

The court must uphold "enduring principles" involving the "separation of powers and the future of our Republic. ... We cannot afford to fixate exclusively, or even primarily, on present exigencies," he said, referring to the case before the court.

It wasn't the first time Barrett split with Roberts this year in a high-profile case involving Trump. One week ago, Barrett disagreed with Roberts and said she would have upheld the obstruction charges against the Trump supporters who broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. She said Roberts did "textual backflips" to ignore what the law said.

Why did Roberts and the four conservatives on his right insist on a broad ruling on presidential immunity?

Unlike Barrett, all five have worked in Washington in Republican administrations and are attuned to how politics drives most investigations that involve presidents and their administrations.

Roberts and Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh worked as White House lawyers for Republican presidents.

Justice Neil M. Gorsuch was in high school when his mother, Anne Gorsuch, was forced to resign as President Reagan's administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. House Democrats had voted to hold her in contempt for refusing to turn over documents at the behest of the White House involving hazardous waste dumps.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. came to the court after tough confirmation hearings in which they clashed with then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.). More recently, they have been steady targets of Democrats for their undisclosed vacation trips paid for by billionaires. They were the most likely to vote for Trump's broad claim of immunity.

Read more: Supreme Court gives Trump broad immunity from prosecution  for the past and perhaps future

Many Republicans, not just Trump's supporters, saw the prosecutions of the former president through a political lens. Never before, they said, had a former president from one party been indicted for crimes by the administration of the party that replaced him.

Moreover, the Trump case took shape in the last year as the former president prepared to run against the Democratic president who ousted him.

In November 2022, Trump announced he would seek the presidency again. Biden said he too would run. Biden's attorney general, Merrick Garland, then appointed Jack Smith, a hard-charging prosecutor, as a special counsel to pursue the investigation of Trump's actions following the 2020 election.

Last August, Smith indicted Trump for conspiring to overturn his election loss, and he sought a fast-track jury trial for early this year. He also indicted Trump in Florida for mishandling secret and highly classified documents.

Meanwhile in New York, Manhattan Dist.Atty. Alvin Bragg, an elected Democrat, indicted Trump on 34 felony counts for false bookkeeping entries intended to hide payments to a porn star. New York's state attorney general, Letitia James, a Democrat, sought and won a $355-million civil penalty against Trump for allegedly inflating his assets. In Georgia, Fulton County Dist. Atty. Fani Willis, an elected Democrat, indicted Trump and 18 others on state racketeering charges involving the 2020 election.

Democrats and progressive groups cheered the indictments as signs that Trump was finally being held to account in the courts for his misdeeds. They were not prepared for what happened when Trump's case reached the Supreme Court.

In early December, the special counsel petitioned the justices to take up Trump's claims immediately. It is of "imperative public importance" the case move promptly toward a trial, he said. Two weeks later, his appeal was turned down without comment.

In February, the U.S. appeals court in Washington said the case may move forward, but the Supreme Court put it on hold and scheduled arguments for the end of April on Trump's claim of presidential immunity.

Those arguments and this week's opinion made clear that Roberts and the conservative justices saw the issue through an entirely different prism than the liberals and Democrats.

"No president has ever faced criminal charges  let alone for his conduct in office," Roberts said. Responding to the fierce dissent by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, he said she was engaged in "fearmongering" that ignores the "more likely prospect of an executive branch that cannibalizes itself, with each successive president free to prosecute his predecessors." He foresaw "the enfeebling of the presidency" and "a cycle of factional strife."

Roberts concluded by noting the newly declared immunity for presidents "applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office, regardless of politics, policy, or party."

Which poses the greater danger to the nation  a president who can break the law knowing he is forever shielded from prosecution or a president under constant threat that they may face prosecution after leaving office by partisan opponents?

Georgetown law professor Irv Gornstein, director of its Supreme Court Institute, said that question explains much about the outcome.

"If you think that tit-for-tat prosecution of ex-presidents poses a greater risk to the presidency and democracy than Trump, you probably think that presumptive immunity for all official acts makes sense," he said. "But if you think that Trump is the greater threat, as many Americans almost certainly do, you probably think the court cares more about Trump and his reelection prospects than it does about democracy and the rule of law."

"When a sizable portion of the public has already lost confidence in the court, that is something the court ought to worry about," he added.

Many critics on the left said the chief justice had made a colossal error of judgment that will overshadow his career.

Quinta Jurecic and Ben Wittes, writing in the Lawfare blog, called it a "decision of surpassing recklessness in dangerous times."

The "court majority may flatter itself that its staying out of politics. But this is a fairy tale the justices are telling themselves  if they are, in fact, telling themselves this pleasant little tale," the pair said. "In fact, they are handing a powerful immunity to an adjudged felon who may be about to assume the executive power of the United States."

Harvard law professor Jack Goldsmith, a top Justice Department attorney under President George W. Bush, said in response that it will not be clear for some time whether the court made the right call. But he said the Democratic lawyers made a mistake by relying on the courts to stop Trump.

"It has been a fantasy for many years now to think that courts and prosecutors can purge the nation of a law-defiant populist demagogue," he said. "Only politics, not law, can do that."

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.
Barstow Unified School District officials are seeking board of trustee candidates as they attempt to fill the vacant Trustee Area One position.

The person appointed to the seat will fulfill the remainder of now-resigned Trustee Julie Clemmers term, which concludes in December 2024, district officials stated.

Barstow Unified School District Superintendent Deanna Swearingen, left, and former Board Trustee Julie Clemmer.

Application process

Residents of Area One are encouraged to apply for the trustee seat and may do so online by visiting the district website at busdk12.com.

Applications will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, July 16.

Please see the following list of requirements for the application process for Area One:

Any person, regardless of sex, who is 18 years of age or older

A citizen of California

A resident of the city of Barstow, living in Trustee Area One

A registered voter

Not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the state from holding a civil office

A letter of interest will be required to submit an application

A candidate meeting these requirements is eligible to be appointed as a member of a governing board of a school district without further qualifications.

An election will take place for the Trustee Area One position as part of the General Election on Nov. 5, 2024.

If you have questions, or to verify your address location in the designated trustee area, call 760-255-6006

Questions regarding this process may be directed to Christina Crain at 760-255-6006. More information is available on the website.

Julie Clemmer

District, city and community leaders bid a fond farewell to Clemmer on June 26 as she and her husband, Bob, are retiring.

Those who spoke included Superintendent Deanna Swearingen, former Superintendent Jeff Malan, former Board of Trustees member and Barstow Councilmember Barbara Rose.

Former Trustee Clemmer served on the Barstow Unified School District Board of Trustees for more than 20 years, beginning in 2003. During her time on the board, she held the position of president, vice president, clerk and trustee.

Her commitment and service to the students and staff of Barstow Unified School District and her heart for children, providing them with the best educational experiences possible, is something all of us in BUSD will carry forward, district officials stated.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Barstow Unified School District seeks candidates to fill board seat
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  The suspect in a road rage shooting Monday on the Bay Bridge was arrested hours after the incident unfolded, according to the California Highway Patrol. It was the first arrest made using the newly installed Flock automated license plate recognition cameras, the agency said.

At around 6:40 a.m., CHP responded to reports of a shooting on westbound Interstate 80 west of the Treasure Island on-ramp. Speaking with the victim of the shooting, who was able to safely exit the freeway, investigators learned that the shooting occurred following a merging conflict at the on-ramp. The driver was not struck by the bullet, however, he suffered lacerations from flying glass in his vehicle, CHP said.

Child in Berkeley hospitalized after firework explodes in hand

Detectives got a description of the suspect vehicle and began reviewing Flock camera data. Once the suspect vehicle was identified in the data, a license plate number was obtained and sent out to Bay Area law enforcement agencies, authorities said.

Deputies with the Contra Costa Sheriffs Office located the matching vehicle at around 10:20 a.m. traveling in Richmond and made a traffic stop.

The suspect, identified as Adrian Martinez Emerson, 42, of San Pablo, was detained for questioning, according to CHP. A search of Emersons 2016 Honda Accord uncovered a pistol that authorities believe was used in the Bay Bridge shooting.

Photo: California Highway Patrol

Emerson was arrested and booked into the San Francisco County Jail on felony charges of attempted murder, assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm from a vehicle.

In March, California Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled plans to install 480 Flock cameras in Oakland and the greater East Bay area to crack down on crime.

Through new state-of-the-art technology and the deployment of officers, California is doubling down in our efforts to keep our communities safe, Newsom said in a news release of the arrest. I thank the California Highway Patrol and allied agencies for their persistent work to secure accountability in this case and help ensure that Californians are safe and secure.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BCA identifies officers, provides more details in fatal shooting of North Branch woman

Authorities have disclosed more details about the June 27 fatal shooting of a woman by police in North Branch, Minn.

The Midwest Medical Examiners Office has identified the woman as Jamie Ann Crabtree, 36, of North Branch. She died of multiple gunshot wounds.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has also identified two North Branch police officers who used force during the incident. They are both on paid administrative leave.

According to the BCA, Kyle Miller used non-lethal force. He has a year-and-a-half of law enforcement experience. Duane Southworth fired his department rifle. He has two years of law enforcement experience.

The agency said that the officers responded to an evening report of a woman, later identified as Crabtree, walking down the street with a bottle of alcohol and a handgun in a case.

The officers ordered her to drop the gun case, which she did not acknowledge. Miller deployed PepperBall rounds. Crabtree can be seen on squad car camera appearing to point an object at the officers. Thats when Southworth fired his rifle multiple times, striking Crabtree.

She was pronounced dead at Lakes Region Emergency Medical Services, the BCA said.

BCA investigators recovered a handgun, a gun case and rifle cartridge casings at the scene.

Officer body camera and squad car camera video captured portions of the incident.

The BCA is reviewing the video and investigating the incident. Once the investigation is complete, the agency will present its findings without a charging recommendation to the Washington County Attorneys Office for review. Washington County is handling the case to avoid a conflict of interest with the Chisago County Attorneys Office.

According to KSTP-TV, Crabtrees husband called 911 and reported that his wife was intoxicated and suicidal. He also told KSTP that his wife had suffered from mental illness and was known to North Branch police.

The BCA didnt address any of those details in its announcement on Wednesday.

Related Articles
Virginia Senator Mark Warner is looking to assemble a supergroup of Democratic lawmakers to force President Joe Biden out of the 2024 presidential race.

The Old Dominion senator has told people that he no longer believes Biden has enough sway with voters to prevent another Donald Trump presidency, according to two sources that spoke with The Washington Post with the condition of anonymity.

Warners spokesperson Rachel Cohen refused to either confirm or deny Warners current beliefs about Bidens ability. Like many other people in Washington and across the country, Senator Warner believes these are critical days for the presidents campaign, and he has made that clear to the White House, Cohen told the Post.

So far, Representatives Lloyd Doggett, Raul Grijalva, and Seth Moulton have formally called on the president to exit the race, but many more have signaled their preference in subtler ways, including legacy politicians like Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the latter of whom suggested that growing concern over the candidates ages was a legitimate question.

Panic over Bidens age and ability has consumed the Democratic Party since the presidents abysmal debate performance last week, during which he appeared dumbfounded and frail through the majority of his first 2024 matchup against Donald Trump. Since the face-off, droves of private-sector leaders, donors, and consultants have urged Biden to call it quits, looking for spontaneous alternatives to a candidate that they openly describe as comatose and dead.
The EU imposes new sanctions on Belarus, targeting sanction circumvention.

Amid rising border tensions between Ukraine and Belarus, Belarusian official bolsters nuclear threats.

Ukraine returns five of its citizens held in Belarusian prisons in a latest prisoner swap with Russia.

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko suggests possible release of seriously ill political prisoners.

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Belarus Weekly

Join us

Belarus sentences in absentia 20 exiled political analysts and journalists to 10-11 years in prison, continuing the crackdown on dissent.

Lukashenko reshuffles his government and administration in a move seen as a preparation for the upcoming 2025 presidential elections.

EU imposes new sanctions on Belarus, aiming to curtail sanctions circumvention

The European Union imposed new sanctions on Belarus on June 29 in response to the countrys involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine, the EU Council announced.

Days before the EU Council presidency transferred from Belgium to Russia-leaning Hungary, the EU ambassadors agreed on a new sanction package that expands current restrictions on Russia and Belarus with the aim of curtailing sanctions circumvention.

"These comprehensive measures aim at mirroring several of the restrictive measures already in place against Russia, and thereby address the issue of circumvention stemming from the high degree of integration existing between the Russian and Belarusian economies," the EU Council statement reads.

The export ban covers dual-use and advanced goods and technologies capable of enhancing Belarusian industrial capacities, maritime navigation and technologies, and luxury goods.

Direct or indirect imports of Belarusian gold and diamonds, helium, coal, and mineral products, including crude oil, are prohibited to restrict the regimes sources of revenues. The restrictions extend to road transit, banning trailers and semi-trailers registered in Belarus from transporting goods within the bloc.

The EU also banned the transit through Belarus of dual-use goods and technologies, or goods that may contribute to the country's defense industry.

The new restrictions oblige EU exporters to add a so-called no-Belarus clause in their contracts, ensuring that sensitive goods and technology, battlefield goods, firearms, and ammunition do not reach Belarus via their contractors and third-country subsidiaries.

Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anatoly Hlaz said the country had prepared a set of asymmetric measures, in response to the new EU sanctions.

Belarus has been a key ally of Moscow and supported Russian aggression against Ukraine, though it has not committed its own forces directly to the hostilities. The EU introduced the 14th round of sanctions against Russia on June 24 to further restrict profits from Russia's energy industry.

Read also: EU states agree on new sanctions package against Belarus to strengthen measures in response to Russias war

Belarusian general makes nuclear threats amid intensified border tensions with Ukraine

Chief of the Belarusian General Staff Pavel Muraveiko has said the tactical nuclear weapons that Russia deployed in Belarus might be used if the sovereignty or independence of Belarus were to be threatened, Belarusian state-run news outlet Belta reported on June 30.

We've learned how to handle these weapons. We know how to apply them confidently, Muraveiko said during a TV broadcast, according to Belarusian state news agency Belta.

"Were able to do it. And you can be sure: we will do it if there is a threat to the sovereignty and independence of our country," he went on.

The nuclear threat follows an intensification of cross-border tensions between Belarus and Ukraine.

On June 20, Belarusian State Border Committee made an unsubstantiated claim that Ukraine was moving additional military forces, allegedly including special operations forces, to its borders with Belarus.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry said the country had stepped up its air defense capabilities, aviation, and artillery within a snap inspection in the regions bordering Ukraine.

Ukraines State Customs Service spokesperson, Andriy Demchenko, dismissed the claims, saying that Ukraine was not threatening, but was forced to protect itself, as "Belarus continues to support terrorists and once before opened the border for Russian invaders.

In the ensuing round of accusations on June 28-29, Colonel Vadim Lukashevich, a high-ranking Belarusian military official, said that Ukrainian forces had allegedly stationed military equipment, including U.S.-produced, in Zhytomyr Oblast, near the border with Belarus.

Lukashevich also claimed that Ukraine had allegedly laid mines and set up other explosives near the border. Lukashevich believes that this indicates that Ukrainian forces plan further assaults against Belarus, sabotage, and terrorist acts.

He did not provide evidence to substantiate his claims. On June 29, Belarus deployed additional air defense forces, alleging that Ukraine was threatening critical infrastructure facilities" with drones.

The Ukrainian Security and Defense Council's Center for Countering Disinformation said in May that Russia may conduct a new psychological operation aimed at stirring up mass panic in Ukraine. The plan was to force Kyiv to believe that Belarusian troops would join Russia's war against Ukraine, according to the center.

Read also: Putin calls to resume production of intermediate-range missiles

Ukraine exchanges 5 prisoners kept in Belarus prisons in recent swap with Russia

Five out of ten Ukrainian citizens returned from captivity in a recent prisoner swap with Russia had been held in Belarusian prisons, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 28.

The release of the prisoners was part of a prisoner exchange that began on June 25, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.

Some of those returned in the exchange, which was brokered by the United Arab Emirates and the Vatican, were Nariman Dzhelyal, deputy head of the assembly of the ethnic Crimean Tatar community, who was taken prisoner by Russian occupation forces in 2021; priests of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Bohdan Heleta and Ivan Levytskyi, and civilians Olena Pekh and Valerii Matiushchenko.

The Ukrainian citizens liberated from Belarus included Natalia Zakharenko, Pavlo Kupriyenko, Kateryna Briukhanova, and Mykola Shvets, accused by the regime of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko of committing an act of terrorism on Feb. 26, 2023 that damaged a Russian A-50 long-range radar aircraft stationed at Machulischy air base near Minsk.

Shvets was captured and forced to confess to being a Ukrainian Security Service officer, who had been left behind upon fulfilling his mission. Belarusian propaganda aired the sham confession, and repeatedly stated that Ukraine would not be able to free its citizen, who was held in a Belarusian KGB security service pre-trial detention facility.

Sign up for our newsletter

WTF is wrong with Russia?

Sign up

Recognized political prisoner Natalia Zakharenko, who was volunteering to help transport Ukrainian refugees to and from Belarus, went missing in July 2023 after entering Belarus. She was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment on March 5, 2024, on espionage charges.

Another Ukrainian civilian, Pavlo Kupriyenko, was sentenced to seven years on charges of undercover activities. The Belarusian regime declared him an extremist. Ukrainian civilian Liudmyla Goncharenko faced the same charges, but her sentence remains unknown.

Interpreter Kateryna Briukhanova, born in Kherson, was convicted of aiding extremist activities and branded an extremist by the Lukashenko regime for filming Russian troop movements in Belarus and sharing the footage with a local news outlet.

Lukashenko claimed he had released prisoner Shvets at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin in exchange for Metropolitan Jonathan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The former members of Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskayas United Transitional Cabinet, Valery Kavaleuski, and Belarusian political analysts have suggested that the Lukashenko regime was not a party to the negotiations.

In March 2023, Ukraines ambassador-at-large, Igor Kyzym, previously serving as Ukraines ambassador in Minsk, claimed there were seven Ukrainians in Belarusian prisons, who had been accused of espionage and deprived of consular support.

Viasna Human Rights Center advocate Pavel Sapelka welcomed the liberation of political prisoners, and said more Ukrainians, as well as Belarusians jailed for supporting Ukraine, could be liberated from Belarusian prisons with help from the Ukrainian authorities. According to Viasna, at least 10 Ukrainian citizens charged with undercover activities and espionage remain in Belarusian jails. The fate of five more Ukrainians shown in propaganda films and facing serious accusations remains unknown.

As of June 28, a total of 3,310 Ukrainians had been freed from Russian captivity. Kyiv has said it aims to conduct an all-for-all prisoner exchange  this was one of the subjects discussed at Ukraines peace summit in Switzerland in mid-June.

Lukashenko: some seriously ill political prisoners could be released

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has said that seriously ill opponents of his regime might soon be released, Russian state news agency TASS reported on July 2.

Speaking at an official Independence Day gala, Lukashenko, who has excluded those convicted on political grounds from two rounds of prisoner amnesties, suddenly announced that prisoners suffering from severe diseases could be released.

We have to act humanely, TASS quoted Lukashenko as saying. Dont be surprised if in a few days very seriously ill people, ours as they (the opponents of the regime) call them, the ones who didnt manage to escape (from the country) and are in places not so remote (in detention), who were breaking and destroying (things), will be released."

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko gestures during a joint press conference after Russian-Belarusian meeting at the Palace of Independence, on May 24, 2024, in Minsk, Belarus. (Contributor/Getty Images)

Lukashenko did not specify the number of prisoners that might be eligible for release, but noted that this would primarily affect prisoners suffering from cancer. Among those behind bars with cancer are the former leader of the Belarusian Peoples Front (BNF), 67-year-old Ryhor Kastusiov, sentenced to 10 years; former state TV-broadcaster Ksenia Lutskina, sentenced to eight years in prison; and railroad saboteur Ruslan Slutsky, who is serving an 11-year sentence.

Belarus is currently imprisoning over 1,400 political prisoners, subjecting them to torturous conditions and arbitrary punishments. Six individuals have already died behind bars, and many suffer from severe health conditions without receiving medical help. The humanitarian list, compiled by opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskayas shadow cabinet, includes 250 such prisoners.

On June 13, Tsikhanouskaya said that the humanitarian list includes 16 people with disabilities, 91 with serious illnesses, 65 elderly people, 10 individuals with mental disorders, 23 minors, and at least five families in which both parents have been incarcerated.

Lukashenko reshuffles his administration, government

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko appointed several key high-ranking officials in a major government reshuffle on June 27, according to a report by state-owned news agency Belta.

Dzmitry Krutoy, the former Belarusian ambassador to Russia, was appointed the head of Lukashenko's administration. Natalia Piatkevich, a former assistant and press secretary of Lukashenko, was reinstated as the first deputy head of the administration, a position she worked in between 2004 and 2010. Despite being under sanctions, Piatkevich lived in the United States as the spouse of Belarus Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Valiantsin Rybakou.

Lukashenko also dismissed Siarhei Aleinik as foreign minister only 18 months after his appointment. Maksim Ryzhankou, the first deputy head of the presidential administration, who had reportedly been overseeing foreign policy, is to replace Aleinik. Lukashenko, commenting on Ryzhankous appointment, said he would demand that the new minister to shake up the Foreign Ministry to make it work.

By appointing Ryzhankou as the new foreign minister, Lukashenko appears to be signaling to the West that he would like to launch some kind of communication, exiled Belarusian opposition politician and former diplomat Pavel Latushka said.

Lukashenko also replaced his deputy prime minister, the agriculture minister, and the industry minister.

All of the newly appointed officials are under international sanctions.

Belarusian political analysts believe the new appointments are part of Lukashenkos preparations for the next presidential elections, which have to be held no later than July 20, 2025.

Latushka, a former Belarusian ambassador and culture minister, has suggested that by appointing Krutoy, an absolutely pro-Russian person, to the second most important post in the state, Lukashenko was sending a signal of loyalty to the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, Valer Karbalevich, a political analyst with U.S. government-funded news agency Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, said that Krutoy was put in charge of the Presidential Administration to ensure Lukashenko enjoyed an elegant victory in the 2025 elections.

After claiming to have won a sixth consecutive term as president in contested presidential elections in 2020, Lukashenko faced the largest protest rallies in Belarus recent history. In response, he brutally cracked down on all forms of dissent, eradicating independent media and the civil sector, and disbanding all but loyal, pro-regime political parties.

Read also: Indian PM Modi to visit Russia on July 8

20 Belarusian political analysts, journalists sentenced in absentia to 10-11 years in prison

Minsk Regional Court handed down in absentia prison sentences to 20 exiled Belarusian political analysts and journalists, dubbed Tsikhanouskaya analysts after Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the office of the Belarusian Prosecutor General reported on July 1.

The court found the exiled experts and journalists, many of whom work with world-renowned universities and think tanks, guilty of conspiring to overthrow the regime of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko and belonging to extremist groups  as the regime dubs most opposition organizations.

Alexander Dobrovolsky, an adviser to Tsikhanouskaya, was also charged with leading an extremist formation and one of its branches, and was sentenced to 11.5 years of imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of roughly $74,800.

Other defendants, including the Belarusian Initiative director at the U.K. think tank Chatham House, Ryhor Astapenya, and RFE/RL analyst Yury Drakakhrust, were given prison terms ranging between 10 and 11 years and hefty fines of up to $500,000. The total amount of prison terms handed down exceeded 200 years.

Civil society in Belarus has been subjected to a four-year-long repressive crackdown. Tsikhanouskayas press secretary and one of the defendants, Hanna Krasulina, told RFE/RL in January, when the investigation was announced, that there was no particular logic behind the list of people being investigated: They just put as many people on this list as possible to intimidate as many people as possible, Krasulina said.

Between 300,000 and 500,000 Belarusians have been forced out of the country of 9.5 million. Lukashenkos regime is now seeking to intimidate and silence its exiled opponents with in absentia trials and property seizures.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Bellingham temperatures likely to stay above normal into next week; air quality dips in some areas

Unseasonably warm, dry weather is expected across Whatcom County through this weekend and for several days after that as a high-pressure system lingers over Western Washington, sending temperatures into the upper 80s and possibly low 90s.

Thats 15 to 20 degrees warmer than normal for early July.

Bellingham is under a heat advisory until Monday night, and significant cooling isnt expected until Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Heat risk levels were in the moderate to major range across the state, according to the weather services latest online briefing.

Increasing dry and unstable conditions for this weekend has warranted the issuance of a Fire Weather Watch for the Cascades. These conditions could also extend into Monday and Tuesday, meteorologist Dana Felton said Friday during the online forecast discussion.

Nearly 20 outside fires, vegetation fires and building fires were reported Thursday in Whatcom County, according to the Pulse Point emergency services app.

Air quality has declined in parts of Whatcom County because of airborne particulates, with sensor stations around Ferndale, Lynden and Kendall reporting moderate levels, according to the Northwest Clean Air Agency website.

Officials with the Whatcom County Division of Emergency Management blamed holiday pyrotechnics.

Residual smoke from Fourth of July fireworks will reduce air quality indexes Friday morning before improving throughout the day as smoke mixes out, the agency said in an email.
A day after a powerful Hurricane Beryl swept Jamaicas southern coast, bringing floodwaters and ripping off rooftops, hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans remain without power and water, while others are trying to pick up the pieces of their shredded lives.

United Nations representatives in the Caribbean say it is still too early to put a price tag on the devastation. But Beryls trail of destruction they say, which includes sunken boats in Barbados, flattened homes in the Grenadines, cut off roads in St. Lucia and downed plantain fields in southern Haiti, is a huge blow to the development of several island-nations.

Events like this put the sustainable development of these countries back decades, said Simon Springett, the U.N. resident coordinator in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. It has such a major impact on their economic development.

In the sister-islands of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the storm hardly left a home standing in some communities. Roofs are missing, second floors are now empty spaces and walls of churches have crumbled.

Recalling a recent exchange between a government minister on the island of Carriacou off of Grenada, and international partners, Springett said when they asked if there were any flat areas for them to set up tents, the minister was pretty direct, and he said, The whole island is flat. And then they responded, Well, what do you need? And he said, We need anything that would allow a human being to survive. 

The prime ministers of Grenada and St. Vincent have said the record-setting storm has left a field of devastation in their islands with the roofs of private homes and government buildings, gone.

In Jamaica, the situation is not as grim but the devastation still apparent. The Caribbean nation of about 3 million managed to escape a direct hit of Beryls Category 4 winds and rains on Thursday, but many rural residents have lost their entire livelihoods. Along with damaged roofs, they are faced with downed power lines, fallen trees and boulder-blocked roads.

The damage is widely apparent and is felt by persons from all walks of life especially in rural Jamaica, including the southern parishes of Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth, and those in vulnerable housing, said Dennis Zulu, the U.N. resident coordinator in Jamaica.

Hurricane Beryl tore off roofs and destroyed homes in Treasure Beach, a small fishing and tourism community off the southern coast of Jamaica. Residents assessed the damage on July 4, 2024.

Zulu said as of Friday afternoon, about 70% of people did not have water and 40% were without power. The storm has also affected data connectivity after the countrys two main cell phone providers suffered outages.

Zulu confirmed that there was one dead associated with the hurricane conditions and said a possible second one has yet to be confirmed.

The United Nations has relayed to governments affected by the storm that it stand ready to help, and is currently mobilizing its agencies to respond. In the case of Jamaica, the U.N. has secured $2.5 million from its Emergency Response Fund, and says it can be increased.

Zulu said the U.N. is poised to mount a coordinated humanitarian response to the international development partner community and already engage international partners in Jamaica and international nongovernmental organizations.

Even at this very critical time, I really want to thank and commend the government of Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the government of Jamaica for leading a very proactive approach in response to the effects of Hurricane Beryl, he said.

When I drove through Holland Bamboo my heart broke a million times. pic.twitter.com/wD3tUHo6Ue  Floyd Green (@floydgreenja) July 5, 2024

Prior to Beryls arrival in Jamaica, the storm barreled through the eastern Caribbean where it decimated the housing stock in several islands. Springett said the U.N. had nine of its agencies in Grenada and 10 in St Vincent and the Grenadines, which have received additional staffing after the storms passage.

As part of the U.N.s response, there is a ship leaving on Saturday with supplies to St. Vincents sister islands of Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island, which have a total population of about 15,500, Springett said. Afterward, the ship will head over to Carriacou and Petite Martinique, which are part of Grenada and have about 11,000 inhabitants.

This is a very complicated crisis, Springett said. This is really complicated by the severe logistical and access issues directly after the hurricanes. The seas were exceptionally rough, which made it nearly impossible to get there. The air control towers are out, so theres only fly by visibility but also, even when things get into the airport, theres no roads to be able to access the goods.

In Carriacou, for example, there is still no road access and communications were only re-established on Thursday. Still, there has been a large response from volunteers in Grenada and St. Vincent, as well as a large international response. Regional governments have also responded. Their response includes relief by Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, and a French naval vessel thats expected to dock in Carriacou on Friday.

Its really an international effort, Springett said. .
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Organization of Turkic States within the framework of Informal Summit of Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Shusha, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry wrote on its X page, Trend reports.

Issues arising from allied Azerbaijan-Turkiye cooperation based on brotherhood, mutual support and solidarity, regional and international cooperation within various organizations and formats, global security challenges and matters were thoroughly discussed.

The sides reaffirmed importance of strengthening OTS to enhance cooperation in the Turkic world, to benefit from existing opportunities in various fields, including economy, trade, investments, energy security, transport and communications, combating climate change, etc.

Post-conflict regional reconstruction and peace efforts, latest state of Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process were also discussed during the meeting.
Beshear says he plans to stay Kentucky governor, but doesnt quash talk of higher office

Andy Beshear reiterated Friday he intends to serve out his second term as Kentuckys governor  but he didnt slam the door on higher office, including potentially being vice president.

The only other way I would ever consider anything other than this job  which I love  is if I felt that I could help this commonwealth in special and important ways, he told reporters in Louisville Friday afternoon.

During his reelection campaign last fall  and multiple times since then  Beshear has insisted he plans to serve his whole term that ends in 2027.

However, that was before a flurry of rumors that the 46-year-old Democrat is a potential vice presidential contender, should President Joe Biden decide to drop out of the race following his stumbling June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump.

Whispers about the potential landing spot for Beshear have spilled into the national spotlight.

The 46-year-old Democrat is being ballyhooed by national media sources, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN, as a potential replacement for Biden, or a running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, should she replace Biden atop the Democratic ticket.

On Friday, Beshear wouldnt address those rumors.

I love being governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Beshear said in response to a Herald-Leader question about his commitment to finish his term. I plan on continuing to be governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

A few minutes ago, I asked Ky Gov. Beshear, whose name has been floated as a possible VP candidate in the event Pres. Biden steps down, whether he still planned to finish his 2nd term as gov, as he has repeatedly vowed to do.



He basically said yes, but pic.twitter.com/OQKAJBzStD  Alex Acquisto (@AcquistoA) July 5, 2024

Beshear refused to speculate if Biden will continue to pursue reelection in November. Why?

Because he says hes running, the governor said.

Biden also emphasized this point Friday on social media and at a rally in Wisconsin.

Let me say this as clearly as I can: Im staying in the race, Biden said.

Beshear joined more than 20 other Democratic governors Wednesday in a meeting with President Biden as part of an effort to reassure the presidents supporters he is fit to continue his reelection campaign. Beshear attended in-person at the White House.

Gov. Andy Beshear in an interview with the Herald-Leader in June 2024.

While some governors posted remarks on social media after the meeting reaffirming their support for Biden, Beshear had not publicly commented on the meeting until Friday. Thats when reporters asked the governor about it following a visit to see tornado damage in Louisvilles West End.

Beshear said he wanted to honor the meetings intent to be private, but he did share his recommendation to the 81-year-old president to have an open conversation with the public about the status of his heath.

For those that are worried, addressing it directly, I think, could be really beneficial, Beshear said.

When asked whether he had noticed a decline in the presidents mental acuity, Beshear said more than once that Biden was in control of the room, candidly sought advice from the Democratic governors and thoughtfully engaged on complicated matters.

But, again, the governor said, Biden doesnt just need to reassure his partys governors, he needs to reassure the American people.

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.







During a Tuesday interview with CNN, Beshear told the networks Pamela Brown that many Democratic leaders had concerns about how the president was doing, mentally and physically.

The governor did not mince words about Bidens poor performance in the June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump, in which Biden stumbled over and forgot words, and at times looked lost in thought.

Beshear called it a rough night for Biden.

I think weve all got to be up front and honest that what we saw in the debate, it was rough, the governor said. Regardless of the polls that you see, its going to hurt the campaign.

Notably in that interview, Beshear did not shy away from acknowledging nationwide talks of him being picked as the vice presidential nominee alongside Harris should Biden drop out.

He has made light of the flying rumors, posting Wednesday on X, Everybody keeps asking me the same question . . . and yes, the rumors are true! I plan on supporting Max for future President, Beshear wrote over a picture of him and a kid, Max, who had won an award for future president.

What would happen to the office of the governor if the rumor were to become reality?

Beshear could remain governor while on the presidential ticket this year. If that ticket were to win, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Michael Adams office told the Herald-Leader that the law isnt entirely clear. However, its likely that Beshears running mate Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman would get the remaining three years of the term.

Our interpretation is that the lieutenant governor would become acting governor for the remainder of the term. The unexpired-term provision of the Constitution that triggers special elections applies to sub-gubernatorial offices that are temporarily filled by the governor, and therefore cannot apply to the governor, the spokesperson wrote.

Politics reporter Austin Horn contributed to this report.
Gov. Andy Beshear and First Lady Britainy Beshear, photographed at his inauguration in December 2023, will travel to Japan and Korea with other members of the administration next week. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes)

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will travel next week to Japan and Korea on what his office describes as an economic development trip to bring new jobs to the state.

Also on the trip will be First Lady Britainy Beshear, Cabinet for Economic Development Secretary Jeff Noel, Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray and other members of the executive branch. They will be meeting with companies and trade organizations to determine future investment and job-creation opportunities in the state, according to a news release from the governors office.

The news release says Kentucky has nearly 540 internationally owned operations that employ more than 117,000 people statewide; Kentucky is home to 200 Japanese-owned facilities that employ 47,000 people and seven Korean-owned facilities that employ 1,200 people.

Beshear and Gray will also meet with the National Police Agency of the Republic of Korea to sign a Drivers License Reciprocity Agreement, allowing employees relocating to the United States for an extended period to have effective transportation to jobs.

There is no better place to do business in the United States than right here in Kentucky, and this visit will allow us to share that message directly with business leaders in Japan and Korea, says Beshear in the release. We look forward to meeting with existing employers and developing new relationships that will bring good jobs to the commonwealth.

The post Beshears traveling to Japan, Korea next week on economic development mission appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
(Bloomberg) -- There was a time when US President Joe Bidens allies abroad would make allowances for his age, let the slip-ups slide, gently bring him back to the fold when he appeared to wander off. No longer.

Most Read from Bloomberg

His calamitous presidential debate performance changed the calculus. Now even Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva  a leading South American leftist who wants a Democrat in the White House and is hosting the next G-20 summit  is saying the quiet part out loud.

I think Biden has a problem, Lula  who like Republican presidential challenger Donald Trump is 78  told a local radio station. Hes moving more slowly, he is taking longer to answer questions. The US elections are very important for all the world.

The chorus of voices that want the oldest American president (hes 81) to step aside is growing louder, not only at home but also among nations that in the past months and years made excuses for the presidents wobbly syntax and gaffes. Thats because the prospect of Trump returning to the White House was seen by Western capitals as the bigger threat.

European officials are now saying privately  and more forcefully  that Biden should step aside for someone with a better shot at beating Trump and preserving allied unity on Ukraine and NATO, people familiar with the matter said. There is anxiety about how Biden will present at a NATO summit he is due to host in the US next week, where his every move, gesture and word will be scrutinized in an unforgiving light.

In this environment, any potential miscues that he makes in closed door meetings will surely be made public by attendees and fuel demands for him to go. One G-7 official, who had seen Biden up close, described him as a loose cannon in an unscripted setting, without the help of a teleprompter.

The people, who asked not to be identified discussing private assessments, said the octogenarians performance at the debate only exposed what they had witnessed for months, from a D-Day commemoration in France  where a frail-looking Biden was awkwardly trying to sit down while his wife and Frances Emmanuel Macron were standing up  to a Group of Seven summit in Italy, where viral social media clips showed him straying away from the group during a skydiving demonstration and needing to be guided back by Giorgia Meloni.

There is anger too at the small close-knit team that concealed the true state of his health, these officials say, and that its no longer possible to hide the fact that the president is a shadow of his former self and may not even be able to govern or set policies.

That age was taking its toll was simply no longer up for debate  in spite of forceful pushback from the White House about clips being cropped by conservative media that have it in for Biden. The reality is that in several summits, going back to a 2022 gathering in the Bavarian Alps, it was apparent that the presidents schedule was kept thin and his advancing years were being accounted and accommodated for in the planning.

One G-7 official at the Italy meeting said an air of worry hung in the room around his cognitive health. That was less than two weeks before the catastrophic campaign debate between Biden and Trump. Biden went on to blame jet lag and a grueling travel schedule for his performance.

Biden heads into a make-or-break weekend that could end his political career if the lapses keep multiplying. On July 4, in an interview with the Philadelphia WURD radio station, he flubbed again and seemed to mix himself up with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is emerging as a clear alternative to Biden and unlike some other potential Democrat contenders already has both a national and international profile.

A top official from a European country described Bidens disastrous June 27 debate as the ending of a foretold film that few people wanted to see. The president is seen as a great guy, but obviously finished politically. The fear is that the road is now wide open for Trump  and even if Democrats were to find a replacement, it would come too late anyway, the person added.

In an ideal world, Europeans want a continuation of Bidens Americas Back approach instead of the 45th presidents America First stance. But after watching Biden in last weeks debate, many officials are being less deferential and more open about how the protective bubble wrap around him has to be removed.

One senior NATO diplomat said US counterparts have acknowledged they cant afford such moments from the president and their priority is to ensure the summit is not overshadowed by the spotlight on Biden  versus the issues many of them want to focus on, such as how to counter Russias aggression in Ukraine.

Allies were already uneasy about the prolonged Congressional fight over funding for Ukraine that delayed crucial military aid and opened the door to Russian battlefield advances.

And then there is the challenge of how to counter Chinas growing clout. A person familiar with the French thinking said tensions between Washington and Beijing are likely to continue regardless of who wins the election, which would reverberate across the world and further harm EU-US trade ties.

One European official pointed also to the Supreme Court ruling that Trump has some immunity from criminal charges for trying to reverse the 2020 election results. The sense is the traditional system of checks and balances in the US is broken, the official said.

Ivo Daalder, the former US ambassador to NATO, pointed to a moment in last weeks debate that was largely overlooked at home but jolted US allies: When Biden asked Trump if hed defend a NATO country against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump responded with a shrug.

Thats not a comforting answer for countries who have, for 75 years, depended on Americas security commitment to their defense as core to their security, Daalder said in an interview.

--With assistance from Iain Marlow, Courtney McBride, Josh Wingrove and Simone Iglesias.

(Adds throughout thinking from more officials in 8th, 12th and penultimate paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
As President Joe Biden faces mounting calls from within the Democratic Party to step aside as its nominee in the wake of his debate performance, the campaign on Friday announced a strategy for the rest of this month that will include visits to key battleground states and a $50 million paid media blitz.

Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden and second gentlemen Doug Emhoff will all be on the trail this month with an aggressive travel schedule, a memo on the strategy said.

MORE: Biden, in political crisis, holds campaign rally in Wisconsin ahead of pivotal ABC News interview

"All in all, over the course of July, the four principals will travel to every battleground state," the Biden campaign memo said.

The July-only $50 million paid media blitz is on top of the already $50 million spent on a June-only media campaign launched ahead of last Thursday's debate.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden walks on stage to speak at a campaign rally, the day after the debate with Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, on June 28, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. (Evan Vucci/AP)

The ads will air online as well as on television and radio and will have heavy play during highly watched programming including the Olympics Games and the Republican National Convention, the campaign said. The ads will look to leverage "high-impact" moments on key issues including: abortion, the economy and the "threat" former President Donald Trump "poses to our democracy," according to the campaign.

Notably, with Biden under pressure to answer questions and make unscripted remarks, the memo announcing the ad buy said Biden is "expected to engage in frequent off-the-cuff moments over the course of the month, as he has consistently throughout this campaign."

And with some Democrats calling on Biden to publicly prove his mental and physical fitness, he has a sit-down interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Friday. The first excerpts will air on "World News Tonight" and then the interview will be broadcast in its entirety in a prime-time ABC network special on Friday evening at 8 p.m. ET.

Following Biden's poor debate performance, the president -- who prior to the debate was neck-and-neck with Trump in polls -- is lagging behind Trump in what is the largest gap between the two since 538's national polling average began early this year. Biden trails Trump 39% to 42%, according to the 538 polling average.

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. The White House has repeated this week that Biden is not considering stepping down.

MORE: Democrats in 'painful' waiting game in party's post-debate reckoning

In response to pressure from some in his own party to step aside, Biden called an all-staff campaign meeting on Wednesday and met with more than 20 Democratic governors in an effort to quell fears about his ability to lead the ticket come November.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks during a presidential debate with former President Donald Trump, in Atlanta, Georgia, June 27, 2024. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

MORE: Biden told concerned Democratic governors he needs more sleep, sources say

The campaign memo also detailed plans for a $17 million investment in a canvassing program that aims to knock on more than 3 million doors in July and August.

Biden campaign announces July strategy with battleground state stops, $50M ad blitz originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Biden to speak at Philadelphia church service Sunday, will take part in Harrisburg campaign event

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event on March 8, 2024 in Wallingford, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden has canceled his appearance at the National Education Association conference in Philadelphia on Sunday, after a union representing NEA workers announced it was going on strike Friday.

President Biden is a fierce supporter of unions and he wont cross a picket line, the Biden campaign said in a statement Friday. The President is still planning to travel to Pennsylvania this weekend, and we will have more details to share at a later point.

PennLive reported Friday that Biden would appear in the Harrisburg area on Sunday, at an invitation-only ice cream social event at the Biden-Harris campaign office in Lower Paxton Township.

On Sunday morning, President Biden will deliver remarks at a church service in Philadelphia, a campaign official told the Capital-Star. In the afternoon, the President will head to Harrisburg where he will participate in a campaign community event.

The National Education Association Staff Organization (NEASO) said in a news release Friday that it had filed two unfair labor practice complaints against the NEA with the National Labor Relations Board. The union accuses the NEA of wage theft and of failure to provide information requested by the staff union on outsourcing more than $50 million to contractors.

The NEA said in a statement Friday that it values our staff and we remain fully committed to a fair bargaining process.

The statement added was deeply concerning that misinformation has been shared from the contract negotiations.

The National Education Association has threatened to host its convention virtually to avoid a physical picket line. For a union to trick its members into crossing a picket line is reprehensible. It also confirms what we have been saying: NEA has abandoned its union values with its actions at the bargaining table, NEASO President Robin McLean said in a statement. NEA would rather cancel a multi-million-dollar convention than comply with labor law. NEA members should question where their hard-earned dues dollars are being usedand wasted.

Biden frequently touts himself as the most pro-union president in history, and crossing a picket line would be problematic. In September, Biden walked the picket line with United Auto Workers who were on strike, believed to be the first time in modern history that a sitting president had visited an active strike.

The NEA represents public school teachers and support personnel, faculty and staff at colleges and universities, as well as college students preparing to become teachers and retired educators.

NEASOs contract expired on May 31, 2024. According to its website it represents 350 members of the NEAs roughly 3 million members.

The appearance with first lady Jill Biden would have been Bidens ninth of the year to Pennsylvania, and his first in the state since his shaky performance at last weeks presidential debate.

Bidens most recent appearance in Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia, was in late May with Vice President Kamala Harris to launch the campaigns Black Voters for Biden-Harris initiative.

Update: This article was updated 1:05 p.m. July 5, 2024 with statement from the NEA, and at 5:40 p.m. with information about a Harrisburg event, and at 9:30 p.m with updated information from a campaign official.

The post Biden to speak at Philadelphia church service Sunday, will take part in Harrisburg campaign event appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Fallout after Thursday nights CNN debate has left younger voters widely disillusioned with their options for the presidency.

The dismal, inarticulate performance by 81-year-old President Joe Biden, and the Democratic partys growing divide has many prominent figures  including in Hollywood  officially calling for Biden to bow out of the 2024 race. And that has seemingly sowed greater discontent within a key subset of supporters: the youth vote.

It highlighted this gerontocracy, Rachel Janfaza, a politics reporter and founder of The Up and Up, a digital news site covering young people and our politics, told TheWrap. These two older men are the ones who are at the forefront of their respective parties, and that is just not emblematic of the American electorate, and especially not emblematic of many young voters.

Polling from The New York Times and Siena College on Wednesday confirmed the generational divide within the Democratic Party. Only 56% of Democrats under 45 expressed approval of President Biden, while 90% older than 45 rated him positively. Overall, 77% of Democrats under 45 specifically found Biden too old for office.

The calls for Biden to relinquish his place atop the Democratic ticket have not abated, with cable news pundits, political leaders and major party donors publicly brainstorming potential replacements.

Hes heard the complaints. According to a second Times report Wednesday, Biden told a key ally that he understands he may not be able to salvage his candidacy if he cannot convince the public that he is capable of handling the presidency. But publicly he has vowed to stay in the race and is still expected to run for reelection.

His campaign says it remains committed to securing the shaken youth vote.

Too much is on the line for young voters this November, which is why this campaign is investing early and going everywhere  from college parties, to soccer matches, to Snapchat and TikTok  to ensure young voters know that there is only one candidate fighting for us and our democracy and thats Joe Biden, Eve Levenson, national director of youth engagement for the Biden-Harris campaign, told TheWrap exclusively.

President Joe Biden (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Last Thursday, Janfaza and a group of politically minded Gen Zers crammed into a Chinatown warehouse called The Bench, a new hub for young culture and politics enthusiasts in New York City. They were but a small fraction of the over 50 million who turned into CNNs first presidential debate, simulcast across 22 other networks. Whether they tuned in live, on a TikTok livestream or just saw the memes the next day, young voters inevitably embraced this years election reality and their options: two candidates, Biden and Donald Trump, past the average life expectancy of an American man.

At their debate watch, There wasnt much chatter, Janfaza said. Everyones eyes were glued to the TV. I saw some peoples heads in their hands. There were a couple of gasps at times.

Biden might not have made it into office without Gen Z voters back in 2020. But after witnessing four years of Biden wearing the weight of the world on his shoulders, Janfaza expressed concern, noting that Gen Z really can be a decisive force in the November election.

Joe Mitchell, the youngest member elected to the Iowa State House of Representatives, told TheWrap that Bidens Thursday showing was not only a poor debate performance but a very bad look for the country. Mitchell founded the organization Run GenZ for young conservative leaders.

It was obviously a disaster for Joe Biden. Thats very objective, Mitchell said. Our adversaries are watching that.

Will GenZ turn out in November?

The latest Harvard Youth Poll from April found that only 9% of young Americans say the country is headed in the right direction, citing economic concerns and reproductive freedom as top priorities. In the same poll, 53% indicated they will definitely be voting in the 2024 general election for president. That is on par with the Institute of Politics data from 2020, which found 54% of young Americans would likely vote.

Jack Lobel said he will vote in his first presidential election this fall. Hes been registering young people with the organization Voters of Tomorrow while still a teen. He serves as press secretary for the group, which joined 14 other youth vote organizations in endorsing President Biden for reelection in March. Lobel said that even after his debate performance, the fundamental choice for him remains the same.

We saw two old guys, but one is an old guy who is convicted felon, who has been found liable of sexual assault, who led an insurrection and who would restrict access to abortion and other forms of health care, Lobel told TheWrap. The other is an old guy who has delivered time and time again for Gen Zs top priorities and listens to us. In that regard, nothing has changed.

When asked about their own approach to reaching Gen Z voters, the Trump campaign criticized the current administration.

Joe Bidens policies have created a more expensive, divided and dangerous country for young Americans to grow up in, and thats why hes losing significant ground with this demographic in the polls, Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign national press secretary, told TheWrap. On the contrary, President Trump will create a safe, prosperous and free nation that helps all young people achieve their American Dream.

In attempts to meet young voters where they are, both campaigns have amped up social media efforts, particularly on TikTok. Andrew Roth, founder and CEO of Gen Z research and strategy firm dcdx, warned of the risks to a social media-centered campaign. A study from the firm released last Friday showed 58% of Gen Zers still find mainstream news more trustworthy than social media, comment sections and word of mouth. Roth explained that social media can muddy the existence of moderates, undecidedness and objectivity.

The lack of independent thinking is at an all time high, he said. Its a danger in politics, because it just forms a mob mentality and echo chambers  Its like no matter what you do, what you vote, whatever changes or whoever goes to prison or gets indicted, it doesnt matter, were in the same spot. You feel powerless.

The fight for the White House is far from over. Two landmark Supreme Court decisions released in the days following the debate  one with significant implications for the executive office in that it granted Trump immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts  fired up the Biden-Harris campaign amid growing concerns for the future of the Presidency.

Thanks to his Supreme Court justices, Donald Trump is running to be a king who will be able to do basically anything he wants to ruin young peoples lives if hes elected, Levenson said.

Biden sat for his first televised interview since the debate this week with ABC News George Stephanopoulos, the first clip of which will debut Friday night on World News Tonight With David Muir. The network will run extended versions of the interview through Monday.

The post As Biden Courts Gen Z Vote, Voters Feel Powerless to a Growing Gerontocracy That Doesnt Represent Them appeared first on TheWrap.
The Supreme Court decision giving presidents wide protection from facing charges after leaving office has sparked fears voiced by President Biden and Democratic critics that former President Trump will be further emboldened should he be elected to a second term.

Trump and allies have eyed more ambitious plans for a second term, pledging to more forcefully use the levers of power at their disposal.

Trump has also suggested it would be fair game for him to seek revenge on adversaries if hes reelected  raising questions about both the extent to which the decision would shield Biden, and whether it greenlights retribution sought by Trump.

It was an issue immediately put front and center by Biden in a Monday night address.

The American people must decide if they want to entrust  the presidency to Donald Trump, now knowing he will be even more emboldened to do whatever he pleases whenever he wants to do it, Biden said.

For all practical purposes, todays decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what a president can do.

In its Monday decision, the high court determined presidents have immunity for core official actions they take while in office. In all other official acts, presidents are at least presumptively immune.

The court made clear that even Trumps pressure campaign at the Department of Justice to investigate his unproven claims of election fraud and his efforts to push states to withhold certifying electors are absolutely immune.

Its a decision Trump critics fear opens Pandoras box.

Donald Trump has made it clear that, if he wins election, he will use his presidential powers to pardon all his co-conspirators and weaponize the Justice Department by firing career employees and replacing them with an army of sycophants willing to engage in retributive harassment against his political opponents, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who served on the now-disbanded House committee that investigated Jan. 6, said in a statement after the decision.

All of this would be presumably allowable under todays horrific decision.

Raskin described the decision as allowing a president to assassinate political rivals, organize a military coup, or take bribes  language that parallels the dissent penned by the courts three liberal justices.

In that dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed to the same crimes, writing that allowing immunity for actions with roots in an official act would hamstring the courts from addressing any abuse of that power.

And 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.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said immunity was needed to prevent presidential prosecutions from enterprising prosecutors.

Roberts nodded to the potential for executives to go after one another, if not for the sort of immunity conferred with his Monday order.

The dissents overlook the more likely prospect of an executive branch that cannibalizes itself, with each successive president free to prosecute his predecessors, he wrote in the majority opinion.

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.

Trump has repeatedly suggested during his presidential campaign that revenge is on his mind, while his campaign has stated his retribution will be at the ballot box.

Last month, Trump told Newsmax it was very possible Democrats could face prosecution down the road. The next day, he told Sean Hannity on Fox News he would have every right to go after them after his own prosecution.

And Monday, after his onetime strategist Steve Bannon reported for prison for defying his Jan. 6 committee subpoena, Trump said Biden would pay a big price, a comment his campaign later said was about the election.

Oh, this is pure weaponization, he told a Richmond, Va., radio station.

What theyve done in this country is unthinkable, and Biden is going to pay a big price for it, I believe.

If a reelected Trump did want to go after a future former President Biden, Mondays decision in some ways offers a shield to the Democrat.

Like Trump, as a former president, Biden would also be unable to face charges on conduct related to core official acts.

That could be a roadblock, even as House impeachment leaders suggest they will send a criminal referral to the Justice Department reviewing what they have called influence peddling by the Biden family. It was a risky move from GOP investigators, as doing so would require them to name a crime Biden committed  something their probe has thus far failed to land on.

But thats not the case for other Biden officials that have been a target of the GOP, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, along with members of Bidens family. GOP members have also called for the prosecution of special counsel Jack Smith.

The decision also opens other avenues for Trump to investigate or harass Biden, actions that rely on his official authorities and would likely go unchecked by a court.

The decision includes other elements that complicate prosecution, barring the use of anything a president did under the scope of official authority as evidence elsewhere in a case and likewise instructing courts not to weigh a presidents motive in carrying out an act.

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, Lisa Rubin, an MSNBC legal analyst, wrote on the social platform X.

Political commentator Van Jones described the ruling as a license to thug.

You can do whatever you want, and the Supreme Court is probably going to let you get away with it. That is very frightening in this case, and so Im very, very concerned, he said during an appearance on CNN.

Trump has celebrated the ruling on his social media site, writing at one point that Smith received a high level SPANKING from the court.

In another post, he claimed he was completely exonerated despite the remand of his Jan. 6 case, which will weigh whether other actions he took to subvert the 2020 election fall into the bucket of core official acts.

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, Trump wrote Tuesday.

All of these Unfair Charges represent the WORST level of Election Interference ever seen in our Countrys long and storied History.

The Biden campaign says the decision is both alarming and a key issue for the race.

Im scared as s, and I think Americans are scared and should be scared of what Donald Trump will do, because he has been telling us for months, Bidens principal deputy campaign manager, Quentin Fulks, said following the decision.

And so I can reassure you that when you do see President Biden out on the trail, he will be talking about the reasons why Americans should be scared of Donald Trump as he has been for months, and this Supreme Court opinion today just amplified that.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. The Rules on Electricity Networks have been approved in Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov has signed a relevant document in this regard.

According to the document, the "Rules on Electric Grid" approves the implementation of procedures stipulated in it through the information system created by Azerishig OJSC, directly, as well as through mail or e-mail before the start of the functioning of the Unified Information System of Public Utilities.
It's been a week since President Biden's disastrous debate performance, and his political fortunes only appear to be growing worse by the day.

His poll numbers are dropping. Donald Trump is gloating. And Democrats are in a full-fledged panic about the future, some feeling deceived by the president's handlers and angry that his inner circle appears to be blaming everyone but themselves for last week's debacle.

Now it all boils down to two questions: Will Biden drop out of the race? And who is in the top position to replace him?

The answer to that the second question should be a no-brainer  the vice president, of course.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the White House in March about criminal justice reform . ( Kent Nishimura / AFP / Getty Images)

Kamala Harris was chosen by the people as an official replacement for the 81-year-old president should he become unable to fulfill his duties, so it stands to reason she'd be next in line, just as Biden was for Barack Obama. Harris served as a U.S. senator, California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney. Clearly she has the experience. As for her debate skills  she's a former prosecutor. Trump is a felon. What more could you ask for in this cage fight of an election?

Yet the 59-year-old Harris is hardly a shoo-in to replace Biden. Discussions among pundits and regular folk about the VP's electability often start from a place of reticence, informed by an unfounded, common belief that she's an unpopular long shot. Then it's on to lengthier conversations about Gavin Newsom. Or Gretchen Whitmer. Or Josh Shapiro.

Read more: Ali: Racism and bigotry get a pass in 2024 as Trump talk that once shocked is normalized

I honestly don't know if Harris can win in November, or if she truly is the best candidate to steer this country away from what appears to be certain ruin if Trump wins. What I do know is that Harris faces a higher bar due to her gender and race. The outright dismissal of her as a serious replacement for Biden is irresponsible, not to mention sexist and racist, and it underscores the double standard that women and people of color face  especially those at the top of their game.

The flipside of that coin is acknowledging that America may not be ready for a female president, let alone a woman of color. Supporting Harris means believing that the electorate is capable of bucking centuries of tradition and bias, and that's a risky move in an election where the stakes are sky high.

But it may not be as risky as it seems. A new CNN post-debate survey of registered voters shows that in a race against Trump, Harris would place above theoretical candidates Newsom, Shapiro, Whitmer and Pete Buttigieg  and well above Biden.

Read more: Commentary: The presidential debate has outlived its usefulness

Despite evidence showing that she's a viable choice, Harris still suffers from a lingering criticism that took root during the 2019 Democratic primaries. She was often described in the news media as aloof, distant and not likable.

Call it the Hillary Clinton conundrum. Powerful women have an impossible line to walk, especially in public-facing roles. They must be commanding, but not too demanding. Dont appear too emotional, but dont appear cold, either. Dont push back too hard, but dont be a pushover ( the Barbie monologue comes to mind). Walk a tightrope between strong leadership and pleasant congeniality  in heels  because its never enough to be qualified and competent.

Read more: Kamala Harris faces political pressure  and opportunity  as Biden struggles

Democrats and swing voters, you will never get it all in one package. It's true that Harris doesn't look all that comfortable at ribbon-cutting ceremonies, but she's in her element interrogating a sweaty, nervous Mark Zuckerberg or a tongue-tied Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh. And what we need more than anything right now is a fighter.

Harris is a formidable debater. Recall the 2019 Democratic primary debate, when she course corrected Biden on his desegregation record. In a debate the following year against then-VP Mike Pence, she expertly called out his hypocrisy when he accused the Democrats of packing the courts: "Do you know that of the 50 people who President Trump appointed to the court of appeals for lifetime appointments, not one is Black?," she said. "This is what they've been doing. You want to talk about packing a court, let's have that discussion." Bam!

As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she questioned Trumps then-Supreme Court nominee, Kavanaugh, during a 2018 confirmation hearing about the protection of reproductive rights. Can you think of any laws that give government the power to make decisions about the male body? she asked.

Kavanaugh paused before answering, I'm happy to answer a more specific question.

Male versus female, Harris replied. After some back and forth, Kavanaugh acquiesced: I'm not thinking of any right now, senator.

Trump later complained about how unfair she was: She was nasty to a level that was just a horrible thing ... the way she treated now-Justice Kavanaugh, and I won't forget that soon. You can bet he'd rather go up against anyone other than that "nasty woman."

It's more than fair to talk about Harris' electability. She deserves scrutiny like everyone else whose name is being bandied about as a possible contender should Biden step out of the race. But simply assuming she's not the right candidate without a deeper exploration of her strengths and weaknesses is unfair for someone as accomplished as Harris.

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.
Biden had verbal check-in with doctor after White House said he got no checkup for debate cold

The White House on Friday said President Biden had a verbal check-in with his doctor about the cold he had during the debate, after telling reporters earlier in the week that he did not get a medical exam  and had not had once since his yearly physical in February.

Early into the presidents debate performance, during which he spoke in a soft and raspy voice and often struggled to complete sentences, the White House at the time said Biden had a cold.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had been asked earlier this week if Biden had seen his doctor about the cold, which was blamed on foreign travel, but she said no.

But on Friday, Jean-Pierre changed her response, telling reporters Biden had a verbal check-in when asked about reports that surfaced indicating Biden told a group of governors he had a checkup.

He did have a short verbal check-in in the recent days about his cold. It wasnt a medical exam or a physical, I want to be super, super clear about that. It was a conversation, and his doctor didnt think an examination was necessary, she said.

On Wednesday, Jean-Pierre responded no when asked if Biden had any kind of medical exam. She also said no when asked if the president had any medical exams since his last annual physical in February.

Dr. Kevin OConnor, Bidens lead doctor, released the results of the presidents annual physical in February and said the president is fit for duty.

Jean-Pierre also stressed that Biden has medical professionals around him due to his role as president.

The president has doctors, a medical unit around him 24/7, and thats not because of this president, thats all presidents, she said.

Biden on Tuesday had blamed recent foreign travel, on top of his cold, for his poor debate performance. He said that he almost fell asleep on stage while in Europe and that he returned from travel around the world a couple of times  shortly before the debate.

The president returned from a trip to Italy for the Group of Seven summit on June 14, and six days later he went to Camp David for debate prep. He stayed there for a whole week before traveling to Atlanta on June 27.

Biden reportedly told Democratic governors in a meeting Wednesday that he needs more sleep and to not hold events after 8 p.m. When pressed on this comments, Jean-Pierre said the president is working on striking a balance with his schedule.

The president works around the clock, its a 24/7 job. 365 days out of a year, she said. He also recognizes the importance of striking a balance and taking care of himself, just like we all have to. We are all humans, the president is human as well. He shared that view with governors and took ownership of trying to do too much in the lead up to the debate, that was the conversation.

Biden has faced an overwhelming amount of criticism since his poor debate performance, losing the support of donors and other Democrats amid calls to step aside from the 2024 race. Biden insists he is not dropping out, but several reports have suggested he and some of his close advisers are putting together a contingency plan if he chooses to exit the 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 The Hill.
(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden declared he was staying in the presidential race and denounced efforts to push him out during a visit to swing-state Wisconsin, kicking off a furious effort to restore the faith of voters, donors and party officials deeply skeptical of his fitness for office.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Let me say it as clearly as I can, Im staying in the race, Biden, 81, said Friday during a campaign stop in the state capital of Madison. Ill beat Donald Trump.

In a revamped stump speech that directly addressed questions about his age, Biden said those imploring him to end his bid were trying to overturn the will of Democratic primary voters. He said his age wouldnt stop him from pushing for abortion rights or gun control laws.

I keep seeing all those stories about my being too old, Biden said. Let me say something  I wasnt too old to create over 15 million new jobs.

The event marked the start of the most consequential weekend of Bidens political career, with the president facing the reality that any misstep will prove fatal to his reelection campaign. Most crucial for Biden will be an interview airing Friday night with ABC News, offering voters and allies the first unscripted, high-pressure look at the president since he faltered in his showdown with Trump, the Republican presidential candidate.

Speaking to reporters as he left Madison, Biden said he thought it was a good interview.

The president said he had spoken to at least 20 lawmakers since the debate, and that they had encouraged him to stay in the race. He said he was positive he could serve another four years and had completely ruled out dropping out.

He downplayed a report from the Washington Post that Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia was working to assemble a group of lawmakers to lobby the president to stand aside.

Hes the only one considering that, Biden said. No one else is calling for that.

Biden will need to show hes able to harness some of the humor and vigor on display Friday afternoon without the benefit of a teleprompter.

In his speech, the president joked to the crowd that he was 40 years old and mocked Trumps own misstatements, including his 2019 remark that the Continental Army took over the airports from the British to win the Revolutionary War.

Talk about me misspeaking? Biden said.

The presidents own speech was not without the occasional misstep, declaring at one point that he would defeat Trump again in 2020 before catching himself and saying 2024.

Still, the performance  punctuated by Tom Pettys I Wont Back Down as the president exited the stage  could offer some relief to supporters who have spent the days since the debate desperately trying to save his campaign.

I learned long ago, when you get knocked down, you get back up, Biden said. Im not letting one 90 minute debate wipe out 3 1/2 years of work.

Still, there is no guarantee that anything Biden does will be enough to calm the nerves of anxious Democrats, who for years have painted Trump as an existential threat to the nation.

Had a Cold

A series of excuses offered by the president and the White House  that he was battling a cold, weary from travel and not getting enough sleep  did little but reinforce fundamental questions about whether Biden, already 81 years old, could be entrusted as the leader of the free world for another four years.

While most party elders and prominent governors have so far resisted publicly calling on the president to drop out, theyve also bluntly acknowledged their worry and said questions about his ability to handle the job are legitimate.

Top Democratic donors have said they would withhold or redirect their money unless Biden stepped aside, while lawmakers continue to discuss whether to band together and call for a change atop the ticket.

The president has conceded in some conversations with allies that another debacle in the coming days would necessitate a rethinking of the race, the New York Times reported. The White House and the campaign denied that account.

NATO Summit

Biden must also turn his attention to shoring up support among foreign leaders set to descend on Washington next week for the summit marking the 75th anniversary of NATO. His performance at the debate unleashed a torrent of concern in world capitals, with diplomats detailing instances in which they saw Bidens age showing during critical international gatherings.

Read this next: Kamala Harris Is Having a Surprise Resurgence as Bidens Campaign Unravels

At the same time, Trump is riding high, with a series of upcoming events that could further bolster his advantage.

The Republican nominee is expected to hold rallies of his own in Florida and Pennsylvania next week, and has hinted that he is readying the announcement of a running mate. After that, Republicans will gather in Milwaukee to nominate Trump as the presidential candidate for the third consecutive time.

Trump holds a 48%-42% advantage among voters, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal, with eight in 10 Americans saying the president is too old to run for a second term. That is the greatest advantage Trump, who is 78, has held over Biden this year.

Bidens campaign announced they planned $50 million in paid media in the month of July, and had plans to purchase commercial time during high-profile events like the Olympic Games and during coverage of the Republican convention.

Biden also plans a travel swing later this month targeting Black and Latino voters in the Southwest, attending the NAACP and UnidosUS conferences in Las Vegas, his campaign said in a memo, while Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to attend the Essence Festival in New Orleans and address the annual meetings of two historic Black sororities.

Biden will also engage in frequent off-the-cuff moments over the course of the month, the campaign said in the memo, an implicit acknowledgment of the concern over his ability to handle unscripted moments.

(Updates with additional Biden remarks starting sixth paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
MADISON, Wisconsin  President Joe Biden on Friday defended himself against mounting criticism over his age and mental acuity in a campaign appearance in Wisconsin, defiantly saying he wont step down as the Democratic nominee and asking Americans to hold up his age against his legislative accomplishments and agenda.

Biden asked supporters if he was too old to relieve student debt, appoint the first Black woman to the Supreme Court and sign climate laws. He also challenged the questions around whether he can continue to do so in a second term, when he would be 82 years old on Inauguration Day.

What do you think? You think Im too old to restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land? You think Im too old to ban assault weapons again? To protect social security and Medicare? Biden said to a raucous crowd. You think Im too old to beat Donald Trump? I can hardly wait.



Bidens hastily announced rally here came at a deeply precarious moment for the incumbents reelection efforts. In the eight days since the presidential debate  during which Biden repeatedly lost his train of thought, stumbled with his words and left his mouth agape  a handful of elected Democrats have already publicly asked Biden to step aside or consider doing so. Even more are privately raising concerns.

Prior to last weeks debate, Biden deflected questions about his age with humor. And while he continued to do so on Friday  Biden twice said he looked 40 years old  he tackled the issue head-on and compared it with his record in a much more forceful way.

Biden appeared energetic and focused during the 17-minute public speech with teleprompters at a middle school in the battleground state. He appeared before about 1,000 people at the rally and an overflow room, according to the campaign. But later Friday, he is expected to go through another, perhaps more difficult test: an unscripted interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News.

And Biden wasnt without his fumbles on Friday. Biden tripped up when he said Ill beat [Donald Trump] again in 2020, and then corrected himself to say, by the way, were going to do it again in 24. Just ahead of the speech, a man standing behind Biden held up a sign saying Pass the torch, Joe.

Despite Bidens public attempts to restore confidence, Democrats are growing restless. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) plans to convene a group of senators on Monday to discuss Bidens viability. And Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts, a high-profile supporter, said Biden should carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump.

Biden told reporters Healey didnt say anything while he was in a meeting with the Democratic governors at the White House this week. He also said hes spoken to at least 20 members of Congress since the debate and dismissed a question about Warner wanting him to step aside as being the only one. In fact, at least two other members of Congress have publicly called for Biden to forgo the nomination.

Biden also took a sharper crack at Trumps character on Friday, tying the former presidents felony convictions to the recent Supreme Court decision that granted near-immunity to presidents in their official acts.

Trump has failed character tests on whether he would be truthful, respectful and nonviolent, Biden said. Whats worse, the Supreme Court ruled there are virtually no limits on the power of the presidency.

For over two centuries, America has been a free democratic nation. And I'll be damned if in the year 2024, just two years before our 250th anniversary of a nation, I'll let Donald Trump take this away, he added.

Before the debate, polls showed Biden running neck-and-neck with Trump in Wisconsin, a key battleground state Trump won in 2016 but ceded to Biden in 2020. But since the debate, national surveys show the presumptive GOP nominee opening up a lead.

In interviews with about a dozen attendees at the campaign rally in deep-blue Madison, many said they were with Biden, though cracks emerged. Richard TenHoor, 77, who canvassed for Biden in Milwaukee, said he thinks Biden should step down but worried the replacement process would be complicated.

Another Milwaukee canvasser, Sue Tomen, 67, said she trusted Biden to make the right decision. He has chosen very competent people to surround him. I trust that, because of that, hes still a better choice and will do fine in the next term, she said.

More than a half-dozen people interviewed after Bidens speech praised his performance and dismissed panic about the presidents age and abilities. Marilyn McDole, 75, of Oregon, Wisconsin, called it the best presidential speaking event shes attended. Hes got a lot of energy, spunk and gall, she said. I didnt notice any real issues.

Biden left the stage to Tom Pettys I Wont Back Down.
President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign rally at Sherman Middle School in Madison, Wis., Friday, July 5, 2024. How Biden fares in a pair of public appearances and a TV interview will either sharpen worries about his fitness for office or calm them. | Morry Gash

MADISON, Wis.  Abbey Handel harbors concerns about President Joe Bidens age and stamina  just like everybody does, she said. But that didnt stop her from arriving nearly three hours early to a Madison-area middle school on Friday to welcome Biden, and show him that he is still our candidate.

We need to stop fighting each other and start supporting our candidate, Handel, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said. That was why we lost in 2016. We cant let that happen again.

This weekend, Biden will try to convince Democratic voters that Handel is right. His three-day swing through battleground states  starting Friday in Wisconsin  is crucial for the Biden campaign, which is trying to quell a growing chorus of concern from Democrats after Bidens poor showing in last weeks debate. Today, Biden will lead a rally in Madison and sit for an interview with ABC News George Stephanopoulos; on Sunday, Biden heads to Pennsylvania for an undisclosed event. (His planned speech at an education conference in Philadelphia was canceled after the employees of a teachers union went on strike.)

The president seems to understand the importance of this weekends appearances: if he appears strong and coherent, it could be enough to assuage some of his allies concerns; if he stumbles, the calls for him to drop out will increase.

CNN reported this week that Biden is clear eyed about the stakes, and The New York Times reported that Biden thinks his campaign may not be salvageable unless he delivers strong performances on Friday and Sunday.

He knows if he has two more events like (the debate), were in a different place by the end of the weekend, a key Biden ally told the Times.

Fridays rally in Madison is Bidens fifth visit to Wisconsin  a swing state  this year, and it comes just over a week before the Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee.

For a venue, the presidents campaign selected a small middle school gymnasium, placing attendees in chairs or bleachers around a raised lectern. Two hours before the president was scheduled to speak, a line snaked out the door and across the schools playground; an hour before, the indoor space reached capacity, with attendees shoulder-to-shoulder on the bleachers and the floor seats  reserved for ADA accessible participants  nearly full. Many of the attendees sported Biden shirts, hats and pins, and sporadic chants of four more years! and lets go Joe! broke out.

Supporters cheer before President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at Sherman Middle School in Madison, Wis., Friday, July 5, 2024. | Morry Gash

But the presidents detractors arrived, too. A half-dozen demonstrators gathered on a street corner near the school, waving Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyeh. Sara, one of the groups organizers, said they do not feel President Biden is welcome in Madison due to the trajectory of his administration on Gaza. (Sara declined to share her last name.)

If Biden were to step down and be replaced by another Democrat, the group said they still cannot commit to supporting the nominee. The person doesnt matter, Sara said. Its the policy and action that do.

Biden has faced criticism from the progressive flank of his policy over his Israel policy since last October. But the growing sentiment that Biden may be unfit for office due to his age and stamina has grown exponentially over the past week. After the debate, three Democratic House members publicly called on Biden to drop out. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi questioned whether Bidens performance is an episode or this is a condition. And series of high-profile business leaders and donors, including Netflix founder Reed Hastings and ex-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, have called on Biden to pass the torch.

This week, Bidens team has largely kept him out of the public eye. His infrequent forays into the spotlight did little to increase confidence. On a pair of radio interviews Thursday, Biden fumbled over his words, saying at one point he was proud to have been the first Black woman to serve with a Black president. In a closed-door meeting with Democrat governors on Wednesday, intended to reassure them of his capacity to lead the country, Biden emphasized that he needs more sleep and shorter workdays, one person familiar with what took place at the meeting told The New York Times.

Avoiding those gaffes  and convincing voters that they are episodes, not conditions  are the tall task of Bidens rally in Wisconsin today.
Im staying in the race: Biden defiant on key campaign day as pressure to withdraw keeps building

A defiant President Joe Biden told voters he isnt going anywhere and pledged to deny Donald Trump a second White House term, even as he continues to face more calls to stand down from the 2024 presidential race amid questions over his fitness to compete for and serve out a second four-year term.

Biden, who spoke to a raucous crowd of supporters in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, said he is his partys nominee in this years presidential election because of millions of Democrats like you who voted for him in primaries all across America.

The voters did that, and despite that, some folks dont seem to care who you voted for ... theyre trying to push me out of the race, he said, referring to the growing chorus of Democrats who want him to exit the race on account of his rambling, meandering and disturbing performance against Trump just over a week ago.

As the crowd of supporters chanted lets go Joe and four more years, Biden declared that he is not going to bow to that pressure.

Let me say as clearly as I can: Im staying in the race. Ill beat Donald Trump, he said. I beat him in 2020 ... and by the way, were going to do it again in 2024!

Continuing, Biden said he would not permit one 90-minute debate to wipe out three and a half years of work, and touted his accomplishments as president, including creating 15 million new jobs and reducing student debt for nearly five million Americans while putting the first Black woman on the US Supreme Court.

Joe Biden attends a campaign rally in Wisconsin on July 5. (AP)

Earlier in the day as he departed Washington for the campaign stop, the 81-year-old chief executive was asked whether he still believes he can defeat his likely opponent, former president Donald Trump, in Novembers general election.

Yes, Biden said, taking a pausing before he ascended a set of air-stairs to board Air Force One.

The presidents hastily-arranged travel to the Badger State capital comes on the same day he is set to participate in a make-or-break television interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopolous in a desperate effort to turn around flagging support for his candidacy among prominent Democratic donors and some officeholders.

In the days since his shambolic performance against Trump in the first debate between the two men since they last faced off during the 2020 election, a small but growing chorus of elected officials has said Bidens best course of action to head off a defeat at Trumps hands is to stand aside in favor of another candidate, most likely Vice President Kamala Harris.

President Joe Biden expressed confidence as he traveled to Wisconsin ahead of a rally and ABC News interview (AP)

Among those former surrogates and supporters who are now calling for Biden to step back is Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who said in a statement on Friday the president saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years.

The best way forward right now is a decision for the President to make. Over the coming days, l urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump, she added.

Several members of Congress have also called for Biden to consider withdrawing his candidacy, and a growing number of top Democratic donors  including Disney heiress Abigail Disney and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman  have said the 46th president should take his name out of consideration as his partys nominee, while threatening to withhold donations to Democratic candidates until he does.

To date, Biden has refused to even consider standing aside, and in a succession of public statements since the disastrous debate has said he is staying in the race.

But privately, he has told confidantes that he may yet have to bow to the pressure to pull out, though he still believes he can convince doubters with strong performances in his Friday television interview, at the NATO summit he is hosting next week in Washington and in a press conference he has scheduled during the summit.
Joe Bidens campaign is dropping another $50 million ad buy this month as the president tries to get his struggling campaign back on track.

The presidents team announced on Friday that it would be layering more spending on top of the $50 million it has already spent on ads in June. The campaign also rolled out more details on its canvassing program, as they plan to knock on 3 million doors over the next two months. They also said Biden will headline NAACP and UnidosUS conferences in Las Vegas, which will serve as his counter-programming during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in mid-July.

The hefty ad buy and additional travel comes at a perilous moment for Biden, as the president seeks to calm nervous party leaders and to reconnect with frustrated voters. Bidens poor performance at last weeks debate set off a wave of panic within the party, as at least three sitting House Democratic lawmakers called for him to step aside. Public polls following last weeks debate shows former President Donald Trump gaining several percentage points over Biden, particularly among men.



Biden mounted a fresh effort to save his flagging campaign this week, calling into an all-staff campaign meeting and reaching out to senior congressional leaders. He met with more than 20 Democratic governors Wednesday night, promising that he was in it to win it, even as he acknowledged that he needed to work on his messaging to voters. And, most importantly, hell sit down for an interview with ABCs George Stephanopoulos on Friday.

The memo, released on Friday morning, pledged that Biden is expected to engage in frequent off-the-cuff moments over the course of the month, as he has consistently throughout this campaign. These unscripted moments have taken on even importance, since the president often relies heavily on teleprompters during his events, both public and private.

The campaigns ads will target several high viewership events, including the Summer Olympics Games and the Republican National Convention. And its canvassing program will get an additional $17 million to strengthen its on-the-ground footprint in battleground states.
President Joe Biden traveled to 2024 battleground Wisconsin on Friday for a closely-watched campaign rally and a critical interview with ABC News that could prove pivotal to his candidacy and presidency.

At the high-stakes event intended to reassure the state's Democratic voters he's up to the job after a rough debate performance last week, Biden energetically spoke about the policies his administration has implemented and the risks that another Trump presidency would bring.

And on concerns about his candidacy and fitness to serve, Biden was emphatic.

"Now you probably heard we had a little debate last week," Biden quipped. "Can't say it was my best performance. But ever since then, there's been a lot of speculation. What's Joe gonna do? Is he gonna stay in the race? Is he going to drop out? What's he going to do?"

"Well here's my answer: I am running and gonna win again," he said.

MORE: As Biden rallies in Wisconsin, Democratic voters want to evaluate him for themselves

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Madison, Wis., July 5, 2024. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden's voice boomed through the Madison middle school where he spoke before a friendly crowd, who often broke on in cheers for "four more years."

His delivery on Friday -- which was aided by teleprompters -- was strong, particularly in comparison to last week's debate. Still, any stumbles by the 81-year-old are being viewed with the heightened scrutiny about his ability to lead for another term.

Biden was met with a large crowd outside the campaign event, some of whom were calling on him to step aside. One sign in the crowd read, "Save your legacy, drop out."

"Let me say this as clearly as I can, I am staying in the race," a fired-up Biden said at the rally. "I will beat Donald Trump."

The week since the debate has been one of the most critical periods for Biden's presidency -- with many top Democrats continuing to watch him closely through the holiday weekend.

Biden is under growing pressure to publicly prove his mental and physical fitness -- by answering questions and making unscripted remarks -- and he'll get a high-stakes chance to do so when ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos speaks with him in Madison on Friday.

The first excerpts will air on "World News Tonight" and then the interview will be broadcast in its entirety in a prime-time ABC network special on Friday evening at 8 p.m. ET.

Watch: ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos' exclusive first post-debate TV interview with President Joe Biden airs in its entirety in an ABC News prime-time special Friday, July 5, at 8 p.m. ET.

PHOTO: Supporters cheer before President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at Sherman Middle School in Madison, Wis., July 5, 2024. (Morry Gash/AP)

The president, too, has privately acknowledged that these few days are critical for his re-election prospects, sources familiar with conversations told ABC News earlier this week. While he still views himself as the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump, he signaled to one ally that he is keeping an "open mind" about his path forward.

Publicly, though, the White House rejects the notion that Biden is considering any path besides re-election, with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying Thursday that Biden is "absolutely not" stepping down.

And meeting with Democratic governors at the White House Wednesday, a meeting scheduled after the debate for leaders to voice their concerns and hear directly from the president, Biden vowed to continue his presidential campaign, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

One of more than 20 Democratic governors who met behind closed doors with Biden  virtually as well as in-person -- Newsom said Thursday while campaigning for Biden in Michigan, "I was really proud to be with Joe Biden last night. He started the meeting -- the first words out of his mouth: 'I'm all in'."

Another Democrat who's been speculated about as a possible replacement as the party's nominee, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, posted, "Joe Biden is our nominee. He is in it to win it and I support him."

At the same time, though, more than a half dozen governors in the meeting expressed concern over the president's debate performance and the resulting fallout inside the party, two people familiar with the conversation told ABC News.

According to those people, one governor told Biden flat-out that people didn't think he was up to the task of running, and another asked him to lay out the path forward.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden participates in the CNN Presidential Debate, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

MORE: Democrats in 'painful' waiting game in party's post-debate reckoning

One person who attended the meeting described the conversation as "candid" and "blunt," saying the president was "engaged" and "focused."

Meanwhile, some congressional Democrats have gone public with their calls for Biden to step aside.

After Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett on Tuesday became the first lawmaker to publicly say Biden should leave the race, another House Democrat -- Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts -- said Thursday that Biden should withdraw.

Rep. Raul M. Grijalva of Arizona also publicly urged Biden to leave the race, citing the "precarious" state of the president's campaign in an interview with The New York Times, and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington state told KATU she thinks Biden's performance last Thursday will cost him the election against Trump.

Democrats in leadership positions, however, have stayed in lockstep with the president, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, a key advisor to Biden who helped him to election in 2020.

ABC News' Fritz Farrow, Molly Nagle, Isabella Murray and Oren Oppenheim contributed to this report.

Defiant Biden insists he's 'staying in the race' ahead of ABC News interview originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  President Biden will sit down for his first interview since last weeks debate.

The president is still facing questions about his ability to serve a second term.

The president again said he is not dropping out of the race despite growing calls for him to step aside from members within his own party.

Eight days after his debate performance left many of his supporters concerned hes not fit to serve or even run for a second term President Biden tried to reassure voters in battleground state Wisconsin hes up to the task.

Im running and Im going to win again! said Biden/

Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers and Congressman Marc Pocan joined the presidents event

Everybodys fired up, said Evers.

Notably missing, Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin who is up for re-election. Her campaign says she scheduled campaign events weeks in advance.

California Governor Gavin Newsom on the other hand is out front stumping for the president. He spent his Fourth of July in Michigan, another critical swing state.

Joe Biden, regardless of time of life, has a quality of imagination where hes delivered more than any president in my lifetime in just three and a half years, said Newsom.

The presidents campaign is trying to focus on the presidents legislative accomplishments.

It remains unclear if todays scripted speech will have much sway with voters.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
As Biden rallies in Wisconsin, Democratic voters want to evaluate him for themselves

As Biden rallies in Wisconsin, Democratic voters want to evaluate him for themselves

Benjamin Rogall, a 61-year-old retired physician and Democrat, did not watch last week's presidential debate, but the succeeding eruption of conversations about President Joe Biden's fitness for office made him want to see the 81-year-old president for himself during his rally Friday in the battleground state of Wisconsin.

"I think what people were saying about the debate, you know, that does make me a little more interested in seeing him live in person," Rogall told ABC News as he entered the Madison, Wisconsin, school building where Biden held a rally Friday afternoon.

"I just want to see how clear he is and convince me that he's got what it takes," Rogall said, adding that he would vote for the Democratic nominee, whether that person is Biden or someone else.

PHOTO: Benjamin Rogall, a Democrat, spoke with ABC News ahead of President Joe Bidens rally in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 5, 2024. (Will McDuffie/ABC News)

MORE: Biden, in political crisis, holds campaign rally in Wisconsin ahead of pivotal ABC News interview

The Democratic Party has been shaken for the past week by public calls by some Democratic donors and elected officials for Biden to step aside after his halting debate performance. The debate performance has led to some in the Democratic Party to call for Biden to end his campaign. The White House has repeated this week that Biden is not considering stepping down.

During the Wisconsin rally, Biden addressed the calls for him to end his campaign after his debate performance.

"I am running and I am going to win again," Biden said, later adding "I am staying in the race."

Wisconsin is a key battleground state that both Biden and former President Donald Trump are targeting to help them win the White House in November. Biden won Wisconsin by a very small margin in 2020 -- about a half a percentage point over Trump.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden at a campaign rally at Sherman Middle School in Madison, Wis., on July 5, 2024. (POOL via ABC News)

After the debate, voters are looking forward to an opportunity to hear from Biden. Voters nationwide will hear from the president later in the day when his sit-down interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos airs on Friday. The first excerpts will air on "World News Tonight" and then the interview will be broadcast in its entirety in a prime-time ABC network special on Friday evening at 8 p.m. ET.

Voters in Madison, who, as rally-goers are on principle some of the party's most loyal supporters, had no doubts they would vote for the Democratic nominee in November. While some expressed complete support for Biden, most acknowledged a need for the president to quell the doubts he is facing.

"If that's what he wants to do, and if he chooses to do that -- right now he's the candidate, so I'll support the candidate -- but in the bigger picture, if he chooses that, that's his choice," Jonathan Triggs, a Democrat and 40-year-old law enforcement officer in Dane County, told ABC News of the possibility that Biden steps down from the ticket.

MORE: Democrats in 'painful' waiting game in party's post-debate reckoning

Jaya Sharma, a Madison lawyer, said, "I'm giving him another chance, the president. That's why I'm here, to see how he performs and also if there is another viable candidate, then I'll just support them, because regardless of who is on the ticket, they have my support."

Some voters, such as 66-year-old Kenosha resident Nancy Locante, rejected any discussion of replacing Biden.

"That talk needs to stop," said Locante, who said she is a Democrat. "This is what it is. Joe's always had our back; we have to have his. This is a distraction that is not needed at this time."

The debate was "a tad alarming," Locante acknowledged before adding that the president's performance at a North Carolina rally the following day encouraged her.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks during a presidential debate with Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, in Atlanta, June 27, 2024. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

A common sentiment among Wisconsin Democrats was the threat they say Trump poses to the country.

"Honestly, for the people that I talk to a lot, the more concerning thing was, 'We're terrified of having Trump's dictatorial nature,' and that was really on display, completely, during the debate," William Garcia, the Democratic Chair of La Crosse County, told ABC News.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Jaya Sharma's name.

As Biden rallies in Wisconsin, Democratic voters want to evaluate him for themselves originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. Azerbaijans affordable mobile operator Nar signed a memorandum on mutual cooperation with the Association of Tourism Agencies of Azerbaijan (ATAA) in order to support the development of local tourism industry. The memorandum aims to enhance the tourist experience by offering convenient access to mobile services at affordable rates. Within the framework of this cooperation, the mobile operator will present special Nar numbers to tourists visiting Azerbaijan.

According to the terms of the memorandum, tourism agencies will benefit from the opportunity to obtain these special numbers from Nar in a cost-effective and fast manner, providing a superior experience for tourists. Independent tour guides and local citizens will also be able to obtain special Nar numbers intended for tourists on favorable terms. As a result, agencies and independent individuals working in the field of tourism will add value to their services by supporting their foreign guests in convenient access to reliable and affordable mobile services.

By supporting the development of the tourism sector Nar contributes to the non-oil industry of Azerbaijan. At the same time, the mobile operator emphasizes its commitment to providing tourists with easy access to affordable mobile services in order to contribute to the promotion of Azerbaijan as a tourist destination. Visit nar.az for detailed information about all the services and products offered by Nar under favorable conditions.

Nar currently provides high-quality communication services to 2.2 million customers. Nar is the leading mobile operator in the country according to the Net Promoter Score for the last 5 years. The mobile operator adheres to a customer-centric strategy and provides best-in-class service at an affordable price.
Biden vows to beat Trump in 2020 and says hes proud to be a black woman in latest gaffes

Joe Biden has endured a difficult week after his disastrous debate with Donald Trump - Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

Joe Biden vowed to beat Donald Trump in 2020 as he pledged to stay in the presidential race and fight to save his re-election bid.

The US President committed his latest gaffe at a rally in Wisconsin, in the first of a handful of campaign appearances that he has reportedly conceded will decide whether he can stay in the race.

Ill beat Donald Trump. Ill beat him again in 2020, Mr Biden told supporters in the battleground state.

It comes after the 81-year-old, attempting to recover from his disastrous debate performance last week, said he was proud to be the first black woman elected president.

On Friday night Maura Healey, the governor of Massachusetts, became the most high-profile sitting Democrat to publicly call for Mr Biden to consider his position.

The best way forward right now is a decision for the President to make, she said.

Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump.

But at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, Mr Biden gave a forceful speech declaring he would not stand down.

Im staying in this race, he told a crowd of supporters. Im not letting one 90-minute debate wipe out three-and-a-half years of work.

Mr Biden seemed to confuse his own vice-presidency with that of Ms Harris - Carolyn Kaster/AP

At the same rally, he mistakenly told a crowd he would beat Trump in 2020 and confused billions with trillions in a criticism of Trumps alleged tax cuts.

His gaffe about black women was made during an with Philadelphias WURD radio station, when Mr Biden appeared to mix up himself with Kamala Harris, his vice president.

By the way, Im proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first black woman...to serve with a black president, he said, in what appeared to be a reference to both his own term as vice president under Barack Obama and Ms Harriss appointment to the office in 2021.

Both Mr Obama and Ms Harris made history when they were elected in 2008 and 2020 respectively, as the first black president and first black vice president.

Mr Biden may not even be wholly in charge of which policies the White House puts through, a source from inside the building told Semafor news website yesterday.

The source said much appeared to be handled by his close team including chief of staff Jeff Zients. The White House denied the claim.

Hopes for interview

Mr Bidens speech gaffe came ahead of a major interview with ABC News which White House aides hope will extinguish calls from some Democrats for Mr Biden to step back from the 2024 race.

Donors, strategists and some congressmen have argued that Mr Biden is too old to serve a second term, and that his frequent errors in public appearances risk handing the election to Donald Trump.

The pressure has threatened to end his campaign since late last month, when Mr Biden gave a disastrous performance in a televised presidential debate with Trump in Atlanta.

Polls show public support for Mr Biden has dropped markedly since the Trump debate, while trust in Kamala Harris has grown - Matt Kelley/AP

Aides suggested to The New York Times that Mr Biden will attempt to reboot his campaign with the interview and two campaign rallies over the weekend, although some in his own party remain sceptical the situation can be recovered.

In Thursdays interview, when asked why voting mattered, Mr Biden delivered an apparently unrelated answer that referred to the Supreme Courts recent decision to grant Trump considerable immunity to prosecution.

You need someone, someone who is going to make sure thatthe Supreme Court just issued a decision, by the way, that threatens the American principle that we have no kings in America, he said.

Earlier in the day, he fluffed his lines when speaking to military families on the White House South Lawn. During a four-minute address he said he was not going anywhere but he seemed to stumble when he referred to Mr Trump as one of our colleagues.

Damaging revelations

While defenders of Mr Biden say he has long mixed up words, during his 90-minute debate last week he frequently appeared lost.

Further damaging revelations about his mental capacity have since emerged in the US media, including the suggestion that he is not cogent after 4pm each day, and that he sometimes forgets the names of close friends.

A guest at a party attended by Mr Biden told New York Magazine they were shocked to find he could not make it through an evening reception because it was too late.

Other long-time friends of Mr Biden told the publication he struggled to remember their names when they met.

While he has admitted to supporters he does not speak as smoothly as he used to, Mr Biden blamed his poor debate performance on a hectic international travel schedule in the weeks leading up to the event.

Polls show public support for Mr Biden has dropped markedly since the debate, while trust in Ms Harris has grown, leading to speculation that he will stand down and hand her the nomination.

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 says hes not going anywhere, takes shot at Trump during Fourth of July event

Biden says hes not going anywhere, takes shot at Trump during Fourth of July event

President Biden said hes not going anywhere and took a swipe at former President Trump during remarks before service members and military families who had gathered at the White House for a Fourth of July barbecue Thursday.

Biden spoke for about four minutes, then made some unscripted remarks at a barbecue for active-duty military service members and their families outside the White House.

I was in a World War I cemetery in France, and  the former president didnt want to go and be up there. Which I probably shouldnt have said, Biden said during his remarks, prompting a murmur of laughter.

Anyway, we gotta just remember who the hell we are. Were the United States of America, Biden continued.

Biden took a similar dig at Trump during the first presidential debate last week, referencing a 2020 report in The Atlantic that alleged the former president disparaged service members as suckers and losers, which Trump denies.

A supporter then yelled to Biden, Keep up the fight. We need you, and the president replied, You got me, man. Im not going anywhere.

The presidents public events have been heavily scrutinized since last weeks presidential debate, where he appeared to lose his train of thought, forget words and stare off into space at points.

While the partys officeholders have largely coalesced behind Biden, three House Democrats have called on the president to drop out of the race since Tuesday.

His team has conceded the performance was poor but has pushed back strongly on calls for him to step aside, saying hes focused on beating Trump.

Trump has been uncharacteristically quiet as Biden battles for his political future.

First lady Jill Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivered remarks before Biden addressed the crowd.

I got in trouble for saying this years and years ago, but I make no apologies for it. We have many obligations as the government but only one truly sacred obligation, sacred: prepare those we send into harms way and to care for them and their families when they come home and, when they dont, their families, President Biden said.

Were all part of a long chain of patriots that stretches back to our nations founding, thats given life to the very idea of America, he added.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Biden spoke with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday morning about progress on a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Earlier I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss ongoing efforts to finalize a deal that would result in a ceasefire together with the release of hostages  a deal that I have outlined and is endorsed by the UN Security Council, the G7, and countries around the world, Biden wrote on the social platform X.

Biden announced at the end of May a three-part proposal to end the fighting and return Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Hamas abducted around 250 hostages and killed about 1,200 people when it attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

More than 35,000 Palestinians have died since, as Israel hammers Gaza in an effort to wipe out Hamas and rescue the hostages, prompting international outrage and sparking protests across U.S. college campuses.

The Biden administration has stood by its ally, sending billions of dollars in military assistance to Israel. Some Democrats have pushed Biden to take a harder stance with Netanyahu over the countrys conduct in the war, but members overwhelmingly support the country in the war.

The United Nations Security Council approved a U.S.-sponsored resolution last month that called for an immediate, temporary cease-fire. The text of the resolution noted Israel had accepted the framework laid out by Biden in May and called on Hamas to accept the deal as well.

The call comes less than three weeks before Netanyahu is slated to address Congress on July 24.

Through thick and thin, for the past nine months, Israel has deeply appreciated vital American support, Netanyahu wrote on X.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 acknowledged a weak performance at last weeks presidential debate but tried to assure Americans during an ABC News interview that he was fit to run again in the 2024 race for the White House against Donald Trump.

Speaking with ABC News George Stephanopoulos Friday, Biden said he was exhausted during the event, which accounted for a performance in which the current Commander-in-Chief seemed enfeebled and slow, spurring distrust among his base and eroding support for a second White House run. Biden has worked since last week, when the debate was telecast by CNN, to find ways to prove himself anew to constituents, even as a furor swirls through media and Beltway circles over whether he remains fit to lead the nation.

More from Variety

Its a bad episode no indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted. I didnt listen to my instincts in terms of preparing, Biden said. It was a bad night.

He said his performance at the debate was nobodys fault but mine.

Still, he tried to parry back at Stephanopoulos, noting that Trump lied 28 times. More than once, Biden asserted that Trump was a pathological liar and a congenital liar who was not a public servant but only out to enrich himself.

Over and over, as Stephanopoulos pressed Biden about his capabilities and his willingness to step aside, Biden defensively sought to make the case that he is best equipped to defeat former President Trump at the ballot box in November. He also made it clear that he sees himself as best prepared to protect the nation from geopolitical volatility across the globe, notably in Ukraine and in Gaza.

Im the most qualified person to beat him, and I know how to get things done, Biden asserted. Later he reinforced: I dont think anybodys more qualified to be President or win this race than me.

And whos gonna be able to hold NATO together like me? Whos gonna be able to be in a position where Im able to keep the Pacific Basin in a position where were  were at least checkmating China now? Whos gonna  whos gonna do that? Who has that reach?  I guess a good way to judge me, is youre gonna have now the NATO conference here in the United States next week. Come listen. See what they say.

Biden was fiesty and defensive when Stephanopoulos referenced the panic among Democrats set off by his surprisingly feeble performance in the June 27 debate carried live on CNN. Ive met with them, Biden insisted when the anchor mentioned Democratic Congressional leaders including Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and Hakeen Jefferies. He also emphasized the high stakes of this election given all the challenges ahead.

Youve heard me say this before. I think the United States and the world is at an inflection point when the things that happen in the next several years are gonna determine what the next six, seven decades are gonna be like, Biden said.

EXCLUSIVE: President Biden tells @GStephanopoulos the debate was a bad episode, adding that he was feeling terrible after a busy month.



The full exclusive interview airs at 8/7c on ABC.https://t.co/hlL4FaVp80 pic.twitter.com/unJF13rrQ7  ABC News (@ABC) July 5, 2024

The public reaction to ABC News interview is critical for Biden, and is one of a series of events the White House hopes will demonstrate that he remains in strong control of the nations business. Even so, there was one response that seemed puzzling. Stephanopoulos asked Biden if he had watched the entire debate in its aftermath and the President replied, I dont think I did, no. It was unclear if Biden had viewed parts of the event, or hadnt seen any of it with aides.

At one point, in arguing with Stephanopoulos about his standing in various polls, Biden stumbled over references to CBS News, NBC News and New York Times polls.

Biden sounded most convincing when he was making the case that his chances of winning have been discounted before, as they were in 2020, and hes proven his doubters wrong.

I carried an awful lotta Democrats last time I ran in 2020. Look, I remember them tellin me the same thing in 2020. I cant win. The polls show I cant win,' he said. He also pointed to the Democrats better-than-expected showing in the 2022 midterm elections. Remember, the red wave was coming. Before the vote, I said, Thats not gonna happen. Were gonna win. We did better in an off-year than almost any incumbent President ever has done.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
President Joe Biden told Democratic governors during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday that he needs to get more rest, and in order to get more sleep, he wants to stop scheduling events after 8 p.m., according to one person in the room and two others briefed on the discussion.

The meeting with governors was intended to ease concerns about the president's age and mental fitness.

During the meeting, the 81-year-old president responded to a question from Hawaii Gov. Josh Green about his health by stating he was fine, but he added, "it's just my brain," according to one person in the room and another familiar with the discussion.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks during a Medal of Honor Ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, July 3, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: Biden told governors he had medical checkup after debate and is in good health: Sources

Both people said they took that comment, which was first reported by The New York Times, as a joke.

In a statement to ABC News, Biden's campaign chair, Jen OMalley Dillon, who was in the room during the conversation, stated, He was clearly making a joke and then said all kidding aside.

The White House declined to comment.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden walks off stage during a break in a presidential debate with former President Donald Trump hosted by CNN, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (Gerald Herbert/AP)

MORE: President Joe Biden to sit down with ABC News on Friday for first TV interview since debate

As ABC News also reported, Biden told governors he had a medical checkup following the 9 p.m. debate last week and is in good health, according to two people with direct knowledge of conversation during the meeting.

After telling reporters on the record on Wednesday that the president has not gotten any medical exams since suffering from just a cold at the time of the debate, the White House acknowledged Thursday that President Biden was seen by his doctor several days afterward.

MORE: Biden is not considering dropping out of the race, White House insists

According to White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates, Several days later, the President was seen to check on his cold and was recovering well.

Separately, some Democrats who wanted the president to start having conversations with governors and lawmakers are concerned that reported comments like these coming out of his discussions are not helping the party turn the page and could only be making the situation worse.

Biden heads to Wisconsin on Friday for a campaign rally and a critical first TV interview since the debate with ABC's George Stephanopoulos.

The first excerpts will air on "World News Tonight" and then the interview will be broadcast in its entirety in a prime-time ABC network special on Friday evening at 8 p.m. ET.

Watch: ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos' exclusive first post-debate TV interview with President Joe Biden airs in its entirety in an ABC News prime-time special Friday, July 5, at 8 p.m. ET.

"I'm not going anywhere," Biden said Thursday, speaking at a July Fourth barbecue for military families after someone in the crowd shouted, "Keep up the fight!"

Biden told concerned Democratic governors he needs more sleep, sources say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
As President Joe Biden attempts to rebound from his disastrous debate performance last week, he has spent the days since trying to steer attention back to former President Donald Trump's record and rhetoric even while acknowledging his own shortcomings.

However, during some of those now heavily scrutinized appearances and radio interviews, he's made gaffes similar to one in his debate performance -- mistakes he's been trying to avoid as questions have grown -- even among some Democratic supporters -- about his mental and physical fitness for office.

PHOTO: US President Joe Biden speaks during a barbeque for active-duty military families in honor of the Fourth of July on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, July 4, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

While not as visible to millions as what was described as vacant stares and lost trains of thought in the debate, they add to a list of previous incidents the White House has had to push back on: what some say was his appearing to freeze during a Juneteenth celebration and at a fundraiser with former President Barack Obama; his sometimes garbled public comments during the D-Day anniversary in France and his halting comments and appearances at the G7 summit.

In an interview with Philadelphia radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders that aired Thursday, Biden attacked Trump, claiming he "questioned the humanity of George Floyd, led the birther movement and accused the Central Park Five, they should be in jail."

Biden spotlighted the stakes in the election and noted several times Trump's comment that he wants to be a "dictator" on "day 1" of his second term. Trump later claimed he was joking.

"Not a joke, he means it," Biden said.

But Biden at one point also claimed, "I'm proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first Black woman, to serve with a Black president."

He also said, when speaking about discrimination against Catholics, that he was "the first president [who} got elected statewide in the state of Delaware" when he apparently meant he was the first Catholic elected to statewide office.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks during a 4th of July event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, July 4, 2024. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Biden brought up Trump again later Thursday -- appearing to start to refer to him as "my former colleague" during the annual White House July 4th barbecue for military families, recounting his D-Day anniversary visit to Normandy and a cemetery he says Trump reportedly said was filled with "losers" and "suckers."

"And by the way, you know, I was in that World War I cemetery in France and -- the one that my -- one of our col -- the former president didn't want to go and be up there," Biden told them before taking a beat and saying, "I probably shouldn't even say it. At any rate, we got to just remember who the hell we are. We are the United States of America."

MORE: Biden told concerned Democratic governors he needs more sleep, sources say

Biden then stopped using a teleprompter at a lectern and made off-the-cuff remarks to audience members, walking among them using a handheld microphone.

After someone in the crowd shouted, "keep up the fight," he responded, "You've got me, man," laughing. "I'm not going anywhere. All right? All right."

Then, in an unclear transition, he said there's "no congestion on the highways" and spoke about his staff efforts to get him to stop talking.

"One last thing, and I used to think when I was a senator, was there were always congestion on the highways. No congestion anymore. We go on the highway, there's no congestion. And so what? The way they get me to stop talking, they'll say, we just shut down all the roads, Mr. President, you're gonna lose all the votes if you don't get in," he said. "If you don't get anything, I'll be back out. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I love you. Thank you. You. "

ABC News' Will McDuffie, Cheyenne Haslett, Molly Nagle and Rachel Bade contributed to this report.

Biden tries to shift attention back to Trump after debate debacle, but some gaffes continue originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
President Joe Biden should undergo detailed cognitive and movement disorder testing and share the results of those tests with the public, CNNs chief medical correspondent says.

Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon who frequently appears on TV, wrote in a piece published Friday that he and several medical colleagues had observed concerning signs during Bidens debate with former President Donald Trump that merit a closer look at Bidens health. Gupta said the symptoms he saw include Bidens halting speech, quiet voice, slack-jawed appearance, and inability to finish some sentences while on the debate stage.

Are we looking at episodes of something? Or is this a condition that should be more fully investigated? And it really seems to be more of the latter, Gupta said Friday on CNN.

He added that the current level of information disclosed about Bidens health is not sufficient to make a diagnosis from afar. But  after a concerning performance at the debate  Gupta and other brain doctors concurred that the president should receive a detailed examination of his judgment, memory, and other risk factors.



Back in 2020, Biden said he was constantly tested by the work of running for president. All youve got to do is watch me, he said then, Gupta noted. The country is watching now, and that assessment gives cause for concern  and a need for transparent testing.

The call for testing from doctors in Guptas circle comes amid a crisis of confidence in Bidens viability to run for president, beat Trump in November, and serve in office until he is 86, sparked by a performance last week where Biden had a raspy voice and gave several incomplete answers. Guptas analysis is the latest in a wave of intense commentary in the media about Bidens age and scrutiny of the White Houses disclosures about his health.

It wasnt that what we noticed was necessarily new but that it was particularly pronounced, and right from the start of the debate, Gupta wrote, noting that Trump has also previously rambled during remarks and confused names or events.

Gupta added that low sleep, low blood sugar levels, or illness could have contributed to his appearance, but testing would help make clear the true explanation for the symptoms displayed by Biden. He added that understanding the possibility of underlying dementia would ultimately benefit Biden, as early diagnosis and treatment has improved in recent years.

Biden has not been diagnosed with a cognitive disorder, and he took an extremely detailed neurologic exam during his annual physical, his doctor said in February. That exam, which also found no symptoms of Parkinsons, described the president as fit to perform his duties. It noted that he was being treated for several ailments consistent with his age, as well as a stiffer gait.

While Biden told a meeting of Democratic governors this week that he had received a medical check up for a cold after the debate, previous reports on his health have not mentioned any cognitive tests. But the president is seeking to reassure voters about his condition with a series of public appearances this weekend  including a highly anticipated sit-down with ABC News that will air Friday.
Subscription to paid content

Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Patriotism shines the brightest in Summerlin every July 4 as the largest Independence Day parade in the valley dominates nearly a mile of the Trails Village.

It shined brighter this year as the Summerlin Council  the nonprofit arm of the Summerlin Community Association  celebrated 30 years as parade organizer. The once small neighborhood event led by children on decorated bikes now spans 20 giant balloons, 50 floats and performing groups, 500 volunteers, and 2,500 parade performers.

As years progressed, so has the competition for the best seats as the council said approximately 50,000 people attended Thursday morning. It is part of the fun that has brought Delicia Coupe back for 10 years.

We set our stuff out, what, yesterday morning? Coupe said, seated directly along the parade route Thursday morning. What we do to pass the time is we actually take the citizenship test, and we see who can stay and who has to go live in Canada.

The approaching 8 News Now float during the 30th Summerlin Patriotic Parade. (KLAS)

A family watching the 30th Summerlin Patriotic Parade Thursday morning. (KLAS)

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (left) and Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony (right) wave to parade patrons Thursday morning. (KLAS)

She and others spent hours looking to those on top of the main attractions: Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, Nevada Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony, Vegas Golden Knights Zach Whitecloud and Kaedan Korczak, the 8 News Now anchor and production team, and several local community groups.

8 News Nows Brian Loftus and Sherry Swensk have consistently emceed the event. Swensk celebrated 20 years Thursday.

8 News Now Anchors Brian Loftus (left) and Sherry Swensk (right) emceeing the 30th Summerlin Patriotic Parade Thursday morning. (KLAS)

Cars resembling those in classic movies driving down the streets of Trails Village Thursday morning. (KLAS)

Parade performers trailing ahead of a 50-foot American eagle balloon. (KLAS)

I absolutely remember my first year. That was the year that Polly Gonzalez passed, and we were supposed to cohost together. It was bittersweet, Swensk said minutes before the parade began Thursday. But I was so happy to be here to carry on the vision that she wanted for this parade, and 20 years later, its grown bigger and better than I think she ever dreamed it could be.

But behind the American flags and shimmery floats lies different kinds of celebration. Families, like those of Andrea Turner, spent moments embracing each other and beginning new traditions.

A lot of people have lost the family traditions, really, and they get separated, Turner said, seated with her baby in her lap and relatives running around her. Its just great to be able to participate as a family and do things together.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
FILE - Farm workers milk dairy cows in the milking parlor at the Welcome Stock Farms, Jan. 25, 2022, in Schuylerville, N.Y. New York officials gave final approval Wednesday, Feb. 22, for a measure that will lower the hourly threshold for when farm workers qualify for overtime pay. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)

Public health officials are concerned about bird flu, which so far has been detected in four dairy farm workers  two in Michigan and one each in Texas and Colorado  as well as in cattle in a dozen states.

The farm workers 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 farm workers.

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 farm workers.

They not only know the farms in their counties, but they also know many of the farm worker organizations, she said.

Dairy farm workers, 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 farm worker who agrees to be tested and provide blood and nasal swab samples to the agency. But Doris Garcia-Ruiz, who directs farm worker 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 farm workers health, in its response. While the risk to the public is low, she and other experts say the population of farm workers 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.

This story was originally published by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.

The post As bird flu spreads on dairy farms, an abysmal few workers are tested appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Area residents view the Black Bottom Street View exhibit at Dequindre Cut Greenway on Detroit's lower east side. | Ken Coleman

The acclaimed Black Bottom Street View exhibit returns this summer in Detroit.

It will be available for public view at Berts Warehouse in the citys Eastern Market district beginning Saturday through July 28, according to Marcia Black of Black Bottom Archives, a nonprofit that is repository for the history of the noted largely African-American community that was razed by city government during the 1950s under the auspices of urban renewal.

Black said the immersive panoramic exhibit offers a unique glimpse into the vibrant life of Black Bottom before its demolition. It reconstructs 20 blocks of the historic community using over 2,000 archival photographs taken between 1949 and 1950 from the Detroit Public Library Burton Historical Collection.

Visitors can walk the historic streets, listen to oral histories, and remember the neighborhood as it once stood, Black said.

Black told the Advance that the exhibit is free and open to the public. Berts Warehouse is located at 2727 Russell Street in Detroit The exhibit will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The grand opening celebration will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Prior to its demolition, Black Bottom was a significant hub for Detroits Black community, Black said. It encompassed approximately 40 square blocks on the citys east side, bordered by Gratiot Avenue to the north, Brush Street to the west, and the Grand Trunk Western Railroad tracks to the south and east. Despite it being labeled a slum by city leaders such as Mayor [Albert] Cobo, Black Bottom is remembered as a thriving neighborhood, cultural hub, and home to numerous Black-owned businesses despite the challenges of segregation and poverty.

The exhibit has been seen previously at the Detroit Public Library main branch and the Dequindre Cut Greenway.

The Black Bottom Street View Exhibit is not just an exhibit; its a living, breathing tribute to a neighborhood that was the heartbeat of Detroits Black community, said Emily Kutil, the exhibits curator.

For more information, visit http://www.blackbottomarchives.com.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Black Bottom Street View exhibit returns to Berts Warehouse in Detroit appeared first on Michigan Advance.
NEW YORK (AP)  The National Black Farmers Association called on Tractor Supplys 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.

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 companys work to be more socially inclusive and to curb climate change.

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.

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.

Tractor Supply declined to comment further when reached on Tuesday.

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 retailers core customer base consists of shoppers in need of farm and ranch products, such as livestock feed, trucking supplies, tools and outdoor equipment.

Boyd said Tractor Supply stores can be found where much of NBFAs 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 companys 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 dont 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.

Hes gone too far  and we have to let him know were 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. Were tired of (being) mistreated by the government and Fortune 500 companies.  Black farmers are going to start fighting back. And thats what were 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 companys decision when the sanctuarys 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 shes 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.

Its 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 didnt 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, youre 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 dont 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. Its a no-win situation.

Tractor Supplys 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 years backlash.

Legal attacks against companies diversity and inclusion efforts have also drawn more attention following the Supreme Courts 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 companys 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 organizations conferences. The company recently invited NBFA to apply to be a partner of Tractor Supplys company foundation, but the organization learned on June 26  one day before Tractor Supplys announcement on its DEI and climate goals  that it was not among the groups selected, he said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
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.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) is experiencing some blowback after calling White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre a DEI hire in a recent rant on social media, blasting the Biden spokesperson for doing her job: speaking to the press.

I couldnt care less about what @PressSec has to say today, Boebert wrote in a post on X. Its between 10 am-4 pm which means president Joe Biden supposedly should be coherent enough to take a few questions from the press. Instead, Americans are supposed to listen to the discredited DEI hire.

Jean-Pierre, whose daily press briefings are among her core responsibilities, has served since 2022 and was hired after a year-long stint as deputy press secretary under Jen Psaki.

DEI hire, which refers to corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, is one of the far-rights newest racial attacks, critics say. Its been lobbed at Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, former Harvard President Claudine Gay, and other prominent Black public figures by right-wing social media users.

X users immediately blasted the comments towards Jean-Pierre as racist, with some pointing out that Boebert is, on paper, much less qualified by comparison.

DEI hire vs a GED hire. You have a lot of nerve nasty lady, Florida Democratic candidate Mike Harvey wrote on X.

Boebert, who has faced allegations of being severely underqualified for her own post since she first ran, swapped House districts in Colorado after whittling down a GOP powerhouse seat into a near-toss-up in 2022.

Jean-Pierre, a Columbia University graduate with experience in Democratic communications dating back to 2004 and earlier, is the first Black and first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve in the role.

Boebert, who rattled off at least three tweets in as many days referring to a report citing one unnamed Biden aide claiming the presidents workday runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., has yet to speak on rumors of her partys candidates cognitive challenges.
Jair Bolsonaro, seen with a supporter at Brasilia airport, is reportedly facing charges over allegedly misappropriating expensive state gifts - Eraldo Peres/AP

Jair Bolsonaro has been formally accused of embezzlement after he allegedly misappropriated jewellery worth 2.5 million from Saudi Arabia, two police sources told Reuters.

The accusations against Brazils former president by the countrys federal police also include money laundering and criminal association for allegedly misappropriating the expensive state gifts, one of the sources said.

Though Mr Bolsonaro has not been officially charged, his case will now go before a court in line with Brazilian law and be put before a judge who will decide whether to proceed with the case.

Observers have said that it is unlikely prosecutors would have accused a former president of such crimes if they didnt consider they had solid evidence.

The accusations follow raids last year on the homes of military officers close to Mr Bolsonaro, who are alleged to have helped him get rid of the jewellery.

He is alleged to have had some of the diamond-encrusted valuables smuggled to the United States, where his aides sold two watches, one a Rolex and the other a Patek Philippe, for $70,000 (54,600).

The jewellery included a diamond necklace, ring, watch and earrings - Brazil's Federal Revenue Department

The case is the second time police have formally accused Bolsonaro, 69, of a crime. In May, he was charged with falsifying his Covid vaccination record.

During the pandemic, he pushed ivermectin, an antiparasitic used to treat farm animals, as a cure and was accused of causing the avoidable deaths of hundreds of thousands of Brazilians.

The former president has yet to respond to the allegations, but his eldest son, Flavio, a senator, claimed on X, formerly Twitter, that his father was the victim of persecution by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the current Leftist president. He added that the case against his father was blatant and shameless.

The jewellery, some of it made by Chopard of Switzerland, was valued at $3.2 million and included a diamond necklace, ring, watch and earrings given to Mr Bolsonaro and his wife, Michelle, the former first lady of Brazil, by the Saudi government.

Other parts of the luxury collection were reportedly seized by customs officials at Sao Paulo airport in 2021 when they were allegedly found in the luggage of an aide to Mr Bolsonaro as he returned from Riyadh.

According to prosecutors, the jewellery should have been stored at an official government site rather than treated as the Bolsonaro familys personal property.

Separately, Mr Bolsonaro is also being investigated for his alleged role in a January 2023 uprising in the capital, Brasilia, when a mob stormed the congress and supreme court in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election, after Mr Bolsonaro narrowly lost his bid for re-election.

Mr Bolsonaro said in the wake of the riot that he never had any relationship or participation with these spontaneous social movements.

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.
Bond raised to $175k for man accused of shooting at mother, 6 kids

MEMPHIS, Tenn.  After allegedly firing shots at a mother and her six children earlier this week, a Memphis mans bond was increased by over $100,000.

Heres what Im going to do, Judge S. Ronald Lucchesi said. I am going to set the bond at $25,000 per alleged victim.

Diamon Fleming is facing almost a dozen charges after officers say he opened fire inside a Frayser complex.

They say his intended target was his girlfriend, but when a neighbor, a mother, tried to confront the 21-year-old, he allegedly turned his weapon towards her and her children as they tried to drive away.

Mom he has a gun: 6 kids, mom shot at in Frayser

As it turns out, Fleming is no stranger to law enforcement.

In 2022, he was charged with theft of property and is currently under a judicial diversion, which requires he complete a probationary period that wouldnt end until 2026.

This means that Fleming was not supposed to have a weapon, but according to the victim, he not only had one but pulled the trigger.

(She) identified him in a six-person photographic display as the person responsible for firing shots at her and her children, the assistant district attorney said. We think that was a high degree of aggressiveness.

The state asked the court to raise Flemings initial $25,000 bond.

His public defender argued that his past run-ins with the law should actually work in his favor.

There is no failure to appear despite the fact he is on diversion, Melody Carlisle said. Which tells us he came to court every time as required.

13, 18-year-old charged with first-degree murder

That did little to sway the judge.

I was surprised when I read the affidavit that hes not charged with criminal attempted first-degree murder, Judge Lucchesi said.

So, the judge said that since there were seven victims in harms way, $25,000 towards Flemings bond would be added for each victim  totaling a $175,000 bond.

The multiple counts of aggravated assault Fleming was facing have been upgraded to attempted second-degree murder charges.

A mental evaluation was requested and the 21-year-old is set to appear back in court in two weeks.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, July 5. Turkmenistan expresses its readiness to significantly increase the volume of energy supplies to the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Trend reports.

This was stated by the Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, at the meeting of heads of delegations in the SCO+ format in Astana.

"We see great prospects for joint work in the energy sector. Turkmenistan has the opportunity to significantly increase the volume of hydrocarbon raw materials and electricity supplies to the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)," he said.

In this context, Berdimuhamedov stressed that Turkmenistan is clearly fulfilling its contractual obligations in terms of volumes and timing of natural gas supplies.

"We invite interested SCO states to consider the parameters of their participation in energy and communication projects in Afghanistan initiated by Turkmenistan. We are talking about the implementation of projects for the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, power transmission lines, and fiber-optic communication along the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) route," he added.

Meanwhile, the Turkmengaz State Concern of Turkmenistan estimates the nation's hydrocarbon resources at over 71 billion tons of oil equivalent. This volume includes more than 20 billion tons of oil and more than 50 trillion cubic meters of natural gas.
DORCHESTER  A man facing charges of kidnapping and assault and battery on a child has been ordered to undergo a 20-day mental evaluation at the Bridgewater State Hospital.

Police arrested Manuel Cardoso, 44, of Boston on Thursday afternoon, not long after they say he attempted to take a child from the driveway of a home on Wentworth Street in Dorchester. Cardoso was arrested less than half a mile away after police say others intervened to help the child, and Cardoso ran away.

Cardoso was not visible in court for his arraignment on Friday morning. A doctor who assessed him addressed the court instead.

At this time, it is my opinion he requires further evaluation to stand trial, court psychologist Anne Johnson told the judge, indicating Cardoso was injured in the alleged kidnapping.

He really cant have any coherent conversation at this time, Dr. Johnson said. He has serious facial injuries, and I dont know if thats affecting his mental status.

Police say Cardoso walked up to a home on Wentworth Street a little after 4:00 in the afternoon on the July 4th holiday and attempted to urinate on the side of the home. They say he then approached several children and began speaking with them. When asked to leave, he reportedly grabbed one of the boys by the neck and began dragging him toward the street, at which point others intervened.

Something was off, neighbor Jackie told Boston 25 News. Jackie requested her full name and face not be used.

He was out here dancing, Jackie said. He looked super sloppy, super drunk.

Jackie said the suspect first approached her own children as they were playing in the front yard.

He was trying to interact with my children, Jackie said, adding the man walked away when she came to take the children inside.

Two houses down, and thats when he snatched up another child, Jackie said.

The boy was reportedly doing okay and with his family.

In court Friday, Dr. Johnson told the judge Cardoso suffered from lead poisoning as a child. She noted he had a history of mental illness and a record of past criminal activity, though she did not elaborate.

Im going to recommend the strict security of the Bridgewater State Hospital given the facts of this case and his substantial criminal history, Dr. Johnson told the judge, who agreed.

Cardosos next court hearing is scheduled for July 19th, at which time he could be formally arraigned on charges of kidnapping and assault and battery on a child under the age of 14.

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
BOWIE, Md. (DC News Now)  After seeing a rise in armed robberies across the city, the Bowie Police Department (BPD) warned residents to use caution when going to the bank or ATM.

The BPD said jugging is a term that is applied when people take cash from the bank or ATM. The suspect then follows the person to their next location and steals the money. In a post on the X platform, the department shared a list to help residents stay safe.

MCPD: Search continues for man who punched Giant Food employee, stole cash

Police are encouraging community members to:

Be aware of your surroundings: Pay attention to anyone observing activities outside a bank or financial institution

Conceal Cash: Discreetly carry your crash, in a purse or wallet

Vary your routine: Change your habits regarding banking or cash withdrawals

Secure your automobile: Make sure your vehicle is locked, windows are closed, and all valuables are out of sight.

The BPD also recommends residents report all suspicious activity by calling the non-emergency number 240-544-5700. For any crimes that are in progress, call 911.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
The News

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was indicted for money laundering, the latest in a string of accusations against the far-right leader.

Bolsonaro is accused of smuggling diamond jewelry reportedly worth $3 million from Saudi Arabia into Brazil undeclared: Brazilian law requires all goods worth more than $1,000 to be declared and taxed upon entry into the country.

Bolsonaro faces a dizzying array of other legal threats, the Associated Press reported, including accusations of inciting an uprising against his successor in a 2023 riot after his ousting and of falsifying his COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

He was also accused of harassing a humpback whale, although the investigation was dropped. Bolsonaro still commands strong support, but is barred from seeking office in Brazil until 2030 over his role in the riot.
By Elizabeth Piper and Andrew MacAskill

LONDON (Reuters) - Brexit kingpin Nigel Farage has finally won a seat in Britain's parliament at the eighth attempt and is as determined to be as much of a "bloody nuisance" there as he was to European Union leaders as a member of the European Parliament.

The election of the 60-year-old former commodities trader by the English town of Clacton-on-Sea is the culmination of a political career forged from his loathing of the EU's project for closer union and hatred for the Conservative Party.

"My plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of the next few years and hopefully be big enough to challenge the general election properly in 2029," said Farage, hailing his victory with 46% of the vote in Clacton, a one-time popular holiday destination which voted for Farage's pro-Brexit UKIP party in 2015.

"This Labour government will be in trouble very, very quickly and we will now be targeting Labour voters, we are coming for Labour - be in no doubt about that," he said, after Labour was set for a landslide victory in Thursday's election against a humiliated Conservative Party.

Farage used his two-decade stint in the European Parliament to mock top European officials and drove Britain's Conservatives to call the 2016 referendum on European Union membership in which Britons narrowly voted to leave.

With his Reform UK party poised to do better than expected according to an exit poll, Farage now has the chance to use the British parliament as his platform and is set on making his Reform UK party Britain's true opposition.

His main line of attack will be immigration, with Reform UK pledging to limit entry, leave the European Convention on Human Rights and push migrants arriving by small boats back to France before they land on British shores.

He will also push for lower taxes and says that unless new arrivals to Britain are genuine refugees, they should not get any benefits or free health care for five years. He denies the party is racist, however, and has kicked out several candidates for reported racist, or otherwise offensive comments.

Such is the scale of the collapse of the Conservative vote that while some lawmakers and party members rule out joining forces with such a divisive figure, others question whether Farage will eventually merge with, or take over, the party.

"It's going to be necessary to find a way forward," said one former Conservative minister on condition of anonymity. "And in all frankness, I can't see a way forward that doesn't involve Mr. Nigel Farage."

Farage's victory in Clacton caps a career of taking on what he sees as the 'establishment', presenting himself as a man of the people -- those voters who feel forgotten and ignored by mainstream parties -- in the mould of his friend Donald Trump.

Asked what methods he planned on using, Farage told Reuters he felt he was pretty effective in the European Parliament, where his earlier-named Brexit Party ended up with 29 seats. "I'll tell you what, I was the bloody nuisance there," he said.

Farage was fined after comparing the then president of the European Council Belgian Herman Van Rompuy in 2010 to a "low-grade bank clerk" from a "non country".

"(I'll use) humour. Always humour," Farage said at an election event in the Welsh town of Merthyr Tydfil. "Humour works better than anything. It always has, it always will."

NO MORE WEIRDOS

Farage, who from boyhood liked to challenge authority at school, had supposedly retired from politics when he stood down as leader of UKIP in 2016, shortly after the Brexit vote, saying: "I want my life back".

When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced an early poll, Farage said he would not stand, because he wanted to be more involved in the U.S. presidential election later this year and help Trump with his bid.

But in early June, that all changed. He said he had felt a "terrible sense of guilt" over letting down millions of supporters when, having a day off at home, he walked his dogs, did some fishing and "popped into the pub".

He has promised to a "political revolt" in Britain, where he said nothing worked anymore. His decision to return crushed any remaining hope for Sunak that he could turn the Conservatives' fortunes around.

Founded as the Brexit party in 2018 only to be rebranded as Reform three years later, donations dwindled and it has been largely propped up by loans from its chairman in recent years. Allegations of racism have persisted despite party denials.

Farage acknowledged that there was work to do.

"What I inherited a month ago, was a complete startup. A lot of those candidates, as I now understand it, were kind of begged for, at the last minute, because they didn't have enough people. They didn't have the resources, the manpower to vet them," he told Reuters. "So have we got a few bad apples? Yeah, we have."

"My first job... is to professionalise this party to make sure we don't get weirdos or oddballs standing for us ever again."

($1 = 0.7896 pounds)

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
The United Kingdom just witnessed a transformative election. Now, all eyes are on Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader who is now the country's prime minister. Born to a nurse and a toolmaker in the Southwark district of central London , Starmers journey from his blue-collar roots to the upper echelons of British politics has been marked by a blend of pragmatism and controversy, especially concerning LGBTQ + rights.



Starmer, 61, has a distinguished background as a human rights lawyer and served as director of public prosecutions before entering Parliament in 2015. However, his leadership of the Labour Party, which has traditionally championed equality and inclusivity, has seen a shift toward the center and he has made transphobic comments.

Labour has won 412 seats in Parliament, versus 121 for the Conservatives, the party formerly in power. There are 650 seats in the country's parliament.

Transgender rights and controversies

In a Monday interview with The Times, Starmer said that transgender women who have not undergone gender confirmation surgery should not be allowed in female-only spaces, including bathrooms. They dont have that right. They shouldnt. Thats why Ive always said biological womens spaces need to be protected, he said. It marked a significant departure from earlier, more inclusive positions and sparked backlash from LGBTQ+ activists and allies.

Gender Recognition Certificates, introduced under the Gender Recognition Act 2004, legally recognize a persons affirmed gender in matters such as marriage and pensions. However, existing government guidance allows for single-sex spaces, such as restrooms and changing rooms, to be restricted based on sex when deemed necessary.

According to The Independent, Starmer also said that a Labour government would not allow "gender ideology" to be taught in schools. No, Im not in favour of ideology being taught in our schools on gender, he said.

Starmers stance has shifted noticeably over the years. In November 2020, he declared on Facebook that trans rights are human rights, and your fight is our fight too, Attitude reports . By June 2021, he told PinkNews: Trans people are one of the most discriminated groups in our society. Labour knows how much work there is to do Were committed to updating the GRA [Gender Recognition Act] to introduce self-declaration for trans people. In April 2023, he told the Sunday Times that 99.9 percent of women havent got a penis, emphasizing a focus on biological definitions over gender identity, Sky News reports .

His LGBTQ+ advocacy record

Starmers record on LGBTQ+ rights is a tapestry of advocacy and contention. As director of public prosecutions, he played a pivotal role in several landmark cases reinforcing protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, Attitude reports . In March 2019, he supported making LGBTQ+-inclusive education mandatory in schools. By July of that year, he voted for marriage equality in Northern Ireland.

However, his recent comments have shown a shift in tone, ignoring that trans women are women.

Political landscape and party positions

The Labour Party, traditionally center-left, has been a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, pushing for marriage equality and anti-discrimination laws. Internal divisions and evolving social dynamics have led to shifting positions on transgender issues.

Labour has promised to ban conversion therapy, even after delays by the previous Conservative government. The party's platform also pushes for stronger punishments for hate crimes.

The Conservative Party, Britains main center-right political force, has historically been less progressive on LGBTQ+ issues but has made strides in recent years. Conservative Party leaders have openly been critical of trans rights and transgender people.

Other parties, such as the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, are generally more progressive. The far-right Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, often opposes policies supporting LGBTQ+ rights. Farage, a friend of former President Donald Trump won a seat in Parliament for the first time.
The former healthcare worked "coldly denied any responsibility," a judge said during her sentencing on Friday, July 5

EyePress News/Shutterstock Lucy Letby

Lucy Letby was sentenced to life for the attempted murder of a baby girl known as Baby K on Friday, July 5

The former neonatal nurse was previously handed 14 life sentences for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital in England between 2015 and 2016.

Letby was present in court for the hearing and told the judge "I'm innocent" after she was sentenced, reported the BBC

Lucy Letby, the British neonatal nurse found guilty of killing seven infants and attempting to kill six others, has been handed her 15th life sentence.

Letby, 34, was sentenced during a hearing at Manchester Crown Court on Friday, July 5, per a release from Cheshire Police.

The sentencing came after the former healthcare worker was found guilty of attempting to murder a premature baby girl  known only as Baby K  just hours after she was born in Feb. 2016 at her retrial on July 2.

Letby had previously been accused of the crime but the jury failed to reach a verdict alongside her other convictions last year.

According to the BBC, Letby was present in court for her sentencing. As she was taken down from the dock, Letby turned to Judge Justice Goss and said, "I'm innocent, the outlet reported.

Press Association via AP Images A court sketch of Lucy Letby giving evidence during her retrial at Manchester Crown Court in June 2024

Related: Lucy Letby Trial: What to Know About the Nurse Convicted of Murdering 7 Infants in U.K. Hospital

The former nurse was accused of dislodging a breathing tube that was attached to Baby K shortly after her birth at the Countess of Chester Hospital in England, the BBC reported.

The jury agreed the former nurse then stood by the baby girls incubator at the neonatal unit and watched her blood oxygen levels drop without intervening. According to the BBC, consultant pediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram had caught Letby "virtually red-handed" as he entered the room at around 3:45 a.m.

The baby, who was born at 25 weeks and weighed 1 lb 8oz at birth, was taken to another hospital where she died three days later. According to the BBC, prosecutors have not alleged that Letby caused the girls death.

During her previous 10-month trial at Manchester Crown Court in 2022 and 2023, prosecutors accused Letby of force-feeding infants' milk, poisoning some with insulin and injecting others with air.

In August 2023, she was handed 14 life sentences after being convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital in England between 2015 and 2016. She was convicted on 14 of a possible 22 counts.

Letby has consistently denied she had anything to do with the deaths.

Christopher Furlong/Getty Countess of Chester Hospital in England

Related:

During her sentencing on July 5, Judge Justice Goss said Letby had coldly denied any responsibility for any wrongdoing, had showed no remorse and there are no mitigating factors, according to the polices release.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans, said, This sentence once again reflects the true scale and gravity of her [Letbys] horrific crimes.

It also highlights the torturous journey that Baby Ks parents have had to endure at court  sitting and listening to extremely upsetting and distressing evidence about their newborn daughter  against constant denials from Letby. They have had to do this not once, but twice. she continued.

Nothing will take away the pain and suffering that they have had to experience but I hope that the significant sentence and the fact that Letby will spend the rest of her life behind bars will bring some comfort in their darkest hours.

Evans went on to praise Baby Ks mother for showing unbelievable strength and courage as she read out her victim impact statement in court in front of Letby.

Cheshire Constabulary Lucy Letby being interviewed by police following her arrest in July 2018

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.

It was truly heartbreaking to listen to and is a stark reminder of the pain and suffering that she has had to endure  along with her husband  over a very long period of time, she added.

In her victim statement, which was obtained by PEOPLE, Baby Ks mother opened up about how heart-wrenching her daughters death was, along with the six-year wait for Letbys initial trial and retrial.

Even writing this statement took months of gaining the courage to sit down and open that box again to all that pain and anger that you put to one side so that you can function to a somewhat normal level every day, which in turn causes guilt that part of you wants to bury it away as its too hard and painful to process but she is also our daughter, our firstborn, she is part of our family and deserves a place in our headspace and daily lives, she said.

Baby K is not here, never will be, we will never have what would give us peace, closure, or a feeling of being a complete family unit. However, you Lucy Letby, will never hurt another child or have the privilege and joy that children give, the statement concluded.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
(The Hill)  The family of a police officer who died after responding to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots warned that the Supreme Courts presidential immunity decision this week should frighten Americans.

The Supreme Court issued a landmark decision Monday that granted presidents broad legal protections, ruling that they have absolute immunity for core constitutional actions and implied immunity for official acts. The decision will have massive ramifications for special counsel Jack Smiths election interference case against Donald Trump, in which the former president faces multiple criminal charges over his actions in the lead-up to Jan. 6.

U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick suffered two strokes and died a day after the riots, during which he was assaulted and sprayed with a chemical irritant. His death has been connected to the attack by the Washington, D.C., medical examiner.

His brother, Craig Sicknick, argued in a letter reviewed by CBS News that the Supreme Courts ruling could have negative implications for the whole country.

The recent decision by the [Supreme Court] was appalling and should frighten every citizen of the United States, Sicknick wrote, adding that his family has been through hell due to the riots.

The courts of the United States are supposed to rule on punishment of people who broke the laws of our country, regardless of color, gender, wealth, political position, fame, and any other differences we may have as individuals, he wrote. We have learned once again that this concept is false with the very wealthy literally getting away with whatever they want.

Democrats have blasted the courts decision as potentially allowing a president to break the law without consequence. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned that the decision could embolden a corrupt executive to lash out against political opponents  even with violence  without being able to be held accountable.

Sicknick warned in the letter that the decision could mark a point of no return for the country.

It is possible the damage that has been done to our nation by Trump may heal and we might move forward towards a better, stronger nation, but it is also very possible that this decision has doomed The Great Experiment that was the United States of America, he 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 Queen City News.
Colonel Clarence Bud Anderson, who has died aged 102, was an American fighter ace and the last surviving pilot to have achieved three confirmed victories on the same mission.

On June 29 1944, Anderson was the leader of his squadron, tasked to escort a large bomber force of the USAAF Eighth Air Force to Leipzig. Over the target, eight Focke-Wulf 190s appeared and attempted to attack the bomber formation.

Anderson dived on the leader and started firing from 100 yards, hitting the enemy fighter, which rolled on to its back as the pilot baled out. He chased a second through some thin cloud, waited to fire until he was well within range and then put in a long burst which set the FW 190 on fire. As Anderson pulled away, another FW 190 flew across his front. He opened fire and gained his third victory in the space of a few minutes, making him a triple ace.

Clarence Emil Anderson was born in Oakland, California, on January 13 1922 and educated at the Placer Union High School in Sacramento and at the George Washington University, Washington, DC. Whilst at college, he gained his private pilots licence before starting work as a civilian air mechanic at the Sacramento Air Depot.

He enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps (later United States Army Air Force) in January 1942, graduating after eight months when he started training as a fighter pilot. After an initial assignment flying the P-39 Airacobra, he joined the newly formed 363rd Fighter Squadron of the 357th Fighter Group. In November 1943, the 357th sailed for England where they were equipped with the long-range P-51 Mustang powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. The unit was based at Leiston near the Suffolk coast.

Anderson's P-51D Mustang with full scoreboard at the end of his second combat tour in late 1944 - Jim Anderson

After acclimatising, Anderson flew his first mission, escorting a heavy bomber force, on February 5 1944. He recorded his feelings before taking off. My pulse was playing a Gene Krupa [a renowned drummer] solo as I walked to my plane that morning and climbed into the cockpit. I knew I had lots to learn and what I was thinking about before prodding the Merlin into life was of not getting lost, not screwing up. I was more afraid of screwing up than of dying.

On March 5 he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109 that was attacking a straggling B-17 Flying Fortress near Hanover. More success followed and on May 12 he had downed his fifth enemy aircraft, making him an ace. Before the end of May he destroyed three more enemy aircraft, two in a single sortie over Strasbourg. After his triple success over Hanover, he returned to the USA for a rest period. He had 12 confirmed successes and was the first pilot of the 357th to complete his 300-hour combat tour.

He returned in November for a second tour of operations. He shot down two FW 190s over Magdeburg on November 27 and claimed his final two victories on December 5 when he escorted B-17s to Berlin. With 16 confirmed successes, he was the highest scoring pilot of the 363rd Fighter Squadron.

His two Mustangs, both of which he nicknamed Old Crow (after a whisky of the same name), carried him safely through 116 missions without being hit by enemy fire and without him ever having to turn back for a mechanical reason, a feat he attributed to his ground crew, led by their chief, Sergeant Leon E Zimmermann. Old Crow is as much their plane as mine, he said. They took as much pride in the things it accomplished as I did.

Anderson returned to the USA in January 1945. In May 1948 he became a test pilot, serving for five years evaluating the latest jet fighters. One project involved increasing the range of a fighter by hooking it up to a four-engine bomber, to be released near a potential target.

He later commanded a fighter-bomber wing in Korea, flying the F-86 Sabre, an aircraft for which he held a particular affection. The Sabre was more than just fast, fun to fly and pretty to look at, he recalled. It was fantastic in a dogfight, capable of whipping anything in the air at that time.

Colonel Bud Anderson with a Lockheed F-104A Starfighter while serving as a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base after the Korean War - Jim Anderson

He returned to test flying at Edwards Air Force base in November 1957 where he became the chief of the flight test operations division. He tested the latest generation of supersonic fighters including the F-100 Super Sabre and the F-105 Thunderchief. This was followed by an assignment to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa where he was the deputy director of operations and, later, commander of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing.

In January 1970 he left for south-east Asia to command the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing at Takhli Air Force Base, Thailand, and flew the F-105 Thunderchief  nicknamed The Thud  in operations over Vietnam attacking enemy supply routes. His final appointment, before retiring in February 1972, was as chief of the aircraft division of Material Command at McClellan Air Force Base, California. He had completed 30 years of service and flown 130 different types of aircraft, amassing over 7,000 hours of flying time, the great majority on fighters.

He joined McDonnell Aircraft Company and served for 12 years as the manager of the companys flight test centre at Edwards Air Force Base. He finally retired in 1984.

Andersons many decorations included the US Legion of Merit (twice), five Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star and 16 Air Medals. The French appointed him to the Legion dHonneur and awarded him the Croix de Guerre.

He was made a life member of the American Fighter Aces Association and a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. In 2008 he was inducted into the International Air and Space Hall of Fame and received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015.

In retirement he led an active life, flying until he was 90, and giving talks at schools. In 1990, in conjunction with the author Joe Hamlin, he published To Fly and Fight: Memoirs of a Triple Ace.

His wife Eleanor, whom he married in 1946, died in 2015. He is survived by their son and daughter.

Bud Anderson, born January 13 1922, died May 17 2024

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Bulgaria considers providing Ukraine with 80 million at the NATO meeting, if the parliament agrees.

Source: BNR, as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to Bulgaria's temporary Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, this or any other amount will become a reality after parliamentary approval.

Quote: "Our main goal is to protect our national interests as a NATO ally," Dimitar Glavchev said without specifying what exactly this amount would be allocated for.

At the same time, Boyko Borissov, the leader of GERB-SDS (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria and the Union of Democratic Forces), stated that Sofia will not provide financial assistance to Kyiv.

Delyan Peevski, co-chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party, responded by explaining that Glavchev and Borissovs words did not contradict each other.

"This money will not be given by Bulgaria to Ukraine, it will be deducted from the sums Bulgaria receives for the arms it supplies Kyiv with," he said.

The GERB party's minority government failed to gain enough support in the Bulgarian parliament yesterday, putting the country closer to its seventh general election in three years and raising tensions among MPs.

Bulgaria has had six parliamentary elections in recent years, taking place in April 2021, July 2021, November 2021, October 2022, April 2023, and June 2024.

Borissovs party won the previous election but did not achieve a majority.

Support UP or become our patron!


"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."



Some butterflies are known for their long-haul migrations, but few make trips across entire oceans.

Now, an international team of scientists has documented the amazing journey of the Painted Lady Butterfly, which flies some 2,600 miles from West Africa to French Guiana.

The team confirmed this journey by analyzing the DNA of the butterflies, the molecular properties of grains of pollen found on the creatures, and also maps of trade winds that make such a transatlantic journey possible.

Butterflies are no strangers to long-haul flights. The monarch butterfly, for example, is known to travel some 3,000 miles to overwinter in Mexico before traveling back to the U.S. and Canada over the course of generations. Now, an international team of scientists have discovered another incredible butterfly journey by documenting the transatlantic flight of a Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) from West Africa to French Guiana.

This story actually begins a decade earlier in October of 2013, when Gerard Talaveraa Spanish researcher from the Botanical Institute of Barcelonadiscovered Painted Lady Butterflies along the Atlantic Coast of French Guinana. The species isnt known to live in South America. The discovery spurred an investigation into how this butterfly, which only stretches a couple inches, could be found so far from its usual home in western Africa. The results of this decades-long inquiry were published this week in the journal Nature Communications .

We usually see butterflies as symbols of the fragility of beauty, but science shows us that they can perform incredible feats," Roger Vila, a researcher at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology in Barcelona and co-author of the study, said in a press statement. There is still much to discover about their capabilities.

First, the team constructed wind trajectories to see if such a journey across the Atlantic was even possible, and favorable trade winds from Africa to South America supported the hypothesis. The new study suggests that the butterfly could complete the journey in 5 to 8 days without stopping, and that isnt actually too far-fetched, considering this isnt the only example of these African winds impacting South America. NASA has created 3D maps detailing how dust from the Sahara Desert fertilizes plants all the way in the Amazona feat thats only possible due to these same trade winds.

Further genetic study of the French Guianan butterflies revealed that theyre closely related to African and European butterflies, which eliminated the idea that these specimens were somehow from the Americas. The team also looked for other clues, down to the very molecular level. For instance, they analyzed grains of pollen carried by the butterflies and found that the plants that pollen came from originated in tropical areas of Africa. Additionally, they examined hydrogen and strontium isotopes in the butterflys wings, which serve as evidence pointing to where it was born, and found that they likely originated from western Europe.

It is the first time that this combination of molecular techniques including isotope geolocation and pollen metabarcoding is tested on migratory insects, University of Ottawas Clement Bataille, another co-author of the study, said in a press statement. The results are very promising and transferable to many other migratory insect species. The technique should fundamentally transform our understanding of insect migration.

As with most things related to the natural world, climate change could cause alterations or even an increase in these dispersal patterns worldwide, which could disrupt various ecosystems. The researchers call for a comprehensive plan for tracking these dispersal insects to curb risks to other ecosystems.

You Might Also Like
Cabinet of Ministers approves two more deputies for Ukraine's defence minister  photos

The Cabinet of Ministers has appointed Anatolii Klochko and Oleksandr Serhii as deputies to Ukraines Defence Minister Rustem Umierov.

Source: Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine

Details: The government's website states that Anatolii Klochko is a professional military officer, he was born in Kharkiv, graduated from the Saratov Higher Military Command Engineering School Missile Forces, in 2003 he graduated from the National Defence Academy of Ukraine, and in 2019 he graduated from the National University of Defence of Ukraine.

Anatolii Klochko

Photo: Ministry of Defence

"He was the commander of a missile brigade of the Army Corps from 1999 to 2005. He headed the Central Missile and Artillery Directorate in 2018-2020. He served as the head of the Central Directorate for the provision of munitions from 2020 to 2022," the Cabinet of Ministers website writes.

Oleksandr Serhii graduated from the Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School and received a degree in military management of the operational and tactical level at the Kyiv Institute of the Ground Forces.

Oleksandr Serhii.

Photo: Ministry of Defence

He has held senior positions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2010, being responsible for the army's logistics.

Umierov currently has nine deputies.

Background: On 5 October 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed three more deputies to the Defence Minister.

Support UP or become our patron!
How will Caddo and Bossier Parish Schools handle Louisiana's new 10 Commandments law?

All public classrooms in Louisiana, from kindergarten to state-funded universities, will soon feature displays of the Ten Commandments, per a new law signed by Governor Jeff Landry on June 20.

Caddo Parish and Bossier Parish Schools will conform to the recently instituted legislation, consistent with the laws of Louisiana.

Every year the legislature creates a multitude of new laws that impact public education and school systems try their best to implement them to the fullest extent of their ability, Bossier Parish spokesperson Sonja Bailes said.

"In this case, as with any legislation, Bossier Schools will adhere to what is required in accordance with state and federal law," Bailes said. "How and when that will happen is yet to be determined."

The commandments in the Bible

Caddo Parish Schools will continue reviewing all bills signed into law following the legislative session, director of communications and marketing Marquel Sennet said. Sennet said those laws will be implemented based on the guidance the district receives from the state.

Each public school district must display the Ten Commandments in every classroom by January 1, 2025. The law requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in a large, easily readable font on a poster or framed document with a minimum size of 11 inches by 14 inches. The display should also feature an accompanying three-paragraph explanation of their significance in American history.

In the language of the law, including the Ten Commandments in the education of Louisiana children is "part of our state and national history, culture and tradition."

The statue allows for the display of other historical documents like the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance in classrooms, though it does not require schools to do so.

The legislation was proposed by Republican Haughton Rep. Dodie Horton, who insisted the displays aren't advocating for any specific religion. Civil liberties groups have since filed a lawsuit seeking to block the law as unconstitutional.

Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinsonand on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Caddo and Bossier Schools address Ten Commandments display mandate
On July 3, an Orange County jury convicted Samuel L. Woodward, 26, of first-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement

Help Us Find Blaze Bernstein/Facebook Blaze Bernstein

A California man has been convicted of hate-motivated murder for stabbing his gay former high school classmate nearly 30 times at a park in 2018, prosecutors said.

On July 3, an Orange County jury convicted Samuel L. Woodward, 26, of first-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement and personal use of a knife in the death of 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein, according to a press release sent to PEOPLE from the Orange County District Attorneys Office.

Prosecutors said Woodward, who previously pleaded not guilty, faces a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole in state prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 25.

Bernstein, a pre-med student at the University of Pennsylvania, was spending time at home with his family in Southern California for winter break when he was last seen on Jan. 2, 2018.

Related: College Student Murdered on Break Was Killed by Former Classmate Because He Was Gay: Prosecutors

Prosecutors said Bernstein and Woodward both previously attended the Orange County School of the Arts and that the two met up that night around 11 p.m. after communicating through a dating app. After having dinner with his family, Bernstein was picked up by Woodward, leaving his glasses, keys, and wallet behind, prosecutors said.

Less than two hours later, Bernsteins body would be buried in a shallow grave in a Lake Forest park after having been stabbed 28 times by his former high school classmate who had led him to believe they were in the park for a romantic encounter, the release states.

After Bernstein missed a dentist appointment the following afternoon, his parents reported him missing. Authorities scoured the area for days before his body was found buried in Borrego Park in Lake Forest, Calif., on Jan. 9, 2018.

While Bernstein was missing, his parents went through his online activity and found that the last person he had communicated with was Woodward, who told them that he had met up with their son but that he had walked off into the park with someone else and never saw Bernstein again, according to the release.

Related: PEOPLE Explains: UPenn Student Blaze Bernstein's Killing as New Details Emerge After Friend's Arrest

The investigation eventually led to Woodwards arrest on Jan. 12, 2018. Prosecutors said Bernsteins blood was found on a knife belonging to Woodward and blood droplets were found on a skull mask that prosecutors argued Woodward wore to represent his allegiance to Atomwaffen, a Neo-Nazi and homophobic group. They added that Woodward traveled to Texas to train with the group after studying their teachings.

Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Samuel Woodward in Orange County Superior Court on June 13, 2024.

According to the release, investigators also found what prosecutors called a hate diary, which detailed Woodwards online activities to lure gay men and boys into believing he was bi curious, and then unfriending them. The diary reportedly contained numerous slurs referring to gay men.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Woodwards defense claimed he killed Bernstein only because he provoked him.

According to KABC-TV, Woodward testified that he committed the stabbing after trying to grab a phone he believed Bernstein used to record him while touching him sexually. During closing arguments, Woodwards defense attorney, Ken Morrison, said while his client was guilty of a serious, violent homicide, the killing was not a hate crime, the outlet reported.

At a news conference, Bernsteins mother, Jeanne Pepper, said she was thrilled with the verdict, the L.A. Times reported. 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, she added, per the outlet.

Related: Tribute to Slain Penn Student Blaze Bernstein Asks People to Do Good and 'Blaze It Forward'

At the time of his death, Bernstein had just become the managing editor of Penn Appetit, a food magazine at the University of Pennsylvania and was very excited about it, Bernsteins father, Gideon Bernstein, previously told the Orange County Register.

This was not a crime committed in the heat of passion; it was planned, it was carried out, and it was attempted to be covered up and Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker painstaking walked the jury through every piece of evidence that proved it, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in the release.

Every one of the 28 stab wounds inflicted on 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein was an act of hate that was carried out over and over again not just to kill Blaze, but to send a message.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Dehydrated coyote pup dies after it was rescued by California firefighters

A coyote pup is held by a Cal Fire employee after being rescued Thursday, July 4, 2024, near San Mateo, Calif. (Cal Fire CZU San Mateo-Santa Cruzvia AP)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  A dehydrated coyote pup died Thursday after being rescued by California firefighters.

The coyote was about 6 weeks old, said Colleen Crowley, spokesperson for the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA.

Photos of the July 4 rescue on social media show a big-eared pup bundled up and given bowls of food at a San Mateo County fire station.

The coyote was found in an unincorporated area of the county just south of San Francisco.

Firefighters with Cal Fire CZU had seen this pup running around with his mom, but this time, mom was nowhere in sight. The little animal seemed disoriented and was stumbling around, read the post accompanying photos.

They gave the pup water and chicken until rescuers with the humane society could take the small coyote, who was dehydrated and malnourished.

Crowley said the pup could barely open its eyes.
Gov. Gavin Newsom campaigning for President Joe Biden in Holland on July 4, 2024 | Sarah Leach

Updated, 6:43 a.m., 7/6/24

California Gov. Gavin Newsom spent his Independence Day reassuring West Michigan voters that despite a rocky debate performance, President Joe Biden is all in.

Newsom made two stops in Michigan, a formal stop at an Independence Day picnic in South Haven and then a barbecue hosted by the Altamirano family in Holland.

During his 15 minutes of formal comments, Newsom told supporters that he and several other Democratic governors from around the country met with Biden to discuss concerns over his rocky debate performance on June 27 with former President Donald Trump, the presumed Republican nominee.

I do come here by way of the White House, Newsom told the crowd of about 350 on Thursday. Last night  we sat down, 20 of us or so Democratic governors from all across the states, including your governor [Gretchen Whitmer], spending time with the president and hearing him say the words, Im all in and his commitment and resolve to keep this election going, this candidacy moving forward.

Newsom and Whitmer have been among the Democrats political analysts have suggested to replace Biden on the ticket, should he end up withdrawing, although there are logistical challenges to replacing the president. Most observers agree that Vice President Kamala Harris, who was also present at the White House meeting on Wednesday, would have the fewest hurdles.

Following the meeting, Whitmer posted on social media: .@JoeBiden is our nominee. He is in it to win it and I support him.

Newsom characterized the meeting as a frank conversation  no one was sugarcoating anything  where one governor simply asked the president, What happened?

He goes, Ive been thinking a lot about this. I gotta be honest with you, I used to be able to do two trips overseas. I used to be able to sleep just a few hours a night, time changes, prepare for debates, deal with foreign issues, be on the phone. And I, frankly, took things for granted, Newsom said, adding Biden said he needed to be more responsible with his schedule and his limitations.

And there wasnt one governor, not one, who wasnt shaking their heads saying, Oh, Mr. President; I get it, Newsom said.

Newsom said national media outlets have latched on to Bidens recent quip that he needed to be home by 8 p.m., generating speculation from pundits about his age and capabilities.

He was literally joking, Newsom said of the comment. He was reflecting on the debate. And you saw what happened with that. It got weaponized.

Newsom said Biden is taking a hard and sober, critical look at his performance. And rather than memorizing statistics and debate talking points, he wants to return to the core mission of why he ran in 2020.

Its what I imagine many of you say around the kitchen table.  Its one thing to talk about the list of accomplishments, but whats the compelling vision? What are we fighting for? Whats this election all about? Newsom said. And that is fundamentally the frame that I think all of us need to advance with some sobriety.

He said Biden understands that he needs to connect with the voters who propelled him into the presidency four years ago.

Joe Biden, one-on-one, will charm anyone  even his worst critics, Newsom said. Hes just so deeply personal, and thats the guy we kind of feel like were missing a little bit, feeling peoples pain, connecting on a human, empathetic level.

Newsom took a handful of questions from the crowd after his remarks, most notably from a supporter who asked what Democrats can do to restore our confidence following the debate, observing that people are shell-shocked right now.

Newsom said supporters dont need to be concerned.

My job, and I hope to the extent I can offer at least one piece of advice, is to calm those fears and to communicate that hes not in denial about what happened. The campaign is not in denial about what happened, and hes deeply reflective about it, and he deeply understands the consequences of falling short, and he believes in his soul 100% that he could beat this guy in November. And I could not agree more. But he cannot beat him without each and every one of you, he said.

A handful of national news outlets latched onto the shellshocked comment, one labeling Holland Democrats as downtrodden.

Thats not the case in Ottawa County, local Democrats say, pointing to Ottawa County being the focus of national headlines over the past 18 months after far-right fundamentalist group Ottawa Impact leveraged frustrations over county and state COVID-19 mitigation measures to attain a six-seat controlling majority on the 11-member county board of commissioners.

After coming into power in 2023, the group has made a series of controversial decisions that have led to five lawsuits within 14 months and a brief investigation from the Michigan Attorney Generals Office over alleged Open Meetings Act violations that did not result in criminal charges.

Larry Jackson, chair of the Ottawa County Democrats, said its important to understand the backdrop of current politics has supercharged a progressive countermovement against Ottawa Impact and its slate of candidates this fall.

I mean, they just dont have an understanding, Jackson said of national political reporters. Even the work that the local media has put in to change that narrative about the changing of the guard [Biden dropping out of the race].  Everybody here understands that. People who are working here, organizing here, and that live here, actually know whats happening on the ground here.

Chris Kleinjans, the Democrat who defeated Ottawa Impact Republican Commissioner Lucy Ebel in a May 7 recall election, said the nuances of being a progressive in West Michigan are important to understand  and that hes more energized than ever after defeating his opponent by a 20% margin.

West Michigan has been, traditionally and historically conservative. It takes work to be a Democrat out here. You are used to pushing a boulder up a hill, he said, but noted things are changing with current political headwinds.

I tell this to everybody, it is so cool to be a Democrat in Ottawa County right now, because we are the adults in the room. And unless youve been around to get your teeth kicked in being a Democrat in Ottawa County for a while, you dont understand how this is an ascendant opportunity for this party to really show what its about for a change in a county that is changing rapidly, Kleinjans said.

He said the national narrative that questions Bidens mental fitness is unfortunate, but he thought Newsoms comments were effective at reassuring supporters.

I think he came off as sincere. I think he came off intentional. And I think he came off as reminding us of what we needed to be reminded of, he said. Im really bummed that the national media has kind of just decided that talking about a former president with a bunch of felonies, whos just been given the keys to the hen house by the Supreme Court isnt exciting anymore. But nevertheless, I think the Democrats in Ottawa County really absorbed what the governor was saying.

This story has been updated with the correct name of the family who hosted Newsom.

The post California Gov. Newsom reassures jittery West Michigan Democrats after Bidens shaky debate appeared first on Michigan Advance.
With the emphasis on sustainability growing alongside consumer awareness, greenwashingor making false or misleading claims about the positive environmental impact of a producthas become rampant.

According to recent data compiled by Zippia, 72 percent of North American and 58 percent of global companies admit to embellishing their ecological performance for commercial gain.

More from Sourcing Journal

Now, the Canadian government is looking to put an end to the deceptive practice with new legislation targeting greenwashing. An update to the countrys Competition Act via Bill C-59 enacted on in late June includes a provision regulating environmental claims in product marketing.

According to the amended laws section on deceptive marketing practices now stipulates that companies are no longer allowed to make environmental claims without solid data or certifications to prove their validity. Brands will be found in violation if they claim a products benefits for protecting or restoring the environment or mitigating the environmental, social and ecological causes or effects of climate change that is not based on an adequate and proper test.

A number of certifications and standards pertaining to sustainability exist in the textile and apparel space, including Oeko-Tex, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and the Organic Content Standard.

Notably, the Competition Act applies not only to Canadian companies, but to those based in other countries that do business in Canada. Penalties for greenwashing under the law are steep, and can include fines of $10 million to $15 million, three times the value of the profit from the deceptive practices, or three percent of the companys annual revenue depending on the offense.

The Competition Act amendment comes just a month after Canadas Competition Bureau opened an inquiry into activewear giant Lululemon after an environmental non-profit accused the Vancouver-based company of making misleading statements about its environmental impact.

Stand.earth filed the anti-competition complaint, claiming Lululemon is pouring gas on a burning planet by creating more planet-harming emissions each year than half a million cars while simultaneously touting its Be Planet pillar for sustainable investment.

Lululemon isnt the only apparel brand accused of greenwashing in recent years. In March, Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda signed formal agreements to be truthful in their sustainability claims following an investigation by the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority. A number of European brands such as H&M, Primark and Zara have dropped supposedly eco-conscious labels over the past year in the wake of the European Unions decision to tighten regulations surrounding greenwashing.

In mid-June, the EUs European Council recommended the use of the Product Environmental Footprint to measure the environmental impact of apparel and footwear as part of its position on the green claims directive. According to the directive, [C]ompanies should use clear criteria and the latest scientific evidence to substantiate their claims and labels. Moreover, according to the general approach, environmental claims and labels should be clear and easy to understand, with a specific reference to the environmental characteristics they cover (such as durability, recyclability or biodiversity).

Canadas Competition Bureau, which operates similarly to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, will enforce its newly amended law. And with environmental groups growing increasingly savvy at uncovering falsified claims by brands, regulators likely will have their hands full fielding complaints.
'We cannot have Minsk III'  Stoltenberg on prospects for peace in Ukraine

In order to achieve peace in Ukraine, allies must continue to provide "strong support" and avoid a repeat of the Minsk Agreements, NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg said on July 5.

The first Minsk Agreement was signed in 2014 after the Russian invasion of Crimea, but failed to stop fighting in Donbas between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists.

Moscow later violated the agreement and the second Minsk Agreements were signed after a successful Russian military offensive in February 2015.

It forced Ukraine to sign a document granting Russian-occupied Donbas wide autonomy in return for Kyiv receiving control over its side of the border with Russia.

"[The Russians] went into eastern Donbas, agreed the ceasefire, Minsk I, violated that, moved the frontline even further west, agreed Minsk II, waited for seven years and then launched the full-scale attack and took even more," Stoltenberg said.

"We cannot have Minsk III."

Speaking ahead of a NATO Summit in Washington next week, Stoltenberg was asked if the alliance would support Ukraine and reject pressure to force Kyiv to accept territorial concessions and non-membership of NATO as a condition for a ceasefire.

"Well, NATO leaders are decisive and strong and that will be strongly expressed at the NATO Summit where I expect a strong package for Ukraine," he said.

"With the new NATO training and assistance for Ukraine, with a NATO command for Ukraine, with a financial pledge, with additional announcements of more military support, with the bilateral security agreements and with everything we do to deepen the cooperation between our military and Ukrainian militaries on interoperability, the new training and education center in Poland and all the other efforts.

"So that will be a strong demonstration of our commitment to Ukraine."

Two top Donald 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.

Read also: Reality will be very different  Ukrainian MP dismisses Trumps NATO, peace plan rhetoric

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Fatal crash splits power pole in half, temporarily leaving hundreds without power in DeKalb County

More than 400 people were temporarily without power on Friday morning and a man was dead after a car crashed into a power pole in DeKalb County.

Georgia Power confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that a power pole was struck by a car at Glenwood Road at Candler Road.

The DeKalb County Police Department told Channel 2 Action News that a single-vehicle accident involving a pedestrian was the cause of the incident.

The vehicle left the roadway striking the victim on the sidewalk. The victim was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The driver was also transported with minor injuries, DKPD said in a statement.

Views from News Chopper 2 showed major damage on a white car that had crashed into the pole, which appeared to have been split in half.

Georgia Power said 435 people were without power after the accident, but power has since been restored.

The crash itself remains under investigation. Police have not yet identified the victim or driver.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

TRENDING STORIES:

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
An anonymous document titled Unburdened by What Has Been: The Case for Kamala is circulating in Democratic circles, according to CNN, as discussions for Biden to leave the Democratic ticket swirl among Democratic donors and party leaders grappling with his debate performance last week. We have one goal: defeat Trump, the subheading for the document reads. Like it or not, we have one realistic path: Kamala.

Deriving its name from a line frequently espoused by Vice President Kamala Harris, Unburdened by What Has Been breaks down the pros and cons of Harris being chosen to replace Biden on the ticketand treats Biden stepping down as a foregone conclusion. The document acknowledges her abysmal approval numbers and proclivity for peculiar gaffessuch as nearly calling Biden the vice president during a July Fourth eventto her unpopularity as the face of the Biden administrations immigration policies. Those pitfalls are weighed by the documents authors against Harriss massive structural advantages of already being on the ticket alongside the potential to energize support among younger/POC voters were bleeding on issues such as abortion, jobs, climate change, and LGBTQ+ rights.

The document, authored by anonymous self-described senior operatives within Democratic political institutions that will not be taking a position regarding this crisis, functions as something of a playbook for like-minded readers with influence to make noise in support of this basic premise: Kamala is the only viable option to succeed Biden, and if she gets the nomination, she can win. As CNN notes, while the documents authors are unknown, it has circulated in group chats of Democratic donors and leading coalition groups.

Running as a Presidential candidate will allow Harris to present herself in a more commanding light, the document argues in contrast to current skepticism of Harris. Shell be a prosecutor going up against a convicted felon; a woman fighting against the man who ended Roe v. Wade. The headlines write themselves.

To be clear: this isnt an argument about deservedness, or about why you personally should love Kamala, the document states. This is about strategy and winning in the face of unimaginable electoral stakes. The anti-Trump coalition cannot afford to discount the strengths of the nominated Democratic running mate and current vice president. Shes not the best optionshes the only realistic option to win.

Beyond pitching Harris as a viable alternative, the document explores the Kamala scenario against the chaos scenario built on the basis of Biden agreeing to end his candidacy. The document argues that the Kamala scenariowhere Biden steps aside and encourages his delegates to back Harris at the DNCwould cast Biden as a modern-day Cincinnatusthe reluctant hero who took up his sword to protect democracy, delivered transformational legislative achievements, and passed the torch to a historic figure from the next generation.

Whether anything comes of the document or public calls for Biden to step aside is ultimately up to Biden: Biden and the White House have both said he has no plans to leave the ticket. A New York Times/Siena poll released Wednesday reports Trumps lead against Biden has grown since the debate. To date, three House Democrats have publicly called for Biden to drop out, joining 14 governors and members of Congress who have expressed concerns about Biden remaining in the race. Former Democratic House Representative Tim Ryan declared Harris should be the partys nominee, and Representative James Clyburn has also hinted at the same.
Cat has leg amputated after being shot in Lancaster County

CONESTOGA TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WHTM)  Police in Lancaster County are looking for the person who shot a cat causing a severe injury.

State Police say on June 28 Troopers responded to the 100 block of Safe Harbor Village for a report of animal cruelty. Troopers say a stray cat was found to be limping for about a week and taken to a veterinarian clinic for evaluation.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

This Week in Pennsylvania

The clinic found that the cat was shot in the shoulder and sustained a shattered shoulder. The cat will need to have its leg amputated as a result of being shot.

Troopers are investigating whether this was an intentional act or whether the cat was inadvertently shot at a nearby gun range.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Cathy Jordan (photo from Cathy Jordan Movie Facebook page)

Cathy Jordan, who credited medical cannabis for keeping her alive for decades after she was diagnosed with ALS, died on July 4 at her home in South Florida at the age of 74.

The news was relayed to the public on Thursday by Jodi James, president of the Florida Cannabis Action Network, who said she received a phone call from Cathys son, John, informing her that Jordan had died at around 4 p.m. that afternoon.

Jordan was labeled the patron saint of medical marijuana in Florida for her long-term advocacy of the plant, dating to the late 1990s.

Originally from Delaware, Jordan was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrigs Disease, in 1986. Patients typically live for two to five years after symptoms develop but Jordan lived for 38 years after her diagnosis.

She said everything changed for her while visiting Florida in 1989, when a friend offered her a strain of cannabis called Myakka Gold.

I smoked it and I felt the disease stop, she told Dr. Andrew Weil in a scene shown in the documentary, The Cathy Jordan Story. She described how she smuggled that cannabis on a plane to Delaware. I flew home that way, and my husband had a nervous breakdown because I was interstate transporting drugs, but I was convinced I was going to live.

Jordan decided with her husband, Bob, to move Parrish, in Manatee County, and began using cannabis regularly, which she said improved her physically and mentally.

Jordan attended and spoke at a hemp festival at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa in the late 1990s, organized by the Florida Cannabis Action Network, where James first met her.

She and I worked together hand-in-glove for 27 years, James said on Friday.

Jordan would go on to become a full-time activist pushing to get medical marijuana legalized in Florida and ultimately became president of the Florida Cannabis Action Network from 2011-2015. She remained on the board of directors with the group.

Lobbying

Her journey to allow for the medicinal use of cannabis was an arduous one, as other states around the nation began passing laws legalizing its use. Jordan would make the trek to Tallahassee to lobby lawmakers to approve medical cannabis but those bills went nowhere in the GOP-controlled House and Senate, including what was called the Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act, in 2013, which never got a committee hearing.

I really dont have much respect for politicians. They just close their mind  and dont open it and look into things, she said in the Cathy Jordan Story.

Within a week of the Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act being introduced during the 2013 legislative session, Bob Jordan was arrested for possession of cannabis plants and charged with 23 counts of cultivation. It was a strain that he had he had developed specifically for her condition. The charges were ultimately dropped.

In 2014, organizers placed a medical marijuana constitutional amendment before the voters. While it received 57% support, that wasnt enough to get over the 60% threshold required for passage. The amendment did pass in 2016 with more than 71%. However, the Florida Legislature passed an implementing bill in 2017 that banned use of smokable marijuana. That prompted a lawsuit, which led to Jordan testifying against the law in Leon County Circuit Court in 2018.

It was absolutely amazing, being in the courtroom with Cathy Jordan as she discussed the value of having access to smokable cannabis was pivotal, James recounted.

DeSantis on board

Shortly after he was elected in 2019, Gov. Ron DeSantis said, I dont think this [the medical marijuana] law is up to snuff, and told Republicans that he wanted the Legislature to repeal the laws ban on smokable pot for sick people.

If you had told me 22 years ago that this was going to take 22 years, I may have rethought it, Jordan told Spectrum Bay News in 2019, when DeSantis signed legislation allowing smokable cannabis.

The news of her passing hit the cannabis community in Florida hard on Friday.

She was instrumental in getting medical [cannabis] passed, and getting any kind of cannabis legislation moved here in Florida, and we were privileged to have her speak at a few events, says Pete Sessa, a co-founder of the Florida Cannabis Coalition and Cannadelic, an annual cannabis and hemp festival next scheduled to take place this weekend in St. Petersburg. She was just an amazing woman and such a big loss to the community. She really was just the patron saint of cannabis here in Florida.

She lived more than 30 years [after her ALS diagnosis] by smoking joints, said Carlos Hermida, who owns two hemp shops in the Tampa Bay area. She was such a sweet lady. She found it hard to speak, she wheeled around everywhere in a wheelchair, but she was always smiling and was always great to everyone who came across her, so it really is a dark day in the movement that shes not around anymore.

Cathy Jordan was born on Jan. 1. She was a New Years Day baby, and she left us on Independence Day, said James. Any other day would have just been boring, and Cathy is nothing If not interesting, and so her passing on the Fourth of July was just auspicious.
(COLORADO)  The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is seeking the publics help in locating a missing 15-year-old girl.

Leah Black was last seen on Friday morning, July 5 around the 2600 block of Gobi Drive in Colorado Springs. She was last seen wearing black shorts, and a black shirt with bracelets on her wrist. Black left with another teen.

Black is 15 years old, has brown hair and green eyes. She is affiliated with the Cherokee tribe, stands at 58, and weighs 130 pounds.

If seen, call 911 or the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  The Coke County Sheriffs Office has requested the publics help in identifying an unknown individual or group of individuals after the Coke County Pool in Robert Lee was broken into and vandalized.

According to the sheriffs office, the pool was broken into sometime in the early hours of July 5. After gaining access to the area, the unknown party threw multiple items into the pool, including bottles, hubcaps, chairs, cameras ripped out of the facility and a lifeguard chair.

TxDPS arrests SAPD detective for DWI

The lifeguard chair also damaged the bottom of the pool, with several scratches visible from the surface of the water.

CCSO received a report and photos regarding the vandalism. These photos are as follows:

An image depicting the damages caused by a vandal or multiple vandals at the Coke County Pool in Robert Lee on July 5, 2024.

An image depicting the damages caused by a vandal or multiple vandals at the Coke County Pool in Robert Lee on July 5, 2024.

An image depicting the damages caused by a vandal or multiple vandals at the Coke County Pool in Robert Lee on July 5, 2024.

An image depicting the damages caused by a vandal or multiple vandals at the Coke County Pool in Robert Lee on July 5, 2024.

An image depicting the damages caused by a vandal or multiple vandals at the Coke County Pool in Robert Lee on July 5, 2024.

An image depicting the damages caused by a vandal or multiple vandals at the Coke County Pool in Robert Lee on July 5, 2024.

An image depicting the damages caused by a vandal or multiple vandals at the Coke County Pool in Robert Lee on July 5, 2024.

The sheriffs office stated that the images do not showcase the vandalism that occurred as pool attendees began to clean up some of the mess prior to photos being taken.

CCSO is unaware of how the damage will affect the pools opening or operations. Concho Valley Homepage staff have reached out to the City of Robert Lee for comment but were unable to make contact as of the time of publication.

The sheriffs office has launched an investigation regarding the incident. It asks anyone with information that may identify the person or party responsible for the vandalism to contact it at (325)-453-2717.

CCSO stated that Criminal Trespass and Criminal Mischief of $2,500 or more in damage is a State Jail Felony in the State of Texas. With a few exceptions, a state jail felony is punishable with confinement for any term of not more than two years or less than 180 days, according to the Texas Penal Code.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
ST. LOUIS  Thousands of people flocked downtown for the Celebrate St. Louis fireworks show Thursday night, as the show was able to go on despite threats of rain and thunderstorms.

The display, which is one of the most recognizable in the nation, draws people from across the country to St. Louis. The tradition also serves as a homecoming for many.

Katie Hovis and Kat Asfour, high school friends from Belleville, Illinois, say they wouldnt miss it for the world. Hovis, who lives in Ohio now, says she loves making it back for the Fourth of July.

Its exhilarating! Because you know, were all here for the same thing, to celebrate the Fourth and see the fireworks, Hovis said.

Asfour thinks St. Louis offers something other cities cant.

I personally love St. Louis, because you can go to any city and get a skyline of a bunch of buildings, but this is the only place in the world where you get the Arch, she said.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

While many locals made it downtown for the big show, it was also a chance for St. Louis to show-off to first-time visitors.

Sandra Stafford made the trip from Jonesboro, Arkansas with her daughter and granddaughter. She said everyone was friendly, and they enjoyed checking out all St. Louis has to offer.

I think its a great city to be in. Its something different we did. Were from Arkansas, so we tried to change the pace up and make it fun, Stafford said.

Angie Betancourt came up from Miami to visit family for the first time in St. louis. She said she was very impressed with the area around Busch Stadium.

Its a beautiful city, very upkept, clean its very nicely set up. There was music playing, people walking around a really nice atmosphere, she said.

The big threat to the fun this Independence Day was, of course, the weather. But, as the night went on, people were happy to see it stayed dry enough for everyone to come together and celebrate.

Hovis said it was especially worrisome for her, since she made the trip home just to celebrate.

Ive been worried all week, especially since I came out of town. Im like, What do I pack? What do I bring? Like, I have no clue. I didnt pack until, like, two hours before I left. But Im just so happy the rain is holding out for everybody, she said.

You can watch the Celebrate St. Louis fireworks show in its entirety below:

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. United Payment aims to launch TURAN e-wallet in Azerbaijan, Managing Director of the fintech company in Azerbaijan Edgar Abdullayev told Trend.

"The immediate plan is to launch the TURAN wallet and begin serving Azerbaijani citizens in the Business-to-consumer (B2C) electronic money accounts sector. TURAN is a digital wallet that will be established in compliance with the regulatory requirements of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA)," he added.

To note, United Payment (formerly known as Birleshik Odeme) received its e-money license in 2015. Wise financial technology company started doing business in Turkiye in partnership with United Payment in 2017, and the company opened its first international office in Azerbaijan in 2020.
Cellphones in schools, vaping and vouchers: Oklahoma Senate to study 39 issues in interim

OKLAHOMA CITY  Oklahoma senators during the interim are expected to take a deep dive into cellphones in schools, voucher costs and other topics.

Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, approved 39 interim study requests. The requests have been assigned to committees.

The committee chairperson will determine whether or not the study will proceed.

Senate interim studies are expected to be concluded by Nov. 1.

Interim studies are a great way for lawmakers to dig into topics that are important to Oklahomans as they craft legislation for next year, Treat said. These studies provide legislators with the opportunity to thoroughly investigate complex issues, gather relevant data, and engage with experts and stakeholders outside of the regular legislative session.

Oklahoma Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat speaks Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Treat approved more than three dozen interim study requests, including a look at school cellphone bans and voucher costs.

Studies will look at banning cellphone use in schools, addressing youth vaping

Senate Education Committee Chairman Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, requested a study on banning cellphone use in schools, something already done in some districts.

Pugh filed legislation last session to incentivize schools to ban cellphones, but it didnt make it across the finish line.

He said lots of other states are tackling the issue.

Its a crisis among young people, he said.

Young people are struggling with mental health, depression, teen suicide, loneliness, despair and bullying, and cellphone use is contributing factor, he said.

Opinion: Readers reacted to a question of whether cellphones should be banned on school campuses.

Districts that have banned cellphones have seen a drop in disruptive behavior, an increase in academic performance, less bullying and more socially engaged students, Pugh said.

Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, has an interim study on youth vaping and policy solutions.

The outcome could be a bill that would raise the age to purchase the product to 21 years old and more regulations, Hicks said.

She said vaping has serious negative impacts on health.

Do voucher programs impact public school funding? Study intends to investigate

Hicks has another interim study looking at the impact voucher programs have on funding for public schools.

The state recently enacted a law allowing for tax credits for parents who send students to private schools or homeschool their children.

Hicks said she would love to know who is accessing the voucher program and get the outcomes.

Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, has an interim study on restarting a prison rodeo in McAlester.

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections last session sought $8.3 million to restart the program at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, but backed off the request and opted for a study to answer critical questions.

In 2010, state budget cuts, low attendance and crumbling facilities contributed to the rodeo closing.

Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, was granted an interim study on self-managed abortions.

Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus, has a study on business courts.

Gov. Kevin Stitt made the creation of business courts a priority during recent budget negotiations.

Friday was the deadline to request interim studies in the lower chamber, said a House spokesperson.

The House-approved studies are expected to be announced later this month.

Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions:info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice onFacebook andTwitter.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Senate to study school cellphone bans, voucher funding
Insights from the BBC, Time, The Guardian, Politico, and Chatham House

The News

Britain appointed its first center-left prime minister in 14 years on Friday after the Labour Partys landslide general election victory, making the UK something of an outlier in Europe.

Labours win comes days after Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally made sweeping gains in the first round of Frances parliamentary elections and a far-right government was appointed in the Netherlands, and less than two years after Giorgia Meloni became the premier of Italys most right-wing government since World War II.

But the unprecedented rise in Britain of staunch Brexiteer Nigel Farages Reform UK, which secured about 14% of the vote share, suggests the country is far from immune to the right-wing wave sweeping Europe.





SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Labours landslide victory is broad but shallow

Sources: BBC, Time, Channel 4, The Guardian

Having won just a third of the total vote share  the lowest of any single majority government in history  Labours seismic result was secured on an incredibly broad but also incredibly shallow platform, the director of UK in a Changing Europe told Time. The contest was less a positive endorsement of Starmer or Labour than an anti-Tory electoral punishment beating after 14 years of rule, Channel 4s political editor noted, with the partys success also owing much to right-wing splits and the Liberal Democrats surge. Volatility may be the new normal in British politics as voters abandon old tribal allegiances, meaning Labour faces a sea of competing demands even with its new legislative power, a columnist argued in The Guardian.

The surge in support for Reform could spell trouble for Britains center ground

Sources: CNBC, Politico, The Financial Times, The Guardian

While Labours election makes the UK an outlier across Europe, where far-right parties are riding high, an anti-incumbency mood may be driving both patterns, an expert told CNBC, and the relative success of Reform UK suggests that right-wing populism is also making inroads in Britain, Politico reported. That Reform scooped second place in many constituencies means Labour will need to keep an eye on the nationalist right, but it is ultimately the Tories who now face the immediate existential crisis of needing to either steal Reforms policies or rebuild from the center ground, a columnist argued in the Financial Times  though having sought to detoxify their brand in the election campaign, leadership contenders are unlikely to strike a deal with Farage, the deputy editor of ConservativeHome argued in The Guardian.

Eyes on Labours relations with Europe

Sources: Chatham House, DW, Reuters

Labours moves on migration will be closely watched in Europe. Starmers vow to ditch the outgoing Conservatives controversial plan to resettle migrants in Rwanda will likely require cooperation with neighboring countries grappling with similar issues, a Chatham House expert noted. Farages Reform will pressure the new government to keep Europe at arms length, but its going to be much harder for Starmer to implement his pro-growth agenda outside of the single market, an expert told DW  especially since the bloc is unlikely to offer Britain any major concessions, another added. Working with a like-minded partner, friend and ally is what [the EU] wants, an EU source told Reuters, but the idea of having the same benefits you get as a member of the club becomes a little trickier.
A new center will open in Curry County to help people with addiction

Bay Area First Step runs a community center in Coos Bay. The center's lobby, pictured here, offers a place for people in recovery to relax and visit. (Courtesy of Bay Area First Step)

Bay Area First Step runs a community center in Coos Bay. The center's lobby, pictured here, offers a place for people to relax and visit. (Courtesy of Bay Area First Step)

A recovery center to help people exit a life embattled by drug addiction is in the pipeline for Curry County, a coastal region tucked in the southwest corner of Oregon.

Bay Area First Step, a nonprofit that provides recovery and housing services in neighboring Coos County, will receive $2.36 million in opioid settlement funding to start and operate the recovery center, which will connect people to services and offer a gathering place for activities, workshops and support groups. Opioid settlement funding comes from litigation that states filed against opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies for the roles they played in putting addictive painkillers into households across the U.S., spawning an opioid epidemic.

Since then, illicit fentanyl has flooded the streets in Oregon from urban Portland to rural Curry County, which has a population of about 23,000 people. Overall, more than 1,000 Oregonians died of fentanyl overdoses in 2023, compared to 280 in 2019, state data show.

Opioid settlement funds

Through agreements with opioid makers, distributors and pharmacies after lawsuits, Oregon will receive nearly $600 million during an 18-year period.

Cities and counties will get 55% and the state will get 45%.

An 18-member Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment & Recovery Board determines where the states portion will go, as it did in the Curry County case. By the end June 2025, the state expects to receive about $92 million in the fund.

For more information about Oregons opioid settlement funds, visit here.

Rural areas have fewer deaths compared with denser areas, but the impact can cut just as deep in smaller communities. From 2018 to 2021, an average of five people died of opioid overdoses annually in Curry County. Adjusted for population differences, Curry County had a slightly higher opioid overdose death rate than Multnomah County: 21.5 deaths per 100,000 people compared to 18.6, according to state overdose data.

Yet rural areas also have fewer options for people as they seek treatment and programs to support their recovery. State officials have noticed, and earlier this month awarded the opioid settlement funds to the project as part of $13 million for projects primarily in rural areas, including Douglas, Josephine, Klamath and Wasco counties.

In Curry County, the center will be the first of its kind, and the funding will allow Bay Area First Step to expand its footprint along the Oregon Coast. The organization will base the new center on the one in Coos County.

Its kind of like the first step to hopefully providing more and more resources in that area, not just from us, but from other organizations and from people in the community, said Steve Sanden, executive director of Bay Area First Step.

Bay Area First Step, founded in 1995, has more than 30 certified peer workers who work with clients and have their own experience with overcoming drug addiction and dealing with mental health conditions. Peer workers are a key part of Bay Areas outpatient treatment and recovery services. The organization also provides recovery housing, which offers a transitional place for people as they start the path to a new life. Most of the organizations work is in Coos County, though it sends peer workers to do outreach in Curry County.

With the grant, the organization will have funding to staff and operate a facility for three years, as well as cover administrative and operational costs like transportation, supplies and renovations.

A recovery community center offers a mix of services. People interested in accessing treatment and programs can drop by and receive information about how to access those services or housing information through Bay Area First Step or other organizations.

Recovery centers also serve as a space for support groups, games and activities or workshops about life skills like how to cook, shop on a budget or eat healthy.

We really use that as kind of a pathway into our organization and try to support people in whatever ways we can, Sanden said.

Sanden said the new centers location within Curry County is not yet decided, though it may be in Brookings because of high needs there. Because the grant was just awarded, he said he doesnt know when the center will open.

Coos County center

The Curry County center is expected to work similar to the one in Coos Bay, where an intake coordinator first meets with new clients, fills out applications and tells them about outpatient treatment and housing. The intake coordinator also connects the person to a peer mentor for ongoing support.

The center tries to make people feel welcome, with couches in the community center where people visit, read and watch films.

Its a safe place for individuals to come, Theresa Keys, resource director for Bay Area First Step, said in an interview. We do a variety of different activities for people to engage in whether they are struggling that day or they dont have a safe place to go.

The center has bingo games, art classes, cooking classes and other workshops, such as how to build a resume to prepare for a job search. The centers staff also has a drivers license workshop so people with multiple driving violations can learn how to pay off fines and get their license reinstated.

The center offers outside activities as well, including hiking trips and bowling. Theyre free and open to everyone in the community.

Keys said the centers activities and resources encourage people to enter treatment and helps them maintain a drug- or alcohol-free life by introducing them to hobbies and new friends. Healthy activities can prevent boredom and loneliness that can drive people back into addiction.

If were alone, then were in our mind, and then we start thinking about our old friends or go to the old places that we used to hang out, Keys said.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
After a couple of turbulent years for fall enrollment during the pandemic, things were starting to look up for Ohio Dominican University.

The campus on Columbus' East Side saw a 30% increase in freshman enrollment between 2021 and 2023, offsetting two smaller enrollment classes during the pandemic and pushing total enrollment beyond pre-pandemic numbers. University leaders were feeling optimistic about this academic year.

Then the U.S. Department of Education fumbled the rollout of this year's new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.

First, a massive overhaul of the application delayed the FAFSA by three months, eventually opening to students in late December. Then a slew of accessibility and computing errors put families, students and college financial aid officers in limbo for even longer.

Higher education: FAFSA applications drop by 40% as U.S. struggles to fix botched college aid rollout

John Naughton, Ohio Dominion's vice president of enrollment and student success, said his team normally starts getting financial aid packages out to students in November, within weeks of the FAFSA opening. But delay after delay has massively disrupted that timeline and this fall's enrollment goals, he said.

Even though college applications and submitted FAFSAs were both up this cycle, Naughton said completed FAFSAs are down. The number of students who have paid deposits to attend ODU this fall is down 15% compared to last year.

"We're still optimistic, but not being able to rely on historical data to understand where we are... there are a lot of unknowns," Naughton said.

A student heads toward Erskine Hall at Ohio Dominican University in this 2016 Dispatch photo The campus on Columbus' East Sixe saw a 30% increase in freshman enrollment between 2021 and 2023, but national problems with student aid applications have reduced fall enrollment projections for this year.

Ohio Dominican is not alone in its trepidations. At a time of year when enrollment should be all but settled, colleges across Ohio and nationwide are just now getting caught up on sending financial aid packages to prospective students.

Some university leaders are waiting on admitted students to pay deposits and commit to a school, as many of those students and their families are finally getting the chance to run the numbers. Others are doing everything they can to fix errors on students' FAFSA applications and get them signed up for summer orientations. Many are worried that frustrated students most in need of financial aid will give up on college altogether.

FAFSA fallout could have 'domino effect' of consequences for colleges

While the botched FAFSA rollout impacted colleges and universities across the nation, there's a lot of variance in how schools are struggling, said David Hawkins, chief education and policy officer at the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Well-resourced institutions, like large state flagship universities and Ivy League schools, are doing OK, Hawkins said. But small liberal arts colleges, especially those most reliant on tuition dollars, have seen the most uncertainty.

To say the least, Hawkins said, "it's been chaotic."

Hawkins said he and others at NACAC have two primary concerns from the fallout.

The first is for the colleges. There are a lot of colleges out there for whom a small but negative change in enrollment can create substantial challenges, Hawkins said. Some NACAC officials have talked with university administrators whose enrollment goals are down upwards of 20%. Enrollment losses can eventually lead to potential cuts for programs, faculty and administrators.

The other concern is for the students, particularly those students who are most likely to fall out of the college pipeline, including low-income and first-generation college students.

"On the heels of COVID and the pandemic effect where we did see a lot of students drop out of the pipeline," Hawkins said, "we're worried that this could create a sort of domino effect."

The nonprofit I Know I Can sponsored a Jan. 24, 2024, workshop at Central Crossing High School where students could receive help from college advisers filling out the new FAFSA financial aid paperwork.

'I have no choice but to stay encouraged'

Mary Cannon, director of financial aid at Capital University, said she's also worried about losing vulnerable students.

Like ODU, Capital's deposits are also down by 12%, and the Bexley campus was about 4.5% off its enrollment goals as of late June. Among the admitted students who haven't paid their deposits, Cannon said half of them are Pell Grant -eligible students.

Cannon said it's been especially frustrating having limited means to help students correct errors on their FAFSAs. Financial aid professionals have historically had access to make certain changes on behalf of students to help move their applications along.

That's not the case this year. To make matters worse, Cannon said, high schools are out for the summer, making it more difficult to get in touch with those high-risk students and their high school counselors.

Deneene Merchant, director of financial aid at Columbus State Community College, said she's worked through the five stages of grief a few times over thanks to the FAFSA rollout. Merchant said the college is "very close" to being done packaging financial aid offers, but delays have definitely affected Columbus State students.

This cycle, Columbus State received more than 15,000 processed forms, known as Institutional Student Information Records, or ISIRs. Most schools use the documents to generate students' financial aid offers. The community college is down from about 19,000 ISIRs last year.

Merchant said Columbus State is still within reaching its goal of a 3.5% enrollment increase (excluding College Credit Plus students), despite the delays.

"I have no choice but to stay encouraged," she said.

Columbus State Community College campus on the northeast side of downtown Columbus in a 2020 Dispatch file photo.

Financial aid estimates and outreach are helping some campuses

Even in tumultuous times, some Ohio universities have been able to ease some FAFSA headaches for students and college administrators.

Adam Smith, vice president of enrollment at Ohio Wesleyan University, said the university had enrolled 500 new incoming students as of late June, both beating last year's total and this fall's goal. He credits the university's communications department for staying in touch with families throughout the application process and its admissions office for being able to give students financial aid estimates before ISIRs came through.

While the estimates weren't an exact science, Smith said if students could provide their student aid index, then the university could give them a rough idea of what they could expect to pay with scholarships and grants.

In addition to financial aid estimates, Tammi Love  director of admissions and recruitment at Central State University, Ohio's only historically Black public university  said her school has relied on alumni and social networks to keep students engaged.

Central State encourages its admitted students to join a ZeeMee, a college-centric social media app. Love said students are able to make friends online, talk about their interests and build community all before they arrive on campus. The university also added more in-person and virtual orientation sessions earlier in the spring and later in the summer to give students more chances to enroll.

"It's more like a reunion when they show up," Love said.

The strategy is working, Love said. Around this time last year, Central State had 25 confirmed students enroll for the fall. That number is more than 400 students so far this summer.

Looking to this fall and beyond

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona told reporters at the Education Writers Association's annual conference in May that the education department is acutely aware of the obstacles it created this spring. Cardona reiterated that he expects a more-normal FAFSA cycle this October.

As tiring as this year's FAFSA process has been, Cannon at Capital said it's not too early to start talking about what next year will bring. That means schools need to start having conversations about what outreach they're planning with high schools this fall, what issues they're still facing with FAFSA and how to reach out to students who've fallen away.

"It's all about getting students to college," Cannon said. "If its Capital, that's wonderful. But the goal is to promote all of those things to get them to the finish line."

Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.

shendrix@dispatch.com

@sheridan120

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio colleges worry 'chaotic' FAFSA rollout will keep hurting campuses
Chicago Bears stadium plan likely to retain support after new mayor takes over in Arlington Heights

Two potential top contenders for the job of next mayor of Arlington Heights are expected to continue support for a new Chicago Bears stadium if plans ensure the the project will work out well for the village.

Trustee Thomas Schwingbeck Jr. and village Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jon Ridler both have expressed interest in the stadium project in the past, but are expected to continue the Village Boards insistence that the project have a positive impact, financial and otherwise.

Mayor Tom Hayes announced recently he wont run for reelection, and will step down when his term ends in May. The election will be in April.

The mayor thinks the Bears officials will decide by then whether to go forward with building a new stadium in Arlington Heights or Chicago.

Having dealt with the Bears for more than three years now, I know they want to get it done sooner rather than later, Hayes said. (Bears President and CEO) Kevin Warren said publicly he wants to get a shovel in the ground sometime next year, so to do that youd have to make a decision in the next 10 months.

In 2022, the Bears proposed building a $2 billion enclosed stadium as part of a $5 billion mixed-use development on the site of the former Arlington Park. Team officials had signed an agreement to buy the former horse race track in 2021 and closed the deal for $197 million in 2023.

But Warren said a dispute over a few million dollars with local school districts over property taxes for the site were a non-starter, and switched focus to seeking a new domed stadium on the lakefront to replace the teams current home in Soldier Field.

That proposal called for the team to pitch in $2 billion toward a $3.2 billion stadium, with taxpayers coming up with $900 million. With interest on loans to build the project, the stadium cost would near $4.8 billion, plus up to $1.5 billion for related infrastructure, including road improvements.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson supported the proposal, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state legislative leaders did not, saying they have other more pressing priorities.

The Bears in a statement Friday said their focus remains on the lakefront site.

We look forward to continuing to meet with elected officials, community leaders, business leaders, residents and fans to collaborate on ways to make this massive economic development project, which will create 43,000 construction jobs and more than 4,000 permanent jobs for Illinois, a reality, the statement said.

The team meanwhile continues to appeal Cook Countys $125 million valuation on the Arlington Heights property to the state Property Tax Appeal Board, claiming that it should pay a 10% tax rate rather than 25%, because it demolished the grandstand and other structures in 2023.

Hayes said he is stepping down to spend more time with family after 33 years in public office, first as a village trustee, and as mayor since he succeeded Arlene Mulder in 2013.

The position is supposed to be part time, with a salary of $8,500, but Hayes says its been almost like another full-time job on top of his role as asbestos litigation trial attorney for McKenna Storer.

As for the Bears tax dispute, Hayes said, We have been talking with the school districts over the past several months, so I think were in a good place with them, he said. We communicated that to the Bears, theyve responded, and were continuing our discussions with them.

Schwingbeck announced his plans to run in May.

As a current village trustee I know the issues facing our village and will continue to focus on being a good steward of our residents money while making sure we offer them superior village services, Schwingbeck said in a written announcement, as first reported by the Daily Herald. It is important to me to be fiscally responsible, especially in these tough economic times. My time as a village trustee  along with my past service on the zoning board of appeals  will continue to be a significant benefit to the board and our residents in view of the potential opportunities for the Arlington Park redevelopment project.

Ridler could not immediately be reached for comment, but formed an exploratory committee in March for a possible run.

I think its going to be another great asset for not only Arlington Heights but surrounding communities, Ridler said when the team first announced its plans. When you have something like the Bears in your area, it increases awareness of the community and the region, not only for tourism, but for businesses that want to locate here.
For the second time this year, the majority of serious Chicago police misconduct cases are on hold as attorneys for the rank-and-file CPD officers union prepare to submit a challenge to a Cook County judges order that mandated those hearings be publicly accessible.

There are 19 pending cases currently before the Chicago Police Board, the body thats meted out discipline in the most serious cases for six decades. But as of early July, at least 16 of those cases are halted because the city and union have yet to agree on a new structure for the yet-to-be-held arbitration hearings.

Last March, Cook County Judge Michael Mullen ruled that Chicago Police Department officers accused of serious misconduct may have their disciplinary cases adjudicated by a third-party arbitrator or the Chicago Police Board. Mullen also ruled that officers facing the most serious disciplinary charges  those that call for an officer to be fired or suspended for at least a year  be placed on inactive, no-pay status.

The restriction of public access to arbitrations for serious police discipline is a direct contravention of the well-defined and dominant public policy of accountability and transparency of the government services in general and the Chicago Police Department specifically, Mullen said in his order.

Now, though, 16 of the 19 officers currently facing disciplinary charges have signaled that they want an arbitrator to decide their cases instead of the Police Board, records show. But those cases cant yet be heard or decided because, according to the Police Board, the city and the Fraternal Order of Police have yet to agree on a policy for the arbitration proceedings that would allow for public access  one of the main provisions in Mullens March ruling that the FOP is seeking to reverse.

The administrative charges against the 16 officers stem from allegations of improper use of deadly force, off-duty domestic violence incidents, verbal abuse, violations of the citys COVID-19 vaccine policy, improper search and seizure, and one allegation of illegal drug use, records show.

Of those 16 officers, 11 are inactive and on no-pay status, according to a CPD spokesperson. Three others are assigned to the departments Alternate Response Section, another to the Public Transportation Section and one more to the Gresham District on the South Side.

Attorneys for the FOP declined to comment ahead of their briefs submission to the Appellate Court. Kyle Cooper, president of the Police Board, said during the boards meeting last month that the FOPs brief will be filed in mid-July. A spokesperson for the citys Law Department did not provide a response when asked about the status of negotiations with the FOP on arbitration proceedings.

It was during that same meeting that Cooper also announced two board decisions in cases not subject to Mullens March order. In one decision, the board approved a settlement between CPD and an officer the department had previously sought to fire. Instead of being fired, the officer will serve a one-year suspension. The board also rejected the same settlement terms in a different case, calling for that officer to be separated from the department.

The pause on most Police Board proceedings  the second so far this year  does not apply to cases that involve CPD sergeants and other supervisors because those officers are not covered by the FOPs collective bargaining agreement.

The dispute over serious police discipline stems from contract negotiations between the city and the FOP during summer 2023.

The neutral chair overseeing those talks, Edwin Benn, issued an award to the union that granted officers accused of serious misconduct a choice in how their cases would be adjudicated. As public sector employees represented by a collective bargaining unit, Benn said, CPD officers have the right to have misconduct cases decided by a third party outside of public view.

In December, Mayor Brandon Johnson opted to split the tentative contract proposal into two votes. The first  described as the economic package  was approved by the City Council and provided CPD officers with a 20% raise over four years, while also creating a new disciplinary mechanism  the Peoples Court  to more quickly adjudicate minor misconduct cases. Those hearings are not documented by a court reporter.

The CPD and Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability announced in May plans to bolster public access to the Police Departments Internal Affairs files. The departments Accountability Dashboard currently allows searches by internal affairs case number, but the CPD will soon expand the dashboard to let members of the public query by an officers name or badge number.

We need to explain what good, constitutional policing looks like. We need to be clear and open when we get it right and when we get it wrong, CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling previously said in a statement. And when someone makes a complaint about one of our officers, they deserve to know how that case got resolved. Transparency benefits everyone and makes us a better department.
(KRON)  Fourth of July celebrations in Berkeley turned tragic Thursday night after a firework exploded in the hand of a teenager. The serious injury required hospitalization, according to the Berkeley Police Department.

A KRON4 source said that the victim is a student and football player at Berkeley High School who was headed into his senior year. He was planning on going to college on a football scholarship.

At around 9:51 p.m., the Berkeley Fire Department, along with police officers, responded to the 1800 block of Fairview Street on a report of a juvenile who needed medical attention for a fireworks-related injury. Police said there were numerous individuals at the scene who also provided support for this tragic accident.

Concord fireworks suspected cause of grass fire

The victim suffered a significant injury to their hand, police said, and was rushed to the hospital for medical attention. He had surgery and is recovering.

A second juvenile at the scene also sustained a minor injury, according to police, but did not get transported to the hospital.

This is a reminder that fireworks are both dangerous and illegal and can be life-threatening, Berkeley PD said. The Berkeley Police Department hopes that both juveniles and those involved in this accident make a full recovery.

At least 12 people were injured from fireworks accidents in the Bay Area yesterday, according to information from hospitals and first responders.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
China-made military drones similar to the MQ-9 Reaper were disguised as wind turbines in shipments to Libya: Italian officials

China-made military drones similar to the MQ-9 Reaper were disguised as wind turbines in shipments to Libya: Italian officials

Two military drones were seized by Italian authorities on their way from China to Libya.

They were found in containers and disguised to look like wind turbine parts, Italian officials said.

The Times reported that these were Wing Loong UAVs, which are made in China and often compared to the Reaper.

Italy has seized parts for two combat drones disguised as wind turbines in containers en route from China to Libya, customs and maritime authorities said on Tuesday.

Officials at the port of Gioia Tauro intercepted six containers marked as parts for wind-powered generators, which were actually filled with the fuselages and wings for military drones, the Financial Police said in a statement. The agency patrols Italy's waters and is tasked with countering smuggling.

Investigators said the drone parts were hidden among materials made to look like wind turbine fan blades "with the aim of concealing the checks carried out."

According to the Financial Police, the drones have a tonnage of more than 3 tons, with a length of over 32 feet and a wingspan of over 65 feet.

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

The Times of London reported on Sunday that Italian authorities had acted on intelligence from the US.

It wrote that three containers were impounded on June 18 from the ship MSC Arina and that officials were expecting another three to arrive over the weekend on the MSC Apolline.

Per the outlet, the drones were Wing Loong UAVs bound for Benghazi so they could be delivered to Libyan General Khalifa Haftar. The shipments included two control stations for the drones, per The Times.

The drone specifications listed by the Financial Guard, which did not name the drones in its statement, match those of the Wing Loong-2 listed by Chinese state media reports.

Italian officials stand next to drone parts disguised as wind turbines. Guardia di Finanza

As a long-endurance and remotely controlled weapons platform, the Wing Loong-2 is often compared to the US-made MQ-9 Reaper, though its maximum speed and altitude are inferior to the latter.

When it was introduced in 2017, China's state media lauded it as a sign that Beijing was the first to match the US in a "new generation of large-scale reconnaissance and strike integrated UAVs."

Neither The Times nor the Financial Guard mentioned whether the Chinese government was involved.

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.

Italian authorities also did not say if the shipment contained munitions for the drones. They added that the seized shipment likely violates a long-standing United Nations embargo on weapons to and from Libya.

Haftar's faction, the Libyan National Army, is based in eastern Libya and attempted to overthrow the country's internationally recognized government in 2020.

A former officer in Muammar Gaddafi's administration, he's forged close ties with Russia, and Moscow has promised to support his military as he extends control over much of Libya.

The use of the Wing Loong-2 was reported in Libya before this seizure. The United Nations found that in 2019, the drone was likely used by Haftar's forces in an attack on the suburbs of Tripoli.

The UN report and a BBC investigation found that Wing Loong-2 drones were likely supplied by the United Arab Emirates, which has long been accused of backing Haftar.

In April, two Libyan men were charged in Canada with conspiring to sell Chinese-made drones to Libya in exchange for oil between 2018 and 2021.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The News

Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for more global cooperation and an open environment in artificial intelligence, as Beijings competition with the US intensifies. Li said the manufacturing sector should more openly embrace AI. If that marriage of industry and AI wins over Xi Jinping and other top leaders, it will pave the way for government incentives and policy support, the Beijing-based Trivium research firm said.

China is still figuring out how to ride the AI wave to help its economy: Li said AI development is like setting sail on a vast ocean. The scenery ahead is exciting, but there will inevitably be storms along the way.
By Joe Cash

BEIJING (Reuters) -China announced the next step in its anti-dumping investigation into European brandy imports on Friday, ramping up tension on the day the European Commission's provisional tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles take effect.

Ahead of the bloc confirming tariffs of up to 37.6% on Chinese-made EVs on Thursday, a commerce ministry spokesperson told a news conference that Brussels and Beijing should keep negotiating, but kept the prospect of retaliation was alive with a reference to another investigation into EU pork imports.

On Friday, the commerce ministry said it would hold a hearing on July 18 to discuss claims that European brandy producers are selling into China at below market rates.

Companies behind major brands Martell, which is owned by Pernod Ricard, Remy Martin which is part of Remy Cointreau, and Hennessey, owned by LVMH, will attend the meeting in Beijing for their first chance to defend themselves in person, an industry source said.

The hearing was requested by cognac houses Martell, Societe Jas Hennessy & Co., Remy Martin and other stakeholders, the ministry said in a statement.

China has repeatedly urged the EU to cancel its EV tariffs and said it is willing to negotiate. Already stung by U.S. tariffs, it has said it does not want to be embroiled in another tariff war, but would take all steps to protect its firms.

There is a four-month window during which the EV tariffs are provisional and intensive talks are expected to continue between the two sides.

The hearing on European brandy will be held two days before the deadline set by Brussels for EV makers to comment on the provisional EV tariffs.

In January, Beijing opened a tit-for-tat anti-dumping investigation into European brandy imports and in June launched a second probe into pork shipments from the bloc of 27 countries, while Brussels looked into whether China's EV makers benefited from unfair subsidies.

China's state-backed Global Times newspaper has reported that officials are considering opening an anti-subsidy probe into European dairy imports and imposing tariffs on large-engined petrol cars made in Europe.

Analysts say China chose brandy and pork to persuade France and Spain, which have been among the firmest backers of EU curbs, to join countries such as Germany, whose automakers made a third of their sales in China last year. It reportedly wants the Commission to stop the tariffs.

Italy, which has also indicated it would back tariffs, sent Adolfo Urso, its economic development minister, to Beijing, where China's industry ministry said he met his counterpart Jin Zhuanglong on Friday.

Jin told Urso China was willing to work with Italy in areas such as automobiles, ships and small and medium-sized enterprises, the ministry said in a statement.

'SHOW SINCERITY'

After the Commission confirmed the provisional tariffs would take effect from Friday, the Global Times published an editorial urging Brussels to consider European automakers' opposition to the curbs, as well as a separate article calling on Brussels to "show sincerity" in talks to find a negotiated settlement.

The newspaper also called attention to U.S. EV maker Tesla's manufacturing plant in Shanghai, broadening its call for protest against the tariffs.

Beijing had hoped Brussels would scrap plans to impose the curbs ahead of July 4, but the Commission said at the time China would need to come to the talks with a roadmap "addressing the injurious subsidisation" of its EV industry.

China has accused the Commission of using its anti-dumping probe to snoop on Chinese companies' supply chains, the efficiency of which Beijing maintains gives it the upper hand in cheaply turning out electric cars, among other reasons.

In its report on its nine-month EV investigation, Brussels detailed reluctance by the Chinese government and state-owned automaker SAIC to cooperate with the investigation.

On Friday, Reuters exclusively reported the European Commission has begun canvassing the region's semiconductor industry for its views on China's expanded production of older generation computer chips.

SAIC Motors meanwhile said it would officially request a Commission hearing on its provisional tariffs, adding that Brussels' investigation involved commercially sensitive information.

Geely and BYD did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they would make similar requests.

Chinese EV makers' Hong Kong-listed shares fell on Friday, led by Geely Automobile, which dropped 4.1% to HK$8.34, its lowest since March 7.

Geely Automobile's unlisted parent, Geely, faces additional duties of 19.9%, on top of the EU's standard 10% duty on car imports.

Chinese brands MG and NIO suggested on Thursday they might raise prices in Europe this year, in response to the curbs.

(Additional reporting by Zhang Yan in Shanghai, Albee Zhang and Sarah Wu in Beijing and Emma Rumney in London; Editing by Alexander Smith, Clarence Fernandez and Barbara Lewis)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. The CEOI 2024, held in Brno, Czech Republic, brought together approximately 60 students from 11 different countries. Aykhan Damirli, a 10th-grade student of the Lyceum named after Academician Zarifa Aliyeva, and Tahir Aliyev, a 10th-grade student from the Turkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDV) Baku Turkish High School, claimed silver and bronze respectively.

The CEOI Olympiad, held since 1994, is considered one of the most prestigious programming competitions in the region. The contest evaluates participants' skills in solving algorithmic problems, as well as their level of analytical thinking and programming abilities.

Since 2017, "Azercell Telecom" has been a dedicated partner in preparing Azerbaijani students for international Informatics Olympiads collaborating with the Ministry of Science and Education and the Institute of Education. This collaboration yielded remarkable results with Azerbaijani schoolchildren winning a total of 72 medals across various programming competitions in different age categories.

Azercell extends its heartfelt congratulations to Aykhan Damirli, Tahir Aliyev, and the entire team for their achievement and wishes them continued success in their future endeavors!
(FOX40.COM)  The California Highway Patrol recently announced the recovery of nearly $50,000 worth of stolen goods after tracking the shipment to a warehouse in Northern California.

CHP said its investigators learned of the stolen shipment after being contacted by a distributor who reported a fictitious pick-up, which is a tactic used by people attempting to steal cargo by pretending to be a legitimate shipping company and booking cargo without following security protocols.

Northern California police issue $120,000 fine for illegal fireworks

Once the cargo is picked up, the thieves will change the shipments location to a place where they can sell the stolen goods to unsuspecting buyers, CHP said.

In this case, the stolen cargo originated in Utah and was destined for Pennsylvania, however, once it was determined that the shipment had made its way to California, CHP was contacted, the agency said on Facebook.

CHP ups enforcement for Fourth of July holiday weekend

CHP worked to track the shipment until the stolen goods ended up in a warehouse in Sacramento where officers recovered and returned the products to their rightful owner.

In total, 26 pallets loaded with Blackstone products were recovered, valued at over $46,000, CHP said. The investigation into the theft of these products is ongoing, however, the recovered products were safely returned to the company.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
South Florida lobster hunters look forward to the annual two-day miniseason, which is the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. Thats when divers get their first chance at catching the key ingredients for several tasty dinners since the regular lobster season closed on April 1.

But this year Florida residents get an extra day of miniseason. Gov. Ron DeSatis announced last month that as part of a $57 million coral reef restoration and coastal protection initiative, the lobster miniseason will include July 14, exclusively for Florida residents. The regular miniseason is July 24-25.

Christmas came early! said Jim Chiefy Mathie of Deerfield Beach, author of Catching the BUG: The Comprehensive Guide to Catching the Spiny Lobster, a how-to book on hunting for lobsters that is available at many local dive shops and online.

Adding an additional day on a Sunday before the normal miniseason for Florida residents will be a real shot in the arm for the dive industry. Dive charters and shops are already seeing an increase in demand, which will be a great economic benefit.

Getting in the water before July 14 is now a priority for many divers. The popularity of the miniseason makes safety a critical concern, primarily because many scuba divers have not been in the water since last years miniseason. Their diving skills might be rusty, along with their dive gear. Cracked hoses that leak air and mask and fin straps that are on the verge of tearing can endanger a divers life.

Thats why its a good idea to go diving before the miniseason. Getting reacquainted with being under the water is also an opportunity to scout for lobsters. If your equipment needs to be repaired or replaced, now is the time to do that rather than waiting until a few days before the miniseason.

Ill never forget a pre-miniseason dive with Mathie. We were scouting for lobsters and water kept getting into my dive mask. I cleared the water repeatedly, and thought that maybe my mask strap wasnt tight enough.

On about the 10th time I cleared my mask, one of the lenses in my mask came loose in my hand. I turned to Mathie, who is a retired fire chief, extremely safety conscious and a great dive buddy. He instantly recognized what was going on and guided my back to the surface while I kept my eyes closed.

Back in his boat, we saw that the frame holding my lenses in place was cracked, which is why water kept seeping into the mask. Fortunately Mathie had another mask on his boat, so I was able to keep diving. When miniseason arrived, I went diving with an older mask of mine while the cracked mask was being repaired by the manufacturer.

The absence of commercial lobster traps and not being poked and prodded by divers armed with snares, tickle sticks and nets for nearly four months usually results in an abundance of crustaceans for the miniseason that are less wary than normal.

As if that isnt enough of a reason to go diving for bugs, as they are known because of their insect-like appearance, the daily bag limit in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties is 12 lobsters per person. Thats double the limit during the regular season, which opens Aug. 6.

The miniseason is more restrictive in the Florida Keys, where the daily limit is six bugs and no diving is allowed at night. The reason is to reduce, hopefully, the number of divers who descend on the Keys, where spiny lobsters are typically more plentiful, especially in the shallow waters surrounding the island chain. Many lobster hunters catch them in six to 10 feet of water using only a mask, fins and snorkel. Visit www.myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lobster for current lobster regulations.
Clover man charged with attempted murder for shooting at SC police before SWAT standoff

A Clover man accused of firing a shotgun at officers Friday before a standoff with York County SWAT faces charges of attempted murder, police said.

William Dean Jefferis, 57, was arrested Friday morning on three counts of attempted murder after the standoff on Stanton Street ended, according to Clover Police Department Chief Randy Grice and Sgt. Tracy Reid. No Clover officers or SWAT members were hurt. Jefferis was taken into custody without injury, Grice said.

Clover police did not return fire at the suspect, Grice said.

I am glad it turned out the way it did and nobody was hurt, Grice told The Herald Friday.

Jefferis allegedly fired from the house outside toward Clover officers who arrived after midnight, Reid said. York County SWAT then responded, and homes around the house were cleared, Reid said.

Police initially went to the house because of a reported domestic disturbance, and a news release said gunshots were heard inside the house. The standoff went on for about five hours until SWAT took Jefferis into custody before 6 a.m., Reid said.

Jefferis has not yet had an initial court appearance, according to police and York County online court records. Attempted murder carries up to 30 years in prison for each conviction in South Carolina.

Jefferis is an employee of the town of Clover, police said. His specific job has not been released, but he is not a police officer, Grice said.

Clover has around 8,000 residents. It is located northwest of Rock Hill, and west of Lake Wylie and Charlotte.
Clyburns discussion of a mini-primary fuels more talk of whether Biden should end his campaign

NEW YORK (AP)  He is often credited as the man who delivered the Democratic nomination to Joe Biden with a pivotal endorsement four years ago.

But on Wednesday, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., sent a resounding message to the president and elected officials across the nation that it may be time to move on.

Clyburn, a Biden campaign co-chair, outlined a process to replace Biden during an interview with CNN. Should Biden step aside, Clyburn said, he expects a mini-primary featuring Vice President Kamala Harris, governors and others in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention in August.

You can actually fashion the process thats already in place to make it a mini-primary and I would support that, said Clyburn, who also spoke to Biden on Wednesday in a conversation his office refused to discuss.

Clyburns decision to spell out in detail how Biden might be replaced was viewed as a clarion call by some top donors, party insiders and even members of Bidens campaign who increasingly believe that the 81-year-old president will be forced to step aside following a debate performance that shook the partys confidence in his ability to defeat Republican former President Donald Trump in November.

The extraordinary remarks echoed throughout the private conversations of donors, Democratic National Committee members and even Bidens campaign staff, according to multiple participants who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive discussions. In response to Clyburns latest comments, at least one member of Bidens finance committee predicted that the president would not survive the political crisis.

Indeed, the conversation among many insiders has begun to shift from whether Biden should stay in the race to the logistics of his departure.

Clyburn spokesperson Brianna Frias later clarified that he was responding to a hypothetical question and not trying to restart the nomination contest.

He was not calling for a mini primary, Frias said. Instead, he was explaining the existing process. The congressman fully supports this president at the top of the ticket and it would be irresponsible to report anything otherwise.

A significant group of party insiders wants the incumbent president to stay in the race, believing he remains the partys best hope to defeat Trump.

Im for Joe Biden. I encourage Joe Biden to continue to run for president and I believe that he will be reelected, said Dick Harpootlian, a South Carolina state senator and Biden supporter. Even in this weakened condition, I do believe he will beat Donald Trump.

Clyburns comment came a day after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent shockwaves across the party by raising questions about Bidens fitness to serve. Its a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition? Pelosi said on MSNBC.

Biden vowed on Wednesday to stay in the race.

I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out, Biden said in a call with staffers on his reelection campaign, according to a top aide who posted his comment on the X social media platform.

Privately, however, Bidens allies shared increasing concern that he would undermine their chances to win the House and the Senate if hes on the ballot this fall. And top donors fear that Bidens fundraising, while strong in June, will slow considerably this month, especially among high-dollar donors.

New polling also shows warning signs.

Trump had a slight lead over Biden in two polls of voters conducted after the debate. But one of the polls  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.

Around 7 in 10 voters  and 45% of Democrats  said that Bidens physical and mental ability is a reason to vote against him.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of Democratic officials believe that Harris should be the favorite to replace Biden. Those involved in private discussions also acknowledge that California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer remain viable alternatives.

But for some insiders, Harris is viewed as the only nominee who would quickly unify the party and avoid a messy and divisive convention fight.

Clyburn, who described Bidens debate performance as concerning, said in a MSNBC interview on Tuesday that he would support Harris if Biden were to step aside.

This party should not in any way do anything to work around Ms. Harris, Clyburn said. We should do everything we can to bolster her whether shes in second place or at the top of the ticket.

Meanwhile, Trumps campaign cheered on the Democratic dysfunction in a statement predicting victory.

President Trump will beat any Democrat on Nov. 5 because he has a proven record and an agenda to Make America Great Again, said senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The Cobb County Elections Department put a warning out to voters on Wednesday about text messages concerning applications for absentee ballots.

According to elections officials, multiple voters in Cobb County told the department theyd received text messages urging them to apply for absentee ballots, and that the message had appeared to come from a Cobb Elections phone number.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The messages pointed the recipients to the Georgia Secretary of States absentee ballot request page, elections officials said.

While the link was real, the county said the messages themselves were not from the Cobb Elections Department and that the phone number was a spoof.

TRENDING STORIES:

Cobb County Elections currently does not send out unsolicited voting information via text messages, the department said in their announcement.

As a result, the incident was reported to the state and it is now under investigation by Cobb Information Technology Services and others.

To help Cobb voters, the county provided the following recommendations for online safety:

Do not click on links in emails or texts unless you know the senders identity.

Spoof websites can look identical to the real ones. Always verify by typing the URL directly into your browser.

Read more about spoofing, scams, and other cyber security here: https://www.cobbcounty.org/police/news/technology-scamsinformation

Stay vigilant and protect personal information

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
Coloradans kick off 4th of July with trip to Wyoming for fireworks

DENVER (KDVR)  Many Coloradans are kicking off their Fourth of July with a road trip to Wyoming. Its legal to buy and own fireworks there, but not in Colorado.

In Colorado, the average person cant possess, launch or transport most fireworks  and yes, this includes legally buying them in another state and bringing them to Colorado.

Jefferson County closes traditional July 4 fireworks viewing spot to traffic

Its illegal to launch  or even have  fireworks, except for permissible fireworks, according to Colorado Revised Statute 24-33.5-2002. According to Colorado Revised Statute 24-33.5-2005, the law makes it a petty offense to bring fireworks from a different state.

FOX31 caught up with several Coloradans taking the liberty to drive across state lines, despite the laws and rules.

I got all illegal ones, Jacob said. Because its the fourth. Its celebrating our independence.

Jacob spent around $500 bucks on his stash despite the threat of a fine or jail time. However, going out with a bang for him comes with taking precautions first.

You just got to be safe, you know, make sure where youre letting them off, just have enough room, make sure its wet around, Jacob said. It doesnt take much more than two minutes of watering the grass by you. Just make sure you have a fire extinguisher. Water.

There are exceptions to this law, such as governing bodies granting permits for storing and discharging fireworks.

These are the top-searched issues in Colorado and across the US

Fireworks with less than 50 milligrams of explosives are largely permissible in Colorado  such as ground spinners, fountains, illuminating torches, dipped sticks and sparklers, trick noisemakers and tube devices.

However, check your local ordinances to ensure theyre not prohibited because of a red flag warning or other fire warning.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) and Rep. Kristen Cloutier (D-Lewiston) cheer supporters of paid family and medical leave who rallied at the Maine State House in May 2023. The bill was signed into law a month later. (Courtesy of Maine Paid Family Leave campaign)

The Maine Department of Labor is partnering with a Colorado-based software company to build an online contribution portal for the states paid family and medical leave program.

After receiving five proposals, the state selected FAST Enterprises, LLC to build the online portal that will allow employers to register their business with the benefit program, file quarterly wage reports, pay contributions and apply for a private plan substitution. Self-employed individuals and tribal governments will also be able to use the system to opt into paid leave coverage.

According to records from the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, the proposed cost of the project is $19.7 million. Of the five bids the state received from different vendors, the proposed costs ranged from $17.7 million to $21.1 million with FAST Enterprises right in the middle.

The Department looks forward to this partnership to build a user-centric, intuitive, and effective one-stop service system for employers in Maine to interact with the Maine Paid Family Leave Program, said Luke Monahan, director of Maines Paid Family and Medical Leave Program, in a news release Wednesday.

This isnt the first time FAST Enterprises has worked with the state nor built this sort of software. It previously worked with the Maine Revenue Services to create the Maine Tax Portal and developed the contribution collection system for the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave.

What is paid family and medical leave in Maine?

Paid family and medical leave allows eligible public and private sector workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for reasons such as illness, to care for a loved one or the birth of a new child.

Per statute, workers need to earn at least six times the state average weekly wage in the 12 months before their benefits begin. As of July 1, Maines average weekly wage was $1,144.

Employers will be responsible for sending contributions to the state on employees behalf. Those payments will begin in January 2025 to allow time for the funds to accumulate to cover administrative costs and benefit payouts once they become available in May 2026.

Earlier this year, the Department of Labor drafted rules that refine the details and help map out implementation of the new benefit program. They clarify definitions, exemptions and other parameters about how and when the program applies.

Mainers have until July 8 to share their feedback on the draft rules with the Department of Labor through mail or an online form.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 5. The number of Visa International payment cards in circulation in Kazakhstan amounted to 38.6 million at the beginning of June 2024, Trend reports.

The number of cards has increased by 2.54 million since the beginning of June 2023 (36.08 million), according to data from Kazakhstan's National Bank.

At the same time, the usage of Visa International payment cards also continued to grow. Thus, the number of cards used at the start of June 2024 exceeded 19.38 million (18.25 million at the start of June 2023).

In general, the number of Visa debit cards by June 1, 2024, was 35 million; credit cards - 664,000; and debit cards with a credit limit and prepaid - 3 million. About 18.7 million debit cards, 257,100 credit cards, and 421,200 debit cards with a credit limit and prepaid were used at the same time.

As of June 1, 2024, Kazakhstan had 77.4 million payment cards in circulation. Debit cards account for 80 percent of all payment cards in the country, while credit cards account for 15.9 percent. Debit cards with credit limits and prepaid cards account for 4.1 percent of the total.
Columbus weather: Drought conditions continue, but more rain on the way

Despite welcome showers last week, much of Ohio remains in drought conditions, according to the latest analysis from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Franklin County is seeing moderate drought conditions across most of the county, with abnormally dry conditions in the northeast corner, according to a map from the U.S. Drought Monitor released Wednesday. The map includes data through Tuesday.

A map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows dry conditions throughout Ohio as of Wednesday.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is part of a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The data does not include showers Ohio saw since Tuesday. According to the NOAA, Columbus received .7 inches of rain on Wednesday. Its too early to say whether that rain will pull the Columbus area out of drought conditions; that rain will be reflected in next weeks map.

Columbus sees a total of about 4.5 inches of rain each July, according to NOAAA.

At the drought category that most of Franklin County is experiencing, landscaping businesses suffer, fewer mosquitos are observed and small brush fires can occur. Hay and fruit yields decrease, and leaves on corn plants curl from lack of moisture, according to the Drought Monitors website.

More on Hurricane Beryl: Will record-setting storm impact Ohio as it makes its way to the US?

But wetter conditions are in store this weekend as scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast starting Friday at 2 p.m. A few severe storms with damaging winds are possible, along with localized flooding, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

Friday will see a high of 81 and a low of 66 with a 40% chance of rain, according to the NWS.

Will Hurricane Beryl bring more rain?

Its possible the arrival of Hurricane Beryl could change things. Some models show the path of the storm cutting back through the southern United states and into parts of Ohio. Ohio has been impacted by hurricanes before. In Sept. 2008, Hurricane Ike left a trail of damage as it tore through Ohio, including Columbus.

Meteorologist Steve Hrebenach of the National Weather Service said earlier this week he was not concerned about the storm impacting Ohio, although some remnants could make their way into the Ohio Valley.

When hurricane or tropical storm remnants reach Ohio, they mostly cause heavy rain and high winds. Hurricane Ike was an outlier because it drew strength as it crossed the mainland, whereas hurricanes typically lose strength quickly upon reaching land.

What's the weather this weekend?

After a stormy start Friday, the rain will give way to sun before showers return next week, according to the NWS:

Saturday will be sunny with a high near 85 and winds 5-11 mph. Saturday night will be mostly clear, with a low around 65 and calmer winds.

Sunday will be sunny with a high near 88 and a light west wind. Sunday night will be mostly clear with a low around 66.

Monday will be sunny with a high near 93. Monday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 72.

Tuesday will be partly sunny with a high near 88 and a 60% chance of precipitation. Theres a chance of showers and thunderstorms from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with showers and thunderstorms possible throughout the day and night until 2 a.m. Wednesday. Tuesday night will have a low near 68.

bagallion@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio weather: Drought conditions continue, but more rain ahead
Commissioners: Broadband service is a necessity for all residents of Tuscarawas County

A bird's nest can be seen on top of a communications array tower in the Atwood Lake region.

NEW PHILADELPHIA  Tuscarawas County commissioners say that it is imperative that everyone in the county has a connection to the internet.

"I can't think of any greater transformational project that there is in our lifetime than having everything connected, because this is the future," said Commissioner Chris Abbuhl.

Added Commissioner Kristin Zemis, "It's imperative that we have it available. It is important not only for education and kids, agriculture, telehealth. It has so many applications. It's not acceptable not to have it."

It's a necessity like having running water, she said.

"We don't want to be left behind. That's a real possibility if we can't as a county keep up and have our kids be able to keep up with what they need in school. Also attracting and maintaining good business here is important. It's an infrastructure issue as well. Being left behind is real."

Kristin R. Zemis

Upgrading towers

Commissioners have allocated $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to aid expansion of broadband. Tuscarawas County was able to leverage that money to get an additional $1 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. In addition, Smart Way Communications of New Philadelphia was able to get an additional $1 million in funding.

A portion of that $3 million was used upgrade towers so they could reach more people at high rates of speed, according to Marla Akridge, head of the Tuscarawas County Economic Development Corp. This project helped make broadband available to a potential 600 homes and 40 businesses in the Uhrichsville, Gnadenhutten, Port Washington area.

More on expansion: 'Transformational day.' Broadband tower to bring high-speed internet to Sugarcreek area

A technician from Smart Way Communications performs maintenance on a tower, Wednesday, Jan. 17 in Dover.

The rest of the money was used to build two more towers in underserved areas of the county.

Akridge noted, "At the end of the day, the $3 million doesn't reach every household that we would hope."

A 2022 study financed by the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA) estimated it would cost nearly $85 million to bring adequate broadband access to underserved areas of Tuscarawas County.

Commissioners stressed that to reach all of Tuscarawas County, a combination of fiber optic cables and wireless will be needed because of the topography.

The money is available for the project, but the problem is the deployment of funds, Abbuhl said.

Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Tuscarawas County commissioners: Broadband service is a necessity
Community rallies behind family of autistic boy slapped by man in Pacoima

Community members are outraged and have rallied around the family of a boy with autism who was slapped by a man for touching his car.

The incident happened on July 1 as Alfredo Morales, 10, and his older sister were crossing the street in Pacoima.

Thats when Alfredo reached out and touched the emblem on the mans Mercedes-Benz sedan.

The man made an immediate U-turn and followed the siblings to a bus stop where he pulled over. He walked over to Alfredo who was sitting on a bench and slapped him.

His sister, who was heard apologizing, tried to intervene, but the man still struck the boy.

Cell phone video from a bystander who captured the confrontation has gone viral on social media. Local community members are outraged and some have even shown up at the suspects home demanding answers.

The boys father, Miguel Morales, said Alfredo has autism and often touches objects around him to explore his environment.

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

A man seen walking up to Alfredo Morales, 10, and slapping him in the face after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan in Pacoima on July 1, 2024. (RMG)

Alfredos family, who is currently homeless, said they are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support theyve received following the incident.

KTLAs Mary Beth McDade met the Morales family at a Pacoima park and discovered they were living out of a truck that was inoperable.

Every day, the siblings take the bus to make a daily food and grocery run for the family. They were taking their usual bus route when the July 1 confrontation happened.

Now, good Samaritans and local community members are working to help the Morales family get back on their feet.

Alex Manzo created a GoFundMe for the family which continues to grow even after exceeding its goals.

I dont know the family [personally], Manzo said. I just saw [their story] on Instagram and it got us mad. They need a lot of resources that can help out so everything is helpful and were here. We have all the love for the family. They gave us that trust and were going to continue to give it all back.

The story also caught the attention of Los Angeles rapper Swifty Blue who has offered to help fix the familys broken truck.

The Morales family, who are homeless, are seen spending an afternoon together outside of the truck they live in at a Pacoima park on July 4, 2024. (KTLA)

The Morales family, who are homeless, are seen spending an afternoon together outside of the truck they live in at a Pacoima park on July 4, 2024. (KTLA)

The Morales family, who are homeless, are seen spending an afternoon together outside of the truck they live in at a Pacoima park on July 4, 2024. (KTLA)

Alfredo Morales parents are overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support. (KTLA)

Alex Manzo, a good Samaritan, heard about the Morales family and created a GoFundMe to help them get back on their feet. (KTLA)

Los Angeles rapper Swifty Blue has vowed to help fix the Morales familys truck so they can be mobile again. (KTLA)

Antonio Villegas, the familys attorney, speaks to Alfredo Morales mother. He has pledged to seek justice for the family. (KTLA)

Alfredo Morales parents (on left) are overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support. (KTLA)

Alfredo Morales parents are overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support. (KTLA)

Alfredo Morales and his sister is seen in the truck they live in with their family at a Pacoima park. (KTLA)

The Morales Family is currently homeless and living out of their truck. (GoFundMe)

Alfredo Morales parents are overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support. (KTLA)

Alfredo Morales and his sister is seen outside the truck they live in with their family at a Pacoima park. (KTLA)

The truck doesnt run, Swifty Blue said. I told them were going to fix the transmission, rebuild the transmission, whatever it takes. Were going to help them get mobile so they dont have to stay stuck here.

On July 4, local housing officials met with the Morales family and an attorney, who became aware of the story after Swifty Blue sent him the viral video, is now representing them.

The Morales family had previously said they wanted justice for Alfredo and had filed a police report on the assault.

I will do anything in my power to help them, said Antonio Villegas, the familys attorney. And I dont mean just by filing some sort of lawsuit, but by getting them resources to turn this tragic situation into something that helps improve their lives.

KTLA has identified the male driver involved in the incident but was told he was out of town when we reached out for a statement.

A GoFundMe for the Morales family, who are currently homeless, 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 KTLA.
A British man was sentenced by an Ohio court for his involvement in a wine and whiskey scam, Decanter reported.

London native Casey Alexander, 27, pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay back a combined $202,195.58 to his victims.

Alexander had been facing 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio confirmed that the FBI, through its investigation, discovered more than 150 U.S. victims had contributed over $13 million to the fraudulent scheme.

Alexander set up three individual companiesWindsor Jones, Charles Winn, and Vintage Whisky Casks [sic]which he then used to obtain the phone numbers of elderly Americans, cold calling them and convincing victims to invest in the scam.

Alexander and his co-conspirators used aggressive and deceptive tactics, and promised large returns if the victims participated in wine and whiskey investments, the Attorneys Office explained. They told victims that they could buy a portfolio of fine wines and whiskeys on their behalf, and then hold the purchase in a bonded warehouse located in Europe until sold for a profit.

Alexander encouraged the victims to wire money to one or more of Alexander's three companies, and were further encouraged to invest greater sums of cash to secure larger returns.

Ohio authorities were alerted to the scam back in 2020, when one of the victims sons called police in Highland Heights reporting that their parents had seemingly been scammed out of $300,000 in just 18 months. Investigators were then made aware of similar complaints across the country involving a wine and whiskey investment scheme.

When the FBI became involved, they set a trap for Alexander using another man who had been convicted in an unrelated fraud case. This person posed as an interested investor for Alexanders companies, which netted them a meeting with one of Alexanders employees. The employee informed the FBI that Alexander would soon be traveling to Ohio, where he was arrested on June 14, 2023.

Alexander was prosecuted under the Elder Initiative Justice Program, which aims to combat elder abuse, fraud, and neglect. Alexanders sentencing came during Elder Abuse Awareness Month.
Some anti-abortion organizations call Plan B, which is an emergency contraceptive designed to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, an abortion drug because it can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg. (Photo illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Clinic closures in the wake of the Dobbs decision and questions about the legality of emergency contraceptives, including disinformation that some are abortion drugs, may have contributed to a sharp drop in the rate of prescriptions for contraceptives in states with the most restrictive abortion bans, according to a University of California Los Angeles study.

The decline was significant in most states with restrictive bans following Dobbs in June 2022 that returned regulation of abortion procedures to the states, the study found. The group of researchers, led by pharmacy professor Dima Qato, used data from national prescription audit databases to estimate the monthly volume of prescriptions dispensed at pharmacies nationwide and state-by-state. It represents estimates from more than 93% of retail pharmacies.

Given that abortion would be restricted in many states even more after Dobbs, I wondered whether now more people would get covered through contraception to prevent pregnancy and the need for an abortion, Qato said.

Over the past six months, especially in states with near-total abortion bans, lawmakers have discussed proposals that would protect access to contraception, but those efforts have largely failed because of concern over whether that would include emergency contraception. Some anti-abortion organizations call Plan B, which is an emergency contraceptive designed to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, an abortion drug because it can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg.

The researchers think those conversations have led to confusion among residents who arent sure if emergency contraceptives are still legal in their state. That confusion could also extend to pharmacists. While Plan B is available over the counter at many retail stores and pharmacies, including Amazon, it can also be obtained by prescription, which is the only data point the study captured. According to the research, the rate of obtaining it through prescription between 2021 and 2023 dropped more than 70% in four states with near-total bans  Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee. It declined by about 60% in Missouri.

The increases peaked in July 2022 and then dropped to levels lower than the pre-Dobbs period, Qato said.

For patients that are seeking emergency contraception but cant get it prescribed or filled, thats where it matters, Qato said. They want to take it, they know its an option, and now theyre faced with hesitant prescribers and pharmacies.

Half of women surveyed in ban states are unsure if Plan B is legal

A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released in early 2023 found that more than 30% of adults surveyed were unsure if Plan B was legal in all 50 states and over the counter  and half of women living in states with abortion bans were under the impression that emergency contraceptives were illegal or were unsure if they were legal.

Conversely, in two states with near-total bans, Idaho and South Dakota, the rate of prescriptions for emergency contraceptives increased by 148% and 182%, respectively. Those numbers were attributed to increases in ulipristal, which is also known as Ella, rather than levonorgestrel, known as Plan B. Ella can be effective at preventing pregnancy up to five days after unprotected sex, while Plan B is most effective within three days and is also less effective in people who weigh more than 165 pounds, while Ella does not have that limitation.

Between the 12 states with the most restrictive bans, the combined decline of emergency contraceptive prescriptions was 60%, and the decline for oral contraceptives was 24%.

Qato said she expected to see lower rates of emergency contraceptive use in the most restrictive states, particularly with the conversations likening them to abortion drugs, but she wasnt expecting to also see a drop in monthly oral contraceptive prescriptions. Among states with the most restrictive bans, the largest decrease of 28% was in Texas, while most other states had decreases of about 20%, including Kentucky, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee.

Qato also theorized that the closure of abortion clinics in those states with bans contributed to the decreases, since most clinics that provided abortions prior to Dobbs also offered prescriptions for oral and emergency contraceptives, IUDs and other family planning services such as screenings for sexually transmitted diseases. The study found no change in the use of IUDs and other forms of contraception such as the patch or vaginal ring.

Over-the-counter options only help certain people

In her research, Qato noted that two years after Iowa imposed Medicaid coverage restrictions on family planning clinics that provided abortions, the use of contraceptives declined by two-thirds.

A report from the Guttmacher Institute released this week showed 42 clinics that provided abortions nationwide closed their doors between 2020 and 2024. The number of abortions have also increased during that time, and more than 80% still take place at brick-and-mortar clinics rather than via telehealth or by mail.

While Plan B and Opill  an oral contraceptive  are available over the counter, Qato said those options are still untenable for some people who need contraceptives the most, including low-income women and women of color.

Opill is convenient for those who dont want to go to the doctor and have that discretionary income to purchase it, but low-income women relied on clinics that are now closed, they relied on prescriptions that they now dont have, Qato said. Those options are accessible, but not affordable to women who could really benefit from it.

While Qato said there should be a focus on restoring and protecting access to abortion, there should also be efforts to protect contraception in the most restrictive states. She is alarmed to see initial increases after Dobbs and then such steep declines.

It suggests that we may observe increases in live births from unintended pregnancies in women who were forced to have a child that wasnt planned because the state didnt protect or introduced fear of criminalization or liability for patients, doctors, or pharmacists, she said. A woman may not feel safe choosing emergency contraception in those states anymore.

The post Confusion, clinic closures may have caused big declines in contraception use, study shows appeared first on North Dakota Monitor.
Flooding at Fields Creek Road in Winifrede, W.Va. on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023. (Lori Kersey | West Virginia Watch)

Since 2013, the federal government has declared more than 20 flooding disasters across Central Appalachia  including nine in West Virginia alone. At least 230 lives were lost in these disasters in the region, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency spent nearly $1 billion in recovery efforts to pick up the pieces.

In addition to the floods that were declared disasters, West Virginia experienced nearly 400 flash floods over the last five years. Were just six months into 2024 and West Virginia has already seen several powerful floods, including one that covered the interstate in Charleston and another that washed out a cemetery in Wheeling. Needless to say, now every time it rains, many lie awake worrying about whether or not they, their loved ones, their homes and their businesses will be safe from flooding.

Appalachians are tired of worrying  and theyre taking action. A diverse coalition of nearly 60 organizations from across the region have united to implore Congress to offer federal solutions to their harrowing flood challenges  challenges that the small former coal towns and rural communities are simply not equipped to handle on their own.

Appalachias landscape and history of natural resource extraction have made its communities uniquely vulnerable to flooding. Human activity on the landscape  especially from coal mining, logging, and road and home construction  has impacted the region in disparate ways.

In addition, the lands topography, with its rolling hills and mountains, means people often live on flat land located near rivers or streams. Other risk factors include historic lack of investment in rural Appalachian communities, resulting in less accurate flood maps and fewer early warning systems for rising water levels, as well as limited response and recovery resources when disasters hit. West Virginia faces one of the highest flood risks, according to First Street Foundation, a nonprofit climate data modeler. Their data shows that the federal governments risk maps that we rely on are out of date.

Also, keep in mind that nearly 30 percent of land in Appalachia is devoted to agriculture. Flooding affects all members of a community, but farms take a double hit with crop losses and soil loss, plus other infrastructure damage. Small farms are particularly vulnerable, and Appalachia is characterized by small-scale farming. The average farm size in the region is 147 acres, in comparison to the national average of 441 acres.

There is good news, however. In a world where few issues are bipartisan, investing in flood resilience should be a no brainer for lawmakers regardless of party or ideology. A recent report from Congress bipartisan Joint Economic Committee found that every dollar invested in flood protection saves up to $318 in damages, and adaptation measures can prevent job losses and increase employment growth.

The Appalachian coalition is encouraging Congress, particularly West Virginias delegation, to increase flood resilience by taking action on a number of fronts. To begin, Congress should make certain changes to the Farm Bill, which is currently under discussion in the House and Senate. Changes proposed by the coalition focus on sustainable land management, conservation efforts, and infrastructure improvements to help farms and communities better withstand flooding.

The problems created by flooding hit all aspects of our lives, and the solutions need to be equally ambitious and far reaching. The best approach is to prevent the worst impacts of flooding through mitigation efforts, but we also need to be better prepared to help communities more quickly bounce back from extreme weather events. The coalition is asking Congress to address these complex needs with four main pillars, including 1) increasing local and state capacity to respond and recover, 2) relieving the recovery and mitigation burden for low-income households, 3) improving flood mapping and data inputs, and 4) investing in nature-based hazard mitigation.

Furthermore, in order to maximize benefits for Appalachian communities, implementation of these pillars should include strong labor standards such as local hiring, and the use of regionally sourced materials where applicable.

The diverse roster of the Appalachian coalition proves that enacting these policies shouldnt be a political matter, but simply a matter of the government meeting its mandate to protect the American people. Because the fact remains that there are still victims from past flood events who have been unable to repair their homes and who continue to live in temporary housing. Why is more not being done to help them?

As we can see from increased flooding over the past ten years, the question is not whether the next flood will take place, but when. And before it does, our lawmakers must act.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
(Bloomberg) -- ConocoPhillips sued to block a Biden administration ban on drilling across nearly half the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, claiming the measure violates a federal law that compels oil development there.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The lawsuit filed Friday takes aim at an Interior Department rule that explicitly bars oil leasing on 10.6 million acres (4.3 million hectares) of the 23-million-acre reserve, while restricting future oil development in 13 million acres designated as special areas.

The case will test one of President Joe Bidens biggest moves to limit oil development on federal land, amid appeals by climate activists who warn its incompatible with a warming world.

Conservationists hailed the rule when it was unveiled in April, saying it rightly protected a rugged  and cherished  landscape of tundra and wetlands that teems with wildlife. Oil industry advocates that hold leases in the reserve say the Bureau of Land Management regulation unlawfully strangles development in territory set aside as a source of energy for the Navy a century ago.

The regulation will apply to existing leases within the area, though it wont alter the terms of those contracts or directly affect currently authorized activities, such as ConocoPhillips 600 million-barrel Willow project.

Nonetheless, the rule could have wide effects for companies with leases in the reserve. ConocoPhillips Alaska unit holds 1.8 million acres of state and federal leases in the state, including 1 million net undeveloped acres as of year-end 2023, the company said in its filing.

In establishing the reserve, Congress said it should be used for expeditious production of oil to meet the nations energy needs, ConocoPhillips said in its lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Alaska. The reserve contains an estimated 8.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil, according to a 2017 assessment by the US Geological Survey.

Congress plainly did not authorize BLM to promulgate sweeping regulations that thwart and prevent the production of petroleum throughout the NPR-A, ConocoPhillips said. Yet, the rule contains numerous new provisions that elevate resource preservation over energy production and effectively turn the petroleum reserve into a de facto wilderness area in which development is outright prohibited.

Representatives of the Interior Department declined to comment.

The case joins earlier challenges filed by the Voice of the Arctic Inupiat that represents North Alaska communities, the state of Alaska and oil companies North Slope Exploration LLC and North Slope Energy LLC, which together hold leases spanning more than 552,000 acres in the reserve.

The case is ConocoPhillips v. Department of Interior, 24-cv-00142, US District Court, District of Alaska.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
In the garden outside the Arizona Capitol, conservation advocates assembled the morning of June 27, ready to deliver 17,557 letters demanding that Gov. Katie Hobbs intervene in the operation of the Pinyon Plain uranium mine near the Grand Canyon.

They waited to see if she would meet them or at least send someone from her team.

The activists, a diverse coalition of organizations including the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, Chispa, Haul No!, the Wilderness Society, Poder Latinx and more, gathered in a circle in the company of Dine and Havasupai tribal members, sharing words of encouragement before entering the government building.

Once inside, the group lined up in front of the cameras to express their concerns.

They talked about the threat of groundwater contamination and the need to protect the Grand Canyon and the people who rely on its waters from potential risks that should not be taken.

Carletta Tilousi, a former council member of the Havasupai Tribe, approached the reception desk along with Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Club Grand Canyon chapter. Together, they handed over a black box with the radioactive warning symbol drawn on the lid. The box contained some printed paper documents and thousands of petitions in digital format.

In the letters addressed to Hobbs, the advocates requested that the governor "do everything (she) can to help protect the waters of Grand Canyon, the new national monument, and these waters that are essential to the existence of the Havasupai people. This mine should be closed before it creates irreversible harm."

Bahr said she had previously contacted the Governor's Office requesting an appointment. Yet no official came down to receive the documents.

In January, 80 conservation organizations and scientists sent Hobbs another petition urging the closure of the mine. Although they have not received a response since then, they have not given up either.

A spokesperson for Hobbs confirmed that the letters had been received and said in a written statement that "Governor Hobbs will always put the health and safety of everyday Arizonans first."

The Pinyon Plain Mine is one of the most closely regulated in the country, the spokesperson said, with an "extremely stringent permit" and regular inspections by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

"The state will also continually evaluate our procedures and safety requirements to ensure the mine is operating in a way that keeps our communities safe now and into the future," the spokesperson said.

As you hike to Beaver Falls, you come across an idyllic spot like this along Havasu Creek.

Tilousi has represented her tribe for many years in this fight against uranium mining.

"I've been against it for a very long time," she said. "I grew up with my tribe and my family opposing mining."

She was born and raised in Supai Village, a place surrounded by immense mountains and connected by streams and waterfalls that flow into blue-green spring waters near the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.

They have been taught to be the Guardians of the Grand Canyon. Tilousi said she inherited the fight for clean air and clean water.

That's where the tribe's name comes from. Havasu Baaja, in their original language, means people of the blue-green waters in English. Their identity has always been linked to caring for this sacred element.

So far, so close in a long fight

Opponents of the mine argue that its proximity to Havasupai Tribe lands poses an unnecessary risk to the community's main water source.

The Pinyon Plain Mine, formerly Canyon Mine, belongs to Energy Fuels Resources Corporation, a Colorado-based subsidiary of Energy Fuels Inc. of Toronto, one of the largest uranium mining companies in the U.S.

The company began extracting ore late last year within what was designated Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah KukveniAncestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument last August.

Energy Fuels contends that uranium mining in that location would not compromise the Grand Canyon watershed.

"The Supai (village) is 40 miles away," said Curtis Moore, the company's senior vice president of marketing and corporate development.

"People make claims like we're going to pollute the groundwater or pollute Havasu Creek or Havasu Springs, which is so ridiculous," he said. "The chances of anybody's groundwater being polluted or anybody having health or environmental impacts are nil."

Moore said activists spread false information that scares neighboring tribes and communities. "They're pursuing a very political agenda."

Pinyon Plain Mine is a uranium mine located 6 miles southeast of Tusayan in the Kaibab National Forest.

The Grand Canyon Trust reviewed mining company reports, and the group's data scientists concluded there was a significant spike last year in the levels of heavy metals like uranium, arsenic and lead.

They compared the levels of those metals from 2016 to the last quarter of 2023 with the EPA's maximum contaminant level for safe drinking water. In the most recent measure, uranium was six times over the safety limit, lead was 243 times over and arsenic was 812 times over.

Moore said that is completely normal and expected since Energy Fuels started the mining operations at the end of last year. He said there's nothing to fear because it's not drinking water and it is in a contained system.

Opponents still fear an accident could allow water containing heavy metals to infiltrate into aquifers that could be connected underground.

"I'm not even sure that groundwater contamination ever traveled 40 miles," said Moore in response.

In the mine's aquifer protection permit, which ADEQ granted, the government office determined that "natural protection exists from thick layers of low-permeability rock."

But a recent study by scientists from the University of New Mexico suggests that the groundwater in the region is too complex, and that this mining operation should be monitored more.

The Governor's Office said ADEQ performs "regular and thorough inspections of the mine, working closely with local and county partners, and stands ready to take appropriate action if violations are found."

But during a panel discussion on uranium mining last week, Tilousi said, "I have quotes from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality saying 'we are not in the business of enforcement. We're in the business of permitting.'"

She said her tribe has not received proper responses from the mining company or from the state, which, according to her, doesn't seem to have any oversight.

Moore said critics are "smearing state and federal regulators that have studied this for decades, and they just need to stop. It's irresponsible."

In the case that the natural protections failed, he said the fix would be easy.

"You just start pumping water and evaporating it," he said. "Worst case scenario, maybe you'd have to pump water for a long, long time, but that is not expected to occur."

The Grand Canyon Trust analysis also found that since 2016, when the miners pierced the aquifer, operations have pumped more than 66 million gallons.

One mine, many concerns

The conservationist groups opposing the mine say they are also concerned about water depletion and pollution on transportation routes through the Navajo Nation.

The groups have been closely monitoring the mine operations for years and cited worries about animals drinking from the contaminated pond inside the mine.

Tilousi said their tribe are hunters and could inadvertently consume animals like rabbits that drink from those waters.

Birds have been observed flying over the fence to drink water from the pond, and animal fur trapped in the fence has been discovered.

Moore said this water is not safe for human consumption, but it's certainly well within standards that are appropriate for livestock and wildlife.

"We give it away to local ranchers because it is a very dry area," he said. "The ranchers are happy to take it. You know, they don't want polluted meat, right?"

Tilousi worries that constant exposure to uranium could harm the animals and their health.

"It's unfortunate that they wanna give it to cows. I think cows also need to be protected," Tilousi said. "Animals need to be protected."

Tilousi worked this year with the U.S. Geological Survey on a conceptual risk model to include the Havasupai Tribe perspective in scientific research.

The document explains how the Havasupai and neighboring tribes hunt animals, harvest plants, and practice other traditions, such as burning incense and using sweat lodges.

"We have more of a risk now to possibly become contaminated by consuming, by smelling, by touching, by gathering and by hunting," she said.

Moore discredits studies conducted by those he considers activists. He said they oppose nuclear energy because they want more wind and solar.

"But the problem is wind and solar will not solve our climate crisis. Not even close," Moore said. "Wind and solar will be a drop in the bucket because energy consumption is going up dramatically, especially with all these data centers, electric vehicles, electrification of our homes, and all this."

Arizona has the highest-grade uranium in the nation. But it also ranks in the top 10 states for wind energy potential and is fifth in solar-powered electricity generation.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2023, Arizona's in-state electricity was primarily generated from six sources: natural gas, 46%, nuclear power, 27%, coal, 10%, solar energy, 10%, hydroelectric power, 5%; and wind, 1%.

The Sierra Club opposes nuclear energy, encouraging renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Bahr said the reason is they are against energy generation that causes any kind of depletion overall of resources.

"They can say all they want that it's modern uranium mining, but the risks are still there, and we still know that once that groundwater is contaminated, there's no good way to clean it up," she said. "It's just not worth that risk."

No assistance: House fails to extend aid for former uranium mine workers, many with cancer

Trilce Estrada Olvera writes about environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send comments and story tips to trilce.estradaolvera@arizonarepublic.com.

Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

Sign up for AZ Climate, our weekly environment newsletter, and follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook, X and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Conservation groups urge Hobbs to close Pinyon Plain Mine in Arizona
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 5. Kazakhstan is ready to transform into a reliable supplier of critical metals, said the Minister of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan Kanat Sharlapaev, Trend reports.

He made the remark during a meeting with Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar.

"In the near future, our country is ready to transform into a reliable supplier of critical metals to achieve common goals for the green energy transition," he said.

To note, Kazakhstan and Turkiye have a long history of friendly relations and partnerships in various areas of the economy. In order to further develop Kazakh-Turkish relations, the parties discussed the possibilities and prospects for cooperation in the field of rare minerals and rare earth elements.

During the meeting, the parties also touched on the topic of cooperation in the defense industry.

In addition, during the discussions, the Kazakh side expressed its readiness to provide support to Turkish companies for the successful implementation of joint projects in Kazakhstan.

Meanwhile, the volume of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Turkiye amounted to $6 billion in 2023. The volume of trade turnover decreased by 5.3 percent compared to the same period in 2022 ($6.3 billion).

At the same time, in the structure of trade turnover, exports to Turkiye for the above period amounted to $3.9 billion, which is 16.4 percent less than from January through December 2022 ($4.7 billion).

In addition, imports from Turkiye from January through December 2023 increased by 27 percent and amounted to $2 billion. In 2022, imports amounted to $1.6 billion.
FILE - U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett speaks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation in Simi Valley, Calif., April 4, 2022. Amy Coney Barrett has been a firm member of the conservative Supreme Court supermajority she cemented four years ago on issues ranging from abortion to guns, but her latest opinions reflect an increasing willingness to occasionally step away from that bloc.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  During her Senate confirmation hearings, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett uttered a memorable line to describe her approach to cases: Its not the law of Amy.

Barrett cemented the Courts conservative supermajority four years ago and has since voted in favor of overturning the nationwide right to abortion, striking down affirmative action in college admissions and expanding gun rights. Still, during the most recent term that included sweeping blows to federal regulation and key wins for former President Donald Trump, her opinions reflected a willingness at times to step away from the conservative majority.

Barrett wrote sharp dissents in a case connected with the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and another on regulation of downwind air pollution. Appointed by Trump, she differed on some points of the former president's historic immunity ruling and critiqued parts of the majority decision keeping him on the ballot.

While she is very firmly rooted in the conservative bloc, she doesnt necessarily move in lockstep with the rest of the courts conservatives. There are these surprising glimmers of independence, said Melissa Murray, law professor at New York University.

In the Trump immunity case, Barrett joined the majority overall but disagreed with the finding that restricted the evidence prosecutors can use in criminal cases against presidents. The Constitution does not require blinding juries to the circumstances surrounding conduct for which Presidents can be held liable, she wrote.

And while the majority opinion authored by Chief Justice John Roberts directed lower courts to analyze whether Trump could be prosecuted on allegations that he participated in a scheme to enlist fake electors in battleground states, Barrett wrote that she saw no plausible argument for barring prosecution of that part of the indictment.

Her opinion is basically a roadmap for how the case could have gone forward, said Steve Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown University.

Were seeing, I think, the emergence of Justice Barrett as a principled voice in the middle of the court, he said, adding however that the impact is muted by Roberts' vote landing further right.

The two were on opposite sides in the Jan. 6 case, with Barrett writing in a dissent that Roberts and the majority had done textual backflips to reach the opinion that makes it harder for prosecutors to charge rioters with obstruction.

The court was unanimous in the decision to keep Trump on the ballot, but Barrett wrote in a concurrence that she thought the majority went further than necessary  while also chiding the court's liberal wing for the stridency of its separate concurrence.

Shes not always looking at it from the same perspective as her colleagues on the left or the right, and I think were going to see more of that uniqueness, said Adam Feldman, a scholar and creator of the blog Empirical SCOTUS.

She also differed with a decision halting an Environmental Protection Agency plan to fight air pollution. Joining with the high court's liberal justices, she wrote a dissent referring to majority arguments as feeble," saying they had relied on cherry-picked data and downplayed the EPA's role.

Roberts and Barrett did join sides on an limited order allowing emergency abortions to resume for women in Idaho. Barrett, who was part of the high court majority that struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022, wrote a concurrence saying the court was dismissing the case because the facts had changed since it first decided to take it up.

The order did not resolve key questions at the heart of the case, and the issue could come before the high court again soon, though not until after the November presidential election.

While Barrett showed a willingness to depart from the conservative majority at times, she more frequently joined it. Over the course of more than five dozen cases the court considered this year, Barrett joined with the majority 92% of the time, Empirical SCOTUS found. She was in the majority third most often, after Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. She voted in favor of decisions that weakened federal regulators, allowed more aggressive sweeps of homeless encampments in the West and overturned a federal ban on bump stocks, the rapid-fire gun accessories used the in the nation's deadliest mass shooting.

I dont know that it does make a big difference in the direction of the court. Its a conservative supermajority, and shes part of that supermajority, Murray said. Most of the time she is with that supermajority, and even when shes not, its at the margins.
Congress legalized hemp production in 2018, but there has been little regulation, testing, or enforcement. (Photo by Rebecca Rivas)

Big changes could be coming to New Jerseys hemp market under a bill sitting on Gov. Phil Murphys desk that would require the states cannabis agency to regulate intoxicating hemp products like delta-8 and CBD.

The bill was intended to address complaints that children have too-easy access to hemp products, but some cannabis business supporters say the legislation, while well-intentioned, advanced with provisions they worry would undermine the states cannabis industry, like allowing liquor stores to sell hemp products.

Cannabis advocate Leo Bridgewater called the bill a s*** show.

It was among a flurry of bills lawmakers advanced and gave final approval to last week as they finalized the $56.6 billion budget.

Congress legalized hemp production in 2018, but there has been little regulation, testing, or enforcement, meaning products advertising thousands of milligrams of THC  the compound that gets users high  can be sold on the shelves of bodegas or gas stations, often with packaging that critics say attracts children to buy them.

The measure on Murphys desk would put intoxicating hemp products  a finished product with a total THC of not more than 0.3% derived from hemp  under the Cannabis Regulatory Commissions purview. Intoxicating hemp products include delta-8 and delta-9, CBD, and other cannabinoids, and they have much less THC than cannabis products.

Critics say the bill amounts to a de-facto ban on hemp products by requiring anyone selling them to obtain a license from the states cannabis regulators, who would be tasked with creating rules and regulations for how hemp must be packaged, whether it should be subject to any fees, and how the licensing process will work.

Attorney Beau Huch, who represents hemp beverage companies, said the bill doesnt allow for hemp products to be sold again until cannabis officials implement the new rules. Huch said hes in favor of regulations, but he noted that the cannabis commission took a long time to approve the states first dispensaries to open, and license holders still face long wait times even for minor items like changing their business name.

Definitely in favor of regulation, its just, whos the regulator? Whats the timeline? And what is sufficient enough information to provide to the state out of the gate to keep products on the shelves, so its not a de-facto ban? he said.

The bill also would only allow hemp products to be sold that are grown, cultivated, and produced within the state, which Huch said could violate the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. He said the high cost of land in New Jersey could lead to less production of hemp goods.

The bill would also allow liquor license holders to sell hemp products if they apply for a license with the Cannabis Regulatory Commission. Critics of the move say this would give the liquor store industry a backdoor to enter the cannabis industry, which many applicants have had trouble breaking into due to myriad state regulations and municipal restrictions.

Kevin Hagan, a lobbyist representing the New Jersey Liquor Store Alliance, said liquor stores already keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, and they can do that with hemp, too.

The system is already in place, and it works, said Hagan.

Under the bill, the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, along with the Division of Alcohol Beverage Control, would have 12 months to adopt rules concerning packaging, labeling, product testing and safety standards, THC levels, the limit of hemp beverages someone can buy at once, and a fee to cover administrative charges.

Bridgewater said he worries that the hemp industry will not have the same social equity requirements placed on the cannabis industry, even though retailers in both will be selling similar products. And he noted that lawmakers have moved to regulate hemp even though they have yet to advance a bill that would allow people to grow their own cannabis.

Bridgewater said lawmakers dont know what theyre getting themselves into.

Were asking a bunch of Flintstones to write rules to a Jetsons game, he said.

Theres also some confusion on the technical aspects of the bill and unanswered questions from supporters of the cannabis industry who want to see it thrive. Some wonder what happens to existing retailers that sell hemp in towns that have banned cannabis dispensaries, and whether the cannabis commission would levy a hemp tax.

This bill isnt perfect, but it does the job of stopping unregulated, untaxed, untested products being marketed and sold to minors right now, said cannabis attorney Bill Caruso. I think theres a long regulatory process to work out some of the details, and its always possible the Legislature may need to come back and either add, clarify, or subtract to fix this.

A spokeswoman for the Cannabis Regulatory Commission declined to comment on the bill.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A judge revoked phone and visitation privileges for a convicted pimp after prosecutors said he made direct threats against a government witness.

Richard Babb, 23, told his family to change something really quick, and said he was unable to discuss it further over the phone during a call from jail on June 25, according to the Clark County District Attorneys office.

Babbs family member had informed him during the call that the <expletive> (government witness) is getting so much support, prosecutors wrote in a motion filed on June 26.

Babb responded to go change something about it, according to the motion.

A second family member responded that he is already knowing, about what Babb was asking him to do, the motion stated.

Babb faces 35 years to life in prison after a Clark County jury found him guilty of 10 counts on April 15. Nine of the charges including two counts of sex trafficking a child under 16 years of age, two counts of soliciting a child for prostitution, two counts of luring children or mentally ill persons with the intent to engage in sexual conduct, sex trafficking a child under 14 years of age, sexual assault with a minor under 14 years of age, and first-degree kidnapping of a minor are felonies. Statutory sexual seduction is a gross misdemeanor.

RELATED: Convicted pimp refuses to be sentenced in Las Vegas case

Babb victimized four underage girls, according to prosecutors. Babb exchanged marijuana for oral sex from two girls, ages 13 and 14, after communicating on Snapchat and sex trafficked two other girls, both age 15, prosecutors said.



One victim testified that Babb asked her to Walk the blade, meaning work as a prostitute for him. Babb dropped her off on Tropicana Avenue, a corridor near the Las Vegas strip known for sex work. Police rescued the teen after they found her in a parked car with a man believed to be a customer paying for sex.

Prosecutors plan to argue for a sentence of at least 59 years to life in prison, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt had already ordered Babb to have no contact with the government witness.

Leavitts July 3rd ordered stated, The Defendants phone privileges, and visitation privileges, excluding contact with his attorney and defense team, at the Clark County Detention Center be temporarily revoked pending further order from this Court.

Babbs family was not allowed inside the courtroom during a June 6 court appearance because of behavior described by court staff and attorneys as hostile. That same day, Leavitt agreed to appoint a fifth attorney to Babbs case. Leavitt referred to previous attorneys on the case who asked to be withdrawn because of issues with Babb and his family.

So you know you may want to look within because there is a common denominator, and its you, Leavitt told Babb. Okay, these are all very fine lawyers, all of them that have been appointed.

RELATED: Man faces child sex crime charges for allegedly instructing juveniles in prostitution, arrest report says

Babb tried to cover his face with a file folder to avoid 8 News Nows camera and appeared to be upset as he was escorted out of the courtroom.

They wont give me no explanation on why they wont allow my family in the courtroom, Babb said. Yall take notes on that.

A Clark County grand jury previously indicted Babb.

Babb remains in the Clark County Detention Center in downtown Las Vegas. He is scheduled to appear in court on 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.
By Yuddy Cahya Budiman

BONDALEM, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesian conservationist Nyoman Sugiarto has been working for 16 years to preserve coral on the reefs of Bali, but the frequency of mass coral bleachings he says is now devastating.

Ninety percent of the corals Sugiarto had nurtured on the reefs near his village in Bondalem, in northern shore of Bali, lost their colour last December.

"It was all white. We were shocked and of course, it also negatively affected the coral we planted. It's not just the natural ones," 51-year-old Sugiarto told Reuters.

When Sugiarto began coral conservation projects in 2008 he was told that coral could retain the living algae which gives it colour for 10 to 20 years.

Yet, the coral reefs off Bondalem were bleached in less than 10 years, he says, blaming warmer sea temperatures triggered by climate change.

Coral bleaching occurs when coral expels the colourful algae living in its tissues. Without the algae the coral becomes pale and vulnerable to starvation, disease or death.

In April, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said more than 54% of the reef areas in the world's oceans are experiencing bleaching-level heat stress, the fourth global bleaching event in the last three decades.

Indonesia has roughly 5.1 million hectares of coral reefs and accounts for 18% of the world's total, data from the country's tourism ministry showed.

Coral bleaching in Bali in late 2023 was mainly caused by rising sea temperatures caused by the El Nino phenomenon that hit Indonesia, said Marthen Welly, a marine conservation adviser at the Coral Triangle Center.

Indonesia experienced the most severe dry season last year since 2019 due to the El Nino.

While Indonesia's corals are more resilient and tend to recover faster, Marthen said it will not be enough to withstand the rising ocean temperature.

"It's predicted that the coral bleaching will occur more often, between one or two years with the current temperature," he said, quoting the latest research by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

However, Sugiarto says he is determined to continue his campaign to conserve corals, and is advocating coral conservation to younger Indonesians and seeking funds to establish a village community to monitor illegal fishing.

"We feel that we have the obligation to guard the sustainability of underwater life especially corals," he said.

(Reporting by Yuddy Cahya Budiman, Writing by Ananda Teresia, Editing by Michael Perry)
Close-Up of rainbow flag with crowd In background during LGBT Pride Parade. Getty Images.

This article is republished with permission from OpenSecrets.org

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.

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 dont remember 10 years ago that youd 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 thats 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, Im supportive of LGBTQ rights, Im 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, theyre very concerned and very supportive.

The post Corporate sponsors of Pride events also contribute to politicians with anti-LGBTQ leanings appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
COTTONWOOD, Ala (WDHN)  Cottonwood Rescue will not close and instead undergo an administration change after a state auditors report claimed a large sum of money was missing from the department.

The department was set to close at 4:00 p.m. on Friday after the countys emergency medical services association pulled funding once the report was released.

It was first reported that Ashford Rescue, Rehobeth Rescue, and Pilchers Ambulance would temporarily take over Cottonwoods territory, but that changed Friday morning.

RELATED: Cottonwood Rescue closing amid possible criminal investigation

Cottonwood Rescues President, Rickey Stokes, who has been under fire from the Houston County Commission since the audit was released, says instead of closing the EMS service, he will resign Friday afternoon and hand over the departments keys to Beau Deatherage, the Fire Chief at Hodgesville Volunteer Fire Department.

Im glad someone is taking it over, said Stokes.

Stokes says he has wanted to hand over the reins to Cottonwood Rescue for over a year.

READ MORE: Closure is not due to possible criminal investigation; president says closure should have happened last year

Deatherage tells WDHN he will continue to serve as the Hodgesville Chief after stepping into the role of president. He will appoint a new department board before 4 p.m. on Friday.

Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe is encouraged that new people are stepping into leadership roles, and he hopes the transition will be smooth.

The state auditors report, released on June 28, initially said Cottonwood Rescue was missing over $800,000, but after obtaining more records from the squad, they determined that only $155,000 was missing.

Chairman Shoupe claimed the missing money was purposefully misspent and embezzled.

After the report was released, Stokes told WDHN in an exclusive interview that no illegal action had occurred and that the $155,000 would soon be accounted for.

I stand firm; I have not taken any money, said Stokes.

It is currently unknown if any legal action will be taken towards Stokes.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.
With chaos still simmering in the Democratic Party over President Joe Bidens lackluster debate performance, some have floated the idea of replacing him at the top of the ticket.

If it can be done, how can it be done?

There are two scenarios to consider: Biden drops out by his own choice or theres a movement among delegates to replace him. The second one is mired with complications.

Will Biden drop out? White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was insistent on Wednesday that the president would remain in the race. Earlier in the day, The New York Times reported Biden told a key ally hes aware that if his next public appearances go the way of the debate, his campaign might be in further disarray.

Andrew Bates, White House spokesman, denied the report.

Two members of the Biden campaign who were present on a call Wednesday afternoon told the Times that Biden said he would remain in the race for the White House until the end.

Without Biden dropping out, it would be difficult but not technically impossible for Democrats to replace him, said Jeremy Pope, political science professor at Brigham Young University.

Can Democrats replace Biden as nominee if he doesnt drop out?

It would come down to the delegates.

Democratic Party rules say, All delegates to the National Convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.

In other words, youre supposed to vote for who you are pledged to, and in this case the vast majority are already pledged to Biden. Pope said there are laws in different states, some with more teeth, some with less, that say delegates have to vote for who they are pledged to.

But this is an unprecedented scenario, said Pope, and its unclear how those laws would be enforced if a bunch of delegates said they could not, in good conscience, support Biden and voted for someone else.

According to party rules, that someone else would have to be nominated on the floor of convention. It would be difficult for a would-be replacement of Biden to campaign to the delegates without setting off a national media firestorm.

Say California Gov. Gavin Newsom wanted to become the candidate, said Pope, as he emphasized hes not suggesting Newsom wants to. He couldnt really talk about it directly or publicly because if he did, it would look like he was betraying the party and betraying the president.

If Newsom or another person started calling up delegates to get their support, Pope said just a few calls in, its likely the news would leak out.

I dont know that anyone can openly campaign for it, or even privately campaign for it, until Joe Biden were to decide, Pope said. But if the president were to decide to drop out, it would be a land rush.

Those who want to replace Biden as nominee would immediately start calling delegates to try and get them on their side. It would end up being pretty chaotic, said Pope. This is why Democrats are concerned and dont particularly want to walk down this road.

In a scenario where there are multiple candidates vying for one nomination at convention, theres something else to keep in mind: What if none of them get a majority on the first round of voting?

Thats where the superdelegates come in.

The superdelegates are the backbone of the Democratic Party  theyre elected officials, local and state party leaders, retired politicians, donors and leaders of interest groups.

The superdelegates were essentially invented to ensure that there was somebody to break ties, said Pope. And to signal  this is who the party really supports, this is who the leadership is all in on.

If the convention is open and delegates dont give a majority to one person, the superdelegates would vote during the second round.

Pope said the superdelegates would likely coalescence around one candidate.

Im not holding my breath that this is going to happen, said Pope, explaining he still believes the most likely scenario is Biden will hang on as the nominee.

What if Biden dropped out after convention?

Say Biden officially received the nomination and then dropped out after convention, then the Democratic National Committee would fill the vacancy itself by following party rules.

Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison would talk to Democratic congressional leadership and governors to decide who could replace Biden-Harris. But then, that gets complicated.

The Democratic National Committee had announced it would do a virtual roll call vote to certify the nominee due to Ohio having an Aug. 7 deadline in order for a candidate to get on the ballot. The deadline was later pushed, but the committee planned the virtual roll call vote before Gov. Mike DeWine signed the bill into law.

States administer elections and have different laws. The Democratic Party would have to navigate the different deadlines and could possibly run into a scenario where if Biden drops out post-convention, he drops out after a states deadline to get on the ballot has passed.

Wisconsin does not allow a candidates name to be withdrawn from the ballot except due to death, reported Fox News. Georgia would allow Biden to withdraw up to 60 days before the election. If Biden withdraws afterward, his name would remain on the ballot but votes for him would be discarded.

Other states have different deadlines: Delawares deadline is Aug. 27, Hawaiis is Sept. 6 and Idaho is Aug. 30.

The Heritage Foundation has reportedly indicated it would consider legal challenges to the ballot if Biden is pulled as the nominee.

The other challenge that could arise if Biden were pulled off the ballot post-convention is that states need to print and send out ballots. That sometimes happens more than a month before Election Day in November.

In other words, the more time lapses after convention, the more difficult it would be for the Democratic Party to have a candidate who makes it onto states ballots.
The United Kingdom has been a leader in rallying world support for Ukraine, and we expect that to remain the same under a Labour government. Although Keir Starmer was elected as Labour Party leader under a non-interventionist platform, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shifted U.K. politics. There is near-unanimity across the parties on the appropriateness of backing Ukraine.

At the start of the full-scale invasion, then-U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced numerous scandals and criticism over his handling of the COVID pandemic. In Ukraine, Johnson became a hero: By the time he resigned on July 7, 2022, the U.K. was the largest supporter of Ukraine after the U.S., providing 3.8 billion pounds in aid. Johnson was also one of the first leaders to visit Kyiv during the war.

In August, following Johnsons resignation, President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded him the Order of Freedom, Ukraine's highest honor for foreigners. Support for Ukraine did not waver as the U.K. went through three prime ministers in 2022.

Read also: Opinion: The realities faced by Russias national minorities are history repeating itself

With a cost-of-living crisis putting Britains poverty rate at 18% and failures in domestic policy, polls have long shown Conservatives trailing behind Labour. In May, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released positive economic predictions, showing stabilizing inflation. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, knowing the situation for his party was unlikely to improve, called for a snap election.

Following his call for a national election, Sunak announced that the U.K. would provide Ukraine with an additional 250 million pounds. He has focused on Conservative successes in foreign policy, particularly Ukraine, while portraying Labour as weak on defense.

It is clear from the evidence Russia does not want us to be re-elected, Sunak said during the campaign. Labour will cut U.K. defense spending on day one. This will embolden our enemies and send a signal to our allies that Britain is not with them any more.

Meanwhile, Starmer was elected Labour Party leader on a manifesto that sought to restrict military action abroad:

No more illegal wars. Introduce a Prevention of Military Intervention Act and put human rights at the heart of foreign policy. Review all U.K. arms sales and make us a force for international peace and justice, reads his manifesto from 2020.

However, since the full-scale war, his policies have shifted. In June, Starmer vowed to make the U.K.'s military fit to fight within the first year of a Labour government and said they were absolutely committed to spending 2.5 percent of GDP on defense as soon as possible. He has also pledged to continue providing 3 billion pounds a year in aid to Ukraine.

We in this house have a duty to stand on the shoulders of giants and support Ukraines fight for freedom, liberty and victory, said Starmer when Zelensky visited the U.K.

Overall, the U.K. governments support for Ukraine has totaled 9.3 billion pounds, including 4.7 billion pounds in non-military aid. The country has also provided a vast array of military equipment and has trained over 35,000 Ukrainian troops.

There was previously a wing of the Labour Party staunchly against providing military aid, led by former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who advocates for the U.K.'s nuclear disarmament and is against sending aid to Ukraine. This segment of the party has been stifled in recent years. Last year, Starmer banned Corbyn from standing as a Labour Party MP.

With my changed Labour Party, national security will always come first, said Starmer earlier this month.

Read also: Opinion: As an American in Kyiv, Im proud of how much we helped Ukraine and scared we may let it down

Although economic problems are prompting Britains historic swing to the left, its neighbors, experiencing similar economic stress, are moving in a different direction. This Sunday, on July 7, France will hold the second part of a snap election called by French President Emmanuel Macron. The far-right National Rally party won close to a third of votes in the first round of voting  a high-water mark for that movement.

If the right takes control, Macron would have less control over domestic affairs but would still be influential in making foreign policy decisions.

At the start of the full-scale war, Macron was criticized for trying to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was reported that Macron tried to persuade Zelensky to give up land to Russia to avoid humiliating Putin. However, since then, Macron has changed course: he has repeatedly suggested that sending French troops to Ukraine is a possibility, and in May he talked with EU allies over a plan to do so. In the first year and a half of the full-scale war, France gave $4.1 billion to Ukraine in military aid.

However, Marine Le Pen has shown that if National Rally wins the premiership, she would try to hinder the Presidents power on Ukraine:

Chief of the armed forces, for the president, it is an honorary title since it is the prime minister who holds the purse strings," Le Pen said in an interview with French media. She continued to say there were red lines and Macron would not be able to send troops to Ukraine.

Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.

Submit an Opinion

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4)  A couple arrested for theft in Washington County earlier this week are suspected to be part of an international criminal organization, according to law enforcement.

Fernanda Munoz Ferrada, 20, and Rodrigo Baeza Araya, 28, each face third-degree felony charges of pattern of unlawful activity, unlawful possession of a financial card and unlawful use of a financial card. The two also face several misdemeanors including theft, retail theft, providing false info to a peace officer, and displaying a plate on the incorrect vehicle.

Ferrada additionally faces misdemeanor charges for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

According to court documents, one victim called police saying her wallet had been stolen while she was shopping in St. George. She said she was alerted by her bank that her card had been used in Washington City for an unauthorized charge of $1,750.

WATCH: Fireworks launch into crowd at Stadium of Fire, 6 taken to the hospital

As officers were investigating, they were alerted to a retail theft at another Washington City store where a couple was trying to distract a woman as they worked to steal her purse or wallet.

The arresting officer said the tactic is similar to tactics used by an international criminal organization designated by the FBI as the South American Theft Group. He described the group as traveling criminals that commit retail thefts, distraction thefts, drop scams theft, and vehicle burglaries nationwide.

Individuals performing the same or simliar crimes have been arrested in Washington County, the officer said in his probable cause statement. I personally have arrested several people who have been verified as part of the SATG group.

Court documents allege video surveillance footage showed Ferrada and Araya steal from the victim while she was away from her cart. The two can then be seen at the Washington City store buying several gift cards which were later recovered by police. Police said the two also attempted to steal from an elderly woman at another Washington City store but were unsuccessful.

Police later pulled the couple over and found they were using a temporary tag to cover up their California license plate on thier car. Police also claim the two provided fake Puerto Rico ID cards with false names. Officers allegedly found a pink grinder and a green leafy substance in Ferradas purse, which police identified as marijuana.

Both were arrested and booked into the Washington County jail.

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.
(Photo by Stephen Zenner/Getty Images)

When a tenant in Washington faces eviction, its possible they can reach a settlement agreement with their landlord that allows them to stay in their home.

A state law approved in 2021 bars these agreements from forcing renters to waive certain protections  things like rights to mediation of tenant-landlord disagreements, rent repayment plans, and 14-day eviction notices.

That law is now getting tested by litigation that is on the verge of landing before the state Supreme Court. The landlord in the case lost the last round of the legal fight, with a three-judge state appeals court panel ruling in favor of the Vancouver tenants who filed the lawsuit.

Tenant advocates say the court got it right.

This is the exact type of agreement that the Legislature was trying to prevent from happening, in recognition of the landlords upper hand in an eviction case, said Northwest Justice Project attorney John Wolff, who represented the tenants in this case.

But Princeton Property Management, the company at odds with the tenants, says if the latest ruling holds, it will upend the use of the settlement agreements, drastically reshaping how eviction cases are handled in Washington and landing more of them in court.

The agreements are one of the most common ways evictions in the state are resolved.

In their unanimous ruling last month, the appeals court judges acknowledged the companys concerns but suggested Princeton was raising policy issues that would be better addressed by the Legislature rather than a court.

On Monday, attorneys for Princeton asked the court of appeals to reconsider its decision. If the court does not agree to do so, the company plans to file a motion requesting that the state Supreme Court review the case, attorney Drew Mazzeo told the Standard.

The case

In 2021, state lawmakers passed legislation prohibiting eviction settlement agreements that involved tenants waiving any rights afforded to them in Washingtons Residential Landlord-Tenant Act. Any agreement that does require a tenant to waive their rights is considered void and unenforceable.

In the Vancouver case, Princeton Property Management issued its first eviction notice to Kathleen and Aaron Allen, a mother and daughter, in late 2022 due to an unclean apartment. In court documents, lawyers for Princeton said there was an extreme accumulation of garbage, debris and filth.

Both the Allens were diabetic and in wheelchairs, and the eviction came while Kathleen Allen was hospitalized, according to the tenants attorneys.

The Allens were able to avoid eviction by reaching a settlement with Princeton and agreeing to clean their apartment and let landlords inspect it.

Also in the agreement was a provision that required the Allens to pay rent on a certain day and time, and if they failed to do so, Princeton could immediately evict them. It also included a line: By signing this Agreement, the parties forego the usual unlawful detainer procedures.

Unlawful detainer is a term used to refer to eviction in Washington.

After the agreement was signed, the Allens turned in their rent one day past the agreed deadline. In court documents, attorneys for the Allens said the due date came as Kathleen Allen was hospitalized and another family member died.

Princeton rejected the day-late payment and moved in court for an immediate writ of restitution  an eviction order that requires tenants to be out within three to five days.

Attorneys for the Allens would go on to argue that the eviction violated their tenants rights, including their right to a 14-day notice for failure to pay rent, their right to make up for a missed payment within two weeks, their right to mediation, and their right to a repayment plan.

Because of this, their attorneys argued, the eviction should be considered void.

As for the waiver clause in the settlement  that said the parties forego the usual guidelines for eviction  the appeals court ruled that it does not hold. Such a provision simply cannot be reconciled with the states landlord-tenant laws, appeals court Judge Erik Price wrote.

Whats next

Wolff, the Allens attorney, argued that if it werent for the settlement agreement language, his clients would not have been evicted. He noted that its common for such agreements to include language that allows landlords to evict tenants for even minor violations.

Based on the appeals court ruling, its possible Aaron Allen could return to her old apartment. But Wolff said it is unclear what the next steps might be, especially if the case remains caught up in court. Kathleen Allen died after the lawsuit was filed.

Meanwhile, Mazzeo wrote in Princetons motion for reconsideration that most landlords are already shying away from settlement agreements because of the legal uncertainty.

No one can predict what courts of appeal will do next, given this opinion, so the issue is just being completely avoided, he wrote.

The company is also arguing in its request that the 2021 law at the center of the disagreement is vague and unconstitutional in the first place.

Wolff said that he hopes landlords and tenants will continue to use settlement agreements to avoid eviction proceedings, but without renters having to sign away their rights.

Were not interested in a world where tenants and landlords arent resolving disputes through settlements, he said. But its incumbent on both sides to do the good work.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 5. S&P Global Market Intelligence has upgraded the assessment of First Heartland Jusan Bank JSC (Kazakhstan) in the field of sustainable development, Trend reports.

According to the information, this assessment indicates significant progress in the fields of sustainable development and responsible business conduct.

Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 became the second assessment received by Jusan Bank.

S&P Global Market Intelligence gave Jusan Bank a score of 34/100 (as of May 17, 2024), 11 points higher than the previous period's score. The bank scored 41 on the Governance & Economic Dimension, 15 on the Environmental Dimension, and 33 on the Social Dimension.

Jusan Bank improved its score in each of the S&P CSA dimensions compared to the previous year.

To note, the bank assessed direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from on-farm operations in 2022. Last year, the bank published its 2022 Sustainability Report for the second time, which was recognized as the best among financial sector companies at the KASE competition and by PwC Kazakhstan's annual assessment.

Jusan Bank has been a member of the UN Global Compact since 2023, the world's largest sustainability initiative, operating since 2000 and involving more than 21,000 companies and organizations worldwide.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Robin Wolfenden prays at a memorial for victims outside the Covenant School, 2023. - Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

A Nashville judge ruled Thursday that the writings of a school shooter who killed three children and three adults last year will not be published, according to The New York Times. This decision aligns with the wishes of the families of the children who survived. The judge will allow police reports, with sections about the schools security redacted, to be released when ready.

The shooter, Aiden Hale (born Audrey Hale), who was 28 at the time, entered Nashvilles Covenant School shortly after 10 a.m. on March 27, 2023, and began shooting. Police killed Hale before 10:30 a.m. Writings that leaked in the months after the shooting suggested that Hale had planned the attack and had even described it as a death day.

More from Rolling Stone

The Times reports that the decision to publish Hales other writings has been contested in court since the shooting. Survivors and school officials believe that releasing the writings could inspire copycat killers; journalists, gun rights advocates, and a Republican state politician disagree, arguing that the writings are in the public interest. The families believe that the focus should be on gun safety, while conservatives are focusing on police reports that suggested the shooter was transgender. An appeal of the judges decision is likely.

Access to immediate information has also become a societal expectation which we all share, Chancellor IAshea L. Myles of the Chancery Court, the judge, wrote in her ruling, according to the Times. However, there are occasions when this immediate access to and demand for information must be balanced and moderated to safeguard the integrity of our legal system, particularly the criminal legal system.

Police say Hale, who had attended the school, had been treated for an emotional disorder and had read about other mass murderers, according to the Times. The authorities do not believe Hales gender was a motive in the crime, though they still have no clear motive.

Last summer, Hales parents signed over legal ownership of the writings to the families of surviving students, The Times reported. This transfer has raised questions about who owns the copyright  the right to publish  the texts. Chancellor Myles cited this copyright issue as another reason to withhold the documents.

Police recovered 20 notebooks, five computers, a suicide note, and other writings when searching Hales home after the shooting. Authorities also uncovered two memoirs, five Covenant School yearbooks, and seven cell phones.

Best of Rolling Stone
Editors note: This story contains some descriptions and references to gun violence against children.

A Nashville judge ordered police not to release any records related to the Covenant School mass shooting at this time in a decision published late Thursday night. The decision comes more than 14 months after several groups sued for access to documents withheld by Metro Nashville in the aftermath of the shooting, where three children and three adults were killed.

It is expected that at least one of the plaintiffs that sued seeking the records will appeal.

"School shootings and violence have unfortunately become commonplace in our society," Chancellor I'Ashea Myles wrote in the ruling. "Access to immediate information has also become a societal expectation which we all share.

"However, there are occasions when this immediate access to and demand for information must be balanced and moderated to safeguard the integrity of our legal system, particularly the criminal legal system."

In statements provided through an attorney representing Covenant School families, the families of the six victims said they hope denying the release of the records, particularly the shooter's writings, will prevent copycat crimes and protect them from additional trauma.

Read the full statements: Families of six Covenant victims respond to ruling in records lawsuit: 'We are thankful'

Some records created by police may still be made public once the Metro Nashville Police Department's investigation into the shooting and collateral criminal cases are done, Myles' ruling indicates. Any records lawfully released under her ruling must not have been created by the shooter or threaten school security directly or by potentially inspiring "copycat" crimes.

Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz said in a written statement that when police conclude their investigation, records in the investigative file, "other than the shooter's writings and records related to school safety or other statutory exceptions, will be released."

In her 60-page ruling, Myles was swayed in part by a novel argument brought by a group of Covenant School families, who argued that materials created by the shooter, including the shooters journals, were protected by copyright laws and should not be treated as public records. The shooters parents transferred ownership of these materials to a group of Covenant families, allowing them to assert a copyright interest in them.

Myles, who wrote she spent countless hours reviewing nearly two terabytes of materials relevant to the case, also said she was persuaded that the release of some materials could inspire copycat attacks at other schools.

The judge said the shooter studied the plans, writings and video content, inclusive of news coverage footage, of past assailants and idolized them and even mimicked some not only in their methodology, but also choice of weapons and targets.

She wrote that the release of those materials would violate the school security exception to the Tennessee Public Records Act.

Dietz praised Myles' ruling on a case that he said presented important issues "some of which are cases of first impression."

"Chancellor Myles issued a well-crafted ruling that will likely be cited by courts around the country," Dietz wrote.

Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, said if the ruling stands after any possible appeals, she thinks it will mean less access to police records.

"It will allow more ways to keep police records confidential," Fisher said, adding that granting copyright as an exception to public records law "opens the door" for criminals to keep more records confidential.

"And I think the public has an interest in police transparency and justice," Fisher said.

On March 27, 2023, a former student entered the Covenant School in Nashville and shot and killed six people, including three third graders. They were 9-year-olds Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs; headmaster Katherine Koonce; custodian Mike Hill; and substitute teacher Cynthia Peak.

Megan Scheumann pauses to reflect at the entrance to the Covenant School on the one-year anniversary of a mass shooting on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The shooter, a former Covenant School student, killed three children and three staff members.

In the days and weeks after the shooting, reporters and others requested certain records related to the shooting. Nashville police denied many of those requests.

In response, six groups, including The Tennessean, sued Metro Nashville about a month after the shooting. They sought a court order to grant them access to several different records, most notably a pair of journals found in the shooters home and car, which was parked at the school.

The case has been emotional and complex.

Initially between the city and a handful of records requesters  including a newspaper and reporter, a conservative news site and its editor, a state senator, a former sheriff, a member of the National Police Association and The Tennessee Firearms Association  those groups soon found themselves arguing against Covenant School families.

In May 2023, Myles allowed the Covenant School, Covenant Presbyterian Church and a group of more than 100 Covenant School parents to intervene in the case to argue against the release of the records, a decision that was upheld at the Tennessee Court of Appeals.

That development already made the case atypical, but the case become even more complex when a prominent lawyer announced in Myles' courtroom that the shooters parents were transferring the ownership of the shooters journals to the group of Covenant families. That transfer has been completed in court, Eric Osborne, the parents lawyer, said in April.

While the case was developing, a conservative media personality published three pages of the shooters journals that were leaked to him. MNPD did not identify the source of the leak. In June, additional leaked material was published.

Attorneys for all three sides clashed during a two-day hearing in April when the differences in their positions came into clear view. On one side, the petitioners said that none of the exceptions to the Tennessee Public Records Act applied to the case. The Covenant groups argued that several exceptions applied, including to ensure school safety  some of the records may reveal security information  and to protect their copyright interest as the owners of the shooters journals, an argument that Myles acknowledged was novel.

More: With few wins so far, Covenant parents settle in for long-haul gun reform push

Chancellor I'Ashea Myles talks to the attorneys to begin the show cause hearing over the release of documents related to the Covenant School shooting at the Historic Metro Courthouse in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

Metro planted itself between the two groups, albeit closer to the petitioners. The city had cited its ongoing investigation into the shooting as its reason for withholding and said that records related to a pending or contemplated criminal action are exempt from release under public records law. It clarified, though, that its position was to release the records, including the shooters journal, with appropriate redactions after the police investigation was done, unless a court ordered differently. A police lieutenant estimated on March 1 that the investigation would last four more months.

At the hearing, Osborne read a statement from one of the parents of a child killed in the shooting. "May this evil die with the shooter, Osborne read. May we deny her any victory in death. May her name, her face, her writings be blotted from history."

Myles ended the April hearing with a compassionate address to the families affected by the shooting while pledging to make a dispassionate ruling.

"I want you all to know that I'm sorry, she said. "Please just know that I don't take this burden lightly, and I realize that this decision not only affects the parents, the community, the children, but it will have a broad effect across the state of Tennessee.

Timeline: The Covenant School shooting and the dramatic year that followed

Myles said she was poised to make a ruling in mid-June but stopped herself after she was alerted to the publication of more leaked information from the shooter's journals by the Tennessee Star, a conservative news site and party to the case. Myles initially threatened sanctions and contempt proceedings against the Star and its editor Michael Patrick Leahy but backed off after a tense, somewhat confusing hearing to "get the lay of the land" after the leak.

In seeking the records, The Tennessean has cited an interest in bringing to light "additional facts regarding this incident, societal and mental health issues, and issues regarding firearms more broadly, which have not yet been revealed through other means," according to the newspaper's complaint.

The records requested by The Tennessean are the documents in the shooter's possession prior to death, including those in the shooter's car and home; all police reports of the shooter in MNPD's possession; all calls for service to the Covenant School and the shooter's home from the past five years; and incident reports from MNPD's responses to the shooter's home on March 27.

The Tennessean has no plans to publish the writings verbatim and has sought to center coverage on public policy, the victims and the community.

Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Covenant shooting lawsuit: Documents wont' be released, judge rules
As COVID cases rise across Georgia, CDC recommends everyone get an updated shot this fall

With a summer wave of COVID-19 infections underway in Georgia and across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending everyone 6 months and older take one of the newly updated COVID vaccines when they become available this fall.

At a Thursday meeting at the CDC in Atlanta, infectious disease experts unanimously recommended the updated vaccines for Americans age 6 months and older. The CDC director signed off on the recommendation later in the day. The shots are expected to become available in August and September.

Officials acknowledged the need for shots is not as urgent as it was only a few years ago. Most Americans have some degree of immunity from being infected or from past vaccinations, or both. COVID deaths and hospitalizations last month were at about their lowest point since the pandemic first hit the United States in 2020.

For many people who have already had COVID, a reinfection is often milder than an earlier case. But those 65 and older, pregnant or immunocompromised remain at higher risk of serious complications from COVID.

Health officials have told Americans to expect a yearly update to COVID vaccines, just like annual flu shots are updated to protect against the latest flu strains.

Our top recommendation for protecting yourself and your loved ones from respiratory illness is to get vaccinated, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the CDC, said in a press release. Make a plan now for you and your family to get both updated flu and COVID vaccines this fall, ahead of the respiratory virus season.

But many Americans are not following the CDCs advice. Only about 22% of U.S. adults and 14% of children were up to date in their COVID shots, according to the CDC.

Its even lower in Georgia with only about 8% of adults and less than 2% of children up to date, according to CDC.

While the general recommendation is for everyone six months and older to get an updated COVID shot, doctors and public health experts say it is especially important for older adults and others people at high risk for severe illness.

Age remains the strongest risk factor for severe COVID outcomes, with risk of severe outcomes increasing markedly with increasing age, according to CDC researchers. Compared to adults between 18 and 29, the risk of death from COVID is 25 times higher in those between the ages of 50 and 64 years, 60 times higher in those ages 65 and 74 years. It is 340 times higher in those ages 85 and older.

The latest recommendations come at a time when cases are growing or likely growing in 39 states including Georgia, according to the CDC, signaling that a summer bump is underway. The CDC no longer tracks COVID case numbers but estimates the trend of the virus spread based on emergency room visits.

Levels of virus found in wastewater samples, often an early signal of rising COVID cases, have also been rising in Georgia according to CDC surveillance. But its not clear if that means cases will continue to surge.

And while the rise is not too surprising now that people are traveling and gathering indoors where its cooler, health experts and doctors expect this seasons illnesses to be milder than some past versions of the virus. But the latest iterations of the ever-evolving coronavirus seem to be more contagious.

Symptoms from the latest variants circulating are familiar and include sore throat, runny nose, coughing, head and body aches, fever, fatigue, and in more severe cases, shortness of breath.

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration  following the guidance of its own panel of expert advisers  told vaccine manufacturers to target the JN.1 (omicron) version of the virus. But a week later, the FDA told manufacturers that if they could still switch, a better target might be an even newer variant called KP.2.

This story is possible through a joint news sharing agreement with The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Data reporter Stephanie Lamm and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
A crash that sent a blue Tesla plunging 200 feet down a steep hill in northern San Luis Obispo County resulted in significant injuries to both of the vehicles occupants.

According to the California Highway Patrols Traffic Incident Information page, at around 3:10 p.m., CHP and Cal Fire received reports of the vehicle crash off of the eastbound lane of state Highway 46.

According to the CHP page, the vehicle was far enough down the steep cliff face that it wasnt easily visible from the roadway.

Cal Fire firefighters helped remove two people from the wreck of a Tesla that crashed about 200 feet down a hill on Highway 46 Thursday, July 4, 2024.

According to a post on X by Cal Fire, firefighters recovered two patients from the scene of the crash.

One patient suffered moderate injuries and transported by ambulance to a hospital, while the other was airlifted to the hospital.

Cal Fire firefighters helped remove two people from the wreck of a Tesla that crashed about 200 feet down a hill on Highway 46 Thursday, July 4, 2024.

TRAFFIC COLLISION: at 3:10 PM Firefighters & #GreenIC responded to a vehicle over the side of the hill 200 down. Firefighters retrieved 2 patients, 1 was flown out by #MA34 & other by ground ambulance to hospital. I patient moderate the other major. @CHP_Coastal @FirCambria pic.twitter.com/lXQBr0QVkX  CAL FIRE SLO (@CALFIRE_SLO) July 5, 2024
Firefighter injured, neighbors rescue homeowner in east Charlotte house fire

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  One firefighter was injured and neighbors rescued a homeowner in an early morning house fire in east Charlotte, fire officials said.

The house fire happened before 1:30 a.m. Friday, July 5, in the 4300 block of Abbeydale Drive.

According to the Charlotte Fire Department, there were no working smoke detectors inside the house and the homeowner was alerted to the fire due to neighbors pounding on his door.

Thirty firefighters were able to get the fire under control in 20 minutes. One firefighter was injured and treated at the scene by EMS.

Charlotte Fire determined the cause of the fire was improperly disposed smoking materials into a plastic trash bin. The fire has been ruled accidental.

This fire was one of three large fires overnight across the Charlotte area. In southwest Charlotte, a 2-alarm fire damaged 24 apartment units, and in east Charlotte, another fire damaged a house in the 7300 block of Lakeside Drive.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BURKE COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Burned trees and thick smoke surrounded neighbors after a wildfire spread across 60 acres of land near Hidden Hills Venue on Burkemont Mountain, southwest of Morganton.

Burke County Emergency Management, the North Carolina Forest Service, and other fire departments responded to a report about the fire around 1:15 a.m. Friday, July 5.

I knew about the fire, so I went to the little church down here at Burkemont Baptist, and I said, Wow, that smokes near our cabin,' said Valerie Kuentzel.

She and her husband, Walter, say they owned a cabin about a mile up the hill. As soon as they saw the smoke Friday, they rushed to their cabin to see how far the fire had gone.

But the smoke from the fire, forced them to stay at the bottom of the road.

Photo: Salem Fire & Rescue

Photo: Salem Fire & Rescue

Photo: Salem Fire & Rescue

We need to get off the mountain because, with the winds coming, its a little nerve-wracking, she said.

Fire officials burned a fire line a few feet away from the road to stop the wildfire as it headed up the mountains side. The thickness of the smoke has been varying for the last few hours for crews and residents.

Theres more smoke now, said Walter. It started with the winds picking up, and there was more smoke sort of building up in the mountain. I think the fire people told us that the winds also shifted from blowing downhill and now theyre blowing uphill, which of course, puts us more at risk. So weve just been watching, looking for if theres any flames popping up along the edge there.

Management officials didnt ask homeowners to evacuate. No homes in the area are being monitored by firefighters, and there were no immediate threats to any structures.

Candle sparks 2-alarm fire that damaged 24 apartment units in southwest Charlotte

Fire crews patrolled the area every 10 minutes to keep the fire at bay. The Kuentzels were just waiting for rain.

The rain comes here like its coming because I was just scared that you dont know the direction it can change and we could be stuck up here, Valerie said.

A small thunderstorm slowly toned down the fires intensity, leaving only a few small blazes under the brush.

State fire officials have not released the cause of the fire.

This is a Developing Story . Check back for updates

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Editors Note: The following arrest and incident reports were supplied by the Abilene Police Department. All information below comes from reports made by responding officers, and all suspects are considered not guilty unless determined otherwise in a court of law.

Incidents

2700 block of North 18th Street  Criminal Mischief

A victim reported that an unknown suspect gained access to the roof of the building, causing more than $65,000 in damage and theft.

1600 block of Ambler Avenue  Criminal Trepass

A 19-year-old Hispanic male was arrested at a north Abilene business for class B criminal trespass and possession of drug paraphernalia.

1700 block of Bent Tree Drive  Assault Family Violence

A report for Assault Family Violence was taken.

3900 block of Old Anson Road  Criminal Trespass

A 39-year-old was arrested for CMTR.

700 block of Medical Drive  Indecent Assault

A report of a 71-year-old male suspect touching an 80-year-old female victim and a 59-year-old female victim inappropriately without the victims effective consent was taken.

2400 block of Grape Street  Assault Family Violence

A victim stated that his wife assaulted him, leaving visible injury. The defendant was arrested for Assault and Family Violence.

1000 block of Westview Drive  Assault

A victim stated that a man punched her in the face with a closed fist.

1600 block of Hwy 351  Assault

Police responded to a north side Abilene department store in reference to an Armed Subject gun call that resulted in an Aggravated Assault report being worked.

1200 block of North 8th Street  Burglary of a Building

A report was taken for Burglary of a Building on the north side of Abilene.

2500 block of Nonesuch Road  Terroristic Threat of Family/Household

APD responded to a call for service on the south side of the city. A 24-year-old female reported that a known person threatened her seriously, causing her to believe that she was going to die. The suspect was arrested and transported to Taylor County Jail for booking.

Arrests

David Hunt  Public Intoxication

Cody German  Public Intoxication

Tiffany Bradford  Possession of a Controlled Substance

Antonio Mendoza  Criminal Trespass, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Joedy Gray  Criminal Trespass

Shay Hardy  Public Intoxication

McKenzee Lane  Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Aggravated Kidnapping

Yakeyah Jones  Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Kidnapping

Alexis Richmond  Warrant

Anastasia Velasquez  Assault Family Violence

Tanner Springfield  Assault Family Violence

Thomas Tyler  Theft of Property, Warrant

Kevin Starr  Terroristic Threat of Family/Household

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.
Gunfire rang out in several Boston neighborhoods overnight - and into the day on Friday - leaving at least two people dead and five others injured.

The most recent shooting was reported just after noon on Friday. Police responded to Gladeside Avenue and Donwood Terrace in Mattapan and found two shooting victims, a man and a woman, inside a car. Police Superintendent Felipe Colon confirmed in a Friday afternoon news conference that the man was dead, and the woman had non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests have been made and police did not say what the relationship was between the two victims nor their ages.

Supt. Colon did say the Mattapan shooting was not a random act. The superintendent also acknowledged that it has been an active 24 hours in the city and police were already targeting specific areas to combat any potential violence over the July 4th holiday weekend.

The shooting in Mattapan was the fourth of the day being investigated by Boston Police - with ongoing investigations in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain.

Its unacceptable and always devastating whenever we are at night or woken up to an understanding that the lives of some families are forever changed in our city, said Mayor Michelle Wu at an event on City Hall Plaza, before word of the fourth Friday shooting came in.

An earlier shooting in Roxbury was deadly according to Boston Police.

Officers say they responded to 618 Shawmut Avenue for the report of a person shot at Ramsay Park and found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead. The shooting happened at about 1:33 a.m. Police say there have been no arrests and there is an active investigation.

My heart is with those who are recovering and those who are grieving today, said Wu. We have seen some tremendous progress and trending in the right direction in terms of violence across the city this year and this week and this weekend is always one that we are on high alert on because there are so many people out and about and unfortunately, we still have a lot more work to do.

One man named Robert who lives close to where that shooting happened in Roxbury said he heard what sounded like firecrackers. He said shootings are a problem in that area of the neighborhood.

Shell casings found in multiple locations in Cambridge after Fourth of July gunfire, police say

They all gather right here, its a one-way street, and a guy whistles when he sees a cruiser coming. You know youve got to see it to believe it, said Robert. He continued, Its just terrible. You walk out the door you got to worry if you get hit by a drive-by shooting. I dont know how it can be resolved but putting more pressure on the situation is the only thing I can think of.

Robert hopes one change could make a difference to Ramsay Park.

The park needs to be lit up at night. Theres all kinds of crime in there at night, its pitch black, it needs floodlights it needs to be lit up. Robert went on to say, Criminals dont like light. Its just a fact. Of course, they dont like light because they can be seen. Darkness is their element.

In Jamaica Plain, three people were shot and wounded, just before that shooting in Roxbury.

Police say they responded to 287 Centre Street and found three adults with gunshot wounds. They were all taken to the hospital with what police described as non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests were reported in that shooting either.

Later on Friday, at about 5:30 a.m., police responded to a shooting at a gas station in Dorchester at 783 Blue Hill Avenue. The victim is being treated at Boston Medical Center. That persons injuries are also considered non-life-threatening and no arrests have been made in that investigation.

About eight officers walked the parking lot in a line with flashlights looking for evidence. They also put down several evidence markers near the gas pumps.

Even if a shooting is not fatal, it still creates so much trauma and obviously when a life is lost that is infinitely more painful and impactful on the community, said Wu.

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
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (PIX11)  Jersey City is buzzing with excitement as family and friends gathered for a fun-filled Fourth of July festival and concert.

Montgomery Street transformed into a festive haven of live music performances, a mouth-watering lineup of food trucks, and kid friendly activities drawing crowds of all ages.

More Local News

Crowds of people came from near and far Thursday anticipating the dazzling fireworks show over the Hudson River expected tonight around 9:30 p.m.

But before the light show, a concert is set to feature some of musics biggest acts from Wyclef Jean to Funk Master Flex and Fat Joe.

Jersey City native Charles Highsmith shared his excitement saying hes been attending the annual festival since he was a kid. The atmosphere is beautiful. Its not too hot. Everybodys enjoying themselves. They got some beautiful food. Come on down. Hang out.

Coast Guard keeps New York waters safe over the holiday weekend

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop says the Independence Day celebration comes at a time when its needed most. Youre in a place right now where theres a lot of division in the country. Its an opportunity maybe to reflect a little bit on all the things we can be thankful for and celebrate the country.

Festival goers say they plan to revel in their day off, soaking up the summer sun, and celebrating Americas independence.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
The U.S. Capitol on Sept. 28, 2023. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

New electric vehicle standards, veteran local health care access and cybersecurity concerns were all the subjects of letters sent to different government agencies by Iowa lawmakers this week.

A new bill would require social media platforms to report instances of drug trafficking to authorities.

Read about what Iowas congressional delegation has been up to below:

New bill targets drug trafficking on social media platforms

Iowa Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Minnesota Democrat Rep. Angie Craig introduced legislation aimed at preventing the sale of drugs on social media platforms.

The Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act, named after two teens who died from drugs purchased on Snapchat, requires social media companies to alert authorities when drug dealing occurs on their platform.

Fentanyl is a plague in our communities, killing countless Americans and destroying their families, Miller-Meeks said in a press release. By requiring social media companies and other communication service providers to alert law enforcement of fentanyl distribution on their platforms, we could hopefully save many more lives.

The Cooper Davis and Devin Norring Act would help law enforcement at all levels counter the sale of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills and help prosecute those preying on Americas youth.https://t.co/H6HnQpSVM7  Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (@RepMMM) July 3, 2024

Roughly 1 in 3 instances of illegal drug trafficking is connected to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, according to data from the Drug Enforcement Agency.

In the years since Cooper and Devin lost their lives to drug dealers operating on social media, weve heard the same canned response from social media companies that theyre aware of the problem and are working to correct it. However, theyve done nothing to put a stop to these dealers targeting our children, Devin Norrings mother Bridgette Norring said in the press release.

Grassley calls for boost of cybersecurity defense

Sen. Chuck Grassley is launching an oversight inquiry into the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) after the agency revealed it suffered a days-long hack in January.

The hackers potentially had unauthorized access to internal surveys, security plans and assessments which may have revealed sensitive information about U.S. infrastructure, according to CISA.

In a letter sent to CISA Director Jen Easterly, Grassley demanded access to records showing the agencys response to the hack, what information the hackers had access to, how the agency assessed damages and contacted impacted parties.

Ive been conducting oversight of the departments with known cyber vulnerabilities in our critical infrastructure, but now were learning CISA  the agency whose sole responsibility is to protect U.S. cybersecurity  doesnt even have its own house in order, the letter says. CISAs failure to safeguard its systems puts Americans at risk.

Grassley previously called for bolstering the U.S.s cybersecurity in a different letter he sent to multiple agencies in April.

Read the full letter here.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

Grassley: Improve veterans access to health care

Grassley and Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran sent a letter to the Veteran Affairs (VA) Department Secretary Denis McDonough requesting he change policies harming veteran health care access.

According to the senators, recent changes in the VA have limited community health care options for veterans which hurts the progress made under the Trump administration.

It is incumbent on you to reprioritize resources from non-patient care areas and reduce waste, fraud and abuse, not to unilaterally implement purported cost-savings measures that, even as an unintended consequence, decrease veteran choice and endanger veteran lives, the letter says.

Veterans Community Care Program shld work 4 all not just some In a letter Sen Moran & I sent the VA Scty u can read some examples of veterans who r facing challenges 2 get the medical attn they need thru the program VA ought 2 prioritize veterans access 2 timely care  Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) July 2, 2024

Back in May, Grassley and others launched an oversight inquiry into the Veterans Community Care Program regarding the findings of an internal report. The senators alleged the VA was limiting veterans access to local health care options in favor of connecting veterans to the VAs direct care system.

Grassley and Morans letter was co-signed by 18 other Republican senators, including Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst.

The full letter can be read here.

Republicans criticize new EPA electric vehicle rules

Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra and Indiana Sen. Mike Crapo penned a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging the administration to reverse a decision requiring new emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles.

Alongside Feenstra and Crapo, over 150 other lawmakers co-signed the letter, including the entirety of the Iowa congressional delegation.

The decision is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by mandating that 25% of sleeper cab tractors, which includes semi-trucks, buses and tractors, be zero-direct-emission vehicles by 2032.

Some lawmakers and car manufacturers are criticizing the move over the financial costs of the switch and its impact on agricultural workers.

The Biden administrations mandate that impacts all trucks, tractors, buses, and semis would strain our supply chains, hurt our farmers, harm our economy, and increase costs for every single American, Feenstra said in a press release.

The Biden administrations EV mandates on trucks, tractors, buses, and semis would strain our supply chains, hurt our farmers & increase costs for our families. Im glad that over 150 of our colleagues joined us on this mission to overturn this mandate.https://t.co/cmJOuv3NX7  Rep. Randy Feenstra (@RepFeenstra) July 3, 2024

Feenstra and others have called the rule a de facto electric mandate, although the rule does not ban the driving or production of new gas-powered vehicles.

This unaffordable and unachievable regulation will leave rural communities with grid capacity challenges and limited range versus comparable diesel vehicles. When regulations are rushed and the impacts on the economy are not sufficiently considered, business closures and job losses will result, the letter reads.

The zero-direct emissions do not account for emissions associated with the production, distribution or disposal of the vehicle.

Read the full letter here.

The post D.C. Dispatch: Electric vehicles, drug trafficking and cybersecurity appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
This nursery school was established through funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress for the benefit of war workers children. (U.S. Office of War Information photo, courtesy of Library of Congress)

By Lawrence D. Weiss

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. Throughout the nation, quality day care is hard to find and expensive.

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.

Lawrence D. Weiss is a University of Alaska Anchorage professor emeritus of public health and creator of Alaskas only master of public health program. He is the author of several books and numerous articles and has been executive director of a couple of Alaska nonprofits. Now retired in Anchorage, he writes articles for local newspapers and pens the occasional memoir or short story.

Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman for questions: info@alaskabeacon.com. Follow Alaska Beacon on Facebook and X.

The post Day care: The moment in history when politicians and families agreed appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  First responders rescued 11 people from disabled boats in the Potomac River on the Fourth of July.

The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) said that it received a distress call just before 10:55 p.m. about a boat that had hit an unlit buoy near Piscataway Creek. Seven people were on the boat, and they reported that it was rapidly taking on water.

Another vessel operated by a good Samaritan tried to respond to help, but it got tangled up in the other boats lines. Two adults and two children were on that boat.

MCFRS: Fireworks cause significant Fourth of July house fire in Montgomery County

Units from the PGPD Marine Unit, Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) Marine Unit, Prince Georges County Fire Department Volunteer Marine Rescue, the D.C. Fire Department and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Departments (MPD) Harbor Patrol responded to find the boats.

MPDs helicopter responded as well and found it with thermal imaging technology. It was able to direct responding boats there.

PGPD said that a private tow boat brought the sinking ship to a nearby marina and FCPDs Marine Unit was able to rescue the seven people on board. PGPD units towed the other vessel and its passengers.

This operation underscores the exceptional coordination, dedication, and professionalism of all officers involved. Their quick and effective response ensured the safety of everyone involved, demonstrating their commitment to protecting our community and waterways. We are immensely proud of their efforts and grateful for their unwavering dedication, PGPD said in a statement.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
DC police looking for suspects in 2 armed robberies

WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said it is looking for two suspects in connection with two armed robberies that occurred late Thursday afternoon.

According to MPD, the first armed robbery report came in at 4:08 p.m. and took place at Wisconsin Avenue and Reservoir Road. Reports of a second armed robbery at 14th and Swann Street came in at 4:32 p.m.

40 displaced after fire breaks out in Rockville womens shelter

(Courtesy of: @DCPoliceDept)

In a post on the X platform, MPD said the suspect vehicle is a white Toyota sedan with California tags. The license plate number is 9GTD204.

MPD identified the suspects as two boys between 15 and 18 years old.

Police said anyone with information should call 202-727-9099 or text 50411

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
The execution gurney is shown in this image from a video released by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

As the end grows closer, death row inmate Emmanuel Littlejohn hasn't been resting well.

"When they're talking about killing you, it's kind of hard to sleep. That's all you think about," he said in a phone call in June from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.

He maintains he is just a robber, not a murderer, and shouldn't be executed for a 1992 fatal shooting at an Oklahoma City convenience store.

"I ain't going to say I'm innocent because I was there. But I didn't kill nobody. I didn't shoot nobody. That's not me," he said. "It ain't fair. It ain't fair at all."

Littlejohn, 52, is now set to be executed by lethal injection on Sept. 26.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals this week scheduled the execution after getting notice that convicted child murderer Richard Norman Rojem Jr. had been put to death June 27.

The court decided in May to schedule executions one at a time 90 days apart.

What happened in Emmanuel Littlejohn's case?

Littlejohn was one of two robbers who took money from the Root-N-Scoot convenience store in south Oklahoma City on June 19, 1992. Littlejohn was then 20.

The owner, Kenneth Meers, 31, was killed by a single shot to the face as he charged at the robbers with a broom. Witnesses differed on who was the triggerman.

Littlejohn has maintained since his arrest that he wasn't the shooter.

Tried first in 1993 was robber Glenn Bethany. His jury chose life in prison without the possibility of parole after finding him guilty of first-degree murder.

Tried in 1994 was Littlejohn. His jury voted for the death penalty after finding him guilty of first-degree murder. A second jury in 2000 also voted for the death penalty at a resentencing trial. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals ordered the resentencing because of improper testimony from a jailhouse snitch.

Littlejohn exhausted his appeals in 2018.

Central to his appeals was a claim of prosecutor misconduct. His attorneys complained the same prosecutor argued at the first trial that Bethany was the shooter and then argued at the subsequent trial that Littlejohn was the shooter.

"It has long been established that prosecutors may not violate fundamental principles of fairness," one attorney told a federal judge in 2005.

That complaint was repeatedly rejected on appeal. The Court of Criminal Appeals found in 1998 the prosecutor did not act improperly "given the uncertainty of the evidence."

The federal judge in 2010 found the prosecutor made no outright assertions that Bethany was the shooter at the first trial but instead "reminded the jurors that it was their task to determine whether Bethany was guilty of malice murder or felony murder."

The judge noted that in Littlejohn's trial the prosecutor went further and adamantly asserted that he was the actualshooter.

A clemency hearing is set for Aug. 7.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board could recommend Littlejohn's punishment be changed to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Gov. Kevin Stitt can only act if the board recommends clemency.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Date for Oklahoma execution for Emmanuel Littlejohn set for Sept.
Death toll of Russia's July 3 attack on Dnipro rises to 8

The death toll of Russia's drone and missile attack on Dnipro on July 3 has risen to eight, as a 72-year-old woman died in the hospital, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.

Another victim  a 58-year-old woman  died in the hospital on the evening of July 4, the governor said earlier.

Over 50 people were injured in the attack that damaged a shopping center, schools, kindergartens, and medical institutions.

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: Russian attack on Dnipro kills 7, injures over 50, shopping center hit

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
An intruder entered the Crestview Specialty Care nursing home in West Branch on April 5, 2023 and was later found partially undressed and in bed with a female resident of the home. (Photo via Google Earth)

An Iowa nursing home has been fined $5,687 for quality-of-care issues that resulted in one residents death and the hospitalization of two others.

In May, the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing visited the Crestview Specialty Care facility in West Branch in response to nine separate complaints concerning resident care. Four of the complaints were substantiated.

The home was cited for four regulatory violations and fined $8,750. The fine was then discounted 35%, to $5,687, when the home declined to file an appeal.

According to state inspectors, Crestview Specialty Care failed to accurately assess residents condition and provide medical intervention when necessary. As a result, the inspectors allege, a resident suffered worsening gastrointestinal issues  which included stomach aches, abdominal tenderness and vomiting  for four days until he appeared to be struggling to breathe.

An ambulance was summoned and upon their arrival, the EMTs allegedly remarked he looks terrible and then determined the man was in acute respiratory failure and had a critically low blood pressure. Even after the administration of intravenous medications, the EMTs were unable to obtain a blood pressure reading.

The resident was transferred to a hospital emergency room where he was intubated and three liters of bowel obstruction were suctioned from his stomach. The hospital was unable to stabilize the resident, who died within six hours of arriving in the emergency room.

In a second incident, Crestview allegedly failed to intervene when a male resident was unable urinate for two days and showed signs of swelling caused by fluid retention. The man was eventually hospitalized.

In a third incident, Crestview allegedly failed to correctly transcribe a physicians order for insulin, resulting in a residents hospitalization for diabetic ketoacidosis.

Crestview Specialty Care has a two-star overall rating on the five-star scale used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Last year, an intruder allegedly spent four hours inside Crestview before the staff found him partially undressed in bed with a female resident.

According to state inspectors, some of the Crestview staff interacted with the man in the hours leading up to him being found in the residents bed. One worker had expressed concern that the man appeared to be homeless, another worker twice gave him directions to the victims room. A third employee heard the victim crying out, Help me, while she was being wheeled through the facility by the intruder.

The post Death and two hospitalizations trigger $5,687 fine against nursing home appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
From a calamitous debate to calls to drop out: the week that left Bidens re-election bid hanging by a thread

History may record them as eight days that sank a presidency, or at least the rockiest road to a convention in living memory  a week that has left Joe Bidens re-election bid hanging by a thread.

Day one  27 June

Biden and Donald Trump face off in a historically early yet eagerly awaited presidential debate, hosted by CNN. In a performance that leaves viewers startled and supporters horrified, the president speaks in a hoarse voice, mangles his syntax and repeatedly loses his train of thought, while abjectly failing to mount an effective argument against a gleeful Trump.

At a post-debate event, the presidents wife, Jill Biden, puts on a brave face: Joe, you did a great job, she said. You answered all the questions. Her words and her husbands frail demeanor only compound negative impressions of the debate display, as panic sets in among Democratic supporters who are shocked by Bidens apparent frailty.

Day two  28 June

Amid a chorus of Democratic doubts about his candidacy, the 81-year-old president attempts an immediate fightback at a campaign event in North Carolina. I know Im not a young man, he tells a crowd of cheering supporters. I dont debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know  when you get knocked down, you get back up! Observers wonder where this vigorous Biden had been the night before, though others noted he was speaking from an Autocue.

The New York Times editorial board calls for Biden to end his candidacy, describing it as a reckless gamble that risks a second Trump presidency.

Day three  29 June

Biden holds fundraising events aimed at calming worried donors. Not all are convinced. One placard held by supporters turned protesters outside a fundraiser in East Hampton reads: We love you, but its time.

The New Yorker magazine, another weighty, previously friendly publication, calls on Biden to drop his re-election campaign.

Day four  30 June

Biden hunkers down with his family at Camp David for a gathering originally organised as a photo shoot with veteran celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. His closest relatives tell him to stay the course, with his son Hunter Biden, recently convicted on gun-related felony charges, reportedly the most vocal.

Day five  1 July

A far-reaching US supreme court ruling grants Donald Trump  and all future presidents  broad immunity from prosecution for their actions in office, making it unlikely that the case against Trump for attempting to overthrow the 2020 election would reach trial before the race ends. Observers note that the ruling  which one of the dissenting justices said would give Trump the powers of a king  makes the stakes of Bidens poor performance even higher. Biden denounces the ruling in a short statement but does not answer questions from reporters.

Day six  2 July

Lloyd Doggett of Texas becomes the first sitting Democratic representative to break ranks publicly and tell the president to end his candidacy.

Day seven  3 July

Another representative follows Doggetts lead by telling Biden to step aside. Biden, responding to accusations of failing to reach out to party figures, meets Democratic state governors at the White House and admits that he needs to get more sleep. They emerge from the meeting reasserting their support for Biden.

Day eight  4 July

Fresh polls show Bidens support eroding since the debate, with a New York Times/Siena survey showing him trailing Trump by 49% to 43%.

Abigail Disney, the heir to the Disney family fortune and a major party donor, says she will withhold donations unless Biden drops out of the race, following screenwriter Damon Lindelof, philanthropist Gideon Stein and Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings. This is realism, not disrespect, Disney told CNBC, adding if Biden does not step down, the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.

Biden tries to recover lost ground with a couple of radio interviews, recorded the day before, in which he admits I screwed up, but vows to a supporter at a Fourth of July barbecue at the White House that he isnt going anywhere.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 5. Kyrgyzstan exported 125,640 tons of cement to Uzbekistan from January through April 2024, Trend reports.

Data from Kyrgyzstans State Statistical Committee indicates that this figure decreased by 16.4 percent compared to 150,334 tons in the same months of 2023. The value of the exports amounted to $3.746 million, a decline of 32.7 percent compared to $5.569 million in the corresponding months of 2023.

In the first month of the current year, Uzbekistan was the sole country importing cement from Kyrgyzstan.

Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan produced 1.014 million tons of cement from January through May 2024, which is a 5.7 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2023, when 1.075 million tons were produced.

Overall, Kyrgyzstan's foreign trade turnover reached $5.171 billion from January through April 2024, which is a 27.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023 ($4.051 billion).

Exports amounted to $760.6 million, which is an increase of 19.7 percent compared to the $635.678 million recorded in JanuaryApril 2023. Imports grew by 29.2 percent compared to $3.415 billion in the same period in 2023, reaching $4.411 billion from January through April 2024.
Decomposed Body of Man Missing Since May Found Floating in Water at Abandoned U.S. Steel Property

The victim has been identified as 44-year-old Warren Baker

Getty Red and blue police lights

The decomposed body of a man missing since April has been found floating in water at an abandoned U.S. Steel pump house in Illinois, according to authorities.



The Will County Coroner's Office identified the victim in a Facebook post on Wednesday, July 3, as 44-year-old Warren Baker.

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.



Three men and a woman who were exploring the deserted property in Joliet found Baker's body floating four to five feet of water around 6:47 p.m. local time, Patch and Fox affiliate WFLD.



Joliet police entered a pump house that had flooded with water, Patch reported. Baker's body was then found in an "advanced stage of decomposition," police told the outlets.



Related: Body Found in Search for Missing TV Doctor Michael Mosley: Reports

A U.S. Steel representative told CBS affiliate WBBM-TV that the site is an old property and had been closed for a period of time.



Related: Body Found in Field Confirmed to Be Trucker Missing for 5 Months: 'Such a Good Father,' Says Wife

Baker was reported missing to police on May 13 after his family last saw him on April 28, per WFLD.



The Joliet Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.



"The Joliet Police are investigating the incident," according to the coroner's office. "Final cause and manner will be determined following Autopsy, Police and Toxicological reports."



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Tributes are being paid to an Ohio officer shot and killed in the line of duty early Thursday morning on the Fourth of July.

>>RELATED: Police identify officer killed in line of duty in Ohio

As News Center 7 previously reported, Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter, 27, was shot and killed while serving a warrant to a man wanted for felonious assault.

The suspect, Delawnte Hardy, 24, was leaving his home on a bicycle when officers arrived and began firing shots hitting Ritter.

He has been charged with aggravated murder, according to CBS affiliate WOIO in Cleveland.

>>RELATED: Governor orders flags lowered in honor of Ohio officer shot, killed

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost released a statement Thursday regarding the death of Officer Ritter.

This young officer was a selfless hero who served his community with favor and dedicated his life to restraining evil. The loss of an officer on a day when we celebrate the many freedoms of our country is a cruel reminder of the price paid by those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our communities safe. My deepest condolences are with Officer Ritters loved ones and the Cleveland Police Department.

>>ORIGINAL COVERAGE: Officer dies after being shot in Ohio; suspect charged

The Englewood Police Department released a statement about Officer Ritter on social media.

We extend our deepest sympathy and support to our colleagues at the Cleveland Division of Police and the family and friends of Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter #1176. Officer Ritter, a four-year veteran of the Division, was shot and killed this morning while serving and protecting the Cleveland community. He graduated from Syracuse University in 2019 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army National Guard. As a member of the Ohio Army National Guard, he served with the 134th Field Artillery Regiment and was deployed to Syria in 2022. Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9

>>Fourth of July celebrations continue despite storm threat

The Riverside Police Department also offered condolences to Officer Ritter on social media.

Riverside Police Department extends our deepest condolences to Officer Ritters family along with his brothers and sisters in blue at Cleveland Division of Police during this difficult time. 

We will continue to provide updates to this story.
Defeated Tory MPs debate where it all went wrong - and how to save their Party

After suffering a historic loss, Rishi Sunak has been forced out of No 10, resigning as leader of the Conservatives. A leadership election will now commence.

Here, former Conservative MPs exclusively debate the future of the Party.

Should it move to the centre, or appeal to disaffected Reform voters? What should its priorities be in the short term? Can it survive?

The debate starts now.

We need a party that is both socially and economically conservative



Today is a dark day for conservatives. Despite a combined vote share for the centre-right of 37.2 per cent  compared with Labours 36 per cent  our system has delivered an enormous majority for Labour. We have been decimated.

So how did we end up with this most unrepresentative of Parliaments, with the Conservatives losing so many MPs despite the Labour vote declining? Our vote was split  fairly evenly in constituencies like mine  between Reform and the Conservatives.

In 2016, 2017 and again in 2019, British people voted for a new kind of politics. They were tired of the liberal consensus which, for the past three decades, has sold out our culture and our economy to the interests of an international elite. Many voters in our villages and post-industrial towns despair of how successive governments have prioritised international courts over our national parliament, foreign workers over our own, global conglomerates over small business and imported neo-Marxist ideology over our own history and culture.

For a brief moment in 2019, it seemed as if the Conservatives had woken up to this realignment. The commitments of Boris Johnson to Get Brexit Done, and to Level Up our economy promised finally to fulfil voters demands. But it was not to be; despite many brave attempts by individual MPs and Ministers, the outgoing government oversaw a period of record immigration, massive public debt and the long march of woke through our institutions. Understandably, many of our core voters are angry and frustrated that we have not delivered and have shifted their vote to Reform, or stayed at home.

The way back for the Party will be a difficult one. The first step must of course be to better represent voters views on immigration, sovereignty and culture. But we must also recognise that the liberal economic model of the last 40 years is broken. Free-market liberalism will not win back the votes we lost yesterday. We need a party that is both socially and economically conservative; the liberal consensus has failed.

The Conservatives must return to the middle-ground



The nation has spoken and the message is as clear as it is brutal. Our Party did not deserve to continue in office.

How long this lasts for is up to us. At the last election it was Labour that the nation shunned. Yet within only four years the party re-invented itself, targeting the sweet spot of the electorate  the middle ground.

Choosing a new leader is premature. Until the final selection of the Party leader is returned to the Parliamentary Party, wannabe future leaders will gloss over trying to impress colleagues with their loyalty and instead appeal directly to our Party base. The proven risk is that we make promises which cannot survive contact with reality. This is our Achilles heel.

The Conservative Party wins elections when it remains a broad church and looks beyond its base to the very middle-ground that Labour have just occupied.

The leaders who put the nations interests first and governed from the centre did so with distinction: Benjamin Disraeli, Stanley Baldwin, Winston Churchill, Harold Macmillan and, yes, Margaret Thatcher too.

I urge Rishi Sunak to stay on as leader and oversee a period of reflection in order to shape a robust consensus about what modern conservativism means to the nation. This is the fundamental building block missing of late.

Simply put, it is about putting country and community first. The alternative is to seek solace by embracing the extremes: a recipe for failure. One road leads to recovery. The other risks gifting Labour a decade or more in power.

Reform is not honest. It is the worst of the old kind of politics



A tide of contempt for politicians has swept us out of power. Broken promises turned healthy British scepticism of leaders into a toxic desire to punish all those in office, and so Starmer enters No 10 with most voters believing that things can only get worse.

As Margaret Thatcher observed in 1997, we will now start to rebuild the party for the future.

Conservatism always used to be based on competence  painfully hard to demonstrate in opposition  and needed relatable, inspirational leadership to capture the hearts of voters. Weve recently been devoid of both.

Those who want a more right-wing Party anyway are already saying that the rise of Reform proves that tacking towards them is the best way to achieve success. In reality it proves the opposite  Nigel Farages party gained just five seats. They have made knowingly undeliverable promises in the knowledge they will never have to try to implement them.

This is not a newly honest kind of politics  its the worst of the old kind. Now they demand PR knowing it is the only system in which coalitions mean compromises that make manifesto promises redundant.

MPs who lost their seats, such as myself to Reforms Richard Tice, should tread carefully on prescribing what comes next. But it seems obvious that a Party that wins in Boston and Bournemouth and Wales as well as Winchester can only do so with a programme that appeals to the broad range of demographics that live in those diverse places. If were not committed to winning widely, we will never form a government again, under first past the post or PR. Denying that fact demonstrates not courage or purity, but simply a shaky grasp of maths. We cannot divide to rule.

The electorate is more volatile than ever. Conservatives must bear in mind that one lesson of 2024 is that 2029 must be fought with a leader who could actually take over. A new leader must inspire loyalty, and their new chief whip must make sure he or she has it. Discipline in parliament and diplomacy to convince the media that the Tories are relevant will be key.

There was a mood for change, supercharged by Partygate, Liz Trusss premiership and a lamentable campaign. The better question is how we put forward a plan that tackles immigration, cuts taxes and builds houses in a way that both convinces and inspires. With Starmer as Prime Minister, Britain needs those Conservative values more than ever.

We must stop demonising Farage, but park our tanks on his lawn with Kemi Badenoch



Its often said that success has many parents, but failure is an orphan.

Rarely in political life has a party thrown away so much so quickly. To have gone from a position where 10 years in office seemed a minimum, to one where the calamity of 1997 appeared a good result, beggars belief.

So what do we need to do? First, Look at the data. We lost because the conservative vote was badly split. Therefore, to have a chance of winning we need to reunite the Right.

What does that mean? We need to stop demonising Nigel Farage and realise that he did well because there was, electorally a gap in the market. We either do a deal with Reform at the next election or introduce policies that are both credible but also which finish Reform off. The Conservatives will not survive if Reform continues to poll over 10 per cent.

Elections are won from the centre but we were seen to be not conservative enough by many of our voters. A majority for every party believes mass migration is too high. Because our leadership failed to deal with that single issue, people did not listen to us on anything else.

We should not rush but we do need to get in place a new team. For me, the only person now capable of positioning us in value terms and policy terms is Kemi Badenoch, should she run. If Kemi wins, and we have someone who clearly and competently espouses a conservative rather than a managerialist view of the world, we have a chance of getting heard again, especially given the volatility of voters and the low polling of Labour.

Labour will quickly get the shock of their lives in Government, and it is likely their popularity will plummet as they fail to grip the same problems that we faced: immigration levels, slow growth due to being over-taxed and overregulated, the burden of net zero, an NHS unable to deliver.

People wanted change. They have wanted to be able to trust, and we failed.

If we can win back trust through a new leadership and a new vision, and deliver credible ideas over the coming months, on migration but also on other key issues such as housing and public services, then we could recover potentially quickly. If not, were finished for good and we will gift the future of our great nation to a Labour Party instinctively at odds with the values and outlooks of the British people.

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.
Seattle Police Department homicide detectives are conducting a delayed death investigation after a reported car prowler, injured by car owner, died at the hospital.

On June 24 police were called to a parking garage in North Seattle for a reported car prowl in the 6900 block of East Green Lake Way North.

When they got there, police found a man unconscious. The 35-year-old man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition.

Officers learned that the owner of the car had interrupted the reported car prowler and there was a physical altercation.

On June 28 the 35-year-old man died at the hospital.

July 3, the King County Medical Examiners Office determined the man had died due to lack of oxygen to the brain, caused by a choke hold. The death was ruled a homicide.

Homicide detectives have now been assigned to the case. There have been no arrests.

The man has been identified as 35-year-old Cameron Lewis Heriford.
Delta is doing just pasta for many flights after spoiled food sickened many passengers on a recent flight.

Talk about a plain meal.

After spoiled meals on a Delta Airlines flight forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing at JFK International Airport on Wednesday, the carrier is sticking to pasta only for many of its international flights, CNBC reported.

An estimated 70 people on the trip from Detroit to Amsterdam fell ill from the tainted food, which contained black mold, sources told The Post.

The Delta route had a flight last winter during which maggots shockingly fell onto passengers.

Delta is defaulting to pasta for many flights after spoiled food caused sickness. Yaroslav Astakhov  stock.adobe.com

In the wake of this weeks gag-worthy incident, about 75 international flights on Wednesday and a similar number on Thursday were served only the Italian favorite.

Out of an abundance of caution, Delta teams have proactively adjusted our in-flight meal service on a number of international flights, a company spokeswoman told CNBC.

Delta is now serving pasta for many international flights. Chalabala  stock.adobe.com

Exactly how prevalent are foodborne diseases on planes? A 2007 research paper said that while incidents are quite uncommon in the modern era, it would be impossible to estimate the true burden of disease.

On top of that, while the Food and Drug Administration requires inspections of airline caterers  with as many as 22 severe safety problems per visit  penalties are rarely given, according to NBC News.

Thats despite reports in recent years of dangerous bacteria such as Listeria monocytogene being found during the testing of some airline caterers.

Out of an abundance of caution, Delta teams have proactively adjusted our in-flight meal service on a number of international flights, a company spokeswoman said. AFP via Getty Images

Oh, its negligent, Roy Costa, an environmental health inspector, told the outlet. What you see here is a repeated pattern where theyre not following the rules  Its very, very clear that they have a potential risk.

The FDA only looks at the caterers behind airlines about every three to five years. They are also commonly exempt from the agencys food code and safety rules, allowing fewer inspections when time and opportunity allow, according to an agency manual.

Perhaps adding insult to injury, Gate Gourmet, a caterer doing business with Delta and other airlines, may strike at the end of the month.

The walkout could occur as soon as July 30.
Demands in the Middle East risk leaving an aircraft carrier-sized hole in US naval power in the Western Pacific

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is on its way to the Middle East after exercises in Asia.

Its departure will leave the US Navy without a carrier in the Western Pacific region unless another can be tasked to the area.

If not, soon the only carriers operating in the area may be China's.

Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East are drawing the US military's focus and risk leaving the US Navy without any aircraft carriers operating in the Western Pacific, which is home to a major US rival and longtime foes.

The only US carrier in the area is on its way to the Middle East following a series of military drills in the Pacific. Meanwhile, China continues to demonstrate its ambitions with a growing fleet of carriers while American adversaries stir unease.

Late last month, the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group arrived in South Korea for a joint exercise with its host nation and Japan. While the exercise was pre-planned, it came at a tense time in the region, just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a historic defense pact that has had far-reaching geopolitical reverberations.

When the Roosevelt and the other elements of the strike group arrived, the South Korean navy said that the presence of the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier and the other US warships "demonstrates the strong combined defense posture of the South Korea-US alliance and their firm resolve to respond to the escalating threats from North Korea."

After the exercise wrapped up, the Roosevelt strike group set sail for Middle Eastern waters, where it will take over the defense of commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. After USS Gerald R. Ford and the Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Roosevelt is the third aircraft carrier that has been sent to respond to the fighting in the Middle East ignited by the Israel-Hamas war.

Sailors conduct flight operations on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt near Indonesia. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Benvie

The steady movement of the Roosevelt out of the Western Pacific and the departure of USS Ronald Reagan before that risks leaving an aircraft carrier-shaped hole in the US Navy's presence in the region at a time when Russia and North Korea are creating new headaches for US ally South Korea and China is increasingly conducting its own carrier operations and flexing its muscles against another US ally, the Philippines.

Business Insider was unable to reach the Pentagon for comment on carrier movements or US force posture in the Western Pacific.

The USNI News fleet tracker indicated on July 1 that USS Carl Vinson was in the Eastern Pacific around Hawaii for the big Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercise while the Roosevelt appeared to be working its way toward the South China Sea. USS Carl Vinson is available for necessary tasking, but it lacks the presence provided by a forward-deployed carrier.

On July 2, the Roosevelt strike group was in the Philippine Sea, according to imagery and information from what is known as DVIDS, or the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.

The Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is anchored in Busan, South Korea. Song Kyung-Seok/Pool Photo via AP

As the Roosevelt travels to keep up the seeminglty endless fight against the Houthis, China's navy has been active. The aircraft carrier Shandong and a Chinese amphibious assault ship conducted an exercise in the South China Sea earlier this week.

The Shandong is one of two Chinese Soviet-style carriers. The warship features a ski-jump-style ramp like its predecessor, Liaoning. China's newest carrier, Fujian, has a catapult launch system similar to the one on the US Navy's new Ford-class carriers.

China's carriers  the speed at which they're building and fielding them, as well as how and where they're operating them  demonstrate a focus in Beijing on building a carrier fleet capable of projecting military power in the region and potentially globally.

Lately, China has also ramped up altercations with the Philippines in contested waters in the South China Sea. Just late last month, Chinese personnel armed with machetes and spears attacked Filipino navy personnel in disputed waters. The Coast Guard, however, has taken charge in this spat, as opposed to the navy.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Democratic donors push to raise $100million to back new candidate as calls for Biden to step aside mount

Democratic donors push to raise $100million to back new candidate as calls for Biden to step aside mount

Some Democratic donors are attempting to raise $100 million to back a new candidate as calls for President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race grow.

The push for Biden to step aside comes after his dismal debate performance where he lost his train of thought, appeared confused and made several gaffes.

In a discussion with Democratic governors at the White House on Wednesday, Biden tried to calm the nerves of his party, saying that he was staying in the race and his debate performance was due to a grueling travel schedule in the weeks ahead of the debate preparation sessions.

Biden reportedly told the governors that he needed to work less, sleep more, and limit events after 8pm.

A number of Democratic donors are now trying to use their wealth to urge Biden to step down. There are several initiatives underway to open up the field to another candidate, according to The New York Times.

The efforts could have an effect on down-ballot races in time, but donors are currently focused on their efforts on changing the top of the ticket.

President Joe Biden steps out onto the balcony of the White House to view the fireworks on the National Mall during a 4th of July event on the South Lawn of the White House. Now, a group of Democrats is looking to raise money for a new candidate (Getty Images)

The $100 million is intended for an escrow-type of fund, called Next Generation PAC, which would be used to back another candidate. The funds could be used for down-ballot races if Biden remains atop the ticket.

The unnamed donors hopes are small compared to the current presidents war chest. Last month, the Biden campaign raise $127 million. The Biden campaign said it raised $264 million in the second quarter while the Trump campaign said it raised $331 million. In the first quarter, Biden raised more than $187 million.

Backers of possible replacements, including Vice President Kamala Harris, are now trying to get themselves in pole position, while some donors are threatening to hold back donations from Biden and other Democratic groups unless the president steps aside.

Theres also a push to move money to down-ballot races, with donors urging elected officials to argue publicly that Biden must go. A number of major donors have chosen to publicly call on the president to step down. That group includes Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and Disney heiress Abigail Disney.

Gideon Stein told The Times that his family is holding back $3.5 million in planned donations unless Biden leaves the race.

He added that essentially every large-scale donor he has spoken to thinks that a new ticket is in the best interest of defeating Donald Trump.

Hollywood producer Damon Lindelof has donated more than $115,000 to Democrats during this election cycle.

In an essay for Deadline, he wrote Ive been asleep at the wheel and its time to wake the f*** up.

He added: I propose a DEMbargo. No checks written. No ActBlue links clicked. For anyone.

Is it misguided to punish the entire team for the stubbornness of the pitcher? Maybe. But its also common sense that if he stays in, they will also lose. A rising tide lifts all boats. A falling Biden sinks them, he wrote.

The DEMbargo could come at an important moment in the campaign as it enters its later phases when money becomes all the more important. But some larger donors have yet to abandon the Biden campaign, despite indicating that they want a different candidate.

Biden is trying to calm fears after his debate, but donors are pushing for him to step aside and let a new candidate face Trump (AP)

However, several major donors are looking for a way to move past Biden and build a structure for what comes afterward.

Several efforts to raise cash for a nominee that isnt Biden have gained steam on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley, according to The Times.

The Next Generation PAC is led by crypto billionaire Mike Novogratz, his aides, and Andrew Jarecki, a Hollywood filmmaker, the paper reported. Novogratz backed Dean Phillips, who took on Biden in the Democratic primary.

The PAC has told donors it hopes to raise between $50 million and $100 million. The group plans on not using the funds until Biden steps aside or until after the Democratic National Convention next month.
President Joe Biden met with a group of Democratic governors on Wednesday in an attempt to reassure them that his candidacy is still viable, after a disastrous debate performance last week and mounting reports that hes become less lucid over the course of his presidency.



Some Democratic governors did not mince words with the president in the closed-door meeting, and told him that support for his candidacy was going down the drain in their respective states. None of the governors who met with Biden flat out told him to quit the campaign, as some top Democrats have already done, but a few raised their concerns about his candidacy, according to The New York Times.



Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who attended the meeting virtually, told the president that hed seen a surge of calls from constituents for Biden to withdraw from the race, two people who were briefed on the call told the Times.

Maine Governor Janet Mills remarked that voters didnt feel that Biden was up to the task of campaigning, and New Mexico Governor Michell Lujan said she was worried that Biden might lose the election in her state.



Although Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey remained quiet in the meeting, she told her fellow governors on Monday that shed told Bidens chief of staff that the presidents position was irretrievable.

The Times also reported that because Biden announced his intention to keep running at the beginning of the meeting, some felt that actual debate over his candidacy was off the agenda.



To be clear, after the meeting, some governors re-upped themselves as staunch Biden supporters. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and California Governor Gavin Newsom, whom some were floating as a possible candidate to replace Biden, both tweeted their support of the president. Others, like Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who issued a dire warning to Biden about rescuing his floundering bid, remained notably silent.


Democratic senators split on Bidens future as some want new blood at top of ticket, report claims

Virginia Senator Mark Warner is looking to lead a group of Democratic senators that want President Joe Biden to step aside before Novembers election, The Washington Post reported.

Warner is reportedly saying to colleagues that Biden cant stay in the race following his dismal debate performance and that hes worried that Biden cannot run a campaign that will defeat former president Donald Trump.

In a statement to The Post, a spokesperson for the senator said: Like many other people in Washington and across the country, Senator Warner believes these are critical days for the presidents campaign, and he has made that clear to the White House.

Senators are now discussing the best way to share their thoughts with the president. One idea is a meeting with Biden at the White House. Some senators wish Biden to remain on the ticket, but those who argue for the meetings say it could be a venue to share their concerns.

No sitting senator, including Warner, has publicly called for Biden to step aside but in private they have spoken about their rising unease.

The Democrats face stiff competition to keep their slim Senate majority and a falling Biden may drag them down.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner delivers remarks during a Rules Committee hearing. Warner is one of the senators reportedly looking for President Joe Biden to step aside (Getty Images)

While theres agreement spreading that Biden cant remain in the race, many senators are still choosing to wait and see what happens, according to the report. Some also think that Bidens aides are not sharing the real fallout of the debate performance with the president.

The pressure was on Biden on Friday for his Wisconsin rally and his interview with ABC News set for Friday night.

Let me say as clearly as I can  Im staying in the race. Ill beat Donald Trump, Biden said during the rally. I beat him in 2020 ... and by the way, were going to do it again in 2024!

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has told senators to hold off on taking any major actions until theres more polling on both Biden and Democrats as a party, two people told The Post.

While Warner hasnt made any public statements regarding Bidens debate performance, many other senators shared messages backing Biden but worried about the consequences of the debate.

No sitting senator has publicly called for Biden to step aside but in private they have spoken about their rising unease (Getty Images)

Fellow Democratic Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, whos running for re-election, said at a campaign stop that the bottom line is, Joe Biden is our president. Hes a patriotic American. Hes done a good job. He puts others first, not himself, according to The Progress-Index.

He added: He had one race that was an existential race in 2020 and he had to win it. Hes racked up a great record as president.

Three Republican congressional leaders went to President Richard Nixon in August 1974 amidst the Watergate scandal to tell him he wouldnt survive impeachment, leading to his resignation two days later.

One Democratic senator told The Post: I think there is a sense among many that the current path may not be sustainable for him.

They added: Not because of the debate alone but how well he performs in the future. He obviously has to show strength right now.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 5. Minister of Finance of Kyrgyzstan Almaz Baketaev and Minister of Finance of Tajikistan Fayziddin Kahhorzoda discussed cooperation issues, Trend reports.

According to the Ministry of Finance of Kyrgyzstan, the meeting took place as part of the session of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) constituency groups.

The parties discussed opportunities for strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation, ways to effectively utilize existing resources, and the potential to expand cooperation in the financial sphere between the ministries.

Following the meeting, the ministers expressed their readiness to continue active collaboration in further strengthening bilateral cooperation and developing joint initiatives aimed at improving economic conditions and financial stability in the regions.

The inaugural session of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) constituency groups was held in Tajikistan. The event took place from July 1 to 3. The session was attended by the top officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), ministries of finance, and central banks of Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Poland, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
In early 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson faced declining job approval ratings as the Vietnam War became increasingly unpopular. By March, he had drawn two primary challengers, Sens. Eugene McCarthy and Robert F. Kennedy. At the end of that month, Johnson took the surprising step of announcing that he would not seek reelectionafter the primaries had already started.

Its not hard to see parallels to 2024. After President Joe Bidens rocky debate performance reignited questions about his age and mental acuity, Democrats have only a few options to replace him as their nominee. And the Democratic National Convention is only 46 days away.

Through the partys primaries, which ended in June, the president claimed more than 3,800 of his partys delegatesall but seven who pledged to other candidates. At this point, the Democrats plan to hold a virtual convention to nominate Biden sometime in late July, prior to the actual convention in Chicago beginning August 19, to sidestep what was Ohios candidate filing deadline before the state relaxed the deadline in June.

If Biden bowed out:

The Democratic National Committee sets the rules for the nomination process and the convention. Party and elected officials continue to stress that Biden is the nominee, but if he were to follow Johnsons example and decline the nomination, his delegates would be functionally released from their pledge to support him and free to select any candidate they see fit.

A candidate would need not less than 300 or more than 600 delegate votes to be nominated, and if they were nominated, he or she would then attempt to secure the votes of the more than 4,000 delegates.

Biden could endorse an alternative candidate, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, and if that candidate received a majority of delegates, the process would end there. But if the candidate didnt receive more than 50 percent of the delegates on the first ballot, this would trigger a brokered convention, something that has not happened since 1952, when Democrats needed three rounds of voting to nominate Adlai Stevenson.

In a brokered convention, delegates act as free agents and negotiate with the party leadership to come up with a nominee, according to a Reuters interview with Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a DNC member. This includes more than 700 superdelegates  party and elected officials who are allowed to vote for any candidate. Before the 2020 election, the DNCs Rules and Bylaws Committee changed its rules to limit superdelegates from voting in the first ballot. In a brokered convention, because no candidate would have received a majority in the first ballot, superdelegates could cast a vote.

So you will have what you had in the old days. Delegations will meet in their hotels, and the candidates will go from hotel to hotel, or their surrogates, talking to the delegations and trying to get support. You would have the wives or the husbands being surrogates. Youd have other surrogates going to the smaller state delegations, Kamarck said on the podcast The Ezra Klein Show. It would be an old-fashioned convention.

If Biden were to step down as the Democrats presidential nominee, anointing Harris would be the most straightforward choice. As the vice presidential nominee, she would gain control of all of the Biden for President campaign committee funds ($91.5 million cash on hand as of May 31, according to Federal Election Commission records), while a different candidate would have to navigate a maze of campaign finance rules and procedures to access the funds. Biden could convert his campaign committee to a political action committee, but he would be allowed to directly contribute only $3,300 to a new candidate. While the Biden PAC would be able to support another candidate through an independent expenditure campaign, it would not be able to work with that candidate directly. Harris, on the other hand, could bypass all of this.

If Harris were not selected, the campaign could still legally donate the funds to the DNC, indirectly funding the new candidate. The DNC would be allowed to donate only $5,000 directly to the new nominees campaign, and it could spend up to $32.39 million in direct coordination with the campaign. The DNC could also make unlimited independent expenditures, running web or television ads, for example. But, similarly to a super PAC, these purchases could not be made in coordination with the campaign. As of May, the DNC had $65 million cash on handsignificantly less than Bidens campaign committee.

If Biden stays in the race:

If Biden doesnt drop out of the race, other candidates could still challenge him before Biden is officially named the nominee at a roll call. The Democratic National Committees rules state that, All delegates to the National Convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them. That means delegates are not legally bound to a specific candidate, so Bidens delegates could choose to vote for someone else instead, even though they are technically pledged to Biden.

However, a successful challenge to the presumptive nominee is unlikely. It has been tried, and it usually fails, Kamarck told the Associated Press. Biden also could counter any move to replace him by swapping individual delegates who were not planning on voting for him with delegates that would.

A post-convention withdrawal:

Biden could also step down as the partys nominee after the convention. In this scenario, the 435 members of the Democratic National Committee would select a new candidate, according to Kamarcks Reuters interview.

This has happened only once in American history. In 1972, vice presidential nominee Thomas Eagleton, running on a ticket with George McGovern, withdrew from the race after the convention when it became public that he had been hospitalized for depression. Eagletons replacement, Sargent Shriver, needed to be approved by the DNC before he could be on the ticket.

If Biden were to step down from the ticket post-convention, ballot access deadlines would be the main hurdle for Democrats. Many states deadlines would have passed, and any exceptions would have to be made state by state, opening the door for legal battles.

In a statement to NBC News on Wednesday, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison made it clear the party hoped its nominating process would follow the script written months before. 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, he said.

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.
Democrats are bracing for a painful waiting game in the next few weeks as the party continues to reconcile its future after President Joe Biden's devastating debate last week.

Democratic insiders told ABC News they anticipate the questions over Biden's candidacy won't be answered for at least another week -- and possibly longer -- as the campaign, lawmakers and strategists wait to see polling conducted with the debate at least a few weeks in the rearview mirror.

The Biden campaign, in the meantime, is rolling out a more aggressive strategy, having the president meet with Democratic governors, dispatching him to Wisconsin and Philadelphia and allowing an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an attempt to show voters he is equipped for another four years in office. While that pans out, however, Democrats described the uncertainty of the ensuing weeks as nothing short of excruciating.

MORE: If Biden drops out, who could replace him? Harris does better against Trump in polls

John Morgan, a major Democratic donor, told ABC News that he anticipated the chorus of calls for a replacement on the 2024 ticket to quiet with "each successful" event Biden does. But Morgan said he suspended raising money for a fundraiser later this year "because I want to make sure that he's going to be there."

"It's very painful. Uncertainty is painful," he said. "Fear is painful."

PHOTO: President Joe Biden attends the first presidential debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta, GA, June 27, 2024. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

Already, the fear has put cracks in Biden's dam of support among Democrats.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first congressional Democrat to outright call for Biden to drop out of the 2024 race. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin was prepared to call on the president to step aside after his debate performance last week -- only to be talked out of it by senior Democrats, two people familiar with the discussions told ABC News.

And South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, the Democratic kingmaker who revived Biden's 2020 campaign with a key endorsement before his state's primary and who after the debate vociferously defended the president, said he would support Vice President Kamala Harris if there were a vacancy atop the ticket -- a comment that one informal Biden campaign adviser considered a "signal."

MORE: Biden privately signals 'open mind' on path forward, sees next few days as critical: Sources

Signs are becoming clear that Biden is hearing the criticism. The president has privately told at least two people close to him that he recognizes how difficult of a spot he's in, and that he signaled to one ally that he is keeping an "open mind" about his path forward, sources familiar with conversations told ABC News. The White House has denied the report.

But Biden and his team also appear to be buying time. Another source told ABC News that the Biden team's timeline for assessing the situation is a "week" or more, and in an internal memo obtained by ABC News and sent to campaign staffers appeared to brace for polling showing a dip for Biden.

"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 read.

"The president is not dropping out," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre added in her briefing Wednesday.

MORE: Biden is not considering dropping out of the race, White House insists

The exact length until either Biden or his critics back down, barring a sudden withdrawal, is the source of speculation. One source familiar with the Biden team's strategy guessed it would be "a couple weeks" until one side blinks, while the informal adviser estimated it could take a week to 10 days.

"People want to have data to back it up, back up what they already know," the informal campaign adviser told ABC News, adding that the waiting game would be "very" painful.

"He's only going to go downhill, not uphill. So, we can't do it with him," the person said. "We love him. We appreciate him. He's been one of the most consequential presidents in history, but he can't be the guy. I had prayed that this day would not come, but unfortunately, it has."

In the interim, Democrats are figuring out what to do.

Parlor games abound over who would be best suited to replace Biden and conversations are heating up over the logistics of an open convention.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks in the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington, DC, July 1, 2024. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

James Zogby, a longtime Democratic National Committee member, said he sent a memo to DNC Chair Jaime Harrison outlining a replacement strategy, starting with Biden's voluntary withdrawal and then a sprint by theoretical replacements to lock up support from DNC members -- needing 40 in total, including four from each of the party's four regions to be considered. A final vote would be held at the August convention.

"This is the Armageddon election. The outcome of this is critical for our future, and we need all hands on deck to win it. And the person at the foul line taking the shots in the closing seconds has to be a person in tip-top shape, ready to do it," Zogby told ABC News. "We got to get them off the bench."

MORE: Could Democrats replace President Joe Biden as the party's nominee?

The furor has Democrats scrambling for historical comparisons, with Morgan saying "what's happening here is Watergate-ish," but other Democrats are seeing a silver lining.

Despite the widespread disagreement over what Biden should do and the pain that comes along with it, every Democrat who spoke to ABC News agreed on the importance of beating former President Donald Trump. And with so much on the line, some Democrats who advocate for Biden's replacement are adopting a so-be-it attitude if the turmoil is what it takes to have who they view as an electable candidate on the ticket.

"I think you are seeing, obviously, a lot of depression in those first few days, kind of reconciling the real rising reality of a potential Trump presidency to now seeing maybe the clouds starting to part and some real hope for a change and a new direction," said the source familiar with the Biden campaign's strategy. "This situation, to me, seems unsustainable."

Other Democrats, however, are disturbed by the hullabaloo, arguing the Biden team's plan deserved a chance to work and their compatriots shouldn't get out over their skis.

"I think reassuring people is going to take a couple of weeks  We have to see what the polls say, but also, what impact, if any, does the interview have? He's got events next week, what else are they going to be doing over the next couple of weeks that may shift the dynamic?" asked one senior party strategist. "As someone who's worked in party politics for quite some time, people need to take a beat here, seriously."

When asked if Democrats would follow that advice, the person chuckled, responding, "Have you met my party?"

ABC News' Rick Klein, Rachel Scott and Selina Wang contributed to this report.

Democrats in 'painful' waiting game in party's post-debate reckoning originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
MILAN  The air defense malfunctions that plagued the Danish frigate Iver Huitfeldt during its deployment to the Red Sea earlier this year have yet to be fixed, leading Danish authorities to renege their offering of having the vessel serve as the lead ship of a regional NATO force.

The frigates Iver Huitfeldt and Niels Juel had been expected to take turns as the flagships of NATOs Standing Maritime Group One, which provides an immediate naval response capability in the Northern Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea, between July 11 and Nov. 5.

We have had to change the Danish contribution to NATOs SNMG1, the challenges experienced by the crew of Iver Huitfeldt during the mission in the Red Sea have still not been resolved  therefore, we are following the Defense Commands recommendation not to deploy the frigate for seagoing service, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen announced on June 27.

The Iver Huitfeldt was deployed to the Red Sea in January to participate in an international effort to protect maritime cargo traffic against attacks from Yemens Iran-backed Houthi militants.

Some of the vessels weapons and mission systems encountered major shortcomings during the engagement of drones on March 9, which prevented the firing of surface-to-air missiles against the incoming threats for about 30 minutes. The frigate began to sail back home around two weeks after the incident.

A 13-page report by the Danish government, released in May, found that the trouble started in the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile launcher system, where an unknown error condition occurred after the firing of the first missile.

Poulsen called the decision to not deploy the frigate necessary, and noted that once the faults of the air defense equipment were fixed, it would be ready for service again.

Denmark has offered instead to take on the obligations as force commander for NATOs naval force from Danish naval stations, pledging to provide the requisite command staff.

June saw the largest number of attacks carried out by Houthi militants on commercial ships this year, according to data gathered by the UK Maritime Trade Operations.

At least sixteen strikes on ships were confirmed, even amid large international efforts to thwart the attacks, in what Denmarks acting chief of defense Michael Hyldgaard referred to as a worsening threat picture.

Last month, the Iran-backed militants also claimed responsibility for an attack that targeted and significantly damaged a Greek-owned cargo ship using drones, missiles and an unmanned surface vessel.

Meanwhile, the Greek frigate Hydra reportedly also encountered technological difficulties while in the Red Sea.

The ship deployed in late February to partake in the EU-led security mission Operation Aspides to provide further protection to commercial ships in the area.

According to some Greek media, the Hydra crew reported that the dated equipment found onboard left them unable to effectively respond to the scale of the drone threats faced. Local iEidiseis news website reported that on May 19, while in the Gulf of Aden, a Houthi-deployed drone exploded 150 meters from the vessel.

The Hellenic Ministry of Defense declined to comment, citing security reasons.

On June 19, Hydra returned home after what Greek Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias called a successful deployment but made no mention of any shortcomings.

I am not going to conceal the truth from you, you already know it  you are going to a risk area, Dendias told the crew of the sister ship Psara, which set sail on that day for its turn in the Red Sea protection mission.
Despite what some politicians say, 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/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 last month.

Crime steady in Kentucky with declines in some serious offenses

Homicides declined in Kentucky in 2023 for the third straight year, while crime rates statewide remained steady, according to recently released data from the Kentucky State Police.

The 2023 Crime in Kentucky report also reports declines in burglary, robbery, sex offenses, kidnapping and gambling.

The two largest reported increases were in human trafficking and animal cruelty. KSP attributes the increase in human trafficking reports to increased training for law enforcement and educators and heightened public awareness. The report notes that individuals reported for animal cruelty often are abusing multiple animals at one time.

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.

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.

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.

This story is republished from Stateline, a sister publication to the Kentucky Lantern and part of the nonprofit States Newsroom network. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.

The post Despite what some politicians say, crime rates are decreasing appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
Developer of utility-scale solar projects announces major agreement with Meta: 'These projects for Meta put us on the map'

A California solar energy company is going through a Meta metamorphosis of sorts that will help energize our power- and data-hungry world.

When Meta, the parent company of Facebook, inked a deal with Adapture Renewables to buy 330 megawatts of solar power from three utility-scale solar farms last year  two in Illinois and one in Arkansas  it jump-started a pivot for the company, founded in 2011.

"These projects for Meta put us on the map from a large utility perspective," Adapture Renewables senior development director Gabe Klooster said in an interview with The Cool Down.

The news also highlights the vast amounts of energy required by data centers operated by Meta, Google, and others. They use about 2% of the country's electricity, consuming 10 to 50 times the power per floor space than average office buildings, per the U.S. Energy Department.

The deal with Adapture Renewables is part of Meta's strategy to reach net-zero pollution across its "value chain," Jesse Tippett, vice president of origination for the solar company, said.

There won't be a transmission cable from the Adapture Renewables' sites, scheduled to go online by 2026, to Meta's servers. But by supporting the solar farms on local grids, Meta is essentially offsetting power that may otherwise have come from a dirty fuel-burning source. For its part, Meta already claims to operate on 100% renewable energy.

"Generated electricity goes into the grid from many different power plants," Tippett said. "Once each of these projects is operating, a little less generation will be needed from carbon-emitting sources in the region."

U.S. electric production makes more than 30% of the country's energy-related air pollution, according to the Energy Information Administration. NASA links the planet-warming fumes to an increased risk of severe weather, jeopardizing a greater swath of communities. Solar is a clean, abundant, and  according to Tippett  cheaper source of power.

Adapture Renewables is working on projects across three-quarters of the country. Most new work orders are on 1,000 acres per 100-megawatt project. For reference, about 173 homes can be powered by a megawatt, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

The team identifies where on the grid they want to put a solar farm, then works to secure land rights through leasing or property purchases. The process is extensive, including environmental and engineering studies.

The solar tech Adapture Renewables uses is expected to last around 35 or more years and can track the sun. That movement is often enough to shed snow. So, the experts said they are open to working in nearly every corner of the country. Sometimes, they face opposition from community members who live near a proposed site. They said they aren't deaf to their concerns.

"Not everyone is going to be in favor of a given project," Klooster said. "We take community concerns really seriously. We want to be good neighbors for the next 40 years."

For the Meta projects, a crew of about 500 temporary workers are building the infrastructure. About five full-time jobs will be created to operate the facilities during the next 30-plus years.

Decades from now, the lease will either be renewed or ended. In the latter case, the land is restored to its original use.

"Typically farm land," Klooster said.

A bond, or some other type of security, is often required to ensure the site can be remediated in the future. If the panels need to be replaced or dismantled, various valuable metals, including silver, can be harvested. Some of those materials require invasive mining to gather, contributing to pollution concerns regarding panel manufacturing. But the Energy Information Administration cited a study showing that most panels outproduce the energy used to make them within one to four years, leaving decades of clean energy making.

The benefits for communities can be great. Klooster noted that property taxes generated from a large farm can boost revenue for schools, fund road repairs, and even fire departments. The Meta projects are estimated to have an economic impact of greater than $400 million, per a press release.

"It doesn't emit pollutants, doesn't emit smells, and makes very little noise," he said.

The solar developer has about 80 projects in all stages of development. Tippett said he expects the sector to expand as battery tech improves. Power packs are needed to store the energy for use overnight. In 10 years, he said it's possible for 50% of the country's electricity to be generated by renewable power. It's at 20% now.

Buy-in from big companies, especially ones that use a lot of electricity, is crucial.

"These solar projects represent an important milestone in continuing our commitment to sustainable operations," Urvi Parekh, Meta's head of renewable energy, said in a press release.

Klooster added that solar is an exciting industry with cutting-edge technology that can have a positive impact. It's part of the reason he works in the sector.

"Personally, for me  a concern for the world and the people who live in it," he said.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Gov. Mike DeWine has ordered flags at half-staff starting on the Fourth of July after a shooting in Cleveland left an officer dead.

The governor has requested flags to remain lowered from Thursday through sunset on the day of Cleveland Officer Jamieson Ritters funeral. The order applies to all state and U.S. flags on public buildings and grounds in Cuyahoga County and at the Ohio Statehouse, as well as Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus.

On this Independence Day, this tragedy is a painful reminder of the sacrifices our law enforcement and military members make in support of freedom and public safety, DeWine said.

Ritter, 27, was shot just before 1 a.m. Thursday while looking near Wade Park for a man wanted on a felonious assault charge. The suspect, 24-year-old Delawnte Hardy, tried to escape on a bike before pulling out a gun and firing shots, FOX 8 reported.

The identity of the officer, who was a four-year veteran of the department, was revealed Thursday afternoon. Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said Ritters death is hitting everyone on the force hard. The citys mayor, Justin Bibb, asked for the city to pray for the officers family and for all the officers, especially in light of the July 4 holiday.

After the shooting, Hardy was arrested and booked into the Cuyahoga County jail, FOX 8 reported.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
A community group that protested the closing and demolition of Good Samaritan Hospital is now proposing a plan for healthcare on the west side of Dayton.

According to Premier Health, the Good Samaritan Hospital opened in 1932 on Philadelphia Drive and Salem Avenue. It was shut down in 2018 and demolition began in 2019.

As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, the Clergy Community Coalition announced plans for a public hospital in Dayton.

>>RELATED: Good Samaritan Hospital demolition underway, will last months

Leaders with the coalition said tearing down the hospital created a healthcare desert in the community.

Babies could be born in West Dayton, now babies cannot be born in West Dayton, Bishop Richard Cox said.

Cox and others on the coalitions board said their proposal is different than non-profit hospital networks like Premier or Kettering Health.

This is an initiative that is inclusive, does not discriminate, a hospital for everybody, Pastor Renard Allen said.

To kickstart this proposal, the coalition has to gather 1,250 signatures from registered voters in the City of Dayton.

Then, the plan would need approval from the Dayton City Commission.

>>RELATED: Groundbreaking ceremony held for new YMCA at former Good Samaritan site

If both of those things happen, the proposal would be put on the ballot in November.

City residents would then vote on a proposed one-mill tax that could raise $2 million every year, for 10 years.

A public hospital is a hospital of the people, there is transparency, Clergy Community Coalition Secretary Nancy Kiehl said.

Coalition leaders said this tax would only account for some of the funding. They would also approach county, state, and federal leaders for help.

Since other nearby healthcare facilities have shut down, the coalition leaders said this is the right alternative.

Its very important that we understand when we have a problem that affects us, we just dont take no for an answer, Allen said.

The coalition will host multiple events to get signatures for the proposed public hospital.

The first event will happen from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday at St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church on Gettysburg Avenue.

We will continue to follow this story.
CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. (KOLR)  The Camden County Sheriffs Office in Missouri is investigating a report of assault after a restaurant employee was allegedly pulled into Lake of the Ozarks last week.

Liahna Bertels, a server at The Fish & Company in Camdenton, said she was simply trying to get a group of patrons to pay their bill on Friday when the night turned ugly.

Speaking with Nexstars KOLR, Bertels said the group had docked their boat nearby before coming in to eat. But they started to become annoyed after Bertels refused to serve an alcoholic drink to one of the groups members, who did not have their I.D.

I said, unfortunately, I cant serve you a drink, and they got very angry about that because they wanted her to be able to have a drink, Bertels said.

Bertels said she informed the group of long wait times for food, but they placed their food and drink orders anyway.

But they soon began to get fed up.

They said, Were leaving, were done,' Bertels recalled. I said, I have your food ready, I can go and put it in go boxes for you and Ill grab your check as well.

Bertels said it wasnt just their patience that ran out  the group ran out too.

Whenever I came out, they had got up from their table and walked down to the dock. I start running towards the dock, towards the boat, Bertels said. The guy that was on the dock jumps into the boat and they said, You should have gotten us our food, were not paying. And then they started backing up and the guy grabbed my arm and pulled me into the water.

Bertels remembers hearing the group celebrating their bad behavior while she was treading water.

They were backing up and they started cheering, Bertels said. I was stuck in the water for approximately 10 minutes. I  was just crying in the water there for a couple of minutes.

Liahna Bertels said the group of dine-and-dashers started cheering after one of them pulled her off the dock and into the water. (KOLR)

Bertels, who is admittedly not the strongest swimmer, was able to climb back onto the dock via a swim platform from another boat.

I was in shock and just absolutely having a panic attack at this moment. I was having a panic attack for over an hour and then [my coworkers] were able to try and calm me down, like hold me down enough that I could get changed, Bertels said.

Bertels credits her fellow employees with helping her after the fact, including the coworker who went to a gift shop and bought her new clothes to wear.

Bertels father David is also a coworker. He wasnt present when the incident took place, but as someone whos been around watercraft for years, he said the situation could have been significantly worse.

Its pretty much about one of the most dangerous things you can do to somebody is pull them into the water, especially deep water at night, David said.

David also doesnt mince words when it comes to his outrage.

All seven of the people in the party knew they had ran out on the tab. Whenever she approached them, instead of saying, Oh, we made a mistake, we need to pay for our tab, no [they didnt]. Instead, they put her in the water, David said. I want justice for my daughter because their  attitude with her life is disgusting. All seven of them are absolute cowards. And I want to have their day in justice. I want their day in court.

Bertels said she continued to work through Monday, but the mental impact had not hit until the end of the weekend.

I was so out of it and disassociated from everything, Bertels said. It was just playing in my mind, going in the water, just, it would not stop on repeat in my mind.

Tuesday, the Camden County Sheriffs Office posted notices on social media, hoping people with any information would reach out. One person who was wanted for questioning has since contacted deputies, but they said do not believe him to be involved with the alleged assault.

Any time we do any kind of investigation, were trying to identify whoever the persons of interest are. They may not even be a suspect at this point, Sgt. Scott Hines said. I think theres about a half dozen folks that were involved in this situation, one or two of them may be a suspect. The others may just be people that were hanging around.

There are officially no suspects as of Wednesday morning, but that may be due to a lack of evidence, officials said.

One of the biggest pieces of evidence circling social media is a security video of the dock which appears to show the group leaving for their boat, with Bertels chasing behind not long after.

Right now, the evidence that we have is very little. We have the statement from the victim, and she alleges that she was pulled into the lake as the person on the boat was backing the boat out of the slip. What we need to do now is we have to get that persons version of events or we have to get some sort of hopefully photographic or video evidence that shows that happening, Hines said. Ive seen the video online and its not conclusive because, you know, the victim in this case walks down the end of the dock and then kind of disappears from view. Now, from her perspective, Im sure she can look at that and say, Thats when I fell in the lake. OK, great. Weve got to take that at face value, but we still have to talk to the other side of this and determine the facts of the case.

Hines said officials are treating the case as a misdemeanor assault investigation.

Our detective thats working the case now, hes looking at some receipts, hes looking at whatever the ticket was. He went back to the kitchen to determine what all was taken and what wasnt taken, Hines said. What we know right now is that the allegations are misdemeanor charges, if any, but we dont have that perspective from the other side either. All that information would be forwarded to the prosecuting attorneys office and they would make the determination as to what they think it is that they want to produce in front of the court.

David Bertels added that he hopes this story reaches the people who allegedly pulled his daughter into the water, because he has a message for them.

Every morning when you get up and look at yourself in the mirror, look what you just about destroyed. If you feel good about that, and if you can live comfortably with that, then live your life the way youre living your life, David said. If youre uncomfortable about what you could have done to my daughter, then call the sheriffs department yourself and identify yourself.

Liahna Bertels said shes thankful for the support shes received over the past few days.

I just want to say I wanted to thank the lake for all their support. Everybody here is such an amazing community and they have rallied behind me so much. I am forever grateful, Bertels said.

In the meantime, shes not planning on getting into the water anytime soon.

I dont want to get in the lake at all, she said. I think that that would be very traumatizing for me.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Joe Biden is facing donors who want him to step aside from the presidential race, with Kamala Harris suggested as an alternative by some.

Joe Biden is facing donors who want him to step aside from the presidential race, with Kamala Harris suggested as an alternative by some. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

In the minutes after Joe Biden and Donald Trump stepped on to the stage for the first debate of the 2024 presidential campaign, the grand narrative of this election year shifted off its axis and, in the words of CNNs veteran broadcaster John King, a deep, wide and aggressive panic set in among Democrats.

Related: Biden says he screwed up but vows to continue as polls show six-point lead for Trump

A week on, and Biden has said he isnt going anywhere, but a trickle of major Democratic donors speaking out against the president has grown into a stream.

On Thursday, Abigail Disney  the heir to the Disney family fortune and a major party donor  announced she would withhold donations unless Biden dropped out of the race.

This is realism, not disrespect, Disney told CNBC, adding: If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.

Another prominent donor followed on Friday. The media tycoon Barry Diller, when asked by the Ankler if he and his wife, the designer Diane von Furstenberg, were holding firm with Bidens campaign, he replied: No.

Diller, previously a key financial backer of Hillary Clintons ill-fated 2016 campaign, has already donated more than $100,000 to Biden and the Democrats this time around.

In her statement, Disney said vice-president Kamala Harris could be an alternative candidate to beat Trump. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Bidens  we can win this election by a lot, she said.

For now, Disney represents a minority of donors, but within Bidens campaign, a clear and concerted effort to tamp down panic among campaign funders is under way.

On Monday, the campaign held a hastily scheduled call with hundreds of top Democratic donors, according to the Reuters news agency. On the call, Bidens team reportedly promised to make the president more visible at town halls and through interviews to reassure the public.

Despite their reassurances, the campaign was reportedly forced to field pointed questions from donors, including can the president make it through a campaign and another term?

Were in fuck city, Ari Emanuel, a Hollywood powerbroker and significant Democratic donor, declared last week. He recalled at the Aspen Ideas Festival taking away his fathers car when he was aged 81  and suggested if you wouldnt want Biden or Trump driving at night, you cannot have them running a $27tn company called the United States.

The lifeblood to a campaign is money, Emanuel added, and maybe the only way this gets [solved] is if the money starts drying up. Some donors are choosing to divert funds down ballot, he claimed, to congressional races.

According to Reuters and the Associated Press, another call with about 40 top donors over the weekend turned tense after Bidens campaign manager was asked whether the campaign would offer a refund if Biden doesnt run.

In the days that followed, one major fundraiser for the Biden campaign said some donors were learning fast how little influence they had in this situation. There are a lot of people who think they are more important than they actually are, the fundraiser said.

Some donors have taken the same path as Disney: to halt funding unless the Democratic candidate changes.

Screenwriter Damon Lindelof, who has been a significant contributor to the party, proposed on Wednesday a DEMbargo, withholding funding until Biden stands aside.

When a country is not behaving how we want them to, we apply harsh economic sanctions. Its a give and take  short term hurt for long term healing, Lindelof wrote in Deadline.

According to CNBC, philanthropist Gideon Stein will pause almost all of a planned $3m in planned donations. Virtually every major donor Ive talked to believes that we need a new candidate in order to defeat Donald Trump, Stein said.

On Wednesday, Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix and a Democratic party megadonor, joined calls for Biden to take himself out of the presidential race.

Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, have been prolific supporters of the Democratic party, donating more than $20m in recent years, including roughly $1.5m to Biden during his 2020 campaign, according to the New York Times.

The Biden campaign is eager to show its fundraising strength is holding up after the debate and have highlighted record grassroots fundraising in the days that followed the event. The day of the debate and the Friday after were best days for fundraising from small-dollar donors to date, with more than $27m raised across both days.

But Bidens standing in opinion polls has taken a hit, with 59% of Democrats responding to a Reuters/Ipsos poll saying that the leader of their own party was too old to work in government and 32% saying he should give up his re-election bid.

Biden held a $100m funding advantage over Trump just a few months ago, but his campaign and the Democratic National Committee entered June with $212m in the bank, compared with $235m for the Trump operation and the Republican National Committee.

However, analysts predict that if Biden can continue to attract donations in the weeks leading up to the Democratic convention, he will be able to offer party strategist and fellow congressional colleagues a reason to stay on as the candidate.

Reid Hoffman, a co-founder of LinkedIn and an influential donor, has continued to throw his weight behind Biden, telling his donor network in an email that he felt it was counterproductive to be musing on Bidens flaws and that they should be organising around Trumps flaws.

Reuters contributed reporting
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 5. Kyrgyzstan and Russia have underscored the importance of enhancing cooperation to establish an industrial park in Kyrgyzstan, Trend reports.

According to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan, the 5th meeting of the Kyrgyz-Russian Working Group on Industry took place in Russia's Krasnoyarsk.

During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for implementing projects in energy, IT technologies, and enhancing industrial cooperation in sectors such as engineering, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, component supply, and knowledge exchange in industrial park development within Kyrgyzstan.

Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce Ainura Usenbekova represented Kyrgyzstan and emphasized the goal of deepening cooperation with Russia in industrial policy.

Both sides expressed readiness to strengthen business ties and promote industrial development based on mutual interests.

Additionally, they addressed plans to assemble automotive equipment based on Kamaz chassis in Kyrgyzstan, in collaboration with Kamaz PJSC from Russia. Discussions also included cooperation in establishing wastewater treatment facilities and joint efforts between Titan Polymer OJSC and Sky Industrial Group LLC.
Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of Walt Disney Company cofounder Roy O. Disney, said on Thursday that she wont be contributing donations to the Democratic Party until Joe Biden drops out of the 2024 presidential race. Disney is the latest in a growing list of powerful Hollywood Democratic party donors who are withholding contributions in a bid to get Biden to step aside for fear that hell lose the race against Donald Trump.

I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket, Disney said in a statement to CNBC. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high. If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.

Disney pointed to Vice President Kamala Harris as a better alternative to go head-to-head with Trump in November.

We have an excellent Vice President. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Bidens (and lets not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot, Disney said.

Gideon Stein, the president of the Moriah Fund, also told CNBC hes decided to pause planned donations of $3.5 million. Virtually every major donor Ive talked to believes that we need a new candidate in order to defeat Donald Trump, he said.

Netflix executive chairman and Dem donor Reed Hastings urged Biden to step aside on Wednesday, and Lost and Watchmen showrunner Damon Lindelof announced his intention to withhold Democratic party donations until Biden drops out as well, calling for a Dembargo on campaign contributions.

Tumult inside the Democratic party over the upcoming election hit a fever pitch after last weeks presidential debate between Biden and Trump, in which the presidents scratchy throat, trailed-off sentences and lack of vigor instilled fear in Dems (and, according to recent polls, voters) that Biden isnt up to the challenge.

For his part, the president is standing his ground.

I know the past few days have been tough, the president said in a campaign email sent wide on Wednesday. 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.

Biden tried to ease fears from Democratic governors on a call on Wednesday, telling them he needs to get more sleep, work fewer hours and cut off events at 8 p.m. according to the New York Times.

The president will further attempt to quell concerns during an interview with ABC News George Stephanopoulos on Friday.

The president is clear-eyed and he is staying in the race, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday. I dont have anything else beyond that. He is staying, hes staying in the race.

The post Disney Heiress Abigail Disney Halts Democratic Party Donations Until Joe Biden Drops Out of Presidential Race appeared first on TheWrap.
Disney heiress says shell stop donating to Democrats unless they replace Biden on ticket

Disney heiress says shell stop donating to Democrats unless they replace Biden on ticket

A Disney heiress says she plans to stop donating to the Democratic Party unless President Biden drops out of the 2024 race after his dismaying debate performance against former President Trump last week.

I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high, Abigail Disney, granddaughter of The Walt Disney Co. co-founder Roy O. Disney, told CNBC on Thursday.

If Biden does not step down, the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire, she added.

Disney, 64, is a longtime Democratic donor, contributing nearly $2 million to federal Democratic candidates, committees and groups since 1992, according to The Hills analysis of Federal Election Commission (FEC) contributions.

Shes donated a combined $63,000 so far this cycle, including a $50,000 contribution to the Jane Fonda Climate PAC in April.

She donated $343,460 during the 2020 election cycle, according to FEC contribution data, including a $10,000 contribution to the Warnock Victory Fund during now-Sen. Raphael Warnocks (D-Ga.) critical runoff against then-Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.). Warnocks victory helped flip the Senate, giving Democrats control of the upper chamber.

The 81-year-old Biden sparked concern last week when he appeared to lose his train of thought, forget words and stare into space during the first presidential debate against Trump last week.

The campaign has acknowledged it was a bad showing but pushed back on calls that he should drop out, arguing his record over the last three-and-a-half years outweighs his performance in a 90-minute debate.

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, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a Tuesday press briefing.

Democratic officeholders have largely stood behind their leader, but in recent days some have splintered off.

Three House Democrats have called for Biden to step aside since Tuesday. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) told Boston-area radio station WBUR on Thursday that Biden should drop out and let new leaders rise up.

Some Democrats have been weighing whether Vice President Harris would be a stronger candidate than Biden in the November election, a sentiment Disney echoed in her statement to CNBC.

We have an excellent Vice President. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Bidens (and lets not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot, Disney said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Disney heiress has threatened to stop all donations to the Democratic party unless Joe Biden is replaced as its candidate, saying that the stakes are too high.

Abigail Disney, a long-standing donor to the Democrats, hailed the president as a good man who had served his country admirably, but warned that the GOP would win in November if a change of leadership was not made.

Disney, the granddaughter of Roy O Disney who founded the company with his brother Walt, is the latest high-profile person to speak out publicly about Biden stepping down, following his disastrous performance in the presidential debate with Donald Trump last week.

The president has said he has no plans to withdraw from the race, despite multiple calls for him to do so.

In a statement shared with CNBC, Disney said: I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket.

President Joe Biden has said he has no plans to withdraw from the race, despite calls for him to do so, following his diastrous dbate performance against Donald Trump last week (Getty Images)

This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high.

She continued: If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.

Disney has not donated to the Biden campaign during this election cycle, a spokesperson told The Independent.

However, she has been a longtime supporter of Democrats and their initiatives, giving $50,000 to the Jane Fonda Climate political action committee in April.

She gave $150,000 in 2014 to Planned Parenthood Votes, a PAC affiliated with the healthcare nonprofit, according to OpenSecrets. That PAC this election cycle has spent over $400,000 supporting Democrats, including $26,000 for Biden.

Echoing the sentiments of some senior Democrats, who have spoken to The Independent, Disney also pointed to Vice President Kamala Harris as an alternative to Biden, arguing shed be able to defeat Trump.

Abigail Disney, a long-standing donor to the Democrats, has warned that the GOP would win in November if a change of leadership was not made (Getty Images)

We have an excellent Vice President, her statement to CNBC continued.

If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Bidens (and lets not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot.

Questions about Bidens leadership capabilities have swirled ever since he went toe-to-toe with Trump last week. The Biden campaign claimed the 81-year-old presidents poor performance was due to him suffering from a cold and also jet lag from a heavy travel schedule.

The president also reportedly told a group of Democratic governors that he needs to work fewer hours and get more sleep, which includes limiting events after 8pm, two people who took part in the meeting told The New York Times.

Disneys decision to stop her donations comes in the wake of similar actions by other wealthy Democrat donors, including Gideon Stein, the president of the Moriah Fund, and philanthropist Karla Jurvetson.
Abigail E Disney says 'Mr Biden is a good man who has served his country well, but the stakes are far too high to allow timidity to determine our course of action' - Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

The heiress to the Disney fortune has withdrawn her financial support for Joe Biden amid the establishment of fundraising groups to back alternative candidates.

Filmmaker Abigail E Disney said that the Democrats would not receive a single dime until they bite the bullet and replace Mr Biden.

Biden is a good man who has served his country well, but the stakes are far too high to allow timidity to determine our course of action, Ms Disney, who has long been a major Democratic donor, wrote in an email exchange, according to the New York Times.

Mr Biden is under increasing pressure to stand aside in the race for president as polls show a slump in support following his shambolic debate with Donald Trump last week.

The 81-year-old president on Thursday said that he was going nowhere in events celebrating the 4th of July holiday, but again appeared to lose track of his thoughts.

In a radio interview, Mr Biden said he was proud to be the first black woman to serve with a black president.

According to the New York Times, one group of donors is aiming to raise up to $100 million for an escrow fund named the Next Generation PAC, which would be used to support a replacement candidate.

If Mr Biden chooses not to step aside, sources involved in the effort suggest that the funds could be directed toward down-ballot candidates.

Ms Disney has spoken out in support of Kamala Harris, the vice president.

If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one-tenth as much as they have tolerated Bidens we can win this election by a lot, she told CNBC.

DEMbargo

Other donors have followed Ms Disneys lead in blacklisting Mr Biden.

Damon Lindelof, a Hollywood producer who has donated over $115,000 to Democrats this election cycle and attended Mr Bidens fundraiser in Hollywood last month, published an essay in Deadline urging a DEMbargo on Mr Biden and other Democratic candidates unless Mr Biden stepped down.

In a text message, Mr Lindelof said: No one is eager to donate to anyone until the proverbial dust settles.

A total of $3 million in planned donations from philanthropist Gideon Stein have been put on hold, according to CNBC.

Virtually every major donor Ive talked to believes that we need a new candidate in order to defeat Donald Trump, Mr Stein said.

On Wednesday Reed Hastings, the Netflix co-founder and a major Democratic donor, called for Mr Biden to withdraw from the presidential race in an article for the Economist.

Alongside his wife Patty Quillin, Mr Hastings has donated more than $20 million in recent years, including roughly $1.5 million to Mr Biden during his 2020 campaign.

Biden given the cold shoulder

Members of his own party also appear to be giving Mr Biden the cold shoulder, with Senator Tammy Baldwin declining to join him during his visit to Wisconsin on Friday.

Ms Baldwins team has insisted that she is not snubbing Mr Biden, but focusing on her Fired Up for Tammy campaign tour elsewhere in the state.

Eric Hovde, Ms Baldwins presumed Republican opponent in November, criticised her absence, calling it a desperate and selfish move.

He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Ms Baldwin was making up excuses to not be seen with the president.

On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first sitting Democratic member of Congress to call for Mr Biden to step down, alongside former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan and Colorado congressional candidate Adam Frisch.

Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, said on Tuesday that it was valid to question whether Mr Bidens poor performance at the debate was just an episode or part of a condition.

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.
Crestview Acres of Marion, before it was demolished. (Photo courtesy of Google Earth)

A Marion real estate investment company did not take required safety precautions when its workers removed about 20,000 square feet of asbestos-containing floor tile from a former nursing home it demolished last year, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Irish Capital Investments might have saved itself from expending more than $100,000 to properly remove the asbestos, a recent DNR order said. The tiny, fibrous material can suspend in the air and lodge in peoples lungs. It is known to cause cancer and other lung disease.

The companys employees were not properly trained to remove asbestos and could have been exposed to asbestos fibers as the floor tiles were not removed properly, the order said.

The company recently agreed to pay a $7,000 fine to the DNR.

The building it razed was the former Crestview Acres nursing home at 1485 Grand Ave. in Marion. The site had been uninhabited since 2020, according to county records.

The homes parent company, QHC Facilities, filed for bankruptcy in 2021, and Irish Capital Investments bought the Marion site for $400,000 in June 2023.

About four months later, someone made an unspecified complaint to the DNR about the demolition work, the department order said. A subsequent investigation found that the company had commissioned an asbestos survey of the site that identified about 20,000 square feet of floor tile and more than 10,000 square feet of drywall joint compound that contained the hazardous material.

Surveyors marked the contaminated materials with orange paint. Irish Capital allegedly told its workers to remove those materials, according to DNR, but they were not kept wet until they were gathered and contained, as required by federal regulations.

The DNR issued the company a violation notice in December 2023. The company later pledged to adhere to the requirements and provided a written protocol indicating how it would avoid asbestos violations in the future, according to the recent DNR order.

That order  to which Irish Capital signed its approval  acknowledged that the money the company likely saved by exposing its workers to asbestos exceeds the penalty DNR imposed. But it said the penalty is the appropriate enforcement action, without elaboration.

The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration did not investigate the situation because it received no notification about it, a spokesperson said. Iowa OSHA has the authority to impose much higher fines: In 2022, a northeast Iowa school district paid $70,000 for potentially exposing its employees to asbestos.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post DNR fines Marion company accused of exposing workers to asbestos appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
A doctor at Joint Base Lewis-McChord is facing dozens of sexual-abuse charges involving 41 patients in a case that has also ensnared the Army in allegations that it failed to protect servicemen at the base.

Maj. Michael Stockin pleaded not guilty in April to 47 charges of abusive sexual contact and five charges of indecent viewing, according to Michelle McCaskill, spokesperson for the U.S. Army Office of Special Trial Counsel. The latter charge is defined as wrongfully viewing a persons private area.

Stockin, 38, whos been assigned to Madigan Army Medical Center since July 2019, is working in an administrative capacity in a non-clinical area of the hospital and doesnt live on base, McCaskill told The News Tribune.

His trial is scheduled for January, according to military court records. He could face more than 330 years in prison if found guilty of all charges and a judge was to order him to serve those sentences consecutively, McCaskill said, citing the statutory maximum penalties for the charges.

Attorney Robert Capovilla, whos representing Stockin, said in a statement that the defense intended to fight every allegation until theres a jury verdict.

Until then, we sincerely hope that the United States Army is fully prepared to respect Major Stockins Constitutional rights at every phase of this process, Capovilla said. We understand  that in todays political culture  some in the media will continue to condemn Major Stockin and render judgment before a jury or judge even hears the evidence.

We urge everyone to keep an open mind, to remember Major Stockin is presumed innocent, and understand that this fight is just getting started.

More than 100 victims?

Federal tort claims filed last week by four alleged victims reveal details of Stockins purported wrongdoing. Three soldiers and an airman who filed the claims were referred to the hospitals Interdisciplinary Pain Management Center between August 2021 and April 2022. Each said that a visit to be treated for back pain by Stockin, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, devolved into abuse.

They claimed that Stockin asked them to remove their pants and underwear and then fondled or stared at their genitals for no apparent medical reasons during uncomfortable exams unlike any they had received before, according to copies of the complaints obtained by The News Tribune.

Christine Dunn is an attorney representing the men and 11 other alleged victims who have also filed tort claims since September. Dunn said in an interview that the scope of accusers who have come forward illustrated systemic issues inside the Army.

The sheer volume of victims really suggests to me that the Army was negligent in its procedures and policies, Dunn said. They didnt have adequate procedures in place to keep patients safe.

Its alleged that the number of victims is higher than indicated by the charges, which are all related to patients at the base hospital.

The tort claims contend that Stockin sexually abused more than 100 patients  a figure that Dunn said was derived from her clients who relayed information received from their interviews with Army criminal investigators. Dunn said she wasnt certain that all the uncharged allegations against Stockin stemmed from his time at JBLM but noted that she personally had only spoken with servicemen at the base. Among her clients, the purported abuse dated back to 2019.

I think that at some point (investigators) had to stop adding additional victims or they never would have gone to trial, she said. There are more out there.

Army under scrutiny

Dunn represents some patients whose complaints werent charged in the criminal case, she said. Many of her clients have since medically retired, some at a very young age, due to the injuries that prompted their hospital visits in the first place, she added.

The four complaints filed June 27 alleged that the Army was negligent because it should have better screened Stockin before hiring him and better supervised him during patient interactions. Two of the purported victims were seen a month or two after the Army was notified of accusations against the doctor, according to Dunn, who added that the doctors alleged behavior had been reported through the chain of command and no action was taken.

Each claim, including the 11 previously filed, seeks $5 million in damages.

A message left with the Armys public affairs office was not immediately returned. Madigan Army Medical Center did not provide a response to an inquiry by deadline.

Attorney Ryan Guilds, whos serving as a pro bono victims counsel retained by seven alleged victims in the criminal case, said that it wasnt clear what the Army has done to fully look into whether the same reported issues involving Stockin had arisen outside of JBLM.

What I continue to remain very concerned about is the adequacy of the investigation in this case, he said.

In his role, he is expected to protect his clients privacy, serve as an independent voice on their behalf throughout proceedings and empower them at sentencing should there be a conviction. Guilds said he is concerned that half of the alleged victims in the criminal matter dont yet have an attorney despite being entitled to one.

Provided an opportunity to respond to the claims, a spokesperson for the Armys Criminal Investigation Division said it wasnt believed there would be any additional comment about Stockins case beyond what was offered by the U.S. Army Office of Special Trial Counsel and referred The News Tribune to the Armys general public affairs.

In November, a military-oriented human rights organization called Protect Our Defenders, for whom Guilds is an advisor, issued a media advisory prior to a probable cause hearing for Stockin. The group called the case historic and the largest military sexual assault scandal in recent history.

The group also urged Congress to overhaul the Feres Doctrine, which prevents military members injured on active duty from suing the federal government.

A tort claim generally precedes a lawsuit, but the Feres Doctrine has historically limited sexual assault claims against the Army, according to Dunns firm, Sanford Heisler Sharp LLP. The firm recently said that a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in August 2022 set a path for legal recourse. The appellate courts ruling upheld a lower courts finding that permitted Army Col. Kathryn Spletstoser to pursue her claims against the Army after accusing then-Air Force Gen. John Hyten of sexual misconduct.

Dunn underscored that it was important to recognize the impact that the situation has had on her clients  men and soldiers who are taught to be tough and have had to admit to being alleged victims to such an egregious abuse of trust.
Attendees at a rally against Dominion's proposed natural gas plant. (Charlie Paullin/Virginia Mercury)

Aliya Farooq lives in Chesterfield County within a three-mile radius of a proposed site of a natural gas-fueled electricity generation plant, a potential source of air toxins shes concerned about after 20 years of living with her late in-laws, who had lung issues.

She, her physician husband and their kids saw the toll of those family members who had to breathe oxygen through a machine with wires, she said in an interview. There wasnt much they could do to help their loved ones, Farooq said, but she doesnt want her neighbors dealing with the same problems.

We cant see what the air were breathing really contains, but we all have enough knowledge through science to know that if there is a gas plant or a coal plant in the vicinity of a few miles within our residents that there are certain particles that were breathing in that can cause a lot of very bad health issues, Farooq said.

The comments from Farooq, who is chairwoman of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light and a member of the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice, came before a June 26 Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors meeting in which other residents spoke against Dominion Energys request to site the Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center, the natural gas plant initially intended to be located on Battery Brooke Parkway, in the locality.

The local pushback has bubbled up during the local site suitability process Dominion must go through before receiving an air permit from the Department of Environmental Quality and a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the State Corporation Commission. Members of the environmental and ratepayer advocacy community fear that public participation in the process may be circumvented, if theres a possibility the new natural gas plant could be built at the site of a former coal plant.

Meanwhile, Dominion remains steadfast in maintaining that the project, expected to come online in 2028 and supply up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity, is critical to meet the forecasted 5% annual increase in grid demand, largely coming from data centers.

The plant is being proposed as part of long-term plans, which contain goals for small modular reactors and other new generation sources, 90% of which are renewable through offshore wind, solar and long duration energy storage batteries.

Dominion is beholden to the Virginia Clean Economy Act, a policy that aims to decarbonize the grid by mid-century, but the states largest utility is allowed to ask regulators to keep a fossil-fuel generation source online past 2045 if there a concern over having enough reliable electricity sources, which may be the case with renewables that arent paired with storage.

Where we have come to here at this point, what took 115 years for our company to accomplish and build, we have to do again in just 15 years, we have to double our generation capability, power generation capability by 2039, Emil Avram, vice president of business development at Dominion Energy, said in an interview. We wouldnt build this facility if we didnt think it was needed.

Site suitability

The current issue of site suitability can be traced back to a 2020 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit that overturned an air permit approval by the State Air Pollution Control Board for the since-canceled Atlantic Coast Pipeline compressor station in Union Hill.

Approving the permit in the community of Black people  who are more susceptible to asthma, which can be exacerbated by fossil fuel emissions, including particulate matter 2.5  reflected a lack of environmental justice, or EJ, considerations, the court said, which shouldve been done before the board issued the permit.

The State Air Pollution Control Board then denied a separate air permit for Mountain Valley Pipelines proposed compressor station in Pittsylvania County in 2021, because of the disproportionate harm that the project would have posed to Black citizens of the community. In 2022, Virginia law changed, shifting the authority to approve air permits from the citizen-appointed State Air Pollution Control Board to the administratively-run DEQ.

Then came the site suitability form, created by DEQ following the 2022 law change to assist localities in providing the agency a determination of if a site is suitable for development or not. For Dominions newest natural gas plant proposal, Chesterfield County officials have not completed the form, saying they arent required to do so.

For other projects, the form has never been sent to DEQ incomplete before, an agency spokeswoman told the Mercury, because an alternative written indication on site suitability can be provided. The spokeswoman confirmed that the form is not required to be filled out so long as that alternative written indication is sent.

Battery Brooke Parkway or Coxendale Road

Simultaneously happening alongside the dispute over the site suitability is a challenge over the localitys stance that a conditional use permit at Dominions former coal plant site on Coxendale Road could be used for the new proposal.

The former coal plant site received a conditional use permit from the county in 2010, which localities may grant to project developers for a site that may be outside of what local zoning regulations allow but adds mitigation measures through certain terms, or conditions, that must be met.

On April 5, Andrew Gillies, director of Chesterfield Countys planning department, wrote a zoning determination to Dominion stating that the conditional use permit for the former coal plant at Coxendale Road would apply to the new natural gas plant. Allowing the conditional use permit to be used for a new facility would prevent the need for the county to hold a public hearing about the project.

From solely a land use question, the answer in this case is [that] current zoning permits the project at this site and there is no further action needed from the county, County Administrator Joseph Casey told supervisors at the June 26 meeting. Casey said he also sent a letter to DEQ and SCC requesting further public hearings be held in Chesterfield County.

But Evan Johns, an attorney with Appalachian Mountain Advocates, wrote in an appeal that the new proposal has specific criteria, such as 170-foot smoke stacks, that are different from the 150-foot height restrictions imposed by local ordinances. The previous conditional use permit does not account for the potential new stacks and shouldnt be applicable, Johns argued.

Interpreting a 2010 grant of conditional use to allow for a completely new and different facility to be built over a decade later would conflict with the nature and purpose of conditional uses, Johns wrote.

Because of that appeal, which is considered pending litigation that the Board of Zoning Appeals took no action on at a meeting Wednesday, a Chesterfield County spokesman declined to say why the locality didnt complete the site suitability form.

At the June 26 Board of Supervisors meeting, residents of the community, found by the federal governments EJ screening to be home to minorities and low-income households, raised concerns over the plant. Another audience member shouted build the gas plant. Board Chairman James Holland, after listening to the comments, reiterated statements from Casey saying that future DEQ and SCC public hearings should be held in the county.

We will work with Dominion and DEQ to find a site thats appropriate, Holland added.

The board would be shirking their responsibility if they didnt have a public hearing to inform a vote on determining whether a site is suitable or not, Southern Environmental Law Center Attorney Rachel James said in an interview. James sent the county a letter requesting a public hearing.

Attempts to reach the five board of supervisors members for further comment were unsuccessful.

Dominion, who has to make a decision on which location they want before any air permit review from DEQ proceeds, said one reason they are exploring the former coal plant site  which already has two natural gas firing combustion turbines on it  is because of the existing transmission infrastructure in place there. The projects estimated cost remains unknown and likely wont be disclosed until the utility submits its certificate of public convenience and necessity with the SCC, Dominions Avram said.

We would like to make a decision sooner than later because the clock is ticking, Avram said, adding that the utility has hosted community meetings. We have listened to the concerns from various organizations from the county itself, and weve incorporated that into our planning process. Were not circumventing any public process. We are very carefully listening and responding and reacting to public input.
LOWER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (PIX11)  A man is accused of hitting and killing three people and injuring several others after ramming into them at a Lower East Side park on the Fourth of July, police said.

Daniel Hyden, 44, of Monmouth County, New Jersey, was charged with three counts of DWI and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, according to the NYPD.

The crash happened around 8:45 p.m. Thursday at a park near Water and Jackson streets, where at least 200 people were barbecuing to celebrate the holiday.

More Local News

We had a tragic incident the driver drove through a crowd of people that were just celebrating like so many New Yorkers, Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday night. 

Hyden was driving a gray Ford F-150 and allegedly sped through an intersection, blew a stop sign then jumped the sidewalk before hitting the bystanders in the park, according to authorities. Several people were trapped underneath the truck.

A mother, 59-year-old Lucile Pinckney, and her son, 38-year-old Hernan Pinckney, were both killed in the crash, according to authorities. Another woman also died but has not yet been identified. An 11-year-old child was among the victims, police said.

In total, seven people were injured, cops said.

Authorities said Hyden allegedly reeked of alcohol and was held at the scene by witnesses.

The officers who arrived at the scene smelled some alcohol, NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said. This is not a terrorism-related event.

Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. 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.
Cops have arrested the 44-year-old drunk driver who barreled into a Lower East Side park on the Fourth of July, killing three people  including a mother and son  police said Friday.

Daniel Hyden of Monmouth Junction, N.J., about 50 miles from where the crash took place, was charged with drunk driving and for not having a valid license. Other charges may be filed as the investigation continues, cops said.

Eight others were also injured when a holiday celebration turned into a blood-soaked horror show inside Corlears Hook Park on the corner of Water St. and Jackson St. at 8:55 p.m., just minutes before Independence Day fireworks were set to explode over the skies of Manhattan, cops said.

Hyden was speeding through the Lower East Side in his Ford F-150 pickup truck when he blew past a stop sign, jumped a curb, blasted through a fence, and plowed through a crowd of people, horrified witnesses said.

He plowed into the fence, witness Juan Roman told the Daily News following the crash. You could hear the metal shear and the benches collapsing.

About 30 people celebrating the holiday were in the trucks path, according to Roman, who watched in horror as Hyden slammed directly into a family of four barbecuing.

When cops arrived, more than a dozen people lay in crumpled heaps on the ground like broken dolls. A handful of victims were still under the pickup truck.

I saw at least three people under the truck, said Roman, 62. They didnt have no time to react. They were just crushed.

Among those killed were Lucille Pinkney, 59, and her 38-year-old son Hernan Pinkney, police sources said. Also among the dead was a woman who was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, but remained unidentified Friday.

Pinkney and her son died of their injuries within an hour of each other after being rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital, cops said. A 30-year-old woman was also rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital with severe injuries about her body and remained in critical condition Friday.

An 11-year-old boy and his 33-year-old mother were among the eight injured, cops said. The child suffered cuts to his eye from flying debris, a police source with knowledge of the case said.

As the victims lay pinned under Hydens pickup truck, a mob of people pulled the driver out of the car and started beating him, Roman said.

FDNY members arrived on the scene and pulled the group off the driver while others extracted the pinned victims.

I was in shock, said Roman. Its an image thats not going to leave me anytime soon.

Mayor Adams called the fatal crash a tragic incident.

A driver drove into a crowd of people who were just celebrating like so many New Yorkers and Americans are doing right now, he said as he stood beside NYPD and FDNY officials.

Hydens arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court was pending.
Driver who plowed into crowd at NYC park, killing 3, is substance abuse counselor, sources say

NEW YORK  The 44-year-old drunk driver who barreled into a Lower East Side park on the Fourth of July, killing three people  including a mother and son  is a substance abuse counselor and lecturer who was arrested for assault last year when he punched someone who disagreed with his teaching methods, the New York Daily News has learned.

Cops charged Daniel Hyden of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey  about 50 miles from where the crash took place  with drunk driving and for not having a valid license. Other charges may be filed as the investigation continues, cops said.

Eight others were injured when a holiday celebration turned into a blood-soaked horror show inside Corlears Hook Park on the corner of Water St. and Jackson St. at 8:55 p.m., just minutes before Independence Day fireworks were set to explode over the skies of Manhattan, cops said.

Hyden is the author of The Sober Addict: A Guide on How to Be Functional With the Dysfunctional Disease of Addiction and is currently a program director for the Manhattan-based Services for the UnderServed, according to his LinkedIn page.

My jobs are my passions and each allows me to advocate on the behalf of all those impacted by the disease of addiction, Hyden, who also goes by DC Hyden, wrote on his LinkedIn page. My mission is to use my lifelong experience with addiction to teach addicts how to save themselves and achieve long term recovery.

A call and email to the Services for the UnderServed was not immediately returned Friday.

Hyden was speeding through the Lower East Side in his Ford F-150 pickup truck when he blew past a stop sign, jumped a curb, blasted through a fence, and rammed through a crowd of people, horrified witnesses said.

He plowed into the fence, witness Juan Roman told the Daily News following the crash. You could hear the metal shear and the benches collapsing.

About 30 people celebrating the holiday were in the trucks path, according to Roman, who watched in horror as Hyden slammed directly into a family of four barbecuing.

When cops arrived, more than a dozen people lay in crumpled heaps on the ground like broken dolls. A handful of victims were still under the pickup truck.

I saw at least three people under the truck, said Roman, 62. They didnt have no time to react. They were just crushed.

Among those killed were Lucille Pinkney, 59, and her 38-year-old son Hernan Pinkney, police sources said. Also among the dead was a woman who was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, but remained unidentified Friday.

Pinkney and her son died of their injuries within an hour of each other after being rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital, cops said. A 30-year-old woman was also rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital with severe injuries about her body and remained in critical condition Friday.

An 11-year-old boy and his 33-year-old mother were among the eight injured, cops said. The child suffered cuts to his eye from flying debris, a police source with knowledge of the case said.

As the victims lay pinned under Hydens pickup truck, a mob of people pulled the driver out of the car and started beating him, Roman said.

I was in shock, said Roman. Its an image thats not going to leave me anytime soon.

On Feb. 29, 2023, Hyden was arrested for punching a 41-year-old student who took issue with his teaching methods a police source with knowledge of the case said. At the time, he was an instructor for Recoveries R Us on E. 105th St. in East Harlem. The student was not seriously harmed.

His LinkedIn page notes that Hyden left Recoveries R Us around the time of his arrest.

Mayor Adams, who responded to the scene, called Thursdays fatal crash a tragic incident.

A driver drove into a crowd of people who were just celebrating like so many New Yorkers and Americans are doing right now, he said as he stood beside NYPD and FDNY officials.

Hydens arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court was pending.
Russian air defense reportedly shot 10 drones over Rostov Oblast, causing a large fire, Governor Vasily Golubev reported on July 5.

Drone debris allegedly fell on the left bank of the city of Rostov-on-Don which created a large landscape fire. The Russian Telegram news channel Astra later published images of the attack site engulfed in flames. At least 10 drones were shot down.

No casualties were reported.

Rostov Oblast borders Ukraine to the southeast. Reports of drone attacks in the region, particularly targeting the local oil infrastructure, have increased in spring 2024.

Earlier this month, a drone attack in the city of Morozovsk in Rostov Oblast caused a fire and disruptions to the local power supply.

In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry and military hardware.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine withdraws from eastern Chasiv Yar neighborhood, military says

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Dumpster fire near SLO Blues game was likely sparked by a stray firework

A dumpster fire on the grounds of Sinsheimer Elementary School, which started during Thursday evenings Fourth of July fireworks display, was likely caused by a stray firework.

The fire was reported at 9:11 p.m. to the San Luis Obispo Police Department, a watch commander told The Tribune.

Video of the fire was posted to X Thursday evening by San Luis Obispo photographer Owen Main, who said the fire was started by something that wasnt part of the official San Luis Obispo Blues fireworks show.

It was pretty packed out on the school field, Main said. As soon as the Blues fireworks started, one person shot one off over by the classrooms off the grass field, and then there was another one that got shot off on the asphalt there too.

Main said he saw people climbing on the roof of Sinsheimer Elementary, but was glad to see that the building was not damaged.

The fire was extinguished by Cal Fire firefighters around seven minutes after it started, according to emergency services app Pulsepoint.

So long to that being a cool place anymore. Way to go guys!



Hope they get prosecuted to the fullest. Sad night. pic.twitter.com/DMMcIWp9ZF  Fansmanship (@fansmanship) July 4, 2024
An early morning fire destroyed a shop, an attached guest house and damaged a home in Arroyo Grande on Friday  displacing three residents, according to Five Cities Fire Authority Chief Scott Hallett.

When the Five Cities Fire Authority arrived on the scene at 12:30 a.m., it found a fully engulfed structure fire on Via La Barranca between Ladera Place and Colina Street.

The fire sparked in a shop on the property and spread to the attached guest house, destroying both buildings, Hallett said.

The primary home on the property also caught fire, he said. The flames severely damaged the garage, and the rest of the house suffered from smoke damage.

The house was not habitable and three residents were displaced, Hallett said.

No injuries were reported.

The fire also destroyed three vehicles, a boat and three recreational vehicles, he said.

The blaze then spread to the hillside behind the home, causing the fire department to evacuate about six houses at the top of the hill, Hallett said.

Firefighters contained the brush fire to an eighth of an acre then extinguished it.

Firefighters closed Via La Barranca to though traffic from about 12:30 to 8 a.m., he said.

The Five Cities Fire Authority, Cal Fire, and fire departments from Guadalupe, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay and Atascadero used eight fire engines and one ladder truck to extinguish the blaze.

A few diesel tanks in the shop leaked during the fire, so the Arroyo Grande Public Works Department plugged nearby storm drains to prevent it from impacting the environment, Hallett said. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health Services determined that no significant quantity of diesel leaked into the environment.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Five Cities Fire is being assisted by numerous agencies at a structure fire in Arroyo Grande. Via La Barranco will be closed to thru traffic the morning of July 5th.@ArroyoGrandeCA @slocountyoes @CALFIRE_PIO @KSBY pic.twitter.com/RWRYa8l90o  Five Cities Fire (@5CitiesFirePIO) July 5, 2024
East Charlotte home ruined by fire after candle accident; two dogs saved

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Four people are without a home after a fire in east Charlotte caused $17,000 in damages Friday afternoon.

According to the Charlotte Fire Department, the fire occurred around 3:20 p.m. July 4 in the 5700 block of Ebley Lane. When crews arrived, they saw heavy smoke coming from the garage.

Firefighters told Queen City News that four people were displaced but did not accept Red Cross assistance. There also were two dogs rescued from the home off Albemarle Road.

The fire was caused by an unattended lit candle and deemed accidental.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Editorial: For so many the work goes on in Vacationland

Homeless Voices for Justice and other groups hosted the 17th annual Longest Day of Homelessness sit-out on June 25, 2024. (Maine Morning Star)

Summer is an interesting time in Maine, Rev. Jeffery Logan, executive director and a co-pastor at Grace-Street Ministry, told a small crowd gathered in Portlands Old Port [last week].

Because the rest of the year is such a meteorological maelstrom, the summer often feels like time out of time. A period during which we can forget pretty much everything except barbecues, beach days, and time off from whatever job it is we do.

Logan, who goes by Pastor Jeff, and others were gathered for the Longest Day of Homelessness sit-out, an annual event organized by Homeless Voices for Justice, to remind the public of the tragedy and injustice of homelessness, even in the summer months.

Pastor Jeff shared how donations, which often take the form of Dunkin Donuts gift cards, fall off in the summer months. The unhoused dont get a summer vacation, he said.

Yes, people living outside do not currently have to worry about freezing to death or about losing fingers and toes, and that is a blessing, he said. But when its 90 degrees one day and 60 degrees and raining the next, its still a challenge and physical danger to be outside.

The sit-out, which was planned to coincide with one of the longest days of the year, was held on a toasty, humid afternoon, and was preceded by a series of record-hot days across Maine.

Some of the speakers, who were formerly or currently unhoused, talked about friends who froze to death. Pastor Jeff and others described the challenge of protecting ones belongings from the elementsor from a front loader commissioned by the city of Portland.

Many of those who passed by the event were likely tourists, or taking the day off.

The reality of living in Vacationland, for many Mainers, is working while others are not. In fact, many in service and related industries make the bulk of their income during these months. And when they get a day off, even if its rare, they want to check out, unplug, hit the beach or the lake.

Listening to Pastor Jeff made me wonder what else are people on vacation  or seeking a vacation  from?

More and more I hear that people are tired  of bad news, of economic woes, of politics  and want a break. And who can blame them? Its been a long few years.

In addition to the urgent needs of people who are unhoused, there are other encroaching threats: the changing climate, the loss of bodily autonomy, the erosion of democracy, etc. Its an overwhelming list and I fear that many with the privilege to ignore the maelstrom and retreat to a climate-controlled cocoon may never come back out.

But, as Pastor Jeff noted, not everyone has the luxury of being able to unsubscribe from it all. Our work is not done, he said. Our work cannot take the summer off.

Whether feeding people who dont have homes, or providing for the elderly or sick, there are many care workers and service providers who continue to carry the weight of humanity, regardless of the day or season.

The silver lining is that, while we cant disconnect from the challenges that surround us, being part of something bigger than oneself, helping someone in need, and building community can be deeply rejuvenating, too.

Ending with a quote from Frederick Douglass, Pastor Jeff said, I prayed for 20 years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.

So lets keep on walking, he added. Weve got miles to go before we sleep.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Voters fill out ballots during the Rhode Island Presidential Preference Primary on April 2, 2024, at Donovan Manor in Newport. A half-dozen elections and voting-related bills cleared the Rhode Island State House this year. (Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current)

For seven years, a four-letter mistake has haunted Common Cause Executive Director John Marion.

In drafting legislation to require a post-election review verifying accuracy and security of primary and general election results, Marion wrote statewide rather than state. In doing so, Marion inadvertently let legislative races skirt this audit requirement, which applied to other local, state and federal races. The bill passed, mistake included, much to Marions dismay.

At last, Marion can at last rest his troubled mind, with updated legislation approved by the Rhode Island General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Dan McKee in June that adds state legislative races to what is known as a risk-limiting audit.

The new law is one of a half-dozen elections and voting-related bills to clear the Rhode Island State House this year. Most of the approved changes offer slight improvements rather than sweeping reforms, but that doesnt mean they are unimportant, Marion said.

Just because there wasnt a signature success doesnt mean we didnt advance election administration and voting rights, he said. Theres good hygiene that needs to take place sometimes.

Even more so when it rides the coattails of scandal.

Among the new laws is one born out of the signature scandal that enveloped Sabina Matos congressional campaign last year. In addition to a criminal investigation and charges against the pair of campaign consultants alleged to be responsible for the fake signatures, the scandal laid bare problems with the signature review process.

The law cuts through the confusion by requiring local election workers to notify state officials when they spot potentially fraudulent signatures, setting off a process by which the state elections board then notifies other municipalities and, potentially, reviews the suspicious signatures itself.

Marion lauded the legislature for taking swift action.

Too often, we see scandals occur and people say there should be some reform to address the scandal but theres never a reform, he said. Its good they did it now, before this faded from memory.

Voting by mail enhanced

Also fresh on lawmakers minds is the sweeping 2022 Let RI Vote Act, which dramatically expanded voter access including the option of no-excuse mail ballots.

This is our first presidential election since the Let RI Vote Act, so were still trying to determine if these changes need to be tweaked or expanded upon, said Miguel Nunez, executive director for the Rhode Island Board of Elections.

Lawmakers this year agreed to state elections board-generated proposals to open mail drop boxes earlier and tack on three more days for local boards of canvassers to accept mail ballot applications.

As mail ballots grow in popularity among local voters, so have numbers of just-missed-the-deadline applicants, whose mailed forms arrive a day or two late, said Nick Lima, elections director for the city of Cranston. Not only do late applicants miss a chance to mail their ballots, but the late submissions still require local election workers to file needless paperwork indicating the application has been rejected.

Its just an administrative deadline, so it didnt make sense for the law to be so rigid, Lima said.

Especially because one-third of late applicants for mail ballots never ended up voting in-person after their applications were rejected, according to analysis of 2020 and 2022 elections by the Rhode Island Board of Elections.

Hassle-free primaries for independent voters

Saving local election workers time and hassle is also the intent behind another new, Secretary of State-backed law that removes the requirement for voters to affiliate, or change affiliations, before participating in a party primary.

The phenomenon of affiliating then disaffiliating is particularly prevalent in Rhode Island, where nearly half of registered voters typically identify as independent. Many also want to detach themselves from a party label immediately after a primary, creating thousands of forms for local elections workers to sift through, said Secretary of State Gregg Amore.

Removing the affiliation requirement also eases the process for voters who might forget to change their affiliation prior to a primary and therefore be ineligible to participate. Amore expected to see an uptick in primary election participation under the new law, though the upcoming September primaries may be too soon for the change to take hold in public perception.

Amores backing also helped secure passage for another bill that will apply to upcoming elections, specifically, the ballot questions, which now must be written in plain language at an 8th-grade reading level.

Theres a growing movement in government and elections administration to use plain language and this is really important, Marion said.

He added, Its nice to see it pass without taking years and years.

Better luck next year, same-day voter registration

The same cannot be said for the push for same-day voter registration, which has failed to gain traction on Smith Hill for four years. Acknowledging lawmakers hesitancy to change longstanding state policy, Common Cause diluted its proposal this year, pitching a change to the state constitution that would eliminate the 30-day residency requirement rather than enshrining same-day registration in the states guiding document. Still, the proposed constitution amendment, also supported by Amore, failed to advance out of committee in either chamber.

Marion was undeterred.

In our experience, constitutional amendments often take several cycles to gain momentum, he said. Its an educational process. As we begin to talk about this more we realize that not just the public but lawmakers dont appreciate how much Rhode Island is an outlier.

Twenty-two other states and Washington D.C. already allow same day voter registration. Rhode Island is also one of three states that enshrines its voter registration deadline in the constitution, Marion said.

ConCon question returns

Which opens up another avenue to the same end: a constitutional convention. Voters will get a chance to decide this November whether to take advantage of the once-in-a-decade opportunity to take a fresh look at the states governing document.

While appetite for the decennial gathering has waned in recent decades  the last constitutional convention was held in 1986  Sen. Sam Zurier is eying a prospective convention to settle debate over alternative voting methods.

Following his leadership of a Senate panel tasked with studying various voting options, Zurier, a Providence Democrat, pitched a legislative reform that would have removed the constitutional provision for plurality voting. His bill, along with a separate proposal by fellow Providence Democratic Rep. Rebecca Kislak to offer ranked-choice voting in presidential preference primaries, both failed to advance beyond committee this year.

Zurier was unsurprised.

It was more of an effort to introduce the concept, he said of his legislation. I did not see this change as something that would happen quickly.

Especially given objections by election administrators who called for more education and equipment before considering such a dramatic overhaul to how voting works in Rhode Island.

Ranked-choice voting: More work to do

High-profile state or national races where a crowded field produces a winner with a low percentage of voters may help galvanize reform, especially now that Rhode Island has local organizers ready to capitalize on that momentum, Marion said. That includes Ocean State Ranked Choice Voting, a nonprofit that launched last year in the midst of the 12-way Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District seat.

Organization leaders have been making the rounds to farmers markets and summer festivals, in addition to traditional meetings at town halls and on Smith Hill to educate voters on their preferred voting alternative, said Leah Creiglow, secretary of the board of directors.

This current presidential election and the lack of choice overwhelmingly people are feeling is another example of why we need a system that favors voters over power dynamics, Creiglow said. We are really trying to capitalize on this.

Two other changes that could have helped local and state election administrators through what is expected to be an exhausting and turbulent election cycle remain in legislative purgatory. One would have banned fraudulent and synthetic media  more commonly known as deepfakes  in the 90 days leading up an election.

An amended version passed the House but stalled in the Senate, in part because of hesitation over the industry-backed amendments which exempted creators of the technology from facing sanctions for its use.

Priorities: Protecting voters and elections workers

Having seen how AI-generated robocalls sent to New Hampshire voters ahead of the states February presidential primary hurt election participation, Amore was worried for Rhode Island.

Its not necessarily the attacks against candidates I fear, but the misinformation about voting that will intimidate or restrict the ability of people to vote, Amore said.

However, he acknowledged the difficulties in legislating guardrails around a new and evolving technology, pledging to take another crack again next year. Also on Amores 2025 legislative priorities list is revival of a failed bill that would increase penalties for those who threaten election administrators and poll workers.

Rhode Island is not Maricopa County, Arizona, Lima acknowledged. But hostility toward election workers is not confined to battleground states. Last year, he and his coworkers arrived at Cranston City Hall to find the office window shattered, a rock lying on the floor inside.

Lima didnt think the perpetrator meant to aim for the election office, but it rattled his colleagues, nonetheless.

Its important for us to let election administrators know we have your back, Amore said. In many states, they are playing defense on voting reform. We want to still keep playing offense.

The post Election-related wins and losses from the 2024 legislative session appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Four candidates are vying to become the next Cape Coral council member for District 3 in Lee County.

District 3 includes the east quadrant of mid-Cape Coral, but the voting is done citywide for the four-year term. All eligible voters, regardless of party affiliation, will be able to cast their ballots in the non-partisan elections scheduled for Aug. 20. The two with the highest totals advance to the Nov. 5 general election. Incumbent Tom Hayden is not seeking reelection.

Cape Coral has a council-manager form of government with seven districts with population sizes that are as equal as possible and follow the center lines of streets or canals. Council members are paid a base annual salary of $37,400. Last year, the council approved monthly stipends worth another $40,000 annually.

Elections: Mail and early voting for Lee County 2024 primary election: Here's what you need to know

Chad Bruening

Here are the four candidates for Cape Coral City Council District 3

Chad Bruening

Derrick Donnell

Derrick Donnell

Daniel J. Ludlow

Deborah Lee McCormick

What are employment backgrounds of the four Cape District 3 candidates?

Daniel J. Ludlow

A Kansas native who discovered the Cape in 2021, Bruening is a commercial project manager for Envirostruct.

A resident for almost 30 years, Donnell is a previous council member and former school principal and teacher.

Owning a small business, Ludlow describes himself as a disabled U.S. Navy veteran, originally from New York.

McCormick, a retiree, worked as a career civil servant for 35 years including with the tax collector's office.

Deborah L. McCormick

Look for more on the races, the candidates and what they have to say in future editions of the News-Press.

Based at the Naples Daily News, Columnist Phil Fernandez (pfernandez@gannett.com) grew up in Southwest Florida and has led Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts. He writes In the Know, one of USA TODAY Network's most read local news columns in the state. Support democracy. Subscribe to a newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: With Hayden out, for vie for his Cape Coral council seat in elections
Some of Britains comedy political candidates proved to be only slightly more of a joke than the actual governing party on Thursday night.

The incumbent Conservative Party was crushed in a general election which saw their Labour rivals sweep to power in a landslide win after 14 years in oppositionwith several major Tory figures losing their seats along the way. Adding to their humiliation, in some cases, was the indignity of making their concession speeches alongside truly bizarre rival candidates.

Conservative candidate Jacob Rees-Mogg stands next to Barmy Brunch from The Official Monster Raving Loony Party during the declaration for the North East Somerset constituency. Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

Take, for example, Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent Conservative lawmaker who enjoyed several roles in government before losing his seat in southwest England overnight. After delivering his concession speech in the race for the North East Somerset and Hanham district, Rees-Mogg shook hands with a man wearing a balaclava decorated with baked beans.

That would be Barmy Brunch, the Monster Raving Loony Party candidatea party whose manifesto called for members of parliament to have custard pies thrown at them when meeting their constituents, and for 10 Downing Street to be transformed into a hair salon named Government CutZ.

King Charles Installs New U.K. PM Keir Starmer After Losing Conservative Apologizes

The absurd spectacle was far from unique.

Sunak managed to retain his own seat in the north of England, but used his personal victory speech to concede the national election had been a sobering verdict on his government. As he apologized to his fellow Conservatives and accepted responsibility for the partys worst ever result, he stood alongside Count Binfacea self-described intergalactic space warrior who, as the name describes, has a garbage can for a head. Hed called for a ban on noisy snacks in cinemas and theaters and advocated for European countries to be invited to join the U.K.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer gives a victory speech watched by Nick the Incredible Flying Brick and Bobby "Elmo" Smith at the headquarters of Camden Council at 5 Pancras Square in Camden, north London, after he was declared winner of the Holborn and St Pancras constituency in the 2024 General Election. Stefan Rousseau/PA Images via Getty Images

The satirical character came sixth out of 13 candidates, but nevertheless hailed the 308 votes he received. #BindependenceDay has come, he wrote in an X post. Binface wasnt the only person rubbing salt in Sunaks woundYouTube prankster Niko Omilana stood behind the outgoing prime minister and unfurled a sign with the letter L on it as Sunak spoke. [F]arewell rishi, hold this L, he posted after the stunt. Omilana received 160 votes.

Rishi Sunak speaks alongside Count Binface after winning his seat at Richmond and Northallerton during the UK election. Temilade Adelaja/Reuters

In contrast to Sunaks dismal evening, Labour leader Keir Starmer was having a grand old time as he won his seatone of the at least 412 seats his party took in their landslide victory. As Starmer won his London district, Holborn and St. Pancras, with 48.9 percent of the vote, he was congratulated by a man dressed as Elmo. Bobby Smith, an independent candidate whos dressed as the Sesame Street character for a decade while campaigning to reform British family law, got just 19 votes.

The visual was nevertheless pretty funny. Starmer, realizing he was about to score a historic victory for Labour in the national election, paid a magnanimous tribute to the other candidates whod run in his district. In this room, right here, beats the heart of our democracy, he said, as Elmo stood next to him.

Elsewhere, a pub managed to avoid coming last in the London district of Richmond Park. Landlord Chris French, who said hed decided to put The Mitre pub into the race to get the free advertising on 77,000 ballot papers, got 349 votes, besting the Social Democratic Party candidates haul of 233.

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.
Starkweather Creek empties into Lake Monona at Olbrich Park in Madison. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner)

Environmental and administrative lawyers say that efforts to protect Wisconsins water from contaminants such as PFAS could be harmed by the U.S. Supreme Courts decision last week to overturn the 40-year-old precedent known as Chevron deference.

Chevron deference has guided the federal regulatory state for decades, telling judges assessing the legality of a regulation to defer to the expertise of agency staff. Under the Courts ruling, federal judges have the final say on what a statute says and how a law such as the Clean Water Act should be applied to modern day problems.

Experts in environmental law say the decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo could have the effect of defanging important environmental protection laws and allowing regulated industries to delay new rules, potentially allowing drinking water to remain contaminated for years while litigation winds its way through the federal court system.

The end of Chevron deference has been talked about as part of this wider effort by the U.S. Supreme Court to dismantle the administrative state, Tony Wilkin Gibart, executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates, tells the Wisconsin Examiner. And the administrative state really just means the ability of government to respond to issues that matter to everyday people that are important for the health of the environment, for the health of communities, and to secure and protect the rights of workers, of everyday folks across the country.

Wilkin Gibart says that the machinery of government already moves slowly, noting that for years and even decades the harmful effects of PFAS contamination in drinking water have been known, yet only now is the EPA establishing standards. Under Loper, he says, industry groups and federal judges can slow down that process even further.

Weve known for many, many years, and in some cases even decades now, that certain PFAS compounds pose serious risks to human health, he says. It is just in the last year that EPA has updated the Safe Drinking Water Act for six of the hundreds of PFAs compounds. That length of time is consistent with how the machinery of government works. Unfortunately, now on top of that, we can see many years of litigation where federal court judges have the ability to insert their own opinions into the process, which at the very least, will delay the ability of the government to respond even further.

These delays have human consequences, he continues, noting that every day a regulation isnt implemented means millions of people are drinking contaminated water. Its mind boggling, what that means in terms of human health.

Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, says that the Courts decision will harm the ability of agencies like the EPA to protect Wisconsins rivers and the Great Lakes.

The Supreme Courts decision radically shifts and re-allocates constitutional power from the executive branch and the legislative branch of government to the judiciary, Learner says. The State of Wisconsin and people throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest rely upon federal agencies acting under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to better protect and improve air quality so that we have healthy air to breathe and better protect clean water so that we have safe water to drink, and the Great Lakes and our rivers are not dirty.

Most immediately, the Supreme Courts decision in Loper could play a role in the regulation of PFAS in drinking water, according to Steph Tai, a law professor at UW-Madison who researches the interactions between environmental science and administrative law. Just weeks ago, Tai says, a group of chemical companies filed a challenge with the EPA arguing that requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act  which authorizes the agency to set health standards for drinking water  dont apply to PFAS.

That challenge has been filed so recently, Tai says, that the chemical companies will be able to use the Loper decision to their advantage.

Initial reactions from legal observers about the effects of the Loper decision have frequently focused on the amount of work the new framework will put on the federal judiciary. Tai says the Loper decision incentivizes industry groups to challenge new regulations.

Under federal law, challenges to new federal rules jump right to the appellate court level because the fact-finding usually reserved for circuit courts has already been done during the rulemaking process. Filing straight to an appellate court is often cheaper, since groups dont need to cover expenses such as expert witnesses. That relative cost difference, according to Tai, encourages challenges because the cost-benefit analysis of bringing the suit is so clear.

For Wisconsin, Tai says, this could look like agricultural industry groups challenging regulations that apply to large factory farms while leaving small and mid-sized farms on their own.

The incentives are that if you have enough money, youre a big player, you might as well throw everything at the wall and see if it sticks, Tai says. If its at the appellate level, its really pretty cost effective, considering the potential gains that you get. This doesnt play out for smaller sorts of parties. So for example, if you have some regulation that disparately affects large farms versus small scale farms, the way the economics works is that the large farms are going to more likely be able to do those challenges and more likely have incentives to do those challenges. And say, mid-scale farms dont have that sort of cost threshold to bring this kind of challenge, and so theres going to be this weird, disparate effect that arises out of just the practical dynamics of bringing these cases.

Tai and Wilkin Gibart say that in Wisconsin, the effects of Loper will be felt especially keenly because Republicans have already been successful in limiting the states administrative agencies in the same way the Loper decision does at the federal level.

In a 2018 Wisconsin Supreme Court decision in Tetra Tech v. Department of Revenue, the longstanding practice of deferring to state agencies interpretations of statutes was ended. The effect of that decision was exacerbated by legislative changes such as the REINS Act  which forces agencies to get approval from a legislative committee if the estimated cost of a proposed rule exceeds $10 million over a two-year period.

As a consequence of all of those things that weve seen over the last decade plus in Wisconsin, our state government has been slower to respond to significant public health issues like keeping PFAS out of water and advancing climate solutions, Wilkin Gibart says. And so our state government has been weakened in the same ways that the U.S. Supreme Court is now weakening the federal government.

He adds that in Wisconsin, where groups such as Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce are suing to prevent the DNR from applying the states spills law to PFAS and ending the requirement that factory farms obtain permits for handling the manure they create, the end of Chevron deference makes it more important that Wisconsins regulatory authority be strengthened.

We are also seeing, on the state level, legal attacks on the power of state agencies to implement basic environmental and public health laws  like Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce asking state courts to upend the spills law  to prohibit the release of hazardous substances, he says. Weve also seen WMC attack another law that requires the states largest livestock facilities to apply for permits before producing and spreading millions of gallons of manure. The federal government will likely be less effective in doing the kinds of things that most of us expect that it should do, like preserve a healthy and livable future. And for that reason, it is even more important for those of us in Wisconsin to defend and rebuild the power of our state to act in the public interest.

The post Environmental lawyers say end of Chevron deference could hurt Wisconsin water quality appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA)  A man who law enforcement officials said was an escaped inmate in Tennessee has been captured.

According to the Greenville County Sheriffs Office, deputies arrested Billy Fletcher at around 8:38 p.m. Thursday in Greenville.

According to the sheriffs office, a person spotted Fletcher and sent a tip to the State Law Enforcement Division. Officials located and arrested Fletcher on Sulphur Springs Road.

PREVIOUS: Escaped Tenn. inmate spotted in SC believed to have been driving missing mans car

Fletcher reportedly walked off a work detail at the Carter County Detention Center on June 20 and has been sought by law enforcement since.

The sheriffs office said Fletcher will be held in the Greenville County Detention Center on a fugitive from justice warrant until Carter County officials can extradite 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 Queen City News.
EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell has said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visit to Moscow is not part of Hungary's presidency of the EU Council, so it will be considered solely within the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia.

Source: European Pravda with reference to Borrel

Details: Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 July to 31 December.

Quote from Borrell: "That does not entail any external representation of the Union which is responsibility of the President of the European Council at the Head of State or Government level and of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy at Ministerial level."

Details: Borrell stressed that Orban had not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow.

"The EU position on Russias war of aggression against Ukraine is reflected in many European Council conclusions. That position excludes official contacts between the EU and President Putin. The Hungarian Prime Minister is thus not representing the EU in any form," Borrell said.

He also reiterated that the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putins role in the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

Background:

The day before, media sources reported that Viktor Orban was going to visit Moscow just a few days after his visit to Kyiv. The Hungarian government has not yet officially confirmed this information.

The head of the European Council, Charles Michel, stated that Hungary had no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.

Orban also acknowledged that the EU Council presidency did not give Hungary a mandate to promote peace in Ukraine, but said that Budapest could be "a good tool in the hands of people who want peace."

Support UP or become our patron!
The Amazon logo can be seen at the US online retailer's new logistics center in Helmstedt. Moritz Frankenberg/dpa

The European Commission is calling on the US internet giant Amazon to provide more information on the transparency of certain recommendation systems used by the shopping platform.

The systems use artificial intelligence, for example, to collect data from consumers and recommend additional products.

The commission has now submitted a request for information on the basis of the EU's Digital Services Act. The US company must also clarify what options it offers users to opt out of the creation of profiles for such recommendation systems.

Amazon said it will examine the application and work closely with the European Commission. An Amazon spokesman said the company shares the Brussels authority's goal of creating "a safe, predictable and trustworthy shopping environment."

Amazon said it is investing heavily in protecting customers from bad actors and illegal content.

Amazon must provide the requested information by July 26, and the commission will determine the next steps based on the answers. The authority can impose fines if a company provides false, incomplete or misleading information, or refuses to answer the questions.
(Bloomberg) -- Investors can react rapidly if governments make abrupt changes to their fiscal trajectory, Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe said.

Most Read from Bloomberg

While declining to comment specifically on France when asked in a Bloomberg TV interview, the Irish official also said its not uncommon for politicians to voice a range of goals in the runup to European Union budget negotiations.

We have learned that when domestic decisions are made, financial markets can respond back quickly, he said Friday in Aix-en-Provence. The general clear learning that we have in recent years is about the importance of maintaining market confidence and the importance of maintaining confidence in your future spending and taxation plans.

He added that all governments are aware of that.

Frances snap elections have heightened concern about the path for the countrys public finances, with the European Commission having issued a budget-deficit reprimand even before the door opened to a government led by Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally.

While her party looks set to fall short of a majority on Sunday and bond-market pressure has eased somewhat as a result, a gridlocked parliament may struggle to address Frances spending and debt  pointing to further friction with Brussels.

Such upheaval has sparked a discussion on whether the European Central Bank may need to step in at some point to calm investors, though officials in Frankfurt say developments are far from warranting such action.

I know the ECB will monitor the situation and always be inside their mandate as they have clearly demonstrated, Donohoe said.

Asked whether Le Pen can be compared to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, he said the latters experience is instructive in many ways.

Meloni has come into office and made some very, very important  and I believe, right  decisions on behalf of Italy, on behalf of Europe and we have a very constructive economic relationship, Donohoe said.

That is another reason why I am reminded of the value of letting the election come to an end and when the government is appointed hearing from them and doing all we can to have a good cooperative relationship, he said.

--With assistance from Max Ramsay and William Horobin.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
As Europe turns right, why has a center-left party won by a landslide in the UK?

The United Kingdoms decision to hand the center-left Labour Party a parliamentary majority comes at the same time Europe is broadly in the grip of what some call a right-wing populist surge.

Last months European elections saw a historic number of lawmakers from hard-right and far-right parties elected to the European Parliament. The results caused such chaos that French President Emmanuel Macron called a snap parliamentary election in his own country, the first round of which the far-right National Rally won last week.

A government composed of far-right figures was formed in the Netherlands this week. Italy is led by the most right-wing leader since the rule of fascist wartime leader Benito Mussolini. These electoral victories and the prospect of populist right-wingers in power is no longer a surprise in European countries.

There are many reasons for this rise in populism, often unique to individual countries. But broadly speaking, a number of European countries are suffering from sluggish economies, high immigration and higher energy prices, due in part to the drive for carbon net zero. The European Union is often blamed for national woes by populist politicians and breathes oxygen into an increasingly Euroskeptic national discourse.

So why is Britain, the only country where Euroskepticism led to a referendum on EU membership, bucking this trend?

Despite the scale of the Labour victory, it is clear from the results that the British right is far from dead. The Conservative Party, despite its undeniably disappointing night, has outperformed against the expectations of a number of opinion polls during the campaign, some of which predicted it would win fewer than 100 seats  which would have been a truly epic wipeout.

Another party that exceeded polling expectations is the populist right-wing Reform UK, led by long-term scourge of the Conservatives Nigel Farage, who is perhaps best known these days for his friendship with former US President Donald Trump. Before this, he was credited with making Brexit possible after decades of campaigning against the UKs membership of the EU. On his eighth attempt, Farage has now been elected as a member of parliament (MP).

The Conservatives may have been reduced to only 121 seats and Reform may have only secured four, as of Friday morning, but the overall vote share for these two parties combined is larger than that of Labour  which has secured more than 400 seats.

This will doubtless have a major impact on what happens next to the right of British politics. Ahead of the election, the existence of Reform and pressure from Farage on issues like tax and migration had already forced the Conservatives further to the right.

Farage identified that irregular migration, particularly people crossing the English Channel in small boats from France, could become a major factor in an election campaign. His relentless campaigning on the issue forced the Conservatives to introduce the highly controversial Rwanda policy, which would see asylum seekers sent overseas for their claims to be processed.

The Conservative Party now needs to find a new leader. The debate over who takes over from Sunak will focus largely on what values the party should embrace.

Many Conservatives will believe that by leaning to the right they can steal Farages votes. Many will believe that some kind of pact should be done with Farage. Others will want absolutely nothing to do with a man who has spent decades attempting to destroy the Conservative Party.

Regardless, it is likely that Farage will play a starring role in the Conservative leadership campaign. Even if he isnt in the party himself, Farage thrives as an outsider.

The majority of his political success to date has all come without him holding a UK parliamentary seat. Now he has not only won a seat himself, but will have a small band of colleagues ready to hurl grenades at Labour leader and new Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

That said, it is probably quite a long time before there is any kind of coherently united right. It is possible that Farages splitting of the right has actually helped Starmer on his way to such a huge victory.

An odd quirk of British politics is that the percentage of votes a party gets doesnt necessarily translate to seats. Every seat is decided individually, the winner being the candidate with the most votes, which is often less than 50%.

And with Reform performing well in many of the seats that Labour won, the hard-right will not only be impossible to ignore in this parliament, but it could easily see its influence grow further.

Britain suffers from many of the same problems as other European countries. If Starmer falters as prime minister, there is every chance that the popular right could continue to capture the publics imagination, as it has elsewhere in Europe.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Photo: Press-service of the President of Tajikistan

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, July 5. President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Dushanbe to discuss various aspects of cooperation, Trend reports.

According to the press service of the Tajik president, during the meeting, Rahmon emphasized the UN's significant role in implementing Tajikistan's priority programs.

In response, Guterres acknowledged Tajikistan's substantial influence despite its size, highlighting its prominent role within the UN and the global community.

The discussion also focused on the need for international financial system reforms to ensure sustainable and long-term funding for achieving Sustainable Development Goals and addressing climate change issues worldwide. The sides underscored Tajikistan's comprehensive support for global efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

Regarding security matters, they expressed mutual commitment to addressing escalating threats such as terrorism, extremism, transnational organized crime, including illicit drug trafficking, and other global dangers.

It was noted that Tajikistan supports UN efforts in sustainable development, peace and security strengthening, science and technology advancement, innovation utilization, and digitalization cooperation.
European Commission talks of possible consequences for Hungary following Orban's trip to Russia

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans trip to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin has put the usual visit of the European Commission President to the EU Council Presidency, which is currently held by Hungary, "in question".

Source: European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer at a briefing in Brussels, as reported by European Pravda.

Details: Commenting on the Hungarian prime minister's visit, Mamer said that in this case, it was about appeasement, not peace.

Quote: "We believe that it undermines the unity and determination that we need to show in order for this war to end", the spokesman said.

Quote: "This visit to Moscow seriously puts into question the Commissions traditional Presidency trip to Hungary in this case (the EU Council Presidency - Ed.), which we had foreseen for just after the EU summer break", he added, noting that cancelling the visit to Budapest would send a clear signal that "there are some actions that we believe do not go in the right direction."

Mamer stressed that Orban's trip was not linked to an EU mandate. He declined to comment on whether the Commission could hold Hungary accountable under Article 7 of the EU treaty in this regard.

Mamer also said that Orban had not informed the European Commission of his plans to visit Moscow and did not coordinate his actions with it.

Background:

On 5 July, the Hungarian prime minister arrived in Moscow, although Orban's government did not confirm that the visit would take place until the last minute.

Before his departure, Orban said on state radio that the EU Council presidency does not give Hungary a mandate to promote peace in Ukraine, but Hungary can be "a good tool in the hands of people who want peace".

EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell has said that Orban's visit to Moscow is not part of Hungary's presidency of the EU Council, so it will be considered solely within the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia.

Support UP or become our patron!
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) shakes hands with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during their meeting at the European Commission. Etienne Ansotte/European Commission/dpa

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that he cannot appease Russian President Vladimir Putin with his visit to Moscow.

"Appeasement will not stop Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine," von der Leyen wrote on X.

Budapest did not coordinate the visit with the EU executive arm, Eric Mamer, the commission president's chief spokesman told reporters.

Mamer added that the trip "undermines the unity and determination" the European Union needs to end the war in Ukraine.
Evacuation orders have been issued due to a wildfire in central California, the latest among more than a dozen blazes burning in the state amid a scorching heat wave.

The French Fire near Yosemite National Park in Mariposa County has burned more than 900 acres since erupting Thursday and was 20% contained as of Friday evening, according to fire officials.

PHOTO: Flames from the French Fire burn on a hillside above Mariposa, Calif., on July 5, 2024. (Noah Berger/AP)

Residents of parts of Mariposa County have been ordered to evacuate due to the fire, impacting approximately 1,100 people, according to the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office.

Fire crews worked to establish a fireline around the eastern side of the community of Mariposa overnight and are focusing firefighting efforts on that side, Cal Fire said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

PHOTO: Fire and smoke rise from French fire in Mariposa, Calif., July 4, 2024, in this picture obtained from social media. (Steve Aitchison via Reuters)

Elsewhere, the Thompson Fire in Butte County has burned more than 3,700 acres and was 46% contained as of Friday morning, according to fire officials.

Twenty-five structures have been destroyed by the fire, and three firefighters sustained heat-related injuries while battling it, officials said.

MORE: 3 firefighters injured battling Thompson wildfire in California, Cal Fire says

Firefighters "continue to strengthen containment and control lines," Cal Fire said Friday.

The fire burns as hot and dry conditions in the region are expected to continue into early next week, Cal Fire said.

The cause of the Thompson Fire also remains under investigation.

PHOTO: A boat crosses Lake Oroville with a smoldering hillside behind as the Thompson Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on July 3, 2024. (Noah Berger/AP)

PHOTO: An air tanker drops retardant while trying to stop the Thompson Fire from spreading in Oroville, Calif., July 3, 2024. (Noah Berger/AP)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Butte County due to the Thompson Fire on Wednesday, a day after it ignited.

The largest active fire in the state -- the Basin Fire in the Sierra National Forest -- has burned more than 14,000 acres and was 46% contained as of Friday morning.

MORE: Record-breaking wildfires have occurred all over the Northern Hemisphere during 2023, new report finds

More than 1,300 fire crews have been battling the blaze in steep, rugged terrain, the U.S. Forest Service said. Extreme heat and dry conditions anticipated over the next few days could fuel the growth, officials said.

The cause of that fire, which started on June 26, remains under investigation.

Evacuation orders issued for latest California wildfire amid scorching heat wave originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The Transportation Security Administration said it expects a record number of travelers at U.S. airports on Sunday as the agency braces for what is projected to be a crush at security checkpoints. More than 32 million people are forecast to pass through TSA screening between June 27 and July 8, according to the agency, a 5.4% increase from the same period last year.

With that tidal wave of travelers, TSA officials also expect to see a higher volume of banned items on conveyor belts.

"We've seen anything from chainsaws on carry-on baggage [and] we've seen larger power tools and saws," Michael Duretto, deputy federal security director for Los Angeles International Airport, told CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave. "Recently, we saw a hobby rocket  but it was a large rocket  that came to our checked baggage."

"You can say that people will try to pack the kitchen sink if they could," he added.

And try they have, said Martin Garcia, a TSA officer in Los Angeles, who told Van Cleave that he has seen someone try to carry on a kitchen sink, while another passenger attempted to bring deer antlers on board. Other strange things TSA agents have intercepted so far this year include:

Throwing knives, such as those used by ninjasSamurai swordMachetesBag of snakesTasersReplica hand grenadeElectric sanderFireworks

Bottles of water and firearms are the most frequently stopped items by TSA officials. TSA agents discovered a record 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints last year  most of them loaded. In the first quarter of 2024, the agency intercepted more than 1,500 firearms at airport checkpoints.

TSA also routinely intercepts more conventional items. In one recent incident, for example, Rep. Victoria Spartz, an Indiana Republican, received a citation for an unloaded handgun found in her luggage at Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Although it is legal for airline passengers to travel with unloaded guns, the weapons must be locked in a hard-sided case and declared to the airline and placed in the passengers' checked baggage, according to the TSA.

TSA doesn't confiscate firearms. When a gun is detected at a checkpoint, the agent must summon local law enforcement to take possession of the weapon. It is up to the law enforcement officer to arrest or cite the passenger in accordance with local law, but the TSA can impose a civil penalty of up to almost $15,000, according to the agency.

How soldiers use this fast, cheap solution to quickly cool down in intense heat

Hurricane Beryl moves past Jamaica, bringing punishing winds and storm surge

Masoud Pezeshkian wins Iran presidential runoff election
Ex-engineer in Warner Robins charged with obstructing probe into crash that killed 16

A former employee of an aircraft maintenance company in Warner Robins was recently arrested for obstruction of justice and making false statements during a criminal investigation of a fatal military plane crash in 2017, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

James Michael Fisher, 67, was arrested Tuesday after a federal grand jury in northern Mississippi indicted him. Fisher faces up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted on the two false statements and two obstruction of justice charges.

The indictment states that Fisher, who was a former lead propulsion engineer at the Warner Robins Logistics Center at the time, engaged in a pattern of conduct intended to avoid scrutiny for his past engineering decisions related to the aerial crash that claimed the lives of 16 service workers, prosecutors said in a news release.

Fifteen Marines and one Navy corpsman were killed on July 10, 2017, when a Marine Corps KC-130T transport aircraft known as Yanky 72 crashed in a delta soybean field near Itta Bena, Mississippi.

The indictment alleges that Fisher knowingly concealed key engineering documents from criminal investigators and made false statements to investigators about his past engineering decisions.

Fisher was a resident of Warner Robins but currently resides in Portugal.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Naval Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case, according to the press release.

Assistant U.S. attorneys Scott Leary and Philip Levy are prosecuting the case.
A thread of bombshell text messages made public Thursday alleged that Donald Trumps 2020 campaign settled multiple seedy lawsuits for a man described only as Boris, leading to conjecture it could be a powerful Trumpworld figure.

Those messages were revealed by A.J. Delgadoa former staffer on Trumps 2016 campaign whos embroiled in a lawsuit against the current campaign, alleging she was taken advantage of and raped by her former superior, Jason Miller.

As part of that lawsuit, Delgado, a lawyer whos representing herself, filed a motion Thursday that included a text thread she claims to be between her and Jenna Ellis, another ex-Trump staffer who is a co-defendant in his election subversion case in Georgia.

The alleged texts begin with Delgado asking if Ellis knew of anyone who complained of gender discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, or sexual harassment during Trumps 2020 campaign. She wrote that the messages were to remain between them and pleaded with her to tell me the truth.

A.J. Delgado alleged that these texts were between her, in the blue bubbles, and Jenna Ellis, in the white bubbles. New York Southern District

The second texter, who Delgado claims is Ellis, responded, Yes. Off the record - Boris. The campaign settled multiple suits.

The second number added that Delgado should subpoena the ex-Trump campaign staffer Michael Glassner, and assured Delgado that she would of course tell the truth even though they may not agree on everything.

Jenna Ellis is the Trump staffer who Delgado alleges sent her the texts which purport to reveal payouts for sexual misconduct by a mystery man. Reuters

The Daily Beast has not independently verified the authenticity of the texts, and neither Ellis, Delgado or a Trump representative responded to questions messaged and emailed on Thursday night.

Its the second time the texts were submitted as evidence by Delgado, after the Trump campaigns lawyers asked her to re-submit them without names redacted and an offer to mark them as confidential appeared to be ignored.

Only a first name was used in the text thread, but speculation is rife that the trouble adviser could be Boris Epshteynan analyst for Trumps 2020 campaign whos remained a trusted ear for Trump to this day. Epshteyn also did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday and no official sources have made any confirmation he may be involved.

Boris Epshteyn exits a New York courthouse behind Donald Trump after a hearing in the former presidents hush-money trial. Reuters/Mike Segar

The texts did not specify what sort of lawsuits Boris may have faced, but Epshteyn was accused of repeatedly groping two sisters at an Arizona bar in 2021 until a bouncer and cops intervened to remove him.

Epshteyn was slapped with a trio of sexual misconduct counts but they were later dropped, and he instead pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge. Epshteyn paid a fine and agreed to go on probation, but served no jail time. Those allegations were resurfaced by Forbes reporter Zach Everson, who first shared Delgados motion in a thread to X.

Bodycam footage from Epshteyns arrest showed police speaking separately to Epshteyn and his accusers. One of the women told police the incident began after he approached her group and invited them to his table for free drinksa request they took him up on, despite describing him to police as looking like a fatter Tony Soprano.

Like Rudy Giuliani, also pictured, Boris Epshteyn was allegedly a prominent player in trying to overturn the 2020 election results. Reuters

Once at the table, the women claimed Epshteyn began touching them inappropriately, grabbing them by their waists and pulling them to his crotch, a police report said.

Epshteyn, 41, has also found himself in legal trouble for his alleged efforts to help Trump overturn the 2020 election. He pleaded not guilty last month in Arizona to nine felony charges related to the last presidential election, and has reportedly had at least $90,000 worth of his lawyer fees paid for by Trumps PAC, Save America.

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.
Temperatures in Southern Nevada are likely to soar 12 to 14 degrees above seasonal averages throughout the next week. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The intense and potentially record-setting heat wave building across Nevada could continue through much of next week, according to the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.

An Excessive Heat Warning will be in effect in much of southern Nevada through at least Wednesday, due to dangerous and prolonged heat across the region. Temperatures in Southern Nevada are likely to soar 12 to 14 degrees above seasonal averages throughout the next week.

The worst of the heat will be centered in the Las Vegas Valley, western Clark County and southern Nye County, where dangerously hot conditions will persist for an unusually long period. Las Vegas will be exposed to 10 days or more days of 110-degree heat. According to the National Weather Service, such a streak has only happened twice: June 17 to 26 in 1962, and just last year from July 14 to 23.

Death Valley could reach well into the mid-upper 120s. In 2020 and 2021, Death Valleys Furnace Creek hit 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest temperature recorded on Earth was 134 in Death Valley in 1913, though meteorologists have long questioned that reading.

However, even if temperatures come off their peaks next week, long-range forecasts indicate a high likelihood that above-average temperatures will persist in the West. The cause is another heat dome that has not moved significantly since forming. Its bigger than the June heat dome that led to the hottest June ever recorded.

Las Vegas finished June with an average temperature of 94.6 degrees  a new monthly record, and 7 degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service in Las Vegas. In June, a record 28 days in Las Vegas reached temperatures 100 degrees or higher. Since the end of May, all but a handful of days have reached triple-digit temperatures.

Heat waves like these have become more frequent in the United States in recent decades, according to a team of researchers at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center. In an analysis of long-term trends, researchers found that summer heat waves in the U.S. roughly doubled in number between 1980 and 2023, increasing from an average of two to four per month.

John Mejia, a climatologist with the Desert Research Institute, said a big issue with heat domes in the West is they are traveling over areas already facing record breaking temperatures due to climate change, increasing the severity of heat.

Right now, 130 million people are exposed to extreme heat in the U.S. Not only because of the heat wave in the West Coast, but there is also an ongoing heat wave in the Southeast and Northwest, Mejia said.

One of the most troubling aspects of the heat wave gripping Nevada are the high nighttime temperatures, said Mejia. Hot temperatures overnight will mean little relief from the daytime heat, especially in Las Vegas and Death Valley, where low temperatures may not fall below 90 degrees for several days.

The effect of constant heat on a body over a prolonged time increases the risk of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke, cardiovascular and respiratory complications, and renal failure. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can also have negative effects on fetal health, and preterm birth, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control.

Thats the time when your body is supposed to rest and recover from extreme heat during the daytime, so its going to create some heat exhaustion in the population, Mejia said.

Extreme heat reprieve, and power outages

Clark County has opened cooling stations through Wednesday, July 10. A list of available cooling stations can be found online in English and Spanish.

The Southern Nevada Health District recommends people drink plenty of water even if theyre not thirsty, avoid alcohol consumption, keep a mobile phone on hand at all times if outdoors, and to stay indoors between noon and sundown to avoid the hottest part of the day.

The Southern Nevada Health District urges people to protect themselves and others during periods of extreme heat by staying cool, staying hydrated and staying informed, said District Health Officer Dr. Fermin Leguen in a statement.

NV Energy warned the long-lasting heatwave next week may cause possible power outages, but assured customers they will have extra crews on standby.

As is safe to do so, our crews will work through the heat conditions to make necessary repairs and restore power safely, said NV Energy communication officer Meghin Delaney, adding that customers can track outages online.

Know your rights

Nevada residents should also be aware of their rights. Under Nevada law, landlords are required to repair, or make satisfactory progress toward repairing, faulty air conditioning units within 48 hours after receiving a written notice, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

Renters are advised to send a dated letter to their landlord notifying them of the unit problems, and request the issues be fixed according to NRS 118A. Renters can download a sample letter template for essential service complaints from the agencys website.

Renters should keep a copy for themselves and send it by certified mail with a return receipt from the U.S. Postal Service for proof that the landlord received it.

The University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Public Health also maintains a Landlord Tenant Hotline at (702) 895-1971, which you can call for additional information. Nevada Legal Services can also help with the civil process at (702) 386-0404.

Nevada law also protects utility customers from power shut-offs during periods of extreme heat, when a lack of air conditioning can result in waves of hospitalizations or even death.

According to state statute, a utility company cant terminate service for a non-paying customer if the National Weather Service has forecast a period of extreme heat within the next 24 hours in the customers geographical area.

In Southern Nevada, 100 degrees or higher is considered extreme heat for elderly or disabled residents living in mobile homes constructed before January 2000.

For elderly or disabled residents who live in other housing, 103 degrees or higher is considered extreme heat. NV Energy must also notify elderly customers at least 48 hours before termination of power.

Nevada residents 62 years or older are considered elderly, but NV Energy does not collect customers ages, so elderly customers must notify NV Energy of their age to benefit from the state statute.

According to state statute, a utility also cant terminate service to a customer if the utility knows that a household resident is confined to the home or uses a life support device, and is likely to die without the device if their power is shut off.

For all other residents in Southern Nevada, a forecast of 105 degrees or higher within a 24 hour period is considered extreme heat. Utilities also cant terminate service to a customer for nonpayment if the outstanding amount owed is $50 or less.
'Excessive Heat' warning put out for the area Friday. Here's how hot it will feel.

This National Weather Service graphic shows what it will feel like Friday, July 5, 2024, across portions of Virginia. In this area, the heat index is expected to peak at 111 degrees.

PETERSBURG  If you do not have to go outside Friday, then dont.

The National Weather Service office in Wakefield has issued an Excessive Heat Warning between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Friday. That means we can expect dangerously hot conditions, NWS said, with heat-index values around 111 degrees for the Tri-City and metro Richmond areas..

NWS defines heat index as what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature. Perspiration is the bodys natural cooling process, but when you sweat in areas of high humidity, the rate of perspiration evaporation decreases; therefore, your cooling system does not work as hard.

Fridays high temperature for the Tri-City area is expected to be 98 degrees. As of 10 a.m., the air temperature was 84 degrees, but with 76% humidity  making it feel about 93 degrees.

And its only going to get worse. The air temperature will peak at 98 degrees around 3 p.m., which combined with the humidity will make it the hottest part of the day.

Dangerous heat is expected today, with Excessive Heat Warnings now in effect for much of the area. Temps in the upper 90s, combined with high humidity will lead to heat index values around 110 degrees. Use extreme caution and take frequent breaks if you must be outdoors! pic.twitter.com/kydDMaQFxl  NWS Wakefield (@NWSWakefieldVA) July 5, 2024

Todays heat is setting the table for what will likely be a very hot weekend. Saturdays temperatures will be close to Fridays at 96 degrees, but there is a 60% chance of showers or thunderstorms that could provide some relief.

Sundays high temperature is expected to be in the upper 80s, ushering in more seasonable temperatures to last through most of next week.

Its all due to a weather pattern that will cook the lower half of the U.S. from West Coast to East. On the West Coast, NWS says the temperatures will be approximately 15-30 degrees warmer than the year average, with 100-degree or more readings from California through to Oregon.

Cooling stations have been set up at the downtown Petersburg bus station on West Washington Street and at 102 S. 10th Ave. in Hopewell.

NWS and health officials recommend the following ways to deal with excessive heat:

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors, especially senior citizens.

Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.

If you must work outside, take frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments and stay hydrated.

If you feel yourself being overcome by the heat, call for medical assistance immediately.

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: Weather service issues 'excessive heat' warning for area
EXCLUSIVE: Closure is not due to possible criminal investigation; president says closure should have happened last year

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ala. (WDHN)  Cottonwood Rescue will close its doors on Friday.

The president of the rescue squad tells WDHN the closure is not due to a possible criminal investigation, but its a plan that has been in the works for over a year.

Rickey Stokes, president of Cottonwood Rescue, tells WDHN that last year he originally wanted to hand off EMS services in Cottonwood to Rehobeth Rescue, Ashford Rescue, and Pilchers Ambulance.

Then reports surfaced that the state was auditing Cottonwood Rescue, so Stokes decided to stay in charge of the rescue department.

I put a stop to it because I was not going out in a cloud, Stokes said. Well, you now say, Stokes you are under a cloud. I am, but I know what the cloud is and I know how to answer it and I am not concerned with what their accusations are whatsoever.

Stokes met again with Ashford, Rehobeth, and Pilchers on Thursday and agreed to now cover the 130 square miles that were covered by Cottonwood Rescue starting Friday after 4 p.m.

My whole focus is their care and to make sure they have prompt emergency medical care all the other stuff I could care less about, Stokes said. I want when they dial 911, they get prompt care and I feel like in this they will get this.

It was first reported that the rescue department was closing due to the possibility of a criminal investigation. After a state audit performed during January found that $155,000 is missing at the rescue and the state of Alabama is demanding Stokes to pay the missing funds.

Stokes remains adamant that he has done nothing wrong.

I have not stolen any money, I can account for everything, but they have to go back and look at the last part of 2017 through 2020 to understand 2021-2024, Stokes said.

Attorney General Steve Marshall as well as the Houston County District Attorneys Offices could indict Stokes if the reports were to land on their desks.

Stokes says last week he emailed both offices and said he would be willing to answer any questions they may have for him.

This move is not being made because of an investigation by the attorney general or the district attorney or another entity. I welcome their investigation, Stokes said. This move is being made because Brandon Shoupe and another dummy delayed it from being done last year.

Stokes tells me he has recommended several of his employees to the groups taking over the EMS department and it will be up to them to possibly hire the former Cottonwood Rescue workers.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.
A sign welcomes visitors to Moscow, Idaho, the home of the University of Idaho and Christ Church

A sign welcomes visitors to Moscow, Idaho, the home of the University of Idaho and Christ Church. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

In Moscow, Idaho, there is a pitched battle for the soul of the community  and its all wrapped up in a battle for the souls of the community. It pits residents who like the quiet college towns all-are-welcome vibe  with its visible pride flags and Black Lives Matters signs  with a church that abhors those things.

A fundamentalist congregation called Christ Church wants to make Moscow an explicitly Christian city, governed by Biblical principles. To accomplish this, they and their allies are buying up big swaths of real estate and opening businesses to increase their footprint and economic might.

One downtown business owner echoed the concerns of a lot of folks we spoke to: It feels like an invasion. It feels like they are trying to take over the town.

This story, in and of itself, intrigued me. A local culture clash in our countrys broader culture war. A fight both sides see as between good and evil. But its a story that goes well beyond this community of 26,000 people amid the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse.

As Christ Church Pastor Doug Wilson puts it: All of Christ, for all of life; so depending on the context, uh, some might add for all of Moscow or for all of the world.

Sure, Doug Wilson wants Moscow to be Christian, but he has designs on all of America and beyond.

Hes a leading figure in a movement called Christian nationalism. Adherents want to turn America into a theocracy, a government run according to their interpretation of Biblical law. And Wilson has quietly built up a kind of Christian industrial complex to help make it happen.

flag that's been adopted by Christian nationalists hangs out a window of a business run by a member of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho

For the past year, Ive been talking to Wilson and his allies as well as leading Christian nationalists across the country, the activists fighting back and survivors sounding the alarm about a dark underbelly of abuse in the movement.

Its all in Season 2 of my podcast series Extremely American, from Boise State Public Radio and the NPR Network. In this season, Extremely American: Onward Christian Soldiers, reporter James Dawson and I take an inside look at a movement that wants to end American democracy as we know it.

Why should you care about Christian nationalism?

Are you Mormon, Jewish, atheist, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim? In the proposed America Christian nationalists laid out for me, anyone who doesnt share their strict Protestant worldview would lose rights, including the right to run for political office.

Heres what leading Christian nationalist media personality and Doug Wilson ally Gabe Rench, told me:

I think that the Christian faith is the ideal moral doctrine and principles for a thriving society. And the farther you get away from that, the more in chaos we descend, he said. And so the only way to maintain that or one of the ways to maintain that is you have to have people who are running for office who believe that or youre going to get back into that chaotic decline.

Are you a woman? Do you like having the right to vote? Nearly every Christian nationalist I spoke to wants to disenfranchise nearly all women.

If youre in the LGBTQ+ community, youd have to go underground or risk prosecution for having a same-sex relationship.

And if you think Christian nationalism is a fringe movement, its been rapidly becoming more and more mainstream.

This ideology has more and more friends in high places. Heres what current Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson said on CNBC last November:

The separation of church and state is a is a misnomer, he said. People misunderstand it. Of course, it comes from a phrase that was in a letter that Jefferson wrote. Its not in the Constitution.

Increasingly, elected officials are touting Christian nationalist talking points and plenty more are conspicuously declining to push back.

Former Trump administration officials have a blueprint called Project 2025, which includes installing tenets of Christian nationalism into federal government if Donald Trump retakes the White House.

Underneath it all, activists say theres a deep current of misogyny thats fostering abuse and cover-ups.

One thing I figured out in reporting this podcast season: If you want to understand what Christian nationalists have in mind for this country and their strategy, just ask. So I did and man, did they answer, in stark, unflinching detail. Theyre proud of what theyre trying to do, and they think theyre literally on a mission from God.

Theyre also gaining momentum.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The upcoming delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine will challenge Russia's "full dominance" of the skies over the Black Sea, Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa told Reuters in an interview published on July 5.

Ukraine is expected to receive the first F-16 jets this summer, a year after Denmark and the Netherlands founded the "fighter jet coalition" with nine other countries at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023.

"F-16s with the right armaments will be able to push away Russian warplanes. The northwestern part of the Black Sea, particularly the corridor for civilian ships, will be almost 100% secure," Neizhpapa said in the interview.

Due to the naval drone attacks, Russian warships do not enter the northwestern part of the Black Sea, an area of almost 25,000 square meters, Neizhpapa said.

Ukraine wants to expand its shipping corridor, which facilities the only maritime traffic from the three main Odesa ports, to include the ports of Mykolaiv and Kherson in the country's south, the vice admiral said.

This is currently impossible since Russia controls the Kinburn Spit, he added.

The Kinburn Spit is located at the mouth of the Dnipro River south of Kherson. It is one of the last parts of Mykolaiv Oblast that remains under Russian occupation.

Kyiv was forced to set up a new export route in the Black Sea last year after Russia unilaterally terminated the Black Sea grain deal. Initially envisioned as a humanitarian corridor to allow the departure of ships stranded there since the start of the full-scale war, it has since grown into a full-blown trade route.

Read also: Who needs warships when youve got drones? Russia loses control over Black Sea

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Aperol Spritz helped prosecco escape its cork-popping role in celebrations like New Year's Eve and made it the base of a universally loved summer drink. But social media claims that it leads to cancer are causing concern among some fans. Daniel Vogl/dpa

The most popular summer drink these days might still be the Aperol Spritz, but recently there have been claims online suggesting that colourings contained in the aperitif are toxic and carcinogenic.

The good news is that wee checked out this claim and found that it is misleading. The concerns relate to Aperol, one of the brands of the Campari Group and an Italian liqueur used as an aperitif or a mixer in cocktails.

You make an Aperol Spritz by mixing it with Prosecco and mineral water, and these days, you can also find drinks similar to Aperol on offer at supermarkets under their own brands.

Aperol owes its striking orange-red colour to the two added artificial colourings E 110 (yellow-orange S) and E 124 (cochineal red A), which are based on petroleum.

These azo dyes are considered "very controversial," says Berlin's consumer advice centre. They can cause what are known as pseudo-allergic reactions such as reddening of the skin and asthma in people who are allergic to aspirin or are generally susceptible to allergies.

But do they also increase the risk of cancer? The small amounts used in food are considered harmless, say advisors who note that both colourings are approved food additives.

Additives are only authorized if certain criteria are met, including proof that the substance is harmless to peple's health, says Germany's national consumer protection and food safety office.

Limited quantities of colourings

Authorization often only applies to certain food categories and limited maximum quantities. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set daily intake limits for E 110 and E 124.

For E 110, this maximum amount is four milligrams per kilogram of body weight, for E 124 it is 0.7 milligrams.

In spirits such as Aperol, both colourings may be used in a total concentration of up to 200 milligrams per litre.

That means anyone who weighs 70 kilograms can consume up to 490 ml of Aperol per day without exceeding the recommended limits, say consumer advisors. Their calculation is based on the colouring agent E 124 and the assumption that Aperol can contain up to 100 milligrams per litre.

That results in just under half a litre of Aperol corresponds to around eight glasses of our popular summer drink Aperol Spritz.

Studies have produced varying results as to whether and to what extent E 110 and E 124 have a carcinogenic effect.

Scientists have so far found that the risk of cancer in mice increased - albeit in high concentrations when administered for long periods.

Nevertheless, other countries are already taking a much more restrictive approach to E 124 and the US completely bans the use of the colouring agent in food.

When it comes to E 110, scientists in Germany have observed possible kidney tumours forming in animals, but qualify this by saying no such link has yet been proven for humans in studies.

Definitely carcinogenic: alcohol

However, there is another ingredient to consider in the assessment, namely alcohol, which is known to be carcinogenic.

Scientists long ago recognized that there is a direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk, notably oesophageal cancer and liver cancer, says the German Cancer Research Centre.

Some 4% of annual cancer cases globally can be directly attributed to alcohol - and then come other potential impacts on your health such as strokes, heart failure, alcohol dependency and mental disorders.

So in essence, yes Aperol Spritz will increase your risk of getting cancer, but little more than any other drink with this much alcohol in it.
Nariman Dzhelyal upon his return from Russian captivity on 28 June 2024. Photo: Rustem Umierov on Facebook

Nariman Dzhelyal, who is Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis, an executive body representing the Crimean Tatar people, was recently liberated from Russian captivity. Now his family has left Russian-occupied Crimea.

Dzhelyal's wife Leviza and their four children have left for Ukrainian-controlled territory and are heading to Kyiv.

Source: Nariman Dzhelyal in a comment to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne

Details: The former political prisoner expects to be reunited with his family on the evening of 5 July. It will be the first time he has seen them in three years.

Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis, has also confirmed that Nariman Dzhelyal's family are on their way to Kyiv.

Chubarov noted that the measures that used to be taken to ensure the safety of Dzhelyal's family are now a thing of the past.

"Starting tomorrow morning, Nariman plans to personally contact the journalists who have sent him requests for communication over the last few days," the Mejlis chairman added.

Background:

Nariman Dzhelyal had been in Russian captivity since 2021. He was released from Russian torture chambers along with nine other civilians on 28 June 2024.

They include Greek Catholic priests Bohdan Heleta and Ivan Levytskyi, who resisted the occupation in Berdiansk, as well as Olena Pekh and Valerii Matiushenko, civilians who had been held captive since 2017-2018.

Nariman Dzhelyal said the hardest things he had to endure in captivity were the humiliation and injustice.

Support UP or become our patron!
Nigel Farage, a driving force behind Britains Brexit movement and a confidant of former US President Donald Trump, has been elected to parliament for the first time, as his upstart right-wing Reform UK party looks to shake up the countrys politics.

Farage becomes a member of Britains parliament on his eighth attempt after winning with 46.2% of the vote in the heavily pro-Brexit Clacton, a seaside town on Englands southeastern coast where Reform UK had polled well.

With most of the votes now counted, results indicate Reform UK has won at least five seats in the House of Commons, a comparatively strong showing in Britains first-past-the-post electoral system where smaller parties often struggle to translate their national support into parliamentary seats.

Farages Reform UK party attacked the Conservative Party on its failure to bring down rates of legal and illegal migration. That message appears to have won over a considerable number of socially conservative voters, with Reform UK candidates splitting the right-wing vote and contributing to the Conservatives losses.

Farage, an outspoken and polarizing figure, has long been known for using alarmist and confrontational language when discussing immigration. Since announcing his candidacy, Farage has warned supporters of an invasion of asylum seekers, and last month he sparked outrage from political opponents after saying the West provoked Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The veteran Euroskeptic, played a leading role in bringing about Britains departure from the European Union, and has remained a divisive and disruptive figure in the countrys politics since.

Farage is perhaps best-known outside of the UK for his friendship with former US President Donald Trump, recently campaigning alongside him.

But he has never been elected to parliament, losing seven elections since 1994 before this victory. He won Clacton on a massive swing towards Reform UK, picking up 21,225 votes to the Conservatives 12,820.

Fridays results now give Reform UK a small but significant base from which to oppose Labour leader and soon-to-be new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a crucial parliamentary platform.

Its not just disappointment with the Conservative Party. There is a massive gap on the center right of British politics and my job is to fill it. And thats exactly what Im going to do, Farage said after winning the seat.

He pledged to challenge the general election properly in 2029, and promised to turn his rhetoric toward the Labour Party as it enters government.

In many seats around the UK, Reform came second to Labour. Farage said the Labour government will be in trouble very, very quickly and we will now be targeting Labour votes. Were coming for Labour  be in no doubt about that.

His presence during the election campaign upended the Conservative Partys efforts to win back socially conservative, pro-Brexit voters.

His win comes at the same time Europe is broadly in the grip of what some call a right-wing populist surge.

Last months European elections saw a historic number of lawmakers from hard-right and far-right parties elected to the European Parliament. In snap French elections, far-right National Rally won the first round last week.

Speaking to CNN Thursday night, Politico deputy UK editor Rosa Prince said the result showed a very widespread disaffection with the Conservative Party and that Reform UKs far-right policies really chime with some parts of the electorate.

The big question is going to be whether the Conservative Party tries to draw him in to them and maybe even join forces, or whether they push him away, Prince said. Because what you could have is a total realignment of the right I think Nigel Farage is certainly going to be causing trouble in the Houses of Parliament.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Three men accused of killing a 68-year-old New Zealand woman in a robbery attempt at Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach on Tuesday could face the death penalty, including one defendant already convicted of multiple felonies.

Leroy Ernest Joseph McCrary, 26, of Los Angeles; Malachi Eddward Darnell, 18, of Los Angeles; and Jaden Cunningham, 18, of Lancaster, are accused of throwing Patricia McKay into the street, then running over her with a vehicle as they fled, according to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.

McCrary, Darnell and Cunningham allegedly held up McKay and her husband, 69, at gunpoint as the visitors from New Zealand waited for a ride after a day of shopping, prompting a struggle.

During the fracas, Cunningham tried to grab McKays bags, dragging her into the street, prosecutors said. Despite the efforts of McKays husband to save his wife, the driver accelerated, knocking him out of the way and fatally injuring McKay by dragging her 65 feet.

Darnell also fired at a good Samaritan who tried to step in, officials said.

Fashion Island Fatal Robbery

All three were arrested after a pursuit and face a charge of a special circumstance murder in which a person over the age of 65 was killed during the commission of a robbery. They were also charged with attempted second-degree robbery, a felony.

McCrary, who was previously convicted of felonies for a residential burglary in 2018, criminal threats in 2020 and robbery in 2023, was also charged with evading while driving recklessly.

Darnell also faces charges of attempted murder, a felony enhancement of personal use of a firearm and a felony enhancement of personal discharge of a firearm.

All three are being held without bail.

In the release, Spitzer said the Orange County community extends its deepest sympathies to the McKay family and all of New Zealand, adding that lawlessness and violence will not be tolerated in our society.

Our shopping centers and malls have become hunting grounds for criminals who are stalking innocent shoppers to rob them blind because our Governor and our Legislature refuse to hold anyone accountable for their actions, he said. Actions have consequences and it shouldnt have to result in the death of an elderly woman just enjoying a day of shopping with her husband for our elected leaders in Sacramento to realize that this is the product of their soft-on-crime policies which encourage criminality while sacrificing public safety. This is Orange County and we refuse to accept this is the new normal. Criminals will be held accountable and violence will never be acceptable.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The FBI helped return a Revolutionary War-era musket to a Philadelphia museum more than 50 years after it was stolen.

The .78-caliber firearm was stolen from Valley Forge during a heist in 1968.

The FBI worked with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office, the Upper Merion Township Police Department and the museum to recover the musket.

In April, the FBI published a story about several missing historical artifacts. A short time later, the investigative team received a tip identifying the location of the musket. From that tip, investigators traced it to an antique firearms collector in Maryland, who didnt know the musket was stolen.

The firearm was given to the Museum of the American Revolution during a ceremony on July 1.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

2 men found dead in pool in Pine Township Man attacked with sword at Pittsburgh hotel, police say Tree falls, killing 18-year-old cleaning up storm damage in Westmoreland County VIDEO: Thousands head to Point State Park to celebrate 4th of July DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Federal grant to help Beatrice beautify its downtown area, make it more pedestrian friendly

Among the projects of the Main Street Beatrice program was commissioning this mural, by local artist Tyler Rinne, to promote the downtown business district

Among the projects of the Main Street Beatrice program was commissioning this mural, by local artist Tyler Rinne, to promote the downtown business district. (Courtesy of Michael Sothan)

BEATRICE, Nebraska  A federal grant is expected to turn a long-discussed project to enhance downtown Beatrice into a reality.

The city recently was named a recipient of a $21.4 million grant from the federal infrastructure bill, which will be used to reroute U.S. Highway 136 one block south, around the downtown core, to make that area more pedestrian- and festival-friendly.

An official with the Main Street Beatrice program, which is leading redevelopment efforts, said that moving semi-truck traffic off the east-west highway, known as Court Street, in the center of downtown will allow the community to string holiday lights, install public art, benches and landscaping, and more easily shut off the street for festivals and events.

It opens up a world of opportunities, said Morgan Fox, executive director of Main Street Beatrice.

Tobias Tempelmeyer, Beatrices city manager, echoed that sentiment.

Its a very transformative project for us, he said.

The grant money is coming from the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program, or RAISE, which is part of the bipartisan infrastructure program passed under President Joe Biden.

The RAISE program has granted more than $7.2 billion to about 550 projects across the country, including one other in Nebraska.

That is a $750,000 grant to Lincoln County to study alternative routes for freight traffic and improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists infrastructure, and support the ongoing development of the Nebraska International Port of the Plains, which is being developed near North Platte.

In Beatrice, rerouting Highway 136 has been discussed for several years, but it always included concerns about how to finance such a project, as well as questions about whether rerouting the east-west highway along Market Street, one block to the south, might harm restaurants, bars and others businesses along Court Street.

The city already has designated truck routes around Court Street, but the routes are voluntary, and few truckers traveling east-west used them, according to Tempelmeyer.

Gov. Jim Pillen, in a recent press release, congratulated Beatrice on obtaining the grant funds, noting the assistance from the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Im proud that Beatrice leaned into this opportunity and appreciate NDOTs efforts to support them in making the project a reality. Its a big win for Nebraska, said Pillen, who has called for increasing use of federal grant funds.

The $21 million grant will be used to redesign and reconstruct the highway and to add pedestrian and cyclist safety features, the press release said.

Tempelmeyer said a formal vote to accept the federal grant will be taken by the Beatrice City Council in the next couple of months.

After that, he said, the city will hire an engineering firm to design the approximately six block rerouting. It will be at least two years, Tempelmeyer estimated, before work to reroute the highway and to beautify Court Street will begin.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Federal grant to help Beatrice beautify its downtown area, make it more pedestrian friendly appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Campus protests that started out as anti-Israel and too often slid over into flat-out antisemitism and pro-terrorist advocacy shocked much of the nation in recent months. It's enough to make anybody wonder what kind of education is going on at institutions of higher education, and just what has happened to many of the students attending themespecially at elite schools. But one body that really should butt out unless the protests cross beyond the bounds of protected speech is the government. State attempts to police speech have a lousy history and threaten to turn even the most hateful protesters into martyrs at a time when society at large is already delivering consequences.

Censorship by Bureaucracy

"The Department of Education is required by law to guard against discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in higher education," the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) noted last week. "Now the agency is telling college and university administrators they can only achieve this important goal by violating the First Amendment."

FIRE points to agreements between the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the University of Michigan, the City University of New York, and Lafayette College, which were under investigation for their handling of campus protests in the wake of Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. The agreements indicate official dissatisfaction with how the schools managed responses to the protests and require stronger action in the future.

"OCR found no evidence that the university complied with its Title VI requirements to assess whether incidents individually or cumulatively created a hostile environment for students, faculty, or staff, and if so, to take steps reasonably calculated to end the hostile environment, remedy its effects, and prevent its recurrence," reads the agreement with the University of Michigan.

FIRE objects that federal bureaucrats seem to want the university to treat expression by students, whether or not it's coordinated, as contributing towards some critical mass of bad vibes. Once an invisible line of cumulative nasty statements is crossed and a hostile environment considered to exist, the document suggests that official intervention becomes necessary.

How is that point to be determined?

The agreement commits the University of Michigan to administer a "climate assessment" to evaluate the degree to which "students and/or employees are subjected to or witness discrimination and harassment based on race, color, and national origin." The assessments will then be used "to identify responsive steps for OCR's review and approval" in dealing with hostile speech on campus.

"This unconstitutional mandate rewrites the rules of campus speech," responded Alex Morey, FIRE's vice president of campus advocacy. "OCR has invented a completely new standard that needlessly pits First Amendment rights against federal anti-discrimination law, dangling the threat of punishment over every discussion."

Speech Is Protected, Even When It's Unpleasant

That's not to deny that much of what has been said at anti-Israel protests has been despicable. While many participants called for an end of war out of concern for the people of Gaza, some Jews have been told to "go back to Poland." Hamas's military wing was urged to "kill another soldier now." And the October 7 invasion and massacre has been openly and repeatedly praised.

But that's hateful speech which, it bears repeating, is protected by the First Amendment.

Overt harassment and acts of violence are not protected. Firebombings and assaults are fair game for police attention. That's true no matter the political positions of those who are guilty.

But requiring "climate assessments" of schools to determine if campus discourse has passed some invisible hostility threshold that necessitates official intervention goes too far. Any such assessment will inevitably be subjective and tend towards the restrictive side as administrators fear drawing the wrath of federal bureaucrats and the financial sticks they wield as potential penalties.

Government Sucks at Policing Speech

The truth is that government officials have a terrible track record when it comes to monitoring speech and protests. That was true in the 1970s when the Church Committee found the FBI "has placed more emphasis on domestic dissent than on organized crime" and it was true more recently when the feds fingered Revolutionary War imagery as indicative of violent extremism.

Few areas of life are improved by government intervention, and political debate is not an exception. Government action risks turning protesters who might be rightly called out by peers for bad causes and hideous statements into martyrs joining the ranks of dissidents surveilled by the state.

Free Speech Meets Social Consequences

In fact, except in the case of violent conduct, government action regarding these protests is largely unnecessary. The protests, by and large, have alienated Americans. In May, YouGov found that "Americans are more likely to strongly or somewhat oppose (47%) than support (28%) pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses."

That has carried over to how society at large treats protesters as they graduate. Last month, Intelligent, a college information firm, polled job-searching college students and graduates. It discovered that "3 in 10 pro-Palestine student activists had a job offer rescinded in the last six months." More than two-thirds said the job losses were definitely (31 percent) or probably (37 percent) due to their activism. Would-be employers seem to care about the issue as they consider new hires; more than 70 percent of those surveyed say they were asked about participation in pro-Palestinian protests during their interviews.

Sometimes, when you use your right to free expression to say horrible things, other people don't want to be associated with you. That's a more appropriate penalty for a free society than government-mandated assessments of campus speech climates.

Of course, many colleges created their own problems by failing to consistently protect speech in the past and to clarify the point beyond which legally actionable harassment and actual violence would not be tolerated. That left them scrambling when (some) campuses exploded in a new round of protest to define boundaries and apply established rules.

For those interested, the Chicago Principles, developed in 2014 at the University of Chicago are a good place to start. They're certainly better than letting federal officials impose censorship by bureaucracy.

The post Federal Intervention in Campus Protests Is Going Too Far appeared first on Reason.com.
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 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.

This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.

The post Feds prepare for bird flu jump to people with vaccines, tests appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, July 5. Transactions worth almost $15.6 million were concluded at Turkmenistan's State Commodity and Raw Material Exchange last week, Trend reports.

According to the exchange, representatives of the business circles of Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and the UAE purchased petroleum bitumen, hydrotreated diesel fuel and liquefied gas produced by the Turkmennebit State Concern.

At the same time, Turkmenistan also sold various types of textiles produced by the Turkmenpagta State Concern to foreign entrepreneurs on the exchange.

Furthermore, Turkmenistan's entrepreneurs purchased petroleum bitumen, polypropylene, construction and textile products, and handmade carpets worth more than 77 million Turkmen manat ($22 million).

At the last auction of the State Commodity and Raw Material Exchange of Turkmenistan, 16 deals were sealed last week.

Meanwhile, the State Commodity and Raw Material Exchange was established in Turkmenistan on July 29, 1994, which is the most important body of state regulation for export-import operations of goods.
Many fishermen have expressed staunch opposition to the offshore wind proposal. (Scott Eisen | Getty Images)

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold public meetings and take comments this month on its draft environmental assessment for proposed offshore wind leases in the Gulf of Maine.

BOEM, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, announced in April its proposal for an offshore wind energy auction. It would include eight leasing areas off the coasts of Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, with the potential to generate up to 15 megawatts of energy to power up to 5 million homes, according to BOEM.

In June, BOEM released a draft environmental assessment, which lays out the potential environmental consequences of the proposal. It lists expected impacts for a range of categories  including commercial and recreational fishing, sea turtles, military use, and more  as negligible or negligible to minor.

The 30-day public comment period ends on July 22. BOEM is holding virtual public meetings on the environmental assessment on July 8 at 1 p.m. and July 10 at 5 p.m. At the meetings, the public can learn more about the assessment, ask questions, and provide oral testimony, according to BOEM.

While clean energy advocates say offshore wind could help transition the region to greener energy sources, many fishermen have expressed staunch opposition to the proposal. A public meeting in Portsmouth in late May drew a crowd of opponents, mostly from the fishing community.
Fewer beds and smaller earnings will hurt New Mexico hospitals as new state law goes into effect

Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo, New Mexico. (Photo by Danielle Prokop / Source NM)

Smaller New Mexico hospitals will soon start missing out on government funding due to their fewer number of beds and smaller financial performance.

Senate Bill 17 signed into law earlier this year is set to go into effect this summer, redefining how the state calculates its portion of the Medicaid match for hospitals. The Healthcare Quality Delivery and Access Act establishes that 60% of the states match is based on Medicaid service volume or beds while 40% is based on performance, which is determined by the Health Care Authority based on reports from the hospitals.

Ultimately, the bill aims to improve and increase access to healthcare services within the state. However, hospitals that do not have significant Medicaid service volume will not see much benefit, reads a Legislative Finance Committee report.

According to the report, smaller hospitals with fewer beds care for fewer Medicaid patients, compared to bigger hospitals with a larger capacity to treat Medicaid patients.

Given the structure of the act, hospitals most at risk of down-sizing may not see much benefit. Generally speaking, hospitals that are not fiscally-challenged will receive the bulk of the financial aid based on bed count, the report reads. Ultimately, the act does not target hospitals that are financially struggling, and instead helps larger hospitals which are generally already profitable.

The LFC report uses Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital in Gallup as an example. The smaller hospital lost around $20 million in 2022 and will receive about $6.5 million from the new law.

Rehoboth has made headlines recently by being ordered to pay over $100 million in medical malpractice damages. The civil case was filed in 2019 following a patients botched hernia surgery left them with life-long complications.

This will not cover the full extent of the losses that Rehoboth faces and they will still have a negative net margin of more than $13 million, the LFC report reads.

On the other hand, the larger Eastern New Mexico Medical Center reported a profit of about $80 million in 2022 and will receive over $37 million from the law. The report said if the Roswell hospitals earnings remain on track, it could see over $117 million in combined profits and matched funding from the state.

Twelve New Mexico hospitals which qualify for funding under the new law reported net losses in 2022. Four of them will not receive enough state match funding to turn a profit. These include Rehoboth, Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, Santa Fe Medical Center, and Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Albuquerque.

In Southern New Mexico, Artesia General Hospital reported a nearly $3 million loss in 2022 and is only projected to receive $5.6 million in match funding. The hospital will be profitable at $2.7 million, which is low compared to other larger hospitals in the region.

The report also noted that public funds made up about 70% of total hospital revenue in 2022 and this number is projected to reach 74% by 2025. These include funding from Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Advantage and state subsidies.

As the state continues to increase hospital subsidies, New Mexico is in a unique position to ensure hospitals use their revenue to improve patients outcomes and access to healthcare, the report reads.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

During a Legislative Health & Human Services Committee meeting this week, Rep. Tara Lujan (D-Santa Fe) said the report raised several red flags for the lawmakers.

We dont always have all the answers when we come up with legislation. But I knew that we worked together with institutions, with legislators, with the executive office particularly on this bill, Lujan said. It looks like we need to make some adjustments.

When asked by Rep. Pamelya Herndon (D-Albuquerque) about solutions the legislature should consider, LFC Analyst Allegra Hernandez said lawmakers need to make sure there are measures in place to hold hospitals accountable, and to improve care.

She added that the goal should be to make sure New Mexico hospitals are in a financially healthier place in five years, and that she does not believe Senate Bill 17, as it is currently written, will do that.

Hernandez offered one solution  the rural emergency hospital designation through Medicare. This designation was established through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 by Congress. The idea is that smaller, often rural hospitals would transition to become a rural emergency hospital and only offer emergency care to patients. This would limit access to broader services for patients seeking care.

The rural emergency designation possible by (Medicare) is one potential answer, although its not necessarily the most popular answer as it would close hospital beds and only allow for emergency services, Hernandez said.

Hospitals that choose to transition to this designation would receive another 5% in Medicare funds and a monthly facility payment of about $272,000. According to the LFC report, Guadalupe County Hospital is the only hospital in the state that has chosen to make this transition.

The state and hospitals will likely need to continue to make difficult decisions about when it is necessary to close hospitals or sections of hospitals, Hernandez said. (The rural emergency designation) is an option, although, as I said, it is controversial, Hernandez said.

The post Fewer beds and smaller earnings will hurt New Mexico hospitals as new state law goes into effect appeared first on Source New Mexico.
Seizing state money from the city of East St. Louis to help pay for police pensions is unconstitutional and would reduce local governments ability to provide essential services to its citizens, the city says in a lawsuit against the Police Pension Board and Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza.

The city filed the lawsuit after the pension board voted unanimously June 11 to ask Mendozas office to ``intercept $3.5 million the city owes the pension fund. Mendozas office has not made a decision on the boards request.

``We are challenging the legitimacy of the law, City Attorney John Baricevic told the BND.

The city is asking the court for a permanent injunction that would block the comptrollers office from intercepting the state funds.

Police Pension Board members say the city has a record of ignoring the pension fund, despite its responsibility to make sure theres money to pay retirees and their dependents each month.

Nick Mueller, president of the East St. Louis Police Pension Board, told the BND that city officials knew the board would be asking for the intercept. Some city officials were present when the board voted last month to proceed with the intercept request. They voiced no objections, Mueller said.

Nine days later, on June 20, the city filed its lawsuit in St. Clair County Circuit Court. The pension fund, the pension board and Mendoza are named as defendants.

The city government argues in its complaint that it did object to the pension boards intention to ask for an intercept, but the board proceeded with its vote anyway.

None of the defendants in the citys lawsuit have filed a response to the lawsuit, though they told the BND they do plan to contest it.

As of earlier this week, the defendants said they have yet to be served with the complaint. As a result, a scheduled Friday hearing on the citys request for a preliminary injunction blocking the comptroller from withholding state funds is expected to be rescheduled.

The citys complaint states the intercept law is unconstitutional and contrary to public policy.

The enforcement of this statue exacerbates existing inequalities by reducing the Citys ability to provide essential services that these communities rely on, the citys lawsuit states. The reduction in state funds due to the intercept will lead to decreased public safety, health services, and other vital municipal functions, disproportionately affecting minority residents.

The statutes enforcement without considering its disparate impact on minority communities perpetuates systemic inequities and contradicts the purpose of fair and equal application of the law across all municipalities in Illinois.

Tensions between city and pension boards

The city and the East St. Louis Fire and Police Pension Boards have squabbled for months over the citys failure to pay its obligations to the pension funds..

East St. Louis already had been behind in funding the pensions by millions of dollars when it stopped its monthly contributions after September 2023, officials said.

As a result, in January, both the Fire and Police Pension Boards said they would ask Mendoza to intercept state money allocated to the city and use it to help pay the contributions owed for police and fire pensions.

But the Fire Pension Board has since backed off its plan after negotiating a deal with the city in March. Under the deal, the city government agreed to put $4.5 million into the fire pension fund by the end of May, attorney Dennis Orsey said at the time. Orsey represents both the Fire and Police Pension Boards.

The fund that pays fire pensions to 95 families had been in jeopardy because so little money remained.

The infusion of money into the fire pension fund allows the board to start investing and building a reserve account.

...Its the investment account that will give us a return on the investments through the stock market, which in the long run helps the city. If we get returns on our investments, thats less money the city has to put in in future years, Orsey said earlier this year.

Whats next for the Police Pension Board?

The Police Pension Board formally decided to move ahead with its plans to ask the comptroller for the intercept, and now the city has taken the matter to court.

We plan to vigorously defend against their complaint in court, Mueller told the BND.

Charles Atwell, the intercept attorney for the Police Pension Board, said earlier this week he had not seen the complaint but plans to mount a vigorous defense.

Asked to comment on the lawsuit, a spokesman for the state comptrollers office said the agency follows a 2010 law in dealing with intercept requests.

 It requires the comptroller to divert state payments from municipalities to pension funds when those municipalities have failed to make payments to the funds said spokesman Abdon Pallasch.  Following the grievance period during which the municipality can contest the claim from the pension fund, the comptrollers office follows that law unless a court orders the office not to or the parties work out a settlement plan.

The Illinois Attorney Generals Office will serve as the comptrollers lawyer in the lawsuit.

The East St. Louis Police Pension Board says the city owes $3.5 million to the fund, covering fiscal years 2016, 2019 and 2021. The city says it received less than that - about $3.3 million - from the state during the first quarter of this year.

Orsey, the Police Pension Board lawyer, said paperwork to request the intercept was sent to Mendozas office after the pension board voted to proceed.

A copy of the transcript along with all of the exhibits have been sent to the state comptrollers office for review, he said.  It takes them about 60 days to review everything. If they find everything to be in order and there are no objections by the city they will begin the intercept.

That is, if the court allows the comptroller to proceed.

St. Clair County Chief Circuit Judge Andrew Gleason has issued a temporary restraining order that stops the intercept from proceeding, for now. An initial hearing is set for 10 a.m. Aug. 5 before Gleason.

In the meantime, East St. Louis City Manager Robert Betts hopes the city and pension board can come to some kind of agreement to avoid proceeding with the lawsuit.

Were hoping we can get the pension board members to sit down with the city to try to work this thing out, Betts said. We want to see how the city and board members can come to some kind of agreement instead of doing an intercept. Nobody wins when you do that. Everybody loses.

Mueller said the board is not interested in further discussions with the city. They want the city to take care of its financial obligation to the pension fund, he said.
The brutal heat is fueling the flames of a wildfire in Burke County.

Chopper 9 Skyzoom captured the fire burning out of control Friday on Burkemont Mountain. Its already burned across more than 60 acres, and the North Carolina Forest Service believes one of its possible causes was a firework.

ALSO READ: Smoke dissipates after blanketing Charlotte area

Firefighters are concerned the blaze could more than triple in size this weekend.

Channel 9s Dave Faherty could see all the smoke the fire was producing Friday. Eight different fire departments are working to keep people safe.

The brutal heat is fueling the flames of a wildfire in Burke County. Chopper 9 Skyzoom captured the fire burning out of control Friday on Burkemont Mountain. Its already burned across more than 60 acres, and the North Carolina Forest Service believes one of its possible causes was a firework.

The brutal heat is fueling the flames of a wildfire in Burke County. Chopper 9 Skyzoom captured the fire burning out of control Friday on Burkemont Mountain. Its already burned across more than 60 acres, and the North Carolina Forest Service believes one of its possible causes was a firework.

The brutal heat is fueling the flames of a wildfire in Burke County. Chopper 9 Skyzoom captured the fire burning out of control Friday on Burkemont Mountain. Its already burned across more than 60 acres, and the North Carolina Forest Service believes one of its possible causes was a firework.

The brutal heat is fueling the flames of a wildfire in Burke County. Chopper 9 Skyzoom captured the fire burning out of control Friday on Burkemont Mountain. Its already burned across more than 60 acres, and the North Carolina Forest Service believes one of its possible causes was a firework.

The brutal heat is fueling the flames of a wildfire in Burke County. Chopper 9 Skyzoom captured the fire burning out of control Friday on Burkemont Mountain. Its already burned across more than 60 acres, and the North Carolina Forest Service believes one of its possible causes was a firework.

The brutal heat is fueling the flames of a wildfire in Burke County. Chopper 9 Skyzoom captured the fire burning out of control Friday on Burkemont Mountain. Its already burned across more than 60 acres, and the North Carolina Forest Service believes one of its possible causes was a firework.

Michael Dugger showed Faherty the view from his home near the top of Burkemont Mountain. Normally, he can see Table Rock Mountain and Lake James. But on Friday, smoke surrounded his home and firefighters were stationed nearby with hoses and water for protection.

Theyve done a great job, Dugger said. They come here and told me theyre here for us, on the mountain, so nobody lost their home or anything.

Firefighters from the Salem Fire Department shared photos of the fire overnight. They got the call after viewers said they could see someone shooting fireworks on the mountainside for nearly an hour Thursday night, which was the Fourth of July.

ALSO READ: Over 50 firefighters work to put out wildfire in Watauga County

The fire quickly grew in size on Friday with the heat index in the triple digits.

The heat is terrible on us, Salem firefighters said. Thank God the community has come around and supported us with hydration and food.

The North Carolina Forest Service is setting back burns in an effort to contain the fire. Theyve been able to use bulldozers in some areas but in others, hand crews are cutting lines on the mountainside.

Several homes and even a wedding venue, Hidden Hills Venue, are near the top of the mountain. So far, they havent had any damage. Faherty learned a wedding planned for the weekend is still on right now.

The Forest Service isnt recommending any evacuations at this point.

(WATCH BELOW: Concord house fire under investigation, firefighters say)




MOUNTAIN GREEN, Utah (ABC4)  Fire crews responded to multiple incidents over the July 4 holiday, including a rocket which shot across a Morgan fire chiefs windshield, according to the Mountain Green Fire Protection District.

Mountain Green fire crews responded to a CO alarm call before patrolling for illegal fireworks Thursday. Crews began shutting down a few shows, the department posted on social media.

At around 11 p.m., firefighters responded to a grass fire in Morgan that was reportedly started by fireworks thrown into a dumpster at an apartment complex. Rockets were shooting out of the dumpster, officials said, one of which shot across the Morgan fire chiefs windshield, and another that shot across a river and started a grass fire.

Investigation launched into Stadium of Fire fireworks accident, injuries

Courtesy of Mountain Green Fire Protection District

Courtesy of Mountain Green Fire Protection District

Courtesy of Mountain Green Fire Protection District

Courtesy of Mountain Green Fire Protection District

Remember, RED FLAG CONDITIONS still in effect, dry, dry, dry grasses, officials said.

At around 2:30 a.m., Mountain Green fire crews responded to a semi-truck rollover crash on I-84 westbound at Peterson exit 96.

Driver was possibly ejected, but a language barrier prevented further investigation, officials said.

The driver was reportedly taken to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries. Fire crews also dealt with leaking hazmat from the semi tractor, including mostly transmission oil from the destroyed engine, though the semis fuel tanks stayed intact, officials said.

All fire units were reportedly cleared by 3:30 a.m. so heavy recovery equipment could begin removing the wreckage.

No further information is available at this time.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
WATCH: Fireworks launch into crowd at Stadium of Fire, 6 taken to the hospital

WATCH: Fireworks launch into crowd at Stadium of Fire, 6 taken to the hospital

PROVO, Utah (ABC4)  Several injuries were reported at the Stadium of Fire event in Provo after fireworks launched into the crowd on Thursday night.

According to initial reports from officials, six people were taken to the hospital with injuries after the incident.

READ NEXT: Did you know? These were the most common fireworks-related injuries in 2023

Emergency officials responded to the LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, on July 4, 2024, after fireworks launched into the crowd. Police said several people were injured and multiple people were taken to the hospital. (KTVX/Aubree Jennings)

Officials with the Provo Police Department told ABC4.com that multiple people were injured and several people had been taken to the hospital. Later reports clarified that six people were taken to the hospital, but officials did not immediately disclose the number of people hurt.

The Stadium of Fire event  an annual Independence Day celebration at Brigham Young Universitys LaVell Edwards Stadium  was delayed after several fireworks went into the crowd during the flag ceremony at the beginning of the event, officials said.



Videos posted on social media showed the stray fireworks spiral into the crowd during the jet flyover.

Derek Blodgett, 19, of Utah County, was sitting with about a dozen relatives when one of the stray fireworks flew right over them, hitting a man in the neck two rows behind them.

He slumped over after he got hit, Blodgett told ABC4.com.



We thought that he died on the spot just because of how he acted, Blodgett said. Thats when we all started freaking out and called for paramedics.



Doctors among the crowd immediately rushed to help the man, who appeared to be bleeding from a neck wound. By the time paramedics got to the man, he regained consciousness and was able to walk away, Blodgett said, noting that others around the man were marked by soot and speckles of blood.

Emory Cook, a spokesperson for the Freedom Festival, said in a statement that all pyrotechnics were thoroughly checked before the show and were rechecked after Thursdays incident.

Our thoughts are with those who are impacted by the incident and we are following up with them to make sure they are okay, Cook said. Statement on fireworks launching into the crowd

After the incident, viewers witnessed a small fire in the stands where the fireworks were launched from, and the fire was later extinguished.

Viewers at the event told ABC4.com that the show was delayed for about 10 to 15 minutes as medical personnel and other officials responded to the scene. The show resumed just before 9 p.m.

Blodgett said that several people left the stands near where the stray fireworks struck. Others left later when the main fireworks show started following the performance by the Jonas Brothers.

We were one of the crazy few that stuck around after that, he said. It was a very small crowd left in our section.



In a statement, Provo Fire officials said the fireworks malfunction is under investigation. Anyone with video footage of the incident is asked to send it to the Provo City Fire Marshal by emailing firemarshal@provo.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 ABC4 Utah.
Fire damage in the 700 block of North Ninth St.

MANITOWOC - Fireworks apparently were behind an early morning fire at a house in the 700 block of North Ninth Street.

Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department received a fire alarm notice for the building at 8:13 a.m. July 5 for a report of a structure fire with smoke and flames showing.

Fire crews arrived within four minutes and found an active fire on the exterior of the home. Initial reports confirmed all occupants had safely evacuated the house, the department said.

The first crews quickly extinguished the fire and additional fire companies made a primary search of the homes three levels.

The main fire was extinguished quickly, according to Manitowoc Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeremy Wagner.

No injuries were reported.

The fire is under investigation but appears to have started on the exterior of the home, Wagner said. No cause or damage cost was available Friday morning.

Manitowoc Fire Rescue was assisted by the Two Rivers Fire Department, Branch Fire Department and the Manitowoc Police Department, as well as Wisconsin Public Service. Off-duty staff were called in to backfill city fire and emergency services while fire crews were at the fire scene.

The Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department would like to stress the importance of professional fireworks technicians, Wagner said. While there (are) safe and sane legal fireworks, they still present a hazard and proper disposal is critical.

Vehicle entries: Two Rivers police seek suspects in vehicle entries caught on security cameras

Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@gannett.com or call 920-606-2575. Follow her on X @PGPattiZarling and on Instagram @PGPatti.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: No one injured in Manitowoc home fire likely started by fireworks
Action News Jax Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh is tracking hot temperatures this weekend.

Its going to be a hot weekend with highs in the 90s.

Sunburn times down to 10 minutes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will be widely scattered showers and storms on Saturday midday. They will begin near I-95 and then shift more inland.

Afternoon showers and storms will be more numerous on Sunday with heavy downpours in spots.

As for the tropics, Beryl made landfall in Tulum, Mexico early Friday as a Cat. 2 hurricane. It has since weakened to a tropical storm.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Beryl is forecast to gradually increase again with a threat to South Texas by Sunday night into Monday.

There will be no local impacts or any impacts to any of Florida.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Heres a look at your 7-day forecast:

RIGHT NOW: Mostly to partly sunny with temps. in the upper 80s at the beaches to mid 90s inland. Isolated showers & storms well inland.

THE TROPICS: (1) Hurricane Beryl landfall near 7am EDT close to Tulum, Mexico. Moving over the SW Gulf of Mexico now as a tropical storm with slow strengthening expected over the weekend & a potential South Texas hit Sunday night/Monday  no local impacts. (2) A tropical wave is moving into the Central/Wester Caribbean & has some potential next week over the far Western/SW Gulf of Mexico but no local impacts.

TONIGHT: A few inland showers/storms early  west of Highway 301 partly cloudy. Low: 76

SATURDAY: Partly sunny & hot with isolated to widely scattered midday & afternoon showers & storms shifting inland. High: 97

SATURDAY NIGHT: Inland evening shower/storm partly cloudy. Low: 75

SUNDAY: Partly sunny & hot with scattered afternoon/evening tstorms. High: 96

MONDAY: Partly sunny with scattered afternoon storms. High: 92

TUESDAY: Partly sunny with scattered afternoon storms. High: 93

WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny with scattered afternoon storms. High: 92

THURSDAY: Partly sunny with scattered showers & tstorms. High: 92

FRIDAY: Partly sunny with a few morning showers moving inland then scattered afternoon showers & storms inland. High: 90

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.
What First Amendment attorney says about judge sealing civil suit case in Girl Scout deaths

A judge acted unconstitutionally when he sealed the case file entirely for a civil suit over a Kansas Turnpike crash that killed three Topeka Girl Scouts, contends an attorney who maintains a First Amendment-focused law practice.

Jeff Elder, chief judge for the state's 2nd Judicial District, which includes Pottawatomie County, recently sealed the file for that case, Pottawatomie County District Court Clerk McKenna Smith told The Capital-Journal on Monday.

Consequently, no way currently exists for the public to "know what is going on" with the suit, as is its right in a civil case, said Max Kautsch, a Lawrence attorney and former president of the Kansas Coalition for Open Government.

"The court should reconsider its order to correct this infringement on the public's First Amendment rights," he told The Capital-Journal.

Amber Peery is to be tried beginning Aug. 12 on Shawnee County District Court criminal charges that include three counts of involuntary manslaughter linked to the deaths of three passengers who were riding in the van she was driving at the time of the October 2022 crash in southwest Shawnee County.

Peery's trial had been scheduled to begin next Monday before Shawnee County District Court Judge Jessica Heinen postponed it on Friday.

A judge acted unconstitutionally when he sealed the case file entirely for a civil suit over a Kansas Turnpike crash that killed three Topeka Girl Scouts, contends an attorney who maintains a First Amendment-focused law practice. Motorist Amber Peery, who faces criminal charges that include three counts of involuntary manslaughter, is shown during her preliminary hearing in Shawnee County District Court.

What are the facts regarding Kansas Turnpike crash lawsuit?

Attorney L.J. Leatherman, of Topeka's Palmer Law Group, on April 17 filed a motion in 2nd District Court in Pottawatomie County saying a confidential settlement agreement had been reached by all plaintiffs and defendants in a civil suit linked to the Turnpike crash.

Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri is among defendants in the suit, which is linked to a crash that the Kansas Highway Patrol said killed Laila El Azri and Kylie Lunn, both 9, and Brooklyn Peery 8, as they rode to a Girl Scout event in a van driven by Amber Perry, Brooklyn's mother.

Amber Peery and her two other passengers  her daughter, Carrington Peery, then 5, and Gabriella Ponomarez, then 9  suffered injuries but survived, the highway patrol said.

Updated full names of Laila El Azri Ennassari and Gabriella Casas were given in the lawsuit petition filed April 17 by Leatherman, who represents Kylie's mother, plaintiff Tiffany Lunn.

Attorney: Court faces 'high bar' in terms of sealing documents

Leatherman's motion asked for the scheduling of a hearing at which a judge would approve the settlement agreement spelling out distribution of proceeds and attorney's fees.

A court document filed May 7 said Elder would consider approving the agreement June 18.

The Capital-Journal then noticed late last month that all records regarding the case had been removed from the Kansas District Court website. The newspaper called clerk Smith, who said the case file had been sealed.

Disagreement with that decision was expressed Monday by Kautsch, who said the presumptively open nature of the proceeding involved was apparent since its inception, given that the complaint and several other documents were publicly available prior to Elder's ruling.

"As a result, the court faces a high bar before it can seal court records under the First Amendment," he said.

Kautsch cited the 1984 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Press-Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court as saying that a court record in a presumptively open proceeding can be sealed only if the court finds there is "an overriding interest" that seal is "essential to preserve higher values and is narrowly tailored to serve that interest."

"But here, with the order to seal itself sealed, there is no way for the public to know what 'overriding interest' necessitated closure," he said. "Moreover, given that all the records in the case were sealed, it is hard to imagine how the court's order is sufficiently narrowly tailored to pass constitutional muster."

How were the Girl Scouts involved in triple fatality accident?

Peery's five passengers were part of Topeka's Daisy Troop 5567. They had been going to a Girl Scouting event in Tonganoxie.

The crash occurred near an opening in a Turnpike barrier wall between its northbound and southbound lanes, which is used to turn around by law enforcement officers, emergency workers and Kansas Turnpike Authority employees.

Peery's van was part of a caravan of three vehicles going to the Tonganoxie event, according to testimony given Nov. 30 at the preliminary hearing.

Amelia Bailey testified Nov. 30 that Margaret Jones drove alone in the lead vehicle, Bailey followed with five Girl Scout passengers in her vehicle and Peery drove at the rear as they entered the Kansas Turnpike going south at its South Topeka interchange.

But Jones pulled over and stopped on the right shoulder, Bailey stopped behind her, then Jones told Bailey by cellphone that they were going the wrong way and needed to turn around, Bailey testified. Meanwhile, she said, Peery passed them going south.

Bailey testified that she followed Jones, and both turned around and went north on the turnpike. They must have used an opening in the barrier wall, Bailey said. No off-ramps exist between the Turnpike's South Topeka interchange and Admire interchange, 30 miles to the southwest.

Bailey said she then called Peery and told her she needed to find a place to turn around.

Video shown at Peery's preliminary hearing showed she tried to make a U-turn from the right southbound lane through the southbound Turnpike's left lane to go through an opening in the barrier wall.

Peery's vehicle was then struck on its driver's side rear quarter panel area by a semi-trailer driven by Robert Russell, 72, of Huntsville, Alabama, who was southbound in the left lane, a Kansas Highway Patrol accident report said.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated Friday morning to reflect that Peery's trial had been postponed until Aug. 12.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Attorney questions sealing of file in Topeka Girl Scout deaths lawsuit
Brain cells

Scientists have identified a unique form of cell messaging occurring in the human brain, revealing just how much we still have to learn about its mysterious inner workings.

Excitingly, the discovery hints that our brains might be even more powerful units of computation than we realized.

Back in 2020, researchers from institutes in Germany and Greece reported a mechanism in the brain's outer cortical cells that produces a novel 'graded' signal all on its own, one that could provide individual neurons with another way to carry out their logical functions.

By measuring the electrical activity in sections of tissue removed during surgery on epileptic patients and analyzing their structure using fluorescent microscopy, the neurologists found individual cells in the cortex used not just the usual sodium ions to 'fire', but calcium as well.

This combination of positively charged ions kicked off waves of voltage that had never been seen before, referred to as a calcium-mediated dendritic action potentials, or dCaAPs.

Brains  especially those of the human variety  are often compared to computers. The analogy has its limits, but on some levels they perform tasks in similar ways.

Both use the power of an electrical voltage to carry out various operations. In computers it's in the form of a rather simple flow of electrons through intersections called transistors.

In neurons, the signal is in the form of a wave of opening and closing channels that exchange charged particles such as sodium, chloride, and potassium. This pulse of flowing ions is called an action potential.

Instead of transistors, neurons manage these messages chemically at the end of branches called dendrites.

"The dendrites are central to understanding the brain because they are at the core of what determines the computational power of single neurons," Humboldt University neuroscientist Matthew Larkum told Walter Beckwith at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in January 2020.

Dendrites are the traffic lights of our nervous system. If an action potential is significant enough, it can be passed on to other nerves, which can block or pass on the message.

This is the logical underpinnings of our brain  ripples of voltage that can be communicated collectively in two forms: either an AND message (if x and y are triggered, the message is passed on); or an OR message (if x or y is triggered, the message is passed on).

Arguably, nowhere is this more complex than in the dense, wrinkled outer section of the human central nervous system; the cerebral cortex. The deeper second and third layers are especially thick, packed with branches that carry out high order functions we associate with sensation, thought, and motor control.

It was tissues from these layers that the researchers took a close look at, hooking up cells to a device called a somatodendritic patch clamp to send active potentials up and down each neuron, recording their signals.

"There was a 'eureka' moment when we saw the dendritic action potentials for the first time," said Larkum.

To ensure any discoveries weren't unique to people with epilepsy, they double checked their results in a handful of samples taken from brain tumors.

While the team had carried out similar experiments on rats, the kinds of signals they observed buzzing through the human cells were very different.

More importantly, when they dosed the cells with a sodium channel blocker called tetrodotoxin, they still found a signal. Only by blocking calcium did all fall quiet.

Finding an action-potential mediated by calcium is interesting enough. But modelling the way this sensitive new kind of signal worked in the cortex revealed a surprise.

In addition to the logical AND and OR-type functions, these individual neurons could act as 'exclusive' OR (XOR) intersections, which only permit a signal when another signal is graded in a particular fashion.

"Traditionally, the XOR operation has been thought to require a network solution," the researchers wrote.

More work needs to be done to see how dCaAPs behave across entire neurons, and in a living system. Not to mention whether it's a human-thing, or if similar mechanisms have evolved elsewhere in the animal kingdom.

Technology is also looking to our own nervous system for inspiration on how to develop better hardware; knowing our own individual cells have a few more tricks up their sleeves could lead to new ways to network transistors.

Exactly how this new logic tool squeezed into a single nerve cell translates into higher functions is a question for future researchers to answer.

This research was published in Science.

A version of this article was originally published in January 2020.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, July 5. Turkmenistan has explored opportunities to expand cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Trend reports.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, this topic was discussed during the meeting of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Myakhri Byashimova with UNECE Regional Adviser Mario Apostolov.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects for further development of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the organization.

Furthermore, they paid special attention to the issues of cooperation within the framework of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA).

The Turkmen side expressed its firm commitment to further development of cooperation with SPECA countries and in this context, issues of improving the structure and reforming the activities of the program, including the establishment of the SPECA Trust Fund and its Secretariat, were raised.

Meanwhile, Turkmenistan is actively developing cooperation with the UNECE aimed at strengthening economic integration and sustainable development.

Within the framework of this cooperation, joint projects are being implemented in the fields of trade, energy, transport and ecology, which contributes to the diversification of the country's economy and improvement of infrastructure.
However, only 78 percent of flights operated on-time.

Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

A canceled flight can be devastating for travelers looking to attend an important meeting or family gathering.



Fortunately, new data from the Department of Transportation (DOT) reveals that flight cancellations are at historic lows for the first half of 2024, despite a record number of flights taking to the skies. Only 1.4 percent of flights were canceled over the first six months, which is the lowest rate in over 10 years, the DOT shared in a release.



For comparison, in 2022, nearly 3 percent of flights were canceled, and in 2023 the number improved to 1.4 percent.



This years record-breaking air travel is another good sign for our economy as more Americans take to the skies than ever before. To help avoid travel headaches, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic action to modernize airports and expand passenger protections for a smoother travel experience, United States Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the release.



In an effort to help travelers, the Department of Transportation created new rules such as refund guarantees for canceled flights, as well as a dashboard to provide airline passengers information on their rights when flying.



Travel + Leisure previously reported how Frontier Airlines had the most canceled flights in 2023, followed by JetBlue and Spirit Airlines.



While the low number of canceled flights is good news, only 78 percent of flights operated on-time between January and March 2024. In some cases, airlines may delay a flight several hours before canceling the flight.



Travel experts recommend visiting an airline's app or website to see if there are any rebooking options available. Many airlines have begun a practice of automatically rebooking passengers for the next available flight. For example, United Airlines recently updated their app and provides rebooking information available for customers without the need to speak directly with an agent.

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
(KRON)  The Santa Rosa Police Department was flooded with calls, handling a nearly 500% increase in 9-1-1 calls on the evening of the Fourth of July. Police said they ended the night with several armed suspect arrests and hundreds of pounds of illegal fireworks seized.

The SRPD Communications Center typically answers about 300-350 non-emergency and 9-1-1 calls in a day. On an average Fourth of July holiday, however, police believe this number could skyrocket to up to 2,000 calls. Police say this uptick was mainly due to illegal fireworks use and alcohol-related and violent crime calls.

Two San Rafael homes catch fire Thursday night

Santa Rosa police, along with the Santa Rosa Fire Department, said they recovered 700 pounds of illegal fireworks on Thursday, with MLK Park on Hendley Street having the largest concentration of people at about 200 spectators.

SRPDs Special Enforcement Team said they were also patrolled around the city last night. At about 5 p.m., officers made contact with a 16-year-old who had an outstanding arrest warrant. Police said they found a 9mm handgun loaded with 17 rounds before arresting the teenager.

Shortly after midnight, police found a group of people drinking in public in the 800 block of Boyd Street. Police said one of the subjects had a 9mm handgun loaded with 12 rounds hidden in a satchel. The weapon was seized, and the subject was arrested.

Police believed these two arrests likely prevented multiple shootings in [the] community. SRPD said it would continue to provide additional staffing throughout the rest of the four-day holiday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Florida sheriffs offices, substations must have child custody exchange sites, new law mandates

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)  A new Florida law aims to protect survivors of domestic abuse by codifying a practice that has been used for a long time: child custody exchanges in law enforcement parking lots.

We truly believe in safety and security for everyone, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.

According to Judd, most child custody exchanges are peaceful and eventful.

But occasionally we see an event where the family just cant stand each other and as a result, there needs to be a safe exchange, he said.

Substations in Polk County already have safe exchange areas, for both children and sales exchanges.

The new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in early June requires every sheriffs office and substation in Florida to have the designated areas.

They must have a purple light or sign to identify the location of the safe child custody exchange site.

It must be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, have adequate lighting and a continuously recording surveillance camera system.

Make sure that theres no cross words, theres no ugliness that occurs because if there is, well put you in jail and have a videotape, Judd said.

We see all kinds of power and control come out in those interactions, said Mindy Murphy, president & CEO of The Spring of Tampa Bay, the state-certified comprehensive domestic violence center for Hillsborough County.

Murphy said victims and their children are often put in dangerous positions during child custody exchanges.

Just because a couple breaks up, she said, it does not mean the abuse ends.

I think what the law does is tighten that up, gives a defined space with good lighting, 24 hours a day with cameras on that spot, Murphy said.

Despite the cameras, lighting and law enforcement nearby, Murphy still advises survivors to be aware of their surroundings and to follow their gut during all interactions.

The new law also states the sheriffs offices are immune from civil liability for anything that occurs in those locations.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
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.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Florida U.S. Rep. Luna changes course in campaign against attorney general appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
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 Michigan Advance.
American presidents are charged with more than just overseeing the domestic governance of the United States. They also represent the worlds most influential government on the international stage. In the aftermath of last weeks disastrous debate performance, world leaders are expressing concerns about President Joe Bidens declining health, and his ability to serve out another four-year term in a time of international turmoil.

According to a Friday report from The Washington Post, anxiety among prominent foreign heads of state was rising before Bidens debate against Donald Trump. In June, Biden attended the annual Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy. Several sources who discussed Bidens appearance at the summit directly with European leaders told the Post that Bidens counterparts were struck by how diminished, both physically and mentally, the president appeared. Three people indicated that Biden struggled to keep his train of thought, and one participant said Biden had to be asked to speak up during discussions repeatedly.

Biden also skipped a private dinner party with world leaders  one where heads of state typically engage in discussions and negotiations away from the prying eyes of the press.

While European leaders may have raised eyebrows during their interactions with Biden at the G7, the debate threw his diminished state into a new light.

What has changed the discourse here in Europe is not the G-7. Its the debate, one person familiar with discussions between the G7 leaders told the Post. Leaders were dismayed by Bidens performance  they told themselves they should have realized at the G-7  and came to the conclusion that he cannot win in November.

Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, told the Post that world leaders expressed concerns including that they dont see him being able to run the country for four more years. How are you running this guy for four more years? How are you going to win this election?

Its very, very rare in a democracy that the person you run for an election is someone that you all know cant lead the country for four more years, Bremmer added.

Last week, The Wall Street Journal published similar statements from people familiar with the G7s attendees concerns in the immediate aftermath of the debate. Two senior European officials told the Journal that Biden had struggled to keep up with discussions and manage his talking points at an October European Union-U.S. meeting in D.C.

Nathalie Tocci, director of the Institute of International Affairs, told the Journal that the debate was seen as an unmitigated disaster by European leaders. Its something that has been known, always, that his age is his main Achilles heel, she said.

The scrutiny wont stop anytime soon. Next week, dozens of heads of state are expected to converge in Washington, D.C., for a three-day NATO summit. In anticipation, the White House is working to deflect concerns over Bidens health and faculties by redirecting the conversation towards the threat posed by Trump.

What theyre worried about is Trump, not Biden, one White House official told The Washington Post.

With a jam-packed schedule and critical policy discussions on the summits agenda, all eyes will be on Biden. As domestic lawmakers, donors, and political commentators continue to increase the pressure on the president to reconsider staying in the race, foreign leaders may soon find themselves joining the growing calls for an election-year shakeup of the Democratic ticket.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone
Foreign minister says Moldova has right to expel more Russian diplomats

By Alexander Tanas

CHISINAU (Reuters) - The foreign minister of ex-Soviet Moldova was quoted as saying on Friday that his government reserved the right to order further expulsions of Russian diplomats if Moscow engaged in new activities harmful to the country's interests.

Moldova's relations with Russia have deteriorated as President Maia Sandu has denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine and led a drive to join the European Union. Sandu describes Russia and corruption as the two biggest threats to her country.

Moldova ordered out a Russian diplomat after Russia's March presidential election over Moscow's opening of four polling stations in the pro-Russian separatist Transdniestria region. Moldova had authorised a single polling station in Chisinau.

Moldova also ordered Russia's embassy staff cut by 45 in 2023 after alleging it was using equipment there for spying.

"If actions continue to hurt Moldova's national interests, as was the case in organising the so-called Russian presidential election on the east bank of the Dniestr River ... this remains an option," Popsoi told the deschide.md news outlet.

Such a strategy was risky, he acknowledged, because reciprocal Russian expulsions of Moldovan diplomats could make it hard to operate an embassy in Moscow.

"We need a balanced approach. On the one hand there is our national security to consider, while on the other hand we must consider our citizens in the diaspora and our interests. We need insight to maintain this difficult balance."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, interviewed by the Tass news agency, said Moscow was ready to impose retaliatory measures should there be any new expulsions.

"Chisinau is not drawing the right conclusions here. It would appear, they are bent on escalating tension in our relations," Tass quoted him as saying.

"As for measures in response, you know there has not been a single instance where we did not have an appropriate reaction."

Transdniestria, which split from Moldova in the dying days of Soviet rule and fought a brief war with the newly independent state, remains a sticking point in relations.

Some 1,500 Russian "peacekeepers" remain in the region and Moldova wants them out. Its separatist leaders have also accused Moldova's central authorities in recent months of imposing unfair customs duties and a "banking blockade" on its businesses.

Moldova and Ukraine last week both launched membership talks with the EU and Sandu has called an October referendum on joining the bloc - alongside a presidential poll in which she is seeking re-election.

(Reporting by Alexander Tanas, Editing by Ron Popeski; Editing by Alistair Bell)
Insights from Associated Press, O Globo, and Americas Quarterly

The News

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was indicted for money laundering, embezzlement, and criminal association. He is accused of smuggling jewelry reportedly worth $3 million from Saudi Arabia into Brazil undeclared: Brazilian law requires all goods worth more than $1,000 to be declared and taxed upon entry into the country. The former president has denied the accusation.

Bolsonaro still commands strong support among his political base, despite the various legal charges hes facing and the fact that he is barred from seeking office in Brazil until 2030 over his role in a 2023 riot over his ouster.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Bolsonaro faces a dizzying array of legal investigations

Source: Associated Press

Besides the jewelry case, Bolsonaro faces an array of charges that the Associated Press characterized as dizzying. The Brazilian police has been investigating him ever since he took office in 2019, and even more charges emerged after his failed attempt at reelection in 2022. He faces accusations of inciting the 2023 uprising against his successor, falsifying his COVID-19 vaccination certificate, and spreading disinformation. He was even accused of harassing a humpback whale, though the investigation was later dropped. Bolsonaro denies all the allegations, and his allies have described the probes as persecutory, the AP added.

Investigation deals a blow to Bolsonaros claims of honesty

Source: O Globo

The embezzlement charge undermines one of the pillars of his reputation among supporters, Brazilian outlet O Globo wrote: that he may have many flaws, but he is honest. The myth of honesty does not fit with the label of a jewelry thief, the outlet said. The accusation is one that people will have no difficulty understanding, and may be detrimental to the former presidents support.

Bolsonaros political career may be over, despite continued support

Sources: Americas Quarterly, Le Monde

Bolsonarismo lives on, Americas Quarterly wrote in February, when almost 200,000 people rallied in Sao Paulo to protest the investigations against him. Many that day appeared hopeful that Bolsonaro would one day be back in charge, Le Monde reported. But the former president sounded subdued at the rally, embodying the role of a spiritual leader who appeared ready to hand the reins of his movement to a successor, AQ said, adding that he seemed to believe that his legal woes would prevent him from carrying on with his political career.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. The European Union (EU) will disburse grants worth 30 million euros to Uzbekistans agriculture sector between 2024 and 2027, the European Commissions lead spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, Peter Stano told Trend.

"In addition to the 30 million euros of grants to be disbursed between 2024 and 2027, the EU has already supported the reform with a budget of 32.5 million euros for the agricultural sector in Uzbekistan between 2020 and 2023," he said.

According to him, support for the transition to a modern agri-food system has been one of the most crucial sectors of EU cooperation with Uzbekistan since its start. The European Union is the main provider of grant funding to the agri-food sector in Uzbekistan. Through the funding, the EU provides support for reforms that enable Uzbekistans farmers to prosper, adapt to a changing climate, protect the environment, produce healthy food, and become part of local and global value chains.

Peter Stano also stressed that the EU and Uzbekistan are currently preparing a new Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) for signature and entry into force.

"The EPCA will provide a new, modern, and ambitious framework to step up the EU-Uzbekistan partnership, promoting cooperation and regulatory convergence in areas that are relevant to the reform processes underway in the country. The agreement covers areas such as political dialogue and reforms, the rule of law, justice, freedom and security, human rights, migration, trade, as well as economic and sustainable development," he emphasized.

The representative of the EC noted that the agreement will promote a favorable business and investment environment in Uzbekistan. It also foresees closer cooperation on foreign policy issues and global challenges such as climate change, corruption, and the fight against terrorism.

Earlier, the EU and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding on the development of a strategic partnership for the promotion of sustainable value chains in the field of critical raw materials.

The agreement will help to ensure a diversified and sustainable supply of critical raw materials for the green and digital transition in both the EU and Uzbekistan.
Former California congresswoman who survived Jonestown massacre announces she has breast cancer

Former Rep. Jackie Speier at the Capitol in Washington in 2021. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

A former California congresswoman who survived being shot five times during the Jonestown massacre in Guyana announced this week that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Former Rep. Jackie Speier, who represented San Mateo County and San Francisco from 2008 to 2021, posted on the social media platform X on Thursday about her diagnosis.

"I just became one of the 300,000 women per year who are diagnosed with breast cancer," the politician wrote. "The good news is that it was discovered early and I had a successful lumpectomy on Tuesday."

Speier said she nearly skipped her annual mammogram due to a packed summer schedule, but then decided to go, which led to the cancer diagnosis.

"The lesson here is, please be diligent about your own screenings and dont skip them," she wrote.

Speier was an aide to then-Rep. Leo J. Ryan in 1978 when members of the Jonestown settlement opened fire on them as they attempted to leave Guyana for the United States following a visit there. Speier's boss was among those killed, but she survived five gunshot wounds.

As a congresswoman, Speier was an outspoken advocate for women's reproductive rights and spoke in a 2011 speech on the House floor about the abortion she had.

Before serving in Congress, Speier was a member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and the state Legislature.

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.
Mustafa Nayyem, former head of the State Agency for Restoration and Development of the Infrastructure of Ukraine, refutes the accusations of Ukraines Ministry of Finance that the agency has been using funds allocated by international partners inefficiently, as well as a number of other allegations.

Source: Nayyem in a comment to Ekonomichna Pravda

Quote: "The Ministry of Finance has publicly made a range of strange comments. According to one of them, the Agency for Restoration has not used a single hryvnia of the UAH 7.8 billion (US$190.7 million) from the partners. Since it is the official position of a governmental body, which calls the work of the whole team of the agency into question by manipulating facts and numbers, I consider it necessary to provide an explanation."

Details: Mustafa Nayyem states that lately the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine has been making public statements that:

In 2024, the Restoration Agency is allocated a resource of UAH 7.8 billion from all international financial institutions, but as of 1 June 2024, the Restoration Agency has not spent a single hryvnia of this amount. The Agency of Restoration has not presented the project of a water pipeline in Mykolaiv Oblast. The average salary in the Agency in April was 35,300 hryvnias (US$863). The Agency of Restoration received a 150 million tranche from the European Commission right away but presented funding plans to contractors without official approval by the government.

Support UP or become our patron!
DRAPER, Utah (ABC4)  A former nursing student is taking legal action against Joyce University, claiming the institution violated her rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Maria Thomson, who was expelled from the university in March 2023, says the schools failure to provide reasonable accommodations for her disability, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), led to her dismissal.

Daisy: A lifesaving companion

Maria Thomson and her service animal Daisy are a team. Daisy helps her manage her POTS, a condition that affects blood flow and can lead to dizziness, fainting, and other symptoms.

Its pretty much where your blood doesnt flow properly in your body. So when you change positions, your vessels in your legs are supposed to be able to pump your blood upward, but they really dont, said Thomson. So then your brain thinks that youre not getting enough blood and tells your heart to pump really hard and fast and you release more blood.

Daisy accompanied Thomson to her clinical rotations, helping her navigate the demands of her nursing program. However, in February, Daisy fell ill and could not join Thomson for her clinical.

Legal actions and demand letter

In March of 2023, Thomsons attorneys sent a demand letter to Joyce University, renewing her request for reasonable accommodations, something she had been trying to get for some time including disability-related medical absences and exam extensions when needed after hospitalization.

The demand letter stated if the accommodations were not granted they would be forced to take legal action.

A few days after the demand letter was sent, Daisy was ill again. Thomson emailed the school, requesting a shorter shift because Daisy could not join her, and included a note from her medical provider.

I got a very vague response back that was kind of confusing, Thomson mentions.

When she arrived for her clinicals Thomson said she was told she was a liability due to her previous POTS episode and was asked to leave. Two days later, Thomson received a dismissal letter accusing her of being argumentative and refusing to leave, which Thomson denies.

I thought you got expelled for like getting bad grades, not paying your tuition, and doing things that were illegal, she reflects.

Understanding ADA accommodations

Under the ADA, schools are required to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access for students with disabilities. Nate Crippes, Public Affairs Supervising Attorney at the Utah Disability Law Center, emphasized the importance of these accommodations.

So, what a student would have the right to is essentially equal access to their non-disabled peers, said Crippes.

According to Crippes, reasonable accommodations must not impose an undue burden or fundamentally alter the nature of the educational program. Some examples of an undue burden could include a financial burden or a student requesting to not take a required course due to their disability.

Seeking justice

Thomsons lawsuit against Joyce University claims violations of the ADA, in part the failure to provide proper accommodations and retaliating against her for asserting her rights. But its been a year since Thomsons lawsuit was filed and she is still waiting for a judge to decide whether or not to move forward with the case.

I dont know what happens next, really. I feel like Im just stuck and waiting, said Thomson.

Thomson hopes the lawsuit will lead to lasting changes at Joyce University, ensuring compliance with ADA guidelines and proper support for students with disabilities. However, her primary wish remains simple:

To get to graduate

Thomsons lawsuit demands her reinstatement, necessary accommodations, and coverage of legal fees and damages.

ABC4 reached out to Joyce University for a comment, but they declined to provide a statement due to pending litigation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes shows documents to reporters after filing at the Department of Justice in Manila, Philippines on Friday July 5, 2024. Trillanes filed criminal complaints of economic plunder against ex-President Rodrigo Duterte Friday over alleged anomalies in the awarding of large numbers of government infrastructure projects worth billions of pesos (millions of dollars) to two companies when he was a southern city mayor and later as president. (AP Photo/Joeal Calupitan)

MANILA, Philippines (AP)  A former Philippine opposition senator accused ex-President Rodrigo Duterte of plundering state coffers in a criminal complaint filed Friday, alleging that he conspired with an aide to award government infrastructure contracts worth millions of dollars to cronies.

Filed with the Department of Justice in Manila, the accusation adds to the former presidents legal worries, which include an investigation by the International Criminal Court into allegations of crimes against humanity over the widespread killings of suspects during Duterte's crackdown on illegal drugs.

Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said two construction companies, owned by the father and brother of longtime Duterte aide and now Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go, received more than 100 government construction contracts worth at least 6.6 billion pesos ($114 million) from 2007 to 2018 in the southern city of Davao, while Duterte was mayor and vice mayor and after he became president in 2016. Neither company had the resources or manpower to handle large-scale infrastructure construction, Trillanes said.

Go said he has not seen the complaint but denied the allegations against him and Duterte.

What I can assure everyone is I have not benefitted, and my family has not benefitted from my being in government, Go said in a statement to reporters. Even if you ask around, my relatives could not approach me  even my own father and half-brother  to get help in getting any project or government contract.

Duterte did not immediately comment, but he has previously denied any wrongdoing in office.

Trillanes accused Duterte, Go and the relatives who owned the two companies of plunder.

Under Philippine law, the crime of plunder is committed when a government official acquires ill-gotten wealth of 50 million pesos ($862,000) or more from government funds through corrupt acts in combination with family or associates. Its punishable by life in prison. The government can also seize illegally acquired wealth or properties after a final conviction.

Go, in conspiracy with Mr. Duterte, used his position, authority and influence to corner billions worth of government projects in favor of his father and brother, thus, unduly enriching himself and the members of his immediate family, Trillanes said. "Now is the perfect time to make them accountable. He added, without elaborating, that the former president would face more lawsuits in the future.

Trillanes, an anti-corruption advocate who served as senator from 2007 to 2019, was one of Dutertes most vocal critics. Trillanes also initiated a complaint against Duterte over the widespread killings under the former presidents deadly campaign against illegal drugs that sparked a still-ongoing investigation by the International Criminal Court.

Government prosecutors will conduct their own investigation before deciding whether to indict Duterte and the others accused in a process that could take months or years.

Duterte, 79, was a longtime mayor and vice mayor of Davao before rising to the presidency on a promise to rapidly rid his poverty-plagued Southeast Asian country of corruption and illegal drugs  both of which he's acknowledged failing to accomplish.

One of Asias most unorthodox recent leaders, Duterte's six-year presidency was marked by expletives-laced outbursts and high-profile efforts to nurture cozy ties with Chinese President Xi Jingping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin while openly lambasting U.S. and European leaders.

Duterte, a former government prosecutor and legislator, launched police-enforced crackdowns against illegal drugs when he served as mayor and vice mayor to his daughter, Sara Duterte, in Davao city, and later as president. Those campaigns killed more than 6,000 mostly minor suspects. The campaign was unprecedented in its scale and lethality in recent Philippine history and drew alarm worldwide.

Duterte and his top police officials denied authorizing extra-judicial killings under the campaigns, but he openly threatened drug traffickers with death and encouraged policemen to shoot drug suspects if they violently resisted arrest.
A single shark is believed to have caused chaos at South Padre Island, TX on July 4 as beachgoers flocked to Gulf of Mexico for the holiday. Four people were attacked, with two sustaining serious injuries.

The first attack occurred around 11 a.m. when a man had his leg severely bitten. The man's father-in-law, Rayner Cardenas, told KRGV 5 News that the family had been swimming when his son-in-law was suddenly pulled under the water.

"I turned around, and he wasn't there anymore," Cardenas recalled. "I started swimming towards him, and he jumped out of the water saying shark, shark, shark and that's when adrenaline kicked in. I started swimming after him."

Another woman who was attacked was left with an entire chunk of her calf missing, as she lay in the surf bleeding while bystanders rushed to help apply a tourniquet to her leg. (Photos and video can be seen here, warning the images are graphic.) The woman's daughter posted on social media that as of Thursday evening, she was in stable condition at a hospital nearby and awaiting surgery in the morning.

At least two other people, including the husband of the woman who was bitten, sustained minor injuries. One victim was said to have been "grazed" by the shark while another man fought off the apex predator and received stitches.

The attacks mark the first in the area in five years. Officials are monitoring the coastline with drones, but the shark is believed to have retreated into deeper waters.

County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr. said in a statement that officials are working to patrol the beaches and take appropriate action. "I want to thank our local good Samaritans and emergency response personnel for acting quickly and appropriately to aid those that were in need," Trevino said.

In a news release, Texas Parks & Wildlife noted that shark encounters of this nature are not a common occurrence in Texas, and that when attacks do occur, they are usually a case of mistaken identity by sharks looking for food.

"If you see large schools of bait near the shore, this typically an indicator a predator is nearby, or if you see a shark in the water, calmly exit the water and wait for the predatory wildlife to pass," the agency notes.
At least 4 people were bitten in shark attacks in Texas and Florida since the Fourth of July

Several people were bitten by sharks in separate attacks at Texas and Florida beaches on the Fourth of July, authorities said.

A 26-year-old man was bitten by a shark off New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on Friday, the second shark bite reported on the Florida beach during the Independence Day holiday week.

The man, visiting from Sarasota, was bitten around 4:15 p.m. Friday on his left foot while floating in an inner tube in water 5 feet deep, according to Tamra Malphurs, interim director for Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue. He was transported to the hospital for further treatment.

This bite came almost 24 hours after a 21-year-old from Ohio was bitten at New Smyrna Beach while playing football in knee-deep water Thursday afternoon, according to Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue.

Both mens injuries were not life-threatening, Malphurs said.

In Texas, four people encountered a shark as they took to the waters off South Padre Island on the Independence Day holiday.

Details at this time indicate that two people were bitten and two people encountered the shark but were not seriously injured, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said in a statement.

The two bite victims were taken to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, where one is being treated and the other has been flown out for further treatment, the department said.

The third person was injured  but not seriously  while trying to assist one of the bite victims, the department told CNN. It is unclear exactly how they were hurt.

Another beachgoer said they felt a shark brush against them as it swam by, the department said.

Shark encounters of this nature are not a common occurrence in Texas, the statement noted. When bites from sharks do occur, they are usually a case of mistaken identity by sharks looking for food.

Earlier, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Warden Captain Chris Dowdy told CNN affiliate KRGV at least four shark-related incidents had been reported at South Padre Island. The attacks were likely associated with the same shark, which later swam to open waters, he said.

Two off-duty Border Patrol agents from the Search, Trauma and Rescue Unit pulled one of the victims out of the water and applied a tourniquet to their leg, according to a US Customs and Border Protection official.

Two off duty Border Patrol agents helped one of the victims, according to a post from the US Border Patrol Laredo Sector. - US Border Patrol Laredo Sector

Our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families, and we hope for a speedy recovery, South Padre Island Mayor Patrick McNulty said.

One of the attacks was reported to the South Padre Island Police Department at 11 a.m., the citys Public Information Officer Nikki Soto told CNN. Officers provided immediate treatment and transported the male victim to a hospital, Soto said.

South Padre Island Beach authorities have been patrolling the shoreline and using drones to watch for the shark, she said.

Nereyda Bazaldua told CNN her daughter was one of those bitten Thursday. Bazaldua said her two teenage daughters were in shallow, knee-deep water near the shore playing on boogie boards when they began screaming, Shark!

When her 18-year-old daughter Victoria came out of the water, Bazaldua said she could see some blood coming down her leg, Bazaldua said. Thankfully, she said, Victorias injuries were minor.

The shark pushed into her, five to six of his teeth scratched her leg, Bazaldua said. The wounds arent deep. She said the shark lingered in the water for 20 to 30 minutes before moving along.

We never saw the shark til he was right there with them, Balzadua said. It wasnt choppy water, and the seas were calm. He showed up out of nowhere.

A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter flew low over South Padre Island and used deterrence measures to keep the shark from getting close to shore after the encounters, a spokesperson said.

The Texas Department of Public Safetys Aircraft Division responded to South Padre Island to assist local authorities with a shark attack, Lt. Chris Olivarez said.

A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter flying low over South Padre Island spotted a shark in the waters after the attacks on July 4. - Texas DPS

Olivarez shared with CNN video taken from the helicopter that showed a shark lurking in the waters and swimming against the waves Thursday afternoon. DPS remained on scene until the shark was no longer a threat, Olivarez said.

According to the International Shark Attack File, run out of the University of Florida, there have been fewer than 10 shark bites reported in Texas since 2012. This places the Lone Star State behind Florida, which has had 259 reported bites; Hawaii, which has had 76; South Carolina, which has had 45; North Carolina, which has had 31; and California, which has had 29.

South Padre Island is about 100 miles from Padre Island National Seashore, at the opposite end of what used to be one continuous island, according to the National Park Service.

Padre Island (also known as North Padre Island) is the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world, with 70 miles of protected coastline, the park service said. It divides the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre.

CNNs Paradise Afshar, Rebekah Riess, Amanda Jackson, Taylor Galgano, Rosa Flores and Andi Babineau contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
People gather at Place de la Republique in Paris in a protest against the far right on Wednesday. French opposition parties and associations are trying to block a landslide victory for the far-right National Rally party in Sunday's election. (Louise Delmotte / Associated Press)

For decades, theres been a strong political taboo in France against a far-right party coming to power. Now, just weeks before the showcase Summer Olympics begin in Paris, the nationalist-populist National Rally is making its most concerted bid ever to do just that.

In Sundays second and final round of voting, the anti-immigration, French-first party is forecast to become the largest in Parliament  although the latest projections suggest it will likely fall short of an absolute majority that would allow it to form a government.

Whether or not opponents succeed in banding together to blunt its most ambitious aims, the National Rally will likely be in a position to harry and hamstring centrist President Emmanuel Macron, who assumed his post in 2017 and still has three years remaining in his current term.

It means that France is entering a crisis, Gerard Araud, a former French ambassador to the United States, said after the far-right party cruised to first place in an initial round of voting June 30. Speaking on an Atlantic Council podcast, Araud called the situation an unmitigated disaster for Macron.

Galvanized by the National Rallys early triumph, other parties, including Macrons centrists, have spent this week working frantically to prevent it from attaining an absolute majority, an outcome that would force Macron to install its 28-year-old leader, Jordan Bardella, as prime minister.

Read more: A Ukrainian 'King Lear' comes to Shakespeare's hometown. Its actors know true tragedy

Even if the far right fails to meet that threshold, it could potentially cobble together a ruling coalition, or simply use its newfound clout to gum up the agenda of Macron, whose party until now held the largest number of seats.

Here is some background on how France arrived at this chaotic political juncture.

Flags adorned a statue above Paris' Place de la Republique on Wednesday. (Louise Delmotte / Associated Press)

Who is contesting the vote and what is at stake?

The parties are vying for 577 seats in the National Assembly, the lower and more powerful house of Parliament. The National Rally hopes to win at least 289 seats, which would allow it to form a government without needing coalition partners.

The three main political blocs in the running are the National Rally; a coalition called the New Popular Front, which includes center-left and hard-left forces, along with environmentalists; and Macrons centrist alliance. They came in first, second and third, respectively, in the June 30 first round of voting.

For the coming round, various complexities in the French electoral system make predictions difficult. Because lawmakers are elected by district, the result does not necessarily reflect overall levels of nationwide support for a given party.

Read more: $32 for one cigarette? In Gaza, even a nicotine fix is hard to come by

Why is this vote happening?

French President Emmanuel Macron called the election, which appears to have been a spectacularly bad bet. (Aurelien Morissard / Associated Press)

Macron, whose presidential term lasts until 2027, did not need to call a parliamentary vote. But three weeks ago, after the National Rally outpolled his Renaissance party by a 2-1 margin in Junes European Parliament election  a stinging but mainly symbolic rebuke  he said he wanted clarity about voters wishes, and called a snap election.

Analysts said Macron apparently gambled, as he has in the past, that the French electorate would recoil from actually being governed by the National Rally, and that the outcome of the European election, which does not directly affect national governance, essentially amounted to a protest vote.

The presidents decision, taken within hours of the EU vote result, stunned France. According to French news accounts, only a tiny coterie of advisors knew of the move in advance of Macrons announcement. That inner circle did not include his prime minister, Gabriel Attal.

What is the National Rally?

It is a rebranded version of the former National Front, whose founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, was a notorious racist who sought to trivialize the Holocaust. Marine Le Pen, the founders daughter, worked assiduously to detoxify its brand, putting an emphasis on bread-and-butter issues, distancing herself from some of the partys most extreme stands and even ejecting her father in 2015. With her blessing, Bardella replaced her as party leader in 2022, though she is expected to run as its presidential candidate when Macron's term expires in 2027.

The French distaste for the far right has deep historical roots, dating back to the collaborationist Vichy regime during World War II, which delivered many of the countrys Jews to death at the hands of the Nazis. Many here still consider Vichy a lasting stain on the national honor.

What positions does the National Rally support?

It promises to cut immigration, increase police powers and give native-born French citizens preferential treatment over dual nationals and foreigners, together with other measures that critics say would infringe on civil liberties.

In the past, the party has fiercely rejected the European Union, a position it has since moderated, but it still wants to work from within to weaken the powers of the 27-nation bloc.

Marine Le Pen also has a long history of sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the Kremlin has cheered her efforts to break free of what it calls the dominion of Washington and of Brussels, seat of the EU.

Read more: Zelensky to Europe: A Russian victory in Ukraine would lead to the unthinkable

Why did people turn against President Macron?

When he won election seven years ago, at age 39, Macron was the countrys youngest-ever elected head of state, a proud technocrat who set out to deepen integration with the European Union and make France a more attractive business climate. But he also garnered a reputation for arrogance and dismissing the concerns of ordinary voters, such as the cost of living and income stagnation, especially in disadvantaged rural areas. His move to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64 was wildly unpopular, spurring mass protests.

How might a National Rally victory affect the war in Ukraine?

Substantially and negatively. Macron has been a strong supporter of the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky as Ukraine tries to fight off Russias full-scale invasion. The French leader has not ruled out the possibility of sending French troops to Ukraine to help train its army; the National Rally would oppose that. Bardella has also said he would block France from providing Ukraine with long-range missiles that could hit targets within Russia.

Read more: Biden calls France 'our first friend' as host Macron says, 'Allied we are and allied we will stay'

What would a far-right win in France mean for the United States?

In France, the office of the presidency wields the greatest influence and authority in foreign affairs and national security, but a far-right prime minister would likely seek to erode that dominance. Much of Macron's tenure overlapped with the presidency of Donald Trump, with whom the French leader sought to build a workable relationship, although Trump's successor President Biden was more of a natural ally. Trump's domestic backers have expressed glee at the prospect of far-right ascendancy that would leave Macron weakened.

How are rivals seeking to block the National Rally?

Mainstream parties in the past have banded together to form a firewall against the far right, and they are trying to do so again. Leading up to second-round balloting, the National Rally's opponents have embarked on tactical voting, in which candidates in some constituencies abandon the race to help boost non-far-right candidates. By midweek, more than 220 leftists and centrists had pulled out of their runoff contests.

The strategy could produce a hung parliament, in which no bloc has a clear majority, which could lead to a prolonged period of political instability. No new general election can be held for at least a year.

As the contest has narrowed, opponents have been mining social media accounts and old pictures of National Rally contenders, seeking to diminish their base of support or force them out of the race. One candidate dropped out of her local race after a photo emerged of her clad in a World War II-era cap like those worn by Nazi officers.





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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. Acting President, the First Vice President of Iran Mohammad Mokhber has participated in the voting for the second round of the early presidential election at a mobile polling station set up in the Interior Ministry in Tehran, Trend reports.

Before voting, he spoke to journalists, emphasizing noticeable activity in the voting compared to the previous week.

He mentioned that the Iranian government is organizing the election without supporting any political factions.

To note, the 2nd round of the extraordinary presidential election started on July 5 at 08:00 (GMT +3:30) in Iran, with two candidates - Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili - competing. The duration of the election is 10 hours (if the Ministry of Interior deems it necessary, the election time can be extended).

A total of 58,640 constituencies have been established in Iran for the Iranian presidential election inside the country and 344 outside the country. Over 61.4 million voters are eligible to vote in Iran's presidential election.

According to the results of the first round of the early presidential election, former Iranian Health Minister Masoud Pezeshkian counted 10.4 million votes, the representative of Iran's spiritual leader in the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili received 9.47 million votes, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf - 3.38 million votes, and former Minister of the Interior and Justice and conservative Mostafa Pourmohammadi - 206,000 votes.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
(Bloomberg) -- The political turbulence unleashed by President Emmanuel Macrons decision to call a snap election looks set to extend well beyond Sundays second round of voting, prompting some executives gathered at a conference in southern France to express their concerns about the countrys emerging business climate.

Most Read from Bloomberg

No matter which party comes out on top in the French parliamentary election, several said they see the vote as the beginning of a more turbulent period. Even if an absolute majority for Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally is averted, the alternative is gridlock, making it harder for France to address its swollen budget deficit and ending Macrons pro-business reform plans. The situation has translated into some dumping of French assets, driving up borrowing costs up and pulling down stocks.

Thats hurting the image of France, which has been the top destination in Europe for foreign direct investment, said Matthieu Courtecuisse, chief executive officer of management consulting firm SIA Partners.

For a couple of years it was Choose France and now its Why France? he said.

Courtecuisse was among a shrunken band of CEOs, political scientists and economists who gathered in the southern French city of Aix-en-Provence for an annual summer conference. Government officials and some executives canceled their appearances and the event was curtailed by a day to make way for voting. Those who attended found themselves discussing the implications for the economy of the uncharted territory nation is entering.

The main issue is not what will happen Sunday, its how we will manage our debt and our public deficit because at the end of the day the financial trajectory is what matters, Marie-Pierre de Bailliencourt, director general of the Institut Montaigne, said Friday in an interview on Bloomberg TV. The real moment of truth will come later this year when the new government attempts to pass a budget, she said.

The think tank estimates that the campaign pledges by the leftist New Popular Front would require nearly 179 billion ($194 billion) in extra funds per year. The far-right National Rallys plans would cost about 71 billion, while Macrons party and its allies would incur extra spending of close to 21 billion.

Frances main business lobby Medef, which traditionally steers clear of taking public stances on politics, has slammed the far-right and the left platforms as dangerous to the economy.

The fiscal situation was already weighing on sentiment in France before the snap election was announced, with Macrons current government forced to revise long-term plans to plug holes in the budget earlier this year. S&P Global Ratings downgraded France last month and the European Union has put the country under an excessive deficits procedure.

Six surveys released between Thursday and Friday show that the far-right National Rally is on course to win 170 to 250 of the 577 seats in the lower house of parliament. That would be significantly below the 289 needed to pass bills easily and push through its agenda. The New Popular Front alliance is projected to win 140 to 198 seats, while Macrons group is on track for between 115 an 162.

Energy was among the hot-button issues of the bruising campaign, and both the far right and left have promised costly subsidies to shield consumers.

One of the reasons were in the situation were in today in France is partly because of the high price of energy, said Arnaud Pieton, CEO of Technip Energies, an engineering and technology company. As long as we havent achieved energy independence in France, well remain subject to the fluctuations of the world, to the goodwill of certain countries in certain blocs.

Meanwhile, for corporate France, the new emerging reality may be a sea-change after seven years of Macron having a firm enough grip on policy making to drive through his pro-business agenda based on loosening labor laws and cutting the tax burden. Rival parties vying for a sway over the future government have pledged U-turns, including costly moves to abandon Macrons pension reform, or massive tax increases. Even Macrons Renaissance party has revamped its manifesto with new spending commitments.

For now, some companies are they saying the expect to grow regardless of who heads the next government. Clean-power developer Neoen SA is one such entity.

Neoen in France is mainly active in solar, so were not going to slow down whatever the majority is, CEO Xavier Barbaro said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Aix-en-Provence Friday. We can live with any government.

Taavi Madiberk, CEO and co-founder of Estonian battery developer Skeleton Technologies, said the company will go ahead with its planned investment in Toulouse regardless of the outcome of the elections.

We will go ahead with our industrial investment in France, he said, citing the presence of customer demand and partners such as the university of Toulouse, Airbus SE and the supply chain.

--With assistance from Alexandre Rajbhandari, Francois de Beaupuy, Angelina Rascouet and Valentine Baldassari.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
The Olympic opening ceremony, to be held on the Seine, presents security challenges to the French government - Michel Euler/AP

France has thwarted two separate terror attack plots targeting the Olympics, the government said.

Gerald Darmanin, the interior minister, said that police carried out several arrests in two separate cases.

In recent days, we have not made it public because we are in an election campaign, but we have arrested people who may have planned and put terrorist attacks into place, Mr Darmanin said in an interview with French news channel BFM TV on Friday morning.

They are being handed over to the justice services at this very moment, he added.

The terrorist threat in France remains extremely high, the interior minister continued, in the lead-up to Bastille Day celebrations on July 14 and the Olympic games which open on July 26.

France has been under its highest terror alert since March, after the terrorist attack, claimed by Islamic State, which killed 145 people at a Russian concert hall.

'We have arrested people who may have planned and put terrorist attacks into place' Gerald Darmanin, the French interior minister, said - Thomas Padilla/AP

Following that attack, Mr Darmanin announced: In view of the Islamic States claim to responsibility for the attack and the threats facing our country, we have decided to raise the Vigipirate posture to its highest level: urgence attentat.

Along with the security challenges of the Olympics and opening ceremony, which will be held outdoors on the River Seine, snap parliamentary elections have drawn fears of civil unrest and mass protests. On Sunday, the French people will cast their final votes in a chaotic election that is projected to give the hard-Right National Rally party big gains in the lower assembly.

The Paris prefecture has already announced a ban on a planned antifa demonstration on Sunday.

A collective called Paris-Banlieue antifascist action had called on their 40,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter, to gather outside the National Assembly, whatever the outcome.

Around 30,000 police officers will be deployed across the country Sunday, 5,000 of whom will be stationed around Paris.

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) -- Former Italian premier Mario Monti said a French unity government led by technocrats is unlikely to work as an immediate solution to the political impasse that may emerge in Sundays legislative elections.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Speaking at an economic conference in the southern French town of Aix-en-Provence, the onetime European Union commissioner recounted his experience as the leader of an administration appointed during political and financial-market turmoil in 2011, and said such circumstances arent yet apparent.

I dont believe that there is an economic emergency in France, Monti said. Its financial situation  fortunately or unfortunately  is not visibly as serious as in Italy in 2011.

Polls show Marine Le Pens National Rally and its allies are on course to win the largest block of seats in the second round of French voting on Sunday, but fall short of an absolute majority. With the prospect of a hung parliament looming, speculation has mounted that the outcome could lead to an Italian-style unity government.

The euro zones third-biggest economy is long used to the concept of appointing ministers and even premiers from the ranks of its technocrat class at times of political gridlock and market tensions.

Monti said such administrations can provide transitory cover for tough decisions that career politicians dont want to take the blame for  an eventuality that cant be ruled out here in due course.

I dont exclude, in the abstract, that there could be such solutions  for example if France had to take very, very serious and urgent measures, he said. Sometimes theres a need for a bridge government, ready to sacrifice itself and lose popularity, creating room for parties which may be convinced of the need for highly unpopular measures but dont have the requisite courage.

Speaking earlier this week to Bloomberg Television, Jean-Claude Trichet  a former European Central Bank president and Bank of France governor  doubted that his own nation would be ready for any such a step.

A technocratic government is not in the French tradition at all  it might be a solution in other countries, namely Italy, he said. In France it is not the case because we are in a totally different political framework.

Appointed as prime minister and finance minister after the collapse of Silvio Berlusconis coalition in 2011, Monti could be considered an archetypal technocrat, having previously been an economist and academic who then served as a European Commissioner.

Italy has tended more to call upon Treasury officials or central bankers for such roles however. The most recent example was Mario Draghi, the former ECB president and Bank of Italy governor who led a technical administration that took office February 2021.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Insights from France 24, Project Syndicate, and Politico

The News

French voters go to the polls on Sunday in the second and final round of parliamentary elections, in which the far right is expected to win the most seats but fall short of an outright majority.

A Harris Interactive poll suggests Marine Le Pens National Rally and its allies will win between 190 and 220 parliamentary seats  short of the 289 needed for an absolute majority.

The results could lead to legislative gridlock, and undo President Emmanuel Macrons legacy.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

The far right is positioning itself as the sole defender of democracy

Source: France 24

The National Rally is adopting a number of techniques to bolster support, like positioning itself as the sole defender of democracy that can counter the chaos of the far left, France 24 wrote. The partys president, Jordan Bardella, has sought to present the controversial far-left politician Jean Luc Melenchon as the leader of the left-wing coalition, and hinted that he would become prime minister should the left secure the election, a claim the left has disputed. NR has also made vicious attacks on the left throughout the campaign, claiming they side with Hamas in the conflict with Israel and questioning the coalitions integrity, France 24 added.

Macrons centrism failed

Sources: The Telegraph, Project Syndicate

Analysts pointed to Macrons near-total absence from the campaign trail as a sign of his unpopularity, what some in his own alliance have characterized as a de-Macronization, The Telegraph reported. The French president has failed to create a powerful centrism in Europe, a politics professor noted in Project Syndicate. The approach he took when he came to power in 2017  of simply adopting the policies that worked best regardless of left or right ideology  only worked for a time, but his movement developed a reputation for being technocratic and authoritarian, and remained anchored to the figure of a charismatic leader rather than transforming into a legitimate political party.

Le Pen and National Rally may have to moderate some of their positions

Source: Politico

National Rally was born as a radical-right group, but Le Pen has put some water in her wine over the years and worked to moderate some of the partys positions, especially over defense and security, one expert told Politico. Some analysts have described the process as melonization  a reference to the far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who also toned down her anti-NATO and anti-EU discourse after coming to power. But a more moderate approach internationally doesnt necessarily mean Europe can breathe easy, Politico added. Neither leader has softened their position in their home country, and a collaboration between the two may mean an even more radical and confrontational turn for the continent.
France's North African doctors consider emigration with rise of far right

By Layli Foroudi

PARIS (Reuters) - In the southern French town where Tunisian doctor Tasnime Labiedh works, the far-right National Rally (RN) came top with 41% in the first round of France's election. Now, she's thinking of moving to Switzerland.

"Already we are not spoilt here, but if we have (Jordan) Bardella as prime minister, it will be grim. They play on the fear of the other," said Labiedh, 33, referring to the president of the RN.

She moved to France in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic for her medical internship and now works as a microbiologist on a salary lower than that of her French counterparts.

After the RN came top in the first round in France's legislative election last Sunday, some doctors of foreign origin are questioning whether they will stay in a country that they feel does not respect their rights or make them feel welcome.

Polls predict that the RN will win the largest share of seats in parliament but not a majority.

Among 11 doctors of North African origin or nationality interviewed by Reuters, six said they were considering leaving France because of the political situation. One doctor emigrated to Canada a month ago.

With only 3.17 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants, France has the most severe doctor shortage among the OECD countries after Luxembourg. In Labiedh's town, there are 1.73 doctors per 1000 inhabitants.

"We are living in an immense hypocrisy. The far right prospers in France on the subject of immigration, with migrants depicted as a problem. But if migrants stopped working tomorrow our whole social and economic system would be paralysed," Hicham Benaissa, a sociologist with France's national centre for scientific research, the CNRS, told Reuters.

In a study of 350 doctors of North African background in France due to be published next year, Benaissa found that 75% of doctors, including people trained abroad and those born in France, were considering emigrating.

The RN did not respond to requests for comment.

Bardella, the most likely candidate for prime minister should the RN defy the polls and win a working majority, said last month that "our compatriots of foreign nationality or origin who work, pay their taxes, respect the law, and love our country have nothing to fear".

RN leader Marine Le Pen has previously proposed to "drastically reduce" the employment of doctors with qualifications from outside of the EU, and to prioritise French candidates for jobs.

In 2023, 29,238 doctors working in France were trained outside the EU, a 90.5% increase compared to 2010, making up around 7% of the total workforce, according to the National Council of the Order of Doctors (CNOM). North African doctors account for more than half of them.

Doctors with qualifications from outside of the EU have to complete exams and administrative procedures to be registered with the Order of Doctors, which generally takes three to five years. Before this, they are paid less than French doctors.

Widad Abdi, a doctor and representative of the SNPADHUE union for doctors qualified outside of the EU, says that politicians are not dealing with structural problems.

"Whether foreign or not, more and more doctors are leaving - the health system does not encourage them to stay: the working conditions, the pay, the hours, the number of patients has increased and the number of doctors has gone down."

MEDICAL DESERTS

In the first round of the legislative elections, the RN performed better in regions with poor healthcare access, with a correlation rate of -52%, Reuters analysis of the results and data on access to a local doctor showed, an indicator of the party's success in deprived rural areas.

In towns that placed RN candidates in first place, more than a quarter of the population do not have access to a local doctor, compared to 13% in towns that placed President Emmanuel Macron's group first and 8% in towns won by the left-wing alliance.

Improving access to public health services in areas with poor healthcare access, dubbed "medical deserts", is among the RN's campaign pledges.

Foreign doctors, as well as French doctors of immigrant origin, play an essential role in these areas, where the posts are less prestigious than in big city hospitals, says Benaissa.

In Ales in the south of France, half the vote went to the RN. A&E doctor Leila Elamrani, who moved to France from Morocco in 2004, says they feel the pressure in their service which takes patients from surrounding areas.

"People don't have GPs so they come here for a cold, for a doctor's note to take sick leave," she said. "That, plus an ageing population and lack of resources, creates a huge mess."

Lydia Boumaarafi, a French doctor of Algerian heritage specialised in addictology, is not waiting to see what happens. She moved to Canada a month ago in part because of "its approach to multiculturalism".

"The situation is now at a climax (with the RN vote) but the climate has been this way for a while," she said.

(Reporting by Layli Foroudi; additional reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Richard Lough and Angus MacSwan)
Freeze on liquid natural gas exports is now on hold

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  The White Houses freeze on new liquid natural gas exports is now on hold.

This week, a federal judge in Louisiana sided with the 16 red states that challenged the U.S. Department of Energys pause, arguing it would hurt their economies.

Attorney General Liz Murrill, (R-La.), led the challenge and said in a statement, There is roughly $61 billion of pending infrastructure at risk to our state from this illegal pause.

U.S. District Judge James Cain, Jr. agreed with Murrill, writing in his ruling, It appears that the DOEs decision is completely without reason or logic.

LNG exports had skyrocketed as the U.S. urged European allies of Ukraine to stop buying Russian natural gas and buy American. The Energy Department argued the pause was necessary to determine the impacts of exporting so much U.S. natural gas.

The White House said the U.S. would still remain the worlds top gas exporter because of projects in the pipeline.

I want to express our disappointment in yesterdays district court ruling, said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. While Congressional Republicans and their allies continue to deny the very existence of climate change, President Biden is committed to combating the climate crisis with every resource available. That is why we will continue taking action to transition to a clean energy future.

While the Energy Department evaluates its next steps in court, Cain expects the red states to ultimately succeed in making his temporary hold on the pause permanent.

Congress has also been debating the administrations freeze on new LNG exports. The House passed a stand-alone bill earlier this year to undo the pause, with several Democrats breaking with their party to support it. The Senate has not brought it up for 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 Queen City News.
French election campaign rocked by violence as minister says more than 50 attacks made ahead of crunch vote

Frances election campaign has seen more than 50 violent attacks on candidates and activists, a senior government minister has warned, as the country braces for a crunch final round of voting.

Some 30,000 officers will be deployed to police the tense ballot on Sunday, including 5,000 in Paris, said interior minister Gerald Darminin  as France teeters on the brink of handing the far right its largest ever parliamentary victory.

Three polls in as many days have suggested Marine Le Pen and her protege Jordan Bardellas National Rally is on course to win more seats than any other party  but also to fall short of the 289 required for an absolute majority.

Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardellas National Rally party won a third of the vote in last weeks ballot (AFP/Getty)

However, that lead has been cut short after National Rallys dominant performance in the first round of voting sparked immediate demands for a so-called republican front to block the advance of the far right.

To that end, some 221 candidates  including 83 from the centrist Ensemble alliance backing president Emmanuel Macron and 132 from the left-wing New Popular Front  have stepped down in recent days in order to mount a tactical defence against the far right in seats otherwise facing a three-way battle.

While Ms Le Pen has insisted a majority is still in reach as long as voters mobilise, three polls by Harris Interactive, Ifop and, most recently, on Friday, OpinionWay have put her party on between 190 and 240 seats  lower than before the republican fronts withdrawals.

Describing the mood of France as being on edge, Mr Darmanin warned that more than 30 people had been arrested for violence during the campaign.

This campaign is short and yet we already have 51 candidates, substitutes and activists who have been physically assaulted, the interior minister told broadcaster BFM TV, claiming that the attackers were either those who had spontaneously become angry or belonged to ultra-left, ultra-right or other political groups.

Police officers patrol the Trocadero plaza near the Eiffel Tower (AP)

Among the victims are government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot, her deputy Virginie Lanlo, and an Ensemble activist who were attacked when they confronted a group defacing posters they had put up in the southwest of Paris.

Ms Thevenot told Le Parisien the activist suffered a broken jaw after being punched and hit with a scooter, while Ms Lanlos arm was injured. Three teenagers and a 20-year-old man were arrested.

Hours earlier, Ms Thevenot had warned of intensified racial attacks in a complicated political climate, saying: The [attackers] no longer do it anonymously, but with uncovered faces and even with a certain pride.

National Rally candidate Marie Dauchy also said she was violently attacked while campaigning near Grenoble, while the septuagenarian deputy mayor of a nearby town was also punched in the face while putting up a poster for former Macron spokesperson Olivier Veran.

Politicians across the spectrum have condemned the attacks which have marred the campaign, with Frances prime minister Gabriel Attal saying: Lets reject the climate of violence and hatred that is taking hold.
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. (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.
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 Rhode Island Current.
Hollywoods Democratic powerbrokers were in civil war over Joe Bidens 2024 re-election bid Friday as his top fundraiser was accused of agewashing the embattled president.

A group of studio bosses, agents and billionaires more used to fighting over Oscars than politics was engaged in a feud, with vast amounts of cash for Biden and other Democrats on the line.

They pursued it by briefing, often anonymously, against their common enemyBidens cheerleader Jeffrey Katzenberg, the former DreamWorks CEO and co-founder of the ill-fated Quibi. He had assumed the mantle of Bidens fundraiser-in-chief with particular fervor. Age is his superpower, he was known for saying about Biden, drawing parallels to the enduring careers of octogenarians like Harrison Ford and Mick Jagger.

Katzenbergs legendary fundraisers, often star-studded affairs featuring the likes of George Clooney and Barbra Streisand, have pulled in millions for the campaign. When donors expressed anxiety over Bidens rumored loss of attention, he would offer to put them in a room together to see for themselves.

Katzenberg has been silent since Bidens catastrophic debate performance. Attempts to reach him were passed off to a Biden staffer who wrote back Its July fourth.

USA-ELECTION/BIDEN Hollywood power brokers, traditionally major Democratic voters, say they feel Biden's fundraisers and his inner circle lied about his state. Nathan Howard/Reuters

But his fellow Hollywood moguls have been less restrainedincluding one who told industry insider newsletter The Ankler: Everyone in town is furious with him. Another donor, described as a Hollywood veteran told the Financial Times: He had this famous quote for everybody, which was Im happy to put you in a room with him and youll see for yourself. But nobody did it. And a third told The Wrap, Jeffrey lied about the whole Biden thing. The whole Biden inner circle lied Its such an act of hypocrisy.

Others have gone on the record to attack Biden and Katzenberg in blunter ways. We are in fuck city, Ari Emanuel, super-agent and CEO of Endeavour, told Tina Brown at the Aspen Ideas Festival, the morning after the debate. Im pissed off at the founding fathers. They had the start date of 35 years old and well, everybody died [back then], so they didnt have to give the end date.

Emanuels rant, first reported in The Hollywood Reporter, blamed Bidens advisers for being less than frank about the presidents physical condition. He said he was going to run for one term, and hes doing it to restore democracy. He then runs for a second termthats the first bit of malarkey, as he would say. He and his cohorts have told us that hes [been] healthy for over a year, he continued doubtfully, saying neither Donald Trump nor Biden should be running a $27 trillion company called the United States.

Ari Emanuel, seen arriving at the Oscars with wife Sarah Staudinger, described the Biden crisis as "fuck city." DANNY MOLOSHOK/Reuters

Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix who has given more than $20 million to the Democratic Party in recent years, also raised doubts about the presidents viability in an email to The New York Times.Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous. Elsewhere, Hastings has stressed, its not about loyalty, its about winning.

Disney heir and documentarian Abigal Disney told CNBC she was planning to suspend her donations to the Democratic Party until Biden steps aside. We have an excellent VP, she told the network.

And asked by The Ankler if he continued to support Biden, Barry Diller (founder of IAC and co-founder and part-owner of The Daily Beast) said simply, No.

Fellow Democratic donor and three times Emmy-winning screenwriter and showrunner Damen Lindelhof, who worked on Lost, The Leftovers and Watchmen, also weighed in. Writing a guest essay for Deadline he said he had written a check only two weeks ago but that the debate had been game changing for him. He called on Democrats to replace Biden if the party had any chance of winning against Trump. Ive been asleep at the wheel and its time to wake the fuck up.

This Hollywood schism underscores a larger narrative of uncertainty and introspection within the Democratic Party. As Bidens approval ratings wane and his age becomes an increasingly contentious issue, the pressure mounts for a clear and compelling alternative.

As the 2024 election looms, the question remains: Can Katzenbergs star-studded support keep Bidens campaign shining, or will dissenting voices like Emanuel and Hastings prevail, pushing for a new Democratic torchbearer?

The answer will shape not only the future of American politics but the legacy of Hollywoods political influence.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
The then Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz speaks during a pre-election event at the Manufacturers Association of Israel. Gantz has promised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his support if Israeli negotiators agree to a ceasefire and hostage exchange in indirect talks with Hamas in the coming weeks. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

Israeli opposition politician Benny Gantz has promised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his support if Israeli negotiators agree to a ceasefire and hostage exchange in indirect talks with Hamas in the coming weeks.

His centrist National Unity party will back any reasonable agreement that leads to the return of the hostages abducted by Hamas, Gantz said in a telephone conversation with Netanyahu, according to his office.

The talks, which the US, Egypt and Qatar are mediating, have been at a standstill for a long time. However, a new round is due to start in the Qatari capital Doha in the next few days, after Hamas signalled flexibility on some points of a proposal supported by Israel.

Hamas wants an end to the war and to release the hostages in exchange for a large number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention.

There are fears in Israel that Netanyahu will reject a deal, as he did in earlier phases of the negotiations, because he has to appease his ultra-religious and far-right coalition partners.

They are resisting possible concessions - such as an end to the Gaza war before the complete destruction of Hamas - and are threatening to leave the coalition.

Together with other moderate politicians, Gantz was a part of the war cabinet that was formed after the unprecedented Hamas massacre on October 7 last year. They left the war cabinet in June, saying Netanyahu had failed to come up with a post-war strategy for Gaza.

During the attack on southern Israel, terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups killed 1,200 people and took a further 250 hostage in the Gaza Strip. Israel believes that around 120 hostages are still there, but many of them are probably no longer alive.
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - In an upstairs room behind the shattered walls of a Gaza building, sewing machines whir as men work at crowded tables - a Palestinian businessman's effort to aid the enclave's economy after nine months of Israeli bombardment.

Nearly all of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million inhabitants have lost their homes, and shops, markets and factories have been reduced to rubble by the Israeli military campaign launched in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

Gaza's desperate people, who are mostly now living in tents or crammed into communal shelters, struggle to afford the little food and other goods available in street markets set up among the ruins.

"I opened this factory for the displaced, so they can work and so I can create work for (them)," said Omar Samer Shaat, whose previous factory in Rafah in southern Gaza was destroyed by an Israeli bombardment.

Salvaging machinery, fabric, thread and other materials from the rubble of the factory, he used them to start the new workshop in nearby Khan Younis and offered jobs to tailors who had been displaced by the fighting.

Shaat estimates his economic losses due to the war at $6 million.

Inside the factory, men work at tables with lightbulbs strung from the ceiling. Clothes are laid out carefully on the floor, with scissors and balls of thread close at hand.

With Israel imposing a tight siege on Gaza at the start of the conflict and only allowing in some humanitarian supplies, ordinary goods such as clothes are in short supply.

"The border crossings have been shut for some time. Ready made clothes do not enter. Neither does fabric or anything. We decided to open this factory in this shelled house so it can produce for the people," Shaat said.

Sami Hassouna, one of the tailors in Shaat's workshop, said he had been forced to leave his home and was sheltering in the area near Al-Aqsa University about an hour away.

"We retrieved the machinery, fabric and needles, all of that, we retrieved them from under the rubble," he said.

"But we need continuity and this needs the entry of new raw material," he added.

(Reporting by Hatem Khaled; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Helen Popper)
Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources to ask anglers for fish bodies during red snapper season

The Georgia recreational red snapper harvest season starts on July 12 and state officials are asking anglers to help them by donating their fish carcasses.

While it may seem fishy, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division is asking for the bodies in order to collect data on age, size and growth for the species, to then share it with regional and federal partners.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The data will be used for fishery management, according to DNR.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is allowing the recreational harvest of one red snapper per person per day with no minimum size restrictions in South Atlantic federal waters at least three miles offshore during the period, DNR said in their request for fish carcasses. CRD is asking anglers who fillet their fish to donate the carcasses at freezers located along Georgias coast at marinas and bait shops. A complete list of locations is available at CoastalGaDNR.org/MarineCarcass.

TRENDING STORIES:

In order to donate the red snapper carcasses, an angler or charter boat group will have to go to a freezer station and the donor will have to fill out a registration card and attach it to the plastic bag with the carcasses inside.

Two donors will be chosen at random and receive a $50 gift card to Academy Sports, according to DNR.

While the request for fish bodies was focused on red snapper, the freezer stations accept donated carcasses of other species, too.

Anglers are also encouraged to log information about their fishing trips online to help CRD collect more fisheries data.

Fishery management can be a difficult task, said Carolyn Belcher, CRDs Chief of Marine Fisheries. But the more data we have, the better our estimates are. We have a wide variety of surveys and programs to gather data, and the input from recreational anglers is a vital part of our data-gathering process.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
Georgia lawmakers may or may not develop legislation this summer and fall to establish state standards for regulating emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

But one certainty that became clear from the inaugural hearing of a state Senate study committee late last month is that AI will dramatically affect a wide range of government policy areas, from economic development to health care, education, public safety and transportation.

Its going to impact and change things like never before, said Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, chairman of the Senate Study Committee on Artificial Development.

One public policy area already being affected by AI is elections. So-called deep fakes already are cropping up in political ads, which digitally alter a candidates physical appearance or voice to say or do something the actual person did not say or do.

With deep fakes in political advertising among the early manifestations of AI, some state lawmakers have made the practice the focus of the General Assemblys first attempt to rein in the industry.

A bill introduced in the Georgia House of Representatives this year called for criminalizing the use of deep fakes in political ads. House Bill 986 overwhelmingly cleared the House only to fizzle in the state Senate.

The effects AI technology is expected to have on public policy already are starting to become evident. In the public safety arena, AI is already capable to picking up 911 calls and dispatching responders, Albers said.

Nobody will ever be on hold and not have an answer immediately, he said.

Likewise, the huge role AI will play in transportation is being demonstrated initially by the development of autonomous vehicles, drone deliveries, and technology that allows cities to manage the flow of traffic. Eventually, AI will drive transportation planners decisions on where to widen highways or build bridges.

Albers said AI also will revolutionize education.

Weve been teaching the same way for 85 years, he said. The world has changed eight time over during that time.

In health care, the data consolidation capabilities of AI could help researchers cure cancer, Albers said.

While much of the General Assemblys attention on AI is focused on its public policy applications, the legislature also could actively encourage the private sector with incentives to foster use of the technology as an economic development tool.

We have a real opportunity to create a massive number of (business) startups in this state, said Pascal Van Hentenryck, a professor at Georgia Tech, director of Tech-AI, the universitys AI hub, and a member of the study committee.

Albers said whatever the General Assembly does in the way of regulating AI also must have an equity component.

We dont want to exclude people in this, he said. We want to defeat the digital divide.

Albers said the study committee will hold seven or eight hearings this summer and fall, including some away from the Capitol. One of those sessions will be held in Augusta, home to the Georgia Cyber Innovation & Training Center.

The committee is due to release recommendations for proposed legislation by Dec. 1. If no legislation is forthcoming, the panel will file a report to the full Senate.
The Bremen Town Musicians statue between Bremen's St. Peter's Cathedral and the Bremen Parliament. Environmental activists have covered the statue of the Town Musicians of Bremen with black paint. Mohssen Assanimoghaddam/dpa

Environmental activists have covered the statue of the Town Musicians of Bremen with black paint.

The sculpture depicts the four animals that feature in the fairy tale of the same name by the Brothers Grimm, and is a well-known landmark in the northern German city.

Police were alerted by witnesses on Friday afternoon, and found three activists holding up posters from the Last Generation protest group in front of the bronze statue of a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster.

The police said the fire brigade was able to remove most of the paint. Criminal charges were brought against the three activists for damage to property. The police have launched an investigation.

Radio Bremen reported that the environmental activists are demanding that Bremen's centre-left mayor Andreas Bovenschulte, read out a statement from the group, which was handed over to his office on June 27, at a public press conference.

The conservative CDU in Bremen described the action as senseless vandalism. Damaging cultural monuments was detrimental to any goal, no matter how well-intentioned, the party said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C), German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck (R) and German Minister of Finance Christian Lindner take part in a press conference on the 2025 budget. The coalition parties have agreed on a draft budget. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German coalition leaders have agreed to lower bureaucratic hurdles for foreign nationals seeking employment in the country.

Under the terms of the preliminary 2025 national budget, which was agreed on Friday by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the powers of German immigration authorities to reject work permits are set to be limited.

Habeck said foreign nationals should automatically be allowed to take up employment in Germany, unless immigration authorities object within 14 days.

Integrating more refugees and prospective taxpayers into the labour market could be a "lever for more growth," Habeck emphasized.

The Green politician said he often meets employers who struggle to hire qualified workers due to bureaucratic obstacles.

No further details on the proposal have yet been released.
(Bloomberg) -- Germanys ruling coalition sealed a delayed agreement on a 481 billion ($521 billion) budget for next year and new measures to boost the economy, ending weeks of wrangling that had raised questions about the three-party alliances ability to govern.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Greens and Free Democrat Finance Minister Christian Lindner cemented the accord during a latest round of talks that began on Thursday and dragged into Friday morning. The draft finance plan now faces a bruising passage through parliament, with some coalition members still deeply unhappy with the cuts forced on them by the fiscally hawkish Lindner.

Scholz insisted that the budget compromise will strengthen the government at a time of uncertainty fueled by Russias war on Ukraine, anxiety around climate change and the rise of extremist forces across Europe. Priorities in the spending plan included internal and external security, social cohesion, tax relief for citizens and companies, climate protection and economic growth, he said at a news conference alongside Habeck and Lindner.

I am pleased that we have managed put together a budget that provides the right answers to the questions of our time, Scholz said.

The chancellor and his ministers had been under pressure to demonstrate the coalition is still viable after a disastrous performance in last months European Parliament elections. That prompted the main opposition conservatives, who have a healthy lead in opinion polls, to demand that the next national vote due in the fall of 2025 be held right away.

The ruling parties are also heading for another drubbing in September in three regional elections in eastern Germany, where polls show the far-right Alternative for Germany is the strongest force.

Negotiations on the latest financing blueprint were complicated by Lindners insistence on restoring a strict limit on net new borrowing this year that was suspended to help deal with the pandemic and the energy crisis.

The FDP leader forced belt tightening on all of this cabinet colleagues except Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who will get enough cash to ensure Germany continues to meet NATOs goal of spending 2% of gross domestic product on the military.

The draft budget foresees investments of around 100 billion and net new borrowing of 44 billion, in line with the constitutional limit known as the debt brake, Lindner said. The figure for new borrowing compares with about 51 billion this year, including an additional 11 billion in a supplementary budget, he added.

Habeck said the growth package  which comes on top of a similar set of measures enacted earlier this year  could add 0.5 percentage points to Germanys anemic rate of expansion.

It includes measures designed to strengthen private and public investment and speed expansion of renewable energies, additional tax write-offs for companies and incentives for people to work longer. The government will also extend tax relief on electricity costs for manufacturers and step up efforts to cut red tape.

Scholz had initially wanted to get the 2025 budget approved in cabinet on Wednesday, but that was pushed back as ministers argued over limited funds. Theyre now set to sign off on the plan on July 17.

The Greens were especially irritated by the cuts made necessary by Lindners insistence on restoring the debt brake.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock held out until the very last minute and only agreed to the budget early Friday in order to prevent the coalition from splitting apart, according to a person familiar with her thinking.

The budget agreement contains a clause that guarantees additional flexibility in the case of an unexpected international crisis, added the person, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential deliberations.

Rolf Muetzenich, the head of the Social Democrat caucus in the lower house of parliament, said Friday the option of suspending the debt brake remains on the table, though Lindner again ruled that out.

Once it has been endorsed by the cabinet, the draft budget will be sent to parliament for scrutiny by lawmakers. It would then be expected to win approval in both the lower house, or Bundestag, and the Bundesrat upper house, where the 16 regions are represented, by the end of the year.

--With assistance from Arne Delfs and Chris Reiter.

(Updates with details, comments throughout)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks to supporters at a watch party for the results of the 2024 General Election in central London, as the party appears on course for a landslide win in the 2024 General Election. Jeff Moore/PA Wire/dpa

German lawmaker Katarina Barley of the European Social Democrats welcomed the Labour Party's election victory in the UK, stating that it gives hope to the EU.

Barley was one of the vice-presidents of the European Parliament in the last legislative period and her party's top candidate in the European elections in June.

"I am pleased that, after years of tension, a Labour prime minister in London will now have the opportunity to strike a more friendly and constructive tone," Barley told dpa.

Barley, who has a British father, added that after 14 years of conservative government, including Brexit, the EU and the UK had become alienated from each other.

"A rapid re-entry of the UK into the EU remains very unlikely," said Barley, adding that the UK, however, is an important strategic partner of the European Union.

"Both a Labour government and the EU are interested in a new geopolitical partnership."

Germany's governing Social Democrats (SPD), of which Barley is a member, and the British Labour Party have close ties.

The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), the junior partner in Germany's three-party coalition, expect a significant improvement in German-British relations following the UK's election results, the party's foreign policy spokesman Ulrich Lechte said on Thursday.

Lechte said he is convinced that with Labour leader Starmer, more political objectivity would prevail in the UK.

He added that the Labour Party's election win offers a chance to renew and strengthen the European security architecture within NATO as the UK is an important European troop contributor.

Lechte also mentioned that successful cooperation between the Germans and the British on defence could be further expanded under a British Labour government.

UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks to supporters at a watch party for the results of the 2024 General Election, as the party appears on course for a landslide win in the 2024 General Election. Jeff Moore/PA Wire/dpa

UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer embraces his wife Victoria at a watch party at Tate Modern, for the results of the 2024 General Election, as the party appears on course for a landslide win. Jeff Moore/PA Wire/dpa
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R), German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck (C) and German Minister of Finance Christian Lindner take part in a press conference on the 2025 budget. The coalition parties have agreed on a draft budget. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German military spending is set to increase by only 1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) under the terms of the preliminary 2025 national budget agreed on Friday, far below the demands of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

The leaders of Germany's coalition government reached a breakthrough on the national budget after weeks of difficult negotiations culminated in consultations throughout the night on Thursday.

With Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) refusing to release the country's debt brake on government expenditure, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) ruling out cuts to welfare spending, Germany's armed forces appear to have lost out, just two years after Scholz announced a historic rearmament programme.

Speaking in May on a visit to the United States, Pistorius had spoken of an "additional requirement of 6.5 billion to 7.5 billion for the coming year," only rising in the subsequent years. He has warned of an impending "armaments stop" after the emergency 100 billion fund for the Bundeswehr agreed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 is spent by 2028.

The current budget for the Bundeswehr stands at 52 billion.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C), German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck (R) and German Minister of Finance Christian Lindner take part in a press conference on the 2025 budget. The coalition parties have agreed on a draft budget. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R), German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck (L) and German Minister of Finance Christian Lindner take part in a press conference on the 2025 budget. The coalition parties have agreed on a draft budget. Michael Kappeler/dpa
German Minister of Finance Christian Lindner leaves the Chancellor's Office after deliberations on the budget. Maximilian Specht/TNN/dpa

The leaders of Germany's three-party coalition achieved a breakthrough on the 2025 national budget on Friday after long negotiations, dpa has learnt from government sources.

The coalition government also plans to stick with strict rules against budget deficits, known as the debt brake, in the upcoming year, government sources told dpa.

This comes after long consultations between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Greens and Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP).

No details of the agreement were initially made public.

The parliamentary groups of the Social Democrats and the Greens plan to meet at 7 am (0500 GMT).

Scholz, Habeck and Lindner originally planned to reach a Cabinet-level decision by Wednesday. The Cabinet is now aiming to present a budget at its meeting on July 17.

In order to meet the deadline, it was essential to reach an early agreement on the principles, as the drafting of the budget law typically takes about 10 days.

The Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament, will begin deliberating the draft budget from mid-September, and it could be approved in November or December.

German Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck leaves the Chancellor's Office after deliberations on the budget. Maximilian Specht/TNN/dpa
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz takes part in a press conference on the 2025 budget. The coalition parties have agreed on a draft budget. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday congratulated the British Labour Party on its comprehensive victory in the United Kingdom's general election.

Asked whether he saw himself in a new alliance with freshly appointed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader concurred, saying he was delighted with the result.

As a traditional centre-left party, Labour occupies a similar place on the UK's political spectrum to Scholz's SPD in Germany.

Scholz said he knows Starmer personally and has met him several times, and stated that he would be a very successful prime minister.

The pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), the junior partner in Scholz's three-way coalition, also expects a significant improvement in German-British relations under Keir Starmer, the party's foreign policy spokesman Ulrich Lechte said on Thursday.

Lechte said he is convinced that more political objectivity would prevail in the UK under Labour.

He added that Labour's election win offers a chance to renew and strengthen the European security architecture within NATO, calling the UK an important European troop contributor.

Lechte also mentioned that successful cooperation between Germany and the UK on defence could be further expanded under a Labour government.

Other German politicians were also quick to congratulate Labour, including European Parliament lawmaker Katarina Barley, the SPD's top candidate in June's European elections.

"I am pleased that, after years of tension, a Labour prime minister in London will now have the opportunity to strike a more friendly and constructive tone," Barley told dpa.

Barley, who has a British father, added that after 14 years of Conservative government, including Brexit, the EU and the UK have become alienated from each other.

"A rapid re-entry of the UK into the EU remains very unlikely," said Barley, while reaffirming that the UK is an important strategic partner for the union.

"Both a Labour government and the EU are interested in a new geopolitical partnership," she added.

Newly elected UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stands with his wife Victoria Starmer at his official London residence at No 10 Downing Street for the first time after the Labour party won a landslide victory at the 2024 General Election. James Manning/PA Wire/dpa
Germany's Scholz hopes for new alliance with new Labour premier in UK

UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks to supporters at a watch party for the results of the 2024 General Election, as the party appears on course for a landslide win in the 2024 General Election. Jeff Moore/PA Wire/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has welcomed the Labour Party's victory in the British general election.

In response to a question as to whether he saw himself in a new alliance with the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, The Social Democrat (SPD) leader said: "Yes." He said he was delighted about Labour's election victory.

As a mainstream centre-left party, Labour occupies a similar place on the political spectrum in the UK as Scholz's SPD in Germany.

Scholz said he knows Starmer personally and has met him several times, and maintained that he would be a very successful prime minister.
The third Patriot air defense system pledged by Germany is already in Ukraine, the German ambassador in Kyiv, Martin Jaeger, said on July 5.

"During recent months, the Ukrainian crew has successfully completed their training in Germany," Jaeger said on X.

Berlin pledged the third battery back in April in response to Kyiv's calls for additional air defenses. Ukraine has faced increasingly intense Russian aerial attacks in recent months, which dealt a heavy blow to the country's energy infrastructure.

Apart from the latest delivery, Ukraine operates at least three Patriot systems, one supplied by the U.S. and two by Germany. The Netherlands has delivered several Patriot launchers and said it will deliver a full system in cooperation with another country.

Romania also pledged to deliver one system to Ukraine, though the exact timeline for the delivery of the Romanian and Dutch Patriots remains unclear.

The U.S., which produces Patriot systems and owns their largest arsenal, said it currently has no plans to supply an additional battery but has prioritized air defense missile deliveries to Ukraine over other countries.

The advanced weapons systems have played a crucial role in protecting the Ukrainian sky. They are capable of downing even the most advanced ballistic missiles, such as Kinzhals.

Read also: Romania to send Patriot defense system to Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Kamala Harris can have anything she wantsexcept one thing.

The only way Kamala Harris becomes president of these United States is if Joe Biden vacates the office before Election Day. Were that to happen, it is almost certain that her sole memorable act in office would be handing the keys over to Donald Trump, who is set to thrash Biden in the election and who might very well thrash Harris worse if the polls taken before 11 minutes ago are to be believed. With my usual caveat that the man is unfairly maligned, Biden and Harris would end up with something like Neville Chamberlains reputation if they usher Trump back into the Oval Office.

If Harris could admit to herself the reality of her political positionshe isnt going to be elected president in the foreseeable future and currently is pointed like a rocket at a career-and-reputation-ending disasterthen she would appreciate that she is in a terrific position nonetheless. She ought to be the happiest person in Washington because she has two things in her pocket: the capacity to drive Joe Biden off the ticket, and the opportunity to benefit from this mightily.

You can imagine the press conference: It has been my honor to serve with such a great and honorable man as Joe Biden, but I can no longer ignore his rapid decline in recent months, and the country cannot afford to risk  blah, blah, blah. And, then: I am honored that so many people in my partypeople at the highest levelencouraged me to seek the presidency on my own, in part because of what that would mean to women and people of color. But I have decided that I can best serve my country by 

Fill in the blank. Theres a gubernatorial election in California in 2026, and Gavin Newsom could do a great deal to clear the way for Harris if she wanted to be the Democratic nominee, which would all but ensure her election. She might even be good at the jobbetter than she was at being vice president, anyway. Maybe shed like a prestigious professorship or the presidency of a university and a couple of Silicon Valley board sinecures; I suspect that the necessary vacancies could be arranged. Janet Napolitano was president of the University of California, which is not a bad gold watch for someone who topped out as a Cabinet member in Washington. The current UC system president earns a million bucks a year. Harris would probably get an eight-figure book deal, a cable-news contract if she wanted oneanything  except the presidency.

If Harris clears the way for a more competitive Democrat, shell win her partys thanks; if she clears the way for a Democrat who wins, theyll try to put her on Mount Rushmore.

And if you can imagine the press conference in which she gracefully steps aside, imagine the conversation before the press conference: Mr. President, its been an honor. Im going to go make some money and maybe run for governor of California. I dont want to be blamed for handing the keys over to Trump. Do you want to make your resignation announcement before I gut you in public or a week and a half after the fact as youre bleeding out? Because Id vote for before.

Washington is full of bright, driven people, all of whom want  something. Some of them are idealists, some of them are professional grudge-nursers, some of them are status whores (in fact, all of them are status whores, but some are only status whores) who have been running for president since they were 15 years old, some of them just want to get paid and went to the place where they have the biggest pile of money. All of that intelligence and ambition, and nobody can figure out how to get what he wants by giving the Democratic Partyand the countrywhat it needs, which is Joe Biden gone.

I hope Harris is having those conversations right now, though she should have been having them a year ago. If the so-called insiders and elites and establishment were one-sixth as Machiavellian and subtle and cynical as the conspiracy theorists would have you believe, Biden would have been out on his ear before his hospice-ready I will show you fear in a handful of dust debate performance terrified his party into  not actionno, not that! not yet!but thinking and talking in a semi-serious way about action, of some kind, at some point, if conditions are favorable, taking some meetings, making some calls, if 

Kamala Harris can go down in ignominy by losing as vice president or, maybe, go down in ignominy by losing as president after serving in the office for 11 minutes, the Lady Jane Grey of American politics. Or she can do the countryand herselfa solid by sticking a political knife in the back of her boss and reaping the rewards.

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.
During the week since President Joe Bidens awful debate performance, spinners for his re-election campaign slowly began to admit what actually happened. Their desperate efforts to erase history could not blot out what 50 million viewers saw and heard. The conclusion is inescapable: Biden cannot be a credible candidate to defeat Donald Trump this fall.

Unfortunately, Bidens ego has proven to be much more resilient than his cognition. His loved ones and sycophants, in concentric inner and outer circles, cling to talking points that are patently dishonest, often preposterous, and virulently dangerous for prospects of preventing a second Trump presidency. By whistling past the graveyard of Bidens credibility as a viable candidate in 2024, the pretenders are doing a huge disservice to all who want to avert a full takeover of the U.S. government by the fascistic Republican Party.

Lets start with the innermost circle  the first couple. The day after the debate, both sidestepped what it had shown, instead striving to make it about one mans quest to show individual resilience.

I know like millions of Americans know  when you get knocked down, you get back up, the president told rallygoers in North Carolina. Meeting in New York with donors, Jill Biden said: When Joe gets knocked down, Joe gets back up, and thats what were doing today.

She resorted to hyperbole the next day at another fundraiser, saying: Joe isnt just the right person for the job. Hes the only person for the job.

Jill Bidens role goes far beyond the personal with her husband. After Biden became president, Vogue described his wife as a key player in her husbands administration, a West Wing surrogate and policy advocate. But its worth asking what kind of key player could tell President Biden immediately after his disastrous debate performance, as Jill Biden did late Thursday night: Joe, you did such a great job! You answered every question! You knew all the facts!

A master class in evasion and obfuscation came moments after the debate ended when California Gov. Gavin Newsom went on MSNBC to exhibit his damage-control skills. The damage was beyond repair, but he did his best.

On the signature issue the Democrats have, which is abortion, the presidents response was garbled and undirected at best, a reporter pointed out. Do you feel like he did what he needed to do on an issue that could motivate voters?

I think its significantly insignificant, because its de minimis, because the American people have made up their minds, Newsom replied. They dont support the policies of Donald Trump on abortion.

Newsom went on: We have the opportunity to universally have the back of this president, whos had our back. You dont turn your back, you go home with the one that brought you to the dance. A hundred percent. All in. And I was very very proud that he was able to articulate the work that he has done, and lay a foundation of understanding of the lies and the deceit that continue to come out of Donald Trumps mouth.

The day after the debate, interviewed by Al Sharpton on MSNBC, the Democratic National Committees chair, Jamie Harrison  who serves at Bidens pleasure  echoed Newsoms carefully obtuse rhetoric, proclaiming that Joe Biden has always had our back, and were gonna have his.

Meanwhile, liberal mega-substacker Heather Cox Richardson absurdly extended her longstanding record as a scholarly shill for President Biden by writing: Biden needed to demonstrate that his mental capacity is strong in order to push back on the Republicans insistence that he is incapable of being president. That, he did, thoroughly. Biden began with a weak start but hit his stride as the evening wore on. Indeed, he covered his bases too thoroughly, listing the many accomplishments of his administration in such a hurry that he was sometimes hard to understand.

But such intellectually disingenuous claims have suddenly worn thin in a wide range of media. Habitual supporters of Biden, such as Joe Scarborough at MSNBC and Thomas Friedman at the New York Times, responded to his abysmal effort in the debate by calling for him to drop out of the race. The Times editorial board did the same. A vast array of mainstream outlets featured urgent calls for Biden to withdraw as a candidate.

Yet party leadership was worse than dubious after the debate. Former President Barack Obama quickly and dismissively declared on X: Bad debate nights happen. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, Lets not make a judgment about a presidency on one debate. House Democratic power broker Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina intoned: Lets just stay the course. Chill out.

By mid-week, Pelosi and Clyburn had changed their tune. Pelosi commented: I think its a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition? And Clyburn shifted to promoting Kamala Harris: This party should not in any way do anything to work around Miss Harris. We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether shes in second place or at the top of the ticket.

But the impulse to deny the obvious about Bidens impairment remains strong. On Wednesday, after meeting with him at the White House, Democratic governors took turns blowing smoke. President Joe Biden is in it to win it, and all of us said we pledged our support to him, said New Yorks Gov. Kathy Hochul. The Democratic Governors Association chair, Minnesotas Gov. Tim Walz, proclaimed: The governors have his back, and were working together just to make very, very clear on that.

Notably, prominent Democrats whove refused to acknowledge that Biden was catastrophic in the debate also refuse to acknowledge that he has been directly aiding the mass murder of Palestinians in Gaza. Thats what happens when deference to a leader substitutes fealty for truth.

Last weekend, my colleague Sam Rosenthal wrote about his experience of flyering for RootsActions Step Aside Joe campaign at a meeting of the Democratic National Committee in early 2023: How did DNC members, staffers, and media attendees react to our open display of dissent? About how you would expect  most ignored us, a few others mocked us, one or two even angrily confronted our ragtag group.

Days after the debate, USA Today described the results of a new poll: 72 percent of voters do not believe Biden has the mental or cognitive health to serve as president, as well as nearly half of his own party. Thats up seven points from the beginning of June.

But at the same time those poll results were released, former Biden White House chief of staff Ron Klain said that it was 100 percent certain the president would stay in the race, the New York Times reported. Fingers stuck firmly in his ears, Klain commented: He is the choice of the Democratic voters. We are seeing record levels of support from grassroots donors. We had a bad debate night. But you win campaigns by fighting  not quitting  in the face of adversity.

Now, to challenge such lockstep conformity among Democratic Party officials who continue to serve as Biden 2024 enablers despite his debate implosion, RootsAction has launched a campaign for constituents to send Democrats in Congress a direct message: Tell Joe Biden  privately and publicly  that he should voluntarily be a one-term president. The debate shows clearly that hes not up to the imperative task of defeating Trump in the fall.
British politics has hardly covered itself in glory in recent years. After the shame of the Corbyn years was punctured by the glorious Tory victory of 2019, we were subjected to a veritable gallery of disgrace: soaring immigration, Covid authoritarianism, Partygate, the Truss-Kwarteng interregnum, Gaza fanaticism. But the true nadir was the election of George Galloway in Rochdale.

When he gained the seat in March, against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, it was an expression of the homegrown anti-Western radicalism that has proved such a subversive force since October 7. During the campaign, the self-styled Workers Party leader dubbed himself Gaza George, claimed the Hamas atrocities were a concentration camp breakout and described the terrorists as fighters.

At his victory party in a local Suzuki showroom, his makeshift headquarters for the campaign, certain parts of the community celebrated en masse. Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza, Galloway crowed, accusing him and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of being two cheeks of the same backside. Ascribing his victory to the mainstream parties support for Israel, he added: And they both got well and truly spanked tonight here in Rochdale. Galloway, we feared, was here to stay.

We feared wrongly, and thank God for that. This was a triumph for Israel, for common sense, for Britain and for the West.

In retrospect, there were extenuating circumstances in the March by-election which were the fillip that made the unelectable briefly electable. Three weeks before the election, Labour had been forced to suspend its candidate, Azhar Ali, after he had been recorded claiming that Israel had deliberately dropped its defences on October 7 as a pretext for invading Gaza. Ali came a distant fourth, with just 7.7 per cent of the vote, allowing Galloway to sweep to victory.

Thankfully, his tenure didnt last long. What a difference a General Election campaign makes. Fast-forward to tonight and the urbane former journalist Paul Waugh won back the seat for Labour with a majority of about 1,400. Not a huge margin, to be sure, but enough to kick Galloway into touch. It clearly smarted: the trilby-sporting firebrand did not take to the stage for the results.

Britain, and especially British Jews, breathed a sigh of relief. For years, Galloway had worn his Israelophobia as a brazen badge of honour, a way of winning support from hardline sections of the Muslim community. He never deserved to be in public life. Now he has got what he deserved.

Galloways history of Jew-baiting is long and disgraceful. Among his achievements were declaring Bradford an Israel-free zone, appearing regularly on the propaganda mouthpieces of Russia and Iran, and being pictured receiving a Palestinian passport from Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

The result today was a win for mainstream, tolerant Britain that can tell the difference between pockets of reactionary chauvinism and true humanitarian concern. But it was also a victory for Labour, in more ways than one.

Galloway was emblematic of Labours problem with Jews. More than a decade after he was expelled from the party in 2003, he said he would rejoin the party pretty damn quick if Corbyn were to become leader. In 2015, he told LBC: Ive always been a Labour man. I consider myself real Labour. Ive never been a Marxist or a Trotskyist, or any other kind of ist, other than a Labourist.

History did not end up unfolding entirely as Galloway had expected. But the fact remains that from his point of view, it was Labour that betrayed him rather than the other way round. Corbyn appears to feel the same way.

Galloway has been proven wrong tonight. It was shameful that he ever won the seat at all; it was shameful that he came so close this evening. But victories for the decent majority are few and far between these days, and we will take them with both hands when they come.

Good riddance, George Galloway. Indefatigability is all very well, but it turns out that there is more to winning the hearts of the British public than divisive identity politics.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. Signing a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan is of great importance, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at a meeting with a US delegation headed by US Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker in Yerevan, Trend reports.

He emphasized the importance of continuing the delimitation process based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration and signing a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

To note, one of the main factors preventing the signing of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia is the presence of certain provisions in the Armenian constitution that enshrine territorial claims to Azerbaijan and Turkiye. Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that for a peace treaty to be signed, the Armenian constitution must be amended to remove these territorial claims.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called on President Joe Biden to speak directly to the American people about his health during a White House meeting this week.

Beshear, along with other Democratic governors, met the president at the White House on Wednesday to discuss concerns about Bidens health following a poor debate performance late last month.

I said that our president is known for being a straight talker, telling the American people the truth, and my recommendation was that he have an open conversation with the public about the status of his health, Beshear told reporters Friday in Louisville.

I believe that you run towards problems not away from them. There's no question the president took a hit in that debate and that people are worried about his health and want to hear directly from him, Beshear said. "He is the president of the United States and needs to be able to speak to all those citizens directly about it."

The president was in control of the room and answered the governors questions for about an hour, Beshear said.

He asked for really candid advice and responded to it, Beshear said of the governors meeting with Biden.

Could Beshear end up running?

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear visited west Louisville's Parkland neighborhood to survey the storm damage after an E1 tornado on the Fourth of July damaged several homes in Louisville, Kentucky. Walking with Beshear is Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, left; Louisville EMA executive director Edward Jody Meiman; and Kentucky Sen. Gerald Neal at far right. Behind them is U.S. Senator Morgan McGarvey on crutches.

Beshear said he plans to attend the August Democratic National Convention in Chicago as a delegate from Kentucky but has not yet been invited to speak.

The governor said his name is being floated as a possible vice presidential or even presidential nominee because what's going on in Kentucky is really exciting, pointing to economic development projects, growing tourism and a decrease in overdose deaths as successes.

Beshear said his record has transcended partisan divides and is likely one reason his name is being considered for the Democratic presidential ticket. But Beshear reiterated that Biden is still the Democratic nominee and he continues to support the president's candidacy.

Still, Beshear did not categorically reject the possibility of running for higher office.

The only way I would ever consider anything other than this job, which I love, is if I felt that I could help this Commonwealth in special and important ways," Beshear said.

Gov. Andy Beshear talks to Tonya Perry on Woodland Avenue about the storm damage after an E1 tornado on the Fourth of July that hit parts of west Louisville, Kentucky. At center is Louisville mayor Craig Greenburg.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week had Beshear pulling 36% of the vote in a hypothetical presidential matchup against Donald Trump, who garnered 40%.

Still, Beshear lacked national name recognition, with more than two-thirds of the Democrats polled saying they had not heard of him.

Along with Vice President Kamala Harris, other Democratic governors whose names have been suggested as possible top-of-ticket candidates include Michigans Gretchen Whitmer, Californias Gavin Newsom, and Marylands Wes Moore.

A Biden interview with ABCs George Stephanopoulos  Biden's first since the debate  airs Friday night.

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: What Gov. Andy Beshear told President Joe Biden at the White House
Amid waning support from top Democrats, Governor Maura Healey released a statement Friday via her political team saying shes grateful for President Joe Bidens leadership.

President Biden saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years, she said. And I know he agrees this is the most important election of our lifetimes.

Biden has recently been scrutinized for his disastrous performance in his latest debate with former President Donald Trump.

In the aftermath, Biden invited several Democratic governors to Washington D.C., including Healey, to meet in an attempt to solidify party support for his pending presidential run.

Although the details of that meeting have not been made public, Healey said Biden should consider the best plan for the future.

The best way forward right now is a decision for the President to make, Healey said. Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump. Whatever President Biden decides, I am committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump.

Utter train wreck: Local historian expects Biden to exit presidential race within a week

On Friday in Madison, Wisconsin, Biden declared, Im staying in the race during a campaign rally.

In front of roughly 300 supporters at a Wisconsin middle school, Biden again acknowledged his subpar debate last week, saying he cant say it was my best performance but that amid speculation over what he would do, he had an answer: I am running, and Im going to win again.

I beat Donald Trump, Biden said. I will beat him again.

President Biden defiantly vowed on Wednesday to keep running for reelection despite growing pressure that his age has caught up with him.

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.

Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton expressed grave concerns about Bidens ability to beat Trump in an election the very same day.

Biden will be interviewed by ABC Newss George Stephanopoulos tonight at 8 p.m., his first television interview since the debate.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is scheduled to meet on Monday with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and other local leaders to plan how to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in the state.

Parson spokesperson Johnathan Shiflett said the Republican governor will meet in Kansas City with Lucas, Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. and members of the Clay County Commission.

The string of meetings comes as Missouri officials weigh how best to respond to Kansas, which recently passed an aggressive plan to lure both teams across state lines with more than a million dollars in bonds. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed the plan into law last month.

Shiflett said in an email to The Star that the top officials will discuss how best to ensure the Chiefs and Royals remain in Missouri. He added that the meetings arent so much about presenting a plan as they are to help develop a plan.

Lucas spokesperson Jazzlyn Johnson said in an email that Lucas shares the Governors view on the importance of retaining the Chiefs and the Royals in our community.

The Mayor appreciates the collaboration with Governor Parson as productive discussions with the franchises continue, Johnson said.

Marshanna Smith, the spokesperson for Jackson County, said in an email that White maintains open communication with Governor Parson and values their collaborative partnership on Jackson County matters.

He looks forward to continuing these productive discussions to ensure that the best interests of county residents are met, Smith said.

Clay County Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Missouri lawmakers, who ended their annual session in May, have not rushed to respond to Kansas directly. While one top lawmaker told The Star that lawmakers would consider holding a special session after the August primary, Parson has signaled that a special session is unlikely.

The Republican governor told reporters last week that his office has met with representatives from both teams. He also acknowledged that the state would have to spend some money to keep them but did not offer specifics.

I think by the end of this year, were going to have something in place to be able to say where were going and to hopefully be able to say what I believe the state should do, he said last week.

Any plan developed by Parsons administration and area leaders would likely require legislative approval. If Parson doesnt call a special session, lawmakers would have to debate that plan during next years legislative session after the Republican governor terms out of office.

Kansas attempt to poach the teams comes after Jackson County voters in April rejected a stadium tax in April that would have effectively guaranteed the teams would stay in Missouri after their 25-year leases expire in January 2031.

Critics have said that the Kansas plan has potentially reignited an economic bidding war between the two states, but Parson pushed back on that argument last week.

I dont really think of it as the border war, he said. All Im telling you is were going to do everything we can to make sure they stay.
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS)  West Virginia Governor Jim Justice responded to complaints about his handling of the road on Crestview Drive in Beckley.

Crestview Village Apartment tenants furious about road damage

Crestview Village Apartment tenants are furious about the condition of their road after a logging job that Justice ordered a few years ago on land he owns on that same road.

The logging job left the road severely damaged, as it was not originally constructed to handle extended wear and tear from big logging trucks.

After Apartment tenants spoke out about their problems, Jim Justice told 59News that that the owner of Crestview Drive is the Crestview Village Apartments owner. From what I know, its completely their responsibility. At some point in time, what really needs to be done is a lot of excavation and a new way into the assisted living home. In addition to that, we have to have an agreement with the person who owns the building to relocate his road.

Justice also said that there must be an agreement made with the County Commission on this matter.

Justice said that the area around the Apartments on Harper Road would be a great spot for many larger businesses to come in like Target and Bass Pro Shop.

Residents of Crestview Village want their road fixed

The resolution to this bad road situation may take a while, but Crestview Village Apartments tenants are asking for any and all donations to raise funds for repairs to be made to Crestview Drive.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  This week, top Texas leadership called for an immediate review of all policies related to the power grid in response to the latest estimates about future demand on the states power grid.

In a joint statement released Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pointed to recent testimony from Pablo Vegas, CEO of the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), where he told lawmakers Texas could need as much as 150,000 megawatts of power by 2030.

ERCOT predicts up to 16% chance of emergency power conditions in August

Thats effectively almost doubling the peak demand of the ERCOT grid in about six years, Vegas said at a June 12 hearing of the Senate Business and Commerce committee.

Abbott and Patrick also announced efforts to double the amount of money available through the Texas Energy Fund. Voters passed a resolution last November to create the $5 billion program, which will provide low-interest loans to incentivize the building of more dispatchable natural gas plants.

Abbott and Patricks statement noted the state has already received notices of intent to apply from companies totaling $39 million, making the program nearly eight times oversubscribed. They said they would seek to expand the program to $10 billion.

According to the statement, the average plant will take three to four years to complete, and new transmission lines will take three to six years to complete.

Bitcoin, AI and the Texas grid: Lawmakers consider action

Texas is currently the fastest state to approve and build new plants and transmission lines because of our low regulations and pro-business policies, but we must move quickly, the statement said.

In the same hearing in June, lawmakers heard striking statistics on the increasing energy demands of the Bitcoin and artificial intelligence sectors. As KXAN previously reported, Vegas said one graphics processing unit, which is a core technology for Artificial Intelligence (AI), uses as much power as an average home uses in an entire year. He compared one AI companys energy demand to bringing half a million homes onto the grid in an instant.

Joshua Rhodes, a research scientist at The University of Texas at Austin, told KXAN the latest high-end estimates about peak demand should be taken with a grain of salt.

If every single potential data center and green hydrogen facility and crypto mine and everything that possibly wants to connect in the next six years were to connect, then that demand would jump  could jump  up to 150 gigawatts. But that would be growth on a scale that weve never seen before, he said.

However, he believes the forecast will help Texas be more proactive.

The idea is that if we are planning for larger amounts of load, then well be more proactive in doing things like building transmission and other supporting infrastructure to be able to meet it, he explained. It is, you know, kind of a thermometer as to where demand is going to grow in the state, so that we can be more proactive in building that infrastructure to that part of the state.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Governor Mike DeWine has ordered flags to be lowered at half-staff in part of Ohio after a police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty on the Fourth of July.

>>RELATED: Police identify officer killed in line of duty in Ohio

He called on all United States and State of Ohio flags to be flown at half-staff at public buildings and grounds throughout Cuyahoga County until the day of his funeral.

DeWine also called them to be lowered at the Ohio Statehouse, Vern Riffe Center, and Rhodes Officer Tower in Columbus during that same period.

As News Center 7 previously reported, Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter, 27, was shot and killed early Thursday morning while serving a warrant to a man wanted for felonious assault.

Fran and I offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter, who not only dedicated his life to protecting the citizens of Cleveland but also served his state and nation as a member of the Ohio National Guard, he said. On this Independence Day, this tragedy is a painful reminder of the sacrifices our law enforcement and military members make in support of freedom and public safety.

Ritter joined the Cleveland Police Department in 2020, deployed to Syria in 2022 as a member of the Ohio National Guard, and returned in 2023.

DeWine said all other public buildings may fly the flags at half-staff at their discretion.
Proposition 2 is a bond measure that would allow the state to borrow $10 billion to help fund repairs and upgrades at thousands of public elementary, middle and high schools and community colleges across California.

The money from the last successful school bond, which passed in 2016, has long since been spent, and the state's school repair fund is expected to be depleted by January. There is a wait list of districts hoping the new bond will pass so that $3.4 billion can be given for already approved projects to repair hazardous mold, leaky roofs, and septic systems, as well as to build classrooms, modernize science labs and replace aging buildings.

Voters rejected the last school bond in March 2020, a $15-billion proposal that got only 47% of the vote. This time around, after months of closed-door debates, the governor and legislators have lowered the price tag; they hope voters will be in more of a spending mood come November. A simple majority is needed to approve the bond.

What will the measure do?

Proposition 2 would provide $8.5 billion in facility renovations and new construction for TK-12 schools, with 10% of the funds dedicated to small school districts. Community colleges would receive $1.5 billion.

To receive bond money, districts must raise a local bond of their own and then apply to the State Facilities Program for a funding match on a sliding scale up to 65% for renovations and 55% for new construction  5% more than previous bonds. The exact state match is based on a complicated points formula that seeks to provide a higher match to low-wealth districts that cannot afford to generate much local funding, and those with a high percentage of disadvantaged districts. Districts that are unable to raise more than $15 million can receive up to a 100% match.

Districts can also apply for supplemental funding to help build or renovate transitional kindergarten facilities. This is intended to replace a $550 early education facilities grant that was cut from the governor's most recent budget.

Who are the supporters?

The school bond is supported by dozens of school districts including Los Angeles Unified, the Assn. of California School Administrators, the California School Boards Assn. and construction associations, including the powerful Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH).

Supporters say that the money is badly needed to improve the dilapidated conditions of many California schools, and that changes in the way funds are distributed will make the process more equitable. Districts have already started adding local bonds to the ballot in anticipation of the funds.

These are critical dollars that weve been waiting on for too long, unfortunately, for our districts, said Dorothy Johnson, legislative advocate for the Assn. of California School Administrators. For some schools this will mean they will have a gymnasium. For some schools this will mean that they can have indoor plumbing. But it will mean something for every district.

Who are the opponents?

Opponents of the bill include some low-wealth districts and advocacy groups that say the proposal does not go far enough in addressing the equity gap that benefits affluent school districts.

A recent report from the UC Berkeley Center for Cities + Schools found that districts in the wealthiest communities got $4,000-$5,000 more, per student, to modernize their facilities than districts in the least affluent communities. This is because districts receive a match based on what they can raise themselves. Districts with low wealth and property values are limited in the amount of a bond they can raise, while wealthy districts and large urban districts like Los Angeles and San Francisco can raise much more.

Were sending a message and a wrong message that some kids matter more than others, said Lynwood Unified School District superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite.

Public Advocates, a public interest law firm, had proposed a different sliding scale that would have given the lowest-wealth districts, such as Lynwood, a 95% match from the state with a 5% local contribution, while the richest districts would have received just a 5% match for a 95% local contribution.

The firm has now threatened to sue the state based on the current proposal language, which they say violates students' constitutional right to a high-quality education.

Why is this on the ballot?

A growing body of research has found that good environmental conditions  including clean air, light and safe building facilities  improve students' academic achievement. Yet a report from the Public Policy Institute of California found that 38% of students statewide go to schools that do not meet minimum facility standards.

Without a dedicated funding stream for school facilities, California depends on raising money from state or local bonds. Since 1998, voter-approved ballot initiatives have raised $43 billion in bonds to finance school repairs, modernization and new construction. But with no new state bond funding since 2016, the money needed to make necessary repairs has been exhausted, and a new infusion of funds is needed.

More election news

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.
California remains a national leader on LGBTQ+ rights, but a line in the state Constitution still defines marriage as only between a man and a woman.

That's because language voters passed as part of Proposition 8 in 2008 remains on the books even though courts have deemed it unenforceable and federal law protects the right to same-sex marriage.

Proposition 3 gives voters a chance to repeal the outdated clause and instead enshrine marriage as a "fundamental right" for all.

Why is this on the ballot?

Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell) authored legislation asking voters to remove and replace the Proposition 8 definition, calling it "discriminatory and unconstitutional."

The measure comes amid Democrats' distrust of the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court. Advocates of Proposition 3 point to a concurring opinion by conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the 2022 case overturning of Roe vs. Wade, which provided a right to abortion. Thomas wrote then that the nation's highest court should reconsider rulings that rely on similar legal reasoning as in the landmark abortion case, including those that protect same-sex marriage and access to contraception.

A legislative analysis of the bill said that "courts can change" and pointed out that the current Supreme Court no longer includes two of the justices who supported the 2015 landmark ruling that protects an equal right to marriage.

"It is true that marriage equality is still currently the law in the United States; however, it is not impossible that this will not always remain the case," the analysis said.

Who are the supporters?

Gov. Gavin Newsom is promoting the measure, along with Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and Superintendent of Instruction Tony Thurmond  both Democratic candidates for governor in 2026.

The American Civil Liberties Union and LGBTQ+ rights groups including Equality California and Human Rights Campaign also support the measure, as does the California Democratic Party.

Who are the opponents?

Religious conservative groups oppose the measure. While Republicans did not vote "no" on the measure during floor votes in the state Capitol, many abstained from voting on it at all.

The California Family Council, a conservative policy organization that opposes gay marriage, says that the broader definition of marriage under Proposition 3 could lead to the legalization of polygamy and the erosion of what they say is the optimal family environment."

How much money has been raised?

Past coverage

Read more: Newsom urges California voters to protect same-sex marriage amid Supreme Court distrust

More election news

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.
Proposition 35 would permanently impose a tax on health insurance providers like Anthem Blue Cross and L.A. Care, known as managed care organizations, that provide or arrange services for a monthly payment. The ballot measure would also designate how the money can be used.

The proposal comes as California lawmakers have expanded the pool of people eligible for Medi-Cal, the California Medicaid program, to include people who meet income criteria regardless of their immigration status. Healthcare providers and advocacy groups have complained, however, that California does not pay adequately for providing care under Medi-Cal. Proposition 35 aims to boost that funding.

What is this tax?

This isn't a new thing: California has imposed an "MCO tax" off and on over the years. In summer 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers decided to renew the tax to help fund Medi-Cal as the state made more Californians eligible for coverage. The tax is expected to generate between $6 billion and $9 billion annually through 2026, the Legislative Analyst's Office estimated last year.

Lawmakers said they would dedicate some of that tax revenue to increase the reimbursement rates that healthcare providers are paid under Medi-Cal. Healthcare providers said boosting rates was crucial to prevent Medi-Cal patients from facing shortages of providers and long waits.

This year, however, Newsom sought to repurpose billions of dollars from the MCO tax to cover other Medi-Cal program costs. The budget plan ultimately agreed to by state lawmakers included money for Medi-Cal rate increases for healthcare providers, but less than what was previously planned.

What does this measure do?

Proposition 35 would spell out how the MCO tax revenue can be used. It would also limit the ability of California lawmakers to reroute such funding for other uses, requiring at least three-quarters of members from each house  the state Assembly and Senate  to amend the measure in the future.

It would also set up a new committee that would advise the Department of Health Care Services on efforts supported by the tax money, which would include people representing physicians, hospitals, clinics, organized labor and other groups involved in healthcare.

How would the money be used?

In the short term, the ballot measure would require the money to be allocated in generally the same way that California had been planning before Newsom sought to repurpose the funds.

That would include increases in the reimbursement rates paid to healthcare providers under the Medi-Cal program and funding to help train healthcare workers, among other efforts. Some money would go to help cover costs for Medi-Cal in the general fund, the state account that pays for most public services.

Starting in 2027, the ballot measure sets out a formula for funding different programs, with some spending hinging on how much money the tax pulls into state coffers.

Who is supporting it?

Proposition 35 is backed by the Coalition to Protect Access to Care, which includes a range of groups involved in healthcare. Among them are the California Hospital Assn., the California Medical Assn., Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, labor unions, emergency responders and community health centers. Both the California Democratic Party and the California Republican Party support it.

The ballot measure is an opportunity to "invest in providers in a way that would allow folks to expand the patient population" they serve, and for providers already assisting Medi-Cal patients to "expand the services they provide," said Jodi Hicks, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.

It's important that "the system as a whole is funded so that patients can get the care they need," Hicks said. For instance, she said, if a Medi-Cal patient can get a mammogram at a clinic, specialty care also needs to be available if that mammogram shows something is wrong.

California has made strides in expanding who is eligible for Medi-Cal and what services are covered, "but we need to guarantee for folks that if they are on the program, they are able to access those services."

How much money has been raised?

How would this affect the state budget?

The Legislative Analyst's Office said in an analysis last year that the ballot measure could give state lawmakers less flexibility to balance the California budget in the future. Newsom wanted the coalition backing the measure to take it off the ballot, The Times has reported.

The state has also passed a budget that relies on the money from the MCO tax. Passing Proposition 35 could unravel some of those existing plans for the funding, according to provisions in the health budget bill.

Hicks said that Proposition 35 guarantees that some of the tax money would go into the general fund, where state leaders "would have that flexibility to spend those dollars in health care." She added that the measure does not bar lawmakers from approving funding for other programs that they want to support.

Past coverage

Read more: With deadline nearing, Newsom and lawmakers disagree over solutions to California budget crisis

More election news

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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. New UK foreign and defense ministers appointed, Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed the decision, Trend reports.

According to the decision, David Lemmy was appointed to the post of Foreign Secretary, and John Healey to the post of Defense Secretary.

In addition, the post of Home Secretary in the new government will be taken by Yvette Cooper, and the post of Finance Minister by Rachel Reeves.

Labor Party leader Keir Starmer has become the new Prime Minister of Great Britain.

In the British parliamentary elections on July 4, the Labor Party won a significant majority. Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak has resigned as prime minister.
Your guide to Proposition 5: Making it easier to pass local housing, road bonds

For the record:

1:51 p.m. Oct. 3, 2024: An earlier version of this article said that the existing two-thirds voter threshold for local bond approval was due to Proposition 13 in 1978. The threshold has been in the state Constitution since 1879.



Proposition 5 aims to make it easier to pass local bond measures for affordable housing, transportation, parks and other infrastructure.

What will the measure do?

Currently, most local bond proposals require a two-thirds vote of the public to be approved. If voters pass Proposition 5, this threshold will be lowered to 55% for bonds supporting low-income housing, road and transit expansions, parks, wildfire resilience and other public infrastructure projects.

The existing supermajority requirement for local bond approval was written into Californias Constitution in 1879.

Because of a prior ballot measure, the threshold for approval for local school construction bonds already has been lowered to 55%.

If Proposition 5 passes, it would affect all future local bond campaigns covered by the measure, including those concurrently on the November ballot.

Who are the supporters?

Backers of Proposition 5 include labor, affordable housing and local government interests among others. Principal supporters are labor groups representing firefighters and construction workers. These organizations contend that it should be easier for voters to approve government financing for needed housing and other public projects.

Who are the opponents?

Opponents include an array of business and taxpayer groups, including the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. They argue that Proposition 5 will erode taxpayer protections against government spending and result in higher taxes.

How much money has been raised?

The Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California has given more than $3.3 million in support. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has contributed $2.5 million.

The California Business Roundtable has contributed more than $1.5 million in opposition. Other large donations have come from property management and real estate investment groups.

Read more: Track the money for Prop 5: Contributions for and against housing and infrastructure bonds

Why is this on the ballot?

California legislators put Proposition 5 on the ballot themselves. Initially, a broader version of Proposition 5 was planned. But in late June lawmakers amended the measure to eliminate a provision that would have also lowered the threshold to pass local tax increases designated for a specific purpose from two-thirds to 55%. Legislators cited concern about whether voters would support that change, and narrowed Proposition 5 to its current language.

More election news

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 hacker gained access to the internal messaging systems of artificial intelligence developer OpenAI and stole details of its technologies, it has been revealed (Getty Images)

A hacker gained access to the internal messaging systems of artificial intelligence developer OpenAI and stole details of its technologies, it has been revealed.

The data breach occurred earlier this year, though the company chose not to make it public or inform authorities because it did not consider the incident a threat to national security.

Sources close to the matter told The New York Times, that the hacker lifted details of the AI technologies from discussions in an online forum where employees talked about OpenAIs latest technologies.

They did not, however, get into the systems where the company houses and builds its artificial intelligence, the sources said.

OpenAI executives revealed the incident to employees during a meeting at the companys San Francisco offices in April 2023. The board of directors was also informed.

However, the sources told the newspaper that executives decided not to share the news publicly because no information about customers or partners had been stolen.

The incident was not considered a threat to national security because they believed the hacker was a private individual with no known ties to a foreign government. As such, the OpenAI bosses allegedly did not inform the FBI or other law enforcement.

The data breach occurred earlier this year, though OpenAI chose not make it public or inform authorities because it did not consider the incident a threat to national security. (Getty Images)

But for some employees, The Times reported, the news raised fears that foreign adversaries such as China could steal AI technology that could eventually endanger US national security.

It also led to questions about how seriously OpenAI was treating security, and exposed fractures inside the company about the risks of artificial intelligence.

After the breach, Leopold Aschenbrenner, an OpenAI technical program manager, focused on ensuring that future AI technologies do not cause serious harm, sent a memo to the companys board of directors.

Aschenbrenner argued that the company was not doing enough to prevent the Chinese government and other foreign adversaries from stealing its secrets.

He also said OpenAIs security wasnt strong enough to protect against the theft of key secrets if foreign actors were to infiltrate the company.

Aschenbrenner later alleged that OpenAI had fired him this spring for leaking other information outside the company and argued that his dismissal had been politically motivated. He alluded to the breach on a recent podcast, but details of the incident have not been previously reported.

We appreciate the concerns Leopold raised while at OpenAI, and this did not lead to his separation, an OpenAI spokeswoman, Liz Bourgeois, told The New York Times.

While we share his commitment to building safe AGI, we disagree with many of the claims he has since made about our work.

This includes his characterizations of our security, notably this incident, which we addressed and shared with our board before he joined the company.
(Bloomberg) -- Hamas has dropped its objections over a US-backed cease-fire proposal to halt the Gaza conflict with Israel, a person familiar with the matter said, the clearest sign yet that a truce is possible after months of fruitless negotiations.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The person, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations, said that Israel had come back with fresh changes in the latest round of indirect talks, suggesting that tough negotiations still remain. Discussions will continue next week, Israel said.

It should be emphasized that there are still gaps between the sides, the office of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the US and the UK, has agreed to move beyond earlier sticking points, the person said, without providing details. The Jerusalem Post reported earlier Friday that Hamas appeared to have dropped a demand that Israel agree to a permanent cease-fire at the start of the proposed deal, while Israels Channel 13 said the new offer doesnt insist on a full withdrawal of Israeli troops in the initial stage.

Either way, the apparent shift from Hamas offered the best hope in weeks that the two sides could at least temporarily halt fighting that was touched off with the groups attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. Israels retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health authority in Gaza, and threatened a wider regional war.

President Joe Biden put forward the proposal in late May, describing a three-phase approach that would lead to a permanent end to the conflict. He said it had Israels full support  something that Israeli officials backed away from at the time.

Were hopeful about the direction things are moving in, but theres still going to be a lot more work to do, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday. We have also been exerting every pressure to Hamas to bring this deal to a close through our work with partners in the region.

All along, the problem has been a fundamental difference between the two sides. Hamas has insisted on a permanent cease-fire and says Israel must withdraw its forces completely from Gaza. Israel, meanwhile, has said it will pause fighting but not end it as long as Hamass governing and military structures remain intact.

An Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea was in Qatar earlier Friday for the talks, and returned home late in the day. Barnea, who leads the Israeli external-intelligence agency, met Qatars Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

US officials have said a cease-fire could turn into a permanent halt in fighting. The war has caused turmoil in the wider Middle East and huge political divisions globally, even hurting Bidens bid for reelection in November.

US officials have also worked to head off a potential conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, while also seeking to neutralize Houthi forces in Yemen that say they will keep targeting commercial shipping as long as the Gaza conflict continues.

--With assistance from Galit Altstein and Akayla Gardner.

(Updates with details of Hamas response, additional details throughout.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Hamas says it rejects any statements about foreign forces entering Gaza

Remains of destroyed buildings in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, are pictured through the Egypt-Gaza border, in Rafah

DUBAI (Reuters) -Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Friday it rejects any statements and positions that support plans for foreign forces to enter the Gaza Strip under any name or justification.

The group said the administration of the Gaza Strip is a purely Palestinian matter. "The Palestinian people (...) will not allow any guardianship or the imposition of any external solutions or equations," it added.

Separately, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), a group allied with Hamas, said it considered any attempt to deploy international or other forces in Gaza as 'an aggression' and will deal with it as occupying forces.

(Reporting by Clauda Tanios in Dubai, Yomna Ehab and Nidal Al-Mughrabi in Cairo, Editing by William Maclean)
Happy hours could be longer with more specials. How PA bill could change after-work drinks

Happy hour could get a little happier thanks to a state bill which would allow Pennsylvania bar owners to expand their hours.

House Bill 829, which was introduced last year and provides several amendments to the Pennsylvania Liquor Code, passed Tuesday in the State Senate with a 47-3 vote.

Bartender, Sabrina Regalbuto, makes a Moscow mule for a customer at The Eddington House, in Bensalem, on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.

Led by efforts of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association, several parts of the bill sought to update regulations to provide bar owners the opportunity to increase happy hours, create discounted combo meals with adult beverages and include the price of two drinks in any self-sponsored event an establishment is hosting.

The organizations goal was to address older regulations that limited opportunities for the states bars, taverns, and licensed restaurants to creatively market their businesses, said Chuck Moran, Executive Director of PaTaverns in a press release.

What will the change mean for happy hour in PA bars?

According to the liquor code, happy hour  a specified time during which an establishment can discount the price of alcoholic beverages  is limited to four hours per day and up to 14 hours per week.

The bill, if signed into law, increases the weekly limit to 24 hours per week.

New bar opens in Doylestown: Doylestown bar opens for Memorial Day weekend, focus on cocktails, tequila, small bites

It will also allow for happy hour to include discounted food and drink combos, limited to no more than two combos per day. Currently, combo meals are not allowed to include alcoholic beverages.

In addition, licensed establishments hosting a self-sponsored event will be allowed to include up to two alcoholic beverages with the price of the ticket.

Pennsylvania bill also addresses outdoor dining

The bill addresses several other amendments to the liquor code, including a provision allowing for the temporary extension of a liquor license to outdoor dining areas within 1,000 feet of a licensed building  an allowance granted during the pandemic that was set to expire at the end of this year.

What happens now that the bill has passed the PA Senate?

Bill 829 passed the House last May with a 199-2 vote, and now that is has cleared the Senate, it heads off next to Gov. Josh Shapiros desk for the bill to be signed into law.

Dining in Bristol Borough: Drift on Mill now open in downtown Bristol Borough. What to know before you go

Reporter Michele Haddon covers local news, small business, economic development, community revitalization, art and culture for The Intelligencer and Bucks County Courier Times at PhillyBurbs.com. Please considering supporting local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PA bars could expand happy hours and drink specials under bill passed
Heat advisory in effect for Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson, precautions to stay cool

According to the National Weather Service at Greenville-Spartanburg, a heat advisory will be in effect from 11 a.m. this morning to 8 p.m. this evening.

The Piedmont of northeast Georgia, North Carolina, and upstate South Carolina is expected to experience heat index values up to 108 degrees.

Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses, so people in these areas are urged to seek shelter.

Nikki Penta of Ready Go Dog Show tosses a plastic flying disc to one of her 15 dogs named Pepperchini, a cattle dog and border collie mix, during the Great Anderson County Fair at the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Complex in Anderson, S.C. Thursday, May 2, 2024.

Heat precautions

Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in minutes. Drink plenty of fluids. Stay in an air-conditioned room. Stay out of the sun. Check up on relatives and neighbors.

Looking for a public pool?

It's summer in the Upstate, with many residents wondering where to purchase pool memberships for their families.

There are many places where residents can apply for membership in Anderson, Greenville, and Spartanburg counties.

After checking out places to swim, read about how you and your family can stay safe when swimming using tips from the American Red Cross. Drowning only takes seconds, and when it comes to getting help, every second counts.

Click here to read the story.

Two lakes to check out

Lake Jocassee and Lake Murray were recently announced as USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards winners. In the "Best Lake for Swimming" category, Lake Jocassee took the crown at No. 1.

Lake Murray took spot No. 2 in the category "Best Lakes for Water Sports."

Click here to read the story.

What setting should you put your AC?

The mornings are getting sticky and humid in South Carolina.

With temperatures rising, residents may be looking for ways to get relief from the heat. Many people follow the rule of thumb of setting their thermostat to 78 degrees during the summertime. But is this information still useful?

Now would be the time to find out  AccuWeather predicts this summer to reach record breaking temperatures. It will be the second year the weather service uses its Heatwave Counter and Severity Index to prepare residents for sizzling conditions.

Wondering how to stay cool? Here's what to know when setting your AC in S.C.

Click here to read the story.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Heat advisory in effect for Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson
South Florida's 'feels like' temperatures likely in the triple digits through the weekend

Heat and humidity will dog South Florida through the weekend but the gooey high temperatures may be just below the threshold needed to trigger heat advisories, National Weather Service meteorologists said.

Daytime highs in West Palm Beach are forecast to reach above 90 degrees through Monday with overnight lows near 80 degrees. The heat index, or "feels like" temperature, will likely reach into the triple digits.

NWS meteorologist Anthony Reynes said he doesn't believe heat index temperatures in Palm Beach County will meet heat advisory levels, but it's possible. For Palm Beach County, a heat advisory is issued if the NWS expects the heat index temperatures to reach 108 or higher for at least two hours. An excessive heat warning is issued when the heat index is forecast to reach 113 or higher for at least two hours.

"It's going to be close," Reynes said on Friday afternoon. "We are not going for an advisory at this time, but will continue to monitor the forecast trends. Still, we will be highlighting that it will be warm, with heat index values in the 100 to 105 range."

A heat advisory was in effect for all of South Florida through 8 p.m. Friday with heat index temperatures forecast to reach up to 110 degrees in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. As of 2 p.m., West Palm Beach had experienced a 105 heat index temperature, with Naples hitting 109 and a gauge at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport measuring 106.

The normal high temperature for West Palm Beach this time of year is 90 degrees with an overnight low of 76 degrees.

More: Climate change triggers new Florida heat warning chart that alerts when it could be deadly outside

A mid-level area of high pressure parked over the southeast United States can be blamed for the persistent heat and humidity, forecasters said. "The resilient southeastern ridge will hold through the extended period, locking us in our own tropical bubble of sorts," NWS Miami meteorologists wrote in their discussion.

Rain chances Saturday are forecast to be 30% in the afternoon, decreasing to 10% in the evening. Sunday's rain chances are up to 40% during the day and 30% in the evening. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible both days.

Beryl makes landfall near Tulum, Mexico, in the Yucatan Peninsula

In the tropics, Beryl made landfall Friday as a 110-mph Category 2 storm at about 6 a.m. near Tulum, Mexico.

Beryl quickly weakened to a tropical storm, but is forecast to regain hurricane status Sunday in the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall Monday as a Category 1 storm somewhere between extreme northeast Mexico through western Louisiana.

National Hurricane Center forecasters noted that Beryl could strengthen beyond the current prediction if wind shear lightens in the Gulf of Mexico, and they noted that the average error in forecast track at three days out is around 100 miles.

Beryl is forecast to be at least a Category 1 hurricane when it reaches the northwest Gulf Coast early Monday, July 8, 2024.

"It remains too soon to pinpoint where the greatest impacts will be," wrote NHC senior hurricane specialist Jack Beven in the 11 a.m. forecast Friday. "However, watches for portions of northeastern Mexico and South Texas will likely be required later today."

The hurricane center said Friday that no additional tropical activity is expected over the next seven days.

The heat advisory thresholds have changed

The NWS announced last month that Broward County would join Miami-Dade County in an experimental program that starts advisories at a lower threshold level. In those two counties, an advisory is issued if heat index temperatures of 105 or higher are expected for at least two hours. An excessive heat warning is issued if the heat index is expected to reach 110 or higher for at least two hours.

Robert Molleda, meteorologist in charge at the NWS Miami office, said the changes were made at the request of the counties and align better with "local climatology" as well as recent health data that shows people get sick from temperatures lower than the current thresholds.

He said Palm Beach County may be included in the lower thresholds if it requests it and after an assessment this summer of how the alerts are issued in Broward and Miami-Dade.

What is a heat advisory?

A heat advisory means people sensitive to warm temperatures should take precautions to avoid heat illness, including staying hydrated and seeking breaks if working or playing outside. Signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke include symptoms such as muscle cramps, excessive sweating, throbbing headache, passing out, confusion and seizures.

An excessive heat warning, the highest alert level on a four-tier scale, means everyone needs to take precautions to stay safe in the heat because "you may become seriously ill or even die," the NWS says.

Tips to beat the heat

Tips for keeping safe during excessively hot weather from the American Red Cross:

 If you suspect heat injury, call for help.

 Children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable.

 Try not to work outside in the hottest part of the day; if you must work in the heat, slow down.

 When outdoors, take frequent breaks in the shade.

 Drink plenty of water.

 If you wait until you feel thirsty, you're already getting dehydrated.

 Don't drink beverages containing caffeine or alcohol (sodas or beer). They interfere with the bodys temperature-regulating mechanisms.

 Sweating is the bodys mechanism for cooling. If you stop sweating, call for help.

Sunscreen advice

 Wear sunscreen every day, even if you're only going from house to car and car to office.

 Look for broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection. The key ingredients? Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or Parsol 1789. And never dip below SPF 15.

 Protect the oft-neglected eyelids, earlobes and lips. Women develop fewer skin cancers on their lips than men do because they enjoy the physical protection of lipstick.

 Cover up your kids. Children especially need sunblock  two-thirds of sun damage happens before the age of 15. But don't put sunscreen on babies under 6 months of age; keep them out of direct sunlight.

 Replace your sunscreen annually. Unopened, sunscreen has a shelf life of up to three years. Once opened, the SPF starts breaking down. It's a good idea to buy new products at the beginning of each summer.

 Complete all outdoor activities before 10 a.m. or start them after 4 p.m. to avoid the sun at its strongest.

 Get to know your skin. Practice self-exams to familiarize yourself with your own landscape. That way, you can more easily notice mole changes such as growing, bleeding or crusting. Have a skin cancer-related checkup, including a complete skin examination as recommended by the American Cancer Society every three years for people between 20 and 40 years of age, and every year for anyone 40 and older.

Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate and how growth affects South Florida's environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. Help support our local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Temperatures soar in South Florida, triggering a heat advisory
UPDATE: According to a news release from Rock Island Chief of Police Timothy McCloud, officers were called to a home in the 800 block of 24th Street at about 10:19 p.m. on July 4 after a 46 year old man arrived at the location with a gunshot wound to the chest. Officers discovered a crime scene in the immediate area.

The victim sustained life-threatening injuries but was stabilized enough to be transferred to the University of Iowa Medical Center for further treatment. No other injuries were reported and the Criminal Investigations Division is continuing their investigation.

EARLIER: A heavy police presence was in a Rock Island neighborhood late Thursday when Our Quad Cities News crew saw Rock Island Police search for and collect evidence.

(Mike Colon, OurQuadCities.com)

The incident happened around 10:30 p.m. near an intersection of 24th Street and Ninth Avenue. Officers rolled out large amounts of crime scene tape, and placed evidence markers next to what appeared to be shell casings.

We do not know whether anyone was injured. We will stay in contact with law enforcement to provide updates when 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 6. At the NATO summit to be held in Washington, Bulgaria intends to make a proposal for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, aid acting Prime Minister of Bulgaria Dimitar Glavchev, Trend reports.

He said that Bulgaria could take on the role of mediator in these negotiations.

I am really thinking of putting forward a proposal for negotiations in which Bulgaria could become a mediator, he said.

According to him, the only point that needs to be emphasized is that these negotiations must take place in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
'What the heck is going on?': Several fires reported in the High Desert on July 4th

Firefighters on Fourth of July night responded to dozens of vegetation and outdoor fires across the High Desert.

San Bernardino County Fire, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Apple Valley Fire Protection District and Victorville Fire Department were flooded with calls for fire service from 8 p.m. to midnight Thursday.

While most of the fires were contained at10 acres or less, the sheer number of calls kept each fire agency busy, including Victorville Fire, which received nearly 35 fire calls in those hours, according to the PulsePoint app.

Firefighters on Fourth of July night responded to dozens of vegetation and outdoor fires across the High Desert, including the Daisy Fire in Phelan.

San Bernardino County Fire

Some of the larger fires on Thursday included:

The Sonora Fire, which was reported at 9:53 p.m. near Palmdale Road/Highway 18 and Sonora Road in Phelan, according to Watch Duty. Initially reported as a 10-acre vegetation fire, Cal Fire revised the report at 11:38 p.m. to 5 acres with 0% containment.

The Sunnyslope Fire was reported just after midnight near Sunnyslope and Sahara roads, according to Cal Fire, which stated a potential 5-acre spread and no structure threat. The fire was stopped before 12:30 a.m. Friday.

The Daisy Fire was reported at 9:39 p.m. in the 3700 block of Daisy Lane in Phelan. The vegetation fire threatened at least one structure when it reached 8 acres by 10:12 p.m. The fires rate of speed was stopped nearly 40 minutes later.

Rayleen Frazier told the Daily Press that on Thursday night, she was driving on Phelan Road in Phelan when she saw fire engines racing down several roadways.

I saw the fire over by the (Southern California) Edison power station, then somebody told me there was a fire north of Serrano High School, Frazier said. What the heck is going on?

The Rock Fire was reported at 11:13 p.m. on both sides of Hwy. 173, north between Lake Arrowhead and Deep Creek Hot Springs. The vegetation fire reached 1.5 acres before its progress was stopped at 1.5 acres near midnight, according to Cal Fire.

[NEW INCIDENT] Vegetation Fire reported in the area of Daisy Ln./ Lebec Rd., #Phelan. #DaisyIC reporting 5 acres, moderate rate of spread. #DaisyFire @SBCOUNTYFIRE pic.twitter.com/YO7tu7Lqvc  CAL FIRE BDU (@CALFIREBDU) July 5, 2024

Victorville Fire Department

The Cactus Fire was reported at 8 p.m. near Highway 395 and Cactus Road in Victorville. The vegetation fire spread to 1.5 acres and then held to 3 acres by 8:27 p.m. Multiple fire engines were used, along with a bulldozer.

The Vegetation Fire was reported at 8:28 p.m. south of Pepperwood Street in Victorville. The fire spread to 4 acres with multiple structures threatened. The fire was held at 10:56 p.m.

The Apple Valley Fire Protection District, from 2:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, received nearly 13 calls for fire service, according to the PulsePoint app.

More: Fast-spreading brush fire in Hesperia held to 17 acres

The cause of each fire is under investigation. There were no reports of injuries or damaged structures as of early Friday morning.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Fires in High Desert on July 4th keep crews busy all night
By Laila Bassam

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Palestinian militant group Hamas informed its ally Hezbollah it had agreed to a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the leader of the powerful Lebanese group welcomed the step, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.

A Hamas delegation headed by the group's deputy leader Khalil Al-Hayya briefed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah about the latest developments at a meeting in Beirut, the sources said.

Iran-backed Hezbollah said in a statement earlier that Nasrallah and Hayya had discussed the latest developments in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah and Israel have been trading fire for nearly nine months in hostilities that have played out in parallel to the Gaza conflict, raising fears of an all-out war between the heavily armed adversaries.

Hezbollah has said its campaign of rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel has aimed to support Palestinians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza.

One of the sources, a Hezbollah official, told Reuters that the group would cease fire as soon as any Gaza ceasefire agreement takes effect, echoing previous statements from the group. "If there is a Gaza agreement, then from zero hour there will be a ceasefire in Lebanon," the official said.

The Hezbollah statement said Nasrallah received Hamas deputy chief Hayya for the meeting, which reviewed "the latest security and political developments" in the Gaza Strip.

"They also discussed the latest developments in the ongoing negotiations these days, their atmosphere, and the proposals presented to reach an end to the treacherous aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip," the statement said.

A senior U.S. administration official said on Thursday that Hamas had made a pretty significant adjustment in its position over a potential hostage release deal with Israel, expressing hope that it would lead to a pact that would be a step to a permanent ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday he would send a delegation to resume negotiations, and an Israeli official said his country's team would be led by the head of the Mossad intelligence agency.

(Reporting by Laila Bassam; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Andrew Heavens, William Maclean and Gareth Jones)
Holmes Hall at Morgan State University in Baltimore. Stock.adobe.com photo by jonbilous.

State officials are drawing up bylaws for the panel that will review the process the Maryland Higher Education Commission will use when state universities propose new academic programs, with an eye toward a launch this fall. One of the first orders of business will be determining how many members will serve on the panel.

The Program Review Process Advisory Council was established as part of a state law that went into effect this month, to help improve the approval process for new higher education programs at state universities. It grew out of a controversial decision in June 2023 by the MHEC to let Towson University create a new business analytics degree. Morgan State University, one of the states four historically Black colleges and universities, objected because it would duplicate a similar program there.

Other HBCU alumni and supporters criticized the decision that they said conflicted with a $577 million settlement approved in 2021 that settled a 2006 lawsuit. That suit claimed the state provided more resources to predominantly white institutions and allowed duplication of programs from Morgan and the three other HBCUs  Bowie State University, Coppin State University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Emily Dow, assistant secretary for academic affairs at MHEC, said Wednesday that the size of the advisory council has not been established, but its composition could include college and university presidents, provosts and other campus staff. One example of the councils duties would be to review the process on academic online programs primarily focused for out-of-state students.

We would turn to this advisory council to help us develop that process, Dow said. We are the rules? What information do we need? Whats the timeline? Thats just one example of what this process advisory council would review.

Proposed bylaws for the council could be reviewed by MHEC on July 24. If approved, the commission would send out a call for nominations to serve on the council, with the goal of having its first meeting by the end of September.

Our biggest goal is representation, ensuring that our community partners are at the table as we develop these processes  both the development of the process and the process itself is transparent, Dow said.

In April 2023, Gov. Wes Moore (D) appointed MHEC Secretary Sanjay Rai and in July 2023 he appointed eight people to the MHEC board of commissioners  a near-total overhaul of the commission since the Towson-Morgan State decision.

Definitely a new energy. New support. Its a new day, as Secretary Rai says, Dow said. At the end of the day, its all about the students.

The post Work of higher education advisory council could start this year appeared first on Maryland Matters.
This Fourth of July, as our country celebrated its 248th year as a nation, we took the opportunity to pause and reflect on our shared identity as Americans. Independence Day is a momentous time to recognize and celebrate our nation's strength and feel gratitude for the many wonderful reasons we are proud to be Americans  and Ohioans. July Fourth is more than just a date on the calendar  it's a day of deep significance and one of the best celebrations of the year.

Adam Holmes

Looking ahead, we are excitedly preparing for our countrys 250th birthday in 2026. The formation of the Ohio Commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial (America 250-Ohio) underscores our commitment to honor our great state's role in shaping our nation's past, present and future. Serving on this commission is an incredible honor, as we aspire to raise awareness, instill pride, and showcase and celebrate Ohios many significant contributions to the fabric of our great nation.

In the coming years, our focus will be on highlighting Ohio's pivotal moments and the remarkable people who have shaped our country. From historic milestones to current initiatives, we aim to celebrate the spirit of American greatness, with Ohioans at the heart and soul of our narrative.

Megan Kvamme

In particular, nestled in Muskingum County, our community takes immense pride in our rich heritage and storied history. From the iconic Y Bridge spanning the confluence of the Licking and Muskingum rivers to the towering presence of the Big Muskie, once the largest dragline excavator in the world, our region is steeped in historical significance. The Jessie Owens State Park area, part of The Wilds and in partnership with the Columbus Zoo, stands as a testament to our commitment to conservation and education, showcasing an African habitat in what was once a thriving coal mining area. Speaking of coal, the history of mining runs deep here, shaping our landscape and economy for generations.

In May, America 250-Ohio announced the creation of the Ohio Air and Space Trail, linking over 30 historic air and space sites across the state. Ohio has been critical to aviation, from the Wright Brothers to the US Space Force. You can be sure that John Glenn's birthplace in New Concord is a prominent stop on the Trail. Muskingum County has been home to trailblazers like Glenn, as well as Zane Grey, the famed author whose literary works continue to captivate readers worldwide. The City of Zanesville, our county seat, bears a legacy as the former state capital of Ohio and is renowned for its pottery production, earning the moniker Clay City. Not far from Zanesville lies Duncan Falls, where significant battles occurred along the river during the westward expansion, underscoring our region's role in shaping America's frontier. Moreover, Muskingum County was a crucial route on the Underground Railroad, offering freedom to many seeking escape from oppression.

As proud residents of Muskingum County, we look forward to sharing these remarkable stories and celebrating our heritage with visitors and locals alike. Our region's diverse history continues to inspire and educate, reminding us of our important place in Ohio's past and its enduring impact on the nation.

Both America and Ohio benefit from reminders of what makes us exceptional. Our 250th birthday presents a historic opportunity to reflect on our shared values and renew our commitment to a united future, embracing what connects us as Americans and Ohioans  a privilege that we are proud to celebrate together.

State Rep. Adam Holmes of Nashport is serving his second term in the Ohio House of Representatives. He represents the 97th Ohio House District, which includes all of Muskingum County and western Guernsey County. Megan Kvamme of Muskingum County is an entrepreneur rooted in the Ohio business community. She is serving on the America 250-Ohio Commission and involved in local philanthropy.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: We won't forget Ohio and her people during America's 250th birthday
The history behind Fourth of July  do people know what theyre celebrating?

The history behind Fourth of July  do people know what theyre celebrating?

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX)  Thursday made for a beautiful day in Grand Junction with the roar of hot rods, hustle and bustle of people and beautiful summer skies. But behind the fireworks, behind the veil, what is the meaning of it all? What is the history?

248 years ago, in 1776, America was born. The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the 13 colonies on this very day, July 4.

A year later in 1777, according to history.com, Philadelphia shot off 13 fireworks and had a 13-gun salute in honor of the 13 colonies.

Ever since then, fireworks have been a staple for Independence Day.

Lets take a look at just how many people know the origin of this holiday in the video above.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
[Source]

Xong Xiong celebrated becoming a centenarian this week with family and several friends from the Missoula affordable housing complex community in Montana, including Mayor Andrea Davis.

Having survived and escaped the Vietnam War and the Laotian Civil War, Xiong arrived in the U.S. as a Hmong refugee in 1978. She recalled to the Missoulian how she was very poor when she moved into the housing complex, classified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as serving either very low or extremely low income residents, around four decades ago, but managed to get by after finding jobs as a dishwasher and in food service for many years.

Download the NextShark App:

Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
BARTLETT, Ill.  A suburban man was charged after allegedly beating a woman and then kidnapping her across state lines.

Christopher Krontiris, 25, of Hoffman Estates, is facing charges of aggravated kidnapping, home invasion with a dangerous weapon and aggravated domestic battery.

The investigation began after a 24-year-old woman was reported missing by her family on Saturday. Police believe the woman and Krontiris were at a bar in Hanover Park when they got into a verbal altercation.

Krontiris was removed from the bar by police and the woman returned to a home in Bartlett that she was housesitting at the time.

When she returned there, police allege Krontiris was waiting for her and physically attacked her.

Brought a lot of joy: 10-year-old Northwest Indiana boys death ruled homicide while in foster care

The woman was beaten, pushed into a wall, choked and dragged, according to police.

Police allege Krontiris cut the womans forehead and back with a knife and then forced her into a vehicle with the knife. Krontiris then allegedly drove to Michigan and Michigan City while telling the woman that he was going to rape and kill her.

He was taken into custody in Michigan City. Krontiris was denied pre-trial release.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
HOUSTON COUNTY, Ala (WDHN)  A homeless man accused of beating an elderly Houston County man to death in his front yard has been indicted.

Justin Ryan Ammons was indicted in early June on one count of capital murder robbery. He was arrested in early January and charged in the death of 70-year-old Durwood Ard.

On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, Houston County Sheriffs Deputies rushed to the 11000 block of Highway 84 in Wicksburg and found Ard beaten and dead outside of his home.

According to Sheriff Donald Valenza, Ard suffered extreme skull fractures and structural damage to the skull.

The indictment claims Ammons beat Ard to death with a metal pipe while trying to rob him.

At the time of Ammons arrest, Sheriff Valenza told WDHN that Ards death was one of the most brutal murders he had ever seen.

Durwood Ard

Sheriff Valenza says Ammons, who is believed to be homeless, was in custody and interviewed on an unrelated charge in December before a DNA match connected Ammons to Ards murder. prompting his arrest.

The sheriff believes Ammons and Ard knew each other.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.
55 years ago, the astronauts of Apollo 11 took humankinds first daring steps onto the moon  a moment that changed history, and the limits of possibility, forever. It was during this famous moment, that the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional also became the first watch worn on the moon, establishing the timepieces iconic legacy

On this special anniversary, OMEGA remembers that incredible mission, and the unique journey that the Moonwatch took in order to reach the lunar surface.

It was in 1964 that NASA officially went in search of one watch that it could rely on for all of its manned-missions. Flight Crew Operations Director, Deke Slayton, issued a request for wrist-worn chronographs from different watch manufacturers around the world.

1965 Speedmaster Certificate  Omega

Several brands, including OMEGA, submitted their timepieces for the punishing tests  such as thermal, shock, vibration and vacuum examinations amongst others. Only the OMEGA Speedmaster survived these tests and, as a result, it was declared Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions on the 1st of March 1965.

1965, The Moonwatch  Omega

From that moment, OMEGA was the only supplier of watches for NASAs Human Space Flight Program. It was trusted throughout the Mercury Missions, Gemini Program, and, of course, the Apollo Program  which had its sights set on the moon.

With the eyes of the world on Apollo 11 in 1969, every piece of technology and kit had to be just right. There was no room for error. Thats why it is such an honour for OMEGA to look back and know that its watches were implicitly trusted by everyone involved.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface, starting at 02:56 UTC on the 21st of July 1969. Their moonwalk lasted just two and a half hours, but their achievements left a defining footprint on the history of space exploration.

Apollo 11 Buzz Aldrin  NASA

55 years later, OMEGA is still incredibly proud to have timed mankinds greatest hour, and to have been a central part of that pioneering story.
FILE - Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong stands outside the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong on Nov. 28, 2019. Wong asked for a lesser sentence in court Friday, July 5, 2024 after he earlier pleaded guilty in Hong Kong's biggest national security case. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

HONG KONG (AP)  Prominent activist Joshua Wong asked for a lesser sentence in court Friday after he earlier pleaded guilty in Hong Kong's biggest national security case.

Wong was one of 47 activists charged in 2021 under a Beijing-imposed national security law with conspiracy to commit subversion for their involvement in an unofficial primary. The activists were accused of attempting to paralyze Hong Kongs government and topple the citys leader by aiming to win a legislative majority and using it to block city budgets indiscriminately.

Wong and 44 others admitted their liability or were convicted by the court. They could be sentenced to life in prison, though those who pleaded guilty have a better chance of receiving shorter sentences. Their mass prosecution dealt a severe blow to the city's once-thriving pro-democracy movement.

Wong waved at the public gallery after he walked into the courtroom. Former Democratic Party chair Wu Chi-wai, former pro-democracy lawmaker Jeremy Tam and activist Tam Tak-chi were among the five other activists who also appeared in court.

Wong's lawyer Marco Li said his client should be considered an active participant" because he neither organized nor assisted in the unofficial primary. The security law calls for active participants to face a jail term of between three to 10 years.

Li said Wong hoped that he could part with his past history and would be able to reform himself after serving his sentence. He suggested the judges offer his client a one-third reduction of sentence given his guilty plea.

Wong first became a household name in Hong Kong as a teenager in 2012 for leading protests against the implementation of national education in the city's schools.

In 2014, he rose to fame as one of the student leaders in the citys Occupy Movement, during which demonstrators occupied streets for 79 days and brought traffic in some areas to a standstill, demanding direct elections for Hong Kong's leader.

In the 2019 leaderless movement, Wong helped drum up overseas support for the protests. His activism resulted in Beijing calling him as an advocate of Hong Kong independence who had begged for interference from foreign forces.

When the security law was enacted on June 30, 2020, Demosisto," a political party he co-founded, was disbanded.

The mitigation hearings for the 45 convicted defendants are expected to continue until early August and sentencing will come at a later date.

The national security law authorizes a range of sentences depending on the seriousness of the offense and the defendants role in it, going from under three years for the least serious to 10 years to life in prison for people convicted of grave offenses.

Critics said the case illustrated how the security law is being used against the citys democracy activists. But both the Hong Kong and Beijing governments maintain that it restored stability following the 2019 protests.
HONG KONG/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The Hong Kong unit of DBS Group Holdings, Singapore's biggest lender, was fined HK$10 million ($1.28 million) by Hong Kong's banking regulator for violating anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing regulations.

The disciplinary action comes after an investigation conducted by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), which looked into control failures of DBS Bank (Hong Kong) between April 2012 and April 2019, the regulator said in a statement on Friday.

The scrutiny by Hong Kong resembles that of rival wealth centre Singapore, which a year ago fined four financial institutions over AML breaches, including DBS.

The bank failed to continuously monitor business relationships and conduct enhanced due diligence in high risk situations. DBS was also found to have failed to keep records on some of its customers, according to the HKMA.

"The HKMA requires banks to put in place effective customer due diligence measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing," Raymond Chan, executive director of the HKMA said in the statement.

"DBS Hong Kong takes our AML obligations seriously and accepts HKMA's decision," a DBS Hong Kong spokesman said in a statement to Reuters.

The issues at hand were sporadic and historical in nature having occurred between April 2012 and April 2019, the spokesman said, adding that the bank has implemented new group policies over the years to continue to detect and manage new money laundering practices.

($1 = 7.8102 Hong Kong dollars)

($1 = 1.3486 Singapore dollars)

(Reporting by Selena Li in Hong Kong and Yantoultra Ngui in Singapore, Editing by Louise Heavens)
A Los Angeles hospital is asking for the publics help to identify a man who has been hospitalized for several days.

The man was found in downtown near the intersection of South Central Avenue and 6th Street on June 30, and he has been receiving care at Los Angeles General Medical Center in Boyle Heights since.

The L.A. County Department of Health Services, which operates the hospital, says theyve been unable to determine the mans identity.

Hes described as a 50-to-60-year-old man standing 5 feet 9 inches and weighing about 167 pounds. He has a medium to heavy build with black and gray hair and brown eyes.

Patient has no tattoos or identifiable scars, hospital officials added.

Staff at Los Angeles General Medical Center in Boyle Heights are looking to identify this man found in downtown L.A. on June 30, 2024.

Health officials released a photo of the man on Friday in hopes that someone might recognize him. Details about the mans condition were not released due to patient confidentiality laws, but the photo appeared to show that he had surgical staples in his head, indicating he might have some type of head injury.

Anyone who might recognize the man is urged to contact Cesar Robles, a clinical social worker at L.A. General, at 323-409-6884.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Whats happening

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution for acts they committed while in office, granting Donald Trump a partial victory in his effort to derail various criminal trials.

Until recently, no ex-president had ever faced criminal charges. The state and federal cases against Trump sparked debates about the depth and breadth of the presidencys legal protections.

In a 6-3 ruling split along partisan lines, the court established a new standard that grants presidents broad, but not total, immunity for their actions while in office. The decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, hinges on the distinction between official and unofficial acts of the presidency. Official acts have immunity. Unofficial acts do not.

ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement

So what qualifies as an official act? Those fall into two categories. The first is any powers that are explicitly given to the president by the Constitution. Anything else that falls within the typical scope of the presidency carries a presumption of immunity that would need to be challenged before a former president could face prosecution.

The exact boundary between official and unofficial acts were not defined by the ruling, including in Trumps Jan. 6 indictment case that prompted the decision. The judge in that case will now be tasked with deciding whether Trumps actions were official or unofficial.

Trump has connected the ruling to the other cases against him as well; his sentencing in New Yorks falsifying of business records trial has already been delayed while the judge considers its effect.

Why theres debate

Any decision the court made connected to Trumps criminal trials was bound to be controversial, but the murkiness of the standards in this ruling has created enormous room for debate and speculation.

ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement

The loudest reactions came from Trumps critics on the left, who widely agree with the view liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor expressed in her dissent that the decision makes a mockery of the foundational principle of U.S. democracy that no man is above the law. Under their interpretation of the ruling, presidents now have wide power to abuse the extraordinary powers of their office.

Roberts argued in his opinion that this view was little more than fear mongering based on extreme hypotheticals that overlooks the importance of having presidents who can act without fear of trials, civil damages suits and criminal prosecution. Many conservative-leaning voices agree, making the case that there is still plenty of room to hold presidents accountable if they stray egregiously from the duties of his office.

Whats next

Its too early to know whether Mondays ruling means the end of any of the four indictments against Trump, but its likely to cause significant delays as prosecutors and judges assess whether their cases fall within the scope of the courts new immunity standards.

Perspectives

The Supreme Court just declared that presidents are above the law

All future presidents will enter office with the knowledge that they are protected from prosecution for even the most appalling and dangerous abuses of power so long as they insist they were seeking to carry out their duties, as they understood them.  The Framers of the Constitution, wary of reestablishing the monarchy they overthrew, carefully limited the chief executives powers. And six justices just crowned him king.  Mark Joseph Stern, Slate

ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement

Presidents need to be able to lead the country without the threat of future prosecution hanging over them

Any prosecution of a president based on his official acts harms the presidencys effectiveness.  If the justices had decided otherwise, our nation would have descended into a destructive cycle of perpetual lawfare, weakening all presidentsincluding Mr. Bidenand further politicizing the justice system.  David B. Rivkin Jr. and Elizabeth Price Foley, Wall Street Journal

We wont know what this ruling really means until its tested in future cases

Anyone who expected the US Supreme Court to give clear guidance on the extent to which former President Donald Trump can be tried (and tried and tried) for the crimes of which he has been accused must surely be disappointed.  But clarity shouldnt have been expected, not least because there are, essentially, no precedents.  Stephen L. Carter, Bloomberg

The carveout for unofficial acts is meaningless in reality

Under this new standard, a president can go on a four-to-eight year crime spree, steal all the money, and murder all the people they can get their hands on, all under guise of presumptive official behavior, and then retire from public life, never to be held accountable for their crimes while in office. That, according to the court, is what is required by the Constitution.  Elie Mystal, The Nation

ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement

The decision wisely prevents the Justice Department from being used as a weapon for political purposes

The Supreme Court put a brake on the Democratic Partys campaign to weaponize the justice system for political reasons on Monday, and President Joe Biden may end up being the biggest beneficiary because now President Trump cant prosecute him for his refusal to enforce immigration laws, which has resulted in the rapes and deaths of over a dozen women.  Conn Carroll, Washington Examiner

Trump is now free to essentially become a dictator in his second term

Mondays decision  ensures that, should Trump return to power, he will do so with hardly any legal checks. Under the Republican justices decision in Trump, a future president can almost certainly order the assassination of his rivals. He can wield the authority of the presidency to commit countless crimes. And he can order a subordinate to do virtually anything. And nothing can be done to him.  Ian Millhiser, Vox

The ruling is worrying, but not to the extreme level some liberals are panicking about

Justice Sonia Sotomayor argues that the Courts ruling would permit a president to order an assassination without consequences, but I respectfully dissent from that dissent. I dont see any way a court concludes that such a plot would be an official act within the scope of the job  Elie Honig, New York
How you can watch Biden's high-stakes interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos tonight

President Biden on the balcony of the White House on Thursday. (Evan Vucci/AP)

All eyes will be on President Biden on Friday as he appears in his first televised interview since his disastrous June debate. The high-stakes conversation with ABCs George Stephanopoulos will be an opportunity for Biden, 81, to present a sharper image than he did during the debate with former President Donald Trump, when Biden spoke haltingly and appeared to lose his train of thought multiple times.

While Biden has insisted that he will not drop out of the race, the interview comes at a critical time for the president. Pressure has mounted this week from elected Democrats and donors for Biden, the oldest president in American history, to either end his campaign or assuage concerns about his ability to lead. A recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that 60% of respondents consider Biden not fit for another term.

 When is the interview?

Biden was interviewed by Stephanopoulos after a campaign rally in Madison, Wis., on Friday afternoon.

The taped interview will be aired in its entirety as a primetime special on Friday at 8 p.m. both Eastern and Pacific time.

The first clip from the interview aired on World News Tonight With David Muir. In the excerpt, Stephanopoulos confronted Biden over his lackluster debate performance, which Biden blamed on being sick with a cold.

It was a bad episode, Biden said when asked if the night was a bad episode or a more serious condition. No indication of a more serious condition. I didn't listen to my instincts in terms of preparation. It was a bad night.

Biden also said he had not watched the debate since last week.

ABC is scheduled to air the broadcast again on Sunday, on This Week With George Stephanopoulos.

 How can I watch it?

The taped interview airs in its entirety Friday, July 5, at 8 p.m. both ET and PT. You can watch it on:

ABC television stations

ABC smartphone app on smartphone or tablet

ABC.com on a computer

Connected devices on Roku, Apple TV+ and Amazon Fire TV

 Who is interviewing Biden?

George Stephanopoulos, chief anchor of ABC News, will question the president in the pivotal interview.

Stephanopoulos, who served in the Clinton administration as the senior adviser to the president for policy and strategy, is expected to conduct an intensive and probing interview, according to the Associated Press.

Biden is said to have been preparing aggressively for his talk with Stephanopoulos.

 Why is Biden being interviewed?

Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the first debate of the 2024 election. (Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via Getty Images)

Since the June 27 debate with Trump, Biden has skepticism from party leaders, donors and voters over whether the president is fit to serve another term.

The latest Yahoo News/YouGov poll reveals that 60% of Americans say Biden is not fit to serve another term as president, while under a quarter of Americans say he is fit. About 45% of Americans view Trump as more presidential, compared to 37% in Bidens favor.

While the age of the two candidates has been a point of discussion among voters, Bidens debate performance set him apart from his 78-year-old rival. During the event, Biden appeared to lose his train of thought and spoke haltingly several times.

Biden supporters, including first lady Jill Biden, attributed his performance to not feeling great after fighting a cold and recovering from jet lag from trips he took weeks prior to the debate.

Trump received a bump in approval over Biden following the debate, opening up a lead as big as 6 points in some polls.

At least three Democratic representatives have called on Biden to step aside, and numerous others have voiced concern over his decision to stay in the race.

However, some politicians, including some governors in blue states, are still expressing strong support for Biden.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, seen as a possible replacement should Biden drop out of the race, posted on X on Wednesday that hes all in.

@JoeBidens had our back. Now its time to have his, the post read.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived in Moscow on what his spokesperson describes as a "peace-making" visit.

Source: 444.hu, as reported by European Pravda; Orban on Facebook

Quote from Orban: "After Kyiv to Moscow. Second stage of a peace mission."

Details: He also posted a photo from the VIP terminal for government officials at Moscows Vnukovo airport.

It is worth noting that Orbans press service added the logo of the Hungarian EU presidency to this photo, despite the fact that Brussels has emphasised that Orban was only representing his own country on this visit, not the EU.

Bertalan Havasi, the press chief for Orban's office, stated that Orban had arrived in Moscow as part of his "peace mission" and would meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Journalists also noted that the Airbus 604, frequently used by the Hungarian PM for foreign trips, departed Hungary immediately after his morning interview and landed at Moscow's Vnukovo airport.

Source: 444.hu

Before departing, Orban said on state radio that the EU presidency has not given Hungary a mandate to promote peace in Ukraine, but Hungary can be "a good tool in the hands of people who want peace".

Background:

Rumours of a possible visit to Moscow by Orban emerged as early as Thursday and sparked a strong reaction, particularly since Hungary currently holds the presidency of the EU Council.

European Council President Charles Michel said Hungary had no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.

EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell said that Orban's visit to Moscow is taking place within the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia and is not part of Hungary's presidency of the EU Council.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said yesterday that he hoped the rumours that Orban would be visiting Moscow after his visit to Kyiv were not true.

This news has been updated since publication.

Support UP or become our patron!
Hungarian PM says he has no mandate for peace talks on Ukraine: big countries will take the lead

The European Council has not given Hungary a mandate to promote peace in Ukraine, but Hungary can be "a good tool in the hands of people who want peace."

Source: Hungarian news portal Telex with reference to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Orban was speaking about his meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv earlier this week. He said that Europe could do more to move towards peace, but Hungary, which currently holds the EU presidency, has no mandate to do so.

Quote: "Hungary cannot take responsibility for this, we have no mandate, we have no international political weight, we have no relevant national [gross domestic] product, our army and so on, but we can be a good instrument in the hands of God, we can be a good instrument in the hands of people who want peace."

More details: Orban is convinced that "peace talks will be led by big countries."

He also said that Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy was "not happy" with the idea of peace talks and a ceasefire. He noted that "everyone is afraid" that the other side will take advantage of any ceasefire.

Orban did not address press reports about his alleged plans to meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Russia on Friday.

Background:

VSquare and Direkt36 journalist Szabolcs Panyi, who covers Central and Eastern Europe, reported the day before, citing his own sources, that Viktor Orban was going to visit Moscow just a few days after visiting Kyiv.

This information was also confirmed by Radio Liberty's sources. The Hungarian government has not yet publicly confirmed the visit or commented on this information.

An EU official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Radio Liberty that Orban had not informed the EU of the planned trip to Moscow. If Orban had asked, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, would have strongly discouraged such a visit, the official said.

Amid media reports, Michel said that Hungary had no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.

Support UP or become our patron!
Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden, has described Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans visit to Moscow as an insult to the Ukrainian people.

Source: Kristersson on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Kristersson said it was "irresponsible and disloyal" of Orban to use Hungarys presidency in the EU to visit Russian ruler Vladimir Putin.

Quote: "It sends the wrong signal to the outside world and is an insult to the Ukrainian peoples fight for their freedom."

He added that Orban "stands alone in this".

"He does not speak for the European Union and not for other EU Heads of State or Government," Kristersson added.

Background:

On 5 July, Putin met with Orban in the Kremlin to discuss a range of issues, including some concerning the situation in Ukraine. He kicked off the meeting with an ultimatum for Kyiv.

Bertalan Havasi, the press chief for Orban's office, announced that Orban had arrived in Moscow as part of his "peace mission" and would meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Orbans visit to Russia comes just a few days after he visited Kyiv on 2 July.

EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell said Orban's visit to Moscow is taking place solely within the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia and is not part of Hungary's presidency of the EU Council.

Orban did not inform the European Commission about his plans to visit Moscow and did not coordinate his actions with it.

Orban himself stated that Hungary has no mandate to hold peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

Support UP or become our patron!
Hungarian Prime Minister did not coordinate his visit to Putin with European Commission

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has not informed the European Commission of his plans to visit Moscow to meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Source: European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer at a briefing in Brussels

Details: Mamer was answering a journalist's question about whether Orban, whose country currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, had informed the Commission of his intentions to visit Russia.

"Not at all, no. This was not coordinated with us or anyone else, as far as I know," Mamer said.

He also reiterated the statement of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said that "appeasement will not stop Putin".

Background:

On July 5, the Hungarian Prime Minister arrived in Moscow, although Orban's government did not confirm that the visit would take place until recently.

Before his departure, Orban said on state radio that the EU Council presidency does not give Hungary a mandate to promote peace in Ukraine, but Hungary can be "a good tool in the hands of people who want peace".

EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell emphasised that Orban's visit is taking place solely within the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia, not the EU Council presidency.

Support UP or become our patron!
Its time to give a little love to Chronometrie Ferdinand Berthoud, one of contemporary watchmakings unsung heroes

Chronometrie Ferdinand Berthoud is a true luxury watch brand, making seriously good watches for serious connoisseurs. And yet sometimes, this ultra high-end watchmaker  part of the Chopard Group  doesnt quite get the recognition it deserves among the collector community. This despite winning no fewer than four awards at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve, including the best-in-show Aiguille dOr prize.

We examine a few facets of the company that may not appear obvious, but that show how this watchmaker more than merits your attention.

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve  Ferdinand Berthoud

Honouring a Legacy the Right Way

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele revived the distinguished Ferdinand Berthoud name with the launch of the FB1 in 2015, but it was over a decade before that that the Chopard co-president became aware of the rich legacy of Ferdinand Berthoud, the 18th-century Swiss watch- and clockmaker.

Ferdinand Berthoud Marine Clock N 14  Ferdinand Berthoud

I actually discovered Ferdinand Berthoud thanks to our collection of marine chronometers, having acquired one of his for the L.U.Ceum, our museum, he says. The more we researched it, the more we found out about him, and decided to bring his name back to life.

Calibre FB-T.FC.R with tourbillon and fusee-and-chain mechanism  Ferdinand Berthoud

Gradually, Scheufele acquired and restored more original Berthoud pieces, no mean feat given their scarcity. Over the next decade, he identified design traits, mechanical features and decorative touches of Berthouds acclaimed marine, pocket and precision timepieces that could translate to contemporary wristwatches.

Chronometre FB 3SPC's cylindrical hairpsring  Ferdinand Berthoud

As President of Chronometrie Ferdinand Berthoud, Scheufele now ensures that each detail of the brands timepieces is in keeping with Berthouds legacy, from the layout of its oven-fired enamel, regulator display or skeletonised dials, to its octagonal-shaped and porthole-endowed cases.

The Chronometre FB-2RE.1's oven-fired enamel dial  Ferdinand Berthoud

The maisons in-house movements also honour the legendary watchmakers oeuvre through the pillar-and-plate architecture and fusee-and-chain mechanism of the companys earlier models, or the stepped balance bridge and cylindrical hairspring of the more recent Chronometre FB 3SPC.

The Chronometre FB-3SPC  Ferdinand Berthoud

According to Scheufele, Berthoud was intent on sharing his discoveries writing numerous treatises which continue to inspire us today. The modern-day brand duly emulates his passion for giving knowledge back to the watchmaking fraternity through its involvement in the third and latest Naissance dune Montre project, in concert with Time on Foundation.

The Chonometrie Ferdinand Berthoud team using a lathe as part of the Naissance d'une Montre 3 project  Ferdinand Berthoud

Precision Mastery

Chronometrie Ferdinand Berthoud lives up to the Chronometrie part of its name and pays tribute to Berthouds precision timepieces by having each of its watches certified by COSC, with an accuracy of -1/+2 seconds per day. Whats more, some models are even subjected to the Fleuritest to assess their precision in conditions replicating daily use of the watch.

Across the brands collection, this superlative chronometry is achieved thanks to the use of an inverted fusee-and-chain, tourbillon or remontoire, or a combination of these. In the case of the Chronometre FB 3SPC, it has none of these mechanisms and its regulating organs top-notch timekeeping was made possible thanks to the companys team of talented regleurs.

Few if any other watches in this high class boast such superlative timekeeping precision, and its no surprise that brand has won a hat-trick of Chronometry Prizes at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve.

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele with the Chronometry Prize for the Chronometre FB 2RE.2 at the 2020 GPHG  Ferdinand Berthoud

Rarity and Bang for your Buck

Heres a stat that will blow your mind: It takes up to 250 hours to hand-decorate one of Chronometrie Ferdinand Berthouds movements. The maisons finishing artisans master the full gamut of decoration techniques including hand-bevelling with steel files, polishing with diamond paste and gentian wood, frosting and black polishing as well as different types of graining. The brands insane level of hand-finishing often leads clients to wonder why their watch doesnt cost more than its $150,000-plus price tag!

As you can imagine, this labour-intensive process means the brand can only make a few dozen watches per year. In any event, rarity is assured at the launch of each new model, with limited editions defined by the number of movements allocated.

A watchmaker manipulates the cylindrical hairspring of the Chonometre FB 3SPC  Ferdinand Berthoud

That Chronometrie Ferdinand Berthoud defines its limited editions by the quantity of calibres is a neat way of ensuring rarity while still giving customers the ability to personalise their timepiece. Clients can usually choose the shape of the case (round or octagonal case), case material (stainless steel, titanium, ceramised titanium and 18k white, yellow, or rose gold) and the types of finishings and tonalities of the dial.

Fine hand-finishing on the Chronometre FB RES  Ferdinand Berthoud

Best of Both Worlds

In fact, over half of the brands customers opt to personalise their watch, made possible not just because of the brands production competencies, but also its personal touch, one of the benefits of being a small brand. Mirroring Scheufeles modest, hands-on persona, the Chronometrie Ferdinand Berthoud team excels at direct and responsive contact with its customers through email, Whats App and Instagram. Beyond this premium service culture, the brand can also depend on its carefully chosen network of retailers to support its clients.

Of course, Chronometrie Ferdinand Berthoud is not just a small brand out there on its own; it is part of the Chopard Group, and that alone should assure customers that the company is built on sound foundations and will be here tomorrow. On top of that, it can make use of Chopards manufacture in Fleurier for making complex movement components in addition to availing of Chopards Geneva foundry for sourcing ethically-mined gold.

Responsibly-mined rose gold and white gold cases of the Chronometre FB RSM  Ferdinand Berthoud

People Power

Finally, it is the people behind watch brands that help to make them what they are, and in Scheufele, collectors will find a gentleman that puts the team before the individual, that stays incredibly humble and empathetic despite being one of watchmakings true visionaries. And hes got manifold strings to his bow too: Truffle hunting, art collecting, car collecting, rally racing and wine growing are all part of his wheelhouse, which makes him absorbing company if and when customers get to meet him.

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele racing at the 1000 Miglia rally in Italy  Ferdinand Berthoud

So, if youve so far passed over Chronometrie Ferdinand Berthoud, nows the time to pay more attention to it. To find out more, please visit the brands website.
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto speaks during a press statement at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin. Rainer Jensen/dpa

Hungary has cancelled planned talks between its foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, and Germany's top diplomat Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Office said on Friday evening.

Baerbock had originally been scheduled to travel to Budapest on Monday. The trip will be rescheduled at a later date, the Foreign Office said, adding that it regrets the move.

Baerbock's ministry said that "a serious and honest personal discussion" between the two ministers would have been "very important" in light of Hungarian Prime Minster Viktor Orban's surprise visit to Moscow earlier on Friday.

Orban met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Friday, holding two-and-a-half hours of talks amid strong criticism of the surprise visit from top EU officials and European leaders.

Several EU officials stressed that the Hungarian leader had no official EU mandate for negotiations with Russia, and that it had nothing to do with Hungary assuming the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union.

The right-wing populist leader, often a thorn in the side of Brussels over a range of issues, is seen as closest to Moscow among European Union leaders.

During a joint appearance with Putin after the talks, Orban once again called for efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Ukraine war.

Annalena Baerbock, Foreign Minister of Germany, speaks during a joint press conference with Baiba Braze, Foreign Minister of Latvia, at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
Insights from The Guardian, the Financial Times, Semafor, and The Kyiv Independent

The News

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday, a move that has angered the European Union. The trip comes days after Orban visited Kyiv as Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, a key leaders bloc.

Orbans trip prompted immediate condemnation from Brussels top brass, with Charles Michel, president of the European Council, writing on X that The EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU. The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Orban trying to paint maneuver as pro peace

Sources: The Guardian, The Financial Times

Orbans camp painted his trip to Moscow as a natural progression of the peace talks he pushed during his surprise visit to Kyiv earlier this week, the first one he has made to wartime Ukraine. Sources close to the Hungarian government told The Guardian that Orban is trying to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. And after his talk with the Ukrainian president, this meeting makes sense. But EU officials have stressed he is in no way representing the bloc, and that Hungarys rotating presidency role gives him no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the alliance. There is always going to be a question during this presidency: is Orban speaking for himself or for the EU, one EU diplomat told the Financial Times.

Orban, EUs Kremlin-sympathizer, tests limits of presidency

Sources: Semafor, The Kyiv Independent

Orbans trip, which is unsanctioned by Brussels, is a test of the limits of the EU presidency. The Hungarian prime minister has promised to Make Europe Great Again, and wants to fundamentally deconstruct the EU  a goal he wont be able to achieve within the six-month confine of Hungarys presidency. But Orban is taking a creative approach to the presidency, one expert told Ukraines Kyiv Independent: The trip to Moscow is something that goes beyond the usual limits of the presidency, showing that [Hungary] will approach it in a creative way, said Pavel Havlicek, a research fellow at the Association for International Affairs.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Friday, holding two-and-a-half hours of talks amid strong criticism of the surprise visit from top EU officials and European leaders.

Several EU officials stressed that the Hungarian leader had no official EU mandate for negotiations with Russia, and that it had nothing to do with Hungary assuming the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union.

The right-wing populist leader, often a thorn in the side of Brussels over a range of issues, is seen as closest to Moscow among European Union leaders.

During a joint appearance with Putin after the talks, Orban once again called for efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Ukraine war.

According to an official Russian translation, Orban said that Europe has been living in the shadow of the war in Ukraine for more than two years. "Europe needs peace," he said.

Peace must be worked for by all sides, Orban said. But the positions of Moscow and Kiev are very far apart, he said, noting: "A great many steps must be taken to move closer to ending the war."

Establishing contact was key, he said, adding: "I will continue to work in this direction."

Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said many issues had been discussed in what he said was a very good atmosphere - above all Ukraine.

Putin recently made a proposal for ending the war against Ukraine, although he made it conditional on Ukraine agreeing to territorial concessions in advance - a condition Kiev has totally rejected.

Putin said after the meeting on Friday that he wanted to inform Orban about the details of his idea for ending the war, and repeatedly praised the Hungarian premier for the stances he had taken.

Orban maintaining ties with Kremlin

Despite the Russian invasion, Orban continues to maintain good relations with the Kremlin leader, and Hungary is still supplied with gas by Russia.

He visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev earlier this week for the first time since the start of the war. According to Russian officials, Orban had no message from Zelensky for Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Orban had travelled to Russia on his own initiative, and likewise Ushakov said that Orban had been received as Hungary's head of government and not as an EU representative.

Putin, on the other hand, explicitly referred to Hungary's role holding the EU presidency when welcoming Orban.

EU officials fuming at Orban trip

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said earlier on Friday that Orban does not represent the European Union "in any form."

Orban's "visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia," Borrell said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on X that "appeasement will not stop Putin.

"Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine," she wrote.

Eric Mamer, von der Leyen's chief spokesman told reporters that Orban's trip "undermines the unity and determination" the European Union needs to end the war in Ukraine.

The designated EU foreign affairs representative, Kaja Kallas, wrote on X that "Viktor Orban in no way represents the EU or the EU's positions."

"He is exploiting the EU presidency position to sow confusion," Kallas added, stressing that the EU is "united, clearly behind Ukraine and against Russian aggression."

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow. -/Kremlin/dpa

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. -/Kremlin/dpa
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban during their meeting in Moscow. -/Kremlin/dpa

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Friday, holding two-and-a-half hours of talks amid strong criticism of the surprise visit from top EU officials and European leaders.

Several EU officials stressed that the Hungarian leader had no official EU mandate for negotiations with Russia, and that it had nothing to do with Hungary assuming the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union.

The right-wing populist leader, often a thorn in the side of Brussels over a range of issues, is seen as closest to Moscow among European Union leaders.

During a joint appearance with Putin after the talks, Orban once again called for efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Ukraine war.

According to an official Russian translation, Orban said that Europe has been living in the shadow of the war in Ukraine for more than two years. "Europe needs peace," he said.

Peace must be worked for by all sides, Orban said. But the positions of Moscow and Kiev are very far apart, he said, noting: "A great many steps must be taken to move closer to ending the war."

Establishing contact was key, he said, adding: "I will continue to work in this direction."

Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said many issues had been discussed in what he said was a very good atmosphere - above all Ukraine.

Putin recently made a proposal for ending the war against Ukraine, although he made it conditional on Ukraine agreeing to territorial concessions in advance - a condition Kiev has totally rejected.

Putin said after the meeting on Friday that he wanted to inform Orban about the details of his idea for ending the war, and repeatedly praised the Hungarian premier for the stances he had taken.

Orban maintaining ties with Kremlin

Despite the Russian invasion, Orban continues to maintain good relations with the Kremlin leader, and Hungary is still supplied with gas by Russia.

He visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev earlier this week for the first time since the start of the war. According to Russian officials, Orban had no message from Zelensky for Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Orban had travelled to Russia on his own initiative, and likewise Ushakov said that Orban had been received as Hungary's head of government and not as an EU representative.

Putin, on the other hand, explicitly referred to Hungary's role holding the EU presidency when welcoming Orban.

EU officials fuming at Orban trip

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said earlier on Friday that Orban does not represent the European Union "in any form."

Orban's "visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia," Borrell said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on X that "appeasement will not stop Putin.

"Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine," she wrote.

Eric Mamer, von der Leyen's chief spokesman told reporters that Orban's trip "undermines the unity and determination" the European Union needs to end the war in Ukraine.

The designated EU foreign affairs representative, Kaja Kallas, wrote on X that "Viktor Orban in no way represents the EU or the EU's positions."

"He is exploiting the EU presidency position to sow confusion," Kallas added, stressing that the EU is "united, clearly behind Ukraine and against Russian aggression."

Frustration in Washington, too

The White House said it was "concerned" about Orban's trip.

The behaviour of the Hungarian leader is "counterproductive" in terms of supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and does not contribute to peace in the country invaded by Russia, said US President Joe Biden's spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

"Russia could end this war today by stopping their aggression against Ukraine, against their sovereignty, against their democracy. They can withdraw. They can withdraw right now," she said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow. -/Kremlin/dpa

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow. -/Kremlin/dpa

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. -/Kremlin/dpa
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban traveled to Moscow on Friday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, causing major outrage among his fellow European Union leaders.

Orban was the first EU leader to visit Moscow since April 2022 and his trip was made even more controversial by the fact that Hungary has just taken over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Putin and Orban said they discussed ways to end the conflict in Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Putin said Russia was always open for discussion for a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict but stressed that he stands by the terms it has already outlined.

Those terms would be unacceptable for Ukraine and its western allies. Ukraine has made it clear that any peace deal must include the return of Ukraines pre-2014 territory.

Orbans press secretary Zoltan Kovacs said the prime ministers visit to Moscow was of special significance, being the first since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Fridays meeting marks the 14th time the two leaders have met since 2009, he said.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban met in Moscow on Friday. - Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images

Orban has long been Putins greatest ally in Europe, a rare outlier among the otherwise united bloc. He has been campaigning for a ceasefire as opposed to military support for Ukraine.

The talks with President Putin at the Kremlin focused on the Ukraine settlement and bilateral relations, emphasizing Hungarys unique position to communicate with both warring sides, Kovacs said in a post on X following the meeting on Friday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen criticized Orbans decision to visit Moscow, saying appeasement will not stop Putin.

Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, she added.

Kyiv was also quick to criticize Orbans trip. The decision to make this trip was made by the Hungarian side without approval or coordination with Ukraine, Ukraines foreign ministry said Friday. We remind that the principle of no agreements on Ukraine without Ukraine remains inviolable for our country and call on all states to strictly adhere to it.

The ministry said Ukraines peace formula  the plan outlined by President Volodymyr Zelensky  remains the only realistic way to restore a just peace.

Orbans trip to Moscow came just days after his trip to Kyiv on Tuesday, his first visit to Kyiv since Russias full-scale war began. He used the trip to urge Zelensky to consider a ceasefire in order to speed up peace talks with Moscow  something Zelensky firmly rejected.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives on the first day of a two-day EU summit in Brussels. A two-day EU summit began in Brussels on Tuesday, where EU leaders will address a range of political and economic issues, including the war in Ukraine, and are expected to approve the names of candidates for top posts in EU institutions. Jaroslav Novak/TASR/dpa

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said his country will use its term holding the presidency of the European Union Council to advance a negotiated peace in Ukraine, as reports suggested the controversial leader is set to visit Moscow.

After Hungary assumed the six-month rotating post on July 1, Orban posted on the social media platform X: "You cannot make peace from a comfortable armchair in Brussels. Even if the rotating EU presidency has no mandate to negotiate on behalf of the EU, we cannot sit back and wait for the war to miraculously end."

"We will serve as an important tool in making the first steps towards peace. This is what our peace mission is about," he added.

Several media outlets have reported that Orban is due in Moscow in the coming days following his visit to Kiev on Tuesday, his first since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Orban did not mention the potential visit in his post, but said: "I go to places where there is a threat of war or a war that has negative consequences for Europe and Hungary."

Widely seen as a sympathizer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Orban has repeatedly delayed EU negotiations on providing aid for Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Moscow.

While visiting Kiev, the Hungarian president called on his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire. There are currently no direct negotiations taking place between Ukraine and Russia.

Orban became the only EU leader to travel to Russia since the outbreak of the war, when he attended the funeral of former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev in September 2022.
Hunter Biden is learning the hard way that he cannot run from his responsibilities as a father.

President Joe Biden's infamous second son is back in the news for allegedly trying to hide his illegitimate daughter with Lunden Roberts. The child's mother recently dropped shocking truths about her ex in an upcoming tell-all memoir.

Hunter Biden, who is no stranger to controversy, was convicted on three federal gun charges last month.

Hunter Biden Allegedly Asked His Ex To Single-Parent Their Daughter

MEGA

A snippet from Roberts' upcoming memoir "Out of the Shadows: My Life Inside the Wild World of Hunter Biden" captured the alleged moment the infamous first son tried to bribe her with hush money.

She claimed Hunter initially refused to acknowledge their daughter Navy Joan's existence and denied sleeping with her. But things changed in 2019 when a DNA test confirmed he was Navy Joan's father.

Roberts noted Hunter switched from denial to trying to avoid responsibility, reaching out to her lawyer through his legal reps and claiming he was "broke." Per RadarOnline, she reflected on the moment in disbelief, writing:

"It was just proven that he's the father, and the first thing he comes back with is, 'I'm broke.' How about 'I'm sorry?' How about taking accountability for your child?"

Lunden Roberts Claims She Only Wanted Hunter To Be A Father

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lunden Roberts (@lundentownn_)

Roberts stressed that she never pursued Hunter for his wealth but for their daughter's sake. "I don't care if you're broke, and your child won't care either. All she wants is a father," the doting mother claimed in her book.

Unfortunately for Roberts, her disappointment increased while conversing with her lawyer, who told her, "But that's not the biggie. He wants to know if you would like to single-parent adopt Navy?"

"Adopt her? Are you fking kidding me? So then he has no obligations and avoids responsibility?" Roberts replied, prompting her attorney to drop another bombshell: "They even asked if you would sign an NDA to not discuss the results."

"Oh, hell no. They can shove that NDA up the ass and their fking offer," Roberts responded, and her lawyer revealed Hunter had agreed to drop "$250,000" to sweeten the deal.

Hunter's Deal Was The Last Straw For His Daughter's Mother

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lunden Roberts (@lundentownn_)

Roberts confessed she was shocked by Hunter's deal, noting he had hurt her before, "but this is a new hurt, a mother's hurt for her daughter, my heart breaks for her."

The hush money was the last straw for her, and she refused to let the infamous first son escape without consequences.

"I wanted to do this the best way to not harm him, but f-ck him," she recalled telling her lawyer, "'You tell him I said eat sh-t, motherfker. Do whatever you have to do ... I'm sick of this sh-t. Chew him up and spit him out. I don't care about the details."

After encouraging her lawyer to wage war on Hunter, Roberts recalled getting off the phone and watching her daughter sleep beside her, wondering, "How could anyone not want this perfect angel."

Joe Biden Has Allegedly Not Acknowledged Hunter's Illegitimate Daughter

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lunden Roberts (@lundentownn_)

True to her words, Roberts dragged Hunter to court and won her Paternity lawsuit against him in May 2019. However, the legal victory did not mean the Biden household welcomed her daughter with open arms.

In her memoir, Roberts claimed President Joe Biden had not acknowledged his 5-year-old granddaughter. She stressed that he had not met Navy to date, a problem Hunter's other children don't seem to have.

Counting Navy's existence, Hunter has welcomed five children with three different women. His first three children  Naomi, Finnegan, and Maisy  were born during his marriage to Kathleen Buhle.

Hunter's youngest son, Beau Biden Jr., is the product of his relationship with his current wife, Melissa Cohen, per PEOPLE. The 54-year-old reportedly maintains a close relationship with his children, although his addictions have negatively impacted their bond in the past.

Hunter Biden Was Found Guilty Of Three Felony Firearm Charges

Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden arrive at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday, June 3, 2024

In June, The Blast reported that Hunter was found guilty of three felony firearm charges related to a 2018 weapon purchase. He allegedly provided false information by denying his addictions on the purchase form.

Because he chose "no" to question, "Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?" Hunter was accused of illegally purchasing the firearm and found guilty at trial.

Moments after the guilty verdict, Hunter's father addressed the situation in a statement, partly saying: "I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal."

"Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that," Joe concluded.
Beryl becomes tropical storm but expected to strengthen over Gulf. See expected impact on Florida

Beryl has weakened into a strong tropical storm after making landfall near Tulum, Mexico, on the Yucatan Peninsula earlier this morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It's not expected to last.

As it enters the Gulf of Mexico, it is expected to strengthen as it heads toward northeastern Mexico and southern Texas. How far north it turns remains uncertain and it's possible Beryl could turn even more to the north and run parallel the coast before making its third landfall along the Middle Texas coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

 Track Hurricane Beryl

 Live updates: Is Texas landfall next from Hurricane Beryl?

Strong winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall across portions of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas are expected this weekend.

The National Hurricane Center said there is an increasing risk for hurricane-force winds, life-threatening storm surge and flooding from heavy rainfall for portions of northeastern Mexico and the lower and middle Texas coasts. Storm surge and hurricane watches have been issued for the Texas coast, from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to Sargent.

If your holiday weekend plans include a trip to the beach, be aware Beryl is expected to bring strong rip currents along the entire Gulf Coast, including the southern tip of Florida and along the state's entire West Coast and Panhandle.

Large swells generated by Beryl are expected to reach much of the U.S. Gulf Coast by late today, bringing not only dangerous rip currents, but life-threatening surf.

It was the second landfall for Beryl. Four days ago, on July 1, it made its first landfall at 11 a.m. on Carriacou Island, Grenada, as a Category 4 storm with 150-mph winds.

Where is Tulum, Mexico?

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Tulum is located about 80 miles south of Cancun or 30 miles west of the southern tip of Cozumel.

Hurricane Beryl storm without precedent. That's not good

While Beryl poses a serious threat to the western Gulf of Mexico this weekend, its implications for the season ahead are also sobering, according to Dr. Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger. Truchelut works with the USA TODAY Network-Florida to provide the latest storm information Florida residents need.

Hurricane Beryl: Why a storm without precedent signals bad season ahead | WeatherTiger

"When Beryl peaked at Category 5 intensity on Tuesday, it became not only the earliest Category 5 in Atlantic history, but both the strongest June and strongest July hurricane on record."

This is especially remarkable given that any kind of early-season tropical development is rare in the eastern Atlantic, Truchelut said.

"In the last 150 years, there are 10 seasons in which a hurricane formed in the Main Development Region before August: 2021, 2020, 2018, 2008, 2005, 1996, 1961, 1933, 1926, and 1887. All of those years were above-normal hurricane seasons, averaging almost double the intensity of a normal season."

What does that mean?

"You should do the things you can do now to prepare before the inevitable cone-panic hits. So, trim those trees, know where you would go if you need to evacuate, and make sure your hurricane kits are in good order, " Truchelut said.

AccuWeather forecasters warn Beryl could stall over Texas coast

At this time, "AccuWeather meteorologists continue to warn of the potential for widespread flooding rainfall and the likelihood of damaging winds, storm surge flooding and perhaps tornadoes," as Beryl moves inland over Texas.

There are several factors that could affect the timing of the storm's landfall, including changes in speed, whether Beryl stalls in the Gulf of Mexico and easing of wind shear.

 Track all active storms

"Beryl could stall or turn more to the north, paralleling the coast at the last minute before landfall as steering breezes decrease," AccuWeather forecasters said.

AccuWeather meteorologists are also warning of the storm slowing and possibly stalling over Texas. Beryl has already slowed from 20 mph to 15 mph as it neared Mexico and is expected to slow even more on its way to the Lonestar State.

One thing that is certain is that waters in the Gulf are warm, which should allow Beryl to regain hurricane intensity it lost passing over the Yucatan Peninsula.

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.

How could Hurricane Beryl affect Florida?

Hurricane Beryl is expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents to the entire U.S. Gulf Coast.

Large swells generated by Beryl are expected to reach much of the Gulf Coast of the U.S.  including all of Florida's West Coast and Panhandle  by late today. The swells are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Watches, warnings issued across Florida

Hurricane Beryl: What you need to know

Location : 35 miles east-southeast of Progreso, Mexico; 610 miles east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas

Maximum sustained winds: 65 mph

Movement : west-northwest at 15 mph

Pressure: 989 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 watch: A hurricane watch is in effect for the following:

Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to Sargent

The northeastern coast from mainland Mexico from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande

Storm surge watch: A storm surge watch is in effect for the following:

Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to Sargent

Tropical storm warning: A tropical storm warning is in effect for the following:

The coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico west of Cabo Catoche to Campeche

Hurricane Beryl: Here's latest information on strength, forecast path

At 5 p.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Beryl was located near latitude 21.2 North, longitude 89.2 West.

Beryl is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 mph. A west-northwestward motion is expected through tonight, with the center forecast to emerge over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico during the next few hours.

A turn toward the northwest is expected on Saturday, with the center of Beryl expected to approach the western Gulf coast late Sunday and Sunday night. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 65 mph with higher gusts.

Continued weakening is expected during the next few hours as Beryl crosses the Yucatan Peninsula. Re-intensification is expected once the center moves back over the Gulf of Mexico, and Beryl is forecast to regain hurricane status on Sunday.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center.

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

There is an increasing risk of damaging hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge in portions of northeastern Mexico and the lower and middle Texas Coast late Sunday and Monday where Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches have been issued. Additional watches may be required tonight or early Saturday. Interests in these areas should follow any advice given by local officials.

Flash and urban flooding are possible across portions of the Texas Gulf Coast and eastern Texas from Sunday through the middle of next week.

Rip currents will cause life-threatening beach conditions through the weekend across much of the Gulf Coast. Beachgoers should heed warning flags and the advice of lifeguards and local officials before venturing into the water.

Strong winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall will continue over northern portions of the Yucatan Peninsula this evening.

Current forecast: How strong is Hurricane Beryl expected to get?

Currently: 65 mph, inland

12 hours: 60 mph, over water

24 hours: 65 mph

36 hours: 70 mph

48 hours: 75 mph

60 hours: 80 mph

72 hours: 90 mph, at coast

96 hours: 35 mph, inland

120 hours: 30 mph, post-tropical/inland

What impact could Hurricane Beryl have and what areas could be affected?

WIND: Tropical storm conditions are occurring over portions of the northern Yucatan Peninsula and should spread westward along the Gulf coast of the peninsula for the next several hours. Hurricane conditions are possible in the hurricane watch area along the western Gulf coast by late Sunday, and tropical storm conditions are possible in the watch area on Sunday.

STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide: Baffin Bay, TX to Sargent, TX: 3-5 ft Corpus Christi Bay: 3-5 ft Matagorda Bay: 3-5 ft Mouth of the Rio Grande, TX to Baffin Bay, TX: 2-4 ft The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the right of the center, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office. Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above ground level in areas of onshore winds along the west and north coasts of the Yucatan Peninsula in the tropical storm warning area. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

RAINFALL: Through today Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches, with localized amounts of 10 inches, across the Yucatan Peninsula, with scattered instances of flash flooding anticipated. Heavy rainfall of 5 to 10 inches with localized amounts of 15 inches is expected across portions of the Texas Gulf Coast and eastern Texas beginning late Sunday through the middle of next week. This rainfall is expected to produce areas of flash and urban flooding.

SURF: Large swells generated by Beryl are currently impacting portions of the coast of Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and the Yucatan Peninsula. The swells are expected to reach eastern Mexico and much of the Gulf Coast of the U.S. by late today. These swells are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

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: Where is Hurricane Beryl: NOAA hurricane tracker, forecast path
Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula just northeast of Tulum, Mexico, as a strong Category 2 hurricane shortly after 6 a.m., according to the National Hurricane Center.

By 8 a.m., Beryl was weakening as it moved inland and was expected to bring "dangerous hurricane-force winds, storm surge and damaging winds" to the landfall area.

As it enters the Gulf of Mexico, it is expected to strengthen as heads toward northern Mexico and the southern tip of Texas. How far north it turns remains uncertain and it's possible Beryl could turn even more to the north and run parallel the coast before making its third landfall, according to AccuWeather forecasters.

 Track Hurricane Beryl

Strong winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall across portions of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas are expected late this weekend.

If your holiday weekend plans include a trip to the beach, be aware Beryl is expected to bring strong rip currents along the entire Gulf Coast, including the southern tip of Florida and along the state's entire West Coast and Panhandle.

Large swells generated by Beryl are expected to reach much of the U.S. Gulf Coast by late today, bringing not only dangerous rip currents, but life-threatening surf.

It was the second landfall for Beryl. Four days ago, on July 1, it made its first landfall at 11 a.m. on Carriacou Island, Grenada, as a Category 4 storm with 150-mph winds.

Where is Tulum, Mexico?

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Tulum is located about 80 miles south of Cancun or 30 miles west of the southern tip of Cozumel.

Hurricane Beryl storm without precedent. That's not good

While Beryl poses a serious threat to the western Gulf of Mexico this weekend, its implications for the season ahead are also sobering, according to Dr. Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger. Truchelut works with the USA TODAY Network-Florida to provide the latest storm information Florida residents need.

Hurricane Beryl: Why a storm without precedent signals bad season ahead | WeatherTiger

"When Beryl peaked at Category 5 intensity on Tuesday, it became not only the earliest Category 5 in Atlantic history, but both the strongest June and strongest July hurricane on record."

This is especially remarkable given that any kind of early-season tropical development is rare in the eastern Atlantic, Truchelut said.

"In the last 150 years, there are 10 seasons in which a hurricane formed in the Main Development Region before August: 2021, 2020, 2018, 2008, 2005, 1996, 1961, 1933, 1926, and 1887. All of those years were above-normal hurricane seasons, averaging almost double the intensity of a normal season."

What does that mean?

"You should do the things you can do now to prepare before the inevitable cone-panic hits. So, trim those trees, know where you would go if you need to evacuate, and make sure your hurricane kits are in good order, " Truchelut said.

AccuWeather forecasters warn Beryl could approach Texas southern coast

At this time, "AccuWeather meteorologists expect Beryl to make another landfall in northeastern Mexico, perhaps close to the Texas border Sunday evening to early Monday."

There are several factors that could affect the timing of the storm's landfall, including changes in speed, whether Beryl stalls in the Gulf of Mexico and easing of wind shear.

"Beryl could stall or turn more to the north, paralleling the coast at the last minute before landfall as steering breezes decrease," AccuWeather forecasters said.

 Track all active storms

One thing that is certain is that waters in the Gulf are warm, which should allow Beryl to regain hurricane intensity it will lose as it passes over the Yucatan Peninsula.

There is a chance that this storm may stall once it gets onshore in northern Mexico and southern Texas, which could lead to more rainfall and flooding concerns, said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok.

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.

How could Hurricane Beryl affect Florida?

Hurricane Beryl is expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents to the entire U.S. Gulf Coast.

Large swells generated by Beryl are expected to reach much of the Gulf Coast of the U.S.  including all of Florida's West Coast and Panhandle  by late today. The swells are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Watches, warnings issued across Florida

Hurricane Beryl: What you need to know

Location : 15 miles north-northwest of Tulum, Mexico; 730 miles east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas

Maximum sustained winds: 100 mph

Movement : west-northwest at 15 mph

Pressure : 980 mb

Next advisory: 11 a.m.

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:

The coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancun, including Cozumel

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 Campeche

Hurricane Beryl: Here's latest information on strength, forecast path

At 8 a.m. EDT, the center of Hurricane Beryl was located near latitude 20.4 North, longitude 87.6 West.

Beryl is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 mph. A west- northwestward motion is expected during the next day or so, with the center expected to cross the northern Yucatan Peninsula today.

Beryl is expected to emerge over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico tonight and then move northwestward toward northeastern Mexico and southern Texas by the end of the weekend.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 100 mph, with higher gusts.

Rapid weakening is expected as Beryl moves farther inland and crosses the Yucatan Peninsula today, but slow re-intensification is expected once Beryl moves back over the Gulf of Mexico.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.

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

Hurricane-force winds, dangerous storm surge, and heavy rainfall are beginning to occur across the Yucatan Peninsula within the hurricane warning area. Residents there should shelter in place through the passage of these life-threatening conditions today.

There is an increasing risk of strong winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall in portions of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas late this weekend. Interests in these areas should closely monitor the progress of Beryl and updates to the forecast. Hurricane and tropical storm watches will likely be issued later today.

Rip currents could cause life-threatening beach conditions beginning late today and continuing through the weekend across much of the Gulf coast.

Current forecast: How strong is Hurricane Beryl expected to get?

Currently: 110 mph

12 hours: 70 mph, inland

24 hours: 60 mph, over water

36 hours: 65 mph

48 hours: 70 mph

60 hours: 80 mph

72 hours: 85 mph

96 hours: 40 mph, inland

120 hours: 30 mph

What impact could Hurricane Beryl have and what areas could be affected?

WIND : Hurricane conditions are expected in the hurricane warning area on the Yucatan Peninsula later this morning. Winds are expected to first reach tropical storm strength shortly, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Hurricane conditions are possible in the hurricane watch area along the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula this morning. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the tropical storm warning area of the Yucatan Caribbean coast this morning and over the Yucatan Gulf coast later today. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the tropical storm watch area along portions of the coast of Belize this morning.

STORM SURGE : 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 and by as much as 1 to 3 feet above ground level along the west coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the tropical storm warning area. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

RAINFALL : Through today Beryl is expected to produce rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches, with localized amounts of 10 inches, across the Yucatan Peninsula, with scattered instances of flash flooding anticipated. Heavy rainfall of 4 to 8 inches with locally higher amounts is expected across portions of northeastern Mexico and South Texas by Sunday into the coming week.

SURF: Large swells generated by Beryl are currently impacting portions of the coast of Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and the Yucatan Peninsula. The swells are expected to reach eastern Mexico and much of the Gulf Coast of the U.S. by late today. These swells are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

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: Where is Hurricane Beryl: NOAA hurricane tracker, forecast path


Preparedness and Safety Tips:

Residents in low-lying beach areas and flood-prone areas should take additional precautions. It is crucial for residents to remain informed and monitor news and weather updates closely. Residents are advised to take precautionary measures now by securing outdoor belongings and preparing an emergency kit to be storm-ready.



Sandbags awaiting distribution. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Get the FREE AccuWeather app

Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts with Premium+

Texas residents: Sign up for your community or county warning system. Follow local weather alerts.



Texas residents: Register for STEAR if you or anyone you know will need assistance in an emergency.

2-1-1 for shelter, food and disaster services

7-1-1 for Relay Texas Service

1-800-452-9292 for TxDOT statewide road closures

1-800-525-5555 for roadside assistance

Hurricane Safety Kit Essentials

Gather food, water, and medicine.aOrganize supplies into a Go-Kit and a Stay-at-Home Kit.

Go-Kit: 3 days of supplies that you can carryawith you. Include backup batteries and chargers for your devices (cell phone, CPAP, wheelchair, etc.)

Stay-at-Home Kit: 2 weeks of supplies. Stores and pharmacies might be closed.

Have a 1-month supply of medication in a child-proof container.

Include important contact information in your communication plan, such as:

Phone numbers and email addresses for everyone in your household

Phone numbers for your household's health care providers (doctors, pharmacists, counselors, and veterinarian)

Phone numbers and addresses for schools, childcare providers, caregivers, and workplaces

Phone numbers for emergency services, your utility providers, and your insurance companies

Poison Control Center: 800-222-1222

Animal Poison Control Helpline: 888-426-4435

Disaster Distress Helpline: 800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746

Heed all directions of local emergency management, especially as it pertains to evacuations. If you must leave, bring your pets with you.

Find a local shelter,

Find an open Red Cross Shelter near you

Do not drive across flooded roads or past protective barriers. Turn around, don't drown.

Visit Drivetexas.org for flooded roads and conditions.

The best thing you can do for your pets is to plan ahead so you are ready to care for them during a disaster. Bring your pets indoors as soon as local authorities say a storm is coming and have your pet emergency preparedness kit ready.

Contact your local emergency management agency for information about which emergency shelters allow pets. Try to call the shelter before you go, as some pet-friendly shelters may require advance notice. Your local humane society or veterinary hospital may also have information about where you can take your pets during an evacuation.

You can also go to a pet-friendly hotel or motel instead of a shelter. Have a list of pet-friendly lodging handy in case you need to evacuate quickly.

Natural disasters affect animals as much as they do their human counterparts. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) works with local, state, federal, non-governmental, and sector partners to help plan for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters that affect livestock, companion animals, and service animals.
In the Rostov region of Russia, a Mi-28 helicopter allegedly made an emergency landing after a collision with a Ukrainian drone. This provoked a massive fire  grass caught fire under the aircraft due to the high temperature of the engine, and the fire covered about 500 square meters of territory.

ADVERTISIMENT

This was reported by Russian media. It is noted that the military helicopter was found in the middle of a field in the Azov region on the morning of July 5 by local farmers. The crew members were not found nearby, and the aircraft itself was "seriously damaged." Firefighters arrived at the scene to fight the fire.

Last night, after a drone attack in Rostov-on-Don in Russia, a terminal on the territory of a petroleum products plant caught fire. Although local authorities claimed only "landscape" fires and the "shooting down" of ten drones over the region.

ADVERTISIMENT

Residents heard drones flying overhead and loud explosions. It is noted that some of them may have been the work of air defense. OJSC "NZNP Rostovskiy Branch" on the Left Bank of the Don between Rostov and Bataysk was hit. Some propagandists wrote about "the most massive attack of the Armed Forces drones" on Rostov.

Also that night, it was restless in the Primorsko-Akhtarsk region of the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation. From there, the occupiers often launch "Shakhtys" into Ukraine. According to the Russians, the city was allegedly attacked by drones, the falling debris of which damaged "civilian objects."

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- On the morning of July 4, drones of the DIU hit the Tambov Powder Plant in Russia. It is located in the city of Kotovsk. At the same time, the official authorities of the aggressor state deny that the powder plant was hit.

ADVERTISIMENT

- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had started striking Russian oil refineries because the world had not stopped Russian aggression against our country. However, some countries are calling for an end to such actions, as they consider them an escalation of the conflict.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
GENEVA (Reuters) - Hurricane Beryl caused devastating damage in several Caribbean islands, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on Friday as the Category 3 storm churned towards Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Storms of a similar magnitude to the unusually fierce early season hurricane are expected to become more common due to the effects of climate change, said Rhea Pierre, the IFRC's disaster manager for the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean.

"The severity of damages in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl are tangible and devastating," said Pierre, speaking to reporters in Geneva via video link from Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago.

"Unfortunately, this new reality of unprecedented hurricanes is becoming the annual and ever present reality for the Caribbean countries who are facing the brunt of climate change," she said, adding that higher sea surface temperatures caused storms to "strengthen quickly into major hurricanes".

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that humanitarian assessments were ongoing to get a better understanding of the extent of the damage caused by Beryl, which the World Meteorological Organization said was setting the tone for a very dangerous hurricane season.

OCHA spokesperson Vanessa Huguenin said partners in Grenada had reported extreme damage to the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, where 70% and 97% of buildings were damaged, respectively.

In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 90% of homes on Union Island were affected, while nearly all buildings on the island of Canouan sustained damage, Huguenin said.

"We are only at the beginning of the hurricane season. We still have a staggering five months to go," Pierre said.

(Reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Helen Popper)
The Caller-Times will be providing live updates about Hurricane Beryl as news comes out about the storm.

No damages reported as of Monday morning | Updated 9:20 a.m.

A damage assessment overview provided by the city of Corpus Christi shows little-no-no impacts from Tropical Storm Beryl as of early Monday morning, and assessments by emergency personnel have ended.

Winds in Corpus Christi did not exceed 44 miles per hour, according to the one-page brief.

That speed is much lower than during some other storms Corpus Christi has faced  and a step down the uppermost ceiling of 50 mph that had been predicted for overnight.

One inch of rain was the highest recorded, the document states.

No flooding was observed on North Beach or Laguna Shores, according to the brief.

Both areas are well know as vulnerable to flood risks.

Personnel from the Parks and Recreation Department are evaluating municipal parks and the gulf-facing beaches, the document states.

Worst of the weather has passed, marine hazards remain | Updated 8:30 a.m. Monday

Corpus Christi is no longer under a tropical storm warning; however, a coastal flood advisory remains in place through Tuesday morning with three feet of beach inundation expected, according to messages posted by the local office of the National Weather Service.

The latest update  issued at about 4 a.m. on the agencys social media X account shows a small craft advisory anticipated to be in effect through this afternoon.

Winds are projected to reach 34 knots, or nearly 40 mph, and seas may peak as high as 10 feet this morning, according to NWS.

Tropical storm and storm surge warnings remain in effect north of Corpus Christi, including in Victoria and Calhoun counties, a map shows.

Tropical storm warning | Updated 9 p.m.

A hurricane warning for Corpus Christi has now been downgraded to a tropical storm warning, anticipated to remain in effect through Monday afternoon, according to social media posts by the local office of the National Weather Service.

Also downgraded is a storm surge warning for the city, replaced with a coastal flood advisory forecasting one-foot inundation of beaches, the posts show.

Highest likelihood of weather threats | Updated 6 p.m.

The highest storm surge and wind speeds in Corpus Christi will likely materialize between 8 p.m. Sunday and 4 a.m. Monday, according to a news release issued by city officials.

Gusts associated with Tropical Storm Beryl forecast to make landfall far north of Corpus Christi  are predicted to potentially reach as high as 40 mph within the urban city and as high as 50 mph in the citys coastal areas, the email states.

Residents are advised to stay indoors and secure outdoor objects to prevent damage, city officials wrote in the news release.

The local office of the National Weather Service posted on social media late Sunday graphics indicating the threat of significant damaging winds  as well as flooding rain  exists but is limited.

Corpus Christis coastline remains under a hurricane warning, according to the local NWS 4 p.m. bulletin, while a tropical storm warning is in effect for inland areas.

Emergency services are prepared to respond to any incidents, but community cooperation is crucial, the citys news release states. Please heed all warnings and advisories issued by local authorities.

Acting Governor drives home message, 'Turn Around, Don't Drown' | Updated 3:30 p.m.

Acting Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd provided an update on the state's preparedness and response efforts ahead of impacts from Tropical Storm Beryl on Sunday afternoon, reminding Texans to listen to local officials in preparing for impending wind, rain and flooding.

He urged Texans and visitors to the state to take the storm seriously, heed the warnings of local meteorologists and officials and to be prepared.

"This storm is predicted right now by the National Hurricane Center to land somewhere between Corpus Christi and Galveston Island," he said. "If youre at Galveston, you may say its down in Corpus. If youre in Corpus, you're saying, 'Gee, its going right here. This can change and very often will change as weve seen from past storms.'"

Kidd said that the first tropical storm-force winds will line up along the Texas coast in about 6 hours, and advised people to make their final preparations now.

"There will be power outages," he said. "Now is the time to make sure that all of your devices are charged up.

"Please do not drive through water," Kidd stressed.

TDEM, which has been preparing for the storm for the past week, Patrick said, is now working in cooperation with state agencies and local partners to pool resources to initiate recovery efforts once the tropical storm makes landfall, including clearing debris and repairing power outages.

"We've encouraged our local partners to check in with their debris contractors," Kidd said. "The faster we get debris cleaned up, the faster we get on the road to recovery. For you personally, it's not too late to make sure you have all of the documents your insurance company is going to require."

The agency has been in contact with county judges and their emergency management teams along the Texas coast, with TDEM staff prepared to help in emergency operation centers. Search and rescue teams and emergency medical support are also on hand to help people who require electricity for lifelines at their homes.

According to the USA TODAY outage tracker, roughly 11,000 power outages have been reported in Texas, including more than 3,300 in Angelina County, where the National Weather Service said they'd been alerted by law enforcement to trees down on power lines at about 2:30 p.m. in Burke, in Angelina County and in Hudson around the same time.

On July 7, AEP Texas published a news release stating that more than 4,500 AEP Texas and contract personnel have been activated in the past few days from around Texas and neighboring states to respond to the storm, with about 2,700 resources to be positioned on Sunday in areas predicted to be affected by the storm, including service areas along the coast, with high emphasis on the upper Corpus Christi District. Incoming resources are checking in to primary gateway staging areas located in Robstown before deploying to assignments.

Additional TDEM response efforts include:

Staff support to local Emergency Operations Centers and staging areas

Communications with 911 call centers, cellular service providers, amateur radio operators and satellite communications

Coordination with Texas A&M University Forest Service all-hazard stripe teams and Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service

Coordination with Animal Health Commission to protect livestock and equipment, address animal shelter issues

Incident management teams and saw crews to help with debris cleanup

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality staff ready to support water, wastewater and public drinking systems

Texas Department of Transportation Road Crews ensuring all transport lanes and storm drains open; Texas DOT ready to assist in motorist evacuation

Texas Department of Information Resources securing cybersecurity systems

Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol aircraft and marine units

Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens and state park police

Support from volunteer organizations trained in disaster relief -- American Red Cross and Salvation Army

CCRTA service changes | Updated 2:30 p.m.

The Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority is adjusting or temporarily suspending some of its regular routes based on potential impacts of Tropical Storm Beryl, according to a news release sent Sunday afternoon.

In the email, officials wrote that the following routes will not be available Monday:

Route 65 (Padre Island Connection)

Route 90 (Flexi-B)

Route 94 (Port Aransas Shuttle)

Route 95 (Port Aransas Express)

Several other routes may have shortened hours, in service until noon with weather conditions being monitored and services being suspended if required, according to the news release.

As shown in the email, those are:

Route 54 (Gregory/Downtown Express)

Route 76 (Harbor Bridge Shuttle)

Route 78 (North Beach).

City of Corpus Christi readiness level downgraded | Updated 2:15 p.m.

City officials do not plan to expand Corpus Christis emergency operations center at 6 p.m. but will continue it at 6 p.m. under limited operations having representatives from Fire, Police, Public Works, IT and Communications, wrote City Manager Peter Zanoni in a message to the Caller-Times.

The EOC will be activated in this limited stance thru the overnight, he added.

The citys readiness level has dropped from a level 2  an emergency exists which is very likely to occur  to a level 3, which is existence of a situation that may develop into an emergency but not an imminent threat, Zanoni wrote.

At Corpus Christi International Airport, some flights that had been scheduled for Sunday and Monday have been canceled, he wrote.

We encourage all persons flying out of CCIA to check flight status with the carriers, Zanoni added.

Texas State Aquarium to reopen | Updated 2:15 p.m.

The Texas State Aquarium plans to reopen Monday as our area will not experience hurricane conditions or significant storm surge, a news release sent early Sunday afternoon states.

"We are relieved and excited to welcome our visitors back to the Aquarium," stated Jesse Gilbert, President and CEO at the Texas State Aquarium, in the email. "Our top priority has always been the safety of our guests, staff, and animals, and we are grateful that our city has been spared from the severe impacts of Hurricane Beryl."

National Hurricane Center issues new bulletin | Updated 1:50 p.m.

Corpus Christi remains under a hurricane warning as part of a stretch between Baffin Bay and San Luis Pass, according to the National Hurricane Centers 1 p.m. update.

It forecasts Tropical Storm Beryl will become a hurricane before landfall.

Corpus Christi is not shown in the cone of uncertainty, which is now focused north of the city.

The track of the storm is advancing in a north and northwestward direction, according to the agency.

This general motion is expected to continue through tonight, with a turn toward the north forecast on Monday, states a 1 p.m. bulletin posted on the NHCs website. On the forecast track, the center of Beryl is expected to make landfall on the middle Texas coast early Monday. Beryl is forecast to turn northeastward and move farther inland over eastern Texas and Arkansas late Monday and Tuesday.

The status of the city of Corpus Christi | Updated 1:10 p.m.

The city of Corpus Christi is anticipated to resume normal business operations Monday, according to a message from City Manager Peter Zanoni to the Caller-Times.

It is expected that the potential risks to Corpus Christi are storm surge, wind gusts between 40 mph and 50 mph, and isolated tornadoes, wrote Zanoni following a briefing with the local office of the National Weather Service.

Storm surge in Corpus Christi along the the Gulf of Mexico coastline is anticipated to see inundation between three to five feet, and about one to three feet in the bays, he added.

Areas at risk for potential inundation include the citys downtown marina, North Beach, Flour Bluff and Laguna Shores Boulevard, according to Zanonis message.

Corpus Christi Medical Center services | Updated 12:45 p.m.

Medical services at several Corpus Christi medical centers will resume within the next day, according to a news release.

The email sent Sunday follows an announcement Saturday that three locations would be temporarily suspended.

The following locations will reopen at these scheduled times, according to the news release:

 ER 24/7 Northwest in Corpus Christi reopens 6 p.m. Sunday

 ER 24/7 in Rockport reopens 9 a.m. Monday

 ER 24/7 Portland reopens 9a.m. Monday

The hospital systems other locations at Corpus Christi Medical Center Doctors Regional, Corpus Christi Medical Center Bay Area and Corpus Christi Medical Center Bayview did not suspend services and have remained open, the email states.

Weather forecast according to meteorologist | Updated 11:35 a.m.

Gusty winds could reach 40 to 60 mph, and up to 70 mph in some areas that are near water, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva.

While the city will miss the brunt of the storm, the outer rain bands approaching from the east will likely continue into Sunday afternoon and overnight, with periodic downpours and possible thunderstorms sweeping through with the outer rain bands, DaSilva said.

With the storm track trending northward in the last two days, he predicted 1 to 2 inches of rain would fall in the Corpus Christi area and between 4 to 8 inches eastward toward Port LaVaca.

Storm surge is predicted at 1 to 3 feet for the entire Texas coast, though it could be as high as 6 feet for Galveston and Matagorda bays due to their proximity to where the storm is forecast to make landfall.

New NWS forecasts | Updated 9:50 a.m.

Some of the first rain bands from Tropical Storm Beryl are beginning to move into Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas, according to the Corpus Christi office of the National Weather Service.

As of 9:30 a.m., radar showed clouds pulling toward land from a span reaching from Brownsville on the Texas-Mexico border up to Beaumont in East Texas.

Rain bands from Beryl will gradually spread across the area through the day today, according to an NWS message posted on its social media account. Gusty winds, heavy rain, and isolated tornadoes will be possible as they pass through.

Forecasts early Sunday morning show another small predicted shift to the east, an NWS post states.

A sign near the JFK Causeway encourages traffic to prepare for a potential hurricane as Tropical Storm Beryl enters the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

In messages on the agencys X (formerly Twitter) account, landfall is forecast to make its arrival somewhere along the middle- to upper-coast of Texas around 1 a.m. Monday.

Although Beryl remains categorized as a tropical storm, meteorologists are predicting it to grow to a Category 1 hurricane status by landfall.

Tropical storm-force winds range from 39 and 73 mph sustained, while Category 1 storms carry sustained winds between 74 and 95 mph.

Preparations should be rushed to completion before tropical storm conditions begin late today, according to an NWS online weather statement.

Its anticipated that potential tropical storm conditions will descend this afternoon, with winds reaching hurricane force tonight, according to the agencys posts.

Corpus Christi is now shown outside the cone of uncertainty. However, meteorologists have emphasized that danger is present outside the cone.

Hurricane warnings remain in effect for the coastlines of Baffin Bay to Brazoria County, NWS maps show.

There is a limited threat of tornadoes in the area, the NWS graphic states. Beaches remain hazardous with potential coastal flooding and rip current risks.

Several structures on North Padre Island have been boarded up as of this morning, including at least one popular tourist shop. Rain started as of about 9:30 a.m.

Beryl projected for mid-Texas coast | Updated 1 a.m.

The National Hurricane Center's latest projection for Beryl's path continued to show an expected landfall along the mid-Texas coast early Monday, with tropical storm-force winds anticipated in the Corpus Christi area by Sunday evening.

The National Weather Service office in Corpus Christi shared a brief summary of projections for Beryl as of the overnight hours Saturday into Sunday.

"Beryl remains a 60 mph tropical storm over the western Gulf of Mexico and is expected to make landfall by Monday morning somewhere along the mid Texas coast as a Category 1 Hurricane, though you should still be planning for a Category 2. Most likely time of arrival of TS force winds is Sunday Evening. Dangerous rip currents/tidal runup along the coast will continue through the Holiday Weekend. Storm Surge and Seas will increase on Sunday as the storm approaches. Potential for widespread heavy rain, especially Sunday night into Monday. Flash flood and river flood threat continues, mainly across the Victoria Crossroads. Threat for scattered tornadoes exists as well."

TAMUCC to barricade campus, USS Lexington to close during storm | Updated 9 p.m.

In accordance with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's hurricane preparedness plan, the University Police Department will begin placing barricades at all main entrances to campus at noon Sunday.

While the barricades are up, access to campus is restricted. Only those with Tier 1 status on the university's Incident Command team will be allowed to enter. The institutions will announced when the barricades are removed.

Construction contractor Gabriel Gonzales, of Corpus Christi, cuts plywood boards to fit over a windows and doors in a home on North Padre Island in preparation for Tropical Storm Beryl on Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas. The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane warning for the area and the County issued a mandatory visitor evacuation.

TAMUCC anticipates shifting back to in-person work and classes on Tuesday.

Following suit of the Texas State Aquarium, the USS Lexington Museum will be closed Sunday and Monday. Hours for Tuesday are to be determined, pending the impact of Tropical Storm Beryl.

Port Aransas ferry, additional closings | Updated 7:35 p.m.

The Texas Department of Ferry Operations has notified Port Aransas that ferry operations will be suspended at noon Sunday due to storm impacts from Tropical Storm Beryl. Those planning to leave Port Aransas should expect significant delays and plan accordingly.

Personnel from the Coastal Bend Food Bank announced on Facebook Saturday that it would be closed on Monday. The mobile distribution scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed. The Coastal Bend Food Bank is closely monitoring the weather, and will update neighbors of a future distribution date and time to continue meeting the needs of the community, the post said.

Life-threatening storm surge warning | Updated 4:20 p.m.

The Storm Surge Unit at the National Hurricane Center released an emergency alert to Texans Saturday afternoon. A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for the Coastal Bend area for life-threatening flooding.

The warning is issued up to 36 hours before hazardous conditions begin.

The threat is focused on the north entrance of the Padre Island National Seashore to San Luis Pass, southwest of Galveston. Residents in the area should follow any advice given by local officials and follow evacuation orders.

As of 4 p.m. Saturday, Beryl is forecast to bring damaging hurricane-force winds to portions of the lower and middle Texas coast late Sunday night and Monday. A Hurricane Warning was given to residents from Baffin Bay to Sargent.

Flash and urban flooding, some of which may be considerable, are likely across portions of the Texas Gulf Coast and eastern state beginning late Sunday through the middle of next week. River flooding is also possible.

Rip currents will cause life-threatening beach conditions through the weekend across much of the Gulf Coast. Beachgoers should heed warning flags and the advice of lifeguards and local officials before venturing into the water.

The Port of Corpus Christi increased its Hurricane Readiness Status to Hurricane Readiness Level 1, in accordance with its 2024 Hurricane Readiness Plan.

Flash flooding potential for Texas from Tropical Storm Beryl, according to the National Hurricane Center Saturday, July 6, 2024.

The USCG Captain of Sector Port Corpus Christi (CoTP) has set Port Condition Yankee from the Colorado Locks to the U.S. Mexico border, including the Port of Corpus Christi, effective 2 p.m. Saturday. Under this condition, all vessel movement and cargo operations are restricted.

The Texas State Aquarium announced Saturday it will be closed Sunday and Monday due to the anticipated impact of Beryl.

The aquarium activated its Emergency Operations Center, staffed by essential personnel including animal care specialists, water quality experts and operations staff. The team members will remain onsite to ensure the safety and well-being of the more than 300 species that reside there and to maintain critical life support systems and habitats.

Additionally, the Aquariums Wildlife Response Operation Center will be on standby to respond to any wildlife affected by the storm.

As well, all trash and recycling collections scheduled for Monday in Corpus Christi will be rescheduled for Tuesday. The operating hours of the J.C. Elliott Transfer Station and Collection Center have been extended until 8 p.m. for Saturday.

Refugio County orders mandatory evacuation | Updated 3:50 p.m.

In a Facebook post, Refugio County Judge Jhiela "Gigi" Poynter announced a mandatory evacuation for citizens in the area.

Poynter said residents can expect heavy traffic exiting the area. City water will eventually be turned off to prevent further damage during the storm.

The county will be providing busses to emergency shelter locations outside of town for those unable to evacuate. People in need of assistance to evacuate are asked to call 361-526-2820 and leave a message.

Nueces County Judge puts out voluntary, mandatory evacuation | Updated 2:50 p.m.

In a release, Nueces County Judge Connie Scott put out a voluntary evacuation for visitors. Tourists are "strongly encouraged" and "urged" to evacuate Nueces County and the surrounding areas immediately, as of Saturday.

On Sunday, a mandatory evacuation for visitors goes into effect. Visitors must evacuate by noon Sunday.

Area residents who chose not to evacuate are asked to take necessary precautions to protect lives and secure property.

Corpus Christi Medical centers preparing for Beryl | Updated 2:30 p.m.

Corpus Christi Medical Center Doctors Regional, Bay Area and Bayview will remain open for the community during Tropical Storm Beryl.

At 6 p.m. Saturday, ER 24/7 Rockport, ER 24/7 Northwest and ER 24/7 Portland will be temporarily suspended.

Port Aransas puts out mandatory visitor evacuation | Updated 2:10 p.m.

In a release, the city of Port Aransas said it is keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Beryl, which has not changed course as of 2 p.m. Saturday.

Port Aransas officials set a mandatory visitor evacuation set for noon Sunday, meaning all visitors are expected to be out of the tourist town then. This also includes short-term RV visitors.

As well, citizens in low-lying areas in Port Aransas are encouraged to evacuate.

Beryl makes slight turn northwest, Mayor Guajardo declares State of Disaster | Updated 11:20 a.m.

Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo declared a Local State of Disaster for the Sparkling City by the Sea in response to the potential impending weather conditions expected from Tropical Storm Beryl.

The declaration aligns with Gov. Greg Abbott's severe disaster weather declaration for 40 counties, including Nueces County, ensuring resources are available for communities in need. The declaration went into effect immediately Saturday and will continue for a period of no more than seven days.

Tropical Storm Beryl is continuing on a west-northwestward track over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico at around 12 miles per hour, but has started to move more northwesterly. The storm is expected to restrengthen into a hurricane late Sunday night into Monday before making landfall between Baffin Bay and Sargent midday Monday, according to the National Weather Service of Corpus Christi.

A forecast for Tropical Storm Beryl from 10 a.m. Saturday, July 6, 2024.

Hurricane warnings will likely start Saturday afternoon around 4 p.m.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Calhoun and Refugio counties, and Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for the lower Texas coast south of Baffin Bay.

On Saturday, Ingleside and Gregory-Portland school districts both announced all campuses and offices will be closed Monday due to the future weather. As well, the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center will close Sunday and Monday.

The Texas State Aquarium and its Wildlife Rescue Center are preparing for the anticipated impacts of Beryl. The aquarium will deploy flood control devices Sunday to protect the site from storm surges and outdoor animals will be relocated Sunday evening to ensure safety.

Beryl expected to make landfall Monday along Texas coast | Updated 8:30 a.m.

The National Weather Service of Corpus Christi reported that Beryl, now a tropical storm, is continuing to move over the southwest Gulf of Mexico and is expected to land Monday morning somewhere along the mid-Texas coast as a Category 1 Hurricane. Though people should plan and prepare for a Category 2.

Some uncertainty about the exact strength and track Beryl will take is still at play, but an eastward trend continues.

Texans should start to expect tropical storm force winds anywhere from Sunday morning to Sunday evening. Dangerous rip currents will continue through the weekend and storm surge will begin to increase later in the weekend.

The Coastal Bend should expect potential widespread heavy rain, especially Sunday night and Monday. The threat for isolated tornadoes exists as well.

Beryl path keeps moving eastward | Updated 1 a.m.

The National Hurricane Center's latest projection for Beryl's path showed an expected landfall along the mid-Texas coast early Monday.

The National Weather Service office in Corpus Christi shared a brief summary of projections for Beryl as of the overnight hours Friday into Saturday.

"Beryl continues moving over the Southwest Gulf of Mexico this evening and is expected to make landfall Monday morning somewhere along the mid Texas coast as a Category 1 Hurricane, though plan for a Category 2. Still some uncertainty with the exact strength and track Beryl will take, but an eastward trend in the guidance continues. Earliest reasonable time of arrival of TS force winds is Sunday morning. Most likely time is Sunday night. Dangerous rip currents/tidal runup along the coast will continue through the Holiday Weekend. Storm Surge and Seas will begin to increase starting later this weekend. Potential for widespread heavy rain, especially Sunday night and Monday. Flash flood and river flood threat continues, mainly across the Coastal Bend, Coastal Plains, and Victoria Crossroads. Threat for isolated tornadoes exists as well."

Port of Corpus Christi raises readiness to level 2 | Updated 6:10 p.m.

The Port of Corpus Christi has reached a Level 2 in its hurricane preparation, according to a news release issued by the agency late Friday.

Under this condition, owners, operators or agents of all self-propelled oceangoing vessels over 500 gross tons, all barges and their support tugs should review USCG plans to depart or remain in port, officials wrote.

Hurricane, storm surge watches issued | Updated 4:30 p.m.

The National Weather Service Corpus Christi issued storm surge and hurricane watches for the Corpus Christi area Friday just before 4 p.m.

A storm surge watch means life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline is possible sometime within the area within the next 48 hours.

A hurricane watch means hurricane-force winds are possible somewhere within the area within the next 48 hours.

More: Hurricane watches, warnings and evacuations: What to do when one is declared

Locations affected by the storm surge and hurricane watches include Corpus Christi, Flour Bluff, Chapman Ranch, Agua Dulce, Banquete, Bishop, Driscoll, Petronila, Robstown, Mustang Island, Port Aransas, Ingleside, Portland, Kingsville, Loyola Beach and Riviera.

Hurricane watches extend in coastal areas and storm surge watches in inland areas. For a full list of watches and details about specific locations visit the National Weather Service Corpus Christi website at https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=CRP&wwa=storm%20surge%20watch.

The latest local forecast predicts tropical storm or Category 1 hurricane winds Monday, as well as the potential for three to five feet of storm surge in surge-prone areas. Peak rainfall could be 4 to 8 inches, with locally higher amounts. Forecasts vary by location.

According to the watches, residents should plan for life-threatening wind the equivalent of a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane and prepare for considerable wind damage and flooding.

Forecast shows increased threat | Updated 2:30 p.m.

Although it is currently projected to make landfall in South Texas as a Category 1 hurricane, Coastal Bend residents should be making preparations for Hurricane Beryl to reach a Category 2 strength, according to messages by the local office of the National Weather Service.

A Category 1 storm has wind speeds ranging from 74 mph to 95 mph, while wind speeds of a Category 2 hurricane span 96 mph to 110 mph.

Conditions could begin to deteriorate Sunday night into Monday, meteorologists wrote in social media posts Friday. Now would be the time to prepare.

Hurricane Hanna

Like all forecasts generated within days of an event, there isnt certainty on some of the details residents typically want to know most  the size and strength of the storm, and where and when it will make approach land.

Hurricane Beryls forecast trajectory, however, is continuing to point north toward the Texas coastline, NHC and NWS graphics show as of 2 p.m.

It is currently estimated that the storm will arrive late Sunday or possibly Monday morning, according to a series of graphics and messages on the local NWS X social media site.

Tropical storm force winds  which range in speed between 39 and 74 mph  are anticipated to make it to the Coastal Bend sometime Sunday, according to forecasts.

Beaches are expected to be hazardous , with the threats of coastal flooding and rip currents, officials have said.

There is potential for widespread heavy rain, especially Sunday night into Monday, meteorologists wrote Friday, adding that flash flood and river flood threat continues to increase, including in the Coastal Bend.

As of 10 a.m. Friday, the National Hurricane Centers rain map showed the Corpus Christi area of receiving between four and six inches of rain through Wednesday.

Schools, events postponed | Updated 11 a.m.

Gregory-Portland ISD will cancel all student activities scheduled for Monday and district staff will not report to work. All offices and campuses will be closed Monday. The school district will provide another update on Monday.

Ingleside ISD will close all district operations, offices and campuses on Monday. District officials will continue to monitor the weather to determine operations for Tuesday.

Corpus Christi ISD will cancel summer school classes for Monday. Employees do not need to report to work on Monday and all buildings will be closed.

West Oso ISD will cancel all student activities planned for Monday, including the ACE Summer Program and athletic programming. As of Friday evening, a final decision has not been made about staff reporting for Monday.

Del Mar College will be closing its campuses on Monday, with Summer 2 classes starting once the college reopens.

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi will shift to remote work and classes Monday. Texas A&M University-Kingsville will suspend normal operations Monday. Classes, both online and in-person, are canceled for Monday for Kingsville college students.

Luis Puron, executive director for the Rockport Center for the Arts, announced Friday the 56th annual Rockport Art Festival has been shortened to just a one-day event this year due to Hurricane Beryl. The event will start at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Nueces County facilities will be closed Monday, Nueces County Judge Connie Scott announced during a press conference on Friday afternoon. All jury duty assignments for that day will be rescheduled, and assignees will be notified.

County, city provide update to residents

"We are paying attention to this storm," Judge Connie Scott announced from the podium in the Nueces County Commissioners Courtroom during a news conference held at about 3 p.m. on Friday. "We have been working closely and participated in conference calls with TDEM, the National Weather Service and many organizations.

"We continue and will continue to watch and to monitor this storm very closely and will keep you informed as information becomes available," the judge said.

The county is advising citizens who live on the water or in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding or who are visiting in recreational vehicles to consider evacuating the area sooner rather than later. Local citizens are encouraged to begin making preparations to secure their property and follow their normal plans for hurricane preparedness.

Residents are encouraged to follow NWS Corpus Christi, visit nuecesco.com or the Nueces County Facebook page for further alerts. They can sign up for the city's Reverse Alert by texting BEREADYCCNC to 888777 to sign up by text and receive the latest notices about the storm.

In additional preparation efforts, units are staging at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown, with AEP providing out-of-state bucket trucks and AT&T units. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will also offer search and rescue boats, and 24 ambulances will be parked to help evacuate, if necessary, with generators provided by HEB on hand, she said.

Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo, Corpus Christi Fire Department Chief Brandon Wade, Corpus Christi Police Department Chief Mike Markle and other city leaders held a press conference at City Hall Friday afternoon to discuss precautions residents should take.

"Beryl is expected to make landfall as a potential Category 1 hurricane; however, South Texas is being encouraged for a Category 2 hurricane," Guajardo said. "We want to ask anyone who is visiting our city to consider returning at an earlier time."

Guajardo said the Gov. Greg Abbott reached out to her Friday morning to "ensure the state of Texas' support for Corpus Christi is there."

Wade said the city has been tracking Beryl since last Friday. He said Corpus Christi is coordinating with state agencies to be sure they are taking the necessary precautions.

"Our Emergency Operation Center will be activated for this event," Wade said. "We're taking this very seriously and asking the community to take it serious as well."

Wondering if you should board up your windows? Wade said if you want to, board them up.

"It would be best to do so, but play it by ear," Wade said. "It's not wrong to be precautious."

Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority prepared

In the case of an evacuation, the CCRTA is ready.

In a release, Chief Executive Officer Derrick Majchszak said he will lead his staff and proceed with evacuating the community.

Once an evacuation order is declared, all transportation becomes fare-free to transfer stations, where evacuees are then transported to the Corpus Christi Gym and Natatorium or the Richard Borchard Fairground," Majchszak said. "From those central points, evacuees are then transported to a safe location."

Individuals utilizing the city buses during an evacuation may bring luggage, essential items and/or pets with them for travel. It is preferred that pets are in carriers, as they must be controlled and not a safety risk to fellow passengers.

Coastal Bend beaches

Padre Island National Seashore began implementing a phased hurricane shutdown process Friday, immediately closing vehicle access to North Beach, South Beach and Yarborough Pass.

Malaquite Campground, Bird Island Basin Campground and the Malaquite Visitor Center will close starting noon Saturday. A full park closure will take place staring at 12 a.m. Sunday.

Mustang Island State Park plans to remove beach amenities Saturday, including beach access mats, picnic tables and Port-O-Can facilities Saturday.

Kleberg County, Kingsville community prepares

Kleberg County Judge Rudy Madrid called for a voluntary evacuation of low lying areas including Loyola Beach and Baffin Bay on Thursday.

According to a city of Kingsville news release Thursday, both Kleberg County and Kingsville distributed sandbags Friday.

The FEMA domes at H.M. King High School in Kingsville will be open Saturday for anyone who needs a safe space to go for the storm. For transportation assistance, call 361-455-8686.

The JK Northway Exposition Center RV grounds in Kleberg County will also be open for free for RV residents. The stables behind JK Northway RV grounds are available to shelter livestock, according to the news release.

More: Here's where you can see full coverage of hurricanes and other storms in the Coastal Bend.

More: Hurricane Beryl tracker: Maps show storm's projected path as it heads toward South Texas

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Hurricane Beryl: Live updates for Texas Coastal Bend, Corpus Christi
By Paola Chiomante and Jose de Jesus Cortes

CANCUN/TULUM, Mexico (Reuters) -Tropical Storm Beryl was blowing out to the Gulf of Mexico on Friday afternoon and appeared likely to reach Texas by late Sunday, after its strong winds and heavy rain largely spared Mexico's top beach destinations.

The core of the storm, downgraded from a hurricane, crossed the Yucatan Peninsula by Friday afternoon, with its maximum wind speeds slowing to around 65 miles mph (105 kph) after striking near the coastal beach resort of Tulum in the morning.

The storm, which at one point intensified to a massive Category 5 hurricane, left a deadly trail of destruction across the Caribbean earlier this week. However, there were no casualties in Mexico, the head of the country's civil protection agency Laura Velazquez said in a press conference on Friday afternoon.

While Beryl's passage over Mexico's Quintana Roo and Yucatan states resulted in slower winds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center still forecast dangerous storm surges in the surrounding area.

For those who hunkered down as Beryl churned overhead, a sense of relief prevailed.

"Holy cow! It was an experience!" said Mexican tourist Juan Ochoa, who was staying in Tulum.

"Really only some plants flew up in the air," he said. "Thank God we're all OK."

Tourist infrastructure was without major damage in Quintana Roo, the state government said in a statement.

Still, many in the area lost electricity, including 40% of Tulum, said Guillermo Nevarez, an official with Mexico's national electricity company CFE, speaking to local broadcaster Milenio.

Civil protection chief Velazquez said she expected service to be restored in full by Sunday.

Among Mexico's top tourist getaways, the Yucatan Peninsula is known for its white sand beaches, lush landscapes and Mayan ruins.

Stranded tourists camped out in Cancun's international airport on Friday, unsure of when they would make it home.

Nora Vento said her flight home to Chile was postponed multiple times, and that her airline's counter was unstaffed.

"So, I don't know when I will get to Chile," she said.

Beryl, currently located over the port of Progreso in Mexico's Yucatan state, was expected to pick up intensity as it enters the Gulf of Mexico and forecast to regain hurricane status and approach the western Gulf coast on Sunday.

A hurricane watch was in effect for the Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to Sargent, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Mexico's meteorological service issued a hurricane watch for the northeastern coast of Mexico from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande.

"There is an increasing risk of damaging hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge in portions of northeastern Mexico and the lower and middle Texas Coast late Sunday and Monday where hurricane and storm surge watches have been issued," the NHC said.

It warned that flash and urban flooding were possible across portions of the Texas Gulf Coast and eastern Texas from Sunday through the middle of next week.

Rainfall of 5 to 10 inches, with localized amounts of 15 inches, is projected across portions of the Texas Gulf Coast and eastern Texas beginning late on Sunday through the middle of next week.

Mexico's national water commission, CONAGUA, flagged a risk of flooding around the tourist hubs, as well as in neighboring Campeche state.

Quintana Roo schools were closed, as were local beaches, and officials lifted a temporary ban on alcohol sales.

Beryl was the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, and this week became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, with scientists pointing to its rapid strengthening as almost certainly fueled by human-caused climate change.

Before reaching Mexico, Beryl wreaked havoc across several Caribbean islands. It swept through Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in addition to unleashing heavy rainfall on northern Venezuela. It has claimed at least 11 lives, tearing apart buildings while felling power lines and trees.

Destruction in the islands of Grenada was especially pronounced.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell pointed to major damage to homes in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique during a video briefing Thursday night. Parts of the latter two islands suffered "almost complete devastation," he said.

"Many of our citizens have lost everything."

Mexico's major oil platforms, primarily located in the southern rim of the Gulf of Mexico, are not expected to be affected or shut down.

Beryl is also expected to have little impact on U.S. offshore oil and gas production, energy companies said on Friday while evacuating personnel from some facilities out of caution.

Research by the ClimaMeter consortium determined that climate change significantly intensified Beryl. According to the study, the storm's severity, along with its associated rainfall and wind speed, saw an increase of 10-30% as a direct result of climate change.

(Reporting by Jose de Jesus Cortes in Tulum, and Paola Chiomante in Cancun; Additional reporting by Raquel Cunha in Tulum, Raul Cortes Fernandez, Aida Pelaez-Fernandez, and Sarah Morland in Mexico City and Natalia Siniawski in Gdansk; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Tomasz Janowski, Rod Nickel and Jacqueline Wong)
State employees evacuate turtle eggs from the beach to protect them from the incoming Hurricane Beryl in Cancun, Mexico, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. | Fernando Llano

Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Mexico Friday morning as a Category 2 storm on its path toward the Gulf Coast and possibly Texas.

The hurricane is responsible for at least nine total deaths so far, which came as it traveled over Venezuela and Jamaica, as well as Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, NBC News reported.

On Tuesday, Hurricane Beryl made history by becoming the earliest Category 5 hurricane to develop in the Atlantic, as the Deseret News previously reported.

The storm weakened to a Category 4 on Tuesday. Still, Hurricane Beryl is one of the strongest storms to impact Jamaica in over 15 years, CNN reported.

Earlier this week, Beryl pummeled the island country with a downpour of rain and dangerous wind. The eyewall of the hurricane was brushing the south coast of Jamaica at 140 mph Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported, bringing hurricane conditions to that part of the island.

Storms damage posted to social media

Photos and videos posted to social media on Wednesday show the damage the storm caused as well as the dangerous weather conditions.

The Jamaica Observer, a local newspaper, posted videos showing flooded streets and photos showing residential damage, including roofs being ripped off of buildings.

Hurricane Beryl's impact is being felt across most of the island as rain and wind have started to intensify within the last thirty minutes.#HurricaneBeryl #ObservingBeryl #Beryl #JamaicaObserver #AlwaysAhead pic.twitter.com/dmztpZPCoF  Jamaica Observer (@JamaicaObserver) July 3, 2024

Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Mexico, moves toward Texas

The hurricane hit the Cayman islands Thursday as a Category 3 storm before making landfall in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, early Friday. Hurricane Beryl weakened to a tropical storm Friday as it moved across the Yucatan Peninsula, but it is forecast to regain strength over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico this weekend before striking Texas early next week, per AccuWeather.

The Weather Channel predicts the storm will move into the Gulf of Mexico Saturday before strengthening back to a hurricane early Monday and hitting northeast Mexico or Texas.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to issue an advisory notice to the Texas Emergency Management Council on Wednesday, NBC News reported.

Texas stands ready to deploy all available resources and support to our coastal communities as Hurricane Beryl approaches the state, Abbott said in a statement posted to social media.

... 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.

How to stay safe from rip currents

As the tropical storm makes its way toward the Gulf of Mexico and South Texas, the National Hurricane Center is warning beachgoers to watch out for rip currents.

According to the center, rip currents are powerful currents of water moving away from shore. They can sweep even the strongest swimmer away from shore.

The National Hurricane Center recommends swimming near a lifeguard to avoid getting caught in a rip current.

If you do get caught in one, here are some recommendations from the hurricane center for staying safe:

Relax, rip currents dont pull you under.

Dont swim against the current.

Swim out of the current, then to shore.

If you cant escape, float or tread water.

If you need help, yell or wave for assistance.
Beryl moves into the Gulf of Mexico after battering Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, takes aim at Texas

A man walks on the beach in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl in Tulum, Mexico, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

TULUM, Mexico (AP)  Beryl moved into the the Gulf of Mexico Friday and took aim at the south Texas coast after battering Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula. Texas officials issued disaster declarations and urge coastal residents to prepare as the storm headed their way.

Beryl hit Tulum as a Category 2 hurricane and toppled trees but caused no injuries or deaths before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved across the peninsula. The U.S. National Hurricane Center expects the storm to regain hurricane strength in the warm waters of the Gulf and hit south Texas by late Sunday or early Monday.

Beryl, the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, caused at least 11 deaths as it passed through the Caribbean islands earlier in the week.

The storms center Friday afternoon was in the Gulf just off Mexico, about 615 miles (995 kilometers) southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. It was moving west-northwest at 13 mph (about 20 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), the hurricane center said.

Once in the Gulf, Beryl could regain wind speed of 90 mph (150 kph) before hitting Texas, though it is hard to tell now where it could make landfall, forecasters said. Hurricane watches were in effect from the Rio Grande north, covering most of the Texas coast.

Some Texas counties have already issued voluntary evacuation orders in low-lying areas, and Texas officials urged coastal residents to prepare.

Along the Texas coast in Corpus Christi, city officials announced it had distributed 10,000 sandbags in less than two hours Friday, exhausting its supply.

This is a determined storm that is still strong, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said at a news conference.

Patrick issued a pre-emptive disaster declaration for 40 counties that allows state and local authorities to start planning and contracting for response.

Nim Kidd, chief of state emergency operations, said oil companies have started moving employees off rigs along the coast that may be in the path of the storm.

Northeastern Mexico and southern Texas were already soaked by Tropical Storm Alberto just a couple of weeks ago.

Beryl spread destruction in Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados this week. Three people have been reported dead in Grenada, three in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three in Venezuela and two in Jamaica, officials said.

The head of Mexico's civil defense agency, Laura Velazquez, said Beryl hadn't caused any deaths or injuries there and that damages were minor, though tens of thousands of people remained without power.

Tulum was plunged into darkness when the storm knocked out power as it came ashore. Screeching winds set off car alarms across the town. Wind and rain continued to whip the seaside city and surrounding areas Friday morning. Army brigades roved the streets of the tourist city, clearing fallen trees and power lines.

After seeing Beryl tear through the Caribbean, 37-year-old Lucia Nagera Balcaza was among those who stocked up on food and hid away in their homes.

Thank god, we woke up this morning and everything was all right, she said. The streets are a disaster, but we're out here cleaning up."

Before the storm hit Mexico, official had set up shelters in schools and hotels. When the wind began gusting over Tulums beaches Thursday, officials on four-wheelers with megaphones rolled along the sand telling people to leave and authorities evacuated beachside hotels. Sea turtle eggs were even moved off beaches threatened by storm surge.

Tourists also took precautions. Lara Marsters, 54, a therapist visiting Tulum from Boise, Idaho, said she had filled up empty water bottles from the tap.

Were going to hunker down and stay safe, she said.

While many in the Yucatan Peninsula took a deep breath, Jamaica and other islands ravaged by the hurricane were still reeling. As of Friday morning, 55% of Jamaica still without electricity and most of the country was without running water, according to government figures.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness promised swift relief for residents affected by Hurricane Beryl after visiting one of the worst-affected areas of the island, the southern parish of St Elizabeth on Thursday afternoon.

I know some of you are experiencing discomfort and displacement, and I want to assure you that the government will move as quickly as we can to get you the help you need, he said.

Earlier in the week, the hurricane damaged or destroyed 95% of homes on a pair of islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, jumbled fishing boats in Barbados and ripped off roofs and knocked out electricity in Jamaica.

On Union Island, part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a man who identified himself as Captain Baga described the storms impact, including how he had filled two 2,000-gallon (7,570-liter) rubber water tanks in preparation.

I strapped them down securely on six sides; and I watched the wind lift those tanks and take them away  filled with water, he said Thursday. Im a sailor and I never believed wind could do what I saw it do. If anyone (had) ever told me wind could do that, I would have told them they lie!

The island was littered with debris from homes that looked like they had exploded.

___

Vertuno reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press writers John Myers Jr. and Renloy Trail in Kingston, Jamaica; Mark Stevenson and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City; Coral Murphy Marcos in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Lucanus Ollivierre on Union Island, St. Vincent and Grenadines contributed to this report.
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.
An Idaho court this week dismissed a lawsuit from college educators over the right to teach about abortion in class, primarily because Attorney General Raul Labrador said professors who dealt with the subject in school would not be prosecuted under a 2021 anti-abortion rights law.

The Gem State drew national headlines in the fall of 2022 when the University of Idaho wrote a memo instructing professors not to promote abortion or contraception in class, and recommended limits on classroom abortion discussions, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting. The universitys lawyers had been interpreting a law called the No Public Funds for Abortion Act.

After an Idaho teachers union as well as individual University of Idaho professors sued Labrador and other state officials in 2023, the AG sought dismissal of the lawsuit and said academic speech would not be considered in violation of the law. He said language in the statute did not refer to the abstract teaching and scholarship of abortion conducted by university professors.

Candidly, the Court has concerns about the statute. It is not a beacon of clarity and may invite further litigation down the road, District Judge David Nye wrote in the ruling in Idaho Federation of Teachers v. Labrador. Without a live case or controversy to adjudicate, the Court must stay in its lane and dismiss this suit.

Nye ruled on several motions: He denied the plaintiffs motion for a preliminary injunction, denied a defendants motion to dismiss and granted Labradors motion to dismiss, while saying the court is not entirely convinced that Labradors interpretation of the statute is accurate.

Its vital for Idahos universities to have vibrant debate on campus without government interference, ACLU of Idaho Legal Director Paul Carlos Southwick said in a statement about the ruling.

For university employees and students, the NPFAA was a minefield that made reasoned discussion impossible, Idaho Federation of Teachers President Martin Orr said. Our educators and students deserved better and we are encouraged that they may now resume robust discussion about this important topic.

The No Public Funds for Abortion Acts stated goal when passed in 2021 was to ensure taxpayer dollars do not support the abortion industry by prohibiting the expenditure of taxpayer dollars to abortion providers, according to legislative documents.

A year later, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and Idaho made nearly all abortions illegal.

Speech around abortion has become a hot topic as well. A Labrador legal opinion said doctors who referred a woman across state lines for an abortion would have their license suspended.

Last summer, a federal district court blocked enforcement of that, saying the state cant seek criminal penalties against medical providers for such referrals, according to previous Statesman reporting.
The Valley County Sheriffs Office included an intriguing detail recently when it announced that a suspect pleaded guilty to possessing or accessing sexually exploitative material of a child.

The result was a lot of online chatter and controversy.

In a Facebook post, the Sheriffs Office wrote that the 22-year-old man was a member of the Idaho chapter of The Satanic Temple.

Groups such as the Idaho Liberty Dogs and other far-right websites jumped on the tidbit, running and linking to stories and posting photos of Satanic Idaho members on social media. (Satanic Idaho split from The Satanic Temple of Idaho congregation a couple of years ago, according to an official.)

Others questioned whether the mention was necessary or even accurate.

The Satanic Temple of Idaho declined to comment other than to say that the man had not requested the congregations membership requirements. In an email to the Idaho Statesman, it wrote that many people claim to be members but havent taken any steps to do so.

Satanic Idaho co-facilitator Rowan Astra was disappointed with authorities decision to post the information.

What is the relevance to somebodys religion in regards to this? Astra said. Its worth noting that every major Satanic practice has something in regards to not hurting children either specifically  or indirectly, but for all living creatures.

Satanism is a nontheistic religion that uses the metaphor of Satan as a figure representing justice, wisdom and compassion against tyrannical authority, Astra said. In Hebrew, Satan means adversary.

The Satanic Temples seven fundamental tenets include acting with compassion and empathy toward all creatures, according to its website.

So why did Valley County include this detail?

The McCall man pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, and at sentencing on Sept. 20 he could receive 12 years in prison, according to a plea agreement.

Steve Gorski, the detective on the case, said the man had a membership card with his name on it and stickers, and said he was a member of the Idaho chapter. He was knowledgeable about Satanic Temple, Gorski said.

The membership cards are available for purchase on the Satanic Temples website for $35, and the check-out process does not appear to ask the purchaser whether they are actually a member. Gorski said he had not tried to see what it took to get such a card.

I dont know how they run their membership or meetings. ... All I know is that he said he was a member, and we have his ID card with his name on it sitting in the evidence room, Gorski siad. Im kind of taking him at his word.

Gorski said the videos the suspect possessed were terrible and disturbing, and the man was trying to find groups online and in-person he thought might share his interests. He thought Satanic Temple might be one of them, Gorski said.

There is no investigation into the Satanic Temple or that religion, the detective said.

Regarding the Sheriffs Office social media post, Gorski said he would have liked to see more of an explanation of what he called the nexus between the case and the Satanic Temple, which can help serve as a deterrent.

I think its a way for groups to internally police themselves, Gorski said. ... Theyre in a unique position to come across troubled individuals ... before they reach the level where law enforcement gets involved. And that, again, that goes for just about any group, any religion.

A review of the Valley County Sheriffs Office Facebook page shows that authorities have not included anyone elses religion in incident press releases this year.

If Satanism is going to be judged off of the worst of its groups, does that mean that every other religion needs to be judged off their worst groups? Astra said. If youre not careful, you start another Satanic panic.

The Sheriffs Office post is no longer available in its original form  the Satanic Temple reference is removed  but people took screenshots and it lives online.

We have children, Satanic Idaho co-facilitator Hauns Snyder said, and the Valley County Sheriffs Office is putting our children in danger.
The exotic country attracts tourists with its paradisiacal coastline, incredible flora and fauna, and reasonable prices. We'll tell you how to have a budget vacation below.

ADVERTISIMENT

Getting there by plane

The road to Bangkok is the most expensive. It takes more than 15 hours to fly from Warsaw to the capital. The cost of tickets starts at $906 round trip. If you travel on weekdays, you can find cheaper options.

Connecting flights are usually cheaper than direct ones. The same goes for early booking: the earlier you choose a destination, the less expensive the trip will be.

Accommodation

The price of accommodation depends on the location and type of accommodation. Hostels are the most affordable option in Thailand. They usually offer places in shared or private rooms. Some establishments even have swimming pools, bars and other amenities.

ADVERTISIMENT

The cost of a bed in an 8-bed room will cost $10. For a double standard for two people, you will have to pay $37 per night. By the way, there are also guest houses here. A night in such a house costs about $19 for 2 adults.

Food

Bangkok is a paradise for those who love to eat. There is a large selection of restaurants, cozy cafes, and food stalls. By the way, you can taste not only Thai pad thai and tom yum dishes but also exotic Japanese sushi or Italian pasta.

Fans of street food will also like it here. Vendors offer everything from kebabs and deep-fried noodles to sweet desserts. Among the delicacies, we definitely recommend trying mango with sticky rice and coconut ice cream.

ADVERTISIMENT

Lunch in an inexpensive bistro will cost $3, and in a mid-range restaurant you can order dinner for 2 people for $27. In a supermarket, a budget set of products is $6.38: bread - $1.44, milk - $1.73, 12 eggs - $1.86, a kilogram of bananas - $1.35.

Transportation

The most popular means of transportation is the tuk-tuk. It is a small, open three-wheeled taxi. By the way, it is better to agree on the cost of the trip in advance to get a fair price. Keep in mind that many thieves are looking for profit here. Therefore, in order to avoid unpleasant situations, you should take care of your belongings.

There is also regular public transportation in Bangkok. A bus ride will cost $1.18, and a taxi for 1 kilometer will cost $1.29.

ADVERTISIMENT

Be sure to book a boat tour along the Chao Phraya River. It flows through the heart of the capital, so travelers will be accompanied by an incredible view of the city skyline.

There is also a subway system with two above-ground and one underground line. The cost of the trip depends on the distance. This is a relatively easy and convenient way to get to your destination quickly and cheaply.

Recreation

The Royal Palace is the first location in the capital that every tourist should visit. The traditional building of Thai architecture impresses with its luxurious decorations and scale. The halls are worth seeing alone. They are even decorated with episodes from the life of the ruler Rama I.

ADVERTISIMENT

The Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun) is considered to be the hallmark of Bangkok. Services and ceremonies are still held here to this day. Be sure to visit it in the evening. At this time, light performances are organized here, telling the story of the shrine.

A wooden castle was built here without a single nail. To admire the amazing structure, head to Vimanmek Mansion. The structure looks like a huge carved jewelry box. The rooms contain porcelain, furniture, hunting trophies, etc. All these things once belonged to the royal family.

For those who want to take a break from the bustle and noise of the city, we recommend going to Lumpini Park. Here tourists will find shady alleys and a pond with boats. Of course, you can go for a ride on catamarans. Cats, turtles, and even locusts live in the park. The entrance is free.

ADVERTISIMENT

Summarizing the budget

A vacation for two for five days will cost:

Accommodation in a superior double room - $120

Lunches in an inexpensive cafe - $30

Daily bus fare, round trip - $23.6

Sightseeing costs from $3 to $15

While some travelers are returning from their desired vacation, you still have enough time to plan yours.

Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Decisions in two lawsuits against the village of Dolton are contributing to financial troubles, with the village owing $33.5 million from one case and having $440,000 in funds frozen from another.

An Illinois Appellate Court affirmed June 20 the $33.5 million verdict on behalf of John Kyles, who died following a 2016 police chase in Dolton, and a second man, Duane Dunlap, who was left severely injured, according to court documents.

Attorneys said the chase stemmed from a traffic violation after the mens car skidded through a stop sign. Police chased the vehicle for about a mile until the vehicle crashed into a building.

Kyles died while Dunlap was left with severe, catastrophic and permanent injuries, according to the wrongful death lawsuit filed in November 2019. The ruling from the Appellate Court in 1st Judicial District said attorneys claimed the police vehicle had a dashboard camera with footage that, despite a court order, the village never produced.

When the jury award was announced in August 2022, attorneys from Loevy & Loevy said they believed it to be one of the largest police misconduct cases in Illinois history.

This is a case (the village) should have settled, said Jon Loevy, an attorney representing the administrator for Kyles and a guardian for Dunlap. They could have settled for a fraction of this.

Despite Doltons appeal, the village never sought a stay on the payment and it was considered present and due when attorneys filed a petition on behalf of a guardian and administrator of the two men in the police chase in January, according to the petition.

The petition expressed concerns about the villages ability to pay the judgment due to a breakdown of governance and insufficient insurance coverage. They detailed allegations of Mayor Tiffany Henyards spending woes, such as repeatedly misappropriating funds and refusing to disclose details of the villages spending.

Plaintiffs have reason to fear that Dolton, if not ordered to take affirmative steps to marshal assets to satisfy the judgment, will continue to fail to pay and that Dolton will dissipate and divert assets that might be otherwise be available to satisfy the judgment, the petition said.

Without granting the mandamus and other relief requested in this complaint, plaintiffs have a dim chance of being paid the judgment because there has been a complete breakdown of the village of Doltons accounting internal controls, and checks and balances, endangering plaintiffs judgment, it said.

Loevy said the village has yet to post bonds for the $33.5 million, which has accrued 6% per year through interest, or $2.1 million per year per the petition. Village officials declined to comment on ongoing litigation.

A Cook County court also recently froze about $440,000 in village funds after a June 24 hearing because Dolton failed to pay a settlement in a whistleblower lawsuit by former Dolton Detective David Graham from 2019.

Grahams attorney, Patrick Walsh of Griffin Williams McMahon & Walsh, said the Dolton Village Board agreed to pay just over $220,000 in attorneys fees and costs and signed the check, but its just sitting on the mayors desk.

Trustee Kiana Belcher said she believes Henyard may have chosen not to send the check due to personal agendas and political attacks against Walsh, who she said represents people and groups in the village who oppose Henyards administration.

The lawsuit was settled Feb. 28, and should have been paid within the following 30 days, Walsh said. Since then, the payment has accrued about $4,000 in interest.

Its money that citizens shouldnt be paying to us, Walsh said Friday.

Ahead of a hearing scheduled for July 23, Walsh said he plans to file a motion to direct the villages bank to turn over the funds. The village failing to pay a settlement to the point that the court freezes funds is totally unprecedented, he said.

Ive been suing municipalities for almost 20 years and never had to do it before, he said. And Ive never heard of it being done.

Belcher said its a disgrace that the mayors office has not paid the settlement and serves as one of many examples of poor financial direction from Henyard.

Its very disturbing when we have to have that type of money on hold when the board approved it a couple months ago, and the check should have been paid out, Belcher said. But that goes back to everyone seeing that the mismanagement of funds with this administration is happening daily.

The village will be able to use the remainder of the $440,000 in funds once it pays the settlement, Walsh said. According to court documents, Dolton had $809,000 total in the account where the funds were frozen.

ostevens@chicagotribune.com
Illinois Democrat says posters of hostages in Gaza were vandalized outside Capitol Hill office

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) said Friday posters outside his Capitol Hill office that featured pictures of hostages being held in Gaza were vandalized in what he called a vile act of hate.

My Capitol office was vandalized yesterday in a vile act of hate in which the posters of the more than 100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded and tossed across the hallway, Schneider said in a statement.

He posted a photo to social platform X displaying the torn-down posters.

The Illinois Democrats office said the incident was reported to U.S. Capitol Police.

Capitol Police told The Hill that it is aware and investigating the incident.

To protect the investigation, we cannot provide any more information at this time, Capitol Police said.

Schneider, a leading pro-Israel Democrat and co-chair of the bipartisan congressional Israel Allies Caucus, also criticized other rhetoric and protests.

This was a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4, our countrys Independence Day, Schnider said. Sadly, it was but one of many hateful, un-American actions that took place across the country on the day we celebrate freedom and democracy. Ive been disgusted by the videos and reports of individuals calling July 4th a terrorist holiday and burning American flags.

He went on to mention pro-Palistinian protesters who last weekend gathered outside his office in the wee hours of the morning.

The same groups that were at my house earlier in the week marched through Chicago on July 4th, not calling for peace, but rather condemning the United States of America, Schneider said. These actions dont advance peace. Instead, they play directly into the hands of Hamas terrorists enabling them to continue to hold hostage not only those they kidnapped from Israel, but all civilians in Gaza as well.

Updated at 1:20 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.
CHICAGO  Highland Park residents on Thursday took a major step in the towns collective grief: They gathered wagons, ribbons and flags for a July Fourth parade.

Two years after a gunman killed seven people and injured dozens more at Highland Parks Independence Day parade, the North Shore suburb is continuing to reckon with how to both honor the victims and celebrate the holiday.

July Fourth is always going to be a day of mixed emotion, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering told reporters early Thursday. Having that opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate this great nation, were looking forward to that. But first, we need to remember what this community has been through and remember those lives that we lost.

Highland Park planned a series of events Thursday that encompassed both memorial and celebration, including a parade along a new route and a festival in a local park.

At the morning remembrance ceremony, attendees wore mostly casual, red, white and blue wear in step with a traditional holiday celebration, as law enforcement, police dogs and therapy dogs roamed the campus alongside them.

Family of victims, survivors and other community members gathered for words from Rabbi Michael Schwab of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El and Deacon Louie Vignocchi of Christ Our Hope Parish, along with string music, poetry and other presenters.

If we allow it, this one evil act can change how we live, Vignocchi said. We cant allow that to happen. No one person or event should dictate how we live our lives, who we trust, who we respect, who we love and honor.

The 45-minute ceremony had Spanish translations and was not live-streamed for security and privacy reasons, according to the city. Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was among the several hundred people in attendance.

Linda Straus, widow of Stephen Straus, who at 88 was the oldest victim in the massacre, said she felt after the ceremony Thursday morning that it was a lovely remembrance.

It was beautiful  that everybody was together, she said.

In the future, Straus said she hopes Highland Park gets rid of its reputation as the site of the violence.

This years programming was different than last years, which didnt include a parade. Next years might be different still based on feedback from the community, Rotering said.

Some 2,000 people are in contact with Highland Parks Resiliency Division, which provides resources to those impacted by the shooting, the mayor said. And they obviously are the ones we need to hear from and well listen to the most.

The parade this year was expected to have 36 entrants, scaled down from years past, Rotering said. The city didnt plan to host fireworks or any evening events. But thousands of people were still expected to attend festivities in the afternoon, the mayor added.

The Arts Center Highland Park also planned to hold an indoor art picnic Thursday, intended for residents who werent ready to attend a traditional parade. The programming was not affiliated with the city, but Rotering said she supported the alternative approach.

Even two years later, the ripple effects of the shooting are still being felt in Illinois and far beyond.

Just this week, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a preliminary case on the Illinois ban on certain high-powered guns and high-capacity magazines, enacted after advocacy from community members and politicians in the wake of the 2022 mass shooting. At the same time, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas questioned the bans constitutionality.

State Rep. Bob Morgan of Deerfield, who sponsored the proposal to ban assault weapons, said after walking the parade route Thursday that he believes Thomas is on an island and I dont think it reflects the court, so Im cautiously optimistic.

Morgan, who was also marching in the parade when the attack happened two years ago, said the day will always be hard for the community.

But it was really important for me and a lot of other people to show up and continue to celebrate the Fourth of July and also reflect as a community, he said.

Also in recent weeks, the alleged shooter in the case surprised a packed courtroom by refusing to go along with a guilty plea deal worked out by his own attorneys. Victims and their families said at the time they were disappointed by the reversal from the defendant, Robert Crimo III.

We were yet again shown his complete and blatant disregard for humans, for anyone, for all of us in that courtroom, said Leah Sundheim, whose mother, Jacquelyn Jacki Sundheim, was killed in the attack.

In rebuilding the citys celebrations, much of the discussion has centered around Highland Parks youngest residents, Rotering told reporters. She has previously told the story of reassuring a third grader who, on a class visit to City Hall, asked if theyd ever be able to celebrate Independence Day again.

So many children were present that day, and so many children were impacted, Rotering said Thursday. And as we work to provide those resources for them to get the necessary mental health support  weve also heard the need to give them a future, to give them hope, to give them a sense of moving forward.

____
'I'm staying in the race': A defiant Joe Biden rallies support to his campaign in Madison

MADISON  As Joe Biden faces calls from within his own party to abandon a reelection bid, the 81-year-old Democratic president made a critical stop in this battleground state Friday in a show of commitment to see his campaign through  defiantly declaring, "I'm staying in the race."

Biden visited Wisconsin's Democratic voting powerhouse of Madison, where he forcefully rejected pressure to drop out in an 18-minute speech in the gymnasium of a city middle school following a stunning debate performance during which Biden lost his train of thought and at times made nonsensical statements.

He closed his rally with Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" just before taping a primetime interview with ABC that was organized to help overturn public fears of a lagging mental acuity.

As he left Madison, supporters held signs along the side of the road that read, "Save your legacy drop out," "I heart you Joe, Bow out," Pass the torch and Pres Biden- serve your country - not your ego exit now.

But he told reporters he was "completely" ruling out leaving the race.

More: 'I screwed up': Joe Biden addresses debate performance with Milwaukee radio host

The stop, perhaps the most important for Biden this campaign cycle, came as the president continued to deflect concerns from Democratic donors and his political colleagues over the president's ability to defeat Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and to carry out the duties of president for the next four years.

To a crowd of invited supporters, Biden displayed more vigor and clarity than in his recent debate performance and loudly rejected such discussions while still stumbling over some words during his speech and at one point declaring he would beat Trump "again in 2020" before correcting himself.

"You probably heard we had a little debate last week. Can't say it's my best performance, but ever since then, there's been a lot of speculation. What's Joe going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? What's he going to do? Here's my answer: I am running and am going to win again," Biden said in the gymnasium of Sherman Middle School on Madison's north side. "They're trying to push me out of the race. Let me say this clearly as I can, I'm staying in the race."

"I'm not letting one 90-minute debate wipe out three and a half years of work," he said.

More: Bice: From softball questions to a bungled attack, takeaways from Biden's first post-debate interview

Democratic governors who met with Biden on Wednesday in a meeting to assess the president said they would stand by the president, including Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers who was the only governor to not participate in the meeting. But on Thursday, the New York Times reported major Democratic donors are launching a pressure campaign to get Biden to step aside.

Biden's campaign, however, is portraying a unified team that is ignoring efforts to replace the candidate. In Friday's speech, Biden outlined the stakes of the race and again characterized his Republican opponent Donald Trump as a threat to democracy while addressing concerns about his age.

"You probably also noticed a lot of discussion about my age. I know I look 40," he joked. "I keep seeing all those stories about being too old. Let me say something ... I wasn't too old to create over 15 million new jobs, to make sure 21 million Americans are insured under the Affordable Care Act."

"Was I too old to erase student debt for nearly 5 million Americans? Too old to put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court in the United States of America?"

Evers, who introduced Biden, is a key ally for Biden, recently scoring a 51% job approval rating from Wisconsin voters in a Marquette University Law School poll  nearly unheard of in a state that is evenly split politically.

President Joe Biden appears at a campaign stop at Sherman Middle School in Madison on Friday, July 5, 2024.

The thing about me and Joe, we're not flashy, nor are we fancy. We're not for political drama or fanfare, we put our heads down and do the work, Evers said before Biden took the stage Friday. "We always try to do the right thing, and we're always going to say it straight. Now, compare this to the other guy."

Ahead of the rally, a group of local reporters were assembled to accompany the president's motorcade from the Dane County Regional Airport to the rally event and elsewhere. But the campaign scuttled the plan while reporters were waiting at the airport without explanation. A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter was unable to cover Friday's rally because of the situation.

Absent Friday was the state's top Democrat: U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Baldwin has avoided appearing with Biden in the president's recent visits and had already scheduled a campaign stop in northern Wisconsin for Friday.

The last time Baldwin appeared with Biden was at the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. in March, when she was among a group of lawmakers who walked the president into the House chamber.

Speaking to reporters in a coffee shop after a campaign event about 200 miles from Madison in Marinette, Baldwin repeatedly declined to say even if she thought Biden should remain on the ballot in November.

"I will tell you that I am focused on my own campaign," said Baldwin, who is running against Republican millionaire Eric Hovde.

She made no mention of Biden in her talk.

In Madison, Biden arrived to both protesters and supporters holding signs that read, Save your legacy drop out," Three generations for Biden and "Be a hero one more time.

Biden also faced protests from about 75 pro-Palestinian activists on Madison's Sherman Avenue who shouted discontent over Bidens handling of the war in Gaza into speakerphones, chanting Biden, Biden you cant hide, we charge you with genocide and Free, free Palestine. Voters held signs including Pres. Biden, Serve your country  not your ego. Exit now and Pass the torch.

But supporters invited to the Madison event did not display much doubt about Biden remaining the presidential nominee for their party ahead of his speech.

I dont even understand why this is a talking point, Nancy Locante of Kenosha told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Were all behind Joe.Amber Cohen, 41, of Madison, said she would vote for the Democratic candidate no matter what, but said putting in anyone else is a terrible idea this late in the race.I've been a Democrat since I understood what a Democrat was, and I just feel like this is really important, Cohen said. I'm pretty tired of people just constantly questioning Biden's age as if that's the issue and not focusing on the utter barrage of lies he was faced with.

Following the rally, supporters with concerns said they were assuaged by the president's appearance.

James Tinjum, an engineering professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison who said he had concerns about Bidens energy levels during the debate, was reassured Friday. He said he has faith in Bidens ability to get things done and noted concerns about Trumps age, as well.

He had more confidence, more strength in his voice and a positive message that I'm looking for, Tinjum said.

Connie Koberle said Biden looked very confused during the debate but seemed fine today.

President Joe Biden speaks to voters at a campaign stop at Sherman Middle School in Madison on Friday, July 5, 2024.

I had a little bit of concern but was very much reassured, Koberle said, adding his stamina stood out and that she felt energized in the crowd.

Ahead of the Madison visit, Wisconsin GOP Chairman Brian Schimming said the Biden campaign has gone from one of confidence to calamity to crisis over the past 10 days, citing Bidens debate performance and the Democratic scramble since to shore up support for the president.

The Democratic Party, nationally and in Wisconsin, is in disarray right now.

Schimming said Bidens visit to one of the states biggest Democratic strongholds isnt an effort to expand his support, but rather an effort to rescue his campaign. He hinted at calls from Democrats to replace Biden at the top of the ticket.

As this is playing out right now, this may be Joe Bidens last appearance in Madison and in Wisconsin as a candidate, even, with the mess that they have going on in the campaign and the Democratic Party right now.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler in an interview with the Journal Sentinel ahead of the event predicted Biden would be knocking it out the park with his speech.My message to voters who are trying to figure out the path forward is to pay attention to the President's speech here in Madison today. Watch him on the campaign trail. See the fire and the energy that the voters saw in North Carolina last week, Wikler said.

Lawrence Andrea and Daniel Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A defiant Joe Biden rallies support to his campaign in Madison
GROVE, Okla.  An Oklahoma man died a day after he was struck and killed in a two-vehicle crash in Delaware County.

According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, William Rainier, 92, of Jay, was parked in the ditch on the south side of E 330 Road with his Kubota Tractor when an eastbound driver struck his machines attachment which was partly in the roadway.

That second vehicle, driven by William Adams, 83, of Alamogordo, New Mexico, spun briefly before coming to a stop in the roadway. Adams was uninjured in the incident.

Rainier suffered extensive injuries to his head, trunk, arms, and legs. He was taken to Grove Hospital before being airlifted to Freeman Hospital in Joplin, and later Cox South Hospital in Springfield. Rainier was pronounced dead Wednesday, at 10:57 a.m. by medical personnel.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on July 8, the office of the prime minister and the Kremlin confirmed on July 4.

It will be Modi's first trip to Russia since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2022 at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Uzbekistan.

According to the Kremlin, Modi and Putin will discuss the "prospects for the further development of traditionally friendly Russian-Indian relations, as well as current issues on the international and regional agenda."

Modi's official website said the visit would entail talks on the "entire range of multifaceted relations between the two countries and exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest."

New Delhi has been calling for a diplomatic solution to Russia's war against Ukraine but has been simultaneously fostering close economic ties with Moscow. India became one of the chief buyers of Russian oil following Western sanctions, although pressure from U.S. sanctions increasingly threatens this trade.

While India participated in Ukraine's global peace summit in June, Modi did not attend personally, and India's representative did not ultimately sign the joint communique.

Modi was also one of the few democratically elected leaders to congratulate Putin on his reelection in March after a vote that was widely considered to be neither free nor fair.

Read also: Ukraines peace summit falls short of engaging Global South  can Ukraine expand its coalition?

Sign up for our newsletter

WTF is wrong with Russia?

Sign up

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
In 2017, the first black-bellied whistling ducks were reported in Vanderburgh County, Indiana.

The following year, on July 28, two adults and 14 downy chicks were photographed in Posey County, confirming Indianas first breeding record.

Now, only seven years since that first sighting, black-bellied whistling ducks in Southwestern Indiana have regular breeding populations and are near-common sightings throughout the region.

Thats a big change. In fact, until 2000, black-bellied whistling ducks were found mainly in U.S. southern coastal areas, Mexico, and tropical Central and South America and even then only small populations inhabited the Texas and Louisiana coasts. According to the Encyclopedia of Life (eol.org), now the ducks can be found year-round in much of the US, recorded in every eastern state and adjacent Canadian province.

An updated black-bellied whistling ducks range map on eBird, an online reporting site of whats where, illustrates scattered sightings as far north as Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Locally, statistics show a 10-year increase of 20%-25% with the highest single count of 49 recorded in 2022 in Greene County. This years highest single count so far has been 25, also in Greene County. Most area sightings peak in late July, but incidental sightings pop up as early as March. The most recent reported sighting occurred last week in Spencer County.

Without question, many sightings go unreported.

Even in profile, black-bellied whistling ducks would be hard to mistake. Sexes are identical, so its a straight-forward identification. Somewhat gooselike, they have long legs, long necks, and an erect stance and they walk, not waddle. Mostly chestnut brown with namesake black bellies, theyre really dark ducks  except for that wide white wing stripe. Oh, and dont forget the bright pink bill and legs.

This black-bellied whistling duck is one of a group of five that made a first-ever appearance of the species in Vanderbugh County in 2017.

Then theres the black-bellied whistling ducks unmistakable face. Pete Dunne, master birder, describes it as having an overpainted harlot-like face, showing too much gray pancake makeup, an oversized lipstick-colored bill, and an exaggerated pale ring around the eye.

How to account for the rapid range expansion? Perhaps in search of new territory to accommodate population growth combined with dramatic climate change, theyre wandering north. As Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes on its website, They seem to readily adopt human-altered habitats, and this has helped them move north.

Generally, black-bellies dont migrate, but they do disperse, an ornithological term meaning they wander but stay anchored to a preferred breeding spot. They mate for life, find a happy home, and settle down. They prefer nesting in cavities, usually tree snags, and build no nest.

Given no other choice, though, they lay eggs in a scrape on the ground. In parts of the Deep South, a few black-bellies adapted, accepting man-made nest boxes. Because of their preferred tree-nesting behavior, theyre often seen roosting in trees or on logs over water and are particularly adept at perching on precarious spots. Theyve even been known to perch on corn stubble.

Black-bellies also display an odd daily routine. They loaf all day in or along shallow freshwater ponds, leave at sunset, giving their squealing-whistling call as they fly, and forage all night in grain fields, in short grass, and especially in flooded rice fields.

Near dawn, they return to a shallow freshwater pond where they can stand around and pick at aquatic vegetation.

Their behavior earns them another title for their oddity: Theyre the least aquatic of all waterfowl.

For more information about birds and bird habitat, see Sharon Sorensons books How Birds Behave, Birds in the Yard Month by Month, and Planting Native to Attract Birds to Your Yard. Follow daily bird activity on Facebook at SharonSorensonBirdLady, or email her at chshsoren@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Black-bellied whistling ducks are growing in Indiana
Ingham Co. charges 4 minors after alleged MSU assault

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Ingham County has charged four minors with two counts of aggravated assault each after a group allegedly assaulted two people outside the Michigan State University library on April 15.

The university originally said the group targeted the two people because of the perpetrators sexual orientation bias.

The two alleged victims were MSU students, the prosecutor said. MSU Police submitted the report to the Ingham County Prosecutors Office on May 9.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

MSU officials originally identified seven suspects and said that none of them were affiliated with the university.

Ingham County Prosecutor John J. Dewane says his office is not releasing further identifying information about the four juveniles.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
An exhausted president with a bad cold, according to aides. A rushed final 36 hours of preparation at Camp David leading to a disastrous debate. And now, a presidency in crisis.

A week after Joe Biden's debate performance sent the Democratic Party into panic over his age, health and viability in November's election, the White House and campaign have offered shifting explanations about concerns in the days leading up to the debate  a damage control effort that's fallen flat.

Now, people with direct knowledge of his debate prep process are providing a more detailed picture of the days leading up to Bidens disastrous debate last week, clarifying the roles and responsibilities of aides and saying now  for the first time  that Bidens illness was more physically uncomfortable and disruptive to debate preparations than Biden advisers let on last week.

POLITICO spoke to nearly a dozen people familiar with the debate preparation process, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive subject.

Meanwhile, the second-guessing over Bidens debate prep among his family members, which the president has denied, and some donors and aides outside his close senior team has intensified. Some critics are focusing on two aides who are more recent members of an inner circle that goes back 40 years but who did not in fact have a leading role in that process: senior adviser Anita Dunn, who played CNN anchor Dana Bash in mock debates, and her husband and Biden personal attorney, Bob Bauer, who played Trump.

And after some Biden family members criticized top advisers and called for their ouster privately last Sunday, longtime aides to the president are now raising concerns about Hunter Biden's new presence alongside the president in meetings.

Stubbornly dismissive of growing questions about Bidens age, stamina and mental acuity, several aides and the president himself have continued to blame the cold he was suffering through in the lead-up to the debate.

Biden woke up with a bad cold two days before the debate and could barely speak, according to five people with knowledge of the prep sessions at Camp David. He did a short mock debate with a small group of aides before going back to his room to rest, canceling the additional prep sessions that day.

As a result, the following days schedule  Wednesday, July 26  was jam-packed as aides tried to make up for the lost day. Staffers held another prep session Thursday before the president flew to Atlanta for the debate that night. And while some aides regret that Thursday session in hindsight, none of them anticipated Bidens catastrophic performance.

Watching his first answer, I thought: Hes visibly nervous. It was the combination of nerves, the cramming in of all the prep at the end and then the cold, said one of the people familiar with the preparations. Thats how we got where we are.

Despite these aides characterization of Biden as having been struck nearly speechless by a cold, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a briefing this week that Biden had not been examined by a doctor since his last annual physical in February. Biden later acknowledged in a meeting with Democratic governors that he had been seen by a doctor after the debate.



Yet his staff made no mention of Bidens cold until the debate was nearing the hour mark  when his shaky responses made the information seem like an excuse.

While the president has outwardly shown resolve to move forward, he has privately expressed doubt that he can recover, according to two people familiar with internal conversations. In Bidens public comments since the debate, he has pointed to his run of foreign travel in the weeks before the debate but, mostly, tried to shoulder the blame himself, admitting that he didnt listen to my staff and that he screwed up or had a bad night.

But Bidens responses do little to explain why his campaign and staff shifted their explanations or seemingly omitted key details about Bidens health, including his illness just days before the debate that kept him from preparing for a day.

The second-guessing over Bidens debate prep in recent days is also focusing on some senior advisers, who have come under attack from donors and especially from Hunter, who blames them for his fathers debate performance and remains angry about his conviction last month on federal gun charges.

According to five people familiar with the debate prep, the president spent the majority of the time with three people: former chief of staff Ron Klain and longtime aides Mike Donilon and Bruce Reed. That began with short sessions going over policy areas and studying up on Trump, sessions that were slotted into the presidents schedule whenever there was time  when he was aboard Air Force One during his two June trips abroad, at the White House and then, with more intensity, during the six days he spent holed up at Camp David.

Biden and that troika of top aides arrived at Camp David the Saturday ahead of the debate. That evening, the campaign leaked the names of 14 people who would be on hand for debate prep. But the campaign did not note that most of them were not at Camp David yet and would only be there for one or two days. When The New York Times first reported on the list of names that Saturday, one aide listed, deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty, was posting on Instagram from a bar.

The full group had arrived by Monday, when Biden took part in two mock debates. The first, which ran about 45 minutes, took place in the Shangri La theater. A second that evening, which lasted an hour, took place in a hangar where a full debate set with lecterns had been set up. Dunn and White House communications director Ben LaBolt sat as moderators at a table.

The rest of the staff sat at a long table behind them. Klain and Donilon sat at their own smaller table closer to the action.

When theyd wrapped, Biden, his voice already somewhat raspy, walked over to the long table of aides and solicited feedback from everyone, including the person operating the video camera that had been trained on him. A number of aides urged him to be more aggressive in confronting Trump, the five people said.

He seemed happy, one of those people said of Biden, who retreated to his cabin as staffers gathered in the Shangri La bar. Everyone was in a good place.

When Biden awoke the next morning, however, he had a severe cold. He took a Covid test  negative  and then another. Negative. Aides attempted another mock debate inside the theater but it was cut short and the rest of the day was mostly a wash as the president rested.

Bidens voice remained shot Wednesday. But Klain, Donilon and Reed, who keep the schedule fluid, were looking to make up for the lost day of prep and squeezed in a number of small huddles on policy as well as a scaled down mock debate in the theater. The people said there was never any serious consideration to postponing or canceling the debate, as aides assumed Biden would recover from the cold and giving Trump the opportunity to paint Biden as afraid of the confrontation was unthinkable.

On Thursday morning, his voice was marginally better. Staff added one last-minute prep session to the schedule before the flight to Atlanta. Following the debate meltdown, some involved in the process have acknowledged to one another that perhaps they should have instead given Biden more time to recover from his illness.

"All it did was wear him out and muddle things," said one of the people.

Immediately after the debate, allies in the spin room sought to paper over the debate itself by framing the side-by-side with Trump as a choice between two very different agendas and records. On CNN, former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield bluntly called the presidents performance disappointing and acknowledged it would only deepen concerns about his age and stamina. But on the same network moments later, Vice President Kamala Harris, who hadnt been involved in debate prep at Camp David and spent debate night in Los Angeles, offered a forceful defense of Biden. And the following day, Bidens more vigorous remarks at a rally in North Carolina, where he spoke about his age and limitations while vowing to rebound, left staffers somewhat heartened.

But the questions about Bidens candidacy were only just beginning. As the partys elder statesmen, congressional leaders and frontline lawmakers considered the situation, finger pointing and recriminations were overtaking the campaign. Some of the leaks began the following Sunday when the president, after a two-day post-debate campaign swing, returned to Camp David for a family photo shoot. Bidens family, POLITICO and other outlets reported, was blaming top aides for his poor performance even though he has told aides neither he nor his family faults them.



As the week played out, Biden returned to the White House with his son Hunter, who has continued to push privately for the ouster of Dunn and Bauer, two people familiar with the matter said, sitting in on meetings and destabilizing what has been a relatively tight-knit team.

"We can't blame the president for listening to his son, especially with his future on the line," said one of the people familiar. "But we're not sure it's always helpful."

In a statement, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients said, The President and First Lady have full confidence in their team, including Anita and Bob. There is absolutely no truth to these unfounded and insulting rumors.

Campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt echoed Zients in a statement asserting Biden maintains confidence in his advisers. And there are no changes expected.

Dunn, of course, has been a powerful force within the presidents inner circle and remains involved in campaign matters from her second floor office at the White House. She was a strong proponent of the strategy that circumvented the Commission on Presidential Debates and moved up the first debate from September to June in an effort to shake up the race. But she was not alone. In fact, Bidens top aides all agreed on that approach, a person familiar with the matter said.

The shakeup that resulted was bigger than most expected  and not to Bidens benefit. But four people with knowledge of the debate prep insist that the process wasnt much different than its been on other campaigns.

This was actually just a very traditional process done by a lot of people who have done this before, one of those people said. Sometimes debates go well and sometimes they dont.


On July 5, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow, the capital of the Russian aggressor country, on a "peace mission." He met with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin a few days after he visited Kyiv and called for a ceasefire before the talks.

ADVERTISIMENT

The politician's trip was reported by Index, quoting a government spokesman. The Kremlin also confirmed the guest's visit, but without giving any details.

According to Flight Radar, after noon on Friday, Orban was already in the Russian capital. Journalists also reported that the plane used by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto was also in Moscow.

"Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow as part of his peace mission. He will meet with Vladimir Putin," commented the head of the Hungarian government's press service, Bertalan Hawassi.

Earlier, they reported that the prime minister would go to Moscow "to hold talks with the leader of the other side of the Russian-Ukrainian war."

ADVERTISIMENT

"After Kyiv, on to Moscow. The second stop of the peace mission" reads the post on the Hungarian prime minister's Facebook page.

According to the Hungarian media, after Russia, Viktor Orban is going to Shusha (Azerbaijan), where he will take part in the summit of the Organization of Turkic States on July 5 and 6. They will discuss "building a sustainable future" through transport, communications, and climate policies, as well as the OST's relations with the European Union and other international organizations. Hungary, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, is an observer at the event.

Earlier, the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, said that Orban does not have a European Union mandate to travel to Russia on behalf of the EU. The head of the European Union's foreign policy department, Josep Borrell, expressed his belief that he went to Moscow "exclusively within the framework of bilateral relations" between Hungary and Russia.

ADVERTISIMENT

As reported by OBOZ.UA, international affairs expert Yaroslav Voitko noted that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conveyed a Kremlin message to Kyiv during his visit to Ukraine. It is about his "request" to cease fire in order to start negotiations.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
President Joe Bidens cold was worse than previously reported as the president underwent cram sessions during prep ahead of his disasterous debate performance against Donald Trump, according to a new report.

Aides and Biden, 81, himself have blamed the cold and rejected concerns regarding his age and stamina. Two days before the debate, it was so bad Biden could barely speak, the five sources told Politico.

After a short mock debate, the president chose to rest instead of participating in additional sessions that day. Two days before the June 27 debate, Biden took two COVID tests that both came back negative.

The following day was packed with prep, including policy huddles and a smaller mock debate, as aides tried to make up for lost time. Another session was held on Thursday before Biden headed to Atlanta for the debate.

A number of advisors regretted that final session but still couldnt foresee Bidens dismal performance.

All it did was wear him out and muddle things, one source told the outlet.

President Joe Biden looks on during his debate with Donald Trump in June 2024. New details of how he prepared for the event have been unveiled (AFP via Getty Images)

Bidens poor debate has come under heavy scrutiny, leading to calls for him to step aside ahead of the November election.

The criticism of the debate preparation has increased among Bidens inner circle and targeted two more recent additions to Bidenworld  Anita Dunn, who played CNN moderator Dana Bash during the debate prep sessions, and her husband Bob Bauer, who played former President Donald Trump, Politico noted.

Last Sunday, some Biden family members criticized top aides and argued that they should be removed. Longtime aides are now also sharing their concerns regarding the presence of Hunter Biden in meetings with his father.

Hunter, in return, reportedly blamed some aides for his fathers performance. Politico also noted Hunter remains angry about his guilty verdict on federal gun charges last month.

Hunter has argued for the removal of Bauer and Dunn, Politico reported, but White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told the outlet that The President and First Lady have full confidence in their team, including Anita and Bob. There is absolutely no truth to these unfounded and insulting rumors.

The president spent most of his debate sessions with longtime advisors such as former Chief of Staff Ron Klain, along with aides Mike Donilon and Bruce Reed, according to a Politico report.

Bidens debate prep started with short sessions on policy and on Trump whenever the president had time  aboard Air Force One during two trips last month, at the White House, and finally at Camp David during the course of six days.

Biden got to Camp David on the Saturday before the debate. That night, the campaign leaked the 14 names of those who would be present for the sessions. But most of them would only be there for one or two days.

The first debate session took place in the Shangri La Theater and ran for about 45 minutes on the Monday before the Thursday debate. A second session that evening went on for an hour in a hangar where a full debate stage had been set up.

Dunn and White House communications director Ben LaBolt acted as the moderators. Most of Bidens staff sat at a long table behind the mock moderators, while Klain and Donilon sat closer to Biden at their own table.

When Biden came over to the long table, he asked for feedback from everyone there, including the camera operator. Five people told Politico that several aides told Biden to be more aggressive in pushing back on Trump.

But Biden had a bad cold the following morning, which impacted plans for further prep.

President Biden returning from Camp David on July 1. Sources have now detailed how debate prep went before the presidents disastrous performance against Donald Trump (AP)

There was never a plan to cancel or postpone the debate, Politico noted. Bidens voice was slightly better on Thursday morning, but Bidens aides began sharing the news of the cold about an hour into the debate.

The president himself has appeared outwardly resolute to stay in the race but has reportedly shared doubts that he can recover in private.

Biden has also spoken about his foreign travel before the debate as having worn him out, adding that he didnt listen to his staff about his demanding schedule, saying in a radio interview that he screwed up.

Despite Biden offering explanations for his poor performance, it has done little to slow the calls for the 81-year-old to step aside. As Biden was more energetic during a Friday rally, a sign behind the president at the Madison, Wisconsin, event called for him to pass the torch.
Ballot propositions for Californias November 2024 election were numbered late Wednesday, giving voters a look at the ten measures theyll decide on this fall.

They include $20 billion in proposed bonds for climate and schools, a proposal to reform sentencing for drug crimes and retail theft, and measures to close a loophole for involuntary servitude in the California constitution, further raise the states minimum wage and more.

Other qualified measures were removed or pulled from the ballot in the days and weeks leading up to its certification, both via courts and backroom dealmaking between initiative proponents, lawmakers and the governor. Gov. Gavin Newsom and top legislative Democrats were also crafting a competing ballot measure to address retail theft, but abandoned the effort at the last moment.

Heres a look at the ballot propositions certified and numbered by the Secretary of State:

Proposition 2, education facilities bond: Prop. 2 asks voters to approve $10 billion in bond financing for aging educational facilities. If approved, $8.5 billion would go toward updating or building new K-12 buildings. The remaining $1.5 billion would be used for community colleges. Its the second time in five years voters are being asked to allow the state to take on debt for school infrastructure  voters rejected a $15 billion school bond in March 2020.

Proposition 3, marriage equality: This ballot measure would eliminate outdated language from Californias Constitution that says marriage is a union between one man and one woman. Voters enshrined this definition, effectively banning same-sex marriages, when they approved Proposition 8 in 2008. Courts eventually struck down the decision, but the wording remains on the books.

Californians will once again decide whether to change the Constitutions language this November. Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell is the author behind ACA 5. The proposition arrived on the ballot after the Legislature passed the amendment with unanimous support.

Proposition 4, climate bond: Similar to Prop. 2, lawmakers placed Prop. 4 on the ballot to request $10 billion in bond funds for a variety of climate projects. The bond comes after two years of significant budget deficits which saw Californias climate spending scaled back.

If approved, $3.8 billion would go toward safe drinking water and drought and flood resilience; $1.5 billion for wildfire resilience; $1.2 billion to protect against sea level rise; and other allocations for biodiversity, outdoor access, clean air and more.

Proposition 5, local government funding: Prop. 5 would lower the supermajority vote required by voters to approve local special taxes for housing and infrastructure projects in California. Currently, a two-thirds vote is needed, but this constitutional amendment would lower the threshold to 55%.

If passed, it would be easier for local governments to pass taxes or issue bonds to develop affordable housing in their jurisdictions. But opponents claim the measures language is too vague and could lead to huge tax hikes on infrastructure projects that dont aid Californians.

Proposition 6, slavery: Prop. 6 would remove all language allowing slavery and involuntary servitude from Californias constitution. Currently, the constitution reads Slavery is prohibited. Involuntary servitude is prohibited except to punish crime.

That language would be amended to read Slavery and involuntary servitude is prohibited. It would also ban the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from punishing inmates for refusing a work assignment. A companion bill created a voluntary work program in the prison system.

The proposition was placed on the ballot by California lawmakers and was a priority for the legislatures Black Caucus. Its members said California is one of just 16 states that still allows involuntary servitude for incarcerated people.

Proposition 32, minimum wage: This ballot initiative would bump up Californias minimum wage to $18 an hour over the next couple years. If it passes, all minimum wage workers who earn $16 an hour right now, would see their pay gradually increased by a dollar each year until it reaches $18 on January 1, 2026.

The measure does require larger businesses with more than 25 employees to reach $18 at a faster pace, by the start of 2025. However, if an economic downturn occurs, the Governor has the power to suspend increases twice, which could delay when an $18 minimum wage actually reaches Californians.

Proposition 33, rent control: A vote in favor of this measure would expand rent control in California. If the proposition passes, it would get rid of a nearly three decade-old law, known as the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, that bans rent control on single-family homes finished after February 1, 1995.

Cities and counties would have more power to limit rent increases for incoming and existing tenants, making it harder for landlords to hike up prices. The measure would also insert new language into California law that prohibits the state from limiting how cities and counties expand or maintain rent control. Its backed by the Aids Healthcare Foundation and is the third time since 2018 that voters will decide on the issue: Similar ballot initiatives, in 2018 and 2020, failed by 19 and 20 points, respectively.

Proposition 34, funding for patient care: Prop. 34 requires certain organizations that use a federal drug discount program to spend at least 98% of those funds on direct patient care. Proponents who put the measure on the ballot say it is meant to go after the Aids Healthcare Foundation, which critics accuse the nonprofit of spending millions on political causes (such as Prop 34) rather than patient care and housing. The AHF has called Prop 34 a wolf in sheeps clothing.

Proposition 35, permanent Medi-Cal funding: Prop. 35 would make permanent a tax on health insurers, also known as the MCO tax, which is currently set to expire in 2026. Newsom and legislative leaders recently renewed the tax to help fill budget deficits. Implementing the MCO tax also allows the state to draw down additional federal funds to pay for Medi-Cal, the states health care program for poor residents.

The measure requires funds from the tax to be used specifically for Medi-Cal and prohibits the state from using the money to replace existing funds. The MCO tax is expected to bring in between $6 and $9 billion by the end of 2026, but analysis by the Legislative Analysts Office said the long-term fiscal effects of the measure are uncertain.

Proposition 36, criminal penalties: This measure would revise Prop. 47, a 2014 ballot initiative that downsized some lower-level crimes to misdemeanors and put in place a $950 threshold for shoplifting felonies. The ballot measures backers, which include San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the California District Attorneys Association, argue Prop. 47 has led to increased crime and retail theft.

The proposed changes would raise penalties and sentences for some drug and theft offenses. For example, fentanyl would be added to the list of drugs that warrant a felony charge if the person also possesses a gun, increasing the punishment from up to one year in jail to up to four years in prison. Another major revision would hike up punishments for convicted shoplifters with two or more prior theft-related convictions.

Gov. Newsom and other Democratic leaders in the legislature are opposed to Prop. 36. They have floated their own 14-bill package to reduce retail theft instead, and had been crafting their own counter-initiative to put on the ballot, before Newsom abruptly abandoned that effort on July 2.

WHATS NOT GOING TO BE ON YOUR 2024 BALLOT

Earlier this month the California Supreme Court ordered a sweeping anti-tax measure off the November ballot.

Justices unanimously decided the Taxpayer Protection Act, as it was called, was considered a constitutional revision rather than an amendment because it would fundamentally shift the powers of state government. The measure had sought to require voter sign-off on every new tax or tax increase, both at the state and local level.

Following the ruling, lawmakers delayed a competing measure that would have made it harder to raise voter thresholds on ballot questions by ordering it to the November 2026 ballot.

Five other measures were withdrawn after a crush of last-minute dealmaking between ballot campaigns, Newsom and lawmakers. They include a referendum on a law banning oil drilling within certain distances of homes and schools; reforms to a law known as PAGA that allows aggrieved employees to sue their employers for wage violations; two initiatives dealing with health care and a requirement for high school students to take a financial literacy class.
VALPARAISO, Ind.  An investigation is underway after an inmate was found dead at the Porter County Jail on Thursday evening.

According to Detective Sgt. Nathan Graf from the Porter County Sheriffs Office, deputies were called to the jail just after 8 p.m. following a report of an unconscious male inmate who was found not breathing.

A South Carolina man was killed after trying to show off with fireworks at a Fourth of July party Thursday night.

EMS crews arrived shortly after and the inmate was pronounced dead at the scene.

Currently, the circumstances surrounding the inmates death are unclear and he has not yet been identified by authorities.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(Photo illustration via Getty Images)

As Iowa colleges and universities receive the last of the federal student aid applications for the upcoming school year, financial aid officials are seeing fewer students submit their documents and changes in how much those who do file receive.

Iowas completion rate of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is on par with the national average, but for individual colleges those numbers are more extreme.

Almost 1.9 million students had filed the FAFSA by June 21, according to the National College Attainment Network, or just over 45% of the total high school class of 2024. This is an 11.8% drop from 2023.

Iowa is firmly in the middle of the pack for rates of FAFSA completion, according to the network, with 43.8% of high school seniors having submitted the form by June 21. The rate of completion dropped by 11.7% from last year, or from 18,493 submitted applications to 16,039.

Luther, Drake see fewer aid submissions

At Luther College in Decorah, financial aid director Rachel Moser said rates of first-year students submitting FAFSAs is 18% behind where it was this time last year, and theres been a decrease of 15% in continuing students FAFSA submissions as well.

Just days before the Iowa FAFSA deadline hit on July 1, Moser said the financial aid department was trying to contact people and encourage them to get their forms filed.

We always have a group of students that dont have their FAFSA filed at this point, but this year were seeing more than normal, Moser said.

Drake University Financial Aid Director Ryan Zantingh said his staff was also reaching out to students ahead of the deadline, especially those who might qualify for the Iowa Tuition Grant.

In June 2023, Drake had admitted 4,508 students. Despite seeing an increase in admitted students by more than 1,000 by mid-June this year, which Zantingh said is among the universitys largest-ever admitted student populations, Drake has received 237 fewer FAFSAs from admitted students compared to last year. These admission numbers exclude international students, who do not fill out the FAFSA. He said that in total, the filing rate for admitted students is down around 15% compared to previous years.

It kind of illustrates the difficulties and impact these FAFSA (changes) have had on schools, Zantingh said.

New federal form brought glitches, delays

The new FAFSA has given both families and universities grief since its soft launch at the end of 2023, two months later than it rolled out in previous years. Students struggled with accessing the form early on and trying to understand sometimes confusing language and changes to the aid formula and what they needed to include for accurate calculations. Glitches and inaccurate data caused delays in getting forms to schools, many of which then had to be sent back to be corrected.

When Luther College would normally start sending out financial aid offers to prospective students in November, in this FAFSA cycle the university couldnt begin disseminating information until mid-April. Like many colleges, Luther and Drake were months behind and having to work with a huge time crunch, officials said.

Colleges are still seeing bugs in the system and cannot make batch corrections on FAFSA forms, slowing down the process to get students accurate financial aid information even more.

Its been hard trying to help families that are struggling to make large financial decisions like where to send their child to college, or whether they should go at all, when the schools themselves dont have all of the information yet, Moser said.

I dont have the answers that they want right now, and I feel for all of the students because without having that financial aid offer in front of you, how do you make a decision, Moser said. I mean, families need that information to be able to make an informed decision on where their students are going to go to school, or if their students continue to go to school.

New form hits families with farms, businesses and multiple kids in college

Changes were also made to the FAFSA to exclude the number of additional family members in college and to include the value of family farms and businesses as assets, impacting the aid some continuing students have been receiving.

Moser said more students are now eligible for Pell Grants or for more funds through their grant because of these changes. But some students are seeing a negative impact on the aid they receive because their siblings who are also in college can no longer be counted in the FAFSA.

Analysis from Iowa College Aid projected that the number of students eligible for Iowa Tuition Grants would increase by a net 2%, with the number becoming eligible going up by 8% and the number no longer eligible going up by 6%, Zantingh said. Most of the students losing eligibility could attribute that to no longer being able to consider other family members in college.

Zantingh said the university plans to analyze the scope of how these changes have affected students, but there just hasnt been time with everything the financial aid department has had to deal with. He said he hopes discussions around the positive and negative impacts on students, especially with the changes related to family farms and businesses, can be held in future years.

Thats part of my frustration with how this year went, because we could be talking about whether that was a good policy change or not, but instead, were just focused on, can the status quo from this year even be operational on October 1 for the 25- 26 year, Zantingh said.

Both financial aid officials said theyre hoping for a smoother time next FAFSA cycle and are expecting the form to be out earlier, as Moser said Federal Student Aid is committed to having it out on Oct. 1.

However, with certain functionalities from the schools side of things still not available and other issues still not resolved, Zantingh said how next year goes all depends on what can be resolved over the rest of this summer.

At every turn there seems to be new challenges and new difficulties, Zantingh said.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Iowa colleges see lower federal student aid completion rates appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing handles administrative duties for 30 state licensing boards. (Photo illustration main photo by Getty Images, logo and documents courtesy State of Iowa)

The state of Iowa says it will not necessarily disclose to the public the rationale for disciplinary charges against licensed professionals such as physicians, nurses, therapists and nursing home administrators.

The determining factor appears to be whether the states licensing boards choose to include the allegations within the text of a final order in a disciplinary case. If a board opts to omit those allegations from the final order, the public may never know what gave rise to the charges.

The result is that Iowas licensing boards are now, in some cases, keeping secret the alleged misconduct that is tied to charges of professional incompetence, ethical violations, patient abuse and even criminal convictions.

Over the past three years, public access to information from Iowas licensing boards has been greatly restricted. Prior to October 2021, all state licensing boards publicly disclosed charges against practitioners at the time they were filed or at the time the practitioners were notified of the charges.

That disclosure included not just the charges themselves  which are often vague, such professional incompetence or unethical conduct  but also the specific underlying conduct that gave rise to the charges, such as a botched surgery or the theft of patient medications.

In October 2021, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the basic facts and circumstances surrounding disciplinary action against licensed professionals must be kept confidential at least until the licensing boards issue their final rulings in the matter  a process that sometimes takes years.

The courts decision was based on a statute that says investigative information gathered as part of a complaint against a licensee must be kept confidential at least until the board issues its final decision. The court concluded that the basic facts and circumstances surrounding a case are investigative in nature.

In the aftermath of the courts decision, most of Iowas licensing boards began issuing redacted statements of charges to keep secret the facts and circumstances of the cases until the cases were closed. Last fall, however, some boards took the position that the basic facts and circumstances that triggered the charges should remain sealed from public view even after a case was finalized.

For example, the Iowa Board of Nursing repeatedly refused a request from Iowa Capital Dispatch for an unredacted copy of the written statement of charges against a nurse whose license has been revoked. The redacted portion of that document outlines the specific conduct that led to the charges against the nurse.

In a Board of Chiropractic case involving Bruce Lindberg, the board resolved the case with a settlement calling for Lindberg to surrender his license. The basic facts and circumstances in that case remained sealed until an Open Records Law request was filed by the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

That request led to the unredacted version of the statement of charges being published on the website of the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing, which oversees many of the states licensing boards.

Last fall, DIAL attributed widespread inconsistency on public disclosure by the various licensing boards to the agency having taken over their administration just a few months before in July 2023. Prior to that, the boards were overseen by four different state agencies.

The goal of DIAL has been to standardize, modernize and simplify its processes in order to promote best practices across the entire department and provide Iowans great service, a DIAL spokesperson said last fall. The department is working closely with the attorney generals office to ensure all information is timely and accurately provided to the public in accordance with Iowa law.

Details in sex case kept secret

Earlier this week, the Capital Dispatch asked DIAL for an unredacted copy of the June 2023 statement of charges the Board of Massage Therapy issued against Abelardo Rodriguez in June 2023, noting that the boards final order in the case was issued several months ago in December 2023.

DIAL spokesperson Diane McCool refused the request, stating that while Iowa law allows for the disclosure of investigative information as part of the final findings in a case, the original statement of charges in a case remains a separate document from the final findings, and so any investigative information in the statement of charges will be kept confidential.

DIALs position seems to be at odds with some boards practice of incorporating the original, unredacted statement of charges into the final order of a case as either an attachment or an exhibit. In the Rodriguez case, for example, the final order specifically states that the factual circumstances in the original statement of charges are hereby incorporated into this order, attached as Exhibit A.

Despite that language in the final order, DIAL is refusing make public the exhibit with the details of Rodriguezs alleged wrongdoing.

Court records suggest the boards action against Rodriguez is based in part on criminal charges that date back to 2012 and 2016. The court documents indicate that in September 2015, a woman complained to Iowa City police that Rodriguez had been sending her unwanted messages on Facebook, as well as multiple lewd photos of himself. On Nov. 30, 2015, he allegedly came into the victims place of employment and exposed himself to her on two different occasions.

The case resulted in Rodriguez pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of harassment. Rodriguez then obtained a massage therapy license from the state, and last year the board charged Rodriguez with improper sexual contact with a client, engaging in unethical conduct, fraud in procuring a license and engaging in conduct that subverts or attempts to subvert a board investigation.

Other information kept secret by Iowa boards

McCool said DIALs refusal to disclose the facts and circumstances in the Rodriguez case are based on advice from legal counsel and consultation with the Iowa Public Information Board and attorney generals office.

She did not respond to the Capital Dispatchs request for a copy of the advice given by DIALs legal counsel, nor did she respond to a question about why the various licensing boards have taken different approaches to disclosure.

In recent months, some of the boards under DIALs control have taken to not only keeping secret the facts and circumstances in their statements of charges, but also the terms of board agreements to reinstate licenses.

In April, for example, the Iowa Board of Chiropractic ordered Todd Miedema of Sheldon to halt his practice. In the board order documenting Miedemas agreement to immediately stop practicing, the board laid out the specific conditions under which it would consider reinstating Miedemas license  all of which were redacted from public view.

Other states disclose more than Iowa

Historically, Iowas licensing boards have tended to disclose far less information on licensees alleged wrongdoing than is common practice in other states.

For example, in 2022 the Iowa Board of Physician Assistants publicly charged Jon Eason Perry with being subject to some form of undisclosed discipline by the licensing board of another, unspecified state. The Iowa board didnt report any of the underlying allegations against Perry.

For almost a year, however, New Mexicos Board of Medicine had treated the allegations against Perry as a matter of public record. The New Mexico board publicly reported credible evidence that Perry had grabbed a female patients buttocks in a sexual manner, told her she should have his child, called himself a whore, stated that he was cheating on his wife because she couldnt satisfy his sexual needs, and asked to see the patients vagina. Perry was also accused of telling another patient he wanted to have sex with her in his office and of encouraging her to leave her husband.

The Iowa board disclosed none of that information when it filed charges against Perry, and by the time it took action in the case, Perrys Iowa license had been expired for six months.

On June 26, the Capital Dispatch wrote to DIAL Director Larry Johnson to point out that accessing information from any of Iowas licensing board is now based on a convoluted system that requires citizens and the media to first check an online database of all licensing board actions, and then take information from that database, such as a case number, and plug it into a search engine for a separate licensing board database or, in some cases, a search engine for various state government records.

In the letter, Capital Dispatch said that process has been further hampered by inconsistencies in data entry within the various databases; the lack of dates assigned to some cases, which makes impossible to tell whether theyre new or old; and the reluctance of some boards to disclose even the redacted versions of their statements of charges.

DIAL has acknowledged receipt of the letter but has yet to respond to the issues raised.

The post Iowas licensing boards shut off access to information on charges appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Candidate for the Iran's presidential election Saeed Jalili, a hard-line former nuclear negotiator, shakes hand with a supporter after casting his vote for the presidential runoff election in Qarchak near Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 5, 2024. Iran was holding a runoff presidential election Friday pitting a hard-line former nuclear negotiator against a reformist lawmaker, though both men earlier struggled to convince a skeptical public to cast ballots in the first round that saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic's history. (AP Photo)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Iran held a runoff presidential election on Friday that pitted a hard-line former nuclear negotiator against a reformist lawmaker after the first round of voting saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic's history.

Initial results early Saturday put reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian ahead of hard-liner Saeed Jalili, though it wasn't clear how many people voted in the contest.

Government officials up to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei predicted a higher participation rate as voting got underway, with state television airing images of modest lines at some polling centers across the country.

However, online videos purported to show some polls empty while a survey of several dozen sites in the capital, Tehran, saw light traffic amid a heavy security presence on the streets.

Polls closed after midnight, after voting was repeatedly extended by authorities as is tradition in Iran. Mohsen Eslami, an election spokesman, said Pezeshkian had 8.6 million votes, leading Jalili's 7.5 million. He gave no total turnout figure as counting continued through the night.

Khamenei has insisted the low turnout from the first round on June 28 did not represent a referendum on Iran's Shiite theocracy. However, many remain disillusioned as Iran has been beset by years under crushing economic sanctions, bloody security force crackdowns on mass protests and tensions with the West over Tehran's advancing nuclear program enriching uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.

I want to save the country from isolation we are stuck in, and from lies and the violence against women because Iranian women dont deserve to be beaten up and insulted on the street by extremists who want to destroy the country by cutting ties with big countries," voter Ghazaal Bakhtiari said. "We should have ties with America and powerful nations.

Jalili has a recalcitrant reputation among Western diplomats during negotiations over Irans nuclear program, something that is paired with concern at home over his hard-line views on Iran's mandatory headscarf, or hijab. Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon, has campaigned on relaxing hijab enforcement and reaching out to the West, though he too for decades has supported Khamenei and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Pezeshkians supporters have been warning Jalili will bring a Taliban-style government into Tehran, while Jalili has criticized Pezeshkian for running a campaign of fear-mongering.

Both contenders voted Friday in southern Tehran, home to many poor neighborhoods. Though Pezeshkian came out on top in the first round of voting on June 28, Jalili has been trying to secure the votes of people who supported hard-line parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who came in third and later endorsed the former negotiator.

Pezeshkian offered no comments after voting, walking out with former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who struck Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. A rambunctious crowd surrounded the men, shouting: The nations hope comes!

Both Pezeshkian and Jalili hope to replace the 63-year-old late President Ebrahim Raisi died in a May 19 helicopter crash that also killed the countrys foreign minister and several other officials.

Jalili voted at another polling station, surrounded by a crowd shouting: Raisi, your way continues!

Today the entire world admits that its the people who decide whos president for the next four years, Jalili said afterward. "This is your right to decide which person, which path and which approach should rule the country in the next four years.

But as has been the case since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women and those calling for radical change have been barred from the ballot while the vote itself had no oversight from internationally recognized monitors. The country's Interior Ministry, in charge of police, oversees the result.

There have been calls for a boycott, including from imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, though potential voters in Iran appear to have made the decision not to participate last week on their own as theres no widely accepted opposition movement operating within or outside of the country.

Khamenei cast one of the elections first votes Friday from his residence, TV cameras and photographers capturing him dropping the ballot into the box. He insisted those who didn't vote last week were not boycotting the government.

I have heard that peoples enthusiasm is more than before, Khamenei said. God willing, people vote and choose the best candidate.

One voter, 27-year-old Yaghoub Mohammadi, said he voted for Jalili in both rounds.

He is clean, without depending on powerful people in the establishment, Mohammadi said. He represents those who have no access to power.

By Friday night, both hard-line and reformist figures urged the public to vote as lines remained light in Tehran.

Until a few hours ago I was reluctant to vote, said Ahmad Safari, a 55-year-old shopkeeper and father of three daughters who voted despite skipping the first round. But I decided to vote for Pezeshkian because of my children. Maybe theyll have a better future.

The vote comes as wider tensions have gripped the Middle East over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. In April, Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel over the war in Gaza, while militia groups that Tehran arms in the region  such as the Lebanese Hezbollah and Yemens Houthi rebels  are engaged in the fighting and have escalated their attacks.

Iran also continues to enrich uranium at near weapons-grade levels and maintains a stockpile large enough to build several nuclear weapons, should it choose to do so. And while Khamenei remains the final decision-maker on matters of state, whichever man ends up winning the presidency could bend the country's foreign policy toward either confrontation or collaboration with the West.

More than 61 million Iranians over the age of 18 were eligible to vote, with about 18 million of them between 18 to 30. Voting was to end at 6 p.m. but was extended until midnight to boost participation.

Raisi, who died in the May helicopter crash, was seen as a protege of Khamenei and a potential successor as supreme leader.

Still, many knew him for his involvement in the mass executions that Iran conducted in 1988, and for his role in the bloody crackdowns on dissent that followed protests over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman detained by police over allegedly improperly wearing the mandatory headscarf, or hijab.

___

Karimi reported from Tehran, Iran. Associated Press journalists Amir Vahdat and Mehdi Fattahi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
Iranian supporters wave Iran's flag during Iranian ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili's election campaign, ahead of a presidential election runoff following a first round marked by a historically low turnout in Tehran. Rouzbeh Fouladi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Iranians headed back to the ballot box on Friday in a run-off presidential election that pitted reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian against hardliner Saeed Jalili after last week's vote failed to produce a clear winner.

Some 61 million people were eligible to vote for a successor to president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cast his ballot and urged the entire nation to take part in the vote, following a first round where turnout hit a record low 40%.

"God willing, we will have a president tomorrow," Khamenei said in the capital Tehran.

Polling stations were supposed to closed at 6 pm (1430 GMT). However, as expected, authorities allowed them to stay open later in many places.

The first results were expected on Saturday.

None of the candidates gained an absolute majority in the first vote on June 28. Pezeshkian gained around 42.5% of the vote and Jalili won 38.7%.

Out of a total of 80 candidates, the Guardian Council, a powerful Islamic supervisory body that vets the hopefuls, had only authorized six candidates for the election.

Two of six later withdrew, leaving three conservatives and the one more moderate candidate, Pezeshkian. Jalili is a loyal supporter of the leaders at the top of the Islamic Republic's system of power.

The president is only number two in Iran's power structure as Supreme Leader Khamenei functions as the head of state and has the final say in all strategic matters. He is also commander-in-chief of Iran's armed forces.

Voter apathy grows

The election comes amid a severe economic crisis, as well as tensions with the West and regional powers in the Middle East. Frustration among the public with the enforcement of state authority, especially among the younger population, is running high.

Many Iranians, especially young people, have however lost faith in the possibility of seeing major political change at home.

The death of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in autumn 2022 sparked nationwide protests against the Islamic system of rule, but the protests were quashed with harsh punishments for demonstrators.

Numerous people boycotted Friday's election.

"The difference between the two candidates is ultimately limited to small things that have no impact on the economy and people's lives," said Asghar, a 40-year-old supermarket employee in the capital Tehran.

Hesam, a student, described the election campaign and the TV debates as staged.

Conservative reformer vs hardline insider

Pezeshkian, 69, comes from north-west Iran and ran a low-key campaign calling for renewed trust between the government and Iranians, many of whom have become disillusioned with politics after failed attempts at reform, political repression and an economic crisis.

In the early 1990s, Pezeshkian lost his wife and one of his sons in a road accident. He often appeared at his campaign rallies with his daughter and grandchild.

In the TV debates, he described himself as a conservative politician who believes reforms are necessary. Like many politicians from the reformist camp, Pezeshkian has called for improved in relations with the West.

He criticized Iran's strict headscarf requirements for women and campaigned for votes with middle-class positions. He said he was opposed to internet censorship.

Pezeshkian expressed his loyalty to Khamenei and the powerful Revolutionary Guards, but he said reforms were needed.

Critics say that, even if he wins, he will have trouble implementing these reforms due to a majority of hardliners in parliament.

The second-placed Jalili was an early member of the inner circle of power and worked in the office of Khamenei.

Under the controversial former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Jalili was chief negotiator in the nuclear negotiations. He enjoys broad support from radical and loyal supporters of the system.

He holds a doctorate in political science and comes from the north-eastern city of Mashhad.

During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Jalili was wounded at the front and lost part of his right leg. After the war, he taught in the capital Tehran before embarking on a career in the Foreign Ministry.

Jalili is considered a staunch supporter of the ideology of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Iranian women hold posters of Iranian ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili during his election campaign, ahead of a presidential election runoff following a first round marked by a historically low turnout in Tehran. Rouzbeh Fouladi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Iranian supporters wave Iran's flag during Iranian ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili's election campaign, ahead of a presidential election runoff following a first round marked by a historically low turnout in Tehran. Rouzbeh Fouladi/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Israel-Hamas negotiations to resume in Doha after weeks of deadlock

Israel and Hamas have revived indirect talks on a ceasefire-for-hostages deal in Gaza, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday evening.

Israel's Kan public broadcaster reported that a delegation led by David Barnea, head of Israel's foreign intelligence service Mossad, met with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

In its statement, Netanyahu's office did not give specifics on who attended what was described as an "initial meeting" in Doha. But it said that it had been "decided that next week a team will be dispatched to continue the negotiations."

The statement cautioned that "there are still gaps between the sides."

The talks, which the US, Egypt and Qatar are mediating, have been at a standstill for weeks, with Hamas insisting that Israel end the war in Gaza in return for the around 120 Israeli hostages still held by militants.

But the Palestinian Islamist group recently signalled a degree of flexibility and sent Israel a new proposal earlier this week.

On the table is a step-by-step plan presented by the mediating states and largely approved by Israel. It initially provides for a temporary ceasefire and the exchange of female, elderly and sick hostages for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

During the temporary ceasefire, the sides are to negotiate an end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages.

During the attack on southern Israel on October 7, terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups killed 1,200 people and took a further 250 hostage in the Gaza Strip. Israel believes that around 120 hostages are still there, but many of them are probably no longer alive.

The unprecedented massacre triggered the war in Gaza, with Israeli leaders saying they are still intent on eradicating Hamas.

According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, around 38,000 Palestinians have been killed so far. This figure includes both fighters and civilians.
(Bloomberg) -- Hamas has broadly agreed to a US-proposed cease-fire plan with Israel, according to a senior American official, though the details still have to be resolved.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Israel is sending negotiators to Qatar to try to finalize an agreement, with US officials also set to take part. Its the clearest sign in weeks that a pause in hostilities could be on the cards after nearly nine months of war in Gaza.

The progress came as Israel weathered an intense rocket attack from Hezbollah militants across the Lebanese border, raising fears about a full-blown regional conflict that could draw in the US and Iran.

Israel received a response from Hamas via Qatars government, a key intermediary between the warring sides. The US official said the move was encouraging and it may lead to the release of sick, wounded, female and older male hostages taken from Israel to Gaza during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke for 30 minutes on Thursday to discuss Hamas proposal.

A Hamas official, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations, said the group is sticking to longstanding demands, including the retreat of Israeli forces and the return of displaced civilians to their homes in Gaza. However, the new offer doesnt insist on a full withdrawal of Israeli troops in the initial stage, Israels Channel 13 said.

Biden released a three-part peace plan at the end of May that neither side has so far seemed willing to adopt in full, partly because Hamas insisted on the permanent departure of Israeli soldiers from Gaza.

Israel has resisted that, saying the military wont end its campaign until Hamas is eradicated as a military and governing organization. Netanyahu has committed to the idea of a temporary cease-fire  perhaps lasting several weeks  as a way to release hostages seized on Oct. 7, when Hamas fighters attacked the countrys south and triggered the conflict.

Hezbollah Attacks

Also on Thursday, Hezbollah militants stepped up their aerial assaults into northern Israel, saying they fired more than 200 missiles and drones at several army positions. The group said it was responding to Israels assassination of a senior commander called Mohammed Naameh Nasser on Wednesday.

Israel intercepted many of the projectiles, but some landed in built-up areas, albeit without causing substantial damage. Sirens went off as far south as Acre, which is rare, and shrapnel from an intercepted missile hit a mall in the city.

The Israel Defense Forces said it responded by sending jets and firing artillery to hit Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

The escalating skirmishes have led to increased talk of a full-on war, which would likely be devastating for Lebanon and lead to heavy casualties in Israel. Hezbollah is the most powerful of Tehrans allied proxy groups, with far more fighters and missiles than Hamas.

The two sides have been trading fire since the start of the war in Gaza, when Hezbollah launched rockets in solidarity with Hamas. The Lebanon-based group, which like Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the US, has said it wont stop until Israel ceases its campaign in Gaza.

The worsening tensions have weighed on Israeli bonds and helped push up oil prices in the past month.

Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7 and took about 250 hostage. Around 120 remain in captivity, although at least 40 are believed to be dead.

Israels retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health authority in Gaza, which doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants. The Israeli military has destroyed large swathes of the enclave and provoked a humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.

The US, Qatar and Egypt have worked to broker a hostage deal and cease-fire for months. Fighting has continued unabated since a week-long pause  the only one so far  that ended at the beginning of December.

--With assistance from Dana Khraiche.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Xi kicks off state visit to Tajikistan, eyeing new heights in bilateral cooperation

08:16, July 05, 2024 By Shi Xiaomeng ( Xinhua

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon holds a grand welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

DUSHANBE, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here on Thursday night, commencing his state visit to Tajikistan following a busy schedule at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon welcomed Xi at the Dushanbe International Airport with a grand ceremony, where around 1,500 Tajik youths in traditional attire dancing and waving the national flags of China and Tajikistan.

Upon arrival, Xi expressed his anticipation for discussions with Rahmon to formulate new plans and arrangements for the development of China-Tajikistan relations in light of the new circumstances.

Xi said with concerted efforts from both countries, this visit is expected to be a complete success, elevating all-round cooperation between China and Tajikistan to new heights.

President Xi's state visit to Tajikistan will inject new and strong momentum into developing and strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, Rahmon told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Rahmon also said the China-Tajikistan relations have entered a new historical stage, opening up new prospects for extensive cooperation.

Recent years have seen close interactions between the two heads of state. During Xi's visit to Tajikistan in 2019, he was awarded the Order of the Crown from Rahmon in Dushanbe. Both countries pledged to build a China-Tajikistan development community and security community.

In May 2023, during the China-Central Asia Summit, the two leaders jointly announced the building of a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit.

"These initiatives and joint decisions to create a community have already yielded tangible results," said Abdugaffor Abdujabbor, former head of the International Relations Department of Tajikistan's Culture Ministry.

Abdujabbor highlighted two China-assisted edifices on Rudaki Avenue, the main thoroughfare of Dushanbe: the government building and the Parliament building, referring to them as new landmarks of the capital.

"This is the fruit of the friendship between our two leaders," he told Xinhua. "They share a great sympathy, pure friendship, and mutual understanding."

"Xi's words are matched by his actions; what he said is always felt in practice," he added.

Tajikistan is a neighbor of China. Trade between China and Tajikistan doubled from 2013 to 2023. China has become the largest source of investment in Tajikistan and its second-largest trading partner.

Tajikistan was among the first countries to support the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by Xi in 2013 and sign related cooperation agreements with China. Under the BRI framework, 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.

"The space for practical cooperation between China and Tajikistan is broad, and the prospects are promising," Chinese Ambassador to Tajikistan Ji Shumin told Xinhua.

The two countries firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests, Ji said. 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, he added.

On the streets of Dushanbe, many young people can speak Chinese, and it's common to hear locals greeting visitors from China with "Nihao," which means "hello" in Mandarin.

"In Tajikistan, there has been a noticeable increasing interest in China, in the study of the Chinese experience of modernization, Chinese culture and language," said Abdurakhim Juraev, professor at the Tajik State University of Law, Business and Politics in Khujand.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of Tajik students attending Confucius Institutes in their country or studying in China. Take the Confucius Institute at the Tajik National University as an example. Since its establishment in August 2008, the institute has trained nearly 39,000 Chinese language learners.

The Luban Workshop in Tajikistan, co-founded by China's Tianjin Urban Construction Management and Vocation Technology College and Tajik Technical University, has been training skilled professionals, contributing to Tajikistan's vocational education, industrialization, and modernization efforts.

The visit of President Xi, said Juraev, will give new impetus to cooperation between the two countries and will contribute to the overall prosperity of Central Asia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is warmly welcomed by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and a group of Tajik senior officials upon his arrival at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon holds a grand welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

A Tajik child presents flowers to Chinese President Xi Jinping upon his arrival at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. Xi was warmly welcomed by Rahmon and a group of Tajik senior officials upon his arrival. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon holds a grand welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

This photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows three Kazakh Air Force jets escorting Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane after it takes off. Xi arrived in Dushanbe on Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. Xi landed in Dushanbe after attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, and a state visit to Kazakhstan. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

A grand welcome ceremony is held by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

A grand welcome ceremony is held by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping at the airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 4, 2024. Xi arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Tajikistan. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Residents of Moscow are the most supportive of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine. The Russian capital is also home to more opponents of peace talks.

ADVERTISIMENT

Residents of Russian villages are somewhat less bloodthirsty. This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted by the Levada Center.

Thus, according to the survey, 56% of Muscovites are in favor of continuing the war. The start of peace talks is supported by 39% of the residents of the Russian capital.

This ratio mirrors the mood in Russia as a whole, where 58% of respondents support peace talks (the highest figure for the entire war), and 37% want the fighting to continue.

It is noteworthy that in Russian villages, Putin's war against Ukraine is supported the least  about 30%, while 55% of Russians living in rural areas support peace talks.

ADVERTISIMENT

There is also a correlation between "belligerence" and financial status: among wealthier Russians, 40% are in favor of hostilities (3% more than in the country as a whole), while 55% of wealthy Russian citizens are in favor of negotiations (3% less than the national figure).

Those who have only enough money to buy food are the least likely to want a war: 31% of them are in favor of hostilities, and 64% are in favor of negotiations.

Other aspects of the survey are also noteworthy. For example, 65% of Russians believe that it is not their country that is responsible for the deaths and destruction in Ukraine, but the United States and NATO countries. Every tenth Russian accuses Ukraine of being attacked by Russia and of killing and destroying it for years, while 8% do not see any specific culprits, and only 6% believe Russia is responsible for what is happening.

ADVERTISIMENT

One-third of Russians believe that Russia's possible use of nuclear weapons in a war against Ukraine is justified, while 52% of respondents share the opposing opinion.

ADVERTISIMENT

Most of the supporters of continuing the war, blaming the Western countries for Russian aggression and its consequences, and the "nuclear apocalypse" are among older people who support Putin's regime and trust TV.

But young people under the age of 24 are the least interested in the war, especially those young Russians who get their information from YouTube. In the same age group, more people can put 2+2 together and know the real culprit of the bloody massacre taking place in the center of Europe and understand the consequences of the possible use of nuclear weapons.

The day before, on July 4, at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Kazakhstan, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said that he wanted to return to the "Istanbul agreements ", which he said were still "on the table". He also habitually lied that the talks back in the spring of 2022 were allegedly disrupted by Ukraine "on direct orders from London, which means from Washington."

ADVERTISIMENT

Putin also refused to cease fire in Ukraine. According to him, this should be done by Ukraine, and Moscow will see if it is "acceptable to the Russian Federation." The dictator also said that in the event of a ceasefire, the Ukrainian Armed Forces would be able to build up their strength, "and Russia cannot allow this under any circumstances."

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
Mothers and relatives of Israelis held hostage protest in Tel Aviv - Jack Guez/AFP/Mothers and relatives of Israelis held hostage protest in Tel Aviv

A new push to broker a ceasefire in Gaza was underway on Friday, raising fresh hopes for the estimated 120 hostages still held and an end to the nine-month war.

In the first sign of significant movement for more than a month, Israel sent its chief negotiator David Barnea, the director of the spy agency Mossad, to meet negotiators in Qatar, while a delegation from Hamas met Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

Mossad Director David Barnea - Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP

The burst of diplomacy came as unnamed sources in the US and the Gulf briefed that Hamas had softened its position by showing greater flexibility over the staging of the proposed three-stage hostage release and ceasefire deal.

Weve had a breakthrough, a senior US official told Reuters, adding that the Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to re-engage in the negotiation process.

We do believe there is a pretty significant opening here, and we welcome the prime ministers readiness to try to seize that opening by empowering his negotiating team to engage directly in Doha over the coming days, the official said.

Hamas confirmed that there had been movement, issuing a statement saying it had exchanged some ideas with the mediators with the goal of stopping the war.

The current version of the three-stage deal, fleshed out by President Joe Biden in early June, envisages a comprehensive hostage release, a cessation of hostilities permanently and the rebuilding of Gaza as part of a broader regional peace process.

The first phase would last for six weeks and includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza and the release of female, elderly and wounded Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

During this initial six-week phase, Israel and Hamas would negotiate the necessary arrangements to get to phase two, which is a permanent end to hostilities and a release of all the remaining living hostages..

Israeli tanks manoeuvre near the border after entering Israel from Gaza - Amir Cohen/Reuters

In phase three, a major reconstruction plan for Gaza would commence, and the remains of hostages whove been killed will be returned to their families.

Officials warned on Friday negotiations could yet take weeks, and noted they had previously floundered on issues of trust and domestic political optics.

It wont be easy. There is a long way ahead, one told The Times of Israel.

Hamas fears that Israel will start fighting again after securing an initial release of its hostages and so has previously insisted on guarantees that Israel would end the war and withdraw its troops from the start.

Israel, for its part, has pledged not to stop the war until Hamas is destroyed  something that a deal with Hamas for a permanent cessation of hostilities prevents in a literal sense.

It remains unclear if the latest diplomacy will end in success.

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip - Jehad Alshrafi

Mr Netanyahu remains reliant on the countrys religious and nationalist right for his political survival and they remain opposed to any deal.

He was forced to reiterate again on Friday that Israel would end the war only after meeting all of its goals.

But power in Israel may also be shifting within the defence establishment.

Anonymous sources were quoted in the New York Times this week saying Israels top military brass were in favour of a deal, partly because of concerns over munitions and manpower shortages leaving the country exposed.

The generals think that a truce would be the best way of freeing the roughly 120 Israelis still held, both dead and alive, in Gaza, said the paper which interviewed six current and former security officials.

Underequipped for further fighting after Israels longest war in decades, the generals also think their forces need time to recuperate in case a land war breaks out against Hezbollah.

A Hezbollah official told Reuters on Friday that the terror group would stop firing on Israel as soon as any Gaza ceasefire agreement takes effect.

If there is a Gaza agreement, then from zero hour there will be a ceasefire in Lebanon, the Hezbollah official 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.
ITHACA, N.Y. (WETM)  The Ithaca Police Department is investigating an incident of reported shots fired that occurred on Wednesday night.

According to the Ithaca Police Department, police were called to the 100 block of East Green Street in Ithaca on Wednesday, July 3, after receiving a report of a physical argument that involved weapons.

Man arrested in Yates County on burglary charges

Police say that when they arrived at the scene, the argument was over, and most of the people who were involved had left, but a witness of the incident told police that they had seen a physical fight that involved multiple people, which was then followed by gunshots.

After speaking with the witness, police say that they found a glass door in the area that had been damaged as a result of gunfire. After further investigation, police found and collected evidence that confirmed that shots had been fired.

Tompkins County man arrested for alleged $1 million Medicaid fraud

The investigation into the incident is still ongoing. Anyone who has any relevant information on the incident is encouraged to contact IPD by one of the following means:

Police dispatch: 607-272-3245

Police administration: 607-272-9973

Police tipline: 607-330-0000

Anonymous tip email address: www.cityofithaca.org/ipdtips

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.
I've traveled to 20 countries in 2 years. I found the most stunning coast in one of the least-visited countries.

The author explored the unspoiled coastline in Timor-Leste, the least-visited country in Asia. 5bf5911a_905 / Getty Images

I traveled to Timor-Leste in May and spent four days exploring its capital city.

Timor-Leste is one of the least-visited countries in the world.

While inaccessible and expensive, it was worth visiting for its unspoiled coastline.

I've spent the past two years traveling to 20 countries. While most of these countries  from the Maldives to France  were among the world's most popular, it was the off-the-beaten-path destinations that I enjoyed most.

Last month, I traveled to Timor-Leste, a country located in the South Pacific. The country comprises the eastern part of Timor Island and two smaller islands. At 5,800 square miles, it's comparable in size to the Bahamas.

It's also the 14th least-visited country in the world and the least-visited in Asia, according to a January report from CEOWorld magazine. Some 81,000 tourists visited Timor-Leste in 2023  putting it just ahead of Chad and Sierra Leone, per the report.

The lack of tourists is not a direct result of the pandemic either. Back in 2019, only around 80,000 tourists had visited, per the National Statistics Directorate Timor. While researching my trip, I struggled to find information online for tourists  save for a handful of short vlogs on YouTube. I ended up having to learn along the way.

Here are seven things that surprised me about Timor-Leste.

1. It's difficult to fly there  and even harder to get around.

The author traveled around Timor-Leste on the back of a scooter. Marielle Descalsota

Only a handful of airlines fly to Dili, the capital, where the only international airport in Timor-Leste is located. Tourists can only fly to Dili from Bali, Indonesia, and Darwin, Australia. I was in Bali for three weeks, so I decided to fly with the Indonesian budget airline Citilink. Dili's airport is tiny  there's only one departure gate and one runway.

There are no ride-hailing services in Timor-Leste. While there are some taxis to help tourists get around, I only spotted them around the airport and in the city center. I ended up meeting Fernando, a local, who took me around the city on a scooter. I found that traveling via scooter was the best way to sightsee from the coasts to the surrounding mountains.

2. There aren't many options when it comes to accommodation.

The author stayed in one of the few three-star hotels in Timor-Leste. Marielle Descalsota

While Hilton plans to open a hotel in Dili's business district later this year, when I visited, there were no luxury resorts or international hotel chains in Timor-Leste. With only around 70 hotels and guesthouses in the country listed on Google Hotels, lodging choices online were limited. I booked three nights at Timor Plaza Hotel & Apartments, a three-star hotel located next to a small mall in the city center.

After chatting with other travelers, I found many were staying in local guesthouses by the beach. They're usually a simple set-up, comprising a small room with a bed, mosquito net, and a fan. You can spot signs at the side of the road showing if there are rooms available for the night. Since there are very few tourists in the country, chances are you can negotiate a rate and book your stay on the spot.

3. Locals use US dollars  which means it's more expensive than other nearby countries.

A dish like nasi goreng can cost as much as $15 in Timor-Leste. Marielle Descalsota

The US dollar is the official currency. While used interchangeably, The East Timor Centavo is only minted in coins and pegged to the US dollar at $1 to 100 centavos. This makes Timor-Leste more expensive than many other countries in Asia.

In Bali, a plate of nasi goreng  an Indonesian fried rice with satay  costs an average of between $3 to $4.50. In Dili, I paid between $10 and $15 for a similar dish. In Bali, renting a scooter for a day can cost as little as $3. In Dili, it costs over five times more, between $25 and $35.

4. Not everyone speaks the same language.

At least 16 languages are spoken in Timor-Leste, including Tetum, the most widely spoken. Marielle Descalsota

While Portuguese and Tetum are the official languages of Timor-Leste, English and Indonesian are the working languages. However, only 13.5% of locals speak Portuguese, according to the US Department of State.

The majority of locals I met in Dili spoke Tetum and Indonesian. Due to the high number of ethnic groups in Timor-Leste, there are at least 16 additional languages between them.

As I grew up in Singapore and can speak some Indonesian, when locals didn't speak English, that was my fallback language. Although Fernando, my guide, told me tourists needed to be careful when conversing in Indonesian. He noted that some locals may get offended, considering the complicated history between these countries. I found that it was best to ask what language they prefer to speak when in doubt.

5. Very few American chains operate in the country.

9Milhas d'Paraiso, a cafe and memorial in the mountains of Timor-Leste, offered stunning views of Dili. Marielle Descalsota

Only a handful of American food chains exist in Timor-Leste, mostly in Dili's city center. I spotted a Burger King and a Gloria Jean's Coffee outlet next to each other right outside the hotel where I was staying  McDonald's doesn't operate in Timor-Leste. As an adventurous eater, I had all my meals at locally-run eateries and cafes, where I had Indonesian and Timorese fare.

A few stores sell American brands like Head and Shoulders and Maybelline when it comes to toiletries and makeup. But no-name brands are more common and are sold for much cheaper.

6. The landscapes are some of the most pristine in the region.

The author enjoyed swimming at Cristo Rei Beach in northern Dili. Marielle Descalsota

I found that Timor-Leste offered some of the most scenic views in Asia.

I spent most of my time at Cristo Rei Beach  which is overlooked by an 88-foot-long statue of Jesus Christ  at the northern tip of Dili. It's a natural white-sand beach with the clearest waters I have ever seen  even clearer than the Maldives. I could see the outline of the mountainous Atauro Island from the coast, famed for its rich, colorful reefs.

After traveling the region extensively, I found Dili the most scenic capital city I've seen. Its gorgeous coastline is flanked by towering mountains.

7. You won't find the local nightlife listed online  but you'll find it in the streets.

The author spent National Day with locals who partied the night away. Marielle Descalsota

On Google Maps, there are only a few local nightlife establishments listed  and most have no photos, reviews, or information. But my guide, Fernando, shared that locals love drinking the local palm wine and dancing to Kizomba, a dance genre originating from Angola, in the late evenings.

I was fortunate to be in Timor-Leste on May 20, during National Day. It marks when the country gained independence from Indonesia. I found thousands of people partying by the beach and hundreds of motorcycles revving down the coast to celebrate the day. The energy was unexpected  and a memorable surprise that I'll never forget.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Drowning deaths are on the rise throughout the country, following decades of decline, according to a survey by the Center for Disease Control.

Floridas Lieutenant Governor, Jeanette Nunez, said there have been 60 drownings in the state this year. Its the top cause of death for children ages 1 to 4.

The latest victim, locally, was a three-year-old boy. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is investigating the drowning death of the child. He was found unconscious in a swimming pool during a family Fourth of July celebration in the Intracoastal West area. He was given CPR, taken to the hospital, and later died.

After talking to family members, we believe theres no foul play suspected and only believe this to be a tragic accident, Sergeant Josh Catir said during a news conference on Thursday.

Read: Tragic accident: JSO investigating drowning death of 3-year-old in Intracoastal West area pool

Aquatics Director at the Winston YMCA, Mary Wright, has heard of too many tragic accidents and encourages families to always have a water watcher.

It is not just a need situation. It is a have to situation, Wright said. There has to be someone designated to watch the waters.

She also said to teach kids to always ask permission or tell a parent or adult before hopping in the water.

Before anybody gets into a body of water or pool, just lay out the rules immediately, Wright said.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

A good rule of thumb: reach, throw, dont go. Wright said this is a good slogan to teach kids who may see another child drowning. Youll want to reach for a flotation device or even a pool noodle. Throw it to the distressed swimmer, but do not jump in the water yourself if youre not an experienced swimmer.

If you pull them to the side and a lot of water is coming out or theyre blue, unable to breathe, anything like that, unable to speak to you. Call 911, Wright said. When it doubt just call.

The First Alert Weather team said there were yellow-flag conditions on Thursday at our beaches. That will continue throughout the weekend. Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue reported eight water rescues for the Fourth of July. There were also three children who had to be reunited with their parents after getting separated.

Water watchers. Designate someone, Wright urged.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

She also encourages swim lessons for kids and adults, which can be taken at any YMCA facility.

We also have financial assistance here at the Y, Wright said. Its the YMCA. We dont turn people away.

Heres a list of other swim lesson options in our area.

If you are a swim school that wants to be added to this list, email web@actionnewsjax.com.

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.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  A Jeep crashed into an Arkansas City home on Wednesday. Luckily, a person inside the home escaped injury. The crash happened in the 200 block of West Kansas Avenue around 9:30 p.m.

Michelle Bruce tells KSN News that her daughter was the only one at home when the crash occurred. She was by the front door and wasnt hurt.

The house has been boarded up. Bruce says she is waiting for the insurance company to arrive.

A Jeep crashed into Michelle Bruces Arkansas City home on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Courtesy: Michelle Bruce)

A Jeep crashed into Michelle Bruces Arkansas City home on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Courtesy: Michelle Bruce)

A Jeep crashed into Michelle Bruces Arkansas City home on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Courtesy: Michelle Bruce)

A Jeep crashed into Michelle Bruces Arkansas City home on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Courtesy: Michelle Bruce)

A Jeep crashed into Michelle Bruces Arkansas City home on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Courtesy: Michelle Bruce)

A Jeep crashed into Michelle Bruces Arkansas City home on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Courtesy: Michelle Bruce)

Kingman motorcyclist injured in crash in Reno County

KSN News has contacted Arkansas City police to learn more about the crash. The department responded and said the 22-year-old man was booked on suspicion of DUI, lack of proof of insurance, transporting an open container, and reckless driving. Police say a passenger in the car had an open container.

The Arkansas City Fire/EMS assessed the homes structural integrity.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (PIX11)  New Jersey residents got a front-row seat to the Macys fireworks show in Jersey City Thursday night.

It was the first time in years that the light show had been back on the Hudson River, giving locals a chance to see the fireworks up close.

More Local News

Families and friends spent the day anticipating the dazzling display at the annual Jersey City festival and concert. Montgomery Street transformed into a festive haven of live music, a mouth-watering lineup of food trucks, and kid-friendly activities. Victoria Higgs came from East Orange, New Jersey to take part in the festivities and take in some views.

Jersey City pier, Higgs said. You know, walk up and down the pier sometimes and the fireworks. Nice scenery.

Performances by rappers Fat Joe and Wyclef Jean electrified the crowd who danced and sang along to their iconic hits.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said the Independence Day celebration comes at a time when its needed most.

Youre in a place right now where theres a lot of division in the country, said Mayor Fulop. Its an opportunity maybe to reflect a little bit on all the things we can be thankful for and celebrate the country.

Revelers took the time to celebrate Americas independence and enjoyed a chance to connect with their vibrant community.

You got the great view of Manhattan right behind it, said festival-goer John Bredin. You got the people here. You got the food and a sense of community. Its a strong community vibe thats here that is just unbelievable.

The Macys fireworks show is the biggest fireworks show in the country and residents are already looking forward to next years big 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 PIX11.
Jill Biden quietly fed lines into Joe Biden's ear, reminding him of a megadonor's name and saying to thank them, report says

Jill Biden quietly fed lines into Joe Biden's ear, reminding him of a megadonor's name and saying to thank them, report says

Jill Biden whispered a donor's name in Joe Biden's ear and reminded him to thank them, per a report.

New York Magazine's Intelligencer reported that Biden repeated the words his wife fed him.

Biden has lost support among top Democratic donors, with some urging him to step aside.

Jill Biden quietly fed lines into President Joe Biden's ear, reminding him of a megadonor's name and telling him to thank them, New York Magazine's Intelligencer reported, citing an unnamed witness to the exchange.

According to the report, Biden stared blankly and nodded his head while greeting one Democratic megadonor and a family friend at the White House recently, when the First Lady stepped in.

The outlet didn't specify the donor's name or when the supposed exchange took place.

The person said Biden repeated the same words his wife had told him, according to the outlet.

"It hasn't been good for a long time, but it's gotten so, so much worse," the person told Intelligencer.

Since his disastrous debate performance last week, Biden has tried to reassure Democratic governors, House Democrats, staffers, voters, and donors that he is fit for reelection.

He and his campaign have blamed a cold, bad prep, and jet lag for his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27.

Biden began the debate with a hoarse voice, and he gave meandering, sometimes incoherent answers, and at times looked lost.

During a huddle with key Democratic governors on Wednesday, the 81-year-old president said he just needs to get more sleep and stop holding events after 8 p.m., the CNN and The New York Times reported.

But Biden is losing support among some Democratic donors, some of whom have publicly called on him to step aside.

The millionaire heiress Abigail Disney told CNBC on Thursday that she will stop donating to the Democratic Party "until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket."

"If Biden does not step down, the Democrats will lose. Of that, I am absolutely certain," she said, adding that the consequences of a loss will be "genuinely dire."

Reed Hastings, the cofounder of Netflix and one of the largest Democratic donors, has also urged Biden to pull out of the race to give another candidate a shot at beating Trump, per The New York Times.

"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 Times.

In an X post over the weekend, the investor Whitney Tilson, a longtime donor to Biden, said he is reconsidering his support after Biden's stumbling performance last week.

Despite mounting pressure to exit the race, Biden told staffers he was "not leaving" during a Wednesday call with his campaign and Democratic National Convention staff, Politico reported, citing anonymous staffers on the call.

ABC News also announced it would now air Biden's first television interview since last week's debate "in its entirety as a primetime special" on Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Read the original article on Business Insider
If Joe Biden does not step aside, his legacy will be a second Donald Trump presidency

Forty years managing political, government and corporate crises have taught me that if you are explaining yourself, you are losing.

Since June 27, the Biden campaign has been explaining the presidents debate performance. They have tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to turn the public conversation back to a focus on former President Donald Trumps own record and demagoguery in the debate.

Particularly in this campaign, if the focus is on the other guy you win, if the focus is on you, you lose.

The Biden campaign and some Democrats seem to be leaning on a hope that President Joe Biden can still defeat Donald Trump in November. But hope is not a strategy, as a corporate CEO I worked for often reminded his crisis management team.

Americans do not want a Trump vs. Biden rematch. Even less so now.

Some polls do indicate voters were listening to Trump and are as concerned about his past and future autocratic actions as they are Bidens frailty. Democrats can argue that Trump is unfit to be president and cite concrete examples of the former presidents own comments and actions as evidence.

President Joe Biden campaigns at a post-debate rally on June 28, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C.

They can warn he will continue to be a threat to democracy. But by doing so, Democrats are not making an affirmative case that Joe Biden should continue as their candidate. In fact, they are doing the opposite.

After the first presidential debate, the argument that democracy is on the ballot underscores that Democrats cannot simply hope that Joe Biden can prosecute the case and prevail over Trump in 2024.

The recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity and its implications for a second Trump presidency raise the stakes even more. A Democratic loss with President Biden as the standard bearer could have an outsize impact on down ballot races and the Democrats could lose the Senate and not win back the House, giving one party control of the country.

American needs more 'Lincolnites' or citizens who emulate Abraham Lincoln's benevolence

One finding is significant that Democrats cannot ignore: Bidens performance led to 72% in a CBS/YouGov national poll believing he does not have the mental and cognitive ability to run again. That's a increase from 65% before the debate.

Democrats should worry that President Biden will reinforce that belief between now and the election, even if he is successful in a few off-teleprompter interviews. Americans have told pollsters for over a year they dislike both candidates and want another choice. Democrats should give them one. And thats where love comes in.

Biden is accomplished president, but the first lady must help him retire

Fifty years of public service have shown Joe Bidens love for his country. As a senior staffer to the Senate Majority Leader in 1980s, I saw that love and that service from Senator Biden. People who have known him love him.

But right now, in this historic moment when the future of our democratic institutions hangs in the balance, there is only one love that matters: First lady Jill Bidens love for her husband and for the country.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden speas onstage during Walkin' After Midnight: The Music Of Patsy Cline at Ryman Auditorium on April 22, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.

She has been at his side building his legacy. She can argue that the crowning achievement of his legacy is his consequential first term leading the country out of the pandemic, passing historic bipartisan jobs, infrastructure and climate change legislation, and expanding NATO for a more secure future for the country and the world.

To protect that legacy and because of her fierce love for him, it is up to her to do the right thing for her country, and for her husband, to persuade him to step aside for a new generation to take up the campaign mantle.

Many people watching the presidential debate saw and heard echoes of their own aging parents and grandparents who initially had more good days than bad. They reluctantly and lovingly took away the keys to the car, anticipating more bad days.

First lady Jill Biden must help the Democrats take away the keys to the nomination from President Biden, with the thanks of a grateful nation for a life of service celebrated at the convention. His inner circle, White House staff, and Democratic leaders must do this for their love of country and for him. But it starts with the first lady.

If Trump wins, that will be a part of Joe and Jill Bidens legacies

Four months out from the election, a change at the top of the ticket is a risk, but a risk worth taking for Democrats to make a generational argument and prosecute vigorously the case against Donald Trump.

Former President Donald Trump addresses the 2024 NRB International Christian Media Convention sponsored by the National Religious Broadcasters association at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday night, February 22, 2024.

There is the danger Democrats lose either way. But if first lady Jill Biden encourages President Biden to continue his candidacy and that choice ushers in a second Trump presidency, that will be his legacy.

There will be three people held accountable in history for what happens next. History will hold not just Donald Trump, but also Joe Biden and Jill Biden accountable.

And just as history will judge Republican leaders who enabled Donald Trump by putting loyalty to a man over loyalty to their country, it will judge Democratic Party leaders who do the same.

Because by doing so, they have only the hope that President Biden will prevail. And hope is not a strategy.

Linda Peek Schacht

Linda Peek Schacht worked in communications and leadership in the White House, American presidential campaigns, the U.S. Senate, corporate America and academia. She works in Nashville, Tennessee, and resides in both Nashville and Atlanta.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Biden legacy: Trump will win if the president stays in the race
On Thursday, July 4, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting of the Staff HQ meeting. The main topics of discussion were the production and supply of drones and electronic warfare systems.

ADVERTISIMENT

The head of state spoke about this in his usual evening video address. According to Zelenskyy, the meeting was long, and he heard a report on the situation at the front.

"It was a long meeting, with drones and electronic warfare among the main topics in the reports today. Production in Ukraine, financing, supply and use. All the specifics, from the most popular ones at the front, including FPV. Of course, maximum attention to our long-range drones," the President said.

He noted that the Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Vadym Sukharevskyi, Commander of the Air Force Mykola Oleshchuk, Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, and Head of the Ministry of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshyn made presentations at the meeting.

ADVERTISIMENT

"We have made very important decisions. Time will show these decisions at the front," Zelenskyy added.

According to the Head of State, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov briefed him on the details of his trip to the United States, negotiations and implementation of defense packages that the United States has already announced but has not yet delivered to Ukraine.

"We are pushing this logistics," Zelenskyy said.

For his part, Armed Forces chief Oleksandr Syrskyi briefed the president on the situation on the main fronts.

"Most of the fighting is in the Pokrovske direction, in our Donetsk region, but we are now strengthening every direction, from Kharkiv to the south," Zelenskyy said.

As reported, Ukraine has begun mass production of its own long-range attack drones. They are used to strike strategic enemy targets at a distance of more than 1000 km.

ADVERTISIMENT

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
A West Wing official is sounding the alarm over the aging presidentand this time it has little to do with his health.

The official, who refused to divulge their policy area, age, or gender in an interview with Semafor, feared that some policy decisions were being made without Bidens knowledge and claimed that it was unclear to even some staffers involved in the West Wing policy process just how many policy proposals were reaching the president.

Im super proud of the policies, the person told Semafor. Im talking to you because Im incredibly upset and scared for the country and I would like to do what I can. Several Biden administration officials rejected the account, telling the publication that Biden is in the middle of everything and is sweating every relevant detail.

He signs off on everything, White House deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed told Semafor. Many of us have sat with him as hes made hundreds of decisions.

Nobody has the authority to freelance, he added.

Top White House economist Jared Bernstein described Biden as a president who makes decisions on everything from student debt relief to 301 tariffs to housing policy.

Panic over Bidens age and ability has consumed the Democratic Party since the presidents abysmal debate performance last week, during which he appeared dumbfounded and frail through the majority of his first 2024 matchup against Donald Trump. Since the face-off, droves of private-sector leaders, donors, and consultants have urged Biden to exit the race, looking for spontaneous alternatives to a candidate that they openly describe as comatose and dead.
Judges should be dismissed for bias in favour of Madeleine McCann suspect, says prosecution

Christian Bruckner is facing charges for three rapes and two acts of exposing himself to children - Julian Stratenschulte/DPA

Three German judges presiding over a rape trial against Christian Bruckner, who is also implicated in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, should be dismissed as they are biased in his favour, prosecutors argued in court.

Bruckner, a convicted paedophile and rapist, is on trial at Brunswick Regional Court in northern Germany. He is charged with five sex offences he allegedly committed in Portugal, including three rapes and two acts of exposing himself to children.

The trial is unrelated to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, in which Bruckner is the prime suspect according to German prosecutors, though they are yet to charge him.

In a surprise move which could potentially trigger a retrial, the prosecution said that the three judges who will decide if he is guilty or not in the ongoing sex offences case are biased in his favour.

In a press release, the court said: The Brunswick public prosecutors office has filed a motion to dismiss the three professional judges of the second Criminal Division due to concerns about bias.

If the division considers the motion to be admissible, the responsible presentative division will decide on the question of bias by the next day of the hearing on August 5, 2024.

This decision will now be made by the courts Chamber of Representatives.

Kate and Gerry McCann pose with a forensic artist's impression of what their daughter may have looked like in 2012 - Sang Tan/AP

It is extremely rare in the German judicial system that such a motion is ever made and if granted it would mean that the entire trial needs to be re-run from the beginning.

This sudden move by the prosecution came after it suffered a significant blow concerning the arrest warrant for Bruckner.

Earlier this week, Brunswick Regional Court announced it had revoked an arrest warrant for Bruckner related to the sex offences trial. It said the decision had been made on the basis that the criteria for the granting of this warrant were not fulfilled.

Lifting the arrest warrant is arguably a technicality, as he still has to serve a separate seven-year rape sentence until early 2025, but it is still being heralded as a major win by the defence.

Madeleine McCann, who is assumed dead, vanished from her bed, aged three, at the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal in 2007, where she was staying with her family at the time.

In June 2020, German prosecutors named Bruckner as the prime suspect in her disappearance, but he has not been charged with any offences related to that case.

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.
July 4 brought the heat; will high temps stay through Labor Day?

The heat that gripped most of the country will roll through the Fourth of July holiday weekend and lead to a stretch of pre-Labor Day heat that could produce several heat waves.

So just how hot will the coming weeks be and will Labor Day be just as hot? Here's what you need to know.

July heat waves possible in the Delaware Valley

The region will endure several days of +90-degree weather in July.

Wilmington, Delaware, will experience four more days of 90+ degree heat in July, notes AccuWeather's monthly outlook.

Wilmington will flirt with a heat wave as early as this weekend, as temperatures are expected to reach push past 89 degrees.

Not only will South Jersey have 10 more days of 90-plus degree heat in July, a possible heat wave will hit South Jersey beginning on Independence Day and last through Tuesday, July 9.

AccuWeather's monthly outlook for the rest of July for Philadelphia indicates there will be ten more days of temps reaching 90 degrees or higher there as well.

According to AccuWeather, the Philadelphia region could experience heat waves from Independence Day through Tuesday, July 9, and from Wednesday, July 17 through Saturday, July 21.

The heat that pummeled much of the country will last at least through Labor Day.

How hot will it be in August?

Climate Data's monthly outlook for Wilmington calls for an average of 83.4 degrees in August.

It will be a tick warmer in Philadelphia in August, with Climate Data's forecast calling for an average of 83.9 degrees.

South Jersey will have seasonal temperatures for much of August, with Climate Data reporting the average temperature should hover around 82.8 degrees.

How hot will it be on Labor Day?

Labor Day falls on Monday, September 2, and the Delaware Valley is set up for a late-summer cooldown.

Temperatures should reach 77 degrees on Labor Day in Wilmington, according to AccuWeather's forecast.

It'll be around 82 degrees in Philadelphia on Labor Day, and AccuWeather is calling for a pleasant Labor Day in South Jersey, with temperatures reaching 80 degrees.

Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: The temps won't let it much between the Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Two people were killed and three others were hurt after a man stabbed multiple people on the Fourth of July in a California beach city.

Police in Huntington Beach received a call around 11pm on July 4 stating that a man was stabbing people near 16th Street and Pecan Avenue. A large group of family members and neighbors had gathered at the spot to watch fireworks.

A witness, Deandre Adams, told the Los Angeles Times that a woman pulled up to the group in a car, and a male passenger exited and began stabbing people on the sidewalk. Two of the men at the gathering rushed the attacker and tackled him. They held him down until police arrived.

When police arrived, they found "several victims with significant injuries," ABC7 reports.

First responders with the Huntington Beach Fire Department said they found five people with stab wounds, though police have not provided details on the weapon used in the attack.

Huntington Beach Police at the taped-off scene of a fatal Fourth of July stabbing in Huntington Beach, California. The stabbing left two people dead and three others injured. A suspect was taken into custody at the scene (screengrab/Fox11)

Two of the victims died at the scene, and three others were taken for treatment with non-life-threatening injuries. The victims have not been identified at the time of this report.

Adams was friends with one of the victims who died and told the Times that the man was engaged and was to be married in September.

Police took three people into custody, according to Adams  the woman driving the car, the man who stabbed the victims, and a third man who may have been a passenger in the car.

None of the suspects have yet been identified and Adams told the Times that the woman who drove the car appeared shocked at what occurred.

Only one of the three arrested people remains in custody. Police have not made clear if they are a suspect or are being charged with any crimes at this time.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether or not the suspect had any connection to the victims.

"As to the nature of how this happened, the events leading up to it, what transpired during, that's all part of the investigation and we hope to have more details further on," Jennifer Carey, a city spokesperson, told ABC7.

Police said there was no remaining threat to the public following the suspect's arrest.
A mass shooting in Southwest Philadelphia late Thursday night killed one person and wounded eight others, including three minors, authorities said.

The incident unfolded just after 11:30 p.m. near 60th St. and Kingsessing Ave., ABC Philadelphia reported. A video shot by the network shows a heavy police presence in the area, while fireworks can still be seen in the background.

An officer doing a routine round spotted one person lying on the ground and realized that person had been shot. The officer called for backup, Philadelphia Police Inspector Kpana Massaquoi said, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

When responding officers arrived at the scene, they found several other victims. More people later arrived at area hospitals, officials said.

According to NBC Philadelphia, the gunman fired at the group from the passenger seat of a passing vehicle.

The victims range in age from 14 to 24, authorities said Friday morning.

The person killed was a 19-year-old male who was shot once in the face. He was pronounced dead at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

Six other male victims and one 15-year-old female are recovering in area hospitals with injuries to their legs or shoulders. One 17-year-old male who sustained a graze to his head is also hospitalized, police said. They are all said to be in stable condition.

No arrests have been made, officials said.
SANTA FE COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE)  Jury selection in Alec Baldwins trial for the deadly shooting at the Rust movie set in 2021 is set to begin on Tuesday in New Mexico.

Baldwin, who starred in and co-produced the movie, faces an involuntary manslaughter charge for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. During rehearsal on Rust set near Santa Fe, Baldwin pointed a prop gun at Hutchins when the revolver fired and hit and killed Hutchins. Director Joel Souza was also struck by the bullet but survived his injuries.

New Mexico denies film incentive application on Rust movie after fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin

Baldwin pleaded not guilty to the charge and claimed that he never pulled the trigger. He was originally charged in the shooting in 2023, but the charge was dropped. Baldwins attorneys have attempted to get the refiled charge dropped, however, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer rejected the motion to dismiss the case allowing the trial to proceed.

Rust movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March for the death of Hutchins. Judge Marlowe Sommer sentenced Gutierrez to 18 months in prison in April. Gutierrezs lawyers filed a notice of appeal in an attempt to overturn her conviction in May.

As reported by The Associated Press, the filming of Rust resumed but moved to Montana under an agreement with Hutchins husband, Matthew Hutchins, which made him an executive producer. The completed movie has not yet been released for public viewing.

Jury selection is set to begin on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico in Santa Fe.

Baldwins trial is expected to be livestreamed.

Reporting from The Associated Press was used in this article.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Kamala Harris could step in to replace Joe Biden and appoint a white man as her VP - Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty

Allies of Kamala Harris are discussing the selection of a white man as her vice-president as support for her taking over as the partys presidential candidate grows.

Names like governors Andy Beshear of Kentucky and North Carolinas Roy Cooper have been suggested as the fallout from Joe Bidens disastrous debate performance shows no signs of abating.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear - Timothy D. Easley/AP

On Thursday, Mr Biden provoked fresh concern by saying that he was the first black woman to serve with a black president in a radio interview.

He also made a confusing reference to there no longer being traffic on highways at an event celebrating the Fourth of July national holiday.

A document reportedly written by unnamed senior operatives within Democratic political institutions has been circulating in Washington, according to CNN.

Titled Unburdened by What Has Been: The Case for Kamala  it lays out the case for Vice-President Harris stepping into the breach.

Theres one path out of this mess, and its Kamala.

Kamala Harris has the strongest claim to Democratic legitimacy.

She is the only candidate who can take the reins right now, instead of in late August with less than three months left to go.

The influential black Democratic congressman Jim Clyburn has said he would back Harris if Mr Biden were to stand down.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper - Allison Joyce/Getty

Harris donors and backers of her nomination were reported to already be discussing potential vice-president picks.

The conversations were based on the usual notion that the countrys prospective first black woman president would likely lean toward a white guy governor, New York Magazine reported.

Besides Mr Cooper and Mr Beshear, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania was also suggested.

Mr Beshear, 46, came to national recognition when he led Kentuckys response to catastrophic flooding in 2021. He is popular in a state that has sent two Republicans to the senate.

Like Mr Beshear, Mr Cooper has won power in a traditionally red state and is seen as a moderate without the kind of political baggage that could make him vulnerable.

Mr Shapiro, 51, leads one of the pivotal states in Novembers election. He forged his reputation as Pennsylvanias attorney general when he orchestrated a $1 billion settlement with drug companies to pay for the opioid epidemic.

A strong supporter of Israel, he pointedly showed up at Goldies, a kosher restaurant which was facing calls for a boycott from pro-Palestinian protestors.

Ms Harriss term as vice president has not been seen as a resounding success with her poll ratings often even worse than those of Mr Biden.

High-tax, crime-ridden state

But a recent poll showed that she would fare better than potential rivals against Donald Trump  although she too lags behind the former president.

Californias governor Gavin Newsom, touted as one potential replacement, has been running what many describe as a shadow campaign, while publicly proclaiming his loyalty to Mr Biden.

But Californias reputation as a high-tax, crime-ridden state would make him vulnerable to Republican attacks.

Ms Harris has one key advantage over potential rivals in that she would have access to the $240 million war chest the Biden campaign has amassed. Rivals would have to start fund-raising from scratch amid wrangling over what to do with the funds.

It is believed she would poll well among women voters, with abortion emerging as a key election issue in November.

Vice-President Harris would also reverse the narrative on age, given that she is 19 years younger than Trump.

She is outpolling Trump among independents and moderates, according to CNN.

Traditionally running mates are picked with an eye toward offsetting a nominees weak spots and unifying the party after a nomination battle, Christopher Galdieri, the professor of politics at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire told The Telegraph.

Should Kamala Harris become the Democratic nominee shed do after four years as VP and four in the Senate, with an eye toward likely attacks from Trump as being a secret radical.

She would also want to boost her chances in the crucial states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. I would expect her to pick a white moderate who would be reassuring to those voters, much as Barack Obama did by picking Biden all those years ago.

The Trump team is sharpening attacks on Ms Harris, with the former president calling her Laffin Kamala Harris and Cackling Copilot Kamala Harris.

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.
Kansas Supreme Court Justice Melissa Standridge, center, wrote the majority opinion declaring a series of abortion clinic regulations signed into law by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback violated the Kansas Constitution's Bill of Rights. Standridge, appointed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, was part of a 5-1 majority that included three separate concurrences and one dissent. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA  Abortion clinic regulations embraced years ago by the Kansas Legislature and Gov. Sam Brownback were declared unconstitutional Friday by the Kansas Supreme Court in an opinion confirming the majoritys belief the state Bill of Rights guaranteed the right to end a pregnancy.

The Supreme Courts majority used the regulation case to reinforce its 2019 decision declaring women had a fundamental right to bodily autonomy and abortion services under Section 1 of the Kansas Constitutions Bill of Rights. The Supreme Court issued a separate opinion on Friday that struck down the ban on a specific abortion procedure.

The Supreme Courts majority agreed with a Shawnee County District Court judges decision in the regulation case that the Kansas attorney generals office failed to demonstrate the benefit to maternal health or the health profession of abortion clinic licensure regulations that exceeded mandates applied to other medical facilities. The controversial statute waded into all aspects of abortion facilities to include staffing, procedures, equipment and the physical environment.

Justice Melissa Standridge, author of the 5-1 majority opinion, said the attorney generals office didnt carry the burden of showing the regulatory framework adopted in 2011 and 2015 advanced a compelling state interest defined as extremely weighty, possibly urgent, and rare.

Our holding is supported by uncontroverted evidence in the record that affirmatively contradicts  for many provisionsthe states claim that those provisions further the states identified compelling interests, wrote Standridge, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Without this showing, the challenged laws do not survive strict scrutiny and are constitutionally infirm.

Haircuts, nudity?

Standridges opinion withdrawing Brownback-era abortion regulations, which featured separate concurrences by Justices Evelyn Wilson, Eric Rose and Dan Biles, affirmed the lower courts order in favor of two abortion doctors who filed the lawsuit. Of significance, no part of the abortion regulation law survived the challenge despite insertion of a severability clause, which hypothetically could preserve constitutional elements of an otherwise flawed law.

Justice K.J. Wall recused himself, but Justice Caleb Stegalls dissent repeated an assertion unrestricted access to abortion in Kansas was the judicially preferred policy of the Supreme Court. As such, he wrote, judicial coherence and consistency would be sacrificed to policy. In the dissent, he scorned legal arguments of several peers.

The betrayal of this courts promise of neutral, uniform and rational constitutional adjudication is as far-reaching as it is audacious, Stegall wrote. Its damaging impact on this institutions legitimacy will be felt for years to come.

Stegall theorized that establishing a fundamental right to personal autonomy in relation to abortion would jeopardize regulation of food supplies, restaurants, drug use, tattoos and piercings, car seat belts, barber services, student vaccinations, assisted suicide and public nudity.

What about the right to cut and style ones hair? Stegall said. Surely, the government does not have a compelling interest in who trims my beard?

Standridge used her majority opinion to denounce Stegalls false alarm that standards of constitutional infringement in abortion rights cases would invite lawsuits associated with ideas of personal autonomy. The standard was adopted five years ago and predictions of countless regulation challenges had yet to materialize, she said.

The dissent trivializes and attempts to minimize the fundamental nature of a womans decision to continue or terminate a pregnancy by comparing it to a mans decision to grow or trim a beard, Standridge wrote. This facetious comparison is both inappropriate and denigrating to women faced with decisions between childbirth and abortion.

Abortion history

In 2011, Brownback signed the GOP-inspired Senate Bill 36 to substantially expand licensing requirements for abortion clinics and establish severe penalties for criminal violators. In Topeka, a district court judge granted a temporary injunction to block implementation. In 2015, the Legislature and Brownback altered abortion law in a bid to convince the district court to dissolve the injunction.

The Supreme Court, meanwhile, issued the decision in 2019 that said access to abortion was an inalienable natural right. It was linked to personal autonomy and encompassed the right of a woman to terminate a pregnancy. Based on Supreme Court guidance, the district court struck down the state abortion clinic regulations as unconstitutional. The judge granted summary judgment to plaintiff abortion providers Traci Lynn Nauser and Herbert Hodes.

Amid the legal battle over clinic regulation, Kansas voters in August 2022 defeated a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have nullified the Supreme Courts interpretation of the constitutional right to abortion.

Danielle Underwood, a spokeswoman for the anti-abortion lobbying organization Kansans For Life, said the Supreme Court made abortion clinics less safe for patients.

Extremely liberal judges of the Kansas Supreme Court have now overturned basic health and safety standards for abortion facilities, Underwood said. It hurts to say, We told you so, to the many Kansans who were misled by the abortion industrys assurances that it would still be heavily regulated in our state.

The regulations

This abortion regulation suit involved a collection of restrictions that increased the cost of services and delayed a patients ability to receive care. One section of the law set recovery-related restrictions so patients had to stay twice as long as medically necessary and delayed a patients ability to receive an abortion because fewer cases could be scheduled in one day.

Health professionals had to monitor patients vital signs throughout the abortion procedures, even when no anesthesia was used. Regulations required a nurse station with visual observation of each patient in recovery areas.

Another regulation said a physician performing a pelvic exam must be accompanied by a second person, even if the physician performing the exam was a female. The statute mandated abortion facilities give the Kansas Department of Health and Environment access to medical records, including patient-identifying information.

They create an additional scheme just for abortion care, said Caroline Sacerdote, an attorney with the Center for Reproductive Rights that represented the plaintiffs.

In written briefs and oral arguments, the states lawyers said there was no constitutional infringement because the law wasnt an unqualified ban on abortion.

These regulations, while perhaps imposing some inconvenience, ultimately do not impair a womans ability to obtain an abortion, said Anthony Powell, who serves as solicitor general under Attorney General Kris Kobach.

The post Kansas abortion clinic regulations declared unconstitutional by state Supreme Court appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
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.

Four years ago, Kansas child welfare agency agreed in a court settlement that state contractors would no longer have foster kids sleep in offices overnight.

But information obtained by The Star shows that the agency hasnt upheld that vow.

In fact, three out of the four contractors in the last year had children sleep in offices on multiple occasions. And one of those three  Saint Francis Ministries, headquartered in Salina  had kids log 88 nights in April and May alone.

Thats depressing information, said Leecia Welch, deputy litigation director of Childrens Rights, one of four entities that filed the class action lawsuit six years ago. Were incredibly disappointed that we had that many children spending the night in offices this many years after the case was filed.  We shouldnt be doing this. They committed to stopping this completely.

Information from the Kansas Department for Children and Families shows that in total, foster children spent 136 nights sleeping in offices from July 2023 through May of this year. Cases managed by Saint Francis made up 80 percent of those stays (109 nights), which the state refers to as failure to place.

When children are kept overnight in a child welfare office, they sleep on a cot or couch or other accommodations and are given basic hygiene items if they dont have them, DCF has said. Staff members stay in the office overnight with them.

These new numbers reveal that Kansas is not living up to its settlement pledge that foster children will have stable placements across the Sunflower State. And, because of that, DCF continues to fall short of meeting all standards agreed upon four years ago and accepted by the court in January 2021.

Denny Marlin, a Saint Francis spokesperson, said that having youth sleeping in offices is unacceptable and his agency continues to work with system partners to grow the capacity and capability of placements.

We remain dedicated to finding solutions that lead to placement stability, Marlin said.   Our unwavering dedication is the pursuit of solutions that result in stable and secure placements for the children we serve.

Erin La Row, DCFs deputy director of media relations, said that all contractors are working to provide stability for foster children.

DCF and its case management partners (CMPs) are committed to avoiding all incidences of youth staying in child welfare offices, hotel rooms, and other unlicensed locations, La Row said. Statewide, in state fiscal year 2024, the number of youth placed in family-like settings has remained over 91%.

Its the number of nights when contractors fail to find a place for youth in state care that concerns lawmakers, advocates and attorneys fighting on behalf of those children.

As of early June, 72 youth under the age of 17 and four young people over 18 experienced at least one failure to place, DCF said. In total, 27 foster children experienced more than one episode of failure to place. No youth has experienced more than four consecutive nights of failure to place during fiscal year 2024.

Cornerstones of Care is the only foster care contractor in fiscal year 2024 that didnt have any children sleep overnight in a child welfare office, DCF information showed. As of early June, TFI Family Services experienced just two nightly stays in the past year and children in the care of KVC Behaviorial HealthCare  also known as KVC Kansas  spent 25 nights in offices.

When kids are sleeping in offices theyre not getting anything they need, said Teresa Woody, litigation director of Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, a nonprofit serving excluded Kansans, that worked with Childrens Rights and others to file the class action lawsuit that led to the settlement.

Its the instability, its never having a place where you feel safe, never having a place where you feel like youre getting consistency, Woody said. Were very concerned that this particular commitment in the settlement has not yet been resolved. That means that they arent complying with the terms of the settlement.

A rough transition period?

Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, a Wichita Democrat who is a member of the Joint Committee on Child Welfare Oversight, said she wasnt aware that some children were still not in stable foster homes and sleeping in offices.

I thought the numbers had gone down, Faust-Goudeau said. We dont want that and thats something that I thought we had addressed.

I dont know what has happened that were back to that point again.

Part of the blame, some say, may lie in the transition Kansas is in as one contractor is added to the mix. As of Monday, when the new child welfare contracts went into effect, there are now five contractors handling foster care in Kansas.

EmberHope will take over foster care in Sedgwick County which used to be handled by Saint Francis.

During the past few months, there have been changes in staffing and focus on certain logistics to make the shift.

I do know that this transition from Saint Francis to the new contractor has created a lot of the problem, a big majority of the problem, Welch said. And I can only hope that its one of those situations where it gets worse before it gets better. But you know, really, only time is going to tell on that one.

And I do hope that there are a lot of lessons learned on the part of the agency with regard to how this transition has been truly harmful to so many young people.

In April, foster children in Saint Francis care spent 49 nights in child welfare offices and 39 nights in May, according to information The Star obtained.

Unfortunately, we are often faced with an overwhelmed system that frequently lacks options for high-acuity teens, Marlin said, referring to the difficulty his agency can have. Often, providers are unwilling to take high-acuity youth, leaving limited alternatives.

Kansas Appleseed has heard in recent years that workers across all contractors can get exhausted staying in these offices with these kids, especially with higher need kids, Woody said. Those kids should be in a place with more wraparound services, she said.

And theyre not getting those services if theyre sitting in an office, she said.

To address the most recent increase in office stays, La Row said, Saint Francis gathered a team of agency leaders to address barriers affecting the youth impacted.

The placement roundtable discussions have provided an open forum for youth to meet with senior SFM leaders along with their case teams, La Row said. These teams have been successful in finding placements for youth either in relative, non-related kin or foster home placements.

This team will remain in place throughout the transition of the case management from Saint Francis to EmberHope in Sedgwick County, she said.

At this point, two groups of kids are ending up in offices overnight, advocates say. One group consists of older kids with high needs.

Teenagers who are basically in their early to the late teens who have significant issues, nonverbal autism, things like this, and theyre being sort of warehoused in these offices instead of getting any kind of real treatment, Woody said. The other group contains children who do not want to be placed  and are refusing placements, she said.

One of the reasons that some of these kids are refusing placements, is they dont want to trust anybody, Woody said. The placements they have gone to have been bad. Things have happened, and so they dont trust anyone.

Calling it something different

These two groups of children who some contractors are struggling to place are the same youth that the class action lawsuit from 2018 aimed to help.

The suit alleged that some hard-to-place children had been treated so poorly that they had suffered mentally or had run away from foster homes. In some cases, the suit said, they had been trafficked for sex, sexually abused inside adoptive homes or in one instance reportedly raped inside a child welfare office.

The intensity of the foster care placement problem in Kansas was so extreme we couldnt in good conscience refer to it as placement instability, Welch said. Instead, we decided on the term extreme housing disruption, because how else do you describe a young person who is subjected to 130 placement moves while in foster care?

We had childrens attorneys telling us that having their clients subjected to 50 moves was commonplace.

The goal of the lawsuit wasnt to receive money, but to fix the system for these children and others who come after them, the attorneys who filed the suit have said.

As part of the settlement, which a judge approved in 2021, the state will need to meet 14 standards before it is released from court oversight.

Last August, an independent monitor  known as a neutral  found that the state had still not met six benchmarks. It had met four and two were in progress. An additional two could not be determined because of data issues.

Another progress report is expected as early as next month.

One thing lawyers and advocates say they will be paying close attention to in that report, in addition to the office stays, is the number of night-to-night placements. And whether another issue, which they see as yet one more instance where contractors are failing to find stable homes for youth, is addressed.

One of the things weve also discovered is that kids are being held in offices during the day, and then transported at night to sleep in a group home or group setting, said Mike Fonkert, deputy director of Kansas Appleseed. And then brought back (to the office) the next day.  This was not on our radar.

Added Woody: The basic issue is theyre still failing to place these kids. Theyre failing to place them, and theyre calling it something different.

Nearly 3  years after a judge approved the settlement, attorneys who filed the initial class action lawsuit say they hope the upcoming report shows some progress. And they hope the state continues to focus energy and resources on ending office stays and improving stability for kids.

Just like they said DCF vowed to do.

Despite these promises  four years after the settlement was inked  we still have children in offices and bouncing all over the state in night-to-night placements, Welch said. To say the situation is heart-breaking doesnt do it justice.

Children are being robbed of their childhood by this system.

The Stars Jenna Barackman contributed reporting
The leader of the British Labor Party, Keir Starmer, has become the new Prime Minister. His political party won the general election with a landslide, ending the 14-year era of Conservative rule.

ADVERTISIMENT

Thus, Labor won 410 out of 650 seats in parliament, while the Conservatives won only 131 seats. According to CNN, Starmer promises to be the "agent of change" that Britain needs.

In particular, he assured that he aims to develop the country's economy by reforming laws, as well as to create a sovereign wealth fund with $9.2 billion in public funds to help pay for the transition to zero net emissions.

Regarding relations with Ukraine, the Labor leader said that nothing will change in terms of support for our country.

ADVERTISIMENT

The current British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has already admitted the defeat of his party and congratulated Starmer on his victory. At the same time, Sunak said he was personally responsible for this defeat.

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer has been the leader of the Labor Party since April 4, 2020. In 2015-2016, he served as the Shadow Minister for Migration, and in 2016-2020 as the Shadow Minister for Brexit.

Vadym Prystaiko, former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United Kingdom and former Foreign Minister of Ukraine shared his opinion on the British election and its impact on relations with Ukraine with OBOZ.UA. He emphasized that Keir Starmer is a man who sincerely believes in law and the power of law. This is his strength and weakness. He usually weighs all his steps as a lawyer.

ADVERTISIMENT

As for Labor's Ukrainian policy, there will probably be changes. And they are logical, says Prystaiko. In his opinion, our country can count on a new wave of military aid.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, in February 2024, Starmer visited Kyiv and met with Zelenskyy. The British politician then called for "justice in The Hague" after visiting places where mass killings of Ukrainians took place. He vowed that Ukraine would always have the "unwavering support" of his party.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The Kansas Supreme Court struck down a series of abortion rules and restrictions on Friday in twin opinions affirming its landmark decision that the state constitution protects the right to end a pregnancy.

The justices in two near-unanimous decisions tossed a ban on dilation and evacuation abortions, a common second trimester surgical procedure, and a series of abortion-specific clinic regulations that providers have long fought. The opinions marked the end of two years-long legal battles over rules, which never took effect.

The rulings delivered a stinging but expected blow to anti-abortion activists and Republicans, who for years sought to steadily chip away at access. The opinion built upon the courts key 2019 decision, which upheld the right to an abortion under a broader guarantee of bodily autonomy.

We stand by our conclusion that section 1 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights protects a fundamental right to personal autonomy, which includes a pregnant persons right to terminate a pregnancy, Justice Eric Rosen, appointed by Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in 2005, wrote in the majority opinion striking down the dilation and evacuation ban.

The Bill of Rights says, All men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Rosen wrote that the state must show any infringement of that right withstands strict scrutiny.

The decision was 5-1 in both cases, with Justice Caleb Stegall, an appointee of Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, the sole dissenting vote. Justice K.J. Wall, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, didnt participate.

Kansas has become a crucial national access point for abortion in the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to an abortion, leading Missouri and a swatch of mostly southern states to quickly implement bans. Some 20,700 abortions were performed in Kansas in 2023, according to estimates from the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization supportive of abortion rights.

Voters in 2022 rejected a state constitutional amendment that would have overturned the Kansas Supreme Courts 2019 decision and allowed lawmakers to ban abortion. Any change in abortion regulations in the state is now watched closely for any potential effects to access nationwide.

Fridays decision likely offers abortion providers greater certainty about the regulatory landscape in the state as they open additional clinics.

The opinion capped years of courtroom drama over clinic regulations first enacted in 2011 and a 2015 ban on dilation and evacuation abortions. Both laws were bogged down in legal challenges and never took effect, even as the possibility of their future enforcement hung over providers.

Abortion providers long argued the regulations would risk putting Kansas abortion clinics out of business. The law required medication abortions to be physically administered by a physician in the same room as a patient, and required physicians to perform tasks usually performed by a medical assistant.

The law also established inspection requirements beyond what is expected of other facilities and established a minimum recovery time for patients.

Kansas failed to meet its evidentiary burden to show the Challenged Laws further its identified compelling interest in protecting maternal health and regulating the medical profession as it relates to maternal health, Justice Melissa Taylor Stanbridge, a Kelly appointee, wrote in the majority opinion striking down the 2011 clinic rules.

The courts decisions reflected the skepticism several justices showed at oral arguments in March 2023. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, had argued the court should overturn its 2019 decision.

One of his top aides, Kansas Solicitor General Anthony Powell, argued the Dobbs case, which overturned federal protections for abortion, completely changed the reality for legal arguments surrounding the issue. But some justices werent convinced at the time.

Dobbs said we should return the issue to the people to persuade one another and then vote, and weve done that in Kansas, Justice Dan Biles said during oral arguments. How do we factor that in when youre asking us to change our view, our interpretation of the Kansas Constitution when the people voted so forcefully?

Single dissent

In striking down the restrictions, the Kansas Supreme Court made clear it would defer to the precedent set in the 2019 opinion, even as the makeup of the court has changed. Three of the seven justices on the court joined after the 2019 decision, but all three were appointed by Kelly, who supports abortion rights.

Stegall, the lone dissent, warned that the courts majority, in its decision striking down the clinic rules, had backed away from its previous opinion protecting a fundamental right to bodily autonomy and had narrowed the right to only protect abortion.

The majority has accused me of playing Chicken Little to cataclysmic effect, Stegall wrote, adding that the majority of the justices had stripped protections away from everyone not a member of the majoritys favored classpregnant women seeking abortionsupon discovering that when exercised by most people most of the time, personal autonomy is simply not profound enough to satisfy the majoritys moral sense of worthiness.

That this remains the only gauge by which such things might be judged is, perhaps, the worst cataclysm of all, Stegall wrote.

The Kansas Supreme Court decisions came as another legal fight over abortion restrictions plays out in Johnson County District Court. Abortion providers are challenging a state law that took effect on July 1 that requires them to ask patients their reasons for seeking an abortion.

The new law mandates abortion providers to survey women, asking them to choose the most important reason for getting an abortion. Those reasons include financial stress, rape, fetal disabilities, or the health of the mother as options. The survey does not include an other option, a point of contention for opponents.

The judge in the case, Christopher Jayaram, previously blocked existing abortion regulations, including some in place for decades.

In October, the judge stopped officials from enforcing a 24-hour waiting period for abortions. He also halted enforcement of rules mandating abortion providers, without evidence, post information in clinics and online warning abortions can increase the risk of breast cancer and premature birth in future pregnancies.
Kansas Supreme Court

TOPEKA  The Kansas Supreme Court affirmed Friday the fundamental constitutional right of women to terminate a pregnancy and struck down a state law banning a second-trimester abortion method.

In a separate decision issued simultaneously by the state Supreme Court, the majority declared unconstitutional a state law imposing a wide range of regulations on abortion providers and clinics that far exceeded requirements adopted for medical professionals engaged in comparable health services.

Justice Eric Rosen, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, wrote for the majority in the abortion procedure case that Senate Bill 95 outlawing termination of pregnancies through a method that could involve dismemberment of a fetus violated the Kansas Constitutions Bill of Rights.

Alice Wang, a Center for Reproductive Rights attorney representing abortion providers, had argued the law impaired the right of bodily autonomy woven into the states Bill of Rights. The courts majority agreed and concluded the Kansas attorney generals office failed to prove the impairment could be justified because it was narrowly tailored or served a compelling state interest.

In short, S.B. 95 does not further patient safety. It compromises patient safety, Rosen wrote in the opinion. As the district court found and the state did not contest, SB 95 eliminates a safe and common medical procedure and leaves patients subject to procedures that are rarely used, are untested and are sometimes more dangerous or impossible.

Anthony Powell, the state solicitor general under Attorney General Kris Kobach, unsuccessfully argued the 2015 law ought to be upheld because it promoted respect for the dignity of human life, shielded interests of innocent third parties and offered fundamental regulation of medical care in Kansas.

Rosen noted Powell urged the state Supreme Court to reverse its 2019 decision that the right to personal autonomy was embedded in the Kansas Constitution and granted Kansans the ability to control ones own body, to assert bodily integrity and to exercise self-determination. That decision, despite the U.S. Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade, meant women in Kansas had the right to decide whether to continue a pregnancy.

The state devoted much of its brief to inviting us to reverse our earlier ruling in this case that the Kansas Constitution protects a right to abortion. We decline the invitation, Rosen said. We stand by our conclusion that section 1 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights protects a fundamental right to personal autonomy, which includes a pregnant persons right to terminate a pregnancy.

The 2015 Kansas Legislature passed  98-26 in the House, 31-9 in the Senate  and Republican Gov. Sam Brownback signed into law the Kansas Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act. It targed the second-trimester abortion method of abortion, often referred to as dilation and evacuation or D&E. The law included an exemption to save the life of a pregnant woman facing substantial and irreversible medical impairment.

Before it took effect in 2015, physicians Herbert Hodes and Traci Lynn Nauser, who performed the procedure, filed a lawsuit. A Shawnee County District Court judge issued an order in 2021 in support of the plaintiffs plea to permanently enjoin enforcement of the law, but the state appealed. Judges on the Kansas Court of Appeals judges evenly split on the question of whether the Kansas Constitution protected a right to abortion, so the temporary injunction remained in place. The case migrated to the state Supreme Court, which ultimately upheld the district court.

As the case crawled through the Kansas judicial system, the U.S. Supreme Court declared in June 2022 the U.S. Constitution didnt protect abortion rights and states could impose abortion bans. In August 2022, Kansas voters rejected 59% to 41% a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have nullified the state Supreme Court decision in 2019 and established there was no right to abortion in Kansas.

Kansas voters made it loud and clear in 2022: The right to abortion must be protected, said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights. This is an immense victory for the health, safety and dignity of people in Kansas and the entire Midwestern region, where millions have been cut off from abortion access. We will continue our fight to ensure Kansans can access the essential health care they need in their home state.

Justice K.J. Wall, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, recused himself from the D&E abortion case. The 5-1 decision didnt alter state law allowing most abortions until the 22nd week of a pregnancy.

Justice Evelyn Wilson, also appointed by Kelly, wrote a concurring opinion in the dismemberment abortion case. She said SB 95 was unconstitutional because it was written by the Legislature in a vague manner. It improperly left physicians vulnerable to criminal prosecution and the view of juries that could weigh evidence based on standards other than reasonable medical judgment, she said.

In my view, the Legislatures omission of any discernable standard means the physicians expert decision will inevitably be second-guessed by prosecutors, judges and juries applying a personal and ultimately mysterious standard to the physicians conduct, Wilson wrote.

In the lone dissent, Justice Caleb Stegall said the 2019 decision affirming a right to abortion in Kansas as well as the majoritys latest opinion bears no resemblance at all  in either law or history  to the actual text and original public meaning of Section 1 of the state constitutions Bill of Rights.

Stegall, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by Brownback, said the majoritys decisions on abortion were consequential because they altered structure of state government. The abortion cases magnified state power and used that authority to grant a regulatory reprieve to the judicially privileged act of abortion.

It is noteworthy that the majority cannot bring itself to acknowledge the governments compelling interest in unborn human life, Stegall wrote.

The post Kansas Supreme Court strikes down state law banning second-trimester abortion procedure appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
FILE - Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, left, and Erin Hawley, Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel, speak to each other outside the Supreme Court after the Court heard oral arguments, Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Washington. Kansas highest court on Friday, July 5, 2024, struck down state laws regulating abortion providers more strictly than other health care providers and banning a common second-trimester procedure, reaffirming its stance that the state constitution protects abortion access. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File)

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Kansas highest court strongly reaffirmed Friday that the state constitution protects abortion access, striking down a ban on a common second-trimester procedure and laws regulating abortion providers more strictly than other health care providers.

The pair of 5-1 decisions suggests that other restrictions  even ones decades on the books  might not withstand legal challenges. The court's dissenting justice, widely seen as its most conservative, warned that Kansas is headed toward a legal regime of unrestricted access to abortion.

This is an immense victory for the health, safety, and dignity of people in Kansas and the entire Midwestern region, where millions have been cut off from abortion access, said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which represented the abortion providers challenging the two laws.

The decisions came almost two years after an August 2022 statewide vote decisively affirming abortion rights, the first such vote after the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision in June 2022 that allowed states to ban abortion altogether. Kansas voters rejected a proposed change in the state constitution approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature to declare that the document provides no right to abortion.

Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach's office had argued that the 2022 vote didnt matter in determining whether the two laws could stand. But Justice Evelyn Wilson, one of three justices appointed to the seven-member court after its landmark 2019 decision, said that while she might have dissented then, The people spoke with their votes.

The results were accepted by the people, and Kansas showed the world how things are done in a successful democracy, wrote Wilson, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, a strong abortion rights supporter.

Neither law struck down by the court had been enforced because of the lawsuits against them by abortion providers.

Other lawsuits in lower state courts are challenging restrictions on medication abortions, a ban on doctors using teleconferences to meet with patients, rules for what doctors must tell patients before an abortion and a requirement that patients wait 24 hours after receiving information about a procedure to terminate their pregnancies.

Friday's rulings will be felt far outside Kansas since it has attracted thousands of patients from states where abortion is all but banned, most notably Oklahoma and Texas. The Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights, projected last month that about 20,000 abortions were performed in Kansas in 2023 or 152% more than in 2020.

Abortion opponents argued ahead of the August 2022 vote that failing to change the state constitution would doom long-standing restrictions enacted under past Republican governors. Kansas saw a flurry of new restrictions under GOP Gov. Sam Brownback from 2011 through 2018.

It hurts to say, we told you so, to the many Kansans who were misled by the abortion industrys assurances that it would still be heavily regulated in our state if voters rejected the 2022 amendment, Danielle Underwood, a spokesperson for Kansans for Life, the state's most influential anti-abortion group, said in a statement.

Justice K.J. Wall, a Kelly appointee, did not participate in either ruling on Friday while Justice Caleb Stegall was the lone dissenter. He was appointed by Brownback.

In his dissenting opinion in the clinic regulations case, Stegall said the majoritys actions will damage the courts legitimacy for years to come. He said its declarations about bodily autonomy could affect a massive swath of health and safety regulations outside abortion, including licensing requirements for barbers.

Surely the government does not have a compelling interest in who trims my beard? Stegall wrote. Let the lawsuits commence in this new target-rich environment. The majority has  perhaps unwittingly  put the entire administrative state on the chopping block of strict scrutiny.

Justice Melissa Standridge, also a Kelly appointee and the justice writing the majority opinion in the clinic regulations case, called Stegall's comments inappropriate and denigrating to women faced with decisions between childbirth and abortion.

Kansas doesnt ban most abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy, but it requires minors to obtain the written consent of their parents or a guardian. Other requirements, including the 24-hour waiting period and what a provider must tell patients, have been put on hold. A lower court is considering a challenge to them by providers.

The health and safety rules aimed specifically at abortion providers were enacted in 2011. Supporters said they would protect womens health  though there was no evidence provided then that such rules elsewhere had led to better health outcomes. Providers said the real goal was to force them out of business.

Standridge said in the majority's opinion on the clinic regulations that not only was there no evidence the rules would improve patients' health, but in some cases, it affirmatively contradicts that position.

She wrote that even the state's expert in the case agreed that "existing abortion care is extremely safe and comparable to care not covered by the regulations.

The other law struck down by the court would have banned a certain type of dilation and evacuation, also known as D&E. It was the first state ban of its kind when it was enacted in 2015.

According to state health department statistics, about 600 D&E procedures were done in Kansas in 2022, accounting for 5% of the states total abortions. About 88% of the states abortions occurred in the first trimester. The state has yet to release statistics for 2023.

The procedure ban would have forced providers to use alternative methods that the Center for Reproductive Rights has said are riskier for the patient and more expensive.

Justice Eric Rosen, an appointee of former Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, said in the majority's opinion on the ban that lower-court evidence showed it would force patients to undergo alternative procedures that are rarely used, are untested and are sometimes more dangerous or impossible.
In 2013, Kanye West called modern day African Americans living in a capitalistic society the new slaves essentially owned by wealthy people and large corporations.

By 2024, hed apparently changed his mind. Instead, the real new slaves were the people who worked for him.

In a lawsuit first reported by Seamus Hughes Court Watch, former employees working on an app for West  who now prefers to be referred to as the mononymous Ye  claim they were regularly and viciously bullied for their ages, races, genders, sexual orientation, and national origins/ethnicities.

For instance, new employees were added to a Discord channel called new slaves, which remained until one employee demanded it be changed because it is blatantly racist.

In addition, West and his associates  including the controversial political pundit Milo Yiannopoulos  forced the workers, including some who are children, into working long hours and sometimes foregoing sleep, which required them to sacrifice school and personal time, the suit claims.

If workers refused to continue to work under those conditions, West and others told them they would not receive the money they were promised for the work, the suit added.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles because of Wests bases of operations in Northridge and Beverly Grove, also alleges the minor workers were exposed to pornography as part of the development of an app called Yeezy Porn.

Yiannopoulos did not immediately respond to a request for comment. West could not be reached 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 KTLA.
Sunshine filled the air July 1 as families eagerly stood at the Franklin Woods Nature Center Pavilion's entrance to Kayla's Playground, which was just about to reopen after a needed renovation to the surface.

It may not seem like a huge change, but the surface of the playground is a part of what makes Kayla's Playground special.

Kayla's Playground utilizes a special, soft surface

The founder of the playground and Franklin Parks Commission Ambassador Program Coordinator Michelle Runte said the playground was designed to be accessible to mobility aids and supportive of people with disabilities. This includes having smooth surface available to navigate.

To achieve part of this goal of an inclusive, accessible play area, when the playground was built in 2015, Runte opted for a smooth poured-in-place, or PIP, bonded rubber stone surface.

She noted that the wheels on some mobility aids and strollers cannot easily navigate the wood chips commonly found as ground cover on playgrounds.

Runte was inspired by her daughter, Kayla Runte, to build this playground. However, not in the way one would typically be persuaded to take on an endeavor.

Kayla Runte died in August 2012 at the young age of 8. She was diagnosed with hypotonia  or decreased muscle tone  and cerebral palsy when she was an infant. Despite these diagnoses, her family and friends made her life vibrant and fun.

"I felt a calling to build this playground with Kaylas help and the help of the community," Runte said.

After the playground opened, Runte noticed that older people with mobility concerns also benefitted from the accommodations the playground provided. She said the softness of the surface and ease of navigability lessens the concern about a fall.

"(Kayla) taught me the view as a caregiver, the view of a person with disabilities who relies on a wheelchair or on a walker," said Runte. "That also open doors for families to spend time together with a stroller. I mean, they all have wheels."

Previous surface had become a safety concern, mayor says

According to Franklin Mayor John Nelson, the previous floor wore down over the past nine years and was an "overwhelming" safety concern.

"It took us a couple of years to get the (planning) done," said Nelson. "It's built to last much longer than the previous floor."

Nelson said the surface renovation took a month to complete and was funded by a combination of city participation and private donations. The lowest bid for the project came in at a bit more than $200,000, according to Runte.

Franklin Alderwoman Courtney Day said the project came in under budget from what the city had projected. She said, however, that she hasn't yet viewed the invoices, so exactly how much under budget is still unclear.

Day and Nelson said although June is the month that most schools release for summer break, the city chose to do the renovation that month because the temperature and weather were ideal for the PIP to firmly set.

"When they initially did the playground, it was not really the optimal time of year, and there were a lot of temperature swings and a lot of rain," said Day. "In theory, that may have helped contribute to it wearing out a little bit faster than it would have under other conditions."

A photo showing Father Aaron (center) of St. Mary's Catholic Faith Community blessing the reopening of Kayla's Playground

Project got support from city officials

Both Nelson and Day praised the playground for its enrichment of the community.

"We've lived in this area for over 10 years, so Kayla's (Playground) has been here as my little guy's been growing up," Day said about her own child. "He's aged out of a lot of this now, but I have a 3-year-old at home who does have some special needs, so this is an excellent place that we know we can bring her where she'll be safe, and she can use all the equipment."

"We are very proud and very blessed for the community to have this as part of our identity," said Nelson. "We will make sure this is a staple for many, many decades to come."

Runte also partnered with the Franklin Police Department, the Franklin Health Department and the Franklin Public Library for the original construction of the playground.

The police department is an extra set of eyes on the park as far as maintenance goes, as well as the usual serving and protecting part of their job.

The Franklin Health Department was represented by Public Health Specialist Ellen Henry, who was handing out flyers about the Franklin Playground Passport.

The passport program is run by the Health Department to promote the health benefits of walking, playing, enjoying and preserving parks in the community.

Children can visit at least one of 10 playgrounds in Franklin, answer a question about the park correctly and turn in the passport to be entered in a raffle for a prize.

The Franklin Public Library is providing books for a Little Free Library at the park, too.

The Franklin Public School District partnered with the construction of Kayla's Playground by recruiting members of the National Honor Society to help with the initial building.

Runte said, "It was nice to have a blessing from Father Aaron this morning, from my home parish of Saint Mary's in Hales Corners. That really was where it all began."

Kayla and the beginning

The beginning of the Kayla's Playground happened after the end of Kayla Runte's time on Earth.

Kayla's time here, although brief, was filled with the love of her family and friends.

Michelle Runte said that Kayla participated in Girl Scouts, enjoyed spending time with her friends and loved music.

Even though she was nonverbal and had physical disabilities, Kayla was still able to communicate with those around her.

In a document detailing some of Kayla's life, Michelle said that Kayla learned to make decisions with a "yes" or "no" response by looking either left or right. Left was "yes," right was "no." She learned to control her environment with cause and effect switches placed near her temple. She could turn on music or play with a toy using these switches and buttons.

To fundraise for the initial construction of Kayla's Playground, Runte mobilized the support team in Kayla's life and mission, Kayla's Krew.

Kayla's Krew sold butterfly hair clips to people around the community. The hair clips were worn by people to support Kayla and the building of the playground. Some clips even made their way to Guatemala when Kayla's first grade teacher and member of Kayla's Krew board, Amanda Mix, made a trip there.

Since Kayla's friends were important to her, Michelle wanted to build the playground as quickly as possible, so they could enjoy it before they became an age that they wouldn't want to spend time on it.

"Her friends were actually going into second grade when we were raising funds for the playground, so it was really important to capture that time frame of play," said Michelle.

To this day, people in the community still wear their butterfly clips to support Kayla and other people with disabilities who are welcome at Kayla's Playground.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kayla's Playground in Franklin reopens with a brand-new surface
Four-and-a-half years ago, Britains Labour Party suffered its worst election defeat since 1935. The historic election victory of Boris Johnson in 2019  which allowed him to finally implement Brexit  was supposed to mark another 10 years of Conservative rule in Britain, with Labour resigned to rebuild on the fringes of politics.

Then Labour leader, the hard-left Jeremy Corbyn, was forced to resign and reluctantly hand his party to the centrist Keir Starmer, a former lawyer, knight of the realm and exactly the type of establishment figure that Corbyn and the far-left despise.

In little over four years, Starmer has pulled off a once-impossible coup and dragged his Labour Party from the margins of British politics to a thumping victory in Thursdays general election.

It will be the first time Labour has been in power since 2010 and the first time it has entered power from opposition since Tony Blairs historic win in 1997.

Addressing the nation before entering 10 Downing Street Friday afternoon, Starmer pledged a return to the politics of public service, vowing to heal the weariness at the heart of the nation with action not words.

It was clear going into this election campaign that Britain was screaming out for change after 14 years of Conservative rule that saw cuts in public spending, stretched public services, the chaos of Brexit, a cost-of-living crisis and a sitting prime minister fined by police while in office for the first time in history.

Starmer, who had led the opinion polls since October 2021, has promised to be the agent of change that Britain wants. During the campaign, he pledged to grow the countrys economy by reforming planning laws and investing in a new industrial strategy. He said he will set up a national wealth fund with 7.3 billion ($9.3bn) of public money that will help pay for the transition to net zero emissions.

An 8.3 billion ($10.5 billion) publicly owned energy company, Great British Energy, will see the United Kingdoms energy grid decarbonized by 2030. Starmer says all this can be achieved without raising income taxes, though there are no commitments on other levies, such as capital gains tax, which is paid on money made from selling assets, including property and shares.

The rest of the Labour manifesto comprised a mix of modest centrism with soft socialism. It included imposing taxes on private schools to help pay for state education and windfall levies on energy companies to fund the transition to clean energy. There were also commitments on workers rights, cutting waiting lists for health care and also controlling immigration.

Critics on the right say that Starmer will need to raise taxes to fund his plans, while skeptics on the left say his manifesto is not bold or ambitious enough to change Britain for the better.

In short, this is a long list of things to sort out in a five-year term when public finances are in disarray. The question for Starmer now is whether the mess is too big for him to fix and whether he has the political skill to bring about the change he promised.

Who is Keir Starmer?

On paper, the 61-year-old Starmer looks like a classic establishment figure.

Once a leading human rights lawyer, he became Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in 2008, running the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales  a high-profile job for which he was knighted, making him the first ever Labour leader to enter the job with the prefix Sir to their name.

Starmer, however, is - by the standards of modern political leaders - from relatively humble beginnings.

Born in 1962, Starmer grew up in a small town to the south of London. His father was a toolmaker who worked in a factory, his mother was a nurse who suffered with severe physical disabilities, which ultimately led to one of her legs being amputated.

While Starmer has never claimed to have suffered poverty, he has talked of financial struggles that affected his family, as well as the learning difficulties that held back his younger brother.

Clearly, these early experiences shaped Starmers politics. He has talked about noticing people looking down on his father for working in a factory or bullying his brother. His parents were political, naming their eldest after the first Labour leader in parliament, Keir Hardie.

unknown content item

-

Hes the first Labour leader in a generation to talk about class and snobbery, Tom Baldwin, author of Keir Starmer: The Biography, told CNN. This doesnt make him a class warrior but someone who understands the different layers of pride, aspiration and guilt He feels the sting of the disrespect his dad experienced He talks a lot about his sister who has led a precarious life as a carer, having not gone to university.

Starmer chose to study law at the University of Leeds, before completing a postgraduate degree at the University of Oxford. He initially thought he would have a legal career working for trade unions, but as his politics evolved in line with his studies, he became increasingly interested in human rights.

What does he believe?

Starmer has been on something of a journey since entering politics. He was elected to Parliament in 2015 at the age of 52 and entered the shadow cabinet a little over a year later.

Corbyn, then the Labour leader, made Starmer his Brexit chief following the 2016 referendum.

Corbyn is a controversial figure in British politics and serving in his top team is still something that haunts Starmer. Corbyn had historically been on the far left of the Labour Party. Prior to becoming leader in 2015, Corbyn had at various points in his long career supported nuclear disarmament, and withdrawal from NATO, and said it was a tragedy that Osama bin Laden was killed rather than put on trial.

Starmer was in Corbyns shadow cabinet for the 2017 and 2019 general elections  something the Conservatives bring up regularly as evidence that he is a threat to national security, having tried twice to make Corbyn prime minister.

However, Starmer has since kicked Corbyn out of the Labour Party following an investigation into antisemitism during Corbyns time as leader. Starmer has also said that he supported Corbyn knowing he would lose. Pressed on that point in a BBC Question Time program, he said Corbyn would be a better prime minister than what we got in Boris Johnson. Starmer also argues that he has brought Labour back to a position of electability.

This result proves that he was right, but critics of Starmer on the left say that he used Corbyn and his wing of the Labour Party to win the party leadership in 2020  committing to several left-wing positions such as nationalizing public services, scrapping university tuition fees and reversing Conservative welfare reforms  only to abandon those pledges once he got closer to power.

Starmer, left, and then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn talk to the media at the EU Commission headquarters on March 21, 2019 in Brussels, Belgium. - Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

James Schneider, Corbyns former communications chief, told CNN: Starmer is not a principled man. His campaign to become Labour leader was systemically dishonest. His cynicism and lack of policies to improve peoples lives will lead to a deep disillusionment that could either feed the hard right or a future peoples movement for change.

Starmer has at various times responded to accusations that he has drifted politically by saying that he puts his country before his political party, and that its only possible to change things if you are in power.

Can Starmer change Britain?

Whether you think Starmers current plan is unambitious, dishonest, or exactly what Britain needs, its impossible to push through policy without political and personal capital.

Dominic Grieve, a Conservative politician who served as attorney general while Starmer was DPP, speaks glowingly of this period.

He ran his department very efficiently and effectively at a really difficult time because his budget had been cut. It was genuinely very impressive, Grieve told CNN.

Grieve added that Starmer was able to be an effective manager because he is not bogged down with years of political ideology or baggage. He can see what is wrong and can address it.

Much as Starmers allies might see this as a strength, his opponents, from both sides of politics, see it as a weakness.

Starmer speaks while Director of Public Prosecutions, in 2010. - John Stillwell/Getty Images

To those on the right, Starmer is a man who would say anything to get in power. He is someone who supported Corbyn  who is anti-NATO and has repeatedly been accused of being a terrorist sympathizer  to get what he wants and is a danger to Britain.

To the left, he is someone who doesnt have the conviction to make radical changes and, once in office, will not be materially that different to a Conservative leader.

Starmer is now set to have an enormous majority in the House of Commons. But the future may not be so simple. Given the current state of Britains finances, the circumstances of Labours victory and, even Starmers own personality traits, it might mean he doesnt have quite the blank check that a leader with virtually no opposition in parliament would typically enjoy.

An inability to turn that parliamentary power into tangible results at a time when voters are crying out for something different could mean that five years from now, his moderate, safety-first center-left program may ultimately be seen as just as big a political gamble as any of those the Conservatives took in the past 14 years.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Insights from The New Statesman, Le Grand Continent, and Foreign Affairs

The News

After a historic victory in Thursdays elections, Keir Starmers Labour Party has vowed to reset the UKs foreign policy, and to prove that Britain is back on the world stage.

Starmers first week in office will be focused on the NATO summit in Washington, followed by a meeting with European leaders in the UK, testing Labours lofty foreign policy ambitions right off the bat.

Our foreign policy would begin with three resets  with Europe, on climate and with the global south, David Lammy, who was appointed foreign secretary on Friday, told the Financial Times.

Also on the agenda will be a full audit of Britains China policy, a reassessment of the UKs military, and maintaining the countrys strong support for Ukraine.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Labour pushes for security ties with Europe while avoiding divisive Brexit issues

Sources: Politico, Center for European Reform, Atlantic Council

Labour is seeking to sign new security agreements with France and Germany, and is also aiming to negotiate a defense pact with the European Union. The party sees these deals as long-hanging fruit in its effort to improve ties with the bloc, although the EU will likely be reluctant to offer the UK a special status post-Brexit that goes beyond what partners like the US, Canada, and Japan already have, experts at the Center for European Reform argued. This reluctance will also make Labours ambitions of removing trade barriers difficult. Europe is unlikely to accept UK efforts to cherry-pick access to its single market, an Atlantic Council expert wrote.

New foreign secretary touts progressive realism

Sources: Le Grand Continent, The New Statesman

David Lammy, who has been appointed as the UKs head diplomat, has touted a doctrine of progressive realism, saying he will wield British power to fight climate change and bolster democracy worldwide. So far, Lammy has emerged as a canny operator, developing relationships with his European counterparts, hosting briefings for French officials, and tweeting in different languages to reach a wider audience. Lammy is friends with former US President Barack Obama, and is closely connected to Democratic leadership, while also quietly building ties to Republicans politicians, campaign aides, and think tanks that could play important roles in a potential second Trump administration.

Britains gradual decline may be hard to halt

Sources: Foreign Affairs, Devex, Chatham House

However well Labour manages its immediate foreign policy priorities, it is unlikely to halt Britains fundamental decline, Irish journalist Fintal OToole argued in Foreign Affairs. Recent wage growth has been the lowest in any peacetime period since the Napoleonic Wars. Meanwhile, Starmers Labour has an omerta around the one thing that could provide a much needed economic boost: seeking to rejoin the EUs single market or customs union, OToole wrote. The UKs economic malaise has already limited Britains role on the world stage: Labour has no plans to reverse huge cuts to the countrys overseas aid budget, and questions remain about how the government will be able to fund increased defense spending.
Keir Starmer Speaks Of Weariness In The Heart Of A Nation As He Uses First Prime Ministerial Speech To Attempt To Bridge Political Divides

Keir Starmer made an immediate attempt to bridge political divides this afternoon and said there is weariness in the heart of the UK that requires fixing as he addressed the masses for the first time as Prime Minister.

Stood outside the steps of his new 10 Downing Street home after visiting King Charles III, the Labour Party leader was noticeably non-partisan, speaking directly to those who chose to put their cross in alternative parties boxes.

More from Deadline

If you voted Labour yesterday we will carry the responsibility of our trust as we rebuild our country, but whether you voted for us or not  in fact especially if not  I say to you directly my government will serve you, he said.

In what appeared a barbed remark at his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, Starmer, whose party won a landslide, said Labour will govern unburdened by doctrine, guided by a determination to serve your interests, to defy those who have written our country off.

He faced the countrys many challenges and criticisms of politicians head on, positing that when the gap between sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to weariness in the heart of a nation.

This lack of trust can be healed by actions not words, he added. Our country needs a big reset  a rediscovery of who we are. There are people who were doing the right thing and felt they were recognized before yet as soon as the cameras stopped rolling their lives are ignored. I want to say very clearly to those people  not this time.

Starmer offered an olive branch to now-predecessor Rishi Sunak, paying tribute to his achievement as the first British Asian Prime Minister of our country and the extra effort that will have required.

Running counter to what was sometimes a bruising campaign, Sunak earlier today called Starmer a decent, public-spirited man, whom I respect, after handing over the keys to Number 10.

Labour won with a landslide, while the Conservatives were consigned to electoral oblivion, dented by the rise of Nigel Farages Reform UK. Only two seats are still to be counted.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Supporters react as Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, delivers a victory speech during a Labour Party election night results watch event in London, UK, on Friday, July 5, 2024. Credit - Betty Laura ZapataBloomberg/Getty Images

Labour has won a landslide victory in the U.K. election, bringing a decisive end to 14 years of Conservative government marked by austerity, Brexit tumult, the COVID-19 pandemic, and political chaos with five Tory Prime Ministers in a mere six years.

Keir Starmer walked into 10 Downing Street on Friday as the new Prime Minister with the largest majority of any party since 1832. But while this electoral triumph is a remarkable turnaround for a party that saw its worst election results since the 1930s during the last contest in 2019, Starmers Labour government will take on a profoundly difficult in-tray with many public services at breaking point and spending plans unlikely to meet the scale of Britains current crises.

Read More: The Man Who Wants to Fix Britain

Hospital performance is arguably the worst in the National Health Services history: waiting times have been the longest on record, and targets for elective care, emergency services, and cancer treatment have not been met since 2016. The NHS routinely tops the polls of issues the public are most concerned about, and they will be expecting fast improvements.

The economic situation is just as challenging. The U.K. has had one of the slowest recoveries from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among major advanced economies, partly reflecting the countrys vulnerability to higher energy prices after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The after-effects of Brexit continue to be felt, with the U.K.s departure from the E.U. this far imposing extra costs for little economic benefit. Repeated central government failures have thwarted efforts to reduce regional inequality. And there is a persistent but poorly-understood problem with growing levels of economic inactivity among working age adults. After a prolonged crisis in living standards, these are still unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels for at least a year.

It is an inheritance which is complex and challenging. Some of these challenges have been exacerbated by a difficult external context, such as the pandemic or Russias invasion of Ukraine. Yet many of these problems have been exacerbated, or caused, by persistent short-termism in British politics and an unwillingness to grip problems that are evident.

The prisons crisis is a case in point. The U.K. is just days away from running out of cells. It is likely that the new government will have to grapple with emergency measures, including more early releases to ease pressure. This state of emergency has been brewing for years. Successive justice secretaries and Prime Ministers have chosen not to address the drivers of the crisis; some have added to them. Since 2010, budgets have been cut and supply of places under-delivered, while prison sentences have continued to grow. The prior governments own projections have implied that prisons would suffer a severe capacity crisis without a sudden course change. That never came.

But for all the problems in the Starmer governments in-tray, this is also a moment of opportunity. After years of short-termism and instabilitysome warranted and lots less soa new Labour government, not scarred by scandal and internal division, and with a huge majority in parliament should be well placed to make difficult choices, tackle long-standing problems, and bring fresh thinking to complex policy challenges.

Indeed, the incoming Starmer Labour government has built its pitch around the long-term. Mission-driven governmentthe idea of governing around a series of ambitious and long-term goals on the NHS, clean energy, growth, safer streets, and breaking down barriers to opportunityis at the heart of this new governments plans. This approach acknowledges that change must happen in partnershipworking with other tiers of government, civil society, and industryand Labour has already set out initial steps toward their missions.

Missions have been criticized for being vague. But in fact Labour has started to sketch out both policy detail and the apparatus of government behind them. A series of first steps have been published and there are a host of policy commitments already on the bookslike doubling the number of NHS scannerswhich give an indication of early policy intentions. We also know more of how these missions will be organized in government: an overarching committee, chaired by Starmer, with roles for Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and other senior Labour officials; mission boards, with Starmer again in the chair; roles for experienced outsiders to share their expertise; and a plan to focus the Treasury more toward growth and investment.

Starmer and his government must now use their first days, weeks, and months in office to push forward. Part of this will be continuing to signal missions are at the heart of the new governmentone of the most crucial roles of a Prime Minister is encouraging a relentless focus on what matters most and missions should feature in his early speeches. Governance structures intended to bring in outside voices should be complemented with a broader culture change toward working beyond central government, and putting power in the right places. Again, Starmer can signal this himselfprioritizing early calls to leaders of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Perhaps most importantly, Labour should commit real money to missions. Many have asked whether Labours spending plans will be able to match the ambition of missions. Much can be achieved by spending existing money more effectivelyfor instance, devoting more to prevention on health care, or to capital investment in buildings and equipment. One of the big tests will be whether spending is successfully allocated to missions in Labours first multi-year spending review, likely in 2025.

The inheritance facing this government is daunting, and the new Prime Minister will need to act quicklyand start to show results. But while these problems would challenge any government, Starmer has the opportunityand seemingly the resolveto govern differently. This means ending policy instability that has stymied relations with industry; reforming public services; rebuilding ministerial relations with the civil service; working beyond Whitehall; and, perhaps most importantly, bringing a sense of ambition to what government can help achieve.

None of this is easy. But, for the first time in a long while, it feels possible.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Scientists are among the few who have not been surprised by the intensity and precocity of Hurricane Beryl. This storm became a hurricane on June 30; 42 days earlier than the average of previous years, and reached the highest category of the Saffir-Simpson scale in less than 45 hours. It thus becomes the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season and the fastest hurricane to reach Category 5 intensity in the last century. Kerry Emanuel, meteorologist and professor emeritus of Atmospheric Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is one of the experts who was not surprised by Beryl: for decades he has been warning that these climatic events would increase in severity as a consequence of global warming. According to Emanuel, Beryl is a preview of what is to come: This confirms that the predictions we made years ago are correct.

For decades, the scientific community has correlated rising sea temperatures with more and more intense hurricanes. For hurricanes to form, the ocean temperature has to reach 26C (80F). The Atlantic reached that temperature in May, even though it is typically recorded from September onwards. The La Nina phenomenon and carbon dioxide and aerosol emissions (induced by humans) are the main reasons why Beryl thinks that we are in September. We are witnessing an extremely atypical moment, says Rodney Martinez, representative of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for North America, Central America and the Caribbean. UNICEF warns that more than 3 million children are at risk from the hurricane.

Recently, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted an above normal tropical hurricane season. The NOAA forecast that between 17 and 25 storms will be powerful enough to be named, of which between eight and 13 are forecast to become hurricanes, and four and seven to be major hurricanes. In other words, they will be Category 3 or higher, with winds of 111 mph or higher, and waves 3.6 meters high. If this forecast is correct, this would be almost double the number of hurricanes than the average of previous years.

Rodney Martinez is concerned about the forecast. This is unprecedented. Sea temperatures have been breaking records for 14 months, he explains by phone. The trend now, he explains, is for these record highs to continue. We already saw what happened with Otis, and we are seeing something even more intense now. It doesnt seem like the situation is going to be reversed.

A car in the rain drives past a collapsed post as Hurricane Beryl hits the southern coast of the island, in Kingston, Jamaica, July 3, 2024. Marco Bello (REUTERS)

Although some scientists  and especially politicians  are more cautious when it comes to directly blaming climate change, both Emanuel and Martinez are clear about the connection. It is a problem of the present, not of the future, says the MIT researcher. They are not the only ones. A study from October 2022 argues that 10% of the rain that Hurricane Ian dropped on Florida was due to the climate crisis. And the WMO  which belongs to the United Nations  recognized that global warming will lead to an increasing percentage of powerful hurricanes. Climate science is increasingly able to show that many of the extreme weather events that we are experiencing have become more likely and more intense due to human-induced climate change, warned WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas in mid-2022.

Although the climate crisis affects the entire planet, the effects are not felt equally. The Atlantic tends to warm more easily. Although this difference is less than a degree, it has a huge impact since wind and sea temperatures are what drives hurricanes. That is why in this transition season between the El Nino and La Nina phenomena, in which high-altitude winds are reduced, there is nothing stopping this type of storm. All the ingredients are coming together for the intensity to increase, Martinez explains.

Fallen trees, flooded streets, torn off roofs, floating cars and completely crushed boats. These are some of the images left in its wake by Hurricane Beryl, which was the first Category 5 storm to hit the small Caribbean islands, leaving at least seven dead. We know that these events leave islands that had no experience with these intensities with almost no capacity to respond, says Martinez.

Only two hurricanes have made landfall in Jamaica in the last 40 years: Sandy in 2012 and Gilbert in 1988. No hurricane as strong as Beryl has even come close to the coast of Jamaica since Category 4 Dean hit the south of the country in 2007.

Advance early warning systems

The increasing intensity of hurricanes and the inability of forecasting more than three or four days in advance make the task of preparing the population and sending evacuation alerts very difficult. The digital divides (with more than 60% of rural areas in Latin America without internet) and the difficulty of accessing certain territories mean that early warnings do not always reach the people in time.

Thats why both NOAA and WMO are working on new forecast models that will help assess the likelihood of rapid intensification and more inclusive warning systems. A tremendous amount of progress has been made, but were still not getting to the last mile of the territory, says Martinez. Urgent progress is needed in Latin America, the worlds most disaster-prone region. Some 1.9 million people  including half a million children  have been affected by a disaster in the Caribbean alone.

A man checks a vehicle damaged by flooding after Hurricane Beryl hit the Venezuelan coast. SAMIR APONTE (REUTERS)

The agencies offer similar recommendations to the affected populations: charge cell phones, take shelter in a safe place away from the coast, keep bottles of water nearby and be very attentive to information from local authorities. Although some citizens are familiar with these hurricanes, authorities warn against underestimating the situation.

Emanuel points out this is not a problem for tomorrow, but one that is having an impact today, and calls for more conversation on climate migration: It has become fashionable to live on the coasts and governments are practically subsidizing it. Relocating all the populations that are exposed to this type of circumstances is going to cost a fortune. Guaranteeing that right is what really worries me.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
King Charles Appoints Keir Starmer as New U.K. Prime Minister  the Third of His Less Than 2-Year Reign

Queen Elizabeth saw 15 prime ministers across her more than 70 years on the throne, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss, and King Charles has now had three in under two years

YUI MOK/POOL/AFP via Getty Keir Starmer meets King Charles at Buckingham Palace

King Charles continued a royal tradition by appointing the U.K.'s new prime minister Friday.

Following the results of the July 4 election, the King officially welcomed Labour Party leader Kier Starmer into the position following his landslide victory over Rishi Sunak.

According to the U.K. Parliament, the British monarch traditionally meets with the departing prime minister before the incoming premier comes in for a private audience. For the short period between the meetings, certain executive powers are vested in the monarch.

Charles experienced this on Friday after Sunak arrived at Buckingham Palace and tended his resignation at around 10.30 a.m. local time. Starmer traveled to the Palace shortly afterward, accompanied by his wife Lady Victoria Starmer.

The new British leader later had a private audience with Charles. The official Court Circular will now record that Starmer kissed the King's hands "on appointment" but this is not literally the case and just signifies the monarch's position as Head of State.

YUI MOK/POOL/AFP via Getty Keir Starmer meets King Charles at Buckingham Palace

YUI MOK/POOL/AFP via Getty Keir Starmer meets King Charles at Buckingham Palace

Related: Liz Truss Recalls Meeting Queen Elizabeth 2 Days Before Her Death: 'No Idea...Things Were So Imminent'

"The monarch appoints a prime minister under the Royal Prerogative which forms part of common law," the U.K. Parliament website explains. "The monarch does so by asking the new prime minister to form an administration, to which they usually respond, 'Yes.' "

According to the Cabinet Manuel, "Historically, the sovereign has made use of reserve powers to dismiss a prime minister or to make a personal choice of successor, although this was last used in 1834 and was regarded as having undermined the sovereign. In modern times the convention has been that the sovereign should not be drawn into party politics."

Starmer is the third person to hold the position of prime minister since King Charles acceded to the throne less than two years ago upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.

JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer outside No.10 Downing Street

Queen Elizabeth's final royal duty was appointing Liz Truss as prime minister on Sept 6, 2022, just two days before the history-making monarch died. In a departure from tradition, the appointment occurred at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. A source told PEOPLE that the decision was made to host the audience at Balmoral to provide certainty for schedules amid the Queen's mobility issues, and outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson also traveled to Scotland for the formal farewell from his post.

Queen Elizabeth saw a total of 15 prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Truss, during her 70 years on the throne.

Jane Barlow - WPA Pool/Getty Queen Elizabeth appoints Liz Truss as prime minister on Sept. 6, 2022

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!

With Queen Elizabeth's death and King Charles' accession, Truss became the first U.K. prime minister since Churchill to serve under two different monarchs. Churchill served as prime minister from 1940 to 1945, during the reign of King George VI, then again from 1951 to 1955.

Truss delivered a reading at Queen Elizabeths funeral at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19, 2022, and became the shortest-serving prime minister in U.K. history when she resigned 45 days into her premiership the following month.

Sunak was then 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.

Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images King Charles appoints Rishi Sunak as prime minister on Oct. 25, 2022

Buckingham Palace said in a statement following the meeting, "The King received in Audience The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak MP today and requested him to form a new Administration. Mr. Sunak accepted His Majesty's offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury."

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.
The British people delivered Prime Minister Rishi Sunak an unambiguous and devastating message in Thursdays general election, ending 14 years of Conservative rule with the partys worst electoral result in its 200-year history. With the scale of his crushing defeat to Labour leader Keir Starmer clear, Sunak began his departure Friday with an apology.

I will shortly be seeing his majesty the king to offer my resignation as prime minister, Sunak said outside 10 Downing Street Friday before heading to Buckingham Palace for a private meeting with King Charles III. To the country, I would like to say first and foremost: I am sorry, he continued. I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change, and yours is the only judgment that matters. I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.

Conservatives Routed in Worst Election Result for 200 Years

With most districts counted, Labour will sweep to power with at least 412 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons. But this being Britain, theres the inevitable rigmarole of a royal ceremony to go through before the country officially has its new prime minister.

The king technically has the final say on who becomes the prime minister of the U.K. governmentofficially His Majestys Governmentthough his seal approval is more or less entirely ceremonial in Britains constitutional monarchy system. The journeys to the palace made by the outgoing and incoming prime minister are nevertheless closely covered by the British media, with TV helicopters following their cars making their way to the palace gates for the highly symbolic handover of power.

Friday marked the first time Charles will confirm a new prime minister following a general election. Starmer will nevertheless be Charles third prime minister since the kings reign began less than two years ago. His first was Liz Trussthe catastrophically inept Tory leader who lasted less than two months in office after triggering an economic crisis. Truss, who was appointed prime minister by Queen Elizabeth II two days before the queens death, lost her parliamentary seat in Thursdays electionthe first former prime minister to do so in almost 90 years.

But today the humiliation is Sunaks. Shortly after he left the palace, Starmer entered for his own audience with Charles in a ceremony known as kissing hands. Its doubtful that any hands were actually kissed during the closed-door audience, but a picture showed the monarch and the new prime minister side by side, confirming Starmers status. The newly minted Prime Minister Starmer then traveled to Downing Street.

This was the moment Britain's prime minister, Rishi Sunak, first acknowledged losing, as he won his own seat in parliament. Independent candidate Niko Omilana had the "L" sign prepared for the event. Temilade Adelaja

After greeting crowds of flag-waving supporters outside No. 10, Starmer made his first prime ministerial speech in front of the famous black door of his new home. I have just returned from Buckingham Palace, where I accepted an invitation from his majesty the king to form the next government of this great nation, he said.

Starmer used his speech to praise Sunak on his achievement as the first British Asian prime minister before saying that a weariness had developed in the heart of the nation. This wound, this lack of trust can only be healed by actions, not words, Starmer said. He later added: I invite you all to join this government of service in the mission of national renewal, Starmer said. Our work is urgent, and we begin it today.

As well as his prime ministerial car, Starmer will also be getting the keys to the apartment thats been Sunaks home for the last two years. Vans were reported outside No. 10 early Friday which will cart the Conservatives belongings away to allow his Labour successor to move in quickly, a brutally swift process which characterizes the breakneck speed with which Britain replaces its rulers.

BRITAIN-ELECTION/ British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reacts, at Number 10 Downing Street, following the results of the election. Kevin Coombs/Reuters

The Tories can now begin some seriously painful soul-searching about how they got here. While Labour have won a massive landslide almost as big as Tony Blairs huge victory in 1997, the results show a British public more passionate about getting rid of the Conservatives rather than installing Labour, specifically. The Tories suffered a disastrous 20-point drop in support since the last election in 2019with Labour enjoying only a minor bump in support.

Instead, Labours victory appears to have been fueled by a rise in support for Nigel Farages hard-right, MAGA-like Reform party which has eaten into the Conservatives vote share across the U.K. (Donald Trump publicly congratulated Farage, a man who truly loves his Country for winning a parliamentary seat for the first time, ending a run of seven failed attempts). A collapse in support for the scandal-ridden Scottish National Party (SNP) in Scotland also helped, as did a surge in backing for the centrist Liberal Democrats, who look set to receive their highest number of seats in over a century.

Labour were also boosted by Sunak running a spectacularly awful campaign. He started poorly, getting soaked as he announced the election in the pouring rain inexplicably without an umbrella, and continued to go downhill from there. Sunak was forced to apologize last month after ditching D-Day commemoration events early in order to film a TV interview, and even found himself dealing with a fresh scandal around election betting just days out from the national vote.

Sunak also confirmed in his speech Friday hell also resign as the leader of the Conservatives. Not immediately, he said. But once the formal arrangements for selecting my successor are in place. Sunaks wife Akshata Murtythe daughter of a man who co-founded a tech firm now worth $81 billionstood dutifully behind her husband as he delivered the brief eulogy on his premiership. She was holding an umbrella, just in case.

The brutally quick end to power as a British prime minister was obvious Friday as Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty left his official residence hand in hand. Toby Melville/Reuters

The Tory battering also saw a record eight cabinet ministers losing their seatsincluding Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps, the defense secretary. Jeremy Hunt, the finance minister, managed to retain his seat by fewer than 900 votes. But Hunt and his familyand their dogbegan the Downing Street departures on Friday morning, leaving No. 11 for the last time on another rainy morning in London.

We can look forward again, walk into the morning, Starmer said in a speech when his historic victory was confirmed in the early hours. The sunlight of hopepale at firstbut getting stronger through the day, shining once again on a country with the opportunity, after 14 years, to get its future back.

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.
Many would agree that one of the most pleasing sights that Fairfield County has to offer is the seas of green presented by fields of growing corn. In mid-July, however, the careful observer will notice the emergence of yellow plumes reaching for the sky from the very top of the plant. Known to most as corn tasseling, these golden strands mark the commencement of corn reproduction.

Each tassel houses a plethora of pollen grains, between 14 million and 18 million, resembling a fine yellow powder that is easily dispersed by the wind. These grains contain the male corn genes, half of what is needed for a new corn kernel. Meanwhile, a few feet below await the female components needed for procreation.

Hundreds of minuscule flowers are aligned on tiny, sheathed cobs, jutting upwards towards their male counterparts. Each of these tiny female flowers have the ability to develop into a kernel of cornbut only if a grain of pollen can find its way to it!

March corn made new contract lows after seeing the USDA announce this week there was a record yield of 177.3 bushels per acre nationally, up a whopping 2.4 bushels per acre from the November 2023 report.

The process is further complicated by the fact that these female flowers and their cobs are enveloped by a husk and completely sheltered from the world, thus not allowing the pollen to make direct contact.

Instead, each female flower sends out a single, sticky strand of silk with the purpose of securing a floating grain of corn pollen. Its no coincidence, that these silky strands emerge on the very same day the tassel is set to release its powdery pollen.

The story only gets stranger when a grain of pollen aligns with the tip of a strand of silk. Once recognized, it tunnels its way down through the thread to finally unite and fertilize the female flower. This entire process can take several hours to complete, and upon achievement the silky threads almost immediately begin to dry up.

The small, underdeveloped kernels you often find towards the end of an ear of corn resulted from flowers that were unsuccessful in engaging male suitors to venture down their tubes of silk, thus were not successfully pollinated.

So, the next time you smell that wondrously bright, musky odor emerging from a neighboring cornfield, youll know that love is, indeed, in the air.

Source: Carrie Brown, Fairfield County ANR Educator

Weather extremes abound

Climate Summary - June was a warm month for Ohio, with temperatures averaging 1-3F above the long-term mean (1991-2020). This was especially true for June 16-22, a 5-day stretch with daytime highs at or above 90F. This was the second longest consecutive 90-degree day stretch for Toledo for the month of June. Growing degree days continue to run 120-180 days above normal, evident by the advanced growth in our crops across the state (tasseling corn, flowering beans, and early wheat harvest).

Precipitation has been a tale of extremes as well. Very heavy rainfall has occurred the last two weeks across northern counties with reports of 5-8 (e.g., Fulton, Lake, and Ashtabula Counties). Counties along and south of about I-70 have picked up much less over this period, with areas running 25-50% of normal for the last 30 days.

As of June 25, the US Drought Monitor depicts 21% of Ohio in Moderate Drought Conditions. The driest areas are focused in the southwest, far southeast, and around the Cleveland and southern suburbs.

Pasture conditions are starting to deteriorate in portions of south-central Ohio while crops stress has been minimal for most of the state. For the latest up-to-date conditions, seasonal outlooks, and monthly climate summaries, please visit the State Climate office of Ohio https://climate.osu.edu/

Weather Forecast - Mild temperatures and low humidity levels are starting this first week of July off just right. However, a warm front will move through on Tuesday bringing with it highs in the 80s and 90s on Tuesday and Wednesday. A few late day showers and storms are possible on Wednesday, with widespread showers and storms expected for Thursday. A few storms could be severe so be weather aware during July 4th activities. Additional showers and storms are possible on Friday before a cold front sweeps moisture out of the area for the weekend. Temperatures will be close to seasonal normals for Thursday through Sunday, with highs generally in the 80s but overnight lows in the 60s and 70s. The Weather Prediction Center is currently forecasting 0.50-2.00 for the state over the next 7 days. The heaviest precipitation will be localized but does appear to concentrate across southern counties currently in need of water.

The 8-14 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center and the 16-Day Rainfall Outlook from NOAA/NWS/Ohio River Forecast Center show temperatures are likely to be above average with precipitation probability leaning toward wetter than average. Climate averages include a high-temperature range of 83-86F, a low-temperature range of 60-66F, and weekly total precipitation of 0.90-1.20.

Source: Aaron Wilson, State Climatologist of Ohio

Crop Observation and Recommendation Network

C.O.R.N. Newsletter is a summary of crop observations, related information, and appropriate recommendations for Ohio crop producers and industry. C.O.R.N. Newsletter is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy Team, state specialists at The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). C.O.R.N. Newsletter questions are directed to Extension and OARDC state specialists and associates at Ohio State.

Upcoming events

Fairfield County Local Foods Tour - Mirabelle Farm & Vineyard: 6 to 7 p.m. July 9: Join OSU Extension in Fairfield County to learn more about Mirabelle Farm and Vineyard. Attendees will be able to learn more about the vineyard as well as take a tour. No cost to attend, but please let us know if you are coming so we can plan. Register at https://go.osu.edu/fclocal.

Let's Preserve Series  at Keller Market House, 134 S. Columbus Street: Are you planning to preserve summer produce? Join Shannon Carter, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator and Sandy Bohl,Instructor, with Ohio State University Extension Fairfield County to learn more. Call 740-653-5419 to register

Freezing: Tuesday, July 9, 6 to 7 p.m.

Dehydrating: Tuesday, Aug. 6, 6 to 7 p.m.

Canning Basics: Tuesday, Aug. 20, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Let's Preserve Series - at Wagnalls Memorial Library

Freezing Thurs., July 11, 6 to 7 p.m.

Dehydrating Thurs., Aug. 8, 6 to 7 p.m.

Canning Basics (water bath/pressure) Thurs., August 22, 6 to 7:30 p.m

Registration: Call Wagnalls Memorial Library to register at 614-837-4765Questions: contact Shannon Carter, carter.413@osu.edu or 740-653-5419

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Knee high by the Fourth of July: The birds and bees of corn
Knee-high by the Fourth of July? Farmers laugh at that

Knee-high by the Fourth of July? Farmers laugh at that

BURT, N.Y. (WIVB)  Did you grow up hearing that corn should be growing knee-high by the Fourth of July? I did some corn spotting around Niagara County today and quickly learned that the height of the corn depends on what kind of corn it is, when it was planted, what the weather has been, the irrigation, and much more.

Jeff Hiller of Hillers Sweet Corn Farm Market in Burt, N.Y., sees this as a very good year for sweet corn.

I would say the quality is going to be fantastic, Hiller said.

Farmer Jeff Hiller of Burt, N.Y., checks the growth of his corn crop on July 4.

Standing in one of his corn fields, with the corn tassels waving over his 511 frame, Hiller gently laughed at the phrase knee-high by the Fourth of July and suggested it sprouted from farm lore long ago, before growing methods and agricultural science changed the landscape for corn farmers.

A quick check on a search engine shows that while the phrase knee-high by the Fourth of July has become outdated by modern farming methods, it always signaled that the farm was on track for a bountiful harvest. Thats exactly what Hiller sees this year.

Hes about two days away from harvesting his crop of bi-color corn and about two weeks away from bringing in his all-white varieties.

This sweet corn was picked on the Fourth of July at Harris Farm in Gasport

Hiller said the weather varies so widely across Western New York that not all local farmers are seeing the crop growth that he is.

Farmers in the area stay in close contact with each other, Hiller said, and exchange ideas and information about the health of their fields. He pointed out that farmers in the Ransomville area took a hit about two weeks ago when heavy rains soaked their fields.

Overall, Hiller was optimistic on this Fourth of July as he looked across the corn fields that his grandfather, Bernard, first tilled in the hamlet of Burt decades ago when he started the family business by setting up a card table in the front yard to sell vegetables.

Today, the Hillers Sweet Corn Farm Market had shoppers lined up on this holiday while sweet corn grown and picked on nearby Harris Farm in Gasport was being grabbed up for dinner tables. Its a holiday, but still a workday for Hiller, who headed back to the fields after declaring his corn season so far as ideal.

Latest Local News

Jacquie Walker is an award-winning anchor and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 1983. 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 News 4 Buffalo.
The Knoxville Fire Department is urging community members to not set off fireworks because of the hot and dry weather expected over the next few days.

"This means the potential for fireworks to cause fires remains high, and we ask the public to refrain from using fireworks," KFD Assistant Chief Mark Wilbanks said in a news release.

Knox County is considered abnormally dry by dought.gov.

Fireworks caused several fires over the July 4 holiday, including a home and a car, and crews responded to a few more calls compared to the 2023 holiday.

Fires started by fireworks in Knoxville

Knoxville crews fight a July 5 fire at 1946 Ohio Ave. A Knoxville Fire Department spokesman said the fire was started by fireworks.

KFD was dispatched to a house fire at 1946 Ohio Ave., where a serious fire started on the roof a vacant home. The fire was extinguished in 10 minutes and the home suffered moderate damage. Fire crews said it was caused by fireworks.

Near Gloria Garner Street and New York Avenue, a car was engulfed in flames when police and fire crews arrived. A fire department spokesman said in a news release juveniles were shooting fireworks from the car and it caught on fire. All five suffered burns and were treated at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

In Lonsdale, one firefighter was hurt when a firework was shot into the cab of a firetruck. The firefighter suffered possible hearing damage, and equipment received minor damage.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville Fire Department: Don't light fireworks because it's too dry
Fridays Top Stories

Fridays Five Facts

[1] South Fork and Salt Fire update  Fire crews are working to get the south South Fork and Salt fires fully contained. The South Fork Fire is 87% contained and the Salt Fire is at 84% containment. Investigators announced lightning sparked the South Fork Fire, they are still working to determine the cause of the Salt Fire. The Lincoln National Forest has lifted all fire restrictions and is lowering fire danger in the area from High Fire Danger to Moderate.

[2] Syringes in the streets: Who cleans them up in Albuquerque?  Keeping city streets and parks clean of used syringes is a full time job. While there are safe disposal boxes at different locations around the city, many syringes end up scattered across the ground. The Parks and Recreation department staff works to respond to reports of syringes found on the ground. The city says when people report sharp litter to their 311 system they respond within 24 to 48 hours to clean it up.

[3] Cooler, humid and breezier weather  Rain is set to return for more areas in New Mexico today. In The Pecos River Valley flooding thunderstorms will be even more likely today in the burn-scar areas Ruidoso, as well as much of the northeastern plains. Temperatures will reach the upper 70s in the northern mountains while 80s, 90s, and near-100 degree temperatures in other parts of the state.

[4] Mr. Powdrells Barbeque says goodbye with July 4th celebration  After decades of business Mr. Powdrells Barbeque is officially closed after being open since 1984. Thursday, customers lined up outside the restaurant hours before doors opened for one last chance to order. The restaurant says although it wont have a physical location, they are exploring different outlets like catering, special events and wholesale distribution of their barbecue sauce.

[5] California man walks thousands of miles for charity, stops in New Mexico  A California man recently crossed through New Mexico as he walks across the entire country. Ranger Kielaks journey began in March in Myrtle Beach. Kielak is completing this journey to raise money for three nonprofits. He started walking through New Mexico in June and and is now in Arizona. Kielak says he loves New Mexicos landscape.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held a call with his new British counterpart, David Lammy, on July 5, congratulating him on "taking charge of U.K. diplomacy."

"I am grateful to my counterpart for reaffirming the U.K.s ironclad support for Ukraine in all areas," he said in a post on X. "We discussed next steps in our bilateral relations and also paid specific attention to the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington. [The] foreign secretary accepted my invitation to visit Ukraine."

I just spoke with the UK's newly appointed Foreign Secretary @DavidLammy and congratulated him on taking charge of UK diplomacy.



I am grateful to my counterpart for reaffirming the UKs ironclad support for Ukraine in all areas.



We discussed next steps in our bilateral  Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) July 5, 2024

Lammy became the new U.K. foreign secretary on July 5 after the Labour Party's landslide victory in the country's general election.

In a visit to Kyiv in May, the then-shadow foreign secretary vowed to maintain support for Ukraine and said Russian dictator Vladimir Putin represented a "new fascism in Europe."

Speaking of the then-upcoming election, he added: "The message... I bring is that there may be a change of government in the UK this year but therell be no change in our policy to stand with the people of Ukraine."

Read also: The Counteroffensive: What UK Labours landslide election means for Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The man chosen by British voters to take the reins of the United Kingdom in the coming years is methodical and calculating, even when it comes to highlighting his humble origins. The team that surrounds Keir Starmer, 61, and the journalists who follow his career, joke about the phrases that the candidate has repeated ad nauseam during the campaign. The two most repeated are: My dad was a toolmaker and our pebble-dash semi. These memories are not chosen at random. The first recalls an English working class proud of what they produce with their hands. The second, the standard home of any lower-middle class British family.

When Starmer won the leadership of the Labor Party in April 2020, the party was in ruins. His predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, had suffered a decisive defeat against the Conservative candidate, Boris Johnson, in the 2019 elections.

It was up to the newcomer to put an end to a turbulent and confusing era, in which the party attracted and activated millions of young voters with its radical turn to the left, but in turn, scared away millions of middle-class voters. The way Corbyn then muddled through Brexit  the most important issue facing a generation  also hurt Labour. Starmer, who had been the partys spokesperson for everything related to Brexit  and the main defender of holding a second referendum  secured the leadership of the party at the worst possible time.

And although he initially promised not to deviate from the radical path opened by his predecessor, the new Labor leader was very clear about how to change the party to focus less on protesting in the streets, and more on aspiring to govern. In just four years, he moved the partys political proposals towards the center. According to his supporters, it was 21st century version of the successful path Tony Blair undertook with New Labour.

After the defeat of 1983 [Margaret Thatcher swept the polls and began a successful second term], we had to go through the leadership of Neil Kinnock, John Smith and, finally, Tony Blair. Fourteen years to reach a position in which we were able to regain power again, Nick Thomas-Symonds, historian, lawyer, Labours shadow secretary of state for international trade, told EL PAIS a year ago. Keir Starmer has managed to do it in three years, which is truly remarkable. If you had told me after the 2019 defeat that Labor was going to have a 20-point lead in the polls today, I wouldnt have believed it.

A father and a son

Two circumstances help define the human side of a politician whom many call a robot, without the slightest dose of charisma. His mother, Josephine Starmer, suffered most of her life from Stills Disease, a rare and painful type of inflammatory arthritis that kept her hospitalized for long periods. An unconditional voter of the Labour Party, she died two weeks before her son took a seat in the House of Commons for the first time, in 2015. The steroids and the disease together towards the last years of her life meant she couldnt walk, she couldnt move her limbs, she couldnt speak, Starmer said in one interview, where he opened up about his private life. Shes never spoken to our children and in the end ended up having her leg amputated.

Married to Victoria Starmer, who works in the National Health Services (NHS) occupational health, and father of two children aged 16 and 13, he has until now lived in Kentish Town, north London. At 6 p.m. every Friday, except for unavoidable emergencies, he leaves aside the Labour leadership and acts as father and husband. Its a positive reminder of a life before politics, although he has always been committed to public service. As a human rights lawyer, he was involved in all the major left-wing litigation against Margaret Thatchers neoliberal revolution. The rumor that the writer Helen Fielding was inspired by the young Starmer when she created the character Mark Darcy in Bridget Joness Diary has never faded. As head of the Crown Prosecution Service (a position equivalent to that of state attorney general)  which for much of his tenure was under a Conservative government , he fed the tabloid press and gave himself publicity with headlines purporting to be tough on crime.

British environmental activists Helen Steel, second right, and David Morris, right, discuss with their lawyer Keir Starmer, seated, as they wait for the beginning of their hearing at the European Court for Human Rights Tuesday Sept. 7, 2004, in Strasbourg, eastern France. Christian Lutz (AP)

He has not failed to mention, throughout the campaign, that part of his professional past. It was his way of reminding voters that, deep down, he is a man who respects institutions, law and order, seriousness and rigor. But with a tough left-wing soul, preserved through an academic career of merit  so typical of the United Kingdom , which took him to grammar school (a public school of excellence, for the best-performing students) of Reigate; later to the University of Leeds (Human Rights) and Oxford (Civil Law), until becoming a lawyer.

The party and the country

Nothing preserves the unity of a political party more than the smell of near victory. Labours left wing has not forgiven Starmer for the ruthless way in which he disposed of his predecessor, Corbyn, whom he accused of tolerating antisemitism  accusations he then leveled, slowly and coldly, against all of Corbyns allies. But the new leader has been able to control the party and avoid internal rebellions at delicate moments, such as when his initial timid criticism of the Israeli bombings in Gaza sparked many local party members and representatives to resign. Starmer rectified and straightened the course.

Country first, party second, he has repeated incessantly these months, every time he has been criticized for a tactical decision disapproved by Labours left wing. It was a message to moderate British voters, who have always been suspicious of Labours hidden radicalism.

His pragmatism has been useful in overcoming the obstacles of the turbulent years in opposition. He will have to use it to govern, because the general skepticism of the British and the contained anger of the Conservatives are not going to give him a moment of respite.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Jeremy Corbyn speaks at a general election rally on July 3, 2024, in London. Credit - Kristian BuusGetty

Britains Labour Party achieved a decisive victory in the countrys July 4 election. But there were some contests, even in some of the partys strongholds, that ended up being too close for comfort. And in a handful of constituencies, Labour lost out to independent candidatesincluding the partys former leader.

The culprit wasnt another party, but rather, an issue: Gaza. Although Israels ongoing war in the besieged coastal enclave barely featured in the wider election campaign, it emerged as a key issue in a number of traditionally safe Labour seats, where independent candidates made their support for Palestinians a central feature of their campaign. In the end, five succeeded in unseating their Labour rivals, some of whom had been tipped to become ministers in the next government.

Read More: Labour Delivered a Decisive Victory in Britain. Now Comes the Hard Part

This was a grassroots, community, constituency-run campaign, which is an indication to those that have been in power for so long that you cannot forget the people that you serve, independent Shockat Adam, who defeated senior Labour lawmaker Jon Ashworth in Leicester South by less than 1,000 votes, told constituents following his victory. He ended his speech by raising a Palestinian keffiyeh and declaring, This is for the people of Gaza.

Independent candidates winning seats is extremely rare in British politicsso much so, in fact, that none were elected during the last election in 2019. While these incoming lawmakers will technically be unaffiliated with any party, or each other, collectively they will number more than the Green Party and on par with the anti-immigration Reform U.K. and the Green Party. Of them, fourAdam, Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain, and Iqbal Hussain Mohamedare first-time parliamentarians. Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader who was suspended from the party after he appeared to deflect responsibility for his handling of antisemitism allegations within it, ran and was re-elected as an independent in his Islington North seat, which he has held since 1983.

In his acceptance speech early Friday morning, Corbyn attributed his victory in part to his stance on Gaza, noting that his constituents are looking for a government that on the world stage will search for peace, not war, and not allow the terrible conditions to go on that are happening in Gaza at the present time.

One of the most salient criticisms that many young voters and British Muslims in particular have had of Labour Party leader and soon-to-be Prime Minister Keir Starmer was his perceived equivocation on the ongoing war in the Middle East. Starmer came under intense criticism when, in the days following Hamass Oct. 7 attack, he suggested in an interview that Israel had the right to cut off basic necessities such as power and water from Gaza, which is home to some 2 million people. Starmer subsequently tried to walk back the comments, which triggered a slew of resignations, but the damage had already been done. Efforts to appease voters concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, such as calling for a ceasefire and pushing the Conservative-led government to publish its legal advice on whether Israels conduct in Gaza constituted a violation of international law, failed to move the needle.

In the end, it could have been worse for Labour. The party very nearly lost some of its most prominent lawmakers to independent candidates, among them the partys shadow health minister Wes Streeting, who won re-election by just 528 votes. Jess Philips, a former Labour shadow minister who quit her role in November in order to vote in favor of a Gaza ceasefire motion (which her party opposed at the time), secured her seat by just 693 votes. During her acceptance speech, supporters of her rival heckled her with boos and jeers such as shame on you and free, free Palestine, despite the fact that Philips helped to bring the first orphan from Gaza to the U.K. for medical treatment. In her acceptance speech, she described the contest as the worst election I have ever stood in.

But it wasnt just independent candidates who siphoned votes off of Labour over the partys Gaza stance. The Green Party, which quadrupled its presence in Parliament from one to four, also attracted voters disaffected by the main parties Gaza stances. In addition to calling for a full bilateral cease-fire, the party advocates the U.K. suspending its arms exports to Israel.

Read More: Israel Has Been Accused of War Crimes in Gaza. Could Its Allies Be Next?

The Labour Party had no say over Britains foreign policy in opposition. In government, how Labour chooses to handle this issue will likely be closely watched. While the size of the partys majority will likely insulate it from major challenges, Labour could nonetheless face pressure from smaller parties to take a more critical stance towards Israel.

We recognize that this is the most complex and challenging of issues, David Lammy, who is poised to become the next governments chief diplomat, told journalists in the days running up to the vote. We have been calling for a ceasefire now for all of this year. We have maintained our belief that its important that the hostages are released, that aid must get into Gaza, and our belief in the international rules-based order and international humanitarian law. That is our approach.

Write to Yasmeen Serhan at yasmeen.serhan@time.com.
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)  A mans night out at the bar ended with him being jailed in Lancaster County after police said threatened an officer and reached for their gun during a scuffle along the side of the road.

Howard Barron Jr., 60, of Lancaster, threatened to kill an officer when police were trying to take him into custody on York Road at Lititz Pike in Manheim Township Friday, June 21, township police said in the charges filed.

Go ahead, pull your gun and Ill ******* kill you, Barron allegedly said right before he reached towards an officers gun, according to a criminal complaint. Barron also threatened and tried to grab the officers genitals, according to the complaint.

Lancaster man allegedly sold over 2 pounds of drugs, hundreds of pills to informant for over a year

This happened after Barron was following a woman home from the Riverside Tavern, after 8 p.m., where he had also threatened the woman. According to police, the two had known each other, but Barron had harassed her and followed her home multiple times before.

The woman, who was playing billiards, tried to leave when Barron came up to talk to her, but police said he took her stick and said she wasnt leaving. She let go of the pool stick and left the bar, but when she was driving home, she noticed Barron was following her in his truck, police said.

Barron would drive around to get in front of her and brake, so she had to pull over to the shoulder. Once he stopped, Barron got out of his truck and started hitting the womans driver side window, requesting to talk to him, police said in their report. She then called police, who arrived at the scene.

Eventually, Barron was taken into custody but even after he was cuffed, he managed to cut an officers finger, causing an open bleeding wound, police said.

Once back at the police station, Barron took a breath test and results showed he had a BAC of .089%, the complaint says.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

abc27 Evening Newsletter

Barron faces a felony charge of aggravated assault, and misdemeanor charges of terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another, stalking, resisting arrest, simple assault, disorderly conduct and DUI. He also faces summary charges of harassment, reckless driving and obstruction of highways.

Barron is locked up in Lancaster County Prison on bail set at $125,000 and awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 29.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Red, white, and blue filled the streets as people of all ages gathered at the Lansing Capitol to celebrate our nations birthday. Families from across mid-Michigan celebrated 248 years of Americas independence at this annual beloved event. They set up around the capitol loop to watch the colorful floats through the streets.

(WLNS)

I feel like its just a way to celebrate the freedom we got and I think its really nice that we have a parade to celebrate it by, said Amia Montgomery.

This vibrant display of American pride had floats, live music, dance performances, and of course, candy.

I think their favorite part is the candy, said Jamie Griggs, referring to her kids. Its just really cool to see the different entries in the parade and the different people walking and advertising different things, so its a good way to know whats going on in the city too.

(WLNS)

Many people we spoke to have been coming to this event for many years, some for over a decade.

We actually have been coming out here since this big one was like one so its become kind of like a tradition, said Griggs.

(WLNS)

This event not only celebrates the anniversary of American independence but also brings the community closer together and gives people the chance to spend time with family.

I think that thats what holidays are all about and not like money and candy and presents and all of that, Montgomery said.

Its a celebration of our family and our country, said Maureen Budd. The Budd family is celebrating a different kind of anniversary today as well9 years of marriageSo this is a week-long celebration for us and this is a high point being able to come down to this parade.

As the parade came to a close, it was clear that the 4th of July spirit remained alive in Lansing.

(WLNS)

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Latvia to deliver over 2,500 drones to Ukraine in July

Latvia will transfer 2,500 drones, worth about 4 million, to Ukraine in July as part of the Latvian-led Drone Coalition.

Source: European Pravda, citing Latvia's Defence Ministry

Quote: "The first shipment of this batch  300 drones  will arrive [in Ukraine] in the next few days."

Details: These combat drones of different types and for various purposes were reportedly manufactured by seven Latvian companies.

Quote from Latvia's Defence Minister Andris Spruds: "The Drone Coalition is starting to work... Together with other members of the initiative, we are constantly working to supply Ukraine with combat drones for various purposes in accordance with the current needs and testing requirements of Ukrainian forces. Meanwhile, significant investments are being made in further development and application [of UAVs]."

Details: The Latvian Ministry of Defence has allocated 20 million for activities under the Drone Coalition in 2024, including more than 10 million for the purchase of drones from the Latvian defence industry.

Latvia transferred 135 combat drones for various purposes and electronic warfare equipment to Ukraine in April and May, with a total value of about 1 million. First-Person View (FPV) drones will be a priority for this year's deliveries.

The planned purchases are divided into a series of batches, allowing manufacturers to gradually expand production capacity and adapt and improve UAV designs.

The Latvian Defence Ministry announced that the Drone Coalition now comprises 14 countries. Alongside Latvia, which plays a leading role, the coalition includes neighbouring Estonia and Lithuania, Poland, the UK, Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and Australia. Together, these nations have raised over half a billion euros to supply Ukraine with drones and are working to establish a joint fund for faster and more efficient financing of drone production.

Background:

Earlier, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Latvia and Ukraine would work together to increase drone production as part of the Drone Coalition.

Meanwhile, the Lithuanian Armed Forces plan to develop the potential of reconnaissance drones over the next three years and are purchasing combat drones as an integral part of anti-tank defence.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces have initiated their first instructor course on the use of FPV drones, drawing on Ukrainian expertise.

Support UP or become our patron!
Before looking back to the center, a defeated political party always looks to the extremes to find the cause of its downfall. The Conservative Party of the United Kingdom will be no exception. The populist, Eurosceptic and xenophobic drift that triggered the Brexit referendum has continued to strengthen over the years. It reached its ephemeral splendor with Boris Johnson, became a caricature during the brief mandate of Liz Truss and has persisted, in a somewhat artificial and false way, with Rishi Sunak, a young, liberal and cosmopolitan technocrat who insisted on deporting immigrants to Rwanda and in questioning international law in a desperate attempt to win over the Conservative Partys rank-and-file voters.

Everything suggests that the leadership battle of the new opposition party will contain an increased dose of those ingredients. The chances that any candidate who does not redouble their commitment to Euroscepticism, climate denialism, the national-populist vision of reality, and the call for an increasingly reduced public administration will be able to win in this competition are increasingly remote, said Tim Bale, professor of Political Science at Queen Mary University of London and author of The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation.

A sign of the way in which the Tories approached this years election campaign  destined to fail from the beginning  is the fact that they spent more time discussing the future than the present. More time was spent on the future contenders for the leadership of the party, once in opposition, than on efforts to beat the Labour Party.

Women of the hard right

Among the candidates to take over the helm of the conservative Titanic, three women stand out due to their presence and character, which have been noted in the internal debates of recent years. Firstly, the former interior minister, Suella Braverman, who has become the unofficial spokesperson for the most radical and reactionary side of the Conservative Party. Since her forced resignation as head of the ministry, in November 2023, she has been the fiercest critic of Sunaks immigration policy. Someone needs to be honest: your plan is not working, we have endured record election defeats, your resets have failed and we are running out of time, she reproached the still prime minister in a letter after being sacked.

Braverman is applauded by the hard wing of the party, but provokes immense rejection among the dwindling number of liberals and moderates who still remain among the Tories.

Kemi Badenoch, the daughter of Nigerians from the Yoruba people, is a more enticing option. At 44 years old, she has demonstrated unquestionable leadership ability and an articulate and firm voice on big issues, as well as bomb-proof loyalty to the party. She was the first to harshly hit the populist Nigel Farage when he decided to run for office with Reform UK, and once again became the main existential threat of the Conservative Party.

Another name floated is Penny Mordaunt, who maintains notable popularity among the rank and file, due to her image as a woman with common sense who is traditionally conservative.

There are many other contenders being considered. Most lean more towards populism than towards moderation. Nobody is ruling out the reappearance of Boris Johnson, or even Farage himself, if amid Tories increasingly intense regret over the rights loss of unity, he decides to return to the party he once left.

There are also candidates who preserve the spirit of the so-called one-nation conservatism, that successful invention of former prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli, who turned the Conservative Party into the natural refuge of most British people. There is talk of the possibility of returning to David Cameron, and men like Tom Tugendhat, the great hope of the centrists, or James Cleverly, who was interior minister until now.

During the Brexit years of 2016-19, out went any respect for institutions, an understanding of complexity, a preference for incrementalism, and a caution over risk, David Gauke, a former minister of the Conservative Party who left in anger over its Eurosceptic radicalism, wrote in the weekly The New Statesman. In came a love of big, bold promises unmoored by reality. The Conservative Party ceased to be comfortable being a serious party of government.

For the Tories that remain standing  many have lost their seats, and, therefore, their potential influential , returning to the opposition will be a harsh reality check.

Barely a year ago, Gauke gathered around 20 lawmakers, and many more members of the press, at the offices of a public relations firm in London to present the book The Case For Center Right. Eleven notable figures from the party  all of whom are no longer involved in the daily life of the party  participated in a work that vindicated the traditional moderation of Conservatives.

Michael Heseltine, the most brilliant politician of the Margaret Thatcher era  his candidacy in the leadership battle against the Iron Lady led to the legendary prime ministers resignation  explained to EL PAIS the causes of the populist drift among the Tories. Racism and immigration. Not only here, but all over the world. Tribalism, racism, immigration. And all fueled by that deep human instinct to protect what you have, he summarized.

The Conservatives  who have just lost almost everything  face the choice of either recovering the unifying spirit of Disraeli, which for years turned the party into an election-winning machine, or definitively surrendering to the spirit of Farage and moving away from what they have been for centuries.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition




BERLIN  Latvia and Estonia are to receive German-made, high-performance radars as part of the Baltic countries effort to upgrade their air defense capabilities under the European Sky Shield Initiative.

Defense electronics manufacturer Hensoldt will provide the additional technology, worth more than 100 million (U.S. $108 million). The company will also integrate the TRML-4D radars into the IRIS-T SLM air defense systems destined for the two customers on behalf of Diehl Defence.

Estonia and Latvia agreed to purchase the German-made weapons in September in a deal worth more than 1 billion. For Latvia, the purchase of 600 million worth of air defense systems was the largest military purchase in the countrys 30 years of independence.

The TRML-4D radar enables the detection and tracking of aerial targets within a 250-kilometer (155-mile) radius and are able to simultaneously follow about 1,500 targets, Hensoldt said in a news release.

The European Sky Shield Initiative, launched by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in 2022, seeks to strengthen the continents air defenses, with a particular aim of countering Russian and Iranian ballistic and cruise missiles.

The initiative now counts 21 participating countries, including neutral non-NATO members Austria and Switzerland. The aim is to maintain systems that can form a continuous barrier across the continent, from the Nordic region to Turkey.

The latest announcement brings the total number of radars Hensoldt is producing as part of the initiative alone to more than 80, the company said.

The German-made IRIS-T is the primary short- and medium-range system used under the scheme. Some participating countries have procured American-made long-range Patriot missiles and the Israeli-made Arrow 3 exo-atmospheric interceptor for longer ranges.

France, which is not part of the initiative, has criticized the approach for relying too heavily on non-European components. Italy and Spain are also not participants. However, the initiative has consistently expanded, notably when Poland dropped its ambiguous stance and announced in April it would join.

The initiative, largely a consequence of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has contributed to dramatically accelerating the pace at which European governments are spending funds on air defense. The Baltic states were among the first European nations to kick off the initiative, signing a joint declaration with 12 others in October 2022.
Latvia to send over 2,500 drones to Ukraine in July, ministry says

Riga will send more than 2,500 combat drones of different types to Ukraine this month, worth 4 million euros ($4.3 million), the Latvian Defense Ministry announced on July 5.

The first batch of 300 drones is expected to be transferred to Kyiv "in the coming days," the ministry said.

Latvia and the U.K. are the leaders of the international coalition established to supply Ukraine with drones, which have become a crucial capability on Ukrainian battlefields.

"Together with the members of the international drone coalition, we are continuously working to deliver combat drones of various capacities to Ukraine in accordance with the current needs and testing requirements of Ukraine's army," Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said.

In addition, Riga is investing in the further development of drone technology, the minister added. The 2,500 drones promised for Ukraine were produced by seven Latvian companies.

Spruds announced back in May that the Latvian government would invest around 20 million euros ($22 million) in the drone coalition this year, and a similar sum to the development of Latvia's own drone capabilities.

Ukraine is also working to scale up domestic production, aiming to produce at least 1 million drones in 2024. Kyiv employs long-range drones to strike deep into Russian territory, targeting military infrastructure such as airfields and logistics, as well as oil refineries and depots.

Read also: Ukraine now mass-producing strike drones with range of over 1,000 kilometers

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.  As discussion continues about whether Lauderdale-by-the-Sea will pay for lifeguards and if the majority of residents even want them, elected officials have made it illegal to dig deep holes in the sand in an effort to prevent another tragedy after a 7-year-old girl died while she was buried alive in the sand earlier this year.

Sloan Mattingly, her 9-year-old brother and their parents were visiting Lauderdale-by-the-Sea from Indiana and arrived at the beach about 12:30 p.m. Feb. 20. The children were digging in the sand throughout the day with a plastic shovel and bucket, and when they were leaving the beach shortly after 3 p.m., Sloan and her brother, Maddox, wanted to jump into the hole one last time, according to an autopsy investigation report released Wednesday to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Sloan and Maddox ran and jumped into the 4-feet-deep hole, and the sand began to collapse in on them as Maddox was standing upright. Sloan was completely buried underneath him while Maddox was buried up to his chest.

Sloan was trapped underneath her brother in the sand for 30 minutes, the report said. She had no pulse by the time she was freed from the sand and was pronounced dead at a hospital. The Medical Examiners Office ruled her death an accident.

New ordinance

The commission recently passed an ordinance that prohibits people from digging a hole deeper than 18 inches in the sand and from leaving the beach without completely filling in any hole. The town has also enacted a beach safety campaign, called Sandcastles for Sloan, to warn people against digging holes deeper than knee-height of the shortest person in the group.

The ordinance created three separate violations: Taking, removing, mining or excavating sand from any dune or beach within the town; digging a hole or trench in the sand of a beach or dune deeper than 18 inches; and leaving any hole without completely filling it in.

Town officials are considering hiring another code enforcement officer who would be a beach ambassador responsible for enforcing all ordinances, including the new one, Mayor Edmund Malkoon said in an email to the Sun Sentinel.

The penalties for any violations are not clear yet.

If the commission chooses to vote to have an extra code enforcement officer, then they will need to be trained on appropriate enforcement for beachgoers, Malkoon wrote in the email. Obviously, issuing a fine to someone who is transient on a beach is different than doing so on private property. I also imagine it would depend on whether the person is cooperative or not. Perhaps you educate and ask nicely first.

At an April 30 meeting where the commission discussed the ordinance, Vice Mayor Randy Strauss questioned whether it was necessary to amend the towns code, or if simply a beach rule prohibiting digging could be put in place. Commissioner Theo Poulopoulos said that without creating the ordinance, there would be no way to enforce it.

At the end of the day these are words on a piece of paper that very, very few people are ever going to read, and all that really matters is whether or not theres some type of enforcement of it, Poulopoulos said at the meeting.

At the June 6 commission meeting, Malkoon said just days earlier there were people who knew about the accident that killed Sloan but were still digging trenches on the beach.

A police officer went out there, but he didnt have the jurisdiction because we didnt have this rule in place, so it was like, You guys shouldnt do that, but he had no way of enforcing it. So this will give some teeth to BSO and others to enforce this rule on our beach, Malkoon said at the meeting.

Lifeguards still in discussion

Town officials recently laid out three possible plans for lifeguards or beach patrol on its two-and-a-half miles of shore: An option with the Sheriffs Office that would cost over $765,000 annually; lifeguards and ocean rescue that would cost over $1 million annually; and beach patrol by code officers that would cost no more than $260,000 annually but would not provide medical assistance or rescue.

Three people died at the beach in May and one man died after a possible drowning in June.

On May 3, a man collapsed at the edge of the water, and Broward Sheriffs Office Lauderdale-by-the-Sea district deputies who were patrolling the beach nearby immediately responded, according to a report from the districts commander Capt. William Wesolowski to Town Manager Linda Connors in early June.

He was taken to Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale, where he died, according to the report. The man and his wife, who were visiting from New York, were participating in a supervised snorkeling dive.

On May 22, witnesses saw a man in the water who appeared to be having difficulty on a boogie board and then went facedown in the water, the report said. Bystanders pulled him from the water and started CPR. Pompano Beach Fire Rescue took him to Holy Cross Health, where he was pronounced dead.

On May 25, a 73-year-old resident of a nearby condo walked into the water carrying a snorkel and mask, had an medical emergency, collapsed on the shore and was unresponsive, the report said.

People started CPR immediately, and the condo staff attempted to use an automated external defibrillator to shock her. Deputies once they arrived continued CPR, but she was pronounced dead at the beach by Pompano Beach Fire Rescue, according to the report.

Most recently, a man died in mid-June after he was rescued from the ocean during a possible drowning.

At a May 28 commission meeting, 10 residents spoke during public comment in support of lifeguards, a few who were critical of what they feel has not been enough action since Sloans death.

Father Peter Zougros, of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Fort Lauderdale, told the commission he was leading the funeral the following day of one of the men who died on May 22, a 52-year-old father and husband whose family is grieving terribly over this.

Its now becoming to be a point that we really dont feel that safe anymore, sending people here, he said of his usual recommending tourists go to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

Resident Brian Paperny said he remembered when he was a child being warned by a man on the beach to not dig deep holes and the dangers of it.

Its been 90 days and I dont know what action has been taken, so it just seems to me at this point with the most recent death that something needs to be done, and were beyond a should we or should we not, it should be now what are we going to do and howre we going to implement it? Paperny said.

Robert Karley, a resident who was a member of the towns former volunteer fire department, said at the meeting that when he would patrol the beach while volunteering, hed see people buried up to their necks in holes in the sand, and it was a difficult job to drag them out and cover the holes.

Something needs to be done, a little more efficient than what were doing now, Karley said.

The town asked residents and businesses to complete a beach safety survey, which closed at the end of June. The survey results will be presented at the towns commission meeting Tuesday, Malkoon told the Sun Sentinel.
How is he even able to carry on as President: Lauren Boebert attacks Sleepy Joe after debate

MAGA stalwart Rep Lauren Boebert frequently takes aim at Biden  but her Democrat nemesis has now called for the president to withdraw from the race (AP)

Lauren Boeberts usual barrage of anti-Biden tweets found an unlikely ally this week in her political nemesis, Democrat Adam Frisch  who nearly unseated her two years ago and who called this week for the president to withdraw from the race.

Only in politics is stating the obvious rarely done, Frisch said in a video posted Tuesday on his social media accounts and in a statement. It has been clear to me for some time  and the debate only reinforced it  neither candidate should be running for President. We need a President that can unite America to realize our nations unlimited potential.

We deserve better, he said.

President Biden should do whats best for the country and withdraw from the race. I thank President Biden for his years of service, but the path ahead requires a new generation of leadership to take our country forward.

Frisch was weighing in on Bidens universally-panned performance during last weeks debate against former president Donald Trump  which Boebert took great delight in blistering on social media.

Forget the election, how is he even able to carry on as President? she posted after the debate on X, where she often attacks Sleepy Joe.

Democrats need to stop acting like they didnt know Biden was cognitively shot until the debate, the unwavering MAGA acolyte wrote on Wednesday.

Everyone with two eyes knew. You actually didnt even need eyes ... just ears. This has been obvious since he ran from the basement!

A former independent, Frisch has been heavily touting his moderate credentials (I am not focused on Team Democrat or Team Republican, but Team CD3, he likes to say) since his first campaign against Boebert in 2022. It ended up being the closest race in the nation; the loudmouth conservative incumbent won during a recount by just 546 votes.

Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, a fierce MAGA acolyte and Biden critic, currently represents Colorados third congressional district and won the Republican primary last week in the fourth district across the state (AP)

Frischs robust 2024 rematch campaign was widely seen as the congresswomans reason for abandoning Colorados third congressional district in favor of a more conservative one on the other side of the state.

She sailed to victory in last weeks primary as the Republican candidate in the fourth congressional district, which the party is expected to win by a landslide in November given the right-leaning voting trends of the heavily agricultural constituency.

Back in CD3, however, former Aspen city councilman Frisch is again the Democratic candidate  and hell face Republican Jeff Hurd in November after the Grand Junction attorney won his primary last week. Hurds campaign was muted in comparison to the style of his predecessor, and it was the father-of-fives first run for office.

Grand Junction attorney Jeff Hurd, left, with his wife and five children, won the Republican primary in Boeberts old district after she abandoned her re-election campaign at the end of last year (Jeff Hurd)

Western Slope voters, with unaffiliateds making up the largest bloc, will now choose between two far less bombastic candidates after four years of Boebert scandals and controversies.

I would like personally congratulate Jeff Hurd, Frisch wrote after the primaries. My hat goes off to anyone who is willing to stand up to represent their country and community. Its unfortunate, however, that both political parties often cater to the extremes and prioritize party loyalty over the best interest of the country ... I wont be a yes man for either party.

I think there was maybe a sense among the voters here that they were getting worn down by a kind of politics thats really loud and in your face and aggressive, Hurd, 44, told The Independent on the day of the primary. Some like it; some will continue to like it. But I think, by and large, most rural Coloradans were ready to move on.
A new law lets homicides be reinvestigated. Why dont more Columbus cases use it?

Reality Check is a Ledger-Enquirer series digging deeper into key issues and focusing on accountability. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email mynews@ledger-enquirer.com.

Jaleel Ali was only 14 years old when he was fatally shot while walking with five friends in south Columbus. He laid in the front yard at 3939 Calhoun Drive for more than six hours before he was officially declared dead. His family waited hours to hear that he had died, and they have waited years to find out who killed him.

Rasheeda Ali, Jaleels grandmother, has sought out answers about her grandsons murder since Oct. 24, 2021, the day he died. She said she is distraught that his case remains unsolved.

We just need to try to get to the bottom of this, Ali said. I feel real bad that no one knows who did it.

Alis other grandson was also shot in 2021, just 12 days before Jaleel was killed. His case has not been solved either.

The bullet lodged in his hip, she said. He survived and became stable that day. He never wanted to talk about why he got shot or who shot him. He just could not talk about it.

Ali said similar factors played a part in the difficulty of solving Jaleels case.

He was with five of his friends, she said. All five of them had a different story to tell the police that night as to what happened, so it left the police in a very bad place.

Rasheeda Ali, the founder of Grannies on Guard, speaks to a grroup of young people recently at the Frank Chester Recreation Center in Columbus, Georgia. Alis 14-year-old grandson Jaleel Ali was gunned down Oct. 24, 2021 in the Benning Hills neighborhood in Columbus, Georgia. After her grandsons death, she formed the grassroots group.

Ali said despite the complicated situation, she believes the police should have made more progress on his case.

Theyve solved quite a few other cases, she said. I know everybody says to let the police do their job, but this is going on three years now.

Records from CPD indicate Jaleels case is one of 188 unsolved homicides in the city. Almost two-thirds of those cases are eligible for reinvestigation under the Coleman-Baker Act, a year-old law that allows agencies to reopen unsolved homicides, but CPD has only received one request since the act took effect last year. The only request CPD received was not approved because the case had been closed.

The Coleman-Baker Act was signed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on April 28, 2023, and made effective July 1 the same year.

Jaleels murder is not eligible for a Coleman-Baker Act request because it is not yet 3 years old.

Function

The act provides two main services across the state: cold case investigations and funding for the Georgia Bureau of Investigations cold case unit.

GBI Director Chris Hosey, at podium, was joined by Athens-Clarke County Police Department Chief Jerry Saulters, FBI-Atlanta SAC Keri Farley, Western Judicial Circuit DA Deborah Gonzalez, State Representative Houston Gaines, and the Baker Family at GBI Headquarters to provide updates in Tara Bakers murder investigation. 05/13/2024

Under the legislation, every police department in the state needs to allow applications for case reinvestigation from the immediate family members of cold case homicide victims. Not every case can be reopened though, because cases have to meet certain criteria to be approved.

A spokesperson from the Columbus Police Department outlined the restrictions for cases.

First off, every case has to be a murder, the spokesperson said. The initial investigation has to have been done by CPD, because we need the records here to look over them again. Every lead needs to have been exhausted, and the case needs to be classified as a cold case, which for us means its at least three years old.

In addition, the act provided over $5.2 million to the GBI in 2021. This money allowed the agency to create the cold case unit and hire agents who are exclusively focused on unsolved homicides, a position most police departments dont offer.

The GBI has investigated roughly 600 unsolved homicides between 1970 and 2021, all of which are eligible for Coleman-Baker Act requests.

Background

The Coleman-Baker Act was signed by Gov. Kemp April 28, 2023, and made effective July 1 the same year. State Rep. Houston Gaines, who represents parts of Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee counties, sponsored the law because of its potential.

Tara Louise Baker

This law is a mechanism for families of cold case victims to push for reinvestigation on behalf of their loved ones, he said. The GBI will be able to secure justice for so many victims across the state.

Gaines said the law will serve hundreds of families across Georgia, but its inspiration was just two: the families of homicide victims Rhonda Coleman and Tara Baker. Gaines said Bakers case is particularly significant to him because she was killed in his jurisdiction.

Their families came together and approached me to sponsor some legislation to reinvestigate cold cases, he said. Its so amazing to see the work theyve put into advocating for Tara and Rhonda.

Coleman, a lifelong resident of rural Jeff Davis County, was found dead in Montgomery County in 1990 when she was just 18 years old. Her official cause of death was never determined, and her case remains unsolved nearly 35 years later.

Rhonda Sue Coleman

Baker was murdered in her Athens apartment in 2001. Her case stopped producing leads shortly after her death until GBI reopened her case Sept. 2023. After months of investigation, agents arrested Edrick Lamont Faust, 48, with her murder.

Gaines said he looks forward to the opportunities the act can bring across the state, even though large cities like Columbus havent seen widespread usage of the policy.

A lot of folks are just learning about this law, Gaines said. I hope the success in the Baker case will inspire people to seek justice for their loved ones. Its what they deserve.
Lawyer accused of sexual misconduct fails to get case thrown out

Takeshige Sugimoto founded his own law firm in Japan after he was expelled from Bird & Bird

A lawyer accused of sexting and inappropriately touching two female colleagues has failed to have his disciplinary hearing thrown out.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) on Friday refused Takeshige Sugimotos request to dismiss a sexual misconduct case brought against him by the UKs legal watchdog.

Mr Sugimoto, previously a partner at law firm Bird & Birds Brussels office, is accused of sexually harassing two junior paralegals, referred to as Person A and Person B.

According to legal documents seen by The Telegraph, Mr Sugimoto is accused of waiting outside Person Bs flat; asking whether she masturbated; rubbing his crotch and making moaning sounds in her presence; and telling her he wished to have sexual intercourse with her.

Person B also claimed Mr Sugimoto tried to kiss her and touch her breast, bottom and waist when told not to.

The regulator also noted the inappropriate volume and sexual content of the WhatsApp messages between Mr Sugimoto and Person B, which allegedly show him persistently propositioning her.

The Japanese lawyer is also accused of suggesting to Person A during a lunch meeting that she would be perceived as a prostitute or escort. Person A also claimed Mr Sugimoto tried to hold her hand, touch her shoulders and insisted on walking her home.

Mr Sugimoto has claimed that Person A fabricated her complaints and denied his conduct towards Person B amounted to harassment.

However, he acknowledged his behaviour was misguided, claiming that he became infatuated with her.

He previously described his conduct towards her as courtship and described their WhatsApp chats as being reminiscent of typical pre-boyfriend-girlfriend relationship between teenagers.

Mr Sugimoto was expelled from Bird & Bird in July 2019 following a disciplinary hearing.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority in April announced plans to prosecute Mr Sugimoto to stop him working in an English law firm without its permission.

However, Mr Sugimotos lawyer, Edward Levey KC, this week asked the SDT to call off next months trial. This was on the basis that Mr Sugimoto had suffered serious prejudice as a result of the SRAs egregious delay, with the case being brought five years after the regulator became aware of the alleged misconduct in 2019.

He accused the watchdog of failing to efficiently investigate complaints by allowing the case to meander on at a snails pace.

Mr Levey KC claimed this delay meant witness evidence would suffer from faded memories.

The defence barrister also accused the SRA and Bird & Bird of conducting an inadequate investigation, claiming they failed to prevent the witnesses from inadvertently contaminating each others recollection of events.

Mr Levey KC said: There have been serious failings here. The SRA has done almost nothing to explain itself.

He argued the regulatory case does not serve a useful purpose given that Mr Sugimoto now lives in Japan where he founded his own law firm, S&K Brussels, and does not intend to practise in the UK again.

The SRA accepted there had been inordinate delay but argued there was plainly public interest in the tribunal hearing proceeding.

A Bird & Bird spokesman previously said: We are committed to providing a working environment where everybody can expect to be treated with dignity and respect, and tackling inappropriate behaviour of any kind is a priority for the firm. In the interests of those concerned, we are unable to comment further.

Mr Sugimotos lawyers were 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.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has ordered a review of the Arkansas Water Plan, which directs water policy and infrastructure decisions. (U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service/Flickr)

This story was updated at 10:12 a.m. on July 5, 2024 to distinguish between waitlisted projects and approved projects.

Arkansas rural water systems are looking to $5 million in federal funds to help them improve aging pipes and other infrastructure, the CEO of the Arkansas Rural Water Association said this week.

Dennis Sternberg, the associations chief executive, said the investment in the states water and wastewater infrastructure is long overdue.

The money is part of $60 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds approved by the Arkansas Legislative Council last month for the states water needs. In a press release, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders touted the release of the funds as building on her existing efforts to improve water and wastewater systems in the state.

Funding has been a mix of federal and state money, loans and grants, which has blurred the line of strictly state-level assistance. In August 2023, Sanders called for an updated guide to water policy and investment; its currently underway.

Under [Gov.] Sanders leadership, the state of Arkansas is administering over $2.5 billion for water development projects in all 75 counties using state and federal funds, according to the announcement.

The nonprofit Rural Water Association aids more than 600 water systems in cities and towns with populations fewer than 10,000, which Sternberg said spans the whole state. The organization provides onsite assistance, certifications and emergency equipment.

Many of the water systems Sternberg sees during his day-to-day work are old, and the funding can help improve the antique infrastructure, he said.

Sternberg said the $5 million is a blessing and will be primarily used for purchasing a variety of generators that can be loaned out to water and wastewater systems when needed, such as during a tornado or ice storm emergency. An engineer will also be hired, whether with the federal funds or from the organizations budget, to solicit bids for the equipment.

The generators are typically used more often during storms, though the city of Parkin in Cross County is currently using one of the organizations existing generators. Diesel-powered bypass pumps, which can pull water in from rivers or other sources if needed, will also be acquired with the funds, Sternberg said.

You dont have a community if you dont have a good, safe water supply, he said.

Sternberg said he was unsure when the Arkansas Rural Water Association would receive its allocated funding.

The remaining $55 million will be distributed to eligible entities that are on an American Rescue Plan Act waitlist that the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission approved in December 2022.

Sanders press release did not explain this waitlist in detail, nor did the Department of Agriculture respond to specific questions about the list, including whether any proposed projects were rejected and when funds will be distributed.

Agriculture Department spokesperson Shealyn Sowers said the department developed a project waitlist in [an] effort to fund additional projects should an approved project not utilize all their funding or should additional ARPA funds be made available from the state.

Projects will receive funding based on readiness to proceed with construction, the press release said. The funds must be spent by December 31, 2026.

Revised Final List 2

Nearly three dozen projects have been approved in as many Arkansas counties, according to a document the Arkansas Advocate received. Needs range from a pump replacement in Faulkner County to a sewer relocation along U.S. 70 in Pike County. A Crittenden County project to replace water lines made the list, as did a new metering system for Lake View in Phillips County.

Lake View Mayor Darrin Davis said the town of about 300 people is in dire need of an updated metering system. Customers can be charged more or less than their actual water usage, which is something Davis said is not good either way.

We dont want to be cheated, and we dont want to cheat, he said, calling in from the farm as he tended to soybeans and rice.

Lake Views system is upwards of 30 years old, which Davis said is too old for fixing; replacements are needed. Davis was unable to provide a cost estimate for such a project, though he said hes hoping the state will allocate funds to the town.

On a scale of one to 10, our situation is a 10, Davis said.

Decades-old infrastructure is also a critical issue for a pump in Conway, said Bret Carroll, CEO of Conway Corp., which manages the citys utilities.

Three pumps pull lake water into a treatment plant in Conway, though one is 23 years old and needs an estimated $640,000 replacement, Carroll said.

While he is hopeful to receive the ARPA money, Conway Corp. has budgeted to make the replacement on its own, Carroll said. If they did receive the money, however, Carroll said the budgeted funds could go toward other necessary updates to the aged infrastructure.

Having those three pumps in good working order is extremely important to us, he said. A replacement would help me sleep better at night.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
What we learned from the UK's general election that will shape politics over the coming years

The statues of former British Prime Minister's David Lloyd George, left, and Winston Churchill stand in Parliament Square in Westminster across from the Houses of Parliament in London, Friday, July 5, 2024. Britain's Labour Party swept to power Friday after more than a decade in opposition, as a jaded electorate handed the party a landslide victory  but also a mammoth task of reinvigorating a stagnant economy and dispirited nation. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

LONDON (AP)  The U.K. has its first change in government in 14 years after the Labour Party won a landslide victory early Friday in a general election that saw the Conservative Party suffer its biggest defeat ever.

The new government faces huge challenges, including fixing the country's sluggish economic and social malaise resulting in part from the U.K's exit from the European Union, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and several Conservative Party scandals.

Here are some things we learned:

A fraying two-party system

For the past 100 years, Britain's two main political parties have garnered the vast majority of votes. In 1951, for example, the Conservatives and Labour netted nearly 97% of the vote combined.

In the decades since, the trend has been clear  down. This election marked a new low, with the two parties combined barely able to muster 60%.

Despite that relatively low share of the vote, Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be able to govern with a massive majority in the House of Commons that will make it easier for him to get his legislation through.

That's because in Britain's electoral system, the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins even if they don't get a majority. This makes it easier for a party to win a seat on a relatively low share of the vote, especially when votes are spread out among many parties. These include the anti-immigration Reform UK, the Greens and the Liberal Democrats.

Conservatives punished

No election has seen this many Cabinet ministers lose their seats in Parliament, including some who were prospective candidates to replace Rishi Sunak when he steps down as leader of the party.

Among the 11 Cabinet ministers who have lost their seats, perhaps the most consequential is Penny Mordaunt, who gained international notoriety when she held up a large sword throughout much of last year's coronation of King Charles III. She was widely tipped to be a future leader as she has support across the party.

Others included Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary Mark Harper and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan.

The casualty with the highest profile wasn't even in the Cabinet. That honor goes to Liz Truss, who was prime minister for just 49 days in the fall of 2022 and whose unfunded tax cuts roiled financial markets and sent borrowing costs for homeowners surging. Sunak, who succeeded Truss, could never shake off the legacy of her premiership.

Labour's Gaza problem

Four of Labour's candidates lost to independent challengers campaigning on a pro-Palestinian platform in constituencies with big Muslim populations.

The biggest surprise was Jonathan Ashworth, who was expected to be in Starmer's Cabinet but lost his seat in Leicester, a city in central England where a third of the population is Muslim.

Even Starmer, who has been criticized for being slow to back a ceasefire in Gaza, saw his majority in his Holborn and St. Pancras seat reduced as more than 7,000 ballots were cast for an independent candidate who had Gaza at the heart of his campaign.

Labour is back in Scotland

In 2015 Labour, which had been dominant in Scottish politics for decades, lost all but one of its seats to the pro-independence Scottish National Party.

Thursday's election almost reversed that, with Labour winning the vast majority of seats in Scotland while the SNP lost 38 seats, leaving it with only nine and putting to rest any thoughts of a pro-independence referendum for Scotland any time soon.

The SNP, which governs in Scotland, has had a difficult few years, most notably as a result of a funding scandal that has embroiled former leader Nicola Sturgeon and her husband.

John Swinney, who only became first minister a few weeks ago, pledged a period of soul searching and admitted that the party was not winning the argument" over independence.

Musical chairs

The newly elected candidates will officially become members of parliament on Tuesday when the House of Commons returns for the swearing in and oath of allegiance to King Charles III.

When they take their seats on the green benches, the Labour members will sit where the Conservatives have been for the past 14 years, on the right hand side of the speaker of the House. The Conservatives will be the opposition, having come second, and will sit to the left of the speaker.

The other opposition benches will look very different, however. There will be 71 Liberal Democrats, up from the 15 who were there when Parliament was dissolved in May, and four Green members rather than one. There will also be four members of the anti-immigration Reform U.K., including its leader and self-professed political agitator, Nigel Farage, who won a seat in Parliament on his eighth attempt. And the SNP's presence will be much diminished.

Reform, which contested its first election, is already saying the U.K.'s electoral system is unfair and are calling for a change, noting they got 14% of the vote, 2 percentage points more than the Liberal Democrats, but ended up with a far lower number of seats, But the U.K.'s electoral system has always been about getting the votes in the right place.

___

Follow APs coverage of elections around the world: https://apnews.com/hub/global-elections/
The driver in a pickup truck ran into a group celebrating Independence Day in Corlears Hook Park, the NYPD confirmed

Getty A stock photo of police tape.

Three people have died after a suspected drunk driver ran into people celebrating the Fourth of July in Corlears Hook Park, New York City



The truck was being driven by a 44-year-old male, who is now in police custody



During a press conference, Mayor Eric Adams said the suspect drove into the crowd of people who were "just celebrating like so many New Yorkers and Americans are doing right now"

Three people have died and multiple others have been injured after a suspected drunk driver ran into a group celebrating the Fourth of July in New York City.

On Thursday at around 8:55 p.m. local time, a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck ran through the Water Street and Cherry Street intersection, through a stop sign, and into Corlears Hook Park where people were marking Independence Day, New York Police Department confirmed in a press conference.

NYPD said the truck was being driven by a 44-year-old male, and was traveling at high speed, before striking 11 pedestrians, per a statement obtained by PEOPLE. The vehicle went onto the sidewalk before entering the park and hitting victims who were "out enjoying the evening," authorities said during the conference.

They added that they believed alcohol played a role in the incident, but insisted the investigation was still in its early stages.

Police identified two of the three victims as 59-year-old female Lucille Pinkney, and 38-year-old male Hernan Pinkney, who live at the same address in NY. They had both been taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital, where they were pronounced deceased.

"An unidentified female pedestrian was transported by EMS to NYC Health and hospitals/Bellevue where she was pronounced deceased," the statement added.

"A 30-year-old female pedestrian was transported by EMS to NYC Health and hospitals/Bellevue in critical condition. A 35-year-old female pedestrian was transported by EMS to New York Presbyterian Hospital in stable condition," police confirmed.

A 36-year-old female is in stable condition after being taken to NYU Langone Medical Center, while a 37-year-old male, a 33-year-old female, and an 11-year-old boy were all transported by EMS to Mount Sinai Beth Israel and are also in stable condition, the statement added.

Police said a 38-year-old male and an 18-year-old female taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital were both in stable condition, as well.

The suspect has been taken into custody, charges pending, and the investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad, per the police statement.

While speaking during the press conference, Mayor Eric Adams explained how the suspect drove into the crowd of people who were "just celebrating like so many New Yorkers and Americans are doing right now."

"It doesn't appear at this time that this was terrorist-related," Adams added.

During the conference, FDNY Chief Michael Meyers said that FDNY arrived on the scene within three minutes and 44 seconds and encountered a pickup truck on top of four victims.

Authorities said during the conference that they believed witnesses grabbed the driver and made sure he didn't leave before first responders arrived at the scene, adding that they believed a mother with two young children was among those affected.

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.

"Once he did that hard right turn so many people started screaming. He turned into the batting field, that's where we normally barbecue. It's a family that we all know. The Lower East Side bands together," a witness told WABC.

I cant get the screaming out of my head, another witness told the New York Post.

Father of three Abdo Yahya, 30, who has lived in the area for 18 years, told the outlet, Nothing like this has ever happened here before. I mean they fight. The argue. But nothing like this. My kids are scared to go outside now.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
At least five people died, including two young children, and multiple victims were injured on Fourth of July night after apparently unrelated shootings in east and south Fort Worth, according to police.

Officers responded to the first homicide scene in an area near Castleman Street and Wiman Drive around 11:30 p.m. A 911 caller said there was shooting going on in the residential neighborhood and there were so many gunshots that the caller could not get out of her car.

Gunshots were fired while people in the area were holding a block party to celebrate the Fourth of July, neighbors told the Star-Telegram.

Members of the Fort Worth Police Department investigate a fatal shooting on Friday, July 5, 2024, that occurred the evening prior near the intersection of Castleman Street and Comanche Street.

Officers found a woman with a fatal gunshot wound and another person who had suffered a medical emergency, police said in a news release. Both of them died at a local hospital.

Two additional shooting victims were taken to hospitals and are expected to survive, according to police. A spokesperson for MedStar said that the ambulance service transported five people to local hospitals from the east Fort Worth scene  two with minor injuries and three in critical condition. All of those patients were adults, according to MedStar.

The shooting took place after a crowd estimated at 200 to 300 people took over multiple blocks on Castleman St. and were launching fireworks towards neighboring homes, police said.

Homicide detectives believe that multiple suspects are responsible for the gunfire and are working to determine their identities. Police asked that anyone with information contact Tarrant County CrimeStoppers at 817-469-TIPS (8477) or www.469TIPS.com. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

According to the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office, one of the people who died was Marcus Martin Jr., 26, of San Diego, California. He died early Friday morning at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital on 5th Avenue after he was taken to the hospital from the 3700 block of Castleman Street. An autopsy is pending to determine his cause of death.

Tributes also poured in on social media for a 39-year-old woman who friends said was shot near Castleman Street. One resident said the woman who died was her cousin.

Residents said the block party was very crowded and someone initially called police to help clear out people, but that police did not disperse the crowd.

Facebook Live video posted by the woman who died showed a heavy police presence on Castleman Street around 10:50 p.m., with officers blocking off part of the road at one point and more police cars appearing to circle the block, driving past a large crowd that lined the street as people shot off fireworks.

Trash from fireworks left on the sidewalk near the place that a fatal shooting occurred on Castleman Street in Fort Worth.

Young children among dead in shooting at car wash

Police said another shooting at a car wash in south Fort Worth is also being investigated as a homicide. Officers responded to the Crystal Car Wash at 7524 W. Cleburne Road, in far southwest Fort Worth, around 11:40 p.m.

A 4-year-old girl, a 15-month-old girl and a man were killed there.

When officers arrived, they found the man with a gunshot wound to his lower body. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. Five additional people with injuries from the same shooting incident were taken to hospitals in private vehicles, police said.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office identified the children who died as 4-year-old Ivy Pierce and 1-year-old Wynter Thouston.

The other three people who were hospitalized are expected to survive, according to police.

Detectives learned that a fight broke out between the shooter and one of the victims, police said. The suspect began shooting at that victim and others who were present.

Police said they determined that the suspect was also shot.

Four people, including two young children, died after a shooting Thursday night, July 4, 2024, at a car wash on Cleburne Road in far southwest Fort Worth, according to MedStar and the medical examiners office.

Any additional victims will be identified by the medical examiner.

No arrests have been announced in either shooting.

It appears a Fourth of July celebration also was going near the car wash on Thursday night. Debris from fireworks was piled up in one of the car wash bays. A pink backpack was also left behind at the scene.

The car wash was open on Friday morning. Some customers who were washing their cars said they had not heard about the shooting. One man who works in the area told the Star-Telegram he stopped using the car wash because there were often people hanging out there, sitting in lawn chairs, at night, although he hadnt seen the group cause any problems.

 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.]

My heart breaks for the families who are waking up after the 4th of July, a day meant for celebration, to grieve the loss of young lives taken from senseless crime, Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said in a statement. We share in their grief and remain committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

This embedded content is not available in your region.
Venezuela has begun its most uncertain election campaign. The outcome of the election matters, as it will determine who receives the mandate to govern the country over the next five years; but what happens after the election is even more important. Chavismo, if it accepts the results of July 28, may have to abandon a power that has become absolute over time: the so-called Bolivarian revolution, devised by Hugo Chavez in the late 90s, now controls all state institutions. Many people believe that, right now, the conditions are not there for a transition to restore the democratic values of the Republic and accept turns in government. The United States and other countries such as Colombia and Brazil are negotiating against the clock with Nicolas Maduro for a written agreement that he will respect the results of the election if they are unfavorable to him.

For now, according to the most reliable surveys, they are unfavorable. Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the consensus candidate of the opposition, is leading practically all the polls, with a significant lead in some of them. Maduro, after touring the country for a month, has regained some popularity, which has gone from 19% to 25%. According to sources close to Chavismo, the president has also received figures that are alarming for his interests, although he still believes he can turn them around. The ruling party has an important network of supporters achieved through the management of social aid, such as CLAP food packages. Furthermore, the opposition does not get coverage in the local media, it will probably not have observers at all the polling stations, and it is putting forward two or three other candidates who will take votes away from Gonzalez.

Supporters of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro during the official start of the presidential campaign in Caracas. MIGUEL GUTIERREZ (EFE)

That something is not going well for Chavismo is demonstrated by the fact that two days ago, Maduro announced that he was resuming talks with the White House. This has given rise to all kinds of speculation. There are those who believe that the ruling party is trying to buy time and even postpone the elections. Others think the government is seeking a negotiated solution and a kind of amnesty for its leaders. Jorge Rodriguez, Maduros political operator, met on Wednesday by video call with representatives of the Joe Biden Administration and at the end of it he made a statement in which he did not give many specific details about what was discussed. At the same time, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, is trying to get the parties to sign a document committing to recognize the results and not persecute the losers. Fitting all these pieces together is a real diplomatic challenge for all those involved. The destiny of a nation is at stake.

In the hypothetical case that Chavismo was willing to share power with another actor, a period of unknowns would open up. The most pessimistic (or realistic) observers believe that this is not going to happen under any circumstances. Why would the ruling party abandon power, what would it gain by that? It would be a way to pacify the country, which has been in permanent tension for 25 years: the parties are at odds with one another and hold irreconcilable positions. Along the way, the country has suffered a brutal economic crisis, which has led seven million people to emigrate. We are talking about the largest exodus in the history of Latin America. Chavismo has weakened the opposition with the arrest of its leaders, the disqualification of its most popular figures  such as Maria Corina Machado, who has the power to mobilize the masses, but who has had to cede her candidacy to Edmundo Gonzalez , thus reducing the minimal margin of action, more typical of an authoritarian environment. Added to this are the great mistakes of the opponents, who have spent years disunited.

If indeed the occupant of Miraflores Palace were to change, Edmundo Gonzalez would have a gigantic mission ahead of him. From July to January, Maduro would continue to preside over the country, and during that period anything could happen. The Assembly, where Chavismo has an overwhelming majority, would have one more year in office. And he would have to navigate between institutions co-opted by Chavismo, the most important of which is the Army, where a revolutionary mentality prevails, something truly surprising if one takes into account the military history of the region. Colombias Petro is trying to make Maduro see, according to sources consulted by this newspaper, that leaving power for a time could help Chavismo restructure itself and later return to Miraflores in a context of political normality, similar to that of other surrounding countries. Venezuela would abandon its status as a pariah among the international community.

Venezuelans, if the polls are anything to go by, will be exhausted by the time they go cast their ballot. Chavezs revolutionary project experienced peaks of prosperity with the oil boom in the early 2000s, but then plummeted, and problems worsened after his death, which ushered in the Maduro era. The daily shortage of goods is a burden that has caused Chavismo to lose many followers. Experts estimate that they represent 20% of the population, thanks to the hundreds of thousands of public employees who got their jobs thanks to their political loyalty, plus segments of the population that are still very ideologized. Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez, who until recently was an unknown figure, have picked up on the discontent and represent a real electoral threat for Maduro. The question remains whether the president would willingly walk out of Miraflores Palace in the event of a defeat. There are 24 days left until the vote, but the answer to that question is on everyones minds from this very moment.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition




Driver arrested for DWI after police say he crashed into holiday crowd, killing 3, injuring 8

A man suspected of driving into a crowd, killing three people and injuring eight during an Independence Day celebration, has been arrested and is accused of driving under the influence, New York City police said Friday.

Daniel Hyden, 44, from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, eight counts of assault, one count of driving without a license in the second degree and one count of driving while intoxicated, according to the NYPD.

He was additionally charged with three counts of manslaughter in the second degree, three counts of vehicular manslaughter in the second degree, and one count of aggravated vehicular assault, according to a criminal complaint from the Manhattan District Attorneys Office.

Hyden pleaded not guilty to all the charges during an arraignment hearing Saturday, the DAs office said.

This is a very tragic case, and we extend our sincere condolences to all those impacted, Hydens attorney, Tim Pruitt, with The Legal Aid Society, told CNN Saturday. But Mr. Hyden is entitled to the presumption of innocence and a zealous defense, and at this preliminary stage in the case, we caution the public from making any rush to judgment.

Hydens next court date is scheduled for July 10.

At least three people were killed when a truck drove into a park on Manhattans Lower East Side late Thursday, police said.

A group celebrating the holiday was struck by the gray Ford F-150 when it ran through an intersection and into Corlears Hook Park at about 9 p.m. Hyden was driving at a high rate of speed when he failed to navigate the road and struck 11 pedestrians inside the park, police say.

Hyden, who told police he had a few alcoholic drinks, was found at the scene of the crash next to the drivers side door, bloodied with no shirt or shoes, the complaint said.

Police said Hyden, who was stumbling on his feet, had bloodshot eyes and a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath and clothing, the complaint says.

Pedestrians who witnessed the incident told an officer that Hyden was the only person sitting in the drivers seat when the truck crashed and there were no other passengers in the vehicle, according to the complaint.

When officers arrived on the scene, one pedestrian was still pinned underneath Hydens pickup and emergency responders had to extricate the person from the vehicle, according to the complaint. Multiple people seriously injured in the accident were aided by first responders on scene.

The NYPD identified Ana Morel, 43, on Friday as the third person who was killed after earlier identifying Lucille Pinkney, 59, and Hernan Pinkney, 38, as two of the three victims, officials said. Police say any relationship between the two victims, who share the same last name, is unclear.

One individual remains hospitalized in critical condition with internal injuries, officials said.

Seven of the victims were between 11 and 35, and were taken to hospitals in stable condition, police said. A 30-year-old woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to the NYPD.

Six individuals were treated at various hospitals for pain, abrasions, as well as lacerations to their necks, backs, and faces, the complaint said.

Officials said Hydens license had been suspended at the time of the incident for failure to answer a summons four times on three dates.

CNNs Lauren Rapp contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
For decade after decade in the United States of America, July 4, 1776, has been joyously celebrated as the date when American colonists declared their independence from the tyrannical monarchy of Englands King George III.

Now, July 1, 2024, is suddenly a date being mourned by hysterical liberals. Some are even claiming that the U.S. Supreme Court has placed our nation under a new form of monarchy, an all-powerful presidency.

How? By giving current, former, and future presidents a degree of qualified immunity from prosecution for the official actions they take. Many of the liberals also appear to be incensed because they believe the courts ruling gave former President Donald Trump a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Hogwash!

Chief Justice John Roberts carefully crafted decision, speaking for the courts 6-3 conservative majority, unequivocally declared that nobody, not even a president, is above the law.

However, the court ruled presidents must have leeway to do their job. They may use the executive authority granted to them by the U.S. Constitution to take official actions without having to fear that their political foes will haul them into court in some hostile judicial venue whenever they disagree with the presidents actions.

The majority opinion made it clear that if presidents abuse their authority or engage in illegal acts that are not within the scope of their official authority, they are not immune from prosecution.

With regard to such an abuse of power, it should also be noted that the Constitution provides a remedy  impeachment  when presidents overstep their authority. Indeed, two presidents within the past 30 years  Bill Clinton and Trump  were impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives, though not subsequently convicted and removed from office by the U.S. Senate.

The existence of these checks and balances did not prevent leftist critics from attacking the courts majority opinion, nor did it deter ultraliberal Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor from writing a 29-page dissent that she read aloud, including the absurd assertion that The President is now a king above the law.

Todays decision to grant former Presidents criminal immunity reshapes the institution of the Presidency. It makes a mockery of the principle, foundational to our Constitution and system of Government, that no man is above the law, Sotomayor declared.

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.

Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, whos from Miami, joined the dissenters: The majority of my colleagues seem to have put their trust in our Courts ability to prevent Presidents from becoming Kings through case-by-case application of the indeterminate standards of their new Presidential accountability paradigm.

Unfortunately, like a dish prematurely removed from an oven, the dissenters opinions are half-baked. Much more remains to be decided, especially the essential task of deciding how to determine which presidential acts are deemed official and which are not.

In remanding the case back to the lower courts for review under the parameters suggested by the Supreme Courts majority opinion, the court undoubtedly realized that reaching the finish line wont occur prior to the 2024 presidential election.

Even so, liberals allegations that the court was deliberately causing a delay as a favor for Donald Trump are political blather. So was Mondays blatant attack on the Supreme Court by President Biden, a man who has repeatedly exceeded his executive authority by trying to cancel billions of dollars in student loan debts.

While it was good to see the seemingly cognitively impaired president wide awake and able to read a script that someone had prepared for him, it was sad to see him trying once more to undermine the credibility of the nations highest court.

Robert F. Sanchez, of Tallahassee, is a former member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. He writes for the Heralds conservative opinion newsletter, Right to the Point. Its weekly, and its free. To subscribe, go to miamiherald.com/righttothepoint.
Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis knew from an early age he wanted to be a soldier, just like his father who had served in Vietnam.

But Ollis desire deepened with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York City, a surrogate hometown for the Staten Island native. That calling to serve would lead Ollis into some of the most intense combat of the recent wars and an episode that would result in a Distinguished Service Cross and Polands highest honor for an allied soldier.

Author Tom Sileo has chronicled the exploits of various heroes of the Global War on Terrorism in five nonfiction books in a little more than a decade.

Those stories include the heroism of Medal of Honor recipient Florent Groberg, three brothers who served as a Navy SEAL, Green Beret and Marine, two U.S. Naval Academy classmates and friends killed in battle and Marine Maj. Megan McClung, the first female academy graduate to die in combat since the schools founding.

Paratrooper's Afghan War book helps platoonmates tell their story

In his recently published sixth book, I Have Your Back, Sileo tells Ollis life story, what led him to join in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and what kept him serving as headed out for a third combat deployment  one that ultimately took his life. On that tour in Afghanistan, Ollis saved the life of a Polish soldier he barely knew and became a kind of national hero in that country.

On Aug. 28, 2013, while serving with 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Ollis was at Forward Operating Base Ghazni, Afghanistan when attackers detonated a 3,000-pound car bomb before an enemy force assaulted the base.

Ollis sent his team to get their gear while he ran toward the blast site with one magazine in his rifle and no body armor. Once there he found Karol Cierpica, a lieutenant with the Polish Army. Cierpica had been wounded by shrapnel to his leg, and Ollis quickly moved him to an area with other soldiers who were returning fire. As Ollis and Cierpica reached the position, an enemy grenade landed and exploded, further wounding Cierpica. As Ollis rendered first aid, the last surviving enemy fighter rushed their position. The attacker was wearing a suicide vest.

Ollis stood up and shielded Cierpica from the blast, saving the lieutenants life at the cost of his own.

Polish officer names son after staff sergeant who saved him

Sileo spoke with Army Times recently about his work writing military stories, the importance of documenting the narratives of Global War on Terror veterans and his most recent book.

*Editors Note: This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Youve written a lot about Global War on Terror veterans. Why has this been important to you?

A: I just try to tell as many stories as I can about our troops, veterans and their families to help Americans remember the great men and women who stepped forward to serve and certainly those who made the ultimate sacrifice to make sure we never forget what they did for our country and our families.

Q: How did you learn about Staff Sgt. Ollis story and decide to write a book about him?

A: About 10 years ago I got in touch with Staff Sgt. Ollis sister, Kimberly. She had read a previous book of mine and reached out to tell me that she thought it was a good book and that her brother had just been killed in Afghanistan. At the time I was writing a syndicated weekly column about the sacrifices of our troops. I said Id love to interview her and find out more about her brothers life. She told me how her brother had died to save the life of a Polish soldier, which really struck me. Having been exposed to a lot of stories about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, this was the first time I had heard of an American sacrificing his own life to save a foreign soldier. I wrote a piece about him but over the years I always thought there was more of a story to tell. And his story said a lot, not only about a generation of heroes and about alliances that are so crucial, are even more critical now than theyve been probably since the Cold War. The fact that Michael could forge a bond in just a few minutes with a soldier from a different country that hed only just met and then be willing to stand between him and a suicide bomber, it just said a lot to me.

Q: Across the six books youve written about individuals in these conflicts, have some themes emerged?

A: If theres one common thread, I think its selflessness, the fact that every subject of every book that Ive ever written wanted to serve, to save lives. They wanted to serve for the brave man or woman next to them, or for their families. Certainly, in Michaels case. Theres a line in the book near the funeral and some family and friends have gathered at the Ollis home on Staten Island and an ex-girlfriend of Michaels was there and she said, you know, it just hit me that this is what Michael lived for, all of his friends and family being together. I think that really sums up this generation of volunteer warriors who raised their hands and swore to defend our country and went to these faraway places so that the rest of us didnt have to.

Q: What value have you found for the individuals youve interviewed and shared their stories?

A: Michaels father was a Vietnam veteran, he never really talked about it with his son until Michael joined the Army. I think one of the touching things about the story is the way they bonded and Michael really helped him with some of his demons from Vietnam by sharing some of the stories from Afghanistan and asking his dads advice. I think veterans should keep telling their stories. Its so critical that we pass on stories like Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis and other stories Ive had the privilege to help tell the next generation because at some point in time, when theyre called upon to preserve our freedom, I think its important that they know about those who came before them.
The U.S. Supreme Court, pictured, issued a decision on a case dealing with a legal precedent that gave federal agencies broad discretion to use their judgment to resolve any ambiguity Congress left in a federal statute. (Jane Norman/States Newsroom)

The Supreme Courts ruling ending the Chevron deference will directly impact Maine, since several state agencies work closely with their federal counterparts, relying on them for policy, funding and legal frameworks.

With federal agencies power to implement and interpret laws diminished and open to challenges, it makes Maines reliance on federal partners risky, which ultimately could result in lack of services for Mainers, according to legal experts.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo reversed a 40-year-old legal precedent of deferring to federal agencies in interpreting relevant laws, and making rules to follow those laws. In the absence of the deference, private companies or individuals can challenge agencies interpretations in federal court, handing more power to federal judges to determine how laws should be interpreted and implemented, said Bradley Campbell, president of the Conservation Law Foundation, a New England-based environmental advocacy group.

In many cases, the states are exclusively dependent on federal agencies to set standards and protections for the public, Campbell said.It will have a sweeping effect at the state level, and that effect will be in every state.

For example, the uncertainty about the EPAs authority could directly affect Maines ability to enforce the federal Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, Campbell said. When the EPA determines an unlawful discharge of pollution into waterways, that interpretation guides what the state Department of Environmental Protection permits.

Without the Chevron deference, private companies can challenge federal agencies interpretations more easily, said Kaitlin Caruso, an associate professor at University of Maine School of Law. Eventually, this hands federal judges more power to make policy decisions, Caruso added.

Maine, as a state, benefits from all kinds of federal programs, Caruso said.Its sometimes a litigant in cases challenging federal law or challenging challenges to federal law. So Maine is absolutely going to be affected by [the decision] as an important litigant, and insofar as this change in law complicates life in general for federal agencies, its going to affect the states that are beneficiaries of any given federal program.

What the decision does not change

The decision does not directly apply to Maines state agencies following Maine law, Caruso said.

Since Maines state agencies follow the State Administrative Procedure Act and not the federal act, they still get deference from Maine courts when interpreting and applying state law. That means Maines state government agencies still retain all their policy making power.

Caruso explained that is because the Maine Supreme Judicial Court has basically adopted a deference doctrine very similar to Chevron at the state level.

So unless and until the court changes its mind, deference will still be the law of the land at the state level, Caruso said.

Lack of confidence in federal agencies

In his opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts said that the decision is not intended for judges to set policy but rather to make the most accurate interpretation of the laws that Congress passes.

However, there is often no one right answer or interpretation of the law, which is why federal agencies are tasked with using their expertise to make rules and implement laws accordingly, according to Caruso.

The lack of trust in federal agencies may increase, as the lack of deference now increases the risk of doing business , or engaging and negotiating, with a federal agency, because theres more uncertainty attached to whether agency decisions will hold up, she said.

Since judges are not elected, Campbell believes the Supreme Court ruling also indirectly takes away some public voice in policy decisions.

If voters are unhappy with the way a federal agency is interpreting or applying the law, they can register that unhappiness and hold the president accountable in the voting booth, Campbell said.They dont have that option with federal judges.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Legislature in recess with judicial vacancies still higher than court officials want

A top lawmaker said the Senate could return in the summer to advance more judges  the third summer in a row that claim has been made. (Getty Images)

With the Legislature in recess for potentially months, the number of judicial vacancies statewide is at 40  10 higher than court officials say the judiciary needs to function properly.

And though Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) suggested the state Senate could return to Trenton in August to confirm more judges, a similar promise by senators the last two summers led to few votes on judicial appointments.

Scutari said last week that he believes New Jerseys longstanding judiciary vacancy crisis  which has led Chief Justice Stuart Rabner to halt some types of trials altogether in parts of the state  is over.

We have achieved an amount that is no longer in a state of emergency, and I think that is in large part due to the work of this committee, Scutari said during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which approves judicial nominations before they get a vote in the full Senate.

But the vacancy number remains high. The Senate last week approved six new Superior Court judges as budget negotiations reached a close and two more judges retired since then, bringing the vacancy number to 40. Chief Justice Stuart Rabner has said the judiciary can operate sustainably with a maximum of 30 empty seats on the bench.

Judicial vacancies peaked in May 2022 with 71 statewide.

Judiciary officials testified during budget hearings that they need to fill more seats to alleviate the backlog of trials that have mounted. The state currently has more than 69,000 cases backlogged.

Court officials mark a case as backlogged if it has not been heard within a certain time period, and the length of the time varies based on the type of case.

Cape May, Cumberland, Hunterdon, Morris, Salem, Sussex, and Warren are the only counties with no judicial vacancies. Union has the highest number of vacancies, at six.

Scutari said a potential August Senate session may also consider the nomination of former New Jersey Attorney General John Hoffman to the state Supreme Court.

This would be the third summer in a row that a top senator suggested there would be a summer session to deal with judicial vacancies. In 2022, senators returned in August and advanced four judges. In 2023, the summer came and went without any action on judges.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Organizer Donna Pangburn, right, cheers while Democratic political candidate Heidi Beidinger, who is seeking the District 5 Indiana representative seat, left, speaks at a rally Monday, June 24, 2024, at the Jon R. Hunt Memorial Plaza in downtown South Bend. The day marks the second anniversary of the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision that ended the national right to abortion access created by the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

I was glad to see the South Bend Tribunes front-page coverage of the June 24 rally in South Bend, recognizing the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. I attended, and was moved by the commitment to restoring womens full reproductive health care that I heard from two excellent candidates for public office.

The article quoted Heidi Beidinger, the Democratic candidate for Indiana House District 5, but did not quote Lori Camp, who also spoke compellingly, and who is running for Congress in Indiana's 2nd District. Camp was right to point out that the 2nd District's current representative, Rudy Yakym, favors bans on abortion that are far out of step with the majority of Hoosiers (2023 Ball State University poll). Further, Rep. Yakym is working to jeopardize access to in vitro fertilization through his sponsorship of the Life at Conception Act.

The personal stories shared at this rally remind us that IVF has made many families possible, and that abortion can save the lives of mothers who experience pregnancy complications. I am proud to support both Heidi Beidinger and Lori Camp, who understand these truths and will listen to and work tirelessly on behalf of their constituents.

April Lidinsky

South Bend

Property taxes

I am a retired person living on a fixed income. I have had a substantial increase in my property taxes due to an increase in the assessed value of my property. House prices have spiraled in recent years so, although unrealized, I have a gain in the value of my property. That seems fair even though it will be a financial burden for me.

A substantial amount of these taxes goes to local schools. I have never given my assent to vouchers but families who use them are taking a big subsidy from me. The same goes for charter schools. In the meantime, public school kids from my neighborhood are directed to attend a primary center that is nearly two miles away even though we have a perfectly fine building right here. Other public schools in South Bend have closed, causing mayhem for many families. I pay more in taxes but schools close.

While the county imposes ever greater tax burdens on me, capricious legislation has turned Indiana's education funds into nothing more than an attractive source of wealth extraction. It is theft. A state that taxes my pension has plenty of money to fund public education.

Laurie McGowan

South Bend

Upside down

Somehow I have landed in the upside down world. The media has focused solely on Joe Biden's poor debate performance since last Thursday evening. Yet nary a word about the completely outrageous lies being spewed by convicted felon Donald Trump. Fact checkers couldn't keep up with the fire hose of lies coming from his mouth! Republicans are proud of his performance. As one commentator on PBS news stated, even the most nimble mind would find it impossible to debate a person so pathologically untruthful!

Anita Blumhardt

Niles

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Vote for Heidi Beidinger and Lori Camp
Letters to the Editor: What is the future of democracy in the United States?

To the editor: There may be a silver lining to the cloud that the Supreme Court has cast over American democracy by immunizing the president from criminal liability. Even more than the Dobbs decision that took away from women the right to abort a pregnancy, the immunity case upends the contest for the White House.

Now that a president can effectively violate laws with impunity, can voters trust Donald Trump to govern America? Are voters willing to give that kind of power to the man who tried to overthrow an election by force and fraud? Or will they vote for a man who, although less entertaining, has served our country throughout a long career and is known as a man of character?

This outrageous overreach by the Supreme Court majority gives voters a new incentive to defeat the extremist authoritarianism that threatens American democracy.

Eleanor Egan, Costa Mesa

..

To the editor: The Supreme Court decision on Trump's immunity is a classic example of the old adage about being careful about what you ask for  you may not like the answer. Had Merrick Garland, Jack Smith, Fani Willis and Alvin Bragg not been so eager to prosecute Trump for perceived and actual offenses, the opinion never would have been issued.

As we learned from Watergate, there are good reasons not to prosecute ex-presidents for crimes in office. Gerald Ford was right to pardon Nixon for his offenses in Watergate; we got on with the business of the country quite well and Nixon remained in disgrace until the day he died. The same should have been true of Trump.

Instead, the prosecutors made a martyr of him and he is now the odds-on favorite to return to the White House. As it stands, we now have an opinion that may, as Justice Sonia Sotomayor indicated, open the door for Trump or any future president, including a Democrat, to do just about whatever they want with no worries about future consequences after they leave office. Thanks but no thanks to Garland, et al.

Christopher Blake, San Diego

..

To the editor: The U.S. is in trouble. And the only path forward is for every Democrat, every fence-sitter and every Republican who cannot abide the disturbing prospect of a Trump presidency to vote  whether it's for Joe Biden or a last-minute substitute.

A normal president has a good solid team advising and executing Oval Office policy. Donald Trump will have feckless and reckless sycophants around him, possibly executing his enemies. If you're worried about Biden's health, remember he has a team that works for him and for us. A Trump team would work only for Trump.

And think about this. It's dubious at best that a right-wing Supreme Court justice would retire during a Democrat administration. But a Trump presidency might see one or two vacancies. Do you really want someone like Judge Aileen Cannon on the high court?

What a wonderful privilege we have in this country  the right to vote. Failing to exercise that right actually could spell an end to the great American experiment. Vote!

Steve Arvin, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Let's not forget that the Democratic presidential ticket is Biden-Harris.

If for some unfortunate reason President Biden cannot finish his term in office, I have great confidence that Vice President Harris will do a fine job as president protecting our democracy and freedom.

Russell Jung, San Clemente

..

To the editor: Let's look back: John F. Kennedy had Addison's disease, Franklin D. Roosevelt had polio, William Howard Taft had health problems related to obesity, George Washington's teeth fell out. Yet somehow, they all served their country just fine as POTUS.

Give me a break, man. Biden is doing the job of president as well as or better than any of them. He's not a dynamic debater. Get over it.

The other guy, an experienced media performer and con artist extraordinaire, now has the Supreme Court's imprimatur to destroy the American Experiment.

As a friend of mine says, I'd vote for a baked potato to keep Trump and his mob from regaining the White House.

Eyes on the prize, folks.

Jane Drucker, Studio City

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
To the editor: Project 2025 has been recruiting and vetting prospective government employees for an anticipated Republican presidency. Fine, thats their prerogative. But the idea that current federal employees can be scrutinized and assessed, the results published in a list based on their personal ideas and beliefsm and then the employees subsequently reclassified or fired, is a page directly out of Joseph McCarthys playbook. The consensus then was, McCarthys practices were anti-American. The Heritage Foundation should be ashamed of itself for backing this effort.

Furthermore, the president of the Heritage Foundation was quoted as saying that his foundation was proud to aid in draining the government of bad actors. Who decides what a bad actor is?

Many federal employees have opinions and beliefs that are contrary to current government policies, yet they do their jobs as they have sworn to do, uphold the Constitution and support the current president. Thats what makes for a strong democracy: ideas, discussions, compromise and free speech.

If everyone meets a certain standard, set by the ruling party, I think theres a word for that: totalitarianism.

Julia Springer, Santa Barbara

..

To the editor: Wow. It appears the House Un-American Activities Committee is back, and Roy Cohn is resurrected. As part of the Heritage Foundation-supported Project 2025, government employees will be investigated using well-respected tools such as a "gut check" or "instinct" (one activists words). Will they uncover my sympathy for democracy and loyalty to our Constitution? To paraphrase the famous lawyer Joseph Welch, from almost exactly 70 years ago today: Have we no sense of decency?

Jon Merritt, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: The media need to start publishing more articles on what a Trump second term would look like. Weve been so deluged with his trials, we are missing a look into our possible future.

Former President Trump has very clearly laid out his plans both in public and in print. The Project 2025 documents, also known as the Presidential Transition Project, lay out plans to reshape the federal government and consolidate power in the executive branch. By inserting only loyalists, hell create a yes, Mr. President government to eliminate any pushback on his policies.

Included in this plan would be a takeover of the Justice Department  to go after anyone who stood in his way? Imagine partisan control too of the FBI, Department of Commerce and Federal Communications Commission; the dismantling of the departments of Homeland Security, Education and environmental protection; and cutting funding for climate research while reforming the National Institutes of Health along conservative lines.

Terry Priesont, Altadena

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Letters: Labour must now demonstrate that it deserves the trust of British voters

SIR  Sir Keir Starmer has been granted his wish by the electorate (Labour landslide, report, July 5). It is now incumbent upon him and his party to deliver the change they promised.

Sir Keir must be acutely aware that, should he fail to act on his pledges (as the Conservatives did), the British public will ensure it is Labour that suffers at the next election.

Rob Mason

Nailsea, Somerset

SIR  I find it profoundly depressing that a large section of the British population can vote for change without any real explanation of what that change involves.

Is it really so easy to gain political power in this country?

Barbara Hollman

Stroud, Gloucestershire

SIR  Congratulations to the Labour Party on its victory.

However, let us not lose sight of the reality here. People havent turned to Labour; weve rejected wholesale the Conservatives and the SNP after a dire few years, and reached out instead primarily to the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK. Labours share of the popular vote is virtually unchanged since the last general election.

Our new Government must recognise this. Lets hope Sir Keirs promise of change was not empty. He and his party must govern with humility, and for us all.

Martin Smith

Whitby, North Yorkshire

SIR  Labour won with fewer votes than it got in 2019, when it lost. Its share of the vote was smaller than that of the Tories and Reform UK combined. Turnout was at a near all-time low of about 60 per cent. That means Labour is in power with little more than a fifth of the country having voted for it. It has no popular mandate.

Charles Barrington

Woodbridge, Suffolk

SIR  I dont like the result of the general election. Can I demand a re-run, just as Sir Keir did after the Brexit referendum?

Alison Levinson

Hastings, East Sussex

SIR  Well, its happened. As expected, the Tories have handed Labour a huge majority.

Let us hope that Prime Minister Starmer does as little with his Commons advantage as Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak did with theirs.

Andrew Pearce

London SE3

SIR  I wonder if we have now seen a record number of turkeys voting for Christmas.

Peter Stephens

Fakenham, Norfolk

SIR  Many will have noticed how Sir Keir, in his first speech outside 10 Downing Street, stated that his Government would not be burdened by doctrine.

He appears to have forgotten that, only recently, he described himself as a socialist. Or has he already U-turned on that?

Michael Edwards

Haslemere, Surrey

SIR  I made the daily trip to pick up my Telegraph in the rain. The newsagent greeted me at the door with my paper in hand and the words: Labour has come  look at the weather.

Larry Darby

Ferring, West Sussex

SIR  Following the 2019 election I was optimistic that, in my twilight years, this country would be secure, and that the sunlit uplands would be reached.

Sadly, things have not turned out that way, and we are now staring into a deep and dark abyss, the dimensions of which will be revealed over the coming months and years.

Perhaps I may be permitted to borrow and adapt the words of Edward Grey, foreign secretary in 1914, thus: The lamps are going out all over Britain. I shall not see them lit again in my lifetime.

Christopher Leach

Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire

SIR  I woke up feeling saddened by the (admittedly predictable) election result. Nevertheless, I then felt an enormous sense of pride when I reflected that this seismic change has been effected peacefully, by simply putting an X next to a preferred name on a ballot paper.

What an honour it is to be British and live in this fantastic country.

Basil Young

London W4

SIR  We woke up to a new government. Yet the Bank of England is still run by Andrew Bailey, the Office for Budget Responsibility is still run by Richard Hughes, the NHS is still run by Amanda Pritchard, the Supreme Court is still led by Lord Reed, quangos remain unchanged and the over-powerful Civil Service is as it was.

Andy Tuke

Bristol

SIR  Rishi Sunak said he took full responsibility for the election result, for all thats worth.

The soul-searching, navel-gazing and witch-hunts will now commence, but the reasons for the defeat are not rocket science: the Conservative Party lost its way completely. This was apparent to all but those in power.

Roger Wilson

Charter Alley, Hampshire

SIR  While it was typically magnanimous of Mr Sunak to take responsibility for the Tories hammering, the real blame lies with the narcissistic Boris Johnson and the lamentably incompetent Liz Truss.

The election result merely confirmed the contempt in which the nation holds these two figures and their acolytes.

Kim Potter

Lambourn, Berkshire

SIR  Poor Conservative Party leadership over the past 10 years is behind the disastrous election result.

David Cameron did not challenge the un-Conservative Blairite settlement and shamefully quit as prime minister when the Brexit referendum he called went against him, causing confusion and delivering the leadership into the hands of the hapless Theresa May. She did not abandon the Blairite settlement either and found she was out of her depth, lost the Tory majority in a snap general election and sank in the parliamentary Brexit shenanigans that followed.

Boris Johnson, who followed, managed to get Brexit over the line and won the 2019 general election, but his charisma could not make up for his laziness, poor organisation and lack of both dedication and personal integrity. His character proved catastrophically unsuited to the Covid outbreak. When this caught up with him, eight weeks were wasted choosing the feckless and short-lived Liz Truss, who had the right ideas but a total inability to deliver them. Rishi Sunak has done his best but lacks political nous and inherited an impossible hand.

These leaders permitted the Conservative Party to lose its ethos and, latterly, its mojo. It has ignored its core supporters, who expect it to stand for small government, low taxes, secure borders, business, free speech and personal liberty. Reform UK has stolen the Conservatives clothes, and it is vital that the Tories take the time to select a really good leader who will rebuild the party along genuinely Conservative lines.

Gregory Shenkman

London SW7

SIR  Before and during the election campaign, the term broad church was repeatedly used.

The trouble with broad churches is that, inevitably, they disintegrate. I wonder if it will prove any different with this new government.

Simon McIlroy

Croydon, Surrey

SIR  When will the Conservatives learn? Already they have resumed their Left-vs-Right infighting.

Dont they see that this infighting was the main cause of their downfall? That, and not doing in government what they had promised to do.

Judith Rixon

Bourne, Lincolnshire

SIR  One can only hope that Labour solves the problems of the NHS, as the Conservatives are likely to be in A&E for some considerable time.

John Clark

Hereford

SIR  British citizens are still paying the price for Conservative MPs forcing Margaret Thatcher out of office 34 years ago.

The governments that have followed have been sorely lacking.

Athol Forsyth

Norwich

SIR  Good news: for the first time in 20 years or more we have a genuine conservative voice in the House of Commons  Nigel Farage.

David Higgins

Richmond, Surrey

SIR  I was very sorry to see that some proper Conservatives lost their seats, while several liberal ones retained theirs.

One thing is for sure: the Conservatives and Reform UK have five years to sort themselves out. The people at the top must devise a plan whereby they either merge or work together. Otherwise we will be in for a Labour government not just for five years, but permanently.

In my constituency the combined votes of those two parties comfortably beat the Labour candidate.

Peter Flesher

Halifax, West Yorkshire

SIR  How is it possible in a democracy for a political party to attract 14 per cent of the vote and gain just five seats in Parliament?

Prejudice against Reform, and a distrust of proportional representation, are no excuse for ignoring the flawed and deeply unfair nature of our present electoral system.

Martin Offer

Bognor Regis, West Sussex

SIR  The idea that the Conservative Party should shift further to the Right in order to combat Reform surely amounts to fighting the last war. That would be the approach of a dominant party trying to head off a brewing insurgency in its space.

Now that Reform has captured the territory, the task before the Conservatives is to provide a notably different Right-wing offer to what Nigel Farage is putting on the table.

David Woodhouse

Nuneaton, Warwickshire

Eighth time lucky: Nigel Farage at the count for the Clacton-on-Sea constituency - Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

SIR  Immediately after Labour had won the election in 1997, Gordon Brown abolished the right to recoup advance corporation tax. This was a tax raid about which nothing had been said prior to the election, for obvious reasons.

I am therefore curious as to what the new Chancellor has in mind this time. I would not be surprised if Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) lose their income and exemption from capital gains tax. I wonder how many taxpayers will leave these shores, never to be seen again.

So thank you, Nigel Farage  with Brexit and now Reform UK you have done immense damage to this country. The worst is yet to come, I fear.

David Crawford

Llandudno, Caernarfonshire

SIR  The Conservative Party needs to take a long, hard look at itself. And the first thing it must address is its selection process.

The Tories need to pick people with administrative and organisational skills, rather than career politicians and second-rate lawyers. Cabinet ministers proved unable to run their departments effectively, and the Civil Service was allowed to do what it liked, often in direct opposition to government policy.

Michael Banyard

Charlton Adam, Somerset

SIR  The people of Cheltenham should be ashamed of themselves for not supporting Alex Chalk, who has done more for their town than I suspect the new Liberal Democrat ever will.

Michael Longley

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

SIR  If there is a prize for the most dignified post-defeat speech at an election count, it must surely go to Penny Mordaunt.

As the song goes, you dont know what youve got till its gone. I think the Conservative Party and Ms Mordaunts former constituents will discover this soon.

Sandra Jones

Old Cleeve, Somerset

SIR  Let us spare a thought for the Left-wing comedians who have spent the past few years making lazy jokes about the Tories and now find themselves out of work.

They will have to try a bit harder to be funny.

Kevin Harvey

London W5

SIR  The producers of Im a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! are going to have a lot of volunteers to take part this year.

Frank Dean

Stockport, Cheshire

Letters to the Editor

We accept letters by email and post. Please include name, address, work and home telephone numbers.

ADDRESS: 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0DT

EMAIL: dtletters@telegraph.co.uk

FOLLOW: Telegraph Letters @LettersDesk

NEWSLETTER: sign up to receive Letters to the Editor 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.
Thursday was a holiday at the White House. In between the barbecuing, the musical performances and the fireworks to celebrate Independence Day, President Joe Biden offered a couple of remarks and had some off-script moments. Since his disastrous debate last week against Donald Trump on CNN, Bidens every public appearance has come under special scrutiny. On Thursday he read from a teleprompter, but then he got down from the lectern and, microphone in hand, said a few more words, including the expected headline: Im not going anywhere.

Political, media and donor pressure for Biden to withdraw from the race has been increasing in recent days. There is a growing feeling that the president will not be able to defeat Trump at the presidential elections on November 5, since the Republican candidate has widened his lead in the polls. Furthermore, the Democratic congressmembers who are running for re-election on that same date are afraid that Bidens bad moment will drag down the entire party.

Biden is aware that these are decisive days and that he needs to clear up existing doubts about his mental acuity. On Wednesday, at a meeting with Democratic governors at the White House, he allowed himself to joke about it. He said that he was in good health, that what was failing him was his brain, according to AP. The president also acknowledged at that meeting that he needs to sleep more and limit nighttime events so he can go to bed earlier and be rested for work, according to media reports.

During that meeting, Biden told the governors that he had been examined by his doctor after his performance in the debate, despite the fact that a few hours earlier, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre had said that Biden had not been examined by the doctor.

These are not very reassuring messages, but the president has intensified his agenda to try to show that he is in shape. On Thursday, at the White House, one of the guests at the barbecue told him: Keep up the fight! We need you and Biden replied: You got me, man. Im not going anywhere.

Bidens formal remarks were brief and preceded by a speech by the first lady, Jill Biden, who has been increasingly active at her husbands public events, and by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Biden gave a second speech later, this time without a teleprompter, but limiting himself to 4th of July talk.

On Friday the president is traveling to Madison (Wisconsin) to hold a rally, and he will sit down for an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News, which will air in prime time. On Sunday he is traveling to Philadelphia for another campaign event. Next week he is hosting a NATO summit in Washington, marking the 75th anniversary of the organizations founding. At this summit, he will give a media conference open to all kinds of questions. Biden hopes to pass all of these exams with flying colors and once again convince his party colleagues, donors and voters that he is prepared for re-election and a second term. It wont be an easy task.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
Sir Ed Davey at King's Centre in Chessington after he was declared the winner of Kingston and Surbiton - Yui Mok

Sir Ed Davey vowed to be a champion for the community as he held on to his seat during a victory march to claim his partys best results in a century.

At the end of a stunt-packed campaign, the Liberal Democrats leader won Kingston and Surbiton with 25,870 votes, ahead of his Conservative rival Helen Edward on 8,635.

What Ive loved most [about the campaign] hasnt been the paddle-boarding or the bungee jumping, Sir Ed told supporters in Chessington, in south west London.

Its been speaking to people here in Kingston and Surbiton and across the United Kingdom, about the challenges they face and their hopes for the future.

Weve listened to you and weve heard you loud and clear. Weve put your concerns at the heart of our campaign.

The Lib Dems also declared wins in Chichester, the seat held by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, and in Cheltenham where Justice Secretary Alex Chalk was projected to lose.

Catch up on how the night unfolded for the Lib Dems below and follow the results across the country in our election live blog

04:22 AM BST

Thanks for joining us throughout the night

Thats the end of our live coverage of the Lib Dems results.

The Telegraphs team of experts will continue to bring you all the news and reactions throughout Friday morning.

Follow the General Election news blog and check the Map for an overview of the results.

03:26 AM BST

In pictures: The moment the results were announced

Back to the London Art Bar now where photographers are capturing the mood.

Here is the moment Lib Dems supporters found out Ed Davey had won:

Liberal Democrat supporters celebrate at an election results watch party at the London Art Bar, central London, as party leader Sir Ed Davey wins his seat

Liberal Democrat supporters celebrate at an election results watch party at the London Art Bar, central London, as party leader Sir Ed Davey wins his seat at the 2024 General Election come in after polls close.

Liberal Democrat supporters celebrate at an election results watch party at the London Art Bar, central London, as party leader Sir Ed Davey wins his seat at the 2024 General Election come in after polls close. Picture date: Friday July 5, 2024.

03:07 AM BST

Watch: Sir Eds victory speech

02:58 AM BST

Sir Ed: We want to be your champions

Now I dont know if you could tell, but Ive rather enjoyed this campaign, Sir Ed joked as he addressed cheering supporters at the Kings Centre.

But what Ive loved most hasnt been the paddle-boarding or the bungee jumping, its been speaking to people here in Kingston and Surbiton and across the United Kingdom, about the challenges they face and their hopes for the future.

People who are working hard, raising families, caring for loved ones, playing by the rules but finding it harder and harder to make ends meet, people who have had to wait hours for an ambulance, weeks to see a GP, or months for urgent cancer treatment.

People who are angry at the filthy sewage being pumped into their rivers, lakes and onto their beaches, people who feel let down and taken for granted and are desperate for change.

Many of them have turned to the Liberal Democrats, in some cases for the first time at this election and we want to be your champions.

02:52 AM BST

Ed Davey wins

Sir Ed has held his seat with 25,870 (51.06 per cent) of the votes in Kingston and Surbiton.

02:29 AM BST

In pictures: Ed Davey celebrating at Kings Centre vote count

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey arrives at King's Centre in Chessington, south west London, during the count for the Kingston and Surbiton constituency

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey at King's Centre in Chessington, south west London, during the count for the Kingston and Surbiton constituency

02:20 AM BST

Massive result in Cheltenham

Expanding now on earlier reports of a prediction that the Justice Secretary has been defeated in Cheltenham, the Lib Dems have wasted no time in claiming the seat.

A Lib Dems source told PA: This is a massive result for the Liberal Democrats and demonstrates the anger that so many Conservative voters have for this Government.

The people of Cheltenham have elected a local champion in Max Wilkinson who will stand up in Parliament and work hard to protect local A&E services.

01:51 AM BST

Video: Ed Davey arrives for the vote count

NEW: Ed Davey has arrived at his count pic.twitter.com/IW2g3Pi7jt  Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) July 5, 2024

01:35 AM BST

Education Secretary unseated

The Lib Dems have claimed to have beaten Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in Chichester.

Chichester is going Lib Dem orange, as Gillian Keegan becomes the first Cabinet Minister of the night to lose her seat, a party spokesman said.

The Conservatives have let down the people of Chichester for too long. This seat has been Conservative for 100 years and a win here for the Liberal Democrats is an extraordinary achievement which has unseated the Education Secretary.

Chichester Harbour has been blighted by sewage pollution thanks to the Conservatives letting water companies off the hook.

By electing Jess Brown-Fuller, Chichester now has a local champion who will stand up and fight to clean up our waterways and hold water companies accountable.

01:28 AM BST

In pictures: Supporters celebrate

Surprise and delight for supporters gathering at the London Art Bar in central - PA

Party time at the London Art Bar - PA

01:09 AM BST

Party claims victory in Tunbridge Wells

Were still a long way off the official declaration but the Lib Dems have already claimed victory in Tunbridge Wells.

A Liberal Democrat source said: Theyre set to elect a Lib Dem local champion in former British Army officer Mike Martin, who will stand up for the community.

On the campaign trail in June, Ed Davey took part in an assault course in Kent with Mike Martin - Liberal Democrats

01:02 AM BST

Weve won Daveys dozen

The party is claiming it will be victorious in three seats in the West Country - Torbay, North Cornwall and Yeovil.

A Lib Dem source told PA: We are declaring victory in Daveys dozen, the first 12 of many wins were expecting tonight.

From the West Country to Greater Manchester, the map is being painted gold as Liberal Democrats sweep to victory in the Conservative Partys former heartlands.

The party is also confident of wins in Eastleigh, Woking, Guildford, Wokingham and Lewes in the South East, and Wimbledon in south-west London.

The remaining seats on the Daveys dozen list are South Cambridgeshire, Cheadle (Greater Manchester) and Hazel Grove.

12:52 AM BST

Exit poll predicts Justice Secretary Alex Chalk will lose his seat

It is likely the Lib Dems will gain Cheltenham, Ipsos UK says.

Mr Chalk is defending a small majority of just 1,421.

He has been up against Max Wilkinson, who is the Lib Dem candidate, Labours Lara Chaplin, the Green candidate Daniel Wilson, and independent Daud McDonald.

12:46 AM BST

Lib Dems confident against Jeremy Hunt

A source has told PA that Lib Dems feel confident the party will defeat Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, in the new constituency of Godalming and Ash.

The constituency Mr Hunt is contesting is 81 per cent likely to go to the Lib Dems according to the exit poll for Sky News, BBC and ITV News.

The exit poll is obviously encouraging, the source said.

Its early in the night. But we are confident.

12:32 AM BST

In pictures: Counting ballots in Chessington

Spare a thought for all the volunteers who are burning the midnight oil to do their bit for democracy across 650 constituencies tonight.

Volunteers count ballot papers following the close of voting in the UK general election on on July 4, 2024 in Chessington, England.

Volunteers count ballot papers following the close of voting in the UK general election on July 4, 2024 in Chessington,

A volunteer oversees the ballot count following the close of voting in the UK general election on July 4, 2024 in Chessington, England

12:20 AM BST

In pictures: Memorable moments from Ed Daveys campaign

Wipeout: Sir Ed tries surfing in Cornwall on July 2 - Matt Keeble

12:15 AM BST

Did stunts help?

Daisy Cooper told the BBC tonight that all the funny stunts pulled by the Lib Dems throughout the campaign carried a very serious message.

You might have noticed that Ed Davey seemed to be the only one genuinely having any fun in the past few weeks.

He paddled - and fell - into icy waters of the Windermere, cycled in Wales, and hurtled down a waterslide in Somerset.

Sir Ed also shook his hips at a zumba class in Wokingham and jumped off crane in Eastbourne.

It was all in the name of getting attention for Lib Dems and their causes, apparently, but whether it has actually made a difference remains to be seen.

While we wait for the verdict, read up on what happens when gimmicks go wrong and when they triumph.

11:47 PM BST

Translating the results

11:42 PM BST

Disbelief in Oxfordshire

Some reaction now from Layla Moran, the Oxford West and Abingdon MP who in 2020 threw her hat in the ring for the partys leadership in a contest against Ed Davey.

Oxfordshire results are yet to be announced but forecasts show a 1 per cent Lib Dem gain in the south.

I am still in disbelief  Layla Moran  (@LaylaMoran) July 4, 2024

11:28 PM BST

Deputy leader: Ed Davey lit up the campaign

Daisy Cooper paid tribute to the party leader as she celebrated the once-in-a-century result.

I think [the result] is testament to the phenomenal leadership of Ed Davey who has lit up this campaign, and our positive vision and our plans for how we want to save the NHS and fix social care, Ms Cooper told the BBC.

She added: Our goal was to unseat as many Conservative MPs as possible. Up until this evening, we said we were in second place to the Conservatives in around 80 seats across the country, and later this evening well find out how many of those MPs weve been able to unseat.

11:11 PM BST

Party president: We fought a positive campaign

Mark Pack, the President of the Liberal Democrats, has posted his thoughts on his personal blog.

Things I didnt expect to hear during a general election campaign included Jason Donovan calling Ed Davey sexy live on TV, Mr Pack wrote.

As YouGovs polling found, Looking at favourability figures, the results show that Davey is the only party leader to have experienced a significant improvement in ratings since the beginning of the campaign.

Their polling also shows that people are most likely to think we fought a positive campaign and that Ed and our campaign comes out ahead of all the others for people saying that they have a favourable view of it.

But while it was Eds campaign tour  and his moving telling of his personal story of a carer  that got the headlines, behind that was a massive movement, focused on our target seats, that reached voters in unprecedented numbers.

11:05 PM BST

In pictures: Best moments from Ed Daveys campaign

Falling into the water while paddle-boarding on Lake Windermere - Peter Byrne

10:25 PM BST

Sir Ed: Lib Dems on track for best results in a century

Sir Ed Davey said his party was on track to record the best results in a century as the exit poll suggested the Lib Dems could gain 61 seats.

As polls closed, Sir Ed said: The Liberal Democrats are on course for our best results in a century, thanks to our positive campaign with health and care at its heart.

I am humbled by the millions of people who backed the Liberal Democrats to both kick the Conservatives out of power and deliver the change our country needs.

Every Liberal Democrat MP will be a strong local champion for their community standing up for the NHS and care. Whether you voted for us or not, we will work day in and day out and we will not let you down.

10:07 PM BST

Breaking: Exit poll released

The exit poll indicates the Lib Dems have won 61 seats, which would be a very strong performance for Sir Ed Daveys party.

It puts the party in third position, behind the Tories at 131.

Results for Ed Davey projected onto BBC Broadcasting House in London - Oli Scarff

09:55 PM BST

Seats at a glance: Lib Dems

These are the 41 Conservative-held seats that Sir Ed Davey will have visited by the end of the election campaign, together with the notional Tory majority in 2019.

The seats are ranked in order of vulnerability, based on the size of the swing needed for the Lib Dems to gain, starting with the smallest:

09:39 PM BST

Watch: Sir Ed Davey casts his vote

The Lib Dem leader and his wife, Emily, visited a polling station in Surbiton earlier today to cast their vote.

Its a beautiful day. I hope lots of people come out to vote, Sir Ed said as he left Surbiton Hill Methodist Church.

09:36 PM BST

Welcome

We will be bringing you the latest news on the Lib Dems election results.

Sir Ed Daveys party is set to snatch dozens of seats, according to major surveys.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Nashvilles Let Freedom Sing event is back on after a lightning delay.

Visit Nashville posted to X at 7:49 p.m. that the event is back on schedule and that Chris Young would be performing at 8:10 p.m.

Nashville 4th of July Fireworks 2024: How to watch

Fourth of July celebrations were delayed in multiple locations across Middle Tennessee due to weather.

Just before 7 p.m., the official Twitter account for Nashville, Tennessee posted that the show was on pause due to lightning in the area.

That delay was lifted just after 7:40 p.m., per a Mt. Juliet Police tweet.

Residents in the Mt. Juliet area had initially received an alert just after 7 p.m. with the following message:

MJAlert: Due to lightning in close proximity to the outdoor 4th of July Celebration at Circle P Ranch, all attendees have been told to seek shelter. Mt. Juliet Police X post

Dont forget to take the power and reliability of the WKRN Weather Authority with you at all times by downloading the News 2 Storm Tracker 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 WKRN News 2.
The UK has a new Culture Secretary.

Lisa Nandy has been appointed to the role, which is essentially the government minister in charge of television and media legislation in the UK.

More from Deadline

It comes after Keir Starmers Labour secured a landslide win over the Conservatives in the UK Election on Thursday.

Nandy was previously Shadow International Development Secretary during Labours time in opposition. However, after Thangam Debbonaire, who was earmarked to be Culture Secretary, lost her seat in Bristol to Green Party leader Carla Denyer, Starmer was forced to find a new Culture Secretary.

Nandy doesnt have a great deal of experience in the media or broadcasting worlds, but her mother was a television producer, having worked on series such as What The Papers Say and Union World.

She previously took umbrage with former Prime Minister Boris Johnsons attacks on the BBC when he threatened to scrap the license fee, saying that he had fostered an anti-media and anti-BBC feeling.

As Deadline explained earlier today, Nandy has a number of challenges heading into the role, including protecting and modernizing the public broadcasting system, helping freelancers and dealing with AI.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Little Rock police investigating Fourth of July shooting that left one minor in critical condition

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  The Little Rock Police Department is investigating a shooting that left a minor injured on Thursday evening.

Authorities said officers responded to a report of an accidental shooting involving two minors at 4:42 p.m. in the 12000 block of Saint Charles Boulevard in west Little Rock.

Police: 10-year-old accidentally shot in eastern Arkansas home

LRPD officials said one of the minors was transported to a local hospital and is in critical condition.

Officials did not state the ages of the minors.

Police said more information will be provided when it becomes available.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
President Biden spoke with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Friday in a much anticipated primetime interview amid turmoil in his campaign after last week's debate, in which Biden spoke haltingly and seemed to lose his train of thought at times.

Stephanopoulos interviewed Biden for 22 minutes, mostly asking about Biden's mental fitness and whether he was capable of being president of the United States.

The interview occurred in Wisconsin, where Biden, 81, had held a campaign rally earlier in the day insisting he would not bow down to public pressure from fellow Democrats who are demanding he exit the race so a younger nominee can take on Trump.

"Let me say this as clearly as I can: Im the sitting president of the United States," Biden said at the rally, reading off a teleprompter. "Im the nominee of the Democratic Party. Im staying in the race."

During the ABC interview, Biden admitted he had a "bad night" in the debate against Trump, but insisted that he could serve as president for another four years. He touted his record on foreign and economic policy while blasting Trump for being a "pathological liar."

I dont think anybodys more qualified to be president or win this race than me, Biden said.

The president also said he was suffering from a cold, tired from travel and didn't prepare well for the showdown with Trump.

The Biden campaign also recently unveiled a campaign travel schedule for the upcoming month and a $50 million ad buy, hoping to signal to its skeptics that it is fully committed the race.
Shaw Industries, for decades one of the Irmo areas cornerstone businesses, is laying off about 200 of its more than 300 workers this summer as part of a major realignment for the Georgia-headquartered corporation.

A notice filed last month with the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce said layoffs will take place by Aug. 7 and involve 203 workers. The layoffs are permanent, the notice says.

Workforce agency officials initially said they understood the entire plant would close, but a Shaw spokeswoman said that is not the case. More than 100 employees will remain at the site on St. Andrews Road after the layoffs have taken effect, Shaw spokeswoman Sara Martin said.

The company is seeking to find jobs for Irmo plant workers at other Shaw facilities, including a major facility in Aiken that is now undergoing a $500 million expansion and modernization project.

Statewide, Shaw employs about 1,200 people at various plants. The company, headquartered in Dalton, Ga., is one of the worlds largest flooring manufacturers and has historically produced materials for carpet fibers.

Its plant in Irmo, known as 8S, has been run by a variety of companies dating to at least the 1960s.

These decisions are never made lightly, according to a statement from Heather Canada Smith, vice president of human resources at Shaw. The associates at Plant 8S have been instrumental in creating exceptional quality products, and we are committed to supporting them during this transition.

WLTX in Columbia first reported on the layoffs.

Shaw said the employees being laid off at the Lexington County plant work in the companys residential fiber extrusion processing operation. The company will continue to employ the workers in its nylon resin polymerization and post-industrial reclamation processes in Lexington County, a spokeswoman said.

Those being laid off include technicians and operators involved in the companys extrusion process, as well as electricians and manufacturing supervisors, according to a June 6 letter to the state workforce department.

The layoffs in Lexington County follow the companys decision in 2023 to close a plant in California and eliminate 291 jobs as it shifted its residential carpet manufacturing efforts to Georgia. The company also shut down a plant in Arizona, affecting nearly 300 jobs, the Whittier (Calif.) Daily News reported last fall.

Shaw, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, acquired the St. Andrews Road plant in 2005. The facility was for years run by Allied Chemical. Site preparation for the plant began in 1960. At the time, it was touted as what would become one of South Carolinas largest industrial plants, employing as many as 4,000 people, The State newspaper reported in a July 29, 1960 story.

Today, the complex of large buildings is a landmark in the Irmo area, easily visible from St. Andrews Road

Shaw Industries as seen from the Saluda River at Irmo. The company is a long-time employer in metropolitan Columbia.

Shaws plant has been involved in a series of environmental disputes over the years, including the use of caprolactam, a chemical that raised questions among some community members in the 1990s about its potential hazards. The federal government said in 1998 that the chemical wasnt hazardous.

Groundwater also has been found to be contaminated. More recently, the use of forever chemicals, an emerging and dangerous class of pollutants, has come under scrutiny.

Two environmental groups sued the company this past week, claiming that the chemicals had for years been dumped from the Shaw plant into the Saluda River and its flood plain. Among other things, forever chemicals, also known as PFAS, are used to make stain resistant carpets, as well as waterproof clothing and firefighting foam.

The plant, which sits on 470 acres, is still allowing releases of the chemicals, which can cause cancer and other health defects in people who drink water or eat food polluted with the materials, environmentalists say. The discharges are upstream from drinking water systems in Cayce and West Columbia that have registered forever chemical pollution.

Shaw has said it stopped using some PFAS treatments in carpet fibers five years ago and is working to find out whether the chemicals have gotten into its process. But long-term liability is a potential issue. Forever chemicals discharged from industrial plants years ago do not break down easily and can linger in the environment long periods.

Congaree Riverkeeper Bill Stangler, whose group is seeking to stop discharges of forever chemicals, said its too early to know how the downsizing in Lexington County might affect the lawsuits goal of cleaning up the problem environmentalists say exists at Shaw.

I was a little surprised by the news; I was not aware of that and did not expect to see that, he said of Shaws intent to lay off workers. We have been communicating with Shaw to talk about what they are doing. What will be part of that conversation now is What does this shift in their operations mean for long term plans (and) cleanup plans and for what they are going to continue to produce there?

Martin, the Shaw spokeswoman, said the layoffs are not related to any local litigation.

Art Guerry, a former Lexington County Councilman, said losing jobs at Shaw is a concern for an area that has already lost substantial businesses.

Shaw was always a good source of employment and a solid member of the community, said Guerry, who formerly ran a real estate office within sight of the Shaw plant.

The St. Andrews-Irmo area is slowly bleeding, he said. Weve lost our banks, weve lost insurance companies, weve lost retail stores, weve lost shopping centers. When I saw that we got 200 plus people vacating that place I was concerned about the tax base we are losing and the blight in the area..

The Shaw Industries fibers plant in Irmo is a factory with deep roots in the community. It is located on St. Andrews Road near the Saluda River.
Shaw Industries, for decades one of the Irmo areas cornerstone industries, is laying off about 200 of its more than 300 workers this summer as part of a major company realignment for the Georgia-headquartered corporation.

A notice filed last month with the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce said layoffs will take place by Aug. 7 and involve 203 workers. The layoffs are permanent, the notice says.

Workforce agency officials initially said they understood the entire plant would close, but a Shaw spokeswoman said that is not the case. More than 100 employees will remain at the site on St. Andrews Road after the layoffs have taken effect, Shaw spokeswoman Sara Martin said.

The company is seeking to find jobs for Irmo plant workers at other Shaw facilities, including a major facility in Aiken that is now undergoing a $500 million expansion and modernization project.

Statewide, Shaw employs about 1,200 people at various plants. The company, headquartered in Dalton, Ga., is one of the worlds largest flooring manufacturers and has historically produced materials for carpet fibers.

Its plant in Irmo, known as 8S, has been run by a variety of companies dating to at least the 1960s.

These decisions are never made lightly, according to a statement from Heather Canada Smith, vice president of human resources at Shaw. The associates at Plant 8S have been instrumental in creating exceptional quality products, and we are committed to supporting them during this transition.

WLTX in Columbia first reported on the layoffs.

Shaw said the employees being laid off at the Lexington County plant work in the companys residential fiber extrusion processing operation. The company will continue to employ the workers in its nylon resin polymerization and post-industrial reclamation processes in Lexington County, a spokeswoman said.

Those being laid off include technicians and operators involved in the companys extrusion process, as well as electricians and manufacturing supervisors, according to a June 6 letter to the state workforce department.

The former Allied plant, owned by Shaw since 2005, is easily visible on St. Andrews Road in the Irmo area.

It has been involved in a series of environmental disputes over the years, including the use of a chemical that upset some community members in the 1990s. More recently, the use of forever chemicals, an emerging and dangerous pollutant, has come under scrutiny.

Two environmental groups sued the company this past week, claiming that the chemicals had for years been dumped from the plant into the Saluda River and its flood plain. Among other things, forever chemicals are used to make stain resistant carpets, as well as waterproof clothing and firefighting foam.

The plant, which sits on 470 acres, is still allowing releases of the chemicals, which can cause cancer and other health defects in people who drink water or eat food polluted with the materials, environmentalists say.

Congaree Riverkeeper Bill Stangler, whose group is seeking to stop discharges of forever chemicals, said its too early to know how the layoffs might affect the lawsuits goal of cleaning up the problem environmentalists say exists at Shaw.

I was a little surprised by the news; I was not aware of that and did not expect to see that, he said of Shaws intent to lay off workers. We have been communicating with Shaw to talk about what they are doing. What will be part of that conversation now is what does this shift in their operations mean for long term plans (and) cleanup plans and for what they are going to continue to produce there.

Art Guerry, a former Lexington County Councilman, said losing jobs at Shaw is a concern for an area that has already lost substantial businesses.

Shaw was always a good source of employment and a solid member of the community, said Guerry, who formerly ran a real estate office within sight of the Shaw plant.

The St. Andrews-Irmo area is slowly bleeding, he said. Weve lost our banks, weve lost insurance companies, weve lost retail stores, weve lost shopping centers. When I saw that we got 200 plus people vacating that place I was concerned about the tax base we are losing and the blight in the area..
Soybeans being loaded from a grain bin onto a truck. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

LINCOLN  Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has asked Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly to step in for him to lead a trade mission to Indonesia this month  a shift made in light of the upcoming special legislative session.

Pillen has pledged to call a special session that will focus on property taxes immediately after the trade mission concludes, on July 24, the Governors Office said in a statement Friday afternoon. The Indonesia trip starts July 15.

Due to the upcoming special session  last week, the governor asked Lt. Gov. (Joe) Kelly to lead the delegation on his behalf, the statement said.

Pillen will not be attending any part of the week and a half of trade-related activities that kick off with a briefing from the U.S. Embassy, a spokesperson said.

The governors announcement that Kelly would lead the trip followed criticism on social media from a few state lawmakers about the timing of the mission.

State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha and State Sen Julie Slama of Dunbar were among them. Slama called it a taxpayer-funded boondoggle, and asked to see Pillens property tax plan in writing before the trip.

Hunt said Pillen, who runs a massive hog operation based in Columbus, had scheduled the special session around a trade mission/taxpayer-funded vacation to Indonesia, which is also a top pork trade market.

Major economic opportunity

Indonesia is Southeast Asias largest economy and the worlds fourth most populous country, offering economic development opportunities to the Cornhusker State, the statement said. It is one of the top-10 export markets for Nebraska, at $139 million, and has a rapidly expanding GDP and growing population.

Other notable activities for the 20-plus member trade team include participating in the Indo Livestock Expo and Forum, touring the Southeast Asia Food and Agricultural Science and Technology Center, meeting with Indonesias beef import associations and visiting dairy, feed mill and fueling operations.

The delegation includes representatives from the Nebraska Departments of Agriculture, Economic Development, the University of Nebraska and agricultural producers.

Beef, pork and more will be pitched

Additionally, the group will highlight Nebraskas beef, pork, soybeans and other food products. Last fall, Nebraska beef was featured on the competitive cooking program called MasterChef Indonesia, the governors statement noted.

Sherry Vinton speaks at an Agriculture Committee hearing

Kelly and the delegation are to meet with representatives of government, business and others to promote Nebraskas value to Indonesia.

Indonesia is growing rapidly and is a major market for Nebraska agricultural exports, Kelly said. We are excited to explore this vibrant market and build new partnerships that will directly affect Nebraskas economy.

Sherry Vinton, director of the Department of Agriculture, said Nebraska is positioned to meet the areas growing demand for ag products and to identify other new partnership opportunities.

The best thing about Nebraska is our people and when we meet new trading partners face to face, it has provided results in the short and long run, Vinton said. We are laying the groundwork for future generations.

The post Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly to lead Indonesia trade trip, as Pillen focuses on special session appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Lt. Governor Mark Robinson speaks at The Lake Church in Bladen County. (Photo: Screengrab from Lake Church/ Facebook Page)

As first reported by The New Republic, North Carolina Lt. Gov. and Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson told a North Carolina church audience on Sunday, June 30 that some folks need killing.

The statement came immediately after Robinson had characterized the United States response to Nazi and Japanese aggression during World War II and immediately prior to a reference to modern day wicked people.

Robinson said the following:

We now find ourselves struggling with people who have evil intent.

You know, there was a time in which we used to meet evil on the battlefield. Guess what we did to it: we killed it! We didnt quibble about it. We didnt argue about it. We didnt fight about it. We killed it!

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, whatd we do? We flew to Japan and we killed the Japanese army and navy. We didnt even quibble about it. I didnt start this fight. You did.

You wanted to be left alone. you should have left me alone. We didnt argue and capitulate and talk about well, maybe we shouldnt fight the Nazis that hard. No, theyre bad. Kill them!

Some liberal somewhere is gonna say that sounds awful. Too bad. Get mad at me if you want to.

Some folks need killing! Its time for somebody to say it. Its not a matter of vengeance. Its not a matter of being mean or spiteful. Its a matter of necessity!

It was not completely obvious from Robinsons remarks precisely whom he believes it is (or was) that deserves (or deserved) to be killed. Soon after the killing remarks, he made the following statement:

When you have wicked people doing wicked things, torturing and murdering and raping. Its time to call out, uh, those guys in green and go have them handled. Or those boys in blue and have them go handle it.

Again, it was not obvious who the wicked people are that Robinson would have military and law enforcement personnel handle.

But in and around the remark, Robinson also made reference to the tenets of socialism and communism, whose adherents, he appeared to say, are wronging people like him and his supporters.

Theyre watching us. Theyre listening to us. Theyre tracking us. They get mad at you. They cancel you. They dox you. They kick you off social media. They come in and close down your business, he said.

In an email to NC Newsline, Michael Lonergan, a spokesperson for Robinsons gubernatorial campaign, adamantly denied that Robinson was referring to any present-day individuals with the remark about killing.

He literally and specifically states in that portion of the speech that killing refers to the Nazis and the Imperial Japanese in WWII, he said.

Lonergan, however, did not respond to a question about who the people with evil intent are that Robinson alluded to immediately prior to the killing comments.

In a statement, the campaign for Robinsons Democratic opponent in the fall, Attorney General Josh Stein, said, These comments fall into a long history of Robinson endorsing violence, including political violence.

Mark Robinsons repeated and repulsively violent rhetoric fits into his pattern of spewing division and hate rather than serving North Carolina families, said Morgan Hopkins, a spokesperson for the campaign. We cannot have a Governor who calls for extrajudicial killings. Mark Robinson is divisive and dangerous.

Robinson made the statement as part of speech to The Lake Church in Bladen County, which as of today, was available on Facebook. You can watch the relevant section below and the entire speech on Facebook.

The post Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson at NC church meeting: Some folks need killing appeared first on NC Newsline.
Im innocent, says Lucy Letby as shes led out of dock after whole-life sentence

Mr Justice Goss said the former neonatal nurse had 'coldly denied any responsibility for wrongdoing. You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors' - Elizabeth Cook/PA

Lucy Letby called out Im innocent as she was led from the dock after being handed a 15th whole life order for the attempted murder of a premature baby girl.

The 34-year-old protested until the last moment that she was not guilty of any of the seven murders, and eight attempted murders, of which she has now been convicted.

At a sentencing hearing on Friday, Mr Justice Goss said the former neonatal nurse had coldly denied any responsibility for wrongdoing.

You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors. In their totality, the offences of murder and attempted murder were of exceptionally high seriousness and just punishment, according to law, requires a whole life order, he said.

Letby was found guilty last week of the attempted murder of Baby K by dislodging her breathing tube while she worked a night shift at the Countess of Chester Hospitals neonatal unit in February 2016.

Last August, Letby was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others, with two attempts on one child, between June 2015 and June 2016

However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on a single allegation of attempted murder related to Baby K, who was born 15 weeks prematurely.

You will never hurt another child

The mother of Baby K addressed Letby directly as she read out a victim impact statement to the packed courtroom where she has had to sit through two trials listening to the harrowing details of her daughters death.

She said: The devastation expands so far and for so long when a child is lost let alone under these circumstances.

[Our baby] is not here, never will be. We will never have what would give us peace, closure, or a feeling of being a complete family unit.

However, you, Lucy Letby, will never hurt another child or have the privilege and joy that children give.

Our time and effort that you have absorbed over the years will stop today and our focus will remain on our beautiful children and building the most exciting and love-filled life that we possibly can.

The case centred around the allegations of a consultant paediatrician whose evidence was also crucial during Letbys first trial.

Dr Ravi Jayaram claimed he caught Letby virtually red-handed standing beside Baby Ks incubator as the childs oxygen levels dropped rapidly.

He said he had gone into the intensive care unit, where the baby was being looked after, as he felt very uncomfortable knowing she was alone with the child.

Dr Jayaram said he was concerned as by this point there had been a number of incidents on the ward, which he believed were linked to Letby.

Under cross-examination, Ben Myers KC, accused Dr Jayaram of fabricating the fact that Letby was standing beside the incubator to create suspicion where it did not exist.

Unanimous conviction

Jurors deliberated for just two hours and twenty minutes before unanimously convicting her of the crime.

After being found guilty at her first trial last year, Letby refused to attend the sentencing hearing.

Upon her conviction, Mr Justice Goss had told her that she would be here for sentence and on Friday morning she appeared in the dock, dressed in black.

She listened without reaction to the victim impact statement and Mr Justice Gosss sentencing remarks.

Mr Goss said she had acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies.

He added: I repeat what I have said before, only you know the reason or reasons for your murderous campaign.

Following the sentencing, senior crown prosecutor, Nicola Wyn Williams, said: The savagery of her actions has been difficult for the prosecution team to comprehend and has devastated the lives of the families of these babies.

We still have no idea why she committed these crimes. But the Crown Prosecution Service does not have to prove a motive, we simply need to prove that the defendant committed the crime.

Two separate juries have now found her guilty and the sentence passed means she will never be released from prison.

In May, Letby lost her Court of Appeal bid to challenge her convictions from last year.

12:50 PM BST

Thats all for today

Thats all for today, thanks for following our live coverage of Lucy Letbys sentencing.

Check the website for the latest updates.

12:10 PM BST

Letby acted in a way completely contrary to the normal human instincts says judge

During his sentencing remarks, Justice Goss told Letby: You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions.

He added: You are to be sentenced for attempting to murder her. As I said last August, you are intelligent and, outwardly, you were a very conscientious, hard-working, knowledgeable, confident and professional nurse, which enabled you repeatedly to harm babies on the unit without arousing suspicion for some time.

You relished being in the intensive care nursery and your messages to colleagues revealed an interest in babies that were on, or coming to the unit who had uncommon medical conditions. You would often conduct searches on Facebook for parents of babies you had murdered or attempted to murder.

 I repeat what I have said before, only you know the reason or reasons for your murderous campaign.

12:03 PM BST

Letby sentenced for another dreadful crime, says prosecutor

Senior Crown Prosecutor Nicola Wyn Williams, of CPS Mersey Cheshires Complex Casework Unit, said: Lucy Letby has now been sentenced for another dreadful crime - the attempted murder of yet another baby.

This has been an incredibly difficult, complex and disturbing case. A trained nurse tasked with looking after the most vulnerable babies used her craft and her skills to become a killer.

She stood by as the parents of the babies she had killed or tried to kill, grieved and pretended to try and comfort them, all along knowing she was the person responsible.

The savagery of her actions has been difficult for the prosecution team to comprehend and has devastated the lives of the families of these babies.

We still have no idea why she committed these crimes. But the Crown Prosecution Service does not have to prove a motive, we simply need to prove that the defendant committed the crime.

Two separate juries have now found her guilty and the sentence passed means she will never be released from prison.

We know that is little comfort to the families, and our thoughts are with all of them again today.

11:45 AM BST

Pictured: Justice Goss as he sentences Lucy Letby to a whole life order

Justice Goss as he sentences Lucy Letby to a whole life order

11:24 AM BST

Sentencing remarks for 15 offences begin

Mr Justice Goss has now begun his sentencing remarks. He said all 15 offences were committed over a period of almost 13 months between June 2015 and June 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the care expected for infants on the unit, he said.

He added: You are intelligent and outwardly a very conscientious, hard working, knowledgeable and confident nurse.

He said it enabled her to repeatedly harm babies without arousing suspicion. He added that it appeared she relished being in the intensive care unit with the most poorly babies.

11:20 AM BST

Letby maintains her innocence, court hears

Benjamin Myers KC, for Letbys defence, says they recognise the sympathy for the family of Baby K.

He adds that Letby maintains her denial of the offence, and all the other ones she was convicted of.

He said: Miss Letbys position remains that she is not guilty of any offence. The court of course will proceed on the basis of this conviction and other convictions.

The sentence is inevitable and therefore there is no more I can say.

11:18 AM BST

You will never hurt another child, Baby Ks mother tells Letby

Discussing the impact of going through two trials to get a guilty verdict, she said: The upheaval of baby Ks death, the 6 year wait for 1st trial, 8 month trial, the verdict and then learning we were doing it over again was heart wrenching, but our baby girl needs a voice, we had too, we had no choice.

Addressing Letby directly, she said: Will we get answers and the verdict that we want? Will that actually bring some peace and closure?

Baby K is not here, never will be, we will never have what would give us peace, closure, or a feeling of being a complete family unit, however, you Lucy Letby, will never hurt another child or have the privilege and joy that children give. Our time and effort that you have absorbed over the years will stop today and our focus will remain on our beautiful children and building the most exciting and love filled life that we possibly can.

11:16 AM BST

Memory of my child tainted by Letbys actions, says Baby Ks mother

The mother of Baby K said that their memory of her child had been tainted by Letbys actions.

She said: Our happy go lucky and positive view on life has been dampened and all the good things are riddled with the apprehension, the waiting for it to go wrong or an element of it not being quite right.

She said they now have beautiful children and they would one day have to be told about what happened to their older sister.

One day we will have to sit our children down and explain what happened to their big sister and that right now is the biggest task to overcome as yet.

11:15 AM BST

No reaction from Letby after emotional statement

Letby has not reacted to the emotional statement from the mother of Baby K.

The mother told the court that when they received a phone call from the police to say their childs death was under investigation it was like a bolt from the blue.

We were in complete shock, as from what we can recall my care and the care of our baby while under the Countess was superb and that within Baby Ks most critical and needing time that anyone would think or try to knowingly hurt her was unthinkable. She was defenceless. She was in the right place to be looked after.

And so, what ended up being the next seven and half years of investigation and the unknown, began.

Thinking that our baby had just fallen into the timeline for consideration, to Baby K being confirmed as a baby that they would be pursuing a charge for an Attempted Murder. How was this possible? How could we have let this happen to her? Why has this happened? What happens next? All questions that were unable to be answered and might never be able to be.

11:12 AM BST

Child death not part of natural cycle says Baby K mother

Baby Ks mother said that people dont talk about child death as it is not part of the natural cycle

She added: We were and sometimes still are lost in this bubble of everyday actions and functions that now have no meaning or importance but can cause overwhelming emotions from nowhere. Its a rollercoaster.

We could control our feelings before, held it together but now any mention of [our baby] and that lump appears uncontrollably in your throat, youre hot, uneasy, your senses on overload, listening but thinking and not fully processing all at once. 

11:10 AM BST

Mother of Baby K impact statement read out

The mother of Baby K, who cannot be named for legal reasons, read out her statement to the packed courtroom.

She said: We found out we were pregnant with Baby K in August 2015 after suffering a miscarriage earlier that year. As you can imagine making it to the 12-week mark, seeing her little heartbeat, we were beyond ecstatic and overwhelmed with love already.

She said that her child was born on 17 February 2016 and although she was in a fragile state, she was here.

She added: She was transferred to Arrow Park later that day however, despite everyones best efforts, she passed away on the 20th February 2016, the day our world fell apart and changed forever.

11:01 AM BST

Letby lost Court of Appeal bid to challenge convictions

In May, Letby lost her Court of Appeal bid to challenge her convictions from last year.

Cheshire Constabulary said its review of the care of some 4,000 babies admitted to hospital while Letby was working as a neonatal nurse remains ongoing.

The period covers her spell at the Countess of Chester from January 2012 to the end of June 2016, and includes two work placements at Liverpool Womens Hospital in 2012 and 2015.

A separate corporate manslaughter investigation at the hospital by Cheshire Constabulary also remains ongoing.

The public inquiry into how Letby was able to commit her crimes on the unit is set to begin at Liverpool Town Hall on September 10.

A court order prohibits reporting of the identities of the surviving and dead children involved in the case.

10:46 AM BST

Letby claimed she had no recollection of events

Speaking from the witness box Letby told the jury of six women and six men she had no recollection of the event described by Dr Jayaram and did not accept it had taken place.

She denied she did anything harmful to Child K and added that she had not committed any of the offences she had been convicted of.

Letby also denied the prosecutions claims that she interfered with the infants breathing tube on two more occasions during the same shift to create the impression it was accidentally displaced.

Child K was transferred to a specialist hospital later on February 17 because of her extreme prematurity and died there three days later.

More than two years later on a late Friday night in April 2018, Letby searched on Facebook for Child Ks surname.

10:39 AM BST

Letby targeted very premature baby in intensive care

Letby, of Hereford, targeted the very premature baby after she was moved from the delivery room to the units intensive care room in the early hours of February 17.

The youngster, born at 25 weeks gestation and weighing just 692g, was said by the prosecution to be the epitome of fragility.

About 90 minutes after her birth, Letby dislodged the breathing tube through which she was being ventilated with air and oxygen.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram caught her virtually red-handed as he entered nursery one at about 3.45am and he then went on to intervene and resuscitate Child K.

Dr Jayaram told jurors he saw no evidence that she had done anything to help the deteriorating baby as he walked in and saw her standing next to the infants incubator.

He said he heard no call for help from Letby or alarms sounding as Child Ks blood oxygen levels dropped

10:16 AM BST

Recap: Lucy Letby found guilty of trying to murder another baby girl

Convicted child killer Lucy Letby was told by a judge she will be in court for her sentencing after she previously refused to attend.

The 34-year-old was found guilty of attempting to kill a premature baby girl by dislodging her breathing tube while she worked a night shift at the Countess of Chester Hospitals neonatal unit in February 2016.

Last August, Letby was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others between June 2015 and June 2016.

However the jury was unable to reach a verdict on a single allegation of attempted murder related to Baby K, a baby born 15 weeks prematurely.

At Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday, following a three-week retrial, Letby was found guilty of attempting to kill another child. Jurors took two hours and 20 minutes to decide that she had tried to claim another victim.

Read the full story here.

10:14 AM BST

Lucy Letby sentenced today for attempted murder of baby girl

Lucy Letby will be sentenced today for the attempted murder of a baby girl.

Follow this live blog for the latest updates.

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.
Laurent Berger was described as the man "holding a political gun to Mr Macron's head" during the pensions row

The union chief who led the fight against Emmanuel Macrons pension reforms is being touted as Frances potential next prime minister.

Laurent Berger, a former head of the CFDT civil servants union, could lead an alliance of Left-wing and centrist parties to keep Marine Le Pens National Rally (RN) out of power after Frances elections on Sunday.

Polls suggest that the populist Right RN will fall short of an absolute majority in the vote, meaning the largest grouping in parliament could be formed by her opponents.

Mr Bergers selection would convey a stinging rebuke to Mr Macron, after the pair repeatedly clashed over Mr Macrons raising of the state pension age from 62 to 64.

Mr Berger was described as the man holding a political gun to Mr Macrons head as he whipped up public fury against the policy, describing it as cruel and unfair.

The 55 year old is the latest figure to emerge as a potential candidate for prime minister after Mr Macron pitched French politics into chaos by calling the snap poll after suffering a heavy defeat in the European elections.

If the polls are accurate and the RN falls short of a majority, Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old party chairman and Ms Le Pens protege, has ruled out becoming prime minister in cohabitation with Mr Macron.

An Ipsos Talan poll on Friday predicted the RN would win 170-205 seats, a big increase from the current 89 but well below the 289 threshold.

The Left-wing alliance is on course to reap 145-175 seats with the Macron camp 118-148. Way behind are the conservative Republicans, on 57-67 seats.

Speculation is rife that Socialists, Communists and Greens could forge a republican front with Mr Macrons depleted centrist camp and centre-Right MPs from the Republicans party who have not joined forces with Ms Le Pen.

The Leftist France Unbowed, which is part of a wider Left-wing alliance called New Popular Front and whose figurehead is Jean-Luc Melenchon, the ex-Trotskyite firebrand, has ruled out joining such a republican front.

This has given rise to questions over who could lead such a heterogeneous coalition.

Jean-Luc Melenchon has ruled out joining the 'republican front' - EMMANUEL DUNAND/GETTY IMAGES

Raphael Glucksmann was also considered for the position - MANON CRUZ/REUTERS

Raphael Glucksmann, a former journalist who came third in European Parliamentary elections on June 9 ruled out going for the top government job but mooted Mr Berger as his preferred candidate.

I think there is a figure from civil society who is capable of appeasing, who is the antithesis of the current president, who will not play with the institutions, who will reconcile the French, who will carry a project of social justice and ecology. Yes, Im thinking of Laurent Berger, he said.

Mr Berger, who now works for the private sector, has publicly declined the idea but his name remains high on the list along with a centre-Left technocrat, according to Thomas Legrand, a prominent political analyst.

I think the centre of gravity of this republic front will be the centre-Left. The prime candidate could be the Left-wing equivalent of Jean Castex, a Right-wing civil servant Mr Macron picked for prime minister who was deeply respected.

Equally it could be Laurent Berger, someone who can bring a lot of people together over a wide political spectrum with a very weak majority.

The idea will be to get past the Olympic Games and bring back some stability with some measures like a rise in the minimum wage and law and order measure for the Right. To calm things down, wait a year, and dissolve parliament once again.

In 2023, Emmanuel Macron raised the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 - SAMUEL BOIVIN NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

Mr Berger backed Mr Macrons first ill-fated pension reform, which would have radically overhauled the pay-as-you-go system with a universal points-based one that the CFDT dubbed fair and positive.

However, mass protests and Covid put paid to that bill in 2019. During his 2022 re-election, Mr Macron instead promised a new, less ambitious reform, whose headline measure was to raise the official retirement age from 62 to 64.

While it may sound modest, Mr Berger vociferously called it brutal and unfair

When asked about the prospect of Ms Le Pens party taking power, he called the RN the France of fear not the France of solutions and even less the France of fraternity.

The will of the people

Other names in the mix are outgoing prime minister Gabriel Attal, Mr Melenchons Leftist rival Francois Ruffin (who has left his LFI party), Carole Delga, the region president of Socialist Occitanie, or even Francois Hollande, the ex-president.

Another figure who has come to the fore is Marine Tondelier, 36, the head of the Greens (Les Ecologistes), a member of the New Popular Front (NFP) Left-wing alliance.

Known for her trademark green jacket, Ms Tondelier, who was instrumental in creating the NFP, has played down suggestions she could take the top government job, telling BFM TV this week: Lets not play the third round too soon.

Ms Tondelier has been dubbed the other Marine as she began her political career as a municipal councillor in the former-mining constituency of Henin-Beaumont, northern France, a fiefdom of Marine Le Pen.

She has toned down the radicalism of the French Greens, going so far as to express sympathy with citizens who find limiting their environmental impact a hassle.

However, some question her legitimacy given the Greens poor performance in this months European elections, in which they scored a paltry 5.5 per cent.

Ms Le Pen has slammed attempts to cobble together a wide alliance against her party she said was by those who want to hold on to power against the will of the people.

With the prospect of a hung parliament higher than ever, Mr Attal, the prime minister, on Friday said the current government was prepared to remain in place for as long as takes until a new one was ready.

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.
Mark Robinson, the extremist GOP nominee for governor in North Carolina, appeared to endorse political violence in a bizarre and extended rant he delivered on June 30 in a small-town church.

Some folks need killing! Robinson, the states lieutenant governor, shouted during a roughly half-hour-long speech in Lake Church in the tiny town of White Lake, in the southeast corner of the state. Its time for somebody to say it. Its not a matter of vengeance. Its not a matter of being mean or spiteful. Its a matter of necessity!

Robinsons call for the killing of some folks came during an extended diatribe in which he attacked an extraordinary assortment of enemies. These ranged from people who have evil intent to wicked people to those doing things like torturing and murdering and raping to socialists and Communists. He also invoked those supposedly undermining Americas founding ideals and leftists allegedly persecuting conservatives by canceling them and doxxing them online.

In all this, Robinson appeared to endorse lethal violence against these unnamed enemies, particularly on the left, though he wasnt exactly clear on which folks are the ones who need killing.

Robinson, a self-described MAGA Republican, has a long history of wildly radical and unhinged moments. He has linked homosexuality to pedophilia, called for the arrest of trans women, pushed hallucinogenic antisemitic conspiracy theories, endorsed the vile birther conspiracy about Barack Obama, described Michelle Obama as a man, hinted at the need to violently oppose federal law enforcement and the government, and posted memes mocking and denying the brutal, violent assault on Nancy Pelosis husband, among many other things.

His latest rant is yet another example of an ugly game widely played on the MAGA right, one supercharged by Donald Trump. It entails hinting that right-wing political violence is necessary and justified because a ubiquitous, all-seeing, all-powerful leftist threatone that is pure inventionis already supposedly attacking and persecuting conservatives on a mass scale.

Heres what Robinson said (bold mine):

We now find ourselves struggling with people who have evil intent. You know, theres a time when we used to meet evil on the battlefield, and guess what we did to it? We killed it!  When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, what did we do? We flew to Japan! And we killed the Japanese Army and Navy!  We didnt argue and capitulate and talk about, well, maybe we shouldnt fight the Nazis that hard. No, theyre bad. Kill them. Some liberal somewhere is going to say that sounds awful. Too bad. Get mad at me if you want to. Some folks need killing! Its time for somebody to say it. Its not a matter of vengeance. Its not a matter of being mean or spiteful. Its a matter of necessity! When you have wicked people doing wicked things, torturing and murdering and raping. Its time to call out, uh, those guys in green and go have them handled. Or those boys in blue and have them go handle it. We need to start handling our business again. Dont you feel it slipping away?  The further we start sliding into making 1776 a distant memory and the tenets of socialism and communism start coming into clearer focus. Theyre watching us. Theyre listening to us. Theyre tracking us. They get mad at you. They cancel you. They dox you. They kick you off social media. They come in and close down your business. Folks, its happening  because we have forgotten who we are.

Robinson might try to argue that he only meant that our enemies during World War IIand torturers and murderers and rapists todaydeserve killing. But the sum total of his remarks plainly suggests otherwise. He seemed to analogize the need to kill World War II enemies to the need to kill enemies in the present, enemies who harbor evil intent, enemies conservatives are struggling against now.

Whats more, Robinson described those enemies in very broad terms. He suggested that conservatives will lose the spirit of 1776 (meaning their country) to enemies who harass them on social media and elsewhere unless they are prepared to unleash the army and cops to handle (i.e., kill) them. These appear to be the folks who need killing.

Indeed, when Robinson predicted that liberals will say that sounds awful, and too bad, he himself appeared to anticipate that his call for killing would be perceived as a call for political violence.

The Reverend Cameron McGill, the Pastor of Lake Church, confirmed to me that he and Robinson expected these remarks about killing to be scrutinized, but defended them.

Without a doubt, those he deemed worthy of death [were] those seeking to kill us, Pastor Cameron said in an email, adding that Robinson certainly did not imply the taking of any innocent lives and that the rest of his speech was non-controversial. There was no formal media presence during the speech, the Pastor confirmed.

Video of the speech was clipped by a Democrat, who took it off Lake Churchs video of the event on Facebook, which is still there in full. The Democrat flagged it for The New Republic. You can watch it here:

This tendency on the right to invoke an infinitely hallucinogenic and malleable leftist enemy to justify in advance the political violence that the right itself wants to unleash on its enemies is a near-daily occurrence. Another ripe example came just this week from Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, the brain trust behind Project 2025s radical blueprint for MAGA authoritarian rule under a second Trump presidency.

We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be, Roberts declared.

In this, Roberts essentially said that if liberals and Democrats too vehemently resist MAGAs intent to stock the government with corrupt loyalists to Trump and unleash mass persecution of the opposition, violence will be necessary to crush themand if so, it will be their fault for not meekly accepting what they have coming to them. Meanwhile, Trump himself recently suggested that political violence may erupt if the presidential election isnt conducted with fairness and is stolen from him, by which he really means, if I dont win.

Robinsons new comments are also notable for political reasons. Theyre a reminder that the GOP nominee for governor in North Carolina is so extreme that the race to replace term-limited Governor Roy CooperRobinson is running against Democratic Attorney General Josh Steinmay prove competitive, even in this red-leaning state.
These Diamond Shruumz brand products have been recalled after reports of illnesses and one potential death. (Image from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

These Diamond Shruumz brand products have been recalled after reports of illnesses and one potential death. (Image from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

A death in North Dakota and 48 reported illnesses  including one in South Dakota  led to a nationwide recall of psychedelic candies.

The recall affects products from the company Prophet Premium Blends Diamond Shruumz, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The products include micro-dosing chocolate bars, infused cones and micro-dose and mega-dose/extreme gummies.

Officials in North Dakota have not released any additional information on the death in that state. The South Dakota Department of Health did not immediately answer questions Friday on whether the South Dakota case involved a hospitalization. There were 27 reported hospitalizations across 24 states linked to the products as of July 1, according to a notice from the CDC. A spokesperson for Attorney General Marty Jackleys office did not immediately respond to a question on the legal status of the substances in South Dakota.

South Dakota state government offices were closed Friday as part of the Fourth of July weekend.

The CDC notice says the agency has gotten reports of severe acute illnesses and other adverse effects, and that its working with the Food and Drug Administration and state partners to determine whether other products are associated with adverse health effects.

The death in North Dakota that factored into the recall was potentially linked to the products, the CDC says.

A recall notice on the Diamond Shruumz website suggests that the illnesses were related to people whod eaten entire chocolate bars that had higher levels of Muscimol than normal.

The site still lists the products, but there is no purchase option.

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 website says.

Muscimol is a psychoactive substance used in psychedelic products. The company told the FDA that the substance could be responsible for the medical issues that sparked the recall, including seizures, central nervous system depression (loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness), agitation, abnormal heart rates, hyper/hypotension, nausea, and vomiting.

According to the North Dakota Monitor, North Dakota officials are warning the public because the recalled products could still be available for sale online, in stores that sell hemp-derived products, or in smoke and vape shops, said Michelle Dethloff, director of the infectious diseases and epidemiology unit.

Diamond Shruumz-brand products have been recalled and should no longer be available for sale, according to the FDA.

The FDAs webpage on the recall says its continuing to conduct tests to determine the chemical makeup of product samples, and lists out a handful of chemicals found in samples so far. Two of the ingredients in those tested items are listed as schedule I controlled substances in South Dakota. Possession of controlled substances is a felony crime in the state.

Muscimol, the chemical reportedly responsible for the adverse reactions, is not on the states controlled substance list.

The mushroom products are different from the hemp-derived intoxicants that became illegal to sell or make in South Dakota as of July 1. Those products, including those labeled delta-8 or delta-10, are not illegal to possess and remain available for purchase online.

Products that ape the effects of federally barred psilocybin hallucinogenic mushrooms  also known as magic mushrooms  were not specifically targeted by lawmakers who passed the ban over the winter.

Muscimol can come from the Amanita muscaria mushroom, which is not illegal under federal law. According to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on June 10, 12.3% of Americans have tried psilocybin, making it the most-used hallucinogen in the nation. That popularity, the article says, has helped spur a market for the toadstool-like Amanita. It notes that Google searches related to Amanita muscaria rose 114% between 2022 and 2023.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
FORT LAUDERDALE  Nearly four months after an elderly couple was found shot to death in their Fort Lauderdale home and their car stolen from their driveway, police said a man who was in a relationship with one of the couples granddaughters was the person who took the car.

Claudette, 85, and her husband Major Melvin, 89, were found shot in their chests on March 22 by a relative, who has special needs and lived with them in the 600 block of Southwest 30th Terrace, according to an arrest warrant. Detectives released photos of their red 2014 Ford Fusion and said at a news conference in April that it was imperative they find it. Little other information was released at the time and in the months since.

While not charged in relation to the murders, Maurice Anthony Newson, 30, of Davie, was arrested on a warrant in May in Fort Lauderdale for grand theft auto and dealing in stolen property, Broward County court records show.

Newson is accused of selling the car to a tow truck company in Wilton Manors for $200 the same evening that the couple was found dead, according to the warrant.

Newson had been coming around the home following the homicide acting strange and asking a lot of questions about what detectives were saying about the investigation, family members told detectives, the warrant said.

Newsons attorney did not respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday evening. He could not be reached by phone after business hours. Court records show Newson was released from jail after posting bail and pleaded not guilty in late June.

This is an ongoing investigation and detectives are working diligently to determine Newsons involvement, if any, in the murders, Fort Lauderdale Police spokesperson Casey Liening said. We encourage anyone with information regarding this incident to contact police immediately. Broward Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for any information leading to an arrest.

Details of shooting emerge

The Melvins names are almost entirely redacted in the warrant, though it is clear they are the victims and the warrant is connected to their case.

Claudette Melvin was found lying on her back near their dining room table with a gunshot in her left chest and a 9mm bullet casing near her foot, the arrest warrant said. Major Melvin was found in the living room lying on his stomach and a 9mm casing in his shirt near his stomach.

Detectives did not find any guns in the home, and family members said the couples only set of car keys were missing from a key holder in the kitchen, the warrant said.

The relative who lived with the couple, whose name is redacted in the warrant, told detectives he was in his room sleeping and watching TV that day and night and found a body lying on the floor when he came out, the warrant said. The relative called his sister and told her to come to the home for an emergency, emergency.

The detective who interviewed him asked why he didnt call 911, and he said, No one taught me how to call 911, the warrant said. He said he never heard any gunshots that night.

Surveillance cameras at the home showed a suspect vehicle, a dark four-door sedan, arriving shortly before 1 a.m. March 22. Someone got out of the car, appeared to reach into the backseat and then walk toward the home, the warrant said.

The video showed the person getting back to the car just after 1 a.m. and driving away north on Southwest 30th Terrace. Just before 3:30 a.m., the Melvins car lights turn on in the driveway, the video showed, and it leaves the area north on Southwest 30th Terrace, the warrant said.

License plate readers showed the car heading north on Floridas Turnpike shortly before 4 a.m. near Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach. It was parked at the Cypress Creek Tri-Rail station in Fort Lauderdale and sat unmoved until about 9 p.m. when the tow truck driver picked it up, the warrant said.

The detective who authored the warrant for Newsons arrest wrote there was probable cause to believe the same suspects are involved in the homicide, the theft of the victims vehicle and the vehicle north on the Florida Turnpike within Broward County.

Witness saw car in tow yard

A witness flagged down a Fort Lauderdale Police officer on April 4 and said that the red vehicle seen all over the news was parked at a tow company in the 600 block of West Oakland Park Boulevard, according to the warrant.

Officers asked Broward Sheriffs Office personnel flying a helicopter for an unrelated incident to check the car, and BSO personnel noted it had the same damage and bumper sticker as the car in the be-on-the-lookout that Fort Lauderdale Police issued earlier.

Detectives interviewed a driver with the tow company who said about his boss texted him about 6:30 p.m. March 22 about a 2012 Ford Fusion for sale. The driver met with a man, who he later identified in a photo line up as Newson, to purchase it for $200, the warrant said.

On May 23, detectives with Fort Lauderdale Polices Fugitive Unit detained Newson at his job at a retail store where he is a security guard and took him to the headquarters to be booked, an arrest report said.

-------
A man is facing DUI charges after he caused in a crash in West Mifflin, police said.

Crews were called to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Lewis Run Road and Clairton Road at around 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

Responding units found two cars, a Dodge Durango and a Jeep Cherokee, that were severely damaged, according to the criminal complaint.

The Durango was driven by Clarence Newsom III and had four juveniles inside. The other car had three people inside, including one juvenile, court documents said.

According to the complaint, the driver of the Cherokee told police that he was driving eastbound on Lewis Run Road and had a green light at the intersection. He tried turning on to Clairton Road when the Durango, which went through a red light and was unable to stop before the collision, hit the Jeep on the drivers side.

Witnesses told police that they saw Newsom exit the car after the crash with two bottles of alcohol, which he then threw into the bushes, court documents said. When speaking with Newsom, officers noticed he had glassy and watery eyes, slurred speech and an odor of alcohol emanating from his breath and person.

The complaint said police asked Newsom where he threw the bottles, to which he denied having any. When an officer approached with the bottles, Newsom said they were old and that he had been drinking at a cookout.

Newsom was taken into custody when he grew agitated and aggressive toward officers. He was taken to Jefferson Hospital and then the West Mifflin Police Station.

Officers at the scene found a plastic bag of marijuana inside the Durango as well as a fully loaded gun.

Newsom is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, four counts of endangering the welfare of children, resisting arrest, possession of a small amount of marijuana, reckless driving, driving a vehicle at a safe speed, traffic control signs, restrictions on alcoholic beverages and disorderly conduct.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

2 men found dead in pool in Pine Township Man attacked with sword at Pittsburgh hotel, police say Tree falls, killing 18-year-old cleaning up storm damage in Westmoreland County VIDEO: Thousands head to Point State Park to celebrate 4th of July DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Man charged with six counts of aggravated assault after shooting in Tyler

TYLER, Texas (KETK)  A 22-year-old was arrested Friday morning in Tyler and charged with aggravated assault after a shots fired call.

40-year-old drowns in Henderson County on Independence Day

Tyler police responded to the call in the 900 block of W. First Street around 9 a.m. and got several children and adults out of the house. Among them was Chandler Haught, of Tyler, who was taken to the Smith County Jail on six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

It was determined that Haught and the people inside the house are acquaintances, this is not a random incident, Tyler Police Department Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh said. There was evidence of shots being fired.

The case is being forwarded to the Smith County District Attorneys Office and no injuries were reported.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Police say a man apparently high on drugs climbed into the ceiling of an East Memphis gas station and caused around $10,000 worth of damage.

The incident happened in April, but Travis Lewis, 40, was booked into the Shelby County Jail on Thursday for vandalism.

Splash pad opens in Orange Mound Park months after mass shooting

An employee at the Exxon Station in the 2900 block of Rhodes Avenue said Lewis entered the store, walked to the back of the business, began removing ceiling tiles, and climbed into the ceiling.

The clerk said Lewis also broke into the door leading behind the counter and started climbing into the ceiling.

Suspect caught breaking into vehicles on car lot: Police

When police took Lewis into custody, they said he told them he had taken ecstasy and smoked marijuana. Lewis was transferred to the hospital for a medical evaluation.

Lewis was arrested in February for allegedly having several drugs, including ecstasy, marijuana, and crack, but the charges were dismissed. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
HURRICANE, Utah (ABC4)  Officials in southern Utah were able to take a man into custody after he barricaded himself in a home for more than five hours on Thursday, July 4.

Officials were first called about the situation around 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, July 4. The call was about a possible suicidal male, according to a joint press release from the Washington County Sheriffs Office and the Hurricane Police Department.

WATCH NEXT: Fireworks launch into crowd at Stadium of Fire, 6 taken to the hospital

It was reported the male was armed and in the street in front of his house, the press release said.

The man was armed with a rifle and a handgun, according to officials. He was barricaded in his home and negotiators were working to find a peaceful resolution, the press release said.

As the situation was unfolding, Hurricane Police issued a shelter-in-place order. Residents were also asked to refrain from setting off fireworks during the incident.

Just after 9:30 p.m., officials were able to take the man into custody.

He was taken without injury to himself or officers, an update from officials read.

The surrounding areas of the incident  the 3400 block of 290 North  remained closed to traffic during the investigation, officials said.

There is no further information at this time.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
A man was fatally shot on a Brooklyn street on Independence Day, police said.

The 22-year-old victim got into an argument with another man on Dorchester Road near Flatbush Ave. in Flatbush just before 2 p.m., cops and sources said.

The disagreement boiled over, and the victim was shot in the groin.

Medics rushed him to Kings County Hospital, but he could not be saved.

There were no arrests as cops worked to track down the gunman. The victims name was not immediately released.

It was at least the second death to mar Independence Day in New York City.

Later Thursday, NYPD cops shot a young man who stabbed an 8-year-old boy to death and wounded his own parents in a luxury Queens apartment building Thursday, police sources said.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  Ronnie Erwin flipped through the pages of Stars Over Texas inside the office of Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez.

The book  which provides a detailed history of every sheriffs office in Texas  looks like it belongs in a museum. But the book wasnt written by historians. It was written by Ronnie and Lynn Erwin, a couple who simply decided to take the project on.

That was a commitment we made well over 25 years ago, Ronnie said. Wed go to libraries, archives, museums, go to sheriffs offices, and try to find out something about that person who wore that badge.

A dedication page to Ronnie Erwins wife, Lynn.

Ronnie Erwin and Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez.

The three volumes of the Stars Over Texas collection.

The Sheriffs Association of Texas has created a memorial award in Lynns honor.

They had always planned that once they finished the book, they would travel back around the state to deliver copies to each active sheriff.

But when we met Ronnie, he traveled to Travis County alone.

God had a different plan. He diagnosed Lynn with a very rare disease, where she only had three or five months to live, he said. She passed before they could finish, with a dying wish for Ronnie to do so.

Ill try darlin, I dont know if I can or not, Ronnie said he told her. Not too long after her passing, I woke up in the night two, three in the morning, crying like a 4-year-old, and I could just hear her voice saying finish our book.

So he did. And every time he shared the book with a sheriff, he also shared the story of Lynn.

It was the love Ronnie had for Lynn to see it all the way through, Hernandez said. She now calls Ronnie a great friend.

Each volume has a different photo of Lynn in a dedication page at the beginning of the book.

Sometimes when you turn a page you wont see a picture there, but I assure you, shes in between those lines, Ronnie said.

Honoring Lynn doesnt stop with the book. The Sheriffs Association of Texas has now created the Lynn M. Erwin Memorial Award. The inaugural presentation of the aware will be later in July.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Man killed in shooting near park in Southeast DC, police investigating

WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  Police said they were investigating the death of a man whom they found shot near the Anacostia Park Roller Skating Pavilion in Southeast on the Fourth of July.

Someone flagged down members of the United States Park Police in the 1500 block of Anacostia Dr. SE around 8:45 p.m. about a shooting.

According to a news release from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), officers found 46-year-old Donald Hawkins of Southeast near the park with multiple gunshot wounds. He died there.

Suspect arrested in DC after leading Virginia State Police on chase in stolen car

MPD encouraged anyone with information about what led to the shooting to call (202) 727-9099 or text a tip to 50411.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  A man has pleaded guilty to robbing a downtown Grand Rapids bank last year.

Timothy Crane was accused of entering the Comerica Bank branch on Monroe Avenue NW near Louis Street in June 2023 and passing a note demanding money. The bank teller said she opened her cash drawer and handed the suspect everything she had in her till, court records show.

The robbery netted less than $700.

The suspect was recognized in surveillance video by two Grand Rapids officers and arrested the following week.

Crane was initially charged in state court, but the case was moved to federal court. He underwent a forensic evaluation that found him competent to stand trial. The guilty plea followed.

Crane is due back in court for sentencing in September.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A man who broke into a Reedsport, Ore. fish hatchery in April is facing jail time after pouring bleach into a pond  killing thousands of Chinook salmon.

According to court documents, 20-year-old Joshua Heckathorn broke into the Gardiner Reedsport Winchester Bay STEP Salmon Hatchery around April 21, took a bottle of bleach from a storage shed, and poured it into a hatchery pond.

The bleach poisoning killed nearly 18,000 smolt Chinook salmon, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife said.

Beaverton police vehicle hit by IED, suspect at large

On April 23, a patrol deputy claimed to see Heckathorn walking south along Highway 101 before seeing him again behind a locked gate in the hatchery facility that evening, according to court documents, noting that Heckathorn admitted to the deputy that he was previously at the property and took the bleach.

Heckathorn was arrested by Douglas County Sheriffs Office on several charges including second-degree burglary, criminal trespass and criminal mischief.

On June 7, he pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary, first-degree criminal mischief, prohibitions for toxic substances accessible to wildlife, and three counts of taking, angling, hunting, or trapping in violation of wildlife law or rule.

2 students sue Portland State University over harassing letters sent after protest

He was ultimately convicted on June 24 for burglary, criminal mischief, and three counts of taking, angling, hunting, or trapping violation.

Heckathorn was sentenced to 30 days in jail with three years supervised probation. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution and will have his fishing license suspended for three years.

In a statement to KOIN 6 News, ODFW said There are real consequences for crimes against fish and wildlife as shown by the sentencing and fines this individual must pay. We take poaching seriously here in Oregon  our mission is to protect fish and wildlife for this and future generations.

Barge ablaze after Waterfront Blues Festival fireworks show, 1 hospitalized

Deborah Yates, the president of the hatchery program, previously said her team struggled to understand Heckathorns actions after they put hundreds of hours raising the fish, which were intended to be released with about 60,000 others in June.

When nature does something, its crushing. But its nature, and it happens. But when someone comes in and does something like this, you cant wrap your head around it, she said. We have so many hours wrapped up in those fish, to have someone come in so cavalier, and kill them, it doesnt make sense.

An attorney for Heckathorn could not be reached 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 KOIN.com.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said detectives were investigating after someone killed a man in Southeast early Friday morning.

According to police, officers went to the 700 block of Upsal St. SE around 12:40 a.m. for a shooting. Once at the scene, police found that somebody drove 32-year-old Anthony Willis of Northwest, who had been shot, to the hospital in a personal vehicle.

Man shot in Fredericksburg, said Stafford County Sheriffs Office

Police said hospital staff members tried to save Willis but he died.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at (202) 727-9099 or send a tip to the departments tip line at 50411.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
MARION COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  The lawyers for a Marion man accused of killing a New Mexico State Police officer in March have requested another delay in his upcoming federal trial.

Jaremy Smith was set to stand trial on Monday in the killing of Justin Hare, who was shot to death on March 15 along Interstate 40 outside of Albuquerque. His trial was originally set to start June 10 before he was granted a delay last month.

Smith, 33, was arrested March 17 by Bernalillo County sheriffs deputies in an Albuquerque neighborhood, who shot him several times following a brief foot pursuit. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 9, and prosecutors said they were considering the death penalty if hes convicted.

Smiths lawyers asked for a 60-day delay in the motion, which was filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New Mexico.

Jaremy-SmithFilingDownload

Counsel believes that length of time to be the minimum necessary to determine whether the government will seek the death penalty, to continue negotiations with the government and to prepare for trial if necessary, the motion reads.

Timeline: Whats happened so far in the case of slain Pee Dee paramedic Phonesia Machado-Fore

He pleaded not guilty on April 18 to charges including carjacking resulting in death, causing death by the discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, kidnapping resulting in death and interstate transport of a stolen vehicle.

Smith is also facing 17 charges in the death of Pee Dee paramedic Phonesia Machado-Fore. Authorities found her body March 15 outside of Lake View in Dillon County.

* * *

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.
Mary Trump Says There's Only 1 Thing 'Scarier' Than Her Uncle Becoming President Again

Mary Trump is continuing to call voters to action in the wake of a tumultuous week in politics.

The only thing scarier than the idea of my uncle being in the Oval Office again is the idea of the Republicans controlling the Senate and the House of Representatives, Donald Trumps niece wrote in her newsletter, The Good in Us, on Thursday.

Both, the House in particular, would very likely be filled with even more extreme sycophants who hate the Constitution with the same blind passion with which they hate women and minorities.

Without Democratic control of the Senate, she wrote, her uncle, if elected, could have the chance to replace Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas with younger appointees who could ruin the lives of the next four generations of Americans.

She imagined a House of Representatives filled with even more extremists like GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) rubber-stamping Donalds agenda, going after his political enemies, and refusing to fund the war in Ukraine.

She encouraged voters to rally behind President Joe Biden  despite chaos in the campaign following his poor debate showing last week  and suggested that people adopt a race or two; pick an endangered Democratic senator or a vulnerable House Republican and go to work.

Now that we know the Supreme Court has ensured Donald is free to operate outside the Constitution with impunity, we have to find other ways to stop him, she added.

She has issued a series of rallying cries for people to unite behind Biden and Democrats in the wake of the debate and the Supreme Courts alarming ruling that Trump has absolute immunity for official acts during his time in office.

Mary Trump said in Thursdays post that the Supreme Courts decision served as a chilling but compelling reminder that its equally crucial to stop her uncles enablers, whose plans to dismantle American institutions are arguably even more destructive to our country.

Related...
Alex Wong/Getty images via Michigan Advance.

Maryland has joined 21 states, the District of Columbia and the Northern Mariana Islands urging the Supreme Court to uphold federal restrictions on ghost guns, unregistered and untraceable weapons that can be assembled at home from kits.

The brief, filed Wednesday by attorneys general from the 24 jurisdictions, argues that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives did not exceed its authority when it passed a rule requiring that gun manufacturers and dealers treat ghost gun kits like firearms: adding serial numbers, keeping records on their sale and conducting background checks on buyers.

The ghost gun rule was a 2022 amendment to the 1968 Gun Control Act, which regulates firearm sales nationally. The attorneys general said the federal rule is needed to close a loophole allowing individuals to avoid State and local laws controlling firearms by the simple expediency of crossing a State line to purchase one. They said that preliminary results indicate that ghost-gun recoveries have declined since the new rules took effect.

The rule was challenged by gun-rights advocates, who argued that ATF exceeded its authority when it created the new rule under the Gun Control Act, which only regulates weapons, not weapon part kits. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed in November 2023 that the ATF has essentially rewritten the law. This it cannot do. But while it ruled against the regulation, the circuit court allowed it to stand while the court case proceeded.

In an unusual twist, the opponents of the regulation agreed with the supporters of it that the case should be taken up by the Supreme Court to settle once and for all whether ATFs Rule expanding the definition of firearm to include weapon parts kits is legal.

The Supreme Court agreed in April to hear the case, Garland v. VanDerStok in the term that begins in October, but it has not yet set a date for arguments.

The post Maryland joins other states urging Supreme Court to uphold ghost gun restrictions appeared first on Maryland Matters.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) has called on President Biden to carefully evaluate his candidacy as concerns about his ability to win the election persist, despite his team insisting he wont step aside.

In a statement obtained by NBC News, Healey said Biden saved democracy by winning the 2020 election, and that this years is the most important election of our lifetimes.

Healey was one of several Democratic governors to meet with the president Wednesday evening to discuss the future of the party after his lackluster debate performance a week prior that left many of his supporters in a panic.

Several governors released statements supporting Biden and his candidacy. Healeys was less explicit.

The best way forward right now is a decision for the President to make. Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump, Healey said.

The Massachusetts governor, who took office in 2023 after nearly eight years as state attorney general, said she is committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump, no matter what Biden chooses.

Healeys fellow Massachusetts lawmaker, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), became the third House Democrat on Wednesday to publicly call on Biden to step down from the race.

Healeys statements contrast those of other governors in the meeting and signal she is the first Democratic governor to suggest Biden should consider stepping aside to allow someone else the chance to beat former President Trump.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said those in the room stand with him and are going to have his back. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) echoed her colleagues online and said Biden is our nominee. He is in it to win it and I support him.

During the meeting, according to The New York Times, Biden told the governors he needs to get more sleep and work fewer hours, including no longer holding meetings or events after 8 p.m.

Bidens debate performance sparked widespread worry among Democrats about not only his ability to beat Trump in the polls this fall, but also the 81-year-olds ability to execute the role of president for another term.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Massachusetts governor calls for Biden to consider dropping out of 2024 election

WASHINGTON  Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Friday called for President Biden to evaluate whether he remains Democrats' best shot to defeat former President Donald Trump, becoming the first Democratic governor to signal publicly the party might be better off with a different nominee.

Healey, a Biden ally, was one of 10 Democratic governors who met Wednesday with Biden at the White House while 14 other Democratic governors attended the meeting virtually. Healey was not among three governors who came out of the West Wing together afterward to speak to reporters and reaffirm their support Biden following Biden's dismal debate performance last week.

"President Biden saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years. I am deeply grateful for his leadership. And I know he agrees this is the most important election of our lifetimes," Healey said in a statement.

"The best way forward right now is a decision for the President to make. Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump," she added.

She said that "whatever President Biden decides," she is "committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump.

Democratic Massachusetts Governor Elect Maura Healey celebrates victory and delivers a speech during a watch party at the Copley Plaza hotel on election night in Boston, Massachusetts on November 8, 2022.

Biden has vowed he will remain in the 2024 race, telling supporters gathered at the White House Fourth of July Celebration on Thursday, "I'm not going anywhere."

The White House and Biden campaign have spent the week trying to contain the damage from Biden's disastrous debate last week against Trump, in which Biden struggled to complete thoughts and finish sentences. His poor showing alarmed Democrats and ignited a growing number of calls that he bow out of the race.

Two Democratic members of Congress, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, have called for Biden to end his campaign.

The Democratic Governors Association asked for this week's meeting with Biden after governors raised concerns not just about Biden's debate performance but also the campaign's response to it.

Governors Tim Walz of Minnesota, Kathy Hochul of New York and Wes Moore addressed reporters after the roughly one-hour meeting ended, each recommitting their support for Biden by saying the "have his back." But Walz also made clear their top priority is finding a "path to victory in November."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer each expressed support for Biden in written statements on social media after this week's meeting.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris raise their hands during an Independence Day celebration in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2024.

Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Massachusetts. Gov Maura Healey calls for Biden to reevaluate campaign
(Bloomberg) -- Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey urged President Joe Biden to consider whether to maintain his reelection bid, days after the White House sought her support along with that of other Democratic state leaders.

Most Read from Bloomberg

I know he agrees this is the most important election of our lifetimes, Healey, a Biden ally, said Friday. Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump.

Healeys tone contrasted with the ringing endorsements issued this week by other Democratic governors such as Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Californias Gavin Newsom. In a crisis meeting at the White House on July 3, Biden vowed not to be pushed out of the race even as he acknowledged he needs more sleep following his disastrous debate performance against former President Trump.

Whatever President Biden decides, I am committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump, Healey said.

Only a handful of Democrats have publicly called on Biden to step aside, but Healey isnt the only one to have shown pause over his candidacy amid concerns over his age and ability to beat Trump.

Following the White House gathering earlier this week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said only that the meeting was candid and he appreciated hearing directly from the president.

(Updates with Pritzker comment in sixth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
PARIS  Pan-European missile maker MBDA and Norways Kongsberg snubbed a Swiss tender for a new medium-range air-defense system, leaving the door open for Germanys Diehl Defence as the sole potential bidder for the contract.

Kongsberg and MBDA informed Swiss defense-procurement agency armasuisse they wont submit offers due to time constraints, armasuisse spokeswoman Samanta Leiser told Defense News in an emailed response to questions. The evaluation process will continue as planned, with Diehl remaining as a potential manufacturer, the government office said in a statement on Friday.

Switzerland in April decided to join the Germany-led European Sky Shield Initiative, for which Diehl is a partner for the medium-range component with the Iris-T SLM system. Armasuisse said participation in ESSI doesnt preempt any decision on what air defense the country is buying, though other partners in the initiative have picked Diehls system.

Armasuisse is awaiting the receipt of the offer from the remaining manufacturing company by mid-July, the office said. Apart from the costs, a decision in favor of the remaining candidate in the third quarter of 2024 is dependent on this candidate submitting an offer which meets the requirements of armasuisse.

Leiser declined to comment on the budget, how many systems Switzerland is seeking or what the delivery timeline will be. The Swiss parliament is currently discussing buying the system within the 2024 defense plan, rather than in 2025 as previously envisioned.

The alpine country in 2016 suspended a previous project to modernize its air-defense system, terminating a contract with Thales for purchasing preparations. Switzerland in 2022 agreed to buy the Patriot system for longer-range, ground-based air defense.

Kongsberg had been asked to provide a quote for the NASAMS system, according to company spokesman Ivar Simensen, who said the company has no further comment. MBDA didnt respond to requests for comment, while Diehl also didnt immediately return a request for comment.

Slovenia in January agreed to buy one Iris-T SLM fire unit, consisting of a radar component, a tactical operations center and four missile launchers, through the German federal office for defense procurement. Estonia and Latvia signed framework agreements with Diehl in September to buy the system within the framework of ESSI.

One of Switzerlands criteria is that the system must already be successfully in use. The country also says inclusion of Swiss industry in the contract is of particular importance, with a demand that the entire purchase price is compensated with offsetting transactions in Switzerland. There is no flexibility with respect to the offset requirement, according to Leiser.

Iris-T SLM is designed to defend against aircraft, cruise missiles and drones to a range of up to 40 kilometers. Diehl says the performance of Iris-T SLM in Ukraine has been excellent, achieving close to 100% hit rate even during attack waves with more than 12 targets.

Separately, Kongsberg said it signed a contract with the Norwegian Defence Material Agency to the initial development phase of the German-Norwegian supersonic strike missile, or 3SM, set to be deployed on naval vessels from 2035. The contract value for the first development phase is up to 1.5 billion kroner (U.S. $131 million), the company said in a statement on Friday.

Kongsberg, Diehl Defence and MBDA Deutschland agreed in May to set up a partnership for joint development of the new missile.
New confirmed measles case reported in Butler County

A confirmed case of measles has been reported in Butler County.

>>Fourth of July celebrations continue despite storm threat

The case involves a one-year-old child who contracted it through international travel, according to the Butler County General Health District (BCGHD).

They returned to the United States through Chicago and traveled back to Ohio by car.

No other information is being released about the case.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Symptoms include:

Fever

Runny nose

Cough

Rash

There is no specific treatment for measles.

BCGHD is working to notify those who came in close contact.
China has tightened export controls on military and dual-use products since July 1, the Moscow Times reported on July 5.

This has already made it more difficult to deliver Chinese equipment and machinery to Russia, the Moscow Times reported, citing Russian importers.

Trade between Russia and China has reportedly surged by 121% since 2021, underscoring Beijing's role as Moscow's economic lifeline. A functioning payment system is necessary for maintaining trade relations, and Russia was cut off from SWIFT in 2022.

The list of restrictions includes equipment, software, technologies, spare parts, and engines for the aerospace industry, as well as some equipment and software for the steel industry and production of gas turbines.

Exports of these products now require a permit from the Chinese Trade Ministry or a license to export dual-use goods. The new requirements apply to all exporters.

All delays and additional expenses will result in increasing the cost of cargo delivery and its prices, the Moscow Times reported.

The U.S. and other countries unveiled a new wave of sanctions on June 12 that targeted Russian financial institutions, as well as entities and individuals based in China and elsewhere that help Moscow circumvent the existing restrictions.

While the Russian economy has proved to be resilient in the face of Western sanctions, the measures gradually forced many Chinese banks to scale down activities with or in Russia.

Read also: Relations between Russia, China are at their best in history, Xi, Putin say

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Around 120,000 Russian troops have been killed since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to a report by independent Russian media outlets Meduza and Mediazona on July 5.

Meduza and Mediazona, together with BBC News Russian, have long been documenting the names of Russian soldiers killed fighting in Ukraine through open-source research.

In February, the outlets estimated that 83,000 Russian soldiers had been killed, based on analysis of a restricted but non-classified database of inheritance cases.

They then compared trends to those in publicly available mortality data from Russias State Statistics Service, records from the Russian Probate Registry, and obituaries.

On June 28, they provided the names of over 56,000 Russian soldiers that had been killed since 2022.

Meduza and Mediazona have since updated its data collection method, as the time and resources required to trawl the data when it becomes available produces a significant lag, sometimes of six months.

They have now produced a new method to create "flash estimates."

"According to our latest calculations, as of the end of June, approximately 120,000 Russian servicemen have died in the war since 2022, but the real number could be as high as 140,000," Meduza wrote.

Ukraine's General Staff estimates that the Russian military's personnel losses surpassed 500,000 on May 25, 2024.

The overall consensus is that it includes dead, wounded, missing and captured.

In February, Zelensky said that 180,000 Russian troops had been killed since the start of the all-out war. The president said that over 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed during the same time.

Western officials gave similar estimates about Russian battlefield losses.

Leo Docherty, British minister of state for the Armed Forces, said in late April the U.K estimates Russian losses to be over 450,000.

We estimate that approximately 450,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded, and tens of thousands more have already deserted since the start of the conflict," Docherty said in parliament.

"The number of personnel killed serving in Russian private military companies (PMCs) is not clear," he added.

A U.S. estimate reported on Dec. 12 put the total at 315,000. On the same day, the Ukrainian figure was 340,650.

Read also: As Russian losses in Ukraine hit 500,000, Putin buries future demographic risks at home

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Meet the area candidates for Aug. 1 elections, primaries this week at Oak Ridge forums

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge is inviting the community to participate in two candidates forums this week - one for Anderson County candidates and another for Roane County candidates.

The forums will have the candidates for Tennessee state primary elections and county general elections as they appear on the election ballots for the Aug. 1 election. Early voting begins Friday, July 12.

The Goff Building at the Oak Ridge campus of Roane State Community College.

Both candidate forums will be held on the Oak Ridge campus of Roane State Community College, Goff Building, Room 107. The forums:

The Anderson County forum will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 9

The Roane County forum will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 11

Candidates without opposition will be introduced at the forums, according to a league news release issued Friday, July 5. However, all candidates with opposition will be introduced and they will also be given an opportunity to make an opening statement. They will be given equal opportunities to answer randomly selected questions from the audience. The forum will close with a closing statement from each candidate.

There will be an opportunity for the public to meet the candidates after each forum.

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge is described in the release as "a nonpartisan political organization for men and women. It encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy."

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Candidate forums set this week for Anderson, Roane, state races
Meet with political candidates in St. Johns County ahead of 2024 election

The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce is giving community members the opportunity to meet and connect with political candidates ahead of the election.

The meet and greet events, called Meet the Candidates at PISJ, will let you meet and speak with candidates running for office.

There are two events:

Tuesday, July 23, at Beachside High School from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 31, at Solomon Calhoun Community Center from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Youll also be able to show your support for the candidate of your choice in a straw poll conducted by the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab.

Both non-partisan events are free and open to the public.

[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 British public has elected a new government, and with that a new family will be moving into 10 Downing Street.

Unlike some other countries, such as the United States, when a new British prime minister comes to power, the transition into both the new role and home happens almost immediately.

That means, not only will Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, be settling into his home down the road from the Houses of Parliament, but so will his wife, Victoria, and their two teenage children.

So, who is Victoria Starmer, and what do we know about the new occupants of 10 Downing Street?

Starmers wife, whom he usually refers to as Vic, kept a relatively low profile during the election campaign.

The couple are pictured at the Labour Party conference in September 2022. - Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

Both lawyers by training, they married in 2007  the year before Starmer became Director of Public Prosecutions.

Their relationship grew out of an unlikely first meeting at work, as the Labour leader told Piers Morgan in 2021.

Then a barrister, he was preparing for a court case and demanded to speak to the lawyer who had drawn up documents relating to the case. That was Victoria.

He asked if they were accurate, and once the conversation was over, he heard her say, Who the bleep does he think he is? before hanging up on him. He told Morgan he pursued her for months after that, and they have been together ever since.

Vic is beautiful, she is grounded, we share values and we laugh together, Starmer said.

Victoria, whose parents are Jewish, now works in occupational health in the NHS.

Half of the family are Jewish, theyre either here or in Israel, he told The Guardian last month, adding that he and his wife are very keen for their children to understand their heritage.

The couple make their way to the State Banquet for Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako of Japan at Buckingham Palace, London, in June. - Aaron Chown/PA

Meanwhile, the prime minister has spoken about his childrens concerns about the house move.

Deep down theyre worried that this (their lives) could change, which is why we will fiercely protect their privacy.

So determined is Starmer, that he refers to them in interviews as my boy and my girl.

From the very start we took the decision that we would keep them as protected as we possibly can, so we wont have any photo shoots with the children and we dont name them in public, he told British broadcaster ITVs This Morning show.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators leave a display of children's shoes outside the Starmers' home in north London earlier this year. - Youth Demand/PA

Starmer told The Guardian he is acutely aware how his job impacts his family, saying of his children, these are formative years. We keep life as ordinary and unchanged as possible.

Earlier this year, pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside the familys home in Kentish Town, north London, where they unfurled a banner saying Starmer stop the killing and left rows of childrens shoes.

The Starmers main hopes, he told This Morning, were for their children to be happy and confident.

That might be helped by a new addition, he admitted, as a move to Downing Street is likely to see his children ramp up their campaign for a dog.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX)  Mesa Countys public lands will receive some assistance after the U.S. Department of the Interior announced this years payments in lieu of taxes (PILT).

Mesa County will receive around $4.4 million of the $47.8 million that went to local governments in Colorado.

According to the Interior Department, the money will affect around 23 million acres in Colorado with roughly 1.5 million going to be impacted in Mesa County. Payments are determined by the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction and the areas population.

The yearly payments help defray costs related to retaining community services since local governments cannot tax federal lands. The money can help public lands and bodies of water. It can also assist in investing in firefighters, police, schools and road construction.

PILT payments help local governments carry out vital services, such as firefighting and police protection, construction of public schools and roads and search-and-rescue operations, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget Joan Mooney said in a press release. We are grateful for our ongoing partnerships with local jurisdictions across the country who help the Interior Department fulfill our mission on behalf of the American public.

Nearby counties received money as well. Montrose County got around $3.2 million while Delta County received roughly $920,000. Garfield County received just under $4 million, and Ouray County received over $500,000.

To see what other states and counties were awarded, visit the Department of the Interior 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 WesternSlopeNow.com.
Mexican cartels are diversifying business beyond drugs. Here's where they are profiting

MEXICO CITY  In a small town in Mexicos western state of Michoacan, members of a criminal group forced residents to pay for high-cost internet service  or face death.

After these threats, residents made monthly extortion payments while simultaneously reporting the situation to authorities.

After months of investigations, officials raided three properties, finding evidence such as antennas, internet repeater equipment and connections, which were handed over to the prosecutor's office.

While it may sound surprising for Mexico's drug cartels to be involved in internet service, those who follow the criminal groups' activities aren't at all surprised.

"Drug cartels have diversified their operations since their inception," security analyst David Saucedo said. "Many of them started as criminal organizations whose main activity wasnt drug trafficking."

Some gangs were involved in, for example, fuel theft, others were involved in vehicle theft and others specialized in robbing public transportation, Saucedo said.

Criminal groups that joined drug trafficking already had these other activities beforehand.

Besides the billions of dollars cartels make from the drug trafficking industry, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says the most powerful drug cartels, Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), are involved in many illegal ventures that result in profits.

The Sinaloa Cartel is most closely identified with drug trafficking but is also engaged in extortion, the theft of petroleum and ores, weapons trafficking, migrant smuggling, and prostitution, the 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment states.

USA TODAY gets to the heart of news fast Download the app now for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more

CJNG directs the theft of fuel from pipelines, extorts agave and avocado farmers, migrants and prison officials, and taxes migrant smugglers, the report said.

"The portfolio is extensive. However, while drug trafficking is the most profitable activity, it has a longer recovery time for the investment compared to other ... criminal activities, which yield almost immediate profit," Saucedo said.

 Resultado de un operativo coordinado entre la Subsecretaria de Investigacion Especilizada (SIE), la Fiscalia General... Posted by Secretaria de Seguridad Publica de Michoacan on Friday, December 29, 2023

From cartels calling older Americans to offer timeshares in Mexico, leading to the loss of nearly $40 million, to cartel-backed smugglers reaping growing profits in the trafficking of migrants across the U.S-Mexico border, their criminal range is extensive.

Here are some ways where the cartels have extended their reach:

Fuel theft

Fuel theft, known as huachicoleo in Mexico, is a highly profitable activity for organized crime groups. In the first nine months of 2022, Mexico's state-owned oil company, Pemex, lost $730 million from illegal pipeline taps.

Cartels in Mexico have developed a sophisticated approach to fuel theft, which involves corruption, precision and violence.

This includes tactics such as bribing Pemex employees and local officials for information, drilling precise illegal taps into pipelines, and using modified tanker trucks to transport stolen fuel for distribution in black market networks.

Several cartels are involved in this criminal activity. For instance, the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, led by Jose Antonio Yepez, also known as El Marro, established its dominance through fuel theft before entering into drug trafficking.

Additionally, CJNG and the Gulf Cartel are also linked to fuel theft, which supports their criminal activities.

Avocados

Mexico's multibillion-dollar avocado industry, which continues to break records for exports every year, has also been one of the main targets for drug cartels.

Avocados are known as green gold in Mexico, and the country has become the worlds largest producer of the popular fruit.

But as growers fortunes have risen, they have faced increasing threats from drug cartels seeking a share of the profits.

Near Uruapan, Michoacan, a worker packs boxes of avocados to be shipped to the United States. Feb. 3, 2023.

In Michoacan, the only state authorized to export the fruit to the U.S., CJNG and local gangs demand payments from farmers, often referred to as "protection fees."

These fees can range from $135 to $500 per hectare monthly, depending on the size of the farm and the level of perceived threat.

The extortion process begins with cartels identifying and targeting profitable farms. Armed cartel members then approach the farmers, issuing threats of violence or property damage if the farmers refuse to comply.

In February 2022, the U.S. suspended avocado imports from Mexico after a U.S. official received a death threat while working in Uruapan.

The imports resumed a week later following new safety measures applied by Mexicos government in the region.

Two years later, locals say the situation hasnt changed much, and avocado growers continue to deal with criminal organizations in the area.

Tortillas

The average Mexican consumes about 70 kilograms of tortillas annually, according to the Mexican Agriculture Ministry. It is a staple in Mexican cuisine, which is why cartels have decided to profit from it.

Extortion from cartels affects nearly 20,000 tortillerias, directly impacting the prices paid by Mexicans.

According to the National Tortilla Council, in an interview with The Washington Post, out of more than 130,000 tortillerias in the country, between 14 to 15% percent suffer from extortion.

Homero Lopez Garcia, the organization's president, told El Sol de Mexico that establishments must pay between $135 and $190 weekly to multiple criminal groups to continue operating.

"Well, look, nothing surprises me anymore," Saucedo, the security analyst, said about cartels extorting tortillerias. "Perhaps it's a somewhat insensitive and cynical posture from me, but the truth is that I remain open to all possibilities in this regard."

Chicken

In a video posted on social media two days before Christmas 2023, an armed group was seen arriving at a poultry shop in Toluca, Mexico, kidnapping four workers and putting them into a white van.

The Mexico state prosecutor's office said the victims were retailers who were forced to buy chicken in some establishments. Likewise, they had to pay a fee of $2.50 per kilo in exchange for not getting killed by the Familia Michoacana cartel.

Authorities said as a result of their efforts to combat extortion, the criminal groups La Familia Michoacana and CJNG lost over $43 million from threatening poultry and egg vendors in municipalities of the Toluca Valley and the southern part of the state.

The state prosecutor's office said in 2023 alone, they received 4,010 complaints for this crime, of which they determined that only one in four was made in person, with the rest being indirect through phone calls, social media, and emails.

Three months later, the four workers kidnapped in December were found alive, and four perpetrators were detained, but those behind the abductions remain on the loose and the extortion of poultry vendors continues, officials said.

'Piso' fee

"They were asking me for $600 monthly for cobro de piso; we reported it, and we had to close for a month," Guillermo, a businessman in downtown Mexico City, told local media, recalling the extortion from the cartel.

The cobro de piso, which is the fee cartels charge business owners in exchange for "protection," has been the main problem for merchants in Mexico City.

"The first group of affected businesses are restaurants, followed by convenience stores in second place, and then jewelry stores in third place," said Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, president of Mexico Citys Chamber of Commerce.

In the past few years, extortions have been on the rise. Depending on the areas, some establishments would receive calls, emails, or in-person visits from armed men asking for the cartel's fee.

"They have tried several times, it's through calls," restaurant owner Israel Zavala told Mexican media. "The trust in the authorities isn't very high; complaints have been filed, but they don't proceed."

Analyst Saucedo said the problem with the metrics is that we have never had access to their accounting books.

We will never have the total amount of the taxable fee because many do not report it to the authorities.

In Mexico City, there are many criminal organizations involved in activities such as drug dealing, but also charging extortion fees to small business owners like tortilla shops, street vendors, and taxi drivers.

"Since Mexico City is a densely populated area, and we have a very large informal economy, many people are unfortunately susceptible to paying protection money. Consequently, it is a profitable activity for the local mafias," Saucedo said.

"Besides paying an official tax to come to work, you have to pay another one to them," Angel Campos, a vendor at a street market in Mexico City, said.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Mexican cartels diversify business with fuel, tortillas and piso
KYODO NEWS - Jul 5, 2024 - 20:48 | All, Japan, World

Japan will continue to boost relations with Britain under its new administration following the opposition Labour Party's landslide victory in a general election, the top government spokesman said Friday.

"Japan and Britain are important partners sharing values and principles. We will further promote the bilateral relationship with the new administration," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a regular press conference.

Hayashi also said Tokyo is willing to work together with London in dealing with global challenges such as Russia's protracted invasion of Ukraine and realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, a vision advocated by Japan in a veiled bid to counter China.

With the Labour Party securing a majority in the House of Commons after Thursday's election, its leader Keir Starmer became British prime minister, succeeding Rishi Sunak and ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule.

During that time, Japan and Britain stepped up their security ties in response to the increasingly complex geopolitical environment, notably influenced in recent years by Russia's aggression in Ukraine and China's intensifying military activities in the Asia-Pacific region.

The two nations also rolled out a project with Italy to develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2035. Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said at a separate news conference that the importance of the trilateral fighter jet plan "will remain unchanged."
This article was originally published in Source New Mexico.

For the third year in a row, New Mexico is last in the nation for child welfare, according to the 2024 KIDS Count Data Book released this week.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation prepares the report for all 50 states. Its mission to track child well being in the country focuses on compiling federal data on four factors: family and community, education performance, overall health and economic reality.

New Mexico historically falls at the bottom of this report. Its best placement was in 2021 when the state climbed to 49th in the rankings.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter

The 2024 report shows Arizona (42nd) and Texas (43rd) as states with similar issues to New Mexicos. Colorado (17th) and Utah (3rd) are neighboring states leading on child welfare, the report shows.

Utah was also listed as number one in the nation for the Family and Community indicator that measures teen pregnancies, the number of children in single parent households, living in poverty and the education outcomes in their households.

New Mexico sits near the bottom of the list for that indicator but it is also the one where the state has shown the most improvement since 2019 with more kids living in economically stable homes with better educated parents. Teen births are also down in New Mexico since 2019.

On the other hand, education outcomes in New Mexico and across the country saw declines in three of the four indicators, specifically in reading and math proficiency.

Deficiencies in education

New Mexicos education performance tracked with the rest of the nation while starting with a notably higher rate of children not proficient in fourth grade reading (79% up from 76% in 2019) and eighth grade math (87% up from 79% in 2019).

New Mexicos ranking in the education domain is heavily impacted by national standardized test scores, including fourth grade reading proficiency, Emily Wildau, KIDS COUNT coordinator at New Mexico Voices for Children, said in a news release. These scores do not reflect the ability of our children, but rather an education system that is not designed with our multicultural, multilingual students in mind.

The states K-12 Plus Program is mentioned in the report as an example of a state bolstering services and resources that equip kids to learn. The program was created by a new state law passed during the 2023 regular legislative session and signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

House Bill 130 changed part of the Public School Code to extend instructional time requirements for elementary and secondary education. It also allows for an increase in funding from the state if local school districts and charter schools extend the learning calendar past 180 days, or 155 days for districts with four-day school weeks.

However, the decision to extend the school year is a topic lawmakers, schools boards, educators, students and parents have had differing opinions on. The law setting school calendars based on hours, not days, is currently held up in court and might not be in effect before the new school year begins.

Health indicators help then hurt New Mexicos score

Health indicators over the last decade have helped improve the states scores, but improvements appear to have stagnated over the last couple of years.

The number of New Mexico children without health insurance improved between 2019 and 2022, according to the data book. But the state also reported an increase in babies born at a low birth weight and an increase in deaths of children and teens.

In 2022, New Mexico experienced 40 child or teen deaths per 100,00 compared to the national average of 30 deaths per 100,000. And nearly 10% of babies born in New Mexico were born at low birth weight.

Meanwhile, the state also reported some improvement in the family and community sector, including a decrease in teen births.

Solutions for addressing overall child well being

The KIDS COUNT report offered several solutions for states to consider when addressing overall child well being, including the implementation of more community schools throughout the school districts in the states.

Community schools are public schools that work to meet the needs of children outside of traditional education. This includes providing regular meals to children and families, mental health services and connections to other areas of support.

According to the New Mexico Public Education Department, there were 150 community schools in the state as of September 2023, with 91 schools receiving state grant funding through the department.

The wraparound services provided through community schools were highlighted in the databook as beneficial for addressing factors in childrens home life that might make it a struggle for them to learn in school.

Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Shaun Griswold for questions: info@sourcenm.com. Follow Source New Mexico on Facebook and X.
Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner has left his position as an attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

The sources said Meiner resigned from his role as an enforcement attorney in the SECs Miami office, where he had worked since 2007. Messages sent to Meiners SEC email address this week bounced back with an error message saying the address couldnt be found or is unable to receive mail.

It was not immediately clear what prompted the departure or whether it was related to sexual harassment claims by former colleagues. A city of Miami Beach spokesperson directed questions to the mayors office. Meiner and his chief of staff at the city, Veronica Coley, did not respond to messages Wednesday seeking comment.

An SEC spokesperson declined to comment, saying the agency does not comment on personnel matters.

On Friday afternoon, three hours after this story was first published, Meiner posted on social media that he is joining a private company, The Farkas Group Inc., as a senior management executive.

Meiners statement did not address his reason for leaving the SEC.

My new employment is the culmination of my professional work experience as an attorney for eleven years in the private sector and the last seventeen years with the federal government at the SEC, he wrote. I am excited for this new endeavor where I can contribute my expertise.

I am thrilled to share that I am joining The Farkas Group, Inc. as a senior management executive. My new employment is the culmination of my professional work experience as an attorney for eleven years in the private sector and the last seventeen years with the federal government pic.twitter.com/Gyx1OspVAg  Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner (@StevenMeiner) July 5, 2024

The mayor of Miami Beach serves in a part-time capacity. Meiner, a former city commissioner who was elected mayor in November, was working full-time at the SEC, a role that limited his ability to conduct mayoral duties during regular working hours because of strict federal government rules.

Meiners conduct at the SEC was under scrutiny prior to his departure. Days before his election as mayor, the Miami Herald reported that three former female colleagues of Meiner at the agency claimed that Meiner had made unwanted advances toward them in the past.

In February, the Herald reported that the SECs Office of Human Resources in Washington, D.C., had begun contacting current and former SEC employees seeking to speak to them about their experiences with Meiner or knowledge of any allegations against him.

Meiner told reporters in February that there is no investigation. He declined to elaborate on the claim.

The human resources probe had not yet concluded as of mid-June, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Among the three women who alleged misconduct by Meiner was a former intern who said Meiner had once tried to kiss her in 2012. Another was a fellow attorney who reported to her superiors in 2016 that Meiner told her while in her office that he wanted to get a second apartment to carry on an affair with her.

The latter incident triggered an inquiry by the SECs Office of Equal Employment Opportunity that seemingly did not result in discipline, according to records reviewed by the Herald.

A second former intern told the Herald that during and after her internship, Meiner frequently asked her out for drinks and dinner and told her in text messages that she was beautiful and smart. She said that she sent Meiner several very direct texts reminding him he had a wife and kids and reminding him I was in a very serious relationship and that her then-boyfriend became so frustrated with Meiners advances that he texted Meiner himself to tell him to stop.

Meiner said in November that the womens allegations were absolutely untrue and offensive and that he had never been the object of a formal complaint.

He added that he believed the claims about his conduct were likely motivated by anti-Israel and antisemitic views, saying a colleague had once confronted him about Israel and made inflammatory statements referring to Israelis as colonizers and expressing support for Hamas.

After the confrontation, this individual and a few others continued to be antagonistic, spreading untrue [and] sometimes insulting or unflattering rumors about me in the office, Meiner said. He said he reported this to upper management.

The Herald has been pushing for the release of records related to any complaints about Meiners conduct during his time at the SEC. The agency initially wouldnt reveal whether any such records existed but later agreed to search for the records after the Herald filed an appeal. The records have not yet been released.

Meiners role at the SEC involved conducting investigations into securities fraud. As a Miami Beach elected official, Meiner has recused himself from voting on items that could be subject to SEC oversight, including the citys issuing of bonds.

Meiner said Friday that he was thrilled to share the news that he would be joining The Farkas Group. The company is the family office of businessman Michael D. Farkas and manages a diverse investment portfolio, applying Michaels hands-on experience and strategic approach to foster growth and innovation in his investments, according to its website.

Farkas is the founder and former CEO of Blink Charging, an electric vehicle charging company. He left the company last June. In October, the firm announced a deal to become the official EV charging provider for the city of Miami Beach.

This story has been updated to include Meiners announcement about joining The Farkas Group.
Is Miami-Dade a good place to raise kids? New county survey asks that question and more

What issues matter most in Miami-Dade County? This month, residents can weigh in on a range of economic and social topics, including housing, transportation and public safety.

The countys Community Action and Human Services Department is conducting its Community Needs Assessment Survey in partnership with the Florida International University Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center. The survey is available online in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole until July 26.

Maria Ilcheva, a professor at FIU and the lead researcher on the survey, said she expects housing, cost of living, transportation and economic development to be among residents highest priorities this year.

Pocketbook issues always come to the surface, Ilcheva said.

The county last administered the survey in 2019, and its results were published in 2020. Residents expressed concern about issues ranging from low wages relative to the cost of living to traffic congestion in the most recent survey.

The county must administer the survey to receive certain federal grant funding, said Jacob Mills, a spokesperson for Miami-Dades Community Action and Human Services Department. Mills said the county has received about $3 million in funding in previous years, which goes to programs promoting self-sufficiency for low-income families and individuals. That includes programs like job training and utility assistance, he said.

FIU drafts the survey, which must comply with a set of federal standards, said Mills.

The survey prompts residents to rate the quality of life in their communities and list issues that are most important. Residents can also indicate to what extent they agree with statements like, Overall, my community is a good place to raise children. Residents are invited to tell the county what they think is missing from their neighborhoods, including affordable housing, libraries and living-wage jobs. It also includes questions about residents race, age, income and other demographics.

The survey has 11 sections, covering issues including housing and financial needs, public safety, employment, and physical and mental health. Ilcheva said a civic engagement section, which asks questions about attending local meetings and voting, is new this year.

In addition to asking how safe residents feel in their neighborhoods and in Miami-Dade County, the public safety section asks whether residents support initiatives like alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent adult offenders and gun violence diversion programs for children.

But both Mills and Ilcheva said the surveys content remains largely the same over the years. That makes it easier to compare data across different years surveys.

Miami-Dade County residents above age 18 are eligible to participate in the survey. The instructions also ask that only one person per household complete the form.

Responses will help the Metropolitan Center make recommendations to the county about which issues to prioritize, Ilcheva said. The survey will also help the county create focus groups to examine the issues residents said are important to them, she added.

Ilcheva said she cannot yet say how the pandemic has affected Miami-Dade County residents priorities since the last time the survey was conducted.

What were interested in seeing is in our community, have community priorities changed? Ilcheva said. Are the challenges bigger in certain issue areas than they were before?

Ilcheva said the last survey received about 2,000 responses. She said she hopes to meet or exceed that number this year. The survey is relatively long, she said, but she hopes county residents will have the patience and take the time to complete it.
Mich. Teen Went Missing in May. He Was Just Found Safe in Florida After Turning Up in Livestream

"We are working with local authorities to arrange his safe return to Michigan to be with his family, police said of teenager Troy Coleman

Flint Township Police Department Troy Coleman

A Michigan teenager who had been missing since May was just found safe in Miami  and it all happened after he randomly turned up in a livestream.

The Flint Township Police Department first asked for the public's help finding Troy Coleman in a May 21 Facebook post.

He was [last] seen leaving his house in Flint Township and possibly boarding an MTA bus. His friends and family have not heard from him and are growing concerned," read the police's message. "He is 6'4'', 180 lbs. with blue eyes and a scar above his left eye.

Almost two months later, FaZe Lacy and a friend named Clix were doing a livestream on Twitch when an individual in green swim trunks appeared in their program and started talking to them, according to CBS affiliate WNEM. That person turned out to be Troy.



Related: Ill. Girl, Missing Since 2017, Found After Store Owner Recognizes Her From 'Unsolved Mysteries'

At the time, they had no idea who the stranger was, per CBS affiliate WKRC. Then his brother reached out to them.

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.

In a social media post shared on July 3, Lacy wrote that they learned what was going on after receiving a message from the brother. "Now his family knows he is alive and in Miami," Lacy wrote.

Related: Inside the 42-Year-Long Missing Persons Case of Baby Holly Marie: How They Found Her

In another X post the following day, Lacy wrote that they were able to make contact with Colemans family.

"We got into contact with his brother and told him what hotel [the teen] said he was staying at on stream," Lacy wrote. "He has been found and placed in a holding cell in Miami until he gets transferred back to Michigan with his family. The power of the internet is insane thank you guys .

Related: Man Missing for 10 Days Found Alive in Wooded Area After Surviving Off of Wild Berries in California

Police confirmed the discovery of Coleman in a July 4 Facebook post.

"The Flint Township Police Department would like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to everybody who shared the missing person information about Troy Coleman," they wrote. "He has been found safe in Miami, Florida and we are working with local authorities to arrange his safe return to Michigan to be with his family."

PEOPLE contacted the Flint Township Police Department and Lacy for additional information.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Michigan direct care workers say they will make do with a 20 increase, but for how long?

Getty Images

The Michigan Legislature last week cleared an $83 billion state budget for the 2025 Fiscal Year, including a $28.7 million investment to increase the wages for direct care workers. That equates to a 20-cent hourly raise for individuals like nurse aides and home health aides who provide care for the elderly or those with disabilities or chronic conditions.

Sherri Boyd, executive director of the Michigan chapter of The Arc, a national advocacy organization for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said in a statement that the raise is better than nothing, but the implications it will have on care providers and those in need of services will be significant.

But the underlying problem remains. We are paying DCWs so poorly that many of them are forced to leave the profession. And this leaves some 100,000 of our states most vulnerable residents at risk, Boyd said.

And work of direct care workers is challenging, Mental Health Association in Michigan President Marianne Huff, told the Advance. Because wages for direct care workers are dispensed from Medicaid funding, the state holds the power to determine the future of the job market for such workers

I dont want to sound like were not grateful for the 20-cent increase, but what the problem has been is that we dont offer enough money to people to work with individuals that are very vulnerable and present with sometimes really challenging behavioral health issues, Huff said. I dont know that we can expect people to work with individuals and provide quality care for really less than $18 to $20 an hour.

The Direct Care Worker Wage Coalition, a Michigan group of organizations committed to supporting wage increases for those working with people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities, asserts that the starting wage for direct care workers in Michigan is about $16 an hour or $33,000 before taxes. Salary.com reflects that the average salary of all direct care workers falls between about $34,000 and $40,000.

The coalition had asked for a $20-per-hour starting wage for direct care workers in the behavioral health system in the FY 2025 state budget to no success. Other states are grappling with an exodus of direct care workers due to wages and those who need care and their families say the problem is dire.

The unfortunate fact of the matter is that direct care workers who have developed the skills and resilience to provide hands-on services in some of the most challenging cases in the state, who went into their line of work to help people, are realizing that the pay is not getting more equitable and they have higher earning options not directly interacting with those receiving care.

One thing Ive observed is the farther you get away from the people, the clients served, the more money you make, Huff said. The people doing the work seem to be making the least amount of money and theres kind of something wrong with that picture.

Huff said she knows many organizations that have halted direct care services due to the lack of funding from the state and Robert Stein, general counsel for the Michigan Assisted Living Association said in a statement last Thursday that a mass departure is already underway.

With only an additional 20 cents per hour, we can anticipate continued emergency care shortages, prolonged hospitalizations, reliance on aging parents for support, and the loss of independence previously provided by DCWs, Stein said.

The post Michigan direct care workers say they will make do with a 20 increase, but for how long? appeared first on Michigan Advance.
A Warner Robins man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for shooting at federal and local law enforcement officers trying to take him into custody on felony warrants.

Renaldo Smith, 33, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Smith was wanted on state felony warrants when the U.S. Marshals Service learned in January of last year that he was at a home in Warner Robins. When marshals tried to execute a search warrant there, Smith fired multiple shots from inside the residence.

The Warner Robins Police Departments SWAT team then arrived on the scene, and a police negotiation team communicated with Smith for hours to try to get him to stand down peacefully. When that didnt work, police deployed pepper spray into the home, and Smith was taken into custody after an exchange of gunfire.

Inside the residence, police recovered an automatic pistol and a rifle.

Renaldo Smith put the lives of many people at risk when he opened fire on law enforcement officers attempting to take him safety into custody, U.S. Attorney Peter Leary said Friday. These highly trained officers are to be commended for their display of bravery in the line of duty and for safely bringing the defendant into custody.

Smith had been convicted of several prior felonies, including robbery by force and possession of methamphetamine.
Millionaire Disney heiress says she's pulling funding to Democrats until Joe Biden exits the 2024 race

Millionaire Disney heiress says she's pulling funding to Democrats until Joe Biden exits the 2024 race

President Joe Biden is facing stiff opposition from some high-profile Hollywood donors.

Heiress Abigail Disney told CNBC she is ending Democratic donations until Biden ends his 2024 bid.

The statement comes a day after Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings said Biden needs to step aside.

President Joe Biden is facing stiff opposition from some high-profile Hollywood donors a week after his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump.

Millionaire heiress Abigail Disney told CNBC on Thursday that she will stop donations to the Democratic Party "until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket."

"Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high," Disney, a longtime Democratic donor, told the outlet. "If Biden does not step down, the Democrats will lose. Of that, I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire."

In 2024 so far, Disney has given more than $50,000 to left-leaning political groups, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Her statement comes a day after Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings said Democrats should replace Biden at the top of the ticket.

"Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous," Hastings said in a statement to The New York Times.

Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, have been major supporters of the Democratic Party, donating more than $20 million to the party in the last few years.

Earlier Thursday, The Times reported that Biden told a call of Democratic governors that he intends to get more sleep and stop holding events after 8 p.m.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Milwaukee man charged in CTA bus gunfight that killed his cousin, wounded bus driver

CHICAGO  A Milwaukee man is facing charges in connection with an attack on a Chicago Transit Authority bus earlier this week that wounded the driver and left his cousin dead.

Police said Jeremy Howard, 20, was visiting with his cousins when one of the cousins attacked a passenger and punched him in the head on a bus on the 3400 block of South State Street early Monday morning.

The passenger pulled out a gun and shot the cousin to death. Howard then allegedly began firing at the gunman but wounded the bus driver.

The passenger who fired the first shot jumped off the bus and ran away, police said.

Prosecutors said Howard is already a convicted felon. He was charged with aggravated battery and unlawful use of a weapon in this latest case.

A judge ordered Howard held until trial. Hes due back in court on 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 WGN-TV.
Getty images.

Mariam Elias, a recent graduate of White Bear Lake Area High School, cant bank on using her or her familys money to pay for four years of schooling. For her, working for scholarships and seeing what she qualified for was essential, so she planned to apply for federal student aid as soon as she could.

Typically, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, opens every October. But last fall, Elias and other students attempted to get started only to see that it had been repeatedly delayed until Dec. 31 because of major changes intended to make the process simpler.

When the application finally opened, Elias mom and many other guardians faced technical issues that forced families to restart applications, locked them out of their accounts or presented incorrect information.

The high school class of 2024 is also navigating another major change to the college admissions process: the end of race-based affirmative action, which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in 2023.

FAFSA delays and technical issues meant students around the country didnt receive their financial aid offers from colleges until just before the deadline to make a college decision.

In 2022, Congress passed legislation changing the FAFSA to simplify the process and expand the amount of aid available. The changes caused the U.S. Department of Education to delay the release of the new application, meaning by the time a college received and processed a students financial information, it would be nearly time to make a decision.

Elias mom faced various technical snafus that delayed their application by almost another month.

The new application promised that guardians without a Social Security number would be able to make an online account. But due to a glitch in the application, many guardians without an SSN had trouble creating a login, which delayed the process even more for some immigrant families.

Some of the questions on the FAFSA form were baffling to Elias. For instance: Are the students parents unwilling to provide their information, but the student doesnt have an unusual circumstance that prevents them from contacting or obtaining their parents information?

Luckily, she knew from social media to be on the lookout for this one. Had she answered a question incorrectly, the form would have taken her back to the start.

For people who come from first-generation higher education households, the accessibility of the FAFSA form needs to be addressed, Elias said.

This is a determining factor to see if people can go to college and what colleges they will go to, Elias said.

Elias saw other students struggle with college applications and sending in transcripts, and said there needs to be more resources to help kids avoid mistakes.

Students weigh financial aid, diversity in college decisions

Mahogany Robinson, a senior at Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, wakes up early to catch the bus, takes care of her siblings, sings and assists with choir, participates in musicals, plays in the band, and is a member of a racial justice club.

Robinson received a scholarship from her choir for her college of choice, which she initially thought would be Luther, a liberal arts college in Decorah, Iowa. She had decided on Luther after receiving a scholarship from them.

But Robinson turned down Luther and chose to attend the University of Minnesota after realizing that even with a scholarship of $100,000 from Luther, the schools would cost the same. Minnesotas greater diversity was the deciding factor.

Kevin T. Pollard, a senior at Gordon Parks High School and another first-generation student, said he faced a lot of adversity in high school, so his grades suffered and he did not take standardized tests. Consequently he did not see himself being admitted into most four-year colleges and decided to apply to community colleges and Harris-Stowe State University, which he was accepted to. He is still deciding where he will go.

For Pollard, the Supreme Courts ban on affirmative action meant removing a chance to level the playing field.

(Affirmative action) forced institutions to recognize those of us who werent white, Pollard said. Thats all it did, and removing that just gives white people a leg up again, thats all it does.

In California, voters approved a ban on affirmative action in 1998, and there was an immediate drop in the number of students of color at the states top public colleges.

Some colleges are finding other ways to boost admissions of students of color, particularly Black and Hispanic students, by asking students to write about their identities in application essays.

Even though the end of affirmative action also raised many worries for Elias, she feels that shes fighting for her spot against wealthier students and those who have an advantage because their parents went to their college of choice  referred to as legacy admissions.

I feel like peoples anger is pointed in the wrong direction, Elias said.

She plans to attend Temple University in the fall and is still looking for financial aid.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 5, 2024 - 21:12 | World, All, Japan

The Japanese government said Friday it has confirmed China has installed a buoy in the high seas over Japan's southern continental shelf in the Pacific Ocean, in a move that could further strain bilateral relations.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference it was "regrettable" that China has set up a small buoy in the waters off Japan's western main island of Shikoku and north of the southernmost Okinotori Island "without explaining its purpose and other details."

The government has urged China not to undermine Japan's maritime interests, with Beijing responding that it installed the buoy to monitor tsunami and does not intend to infringe upon Tokyo's sovereignty over the continental shelf, the top government spokesman said.

Japan confirmed that the Chinese survey ship Xiang Yang Hong 22 set up the buoy in mid-June while monitoring the vessel as it sailed through Japan's exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, a government source said. The open-sea area in question is surrounded by Japan's EEZ.

Hayashi said the Japanese government will continue to collect related information and analyze it.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the buoy, which is to monitor tsunami, was set up in the high seas "for the purposes of scientific research and serving public good" and doing so is "a well-established international practice" based on the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

"Japan has no right to interfere in such activities," she told a press conference in Beijing.

Last July, China installed another buoy inside Japan's EEZ near the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed uninhabited Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, prompting Japan to lodge a protest and demand its immediate removal.

Mao said that as the islands, which Beijing calls Diaoyu, are part of China's territory and its surrounding waters are under the country's jurisdiction, it is "legitimate and lawful for China to set up hydrological and meteorological data buoys in those areas."

China has been intensifying its military activities and maritime assertiveness in the regional waters, with Japan protesting against repeated intrusions by Chinese ships into Japanese waters around the Senkakus.

Related coverage:

Taiwanese fishing boat seized by China in waters near Kinmen

Japan spots China ships near Senkaku Islands for record 158th day

China's new rule allowing maritime trespasser detention takes effect
A hearse and van sit outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home in October 2023 in Penrose, Colo. Investigators found stacks of partially covered human remains, bodily fluids several inches deep on the floor and flies, prompting state lawmakers to enhance funeral home regulations in Colorado. David Zalubowski/The Associated Press

The headlines were the stuff of nightmares.

One Colorado funeral home owner let the body of a woman decompose for two years in a hearse parked outside a house he rented, while hoarding the cremated remains of dozens of others inside.

Last year, authorities discovered nearly 200 improperly stored bodies at another Colorado funeral home after receiving an odor complaint from neighbors. Investigators later learned that the funeral home had sent fake ashes to families that had paid for cremation services.

The incidents, which led to criminal charges, sparked public outrage and traumatized families already coping with grief. But they also highlighted the states lax regulation of the funeral industry.

For 40 years, Colorado had some of the nations most lenient rules for funeral homes. It was the only state where a professional license wasnt required to be a funeral director. That changed this year.

Amid nationwide workforce challenges, some states have looked to make it easier to work in funeral homes and crematoriums. But after grisly incidents at some facilities, lawmakers in Colorado, Illinois and Michigan have sought to tighten control over this essential but often overlooked industry.

It was just, We have to do something. We have to fix this problem, said Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat who was among the bipartisan sponsors of a new law tightening funeral home regulation .

With the grief these families went through, it was like they died again.  That trust was broken on a sacred thing.

 Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone on abuses in funeral homes

People just assume funeral homes are safe and clean, she said, and that the workers embalming, cremating and burying the dead are doing so with care.

With the grief these families went through, it was like they died again. And I dont think a lot of people think about it that way until something like this happens, Titone said. That trust was broken on a sacred thing.

One Michigan lawmaker is trying to change state regulations to ensure bodies are refrigerated as they await burial or cremation. The effort follows discoveries of unrefrigerated bodies decomposing in a Flint funeral homes garage and a Detroit funeral home storing more than 50 infant and fetal remains without families permission.

When a loved one dies, we deserve to know that their remains will be treated with the utmost respect, Democratic state Sen. Kevin Hertel wrote in a local newspaper opinion piece on the legislation he sponsored. As we grapple with grief and trauma, the last thing we should worry about is that a parent, sibling, spouse or child who has passed is neglected in death.

Hertel did not respond to requests for comment. His legislation has not advanced.

In Colorado, one law passed in 2022 expands the states ability to inspect funeral homes and crematories. Another one passed this year requires funeral directors, embalmers and cremationists to be licensed by the state  they must obtain certain academic degrees or have enough professional experience or certain industry certifications.

Its a huge deal, said Faith Haug, the chair of the mortuary science program at Arapahoe Community College, Colorados only accredited program.

Haug, who holds professional licenses in several other states, was surprised to learn that none was required when she moved to the Centennial State a decade ago.

When I first moved here, it was a little insulting, she said, noting that people with extensive education and experience were treated the same under the law as those with none.

While even the states funeral industry supported the legislation this year, it did raise concerns about retaining existing workers who havent had to obtain professional credentials before.

Beginning in 2027, the law requires that funeral directors complete an accredited educational program, pass a national board exam and have work experience.

But the law does give existing funeral directors several options to obtain provisional licensure, including passing national exams or having 4,000 hours of documented work experience.

The biggest concern is just workforce disruption, Haug said. If you dont have different paths to licensure, the fear was that the workforce would essentially collapse.

A tight labor market has pushed some states to expand eligibility for licensed funeral workers. For example, Missouri lawmakers in recent years have sought to expand licensure, which currently requires passing an exam. Proposed legislation would allow workers who have completed an approved apprenticeship to become licensed. A bill passed the state House but did not make it out of the Senate before the end of this session.

Its not easy getting people in the profession, said Chris Farmer, general counsel for the National Funeral Directors Association.

While he said he understands the urge to regulate in some cases, he said all industries include bad actors: Even in the most stringent states, somebodys going to do something bad. You cant prevent it.

Recently, state legislatures have been busy passing measures on new practices such as human composting and so-called water cremation .

Farmer noted that funeral directors perform some 2.4 million funerals each year  and the vast majority of them never result in headlines.

Unfortunately, it is a reactive situation, he said. Funeral service only gets their attention when something goes wrong.

That was certainly the case in Illinois.

A local coroner last year uncovered inconsistencies with cremated remains that dated back years. Authorities said at least 80 families around the country received the wrong remains  some of which had to be exhumed from a national cemetery.

We found that there were families that were impacted from the West Coast to the East Coast and all places in between, said Illinois state Sen. Doris Turner, a Democrat.

Turner sponsored successful legislation this year that requires funeral directors to use unique identifiers on the body, body bag, or any donated body part or organ of the deceased. She said that chain of custody should prevent future problems with funeral homes mixing up remains.

SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE

For me, this is probably the most important piece of legislation that I have been able to pass during my time in the General Assembly, she said.

Some families had spread ashes in meaningful places, and one woman told Turner how she had for months talked to an urn in her home that she thought contained the remains of her mother.

Those families later learned that what they had were the remains of strangers.

Those are things that you cant correct, Turner said.

Sheila Canfield-Jones, who lives about an hour outside of Denver, never thought to question the funeral home she found online after her daughter died of a heroin overdose in 2019. The Colorado facility promoted natural funeral services and promised to plant a tree in her daughters honor.

Four years later, the FBI notified her that she hadnt received her daughters cremated remains; shed gotten a box of ground-up concrete.

Her daughters body was among those left to rot inside the Return to Nature Funeral Home for years.

You have nightmares, she said. You think, What did she look like? What did the room look like? There were 190 bodies. There was an infant in there.

Canfield-Jones said the hellish stories and the testimony of affected families were too much for lawmakers to ignore.

We pestered the hell out of them, she said. So they had to listen.

While she believes the legislation was a solid first step in addressing industry problems, she said it will take a long time to rebuild trust. In the meantime, she said, she wouldnt want to be taken to a Colorado funeral home.

If I die tomorrow, Id be in a car going to Kansas, she said. Until all this comes down, I dont know that I could trust anybody. You want to believe theres good people in this industry that do a good job. And Im sure there are. But how do you know?

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
A hearse and van sit outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home in October 2023 in Penrose, Colo. Investigators found stacks of partially covered human remains, bodily fluids several inches deep on the floor and flies, prompting state lawmakers to enhance funeral home regulations in Colorado. (David Zalubowski/The Associated Press)

The headlines were the stuff of nightmares.

One Colorado funeral home owner let the body of a woman decompose for two years in a hearse parked outside a house he rented, while hoarding the cremated remains of dozens of others inside.

Last year, authorities discovered nearly 200 improperly stored bodies at another Colorado funeral home after receiving an odor complaint from neighbors. Investigators later learned that the funeral home had sent fake ashes to families that had paid for cremation services.

The incidents, which led to criminal charges, sparked public outrage and traumatized families already coping with grief. But they also highlighted the states lax regulation of the funeral industry.

For 40 years, Colorado had some of the nations most lenient rules for funeral homes. It was the only state where a professional license wasnt required to be a funeral director. That changed this year.

Amid nationwide workforce challenges, some states have looked to make it easier to work in funeral homes and crematoriums. But after grisly incidents at some facilities, lawmakers in Colorado, Illinois and Michigan have sought to tighten control over this essential but often overlooked industry.

It was just, We have to do something. We have to fix this problem, said Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat who was among the bipartisan sponsors of a new law tightening funeral home regulation.

People just assume funeral homes are safe and clean, she said, and that the workers embalming, cremating and burying the dead are doing so with care.

With the grief these families went through, it was like they died again. And I dont think a lot of people think about it that way until something like this happens, Titone said. That trust was broken on a sacred thing.

One Michigan lawmaker is trying to change state regulations to ensure bodies are refrigerated as they await burial or cremation. The effort follows discoveries of unrefrigerated bodies decomposing in a Flint funeral homes garage and a Detroit funeral home storing more than 50 infant and fetal remains without families permission.

When a loved one dies, we deserve to know that their remains will be treated with the utmost respect, Democratic state Sen. Kevin Hertel wrote in a local newspaper opinion piece on the legislation he sponsored. As we grapple with grief and trauma, the last thing we should worry about is that a parent, sibling, spouse or child who has passed is neglected in death.

Hertel did not respond to requests for comment. His legislation has not advanced.

Regulatory moves in Colorado

In Colorado, one law passed in 2022 expands the states ability to inspect funeral homes and crematories. Another one passed this year requires funeral directors, embalmers and cremationists to be licensed by the state  they must obtain certain academic degrees or have enough professional experience or certain industry certifications.

Its a huge deal, said Faith Haug, the chair of the mortuary science program at Arapahoe Community College, Colorados only accredited program.

Haug, who holds professional licenses in several other states, was surprised to learn that none was required when she moved to the Centennial State a decade ago.

When I first moved here, it was a little insulting, she said, noting that people with extensive education and experience were treated the same under the law as those with none.

While even the states funeral industry supported the legislation this year, it did raise concerns about retaining existing workers who havent had to obtain professional credentials before.

Beginning in 2027, the law requires that funeral directors complete an accredited educational program, pass a national board exam and have work experience.

But the law does give existing funeral directors several options to obtain provisional licensure, including passing national exams or having 4,000 hours of documented work experience.

The biggest concern is just workforce disruption, Haug said. If you dont have different paths to licensure, the fear was that the workforce would essentially collapse.

With the grief these families went through, it was like they died again.  That trust was broken on a sacred thing.

 Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone on abuses in funeral homes

A tight labor market has pushed some states to expand eligibility for licensed funeral workers. For example, Missouri lawmakers in recent years have sought to expand licensure, which currently requires passing an exam. Proposed legislation would allow workers who have completed an approved apprenticeship to become licensed. A bill passed the state House but did not make it out of the Senate before the end of this session.

Its not easy getting people in the profession, said Chris Farmer, general counsel for the National Funeral Directors Association.

While he said he understands the urge to regulate in some cases, he said all industries include bad actors: Even in the most stringent states, somebodys going to do something bad. You cant prevent it.

Things that you cant correct

Recently, state legislatures have been busy passing measures on new practices such as human composting and so-called water cremation.

Farmer noted that funeral directors perform some 2.4 million funerals each year  and the vast majority of them never result in headlines.

Unfortunately, it is a reactive situation, he said. Funeral service only gets their attention when something goes wrong.

That was certainly the case in Illinois.

A local coroner last year uncovered inconsistencies with cremated remains that dated back years. Authorities said at least 80 families around the country received the wrong remains  some of which had to be exhumed from a national cemetery.

We found that there were families that were impacted from the West Coast to the East Coast and all places in between, said Illinois state Sen. Doris Turner, a Democrat.

Turner sponsored successful legislation this year that requires funeral directors to use unique identifiers on the body, body bag, or any donated body part or organ of the deceased. She said that chain of custody should prevent future problems with funeral homes mixing up remains.

For me, this is probably the most important piece of legislation that I have been able to pass during my time in the General Assembly, she said.

Some families had spread ashes in meaningful places, and one woman told Turner how she had for months talked to an urn in her home that she thought contained the remains of her mother.

Those families later learned that what they had were the remains of strangers.

Those are things that you cant correct, Turner said.

Sheila Canfield-Jones, who lives about an hour outside of Denver, never thought to question the funeral home she found online after her daughter died of a heroin overdose in 2019. The Colorado facility promoted natural funeral services and promised to plant a tree in her daughters honor.

Four years later, the FBI notified her that she hadnt received her daughters cremated remains; shed gotten a box of ground-up concrete.

Her daughters body was among those left to rot inside the Return to Nature Funeral Home for years.

You have nightmares, she said. You think, What did she look like? What did the room look like? There were 190 bodies. There was an infant in there.

Canfield-Jones said the hellish stories and the testimony of affected families were too much for lawmakers to ignore.

We pestered the hell out of them, she said. So they had to listen.

While she believes the legislation was a solid first step in addressing industry problems, she said it will take a long time to rebuild trust. In the meantime, she said, she wouldnt want to be taken to a Colorado funeral home.

If I die tomorrow, Id be in a car going to Kansas, she said. Until all this comes down, I dont know that I could trust anybody. You want to believe theres good people in this industry that do a good job. And Im sure there are. But how do you know?

The post Mishandled bodies, mixed-up remains prompt tougher funeral home regulations appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
A hearse and van sit outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home in October 2023 in Penrose, Colo. Investigators found stacks of partially covered human remains, bodily fluids several inches deep on the floor and flies, prompting state lawmakers to enhance funeral home regulations in Colorado. (David Zalubowski | The Associated Press)

The headlines were the stuff of nightmares.

One Colorado funeral home owner let the body of a woman decompose for two years in a hearse parked outside a house he rented, while hoarding the cremated remains of dozens of others inside.

Last year, authorities discovered nearly 200 improperly stored bodies at another Colorado funeral home after receiving an odor complaint from neighbors. Investigators later learned that the funeral home had sent fake ashes to families that had paid for cremation services.

The incidents, which led to criminal charges, sparked public outrage and traumatized families already coping with grief. But they also highlighted the states lax regulation of the funeral industry.

For 40 years, Colorado had some of the nations most lenient rules for funeral homes. It was the only state where a professional license wasnt required to be a funeral director. That changed this year.

Amid nationwide workforce challenges, some states have looked to make it easier to work in funeral homes and crematoriums. But after grisly incidents at some facilities, lawmakers in Colorado, Illinois and Michigan have sought to tighten control over this essential but often overlooked industry.

It was just, We have to do something. We have to fix this problem, said Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat who was among the bipartisan sponsors of a new law tightening funeral home regulation.

People just assume funeral homes are safe and clean, she said, and that the workers embalming, cremating and burying the dead are doing so with care.

With the grief these families went through, it was like they died again. And I dont think a lot of people think about it that way until something like this happens, Titone said. That trust was broken on a sacred thing.

One Michigan lawmaker is trying to change state regulations to ensure bodies are refrigerated as they await burial or cremation. The effort follows discoveries of unrefrigerated bodies decomposing in a Flint funeral homes garage and a Detroit funeral home storing more than 50 infant and fetal remains without families permission.

When a loved one dies, we deserve to know that their remains will be treated with the utmost respect, Democratic state Sen. Kevin Hertel wrote in a local newspaper opinion piece on the legislation he sponsored. As we grapple with grief and trauma, the last thing we should worry about is that a parent, sibling, spouse or child who has passed is neglected in death.

Hertel did not respond to requests for comment. His legislation has not advanced.

With the grief these families went through, it was like they died again.  That trust was broken on a sacred thing.

 Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone on abuses in funeral homes

In Colorado, one law passed in 2022 expands the states ability to inspect funeral homes and crematories. Another one passed this year requires funeral directors, embalmers and cremationists to be licensed by the state  they must obtain certain academic degrees or have enough professional experience or certain industry certifications.

Its a huge deal, said Faith Haug, the chair of the mortuary science program at Arapahoe Community College, Colorados only accredited program.

Haug, who holds professional licenses in several other states, was surprised to learn that none was required when she moved to the Centennial State a decade ago.

When I first moved here, it was a little insulting, she said, noting that people with extensive education and experience were treated the same under the law as those with none.

While even the states funeral industry supported the legislation this year, it did raise concerns about retaining existing workers who havent had to obtain professional credentials before.

Beginning in 2027, the law requires that funeral directors complete an accredited educational program, pass a national board exam and have work experience.

But the law does give existing funeral directors several options to obtain provisional licensure, including passing national exams or having 4,000 hours of documented work experience.

The biggest concern is just workforce disruption, Haug said. If you dont have different paths to licensure, the fear was that the workforce would essentially collapse.

A tight labor market has pushed some states to expand eligibility for licensed funeral workers. For example, Missouri lawmakers in recent years have sought to expand licensure, which currently requires passing an exam. Proposed legislation would allow workers who have completed an approved apprenticeship to become licensed. A bill passed the state House but did not make it out of the Senate before the end of this session.

Its not easy getting people in the profession, said Chris Farmer, general counsel for the National Funeral Directors Association.

While he said he understands the urge to regulate in some cases, he said all industries include bad actors: Even in the most stringent states, somebodys going to do something bad. You cant prevent it.

Recently, state legislatures have been busy passing measures on new practices such as human composting and so-called water cremation.

Farmer noted that funeral directors perform some 2.4 million funerals each year  and the vast majority of them never result in headlines.

Unfortunately, it is a reactive situation, he said. Funeral service only gets their attention when something goes wrong.

That was certainly the case in Illinois.

A local coroner last year uncovered inconsistencies with cremated remains that dated back years. Authorities said at least 80 families around the country received the wrong remains  some of which had to be exhumed from a national cemetery.

We found that there were families that were impacted from the West Coast to the East Coast and all places in between, said Illinois state Sen. Doris Turner, a Democrat.

Turner sponsored successful legislation this year that requires funeral directors to use unique identifiers on the body, body bag, or any donated body part or organ of the deceased. She said that chain of custody should prevent future problems with funeral homes mixing up remains.

For me, this is probably the most important piece of legislation that I have been able to pass during my time in the General Assembly, she said.

Some families had spread ashes in meaningful places, and one woman told Turner how she had for months talked to an urn in her home that she thought contained the remains of her mother.

Those families later learned that what they had were the remains of strangers.

Those are things that you cant correct, Turner said.

Sheila Canfield-Jones, who lives about an hour outside of Denver, never thought to question the funeral home she found online after her daughter died of a heroin overdose in 2019. The Colorado facility promoted natural funeral services and promised to plant a tree in her daughters honor.

Four years later, the FBI notified her that she hadnt received her daughters cremated remains; shed gotten a box of ground-up concrete.

Her daughters body was among those left to rot inside the Return to Nature Funeral Home for years.

You have nightmares, she said. You think, What did she look like? What did the room look like? There were 190 bodies. There was an infant in there.

Canfield-Jones said the hellish stories and the testimony of affected families were too much for lawmakers to ignore.

We pestered the hell out of them, she said. So they had to listen.

While she believes the legislation was a solid first step in addressing industry problems, she said it will take a long time to rebuild trust. In the meantime, she said, she wouldnt want to be taken to a Colorado funeral home.

If I die tomorrow, Id be in a car going to Kansas, she said. Until all this comes down, I dont know that I could trust anybody. You want to believe theres good people in this industry that do a good job. And Im sure there are. But how do you know?

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.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
A hearse and van sit outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home in October 2023 in Penrose, Colorado

A hearse and van sit outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home in October 2023 in Penrose, Colorado. Investigators found stacks of partially covered human remains, bodily fluids several inches deep on the floor and flies, prompting state lawmakers to enhance funeral home regulations in Colorado. (David Zalubowski/The Associated Press)

The headlines were the stuff of nightmares.

One Colorado funeral home owner let the body of a woman decompose for two years in a hearse parked outside a house he rented, while hoarding the cremated remains of dozens of others inside.

Last year, authorities discovered nearly 200 improperly stored bodies at another Colorado funeral home after receiving an odor complaint from neighbors. Investigators later learned that the funeral home had sent fake ashes to families that had paid for cremation services.

The incidents, which led to criminal charges, sparked public outrage and traumatized families already coping with grief. But they also highlighted the states lax regulation of the funeral industry.

For 40 years, Colorado had some of the nations most lenient rules for funeral homes. It was the only state where a professional license wasnt required to be a funeral director. That changed this year.

Amid nationwide workforce challenges, some states have looked to make it easier to work in funeral homes and crematoriums. But after grisly incidents at some facilities, lawmakers in Colorado, Illinois and Michigan have sought to tighten control over this essential but often overlooked industry.

It was just, We have to do something. We have to fix this problem, said Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat who was among the bipartisan sponsors of a new law tightening funeral home regulation .

People just assume funeral homes are safe and clean, she said, and that the workers embalming, cremating and burying the dead are doing so with care.

With the grief these families went through, it was like they died again. And I dont think a lot of people think about it that way until something like this happens, Titone said. That trust was broken on a sacred thing.

One Michigan lawmaker is trying to change state regulations to ensure bodies are refrigerated as they await burial or cremation. The effort follows discoveries of unrefrigerated bodies decomposing in a Flint funeral homes garage and a Detroit funeral home storing more than 50 infant and fetal remains without families permission.

When a loved one dies, we deserve to know that their remains will be treated with the utmost respect, Democratic state Sen. Kevin Hertel wrote in a local newspaper opinion piece on the legislation he sponsored. As we grapple with grief and trauma, the last thing we should worry about is that a parent, sibling, spouse or child who has passed is neglected in death.

Hertel did not respond to requests for comment. His legislation has not advanced.

In Colorado, one law passed in 2022 expands the states ability to inspect funeral homes and crematories. Another one passed this year requires funeral directors, embalmers and cremationists to be licensed by the state  they must obtain certain academic degrees or have enough professional experience or certain industry certifications.

Its a huge deal, said Faith Haug, the chair of the mortuary science program at Arapahoe Community College, Colorados only accredited program.

Haug, who holds professional licenses in several other states, was surprised to learn that none was required when she moved to the Centennial State a decade ago.

When I first moved here, it was a little insulting, she said, noting that people with extensive education and experience were treated the same under the law as those with none.

While even the states funeral industry supported the legislation this year, it did raise concerns about retaining existing workers who havent had to obtain professional credentials before.

Beginning in 2027, the law requires that funeral directors complete an accredited educational program, pass a national board exam and have work experience.

But the law does give existing funeral directors several options to obtain provisional licensure, including passing national exams or having 4,000 hours of documented work experience.

The biggest concern is just workforce disruption, Haug said. If you dont have different paths to licensure, the fear was that the workforce would essentially collapse.

A tight labor market has pushed some states to expand eligibility for licensed funeral workers. For example, Missouri lawmakers in recent years have sought to expand licensure, which currently requires passing an exam. Proposed legislation would allow workers who have completed an approved apprenticeship to become licensed. A bill passed the state House but did not make it out of the Senate before the end of this session.

Its not easy getting people in the profession, said Chris Farmer, general counsel for the National Funeral Directors Association.

While he said he understands the urge to regulate in some cases, he said all industries include bad actors: Even in the most stringent states, somebodys going to do something bad. You cant prevent it.

Recently, state legislatures have been busy passing measures on new practices such as human composting and so-called water cremation .

Farmer noted that funeral directors perform some 2.4 million funerals each year  and the vast majority of them never result in headlines.

Unfortunately, it is a reactive situation, he said. Funeral service only gets their attention when something goes wrong.

That was certainly the case in Illinois.

A local coroner last year uncovered inconsistencies with cremated remains that dated back years. Authorities said at least 80 families around the country received the wrong remains  some of which had to be exhumed from a national cemetery.

We found that there were families that were impacted from the West Coast to the East Coast and all places in between, said Illinois state Sen. Doris Turner, a Democrat.

Turner sponsored successful legislation this year that requires funeral directors to use unique identifiers on the body, body bag, or any donated body part or organ of the deceased. She said that chain of custody should prevent future problems with funeral homes mixing up remains.

For me, this is probably the most important piece of legislation that I have been able to pass during my time in the General Assembly, she said.

Some families had spread ashes in meaningful places, and one woman told Turner how she had for months talked to an urn in her home that she thought contained the remains of her mother.

Those families later learned that what they had were the remains of strangers.

Those are things that you cant correct, Turner said.

With the grief these families went through, it was like they died again.  That trust was broken on a sacred thing.

 Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone

Sheila Canfield-Jones, who lives about an hour outside of Denver, never thought to question the funeral home she found online after her daughter died of a heroin overdose in 2019. The Colorado facility promoted natural funeral services and promised to plant a tree in her daughters honor.

Four years later, the FBI notified her that she hadnt received her daughters cremated remains; shed gotten a box of ground-up concrete.

Her daughters body was among those left to rot inside the Return to Nature Funeral Home for years.

You have nightmares, she said. You think, What did she look like? What did the room look like? There were 190 bodies. There was an infant in there.

Canfield-Jones said the hellish stories and the testimony of affected families were too much for lawmakers to ignore.

We pestered the hell out of them, she said. So they had to listen.

While she believes the legislation was a solid first step in addressing industry problems, she said it will take a long time to rebuild trust. In the meantime, she said, she wouldnt want to be taken to a Colorado funeral home.

If I die tomorrow, Id be in a car going to Kansas, she said. Until all this comes down, I dont know that I could trust anybody. You want to believe theres good people in this industry that do a good job. And Im sure there are. But how do you know?

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Mishandled bodies, mixed-up remains prompt tougher funeral home regulations appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
A hearse and van sit outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home in October 2023 in Penrose, Colo. Investigators found stacks of partially covered human remains, bodily fluids several inches deep on the floor and flies, prompting state lawmakers to enhance funeral home regulations in Colorado. (David Zalubowski/Associated Press)

The headlines were the stuff of nightmares.

One Colorado funeral home owner let the body of a woman decompose for two years in a hearse parked outside a house he rented, while hoarding the cremated remains of dozens of others inside.

Last year, authorities discovered nearly 200 improperly stored bodies at another Colorado funeral home after receiving an odor complaint from neighbors. Investigators later learned that the funeral home had sent fake ashes to families that had paid for cremation services.

The incidents, which led to criminal charges, sparked public outrage and traumatized families already coping with grief. But they also highlighted the states lax regulation of the funeral industry.

For 40 years, Colorado had some of the nations most lenient rules for funeral homes. It was the only state where a professional license wasnt required to be a funeral director. That changed this year.

Amid nationwide workforce challenges, some states have looked to make it easier to work in funeral homes and crematoriums. But after grisly incidents at some facilities, lawmakers in Colorado, Illinois and Michigan have sought to tighten control over this essential but often overlooked industry.

It was just, We have to do something. We have to fix this problem, said Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone, a Democrat who was among the bipartisan sponsors of a new law tightening funeral home regulation.

People just assume funeral homes are safe and clean, she said, and that the workers embalming, cremating and burying the dead are doing so with care.

With the grief these families went through, it was like they died again. And I dont think a lot of people think about it that way until something like this happens, Titone said. That trust was broken on a sacred thing.

One Michigan lawmaker is trying to change state regulations to ensure bodies are refrigerated as they await burial or cremation. The effort follows discoveries of unrefrigerated bodies decomposing in a Flint funeral homes garage and a Detroit funeral home storing more than 50 infant and fetal remains without families permission.

When a loved one dies, we deserve to know that their remains will be treated with the utmost respect, Democratic state Sen. Kevin Hertel wrote in a local newspaper opinion piece on the legislation he sponsored. As we grapple with grief and trauma, the last thing we should worry about is that a parent, sibling, spouse or child who has passed is neglected in death.

Hertel did not respond to requests for comment. His legislation has not advanced.

In Colorado, one law passed in 2022 expands the states ability to inspect funeral homes and crematories. Another one passed this year requires funeral directors, embalmers and cremationists to be licensed by the state  they must obtain certain academic degrees or have enough professional experience or certain industry certifications.

Its a huge deal, said Faith Haug, the chair of the mortuary science program at Arapahoe Community College, Colorados only accredited program.

Haug, who holds professional licenses in several other states, was surprised to learn that none was required when she moved to the Centennial State a decade ago.

When I first moved here, it was a little insulting, she said, noting that people with extensive education and experience were treated the same under the law as those with none.

While even the states funeral industry supported the legislation this year, it did raise concerns about retaining existing workers who havent had to obtain professional credentials before.

Beginning in 2027, the law requires that funeral directors complete an accredited educational program, pass a national board exam and have work experience.

But the law does give existing funeral directors several options to obtain provisional licensure, including passing national exams or having 4,000 hours of documented work experience.

The biggest concern is just workforce disruption, Haug said. If you dont have different paths to licensure, the fear was that the workforce would essentially collapse.

A tight labor market has pushed some states to expand eligibility for licensed funeral workers. For example, Missouri lawmakers in recent years have sought to expand licensure, which currently requires passing an exam. Proposed legislation would allow workers who have completed an approved apprenticeship to become licensed. A bill passed the state House but did not make it out of the Senate before the end of this session.

Its not easy getting people in the profession, said Chris Farmer, general counsel for the National Funeral Directors Association.

While he said he understands the urge to regulate in some cases, he said all industries include bad actors: Even in the most stringent states, somebodys going to do something bad. You cant prevent it.

Recently, state legislatures have been busy passing measures on new practices such as human composting and so-called water cremation.

Farmer noted that funeral directors perform some 2.4 million funerals each year  and the vast majority of them never result in headlines.

Unfortunately, it is a reactive situation, he said. Funeral service only gets their attention when something goes wrong.

That was certainly the case in Illinois.

A local coroner last year uncovered inconsistencies with cremated remains that dated back years. Authorities said at least 80 families around the country received the wrong remains  some of which had to be exhumed from a national cemetery.

We found that there were families that were impacted from the West Coast to the East Coast and all places in between, said Illinois state Sen. Doris Turner, a Democrat.

Turner sponsored successful legislation this year that requires funeral directors to use unique identifiers on the body, body bag, or any donated body part or organ of the deceased. She said that chain of custody should prevent future problems with funeral homes mixing up remains.

For me, this is probably the most important piece of legislation that I have been able to pass during my time in the General Assembly, she said.

Some families had spread ashes in meaningful places, and one woman told Turner how she had for months talked to an urn in her home that she thought contained the remains of her mother.

Those families later learned that what they had were the remains of strangers.

Those are things that you cant correct, Turner said.

Sheila Canfield-Jones, who lives about an hour outside of Denver, never thought to question the funeral home she found online after her daughter died of a heroin overdose in 2019. The Colorado facility promoted natural funeral services and promised to plant a tree in her daughters honor.

Four years later, the FBI notified her that she hadnt received her daughters cremated remains; shed gotten a box of ground-up concrete.

Her daughters body was among those left to rot inside the Return to Nature Funeral Home for years.

You have nightmares, she said. You think, What did she look like? What did the room look like? There were 190 bodies. There was an infant in there.

Canfield-Jones said the hellish stories and the testimony of affected families were too much for lawmakers to ignore.

We pestered the hell out of them, she said. So they had to listen.

While she believes the legislation was a solid first step in addressing industry problems, she said it will take a long time to rebuild trust. In the meantime, she said, she wouldnt want to be taken to a Colorado funeral home.

If I die tomorrow, Id be in a car going to Kansas, she said. Until all this comes down, I dont know that I could trust anybody. You want to believe theres good people in this industry that do a good job. And Im sure there are. But how do you know?

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
I wore my mothers ashes around my neck. Then I found out her body was abandoned and decomposing in a funeral home

Karan Lea Blue, 66, was a beloved grandmother of 24 and mother of six who checked on her children every day; her loved ones had picked out special necklaces containing her ashes -- but had to order a whole new cremation and new jewelry after her remains were discovered improperly stored more than half a year after her death (Makayla Pithan Trumbo)

Makayla Pithan Trumbo had been wearing a beautiful necklace containing her mothers ashes for eight months when she received a frantic phone call last year from her sisters.

Something was happening at Return to Nature funeral home, the Colorado funeral home theyd hired to make arrangements after their beloved mothers February death, they told her. There was a big police presence at the property in Penrose, Makaylas sisters continued, and reports of bodies that had been stored improperly.

Makayla, at first, didnt worry, reasoning that too much time had passed since her mothers death for her remains to have been caught up in the scandal. The family had also used Return to Nature firstly following the death of her uncle, then the traumatic 2020 stillbirth of Makaylas nephew Parker. For three years, her sister Haylea had kept a shadow box in her living room containing Parkers urn, his blanket and ultrasound photos.

As news began to trickle out that nearly 200 bodies had been found amidst horrendous conditions, however, the former certified nursing assistant began doing the math, calculating that remains had likely been kept for significant periods of time. And she couldnt get those images out of her head.

Ive experienced a lot of deaths and seeing what a human body looks like when they first die, Makayla, 24, tells The Independent. So I just couldnt wrap my head around what that building must be like, with all of these different bodies in there  and there are different decomposition levels.

Her mind then turned to the necklace shed been devotedly wearing since the death of her 66-year-old mom, Karan Lea Blue, a loving grandmother of 24 who unfailingly called each of her six children every single morning and every single night.

I took it off immediately, because  what is in here? Is it someone elses loved ones? Is it just concrete? she says. Because if these people are sick enough to do this, how much sicker can they be? What could they have done to this necklace?

The loved ones of Colorado woman Karan Lea Blue, who passed away in February 2023 at the age of 66, were horrified to learn her remains had been improperly stored at the funeral home theyd hired -- and the fate of her stillborn grandson remains in question (Makayla Pithan Trumbo)

Her mothers remains, it would turn out, were among those left to languish unceremoniously at Return to Nature. Her uncle, thankfully, had been properly cremated. Her sister is still waiting for answers and confirmation regarding the fate of her stillborn baby  as criminal and civil actions continue in the wake of the horrifying discovery.

It just kept getting worse and worse and worse, Makayla says  forcing the family to grieve over and over, news reports of the gruesome finds serving as a constant reminder of loss.

That grief and horror was compounded by revelations that state oversight of Return to Nature  and the funeral industry in general  had been practically nonexistent. Funeral homes did not require a license or training to run and were not regularly or adequately monitored.

If you look at all these other little businesses out here, like salons even have regulations and food places and stuff like that, she says. So you think that someone that is handling dead bodies, someone that is handling biohazard material, should have very strict protocols and should be having regular checks.

There is federal regulation of the funeral home industry, but that applies mostly to the financial end of the businesses. The rest is left up to the states individually, and Colorado  until last month  was among the most hands-off.

Every state has their own kind of needs and goals and what they think is important  so we try to not really push down and dictate, Christopher Farmer, general counsel for the National Funeral Directors Association, tells The Independent. We have recommendations, we have kind of proposed model laws  but we respect the autonomy of the state.

A hearse and van sit outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home on October 6, 2023, in Penrose, Colorado; the owners were arrested after authorities discovered nearly 200 decaying bodies at the property (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

In Colorados case, nearly anyone, essentially, could open up a funeral home; neither a degree nor a high school diploma was required. Unlike nearly every other state, Colorado didnt license funeral directors or require some certification, The Denver Post reported earlier this year. State officials havent regularly inspected funeral homes and only devoted one-quarter of one full-time position to regulate 220 funeral homes and 77 crematories.

Colorado was, if not the, probably the most lax in the country, said Farmer, noting the potential for those bad actors and bad things to happen.

The Return to Nature scandal was neither the first nor last in recent years highlighting the pitfalls of the states dearth of regulation  with offenses ranging from selling body parts to stashing bodies and cremains in residential crannies. When legislation sunsetted four decades ago, new rules were never implemented  and the recent scandals called blaring attention to the consequences.

No one wants to talk about death or dying; [that], is why legislators avoid changing the law at all within the death care industry, State Rep Matthew Soper, who helped spearhead the new rules, tells The Independent. And never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be the leader in death care and funeral home reform in Colorado  I certainly did not want to be an expert in all things death and dying.

Soper was introduced to Colorados lax regulation after attending a memorial service for victims of another funeral home scandal  this one centering around illegal body brokering. The mother and daughter operators of that business, Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose, were arrested in 2020 and are currently serving federal prison sentences.

Return to Nature owners Carre and Jon Halford face both federal and state charges after the gruesome find (AP)

I was shocked, Soper says. I could not believe how few rules there were in this space.

The Sunset Mesa case had been particularly egregious. Megan Hess, then 46, was sentenced last year to 20 years in prison as part of a plea deal; her mother, 69-year-old Shirley Koch, was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty to one count of mail fraud and aiding and abetting.

The pair, from 2010 through 2018, stole the bodies or body parts of hundreds of victims, and then sold those remains to victims purchasing the remains for body broker services, the US Attorneys Office said in a press release announcing the sentences.

Hess, it continued, would meet promise to complete cremation services and return cremains to loved ones  but instead the Sunset Mesa operator and others would harvest body parts from, or prepare the entire bodies of, the decedents for sale in body broker services.

Soper liaised with many families devastated by the Sunset Mesa case, recalling: Almost every victim described it the same way  and that was as a second death.

More Colorado families, however, were destined to suffer that same re-victimization.

In February 2020, the mother of a stillborn boy contacted authorities to report that shed been given more ashes than could fit in an infant-sized urn by a funeral home operated by Shannon Kent, then the Lake County coroner. It would be only one of an avalanche of problems associated with a string of homes operated by Kent and his wife, Staci, in Colorado mountain towns; authorities searching the home discovered everything from foul smells and leaking bodily fluids to unlabeled cremains and animal remains.

Karan Lea Blue, 66, was a beloved grandmother of 24 and mother of six who checked on her children every day; her loved ones had picked out special necklaces containing her ashes -- but had to order a whole new cremation and new jewelry after her remains were discovered improperly stored more than half a year after her death (Makayla Pithan Trumbo)

Both Kents were arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse and misconduct related to their handling of the body of a truck driver, 42-year-old Viktor Akubuo, whose remains were left for months on end in a coffin. After two mistrials, they were eventually both found not guilty.

Shannon Kent pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful cremation in December 2022 and was sentenced to six months in jail. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed 12 other charges, including five counts of abuse of a corpse.

Staci Kent pleaded guilty last year to one count of unlawful act of cremation, was fined $5,000 and sentenced to one year of probation.

During the same time period, however, bad operators a little further south were mishandling loved ones remains in Penrose  though their misdeeds would only be uncovered after neighbors reported a foul smell coming from the property last October. Investigating authorities encountered stacks of partially covered human remains, bodily fluids several inches deep on the floor, and flies and maggots throughout the building, The AP reported.

Twenty-three of the bodies had death dates from 2019 and 61 were from 2020, FBI agent Andrew Cohen testified in January  with remains including adults, infants and fetuses.

Return to Natures owners, Carie and Jon Hallford, were arrested in November in Oklahoma and subsequently each charged in Colorado with approximately 190 counts of abuse of a corpse, five counts of theft, four counts of money laundering and over 50 counts of forgery.

Republican Colorado State Rep. Matt Soper and Democratic Sen. Dylan Roberts appear at a March news conference to unveil bipartisan legislation to license funeral home professionals in Colorado; Soper tells The Independent that, when he first began delving into the issue, I could not believe how few rules there were in this space (Associated Press)

Prosecutors revealed texts in court between the owners in which one suggested disposing of bodies by digging a big hole and treating them with lye or setting them on fire, according to The AP.

The Hallfords next court date is scheduled for next week, when they are expected to either enter pleas of not guilty or possibly accept a plea deal that would see both serve approximately 20 years in prison. They also, however, face federal charges, pleading not guilty last year to 15 counts of wire fraud.

As the horrors in Penrose were coming to light earlier this year, however, yet another funeral home scandal hit the news. The body of a 62-year-old woman was discovered in a hearse, strapped to a gurney and covered by a blanket, during the February court-ordered eviction of a rental home in the Denver suburb of Littleton, where authorities also discovered the remains of about 30 people.

Miles Harford, the 33-year-old former owner of Apollo Funeral and Cremation Services  which lost its license in 2022  was arrested and faces felony forgery and abuse of a corpse charges; his arraignment is scheduled for August.

Colorado lawmakers, faced with an avalanche of embarrassing scandals, finally acted. Governor Jared Polis signed two new bills into law in May, bringing the state more in line with the rest of the country. One requires regulators to routinely inspect funeral homes and give them more enforcement power. Another implements licensing for funeral directors and other workers in the industry. They would need to pass background checks and a national exam while possessing degrees and work experience.

The changes certainly feel satisfying, Soper tells The Independent. It feels like the culmination of a legislative lifetimes worth of work have completely reformed the industry, both criminal laws, business laws, civil laws and regulatory laws, to be able to really save the industry in Colorado and to prevent future victims.

Loved ones of Karan Lea Blue, pictured, were already grieving when the scandal hit and not only traumatized them but served as a constant reminder of loss, her daughter tells The Independent, adding:I just hope that rules and regulations are put into place and they realize that, even though that person is not in that body anymore, it still affects the people that loved them (Makayla Pithan Trumbo)

Countless families, meanwhile  like Makayla mourning her mom Karan  continue to grapple with the pain lax regulations caused them.

She was identified pretty quickly; we were able to get her remains from the coroners office, and we had one of the other funeral homes that were offering to do the cremation for free complete the proper cremation, Makayla tells The Independent, reiterating how Karan was the backbone of our family..

And we all got new necklaces, and we got a new scatter urn, because were going to be spreading her ashes.

The family wants to spread her ashes in Gunnison, a beautiful stretch of Colorado where Karans father was a guide and outfitter and presided over thousands of acres. They were hoping to make the journey in August but will likely postpone until next year because theres a lot of fresh feelings with the criminal case and now the federal case and everything else.

I feel like I just lost my mom all over again, she says, choking up as she calls her mother the center of everything.

Her sister Haylea, meanwhile, remains in limbo about the remains of her stillborn son.

They really just dont have an answer for her, Makayla says. So we dont know where his body is at.

Makayla is part of a Facebook group for the hundreds if not thousands of loved ones impacted by the Colorado funeral home scandal, but says she isnt ready yet to reach out to other families who continue to live the same nightmare.

I just hope that rules and regulations are put into place and they realize that, even though that person is not in that body anymore, it still affects the people that loved them, she tells The Independent.

Because that was their vessel here while they were on Earth, and it still has a lot of meaning behind it.
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)  State Police in Lancaster are seeking a missing person they say disappeared under suspicious circumstances.

Matthew Whisman, 25, was last seen at the end of March at a home in East Drumore Township.

He is described as a white Hispanic male standing at 58, weighing 155 pounds with dark brown hair.







Whisman is believed to have ties to Lancaster County and Maryland.

Troopers said the circumstances surrounding his disappearance are suspicious in nature.

Anyone who has any information as to where Whisman is should call State Police at Lancaster at 717-299-7650.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A 17-year-old who had been missing out of Michigan for nearly two months was found safe in Miami after he stumbled across a livestream.

The Flint Township Police Department posted about Troy Colemans disappearance on May 21. On Thursday, the department said he had been located in Miami.

Coleman was seen walking up to streamers Clix and Lacy. A family member emailed Lacy and said that Coleman was seen on their livestream. The family member said Coleman has schizophrenia.

Lacy then shared the message on X, formerly known as Twitter, in hopes that someone could help reunite him with his family.

We got into contact with his brother and told him what hotel he said he was staying at on stream, FaZe Lacy shared in a Thursday post on X. He has been found and placed in a holding cell in Miami until he gets transferred back to Michigan with his family. The power of the internet is insane thank you guys.

The Flint Township Police Department would like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to everybody who shared the missing person information about Troy Coleman, the department wrote in a Facebook post. He has been found safe in Miami, Florida and we are working with local authorities to arrange his safe return to Michigan to be with his family.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Attorney General Lynn Fitch speaks at the Neshoba County Fair on uly 28, 2022. (Courtesy of Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today)

A federal judge in Mississippi has blocked enactment of a Biden administration rule designed to prevent medical care from being denied to those seeking treatment related to gender identity or sexual orientation.

The lawsuit U.S. Southern District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. ruled on Wednesday was filed by 15 states, including Mississippi and Nebraska. But he said his injunction preventing the Biden administration from enforcing its rule would apply nationwide.

The ruling is likely to be appealed.

On social media, the Human Rights Campaign proclaimed, This is not over. All LGBTQ+ people should receive the health care we deserve and be able to make informed decisions about our own bodies.

Rule focused on entities receiving federal funds

The Biden administration rule enacted earlier this year is designed to ensure those seeking medical care on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation are not subject to discrimination. The rule is supposed to cover entities receiving federal funds for the delivery of health care.

The states argued against being forced to provide gender-affirming care through Medicaid programs or through health plans for state employees. In addition, the states argued against private insurance companies being required to provide such care.

Injecting gender identity into our states medical system is a dangerous pursuit of a political agenda from the Biden Administration, Mississippi Attorney Lynn Fitch said in a statement. Medical professionals should not be forced to provide gender transition surgeries or drugs against their judgment and hospitals should not be prohibited from providing women-only spaces for patients. I am proud to lead the multistate effort with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to stop the Biden Administration and push back on this reckless rule.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said in a statement Wednesday that he was grateful for the time-proven protections of the Constitution.

Congress makes the laws, not the President, he said. We will continue to oppose unlawful mandates detached from the well-being of Nebraska and its citizens.

The lawsuit is one of many filed by attorneys general and others objecting to the Biden administration interpreting Title IX to apply to banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and sexual identity. Congress passed, and President Richard Nixon signed into law, Title IX in 1972 to ban sexual discrimination.

In response to one of the similar lawsuits ruled on earlier in Louisiana, Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said, Every student  deserves to be safe. Every young person deserves protection from bullying, misgendering and abuse.

Robinson added, referring to the earlier court ruling, This is MAGA theatrics with the dangerous goal of weaving discrimination into state law.

Mississippi has prohibited gender-affirming care

Mississippi has passed a state law prohibiting minors from receiving gender-affirming care even if it is recommended by physicians.

On social media, Gov. Tate Reeves said, The Biden Administration attempted to undermine Title IX by dramatically reinterpreting its meaning to now apply to gender identity. Thankfully, a federal court judge has sided with Mississippi and other states who chose to stand up for women and defend Title IX as it currently exists.

The lawsuit filed by Fitch and other attorneys general argued that their states could be penalized by the loss of federal Medicaid funds, for example, if they did not adhere to the rule.

In blocking the rule. Guirola cited the Chevron case where the U.S. Supreme Court recently said that federal agencies should not be given deference in their rules-making.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today, an independent nonprofit news organization that partners with States Newsroom.

The post Mississippi judge blocks Biden attempt to ensure LGBTQ+ medical treatment appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Jerrian Reedy (left), a student at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, assists Dorothy Gray, a student at Northside High School in the Mississippi Delta, as she practices intubation in a simulation lab. Gray, who is interested in pursuing a career in the mental health care field, attended the University of Mississippi School of Medicines annual African American Visit Day in April. (Lauren Sausser for KFF Health News)

An estimated 1.1 million Black people live in Mississippi, but there are fewer than 600 Black doctors.

Jerrian Reedy was nine when his father was admitted to the hospital in Hattiesburg, about two hours northeast of New Orleans, after sustaining three gunshot wounds. Reedy recalled visiting his dad in the intensive care unit that summer in 2009, even though children werent typically permitted in that part of the hospital.

Just seeing him laid up in bed, in a hospital bed, it was traumatizing, to say the least, Reedy said.

His father died within a week of being admitted, in the middle of a nine-month span when Reedy also lost an aunt and a grandmother. They say death comes in threes, he said.

That chain of events prompted him to pursue a career in medicine, one that might help him spare other children from losing loved ones too soon.

Fifteen years later, Reedy has completed his first year at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine  a remarkable feat, and not only because his career path was born of grief and trauma. Reedy is among a small share of Black medical school students in a state where nearly 4 in 10 people  but only 1 in 10 doctors  identify as Black or African American. Of the 660 medical school students enrolled in the same four-year program as Reedy, 82 students, or about 12%, are Black.

Medical schools around the country are trying to recruit Black, Hispanic, and Native American students, all of whom remain disproportionately underrepresented in the field of medicine. Research has shown that patients of color prefer seeing doctors of their own race  and some studies have shown health outcomes are better for Black patients seeing Black doctors.

But a recent swell of Republican opposition threatens to upend those efforts, school administrators say, and could exacerbate deep health disparities already experienced by people of color.

Since 2023  the year the Supreme Court voted to outlaw affirmative action in higher education  more than two dozen states, including Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas, have introduced or passed laws to restrict or ban diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, programs.

I dont expect this movement of anti-DEI legislation to slow down or stop at all, said Anton Gunn, a health care consultant and former head of the Office of External Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. And it likely will exacerbate if Donald Trump gets the opportunity to be president of the United States again.

Diversity Programs Face Pushback

In 2023, Florida and Texas became the first states to pass laws that banned DEI efforts in higher education. Several other states, including Idaho, North Carolina, and Wyoming, passed laws targeting such programs this year.

In Mississippi, state Rep. Becky Currie and state Sen. Angela Burks Hill, both Republicans, introduced separate bills that would have restricted how colleges and universities could spend money on DEI initiatives. Both bills died in legislative committees and were not brought before the 2024 legislature for a vote.

In a statement, Hill said that Mississippi needs more doctors of all kinds, not just more Black doctors, and that she thinks money spent on DEI salaries and programs should be reallocated to initiatives benefiting all students.

Qualifications should determine who gets into medical school not color or socioeconomic status, she said. Cant we just be happy with more highly qualified doctors no matter their skin color? I thought a color blind society was the goal.

Nationally, the movement to ban DEI programs has broad conservative support.

Jay Greene, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said he believes diversity programs fail for a hundred reasons. He cited research he conducted with a conservative medical advocacy group called Do No Harm refuting the premise that access to Black doctors improves health outcomes among Black patients.

That doesnt mean theres no potential benefits for having greater diversity in the doctor workforce, Greene said. Having more Black doctors, for example, might encourage more Black children to consider a career in health care, he said. But that benefit is not health outcomes.

Meanwhile, school administrators are closely watching the progress of such laws.

In March, the University of Florida eliminated all DEI programs and terminated jobs related to those efforts. In Alabama, lawyers and school leaders are grappling with a bill signed the same month by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey that bans DEI programs in public schools, state agencies, and universities starting Oct. 1.

We have to be very, very careful, said Richard deShazo, who teaches at the University of Alabamas Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine in Birmingham and used to chair a committee that raised money for Black medical school students.

You cannot raise money for Black kids. You have to raise money for medical students, he said.

A Bitter History

A shortage of Black doctors isnt unique to Mississippi. The same story could be told in many other places, especially across the South, where more than half of all Black Americans live and where health outcomes regularly rank among the worst in the United States.

But a look at Mississippi, one of the unhealthiest states in the country, shows how the roots of systemic racism continue to shape the nations health care workforce.

A lot of the Black physicians in the state have a bitter taste in their mouth about our medical school, said Demondes Haynes, associate dean of medical school admissions at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he graduated in 1999 as one of four Black students in his class.

An estimated 1.1 million Black people live in Mississippi, where there are fewer than 600 Black doctors. Research suggests health outcomes would improve if there were more. One study published last year in the medical journal JAMA Network Open found that life expectancy was longer among Black patients in counties with higher ratios of Black primary care physicians.

In a study based in Oakland, California, that involved more than 1,300 Black men, those who were assigned a Black doctor were more likely to agree to screening tests for diabetes, cholesterol, and other health concerns, according to the findings published in 2018 by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

We absolutely are not saying every Black patient has to have a Black doctor, Haynes said. But because the patient population in Mississippi is diverse, they should at least have the right to say, This is what I want, he added.

However, most Black patients arent afforded that choice. Nearly two dozen of Mississippis 82 counties have no Black doctors, while four counties claim no doctors at all, according to a physician workforce report published by the state in 2019.

For more than a century, dating to its founding in the mid-1800s, the University of Mississippi didnt admit Black students  and that policy applied to its medical school. In 1972, nearly 10 years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned racial segregation in higher education, the first Black physician graduated from the medical school in Jackson. Even then, very few Black students were admitted to study medicine there each year.

Before the federal government banned the school from rejecting Black applicants because of their race, aspiring Black doctors who applied were diverted to one of the historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, such as Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Haynes said.

Many older Black physicians in Mississippi still remember getting those rejection letters, he said, pointing out composite photographs of physician graduates that line the walls of the medical school building in Jackson. Many of the earliest composites, dating to the 1950s, showcase classes of all-white, and almost all-male, students.

Mississippi history  everybody remembers it, Haynes said. And those people who experienced it, its hard for them.

Recommended Stories

Shaping the Possibilities

On a damp Saturday morning in mid-April, 17-year-old Dorothy Gray, a high school junior, stepped up to a hospital bed at the medical school in Jackson to intubate a mock patient in a simulation lab.

Gray was one of more than 100 high school and college students who attended the University of Mississippi School of Medicines annual African American Visit Day, established more than 10 years ago to foster interest among prospective Black students. The administrators, who also host special visiting days for Hispanic and Native American students, said anyone, regardless of race or ethnicity, may attend. They acknowledge that most attendees wont become doctors, and their purpose isnt to extend preferential treatment to minority applicants.

This is about shaping the possibilities of what could be, said Loretta Jackson-Williams, the schools vice dean for medical education. These kids are at that precipice where they can choose to do something thats really hard for their future or they can choose an easier pathway. That choice doesnt come about overnight.

Besides African American Visit Day, medical school leaders in Mississippi also offer a test prep program for applicants from underrepresented backgrounds who have been rejected from medical school.

The school recently identified 16 applicants, 12 of whom are Black, who were not accepted to the medical school during the last admissions cycle because their MCAT scores were too low. This year, those applicants will receive a test prep course designed by The Princeton Review  free of charge  and will have a chance to meet with administrators to learn how their medical school applications might be strengthened.

So many students have never had someone tell them, You can do this. I believe you can do this, said Dan Coleman, the medical schools outreach director.

For Jerrian Reedy, who wants to become an orthopedic surgeon, the path to medical school was years in the making. He took advantage of the University of Mississippi Medical Centers PROMISE program  short for Promoting Recruitment Opportunities in Medicine with Individual Study Experiences  which assures acceptance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who meet certain eligibility requirements, including a 3.0 GPA in their undergraduate science classes.

During his sophomore year as an undergraduate, Reedy saw an opportunity to learn more about medical school when Haynes, the assistant dean, visited the Ole Miss campus in Oxford to interview students.

I saw some open slots, put my name down, he said. The rest is history.

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.

More must-reads:
By Peter Masheter, KYODO NEWS - Jul 5, 2024 - 07:34 | Japan, Feature, All

Japan's capsule toy industry has come a long way from the corner of the supermarket, as it enjoys a new boom at home that is spurring multiple market players to set their sights on overseas expansion.

It follows the industry's massive growth in the years around the pandemic, as specialized capsule toy stores have drawn in new customers from a wider demographic.

The Japan Toy Association estimates the capsule toy market was worth 61 billion yen ($379 million) in fiscal 2022, up 35.6 percent in one year and expected to climb further.

"We probably still have about two years of headroom in the Japanese market, but there's just a physical limit to how many stores can open in shopping centers and bring in new business," said Daisuke Morikuni, director of the capsule toy department at Yell Co., a toy and prize maker focusing on producing original character designs.

Insiders say about 600 to 700 product series are set to be released each month this summer by around 60 toymakers in the business.

In an industry where licensed figures such as anime characters are lucrative but legally cumbersome to sell overseas, Yell is expanding into Asian markets such as Taiwan and South Korea with its offbeat, cute toys, including its headline range of praying animal toys. Overseas customers make up about 10 percent of its capsule toy sales.

Capsule toys in Japan are typically obtained via analog-style dispensers in which customers insert a few hundred yen and turn a handle to release a prize. They are known by names such as gacha-gacha or gasha-pon -- an onomatopoeic phrase for the sound of the turning handle, and the thud as the capsule drops.

According to Tomy Co., better known as Takara Tomy and one of the two big players in the market along with Bandai Co., the forerunner to today's dispensers were first imported from the United States by Penny Sales Co. in 1965.

Their true breakthrough came in 1983, when erasers shaped like the buffed-up titular character from the anime and manga 'Kinnikuman' ignited a craze among children, resulting in Bandai selling 180 million of these toys at the time.

Today the market has diversified to include local products and miniaturized versions of everyday products such as washing detergents and bags of chips, which have proved popular with adult women.

An April consumer survey by Happinet Corp., which runs the Gashacoco chain of capsule toy stores, showed more than half of women in their 20s and 30s have bought at least one capsule toy since entering adulthood.

"With Japan's child population falling, the last ten years have seen makers shift to capsule toys with adults in mind," says Yusuke Tsuzuki, who doubles as director of the Japan Capsule Toy Association while also head of Dreamcapsule Inc., which operates the Dream Capsule store chain.

Currently, his business runs around 50 outlets across the country, whereas the chain comprised about 10 shops before the pandemic.

Store chains like Tsuzuki's have expanded in part due to COVID emptying out units at shopping malls, he said, thanks to their ability to operate them with few staff members given they are mostly filled with analog vending machines.

"Capsule toys used to be on street corners, inside supermarkets. But with the specialized stores, it turned out that having 100 or so capsule toy options in one place improves the conversion rate -- as in how likely someone is to buy something," said Yoshihiko Takahashi of exporter Hobico Ltd.

The popularity of capsule toys at home is encouraging entrepreneurs like Takahashi to try their hand at new markets abroad, too.

The former metals trader is focusing on Dubai, as the Middle East is a fertile market for Japanese goods, with Takahashi citing the recent news that Saudi Arabia will host the world's first "Dragon Ball" theme park.

So far Takahashi's company has succeeded in setting up toy machines at six Japanese restaurants in the gulf city to dispense prizes for kid's lunches. He sees the capsules as a low-cost backdoor product to get overseas businesses interested in importing more expensive items, such as sake.

He also aims to expand to airports, taking a cue from the capsule toy banks in Japanese airports that have proved a hit with inbound travelers looking to spend spare yen before flying home.

Indeed, capsule toys are no exception to the benefits brought by inbound tourism in Japan in 2024, with the last three months seeing more than 3 million visitors enter per month and the country on track for its best-ever year for the tourism industry.

At the Magnet by Shibuya109 branch of Dream Capsule overlooking tourist hotspot and Tokyo icon Shibuya Scramble Crossing, around 70 percent of the customers who come through are visiting tourists, the company says.

On the day Kyodo News visited, a mix of sightseers and locals were browsing the capsule banks, with some videoing their purchases for social media, while one enthusiast could be seen using the torch on her smartphone to check to see if the dispensers had that one toy she is still missing.

Its manager, Shosuke Sen, said that foreign customers are particularly keen on anime figures from mega-hit series such as "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba," as well as costlier "premium" capsule toys thanks to the yen's weakness.

Cecilia Martinez, a 43-year-old from Sweden shopping with her husband and two young sons, said she had first discovered capsule toys on their current visit to Japan. She said she was taken by "the cuteness of it. There's figures, there's key chains, there's bags...My kids though, they're not as interested as I am. I guess it's my generation," she said.

Yell's Morikuni said he thinks the toys' slight nature is key to their appeal with adults. "Their image is cheap toys that give people a little hit of joy, a bit of fun."

"That's a strong draw for people visiting Japan, too, it's not necessarily that they really want them, but they're kind of interested...That's how we think about the toys, making something people realize they like when they see it."

Related coverage:

Capsule toys exclusive to Tokyo sumo summer tournament proving a hit
The General Assembly has provided more funding to reimburse Missouri counties for housing those who are awaiting transport to state prisons, but some counties argue it isnt enough (Vaughn Wheat/The Beacon).

The cost of holding someone in a Missouri county jail for those days and months before and after a conviction ultimately falls to the state.

In 2024, the state spent about $50 million to reimburse counties for the cost. But its had trouble keeping up with that tab.

Thats left counties stuck with most of the cost, even as the General Assembly has scraped together money to reimburse the expense of holding people in those counties  at a rate that doesnt really make local governments whole.

It costs one county in southwest Missouri $750,000 a year to hold people on state charges. The reimbursement from the state, $225,000, doesnt stretch too far.

Theres over a half a million dollars that the countys on the hook for, said state Rep. Donnie Brown, a New Madrid Republican who sponsored a bill to make the state pay counties more for holding its prisoners.

Lawmakers bump county paychecks from state prison system

The state pays counties $22.58 for every day a person who should be in a state prison is in a county jail. Brown said that in his area, it actually costs about $45 a day. In more expensive areas, like Jackson County, that cost can be as high as $120 a day.

The state rate has hovered anywhere from $20 to $22 a day since 1998, depending on how much the legislature chooses to spend. Within state prisons, it costs around $90 per person a day.

Our law enforcement is trying to put public safety first, Brown said, but theyre also having to live on a budget that is, a lot of times, insufficient.

He sponsored a bill during the 2024 legislative session to get the attention of the budget committees in the House and Senate. With support from counties and the Missouri Sheriffs Association, Brown wanted to raise the reimbursement figure to $40.

While his bill didnt pass, it drew the attention of the budget committees. They increased the pot of money dedicated to paying counties back by $5 million, upping the reimbursement rate to $24.96 a day.

Meanwhile, sheriffs have to navigate an antiquated payment system to get paid by the state for boarding its inmates. For starters, a sheriff must confirm that the county has been holding a person who is technically in state custody. Then the circuit court clerk has to sign off on it. Only then is the reimbursement request sent to the Department of Corrections to pay out.

The time lag could be significant, but thats not the Department of Corrections fault, Steve Hobbs, the executive director of the Missouri Association of Counties, said at the bills hearing earlier this year. Thats our fault at the county level, and were trying to do things working with Corrections to streamline that process.

Missouris unique standing

A recent report from the Prison Policy Initiative, a criminal justice reform group, found that Missouri incarcerates its residents at a higher rate than the national average. For every 100,000 people in the state, 713 of them are incarcerated. In the United States, the number is 608 per capita.

But it is also the only state that reimburses counties for the fees associated with housing a prisoner before and after that person is convicted of state-level crimes.

In most states, counties only get reimbursed after a state conviction  not for the time someone is locked up waiting for trial.

In 2019, the Department of Corrections surveyed the 49 other states to see if county jails were reimbursed for time spent in jail before a persons trial. Of the 30 states that responded to the DOCs survey, none provided county reimbursement for pretrial days.

In 2020, the state auditors office took a look at the county reimbursement program. The office found that, of the 61% of sheriffs who responded, 73% of their jail populations were awaiting trial for a felony offense.

That number is higher than the national average. The Prison Policy Initiative also found that 69% of the jail population nationwide were those awaiting a trial.

In 2017, then-Gov. Eric Greitens established the Missouri State Justice Reinvestment Task Force. It concluded that the number of people in pretrial detention and a lack of public defenders drove the rising jail population.

There are places around the country that have chosen to invest more in their public defense systems, because thats just another way of coming at this problem, said Wanda Bertram, a communications specialist at the Prison Policy Initiative.

Some Democratic lawmakers have filed bills in the past to eliminate pretrial reimbursement and raise the rate the state pays after someone is convicted. Theyve had little traction.

Brown expects to file his reimbursement bill again next year to try and raise the prison reimbursement rate closer to $40 a day.

Its not like were asking the state to totally make the county 100% whole, Brown said. Weve got to help them find another revenue source to make things right.

This article first appeared on Beacon: Missouri and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

The post Missouri counties say they lose money housing people headed to state prison appeared first on Missouri Independent.
Today, I am truly thankful for the Missouri General Assembly and the passage of Senate Bill 727, ensuring our children and teachers are provided with the opportunities and support that they deserve.

Our teachers deserve a pay raise for the difficult and essential services they provide, educating our children how to think critically and thrive as members of our society. They are shaping the future of Missouri, and with a job this important, it is vital that teachers receive a sufficient paycheck. S.B. 727 secures this victory, increasing teacher pay across the state in certain circumstances. The bill is comprehensive in that it does not just support educators, but also provides scholarships and education choices to ensure students receive a good education.

S.B. 727 is geared to reach more students across Missouri, providing scholarship opportunities for children who live in towns with fewer than 30,000 residents through Individualized Education Plans. Children with physical and mental disabilities should not be rejected and unable to receive a proper education because of the way they were born, and this is an issue the bill aims to rectify  an issue that my family has struggled with.

My daughter has learning disabilities that make attending a public school challenging. I remember when she was 5 years old and enrolled in public school. She came to me crying and said, Mommy, I am a dummy. That moment put into perspective that my husband and I would not accept the options our public school district wanted to give us. We would fight until my daughter received the support and education that every child deserves.

While in Michigan, we enrolled her in virtual schooling, a format through which she excelled. But upon moving to Missouri, she was denied the ability to continue her education virtually, and we struggled to find an effective homeschooling program.

We have heard similar haunting stories from my friends such as Lisa, a mother whose son was endangered and attacked at school. Left without a choice for a different school, she was forced to homeschool her child, causing emotional and financial stress to the family. Thanks to S.B. 727, neither Lisa nor I must subject our children to failing homeschool programs. We have the option to enroll our kids in other well-funded programs that fit our childrens needs, like charter schools and virtual learning programs.

My daughter has been able to overcome challenges pertaining to her learning disability while using virtual learning, and we are looking for her to enroll in private education that will further provide for her needs. Virtual learning has provided the foundation for my daughter to excel in academics and interact with her peers, and S.B. 727 will guarantee that her future schooling with virtual learning and a private institution is excellent.

Because of S.B. 727, the 1 in 10 Missouri students trapped in underperforming schools will finally have the chance to receive an education that will set them on a path to success. A parent should never have to hear their child say, I am a dummy. This bill will ensure that our children never feel this way, with expanded options for school choice and scholarships to help them get a decent education.

Thank you again, Missouri, for passing this crucial legislation.

Samoy Mainda is a parent and education choice advocate from Belton.
Mark Lee Dickson (far right), director of Right to Life East Texas, prays in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023. 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.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Rev. Pat Mahoney, Peggy Nienaber of Faith and Liberty and Mark Lee Dickson of Right to Life East Texas pray in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on April 21, 2023. Organized by The Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution, the small group of demonstrators called on the Supreme Court to affirm Federal District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk's ruling that suspends the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. Photo by 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.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Moldova is ready to ensure supply of electricity to Ukraine

The ministers of foreign affairs of Ukraine, Moldova and Romania issued a joint statement following a meeting in Chisinau, where they discussed the current security situation in the region and prospects for cooperation.

Source: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, European Pravda reports

Details: The statement says that Moldova has expressed its readiness to supply electricity to Ukraine as part of the gas-to-power project by placing generating units on its territory using natural gas supplied by Ukraine for this exchange.

"For this purpose, the parties will look for solutions to make the gas infrastructure commercially reliable," the ministers said.

The Foreign Ministers stressed that the three states share similar visions and concerns about the current security situation in Europe in the context of Russia's ongoing armed war against Ukraine and stand for a common European, democratic, peaceful and prosperous future.

The parties promised to strengthen political dialogue and cooperation in the areas of security and defence, trade, energy, infrastructure, education, as well as strategic communications and countering disinformation.

"We underline our commitment to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova within their internationally recognised borders, including their territorial waters," the statement reads.

Meanwhile, Moldova and Romania reiterated their support for the Peace Formula of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and welcomed efforts to achieve a comprehensive, fair and sustainable peace for Ukraine and strengthen global security, building on the results of the First Global Peace Summit.

The parties also stressed the primary importance of developing regional electricity connections and promised to work together to increase the capacity of the Trans-Balkan Corridor as part of the Vertical Gas Corridor.

In addition, the foreign ministers expressed their readiness to work towards increasing the efficiency and volume of transit of goods, primarily agricultural products, from (to) Ukraine through Moldova and Romania to the Danube ports, giving special priority to the Path to Solidarity railways.

Recently, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini promised to increase electricity supplies to Ukraine.

France sent 41 power generators to Kharkiv and Chernihiv, whose energy infrastructure was heavily damaged by Russian strikes.

Earlier, the EU donated thousands of solar panels for hospitals to Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!
Moldovan foreign minister explains under what conditions new expulsions of Russian diplomats are possible

Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi does not rule out further expulsion of Russian diplomats from the embassy in Chisinau. According to him, a new expulsion could occur if Moscow continues to operate against Moldova's national interests.

Source: Mihai Popsoi in a statement, writes Deschide, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "If activities that threaten Moldova's national interests continue, such as the organisation of the so-called elections on the left bank of the Dniester, despite the obvious attitude of the Moldovan authorities, this step [expulsion  ed.] will undoubtedly be employed again," Popsoi noted.

However, according to him, it is necessary to realise that there is a possibility of retaliation, and Moldova "risks finding itself in a situation where our diplomatic mission will not be able to function".

"We have to take a balanced approach. On the one hand, we must protect our national security; on the other, we must protect our diasporas interests. Its a challenging balance, but we must have the caution to keep it," Popsoi said.

Background:

Last summer, the Moldovan government announced that the number of accredited diplomats and technical and administrative staff of the Russian Embassy in Chisinau would be reduced from 84 to 25.

This happened after the publication of an investigation by Jurnal TV and The Insider was posted, stating that dozens of antennas and satellite dishes were installed on the roof of the Russian embassy in Moldova and used by the Russian secret services for spying.

Support UP or become our patron!
Mom's Boyfriend Allegedly Got Frustrated When Her Son, 1, Couldn't Walk by Himself. Now He's Charged with Murder

Christian Moniz Rabino, 28, has been charged with first-degree murder and two counts of child neglect and abuse

gofundme Kai Tesoro

A 28-year-old Las Vegas man has been accused of killing his girlfriends 1-year-old son after the child was taken to the hospital last month with trouble breathing, authorities say.

Clark County Detention Center inmate records reviewed by PEOPLE show Christian Moniz Rabino, 28, is currently being held without bond and has been charged with first-degree murder and two counts of child neglect and abuse.

It's not immediately clear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney.

Records show Rabino was taken into custody on June 25, almost a month after baby Kai Tesoro, 1, was taken to the hospital, according to local Fox 5 in Las Vegas.

Rabino allegedly told police at the hospital that he called 911 because Kai was having trouble breathing and ultimately, not breathing, according to a police report obtained by the outlet.

At the hospital, doctors discovered Kai had bruising to his head and a fracture to his right leg, according to the report obtained by Fox 5.

Local KLAS reported that one doctor told police the suspected abuse was one of the worst cases he had seen" as a medical professional.

Fox 5, citing the arrest report, reported that a relative first told police she believed Kai fell off a bed while Rabino was looking after him, but then later said she could not say for certain whether Kais injuries were from falling off a bed or from Rabino allegedly abusing the child.



The relative also alleged to police she witnessed Rabino grow frustrated with the 1-year-old child for crying and not being able to walk by himself, according to the police report. The relative reportedly told officers that she witnessed Rabino allegedly shake Kai when he became irritated by the babys crying, and that he plated [him] feet-first on the ground to try and force him to walk, according to the police report.

Doctors would later determine that action allegedly caused fractures in both of Kais legs, the report states.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage, and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The family of Kais father mourned the 1-year-olds loss and launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help pay for the childs funeral services.

Our family has always believed Kai would bring a special type of Aloha to this world and those around him, the GoFundMe post, launched by Kais grandfather Steve Tesoro, wrote. In his passing he fulfilled this belief with the donation of his organs to children in need. Kai is a true hero; his Aloha and spirit will continue to live on. Kai was a joyful and spirited child who brought immense happiness to everyone who knew him, bringing instant smiles to those he met. All he ever wanted was love."

The family said donations would also go to a fund to help raise Kais 3-year-old sister A'leia.

Inmate records show Rabino is set for a preliminary court hearing on Aug. 7.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Most of the Held v. Montana plaintiffs and their attorneys pose outside the courtroom for photos halfway through the trial.

Most of the Held v. Montana plaintiffs and their attorneys pose outside the courtroom for photos halfway through the trial. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

The Montana Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next Wednesday in the states appeal of a district court judges decision in the Held vs. Montana case, setting the stage for a decision that will have broad impacts on environmental law and regulations in Montana.

Considering the arguments from both sides, and additional briefs from Republican-led states and recreation businesses like Orvis and Patagonia, the court will have to decide whether to uphold Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Kathy Seeleys order from last August finding the state was violating the constitutional rights of the 16 youth plaintiffs to a clean and healthful environment.

Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Kathy Seeley asks a question of attorneys in the Held v. Montana case.

Seeleys order struck down the so-called limitation to the Montana Environmental Policy Act that prohibited the state from considering greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts from energy and mining projects.

She also enjoined a portion of another bill passed by Republican lawmakers last year that said permits approved by Montana agencies that did not include a greenhouse gas emissions evaluation could not be vacated or voided unless Congress voted to start regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant under the federal Clean Air Act.

Attorneys representing the state, Gov. Greg Gianforte, and three state agencies will get 40 minutes to make their case to the justice, while attorneys for the youth plaintiffs will have 30 minutes. The hearing will be held in the Supreme Court chambers in Helena and start at 9:30 a.m.

The Montana Environmental Information Center and other Montana environmental groups are also hosting watch parties of the oral arguments, which will be live streamed online, in Missoula, Billings and Kalispell.

What the two sides and their supporters are arguing

The youth plaintiffs in the case filed their response to the states appeal in March, and the case was fully briefed in April when attorneys for the state, Gianforte, and the state agencies filed their replies. About 20 separate amicus curiae, or friend of the court briefs have been filed in the case either in support of the youth plaintiffs or the state that the Supreme Court can also consider when deciding the case.

Lawyers for the state, governor and agencies have maintained since Seeley handed her decision down that striking down the MEPA limitation does not alleviate the plaintiffs injuries because Montanas greenhouse gas emissions are a small fraction of global emissions, which all affect Montana and the global climate.

Department of Environmental Quality attorney Lee McKenna questions DEQ Director Chris Dorrington about his read of Montana's MEPA law.

The defendants are also asking the Supreme Court to clarify that Seeleys order does not require the state to perform emissions and climate impact analyses but simply provides the opportunity for them to do so if the Legislature decides to follow that route.

The Supreme Court received friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the state from the Republican-led chambers of the Montana Legislature, the Montana Chamber of Commerce and several local chambers, NorthWestern Energy, conservative think-tank Frontier Institute, the mining company association Treasure State Resources, 12 Republican-led states, and a Navajo Nation company that owns the Spring Creek Mine in Decker.

Most of those briefs, like those from the state, argue that the plaintiffs do not have standing in the case, that Seeley used the wrong level of scrutiny in deciding the case, utilized one-sided data from the plaintiffs expert witnesses that the state did not contest at trial, or that the judiciary was wrongfully stepping into the realm of the Legislature when interpreting laws that intersect with principles of the state constitution.

The Judiciarys constitutional authority does not allow the district court to determine how The Legislature should provide for the promise of a clean and healthful environment under Mont. Const. Art. II and IX, Senate President Jason Ellsworth and House Speaker Matt Regiers attorney wrote in their brief, for instance.

The plaintiffs attorneys will argue that the Supreme Court should uphold Seeleys order in full, which would permanently keep the MEPA limitation out of Montana law, as well as the portion surrounding permit reviews and when permits could be vacated.

Their attorneys say Seeley was correct when she found that the states actions prohibiting emissions and climate impact reviews were in direct violation of the 1972 Constitutions intents to protect the environment in Montana for current and future generations.

Plaintiffs' attorney Nate Bellinger delivers closing arguments in the Held v. Montana trial on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.

They say attorneys for the state have purposefully tried to focus the case around the global impacts of climate change when Montanas constitution directly concerns the states environment and impacts to it caused by the states consistent permitting of high-emissions energy projects.

Accepting any of the states (or their amicis) belated factual or constitutional arguments would eviscerate the purpose of MEPA, young Montanans rights to a clean and healthful environment today and well into the future, and the very idea of an independent judiciary that reviews government laws for constitutional compliance and defers to the District Courts factual findings but for clear error, the plaintiffs attorneys said in their March brief.

The friend-of-the-court briefs filed on the side of the plaintiffs come from a group of professional climbers, runners and mountain guides in Montana; six Montana tribes, a group of public health experts and doctors from Montana and other states, the ACLU and ACLU of Montana, a group of tribal members and conservation groups, a group of outdoor recreation companies that includes Patagonia and Orvis.

Because the MEPA Limitation allows Montana to avoid its constitutional responsibility to protect a clean and healthy environment, and because that derogation of constitutional duty is already having profound negative impacts on the outdoor industry in Montana, this court should uphold the district courts order and strike down the MEPA limitation, the brief from the outdoor recreation companies said.

There are also friend-of-the-court briefs the court can consider from six retired Montana Supreme Court justices who make arguments in support of the judiciarys role in determining what laws are constitutional or not, as well as from the Montana Trial Lawyers Association, which argues Seeley was correct in not allowing the state to conduct mental health examinations of the 16 plaintiffs before last summers trial.

The former justices in their brief ask the Supreme Court to emphatically stress the importance of the separation of powers in government.

The separation of powers principle secures our republican form of government. It is well established in Montana jurisprudence. In recent years, however, repeated attempts have been made to abridge long-settled elements of the judicial power, they wrote. The present case involves another such attempt.

Recent court decisions could factor into case

Its also possible that some recent court decisions at the federal U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and in other states could be a factor in Wednesdays arguments. Both sides have submitted notices of supplemental authority informing the court of recent decisions that could factor into the Held case.

That includes filings from the plaintiffs about another case decided by the Supreme Court in which courts found election laws created by the Legislature were unconstitutional, and another in which the Supreme Court used similar standing requirements as Seeley did in Held and also found it could not hear new arguments first raised on the appeal.

A third notice tells the court about a similar case in Hawaii which the plaintiffs primary attorneys, Our Childrens Trust, led to a favorable settlement with the state in late June. Hawaiis constitution has similar environmental protection requirements as Montanas, and the plaintiffs said the state was violating their constitutional rights because the state Department of Transportation continued to prioritize highways over other transportation modes that emit less greenhouse gases.

The settlement will involve the state establishing a new greenhouse gas reduction plan, a roadmap to decarbonizing the states transportation system, and tens of million dollars to go toward building green infrastructure.

Earthjustice attorney Jenny Harbine argues on behalf of the Montana Environmental Information Center and Sierra Club in front of the Montana Supreme Court on May 15, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

The state, meanwhile, told the court that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had again dismissed a similar Oregon case for a lack of standing, and there was a similar dismissal in a California case challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Relevant to this appeal, the district court rejected the plaintiffs contentions that declaring the challenged EPA policies unconstitutional would redress the plaintiffs climate change injuries, attorneys for the state wrote in the filing.

The courts decision in the Held case will also factor into its decision in a case involving the fate of NorthWestern Energys methane-fired power plant in Laurel and whether it was properly granted permits despite the state not considering its expected emissions of 700,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in that case on May 15.

Both cases are expected to see decisions issued later this summer or fall ahead of the November election and the January start to the 2025 legislative session, where there is sure to be more legislation introduced surrounding MEPA and climate analyses depending on the outcome, lawmakers have said during the interim.
From left, Marvell Stillwell, 39, Tara Springer, 34, Anita Green, 43, and Timothy Maloni, 42, photographed throughout Pittsburgh in June 2024. The four have recent experience with homelessness and housing instability. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)

By Eric Jankiewicz, Stephanie Strasburg and Laura Turbay, PublicSource

Its been nearly a month since a fire shut down Allegheny Countys low-barrier shelter Second Avenue Commons, suddenly displacing 188 people.

As homelessness continues to rise in the county, unhoused people and the people and agencies helping them considered the immediate response to the temporary shelter closure and the persistent challenges that the blaze only heightened.

PublicSource is an independent nonprofit newsroom serving the Pittsburgh region. Sign up for their free newsletters.

Before the smoke had even cleared from the June 4 fire, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center was transformed into an 11-day temporary shelter for up to 150 people. When that closed, Pittsburgh Mercy opened an emergency shelter in the gymnasium of its Reedsdale Street facility. Not everyone who had been using Second Avenue Commons moved to the convention center and even more people peeled off in the transition to the Reedsdale shelter.

Advocates say longer-term shelter and affordable housing options remain scarce amid closures  including that of the Smithfield United Church of Christ almost exactly a year ago  and rising housing costs in the Pittsburgh area.

Two days after the fire, County Executive Sara Innamorato announced an initiative to make 500 affordable housing units available in 500 days. She acknowledged that the temporary shuttering of the 18-month-old shelter is a significant blow to those efforts.

PublicSource interviewed people who were displaced from the recent shelter fire or opted out of the shelter system to understand their experiences firsthand. Local organizations weighed in on the fire response and challenges around housing and homelessness more broadly. Their responses, edited for brevity and clarity, are published below.

Several government agencies didnt reply for comment, including Mayor Ed Gaineys office and UPMC, which runs the shelters health clinic, now operating out of 1 Smithfield St.

Timothy Maloni, 42

Timothy Maloni moved into a single-room occupancy unit on the fourth floor of Second Avenue Commons just as it opened in November 2022. Last month, Maloni was out installing bounce castles for his brothers party rental business when fire struck the floor. He said he arrived at the convention center seeking shelter, but there was no room. Maloni described being given a few hours to collect his belongings from his waterlogged room. Now, he is back to staying in a tent.

Everything I had just built back up in my life, I lost, you know, like, all the clothes I acquired and stuff, all my electronics, everything is just destroyed because the fire was one thing, but its, the flood really screwed everything up.

Coming to Second Avenue originally was, you know, pretty uplifting in my situation. I feel really bad for anybody that was like completely on their feet, and like got cleaned up off drugs or alcohol or whatever their twist was because like, something like this, I imagine is really devastating.

It feels like Pittsburgh is doing a very good job at saying, fk you, homeless people, we dont like you anymore.

It feels more dangerous kind of to me. It seems like just in general, like the mood of like the homeless person culture is elevated, like in a negative way. Like everybody seems more stressed out. Pittsburghs really dropping the ball with this one. How do you shut down shelters as youre ripping up homeless camps? What do they think people are going to do? This is home.

What Im doing is just trying to accomplish something every day, like stay on track with little goals, you know, baby steps to get back at least what I had, if not ahead. The other day I started to grab some new clothes. Like I just grab a couple of T-shirts from here, like, you know, just building. Like, you know, things that are so corny and stupid like that, I shouldnt even have to be dealing with, like, going to get my identification card again. I did that today.

What are the takeaways from the Second Avenue Commons fire response?

Tara Springer, 34, originally of Fayette County

Tara Springer said she has bounced through Pittsburgh camps and shelters including Smithfield United Church of Christ, Wood Street Commons, Bethlehem Haven and Second Avenue Commons. Recently, three encampments she stayed at were shut down. Shes currently staying in a tent with her partner.

[Ive seen] a lot of overdoses, a lot of pain, suffering, tiredness. Tents being taken. It changed a lot of us. Especially after Smithfield. After Smithfield, we were more away from the safe haven that we had. They were really big on helping us. Theres barely any places to go.

Allegheny Links. Allegheny Health Network. Red Door. Food, clothing [all help]. The outreach team comes out every day. They make sure we have water, food. 1HOOD comes out. We have a lot of nonprofits that come out and feed us and make sure were OK, and theyll be out again today.  We have a stove. We have beds. We have ice to make sure we keep our stuff cold.  And I got a man that treats me remarkably well.

Drug activity is bad, especially back this way. And thats why the cops have been, I mean, theyre not going to get rid of the drugs. Thats going to be here regardless. I mean, theyre uprooting all of us and expecting us just to not have nowhere to go. And then were fighting. Were fighting the cops because they want to uproot us.

It was a lot easier [when Smithfield was open] because we were able to be right there. They knew what they were doing. And then when they got rid of em, a lot of the overdoses happened then.

Ive saved [from overdoses] my best friends lives. I just recently saved a girls life. This is what we deal with.

I just go day by day. Get up and strive for another day.

What are the needs of Pittsburghs unhoused community at this moment?

Anita Green, 43

This isnt Anita Greens first time being impacted by a fire. After her Swissvale home caught fire just before Christmas, she and her husband stayed in hotels until it became too costly. They landed at Second Avenue Commons shelter floor for two months before moving into a tent to be together. Green and her husband, who served in the U.S. Army, are exploring housing options through a program serving military veterans.

I was [at Second Avenue Commons] for two months, but I get more help on the streets than I did in there. And, we have [Our Streets Collective], Bridge [to the Mountains]  we have them on speed dial. We call them for anything. Theyre great. And then just random people come. Theyll bring food or on hot days theyll bring water.

When I went down [to live in the encampment], it was probably six to seven tents. Now theres [lots more].

Me and my husband, were our support system. And then we built like a community down there. So they call my husband The Mayor down there. We got Northways, our church, we had two cookouts down there to bring homeless awareness and, yeah, just we do what we can.

Once we get on our feet, we want to do something like this just because we never realized how much when you are on the streets, a kind word or somebody showing they care  it goes a long way.

What do you want people to know about the people experiencing homelessness you serve?

Marvell Stillwell, 39

Marvell Stillwell came to Pittsburgh from Chicago for work and family. He stayed at several shelters and is now renting a room in Wilkinsburg from someone he knows. Working as a welder, he dreams of being a steamfitter and getting into a rent-to-own living situation.

When I first came up here, I had employment, but I didnt have nowhere to lay my head at. And so, like, they sent me to these shelters up here and I mean, they do what they can. But they have so many people that be going and coming, and coming and going, and be on drugs so much I think it just became like natural for them just to kind of feed you, and just put you back out in the streets.

It got so inhumane because, like, the shower system and everything is like jail or something, you know? Push came to shove, I had to start renting out hotels. I was paying $1,200 a month, and, you know, thats rent for housing. But, like, what can you do?

By getting Social Security, you know, and working, I was eligible for low-income or subsidized housing. And so I got put on the waiting list here or whatnot. And I end up going to the Wood Street Commons, which is right up the street right here, which was one of the worst places I have ever been in, besides in my hometown.

And so, make a long story short, I got into a little trouble up here, you know, that cost me a year, a long time. And so I decided to go to a sober living.

Instead of leaving Allegheny County Jail being homeless in the street, I went into a drug treatment program. The drug treatment program helped me to meet people. They also helped with housing. They also helped with schooling. You know, and so, like my insurance was paying for that. You got to stay positive.

Editors note: This story was updated to include information received after initial publication.

Eric Jankiewicz is PublicSources economic development reporter, and can be reached at ericj@publicsource.org or on Twitter @ericjankiewicz.

Stephanie Strasburg is a photojournalist with PublicSource who can be reached at stephanie@publicsource.org, on Instagram @stephaniestrasburg or on Twitter @stephstrasburg.

Laura Turbay is an editorial intern at PublicSource and can be reached at laura@publicsource.org.

This article first appeared on PublicSource and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

The post A month after a Pittsburgh shelter fire, unhoused people strive for another day appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Mooresville and Iredell County dont want Charlotte to buy Norfolk Southern tracks without their input and arent ready to say yet whether conversations forced by a just-passed law will end with their approval.

After years of negotiating for track access, Charlotte reached an understanding with Norfolk Southern in early June to use the companys railroad tracks to connect Lake Norman communities to uptown via the Red Line. Charlotte City Council member Ed Driggs said previously the goal is for the deal to be completed by September.

But plans filed by Charlotte showing the city acquiring tracks and rights of way all the way into downtown Mooresville surprised Iredell County leaders, Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney said. The 25-mile LYNX Red Line plan stretches from uptown Charlotte to Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson before a final stop in Mount Mourne in southern Iredell County.

That obviously concerned us, Carney said of the filing. The debate is about whether or not we are okay with having another municipality control real estate in our town, in our county, he said.

State Sen. Vickie Sawyer and state Rep. Grey Mills, both Republicans with Iredell County districts, successfully worked to get legislation passed in Raleigh in late June to address the issue. Under that new provision, Charlotte must get approval from the affected counties, cities and towns if it acquires any portion of an existing railway line beyond Mecklenburg County.

Carney said the legislation wasnt meant for stopping anybody from moving forward. Instead, he wants Mooresville and Iredell County at the table as the Red Line project moves forward.

We dont need any help growing. Were already growing quite fast, he said. And so what we have to do is, in turn, have growth that makes sense to our citizens. We just cant let that be dictated by a different municipality.

The new law formalizes the engagement that the city was planning to do, Charlotte spokesman Lawrence Corley said.

Mooresville, Iredell County Red Line plan

Mooresville leaders are much more comfortable now that we have that protection in place, Carney said of the new provision. The town held great meetings with Charlotte and Iredell County since the law passed, he added.

We think that were back to a place where we can have a conversation, he said.

But, he added, its still too early in the process to say whether Mooresville will sign off on Charlottes deal. Under the new law, Charlotte will need majority votes by the Mooresville Town Board and Iredell County Board of Commissioners to acquire the tracks across the county line.

Without getting into specifics, Carney said he wants to see an interlocal agreement that guarantees Mooresville and Iredell County a place in conversations as the Red Line progresses and for Charlotte to be transparent about its plans.

Iredell County agrees anytime a county acquires property in another county, regardless of the purpose, it should be with the majority consent of that county, County Manager Beth Mull said in a statement

Does Mooresville want more Red Line stops?

Besides buying the future Red Line tracks, CATS is still finalizing where stops should go, the Observer reported previously.

Asked whether his community wants more stops, Carney said he needs more information about the project and a seat at the decision table before deciding whether to push for additional stops stretching further into Mooresville and Iredell County.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 5, 2024 - 22:03 | All, Japan, World

The Japanese government on Friday vowed information-sharing with local governments "to the extent possible," after angering Okinawa over its failure to report alleged sexual assault cases involving U.S. military members based in the southern island prefecture.

In the wake of recent prosecutions and arrests of U.S. military personnel for sex-related crimes, the Japanese Foreign Ministry's top bureaucrat Masataka Okano expressed the central government's desire to discuss with the U.S. government concrete measures to prevent such incidents from occurring, according to the ministry.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, who met Okano on Friday, said he is "seriously concerned" by recent allegations against American service members and committed to work with Japan to ensure they maintain "the highest standards" of conduct, the ministry said.

The latest development followed revelations of two cases in late June -- one involving a U.S. Air Force serviceman indicted in March for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor, and another involving a U.S. Marine arrested in May on suspicion of attempted rape resulting in injury. They were revealed through local media reporting.

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.

At a press conference Friday, Japan's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi underscored the importance of considering a "swift response" in information-sharing when it comes to cases in Okinawa, which hosts the bulk of U.S. military facilities in Japan.

Starting Friday, the central government will notify municipalities of any crimes allegedly committed by U.S. military members "without exception," he said.

"On top of that, the information to be conveyed will be provided to the extent possible on a case-by-case basis from the perspective of protecting victims' privacy," the chief Cabinet secretary who doubles as the minister in charge of mitigating the impact of U.S. forces in Okinawa, added.

Hayashi said the information will be provided "after the case is disposed of" by investigative authorities.

Investigative authorities will pass on the information to the Foreign Ministry, which will then convey it to the Defense Ministry before it is reported to the local government.

But he noted that such communication could be halted when the information is "inappropriately handled."

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki welcomed the announcement from the central government, calling it "a step forward."

Crimes committed by U.S. service members and nonmilitary personnel have been a constant source of grievance for locals.

Emanuel told reporters after meeting Okano, "The United States and the United States' armed forces can do better."

"Whatever we're doing as it relates to training and education, it's self-evident it's not working. So therefore we have to change it, update it."

He expressed his desire that an upcoming security meeting involving the two countries' foreign and defense ministers, expected to be held in Tokyo, will serve as a chance to announce "whatever changes as it relates to both the training and education and the transparency with the community."

Related coverage:

Okinawa protests central government not sharing U.S. troop sex crime cases

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
French authorities have recorded more than 50 physical assaults on candidates and campaigners on the campaign trail, the countrys Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Friday as concerns mount about political violence ahead of Frances high-stakes parliamentary elections.

This campaign is short, less than three weeks. However, we have counted 51 candidates, deputies, or campaigners who have been physically assaulted. I am not counting verbal aggressions here, Darmanin told CNN affiliate BFMTV.

The attacks have ranged from the less severe to extremely serious, Darmanin said, adding that some candidates have been hospitalised for their injuries.

Roughly thirty or so people have been taken in for questioning in relation to the attacks, Darmanin added.

France has been grappling with high tensions in the run-up to this Sundays elections. An additional 30,000 police have been laid on to ensure that neither the far-left nor the far-right succeed in creating disorder, Darmanin said earlier this week.

Politicians have repeatedly warned that a far-right victory could provoke huge protests in the streets, with French President Emmanuel Macron going so far as to say civil war may break out if the extreme left or right wins by a large margin in Sundays runoff vote.

French government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot and her team came under attack while canvassing on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, National Rally (RN) politician Marie Dauchy, who is running in the southeastern constituency of Savoie, opted to suspend her campaign after she said was physically assaulted while campaigning at a market.

In Cherbourg, a center-right candidate from The Republicans party, Nicolas Conquer, made a formal complaint after he claimed he was assaulted by left-wing campaigners on Monday.

The terror threat in the country remains extremely strong, the interior minister warned on Friday, adding that several arrests had recently taken place in two separate places. Although the two incidents could qualify as terrorist incidents, they need to be formally classified as such by the national anti-terrorist prosecutor, Darmanin added.

RN, the party of far-right doyenne Marine Le Pen, led the first round of Frances parliamentary elections last Sunday, taking it closer to the gates of power than ever before.

After an unusually high turnout, the RN bloc clinched 33.15% of the vote, while the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition came second with 27.99% and Macrons Ensemble alliance slumped to a dismal third with 20.76%, according to final results published by the Interior Ministry on Monday.

While the RN appears on track to win the most seats in the National Assembly, it may fall short of the 289 seats required for an absolute majority, suggesting France may be heading for a hung parliament and more political uncertainty.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Woman heard fireworks going off for hours. Moments later, her home was burning

An overnight fire on Wednesday left a woman injured and more than a dozen units at an apartment complex burned.

The Augusta Fire Department said firefighters were sent to an apartment complex on Stevens Creek Road after a caller reported hearing fireworks going off for more than two hours before seeing the building was on fire on the night of July 3.

While the caller immediately began knocking on doors and telling the people inside to evacuate, firefighters got to the scene and told dispatch they would need a full response.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

TRENDING STORIES:

According to Augusta Fire, it was brought under control and quickly extinguished, but 16 units burned.

Photos of the fires damage to the building show charred, hollowed upper floors and blackened portions of the buildings roof.

One minor injury was reported by a young lady who escaped from her balcony. Residents were put in contact with the Red Cross, according to officials.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

In a release on Friday, the Red Cross said they were helping 13 families for a total of 15 people as part of their Disaster Action Teams efforts following the fire.

The Red Cross said they provided comfort kits, client assistance and recovery planning for the families to meet their disaster-caused needs.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough ripped Donald Trump for reluctantly giving up power and repeatedly denying losing the US election in 2020 and compared it to how Rishi Sunak graciously accepted defeat in Thursdays UK election.

On Friday, the show played a clip of Sunak delivering a speech to his country and accepting the election results after his party lost by a landslide to the Labour Party. Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, is now the countrys prime minister.

To the country, I would like to say first and foremost that I am sorry. I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change, Sunak said. And yours is the only judgment that matters.

I leave this job honored to have been your prime minister. This is the best country in the world, and it is thanks entirely to you, the British people, the true source of all our achievements, our strengths, and our greatness, the departing prime minister said.

The show then cut to Scarborough, who said: We dont have that here in the United StatesThats called a peaceful transfer of power.

Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivering speech after his election loss on Thursday (PA Wire)

Actually thats what we had in the US from the late 1700s until the year 2020 when Donald Trump refused to do it, he said. See, its better that way because you actually let the voters decide. And thats what democracies and constitutional republics are all about.

The dig at Trump comes shortly after the 2024 GOP frontrunner evaded agreeing to unequivocally accept the results of the November presidential election at a debate against President Joe Biden.

Instead, he told the CNN moderators: If its a fair and legal and good election, absolutely.

Trump speaks at the first presidential debate of the 2024 general election. Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough blasted Trump on Friday over how he reacted to an election loss compared to Sunak in the UK (AFP via Getty Images)

The former president spent countless hours following his 2020 election defeat arguing over what he believed to be an unfair, stolen and rigged race.

After the 2020 election, a House Select Committee called Trump the central cause of the January 6 Capitol riot, in which a mob chanted to hang then-vice president Mike Pence and tried to stop the certification of the election for Biden.

Trump also filed lawsuits contesting the election results in courts across the country due to alleged voter fraud  none of which were successful.

According to a CNN poll released this week, a mere 28 percent believe Trump will concede if he loses in the 2024 election  and a whopping 71 percent doubt that Trump will.
Mother and Daughter to Be Laid to Rest Together After Dying in 'Devastating' Road Collision in Ireland

Aisling Moore, 46, and her 8-year-old daughter Abbigael Moore-Tournie died after their car collided with a lorry on July 2

Garda Press Office Aisling Moore and her daughter Abbigael Moore-Tournie.

A mother and daughter from Ireland are being laid to rest after dying in a car crash together earlier this week.

On Tuesday, July 2, at approximately 5:45 p.m. local time, Aisling Moore, 46, and her 8-year-old daughter Abbigael Moore-Tournie died in a road traffic collision with a lorry on the N26 in Lismoran, Foxford, County Mayo, the press office of the Garda, Ireland's National Police and Security Service, confirmed in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. Authorities are continuing to investigate the collision and have requested for witnesses to come forward, the statement also said.

Per the Irish obituary website RIP.ie, funeral details for the late mother-daughter duo, from Cois Coille, Swinford, Co. Mayo, have now been released.

"Reposing in Swinford Cultural Centre, Swinford on Friday, 5th of July, from 5 oclock to 8 oclock. Funeral Mass this Saturday, 6th of July, at 12 oclock in Our Lady Help of Christians Church prior to burial in Swinford Cemetery," the post read.

Foxford Parish Priest Fr Padraig Costello said, per Irish news outlet, Raidio Teilifis Eireann (RTE), that "it was a devastating scene" when he attended the scene of the crash shortly after it happened.

Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Image of the Irish Garda responding to an incident in September 2023.

Related: Michigan Dad Dead, Wife and Three Sons Injured, After Car Crash: 'Heartbreaking Tragedy'

"All I could think of was the family because they would be getting the news later on... it was just so, so sad," he said, per the outlet. According to RTE, the driver of the other vehicle was taken to the hospital, though his injuries were understood to not be life-threatening.

The Parents Association of St Aidan's National School in Kiltimagh, where Abbigael was a pupil, was among those paying tribute on Facebook.

"It is with very heavy hearts and great sadness that we hear about the tragic deaths of 2nd class pupil Abbigael Moore and her loving mother Aisling," the message read.

"Abbigael was a beautiful child. So full of life. Always smiling. It is heartbreaking to think she has been taken so suddenly in such a tragic way. She was a much-valued pupil and friend of 2nd class. All her friends adored her as she was always so much fun to be around."

Related: Two Brothers Dead in West Texas Crash That Injured Mom and Sibling: 'Great Sadness'

"Aisling was so well known and liked among all the parents within our school community. She always had a kind word for everyone," the message included. "She was a beautiful soul. Her gentle presence always brought a sense of calm. She was so devoted and proud of Abbigael. You would never see one without the other."

"Aisling and Abbigael you will be forever apart of our school community and we will always remember the joy and love you brought to it," the tribute read.

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.

Per the RTE.ie death notice, "Aisling and Abbigael will be sadly missed by Abbigaels father Arnaud, her half-sister Aleksia, her French grandparents Jean Yves and Michele Tournie."

"They will also be missed by Aisling's parents Eamon and Noreen, brothers Eddie, Stephen and sister Anita, sisters in law Louise and Charline and brother in law Declan, nieces, nephews and all their extended and much-loved family, neighbors and friends," the post added.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
The 2023-24 school year is complete and students have settled into summer vacation mode. But for Brad Siegel, the work is just starting.

Hired in March, Siegel started his new assignment as superintendent of the Mountain Lakes School District on Monday. A resident of Wayne, Siegel comes from the Upper Saddle River School District, where he served as superintendent for the past six years.

"Joining Mountain Lakes, I recognize the importance of sustaining an elite public school district in which our board of education, staff members, families, and students prioritize education," Siegel stated on the district website. "That high expectation is what motivates and excites me stepping into this role."

Dr. Brad Siegel took over as superintendent of the Mountain Lakes School District on July 1, replacing Michael Fetherman. He comes from the Upper Saddle River district, which he led for six years.

His five-year contract was approved in March, calling for a first-year salary of $228,000 with annual increases reaching $256,616 in the 2028-29 school year. Siegel was collecting an annual salary of $187,408 in Upper Saddle River.

Reached on Wednesday, three days into the new job, Siegel said he's busy meeting staff, touring the buildings, looking in on summer sessions and "hiring staff, because that is a 12-month job."

Mountain Lakes superintendent's new priority

His early priorities will include negotiating a new send-receive tuition rate for students from neighboring Boonton Township, who attend Mountain Lakes High School. He said he had no update on that process, which has raised tensions between the two towns' school districts.

Siegel comes from a district similar in economic demographics to the one he now runs. Mountain Lakes and Upper Saddle River are largely wealthy, residential communities that land near the top of the New Jersey list of highest median incomes. The Upper Saddle River District, however, does not include a high school. Three schools cover grades K-8 while the district sends its high school students to Northern Highlands Regional in Allendale.

The Mountain Lakes School District includes the high school, Wildwood Elementary, Briarcliff Middle School and the Lake Drive School, a regional school for deaf and hard-of-hearing students that serves 12 counties.

Siegel was hired after a superintendent search committee was formed late last year to recruit a replacement for Michael Fetherman, who retired at the end of the school year. The former superintendent oversaw a major expansion of Mountain Lakes High School and led the district through the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 during his five-year term.

A 'Laker' lover

Prior to his five years in Upper Saddle River, Siegel was the K-12 director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for Bergen County's quad-districts (Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Upper Saddle River and Northern Highlands Regional.) He holds a doctoral degree from Teachers College at Columbia University through the Arts & Humanities Department.

Siegel also is familiar with the character of "Laker" life that is integral to the identity of Mountain Lakes borough, a planned community founded in 1910 and crafted around seven lakes.

"I appreciate the special and unique qualities of being part of a 'lake' community, as I grew up and now raise my family in a different 'lake' community (Pine Lakes in Wayne)," he wrote in his statement to the community.

"Over the past few months, I had the opportunity to meet many stakeholders from the Mountain Lakes School District at scheduled meetings and even through some unexpected encounters," Siegel stated after his appointment. "Both of these qualities consistently marked these interactions: the drive for learning and connection to the community."

More: When will Route 15 reopen? Work on temporary bridge reaches a milestone

An interim super in Upper Saddle River

Upper Saddle River has embarked on its own search for a new superintendent. Applications were due to the search committee last month. Meanwhile, C. Lauren Schoen has been hired as interim superintendent at a per diem salary of $825.

Schoen most recently served as an interim superintendent in West Orange. Her career also includes superintendent posts in Rochelle Park, Mahwah, Fort Lee and the Ramapo-Indian Hills High School District.

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com Twitter: @wwesthoven

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Mountain Lakes hires superintendent from Upper Saddle River
UPDATE: Melanchi Williams, 18, was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Evading Arrest on Foot, and Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000.

The 17-year-old driver was charged with three counts of Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer, No Drivers License, Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Evading Arrest in a Vehicle, and Evading Arrest of Foot.

***

MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A police chase in the Fox Meadows area led to two people being arrested after police say they hit a patrol car multiple times while in a stolen vehicle.

Just before 3:30 p.m., officers say they saw a stolen orange Dodge Charger in the area of Clarke Street and Mount Moriah Road. That is when officers say they tried to initiate a traffic stop at Cottonwood Road and Emerald Street.

MPD says the Charger rammed two patrol cars three times in an attempt to get away. That is when a police pursuit ensued.

Suspect caught breaking into vehicles on car lot: Police

The chase ended when the suspects slid from the roadway into a wooded area on Tchulahoma Road and Mackham Avenue.

The two teen suspects were taken into custody at that time. Officers say they found an AR-style rifle with magazines in the car and the driver had a key fob for the vehicle.

Both suspects were taken to St. Francis Hospital in noncritical condition before being charged.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
As President Joe Biden weighs whether to remain in the 2024 race, one of the defenses raised by the president's supporters is noteworthynot just because of what it says about Biden's acuity but also because of what it says about the state of the modern presidency.

During an appearance on MSNBC earlier this week, former Obama administration official Jeh Johnson argued that, effectively, the election is about picking an administration, not a president.

"A presidency is more than just one man," Johnson told Joe Scarborough. "I would take Joe Biden at his worst day at age 86 so long as he has people around him like Avril Haines, Samantha Power, Gina Raimondo supporting him, over Donald Trump any day."

This is true, of course. Over 4 million people work in the federal government's executive branch, and only one of them is Joe Biden. Most are full-time, nonpolitical appointees, but each president gets to make about 4,000 appointments (including the roughly 1,200 positions requiring Senate confirmation). The presidency is obviously about more than one man.

Even so, it's interestingand perhaps tellingthat we've now had two consecutive presidential administrations deploy versions of this same argument in response to questions about the fitness of the man allegedly running the federal government.

During the Trump administration, Trump-skeptical Republicans frequently used a similar argument to justify supporting the then-president despite his obvious temperamental problems and general lack of interest in the minutia of policy making. It was about the judges he'd appoint. It was about the regulations that his executive branch appointees would undo. It was about the military leaders who would prevent him from doing something reckless.

Maybe the presidency is just the friends we made along the way?

The same argument is making the rounds in Republican circles during this campaign. "It is entirely possible to believe that Trump should not be president because he wants to act in a manner that is inconsistent with our Constitution, but that, if he does become president, he will fail to escape the system's core constraints," writes National Review's Charles Cooke, who is the epitome of a Trump-skeptical conservative. "To make this case is not to 'defend Trump,' but to profess confidence in the American model of government against those who would undermine it."

Whether as a way to constrain the worst impulses of a chaotic populist in the Oval Office or as a way to prop up a guy who needs to be in bed by 8 p.m., this line of argument makes strategic sense. It's meant to reassure voters that they can continue supporting the name on the top of the ticket even if they have misgivings about the president himself. Maybe Biden thinks that he "beat Medicare," but don't worry because there's someone more responsible actually running the program.

But this whole line of argument, while accurate, is notably in tension with how most modern presidential campaigns operate. They're all about the guy on top of the ticket.

Maybe that needs to change. We expect a president to name his or her running mate before the convention, but perhaps that expectation should be extended to other positions in the administration too.

That's not to say that Trump or Biden need to give us a list of 4,000 people they'd appoint if elected. But if the administration really is so much more than a single person, would it hurt for voters to have a better idea of who will be filling key postsposts that, generally speaking, are more important than the vice presidency anyway?

That would provide more transparency and information for voters. It might also help to short-circuit the dangerous tendency to build cults of personality around presidents, which would be healthy for our democracy.

The modern presidency is obviously too big for any one person to completely runand certainly well beyond the capabilities of Trump and Biden in their current states. We should be more willing to say as much.

The post How Much Does the President Matter? appeared first on Reason.com.
Several people were injured during the opening ceremony of the "Stadium of Fire," an annual Utah event celebrating the 4th of July, CBS News affiliate KUTV reported Thursday.

The celebration, which included a jet flyover, a skydiving display and a performance by the Jonas Brothers, was held at Brigham Young University's LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo.

Janna-Lee Holland, the public information officer for the Provo Police Department, told KUTV that fireworks misfired and shot into the audience, injuring several people. Holland did not provide any information about the number of injuries reported, but video shared by KUTV on social media shows fireworks veering off and striking the crowd.

BREAKING: Multiple people sent to hospital after fireworks mishap during Stadium of Fire at LaVell Edwards Stadium.



FULL STORY: https://t.co/obd5oZKdg6

: Forrest Hassell pic.twitter.com/EVDO6z2Ka4  KUTV2news (@KUTV2News) July 5, 2024

When contacted by CBS News on Friday, the Provo Police Department directed all inquiries about the incident, including questions about injuries, to event organizer Freedom Festival. Freedom Festival did not respond to a request for comment from CBS News, but told KUTV in a statement that "safety is of the utmost importance to us."

"All pyrotechnics are thoroughly checked before the show, and were rechecked after the incident," the organizers told KUTV. "Our thoughts are with those who are impacted by the incident and we are following up with them to make sure they are okay."

The Stadium of Fire was paused, but ultimately continued after the fireworks mishap, according to KUTV.

How soldiers use this fast, cheap solution to quickly cool down in intense heat

Hurricane Beryl moves past Jamaica, bringing punishing winds and storm surge

Friends save raccoon choking on cheese at cookout
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)  A wanted man was taken into custody on a child enticement charge, according to the Muscogee County Sheriffs Office.

MCSO says its sex offender task force called the Conyers Police Department about a fugitive in the area outside of Atlanta.

The Conyers Police Department found and arrested Corey Roell during a traffic stop. The sheriffs office says Roell gave a false name to officers before he was arrested and taken to Rockdale County Jail.

Roell will be taken back to Muscogee County. He faces a felony charge of enticing a child for indecent purposes. Additionally, Roell was charged with giving a false name.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 5, 2024 - 22:35 | World, All, Japan

A Taiwanese fishing vessel was intercepted by Japanese authorities in the early hours of Friday on suspicion of illegally operating in waters near Amami-Oshima Island in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima, according to Taiwan's coast guard.

It said the Fu Yang No. 266, registered in Taiwan's northern port city of Keelung, was intercepted by the Japanese Fisheries Agency around 300 kilometers northwest of Amami-Oshima.

A Kyushu regional office of the agency said it had arrested the 71-year-old captain of the boat on suspicion of fishing without permission Friday morning in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Taiwan's Fisheries Agency said the captain was later released and returned to the fishing vessel, after its owner paid bail. The boat had eight crew members including another Taiwanese and six Indonesians.

Related coverage:

Japan confirms China set up buoy over its southern continental shelf

Taiwanese fishing boat seized by China in waters near Kinmen
The Big Apples newest drug bump isnt so pretty in pink.

A pink mystery powder reportedly beloved by disgraced mogul Diddy and linked to a dangerous Venezuelan gang is blowing through New York Citys illicit drug scene, law enforcement sources and experts tell The Post.

The synthetic drug concoction known as tusi or pink cocaine has popped up in a growing number of recent narcotics busts, including of an Upper East Side woman who allegedly openly sold it on a messaging app, sources said.

It is cheaper than coke, said Ray Donovan, former chief of operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration. It is a cheap club drug.

Tusi, or pink cocaine, originated in Latin America but has spread into the US and New York City in recent years. AFP via Getty Images

Tusi originally sprang up in Latin America within the last decade  as a phonetic play on 2C, a group of psychedelic drugs popular in the nightlife set  said Joseph Palamar, an associate professor of population health at NYU Langone who recently published a study on the pink powder.

But the drug isnt primarily 2C  or even cocaine, despite its monikers, he said.

Instead, its always mostly ketamine, in addition to swirling cocktail of other narcotics such as MDMA, methamphetamine, opioids and small amounts of cocaine, depending on whoever is brewing the batch, Palamar said.

The only ingredient that apparently wont get users high is what gives the drug its distinctive pink color: food coloring.

Its the new mystery powder to hit nightclubs, Palamar said.

I think everybodys concoction is going to be different from the next persons.

Special narcotics prosecutor officials started seeing tusi pop up in New York City during 2023. Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor

The candy-colored drugs Latin American link isnt just in its origin, but also in its association with the notorious Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela that accused NYPD cop shooter Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, 19, said is smuggling guns into migrant shelters, according to authorities.

Jason Savino, the NYPDs assistant chief of detectives, told Fox 5 last week that the gang has expanded into trafficking tusi. Police sources told The Post that Tren de Aragua-linked crooks are peddling tusi on Roosevelt Avenue street corners, a notorious open-air drug and prostitution market in Jackson Heights.

Bradley Fernandez  a 36-year-old busted by NYPD cops in April on the Lower East Side with a half kilo of tusi, as well as cocaine and guns.

But other pink cocaine-peddling slime are homegrown, sources said.

Bradley Fernandez  a 36-year-old busted by NYPD cops in April on the Lower East Side with a half kilo of tusi, as well as cocaine and guns  had no known Tren de Aragua association, according to sources. He has pleaded not guilty to drug and firearms charges, court records show.

Tusi first popped up on the New York Citys Special Narcotics Prosecutors Offices radar about 2023, when investigators that January stopped a Toyota Highlander in the Meatpacking District hauling a 10-pound bag of pink cocaine, officials said.

Guns and drugs confiscated during Fernandezs bust.

Since then, investigators with the office found that an Upper East Side woman, Deidra Jackson, brazenly advertised on the Telegram messaging app that she was selling tusi, authorities said.

Toosi/Pink Coke was one of 10 different drugs listed on a menu posted on Telegram by Jackson, according to a screenshot provided to The Post.

A probe by Homeland Security Investigations ended with a June 25 bust at Jacksons York Avenue apartment, in which authorities arrested her and confiscated cocaine and a pink powdery substance, a criminal complaint states. Jackson pleaded not guilty and was ordered held on a $200,000 cash bond, authorities said.

Toosi/Pink Coke is one of 10 different drugs listed on a menu posted on Telegram. Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor

Authorities confiscated cocaine and a pink powdery substance from a Upper East Side apartment in June. Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor

NYPD sources said that tusi has another street-level nickname because of its association with a jet-setter: the Diddy Drug.

New Yorks own Sean Diddy Combs penchant for pink cocaine was alleged in a high-profile civil lawsuit against the embattled hip-hop mogul.

His ex-girlfriend Yung Miami transported the drug for him on a private jet from Miami, Florida, to a Virginia music festival because because Sean Combs wanted tusi but Brendan [Paul, Diddys alleged drug mule] forgot it, the lawsuit states.

Law enforcement sources said that tusis loosey-goosey combination of ingredients raise drug users ever-present risk of accidental overdose to new heights.

We saw one drug dealer marketing two entirely different substances as pink cocaine: one, a mixture of cocaine, ketamine and MDMA dyed pink; another batch, ketamine alone, said Bridget Brennan, the citys special narcotics prosecutor, in a statement.

Tusi is also nicknamed the Diddy Drug, police sources said. AFP via Getty Images

What the seller calls the product may have no relationship to what it contains.

Dealers could also mix fentanyl  a synthetic opioid commonly cut into cocaine and heroin, and linked to 200,000 overdose deaths since President Biden took office  into already free-wheeling tusi concoctions, an NYPD source said.

We want to raise awareness, because thats the next thing  its just a matter of time we see fentanyl make its way in there and it gets stepped on too many times, Savino, the NYPD official, told The Post this week.

Ex-DEA official Donovan agreed: It is not big yet, but the concern is that it will catch fire.

Even without fentanyl, tusi use can lead to dangerous reactions, Palamar said, noting nightclub-goers can mistakenly think their pink cocaine will counteract the effects of alcohol.

Ketamine, the concoctions primary ingredient, can be deadly when mixed with alcohol, he said.

You literally dont know what theyre putting in it, Palamar said.
The six NASA astronauts currently living on the International Space Station send a Fourth of July message down to Earth in 2024. | Credit: NASA

The six NASA astronauts who are living off planet at the moment just beamed a special birthday message down to their home country.

Mike Barratt, Matt Dominick, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore each took a turn at the mic, saying a few words about the Fourth of July from their perch aboard the International Space Station (ISS), about 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth.

"The Fourth of July always reminds me of the freedoms that we continue to fight for every day, all over the world," Epps said in the new video, which NASA released on Wednesday (July 3).

four men and two women float aboard the international space station, with an american flag in the background

RELATED STORIES:

 International Space Station: Everything you need to know about the orbital laboratory

 Starliner: Boeing's next-generation spaceship for astronauts

 Astronauts celebrate July 4 in space and honor Houston

"For me, the Fourth of July is just a reminder of the fortitude that it took for our forefathers and their families to not only have the will to fight for our freedom, but also the courage to do so," Dyson said.

Barratt came prepared, holding copies of the Declaration of Independence, the first draft of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

"These are sacred words that every American should be familiar with," Barratt said.

"They're sacred because they provided a framework for this idea of an independent, multicultural democracy to form and actually function," he added. "And we're still building our more perfect union; everybody knows that. But let's recommit, and, as we do that, let's celebrate the Fourth of July and celebrate the great nation that we live in."

Barratt, Dominick and Epps came to the ISS in early March on SpaceX's Crew-8 mission. Dyson arrived a few weeks later aboard a Russian Soyuz vehicle. All four are spending about six months aboard the orbiting lab.

Williams and Wilmore are shorter-term residents; they arrived on June 6 on the first-ever crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner capsule. That mission, known as Crew Flight Test (CFT), was expected to last just 10 days or so, but it has been extended multiple times as NASA and Boeing investigate helium leaks and thruster issues that have cropped up on Starliner. There is currently no target departure date for CFT.

The six NASA astronauts aren't the ISS's only current residents. Cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin and Oleg Kononenko are also living on the ISS, but they did not participate in the July 4 video message.
Parachutes guide Boeing's Starliner capsule to the ground after a test of the spacecraft's launch abort system in November 2019. (Associated Press)

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore spent an unexpected Fourth of July aboard the International Space Station  but it was hardly a patriotic display of engineering prowess.

The two NASA astronauts docked with the orbiting lab June 6 for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission, but their return home may be delayed for months in what has become a star-crossed test flight for Boeing's new Starliner capsule.

Not only was the launch of the spacecraft with astronauts aboard for the first time repeatedly delayed due to multiple problems, but NASA and Boeing are taking a cautious approach in returning the pair to earth largely due to five thrusters that malfunctioned during docking.

Read more: After repeated delays, Starliner finally blasts into space

Four of the tiny engines that direct the craft in space are now working properly, but engineers don't have a clear understanding of what caused the shutdown, so they have decided to conduct ground tests at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, NASA officials said. The tests will put a Starliner thruster through its paces in a replicated space environment.

The delay also will allow engineers to further study a helium leak in the capsule's propulsion system that was first detected prior to launch and worsened as Starliner made its way up to the space station roughly 250 miles above earth. The gas is used to pressurize the Starliner's propulsion system.

However, both the company and space agency stressed at a press conference earlier this week that the astronauts are not stranded in space and, if need be, they could board Starliner and return to Earth immediately if there is an emergency aboard the space station.

"We're not stuck on ISS. The crew is not in any danger, and there's no increased risk when we decide to bring Suni and Butch back to Earth," said Mark Nappi, manager of Boeing's Commercial Crew Program.

Ken Bowersox, an associate administrator at NASA, said the delay will allow for the collection of more data and that there is no hurry to bring the astronauts back. "We have the luxury of time," he said.

Before launch, NASA had said the batteries aboard Starliner were rated for 45 days but during the press conference they indicated they were performing well and would be rated to last another 45 days. On regular missions to service the station, Starliner would stay docked for six months.

NASA and Boeing also will not have a chance to examine the thrusters or investigate the helium leak when Starliner returns since the propulsion system is jettisoned before the return to earth.

Nevertheless, the desire to conduct ground tests expected to take weeks has highlighted yet again how far Arlington, Va.-based Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company, has fallen behind Elon Musk's Hawthorne upstart SpaceX  at least in the program to service the space station.

Both companies were given multibillion-dollar contracts in 2014 to develop their crafts, and since 2020 Elon Musks Hawthorne company has ferried more than half a dozen crews aboard its Crew Dragon capsule to the station  while Boeing has managed only two remote flights, including a first that failed to reach orbit and a second in May 2022 that docked with the orbiting lab.

The current mission with astronauts aboard was scheduled to launch last year but was delayed due to the need to replace flammable tape used extensively in Starliner and a second issue with the parachute system that will slow its descent for a ground landing in the Southwest.

Then, this year's May 6 launch date was repeatedly delayed, at first due to a malfunctioning valve on the Atlas V rocket that launches Starliner into space. The workhorse rocket is manufactured by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Additional launch dates were missed due to the helium leak, believed caused by a single defective seal, so software fixes were developed to work around it  but then additional leaks developed after the launch. However, NASA and Boeing officials says the craft has 10 times more helium than it needs to return to earth.

Boeing has reportedly had to absorb $1.5 billion in Starliner cost overruns, even as it continues to deal with the fallout from the two crashes of its 737 Max 8 jets in 2018 and 2019.

The company is weighing whether to plead guilty to a charge of fraud over allegations it misled regulators who approved the new, larger version of the 737, including how much flight training pilots would need, according to the Associated Press.

Boeing also announced plans this week to acquire Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier it had spun off in 2005 as it moved to outsource more work on its commercial jets. Spirit supplied the fuselage of the Alaska Airline Max 9 that experienced a panel blowout Jan. 5 on its way to Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County. Boeing's chief executive called the acquisition "in the best interest of the flying public."

Meanwhile, SpaceX last month was awarded a NASA contract worth as much as $843 million to build a spacecraft to guide the International Space Station out of orbit so it can burn up in the atmosphere when it is retired in 2030.

Bloomberg reported last month that the privately held company is now valued at a record $210 billion following a company tender offer to insiders that priced shares at $112.

Should Starliner get certified, the dismantling of the space station would leave the spacecraft with only a handful of scheduled service flights, prompting speculation that Boeing may end the program.

However, the company says it has plans for Starliner to service the Orbital Reef orbiting station in development by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space company.

Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian national flag is pictured in front of the NATO emblem in central Kyiv

By Steve Holland and Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -NATO allies at their summit in Washington next week will unveil a "bridge to membership" plan for Ukraine and announce steps to bolster Kyiv's air defenses, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.

"Allies will reaffirm that Ukraine's future is in NATO, will make significant new announcements about how we're increasing NATO's military political and financial support for Ukraine. This is part of Ukraine's bridge to NATO," the official told reporters.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who is battling to remain a viable candidate for re-election after a stumbling debate performance against Republican Donald Trump, will play host to the leaders of NATO's 32 members beginning Tuesday in Washington.

Biden is expected to hold a rare solo news conference during the summit.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who lobbied unsuccessfully for a political invitation to join NATO at its summit in Vilnius last summer, has said that this year's summit should resolve the matter of inviting Kyiv to join.

The senior U.S. official described the "bridge to membership" plan as quite substantial that will include training coordination, logistics and force development.

"This is a very serious effort to get Ukraine in a position...where it will be ready to assume its roles and responsibilities within the alliance on day one," the official said.

Zelenskiy is expected to attend the summit. Ukraine has been trying to push back Russian advances in the Kharkiv area.

The senior U.S. official also said the United States and some NATO allies will announce new steps "to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses and military capabilities to help Ukraine continue to defend themselves today."

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Simon LewisEditing by Alistair Bell)
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, takes part in a press conference with Chancellor Scholz in the Chancellery. Hannes P Albert/dpa

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed the alliance is to provide Ukraine with military aid worth 40 billion ($43 billion) in 2025 in a press conference on Friday.

The secretary general said allies have agreed to sustain this financial pledge next year as a "minimum baseline" to meet Ukraine's needs in the defence against the Russian invasion.

NATO leaders are meeting in Washington next week to celebrate the alliance's 75th anniversary and send a strong message of support to Ukraine.

The 40 billion pledge however is not the multi-year financial commitment to support Ukraine that Stoltenberg wanted allies to agree on. The alliance will also review the military aid next year.

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.

The United States is the major military power in NATO and is the alliance's highest defence spender. Trump however has repeatedly made sceptical remarks about the alliance on the campaign trail.

Stoltenberg refused to answer questions about US President Joe Biden's fitness for office after a botched television debate performance, instead protesting that NATO must stay out of domestic politics.

Stoltenberg also said that the alliance will announce a new support project for Ukraine called NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU).

NATO "will take over" the coordination and provision of military aid to Ukraine and the training of Ukraine's armed force, Stoltenberg said, stressing this does not make the alliance part of the war.
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, takes part in a press conference with Chancellor Scholz in the Chancellery. Hannes P Albert/dpa

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hopes Ukraine can join the alliance within the next decade, he told dpa in an interview published on Friday.

"I strongly hope that Ukraine will be an ally," he said in an answer to a question about the possible expansion of NATO within the next 10 years, underlining his work to achieve this during his term.

The outgoing secretary general was speaking ahead of a NATO leaders' summit in Washington where the alliance is celebrating its 75th anniversary and is set to announce new support for Ukraine.

Stoltenberg called on NATO allies to supply Ukraine with more military aid to defeat the the Russian invasion. "The stronger our support, the sooner this war can end," he said.

"That's the paradox. The more we commit for a long haul, the sooner the war can end. Because now [Russian President Vladimir] Putin believes that he can wait us out," he added.

Stoltenberg's expansion comments ahead of the Washington summit align him with allies who are counting on prompt progress to admit Ukraine, which was actually agreed in principle back in 2008.

The issue is however controversial within NATO. There is no timetable to let Ukraine join and there is no official invitation.

The alliance requires a consensus to invite Ukraine to join, and Germany and the United States have made clear they are against this while the country is under attack from Russia.

A declaration from a NATO leaders' summit last year in Vilnius only said that invitation will be sent when allies "agree and conditions are met."

The NATO declaration highlighted democratic reforms and reforms in Ukraine's security sector as examples of those conditions.
NATO leaders will vow to pour weapons into Ukraine for another year, but membership is off the table

FILE - President Joe Biden, left, speaks at an event with G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the NATO Summit, in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 12, 2023. United States President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet in Washington for a three-day summit beginning Tuesday, July 9, 2024 to mark the military alliance's 75th anniversary, with Russian troops pressing their advantave along Ukraine's eastern front in the third year of war. (Paul Ellis/Pool Photo via AP, File)

BRUSSELS (AP)  NATO leaders plan to pledge next week to keep pouring arms and ammunition into Ukraine at current levels for at least another year, hoping to reassure the war-ravaged country of their ongoing support and show Russian President Vladimir Putin that they will not walk away.

U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet in Washington for a three-day summit beginning Tuesday to mark the military alliances 75th anniversary as Russian troops press their advantage along Ukraines eastern front in the third year of the war.

Speaking to reporters Friday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO's 32 member countries have been spending around 40 billion euros ($43 billion) each year on military equipment for Ukraine since the war began in February 2022 and that this should be a minimum baseline going forward.

I expect allies will decide at the summit to sustain this level within the next year, Stoltenberg said. He said the amount would be shared among nations based on their economic growth and that the leaders will review the figure when they meet again in 2025.

NATO is desperate to do more for Ukraine but is struggling to find new ways. Already, NATO allies provide 99% of the military support it gets. Soon, the alliance will manage equipment deliveries. But two red lines remain: no NATO membership until the war is over, and no NATO boots on the ground there.

At their last summit, NATO leaders agreed to fast-track Ukraines membership process  although the country is unlikely to join for many years  and set up a high-level body for emergency consultations. Several countries promised more military equipment.

A year on, they want to put on a fresh display of unity and resolve, even as uncertainty over elections roils many of the organization's biggest members. The possible return of Donald Trump, who undermined trust among the allies while he was the U.S. president, is a particular concern.

But governments in France and Germany also were weakened in elections this year. Italy is led by a prime minister whose party has neo-fascist roots, while an anti-immigrant party heads a shaky coalition in the Netherlands and Spains Cabinet relies on small parties to rule. The U.K. will have a new leader.

Whoever might be in power though, its become clear that theres not a lot more that NATO can do.

Lately, Stoltenberg has insisted on a long-term commitment to Ukraine. Major funding delays, notably due to political wrangling in the U.S. Congress, have left the countrys armed forces, in his words, to defend themselves with one hand tied on the back.

He had hoped the allies would agree to spend at least 40 billion euros annually on weapons in a major, multi-year program. It does not mean an increase in support, though. The figure roughly equals what they have already spent each year since the war began.

One new initiative the leaders are likely to endorse is a mission to get the right military equipment into Ukraine and streamline training for its armed forces. In their haste to help, Western backers have inundated Ukraine with all kinds of weapons and materiel.

In the early chaos of war, anything was welcome, but the deliveries have become unmanageable  a multitude of different kinds of vehicles or defense systems that require distinct maintenance plans and dedicated supply chains to keep them running.

Offers of training programs outside Ukraine have also been abundant, indeed so prolific and different that its armed forces struggle to prioritize which troops to send, to what NATO country, and for how long.

Weve let a thousand flowers bloom, conceded a senior U.S. State Department official, but added that with a new mission, probably based in Wiesbaden, Germany, and under the likely leadership of a U.S. general, NATO can come in and say: Weve got it.

The official requested anonymity to discuss plans that had not been finalized.

Sending military equipment via this new mission would also prevent rogue governments or leaders from meddling with joint deliveries. NATO officials say the mission would complement the U.S.-led effort to drum up arms, the so-called Ramstein group.

The U.S. will announce new steps to strengthen Ukraines air defenses and military capabilities, according to a senior Biden administration official.

The official, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, declined to detail the air defense capabilities that would be sent. But the administration signaled last month that the U.S. will rush delivery of air defense interceptor missiles to Ukraine by redirecting planned shipments to other allied nations.

The official said members of the NATO-Ukraine Council would meet Thursday at the summit. Later that day, Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will host an event with leaders from nearly two dozen other nations who have negotiated and signed bilateral security agreements with Ukraine.

A conundrum for NATO leaders is how to frame Ukraines membership prospects without letting it join. Many allies refuse to allow Ukraine in while fighting continues, concerned about being dragged into a wider war with Russia. Hungary opposes Ukraines membership altogether.

In the run-up to the summit, NATO envoys have been weighing the use of words such as irreversible to describe Ukraines path to membership as they tweak language that has shifted constantly since they promised in 2008 that the country would join one day.

Its unclear how this will be accepted in Kyiv. At their last meeting, the leaders were noncommittal about timing, saying only that they would be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met.

Zelenskyy described it as unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraines membership. He complained that vague wording about conditions is added even for inviting Ukraine.

In recent weeks, Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials have been briefed on developments to avoid a repeat of the criticism. Stoltenberg said he and Zelenskyy agreed earlier this month that the new steps the leaders will take constitute a bridge to NATO membership and a very strong package for Ukraine at the summit."

Membership would protect Ukraine against a giant neighbor that annexed its Crimean Peninsula a decade ago and more recently seized vast swaths of land in the east and south. Before then, Kyiv must reform its security institutions, improve governance and curb corruption.

___

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed from Washington.
Next week, several heads of state and ministers of defense will gather in Washington, D.C., for the 2024 NATO Summit. The three-day gathering will address the challenges facing the Alliance and discuss how to further strengthen NATOs deterrence and defence in the 21st century. At the top of the agenda will be NATOs deterrence and defense initiatives, and how NATO can build and strengthen partnerships and relationships with various countries.

Alliance members will also discuss the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. In addition, they will need to discuss supply chain management and defense acquisition. These two topics will be crucial during this years gathering.

During the 2023 NATO Summit, members reaffirmed their commitment to helping defend Ukraine. The alliance established the NATO-Ukraine Council, a joint body where Allies and Ukraine sit as equal participants to advance political dialogue, engagement, cooperation and Ukraines aspirations for membership in NATO. NATO members also ruled to remove a membership action plan as a requirement for Ukrainian membership. Despite this progress, the alliance opted not to present an official invitation to the Ukrainians.

In the defense acquisition space, the alliance discussed formidable military capabilities. Several members also committed to increasing their defense spending, and they debated supplying Ukraine with various forms of military equipment. The discussions were viewed as a major victory for the alliance, and many experts predicted there would be a significant change.

What transpired, however, was much different. Nearly a year after the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, several Western media outlets have reported Russia has made gains in eastern Ukraine. In addition, it was stated that the Russian Federation was producing nearly three times more artillery munitions than the U.S. and Europe. Russia has also increased its defense capabilities by purchasing defense equipment from North Korea and Iran. This has allowed the Russians to arm themselves and continue their invasion of Ukraine.

Finland and Sweden in NATO are strategic assets, not liabilities

Meanwhile, as the Russians made their gains in the east, the European Union and the United States delayed additional aid to Ukraine. In Europe, a new assistance package was initially proposed in June 2023. This included financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

The package, however, was stalled, as EU members disagreed on the total cost of the assistance, its impact and its distribution. (The majority of EU members are also members of NATO.) After several months of debating, the assistance package was finally passed in February 2024. In other words, aid to Ukraine from the EU was delayed for eight months.

Similarly, in the United States, a new defense and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine was proposed in October 2023. Elected officials in the House of Representatives and the Senate argued the need for the aid, and they constantly revised the legislation. After several deliberations and delays, the new U.S. assistance package was finally passed in April 2024, nearly seven months after it was initially presented.

While the legislative bodies in the EU and the U.S. delayed assistance to Ukraine, several reports stated that the Ukrainians were running out of ammunition. During the autumn and winter of 2023 to 2024, the Ukrainians needed to reprioritize and strategize their efforts to minimize casualties while protecting their citizens. The Ukrainians lost some territory to Russia in the east.

Given these developments over the past year, NATO members must work more closely and thoughtfully with the Ukrainians to ensure they are victorious in their efforts against the Russians. Addressing the defense acquisition space will be an essential place to start. NATO members should consider addressing at least three areas.

First, NATO should encourage technology sharing to enhance interoperability between member countries. Information sharing reduces duplication, enables pooling of resources and produces synergies among all Allies. It would allow NATO members to manufacture equipment more efficiently and effectively, and it would limit manufacturing setbacks.

In addition, it would lessen the burden on defense industries in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, and force other NATO members to pull their weight in the defense-industrial space. This would also enhance their collective national security.

Once information sharing has been identified, NATO members could expand their defense industries using these new technical abilities. Outdated manufacturing plants in the United States and Europe could be refurbished to create new equipment. This would allow Western countries to develop equipment and hardware more quickly, supplying Ukraine with the necessary tools to win the war.

Manufacturing these materials would also help NATO replenish its stockpiles while it supplies the Ukrainians with weapons. In addition, using these factories would create new employment opportunities for Americans and Europeans, leading to job growth. This would help boost Western economies.

Finally, producing more equipment more efficiently and rapidly would help address delays in providing defense assistance to Ukraine. A surplus in production would increase the equipment and hardware NATO members have available. These countries can then send this hardware to the Ukrainians more easily, as the equipment will be available.

In addition, rather than creating equipment from scratch, some Western countries have refurbished older defense equipment, thus reducing the delay on goods.

In short, enhancing NATOs defense acquisition sector will take time. It will not be easy, and it will require all 32 NATO members to cooperate and collaborate to ensure supply chain issues are addressed, manufacturing is increased, and aid to Ukraine is provided more efficiently and effectively. Providing Ukraine with the tools it needs will help it defend itself against the ongoing Russian invasion and take back its territory.

Additional delays in aiding Ukraine, however, will allow the Russians to bolster their defenses. It will give the Russians additional time to increase their weapons production, purchase equipment from North Korea and Iran, and continue waging its war against Ukraine. This would result in further destruction and devastation across Ukraine. It will also lead to the additional loss of life.

Therefore, if NATO is serious about helping Ukraine win the war against Russia, then it must address these previous munition shortcomings and enhance defense procurement. Otherwise, should there be future delays, then this could see the Russian invasion of Ukraine quickly turn into a forever war. No one will want this.

Mark Temnycky is a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council think tanks Eurasia Center.
A NATO sub hunter captured these shots of a Russian submarine in waters newly surrounded by the alliance

A NATO ally captured images of a Russian submarine in the Baltic Sea last week.

The submarine was spotted by a Portuguese P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

Russia conducted sub drills, including a torpedo duel, in the Baltic Sea recently.

A NATO ally's anti-submarine warfare aircraft captured photos of a Russian sub navigating the Baltic Sea last week, highlighting the alliance's continuous efforts to keep track of Russian activity in the undersea domain.

The surveillance photographs, which show the surfaced submarine, were taken around the same time the Russian military conducted submarine exercises in the Baltic Sea, which involved a pair of subs engaging in a torpedo duel.

NATO Maritime Command shared the photos on X and other social media platforms on Wednesday, noting that the Russian sub was photographed by a Portuguese P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, an ASW platform made by Lockheed Martin.

#NATOs eyes in the sky monitor maritime activity. These images of a Russian submarine were taken last week by  P3 Maritime Patrol Aircraft while under #NATO in the #BalticSea. #WeAreNATO #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/RPiKsp5H5D  NATO Maritime Command (@NATO_MARCOM) July 3, 2024

The P-3 Orion anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft was used by the US Navy for decades until it was succeeded by the sophisticated P-8A Poseidon, an advanced aircraft introduced in 2013 and highly regarded as one of the best maritime patrol aircraft in service. Other nations continue to use the P-3s, though.

A P-8 Poseidon recently operated over the Norwegian Sea late last month, joined by a US Navy nuclear ballistic missile submarine and other vessels and aircraft, including an E6-B Mercury "Doomsday" plane, in what appeared to be an unusual flex amid persistent tensions with Russia.

While it's unclear what Russian sub was documented in these photos, Russia recently conducted a submarine exercise in the Baltic Sea. Two Russian Kilo-class, diesel-electric subs  the Novorossiysk and Dmitrov  held a training duel involving torpedo fire last week, around the same time the NATO photos were taken.

The Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, part of the Russian naval detachment visiting Cuba, arrives at Havana's harbor. YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images

After wrapping up the duel, the Russian submarines  capable undersea assets known for being relatively quiet, especially the more advanced Novorossiysk  went on to conduct other combat exercises in the Baltic Sea, Russian state media said.

The Baltic Sea, where the drills took place, has seen a major geopolitical shift in recent years with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Finland and Sweden both joining NATO. Sweden became the newest member in March 2024.

With eight of the nine countries bordering the Baltic Sea now being NATO members  the only remaining one Russia  the body of water is sometimes called a "NATO lake," although this term has been criticized for glossing over how strategically important the region is for both NATO allies and Russia alike.

Russian submarines are active far beyond the Baltic Sea and remain an important element of the Russian navy. For instance, the submarine Kazan was spotted in Cuba recently during a Russian navy flotilla visit and prior to exercises in the Caribbean. The Kazan is one of a class of Russian submarines that have concerned NATO allies for years.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Over and out: All going to plan, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will chair his last summit of the alliance's leaders next week in Washington.

The NATO chief, however, does not show any diminished signs of commitment. In an interview with dpa, the former Norwegian prime minister set out his expectations for Ukraine, and a potential second turn for Donald Trump in the White House.

dpa: Mr secretary general, since June 26, it's official. After 10 years at the head of NATO, your mandate will definitely end on October 1. Are you relieved that the NATO states have finally found a successor for you? Or were you secretly hoping that you would be asked to continue after all?

Stoltenberg: No, I very much welcome that NATO allies have agreed on my successor and ... Mark Rutte will be an excellent secretary general of NATO.

I have known him for many years. He also has demonstrated throughout all these years his abilities to be a consensus builder, which he will take with him when he comes to NATO.

It has been a privilege to serve at NATO for a decade. I thought when I arrived that it [would be] four, maximum five years.

I've been prime minister for 10 years and I didn't imagine that I was going to be secretary general as long as I have been prime minister. But now it's right to leave, and therefore this is good for NATO and it's good for me.

dpa: When you think back, what has been the best moment of your time in office so far?

Stoltenberg: It's always extremely difficult to rank different events and achievements. But of course, to have Finland and Sweden as NATO allies was something I appreciate very much.

It demonstrated so clearly to President Putin that he didn't succeed in closing NATO's door. He wanted NATO to guarantee that we would not allow any more allies. He got the opposite. He got two very capable new allies into the alliance.

dpa: What was the most bitter moment? The start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine? Or the withdrawal from Afghanistan forced by the USA, which ended with the Taliban returning to power?

Stoltenberg: But of course, the full-fledged invasion of Ukraine imposes the biggest security challenge to NATO since the end of the Cold War, and it's the biggest war in Europe since the Second World War. That remains perhaps the most dramatic and the biggest challenge we have faced throughout my tenure.

dpa: The last major event of your term of office will probably be next week's summit in Washington, where the 75th anniversary of the alliance will also be celebrated once again. Do you expect Russia to try to disrupt the celebrations?

Stoltenberg: [There] has been speculations about this before almost every summit in my tenure. I remember the Warsaw summit back in 2016, where we made the decision to deploy [combat] troops to Eastern part of the alliance for the first time in history.

It was a speculation about Russia would try to intimidate or to do something ahead of that summit.

We also heard it before Madrid, we heard it especially before Vilnius. I don't know to what extent Russia actually had any major plans to try to interrupt our summit, but anyway, they have not succeeded.

Having said that, there is an ongoing campaign of Russia in Europe of sabotage, arson, cyberattacks, disinformation. Of course, we always have to be prepared that this can be ramped up in one way or another, be it linked to the summit or not.

dpa: A major support package for Ukraine will be discussed at the summit. What is it about?

Stoltenberg: I expect that allies will agree a long-term pledge to demonstrate that President Putin cannot wait us out.

I expect allies to agree a NATO command for Ukraine to have a stronger NATO framework for the support to make it more robust with the headquarters in Wiesbaden.

dpa: However, contrary to your demands, the allies will only make a concrete commitment to military aid totalling at least 40 billion ($43 billion) for a period of one year. What do they expect from the fact that future economic strength will be the decisive factor in determining who contributes how much?

Stoltenberg: Since we have to be prepared for this can last for a long time, I think more transparency, more predictability, and fair burden sharing in the provision of this support will make it more sustainable.

Then, of course, it's absolutely possible to give more than the minimum requirement, but at least we should ensure that everyone chip in their part based on GDP.

The reason why I believe this is important is that the stronger our support, the sooner this war can end. That's the paradox. The more we commit for a long haul, the sooner the war can end.

Because now Putin believes that he can wait us out. We need to convince him that he cannot wait us out, and then that may create the conditions for ending the war.

dpa: When you took office 10 years ago, NATO only had 28 members - today there are four more with Montenegro, North Macedonia, Finland and Sweden. Why don't you give us a personal tip: how many members will NATO have in 2034?

Stoltenberg: I strongly hope that Ukraine will be an ally, and I worked for that through my tenure here at NATO. There are other candidate members, but when those processes will be finalized, I will not speculate about.

dpa: Your successor Mark Rutte could have to deal with Donald Trump in the coming year, who - to put it mildly - is not exactly an easy ally. You have managed to get along with him to some extent. Do you have a good tip for Mark Rutte?

Stoltenberg: First, I'm absolutely confident that Mark Rutte will be able to work with whoever is elected as president of the United States in November.

I also know that Mark Rutte worked with and met president Trump when he was prime minister.

Then I will not give advice to Mark Rutte, but I expect that the US will remain a strong ally regardless of the outcome of the US elections
Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube (1st L) receives drought risk insurance payout from the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group to help alleviate the effects of the El Nino-induced drought during a handover ceremony in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 4, 2024.(Photo by Shaun Jusa/Xinhua)

HARARE, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe on Thursday received a total of 31.8 million U.S. dollars in drought insurance payout from the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group to help alleviate the effects of the El Nino-induced drought.

The payout follows the joint participation of the Zimbabwean government, the UN World Food Program (WFP), and Start Network, a non-governmental organization, in the ARC sovereign insurance risk pool for the 2023/2024 agricultural season.

Of the 31.8 million dollars, the Zimbabwean government received 16.8 million dollars while the WFP and Start Network got 6.1 million and 8.9 million dollars, respectively.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said the insurance payout will be distributed to about 508,435 vulnerable households in 27 districts across Zimbabwe.

"This payout will contribute immensely towards complementing the early drought response intervention measures which the government has put in place," Ncube said.

According to the government, Zimbabwe was affected this year by one of the worst El Nino-induced droughts in decades, which cut cereal production by 77 percent and left 60 percent of the country's population food insecure and in need of food aid.

In April, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster over the drought, and the government has appealed for more than 3 billion dollars to respond to the drought crisis.

Ncube said the ARC payout, the second for Zimbabwe after the initial 2019 drought insurance payout, will complement the government's efforts in ensuring food security.

"The ceremony marks a monumental occasion in our endeavors to mitigate the negative impacts of drought and to solidify our nation's resilience against climate-induced adversities. This immediate response is crucial for the resilience of our communities, ensuring that no household will suffer from hunger," he said.

Ncube commended the African Union (AU) for establishing the ARC, noting that it is a quick-win solution to disaster risk management and financing for many African countries.

The ARC is a specialized agency of the AU that was established in 2012 to assist member states in preparing for and responding to natural disasters, particularly droughts and other extreme weather events. 
In NC, a species of concern is threatened by the vagaries of climate change

Eastern hellbenders are cold and slick to the touch, but are also very muscular. (Photo: Lisa Sorg)

WATAUGA COUNTYBen Dalton broke the glassy surface of the Watauga River, spit out his mouthpiece and gasped for breath. All morning, Dalton, a state wildlife biologist, and two other snorkelers had been scouring the river bed, trying to rescue as many eastern hellbenders as they could.

So far, they had not saved a one.

They just hunker down and press themselves against the sides of the rock, Dalton said, in a nasal voice through his snorkeling mask. He wielded a tickler, which resembled a long, yellow pipe cleaner. Im going to try to goose the hellbender and see if it will shoot out the front.

Glistening in a sleek wetsuit, Dalton is thin, lean and agile, much like the hellbenders he was trying to rescue. In early July, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with support from American Rivers and MountainTrue, would begin staging heavy equipment nearby, the first step in dismantling the Shulls Mill Dam, southwest of Boone in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The dam, which once powered a timber mill, has fragmented and degraded the giant salamanders sensitive habitat.

Dalton is accustomed to the mercurial moods of amphibians. His biology career has taken him to Missouri, where he studied the Ozark Zigzag salamander, to Puerto Rico, where he observed Coqui frogs, and now to the mountains of North Carolina, where hes trying to outwit a hellbender.

If hellbenders dont want to come out, Dalton said, its really hard to get them out.

Throughout their range in the eastern U.S., the number of hellbenders is plummeting. In some states, like Ohio and Indiana, they are listed as endangered. North Carolina has the most hellbenders of any state in their range, but even here, they are classified as a species of concern: vulnerable, and without interventions, en route to becoming threatened or endangered. So precarious is the species in North Carolina that it is illegal to take, possess, transport or sell hellbenders or attempt to do so.

Theyve survived millions of years, said Lori Williams, a biologist with the state Wildlife Resources Commission. Something has changed now.

scuba divers in river

Williams has devoted much of her career to salamanders, especially the hellbender. The Wildlife Society named her Biologist of the Year in 2020 for her conservation and monitoring of their habitats.

Shes seen how in western North Carolina, extreme weather, the result of climate change, is altering the hellbenders habitat. When it floods, the force of the water can wash them out of the river. In 2021, after the catastrophic Tropical Storm Fred, Williams said, we found dead hellbenders near Asheville.

As recently as last fall, 15 mountain counties experienced severe drought conditions during a stretch that ranked among the top five driest periods on record, according to the State Climate Office. When stream levels drop, the hellbenders eggs are exposed to predators. Even full-grown hellbenders can be plucked from the water by river otters and bald eagles.

Dams, like the one at Shulls Mill, compound the effects of climate change on aquatic habitats. Without a free flow of fresh water, oxygen levels drop and river temperatures rise; both are detrimental to the hellbender, which needs cool, oxygenated water to survive. Sediment accumulates behind the dam, covering and suffocating critical food sources and breeding grounds.

But now, the dam will be demolished.

Some little ones will die, Williams said, sounding resigned. But its important to save the breeders.

Williams had tucked her brown hair beneath a gray-and-white cap emblazoned with NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Wearing a black wetsuit, she, too, was prepared to join the search. She turned and asked the rescue team to prepare to return and dive that night, if necessary. Thats when the hellbenders, who are nocturnal, would come out to feed on crayfish, their preferred food.

I dont want to leave any animal behind, Williams said.

Thwarted wanderlust

At midday, the scuba tanks arrived, which would allow the rescue team to remain underwater longer. With waterproof flashlights, the divers could seek out the hellbenders, which blend in with their surroundings: Rust-colored with black spots, stubby legs that end in padded pink toes and with a shovel-shaped tail, hellbenders appear prehistoric.

Hellbenders are beautiful, Dalton said. Theyre perfectly adapted to their environment. But whats really fascinating is that they can help tell us about the health of the streams.

Hellbenders are an indicator species. If climate change alters the river levels and temperatures, if trees are cut along the banks, if sediment enters the water from urban runoff, the number of hellbenders will decline.

underside of hellbender

Dr. Mike Gangloff, a professor of freshwater conservation biology at Appalachian State University, has been monitoring the health and number of hellbenders in North Carolina for more than 15 years.

In the headwaters of the Watauga River, the hellbender density is the highest in the state, like they were 500 years ago before we changed our rivers and the landscape.

But the worrisome trend, Gangloff said, is were not seeing as many middle-sized animals.

The proliferation of exurban luxury housing developments is degrading the water quality. These communities often have their own wastewater leachfields that discharge into the river, Gangloff said.

Private fishing clubs with state permits are stocking the river with large fish, Gangloff said, which can prey on the hellbender larvae. When we relocate the hellbenders, we put them where there are fewer ginormous fish, he said.

And when its time to mate, hellbenders have wanderlust, which dams thwart. They need to travel, Dalton said. They need large, continuous spans of river to breed.

The rescuers donned their scuba tanks and plunged into the river. They split off, some swimming toward a boulder and others heading for the dam.

The Shulls Mill dam has been abandoned since the Great Flood of 1940, which drowned and buried areas of western North Carolina in water and mud. Over the past 84 years, the dam has eroded and in one spot has been breached. A keyhole in the concrete allows some water to gush through like a firehose, while behind it lie slicks of sediment, a tangle of rebar and chunks of tree trunks and concrete.

The hellbenders cant make it through the dam, even though its been breached, said Andy Hill, Watauga riverkeeper and High Country regional director with MountainTrue. What were seeing is isolated thriving populations, but theyre not thriving throughout the system in a continuous way.

There are more than 28,351 dams in North Carolina, according to the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership. Most of them are privately owned, and many have been abandoned. A lot of these structures are remnants of the historical past, said Erin McCombs, Southeast conservation director with American Rivers. Sixty-three dams have been removed in North Carolina, gaining 5,593 miles of reconnected rivers and streamsequivalent to two trips across the continental United States.

Dam removal wont eliminate the effects of climate change, but it can mitigate them. Water temperatures decrease, and when stream banks are replanted with native trees and plants, theyre better equipped to trap sediment when the inevitable flood does occur.

Three years ago, the removal team dismantled the Ward Mill dam, also along Watauga. Unlike Shulls Mill, the Ward structure was intact, and a tall, wide table of sand had amassed behind it. Now that segment of the river flows freely and its conditions are optimal for the relocated hellbenders.

Rivers know how to be rivers, McCombs said. And when they are healthy, all life that depends on them benefits.

I Got Him!

The hellbender was cornered. But his removal required the rescue team to use pry bars to lift the boulder so Dalton could dive beneath it and retrieve him.

Give me a foot of space, Dalton told the rescue team. Make sure you have a good hold. If you cant hold that rock for 15 seconds or more, I wont go.

Dalton dove. The team lifted the rock. Other rescuers readied large nets.

After what seemed like an interminable length of time, Dalton bolted from the water.

I got him! Dalton said, hoisting the hellbender as if it were a newborn baby.

Hellbenders feel cool and wet, similar to Jell-O, yet tough and sturdy, like a well-toned bicep.

Dalton placed the hellbender in a mesh bag. Hannah Woodburn, a staff scientist at MountainTrue, gingerly removed him and placed him on a scaleabout a pound in weight and a foot in length. A brief wave of a wand indicated he had never been tagged by biologists.

Meanwhile, Lori Williams of the state Wildlife Resources Commission counted his toeshe had all of themand scanned his body for scarshe had none.

Hes not yet mated, Williams said. This will be his first season to fight.

Hannah Woodburn,

Williams injected a tag into his tail. And Woodburn placed him in an aerated cooler full of water until he would be relocated 12 miles to a different segment of the Watauga that afternoon. Scientists temporarily place hellbenders in wooden crates to allow them to calm down and get their bearings.

Near the dam, a diver yelled: I got another one!

It was a male, who had a bruised rear right foot and a missing toe on his back left.

And then another, and another. Over several days, the rescue team relocated eight hellbenders out of harms way.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife has begun chipping away at the dam and should be finished by mid-July.

This will serve as a climate change mitigation measure, said Hill, the Watauga riverkeeper. The river will meander once and again and find its own path. Youre allowing the river to flow free.

If you see an eastern hellbender in the wild, they should be left alone and reported to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Send the location, a photo if possible and other details to Lori Williams, a wildlife diversity biologist with the Wildlife Commission, at Lori.Williams@ncwildlife.org.

The post In NC, a species of concern is threatened by the vagaries of climate change appeared first on NC Newsline.
The National Education Association Staff Organizations (NEASO) announced Friday it is going on strike, prompting President Biden to cancel a planned speech before the NEAs convention.

The NEASO said they were on an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike against the NEA headquarters in Washington, D.C., filing two ULP complaints with the National Labor Relations Board.

The group alleges the countrys largest teachers union has not bargained over unilateral changes, accusing the NEA of wage theft and failing to provide information regarding outsourcing $50 million to contractors.

The National Education Association has threatened to host its convention virtually to avoid a physical picket line. For a union to trick its members into crossing a picket line is reprehensible. It also confirms what we have been saying: NEA has abandoned its union values with its actions at the bargaining table, said NEASO President Robin McLean.

NEA would rather cancel a multi-million-dollar convention than comply with labor law. NEA members should question where their hard-earned dues dollars are being used  and wasted, McLean added.

The NEA and its staff union met on Thursday night, and the NEA said it has offered to increase the average salary for employees from $124,004 to $133,218.

The strike will last for two days at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.

It is deeply concerning that misinformation has been shared related to our contract negotiations. This not only misrepresents the facts but also undermines the integrity of our ongoing efforts to honor a fair bargaining process, a spokesperson for the NEA said.

We have crafted in good faith a proposal for our NEASO staff to address their expressed interests while ensuring the longer-term health of our organization and the needs of our members. We will respect our staffs picket lines. In the end, we are confident there will be an agreement that ensures we continue to serve our mission and support our members, the spokesperson added.

In response to the news, Bidens reelection campaign announced he would no longer be addressing the NEA on Sunday.

President Biden is a fierce supporter of unions and he wont cross a picket line. The President is still planning to travel to Pennsylvania this weekend, and we will have more details to share at a later point, the campaign said in a statement.

Biden has repeatedly referred to himself as the most pro-labor president in history and in September he became the first sitting commander in chief to join a picket line, marching with autoworkers in Belleville, Mich.

Updated at 12:45 p.m. 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.
Nearly 4M to pass through Atlanta Hartsfield airport over Independence Day period

If youre planning to fly for an Independence Day trip, prepare for crowds.

Nearly 4 million passengers are expected to pass through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport over the Fourth of July travel period, with heavy volumes ramping up starting this Thursday.

The airport said the busy holiday travel period will extend from Thursday through Monday, July 8. The Fourth of July falls on a Thursday this year, and airport officials are preparing for a longer travel period that includes long weekends before and after the holiday.

The busiest day of the Fourth of July travel period is expected to be this Friday when more than 367,000 passengers are expected at Hartsfield-Jackson, including connecting travelers.

Other busy days will be Sunday, July 7 and Monday, July 8, with nearly as many passengers expected on those days.

Officials at the worlds busiest airport are recommending travelers get to the terminal at least 2.5 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights. Those who need wheelchair assistance should allow even more time.

During some of the airports busiest periods, security checkpoint wait times can reach 50 minutes.

AAA expects the number of people traveling over the Fourth of July period to set records in Georgia and nationally. More than 70.9 million people in the United States are expected to travel at least 50 miles over the Independence Day period by air, automobile and other modes of transportation, including 2.3 million people in Georgia.

Over Memorial Day travel period last month, the number of people passing through security checkpoints at Hartsfield-Jackson hit a record 111,000 on the Thursday before the holiday weekend.
How will Nevada cities and counties react to U.S. Supreme Court homeless ruling?

(Photo: Ronda Churchill)

Though a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision gives cities more leeway to criminalize unhoused people for sleeping in public, Nevada municipalities have already enacted punitive measures in recent years.

The Supreme Court on June 28 ruled that anti-camping bans passed by cities dont violate the 8th Amendments prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment even when there is a lack of adequate shelter spaces for the unhoused to go.

During Tuesdays Clark County Commission meeting, Chair Tick Segerblom questioned whether the county should consider an ordinance that prohibits camping following the Supreme Court ruling.

I dont want to arrest everybody, but I would like to make sure we at least correspond with other cities, he said.

Segerblom clarified with Current its only a consideration but no commitment.

Homelessness rates in Southern Nevada have grown in recent years, similar to rising rates across the country.

In 2023, the annual point-in-time count, which attempts to estimate the number of unhoused folks on any given night, showed that the number of people experiencing homelessness in Southern Nevada grew 16% from the previous year. The largest increase was among families with children.

Athar Haseebullah, the executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, warned cities cant criminalize their way out of the homelessness problem and should instead invest in building affordable housing and adequate shelter space.

Its alarming they constantly talk about this rhetoric suggesting (criminalization) is just one tool in the toolbox, Haseebullah said. In fact, it is the only tool that they continue to use over and over. Its been inefficient at solving anything.

Enforcement of criminalization is expensive  from the time it takes to prosecute low-level offenses to the costs of keeping a person in jail, he added.

Do they have money for enforcement after the lawsuit they just settled? Haseebullah asked, referring to a controversial $80 million settlement with Gypsum Resources over a legal dispute involving a planned housing development near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. They should probably figure out cost-saving mechanisms instead of devoting more resources to issues like this unless its something that will create long term cost savings.

Grants Pass ruling

In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court reversed Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, a decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, whose jurisdiction includes Nevada.

In the 2022 decision, the appellate court ruled in favor of unhoused people who sought to overturn city ordinances passed in Grants Pass, Oregon, that restricted and fined people for sleeping and camping in public even though there arent other places to go.

We are not under any delusion that this United States Supreme Court does not care about folks who are unhoused, Haseebullah said. That part is quite clear.

The cities of Las Vegas and Henderson signed on to an amicus brief last September asking the Supreme Court to overturn the 9th Circuit ruling. The brief, written by the Seattle city attorney, argued the decision prevented them from addressing the homeless crisis.

In an email to the Current, Justin Emerson, a spokesman for the the City of Henderson, said the Supreme Courts decision would help restore the tools available to local governments to address the homeless crisis.

The City of Henderson remains committed to assist individuals who are unhoused with the ultimate goal of removing barriers and connecting them to necessary social services, he said.

The 2022 Grants Pass decision wasnt the first time the 9th Circuit had offered some protections for those experiencing homelessness when cities sought to criminalize life-sustaining activities, such as finding a place to sleep, when there wasnt shelter.

In Martin v. City of Boise, the court ruled in 2018 that cities couldnt punish people for sleeping on the streets if there were no reasonable shelter alternatives available. The Supreme Court declined to review that case.

Despite restrictions from the 9th Circuits rulings, Nevada cities have passed ordinances restricting sleeping and camping in public. Theyve also carried out encampment removals.

The City of Las Vegas also passed an ordinance in 2019 that prohibited people from sleeping and camping in public right-of-ways but only if shelter beds are available.

Jace Radke, a spokesman for the city of Las Vegas, said the shelter provision is still in effect.

The Supreme Court ruling would allow the shelter-capacity provision to be repealed if that is a policy decision that the City Council wishes to make, he said.

Las Vegas City Council has not brought this forward to a meeting agenda for discussion at this point, he added.

Data from the city shows it also carried out 3,500 encampment removals or disbursements in 2023.

Any encampment that was cleaned occurred when beds were available, and after city outreach teams spoke to those in the encampment, Radke said.

The City of Henderson also adopted an ordinance June 2023 that amended and expanded its regulations on camping in open spaces to prohibit sleeping outdoors, setting up tents or cooking outdoors.

Ordinances havent been restricted to Southern Nevada.

Most recently in March, Washoe County made it a misdemeanor to camp on county-owned property or within 1,000 feet of the Truckee River, live in vehicles on county owned property or public spaces, and obstruct uses of the public sidewalk.

Beth Drysdale, a spokeswoman with Washoe County, said in an email the courts ruling doesnt change the countys commitment to provide homeless resources and shelter.

We have beds available at the Nevada Cares Campus, weve built the Resource Center to provide support and diversion for those who may be in danger of becoming homeless, and were now developing behavioral health resources to better address the mental health and drug use issues that are often a part of homelessness, Drysdale said.

Haseebullah says the ACLU is reviewing the homeless camping ordinances passed in municipalities throughout the state to determine how cities are enforcing their ordinances.

Thats not where the political winds landed

Other states have sought to limit the power to draft anti-sleeping ordinances at the local level.

The Oregon Legislature passed a bill in 2021 that states any city or county law that regulates the acts of sitting, lying, sleeping or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property that is open to the public must be objectively reasonable as to time, place and manner with regards to persons experiencing homelessness.

The bill went into effect July 2023.

A similar idea was briefly considered during Nevadas 2023 Legislative Session.

Senate Bill 155, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. James Ohrenschall, originally had provisions that restricted cities from creating ordinances that punished life-sustaining activities. It hit roadblocks even before its first hearing.

We were told by leadership it wasnt going to pass, and the governors office said it wasnt going to be signed, said Haseebullah. It had to be modified in order for it to even get through.

The bill was rewritten to refer unhoused people to a speciality court in lieu of paying fines and fees for crimes related to homelessness.

Haseebullah said he would like to see legislation that preempts cities from criminalizing homelessness but there isnt a political appetite to carry such a measure.

Part of the challenge of all the last legislative session (was that) everyone, both Democrat and Republican, was messaging about public safety and how they are tough on crime, he said. There shouldnt be any criminalization ordinances that target people based on their poverty level point blank. Thats not where the political winds landed.

Democratic state Sen. Dallas Harris also proposed legislation to create a Homeless Persons Bill of Rights. The bill would have enshrined in state law those experiencing homelessness had the same rights as everyone else and could bring a civil action lawsuit if those rights were violated.

The bill, which was opposed by cities, counties and law enforcement throughout the state, didnt make it out of committee.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), one of several high-profile Democratic politicians seen as a possible replacement for President Biden should he leave the presidential race, slammed former President Trump on Thursday, saying he wants to take us back to a pre-1960s world.

Newsom then said that when it comes to voting rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, the former president wants the U.S. to go backward.

You got Donald Trump  wants to take us back to a pre-1960s world, the California governor said in a clip captured by Fox News on Thursday and highlighted by Grabien News.

Newsom has long been a forceful advocate for Biden, attacking both Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over the past 18 months.

The California governor in doing so has also stoked interest in his own political future, even as this year and last year he made it clear he would not challenge Biden.

New questions are swirling around Biden in the wake of his haltering performance at last weeks debate, which underscored concerns about the 81-year-old presidents fitness for office. Biden has a high-stakes interview Friday night with ABCs George Stephanopoulos.

Newsom has stuck by Biden following the debate, saying Wednesday in a post on the social platform X that Biden had our back and its time to have his.

Other figures besides Newsom who have been suggested as possible replacements for Biden include his fellow Govs. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) and JB Pritzker (D-Ill.), as well as Vice President Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Harris is widely seen as the leading candidate.

The White House was insistent Wednesday that Biden is not leaving the presidential race, and he said in a fundraising email sent the same day that nobody is pushing me out.

Im the Democratic Partys nominee, the fundraising email read. No one is pushing me out. Im not leaving, Im in this race to the end, and WE are going to win this election. If thats all you need to hear, pitch in a few bucks to help [Harris] and me defeat Donald Trump in November.

In an emailed statement to The Hill, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said Gavin Newscum has no idea what hes talking about.

Updated 11:06 a.m. ET

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
NHC map shows most of Texas in Hurricane Beryl's path. Here's how much rain it could bring

Note: This story has been updated to reflect rainfall potential according to the Weather Prediction Center's latest forecast.

As Hurricane Beryl strengthens once again, it turns toward South Texas. However, most of Texas is now expected to be impacted by the storm, as strong winds and heavy rainfall dominate forecasts.

Entering the Gulf of Mexico, the storm is expected to strengthen as it heads toward northern Mexico and the southern tip of Texas. It remains unclear how far north Beryl will turn, but AccuWeather forecasters say it's possible it will run parallel to the coast before making its third landfall.

People are also reading: Hurricane Beryl likely to strengthen, move toward Texas. See updated maps, projected path

Hurricane Beryl 11 a.m. July 5, 2024.

How much rain can Texas expect from Hurricane Beryl? Here's a breakdown by area.

Houston/Galveston: 5 to 10 inches

Rain chances will increase heading into Saturday, cooling temperatures to the mid- to upper 90s. If Beryl's path continues to shift north, the Houston area could see rainfall amounts build fairly quickly, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

Rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches with localized amounts of 15 inches is expected across portions of the Texas Gulf Coast and eastern Texas beginning late Sunday through midweek.

Hurricane Beryl 5 a.m. July 6, 2024.

Brownsville/Rio Grande Valley: 2 to 6 inches

The southern tip of Texas will see the most severe impact from Hurricane Beryl. Heat indices near 110 will pose risks on Friday, followed by wind gusts of 25 to 30 miles per hour Friday afternoon.

Rip current risk is low Friday but will develop into a moderate risk Saturday as the swell period increases, the National Weather Service reports. Heavy rainfall is expected to arrive in South Texas Sunday and into next week.

Mostly normal summer conditions for Saturday. Conditions for Sunday and Monday will depend on the track of Beryl. At minimum, isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected, but dangerous surf, rip currents, and tidal run-up on the beach are also potential impacts. pic.twitter.com/7smwb6jSwa  NWS Brownsville (@NWSBrownsville) July 5, 2024

Austin/San Antonio: Multiple inches, heavy rainfall

Heavy rainfall is likely to be the main threat from Beryl for the Austin and San Antonio areas, according to a Friday morning report by the National Weather Service.

The NWS said it's too early to determine rainfall totals for the Austin-San Antonio area next week; however, multiple inches of rain could fall along and near its track. Rain chances will bring much-needed relief to Central Texas as several counties have started to see abnormal to moderate drought conditions, according to Wednesday data by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Today mostly sunny and hot. Iso tstorms north afternoon. Tstorms possible again Sat. Dry Sun. Rain chances increase as Hurricane Beryl approaches Mon. and continue to mid-week. Heavy rain possible is some places. pic.twitter.com/jNvPjCrs3N  NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) July 5, 2024

Dallas/Fort Worth: 1 to 3 inches

Though uncertainty continues in the forecast track, strength and speed of Beryl, the NWS predicts a moderate uptick in cumulative rainfall estimates for next week. In general, 1 to 3 inches of rainfall is expected through Thursday night, with lesser amounts west of Highway 281.

11 AM: This was the view from our office a little bit ago looking east! We definitely welcome the rain and the slightly cooler temperatures that will persist through the weekend & early next week.  pic.twitter.com/nWQfqAGGM3  NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) July 5, 2024

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: How much rain will Hurricane Beryl bring to Texas? See weekend forecast
Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the crowd as he arrives in a land rover to deliver a stump speech to supporters on July 3, 2024 in Clacton-on-Sea, England. Credit - Dan KitwoodGetty Images

Eighth time proved the charm for right-wing British politician and Brexiteer Nigel Farage, who was finally announced as a Member of the British Parliament in the early hours of July 5, following the U.K. snap election.

The Farage-fronted populist party Reform UKa rebrand of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) Farage was a founding member ofenjoyed an unprecedented performance at Thursdays general election, proving to be a thorn in the incumbent Conservative Partys side. The party secured more than 4 million votes and won five parliamentary seats in a historic win that eclipsed UKIPs 2015 performance.

While the center-left Labour Party claimed a widely predicted landslide victory, Reform UK tempted right wing voters disillusioned with a Conservative Party that had run through five Prime Ministers and several scandals in its 14 years of rule, with a new political home.

There is a massive gap on the center-right of British politics. And my job is to fill it, Farage, 60, told supporters in his newly won constituency of Clacton, on Englands East coast. Farage also said the Labour majority was simply an anti-Conservative vote and that his Reform party would now set its sights on Labour voters to build a national movement large enough to challenge the mainstream parties in a general election in 2029.

"We're coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that," said Farage, who returned to frontline British politics this year after saying he would steer clear of it and focus on supporting his ally Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential race.

Farages six-week campaign focused largely on freezing immigration and stopping small boats of refugees and migrants from crossing the English Channel to reach Britain from mainland Europe. Rather than a traditional manifesto, his party released a contract with the people.

Other priorities for Reform are tax cuts for small businesses, as well as the scrapping of net-zero carbon emission targets and the remainder the High Speed 2 rail link. The party also emphasized its desire to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)which some Conservatives have also supported to enable them to enact tougher action against migrants, including deporting some to Rwanda. Reform has also called for a ban on what it calls transgender ideology in primary and secondary schools.

But despite an impressive vote share, experts say Reform lacks the appeal to attract Labours core voter base. Reforms economic policies are pretty Thatcherite and their immigration policies are just far too radical and harsh for most Labour voters, Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London tells TIME.

The thing about Reform is they haven't proven to be very organizationally effective, so we'll see if they can professionalize that says Anand Menon, the director of U.K. in a Changing Europe, a London-based think tank. If they want to become a serious party theyve got to organize and do their due diligence about candidates It can't all be let's have a pint down the pub and get the cameras there.

Reform saw swathes of support in areas where the Conservatives won in 2019, under Boris Johnsons leadership. Farage himself overturned a Conservative majority of more than 25,000 in Clacton.

Indeed, Farages popularity with British voters is often credited with pulling the Conservative Party further to the right. Most notably, the former Member of the European Parliaments once-fringe campaign for the U.K. to leave the European Union ultimately led to former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron calling for a 2016 Brexit referendum that resulted in Farage getting his wish.

The Conservative Party played right into Nigel Farages hands because they are so worried about losing voters to him, they have tended to try and move on to his territory, Bale says. All that has done is increase the importance of the issues that he loves to campaign on. And in the end, people tend to prefer the original to the copy.

Alongside Reform, the Liberal Democrats, Greens, and other small parties won more than 40% of votes on July 4, but only 17% of seats in Parliament due to the countrys first-past-the-post system, Reuters reported.

Read More: Labour Delivered a Decisive Victory in Britain. Now Comes the Hard Part

Reforms success comes despite a number of campaign controversies, including the suspension of six candidates over offensive online comments. The party has since threatened legal action against Vetting.com, a company it paid 144,000 ($184,095) to vet hundreds of candidates. A video of a Reform supporter calling outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian origin, a racial slur, forcing Sunak to speak out and condemn the racist language used against him.

Reforms gains come amid a wave of increasing right-wing populist momentum sweeping across Europe. The French Rassemblement National, the Austrian Party for Freedom, and the German Alternative for Germany have all seen increasing support beyond their core voter base.

Read More: How Europes Far-Right Parties Are Winning Over Young Voters

It is clearly part of the same populist wave. People are very concerned about migration and cultural change. People do feel that the economy is not working for them, says Bale. They are fed up with and distrustful of mainstream parties. He adds that it remains to be seen if Farage will align himself with Europes far-right movements, or whether this would make him more of a pariah in the eyes of average Brits.

For Menon, Britains formal exit from the E.U. in 2020 means that Farage can pick and choose when he wants to engage with or distance himself from the figures he is likened to, namely Frances Marine Le Pen, of the Rassemblement National, or National Rally. He notes that Farages biggest challenge will be to convince Brits that Reform is a sensible, mature party that is capable of winning votes en masse.

To try and combine insurgency with seriousness is what Le Pen has managed to do quite well in France up to now, says Menon, but it's quite a difficult balancing act.



Write to Armani Syed at armani.syed@time.com.
Though the summer recess for the New Jersey Legislature has barely begun, due to the pending nomination of a new Supreme Court justice, the state Senate may return to Trenton.

Senate President Nick Scutari said he does plan to call his colleagues back and he wants to announce it sooner rather than later so people can plan around it.

Were negotiating a date thats convenient with the Republican side and with my members because its the middle of the summer, but were going to come back, Scutari said in late June. More than likely my guestimate is sometime in August. I dont think it will be July.

He said the state senate would likely convene for a single day with a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in the morning and a full Senate voting session in the afternoon.

Who is NJ Supreme Court nominee John Jay Hoffman?

John Jay Hoffman

The main reason, according to Scutari, is to confirm the newest state Supreme Court Justice nominee, John Jay Hoffman.

Hoffman was nominated by Gov. Phil Murphy on June 10. At the time, Murphy said that he hoped Hoffman would be confirmed before the court reconvened this fall.

Charlie Stile: Three men in a room: We have to stop Trenton's budget disease | Stile

He is the fifth New Jersey Supreme Court justice nomination of Murphys administration. If confirmed, Hoffman would fill the seat currently held by Justice Lee Solomon, who reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 in August.

Hoffman held the states top law enforcement post during the Christie administration from June 2013 to March 2016, though he was never formally nominated and maintained the post only as acting attorney general. He is now general counsel and senior vice president at Rutgers University, where he has worked since 2016.

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ Senate will reconvene to confirm state supreme court nominee
NM governor wants more prison time for people convicted of felonies who face new gun charges

This article was published by Source New Mexico. Find more at sourcenm.com.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is proposing to once again extend how long someone can be put in prison for possessing a gun when they have already been convicted of a felony.

New Mexico law prohibits someone from having a gun if theyve been convicted of a felony, battery or property damage against a loved one, stalking, or federal gun charges; or if theyre under a protection order for rape or domestic violence.

If someone has a felony conviction or has served any part of their probation for a felony in the last decade, it is a third-degree felony to be found in possession of a firearm under the current state law.

Other third-degree felonies in New Mexico carry a three-year sentence; being convicted under this part of the law can land someone in prison for up to six years.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a public health order imposing temporary restrictions on firearms on in fall 2023. Her senior public safety advisor, Benjamin Baker, sits to her right.

A five-page draft bill presented to the Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee on June 26 would make the crime a second-degree felony. That would bring a nine-year sentence on a persons first conviction, and a 12-year sentence for a second one.

Creating a statute in New Mexico that can be effective at safely incarcerating dangerous previously convicted offenders, we believe, is a part of the overall solution that cannot wait, said Benjamin Baker, the governors senior public safety advisor.

If lawmakers pass Lujan Grishams proposal during a special session on July 18, it would be the fifth time in six years that theyve amended the felon in possession statute.

State legislators increased the penalty for violating the law in 2018, and expanded the category of who can be charged with the crime in 2019. They lengthened the possible prison sentence in 2020, and then did so again in 2022.

Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena (D-Las Cruces) asked Baker to explain why the governor proposes to increase the maximum sentences compared to the proposal considered in the last regular session that ended in February.

This problem continues to increase despite actions made by this Legislature to increase penalties and expand the scope, Baker said.

Proposed prison terms function as mandatory minimums

The draft proposal from Lujan Grisham would also make any sentence ineligible for good time, meaning no matter how that person behaves in prison, no matter what programs they take part in, they could not get out early.

Cadena asked Baker about the intent behind the proposed change, and whether it is meant to function as a mandatory minimum sentence. Baker said yes.

Criminal justice advocates have long argued making people serve longer prison sentences does not reduce crime, citing studies showing sentence enhancements and the creation of new crimes, as the governor is proposing here, have little or no deterrent effect on crime.

While I accept that those studies exist, and Im aware of their existence, I also believe that theres multiple facets to the criminal justice system, and deterrence is not the only one, Baker said. The communitys safety due to incarceration and separation from the community, so that one cant reoffend, are an important point that Id like to raise to the committee.

Sen. Moe Maestas (D-Albuquerque) said the mandatory minimums as a policy disincentivizes any good behavior by incarcerated people.

Being cognizant of the plight of our corrections officers, our Department of Corrections is thin with regard to workers, Maestas said. Our workers are working overtime, and that tiny bit of incentive for the inmate to behave is in the interest of public safety.

The proposed sentence could result in someone convicted of felon in possession being in prison for longer than someone convicted of vehicular homicide, Maestas said.

Its just completely inconsistent with good public policy, Maestas said.

It is a statewide concern

Baker said we are failing to both prevent and provide the community safety necessary that exists when a person is incarcerated, instead of being free in the community, to choose to reoffend.

Baker walked lawmakers through data he cited from the Administrative Office of the Courts showing all felon in possession charges in New Mexico between 2017 and May 31, 2024.

In 2017 and 2018, there were about 1,400 cases per year across the state, Baker said.

In 2019, there were significantly fewer cases, and there were nearly no cases in 2020 and 2021, which Baker attributed to COVID and the situation that existed there.

There were 202 cases in 2022, he said.

The most recent annual data from 2023 shows 1,378 cases, a return statewide in New Mexico to pre-pandemic numbers, Baker said.

As of May 31, there were 864 cases filed so far in 2024. Baker said he projects by the end of the year there will be a rate higher than any of the previous seven years.

Statewide charging events have increased, Baker said. It is a statewide concern.

Between 2017 and May 31, 2024, 52% of the charges were dismissed in two ways, Baker said.

State prosecutors dismissed 36% of those cases.

In the remaining 14% of the cases, people pleaded guilty to another crime associated with the same incident, in exchange for getting the gun charge dismissed, he said.

Austin Fisher is a journalist based in Santa Fe. He has worked for newspapers in New Mexico and his home state of Kansas, including the Topeka Capital-Journal, the Garden City Telegram, the Rio Grande SUN and the Santa Fe Reporter. Since starting a full-time career in reporting in 2015, hes aimed to use journalism to lift up voices that typically go unheard in public debates around economic inequality, policing and environmental racism.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Gov wants more prison time for people convicted of felonies who face new gun charges
No charges filed after man shot and killed during fight in Mingo County

MINGO COUNTY, WV (WVNS)  A 42-year-old Mingo County man was shot and killed during a fight with another man from Mingo County.

According to a West Virginia State Police press release, on Friday, July 5, 2024, Troopers responded to a report of a shooting at a home along Route 65 between Naugatuck and Lenore, West Virginia. Once on scene, the victim, identified as Charles Speer, 42, of Kermit was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Help needed in Mercer County animal cruelty investigation

Further investigation into the shooting revealed that Speer allegedly went to the home of David Hodge, 50, of Lenore, WV. Once there, a fight began between the two men. Sometime during the fight, David Hodge reportedly shot Speer multiple times.

Charles Speer was taken to Williamson ARH where he was pronounced dead. His body was taken to Frankfort, Kentucky for an autopsy.

After discussions between investigators and the Mingo County Prosecutor, no charges have been filed.

An investigation into the shooting remains active.

Stick with 59News for updates as/if 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.
LONDON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday conceded defeat in the general election as the ruling Conservative Party suffered massive losses.

"The Labour Party has won this general election, and I've called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory," Sunak said.

"The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn...and I take responsibility for the loss," he said. 
No EU mandate for Hungary's Orban to visit Russia, top diplomat says

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives on the first day of a two-day EU summit in Brussels. A two-day EU summit began in Brussels on Tuesday, where EU leaders will address a range of political and economic issues, including the war in Ukraine, and are expected to approve the names of candidates for top posts in EU institutions. Jaroslav Novak/TASR/dpa

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban does not represent the European Union "in any form" in an expected trip to Russia, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said on Friday.

Orban's "visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia," Borrell stressed in a scathing statement.

"Prime Minister Orban has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow," Borrell said, referring to the EU body that represents the 27 EU member states.

Borrell underlined that while Budapest holds the rotating presidency of the EU this does not have any official powers for Orban to represent the EU abroad.

This rests with European Council President Charles Michel and with the bloc's high representative, the position currently held by Borrell.

The top EU diplomat also noted that "Putin has been indicted by the International Criminal Court and an arrest warrant released for his role in relation to the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia."
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN)  A spokesperson for the City of Pflugerville said no one was injured during a fireworks mishap at a Fourth of July celebration.

A viewer sent a video showing the mishap at the Typhoon Texas July 4th celebration. The video showed fireworks going off as normal until a large explosion of several fireworks happened at once at the finale of the show.

No injuries were reported, but a trailer was damaged during the incident, a public information officer with the city said. Its not clear how extensive the damage was.

Screenshots of a video sent by a viewer show a fireworks mishap at a Fourth of July celebration in Pflugerville. A city spokesperson said no injuries were reported due to the incident. (Viewer-submitted photo)

Screenshots of a video sent by a viewer show a fireworks mishap at a Fourth of July celebration in Pflugerville. A city spokesperson said no injuries were reported due to the incident. (Viewer-submitted photo)

Screenshots of a video sent by a viewer show a fireworks mishap at a Fourth of July celebration in Pflugerville. A city spokesperson said no injuries were reported due to the incident. (Viewer-submitted photo)

The city spokesperson also said the show at Typhoon Texas was not affected or canceled.

A fireworks show in Utah was delayed Thursday and six people were injured after fireworks went into the crowd during an Independence Day celebration, according to KXANs Utah affiliate ABC4.

A 10-year-old boy in Oklahoma was also injured and treated for burns from a fireworks explosion, KFOR reported.

A report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in 2023, the commission received reports of eight deaths and an estimated 9,700 injuries involving fireworks.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
No injuries reported at Manitowoc house fire, cause and damage amount under investigation

MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV)  Firefighters worked to quickly put out an exterior house fire in Manitowoc on Friday morning and issued a reminder about proper firework use and disposal.

A release from the Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department states that fire crews responded to a home in the 700 block of North 7th Street around 8:15 a.m. on July 5.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Appleton garage fire quickly brought under control, $25K in estimated damages

Within four minutes of the initial call, firefighters arrived at the scene and found an active exterior fire with smoke and flames showing.

Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department

Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department

Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department

It was noted that all occupants had safely evacuated the home. That was confirmed after crews searched all three levels of the home.

No injuries were reported and officials are currently investigating the incident. There was also no estimation of the value amount of the damage. Authorities believe that the fire originated on the outside of the home.

One hospitalized after deputies rescue 4 when boat hit barrier near Kewaunee Lighthouse

The Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department would like to stresses the importance of professional fireworks technicians. While there safe and sane legal fireworks, they still present a hazard and proper disposal is critical. Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department

The Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department was assisted by Two Rivers Fire Department, Branch Fire Department, Manitowoc Police Department along with Wisconsin Public Service.

No additional information was provided.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
Phoenix police pulled over a car driving the wrong way only to discover that it was a driverless vehicle.

Bodycam footage captured the officer approaching the Waymo car just after 11am on June 19, admitting, Theres no driver.

Still, he went to the vehicles drivers window and said: Hi. This prompted the cars system to robotically respond: Connecting to rider support.

After connecting to a support rep, the officer said: Your car here drove into oncoming lanes of traffic.

The self-driving car went into opposing lanes of traffic in a construction area, which is real bad, the officer explained.

A passerby then approached the pulled-over vehicle and tells the officer: I couldnt help but come over here just out of morbid curiosity. I thought maybe there was a passenger.

The officer replied, You know the construction here? It was going eastbound in the westbound lanes, which is real bad. So I light it up and it takes off in the intersection. The officer then laughed.

The Waymo support representative then said he would review video footage of the alleged incident.

Waymo told The Independent in a statement that the driverless vehicle encountered inconsistent construction signage and briefly entered an unoccupied oncoming lane of traffic. The car was then blocked from navigating back into the correct lane for about 30 seconds.

In an effort to clear the intersection, the Waymo vehicle proceeded forward a short distance and pulled into the next available parking lot, the statement read, adding that the traffic stop lasted approximately one minute.

No one was cited in the incident, police confirmed to The Independent.
The fourth annual PlaceKeepers Minority Developers Conference will be headed to Tulsa in mid-July to learn from the city's Black Wall Street revitalization efforts on how to honor culture and increase community buy-in.

The convention, organized every year by the nonprofit Northeast OKC Renaissance, is scheduled for July 12 at MetroTech Springlake Campus in Oklahoma City's eastside. Then, on July 13, the conference will travel to Tulsa, where organizers and attendees will tour various real estate development projects and hear the perspectives of different leaders from the area.

DeAndre Martin, community development director for Northeast OKC Renaissance, said the conference this year will be focused on seeing firsthand how Tulsa residents have been redeveloping Black neighborhoods after the Greenwood District's prosperous Black Wall Street enclave was destroyed in an infamous race massacre more than a century ago. The hope, he said, is that attendees and stakeholders can bring what they learn about reinvestment back to Deep Deuce and smaller-scale projects in their Oklahoma City communities.

"We see theres a number of communities who have been left out of the real estate conversation," Martin said. "Oklahoma City is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country right now. Historically, weve been one of the most affordable, but as we continue to grow with all of the exciting developments that are coming, we want to make sure that were tapping into all of those communities who havent had those connections traditionally to real estate."

'We deserve better': Northeast OKC neighborhoods fight against decades of environmental injustice

DeAndre Martin, left, Dr. Quintin Hughes, and David Meadows, right. Northeast OKC Renaissance PlaceKeepers Minority Developers Conference at the Hamm Institute in Oklahoma City. Friday, July 28, 2023

The PlaceKeepers program, which started in 2021, serves as a training ground for aspiring developers, city planners, faith-based leaders, local political leaders and curious stakeholders on how to build connections and foster responsible development in their communities that can both retain current residents and attract new neighbors.

"Placekeeping" is defined by organizers as a way of providing education and resources to residents on how to redevelop their community while also preserving the current culture and creating generational wealth. The theme for the two-day conference, "Community Catalysts," will include plenary and breakout sessions to further explore cooperative economics, ethical design and community responsibility.

Conference tickets are on sale for $75, which Martin said was to make sure "it's very attainable to our constituents and the people that we serve." The event's first day, set to begin by 8:30 a.m. in Oklahoma City, will include sessions with The Promise Homes Company, which will provide financial literacy help on lease-to-own strategies for community members interested in property ownership.

'We can do this': After a year, Oklahoma City's MLK neighborhood is still changing the narrative

Ebiara is a new $11 million fund aimed to support minority-owned real estate development firms with access to capital and technical assistance. Roderick Hardamon, CEO and chief strategist for URGE Imprint, is a part of the partnership that has launched this fund.

Speakers at the Springlake campus on July 12 will include Roderick Hardamon, a leader in redevelopment and affordable housing approaches in Detroit, where the majority-Black population was harshly impacted over the past two decades by the Great Recession and the city's bankruptcy crisis.

"Their revitalization has meant a lot of effort, and hes taken the charge to make sure the communitys not left behind in the wealth-building opportunities," Martin explained. "Hes created a community investment fund where community members can invest, instead of traditional institutional capital, and so we'll be hearing a little bit from him about what and how hes been able to create with that model."

The July 12 sessions also will highlight the work of several local leaders, including Scarlet Le-Cao, co-owner of Omega Investments and president of the Greater OKC Asian Chamber of Commerce, and Christina Beatty, project director for both the Freedom Center and the upcoming Clara Luper Civil Rights Center in Oklahoma City.

'Radically different': Inclusive planning to continue as hallmark of South of 8th project

Kristi Rose, OKC Minority Founder Accelerator (OMFA) program manager, is shown at the 2023 Northeast OKC Renaissance PlaceKeepers Minority Developers Conference.

For the Tulsa tours on July 13, attendees will be provided transportation from the pickup site at 9 a.m. in northeast Oklahoma City's Adventure District. Around 10:30 a.m., the cohort will begin touring Envision Comanche, an affordable housing district, and then have lunch in the Phoenix District, a new commercial zone, both in Tulsa's north side.

After lunch, the group will then tour both the Wilshire Trails neighborhood development and Kingdom Vision Homes, which was featured on the Oprah Winfrey-produced docuseries "Rebuilding Black Wall Street" hosted by Morris Chestnut. The tour will conclude at the Plaza Santa Cecilia shopping mall around 3:30 p.m. as the group heads back to Oklahoma City.

Martin said the conference is meant to show Oklahoma City residents how cultural preservation and real estate development can go hand in hand as communities continue to revitalize the areas in which they live.

"We firmly believe that the value of real estate is in the people," Martin said. "Its the people who build the buildings out of the ground, but also the people who congregate it on a daily basis, who go around and evangelize it, as well.

"We get to see here on the Eastside, with some of the developments that we have, there are connection points where stories and memories are made and that culture is really preserved. And so we like to look at it through a deeper lens and see how the built environment affects people in the community  what things make them happy, what things make them sad, what gets them excited. Thats what were looking to do, and using real estate to do it."

Danny Edwards. Northeast OKC Renaissance PlaceKeepers Minority Developers Conference at the Hamm Institute in Oklahoma City. Friday, July 28, 2023

Sponsors for this year's conference include The Alliance for Economic Development, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Johnson and Associates, Citizens Bank and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. People who are interested in attending the conference can go to https://www.neokcr.org/placekeepers for more information on ticket details and vendor opportunities.

More: Up-and-coming civic influencers donate time, resources to shape a new Oklahoma City

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: PlaceKeepers conference to foster OKC revitalization efforts
(FOX40.COM)  A 31-year-old Northern California resident was arrested on Wednesday afternoon after police discovered him in possession of over 100 pounds of illegal fireworks.

The arrest comes a few days after Woodland Police announced the discovery of 120 illegal firework mortars after executing a search warrant at two separate homes in the city.

The 31-year-old suspect, a Woodland resident, was arrested, booked into the Yolo County Jail, and issued a $120,000 fine as a result of the illegal fireworks, police added.

Northern California police issue $120,000 fine for illegal fireworks

Woodland Police said additional charges could be levied upon the suspect based on additional information that could be revealed during their investigation.

We urge those still planning on using illegal fireworks to consider the possibility that they may be subject to similar charges/fines and to also consider the health and safety of their neighbors, the agency said. It was only two years ago when a local familys lives were forever changed due to illegal fireworks burning down their home.

The arrest comes after the city of Woodland canceled its Fourth of July fireworks show this year after someone who helps organize the show experienced a serious injury while working at a fireworks event on Wednesday, serving as a reminder of the dangers of fireworks.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Gray wolves can be found in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, Michigan and the Yellowstone area of Wyoming, according to the National Wildlife Federation. (Getty Images)

Ecosystems in the Northwest were heavily shaped by wolves before they were nearly wiped out of the region, a new study finds.

By the 1930s, gray wolves were nearly gone in Oregon and the rest of the West, leading to the multiplication of animals the wolves hunted and creating an imbalance in the environment, researchers at Oregon State University found.

But the full impact of their disappearance isnt fully understood because ecological research from the last century largely left out the role of wolves on the landscape. Most of the research wasnt done until the wolves were nearly gone.

This means our understanding of natural ecosystems in the Northwest is flawed, according to William Ripple, an Oregon State ecologist and the lead author of the study. He said that hampers habitat restoration projects in the Northwest and moves, for example, to reintroduce more gray wolves in the West.

Since the presence or absence of wolves can dramatically affect ecosystem structure and function, we believe this is a major issue for restoration, conservation and management, Ripple said in an email.

The study was published recently in the journal BioScience.

Gray wolves are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act in most of central and western Oregon. Oregons population of gray wolves has only recently returned and grown following decades of absence. The first gray wolves to return to Oregon wandered into the eastern part of the state in the late 1990s, more than 50 years after they had been effectively hunted and pushed out of the U.S. By 2009, the wolf population in eastern Oregon became more established, but growth has leveled off.

The analysis looked into ecological studies between 1955 and 2021 at 11 national parks to see whether they mentioned or explored the effect of the wolves disappearance. Less than half  39 of nearly 100 studies  included such data.

We found that the historical presence of wolves was not considered in the majority of relevant publications that we analyzed, he said.

Ripple said this lack of research has created a false baseline, with many scientists measuring ecosystem health based on the degraded conditions that spread after the wolves were gone. Without them, elk populations grew, leading to overgrazing; coyote numbers grew, shrinking populations of the small animals coyotes hunt; even trees struggled due to changes in animal populations and plant functions once the wolves were gone, the researchers found.

The historical loss of wolves from Western landscapes is a major ecological issue, he said.

Ripple and the researchers suggest more historical data needs to be identified and studied across the region to better understand the effect wolves and other large predators had on ecosystems in the Northwest and to adjust expectations of their health.

It is important that we do not forget what ecosystems looked like before the loss of wolves. We need to document the shifting baseline and remember that we might now be studying landscapes that are a sick patient, Ripple said.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Youre fed up, anxious and unsure what to celebrate this holiday weekend.

In many letters this week, youve shared your concerns about President Joe Bidens health, former President Donald Trumps plans for 2025 if he returns to the White House, the Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, and several initiatives in Baltimore and throughout Maryland.

More than one of you expressed dismay about a country you dont recognize, a brilliant idea born 248 years ago that has gone wildly off course. A husband and wife in their 80s told me they were marking the Fourth of July holiday by protesting outside the Supreme Court. Others questioned if the nations 247th year would be its last as a democracy.

I have an answer to the latter: Its up to you.

Democracy only dies if you let it.

Too much of the national conversation is focused on the candidates and their surrogates, not the voters. Its easy to forget youre the most important part of this election, of every election. You decide. You decide who stays, goes, returns, or never comes back. You decide what kind of laws we have by the people you put in power. You decide what kind of country we have.

This isnt just some cheesy reminder that the government works for you and your vote matters. Im also not naive to the fact that voting is still too hard for too many people, and there are despicable efforts across the country to suppress the right to vote and courageous fights to empower it.

When I say you decide what kind of country we have, I mean with your actions every day. Its how you treat yourself and your community. Its how you treat people who disagree with you. Its how you work for what you believe in. Its how you take the brilliant, imperfect country of 248 years ago and build it into something better.

This work will only happen with you as an active participant. Yelling at the TV or talking to the echo chamber on social media wont change anything. Participating in political polls wont change anything.

Some of the most powerful phrases in our lives are no more than three words. I love you. Youve got this. Yes, we can. We the people.

The preamble to the Constitution begins with, We the People, not We the Government. The birth of the nation, forming a more perfect Union, building a democracy, and saving a democracy are all about you.

Ive lived through major weather disasters in my personal life and a horrible flood that destroyed my childhood home. As a journalist, Ive covered some of the most devastating moments in communities across Pennsylvania and around the country. In each heartbreaking situation, it was never the government that made things better in the immediate aftermath. It was neighbors helping neighbors. It was the broken-hearted helping others whose hearts were shattered.

And in this moment of uncertainty in the country, it will be you  not a politician  that makes it better. It wont be reassurance from a star governor sticking by his party leader. It wont be a talking head on TV. You will decide what kind of country you want and are willing to work for.

Yes, it will take work. Youll have to use your right to vote. Youll have to encourage the people in your life who are eligible to vote to vote. You might have to help someone register to vote or register yourself. You might need to help someone in your community get to the polls. You might also try to befriend someone who doesnt agree with you politically.

My life is richer because I keep folks close to me who dont always vote for the same person I choose. Surrounding myself with different viewpoints is part of how I remain an independent thinker and remember that were all the sum total of our life experiences. I have voted for both major parties in my lifetime, and I tend to gravitate toward candidates who dont make me feel like I have to pay attention to the government every day.

I dont think our nations founders ever intended or wanted government to consume our daily lives. There are far better things in our lives that deserve our energy.

I know it can be hard to dream about the kind of life or country we want when so many of us have to overcome obstacles daily. Sometimes, life can get so tough that it feels like were fighting just to get through a day.

Im not so naive that I think any opinion, including my own, will change the world.

Opinions dont change the world. Ideas do.

Our country was a good idea. But our best idea wasnt 248 years ago. Weve had other good ideas along the way to build a more perfect United States. Well need your great ideas to make it another 248.

Candy Woodall is the opinion editor at The Baltimore Sun. She wants to know what you love about Baltimore and what you would do to make it better. She can be reached at cwoodall@baltsun.com.
It's not too late for former St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara to get proper closure

By signing a stipulated agreement, former St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara appears to be trying to get closure with the Florida Commission on Ethics.

If the commission accepts the terms, scheduled for discussion at the commission's July 26 meeting, Mascara would receive a public reprimand and a $5,000 fine in exchange for his admission he violated Sec. 112.313(6) of Florida Statutes, by "using his position and/or public resources to secure a special privilege, benefit and/or exemption for himself."

That might close the ethics commission's case, but if Mascara truly wants this chapter of his life to be over, he has more work to do.

Mascara needs to come clean with the public about what he did and why he did it.

Questions about the transition cropped up immediately

"Every threat on a school campus is taken seriously," said St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara during a news conference with St. Lucie County Public Schools Superintendent Wayne Gent and Captain Brian Hester on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, at the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office in Fort Pierce. Since the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last February in Parkland, Gent said the school district has mandated single points of entry at all schools, upgraded security systems and fencing around campuses and emphasized training for students and school staff.

Mascara was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for allegedly recruiting and helping coordinate the campaign of a so-called "ghost candidate" to run against a Republican adversary the sheriff, a Democrat, didn't want to face in the 2020 general election.

Mascara won that election, defeating Kevin Carter, the candidate he was accused of recruiting and shepherding to a Republican primary victory. Then Mascara abruptly resigned from his post last December, citing unspecified health reasons.

The same day Mascara announced his resignation, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Keith Pearson, a mid-level manager in the sheriff's office, as his interim replacement.

If Mascara thought there would be no further questions about the transition of power, he was very much mistaken.

A couple of weeks before Pearson's surprise appointment, one of his political allies, Anthony "Tony" DiFrancesco, hosted a fundraiser to support DeSantis' then-active presidential campaign. DiFrancesco and other members of his family also made donations totaling more than six figures to the DeSantis campaign less than a week after that event.

Records provided to TCPalm show the governor's staff began vetting Pearson almost immediately after receiving the DiFrancescos' political contributions, well before Mascara's supposed surprise resignation.

At an Iowa town hall meeting during his presidential campaign, DeSantis said he had "worked very closely" with the Democratic sheriff of St. Lucie County.

All of that suggests DeSantis' decision to appoint Pearson wasn't made on the spur of the moment, in response to some medical emergency that remains under wraps. It was a politically calculated decision in which DeSantis, Pearson and Mascara played roles.

Mascara can't get past departure unless he talks about it

St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson announces the arrest of Randy Walker, an eight-year deputy who was taken into custody Saturday June 1, 2014 on one count of battery and one count of falsifying an official statement made by a public servant.

What's less clear is how that plan was hatched. Was it Mascara's idea? Pearson's? Why the secrecy?

After serving as sheriff more than 20 years, what motivated Mascara to leave his final term more than a year early, missing out on the farewell accolades he was due?

Mascara may have thought he could ride off into the sunset without raised suspicions. After what has come to light over the past seven months, he knows better.

Is this really the way he wants the people of the Treasure Coast to remember him?

Maybe Mascara just burned out and saw a way to jump-start his retirement while helping a loyal subordinate gain a political advantage in this year's sheriff election.

Sadly, tradeoffs like that are part of politics.

Still, Mascara hasn't really taken responsibility for what he did.

In a Facebook post last month, Mascara said he asked Carter to run to create more competition in the race, without admitting he took an active role in helping Carter's primary campaign.

That sounds implausible if not nonsensical: What politician, especially a successful incumbent, ever wants more competition?

Rather than show any signs of remorse, Mascara tried to play off what he had done as no big deal.

This is a situation where an ounce of candor and a dash of regret would outweigh a pound of spin. If Mascara could just admit he made a mistake and explain why he did it, it would be easier to balance that against all the good work he did as sheriff.

If he isn't willing to come forward and be truthful about all that happened at the end of his tenure, then his questionable departure is how he will be remembered.

Mascara's career in public service deserves a better ending. We're all ears, just a phone call or email away.

Editorials published by TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers are decided collectively by its editorial board. To respond to this editorial with a letter to the editor, email up to 300 words to TCNLetters@TCPalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Coming clean would help former St. Lucie Sheriff Ken Mascara's legacy
The University of Nottingham is requesting court intervention to tackle protestors on its campus - dietrichherlan/iStock

The University of Nottingham has become the third university to ask the courts to intervene in its attempt to end a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on its land.

On Friday, the universitys lawyers asked a judge to issue a possession order against persons unknown on its Jubilee Campus where tents were first pitched in early May.

They argue protesters are trespassing on private land and that the camp has been linked with disruption and unlawful activities during open days last month as well as health and safety concerns.

Lawyers for the only named defendant in the legal action, 24-year-old River Butterworth from Warwickshire, argue that a court order helping to evict the peaceful encampment would be a disproportionate interference with their rights to freedom of speech and expression.

The hearing in London comes a day after the University of Birmingham sought a similar High Court order against a pro-Palestine encampment at the Green Heart outdoor area on its Edgbaston campus.

It also comes after the London School of Economics secured a Central London county court order indefinitely barring encampments in one of its buildings after students slept in its atrium for more than a month in support of Palestine.

Queen Mary University of London has previously said it would take legal action to secure possession over its Mile End campus if protest encampments did not end.

Katharine Holland KC, for the University of Nottingham, said in written submissions that it faced an unlawful occupational encampment and had a duty to safeguard university assets.

She said the legal action does not remove the rights of the defendants to freedom of expression or assembly or to undertake a legitimate protest and that the university was not denying protesters the use of land for any reason connected with their beliefs, policy or objectives.

River Butterworth, 24, pictured outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London - TOM PILGRIM/PA

Ms Holland said: The reality of the position here is that the occupiers have taken up occupation on an area of land and put up camps there in order to seek to force the university to surrender to certain demands.

It is submitted that direct action of this nature is not, and should not be, within the scope of freedom of expression or freedom of assembly.

Owen Greenhall, representing the defendant, said the protest called for divestment from companies complicit in the Israeli occupation of Palestine, with the camp positioned near the advanced manufacturing building where the university allegedly conducts research for arms companies.

Mr Greenhall said the encampment, currently of around 10 to 15 tents, symbolises the many thousands of displaced Palestinians and had not caused any substantial disruption, disturbance or harm.

The defendant was not a trespasser and had a licence to protest on university land, the court was told. The defendant said they were suspended from their role as a postgraduate officer of the students union because they participated in protests.

A court order was unnecessary and not justified, Mr Greenhall said, adding that the university had failed to comply with legal duties and its free speech policy.

The hearing before Mr Justice Johnson ended on Friday, with the judge to issue a written ruling over the Birmingham and Nottingham cases at a later date.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
by Xinhua writers Yao Yuan and Ji Hang

NANCHANG, July 5 (Xinhua) -- From college graduates to migrant workers, many Chinese people are rushing back to the villages that they once left for urban jobs or education, united by a call to guard their rural hometowns against flooding.

The latest round of rainstorms has swelled rivers in southern and eastern China, including the Yangtze River -- the country's longest -- piling the pressure on many riverside villages that lack young workers to patrol and fortify besieged dikes.

Jiangzhou Town, located on an island on the Yangtze, in the eastern province of Jiangxi, has issued a letter calling on villagers to return and join the local battle against flooding.

"Fellow villagers, when you read this letter, your hometown needs you," said the letter, published on the local official WeChat account. "Please join us on the frontline of flood control and defend Jiangzhou!"

The island town has over 42,000 registered residents, but its permanent population has shrunk to about 4,000 due to young villagers leaving for better-paying jobs in cities, leaving behind mostly the elderly and children.

As of Thursday evening, a total of 1,298 villagers had answered the call to return, said Wang Zifeng, head of the town.

Among them is Li Zhongyuan, 55, whose family drove more than eight hours to return to Jiangzhou from the neighboring Fujian Province.

"I moved out of the village long ago and have returned less frequently in recent years. But it has been a tradition for us to come back and help in times of flooding," said Li, who was patrolling the embankment wearing a life-vest.

The latest round of rain-triggered floods and geological disasters has impacted 1.56 million people and flooded about 160,667 hectares of farmland in Jiangxi by Thursday evening, incurring a direct economic loss of 1.86 billion yuan (about 260.9 million U.S. dollars), according to official figures.

As the water levels on local rivers and lakes continue to rise, the provincial government has deployed 182,800 people on dike patrols and 73,000 people on disaster relief. Many villages and towns are mobilizing villagers to monitor and mend dikes.

"We have issued calls to summon back young villagers who are working in other places. Some are already on the way," said Wang Mingjian, Party chief of Nanwan Village in Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi.

In Anhui Province, also in eastern China, more than 50,000 people have been mobilized to patrol dikes and embankments in cities along the Yangtze. Heavy downpours have lashed the province, forcing the evacuation of 242,000 people.

In Anhui's Susong County, Tan Kang used a shovel to turn over knee-high grass on the dike to spot any leakage points.

Tan, 22, skipped his college graduation celebrations to return to his hometown, where he joined nearly 1,000 officials and volunteers in patrolling dikes.

"I used to be terrified by snakes, but I've seen so many in the past few days that I'm used to them now," he said. The patrol along the 1-km dike lasts 40 minutes and is arranged once every three hours.

"I see the patrols as my graduation ceremony," said the graduate of Huangshan University.

Authorities said due to persistent heavy rainfall, water levels of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake will continue to rise.

The central government said it has allocated about 8.13 million yuan worth of emergency-relief materials to hard-hit Jiangxi. Expert teams have been dispatched to the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, Hubei and Hunan to support local flood-control efforts. 
The U.S. Supreme Court released a new ethics code on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023 but Sen. Dick Durbin, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the new rules fall short of what we could and should expect when a Supreme Court issues a code of conduct. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

The U.S. Supreme Court. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

By Ashley McBride

During last Thursdays presidential debate, former President Donald Trump brought up Black jobs. On social media, Black people responded asking what exactly he meant by that. Ive since come to realize that the number one Black job in America right now should be doing what weve done before: sounding the alarm about the potential for an even more conservative Supreme Court.

As I watched Thursdays debate between President Joe Biden and former President Trump, I couldnt help but feel a deep sense of urgency  not despair. Yes, Biden had a rough night. He stumbled on a few answers and struggled to counter Trumps often non-factual attacks. However, regardless of your partisan leanings, whats more important than a single debate is understanding the high stakes of this election. Our future is on the line, and the Supreme Court is at the heart of whats at risk.

As a Black woman and mother, the erosion of my bodily autonomy by this Court has been deeply personal and profoundly unsettling. The Supreme Courts decisions have stripped away rights that generations fought to secure. These arent just political points; they are life-or-death issues for women like me and countless others across this nation.

The recent decision by the Court to essentially give a President the ability to avoid criminal prosecution if he violated criminal law in the capacity of the office further emphasizes the even darker place a further solidification of the conservative tilt of the Court could take our country.

Again, regardless of your partisan leanings, the risks associated with a more conservative court are underscored by the juxtaposition of Trump with his 34 convictions, and former President Barack Obamas experience running for office  during which Obama was scrutinized and put under a microscope for so much less. It is laughable if not maddening as a Black American.

During the debate, Trump made it clear that he would double down on the ideological leanings that have defined his past judicial appointments. These are justices that have already led to significant rollbacks in reproductive rights, voting rights, and environmental protections. These potential future picks would only further entrench these regressive policies, making it nearly impossible to reverse the damage for decades to come.

The consequences of a more ideologically extreme court will be catastrophic  not just for women, but for all marginalized communities, for our environment, for our workers, and for the fundamental values of justice and equality.

Keeping the Supreme Court in mind when voting isnt just about party loyalty; its about safeguarding our future. Our Supreme Court Justices should uphold the rights of all Americans, protect our freedoms, and ensure that justice is not a privilege for the few but a right for everyone.

This election isnt just about policies or party linesits about the kind of country we want to live in and the legacy we want to leave for future generations. We have seen the damage that can be done by a Supreme Court already tilted towards extremism. We should be careful about letting it slip further in an extreme direction.

For our future, for our rights, for the soul of our nation, I urge everyone to vote. Our democracy depends on it, our rights depend on it, and our lives depend on it.

We have the power to shape our future, and we must use it wisely. Lets not let a single debate distract us from the bigger picture and the monumental stakes at hand. Our future is in our handslets protect it.

Ashley McBride is the State Director of For Our Future PA, a grassroots organization that promotes progressive and positive change for working families in Pennsylvania.

The post The number one Black job in America appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.


"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."



Ann Burgess has studied some of the most infamous killers in modern historysuch as Edmund Kemper, Ted Bundy, and brothers Erik and Lyle Menendeztrying to understand their motivations and actions. Her rigorous analysis of these and other notorious figures helped her leave an indelible mark on the field of criminology.

Now, a new Hulu documentary titled Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer examines the 87-year-olds legacy. The three-part series, which premieres on July 11, details her trailblazing work with the FBIs Behavioral Science Unit in the 1980s that set the foundation for modern psychological profiling of serial killers and other criminals. Decades later, Burgess continues to investigate crimes and inspire the next generation of investigators.

Burgess began her career as a nurse

Born in early October 1936, Burgess was raised in Newton, a suburb of Boston. Although she eventually became accomplished in both fields, Burgess initially pursued a nursing career over teaching. She explained to Boston College Magazine that three of her uncles were doctors. When Burgess was 10 or 11 years old, she began helping one of them deliver babies in the countryside.

Burgess continued to work directly with patients as part of Boston Universitys nursing program, performing her clinical work at the psychiatric unit of the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. I was fascinated by human behavior and the variations that you can have, she said. I could not learn enough.

She and other nurses were often the first medical personnel to treat crime victims. This gave the inquisitive Burgess an up-close look at their behaviors and reactions.

Burgess used her observational prowess to co-author an important 1973 study in the American Journal of Nursing. Working with Lynda Lytle Holmstrom, a sociologist at Boston College, she helped interview 146 survivors of rape from ages 3 to 73. Using their findings, the pair concluded the criminal act was largely about power and control for the perpetratorsa major shift from the blame-the-victim mentality that still persisted at the time.

Burgess and Holmstrom also championed crisis counseling and instructed clinicians on how to recognize signs of rape. Soon after the studys release, the FBI contacted Burgess regarding her expertise.



Burgess set the standard for criminal profiling

According to BC Magazine, in 1978, then-FBI Director William Webster invited Burgess to the FBI Academy, where she taught classes about how to speak with crime victims and catalog the information they provided. This caught the attention of agents John Douglas and Robert Ressler, who wanted to know if Burgess methods could be used to understand the minds of criminalsparticularly serial killersinstead.

Starting in 1980, with funding from the U.S. Justice Department, the trio began to set the foundation for criminal profiling. They examined the motives and methods of 36 killers and categorized them on a spectrum between organized, people more likely to commit premeditated crimes, and disorganized, marking individuals who commit impulsive and careless violence. The group was also the first to examine the connection between a killers crimes and past trauma.

Burgess and team applied their work to the active investigation of the 1983 murders of two young boys in Nebraska. After developing a likely profile of the killer, authorities were able to apprehend John Joseph Joubert IV, who confessed to the murders and was later executed in 1996.

Wed proven that there was value in understanding the criminal mind to be able to actually use criminal profiling in an active case to hunt down a killer was the most satisfying reward of all, Burgess wrote in her 2021 memoir, A Killer by Design: Murderers, Mindhunters, and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind.

Burgess work with the FBI served as loose inspiration for actor Anna Torvs character Wendy Carr in the Netflix thriller series Mindhunter, a dramatization of the founding of the Behavioral Science Unit.

Shop Now A Killer by Design by Ann Wolbert Burgess amazon.com $18.03

She remains a highly influential expert

Burgess, Douglas, and Ressler published two important books based on their research: Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives in 1988 and Crime Classification Manual: A Standard System for Investigating and Classifying Violent Crime in 1992.

Even after her work with the FBI, Burgess continued to play a key role in notable criminal cases. In 1993, she served as an expert defense witness in the first trial of Lyle and Erik Menendez, the brothers accused of murdering their parents inside their Beverly Hills home in August 1989. Burgess interviewed Erik for roughly 50 hours as part of her involvement, determining allegations of sexual abuse by their father, Jose, were valid and an originating cause of the killings. The trial resulted in a hung jury, but the brothers were later convicted of first-degree murder in 1996.

Burgess also interviewed Andrea Constand who, in a 2005 civil lawsuit, accused actor and comedian Bill Cosby of sexual assault. A settlement was reached in the case the following year.

Today, Burgess is still investigating

Soul Brother / Hulu

Now 87, Burgess has continued to use her sleuthing skills. She and psychiatric nursing colleagues from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland formed a Super Sleuth Club, which meets monthly via Zoom to examine cold cases.

In the meantime, she continues to inspire the next generation of investigators by serving as a professor of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing at Boston College. She is also a professor emerita at the University of Pennsylvania.

Burgess told The Teacher As... podcast she leads four courses at Boston College: victimology; forensic science; forensic mental health; and Wounded Warriors in Transition, an elective for students to gain an understanding of military culture, catastrophic injuries, and the journey of Wounded Warriors and their family members. Her classes examine a number of past and ongoing cases, including the Gilgo Beach and University of Idaho killings, and often incorporate former members of law enforcement and actual victims.

One of Burgess current areas of focus is threat assessment to prevent mass casualty events, such as school shootings. Were seeing so many of these [shootings] that are going on, and we have to be able to get the red flags, that there are warning signs, and thats all in social media, Burgess said. One way you can, hopefully, try to find out whats going on is to analyze what theyre writing, because what they write is what they think, and we know that thinking is what drives behavior.

The new Hulu docuseries, which Burgess served as a consulting producer on, is sure to examine the thorough approach she has used, and continues to use, throughout her career in criminology.

Stream Mastermind on Hulu Now

Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer, now streaming in full, is directed by Abby Fuller and produced by Lewellen Pictures, the production company belonging to actor Dakota Fanning and her Golden Globe-winning sister, Elle Fanning.

In an interview with Boston College, Fuller spoke about the importance of sharing Burgess story and influence on criminal personality study. Dr. Burgess story is not just about studying the minds of serial killers. Its about understanding victims and believing victims. Thats the thread that I saw, she said. The series is about her entire career and the many ways shes influenced and shaped law enforcement and the courts and different systems.

Shop Now

You Might Also Like
NY recovers over $1M in unpaid wages for thousands of food workers. What happened?

Over $1 million in unpaid wages has been recovered and distributed to thousands of Chipotle restaurant workers throughout New York, Gov. Hochul announced Monday.

The New York State Department of Labor recovered the unpaid wages for more than 20,000 Chipotle restaurant workers across 207 locations statewide.

Ensuring that workers are paid every cent they are owed is a fundamental right and we are dedicated to holding employers accountable," New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said in a written statement Monday. "This significant recovery for Chipotle workers demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting workers' rights and fostering fair workplaces across New York State."

Over $1 million in unpaid wages has been recovered and returned to thousands of Chipotle restaurant workers throughout New York state.

The New York State Department of Labor investigated and recovered over $63 million in stolen wages for almost 65,000 workers statewide in the last two years, Hochul's office said, which resulted from an expansion of the state's Wage Theft Task Force and addition of a hotline and online reporting system in 2022.

In 2023, state lawmakers held a hearing in Manhattan to further address wage theft in the state, which they estimated hit $1 billion in New York City alone. The hearing followed a USA Today Network-New York investigation into a contractor who was accused in court of withholding tens of thousands of dollars in wages from day laborers in the Westchester County area.

Here's what to know.

Wage theft scheme NY contractor accused of scamming workers. What's being done to prevent wage theft?

What wage issues were found in Chipotle investigation?

An investigation by the state Department of Labor's Division of Labor Standards into Chipotle's wage issues originated from a tip from the Workers' Compensation Board. The company was asked to review their pay records between December 2018 and September 2022 and between August 2021 and July 2023.

Here's what they found:

Wage issues related to the correct minimum wage rate for fast-food workers, which is higher than regular minimum wage.

Wage issues for spread-of-hours pay, which requires employees to pay additional time to workers whose shifts span more than 10 hours in any one day.

The investigation turned up additional pay issues after the state Department of Labor received another complaint alleging Chipotle stopped paying certain required wages, which the company attributed to a system error.

As a result of the probe, Chipotle directly paid all active employees and provided funds to the state Department of Labor to pay former employees. Individual recoveries ranged from $10 to over $3,600.

In this 2023 file photo, Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah, left, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Emily Rowe-Smith, who is also the Wage Theft Coordinator, discuss wage theft cases in Rocah's office Feb. 1, 2023 in White Plains.

These issues occurred due to inadvertent payroll programming errors," a Chipotle representative said. "As part of our commitment to supporting and properly compensating our team members, we self-corrected and properly paid many of the impacted employees last year before the Labor Department told us to do so. We have implemented changes to our payroll system to prevent this from happening again.

The Chipotle representative also said the company voluntarily paid $396,045 prior to the state Department of Labor's mandate to pay an additional $584,062.

In this 2023 file photo, Senior Assistant District Attorney Emily Rowe-Smith, who serves as the wage theft coordinator in the prosecutor's office. speaks to the gathering at a meeting to discuss wage theft prevention and reporting, at the Mamaroneck Library Feb. 4, 2023. Frank Becerra Jr. / The Journal News

What to do if you feel you've been a victim of wage theft

Victims are encouraged to file a wage complaint by visiting dol.ny.gov and can email the Department of Labor for assistance at labor.sm.ls.ask@labor.ny.gov.

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: Unpaid wages for NY Chipotle workers recovered. What happened?
The New York City Department of Health has scrapped a requirement that fetuses aborted at or after 24 weeks be considered human remains and sent to funeral homes for burial or cremation.

The 24-week mark is generally considered the point of potential viability to survive early birth and until the rule change, it was mandatory to send such late-term aborted fetuses to funeral homes for burial or cremation.

Medical facilities will now instead be allowed to dispose of the conceptus  the term used by the health department  on premises, as is the case for earlier term aborted fetuses, relieving the patient or family of the responsibility and cost.

Mayor Eric Adams health team has scrapped the requirement that a fetus aborted at or after 24 weeks  considered the point of potential viability to survive early birth  be disposed of as human remains for burial or cremation. Robert Miller

The Department is proposing to amend the Health Code Articles 203 and 205 to eliminate the requirement that any conceptus that has completed 24 or more weeks of gestation be disposed of as human remains, a department summary of the rule change reads.

Disposition as human remains would remain available upon request by those who desire burial or cremation.

A medical facility could incinerate the fetus on premises as is the case for earlier term aborted fetuses  relieving the patient or family of the responsibility and cost. Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Abortion opponents argued that eliminating the right to a burial for a viable fetus is just another example of devaluing life.

This is horrible. Theyre treating human beings like trash, said Jeaane Head, a retired registered nurse who has served as the National Right to Life Committees representative to the United Nations.

Its infanticide. They dont want mothers to know they killed their baby. 

But health officials said patients should not be forced to pay for funeral expenses following a later term abortion, already a wrenching experience for many pregnant women.

The department also emphasized burial is still an option if the family chooses under the rule change.

About 2% of abortions in the city occur after 21 weeks, according to the most recent data.

This is inequitable. Its costly. People need to call a funeral director  and pay for a burial or cremation, the departments chief epidemiologist Gretchen Van Wye said during a recent Board of Health meeting

Its very traumatic to people. This is a matter we dont think the government needs to be involved in. This is something for the patient and provider to talk about, she said.

Its very traumatic to people. This is a matter we dont think the government needs to be involved in. This is something for the patient and provider to talk about, Gretchen Van Wye, health department chief epidemiologist, said. LinkedIn

The Board of Health unanimously approved the change after a brief discussion.

This is about an individuals medical decision and removing a burdensome and costly requirement from the health code. How someone decides to proceed after making such a personal medical decision should not be dictated by the government, said DOH spokesman Patrick Gallahue.

Doctors who provide reproductive care lauded the city for eliminating the burial rule.

People should be able to access abortion care when they need it, in their communities, and without restrictions, said Dr. Erinma Ukoha, a maternal fetal medicine specialist in New York and fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health.

I applaud New York Citys leadership in responding to the real needs of people accessing later abortion care, Ukoha said. As a physician who provides care to people navigating these often complicated and unforeseen circumstances, I am comforted that individuals and families will be able to make the decision that is best for them.

Ukoha said in too many states politicians impose medically unnecessary barriers preventing patients from getting the compassionate abortion care they need.

The NYC Board of Healths decision to remove the burdensome, inequitable disposition requirement for people accessing later abortion care is an important step in the right direction, she said.

She noted the option is still available for patients who want a burial or cremation for the fetus.

New York and some other liberal states have taken action to bolster abortion rights and care after the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the 49-year-old landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized the termination of pregnancy throughout the US.

States now set up their own policies and conservative states have imposed restrictions on abortion.

In contrast, the Big Apple was out front in offering abortion pills and kits to patients after the ruling.
Off-duty BSO deputy killed in a motorcycle crash on the Fourth of July

An off-duty Broward Sheriffs Office deputy died in a motorcycle crash in Sunrise on the Fourth of July.

Our hearts are with his family during this devastating moment. It is our prayer his family finds comfort in the loving memories of Anthony and the difference he made in his young life, BSO said in a statement. We mourn his loss but remember his life.

The International Union of Police Associations announced on Instagram that Anthony Zahorovsky, 27, was killed in the accident.

Anthonys loss is deeply felt by all of us, the IUPA said in a statement on social media. As a colleague, friend, and family member, he touched many lives.

CBS News Miami reported that the crash happened right before 12:20 p.m. in the area of North Pine Island Road at Northwest 44th Street.

He was an amazing guy and he loved what he was doing, Andres Muneton, Zahorosvkys cousin, told the station. He was amazing as a father.
FILE - Former U.S. Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, is interviewed outside of the Supreme Court, July 1, 2024, after the court decision o the immunity case of former President Donald Trump, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  Former Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell is mostly recovered from the brutal assaults he endured from Donald Trumps supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. But not completely. His shoulder still has limited endurance and there are screws and a metal plate holding his right foot together after bone fusion surgery.

Emotional recovery has been more difficult. Gonell struggled when he heard that former Trump visited Capitol Hill last month and received what he called a heros welcome from the Republican lawmakers Gonell had protected that day, and when Trump falsely told millions of viewers in last weeks debate that many of the violent rioters, his supporters, were ushered in by the police.

Trumps Capitol Hill visit was a triggering mechanism for my PTSD, says Gonell, who retired from the force in 2022 due to his injuries and has recently participated in several campaign events for President Joe Biden. We did what we had to do to keep those elected officials safe, and instead of siding with us, the officers, they have sided with a person who put their lives at risk.

Three and a half years after the Capitol attack, Trump still falsely claims the 2020 election was stolen. He has promised that if he wins the presidency again he will pardon his supporters who violently beat police and broke into the Capitol to try and overturn the legitimate results. To counter the misinformation, Gonell and two of his fellow officers who were there that day are working with Bidens campaign, attending events in swing states to try and make sure that voters dont forget.

Im a living primary source about an important day in American history, says Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges, who became a recognizable face shortly after the attack when a video of him being crushed between two doors went viral. So I try to make that count, and make it so that people hear the truth from someone who was there.

Along with former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, Hodges and Gonell are telling audiences about what they went through that day and trying to lay out the contrast between Biden and Trump. It's an unusual transition for law enforcement officers who once protected members of Congress and are used to keeping their political views to themselves.

Im really an introvert, and Im not someone to seek a microphone or an audience, says Hodges, who testified along with Gonell and Dunn at the House Jan. 6 panels first hearing in 2021. But Im in this unique position where people will listen to what I say about an important issue. So I feel a moral obligation to do so.

At recent events in Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona, they stood with local officials and said that Trump is a danger to the country after trying to overturn Bidens legitimate election.

Three and a half years later, the fight for democracy still continues, Dunn recently told a group of voters in Arizona, flanked by a handful of politically active Democratic veterans in Phoenix. It still goes on. Donald Trump is still that threat. His deranged, self-centered, obsessive quest for power is the reason violent insurrectionists assaulted my coworkers and I.

The officers have also aggressively pushed back on Trumps comments at the debate, where he falsely said that there were a relatively small group of protesters and that the police let them enter the Capitol. More than 1,400 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot, and police were bloodied and injured  some seriously  as they struggled to prevent more from getting in.

Dunn, who recently lost his own bid for a congressional seat in Maryland, said after the debate that Trumps comments were a slap in the face, but its what we have come to expect from Donald Trump.

And the officers said they are still supporting Biden, even after he failed to push back on many of Trumps false claims about Jan. 6 and received widespread criticism for his weak showing at the debate.

He could have been a little more forceful, but Ill take the person who doesnt send a mob to kill me and my colleagues over the other person, said Gonell, who published a book last year about his experience. Every single day Im reminded of that horrible day. Every time I put my shoes on, I see my scar.

Gonell was caught in the worst of the fighting on the Capitols west front as Trumps supporters protesting his defeat violently tried to push past him and his fellow officers. At one point he was pulled under the crowd and lost oxygen to the point that he thought he would die.

Hodges was nearby, trapped in the heavy golden doors in the center of the Capitols west front as rioters beat him bloody. A video of his guttural scream as he tried to escape went viral and was played at Democrats' impeachment trial in the weeks after the attack.

Dunn, who has said he was targeted with racial slurs by Trumps supporters during the fighting, says it has been good to travel out of the Washington area, his hometown, and talk to people who may not be watching cable news every day as he campaigns for Biden. Theres a lot they dont know about what happened on Jan. 6, he says.

Being able to have somebody who was there bring firsthand experience and facts retelling the story, its very beneficial, Dunn said,

The officers were widely praised after Jan. 6, but their criticism of Trump in recent years has made them less popular with some Republicans. When Gonell and Dunn visited the Pennsylvania legislature this spring, some Republicans booed them.

But they are unbowed by the criticism, and have continued to try and bring more attention to their stories. Gonell was outside the Supreme Court on Monday as the justices ruled on whether Trump has immunity for his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election and criticized the justices for sending the federal case back to a lower court. The decision effectively ends any prospects that Trump could be tried before the November election.

On Friday, the court limited a federal obstruction law that has been used to charge some Capitol riot defendants.

Every single time that the Supreme Court or any other court says that some of these people shouldnt be held accountable, its a disgrace, Gonell said.

___

Associated Press writer Jonathan Cooper contributed to this report from Phoenix.
Traffic on a highway. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

The July 4 weekend means Ohios roads will be packed with holiday travelers. AAA projects almost 61 million will hit the road and another 10 million have other travel plans. A recent report digging through a decade of traffic fatality data offers a reminder to be patient behind the wheel.

The Roadway Information Program, or TRIP, study has some good news and some bad. The transportation research nonprofit found that in the 10 years between 2013 and 2023, traffic fatalities have jumped substantially nationwide. But zeroing in on the past three, deaths have begun to decline from their peak during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a press release, TRIP executive director Dave Kearby argued, While it is good news that the number of traffic fatalities is trending downward in recent years, the sharp increase in traffic fatalities over the past decade must be addressed.

In Ohio specifically, the number of fatalities has increased by 26% over the past decade, rising from 989 in 2013 to 1,242 in 2023. Those 2023 figures are 8% lower than the states peak in 2021. Applying the raw numbers to travel patterns, Ohios fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles of travel amounts to an increase of 23% over the past ten years and a decline of 10% over the past three years.

Causes

TRIPs report is based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and researchers highlighted a handful of behaviors driving traffic deaths.

Over the past five years, speeding related crashes rose by 21% around the U.S. and accounted for more than a quarter of traffic deaths in 2023. Between 2018 and 2022, alcohol-involved crashes rose by 29%, and fatalities from distracted driving increased by 16%. The studys authors are quick to note while cellphone use is often cited as an example of distracted driving, its not the only culprit  eating, talking, and adjusting controls can all take attention away from the road.

The studys authors note in 2023, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities in the U.S. made up about a fifth of the total. Motorcyclists, which account for less than 1% of annual travel in the country, represent 16% of its traffic fatalities. Motorcycle deaths have also seen a marked increase recently as the share of those riding without helmets has climbed.

All of those data points relate to national trends, but one area where researchers provided state level data is work zone fatalities. Ohio ranks tenth among states, with 106 fatalities over the past five years.

Jake Nelson, who heads up AAAs traffic safety advocacy, argued, Despite a drop in U.S. crash fatalities, we know that drivers continue to engage in dangerous behaviors like speeding or driving under the influence.

The funds to improve our nations transportation system are available, which means there is no excuse not to improve the safety of our roadways, Nelson continued. We must also push for real change in communities where deaths are the highest and ensure that funds are directed to those areas where they are most needed.

Dollars and cents

The study also applies NHTSAs traffic cost methodology to determine how much major crashes and fatalities cost us. NHTSA splits costs into two buckets. Tangible economic costs cover expenses like medical care, property damage and emergency services. Quality of life costs have to do with longer term impacts like ongoing physical impairments, chronic pain and loss of lifespan.

At the national level, TRIP estimates 2023 crashes tallied $460 billion in tangible economic costs, and almost 1.4 trillion more in quality-of-life costs. In Ohio, researchers put the figures at $15.5 billion and $47.1 billion respectively.

Meanwhile, TRIP applauds U.S. Department of Transportation investments in safety through legislation like the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. That measure put $454 billion toward highway and transit improvements over a five-year period.

TRIP executive director Kearby argued, making a commitment to eliminating fatal and serious injuries on the nations roadways will require robust investment and coordinated activities by transportation and safety-related agencies in providing the needed layers of protection for the nations motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists, including safe road users, safe roads, safe vehicles, safe speeds and high-quality post-crash care.

Tuesday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced several projects receiving funding through the Ohio Department of Transportations Safe Routes to School program. In all, those infrastructure improvements will cost about $8 million. Two of the projects also qualified for funding through a program included in the federal infrastructure bill.

Creating the opportunity for children to walk and bike to school is so important, and this funding will help communities ensure that these routes are as safe as possible, DeWine said in a press release. Motorists should also do their part by paying attention, especially in and around schools.

Improvements to sidewalks, crosswalk and signage in Fostoria and Akron will receive $425,000 from the federal legislation.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Ohio traffic deaths up compared to ten years ago despite recent declines appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is celebrating the arrival of a baby western lowland gorilla.

The gorilla was born June 29 to first-time mother, Sue, and father, Ktembe.

The zoos animal care team said Sue is attentive and provides excellent care to her little one. To ensure that Sue and her newborn have time to bond with minimal interruptions, the care team will determine the sex of the baby at a later date.

While the troop is adjusting well, the indoor viewing habitat in the Zoos Congo Expedition region is closed for several days to provide the gorillas with some more privacy. Starting July 8, guests will be able to visit the newly-expanded gorilla family.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

2 men found dead in pool in Pine Township Man charged with killing, dismembering missing 14-year-old in Mercer County Tree falls, killing 18-year-old cleaning up storm damage in Westmoreland County VIDEO: Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania recite Pledge of Allegiance DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Two Ojibwe tribes from Wisconsin have come to the defense of the Environmental Protection Agency against a lawsuit filed by 12 states over water rights.

The Lac du Flambeau and Sokaogon (Mole Lake) tribes joined five other tribal nations from around the country in defending the EPAs new tribal water rights rule under the Clean Water Act.

Preserving and protecting the earth, air and water is at the core of who we are as a people, said Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Tribal President John Johnson, standing on a balcony looking out on Pokegama Lake.

The rule, which was finalized in May, requires state and federal governments to consider the rights of water-dependent tribal nations when setting pollution limits for waterways.

Republican attorneys general from a dozen states, including Iowa, South Dakota, Alaska and Wyoming filed a lawsuit against the EPA May 28 challenging the new rule.

Their lawsuit alleges the EPA is exceeding its authority with the new rule, and alleges the rule is too vague.

The seven tribal nations joining to defend the EPAs rule are being represented by attorneys from Earthjustice, a nonprofit group of environmental projection attorneys, and the Native American Rights Fund.

Preserving and protecting the earth, air and water is at the core of who we are as a people, said Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Tribal President John Johnson in a statement. This has been a guiding principle for us well before the United States even existed.

The six Ojibwe bands in Wisconsin have historically fought to maintain their treaty rights to hunt and fish in millions of acres of former Ojibwe territory in northern Wisconsin that was taken by the United States.

Our ability to hunt, fish and gather is directly impacted by the health and sustainability of earth, air and water and memorialized in our treaty rights with the United States, Johnson said.

He added that tribal officials are guided in their decisions about environmental protection by the Seven Generations principle, meaning that the resources, or relatives in Indigenous thinking, should be preserved or made even better for at least the next seven generations.

We ask how our decisions today impact those who come after us hundreds of years from now, Johnson said. We respectfully ask every level of U.S. government to do the same.

Attorneys for the tribes argue that the EPA has never had a formal rule outlining the specific process and obligations for states to consider tribes in determining a states water quality standards. They argue that tribal water rights are often addressed by state regulators in an ad-hoc and adversarial manner at the end of the process. They said that water quality needs are different for tribal members because they consume more wild fish and aquatic plants, such as wild rice, than non-Indigenous people.

This is just the latest senseless attack on the Clean Water Act at a time when we need to be increasing our efforts to protect and conserve our nations waters, said Earthjustice attorney Gussie Lord in a statement addressing the states lawsuit. The tribes are going to defend the water and defend their reserved rights.

Native American Rights Fund attorney Daniel Cordalis said states have a legal and moral obligation to protect tribal rights when setting water quality standards.

For states to fight a practical and needed rule is frustrating because it shows the ongoing effort to subordinate tribal rights in state water management.

More: Great Lakes tribes teach 'water is life. But theyre forced to fight for a voice in safeguarding it.

Sign up for the First Nations Wisconsin newsletter Click here to get all of our Indigenous news coverage right in your inbox

Frank Vaisvilas is a former Report for America corps member who covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact him at fvaisvilas@gannett.com or 815-260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ojibwe side with EPA against 12 states' suing over tribal water rights
State Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, authored the bill that created the Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail grant program. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  Oklahomas 13 original Black towns will soon be connected on the Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail.

The trail will link towns that are significant to civil rights history through a grant program with the Oklahoma Historical Society. Because the towns cover a vast geography, the trail will allow visitors to pick and choose which to visit.

The state Legislature approved the trails grant program in 2023, but waited until this year to approve a one-time $1.5 million allocation to improve visitors centers, signage or catalog oral history in participating towns.

The trail will connect Boley, Brooksville, Clearview, Grayson, Langston, Lima, Red Bird, Rentiesville, Summit, Taft, Tatums, Tullahassee and Vernon. Greenwood Rising history center in Tulsas historic Greenwood District and the citys Pathway to Hope as well as the Clara Luper Center, which will be built in Oklahoma City, will be along the trail.

It will also include significant Native American historical sites.

Grayson Mayor Leon Anderson said he hopes the trail will help Black towns develop economically, preserve historical sites and retain their younger population.

I have people in my community say, We dont want to lose our identity, thats one of the things that weve been talking about, is because from where we are, you know, weve lost out, Anderson said.

The Okmulgee County town, which had a population of 127 people during the 2020 census, shares a zip code with neighboring town Henryetta. Many of the original Black towns have populations less than 150, according to 2020 census data.

Anderson said not having a unique zip code or being able to preserve sites, such as schools, that are significant to the town has a negative impact on its community.

Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, authored the bill that created the grant program.

Matthews said the idea for the trail came to him when he was working on Greenwood Rising, a Black history center in Tulsa, with the Centennial Commission. While touring Black towns in the state, Matthews said he started meeting with mayors in 2019 to begin groundwork for the trail.

He based the idea off the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, which has historical civil rights sites in 15 southern states.

The National African American Museum of History and Culture had 5 million visitors within its first two years, which demonstrates interest in Black history, Matthews said.

Oklahomas Native American history is important to highlight as well, Matthews said.

Oklahoma is, has, Native American country, Matthews said. We have African Americans that came here on the Trail of Tears and so those stories are connected.

Matthews said the trail will take two to three years to complete. He expects it will also revive tourism in the participating towns.

Its a boom for our state, Matthews said.

The Oklahoma Historical Society will run the grant program in conjunction with participating towns.

Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Director Trait Thompson said the program is in the process of having Gov. Kevin Stitt approve the rules it has set for distributing grants.

Stitt will have to issue a governors declaration to approve the rules, which must be listed in the Oklahoma Register by July 17, Thompson said.

I dont imagine that there will be any problem with them [the rules], Thompson said. Theyre pretty non-controversial. I dont anticipate any issues. This really just sets out the parameters for how were going to administer the grant program.

Grant funding will be available to municipal governments, county governments, tribal governments and nonprofit organizations across the state.

It will allow them to undergo projects such as installing signage, repairing or enhancing visitors centers or creating historical markers that highlight civil rights history. It can also be used to do preservation work or conducting, transcribing and cataloging oral history.

The one-time grant amounts will range from $1,000 to $50,000.

Thompson said he estimates the Oklahoma Historical Society will be able to begin accepting applications in early 2025.

So we [Oklahoma] have a lot of history when it comes to civil rights, and its because of our unique way that we were formed, but I dont think a lot of people recognize that, Thompson said.

Taft Mayor Elsie Ceasar said the trail will allow Oklahomans to experience what the different Black towns represent.

Ceasar, who is a member of the Oklahoma Conference of Black Mayors, said she has participated in discussions about the trail, but is still waiting for concrete details.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
NANJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A media delegation of six members from the Republic of Korea (ROK) last week visited Beijing and Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu Province, marveling at the country's rapid development.

The delegation visited Dongfeng Yueda Kia Motor Co., Ltd., a joint venture established by Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Corporation, China's Jiangsu Yueda Investment, and ROK automaker Kia, in Yancheng in 2002.

The assembly line at Kia's factory in Yancheng is highly automated, requiring only a few workers. The plant is able to produce a car every 50 seconds on average.

Kim Gapbong, managing editor of Incheon Today, was intrigued by an electric vehicle (EV) at the plant's exhibition hall. The car, the latest model that has been on sale since February, can run up to 720 km per charge.

"China has the most advanced EV technologies in the world," said Choi Daeyul, a reporter for Asia Business Daily who has been covering the automobile industry for years.

Choi said that China has progressed in leaps and bounds in the EV era. "Hopefully more enterprises from the ROK will deepen their cooperation with Chinese companies to attain win-win results."

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain tensions, China's new energy industry has demonstrated strong resilience and potential. Data from the National Energy Administration shows that China accounted for over 50 percent of the 510-gigawatt increase in the world's newly installed renewable energy capacity in 2023.

Members of the delegation also said that the soaring development of China's clean energy industry, including the NEV sector, could not be achieved without intelligent and effective production.

Their words rang true during their visit to Tongwei Solar (Yancheng) Co., Ltd., which boasts an annual capacity of 36 gigawatts of photovoltaic modules.

The company's smart factory has achieved full-process automation, with the deep integration of logistics and information flows in terms of digitalization, intelligence and automation, said Zhai Xujin, general manager of the enterprise.

The delegation also paid a visit to the Tiaozini wetland in Yancheng. Lying at the halfway point of the East Asia-Australasia Flyway, a busy migratory route taken by 50 million waterfowl every year, the Tiaozini wetland is a wonderland for birds and avian enthusiasts alike. China and the ROK are both important stops on the flyway.

In 2019, the migratory bird sanctuaries along the coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf (Phase I) in Yancheng, including the Tiaozini wetland, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a natural site.

"It is very healing to see thousands of birds here, and to appreciate the importance China attaches to ecological conservation," said Bae Yunju, a reporter for the Ulsan Broadcasting Corporation.

Natural ecosystems are often destroyed during rapid economic development, but the ROK and China are restoring tidal flats, wetlands, rivers and other areas vulnerable to human activities to their original state through joint efforts, Kim said, adding that he hoped the ROK and China would strengthen exchange and cooperation on ecological protection in the future. 
HB 1542 went into effect in November, allowing restaurants and public school district cafeterias to donate food without fear of being held liable. Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, the author, said it was an effort to combat Oklahoma's high food insecurity rates. (Kennedy Thomason/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY Watching students throw leftover cafeteria food away each day, a Clinton womans heart broke.

Sally James, 70, who used to work in a public school cafeteria, said the amount of food she saw tossed every day was hard to watch. It was especially difficult as a senior citizen who has to pick between getting groceries or buying medicine, she said.

Now, James works as the head cook for Mission House, a nonprofit organization in Clinton that provides food as one of its services.

James said her goal was to feed the hungry in her community.

It used to just hurt me that all that food, all that milk, that juice, that could have went to a family or child that day that might not have gotten nothing to eat that weekend, James said.

In November, HB 1542 became effective.

Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, authored the bill. The law allows restaurants and public school district cafeterias to donate food without the fear of being held liable. It has an exception for negligence.

For Mission House, James said the law has allowed it to meet the nearly doubled demand it has received. In May, Mission House served 1,328 dinners, she said.

And now, we can make, you know, food boxes, and we can get this out and utilize it and give it to families and people off the street, she said.

Both Clinton Public Schools and neighboring Arapaho-Butler Public Schools donate leftover cafeteria food, James said.

Clinton Public Schools Superintendent Tyler Bridges said the school district began donating in November.

Generally speaking, weve always got things that weve overproduced on or overbought or whatever that is going to perish, and its just things that, you know, in the old days we would be essentially forced to throw away, and now we dont, Bridges said. So thats, thats obviously fantastic.

Bridges, a close personal friend of Moore, said it made sense for Clinton Public Schools to be one of the first districts to begin donating food.

Bridges said the school district primarily donates milk, fruits and vegetables. Prepared food is not a typical donation, he said.

In February, The Arbys Foundation donated about $21,000 to pay off student lunch debt in Clinton.

Despite the demonstrated need of the districts students, Bridges said it prioritizes them, only donating unused or perishable food.

With the new school year in the fall, Bridges said Clinton Public Schools will be a Community Eligibility District. That means all students will eat free breakfast and lunch, regardless of financial status. He said the district is currently at 85% free and reduced lunch.

Arapaho-Butler Public Schools Superintendent Jay Edelen said his district and Clinton Public Schools use the same food service, Opaa! Food Management, Inc., which has helped them create a food donation plan.

During the week, Edelen said prepared leftover food is donated. After lunch on Friday, fresh fruit and salad is gathered up and taken to Mission House before it expires over the weekend, he said.

Despite local participation, the food donation process is not widespread, according to spokespeople from organizations in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Many larger food banks and soup kitchens do not have partnerships with restaurants to donate prepared food, the spokespeople said.

Cathy Nestlen, a spokeswoman for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, said the system isnt practical for food banks.

The Regional Food Bank has not received donations from restaurants or school cafeterias, she said. Instead, some of its local partners received donations from chain restaurants, such as Starbucks and Panera. Even then, she said, packaged foods are often the type of donations they are able to receive.

Oklahoma City-based Grace Rescue Mission, an emergency shelter for men, and Jesus House, a nonprofit that provides addiction resources, food and clothes, rarely to never receives donations from restaurants, a spokesman said.

Tulsa Day Center, a nonprofit that provides for basic needs, does not receive restaurant donations. Iron Gate, a nonprofit that feeds Tulsas hungry, doesnt routinely get restaurant-prepared food, Executive Director Carrie Henderson said.

We havent gotten any [in] a while, Henderson said. We were kind of getting a lot like, kind of during COVID, because a restaurant would have ordered something, and then they were, you know, closing for whatever or something like that.

She said Iron Gate would primarily receive bulk excess food during the pandemic.

When creating the legislation, Moore said he hoped it would tackle the states high food insecurity rates.

Its just so easy, so obvious, and its something that, quite frankly, I couldnt believe hadnt been run before, and so realizing that was still an issue and a barrier to people helping people, you know, I just wanted to remove those barriers, Moore said.

Feeding America, a national organization that fights hunger, reports one in six Oklahomans face hunger. One in four children also battle hunger in the state.

Although it has yet to be implemented on a larger scale, James said the extra donations make a difference for Mission House.

Food is really expensive right now, James said. Its hard for us to be able to buy salads so they get, you know, nutritious meals with fresh vegetables and stuff that they [the school districts] bring us and everything.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Last week, Oklahoma state Superintendent Ryan Walters announced that the state could soon require public schools to teach the Bible and the Ten Commandments, including requiring religious text be included in all classrooms.

"Every teacher, every classroom in the state will have a Bible in the classroom and will be teaching from the Bible in the classroom," Walters said last Thursday, "to ensure that this historical understanding is there for every student in the state of Oklahoma."

The statement came just days after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the state could not approve a religious charter school.

"Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum," reads Walters' memo. "The Bible is one of the most historically significant books and a cornerstone of Western civilization, along with the Ten Commandments. They will be referenced as an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like, as well as for their substantial influence on our nation's founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution."

It's not exactly clear how this memo will affect school curriculums. Most public schools already reference the Bibleand other religious textswhere appropriate as part of instruction on world religions, world history, or other classes. However, Walters' memo did leave open the possibility that Oklahoma's Education Department would develop curricula giving schools specific instructions for how to teach from or about the Bible.

Walters provided some context to his remarks on Monday, telling PBS News that the memo was motivated by the perception that teachers "are not talking about in their classroom the role that the Bible played in American history" and that he would soon "be offering additional guidance to districts that they will have to comply with."

The current lack of clarity makes it difficult to conclusively say whether Walters' memo is unconstitutional. It's been well established that public schools can use religious texts in some contexts, like a comparative religions course or to provide context for a piece of literature.

However, Walters' directive is at "the edge of the envelope," Andrew C. Spiropoulos, a constitutional law professor at the Oklahoma City University School of Law, told The New York Times. "By singling it out as a proposal standing alone, that could be legally problematic."

Walters, on the other hand, is confident that his directive will pass legal muster.

"If we get sued and we get challenged, we will be victorious, because the Supreme Court justices [Donald Trump] appointed actually are originalists that look at the Constitution and not what some left-wing professor said about the Constitution," he told PBS News. "The separation of church and state appears nowhere in the Declaration of Independence or Constitution."

The post Oklahoma To Require Public Schools To Teach the Bible appeared first on Reason.com.
Maryna Bezrukova immediately knew she was upsetting murky and powerful forces in Ukraines arms trade.



Amid a push for reforms in the Defense Ministry, Bezrukova took the reins of the ministrys Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) this January. She left behind her comfortable job at the state electricity grid operator Ukrenergo.



Now she is in charge of purchasing weapons and ammunition for Ukraines military and transforming the previous leadership's bad business practices. Its a monumental task for a warring country reliant on Western weaponry, while foreign companies make matters worse by upping prices for Ukraine.



Yet a more ominous obstacle stands in Bezrukovas way, according to Daria Kaleniuk, co-founder of the Kyiv-based NGO Anti Corruption Action Center (ANTAC), which is involved in the procurement reforms. Shady third-party traders and employees within the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) are obstructing the new arms procurement agencys reforms, she claims.

"There are units within the Security Service that try to continue robbing the country and maintaining a monopoly control over some sectors of the economy. The arms sector, because of its natural secrecy and complexity, has been their absolute monopoly," Kaleniuk told the Kyiv Independent.

The SBU denied the accusations of obstructing the agencys work and told the Kyiv Independent that it acts exclusively within the limits of its powers and in the manner determined by the Constitution and laws of Ukraine.

The SBU is Ukraines main security agency tasked with counterintelligence, counterterrorism, special military operations, and the protection of national statehood and state secrets. It has a mixed reputation and only recently has been accused of corruption, pressure on business, and illegal surveillance of media.

Bezrukova is careful when talking about the exact sources of pressure shes facing.

Intermediaries are trying in every possible way to preserve the status quo and their incomes, Bezrukova told the Kyiv Independent in response to ANTACs claims, adding that some intermediary companies may be connected to law enforcement agencies.

Bezrukova joined the Defense Ministry at a moment when its reputation was shaky after a series of corruption scandals last year. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and his team were subsequently dismissed in September. Under the new leadership of Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, transparency was promised.

The defense procurement sector was reshaped in December 2023, aiming to meet NATO standards. The DPA, first established in August 2022, was to focus solely on lethal aid. Meanwhile, the new State Rear Operator (known under its Ukrainian abbreviation DOT) agency was formed to purchase non-lethal aid like food and clothing.

Shortly after accepting the position Bezrukova was warned by a top defense official that vested interests opposed her appointment.

Maryna Bezrukova, the head of the Defense Procurement Agency, in the meeting room of her office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 19, 2024. (Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent)

Bezrukova was unsurprised to hear this and knew the job would be fraught with risks. But she felt her seven years transforming procurement within Ukrenergo had prepared her well for the tricky road ahead.

Her main task, as she saw it, was to cut better deals with arms suppliers. For that, she needed to remove unnecessary intermediaries.

Third parties sold weapons they gathered from producers or stockpiles to the Defense Ministry at inflated prices. They then pocketed the profit. Sometimes, the contracts have been paid for, but the arms never arrived.

Ukraine has probably lost tens of billions of hryvnia on such defense contracts, Bezrukova told the Kyiv Independent.

It doesnt help that there is no public oversight of these contracts: DPA cannot publicly declare its weapons and ammunition contracts under martial law, leaving it vulnerable to misconduct.

One way to support the struggling agency is a supervisory board with international members, Bezrukova said. The board, which is currently being formed, will help ensure fair procurement and give protection against political pressure, she said. It will also allow her to push back against international companies upselling arms. However, the boards formation process lacks transparency, according to ANTAC.

Bezrukovas ambition to overturn the system has put her in the spotlight of arms dealers and their cronies. She said that since her appointment, she has received threatening messages, faced doxxing on the Telegram messenger app, and wasnt able to hire new people for her team due to artificial obstacles.

The only option they have (left) is to destroy my reputation. I think it will be the next step, she said.

Direct contracting

Russias full-scale invasion upended the arm trade in Ukraine.

Before the invasion, Ukrainian arms traders were selling Ukraines Soviet-era weapons abroad, often illegally. In one case, Europol arrested a criminal network in 2020. The group smuggled weapons from Ukraine to conflict zones in the Middle East in Africa.

The arms transfer business in Ukraine was extremely secretive and controlled by a monopoly of people linked to the mafia and was protected by the security service, Kaleniuk told the Kyiv Independent.

But from 2022 onwards, traders swapped to importing weapons as Ukraine desperately sought to arm itself against the Russian invaders. The same shady people remained in the system, leading to misconduct, Kaleniuk added.

One major scandal involved a little-known company, Lviv Arsenal, that was given a $36.6 million contract to purchase 100,000 mortar shells in 2022. The ammunition never arrived, but part of the money passed through several European companies including Croatian company WDG Promet. Shortly after the transaction, the company purchased an explosives factory in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

An SBU investigation exposed officials in the Defense Ministry and the managers of Lviv Arsenal complicit in the scheme. Security services arrested Oleksandr Liyev, a former top official at the Defense Ministry, on Feb. 12. In total, five people were charged, both in the Ministry and Lviv Arsenal, although Liyev, who admits Lviv Arsenal failed to uphold the contract and denies wrongdoing, was released a month later.

Overall, Ukraine may have lost at least tens of billions of hryvnias to fraudulent schemes, according to Bezrukova. But she is hoping to turn things around. She is moving towards direct contracts with defense manufacturers after third parties received 80% of agreements last year, before she came in.

Already, the DPA has signed over 20 direct contracts with several companies from different countries under Bezrukovas leadership. This year, direct contracts comprised 60% of concluded import agreements, up from just 20% in 2023.

According to Deputy Defense Minister Dmytro Klimenkov who supervises the DPA, the transition to direct contracting is perhaps the biggest challenge for the agency but one of the key priorities of the ministry team headed by Rustem Umerov.

Contracts with manufacturers are always about better prices and more reliable supply. And in the agency there are big changes in this direction, he said.

Dmytro Klimenkov, deputy defense minister of Ukraine, talks to The Kyiv Independent on Feb. 22, 2024. (Press Service/Defense Ministry of Ukraine)

Both Klimenkov and Bezrukova acknowledged that intermediaries are still helpful and needed to acquire weaponry from countries that refuse to sell to Ukraine. For governments that dont want to go against Russia, like Serbia, third parties are the main avenue for procuring weapons.

An arms trader told the Kyiv Independent that some Western producers prefer to work through middlemen. He claimed their preference to do deals with Ukraine at arms length is due to the risk of being caught up directly in corruption scandals and the extensive bureaucracy of doing deals with Ukraine that forms a vicious circle preserving and fostering intermediary schemes.

Intermediary companies arent happy about the prospect of being squeezed out of the business by the DPAs reforms.

In one instance, an intermediary company from a NATO country sent Bezrukova a threatening message when she tried to move away from working with them. The company told her that direct contracting was not how things were done in the arms business.

Earlier, Bezrukovas personal information was dumped on an anonymous Telegram channel. It exposed her passport details, address, and telephone number. An accompanying message said: You can hide or not but we will find you.

Hiring hurdles

As part of her efforts to reform the agency, Bezrukova is trying to bring in fresh, professional people that she can trust. But she noted that candidates are enduring protracted background checks by the SBU, nosediving the hiring process amid a staffing shortage and fierce workload.

The agency needs 328 people but is currently lacking around 100 employees. Only 40 people were hired in the last three months, the DPA told the Kyiv Independent.

Prior to Bezrukovas leadership, candidates only waited one or two days for background checks. But since late November, when her appointment was expected, waiting times have shot up to one to four months, the DPA said.

Bezrukova says she understands that background checks can take a long time due to the SBU's workload. But she stressed that it is in our interests to update the agency as soon as possible and strengthen it with professional personnel.

Maryna Bezrukova, the head of the Defense Procurement Agency in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 19, 2024. (Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent)

The SBU told the Kyiv Independent that one of their responsibilities is the counterintelligence support of the defense complex, including the DPA. That includes running checks on entities and individuals connections with the special services of foreign countries, the SBU said. However, decisions based on the information provided by the SBU are made directly by the management of the DPA, the SBU said.

The problem, according to Kaleniuk, goes beyond stalled security checks. Its that many of the old guard connected to the arms intermediaries remain in the DPA. The old leadership put them there, she said, adding that employees inside the SBU connected to the arms trade oppose Bezrukovas appointment and are deliberately sabotaging her efforts, including hiring a new team.

Under Bezrukova, the agency poses an existential threat to their interests, Kaleniuk said. The SBU wants to keep people they can control and work within the agency, she added.

People fighting against transparency in the system are looking for money, influence, and political weight, according to Svitlana Musiiaka, head of research and policy at the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO).

We've always seen this kind of opposition to the defense procurement, she told the Kyiv Independent.

Bezrukova is pushing through the hurdles, noting that she has full legal decision-making over new hires regardless of the SBU. The agency runs its own security checks on all candidates and sends their documents to the security service but doesnt always wait for the full background checks to come back before hiring.

She told the Kyiv Independent that she is replacing several deputies, including her predecessor Volodymyr Pikuzo, who was demoted to deputy head of the agency. Instead, Bezrukova recently hired Artem Sytnyk, former head of the state National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), as deputy director of security.

Promising progress

Apart from trying to hire new people, Bezrukova is shaking up the agency with a new structure.

The DPA is now set to more rigorously inspect manufacturers and sellers, including stock checks, before signing contracts. Afterwards, an export license is established and the agency pays the company part of the contract. The complete payment only comes after the products are on the border or in Ukraine, Bezrukova said.

In this way, we can be sure that our money is safe, Bezrukova said.

Already, the agency concluded more contracts in the first quarter of 2024 alone than in the whole of 2023, Klimenkov told the Kyiv Independent. The DPA has allocated 98% of its Hr 216 billion budget so far this year of which Hr 110 billion has been paid to suppliers, mostly in advance to support production, according to the DPA. The agency will stop advance payments in full following Bezrukovas reforms.

Maryna Bezrukova, the head of the Defense Procurement Agency, in her office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 19, 2024. (Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent)

Over 70% of funding has been funneled this year into Ukrainian companies, bolstering the mushrooming domestic defense sector. Ukraine remains dependent on foreign allies in some areas, such as where state-of-the-art technologies are key to manufacturing weaponry. But Ukraine is making inroads here.

You cannot win a war with imports, and we need to develop our own military industry, Klimenkov said.

In particular, the DPA is leading the way in drone procurement under Bezrukovas management. Orders this year totaled Hr 2.5 billion ($61.8 million) and saved Hr 187 million ($4.6 million) through transparent and competitive bidding, according to the Defense Ministry. Klimenkov praised the agencys transformation efforts in increasing competition and adopting international procurement standards.

(The DPA) is a commendable institutional solution for wartime, a NATO official told the Kyiv Independent under the condition of anonymity.

He said that the agency could play a role in all of Ukraines security sectors and set the path for NATO standard procurement. However, he noted that it should have more weight in the system to achieve by handling procurements for all security systems of Ukraine, not just for the list of products contracted by the defense ministry.

Supervisory board protection

As the DPA improves and expands, arms dealers are likely to ratchet up attempts to discredit or break the agency using the SBUs influence, Kaleniuk warned.

According to NAKO and ANTAC, the solution to safeguarding the agency is to introduce a supervisory board independent of the government that includes foreign members. This will ensure the agency's oversight and compliance with regulations and the law, said Musiiaka, from NAKO.

A British-based recruitment agency has narrowed down the shortlist to a dozen candidates from six countries. It includes applicants from the U.S., U.K., Poland, Germany and France, the Defense Ministry said on June 19. A decision will be made soon, according to Klimenkov.

The ministry refuses to publish the names of candidates to prevent interference by third parties and pressure on candidates. Following criticism about the lack of transparency, the ministry eventually agreed to share the long list and short list of candidates with anti-corruption groups. However, it said it could only share the names of the candidates who gave their permission.

On the short list, only eight out of 12 candidates allegedly agreed to have their names revealed, according to Kaleniuk. Even with this limited access, anti-corruption activists said the selection process appears questionable.

From the long list we found strong candidates who were not invited to the short list. While in the short list we found much weaker candidates, Kaleniuk said.

Maryna Bezrukova, the head of the Defense Procurement Agency, stands in front of the window in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 19, 2024. (Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent)

According to Klimenkov, the supervisory board will oversee the agencys management and the implementation of its strategy and promote transparency and the agency's credibility in the world, which would also help us secure direct contracts with international arms manufacturers.

The supervisory board will also help protect Bezrukova from further attacks, ANTAC co-founder Vitalii Shabunin told the Kyiv Independent. It will also build trust from Western partners in an agency that has to operate under the utmost secrecy.

The board members should be so well known and powerful that the black market players inside Ukraine have no influence on them, he added.

Moreover, the presence of foreign board members will boost Ukraines access to international supplies and establish direct connections to Western suppliers, the NATO official said. It will open the market and widen Kyivs knowledge of the foreign market, Musiiaka added.

For Bezrukova, board members are the key to mitigating the cost of international companies that are upselling weapons and ammunition. She doesnt hold enough sway on her own, she stressed.

If somebody who has influence inside a (partner) country could say to businesses, don't be greedy, we are about strategic partnerships, it would be great because prices are an issue, Bezrukova said. (The board is) about power in different countries.

The board may bring Ukraines defense procurement closer to NATO standards of transparency, but it also represents a tightening fist on Ukraines illicit arms trade.

Not everybody in the Security Service and among arms dealers are happy with that, Kaleniuk said.

Toma Istomina contributed reporting to this story.

Note from the author:

Hi, this is Dominic Culverwell, thanks for reading this story. While the news of corruption persisting in Ukraine is always frustrating and saddening, its important to remember that there are many people fighting against it. I hope that this article shines a light on the positive routes Ukraine can take just as much as the problems it's facing. If you want more in-depth coverage, then please consider supporting us.

Read also: Ukrainian journalists report continued pressure, censorship attempts as previous cases remain unsolved

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Old pipes cause Texas cities to lose tens of billions of gallons of water each year

Water spews out of a fire hydrant as a San Antonio Water System crew works to fix a water main break near Hunt Lane and Adams Hill in San Antonio, TX on August 18, 2022. Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune

Texas most populous cities lost roughly 88 billion gallons of water last year because of aging water infrastructure and extreme heat, costing them millions of dollars and straining the states water supply, according to self-reported water loss audits.

The documents show that bigger municipalities are not immune to water issues often seen in smaller, less-resourced communities around the state. All but one big city saw increased water loss from last year's audits.

While cities are losing water because of inaccurate meters or other data issues, the main factors are leaks and main breaks.

Here's how much each of Texas' biggest cities lost last year, according to their self-reported audits:

Houston: 31.8 billion

San Antonio: 19.5 billion

Dallas: 17.6 billion

Austin: 7.1 billion

Fort Worth: 5.9 billion

El Paso: 4.8 billion

Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth and El Paso must submit water loss audits to the Texas Water Development Board yearly. Other water agencies must do audits only every five years, unless the city has over 3,300 connections or receives money from the board.

What we have right now is not sustainable [or] tenable, said Jennifer Walker, National Wildlife Federations Texas Coast and Water Program director.

The cities of Houston and Dallas saw the biggest increase in lost water reported. Houston saw a 30% jump from last year's audit, while Dallas saw an increase of 18%.

Houston is the largest populous city in the state, home to roughly 2.3 million Texans; it lost around 31 billion gallons of water last year.

Houston Public Works blames the region's long drought from June 2022 to December last year for the increase. Droughts cause clay in soil to dry up and shrink, stressing older water lines and making them more likely to break and leak. Officials said this, combined with aging infrastructure, led to a significant increase in water leaks across the city.

HPW will continue to pursue all funding options available to help replace aging infrastructure, the Houston spokesperson said.

Aging infrastructure isnt only a Houston problem. Dallas officials said they only expected a roughly 4% increase in water loss in 2023. They saw a double-digit increase instead.

A Dallas Water Utilities spokesperson said the city is investigating the cause of the increase and reviewing records to ensure all allowable unbilled/unmetered authorized uses were properly accounted for in the 2023 calculation.

On the other side of North Texas, Fort Worth saw an increase from 5.6 billion gallons lost in 2022 to 5.9 billion gallons in 2023, losing Cowtown more than $8 million.

Walker, from the National Wildlife Federation, said numbers are also rising because cities are getting more accurate in reporting water loss.

Fort Worth has a MyH2O program that replaced all manual read meters with remote read meters and implemented a Real Water Loss Management Plan in 2020 to focus the city efforts related to leak surveys, leak detection and the creation of district metering areas.

It is actually a testament to how we are using available data to make better decisions and improve reporting with a higher level of confidence, said Fort Worth Water Conservation Manager Micah Reed.

Last year, voters passed a proposition that created a new fund specifically for water infrastructure projects that are overseen by the Texas Water Development Board.

The agency now has $1 billion to invest in projects that address various issues, from water loss and quality to acquiring new water sources and addressing Texas deteriorating pipes. Its the largest investment in water infrastructure by state lawmakers since 2013.

Walker calls the $1 billion a drop in the bucket.

Texas 2036, an Austin-based think tank, expects the state needs to spend more than $150 billion over the next 50 years on water infrastructure.

While some of the Texas Water Fund must be focused on projects in rural areas with populations of less than 150,000, Walker said the bigger cities could also receive some funding.

In San Antonio, the San Antonio Water System isnt waiting for [the state] to come and tackle the problem for us.

The city lost around 19 billion gallons of water in 2023 and has seen an increase over the last five years.

We're in a state that doesn't even fund public education, said Robert Puente, president and CEO of the San Antonio Water System. So good luck to us getting some money from the state on these issues.

Earlier this week, the SAWS board of trustees unanimously approved a new five-year water conservation plan.

The city of Austin lost around 7 billion gallons of water in 2023.

Austin has hired a consultant to review it's water loss practices and metrics, according to city officials. The capital city is also in the process of replacing water mains around Austin.

Walker said while Texas lawmakers should invest more money in water infrastructure, city officials also need to hire more staff and better planning to address water loss.

The one city that lost less water in 2023 was El Paso, which reported losing 475 million fewer gallons last year. Since El Paso is in the desert, water conservation and having a watertight infrastructure is the city's main focus, said Aide Fuentes, El Paso Wastewater Treatment Manager.

That makes us a little bit different from the rest of Texas in that sense, Fuentes said.

El Paso Water officials aim to reduce water loss by 44%.

Walker said the data shows that cities should make the case to state lawmakers to continue addressing water infrastructure in the next legislative session. She added this issue isnt going away.

We really need [to] try to live with what we have and not lose the water that we already have in place and make sure that it's reaching its intended destination, Walker said.

Disclosure: San Antonio Water System and Texas 2036 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!

Correction, July 8, 2024 at 5:50 p.m. : A previous version of this article incorrectly reported how much El Paso aims to reduce the city's water loss. The goal is to cut water loss by about 44%.
NORTH BEND, Ohio  One of Greater Cincinnatis smallest villages is planning a big upgrade: A new riverfront park.

The village of North Bend in western Hamilton County has big plans for what it's calling William Henry Harrison Park  to be located across the street from the ninth president's tomb and state memorial site, right next to the North Bend Boat Club.

The park, dreamed up by Mayor Doug Sammons, Cincinnati-based architecture firm KZF Design and Brownstone Design, would combine recreation and regional tourism with North Bend's rich presidential history. It's a long-term vision that North Bend is ready to launch early next year  if funding allows.

The price tag for the project is steep, as the whole plan would cost just shy of $12 million, according to Sammons. That's 20 times more than the small village's entire annual operating budget.

Doug Sammons is the current mayor of North Bend, a village with about 900 residents that was once home to two U.S. presidents and now aspires to a $12 million park.

A bold vision

Sammons began work on William Henry Harrison Park plans when he took office in 2012. He set up a beautification committee that year.

"I wanted to do some things to enhance the village," Sammons said.

A few years later, in 2016, North Bend acquired riverfront property from Cleves for $400,000, paid for with a Hamilton County revitalization grant. The land is filled with mature trees and plenty of greenery, with the Ohio River on the horizon.

It's a bit rough around the edges, but the village has been slowly cleaning up the 16-acre property in preparation for large-scale renovation. The design aims to honor the natural landscape while adding top-tier amenities including a boat ramp, festival and event lawn, playground, pavilion, picnic area and more.

"To me, it's not just a little village park," said Skip Holmes, the park's volunteer project manager. "What I want to envision is a regional tourist attraction, if not even greater than that, because it's a presidential historical site."

William Henry Harrison Park would tie North Bend's presidential history to a scenic riverfront property.

Spotlighting that history is at the core of the park's design. There will be educational signage on trails and throughout the park. The star of the show: An interpretive center where visitors can learn more about North Bend's two United States presidents  William Henry Harrison, the shortest-term officeholder, who served for just 30 days in 1841, and his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, in office from 1889 to 1893.

William Henry Harrison settled the land of North Bend after the war of 1812 where he met and married Anna Tuthill Symmes, the daughter of John Cleves Symmes, an important figure in acquiring the Northwest Territory. Benjamin Harrison was born in the village.

"The original log cabin that William Henry Harrison built is long gone, but the site is marked so there's lots here to learn," Holmes said.

This is the second park in Ohio to be named after the ninth president, the first being in Pemberville in the northern part of the state.

The park will also pay homage to the history of the land, featuring information on the Battle of Tippecanoe, led by William Henry Harrison, and more.

The property's design is distinct for one other reason: There's a railroad track and active water cleaning facility directly in the middle of the site. Instead of hiding the existing structures, Holmes wants to accentuate them.

A pedestrian bridge will span the tracks, connecting the interpretive center and the park. This, too, will have signage to explain the impact of railroad transportation during William Henry Harrison's lifetime.

"We want to educate youth and others of how river commerce occurred back a long time ago," Holmes said. "How many tons of material move back and forth on this rail?"

Sammons and Holmes hope to beautify the wastewater treatment plant, owned by The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati, by adding large decals or inviting local high school art students to paint a mural on its concrete surface.

As for the water treatment plant, North Bend plans to cover one of its tanks with artwork. "All of a sudden, this cement tank that looks ugly is an eye-catcher in a great way," Holmes said.

The six-phase plan

Because of the expansive scope of the project, the park has been divided into six stages, each adding more amenities to the property. The timeline for implementing the plan's phases is based on what money North Bend has available, according to Sammons.

Phase one entails building a parking lot and paving a new road for the park so that potential visitors can begin to utilize the space. It would also add a playground for children to enjoy. This initial construction could begin as soon as early next year.

From there, the village hopes to expand access to the Ohio River by adding a boat ramp and dock.

A few of the costliest phases include the construction of the pavilion and festival areas, to be located in the western corner of the park, and the Interpretive Center. The total price tag is about $11.6 million, according to Sammons.

How is it being funded?

North Bend officials plan to seek grants from the county and state to pay for the park, along with contributions from nonprofit groups.

Last week, the park won a half million dollars from a bipartisan state bill. William Henry Harrison Park was included as a line item in state lawmakers" "super duper fund," a one-time pot of $700 million to be allocated to various community projects and initiatives throughout Ohio.

An expanded William Henry Harrison Park would include new docks to replace ones in disrepair.

To date, officials have spent a $35,000 grant from WeTHRIVE to make gravel trails on the site through the existing terrain.

Fundraising will also be an important aspect of the project. North Bend plans to establish a village-operated nonprofit organization called the Community Investment Corporation, according to Holmes. This will allow for foundations to make tax-deductible donations to the park.

Additionally, Sammons hopes the park will eventually generate its own revenue. That could come from canoe and kayak rentals, concerts, food truck events or 5K races, he said.

However, those revenue streams won't be an option until the park is more developed.

When can I visit?

William Henry Harrison Park is not currently open for visitors, nor does it even appear on Google maps. The project is still going through initial construction efforts to clean up the area.

Sammons said he is planning the park's inaugural event, which he said will be a family movie night, as soon as this August. More information will be coming about the event on North Bend's social media channels.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: New $12M park planned for North Bend
One hospitalized after deputies rescue 4 when boat hit barrier near Kewaunee Lighthouse

KEWAUNEE, Wis. (WFRV)  Deputies in Kewaunee County helped to rescue four people after their boat had hit a protective stone barrier near the Kewaunee Harbor on July 4, sending one person to a local hospital.

According to the Kewaunee County Sheriffs Office, first responders were sent just north of the Kewaunee Lighthouse around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday after reports of a boat that had hit a barrier.

Appleton garage fire quickly brought under control, $25K in estimated damages

The driver of the boat, later identified as a 58-year-old man from Mansheim, Minnesota, had told authorities that four people were on the boat, two of which were injured.

Kewaunee County Sheriffs Office

Kewaunee County Sheriffs Office

Boating accident in Kewaunee County on July 4, 2024. (Austin Pielsnik)

Boating accident in Kewaunee County on July 4, 2024. (Austin Pielsnik)

Boating accident in Kewaunee County on July 4, 2024. (Austin Pielsnik)

Boating accident in Kewaunee County on July 4, 2024. (Austin Pielsnik)

Boating accident in Kewaunee County on July 4, 2024. (Austin Pielsnik)

Boating accident in Kewaunee County on July 4, 2024. (Austin Pielsnik)

Boating accident in Kewaunee County on July 4, 2024. (Austin Pielsnik)

Boating accident in Kewaunee County on July 4, 2024. (Bryce Oselen/WFRV)

First responders helped to transport the passengers to shore where they were then treated. One person was taken to a Green Bay hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Homicide charges filed against Marinette County man accused of inattentive driving in crash that killed 2

The following agencies assisted during the incident:

Kewaunee County Sheriffs Department

Kewaunee City Police Department

Units from Kewaunee Rescue

Kewaunee Fire

United States Coast Guard

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

This incident remains under investigation by the Wisconsin DNR. No additional information was provided.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) One person was injured in a shooting near Easton Town Center on Thursday evening, according to police.

Columbus police dispatchers told NBC4 a person arrived at a local hospital suffering from a gunshot wound around 8:45 p.m. They noted the original shooting happened on Morse Crossing, but did not specify an intersection.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Police are investigating, but have not shared a possible cause of the shooting, the condition of the victim or any information on a possible suspect as of 9:30 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV.
FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  Fort Smith Police Department responded to a call at 2 a.m. at 801 Garrison Ave. where they found one person who was shot in the leg.

Police said in a news release that the injuries were non-life threatening. They said it was an isolated incident with no threat to the public.

No arrests have been made.

Police ask if anyone has any information to assist the investigation to call 479-709-5000.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
Members of Beijing Dance Academy perform during the Chinese classical dance show "Beauty Beyond Words" on the main stage of Bucharest's National Theater in Bucharest, Romania, July 4, 2024. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)

The Chinese classical dance show "Beauty Beyond Words" staged at Bucharest's National Theater and showcased the unique charm of Chinese dance.

BUCHAREST, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese classical dance show "Beauty Beyond Words" captivated audiences on Thursday evening at Bucharest's National Theater.

The event, performed by the Beijing Dance Academy, was part of a series of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive friendly and cooperative partnership between China and Romania.

Following successful performances at the Sibiu International Theater Festival and in Brasov, the Beijing Dance Academy once again received high praise from Romanian audiences.

Around 900 people attended the performance, including ambassadors and representatives from over 20 countries, Romanian ministerial-level officials, former politicians and local residents.





A member of Beijing Dance Academy performs during the Chinese classical dance show "Beauty Beyond Words" on the main stage of Bucharest's National Theater in Bucharest, Romania, July 4, 2024. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)

The performers showcased the unique charm of Chinese dance. From the elegant beauty of the solo dances "Cloud Fairy" and "Flying Apsaras" to the lingering love of the duets "Butterfly Lovers" and "Farewell at the Pavilion," the dance works are based on Chinese traditional culture, blending gentleness and strength.

Chinese Ambassador to Romania Han Chunlin highlighted the importance of cultural exchange in promoting dialogue among civilizations.

Irina Cajal, undersecretary of state of the Romanian Culture Ministry, praised the performance, noting its significance as a bridge between the past and future in the relationship between China and Romania.

She commended the ongoing cultural exchanges between the two countries in theater, film, music, art and photography and anticipated deeper cultural cooperation in the future.

The audience was deeply impressed by the performances. Seventeen-year-old student Ilinca Budura was particularly struck by the "Thousand-handed Bodhisattva."

IT consultant Octavia remarked on the beauty, diversity, and uniqueness of Chinese classical dance and expressed a newfound interest in traveling to China. "I think this is going to encourage people to want to learn more about Chinese culture," Octavia said.

The event was co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Romania and the Romanian Ministry of Culture.
One man dead after alleged July 4 homicide in Wisconsin, suspect taken into custody

COLUMBUS, Wis. (WFRV)  One person was taken into custody after an alleged homicide in a downtown area early Thursday morning.

According to a release, an officer with the Columbus Police Department heard what sounded like fireworks going off in the downtown area. Upon arrival, he located an adult man who had been shot.

Homicide charges filed against Marinette County man accused of inattentive driving in crash that killed 2

The officer attempted life-saving measures on the victim, but he was pronounced dead a short time later at a nearby hospital.

Through an investigation and review of various video camera footage, a suspect was identified, and he was taken into custody shortly before 2:00 p.m. in the city of Madison. The firearm believed to be involved in the alleged crime was located along the path where the suspect fled.

The Columbus County Sheriffs Office says they want to make it known that the public is not in any danger as the suspect is in custody and is believed to have acted alone.

Police in Wisconsin investigating deadly crash, two people in custody

A formal press conference is expected on Friday at 10:00 a.m., where more information will be released about the incident.

No additional details were provided.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
One person dead, another in custody following shooting on Columbias Garners Ferry

One man is dead and another is in custody following a Thursday night shooting at an apartment complex off Garners Ferry Road.

Columbia Police Department said on social media site X (formerly Twitter) that officers were called at about 8 p.m. Thursday to the Garners Crossing Apartments at 7651 Garners Ferry Road in reference to a shooting. When they got there, officers found an injured man.

Police Deputy Chief Melron Kelly told The State that the man died on the scene. The Richland County Coroners Office had not publicly announced the mans identity as of early Friday morning.

Kelly said one person was in custody in the shooting death. That persons name has not yet been released.

Shooting investigation at Garners Crossing Apartments - 7651 Garners Ferry Rd. #ColumbiaPDSC officers were dispatched at approximately 8 p.m. & located an injured male. One person has been detained for questioning. Updates will be posted here as additional info becomes available. pic.twitter.com/er6jl4CVLa  Columbia Police Dept (@ColumbiaPDSC) July 5, 2024
A hacker managed to infiltrate OpenAIs internal messaging system last year and abscond with details about the companys AI design, according to a report from the New York Times on Thursday. The attack targeted an online forum where OpenAI employees discussed upcoming technologies and features for the popular chatbot, however, the systems where the actual GPT code and user data are stored were not impacted.

While the company disclosed that information to its employees and board members in April 2023, the company declined to notify either the public or the FBI about the breach, claiming that doing so was unnecessary because no user or partner data was stolen. OpenAI does not consider the attack to constitute a national security threat and believes the attacker was a single individual with no ties to foreign powers.

Per the NYT, former OpenAI employee Leopold Aschenbrenner previously raised concerns about the state of the companys security apparatus and warned that its systems could be accessible to the intelligence services of adversaries like China. Aschenbrenner was summarily dismissed by the company, though OpenAI spokesperson Liz Bourgeois told the New York Times his termination was unrelated to the memo.

This is far from the first time that OpenAI has suffered such a security lapse. Since its debut in November 2022, ChatGPT has been repeatedly targeted by malicious actors, often resulting in data leaks. In February of this year, user names and passwords were leaked in a separate hack. The previous March, OpenAI had to take ChatGPT offline entirely to fix a bug that revealed users payment information, including the first and last name, email address, payment address, credit card type, and the last four digits of their card number to other active users. Last December, security researchers discovered that they could entice ChatGPT to reveal snippets of its training data simply by instructing the system to endlessly repeat the word poem.

ChatGPT is not secure. Period, AI researcher Gary Marcus told The Street in January. If you type something into a chatbot, it is probably safest to assume that (unless they guarantee otherwise), the chatbot company might train on those data; those data could leak to other users. Since the attack, OpenAI has taken steps to beef up its security systems, including installing additional safety guardrails to prevent unauthorized access and misuse of the models, as well as establishing a Safety and Security Committee to address future issues.
In every election since the Supreme Court overturned Roe two years ago, voters have turned out in big numbers to protest the decision and restore abortion rights statewide where possible. Reproductive freedom remains a major rallying cause for Democrats even as former President Donald Trump appears to have found a way to insulate himself from the voters wrath about losing this essential right.

Trump heard the politics of the post-Dobbs world when he made it clear almost from the beginning, he wasnt willing to go along with some of the more extreme responses, repeating over and over the Florida six-week ban is much too restrictive, denying exceptions is a big mistake, and resisting a federal law, says Bill Galston, a senior fellow in the Brookings Institutions governance program.

He positioned himself as something of a moderate, Galston continues, To give him credit, he found a way to neutralize an issue at least for himself. Unless he says something really stupid, he might yet get away with it. He might drive a wedge between himself and other Republicans.

The Fight Over the Abortion Pill Is Only Just Beginning

Polls show that most voters dont think Trump will further erode abortion rights based on his background (he was once a pro-choice Democrat), his messy personal life, and his many conflicting statements.

Reproductive freedom is more of an issue in statewide Senate races, where voters dont trust Republican candidates to hold the line on extreme abortion policies.

Incumbent Democrats are running ahead of their GOP challengers in battleground senate races in Nevada, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. According to Amy Walter with the Cook Political Report, voters who think Trump is likely to ban abortion are voting against Republican David McCormick in the critical state of Pennsylvania by an equal or larger margin than they are voting against Trump. In a poll taken before President Bidens disastrous debate performance, Biden won among these voters by 34 points while Casey wins them by 45 points.

Republican pollster Greg Strimple told The Daily Beast that the abortion dynamic that is fueling Democratic senate incumbents is not working at the top of the ticket where voter concerns about Bidens age and the high cost of living have blunted the impact of the abortion issue and concerns about democracy.

Independent women and highly educated suburban women, college degree or better, are conflicted about their pro-choice predilection and concern about the cost of living, says Strimple, so thats how that is being neutralized on the presidential level. Almost 60 percent thought in our poll that he (Biden) has control over the cost of living. Thats a double whammy with those two issues working against him.

On the abortion issue, voters are 2-to-1 in favor of legal abortion, but in Strimples polling for the Cook Political Report, Trumps position of returning the issue to the states, 51 percent say thats about right.

Trump has had such a string of victories lately that its no wonder that Republicans are beginning to think about a wave election that could sweep in an all-GOP government. Democrats are running well ahead of Biden in critical states, but with Bidens future uncertain, Strimple asks, Can Senate candidates stay out of the way, or will they get caught in the undertow?... Does the debate about Bidens age overwhelm the entire ticketand does it depress Democratic turnout? I think it will.

With the very real possibility that Vice President Kamala Harris could step in as the Democratic nominee for president, the case for reproductive freedom would be made more forcefully than it has been made by Biden, a devout Catholic who was opposed to abortion rights earlier in his career. Harris has been out-front on the issue and brings the conviction and passion that could change the equation of its importance at the top of the ticket.

We havent heard the last word yet on Roe. Trump may have blunted for now the impact of voter anger against him for stacking the Supreme Court with anti-Roe justices. Abortion is still a galvanizing issue for Democrats because there are enough states that have enacted draconian restrictions. South Carolina is the latest where three elected Republican women who fought to include exceptions in the states abortion ban were defeated in their primaries.

Trump says he doesnt favor a national ban, but thats where hes reversed himself, and nobody can trust anything he says. Its not as if he has deep convictions either way. The Democrats can say this is the guy who gave us Dobbs. Thats a simple message.

Bidens responses on abortion were mystifying in his debate with Trump. He launched into a confusing description of how Roe applied in each of the three trimesters, letting Trump swing wildly at Democrats for allowing abortions in the eighth month, the ninth month, even after birth. This is wrong and if Biden were on his game he would have used the moment to call out Trumps lies and disinformationand drive home the choice voters face.

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.
Editors Note: Sunder Katwala is the director of British Future, an independent think tank researching public attitudes to integration, immigration, identity and race. He is the author of How to Be a Patriot: Why love of country can end our very British culture war. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more CNN Opinion.

The crushing defeat of the Conservative Party in the UK election ends Rishi Sunaks two-year premiership. He has a place in history books as the first British Asian prime minister  but now also as the prime minister to suffer one of the heaviest election defeats in Britains modern political history.

Sunder Katwala - Courtesy Sunder Katwala

Sunak was dealt an almost impossible hand on becoming prime minister two years ago  the latest in a head-spinning carousel of Conservatives to take the top job. He was the UKs third prime minister in the space of two months. Already, Boris Johnson had squandered a dominant political position with rule-breaking parties in Downing Street during the pandemic before Liz Trusss premiership imploded within weeks as her bold tax-cutting budget fell apart.

When Sunak became prime minister, my father told me how important a symbolic moment it felt to him, having come to Britain from India as a young doctor in 1968. Now 80, Dad felt torn by a dilemma of how to cast his own vote.

When the general election was called six weeks ago, Dad told me he would probably vote for Sunak, despite his doubts about an unruly and divided Conservative Party. He saw Sunak as a decent man, trying to do his best in difficult times. It almost sounded like a plan to cast a sympathy vote for Sunak, just in case nobody else did.

But as the election campaign wore on, he became less sure. I would like to see him carry on as prime minister  but the country also needs a change of government, Dad said. His being Indian and Hindu are probably not the right reasons to vote for him  but he did well during the terrifying times of Covid, he added of Sunaks stint as Chancellor of the Exchequer before becoming prime minister.

He planned to finally decide inside the polling booth.

Meanwhile my 18-year-old daughter, deciding how to cast her first ever vote, could not conceive of Sunaks identity influencing her choice. Her priority issues were climate change and rising homelessness. Her friends  including those of Asian heritage  associate Sunak more with his wealth and educational privilege than his ethnic heritage or his faith.

After 14 years of Conservatives in power, the countrys youngest adults have never known another government. A little younger than 10 years old when Britain voted for Brexit, they have grown up knowing that had been a big argument, while often feeling that nobody had really tried to explain what the point of it had been.

The UK has had a swift turnaround of Conservative prime ministers in recent years, including, from left to right: Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson and Theresa May, all pictured at the National Service of Remembrance in London, in November last year. - Richard Pohle/Reuters

Youth  and political inexperience

At 44 years old, Sunak leaves office as the youngest ex-prime minister for well over a century. He became prime minister just seven years after becoming an MP  shorter than any other recent occupant of Downing Street. Sunaks political inexperience was reflected in some of the mistakes made in a bruising election campaign.

He apologised profusely for his decision to leave the recent D-Day commemorations in France partway through. A few of the criticisms of his apparent lack of respect for British traditions had a suspicious, prejudiced undertone: that Sunak did not understand how much it meant.

Sunak, as an individual, often seems less impressed with the ceremonial aspects of his role. But traditions of Remembrance do matter to British Asians too. Indeed, the armies that fought the world wars resemble todays Britain of 2024 more than that of 1944. They were drawn from across the Commonwealth  including a massive contribution from India  that is finally being increasingly recognized.

What really sunk Sunak

As the election campaign entered its final week, Sunak spoke out powerfully against racist comments by a campaigner for the right-wing populist Reform UK party, which had been captured on film. He said that his daughters should never have to hear such language about him.

Yet while Sunaks election defeat was political and personal, it had little to do with his faith or ethnic heritage. Sunak was unable to revive his party after 14 years in power  and negative perceptions of his wealth did seem to make it harder for him to forge a connection with voters in such tough economic times.

Ultimately, this crushing defeat has much more to do with the Conservative blue color of his party than the color of his skin.

Rationally, the evidence is that Sunaks ethnicity must be marginal in public perceptions of him, given just how much his reputation has surged and fallen over a short time. Sunak had been one of the most popular British politicians for decades when he first came to public attention as Chancellor of the Exchequer during the Covid pandemic.

He was seen more as a technocrat than a party politician, and his furlough scheme  where the taxpayer subsidized the wages of those who could not work virtually during lockdown  was enormously popular. Sunaks popularity was dented once the pandemic was over. Having taken on debt, he had to raise taxes. His family wealth and wifes tax arrangements became more controversial, too.

Again, on becoming prime minister, Sunak personally had a much better public reputation than his Conservative Party. But after two years in office, their reputations had converged  downwards. The political and economic context changed. Sunaks ethnicity did not.

Diversity at the top

Sunak as a Hindu was the first ever British prime minister to practice a non-Christian faith. This was discussed much more in India than in Britain, reflecting a secular political culture and some awkward uncertainty too about how to talk about faith here. Sunak celebrates his faith openly  lighting Diwali lamps on the Downing Street steps. He emphasized too that he welcomed the cultural norm of seeing diversity at the top as no big deal.

The UK has had ethnic minority leaders in Downing Street and in devolved governments in Scotland and Wales  though each chosen by their party, rather than the public. If diversity becomes a new norm in British politics, minority leadership will ebb and flow depending on how leaders grapple with the dilemmas of leadership.

The electoral reckoning for Sunak could barely have been more brutal  yet British voters will feel that both the man and his party were given a fair shot.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
When the Declaration of Independence was first penned, it was a bold proclamation aimed at securing the freedoms and rights of a fledgling nation. While many of those freedoms have been preserved over the last two centuries, others have begun to slip away, almost unnoticed. Among these lost liberties is the freedom to use ones property as one sees fit.

The neighborhood corner store

The neighborhood corner store was once a vibrant community hub. With baskets of colorful produce outside, inexpensive treats and sodas for kids and meat from nearby farms, these stores were more than just places to shop. They were gathering spots where neighbors and families bonded. Homemade goods added a personal touch, reinforcing the stores role as a community pillar.

Today, most of these beloved corner stores have vanished, their absence felt in neighborhoods across the country. A significant factor in their disappearance is the impact of stringent zoning laws  laws that came about in the 1920s  that rendered many neighborhood businesses illegal. Modern zoning regulations, with their strict separation of commercial and residential uses, leave little room for the quaint, neighborhood-friendly corner store. With the loss of freedom to build a corner store came the loss of the personal interactions and local character that they fostered.

The vanishing starter home

In a state with an acute housing affordability crisis, the loss of the freedom to build homes of our own choice is particularly poignant. During the founding era and into the 1920s, residents had the freedom to buy large tracts of land for farms or small lots for a humble starter home. This flexibility allowed families to establish roots, build wealth and create communities tailored to their needs. The ability to purchase and develop land according to individual preferences was a cornerstone of the American dream, fostering a sense of ownership and self-determination.

Today, stringent zoning regulations have dramatically restricted these freedoms. Land is so tightly regulated that buying one-eighth of an acre for a small home is illegal in almost the entire state of Utah. This has led to a significant reduction in the availability of starter homes, exacerbating the housing crisis and preventing many from achieving homeownership.

A place to house your family

When the declaration was signed, if you wanted to build a backyard cottage on your property, resources were your only obstacle. Today, the freedom to build what are now known as accessory dwelling units has either been lost or subject to a long list of regulations. For example, in some areas, backyard accessory dwelling units are outright banned. In others, accessory dwelling units have to be further from the property lines than garages need to be. Other regulations include height restrictions and aesthetic mandates.

The freedom to make a living

For thousands of years, humans have enjoyed the freedom to make a living from their homes. This often involved two- or three-story buildings where the family lived on the upper floor, with the ground floor dedicated to their business. Whether it was a tailor fitting and sewing clothing or a carpenter making furniture, these home-based enterprises were an important part of the communitys economy.

In America today, running a business from home is fraught with regulatory hurdles and zoning restrictions. While someone may be able to get a permit to do computer programming from home, something as harmless as running a salon or small bakery is often not allowed.

The loss of this freedom not only impacts economic independence but also diminishes neighborhood economies. The tailors shop, the bakers kitchen and the artisans workshop are now rare sights, replaced by homogenized commercial districts. Reclaiming the freedom to run a business from home could revitalize communities, promote entrepreneurship and restore a sense of local identity and pride.

The way forward

As we reflect on the freedoms celebrated in the Declaration of Independence, it is essential to acknowledge those we have lost along the way. The corner store, the home-based business and the starter home are more than nostalgic memories; the freedom to build them are important elements of a free society. By recognizing and addressing these losses, we restore our right to structure our governance according to our own judgment.

Lee Sands is the local government policy analyst at Libertas Institute.
Opinion: Happy Birthday USA. Sorry for What the GOP Is Doing to You

Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher.

Its July 4 againand that means barbecues, fireworks, and, of course, Republican lawmakers posting gratuitous photos of themselves holding large guns.

Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie, co-hosts of The New Abnormal, use the occasion to reflect on the past year in American historyand the craziest figures in American politics that have turned Washington into a global laughingstock.

Honestly, I would hate to work on Capitol Hill right now, Moodie said. I think that I would utterly hate my job. I worked on Capitol Hill a decade ago, and it was a wonderful experience, but in this climate walking past the Neanderthals someone would have to come and get me.

Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast.

Then, Defector editor David Roth and journalist Jeb Lund, the co-hosts of their own podcast called Its Christmas Town, join the program for a special Fourth of July quiz show segment.

Whos on Top as Trumps Veepstakes Reaches Its Zenith?

Plus! A conversation with author Suzette Mullen about her new memoir, The Only Way Through Is Out, which chronicles her experience coming out as a lesbian late in life.

Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher.

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.
As we approach the anniversary of our nations founding in this presidential election year filled with escalating levels of division and animosity, I would like to offer a simple solution to help us return to civility and keep us one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I believe the answer lies not in new legislation or in one candidate over another, but in honoring and sustaining a law that was established more than 30 centuries ago: the Ten Commandments.

This nation was founded upon natural law. Inherent in natural law is an understanding of the difference between right and wrong. This basic understanding of right and wrong has traditionally come through our religious institutions and is found in its most simple form in the Ten Commandments.

I believe most Americans still believe in natural law. Thou shall not kill, thou shall not bear false witness, thou shall not steal, to name a few. However, our practice has fallen out of step with our beliefs. Our society has moved decidedly in a more secular direction, blurring our concepts of right and wrong. No longer is bearing false witness a problem if we can post the falsehood anonymously. Many no longer even hide behind anonymity and blatantly publish lies. No longer is stealing a problem if it is righting a previous injustice.

Knowing the strong ties our Constitution has to natural law, John Adams perceptively said, Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Thus, if the Constitution is to endure for centuries more to come, we the people of America must be virtuous. We have no right to expect our representatives in government to be morally superior to its citizenry. If we become morally bankrupt as citizens, then so will our representatives. Therefore, we must be vigilant to embrace these basic principles, which are key to holding together the fabric of our society. Because the Constitution is founded on natural law, it requires obedience to the unenforceable.

There is no way to write enough legislation to legislate character, respect, dignity and morality. Without these characteristics in our citizenry, our nation will fail. These unenforceable principles are taught well by our religious institutions, but as we abandon those institutions in greater and greater numbers, it is no wonder that we have a group of government representatives who cannot be civil with one another and whose character seems to be weakening with each election, doing whatever is required to promote their own party and destroy the opposing one.

We must demand that our representatives return to the daily practices of respect, character, morality and other principles inherent in natural law if we are to continue to be governed by the oldest and most enduring constitution in the world. We must demand the same of us individually as we work through our differences and remain united in our pledge to defend liberty and justice for all.

Tim Laukka is a resident of South Jordan, Utah.
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Sangiampongsa of Thailand will pay an official visit to China and co-chair the second meeting of the Consultation Mechanism between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of China and Thailand from July 9 to 10, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Friday. 
Orban "feels" extent of disagreements between Russia and Ukraine after meeting with Putin

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that after his visits to Moscow and Kyiv, he realised that the positions of both sides regarding the war of aggression unleashed by Russia "are very far apart".

Source: European Pravda, citing Orban at a press conference with Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin in Moscow

Details: The Hungarian prime minister said this meeting with Putin was special because it "took place during the war".

"We have realised over the past two and a half years that we cannot achieve peace without dialogue and diplomatic channels," he said.

According to Orban, "Hungary is one of the few" countries who can talk to both sides of the war unleashed by Russia, which is why he visited Kyiv and is currently in Moscow.

"I felt that the positions are very far apart, that many steps need to be taken to establish peace, but the first important step towards dialogue has already been taken," the Hungarian prime minister added.

Orban also indicated that he wanted to continue pursuing his "peacekeeping" efforts.

Background:

On 5 July, Putin met with Orban in the Kremlin to discuss a range of issues, including some concerning the situation in Ukraine. He kicked off the meeting with an ultimatum for Kyiv.

Bertalan Havasi, the press chief for Orban's office, announced that Orban had arrived in Moscow as part of his "peace mission" and would meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Orbans visit to Russia comes just a few days after he visited Kyiv on 2 July.

Orban did not inform the European Commission about his plans to visit Moscow and did not coordinate his actions with it.

EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell said Orban's visit to Moscow is taking place solely within the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia and is not part of Hungary's presidency of the EU Council.

Orban himself stated that Hungary has no mandate to hold peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

Support UP or become our patron!
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban during their meeting in Moscow. -/Kremlin/dpa

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban informed NATO ahead of his planned visit to Russia, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

"Hungary informed us about this upcoming visit," Stoltenberg said in his press conference ahead of a NATO leaders' summit in Washington next week.

The NATO chief said he expects allies in Washington to discuss Orban's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and "address the discussions he had in Moscow."

"Of course, Viktor Orban is not representing NATO at these meetings. He's representing his own country," Stoltenberg stressed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held a two-and-a-half hour meeting in the Kremlin on Friday.

Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said many issues had been discussed in what he said was a very good atmosphere - above all Ukraine.

Putin recently made a proposal for ending the war against Ukraine that he launched more than two years ago, although he made it conditional on Ukraine agreeing to territorial concessions in advance. Putin said he wanted to inform Orban about the details of his ideas.

Despite the Russian invasion, Orban continues to maintain good relations with the Kremlin leader, and Hungary is still supplied with gas by Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that Orban had travelled to Russia on his own initiative. Putin repeatedly praised Orban for standing up for his country's interests and not allowing himself to be dictated to.

Hungary currently holds the rotating EU presidency, but top EU officials said Orban had no mandate to speak on behalf of the European Union during his trip to Moscow. He visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev earlier this week for the first time since the start of the war.

Ushakov said that Orban had been received as Hungary's head of government and not as an EU representative. Putin, on the other hand, explicitly referred to Hungary's EU position when welcoming Orban.

According to Russian officials, Orban had no message from Zelensky for Putin.
Orban reveals three questions he asked Putin about war in Ukraine

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that he asked Vladimir Putin three questions regarding Russia's aggression against Ukraine during a meeting with the Russian leader.

Source: Orban at a press conference with Putin in Moscow, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Hungarian prime minister said peace needs to be worked on and that he and Putin had discussed the "path to peace".

Orban also revealed three questions he asked Putin:

What does Putin think of the existing peace initiatives;

What he thinks about a ceasefire and peace talks and when they could be held;

Putin's opinion on the post-war European security system.

Orban did not provide the Kremlin ruler's answers to these questions.

He added that this is the moment when "Europe needs peace", and therefore "the Hungary's presidency [in the EU  ed.] sees the next six months as a peace mission".

The Hungarian PM also said that during his visits to Moscow and Kyiv, he realised that the positions of both sides regarding the war of aggression unleashed by Russia "are very distant".



Read also: Why Orban came to Kyiv and what he agreed on with Zelenskyy

Support UP or become our patron!
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has once again called for efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Ukraine war during a joint appearance with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the capital Moscow.

According to an official Russian translation, Orban said that Europe has been living in the shadow of the war in Ukraine for more than two years. "Europe needs peace," he said.

Orban made the surprise trip to Moscow amid fierce criticism from EU officials, Western politicians and from Ukraine. The EU stressed that the Hungarian leader had no official EU mandate for negotiations with Russia.

Peace will not come, but must be worked for by all sides, Orban said. However, the positions of Moscow and Kiev are very far apart. "A great many steps must be taken to move closer to ending the war," he said.

Establishing contact was key, he said, adding: "I will continue to work in this direction."

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow. -/Kremlin/dpa
Orban's plane en route to Russia, although Budapest has not yet confirmed his visit

The plane, probably with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on board, took off from Budapest and flew into Belarusian airspace amid media reports about Orban's planned meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Source: Szabolcs Panyi, a VSquare journalist, writes European Pravda

Details: He tweeted the route of the Hungarian government plane, which is already flying over Belarus  "a mysterious destination," the journalist sarcastically noted.

Orbans plane is already flying over Belarus to a mysterious destination. @HU24EU and the PMs press people only told journalists that Orban will be in Azerbaijan today and tomorrow. Id be utterly shocked if they deceived and lied to us! (ofc hed go to Azerbaijan from Moscow) https://t.co/WNI4OQNaEI pic.twitter.com/4BrKDRFEW6  Szabolcs Panyi (@panyiszabolcs) July 5, 2024

Panyi added that the press service of the Hungarian prime minister only told reporters that Orban would be staying in Azerbaijan on Friday and Saturday. Orban's official visit to Moscow has not yet been confirmed. "Id be utterly shocked if they deceived and lied to us!", the journalist added again in the spirit of sarcasm.

Panyi, who reports on Central and Eastern Europe, reported the day before, citing his sources, that Viktor Orban would visit Moscow just a few days after visiting Kyiv.

Radio Liberty's sources also confirmed this information. An EU official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Radio Liberty that Orban had not informed the EU of his planned trip to Moscow.

Background:

Amid the media reports, European Council President Charles Michel said that Hungary, which holds the EU presidency, has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.

Orban also admitted that the EU Council presidency does not give Hungary a mandate to promote peace in Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!
Editor's note: This is a developing story.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow on July 5, just days after his first trip to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war, Orban's press office told the media.

Orban last visited Russia in September 2022 to attend the funeral of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, but did not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the time.

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Orban in Russia's capital, saying he hopes to discuss bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine.

Budapest has repeatedly opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO and the EU, sanctions on Russia, undermined Western aid efforts for Ukraine, and maintained close relations with Moscow throughout the full-scale war.

Orban and Putin held talks in Beijing in October 2023 at the Belt and Road Forum. The Hungarian prime minister was the only leader from the European Union to attend the summit.

The prospect of Orban traveling to Russia, especially after Hungary had just acquired the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, angered many in the EU.

European Union Council President Charles Michel said that Hungary, in its role as the current rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, "has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU."

The EU further emphasized that Orban's visit to Russia was "not representing the EU in any form."

Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, wrote on X that the trip "falls exclusively in the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia."

Other European leaders commented on Orban's visit.

"Orban is visiting Moscow. Appeasement will not stop Putin," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine."

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry echoed the sentiment, saying that "the decision to make this trip was made by the Hungarian side without the agreement or coordination from Ukraine."

In an interview with the Hungarian media outlet Telex released on July 5, Orban agreed that he did not have the mandate to hold peace talks, but said that Hungary could be "a good tool in the hands of people who want peace."

"It is difficult to measure the impact of such a meeting (on peace talks). Hungary must know its place and its weight, and the peace talks will be handled by larger countries," Orban added.

In a post on X earlier in the day, Orban said, "You cannot make peace from a comfortable armchair in Brussels."

Read also: Orbans Kyiv, Moscow trips test boundaries of EU presidency, expert says

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China recorded 14.64 million inbound trips made by foreigners in the first half of this year, up 152.7 percent year on year, following measures introduced since January, the country's immigration authority announced Friday.

The measures, which aim to facilitate the entry of foreign nationals into China for business, education and tourism, included expanded visa-free policies, relaxed visa application requirements and simplified procedures, plus exemption of border checks for certain transit passengers and more convenient mobile payment for foreigners in China.

The National Immigration Administration (NIA) said at a press conference that the number of visa-free entries made by foreigners exceeded 8.54 million from January to June, accounting for 52 percent of the inbound trips and representing a year-on-year surge of 190.1 percent.

The NIA said the number of foreigners visiting China is expected to continue rising in the second half of this year. According to a recent report released by the China Tourism Academy (CTA), the inbound tourism market for foreigners is expected to recover to around 80 percent of 2019 levels, with trips by travelers from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region back to pre-COVID levels.

In the first six months of the year, immigration authorities across China had processed 287 million inbound and outbound trips, marking a 70.9 percent rise year on year. Among them, around 137 million were made by mainland residents, 121 million by residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and 29.22 million by foreigners.

Figures from the NIA showed around 12.34 million ordinary passports were issued in the first half of 2024, a 23.2 percent increase from the same period last year. The number of documents issued for travel between the mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan grew 7.8 percent to over 46.15 million. The number of port visas jumped by 267.9 percent to 686,000, and 388,000 stay permits and residence permits were issued for foreigners on the mainland.

Liang Xuecheng, a professor with the School of Economics and Management at Northwest University in Xi'an, said the demand for inbound trips to China and Chinese travelers' desire for outbound trips are still unleashing, with the facilitating policies expected to further stimulate tourism recovery.

The CTA found in a survey that over 60 percent of interviewed inbound travelers came to China primarily for a taste of its culture. Food and shopping also featured highly on the list of attractions.

Tania Medina, a 25-year-old Spanish, just concluded her maiden trip to China visa free. "China is safer than I thought. People are very nice when you try to speak Chinese," said Medina, who attends a Chinese-language school in Spain.

Medina said she was pleased to find the subway in Beijing much cheaper than in Spain and with even better air condition. "My Spanish bank card worked fine here and I also used Chinese payment tools WeChat and Alipay," she added. 
Viktor Orban took over the EU presidency on Monday and has since visited both Kyiv and Moscow - Vivien Cher Benko/AFP

Viktor Orban travelled to Moscow on Friday for controversial talks on how to end the war in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin greeted the Hungarian prime minister with a smile and a handshake, saying he was keen to hear proposals for a ceasefire.

Mr Orban visited Kyiv earlier in the week  and a Hungarian diplomatic source told The Telegraph he would act as a go-between in Moscow, his visit probably endorsed by Volodmyr Zelensky.

But Ukraines foreign ministry rebutted this claim, insisting its president had not sanctioned the talks.

The decision to make this trip was made by the Hungarian side without agreement or coordination with Ukraine, it said in a statement. The only realistic way to restore a just peace remains the Peace Formula.

Mr Orban visited Putin without the backing of the EU, Nato or Kyiv - Valery Sharifulin/Reuters

Although the talks werent sanctioned by Kyiv or its Western allies, Mr Orban is seen by some as a possible interlocutor because of his close ties with Putin.

Any chances of a deal remains slim, however, given that the Kremlin has so far refused to weaken its maximalist demand that Ukraine totally demilitarise and cede territory in exchange for peace.

Closed-door talks

At a press conference with the Hungarian leader in the Kremlin, after talks behind closed doors, Putin said: I am ready to discuss the nuances [of peace] with you.

Of course, there was a fairly thorough, direct and honest exchange of opinions on current international issues, including the Ukrainian conflict. We also discussed possible ways to resolve it, Putin said.

The Russian president added that Hungary was becoming the last country that can speak to both Europe and Russia.

He asserted that the US and the West have encouraged Ukraine to keep fighting instead of entering peace talks. The sponsors of Ukraine continue to use the country and its people as a battering ram, a victim in their confrontation with Russia, Putin said.

Appeasement

The EU and Nato, both of which include Hungary, were forced to deny that Mr Orban  who took over the rotating presidency of the EU on Monday  was representing them in Moscow.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said: Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban is visiting Moscow. Appeasement will not stop Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.

Prime minister Viktor Orbans visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia, Josep Borrell, the EUs top foreign diplomat, added.

Mr Orban met Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this week - Valery Sharifulin/AFP

Jens Stoltenberg, Natos outgoing secretary-general, told reporters on Friday that Mr Orban was not visiting Moscow on behalf of the military alliance, adding that the Hungarian premier would probably debrief colleagues at a summit in Washington next week.

However, Putin provocatively welcomed Mr Orban to Moscow as president of the European Council, hailing his ability to outline the position of our European partners.

Putins closest EU ally

Mr Orban is considered by many of his critics to be Putins closest ally in both the EU and Nato.

Hungary has continued to buy Russian fossil fuels while most of Europe cut all ties with Moscow, while Mr Orbans government has been responsible for delaying both military support for Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions on Russia.

The Hungarian prime minister was photographed shaking hands with Putin in Oct 2023 on the fringes of a meeting in Beijing.

Their close relationship has led to speculation that Hungary could break the deadlock over any potential peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia.

But some analysts have described Mr Orbans very closeness to Putin as a potential stumbling block.

Stephen Hall, assistant professor of Russian politics at the University of Bath, said: Putin will tell Orban what Orban wants to hear and Orban will then announce that Putin does want negotiations.

Most of the key players in Europe, the EU and Nato know that Orban is effectively Putins satrap, that hes the useful idiot in Europe for the Kremlin, and so will ignore what Orban comes back with.

Trump intervention

The subject of peace negotiations has risen up the agenda in recent weeks amid growing belief Donald Trump will win the US election. The former president has said he could end the war within a day if he wins back control of the White House later this year.

On Thursday, Mr Zelensky opened the door to Russia attending a peace summit this year without giving up the Ukrainian land it had seized.

Putin provocatively welcomed the 'president of the European Council' - Valery Sharifulin/AFP

Putin has previously said he would be open to peace talks on the basis that Ukraine was willing to surrender the regions of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk  most of which are controlled by Kyiv.

The Ukrainian president has repeatedly insisted he wont enter into talks until Russian forces are withdrawn from his countrys 1991 borders, which include occupied Crimea, the peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

Russias summer offensive has yet to make major headway inside Ukraine, but the war is draining Kyiv of men and resources.

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) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on a self-styled peace mission on Friday, triggering condemnation from European Union leaders who said he had no mandate to represent the bloc.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Hungarian leader, who visited Kyiv a day after he took over the EUs six-month rotating presidency on July 1, said ahead of the meeting that he had no intention of representing the 27-member bloc.

But speaking alongside the Russian leader after talks, he said he regarded the EU presidency as part of his mission and presented himself as uniquely positioned to mediate. The Kremlin said after the talks that there was no progress on Ukraine, according to the state-run Tass news service, citing Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.

Ive seen that the positions are far apart and the number of steps leading to an end to the war and to peace is great, Orban told reporters afterward. For his part, Putin expressed gratitude for the visit, though said that Orban had reiterated Western views that are well known to the Kremlin.

The Russian leader reinforced Russias position on a possible settlement that he laid out in a speech to the Russian Foreign Ministry last month, in which he demanded Kyiv withdraw its forces from four regions partially occupied by his troops and abandon its goal of joining NATO.

Orbans journey was initiated by Budapest, according to Peskov. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said that the Hungarian leader didnt bring a message from Zelenskiy, Tass reported.

But the trip to the Russian capital succeeded in provoking a sharp response from the rest of the EU, which had already been worried about how Hungary would approach its presidency. Appeasement will not stop Putin, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X after Orban landed.

Lithuanias president, Gitanas Nauseda, went further. If you truly seek peace, you dont shake hands with a bloody dictator, you put all your efforts to support #Ukraine, he said on X.

Orban used his Kyiv visit  his first since the Russian invasion began in 2022  to pitch a cease-fire deal to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Although the Ukrainian leader lauded the trip as a good signal from Budapest, he told Bloomberg Television on Wednesday that a cease-fire proposal was a non-starter for Kyiv.

Orban, who has provoked ire from European counterparts for blocking aid at times to Ukraine and maintaining his ties with Moscow, said after the meeting with Zelenskiy that he was preparing a report for EU leaders.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters that Orban gave him no advance notice about his plan to visit Russia. The European Council is represented by Charles Michel in terms of foreign policy  and not Hungary, he said, adding: Ukraine can rely on our support.

European Council President Charles Michel issued a public warning late Thursday to make clear that Orban didnt speak for Brussels after he was unable to reach Hungarian officials or confirm the trip, according to a person familiar with the matter who was granted anonymity to speak about sensitive conversations.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the trip showed disregard for the duties of the EU Presidency and undermines interests of the European Union.

Sharp Rebuke

Michael Roth, a member of Scholzs Social Democrats and the chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, called on the Hungarian leader to resign his chairmanship.

It is a scandal that Orban is shamefully abusing the EU Council Presidency and traveling to Kremlin without a mandate, Roth said on X. He is undermining the core principles of EU foreign policy. Either the Hungarian government respects its current role in the EU or it should resign as Chair.

The Hungarian leader, who has prized his relations with Putin and campaigned in last months European Parliament election as a harbinger of peace, last visited Moscow the month Putin launched the invasion. He most recently met the Russian president in Beijing last October.

Orban was scheduled to arrive in Azerbaijan, where he will participate in an informal meeting of the Organization of Turkic States on Friday and Saturday.

Even before taking the rotating presidency this month, Orban antagonized peers with his choice of slogan for Hungarys six-month stint: Make Europe Great Again. The phrase was a nod to the mantra of former US President Donald Trump, whom Orban has praised.

--With assistance from Alberto Nardelli, Michael Nienaber and Henry Meyer.

(Updates with Orban, Putin comments from third paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Orban says Kyiv and Moscow's positions on peace 'are very far apart'

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on July 5 that Ukraine and Russia's stances on the full-scale invasion and prospects for peace are "very far apart."

The insight came to him during a trip to visit Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow, just days after meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

"Over the past two and a half years, we have realized that we cannot achieve peace without dialogue and diplomatic channels," Orban said at a press conference with Putin.

"I felt that the positions are very far from each other, that many steps need to be taken to establish peace, but the first important step towards dialogue has already been taken."

Orban also revealed three questions he asked Putin  what he thinks about existing peace initiatives, what he thinks about a ceasefire and peace talks and when they could be held, and his opinion on post-war European security architecture.

He did not say how Putin responded to any of these.

Putin earlier in the day welcomed Orban in Russia's capital, saying he hopes to discuss bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine.

Budapest has repeatedly opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO and the EU and sanctions on Russia, undermined Western aid efforts for Ukraine, and maintained close relations with Moscow throughout the full-scale war.

The prospect of Orban traveling to Russia, especially after Hungary had just acquired the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, angered many in the EU.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the trip was "an insult to the Ukrainian peoples fight for their freedom."

European Council President Charles Michel said that Hungary, in its role as the current rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, "has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU."

The EU further emphasized that Orban's visit to Russia was "not representing the EU in any form."

Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, wrote on X that the trip "falls exclusively in the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia."

Other European leaders commented on Orban's visit.

"Orban is visiting Moscow. Appeasement will not stop Putin," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine."

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry echoed the sentiment, saying that "the decision to make this trip was made by the Hungarian side without the agreement or coordination from Ukraine."

Read also: Hungary takes helm of Council of EU. Should Ukraine be worried?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Editor's note: The article was updated after Viktor Orban's office confirmed the arrival in Moscow.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's trip to Kyiv and plans to visit Moscow show that Budapest will take a "creative" approach toward its presidency of the Council of the EU, an expert told the Kyiv Independent on July 5.

The presidency's role is primarily as a mediator among key EU institutions, but Orban's steps show that he is "playing a different game and using the vacuum while the compositions of these institutions are changing" after the European elections, said Pavel Havlicek, a research fellow at the Association for International Affairs.

"This is something that goes beyond the usual limits of the presidency, showing that they (Hungary) will approach it in a 'creative' way," Havlicek said, adding that this is not a "positive" development.

Shortly after Hungary took over the rotating presidency on July 1, Orban visited Kyiv for the first time since the start of the full-scale war. During his talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, he urged him to consider a ceasefire as a step toward peace, which the latter refused.

Soon after, media reports emerged that the Hungarian prime minister plans to visit Moscow as well, drawing criticism from his European partners. Orban's office confirmed the arrival to Russia's capital later on July 5.

According to Havlicek, the ending mandates of the current EU leaders and the ongoing talks on the composition of the European Commission make it uncertain who is meant to represent the bloc externally.

"The EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU. The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim," European Council President Charles Michel said on X.

Orban acknowledged that the presidency does not give him a mandate to negotiate peace between Ukraine and Russia but that Hungary can be "a good tool in the hands of people who want peace."

Read also: Hungary takes helm of Council of EU. Should Ukraine be worried?

Hungary has maintained close relations with Moscow throughout the full-scale war, obstructed sanctions against Russia, and criticized military aid to Kyiv, alleging that it merely "prolongs" and "escalates" the war.

Even though the Belgian presidency managed to finalize many steps before handing over the baton to Hungary  such as the 14th sanctions package against Russia or opening accession talks with Ukraine  the Hungarian presidency can still have a significant impact, Havlicek believes.

As the expert points out, Hungary's peace outreaches come at the time when the U.S. heads toward the presidential election, and Orban's "Make Europe Great Again" motto can be seen as a positive gesture toward Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump.

Trump has vowed to end the war within 24 hours if elected, without elaborating on how to achieve that result. Multiple media reports claimed that these plans could include pressing Ukraine to cede territory to Russia.

"Trump's plans regarding Ukraine remain uncertain, but he may find an ally in Orban, who will support his steps and push them forward on the European level," Havlicek said.

Read also: Opinion: Key takeaways from the European Parliament elections for Kyiv

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
ORLANDO, Fla.  A candidate for a Lake County-based state Senate seat is charged with stealing $47,722 from a homeowners association whose finances she managed and is facing trial in September.

Cheryl Blancett, who goes by CJ, has been charged with grand theft of $20,000 or more, a second-degree felony. The charges were first reported by VoxPopuli, a website that covers West Orange County news.

The alleged offenses took place in 2018 and 2019, while Blancett was in charge of managing finances for Sawgrass Estates in east Orange County.

Blancett, 63, could not be reached for comment about the matter on Friday. She pleaded not guilty to the charges and told the Orange County Sheriffs Office deputies that she didnt spend homeowners association funds for personal use.

But deputies determined Blancett mixed homeowners association funds with her personal LLC account, according to a document outlining the charges, and concluded she used the intermingled business account for personal purchases and items other than approved homeowners association expenses.

Ms. Blancett knowingly withheld records, intermingled funds, and used cash to conceal the theft and permanently deprive the Sawgrass Estates HOA of $47,722.34, deputy Jacob Devine wrote in his report.

Blancetts campaign website describes her as a small business owner and retired investigator as well as a motivator of souls, lover of life, seeker of truth and gladiator for the U.S. Constitution.

A political newcomer from Leesburg, Blancett faces long odds in her pursuit of the Republican nomination to represent the state Senate seat, as she is vying against two candidates with super-sized war chests. Her GOP rivals are current state Rep. Keith Truenow and Bowen Kou, a wealthy businessman who owns a chain of grocery stores and restaurants. Each has raised more than $1 million in cash and in-kind contributions to their individual campaign accounts and political committees, while Blancett has brought in less than $8,000, campaign finance records show.

The winner of the August primary will face off against Democrat Stephanie Dukes in November.

The general election victor will represent a district that includes all of Lake County and the southwest corner of Orange County, succeeding longtime state Sen. Dennis Baxley, who is term-limited. He endorsed Truenow in April 2023.

Truenow also has the support of the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee and several state GOP leaders, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.

The district heavily favors the GOP, with Republicans comprising 44% of registered voters, according to the most recent data available from the Florida Department of State. Democrats account for just less than 27% of voters.

Blancett was hit with the felony charge in April 2023, just weeks after she filed to run for the open Florida Senate District. The sheriffs office first started investigating the matter in 2019, after the homeowners associations president alerted deputies to missing money from the organizations account, but determined it did not have enough evidence and closed the case in late 2021. Deputies re-opened the case a few months later after the manager who took over the homeowners association account in 2019 brought forth new information.

If convicted, Blancett faces up to 15 years in prison, according to Florida statutes.

_____
An Oroville man was arrested this week after firefighters accused him of setting a backfire the same afternoon the Thompson Fire ignited in Butte County.

The 61-year-old Oroville man was seen setting the backfire on a property near Oro Quincy Highway on Tuesday, north of the Thompson fire, using a propane torch, Cal Fire Butte County unit said in a news release. When Cal Fire personnel arrived at the scene, they found him standing near a quarter-acre of burned land.

Firefighters extinguished the fire and detained the man, who authorities said admitted he had set the backfire with the torch. A backfire is a small fire used to stop the progress of a larger wildfire by burning the area in its path and thus depriving it of fuel.

The backfire set by (the suspect) was in an area that posed a significant risk to the public, property, and safety personnel engaged in firefighting activities on the Thompson Fire, Cal Fire said.

The backfire, according to firefighters, was set to protect property from the Thompson Fire, a large wildfire that sparked Tuesday morning on Cherokee Road between the city of Oroville and Lake Oroville and the dam infrastructure. As of Friday morning, the wildfire has charred 3,789 acres and was 46% contained, according to Cal Fire BTU.

The man was booked into Butte County Jail in Chico in connection with one felony charge of recklessly starting a wildfire.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call Cal Fire at 530-538-7888 or the statewide arson hotline at 800-468-4408.
Over the past 24 hours, 155 combat clashes have occurred on the front line, with the highest number of assault operations being carried out on the Pokrovsk front  there were 38 of them.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 08:00 on 5 July

Quote: "Over the past day, 155 combat clashes occurred.

As per the updated information, over the past 24 hours, the enemy launched one missile attack on the positions of Ukrainian units and populated areas using one missile, 59 airstrikes (involving 111 aerial bombs), and opened fire over 4,000 times, 115 of which involved the use of multiple-launch rocket systems.

Over the past day, Ukraines Air Force and Rocket Forces and Artillery conducted 13 airstrikes on enemy forces, destroying two guns, one ammunition storage point, and 3 areas where enemy personnel, weapons and military equipment were concentrated."

Details: On the Kharkiv front, the Russians continued offensive (assault) operations. There were 19 combat clashes in the vicinities of Sotnytskyi Kozachok, Hlyboke, Lyptsi and Vovchansk.

On the Kupiansk front, there were four Russian attacks. The Ukrainian defence forces repelled Russian attacks near Synkivka, Stelmakhivka and Novoselivka.

On the Lyman front, Ukrainian defenders repelled 14 Russian attacks in the vicinities of Hrekivka, Makiivka, Terny and Nevske.

On the Siversk front, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 10 attacks near Bilohorivka, Verkhnokamianske, Klishchiivka and Vyimka.

On the Kramatorsk front, Ukrainian forces stopped 17 Russian attempts to break through the defences in the areas of Kalynivka, Hryhorivka and Klishchiivka.

On the Toretsk front, the Russians carried out 30 attacks near the settlements of Pivnichne, Toretsk and New-York.

On the Pokrovsk front, Ukrainian defenders repelled 38 Russian attacks in the areas of Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvyzhenka, Kalynove, Prohres, Lozuvatske, Novoselivka Persha, Yevhenivka, Umanske and Yasnobrodivka, where the Russians, supported by their aircraft, tried to force Ukrainian units out of their positions.

On the Kurakhove front, the Ukrainian defence forces continue to hold back the Russians in the area of Heorhiivka, Krasnohorivka, Nevelske and Paraskoviivka, where they tried to break through the Ukrainian defences 11 times.

On the Vremivka front, the Russians carried out seven attacks on Ukrainian positions near Vodiane and Makarivka (Donetsk Oblast).

On the Orikhiv front, two combat clashes took place in the areas of Mala Tokmachka and Robotyne.

On the Prydniprovske front, the Russians continue to try to drive the Ukrainian defence forces from their positions at the bridgeheads. Two Russian attacks on that front were unsuccessful.

On the border with Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts (also known as the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts), the Russians maintained their military presence, bombarding settlements from the territory of the Russian Federation, and increasing the density of minefields along the state border of Ukraine.

Support UP or become our patron!
Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) speaks at a press conference about budget negotiations July 3, 2024 (Photo via Senate Republican Caucus)

The June 30 deadline for Pennsylvanias 2025 budget has come and gone without a funding deal, again. But despite staying mostly mum on details, all sides  the governors office, Senate Republicans and House Democrats  have expressed optimism that a deal is coming. Soon.

Gov. Josh Shapiros office in particular has kept its cards close to the chest.

Asked multiple times to elaborate about specific components of the budget talks, Manuel Bonder, a spokesperson for Shapiro wrote in an email, Governor Shapiro and legislative leaders have been working hard to finalize a budget that delivers for our Commonwealth. The Governor has been engaged in a positive, productive dialogue in Harrisburg with leaders in both parties  and he will continue doing so over the coming days as we work to close this deal.

So far, the clearest picture of where budget talks stand has come from Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana), who addressed the Capitol press corps from a podium in a tightly packed room on Wednesday, just before the July 4 holiday.

Pittman called the ongoing negotiations cordial and productive, even complimenting his Democratic counterparts for their willingness to engage and compromise.

But, as last years fight over a proposed school voucher program for students attending private schools showed, the devil is in the details.

Unless everything is agreed to, nothings agreed to, Pittman said. But I still remain optimistic and hopeful that were going to conclude this process in the next several days. Exactly how that may unfold remains an open question.

Beth Rementer, a spokesperson for House Democrats, said in a statement Friday, we continue to work with all parties in good faith to agree on a budget that makes constitutionally required investments in public education, supports our world-class higher education institutions, moves our economy forward and continues to support the programs and services Pennsylvanians rely on.

Education

Pittmans press conference on Wednesday, however, offered more detail.

Primarily, he characterized funding for the states public school system as one of the hurdles.

In February, a Commonwealth Court judge ruled that the states current school funding system is unconstitutional. The ruling, written by Republican Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer, capped a lawsuit brought in 2014 by parents, advocates and multiple Pennsylvania school districts.

The problem, Jubelirer wrote, was the massive equity gap between the states poorest and wealthiest districts. And advocates have maintained that the state may be underfunding its public education system by billions of dollars.

In June, the Democrat-majority House passed a bill to send more than $5 billion over seven years to some of the states poorest school districts.

In his February budget address, Shapiro called for more than $1 billion in new education spending, nearly twice what was budgeted last year.

Senate Republicans have balked at some of those proposals. The governors plan includes spending billions from the states surplus funds, something that Senate Republicans are loath to agree to.

However, on Wednesday Pittman characterized the current disagreements over school funding as being less about how much the state will spend, and more about how that money will be distributed.

One of the biggest areas of difference is not only spending on education, but how those dollars get driven to school districts, Pittman said.

Pittman said that Senate Republicans would like to see funds allocated to districts based on census numbers, as opposed to what he described as Democrats plan to rely on school districts self-reporting.

In February, Shapiro proposed what his office called a new adequacy formula. As it stands, much of Pennsylvanias public school funding comes from local property taxes, which has had the effect of exacerbating differences between schools in poor and wealthy districts.

Taxes and a $15 billion surplus

Another area of disagreement is over a Senate Republican plan to cut personal income taxes from 3.07% to 2.8% and cut gross receipts taxes that can affect electric rates.

A bill containing the tax cuts passed the Senate, even gaining support from a number of Democrats. But it was never taken up in the House.

The cuts, which would amount to $3 billion, were effectively a counter-proposal to Shapiros plan to increase state spending by roughly the same amount, with much of the new funding going to the states schools.

Republicans also still want increased state-funding for students attending private schools, despite consistent opposition from Democrats in the House.

A so-called school voucher program, which would send money to Pennsylvania families sending their students to private schools was one of the biggest sources of acrimony in last years drawn-out budget talks.

Shapiro himself has been open to the idea, separating him from a large majority of the states Democratic lawmakers, though he ultimately vetoed a line item to fund them last year. Republicans accused him last year of reneging on a deal to include them in the 2024 budget, with House Democrats threatening to veto any bill containing them.

Though, according to Pittman, some sort of funding for students attending private schools remains on the table.

Last week, Senate Republican Judy Ward (R-Blair) introduced a bill that would provide a tax credit of $6,000 per student to families sending their kids to non-public schools.

However, the idea was shot down by both House Democrats and Shapiros office.

At his press conference, Pittman also said that expanding an existing earned income tax credit for people and businesses who fund private school scholarships remains on the table.

Making college more affordable

There is also no word yet on how Democrats and Republicans will resolve their differences over how to make Pennsylvania colleges and universities more affordable.

In his budget address, Shapiro proposed capping state school tuition at $1000 for most Pennsylvanians.

Senate Republicans conversely passed a package of bills last month comprising an alternative vision of how to cut the cost of colleges.

Their plan would focus on creating scholarships for students who study to and enter in-demand occupations in Pennsylvania and plant roots in the state.

Primarily, that would look like scholarships available to both in-state and out-of-state students that they would have to pay back unless they agree to work in the state for five years following graduation.

Another part of that plan would expand the existing Ready-to-Succeed scholarship for lower- and middle-income students. It would lower the GPA requirements for students who qualify for the scholarship from 3.25 to 2.5, and raise the household income limit for those students families from $126,000 to $175,000.

The plan would also create new scholarships for both in-state and out-of-state students either in foster care or adopted as older teenagers.

Another lingering question is exactly how much total funding the budget will provide for the state.

Asked by one reporter about what the overall spending number would be, Pittman said he believed it would be below the $48 billion pitched by Shapiro earlier this year. But pressed on specifics, Pittman deferred.

Until everything is agreed to, nothing is agreed to, Pittman repeated.

The budget is also expected to include increased funding for senior care, with Pennsylvanias aging population on the rise.

Shapiro has also pitched a 10-year economic development plan that he hopes will help attract corporate investments in agriculture, energy, life sciences, manufacturing and robotics and technology.

Schedules have been made and remade over the last week, but as it stands both the Democratic-majority House and the Republican-majority Senate are scheduled to be in Harrisburg Sunday.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Pa. budget talks continue into the weekend appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
A paratrooper recalls his final jump  and his walk off the drop zone

Editors note: This piece was first published in The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter.

The C-130 bounced like a rollercoaster at a cheap traveling circus. I sat on the cargo netting bench seats surrounded by first-time jumpers and pretended to sleep.

All I could think aboutother than that one of these bastards was going to get me killedwas how the fuck I got here.

Id deployed to Iraq, and I was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in a few months. But I couldnt shake the feeling that this was the day something was going to go terribly wrong.

About a month before, in September 2011, a large group of Canadians arrived at Fort Liberty in North Carolina for a joint training exercise. They brought a ton of parachutes with them so that when we performed large-scale operations together, we could jump using their equipment and methods. Wed earn their jump wings as a foreign award.

But the weather pissed rain almost the entire month they were with us, so most of the jumps got canceled. Not wanting to take back all the unused parachutes, the Canadians created a series of open jumps.

Id been assigned to participate in one of them, along with two other people from our company.

The staging area that day was a madhouse, filled with multiple chalksa line of 30 to 40 paratroopers who jump in a sequence. Eventually, the jump master began arranging the three of us into the chalks. This is an important task. If you make a mistake when you jump, youll probably be fine, but it could kill the paratrooper behind you. Having too many inexperienced jumpers together is especially dangerous.

As it turned out, this was a very inexperienced group.

With 14 jumps behind meplus the five Id performed in Jump School at Fort MooreI was among the more seasoned paratroopers.

When the jumpmaster began surrounding me with inexperienced jumpers, I asked if he was trying to kill me.

No, he replied with an understanding tone. This is the best weve got.

Next, we got some quick training on how the Canadian military performs their jump commands. Notably, they throw their static linesfixed cords attached to the plane that automatically open the parachutes.

After taking my seat in a tightly packed C-130, I noticed some of the troops were visibly shaking, reminding me again of their inexperience.

In the airborne community, we say, When it no longer scares you, you have to quit.

A photo from Jonathan Ores seventh jump. (Photo courtesy of the author)

Fear makes you pay attention. And when youre jumping out of a plane, there are lots of things to pay attention to. But too much fear is also a problem.

As a more experienced paratrooper, I figured it was my job to give them the impression I was unfazed. I told the guy next to me to wake me up when we got there and pretended to fall asleep.

But my heart was racing.

At last, the doors to the plane opened. The jumpmaster grabbed the doorway and leaned out. We worked through the commands and checks.

Go, go, go! shouted the jumpmaster.

We started moving forward. Paratroopers threw their static lines and exited the side door. When it was my turn, I pulled together all of my strength, wound up, and threw the static line as hard as I could.

The static line shot back as it should. I made a 90-degree left face to walk out the door and ran into the jumper in front of me. Id been so focused on throwing the static line I hadnt seen him freeze in the doorway.

The force of the impact sent him out the door, and he made a clean exit. I landed on the floor, half in the plane and half out, stuck. The prop blast hitting me in the face made it hard to breathe.

After what felt like a week but was probably no more than a second, someone shoved me out the door. I slid across the skin of the plane. The chute opened, causing me to do a flip. My helmet was ripped off my head.

At this point, training kicked in. I looked up. My chute had a cigarette roll, meaning it was not inflating but instead acting like a streamer in the wind. I grabbed the risers that connected me to the chute and yanked them apart, trying to get the chute to inflate.

It finally inflated, and I started to slow down. Next, I tried to find a nice place to land. But Id run out of time. I was about to hit the ground.

I felt a rush of pain. Then nothingness.

When I came to, I realized my chute was starting to inflate to drag me across the drop zone. I popped a riser to deflate it. I wiggled my toes and tried to get an idea of the damage. My back seemed out of commission, but the screaming pain assured me I was not paralyzed.

Somewhere out of sight, a friend from my chalk hit the ground next to my helmet and knew right away something was wrong. He set off running. After cresting a small hill, he found me and shouted for a medic.

They appeared in a Humvee, and three things went through my head. First: If I was driven off the drop zone, I probably wouldnt get my Canadian Jump Wings, and this would be all for naught. Second: If I could walk off the drop zone, it would still be considered a good jump. Third: The bumpy ride in the Humvee might very well finish me off.

In the most polite and diplomatic way I could muster, I informed them I would prefer to walk. This came out as a long line of swear words and threats.

Fine then. Lets see you stand up, a medic said.

Fuck you, I said, and with a lot of help, got to my feet.

The medics pulled up my shirt to have a look at my back. Well, no bones are poking out, so if you want to walk off the drop zone, we wont stop you.

I was helped back into my equipmentabout 50 pounds of it. Pain exploded again in my back, and I nearly passed out a second time.

No one ever walks off a drop zone. They run. I watched the others with envy and walked as fast as I could, expecting to get screamed at.

Jonathan Ores military career ended abruptly after he was severely injured during a jump. (Photo courtesy of the author)

The turn-in point is just over there, a first sergeant said calmly. You got this. Youre almost there. I realized then I must really be hurt.

I did my best to stand up straight in formation to accept my Canadian Jump Wings from a colonel who pinned them to my chest.

Next came a major working the line. By now, Id lost my military bearing.

How was your jump? the major asked, shaking my hand.

I walked off the drop zone, sir, I said through clenched teeth.

He took a second look. Damn, how long have you been Airborne?

Too long, sir.

A few hours later, my chief warrant officer found me on my back with my legs on a chair at the office.

Youre not going to sick call tomorrow, are you? I need you to clear an arms room at 0700.

Over the next three months, as we prepared to deploy to Afghanistan, I never fell out of a ruck march or running formation. Occasionally, I did go to sick call if I lost feeling in my legs after a particularly bad physical training session. Each time, a doctor told me to change my socks, drink water, and take a handful of 800 mg Motrin.

Then, on a whim, a physicians assistant told me to get an X-ray.

I was now a squad leader in charge of a group of young, inexperienced privates training six days a week. I didnt have time for this. Finally, I went.

I was at work when I got a call from the PA, who wanted to discuss the results.

Do you want to hear it over the phone? she asked in a concerned tone.

What the hell does that mean? I shouted. Do I have hours to live or something?

OK. You have a compressed L2 vertebra, she said.

What the hell does that mean?

You have severe spinal cord damage. If you had another jump, you would have been killed. You are not only no longer deployable, but you will be refused reenlistment.

That I understood. We talked a bit longer, but I didnt hear anything else.

Over the next two days, we worked out what to do with my squadrontheyd be broken up and shared with all the companies. I was to spend my last three weeks in the Army working at a gym.

I felt abandoned and betrayed. That Id failed my guys, my unit, and my military.

All these years later, I know I would have been a liability, that the military did what they had to. I still have days when I wake up unable to move one leg or both. But it is one more day I wouldnt have had if Id pushed myself any harder, and I am grateful for that.

This War Horse reflection was written by Jonathan Ore, edited by Kristin Davis, fact-checked by Jess Rohan, and copy-edited by Mitchell Hansen-Dewar. Abbie Bennett wrote the headlines.

Jon Ore medically retired from the Army after serving in the 82nd Airborne and spent one year deployed in the Ramadi and Fallujah areas of Iraq. He continued his service in Peace Corps Tanzania and AmeriCorps New Orleans. Today, he works as an emergency manager and veteran advocate for nonprofits in New Orleans.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  Thousands of people set up shop along San Diegos coastline to celebrate the Fourth of July and to take refuge from inland heat.

This Independence Day is a hot one especially for our mountains and deserts, but the marine layer is acting as a natural air conditioner for the immediate coast where temperatures are in the mid to upper 70s. Beaches started the day with overcast conditions, but eventually those low clouds made way for sunny skies.

Thursday evening, some of those low clouds will move back inland for beach firework shows such as the Big Bay Boom over the San Diego Bay, but it shouldnt impact viewing of the spectacular.

Stream FOX 5s Big Bay Boom coverage starting at 8 p.m.

Inland firework shows wont be impacted by cloud cover but some low clouds could move in in the early morning hours.

Watch out for extreme heat on Friday and Saturday for valleys, mountains and deserts. An Excessive Heat Warning will go into effect the next two days. Temperatures could reach up to 100 degrees in some valley and mountain communities.

Friday, daytime temperatures will near the low 80s at the coast, mid 90s for inland valleys and mountains with close to 120 degrees for deserts.

Headed to watch the Big Bay Boom? What to know

Theres a dip in maximum temperatures for Sunday but the heat dome wont exit the region for a while, which means above average temperatures are here to stay for at least a 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 FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Friday said that the mainland coast guard's recent seizure of a Taiwan fishing boat suspected of illegal operations in waters near the city of Quanzhou was legitimate and lawful.

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to a media query about slander from certain members of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regarding the issue.

He emphasized that the baseless accusations and political manipulations of certain DPP members are driven by malicious intent and will not contribute to solving the problem. 
A New Pathway Found in The Brain Could Help Spell The End of Migraines

A newly discovered communication pathway linking far-flung nerve centers within the brain and skull, and the body beyond, could provide a new target to stop migraine pain in its tracks.

Researchers have long tried to pinpoint where migraines begin in the brain, and how these one-sided, nauseating headaches induce pain and other symptoms, such as vomiting. Understanding this would help find new ways to prevent migraines from happening or at least ease the searing pain once it starts.

For one-third of people who experience migraines, these are preceded by an aura, a shimmering light or blurring of vision that is itself foreshadowed by a wave of abnormal brain activity that spreads through the cortex, the outer layer of the brain.

But how this activity inside the brain affects receptors on pain-sensing neurons outside it has remained a little fuzzy.

The brain is wrapped in a protective layer, the blood-brain barrier, which keeps potentially harmful substances and pathogens out of the central nervous system (CNS). The spinal cord has its own cocoon too, which also stops large molecules from passing through.

One key nerve hub linking the CNS to all the nerves outside it  the peripheral nervous system  is the trigeminal ganglion. Already implicated in migraines and headaches, this bean-shaped cluster of nerves is located at the base of the skull and transmits sensory information from the face and jaws to the brain.

Researchers thought the trigeminal ganglion sat outside the blood-brain barrier, which conveniently meant it could be an easier target for drugs, such as CGRP inhibitors, a promising new type of migraine therapy.

However, this positioning implied that the trigeminal ganglion was not exposed to the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) that bathes the brain and spinal cord.

The new study in mice shows quite the opposite: It revealed CSF carries signaling molecules directly to cells in the trigeminal ganglion, bypassing a slower, known route through the meninges, a triple-layered membrane enveloping the brain and spinal cord.

"We identify a communication pathway between the central and peripheral nervous system that might explain the relationship between migrainous aura and headache," University of Copenhagen biologist Martin Kaag Rasmussen and colleagues explain in their published paper.

In a series of real-time imaging experiments, the researchers traced the flow of CSF from the visual cortex of the brain, the most common site of migraine aura, to the trigeminal ganglion in mice.

The fluid rapidly entered the root of the trigeminal ganglion, which further dissections showed lacks a tightly wrapped sheath that bars dissolved molecules from penetrating the trigeminal nerves any further along their spindly bodies.

What's more, molecules dissolved in the CSF from one hemisphere of the cortex flowed primarily to the trigeminal ganglion on the same side of the head, which could explain why migraines tend to be one-sided.

Rasmussen and colleagues also found the contents of the animals' CSF were altered after an aura; it contained CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) and other molecules released from the cortex after a wave of abnormal brain activity passed through, with those molecules activating trigeminal ganglion nerves.

"Our observations indicate that the trigeminal CSF uptake drives the immediate migraine headache," Rasmussen and colleagues write. However, "we also found that CSF composition quickly normalizes, suggesting that other processes might drive headache at later phases."

There are some obvious differences between mice, humans, their brains and migraines, too. Still, the researchers hope that identifying this new signaling pathway "may enable the discovery of new [drug] targets, to the benefit of the large portion of patients not responding well to currently available therapies."

Already, their findings suggest CSF is much more than a simple fluid flushing out the body's 'waste clearance system', and is instead an important signal carrier. However, there's a lot we're still discovering about fluid flows in the brain.

"Together, these findings provide a new mechanism that links the central and peripheral nervous systems," neuroscientists Andrew Russo, of the University of Iowa, and Jeffrey Iliff, at the University of Washington, write in a perspective accompanying the study.

"Similarly, this mechanism may explain the intermingled clinical associations between traumatic brain injury, sleep disruption, and posttraumatic headache."

The study has been published in Science.
Paul Flores ordered to pay more than $1.3 million to Kristin Smart family. Can he pay it?

Paul Flores was ordered to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution to Kristin Smarts family to reimburse them for the costs theyve incurred in the 28 years since her murder.

Restitution is a court order that requires those convicted of crimes to pay victims compensation for the expenses caused. It is a required part of the criminal court process in California, and it is ordered regardless of a defendants ability to pay.

Flores was ordered to pay roughly $351,000 plus interest in restitution on June 17 after an emotional hearing where the Smart family shared itemized reports of their expenses since Smart first disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996.

The interest is simple, the judge ruled, and begins at the time of the crime 28 years ago.

That brings the total restitution owed to the Smart family to about $1,334,404, according to a Tribune estimate.

Now that leaves the question, however: Will he be able to pay it?

Victims who are owed restitution could seek payment through assets belonging to a person convicted of a crime if there are no other forms of payment.

But according to his sentencing report Jan. 18 2023, Flores only asset was his home in San Pedro  which had a lien to pay his legal fees, of which he still owed more than $200,000 at the time  and a 1960 Chevy Bel Air truck with a salvage title.

He does not have a retirement account and has not had any income since he was arrested in April 2021.

Records show that on March 24, 2023  two weeks after Flores was sentenced to 25 years to life for Smarts murder  he sold his home to his parents family trust, meaning he had one less asset with which he could potentially pay the restitution.

As part of its Reality Check series, The Tribune investigated what happens when a person convicted of a crime sells their assets and what options the Smart family may have for being paid restitution.

Investigators with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office stand outside the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. Ruben Flores and his son, Paul Flores, were arrested in the disappearance of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart in 1996. Investigators were executing a new search warrant at the home.

Flores family establishes trust, put ownership of homes into it

There were three homes at the center of The Tribunes investigation: Paul Flores house in San Pedro and the Arroyo Grande homes that belong to Susan and Ruben Flores, Paul Flores parents.

Paul Flores first purchased his house in San Pedro in February 2011, real estate documents from Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo County Clerk Recorders offices show. He borrowed $207,920 from Bank of America for the purchase.

That same year in May 2011, documents show, Susan and Ruben Flores establish the Flores Family Living Trust, which they placed the ownership of both their homes in.

A trust can help streamline the process of distributing assets after death without the need to go through probate court, Ann Wilson, partner at Carmel and Naccasha LLP law firm, told The Tribune. The law firm is not affiliated with the Smart case.

Most anyone can open a trust as long as they have some sort of asset to put in it, Victor Herrera, a partner at the same firm, said. The asset does not need to be high in value, he said, and it is possible for someone to open a trust while incarcerated.

Herrera said trusts need three things: A trustee, or person who manages the trust, beneficiaries, who benefit from the assets in the trust, and a corpus, or something to put inside the trust.

Trusts can be used for asset protection, Herrera said, but a trust does not protect assets from creditors unless it is an irrevocable trust. Assets must be placed in the irrevocable trust prior to any lawsuit or credit taken.

The key difference between the two types of trusts: Revocable trusts can be changed at any time, but an irrevocable trust can only change via court order or with approval of all the trusts beneficiaries.

Revocable trusts, which is what the Flores family has, do not protect assets from creditors.

Creditors can go after assets in revocable trusts if the trustee is the person who is indebted to them, Herrera said, but not if the asset was transferred to a trust of someone who does not hold the debt.

A group of advocates on the Find Kristin Smart Facebook page is floating the idea of buying the home next to Susan Flores, the mother of Paul Flores, the last person seen Cal Poly student Kristin Smart in 1996. The group posted on its page indicating they could possibly raise enough money to turn it into a Kristin Smart museum or vacation rental that would raise money for missing persons cases. Flores house is at left.

Paul Flores sells San Pedro home after being sentenced to prison

Nothing much happened with any of the Flores homes until May 2021  about a month after Paul and Ruben Flores were arrested in connection to Smarts murder.

Ruben Flores home was taken out of the family trust on May 26, 2021, the documents showed, and Paul Flores established his personal living trust on May 28, 2021, to which he transferred the ownership of his San Pedro home.

Then, on June 30, 2021, Ruben and Susan Flores borrowed $197,500 from Wells Fargo, putting down Susan Flores Arroyo Grande home as collateral, the documents showed. That transaction was done through their shared family trust.

A month later, on July 30, 2021, Ruben Flores transferred ownership of his Arroyo Grande home back into his and Susan Flores trust, according to the documents.

The preliminary hearing for the case against the two Flores men began Aug. 2, 2021. It ended on Sept. 22, 2021.

On Sept. 27, 2021, Paul Flores placed a $400,000 lien on his San Pedro home, listing his attorney, Robert Sanger, as the beneficiary of the lien, documents showed, in order to pay Flores legal fees.

Little happened with the homes for about two years, until Ruben Flores was approved for a $2.35 million reverse mortgage loan on his house on Feb. 14, 2023  about four months after he was acquitted on Oct. 18, 2022, of helping his son hide Smarts body. Paul Flores was convicted of Smarts murder by a separate jury the same day.

Susan Flores transferred Ruben Flores Arroyo Grande home back to Ruben as the sole owner on Feb. 17, 2023, documents show.

On Jan. 18, 2023, Paul Flores still owed more than $200,000 on the lien on his San Pedro house, according to his sentencing report.

According to California law, liens on assets must be resolved before any sales or resolved through a sale.

Paul Flores was sentenced to 25-years-to-life in state prison on March 10, 2023.

Two weeks later, on March 24, 2023, Susan and Ruben Flores purchased their sons San Pedro house through their trust and borrowed $427,500 from American Pacific Mortgage Corporation for the sale, according to the documents.

Its unclear how much of the sale went to pay off the lien placed on his home for the legal fees, and how much Paul Flores was able to keep from the sale.

Sheriffs deputies search the car of suspect Paul Flores on Feb. 5, 2020, in the case of missing student Kristin Smart, who vanished from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1996. Flores was released after a thorough check of his home and vehicles in San Pedro, California. He has since been arrested and charged with her murder.

Can you sell assets if under criminal investigation?

Hypothetically, the Smart family could have asked for money from Paul Flores San Pedro home if it was still in his trust in order to have their restitution paid, but now that it is in his parents trust, they cannot.

According to California Courts, judges can freeze assets prior to sentencing and then unfreeze them and order a defendant to use the assets to pay restitution with the assets.

None of the Flores familys assets were frozen during the criminal trial, so the sale appears to be legal.

Victims of crimes also have the right to a debtors examination, which means a victim can require the convicted offender to come to court once a year to answer questions about income and assets.

People convicted of crimes who owe their victims restitution cannot escape the obligation, even if they file for bankruptcy.

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Paul Flores will have to pay 50% of his prison wages and any money that is deposited to his account into the restitution he owes the Smart family.

This will occur throughout Flores prison sentence until restitution is paid in full. He can also make voluntary payments toward the restitution.

If he makes parole and is released from prison but still owes restitution to the Smart family, the debt will be referred to the California Franchise Tax Board for collection.

Denise Smart, Kristin Smarts mother, told The Tribune after the restitution ruling the family would drop seeking any restitution in exchange for information that could lead to her daughters remains.

The fact that withholding her and protecting their money is more important than anything else in their world is just heartbreaking for everyone our family, Denise Smart said.

Harold Mesick, Flores lawyer, told The Tribune the Flores family do not have information on Kristin Smarts location and declined the offered.

He declined to comment on this story on behalf of the Flores family.
Paul Whelan calls on Biden to act as if his own son was held hostage

Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine who has been detained in Russia since 2018, is calling on President Biden to act in his case as he would do if his own son were being held hostage.

I would hope that the president truly makes my case truly a top priority and leverages the resources available to him as he would do if his own son were being held hostage, Whelan told CNN in a call Thursday.

As the United States celebrates another year of independence, America should not forget that several of its citizens are being held hostage around the world by rogue regimes intent on exacting some form of ransom from the U.S. government. These wrongful detentions undermine our concepts of rights and freedoms. They should not be tolerated, tacitly nor otherwise, Whelan told CNN, the network reported.

My detention at the hands of the Russian government over more than five and a half years, for a charge of espionage that never occurred, subjects me to slave labor six days a week, and living conditions that defy human rights, Whelan added.

Whelan, who was originally arrested over spying allegations, was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison.

In February, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he talked via phone with Whelan.

Our intensive efforts to bring Paul home continue every single day. And they will, until he and Evan Gershkovich and every other American wrongfully detained is back with their loved ones, Blinken said at the time, referencing a reporter for The Wall Street Journal also detained by Russia.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for reaction to Whelans remarks.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Paulding County man kills man in shootout; deputies say he was defending himself

Paulding County deputies said a man shot and killed another man as he was staving off an attack last week.

Just after 3 a.m. on Saturday, a caller reached out to Paulding E-911 about a shooting that happened on Crossroads Church Road in Rockmart, Georgia.

Paulding deputies arrived and found three people who had been shot, one of who had died.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Detectives and Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents later determined that 38-year-old Brandon Donaldson had been sleeping in his driveway when 34-year-old Troy Douglas Sparks and 35-year-old Brandon Michael Stephens began assaulting him with some type of blunt object.

Donaldson and Stephens then started shooting at each other and Stephens was hit and killed.

Deputies determined Donaldson was acting in self-defense during the dispute.

TRENDING STORIES:

Sparks is being charged with murder and aggravated assault.

The sheriffs office told Channel 2 Action News that Stephens and Sparks had prior issues with Donaldson.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Paulding County Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigations Tip Line at (770) 443-3047 or send a message via the Paulding Sheriff mobile app.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
A series of changes to Missouri's child care subsidy program have created a major headache for day care providers, who say they've been forced to make difficult budget decisions as they wait on money owed to them by the state (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).

This spring, the state of Missouri owed Kimberly Luong Nichols $5,000 in backlogged payments for children at her Kansas City daycare who were part of a state subsidy program.

For four years, shes operated a licensed daycare inside her home, where she currently serves 10 children. Luong Nichols stopped drawing a salary last summer to pay for improvements to her center and two new hires, expecting to draw down a salary again this year.

When the full subsidy she was owed stopped arriving, she laid off those staff.

And as theyve done for the past year, her family of six relies solely on her husbands $53,000 salary.

Theyve given up little luxuries like going out to dinner and buying fancier shampoo. And theyve given up bigger luxuries, like vacations.

When bill collectors started calling, her husband considered getting a second job. On several occasions, she considered doing away with the daycare entirely. But she didnt, not wanting to leave the families  many of whom have children with developmental disabilities, or who are in the foster care system  with the stress of searching for a new day care.

Luong Nichols is among thousands of child care providers across Missouri who rely on a state child care subsidy program to keep their daycares afloat.

The subsidy, part of a federal block grant program that is state-administered, helps cover the cost of serving low-income and foster children.

But since late last year, a series of changes created a major headache for many providers and families, as parents were unable to register their children and providers in the most dire circumstances were left without money to pay their staff.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which oversees the program, has largely blamed a contracted vendor for the months-long backlogs. The system, which launched in December, is still not fully operational.

  There have been a number of unforeseen challenges during the transition, which involves loading family and provider data from the existing state systems into the new (Child Care Data System), Mallory McGowin, a spokesperson with the department of education said in a statement Wednesday. The (Office of Childhood) is working hard to mitigate these issues and sincerely apologizes to the child care providers and families affected.

But similar backlogs plagued the system three years ago, as parents struggled to enroll children and providers had to make serious budget cuts.

The latest problems have forced some daycares to close. Others have shifted from serving vulnerable children who qualify for the state subsidy to only admitting families who can afford to pay on their own.

Many providers, like Luong Nichols, have weeks where theyre barely hanging on.

Payment backlogs not new

In Missouri, child care providers can be registered to get a government stipend for every child on subsidy, meaning they receive a partial amount of tuition directly from families, and then the government covers the rest after care has been provided.

The child care subsidy is a federal program administered by states through the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Families apply for the state to directly pay a child care provider for part of the cost of care.

Only very low-income families qualify in Missouri, along with foster kids and children with special needs. The maximum income a family can make to qualify is 150% of the federal poverty line, or $46,800 for a family of four.

The average cost of full-time, center-based care for an infant in Missouri was $11,059 as of 2022, according to Child Care Aware.

There were about 21,000 children receiving the state subsidy as of November, the last publicly available state data. The program shifted from being administered by Missouris Department of Social Services to the education department in December. McGowin said the current number is closer to 23,000 children.

Roughly 1,800 of Missouris 2,800 licensed and license-exempt providers, including school districts, are contracted to take children on subsidy, Pam Thomas, assistant commissioner for Missouris Office of Childhood, said at a State Board of Education meeting last month.

We do continue to struggle a bit with our vendor and meeting what our expectations are for an efficient and effective system and making clear whats needed, Thomas told the board. And quite frankly the vendor is not delivering on those results to what I would say are our expectations as a department.

The vendor contracted to develop and implement the new system for the subsidy program is World Wide Technology, McGowin said, a large technology services provider headquartered in St. Louis.

Board members expressed concerns with how to move forward as Thomas reassured them that her department was working around the clock to urge the vendor to fix the bugs in the system, which spans about nine steps between a familys application for subsidy and payment to the provider.

We have to be cautious about how many more changes we add into the system right now, she said.   We can bend it, but we certainly cant break it, and I think were on the verge of that right now.

Yet this isnt the first time the states handling of the subsidy program has caused widespread problems for providers and families.

In 2021, the state blamed the COVID-19 pandemic and the rollout of a new system used to track attendance, called KinderConnect, for a backlog of thousands of payments.

In spring 2023, parents reported waiting several months to be approved for the state assistance, leaving them struggling to juggle work and child care.

State Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Democrat from Kansas City, said she was notified of the current spate of issues a few months ago by legislative staff whod started hearing concerns from constituents.

It feels like way too much time has passed, Arthur said. I suspect that child care providers across the state have already closed as a result of these mistakes and its totally unacceptable when already providers are struggling. There are already not enough seats available for children who need them.

Asked last month if she was looking at alternative vendors ahead of the current multi-million dollar contract running out in December, Thomas, with the education department, said she wasnt opposed.

However, on Wednesday, McGowin, said the department is not currently planning on finding a new vendor. The subsidy payment issues  60% of which came from technical issues, according to the state  are expected to be resolved by the end of July.

Missouri pays providers for services after theyre performed, rather than in advance. This, coupled with the fact that providers are paid based on attendance rather than enrollment for children in the subsidy program, makes budgeting nearly impossible for providers who take low-income and foster children.

Were really relying on the state and DESE to really prioritize solving these system challenges so providers can be paid quickly, said Casey Hanson, director of outreach and engagement at the child advocacy nonprofit Kids Win Missouri.

Hanson has spent hundreds of hours with child care providers over the past several years. She knows whats at stake.

Theyre some of the most resilient people, she said. They care about children, they care about the future of our state more than almost anyone.

Our own personal pandemic

Tina Mosley was among the providers who made the difficult decision to stop taking children on subsidy.

For 28 years, she has owned and operated Our Daycare and Learning Center in St. Louis, which is licensed for 10 children. It sits in the Normandy school district where the median household income is less than $39,000, and more than 56% of students in public school have SNAP benefits, according to 2021 data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Every other provider she knows in the area accepts children on subsidy. And theyre all in the same predicament.

Every one of my colleagues and friends, the state is behind on paying them, Mosley said. To the right of me, to the left of me, across the street from me, behind me.

By only taking private paying families, and by ceasing to collect a salary, Mosley said shes been able to continue employing her two staff, both of whom are young mothers. And while they no longer take children on subsidy, they still service lower income families, she said.

As a result, shes not left waiting on payments from the state. A handful of home and center-based providers she knows in the St. Louis area already closed because of the lag.

Several months ago, when most of her children were from the subsidy program, she was helping parents sign up for state benefits as the system transitioned over. She recalls parents sharing screenshots of hold times on the phone with the state surpassing an hour before they had to hang up and return to work, unable to get the immediate help they needed.

Early child care right now, we feel like were in our own personal pandemic, Mosley said.

But unlike during the COVID-19 pandemic, when government bodies and communities showed up in stride to keep child care providers in business, Mosley said it feels like most people have now turned their backs.

Luong Nichols, in Kansas City, has considered doing what Mosley has done: stop opening her services to families on subsidy.

In an April email to a staffer in Arthurs office, she lamented her situation. The system had two of her kids on subsidy listed as private pay. A glitch wouldnt let her submit attendance. She hadnt heard back on her help ticket.

I am due to renew child care subsidy next month and really considering not doing it, she wrote in an email she shared with The Independent. Payments are still not correct, they owe me all of February and past corrections. Now we are about to end March and that will be added.

Let us know what you think...

After sending this email, Luong Nichols went on to interview at a local school district. She ultimately turned down the job offer, unable to part with the children in her care, including foster children, kids with behavioral difficulties and low-income children.

I have single moms and foster children that have been kicked out of other daycares or gone through many placements before they landed on my door. And the kids that I take care of, theyre like family.

Instead she continued to spend hours on the phone during nap time begging anyone to make her business whole again. She called the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the governors office. She even called the White House.

Ive had to take on an extra load of work just to fight for something that Im entitled to, she said.

As of Wednesday, she said her payments were caught up through May. She credited her persistence, and assistance from Arthurs staff, for speeding up the payment.

At the same time, Luong Nichols has seen three area centers and four private daycares shutter. She directs most of the blame at the department of education.

DESE has pushed the industry to the point of no return right now, she said. Were not going to have enough child care providers in the state of Missouri by the end of this year to take care of subsidy children. She said it will move to private paying families only.

Hanson, with Kids Win Missouri, said there isnt currently enough data to know the reality of the child care landscape.

In response to a Sunshine request submitted by The Independent last month, the education agency said they do not currently track the number of backlogged payment resolution requests.

The reality is, yeah, there are providers that will close, Hanson said. Thats why we continue to advocate that we need more state level funding in this space to really maintain a supply.

The post Payment backlog leaves Missouri child care providers desperate, on the brink of closing appeared first on Missouri Independent.
A Blair County, Pennsylvania man is behind bars after two juveniles found a USB flash drive with dozens of child pornography images on it.

NBC affiliate WJAC reports Donald Grant, 70, had multiple folders on the USB drive with various depictions of child porn.

Police launched an investigation after two juveniles found child porn files while using his computer for school work.

The juveniles took the flash drive to show an adult, who called the police.

WJAC reports that Grant messaged one of the juveniles and threatened to throw away their personal belongings if they did not return the flash drive.

In total, 90 photos, gifs and videos were found on the flash drive.

Grant is facing multiple charges, including 90 counts of felony child pornography.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

Man charged with killing, dismembering missing 14-year-old in Mercer County Man shot, drives to Pittsburgh medic station with 5-year-old in car Man charged in more than decade old Fayette County cold case murder VIDEO: Man charged in North Braddock pedestrian crash where 75-year-old man died DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Little is known about how Indiana acquired pentobarbital, a drug that state officials plan to use to restart executions for the first time in more than a decade. (Getty Images)

After state officials announced last week that Indiana will resume executions for the first time in over a decade, secrecy largely shrouds the new drug, pentobarbital, acquired for the impending lethal injections.

The one-drug method is a departure from the states protocol used since 1995, involving a series of three chemicals.

Although no state-level executions in Indiana have used pentobarbital before, 13 federal executions carried out at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute have been carried out with the drug. Fourteen states have used pentobarbital in executions, too.

But state and federal officials alike have remained closed-lipped about where pentobarbital is sourced from and how much it costs. Also still unknown is the amount Indiana has acquired and when the current doses expire.

Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. that tracks state and federal executions, said its also critical for the public to know who will be administering the drug  and how  as well as what training those individuals will receive.

These are the hard questions that have to be asked, Maher told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. This is an official government function, and in a democracy, we value honesty and transparency in our government officials and the acts they do on our behalf. This is absolutely one of those official acts, and voters in Indiana deserve to know what their government is doing in their name.

What is pentobarbital?

The Hoosier state has carried out 20 executions since 1981. The first three  in 1981, 1985 and 1994  were by electrocution. The rest have been by lethal injection  which is now the only method permitted by state law.

The Indiana Code doesnt specify what drugs are to be used for executions, saying only that the drugs must be injected intravenously in a quantity and for an amount of time sufficient to kill the inmate.

Previously, when a prisoner was executed by lethal injection in Indiana, they were strapped to a gurney, and an IV line was inserted to inject a lethal combination of three substances: a barbiturate to render the person unconscious; pancuronium bromide to paralyze voluntary and reflex muscles; and potassium chloride to stop the heart.

But after Indianas last execution in 2009, the state was effectively forced to pause. Increased scrutiny of lethal injection drugs led pharmaceutical companies to refuse to sell their products for use in executions. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said that made acquiring the necessary drugs harder to get.

It wasnt until last week that the governor, along with Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, announced that the states Department of Correction has obtained the pentobarbital to carry out the death penalty.

The state is so far seeking an execution date for Joseph Corcoran, a man convicted in the killings of four people in Fort Wayne in 1997. There are currently eight men on Indianas death row, including Corcoran. No one has been added to the states death row since 2014.

In the one-drug executions, a prisoner is injected with an overdose of pentobarbital. The new drug, which Maher described as a sedative, has commonly been used to euthanize pets.

Its a barbiturate that depresses the activity of the brain and the nervous system and breathing, she said. When youre given an overdose of that, it will ultimately suppress breath and kill you.

Pentobarbital was first introduced in 2010, according to the DPIC.

So far, 14 states have used the drug in executions: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Virginia. Five additional states  Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina and Tennessee  additionally plan to use pentobarbital. Colorado includes pentobarbital as a backup drug in its lethal-injection procedure.

The same drug was also used for the 13 federal executions during the last six months of Donald Trumps presidency.

In 2019, former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr approved the use of pentobarbital in executions, though President Joe Bidens Justice Department announced a moratorium on federal executions in 2021.

A first-time method in Indiana

Whether Indiana uses pentobarbital or other drugs for executions, Maher said there are still concerns about what could go wrong.

She noted that lethal injections have the highest rate of botched executions, which occur when there is a breakdown in  or departure from  the protocol for a particular method of execution.

The DPIC describes at least two botched executions that have occurred in Indiana.

In October 1985, it took 17 minutes to execute William Vandiver. Still breathing after the first application of 2,300 volts, four more bursts of electricity were fired into him before he was pronounced dead, according to media reports from that time. The Indiana Department of Corrections admitted the execution did not go according to plan.

Tommie Smith, who died by lethal Injection in July 1996, also had a prolonged execution, according to the DPIC. Because of unusually small veins, it took more than an hour after the execution team began sticking needles into his body for Smith to be pronounced dead. After multiple attempts, the lethal drugs were finally injected into Smith 49 minutes after the process began. It took another 20 minutes before he was pronounced dead.

Maher said many of the documented botched executions in recent years have occurred because the drugs being used had expired, were contaminated, or they were administered incorrectly.

There are a number of ways that the executions can go wrong, and it doesnt only have to do with the kind of drug that is used, she said, noting, for example, that if pentobarbital isnt stored at a proper temperature, the drug can expire and should not be used.

When asked where DOC acquired the drug  pentobarbital, which can be used to carry out executions  and how much the state paid, Holcomb said he cant go into those details, by law.

Lawmakers made information about the source of the drugs confidential on the last day of the 2017 legislative session.

Indiana Capital Chronicle has filed an official records request seeking the cost of the drugs.

States have been hiding this information behind secrecy statutes in an effort to avoid answering difficult questions about their execution protocols. These are elected officials. They are using government funding, and they are saying they are conducting an official function, Maher said. And all of that means they should be honest and transparent about what theyre doing and why. The fact that they have shrouded everything in secrecy in an attempt to avoid answering these questions is not something that we should simply be accepting.

Recent reporting by The Intercept and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver identified Connecticut-based Absolute Standards as the source of the pentobarbital used in 13 federal executions in 2020 and 2021. Reporting did not confirm if the company also supplied to specific states, including Indiana.

Absolute Standards produces materials for calibrating research equipment, but in 2018, it applied to the Drug Enforcement Administration to be registered as a bulk producer of pentobarbital. The company has since indicated this week that it will no longer produce the drug.

Maher further pointed to Idaho, which reportedly spent $100,000 earlier this year to purchase three doses of pentobarbital, the drug used in lethal injections. Its not clear if thats the same quantity purchased or price paid by Indiana, however.

Need to get in touch?

Have a news tip?

CONTACT US

What officials have said  is that they do not want to have people who are involved in the execution process  for manufacturers of a drug  to be harassed by advocates. But there are almost no real life examples of that happening unless we characterize criticism as harassment, which I dont think we should in a democracy, Maher said. People who are critical of decisions the state is making, in terms of where they are finding their drugs and how they are choosing to administer them, thats part of being a public official. Responding to those questions from your constituents  thats part of being a public official. That comes with the territory, and there is no justifiable reason for them to avoid answering those questions.

The Indiana Public Defenders Office, which is providing Corcoran with legal counsel, did not reply to the Capital Chonicles requests for comment about pentobarbital or the impending execution.

Larry Komp, a federal defender for Corcoran, said the legal team is still seeking clarity on the states lethal injection protocol.

Groups are starting to come out against Indianas move, including the Libertarian Party of Indiana.

A government whose primary function is to protect life should not be in the business of ending it, especially given the United States Constitution protects the accused from cruel and unusual punishment. There is no more cruel punishment than putting someone to death, the party said in a statement. The state, simply put, should not be killing its citizens. The Libertarian Party of Indiana calls upon Governor Holcomb and the State of Indiana to halt all planned executions and, furthermore, upon the General Assembly to ban the use of the death penalty in Indiana.

The Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC)  comprised of the five Catholic dioceses across the state  additionally affirmed in a statement that it is strongly opposed to the decision to seek the resumption of executions.

The ICC called upon Rokita to rescind the motion asking the Indiana Supreme Court to set an execution date for Corcoran; asked Holcomb to remove plans to include a death chamber in the new state prison under construction in Westville; and requested that members of the General Assembly legislatively repeal the use of the death penalty in Indiana.

These actions would bring Indiana closer to implementing a consistent protection of human life and social order through law, the ICC said in its statement.

We are grateful for Indianas commitment to protecting human life, particularly for the preborn. However, the Church holds that human dignity is also offended when the states punishment takes a life, the statement continued. The convicted, the executioner, and society are all harmed when violence is unnecessarily carried out, especially when the penal system can adequately protect the social order from further harm.
A uranium ore pile is the first to be mined at the Energy Fuels Inc. uranium Pinyon Plain Mine Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, near Tusayan, Ariz. The mine began operation in January in the heart of northern Arizona after decades of regulatory battles. | Ross D. Franklin

As a proven, safe, and reliable technology, nuclear energy accounts for about 20% of energy produced in the United States and 50% of our nations carbon-free electricity. Yet today, some of the most vocal carbon-free advocates remain opposed to nuclear energy, despite its impressive track record of delivering clean energy that doesnt rely on the wind to blow or the sun to shine.

Uranium mines, which provide the fuel for nuclear power, were plentiful in the American Southwest until the late 20th century. Once most American uranium mines closed due to heavy regulation, we began exporting uranium mining and production to Russia and Kazakhstan, among other countries with lower environmental standards.

But recently, Congress passed a bipartisan bill banning Russian uranium imports  which is good news for those who want to expand uranium mining in the U.S. at sites such as the Pinyon Plain Mine, which began operation in January in Arizona after decades of regulatory battles. The mines ore is processed at the White Mesa Mill in Blanding, Utah.

Unfortunately, Pinyon Plain is still battling environmental groups that have substantially delayed projects like these through intense litigation. Theyve claimed the mine is too close to the Grand Canyon and that it poses serious threats to the people and environment nearby. They are pressuring Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs to close the mine even though Hobbs has called it probably the most regulated mine in the entire country.

As a 26-year-old environmentalist who supports nuclear energy but also cares deeply for our countrys majestic public lands and the Grand Canyon, I wanted to see the truth firsthand. Knowing the demand for uranium and nuclear energy will increase in the coming years, and spark debate about additional mines similar to Pinyon Plain, I agreed to tour the mine a few weeks ago. Ill admit that I was initially a bit hesitant because of some of the fear-mongering things Id heard from the environmental community Im a part of.

Driving up to the mine on a warm June afternoon, I was struck by what a small area the mine occupies. The mine sits in a natural clearing of trees in the Kaibab National Forest, occupying a 17-acre plot of land. I wondered how this blip on a map could hold enough energy to power the state of Arizona for a full year with carbon-free energy, as the mines owner, Energy Fuels, claims.

After a safety briefing, two of the 35 miners who work at Pinyon Plain accompanied me on an elevator descending 1,400 feet below the surface. (Thats roughly equivalent to the height of the Empire State Building.) Once underground, I saw how information about the mine shared by some environmental groups was wildly exaggerated or, in some cases, flat-out wrong. What I saw was an operation that had countless measures in place to protect the safety of those working there and to prevent harm to the surrounding environment.

Underground, I spoke with many of the miners, who were immensely proud to provide clean energy for the country and ensure its production in and for America. I learned the truth about uraniums radioactivity: that a lifelong uranium miner is exposed to less radiation than an airline pilot, and I even held uranium in my hand. I saw how the mines natural geological protections have been supplemented with carefully crafted technological systems to prevent any opportunity for water contamination.

But most of all, I was struck by how small-scale an operation it was, especially when compared to the immense size of the Grand Canyon, which itself is a 40-minute drive from the mine.

Overall, I was impressed with the commitment to safety and the environmental protections in place throughout the site. As a passionate outdoorsman who wants the Grand Canyon and other national landscapes to be protected, I also felt a growing frustration with the innuendo and scare tactics used by activist organizations to spread fear about this mine and nuclear energy. The people who spread fear about this mine and other similar projects have substantially delayed countless similar projects  and unintentionally represent one of the biggest barriers to the production of clean energy in the United States.

As we seek the right mix of energy to meet demand and reduce carbon emissions, expanding mining in places like the Pinyon Plain Mine is a critical step. We need more uranium mines in America, not fewer. Creating domestically produced uranium and ensuring that clean nuclear energy can power millions of homes is a good thing. And in a world of trade-offs for every energy source we use, uranium mines like Pinyon Plain provide an example of a trade-off America should accept  every time.

Spending an afternoon 1,400 feet underground isnt everyones idea of an ideal afternoon, but seeing how U.S. companies are rising to the challenge of filling the growing demand for clean energy was inspiring. For those of us who want to build a brighter, cleaner and more prosperous future, we need to look beyond the scare tactics and embrace the countless tools available to us in our work to preserve our environment, address climate change and create a prosperous future. The Pinyon Plain Mine can help us get there.

Benji Backer, a Deseret contributing writer, is the author of The Conservative Environmentalist: Common-Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future. He is also the executive chairman and founder of the American Conservation Coalition, the largest right-of-center environmental organization in the country.
In December of 2022, I became naturalized as a U.S. citizen and pledged my allegiance to the United States flag  a promise of loyalty. This event occurred in a small room at the Neal Smith Federal Building in Des Moines, Iowa. It was a sacred moment.

The year prior, I read seven books on American democracy and the U.S. Constitution, all from distinguished historians and constitutional scholars. Perhaps the most paramount was The Words That Made Us: Americas Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840 by Ahkil Reed Amar. Since then, I have also read Eric Foners books The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution and Reconstruction: Americas Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877.

We hear a lot of talk these days about saving democracy and how best to do that. I am not a constitutional scholar. But I have a perspective to offer as a new American citizen who has taken time to educate myself about this country beyond what was required of me. I also bring to the table my education as a licensed mental health counselor and a scholar in the field of mental health. And what I have learned is that our Constitution  indeed, our democracy  rests on a foundation of compromise.

It is clear that many (but not all) of the Founding Fathers were able to find a middle ground, adapt, change and meet others in the equidistant. When I read Amars books and Ron Chernows biography of George Washington, it is apparent that what made Washington so great was cognitive agility  the ability to be open-minded and change views. Ive noted the same quality in our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.

As esteemed presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin underscored in her 2006 book Team of Rivals, the political genius of Lincoln was his ability to create the most unusual cabinet in history, as he had the cognitive flexibility to consider cabinet members of different perspectives and opinions and thus brought his disgruntled opponents and rivals together. But cognitive elasticity is not just found in Washington and Lincoln, widely considered the two greatest American presidents. It is the very soul of the U.S. Constitution.

The Constitution, like democracy itself, allows differences of opinion, and it is in this middle ground where cognitive flexibility flourishes, giving birth to creativity. Many psychologists who study creativity note that originality and unique solutions are born amid seemingly oppositional ideas. The U.S. Constitution was purposely created by a process of compromise and concessions.

Compromise is at the heart of all good relationships and good mental health, as it requires listening, change and discipline. The only way American democracy can work is through compromise. The House of Representatives comprises 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population, and their values and beliefs differ. The Senate is composed of 100 senators, two for each state. Final decisions in Congress cannot be anything other than compromises.

What I found profound when I studied the history of this great country is how much the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments transformed the Constitution. Perhaps this is why David Strauss, a distinguished professor of law at the University of Chicago, argues that the Constitution is a living document that changes; it is not a rigid, unimodal document from 1787.

The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments radically changed the Constitution, and actually safeguarded the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments. Lincoln and Congress knew that if states rights still held greater power than federal rights, some of the Confederate states would return to slavery and refuse to grant equal rights to all people. The creation of these three amendments not only ensured those rights but also allowed the Bill of Rights to flourish, thus making democracy genuinely blossom.

When I learned more about the social context that gave birth to these three amendments, it made me realize that now more than ever, compromise is the psychological soul of the Constitution and is vital for healthy interactions (including healthy disagreements) between the federal government and state governments. Too many Americans still believe that states rights eclipse federal rights in all things, and as such, the federal government is often viewed as the bad guy and state government as the good guy. This simplicity might make for a good Western movie, but real life is much more complicated.

What makes the U.S. Constitution and American democracy so amazing is that they both permit a smorgasbord of viewpoints, which require negotiation and cognitive elasticity, which give wings to creativity. This includes interplay between the states and the federal government. Good public policy can emerge when a middle ground finds its roots. It does not have to be some binary war between states-rights versus federal-right tribal groups. Nor should it be. We can aim higher.

Rodney B. Dieser, Ph.D., LMHC, is the author of seven books and more than 100 academic articles. He is a professor in health, recreation and community services at the University of Northern Iowa and also works as a licensed mental health counselor at Wartburg College, a private Lutheran liberal arts college in Waverly, Iowa.
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- In late June, passengers traveling between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Yizhuang, a southern district of Beijing, were able to choose, if they like, the services provided by driverless robotaxis, with just a few clicks on their mobile phones.

Although for security concerns, these robotaxis are operating under the supervision of safety drivers behind the wheels, this breakthrough in the commercialization of self-driving technology marks a significant step for Beijing's intelligent transportation.

Even with about 40 km of highway to travel during the whole journey, these autonomous vehicles can run smoothly and pass through toll stations with ease.

"I feel like sometimes I don't respond as quickly as the self-driving system does," said Tang Zhiyuan, a safety driver at Pony.ai, one of the two domestic autonomous driving service providers approved to offer such services in the capital city.

This increasingly intelligent travel experience is a result of China's accelerated efforts to build smart city over the years. A nationwide network of integrated intelligent vehicles, smart roads, and real-time cloud technologies is being rolled out.

Yizhuang initiated an autonomous driving demonstration area in 2020. The intelligent road system there can sense traffic conditions using holographic smart devices, while multifunctional poles positioned along the road transmit computational data to vehicles and real-time cloud systems. Thanks to vehicle-road collaboration technology, cars receive optimal travel solutions, significantly improving traffic safety and efficiency.

"With the construction of the roadside sensing system, the traffic lights at the intersections in Yizhuang can now be dynamically adjusted 110 times a day according to the traffic flow," said Zhai Qian, deputy director of the city operation bureau in Yizhuang. "Despite a 20 percent increase in local traffic volume last year, the average vehicle speed has risen by more than 15 percent."

Last month, Beijing expanded its designated autonomous driving zone from 160 square km to 600 square km. More than 400 road intersections and 10 km of expressways in the area have been equipped with roadside intelligent facilities and a dedicated smart city network.

Five ministries, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Transport, jointly issued a notice on Wednesday to identify 20 cities or urban agglomerations, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, as pilot areas for the application of the intelligent network integrating vehicles, roads and cloud.

"Without the development of communication infrastructure and intelligent computing technology, these intelligent interconnections cannot be realized," said Chen Fengxian, a senior analyst at China Telecom Research Institute.

By the end of May, China had built over 3.83 million 5G base stations, accounting for over 60 percent of the global total, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

According to a report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, 54,000 generative AI patent applications were filed globally in the past decade, and China filed over 38,000 patents, ranking first in the world.

In addition to playing an increasingly important role in smart travel and addressing "big city diseases" such as traffic congestion and environmental pollution, digital technology is also reshaping the emergency management mechanisms of Chinese cities.

Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, located at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, is actively exploring new paths to modernize megacities. Last July, Chongqing launched an intelligent flood prevention and rescue system as part of this effort.

The collaborative application system connects over 2,800 automatic weather stations and 32 hydrographic stations in the Jialing River basin, enabling real-time big-data monitoring of rain and water conditions across the entire basin. Additionally, it uses three-dimensional modeling of buildings along the river to accurately delineate disaster areas, facilitating the evacuation of local residents in case of emergency.

In May, China unveiled a guideline on promoting the development of smart cities and urban digital transformation to make urban management smarter. By 2027, China expects to see significant progress in the digital transformation of urban areas and will have built a number of smart cities that are more livable and resilient, according to the guideline.

Despite the challenges of data sharing and data security in the development of smart cities in China, Chen remains optimistic.

"Challenges always come hand-in-hand with opportunities. This policy will further address the bottlenecks in China's smart city development," Chen said. 
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Firefighters are responding to a heavy pallet fire that has downed multiple power lines and is threatening a number of buildings near the Whitaker Ponds Natural Area in Northeast Portland.

According to a Portland Fire and Rescue post on X at 7:35 p.m., fire crews responded to a large stack of pallets on fire, with the flames extending to a tree and a home Thursday night.

Portland charity helps the homeless stay cool, safe during heatwave

Firefighters said they were taking defensive measures to ensure the flames did not ignite a large fuel storage tank on site.

Within 30 minutes, the fire was escalated to a second-alarm fire and then a third-alarm fire, officials said.

Many buildings are being threatened by heavy fire. Multiple live power lines down, a follow-up post said.

Portland Fire respond to a pallet fire in Northeast Portland. Thursday, July 4, 2024 (courtesy Portland Fire and Rescue).

Portland Fire respond to a pallet fire in Northeast Portland. Thursday, July 4, 2024 (courtesy Portland Fire and Rescue).

Portland Fire respond to a pallet fire in Northeast Portland. Thursday, July 4, 2024 (courtesy Portland Fire and Rescue).

Portland Fire respond to a pallet fire in Northeast Portland. Thursday, July 4, 2024 (courtesy Portland Fire and Rescue).

Portland Fire respond to a pallet fire in Northeast Portland. Thursday, July 4, 2024 (KOIN).

Portland Fire respond to a pallet fire in Northeast Portland. Thursday, July 4, 2024 (KOIN).

Portland Fire respond to a pallet fire in Northeast Portland. Thursday, July 4, 2024 (KOIN).

Portland Fire respond to a pallet fire in Northeast Portland. Thursday, July 4, 2024 (KOIN).

By 8:21 p.m., PF&R said that Port of Portland fire crews were on the scene to assist, if needed, after the fire extended into one of the of the metal clad buildings, with one structure collapsing.

The fire started at the exterior then extended to the main structure thats a combined home and business, Rick Graves, a PF&R spokesperson, told KOIN 6 News. That home and business is at a structural collapse. We did a primary search  no one was inside. We had not an opportunity to do a secondary search. Its going to be some quite a while until we gain safe access.

No injuries were reported. Graves said the fire did not reach nearby businesses. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Crews were also reportedly working with a limited water supply. The Portland Water Bureau was also assisting in the effort. With the downed power lines, finite amount of water and need to protect valuable equipment, fire crews were working to manage competing priorities, officials said.

By 8:37 p.m., PF&R said the incident was beginning to stabilize and that they were starting rehabilitation rounds for the firefighters.

KOIN 6 News spoke to a neighbor who said he tried to put it out with a hose himself.

I came outside, I seen smoke and noticed it was black. Looked over the fence and seen there was fire, said Christian LeFebren, a witness who works next door to where the fire happened. I yelled to my buddy to call 9-11 then I grabbed a hose and tried to spray down their house.

This is a developing story. KOIN 6 News will update this article if 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 KOIN.com.
In the heart of Floridas scrub lands in the scorching summer heat, the next generation of a very special bird is just beginning to explore the world.

They are just so gawky and awkward, says Audrey DeRose-Wilson of Florida scrub jay fledglings. The adults are sitting on a branch looking around and the babies are just falling off the branch. Theyre silly and hilarious. Its fun to see them and their antics.

DeRose-Wilson is Audubon Floridas Director of Bird Conservation, and she organizes the groups annual Jay Watch count.

The citizen science program uses bird-loving volunteers around the state to tally numbers of the threatened scrub jay on public lands, including in Manatee County and Southwest Florida.

The boisterous and social songbirds with vivid blue and soft gray feathers are found only in Florida, and they are down to less than 10% of their former numbers due to habitat loss. The main culprits are development and a lack of the fire that scrub needs to thrive.

The data collected during Jay Watch helps monitor the statewide population. It also informs the people who oversee scrub jay habitat where recovery efforts are going well and where the birds need more help as conservationists try to fight off their extinction.

Were a piece of the puzzle, DeRose-Wilson said.

Whats so special about scrub jays?

As their name suggests, Florida scrub jays are found nowhere else in the world but Florida.

Scientists refer to them as an indicator species. If scrub jays are doing well, scrub habitat is doing well, and vice versa.

Besides the scrub jay, the sandy, shrubby, desert-like scrub habitat found on ridges in Florida supports many other unique plants and animals.

Whats good for scrub jays and good for their habitat is good for a lot of other wildlife, DeRose-Wilson said.

Prescribed burns that land managers use to maintain scrub jay habitat also keep people safe by preventing out-of-control wildfires, DeRose-Wilson said.

Another benefit of protecting scrub?

Scrub jay habitat also represents areas that recharge our aquifer, DeRose-Wilson said. Whats good for scrub jays is also good for our drinking water.

Scrub jays perched on tree branches in East Manatee County.

Where are Florida scrub jays found?

Scrub jays are found only in low-growing oak scrub and scrubby flatwoods with sandy soils in Florida, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says. Within these patches of oak scrub, they frequent relatively open areas with bare sandy patches.

Scrub occurs within the highest and driest areas of the state, many of them made of ancient sand, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

In Manatee County, scrub habitat is found out east.

Its one of the few areas in the state where conservationists have documented an increase in scrub jay numbers.

The most recent population estimate is 24 families of scrub jays in Duette Preserve and up to 60 families in the region, which includes state-owned and private lands, according to Manatee County.

They credit the success to land conservation, careful land management and close-knit collaboration between government agencies, non-profits and the private sector to protect the imperiled birds.

How are scrub jays counted?

Each site is surveyed over a three-day period, DeRose-Wilson said.

A survey route is plotted out, and volunteers stop at the same points each day.

At each stop, they play recorded scrub jay calls to lure the birds out.

The juveniles are easy to identify by their head of brown feathers, which will eventually be replaced with bright blue.

Over the three-day period, Jay Watch bird counters get an accurate picture of how many total scrub jays, juveniles and families live at the site.

That information is then passed on to land managers.

The Florida scrub jay is a threatened species of bird found only in the desert-like scrub habitats of Florida.

How to participate in Jay Watch programs

Audubon Floridas Jay Watch program happens in June and July each year.

Participants are trained in Jay Watch methods and then assigned to sites that are convenient to them.

Audubons Jay Watch sign-ups are closed for 2024, but information to sign up for future counts can be found at FL.Audubon.org/get-involved/jay-watch.

Locally, Manatee County is hosting a Jay Watch count at Duette Preserve over the Fourth of July weekend.

Visit MyManatee.org/ecoevents for more info.

Why they Jay Watch

We asked some longtime Jay Watch participants why its important to them. Heres what they said:

If people are going to change the landscape to the extent that we do, we have some responsibility to ensure the conservation of species that are affected by that, said Zach Holmes, an avian ecologist whose experience volunteering for Jay Watch set him on a path toward pursuing a doctorate in bird studies. Theres a lot of work that needs to be done. Its currently a bleak picture for a lot of places where development is continuing.

The idea is to document the growth or decline of the population, said Kay Prophet, a former president of the Manatee County Audubon Society who has participated in Jay Watch since it began over 20 years ago. Heres the beauty of Jay Watch  our report will go to that land manager and then a conversation can happen about where to manage next.

They are a very charismatic species to watch, DeRose-Wilson said. Theyre one of the few bird species that live in family groups with helper birds in each family that help parents raise offspring. So theres a lot more opportunity for social interaction.
Pittsburgh police are asking for the publics help to find a missing and endangered senior citizen.

Bessie Ruth Thompson, 74, was last seen at 5708 Butler Street between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on July 5.

Thompson, who goes by Ruth, is described as being 5 feet, 6 inches tall and 160 pounds. She has brown eyes and her hair is in a short gray afro. She also has moles on her face and some teeth missing.

Thompson was last seen wearing a black silk bouse with flowers on it, black pants and black/white shoes. She is not carrying a purse and does not have a cell phone.

Police said Thompson has dementia and just moved to Pittsburgh from Chicago, so she does not know her way around the city.

Anyone with information on Thompsons whereabouts is asked to call (412) 323-7141 or 911.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

2 men found dead in pool in Pine Township Man attacked with sword at Pittsburgh hotel, police say Tree falls, killing 18-year-old cleaning up storm damage in Westmoreland County VIDEO: Thousands head to Point State Park to celebrate 4th of July DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Plague is among the deadliest bacterial infections in human history. Cases still happen today

Plague, one of the deadliest bacterial infections in human history, caused an estimated 50 million deaths in Europe during the Middle Ages when it was known as the Black Death.

While extremely rare, the disease is still around today, with a man in New Mexico dying of plague in March after being hospitalized for the disease and a person in Oregon being diagnosed with bubonic plague in February after likely being infected by their pet cat.

Its transmitted by fleas that live on rodents. Symptoms usually appear within one to seven days after infection and include painful, swollen lymph nodes, called bubos, in the groin, armpit or neck areas as well as fever, chills and coughing.

How do you get the plague?

Plague affects humans and other mammals.

Usually, people get the plague after being bitten by a rodent flea carrying Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the disease, or by handling an infected animal, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cats, which become sick themselves, can directly infect humans, while hardier dogs may simply carry the fleas back to their owners. People also can become sick by inhaling droplets from the cough of an infected person or animal.

The bacteria persists because low levels circulate among populations of certain rodents, according to the CDC. These infected animals and their fleas serve as long-term reservoirs for the bacteria.

The reason why it hasnt been eliminated is because theres an animal reservoir, Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said in February. The bacteria can infect animals, and because we cant treat all animals in the wild, it persists in nature and thus occasionally causes a limited number of human cases.

Where can you get the plague?

Plague occurs naturally in rural areas in the western United States, particularly Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Thats where an average of seven human plague cases are reported each year to the CDC. But significantly more cases occur in parts of Africa and Asia.

From 2010 to 2015 there were 3,248 cases reported worldwide, including 584 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. It said the three most endemic countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Peru.

There are three types of plague  bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic plague. With the pneumonic form of plague  which means it affects the lungs  there is a risk of direct transmission from human to human. That was the case in the large outbreak in Madagascar in 2017, where there were 2,348 confirmed, probable and suspected cases and 202 deaths.

The last urban plague epidemic in the United States occurred in Los Angeles from 1924 through 1925, the CDC said.

How worried should I be?

Modern antibiotics  streptomycin is the usual first-line treatment  can prevent complications and death if given promptly after symptoms appear. The treatment is used for the two most common types of plague: bubonic and pneumonic.

The reason why it caused such widespread death and destruction in the Middle Ages is because we didnt have antibiotics at that time, Barouch said in February about plague.

Although it can be a serious illness, its usually easily treatable with antibiotics as long as its caught early. So now its a very treatable disease. It shouldnt create the fear that people had in the Middle Ages of the Black Death, he said. If anyone develops symptoms consistent with the plague  usually the initial symptoms are fever, chills and swollen lymph node  then seek medical attention, because at the early stages, the plague is easily treatable with antibiotics.

Bubonic plague has a case-fatality ratio of 30% to 60% when left untreated, while pneumonic plague, when left untreated, is always fatal, according to WHO.

However, a strain of bubonic plague with high-level resistance to streptomycin has been seen in Madagascar.

More than 80% of US cases have been the bubonic form, which is the most common form of infection. Untreated bubonic plague can turn into the more serious pneumonic plague, which causes rapidly developing pneumonia after bacteria spread to the lungs.

Is there a vaccine for the plague?

There is a Yersinia pestis vaccine, but it is recommended only for high-risk people like scientists who work directly with the bacterium, Dr. Harish Moorjani, an infectious disease specialist at Phelps Hospital in New York, part of Northwell Health, said in February.

Most people dont need the vaccine, Moorjani said.

A 2019 review of experimental plague vaccines suggests that researchers are exploring a variety of approaches to develop an effective plague inoculation.

Since different vaccine designs lead to different mechanisms of immunity, the authors conclude that combinations of different types might overcome the limitations of individual vaccines and effectively prevent a potential plague outbreak.

How do you protect yourself and your family?

Key steps for prevention of plague include eliminating nesting places for rodents around your home, sheds, garages and recreation areas by removing brush, rock piles, trash and excess firewood.

Report sick or dead animals to law enforcement or your local health officials; do not pick up or touch them yourself. If you absolutely must handle a sick or dead animal, wear gloves.

If you live in an endemic area, take added precautions. Use insect repellent that contains DEET to prevent flea bites and treat dogs and cats for fleas regularly. Do not sleep with your pets as this increases your risk of getting plague. Finally, your pets should not hunt or roam rodent habitats, such as prairie dog colonies.

Editors Note: This is an updated version of a story first published in 2019.





CNNs Jacqueline Howard and Mira Cheng contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Lake Thunderbird State Park needs four sewer lift stations replaced. It is among the high-priority items for the Oklahoma Department of Tourisn and Recreation to address. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  The Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation received 10% of what it asked from the legislature to fix state parks.

HB 3972 was introduced during the 2024 legislative session, proposing an eight-year plan where $350 million would be put into state parks to fix and beautify their assets. Instead, the plan was cut in half because of funding limitations.

As a result, Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt said plans have been scaled back.

Weve got the assets, weve got the goods, Zumwalt said. Nature has been very kind to us. But its a big project, you know, and I do want to say, I dont think that we expected to solve this in one session either.

Zumwalt said it became clear toward the end of the legislative session that lawmakers were not interested in using the fund to finance the plan.

However, the agency received $35 million through the Oklahoma Capital Assets Maintenance and Protection Fund, with $12.5 million the first year and $7.5 million for the next three.

Some of the high-priority projects include replacing four sewer lift stations at Lake Thunderbird; repairing the entire natural gas line at Sequoia; and repairing or replacing sewer lagoons at Roman Nose.

Zumwalt said fixing up cabins at Lake Murray, the highest revenue-generating park in the state, would drive more revenue from the already high-performing park. But because the plan did not receive all the financing it requested, ambitions are being scaled back.

Instead of repairing 54 cabins at Lake Murray, less than 10 will be fixed, Zumwalt said.

The lack of financing also limits the agencys ability to improve infrastructure, such as upgrading RV amps. Zumwalt said most state parks have 30 amp hookups, though many RVs require 50 amps or more.

Rep. Tammy Townley, R-Ardmore, a co-author of the bill, said the financing is necessary for the parks to keep operating.

Well, No. 1, its an extremely important issue for our state because our state parks are in severe disrepair, and weve been working on a deficit mentality with them for several years.

That mentality is something Zumwalt said she was looking to fix when she joined the agency in October 2022. Thats when work on the deferred maintenance list began, she said.

It compiled items based on urgency, with health and safety issues at the top. When brought to the legislature, examples of a water treatment plant failing and an unfixed cave-in were presented. The major infrastructure issues have caused parks to temporarily close or create temporary fixes.

The biggest obstacle to getting legislators to sign on was education on the issues, Zumwalt said.

I think once they understand what economic impact those parks are, its easy to get behind, Zumwalt said.

State parks generate more than $340 million in travel spending and support almost 3,000 jobs, she said. They also are the No. 3 revenue generator in the state, she said.

Its a huge operation that really touches all parts of our state, and especially in rural parts of our state, is sometimes the largest employer in that area, Zumwalt said.

Rep. Josh Cantrell, R-Kingston, said conditions in the parks need to improve quickly.

We need maintenance done in our state parks in a bad way, Cantrell said.

The bill stalled in the Senate. Zumwalt, Townley and Cantrell said there are plans to bring the legislation back next session.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Are your plates up to date? Denver police targeting expired tags after complaints

DENVER (KDVR)  Police officers in Denver will be cracking down on vehicles with expired or invalid registrations for several weeks.

The Denver Police Department said on Wednesday it consistently hears complaints from residents about these violations, and said the targeted enforcement is in response to that.

Denver drivers will no longer be pulled over for low-level offenses

From July 15 to Aug. 15, DPD will temporarily suspend its new policy, under which officers no longer pull drivers over for minor traffic infractions that do not pose an immediate threat to public safety, to enforce vehicle registration laws.

Police will be looking for expired registration tags and expired temporary license plates.

Vehicle owners are reminded that while vehicle registrations have a 30-day grace period after expiration, temporary license plates do not have a grace period, DPD said in a release.

Expired tags? Heres how much it will cost you

The police department is encouraging vehicle owners to get their registrations up to date to avoid a $95 fine on top of registration and renewal costs.

Newly acquired vehicles must be registered in person, but registration renewal can be done online or at a kiosk. The city has a page with information on where to find a DMV kiosk and how to register a vehicle 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 FOX31 Denver.
Editors Note  The copy has been updated to reflect new information police shared about the amount of people who were shot.

PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  Prince Georges County police said multiple people were shot including a child on Independence Day.

40 displaced after fire breaks out in Rockville womens shelter

The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) said at around 7:50 p.m., at least three people were shot in the 4500 block of Akron St.

Two adults were hit by gunfire including a young child who was in critical condition.

A bullet appeared to have grazed one adult and the other adult was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, PGPD 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC.
A police department has identified the officer who shot and killed in the line of duty Thursday on the Fourth of July.

>>RELATED: Officer dies after being shot in Ohio; suspect charged

Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter, 27, was shot and killed around 1 a.m. while serving a warrant to a man wanted for felonious assault, according to Police Chief Dorothy Todd.

He joined the department in 2020, deployed to Syria in 2022 as a member of the Ohio National Guard, and returned in 2023, according to the department.

Today is a sad day for our city, said Chief Todd. Ironically, on this day designated for freedom, we are reminded of the evil that tries to impose on our community. However, despite our pain and hurt, we take in the immense sacrifice Officer Ritter gave, and we will honor his memory and compassion. We will continue to carry his legacy in our hearts.

>>Fourth of July celebrations continue despite storm threat

As News Center 7 reported on Thursday, the suspect, Delawnte Hardy, 24, was leaving his home on a bicycle when officers arrived and began firing shots hitting Ritter.

He has been charged with aggravated murder, according to CBS affiliate WOIO in Cleveland.

Hardy is in custody at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  San Diego police are searching for suspects after a man was stabbed during an altercation in the Corridor neighborhood Friday.

According to authorities, the victim, a 52-year-old man, was involved in a physical fight with two other men in the 3400 block of University Avenue shortly after 3 a.m.

Two San Diego-area casinos among most luxurious in California: study

During the altercation, one of the suspects stabbed the man in the abdomen, police said. The victim was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was treated for a non-life-threatening injury.

The suspects reportedly left the scene after the stabbing and have not been located.

Police described the first suspect as a Hispanic man in his mid-30s who stands 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs around 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black hat, black shirt and blue jeans. The second suspect was only described as a Hispanic man adult wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.

The Mid City Division is handling the investigation. Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

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 FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
LONDON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Labour Party of the United Kingdom is on track to achieve a landslide win in the general election, according to an exit poll published after voting ended on Thursday night.

The exit poll showed Labour, headed by Keir Starmer, would win 410 seats, enough for a comfortable outright majority in the 650-seat parliament. Rishi Sunak's Conservatives, which have ruled for 14 years, are forecast to win 131 seats, Liberal Democrats 61 seats, and Reform UK 13 seats.

The exit poll, commissioned by three broadcasters -- the BBC, ITV and Sky -- has a good track record of accurately forecasting the outcome of the last four elections held in 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Official results will be declared in the early hours of Friday.

The projected landslide victory for Labour is in sync with the sustained double-digit lead it maintained over the Tories in all opinion polls in the months leading up to the voting day.

Disenchanted voters in the UK have grown increasingly impatient with the ruling party as it struggled to address the concerns of the ordinary people. Their trust in the Conservative-led government has diminished amid a host of scandals. Voters also doubted the stability and consistency of Downing Street's leadership during the political chaos in the summer of 2022, which saw the UK install three different prime ministers in two months.

"I'm interested in more stability in government. We've had too much infighting within parties, too much turnover. And I think that creates a lot of stopping and starting of progress," London resident Nicole told Xinhua outside a polling station.

"I think that this will be a big step forward just to have a much more functional, consistent government. It's more like wanting competency, wanting things to work better, wanting concentration from our government in terms of public services and progress," she said.

Starmer's Labour Party has campaigned around the theme of "Change," promising to rebuild Britain and make it serve the interests of working people. Among Labour's key pledges are to kickstart economic growth, implement tough spending rules, cut NHS waiting times, recruit thousands more teachers, return law and order to British streets, and enhance border security to contain illegal immigration.

"The challenges are going to be absolutely enormous (for Labour)," Professor Stuart Wilks-Heeg, political expert at the University of Liverpool, told Xinhua. "It's really difficult to see how they can progress fast on any of these things now."

The "honeymoon period" that voters have given to Labour will be "very, very short," and it is critical for Starmer to use whatever goodwill he's got to try and fix problems in this period, he added. 
Police Searching for Suspects After 2 Women, 8-Year-Old Boy Were Killed in 4th of July Shooting in Chicago

Multiple shooters who emerged from two cars are believed to have fired several shots into a home, killing three people and injuring two others, police say

CBS Chicago/YouTube Police investigating the scene.

A shooting in Chicago on the Fourth of July left two women and an 8-year-old boy dead, authorities said.

Multiple shooters who emerged from two cars are believed to have fired several shots into a home in the citys Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood around 6 a.m. Thursday, local police said, according to CBS News. Officers who responded to the scene found five gunshot victims.

All I saw was two people jumping off the porch," a witness told ABC 7 Chicago. "After I heard the shots, I was looking out the window. I thought it was fireworks."

Two women, identified by relatives as Capri Edwards and Nakeeshia Strong, were killed in the shooting, according to ABC 7 Chicago. Strong was Edwards aunt, relatives reportedly said.

According to NBC Chicago, Strongs son, 8-year-old Bryson Orr, was also struck and taken to the hospital in critical condition. However, he died later that day, police said, per the outlet. Two other children, ages 5 and 8, were wounded in the shooting.

CBS Chicago/YouTube Police investigating the scene.

Authorities believe the shooting was targeted but have not made any arrests in the case, according to ABC 7.

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.

Markita Scott, Edwards' mother, told CBS News Chicago that her daughter died trying to shield her children from the bullets and that she hopes an arrest will be made soon.

"I'm just numb," Scott told the outlet. "I just want somebody to come forward with some kind of information so [there's] justice for my daughter."

Frank Mixon, Strong's teenage son, described her as an amazing woman, according to NBC Chicago. "Nobody showed me how to work hard like her, he said, per the outlet.

In a statement shared to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson paid tribute to those impacted by the shooting.

On behalf of the City of Chicago, we express our deepest condolences to the families and the Grand Crossing community mourning the lives lost in the shooting that took place this morning, he said.

The statement added, We will continue coordinating with our partners at the Chicago Police Department, 5th Ward Alderman Desmon Yancy, and victim services partners to support this community on a path of healing from this tragic incident.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
JAMAICA, Queens (PIX11)  An NYPD officer fatally shot a knife-wielding suspect at a Queens apartment building where an 8-year-old boy was killed Thursday, police said.

The officer shot the suspect inside an apartment at 94th Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica around 5:15 p.m., according to the NYPD.

More Local News

Police responded to the fifth-floor apartment and saw the male suspect allegedly holding a knife to his fathers throat, according to NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell.

We gave repeated commands, both in English and in Spanish, to drop the knife. He did not. One officer fired one round, striking the target, saving that mans life, Chell said.

The suspect was later pronounced dead at a hospital, police said.

Police said the incident was some sort of domestic dispute. The suspect and the 8-year-old boy may be brothers or stepbrothers, Chell said. The exact circumstances of the 8-year-old boys death were under investigation.

The 42-year-old father and a 29-year-old mother also suffered stab wounds in the incident, according to police.

An 8-month-old child who was also in the apartment was not hurt, police said.

Our cops were here within three minutes to make fast-moving decisions. And those decisions saved a father and an 8-month-old child, Chell said.

Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Political incivility is at a fever pitch. We dont have to let it ruin friendships | Editorial

As we look back on the July 4th holiday, theres no better time to reflect for a moment on the dire state of politics in America. With a presidential election this year that seems to get more petty and angry by the day, its easy to forget that nearly 250 years ago, the Founders put aside their differences for the common cause of freedom.

Washington Lt. Gov. Denny Heck has had a front-row seat to politics for decades, as a state representative, a U.S. representative and now the states No. 2. Hes seen politics at its best and at its worst.

The current divisive environment that permeates all levels of government assuredly counts among the worst, and Heck wants to do something about it.

Its bad. Eighty-nine percent of Washingtonians are somewhat or very concerned about the future of democracy, Heck recently told the editorial board. But I actually find more telling and more disturbing another number, 24%. Twenty-four percent of Washingtonians report that they have stopped talking altogether to either a friend or family member because of politics.

Anyone who follows politics knows what Heck is talking about. Americans on the left dont like Americans on the right, and vice versa. Compromise, civil discourse and respectful disagreements have nearly disappeared.

Heck and his civility allies refuse to accept that this is the best Americans can do. If they succeed, it will benefit all of us.

Incivility has plagued American politics almost from the start. In 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr shot former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Hamilton died the next day.

In 1856, Democratic U.S. Rep. Preston Brooks beat Republican Sen. Charles Sumner in the U.S. Capitol with a cane, nearly killing him. Soon after, the Civil War almost tore the country in half permanently.

The U.S. Senates official history of the Brooks-Sumner caning notes that at the time the nation was suffering from a breakdown of reasoned discourse. The same is true today. Republicans and Democrats talk past each other. They hurl invective and insults. They demonize their opponents and caution loyal supporters that if the other side wins, democracy will die.

Meanwhile, media personalities and social media drive people further away from a sensible middle.

They deal in half-truths and misinformation, fueling partisan discord for their ideological, political and financial ends.

Thats why Hecks and his allies work is so important. Under the umbrella of the Project for Civic Health, they are bringing together people with diverse views from across the state, especially bridging the urban-rural divide. When Washingtonians have face-to-face conversations, almost all of them are civil and respectful. They might disagree, but they do it agreeably.

Heck isnt alone in this work. Other Washington-based and national organizations also are trying to restore civility. Notably, the Tri-City Civility Caucus is working locally to dial down the political temperature.

Heck acknowledges that some people on the extremes arent interested in civility.

Were really trying to figure out how to build this from the ground up and the middle out. And Im not sure that starting with people who dont believe in respectful discourse is the way we get there, he said. There are some people that you will never reach, and I think there are a lot of those. We certainly have more than we used to, unfortunately.

One lieutenant governor and a handful of like-minded groups arent going to solve Americas political dysfunction, but they can provide proof of concept that decency and civility arent hopelessly lost.

Success will grow from one person who shows up at a school board meeting not to berate officials over the ginned up issue du jour but to respectfully share ideas about how to make things better together.

At your next summer barbecue or picnic, when a friend or family member says something with which you vehemently disagree, dont cut them out of your life. Listen respectfully and then share your view just as respectfully. Have a civil conversation and remain friends.

Real change starts with each of us.
Conflict and controversy are shaking up the Doral Police Department after the forced resignation of the deputy chief and accusations of mismanagement from a recently fired major. These departures, which come at a time of discord at the highest levels of Dorals city government, follow the resignation of over 30 officers and a dozen civilians from the department in the last 16 months.

Manuel Arrebola, deputy chief of police, was urged to resign on June 24th by Police Chief Edwin Lopez, acting under the directive of newly appointed City Manager Rey Valdes. Arrebola, who had served for 11 months without reprimand, expressed surprise at the sudden request because he said he had not received any negative comments about his performance under Valdes brief tenure.

The appointment of Valdes in June marked a pivotal shift for Doral, following a period without a permanent city manager since Barbara Barbie Hernandez was fired in January amid conflict-of-interest allegations. In a 3-2 vote, the City Council hired Valdes with support from councilmembers Maureen Porras, Digna Cabral, and Vice Mayor Oscar Puig-Corve. Mayor Christi Fraga and Councilman Rafael Pineyros opposed.

Recently hired Doral City Manager Rey Valdes reacts, during a council meeting at City Hall, on Wednesday June 12, 2024.

Valdes told el Nuevo Herald that Arrebolas departure was a resignation at his request as city manager, dismissing rumors of imminent departmental restructuring or layoffs.

READ MORE: Political turmoil escalates in Doral after data breach involving council members

Councilman Rafael Pineyro said that Arrebolas ouster stemmed from his failure to disclose a past incident from his tenure with the Opa-locka police force, dating back to 1992.

Arrebola was dismissed from the Opa-locka Police Department after admitting to brutally beating a suspect alongside his partner. Prosecutors did not charge Arrebola with any crime in exchange for his testimony against his partner, who was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

High-ranking officer fired

In late May, Doral Police Major Jose Seiglie was unexpectedly fired. A month later, he sued the city for wrongful termination. He is also seeking reinstatement and $2 million in damages. His attorney, Michael Pizzi, said Seiglie has had a distinguished 45-year career, and his firing was retaliation.

Pizzi said Seiglie was terminated because the city brought in an inexperienced police chief, who had never been a commander for a city, and never worked for a city.

Seiglies lawsuit claims he exposed malfeasance and misconduct in the police department that jeopardized the safety in the City of Doral, including the mishandling of crime statistics and human trafficking cases, and a need for more training.

Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez speaks during a City Council meeting at Dorals Government Center on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.

Lopez has been the chief of the Doral Police Department since January 2023, when the council voted unanimously to hire him, having previously served as chief of police for Miami-Dade County Public School.

Pineyro countered Seiglies claims, noting improvements in morale and crime rates under Lopezs leadership. Valdes echoed this sentiment, attributing officer departures to financial concerns.

Many officers leave for economic reasons, Valdes said. The salary of the officers is one of the things that I want to rectify, to retain those young officers and so that they have more opportunities to grow.

Seiglies attorney told el Nuevo Herald that under Lopez, the Doral Police Department is not stable, and officers are demoralized. Pizzi also accused Mayor Christi Fraga of improperly influencing hiring practices and exacerbating internal tensions.

Police cruisers are stationed before the round about inside CityPlace Doral on Saturday, April 6, 2024. A gunman was shot dead and eight others injured  including an Army-trained Doral police officer who wrapped a tourniquet around his injured upper thigh  in a shootout involving police at a Doral nightclub early Saturday morning.

In Dorals mayor/city council/city manager form of government, the city manager, not the mayor, oversees police operations. Despite assertions from Seiglie and his legal team, Fragas office said she was not notified of dismissals before they occurred.

The city manager also rejected Seiglies allegations, stating that the Doral Police Department is relatively young and competes with other agencies in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Many officers leave for economic reasons, Valdes said. Officer salaries are one of the things I want to address to retain these young officers and provide them with more opportunities for growth.

Valdes ruled out that the police department is in crisis. Officers have left, but many talented others have been recruited.

READ MORE: Former Doral officials sue city for revoking their lifetime pensions. The mayor responds
The Vatican on Friday informed a Donald Trump-supporting archbishop that he is being excommunicated for refusing to recognize Pope Francis' authority after years of outspoken public attacks.

Carlo Maria Vigano, an ultra-conservative who served as the Vaticans diplomat to Washington, D.C. between 2011 and 2016, was formally accused last month of schism, which is one of the most serious offenses in canon law. Schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him, according to the Vatican.

Conan OBrien Reveals Chris Rock Listened to NWA Before Meeting the Pope

His public statements manifesting his refusal to recognize and submit to the Supreme Pontiff, his rejection of communion with the members of the Church subject to him, and of the legitimacy and magisterial authority of the Second Vatican Council are well known, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith said in a press release confirming that Vigano was found guilty and excommunicated.

Vigano said in a lengthy statement last month that he considered it an honor to be accused. On the day on which I was supposed to present myself to defend myself before the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, I have decided to make public this declaration of mine, to which I add a denunciation of my accusers, their council, and their pope, he wrote. He also attacked Francis church for being inclusive, immigrationist, eco-sustainable, and gay-friendly.

Expelling the cardinal is likely to increase tensions between Francis and conservative American Catholics, a group he as described as having a very, strong, organized, reactionary attitude, and whom he accused in 2023 of replacing faith with ideologies.

Vigano has been increasingly hostile to Francis since making the explosive allegation in 2018 that the pope had known for years about claims of sexual misconduct against U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, but had continued to cover for him. Vigano called for Francis to resign, later accusing the pope of being a servant of Satan.

Pope Francis has faced a string of public attacks from Vigano. Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images via Getty Images

Francis authorized an investigation into what was known about McCarricks behavior, with a report released in 2020 finding that many church officials including, Pope John Paul II, had been aware of the allegations against him. The report was also critical of Vigano for failing to look into new allegations against McCarrick and not enforcing Vatican restrictions on him when ordered to do so, according to the Associated Press.

Vigano thereafter made increasingly baroque attacks on Francis while also drifting into conspiracy theories, backing bogus claims about COVID vaccines and making proclamations about the evils of the deep state. This week, he shared an X post from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in which the MAGA congresswoman asserted: The Covid vaccines are killing people.

Hes also won the praise of Donald Trump. In 2020, Vigano wrote a letter to the then-president in which he linked COVID restrictions and Black Lives Matter protests as the work of the children of darkness. It is quite clear that the use of street protests is instrumental to the purposes of those who would like to see someone elected in the upcoming presidential elections who embodies the goals of the deep state, Vigano wrote.

So honored by Archbishop Viganos incredible letter to me, Trump wrote in a tweet sharing a link to the crazed prose. I hope everyone, religious or not, reads it!

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.
Populists get into UK Parliament for first time: their leader made controversial remarks about Ukraine

The populist Reform UK party of Nigel Farage, known for his controversial remarks about Ukraine, has gained seats in the House of Commons for the first time following the early elections in the United Kingdom.

Source: European Pravda, citing the BBC

Details: It is noted that the Reform UK will hold four seats, including one for its leader.

Farage won in his constituency of Clacton in the east of England, previously represented by a Conservative Party MP. His Conservative rival came in second place.

This is Farage's first successful attempt to win a seat in the UK parliament out of a total of eight attempts.

First, the victory of the Reform UK's Lee Anderson in the Ashfield constituency near Nottingham in the English Midlands has been confirmed, followed by the victory of two more of Farage's party allies.

Background:

Nigel Farage has made a number of controversial remarks about Putin and Ukraine in recent days, including claims that the West provoked the full-scale Russian invasion and that Ukraine should consider peace talks with Russia, "otherwise there will be no young men left".

At the same time, he noted that allegations of his sympathy for Putin are a "Russian hoax" and dismissed reports of possible Russian interference in the UK election on his side.

Farage's party has risen sharply in the polls ahead of the UK parliamentary elections, although the nature of the UK electoral system means that Reform UK will not win a significant number of seats.

Support UP or become our patron!
Neil Gaiman describes himself as a free-speech absolutist. So committed is the best-selling fantasy author to untrammelled expression that he likes to point out he was born on the same day, in November 1960, that the Lady Chatterleys Lover obscenity trial concluded. The ruling, in favour of DH Lawrences novel, was a transformative moment that liberalised publishing.

Gaiman, 63, may be regretting his strident support for outlets to publish whatever they like this week. The creator of The Sandman, Good Omens and American Gods has been accused of sexual assault by two younger women, and is the subject of a police complaint in New Zealand.

A new podcast co-hosted by Rachel Johnson, the sister of former Prime Minister Boris, heard testimony from the two women  a fan he met at a book signing and a former family nanny  that Gaiman had conducted non-consensual sadomasochistic sex with them and that he had told them to call him master. Gaiman says that he was in consensual relationships with both women, almost two decades apart, and denies all allegations of wrongdoing. Tortoise reported that he was disturbed by the accusations.

While the claims, which include sexually assaulting his familys new nanny in a bath within hours of their first meeting, would be shocking if they were levelled at any public figure, for Gaiman they may be doubly damaging.

The author has long been seen as a progressive champion who has inspired devoted gay and transgender fans for putting diverse characters in his novels and comics, as well as an outspoken advocate for people who have suffered sexual abuse.

Neil Gaiman with fans in 2001 - Martin Pope

In The Sandman, the comics he started publishing about a family of cosmic beings in 1989, Gaiman had characters that were gay, trans, non-binary and otherwise unconventional in publishing at the time. Netflix adapted The Sandman into a series in 2022 and, among its casting choices, it gave the role of Desire to the non-binary actor Mason Alexander Park.

Before the series premiered, Gaiman reflected on his early progressive streak in a Guardian interview.

The great thing about having done all that stuff back then is that theres an awful lot less work to do now, he said. There are moments when people yell at me for being woke online, and Im like: Have you ever read the fing comic? People have criticised me for casting a gender-fluid, non-binary actor as Desire, but they were in the original. Desire was always non-binary; that was the whole point of the character.

He added: I wasnt out there banging a drum. These were my friends and I wanted to put them into comics. I wanted to change hearts and minds. I had trans friends and still do, and it seemed to me that no one was putting trans characters in comics. And I had a comic. I would learn things from my friends: for instance, people being buried under dead names [the names they used before transitioning] by their families. That was shocking to me. And I thought, here was this opportunity to write a story in which everybody reading it is going to fall in love with my trans character who is going to be awesome.

For his fans, many of whom are utterly devoted to Gaiman, the backlash from the allegations made against him have been devastating. Many refuse to believe that their hero, who has long made an explicit point of giving voice to the marginalised, could have behaved in such an unacceptable way.

I hate the way people are reacting to this, read a typical tweet. Good Omens has been one of the things helping me through this terrible year so Im sorry if I dont immediately want to hate its creator. Others went further, suggesting that the Tortoise report was part of a politically motivated attempt to smear Gaiman for his pro-trans views.

Gaiman is one of the best-known, and most recognisable, fantasy writers in the world. He has sold more than 50 million books, won virtually every fantasy and childrens literature prizes and had his work translated onto both the big and small screens. The Ocean at the End of the Lane  which draws on his childhood in a fantastical, Alan Garner-esque way  inspired a stage adaptation at the National Theatre that became its biggest touring hit since War Horse. Netflix announced the cast for a second series of The Sandman this week, while a third instalment of Good Omens (starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant) is in the works with Amazon. As if to underline how far he has entered the mainstream, he was a featured guest on The Queens Reading Room podcast, an initiative driven by Camilla, this May.

Gaiman with his ex-wife, Amanda Palmer, in 2013 - John Lamparski/WireImage

Gaiman has a signature look: always wearing all black, with a shock of messy black hair  though with some greys creeping in now that he is past 60. Once, when asked why he wears only one colour, he explained: Everything matches and I never have to wonder what Im going to wear that day. So striking is he that he has played himself in The Simpsons (twice) and The Big Bang Theory.

His unconventional love life has also long been in the spotlight, especially his second marriage to the feminist rockstar Amanda Palmer. One half of the punk-cabaret duo Dresden Dolls, Palmer married Gaiman in 2011 and they had a son together. The couple were not afraid of sharing their relationship online, such as inviting his millions of social media followers to listen to them singing lullabies to their young son, Ash.

They were also notable for having an open relationship that Palmer described in a 2019 interview. There are lots of varieties of open relationships were not interested in having big, multiple relationships; were just slutty, but compassionately so. They announced their divorce in 2022.

Gaiman has been in the public eye since he was a small child. The eldest of three, he was born in Portchester, a small Hampshire village, in a Jewish family of Eastern European descent. When he was an infant, Gaimans parents settled the family in East Grinstead, West Sussex, where they became devotees of Scientology and studied at the quasi-religions global headquarters in the town. David Gaiman, Neils father, was Scientologys British PR chief at the time and, in August 1968, wheeled out his then 7-year-old son on BBC radio to do an interview in an attempt to counter accusations that it indoctrinated children.

Gwendoline Christie in Netflix's Sandman, based on the hit comic by Neil Gaiman - Netflix

Speaking to Keith Graves, the precocious youngster said that it helps you to handle quite a lot of problems and talked about the various exercises that Scientologists practise. He was later kicked out of the Anglican Fonthill School in East Grinstead because of his familys Scientology links.

Gaiman embarked in a career in journalism before discovering comic books and achieving widespread fame with The Sandman in the late 1980s. His has been a career with precious few setbacks ever since, with other highlights including publishing the dark childrens novella Coraline  the film of which is being screened at the British Film Institute next month  and writing critically-acclaimed episodes of Doctor Who, another great fantasy franchise. So lucrative has his career been that the multi-millionaire has homes in Wisconsin and on the Isle of Skye.

Beyond his denials to the makers of Rachel Johnsons Tortoise podcast, Gaiman has not commented on the allegations levelled against him, while Netflix and Amazon have so far not said if they will affect their adaptations of his work. The consummate storyteller now finds himself at the centre of a cliffhanger.

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.
ISLAMABAD, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has outrightly rejected the U.S. State Department's report on religious freedom, saying that unilateral reports assessing other countries' human rights situations are not free from political bias and present an incomplete and distorted picture.

The methodology adopted in preparing these reports and the mandate and expertise of its authors are not transparent, spokesperson for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said here on Thursday during a weekly media briefing.

Releasing the 2023 International Religious Freedom Report last week, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to the blasphemy laws in Pakistan as something that "help foster a climate of intolerance and hatred that can lead to vigilantes and mob violence."

Pakistan "categorically" rejects the baseless assertions, Baloch said.

"We believe that international religious freedom cannot be viewed from the lens of any single country's social and legal perspective," said the spokesperson. 
Last week, the Supreme Court tossed out so-called Chevron deference, a long-standing precedent that held that when federal statutes are ambiguous, the courts should defer to executive agencies interpretations of how to apply them.

The decision, in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, landed like a ton of bricks on mostly left-leaning proponents of tight regulation on everything from environmental emissions to medical products to workplace safety, who warned that barrages of deep-pocketed industry litigation could hamstring the administrative state. But in the executive-heavy area of immigration, one of the areas of federal policy most reliant on agency interpretation, the doctrines death might actually have a silver lining.

In many ways, the end of Chevron deference has the potential, at least, to benefit noncitizens in ways that our traditional allies in environmental protection and others that promote federal regulation are not celebrating, said Emma Winger, deputy legal director at the American Immigration Council. Everything from how the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services define the eligibility criteria for work visas like H-1B to general concepts like what it means to be a public charge are essentially interpretations of statute, so Chevron deferences demise could lead to less draconian interpretations.

Winger brought up the example of conviction for a particularly serious crime, which bars access to both asylum and withholding of removal, another form of protection from deportation. The law doesnt specify what type of crime qualifies, which traditionally has meant it is whatever the executive decides it is. Its not hard to imagine how these ambiguities can be weaponized by a hostile administration, and indeed this is what happened under former President Donald Trump.

His administration infamously reformulated the immigration system without congressional action, via a barrage of executive policy changes and reinterpretations of the immigration statutesenacting, by one count, nearly 500 immigration administrative changes, often engineered by anti-immigration fanatic Stephen Miller. Some of these shifts, like an expansion of expedited removal, were clearly authorized by statute. Many more were based on reading hazy laws as harshly as possible. Even in cases where these changes were struck down, it was largely on the basis that the administration was sloppy and capricious, not that it didnt have the authority to reinterpret these laws.

Maybe the area of rawest executive discretion is the immigration courts system. While most people probably think of these courts as falling in the same bucket as the rest of the federal judiciary, these are not actually Article 3 courts. They are wholly contained in the Executive Office of Immigration Review, which is part of the Department of Justice. That means each decision, and particularly precedential decisions issued by the appellate Board of Immigration Appeals or the attorney generalwho acts as a kind of one-person immigration Supreme Courtis an exercise in executive interpretation. (Administrative judges were the focus of another recent high court decision, SEC v. Jarkesy, which upended the judges ability to issue decisions without jury trials; for a number of complex precedential reasons, this seems unlikely to impact immigration judges ability to reach civil immigration decisions, but other immigration-related civil findings could be affected.)

Such decisions havent generally been considered reviewable by the federal courts barring some clear claim of statutory or constitutional violation, but Loper Bright ended this deference. This doesnt necessarily mean that there will be numerically many more challenges to individual removal orders and broader immigration policies, but it does mean the federal government wont get automatic court wins based on Chevron alone, and federal judges writ large will have more power to question how their administrative counterparts are reaching decisions.

As just one example, in the 2014 Supreme Court opinion in Scialabba v. de Osorio, the justices backed the Board of Immigration Appeals interpretation limiting the ability of lawful permanent residents family members to receive derivative residence if they aged out of eligibility while waiting for their petitions to be processed. Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the majority that this is the kind of case Chevron was built for. Thats now no longer the controlling approach, though it should be noted that the Loper Bright decision all but said that it does not overturn existing precedents based on Chevron, just the deference itself. Still, Winger said, there is a question of the extent to which the circuit courts might revisit some of that precedent in light of Loper Bright.

The anti-immigration sphere is already fretting about this, with former Trump Homeland Security official and Center for Immigration Studies senior legal fellow George Fishman writing that the Board of Immigration Appeals, or BIA, may turn out to be the biggest loser, as in the context of removal proceedings the BIA has been rather successful in using Chevron to bypass detrimental judicial interpretations of statutes. He mused that this may be especially detrimental for aggressive enforcement efforts under a second Trump administration.

Of course, theres a flip side to this: In the face of congressional paralysis, practically the only official protections for undocumented immigrants and humanitarian migrants issued over the past several decades are executive in nature. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is already on the chopping block, currently under review by the hard-right Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals after it had previously affirmed a lower courts ruling that the whole program was unlawful. The program relies on the discretionary application of statutory powers, as do grants of temporary protected status and parole.

Most vulnerable are probably Bidens wide-ranging parole programs, which have become a staple of his administrations one-two approach of border restrictions paired with limited humanitarian programs. Two months before the administration rolled out its transit ban 2.0a rehash of a Trump-era asylum restriction timed to replace the Title 42 expulsion programit announced a policy to allow 30,000 migrants a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the country via parole. Then, two weeks after unveiling another executive action to further cut off access to asylum at the border, Biden issued an order to grant parole in place to U.S. citizens undocumented spouses. The administration has also used parole extensively for Afghan and Ukrainian humanitarian migrants.

All these parole grants are balanced on a single, very nonspecific authority in the Immigration and Nationality Act, which permits the attorney general in his discretion [to] parole [noncitizens] into the United States temporarily under such conditions as he may prescribe only on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, with a specific time limit for this pseudo-status. Youll notice a lot of caveats there that could be argued pretty severely constrain the authority, and indeed the former program was already challenged in court by a coalition of states led by (who else) Texas.

A Trump-appointed judge threw out that lawsuit in March on standing, pointing out the obvious reality that the states couldnt really establish how they could have been harmed by the program. If and when such a case makes it to a real-merits consideration, though, the government cant just point to Chevron and insist on deference for its own interpretation of what the statute allows.



Indeed, whatever benefits accrue to the pro-immigration side from granting the courts more interpretative authority must be balanced against the fact of a federal judiciary that the hard right has largely co-opted, with the reactionary Fifth Circuit as a prime example. In ruling on the parole programs, the circuit may not have considered Chevron at all, but simply ruled that the statute was, in fact, unambiguous, based on its own interpretation. After all, if the current Supreme Court has one overarching principle, its that the law is what the right-wing judges say it is.

Nonetheless, this is still an arena where pro-immigration advocates and individual petitioners can now duke it out with the executive decision-makers on, at least theoretically, level ground. The courts may not side with immigrants and their advocates each time, but they wont be compelled to side with the government by default anymore either. Especially in the context of an immigrant-hostile administration, this might just be a lifeline.
NECEDAH, Wis. (WCMH)  A Powell woman and her 5-year-old daughter were among six people who died in a house fire at a vacation home in rural Wisconsin.

Deputies from the Juneau County Sheriffs Office, along with crews from two nearby fire departments, responded to 911 calls for a house fire around 2:30 a.m. on June 30.

Deputies found several people in the driveway and moved them farther away from the house. The people told deputies five people remained inside the home, and they later learned a sixth person was unaccounted for.

Six people died, including two from Powell, Ohio, after a vacation home was destroyed in a fire in Necedah, Wisconsin, June 30, 2024. (Courtesy/WMTV)

Six people died, including two from Powell, Ohio, after a vacation home was destroyed in a fire in Necedah, Wisconsin, June 30, 2024. (Courtesy/WGBA)

Poll: 70% of Ohio restaurants, hospitality businesses plan to raise prices in 2024

Fire crews spent about three hours working to put out the fire and remained on scene for nearly 12. All six unaccounted for individuals died. Among them were 38-year-old Charis Kuehl and her 5-year-old daughter Stella, who, according to the Shepherd of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Powell, were members of the congregation.

A GoFundMe page for the family said the family was on a vacation and had planned to move to New Ulm, Minnesota, over the summer.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Most expensive homes sold in Franklin, Delaware counties in June

Steven and Lydia Witte, ages 66 and 35, were also pronounced dead, as were two children aged 8 and 2.

The Juneau County Sheriffs Office believed the fire to be accidental, but it remained under investigation as of Friday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Last year, the state of Florida purchased more than 11,000 acres for nearly $30 million from the powerful Collier family near Everglades City for conservation. Now, a former employee of Parker J. Collier  the matriarch of the family from which Collier County gets its name  claims most of that land is toxic.

In a federal lawsuit unsealed late last week, Sonja Eddings Brown  Colliers former employee  says independent tests show that at least 8,000 acres of the land sold are likely contaminated with a wood treatment chemical called creosote related to a 1956 fire she claims the family never cleaned up.

Long-term exposure to creosote may cause birth defects and cancer, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Brown contends that Collier never disclosed the contamination to the state.

This case centers on a businesswoman and matriarch of a powerful Florida family, Parker Collier, and the unlawful acts she perpetrated to enrich herself by engineering the promotion and sale of 8,000 acres of land contaminated with deadly creosote in the Everglades, states Browns unsealed complaint.

Collier wholly denied the allegations through a spokesperson to the Herald/Times.

This claim is without merit and completely baseless, wrote the spokesperson by email. We categorically refute all allegations made against us and will vigorously defend our position and reputation, utilizing the full extent of legal remedies available to us.

The lawsuit is part of a larger employment dispute with Parker Collier. The lawsuit alleges that Parker Collier misrepresented the contamination of the Everglades land to Brown while she was pitching it to the DeSantis and Trump administrations in 2020. Brown claims Parker Collier then fired her once she started asking questions about the contamination while also raising concerns about corruption in a separate development deal in Collier County.

Its unclear if Browns allegations about the contamination of the Collier land  sold to the state in a project dubbed the Green Heart of the Everglades  will jeopardize conservation efforts. The purchase represents the final piece of significant private land separating the Everglades ecosystem. It sits between the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park and the Big Cypress National Preserve. It is home to 39 threatened or endangered species such as the American Crocodile, Black Bear and Florida Panther, according to a project summary.

RELATED CONTENT: As they wait and work for Everglades restoration, the swamp keeps dying

An aerial view of the Green Heart of the Everglades land showing a mosaic of the habitat - cypress, pine and marshes

A spokesperson for the South Florida Water Management District, which purchased the land on behalf of the state, told the Herald/Times in an email that a comprehensive environmental assessment of the land was done before the transaction, as is standard practice. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the governors office declined to further address specific questions, with the governors staff directing the newspaper to the District for information.

Ernie Cox, a lobbyist for the environmental nonprofit WildLandscapes International who orchestrated the states purchase of the land, disputed that it was toxic, saying the Districts environmental assessment addressed the creosote contamination on land that wasnt part of the parcel sold to the state.

The people that do [these assessments] know their stuff and they would have reviewed all the backup, and it looks like the conclusion was this was cleaned up many years ago and doesnt present a problem, Cox said.

He added: If there was a problem, WildLandscapes would have raised it.

Cox said he never worked with Brown in the land sale. The lawsuit says Brown was fired in 2020, during early promotion of the sale. By the time the land was sold to the South Florida Water Management District, she was no longer involved.

The Herald/Times reviewed the environmental assessment. It refers to a past creosote contamination in the unincorporated area of Jerome about 150 feet east of the parcel sold to the state, but notes it has since been remediated, citing government reports. No physical sampling was done for the report.

Brown claims she conducted her own environmental testing reviewed by a toxicologist on adjacent land to the parcel sold in Jerome in May and June. Those tests show the land is toxic, indicating a large portion of the Green Heart of the Everglades land is likely also toxic, she claims.

Recent testing of land immediately adjacent to the Everglades Parcel indicates that creosote-related contaminants remain on the land and in the drinking water to this day, states Browns complaint.

READ MORE: Its the $4 billion crown jewel of Everglades restoration. But will it be enough?

A map of the Green Heart of the Everglades purchase as of Dec. 2022 that was included in an environmental assessment report before the sale.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TOXIC LAND

Jerome is a small, rural area of Collier County at the edge of the Everglades, north of Everglades City and Copeland. It was built around 1920 and housed employees of the C.J. Jones Lumber Company, the biggest manufacturer of treated wood products in the Southeast United States, per Browns complaint.

C.J. Jones leased that land from a company owned by the Collier family, according to the lawsuit.

A 1956 fire led to 3,000 gallons of creosote exploding while the company was shutting down operations, according to the lawsuit and the District environmental assessment.

For decades afterward Jerome residents complained about their water quality, per the complaint.

In 1990, the then-Florida Department of Environmental Regulation ordered the Collier business to remediate the land and provide alternative drinking water to the town, according to a consent decree between a Collier family business and the state.

But in 2003, dozens of Jerome residents still believed their water was tainted by creosote, according to reporting at the time by the Naples Daily News, and sued the Collier family business.

The Collier businesses settled, according to Browns complaint.

Browns physical samples of the land adjacent to the parcel sold to the state were reviewed by Dr. James Dahlgren, a toxicology expert who came to fame helping Erin Brockovich uncover an energy companys role in contaminating California water in 1993. The samples show Jeromes soil and drinking water are still contaminated, and therefore the surrounding areas are likely still contaminated, including a large portion of the land sold to the state.

Dahlgren concluded the water and soil around Jerome and Everglades City are contaminated and need to be remediated or it will be a toxic source for hundreds of years, states Browns complaint.

Those results are the tip of the iceberg reflecting likely widespread water contamination that poses significant health risks, Dahlgren said, according to the complaint.

The Herald/Times requested to interview Dahlgren but he wasnt available by time of publication.

In addition to largely completing public ownership of the Everglades ecosystem, the Green Heart of the Everglades land wont be mined for minerals or drilled for oil, because the Collier family businesses also sold those rights to the state, per the sales agreement.

The Green Heart of the Everglades land is one of the only subtropical regions in North America and is known to support up to 44 native orchids and 14 native bromeliad species, including one of the worlds rarest plants  the ghost orchid, per the project summary. The ghost orchid was featured in the 2002 film, Adaptation, based on journalist Susan Orleans 1998 non-fiction book, The Orchid Thief.

The location of this assemblage of lands is unique and irreplaceable, states a South Florida Water Management District May 11 memorandum on the project. The ecological values of these lands are extraordinary, along with the ecosystem services provided by these lands.

The memo continued: This acquisition has broad-based public support, and is an incredible opportunity to improve water quality, enhance habitat connectivity, coordinate management with adjacent conservation lands, and protect these lands forever.

Cox, the WildLandscapes lobbyist who coordinated the sale, said he worried Browns allegations would stir up unnecessary controversy about a purchase he viewed as above board.

My fear is that someone is trying to say this transaction wasnt done properly, Cox said. Shes saying the [creosote contamination] was hidden. And it wasnt.

Herald staff writer Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow contributed to this report.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY)  A man died after being shot by a convenience store employee Thursday afternoon on High Street in Portsmouth, police said.

Police said the shooting took place in the 2400 block of High Street around 2:25 p.m. when 27-year-old Rahsaan Nixon went into the Essex Food Store on High Street and began stealing merchandise.

When officers arrived, they found a man, later identified as Rahsaan Nixon, who had been shot. Video of the scene showed crime scene tape outside the Essex Food Store.

Store employees told officers that the shooting took place after an altercation with a man who tried to take items from the store, police said. Police Chief Stephen Jenkins said that when Nixon started stealing merchandise Thursday, the store employee opened fire on him.

I just came in, and I heard them shooting, said a man 10 On Your Side spoke with Thursday who asked not to be identified. Thats it. I thought they were firecrackers.

Nixon was taken to a local hospital, where he later died as a result of his injuries.

He tried to rob the store the night before, and he came back the next day to do what he did not do Wednesday night, said a man 10 On Your Side met in the store parking lot Friday. He tried to rob the place.  I dont know if he succeeded, but he tried to rob the place, so when he comes back on Thursday, he gets killed.

Police did not confirm the Wednesday confrontation, but the man who was there Thursday recalled that all those shots, I come out and find the guy was dead. I think it was stupid. Why was he trying to rob a place one night and come back and hit the same spot again? He has got to know he is going down.

10 On Your Side reached out to the store owner, but that person has not called back. However, when the incident took place, people were in the parking lot.

I was here, and I thought, Oh man. It was scary, one person said. My [friend] was walking his kid out here when shots were fired. He was terrified.

Portsmouth Police said its Major Crimes Unit has started a criminal investigation following the shooting. No charges have been filed in the case at this time.

Jenkins said in an update Friday afternoon that it is unfortunate that violence continues to afflict communities nationwide, even during festive occasions like the Fourth of July, and Portsmouth is no exception.

Jenkins also referenced another shooting that took place on Water Street late Thursday, which is also still under investigation. Police have issued an arrest warrant for 47-year-old Randall Bagley in that case.

It is clear the Essex Food Mart takes precautions, as it has caged windows to prevent break-ins.

Its Portsmouth, the person said. It is a bad area, you know what I mean? I mean, what are you going to do?

Anyone with information about the incident can contact the Portsmouth Police Investigations Bureau at 757-393-8536 or call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
The idea that pregnant women in Missouri cant get divorced and therefore cant leave abusive husbands has gone viral.

This is a dangerous misunderstanding of law that is likely to make a pregnant Missourian think there is no use in filing for divorce when she may need to start the process and get a separation agreement, an order of protection, or child support while the divorce is underway.

One news story after another has portrayed Missouri law as uniquely awful. A number have featured the stories of women who sought to file for divorce but were turned away by lawyers who told them to come back when theyre not pregnant.

If a lawyer tells you something to that effect, you have reached a bad lawyer and must find a better one.

What Missouris statute requires is that a petition for divorce state whether a party is pregnant. This is bad for reasons I will explain below. However, it does not mean women are not allowed to file for divorce and it is not unique to Missouri.

For example, the blue and purple states of Illinois, Delaware, Colorado and Michigan have statutes that say the same. The littlest bit of research reveals that the oft-repeated and weirdly specific claim that only three other states (Arkansas, Texas and Arizona) have similar laws is wrong. I found at least ten states with similar statutes, and without doing a comprehensive survey, I cant tell you if that number is closer to 50.

It is true that judges in Missouri and elsewhere dont typically finalize divorces when a party is pregnant. The reason is that, ideally, a divorcing couple with kids will have child support and custody agreements in place when they finalize the divorce. That isnt done before the court has jurisdiction over the baby once it has been born and things are known like paternity and whether the baby has special needs impacting how much child support is necessary.

Another reason to wait to finalize is that a divorce decree will disqualify a pregnant woman from being on her former partners health insurance plan.

But should a party nevertheless wish to finalize a divorce during pregnancy, there isnt actually anything in Missouri law barring a judge from doing so.

Divorces, especially with kids, can indeed take a long time, but this is not a Missouri thing. Some states even have mandatory waiting periods. In California, for example, where the petition form asks if there is a child who is not born, no divorce can be finalized until six months after filing, and lawyers warn it will likely take twice that long.

It is not necessarily bad that a judge will wait to finalize a divorce until a baby is born. And it is definitely not something that should stop a pregnant woman from starting the divorce process, especially if she needs other legal protections. In many jurisdictions, just the filing of the petition triggers automatic orders that are particularly important in situations of financial abuse, prohibiting things such as disposing of assets or dropping a spouse from insurance policies.

It is a problem that Missouri and so many other states require a person to disclose her pregnancy status in order to file for divorce (or, alternatively, to perjure herself). The intent was to make sure that fathers financially support future children of the marriage, but mandatory disclosure is an invasion of privacy. Worse, it is a potential threat to ones safety  pregnancy increases a womans risk of being a victim of homicide significantly.

And mandatory disclosure is particularly dangerous in Missouri given our abortion ban. An abuser can scare a partner or ex with threats of law enforcement involvement should she seek to terminate the pregnancy or if she miscarries, whether those threats are legally realistic or not.

So Missouri legislators should amend our divorce statute to eliminate required disclosure of pregnancy status. As should the blue states that have the same requirement.

A petition for divorce should give one the option to seek support for an anticipated child. If someone really does prefer to come back to court after the divorce is final to seek child support, she should be able to do that. She should not be required to tell her husband and the court that she is pregnant at filing.

But I am not going to hold my breath for our dysfunctional Missouri legislature to fix the statute quickly. I want women to understand now that they are absolutely not legally prevented from leaving their husbands while pregnant, and they may be best served by starting what could be a long and painful process as early as possible.

State Rep. Ashley Aune introduced a bill in the past two legislative sessions that would make it explicit in Missouri law that pregnancy status shall not prevent the court from entering a judgment of dissolution of marriage or legal separation. I asked her if she shares my understanding that nothing in current Missouri law bars a judge from finalizing a divorce when a party is pregnant, which she does. The problem that she is trying to address is what is happening in practice.

To the extent the practice is a problem, it can only get worse if news stories and tweets overstate the issue and lead pregnant women, lawyers and judges to think there is a hard and fast rule when there is not.

Missouri is backward on womens rights in so many ways, but this isnt one of them.

That is not to say that any of this is easy or straightforward. It is difficult to find a lawyer or represent yourself, and exponentially harder if you are low income, trying to take care of kids, or in an abusive marriage. But waiting until a child is born doesnt necessarily make anything simpler and has the potential to make things much worse.

Misinformation can be extremely disempowering. Lets stop telling women there is nothing to be done while pregnant and instead support them in the difficult steps of leaving  both physically and legally.

Bridgette Dunlap is a lawyer and writer living in St. Louis County. This commentary originally appeared in the nonprofit Missouri Independent.
(WHTM)  Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick says members of President Joe Bidens cabinet have a responsibility to consider invoking the 25th amendment to remove the President if they see a decline in his performance behind the scenes similar to his CNN debate performance.

The 25th Amendment to the Constitution lays out a process for replacing and/or removing the president if they are unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Ratified in 1967, the amendment has never been used to remove a President and was introduced to clarify who assumes the Presidency and Vice Presidency should a vacancy occur.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

This Week in Pennsylvania

McCormick addressed the possibility of the 25th Amendment being invoked to remove Biden while in Lancaster on Friday morning meeting veterans for a roundtable.

I dont think any American, listen, I was sad as an American to watch that debate but as a former soldier worrying about our commander in chief, thats the guy in the situation room, said McCormick. I dont know whats happening in the situation room but if the guy that showed up in the debate is the guy whos engaging in questions that affect the lives of our men and women in uniform, then the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of State and others have a responsibility to consider the 25th amendment.

McCormick added, We saw a man on the stage who was truly struggling and that was a sad moment to see our Commander in Chief struggling and I dont wish that on anyone but hes also our Commander in Chief and so, we are at a precarious time in the world. Were getting tested every single day, and so the founders provided for this. The 25th Amendment is essentially the mechanism by which even if the Commander in Chief doesnt understand hes in decline, that the Cabinet can act.

The ratification of the 25th Amendment came less than five years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and was signed by his former Vice President and successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson.

McCormick added Im not saying it should be invoked(Cabinet Secretaries) should be asking themselves very hard questions.

McCormick added that he really believes that this is the most important election of our lifetime

I think that America is only as great as we make it, and it was a great experiment in the overall scope of history. Were in the early days and I think we are deeply struggling with our economic policy, were struggling with our security, the wide open borders, were struggling with crime. These are the issues facing Pennsylvanians and our role in the world is being tested and challenged by adversaries. Iran, China, Russia. And so this is a moment where we need the right leadership in place to sort through these problems and get America back on track.

In his second race for the U.S. Senate, McCormick is facing longtime Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey, who served with Biden when was a Senator from Delaware.

Casey has doubled down on his support for Biden despite some Democrats calling for the President to drop out of the race. The President has insisted hes staying in the race.

They call themselves best friends and certainly Bob Casey has a clear view of President Bidens decline, said McCormick.

Casey is scheduled to campaign with the president this weekend.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  President Joe Biden, fighting to save his endangered reelection effort, used a highly anticipated TV interview to repeatedly reject taking an independent medical evaluation that would show voters he is up for serving another term in office while blaming his disastrous debate performance on a bad episode and saying there were no indications of any serious condition."

Look, I have a cognitive test every single day, Biden told ABCs George Stephanopoulos, referring to the tasks he faces daily in a rigorous job. Every day, I have that test. Everything I do. You know, not only am I campaigning, but Im running the world.

The 81-year-old Biden made it through the 22-minute interview Friday without any major blunders that would inflict further damage to his imperiled candidacy. But it appeared unlikely to fully tamp down concerns about his age and fitness for another four years and his ability to defeat Donald Trump in November.

On Saturday, another Democratic lawmaker joined close to a half dozen in saying Biden should not run again. Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota said that given what she saw and heard in the debate, and Biden's lack of a forceful response afterward, he should step aside and allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward.

Craig posted one of the Democrats' key suburban wins in the 2018 midterms and could be a barometer for districts that were vital for Biden in 2020.

The interview left Biden in a standoff against a not-insignificant faction of his party with four months to go until Election Day, and with just weeks until the Democratic National Convention. The drawn-out spectacle could benefit Bidens efforts to remain in the race by limiting the partys options to replace him. But it also could be a distraction from vital efforts to frame the 2024 race as a referendum on Trump.

During the interview, Biden insisted he was not more frail than earlier in his presidency. He said he undergoes ongoing assessment by his personal doctors and they don't hesitate to tell me if something is wrong.

Can I run the 100 in 10 flat? No. But Im still in good shape, Biden said.

As for the debate, I didnt listen to my instincts in terms of preparing, Biden said.

Biden suggested that Trumps disruptions  from just a few feet away  had flustered him: I realized that, even when I was answering a question and they turned his mic off, he was still shouting and I let it distract me. Im not blaming it on that. But I realized that I just wasnt in control.

At times, Biden rambled during the interview, which ABC said aired in full and without edits. At one point, he started to explain his debate performance, then veered to a New York Times poll, then pivoted to the lies Trump told during the debate. Biden also referred to the midterm red wave as occurring in 2020, rather than 2022.

Asked how he might turn the race around, Biden argued that one key would be large and energetic rallies like the one he held Friday in Wisconsin. When reminded that Trump routinely draws larger crowds, the president laid into his opponent.

Trump is a pathological liar, Biden said, accusing Trump of bungling the federal response to the COVID pandemic and failing to create jobs. You ever see something that Trump did that benefited someone else and not him?

The interview, paired with a weekend campaign in battleground Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, was part of Biden's rigorous effort to course correct from his rocky debate performance. But internal party frustrations continue to fester, with one influential Democratic senator working on a nascent push to encourage the president to exit the race and Democrats quietly chatting about where they would go next if the president drops out  or what it would mean if he stays in.

Its President Bidens decision whether or not he remains in the race. Voters select our nominee and they chose him," said California Rep. Ro Khanna, a member of the Biden campaign's national advisory board that works as a gathering of his top surrogates. "Now, he needs to prove to those voters that he is up to the job and that will require more than just this one interview.

One Democrat who watched said they found Biden to be still shaky under controlled conditions and predicted more will call on him to leave the race.

Still, in Wisconsin, Biden was focused on proving his capacity to serve another term. When asked whether he would halt his campaign, he told reporters he was completely ruling that out and said he is positive he could serve another four years. At a rally in front of hundreds of supporters he acknowledged his subpar debate performance but insisted, I am running, and I'm going to win again.

While private angst among Democratic lawmakers, donors and strategists has been running deep since the debate, most in the party have held public fire as they wait to see if the president can restore confidence with his weekend travel and his handling of the interview. Top Biden campaign officials were texting lawmakers encouraging them to refrain from public comments about the situation and give the president a chance to respond, according to a Democrat granted anonymity to discuss the situation.

To that end, Sen. Mark Warner reached out to fellow senators throughout this week to discuss whether to ask Biden to exit the race, according to three people familiar with the effort who requested anonymity to talk about private conversations. The Virginia Democrats moves are notable given his chairmanship of the Senate Intelligence Committee and his reputation as a lawmaker who is supportive of Biden and has working relationships with colleagues in both parties. Warners effort was first reported by The Washington Post.

The strategy remains fluid. One of the people with knowledge of Warner's effort said there are enough Senate Democrats concerned enough about Biden's capacity to run for reelection to take some sort of action, although there was yet no consensus on what that plan would be. Some of the Democratic senators could meet as soon as Monday on how to move forward.

The top Democrats on House committees are planning to meet virtually Sunday to discuss the situation, according to a person familiar with the gathering granted anonymity to talk about it.

At least five House Democrats have called for Biden to step down as the nominee. While not going that far, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said in a carefully worded statement Friday that Biden now has a decision to make on the best way forward.

I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump, Healey said.

In the interview, Biden was asked how he might be persuaded to leave the race. He laughed and replied, If the Lord Almighty comes down and tells me that, I might do that.

There were also a few signs of discontent at Biden's campaign rally Friday, with one person onstage waving a sign that read Pass the torch Joe as the president came out. His motorcade was also greeted at the middle school by a few people urging him to move on.

But Rebecca Green, a 52-year-old environmental scientist from Madison, said she found Bidens energy reassuring. We were just waiting for him to come out strong and fighting again, the way we know he is."

Many Democratic lawmakers, who are hearing from constituents at home during the holiday week, are deeply frustrated and split on whether Biden should stay or go. Privately, discussions among the House Democrats flared this week as word spread that some of them were drafting public letters suggesting the president should quit the race.

Biden appears to have pulled his family closer while attempting to prove that he's still the Democrats' best option.

The ubiquitous presence of Hunter Biden in the West Wing since the debate has become an uncomfortable dynamic for many staffers, according to two Democrats close to the White House who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

For many staffers, the sight of Hunter Biden, just weeks after his conviction on felony gun charges, taking a larger role in advising his father has been unsettling and a questionable choice, they said.

In a hastily organized gathering with more than 20 Democratic governors Wednesday evening, Biden acknowledged he needs to sleep more and limit evening events so he can be rested for the job. In trying to explain away those comments, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed that Biden works around the clock but that he also recognizes the importance of striking a balance and taking care of himself.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who attended the meeting, said Biden certainly engaged with us on complicated matters.

But then again, this is something that he needs to not just reassure Democratic governors on, but he needs to reassure the American people," Beshear said.

___

Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Todd Richmond in Madison, Joey Cappelletti in Saugatuck, Michigan, Dylan Lovan in Louisville, Kentucky, and Will Weissert, Zeke Miller, Mary Clare Jalonick, Aamer Madhani, Lisa Mascaro and Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.
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.

Cal Fire air tankers and hundreds of personnel have ascended across the state Friday to make further progress in controlling several notable wildfires burning in Northern and Central California, the largest being the Basin Fire in Fresno. Mandatory evacuations were lifted for the Thompson Fire, the largest north of Sacramento, which displaced thousands of Butte County residents earlier in the week.

Crews made progress overnight in containing the Thompson Fire that started Tuesday. The blaze burning in grass and oak woodlands has charred 3,789 acres (nearly 6 square miles) but was 55% contained as of 5:15 p.m. Friday, Cal Fires Butte County unit said  significant progress from Thursdays figure of 7%.

Twenty-five structures of unspecified types have been destroyed by the fire, including one confirmed residence, and three other potential houses. Four firefighters were injured during the initial response Tuesday but no further injuries have been reported.

Sheriffs officials reduced the final remaining evacuation orders to warnings at 5 p.m. Friday, including the Lakeland Boulevard and Oregon Gulch zones, and many warnings were also lifted. Some warnings still in effect, including in the Oregon Gulch area.

Tim Richter, a spokesman for Cal Fire BTU and the Thompson Fires response team, said Thursday during a briefing that areas along Cherokee Road up to Oregon Gulch and Oregon City outside the fires perimeter have been repopulated.

Richter said that crews were working to strengthen the control lines around the fire and getting residents back into their homes. Upwards of 26,000 residents have been evacuated since the blazes began.

Other notable fires burning in California

 The states largest fire, the Basin Fire burning in Fresno County, has blackened 14,027 acres of the Sierra National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service said in an update Friday. The fire, which has been burning since June 26, has moved into inaccessible terrain on the northern perimeter.

The area where flames continue is very steep and Forest Service officials has deployed a team to build a helicopter pad to help aid in firefighters efforts. A rappelling crew was sent to the Dinkey Creek drainage area to create the makeshift pad, which will also resources and personnel to be flown in.

Despite the difficult conditions, crews have kept the fires footprint from growing, Forest Service officials said in a Friday update. The blaze is 46% contained.

The southern and eastern flanks of the fire remain controlled, firefighters said. Both areas are under monitoring by crews and aerial resources, the Forest Service said.

Areas above Pine Flat Reservoir remain under an evacuation order.

 Although calmer winds overnight have helped slow the French Fire in Mariposa County, Cal Fire reported that the 843-acre blaze was only 5% contained. Authorities said crews were shifting their focus to the fires eastern flank, which is nearing the boundaries of Yosemite National Park along Highways 49 and 140 corridors.

Evacuation orders for residents near the French Fire include roads surrounding Highway 140, Slaughterhouse Road and Mariposa Street. A number of evacuation warnings have also been posted by Cal Fire.

 All evacuations have been lifted in the Moccasin Fire that burned 51 acres and was 60% contained in El Dorado County near Somerset, Cal Fires Amador-El Dorado unit reported.

No structure damage or injuries have been reported.

 The Meiss Fire in eastern Sacramento County, south of Rancho Murieta, has been contained at 18 acres. The fire broke out Thursday afternoon and ran through dried grass for more than an hour before Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District and Cal Fire AEU crews were able to control it.

 The Adams Fire, near Clear Lake along Highway 53 in Lake County, was 90% contained after burning 16 acres. A man from Wheatland was arrested in connection with the fires ignition. Investigators said the suspect used a weed trimmer in dangerously dry conditions.

 The Toll Fire, a 41-acre fire in Napa County, was 60% contained Friday morning, and all evacuations had been dropped, Cal Fires Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit said.

How many acres have burned so far?

Cal Fire said since Jan. 1, 3,243 wildfires theyve responded to have scorched 145,112 acres across the state, a major jump from this time last year, when 8,491 acres burned in the state agencys area of responsibility. The five-year average at this point in the year is 33,597 acres.

That means in 2024, wildfires have overtaken 17 times more space than last year, a 332% increase over the five-year average.
SHANGHAI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- As artificial intelligence (AI) is set to reshape the world and usher in an era of remarkable progress and formidable challenges, much thought should be given to the governance of this novel technology.

To ensure AI works for the benefit of all nations, technology tribalism and outdated Cold War mentality must give place to a paradigm of cooperation and openness that fosters global unity and shared prosperity.

Such philosophy is central to China's endeavors for sound AI governance. This week saw the adoption of the United Nations resolution on AI capacity building, spearheaded by China, which advocates broader representation in AI governance and an open, fair, and non-discriminatory business environment.

At the on-going World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai themed "Governing AI for Good and for All," China reaffirmed its dedication to forging an inclusive AI ecosystem, a pledge that has won applause from the international audience, especially those from the Global South.

China and the United States, the two nations at the forefront of AI revolution, convened their first-ever meeting of inter-governmental dialogue on AI in Geneva in May.

Despite their growing consensus in establishing a framework to steer through the complexities of the rapidly evolving digital landscape, the U.S. escalating actions to disrupt the smooth flow of AI investment, technology and talent are hampering much-needed collaborative efforts.

The world faces no dearth of challenges, with climate change and transnational crime among the many that call for a unified international response. The governance of AI has emerged as an area of exceptional urgency, as this transformative yet nascent technology presents a landscape of more unknown risks.

Seeking to establish an exclusive AI alliance to preserve tech dominance is evidently at odds with the very principles that have thus far fueled AI's success, including open source and rapid iterations, and undermines sound governance of AI.

Also, tech hegemony driven by geopolitical motives poses another risk: it is leaving the vast majority of developing countries increasingly behind in an AI era, intensifying disparities that already plague our world.

To avert the specter of such a bleak future, China unveiled the Global AI Governance Initiative in October 2023, underscoring its advocacy for "AI for Good" within the United Nations framework.

Many countries in the Global South are grappling with significant challenges, such as the collection of data, scarcity of resources, and underdeveloped infrastructure, hindering their capacity to fully capitalize on AI's transformative potential and leaving them on the periphery of this technological revolution.

China has been doing lots of work to help developing countries grow AI-related capacity, installing hundreds of thousands of kilometers of fiberoptics and an expansive wireless network in Africa.

At a forum in Xiamen in April, China pledged to help promote the deployment of AI technology across various sectors in Africa, including agriculture, healthcare, education and urban management.

The future of AI is fraught with uncertainties. Harnessing its potential for common good is possible if countries opt for collaboration and inclusivity, which are much desired in today's world. 
The detailed plan to dismantle and reconstruct the government laid out by conservative groups known as the 2025 Presidential Transition Project has critics up in arms over its "apocalyptic" and "authoritarian" nature.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., led an effort to create the more than 900-page "Mandate for Leadership," published in April 2023, reimagining the executive branch and presented a plan to overhaul several federal government agencies, including the FBI, for the country's next conservative president to follow.

Then-U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the Heritage Foundations Presidents Club Meeting in Washington, D.C. on October 17, 2017.

According to the Project's website, the playbook provides a governing agenda and a lineup of people ready to implement it to "rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left." It includes a domestic and foreign policy agenda, a list of personnel, training, and a 180-day playbook.

"It is not enough for conservatives to win elections," Project 2025 said on its website. "With the right conservative policy recommendations and properly vetted and trained personnel to implement them, we will take back our government."

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis delivers a speech at The Heritage Foundation's 50th anniversary Leadership Summit at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland on April 21, 2023.

Project 2025's Director is Paul Dans, who served as the U.S. Office of Personnel Management chief of staff in former President Donald Trump's administration. Although it mentions Trump by name, the handbook does not directly assume the Republican party's presumptive nominee will be the one to carry out its agenda.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

What is in Project 2025?

The mandate attacks several policies that former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden instituted, including student loan forgiveness and Obamacare. It simultaneously calls for expanded executive power for the commander-in-chief while criticizing what Project 2025 members perceive as overreaches by the Biden administration.

"Presidents should not issue mask or vaccine mandates, arbitrarily transfer student loan debt, or issue monarchical mandates of any sort," the plan reads. "Legislatures make the laws in a republic, not executives."

The playbook calls for the reinstatement of a Trump executive order augmenting a president's power to hire and fire federal officials by replacing civil servants with political appointees throughout government.

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during a Turning Point USA event at the Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona on June 6, 2024.

It also seeks to repeal aspects of the Affordable Care Act, urge the Food and Drug Administration to reverse the approval of abortion pills, and further empower Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport undocumented immigrants.

The plan also specifically addresses LGBTQ+ issues and attacks "radical gender ideology." In addition to calling for an end to the Department of Education, it suggests legislation that would forbid educators from using transgender students' names or pronouns without written permission from their guardians. It also appears to oppose same-sex marriage and gay couples adopting children by seeking to "maintain a biblically based, social science-reinforced definition of marriage and family."

More: Trump tried to crush the 'DEI revolution.' Here's how he might finish the job.

Project 2025 generates concern

Project 2025 has received substantial criticism from Democrats, including Representative Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who called out the controversial plan during a congressional hearing last month.

U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, attends a House Oversight Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on February 7, 2023.

"I don't know why or how anybody can support Project 2025," Crockett said. "In the United States of America, dictatorships are never funny, and Project 2025 is giving the playbook for authoritarianism as well as the next dictator to come in."

Progressive Democrat U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts called it a "far-right manifesto" in a post on TikTok. The Biden campaign captioned a video detailing Project 2025, stating it "needs more attention."

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, as @rachelbarber_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Project 2025 led by the Heritage Foundation, explained
When Project 2025 was released, a number of progressives expressed surprise that Donald Trump's army of authoritarian schemers would boldly publish their plan to destroy American government as we know it. The over 900-page document, commissioned by the people expected to run another Trump White House, is a laundry list of the far-right's most politically toxic ideas, from banning abortion nationwide to mass firing federal officials who believe in protecting public health and safety. One would think that Trump and his allies would try to keep their sinister plans out of public view. Instead, Team Trump published their fascistic blueprint on a website for anyone to read,. They even proudly display the menacing "Project 2025" label on the front page.

But really, it's not that surprising. The MAGA right learned years ago the value of hiding their wicked plans in plain sight. Authoritarian thought leader Christopher Rufo is the most prominent example. He frequently speaks loudly of his machinations, such as boldly announcing on Twitter that the right is trying to take away birth control, claiming women should not have "recreational sex." Recently imprisoned Trump ally Steve Bannon gloated openly on his podcast about his schemes. Before going to prison, he bragged to the New York Times, "This is a military headquarters for a populist revolt." Kevin Roberts, whose group Heritage Foundation is helping run Project 2025, recently spoke about how Trump will use violence to force the MAGA agenda on the public.

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

Want more Amanda Marcotte on politics? Subscribe to her newsletter Standing Room Only.

Trump himself regularly employs this strategy, giving speeches where he declares that his goal is "retribution" against political opponents, promises pardons for the January 6 insurrectionists, and characterizes anyone who objects as "vermin" who need to be eliminated. This strategy works because it depends on the fact that most Americans don't pay close attention to politics. They will never learn that Trump and his allies are saying such vile things. So the MAGA goal with this bad guy posturing is twofold: First, get the juices flowing in their base. Second, cause those progressives who are paying attention to panic. Trumpists then paint the people speaking out as a bunch of liberal crazies who are exaggerating the threat of MAGA.

I often liken it to a guy who pinches a woman's butt in a bar, and when she protests, laughs and insists she's just a crazy lady making it all up. We saw this strategy with the Supreme Court's recent presidential "immunity" decision. It's factually correct that it gives Trump a license to kill, but anyone who speaks this fact is accused of "Trump derangement syndrome" and "madness" by Republicans.

The strategy largely works, because less politically engaged Americans assume that "both sides" engage in hyperbole. Low information people are ready to believe the false accusations that liberals are "deranged" when they warn of Trump's plans to be a dictator. Project 2025 seemed to be rolled out with this assumption that "normies" would never hear of it, and that the few who did hear would dismiss the fears as overheated nonsense.

Instead, however, there are promising signs that people who aren't political junkies are starting to hear about Project 2025. Even better, those folks aren't immediately dismissing it as progressive theatrics but may be genuinely alarmed.

On Sunday, actress Taraji P. Henson took a break during the BET Awards, which she was hosting, to speak out about Project 2025. "The Project 2025 plan is not a game. Look it up!" she told viewers. "Im talking to all the mad people that dont want to vote. Youre going to be mad about a lot of things if you dont vote."

 @tarajiphenson: You better show up and show out when its time to vote its about making decisions that will effect us as human beings Project 2025 is not a game. #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/orOTUu05y4  The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) July 1, 2024

The clip went viral, amplified by other celebrities like Mark Ruffalo. So the MAGA forces swung into action on social media, accusing Henson and Ruffalo and other progressives of making it all up. "Is Project 2025 in the room with you?" a blue-checked user sneered under Ruffalo's tweet. These efforts at gaslighting people run against a real problem, however: The drafters of Project 2025 seek to promote their authoritarian playbook. Thus, a simple Google search generates a slew of explainers from various news organizations, with even more coming out rapidly, as a response to the rising number of people asking, "What's Project 2025?"

"We received a flood of reader inquiries asking if Project 2025 was a real effort," the fact-checking team at Snopes wrote in their lengthy explainer published Tuesday. Google Trends confirms that the number of searches for "project 2025" has grown dramatically in recent days.

Henson's speech juiced the search rate, but this data shows interest levels were rising before her speech last Sunday. Earlier this month, John Oliver did a segment about Project 2025 on his HBO show, though the boost of interest from that was modest. His audience tends to be people who are already politically engaged and have heard about the initiative from the news. Perhaps more importantly, President Joe Biden's campaign has started a big media push to raise awareness, starting with a website last week that offers "a taste of Trumps Project 2025" with bullet points like, "Takes Away Reproductive Freedom Nationwide" and "Terminates the Constitution." The campaign projected a QR code around Atlanta Thursday that sends people to the site.

There have also been a few TikTok videos garnering millions of views that break down what Project 2025 is, and what a threat it is to ordinary people.

" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7379725966966394155">

Perhaps one of the most telling signs that this is beginning to backfire on Trump, however, is the way the MAGA forces on social media are starting to freak out. As Democratic activist and researcher Will Stancill pointed out, the MAGA people who pretend to be leftists to sow confusion online are busy at work trying to pretend Project 2025 is, uh, a Biden thing.

Project 2025 was starting to go viral among low-social-trust types, so suddenly there's this crop of memes from sketchy anonymous left-wing accounts about how Project 2025 can't be stopped by voting for Biden



This is pretty obviously foreign interference https://t.co/uRws4mtTXp  Will Stancil (@whstancil) July 1, 2024

Perhaps the right's mistake was giving the initiative the name "Project 2025," which sounds like something out of a dystopian sci-fi novel. Trump's in-house team has the same urge, as they have "Agenda 47," a lighter-weight version of the same fascistic game plan. Trump's campaign likely went with scary-sounding names on purpose, both to thrill their sadistic foot soldiers and to cause liberals to react fearfully. But those monikers also make them memorable enough to break into the consciousness of people who aren't paying close attention. Swing voters and people who aren't sure yet if they're going to vote are starting to hear about this "Project 2025"  and they do not like it.

That's now how this was supposed to work.

Even in early June, polling showed only a quarter of Americans had heard of Project 2025. It was, for a time, working as likely intended: To motivate hardcore MAGA people and alarm partisan Democrats, all without even being noticed by the everyday people who still haven't made a choice of who to vote for or whether to vote.

A recent poll found that 76% of voters said they had heard a little or nothing about Project 2025.



Considering it's is an out-in-the-open scheme to get Trump back in office and steer the US toward far-right autocracy, that's not a good thing.https://t.co/l5jxV75O4q  Mother Jones (@MotherJones) June 14, 2024

There hasn't been new polling data yet, but this spike of interest suggests there's a strong chance that the sands are shifting. If the chatter about Project 2025 continues in both the press and social media, the knowledge of Trump's plans might start to influence the election  and in ways he will not like. Trump cannot win without a large percentage of voters backing him under the false belief he's "not so bad." The more they find out about what he intends to do in office, the more will have second thoughts about risking another Trump term.
Property values soar by nearly 50% on Fort Myers Beach as it rebuilds from Hurricane Ian

Property values have soared by nearly 50% on Fort Myers Beach, a community devastated by Hurricane Ian.

The final tax roll for Lee County shows an even bigger jump than the preliminary one  at 47.99%, up from an estimated 36.37% a month ago.

The final report was submitted to the Florida Department of Revenue on July 1, a month after the preliminary roll was released, as required by state law.

Although the numbers have changed a bit, the sharp contrast between Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island still stands out most.

On Sanibel, the decline in property values has lessened to -8.95% from -10.44%, with more data crunched over the past few weeks. But it's still a drop.

It's a reflection of the recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian, with Fort Myers Beach much farther ahead in its comeback. More properties have changed hands and there's been more new construction in the town, pushing up market and taxable values. The town's just  or market  values rose to more than $5.34 billion in 2024, up from about $3.6 billion last year.

A big part of the increase is new construction, now estimated at more than $660 million. That includes a myriad of damaged properties that have been repaired and returned to the tax rolls, from homes and condos to hotels and restaurants, said Lee County Property Appraiser Matt Caldwell, in an interview last month.

"That's a huge chunk of it," he emphasized.

While values are up sharply from last year, they're still down by nearly $1 billion from where they stood before Ian hit in September 2022. They were at more than $6.26 billion before the devastating storm left the island in shambles, with a storm surge as high as 15 feet.

"These numbers show Fort Myers Beach is well on its way to recovery, but we still have work to do. With the increased property values our staff is working diligently to ensure we do not have to raise the taxes for our residents. Im confident we will be able to succeed in that," said Dan Allers, the town's mayor.

By next year, Caldwell predicts Fort Myers Beach could be back to where it was before Ian from a "tax base perspective." Total taxable value rose by more than 54% from 2023 to 2024, topping $3.97 billion.

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.

While it turned out on in the positive, Sanibel's taxable value increased by only 1% to about $4.66 billion.

Many of the resorts, condos and other rental properties remain closed there, with repairs still needed.

"They still have a long way to go in recovering their resort, rental profile there on Sanibel. Hopefully, by next year," there will be a more positive story to tell, Caldwell said.

Matt Caldwell has already served one term as property appraiser and has thrown his hat in the ring for a second term.

Earlier: Property values soar on Fort Myers Beach as it redevelops in aftermath of Hurricane Ian

How did others fare?

On the whole, Lee County's property values rose by 5.86% from 2023 to 2024, including the unincorporated area and its cities, towns and village.

Taxable values are up by 12.8% countywide.

Market and taxable values increased more than first estimated in the preliminary roll.

Matthew Simmons, a managing partner with Maxwell, Hendry & Simmons, a commercial and residential appraisal and consulting firm in Fort Myers, explained that hike reflects "a lot of Ian-damaged properties selling, and the capped assessment being lifted."

"For properties that have been owned a long time, the 3% homestead and 10% non-homestead cap really adds up over time and results in a taxable value well below the just value," he continued. "Now that many of those properties are changing hands for the first time in years, the assessment resets and that capped benefit goes away."

With taxable values up across the board, the county and other local governments 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.

This year the just value for all property rose to more than $215.96 billion countywide, up from about $204 billion in 2023. That included new construction, estimated at nearly $6 billion.

Here's a look at how market values changed over the year in other areas of the county:

In Fort Myers, they rose 3.77% to more than $20.6 billion.

In Cape Coral, they edged up 1.16% to roughly $46.52 billion.

In Bonita Springs, they increased 7.38% to more than $26.42 billion.

In Estero, they grew 5.08% to about $14.48 billion.

New construction added more than $337.9 million of market value in Fort Myers, $1.7 billion in Cape Coral, $301.5 million in Bonita, and nearly $102.3 million in Estero.

While recovery has been slow on Sanibel, it still gained more than $189.58 million in value from construction.

Every fire district, even on Sanibel, saw their valuations grow. They operate independently, collecting their own share of property taxes, based on assessed values within their borders.

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 in August, with proposed taxes for next year.

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 see them as unfair.

The Florida Department of Revenue must approve the roll before it becomes certified. Annual property tax notices are mailed by Nov. 1 each year.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Taxable values in Lee County rise by nearly 13% countywide
A supporter of the Arkansas Abortion Amendment holds up a sign in an Arkansas Capitol hallway while petitions to put the amendment on the November ballot are delivered in boxes to the Secretary of State on Friday, July 5, 2024. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)

Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment to expand abortion access in Arkansas packed a hallway in the state Capitol Friday afternoon and cheered while movers delivered boxes full of petitions to put the amendment to a statewide vote in November.

The group behind the proposed amendment announced midday Friday it had exceeded the minimum threshold for county and statewide totals needed to qualify for the ballot.

Arkansans for Limited Government delivered over 100,000 signatures from 53 counties, more than the required 90,704 signatures from 50 counties, to the Secretary of States office ahead of Fridays 5 p.m. deadline.

A lot of people across the nation kind of look at the South as a hopeless cause, and I think weve proven that, with this many signatures, we can make change here and we can protect reproductive rights here, said medical student Margaret Woodruff, who wore the words future abortion provider taped to a white lab coat.

Abortion Amendment  Petition Receipt

The measure must await formal certification from the secretary of state and then survive expected legal challenges before being presented to voters in November.

AFLG expressed its gratitude to voters and its belief that healthcare is personal and private in a statement Friday.

Bodily autonomy and the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship are values that transcend party politics, economics, and religion, the statement reads. Healthcare decisions, including decisions about reproductive health, should be made between patients and their healthcare team.

The Arkansas Abortion Amendment would not allow government entities to prohibit, penalize, delay or restrict abortion services within 18 weeks of fertilization. The proposal would also permit abortion services in cases of rape, incest, a fatal fetal anomaly or to protect the pregnant females life or physical health, and it would nullify any of the states existing provisions of the Constitution, statutes and common law that conflict with it.

Abortion has been illegal in Arkansas, except to save the pregnant persons life, since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

The amendments supporters on Friday held signs with slogans such as Trust women, The people rule and Arkansans know best.

The group chanted This is what democracy looks like and I know my body, repeatedly cheering as movers flanked by Capitol police delivered more and more boxes, labeled by county, to the committee room where the Secretary of States office will count and verify signatures.

Alison Guthrie, an activist and canvasser for the amendment, said she was holding back tears during the delivery, especially since roughly 20,000 signatures had been gathered since Monday.

It feels absolutely unreal, she said. It feels a little bit like justice Its just an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Everyone worked so hard, so its motivating and its inspiring, and it makes me feel a lot more hopeful about Arkansas.

Arkansans for Limited Government was about 10,000 signatures shy of the minimum at the start of the week, but made a strong effort to gather last-minute signatures, including on Independence Day when an email claiming to be from the organization caused confusion by stating no more signatures were needed. AFLG quickly alerted supporters that the misleading email was not from them and encouraged people to continue signing petitions.

Supporters of the Arkansas Abortion Amendment have faced a number of challenges throughout the campaign, including a Decline to Sign effort encouraging voters not to sign petitions for the amendment. The effort was led by anti-abortion groups Arkansas Right to Life and the Family Council, the latter of which posted on its website a list of 79 people paid by AFLG to collect signatures.

AFLG called the post attempted intimidation; the Family Council has since removed the list from the post but has kept it publicly available on its political action committee website. Acquiring and publishing the list is legal under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

The Family Council Action Committee announced Friday it would support legal challenges against the abortion amendment if its approved for the November ballot.

Stronger Arkansas, a ballot question committee whose members have close ties to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, also opposed the proposed amendment. Sanders former gubernatorial campaign manager Chris Caldwell leads the group, which proclaimed in a statement that Arkansas will remain the most pro-life state in America in 2024.

Only 5% of registered voters signed the radical abortion-until-birth petition, and we are confident when we hear from the other 95% that Hillary Clinton and her far-left allies from New York and California will be defeated, the statement reads.

Opponents of the amendment at the Capitol on Friday held their own signs that said Decline to sign, Pray to end abortion and Life: the first inalienable right. The two groups rarely interacted throughout the afternoon. Supporters of the measure outnumbered opponents.

Jo Ann Craig, who opposed the amendment, said she was sad to see so much support for it and hoped for a big conversion of everyones hearts.

I honestly thought that people from outside our state had just manipulated our state [because] they wanted to get their signatures, Craig said. If theyre not being tricked and they know exactly what theyre doing, that makes me sad.

A unique challenge to the Arkansas Abortion Amendment has been a lack of national support. While several states have approved citizen-led abortion-rights initiatives over the last two years and more are pursuing similar efforts, Arkansas has been controversial among reproductive justice advocates because it would reinstate an abortion policy more restrictive than under Roe v. Wade. For this reason, major national abortion-rights groups have not been involved in promoting or funding the campaign, Slate reported.

We never counted ourselves out, and I hope weve demonstrated to the world that reproductive liberty is a winning issue even in seemingly unexpected places, AFLG spokesperson Rebecca Bobrow said in a Friday email. Weve been people-powered from beginning to end, and todays success is a hopeful testament to the unrelenting and courageous work of our more than 800 volunteers, who often bore the brunt of the burden from our doubters and detractors.

After overcoming six months of hurdles, AFLG acknowledged its accomplishment Friday, but also the additional work that lies ahead.

We are proud of our fellow Arkansans for rejecting the states extreme abortion ban and taking the first, important step towards protecting pregnant women now and in the future, AFLG said in a statement. We celebrate our accomplishments today, but on Monday we get back to work because womens lives are at stake. The hardest job is ahead of us, and we will not fail.

Woodruff and another medical student, Cat Davis, said the amendments likelihood of being on the November ballot gave them hope, not only for their future careers but for the healthcare landscape of Arkansas and the South. The amendment could help combat Arkansas infant and maternal mortality rates, which data has shown are the highest in the nation, Woodruff said.

Additionally, fewer medical students have sought to practice in states with abortion bans since the reversal of Roe v. Wade, according to a study released in early May by the Association of American Medical Colleges Research and Action Institute.

We need good providers in Arkansas, and I think this [amendment] is a good step towards that, Davis said.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Homelessness

Idaho was part of a 20-state coalition filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the Ninth Circuit decisions preventing law enforcement from ticketing unhoused people for sleeping and being visible when no shelter space is available.

Attorney General Labrador stated, The Supreme Court must rule in favor of local and state governments, enabling us to prevent the unfortunate developments seen in California, Washington, and Oregon from occurring in Idaho. He called on the Supreme Court to return power to state and local governments to address homelessness. It did.

Great! Along with power comes responsibility.

Idahos seniors are its fastest growing homeless sector. Jailing or fining homeless grannies or aunties seems to be Idahos plan. Apparently, our AG, governor and GOP legislators expect you to communicate through the jails Plexiglas with your homeless elders.

Increasing affordable housing decreases homelessness. Its really the only thing that works.

Boise is doing its part. The state of Idaho? Not so much. Idaho tax dollars have never built affordable housing.

Punishing homelessness does not move unhoused people one step closer to being housed. Idaho should invest in proven, cost-beneficial affordable housing solutions that uplift people. Jails wont, and they cost much more.

Gary Hanes, Boise

Fireworks

Why wont Ada County Commissioner Ryan Davidson stand up for what is right and reasonable when it comes to fireworks? A big thank you goes out to Ada County Commissioners Rod Beck and Tom Dayley for signing an ordinance prohibiting fireworks in some unincorporated areas of Ada County. We are free to enjoy fireworks in safer settings.

Our Foothills are especially vulnerable to wildfires this time of year. There is no need to put the land, firefighters, other people and buildings at risk with fireworks being set off in dry, grassy areas. Please use common sense and enjoy fireworks in your driveway with a water hose handy or at a city-sponsored fireworks display. Lets keep Ada County free from fires caused by illegal fireworks.

Phil Coebergh, Boise

Parade

As the country celebrated its independence on July 4, there seems to be quite a bit of controversy revolving around the activities that are usually planned such as parades.

What happens for instance when a parade that celebrates our independence and liberty, is then restricted or organizers get to arbitrarily choose which groups participate?

Even with themes like United We Stand for Boises local parade.

Can we say we are a country founded on liberty, when we restrict the very expression our forebears fought for?

As an example, even though Boises own Fourth of July parade has no restrictions on religious symbols, a group known as Satanic Idaho (a non-theistic religious group) was denied, even after agreeing to the general rules, decorum and fee that was required to apply. We know that religious groups were included last year, yet Satanic Idaho was denied and given no reason.

Do we accept that with a theme like United We Stand and celebrating our country with a proud tradition of religious freedom, plurality and expression, chooses to restrict minority religions in favor of more acceptable abrahamic ones?

I personally never will and will always try to spotlight hypocrisy.

Rowan Astra, Boise

Biden vs. Trump

Dont be too hard on President Biden. Yes, he stumbled on his over-stuffing of facts for the debate when he should have simply said, Mr. Trump didnt answer the question and told about 47 lies just then, and then shut up. But many decent, humble, honest people are flummoxed by the flamboyantly aggressive, unabashed liar. Joe may be showing his age but Ill take an old, wise man over an old, immoral, un-American, wannabe dictator any time. Especially since the Supreme Court says a re-elected Donald Trump would pretty much be left to his own conscience for any (presumptively) official business. Hows it worked out leaving Mr. Trump to his conscience? Not too well, Id say. Id rather have even a senile (but competently staffed) Joe Biden than that.

Jim Runsvold, Caldwell

Ranked choice voting

Isnt voting amazing? Its a problem for about 270,000 unaffiliated Idaho voters in our primary elections. Thats one reason Im excited about the Open Primaries Initiative well vote for on Nov. 5. Well have a more accountable government when every registered voter gets to vote. Join me in voting yes for open primaries and ranked choice voting.

Whats that, you say? Ranked choice voting? Check it out. In 1915, Ashtabula, Ohio, was the first place in the United States to use ranked choice voting. Currently its being used in many cities and states across the U.S. In fact, since 2021, our neighbors in Salt Lake City have used ranked choice voting for its mayor and city council elections. Its really a good thing.

What I like best is having the opportunity to choose my favorite candidate and, if my first choice doesnt win over half the votes, at least my second choice will be considered. With open primaries and ranked choice voting, we are more likely to elect folks who will be accountable.

Kayla Dodson, Boise

Trump

The next Republican administration will deport several million people. Its too bad several Republican senators and congressmen couldnt be on the top of the list for deportation. They do nothing but kowtow to extremist groups, wealthy donors, and follow the most dangerous cult leader since Jim Jones from the Jonestown cult in 1978. Blue collar voters in the midwestern states actually believe that this clownish political party will benefit anyone but the one percent. One of the senators from a few years ago, was going on a fishing trip with anyone who could come up with several thousands of dollars. Former Idaho senator Steve Symms used to say that politics was the second oldest profession. It usually got a laugh at his campaign events. This has become especially true in 2024. This is the trojan horse of 2024. Once the 45th president becomes the 47th president, get ready for the pillaging of the country.

Sidney Asker, Boise
Can you put political campaign signs by the road in Kansas? Here are state and local rules

With election season heating up, you may have noticed political campaign signs going up along roads.

With the Aug. 6 primary election is a little more than a month away, here's what to know about political campaign sign rules.

Campaign signs, like this one off N.W. Topeka Boulevard for Derek Schmidt, are limited in the areas they are allowed to be placed around highways, within Shawnee County and Topeka city limits.

Political campaign sign rules for Kansas highways

The Kansas Department of Transportation said that all political campaign signs and billboards are prohibited in highway rights of way.

"By law, all right of way on state highways is exclusively for public highway purposes," KDOT said in a news release. "Only regulatory, guide signs and warning signs placed by KDOT are allowed on the 9,500-mile state highway system. KDOT has jurisdiction over all interstate, Kansas and U.S. routes."

The agency said that "signs will be removed immediately and without notice" if a KDOT maintenance crew finds them in the right of way of a state highway. Such signs are taken to the closest KDOT office and, if not retrieved, are disposed of after the election.

Political signs can still be placed along highways, just not in the right of way.

"Political campaign advertising is allowed on private property bordering state right of way," KDOT said. "However, people placing or erecting signs on private property must first obtain permission from the property owner."

Political signs, like the one pictured here for Jeff Herrig for Jefferson County sheriff off K-4 highway, are allowed on Kansas highways as long as they aren't on the immediate right of way.

Political campaign sign rules are different for local roads

Unlike KDOT and state highways, local governments are prohibited from banning political signs in rights of way owned by a city or county.

A state law, K.S.A. 25-2711, passed in 2015 states that "no city or county shall regulate or prohibit the placement of or the number of political signs on private property or the unpaved right-of-way for city streets or county roads on private property during the 45-day period prior to any election and the two-day period following any such election."

It is already less than 45 days before the Aug. 6 Election Day, so local governments are in the period where they cannot ban political signs along roads.

However, cities and counties are allowed the regulate the size of signs and establish a set-back distance "so as not to impede sight lines or sight distance for safety reasons."

City of Topeka rules for political campaign signs

In Topeka, the city provides candidates with a document on political signage. It outlines how state law applies and notes that, typically, the right of way extends 15 feet behind the curb or one foot behind public sidewalks in residential areas.

"Utility poles are a good indicator of where the right-of-way ends," the document states.

Signs aren't permitted to be attached to utility poles or traffic signs and signals. They also cannot be within the sight triangle at intersections.

After the third day following an election, signs may not exceed six square feet in residential zoning areas or 32 square feet elsewhere.

When there are violations, the city will send written notice to the candidate, who must remove the sign within three days or else it will be impounded. The owner of the sign has 10 days to get it back but must pay any fines and fees. After 10 days, the sign is disposed of.

Fees are $50 for every day the violation existed after the third day following an election, plus a $30 removal fee per sign.

Shawnee County rules for political campaign signs

For Shawnee County public works, county spokesperson Amanda Monhollon said the state law "means we do not disturb political signs within the 'non-travel way' portions of the ROW during the 47-day 'permitted' period except when sight lines or sight distances are compromised, thereby impacting public safety."

Shawnee County election commission Andrew Howell said sign placement can become an issue for his office on Election Day.

"The Election Office has no role in regulation of sign placement until Election Day when the electioneering statute comes in to play which requires that no signs be closer than 250 feet from the entrance to a polling place," he said.

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: What are the rules on political campaign signs in Kansas and Topeka?
Russian opposition leader Vladimir Vladimirovich Kara-Murza speaks during a press conference before the start of a meeting for the Free Democratic Party (FDP) parliamentary group. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin who is serving a 25-year sentence, was transferred from a prison colony in Siberia to a prison hospital.

The transfer was reported by Kara-Murza's lawyers and wife on Friday. The condition of the 42-year-old, who has been in poor health for some time, is unclear.

Lawyers for the British-Russian citizen said they were denied access to their client, who has been held at the Omsk prison camp.

In February, Russia's best-known opposition figure Alexei Navalny died in a prison camp in the Russian Arctic region. Other political prisoners in Russia also complain of particularly harsh prison conditions that lead to health problems.

Kara-Murza's wife, Yevgeniya, said that her husband was suffering from a chronic illness following two poisoning attacks. In a post on X, she described how the lawyers had been trying in vain to see the opposition activist since Thursday.

Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison in April 2023 on charges of high treason.

He was detained in April 2022 after returning to Russia from abroad amid a growing Kremlin crackdown on civil society.

Citing investigative circles, state media claimed he helped organizations from NATO countries undermine Russia's national security in return for payment.

He was also accused of discrediting the Russian army, which alone can carry a lengthy jail sentence.

Kara-Murza, who is internationally recognised as a political prisoner, has criticized Putin's policies and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine for years.
Experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have pointed out that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is rejecting any negotiation possibilities for a ceasefire and is now openly demanding Ukraine's actual surrender.

Source: ISW

Details: Russian leader Vladimir Putin has rejected any substantial negotiations for a ceasefire, demanding Ukraine's "irreversible" demilitarisation as a precondition, effectively requiring Ukraine to surrender first.

During the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 4 July, Putin dismissed any prospects of ceasefire negotiations.

The Russian ruler often portrays the West as his main negotiating partner to secure concessions on Ukrainian sovereignty but dismissed all intermediary parties and Ukraines Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) as illegitimate or unsuitable for talks.

Putin's demand for Ukraine's demilitarisation as a precondition for a ceasefire highlights his strategy.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes Russia would use a ceasefire to rebuild and expand its military for future aggression against Ukraine.

Putin's stance shows his confidence in achieving victory through continued advances in Ukraine, outlasting Western support and winning a war of attrition.

To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 4 July:

Russian leader Vladimir Putin explicitly rejected Russian participation in any meaningful negotiations on a ceasefire agreement, instead demanding Ukraine's "irreversible" "demilitarisation" as a precondition for any ceasefire agreement. Putin is thus demanding that Ukraine effectively surrender in advance of any ceasefire.

Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers reportedly detained the commander of the Russian 83rd Guards Airborne Assault (VDV) Brigade, Colonel Artyom Gorodilov, on fraud charges on 3 July following reports of the brigade suffering heavy losses in the Kharkiv direction in June 2024.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin supported the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) efforts to expand its presence in Central Asia and will likely use an increased SCO presence as one of its levers to expand Russian influence in the region.

The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced the purchase of $2.2 billion worth of US-produced air defence interceptors and an aid package worth $150 million for Ukraine on 3 July.

Russian forces recently advanced near Kreminna, Avdiivka and Donetsk City.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev claimed on 4 July that around 190,000 Russians signed military service contracts during the first six months of 2024 during a Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) meeting about staffing the Russian military with contract soldiers.

Support UP or become our patron!
People prepare lunch boxes at a restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar, on July 5, 2024. Every day at 11:30 a.m., people line up at a small, simple and giving restaurant in Yangon, for super-cheap and nourishing meals, either for lunch or takeaway. Operated since nine months ago by 32-year-old Tin Maung Kyaw, the meal shop, namely "Very Cheap" in English, has alleviated the struggles of local people in need by offering meals at super cheap prices and donating lunch boxes to those in need. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

YANGON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Every day at 11:30 a.m., people line up at a small, simple and giving restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar, for super-cheap and nourishing meals, either for lunch or takeaway.

Operated since nine months ago by 32-year-old Tin Maung Kyaw, the meal shop, namely "Very Cheap" in English, has alleviated the struggles of local people in need by offering meals at super cheap prices and donating lunch boxes to those in need.

Its customers include construction workers, trishaw pullers, car drivers, deliverymen, office staff, and others.

U Soe, a 71-year-old trishaw puller, visits it daily. "There's no other shop like this in Yangon. The prices are very cheap. I can enjoy meals with the curries I like. Mutton, chicken, fish cake, for just 1,000 kyats (about 0.31 U.S. dollar) per serving," he said.

"The food is delicious, and nowhere else in Yangon offers such meals for this price. I save money by coming here daily," he added.

"In other places, a meal costs at least 2,500 kyats. Here, we even get free bean soup, which would cost at least 800 kyats elsewhere."

Ko Arker, 55, a security guard, said, "I come here every day. It's like a charity shop. Eating here helps me save money to support my large family better."

"This shop is great for people like us. Saving on lunch lets me support my family more," Ko Arker added.

Paing Soe, 41, a deliveryman from Shwepyitha Township, said, "Even though it's not close to my home, I come here whenever I'm in the area delivering parcels. I save about 2,500 kyats per meal."

"I have two children. Saving on lunch lets me support my family and parents better," he explained.

Aung Myint Myat, 39, another trishaw puller, said, "This shop is essential for the poor like us. I come here daily. If I don't, my wife asks me to buy food from here. We save a lot."

"With rising commodity prices, this shop is crucial. I've known about it since it opened. Even wealthy people come here for lunch," he noted.

People not only come for lunch, but also visit for the shop's affordable lunch boxes intended to donate meals.

Daw Aye Aye Khaing, in her 40s, a food donor, said, "I come monthly. The shop is great, especially for the poor. If I want to donate food, I come here."

"Today is my birthday, and I bought lunch boxes for my employees. Since this shop opened, I've made more donations. I'm glad it's here and hope it continues," she added.

According to shop owner Tin Maung Kyaw, the shop prepares 1,000 servings daily for dine-in customers and about 1,500 to 2,000 lunch boxes for takeaway. They offer about 15 types of curries daily, including mutton, chicken, egg, fish cake, prawn, fried potatoes, and vegetables.

"I opened this shop out of empathy for families like ours. I don't run it for profit, and I just want to feed people in need," said Tin Maung Kyaw.

"Giving food to many people is a dream of mine. With our beloved customers, donors, and supporters, I'm motivated to sustain the shop for the long term," he added. 

People line up to get meals at a restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar, on July 5, 2024. Every day at 11:30 a.m., people line up at a small, simple and giving restaurant in Yangon, for super-cheap and nourishing meals, either for lunch or takeaway. Operated since nine months ago by 32-year-old Tin Maung Kyaw, the meal shop, namely "Very Cheap" in English, has alleviated the struggles of local people in need by offering meals at super cheap prices and donating lunch boxes to those in need. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

People have their meals at a restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar, on July 5, 2024. Every day at 11:30 a.m., people line up at a small, simple and giving restaurant in Yangon, for super-cheap and nourishing meals, either for lunch or takeaway. Operated since nine months ago by 32-year-old Tin Maung Kyaw, the meal shop, namely "Very Cheap" in English, has alleviated the struggles of local people in need by offering meals at super cheap prices and donating lunch boxes to those in need. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

People wait to get meals at a restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar, on July 5, 2024. Every day at 11:30 a.m., people line up at a small, simple and giving restaurant in Yangon, for super-cheap and nourishing meals, either for lunch or takeaway. Operated since nine months ago by 32-year-old Tin Maung Kyaw, the meal shop, namely "Very Cheap" in English, has alleviated the struggles of local people in need by offering meals at super cheap prices and donating lunch boxes to those in need. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

People prepare food at a restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar, on July 5, 2024. Every day at 11:30 a.m., people line up at a small, simple and giving restaurant in Yangon, for super-cheap and nourishing meals, either for lunch or takeaway. Operated since nine months ago by 32-year-old Tin Maung Kyaw, the meal shop, namely "Very Cheap" in English, has alleviated the struggles of local people in need by offering meals at super cheap prices and donating lunch boxes to those in need. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

People prepare lunch boxes at a restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar, on July 5, 2024. Every day at 11:30 a.m., people line up at a small, simple and giving restaurant in Yangon, for super-cheap and nourishing meals, either for lunch or takeaway. Operated since nine months ago by 32-year-old Tin Maung Kyaw, the meal shop, namely "Very Cheap" in English, has alleviated the struggles of local people in need by offering meals at super cheap prices and donating lunch boxes to those in need. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

People line up to get meals at a restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar, on July 5, 2024. Every day at 11:30 a.m., people line up at a small, simple and giving restaurant in Yangon, for super-cheap and nourishing meals, either for lunch or takeaway. Operated since nine months ago by 32-year-old Tin Maung Kyaw, the meal shop, namely "Very Cheap" in English, has alleviated the struggles of local people in need by offering meals at super cheap prices and donating lunch boxes to those in need. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)
Putin and Orban at the meeting in Moscow on 5 July. Photo: Orban on Facebook

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin hosted Viktor Orban, Hungarian PM, in the Kremlin on 5 July to conduct negotiations and discuss Ukraine, among other things. He started the meeting by mentioning an ultimatum for Kyiv.

Source: European Pravda

Details: Putin claimed that he and Orban would have an opportunity to discuss "all aspects" of the situation in Ukraine. He stressed that Orban arrived in Moscow first and foremost as the leader of the country that presides in the EU Council.

"You must have heard my recent address to the leadership of Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow. It outlined our position concerning a possible peaceful settlement of the conflict there. And of course I am ready to discuss all aspects [of the conflict] with you", said Putin.

On 14 June, at a meeting with the leadership of Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Putin presented his "conditions for the start of peaceful negotiations" with Ukraine. His ultimatum is that the Ukrainian forces must withdraw from the territory of the four oblasts of Ukraine which are partially occupied by Russia, and that Kyiv must declare that it has no plans to join NATO.

Orban thanked Putin for the meeting, noting that this was their 11th meeting over the last decade. However, he stated that this meeting was "special" since it coincides with Hungarys presidency in the EU Council.

"The number of countries that can negotiate with both countries [Russia and Ukraine] is decreasing rapidly. It looks as though Hungary will soon become the only country in Europe that can talk to everyone. [...] I would like to know your position regarding a range of issues important for Europe", said Orban.

Background:

Bertalan Havasi, the press chief for Orban's office, stated that Orban arrived in Moscow as part of his "peace-making mission" and will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He visited Russia just a few days after visiting Kyiv on 2 July.

EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell said that Orban's visit to Moscow is not part of Hungary's presidency of the EU Council, and it will therefore be considered solely within the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia.

Orban did not inform the European Commission about his plans to visit Moscow and did not coordinate his actions with it.

Orban himself claimed that he had no mandate to hold the negotiations about peace between Ukraine and Russia.

Support UP or become our patron!
There are 'questions' about some ministers, government changes not ruled out, MP says

"There are questions" regarding the work of some ministers, and the question of their dismissal may arise in the near future, Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the parliament's national security committee, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on July 5.

This concerns those who have performed poorly in the areas in which the parliament takes interest, the senior lawmaker of President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party said, refusing to say which specific ministers are being discussed within the party.

Ukraine's military and political leadership saw several major reshuffles in recent months. May saw the dismissal of Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov and Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi, with the latter being suspected of corruption.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this year that more government reshuffles can be expected in the near future.

Venislavskyi said that a replacement for Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is not being discussed at the national security committee. Umerov was appointed in September 2023 after a series of procurement scandals led to the dismissal of his predecessor, Oleksii Reznikov.

Zelensky is allegedly considering the dismissal of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Ukrainska Pravda reported on July 3, citing sources in the presidential team. The claims could not be independently verified.

According to Venislavskyi, Shmyhal's resignation would automatically mean the resignation of the entire ministerial cabinet, which is impossible during martial law.

Opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak disputed this statement, saying that the prime minister's resignation does not automatically mean the government's resignation. He also pointed out that other key senior posts were changed during the full-scale war.

"Pay no attention to the claim that it is impossible to change the government. It has nothing to do with reality," Zhelezniak wrote on his Telegram channel.

Read also: Infrastructure Development head Nayyem resigns after being blocked from attending German reconstruction conference

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Questions swirl around Biden as he prepares for NATO summit

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  Washington D.C., is preparing to host a meeting of world leaders.

Next week the NATO summit will bring together international allies as questions continue at home about President Bidens ability to serve another term.

NATO was founded after World War II as a way for allies to protect each other.

Now 75 years later, world leaders will be talking about that same mission

Mayor Muriel Bowser says the city has stepped up security for the summit.

To make sure that this week, is a safe and smooth experience, said Bowser.

Meanwhile international allies will be talking about security on the world stage.

More support to Ukraine will be our most urgent task, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the 32 allies across Europe and North America will discuss how to support Ukraine from Russias invasion.

We must give Ukraine the predictability and accountability it needs to defend itself, said Stoltenberg.

Ukraine is not currently part of NATO.

Two-thirds of allies now spend 2% of their GDP on their own national defense.

Thats a huge development over the last 10 years, said Julianne Smith U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO.

The White House says President Biden looks forward to hosting the event. Hell also hold a news conference at the summit as many raise questions about his fitness for another four years.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
This photo provided by Doug Zink, smoke fills the sky after a train derailment on Friday, July 5, 2024 near Carrington, N.D. Rail cars containing hazardous material derailed and burst into flames early Friday in a remote area of North Dakota, but emergency officials say no one was hurt and the threat to those living nearby appears to be minimal. (Doug Zink via AP)

Rail cars carrying hazardous material that derailed early Friday were still burning more than 12 hours later in a remote area of North Dakota, but officials said no one was hurt and the threat to those living nearby appeared to be minimal.

Twenty-nine cars of a CPKC train derailed around 3:45 a.m. in a marshy area surrounded by farmland that's about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of Fargo, said Andrew Kirking, emergency management director for Foster County.

By late afternoon Friday, responders were able to go on the offensive in fighting the flames and have had some success knocking the fire down, Kirking said. With water on both sides of the tracks, officials were still working to get equipment close enough.

The cars were carrying anhydrous ammonia, sulfur and methanol, said Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager for the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. The ammonia was the biggest risk, but wind was carrying the smoke away from the nearby town of Bordulac, which has about 20 residents.

Wind has been in our favor on this, Suess said. "That risk has greatly subsided. Still there  as long as fires are burning.

Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in the air can cause burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract, and can result in blindness, lung damage or death, health officials say. Exposure to lower amounts can result in coughing and irritation of the nose and throat.

For now, officials do not plan to evacuate nearby residents, but that could change if the wind shifts, Suess said.

Kirking said the cause of the derailment wasn't known. The engineer and conductor got away safely, he said.

Kirking said it appeared that 10 to 15 of the rail cars caught fire. Video posted on the social platform X showed the blaze burning intensely. It was still burning as of midday Friday. A railroad fire crew was on the scene.

CPKC said in a statement that it has initiated its emergency response plan and launched a comprehensive, coordinated response.

The railroad was the result of a merger last year of Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern.
NEW JERSEY (PIX11)  Children at some Jersey Shore beaches have recently gotten skin rashes after swimming in the water.

Last week, the Borough of Highlands in Monmouth County posted a warning about sea lice.

More Local News

There have been reports of bites at multiple beaches song Sandy Hook Bay as well.

Paul Bologna, a professor of biology at Montclair State University, joined PIX11 News to discuss sea lice.

Watch the video player for more on this story.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
A vigil Thursday evening in Monument Park in Canton drew more than 100 people to remember Raychel Sheridan, 24. The Plain Township woman went missing and city workers found her body in nearby Mother Gooseland Park on Wednesday morning. Her death is being investigated as a homicide with charges pending against her boyfriend.

CANTON  More than 100 people attended a candlelight vigil in Monument Park Thursday evening to honor the life of Raychel Sheridan amid the crackle of Fourth of July fireworks.

Thursday night's gathering came a day after city workers found her body in a nearby park.

Many of those on hand knew Sheridan, 24, of Plain Township, from their years at GlenOak High School. Sheridan graduated from GlenOak in 2018. Some who came didn't personally know her but had friends who knew her or they were saddened by news of her tragic death.

Related: Body of missing woman Raychel Sheridan found; boyfriend Sean Goe taken into custody

The vigil was held steps from a parking lot by Stadium Park Drive NW with the McKinley National Memorial in the background. Vigil organizers put up a poster with pictures of Sheridan that read, "Raychel Mary Sheridan. April 8, 2000. Forever 24." Flowers and candles surrounded the poster. People attending shared their thoughts and messages on two other posters.

Friends of Raychel Sheridan, 24, gathered for a vigil in her memory Thursday evening in Monument Park in Canton. Investigators believe she was killed in her Plain Township apartment.

"I hope you're dancing in a field of sunflowers," said one message. "Rest in peace, beautiful girl."

Another friend wrote, "Rest easy Sunshine. Thank you for being a light in the dark for so many people in this world and standing up for the ones you loved deeply. You'll be forever missed angel."

One of the vigil organizers, Jossie Blanc, said, "If anyone knows Raychel, this is what she would want."

Sheridan's live-in boyfriend Sean Goe, whom the Stark County Sheriff's office called "a suspect in connection with an ongoing homicide investigation," was arraigned Friday morning in Canton Municipal Court. He has been charged with felony burglary and grand theft of a firearm and the misdemeanors of domestic violence and criminal damaging.

Prosecutors have not yet filed any homicide charges related to Sheridan's death.

Friends and family mourn Raychel Sheridan

Celina Lindsay, a GlenOak classmate of Sheridan, said the vigil was the type of event that Sheridan would have wanted.

"She didn't want people to be sad," Lindsay said. "She wanted there to be a celebration for her."

Celina Lindsay, 24, of New Franklin, right, hugs a friend during the vigil Thursday evening in Monument Park for Raychel Sheridan. "She didn't want people to be sad," Lindsay said. "She wanted there to be a celebration for her."

Jennifer Nelson, 25, of Plain Township who graduated from GlenOak a year before Sheridan did, said she and Sheridan often ate lunch at the same table in the school cafeteria.

"Whenever, I was having a bad day, she would cheer me up," said Nelson, who called Sheridan a "ray of sunshine" and a "very down-to-earth girl."

About the vigil, Nelson said, "It's such a beautiful tribute to what she is as a person. It just really encapsulates her personality. Shows what she is as a person. It's a great turnout. A lot of people here. A lot of people came. People want justice for her."

Jennifer Nelson, 25, of Plain Township looks at pictures of Raychel Sheridan during a vigil in her memory in Monument Park. "Whenever, I was having a bad day, she would cheer me up," said Nelson, who called Sheridan a "ray of sunshine" and a "very down-to-earth girl."

"She's one of the people that everyone gravitated towards," said Abi Yacko of Canton.

Jennifer Yarnell, Sheridan's friend, neighbor and former co-worker, who attended the vigil wrote before in a text message that Sheridan was a "bubbly ball of energy. She lit up any place she went. My upstairs neighbor told me that she was looking for a cup of browns sugar and knocked on everyone's door and Raychel was the only one who answered."

Myia Pastor, a friend of Sheridan's family, said Sheridan "was kind and loving. She loved everybody. She was a beautiful soul."

Pastor's husband, Larry Pastor said, "I appreciate everyone who came out here. The support is awesome."

Myia Pastor, left, and her husband Larry Pastor, who are close friends of Raychel Sheridan's family, hold candles in her memory at a vigil Thursday evening in Monument Park in Canton.

Holly Clapsaddle of Canton, brought a framed picture of Sheridan and a synthetic sunflower that Sheridan, who loved sunflowers, had given to her last year. Clapsaddle helped hold up a cloth lantern that said, "In memory of Raychel. In memory of those who have left us, may this light rise to the heavens to shine with you through all eternity."

Clapsaddle said, "She meant a lot to all of us. ... Girl, lift to the sky."

Holly Clapsaddle of Canton, right, holds up a cloth lantern in Sheridan's memory Thursday evening in Monument Park in Canton before she and two others released it into the sky.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com.

X formerly Twitter: @rwangREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Friends and family members of Raychel Sheridan hold vigil
Records suggest state is so far losing its casino fight with Sanborn

The state suspended former state Sen. Andy Sanborns gaming license and ordered him to sell his Concord Casino to a buyer approved by the New Hampshire Lottery Commission. The sale deadline has been extended to Sept. 30. (Annmarie Timmins | New Hampshire Bulletin)

Newly obtained legal documents in the attorney generals year-old pandemic fraud case against casino owner Andy Sanborn reveal for the first time what the parties have declined to say publicly for months.

The documents, obtained by the Bulletin via a right-to-know request, show that both legal teams distrust the other. Sanborn believes the state agency requiring him to sell his casino is also intentionally scaring away buyers. And Sanborns legal team has continued to outmaneuver the Attorney Generals Office.

Sanborns most recent victory came Wednesday.

Over vehement objections and skepticism from the Attorney Generals Office, Sanborns lawyers secured their client three more months to sell his casino after convincing a state administrative law judge that a deal is pending. His June deadline is now Sept. 30.

That buyer, who isnt named in the order obtained by the Bulletin, has said they intend to use Sanborns existing Concord Casino on Main Street temporarily while developing a permanent location elsewhere in the city.

If Sanborn can sell by Sept. 30, his casino retains access to its greatest asset: one of the states limited and coveted historic horse racing licenses. If he doesnt, that license is revoked for two years, rendering the casino effectively worthless because historic horse racing is where casinos in New Hampshire make their money.

In granting the extension, the administrative law judge on the case, Gregory Albert, rejected the attorney generals main argument: that Sanborn claimed a deal was pending when it wasnt to defer punishment.

Not-so-public information

The Bulletins right-to-know request to the New Hampshire Lottery Commission produced more than 300 pages of documents. They show, among other things, that the state has made public information in this case harder to get since laying out its fraud allegations against Sanborn 11 months ago.

The documents included transcripts of two hearings held in June that were open to the public but virtually impossible to attend because Lottery stopped publishing hearing notices on its website.

When asked why it ceased doing so, a Lottery official told the Bulletin the office had been advised by state officials that the right-to-know law does not require them to publish hearing dates. The law doesnt prohibit it either.

After the Bulletin filed a motion Wednesday afternoon to get notice of future hearings, the Attorney Generals Office told a reporter it was unaware shed been denied access to that information and would not object to her request. The office then filed its own motion asking that the Lottery be required to resume posting hearing notices.

There are other indications, too.

During a June 26 hearing in the licensing case, Zachary Hafer, one of Sanborns attorneys, asked the Attorney Generals Office to be more forthcoming in updates given how public the office was in laying its fraud allegations against Sanborn.

Specifically, Hafer wanted the office to tell the media in June that Sanborn had been given a preliminary three-week extension. At that point, the state declined to disclose that Sanborn had requested the extension.

Assistant Attorney General Mark DellOrfano, who records show voiced objections to that extension but failed to file a written objection, pushed back.

So, you know, I dont  were not looking to make any press around this either today or three months from now, DellOrfano said, according to the transcript. If the press decides to run something, if they decide to ask us for comment, that doesnt mean were going to comment on it.

Michael Garrity, spokesperson for the Attorney Generals Office, declined to comment Wednesday and referred the Bulletin to the documents.

Heres what else the documents do  and dont  tell us.

The records reveal nothing about the states criminal fraud investigation into Sanborn, his wife, Rep. Laurie Sanborn, and his gaming company Win Win Win.

Nearly a year ago, John Formella alleged the Sanborns had misled federal officials to obtain nearly $844,000 in pandemic aid for Win Win Win and then spent the money on three race cars and other personal expenses.

The state has not brought charges but Formella cited those allegations in August as grounds to revoke Sanborns gaming license indefinitely, an outcome Sanborn desperately wants to avoid.

The records also do not indicate whether New Hampshires U.S. Attorneys Office is investigating the Sanborns or Win Win Win. Formella said in August he had referred the case there, but a spokesperson in that office declined to comment.

Sanborn has denied the allegations.

And for now, as his attorneys await news on the criminal case, they have successfully preserved his gaming license through litigation. They sued the Lottery Commission; managed to shift Sanborns burden of proof to the state; struck a deal to sell the casino rather than de-license it; and got two extensions to close that deal.

States extraordinarily rare approach

Sanborn, a former state senator, alleges the Attorney Generals Office is taking steps to imperil that sale.

Hafer and his legal partner Adam Katz, of the Boston-based Cooley law firm, say Formella had dual intentions in telling the public in August that the Sanborns and Win Win Win were under investigation. In a June 26 hearing, Hafer called Formellas announcement  absent criminal charges  extraordinarily rare and unfair.

If Sanborns company is convicted of state or federal crimes, Lottery rules prohibit it from holding a gaming license for five to 10 years, depending on whether its a misdemeanor- or felony-level conviction.

That risk is so significant, casino experts told the Bulletin in February, that Sanborn would have had a bidding war on his hands if not for the possibility of a criminal conviction.

Sanborns lawyers have alleged that Formellas announcement was intended to stoke those fears and scare off buyers.

No buyer is going to be interested in (buying) if they think that the state (attorney general) is waiting around the corner with an indictment, Katz said during a June 26 hearing.

In fact, in a filing Monday, the Attorney Generals Office noted that at least one potential buyer did cite the criminal case as one reason for backing away.

Hafer reiterated that in an email Friday.

It is settled practice for prosecutors to decline to comment on ongoing criminal investigations. That practice protects the subjects of investigations from suffering reputational or other harms based on allegations that may well turn out to be unsupported by any evidence, Hafer wrote. Attorney General Formellas decision to issue a press release 11 months ago publicly announcing a newly opened criminal investigation  that is, before that investigation even started  was highly unusual. Particularly given the reference in the press release to matters of federal law outside the states expertise and jurisdiction.

Katz and Hafer have asked the Attorney Generals Office for written assurance that a new buyer would not be penalized if Win Win Win is convicted under another owners watch.

 We dont think its a big ask, Hafer said. Were not asking for any consideration whatsoever with respect to Mr. Sanborn or even Win Win Win prior to any acquisition.

At that hearing, Albert, the administrative law judge, indicated he agreed.

I would, I think, initially agree with Attorney Hafers position, Albert said. It would seem like a fundamental violation of due process to penalize the successor (buyer) for the predecessors alleged acts.

DellOrfano, of the Attorney Generals Office, indicated he understood Sanborns concern and request but could not provide written reassurance because he is not privy to the offices criminal investigation.

The Attorney Generals Office declined to comment Wednesday on allegations they are covertly trying to imperil a sale and referred the Bulletin to the documents.

In one filing, the office said it refuted allegations it was acting in bad faith.

The overwhelming evidence is to the contrary, it said. The (Lottery) and Department of Justice have acted in all ways to resolve the extraordinary relief requested by (Sanborn)  and (he) simply ignores this evidence and weaves a narrative that is not supported in fact.

Hafer said Friday that the Attorney Generals Office had not yet responded to their request.

New buyer prepared to move quickly

Sanborns attorneys have declined to answer the Bulletins questions about potential buyers. According to documents filed Monday by the Attorney Generals Office, Sanborn claimed to have over fifty suitors.

The state has consistently questioned whether any of them were negotiating a sale with Sanborn.

On Monday, Senior Assistant Attorney General Jessica King wrote in a filing that Sanborn has not produced current tangible evidence of activities establishing that its sale is pending or that, if granted a three-month extension, a sale would close before the expiration of the three-month extension period.

Two days later, Albert, the hearing officer, issued an order saying he had seen the evidence of a pending sale he needed to give Sanborn more time. The terms of that pending sale are filed under seal. But Albert provided some information in his order.

The buyer, whom Lottery officials met in June, has a non-binding proposal to purchase (Win Win Win) which (Win Win Win) has verbally accepted, as represented by (Sanborns lawyers), Albert wrote.

The buyer, who appears to operate casinos in other states, would self-finance the purchase, Albert wrote. His order did not reveal the sale price or give a timeline for a sale.

The potential buyer, according to Alberts order, explained they are prepared to move quickly (five business days or less) on a markup of the purchase agreement once (they) are selected as the purchaser on an exclusive basis.

A buyer would still need to clear a suitability review by the state, which includes an in-depth look at finances and business operations as well as a criminal background check.
Richard Tice says he has been "sneered at and mocked" for believing in his party - Andrew Fox

Richard Tice has overturned a huge Conservative majority to become the Reform UK MP for Boston and Skegness.

The Reform leader said three years ago he had been sneered at and mocked for believing his party could become a political force to be reckoned with.

The 59-year-old former businessman and MEP secured 15,520 votes  2,010 more than Matt Warman, the Conservative candidate. It is the first time the constituency created in 1997 has ever had an MP who is not a Conservative.

Mr Tices victory was greeted with a raucous round of applause, as one disgruntled Tory voter shouted: Bring back Boris.

Shortly after the result at 4am Mr Tice said: What we have achieved from just three years ago as Reform UK: no one had heard of us, we were zero per cent in the polls, we had no money in the bank account, and I was sneered at and mocked by so many.

Just three years later, across the whole of England, Scotland and Wales millions and millions of people have voted today for Reform UK.

We are winning seats. We are coming second all over the country. Its truly remarkable.

Mr Tice, who was accompanied to the count by his journalist partner, Isabel Oakeshott, said the establishment is not very keen on Reform UK doing very well claiming his party was put under intense scrutiny.

The truth is what is going on is, as Nigel [Farage] called it, a peoples revolt is under way, he said.

I think this is just the beginning. We are just warming up. This great country of ours can do so much better.

We intend to be a major part of that journey.

Matt Warman, 42, had represented the constituency as its Conservative MP since May 2015. He retained the seat in 2017 with an increased majority of 16,572 and then won it again in 2019 with a majority of 25,621.

Mr Tices decision to compete for the former Tory safe seat in an area nicknamed the UKs Brexit capital proved a politically astute move.

At the 2019 General Election, the Brexit Party chose not to stand against the Conservative Mr Warman, helping him to secure his majority. It is believed Mr Tice attracted those Brexiteers who were disgruntled with the Torys failure to properly tackle immigration.

Mr Tice, a former leader of Reform  a party born out of the Brexit party  fought a concerted campaign playing to an electorate that has remained fiercely proud of its Brexit stance.

Boston was identified as the most Eurosceptic town after 75pc of voters chose to leave the European Union in the 2016 Brexit vote.

A year earlier the UK Independence Party (UKIP) beat Labour to second place in Boston and Skegness.

Last year a poll found Boston and Skegness was the only constituency to have no regrets about leaving the EU.

From about 2004 Eastern European workers had flocked to rural south Lincolnshire to work in the agriculture and food industries.

The county is sometimes referred to as the UKs breadbasket, due to the amount of food produced in the county. About 30pc of the nations vegetables are grown in Lincolnshire and a fifth of the countrys poultry is produced there.

The 2011 census found Boston had the highest population of Eastern European residents of anywhere in Britain. However after Brexit some of Lincolnshires major farms complained they had struggled to recruit workers as many had returned to their home countries.

Before entering politics Mr Warman worked for The Daily Telegraph from 1999 until 2015, focusing on technology. He wished his successor all the best as MP in his concession speech.

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.
SHANGHAI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese carmaker SAIC Motor said Friday it will defend its rights in accordance with the law and formally call on the European Commission to hold a hearing on interim anti-subsidy tariff measures against Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers.

The announcement came after the European Commission imposed additional tariffs of up to 37.6 percent on Chinese EV makers on Thursday. Compared to the rates pre-disclosed on June 12, several individual duties have been modified slightly lower based on comments submitted by interested parties on the accuracy of the calculations, according to a statement from the commission. It said that a final decision must be taken on definitive duties within four months through a vote by EU member states.

SAIC Motor responded by stating that it will effectively safeguard its "own legitimate rights and interests as well as the interests of its global customers."

It noted that, the European Commission had intruded upon commercially sensitive information during its anti-subsidy investigations, such as obliging the company to provide battery-related chemical formulations, which are beyond the scope of regular investigations.

Furthermore, the European Commission committed mistakes when calculating the subsidies. For instance, it has incorporated subsidies offered to domestic EV buyers when calculating subsidies for cars sold in the EU.

During the course of the investigation, the European Commission ignored some of the facts and arguments submitted by SAIC Motor. Rather, the commission has made adverse presumptions, citing the so-called non-cooperation with the investigation under Article 28 of the basic countervailing regulations.

Also, according to the automaker, the group has invested nearly 150 billion yuan (about 21.04 billion U.S. dollars) in research and development of core technologies over the past decade resulting in over 26,000 active patents, which helps explain SAIC Motor's brisk sales across Europe.

SAIC Motor voiced opposition to the practices of "artificially setting up trade barriers for EVs" and called for a level playing field. Only through open dialogues and cooperation will China and the EU achieve faster synergy in innovation and contribute to the global low-carbon economy, the automaker said.

China's Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday that China hopes the EU will work with it and show sincerity in advancing talks on the EU's anti-subsidy probe into Chinese EVs. It also called for rationality and pragmatism as talks continue. 
Parking fees aren't the only costs going up in Rehoboth Beach this year after city commissioners spent $800,000 to attract a new city manager, on top of his salary.

The commissioners adopted a $38 million budget in March with the intention of raising numerous fees to cover a $4.4 million shortfall. After increases to parking rates, the rental tax rate and wastewater fees were approved earlier this year, the Board of Commissioners in June voted to raise property taxes and discussed plans to raise mercantile fees.

While the parking fee increase has led many a keyboard warrior to share their ire on social media, it doesn't appear to be driving people away from Rehoboth. City Manager Taylour Tedder said parking revenue for April and May trended above what was anticipated.

Tedder's contract, however, is part of the reason Rehoboth is facing a budget shortfall.

From left: Rehoboth Beach Assistant City Manager Evan Miller, Mayor Stan Mills and City Manager Taylour Tedder, at Tedder's first official city meeting May 17, 2024.

When he started as city manager May 15, he became Delaware's highest-paid municipal or county employee, according to data tracked by Delaware Online/The News Journal. His contract includes a $250,000 base salary, a $50,000 allowance for moving expenses and a forgivable $750,000 housing loan.

Tedder's 'groundbreaking' deal and the aftermath

Tedder's contract put Rehoboth in the spotlight nationwide and was discussed on Joseph Turner's podcast, "City Manager Unfiltered," in an episode called "Deconstructing Taylour Tedder's Groundbreaking Contract."

Literally my jaw hit the floor when I read it, Turner said, Because Ive never seen anything like it.

News of the contract terms drew the anger of residents, too, in the form of op-eds and comments at commissioners' meetings. At an April meeting, one person held up a sign that said, "What were you thinking!!"

Suzanne Goode, a Rehoboth resident and a candidate in the August Board of Commissioners election, said at the June 21 commissioners' meeting she was "struck by" the amount of money the property tax increase will raise: about $592,000.

Rehoboth Beach city manager Taylour Tedder begain his job May 15, 2024. His compensation plan, which includes at $250,000 salary and a $750,000 forgiveable housing loan, has been criticized by some residents.

"That's almost the amount of the check which had to be cut by the city (in May) ... for Mr. Tedder's house," she said. "Essentially, our property tax hike ... is gonna cover that."

On June 26, Deputy Attorney General Dorey Cole issued an opinion finding the Rehoboth Beach commissioners violated the Freedom of Information Act in discussing the terms of Tedder's contract in private sessions, among other things.

In response, the commissioners will hold a special meeting at 2 p.m. on Monday, July 8, to consider ratification of the contract and allow for public comment.

"To be clear, the City of Rehoboth Beach Board of Commissioners always believed that it was following Freedom of Information Act requirements and that discussion of the city managers employment agreement in executive session was permissible. We are disappointed with the attorney generals determination," Rehoboth Beach Mayor Stan Mills said in a statement.

More: See inside new Rehoboth Beach boardwalk restaurant Baja Bob's

"That said, the Board of Commissioners supports the attorney generals commitment to openness and transparency in government. Transparency in government is important, and the states Freedom of Information Act is our guide. To have been found in violation of FOIA laws signals a failure in the citys transparency and is an injustice to our citizens. We are committed to adhering to FOIA principles. We can and will do better."

Tedder's employment agreement has been posted in the July 8 meeting agenda.

The real estate tax rate increase

The commissioners voted at a June 21 meeting to raise the real estate tax rate for fiscal year 2025 from 6 cents to $0.0775 per $100 of assessed value, an increase of $0.0175.

While Goode and her husband made comments at the meeting opposing the increase, the one email comment received by the commissioners was in favor of it and Commissioner Patrick Gossett said he had many people approach him in support of it.

Rehoboth Beach Mayor Stan Mills.

Resident Richard Perry also spoke in support of the property tax increase at the meeting.

"One of my properties is valued at over $3.5 million and I'm paying something like $800 a year," Perry said. "That's absurd. I think the property owners in town need to recognize that expenses are constantly going up."

Property tax rates vary greatly across municipalities in Delaware. Lewes's property tax rate is 57 cents per $100 of 50% of the assessed value; Georgetown's is $3.49 per $100 of assessed value; Dewey Beach has no property tax; Dover's is $0.455 per $100.00 of assessed fair market value; and Wilmington's property tax rate is $2.145 per $100 of assessed value.

Proposed mercantile fee increases

At a June 10 Board of Commissioners meeting, City Community Development Director Mary Ellen Gray presented a revised fee schedule for the board's consideration.

More: Sexual assault occurs on beach in Rehoboth, police release few details

She said she and staff considered when a fee was last increased, the consumer price index and the rates of other jurisdictions when making the changes, but several commissioners expressed that the fees seemed arbitrary.

Not all fees were increased, and the ones that were increased didn't always have data to support the decision. Some fees seemed altogether unnecessary, the commissioners said. In addition, the fees are scattered throughout the code; there is no "fee schedule."

"This is the time to do some housecleaning here," Commissioner Patrick Gossett said. "I appreciate pulling this all together but I think it's a deeper dive and maybe a very large consolidation ... and the cleaning up of the code."

The discussion was "the first of many" related to raising mercantile fees, Assistant City Manager Evan Miller said.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Rehoboth Beach raises property taxes, plans to raise other fees
Remembering two Missouri servicemen who hold some of the highest military rankings

Remembering two Missouri servicemen who hold some of the highest military rankings

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.  As we celebrate Americas birthday, we honor the men and women who have served our country, including two Missourians who hold some of the highest military rankings in the country.

Generals John J. Pershing and Omar Bradley, both born in the Show Me State in the 1800s, are known as heroes for their careers in the military. Their leadership not only shaped world history, but both played crucial roles in World War I and World War II.

Remaining the highest-ranking military people probably in the history of our country, come from Missouri and thats not something to be taken lightly and we should all be proud of that, Gov. Mike Parson said.

Honoring two Missourians who are military heroes. The two busts standing outside the governors office as others honored their legacy of achieving the highest military honors. The two men were previously induced into the Hall of Famous Missourians, their busts being placed outside the Missouri House of Representatives.

General of the Armies of the United States John J. Pershing and Five-Star General Omar Bradley, underscoring their immense contributions to the nations military history, Deputy Adjutant General for the Missouri National Guard Brigadier General Bob Payne said.

Born in Laclede, Missouri, in 1860, General Pershing became known for the critical role he played during World War I.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

Known as Blackjack, because he served with the African American 20th Cavalry, Pershing transformed a modest force of slightly less than 130,000 personnel into a formidable army of over 2 million soldiers in just 18 months during World War I, Payne said. Pershings leadership during the Meuse Argonne offense was pivotal in breaking the western front stalemate and hastening the wars end.

This made Pershing one of the most influential military leaders, and lead to him being one of only three soldiers to ever receive the rank of General of the Armies.

To date, only two other generals have achieved the rank and title of General of Armies of the United States, Payne said. That being General George Washington in 1976 and in December of 2022, the U.S. Congress awarded the same rank to U.S. Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant posthumously.

General Bradley was born in Clark, Missouri in 1893. He was instrumental in a turning point in the Second World War.

General Bradley played a crucial role during World War II as the first United States Army Commander during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, Bradley led the largest amphibious assault in history, Payne said.

This lead to him becoming a Five-Star General, a title only a handful of service men have received.

Moreover, General Bradley said the unification of the armed forces and the establishment of NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] ensuring the United States remained prepared to face Cold War challenges, Payne said.

The governor said during this time of Fourth of July, Missourians need to remember how these two men sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

What we should all be doing the next few days is being thankful for who we are, thinking how blessed we are to live in this great country. Even with some of the craziness going on out there, we still live in the greatest country in the world because of these two generals that paved the way for all of us today, Parson said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, speaks to reporters outside a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Credit: Julia Nikhinson for The Texas Tribune

WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul isnt quite ready to give up his gavel.

In his two years as chair of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Austin Republican has been busy; he spearheaded the charge to ban TikTok, authored one resolution on Tibetan self-determination and led another condemning the infamous Chinese spy balloon. Just last month, he helped shoulder a bipartisan Ukraine aid bill through Congress over many colleagues loud objections. Hes also traveled the globe, shaking hands with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine, receiving a blessing from the Dalai Lama in India, and gifting Taiwan President Lai Ching Te with a cowboy hat.

To keep his leadership post on one of the most coveted committees in Washington, hell need special permission, having hit his six-year term limit. Several colleagues are already gunning to replace him.

McCaul confirmed last week that he would indeed seek a waiver to serve another term as top Republican on his committee, which would need approval from a steering committee and then the full House Republican caucus.

Its not time to change horses right now, McCaul said in an interview. Its a dangerous time where the world is on fire.

If his quest is successful, McCaul pledges to keep supporting key allies around the globe and stay aggressive on adversaries like Russia and China. If not, defense hawks in Washington could lose a powerful voice in charge just as the GOP prepares to redefine its approach to foreign policy under a potential second Trump administration.

Closing out his twentieth year in Congress, McCaul is well-connected and one of the most experienced members of the Texas delegation, having chaired the Homeland Security Committee from 2013 to 2019. The Foreign Affairs Committee under his leadership has been the most productive House committee this term, his office said, with 67 measures and 18 bills passed by the full chamber.

McCaul is making the case that his relationships on the Hill  including a friendship with Speaker Mike Johnson that helped push Ukraine aid over the finish line  justify him staying on an extra term.

Johnson had voted against sending aid to Ukraine before becoming speaker, part of a growing wing of conservatives who believed foreign aid came at the expense of funding for border security. McCaul, a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, helped sway Johnsons thinking and the speaker ultimately threw his support behind a package to send $60 billion in aid to boost Ukraines arsenal against Russia.

The decision was opposed by a majority of Republicans and drew the ire of hardline conservatives, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia, who filed a motion to vacate the speaker, which failed.

I think I feel compelled to do it not for myself, but I dont think anyone would be able to do what I do or shepherd the [Ukraine] supplemental the way I was able to, McCaul said.

McCaul has also been a leading China antagonist this term, leading an effort to force the sale of TikTok to an American company. His visits with Taiwanese leaders and the Dalai Lama, who China views as a separatist threat, have drawn strong condemnation and sanctions from Beijing.

His efforts on Ukraine, Taiwan and elsewhere are linked by a desire to project U.S. strength abroad, even as the isolationist wing of his party grows.

If we abandoned Ukraine and allowed [Vladimir] Putin to take over Ukraine and threaten Eastern Europe, that would be a big mistake, and it would send a message to Chairman Xi [Jinping] that Taiwan's fair game, McCaul said.

House Republicans set six-year term limits for committee chairs, including years spent as ranking member when the party is the minority. The GOP last voted to keep the term limits at the beginning of the current term.

Waivers are rare. Only one was granted last session, to Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-North Carolina, who stayed an extra term chairing the House Education and Workforce Committee. Before Foxx, the last waiver was granted in 2012, to former Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin.

McCauls fight comes as Texan influence in the House is on the decline. The state delegation, which includes more Republicans than any other state, will see the retirements of Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, who stepped down from her powerful perch as Appropriations chair, and Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Denton, who will give up the Rules Committee gavel less than a year after gaining it.

Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, will remain the top Republican on the Budget Committee. And Rep. Brian Babin, R-Woodville, is currently the only Republican running for the top spot on the Science, Space and Technology Committee.

Committee assignments are determined by the Republican Steering Committee, made up of party leadership and regional representatives, and then approved by the full conference. The 36-member Steering Committee, which always includes at least two Texans, has been stingy with waivers in the past, even when considering chairs like McCaul who have spent most of their time in the minority.

The decision could depend in part on how McCauls committee feels about his leadership. Foxx had the support of every Republican on her committee in seeking a waiver, including from the next-highest ranking Republican who would have replaced her.

None of McCauls 26 Republican colleagues on Foreign Affairs have made endorsements yet, but at least three members  Ann Wagner of Missouri, the committees vice chair, Darrell Issa of California and Joe Wilson of South Carolina  have already confirmed they are running against McCaul for the top spot. The committee includes three fellow Texans: Reps. Nathaniel Moran of Tyler, Keith Self of McKinney and Ronny Jackson of Amarillo, none of whom responded to requests for comment.

Its not immediately clear whether any of McCauls announced rivals would diverge greatly from his policy positions, and all three supported foreign aid packages for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan earlier this year.

Matthew Choi contributed to this report.

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!
Davids view

Q: Can Democrats actually replace Biden before the convention?

A: Yes, if they really want to.

Q: How?

A: First, Biden would need to withdraw, and release his 3,904 delegates, who were selected last month. The newly unbound delegates would pick the new nominee. When Democrats speculate about a mini-primary or open convention, what they mean is that these delegates, along with the 37 uncommitted delegates and the eight won by candidates who dropped out already, could vote for whoever they wanted to.

Q: Whats the deadline?

A: It varies a bit by state, but the DNC begins on Aug. 19, and the nominating roll call would normally happen on Aug. 20.

Q: Didnt I hear about a virtual roll call before that?

A: You probably did. After Ohios Republican secretary of state warned that the DNC would blow past the states (unusually early) ballot deadline, the party scheduled a virtual roll call, a break-glass plan to nominate Biden before the convention  currently planned for July 21. Ohio legislators actually moved the states deadline last month, irritating Democrats by adding some campaign finance reforms theyd opposed. So the early vote is totally optional.

Q: Who are these delegates?

A: Party regulars who support Joe Biden, not the sort of people who usually show up to a convention in a rebel mood. There are also hundreds of automatic delegates; the term superdelegates got toxic in 2016 when Bernie Sanders made an issue out of them in his primary campaign. But they dont vote unless no candidate has a majority on the first ballot.

Q: Could the Democrats run a different nominee than Harris?

A: They could, hence the ongoing parlor game about Popular Democrat TBD leading the party out of this quicksand. But only Harris, whose name is on the campaigns organizing documents, would inherit the current Biden campaign and its resources. If the delegates rejected her, the Biden-Harris war chest could be donated to the DNC or a super PAC.

Q: Would Republicans sue if the Democrats changed out Biden?

A: Potentially, yes. Three days before the debate, the Heritage Foundation shared a memo about the potential for pre-election litigation aimed at exasperating, with legitimate concerns for election integrity, the withdrawal process for a presidential candidate. But Democrats saw that as a head-fake. The memo, for example, warns that Wisconsin prohibits withdrawal except in the case of death. But state law is clear: Nominees chosen at a national convention by each major party are on the ballot. This doesnt get more complicated unless Biden is withdrawn as the nominee after the convention.

Q: What would happen then?

A: DNC rules state that in the event of death, resignation or disability of a nominee after the convention, the party chair (Jaime Harrison) would confer with Democratic leaders in Congress and the Democratic Governors Association. After that, the DNC would pick the nominee. In 2016, then-DNC chair Donna Brazile studied that back-up plan after Hillary Clinton collapsed from pneumonia at a 9/11 commemoration service. The candidate she saw as the most credible Clinton replacement was, of course, Joe Biden.

Q: What do Republicans want?

A: Since Trump walked off that stage in Atlanta, theyve been rooting for injuries, but assuming and hoping that Biden remains the nominee. Theyve riffed about Michelle Obama, whos never expressed any interest in a campaign, coming back to replace Biden. But they assume the choice is a weakened Biden or a wounded Harris. Their convention isnt until late August, Trump strategist David Bossie told me at the debate. That gives them, on one hand, a little time to try to do it. On the other hand, theyd have a very short window to introduce a new candidate to the American people.
New report looks at underlying causes of Ohios violent crimes

Police in Minneapolis unravel crime scene tape in 2020, a year marked by a stark rise in homicides. Community violence intervention programs offer a data-backed alternative to policing. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Police unravel crime scene tape. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images.)

Many societal structures and systems can be drivers of violent crimes, according to a new report by the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.

More than 30,000 violent crimes  including homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault  were reported in Ohio in 2023.

Even with laws and penalties such as arrest and incarceration in place, violent crime persists and causes significant harm to victims and communities, the report states. Community conditions and societal structures can support or prevent violent crime. Since the research evidence is clear that arrests and incarceration are detrimental to the health of individuals, families and communities, it is important to take an upstream approach for violence prevention.

Theres lots of opportunities as a state to mitigate violence, said Tonni Oberly, one of the authors of the report, titled Criminal Justice and Health: Social Drivers of Violent Crime.

We can then also be preventative and treat it as a public health issue by addressing those underlying root causes of violence, she said.

Violent crimes in Ohio

Ohio ranks 34th in the nation in homicides and 80% were gun-related in 2022, according to the report.

Homicides peaked in Ohio during the COVID-19 pandemic, but have not returned to pre-pandemic rates, according to the report. Two of Columbus deadliest years on records were 2021 with 204 homicides and 2020 with 175 homicides. Cleveland had 192 homicides in 2020 and 165 in 2021.

Columbus and Dayton both recently had mass shootings in the same weekend.

There were 18,742 incoming domestic violence cases in Ohio in 2014  a number that has increased almost every year since with the exception of 2020  and there were 24,534 cases in 2023.

Societal Structures and Systems

Racism, income inequality, zoning and neighborhood planning, gender-related social norms, education, employment, healthcare, housing and criminal justice are all structures and systems that can contribute to violent crime, according to the report.

All of these structures and systems are also interconnected and interrelated, whether we have typical and current ongoing racist policies that have shaped the way communities are structured and the resources that people have access to, Oberly said. All of that aligns with income inequality, with how neighborhoods are shaped, and funding that goes into them, and that, of course, ties into the systems that drives violent crime as well.

Redlining and the building the Interstate Highway System through communities of color in the 1950s are two examples of historical policies and practices.

These  resulted in poor community stability, lower home valuations, increased foreclosures and limited economic mobility in majority-Black, Hispanic and Asian neighborhoods, the report said. As a result, many of these communities experienced concentrated disadvantage, which includes limited educational and employment opportunities and higher rates of poverty, unemployment and food insecurity that continue today.

Ohio ranks 30th when it comes to income inequality, which puts people at risk for a shortened life span, poor health and increased neighborhood and interpersonal violence.

The report illustrates that increases in income supports  such as increased minimum wage, Earned Income Tax Credits and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program  have been shown to lower violence and result in less firearm homicides.

Zoning and neighborhood planning can also play a role in the amount of violence in a particular area.

The report explained the relationship between alcohol outlet density and violent crime in a neighborhood. Off-premise outlets such as liquor and convenience stores are associated with higher rates of violent crime compared to on-premise outlets such as bars and restaurants.

Alcohol outlet density is a prime example of how zoning impacts violence, according to the report. Due to inequitable zoning codes and weakened political power, communities of color and low-income neighborhoods are more likely to have a high density of alcohol outlets.

Ohios liquor sales have increased 98% in the past two decades while the states adult population has gone up 8%. Ohio ranks 34th in the nation for excessive drinking.

Legislative actions

There have been legislative attempts to curb violent crimes.

The DeWine administration gave $20 million in grants to support more than three dozen community-based intervention programs to reduce violence and help victims of crime as part of the Community Violence Prevention Grant Program, according to the report.

An Ohio law will go into effect in August that bans all forms of spousal rape.

DeWine recently signed a bill into law that will go into effect in September that aims to help formerly incarcerated people find stable housing.

House Bill 420 would create the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention within the Ohio Department of Children and Youth which would administer grant programs to reduce firearm violence. Reps. Darnell T. Brewer, D-Cleveland, and Munira Abdullahi, D-Columbus introduced the bill earlier this year, which is in the House Finance Committee.

The report recommends implementing evidence-based firearm safety policies that includes child access prevention laws and firearm licensing laws.

Ohio is not one of the 30 states with child-access prevention laws nor is Ohio one of the 14 states that require checks at the point of transfer for all firearms.

The report also recommends increasing housing affordability, alcohol policies, including density zoning and pricing; and education, employment and criminal justice reform.

Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on Twitter.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post New report looks at underlying causes of Ohios violent crimes appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
People take part in the funeral of Palestinians who were killed during an Israeli army operation in the Jenin camp in the West Bank. Three people have been killed, the Israeli army reported. Ayman Nobani/dpa

Several armed militants have been killed in an Israeli military operation in Jenin in the West Bank, Israeli and Palestinian media reported on Friday.

The Ministry of Health in Ramallah said four Palestinians died. Israel's army confirmed the operation in the city, during which soldiers exchanged fire with militants surrounded in a building.

Jenin is considered a stronghold of Palestinian militants and is the location of frequent raids by Israeli forces.

According to Palestinian reports, it was a drone that fired a missile at the house.

The Ministry of Health said the casualties were between 20 and 30 years old.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported other clashes in Jenin. According to the ministry, a 54-year-old man was shot dead during another raid by Israeli forces in the city. The Israeli military did not initially comment on the incident.

The situation in the West Bank has worsened dramatically since the start of the Gaza war, which broke out in response to the Hamas massacre in southern Israel on October 7.

Since then, 543 Palestinians have died in Israeli military operations, confrontations or as a result of their own attacks in the West Bank, according to health officials.

Settler violence against Palestinians also increased again during this period.
People take part in the funeral of Palestinians who were killed during an Israeli army operation in the Jenin camp in the West Bank. Three people have been killed, the Israeli army reported. Ayman Nobani/dpa

Several armed militants and a civilian have been killed in an Israeli military operation in Jenin in the West Bank, Israeli and Palestinian media reported on Friday.

The Ministry of Health in Ramallah said seven Palestinians died in total - six militants and a civilian. Israel's army confirmed the operation in the city, during which soldiers exchanged fire with militants surrounded in a building.

An aircraft attacked and "eliminated" a group of gunmen, the army said. Israeli forces also killed two more men in the house who they said had taken part in an earlier attack that left one Israeli soldier dead.

According to Palestinian reports, it was a drone that fired a missile at the house, killing four fighters. The Ministry of Health said the casualties were between 20 and 30 years old.

According to Hamas the 30-year-old killed was one of its members, while the remaining people killed were members of other armed groups, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

Jenin is considered a stronghold of Palestinian militants and is the location of frequent raids by Israeli forces.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported other clashes in Jenin on Friday. According to the ministry, a 54-year-old man was shot dead during another raid by Israeli forces in the city. The Israeli military did not initially comment on the incident.

The situation in the West Bank has worsened dramatically since the start of the Gaza war, which broke out in response to the Hamas massacre in southern Israel on October 7.

Since then, 543 Palestinians have died in Israeli military operations, confrontations or as a result of their own attacks in the West Bank, according to health officials.

Settler violence against Palestinians also increased again during this period.
One of the more obvious signs that the Republican Party had devolved into a cult of personality came in 2020 when the party decided to abandon writing a platform in advance of the election. GOP officials said that whatever Donald Trump wanted to do was fine with them. I don't think that's ever happened before but in the MAGA-fied GOP that sort of thing certainly isn't unusual. This year, however, they're going back to the tradition of writing an actual platform and it's causing some unexpected heartburn.

After all, just because party members want a platform doesn't mean Trump does. Yet he and his campaign have acquiesced within certain parameters. The New York Times reported that Trump's campaign managers, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, sent a memo ordering the platform committee and demanding they pare down the document to ensure our policy commitments to the American people are clear, concise and easily digestible" because "publishing an unnecessarily verbose treatise will provide more fuel for our opponents fire of misinformation and misrepresentation to voters." They made it clear that while it's probably ok for the minions to have their little ideological exercise, it's still Dear Leader's "principled and popular vision for Americas future.

There are some grumblings in the ranks about this, mostly from anti-abortion activists who want to ensure that the party doesn't deviate from its long-held goal of banning abortion nationwide despite Trump's attempts to hide those intentions with his fatuous declarations that by overturning Roe v. Wade, he "sent it back to the states which is what everyone on both sides always wanted." One staunch anti-abortion activist, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, recently appeared on CNN and made it clear that she believes the GOP platform should remain what it has been for 40 years.

For years, the GOP platform has endorsed a federal abortion ban, but that could change to reflect former President Donald Trump's views. @marjoriesba tells me on @InsidePolitics her message is: "Don't mess with what's been there for 40 years." pic.twitter.com/fd8i4gby00  Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) July 3, 2024

As Dannenfelser points out, the campaign actually blocked a pair of anti-abortion delegates from participating in this year's Republican National Convention and it's not sitting well with that faction of the party, as Politico reports:

According to the affidavits prepared for the RNCs committee on contests, obtained by POLITICO, the Trump campaign and RNC staffers held a separate vote to elect a different slate of platform committee delegates. The documents allege that at least two GOP staffers who were formerly employed by the Trump campaign [pressured] them to vote against Ryggs and Connelly and tried to circumvent the official vote.

Gosh, I wonder where they ever got the idea to do something like that.

Even big guns like Ralph Reed, founder and chair of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, are very concerned that this could demobilize the evangelical vote, as he told Politico:

I would strongly urge the leadership of the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign to proceed with great caution on the platform and avoid doing anything that would discourage or in any way deflate the enthusiasm of pro-life and evangelical vote. Right now, sitting here today, they are prepared to crawl across broken glass, to do everything in their power to see President Trump re-elected. I dont want to see anything happen that would change that current dynamic.

A similar warning came from Tim Chapman, incoming president of the social conservative group Advancing American Freedom, who told ABC News that the talk of changing the Republican partys pro-life platform is deeply concerning for pro-life Americans across the country,

Reed, for his part, is now leading what he calls the Platform Integrity Project in which he's calling on the faithful to weigh in and demand that the platform holds to its hard-line position. The New York Times reported that a coalition of 10 conservative groups, including the Family Research Council, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Concerned Women for America, have urged Trump to make clear that you do not intend to weaken the pro-life plank" while also praising him as the most pro-life president in American history.

And it isn't just obfuscating the party's radical position on abortion that has them upset. They don't want anyone touching their other extremist policies either. As LGBTQ Nation reported, Suzanne Bowdey of the Family Research Councils site is worried that the slimmed-down platform might not include their opposition to "extremism like same-sex marriage and transgenderism which is currently part of a long section "that accuses the Supreme Court of rob[bing] 320 million Americans of their legitimate constitutional authority to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. They are all in on outlawing IVF and using the Comstock Law to ban contraception and pornography as well.

Semafor reported that the campaign will attempt to keep this all under wraps by moving the writing of the platform behind closed doors, another break from tradition. Both parties have always written their platforms publicly for the delegates to see and offer input and they've allowed the press to have access and report on it. The meetings are usually aired on CSPAN. The Democrats plan to do that at their convention in August as they always have but the prospect of any kind of argument with the Trump campaign, or one suspects, the public airing of the campaign swatting down members of the rank and file will not be tolerated at the RNC. Keep the family squabbles behind closed doors at all costs. Their leader wants a united front.

None of this is to say that Trump has actually moderated his views. The truth is that he doesn't really care about any of this culture war stuff but he is worried that overturning Roe v Wade is going to hurt him. He says at his rallies and in speeches, "you have to follow your heart but we need to win elections" which translates to, "don't worry, I'm just saying this to win over voters, I'll do whatever you want once I win the election."

These folks shouldn't worry too much. The men in charge of the Platform Committee are dedicated, far-right extremists. One of the top drafters is Christian nationalist Russ Vought, who I wrote about here. Another is Trump loyalist Ed Martin, a longtime right-wing operative who is best remembered in the general public for being fired by CNN for racist comments. As it happens CNN's Kfiles turned up some footage of Martin that should come as a huge relief to the anti-choice activists: He's so extreme that he wants to jail women who get abortions and ban the procedure with no exceptions:

NEW: Our report tonight on Ed Martin, who is helping craft the Republican Party's platform at the convention and has raised jailing women who get abortions and advocated for a national ban without exceptions for rape or incest. pic.twitter.com/cBzElHhLyr  Andy Kaczynski (@KFILE) July 3, 2024

These men are hardcore Christian nationalists who are involved in the planning for a second Trump term. And they are very practical about doing whatever it takes to regain power for that purpose. A little fudging on the platform, letting the Republicans pretend to the mainstream press that they aren't radical in order to win over some of those valuable suburban moms is just the price of doing business. And frankly, political professionals like Ralph Reed and Marjorie Dannenfelser know that as well. They're just playing the roles of anti-abortion activists for their flocks to show that they haven't given up the fight. I'm confident they'll all be on board the Trump train with full enthusiasm when the time comes.
PHNOM PENH, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia reported 35 landmine and explosive remnant of war (ERW) casualties in the first half of 2024, up almost 67 percent from 21 over the same period last year, a spokesperson said on Friday.

"Eight people were killed, 21 injured, and six amputated during the January-June period this year," Lang Kosal, a spokesperson for the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), told Xinhua.

He added that the victims were 21 men, nine boys, two women, and three girls.

According to the spokesperson, from 1979 to June 2024, landmine and ERW explosions had claimed 19,830 lives and either injured or amputated 45,242 others.

Cambodia is one of the countries worst affected by landmines and ERWs. An estimated 4 million to 6 million landmines and other munitions had been left over from three decades of war and internal conflicts that ended in 1998.

Senior Minister Ly Thuch, CMAA's first vice president, said from 1992 to 2023, Cambodia had cleared 3,024 square kilometers of landmine and ERW contaminated land, benefiting about 12 million people, or 70 percent of the country's total population.

Yet, the kingdom still needs to clear the remaining 533-square-kilometer land contaminated with mines and another 1,321-square-kilometer land contaminated with cluster munitions and other ERWs.

"We must redouble our efforts and accelerate action to achieve the goal of a mine-free 2025," he said in a recent speech. 
Do Republicans realize Trump is the old guy if Biden drops out? Haley would fix that.

In light of Joe Bidens disastrous debate night, polls have indicated that Donald Trump is pulling away from the current president.

The past week has made clear what conservatives have been dwelling on for years, and was widely dismissed as partisan overreaction, is now clear to a large part of America: Biden is not mentally fit to be president.

Democrats are now in disarray, debating whether or not to drop the sitting president from their own partys ticket. Id honestly admire the Democrats decision to even consider dropping Biden had they not covered up the mental state of the sitting president for four years, only changing course once the truth finally slipped out to the American public.

It appears that Trump is on his way to being handed back the presidency on a silver platter. Whether Democrats allow Biden to remain the nominee or are forced to admit they rallied behind an unfit party leader for the past four years, Trump somehow holds the amazing virtue of stability.

Nikki Haley is still the best option for Republicans, and Biden's current state only makes that clearer

So, just imagine how well Nikki Haley (or any other Republican with moderate appeal) would be doing.

Polling from the peak of the GOP primary showed Haley performing better than Trump in a head-to-head with Biden long before the entire Democratic machine turned on the president. The more Democrats cannibalize themselves over this debate, the more the GOP looks orderly by comparison, even though that is certainly not the case.

Any reasonable GOP candidate would have already been leading Biden and, at this point, would be planning on how to decorate the White House.

Repubilcans need a different Trump: Republicans deserve the version of Trump we saw during the debate. Too bad it won't last.

However, given that the alternative is still Trump, there remains some doubt, and his presence on the ballot is likely to hobble GOP efforts up and down the ticket, as his crop of endorsements did in the 2022 midterm elections.

Bidens mental competency stands out in contrast to Trump's, making even the former president seem presidential during their side-by-side debate. Imagine the stark contrast between Biden and a younger, more disciplined GOP candidate.

A candidate like Haley, who enjoyed strong cross-party appeal throughout the primary, would have had the added benefit of capturing the turncoat Democrats most put off by the tragic Biden debate performance. While some Republicans say they dont want those votes, a captured Democratic vote counts just as much as that of a die-hard Trump supporter.

Now, Trump will likely be the old guy

Former President Donald Trump during the debate against President Joe Biden on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.

The leading choice to replace Biden is Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, who is nearly 20 years younger than Trump, 78.

The other popular options are all even younger: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, 56, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, 52, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 42.

If the Democrats decide to drop Biden, Trump becomes the old guy in the race who can't hide behind "Sleepy Joe." While Biden's age problems are far more apparent than Trump's, voters are right to be concerned about Trump entering his 80s, especially when he doesn't appear to be in the best physical shape.

Nearly 60% of all Americans say both Trump and Biden are too old to serve a second term, and nearly half of registered voters under the age of 30 are concerned that old candidates like these two lack the ability to understand issues facing younger people.

Sotomayor dissents in immunity case: I need the liberal Supreme Court justices to stop overreacting

An overlooked advantage that Democrats might retake is the debate of age, and it could have been avoided had Republicans simply chosen a candidate not entering his 80s.

If Democrats decided to drop Biden, they'd be wise to lean into the age angle given the opposition, no matter who their choice is among the leading options.

Republicans may win back the White House, but they'll do it by accident

If youre interested in handily winning elections, you need to appeal to moderates. This is the group most likely to have had the presidential debate impact their choice and the group that Trump has had the most difficulty convincing of a second term.

Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store.

If Republicans manage to win this election, which at this moment it seems like they will, they owe it to the Democrats, not themselves. The GOP chose wrong every step of the way leading up to this election, culminating in the least popular election in recent memory.

Thankfully for them, their opponents did the exact same thing, pretending that everything was fine until the truth was impossible to deny. Now, as the Democrats scramble to decide who is even going to face Trump, Republicans must get to work pressing the slim advantage they now hold thanks to a series of bad decisions.

Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.

You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: If Biden drops out, Trump becomes the old guy. GOP needs Nikki Haley
Body of teen who vanished at Tybee Island found, identified as 16-year-old from Atlanta

Rescue crews have recovered the body of a 16-year-old who vanished underwater off Tybee Island Friday morning.

Tybee Island police said two teenagers were swimming in the Back River beach area when family members noticed they were in distress. One family member was able to rescue one of the teens. The other teen disappeared beneath the water and didnt resurface.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources later identified the victim as Laquavis McCray, age 16, of Atlanta.

According to DNR, McCrays remains were recovered around 3:30 pm. on Friday.

TRENDING STORIES:

Tybee Island police asked for help from the Coast Guard, the Chatham County Marine Patrol and the Marine Rescue Squad to search the area.

They found the teens body in the water around 3:30 p.m.

This is not the outcome that our team, or any of those who assisted in the search, so desperately hoped for, police said.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is looking into the circumstances surrounding the death of a retired major general whose body was discovered at a Marine base on Saturday.

Maj. Gen. William Mullen, age 59, was found deceased at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, the San Bernardino County coroners office confirmed.

His body was found in Building 1651, according to coroner records, Military.com reported. The building is home to the Marine Corps CommunicationElectronics School, according to an online base directory.

The Marine Corps provided a statement to Marine Corps Times stating that Mullen was at the base attending the Marine Corps Tactics and Operations Group change of command ceremony.

The retired major general was once the commanding general of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Center in Twentynine Palms, California, and retired from the Corps in 2020, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Marine Corps also confirmed to Marine Corps Times that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service was investigating the incident.

NCIS was unable to be reached for comment.

The San Bernardino County Coroners Department is handling the autopsy and results are pending, a spokeswoman confirmed.

As a commanding officer of the Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Company, Mullen deployed to Operation Desert Shield and took part in counter-narcotics missions along with Joint Task Force-6, according to his official biography. He later deployed with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit as a commanding officer of Fox Company and joined Operation Sea Signal, a 1994 military response to Cuban and Haitian refugees seeking asylum.

He deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, in 2005 as operations officer for Regimental Combat Team  8. In 2007, he commanded 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, also in Fallujah.

At the time of his retirement, Mullen was serving as the commanding general of Training and Education Command, based in Quantico, Virginia, according to the Corps.

Mullens dedicated service to our nation and the Marine Corps will always be remembered, Maj. Gen. Thomas Savage, the commanding general of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, said in a statement provided to Marine Corps Times by the Marine Corps.

Reached by phone on Friday, multiple members of Mullens family declined to comment to the media.

Editors note: This story has been corrected to state that Mullen served as the commanding general of Training and Education Command at the time of his retirement.
Jared Cramer

OTTAWA COUNTY  A federal judge has denied Ottawa Countys motion to dismiss a First Amendment violation lawsuit filed by the Rev. Jared Cramer of Grand Haven in 2023, according to reporting from The Grand Haven Tribune.

In an opinion published Tuesday, July 2, Judge Jane Beckering, presiding over the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, said the countys arguments to dismiss Cramers complaints of religious discrimination lacked merit. She gave the county 21 days to respond to the lawsuit before it moves to discovery.

The countys motion to dismiss Cramers allegation was based on claims the entity has a practice of not discriminating against speakers on the basis of religion and did not act in any way to harm Cramer.

In arguments for dismissal, the county said Cramer was never denied an opportunity to give a prayer or invocation at a meeting and the suit was instead based on assumptions ... (after) not receiving a timely response from Ottawa County.

The motion also sought to dismiss Board Chair Joe Moss as a named defendant in the case, arguing he had qualified immunity. Beckering denied both requests.

Cramers attorney, Sarah Riley Howard, will next have an opportunity to collect evidence from the county, including calling on witnesses to give testimony under oath.

More: Pastor files lawsuit against Ottawa County claiming religious discrimination

More: Moss offers to let pastor give invocation, but it's too little, too late

We were gratified to receive the opinion today, Howard said. We think that the opinion is right and ... we are ready to get through discovery and be able to prove our case.

Cramer works at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Grand Haven. He's been a vocal opponent of Ottawa Impact, the right-wing political action committee founded by Moss that now holds the majority of county commission seats. Cramer is also a visible advocate for the inclusion of members of the LGBTQ+ community."

Cramer first sued the county in October 2023. The lawsuit alleges Moss purposefully withheld information about how individuals were selected to give prayer at the beginning of each county board meeting and was able to punish religious leaders who do not share his political or religious beliefs.

In his complaint, Cramer said his commissioner, Roger Bergman, said Moss had sole power over selecting those who give the twice-monthly prayer. Cramer tried to contact Moss, but both an email sent in May 2023 and a letter sent via certified mail in August went unanswered.

In November, Moss invited Cramer to give an invocation in February. This prompted an amended complaint, nothing Cramer was only contacted by the county to deliver a prayer after initiating litigation.

Cramer gave his invocation on Feb. 13. In it, he directly referenced previous actions of the board, including changing the county's motto and closing the DEI Department. He also prayed for members of the LGBTQ+ community "whose attempts to understand who they are have been maligned" and "increasingly don't feel safe, much less welcome," in the community.

Ottawa County Commissioner Roger Belknap sits during the board's first meeting of the year Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, at the Ottawa County Offices in West Olive.

"Above all, loving God, I pray that decency, love and justice would once more come to the forefront of how our county operates, how we treat one another and how those in power allocate resources and talk about vulnerable and marginalized groups," he said. "I know we can do better, God, if we open our hearts to your love and let that love transform us into agents of your healing."

During his prayer, OI-affiliated Commissioner Roger Belknap led a one-man protest, as noted in Beckerings opinion, by placing a sign reading thewaronchildren.com in front of him.

The sign was a reference to the documentary The War on Children created by prominent right-wing activists Robby and Landon Starbuck, vitriolic critics of the LGBTQ+ community, according to a report from Rolling Stone.

Belknap later confirmed in an interview with The Grand Rapids Press he'd displayed the sign because Cramer was leading the prayer.

It was really frustrating when the county argued they held no discriminatory intent towards my clients religious beliefs, and then to see (Belknap) displaying discriminatory intention when he held up his sign and was allowed to do so by (Moss) when my client was giving the prayer, Howard said.

We are happy to move forward and vindicate my clients rights, Howard continued. I feel like (discovery) is an important step forward to resolving this matter for my client and for the county.

Subscribe: Receive unlimited digital access to your local news coverage

In response to the lawsuit, Ottawa County created a new, non-discriminatory invocation policy in January, referenced in the municipality's motion to dismiss.

In March, The Satanic Temple of West Michigan requested to give an invocation under the new policy. Rev. Luis Cypher provided that invocation in April, sparking a massive turnout and protests.

The county has until July 23 to respond to Cramers complaint. After the countys response has been filed, discovery will begin.

 The Sentinels Mitchell Boatman contributed to this report. Contact him at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Reverend's lawsuit against Ottawa County will move to discovery
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrapped up whats been a tumultuous week for his presidential campaign by offering an eyebrow-raising statement on conspiracy theories surrounding the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The independent candidate said Friday on X, formerly Twitter, that he wont take sides on 9/11 if hes elected to the White House.

Instead, he pledged to usher in a new era of transparency around the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and on the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., that killed nearly 3,000 people.

My take on 9/11: It's hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isn't. But conspiracy theories flourish when the government routinely lies to the public. As President I won't take sides on 9/11 or any of the other debates. But I can promise is that I will open the files  Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) July 5, 2024

My take on 9/11: Its hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isnt. But conspiracy theories flourish when the government routinely lies to the public, Kennedy wrote, suggesting that he hopes to open the files related to the attacks.

In a pair of follow-up posts, Kennedy explained that he was referring to a recent 60 Minutes segment that probed possible Saudi involvement in 9/11, sparking all kinds of speculation on X.

Speculation about what our government may be covering up is rife outside the mainstream of our political culture, he wrote, adding that trust in the government is low.

The way to restore that trust is through honesty and transparency. That is my promise, and that is what will resolve any questions about 9/11, UAPs, and other contentious topics, he said, using a term for unidentified anomalous phenomena, more commonly known as UFOs.

He went on to note: I am personally agnostic on those issues. My issue is TRANSPARENCY.

Earlier this week, some families of Sept. 11 victims called out President Joe Biden and his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, for not addressing a recently released video in which Omar al-Bayoumi, identified by the FBI as a Saudi intelligence operative, appears to scope out U.S. landmarks in 1999, around the time that Sept. 11 planners were thought to be deciding on targets. The footage was notably included in the 60 Minutes segment.

Kennedy seemingly hinted at his Sept. 11 skepticism last fall during an appearance on the In the Room With Peter Bergen podcast.

I dont know what happened on 9/11, he said at the time. I understand what the official explanation is. I understand that there is dissent. I have not looked into it. I havent examined it. Im not a good person to talk to about it.

Related...
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is playing to his conspiracy-minded base days after a disastrous response to questions about his past.

The independent candidate for president, who has long stoked conspiracy theories about vaccines and other matters, turned Friday to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks  promising he would open the files to address lingering questions about the plot.

Kennedy said in a series of posts on X that he was motivated to comment on Sept. 11 by a recent 60 Minutes report that revisited long-standing speculation about whether anyone in the Saudi government had advance knowledge of the terrorist plot.

The candidate said its hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isnt, and he blamed U.S. government dishonesty for the uncertainty.

As President I wont take sides on 9/11 or any of the other debates, he said. But I can promise is that I will open the files and usher in a new era of transparency.

The comments came at a difficult point for the candidate. He was the subject of a recent Vanity Fair profile that included extensive details about past drug use, allegations he sexually assaulted a nanny in the late 1990s and ate dog meat. In a later interview, he denied eating dog meat but sidestepped questions about the assault and admitted to a checkered past.

Ive said this from the beginning: I am not a church boy, he said, adding that I have  so many skeletons in my closet, that if they could all vote, I could run for king of the world.

The candidate has previously suggested Covid was targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people, AIDS comes from a gay lifestyle instead of HIV and that the CIA assassinated his uncle, President John F. Kennedy.

In his social media post, Kennedy pointed to a growing sense of government mistrust.

Speculation about what our government may be covering up is rife outside the mainstream of our political culture, Kennedy wrote. Trust it government is at an all-time low. The way to restore that trust is through honesty and transparency.

Trust in the government has generally decreased since the 1960s, and just 22 percent of Americans say they trust the federal government to do what is right most of the time, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey.

Kennedy said he would use honesty and transparency to resolve any questions about the Sept. 11 attacks, in which nearly 3,000 people were killed, as well as unidentified aerial phenomena and other contentious topics.
Independent Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign rally in Phoenix on Dec. 20, 2023. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

Robert Kennedy Jr.s presidential campaign says it has submitted enough signatures in Nevada to qualify for the November ballot.

Kennedys campaign said in a news release Friday it submitted some 30,000 signatures on Wednesday, ahead of the states July 5 deadline. The signatures will have to be verified by the counties and state.

Its the second time Kennedy has submitted signatures for ballot access. In March, the state rejected his effort because as an independent candidate, he was required by state law to include a vice presidential candidate on the petition. With this second time of signatures, attorney and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan is listed as his running mate.

Kennedys campaign has suggested Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, a Democrat, invented rules to keep him off the ballot. Aguilar acknowledged in late March that his office provided Kennedys campaign with inaccurate information earlier in the year, but he said it was an error not intended to harm any political party or candidate for office and that the campaign was ultimately still responsible for not following the law.

The voters of Nevada have, for a second time, demonstrated their enthusiasm and determination to place Kennedy on Nevadas general election ballot, Kennedy Campaign Senior Counsel Paul Rossi said in a news release. The campaign will continue to vigorously defend the rights of Nevada voters to cast their ballots for Kennedy against the continued frivolous effort by the infirmed Biden campaign to strike us from the ballot.

The campaign says Kennedy, who has made it on the ballot in a handful of states, intends to be on the ballot in all 50 states and has $15 million in funding to get it done by the end of July.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Friday he wont take sides on the subject of the truth of the 9/11 attacks but would push for transparency if elected president.

Kennedy wrote in a post on the social platform X that the government routinely lying makes determining what is a conspiracy theory and what isnt difficult to determine but he would not favor one side on theories about 9/11.

My take on 9/11: Its hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isnt. But conspiracy theories flourish when the government routinely lies to the public. As President I wont take sides on 9/11 or any of the other debates, Kennedy said. But I can promise is that I will open the files and usher in a new era of transparency.

Kennedy shortly after posted a follow-up comment saying he was referring to a segment on CBSs 60 Minutes that recently aired discussing possible involvement from Saudi Arabia in the attacks.

The federal governments investigation on 9/11 concluded the attacks only involved the terrorist group al Qaeda and not any other entity, but some have alleged that the Saudi government played a role in assisting in the attacks or at least was complicit in them. Some family members of 9/11 victims have pressed for more information about possible Saudi involvement in the attacks.

The 60 Minutes report revealed video of a Saudi intelligence operative with ties to two of the hijackers standing outside the Capitol two years before the attacks, around the time that the targets of the attack were being chosen.

A group of 9/11 survivors and families have called on President Biden, former President Trump and lawmakers to address the revelation.

The Saudi government has denied any involvement in the attacks and said the video is only showing tourism.

Kennedy, who initially gained prominence as an activist spreading misinformation about and questioning the efficacy of vaccines, has previously made controversial comments and leaned into conspiracy theories surrounding the 2001 attacks.

He said during a podcast interview in September that he doesnt know what happened on 9/11 and referenced a conspiracy theory surrounding 7 World Trade Center, a smaller building in the complex that collapsed as a result of debris from the Twin Towers.

I know theres strange things that happened.  One of the buildings came down that wasnt hit by a plane, Kennedy said.

I dont want to argue any theories about this, because all Ive heard is questions. I have no explanation, I have no knowledge of it, but what youre repeating now I know not to be true, he continued, responding to the interviewers pushback on the theory about the building.

Kennedy said at the time that he was not backing the theory about 7 World Trade Center but didnt necessarily believe the results of the federal governments investigation into the attacks.

Kennedy has also made other controversial statements during the campaign. He was accused of antisemitism and racism after floating conspiracy theories linking Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he has said there is overwhelming evidence that the CIA was involved in the assassination of his uncle, former President Kennedy.

Many members of the Kennedy family have rejected RFK Jr.s candidacy and policy views and declared their support for Biden.

Kennedy is running as an alternative candidate trying to appeal to voters upset with both choices from the two major parties, Biden and Trump. He has gained some support in the polls but mostly stayed at no higher than 10 percent, well behind both candidates.

He is averaging about 8 percent in the aggregate of national polls from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ. But he has been racking up signatures in various states as part of his effort to get on the ballot in every state in the nation.

Updated at 11:19 a.m.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The union that represents staff at Richland Correctional Institution says repeated drug use by inmates is putting staff and inmate safety at risk.

We have continued concerns about repeated drug use by inmates at the Richland Correctional Institution," Chris Mabe, the president of the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, said in a prepared statement. "This is a serious issue because it puts staff at risk and affects the safety of other inmates in the facility. Thats why we have requested documents from (the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections) to determine the extent of the problem not only at Richland but also at other facilities across the state. We are demanding to know whats being done to address this problem to ensure the safety of our staff."

The News Journal has been contacted several times in recent months by an inmate and a former inmate at Richland Correctional Institution who said they are concerned about health hazards created by drug use. RiCI housed 2,579 inmates as of June.

One source, who was granted anonymity for personal safety reasons, said inmates will vape just about anything, including pest control chemicals sprayed along the bottom of walls or on floors after first placing a piece of paper on the wet chemicals and then drying it. The individual said non-drug users at the prison then must breathe the same air in close quarters where ventilation is poor.

He said inmates regularly are segregated for not being able to pay for drug transactions in an effort to keep them safe from inmates from whom they bought drugs.

Richland Correctional Institution is a minimum and medium security prison at 1001 Olivesburg Road and has 2,579 inmates as of June, according to ODRC spokeswoman JoEllen Smith.

Former RiCI inmate says inmates subjected to drugs who aren't doing drugs

Jason West, 51, of Akron, who was released Sept. 11 after serving a three-year sentence at the minimum- and medium-security prison, contacted the News Journal about what he said is a drug problem at RiCI. He said there is no way for inmates who do not want to be exposed to these conditions to avoid them.

He said fentanyl is a threat.

"I'd been in there numerous times and I've lived it," said West, who said he was among non-drug users in RiCI.

West said he spent the past 16 years of his life in prison, serving time in 13 different Ohio penal institutions mostly on telecommunications harassment and intimidation charges.

"I've been to Lucasville, I've been to Ross. I've been to Trumbull, I've been to Pickaway," he said.

"My biggest thing is the lies they (RiCI) sells to the public. There's nothing good going on in there," West said in March during an interview at the News Journal. "It's violent. It's drug infested. It's horrible."

West said he wanted to make the public aware there are inmates subjected to drugs who aren't doing drugs.

"The health concerns, like fentanyl; here I am sitting in a prison and God knows what these guys are bringing in, if it's fentanyl. There's been a few cases inside the Ohio prison system where they've had to call hazmat crews in because fentanyl has been exposed inside of prisons," West said. "If that stuff gets out into the prison, it could kill everyone."

West said when an inmate is vaping or smoking a drug inside the prison, smoke billows everywhere.

"That's when I'm inhaling it and I don't want to be. So that's a health hazard," he said.

What a public records request shows

A targeted contraband search June 25 included drug-sniffing dogs. No details were immediately available regarding any specific contraband found.

JoEllen Smith, spokeswoman and chief of communications for the DRC, said, "As a standard safety practice, contraband interdiction efforts are ongoing within all our prisons. The Richland Correctional Institution is undergoing a targeted contraband search today (June 25) to identify and remove illegal items from the facility, such as tobacco, cell phones, drugs and weapons. Identifying and removing contraband is essential for the safe operation of our prisons."

Exactly what or how much contraband corrections officers found is not known. Smith said the prison officials have to process anything they found and she would get that information to the News Journal as soon as it is available.

The News Journal in March made a public records request to ODRC for records of contraband found at both RiCI and Mansfield Correctional Institution from January to March. The request resulted in 17 pages of dates where contraband was found in categories listed as drugs, cell phones, weapons or "unknown."

The News Journal received the public records June 10. Drugs, when identified, included mostly leafy marijuana, synthetic marijuana, THC and Suboxone/Buprenorphine. Methamphetamine was found inside both RiCI and MANCI, according to the record. Heroin was found at RiCI Jan. 30, the data showed.

"Several entries are marked as 'unknown,' meaning a substance was found suspected to be a drug, but they did not know what kind of drug it was (wet paper, for example, or a white powdery substance). We do not do field testing for substances," Smith said in an email regarding the three-month contraband list.

ODRC: Contraband could lead to discipline, criminal investigation

"Contraband is an unfortunate reality for any prison system or correctional setting, and interdiction strategies continue to be a priority for all of Ohios prisons. Every day, our staff work diligently to identify and remove items from our facilities that can present a security concern," Smith said in response to questions from the News Journal.

Corrections officers on June 27 conducted searches of inmates' personal items, making sure no one was violating the 2.4-cubic-feet rule on personal property. This resulted in some inmates' items being thrown out or confiscated, including inmates found with an extra prison blanket. One blanket is permitted per inmate.

"When an incarcerated person is found with contraband, that individual is subject to the institutional disciplinary process and a potential criminal investigation. Similarly, if someone is found conveying contraband inside a prison, that person is subject to a criminal investigation and potential criminal charges," Smith said.

"We are committed to keeping our staff and incarcerated population safe. We appreciate the ongoing dedication of our staff and law enforcement partners who help us achieve this important goal," Smith added.

Several efforts have been implemented across the state in the past few years to help combat this ongoing challenge, Smith said.

Opened a mail processing center to digitize mail with 16 facilities onboarded, including Richland as of June. All other facilities continue to photocopy incoming mail until they onboard with the mail scanning system.

Implemented a new legal mail process that requires senders to register and use control numbers on mail to reduce inappropriate content.

Installed body scanners.

Increased drug and contraband detection canine units to 11 canines, with additional canines planned within the coming months.

Implemented hand-held substance-detection systems that analyze and identify unknown substances.

Installed drone detection systems covering 16 institutions including Richland Correctional Institution.

Heightened security barriers at several facilities, including Richland, to help prevent contraband fence throws.

Continued unannounced targeted searches.

Continued use of random, program, and for-cause drug testing among the incarcerated population.

Any person entering a correctional facility is subject to searches, including staff, visitors, contractors, and volunteers.

At Richland Correctional Institution, beyond the items mentioned above, Smith said the following strategies are in place:

Institutional security entrance procedures have been evaluated, and changes have been implemented to reduce the accessibility and availability of contraband by prohibiting loose paper and open liquids from being permitted in through the entrance building. There has been a focus on perimeter security to make necessary adjustments and awareness in deterring contraband presence.

In addition to the detection and security measures, Richland is focused on the delivery and availability of treatment services. Specific housing assignments have been identified for incarcerated individuals willing to engage in treatment in a residential setting supported by programming delivered by staff from Ohio Mental Health Addiction Services.

Within Richland Correctional Institution, Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services has conducted a 40-hour peer support training for those incarcerated individuals identified with direct lived experience. Certified peer supporters are trained and certified in using their lived experience to help others impacted by mental illness or substance use disorders. These individuals continue to be identified and trained, and, with the supervision of staff from Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services, support outpatient and residential inpatient programming within the institution and serve as a transferrable skill for those trained upon release.

lwhitmir@gannett.com

419-521-7223

Twitter: @LWhitmir

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland Correctional staff union raises inmate drug use concerns
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  The Ridgecrest Police Department will be in full force Saturday into Sunday looking for impaired drivers, according to the department.

Ridgecrest police will be out July 6 from 7 p.m. to Sunday at 3 a.m. Officers are reminding the community that impaired driving can be caused by various substances not just alcohol. Prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs can also limit your driving abilities.

California Highway Patrol talks Maximum Enforcement Period ahead of Independence Day

Consuming cannabis for medicinal and recreational purposes may be legal in California, but driving while high is illegal. First-time DUI drivers can face a $13,500 bill and a suspended license. A dangerous combo to have as Kern Countys extreme heat wave is expected to last another week.

Impaired driving is preventable, Sergeant Erik Hallmark said. Its a choice. If youve been drinking or taken drugs that impair, make the right choice by finding a sober driver or alternate transportation to take you places.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
NAIROBI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Airways and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Kenya, a UN migration agency, signed an agreement Friday to enhance the fight against trafficking in persons and improve the protection of migrants.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, will see the airline's staff receive specialized training from IOM to recognize and respond to migrants in vulnerable situations.

"This MoU marks a significant milestone in our efforts to safeguard the rights and dignity of migrants. By joining forces with Kenya Airways, we can enhance our outreach and impact, ensuring that migration is safe and beneficial for all," said IOM Chief of Mission Dimanche Sharon.

Under the agreement, Kenya Airways and IOM will implement measures to identify and reduce trafficking, facilitate regular migration pathways and promote the protection of migrants.

Kenya Airways Group CEO Allan Kilavuka said "we are committed to providing our staff with the necessary training and resources to assist migrants, particularly those in vulnerable situations."

The partnership will enable the two partners to establish a framework for sharing information to facilitate timely interventions. 
Rivera wants to go to Venezuela for presidential election. But Miami indictment in his way

David Rivera, a former Miami-Dade congressman who built his reputation on bashing the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, wants to travel to Venezuela for work as a consultant for an opposition candidate challenging Venezuelas socialist president in the upcoming election.

But the Republican has a slight problem.

Rivera has been indicted in Miami on charges of being an unregistered foreign agent for President Nicolas Maduros government, stemming from his work as a consultant to help the U.S. subsidiary of Venezuelas state-owned oil company, PDVSA, improve its tarnished image in the United States. A Miami federal judge now will have to decide whether Rivera can make the trip, a request that prosecutors will strongly oppose.

In 2017, Riveras company, Interamerican Consulting, signed a $50 million contract with the Houston-based subsidiary, PDV USA, to lobby on its behalf in the United States, according to a lawsuit. But, after his company was paid $20 million, Rivera was fired for doing little to no work, the suit says.

As government prosecutors see it, Rivera was really working for Maduros interests and had failed to register with the U.S. Department of Justice as a foreign agent  a violation that carries up to five years in prison. But the way Rivera sees it, he was actually working for Venezuelas U.S. oil subsidiary, not directly for the longtime socialist leader, and didnt violate any U.S. laws.

READ NEXT: Court tosses $456K judgment against former Florida Congressman in 2012 campaign scheme

Moreover, Rivera has always maintained that while he was lobbying for Venezuelas U.S. oil subsidiary, he was working behind the scenes to topple Maduro  though his consulting companys contract with PDV USA did not mention that opposition work as one of his tasks.

Contrary to the governments false allegations, everything I did in 2017 and 2018 was clearly directed at decapitating the Maduro regime, Rivera, 58, who lives in Atlanta but regularly visits Miami, said this week. And as my history shows, I will continue to do so until the Maduro regime is gone or I stop breathing, whichever comes first.

If all of this seems confounding, nothing about Riveras federal case has been conventional. Although a grand jury indicted him in late 2022, Rivera has yet to be arraigned and enter a plea in Miami federal court because technically he has not hired his lawyer, Edward Shohat, as his permanent legal representative. In South Florida, a defendant cannot enter a plea without permanent counsel.

Over the past year, Rivera was fighting with prosecutors over using the sales proceeds of real estate assets to pay his lawyers fees. Rivera won that battle in January. He is now selling two residential properties in Oviedo and New Smyrna Beach so he can permanently retain Shohat and move forward with his case.

Wants to go to Venezuela and to GOP convention

In the meantime, Rivera is seeking a federal judges permission to travel to Venezuela for the upcoming presidential election, as well as to Mexico as a consultant for an educational institute and to the Republican Nation Convention in Milwaukee in mid-July as a Miami-Dade delegate.

Under the conditions of his bond as he awaits trial, his travel is restricted to the Atlanta, Orlando and Miami areas as well as New York City. He has surrendered his passport, and temporarily needs it to make the trips abroad. His request is under review by Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres in Miami federal court.

In his motion to travel to Venezuela, Rivera does not disclose the name of the opposition candidate for whom he wants to work in Venezuela. Formal campaigning in the presidential race got under way at midnight Thursday, with the election on July 28.

In his lawyers court filing, Rivera notes that last October the Biden administration partially lifted economic sanctions on Venezuela in recognition of an agreement between Maduro and the Venezuelan political opposition for the upcoming presidential election. Opposition activists have accused Maduro, who is seeking a third term, of using oppressive tactics, including imprisoning opposition members.

In the filing, Rivera cited his opposition work behind the scenes in the 2012, 2013 and 2018 Venezuelan presidential election cycles, and said he has lately advised several leading anti-Maduro candidates on their campaign activities in the United States.

To bolster the basis for his proposed trip to Venezuela, Rivera touts dozens of his publicly reported and unreported activities over the decades as a politician and consultant fighting communism in Cuba and socialism in Venezuela.

Rivera, who had served eight years in the Florida State House, was elected to one term in Congress, from early 2011 to early 2013. His then-25th Congressional District stretched across a great swath of the Everglades, and included parts of Collier, Miami-Dade, and Hendry counties, including the municipalities of Homestead, Leisure City and Cutler Bay.

In 2012, Rivera was publicly attacked by then-Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro for supporting Venezuelan exile organizations who were opposed to the [then-President Hugo] Chavez regime in Venezuela, according to his court motion to travel abroad. Chavez died the following year and was replaced by Maduro.

Rivera argues in his court motion that during the period of his indictment, February 2017 to December 2018, he continued and intensified his efforts against the Venezuelan government.

During the time-frame of the alleged conspiracy, extensive facts directly contradict and put the lie to the governments allegations that Rivera was acting as an unregistered agent of the Venezuelan government, his lawyer wrote in the motion seeking approval for travel to Venezuela. However, because Rivera will never be required to detail these facts for the government prior to trial ... the facts will not be previewed for prosecutors.

Instead, Riveras lawyer proposed showing certain evidence to the judge in his chambers without prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys Office present. This, too, will have to be approved by the magistrate judge.

Had previously sought to go to Venezuela

This isnt the first time Rivera has asked a federal judge in Miami to let him travel to Venezuela.

Months after he was indicted on charges of failing to register as a foreign agent, Riveras lawyer filed a motion to let him go to Venezuela to visit with a politically connected Caracas attorney facing conspiracy, corruption and money laundering charges in Miami.

The lawyer, Raul Gorrin, who was indicted in 2018, is better known as a TV media mogul with political connections to Venezuelan presidents and has significant real estate investments in the Miami area  all of which have been frozen by the feds.

Gorrin, considered a fugitive by prosecutors in Miami, worked behind the scenes advising Rivera while he was consulting for Venezuelas U.S. oil subsidiary. But Riveras request to meet with Gorrin, a possible witness for his defense, raised significant legal hurdles, so he eventually dropped it.

In December 2022, federal prosecutors filed an indictment charging Rivera and his Miami-Dade political associate, Esther Nuhfer, with conspiring to commit offenses against the United States, failing to register as foreign agents as part of their consulting work for Venezuelas oil subsidiary, PDV USA, and money laundering.

As Venezuelas economy was crashing in 2017, Riveras business, Interamerican Consulting, collected $20 million from Venezuelas U.S. subsidiary, PDV USA. Court documents reveal that before he was fired, Rivera diverted more than half of that income  $13 million  to three subcontractors in Miami who supposedly provided international strategic consulting services for the Venezuelan firm. The three recipients of the proceeds were his Venezuelan lawyer, Gorrin; his associate, Nuhfer; and a formerly convicted drug trafficker, Hugo Perera.

Then last December, Rivera was additionally charged in the same case with failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income  and diverting some of that money through a political campaign account to himself.

The amended indictment accuses Rivera of three tax crimes, including submitting a false corporate return for his consulting firm in 2017 and attempting to evade taxes on his personal return the following year.
This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo)

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP)  A roadside bomb planted on a bridge struck a rickshaw in northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least three people and wounding seven others, officials said.

The attack happened in Mardan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police official Sabir Khan said. He said police transported the wounded people to a hospital.

He said a police vehicle crossing the bridge was the target, but the bomb hit a speeding rickshaw, causing civilian casualties. Khan said police were investigating to determine who was behind the attack.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other government officials denounced the bombing.

No one claimed responsibility, but such attacks previously have been blamed on Islamic militants including the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021.

Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries and are even living openly in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, which also emboldened the TTP.

Pakistan has blamed some attacks on the Islamic State group and some breakaway factions of the TTP, which insists it only targets security forces.
Rochester man accused of assaulting woman after breaking into her Buffalo residence

Content warning: This article contains details of an alleged physical assault.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A Rochester man was arrested Friday after he allegedly broke into a womans Buffalo residence and assaulted her, Buffalo police announced.

Police said they received a call from a 12-year-old stating that her mother was being assaulted around 10 p.m. Thursday. Officers then responded to a residence on the 400 block of Normal Avenue and reportedly heard screaming inside.

After breaching a locked door, officers found a female victim badly injured on the floor, according to police. The woman claimed the assailant, a man known to her, allegedly broke into the home, physically and sexually assaulted her, took her phone and fled through a broken window, police said.

Adan Mohamed, 35, was arrested in connection with the alleged assault following an investigation and charged with:

One count of first-degree burglary

One count of second-degree strangulation

One count of fourth-degree grand larceny

One count of fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property

One count of third-degree criminal mischief

One count of third-degree assault

One count of second-degree harassment

Mohamed was also wanted out of Rochester for a warrant related to a separate incident.

Police said an investigation into the sexual assault allegations is ongoing.

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.
From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond: A resurrection in New Mexico

Shannon Brewer, executive director of the Las Cruces Women's Health Organization, poses with one of her favorite works of art in Las Cruces, N.M., on May 10, 2024. The painting depicts the "Pink House," the abortion clinic in Jackson, Miss., that Brewer managed before its lawsuit against the state resulted in the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. (Photo by Corrie Boudreaux for Alabama Reflector)

This is the final installment of a four-part series

Diane Derzis bought a clinic in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2010. It was the states only abortion provider.

Shed been doing this work for decades. First in Birmingham, then around the country. Shed navigated many crises in her career  protesters, threats, even the awful aftermath of a clinic bombing.

But now, in late June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court upended federal abortion rights with a ruling on a case bearing her Mississippi clinics name: Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

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.

After the ruling came down, Derzis drove from her home in Birmingham to her clinic in Jackson. Within hours of the decision, she was speaking at a news conference there.

Mississippi, like many other states in the South, was moving swiftly to outlaw abortion.

It was absolutely depressing because we knew that the most vulnerable of women were being left behind, she said. And I think thats why Jackson was so important to us, is that these were the most vulnerable women.

Besides Mississippi, 12 other states had trigger laws that would outlaw abortion once the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, according to the research and policy organization the Guttmacher Institute: Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Alabamas near-total abortion ban, passed in 2019 but blocked by a federal judge before the Dobbs decision, went into effect shortly after Roe fell. Other states would go on to pass abortion restrictions of some kind or another.

Derzis was troubled by the job losses that were going to happen after the Jackson clinic closed.

But she also felt motivated. She wanted to fight even harder for abortion care in the United States. And she was excited about a project shed been working on.

Around the time the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Dobbs, Derzis and Shannon Brewer, Jackson Womens Health Organizations administrator, had started hunting for a new home for the clinic.

New Mexico was the only state Derzis considered. For one, abortion access was safe there.

The thought of being in a state that actually valued what you did was a new concept, Derzis said with a chuckle.

But there were other reasons, too. Derzis felt New Mexico was tranquil. She owned residential property there. Ever since she was younger, she had wanted to have a clinic in the state  Santa Fe, specifically.

New Mexico was also relatively close to Texas and the South, where abortion access would quickly disappear after Dobbs. That proximity was important to Derzis. Her focus for the relocated clinic would be out-of-state patients.

The hunt was on. Santa Fe got eliminated. It wasnt close enough to El Paso, Texas. Derzis also visited Hobbs, near the states border with Texas. It had a cute downtown. The buildings were quite affordable, she remembered. But there were Trump signs everywhere. So many that Derzis joked that the former president had them manufactured there. She said it wouldnt be safe to operate a clinic there.

There was also Las Cruces. The second-largest city in New Mexico emerged as the winner.

Derzis and her business partners bought a two-story, 5,500 square-foot building the following month. A former dentists office, it was much bigger than what they needed. Unused for years, it still had dental equipment inside.

But it was available. The location was perfect. And it checked every other box. Good neighborhood. Pharmacy right beside it. Medical buildings nearby. Easily accessible by car via the interstate.

Las Cruces already had one abortion clinic. And Planned Parenthood was in the process of opening a clinic there, too. None of this fazed Derzis. New Mexicans werent necessarily the patients she was trying to reach.

As for whether it made financial sense to have an abortion clinic in a city or town that already had at least one, Derzis said that used to be something she had to think about. But when Dobbs took effect, abortion effectively ended in Texas, which had two dozen clinics operating in the state at that time, according to the Texas Tribune.

Those patients had to go somewhere, Derzis said. So, we knew they would be going to the closest state, which was New Mexico or, perhaps, Illinois.

Brewer got Las Cruces Womens Health Organization up and running while managing the clinic in Jackson. She split time living in Las Cruces and Jackson during this time. Hopscotching between the two took at least around 16 hours  or nearly 1,100-miles  each way if going by car.

Brewer had never started a clinic up from scratch before. But she had help. Her sister had come out to assist. And locals in Las Cruces asked what she needed. Folks would show up wanting to volunteer with setup.

After the leak of the Supreme Courts decision, Brewer and her sister would wake up around 6 a.m. They would work on getting the clinic in Las Cruces set up until 8 or 9 p.m. Over and over, day in, day out. Theyd hang pictures. Clean. Order things. Set up rooms.

The hardest part was trying to figure out how to let patients know about the Las Cruces clinic. To address that, Brewer strategically picked journalists shed do interviews with. She had particular audiences in mind, especially Texas.

If theyre wanting to interview us, then this is taking up a lot of my time that Im taking away from Jackson and Las Cruces, Brewer said. So, it has to be beneficial for me, for the patients, for everybody if Im going to do that.

Hiring for Las Cruces Womens Health Organization began shortly after the Dobbs ruling. Employees at the Jackson clinic were offered the opportunity to go to Las Cruces. Derzis and Brewer offered to cover relocation expenses and a place to stay. But only Brewer and her sister made the move. Most of the women at the clinic in Mississippi, Derzis said, had their roots and families there.

This is small-town South, you know? Derzis said. Thats where your home is.

In a nearby parking lot in the scorching heat on a Tuesday in July that year, anti-abortion activists held a rally across the street from the yet-to-be-opened clinic in Las Cruces. For about an hour and a half person after person came to the microphone to speak  11 in all. The event was livestreamed.

Some in the crowd sat. Others stood. There were signs. BABY LIVES MATTER read one in big, capital letters. My favorite Right is LIFE read another. At least two people held large wooden crosses.

Twenty-nine eighteen Hillrise will be free of abortions one day soon because, with God, all things are possible, said David Bereit, founder of a religious anti-abortion organization called 40 Days for Life, after briefly turning away from the crowd and looking in the direction of the clinic behind him.

Brewer wasnt in town. But she was kept in the loop. Her sister and a friend texted her pictures and videos.

Toward the end of the rally, Mark Cavaliere stepped to the lectern. He was with the Southwest Coalition for Life, another religious anti-abortion group.

It seems like every few days, we hear about a new abortion corporation coming into New Mexico, Cavaliere said. Were going from five abortion businesses in the state of New Mexico to tripling that number, possibly quadrupling that number. And its, its just been overwhelming.

His prediction wouldnt come to pass. According to the University of California San Franciscos Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program, which maintains a database of abortion clinics, there were six abortion facilities in New Mexico in 2021. The website abortionfinder.org listed 12 facilities providing in-person services and 14 with telehealth services in the state.

Still, he announced that day that Southwest Coalition for Life had leased a nearby building. There, it would spin up a pregnancy center to counter Las Cruces Womens Health Organization. Also known as a crisis pregnancy center, it would be a facility that tries to dissuade those who are pregnant from having an abortion.

So, before theyve even opened, Cavaliere said, referring to Derzis abortion clinic, were setting the stage.

Two and a half weeks after the rally, Las Cruces Womens Health Organization opened on Aug. 5, 2022. Guiding Star Southwest, a crisis pregnancy center, operates nearby.

Derzis visited the clinic about a month later. It was beautiful. It had warmth. It gave a sense that patients were going to be taken care of. Walls inside were painted fuchsia, yellows, oranges, blues, greens. Derzis cried that day.

It was just like one big ol beautiful testament to women, you know? Derzis said. That women have the ability, and only women have that ability, to make this decision.

  

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe, women have had to navigate hurdles in order to attempt to get an abortion. That includes abortions because of medical emergencies for the mother or baby.

It brings out such rage in me, Derzis said. The only way I can fix that is to build clinics.

Derzis opened two more abortion clinics, one in Bristol, Virginia, and one in Chicago, both with Brewers help.

It was time to take a break after Chicago. Derzis was 69-years-old. But she wasnt eyeing retirement.

She wanted to reassess opening more abortion clinics. At that point, her portfolio consisted of five. In addition to her three newest clinics  Las Cruces, Bristol, and Chicago  there were her two older ones that were still up and running from before Roes demise: One in Richmond, Virginia, and one in Columbus, Georgia. She said she still hopes to open a clinic in Maryland.

Derzis expanded her small core team of staff to handle the brunt of day-to-day operations across the clinics. That has helped her recharge.

Nowadays, Derzis is less active with her clinics. But shes a sounding board when it comes to important decisions.

Its definitely been a step back, she said. Im not planning on dying anytime soon, but, you know, theyre a great deal younger than I am, and theyre the future.

Derzis just turned 70 and is just south of 50 years of working in abortion care. How much longer was she going to stay in the abortion-access movement?

Until Im dead. Seriously, the Abortion Queen said without hesitation. Or until shes unable, she added moments later.

Why?

Because theres no way I would give up now when its at a crisis point.

This story first appeared in the Alabama Reflector, with the Phoenix a member of the nonprofit States Newsroom network.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
The FedEx guy was on Michael Shannon's porch in northwest Detroit, and he had an issue. "We're not supposed to take things without a box," he said.

Shannon pointed to the item at his feet  31 inches wide by 16 inches deep by 13 inches tall, olive green in color, one of millions of sturdy objects of its kind to survive far worse than a few hours on a modern jet.

"It is the box," he said.

Specifically, it's a U.S. Army Air Forces footlocker, made of wood and reinforced with metal at its edges. Eighty years ago, as World War II raged overseas, it held the few possessions of 2nd Lt. Frank M. Weiss of Detroit.

Rediscovered by Shannon at a curb on trash day in late April, it has been safely relocated to a basement in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where Weiss' son has packed it with wartime memorabilia and the flag from his father's funeral.

It's a receptacle, though, for more than that.

A story, to start with, the tale of how it spent at least six decades in a stranger's garage and only found its way home after someone finally decided to throw it away.

A reminder, in an angry world, that simple kindness can still be a motivator for people to go above and beyond the call of duty when the only likely reward is inconvenience.

A dividend, in Shannon's case, for endless curiosity and an appreciation of the past.

The path of the fiberboard chest touches on white flight, the 1967 riot and even the Purple Gang, if you go back far enough.

There's a mystery to it  how did the footlocker find its way to the garage where it sat protected for so long?  and to Shannon, there's an element of spirituality. A lot of stars had to align before Weiss' son could take possession of an artifact he didn't even know existed, and playing a role in destiny seemed far more worthy than making a few dollars that would only disappear.

As for how it made the trek from Shannon's house on Appoline Street to Herb Weiss' home in Pawtucket, that just took a yank and a drive.

He hefted it into the bed of his 2016 Dodge Ram 1500 and drove it to a FedEx store in Southfield. Weiss had prepaid the $160 fee, and a shipping clerk agreed that yes, indeed, it was a box.

Fate and fortune

Shannon's late parents bought the Appoline house in 1968. White flight from Detroit had begun in the 1950s, but the 1967 riot accelerated the process, and a transitioning Jewish neighborhood became both attainable and affordable.

The area remained sedate enough that Shannon, 55, knew weatherman Sonny Eliot's mom, who stayed put across the street, and it's comfortable enough that he can still find small treasures in other people's castoffs. Alongside the black pickup in his garage he has a couple of lawnmowers, a small generator and a snow blower, each needing only a spark plug or a few tweaks to be up and running.

"He's a curious person," said 98-year-old neighbor Elva Gamble, enjoying a bit of sunshine on her porch. "He's always digging up something."

Michael Shannon checks in with Herb Weiss of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, whose father owned the 80-year-old Army footlocker Shannon rescued from a curb in his northwest Detroit neighborhood. While Shannon says hes not a scrapper or a dedicated salvager, he hates seeing usable objects put to waste  as witness the rescued lawnmowers, small generator and other objects awaiting repair in his garage.

"People throw away anything," Shannon said, and, not that he's scavenging, but sometimes he can't help but notice.

Retired from the city wastewater plant, he does small repair jobs for friends of friends  windows, decks, what have you. He can't recall what he was returning from when he turned onto a street that's not usually part of his route home, but that's when he saw a man pushing a wheelbarrow with the empty footlocker in it.

If he'd made his regular turn, Shannon said, he'd have missed it. A few seconds earlier, the same. A few seconds later, he might not have glanced in that direction.

He pulled over, and immediately took note of the name painted in white on the front of the locker: "LT. FRANK M. WEISS."

The letters were brushed, not stenciled. "Bomber art," the history devotee called it, like the illustration on the nose cone of a B-17. That was enough for him to snap a cellphone picture and dial retired Detroit schoolteacher Cetaura Bell.

She's his next-door neighbor, his girlfriend, and the daughter of a devoted flea market entrepreneur.

"I was like, 'Get it! Do not dare put that in the trash,' " Bell said.

By the time he made it to her house  one long block, two short ones  she had found both Weisses online.

Deep roots in Detroit

Frank M. Weiss was born in Philadelphia in 1914 and moved to Detroit with his family the next year.

He was named Morris F. Weiss then, and still named Morris in the 1920 census records that Detroit Public Library archivist Laura Kennedy turned up as she helped Herb Weiss reassure himself that the footlocker was in fact an heirloom.

Research by Laura Kennedy of the Detroit Public Library helped establish that an address label on 2nd Lt. Frank Weiss footlocker matched one where his family lived in Detroit, making authentication of the boxs ownership certain.

By the time he met Sally Weller, he was Frank, and he took her to the London Chop House on their first date in August 1941. Given the prices of the entrees, he said later, he was pleased that she finished her lamb chops rather than just taking a few dainty bites.

Her father was Samuel Weller, a well-known defense attorney whose clientele purportedly included members of the Purple Gang. When Weiss asked permission to propose to his daughter, just six weeks after the lamb chops, Weller had only one question: "Were you ever in jail?"

The Weisses began their 62-year marriage in January 1942 at the Book Cadillac Hotel, as classic a Detroit location as the Chop House. Weiss was working for Winkelman's, the department store chain, and climbing briskly up the corporate ladder.

Then the U.S. Army suggested a career change.

Detroiter Frank Weiss entered the U.S. Army Air Corps as a private and mustered out as an officer, a 2nd lieutenant.

Where duty called

More than 16 million Americans served in the military in World War II. Not all of them came ashore at Omaha Beach or flew dangerous spy missions in the Pacific.

Frank Weiss spent his war stateside, going where he was assigned and doing what he was told. Kearns, Utah, at an air base with no runways. St. Louis. Denver. Miami Beach, Florida. At one point, the Army Air Forces, which had yet to split into a separate service, had him studying meteorology. Later, it was statistics.

He rarely spoke of those years, Herb said, but he had some scrapbooks full of photos and some assorted paperwork and letters of recommendation issued by superiors as he made the climb from private to commissioned officer.

Herb kept them in his basement in a red Nieman Marcus box. Then a message popped up on Facebook about a trunk.

Herb, 70, serves as deputy director of a senior center in Pawtucket and writes freelance articles for several local newspapers about issues tied to aging. He dedicated one of the pieces to his father, and that's what Bell found on the internet.

After that, connecting the dots was easy. Tracking the steps of the footlocker has been more problematic.

Scrapbook pages from 2nd Lt. Frank Weisss military career are now stored in his old footlocker, salvaged from a Detroit street corner.

A tire, but no tracks

The man with the wheelbarrow was a friend of the elderly homeowner who had volunteered to clear out her garage. It appears, Shannon said, that the footlocker came with the house when she bought it in 1965, almost 60 years ago.

Frank Weiss had returned home to his wife and oldest child after the war. In the early 1950s, at the behest of Winkelman's, the family moved to Saginaw. Ultimately, he took an executive job at a women's clothing chain in Dallas, where Herb was raised.

But, at one point, his Detroit mailing address had been his in-laws' large house at 16841 Wildemere, the address that still shows in faint letters on a label on the trunk.

That's 3.8 miles from the corner where Shannon rescued the trunk, and there's no telling how it made the trip way back when Lyndon B. Johnson was president, or even earlier.

Herb wonders whether his widowed grandmother  the wife of attorney Weller  held a garage sale before she joined her daughter's family in Texas. Maybe she hauled the footlocker to the curb, generations before someone else did the same thing.

Herb Weiss, a senior center administrator and freelance writer from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, remains mystified as to how his fathers World War II footlocker wound up at a curb in northwest Detroit  but also grateful to now own it.

One thing he knows for certain is that Shannon and Bell, to use an aquatic metaphor for an Air Forces footlocker, swam against the tide.

"They didn't have to do this," he said. They could have kept the trunk as a coffee table, or sold it at a swap meet; less pristine specimens are priced at more than $400 online.

"In this crazy world where people don't give a rip about each other," he said, "and certainly don't care about strangers, look at all the trouble they went to."

With insufficient thanks, he said, he sent Shannon a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant.

His father's World War II footlocker is now in Herb Weiss Rhode Island basement, packed with memorabilia and perched atop plastic tubs of old paperwork.

The footlocker, meantime, sits in his basement, safe and dry, atop some plastic tubs of other collectibles and next to three chairs salvaged from a historic Pawtucket theater demolished in 1997.

That was six years before Frank Weiss died in Dallas at 89, his old footlocker surely forgotten  but not, as it turned out, gone.

Reach Neal Rubin at NARubin@freepress.com.

To subscribe to the Free Press at discount rates, click here.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: WWII veteran's footlocker surfaces in Detroit after 80 years
Russia claims civilian casualties in drone strike on Krasnodar Krai, Kyiv has not commented on allegations

Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of Russia's Krasnodar Krai, claimed on July 5 that a drone attack on the city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk killed a six-year-old girl and injured at least five others, including a child.

Ukraine has not commented on the allegations, and the claims could not be independently verified.

Russia's Defense Ministry also claimed that 14 drones had been shot down over Krasnodar Krai, a region of southern Russia bordering the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia to the south and occupied Crimea to the west.

Kondratyev alleged that the attack had damaged a three-story apartment building in the city. The Baza Telegram channel shared a photo of a damaged building, saying that it depicted the aftermath of the alleged strike in Primorsko-Akhtarsk.

Primorsko-Akhtarsk is home to a Russian airbase where both military jets and drones are regularly launched to attack Ukraine.

Russia has previously claimed Ukrainian attacks on military and industrial targets in Krasnodar Krai, some of which Kyiv has confirmed.

Read also: Who needs warships when youve got drones? Russia loses control over Black Sea

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
S7 Airlines has been forced to ground dozens of its jets - S7 Airlines

Russia is poised to ground almost 40 passenger planes as sanctions prevent the countrys airlines from being able to fix engines.

S7 Airlines, Russias second-biggest carrier, recently warned that it had idled more than half its fleet of Airbus A320neo jets  which provide links between Moscow and other cities.

This has led to warnings that the countrys domestic passenger numbers will fall by 7pc this year, dropping below 100m.

Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russias federal air transport agency, told the Tass state news agency: These aircraft carry a significant volume of passengers, but the operation of these engines requires increased attention.

Mr Yadrov said the full extent of the passenger decline will depend on how many planes S7 can keep flying and should be clearer come August or September.

The loss of capacity represents a blow to Vladimir Putins government, which had managed to keep most of Russias aircraft in service despite the imposition of sanctions in 2022.

The restrictions had prevented airlines from sourcing parts and repairs from Western providers.

Unlike routine maintenance work, the faults with the A320neo engines  which stem from the use of contaminated powdered metal in some parts  require specialist intervention from manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

That means they must be removed after reaching a specified number of flights, with repairs taking up to 300 days per engine.

Airlines around the world have been affected  including European discount carrier Wizz Air,  but for most operators the groundings represent a temporary inconvenience.

However, for S7 and other Russian airlines, they are likely to represent a permanent loss of capacity, at least until the end of the war in Ukraine and a possible lifting of sanctions.

Russian media cited a transport ministry source as saying that neither S7s engineering division nor Iran, which has years of experience keeping planes flying in the face of sanctions, has been able to carry out the required repairs.

S7 has already grounded 15 of its 31 A320neo jets  up from about half a dozen five months ago  and all eight of its larger A321neo aircraft, according to figures published on the CH-Aviation website. That would leave just 16 of the planes still operational.

The company also has older A320 models unaffected by the engine issue, as well as Boeing 737s, though its not clear how many of those remain serviceable.

S7 ranks second in size among Russian airlines after state-owned Aeroflot and is the countrys leading operator on domestic routes, with hubs in Moscow and Novosibirsk in Siberia, where it was founded.

The carrier is a member of the Oneworld alliance that also includes British Airways and American Airlines, though its membership has been suspended since the Ukraine invasion.

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.
Linked by mountains and rivers, China and Tajikistan have cultivated a profound traditional friendship. The two countries have achieved fruitful results in trade and economic cooperation, connectivity, and cultural exchanges. #GLOBALink
Russia has forced the West to ramp up production of older weapons  even gear it wasn't making any more

Demand and production of Western weaponry has gone way up.

This includes gear that has been around for decades, and even some where production had stopped.

Nations want to aid Ukraine and grow their own arsenals, but experts say too little is being made.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in a surge in demand, orders, and manufacturing of Western weaponry, including decades-old equipment and even gear that had gone out of production.

The invasion has sparked concern across the West that its militaries do not have enough ammunition and equipment if a major power like Russia decides to attack them.

And also that some particularly key types of weaponry are in worryingly short supply.

Manufacturing has increased, but experts warn it's not enough for Western countries' needs  both for themselves and for what they want to give to Ukraine.

Jan Kallberg, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis and a fellow at the Army Cyber Institute at West Point, describes weapons orders as having been relatively low.

"And suddenly they see a surge in sales, a need, a demand that I would say hasn't been seen since the forties or at least the fifties when the Cold War really took off," he told BI.

More orders and manufacturing

Western defense budgets are surging, while countries in the Middle East are also increasing their spending amid conflicts in the region.

The result is more orders and manufacturing, even of Western equipment where production had stopped.

In January, the US Army signed a $50 million contract to restart production of M777 howitzer parts  the first new order in five years  to be sent to Ukraine.

Norway plans to invest to improve the delivery times of its National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), with demand up in Europe.

The US Army also placed a new $1.9 billion order for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), which have been used successfully in Ukraine.

Its maker, Lockheed Martin, is increasing production as well as its production of the antitank missile system.

Ukrainian militaries supervise a M142 HIMARS launching a rocket near Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

German arms maker Diehl is planning to increase production of the IRIS-T air defense system, while France has ordered companies involved in making Aster air defense missiles to prioritize those contracts.

Demand for the Patriot surface-to-air missile system, first used in the 1990s but upgraded since, has also dramatically increased. This includes a coalition of European countries jointly ordering up to 1,000 missiles earlier this year.

Lockheed Martin said production of Patriot missiles has increased from 350 a year in 2018 to 500 last year and 550 this year.

Timothy Wright, a missile technology expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the size of the production increase compared to actual demand shows industries and governments have not responded enough.

"I don't think we are learning the whole entire lesson just yet," he said.

The US seems aware of the backlog, with the Financial Times reporting last month that the US is halting open orders for Patriot interceptor missiles until Ukraine is better supplied.

Mark Cancian, a defense strategy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said many new orders are for air defense systems.

The West had stopped investing in them after the Cold War when it ceased to see Russia as the primary threat, he said, but now, seeing Russia's missile and drone salvos, demand is back.

Ready for Russia

Western militaries have not spent the last decades building their arsenals with a major adversary like Russia in mind, experts warn.

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a training center of Russia's Western Military District. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS

Russia has one of the world's biggest militaries and its war in Ukraine shows it is willing to commit to a grinding, brutal fight where it incurs a lot of losses.

Russia has also ramped up its wartime production, which could aid it in the future and not just against Ukraine.

Some European countries have warned that Russia could soon attack another European nation if it is victorious in Ukraine.

That would likely drag the US into a wider war, due to NATO's collective defense clause.

Slow progress

Ukraine has used lots of different weaponry in its fightback against Russia, and has seen notable successes despite not getting the West's most advanced or modern gear.

Mattias Eken, a missile defense expert at the RAND Corporation, said the West will be "reassured" by how its equipment is "working and sometimes pulling off quite amazing things."

But, he warned, "the problem is mass."

Ukraine's allies want enough equipment both to give more to Ukraine and to boost their own arsenals.

That dual need has been a problem for Ukraine. Some European countries have cited the need to keep their own arsenals full when saying they could not give more to Ukraine.

Talking about air defenses, Cancian said: "Everyone agrees that there aren't enough. They sped up production to a degree, but there's a limit to what you can do."

A Ukrainian soldier with a shoulder-fired antiaircraft missile in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Giorgio Di Mizio, an air warfare expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the problem is demand compared to capacity, not countries' unwillingness to spend.

Making new equipment takes time, and there are long backlogs.

Industry production will need to ramp up more significantly to address the issues.

But Kallberg said the industry needs guarantees. "If you were an executive in the defense industry, you would ask yourself: 'If I ramp up all my production now, what type of commitment can I get from governments that they will keep buying?'"

One solution would have been countries ramping up their orders and production earlier in the war, Di Mizio said.

"Maybe governments thought of this war as a short-term issue," he said. But he said it was easy to criticize now, with hindsight.

He also said the defense industry had a way of working that was more suited to peacetime than war, "and we haven't made changes."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russia loses more than 1,000 soldiers and 54 artillery systems over past 24 hours

Ukrainian soldiers on a combat mission. Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Russian forces have lost 1,110 soldiers killed and wounded, 10 tanks and 11 armoured combat vehicles over the past 24 hours.

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 5 July 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses  ed.]:

approximately 548,580 (+1,110) ;

8,142 (+10) tanks;

15,611 (+11) armoured combat vehicles;

14,831 (+54) artillery systems;

1,115 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems;

878 (+0) air defence systems;

360 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft;

326 (+0) helicopters;

11,751 (+57) strategic and tactical UAVs;

2,342 (+0) cruise missiles;

28 (+0) ships and boats;

1 (+0) submarines;

19,977 (+54) vehicles and tankers;

2,473 (+5) special vehicles and other equipment.

The data is being ascertained.

Support UP or become our patron!
A US citizen who was detained in Moscow on drug-related charges in January has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in a maximum-security penal colony, according to a court statement released Thursday.

Robert Woodland was found guilty of attempted trafficking of large amounts of illegal drugs as part of an organized group, the Ostankino District Court of Moscow said.

Woodlands lawyers told reporters after the verdict was delivered that they would appeal the ruling as Woodlands guilt had not been proven, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Woodland has been suffering from unspecified mental health issues, his lawyer Stanislav Kshevitsky told AP without providing any details. He added that the court didnt take those issues into account. CNN is reaching out to his lawyers for comment.

Moscows prosecutors office said that on January 3, Woodland was caught trying to hide a large batch of mephedrone after he had transported the synthetic stimulant to an apartment in Moscow. Prosecutors said he had used the apartment to bag the drugs in 49 smaller packages for further illegal sale.

Woodland is a US citizen of Russian origin who was adopted by US scientists and he returned to Russia 27 years later. He was born on December 7, 1991, and his real name is Roman Romanov. He comes from the Perm Krai region, far from Moscow and just West of the Ural mountains.

The pro-Kremlin tabloid Komosomolskaya Pravda reported in 2020 that Woodland was two years old when he was brought to the US.

Woodland is one of at least a dozen US citizens and dual nationals currently being detained in Russia, including Evan Gershkovich, the first American journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. Gershkovichs espionage trial began in late June, nearly 15 months after he was first detained.

Western officials and analysts have accused Russia of using jailed Americans as political pawns. Discussing the case of Ksenia Karelina, a US-Russian dual citizen also on trial in Yekaterinburg after being accused of donating $51 to a Ukrainian charity, Russian investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov told CNN that Russia aims to build up a bank of hostages with American passports, which Moscow can use as leverage in any negotiations with Washington.

Paul Whelan, an American declared wrongfully detained by the US State Department and currently serving a 16-year prison sentence on espionage charges, told CNN Thursday in a phone call from his remote prison camp in Mordovia that US President Joe Biden should handle his case as he would do if his own son were being held hostage.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Russian attack on Dnipro on 3 July: injured woman dies in hospital, death toll rises to 8  photo

Aftermath of the Russian attack on Dnipro on 3 July. Photo: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration

Serhii Lysak, the Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, has reported that a 72-year-old woman injured in the Russian strike on the city of Dnipro on 3 July has died in hospital.

Source: Lysak on Telegram

Quote: "Another woman injured in Dnipro has passed away in hospital. She was 72 years old. There are already eight people who were killed in the Russian attack."

Details: Lysak expressed condolences to everyone who lost their loved ones in that attack.

Damaged house. Photo: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration

Background:

On the morning of 3 July, the Russians attacked Dnipro. Explosions rang out in the city; a shopping centre was damaged. There were reports of deaths and casualties.

The Air Force later clarified that the Russians had struck Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with three Iskander-K surface-to-surface cruise missiles, four Kh-59 missiles, and five Shahed attack UAVs. Ukrainian air defence units had shot down 11 aerial targets: one Iskander-K cruise missile, four Kh-59 aircraft-launched missiles, five Shahed-131/136 loitering munitions, and one Orlan-10 UAV.

Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, reported on 4 July that another woman wounded as a result of a Russian attack on Dnipro on 3 July had died in hospital.

Support UP or become our patron!
Russian troops attacked the village of Komar in Donetsk Oblast on July 5, killing a woman and injuring at least 20 other people, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

The center of the front-line village was struck with three Russian guided aerial bombs, according to the governor. The attack damaged 13 houses, four stores, two high-rise buildings, two administrative building and two infrastructure facilities, he added.

One of the victims died while receiving medical care, the statement read.

The type of weapons Russia used for the attack is being determined.

Settlements in Donetsk Oblast suffer from daily Russian strikes due to their proximity to the front line. Heavy fighting continues in Donetsk Oblast as Russia seeks to occupy the entire region.

Three people were killed and 27 injured in the region over the past day, Filashkin said.

Read also: Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 7, injure 43 over past day

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed at least seven civilians and injured at least 43 over the past day, regional authorities reported early on July 5.

In Donetsk Oblast, three people were killed and 27 were injured in Russian attacks over the past day, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

The fatalities included residents of Stinky, Zavitne, and Krasnohorivka, according to the statement.

Injuries were reported in Novohrodivka, Ukrainsk, Pivnichne, Kurakhovne, Myrne, Kleban-Byk, and Kostiantynivka.

In Kharkiv Oblast, three people were killed and six injured over the past day, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

A man was killed in a Russian attack against the village of Losivka in the afternoon on July 4. Two women died in the villages Hlushkivka and Ruska Lozova earlier the same day, the governor said.

In Hlushkivka, four women and one man were injured, and another man was injured in Ruska Lozova.

Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast injured three people over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. A medical facility, a gas pipeline, as well as residential and other buildings were reportedly damaged.

Russia launched a missile attack against the Odesa area, damaging port infrastructure, Governor Oleh Kiper reported. One civilian was killed, and seven others were injured, he said.

Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts also came under attack, but no casualties were reported.

Russia launched 32 Shahed-type drones against Ukraine overnight, all of which were shot down, the Air Force said.

Read also: As an American in Kyiv, Im proud of how much we helped Ukraine and scared we may let it down

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russian authorities complain about drone attacks and fires in two regions  video

The governors of Russias Krasnodar Krai and Rostov Oblast have reported drone attacks that have caused fires and casualties.

Source: Veniamin Kondratiev, the governor of Russias Krasnodar Krai; Vasily Golubev, the governor of Rostov Oblast

Details: Kondratiev claimed that Russian air defence troops had shot down several drones in Primorsko-Akhtarsk.

He also said that the attack had damaged a three-storey apartment building. In addition, operations at the power substation that supplies much of the city were disrupted.

Golubev noted that 10 more UAVs had supposedly been shot down by air defence forces in the skies over Rostov Oblast.

Quote from Golubev: "Relevant emergency services noted that the air attack and the falling of UAV debris caused fires in the open on the left bank of the river Don and in the Azov district of the oblast."

Details: Russian Telegram channel Astra posted the alleged moment of the UAV attack on Rostov-on-Don.

Support UP or become our patron!
Russian colonel charged in absentia for ordering attacks on civilian infrastructure

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) charged Russian Colonel Ivan Panchenko in absentia for ordering attacks on civilian infrastructure in eastern Ukraine, the SBU announced on July 4.

The SBU allege that Panchenko, the commander of the 159th Fighter Aviation Regiment of Russia's Western Military District, ordered air strikes on various targets along the eastern front.

Panchenko is alleged to have ordered the airstrike on the Hryhoriy Skovoroda National Literary Memorial Museum in Skovorodynivka, Kharkiv Oblast - an institution located nowhere near military targets. The museum was destroyed shortly after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in May 2022.

Following the attack, President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack against the home of a man who taught people what a true Christian attitude to life is and how a person can know himself," referring to Skovoroda, a widely-recognized poet in Ukraine.

According to the SBU, Russian forces used a Su-35 fighter jet to fire a Kh-35 missile to strike the museum. One employee of the museum was seriously injured in the attack.

Evidence compiled by the SBU suggests Panchenko continues to order airstrikes onto various regions of Ukraine.

Panchenko is charged under multiple articles of Ukraine's Criminal Code pertaining to "violations of the laws and customs of war."

Read also: Russian colonel charged in absentia for ordering attacks on civilian infrastructure

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The aftermath of the Russian strike on the Komar village council in Donetsk Oblast. Photo: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office

An employee of the Komar village council has been killed and 14 of her colleagues injured in a Russian attack on the Volnovakha district, Donetsk Oblast.

Source: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office

Details: Russian forces delivered three strikes on the village of Komar in Volnovakha district on Friday, 5 July. The Russians targeted the centre of the village. One of the munitions landed near the village council building, injuring 15 council employees who were in the building at the time.

Twelve women and three men were taken to hospital. One of the civilians, a 32-year-old woman, died of her injuries while receiving medical treatment.

Quote: "A residential area of the village also came under fire from Russian forces. Information is being gathered regarding the total number of casualties and the type of weapons used by the enemy.

A local authority building, houses, outbuildings and vehicles have been damaged.

The aftermath of the Russian strike on the village of Komar.

Photo: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office

Prosecutors are taking all possible and appropriate measures to document the war crimes committed by representatives of the Russian Armed Forces."

Support UP or become our patron!
LONDON (Reuters) -Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is serving a 25-year jail sentence for treason, has been transferred to a prison hospital, his wife Evgenia said in a post on X on Friday.

The 42-year-old Moscow-born Kara-Murza, who has Russian and British passports, was jailed after repeatedly condemning Russia's war in Ukraine and calling for Western sanctions against Moscow.

His wife said he was transferred on Thursday evening to the prison hospital in Omsk, where he is incarcerated, but gave no further details about his condition.

She said his lawyers had waited five hours to see him but were denied visitation rights.

Kara-Murza suffers from a nerve condition called polyneuropathy after surviving two poisoning attempts and has repeatedly voiced concerns about his health in prison, his wife said.

She has reiterated those concerns several times since Feb. 16, when leading opposition figure Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony.

Kara-Murza's jail term, handed down in April 2023 after what he described as a show trial like those under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in the 1930s, was the harshest such sentence since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kara-Murza was arrested in April 2022, accused of spreading false information about the armed forces and declared a "foreign agent". Hours earlier, CNN had broadcast an interview in which he said Russia was run by "a regime of murderers".

A former journalist, he was later charged with treason over speeches he gave about the war, including one to the Arizona House of Representatives in March 2022 in which he said Russian President Vladimir Putin was bombing Ukrainian homes, hospitals and schools.

Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians although thousands have been killed in Ukraine.

Kara-Murza lost an appeal against his conviction in May, the month he won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary for columns which he wrote from prison and were published in the Washington Post.

(Reporting by Reuters, Writing by Lucy Papachristou, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
DUSHANBE, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to unswervingly promote the friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Tajikistan, said Chinese President Xi Jinping here on Friday.

China will firmly support Tajikistan in pursuing a development path that suits its own national conditions, and in its efforts to safeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, said Xi during his talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.

China will also firmly support various domestic political arrangements and development measures introduced by the Tajik president, and resolutely oppose interference in Tajik internal affairs by any external force under any pretext, said Xi. 
Russians attack town in Donetsk Oblast with Smerch MLRS: one killed and one injured

One person was killed and one was injured in Russian attacks on the town of Ukrainsk, Donetsk Oblast.

Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Details: On the afternoon of 5 July, the Russians opened fire on the city with Smerch MLRSs. A house, an infrastructure facility and two businesses were damaged.

Quote: "Selydove hromada is constantly under enemy attack  it is dangerous to stay here, as well as in the rest of Donetsk Oblast [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.].

I urge everyone: do not hesitate! Evacuate from here!"

Support UP or become our patron!
119 clashes reported, Russians double down on Pokrovsk and two other fronts  Ukraine's General Staff

There have been 119 combat clashes on the front lines. The situation on the Pokrovsk front remains the most intense today, with Russian forces also engaged on the Lyman and Toretsk fronts.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 22:00 on 5 July

Details: During the day, Russian forces carried out 6 missile attacks (using 12 missiles) and 47 airstrikes on Ukrainian territory (using, in particular, 63 guided aerial bombs), as well as 422 kamikaze drones. They also launched 2,797 strikes against Ukrainian troops' positions and settlements

On the Kharkiv front, the Russians launched five attacks in the vicinity of Hlyboke and Lyptsi. Ukrainian soldiers successfully repulsed three of the Russian assaults. Skirmishes continue in two areas around Hlyboke. The situation remains under control.

On the Kupiansk front, the Russians attempted five times to push on Ukrainian positions near Synkivka. Four hostile attacks have already been effectively repulsed by Ukraines defence forces. Another combat clash continues.

Today, the Russians are especially active on the Lyman front, attacking 21 times in the vicinity of Nevske, Serebrianka Forest, Hrekivka, Makiivka and Terny. Two attacks are still ongoing, while others were repulsed by Ukrainian forces. The losses suffered by the Russians are being estimated.

On the Siversk front, the Russians attempted seven times to breach Ukrainian defences at Bilohorivka, Spirne and Vyimka. All were unsuccessful. The situation is under control.

On the Kramatorsk front, the Russians carried out six combat assaults. Four attacks in the area of Ivanivske, Klishchiivka and Chasiv Yar were repulsed. The Russian forces suffered losses and fled. The situation is intense, as the battle continues in two sites near Kalynivka.

Russian forces were most active today on the Pokrovsk front. Since the beginning of the day, they have attempted to penetrate Ukrainian defences 38 times in the vicinity of Novoselivka Persha, Prohres, Yevhenivka, Kalynove, Novooleksandrivka, Yasnobrodivka, Vozdvyzhenka and Netailove. As of now, 25 attacks have been repulsed, and 13 combat clashes are ongoing. Ukrainian forces are taking steps to stabilise the situation and prevent the Russians from infiltrating Ukrainian positions.

Russian forces are concentrating their efforts to reach Novooleksandrivka and Novoselivka Persha. They incur enormous losses; according to preliminary information, today Ukrainian soldiers eliminated 331 Russian personnel on the Pokrovsk front, 123 of whom were killed in action. Four Russian vehicles and two artillery pieces were destroyed, including a Russian self-propelled gun 2S19 Msta-S. Five additional weapons and a tank were severely damaged.

The Russian struck Ukrainian positions seven times on the Kurakhove and Vremivka fronts. They were particularly active in the vicinity of Kostiantynivka. There are still two clashes ongoing.

Russian forces attempted to storm Ukrainian fortifications on the Orikhiv front, near Mala Tokmachka, twice without success.

On the Prydniprovske front, the situation has not changed significantly; Ukrainian forces have not let the Russians gain new positions or territory. The Ukrainian army successfully withstood five Russian attacks on the Dnipro Rivers left bank.

Support UP or become our patron!
Russians drop aerial bombs on business in Selydove, Donetsk Oblast, killing at least 5 people and injuring 11 others  photos

Russian forces dropped two guided aerial bombs on a business in the city of Selydove, Donetsk Oblast, and also targeted the city with cluster munitions and FAB-500 unguided bombs, killing 5 and injuring 11 people.

Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office on Facebook

Details: According to Filashkin, both bombs targeted the territory of the business. A total of 15 houses, 21 cars, 4 stores and an industrial facility all suffered some degree of damage.

Filashkin reiterated the importance of evacuating swiftly.

Updated: The Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office stated that the Russians targeted Selydove twice, the first time at 15:30. An hour later, they launched another attack on the settlement. According to preliminary data, Russian forces used cluster munitions and FAB-500 unguided aerial bombs. A residential area and apartment buildings were damaged.

According to reports, the Russian attacks killed five people. In addition, four women and seven men aged 28 to 71 received injuries of varying severity. The victims were diagnosed with bruising, burns, and shrapnel wounds.

Support UP or become our patron!
Russians kill 3 civilians and injure 24 others over day in Donetsk Oblast  photos

Three people have been killed and 24 others injured as a result of Russian strikes in Donetsk Oblast on 4 July.

Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration (OMA)

Quote: "On 4 July, the Russians killed three residents of Donetsk Oblast: in Stinky, Zakitne and Krasnohorivka. Another 24 people were wounded in the oblast over the day."

Aftermath of Russian attack. Photo: Donetsk Oblast Military Administration

Details: Filashkin said the Russians had fired 32 times at the settlements of Donetsk Oblast in just one day. The head of the OMA also emphasised the total number of Russian casualties in Donetsk Oblast excluded the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha.

Aftermath of Russian attack. Photo: Donetsk Oblast Military Administration

Background: In the afternoon of 4 July, Russian troops conducted a combined attack on the towns of Novohrodivka and Ukrainsk in Donetsk Oblast, wounding ten people, including five children.

Support UP or become our patron!
On the afternoon of 5 July, Russian forces shelled the settlement of Khreshchenivka in the Beryslav district of Kherson Oblast, killing a local resident.

Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "This afternoon, Russian forces launched an artillery attack on Khreshchenivka in the Beryslav district. A local 35-year-old woman suffered grave injuries. Her heart stopped in the hospital."

Details: According to Prokudin, another victim was hospitalised in a moderately severe condition: a 32-year-old woman who sustained a mine-explosive injury as well as a broken leg and an injured hip. Doctors are providing her with necessary help.

Prior to that, the Russians dropped bombs from a drone on a local resident of Stanislav, who was in his car. The 74-year-old man sustained an explosive and traumatic brain injury, as well as a contusion.

The medical crew that arrived to assist the victim came under another Russian UAV attack.

"A paramedic received moderate injuries. She was assisted on the spot. Also, as a result of the enemy attack, the medical workers vehicle was damaged, " Prokudin added.

Support UP or become our patron!
Ukraines National Resistance Center has noted that in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraines south, the Russians are threatening to expel those who have not obtained a Russian-issued passport through the checkpoint in Vasylivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Source: Ukraines National Resistance Center

Quote: "There are people in the occupied territories who, despite the occupation, cannot leave their homes for various reasons. It is these people who are being forcibly passported by the Russians as part of their imperial policy."

Details: The National Resistance Center stressed that the Russians had failed to passport most of the local population and were forced to resort to threats.

In particular, it is reported that during recent raids in the south, residents were promised to be expelled through a checkpoint to Ukraine-controlled territory and have their property seized.

Quote: "The occupiers have used this practice many times before. Local residents are demonstratively taken to the checkpoint and deported from their native land."

Support UP or become our patron!
Sacramento fire agencies faced an extremely busy Fourth of July. Heres what they responded to

Sacramento fire agencies responded to hundreds of grass and structure fires, medical emergencies and other emergency calls on Independence Day, one of the busiest days of the year for first responders.

The Sacramento Regional Fire and EMS Communications Center, which dispatches crews from 10 fire departments across Sacramento County, received 1,465 emergency calls Thursday, a 45% increase from July 4, 2023, according to Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn, a spokesperson for Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.

Including non-emergency calls, the communications center received over 2,500 calls during the holiday  two-and-a-half times more than the daily average of 1,000 calls.

Metro Fire is still analyzing response data from the Fourth of July and will release final numbers on fireworks-related emergencies in the coming days.

Illegal fireworks explode in the sky above a residential area after the July Fourth holiday in Sacramento. Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Justin Sylvia said fines for use of illegal fireworks start at $1,000 and can go up to $5,000.

Every Fourth of July, Sacramento Fire Departments calls for service roughly triple from the daily average, according to Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Capt. Justin Sylvia. In 2023, the Fire Department received over 900 calls, he said.

This year, the window between 8 p.m. and midnight accounted for just over half of all calls to the Fire Department that came between noon Thursday and 6:40 a.m. Friday, according to dispatch data. Calls began pouring in rapidly at around 9 p.m., and in the hour between 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., there were nearly 50 calls for service.

A significant portion of Fire Department calls on the Fourth of July are to medical emergencies  44% of the days calls. Over 50 of these calls were between the hours of 3-7 p.m., which could be due to the near-record-breaking heat.







According to the National Weather Service, downtown Sacramento reached 109 degrees Thursday, just one degree off from the Fourth of July record high of 110 degrees, set in 1991.







Calls due to fireworks-related injuries and intoxication are typically received past 11 p.m., Sylvia said.

The more intoxicated people get, the more kind of riskier things theyre going to start doing, he said. You start seeing more traumatic injuries later on (in the night).

According to Sylvia, the Fire Department sends out seven patrol vehicles the night of the Fourth of July to monitor for illegal firework usage throughout the city. When patrollers catch illegal fireworks being set off, they take photos and videos of the offending firecrackers and note the address associated with them to later send the homeowners a fine.

Fines vary between $1,000 and $5,000, depending on the number and type of illegal fireworks and whether there are multiple citations on the same night.

Two firefighters cut a lock to access a vegetation fire on Thursday night in Sacramento. First responders spent much of the night combating vegetation fires, structure fires and other Independence Day-related emergencies.

Vegetation fires are a very common occurrence on the Fourth of July  in just a three-minute window between 10:12 and 10:15 p.m. this year, the Fire Department was called to five grass fires. Throughout the night, Sacramento firefighters responded to over 40 vegetation fires.

Grass and tree fires get a severely limited initial response on this night, as crews are stretched extremely thin, according to Sylvia. Only one engine is sent to the scene, where crews can then request additional assistance if needed.

All grass fires that the Fire Department responded to Thursday night were put out within a few hours of their initial call.

Structure fires, while not as common as other calls for service, take up a significant number of crews at a time.

Sacramento firefighters hose down a burnt tree on the 4500 block of Perry Avenue in Sacramento on Thursday night. Flames started in a vehicle fire before spreading to a nearby structure and some surrounding foliage, though the cause remains unknown according to the Sacramento Fire Department.

At about 9:50 p.m., firefighters were called to a fire at a home on Perry Avenue in Fruitridge Pocket. Crews responded to a blaze at a single-family home, spreading between trees, a vehicle parked in the front yard and the houses roof. The fire was extinguished within half an hour.

Neighbors reported fireworks in the air near the home prior to the fire sparking, but it was unclear whether fireworks caused the fire, authorities said. No injuries were reported.

Small fires also sparked in residential yards throughout the city, which were quickly put out by fire crews or even the residents themselves, officials said.

A Sacramento firefighter sprays water onto an exterior wall of a house involved in a structure fire on Piedmont Drive in Sacramento after the July Fourth holiday. The Sacramento Fire Department said fireworks were the likely cause of a fire that started between two homes on the street.

Later on, crews responded to a fire burning between two houses in the 600 block of Piedmont Drive in Little Pocket. The Fire Department said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that fireworks were likely the cause of the blaze.

The fire was quickly extinguished, there were no injuries it did not get into either of the homes.

The Fire Department also responded to a structure fire at Natomas Middle School, where a roof was on fire. Sacramento City Councilwoman Lisa Kaplan in a post on social media attributed the blaze to illegal fireworks.

I know we all love fireworks but illegal fireworks just set fire to a roof to a school in #Natomas. That is not OK, she wrote on X.
Sarah McBride could become the first trans person elected to Congress. It's about time.

Transgender people have been used as fodder for the culture wars. Hundreds of bills have been filed around the country to undermine their existence. Dozens of these anti-trans bills have even become law, simply because Republicans realize that its a way to fire up the base.

Delaware Sen. Sarah McBride isnt convinced this is a winning argument.

The obsession we are seeing (from) far-right politicians does not resonate with voters, McBride told me. It is out of touch with what is actually keeping people up at night, is out of touch with the needs of working people and their families in this country.

McBride is running for Delawares at-large U.S. House district. If she wins, she could be the first trans member of Congress.

It's looking likely, too  McBride is running unopposed in the Democratic primary after Eugene Young, the former director of State Housing Authority, dropped out of the race in mid-June. McBride faces Republican Donyale Hall in November.

At a time when transgender people have countless voices speaking for and against them, having actual political power is overdue.

The reality is that you can't craft effective solutions for a diverse country or a diverse workforce or a diverse economy if you don't have the full diversity of that country, that workforce, that economy at the table, McBride said.

I hope Republicans see her rise to political fame as the writing on the wall that trans people aren't just pawns for legislation, and I hope, for McBride, that she can be just another politician on Capitol Hill. But she has to win first.

My daughter is trans: There's nothing conservative about blocking her care.

A born-and-raised Delawarean

State Sen. Sarah McBride

McBride has represented the district she was raised in since 2021, but she's no stranger to Democratic politics. This includes working for former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and the late Attorney General Beau Biden, President Joe Biden's son, whom she considers personal political heroes.

"(I) had the opportunity to travel up and down the state with them and fall more deeply in love with the state that I was born and raised in, that helped shape me into the person that I am," McBride said.

During this time, she realized she was living in the closet.

I grew up without LGBTQ role models. These elders paved the way for us to be ourselves.

McBride came out as transgender in 2012 after serving as student body president of American University. She has been involved in LGBTQ+ political activism ever since, including as a former national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign. The organization endorsed McBride last year.

"I know that the only way for me to do right by the LGBTQ community is for me to simply be the best member of Congress that I can be," she said, "and that means continuing to do what I've done in the Delaware General Assembly."

Wins in the Delaware General Assembly

McBride has had huge wins while serving as a senator in the Delaware General Assembly. The biggest one, and one she's most proud of, is the passage of the Healthy Delaware Families Act. Effective in 2026, it provides workers with up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for themselves or others.

Naysayers told her that it would take a decade, but thanks to a Democratic supermajority in both chambers, the legislation passed in a year.

McBride created the bill based on her own experience caring for her late husband, Andy Cray, as well as what she heard talking to voters.

"I don't believe that the breathing room that Andy and I had  the time and ability to get care that we had  I do not believe that should be a matter of luck," McBride told me. "I believe it should be the law of the land."

Trump and Biden on abortion: Presidential debate on abortion is the most depressing thing I heard that week

While McBride is aware of her potential "first," she also plans on doing exactly what she did in the Delaware Senate: passing legislation that helps her neighbors. Aside from the Healthy Delaware Families Act, she has authored bipartisan legislation on gun safety, Medicare expansion and media literacy.

"I recognize the importance of young people  of people of any age  who are feeling unseen and unheard and alone and left behind, who are struggling right now to see themselves represented with positive news in this moment," McBride said. "And I'm not running just to be known for my identity. I'm running to be Delaware's member of Congress, focused on all the issues that matter to the constituents that I'm seeking to represent."

A potential 'first' in Congress

There will be people who only ever see McBride as her gender. They'll vote against her because she represents what they fear  a person who can create political wins while existing in a body the Republican Party wants to control.

Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store.

There are also many people who will see McBride as a sign of hope. In the past few years, Republicans have used anti-trans legislation to stigmatize the community. McBride's success in the Delaware Senate and now her U.S. House race is emblematic of a life that should be possible for all trans people.

What I hope for McBride is that she'll be able to hold the honor of being the first trans member of Congress while also making a name for herself as simply a good politician and effective legislator. And if she wins in November, I doubt she'll be the last.

Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Pequeno on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno and Facebook facebook.com/PequenoWrites

You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sarah McBride could be our first trans person in Congress. Finally
South Carolina Congressional candidate Michael B. Moore speaks at a rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on October 11, 2023, in Washington, DC. South Carolina voters and Civil Rights are calling on SCOTUS to protect Black voters in the Alexander V. SC State Conference of the NAACP court case. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for Rooted Logistics)

The Democratic candidate for South Carolinas 1st Congressional District called for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the U.S. presidential race on Thursday.

Michael Moore, who won the Democratic primary last month and will challenge U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., in November, posted his call for Biden to step down on X, formerly known as Twitter. Moore said the president should help in transitioning to a new nominee.

Today, Im calling on President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 White House race  and to help guide Democrats transition to a new nominee ahead of the November election.  Michael B. Moore (@michael_b_moore) July 4, 2024

Moore told the SC Daily Gazette on Friday that following the first presidential debate last week, where Biden performed poorly, he is concerned Biden will not be able to win again. Biden was trailing Trump already in the polls, he said, and has slid further since the debate.

I think the debate performance  Americans not going to be able to unsee that, Moore told the Gazette. I dont think that President Biden is the best person to lead the country going forward.

That said, Moore wanted to emphasize that Biden should be acknowledged for what he has achieved in his first term, and still has an important role to play for the party by guiding a new nominee. He did not name a specific person he wanted to replace Biden.

Biden said on Friday that he is not stepping aside, but Moore said that statement did not change his concerns about Biden, or his position the president needs to step aside.

This week two other Democrats in Congress, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, have called for Biden to step aside. On Friday afternoon the Washington Post reported that Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, is trying to gather other Democrats to ask Biden to leave the race.

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, South Carolinas only current Democratic member of Congress and a co-chair of the Biden-Harris Campaign told MSNBC on Tuesday that he still backs Biden at the top of the ticket. Clyburn did say, if Biden steps aside, he would support Vice President Kamala Harris as the partys nominee.
MAPUTO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Mozambique and Timor-Leste have taken significant steps to bolster their bilateral cooperation by signing three landmark cooperation agreements Friday.

The agreements, which cover political and diplomatic consultations, hydrocarbons and mining, and science, technology, and higher education, mark a new chapter in their collaborative efforts.

The signing ceremony, held at the Presidential Palace in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, was witnessed by Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi and visiting Timor-Leste's President Jose Ramos-Horta, following comprehensive discussions between the two countries' delegations.

"These agreements are the culmination of extensive discussions and political consultations," President Nyusi said, highlighting the strategic importance of the partnerships. Nyusi noted that Mozambique aims to learn from Timor-Leste's experience in establishing a sovereign wealth fund, a domain where Timor-Leste has demonstrated considerable expertise.

President Ramos-Horta elaborated on Timor-Leste's Sovereign Fund, managed by the Central Bank and insulated from direct government access.

"The fund was initially established with 200 million U.S. dollars and has grown to approximately 20 billion U.S. dollars," he explained, underscoring its successful management.

In addition to the signing ceremony, President Ramos-Horta received the Key to City Maputo from Mayor Razaque Manhique. Ramos-Horta is also scheduled to meet with Esperanca Bias, president of the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique.

This visit marks President Jose Ramos-Horta's first trip to Mozambique since assuming office in 2022, signaling a strong commitment to deepening the ties between the two nations. 
In 2024, the National Abortion Federation and Planned Parenthoods Justice Fund had the largest budget in its history. Still, on July 1, the organizations had to make the difficult decision to slash their budgets from giving 50 percent assistance to people to 30 percent with no exceptions. This comes at a time when many abortion clinics in the north are seeing a surge in patients as a repercussion of Floridas six-week abortion ban, and as Iowas six-week ban is expected to take effect later this month.

We had to make this shift in funding because the need has skyrocketed with so many additional bans and people being forced to travel further care, Brittany Fonteno, president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation, told Salon in a phone call. Fonteno added theyve been spending approximately $6 million per month on procedural funding and upwards of $200,000 per month on travel funding.

At the previous rate of funding, that $6 million mark, we would have run out of funds in the fall, leaving so many people without the vital support they need to access care," she said.

A decrease in funding per patient allows the organizations to stretch the fund and make sure they dont turn anyone away for the rest of the year. The funds are usually used to cover procedures and travel costs. Its estimated that only one in three Americans can comfortably cover a $400 emergency expense.

As Salon has previously reported, its easy to spend up to $1,500 or $2,000 on one person's travel expenses  and that doesnt include the procedure itself, where the price varies based on the complexity of it. Its also almost unheard of that insurance will cover the procedure when traveling from a state where theres limited access to abortion care.

Many health insurance plans refuse to cover abortion care, even though it is an essential part of reproductive health care, Fonteno said, adding that with many people having health care tied to their work, its time for businesses to step up. That means, of course, the potential to donate dollars, but also in-kind donations, like donating rideshare vouchers or airline miles, vouchers for food  all of these pieces that go into the puzzle of making sure that abortion access is truly available for people.

However, she emphasized its not sustainable for philanthropy alone to solve this crisis. On the ground, as another state gears up to shut its doors, Megan Jeyifo, executive director of Chicago Abortion Fund, told Salon abortion clinics across the country are scrambling to figure out how to make up for the loss in funds.

Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes.

The conversations I had all last week were not based on Florida or Iowa or managing the influx, it's how are we going to pay for it? Jeyifo told Salon. We immediately gave a pretty significant block grant to our largest clinic here in Chicago, to Family Planning Associates, because we are very concerned that they are going to have to turn people away who are no longer eligible for this funding.

Jeyifo gave an example of how they are seeing the effects of the decline in funding on the ground. One patient, she said, who had an appointment last week had to reschedule for personal reasons. As the pledge to each patient has decreased 20 percent, the reduction in funds cost this patient thousands of dollars, Jeyifo said. That is what we are primarily concerned about: funding, not appointment availability, Jeyifo emphasized.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, there has been a rise in interstate travel for abortion care since Dobbs overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. The institute estimates one in five abortion patients traveled out of state for abortion care in 2023, compared to one in 10 who did so in 2020.

Earlier this year in Arizona, Kari Lake brushed off criticism of abortion bans in her state, saying "Even if we have a restrictive law here, you can go three hours that way, three hours that way, and you're going to be able to have an abortion. But the reality is not so simple. The average support cost, such as for lodging, the Chicago Abortion Fund provides a patient is $380. The average voucher they provide for the procedure itself is $480. And thats just an average.

Fonteno said shes aware that the 20 percent reduction will significantly impact future patients.

We know that even with our previous level of funding, it wasn't enough to truly meet all of the need that exists in the landscape right now, and so this will potentially have impacts on patients' ability to access the care that they need, it might impact patients ability to travel, Fonteno said. It might impact where they end up going for care, its not lost on all of us that this is a completely unfair and devastating situation.

Alisha Dingus, the development director at the DC Abortion Fund, told Salon the decline in funding comes at a time when theyre experiencing a surge in patients from Florida. Since Floridas six-week ban went into effect, their call rate from Floridians increased 200 percent in one month. For patients under 12 weeks of gestation in the DC region, they can usually cover almost all of the costs of abortion care. But with a reduction in funds, each week will be a struggle as they operate on a weekly budget.

We anticipate that we're probably going to start running out of money the second day or third day each week, Dingus told Salon on Wednesday. We've been operating on a weekly budget now for almost a year of $32,700 and just this week alone, the first week of cuts, we hit our budget yesterday.

Dingus said resources are drying up, and that this will radically change care across the country.

We know, unfortunately, it means some people won't get funding and will be forced to give birth, she said, adding that its troubling to think about what the situation could look like in 2025. There are only a handful of funders that support abortion funds right now in the country, and unless we see a shift, I think we're just all going to operate under kind of a scarcity mindset.
The Scoop

Midday on the Fourth of July, I received a call from a government official with regular access to the West Wing, who said they had reached a breaking point and wanted to sound the alarm.

The person insisted on careful ground rules: No details on the specific policy area theyd work on, no gender, age, or sexual orientation. Their credibility basically depends on my vouching that theyre a serious person, which I can do  though I should also say this person has nothing to say about the presidents physical condition, and was limited to their own experience outside Bidens tight inner circle.

Here is the assertion this person would like to get across: Its unclear even to some inside the West Wing policy process which policy issues reach the president, and how. Major decisions go into an opaque circle that includes White House chief of staff, Jeff Zients (who talks to the president regularly) and return concluded. (The big exception to this pattern, they said, is foreign policy.)

This pattern had already been a topic of discussion, and curiosity, among the high-powered aides who work in and around the White House. The rituals of paperflow are technical, but they say theyre surprised by the lack of briefings to the president, and of readouts from consultations with the president and worry about the possibility of decisions being made without him.

My source has no reputation for being involved in factional fights on hot button issues, and no obvious ulterior motive for picking up the phone.

Im super proud of the policies, the person said. Im talking to you because Im incredibly upset and scared for the country and I would like to do what I can.

Room for Disagreement

The Biden White House runs policy through a tight inner circle  tighter than the sprawling debates of the Clinton or early Obama years. But White House officials furiously rejected any hint that the president isnt fully in command, even if some in the policy apparatus dont see him. There is also wide reporting that Biden has been in the weeds of key decisions beyond Gaza and Ukraine, including issues ranging from trade with China to student loan forgiveness.

Biden is in the middle of everything. He signs off on everything, said Bruce Reed, the deputy chief of staff who oversees policy. Many of us have sat with him as hes made hundreds of decisions.

Nobody has the authority to freelance. Not Jeff, not Ron, not anybody, Reed told me.

Other top aides echoed Reeds account, and further stressed that the presidents age has had no effect at all on his involvement in these issues.

Top White House economist Jared Bernstein said Biden makes decisions on everything from student debt relief to 301 tariffs to housing policy and Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi said Biden is sweating every relevant detail.

Spokesman Andrew Bates said in an email: This single sources claim is directly contradicted by a large body of (even critical) reporting about the policy process, which has continually stressed President Bidens direct involvement in every major decision.

Bens view

The question looming over my conversations is how much Bidens age, so visible in front of the scenes, has affected his governance behind them.

Thats a reporting question, and its one on which the media is scrambling right now to make up for lost time. Im skeptical, as are many journalists, of aides insistence that his age has changed nothing about his decision-making process. But theres also no evidence for the wildest, late Woodrow-Wilson-style speculation.

My sources call  as they say, from inside the building  is a mark of why the panic inside the Democratic Party is running so deep right now.

Even inside the West Wing, not everyone is sure.

Notable

Semafors Dave Weigel explains what happens if Democrats replace Biden on the ticket.

The Biden team remains fixated on its longest-running adversary, Semafors Max Tani writes. Not Donald Trump  The New York Times.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) arrives at the press conference on the 2025 budget. The coalition parties have agreed on a draft budget. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised that spending on the German armed forces will be maintained, after the terms of a preliminary 2025 budget deal agreed on Friday showed a modest increase for the Bundeswehr.

Scholz said that the Bundeswehr's regular budget would reach 80 billion ($87 billion) after 2028, when the emergency 100 billion special fund for the armed forces - agreed in the aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 - is spent.

The chancellor said the 80-billion figure would ensure Germany reaches the NATO threshold of spending 2% of GDP on defence.

The Bundeswehr's current regular budget stands at 52 billion. The new budget deal, which Scholz reached along with Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner, has proposed a 1.2-billion increase for the Bundeswehr, far below the 6 billion rise demanded by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

Scholz defended the deal in Berlin on Friday morning, saying: "It is about a strong defence, a strong Bundeswehr that offers protection against the aggressive rulers of our time."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R), German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck (C) and German Minister of Finance Christian Lindner take part in a press conference on the 2025 budget. The coalition parties have agreed on a draft budget. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R), German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck (C) and German Minister of Finance Christian Lindner take part in a press conference on the 2025 budget. The coalition parties have agreed on a draft budget. Michael Kappeler/dpa
Scholz: Hungary's Orban not in charge of EU policy over Ukraine war

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz takes part in a press conference on the 2025 budget. The coalition parties have agreed on a draft budget. Michael Kappeler/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has weighed in on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's controversial visit to Moscow on Friday, emphasizing that the European Union's foreign policy is not up to him.

"These are the rules we have with each other. And that is why Hungary's presidency of the [European] Council is not the reason for this visit, but his activities as Hungarian prime minister."

Hungary current holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, and Orban has said he wants to use the presidency to promote peace in Ukraine.

Scholz added that the EU "condemns the Russian war" on Ukraine.

Josep Borrell, the European Union's top diplomat, made a similar point earlier that Orban had no EU mandate for his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The ambitious science and music festival Starmus will return to the Canary Islands in April 2025 for a historic edition, both for the festival and the island of La Palma.

Starmus combines art, music and science to elevate science communication and engage humanity in some of the biggest questions of our time. It was founded by astrophysicist Garik Israelian and Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May.

The festival traditionally occurs every two years and recently celebrated its seventh edition in Slovakia in April 2024; Starmus Earth was attended by more than 100,000 people across various events in the country's capital Bratislava. Starmus La Palma will be a special edition, occurring just one year after the previous festival. It also aims to be the most informative and accessible Starmus yet, being entirely open to the public with all events free of charge, according to a statement on Astronomy.com

Related: Starmus 2024: Scientists and musicians unite in Bratislava to celebrate planet Earth

For the 2025 edition, Starmus La Palma "Island of Stars," will focus on the challenges of light pollution and space debris while promoting La Palma, known as the "isla bonita" (the pretty island) as one of the best places in the world for stargazing. Held in partnership with the Starlight Foundation, the effort is part of a recovery program designed to repair the island of La Palma after the 2021 eruption of the Cumbre Vieja Volcano , according to a press release. The three-month-long eruption destroyed more than 3,000 properties and hundreds of acres of farmland.

Related: Satellites watch as volcano erupts on Spanish island La Palma after half a century of silence

This special edition of Starmus will return home to La Palma in April 2025 with a four-day program of world-class lectures and performances from a stellar line-up, more details of which will be announced in September 2024.

A man stands holding a microphone in one hand in front of a large display with the words starmus earth written in large letters.

La Palma is situated in the Canary Islands archipelago and is famed for its natural beauty and dark skies. The island has been cataloged as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, with a third of its territory being a protected area. On the rim of the Taburiente National Park at an altitude of 7,860 feet (2,396 meters) is the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM), home to the largest optical-infrared telescope in the world. In a bid to preserve both the natural landscape and pristine dark skies, the island was the first place in the world to be declared a Starlight Reserve and Starlight Tourist destination .
Scientists studied 1,200 cats to determine why they scratch up furniture and how to stop it

Scientists find that children can stress cats out so much that they're more likely to scratch up furniture, as a result. Cavan Images/Getty Images

Scientists got an unprecedented look into house cats' daily lives by studying over 1,200 cats.

They discovered that cats tend to scratch more often and more intensely when they're stressed.

Particularly, children in the home seem to cause high levels of stress that lead to scratching.

Scratching holes and snags in your furniture is a natural behavior for cats. Dr. Andrea Sanchez, a veterinarian at Banfield Pet Hospital, previously told Business Insider that cats scratch to communicate, stretch and condition their claws, and claim possessions.

But if you really want your cat to stop scratching up your couch and chairs, it's worth knowing the exact reason they're doing it in the first place. Now, a new study offers more clues into cats' destructive habits and how to curb them.

Scientists interviewed cat owners in France who all reported unwanted scratching behavior. In total, the study included 1,211 cats. The scientists emailed the owners asking about cats' daily routines, sociability, temperaments, behaviors, and the types of environments they lived in.

New research hones in on the reasons why your cat may be scratching up your furniture. Sorayut/Getty Images

The research team discovered that naturally aggressive and disruptive cats were more likely to scratch, as well as cats who tended to play a lot and spent more time awake at night. But the research also showed there was more to the story than just kitty personality.

The cats' environments played a key role as well. "One noteworthy finding is the influence of the presence of a child at home on the high level of scratching behavior," the researchers reported in their paper, published on July 2 in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

Cats and children may not be the best roommates, according to new research. anastas_/Getty Images

Turns out, cats don't seem to enjoy sharing a home with children all that much  at least the ones in this study. Children can stress cats out, which then leads the animals to scratch more often and more intensely, the researchers found.

It's not the first time researchers have found evidence to suggest that children play a role in destructive cat behavior. But questions remain. For example, it's unclear if age is a factor  if younger children heighten a feline's stress more than older kids. Another question the researchers say needs exploring is if it matters who lived in the home first.

How to stop cats from scratching up your furniture

Stressed-out cats can wreak havoc on your furniture and other household items. But there are things cat owners can do to stop this behavior. Magui-rfajardo/Getty Images

If your cat won't stop scratching up your furniture, there are things you can do to curb the behavior, the researchers found.

Making sure that your cat is getting enough mental and physical exercise is important. Promoting regular, brief play sessions and providing stimulating toys can reduce stress and undesirable scratching behavior in your cat, the researchers reported.

Some examples may include interactive toys like rollerballs, scratchers, and play tunnels, which offer long-lasting mental and physical stimulation for cats.

The researchers also found that scratching posts can reduce scratching on household items, but where they're placed throughout the home matters. For the best results, put scratching posts in areas frequented by your cat, like near their bed or litter box.

Observing your cat's scratching behavior can help you figure out what type of scratching post is best for them. Larisa Tyushova/Nico De Pasquale/Getty Images

Additionally, taking some time to observe your cat's scratching behavior can help you choose the right post for them, Danie "DQ" Quagliozzi, cat behavior consultant and owner of Go Cat Go! previously told Business Insider.

For example, if your cat is scratching vertically on the side of your couch, they may prefer a vertical scratching post, Quagliozzi said. But if they scratch carpets or rugs, a horizontal scratch pad is more likely to satisfy them, he added.

Most importantly, remember that every cat is different. This study highlights the importance of understanding the role that your cat's unique personality and environment, play in shaping their behavior, the researchers reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A remarkable term for the United States Supreme Court concluded this week. Its impacts  on the prospects of former President Donald Trumps campaign for a new term, on the powers of the federal government and on issues including guns, abortion and pollution  will send shockwaves across American life.

This terms rulings  made in more major cases than in any recent term  represent a broad victory for American conservatives, who have long coveted a majority on the court with the hopes that its social and political agendas could be bolstered and expanded. The court issued decisions that disarmed federal regulatory powers, upended Biden administration efforts to address climate change and impacted a case federal prosecutors are making against Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts used the term to reassert the courts powerful position in the national conversation, navigating past a host of ethics questions and enduring backlash over the 2022 ruling that destroyed the constitutional right to abortion. Roberts and his conversative colleagues acted with ambition this term, delivering consequential rulings that represent decades of conservative aspiration.

A consequential term for America's conservative agenda

Supreme Court justices pose for their group portrait at the Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., October 7, 2022. Seated (L-R): Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Samuel A. Alito, Jr. and Elena Kagan. Standing (L-R): Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Conservative dreams  some held for more than 40 years  are translating into American reality.

Consider:

Immunity for presidents: Ruling in Trump v. United States, The court found that Trump is partly immune from prosecution on federal charges that he worked to subvert the results of the 2020 election. The ruling essentially found that presidents may be prosecuted for private conduct, but not for acts in office.

Federal agencies powers: Ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless v. Department of Commerce, the court broadly reduced regulatory powers granted to federal agencies to manage policies regarding health care, consumer safety, the environment, nuclear energy, guns and more. This decision upsets a foundational 1984 precendent sent by the court in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which required courts to defer to agencies interpretations of ambiguous statutes.

Cross-state air pollution: Ruling in Ohio v. Environmental Protection Agency, the court temporarily stopped a Biden administration effort called the good neighbor plan, which would have required factories and power plants in western and midwestern states to cut emissions that drift to create air pollution in Eastern and Northeastern states.

Graphic: From the Chevron rule to Trump's immunity, how the Supreme Court voted in recent rulings

How do Americans feel about these rulings? How will they impact your vote?

These rulings  and others made this term  are likely to have broad impacts this year and well beyond. In many cases, researchers from Harvard, Stanford and the University of Texas, found that courts decisions this term were well out of step with public opinion.

SCOTUSPoll, conducted in March, found that, for instance, 74% of Americans believe former presidents should not be immune from criminal prosecution for actions they took while in office.

We encourage readers to immerse themselves in this terms rulings and to consider them against the backdrop of an already-chaotic presidential election.

Opinion: You probably missed this Supreme Court decision. It will change how government works.

This weeks reaction to President Joe Bidens performance in the June 27 presidential debate may imperil the incumbents candidacy for a new term. Trump, meanwhile, remains enmeshed in his many legal battles  and, this week, learned that his sentencing on 34 felony charges in his New York hush-money case was delayed until September. Why? His attorneys argued they needed time to assess the courts immunity ruling and its potential impacts on Trumps case. Indeed, the ruling may impact the federal charges Trump faces in multiple cases.

Put simply, it seems increasingly likely that norms of American democracy  the way the presidency has functioned and the way federal agencies can operate, to say the least  may be vastly different no matter who secures a new term in the White House next year.

Meanwhile, with the presidency, an ascendant conservative movement  buoyed surely by the court's decisions as the term concluded  is increasingly beholden to Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation effort that vows to "lay the groundwork for a White House more friendly to the right." Among Project 2025's many proposal include efforts to drastically reshape federal agencies with vast regulatory powers. Some of the proposals, we believe, could propel the presidency and federal power even further from accepted norms of American representative democracy. Readers should work to understand this agenda and how it could be put to quick use in a second Trump administration.

We encourage our readers, as ever, to engage with the news of the day and to act with all the factual information they can gather to make informed and thoughtful decisions at the ballot box come November.

As is increasingly clear, this election will be consequential.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: SCOTUS decisions 2024: Wins fuel conservative ambitions
ALABAMA (WHNT)  Alabama State Senator Garlan Gudger sustained internal injuries after a jet ski accident on Smith Lake, according to a release from the senators office.

The release stated the accident took place on Thursday at Smith Lake, where he was then airlifted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham to undergo a short surgical procedure. He suffered internal bleeding and other injuries that doctors are monitoring.

Garlan E. Gudger III, the senators son, was also evaluated for injuries at the scene but was not taken to the hospital.

Potential impacts of Alabama State Department of Education being hacked

The senator is currently in the Intensive Care Unit, but physicians say he is on track for a good recovery.

Gudgers wife, Heather, released the following statement on his behalf Thursday night:

From the first responders who were quickly on the scene to the members of the helicopter airlift unit to the doctors and nurses at UAB and everyone else who assisted during this accident, we offer our deepest thanks and recognition that each of them kept a difficult situation from being even worse. To those across the state who have reached out and lifted up our family with their prayers of mending and comfort, we feel your support and know that God holds Garlan in his healing hands. Everyone who knows Garlan is aware that he is a strong, tough, and energetic man who will recover from these injuries and continue serving the citizens of his district while promoting the conservative Alabama values that so many of us hold close. Heather Gudger

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
GAZA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- In Beit Hanoun, a town scarred by conflict in the northern Gaza Strip, Shahd al-Kafarna struggles to breathe in Kamal Adwan Hospital's neonatal ward.

Born three weeks premature, she relies on oxygen tubes in her incubator. Her mother Salma, 29, is frail, watching her every move with a mix of anxiety and hope.

"Stress, psychological strain, and malnutrition led to my premature labor," Salma said. "When Shahd was born, there was no cry -- just silence."

The mother feared the worst, but, against the odds, Shahd took that vital first breath.

"Every day I come here, I see her fighting," Salma said, her voice a blend of fear and determination. "Each breath feels like a small victory, a chance for her to grow stronger."

However, Salma's hope is threatened by the hospital's looming fuel shortage. Hussam Abu Safiya, the hospital's director, spoke of an impending crisis should fuel supplies fail to materialize.

"Without fuel, the oxygen that sustains premature infants like Shahd will cease," he warned.

"Approximately 40 children were born malnourished and with low birth weights because mothers didn't receive the essential nourishment during pregnancy," Wissam Al-Sakani, the public relations officer at Kamal Adwan Hospital, told Xinhua.

"In the face of the fuel shortage, we are currently striving to keep the premature babies alive by maximizing the hospital's electricity to operate the oxygen devices within the incubators," Al-Sakani added.

Al-Sakani called upon international health institutions to step in and provide the much-needed fuel for the hospital, especially for the incubators, to salvage the lives of patients and premature infants.

Pregnant women and newborns are particularly vulnerable amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has created a severe humanitarian crisis in the densely populated area.

A survey conducted by UN Women in April across the Gaza Strip revealed that 76 percent of pregnant women interviewed reported suffering from anemia, and 99 percent faced difficulties in accessing essential nutritional supplies and supplements.

While Salma continues to pray for her daughter's survival, Shaimaa Abu Sharekh, a resident of Jabalia, has already faced the worst. Her baby, born prematurely seven days ago and weighing just 1 kilogram, succumbed to complications from malnutrition during pregnancy.

"I suffered greatly during my pregnancy from displacement, fear, anxiety, and malnutrition," the 25-year-old mother recounted. "He was born weak and incomplete and died before I could even hold him."

"What is our fault as mothers, and what is the fault of our children, that we should pay the price for this war over which we have no control?" She questioned. 
U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff has launched an inquiry with the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to make sure they are taking the necessary steps to protect election workers and ensure the efficient administration of elections this year.

Ossoff is asking those agencies details their processes for receiving and responding to threats, the steps they are taking to make sure staffing needs are met, and how they plan to enforce existing laws to protect election workers.

Protecting the integrity of our elections depends on protecting those who run them, Sen. Ossoff wrote. Yet over the last several years, election workers in Georgia and across the country have reported increased intimidation, harassment, and threats of violence.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

According to a survey from the Brennan Center, 38% of election officials reported experiencing harassment or abuse in their role.

TRENDING STORIES:

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
Sense of fear. Man sentenced in scam targeting older victims in Kentucky, across U.S.

A New Mexico man has been sentenced in federal court in Kentucky for his role in a scam that targeted older people in Kentucky and across the country that resulted in millions in losses.

Robert Louis Sanchez, 57, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty to taking part in what is known as a grandparent scam, in which con artists prey on older people with fabricated stories about a grandchild being in trouble and needing money.

People involved in the conspiracy traveled to different places in the country and used information gleaned from unknown sources to identify elderly potential victims, according to the indictment.

Scammers would then call the victims pretending to be a family member, often a grandchild, and claim to need money because the grandchild had been in a car wreck or was in legal trouble, according to the indictment.

Like other similar fraud schemes, this grandparent scam targets particularly vulnerable senior victims and utilizes particularly manipulative social engineering, causing victims to believe their loved ones are in peril, the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne E. Keel, said in a sentencing memorandum. Grandparent scams like this one create a sense of fear and urgency, effectively preying on victim panic to convince them to hand over thousands of dollars before they realize theyre being scammed.

The con involved sending people to the homes of victims to collect money, which members of the conspiracy put in a bank or laundered through cryptocurrency exchanges.

The scam victimized hundreds of people across the U.S. who lost a total of more than $3 million, federal authorities said in a news release.

U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom sentenced Sanchez to 18 months in prison on June 28 in federal court in Louisville.

Sanchez acted as a courier to pick up money from victims and also guarded the money, according to federal authorities.

Charges are still pending against some people who allegedly took part in the conspiracy, but four others have pleaded guilty and been sentenced.

They are:

Jairo Ostia Roberts, 44, who traveled from Panama to the U.S. to act as a courier. Roberts was sentenced to six months in prison and deported to Panama after serving the sentence

Panama Abel Diaz Adames, 39, another resident came from Panama to pick up money as part of the scheme. Diaz Adames was sentenced to one year and four months in prison.

Christopher Courcoulacos, 46, a Canadian citizen who helped run the scheme. Boom sentenced him to six years in prison.

Mark Anthony Phillips, 44, of Ruskin, Fla., was sentenced to six years in prison.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Secret Service with assistance from other agencies.

The Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and other agencies have resources to help people avoid becoming victims of grandparent scams.
Several arrested after pro-Palestinian march, protest in Philadelphia

Several people were arrested after a pro-Palestinian march and protest in Philadelphia on Thursday evening.

NBC affiliate WCAU reports the protest happened outside of City Hall.

The protest started off peacefully and several were carrying signs calling for a ceasefire.

At one point, it seemed some of the protesters threw smoke bombs, WCAU reports.

Many protesters were arrested and escorted to police vans.

Its not clear how many arrests were made. Philadelphia police did not have any comment Thursday night.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

Man charged with killing, dismembering missing 14-year-old in Mercer County Man shot, drives to Pittsburgh medic station with 5-year-old in car Man charged in more than decade old Fayette County cold case murder VIDEO: Man charged in North Braddock pedestrian crash where 75-year-old man died DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Its still chaotic in here: 911 calls detail shooting where 4 men, including a security guard, hurt at Tampa club; 2 arrested

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  The Tampa Police Department said it arrested two men after a shooting injured a security guard and three men at an adult entertainment club early Friday.

Tampa officers said the incident began with a fight between two suspects, 26-year-old Ryan Moss, and 27-year-old Kelvin Duran, and a security guard. Police said the fight spilled out of the Pink Pussycat Lounge on North Nebraska Avenue and into the parking lot.

TPD shared 911 calls from the incident.

Did you see who was shooting? the dispatcher asked. It was customers fighting. Im not too sure. Its still a little bit chaotic, the caller said.

In one of the calls you hear a woman screaming police, please, police please.

I dont know who was shot. Im still trying to figure everything out. I just heard a bunch of gunfire, like 10 shots. This caller told the dispatcher there was fight at the end of the night and they were kicking everyone out. How long was that, the fight, before shots were fired? the dispatcher asked. Not long at all, the caller said.

Officers said Duran and Moss drove their vehicles toward the club entrance and stopped in front of the business door.

Investigators said Moss, who was in the front passenger seat of the car, fired a 9mm handgun from the car window, striking the security guard in the abdomen.

The security guard returned fire, striking the car, and causing it to collide with another parked car.

Dispatchers tried to get descriptions of the suspects from the callers.

I dont know. Were in the bathroom hiding. They were shooting, one caller said.

Tampa police officers said they arrived at the club quickly and apprehended Moss and Duran. Three other men, all in their early 30s, were injured by gunfire and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. They were taken to hospitals for medical attention.

The security guard underwent emergency surgery at a hospital and is listed in critical but stable condition.

Moss was charged with attempted first-degree murder and four counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Duran was charged with principal to attempted first-degree murder and principal to aggravated battery with great bodily harm or a deadly weapon.

Moss and Duran were taken to the Orient Road Jail.

TPD shared the calls for service in the last year to the Pink Pussycat Lounge. We counted four calls about assaults or battery to the club from July to December of 2023. From January 2024 to this shooting, seven calls for assaults or battery were made.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Three shot, one dead, in Northwest Miami-Dade, police say. Argument behind strip center

Three people were shot, one of them fatally, in Northwest Miami-Dade Friday afternoon, police said.

The shooting happened around 1 p.m. behind the West Airport Shopping Centre at 7367 NW 36th St., about a mile east of Doral, according to the emergency calls, police said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue told the Miami Herald that two people were taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital  one person by helicopter and one by ambulance. Another person was treated at the scene for minor injuries, a fire rescue spokesperson said.

Detective Andre Martin, a Miami-Dade police spokesman, said an argument precipitated the gunfire.

Once shots rang out, several people scattered. The person who died was found at the scene, Martin said.

So far, police have five people detained who had various degrees of involvement in the shooting, Martin said, adding, that as of Friday afternoon, no arrests had been made.

City of Doral police officers stand by a man sitting in front of DCN Church off 4005 NW 79th Avenue after a shooting on Friday, July 5, 2024. One person died in the shooting, and two people were wounded, police said.

A Miami Herald reporter saw one young man detained outside of Dorals DCN Church, Dios Con Nosotros, following the incident.

Yalitza Hernandez, manager at Zerpas Antojos Criollos, 4015 NW 79th Ave., said she saw the incident happen via her stores security cameras at about 1:10 p.m.

The bakery is in the same plaza as DCN Church.

According to Hernandez, three men approached the man who was apprehended by police.

It was three young men, and they called the cops, she said. But when the cops came, the young man sitting down said the three young men were trying to rob him.

The mother of the man who was apprehended also said the three young men were trying to rob her son.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Michael Dodd of Long Island, New York, was staying at the La Quinta Inn next to the shopping center and went out for coffee from the nearby McDonalds when he was surprised by the flashing lights of the police vehicles and yellow tape surrounding the area.

I came from down there to go to the McDonalds, he said. I started walking down and saw all of the police cars.

This developing story will be updated as more information becomes available.
(WFRV)  Heavy rain has caused several counties in northeast Wisconsin to be put under a flash flood warning.

Shortly before 1:30 p.m., the National Weather Service in Green Bay issued flash flood warnings for Brown, Calumet, and Manitowoc County until 4:30 p.m. Between 1 and 3 inches of rainfall has fallen, and another 1-2 inches is forecasted for the rest of the afternoon.

Click here for the Interactive Radar

The National Weather Service in Green Bay is reminding motorists to turn around and dont drown, as most flood-related deaths occur in vehicles.

National Weather Service Green Bay

National Weather Service Green Bay

National Weather Service Green Bay





Additionally, flash flood warnings remain in effect for Waupaca County until 9:30 p.m.

Evacuations are underway in Manawa as officials believe the Manawa Dam could break, and several reports of heavy flooding are coming in from Appleton.

The latest Wisconsin weather forecast from Storm Team 5

The latest information on the Manawa Dam as of 2 p.m. is that the dam has an area that has been compromised and has major damage. Officials say that it has not completely broke.

These are developing situations, and should any information or updates to the warnings come in, Local 5 News will provide an update on this article.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Three Michigan state representatives have introduced a package of bills to combat the growing threat of online sextortion of minors and other vulnerable people.

Theyre calling the package Jordan Ds Law in memory of an Upper Peninsula teenager.

Jordan DeMay was 17 years old in 2022 when an online chat took an ugly turn: the person or persons chatting with him began demanding he pay money to avoid the publication of the intimate photos he had shared in confidence.

The online demands were upsetting enough that the Marquette teenager killed himself in 2022and the discovery followed that DeMay hadnt been chatting with whom hed assumed.

Jordan DeMay, 17, of Marquette killed himself in 2022 after becoming the target of a sextortion scheme. (Photo/AP)

In a landmark action, federal officials extradited two Nigerian brothers to the United States to face charges for the online sextortion of DeMay and dozens of other people.

Youre talking about a crime that doesnt respect borders, FBI Director Christopher Wray said in an interview with The Associated Press.

FBI talks to Michigan families about sextortion

Sextortion is just like it sounds: the practice of extorting money or sexual favors from a person by threatening to reveal or publicize (usually online) explicit images or other sexual evidence.

Federal officials have referred to an alarming increase in the sextortion of minors.

In January 2023, a 21-year-old Florida man was in federal court charged with the exploitation of a minor, and receipt of child pornography in a case involving a 13-year-old Clinton County girl he allegedly contacted via Snapchat.

2 Nigerian brothers plead guilty to sexual extortion after death of Michigan teen

The person may claim to already have a revealing picture or video of a child that will be shared if the victim does not send more pictures, FBI officials said. More often, however, this crime starts when young people believe they are communicating with someone their own age who is interested in a relationship, or with someone who is offering something of value.

Here in Michigan, lawmakers say they want to help prevent more people like DeMay from falling victim to such sextortion crimes. State reps John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming), Kara Hope (D-Holt) and Jenn Hill (D-Marquette) this week outlined the three proposed bills:

HB 5887 establishes penalties for persons who intentionally threaten to release sexually explicit material to compel victims against their will.

HB 5888 outlines sentencing guidelines for sexual extortion and aggravated sexual extortion.

HB 5889 mandates collaboration between local school districts, the Michigan Department of Education, Michigan State Police and the Attorney Generals office to implement educational policies about the proposed new law.

Ryan Last, 17, was a victim of sextortion in February 2022, and ended up taking his own life, his mother said. (Photo courtesy of Pauline Stuart)

The alarming rise in sextortion cases demands immediate action, Rep. Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) said. With the FBI reporting a tenfold increase since 2021, affecting thousands of young people, we must act now to protect our children and hold predators accountable to prevent further tragedies.

Jordan DeMays family is also applauding the legislation.

Jordan Ds law is the cornerstone for what will be robust legislation to impose criminal sanctions, awareness campaigns and tech company accountability related to online crimes against youth, said DeMays father, John DeMay.

The time is NOW! DeMay 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.
Shark Attacks 4 Texas Beachgoers on Fourth of July, with Report of 1 Suffering 'Severe' Bite

One of the victims has been flown out of the area "for further treatment," according to officials

Getty South Padre Island in Texas

A shark is believed to have attacked four people off the southern coast of Texas on the Fourth of July.

According to a press release from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on July 4, authorities received reports of four people having been attacked by a shark at South Padre Island.

Details at this time indicate that two people were bitten and two people encountered the shark but were not seriously injured, the release read in part.

According to ABC News, the South Padre Island Police Department said it received a call reporting a "severe" shark bite to a mans leg at approximately 11 a.m. local time.

In a post shared on Facebook, the US Border Patrol Laredo Sector said "two off duty Border Patrol agents from Laredo Sector leaped into action today during a shark attack at South Padre Island." The post, which featured two photos of an individual being treated on the beach, added that the agents "pulled the shark attack victim from the water and provided lifesaving aid."

The two bite victims were transported to Valley Regional Medical Center in the city of Brownsville, per the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's release. One of the victims has been flown out for further treatment.

United States Border Patrol's Laredo Sector. One of the shark attack victims receiving treatment

Related: NYC Woman Recalls Being Attacked by a Shark, Pulling Its Jaw from Her Leg: I Didn't Even See It Coming

The conditions of the two bite victims are unknown, according to local media outlet KRGV.

Game Warden Capt. Chris Dowdy told the outlet that the third person was injured trying to fend off the shark and received stitches, while another was grazed and suffered minor injuries.

Dowdy added that the shark had escaped to open waters.

Following the attacks, the Texas Department of Public Safety patrolled the area by helicopter, while game wardens and members of the Texas Game Warden Marine Tactical Operations Group assisted in patrolling the beach by boat.

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.

United States Border Patrol's Laredo Sector. One of the shark attack victims is stretchered off the beach

Related: Florida Named as Shark Attack Capital of the World  with U.S. Waters the Global No. 1 for Bites

"Shark encounters of this nature are not a common occurrence in Texas," the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said in their release. "When bites from sharks do occur, they are usually a case of mistaken identity by sharks looking for food."

If you see large schools of bait near the shore, this typically an indicator a predator is nearby, or if you see a shark in the water, calmly exit the water and wait for the predatory wildlife to pass, the release added.

The South Padre Island Police Department and Fire Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for additional information.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Guns on display in 2023 at Casos Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Aristide Economopoulos/for NJ Monitor)

Guns on display in 2023 at Casos Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Aristide Economopoulos/for NJ Monitor)

Its enough to make a grown man cry.

And one of my friends did just that during a recent school board meeting here in Rapid City as he was trying to offer public comment about a pending board decision on guns in schools.

Yes, guns in schools. Hows that for dissonance?

Remember those What doesnt belong? elementary school exercises where you look for things in a picture that dont belong there? How about guns in schools?

They dont belong there.

Kids belong in schools. Books and teachers belong. PE and reading and math and, well, you know, all the things that fit in the school picture.

But guns? In schools? Who thinks thats a good idea, unless youre talking about a very limited number of guns in the hands of trained law-enforcement officers?

Well, the 2024 South Dakota Legislature seemed to think more guns in schools was a very good idea. By wide vote margins  31-3 in the Senate and 62-8 in the House  lawmakers passed a bill with a title that read: An act to expand certain privileges for individuals who hold an unrestricted enhanced concealed carry permit.

And the expansion of certain privileges? Thats where the guns come in. The guns in schools.

Prior to approval of Senate Bill 203, which was signed by the governor, only trained law-enforcement officers and designated school sentinels were authorized to carry firearms in public schools. And the sentinels have only been authorized in law since the state Legislature acted in 2013.

Now by expanding certain privileges, the new law allows the holder of an unrestricted enhanced concealed carry permit to enter a public school while carrying a firearm if he or she has written permission from the principal of the school or other person who has general control and supervision of the building or grounds.

Obviously, local school boards have a lot of control and supervision of buildings and grounds within their school districts. And the Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education ultimately exercised its authority on this issue by deciding not to implement the provisions of SB 203.

So my friend got the vote outcome he wanted. But why had he choked up even before the vote? It was the statistics that were presented to the board moments earlier by a representative of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Statistics like this from Everytown for Gun Safety, a sister organization of Moms Demand Action:

From 2013 through 2022, Everytown identified 720 incidents of gunfire on the grounds of a preschool or K-12 school across the nation, including gun homicides and assaults, suicides and suicide attempts, unintentional shootings and mass shootings.

So far nationally in 2024, there have been at least 107 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 29 deaths and 61 injuries.

Its clear that we need to make our schools more secure. But is putting more armed civilians in our schools the way to do it? Our school board decided  wisely, I think  that it isnt.

After the school board meeting, my friend explained his flood of emotions: I started thinking about my grandkids and your grandkids. It could be anybodys grandkids. The shootings. And all the guns we have, and talking about allowing them in schools. And I just lost it. I mean, what are we doing?

What are are we doing, indeed? We are a nation of so many inspirational advancements, yet we are failing miserably in addressing a gun-violence problem that U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recently labeled a public health crisis.

Supporters of SB 203 argue that more good guys with guns in schools or accessible to schools makes them available to stop bad guys with guns, making schools safer. Moms Demand Action argues that more guns in the hands of civilians in schools are not likely to safely neutralize a threat but in fact could become threats in themselves.

Even trained law-enforcement officers can get rattled in stressful situations. And whats more stressful than responding to an active shooter in a school?

We have a gun culture in this nation unknown in most advanced countries. For some Second Amendment advocates, all gun restrictions are bad and virtually all laws that open more areas to people  good guys, presumably  with guns are good.

Here in South Dakota, we havent just lost nuance when it comes to guns. We seem to have lost all common sense and sometimes any sense of propriety.

Here in South Dakota, we havent just lost nuance when it comes to guns. We seem to have lost all common sense and sometimes any sense of propriety.

I was referred to a disheartening example of that recently on the website of one of the Catholic parishes here in Rapid City.

The home page for Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church proclaims that it is Continuing the Work of Jesus, shows a picture of the attractive church and its fetching backdrop of cliff and pines, and asks: Are you curious about spirituality?

Scrolling down from there, I saw a pitch for the parish Fourth of July Gun Raffle. It included four guns, the first of which was a CMMG MK4 semi-automatic rifle.

Many people would call the MK4 an assault rifle. Ill call it an assault-style rifle or military style rifle, similar in appearance to the better-known AR-15. Whatever you call it, its fashioned after weapons of war and is a jarring sight on a church website, especially in these times.

And as a Catholic who belongs to another parish but attends Blessed Sacrament from time to time, I had to ask: What were they thinking?

Well, they were thinking they wanted to raise money for youth programs in the parish. Thats good. And when I last checked online, theyd raised more than $5,000. But in a time when mass shootings  many involving military style firearms  are a regular occurrence, couldnt they raffle something else? Mountain bikes? E-bikes? Tents? Canoes? Fly rods?

Why raise money to fund the work of Jesus with guns? And why lead the raffle with a military style rifle, or include it at all? It seems tone-deaf, at best.

Im sure those tickets sell. Guns carry an iconic status to many South Dakotans, some of whom are in positions of authority in our churches and in the state Legislature.

I guess thats how we get military style rifles on church websites. And I guess its how we got yet another law aimed at putting more guns in places they really dont belong, like schools.

Meanwhile, the gun-related carnage across this nation continues unabated, at a level that our surgeon general considers to be a public-health crisis.

If that isnt worth crying over, I dont know what is.

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
"This training gives us a great opportunity to learn from China." Senior managers from Pakistan's civil aviation sector are attending a training session in China's Hainan.




SHEFFIELD, Ala. (WHNT)  The Sheffield Police Department arrested a Utah man Friday who had outstanding warrants for child sex crimes.

According to the department, Damien Zachary Marshall held warrants for two counts of sodomy on a child as well as a count for sexual abuse of a child.

SPD got a copy of those warrants and an address for Marshall. Authorities arrested Marshall at a home on Broadway Street.

Marshall is currently at the Sheffield City jail awaiting extradition to Utah

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
Shelby Co ex-vaccine chief loses legal bid to clear her name after botched rollout

The late Rep. Barbara Cooper of Memphis gets vaccinated against COVID-19 in February 2021. (Photo: Karen Pulfer Focht)

The late Rep. Barbara Cooper of Memphis gets vaccinated against COVID-19 in February 2021. (Photo: Karen Pulfer Focht)

The former leader of Shelby Countys COVID-19 vaccine rollout has lost a legal bid to declare she was wrongly blamed for allowing hundreds of doses to expire during the pandemic.

Judy Martin, Shelby Countys former chief of nursing and immunizations lost her job amid public fallout over the lost doses in early 2022.

Martin had reported 1,000 expired doses she discovered during an inventory. With even more doses set to go bad, she loaded hundreds of vaccines into her car to take to a local prison. But a snowstorm in Memphis scuttled those plans. She left 700 doses in the car and told nobody, legal filings said.

When news broke that Shelby County had allowed even more doses to expire than initially reported, Martin retired in order to avoid being fired.

I learned that the information regarding the level of vaccine that expired in Shelby County was not accurate, Mayor Lee Harris soon tweeted. We have terminated the site manager who managed the relationship with the pharmacy and allegedly provided the initial false information.

Martin sued the county alleging the tweet was defamatory and asserted her right to a name-clearing hearing. A federal court in Memphis dismissed those claims, siding with the county.

On Tuesday the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals again sided with the county in a ruling that concluded Martin had not suffered any harm from the mayors tweet. The ruling noted Martin had received community support amid the controversy, the nursing board took no disciplinary action against her and that she was able to land quickly in another job.

Getting fired is unpleasant, the ruling said. And having that termination broadcast is even more so. But the Constitution of the United States says little about lost jobs and nothing about this one.

Sixth Circuit Martin
UPDATE: Sheriffs Office investigates suspicious item at GECU in far East El Paso

UPDATE: Sheriffs Office investigates suspicious item at GECU in far East El Paso

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The El Paso County Sheriffs Office investigated a suspicious item Friday, July 5 at the GECU location in far East El Paso.

Scene cleared at GECU in far East El Paso

The Sheriffs Office said at about 6 a.m., deputies responded to a call regarding a suspicious item at 12598 Rojas at the GECU location.

When deputies arrived, they found a black briefcase on a lamp post in the ATM parking lot with what appeared to be a fuse sticking out of the side.

The Sheriffs Office said the bomb squad from El Paso Police Department (EPPD) was called to inspect the briefcase. Upon undergoing x-ray examination, the contents were found to pose no risk of harm.

No injuries were reported, and deputies returned the briefcase to its rightful owner on scene, according to the 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 KTSM 9 News.
Sheryl Lee Ralph asked her social media fans to pray Tuesday as her family prepared to ride out Hurricane Beryl as it headed toward Jamaica. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Sheryl Lee Ralph and her family are safe and praying the sun will come out tomorrow.

The Abbott Elementary star on Tuesday solicited prayers from her home in Jamaica as she prepared to ride out Hurricane Beryl, which swept along the island's southern coast on Wednesday night, bringing more than 12 hours of heavy rain. After making landfall on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Friday, Beryl is now classified as a tropical storm.

Read more: Sheryl Lee Ralph braces for Category 4 Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica: 'Please stay inside'

Thank you to everybody for your good vibes and your prayers, Ralph wrote in a Thursday video posted to X . We dont have any lights. There is no power. But we have life.

The actor is in Kingston for her son Etienne Maurices marriage to ABC News producer Stephanie Wash. Despite the storm, the couple has not indicated their Saturday wedding will be canceled or postponed, and Ralph said she is praying for sunshine. (She even sang as much to the storm itself.)

We got scrubbed by the eye of Beryl, but she is on her way off somewhere else, she continued, adding in her caption that while Kingston "did not get a direct hit," Carriacou, a Caribbean island in Grenada, needs help.

Read more: Sheryl Lee Ralph is all about the next generation

Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies showed swaths of Carriacou being decimated by Beryls 150 mph winds. Officials said roughly 98% of buildings on the island and neighboring Petite Martinique had been destroyed.

We have to rebuild from the ground up, Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said at a Thursday briefing .

Meanwhile, Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness told the CBC that although the island sustained damage to its coastline, housing infrastructure and roads, it "certainly escaped the worst."

I continue to ask you to pray for others as you would pray for yourself and just put something positive out in the world cause there are people who need it, Ralph said in another post from Thursday.

As of Friday afternoon, Beryl is moving northwestward. The storm is predicted to reach northeastern Mexico and southern Texas by the end of the weekend, the National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center said Friday.

Casualties have risen to at least 10 people, the BBC reported; St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Venezuela reported three deaths each, while one person died in Jamaica.

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.
Antique glass windows smashed, historic shutters destroyed, a fire extinguisher sprayed throughout the building, flags ripped down and burned.

Thats just some of the damage caused by a vandal who broke into a church in Kingston on July 4th. according to the police.

And now that alleged vandal, Jonathan White, 43, of Plymouth is under arrest and facing several felony charges. White is scheduled to be arraigned on July 16th in Plymouth District Court.

Jonathan White, 43, of Plymouth

Investigators say they were first called to First Parish Unitarian Church at 223 Main Street during the early morning hours of July 4.

Several handmade, 200-year-old shutters were destroyed and police say the churchs Pride and Black Lives Matter flags were ripped and burned, charring the side of the church, in addition to damage inside the church.

We are shocked and saddened at this act of vandalism against our beloved church, said church leaders In a post on its Facebook page.

Overall damage estimates have not been tallied at this point but initial estimates are in the tens of thousands, according to police.

Investigators say the suspect was later arrested after returning to the church to watch officers process the scene.

A Kingston PD Detective noticed the individual to be the suspect and attempted to stop the suspect, according to a statement from Kingston Police. The suspect yelled at the detective, took off in his vehicle, turned around, struck a sign, and fled. A Kingston PD Patrolman was able to find the suspect vehicle as he fled and stop him shortly down the road.

Investigators are hoping to learn more about their suspects movements throughout the night.

We are asking that anyone residing in the 200-250 block of Main Street, or the side streets that connect to this area, review their home surveillance cameras from approximately midnight until 6:30 AM this morning, said police. Residents are asked to look for footage consistent with a white 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe which has a spotlight outside of the drivers door (similar to a police cruiser light). Additionally, any other suspicious activity would be of interest.

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
A 12-person jury has awarded $350,000 in damages to a man who was involved in a verbal and physical altercation at the Sands Beach boat launch in Port Royal four years ago. He later claimed he was wrongly arrested and maliciously prosecuted by the town of Port Royal.

The jury verdict against the town and a police investigator, which the town says in court papers shocks the consciousness, followed a week-long trial in June.

The case was unusual because police initially closed the case without making any arrests on either side. The plaintiff, Paul Coffman Jr., pressed them to reopen it, feeling his role had been wrongly characterized by police. But police ended up arresting and charging him with 3rd-degree assault. He spent a night in jail.

It all stemmed from a July 6, 2019 altercation at the Sands Beach boat ramp between Coffman and Joshua Lee Smith. Each side gave different accounts of what transpired that day. What is known is that both men were trying to dock their boats when words were exchanged before things got physical.

In July 2021, Coffman, who said he was attacked by Smith, filed a lawsuit in Beaufort County Court of Common Pleas against the Town of Port Royal, police investigator Kimberly Carter, Police Chief Alan Beach, patrolman Peter Bunting, Capt. John Griffith, Major Ron Wekenmaan and Smith, the other boater.

All the defendants, except the Town of Port Royal and Carter, the investigator, were later dismissed from the case.

In the lawsuit, Coffman alleged investigator Carters superior officers ordered her to target him with trumped up charges because he complained about the handling of the incident and hired an attorney.

Upon information and belief, Defendant Carter was instructed to arrest plaintiff for assault and battery 3rd degree by her superior officers at PRPD, court records say. Upon information and belief, plaintiffs arrest was in retaliation for the letters and emails he sent regarding PRPDs handling of the incident at Sands Beach Boat Landing.

For its part, the town maintained that probable cause did exist to arrest Coffman, which invalidates his claim of malicious prosecution.

Its also the stance of the town that the case was property handled and that that police officers are shielded from personal liability when they reasonably believe their conduct complied with the law.

The case was tried before a jury from June 17-21 before Judge Steven DeBerry. The jury awarded Coffman $350,000 in damages. The total included $250,000 in compensatory damages against the town and $100,00 in damages against Carter.

Coffman also is seeking $410,790 in attorneys fees.

On Monday, Carter and the Town of Port Royal requested that the judge set aside the jury verdict and enter a judgment in its favor, or call a new trial because the verdict is so excessive that it shocks the conscience of the court and clearly indicates that the figured reached was the result of caprice, passion, prejudice, partiality, corruption, or other improper motives.

Considering the award of $350,000 for one night in jail, and that the plaintiff is advanced in years, the verdict was undoubtedly based on the sympathy, caprice, or passion, the town argues in its motion.

Coffman and his wife Stephanie, and Aaron Abercrombie were returning from a short sunset cruise, court records show. When they pulled up in their boat, they were unable to dock for more than an hour because Joshua Smith, who was playing loud music and was allegedly intoxicated, was at the ramp. According to court documents he was reported to be having trouble docking his boat.

Smiths wife, Brittany Smith, and friends Jessica Bradley and Hunter Lewis, were with Smith at the time.

While everybody was waiting for Smith to dock, Mrs. Smith and Bradley walked over to where Coffman was standing. Coffman said Smith identified herself as a law enforcement officer with the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office. They spoke with each other and then Smith and Bradley walked away. Then, Coffman alleged, Joshua Smith charged down the ramp to where he was standing and threatened his life and threw him to the ground. Coffman suffered bruises to his shoulder, arm, and lacerations to his left shin and knee.

The account from the Smith party was different: They said Coffman allegedly told Mrs. Smith he was close to kicking her husbands ass because of the loud music and he was not too old to fight. according to court documents.

They said Coffman went to his truck and put his dog in the cab and came back with a fish bat that he was concealing. When Mrs. Smith and Ms. Bradley asked Coffman what he intended to do with the fish bat, he allegedly became belligerent, court records say, and a confrontation with Smith ensued. Coffman, however, maintained that he was only planning to put the fish bat on his boat, where it belonged.

Bunting, the patrolman, arrived on the scene, and later reported that the fight appeared to be mutual.

Initially, Port Royal police closed the case due to both parties deciding not to press charges, court records say.

In the lawsuit, Coffman claimed police demonstrated gross negligence and arrested him without probable cause, violating his Fourth Amendment Rights to be free from unreasonable seizure. His arrest, he alleged, came only after he filed Freedom of Information Act requests seeking camera footage and complained to a local lawmaker as he pressed police to look into the case after no charges were filed initially.
Shooting in Brockton leaves one man with serious injuries

A man was rushed to the hospital late Thursday night after a shooting.

Brockton Police say just before midnight they responded to a shooting in an outer perimeter parking lot at the Westgate Mall.

A 21-year-old male victim was dropped off at an area hospital with serious injuries, according to authorities. The victim was then stabilized and transported to a Boston hospital.

No arrests have been made and a description of a suspect was not immediately available.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Brockton Police Detective Division at 508-941-0234.

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
Sickening. Humane Society says dog was thrown off bridge in Macon. Reward offered for tips

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible for throwing a puppy off of a bridge in Macon.

The Humane Society said in a news release that a severely injured puppy was found inside a backpack near Mead Road on May 21.

Kassi Bennett, case manager of Animal Crimes at The Humane Society of the United States said the act was sickening.

The sickening abuse inflicted upon this defenseless puppy is inexcusable, she said. We hope this reward encourages anyone with information to come forward and help us identify the person responsible for this horrific crime.

A witness reported seeing two suspects traveling in a four-door sedan along Mead Road when a blue, black and gray backpack was thrown off a bridge onto the railroad tracks. The witness retrieved the backpack and opened it to find the gravely injured puppy, according to a July 3 news release from The Humane Society of the United States.

The witness immediately took the puppy to S.O.S. Rescue GA, the Humane Society said. A veterinarian discovered multiple old and new injuries, suggesting weeks of torture before the puppy, estimated to be 10 weeks old, was thrown from the bridge. The puppy, now named Guy Payne, will need several surgeries to overcome the injuries sustained during his prolonged abuse.

The Humane Society wanted to get the attention of the public and law enforcement in serious cruelty cases such as this one. The connection between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented, the Humane Society said. Studies show a correlation between animal cruelty and many other crimes, from narcotics and firearms violations to battery and sexual assault.

The Humane Society of the United States doubled its standard cruelty reward from $2,500 to $5,000 thanks to a generous donation from a board member.

The Humane Society of the United States Animal Cruelty campaign raises public awareness and educates communities about the connection between animal cruelty and human violence while providing a variety of resources and support to law enforcement agencies, social work professionals, educators, legislators and families. The organization offers rewards in animal cruelty cases across the country and works to strengthen laws against animal cruelty.

Anyone with relevant information can report tips anonymously to the Bibb County Sheriffs Office at 478-751-7500.
Congestion at the Port of Singapore has gotten so bad that 90 percent of container ships are arriving at the site later than scheduled, Singapores transport minister Chee Hong Tat told the countrys parliament on Tuesday.

According to Chee, 77 percent of vessels were late to the port on average in 2023. But this years deluge of off-schedule arrivals has been compounded by the Red Sea crisis, in which ongoing attacks in the waterway by Yemen-based Houthi rebels have forced ocean carriers traveling between Asia and Europe to reroute ships around southern Africa.

More from Sourcing Journal

Many of the vessels are arriving within a short window, compounding the issue by causing a vessel-bunching effect, Chee told the parliament. As a result, both the demands and complexity of container handling at our port have increased.

Major global ports including Singapore, as well as Shanghai and Ningbo in China, and Port Kelang in Malaysia, have felt the heat of the congestion due to the lengthier transit times in addition to a capacity crunch out at sea. Maersk estimated that Asia-to-Europe shipping capacity would shrink by as much as 20 percent due to the mass rerouting.

Container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd indicated Tuesday that waiting times in Singapore are varying between 50 and 80 hours, while the wait at Kelang is even higher at 60 to 120 hours. Berth waiting times in Shanghai vary between 48 and 72 hours depending on the terminal, while the Ningbo port has a range of no waiting time to 48-hour delays.

In Singapore, which is the worlds second-busiest port in handling 39 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2023, delayed shipments jumped 44 percent in May from a year earlier, and through June 25 were up 27 percent year-over-year, according to data from supply chain visibility platform FourKites.

Further adding to the issue, the Port of Singapore is also the largest transshipment hub in the world, meaning that more ships docking at other major global ports are likely to stop at the gateway. Vessels can stop at Singapore to unload goods to other ships that are headed for other ports before loading additional cargo that they can transport to their destination port.

May seems to have been the peak of congestion for incoming boats, when ships had to wait for as long as a week to berth, compared with half a day in normal periods. But outbound and transshipped containers still have a dwelling time of just under 10 days, according to data from EconDB, a service providing economic indicators for the shipping industry. The firm indicates that 248 vessels are expected to arrive at the Port of Singapore in the next seven days.

Tan Hua Joo, a container market analyst at Linerlytica, told Bloomberg that the pileup in Singapore has eased somewhat, but only because vessels are omitting calls at the port. The analyst said the backlogs are likely to take a least one more month to be resolved.

Global port congestion has reached an 18-month high, with Asias ports having seen the most traffic backups, according to Linerlytica. Of the idled container capacity globally thats waiting to dock, 23 percent is in Southeast Asia, 20 percent is in the Middle East and 11 percent is in the Indian subcontinent.

In line with a national plan to expand Singapores port capacity, the first of three additional berths at the $20 billion Tuas Port container terminal began operating on July 1 amid the lingering congestion, as more container ships waited for their turn to berth. Including the recently opened space, Tuas Port operates nine container berths.

The two other berths at Tuas Port will commence operations in October and December, Chee said.

Earlier in 2024, port operator PSA sought to further alleviate congestion by reactivating some of the berths and yard space at its Keppel and Tanjong Pagar city terminals, which had been closed as operations move to Tuas Port by 2027.

While Singapore is taking the steps to scale up capacity, Chee warned the parliament that it is unlikely that the Red Sea disruptions will ease anytime soon, and added that backlogs could also be intensified by an increase in container volumes as shippers bring forward export schedules out of Asia in preparation for major holidays in the second half of the year.

The total volume of containers passing through the Port of Singapore increased to 16.9 million TEUs between January and May, up 7.7 percent from 15.7 million containers during the same period in 2023.
Since the start of the day, Russian forces have launched one missile strike, 38 airstrikes using 76 guided aerial bombs, and 473 kamikaze drones. The Russians also fired more than 2,800 times on Ukrainian positions and settlements using various types of weapons.

Source: report by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Details: 130 combat clashes have taken place since the beginning of the day.

On the Kharkiv front, the Russians, supported by aircraft, carried out 18 attacks near Sotnytsia Kozachka, Hlyboke, Lyptsi and Vovchansk during the day. Units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully repelled 14 of the Russian assaults, and the other four combat clashes are currently ongoing. According to early reports, Russian losses since the beginning of the day amounted to 128 personnel (killed and wounded). One artillery system, two tanks, six armoured combat vehicles and six vehicles were destroyed. In addition, 43 personnel shelters and one storage point were destroyed.

The Russians attacked Ukrainian positions four times on the Kupiansk front in the areas of Synkivka, Stelmakhivka and Novoselivka, to no avail.

On the Lyman front, Russian forces tried to advance 14 times near Hrekivka, Makiivka and Terny. Ukrainian defenders repelled 13 Russian attacks, and another battle is ongoing near Nevske.

On the Siversk front, the Russians attacked eight times in the areas of Bilohorivka, Verkhniokamianske and Vyimka. Four of the attacks were unsuccessful, and the other four are ongoing.

On the Kramatorsk front, the Russians carried out 14 assault operations in the areas of Kalynivka, Hryhorivka and Klishchiivka. 11 of the attacks were unsuccessful, and the other three are still ongoing. The situation is under the control of the Ukrainian Defence Forces.

The situation on the Toretsk front is tense. The Russians made 18 unsuccessful attempts to attack near Pivnichne, Toretsk and New-York.

The intensity of hostilities on the Pokrovsk front remains high. The number of combat clashes increased to 33. The Russians continue to attack the combat formations of Ukrainian defenders near Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvyzhenka, Kalynove, Prohres, Lozuvatske, Novoselivka Persha, Yevhenivka and Yasnobrodivka. Ukrainian troops repelled 23 of the Russian attacks, and 10 combat clashes are still ongoing.

Russian losses here are estimated at 234 personnel (killed and wounded). One tank and one armoured combat vehicle were also destroyed.

There were 10 combat clashes on the Kurakhove front during the day. The Russians tried but failed to advance in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Nevelske and Paraskoviivka. Nine attacks were repelled and one is still ongoing.

On the Vremivka front, the Russians attacked the Ukrainian contact line seven times today in the areas of Vodiane and Makarivka. Ukrainian troops repelled six of the Russian attacks, and one is ongoing.

On the Orikhove front, two Russian attacks took place in the areas of Mala Tokmachka and Robotyne.

On the Prydniprovske front, two Russian attempts to seize Ukrainian positions in the vicinity of Krynky failed.

Support UP or become our patron!
NUKU'ALOFA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Tongan King Tupou VI and Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni have reaffirmed the country's adherence to the one-China principle in separate meetings with a senior Chinese political advisor.

While meeting with Hu Chunhua, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), in Nuku'alofa on Wednesday respectively, they asked Hu to convey their best wishes to Chinese leaders.

They also said Tonga is willing to actively learn from China's development experience, continuously deepen cooperation in various fields, including agriculture, education, medical care, climate change response and marine protection, to promote new development in bilateral relations.

For his part, Hu said China is ready to work with Tonga to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, consolidate political mutual trust, expand pragmatic cooperation, deepen people-to-people exchanges, so as to push the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to a new level.

He also briefed the Tongan leaders on Chinese modernization, the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the CPPCC.

During his visit to Tonga from Tuesday to Friday, Hu also met with Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Fatafehi Fakafanua and attended the birthday celebration of King Tupou VI. 
Slovakia to increase electricity supplies to Ukraine during colder months, Slovak president says

Slovakia will increase electricity exports to Ukraine to help stabilize supplies during the autumn and winter months, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini told reporters on July 4.

In recent months, Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure in a renewed assault against the country's energy grid.

As a result of the attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine began implementing rolling blackouts on May 15.

"Since the beginning of the war, we have already exported more than 40,000 megawatts of electricity to Ukraine, and we are going to increase supplies in autumn and winter, which will probably be crucial for Ukraine," Pellegrini said during a visit to Poland on Thursday.

Pellegrini, a close ally to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, met with Polish President Andrzej Duda, seeking to reassure the country's support for Ukraine. Pellegrini asserted that Slovakia is doing "a lot of work" to support Ukraine.

Ukraine's largest privately-owned energy provider DTEK has warned that Ukrainians have only have electricity for 6-7 hours per day in the upcoming winter.

In a "worst-case" scenario in which Ukraine is unable to repair damaged energy facilities and prevent future attacks, Ukrainians could experience up to 20 hours of blackouts a day, DTEK Executive Director Dmytro Sakharuk told the Kyiv Independent in an interview on June 9.

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, known for his friendly stance towards Russia and firm opposition to providing military aid to Ukraine, has deepened divides between the country and NATO over support for Ukraine.

Pellegrini likely also sought to quell uncertainty over its differing relations with NATO over Ukraine, also adding that Slovakia is ready to host an increased number of NATO troops on their territory, if necessary.

Read also: Ukraine considering transiting gas from Azerbaijan to EU, Zelensky says





Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
FILE - Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico arrives for a cabinet's away-from-home session in the town of Handlova, Slovakia, on May, 15, 2024. Fico made his first public appearance on Friday July 5, 2024 since he was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt, attacking his liberal political opponents and praising his Hungarian counterpart. (Radovan Stoklasa/TASR via AP, File)

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP)  Slovakias populist Prime Minister Robert Fico made his first public appearance on Friday since he was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt, attacking his liberal political opponents and praising his Hungarian counterpart.

Fico has been recovering at home from multiple wounds he suffered in the May 15 attack when he was shot in the abdomen as he greeted supporters in the town of Handlova, nearly 140 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of the capital.

The suspect, identified only as J.C., was immediately arrested and faces terror charges.

Fico gave a speech on a stage at an evening gathering to mark the 1,161 anniversary of Saints Cyril and Methodiuss arrival, a national holiday in his country.

People gave him a standing ovation when he arrived at the Devin Castle in the capital.

In his adress, Fico, who was standing on the stage, attacked what he called liberal and progressivist ideologies and praised Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his recent trips to Kyiv and Moscow.

Fico ended his countrys military aid for Ukraine after his coalition government was sworn in on Oct. 25. He also opposes EU sanctions on Russia, and wants to block Ukraine from joining NATO.

He has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond. He returned to power for the fourth time last year, when his leftist party Smer, or Direction, won the parliamentary election last September after campaigning on a pro-Russia and anti-American message.

His critics worry that Slovakia could abandon its pro-Western course and follow the direction of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban

Thousands have repeatedly rallied in the capital and across Slovakia to protest Ficos policies.
There are many factors and many people who can take at least some of the credit for the SNPs defenestration yesterday.

Keir Starmer and his Scottish partys leader, Anas Sarwar, will obviously be patting themselves on the back after Labour swept the board across Scotland, dramatically restoring its former position as the dominant party. And say it softly, but there are four Conservatives who subtly and decisively changed the debate in Scotland and forced the SNP onto the back foot back since 2016.

Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak all said no to nationalist demands for a second independence referendum, enraging the SNP and confounding its expectation that, following the premierships of Gordon Brown and David Cameron, they could continue to drive the political agenda in Scotland.

But the first prize for this sea change in Scottish politics can be laid at the door, not of the nationalists opponents, and certainly not at the door of Scottish voters, but of the SNP themselves.

Watching, over the last nine years, the swaggering arrogance of SNP MPs as they pontificated and gloated about their new dominance of Scotlands political life, was a grim, enraging experience. A party that had spent three years deliberately dividing the nation over a niche constitutional obsession had found itself representing 56 of Scotlands 59 Westminster seats, on top of its dominance of the devolved chamber at Holyrood.

For a party that, five years previously, had won a total of six Westminster constituencies, it was a startling transformation. The SNP had always preened itself as the voice of Scotland even when, in the 1980s, it was coming a poor third place to Labour and Margaret Thatchers Conservatives. Thats what nationalism does: it assumes a prominence in public life that is frequently unjustified by its popular support.

But 2011 and then 2015 changed all that, and in a remarkably short period of time, the SNP were behaving like Kings of the World with barely a thought as to how they would deliver on their promise of independence, or how they would appear to that majority of Scots who still reviled them and whose support they would need if they were ever to succeed in selling their prospectus on independence.

Public office seemed to be theirs by right rather than merit. Difficulties in delivering at a Holyrood level were compounded by internal political machinations, difficult relations with their parliamentary partners, the Scottish Greens, and a bewildering succession of first ministers following Nicola Sturgeons unexpected resignation last year.

Genuine hatred plays a big part in the SNPs political outlook. There is the performative kind  the evil Tories who hate Scotland and want to send your children up chimneys  and then there is the real, visceral hatred, reserved for Labour, for the single reason that it has dominated Scottish politics for so long and has therefore prevented independence from achieving its rightful prominence for generations.

That hatred, coupled with a genuine delusion that it and it alone can speak for Scotland, has shaped the party and its leadership across all recent iterations. And when the divisions over the independence referendum resulted in SNP dominance of Westminster seats in Scotland, and when that victory was repeated twice more, the party started to believe its own propaganda, that the Scottish people had changed their minds for the last time, that nationalist dominance would continue until the inevitable day when Scotland became independent.

Last night was a rude awakening, and a long-deserved one.

Hubris never fails to have its consequences. One is a tendency to blind oneself to the realities of life, and in the SNPs case, their singular obsession with independence and hatred of Labour blinded it to the changing priorities of Scottish voters, who had started to realise that independence, while still attractive to many, was no longer at the top of their political wish list.

The SNP reaped what it sowed. Its arrogance, its entitlement and its short-sightedness have been exposed and the very people who raised them up have thrown them down again. And with it, the very project they hold so dear to their hearts.

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.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA )  Tampa Bay-area real estate agents and Floridas CFO are sounding the alarm about solar panels impacting the states real estate market.

They say the panels are having an unexpected consequence on home sellers  and home buyers  who many not qualify to buy the home because of the panels.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said solar panel popularity has skyrocketed and works out for some, but that when some homeowners need to sell their houses, they are in for an unpleasant surprise.

Whats very concerning to me about solar is that youre putting a depreciating asset on your house that over time loses efficiency that penetrates the integrity of your roof, he said.

The cost of the solar is often a second mortgage that could be an additional $80,000 or more, he said, and comes with a lien on the house.

Realtor Ryan Kirby, of Kirb Appeal Homes at Keller Williams in St. Petersburg, said the seller has to either pay that off before selling or transfer the loan to the buyer. In many cases, he said, the buyer may not be willing or may not qualify for the extra loan amount.

In todays market, buyers have so many different variables that theyre trying to deal with, Kirby said. Increase in food, insurance, increase in homeowners insurance, youve got taxes going up. So when a lender is pulling all of your data to make sure youre going to be in a financially secure position, it can completely throw your income-to-debt ratio off, which can ultimately limit you from some homes with panels.

He said solar is great option for some, but homeowners need to do their homework before investing in panels.

Over time, does that financial benefit reward you long term? Kirby said.

Patronis said answering this question is particularly important for senior citizens.

Now youre telling somebody on a fixed income that now they want to downsize, maybe they want to move into something thats assisted living, now this investment that sounded great five years ago is going to wipe out your entire savings because you got to pay it off in order to move out of your house, Patronis said.

Another concern is whether the house appraises high enough to include the cost of the solar loan.

Experts recommend you seek out an appraiser with experience in solar value, but keep in mind the appraiser is chosen by the bank, and the lender may not consider your independent appraisal.

Also, Patronis added, check with your insurance carrier to make sure they cover solar panels and make sure the panels dont void any warranty left on the roof.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
In the newest attempt to win back support heading into November, President Joe Biden met with more than twenty Democratic governors at the White House this week. There, he said he needs to get more sleep and work fewer hours. During his statement, which was originally reported by the New York Times, Biden also said he would stop holding events after 8pm, which many are calling a problematic solution.



These remarks come just one week after a disastrous presidential debate; and although former President Donald Trumps performance was filled with lies and evasion, it seems Bidens incoherence is all anyone can talk about. The president recently said he almost fell asleep onstage during the debate.... which isnt the most comforting revelation coming from the 81-year-old nominee.

In the past, Trump has jokingly calling Biden Sleepy Joe, and maybe the nickname has some truth to it. Biden is known to have fallen asleep in meetings and even freeze while giving public speeches; and after the debate, Bidens political supporters are taking notice.

Several Democrats are calling for the incumbent to drop out of the race and let someone younger take the lead, but Biden says hes not going anywhere. On a call with campaign staffers, Biden said 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.

But as the Democratic party continues to free-fall, several leaders are coming out in support of Biden, including Maryland Governor Wes Moore who said The president is our nominee. The president is our party leader. after the White House meeting.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who also attended the meeting, said Biden was in it to win it and I support him.

The Biden campaign has tried many ways to reassure voters of his competence and enthusiasm heading into November, but its unclear if the public is really buying it. In a recent poll, almost half of voters say Biden should step aside.

According to the Biden campaign, the key to his success is balance. President [George W.] Bush went to bed at 9, and President [Barack] Obama made dinner at 6:30,a Biden campaign spokesman, Kevin Munoz, said in a statement to the Times.



During the meeting, the president also made  what he calls  a joke that didnt exactly leave the room with thunderous laughter. Biden told officials Im fine  I dont know about my brain, though.

Biden is no comedian, and his remarks left some leaders feeling frustrated and concerned for the future of their party, reports CNN. Two days after the debate, Axios reported Biden is more likely to have verbal miscues and become fatigued after the hours of 10am and 4pm.

For now, Biden said his new schedule will help him appear stronger and less tired. If he wants any chance of winning the upcoming election, Biden has to dispel any public fears that hes not the man for the job.

For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Family of 2 killed by alleged drunk driver on Fourth of July in NYC speaks out

Family of 2 killed by alleged drunk driver on Fourth of July in NYC speaks out

LOWER EAST SIDE, MANHATTAN (PIX11)  A man who police investigators say was driving drunk when he plowed his pickup truck into a group of friends and family members at a Fourth of July party is scheduled to go before a judge on Friday night or Saturday.

Hes accused of killing a mother and her adult son, as well as one other person, who has not yet been officially identified.

More Local News

Meanwhile, a man whos the son and brother of the two victims who have been named returned to the scene of the Thursday evening crash, and had a message for the truck driver.

Own up to your mistake, said Diamond Pinkney, 29. His mother, Lucille Pinkney, 59, and his brother, Herman Pinkney, 38, were killed when the truck rammed into them while they were at an annual Fourth of July party, according to the NYPD.

You took something very important to me, Pinkney continued, from the crash scene at Water and Jackson Streets. I dont know how long its going to take for me to come back from, but I know Ive got loved ones with me. The community is with me, he said.

He was addressing Daniel Hyden, 44. NYPD investigators say that Hyden was drunk, and rammed his Ford F-150 pickup through construction barriers to drive into Corlears Hook Park, just east of Jackson Street, at around 8:45 Thursday evening.

The crash killed the mother and son, as well as one other person, and injured eight other people, the NYPD said.

Child, 11, ignites fireworks that burn 2 homes on Long Island; man arrested: NCPD

Detectives led Hyden out of the Seventh Precinct on Friday afternoon into a police vehicle that was waiting to take him to an arraignment. Some members of the Pinkney family, who did not want to give their names, shouted angrily at Hyden as he was walked to the squad vehicle.

Remember my sister and my nephew, Lucille and Herman Pinkney! yelled a woman who identified herself only as the victims close relative. Thats who needs to be remembered! she exclaimed.

Hyden, who police say lives more than 35 miles away from the crash scene, in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, is a substance abuse counselor, according to a variety of sources.

They say that hes also written a book, titled The Sober Addict, which is available on Amazon.

Man severs finger during Long Island fireworks mishap on Fourth of July: SCPD

Hyden faces charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated, aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, and recklessly causing serious injury with a weapon, according to the NYPD and the citys Dept. of Transportation.

Another member of the victims family, Diamond Pinkneys partner, Krystal Jimenez, said that they felt called to show gracefulness, while also seeking justice.

We forgive him, said Jimenez, adding, karma will come and get you, what goes around comes around, and I just pray that God has mercy on your soul.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Lock him up

Steve Bannon lost his many appeals to stay out of jail for a mere four months at a federal prison. Now he is saying hes proud to serve and doesnt regret lying to Congress. These guys dont want to do the time after committing the crime. A bunch of whimps posing as warriors.

Hush money

It appears that Congress is stopping the practice of paying hush money to claims of sexual discrimination against Congressmen. This has been traditionally paid from a slush fund of tax payers money. Of course those who benefited from the hush money pay off is a closely guarded secret. How is this different from Donald Trump being convicted by testimony of a witness that has been proven to be an habitual liar?

He said it

Donald Trumps supporters keep saying President Bidens supporters need to wake up. I think it is the other way around. In the debate, Trump spoke of the wonderful conversation he had with his pal Vladimir Putin. At a campaign event last week, Trump told his supporters to get out and vote. Then said I dont care if you vote in four years. I dont care what happens then, I just need you to vote now. I heard it with my own ears. He was telling the truth. He doesnt care what happens to this country in four years.

No escape

Despite many Supreme Court questionable decisions, they got one right, refusing to hear Steve Bannons prison appeal. The ex-Donald Trump advisor and earlier Trump-pardoned convict finally reported to jail for other offenses after working the justice system to the furthest extent of special treatment. He escaped earlier jail time for defrauding donors of over a million dollars for Trumps border wall.

Making things up

Do you really think Jill Biden is power hungry? She has not used her position to her advantage. She is a teacher. You guys are trying to throw anything against the wall you think will stick. Besides, whos more power hungry than Donald Trump? His own family doesnt support him.

Nuclear codes

You know who Im really afraid of having access to the nuclear codes? Donald Trump. He retaliates against anyone who doesnt say anything nice about him. Hes Vladimir Putins buddy and he admires dictators. Past military generals have already expressed concern for judgments while he was in office. He takes classified documents home for God knows what purpose.

Backfire?

The Supreme Courts ruling on immunity also means President Biden now has immunity for any official-act crime he commits. Let that sink in.

Send your Sound Offs to soundoff@sunherald.com.
CHANGSHA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A dike breach in Dongting Lake in central China's Hunan Province occurred at 5:48 p.m. following failed emergency repair efforts, local authorities have said.

A preliminary investigation estimates that the width of the breach was about 10 meters.

The relocation of approximately 5,000 residents of the affected area has been completed, according to the local flood control department. 
With their eyes on Hurricane Beryls trajectory through the Gulf of Mexico this Fourth of July weekend, South Texans are monitoring the storm and wondering what the direct impact will be on the southwest Gulf of Mexico.

Beryl made landfall on July 1 in Grenada, strengthening at times to a Category 5 hurricane before winds dissipated to maximum sustained speeds of 115 miles per hour as it passed southwest of the Cayman Islands on Thursday morning, bringing strong winds, a dangerous storm surge and damaging waves to the area, according to data from the National Weather Service National Hurricane Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Forecasters predict the now-Category 3 storm to weaken as it moves toward the Yucatan Peninsula with expected impact by early Friday. On Wednesday afternoon, one NWS meteorologist in Corpus Christi predicted the storm would make landfall just south of Brownsville as a Category 1 hurricane, possibly traveling up the coast to make landfall farther north.

An image showing surfers riding waves at South Padre Island on Sept. 2, 2008, during Hurricane Gustav, which made landfall near the Haitian town of Jacmel on Aug. 25, 2008, about 1,600 miles from the Texas coast.

Well see increased swells and rip current risks throughout the coast," said Cory Mottice, a warning coordination meteorologist with NWS - Corpus Christi. "There could be dangerous rip currents this weekend and rain bands moving ashore in deep South Texas on Saturday, with possible rain and gusty winds arriving in Corpus Christi on Monday. Local rains could lead to flash flooding."

Scientists will have a much better handle on the storm by Friday, enabling them to predict where it will make landfall to assess the impacts on currents, as well as how much wind and rain it will bring, he said.

As many South Texans brace for heavy rain and winds, Texas surfers take a broader view, embracing storms as an aspect of living near the ocean. Many are looking forward to chasing the thrill of a big storm wave or swell.

Seeking out swell waves

During a swell, waves along the shores of Corpus Christi can reach up to 8 feet, said Tommy Shilts, the Blue Water Task Force coordinator with the Surfrider Foundation who has been surfing for almost 50 years, starting in Texas before seeking out breaks in Mexico, the Pacific Coast and Puerto Rico.

He said he surfed at South Padre Island when Hurricane Gustav hit the coast of Haiti in 2008, where waves reached up to 18 feet.

The fear of encountering a large wave and knowing what to do is part of the experience, he said.

When you hit that right window of tropical storm swell, its a lot of fun and some of the best surf youll get all year, Shilts said. "When I was paddling out to surf 18-foot waves at Gustav, I heard about three freight trains behind me, and when I turned around and saw the wave, I thought, 'What the heck am I doing here?'

"Then I remembered thats why Im here," he said. "You have to be pretty Zen about lowering your heart rate very quickly and calming down. You don't have a lot of time. You cant be all freaked out."

Surfers rely on a buddy system, strong surfing skills and a solid knowledge of weather and tidal flow to choose the best days and times to surf and to watch out for each other in the water.

Many storms that produce the fun waves that surfers seek out will land along other parts of the Gulf Coast, yet the heavy currents and rip currents that develop during hurricanes and tropical depressions can carry extra debris into the water and to the shore, from logs and lumber to plastic, he said.

Tropical storm surges will also push sea life toward the shore at once, covering the beach in jellyfish and other marine animals that are blown in during the storm, the surfer said.

Knowing how to dodge debris is important, as is having a reliable and foolproof route to the shore.

Driving on the beach is not advised during tropical storms. The NWS encourages motorists to abide by the slogan, Turn Around, Dont Drown, if they encounter flood waters when driving.

The days that bring excellent tropical storm surf are the same days where the ocean water will be pushed all the way up to the dunes, Shilts said.

Being smart during storm surges

The thing about Texas surfing is we all have to become amateur meteorologists, because youve got to be able to read the charts, he said. And weve got it down to where my boys will call me and say, Whats up today with the surf? and Ill be like, Between 2 and 4 today, man. Dont miss it.

On high tide days, surfers will seek out an alternate place to park, such as next to boat ramps or hotels, and walk the extra distance across lagoons to paddle out to the water.

Surfers can also lose their surfboards in the water during storm surges, resulting in a situation where they cant swim back to shore.

This is when rescues are important.

Surfers do more rescues than anyone I know, Shilts said, describing how over the course of his career, he has administered first aid on the beach, including tending to a surfer who was bitten by a shark at Packery Channel in December of 2022.

And while peoples lives are sometimes lost in surfing accidents, surfers recognize the inherent risk of going out to breaks and swells and try to advise fellow surfers and clientele to make smart choices to minimize the risks posed by the sport.

In addition to surfers, beach walkers are another denizen of Corpus Christi and Padre Island beaches who are can be well-attuned to observing the natural conditions on Texas shores to keep aware of any approaching storms. Some can make predictions based on the change in tides, the location of seaweed or the behavior of shorebirds.

Because we live here, we get tropical depressions all the time, said Padre Island resident John Knutson, who said he has lived on Padre Island for five years. From May through November, its almost a weekly thing. Some of the storms have the ability to drop a tremendous amount of rain on Park Road 22.

Early each morning, he walks the natural beach on North Padre Island to get his mind right, taking photographs of the sunrise rising over the waves as well as any other shoreline features or weather developments that he observes, sometimes sending the pictures to NWS, he said.

Noting these occurrences, from the rise of the tides up to the dunes in the days before a storm to the subtle shifts in flight patterns of laughing gulls or terns as they respond to drops in barometric pressure, helps him stay attuned to the natural world to be more intuitive about tropical storms and hurricanes.

For instance, in the days before Tropical Storm Alberto hit the coastline, he predicted there would be wind and rain with possible beach erosion and local flooding.

Living here helps me be more intuitive of whats happening around us, he said.

More: Where is Hurricane Beryl now? Storm weakens Thursday as path continues toward South Texas

More: History-making Hurricane Beryl likely to hit South Texas as Cat 1 storm next week, NWS says

More: Hurricane Beryl tracker: Maps show storm's projected path as it heads toward South Texas

More: Hurricane season 2024: What Coastal Benders need to know

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: South Texas surfers ride out waves in tropical storms, hurricanes
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (Photo: Kate Bloomfield/USFWS)

Southern Nevadas federal delegation are calling on the federal government to prohibit mining on public land in the fragile Amargosa River watershed, an effort pushed by locals in the area for months.

On Tuesday, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto sent a letter to federal land managers, urging the Department of the Interior to implement a 20-year ban on new mining operations on public land surrounding the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, a critical wetland habitat that supports a dozen endangered and threatened species.

Sen. Jacky Rosen and Reps. Dina Titus, Steven Horsford, and Susie Lee also signed the letter.

The 20-year ban is supported by the Timbisha Shoshone Tribal Council, the Nye County Board of Commissioners, the Nye County Water District, and both the town boards of Amargosa Valley and Beatty.

Under federal law, the Department of the Interior has the authority to withdraw lands from mineral extraction for up to 20 years by approving an application for mineral withdrawal submitted by the managing agency. Mineral withdrawals can also be permanently secured through legislation passed by Congress and signed by the president.

A federal mineral withdrawal would not dissolve previous mining claims, but it would greatly reduce mining companies interest in developing the area, say supporters of the 20-year ban.

In the letter, the lawmakers representing Southern Nevada ask Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to formally initiate a 20-year mineral withdrawal on about 276,000 acres of public lands researchers say is most vulnerable to groundwater depletion from mining activities.

Drilling for exploration or mining could puncture the highly pressurized underlying aquifer, resulting in artesian flow that could reduce spring flows and water levels at Devils Hole, and would have widespread catastrophic effects on this fragile landscape. Pit mining activities would require dewatering that would draw down groundwater levels, reducing spring flow in the Refuge and affecting the water supply for local communities, the lawmakers wrote.

The Amargosa River travels just under the surface for most of its 185-mile course. In the stretches of the river that reach the surface  like the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge  the river supports endemic species that depend entirely on springs fed by groundwater aquifers.

However, some of those aquifers are extremely close to the surface, meaning even shallow drilling in the Amargosa Basin groundwater system can have severe, unpredictable, and far-reaching impacts.

The request comes after Canada-based Rover Critical Minerals (formerly Rover Metals) announced a new plan last year to drill as many as 21 boreholes less than a mile from the refuge  at depths of up to 150 feet  in search of valuable lithium deposits. The proposal included plans to drill within a few thousand feet of Fairbanks Spring, a critical habitat for the endangered Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish and the Ash Meadows speckled dace.

Recent proposals for exploratory mineral drilling and extraction near the Refuge boundary pose an immediate threat to the integrity of this fragile ecosystem, reads the letter.
This is a locator map for Syria with its capital, Damascus. (AP Photo)

DAMASCUS (AP)  A close adviser to Syrian President Bashar Assad has died after a car accident left her hospitalized for four days, the president's office said Friday in a statement.

Luna al-Shibl, a former journalist, had worked as the director of Assads political and media offices and as a special adviser to the president. She was slapped with U.S. sanctions in 2020 along with five other Syrian military, government and financial officials, and later was also sanctioned by the United Kingdom.

Syrias state-run news agency SANA reported Tuesday that al-Shibl had been in an accident that caused the car she was in to swerve off the road, and she was subjected to several collisions. She was hospitalized in Damascus and admitted to intensive care with severe injuries including a head hemorrhage.

The U.K.-based opposition war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at the time that another car had hit al-Shibl and its driver was arrested. Official statements on the crash did not mention another car.

Al-Shibl initially rose to regional prominence as an anchor for Al Jazeera, but left the Qatar-based news network in 2011 following the outbreak of the Syrian anti-government protests that spiraled into a civil war after the Assad governments brutal crackdown on demonstrators. Al Jazeera took a stance supportive of the Syrian opposition.

Al-Shibl was formerly married to Sami Kleib, a prominent Lebanese journalist with a wide following around the Middle East.

Assad's office said in a statement that the Presidency extends its sincere condolences and sympathy to her family and loved ones."
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Were together 24-seven, Terri Snodgrass said. We get a little nit-picky sometimes, but we never fuss or fight.

Terri and her husband, Wayne, are inseparable.

Shes a humdinger, Wayne said.

Though the two rarely disagree, the couple never fathomed they would be confronted with the biggest battle of their lives  one they would face together.

I felt tired all the time, Terri said.

In December 2020, Terri was diagnosed with stage four metastatic pancreatic cancer that had spread throughout her body.

Devastation. I think it affected him more than it did me, Terri said.

10-year-old boy injured after firework explodes on him

When we got married, she said its forever, and the preacher man who married us said, Im tying that knot real good, Wayne said.

Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of all cancers, and most stage four patients do not survive passed a year.

There are tumors that we dont have a lot of treatments for, pancreas cancer for example, Dr. Susanna Ulahannan, an oncologist at Stephenson Cancer Center, said. We really have two lines of therapy, and then thats it. We dont have anything more for those patients.

It simply does not exist yet, but Terris team of doctors believes they are in to something. That something is called molecular sequencing, and the results were astonishing.

What we do is sequence the tumor for hundreds of genes, and then if there are certain mutations in that gene that we can target, we can do more of a personalized medicine, Ulahannan said. It showed to my surprise, usually in metastatic pancreas cancer, they dont have a lot of mutations that we can target. Terri was different.

Owner feels left in the dark after dog dies at daycare

Terri had hundreds of mutations, and an ongoing clinical trial targeted many of the very mutations Terri had. She stayed on the trial for a year without much luck. Terri began a second trial and then a third that also targeted mutations. Terris cancer shrank to just two spots.

I was like , Can we think outside the box? Shes not a normal patient. She was diagnosed in December of 2020. We are now in 2023, and this is all the disease she has. These two spots that we can see, Ulahannan said.

Dr. Laura Fischer then surgically removed the tumors.

It was quite a challenging procedure, but we were able to get them out, Fischer said.

She said, When I went in there, I couldnt believe it. It looked like all dead tumor. And so she took everything out, and we look at it under the microscope. Its all dead. No viable tissue at all. So we do a PET scan, and the PER scan is negative. We cant see any cancer on the pet scan, Ulahannan said.

Doctors stopped all of Terris cancer treatment in August of 2023 and to this day can find no cancer.



This is a new drug that is not on the market. Its a brand new drug, and she had this type of response where we cant see anymore cancer, Ulahannan said.

The drug is so new that it does not have a name and is not on the market. It is a phase one trial in a pill form that targets mutations. There are three phases of trial treatments. Phase one determines if a drug is safe to use.

It works really well in mice, but we dont know if its going to work in people, and we dont know if its going to be safe in people, Ulahannan said.



In phase two, doctors focus on specific tumor types, and in stage three the new drug is given to patients instead of the normal standard of care.



What did I have to lose? Terri said. I wanted to live.



It is a miracle, and thats the thing when we do clinical trials we dont always know what to expect, Ulahannan said.

From start to finish it is about a 10 year process for drugs to hit the market. Still in clinical development, this unnamed drug will most likely get FDA accelerated approval thanks in part to Terris outcome.

Is this case going to help that?

Yes. For sure. Its very unique, Ulahannan said. She is very, very unique.

After multiple experiences and hundreds of doctors appointments, Terri is cancer-free. Her husband never missed any of those appointments and never left her side.



Two peas in a pod, he said. Thats what we call each other.



In order to fight, youve got to have determination, and I have a lot of it, Terri said.
A worker steps off an R.J. Corman Railroad Group locomotive preparing to transport tanker cars southbound down the Cleveland Line.

SUGAR CREEK TWP.  Disputes with two railroad companies have delayed work on a Sugar Creek sanitary sewer project. Now, Stark County has filed legal complaints against them.

The companies, R.J. Corman and Ohio Central Railroad, both have two crossings in the scope of the project. To start work, the county needs to acquire the land from the companies.

"We've been unable to reach an agreement as to the value of those interests," Stark County Assistant Prosecutor John Lysenko said. "Over a period of months, we've tried to work it out."

Lysenko said he has been back and forth with both companies, but they have been unable to agree on a price.

R.J. Corman, based in Nicholasville, Kentucky, wanted $23,400 for its two crossings, which it said would pay costs for their engineer and construction oversight fees, Lysenko said. He said the county had the value of the R.J. Corman crossings appraised at $540.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the company said: "R.J. Corman Railroad Co. operates 19 short-line railroads in the U.S. and is experienced in working with the federal government, states, and municipalities throughout the U.S. on public projects and projects of public interest.

"We have every intention of continuing to cooperate professionally with Stark County in this matter to the reasonable satisfaction of all involved."

The company said it could not comment further at this time.

For Ohio Central, which is based in Coshocton, the county appraised its crossings at $550, but the company asked for $12,800 along with a list of "entirely unacceptable" conditions, Lysenko said.

A spokesperson for Ohio Central said they "are reviewing the matter carefully and hope for an amicable resolution in the near-term." The company said it could not elaborate further because it is an ongoing legal matter.

Jim Troike, Stark County sanitary engineer, said the dispute has delayed the start of work on the project.

After negotiations with the companies fell through, the county commissioners passed a resolution to appropriate the land to begin work on the sewer project.

Attorneys for the county commissioners have filed legal complaints against the companies in Stark County Probate Court. Complaints state that the county has the right to appropriate lands for public improvement and the county commissioners have taken all necessary steps under Ohio law.

The county has filed to appropriate the lands.

Lysenko said the sewer project should have minimal impact on the railroad companies' operations.

"The sewers we're putting in are not going to impact the railroad tracks at all. ... It's going quite far underneath the tracks," he said. "I don't think there's any cost to the railroad going forward. ... This is a well thought out project, and we don't envision any issues."

Sewer project in Justus and Harmon, Sugar Creek

Troike said the Justus and Harmon areas in Sugar Creek Township have failing septic systems identified as a high priority by the Stark County Health Department and a study by the Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization.

The study showed the areas, particularly Harmon, had E. coli bacteria over the allowable limit, posing a threat to local water quality.

The sewer project would extend public sanitary sewers to service the Justus and Harmon areas, which will service about 90 homes and businesses.

Troike said the project is funded through American Rescue Plan funds, meaning the project must be under contract by the end of 2024. The county then has until the end of 2026 to complete the project.

The project has been pushed back because of disputes with the railroad companies.

"The railroads have been dragging us along," Troike said. "We're anxious to get started."

The sewer project is expected to go out to bid next month.

"We're going to continue on," Troike said. "We'll see what happens in the courts with the crossings of the railroads."

Reach Grace at 330-580-8364 or gspringer@gannett.com. Follow her on X @GraceSpringer16.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County files complaints with R.J. Corman, Ohio Central railroads
Stark County Sheriff George Maier anticipates charges will be filed next week in connection to the death of Raychel Sheridan, 24, of Plain Township. Her boyfriend, Sean Goe, remains in custody on other charges.

CANTON  Charges will be filed next week over the death of Raychel Sheridan, according to Stark County Sheriff George Maier.

Maier said his office has spoken to the county prosecutor and he's confident charges against Sean Goe, Sheridan's boyfriend, are forthcoming.

Sheridan was reported missing Tuesday. Her body was found Wednesday morning by Canton City employees emptying trash in Mother Goose Land Park.

Goe, 26, was arrested Wednesday on outstanding warrants for misdemeanor domestic violence and criminal damaging, as well as a felony charge of grand theft of a firearm and burglary.

On Friday, Goe appeared via video conference from the Stark County Jail in front of Canton Municipal Judge Kristen Guardado. His attorney, Public Defender Christopher Fisher, asked for a status hearing.

Guardado set a status hearing for 10:30 a.m. July 10. Goe remains jailed on a $500,000 bond. Goe pleaded no contest to a charge of driving without a seat belt and was fined a mandatory $30 fine and court costs.

More: 'A ray of sunshine.' Friends and family remember Raychel Sheridan with candlelight vigil

What happened to Raychel Sheridan?

Sheriff's deputies went to Sheridan's apartment on Tuesday after her mother alerted authorities that the Plain Township woman had not been seen or heard from since Saturday, and that she did not show up for work on Monday.

Maier said deputies found the door to her Orchard Dale Drive NW apartment open and no one inside. Sheridan shared the apartment with Goe. Deputies, he said, felt something was amiss and got a search warrant.

While at the apartment, deputies spotted Goe driving Sheridan's Jeep Liberty and stopped the vehicle. Goe fled the vehicle on foot and ran into a densely wooded area, according to investigators.

An extensive search by deputies, the Northern Ohio Fugitive Task Force, Ohio Highway Patrol's aviation team and patrol's Community Emergency Response Team did not locate Goe Tuesday.

He was arrested Wednesday morning by Canton police at a Canton homeless shelter after people at the shelter recognized him from the media reports and contacted police, Maier said.

Stark sheriff: Raychel Sheridan is a victim of 'a cycle of violence'

Investigators have tried to speak with Goe about Sheridan's death but Maier said he has been uncooperative.

He believes Goe acted alone.

"We don't know all of the facts of what happened that led to the murder but there has been some history of domestic violence," the sheriff said. "She is certainly a victim of a cycle of domestic violence."

According to a domestic violence criminal complaint filed in May, a Stark deputy alleged that "Sean Goe did knowingly make the mother of his unborn child, Raychel Sheridan, believe that he was going to cause her serious physical harm by saying, 'I'm going to (expletive) you up!'"

The deputy also alleged Goe cut holes in the tires of Sheridan's vehicle so she could not drive.

Maier said Sheridan's family said there were incidents of physical and verbal abuse, including once where Sheridan explained a bruise on her head as an accident after hitting her head on a vehicle door.

Authorities have not said how Sheridan died. They are awaiting an autopsy from the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner will conduct.

Sheridan's body was discovered inside a garbage can, similar to a residential can, Maier said.

According to a call made by Canton City Park's Department employee to a Canton Police Department non-emergency line, a worker found the body while emptying trash cans in Mother Goose Land Park.

The caller said they began to dump the can and observed a leg. The body was found wrapped in plastic.

"We got (Goe) and he is not going anywhere," the sheriff said. "We have the time to make sure we know what happened."

Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Sean Goe remains jailed; charges coming in death of Raychel Sheridan
I apologise for resembling the drizzle which preceded Sir Keir Starmers victory speech about the sunlight of hope, but I should like to start with this quiz question.

When, in this century, did Labour get the largest number of votes in a general election?

The answer is, Not this week, and not under Tony Blair. It was in 2017, when Labour was led by Jeremy Corbyn. It won 12,877,918 votes, but only 262 seats, losing to the Conservatives.

With one result outstanding, Labour won only 9,698,409 votes, but 412 seats. In terms of votes, this was the second worst score for any winner of either party in the post-war era (the worst being Blairs third victory in 2005). Sir Keir also won Labour its worst-ever winning fraction of the votes cast, 33.7 per cent.

These facts do not obliterate his astonishing achievement. In preparing for this moment, he understood his partys predicament. He knew he had to rescue it from a hard-Left ghetto. He has done so with dignity and grit.

But this was more easily achieved by reducing the partys negatives than by developing its positives or its policies. Sir Keir sensibly left the Conservatives and, in Scotland, the SNP, to encompass their own destruction, which both did with zeal. He spoke only of Change because that was what people said they wanted. Any explanation of what that change might mean could only cause trouble.

As a result, Labours victories are well distributed across the country, restoring it as the main party of the United Kingdom. It drove every Tory MP out of Wales, for example, even though its Welsh vote-share fell by 4 per cent. At one point, a bit after 3am, I saw four Labour gains pop up on the BBC screen at the same time  South Ribble, Bangor and Aberconwy, East Kilbride, and Ipswich  almost all points of the national compass covered.

Labour now manages to seem inoffensive. With admirable discipline, its candidates avoided triumphalism throughout the campaign and on election night, talking about putting country before party. Not only is it the right thing to say: it distracts voter attention from the thinness of Labours support. (The way Labour and the Liberal Democrats informally agreed to divide the electoral spoils to the Tories disadvantage is another feature of this success through studied vagueness.)

Also as a result, however, the new Government has no clear analysis of what is wrong with Britain and how it would put it right. The rethinks of the past 30 years  Blairs, Camerons, Starmers  have devoted their energies to rebranding their parties rather than reforming their country. It is almost half a century since Margaret Thatcher tried to address both questions at the same time. In the intervening years, the nations political brain has atrophied.

So Labour could quite quickly fall apart under the pressure of events. The state of politics can still be volatile with huge majorities. Think how fast that happened to Boris Johnsons Tories once the agenda moved from Brexit to Covid. Sir Keir has won with what was essentially an establishment message. At the door of 10 Downing Street, he spoke of calmer waters: you are safe with people like us, he was saying, people who believe in public service. Have British establishments done anything this century which should inspire such confidence?

Which brings me to Reforms triumphs on election night. As so often, Nigel Farage spotted an opening with uncanny precision, and exposed the Tories dismal, directionless failure to keep their promises. It was the sudden 14 per cent Reform vote generated by his entry, more than Labours own votes, which turned this contest round in individual seats. The vast extent of Labours victory is Mr Farages achievement. There is no good reason why he should assist the Conservative Party. But what is the good reason why he should assist Labour?

Speaking from Clacton, Mr Farage repeated his promise to build a national movement which, by 2029, will be able to transform the country. Although I admire the tenacity with which he has harried the Tories over Europe for so long, I must admit to swimming against the current tide of opinion: I feel he has delighted us long enough.

The record of national movements with little parliamentary base is not a good one. When Oswald Mosley established his New Party, he had been a glamorous figure in both the Tory and Labour parties. His impatience with established parties over the plight of down-trodden workers did him credit. But his determination to lead a mass movement rather than pursue a parliamentary career gradually led him down a darkening path into the cul-de-sac of extremism. He established a leadership cult and praised worse leadership cults abroad.

There is a natural trajectory here and Mr Farage is following it in his tenderness towards Vladimir Putin. Our exasperation with the shortcomings of our own leaders in the West should not tip us into admiration for our worst enemies.

We have had enough large populist movements for long enough in the modern West to see that they usually combine an ability to draw attention to genuine grievances, such as uncontrolled immigration, with a lack of interest in real remedies. Donald Trump can make you feel satisfyingly furious about the ills the Democrats wont address, but how well did he address most of them when in power?

Mr Farage now offers something which is going to stun you all. The British people have been stunned often enough in recent years: we would benefit more from coherent thinking than collective concussion. Here, if on not much else, I am with Sir Keir Starmer as he comes in and Sir Robert Buckland as he tumbles out: we have had our fill of mere performance.

Within the Conservative Party, a debate  well, all right, a row  will now break out about what went wrong. Names like Dave, George, Theresa, Boris, Liz and Rishi will fly around, followed by another set of names  Kemi, Tom, Robert, Priti, Jeremy  who might put things right. The Left of the party will talk about deserting the centre-ground. The Right will complain of not being conservative enough.

Politics may make this process unavoidable, but might it not mitigate the horror if things were taken quite slowly? One of the things about being conservative enough (or even Conservative enough) is to recognise that conservatism is not a mere set of propositions with tick-boxes. It is something subtler  a mixture of beliefs and temperament, an understanding of human nature, a balance between personal liberty and social cohesion, tradition and innovation.

It believes in character. It is the character of the Conservative Party which has been self-assassinating for many years. Its large and widely dispersed membership of people respected in their businesses, surgeries, charities and churches has melted away. Its clubs, agents and training programmes, its HQ and prestigious chairmen, its whips who really knew their pack have gone with the wind. Its changes of leadership within office cumulatively amounted to petty coups detat which voters could not respect.

This weekend, poor Rishi Sunak will want no more to do with any of them. There will be pressure to rush forward with a new leadership election to get his replacement in place by September. How will that help? After such a smash, Conservatism needs a great deal of time to follow St Pauls advice: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

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 Labour Party, headed by Keir Starmer, has won an outright majority in the lower house of the British parliament, according to a tally of seats by broadcaster Sky News. #GLOBALink




Until the polls closed, Keir Starmer was in absolute and total control of the Labour party. His word was law and candidates whether newbies or experienced members of the Shadow Cabinet jumped to his tune. Now, he is master of all he surveys across the UK  and he needs to be as bold in leading the country as he was in transforming his party.

Keir Starmer inherits a country with deep and abiding economic challenges  a lost decade and a half in terms of growth, productivity and living standards. There are massive social challenges too  children in poverty, food banks used by workers, huge housing needs. And from the climate crisis to geopolitics the international scene is demanding too.

That is why his government needs to act swiftly and radically.

Theres a lazy cliche in coverage of Mr Starmer that he is a dull politician. Nothing could be further from the truth. Coming to politics after a successful career as a reforming Director of Public Prosecutions, he has eschewed one of the main habits of successful political leaders  narrating his strategy through chosen journalists. He ponders  sometimes at length  and then acts, but doesnt explain. It is one of the reasons his ruthlessness is underestimated.

The election result is a massive vote for change. Labours huge majority reflects a rejection of the incumbent governments in both the UK and Scotland. But the Reform vote tells us something too: that the constituency that delivered Brexit, and then the Johnson landslide, is still there. And as always with political questions there is a pressing need for a political answer.

The good news for Keir Starmer is that he has an answer to hand  it is in his manifesto and its plan for growth. The radicalism of Labours manifesto wasnt properly recognised by the Westminster lobby  they were critical that it had no surprises, no rabbits from the hat  and no tax increases apart from already announced. But the content was serious and actionable, providing a clear plan for growth and a strong ideological spine for the three steps Keir Starmer needs to take urgently.

First, in his first words from Downing Street the new Prime Minister must reassure the nation that he gets the message of the election. Divisive politics has been rejected but the fundamentals that are dividing the country must be addressed. There is a need for growth. So much of the countrys discontent is driven by falling living standards and cuts to public services, two things that can only be reversed with growth. But it must be green growth. That is how a Labour government can respond to the surge in votes for both Reform and the Green party.

Second, Labours first Kings Speech has to legislate for radical change. In planning, the rules holding back house building have to go. Construction is one of the fastest ways to get growth back into the economy. With this, there has to be a push on the new infrastructure from onshore wind to new electricity pylons that is needed to decarbonise the UKs energy supply. It can no longer be held back by local NIMBYs when it is nationally so critical.

In living standards, the new deal for workers will give an immediate pay rise for young workers who currently have the discriminatory lower starting rate of the National Minimum Wage. And with new rights for workers in the gig economy and for unions to organise there will be further positive changes in living standards.

Third, Keir Starmer has to cut a new figure on the international stage. His first opportunity will be next weeks NATO summit in the US. Here, he will not just be the newest leader, but the least politically beleaguered. His strategic opportunity will be to work constructively with Europe on the shared agenda of security across the board from borders to defence, and also on shared prosperity, removing the friction that hurts both the UK and the EU.

But the most urgent international issue is Labours position on Gaza. The slowness with which the party moved to support a ceasefire has lost the party some of its core vote. And it must work as hard to get back those voters as it has to win back the red wall. The first step needed is to recognise Palestinian statehood. It is a simple truth that a peaceful two state solution needs the existence of two states.

The country has spoken. Keir Starmer has to hit the ground listening  and acting.

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) -- New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised a government of stability and moderation after leading his Labour Party to a landslide election victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule that became characterized by turmoil and infighting.

Most Read from Bloomberg

In a dramatic reshaping of the political landscape, Labour took 412 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, the most since Tony Blairs 1997 triumph. The Tories garnered 121, their worst ever performance and calling time on Rishi Sunaks stewardship of the country and his party.

Starmer, 61, vowed to reset British politics in a speech outside No. 10 Downing Street in London on Friday after he was formally appointed as premier by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. This will take a while, but have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately. He said his administration would rebuild Britain with wealth created in every community.

Any Labour euphoria over the size of its win, though, will be quickly overshadowed by the scale of the challenges facing the next government.

As well as the task of getting the economy growing more quickly, the election exposed divisions that look more entrenched. Indeed, the emphatic result in terms of seat count was down to the splitting of the Tory vote in favor of more radical forces as much as an embrace of Labour policies. Labours vote share  at 33.7%  was only slightly higher than the 32.1% secured in 2019, when the party suffered its worst defeat in more than 80 years.

Starmer has rebuilt his party since his left-wing predecessor Jeremy Corbyn led it to that performance in the 2019 vote, which was dominated by the UKs tortuous departure from the European Union.

That lingering tension was confirmed by the rise of voices on the right and left fringes, from Brexit architect Nigel Farages populist Reform UK party, to left-wing independents who campaigned against the war in Gaza. Reform emerged with five seats, with Farage entering the UK Parliament for the first time.

The shift in the UK still stands in contrast to some of its neighbors and allies. In France, parties are trying to figure out how to halt the rise of the far right after Marine Le Pens National Rally dominated the first round of parliamentary elections last weekend. In the US, Democrats are debating whether President Joe Biden is the man to stop Donald Trump.

Starmer on Friday spoke with Biden by telephone, telling him that the UKs support for Ukraine will be unwavering and that he looked forward to working with the US across the breadth of the relationship, according to a readout from No. 10.

After ousting the Conservatives, Starmer sought to draw a contrast with their time in office. He assured Britons that you have a government unburdened by doctrine. He also acknowledged the majority of voters who didnt vote for Labour, promising to show that politics can be a force for good. This wound, this lack of trust can only be healed by actions, not words, he said.

Financial markets have been sanguine. The pound staged its longest winning streak in four years to touch a three-week high and trade around $1.28. The FTSE 100 Index added 0.3%, with shares in homebuilders among the best performers as investors look to Labours pledge to put up more houses.

Labour also sought to keep markets onside in the run-up to the vote. Rachel Reeves, a former Bank of England economist, was key to Labours pitch to business. As he named his cabinet on Friday, Reeves became the UKs first female Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Other key appointments included Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, and Darren Jones, who was made chief secretary to the Treasury, the finance ministrys no. 2 job.

Starmer also installed figures with key expertise in the House of Lords to take up ministerial positions. Patrick Vallance, who helped steer the UK through the Covid-19 pandemic as the governments chief scientific adviser, was named a minister in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; human rights lawyer Richard Hermer was named attorney general, and James Timpson  who as Chief Executive Officer of shoe repair company Timpson Ltd. has advocated for the employment and rehabilitation of prisoners, was named minister for prisons, parole and probation.

--With assistance from Ellen Milligan, Joe Mayes, Aisha S Gani, Celia Bergin and Irina Anghel.

(Updates with Biden call, ministerial appointments, starting in ninth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, speaks at the podium in the Rhode Island State House Library on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. His remarks came as Rhode Island was awarded a $3.8 million federal grant to create more affordable housing units in Bristol and Washington counties. Seated front row from left to right: U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner; U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo; U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse; and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary Kimberly McClain. Back row: RIHousing Executive Director Carol Ventura; Rhode Island Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor; and State Senate Finance Chairman Lou DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat.(Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)

State leaders looking to lift Rhode Island from its poor national ranking in housing production have enacted reforms to cut red tape and jumpstart construction. But pockets of resistance continue.

To wit: the town of Narragansett in Washington County, where local officials passed an ordinance banning multi-family units in high-density areas in May. The measure defied a 2023 state law that allows any construction on a substandard lot without the need for lot area variance.

If no action is taken, the new state law has the potential to authorize significant increases in density of the highest density zones in town, thus affecting the character of these neighborhoods and potentially overtaxing public utilities, Community Development Director Michael DeLuca wrote to the Town Council.

Its that kind of perception state and federal officials hope to change via a $3.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Much of that funding will be focused on supporting the development of more affordable housing in Bristol and Washington counties.

The funding, part of the agencys Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (or PRO Housing) program, was announced in late June, but officially awarded by HUD Assistant Secretary Kimberly McClain during a stop at the State House Library Wednesday, July 3.

Affordable housing is housing we can all live in, McClain said at the ceremony attended by state leaders and members of Rhode Islands congressional delegation. Its not just Section 8. McClain was referring to the federal housing voucher program for low-income families, older adults and people with disabilities.

The state had applied for a total of $9.6 million in its application submitted to HUD last November.

Just how the state plans to allocate the $3.8 million is still being determined, though outgoing Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor did confirm at least one target at Wednesdays grant announcement: the states Health Equity Zone (HEZ) initiative, which are locally-run programs where residents work together to improve public health outcomes in their neighborhoods.

What I will say is that it centers on HEZs, Pryor said.

Housing needs overlap health and wellbeing, acknowledged Executive Office of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Ana Novais in an interview after the grant announcement.

Everything is connected, Novais said. When housing came up with their application, naturally the path for HEZs went toward housing.

Areas of opportunity

The states application sought to spend $2.75 million to extend its Health Equity Zone Housing pilot to Bristol and Washington counties. Funding would support training and technical assistance to advance the expansion of affordable and permanent supportive housing in an effort to reduce poverty and inequity.

There are three Health Equity Zones in the states targeted areas: two in Bristol County (Bristol and Warren) and one in Washington County (Hopkinton).

Both counties represent areas of opportunity, the application to HUD stated, noting that Barrington and Mount Hope high schools in Bristol County and Exeter-West Greenwich, North Kingstown, South Kingstown, and Westerly high schools in Washington County are among the top 15 high schools in the state.

These Counties also represent regions of significant employment and economic development, presently and in the near future, the application added, citing the Quonset Development Corporation and University of Rhode Island as significant economic and employment engines.

The application to HUD noted that Bristol and Washington counties were both identified by HUD as the priority geographies that have an acute need for housing.

HUDs PRO program aims to identify and remove barriers to affordable housing production, along with lower housing costs. Funding, McClain said, is given to communities actively addressing local housing barriers. She took note of Rhode Islands progress over the past few years to spur more housing production through regulatory reform, housing tax credits, development financing, and housing bonds.

You are setting the stage for new construction and housing opportunities and increasing housing production, McClain said. It is no secret that were facing a housing crisis in this country  for more than a decade the housing supply has not kept pace with the demand.

That has certainly been the case for Rhode Island. A 2016 report commissioned by Rhode Island Housing found that the state needed to construct between 34,610 to 40,230 housing units over the next decade to keep up with the pace of demand. Only 18,000 new units were constructed as of February 2024, WPRI-12 reported.

The state ranked 38th in the nation in per capita net housing production, according to a 2023 report commissioned by the Rhode Island Foundation. The report also found Rhode Island was second to last among New England states when it came to per capita state spending on housing. Only New Hampshire ranked lower.

State law sets a goal for each municipality to have at least 10% of its housing stock considered affordable based on median income and housing costs. But only five of Rhode Islands 39 communities actually meet this threshold, including Exeter in Washington County and East Providence in Bristol County.

The states grant application noted barriers that have led to production stalling include high construction and land acquisition costs, and inconsistent permitting processes. The housing department also wrote that negative perceptions can be the root of those other barriers.

This often happens due to a lack of understanding of the potential net benefits for property values, the local tax base, and the potential methods of mitigating impacts such as traffic and school expenses, the application read.

Negative perceptions, the application added, can lead to developer disinterest in investing time and money to try and develop any kind of new housing.

Acting Narragansett Town Planner Jill Sabo referred comment on the multi-family ordinance to Town Manager James Tierney, who did not immediately respond to a request. Sabo said the town is in the midst of conducting a housing livability survey  which is expected to be completed in September.

Were working on our end, she said.

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, a Warwick Democrat, did not mention any municipalities by name in remarks he gave during Wednesdays grant announcement.

This is an excellent opportunity for municipalities to fully evaluate their housing policies and utilize this grant funding to develop affordable housing for all, Shekarchi told Rhode Island Current.

Many communities are working to increase housing production, while others need to step up, he said.

Shekarchi said it is critical that local, state and federal leaders continue to collaborate to solve the states housing shortage.

When we stop working together, guess what happens? he said at the grant announcement. Not much.

The post State awarded $3.8 million federal grant to promote affordable housing development appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Carol F. Probstfeld became the sixth president of State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota in January 2013.

State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota has named a hub for student studies and socialization, community partnerships, and collaboration in honor of recently retired SCF President Carol F. Probstfeld.

The Dr. Carol F. Probstfeld Library & Learning Center was dedicated at a brief ceremony on June 25 at the Atrium at the Center, Building 3, at SCF Bradenton. The dedication featured Probstfelds portrait and name sign display, an unveiling of renderings of the outdoor signage to be installed and remarks from the president.

Probstfeld was instrumental in overseeing the development of the award-winning center, which opened in 2018.

This is an exciting and exceptional event that happens rarely at the college, said Rod Thompson, SCF Board of Trustees chair since 2016. In recognition of her immense contributions, we are proud to announce the naming of this center as the Dr. Carol F. Probstfeld Library & Learning Center, a testament to her enduring legacy.

State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota has renamed a hub for student studies and socialization in honor of recently retired SCF President Carol F. Probstfeld.

Probstfeld shared the personal meaning of the center, including memories of her childhood library visits with her family. Her mother, a first female Marines service member during World War II, and her father, a Navy service member injured in Pacific Theater during World War II, taught her about the value of learning and education. She recalled exploring the public and law libraries, courthouse and college situated in a beautiful triad in her community, getting her first library card at age 6 and the smell of books in the library buildings.

I think spending that time in a library when I was a child made all the difference and gave me the tools that I needed to be able to pursue a career that I wanted, Probstfeld said.

In January 2013, Probstfeld became the sixth president of State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, established in 1957. SCF is the areas oldest and largest public college with more than 50,000 graduates and campuses in Bradenton, Venice and Lakewood Ranch and an online presence.

Regarding her 22 years of service to SCF, Probstfeld said, Its just overwhelming, and breathtaking and humbling. I cant begin to say thank you enough.

Members of the SCF Board of Trustees and SCF staff members attend the Dr. Carol F. Probstfeld Library & Learning Center dedication ceremony on June 25.

SCFs District Board of Trustees announced on April 5 that Tommy Gregory would be the seventh President of the college after a six-month national search. Gregory took over on July 1.

The 64,000-square-foot Probstfeld Library & Learning Center received the Learning By Design Outstanding Project award in 2018. The Florida Legislature provided budgetary funding for the building construction while SCF Foundation raised community funding for equipment and furnishings.

For more information, visit SCF-Foundation.org.

Submitted by Ebony Smith

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: SCF dedicates learning center in honor of college's former president
Pelican River area in Wisconsin (Jay Brittain | Courtesy of the photographer)

Wisconsin laws that give the Legislatures powerful Joint Finance Committee the power to block state spending on land conservation projects after the money has been budgeted are unconstitutional, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The 6-1 ruling united two of the Courts conservative justices with all four of the liberal majority and handed a significant policy victory to the administration of Gov. Tony Evers in the Democratic governors lawsuit against Republican lawmakers over so-called legislative vetoes by the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) as well as other legislative committees.

In granting the JFC the ability to stymie the executive branch from carrying out the laws passed by the legislature, the statutes encroach upon the governors constitutional mandate to execute the law, states the majority opinion, authored by Justice Rebecca Bradley, a member of the courts conservative wing.

The ruling focuses on just one of several issues raised in the lawsuit that Evers filed this past October: the finance committees actions blocking specific projects that were funded under the states Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.

Under the program, created in 1989, the state budget sets aside land for public recreation and conservation. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is budgeted funds every two years to acquire and develop land and make grants to local governments and nonprofits as well.

Statutes enacted starting in 2007 have given the Joint Finance Committee the power to intervene in specific grants based on location or the amount of money involved. The committee has blocked 27 grants since 2019, Evers lawsuit said.

After the committee blocked the most recent high-profile project, setting aside $4 million for a 56,000-acre conservation easement along the Pelican River in Oneida, Forest and Langlade counties, Evers funded the project through a federal program instead.

The Court ruled Friday that the statutes empowering the committee to intervene are unconstitutional.

While the legislature has the power create an agency, define its powers, and appropriate funds to fulfill the purpose for which the legislature established it, the power to spend appropriated funds in accordance with the law enacted by the legislature lies solely within the core power of the executive to ensure the laws are faithfully executed, Rebecca Bradley wrote.

We conclude these statutes interfere with the executive branchs core function to carry out the law by permitting a legislative committee, rather than an executive branch agency, to make spending decisions for which the legislature has already appropriated funds and defined the parameters by which those funds may be spent. A statute authorizing the legislative branch to exercise core powers of the executive branch violates the constitutional separation of powers and cannot be enforced under any circumstances.

Bradley was joined by Justice Brian Hagedorn, another conservative. Both Bradley and Hagedorn had opposed the original petition from Evers for the high court to bypass lower courts and take the case directly.

All four members of the courts liberal wing joined the opinion.

Chief Justice Annette Ziegler, who also opposed the Courts decision to take the original petition, dissented from Fridays opinion. I disagree with rushing to judgment, on this limited issue, taking this case out of turn. There is simply no need, Ziegler wrote.

The majority opinion rejected the lawmakers argument that giving them oversight on the individual grants was part of their responsibilities and constituted a shared power between the executive and legislative branches.

In this case, the legislature has prescribed by law the parameters of how and where the DNR may expend state funds under the Program, the opinion states.

The laws under which the committee has blocked stewardship grants gives the committee members the power to decide how the funds should be used after the lawmaking process has been completed and the funds have been appropriated to the DNR  a quintessential executive function.

Evers cheered Fridays decision in a statement.

Ive spent years working against near-constant Republican obstruction, and this historic decision rightfully resets constitutional checks and balances and restores separation of powers, he said. This decision is a victory for the people of Wisconsin, who expect and deserve their government to work  and work for them, not against them.

The Courts statement when it took the case said the justices were considering only the issue surrounding the stewardship fund while holding other issues in the Evers lawsuit in abeyance.

One of those other issues is the power to block rules through the use of indefinite objections. Currently, if the Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules votes to block a rule and then introduces legislation to do so, the rule is blocked until the Legislature votes against the bill. It has become common practice for the committee to block rules by introducing the blocking legislation but never taking a vote on it.

Evers lawsuit also named the refusal of the Joint Committee on Employment Relations (JCOER) to release budgeted raises for University of Wisconsin employees last year. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos held up the UW raises until the Wisconsin Board of Regents voted on a deal that changed the university systems policies on diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Court issued an order Friday for parties in the Evers lawsuit to file legal memoranda discussing the impact of todays decision, if any, on whether the court should grant review of the second and/or third issues set forth in the petition for leave to commence an original action. Those filings are due July 26.

While Fridays decision showed unusual alliance between the Courts two ideological wings, their differences emerged in dueling concurrences among some of the justices, largely side arguments about the non-delegation doctrine. 

The term refers to arguments that have been raised, primarily by conservative legal analysts, to limit the ability of agencies that promulgate regulations outside of the legislative process.

Defenders of regulatory agencies say that giving subject matter experts at regulatory agencies the ability to write rules protecting the environment, public health and public safety makes it easier to address the complexity involved.

Proponents of the non-delegation doctrine argue that lawmakers have allowed those agencies too much power and are improperly giving away their role as the writers of legislation.

This story has been updated, including with information about the Courts order for subsequent filings.

The post States high court rules Legislature cant block conservation funds after theyve been budgeted appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  A set of bills that lawmakers say will address renter discrimination passed the Michigan House of Representatives last week to match bills previously passed by the Senate.

These bills address renter discrimination based on the renters source of income; as well as as discrimination based on religion, race and several other categories.

These bills were given immediate effect.

House Bill 4062 and Senate Bills 205 and 206

House Bill 4062 and Senate Bills 205 and 206 amend Act 348 of 1972, also known as the Landlord-Tenant Act, to make it illegal for landlords who own five or more rental units in the state to discriminate against current or prospective tenants based on their source of income.

Landlords are still allowed to require a certain income in order to rent a unit, but they cant specify the source of said incomefor example, they cant discriminate because part of that income is from Social Security or vouchers.

Housing is a basic necessity. Denying someone the right to shelter because they receive veterans benefits, child care, or state assistance is unfair. Michiganders deserve respect, and these bills ensure dignity and civility in the housing market, said Rep. Jennifer Conlin (D-48), who sponsored the bill.

These landlords can no longer use a tenants source of income as a basis for:

Denying or terminating housing

Denying someone a rental unit or making it unavailable to them

Attempting to discourage someone from renting or leasing from them

Falsely representing to someone that a unit is not available for inspection, rental, or lease

Knowingly failing to bring a listing to someones attention

Refusing to allow someone to inspect a rental unit

Altering the price, terms, fees, or privileges related to their tenancy Doing so due to their use of emergency rental assistance



Additionally, landlords that require tenants to have a certain amount of income can not exclude income in the form of a rent voucher or subsidy from the calculations that determine whether or not a tenant reaches the threshold.

Landlords also can not publicly indicate a preference, limitations, or requirements based on an individuals source of income.

The measures also prohibit landlords from intimidating tenants into not exercising the rights granted to them under the law, either directly or indirectly.

These measures do not apply to landlords with fewer than five rental units.

House Bill 4063 and Senate Bill 207

The other measures, House Bill 4063 and Senate Bill 207 would amend the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act to protect sources of income from housing discrimination under the same terms as previously protected categories.

This legislation will ensure that every person has equal access to housing in our state. We are removing barriers families face in finding a safe place to live, said Rep. Jason Morgan (D-23). Veterans, seniors, and hardworking Michiganders should know that their basic right to housing is protected in our great state.

Article 5 of the Act prohibits discrimination in real estate transactions based on the following:

Religion

Race

Color

National origin

Age

Sex

Sexual orientation

Gender identity/expression

Familial status

Marital status

These bills also do not apply to landlords with fewer than five rental properties in the state.

Additionally, House Bill 4063 and Senate Bill 207 do not apply under the following situations:

Housing rental in a duplex if the owner or the owners immediate family lives in one of the accommodations

The rental of a room or rooms in a single-family dwelling if the owner or the owners immediate family also resides in the dwelling

Housing rental for up to 12 months if the owner lived in the housing for at least three months immediately before occupancy by the tenant and is maintained as the owners legal residence

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Which states could have abortion on the ballot in 2024? Arkansas organizers aim to join the list

FILE - A demonstrator holds a sign protesting the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade outside the Arkansas Capitol, June 24, 2022, in Little Rock, Ark. Organizers of an effort to scale back Arkansas' abortion ban face a Friday, July 5, 2024, deadline to submit enough signatures to try and put their proposal before voters in November's election. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo, File)

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)  Organizers of an effort to scale back Arkansas' abortion ban said they have more than enough signatures to try to put their proposal before voters in November's election.

Arkansans for Limited Government submitted petitions said they turned in more than the 90,704 signatures from registered voters needed to qualify. Election officials now must begin checking the validity of the signatures.

The submission brings to six the number of states where election officials are validating signatures on abortion measures. Theyre already on the ballot in another five, plus a proposed amendment in New York that would bar discrimination based on pregnancy outcomes.

Supporters of other abortion measures in Arizona and Nebraska submitted petitions in their respective states on Wednesday.

The fate of the measures could reshape or confirm the trendlines that have developed in the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court removed the nationwide right to abortion.

Since the ruling, most Republican-controlled states have new abortion restrictions in effect, including 14 that ban it at every stage of pregnancy. Most Democratic-led states have laws or executive orders to protect access.

Voters in all seven states that have had abortion questions before voters since 2022 have sided with abortion rights supporters, including California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont.

Here's a look at the abortion measures that could be on ballots in November:

What is on the 2024 ballots?

COLORADO

Colorados top election official confirmed in May that a measure to enshrine abortion protections in the state constitution, including requirements that Medicaid and private health insurers cover it, made the ballot for the fall election.

Supporters said they gathered more than 225,000 signatures, nearly double the requirement of over 124,000 signatures. Amending the state constitution requires the support of 55% of voters.

Those backing a dueling measure  a law to ban abortion  did not submit signatures and the measure will not go before voters.

Abortion is legal at all stages of pregnancy in Colorado.

FLORIDA

The state Supreme Court ruled in April that a ballot measure to legalize abortion until fetal viability could go on the ballot despite a legal challenge from state Attorney General Ashley Moody, who argued there are differing views on the meaning of viability and that some key terms in the proposed measure are not properly defined.

Advocates collected nearly a million signatures to put a state constitutional amendment to legalize abortion until viability on the ballot, surpassing the nearly 892,000 required.

To take effect, the measure would need agreement from at least 60% of voters.

Abortion is currently illegal in Florida after the first six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant, under a law that took effect May 1.

MARYLAND

Voters also will be asked this year to enshrine the right to abortion in Marylands constitution. The state already protects the right to abortion under state law and Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1. Abortion is allowed in Maryland until viability.

NEVADA

The Nevada Secretary of State 's office announced in June that a ballot question to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution has met all of the requirements to appear in front of voters in November.

Under the amendment, abortion access for the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, or later to protect the health of the pregnant person, would be enshrined. Such access already is ensured under a 1990 law.

To change the constitution, voters would need to approve it in both 2024 and 2026.

SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota voters will vote this fall on a measure to ban any restrictions on abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. It would allow the state, in the second trimester, to regulate the pregnant womans abortion decision and its effectuation only in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman.

An abortion ban would be allowed in the third trimester, as long as it included exceptions for the life and health of the woman.

The states top election official announced May 16 that about 85% of the more than 55,000 signatures submitted in support of the ballot initiative are valid, exceeding the required 35,017 signatures.

Opponents have sued to try to take the initiative off the ballot.

Where else could abortion be on the ballot in 2024?

ARIZONA

Abortion rights supporters submitted more than 823,000 signatures on Wednesday to put an abortion access measure before voters in November. Thats more than twice as many as required.

Election officials still need to verify the signatures.

Under the measure, the state would not be able to ban abortion until the fetus is viable, with later abortions allowed to protect a womans physical or mental health.

Abortion is currently legal for the first 15 weeks of pregnancy in the state. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in April that enforcement could begin soon for a near-total ban already on the books. The governor has since signed a bill repealing that law. It is still expected to be in effect for a time, however.

ARKANSAS

Proponents of an amendment to allow abortion in many cases turned in more than 101,000 signatures  at least 10,000 more than needed. The group also said it surpassed a state requirement that a minimum number of signatures come from 50 counties.

Dozens of supporters and opponents of the Arkansas measure lined the halls of the state Capitol as the boxes of petitions were wheeled into a room where officials will begin checking them.

The measure would bar laws banning abortion in the first 20 weeks of gestation and allow abortion later in pregnancy in cases of rape, incest, threats to the womans health or life, or if the fetus would be unlikely to survive birth.

Because it allows abortion to be banned 20 weeks into pregnancy, the proposal does not have the support of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which includes Arkansas. The state currently bans abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with narrow exceptions.

Anti-abortion groups in the predominantly Republican state also have campaigned heavily against the measure, and one group published the names and hometowns of canvassers gathering signatures for the proposal.

Election officials have 30 days to check the validity of signatures. The group could qualify for additional time to circulate petitions if at least 75% of signatures are found to be valid, statewide and in the 50 counties.

MISSOURI

Missouri abortion rights advocates turned in more than 380,000 signatures, more than twice the required 171,000, for a measure asking voters to approve a constitutional amendment to guarantee abortion until viability. Local election officials have until July 30 to verify the signatures, then its up to the secretary of state to declare whether there were enough.

A group of moderate Republicans have for this year abandoned efforts for an alternate amendment that would have allowed abortion up to 12 weeks, with limited exceptions after that time.

Abortion is currently banned in Missouri at all stages of pregnancy, with limited exceptions.

MONTANA

Abortion rights proponents in Montana have proposed a constitutional amendment that would bar the government from denying the right to abortion before viability or when its necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant person.

After a legal battle over the ballot language, the Montana Supreme Court in April wrote its version of the language that would appear on the ballot if enough valid signatures are certified. Sponsors were required to submit about 60,000 by June 21. They turned in about 117,000, nearly twice the amount needed.

Counties have until July 19 to verify the signatures and the secretary of state would have until Aug. 22 to determine whether the amendment goes on the ballot.

Abortion is legal until viability in Montana under a 1999 Montana Supreme Court opinion.

NEBRASKA

Competing abortion measures could come before voters in November after supporters of each said Wednesday they turned in far more signatures than the 123,000 required for ballot access.

One would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution until viability. Supporters said they submitted more than 207,000 signatures.

The other would write into the constitution the current law which bars abortions after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions. Its backers said they submitted more than 205,000 signatures.

Organizers for a third effort did not submit petitions. It would have defined embryos as people, thus barring abortion at all stages of pregnancy.

Where did ballot efforts fail to gain traction?

Some efforts that sought to restrict or ban abortion also have failed to reach ballots. In Wisconsin, the House approved a measure asking voters to ban abortion after 14 weeks, but the legislative session ended without a vote from the state Senate.

Likewise, Iowa lawmakers ended their session without approving a measure asking voters to find there is no constitutional right to abortion. Pennsylvania lawmakers previously pursued a similar amendment, but its not expected to be added to the ballot this year.

A Louisiana measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution died in committee, one in Maine effectively died when it fell short of receiving the approval of two-thirds of the House and a Minnesota measure was not passed by lawmakers.

___

This story has been updated to correct the headline to show Arkansas has not yet officially joined the list of states with abortion on the ballot. The signatures collected must first be validated.
Statesville man fighting for his life after shot in the legs, search for culprit underway

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A Statesville man is fighting for his life in the hospital after he was shot multiple times in the legs overnight, authorities said.

The shooting happened around 3 a.m. Friday, July 5, in the 1900 block of Gay Street.

As officers arrived at the crime scene, they were told that a man, identified as Desmond Reshawn Gray, 28, of Statesville, had been shot multiple times but had already been rushed to the hospital in another vehicle. Authorities secured the crime scene where the shooting happened.

Town of Clover employee arrested after 5-hour-long SWAT standoff in York County

Shortly after Gray arrived at Iredell Memorial Hospital with life-threatening injuries to his legs, he was flown to Wake Forest Baptist Hospital where he remains in critical condition.

Officers were able to locate and process the vehicle in which Gray was transported.

The Statesville Police Department urges anyone with information related to this shooting to come forward. Your assistance is crucial in helping us resolve this case and ensure the safety of our community, the department said on Friday.

This case remains open and active.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Still a few hundred votes behind in congressional race, Colby Jenkins files lawsuit to get voters names and addresses

Colby Jenkins takes his opportunity to talk after Utahs 2nd Congressional District debate between Rep. Celeste Maloy and himself at the KUED studios at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Monday, June 10, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

2nd Congressional District candidate Colby Jenkins announced he had taken legal action against Washington County Clerk Ryan Sullivan on Friday in an attempt to obtain a list of voters whose ballots are waiting to be remedied before they can be counted.

The 2nd District Republican primary race was still too close to call as of 4:30 p.m. on Friday, with Jenkins trailing Rep. Celeste Maloy by 315 votes as updated numbers continued to trickle in more than one week after the June 25 election.

Jenkins losing margin shrunk dramatically over the last week from around 1,000 votes to 290, before growing again on Friday. If the separation between the two candidates falls below roughly 270 votes, Jenkins can request a recount from the state Lieutenant Governors Office who oversees election certifications for multicounty races in Utah.

In a complaint filed in the fifth judicial district court in Washington County, Jenkins claimed county election offices are required under state code to release their uncured ballot lists upon request. The documents said the Salt Lake County Clerks office provided the Jenkins campaign with this information but that the Washington County Clerks office refused to do so on the mistaken belief that they have the discretion to withhold it.

The Jenkins campaign made an official GRAMA request for the uncured ballot list on Monday, July 2, after making a similar request to all 13 counties in the 2nd district, but did not receive a response from Washington County, according to court documents.

The legal filings show that Jenkins initially requested the judge to order Sullivan to provide the names or address of voters whose ballots have been rejected and not yet resolved to his campaign by the close of business on Friday, July 5.

Sullivan sent out a press release on Friday evening rejecting the claim that releasing cure lists is common practice.

Washington County, along with the vast majority of other counties in our state, has never released a cure list to a candidate, Sullivan said.

Every county in the 2nd District beside Salt Lake County has denied Jenkins request, Sullivan said, reiterating that county election offices go above and beyond to contact those that need their signature cured.

This is a voter privacy issue for me, Sullivan said. I dont want to release voter information to campaign volunteers only to have them show up at a voters doorstep and potentially harass them into disclosing who they voted for. Voter anonymity is a bedrock principle of our constitutional system, and releasing cure lists, especially in smaller counties and close races, could result in peoples votes not being private.

Washington County responds to Jenkins lawsuit

The Washington County clerks office objected to the request through Washington County Attorney Eric Clarke on Friday afternoon, saying Jenkins request is based entirely on a misinterpretation of a provision of the Utah Election Code.

A county clerk has the discretion under state law to decide whether to provide the requested ballot cure lists, the objection continued. That position is supported by the plain language of the statute and by legislative history.

A hearing has been schedule for Monday, July 8, at 9 a.m. The deadline for voters to cure their rejected ballots in Washington County is Monday evening, before the county certifies their election on Tuesday morning.

The remaining votes left to be counted in the 2nd District race consist mostly of Washington Countys 531 challenged ballots. These are ballots that need a signature confirmation or other information from those who cast them in order to be processed.

While Maloy is currently up 50.1% to 49.9% across the district, and holds a sizable lead in most of the districts 13 counties, the districts largest population center, Washington County, leans toward Jenkins 59% to 41%.

There are more than enough ballots left in Washington County to not only push this race into recount territory, but to significantly cut Congresswoman Maloys lead and make a recount much more perilous for her, Jenkins said in a statement posted on X.

Encouraging voters to cure their ballots

The Washington County clerks office has already reached out to each of these voters via a letter, and, for those who provided contact information, via text and a phone call. The last day for voters to remedy their challenged ballots in Washington County is Monday, one day before the county has its election certification, or canvass, meeting on Tuesday.

The Jenkins campaign has requested access to this list of voters with challenged ballots in Washington County. The list would not detail who the voters cast their ballot for because challenged ballots are not opened or tabulated until they are remedied by the voter.

Jenkins campaign consultant Greg Powers said it is common practice in close races with a potential recount for campaigns to ensure everyone who intended to cast a ballot had the chance to have their vote counted.

We would call(,) text, and go door to door to encourage everyone to turn in their ballot, Powers told the Deseret News.

Davis County Clerk Brian McKenzie previously told the Deseret News that county election departments are unable to provide cure lists to candidates before the county canvass, or election certification, because they are not public records.

Weve had a number of campaigns reach out to us with inquiries about that, McKenzie said. A cure list at this point during the canvass period is considered a draft record. Draft records are not public records.

After the canvass, a cure list with the names of voters with challenged ballots can be made public upon request, McKenzie said, excluding those who have designated themselves as private or withheld voters.
Stolen 16th-century painting sells for $22M after being recovered from a bus stop

A 16th-century painting stolen from an English manor house and later recovered at a bus stop has sold for an astonishing $22.3 million.

The Rest on the Flight into Egypt, is an early work by the famed Italian painter Titian that depicts Jesus, Mary and Joseph on their way to seek refuge in Egypt.

Auction house Christies announced the new sale on Tuesday, 22 years after the stolen piece was recovered by a British art detective.

The famed painting, completed around 1502, was the highest-priced piece to be sold at the auction and set a record for any work by Titian, Christies said.

The Rest on the Flight into Egypt, is an early work by the famed 16th-century Italian painter Titian depicting the Holy Family resting during their flight into Egypt. Getty Images

The painting was bought by 4th Marquess of Bath back in 1878, before it hung in the walls of his familys manor home for more than a century.

In 1995, however, The Rest on the Flight into Egypt, along with two other paintings, were stolen from the property,

The painting was missing for seven years, before it was eventually recovered in 2002 by Charley Hill, a renowned art detective who had worked with, Scotland Yard.

He issued a $130,000 reward and was contacted by a tipster.

It sold for over $22.3 million this week, according to Christies, after being missing for several years. PA Images via Getty Images

The anonymous tipster directed Hill to drive him around London until they stopped at a bus stop where an old man held a shopping bag containing the painting.

The problem with stealing a famous painting is that there is no way you can sell it, Hill told The Telegraph after it was recovered. But if a reasonable reward is offered, the painting can turn up.

Hill died in 2021.

At the time of its recovery, the painting was said to be worth more than $6 million, meaning its value has almost quadrupled in the last two decades.

The Rest on the Flight into Egypt isnt the only famous piece to be recovered. Paul McCartney was recently reunited with his beloved bass he used to record hits like Love Me Do 51 years after it was stolen.
BUCHAREST, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese classical dance show "Beauty Beyond Words" captivated audiences on Thursday evening at Bucharest's National Theater.

The event, performed by the Beijing Dance Academy, was part of a series of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive friendly and cooperative partnership between China and Romania.

Following successful performances at the Sibiu International Theater Festival and in Brasov, the Beijing Dance Academy once again received high praise from Romanian audiences.

Around 900 people attended the performance, including ambassadors and representatives from over 20 countries, Romanian ministerial-level officials, former politicians and local residents.

The performers showcased the unique charm of Chinese dance. From the elegant beauty of the solo dances "Cloud Fairy" and "Flying Apsaras" to the lingering love of the duets "Butterfly Lovers" and "Farewell at the Pavilion," the dance works are based on Chinese traditional culture, blending gentleness and strength.

Chinese Ambassador to Romania Han Chunlin highlighted the importance of cultural exchange in promoting dialogue among civilizations.

Irina Cajal, undersecretary of state of the Romanian Culture Ministry, praised the performance, noting its significance as a bridge between the past and future in the relationship between China and Romania.

She commended the ongoing cultural exchanges between the two countries in theater, film, music, art and photography and anticipated deeper cultural cooperation in the future.

The audience was deeply impressed by the performances. Seventeen-year-old student Ilinca Budura was particularly struck by the "Thousand-handed Bodhisattva."

IT consultant Octavia remarked on the beauty, diversity, and uniqueness of Chinese classical dance and expressed a newfound interest in traveling to China. "I think this is going to encourage people to want to learn more about Chinese culture," Octavia said.

The event was co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Romania and the Romanian Ministry of Culture. 
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hopes that Ukraine will join the Alliance within the next decade.

Source: Jens Stoltenberg, in an interview with the DPA news agency, excerpts from which were published by Bild, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Stoltenberg was asked about the possible expansion of NATO in the next ten years.

"I really hope that Ukraine will become an ally," said Stoltenberg, who is leaving the post of secretary general in the autumn.

Shortly before the NATO summit in Washington, Stoltenberg also called for even more military assistance to Ukraine.

Quote from Stoltenberg: "The stronger our support, the faster this war can end... The more commitments we make for the long term, the faster the war can end."

Background:

Recently, the media also reported that at the 75th anniversary NATO summit in Washington, a new structure to coordinate all types of long-term assistance to Ukraine will be announced: the NATO Security Assistance and Training Unit for Ukraine (NSATU).

In addition, they are discussing creating a special representative post in Kyiv to monitor the international coordination of arms supplies and exercises for the Ukrainian Armed Forces under the auspices of NATO.

At the same time, Ukraine will not receive an invitation to join NATO at the summit in Washington.

Support UP or become our patron!
Outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hopes that Ukraine will join the alliance within the next 10 years, he said in an interview with the DPA news agency published on July 5.

Western officials said Ukraine will not receive a membership invitation at the upcoming NATO summit in Washington but can expect "concrete ways" to accelerate its entry.

Ukraine applied for NATO membership in September 2022, half a year into Russia's full-scale invasion, but has yet to receive a clear timetable for entry. Kyiv's hopes for an invitation were dashed during the 2023 summit in Vilnius.

"I strongly hope that Ukraine will be an ally," Stoltenberg responded to a question about NATO's possible expansion within the following decade.

Ukraine's membership in the alliance has been a hotly debated issue. While many NATO leaders, including Stoltenberg, have repeatedly said that Kyiv's future is within the alliance, several top players appear hesitant.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview with Time magazine in June that peace in Ukraine does not automatically mean NATO membership.

"Peace looks like making sure Russia never, never, never, never occupies Ukraine. That's what peace looks like. And it doesn't mean NATO, they are part of NATO," Biden said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has repeatedly called on partners to issue a membership invitation to Kyiv, said that Ukraine will join NATO only after Russia's full-scale war ends, echoing Stoltenberg.

Read also: Opinion: Cognitive warfare is NATOs new battlefield

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Stoltenberg on peace talks with Russia: We cannot have Minsk-3

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that in order to establish peace in Ukraine, its members must provide military support to the country, which is exactly what the Alliance is doing.

Source: Stoltenberg at a press conference ahead of the NATO Summit in Washington, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The NATO Secretary General was questioned if the Alliance's leaders were decisive enough to reject the pressure to force Ukraine to accept territorial concessions and refusal to join NATO as a condition for a cease-fire.

Quote: "Well, NATO leaders are decisive and strong and that will be strongly expressed at the NATO Summit where I expect a strong package for Ukraine. With the new NATO train and assistance for Ukraine, with a NATO command for Ukraine, with a financial pledge, with additional announcements of more military support, with the bilateral security agreements"

He stated that Kyiv, as a sovereign independent state, should decide what circumstances are appropriate for peace talks and any solutions obtained through negotiations.

"What we shall do as NATO Allies is to help Ukraine to strengthen their hand, because we know that there is a very strong link between what happens around the negotiating table and the situation on the battlefield," Stoltenberg said.

The chief of NATO observed that there is no indication that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is prepared for peace talks, with his most recent request being that Ukraine surrender all lands in the four oblasts that he illegally annexed.

Stoltenberg also recalled that the Russian aggressive war on Ukraine began in 2014 with the unlawful invasion of Crimea.

"then some months later [the Russians  ed.] went into eastern Donbas, agreed the ceasefire, Minsk I, violated that, moved the frontline even further west, agreed Minsk II, waited for seven years and then launched the full-scale attack and took even more. We cannot have Minsk III," he emphasised.

He concluded that when Russia ceases its aggression, NATO requires security and the ability to provide Ukraine with the means to deter Russia.

"...we also need some kind of security guarantees for Ukraine. And of course, that was also one of the reasons why Allies so clearly have stated that Ukraine will become a member of NATO," Stoltenberg explained.

During his visit to Moscow on 5 July, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that he asked Vladimir Putin three questions regarding Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

Orban said that after his visits to Moscow and Kyiv, he realised that the positions of both sides regarding the war of aggression unleashed by Russia "are very far apart".

Support UP or become our patron!
If youre among the 39 million U.S. households protected by a monitored home security system, chances are youve triggered a false alarm or two. What you might not know is that nearly all security systemrelated alarms are false alarmsas many as 98 percent, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police. These occur because of faulty equipment, pets, insects, bad weather, and, most commonly, user error.

The number of false alarms has, for decades, been a source of frustration for police departments who feel they shouldnt have to make up for poorly installed alarm systems or homeowners who werent properly shown how to use them. Its sown distrust and created a lack of urgency for police departments nationwide, says Timothy Dimoff, a 40-year law enforcement veteran and a former detective in the Akron, Ohio, police department.

Los Angeles Police Department public information officer Jeff Lee says that in 2023 alone, the LAPD received 65,369 alarm-related callsa staggering expenditure of resources the department has precious little to show for.

He says that several things determine how quickly the LAPD and other departments respond to an alarm trigger, including officers being tied up elsewhere, the time of day the alarm takes place, and whether anyone is in danger.

Smaller cities also commonly receive a faster response time, while medium cities take an average of 40 minutes, says Don Chon, a professor of criminology at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama. In larger cities it could take several hours for police to respond, if they respond at all.

In fact, most police departments have deprioritized unverified alarm activation calls, says Jeff Zisner, a 20-year home security consultant based in California, and many departments wont reply at all unless a verification occurs. Thats where, after an alarm has been triggered, the security company contacts the homeowner or uses video or audio surveillance to confirm that an intrusion has indeed occurred.

Our practice is to not respond to any alarm calls unless theyve first been verified, which rarely happens, says a Utah-based police lieutenant who requested anonymity because he didnt have department authorization to talk with me.

Because of this, he says alarm owners are flat out of luck if they dont have a camera or microphone in the same room a burglar is in or if theyre away from home when the alarm company calls. In most departments, violent crimes where people are in danger get the fastest response, while property crimes usually get the slowest.

Here, a triggered alarm is classified as a Level 4 priority while Level 0 would get an immediate response, explains Jay Casillas, a public information officer of the Denver Police Department.

Put another way, we have so much going on that we treat break-ins with about as much urgency as a bicycle being lifted off a sidewalk, says a police captain in Detroit, who spoke with me on condition of anonymity.

And yet, companies like Ring and others use taglines such as help is on the way in marketing materials, and an army of door-to-door sales reps that descend upon suburban neighborhoods each summer make promises to would-be customers about how quickly police are likely to respond in the event an alarm is triggered.

There are 18,000 police departments in the United States, and nearly all of them are shorthanded and thereby unable to guarantee a response to each and every alarm, says lieutenant Travis Norton, a 25-year police veteran and former SWAT commander from Southern California. And if we cant guarantee a response, theres no way alarm companies can or should be making promises on our behalf.

The $12 billion North American home security marketwhich includes companies like ADT, Brinks Home, SimpliSafe, Ring, and Vivinthas experienced massive, continuous growth, and law enforcement simply cant keep up with the number of new alarm systems being installed, says Norton.

Thats likely to only get worse as the industry doesnt show signs of slowing. One analysis has the market reaching close to $50 billion by the end of 2032, and Russ VanDevanter, former owner of a large U.S. home security company and a 53-year veteran of the industry, says that growth is mainly occurring through companies prioritizing profits over real protection of their customers. The industry has been rendered ineffective by the monopolistic actions of the big international players, he says. He adds that things arent going to improve unless people learn the truth about the quality of security they are actually purchasing and unless alarm companies become more transparent about their operations.

For instance, most homeowners who purchase an alarm from a door-to-door sales rep are unaware that they are entering into a three-to-five-year contract with a different company than the one that will be fulfilling that contract.

Howard Levinson, a 40-year veteran of the home security industry who has supervised many alarm-monitoring call centers, explains that several of the larger companies outright buy thousands of contracts from summer pop-up door-to-door alarm companies, called dealers, or those smaller companies instead choose to outsource the monitoring portion of the business. So, a customer might be paying $60 a month to the company who installed their security system, but that company is paying a different company $17 a month to do all the monitoring for them, he says.

That means shortcuts can be taken when the equipment is installed, since the company installing it will be different than the company monitoring it. Ive seen cases where vulnerable areas of a home were left unprotected, motion detectors were installed upside down so pets wouldnt set them off, and whole zones werent noted on the paperwork a monitoring center would need to adequately monitor the premises, he says.

All of this leaves homeowners at the mercy of a monitoring station where staff may or may not be capable of interpreting an emergency in the event of a break-in.

This isnt to say that traditional home alarm systems are a waste of money. Research shows that 60 percent of would-be burglars are deterred by even the presence of an alarm. A monitored system could also add value to a home and can help lower insurance rates.

Whats more, Ring, SimpliSafe, Vivint, and Brinks Home all provided statements or interviews for this story, each showing that their home security systems can indeed protect their customers and help homeowners at least feel protected. We are proud to offer comprehensive whole-home security systems that provide our customers added peace of mind and security, says a Ring spokesperson.

Vivint chief operating officer Dave Porter says his company also works to limit the number of false alarms, in part by providing a reasonable timeframe during which customers can easily disarm the system and cancel an alarm prior to the call-verification process beginning.

But with the advent of smart technology, VanDevanter says most people no longer need monitoring stations to play the middleman between their home security equipment and the police, nor do they need the accompanying high monthly price tag.

He says you can install security equipment yourself or pay a professional a one-time fee to do so, then enable push notifications on the corresponding security system app to let you know when a sensor gets triggered.

Companies like Ring and SimpliSafe are already helping homeowners capitalize on such opportunities, as the majority of the equipment and cameras they sell are for self-monitoring purposesthough they do offer central monitoring options as well.

If you suspect a break-in, Levinson says, referring to people monitoring their own equipment, you can notify the police yourself and theyll likely be a lot more responsive to you than an alarm company anyway.
Eighty years ago on July 8, 1944, in the midst of World War II, Private First-Class Booker T. Spicely gave his life for his country.

But he did not die in any battle against Americas foreign enemies. Instead, he gave his life to the cause of freedom at home, fighting for equal rights for Black people in America.

Booker T. Spicely in 1944

A white bus driver in Durham executed Spicely for boldly questioning the order that he move to the back of the bus. As he defied Jim Crow law, Spicely said: I thought I was fighting this war for democracy.

When Spicely exited the bus, the driver, Herman Lee Council, pulled out his .38 caliber pistol and shot the Black soldier, who was unarmed and in uniform.

Today, conservative Republican pundits and politicians work to erase Americas racist past from public schools by removing books from school libraries and manipulating social studies standards. Thats why its paramount that we learn about and remember the acts of courageous Americans like Spicely.

Jerry Gershenhorn

Ten minutes after Spicely was shot, military police arrived at the crime scene. They took him to Watts Hospital, less than half a mile away, but Watts refused to admit him because of his race. Instead of treating a gravely wounded man, Watts medics tested Spicelys blood for alcohol (the result was negative). Spicely was then transported to Duke Hospital where he died.

Spicelys protest against racial segregation was part of a national movement known as the Double V Campaign, whereby African Americans fought racial injustice at home while fighting against Americas enemies overseas. Spicely gave his life for the principles that the United States claimed to be fighting for in the war against the Axis powers: freedom, democracy and equality.

Three days after Spicely was killed, the Durham Morning Herald, the local voice of white supremacy at that time, claimed, Fortunately, we live in a city where justice may be guaranteed, adding we live in a democratic country, in a state that has been noted for its fairness to all races.

But, in fact, in 1944, the U.S. was not a democratic country, North Carolina was not fair to Black people, and Durham did not deliver justice for its Black citizens.

Despite the papers preposterous claim that there can be no fear that race will overwhelm the evidence, that is precisely what happened. Race did overwhelm the evidence in Durham, as it regularly did in the Jim Crow South.

At the trial, despite several witnesses testimony that demonstrated the bus drivers guilt, the all-white jury deliberated for 28 minutes before declaring the driver not guilty.

After the trial, the leading Black newspaper in the country, The Chicago Defender, declared: The country has again been treated to North Carolina justice, noting that for some white Southerners winning the war took second place to keeping Negroes in their place.

Spicelys killing was not an isolated case. Indeed, many whites viewed the very presence of Black men in uniform as a threat to white supremacy. From 1941 to 1946, at least 50 Black soldiers and veterans were killed in the United States, including five in North Carolina, because they challenged Jim Crow law. In failing to hold whites like Council accountable for their murderous actions against Black citizens, the justice system sanctioned violence in service to white supremacy.

Today more than ever, we must remember and learn about the heroic acts of courageous Americans like Pfc. Booker T. Spicely, who fought racism at home to ensure that America lived up to its professed ideals of freedom and democracy.

Jerry Gershenhorn is a retired North Carolina Central University history professor and a member of the Booker T. Spicely Committee.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Las Vegas Search and Rescue Thursday afternoon rescued a stranded man on Mount Charleston who became ill while hiking.

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the hiker, a 36-year-old man, was experiencing heat-related symptoms, including vomiting, and was unable to continue on foot. He was able to communicate with the LVMPDs Search and Rescue team.

Metro did not say how long the hiker had been stranded.

Search and Rescue officers were able to rescue the man and render aid.

Additional information was not immediately 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 KLAS.
Biden digs in as Democrats consider forcing him out of presidential race

By Andrea Shalal, Steve Holland and Jeff Mason

MADISON, Wisconsin (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Friday battled to put down an uprising among some Democrats pushing him to abandon his reelection campaign after a poor debate performance, vowing that "I'm staying in the race."

In a fiery speech to supporters in Wisconsin and in an ABC News interview, Biden argued he is the best Democratic candidate to prevent Republican Donald Trump from regaining the White House in the Nov. 5 election.

Biden's halting performance at his debate with Trump on June 27 raised serious concerns among some Democrats about his mental acuity and stamina at age 81.

There is a movement afoot in the party to persuade him to step aside, with critics warning he faces near-certain defeat and could drag other Democrats down with him. House Democrats and a group of senators are expected to convene on the topic when they return to Washington next week.

Some public opinion polls have shown Trump widening a lead since the debate, and a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that one in three Democrats want Biden to quit the race.

Biden rejected the movement on Friday.

"We had a little debate last week. Cant say it was my best performance. But ever since then theres been a lot of speculation. Whats Joe gonna do? Is he gonna stay in the race? Is he gonna drop out?" Biden said. "Well heres my answer: I am running and gonna win again."

Biden used a 22-minute ABC News interview to argue again that he simply had a bad night at the debate but was otherwise fine.

Under persistent questioning from ABC interviewer George Stephanopoulos, Biden dismissed polls that showed him trailing Trump and said other polls have him in a better position.

Asked if he had undergone a specific cognitive test for a neurological exam, Biden said he had not had one and "no one said I had to." The rigors of the White House are sufficient, he said.

In his last physical exam on Feb. 28 he was determined to be fit for duty.

Biden added he was the best candidate to take on Trump and that only "Lord almighty" could oust him from the race.

Biden's latest efforts to convince Democrats to stick with him were dismissed by some, although he seemed determined to fight on.

"He seems not to be able to compute the fact that people have these questions about him," Democratic strategist David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, told CNN.

"Its pretty clear that hes not going anywhere unless theres a major revolt on the Hill," a senior Democratic National Committee official told Reuters.

REVOLT ON THE HILL?

Senator Mark Warner, a well-respected moderate Democrat, is inviting Democratic senators to a meeting on Monday to discuss Biden's campaign, a source told Reuters. The Washington Post reported Warner was seeking to ask the group to press Biden to exit the race.

Biden told reporters he had spoken to at least 20 lawmakers and that they were telling him to stay. Asked about Warner's call for him to go, Biden said: "Well, Mark Warner, to my understanding, is the only one considering that."

At the rally, Biden said he was thankful for the support of his vice president, Kamala Harris, who has emerged as a top choice to replace him were he to step aside as the Democratic Party's standard-bearer.

One person at the Madison rally held up a sign behind Biden that said, "Pass the torch, Joe."

Harris posted a supportive note on X after the rally, saying Biden had devoted his life to fighting for Americans. "In this moment, I know all of us are ready to fight for him," she said.

But Illinois Democratic Representative Mike Quigley, on MSNBC, called on Biden to step aside and "let someone else do this" or risk "utter catastrophe."

In his appearances on Friday, Biden knocked Trump's intelligence and called him a liar, delivering stinging attacks that were absent when he appeared on the Atlanta debate stage.

But he had sharper words for those in his party who doubt his ability to lead them to victory on Nov. 5.

"They're trying to push me out of the race. Well let me say this as clearly as I can: I'm staying in the race! I'll beat Donald Trump. I will beat him again in 2020," Biden said, getting the year wrong. He followed up by saying: "And by the way we're going to do it again in 2024."

DONORS, BUSINESS LEADERS, ALLIES

A handful of donors and business leaders are making their displeasure with Biden's candidacy known loudly, halting funding or looking at possible Democratic alternatives. Even some of Biden's closest political allies, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have raised questions about his health.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued a statement on Friday asking Biden to weigh the decision carefully, the rare Democratic governor not to issue a statement of support in recent days.

"President Biden saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years," she said. "The best way forward right now is a decision for the president to make. Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump."

Trump's campaign and some of his allies have launched a pre-emptive political strike on Harris, moving swiftly to try to discredit her.

Trump, 78, who made multiple false statements during the debate in Atlanta, falsely claimed in a video that was circulated on social media that he had driven Biden out of the race. He made disparaging comments about Harris in the same video, which the Trump campaign stood by.

A group of business and civic leaders urged Biden to end his reelection bid in a letter to the White House on Friday, a day after its CEO said members would still back him if he continued to run, the Washington Post reported.

Biden's former chief of staff, Ron Klain, who led his preparation process ahead of the debate, pushed back against donors' complaints. "We are the Democratic Party!" he wrote on X. Donors "don't get to decide to oust a pro-labor pro-people President."

(Reporting by Steve Holland, Jeff Mason and Andrea Shalal; additional reporting by Richard Cowan, Kanishka Singh and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Ross Colvin, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell, Daniel Wallis and Diane Craft)
The Supreme Court's June 28 decision overturned a 1984 precedent that said courts should give deference to federal agencies in legal challenges over their regulatory or scientific decisions. Instead, courts will exercise their independent judgment about what Congress intended when drafting a particular law. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

By Stephanie Armour

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.
NEW YORK, July 4 (Xinhua) -- SpaceX is set to launch Polaris Dawn, the first commercial spaceflight mission with an all-civilian spacewalk plan, no earlier than July 31, according to an announcement from the project on Wednesday.

Funded by U.S. billionaire Jared Isaacman, the mission is also the second all-civilian mission after the Inspiration 4 mission launched in September 2021.

The mission's plans include the first-ever private spacewalk, research on human health in space and tests to equip the spacecraft with Starlink WiFi.

Polaris Dawn also aims to reach a high orbit about 435 miles (about 700 km) above Earth -- the highest-altitude crewed flight since the Apollo moon missions.

The mission will use the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to carry four team members to space, including Isaacman. The crew is set to spend around five days in orbit around Earth. 
Supreme Court of Maryland rules Mosby can keep law license while federal convictions are appealed

BALTIMORE  Marylands highest court ruled Friday that former Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosbys law license will not be suspended while appeals in her two federal convictions are pending.

In a two-page order published Friday, the Supreme Court of Maryland ruled against the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commissions bar counsel, who sought to immediately suspend Mosbys law license in February. Bar counsel Thomas D. DeGonia did not respond immediately to a request for comment late Friday.

Mosby was sentenced in May to one year of home detention for convictions on perjury and mortgage fraud. She and her attorney also did not respond immediately to a request for comment late Friday.

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Steven B. Gould wrote that allowing Mosby to maintain an active license would undermine public perception of the justice system.

Ms. Mosby was convicted by two juries of her peers of separate crimes that speak directly to her character, Gould wrote. Although I may be persuaded otherwise if this matter comes back to us on a full record, for now, based on the findings of both juries, I am constrained to conclude Ms. Mosby presents an unacceptable risk of harm to the public if permitted to practice law in Maryland.

Justice Jonathan Biran joined the dissent.

Under Marylands rules for attorneys, it is considered professional misconduct for an attorney to commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the attorneys honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as an attorney in other respects.

The Attorney Grievance Commissions bar counsel is supposed to notify the Supreme Court of Maryland when they learn that a lawyer has been convicted of a crime, regardless of whether there is a pending appeal, asking for that lawyer to be immediately suspended from practicing law.

Andrew I. Alperstein, a defense attorney and former prosecutor, said the courts order was not necessarily surprising, given that Mosby was not accused of dishonesty in her dealings with clients.

If she were a practicing lawyer and there was honesty required to clients, one would think the court would need to be more aggressive with the licensure issues, Alperstein said.

Mosbys criminal convictions are not final until the appellate process has been exhausted.

The court seemingly balances the need to protect the community from alleged dishonest lawyers against her right to let the process lay its course, Alperstein said.

Still, Alperstein said Mosby will likely face disbarment if her perjury and fraud convictions are upheld.

The charges that she was convicted of are honesty related and that generally is a problem for lawyers to keep their licenses, he said.

In a recent case involving a different prominent Baltimore attorney convicted in federal court, the Supreme Court of Maryland did grant the bar counsels request to suspend a law license.

Shortly after the 2022 sentencing of Kenneth Ravenell, a Baltimore attorney convicted of money laundering, the court ordered the suspension of his license while he pursued appeals.

In April, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to heart Ravenells appeal of a jurys 2021 verdict finding him guilty of laundering a clients drug proceeds. A federal judge ordered him to report to prison by July 8.

_____
The Supreme Court has spoken. Time for Tacoma to get tough on public camping | Opinion

Camping ban

Last week, in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that local camping ordinances are perfectly legal and that a right to vagrancy does not exist under the Constitution. Accordingly, the Tacoma City Council can no longer hide behind previous rulings in refusing to reimpose our camping ban, and it must do so immediately.

Just this morning, I witnessed a man sprawled out in a sleeping bag, smoking drugs from a glass tube, on the sidewalk near Washington Elementary. These scenes degrade our quality of life, to say nothing of the impact they impose on our children.

More and more residents are growing tired of the City Councils reliance on activist demands when crafting policy. Fewer among us are buying the line  repeated like a mantra  that those living on the streets, doing drugs and destroying property are simply short of rent.

We deserve better. We deserve to have clean streets and sidewalks that are safe for pedestrians.

The Supreme Court has now removed the Tacoma City Councils fig leaf on this issue.

It is time for substantive change.

Greg Taylor, Tacoma

Student debt

I was shocked to read a recent column by The News Tribunes Matt Driscoll that described a $10,000 student loan he dragged out repaying for roughly 20 years.

Driscoll gleefully told us how Uncle Joe wiped that debt away and, in fact, reimbursed him the $10 per month payments he had already made since enrolling in the SAVE repayment plan.

A $10,000 student loan is not crushing debt. Dragging it out over 20 years is not a financially responsible thing to do.

Paying $10 per month makes it clear Driscoll never intended to pay that off anyway. \

I do believe that the current student lending debacle needs major overhaul and regulation. I also believe that taking care of your obligations is the right thing to do. Hearing Driscoll boast about this accomplishment made me feel like the sap waiting to pay for my purchases in the grocery store or Home Depot while some person simply walks out of the store with what they want - having decided the rules should not apply to them.

Driscoll walked out with his own armload of free stuff  and laughed in our faces as he did so.

Lisa Hamill, Tacoma

Wit and Wisdom

I was enormously disappointed that a recent News Tribune article titled Contentious K-5 reading curriculum will be tested in Pierce County. What does it teach? failed to mention the reason why Moms For Liberty opposes the Wit and Wisdom curriculum in the Penninsula School District.

One of the childrens books in the Wit and Wisdom curriculum Moms for Liberty opposes is Johnny Appleseed by Aliki. The group opposes the book because it shows mean and angry white people chasing Native Americans from their homes.

The Buffalo Are Back by Jean Carolyn Craighead George is another book opposed by Moms for Liberty. The group dislikes this book because they believe teaching students that white settlers stole land from Native Americans, killed large numbers of buffalo and forced tribes onto reservations might make white children feel bad about themselves and their Government.

While some members of extremist political groups might not like the accurate teaching of history, it is incorrect to label its teaching as contentious.

The vast majority of Americans want these subjects taught in our schools, regardless of how the facts make us feel.

Matt Hildreth, Gig Harbor

Presidential debate

I never thought I was smart enough to be president of the United States, but after watching the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden last Thursday evening, I may be the perfect candidate.

Im over 70 years old. Im a little forgetful at times. As hard as I try, sometimes I lose track of the topic  but I dont ignore the question and change the subject just to avert an answer.

I know some serious stuff is happening in America that needs to change because what was good for America 200 years ago is not good for America today. More security at our borders is needed. More control over pharmaceutical drugs is needed. Countries buying land in the U.S. must stop. These three subjects would be my major platform.

People in the age range of 30 to 60 should be taking their country seriously, for themselves, their children, their grandchildren and anybody they care about, even the old folks they love.

The debate was a wake-up call for all of us: Younger people are needed to guide America.

Deana Veldhuis, Edgewood
Ethics and legal experts warn that the Supreme Court has struck a serious blow to prosecutors ability to crack down on the abuse of power and public corruption.

And thats ringing alarm bells when Donald Trump, who was convicted in May by a Manhattan jury on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and who was hit with a $355 million penalty in a civil fraud trial in February, is leading in the presidential race.

Experts say the Supreme Courts decision last week in Snyder v. United States, which narrowed the scope of what can be considered an illegal gratuity to a government official, could make it tougher to prosecute federal officials for accepting bribes. It also may give ammunition to embattled Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who is on trial on federal bribery charges in New York.

And experts warn that the 6-3 majority opinion in Trump v. United States, which gave the former president immunity for crimes connected to his official acts, will make it tougher to convict Trump on charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and could embolden future presidents to skirt criminal laws.

They say the courts decision in Trump v. U.S. would make it nearly impossible to convict a future president for taking a bribe once he leaves office, because it would limit the introduction of official presidential actions as evidence in a criminal trial.

Even conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who concurred with most of the majority opinion in Trumps case, dissented in part, warning that excluding from trial any mention of the official act connected to the bribe would hamstring the prosecution.

Its going to be harder to pursue public corruption charges against public officials, Kedric Payne, vice president and general counsel at the government ethics watchdog group Campaign Legal Center, said about the Supreme Courts decision in Snyder.

Thats just been a constant of many Supreme Court decisions over the past few decades, he said.

Even though it looks like it applies to state[-level] prosecutions, the next shoe to drop is that the whole concept of gratuities may change, he said of last weeks decision to allow state-level public officials to accept gifts.

The decisions ratchet up tensions between the Supreme Court and Democrats in Congress, who say the court is out of control.

And the rulings open the courts conservative justices to more criticism that they have a lax view of governmental and judicial ethics.

There is this very worrying cynicism and belief that in order for public officials to do their jobs, they somehow need to be above the law. Of course, the court does not say that  but what it is doing is in a very real sense crippling one of the most meaningful checks on abuse of power, Dan Weiner, the director of elections and government at the Brennan Center for Justice, said about the decisions on presidential immunity and gratuities to government officials.

I think everyone has always assumed that if the president were to take bribes for official action, he or she could be prosecuted, but  the logic of this case would cripple any effort to hold the president accountable for holding bribes, he said of Chief Justice John Robertss decision in the Trump immunity case.

One thing this decision does is it further hollows out protections against high-level government corruption, and that is deeply troubling given the norms that have collapsed around self-dealing at the highest levels in recent years, he said.

Weiner said the justices decision in the Trump immunity case and in Snyder threaten to hollow out core safeguards against corruption against the highest levels of government and some of the lowest levels of government.

Roberts ruled in Trump v. United States that former presidents have some immunity from criminal prosecution for officials acts and, with respect to the exercise of core constitutional powers, must have absolute immunity.

In Snyder v. United States, conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that federal law does not make it a crime for state and local officials to accept gifts or gratuities to reward their actions. Instead, he said it is up to state and local governments to regulate gratuities to state and local officials.

That case involved James Snyder, the former mayor of Portage, Ind., who in 2014 received a $13,000 check for consulting services from a garbage truck company after the town awarded lucrative contracts to the company the previous year.

Kavanaughs majority opinion sparked concerns and criticism among legal experts and government watchdog groups at a time when two conservative Supreme Court justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, have come under scrutiny for accepting lavish gifts and hospitality from wealthy benefactors.

The trend has been for this court to continually weaken U.S. prosecutors ability  to prosecute corrupt public officials. This is not good, said Virginia Canter, counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

She said public corruption laws and prosecutions are needed to make sure that government officials at every level of government are being held accountable when they engage in corrupt activity.

Its really the trend of the court that Im most concerned about, she added.

Jeffrey Robbins, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts who is now a partner and chair of the congressional investigations practice at Saul Ewing, said the courts decision in Snyder is going to add fuel to those who are concerned the credibility of the court is being continually eroded.

The Supreme Courts decisions were met with sharp criticism from Democrats in Congress, who have demanded for months that Roberts implement an enforceable ethics code for himself and his fellow justices.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), the chair of the federal courts and oversight Judiciary subcommittee, reposted two media analyses criticizing the courts decision in Snyder.

Im not the only one thinking that if justices were not hip-deep in smelly billionaire gifts and gratuities, they might not be rewriting anti-corruption laws to protect public officials receiving smelly gifts and gratuities, he posted on the social platform X.

Whitehouse also slammed conservative justices Monday, arguing their decision in the Trump case would open the door for a criminal president, who would commit treason for the right price.

Robbins said the courts decision in the state-level gratuities case could have an impact on Menendezs corruption trial in the Southern District of New York.

While he is being charged with accepting bribes, I dont know whether or not among the evidence that has been presented to the court is evidence of postfavor compensation. If amidst all that, there is evidence that has come in of postfavor compensation, then you can expect the defense to argue that there has to be a mistrial declared, he said.

More broadly, he said the optics are not good, because the sweep of this decision is that compensation or renumeration or largess or benefits conveyed after an act are not crimes.

It doesnt take [prominent legal theorist Laurence] Tribe to note that people will note there are justices under scrutiny for having accepted largess, he said of how the Snyder case might impact the Supreme Courts reputation. Its not going to be lost on others that this is essentially a judicial whitewash applied to postact largess.

Robbins, however, argued that members of Congress would not be able to seize on the Supreme Courts decision to give presidents substantial immunity for crimes related to official acts to argue in court that their own official acts deserve protection, because of the Constitutions separation of powers between the branches.

The decision is focused on not only separation of powers but the specific power of the executive branch and of the president in particular, he said. It is, as the court points out, an assessment of the scope of presidential power under the Constitution.

Robbins predicted were almost certain to see defendants in corruption cases involving other federal, state and local officials invoke such a defense and ask, Why should it be different for the president than for us?

I think thats going to be very quickly dispatched by courts, he added.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
How to survive rip currents and other drowning hazards

On Good Friday 2017, Wyatt Werneth got a call from his wife, who had gone grocery shopping with their daughter: The cars broken down. Please rescue us.

Werneth hopped in his vehicle to assist, driving by Patrick Space Force Base near Cape Canaveral, Florida. From the A1A highway, Werneth said you can see the ocean.

What he saw next was a twist of fate that led to a much more urgent kind of rescue.

I could see someone waving in traffic as I was going by.  I pulled in to see what was going on; I had the immediate instinct that something was happening in the water, Werneth recalled to CNN Travel.

When I came over the berm, I did not realize what I was getting into. There were multiple people in the water.

And they were in trouble. Very serious trouble. Rip current kind of trouble.

The scene would send chills of dread down anyones spine  but at least Werneth was prepared. He is an experienced lifeguard instructor and had water rescue equipment with him.

But with at least five people struggling in a vicious Atlantic rip current, how would he possibly save them all?

The statistics are grim

Crowds flock to the sea and sand of South Beach in Miami. Florida is No. 5 in drowning deaths per 100,000 people in the United States. It's important to understand how to enjoy open water safely. - lazyllama/Adobe Stock

Whether its from these potentially dangerous rip currents or seemingly placid lakes and swimming pools, the drowning statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are shocking.

In the CDCs most recently updated numbers, more than 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings happen every year in the United States (including boating incidents). That is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day. July tends to be the peak month for deaths.

From 2018 to 2021, the states with the most drowning deaths per 100,000 people were the following:

1. Alaska

2. Hawaii

3. Montana

4. Louisiana

5. Florida

Your odds of drowning are much, much higher than being attacked by a shark or an alligator.

World drowning statistics are even more shocking. There are an estimated 236,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide, according to the UNs World Health Organization. That comes out to an average of 647 people per day.

And then there are the even more numerous nonfatal drownings. The CDC says people who survive a drowning incident have a range of outcomes: From no injuries to very serious injuries or permanent disability.

The tragedy is many of these deaths and injuries are preventable, experts say. What can you do to enjoy the water  be it ocean, river, lake or swimming pool  safely and not join the ranks of drowning deaths? Turns out, a lot.

Who is most at risk?

Men jump into the waters of the Bosphorus at the Anatolian side, also known as the Asian side, of Istanbul. Males around the world have a higher drowning risk than that of females. - Moe Zoyari/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Knowing who is likely to drown is critical. At-risk groups need the most attention. In the United States, those include the following:

 The youngest people: Children 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates, the CDC says, mostly in swimming pools.

 Males: They account for nearly 80% of fatal drownings in the United States. More risk-taking behaviors and alcohol use are cited as reasons. Across the world, WHO reports males have twice the fatal drowning rate of females.

 People with seizure disorders: People with conditions such as epilepsy are at a higher risk for drowning, and that can happen in a bathtub.

Drowning prevention tips

Children get a swimming lesson at a YMCA in Memphis, Tennessee. Research shows participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning. - Karen Pulfer Focht/The Commercial Appeal/AP

The CDC emphasizes the importance of learning basic water safety skills, saying formal lessons can reduce the risk of drowning.

However, children who have had swimming lessons still need close and constant supervision when in or around water, the agency notes. Dont get distracted by TV, books or the phone when watching children in the water.

If youre drinking alcoholic beverages, stay out of the water and dont go boating. Impaired judgment and slow reactions can lead to tragedy.

People in boats and weaker swimmers should wear life jackets, especially in open water.

And keep an eye on the weather. Exit if theres a thunderstorm or heavy rains.

Know the water environments

People swim in the surf at Waimea Bay Beach Park on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, under a warning flag. Experts say do not underestimate the power of waves, even if there is no official warning. - Caleb Jones/AP

Understand the waters youre about to enter. Different bodies of water carry different types of dangers:

OCEAN RIP CURRENTS

Rip currents flow away from shore. They often form at breaks in sandbars and close to piers and rock groins.

Look for signs of a rip current before entering, says the United States Lifesaving Association. That can be a narrow gap of darker, seemingly calmer water between areas of breaking waves and whitewater, a difference in water color or a line of foam, seaweed or debris moving seaward.

Heres what to do youre caught in one:

 Stay calm. Rip currents dont pull you underwater but do sweep you farther from shore.

 Dont swim against the current. Try to escape by swimming out of the current in a direction following the shoreline, the USLA says. You may be able to escape by floating or treading water and ride the current out.

 If youre in trouble, yell and wave for help.

If youre not trained, dont try to rescue people yourself. Seek a lifeguard, call 911 or throw a flotation device their way. Direct the person to swim parallel to the shoreline to escape.

OTHER OCEAN TIPS

The National Weather Service warns swimmers to watch out for shorebreak waves. They crash directly onto the sand and can batter and disorient swimmers. When in doubt, dont go out, said Wyatt Werneth, who is also the public service spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association.

Swim Guide advises people to swim in the hour before or the hour after low tide or high tide when waters are generally calmer. (But conditions can vary beach to beach).

RIVERS

Tubing and other activities are popular in rivers. But swift currents and obstacles below the surface or debris can be hazardous.

Werneth said to research the river before you enter.

Personal watercraft hug the shoreline at Blue Marsh Lake near Reading, Pennsylvania. In that state, you need a Boating Safety Education Certificate in your possession to operate one. The US Coast Guard says you should wear torso-protecting life jackets while riding one. Also, don't jump wakes and don't drink alcohol before operating. - Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle/Getty Images

LAKES AND PONDS

The placid waters of lakes and ponds can lull waders and swimmers into a false sense of security. Sharp, sudden dropoffs and debris under the water can startle or entangle people, Werneth said, leading to panic and drowning. He said go in with a swim buddy.

Dive only in designated areas. The USLA says enter unknown waters feet first to avoid striking your head. Swimmers shouldnt stray into areas where personal watercraft and boats are speeding by.

SWIMMING POOLS

The National Drowing Prevention Alliance has this advice for pool owners: four-sided fencing with self-closing self-latching gates, door and window alarms, and safety covers can help make sure kids dont get to the water unsupervised.

And even if your children know how to swim, adults should still maintain a careful watch. Keep flotation devices on hand.

BOATING

The National Park Services Operation Dry Water reminds people that all vessels must carry personal flotation devices.

National lifeguard shortage

A lifeguard watches visitors swim at the Raging Waters Sacramento water park at Cal Expo in Sacramento, California. There's a shortage of guards this year, so be extra vigilant. - David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Werneth, who is also a spokesman for the American Lifeguard Association, has warned of an ongoing lifeguard shortage in the United States for years now. A June 15, 2024, news release from the ALA called the shortage in Florida disturbing.

Werneth said the groups message has always been swim in front of a lifeguard. But he said the reality of the shortage is prompting a new one: Learn to swim, America.

We want people to self-lifeguard. Assign someone in your family to be a water watcher. Have that person learn CPR.

And if someone cant swim and still wants to wade, put a life jacket on them. Thats going to make a difference.

Werneth said that if you plan on going to a destination that features water activities, go online first to find out the lifeguard situation and adapt your plans as needed. Some pools, lakes and beaches might not even be open.

Operation Rescue

Back in 2017 at that Florida beach, Werneths task was daunting. But he had a cool head, decades of experience  and fortunately, a second experienced helper on hand whom he later learned was from the Air Force.

He was single-handedly pulling people out before I even got there.  That Air Force guy was kind of coming back with one. I saw that he had one that was kind of going unconscious, and I immediately jumped in the water, swam out, grabbed the unconscious person and got him out.

Werneth guesses that they were about 50 yards out, and he recalls they ended up pulling five male teens out of the water. They werent even in swimming attire, Werneth said, leading him to think it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to enter the ocean.

Would the group have died without the rescue, which left him exhausted?

I assure you they all would have.  These people were going in to help each other, and it caused a chain reaction. Do not go into the water to assist anyone without a flotation device, he said.

It was perfect timing that I showed up and happened to be there to help those guys. All because the family car had broken down. But not everyone can rely on luck.

In the end, you need water confidence, gained by experience and respect for the water.

The fear is what generates the panic which generates the drowning.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Suspect arrested in DC after leading Virginia State Police on chase in stolen car

WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  D.C. police arrested someone after they led Virginia State Police (VSP) on a chase in a stolen car and hit another car in the process Thursday evening.

Just before 7 p.m., a VSP trooper was alerted to a stolen Toyota Prius heading north on I-395. The trooper turned on his cruisers emergency lights and siren but the Prius did not stop.

The Prius sped away from the trooper, prompting a chase.

WATCH: Horse gets loose during Takoma Park Independence Day Parade

The stolen Prius crossed into D.C. and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department took the driver into custody.

During the chase, the Prius hit a Ford Escape while trying to get away from the trooper. No injuries were reported.

Police were still investigating the 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC.
After Sweethearts Died Weeks Before He Proposed, Family 'Couldn't Believe' How Many Showed Up to Mourn Them

"Even the smallest things they would do would touch people's lives," a family member says of Sam Cullen and Suzie Kedar

Haley Tynes A memorial for crash victims Sam Cullen (left) and his girlfriend, Suzie Kedar

Sam Cullen and Suzie Kedar had so much life ahead of them when they died in a motorcycle crash in Washington state in early May, just weeks before he was set to propose.



But in the months since, their loved ones have learned more about the ways in which they had already left a mark in their small community of Whidbey Island, where Cullen, 28, was stationed at a Naval base.



Cullens cousin Haley Tynes, an attorney who lives in Washington, tells PEOPLE about the memorials and tributes being held for Cullen and Kedar, 27, since the fatal crash.



For example, Tynes says, relatives were taken on a tour in late May of the base where Cullen worked in Washington as a Navy petty officer 2nd class



The tour meant a lot to our families. For the first time, we really understood the type of sailor Sam was, the impressive and important work he did, the fact that he mentored others, and the difference he (and Suzie) made in the lives of so many people, Tynes says.



I wish I had known all of this before Sammy passed so I could've told him how proud of him I am, how proud we all are, and praise the impressive and amazing man he has become, she says, adding, I can only hope to carry on his and Suzie's legacy by following in their shoes and being a better person in this world; I can only hope to touch half the lives that Sam and Suzie touched in their short time on this planet.

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.



Whidbey Coffee, where Kedar worked, also organized a beachside sunset vigil for the couple in late May.



Haley Tynes A memorial for crash victims Sam Cullen and Suzie Kedar (pictured at left)

Our families couldn't believe how many people showed up and stayed until the sun went down to talk to our families, tell stories about Sammy and Suzie and honor their memories, Tynes says.



A photo of the couple now has a permanent place at the shop, she says.



Since the crash, Cullen and Kedars families have heard a familiar refrain about them.



We were told stories about the type of person Sam was at work and how many lives he touched by, for example, simply checking in and asking colleagues how they're doing and genuinely caring about their answers  [W]eve also heard this from neighbors and others that knew him and Suzie, Tynes says. It seems like this was a consistent theme.



According to his mother, Cullen had received multiple commendations in his military service, including a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and a Plane Captain of the Quarter honor.



Some examples stick with Tynes, like how her cousin was the kind of dedicated friend who would carry someone down the beach after a run-in with a stingray, invite other sailors to his home for Thanksgiving  and remember to give out high-fives to his neighbors 5-year-old son.



They genuinely cared about everyone they interacted with and that even the smallest things they would do would touch people's lives, Tynes says of Cullen and Kedar.



Hundreds of people attended a May 31 memorial at Cullens Navy base, according to Tynes, who calls it absolutely incredible.



Ive struggled to find the words to describe how meaningful it was to our families, she says. In a way, it closed out an awful month for our families in the most beautiful and touching way; a sort of final send off for Sammy and Suzie, the lives they lived and Sam's service to our country.



The service concluded with roll call of Sam's team, with Sam's name being called last, three times, with no answer. It was the most painful and sobering part of the week, Tynes continues, but also made me [and] us so incredibly proud of Sammy for his service to this country and the person he became.



Haley Tynes Loved ones of Sam Cullen and Suzie Kedar

There have been other remembrances and other ways in which the couples broader network of friends and family have come together.



More than $54,000 were raised to help bring Kedars body home to New York, while the Navy helped transport Cullens body.



Tynes says locals in Washington rallied around her and Kedar's families to help them through the aftermath of the crash, including helping look after the couple's pets  Cullens turtle, Squirt; Kedars seven birds, called budgies  and her plants until they could be sent back to their relatives.



There are yet more events planned: Cullen was a diehard" fan of the New York Mets, and the Seattle Mariners are planning a moment of remembrance for him and Kedar during their Aug. 9 game against the Mets, Tynes says. She and the couple had planned to all attend that day, before the crash.



The Mets, likewise, have sent their condolences and are considering some kind of memorial, according to Tynes.



Cullens parents, Shari and Tim, created a foundation in his name to provide scholarships to students who exemplify the values, dedication and commitment epitomized by Sammy, his cousin says.



The current idea is to give scholarships to graduating seniors entering the military and scholar athletes. Shari and Tim are also working with Farmingdale High School [which Cullen attended] o hold an annual fundraising wrestling tournament in Sam's name, Tynes says.



Haley Tynes Sam Cullen's memorial after he died in crash with girlfriend Suzie Kedar

Haley Tynes Sam Cullen's memorial after he died in a crash with girlfriend Suzie Kedar

News of Cullen and Kedars deaths has spread so far in part because of their love story: Sweethearts since their youth, they met while attending Farmingdale High in New York and grew closer in the decade since graduating in 2014, dating for much of that time, Tynes says.



Cullen planned to propose on June 1.

Just two days before the crash, Sam called me as he left the ring store. He excitedly yelled, I got it, its perfect, I got it. I got every detail right. Its exactly what she wanted,  Tynes recalled in her speech at her cousins funeral in mid May. I had no idea what he was talking about until he finally said that he got the ring.



"I know that Sam treated Suzie like his queen," Cullen's mother, Shari, previously told Patch.com. "She was his queen."



They died on May 2 when their motorcycle struck a pole around 8 p.m., Island County sheriffs detective Ed Wallace has said.



Both Cullen and Kedar were reportedly wearing helmets when the crash occurred.



Wallace told PEOPLE that we do not suspect drugs or alcohol were involved." He said that preliminary information indicated only that the bike left the roadway and hit a pole.



Haley Tynes A memorial to Sam Cullen and Suzie Kedar, who died in a fatal crash in Washington in May

In her speech at Cullens funeral, Tynes remembered his bond with Kedar as deep and abiding.



"Sam and Suzie had their own language: The stolen glances, the secret smiles, holding hands any chance they could  even in a place as ordinary as a parking lot walking back to my car, Tynes said. Their love was anything but ordinary. It was extraordinary, and I was happy to be a part of it. I can only hope to find a love like they had one day.



Tynes also described one of her last shared moments with the couple, in late April, weeks before the crash. They were driving home from the grocery store, preparing for Passover dinner.



We put the windows down and Sam played a song called Corona and Lime. All three of us sang along with the song on repeat. We reminisced about Long Island and talked about how excited Suzie was to plant the hummingbird flower seeds we just bought, Tynes said.



Jami Rosario/GoFundMe Sam Cullen (left) and Suzie Kedar

They lived their life by staying in the moment  being present, cherishing family and friends and the time they had with them. In their honor, I ask you to remember Sam and Suzie in both the ordinary and extraordinary moments in life, Tynes said.



Just remember to slow down, look up from your phone.



Listen to the birds sing, just like Kedar would have, ready to name each one she heard.



Appreciate the nature and world around you, like Cullen enjoyed doing.



Check those items off your bucket list because thats what they both would do, Tynes said. Appreciate the time you have here on this earth because its short and like them we should live every moment as if its our last.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Esmeralda Pocopa sits and cries at a makeshift memorial for her sister Yahorany "Nani" Popoca, at the site where she was fatally shot Sunday morning outside La Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant in Haines City. Nani's estranged boyfriend, Rolando Guevara Zarate, is accused of her murder. Family members say Guevara had repeatedly stalked and threatened Popoca, despite successive restraining orders.

HAINES CITY  Three of Yahorany Nani Popocas siblings staggered through the parking lot outside a Mexican restaurant Monday afternoon, their expressions both sorrowful and dazed.

Reaching the parking space where their youngest sister had been fatally shot two days earlier, the siblings crumpled in unrestrained agony.

Alicia Popoca wailed loudly, calling out repeatedly in Spanish. The siblings violently sobbed, leaning against each other for support. Esmeralda Popoca knelt before a small shrine of devotional candles, a stuffed elephant, flowers and balloons, abject grief distorting her face.

Amid the devastation and pain, Nani Popocas family members also projected anger. They say that law enforcement and the legal system failed to protect Nani, a 29-year-old mother of six, from a man who had stalked, harassed and threatened her for weeks before allegedly shooting her multiple times as she sat in her car.

Fearing the worst, Nani had obtained a protective injunction against the suspect, Rolando Guevara Zarate of Arcadia, just six days before police say he murdered her.

There was nothing stopping him, not even the injunction, not even the restraining order, said Mauricio Popoca, Nanis older brother. Nothing was stopping him. I mean, they (police) overlooked that, and they really overlooked a lot of things. Its just  the system failed her. The system just failed her completely.

The Haines City Police Department has charged Guevara with first-degree murder, alleging he shot Popoca several times at about 10:55 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of La Fiesta Mexicana. Winter Haven Police arrested Guevara, 46, a short time later after a brief pursuit.

Guevara confessed to killing Popoca, Haines City Police said.

Popoca had sought and obtained restraining orders against Guevara, her former romantic partner and the father of four of her children. After gaining a temporary injunction on June 10, Popoca received a one-year injunction just six days before her death. The court directive barred Guevara from contacting Popoca or being within 500 feet of her home or workplace and ordered him to surrender all weapons and ammunition.

Alicia Pocopa and Mauricio Pocopa, older siblings of Yahorany "Nani" Popoca, show their grief Tuesday while visiting a makeshift memorial in the parking lot of La Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant in Haines City. Family members say that law enforcement could have done more to protect Nani against violent threats from her estranged romantic partner.

Guevara first went to Popocas mothers house in Winter Haven on Sunday morning, asking her to persuade Nani to lift the injunction, according to an arrest affidavit from the Haines City Police Department. He then drove to the restaurant and parked behind Popocas gold Honda, knowing that she habitually sat in her car for a few minutes while applying makeup before starting her shift at 11 a.m., his statement said.

Popoca would not speak with him and appeared to be recording him or contacting law enforcement. Angered, he seized a gun and began shooting, the affidavit said. Witnesses from the restaurant reported that the suspect fired from behind before walking to the driver-side and shooting multiple times through the window.

Popoca called 911 and told an operator that Guevara was the man who had shot her multiple times, also identifying him to an officer as she was being treated following the attack, according to an arrest affidavit. Guevara told police that he planned to kill himself as well but had run out of bullets, according to the arrest affidavit.

Popoca, who sustained gunshots to her chest, chin and hand, was flown by helicopter to HCA Florida Osceola Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 12:03 p.m.

Guevara had a first appearance in court Monday, and Judge J. Kevin Abdoney ordered him held without bond.

The Ledger requested an interview with Haines City Police Chief Greg Goreck, but he was not made available on Wednesday.

'The best of us'

Popoca, a native of Mexico who came to the United States as a young child, was the youngest of eight siblings, family members said. She had recently been living in Winter Haven with Esmeralda Popoca, who also works at La Fiesta Mexicana.

She was a very caring person, said Esmeralda, 33, as she struggled to maintain composure. She loved her kids. She would do anything for her kids. That's her first thing she had in mind every day when she would wake up. She was a very happy girl, helpful with everybody, just a sweetheart. As you know, we worked here. They all loved her.

Esmeralda and two of her siblings, Mauricio Popoca of Lake Wales and Alicia Popoca of Winter Haven, appeared still to be in shock Tuesday afternoon as they sat on chairs provided by restaurant employees. In the background, power wrenches whirred in an auto service center across the road, from which some employees had witnessed Sundays horrific incident.

She was the best out of all eight of us  the best attitude, the best character and the best personality, Mauricio said. She was never in a negative mood, always in a positive mood, no matter the situation.

Siblings say that Yahorany Nani Popoca of Winter Haven did everything possible to gain protection against Rolando Guevara Zarate, who had made repeated threats against her in the weeks leading up to her death.

Nani Popoca had four of her children with Guevara, ranging in age from 22 months to 6 years. They lived together at various homes in DeSoto County before Popoca decided to end the relationship about 18 months ago, her siblings said.

Nani moved to Polk County, first living with Mauricio in Lake Wales. The siblings said that Guevara refused to accept that the relationship had ended, and he continued calling and texting Nani, to the point that she changed her phone number to avoid him.

Local news: Fort Meade offers Edward Dean a three-year contract as city manager, starting at $130,000

Guevara seemed deterred from approaching Nani while she resided with Mauricio, the brother said. After Nani and her children moved in with Esmeralda, though, Mauricio said the stalking and harassment escalated.

Nani Popoca started her job as a food runner three or four months ago at La Fiesta Mexicana, a long-established eatery featuring authentic Mexican food augmented by artwork imported from the neighboring country. The owners and most of the employees are Hispanic and bilingual, and a co-owner said Nani embraced the family dynamic among workers.

Nani and Esmeralda often ate breakfast together before driving to the restaurant to start their shifts at 11 a.m.

Escalating sense of threat

In her petition for protective injunction, filed June 10, Popoca described incidents in which Guevara stalked or threatened her. In July 2022, when she lived in Arcadia, Guevara forced open a bathroom door and slapped her on the back of the head, causing dizziness and blurred vision. She was pregnant with her youngest child at the time, she wrote.

On June 8, less than three weeks before Popocas death, Guevara pulled into her driveway just after she arrived home from work and was clearly intoxicated, she wrote in the petition. She declined his requests to go somewhere with him, and he said he would if she allowed him to come inside and kiss his children.

Guevara woke up one of her children and spoke to him in an upsetting way, the petition says. As Popoca sought help from her sister in getting him to leave, he grabbed her arms and pulled her down the stairs. After Guevara left the home, Esmeralda called 911 as the sisters heard him banging on the house.

Alicia Pocopa and her brother Mauricio Pocopa stand at the spot where their younger sister, Yahorany "Nani" Popoca, was fatally shot on Sunday morning. Family members gathered Tuesday to grieve with employees at La Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant in Haines City, where Nani worked as a food runner.

Nani Popoca later discovered that Guevara had slashed all four tires on her car, she wrote.

Popoca wrote that Guevara had called her job site and threatened employees, adding, "This really has me afraid." The owners of the restaurant confirmed that Guevara had threatened to kill employees if they did not allow him to speak to Popoca.

In the petition, Popoca noted reporting Guevara to authorities in DeSoto County and to the Winter Haven Police Department. In response to a request, WHPD provided records of two phone calls, one from June 8 and the other from the night before the murder.

According to a report of the first call, Popoca said she had been receiving phone calls from her former partner both at home and at work and that he threatened to kill her and then himself. An officer noted that there were no direct threats made to the victim and that other alleged incidents occurred in Haines City, a different jurisdiction.

They arrived there, and we spoke to them, and they were like, that they didn't have any proof, enough to do something, to go get him, Esmeralda said dejectedly. She provided them an address from Arcadia, where he was staying, places she knew he would be at.

An officer indicated plans to file a complaint affidavit for Guevaras arrest on a charge of simple battery. WHPD searched for Guevara that night but could not find him, WHPD spokesperson Jamie Brown said.

The officer reported advising Popoca to seek a protective injunction, which she did two days later. The officer also requested patrols and perimeter checks of Popocas home for the next two weeks as call volume allowed.

Even though the charge involved domestic violence, simple battery is a misdemeanor. For that reason, an officer was unable to make an entry into a state database, alerting other agencies to the affidavit for Guevaras arrest on the battery charge, Brown said.

Guevara was apparently not arrested on that charge before Popocas murder.

Protection on paper

Judge Keith Spoto issued a temporary injunction against Guevara on June 10, and the DeSoto County Sheriffs Office served him the papers four days later, a spokesperson said. The order barred Guevara from any contact with Popoca, including by phone calls or text messages or communicating through another person, and it gave Popoca full temporary custody of their four children.

Judge Lori Winstead issued a final judgment on June 24, issuing a one-year injunction valid and enforceable in all Florida counties. She added the requirement that Guevara surrender all weapons and ammunition, and Popocas petition indicated that she believed he owned at least one gun.

A Polk County Sheriffs deputy served Guevara with the order the day of the hearing, and the Polk County Clerk of Courts office sent the packet to PCSO, a spokesperson said. The injunction ordered Guevara to surrender his weapons to local law enforcement, and that is typically enforced by an agency where the respondent lives, a PCSO spokesperson said.

Relatives of Yahorany "Nani" Popoca place baloons at a makeshift memorial for her in the parking lot of La Fiesta Mexicana Restaurantin Haines City, where Nani was fatally shot Sunday morning.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the DeSoto County Sheriffs Office had not confirmed whether it received notice of the injunction.

According to form language in the petition, if the subject violates the terms without being arrested, the victim may contact the local Clerk of Courts office or the State Attorneys Office to request the filing of a civil complaint or criminal charges, if warranted by evidence. Violating the injunctions terms is a first-degree misdemeanor, with a maximum sentence of one year in prison.

Unfortunately, injunctions are a piece of paper, a court order, which only works if the perpetrator adheres to it, said Larry G. Williams Jr., CEO of Peace River Center, a Bartow-based nonprofit that advocates for domestic violence victims. Regrettably, much of the burden is placed on the survivor to remain vigilant and safety plan, which we do with survivors who call our 24-hour domestic violence hotline.

The free and confidential hotline number is 863-413-2700.

WHPD documented receiving a second call from Popocas address at 11:04 p.m. on Saturday, about 12 hours before the attack. Esmeralda Popoca said that Guevara repeatedly called the restaurant that last day. She also said that one of Guevaras children had texted to say that he had talked of killing Popoca and then himself.

She got home (from work) so scared, so panicked, Esmeralda said. Her hands were so sweaty.

After informing an officer of the injunction against Guevara, Popoca said that she had video showing his vehicle parked that day in front of her home, a violation of the injunction. She also said that he had been sending text messages to her and her family members and had tried to call her at the restaurant, further violations.

The Winter Haven officer noted that the restaurant is in Haines City and advised her to report Guevaras phone calls to that citys police department. The officer noted sending a communication to the Arcadia Police Department and the DeSoto County Sheriffs Office at 12:58 a.m. on June 30, suggesting a well-being check on Guevara.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the DeSoto County Sheriffs Office had not determined whether it received any communication or acted on it.

Seeking help the day before

In response to a request from The Ledger, the Haines City Police Department shared records of three phone calls received  one on June 8 and two from the day before the murder, at about noon and 4:30 p.m. The location from which the calls came was redacted.

Family members and restaurant employees said that they recalled more calls to law enforcement than indicated by the records from the Haines City and Winter Haven departments. They said they planned to check the call logs from Popocas cellphone and the phone at La Fiesta Mexicana.

Yahorany Nani Popoca of Winter Haven obtained a protective injunction against her former boyfriend, Rolando Guevara Zarate, who is now accused of murdering her in Haines City.

Esmeralda remembered Popoca calling police three times from the restaurant the day before she was killed.

They told her that they were going to come, and they never responded and never helped her, she said.

One of the restaurant's owners, who asked to be identified only as Miralla, said that Guevara would sometime call the business line every five or 10 minutes and demand to speak to Popoca. Fellow employees would walk Popoca to her car after her shift to help ensure her safety, Esmeralda said.

Popoca was headed to work Sunday morning when she noticed Guevaras car, her siblings and co-workers said. She frantically called the restaurant, and she was on the phone with Esmeralda when the shooting began.

Haines City Police officers responded promptly and in great force to the 911 calls that morning. Though Popocas relatives appreciated that, they questioned why the agency did not react with the same vigor to Popocas repeated cries for help.

Guevaras charges include violation of an injunction, aggravated stalking of a victim after a no-contact order and illegal use of a two-way device.

She did everything she had to do, and there was still nothing, Miralla said. Something in the system has to change. More women die  like yesterday, I was looking at the news, to try to watch the report that they had (on Nani). Boom, a girl was killed, again. Domestic violence. So when are they going to listen to women? When are they going to care?

After his arrest, Guevara told Haines City Police that he was upset because the court order prevented him from his children, but Popocas siblings and the restaurant owners scoffed at that. They said he didnt really care about the children and only wanted to get Nani back with him.

Yahorany "Nani" Popoca was shot and killed Sunday morning outside La Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant in Haines City. Her estranged boyfriend, Rolando Guevara Zarate, has been charged with her murder.

On May 5  Cinco de Mayo, a busy day for Mexican restaurants  Guevara threatened to drop all six of Popocas children at La Fiesta Mexican during her shift, Miralla said. Popoca told the owner that Guevara was trying to get her fired to ruin her life.

Following the tragedy, one of Nanis brothers temporarily took her six children into his home. Esmeralda said that family members would eventually figure out a lasting arrangement. Nanis oldest understands what had happened to her, she said, while family members simply told the youngest that their mother is now an angel in heaven.

Family members and friends held a vigil Tuesday evening in the parking lot of La Fiesta Mexicana. Customers have been asking what they can do to help Nanis family, Miralla said. The restaurant will accept donations, but she encouraged direct contributions through a GoFundMe account that Esmeralda created.

As of Wednesday afternoon, donors had given $2,450 toward a goal of $10,000.

Nani Popoca was a beautiful daughter, friend, sister and an amazing mother to 6 beautiful children, Esmeraldas description on the fundraiser reads. She was so bright, smart and funny. She loved her kids and family so much.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Family: System failed to protect murdered Winter Haven woman
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan on Friday reported renewed Chinese military activity nearby with another "combat patrol" as the government called on Beijing not to escalate tensions after the seizure of a Taiwanese fishing boat.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up its pressure over the past four years, both militarily and politically.

On Tuesday, Chinese officials boarded and detained a Taiwanese fishing boat for illegally operating in the country's waters, in what a senior Taiwan official said may be act of psychological warfare.

Taiwan's defence ministry said that starting just before 7 a.m. (2300 GMT) on Friday, it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters, carrying out a "joint combat readiness patrol" with Chinese warships.

The Chinese aircraft flew into airspace to the north, centre and southern part of Taiwan, the ministry said.

Taiwan has detected at least 127 Chinese military aircraft operating near the island since the start of this month.

China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Speaking to reporters earlier on Friday, Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said fishermen should raise their alert level and not do anything that could be considered illegal.

"At the same time, I also want to ask the Chinese side not to escalate with any the use of any excessive measures, because this can easily cause tension and unnecessary confrontation which is extremely unnecessary," he added.

China says the root cause of its problems with Taiwan is what Beijing views as the "separatist" views of new President Lai Ching-te.

China staged war games shortly after Lai took office in May, and has rebuffed his repeated calls for talks.

Lai rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Stephen Coates)
(Bloomberg) -- A former Bank of England economist, the first Black Briton to attend Harvard Law School and an ex-union worker are among those given top jobs in Britains first Labour government in 14 years.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Keir Starmer, now prime minister after Labour inflicted a crushing defeat on the Conservatives in Thursdays election, wasted no time in rewarding allies who supported him as he dragged the party from the left toward the political center ground in his bid for power. These are the key appointments so far:

Rachel Reeves, 45, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Reeves, shadow chancellor since 2021, becomes Britains first female finance minister. A brief stint as an economist at the Bank of England ended 18 years ago, but she has made her past employer a central part of her public image to emphasize Labours economic credibility. Inheriting challenges ranging from highest debt burden since the 1960s to sluggish productivity growth, she has pledged to revitalize the UK economy by driving investment and overhauling the planning system. Still, some policies popular on the Labour left will remain, including abolishing value-added-tax exemptions for private schools.

Angela Rayner, 44, Deputy Prime Minister

Rayner, who grew up in poverty and left school with no qualifications, rose through the ranks of the labor union, Unison, and maintains close links to the movement that provides a sizable portion of Labours funding. In opposition she served as shadow deputy prime minister. She describes herself as part of Labours soft left and has pledged to tackle homelessness. She has said she will have a major role in Labours pledge to boost housebuilding and the supply of affordable homes. The Conservatives often made Rayner the target of their political attacks, and even urged the police to investigate allegations she broke electoral law becoming an MP. The probe was dropped in late May.

David Lammy, 51, Foreign Secretary

Lammy is a friend of former US President Barack Obama and the first Black Briton to attend Harvard Law School. He has warned that China poses real security threats and pledged ironclad British support for Ukraine, which he plans to visit next month. Lammy met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during Mays D-Day commemorations in Normandy, contrasting Rishi Sunaks decision to cut short his visit. He has called Brexit a national tragedy and said hed get into negotiation with the European Union when the post-Brexit trade agreement is reviewed in 2025. A Labour government would be an opportunity to turn the page on the post-Brexit rancor, Lammy said at the Institute for Government in May. We need to get back on trusted, friendly terms.

Yvette Cooper, 55, Home Secretary

Elected to Parliament in 1997, Cooper has experience of government already. She became the first female Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2008, serving as No. 2 to then-Chancellor Alistair Darling during the financial crisis, and was Work and Pensions Secretary until Labour lost power in 2010. Since then, she has held foreign and domestic policy briefs for the party, and ran unsuccessfully for the Labour leadership in 2015. She fought to delay leaving the EU to prevent an economically damaging hard Brexit. As shadow home secretary from 2021, Cooper said a Labour government would boost national security and put more police officers into local communities to tackle crime and anti-social behavior.

Sue Gray, 66, Senior Adviser

The former civil servant is best known by the public for investigating the Partygate allegations against ex-premier Boris Johnson and his team. Starmer appointed her his chief of staff last year. She has split opinion within Labour by shaking up senior appointments. Allies say she is popular with shadow ministers and has brought professionalism and experience of government to Starmers team. But some Labour officials told Bloomberg in February she is perfect leading the response to a terror attack but not to attacks from the Tory-leaning Daily Mail newspaper. She was seen as holding up a decision to ax 28 billion ($35 billion) of green spending, which Reeves and others wanted to scrap to ensure Labour had a leaner manifesto.

Morgan McSweeney, 47, Senior Adviser

Director of campaigns, McSweeney has been the new premiers most trusted aide since running Starmers Labour leadership campaign in 2020. He spent months installing Starmer loyalists into safe parliamentary seats at the expense of the Labour left, Bloomberg reported in May. The ex-director of think tank Labour Together has tried to make the smallest target possible for Tory attacks, scaling back green stimulus plans and costing policy commitments.

Pat McFadden, 59, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

McFadden, an MP for almost two decades, oversaw Labours campaign, fielding questions from journalists after leadership debates in so-called spin rooms and batting away Conservative attack lines on the airwaves several times a week. In June, he switched to the offensive by climbing aboard the Labour press bus to distribute handouts with 20 questions picking apart the Tories costings that journalists should ask. He made headlines as a member of the Treasury Committee in 2014 when he described mixed messaging by then Bank of England Governor Mark Carney as worthy of an unreliable boyfriend.

(Updates with Rayner role on housebuilding in second profile. An earlier version of this story was corrected to to remove a reference to a non-profit in Morgan McSweeneys profile.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Teenager sentenced in the death of 15-year-old girl, Brianna Higgins

OLATHE, Kan.  The Johnson County District Attorneys Office says a man has now been sentenced in the murder of a 15-year-old girl.

Davon Washington, a 17-year-old, who pleaded guilty in the killing of Brianna Higgins, was sentenced to a combined extended jurisdiction of juvenile prosecution (EJJP) sentence.

View the latest headlines from Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas at fox4kc.com

Washington will be at the Youth Correctional Facility until he is 22.5 years old and will be conditionally released when he is 23.

If he violates the terms of his juvenile sentence, he will be ordered to serve an adult sentence of 123 months.

Washington previously pleaded guilty to one count of reckless second-degree murder and another count of juvenile in possession of a firearm, according to court records.

The shooting happened on Jan. 19. The Olathe Police Department identified the victim a few days after the crime as Higgins.

Kansas news: Headlines from Wichita, Topeka and around the Sunflower State

Ten days later, authorities said they had arrested a 17-year-old suspect, now identified as Washington.

Higgins was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound on the evening of Jan. 19 from an apartment complex near W. 127th and S. Mur Len. Despite the effort to save her life, she died from 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 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
MAPUTO, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) on Thursday announced its decision to withdraw forces from the northern province of Cabo Delgado, marking the end of its peacekeeping mission in the region.

The closing ceremony was led by Defense Minister Cristovao Chume and SAMIM Head of Mission Mpho Molomo in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado province.

In his speech, the minister praised the deployment of SAMIM troops in the fight against terrorism in the country.

"The operationalization of the SAMIM force has proved to be an enormous complement to the no-holds-barred actions carried out by the Mozambican Defense and Security Forces, offering greater robustness to the mission of pursuing and eliminating terrorists on the battlefield," Chume said.

The minister said that the terrorist bases have been destroyed, and there has also been a resumption of economic activity, the free movement of people and the gradual return of the population to their areas of origin, and an improvement in the security situation in the province.

"Progress in the fight against terrorism is a victory for all SADC countries. The SAMIM mission has played a major role in addressing the threat posed by terrorism in the region," said Chume, describing the mission as an example of regional solidarity for the African continent, and a strategy for solving African problems.

The minister warned that despite the advances and withdrawal of SAMIM forces, there are still terrorist movements in some regions of Cabo Delgado province, creating instability among the population.

Defense forces from Mozambique and troops from Rwanda are currently patrolling the region.

During the ceremony, the minister paid tribute to the families of the soldiers who lost their loved ones during the operations in Cabo Delgado. Weapons seized from the terrorists since 2021 were also displayed.

The SADC Mission in Mozambique was deployed in July 2021 following approval by the Extraordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government as a regional response to support the Mozambique to combat terrorism. 
The Texas Supreme Court has refused to block the states ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, allowing the ban to remain in effect while a lawsuit against it proceeds.

The court ruled that the families, health care professionals, and organizations challenging the ban are unlikely to succeed in proving that it violates the Texas constitution.

We conclude the Legislature made a permissible, rational policy choice to limit the types of available medical procedures for children, particularly in light of the relative nascency of both gender dysphoria and its various modes of treatment and the Legislatures express constitutional authority to regulate the practice of medicine, Justice Rebeca Aizpuru Huddle wrote for the 8-1 court majority.

We therefore conclude the statute does not unconstitutionally deprive parents of their rights or physicians or health care providers of an alleged property right in their medical licenses or claimed right to occupational freedom. We also conclude the law does not unconstitutionally deny or abridge equality under the law because of sex or any other characteristic asserted by plaintiffs.

In her dissent, Justice Debra Lehrmann wrote that the court effectively forecloses all medical treatment options that are currently available to these children. And it does so under the guise that depriving parents of access to these treatments is no different than prohibiting parents from allowing their children to get tattoos. Of course, there is nothing remotely medically necessary about tattooing.

This particular parental right  to make potentially life-saving medical decisions for ones children  certainly does not fall within the same category as tattooing, tobacco use, or even child labor, she continued.

The ban went into effect September 1. A lower court had issued a temporary injunction to block it, but when the state appealed directly to the Supreme Court, that put the temporary injunction on hold.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 14 into law in June 2023. It bans surgery, hormone treatment, and puberty blockers for the purpose of gender transition for people under 18, while allowing those procedures for treatment of congenital anomalies, early-onset puberty, and other conditions. Genital surgery is almost never performed on minors.

The lawsuit against it was filed last July. The plaintiffs are represented by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and its Texas affiliate, the Transgender Law Center, and pro bono lawyers from the firms of Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP.

It is impossible to overstate the devastating impact of this ruling on Texas transgender youth and the families that love and support them, Karen Loewy, senior counsel and director of constitutional law practice at Lambda Legal, said in a press release. Instead of leaving medical decisions concerning minor children where they belong, with their parents and their doctors, the Court here has elected to let politicians  in blatant disregard for the overwhelming medical consensus  determine the allowed course of treatment, threatening the health and the very lives of Texas transgender youth. We will continue to fight measures like SB14. These youth and their families deserve no less.

Certain Texas politicians obsession with attacking trans kids and their families is needlessly cruel, added Ash Hall, policy and advocacy strategist for LGBTQIA+ rights at the ACLU of Texas. We will not back down until our trans youth have the health care they deserve and our state is a welcoming place to all.

The Texas Supreme Court got it wrong today by ruling against families, against doctors, and against Texass future: our kids. Every Texan, transgender or not, deserves the freedom to access the health care they need when they need it, said Brian K. Bond, CEO of PFLAG National, one of the organizational plaintiffs in the case. To transgender Texans of all ages, PFLAG has your back. Were going to continue to fight to ensure you are safe, celebrated, affirmed and loved.
Textbook authors were told last month that some references to climate change must be removed from science books before they could be accepted for use in Floridas public schools, according to two of those authors.

A high school biology book also had to add citations to back up statements that human activity caused climate change and cut a political statement urging governments to take action to stop climate change, said Ken Miller, the co-author of that textbook and a professor emeritus of biology at Brown University.

Both Miller and a second author who asked not to be identified told the Orlando Sentinel they learned of the state-directed changes from their publishers, who received phone calls in June from state officials.

Miller, also president of the board of the National Center for Science Education, said the phrase climate change was not removed from his high school biology text, which he assumed happened because climate change is mentioned in Floridas academic standards for biology courses.

But according to his publisher, a 90-page section on climate change was removed from its high school chemistry textbook and the phrase was removed from middle school science books, he said.

The other author said he was told Florida wanted publishers to remove extraneous information not listed in state standards. They asked to take out phrases such as climate change, he added.

The actions seemed to echo Floridas previous rejection of math and social studies textbooks that state officials claimed include passages of indoctrination and ideological rhetoric. And they fall in line with the views of many GOP leaders, who question both the existence of climate change and the contributions of human activities to the problem, despite a broad scientific consensus that human-caused climate change is transforming the earths environment.

In May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that stripped the phrase climate change from much of Florida law, reversing 16 years of state policy and, critics said, undermining Floridas support of renewable and clean energy.

The bill did not address public education nor the states science standards, which were adopted in 2008 and spell out what students should learn in science instruction from kindergarten through 12th grade. But SB 1645 altered Floridas energy policy, removing the goal of recognizing and addressing the potential of global climate change, Senate staff wrote in an analysis of the bill.

DeSantis has said the new legislation, passed by Floridas Republican-dominated Legislature, was restoring sanity in our approach to energy and rejecting the agenda of the radical green zealots.

The Florida Department of Education did not initially respond this week to a request for comment about the science books, nor did it respond to earlier questions in May and June about when the approved list of science textbooks for elementary, middle and high school science classes would be released. Floridas school districts use the list to purchase books for their schools and had been told the state would release the science list in April.

Late Tuesday, the department posted the list on its website.

And after this story posted online Friday evening, an education department spokeswoman emailed a statement to the Sentinel. It did not directly address questions about science textbooks and climate change, instead saying Florida has some of the most rigorous educational standards in the nation and textbooks and other instructional materials to be used in classrooms must meet them. Florida works with publishers to ensure that their product aligns with our standards and does not include any form of ideology or indoctrination, it said.

Millers and the other authors books were among those on the approved list released Tuesday. The texts have not yet been printed so the Sentinel was unable to review them.

But there are no textbooks for high school environmental science classes on the approved list, though three companies submitted bids to supply books for that class, according to documents on the departments website. Course material for that subject typically includes significant discussion of climate change.

How do you write an environmental science book to appease people who are opposed to climate change? asked a school district science supervisor, who is involved in science textbook adoption for her district. She asked not to be identified for fear of job repercussions.

She and other educators, the textbook authors and science advocates said the states actions will rob students of a deeper understanding of global warming even as it impacts their state and communities through longer and hotter heat waves, more ferocious storms and sea level rise.

Florida had already earned a D  and was among the five lowest-ranked states in the country  in a 2020 study that graded the states on how their public school science standards addressed climate change, said Glenn Branch, deputy director of the center for science education, which was a partner in the study.

Excising the phrase from science textbooks will make Florida climate education even worse than it is, Branch said. These ill-considered actions are going to cheat Florida students.

Branch said it was especially troubling the decision seemed based on ideological grounds and ignored the rock solid science that has documented climate change and its impacts.

Brandon Haught teaches environmental science at a Volusia County high school and was active in efforts to include evolution  another controversial science topic  in the standards adopted 16 years ago.

His ninth graders know almost nothing about climate change because it is not taught in the lower grades, he said. He spends at least a week on the topic but is covering only the basics, he said.

Florida students need more information on the subject not less, he added. Florida is one of the most impacted by the impacts of climate change, and oh my goodness Gov DeSantis, why?

The states push to get publishers to remove climate change from some science books seems similar to its actions in 2022 and 2023 when it rejected some math and social studies textbooks publishers wanted to sell in Florida.

In those cases, the department announced it had rejected textbooks in press releases that claimed the books contained critical race theory and social justice topics, which were prohibited by state laws and rules. Some of those textbooks were later approved after the publishers made changes.

In contrast, the list of approved science books was posted to the departments website without an accompanying press release. Judging from past practice, science textbooks that were rejected, such as those for environmental science, could later be approved if they were altered to meet Floridas requirements.

Some school districts, including those in Orange and Seminole counties, were poised to buy new science books as soon as the state list was released. But districts can continue to use older books for a while, and some districts now may not purchase new science books immediately because the list was released months later than expected.

There were 146 textbooks submitted for consideration. About 75 books from a total of about 10 publishers were approved for middle and high school classes, with four publishers also approved to provide science books for kindergarten-to-fifth-grade classes, according to documents on the departments website.

Textbooks can be rejected for failing to match Floridas standards or failing to provide content that is accurate, among many other issues.

Science textbook publishers were told in advance to keep critical race theory, social emotional learning and other unsolicited strategies out of their textbooks. However, the rubric used to evaluate the books made no mention of climate change.

The Sentinel could not reach for comment the three publishers  Cengage Learning, McGraw Hill and Savvas Learning Company  that submitted environmental science books that did not make the approved list posted Tuesday.
German Ambassador Martin Jaeger has announced the arrival of the third air defence system sent by Germany to Ukraine.

Source: Jaeger on Twitter (X), reported by European Pravda

Details: Jaeger noted that the third Patriot air defence system from Germany has already arrived in Ukraine.

He said that it would help improve the protection of the population and infrastructure.

The Ukrainian crew has successfully completed the appropriate training to work with this system in Germany, the ambassador added.

Background:

Germany announced in May that the Ukrainian crew started training on the third Patriot air defence system for Ukraine.

German Defence Minister Borys Pistorius said Germany was transferring a quarter of its own stock of these weapons to Ukraine, including the third Patriot system, and would not be able to provide any more.

Romania also announced plans to provide Ukraine with a Patriot air defence system.

Support UP or become our patron!
Thousands head to Point State Park to celebrate 4th of July

An estimated 20,000 people flooded Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh to celebrate the Fourth of July this year.

The entire lawn at the park was filled with people from all over the country enjoying live music, dancing and of course the food.

PHOTOS: Pittsburgh celebrates Independence Day with fireworks

Crowds of people came out in their patriotic prints.

Its Fourth of July, red, white and blue. We are Buffalo Bills fans, and these are Buffalo Bills shorts, said Jenna Keppel of Buffalo, NY.

Tiffanie Amos and her friend drove in from Akron, Ohio. They first came to Point State Park to celebrate the Fourth in 2015.

Coming up in here, its very friendly around and everything so I really like that, Amos said.

From the bag checks to the officers patrolling on foot with K-9s and on bikes, Amos said she feels safe.

Its security walking around and that makes me know that Im secure here, she said.

Amos and hundreds of others were ready to enjoy Pittsburghs main attraction every Fourth of July.

The fireworks, Amos said. I want to see the fireworks over there where the water fountain is at.

The breathtaking display over the water is what keeps Davonte Poindexter of Penn Hills coming back year after year.

This is my 10th year, Poindexter said. I just love seeing everyone down here having fun. I love fireworks. Down here, this is where the big display happens because 25 minutes, its long. Thats what makes me come down here every Fourth.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

Man charged with killing, dismembering missing 14-year-old in Mercer County Man shot, drives to Pittsburgh medic station with 5-year-old in car Man charged in more than decade old Fayette County cold case murder VIDEO: Man charged in North Braddock pedestrian crash where 75-year-old man died DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
A suspected drunk driver, who crashed into and killed at least three people in a New York Park during Fourth of July celebrations, was a substance abuse counselor and the author of a book teaching people how to cope with addiction, it has been revealed.

Daniel Christopher Hyden, 44, was taken into custody following the horrific incident on Thursday  in part with the help of some good Samaritans  and charged with driving while intoxicated and for not having a valid license.

Under the pen name DC Hyden, Hyden is listed on Amazon as the author of The Sober Addict: A Guide on How to Be Functional With the Dysfunctional Disease of Addiction.

The book is described as a practical guide on how to effectively live and cope with the dysfunctional, lifelong disease of addiction.

In it, he describes himself as an ex-professional addict with over eighteen years of use and abuse experience. He says his passion is to help addicted clients successfully move through the various stages of change to prevent their deaths.

Daniel Christopher Hyden, the man suspected of drunkenly driving his vehicle into crowds celebrating July 4 in a New York park, was a substance abuse counsellor and author (New York Police Department)

At least three people were killed and around seven others were injured after Hyden allegedly drove his gray F-150 on a sidewalk and crashed into a Corlears Hook Park on the Lower East Side, barreling into one group who were having a barbecue for the occasion.

Many families were inside the park at the time of the crash celebrating together, the New York Police Department (NYPD) said on Thursday night.

Officials say that 11 people were struck in the incident, including four who became trapped under the car. At the scene, two people were pronounced dead before a third died overnight, local reports say.

Authorities suspect that the driver may have been intoxicated at the time of the crash (CBS New York)

Police say that a 59-year-old woman, a 38-year-old man, and an unidentified woman were the three people who have been pronounced dead.

A 30-year-old woman remains in hospital in critical condition after the devastating crash, while other victims, whose ages range between 11-years-old and 38-years-old are said by police to be in stable condition.

At the polices press conference, officials reported at the time a total of nine patients and two deaths. However, senior law enforcement officials announced moments later that a third death was reported and a 10th patient had walked into a hospital with facial injuries, NBC New York reported.

Authorities do not believe that the incident appears to be an act of terrorism, but rather that it could have been alcohol-related. However, investigators have yet to confirm this.

Three people have died following the car crash during July 4 celebrations (CBS New York)

Responding officers who did arrive on the scene did smell some alcohol, but we are still in the process of doing testing, Jeffrey Maddrey, the NYPD chief of department said.

Eric Adams, mayor of New York City, said the crowd in the park that the driver drove into was celebrating Independence Day like so many New Yorkers and Americans are doing right now.

"It appears as though at this time, based on preliminary investigation, that the driver was under the influence," Adams said. "This is extremely early. Were going to conduct a thorough investigation."

After the crash, the New York City Fire Department said their crews arrived on the scene within three-and-a-half minutes and lifted the vehicle off the victims.

Mayor Eric Adams arrives on scene after the crash on the Lower East Side (CBS New York)

We believe, initially, that there were people who were there at the scene who grabbed the driver, removed the driver, and made sure the driver didnt leave until first responders made it to the scene," Maddrey said.

One witness in the park said the victims were enjoying a barbecue in the park before the driver plowed into the park, they told The New York Post.

Another distressed witness told the outlet that they cant get the screaming out of my head.

The investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway Districts Collision Investigation Squad. The Independent has contacted the NYPD for further information.
Evacuation of local residents from the town of Toretsk, near a front line in Donetsk region

Evacuation of local residents from the town of Toretsk, near a front line in Donetsk region

By Anna Voitenko and Alina Smutko

TORETSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - In the devastated eastern Ukrainian town of Toretsk, time is running out for anyone wanting to leave.

Russian forces are advancing slowly but surely, pummelling the town night and day with rockets, artillery fire and air attacks, part of a broad advance in the Donetsk region that Ukraine has been unable to stop.

Piles of rubble lie where buildings once stood, burned out apartment blocks have become unliveable, a church tower has fallen and plumes of smoke rise in the near distance from incoming shells.

In a residential courtyard a group of mainly elderly residents gather to listen to Ivan, a police officer in camouflage fatigues who is trying to convince them to leave Toretsk with his evacuation team.

Hundreds of officers like him and Ukrainian volunteers are trying to do the same in towns and villages along the frontline before they are reduced to rubble and subsumed into territory held by the Russians.

"Are you all staying?" he asked, speaking firmly and quickly. "Can you not see how the situation is changing? If you think you will sit it out - this is not going to happen."

His offer has been taken up by some and turned down by others. Many people who remain do not want to leave for an uncertain life in safer parts of Ukraine. Others refuse to be separated from elderly relatives and friends.

"It is just me that is left, everyone else is buried," said Valentyna, a former school headmistress who gave only her first name. "Planes are flying in every night and attacking, especially the last two days," added the 75-year-old, crying.

'ALL COVERED IN BLOOD'

A woman next to her shouted: "God has given us earth and sky, and they (the Russians) trampled all over it, covered it in blood. It is all covered in blood. And the young boys..."

Some 5,000 people remain in Toretsk, according to Tetyana Nikonova, a representative of the local military administration, speaking as residents wanting to evacuate gathered around minivans with a few personal belongings.

That compares with an estimated population of some 35,000 a decade ago.

"Many people refuse to leave. We talk to them, the boys try to convince them, but they do not want to go," she said. "We offer them all that we can, accommodation, transport, all for free, but people hide in basements."

Oleksandr is going to evacuate, but before he does he and members of the police force release the chickens from their coop in his yard and a dog and goats off their leashes.

Valentyna Natyazhko, 88, fled Toretsk earlier, but is back briefly to collect the refrigerator from her apartment because she needs it in her new home in the nearby town of Kostiantynivka.

"All the food got spoiled there, I had to throw away sausage, mayonnaise, butter," she said. "I came to take this fridge. Fridges are expensive, where will I get money to buy one?"

Sergiy and Iryna, a couple sitting together on a bench outside their apartment, discussed whether or not to leave. Police officers told them to be at the same place the following morning to be collected if they decided to go.

"I worry we will not be able to come back, no one will let us back here," said Sergiy, 65.

"But we will leave, Sergiy Yuriyevych, won't we?" asked Iryna in tears, turning to him and touching his hand.

"We'll leave," he sighed. We'll leave."

(Writing by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Gareth Jones)
These are the top-searched issues in Colorado and across the US

DENVER (KDVR)  Crime, health care, unemployment, the economy and immigration are some of the most-searched election issues across the U.S. and Colorado.

The Associated Press partnered with Google Trends to rank election-related topic searches by state and nationwide, with crime topping the list in Colorado and across the country this year.

Here are the results for the U.S. and Colorado for the week of June 23:

Colorado U.S. 1 Crime Social Security 2 Health care Crime 3 Social Security Health care 4 Unemployment Unemployment 5 Economy Immigration 6 Immigration Economy 7 Minimum wage U.S. Supreme Court 8 Abortion Abortion 9 U.S. Supreme Court Minimum wage 10 U.S. Congress Supplemental Security Income

On this weeks Colorado Point of View, political analysts discuss whether those top issues could benefit either major party in the November general election.

Democrat vs. Republican election priorities

Republican analyst Michael Fields said voters trust Republican lawmakers over Democrats on most of those top issues.

If those can stay the top two issues, I think its good news for Republicans, Fields said.

Democratic analyst and state Rep. Leslie Herod said its not so clear cut. She said the Republican response is too extreme, adding Americans want to see a plan.

(Democrats) have a plan when it comes to the economy. Tax breaks for the wealthy is not what Coloradans and Americans want, but it continues to be something thats put on the table by the Republican Party, Herod said.

DUI convictions shoot to 97% in Colorado county with instant blood warrants

She argues that if Republican plans remain extreme in the eyes of Americans, more Democrats will get elected in November.

For more on this and the expected impact young voters will have on the election, along with the growing political divide in the U.S., watch Colorado Point of View on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on Colorados Very Own Channel 2.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
TikTok may be facing a ban in the U.S. if its activities there remain under the control of Chinese parent company ByteDance, but NATO does not appear to have read the memo.

The Brussels-based North Atlantic Treaty Organization has invited top UK TikToker Dylan Page to next weeks Washington Summit marking the 75th anniversary of its creation in 1949 in the early days of the Cold War.

More from Deadline

With audiences for linear TV news ageing and in decline, Page, who goes under the moniker of News Daddy, is among a new generation of social media stars who have become primary news sources for children around the world.

The Tiktoker, with an excess of 11M followers, is known for his short videos tackling viral news items as well as bigger, headlining political stories such as the future of Joe Bidens run for a second term as U.S. president.

The social media star excitedly announced the news of his NATO invite in a post on his TikTok page on July 3.

Ok, I dont even really know how to say this, but you will never believe who has just contacted me NATO. Yes, the largest military alliance in the world, NATO, he revealed.

They want to me to go to Washington. What is even going on with life anymore The question Im asking is why?. They dont really include too much. They say its for their 75th annual summit and that all 32 world leaders are going to be there.

He emphasized that the org would not be paying for any content that might come out of the trip, and also alluded to some trepidation about meeting the security requirements.

Heres a little bit of a tough one. They say Im going to have to get a background check by the United States Secret Service. If that comes up ok, I could become the most vetted News Daddy account on TikTok, he added.

With tensions between the West and Russia running high again due to the war in Ukraine as the org marks its 75th year, NATO is attempting to connect with younger generations.

NATO confirmed Pages Washington Summit invite to Deadline, explaining it was part of an initiative called Protect the Future, which has also previously invited young content creators to the NATO HQ in Brussels in 2022 and 2023.

Indeed, Dylan is part of a group of content creators that have been invited to attend NATOs Washington Summit, said a NATO official.

During the Summit, creators will be given the opportunity to attend the NATO Public Forum and engage with numerous experts and senior NATO and Allied officials. NATO covers travel expenses linked to the program  i.e. transport, accommodation and meals  but does not pay any fee to any of the creators. We also do not exert any editorial control over content produced during the program, in full respect of freedom of speech.

The official said the org does not release the names of the participants, but added: You may come across their content browsing social media platforms and coverage of NATO Washington Summit.

For his part, Page was enthusiastic about the offer, and asked his followers to let him know whether he should go or not.

If you guys want me to go, it will be pretty insane content. I am curious to see what this is all about, he declared.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to provide more nuclear science and technology solutions to a vast number of developing countries, according to China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA).

Liu Jing, deputy director of the CAEA, highlighted the need to work together in order to cope with sustainable development challenges such as climate change, food security, health and environmental governance. He made the remarks during an event held to mark the 40th anniversary of China's accession to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Envoys from 11 countries including Argentina, South Africa and Pakistan, who are stationed in the organizations affiliated to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, were invited to China. They visited nuclear science and technology bases in south China's Hainan Province and Beijing, including the Linglong One, a small nuclear reactor at the Changjiang nuclear power plant, China Institute of Atomic Energy, and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Additionally, they also interacted with relevant Chinese experts and scholars.

Representatives of China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) introduced the envoys to China's efforts to promote the sustainable development of nuclear energy. They discussed the benefits of nuclear technology for society and people's livelihoods, and highlighted China's cooperation with developing countries in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

The foreign envoys agreed that China's achievements, experience and cooperative spirit in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear technology have greatly benefited the developing countries.

The event, organized by the CAEA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Mission of China in Vienna, was part of a series of activities marking the 40th anniversary of China's accession to the IAEA. 
In the end, it wasnt quite an extinction level event for the Tories. Still, the natural party of government has been partially buried by a volcanic eruption. With the Conservatives defying the poll-driven speculation that it might be reduced to just 50 seats, many in the party are sighing with relief. True, the results are dismal, but they are not existential, they say. Such optimism is unfounded. The party is officially at deaths door. While Conservative MPs are claiming that the fightback against Labour begins today, the truth is that they have just been plunged into a fight for their very survival.

This is down to the simple fact that the Tories have collapsed in the Red Wall. It is worth remembering that amid the realignment of politics in this country  with middle-class professionals shifting to the liberal-Left and the offspring of the traditional working-class gravitating towards conservatism  the Red Wall is now absolutely foundational to building Right-wing parliamentary majorities. And yet not only was the party turfed out by Labour in seat after seat, but across the North East and in the Midlands it was relegated to third position by a surging Reform.

Let that sink in. The Tories are the third party of choice in what should be home turf. Reform, in contrast, is now the main opposition to Labour across swathes of the Red Wall. That is a cataclysmic outcome for the Tories. The homeless former Labour voters of this countrys rust belt  who have now finally found the alternative populist movement that they have been longing for in Reform  may never come back to them.

The other outcome of this election which raises serious questions about the Tory partys future as a major force in this country is that, in the eyes of much of the electorate, it is now a motley crew of nonentities. Like it or not, populist politics is about primary colours. The Tory party returning to Parliament is decidedly pastel. And that is a huge problem. It has lost many of its most vibrant characters  from the soothingly magisterial Penny Mordaunt to Victoriana throwback Jacob Rees Mogg and truculent libertarian Liz Truss. True, Priti Patel, Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch are all strong women, but the fact is that the standout star Right-wing MP heading into this Parliament is not a Tory, but Nigel Farage.

His number two, Richard Tice, who built up Reform in preparation for Farages return as leader, has also built a strong profile for himself in Tory England as a smooth-talking Thatcherite. There is an air of Blair without the Blairism about him. He is one to watch. The conundrum is compounded by the liberal medias revolted fascination with Reform. The Tories have struggled to compete for attention over this election. This is likely to continue in coming months.

There is a silver lining for the Tories, however. The party may be significantly diminished but it is immeasurably more coherent. The One Nation Tory wets vise grip over the party has finally been broken. What used to be the single biggest organised faction in the party now comprises barely a handful of MPs.

The implications are huge. Until today, the wets constituted the single biggest obstacle to a long-term recovery of the Tories due to their relentless, self-serving promotion of the mythology that politics is won in the centre ground. In fact over the last decade, British politics has shifted from being characterised by a single Left-Right continuum with most voters clustered in the middle, to a much more complex and polarised state of affairs. These days, voters hold more multi-dimensional views that are spread across the extremities of liberalism and conservatism. (An interesting example is the increasing number of people who now combine laissez-faire economic views with a tough attitude to border control amid surging migration.) This means that majorities can only be won through conviction politics  that is, parties taking a strong stance on issues that unify their target voters (in the Tory case, immigration), at the same time as leveraging their popular support to act in the national interest when it comes to issues that split their voting coalition (in the Tory case, economic policy).

The One Nation Tories have continuously obfuscated this new reality of British politics in order to save their own terminal Blue Wall seats. Their power has remained unhelpfully disproportionate through the last Parliament, not only due to their securing of safe seats during the David Cameron era but the weakness of the opposition in 2019. Had it not been for Corbyn and Jo Swinsons dismal Presidential-style election campaign back then, many of the wets seats would have fallen five years ago.

Today, not only have many on the liberal-Left end of Sunaks former Cabinet been turfed out but the next generation of wets rising stars, including Matt Warman of Boston and Skegness, and Bim Afolami of Hitchin, have been swept away. True, a smattering of high-profile wets like Jeremy Hunt and Tom Tugendhat have clung on and are predictably on manoeuvres for the leadership. But with the Tories now somewhat more cohesively Right-wing, it should at least make it easier for the party to agree on what has gone wrong and the best way forward.

Still, humility does not come easy to the Tories and the reality that they must somehow absorb the Reform movement into the party if they are to have a future will be difficult for it to come to terms with. The question is whether the party would prefer to swallow its pride or be swallowed by Reform within the next five years. The answer is not yet clear.

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.
CLOVER, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A Town of Clover employee has been charged with attempted murder after authorities said he shot at officers during an hours-long standoff.

The incident began just after midnight along Stanton Street in Clover. Police responded to the area for a possible domestic situation.

The suspect, identified as William Dean Jefferis, 57, who is an employee with the Town of Clover, fired several rounds inside the home, police said.

SC man dies after placing lit firework on his head during Fourth of July neighborhood party

Detectives said several attempts were made to make contact with Jefferis via phone as shots could be heard from inside. Several more Clover officers arrived at the home, and Jefferis reportedly fired at officers, who were outside.

SWAT was called to the scene and cleared all surrounding homes. After about five hours, Jefferis was taken into custody by SWAT and turned over to Clover Police who transported him to the hospital for an evaluation. After being released from the hospital, Jefferis was arrested.

No injuries were reported during the SWAT situation. This case remains open and 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 Queen City News.
Tri-Cities heat wave! How hot will it get, how long will it last?

The temperature could reach a blistering 110 degrees in the coming week as the Tri-Cities, Wash., swelters under a heat wave that may linger for up to 10 days.

The hottest day is expected to be Tuesday, July 9, with 110 degrees forecast, followed by Wednesday at 109, according to the National Weather Service.

Both could set new daily temperature records, including breaking one record that has stood for more than a century.

The hottest temperature on record for July 9 is 106 degrees in 1905 and for July 10 it is also 106 set in 1975, according to the weather service.

The Weather Channel forecasts even hotter weather, with a high of 111 predicted for Wednesday and 10 straight days of 100-plus temperatures.

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning from July 5 through at least Thursday, July 11, which is as far out as it forecasts.

The Tri-Cities is under an excessive heat warning through at least July 11, 2024.

Cooling centers

The Benton Franklin Health District is promoting temporary cooling centers for people who need relief from the heat.

They include public libraries in Benton and Franklin counties, the First Avenue Center at 505 First Ave. in Pasco, the Columbia Center mall in Kennewick, the Richland Community Center at 500 Amon Park Drive, Beckys Coffee Corner at 1120 Meade Ave. in Prosser and Renz Farmers Insurance Agency at 1108 Meade Ave. in Prosser.

You also can call 211 at any time to find the nearest cooling center and other resources.

Adding to the danger from the heat wave are the warm overnight temperatures that will give limited relief to people whose bodies have been too hot during the day.

Lows in the Tri-Cities are forecast to be in the 70s from Monday night through at least Wednesday night, according to the weather service.

For the first half of July in the Tri-Cities normal highs are in the low 90s and normal lows are in the 50s.

Hot weather rules for WA workers

The weather service recommends staying in air-conditioned buildings and checking on elderly neighbors and relatives and those who may not have air-conditioning.

It warns that temperatures in unattended cars could be deadly within minutes to pets or children.

If you plan to be outside, try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening, it said.

The forecast for the Tri-Cities, Wash., through July 9, 2024.

The Washington state Department of Labor & Industries requires employers give workers in 90-degree heat a 10-minute paid cool down rest period every two hours. At 100 degrees or higher, the requirement for breaks becomes 15 minutes of paid cool down rest every hour.

People outdoors in the heat should move to the shade and drink water if they have symptoms of heat exhaustion, such as weakness or cramps; headaches, dizziness, nausea or vomiting; cold, pale and clammy skin; and a fast, weak pulse.

Emergency medical care is needed if skin is hot, red and dry with no sweat and there is a fast, strong pulse.

Heat wave power concerns

With air conditioners expected to be on full blast across the state, he Bonneville Power Administration made a no touch request to Energy Northwest for the Northwests only commercial nuclear power reactor, the Columbia Generating Station by Richland.

It has asked Energy Northwest to limit nonessential maintenance that could either require a reduction in power or pose a risk to sustaining 100% generation at the nuclear plant from July 5-11 as the heat wave increases demand for power.

The nuclear reactor is the third largest electricity generator in Washington state, behind the Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph dams.

In the historic heatwave of late June and early July 2021, Tri-Cities area utilities warned their customers that rolling blackouts were possible as extreme heat puts stress on its transmission system.

Thousands of Spokane-area customers of Avista utilities lost power periodically on two days as the utility was required to reduce electric load on its distribution system and turn off power temporarily.
Authorities are still searching for one of six people from Fall River and South Carolina who have been indicted on charges in connection with sex trafficking two minors and one adult in several states, the U.S. Attorney said Friday.

Christy Parker, 26, Cory Primo, 42, Avvani Jeffers, 22, all of Fall River; Alexander Smalls, 25, and Tresean Reid, 21, both of Beaufort County, South Carolina; and Tyreik Reid, 20, of Allendale, South Carolina were indicted on charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.

Tresean Reid remains a fugitive, Acting U.S. Attorney Josh Levy said in a statement on Friday.

Jeffers, who was arrested on June 27, is currently being held pending a detention hearing on July 8. Parker and Primo will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston on July 8.

Smalls is awaiting trial in South Carolina and will be arraigned in Boston at a later date. Tyreik Reid will appear in U.S. District Court in South Carolina for a detention hearing on July 10.

Authorities on Friday called the alleged sex trafficking ring as chilling, one in which the teenage victims were beaten, starved and forced to have sex with many men.

For months, these victims endured brutality and depravity allegedly at the hands of these individuals, Special Agent in Charge Michael Krol of Homeland Security Investigations in New England said in a statement. While these arrests are a significant step toward securing justice, we recognize that this marks only the beginning of three survivors paths toward recovery.

The case highlights the reality of sex trafficking in local neighborhoods, Levy said.

The allegations in this case are truly chilling. One minor victim in this case was forced to engage in sex for money with many men. That young girl is someones daughter, she is someones granddaughter. It is hard to conceive of more vile conduct than what is set forth in these charges, Levy said.

Sex trafficking is not a distant problem  it is happening right here, in our neighborhoods, and often goes unnoticed or unreported, Levy said.

All six defendants are accused of keeping all profits from the sex trafficking ring for their own financial gain, and using threats and violence to maintain control over the victims, two of which were 16 and 17, Levy said.

The adult victim was allegedly trafficked throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and South Carolina.

According to court filings, between January and August 2023, Parker and Smalls worked together  with help from Primo, Jeffers and Smalls brothers, Tresean Reid and Tyreik Reid  in a scheme to coerce one adult victim and two minor victims to engage in commercial sex in Massachusetts and surrounding states for their exclusive financial gain.

In early 2023, Parker allegedly reached out to the adult victim, indicating she was homeless and needed a place to live. After moving in with the victim, Parker and her boyfriend, Smalls, allegedly coerced the victim to quit her job and begin engaging in commercial sex, Levy said.

Parker and Smalls allegedly forced the victim to sign a profit sharing contract which required the victim to remain loyal and humble and stay focused. Thereafter, Parker and Smalls allegedly forced the victim to engage in commercial sex  scheduling and coordinating commercial sex acts and setting prices  and took all of the profits, Levy said.

Prosecutors allege that Parker used physical violence, threats of violence and other threats to maintain control. In the spring of 2023, Parker travelled with the victim to South Carolina where she continued sex trafficking the victim and collected all of the profits, prosecutors said.

Upon returning from South Carolina, Parker enlisted help from Primo and Jeffers to traffic the victim throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island, prosecutors said.

In July 2023, Parker was introduced to a 16-year-old minor and allegedly compelled the minor to begin engaging in commercial sex, Levy said. To maintain control over the victim, Parker allegedly used physical violence, threats of violence, alcohol, marijuana, starvation and sleep deprivation.

Further, Parker would allegedly beat the minor victim if she fell asleep because a customer could request her at any time, Levy said.

On one occasion, Parker allegedly withheld food from the minor victim for 4-5 days after failing to collect the entire fee from a buyer, Levy said, adding that Parker is accused of regularly beating and choking the minor victim, and not letting her receive necessary medical treatment.

In August 2023, Parker allegedly began trafficking a 17-year-old minor victim who had run away from a group home. It is alleged that Parker scheduled sex buyers for the minor victim, from which Parker would collect all of the profits. It is further alleged that Parker threatened to physically assault the minor victim if she did not work.

Krol, of Homeland Security, said his agency, in working with law enforcement partners, is committed to ensuring all trafficking victims are given access to the programs, services and resources necessary to their future healing and success.

Levy said his office is working to bring justice for the victims.

Our office is relentlessly pursuing individuals who inflict such exploitation and suffering simply to line their own pockets. We are using every resource at our disposal to hold perpetrators accountable and seek justice for every victim, Levy said.

If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, you may contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

The charge of sex trafficking of a minor provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $ 250,000.

The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

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
Nigel Farage, an ally of former President Donald Trump, won his race in Clacton, an English seaside town, in Thursdays U.K. general election, becoming a member of parliament for the first time in his political career.

Farage, the leader of the right-wing populist Reform UK party, won 46.2% of the vote, defeating incumbent Conservative candidate Giles Watling who held the seat since 2017.

Farage, a key architect of Brexit, had previously failed to get elected to the House of Commons seven times. This year he appears to have succeeded in capitalizing on voter resentment toward the center-right Conservatives as Reform UK won at least four seats, including his.

I think what Reform UK has achieved  is truly extraordinary, Farage said after his victory. Given that we had no money  virtually nothing across the country, we are going to come second in hundreds of constituencies. To have done this in a short space of time says something fundamental is happening.

He went on to tell reporters later he believed Fridays results were the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party.

His surprise decision to stand as a candidate and take over the leadership of Reform UK in June was seen as bad news for the Conservatives, who were already facing an uphill battle in this election after 14 years in power. Farage had previously said he intended to stay out of the race to focus on the U.S. presidential election and help Trump return to the White House.

Trump welcomed Farages victory, calling him a man who truly loves his Country! in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage reacts after being elected to become MP for Clacton at the Clacton count centre in Clacton-on-Sea, eastern England, early on July 5, 2024. Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images

The U.K.s political landscape shifted dramatically overnight after the center-left Labour Party won the general election in a landslide, meaning party leader Keir Starmer will soon become the countrys new prime minister.

We did it, Starmer said after the results were called early Friday morning. Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest.  A changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people.

Across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relieved that a weight has been lifted  a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation.

Reform UK has sparked fierce criticism in recent weeks after some candidates and campaigners made racist, homophobic or antisemitic remarks, The New York Times notes.

Farage served in the European Parliament for 21 years. He left the governmental body in 2020, once Britain officially left the European Union.

Related...
Following the Supreme Court's landmark decision on presidential immunity, former President Donald Trump's lawyers on Friday asked the judge overseeing his classified documents case to delay the proceedings and reconsider two motions to dismiss the case in light of this week's immunity ruling.

Trump's lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to pause all the proceedings in the documents case -- other than a pending ruling regarding the special counsel's request for a gag order -- so that she can determine whether Trump's alleged conduct in the case is "official or unofficial."

In a blockbuster decision Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump is entitled to presumptive immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts taken while in office.

MORE: Supreme Court gives Trump some immunity in Jan. 6 case, but not for 'unofficial acts'

Trump's lawyers argued that the Supreme Court's ruling "guts the [special counsel's] position that President Trump has 'no immunity' and further demonstrates the politically-motivated nature of their contention that the motion is 'frivolous.'"

Defense lawyers wrote that they plan to file a separate motion about the implications of the immunity decision, including limits on evidence related to official acts that prosecutors could be precluded from using at trial.

Trump's attorneys also asked to renew another motion claiming that special counsel Jack Smith was unconstitutionally appointed, and asked Cannon to delay the case until those motions are resolved.

"The Court should resolve the threshold questions identified in Trump relating to Presidential immunity and the Appointments Clause, as well as the related issues presented in the Appropriations Clause motion, prior to addressing the other numerous problems with this case," Trump's lawyers wrote.

The move from Trump's lawyers marks the second of the former president's criminal cases to be likely impacted by the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity. Earlier this week, Trump's lawyers asked a New York judge to throw out the former president's conviction for falsifying business records by arguing the jury saw evidence that would have been protected by presidential immunity.

PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to a campaign rally at the Liacouras Center on June 22, 2024 in Philadelphia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

In Friday's filing, Trump's lawyers also emphasized a concurring decision from Justice Clarence Thomas that cast doubt on the legitimacy of Smith's appointment -- an argument that Cannon considered during a two-day hearing last month.

"If this unprecedented prosecution is to proceed, it must be conducted by someone duly authorized to do so by the American people," Thomas wrote. "The lower courts should thus answer these essential questions concerning the Special Counsel's appointment before proceeding."

Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 40 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials after leaving the White House, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information and took steps to thwart the government's efforts to get the documents back. Trump has denied all charges.

Lawyers for Smith and the former president are scheduled to return to Fort Pierce, Florida, on July 22 for a status conference in the documents case.

In separate filings in the case Friday, attorneys continued to argue over a proposed gag order Smith requested to prohibit the former president from making statements that endanger law enforcement.

MORE: Trump falsely claims Biden, FBI had plan to assassinate him during Mar-a-Lago search

Over the last month, Judge Cannon has been considering a request from Smith to modify Trump's conditions of release to prohibit him from making statements that pose a "significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger" to the law enforcement agents involved in the case.

In Friday's filing, lawyers with the special counsel's office wrote that the "overwhelming evidence" demonstrates that Trump's attacks on public servants result in a "predictable torrent of threats of retribution and violence." Prosecutors argued that Trump, by making public comments about the FBI agents involved in the 2022 search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, "exposed those agents to the very sorts of threats and harassment that has been visited on his other targets."

"Over the past year, Trump has repeatedly targeted public servants with vitriolic attacks, resulting in a torrent of death threats, doxing, swatting, and other forms of harassment," the filing said. "When he recently decided to falsely accuse the law enforcement agents involved in this case with taking part in a plan to kill him and his family, he knowingly exposed them to similar treatment."

Trump's lawyers responded by defending the former president's statements about the search as "constitutionally-protected views," arguing that the Smith has failed to demonstrate that Trump's speech has led to any threats.

"Despite the vast resources and monitoring technology available to the Office and the FBI, and notwithstanding what the Office refers to as 'the widespread prevalence of doxing,' they have not pointed to a single threat to a participant in the Mar-a-Lago raid based on President Trump's wholly appropriate political speech in May 2024," defense lawyers wrote in Friday's filing. "That is no surprise, of course, as the Office has greatly exaggerated the import of President Trump's political opinions on that topic, and the names of the search participants are sealed."

In their filing, Trump's lawyers continued to describe the gag order as a politically motivated effort to limit Trump's speech during the election.

"The Office is either oblivious to or, as we believe, culpably reckless regarding, the egregious censorship that they are asking the Court to enforce against the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election," the filing said.

During a hearing on the requested gag order last month, Judge Cannon expressed skepticism about the request to limit Trump's statements about the August 2022 search, questioning prosecutors about the constitutionality of the request and the connection between Trump's statements and the actions of his supporters.

Cannon, who last week allowed the lawyers in the case to file additional papers on the requested gag order, is expected to issue a ruling in the coming weeks.

Trump asks judge to delay his classified docs case following Supreme Court immunity ruling originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Sheri Biggs, a nurse and Air Guard lieutenant colonel, is making her first run for office in the South Carolina 3rd Congressional District (Sheri Biggs campaign)

Former President Donald Trump announced this week he is endorsing nurse practitioner Sheri Biggs for South Carolinas 3rd Congressional District, after backing her rival through the Republican primary and runoff.

Sheri Biggs is an America First Patriot who will be an incredible Congresswoman for South Carolinas Third Congressional District! Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform. A Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard, Sheri has served our Country with Distinction, and will bring that same fighting spirit to Congress.

Trump initially endorsed pastor Mark Burns, who had made a national name for himself stumping for Trump since 2016. Burns made it out of the primary with 33% of the vote. Biggs trailed him with 29% of the vote.

But in a runoff, Biggs won the GOP nomination with 51% of the vote.

Although she did not have Trumps endorsement at the time, Biggs said on the night of the runoff that her win was still a victory for the former president as she backed him and his agenda.

Beyond humbled and honored to have earned the complete and total endorsement of President (Trump), Biggs posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday evening.

Gov. Henry McMaster backed Biggs from the start, the only Congressional race where he split from Trump in his endorsements. In now endorsing Biggs, Trump noted McMasters support, saying the governor is a big fan of Sheri, and so am I.

President Trumps endorsement of Sheri Biggs underscores her strength as a candidate who will go to Washington to deliver for South Carolina, championing our shared conservative values and pushing back against the liberal agenda, said Brandon Cahrochak, spokesman for McMaster, on Friday.

Biggs will face Democrat Bryon Best and Mike Bedenbaugh of the Alliance Party in November in a bid to represent the conservative Upstate district that spans 11 counties and runs along the Georgia border from Edgefield County to the states northwest corner.

Biggs and Burns emerged from a crowded primary after U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan announced in January that he wouldnt seek re-election after 14 years in Congress.
Trump Is Cheering On One of the U.K.s Most Radical Figures

After 14 years of government led by the Conservative Party, the U.K.s center-left Labour Party won a landslide victory early Friday, ushering in a new era of government as the party leader, Sir Keir Starmer, moved into 10 Downing St.

But none of that was remarkable to Donald Trump, who, in a brief message posted to Truth Social, congratulated one of his longest foreign allies on winning his first seat in the U.K. Parliament.

Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a Parliament Seat Amid Reform UK Election Success, Trump wrote in a since-deleted post, referring to the right-wing populist party which won four seats in Fridays election. Nigel is a man who truly loves his Country! DJT.

Farage, who flew over to the United States to support Trumps 2016 bid for president, overturned a conservative majority in Clacton, Essex, to win the seat from the Conservative incumbent, Giles Watling, by more than 8,000 votes. Shortly after his win was announced, Farage told reporters that Reforms rise would be the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party.

This is just the first step in something that is going to stun you all, Farage said at a press conference. There is a massive gap on the center-right of British politics, and my job is to fill it.

But ousting the Conservative Party, which got the boot after years of compounding failures like Brexit, is already underway. (Indeed, Trumps tweet recalls his cheering on of Brexit, which he saw correctly as a sign of a rising global right-wing populist movement.) Next on the agenda would be winning over voters of the Labour Party, according to Farage, who outlined a plan to win the 2029 general election.

What is interesting is, theres no enthusiasm for Labour, theres no enthusiasm for Starmer whatsoever, Farage said. In fact, about half of the vote is simply an anti-Conservative vote. This Labour Government will be in trouble very, very quickly. We will, now, be targeting Labour votes. Were coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that.

Farage said that Reform intends to hold another press conference at 2:30 p.m. British summer time, which would detail the next steps for our political revolt.
The Scoop

Donald Trump distanced himself Friday from a high-profile effort to shape his policy  and his campaign warned that they are prepared to discard the groups attempt to build a database of conservatives to staff his administration.

Trump, on Truth Social, denounced ridiculous and abysmal statements by the Heritage Foundations Project 2025 after a string of controversies around issues from abortion to executive power.

Shortly afterwards, a top campaign adviser went further in comments to Semafor, addressing Project 2025s hiring database: If youre an organization that is purporting to be pushing Trump policies, its probably the last organization that well take references from for personnel, the aide said.

Know More

Project 2025 launched eighteen months ago, building on the think tanks usual policy guides for Republican administrations with efforts to vet staff for a future president and game out his executive orders. Spencer Chretien, the projects co-director, had served in the office of presidential personnel shortly before Trump left office. Only then, he explained, had appointees finally figured out the policies and process of different agencies, and moved on them.

Democrats, including the Biden campaign, seized on this to warn about a Trump administration that would veer further right than his first term. Many goals that Trump discussed, but not in detail, were fleshed out by the think tank and its allies  including ways to use presidential power to go after the left and political opponents.

The project has since crossed beyond the narrow political conversation. On June 30, actress Taraji P. Henson warned the audience of the BET Awards, The Project 2025 plan is not a game. Look it up. Two days later, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said on Steve Bannons War Room podcast that a Trump win could spark the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless  if the left allows it to be.

Trumps on-the-record condemnation marked a culmination of the ongoing back-and-forth from his campaign aides about the project. For months, Trumps team had pushed back on media coverage conflating Project 2025s policies with that of Trumps, and that, combined with some of the projects proposed policies and Roberts second American Revolution comment, sealed the deal, a Trump advisor told Semafor.

Relations between Trumps campaign and Project 2025 have been tense for months. Trumps willingness to throw movement activists under the bus irritated Roberts, particularly when Trump blamed the anti-abortion movement for GOP defeats and ignored its policy demands. And Roberts irked Trumpworld by offering Project 2025 briefings to every presidential candidate.

Even if President Biden is in 20% agreement, lets do a policy briefing, he told Semafor last summer.

That briefing never happened. But in December, after a string of New York Times stories citing Project 2025 contributors on a second term agenda, Trump campaign advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles issued a joint statement (not their only one) distancing the former president from efforts like Project 2025.

Despite our being crystal clear, some allies havent gotten the hint, and the media, in their anti-Trump zeal, has been all-to-willing to continue using anonymous sourcing and speculation about a second Trump administration in an effort to prevent a second Trump administration, the two wrote. Let us be very specific here: unless a message is coming directly from President Trump or an authorized member of his campaign team, no aspect of future presidential staffing or policy announcements should be deemed official.

Those comments were received skeptically by Heritage scholars. After all, many involved in Project 2025 were former Trump administration officials. John McEntee, a Trump loyalist and former White House Presidential Personnel Office director, was a Project 2025 advisor. Russ Vought, Trumps influential ex-OMB director, was working with Heritage on potential executive orders.

But Project 2025s directors were told by the Trump team to stop presenting their agenda as a Trump agenda. Trumps Friday statement might also signal to conservative donors that Heritage, a power inside the movement for more than 50 years, would have less clout in a second administration.

Democrats have ignored the palace intrigue, and rejected the idea that Trump will keep his distance from his former and would-be allies. Over the last few months, the Biden campaign has ramped up its focus on Project 2025, consistently tying it to Trump himself.

This is so predictable and so Trumpian  like claiming hes never heard of the Proud Boys but telling them to stand back and stand by, Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., who is leading a resistance task force against Trumps use of executive power should he become president, said in a text message. Trump and P2025 are one and the same.

Shelbys view

Trump doesnt like when people use his name or clout for recognition  and although Project 2025 has noted that it isnt speaking for him, the coverage has inevitably been tied directly to Trump and a theoretical upcoming administration.

But todays comment also represents the Trump campaigns current focus on wooing more moderate voters, particularly as Joe Biden remains in the political fight for his life.

In recent weeks, Trump has expressed policy plans that differ from the more conservative proposals laid out in Project 2025. At last weeks debate with President Biden, Trump said he wouldnt block access to emergency abortion medication. But Project 2025 called for the FDA to revisit and withdraw its initial approval of the pill.

The View From Project 2025

As weve been saying for more than two years now, Project 2025 does not speak for any candidate or campaign, a Project 2025 spokesperson said in a statement. We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy and personnel recommendations for the next conservative president. But it is ultimately up to that president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement. Rather than obsessing over Project 2025, the Biden campaign should be addressing the 25th Amendment.

The View From the Biden Campaign

Project 2025 is the extreme policy and personnel playbook for Trumps second term that should scare the hell out of the American people, Ammar Moussa said in a statement. Project 2025 staff and leadership routinely tout their connections to Trumps team, and are the same people leading the RNC policy platform and Trumps debate prep, campaign, and inner circle.

Trumps Supreme Court and Project 2025 have designed the playbook for Trump to achieve his dream of being a dictator on day one, with unchecked, imperial power. Allowing a self-absorbed convicted felon that kind of power would be devastating for our democracy and middle-class families. This November, voters must stop Trump from turning the Oval Office into his throne room.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in Astana, Kazakhstan on Thursday. Here are some of the highlight moments.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Mark Robinson wants to be North Carolinas next governor, and his vision for the country is one of bloody ruthlessness.

Some folks need killing! Robinson declared in a lengthy sermon delivered on Sunday, which was first reported by The New Republic. Its time for somebody to say it. Its not a matter of vengeance. Its not a matter of being mean or spiteful. Its a matter of necessity! When you have wicked people doing wicked things, torturing and murdering and raping. Its time to call out, uh, those guys in green and go have them handled. Or those boys in blue and have them go handle it.

Currently serving as the states lieutenant governor Robinson is caught in a tight race against North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. Like many Republican 2024 hopefuls, hes hitched his sled to the electoral machinery of former President Donald Trump. After much mutual praise between the two men, Trump officially endorsed Robinson in March, calling him Martin Luther King on steroids. If the two men share any similarities, its a fantasy of retribution against their political enemies.

Robinson began Sundays screed by reminding his audience of Americas history in warfare. We now find ourselves struggling with people who have evil intent. You know, there was a time when we used to meet evil on the battlefield, and guess what we did to it? We killed it! he said. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, what did we do? We flew to Japan! And we killed the Japanese Army and Navy!  We didnt argue and capitulate and talk about, well, maybe we shouldnt fight the Nazis that hard. No, theyre bad. Kill them.

North Carolina GOP gov nominee Mark Robinson endorses political violence in June 30 video surfaced by @newrepublic: "Kill them! Some liberal somewhere is gonna say that sounds awful. Too bad!  Some folks need killing! It's time for somebody to say it." https://t.co/GVKCE7QvVV pic.twitter.com/AjfAxo08xE  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 5, 2024

But as Robinson continued speaking, he appeared to be speaking not of hostile military powers in open warfare, but of the domestic political boogymen regularly excoriated by the right.

We need to start handling our business again, he continued. The further we start sliding into making 1776 a distant memory and the tenets of socialism and communism start coming into clearer focus. Theyre watching us. Theyre listening to us. Theyre tracking us. They get mad at you. They cancel you. They dox you. They kick you off social media. They come in and close down your business. Folks, its happening  because we have forgotten who we are.

Some liberal somewhere is going to say that sounds awful. Too bad. Get mad at me if you want to, Robinson said at one point during the rant, clearly anticipating the reaction his comments were likely to generate.

Given that Robinson was ambiguous in his description of who exactly was in need of killing  and his already lengthy roster of hateful commentary against minority groups and opposing political ideologies  its no surprise the sermon is raising red flags.

In 2021, he referred to LGBTQ people as filth. Months later Robinson declared that heterosexual couples were superior to homosexual couples, and likened LGBTQ relationships to cow shit. In 2020, Robinson stated that he missed the days when women couldnt vote. I absolutely want to go back to the America where women couldnt vote, he said. Do you know why? Because in those days, we had people who fought for real social change, and they were called Republicans. The year before, he suggested that mass shootings were karma for the legalization of abortion. The list goes on and on.

If Robinsons solution to what he believes is ailing America is killing and brute force, does he intend to place Americans who disagree with him in the crosshairs?

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone
Donald Trump seized on the Supreme Courts presidential immunity ruling Friday, asking the federal judge he appointed who is overseeing his classified documents case to effectively kill it.

His attorneys applied to Judge Aileen Cannon, asking permission for a hearing on the decisions impacta move designed to try to kill Special Counsel Jack Smiths case.

Attorneys for Trump argued in the Friday motion that the decision guts the Offices position that President Trump has no immunity and posits that Smiths role is simply part of a political quest to kill Trumps re-election bid.

They also pointed to Justice Clarence Thomass concurrence that questioned whether Smiths role was valid, according to CNN.

A sketch of Judge Aileen Cannon. Lothar Speer

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that former presidents are afforded some immunity for official acts performed while in office, though they did not wade into the distinction between official and unofficial acts. Trump lauded the decision as a BIG WIN earlier this week.

Fridays motion is part of Trumps quest to delay his pending trials until after the election, which would him the opportunity to pardon himself should he win in November. Trump has consistently derided the cases as political hit jobs, most recently attacking Smith on Thursday as a Deranged Biden Prosecutor who is a Legend in his own mind for all of those cases he has lost.

The motion came a week after Cannon ruled that she would allow more pre-trial hearings for the indefinitely delayed case, deciding that further factual development is warranted about the FBIs raid on Mar-a-Lago.

Cannon, who was appointed as a U.S. district judge by Trump in 2020, has repeatedly made rulings seemingly favorable to Trumps case, drawing backlash from legal experts about whether her position amounts to a conflict of interest. According to a New York Times report last month, multiple Southern District of Florida judges urged her to pass the case to another judge, but Cannon refused.

Trump has also secured a two-week delay to his sentencing in New York for his conviction on 34 felony counts of creating false business records to try to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. Prosecutor Alvin Bragg agreed to the delay after Trump's attorneys suggested they might argue the SCOTUS ruling could affect his 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.
Donald Trump says the Supreme Courts ruling that he has blanket immunity from prosecution for his official acts as president should result in a monthslong pause of his criminal proceedings in Florida.

The Friday filing by Trumps legal team with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon is the latest move by the former president to seize on the high courts landmark immunity ruling to sideline his lingering criminal cases. He is asking Cannon for a chance to argue the immunity issue before her between now and early September, effectively pausing all other proceedings in the case by two months.

Trump has argued that his decision to transmit classified documents to his Florida home as he prepared to leave the presidency should be treated as an official act and be removed from special counsel Jack Smiths case against Trump for allegedly hoarding national security secrets at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Now, he says, the Supreme Courts ruling requires that the case be put on hold until the immunity issue is resolved.

The push by Trump is the latest effort to wield the Supreme Courts decision as a weapon in his ongoing cases in Florida, Washington, D.C. and Georgia, each of which implicate some of Trumps actions in his final months in the White House. The ruling has already scrambled plans for New York state judge Juan Merchan to sentence Trump on his 34-count conviction for concealing evidence of his alleged 2006 affair with porn star Stormy Daniels. Though that case centered on Trumps private actions, some of the evidence prosecutors relied on overlapped with his first two years in the White House, which Trump contends should have been treated as off-limits.

Trump also used his Friday filing to point to President Joe Bidens July 1 remarks panning the Supreme Courts immunity ruling. It was the most explicit commentary by Biden about the criminal charges Trump is facing brought by the special counsel.

The remark explicitly connected the Special Counsels Office with President Bidens misuse of the criminal justice system to communicate with voters prior to the election, Trumps attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote.

Trumps team also urged Cannon to focus on Justice Clarence Thomas concurring opinion in the immunity ruling, which raised questions about whether Smiths appointment as special counsel was constitutional. Cannon has been weighing Trumps challenge to Smiths constitutionality for weeks  including two days of hearings on the matter last month. Thomas opinion wasn't joined by any other justice, but it may provide more of an impetus for the Trump-appointed trial judge to weigh in against Smith.
Donald Trump on Thursday fired off a message that started out with Happy Fourth of July, but all references to the holiday ended there.

Instead, the former president launched a lengthy attack on President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and special counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting Trump in the classified documents case in Florida and Jan. 6 case in Washington.

Trump dismissed Biden as highly incapable and mocked the shifting explanations for his poor performance at last weeks debate. He referred to the vice president as Laffin Kamala Harris and taunted her for dropping out of the 2020 presidential race before the voting began. And he ripped Smith as deranged.

Happy Fourth of July to all, including to our highly incapable President, who uses Prosecutors to go after his Political Opponent, who choked like a dog during the Debate but tried to pretend it was International Travel (only 12 days rest!) and, when that gig was up, he  Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 4, 2024

Trump is prone to using holidays as excuses to attack his opponents, including an all-caps Fathers Day message last month accusing radical left degenerates of creating third world status in the country. He also called the judges in his legal cases human scum in his Memorial Day message, and for Christmas he told his critics to ROT IN HELL.

His latest message didnt go over very well among his critics:

Disgraceful for an X president on the 4th July.

I have no words   Sandy (@sandiechill) July 4, 2024

This doubles as one of the best cases *for* Kamala: Trump and allies will galvanize support for her by saying endlessly offensive things re: race and gender



Would be quickest way to unify Dems and have shot at undecideds uneasy w Trump https://t.co/jY7clnC3cs  Jonathan Martin (@jmart) July 4, 2024

This dude is a lunatic, but the Media is not suggesting he step aside. https://t.co/X0k7TDH7cP  LaSonya (@LaSonya_Wilson) July 5, 2024

Im not going to elect this. pic.twitter.com/E6RQMFXkH7  John Collins (@Logically_JC) July 4, 2024

Terrible rambling from a cognitively declining former president  Franklin (@franklinisbored) July 4, 2024

Tell me again about cognitive impairment. https://t.co/Gsbqr9NwYO  Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) July 5, 2024

Welcome to the future, subjects. pic.twitter.com/Zt6kq0AMZM  Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) July 4, 2024
Trump Tries To Claim He Has No Idea What The Deal Is With Project 2025

Former President Donald Trump attempted Friday to publicly distance himself from Project 2025  an initiative referred to as the presidential transition project, spearheaded by the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation. Over the course of the Biden administration, Project 2025 has put out a series of proposals for how a second Trump administration might radically reshape executive branch power, remaking the federal workforce and instituting a wide range of far-right policies on topics ranging from abortion to climate change to immigration.

In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump claimed that he knows nothing about Project 2025.

He added: I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things theyre saying and some of the things theyre saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.

Project 2025 was, in fact, founded by three alumni of the Trump White House. Its advisory board includes a host of Trump-aligned organizations, including the Center For Renewing America, which was founded by Trumps Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought, and projects involving Stephen Miller, Trumps former advisor.

Trumps social media post follows an interview, aired earlier this week, in which Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts made alarming comments on Steve Bannons War Room podcast. The nation, Roberts said, is in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.

The comments have put Project 2025 in the spotlight once again.

The Biden campaign has, in recent months, focused its messaging more heavily on highlighting the ways in which Project 2025 proposes to infringe upon democratic checks and balances and potentially give Trump, in the campaigns words, more power over your daily life.

Project 2025s over 900-page proposal outlines what a possible Trump presidency might look like, and includes pathways to overhaul government agencies, strengthening the power of the president and weakening the administrative state. The extensive roadmap for what a new Trump presidency might look like also includes a plan to remake the federal bureaucracy, with plans to get rid of thousands of federal employees and replace them with Trump loyalists.

After Trump suddenly distanced himself from the project on Friday, Ammar Moussa, spokesperson for the Biden campaign, pointed out on X that a Trump super PAC, Make America Great Again Inc., has been running ads for a website called Trump Project 2025.

This post has been updated with additional details about the website a Trump super PAC promoted.
Trump wants to distance himself from far-right Project 2025 plan while his PAC pushes ads promoting it

Donald Trump wants to distance himself from Project 2025, the blueprint for his administration drawn up by his former officials and backed by an influential Republican-aligned think tank.

Project 2025s 900-page manifesto for nearly every detail of a second Trump presidency was drawn up by more than a dozen former Trump administration officials and advisers, who have planned to integrate the document into the campaigns platform in the coming months.

But on Friday, as his Democratic rivals use Project 2025 as shorthand for his agenda, Trump claimed that the proposal is news to him.

I know nothing about Project 2025, he said on his Truth Social.

I have no idea who is behind it, he added. I disagree with some of the things theyre saying and some of the things theyre saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.

Meanwhile, the chief political action committee supporting Trump has been running online ads promoting Project 2025, explicitly calling it Trumps Project 2025.

Donald Trump claimed he knows nothing about Project 2025, despite his PAC using it in ads (EPA)

Make America Great Again Inc. also bought the website trumpproject2025.com.

At the center of a Heritage Foundation-backed Project 2025 plan is the book Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise  essentially a wishlist for a second Trump administration, written by former White House aides and Trump-era officials, and designed around plans to replace civil servants with ideologically aligned appointees and undercut checks and balances to concentrate executive authority over federal agencies.

The plan recommends abolishing the Department of Education, slashing funds for federal law enforcement agencies, subverting agencies that regulate the airwaves and campaign financing to choke out dissent.

Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts recently hailed a Supreme Court decision that grants Donald Trump some immunity from prosecution as part of a second American revolution (AP)

That consolidation of power would also insulate him against legal threats and usher in a wave of attacks against immigrants, reproductive healthcare and civil rights protections for LGBT+ people.

Trumps disavowal of the plan also comes just days after the Heritage Foundations president hailed a Supreme Court decision that grants Trump some immunity from criminal prosecution as part of a second American revolution that he says may or may not be bloodless.

Bidens campaign and the Democratic National Committee are also going full court press against the plan in advertising and in campaign messaging.

Democratic members of Congress also have launched a Stop Project 2025 Task Force to coordinate with pro-democratic groups and civil rights advocates to combat elements of the plan, should Trump be elected.

A spokesperson for Project 2025 said the group does not speak for any candidate or campaign.

We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy [and] personnel recommendations for the next conservative president, the spokesperson added. But it is ultimately up to that president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement.

The Democratic National Committee, which has been raising alarms about the plan for months, torched Trumps statement.

Donald Trump and Project 2025 are one big MAGA operation, according to spokesperson Aida Ross. Trump cant hide his ties to the dangerous, unhinged MAGA loyalists at Project 2025, and the American people will stop them at the ballot box in November.
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (KVEO)  Shark attacks disrupted Fourth of July celebrations Thursday at South Padre Island in Texas as two people were taken to the hospital with bites, at least one of them severe, authorities said.

Police were called for an attack on a man who was severely bitten around 11 a.m., according to Nikki Soto, the South Padre Island city secretary. He was initially treated at the beach by firefighters and police.

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department said later in a statement that two people were bitten and two more encountered the shark but were not seriously hurt. One of the bite victims was taken to a hospital in Brownsville, and the other was flown out for further treatment.

An eyewitness described the chaos and aftermath of the first attack to Nexstars KVEO.

The lifeguards were trying to get people out of the water and everyones yelling to come out, Ashley Silva said. It was a pretty scary sight with all the blood and everything.

Based on witness reports and images on social media, Game Warden Capt. Chris Dowdy said authorities believe a single shark about 6 feet (about 1.8 meters) long was responsible for the bites.

U.S. Coast Guard warns of multiple shark attacks, sightings at South Padre Island

Beach patrol, firefighters and police were patrolling the shore and flying drones after the attacks, Soto said.

The last reported shark attack in the area was five years ago, according to Dowdy. Texas Parks & Wildlife is assisting the investigation.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. released a statement requesting beachgoers and swimmers take precautions when going to the beach and entering the water due to the incidents.

The County wants to extend its thoughts and prayers to the victims and families of these extremely rare and unusual attacks, said Trevino. The County is working closely with Mayor

Patrick McNulty, the City of South Padre Island, and our state and federal partners to patrol the beaches and take appropriate action.

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.
GROVE, Okla.  The Grand River Dam Authority Police Department continues searching waters near Patricia Island for a man who went into the lake and did not resurface.

Patricia Island is located east of Grove.

The man jumped into the lake, from a boat, to assist a child who had fallen off a towed water device and did not resurface, said Justin Alberty, GRDA spokesman.

Officers responded to the scene soon after and began the search.

Elsewhere in Delaware County, GRDA officers responded to a reported drowning near the Flint Creek Waterpark, west of Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

A 26-year-old man was recovered.

He was later pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical services.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
NEW DELHI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- An outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) has been reported in India's southern state of Kerala, officials said Friday.

The disease has been detected at a farm in Madakkathara of Thrissur district, about 277 km northwest of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.

According to officials, an alert has been sounded in the area and orders for the culling of pigs at the farm were issued.

ASF is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease. It affects both the feral and domestic swine.

"District collector Thrissur has ordered the culling of over 300 pigs at a private farm in Madakkathara revenue circle," a local government official said. "The district animal husbandry officer has been directed to oversee the culling operation and bury the carcases as per the protocol."

Authorities said a team of veterinarians, livestock inspectors and attendants will conduct the culling process and undertake further primary disinfection measures.

The area within a 1 km radius of the affected farm has been declared a disease-affected area, and the area within a 10-km radius has been declared a disease surveillance area.

"The transportation of pork from the affected areas, the operation of such farms, and the movement of pigs, pork, and feed from the affected areas to other parts of the district, as well as the movement of these items from other areas into the affected area, have been prohibited until further orders," a statement issued by the local government said.

Strict checks have been urged at checkposts to prevent the spread of the infection, according to the statement.

The animal husbandry department of Kerala has been asked to investigate the ASF outbreak and trace its origin.

An infected pig usually dies between 2 and 10 days. The disease has a mortality rate of 100 percent. 
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)  Two people had to be flown to the hospital after a stabbing Wednesday in a Franklin County home and one of them is facing charges, court documents state.

Christina Schultz, 42, of Fayetteville, is accused of stabbing a man after he told her to move out around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Washington Township Police said Friday in the charges filed.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to a home located in the 4000 block of Washington Meadows Lane for a reported stabbing.

Police said the man had a stab wound to the stomach but no organs were hit and he didnt have any internal bleeding, while Schultz had a cut on her hand.

Schultz was sitting on a chair out front of the home with her hand wrapped, while an officer was talking to the man who reported Schultz strangled him while he was sitting on a couch, before he was stabbed, police said.

Schultz claimed that the man came at her with a knife while she was looking for money that he was owed, police said.

However, when police looked at photos of the scene, they saw there was no blood in the area of the house where Schultz claimed the man came at her with the knife and cut her hand.

Schultz claimed she took the knife from the man and stabbed him when they were in the kitchen. She told police she was looking for $10 that the man kept bothering her about, and he attacked her while she was going through her totes, according to the criminal complaint.

The knife was found at the bottom of the steps right inside the front door, according to the complaint.

Schultz, in another interview, kept saying she was allegedly attacked by the man with the knife and that she didnt want him to be charged but she just wanted to leave the home, police noted. She told police she had only been living at the home for a week.

When looking through the home during the investigation, police said they saw blood throughout the kitchen and a table was broken.

According to the complaint, police learned from their interview with the man that he wanted Schultz to leave the home the day before the stabbing.

It was reported to police that Schultz allegedly used a cloth mask to strangle the man on the couch, but he was able to get her off of him. Then when the two were in the kitchen area, that is when police said Schultz picked up a knife and stabbed him.

After he was stabbed, the man said he was in so much pain that he fell down and broke the table, the complaint reads. He told police multiple times he felt threatened and thought he was going to be killed during the incident.

The complaint says, Schultz was still swinging a knife at him as he was getting up and sat on a chair. Eventually, he was able to get out of the home and he ran to a neighbors home.

Text messages between the two detail how they had a split and the man wanted her to leave, police said.

Schultz faces felony charges of strangulation and aggravated assault.

Schultz is currently locked up in Franklin County Prison, unable to post her bail which is set at $100,000.

A preliminary hearing is 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 ABC27.
(FOX40.COM)  Check your Powerball ticket. The drawing on the eve of the Fourth of July netted several million-dollar prizes, including the jackpot of $139 million.

The winning numbers for the Powerball were 2, 26, 33, 55, 57 and the Powerball was 22. The PowerPlay was 2x.

If a lottery ticket isnt claimed, what happens to the money?

A single ticket in Ohio won the jackpot of $139 million, with another ticket in Pennsylvania and two in California winning large prizes after matching the five numbers.

According to Powerballs website, the Pennsylvania ticket won $1 million.

Three of the ten largest lottery jackpot winning tickets in US history have been sold in California

The two Powerball tickets sold in California netted prizes of almost $400,000 each, according to the California Lottery.

One of the California tickets was sold in Sanger, just a few miles east of Fresno, and the other was sold in Forestville, about 70 miles north of San Francisco.

According to Powerball, nearly 300,000 tickets around the nation won prizes of at least $4.

Powerball, Mega Millions, and Super Lotto: Here are the different lottery drawings played in California

The Powerball drawings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Now that the grand prize has been won, the next drawing will start anew, with a grand prize of $20 million.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Two Wisconsin men arrested following second July 4 shooting in same county

NEWPORT, Wis. (WFRV)  Two Wisconsin men were taken into custody following a second July 4 shooting in Columbia County.

According to a release, deputies with the Columbia County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call from a citizen who said someone was shooting at them on Highway 16 near County Highway O in the town of Newport.

One hospitalized after deputies rescue 4 when boat hit barrier near Kewaunee Lighthouse

The caller provided deputies with a description of the suspects vehicle and their direction of travel.

The release says that an officer with the Portage Police Department located the vehicle entering city limits, and a traffic stop was initiated. During the traffic stop, the officer arrested the two men, and a firearm was located in the vehicle.

Deputies later caught up with the caller and confirmed that the persons vehicle was shot at.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects and the victim knew each other, and this appears to be a targeted incident. The Columbia County Sheriffs Office says there is no threat to the public.

As a result, a 33-year-old man and a 30-year-old man, both from Reedsville, were booked in the Columbia County Jail on attempted first-degree homicide charges.

As the investigation into the incident continues, authorities say that additional charges may be added. More information is expected to be released on the incident in the future.

Appleton garage fire quickly brought under control, $25K in estimated damages

This comes off the heels of another shooting in downtown Columbus that left one dead on Thursday morning, bringing the total to two shootings on July 4 in Columbia County.

No additional details were provided.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  San Angelo Police Department Chief Travis Griffith announced on July 5 that one of the departments own has been arrested for driving while intoxicated.

During a press conference held outside of the departments building at 10:30 a.m., Griffith stated that 54-year-old SAPD Detective James Hernandez was arrested for driving while intoxicated while off-duty.

SAPD Chief Travis Griffith discusses the details of SAPD Detective James Hernandezs arrest during a press conference held on July 5, 2024.

According to Griffith and additional information provided by the SAPD, Hernandez was pulled over by the Texas Department of Public Safety for a traffic stop on July 5 just after 12:46 a.m. During the stop, probable cause was found for the detective being under the influence, and Hernandez was placed under arrest for Driving While Intoxicated 2nd.

I just want to address this: Just like anybody else, theres no difference between a citizen versus one of our personnel, that everyone is afforded due process under the law and that theyre innocent until proven guilty through that process, Griffith said.

Hernandez is in the Tom Green County Jail with a posted bond of $1,500 as of the time of publication, according to Tom Green County Sheriffs Office records. Griffith stated that he has been placed on administrative leave pending a formal investigation conducted by the Office of Professional Standards.

Hernandez has served in the department for 17 years, as per the SAPD.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
U.S. citizens in Congo coup attempt tell court they were forced to join

By Ange Kasongo

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Two U.S. citizens on trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo over their role in an attempted coup in May, told a court on Friday that they were threatened by the coup leader to either join or be killed.

Armed men briefly occupied an office of the presidency in the capital Kinshasa on May 19 before their leader, U.S.-based Congolese politician Christian Malanga, was killed by security forces.

Speaking for the first time since the trial began, Malanga's son Marcel Malanga, 22, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun told the court that the coup leader had threatened them.

"Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders," Malanga told a military court, denying they had any involvement in plotting the coup attempt.

He said he had come to Congo to see his father, whom he had not seen since 2021, at his invitation, adding he had not visited the country before.

"I am American, I do not speak French or Lingala," he told the military court in the capital Kinshasa.

Malanga and Zalman-Polun are among over 50 people that include U.S., British, Canadian, Belgian and Congolese citizens standing trial following the failed coup.

They face various charges including illegal arms possession, criminal conspiracy, and terrorism, attempts to destabilise state institutions and undermine the integrity of the state, some of which risk the death penalty or lengthy prison sentences.

Zalman-Polun told the court that he was a long-time business associate of Malanga, but had nothing to do in planning the coup attempt.

"I met Malanga in 2013, we always had relationships based on mining activities in Swaziland and Mozambique, he had never been so violent," Zalman-Polun told the court.

The trial was adjourned until Monday July 8.

(Reporting by Ange Kasongo; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Britains Labour Party leader Keir Starmer delivers a speech during a victory rally at the Tate Modern in London early on July 5, 2024. Credit - Justin TallisAFP/Getty Images

Oppositions dont win elections, received Westminster wisdom tells us. Governments lose them. And in Britains July 4 election, the ruling Conservatives lost big. After a 14-year governing streak defined by Brexit, a pandemic, and an astonishing period of political and financial turbulence that ushered in three Prime Ministers in just one year, the worlds most successful political partywhich since 1945 has been in power twice as long as its been out of ithas been shunted back into opposition. In its place stands the Labour Party, which has secured an electoral landslide. The partys leader, prosecutor-turned-politician Keir Starmer, will become Britains 58th Prime Minister.

We did it! Starmer told supporters in a jubilant victory speech in the early hours of Friday morning. Change begins now. His party is slated to claim 412 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, according to the near-final results. The Conservatives, meanwhile, have been reduced to just 121 seats, marking the partys worst performance in its nearly 200-year history. Labour will enjoy a 174-seat parliamentary majority, just shy of its record achieved under Tony Blair in 1997.

Across our country, people will be waking up to the news, relieved that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation, Starmer said, pledging to restore hope to British families. It is hope that may not burn brightly in Britain at the moment, but we have earned the mandate to relight the fire. That is the purpose of this party, and of this government.

Starmer, center, is hugged as he arrives with his wife Victoria to deliver a speech at the Tate Modern in London early on July 5, 2024. Justin TallisAFP/Getty Images

Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said he called Starmer to congratulate him on Labours victory, told his constituents that the British people delivered a sobering verdict and claimed responsibility for the loss.

Sunak, who ascended to the premiership in 2022 on a promise to restore stability to the country after his immediate predecessors Liz Truss and Boris Johnson decimated public trust and tanked the British economy, is due to formally announce his resignation as Prime Minister later Friday. It remains to be seen whether he will continue being the Conservative Partys leader or whether the Tories, as the Conservatives are known, will elect a new head to serve as the leader of the opposition.

Read More: Watching the U.K. Election Unfold From a London Pub

Though it was a seismic result, it wasnt much of a surprise. The Labour Party enjoyed a double-digit poll lead for more than a year before Sunak called the snap general election, which barely narrowed over the course of the six-week campaign. This was aided by a series of Conservative gaffes and scandalsthe most damaging of which involved revelations that multiple Conservative Party staffers had allegedly placed bets on the date of the election using insider knowledge, in what is potentially a criminal offenseas well as the resurgence of arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage, whose insurgent anti-immigration party Reform U.K. succeeded in siphoning off votes from the Conservatives in key constituencies.

So anticipated was a Labour victory that the Conservatives spent the last few days of the election campaign warning voters against handing Starmer a so-called supermajority, a meaningless term in the British political system, which unlike the U.S. context affords no additional legislative powers. That message, needless to say, did not break through. Among the most high-profile Conservatives to lose their seats were former (and short-lived) Prime Minister Truss and Grant Shapps, the countrys defense minister.

But perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was just how well the smaller parties performed. The centrist Liberal Democrats vaulted out of electoral irrelevance to become the third-largest party in the Commons. And Farages Reform U.K., which emerged in 2021 as a reincarnation of his previous political outfits, the Brexit Party and the U.K. Independence Party, managed to secure five seatsa record for a new partyputting the party one seat over the Greens. Farage, a key force behind Brexit and a close ally of Donald Trump, even secured a parliamentary seat of his own after seven failed attempts.

Read More: How Nigel Farages Reform UK Party Impacted the British Election

Although Labour won nearly two-thirds of the parliamentary seats, it will have done so with just a third of the total vote share. Under Britains first past the post electoral system, parties can win seats if their candidate secures the highest number of votes, regardless of whether that amount constitutes a majority of the votes cast. Turnout was down across the country compared to the last general election in 2019, hovering around 60%. While this doesnt diminish the scale of Labours victory, it could indicate the level of disillusionment that many Britons have felt going into this electionone that, despite the emphatic result, felt relatively dull and devoid of much policy discussion.

As the Conservatives retreat back into opposition, the Labour Party will now be tasked with bringing about the change theyve promised. This includes articulating plans to address key campaign issues such as resuscitating Britains ailing National Health Service and strengthening the countries ties with its European partnerswork that could conceivably begin as early as next week, when Starmer travels to Washington, D.C., for NATOs 75th anniversary summit.

As tempted as some observers will be to declare this election result a new dawn in British politics, the reality is that Labours challenges in government have only just begun. Youre going to have a Labour coalition that is incredibly broad but also incredibly shallow, and elected on a platform that doesnt really address some of the massive problems the country faces, says Anand Menon, the director of the U.K. in a Changing Europe think tank in London. If theres such a thing as too much of a good thing, itll be this for Labour: The party can now claim a base that spans north and south, urban and rural, deprived and affluent. Balancing the needs of all these constituencies, and maintaining their support, will be a challenge.

Read More: The Man Who Wants to Fix Britain

Starmer could become very unpopular quite quickly, Menon adds. The only thing that really matters is whether they deliverand thats delivering on growth, delivering on public services, all the while having said were not going to raise certain taxes.

Starmer admitted as much in his victory speech, acknowledging that changing a country is not like flicking a switchits hard, patient, and determined work. Some observers note that Labours unwillingness to make any grand policy announcements during the campaign could help manage expectations, at least in the short term.

Read More: How Labours Stance on Gaza Played Out in the U.K. Election

Having promised precious little, theres not much space for them to get much wrong, Tony Travers, a professor of politics at the London School of Economics, told journalists in the run up to the vote. They promised so little that the bar is set very low.

Getting elected, even by as massive a margin as this, may prove to be the easiest task for Starmer. The change that Britons demand comes nextthat will almost certainly be harder.

Just how long does it take before the Labour Party becomes unpopular? Now some people say late on Friday, the fifth of July, Travers says. The electorate doesnt tolerate much for very long.

Write to Yasmeen Serhan at yasmeen.serhan@time.com.
PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG)  The Blue Angels, which fly in Pensacola, Florida, have released their full schedule for this years Pensacola Beach Air Show. The Santa Rosa Island Authority will host the event.

Body found near Perdido Beach in Baldwin County

Every year we look forward to hosting this world-class air show along our world-class beach to really showcase our hometown heroes, the Blue Angels, said Robbie Schrock, director of administration for the SRIA.

The Blue Angles will headline the Pensacola Beach Air Show, which takes place from July 10 to 13. Other events on the air and on the ground include world-class aerobatic performers, interactive exhibits, military recruitment stations, and many different vendors.

2 charged with homicide after drug deal: Escambia County Sheriffs Office

Before flights begin, the SRIA requires that the public suspend all flights of drones or unmanned aircraft. The suspension will take place during the air waiver hours of the Pensacola Beach Air Show.

In addition, glass is prohibited on the beach, and leashed dogs are only allowed at the two dog-designated beaches on either side of the Island.

Schedule for the Pensacola Beach Air Show

July 10, 7:30 a.m.: The airshow will begin with Breakfast with the Blues. In this event, the Blue Angels will circle overhead to mark the shows coordinates and the center points along Pensacola Beach.

July 11, 2 p.m.: Blue Angels will fly over Pensacola Beach in a practice air show.

July 12, 12 and 2 p.m.: The first event will be the civilian aerobatic fliers dress rehearsal at noon. Next, the Blue Angels will conduct the Pensacola Beach Air Show dress rehearsal.

July 13.: The official airshow will begin and follow the July 12, dress rehearsal schedule.

Schedule for the Official Airshow on July 13

11:45 a.m.: Spectators will be cleared from Gulf Waters, and the official airspace waiver begins.

12 p.m.: Presentation of colors from the Red Bull Team with parachutists jumping from Aaron Fitzgeralds helicopter at the show center.

12:13 p.m.: The Veterans Flight Team will fly World War II biplanes and vintage aircraft to honor WWII and Korean War veterans.

12:28 p.m.: Wingwalker Carol Pilan and the Third Strike Wingwalking team will demonstrate walking on jet-propelled aircraft. Pilan is the first and only female jet-propelled wingwalker.

12:39 p.m.: The Redline Aerobatic Team will fly with pilots: Ken Rieder, Adam Baker and Austin Rieder. Austin Reider is Kens son and a newcomer to this years aerobatic show.

12:54 p.m.: Pilot Skip Stewart will perform with his famous red, white, and black-checkered biplane, Prometheus. He will be performing the signature inverted ribbon-cutting over the Pensacola Beach Pier.

Mobile Police arrest suspect in Fern Valley Road shooting

1:06 p.m.: The first woman to win U.S National Aerobatic champion, Patty Wagstaff, will amaze crowds over Pensacola Beach in her Extra 330 aircraft.

1:21 p.m.: The Red Bull Airforce Team will return with Kevin Coleman and Aaron Fitzgerald performing a joint aerial demonstration.

2 p.m.: The Blue Angels will take off with their headlining performance! Fat Albert will fly first, followed by six blue and gold F-18 Super Hornets.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
The U.S. has one of the most punitive criminal justice systems  unless youre the president

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)

This story was originally published by The 19th.

The U.S. Supreme Courts ruling on former President Donald Trumps criminal immunity captures a stark reality: In one of the worlds most carceral countries, where Black men and people of color are disproportionately punished, a powerful position held almost exclusively by White men is immune from criminal prosecution (if the acts were done as part of official presidential authority).

In a 6-3 vote on Monday split along ideological lines, the court decided that Trump can claim absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts that are part of a presidents core constitutional powers. This is a critical decision because it will shape whether Trump can be held responsible in the federal election interference case against him.

The president enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the president does is official. The president is not above the law, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. But Congress may not criminalize the presidents conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the Executive Branch under the Constitution.

The all-women liberal bloc of the Supreme Court strongly disagreed.

If the structural consequences of todays paradigm shift mark a step in the wrong direction, then the practical consequences are a five-alarm fire that threatens to consume democratic self-governance and the normal operations of our Government, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in a solo dissent.

Another dissent authored by Sonia Sotomayor and joined by Jackson and Justice Elena Kagan warned that the majority has replaced a presumption of equality before the law with a presumption that the President is above the law for all of his official acts.

If the occupant of that office misuses official power for personal gain, the criminal law that the rest of us must abide will not provide a backstop, she continued.

The justices did not rule on whether Trumps behavior leading up to and following the 2020 presidential election falls under his official executive authority. Instead, they sent the issue back to lower courts.

Neither Sotomayor nor Jackson specifically mentioned race, gender or the inequitable reality of mass incarceration, but at the heart of their objections is fear of a country with a criminal justice system that does not apply to its most powerful office, the presidency  a position where 44 of 45 people in this role have been White men. The courts decision on Trump also highlights a broader conversation about the ways people with power and resources are treated more favorably by the criminal legal system.

The United States has nearly two million people detained across its state or federal prisons and local jails. About 35 percent of those incarcerated people are Black men, though they make up about 13 percent of the total U.S. population. Data indicates that since 2000 the country has seen a notable decline in the incarceration rate for Black men, but as of 2021 it was around 1,800 incarcerated per 100,000 people.

If Black men in the U.S. were their own country, they would have an incarceration rate twice as high as any U.S. state or almost any independent country, said Wanda Bertram, communications strategist with the Prison Policy Initiative, a nonpartisan research and policy organization. (The Prison Policy Initiative has not made a statement about the specifics of the Supreme Courts decision of Trumps immunity.)

In one 2021 report, researchers at Columbia University found that 26.8 percent of Black men, 16.2 percent of Latino men and 3 percent of White men in New York City have been jailed by age 38. And young Black men are about 50 percent more likely to be detained without a conviction than White defendants, according to a 2019 report by the Prison Policy Initiative.

One popular response to mass incarceration criticism is the claim that Black people commit a majority of crimes in the country. Bertram noted flaws in how crime data is reported to government agencies like the FBI. People should also work to understand how the legal system categorizes and punishes certain behaviors over others, she added.

This can include low-level offenses like jaywalking, loitering or breaking state or city curfews. People can be jailed for unpaid debts like a ticket, or they may be kept on probation longer for their inability to pay off fines associated with their arrest, said Bree Spencer, senior program director for justice reform at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. People are also criminalized for circumstances that advocates like Spencer say should be handled by social safety net programs or public health services.

For example, a person experiencing homelessness, drug addiction or mental illness is more likely to deal with periods of incarceration. On June 28, the Supreme Court ruled that homeless people can be prohibited from using blankets, pillows, or cardboard boxes for protection while sleeping outdoors, meaning they could receive jail time if they do.

Crime policies targeting low-income people intersect with Black, brown and Indigenous communities, which tend to have fewer resources to help during the legal process and are confronted by more government surveillance in the form of policing or child protective services.

We see racism in the crimes we choose to hold people accountable for, and in how we saturate certain areas and neighborhoods with resources that help people thrive, versus how we saturate certain areas with police, Spencer said.

Still, advocates say they see glimmers of hope. Recent policies around the country aimed at eliminating cash bail, expunging criminal records or releasing incarcerated people early address some of the drivers of incarceration.

Other programs seek to decrease the amount of contact that law enforcement officials have with the public. Denver; Durham, North Carolina; and Albuquerque, New Mexico are a few of the cities that have developed unarmed community responder teams to address public safety issues. In 2022, Albuquerques Community Safety department addressed more than 21,000 calls that were diverted from police. The approach in Albuquerque, where the majority of residents are non-White, came as a result of a Justice Department investigation that revealed a pattern of violent response by police officers that routinely violated peoples constitutional rights.

I think a big part of the answer lies in more people being able to conceptualize something outside of what Im always calling the police-chaos binary, Spencer said. I think the reality is that not only are there ways to consider an affirmative safety agenda thats better for everyone, but there are also places doing it and doing it really successfully right now.

But mainstream political discussions about reform can be inconsistent and short term, advocates told The 19th. Last year, they spoke with The 19th about a resurgence in tough-on-crime rhetoric from public officials calling for more harsh action.

Trump, both during his one term as president and as a 2024 presidential candidate, has championed a motto of law and order. In its ruling this week, the Supreme Court offered Trump immunity protections that may shield him against his own criminal charges. If elected in 2024, however, Trump appears poised to take a strict stance in his criminal justice policy, which would have a disproportionate impact on Black men who already bear the brunt of mass incarceration.

Trumps campaign website promises that he will deliver record funding to hire and retrain police officers, strengthen qualified immunity and other protections for police officers, increase penalties for assaults on law enforcement, put violent offenders and career criminals behind bars, and surge federal prosecutors and the National Guard into high-crime communities.

The 19th is an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan announced 15 Community Project Funding requests he made for Indianas First Congressional District for fiscal year 2025.

The requests, which total approximately $11 million, have been included in the House Appropriations Committee bills and must be approved by Congress before being signed into law, according to a Tuesday release.

I am grateful for the inclusion of these federal funding requests for transformational projects to create work and wealth throughout Indianas First Congressional District, Mrvan said in the release.

The largest funding request is for $2.5 million for the Calumet Region Environmental Infrastructure that will ensure partnerships between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the communities in Lake and Porter counties to address water, sanitary sewer and stormwater sewer infrastructure improvement, according to the release.

For Gary, Mrvan submitted funding requests for $1.95 million for the City of Gary, the Gary Chicago International Airport Authority and the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, according to the release.

The City of Garys $850,000 funding request would assist the Gary Redevelopment Commission with the demolition of the former Ivanhoe Elementary School, according to the release.

Ivanhoe Elementary School, located in the citys 3rd District, has sat vacant on 30 acres near West Side Leadership Academy, Garys only traditional high school where more than 1,000 students attend, since 2010, said Christopher Harris, Executive Director of Gary Department of Redevelopment, in a release.

We are confident the removal of this blighted structure will remove deadweight in an otherwise relatively stable neighborhood within our city, Harris said. Demolishing this structure presents an immediate opportunity to add to the neighborhoods attractiveness and offer the entire 30-acre site for responsible development moving forward.

The Gary Chicago International Airport Authoritys $850,000 funding request would support the expansion and construction of a heavy cargo logistics apron to enhance increased airport operations, according to the release.

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District would receive $250,000 toward phase I of the Multimodal Gary Metro Center Station on the South Shore Line to design a fully ADA accessible, high-level platform.

Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said in a release the NICTD funding would complement funding he secured as a state senator to build a new multimodal station.

I would like to thank Congressman Mrvan for his leadership and efforts to bring back resources to help move communities forward, Melton said. With his attempts on trying to secure these dollars, Gary will be able to complete three major projects if they are approved for the funding requests.

A $1 million funding request would be awarded to the Crown Point Police Department to assist with the departments radio replacement project to enhance operations and support swift, coordinated responses, according to the release.

Crown Point Police Chief Ryan Patrick said in a statement the city is grateful for its partnership with Mrvan.

This grant would ensure our officers continue to have access to updated, state-of-the-art technology in the field, Patrick said. Our new radios will be tied into our CAD system, allowing officers to quickly and efficiently relay important information while in the field. Effective communication and new technology play a vital role in keeping our officers and the community safe.

A $1.1 million funding request would be awarded to the Town of Cedar Lake to construct a sanitary sewer interceptor to increase capacity for the efficient management of sanitary flow and improve water quality, according to the release.

Another nearly $1.2 million funding request would be awarded to Purdue University Northwest to assist with the purchase of equipment for its Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation. The funds would also enhance the universitys initiatives to support cutting-edge technologies for the domestic steel and manufacturing industries, according to the release.

Kale Wilk, Purdue University Northwest Spokesman, said in a statement the university appreciates Mrvans continued support for initiatives that advance technological innovation and support the domestic steel and manufacturing industries in Northwest Indiana.

We are optimistic about the potential impact this funding could have on our efforts to enhance our capabilities and drive innovation in these critical industries, Wilk said. We will continue to work closely with our partners and stakeholders to secure this funding and bring these advancements to fruition.

Other 2025 community project funding request include:

$670,000 for the Schererville Police Departments Portable Radio Replacement Project to improve interoperability among officers and other first responders during emergencies.

$500,000 for the City of Michigan Citys Westside Opportunity Hub Project to reconstruct a blighted structure into a community resource hub.

$488,000 for the Hobart Police Department to equip patrol officers and detectives with body cameras.

$400,000 for the Griffith Police Departments Police Radio Upgrade Project to improve interoperability among officers and other first responders during emergencies.

$400,000 for the La Porte Police Departments Equipment and Technology Upgrades project to enhance police officers ability to protect and serve the public and improve efficiencies.

$398,000 for the Valparaiso Police Departments Portable Radio Upgrades Project to promote swift, coordinated responses.

$306,000 for the Dyer Police Departments Radio Communications Enhancement Project to ensure reliable and consistent communications between officers without frequency interruptions.

$150,000 for the East Chicago Police Department to equip police officers and detectives with body cameras.

Mrvan thanked all the Northwest Indiana officials for identifying the projects and initiatives that will support economic development, create good-paying job opportunities and increase public safety in our region.

I look forward to continuing to work with all of my Congressional colleagues to finalize these measures in an expedient and bipartisan fashion, Mrvan said.

akukulka@post-tribune.com
The United Kingdoms newly appointed foreign secretary for the Labour Party called then-President Trump a neo-Nazi-sympathizing sociopath in a 2018 opinion piece for Time magazine.

David Lammy, a Labour lawmaker from Tottenham, was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on Friday following Labours victory in parliamentary elections.

He has previously addressed his 2018 criticism of Trump and pledged to work with the former president if he is elected in November. In May, as shadow foreign secretary, he met in Washington with Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), a close Trump ally and potential vice presidential pick.

It doesnt matter who is in No. 10  you work with the United States, Lammy said in an interview with Sky News in January, referring to the U.K. prime ministers residence, which Labour head Keir Starmer entered Friday.

Lammy added that he would work to counter criticisms by Trump and other Republican lawmakers against NATO and support for Ukraine, saying part of the job of foreign minister is also to try and persuade and use your influence.

The 2018 Time article was published ahead of Trumps first visit to the U.K., and Lammy committed to be one of tens of thousands on the streets, protesting against our governments capitulation to this tyrant in a toupee.

Trump is not only a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathizing sociopath. He is also a profound threat to the international order that has been the foundation of Western progress for so long, he wrote in Time. It is because I cherish and champion those values that this Friday, I will march with London against Donald Trump.

Lammy criticized Trump as slandering and insulting London for political benefit, and that Trump has barely concealed his racist attacks on the U.K.

Lammy is described as an outspoken and prominent advocate for social justice and minority issues. He is described as the first black Briton to study at Harvard Law School and wrote a 2020 book exploring his African heritage.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
WELLINGTON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- As New Zealand children have among the highest rates of screen use in the world, new guidelines to help balance the health risks of screen use with the educational benefits of digital technologies in schools were released on Friday.

For all age groups, screen use in schools should be purposeful, intentional, and backed by evidence, according to the guidelines that have been endorsed by the New Zealand Paediatric Society and published on its website.

The recommendations offer practical advice for different age groups to mitigate risks and promote healthier screen behaviors. Use of smartphones and watches should be limited in class, not only to reduce distractions, but also for well-being.

For young children, up to 6 years, the advice is minimal screen use, with no screens for under 2-year-olds. For 6 to 12-year-olds, screen use for learning is recommended for no more than a third of the school day, with more limited use for younger students and a gradual increase reflecting age or development, unless required for students with special learning needs, the guidelines said.

From 13 to 18 years, the emphasis is on encouraging intentional and balanced screen use, with regular eye breaks and limitations on headphone or earbud use.

While the recommended amount of screen time at school increases incrementally with each age group, the quality of screen-based learning was more important than the quantity when it comes to mental health and cognition, said an editorial of the New Zealand Medical Journal.

Excessive screen time has been linked with health issues, including dry eye, short-sightedness, loss of physical fitness, noise-induced hearing loss and pain syndromes, said lead author Julie Cullen, a paediatric physiotherapist and screen researcher at the University of Auckland.

New Zealand has recreational screen guidelines, but there was no guidance for use of digital technologies in educational settings, Cullen said, adding the United Nations has recently called for urgent discussion and regulation of digitization of education. 
Britain's King Charles III, right, shakes hands with Keir Starmer where he invited the Labour Party leader to become prime minister and to form a new government, following the landslide general election victory for the Labour Party, in London, Friday, July 5, 2024. (Yui Mok, Pool Photo via AP)

LONDON (AP)  Britain's new prime minister, Keir Starmer, vowed Friday to reverse the hopelessness that grew over 14 years of Conservative rule and said he would lead an urgent mission of national renewal after his Labour Partys landslide victory.

It will be a tall order.

Rising poverty, crumbling infrastructure, a lagging economy and an overstretched National Health Service contributed to widespread dissatisfaction and gripes about broken Britain. The resulting defeat was the worst ever for Conservatives.

Have no doubt that we will rebuild Britain, Starmer said in his first official remarks as supporters cheered and waved union jack flags outside 10 Downing St. Brick by brick we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity.

Starmer said it would take time, but his government would get the NHS back on its feet, secure the borders, improve public safety and cut electric bills  while relying on homegrown clean energy.

Among the crowd of people who gathered to watch the changing of government was David McKeever, who said Starmer needed to quickly provide the details of his plans that were often lacking during the campaign.

From today onwards, Keir Starmer is going to have to come up with some actual policies and implement them, McKeever said. Well know in time what were dealing with. But yeah, clearly the Tories had set such a monumentally low bar, you could have fallen over it.

Before Starmer arrived at No. 10, his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, bid farewell in a reflective speech from the same spot where he called for the snap election that led to his ouster.

I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss, Sunak said. To all the Conservative candidates and campaigners who worked tirelessly but without success, Im sorry that we could not deliver what your efforts deserved.

Sunaks party, which has been wracked by scandals, turbulent leadership changes and global problems out of its control, suffered its biggest defeat in its two-century history.

With results tallied for all but one constituency, Labour had won 412 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons. The Conservatives had only 121  down from 365 seats in 2019. The drubbing surpassed even the 1906 election in which they won just 156 seats.

The Tory reign was marked by Britain's messy divorce from the European Union, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russias invasion of Ukraine, all of which battered the economy.

When Sunak took over in October 2022, he was the third prime minister in less than two months and set out to bring stability to a party in crisis.

Widespread anger over parties thrown by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnsons staff in violation of his own lockdown rules led to his departure. His successor, Liz Truss, was out of office in a record 49 days after shaking the economy with a package of drastic tax cuts.

Truss, who lost her seat to Labour, was one of a slew of senior Tories kicked out in a stark electoral reckoning.

Starmer began appointing the government ministers who will be responsible for helping to turn those problems around. He announced that Rachel Reeves, a former Bank of England economist, will be Treasury chief, the first woman to hold the job.

The massive victory will bring big challenges for Starmer. He acknowledged as much in referring to the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians," which he said led to weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future.

Tim Bale, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, said its a question of whether Starmer can fix public services fast enough to satisfy expectations.

The National Health Service is in crisis, Bale said. Its going to take quite a lot of money in order to restore its fortunes. The question is where Labour is going to get that money from and how quickly it can manage to do it.

In a sign of the volatile public mood and anger at the system, the incoming Parliament will be more fractured and ideologically diverse than any in years.

Smaller parties picked up millions of votes, including the centrist Liberal Democrats, who captured 71 seats  up by 60 from the last election. The Green Party won four seats, up from just one before the election. One of the biggest losers was the Scottish National Party, which held most of Scotlands 57 seats before the election but looked set to lose all but handful, mostly to Labour.

While the overall result appeared to buck recent rightward electoral shifts in Europe, including in France and Italy, many of those same populist undercurrents also flow in Britain.

Reform UK, the party of Nigel Farage, who roiled the race with his partys anti-immigrant take our country back sentiment, won five seats, including one for Farage in the seaside town of Clacton-on-Sea, securing a place in Parliament on his eighth attempt.

Reform, however, actually had a larger share of the vote than the Liberal Democrats and undercut support for the Conservatives and even grabbed some voters from Labour.

It failed to gain as many seats, however, because its votes were not as efficiently distributed as the centrist Liberal Democrats. In Britains electoral system, the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins.

Labours path to victory was largely a result of a cautious, safety-first campaign without making mistakes.

Starmer may have lacked charisma, but his pledges to improve the economy, invest in infrastructure and fix broken social services resonated. The party also won business backing, including endorsements from traditionally conservative newspapers such Rupert Murdochs The Sun tabloid, which praised Starmer for dragging his party back to the center ground of British politics.

The Conservatives in comparison were plagued with missteps, including Sunaks decision to bail out early on commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in France.

The campaign got off to an inauspicious start when Sunak stood under a downpour outside 10 Downing St in May to set the election date.

Six weeks later, on a day marked by occasional rain reminiscent of his election announcement, Sunak stood there to bid adieu and offered his best wishes to his decent, public spirited successor despite their disagreements in the campaign. He said he would step down from his leadership role.

Two hours later, Starmer stood in the same spot. He thanked Sunak for his dedication and noted he was the first British prime minister of Asian descent.

He then asked those who supported him and those who didnt to join him in the mission of national renewal.

Our work is urgent, he said. And we begin it today.

___

Associated Press journalists Kwiyeon Ha, Danica Kirka and Pan Pylas contributed to this report.

-

Follow APs coverage of elections around the world: https://apnews.com/hub/global-elections/
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, the newly elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has unveiled his new government, appointing advocates of Ukraine to head both the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence.

Source: European Pravda, citing the UK prime minister on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: David Lammy, a supporter of Ukraine, has assumed leadership of the UK Foreign Office, while John Healey has taken on the role of the new defence secretary.

The Rt Hon John Healey MP @JohnHealey_MP has been appointed Secretary of State for Defence @DefenceHQ. pic.twitter.com/K6zP3dO4G5  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 5, 2024

The Rt Hon David Lammy MP @DavidLammy has been appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs @FCDOGovUK. pic.twitter.com/NKs1L5gTsp  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 5, 2024

The two have previously visited Kyiv and pledged that the UK's support for Ukraine would continue if Labour came to power.

"There may be a change in government this year, but there will be no change in Britain's resolve to stand with Ukraine, confront Russian aggression and to pursue [Kremlin ruler Vladimir] Putin for his war crimes," Healey stressed.

"It is the honour of my life to be appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. The world faces huge challenges, but we will navigate them with the UKs enormous strengths. We will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity at home," Lammy said on his appointment.

Background:

On Friday, Labour leader Keir Starmer officially became the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after meeting with the King.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has congratulated Keir Starmer and the UK Labour Party on their landslide election victory.

Support UP or become our patron!
Commander of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Vice Admiral Neizhpapa during an interview with Reuters in Odesa

By Tom Balmforth

ODESA, Ukraine (Reuters) - The Russian navy's Black Sea Fleet has been forced to rebase nearly all its combat-ready warships from occupied Crimea to other locations, and its main naval hub is becoming ineffectual because of attacks by Kyiv, Ukraine's navy chief said.

Vice-Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa said Ukrainian missile and naval drone strikes had caused heavy damage to the Sevastopol base, a logistics hub for repairs, maintenance, training and ammunition storage among other important functions for Russia.

"They were established over many decades, possibly centuries. And clearly they are now losing this hub," Neizhpapa told Reuters in a rare interview in the port city of Odesa ahead of Ukraine Navy Day on Sunday.

More than 28 months since Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv has dealt a series of stinging blows to Moscow in the Black Sea although Ukrainian ground troops are on the back foot across a sprawling front.

Ukraine, which has no major warships at its disposal, has used uncrewed naval boats packed with explosives to target Russian vessels, and pounded the fleet's facilities and other military targets on Crimea with Storm Shadow and ATACM missiles.

"Almost all the main combat-ready ships have been moved by the enemy from the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, and the ships are kept in Novorossiisk, and some of them are kept in the Sea of Azov," he said.

Russia's Novorossiisk naval base on its eastern Black Sea coast lacks the extensive facilities of Crimea's Sevastopol, which served as the storage and loading site for cruise missiles used by its warships to launch air strikes on Ukraine, he said.

"I understand that they are now trying to solve this problem in Novorossiisk," he said, describing this as a "main issue" for the fleet.

Russia's defence ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on Neizhpapa's remarks.

President Vladimir Putin told navy chiefs last month that Russia's fleet had been replenished over recent years and that a major modernisation was under way, including steps to "increase the combat stability of the fleet" and strengthen it.

Alongside strategic bombers and ground-based launchers, missile-carrying warships and submarines play an important role in Russia's regular long-range missile attacks.

Neizhpapa said Ukraine had destroyed or damaged 27 naval vessels, including five that he said were damaged by sea mines laid by Ukrainian naval drones near the Bay of Sevastopol.

Moscow seized and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Before February 2022, Russia used its Black Sea Fleet, which consists of dozens of warships, to project power into the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Throughout the Ukraine war, Turkey, which controls the straits in and out of the Black Sea, has not allowed warships to enter or exit.

DEFENSIVE POSTURE

In a sign of their more defensive posture, some Russian warships that seldom entered the Sea of Azov to the east of Crimea are now stationed there regularly, Neizhpapa said.

Monitoring data compiled by the Ukrainian Navy and provided to Reuters showed that as of June 27, 10 Russian warships were stationed in the Sea of Azov compared with none in 2023.

The Black Sea Fleet is primarily used now for logistics, a small amount of coastal territorial control and for firing Kalibr cruise missiles at Ukraine, he said.

He declined to say what Ukraine's future plans in the Black Sea would involve.

Ukraine's operations in the Black Sea have allowed it to establish and secure its own shipping corridor without Russia's blessing after Moscow pulled out of the wartime food export deal brokered by the United Nations last year.

The pushback began with Ukrainian coastal defences that allowed it to force naval vessels away. In April 2022, Ukrainian anti-ship missiles sank the Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, in a humiliating blow for the Kremlin.

With the addition of naval drone attacks and strikes, Russian warships do not enter the northwestern part of the Black Sea over an area of almost 25,000 square km (9,650 square miles), Neizhpapa said.

He said the delivery of U.S.-made F-16 fighter aircraft, expected to happen soon, would be a boost allowing it to challenge what he called Russia's "full dominance" of the skies over the Black Sea.

"F-16s with the right armaments will be able to push away Russian warplanes. The northwestern part of the Black Sea, particularly the corridor for civilian ships, will be almost 100% secure," he said.

He added that Ukraine would like to expand its shipping corridor, which currently only involves maritime traffic from three of the main Odesa ports, to include the ports of Mykolaiv and Kherson, but that it was not possible.

He cited Russia's control over the Kinburn Spit, which juts out along that route.

Civilian vessels are accompanied by patrol boats in some areas to help with protection against mines, and air defences provided cover both to the ports and the corridors, he said.

The volume of cargo through the corridor has stabilised over the last six months, with Ukraine operating two daily convoys of vessels in comparison with one in 2023.

(This story has been corrected after the navy clarified, to say 'damaged', not 'destroyed', in paragraph 12)

(Reporting by Tom Balmforth; editing by Mike Collett-White and Timothy Heritage)
Ukraine reacts to Orban's visit to Moscow and outlines main principle that should be respected

Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has commented on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visit to Moscow on Friday 5 July 2024, where he held talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Source: European Pravda, citing a comment by the press service of Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Details: The ministry emphasised that the Hungarian side made the decision to make this visit without Ukraines consent or approval.

"The principle of no agreements on Ukraine without Ukraine remains unbreakable for our country, and we call on all states to strictly adhere to it", the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry noted that Ukraines peace formula remains the only realistic way to restore a just peace.

"As evidenced by the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, which was also attended by Hungary, more than a hundred states and international organisations share a common vision of peace based on respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the UN Charter", the Foreign Ministry wrote.

The ministry also added that the Peace Summit format is a key platform for finding ways to restore a just peace.

"Ukraine remains confident that further work will be done on the development of bilateral cooperation and European integration following the visit of the Hungarian Prime Minister to Kyiv", the Foreign Ministry noted.

Background:

President Vladimir Putin hosted Viktor Orban, Hungarian PM, in the Kremlin on 5 July to conduct negotiations and discuss Ukraine, among other things. He started the meeting by mentioning an ultimatum for Kyiv.

Bertalan Havasi, the press chief for Orban's office, stated that Orban arrived in Moscow as part of his "peace-making mission" and will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He visited Russia just a few days after visiting Kyiv on 2 July.

Orban did not inform the European Commission about his plans to visit Moscow and did not coordinate his actions with it.

EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visit to Moscow is not part of Hungary's presidency of the EU Council, so it will be considered solely within the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia.

Orban himself claimed that he had no mandate to negotiate with Ukraine and Russia about peace.

Support UP or become our patron!
Key developments on July 5:

F-16s will challenge Russia's aerial dominance over Black Sea, Ukraine's Navy chief says

Latvia to send over 2,500 drones to Ukraine in July, ministry says

Orban says Kyiv and Moscow's positions on peace 'are very far apart'

Stoltenberg hopes Ukraine will join NATO within 10 years

Russian attack on Donetsk Oblast kills woman, injures 20 people

The upcoming delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine will challenge Russia's "full dominance" of the skies over the Black Sea, Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa told Reuters in an interview published on July 5.

Ukraine is expected to receive the first F-16 jets this summer, a year after Denmark and the Netherlands founded the "fighter jet coalition" with nine other countries at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023.

"F-16s with the right armaments will be able to push away Russian warplanes. The northwestern part of the Black Sea, particularly the corridor for civilian ships, will be almost 100% secure," Neizhpapa said in the interview.

Due to the naval drone attacks, Russian warships do not enter the northwestern part of the Black Sea, an area of almost 25,000 square meters, Neizhpapa said.

Ukraine wants to expand its shipping corridor, which facilities the only maritime traffic from the three main Odesa ports, to include the ports of Mykolaiv and Kherson in the country's south, the vice admiral said.

This is currently impossible since Russia controls the Kinburn Spit, he added.

The Kinburn Spit is located at the mouth of the Dnipro River south of Kherson. It is one of the last parts of Mykolaiv Oblast that remains under Russian occupation.

Kyiv was forced to set up a new export route in the Black Sea last year after Russia unilaterally terminated the Black Sea grain deal. Initially envisioned as a humanitarian corridor to allow the departure of ships stranded there since the start of the full-scale war, it has since grown into a full-blown trade route.

Read also: What Ukraines partial Chasiv Yar withdrawal actually means

Latvia to send over 2,500 drones to Ukraine in July, ministry says

Riga will send more than 2,500 combat drones of different types to Ukraine this month, worth 4 million euros ($4.3 million), the Latvian Defense Ministry announced on July 5.

The first batch of 300 drones is expected to be transferred to Kyiv "in the coming days," the ministry said.

Latvia and the U.K. are the leaders of the international coalition established to supply Ukraine with drones, which have become a crucial capability on Ukrainian battlefields.

"Together with the members of the international drone coalition, we are continuously working to deliver combat drones of various capacities to Ukraine in accordance with the current needs and testing requirements of Ukraine's army," Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said.

In addition, Riga is investing in the further development of drone technology, the minister added. The 2,500 drones promised for Ukraine were produced by seven Latvian companies.

Spruds announced back in May that the Latvian government would invest around 20 million euros ($22 million) in the drone coalition this year, and a similar sum to the development of Latvia's own drone capabilities.

Ukraine is also working to scale up domestic production, aiming to produce at least 1 million drones in 2024. Kyiv employs long-range drones to strike deep into Russian territory, targeting military infrastructure such as airfields and logistics, as well as oil refineries and depots.

Read also: Ukraine now mass-producing strike drones with range of over 1,000 kilometers

Orban says Kyiv and Moscow's positions on peace 'are very far apart'

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on July 5 that Ukraine and Russia's stances on the full-scale invasion and prospects for peace are "very far apart."

The insight came to him during a trip to visit Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow, just days after meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

"Over the past two and a half years, we have realized that we cannot achieve peace without dialogue and diplomatic channels," Orban said at a press conference with Putin.

"I felt that the positions are very far from each other, that many steps need to be taken to establish peace, but the first important step towards dialogue has already been taken."

Orban also revealed three questions he asked Putin  what he thinks about existing peace initiatives, what he thinks about a ceasefire and peace talks and when they could be held, and his opinion on post-war European security architecture.

He did not say how Putin responded to any of these.

Putin earlier in the day welcomed Orban in Russia's capital, saying he hopes to discuss bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine.

Budapest has repeatedly opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO and the EU and sanctions on Russia, undermined Western aid efforts for Ukraine, and maintained close relations with Moscow throughout the full-scale war.

Read also: Who needs warships when youve got drones? Russia loses control over Black Sea

Stoltenberg hopes Ukraine will join NATO within 10 years

Outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hopes that Ukraine will join the alliance within the next 10 years, he said in an interview with the DPA news agency published on July 5.

Western officials said Ukraine will not receive a membership invitation at the upcoming NATO summit in Washington but can expect "concrete ways" to accelerate its entry.

Ukraine applied for NATO membership in September 2022, half a year into Russia's full-scale invasion, but has yet to receive a clear timetable for entry. Kyiv's hopes for an invitation were dashed during the 2023 summit in Vilnius.

"I strongly hope that Ukraine will be an ally," Stoltenberg responded to a question about NATO's possible expansion within the following decade.

Ukraine's membership in the alliance has been a hotly debated issue. While many NATO leaders, including Stoltenberg, have repeatedly said that Kyiv's future is within the alliance, several top players appear hesitant.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview with Time magazine in June that peace in Ukraine does not automatically mean NATO membership.

"Peace looks like making sure Russia never, never, never, never occupies Ukraine. That's what peace looks like. And it doesn't mean NATO, they are part of NATO," Biden said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has repeatedly called on partners to issue a membership invitation to Kyiv, said that Ukraine will join NATO only after Russia's full-scale war ends, echoing Stoltenberg.

Read also: The Counteroffensive: What UK Labours landslide election means for Ukraine

Russian attack on Donetsk Oblast kills woman, injures 20 people

Russian troops attacked the village of Komar in Donetsk Oblast on July 5, killing a woman and injuring at least 20 other people, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

The center of the front-line village was struck with three Russian guided aerial bombs, according to the governor. The attack damaged 13 houses, four stores, two high-rise buildings, two administrative building and two infrastructure facilities, he added.

One of the victims died while receiving medical care, the statement read.

Read also: Trump ally debunked: Ukraine not burning Russian-linked churches

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraines Air Force reported that during 5 July, air defence forces shot down four Russian Kh-59/69 guided missiles in the east, as well as five Kh-59 missiles and seven reconnaissance drones in the south.

Source: Air Force on Telegram

Quote: "During 5 July 2024, the air defence in Ukraines East shot down four Kh-59/69 guided aircraft missiles."

Details: According to the Air Force, the Russians targeted Poltava Oblast with Iskander-M ballistic missiles and used guided bombs to attack Kharkiv Oblast.

On 5 July, the air defence troops in Ukraines South shot down five Kh-59 guided air missiles launched by the Russians from tactical aircraft and destroyed seven spy drones, including four ZALA, two Supercams, and one Orlan 10.

Support UP or become our patron!
Mobile fire group. Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 32 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs on the night of 4-5 July, all of which were shot down.

Source: Ukraines Air Force on Telegram

Quote from the Air Force: "During the night, the defenders of the skies shot down all 32 Shahed drones in Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Chernihiv and Cherkasy oblasts."

Details: It is reported that the Russians had launched the drones from the vicinities of the Russian cities of Kursk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk.

The attack was repelled by fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force, mobile fire groups of Ukrainian defence forces and electronic warfare units.

Background:

Ukraines Air Force reported after 22:30 on 4 July that Russian attack drones had been detected in a number of Ukraines oblasts.

Wreckage from downed Russian drones damaged six private houses and a car in Bucha district in Kyiv Oblast; there were no casualties.

Support UP or become our patron!
As Kyiv gets ready to receive the first batch of Western F-16 fighter jets, Ukraine's airfields face an uptick in Russian strikes.

Over the past week, Moscow carried out at least three missile strikes targeting Ukrainian airfields  in Myrhorod, Poltava, and Kryvyi Rih  all located around 100 kilometers (68 miles) from the closest Russian troops.

What's worse, Moscow was able to film the attacks and their outcome using reconnaissance drones that had a clear view of the military sites hundreds of kilometers from the front line.

One of the videos shared by the Russian Telegram channels purported to show a strike on a Ukrainian airfield, where several jets were stationed in the open. The Russian drone's path wasn't obstructed by Ukrainian defenses.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have destroyed five Su-27 Soviet-made jets and damaged two more stationed at the Myrhorod airfield, a Mi-24 helicopter at the Poltava airfield, and a Mig-29 fighter jet stationed at the Dovhyntseve airfield in Kryvyi Rih.

"There are some losses, but not as many as the enemy claims, after all, they have always (attacked airfields)," said former Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat after the attack on the Myrhorod airfield.

Air Force spokesperson Illia Yevlash refused to give any comments to the Kyiv Independent on reported Russian attacks against Ukrainian airfields.

"Myrhorod is located 150 kilometers from the front line, and the Su-27s that are based there are the aircraft with the longest flying range among Ukrainian planes," Andrii Kharuk, a military historian and weapons expert, told the Kyiv Independent.

The question is whether it is worth keeping them so close to the front line," Kharuk said.

Russia has targeted Ukraine's air bases since the beginning of the full-scale war. Drone and missile strikes regularly hit both those near the front line and in the rear, such as Starokostiantyniv in the country's west.

"The Air Force is doing everything it can to counter the enemy and deceive it, including using mock-ups and other means," Ihnat said.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. No satellite images have been published to show the extent of the destruction.

A number of Ukrainian soldiers and activists have criticized Ukraine's Air Force for failing to properly protect the airfields despite advance warnings and the expected arrival of F-16 fighter jets.

Read also: F-16s will challenge Russias aerial dominance over Black Sea, Ukraines Navy chief says

The tactic of recent Russian strikes is not new, said Viktor Kevliuk, retired military officer and defense expert with the Center for Defense Strategies.

However, the fact that drones can penetrate Ukrainian defenses up to 130 kilometers deep into Ukraine-held territory is sending a worrying signal.

"The purpose of publishing (video of the attacks) is to demonstrate that they have the capabilities to destroy aircraft and that they should not be afraid of F-16s," Kevliuk said.

Awaiting F-16

Ukraine is preparing to receive dozens of F-16 fighter jets, with the first batch expected this summer. France also promised to transfer Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Kyiv next year.

Ukraine has faced challenges in adapting its Soviet-built infrastructure to store the advanced Western-made aircraft  a task which could take years, according to Ihnat.

Although defense experts do not expect F-16s to become game-changers in the war, the jets may strengthen Ukraine's air defense capabilities, which can shield the country's settlements from Russia's daily bombardments.

"It is fair to surmise that these strikes against base infrastructure are connected to the anticipated arrival of F-16s," Michael Kofman, defense analyst and senior fellow at Carnegie Endowment, told the Kyiv Independent.

Illustrative purposes only: An F-16 aircraft is pictured after the first delivery of Norway's old F-16 fighter aircraft to Romania at Rygge Air Force Base, Norway, on Nov. 28, 2023. (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)

According to Kharuk, recent strikes point to a new tactic tested by Russia.

This is a combination of reconnaissance and target destruction means  for instance, unmanned aerial vehicles that help Iskander missiles.

According to drone experts, Russia could have embedded technologies on its drones that allow them to fly over targets in radio silence.

Successful strikes may also damage trust that Ukrainian allies have in Kyiv's ability to protect the aircraft that the West is about to provide.

"There may be voices (among partners) like  'we shouldn't give Ukrainians F-16s because the Russians will destroy them immediately'," Kharuk told the Kyiv Independent.

"But this is war," he added.

Unsolved problems

Special equipment is needed to detect and shoot down Russian reconnaissance drones hovering over the attacked airfields. Ukraine does not have such equipment, Kevliuk said.

"There are more airfields than we have anti-aircraft systems," Kevliuk said.

"The problem must be solved comprehensively. But we have to choose what to protect  industrial and economic centers, power generation facilities, or airfields. We cannot cover everything at once," he added.

Concrete shelters are required to protect aviation stationed at air bases. According to Kevliuk, Ukraine does not have them either.

"No one has invested in defense properly, no one has prepared airfields for basing aircraft in protected shelters," he said.

Kevliuk said the first steps must include uncovering Russian handlers around air bases, camouflaging the aircraft, and dispersing planes.

"Any means that can deceive the enemy and using the existing infrastructure will allow us to avoid exposing the F-16 jets to enemy attacks for a long time," Kevliuk said.

Read also: What Ukraines partial Chasiv Yar withdrawal actually means

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine's foreign minister speaks with his newly-appointed UK counterpart

Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, spoke with the new UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, and congratulated him on his appointment.

Source: Kuleba on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Kuleba expresses gratitude to his colleague for reiterating UKs unwavering support for Ukraine in every sector.

Quote: "We discussed next steps in our bilateral relations and also paid specific attention to the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington," the foreign minister noted.

Kuleba also noted that Lammy accepted his invitation to visit Ukraine.

Lammy joined the new cabinet of Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, who was officially appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Friday following a meeting with the king.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already congratulated Keir Starmer and the UK Labour Party on their landslide electoral victory.

Support UP or become our patron!
Ukraine announced on July 4 that its troops had withdrawn from the Kanal neighborhood in Chasiv Yar, a strategically important town in Donetsk Oblast, and the scene of an intense, bloody battle that began in early April of this year.

Speaking on national TV, Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Khortytsia group of forces, said the decision had been made because Ukrainian defensive positions in the neighborhood were destroyed, and commanders agreed to withdraw to better-protected lines.

"It became impractical to hold the Kanal neighborhood after the enemy entered it because it threatened the lives and health of our servicemen, and the positions of our defenders were destroyed," he said.

Satellite images released by the crowd-sourced monitoring service DeepState show the once populous Kanal neighborhood totally obliterated.

  "" (  "")     



           ,      ,    . ""   ,     . pic.twitter.com/BCMuL7EtHR  DeepState UA (@Deepstate_UA) July 3, 2024

What's the bigger picture?

Russia's months-long attacks on Chasiv Yar are part of its grinding, slow, and costly advances in Donetsk Oblast.

Last month, as the world's attention focused on the Kremlin's new  and ultimately unsuccessful  offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Russian troops were steadily making small gains in Donetsk Oblast, which remains Moscow's primary target.

Since the fall of Bakhmut in May 2023 and the fall of Avdiivka in February of this year, Russian forces overran one village after another and took up positions close to Chasiv Yar.

Located on hills that serve as natural defensive structures, Chasiv Yar town boasts the highest point in the area, a strategic point for any army wanting to gain an advantage.

The town is divided in the east by the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal, creating a barrier between the Kanal micro-district and the rest of the town.

The current situation in Chasiv Yar. The so-called "gray zone" between Ukrainian and Russian forces now extends up to the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal (DeepState)

Throughout most of spring, Kyiv's forces managed to keep Russian troops out of the town. On June 27, the Ukrainian army reported it had pushed out Russian forces that had entered the Kanal neighborhood.

The fighting has been brutal  Russia kept up intensive shelling of Chasiv Yar, including with TOS-1 Solntsepyok multiple rocket launchers, according to Voloshyn.

"This is a terrible weapon that hits with thermobaric warheads," Ukraine's 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade reported, whose units were redeployed to bolster the defense of Chasiv Yar, sharing on June 26 a video which shows the town under Russia's attack.

Read also: With all eyes on Kharkiv, Russian troops take one Donbas village after another

What does the withdrawal actually mean?

In a comment from Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade communications unit, a serviceman told the Kyiv Independent the withdrawal became necessary as resupplying men and materiel to the Kanal neighborhood was becoming increasingly difficult.

"For us, it means we have fixed our logistics because our logistics to that district were awful, and it was very hard to keep this part of the battlefield," he said.

"Holding the area was quite important for us, but it was more important not to lose people."

He pointed out that Russia would face the same issues if it tried to cross the canal separating the two armies, and one of Ukraine's priorities now will be to "crash their logistics" from their new positions.

"The enemy is also trying to regroup, and we will wait to see which direction they will continue their offensive," he added.

An aerial view of the Kanal district on July 3, 2024 in Chasiv Yar, Ukraine (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)

Retired military officer and defense expert Viktor Kevliuk told the Kyiv Independent the withdrawal from the Kanal neighborhood has "no strategic consequences."

Kevliuk said that Russia's advance was also an attempt to secure the flank of the Russian group attacking Toretsk, located around 22 kilometers south of Chasiv Yar.

The Ukrainian military reported on June 18 an increase in Russian attacks near Toretsk after a "long lull" in fighting in the area.

A few days later, it was reported that Russian forces were attacking Chasiv Yar from the direction of Toretsk.

Kevliuk echoed the Ukrainian army line that its forces had no option but to withdraw from the Kanal neighborhood after its defensive positions there were "completely destroyed."

"The (Russian) 98th Airborne Division brought all three of its regiments into battle  the 217th, 299th, and 331st, which made it possible to significantly increase efforts in this direction and take full control of the Kanal neighborhood," he said.

"Units of the 11th Airborne Assault Brigade and parts of the 102nd Regiment of the 150th Division also took part in the attacks," he added.

"The enemy took positions on both sides of Oleha Koshovoho Street, including in the area of the bridge over the canal, and its advanced units entrenched themselves in the forests to the north and south of it."

Commenting on why the U.S. assistance package, approved more than two months ago, did not help to stem the tide in Chasiv Yar, Kevliuk said that American aid would not prevent the effective destruction of the Kanal neighborhood.

Not only does it take time to produce and deliver the aid, it is also necessary to have trained manpower to operate it, he added.

"(Ukrainian) defense forces in the area have no more than 14,000 people," Kevliuk added, summing up the number for Chasiv Yar and neighboring Klischiivka, Andriivka, and positions around Kurdiumivka.

"A Russian group of 48,000 people is advancing on Chasiv Yar. Up to 6,000 more have been allocated to Klischiivka, Andriivka, and Kurdiumivka."

What happens next?

Much will depend on Ukraine's ability to consolidate and hold its new defensive lines, which remains to be seen.

If Russia were able to take the town, it would have a significant impact on the war in Donetsk Oblast.

Taking Chasiv Yar is crucial for Russia's larger offensive in the east, and the deployment of elite Russian airborne troops is evidence of just how important it is for the Kremlin.

If Russia captures Chasiv Yar, it will gain fire control over key Ukrainian supply routes, severely hampering operations in the area.

Ultimately, the fall of Chasiv Yar would mean the last Ukrainian strongholds in Donetsk Oblast  the cities of Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk  would be under massive threat from Russian forces.

Ukrainian soldiers on the outskirts of the city on July 3, 2024 in Chasiv Yar, Ukraine. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)

What was Chasiv Yar like before the full-scale invasion?

Chasiv Yar was home to around 12,000 people, living in a town that traced its roots back to the late 19th century, when a factory was established to produce refractory materials from the abundant clay found in the area.

By April of this year, only about 700 people lived in the town. All children had been evacuated last year, leaving behind mostly elderly residents unwilling or unable to leave.

Speaking to BBC Ukraine in April, Serhii Chaus, the head of the town's military administration, said they faced dire conditions without access to power, water, or gas, as well as constant shelling, which had critically damaged 80% of apartment buildings.

Read also: Battle of Chasiv Yar begins: On the ground with Ukrainian forces defending city key to Russias plans

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The seventh cross-Strait youth development forum will be held from July 6 to 12 in east China's Zhejiang Province, a mainland spokesperson said Friday.

The event's opening ceremony and main forum are scheduled for July 8 in Hangzhou, the provincial capital, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office. He added that the forum will also take place in Ningbo, Jinhua, Lishui, and other parts of the province.

According to the spokesperson, 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, and former chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party Hung Hsiu-chu are invited to attend the forum.

Approximately 800 guests and youth representatives from various sectors across the Taiwan Strait will participate in relevant activities, Chen said.

Initiated in 2018, the cross-Strait youth development forum serves as an important platform for youth from both sides of the Strait to exchange ideas, foster mutual understanding, and learn from each other. 
The Centre for Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) has released a map of 10 record-breaking long-range strikes on military targets in Russia in the first six months of 2024.

Source: StratCom on social media

Details: The centre emphasised that Ukraine has been systematically launching strikes on Russia with domestically-produced weapons for more than six months. Thus, the use of Western-made weapons will not violate any additional imaginary "red lines" [as Ukraine has already targeted Russias rear with domestically-produced weapons].

As Ukraine gradually builds up the capabilities of its defence industrial base, its defence forces constantly increase the range and effectiveness of their strikes. StratCom stressed that the authorisation to use Western-supplied weapons systems will expand Ukraine's defence capabilities and bring the end of the Russo-Ukrainian war closer.

Quote: "The launch location and distance to the targets are indicated for the sake of illustration. The StratCom of the AFU also cannot claim that the Ukrainian defence forces are behind each of the strikes and not partisans or Russians dissatisfied with their government."

Background:

Ukrainska Pravda sources noted that a drone launched by Ukraine's Defence Intelligence had attacked a Voronezh-M long-range target detection radar station located in the Russian city of Orsk, Orenburg Oblast, on 26 May 2024.

The Ukrainian drone travelled over 1,800 km (roughly 1,100 miles) to the Russian facility, setting a new record for the strike range of kamikaze drones.

Support UP or become our patron!
Is Ukrainian a language or a dialect? That depends on whom you ask and how the war ends

In 2022, after the start of the war in Ukraine, the number of people studying Ukrainian on Duolingo, a language learning website and mobile app, increased by more than 500%.

Most of those who have taken up Ukrainian are probably unaware that there is a long-running controversy about this particular form of speech. One side views Russians and Ukrainians as one people, and the opposing side does not.

The former claim that Ukrainian is just a dialect of Russian, while the latter argue that it is a separate language. Whos correct?

Unfortunately, there isnt a clear answer. The difference between a language and a dialect depends upon whom you ask.

The linguistics angle

Many linguists base their determination of language-or-dialect on whether forms of speech are mutually understandable. In simple terms, if two people are speaking different dialects of the same language, they can probably understand each other. However, if two people are speaking separate languages, they probably wont be able to understand each other.

By this definition, Czech and Slovak could be viewed as dialects of the same language. The same goes for Indonesian and Malay.

Some spoken forms look quite different when pen is put to paper. For instance, Serbian is written with a variation of the Cyrillic alphabet, like Russian, while Croatian uses a form of the Latin alphabet, like English. Nonetheless, many linguists would consider Serbian and Croatian to be dialects of the same language, because its the understandability of spoken forms that generally counts.

Humans have been talking for a very long time, but weve only been writing things down for a few millennia. Plus, of the roughly 7,000 known living languages only about 4,000 have a writing system.

Politics says something different

For political scientists, the difference between a language and a dialect is not based on mutual understandability, but rather politics. For example, Hindi and Urdu are separate languages because the governments of India and Pakistan say they are, even though the colloquially spoken forms of the two varieties are strikingly similar.

Max Weinreich, a Yiddish scholar, popularized the idea that a language is a dialect with an army and navy. In other words, a government can promote the view that a dialect is a separate language even if it isnt in linguistic terms.

Moldova, for instance, argues that Moldovan is a separate language, even though it is nearly identical to Romanian. Although Romania has gotten upset about such linguistic rebranding, according to Article 13 of the Moldovan Constitution, the countrys official language is Moldovan, and not Romanian. Thus the two are separate languages  at least politically.

Ukrainian soldiers move through a combat zone in the Donbas region of Ukraine. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Bestowing official status on a particular spoken form not only encourages its use in government, including the courts, but it also usually means that a spoken form will be taught in schools, thereby ensuring that future generations share a common language  even if it was invented for nationalistic purposes.

Just as a dialect with an army and navy can be considered its own language, a language with an army and a navy can call other languages mere dialects. For example, the official language of the Peoples Republic of China is Standard Chinese, which is often shortened to simply Chinese and is sometimes  contentiously  referred to as Mandarin. However, this is not the only form of speech that can be heard throughout the country.

Cantonese is widely spoken in and around Hong Kong, yet it is often treated as a dialect of Chinese. However, spoken Mandarin and Cantonese are not mutually understandable. As such, in linguistic terms, these two forms of speech would not be considered dialects of a single language, but rather separate languages.

In order to strengthen the power of the central government against separatist sentiment, the Chinese government has long promoted a language unification agenda. The intent is both to create a common way of communicating for the country but also to minimize the linguistic and cultural differences that exist among different communities. To help spread the adoption of Standard Chinese, as defined by the government, television and radio professionals are subject to strict requirements and can even be fined for using incorrect pronunciation.

Throughout China, local forms of speech are being phased out as mediums of instruction in schools in favor of Mandarin. Many of these forms are now declining, and some are at risk of going extinct. Such efforts do not necessarily mean that these types of speech arent real languages in the linguistic sense.

But politically, the difference between a language and a dialect is whatever China says it is. This is even reflected at the international level, as many organizations, such as the United Nations, recognize Chinese as being the form of speech standardized and promoted by the Chinese government.

Resolving the conflict

So, is Ukrainian a dialect of Russian or a separate language? Linguistically, Ukrainian and Russian are about as different as French and Portuguese. Although French and Portuguese both descend from Latin, theyve now diverged enough to make mutual understanding difficult. Similarly, while both Ukrainian and Russian share a common ancestor, their present-day spoken forms are now different enough that theres a strong linguistic case for them to be considered separate languages.

Politically, however, whether Ukrainian is a dialect or language will, in part, depend upon how the war ends. If Ukraine remains an independent country that considers Ukrainian a separate language  it is a separate language.

If, however, Russia ends up controlling the entirety of Ukraine, thereby finishing the process that it began in 2014 with its annexation of Crimea, then Russia could promote the view that Ukrainian is but a mere dialect of Russian, to reinforce Ukraines diminished status as a part of Russia.

In short, not only is Ukraines territorial integrity at risk, but so is the independence of a unique and distinct cultural community.

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: Joshua Holzer, Westminster College

Read more:



Joshua Holzer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Ukrainian Navy show how the small warship Hetman Ivan Mazepa is being tested at sea  video

The Ukrainian Navy has shown how its Hetman Ivan Mazepa corvette-class multi-purpose ship, which is being built in Turkiye, is undergoing sea trials.

Source: Ukrainian Navy; Militarnyi, a Ukrainian online military media outlet

Details: Militarnyi writes that during these tests, the ships crew and shipbuilding company, together with contractors, have checked the operation of all the corvette's systems  in particular, the way the equipment operates in different modes and with varying loads.

The corvette is due to join the Ukrainian Navy in 2024.

Background:

On 2 October 2022, the first Ukrainian ADA-class corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa was launched in Turkiye at the RMK Marine shipyard.

The first corvette for the Ukrainian Navy was laid down in Turkiye in September 2021. At the end of December, a shipyard in Istanbul began assembling the corvette's hull.

On 8 March 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decreed that an Ada-class corvette of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that is being built in Turkiye is to be named after the 17th-century Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi.

Support UP or become our patron!
The University of Minnesotas board of regents is set to review a plan recommending the school seek donations to keep the Eastcliff property, a St. Paul mansion that has served as the university presidents residence for more than 60 years.

If the board approves the plan, itll end more than a year of uncertainty surrounding whether the U would hold on to the riverfront property, after a task force report in 2022 questioned its upkeep costs.

A group put together by the board to review options for keeping the property will recommend the school seek private donations to help cover operating and capital costs.

The Eastcliff Property Task Force is set to present its recommendations at the boards meeting on Wednesday, July 10. Their study found it would be feasible to raise money for operating costs and repairs over the next five years. The plan would have the backing of the University of Minnesota Foundation.

Most of the costs would be covered by philanthropy, but the U would still support some of the operating costs, the school said.

With the bulk of expenses transitioned out of the Universitys operating budget, this proposal would free up additional funding to directly support students, faculty, researchers and community engagement programming, the U said in a news release announcing the plan.

Eastcliff was built in 1922 on the east bank of the Mississippi River near the University of Minnesota for lumber magnate Edward Brooks Sr. His family donated the property to the U in 1958, and it became the home of university presidents in 1961.

The 10,000-square-foot mansion has served as a space for honoring students and faculty and has hosted visiting dignitaries, such as the Dalai Lama in 2011.

Since last summer, Eastcliff has been home to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his family as the official Governors Residence on Summit Avenue undergoes major renovations. Their lease was set to run through September 2024, but there are options for an extension if the renovations take too long.

In the meantime, new university president Rebecca Cunningham, who assumed her role July 1, is staying in an apartment near campus, according to a university spokesperson.

In recent years, UMN officials started to question the cost of keeping the mansion. The board at one point considered selling Eastcliff due to maintenance and operation costs.

In December 2022 a Board of Regents task force said money the school spends on Eastcliff would be better used for other school objectives.

At the time, Eastcliff only had three endowments totaling $1.3 million, and the U said it would need between $15 million and $20 million from donors to create an endowment to cover expenses.

The mansion cost about $377,000 a year to operate between 2012-2022, with costs supporting maintenance, grounds and custodial staff, the Pioneer Press previously reported.

Related Articles
Workers weed a field of peppers on a farm in Fruitland, Idaho. (Kirsten Strough/U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Para leer esta historia en espanol, haga clic aqui.

Unauthorized immigrants make up about 35,000 people of Idahos population, and their labor and spending contributions are in the tens of millions of dollars, according to a new report.

In June the University of Idahos McClure Center for Public Policy Research released a report, Idaho at a Glance: Unauthorized Immigrants and Idahos Economy, which highlights the key figures from a study about the role unauthorized immigrants have in the states economy.

The report was conducted at the request of the Idaho Dairymens Association, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, and Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, McClure Center director Katherine Himes told the Sun.

Himes said there were limitations to finding recent data, adding there is a time lag with the data available.

Resources were not available to collect new data or update existing estimates of the unauthorized immigrant population, she said. The most recent data on the number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States and Idaho are from 2021, with more detailed data only available for earlier years.

National trends, according to the report, show that the number of unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. has decreased over the years. In 2007, there were an estimated 12.2 million living in the country. That number went down to 10.5 million in 2021.

Unlike national trends, Idahos unauthorized immigrant population has remained largely stable over the years, holding steady at around 35,000 between 2005 and 2021, according to the report.

Key economic figures in the report show:

Unauthorized immigrants in Idaho had an estimated $570 million available for spending in 2019.

In 2014, the most recent year for which data are available, unauthorized immigrants in Idaho paid $26.3 million in sales, property, and state income tax combined.

Unauthorized immigrants play a key role in Idahos economy, according to the report, and they help Idaho industries  particularly those in agriculture, hospitality and construction  meet their labor needs.

The report shows that of the unauthorized immigrants living in Idaho:

92% are working-age adults

86% are in the workforce

78% are from Mexico

58% speak English well or very well

48% have a high school diploma, some college

SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

We are dependent on an unauthorized workforce: agriculture group says

While Idaho lawmakers pushed for policies targeting the states unauthorized immigrant population during the 2024 legislative session, at least one Idaho industry has been vocal about its need for the unauthorized immigrant workforce.

Rick Naerebout, the chief executive officer of the Idaho Dairymens Association, has testified several times against bills making their way through the Statehouse that would impact his industrys workforce.

This year, at least two bills introduced in the 2024 legislative session pushed for strict immigration policies:

House Bill 615, would have prevented unauthorized immigrants in Idaho from accessing publicly-funded assistance. Bill sponsors Reps. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur dAlene, and Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, said their goal was to disincentivize unauthorized immigrants from moving to Idaho. The bill did not move forward. In a 7-5 vote in the House Health and Welfare Committee, Democrats and Republicans said it would hurt unauthorized mothers and children who seek vaccines, prenatal care and food assistance.

House Bill 753, a replica of a controversial Texas law that would have created a new crime known as illegal entry, also made its way through the statehouse. Rep. Jaron Crane, R-Nampa, introduced the bill two weeks before the Legislature adjourned. It passed in the Idaho House of Representatives in a 53-15 vote, but it did not make it to the Senate for a hearing.

If those or other immigration-related policies were to pass in future legislative sessions, they could have major ramifications on jobs related to the states agricultural industry and the people who work them.

Idaho ranks third in the U.S. for its milk and cheese production, according to the Idaho Department of Agriculture. But most of those working in Idahos dairy industry are not legally authorized to live in the U.S.

According to the Idaho Dairymens Association:

90% of Idaho dairy workers are foreign-born and Spanish-speaking

78% of Idaho dairy workers are from Mexico

11% are from the U.S.

11% are from Central America

Unlike farmwork and hospitality jobs  dairy work is year round, and workers do not have access to a visa program that allows them to work seasonally. When 90% of those working in Idaho dairy jobs are foreign born and there is a regular shortage in dairy workers, the industry relies on the unauthorized workforce, Naerebout told the Idaho Capital Sun.

The reality is, its been decades since the domestic population has wanted to work the jobs that agriculture provides, he said. Agricultural jobs are going to be manual labor. We pay competitive wages, but theyre not easy jobs. The domestic workforce typically is going to take a pass on them and pursue other jobs that are going to be easier.

Naerebout said he will continue to defend the dairy industrys need for an unauthorized workforce during future legislative sessions.

Need to get in touch?

Have a news tip?

CONTACT US

We are dependent on an unauthorized workforce, he said. Who would fill that void if those workers werent here available to fill the jobs that other people dont want? he said.

Naerebout said the biggest misconception he hears about Idahos unauthorized workforce is that the workers have a negative impact in the communities they live in.

Nothing can be further from the truth, he said. They add to society, and without those jobs we would have much less economic activity  especially in places like the Magic Valley, where that entire valley is built around food production and food processing.

Naerebout said that the McClure Centers report on unauthorized immigrants effectively highlights that the situation in Idaho is quite different from what is occurring at the southern border.

Idahos unauthorized immigrant population has remained steady over the years, and at least half of that population has been in Idaho for more than 16 years.

Theyre very stable, and theyre a part of our community, Naerebout said.

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
A unifying celebration of our nation? Not this Fourth of July, say some readers

Today, our nation brandishes the flag and our collective pride as we celebrate the day when, 248 years ago, a group of traitors to the English monarchy formally declared the independence of the United States from the British empire. The flags we wave and the national union we exalt may be the same, but as the letters below make clear, the reasons we have for doing so might be different  especially ahead of the November election.

Last month, we asked readers to share their thoughts on the Fourth of July, specifically what they see as continuing to bind our nation together in a politically fraught time. Some readers wrote letters saying they detected an effort to elicit a positive reaction  but sorry, L.A. Times, not this Fourth of July. Others said they felt a sense of heightened pride over American ideals that are under assault. A handful saw plenty to praise about our nation.

Perhaps this is a display of our national motto, "e pluribus unum"  out of many, one. I suppose that's one positive way to look at a polarized nation on its 248th birthday.

 Paul Thornton, letters editor

To the editor: I never gave much celebratory thought to July 4. When civics was taught in my high school during the 1970s, I was engaged enough to learn it was when the United States formally broke from Great Britain in 1776. That's it. Let the fireworks begin.

It is only now, as a senior citizen, that I am beginning to realize the Fourth of July means so much because of what may be lost.

My young adult children have fewer rights than I had at their age. After all, I had the privilege of attending and graduating from a prestigious university due to affirmative action. I had the right to have an abortion after an unfortunate circumstance. I had the right to read the books of my choice without a raised eyebrow.

And oh yes, we had the right to protest our universities' investments in apartheid South Africa with minimal blowback.

While I have always regarded Juneteenth as the true date of my ancestors' freedom, the wave of authoritarianism hitting our nation forces me to recognize that our democracy is fragile. The Constitution is increasingly being interpreted without consideration of the amendments meant to level the playing field for marginalized groups. We may soon take a deep dive into dictatorship.

So this year, my celebration extends from Juneteenth to July 4. I hope the movement backward can at least be paralyzed by having more Americans get their information from credible sources and voting in November. If you don't know what an authoritarian government is, research and read. If you don't know how it might affect you, challenge yourself to think about it critically.

This year, I celebrate the freedom to vote  because make no mistake, that can change too.

Lynn Williams, Los Angeles

::

To the editor: I am celebrating this Fourth of July because the America in which my grandsons are growing up is a better country than the one I did.

Between 1960 and 2020, our country made more progress in education, politics and economics than in any 60-year period in our history. America changed dramatically, and our institutions have reflected that.

Between 1976 and 2020, our minority population grew by more than 200%, as we became one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. High school dropout rates declined, and the number of minority students who went to college increased by nearly 400%  and the number who graduated, by almost 700%. Poverty rates have declined, and median family incomes have gone up.

In 1964, out of 435 House members, only 12 were women and eight were minorities. Today, as a consequence of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, there are 126 women and about 130 minority members in the House.

Millions of Americans fought to make America a more egalitarian and a more democratic nation, and they succeeded. The abolitionist minister Theodore Parker and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. talked about the moral arc of the universe being long but bending toward justice  and in the last 60 years, that arc has bent more toward justice than in any period in our history.

John Perez, North Hollywood

The writer was a member of the California Postsecondary Education Commission from 2005-2011.

::

To the editor: The Fourth of July brings up mixed feelings of pride, pain and sadness.

Pain, because my daughter was born on the Fourth of July and died on Dec. 25, 1972, of leukemia.

Pride, because our family has served for six generations in various military branches. It began with our ancestor Andres Nava, who died during the Texas Revolution defending the Alamo. It continued with grandfathers on both sides of the family who were drafted in World War I. In World War II, our ancestor Alfredo Basaldua Nava served in the Pacific theater and received many medals.

Many more family members served our country elsewhere and were commended for their service. As is traditional in our family, the names of Andres (Andrew) Nava and Alfredo (Alfred) Basaldua Nava have been given to many of their descendants.

Finally, I feel sadness knowing many people do not know just how many Americans of Mexican descent have served in the military, including many Medal of Honor recipients. Furthermore, many immigrants from Mexico have served or are serving to protect our nation's freedoms today.

This July 4, I will be remembering my daughter, who called herself a "real-life niece of my Uncle Sam" after she found out the fireworks and barbecues were not really about her birthday. I will be thinking about my ancestors and descendants who served this country for all these generations and in all these wars, and I will pray that we can one day celebrate peace on our nation's birthday.

Mary Lou Nava Hamaker, San Clemente

::

To the editor: In your invitation for people to write commemorating Independence Day, I sensed a desire for letters in the vein of, "There's still more that unites us than divides us." While I wish that were the case, it clearly is not.

As we're staring down the barrel of another Donald Trump presidency, what can you say about the man that hasn't been said before? You're talking about an individual completely lacking in honesty, compassion, intelligence, morality  virtually everything that makes a decent human being, well, decent.

While I am revolted by the man, my dismay is more directed at the roughly half of the voting populace that will mark their ballots for him in November. I will never understand what kind of hatred and delusion these people are under, and no amount of "talking it out" will change anything.

What mystifies me as well is that there is no discussion of breaking this country up. If there ever were any values that truly united us, they're long gone. Those of us out west would be happier governing ourselves, and I'm sure those in Texas would as well.

Would a break-up be messy? Of course. But I fear the status quo will be worse.

Mark Battista, Studio City

::

To the editor: As an Indigenous Native American, my perspective on celebrating the Fourth of July probably differs from that of most others.

My family lived on a reservation, and we loved the Fourth of July celebration  it was the highlight of the year. When World War II started, as a 10-year-old I was convinced that everything American was good, and anything relating to the enemy was bad. I identified strongly and proudly with America. That patriotic spirit bound our union.

As an adult, I am a family man of faith, a Korean War veteran, a retired business owner and a taxpaying citizen. I have been blessed in all those endeavors.

But recently I have become aware of some ignored history that causes me to wonder: Should we be celebrating the Fourth of July at all?

Consider what the greatness of this country was built on. In the 15th century, explorers were empowered in the name of religion to take land, and to enslave or exterminate the Indigenous inhabitants if they resisted. Chattel slavery of Africans enriched slave owners. Indigenous people were victims of government-ordered genocide.

Our land was stolen. We were removed to reservations or massacred. Our cultures were eliminated in boarding schools. Very little of this is revealed accurately in our history books.

Politicians usually end their speeches with, "May God bless America." I now believe, rather that seeking God's blessing, we should be pleading for mercy.

Harold Printup, Mar Vista

::

To the editor: I am sorry, L.A. Times. I would like to be as positive as you seem to be and write a nice essay on what binds this country together.

Not today. I only celebrate a publication such as yours to allow me my voice, and maybe for not much longer.

Early in his presidency, Trump declared the free press to be the enemy of the people. That should have been the reddest of red flags. If he wins back the White House, how long before he can shut down The Times and every other publication that he finds disagreeable?

We've seen an entire political party bend the knee with no shame. We know the people will follow, as too many already have.

The question is, do we survive this? Will we be bruised and bloodied but still holding onto our ideals? I'm not so sure.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak my mind.

John G. Hill, Mission Hills

::

To the editor: As my city of Huntington Beach prepares for its popular Fourth of July parade, one cannot ignore the fact that Surf City is greatly polarized because the ultra-conservative majority on our City Council consistently focuses on contentious culture-war policies. Tension will surely be noticeable at this year's event.

Behind the veil of overt patriotism, one cannot ignore what took place during the past year in city government, including attacks on the public library, false stories of election fraud and blatant anti-LGBTQ+ policies.

Despite such gloom, democracy has been rekindled in recent weeks. Thousands of signatures have been collected for two ballot initiatives, which would give all Huntington Beach citizens, not just a handful of far-right conservatives, a voice in how our public library is managed.

During the summer of 1776, American towns celebrated their new independence from a monarchy ruled by a few. Lets hope that Huntington Beach can return to the day when residents can celebrate the true meaning of the Fourth of July  because as Abraham Lincoln said, a house divided against itself cannot stand.

Carol Daus, Huntington Beach

::

To the editor: Philosophies aside, what binds our nation is our flag.

Born and raised in Baltimore, I have always held a special place in my heart for our flag. To this day I get teary eyed whenever I hear "The Star Spangled Banner" and see our flag on display.

Our nation has fought for it.

Soldiers have died for it.

Other nations can only wish they had one like it.

It is hated by some, revered by others.

It moves me.

It calms me.

It commands my respect.

It is the most iconic symbol of my lifetime.

Mark Skurnik, Mission Viejo

::

To the editor: This is the 95th birthday of our nation within my lifetime. My introspection is influenced by the experiences of my grandparents, who fled antisemitism and the pogroms of 19th century Ukraine.

America did not invent freedom and individual rights. Those yearnings have dwelt forever in human hearts the world over. Rather, our nation is ennobled by the institutions and documents created by the founding Fathers  the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, which guarantee the blessings and define the obligations of U.S. citizenship.

My innate optimism about the future of our nation is tempered currently by these concerns:

I am appalled by indications that roughly half of the voters are currently inclined to return Trump to the presidency, even though his term in office was beset by administrative chaos and terminated with illegal actions to reverse the 2020 election. He is a convicted felon who admires tyrants and a person of deeply flawed character.

I am concerned about the eminence of extremists in both major parties. I am concerned about the failure of our schools and colleges to produce well-informed citizens. I am concerned about societal ills such as homelessness and aggressive lawlessness.

I hope this Fourth of July will celebrate the emergence of inspirational and unifying leadership to realign our nation toward its benevolent potential.

Mel Spitz, Beverly Hills

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Gov. Brian Kemp and five other Southern governors recently sent a chilling statement to working people in this state: Dont you dare join a union. While politicians in the South have a long and sordid history of thwarting workers legal right to stand together in a union, these brazen and highly inappropriate threats no longer carry the weight they once did.

Workers at the Blue Bird electric bus factory in Macon made history last year by voting to join the United Steelworkers and last month ratified their first contract, which included substantial wage gains, health and safety protections, and much more. These workers and many others in the South who choose to stand together in a union are sending a powerful message to anti-union governors like Kemp: We wont be bullied.

Read the room, Gov. Kemp. Unions are more popular now than weve been in decades because, for far too long, corporate interests and the politicians they bankroll have exercised complete control over the economic futures of working folks. These profitable corporations and the politicians in their pockets have conspired to drive down wages, limit opportunity, create health and safety risks on the job, and exploit the vulnerable, especially Black and Brown workers.

The Economic Policy Institute detailed how the Southern economic model is failing workers while pushing all economic gains to the wealthy and well-connected.

In fact, the Southern economic development strategy was never designed to help the vast majority of working Southerners; rather, it reflects efforts to ensure continued access to the cheap labor of Black people following emancipation, the report states.

To be sure, corporate CEOs are doing everything they can to keep this economic model alive. Recently Mercedes ran a vicious anti-union campaign to coerce workers in its Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant to vote against joining the United Auto Workers (UAW), and while the vote was close, workers didnt prevail.

But increasingly, workers of all races and backgrounds are fed up with this treatment. And, here in Georgia and across the South, theyre turning to unions to balance the scales. If the Blue Bird victory and other recent unionization wins by workersincluding autoworkers at Volkswagen in Chattanooga joining the UAW, and assembly workers at New Flyer in Alabama joining the Communications Workers of Americaare any indication of whats to come, workers are about to break the generations-long stranglehold corporate interests and politicians have wielded over our economic fortunes.

Times are changing. And the South is, too. The failed economic model that generates wealth only for the rich and powerful is dying. Good riddance. To replace it, unions and communities are building a new model together that will empower working folks to pursue and achieve the American dream for decades to come. We can ensure that companies in Georgia and across the South are doing right by our communities, keeping our air and water free of pollution, lifting working people of all races, and creating a lasting revitalization that lives up to the promise of shared prosperity.

To achieve this, the AFL-CIO and community partners have joined together here in Georgia and across the South to fight for justice on all frontseconomic, environmental and racial. Were redefining what it means to organize for the benefit of entire communities, which is critical given that our tax dollars are funding the expansion of these businesses in Georgia.

Through our collaborative efforts, were demanding that companies negotiate community benefits agreements, which address a broad range of issues, including workers rights and environmental concerns, to ensure that the community where a company locates shares in the gains.

Thats especially important now.

Thanks to the Biden administration and the efforts of unions and advocates for a clean environment, were on the cusp of a reindustrialization of America, sparking the creation of potentially millions of new jobs in the next generation in industries such as renewable energy, manufacturing and technology. And theres a multiplier effect. As these new jobs come online, well see more jobs in the service sector and other supporting industries. Many of the jobs are coming to our backyard. After decades of economic decline and low wages, were on the verge of a renaissance that could transform the South for generations to come.

But resistance from anti-union politicians like Kemp threatens our economic futures. Kemp is even punishing employers who want to do the right thing by recognizing their workers desire to join a union, signing legislation banning those companies from receiving economic incentives.

Thats not what workers want. Its not what the people of Georgia want.

In our vision of the new Southern economy, we secure union jobs for building facilities and manufacturing. We lead with racial and gender equity, ensuring everyone has access to new jobs and prioritizing local hire with training and support. And, just as importantly, we safeguard our air and water so that our families can thrive.

On our own, were no match for the powerful multinational corporations and their political benefactors. But together, the future we can achieve is limitless.

Liz Shuler is the President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, a federation of labor unions representing millions of people. Yvonne Brooks is President of the Georgia AFL-CIO
Topeka, Kansas  When Angelica Chernytska and her mother Larysa left war-torn Ukraine earlier this year, they never expected Topeka, Kansas, would quickly feel like home.

"I was overwhelmed, that is how I can describe my feelings," Angelica told CBS News.

That's because the people of this Midwestern city have created a modern-day welcome wagon.

"It's very rewarding to see the children thrive in school, not afraid of sirens," said Yana Ross, president of the nonprofit group Top City Promise.



Ross, who immigrated from Ukraine herself, started the volunteer group to help new immigrants, mostly Ukrainians so far, with almost all expenses for three months, including a place to live.

Larysa said she "was overwhelmed" to walk into a fully furnished apartment the day after she arrived in Topeka.

What is unique is how the group has partnered with the community to ensure the immigrants have more than just a roof over their heads. A Latter-day Saints church welcomes the newcomers to pick up free food, while a Catholic church stores donations that furnish the homes.



Topeka Public Schools has gone as far as hiring a director of cultural innovation, Dr. Pilar Mejia, who helps ease the transition for children.

"We need to strengthen our community from the ground up, and it starts with the children, and so we need to make sure that everybody feels like they're important," Mejia said. "They are seen, they are welcomed."

Topeka Public Schools now has an international flair. In the district of almost 13,000, Ukrainian and Spanish are the most common languages after English. More than 200 refugees have benefitted from the program and the helping hand extends to all nationalities.

Lisbeth Amador came from Nicaragua with her husband and 6-year-old daughter Sury. The couple have jobs, a car and a good school for Sury.

"I love it," Amador says of her family's new home. "It's different, my life here."



The cost of welcoming a family can range anywhere from $300 to $10,000 depending on needs. Top City Promise relies on fundraising and the big hearts of the people who call Topeka home.



"Community is what makes Topeka different, because of the desire of the Topeka community to help, to help them to be successful," Ross said.

Hurricane Beryl moves past Jamaica, bringing punishing winds and storm surge

Biden celebrates July 4th as debate fallout continues

Hurricane Beryl takes aim at Mexico after causing destruction in Jamaica
(Getty Images).

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.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.

The post When universal pre-K really isnt: Barriers to participating abound appeared first on Missouri Independent.
US ambassador to Hungary explains why Orban cannot call himself "peacemaker"

US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman stated that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban cannot consider himself a "peacemaker" unless he demands that Russian leader Vladimir Putin ends the war on terms that respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Source: Pressman on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "Hungarys leader chooses to stand with a man whose forces are responsible for crimes against humanity in Ukraine, and alone among our Allies. While Russia strikes Ukrainian civilians, Hungary pleads for business deals."

Details: In his message, Pressman refers to Orban's recent meeting with Putin, as well as nine visits to the Russian Federation by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.

"This is not about peace its about profit, and it's a huge disservice to Hungarians and Hungarys relationship with its Allies. Until Orban insists Putin end his brutal war on terms that respect Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, he is no peacemaker," the ambassador concluded.

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin hosted Viktor Orban, Hungarian PM, in the Kremlin on 5 July to conduct negotiations and discuss Ukraine, among other things. He started the meeting by mentioning an ultimatum for Kyiv.

Viktor Orban said that after his visits to Moscow and Kyiv, he realised that the positions of both sides regarding the war of aggression unleashed by Russia "are very far apart".

Support UP or become our patron!
A patrolman watches the water level at the Susong section of Tongma dike of Yangtze River in Anqing City, east China's Anhui Province, July 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)

by Xinhua writers Yao Yuan and Ji Hang

NANCHANG, July 5 (Xinhua) -- From college graduates to migrant workers, many Chinese people are rushing back to the villages that they once left for urban jobs or education, united by a call to guard their rural hometowns against flooding.

The latest round of rainstorms has swelled rivers in southern and eastern China, including the Yangtze River -- the country's longest -- piling the pressure on many riverside villages that lack young workers to patrol and fortify besieged dikes.

Jiangzhou Town, located on an island on the Yangtze, in the eastern province of Jiangxi, has issued a letter calling on villagers to return and join the local battle against flooding.

"Fellow villagers, when you read this letter, your hometown needs you," said the letter, published on the local official WeChat account. "Please join us on the frontline of flood control and defend Jiangzhou!"

The island town has over 42,000 registered residents, but its permanent population has shrunk to about 4,000 due to young villagers leaving for better-paying jobs in cities, leaving behind mostly the elderly and children.

As of Thursday evening, a total of 1,298 villagers had answered the call to return, said Wang Zifeng, head of the town.

Among them is Li Zhongyuan, 55, whose family drove more than eight hours to return to Jiangzhou from the neighboring Fujian Province.

"I moved out of the village long ago and have returned less frequently in recent years. But it has been a tradition for us to come back and help in times of flooding," said Li, who was patrolling the embankment wearing a life-vest.

The latest round of rain-triggered floods and geological disasters has impacted 1.56 million people and flooded about 160,667 hectares of farmland in Jiangxi by Thursday evening, incurring a direct economic loss of 1.86 billion yuan (about 260.9 million U.S. dollars), according to official figures.

As the water levels on local rivers and lakes continue to rise, the provincial government has deployed 182,800 people on dike patrols and 73,000 people on disaster relief. Many villages and towns are mobilizing villagers to monitor and mend dikes.

"We have issued calls to summon back young villagers who are working in other places. Some are already on the way," said Wang Mingjian, Party chief of Nanwan Village in Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi.

This photo taken on July 2, 2024 shows the submerged trail at a hydrological station located at the confluence of the Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River in Hukou County, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua/Zhou Mi)

In Anhui Province, also in eastern China, more than 50,000 people have been mobilized to patrol dikes and embankments in cities along the Yangtze. Heavy downpours have lashed the province, forcing the evacuation of 242,000 people.

In Anhui's Susong County, Tan Kang used a shovel to turn over knee-high grass on the dike to spot any leakage points.

Tan, 22, skipped his college graduation celebrations to return to his hometown, where he joined nearly 1,000 officials and volunteers in patrolling dikes.

"I used to be terrified by snakes, but I've seen so many in the past few days that I'm used to them now," he said. The patrol along the 1-km dike lasts 40 minutes and is arranged once every three hours.

"I see the patrols as my graduation ceremony," said the graduate of Huangshan University.

Authorities said due to persistent heavy rainfall, water levels of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake will continue to rise.

The central government said it has allocated about 8.13 million yuan worth of emergency-relief materials to hard-hit Jiangxi. Expert teams have been dispatched to the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, Hubei and Hunan to support local flood-control efforts. 
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  The U.S. Forest Service will halt the logging of 147,000 acres of trees within Utahs Ashley National Forest in response to a lawsuit filed against the project by conservation groups.

The project was authorized by the Forest Service in October 2023. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, it would have torn down the habitat for many of Utahs bighorn sheep, deer, elk, bear, and raptors. The forest also provides a home for rare forest animals such as the lynx and wolverine.

Ted Zukoski, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, called the halting of the project a big win for the Ashley National Forest.

While its a great relief the Aspen Project has been shelved for now, it never shouldve been approved in the first place, Zukoski said. Our biologically rich natural places need to be protected, not logged.

WATCH: Fireworks launch into crowd at Stadium of Fire, 6 taken to the hospital

The Ashley National Forest spans 1.4 million acres in northeastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. The logging project would have taken place entirely within the Beehive State borders.

The project would have reportedly removed conifers and aspens through commercial logging and prescribed burns.

The Center for Biological Diversity said the ecosystem in the forest supports a wide array of plant and animal species in part because of its diversity. The center said the first is considered the most important deciduous forest in western North America. The aspen also acts as natural fuel breaks and can play an important role in wildfire impression and management.

We appreciate that the Forest Service came to their senses and withdrew their plan to log and burn inventoried roadless areas on the Ashley, said Native Ecosystems Council Director Sara Johnson, PhD. In the future, we hope they dont force us to take them to court. This project would have destroyed songbird habitat, many of which are declining in numbers.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
US Navy Super Hornets armed with SM-6s, a warship missile newly tested in combat, have been spotted in the Pacific

US Navy fighter aircraft were recently spotted carrying an air-launched variant of the SM-6 missile.

The ship-fired SM-6 only recently saw combat for the first time during the counter-Houthi conflict.

In a new role, the missile could be a big deal for the US in a China fight.

US Navy fighter aircraft have been spotted in the Pacific carrying an air-launched version of a powerful ship-fired interceptor missile that only recently debuted in combat.

American warships fighting in the Middle East have fired the Standard Missile 6, or SM-6, to intercept munitions launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, using it in a surface-to-air role.

But it appears to be getting a new role as a long-range air-to-air missile, a potentially significant development that could fill a crucial capability gap if the US went to war with China. A US Navy spokesperson told Naval News that "the SM-6 Air Launched Configuration (ALC) was developed as part of the SM-6 family of missiles and is operationally deployed in the Navy today."

Multiple F/A-18E Super Hornets have been spotted in recent days carrying the SM-6 variant aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and on the tarmac at Hawaii's Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, which boasts the world's largest international maritime warfare drills.

The ship-launched SM-6, also known as the RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile and part of the Navy's advanced Aegis Combat system, is a three-in-one extended-range weapon capable of anti-air and anti-surface warfare and is able to engage ballistic missiles during the terminal phase of their flight.

An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches off the flight deck aboard USS Carl Vinson on Sept. 17, 2021. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Isaiah Williams

"It uses a blast-fragmentation warhead to engage these threats in the endo-atmosphere," the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank's Missile Defense Project says of the missile. "The US Navy has also upgraded the SM-6 to perform strike missions."

CSIS also notes that "its tri-mission capability also presents opportunities for the Navy to arrange more efficient weapon loadouts onboard its guided missile ships."

The SM-6, which can strike targets as far as 230 miles away, had not seen confirmed combat until the Houthis began attacking commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden last fall. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro acknowledged in April that the sea service had used the SM-6 to engage enemy threats. He also confirmed the first use of the SM-3 in combat.

The missiles observed on Navy aircraft at RIMPAC can be seen sporting AIM-174B designations, indicating that they are an air-to-air variant. Observers have noted, though, that it has been modified for tests. This configuration has been spotted in previous years, although the Navy has yet to acknowledge the development.

The SM-6 Air Launched Configuration (ALC) was developed as part of the SM-6 family of missiles and is operationally deployed in the Navy today. - U.S. Navy Spokespersonhttps://t.co/NRYRNJ1oQa https://t.co/pBur3mhRQs pic.twitter.com/0L2bNLgTUi  Doha (@Doha104p3) July 5, 2024

Justin Bronk, an airpower and technology expert at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute think tank, said the recent public appearance of the SM-6 suggests the missile's development is nearing completion or has even reached initial operational capability.

It is "likely a deliberate signal of emerging capability to both allies and to Chinese military observers," he told Business Insider.

China has taken serious steps to upgrade and modernize its air force and navy, raising alarm bells on the other side of the Pacific as US military leaders and Biden administration officials observe Beijing's growing power with concern.

Extended air-to-air range missiles in a new role could help the Navy plug gaps in countering long-range missiles that China is fielding, especially should Washington and Beijing clash some day. A war between the two would primarily unfold across a maritime domain, where long-range strike and defensive capabilities would be crucial.

Sailors prepare to taxi an F/A-18E Super Hornet on the flight deck of USS Carl Vinson. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Derek Kelley

"The primary benefit offered by an air-launched SM-6 capability for Super Hornet is a dramatic increase in the range at which air targets can be engaged by the carrier air wing," Bronk said.

Such a capability would be particularly useful to the American Navy against China's "increasingly large and capable" air force and naval aviation elements, he said. China has invested in developing various long-range stand-off weapons for its aircraft.

The air-launched SM-6 capability could provide Navy carrier air wings with the ability to engage Chinese bombers and intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance aircraft at significantly longer ranges than the standard AIM-120D air-to-air missile, Bronk said.

Not only could it compete in that space, but an air-launched SM-6 missile would also be a practical asset for the US to deal with Beijing's warships and militarized artificial islands, both of which can threaten US and allied aircraft with missiles.

This missile, in this new air-launched configuration, can "extend protective coverage further from the carrier group without having to venture into heavily contested airspace," Bronk said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
US nuclear missile program costs soar to around $160 billion, sources say

By Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The cost of an Air Force program to replace aging nuclear missiles has ballooned to about $160 billion from $95.8 billion, three people familiar with the matter said, threatening to slash funding for other key modernization plans.

The project, now named the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program, is designed and managed by Northrop Grumman Corp and aims to replace aging Minuteman III missiles.

Its latest price tag has risen by around $65 billion since a 2020 cost estimate, according to a U.S. official, an industry executive and a hill aide briefed on the matter. This may force the Pentagon to scale back the project's scope or time frame, a second industry executive said.

Bloomberg reported earlier on Friday that the new price tag was around $141 billion with the Pentagon assessing modifications of construction and schedule.

Northrop Grumman declined to comment. The Pentagon did not comment on the figure, but said it expects to give a new cost estimate around Tuesday.

The new Sentinel cost estimate eclipses an increase to "at least" $131 billion that the Air Force made public in January.

That triggered the Nunn-McCurdy Act, a 1982 law that requires the Pentagon to formally justify to Congress the importance of a program whose unit acquisition costs have risen more than 25% above a baseline.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is expected to deliver that notification next week.

Though Air Force leaders argue that Sentinel is crucial for maintaining America's nuclear deterrent, the Pentagon asked industry to provide cost estimates on a service life extension program for the existing inventory of Minuteman III missiles, according to documents seen by Reuters.

Increased cost estimates are putting pressure on other Air Force priorities like the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter jet program, according to two of the sources.

Other programs potentially at risk include hypersonic weapons development, the B-21 bomber, and various space initiatives.

(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Alexandra Alper and Rod Nickel)
This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPMs home for opinion and news analysis. It first appeared at The Conversation.

The rise of the radical far right in Europe poses a threat not only to the continent but also to Americans at home and abroad.

But while the U.S. government tends to be quick to use sanctions against perceived bad actors across the globe, when it comes to the transnational threat that far-right violence poses, successive U.S. administrations have been more coy about using another critical and effective tool: terrorist designations.

It wasnt until mid-June 2024 that the Biden administrations State Department sanctioned its first violent far-right group, the Nordic Resistance Movement. A neo-Nazi group based in Sweden but with a footprint that extends throughout Scandinavia, the NRM has built a reputation for brutality and espousing a vision of totalitarian rule. As the State Department noted in its designation, the group is also stockpiling weapons and explosive materials.

Prior to the Nordic groups listing as a terrorist entity, the Trump administration designated the far-right Russian Imperial Movement as a terrorist group in 2020.

Both groups are now officially deemed specially designated global terrorists by the United States. As a result, the groups are subject to an asset freeze, and anyone trying to support them risks prosecution for financing terrorism.

As a former State Department counterterrorism official with more than a decade of experience sanctioning terrorists under U.S. law, I know that its no accident that the groups U.S. officials are targeting now are based in Europe rather than in America.

Targeting the far right overseas

The threat posed by violent far-right actors is certainly as serious in Europe as in the United States. But United States agencies do not have authority to legally sanction groups such as the U.S.-based Oath Keepers, Proud Boys or the Atomwaffen Division as terrorists.

Constitutional rights that protect freedom of speech, assembly and the right to bear arms make it exceedingly difficult to sanction domestic groups. Further, all of the relevant executive orders and statutory laws in the anti-terrorism space are explicit that the State Department must designate foreign-based groups.

With limited power to crack down on far-right groups in the U.S., agencies are instead looking to curtail the influence of violent far-right ideology from overseas.

Yet the designations of only two violent far-right groups as specially designated global terrorists  separated by four years  is disappointing to me, especially when considering the range of far-right threats that dot the European continent.

The EUs crime-fighting agency, Europol, reported in its December 2023 report that there were 45 arrests of far-right extremists in 2022 and the threat posed from right-wing terrorist lone actors, radicalized online, remained significant.

The most significant attack was an October 2022 shooting carried out in Bratislava, Slovakia, in front of an LGBTQ+ bar that resulted in two deaths. Interestingly, the State Departments designation of the Nordic Resistance Movement highlighted that the groups violent actions include an anti-LGBTQ+ platform.

Anti-immigration attacks

The Biden administration designated the Nordic Resistance Movement as a terrorist group shortly after EU parliamentary elections, in which far-right political groups made significant gains.

Far-right groups, such as Germanys Alternative for Germany, won seats  15 of them  for the first time. The group encourages violence against immigrants  communities often singled out by violent radical-right extremists such as the Nordic Resistance Movement.

In fact, the Nordic groups most notorious attack was carried out at a refugee center in Gothenburg, Sweden, in January 2017, during which an attempted bomb attack left one person seriously injured.

The perpetrators of the attack were trained at a camp in Russia by the Russian Imperial Movement  the group that the U.S. State Department designated as a terrorist group in 2020.

More recently, on June 18, a former member of the Nordic group carried out a knife attack on a foreign-born 12-year-old child in Finland.

Migration policy has long been a focus for violent far-right extremists, and increasingly politicians have been the targets.

In May 2024, for instance, a center-left German politician was beaten up while hanging campaign posters in an ideologically motivated attack.

In another assault, a politician in Dresden, Germany, was assaulted by a group that allegedly called out, Heil Hitler.

In fact, according to the Middlebury Institutes Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism, the Nordic groups goal is to overthrow democracy across the Nordic region and Scandinavia in favor of establishing a Third Reich-inspired Nazi dictatorship.

Groups like the Nordic Resistance Movement are leveraging a fragile and polarized European society, playing on fears that migrants are a threat to the continent.

Protecting democracies

Against the backdrop of recent violent far-right attacks against politicians and immigrants, along with recent European election results, the timing of the Biden administrations designation of the Nordic Resistance Movement reflects growing fear in Washington that the far-rights political rise in Europe may inspire violent extremists to move beyond chants, slogans and swastikas to mass shootings.

Nonetheless, the United States has been less inclined to sanction far-right groups than many of its partners. For example, the United Kingdom has designated seven far-right organizations as terrorist organizations; for Canada, the count is nine.

Simply put, the United States, despite its penchant to sanction enemies  from hostile states such as Russia to terrorist groups such as ISIS  appears reluctant to fully take advantage of its terrorist designation tools against violent far-right actors.

And that, I believe, could be a concern. U.S.-based far-right extremists are known to be very connected to similarly minded groups and individuals in Europe. Organizers of the 2017 white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, had alleged links to the proscribed Russian Imperial Movement.

By designating groups such as the Nordic Resistance Movement as terrorists, the Biden administration is hoping to dissuade Americans from supporting Europes far right. Under the terms of the State Department order, if any American did offer support, they could end up behind bars.

At the same time, it may be that the Biden administrations listing of the Nordic group is a signal to Europe that there are more far-right-related terrorist designations to come.

After all, the administration made a point to explain that the Nordic groups designation was taken following consultations with our European partners.

And with multiple important elections on the horizon in Europe, Bidens decision also represents an effort to champion democracy and push back against groups that promote us-versus-them narratives that define enemies as others worthy of attack.

If listing the Nordic Resistance Movement as a terrorist organization is a sign of more designations to come, it could further two of the Biden administrations stated goals: promoting and protecting democracy overseas and combating domestic terrorism.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The Conversation
Guest Opinion. Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist, has been imprisoned in the USA for nearly 50 years. Much of this time was spent in solitary confinement. He is serving two life sentences for murder, despite serious and ongoing concerns about the fairness of his trial. Peltier has always maintained his innocence.

Now 79 years old, Peltier contracted COVID-19 in 2022. He suffers from several chronic health issues, including one that could be fatal. On July 2, 2024, he was denied parole.

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.

We urge President Biden to grant Leonard Peltier clemency. This act would be on humanitarian grounds and as a matter of justice.

Background

Leonard Peltier, an Anishinaabe-Lakota Native American, was a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), which promotes Native American rights. On June 26, 1975, during a confrontation involving AIM members on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota, FBI agents Ronald Williams and Jack Coler were shot dead. AIM Member Joseph Stuntz was also killed. Leonard Peltier was convicted of their murders in 1977 and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. Peltier has always maintained his innocence.

Myrtle Poor Bear, a Lakota Native woman, claimed to have seen Peltier kill both FBI agents. Based on her statement, Peltier was extradited from Canada, where he had fled. However, Poor Bear later retracted her testimony, stating that it was a result of threats and harassment from FBI agents. Although not called as a prosecution witness, the trial judge did not allow her as a defense witness, claiming her testimony could prejudice the government. In 2000, she publicly stated that her original testimony was coerced.

In 1980, Peltiers lawyers received documents through the Freedom of Information Act. These documents contained ballistics evidence that could have helped Peltiers case but were withheld during the trial. In 1986, the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Eighth Circuit denied a retrial, acknowledging some improper conduct by FBI agents but refusing to attribute more wrongdoing to them. The U.S. Parole Commission has repeatedly denied parole to Peltier, even though the prosecution conceded there was no direct evidence of his involvement in the FBI agents' deaths. James H. Reynolds, the U.S. Attorney involved in the case, later supported clemency for Peltier.

Peltier suffers from multiple health issues, including kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, a heart condition, and a degenerative joint disease. A 1986 stroke left him nearly blind in one eye. In January 2016, he was diagnosed with a life-threatening abdominal aortic aneurysm. He currently uses a walker due to limited mobility and contracted COVID-19 in 2022. He remains at risk of re-infection while in detention.

Many organizations and leaders, including the National Congress of American Indians, Tribal Leaders, Indigenous Peoples worldwide, and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, have called for Peltiers release. In 2015, several Nobel Peace Prize winners, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, supported his release. Peltiers attorney applied for clemency to President Biden in July 2021, but no decision has been made as of July 2024. Due to the trial issues, exhausted legal appeals, the time already served, his maintained innocence, and chronic health problems, Leonard Peltier deserves clemency.

Write to President Joe Biden urging him to:

Grant Leonard Peltier clemency on humanitarian grounds and as a matter of justice.

Write to: President Joseph Biden

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20500

White House Comment line: (202) 456-1111 Webform*: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Salutation: Dear President Biden:

About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."

Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (ABC4)  A Pleasant Grove home is a total loss after it caught fire from fireworks thrown away in a garbage can.

Pleasant Grove Fire Department Chief Chase Gustman said the fire started near 1400 North and 500 East just after 1:00 a.m. on Friday, July 5.

He said the fireworks were placed in a garbage bin and reignited, quickly spreading throughout the home. By the time firefighters arrived, the flames had already spread from the garage to the roof, which collapsed shortly after.

As of 8 a.m., crews are still on the scene working to extinguish the flames.

The residents of the home were all able to get out safely and were unharmed. One cat was also found and one is still unaccounted for.

Gustman told ABC4.com the damage is estimated to be anywhere from $800,000 to $1 million.

Gustman said the fire is a reminder to soak used fireworks in a bucket of water and to avoid storing the used fireworks indoors.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers push students off campus during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the University of Texas at Austin on April 24. Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

The University of Texas at Austin has begun disciplining students who were arrested in pro-Palestinian demonstrations in April, scolding them for their actions but offering them a path to avoid suspension.

In letters sent out to students this week, first reported by KUT, university officials said it would be appropriate to suspend them for their actions during the protests but would give them the option to take deferred suspension instead, a form of probation that would allow students to remain in class and keep the disciplinary action from appearing on their final transcripts.

Recognizing our commitment to educational growth, we want to offer you an alternative path to avoid suspension by proving that you have learned from this experience, reads one of the letters obtained by The Texas Tribune.

Students who choose deferred suspension must agree to take an exam testing their knowledge of the universitys rules and agree not to appeal the decision. The status would be active until July 7, 2025.

Those who decline that option would be suspended, the letter says. Students may also appeal the disciplinary sanctions through a university hearing.

Ari Lenahan, a UT-Austin student set to graduate in December, said he was relieved the university offered him deferred suspension since students at other universities across the country are facing harsher punishments after participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. He said it may be the best choice for him since he aims to graduate this year.

Its a lot clearer where I stand now, at least in the universitys eyes, he said.

Lenahan still has a hold on his account preventing him from registering for classes in the fall but said the letter he received Wednesday states any holds will be removed once his case is resolved.

Anne-Marie Jardine, a recent graduate, received a sanction letter concerning her involvement in an April 24 pro-Palestinian demonstration. Jardine was told she would be under deferred suspension for one year if she were to re-enroll at UT-Austin. Jardine said she hasnt received her official diploma from the university yet.

Many other students under investigation have not yet been informed about how the university plans to move forward with their cases. Sam Law, a PhD candidate who was arrested on April 29, said that he expects the university will contact him soon.

More than 130 protesters were arrested at pro-Palestinian demonstrations on UT-Austins campus in late April. In resolute efforts to dispel the protesters, law enforcement at the time deployed pepper spray and flash-bang explosives and charged students with horses. State troopers were deployed by Gov. Greg Abbott to help quash the protests and had a hand in the arrests.

Those arrested were charged with criminal trespassing but Travis County Attorney Delia Garza declined to pursue those charges.

In the aftermath of the protest, many students, faculty and free speech advocates questioned UT-Austins heavy-handed response to the protests and criticized state GOP leaders support of the arrests. Just a few years ago, Abbott had championed state legislation that protected free speech on college campuses, leading free speech advocates to ask who gets to enjoy free speech protections in Texas.

UT-Austin leaders, meanwhile, have vowed to carry out discipline against students who violated campus policies. Seniors in the class of 2024 were afraid their diplomas would be withheld, though they were permitted to join graduation ceremonies in the spring.

Sneha Dey contributed to this story.

Disclosure: University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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!
The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Monday, May 6, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

Earlier this year, the Utah Legislature passed SB57, establishing the Utah Constitutional Sovereignty Act. The law, which was signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, allows the Legislature, with the concurring signature of the governor, to forbid state officers from enforcing federal laws, regulations, orders, or other directives that state lawmakers determine violate principles of state sovereignty.

First of its kind, this new Act was described as a framework that could be employed in the future to push back against various kinds of federal overreach.

Last month, the Legislature passed a concurrent resolution, signed by Cox, prohibiting state officials from enforcing a new federal rule concerning Title IX. This new rule expanded Title IX to comport with a Supreme Court decision expanding the legal term sex discrimination to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

This application of the Utah Constitutional Sovereignty Act violates both the Tenth Amendment and Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution. The Tenth Amendment states that [t]he powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Many broad and bold claims are ascribed to the Tenth Amendment and the powers that make up so-called states rights, and though some recent efforts have been made to expand the Tenth Amendments reach, even the Supreme Court once admitted it added nothing to the [Constitution] as originally ratified.

Despite this, state lawmakers are attempting to hang their hat on a series of Supreme Court cases starting in the 1990s that created the Anti-Commandeering Doctrine. This doctrine says the federal government cannot command state government and officers to take action or enforce federal laws and regulations. Importantly  and as any good lawyer would tell you  the application of the doctrine depends on the circumstances, and the few Supreme Court decisions issued on the Anti-Commandeering Doctrine have set limits on its use.

First, Congress can persuade states to enforce federal laws and regulations through its spending power. In other words, Congress can place conditions on federal funds given to states that they must accept and carry out to receive those funds.

For example, all schools that receive federal financial assistance must comply with Title IX. Of course, this means that state officers can refuse to enforce federal laws and regulations. However, the federal government still has the upper hand and can pull federal funding if the state refuses to comply.

Second, Congress is not commandeering states when laws evenhandedly regulate both public and private actors. For example, Title IX generally applies to any educational institution, both private and public, that receives federal financial assistance.

Utah lawmakers are assuming the state government is acting in its sovereign capacity in regulating education, but in higher education they are acting in a sphere where private actors can engage, thus they are also acting as a private party. In this case, the state and its officers are obligated to enforce federal regulations because the Tenth Amendment and its Anti-Commandeering Doctrine do not apply.

Finally, Congress can preempt state law by exercising its constitutional legislative powers. Article VI of the U.S. Constitution states, This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States that shall be made in Pursuance thereof [] shall be the supreme Law of the Land.

Title IX is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, passed under Congresss authority granted by the Fourteenth Amendment, and further expanded by rulemaking authority given to the Administration by Congress. While it may be argued that this is not a reasonable interpretation of the law after the Supreme Court recently overturned the Chevron doctrine, civil rights has generally been an area where Congressional laws trump contradicting state laws, and thus would also preempt Utahs laws in this area as well.

Even absent constitutional authority, state lawmakers and the governor do not have the power to unilaterally declare that laws or regulations are unconstitutional. This power has always rested with the federal court system.

As we have seen, other district courts have already placed stays on the enforcement of this Title IX rule in other states, and Utahs Attorney General is part of a suit seeking a similar ruling. This is the proper way to solve disputes under the Constitution.

To invoke the Utah Constitutional Sovereignty Act is to only bring additional litigation that costs taxpayers more in lawyers fees and threatens billions in federal dollars that help support our schools and children.

The post Utahs Title IX fight belongs in the courts, not the Legislature appeared first on Utah News Dispatch.
UW-Madison study finds wolves can bring benefits to ecosystem, but are not a 'cure all'

A new study by a University of Wisconsin-Madison team of researchers looking at wolves on an island in Lake Superior is helping shed light on the role that certain species play in helping shape an entire ecosystem.

The conclusion was those species do play a role, but those effects may be temporary, and humans also play a role.

The real story, though, was the process of reaching that conclusion.

Mauriel Rodriguez Curras and Jonathan Pauli pose for a photo together during one of their winter field seasons on Isle Royale.

The summer of 2020 was unusual in many ways. COVID restrictions were in place even in remote Isle Royale, one of the least visited national parks in the U.S. That meant researcher Mauriel Rodriguez Curras spent the monthlong research trip in a tent, facing temperatures that got below freezing, and grueling treks as long as 20 miles.

But at least he was doing what he loved  collecting scat and bits of hair, specifically from foxes, American marten and gray wolves.

For Rodriguez Curras, a graduate student at the UW-Madison at the time, working with scat is a badge of honor. Every sample he collected has a wealth of information. It helps researchers understand where animals go, what they eat, how they interact with each other and how to conserve them.

Isle Royale is a remote archipelago in Lake Superior. For more than five decades, researchers had been observing the island's wolves and the moose they hunted. This long-term study has produced useful insights into predator-prey dynamics. But then, in 2015, the wolf population collapsed. By 2018, there were only two adults left, and they were related to each other. As far as scientists were concerned, wolves on Isle Royale were functionally extinct.

The National Park Service quickly jumped into action, introducing 19 wolves to Isle Royale in 2018 in an attempt to revive the population.

Jonathan Pauli, a professor at the UW-Madison, watched all these developments from the sidelines. He was not particularly interested in wolves, but when he caught a whiff of the National Park Service's plans, he sensed an opportunity to study how wolves impact other animals on the island.

The American marten, also known as a pine marten, is listed as an endangered species in Wisconsin.

For the last eight years, Pauli has been studying American martens on the island. The tiny ferret-like creatures, also known as pine martens, were hunted to near extinction for their pelts. Management efforts have brought their numbers back in many states, but they are still considered endangered in Wisconsin, and scientists are concerned about the effect of climate change on them.

To add to their woes, martens on Isle Royale face direct competition for food and territory from one of the most versatile carnivores on the planet  foxes. Martens stay among the trees and more wooded areas of the forest to avoid confrontations with these larger animals.

Despite all of this going on in the forest, most conservation efforts tend to focus on what are known as keystone species, like wolves. The idea is that such species bring overall benefits to the ecosystem.

Pauli wanted to understand how the foxes and martens of Isle Royale would react to the near extinction, and subsequent reintroduction, of wolves. Would the wolves bring balance to the ecosystem? Or is the importance given to keystone species unwarranted?

The work, led by Rodriguez Curras with significant support from the National Park Service, was recently published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. It highlights the importance of an interconnected, holistic long-term approach to conservation. Large, top-of-the-food-chain predators like wolves can have huge impacts on ecosystems, but only temporarily.

In 2018, before the reintroductions, Pauli's team had already collected a bunch of scat and hair. They repeated the exercise in 2019 and again in 2020 after Rodriguez Curras joined the team.

Each time Rodriguez Curras came across a piece of scat, he swabbed it and bagged it. Later, he would extract DNA from the swab to identify the individual and examine the contents. In addition, he also collected bits of hair that animals unwittingly left behind on strategically placed brushes along the forest floor. An analysis of the hair told researchers what the animal ate.

All these bits of information put together a picture of how foxes, martens and wolves interacted with each other, and their environment in those three years.

Wolves are known as pack animals, but in that first year on Isle Royale, the newly arrived wolves went solo. They were "moving around a lot more, killing smaller prey and being really territorial," Rodriguez Curras said.

With the wolf social life in disarray, foxes were pushed closer to human campsites in 2019. The hair samples he collected told Rodriguez Curras they ate a lot more human food that year. At the same time, marten populations shot up and the researchers began to see their scat in new areas.

With their larger competitors out of the way, the smaller, less numerous martens had some breathing room.

It would seem wolves had brought some balance, but it was only temporary.

The next year in 2020, everything just went back to normal. "The first year we saw this really strong impact from wolves, the second year, those effects subsided." Rodrigues Curras said.

The wolves established two packs with clearly defined territories on the eastern and western ends of the island respectively, foxes were all over the place and martens were once again restricted themselves to the densely forested parts of the island.

What this tells Pauli, who oversees a network of sites across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan focused on the recovery of martens, is that no one species is a cure all. Keystone species can have huge impacts on the ecosystem, but at least in some instances those can be temporary. While he remains focused on martens, he is now thinking about what other species they interact with and how they could affect each other in the different sites he looks at.

Human presence can benefit some species more than others. Foxes can rummage around in human trash when they can't find food elsewhere, but the two other species the team studied tend to avoid humans.

Rodriguez Curras also hopes this study brings focus on how humans can indirectly shape interactions between species.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW-Madison study shows what happened after wolves came back to island
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 100 attendees discussed topics such as addressing global development uncertainties and reconstructing industrial and supply chains at the eighth Global Think Tank Summit, which ran from Thursday to Friday in Beijing.

Dialogue and communication become even more crucial amid heightened risks and uncertainties, which can facilitate collaboration among all parties to fight global challenges, said Bi Jingquan, chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE).

Zhao Chenxin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said, "Only by respecting the laws of the market economy and advancing trade and investment liberalization and facilitation can we enhance the stability of the global industrial and supply chains and better promote stable economic growth worldwide."

Former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero praised China's role in maintaining global stability and peace.

He said that faced with challenges such as war conflicts and the resurgence of protectionism, it is necessary to advocate for multilateralism and establish a more optimized, sustainable, and fair international order.

The summit, themed "Working together for a better world amidst multiple uncertainties," was hosted by the CCIEE. 
Va. Sen. Mark Warner organizing group to ask Biden to leave race, reports say

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY)  Virginia Sen. Mark Warner is organizing a group of Democratic lawmakers to call on President Biden to leave the presidential race, according to multiple reports.

The news was first reported by The Washington Post and later confirmed by NBC News.

The Post reported that Warner, a centrist Democrat who was a key player in helping to pass Bidens 2021 infrastructure bill, is concerned that Biden is not able to run a campaign that could beat former President Donald Trump after last weeks debate struggles.

A spokesperson for Warner didnt confirm the senators stance, but said like many other people in Washington and across the country, Senator Warner believes these are critical days for the presidents campaign, and he has made that clear to the White House.

NBC News reports a meeting of senators is likely Monday night when Congress returns from recess, but a date hasnt officially been set.

As of July 5, three House members, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) have publicly called on the president to step down.

Several other lawmakers have also shared concerns about Biden staying in the race, while many others have said they will wait to see how Biden does in a interview with ABCs George Stephanopoulos on Friday night.

Warners co-senator, Tim Kaine, meanwhile recently showed support for the president.

The bottom line is, Joe Biden is our president. Hes a patriotic American. Hes done a good job. He puts others first, not himself, Kaine said at a recent campaign stop, according to a report in the Progress-Index newspaper. He had one race that was an existential race in 2020, and he had to win it. Hes racked up a great record as president.

Biden though has doubled down on running amid the criticism, saying in a campaign stop on Friday afternoon in Wisconsin that hes staying in the race.

Let me say it as clear as I can: Im staying in the race! Biden said. Ill beat Donald Trump.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Several law enforcement agencies are investigating a vehicle fire in Rocky Top that left one person dead.

The incident happened on Friday, July 5, on Norris Freeway also known as U.S. Highway 441, and Mason Street in front of the Weigel's convenience store. According to Rocky Top Police Chief John Thomas, the call about a vehicle fire was received at 12:41 p.m.

TBI logo

One fatality was confirmed, but no name has been released as of Friday afternoon.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Anderson County Sheriff's Office will be assisting the Rocky Top Police Department with the investigation, Thomas said.

Rocky Top, also known as Lake City, is located in Anderson County.

By mid-afternoon Friday, a number of vehicles and officers from the various law enforcement agencies were still at the scene. Traffic was being detoured around the highway in front of the Weigel's. The Oak Ridger will update this story as more information becomes available.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Vehicle fire in Rocky Top leaves one dead
As speculation about President Joe Bidens viability in the presidential race grows, the president insists hes in for the long haul. But if he did step aside, Democrats are signaling theyre ready to rally around his vice president, Kamala Harris.

The problem is, Harris is viewed by voters even less favorably than Biden or Donald Trump.

Since Biden stumbled badly in the June 27 debate with Trump, Harris has been in the spotlight as the most logical alternative.

She has consistently said shes solidly behind Biden. The President is and will remain our partys nominee, and Vice President Harris is proud to be his running mate, and looks forward to serving at his side for four more years, Brian Fallon, Harriss campaign communications director, told The Bee.

Harris fared best with the public in January, 2021, just before being sworn into office, when 51% in the CNN-SRSS national poll of registered voters viewed her favorably. Biden was at 59%

Both numbers plunged as time went on. In the most recent survey, taken after the 81-year-old Bidens troubled June 27 debate with Trump, the president was viewed favorably by 34% of registered voters and Harris by 29%. Trump was seen favorably by 39%.

The very nature of the vice presidency presents a challenge in terms of connections with the public, and when you add in the intersection of Harriss gender identity, multiracial background and California roots it seems a barrier to broad public acceptance is created, said Chris Borick, director of the Muhlenberg Institute of Public Opinion in Pennsylvania.

He found that these factors, along with her personal style, dont easily mesh with many Americans comfort zone and Harris ultimately emerges with a classic likability problem.

The Harris record

Im sure her past as a California attorney general and senator would come up in the campaign, said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabatos Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan political analysis firm.

Harris, 59, was San Franciscos top prosecutor from 2004 to 2011. In 2010, she won the race to become attorney general, serving until 2017, when she was elected to the Senate.

As attorney general, she declared herself the states top cop during a talk at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. During her tenure, some of her actions were criticized by many in the states communities of color.

She opposed a 2004 state initiative to ease Californias minimum mandatory sentencing laws, though as a senator proposed a plan that would end minimum mandatory sentences.

Harris also stirred controversy in California when she didnt back the 2015 bid to require all law enforcement officials to wear body cameras, though she had agents in her own department do so. She said local governments should decide if their employees should wear them.

Harris easily won a U.S. Senate seat in 2016, defeating Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez. She became an instant national figure, the first Indian-American in the Senate and the first Black woman to represent California as a senator.

She became a Democratic hero of sortsand a big Republican targetwhen she sparred with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2017. Harris also became a leader in the bid to reform the nations criminal justice system, leading efforts to effect change after George Floyd died in Minneapolis in May 2020 while in police custody.

As vice president, Harris was tapped by Biden to lead an effort to help Central American countries where people were leaving for the U.S. But as undocumented immigrants continued to surge across the U.S.-Mexico border,Republicans blasted away at her, saying she was inept handling the crisis.

But many Senate Republicans supported tough bipartisan border security legislation earlier this year. The bill, which went nowhere after opposition from Trump and his supporters, was aimed at making it more difficult to cross the border and make it more difficult for migrants to seek asylum. Biden backed the bill.

Harris briefly ran for the 2020 presidential nomination, but her effort went nowhere. She was criticized for having murky positions on some issues, notably health care reform.

Vice presidential struggles

Rarely in modern times does a vice president who wants to move up get denied their partys nomination. Theyre often challenged within their own partyWalter Mondale in 1984, George H. W. Bush in 1988, Dan Quayle and Al Gore in 2000, Biden in 2020but almost always prevail.

Economist/YouGov national polls show that during the Biden administration, 42% have had a favorable opinion of Harris, less than Bidens 46%.

But that four point gap is comparable to the favorability ratings during President Barack Obamas administration, when Biden was vice president. Obamas favorability averaged 50% to Bidens 46%.

During the Trump administration, Vice President Mike Pence averaged 39% favorability to Trumps 41%.

Theres evidence that Democrats are ready to rally around Harris.

The KHive, a social media group of Harris backers, has been more active lately. And new Yahoo! News/YouGov poll showed that while Harris unfavorable ratings remain high, shes gaining support from Democrats.

Harris number has steadily improved, since bottoming out in August 2022, said Carl Bialik, U.S. political editor at YouGov.

In last weeks poll, 31% of registered Democratic voters said theyd prefer Harris over California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was mentioned by 17%.

The CNN-SRSS national poll, taken June 28-30 after the debate, showed Harris trailing Trump, 47% to 45%. That was the smallest gap between Trump and any Democrat. Newsom was behind 48% to 43%.

Republican criticism

Republicans are eager for a Harris run.

She can try but theres a lot of videotape out there. We live in an age where you can go on the internet and find anything she said in public, said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy in Florida.

With Biden floundering, Republicans are trying to define Harris as an unhinged liberal who has deceived voters about the presidents fitness for office.

Every one of them (Biden supporters) has lied about Joe Bidens cognitive state and supported his disastrous policies over the past four years, especially Cackling Copilot Kamala Harris., the Trump campaign said this week in a statement.

Everything Kamala Harris touches turns into an unmitigated disaster. 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 Will Reinert, national press secretary at the National Republican Congressional Committee.

In a digital ad released this week, the committee shows her giving a long-winded answer and ends with the statement is this who we want to be president?

Theres no easy answer.

Harris has recently been active in reminding voters about the 2023 Supreme Court decision restricting abortion rights.

And shes steadfastly, unequivocally defending Biden. She was on TV the night of the debate with a strong show of support, telling CNN that while It was a slow start. Thats obvious to everyone, people should remember,Im talking about the choice for November. Im talking about one of the most important elections in our collective lifetime.

At a rally in Las Vegas the next day, she got more personal.

I see Joe Biden when the cameras are on and when the cameras are off, Harris said. I see him in the Situation Room keeping our country safe. On the world stage, meeting with world leaders who often ask for his advice.

She wont talk about her own status. Earlier this week, in San Francisco, a CBS reporter asked about her future.

Im proud to be Joe Bidens running mate, Harris said.
EVANGELINE PARISH, La. (KLFY) An arrest was made after authorities were informed of a sexual assault between an adult and juvenile, which happened almost one year ago.

After learning about the assault on June 12, the Evangeline Parish Sheriffs Office discovered, through further investigation, that there had been inappropriate sexual behavior between the two for approximately two years.

Jordan Cheyenne Vidrine, 26, of Ville Platte was arrested on June 24 and charged with five counts of first degree rape, five counts of oral sexual battery, and five counts of indecent behavior with juveniles.

Vidrine is being held in the Evangeline Parish Jail without bond.

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 KLFY.com.
Violence at scene of brawl in Cranston leaves one dead, another, a teen, with stab wounds

CRANSTON  Body cameras worn by police officers recorded a driver intentionally hitting and killing another man early Friday morning, just seconds after the officers arrived at the scene of a fight with a dozen people involved, including a 15-year-old bleeding from a stab wound to the back, the police said.

A police investigation has charged a 24-year-old Cranston man, Edwin Torres, with murder, and 23-year-old Destiny Torres of North Providence with a felony count of assault with a dangerous weapon, a knife, according to Cranston police Maj. Todd Patalano.

The two suspects are believed to be cousins, and both were in a Honda Accord that struck and killed Isaac Vasquez at the scene of a disturbance that drew Cranston police at 12:39 a.m., Patalano said.

"They did know the other people on the other side of this disturbance," Patalano said. "We're just trying to get some more answers on how they met up, how it occurred, and what the reason was for it."

Video recorded by the officers' body cameras answered many questions about how Vasquez died, Patalano said Friday at a news conference.

"These body cameras tell the whole story," Patalano said. "There's nothing better than these body cameras today to utilize in our investigations."

Edwin Torres is charged with murder in the death of Isaac Vasquez at the scene of what Cranston police described as a large disturbance early Friday morning.

Police arrive promptly at the scene

Patalano said officers arrived on the scene on Oak Street and Trainor Street almost immediately after dispatchers received a call.

The officers saw that a 15-year-old was "bleeding profusely" from a stab wound and within seconds also saw the vehicular assault on Vasquez, Patalano said.

Other officers arriving in police cruisers boxed in the Honda driven by Edwin Torres, Patalano said. The two Torreses were arrested at the scene, he said.

The 15-year-old was in stable condition at Rhode Island Hospital, Patalano said.

Scene of continuing disturbance is also a homicide scene

The arrival of police at the scene did not immediately quell the disturbance. One person was charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction, Patalano said.

"In this case," he said, "we had to make additional arrests and make sure that the scene remained safe and that the crime scene wasn't compromised. When you set up crime scene tape and people are running through it or trying to run through it, you have to take action and stop that from occurring because we have to preserve the crime scene. And in this case, you had someone who was killed."

At least a dozen people were involved in the confrontation. The initial report, fielded by police, said about 30 people were there at that time, Patalano said.

"We're still trying to figure out who is there, identify some more people and get some more witness statements," he said. "There's a lot more to do in this case."

Patalano said police would not release the video camera footage, adding that investigators still need to make contact with some people. They believe those people were at the scene and left.

Scene of killing is a hotspot

Oak Street has frequently drawn attention from police, Patalano said.

"We're working with the community, and we have a community-response unit that has been working with the neighbors. Unfortunately, it's just one of the hotspots right now."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cranston police say they witnessed vehicular assault, murder, at brawl.
Volunteers pick up trash to clean up after Fourth of July celebrations

TAMPA, Fla., (WFLA)  Beach clean ups are underway Friday morning to pick up any mess from Fourth of July celebrations.

Keep Tampa Bay Beautifuls event is all about picking up trash along the Courtney Campbell Causeway. There will also be clean ups happening at Cypress Point Park.

Officials said they expect to collect around 500 pounds of trash.

Celebrating the Fourth is an American Tradition, but that doesnt mean you have to leave all your trash behind.

All thats going to happen is, its either going to rain hard and bring it right into the ocean or the wildlife is going to get to it and bring it that much closer where potentially were not going to be able to get it when our volunteers do come cleanup, said Kristina Moreta, Development Director with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful.

Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful is rallying volunteers to pick up the trash. They said its usually picking up things like plates, plastic forks, solo cups, and firework debris.

Fourth of July is a little bit of a different animal, just because it may not be thousands of pounds, but its a lot of little debris, Moreta said. So, were having a lot of little things, and it takes a lot of time to pick it up.

Those helping to clean up said the best advice for people is if the trash cans are overflowing, take your trash with you.

By people picking up after themselves, Moreta said it will help out the volunteers.

Were going to have them spread out pretty much every way of Courtney Campbell and they kind of go as far as they can and bring it back. Well weigh everything when they bring it back, she said.

Everyone who volunteered is lending a hand to help preserve the ocean and wildlife in the area.

If you look around, you can see how beautiful the beaches are, like if youre coming here to celebrate, thats great, but make sure youre leaving it better than how you found it, Moreta said.

If you would like to volunteer, 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 WFLA.
The flag of China and the Olympic flag flutter on their masts during the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has voiced disappointment that the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a forbidden substance is now being investigated by the United States Department of Justice. Michael Kappeler/dpa

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has voiced disappointment that the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a forbidden substance is now being investigated by the United States Department of Justice.

A WADA statement late Thursday said the organization was "disappointed to learn that the US Department of Justice is now investigating the 2021 contamination case of 23 swimmers in China.

"At this time, WADA has not received any contact or request from US law enforcement."

More than a month ago, a committee of the US House of Representatives called on the Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate the matter as it raised ethical and competition concerns, among others.

The investigation is based on the Rodchenkov Act, named after Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, who uncovered the state-sponsored doping system in Russia around the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and fled to the US.

It allows American law enforcement to take action against those behind doping offences at international competitions.

WADA was critical, saying: "The public reports about this investigation validate the concerns expressed broadly by the international community about the passage of the Rodchenkov Act, under which the United States purports to exercise extraterritorial criminal jurisdiction over participants in the global anti-doping system."

In the Chinese case, German broadcasters ARD, the New York Times and Australia's Daily Telegraph revealed that the 23 swimmers had tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine in early 2021.

China's anti-doping body CHINADA had imposed no sanctions, saying the positive tests were the result of contamination in the kitchen of the hotel they were staying at.

WADA and the governing swimming body said they ended their investigation because it was not possible to contest the Chinese version, and several athletes competed at the Tokyo Olympics later in 2021.

WADA came under fire for its stance but reiterated Thursday that it "reviewed the Chinese swimmer case file diligently, consulted with scientific and legal experts, and ultimately determined that it was in no position to challenge the contamination scenario, such that an appeal was not warranted.

"Guided by science and expert consultations, we stand by that good-faith determination in the face of the incomplete and misleading news reports on which this investigation appears to be based."
For a year and a half, state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has stated that the reason grants were not applied for was that they involved strings to the Biden agenda, even though particulars have never been presented, a guest columnist writes.

It was in the June 20 meeting between the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT), the Oklahoma State Department of Education, and selected legislators that the state Education Department inadvertently made surprising revelations concerning data security. In the desperate attempt to avoid the truth and instead pass blame to others, the state Education Department revealed glaring errors that are of major significance. In an effort to explain the discrepancy of $101 million between what is shown on the states ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) fund dashboard and the information from the U.S. Department of Education, the blame game the state Education Department was playing backfired.

After state Sen. Roger Thompson questioned, Why do you not have access to your own website? the state Education Department representatives finally decided to use the opportunity to blame former employees for not leaving passwords to the site. But in placing the blame on former employees, the department made it obvious that the state Education Department's human resources department did not perform what is required by any responsible HR department when an employee leaves. No matter the reason, passwords should be immediately removed from every possible area. So, in spite of more excuses offered by the state Education Department, it was obvious that even though the agency did not have passwords to update the website, former employees still had active passwords that would allow them to make changes to the site.

This revelation indicates incompetence at its best and data security control at its worst. And what is even more concerning is that the state Education Department staff is totally oblivious to the fact that they should even be concerned about this.

We get another peek into the workings of the department when an employee identified as the grant writer-ish was attempting to answer the question about how the process worked. She stated that other departments wrote the grants and she simply oversaw them and then uploaded them on whatever website that particular grant required. But those with grant-writing experience state that ALL grants are uploaded to grants.gov.

One would have to question how many grants have been uploaded if the one responsible for doing so was not aware that there is only ONE website. Grant writing is a very exacting process, so to allow whatever department to be responsible certainly does not give it adequate priority. According to grants.gov, the state Education Department qualified to apply for over $50 million in federal grant funding since March 2024. It would be very enlightening if the department or LOFT would make it public which, if any, of those grants were applied for.

For a year and a half, state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has stated that the reason grants were not applied for was that they involved strings to the Biden agenda, even though particulars have never been presented. It is worth noting that the STOP grant that Walters was questioned about was started in Trumps administration, so how could Biden have attached his strings? But, in any case, in a media interview after the LOFT meeting, Walters decided to change his tune and blame former employees for not leaving detailed instructions  in spite of the fact that several employees have declared they tried but were told by HR it was not necessary. A reputable HR department would realize that they have the ability to add and remove passwords with the appropriate agencies.

The LOFT meeting and report reveal concerns. However, the explanations offered by Walters and his staff gave unintended information on even more concerns dealing with lack of policies, procedures and direction of the agency. What was revealed should be of major concern to all about the future of public education in Oklahoma.

Janis Blevins is an Oklahoma City resident.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Questions compound for OK Ed Department errors, data security, grants
This photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows the Land Gate Site at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

A drone photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows the Mojiaoshan Palace Site at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

People visit the Mojiaoshan Palace Site at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, July 4, 2024. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

People visit the Mojiaoshan Palace Site at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, July 4, 2024. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

A drone photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows a display spot of Southern City Wall Site at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows the Land Gate Site at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

People visit a display spot of Southern City Wall Site at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, July 4, 2024. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

A drone photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows a display spot of Southern City Wall Site at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows people taking sightseeing buses at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

This photo taken on July 4, 2024 shows the Chizhongsi Granary Site at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

People visit the Fanshan Cemetery Site at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, July 4, 2024. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, have gained worldwide recognition as bearing testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. This year marks the 5th anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List as a cultural site. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)
We want to tell Milwaukee's story, and build its strength. Here's how you can help.

In my years at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, some of the most powerful moments dont have anything to do with writing stories or putting the final touches on major projects.

Rather they are things like the community event we held at No Studios, in which a group of moms described how they lost sons to homicide, part of a discussion focused on solutions that grew out of a series examining the cycle of violence that plagues many of our neighborhoods.

Erin Richards has joined the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a new role: director of strategic partnerships and newsroom development.

Or the workshop we did at Marquette University on challenges facing our youth, in which the participants were all young people  and key community leaders we brought in to listen as the teens told stories about where they live. Afterward, the teens could meet with community groups we recruited to help hook them up with jobs, services and summer activities.

Greg Borowski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. News Department.

Or the time we had a crowd of nearly 100 at Anodyne Coffee in Walker's Point for a storytellers event in which community members told personal stories of overcoming obstacles and barriers. It was part of a project looking at the legacy of the citys open housing marches.

The event was so popular, we did it a second time, with new participants and stories.

All of those events  those moments  grew out of partnerships with others in the community. Foundations. Universities. Nonprofits. Civic-minded businesses. Other newsrooms.

That brings me to Erin Richards, our new director of strategic partnerships and newsroom development at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She began in her role in late June.

The name may be familiar to many of you. Erin covered education as a reporter for us, before stints at USA TODAY and in the nonprofit world. She is a fixture at the Milwaukee Rotary, active with the Milwaukee Press Club and generally plugged into Milwaukee, her adopted hometown.

Erin has been a creative force in local journalism.

When she did a major project on how evictions create such a transient student body that it undermines education in city schools, she worked with photojournalist Angela Peterson to turn it into a photo exhibit at the Portrait Society Gallery in the Third Ward.

When we launched a series of live news discussions around critical issues, from funding for what is now Fiserv Forum to the future of the Foxconn site, Erin was a natural emcee. She helped raise money to complete a documentary on the decline of arts criticism in American newsrooms. She thinks far beyond the written word to how journalism is an exercise in engaging the community. Its as much an action  the sharing of ideas  as a thing.

Working closely with Jill Williams and Jim Fitzhenry on our staff, as well as many others, Erin will focus full time on building connections, strengthening partnerships and  frankly  helping raise money so that we can continue to expand our journalism.

Of course, that support helps us as a newsroom during a time of change and disruption in the news industry. Partnerships mean we can deliver more, stronger and better journalism to you, our readers. But as valuable as they are to us, they pay off even more for our community.

They let us tell untold stories, elevate unheard voices and highlight ignored issues. They help us expose problems  and to assure the spotlight shines equally on solutions. They let us bring together people to talk honestly about thorny problems and to work together to make a difference, as in all those examples at the start of this piece.

Last week, I wrote about several of those partnerships, including with Marquette University and the Pulitzer Center.

Over the years, we have had many, many others. The Greater Milwaukee Foundation. Report for America. The Brico Fund, via the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Wellpoint Care Network (formerly SaintA). The National Institutes of Health Care Management. The Joyce Foundation, through the Poynter Institute. And more.

Right now, were working with the LaFollette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to host a series of Main Street Agenda town hall meetings across the state in the run-up to the November election.

Every partnership we create or expand pays off even more for our community.

With Erin on board, we have big ambitions  starting with strengthening our coverage of Milwaukees neighborhoods and providing more internship opportunities for local students. We want to solidify our team covering the Great Lakes and the environment, put more emphasis on early childhood education and give you robust arts and culture coverage.

But we need your help: Is there an opportunity were missing or an area of coverage we should focus on? Is there a connection we should make? A door we should knock on? Can you offer advice or wisdom or even financial support?

No idea is too big or too small. If you have one, we want to hear it. You can reach Erin at erichards@gannett.com. My contact information is below.

As that storytellers event taught us, we miss too much unless we stop to listen.

So tell us what you think.

Greg Borowski is executive editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @GregJBorowski and reach him via greg.borowski@jrn.com.

Connect with the Journal Sentinel

Support our reporting on the environment and underserved communities: jsonline.com/RFA

Send a news tip: projects.jsonline.com/tips

Reach the newsroom: jsmetro@journalsentinel.com or 414-224-2318

Subscribe and support independent journalism: jsonline.com/deal

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Journal Sentinel hires Erin Richards to focus on partnerships, funding
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  A Warrensburg, Missouri woman is facing charges for allegedly abusing her child.

Johnson County, Missouri prosecutors last week charged Ashley Wallender with first-degree domestic assault, abuse or neglect of a child and endangering the welfare of a child.

According to court documents, Warrensburg police officers responded to a home on June 27, regarding a child abuse investigation regarding a child under the age of one.

When officers arrived at the home they could see the victim had extensive bruising in different stages of healing and what appeared to be a burn mark from a cigarette on the thigh, according to court documents.

Anonymous donor steps in to buy headstone for fallen Missouri K-9 officer

Wallender stated that the child had not been feeling good and had been throwing up and had made an appointment that morning but was unable to go due to having no ride. It was later confirmed that Wallender was a no call no show for the appointment, according to court documents.

She said the child had fallen off the bed, that was 1 1/2 feet tall, two days before and thats what caused the bruises.

When asked about the scratches and cuts on the child, Wallender stated that a vase had broke on the floor and she must have missed some small shards of glass when she swept, according to court documents. Wallender agreed to take the child to the hospital to be checked out.

At the hospital, court documents say medical staff notated extensive bruising on the child, along with three burn marks, two bruised human bite marks and several puncture sites on the soles of the childs feet. The child was taken to Childrens Mercy Hospital for a full screening.

The scan clinic at Childrens Mercy contacted detectives and advised they were diagnosing the child with physical abuse.

Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android

Court documents say Wallender has denied any knowledge of physical abuse to the child and further stated that she thought the bruising that she could see was from falling off of the bed. When asked about the other bruising and marks on the child, she denied seeing anything else and was adamant that she did not cause the injuries.

Wallender was booked into jail with a bond set at $50,000. She had an initial court appearance on Wednesday, July 3, where a not guilty plea was entered.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
A water main break on Peachtree Parkway at McIntosh Trail in Peachtree City had an impact on traffic and cut off service for more than 100 residents on Friday.

According to Fayette County officials, the leak was fixed by mid-afternoon.

Peachtree City officials said in a brief statement that Peachtree City Public Works was getting a crew to the water main break to provide traffic control while the Fayette County Water Department responded to the break.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

While not located nearby, this was the second water main break to impact part of the metro Atlanta area in as many days.

As reported by Channel 2 Action News on Thursday, a water main break in Buckhead had several businesses and residences without water partly overnight, and traffic shut down as crews made repairs.

TRENDING STORIES:

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
Even as many Democrats lawmakers call for President Joe Biden to exit the race after his poor debate performance last Thursday, a growing number of wealthy Democratic donors -- whose money Biden is relying on to bolster his fight against former President Donald Trump -- are publicly sounding the alarm on his ability to lead the ticket.

An Arizona donor, who asked to remain anonymous, gave about $25,000 to Biden last year and planned on holding a fundraiser for the president in March or April. While they told ABC News they "struggled" in the spring to get other donors onboard, they face an even great challenge now.

"We had been talking to [Biden's] team about doing a fundraiser, but I cooled off on it. I struggled to get other people involved," the donor said. "People were not bullish on Biden. Now, it is a 'hell no.'"

MORE: Defiant Biden insists he's staying in race ahead of ABC News interview

"Trying to get to a million at this point is not going to happen," the donor added, referencing the politically precarious post-debate environment Biden finds himself in.

Many donors may be looking at Biden's public appearances and interviews to help make a determination about how they will move forward. Biden will have a critical opportunity when he has a sit-down interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Friday. The first excerpts will air on "World News Tonight" and then the interview will be broadcast in its entirety in a prime-time ABC network special on Friday evening at 8 p.m. ET.

The donor from Arizona, a critical battleground state, said Democrats should turn to Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the ticket in November's election.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden (R) gestures as he arrives onstage with former President Barack Obama during a campaign fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on June 15, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images, FILE)

"I was going to give another 10-15 grand. It's sad. I don't want to -- Trump to win, but I think the Democratic Party needs a better strategy to take place to defeat Trump," the donor said. "I don't know if the existing strategy is the right one. Kamala Harris should take his place. Introducing a new person at this point doesn't make sense."

This donor is not alone. Deep-pocketed donors that have supported Biden before are expressing their concerns with the president continuing on and their reluctance to fork over more cash to his campaign.

Marty Dolan

Marty Dolan, a former banker and executive who ran and lost in the New York congressional primary against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez earlier this year, questioned the party's confidence in Biden during an interview on CNN on Friday morning.

"I think our job as a party is to nominate somebody who can do the job for what's going to be four and a half years  the simple question that the Democratic leadership has to ask is: are we nominating somebody that has the confidence of the party and the country to do the job for another four and a half years," Dolan asked. "And I think when you ask the question that way, it sort of leads you to the answer."

Pressed on what that answer is, Dolan said, "I don't believe Biden has the confidence of the party and the country that he can lead the country for another four and a half years," adding that he believes the next steps need to be about more than just "getting through one night or getting -- you know, just kind of creeping across the -- the deadline to the election."

PHOTO: President Joe Biden participates in a discussion moderated by Stephen Colbert during a campaign fundraising event at Radio City Music Hall in New York, March 28, 2024. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters, FILE)

Dolan did not indicate if he would be pausing any donations to the campaign or to the Democratic Party. According to Federal Elections Commissions filings, he donated more than $5,000 to the Biden campaign and $3,400 to the Democratic National Committee in April; USA TODAY reported that he attended a major fundraiser for Biden that month and bought four tickets.

Reed Hastings

Reed Hastings, who helped found Netflix almost three decades ago, along with his wife, donated more than $20 million to support the Democratic Party over the last few years. Most of their donations have gone to super PACs meant to help House and Senate Democrats, according to FEC filings.

In an email to the New York Times he said, "Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous," the Times reported.

MORE: Democrats in 'painful' waiting game in party's post-debate reckoning

Mark Cuban

Billionaire investor, Dallas Mavericks minority owner and "Shark Tank" host Mark Cuban told CNN last Saturday he wants to see polling to "find out if there are any potential replacements" who could outperform Trump in a hypothetical matchup.

Earlier in the 2024 race, Cuban voted for former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley during the Republican primary. But, he later attended a Biden fundraiser in Dallas in March "to show ... support" to Biden, he said.

Abigail Disney

CNBC reported on Thursday that Abigail Disney, a philanthropist and filmmaker who is a granddaughter of the Walt Disney Company's co-founder Roy Disney, said in a statement to CNBC on Thursday that she will stop donating to the Democratic Party until Biden leaves the race. (Abigail Disney is not involved with the Walt Disney Company, which is the parent company of ABC News.)

In a statement to CNBC, Abigail Disney wrote, "I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high. If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire."

PHOTO: President Joe Biden, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton participate in a discussion moderated by Stephen Colbert during a campaign fundraising event in New York, March 28, 2024. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters, FILE)

Disney also praised Harris, indicating to CNBC that she could serve as a strong replacement nominee: "If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Biden's (and let's not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot."

According to Federal Elections Commissions filings, Disney donated $50,000 to the Democratic-leaning Jane Fonda Climate PAC in April and in the fall donated to groups such as Forward Majority PAC and Rep. Katie Porter's Senate campaign.

Barry Diller

Barry Diller, billionaire chairman of IAC -- an internet media and publishing company -- and husband of designer Diane von Furstenberg, was asked by The Anker if he's still holding firm with the Biden campaign. He replied simply, "No."

According to FEC Filings, Diller maxed out with a $6,600 contribution to the Biden campaign in 2023, and gave $100,000 to the president and the Democratic Party's joint super PAC for the general election.

Wealthy Democratic donors sound alarm over Biden staying in race originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Weather ready: OBU, other OKC-area sites get new radars to help with research

Two radars, each comparable in size to a large briefcase, have been installed on the rooftop of the Mabee Learning Center at Oklahoma Baptist University through a collaboration between the school and several meteorology agencies.

A private Christian university, a Boy Scouts ranch and a college's health sciences school are part of a new weather research project aimed at boosting weather safety in the Oklahoma City metro area.

The University of Oklahoma's Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations, along with OU's Advanced Radar Research Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory, and NOAAs National Weather Service are partnering with various organizations to install radars in different locations.

A radar was installed on Wednesday at the OU Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City and two have been installed on a building on the Oklahoma Baptist University campus in Shawnee as part of a new research project, said Patrick Skinner, a research scientist with OU's Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations.

Two radars, each comparable in size to a large briefcase, have been installed on the rooftop of the Mabee Learning Center at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee.

Skinner said several radars will be installed, including one at the John W. Nichols Scout Ranch in Oklahoma City and another in the Purcell area. He said the goal of the project is to enhance the radar network for storm predictions.

"The project itself is to deploy six or seven of these small radars around the main NEXRAD radar for the Oklahoma City metro area, and one of the requirements is that they're going to work best if they're about 25 miles away from the radar."

He said the weather agencies wanted to surround the NEXRAD radar with the smaller radars. OBU in Shawnee was a perfect location to install radars to create a circle around the larger NEXRAD radar.

Skinner said that along the way, the weather research agencies will be partnering with OBU and other organizations to provide educational opportunities for students.

He said the Shawnee university wasn't necessarily chosen because a tornado barrelled its way through the campus in 2023, but in his estimation, it provided motivation for plans to enhance the radar network.

Patrick Marsh, chief of science and support for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center in Norman and visiting professor of natural science at Oklahoma Baptist University, said he is excited that OBU was chosen for a weather radar research partner.

Patrick Marsh, chief of science and support for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center in Norman and visiting professor of natural science at OBU, said he was excited when he learned that Skinner's agency had chosen OBU as its weather radar research partner in the east part of the Oklahoma City metro area.

As part of the project, two bistatic radars were installed on the rooftop of the Mabee Learning Center at OBU. The radars, each the size a large briefcase, have been integrated into the broader radar network for the metro area.

"One of the biggest weaknesses of weather radars is they can only measure the wind toward and away from the radar," Marsh said.

"By adding these radars at OBU, and combining them with others across central Oklahoma, this research project aims to improve NWS warning forecasters' confidence of thunderstorm, tornado and wind-damage potential through three-dimensional estimates of the true wind speed and direction within thunderstorms."

Marsh said providing educational opportunities for OBU students is an important part of the project.

Students of the Southern Baptist Convention-affiliated school, particularly those pursuing electrical engineering will have the opportunity for hands-on learning directly from principal investigators involved in the project. OBU leaders said the practical experience will enrich students' academic journey and help them after graduation.

"In competitive job markets, OBU engineering graduates will be able to point to their world-class education and highlight practical real-world, hands-on experiences with international experts," Marsh said.

He said the collaboration symbolizes scientific progress and a common goal for the safety and resilience of the community.

Marsh said the radars' data transmission capabilities, whether through Wi-Fi or 5G Cellular, will contribute to real-time weather monitoring and early warning systems, which is expected to make the campus and the surrounding community safer.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Baptist University partnering with weather agencies on project
I went shopping at the Modesto farmers market with a $20 budget. Heres what I got

Inside Look is a Modesto Bee series where we take readers behind the scenes at restaurants, new businesses, local landmarks and news stories.

Despite being born and raised in Stanislaus County, Id never been to the Modesto Certified Farmers Market until recently.

Something  whether it was my work schedule or family plans  always got in the way of me making a stop.

The market operates on Thursday and Saturday mornings on 16th Street between H and I Streets, next to the Stanislaus County Library.

I finally set aside some time on a recent Thursday morning to venture through the vendors at the Modesto farmers market with a $20 budget.

Heres what I got:

Visit the Modesto Certified Farmers Market with our On a Budget reporter. Heres all the she bought from vendors for under $20.

Whats for sale at Modesto Certified Farmers Market?

I arrived at the market with my toddler a little after 11 a.m.

Though some of the vendors had already packed up for the day, there still was a street full of vendors for me to explore.

Before making any purchases, I took a few trips up and down 16th Street to scope out what was for sale.

Available items included handcrafted goods, organic produce, fruity beverages and fresh flowers.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Here are some of the vendors at the market on Thursday morning:

BunBao

Burch Bees

Dales Gourmet Kettle Popcorn

Daves Meat Service

Fruitopia Fruit Bowls

Hummus Heaven

J&J Ramos Farms

Kelley Flower Farm

Natalias Crepes

Rosas Portuguese Bakery

Southeast Asia Grill

Supermoms On The Go

In the latest On a Budget series, Modesto Bee service journalism reporter Angela Rodriguez is bringing you along on her budget-friendly adventures at the Modesto Certified Farmers Market.

How I spent my $20 budget

After about 20 minutes of browsing in the 90-degree heat, my toddler and I had developed an appetite.

Several tempting options  from a Hot Cheetos hot dog to Nutella-covered mini pancakes  caught my eye during my stroll.

Pro tip: Some stands offer free samples.

It took a few minutes for me to decide what to get, but I settled on a pastry from Rosas Portuguese and European Bakery.

An almond croissant from Rosas Portuguese and European Bakery at the Modesto Certified Farmers Market.

The stand sold bags of bread and several pastry items all under $10.

I chose an almond croissant for $5.

It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside  exactly what I look for in a pastry.

Once my stomach was full, I set off to my next stop.

During one of my rounds through the market, I spotted a stand selling fresh flowers.

The Kelley Flower Farm stand had two options for shoppers at the Modesto Certified Farmers Market, including a desk bouquet for $8 and a farmstand bunch for $25.

Kelley Flower Farm had two options: a desk bouquet for $8 and a farmstand bunch for $25. Only the desk bouquet fit within my $20 budget, so I chose a premade one with a variety of vibrant flowers, including chrysanthemums, rosemary and perennials.

That put my total at $13.

Before leaving the market, I knew I had to grab some organic produce.

Pro tip: Some vendors accept payment from state financial assistance programs, including WIC and CalFresh.

The options produce stands had available were a little above my remaining $7 budget, from a carton of strawberries for $10 to a bowl of cherries for $12.

However, J&J Ramos Farms had an offer I couldnt pass up: mix-and-match fruit for $3 a pound. I filled my bag with two peaches, two nectarines and three apricots for $5.75.

The J&J Ramos Farms stand was offering a a mix and match deal on fruit for $3 a pound at the Modesto Certified Farmers Market.

As the market sellers began to pack up for the day, my toddler and I found a shady spot by the Stanislaus County Library to enjoy our fruit.

Thanks to our appetites, half the bag didnt make it back home.

Although I wish I could have grabbed a larger selection of flowers and a bigger bag of fruit, I still consider my trip to the Modesto Certified Farmers Market a success.

I managed to get a little bit of everything, all for a total of $18.75.

The Modesto Bees On A Budget reporter Angela Rodriguez stops by the Modesto Certified Farmers Market. Heres what she got under $20.

When is Modestos farmers market open?

The Modesto Certified Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays during specific seasons.

Heres when the market is open this year:

Saturdays through Dec. 21

Thursdays through Oct. 31

Pro tip: When visiting, remember that dogs are not allowed at any certified farmers market in California.

The market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays during the specified seasons.

Where should I go next?

Have any ideas on where I should visit next in Modesto on a budget?

Send me recommendations at arodriguez@modbee.com or by filling out the form below.

What do you want to know about life in Modesto? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@modbee.com.
WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WCMH)  As hundreds of people headed home after the City of Westervilles annual fireworks show, the police department was out in full force, making sure everyone got to their destination safely.

If you spent any time out in Westerville Thursday night, it wouldnt have taken long before you saw an officer. Chief of Police Charles Chandler said that if an incident were to occur, hed rather be over-prepared than under-prepared.

After every Fourth of July event in Westerville, the department does a debrief. Chandler said they noticed that last year drew in a larger crowd, which is why enhanced security measures were added, but thats not the only reason.

We did have some juvenile fights last year and we noticed people were crossing Cleveland Avenue. You see, weve got the orange barricades out there, said Chief Chandler.

The barricades are new in 2024. They are supposed to prevent people from jay-walking and encourage them to use the designated crosswalks. Theres also an Ohio Department of Public Safety tower that gave police a 360 view of the entire area. Drones, bicycle units and private security were also utilized.

We dont have any threats or anything tonight. Its just important for us to protect the community, he said.

According to the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, local police departments are asked to stay vigilant during large crowd celebrations, adding that the biggest threat comes from lone wolves, but the chief says thats not a concern here.

You do monitor whats going on right across the world and across the country, but theres no specific threat here, said Chief Chandler.

The chief says that his goal is to make sure everyone has a great time and makes it home safe so that they continue to spend Independence Day in Westerville.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Where to watch F-15 flyovers in Oregon on the Fourth of July

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The Portland Air National Guard Bases 142nd Wing will perform F-15 Eagle flyovers across Northwest Oregon on Thursday in honor of Americas Independence Day.

The pilots will tear across the sky in F-15 Eagle fighter jets between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.

All passes will be approximately 1,000 feet above ground level and about 400 mph airspeed, the Oregon Military Department said.

A map of the Fourth of July flyovers. (Portland Air National Guard Bases 142nd Wing)

2024 Fourth of July guide: Where to watch fireworks in the greater Portland area

See the 142nd Wings full Fourth of July flyover schedule:

10:35 a.m. Corbett, Ore.

10:39 a.m. Ridgefield, Wash.

10:43 a.m. Clatskanie, Ore.

10:47 a.m. Warrenton, Ore.

10:50 a.m. Manzanita, Ore.

10:51 a.m. Rockaway Beach, Ore.

10:55 a.m. Neskowin, Ore.

11:00 a.m. Turner, Ore.

11:01 a.m. Salem, Ore.

11:03 a.m. Mt. Angel, Ore.

11:05 a.m. St. Paul, Ore.

11:08 a.m. Lake Oswego, Ore.

11:09 a.m. Happy Valley, Ore.

11:12 a.m. Molalla, Ore.

11:14 a.m. Mill City, Ore.

11:26 a.m. Condon, Ore.

11:34 a.m. The Dalles, Ore.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The White House said it is "concerned" about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's surprise trip on Friday to Moscow, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed the war in Ukraine.

The behaviour of the Hungarian leader is "counterproductive" in terms of supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and does not contribute to peace in the country invaded by Russia, said US President Joe Biden's spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

"Russia could end this war today by stopping their aggression against Ukraine, against their sovereignty, against their democracy. They can withdraw. They can withdraw right now," she said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban during their meeting in Moscow. -/Kremlin/dpa
ANKARA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police detained 45 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) group in nationwide operations, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Friday.

Yerlikaya did not specify the timeframe for these operations but said they unfolded across 16 cities, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and others. Authorities seized digital materials, Turkish lira, and foreign currency during raids on the suspects' premises.

Turkish police have been regularly conducting counter-terrorism operations against IS members across the country.

The Turkish government designated IS as a terrorist organization in 2013, blaming it for a spate of deadly attacks in the country since 2015, including a January attack on a Roman Catholic church in Istanbul that killed one person.

Turkiye's southern border with Syria has been a major transit route for Syrians and foreign fighters since the Syrian civil war began in 2011. 
White House says Orban trip to Moscow will not advance peace for Ukraine

The Biden administration on Friday joined a chorus of criticism against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans trip to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it would do nothing to end the war.

Were concerned that Prime Minister Orban would choose to take this trip to Moscow, which will neither advance the cause of peace, nor will it promote Ukrainian sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, a senior Biden administration official said on a call with reporters, previewing the NATO summit that will take place in Washington next week.

Look, at the end of the day, we believe that Russia could end this war today by ceasing its aggression against Ukraine.

At the NATO summit, set to take place July 9-11, allies are expected to lay out new financial and military commitments for Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia since Putin launched a full-scale invasion against the country in February 2022.

Other summit deliverables include the alliance announcing new NATO commitments to Ukraine to deepen ties and to lay the groundwork for Kyiv to eventually join the alliance.

When there is consensus among the 32 allies for Ukraine to join the Alliance, Ukraine is ready, truly ready on day one, to plug and play with the rest of the alliance, the official said.

The White House in criticizing the trip is joining other allies that have denounced Orbans visit to Moscow, which he billed as a chance to open the channels of direct communication and start a dialogue on the shortest road to peace.

While Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, top European officials were quick to point out that Orban does not hold a mandate to discuss foreign affairs on behalf of the 27-member bloc.

In Moscow, Viktor Orban in no way represents the EU or the EUs positions. He is exploiting the EU presidency position to sow confusion, Estonias Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who will serve as the EUs next foreign policy chief, posted on social platform X.

The EU is united, clearly behind Ukraine and against Russian aggression.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated EU support for Ukraine.

Viktor Orban is visiting Putin as Hungarian Prime Minister. In foreign policy, the European Council is represented by Charles Michel, the German leader said.

The EUs position is very clear: we condemn the Russian war of aggression. Ukraine can rely on our support.

Before traveling to Moscow, Orban had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, saying that he was pitching a a deadline-bound ceasefire, that could provide an opportunity to speed up peace negotiations.

Zelensky welcomed Orbans visit as a clear signal to all of us of the importance of unity in Europe and taking collective steps.

After meetings in Moscow, Putin put out a statement that talks with Orban were quite intense and that Russia and Hungary continue cooperating in a number of areas, primarily the energy sector.

International sanctions aimed at supporting Ukraine have sought to choke off Russian profits from its exports of oil and gas.

Putin called for Russias terms for ending the war, which include a commitment for Ukraine not to join NATO and for Russia to maintain control over territory it occupies in Ukraine, terms that are non-starters for Kyiv.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the [Hungarian] Prime Minister for visiting Moscow, which we regard as an attempt to resume dialogue and give it a boost, Putin said in the statement.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Why is arm pain a common heart attack symptom? Heres what you should know

Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the U.S. for the past 100 years, according to the American Heart Association.

Despite how common it is, there are many questions floating around the internet about heart disease and specifically about heart attacks. Can someone really give you a heart attack? What do heart attacks feel like? What causes them? Why is arm pain a symptom?

To address any of these questions, its best to first understand what a heart attack really is.

What is a heart attack?

Heart attacks occur when blood flow to the heart becomes blocked off or limited, according to the Mayo Clinic. Without its necessary blood flow levels, tissue in the heart starts to die. Plaque and fat buildup are largely responsible for this kind of blood flow limitation.

Heart attack symptoms can begin weeks or even months before a heart attack happens, since plaque buildup happens gradually, per Sutter Health.

Sutter Health explained, When the artery is narrowed down more than 70%, youll start to have warning symptoms, especially with physical exertion.

Heart attacks also may happen suddenly. Once plaque forms in the artery walls, high blood pressure can cause the plaque to rupture, which can form a blood clot. When this happens, blood flow to the heart is also likely to stop, leading to a sudden heart attack.

In an interview with the British Heart Foundation, Natalie Duffin described her own experience with having an unexpected heart attack.

Id been feeling tired for a few days. I was out for a walk on the beach with my two daughters, aged two and six, she said. We were collecting shells and pebbles, and I was hit with this horrendous pain in my chest, through to my back and under my armpits, and I felt like I had a really bad hangover.

At the hospital, Duffin learned shed had a heart attack due to her main artery being completely blocked.

Arm pain is a common symptom of heart attacks

Chest pain is the most common symptom of heart attacks, but many people feel pain in other areas as well, most commonly in the left arm.

However, heart attack related arm pain is not isolated just in the left arm, Yvonne Leippert, chest pain coordinator at Stony Brook Medicine, explained.

One 53-year-old man recently came in with nausea and unusual fatigue. We discovered that his main left artery was 80% blocked. Another recent patient was a 42-year-old woman whod been ignoring pain in her right arm because she thought only left arm pain was a symptom, Leippert said.

Since sensory nerves from the heart and the arms converge in the spine, pain originating in the heart can spread to other areas through shared neural pathways.

Cardiologist Dr. Syed Ahmed explained, This pain and discomfort can also radiate to the jaw, back and arms due to shared nerve pathways between the heart and these locations, per Kettering Health.

How do I know if my arm pain is heart related?

If arm pain is accompanied by tightness in the chest, trouble breathing or symptoms of indigestion, and if the arm pain gets worse even after being rested, you should get medical attention.

If the pain in your arm moves from the shoulder down into the arm, it is more likely to be related to a heart attack. Men are also more likely than women to experience heart-attack-caused arm pain under the left armpit, per Healthline.

Jaw, neck and tooth pain is also associated with heart attacks. If pain in these areas is accompanied by chest pain that returns on relatively frequent intervals, it is likely caused by a heart attack.

How do heart attack symptoms vary between men and women?

Johns Hopkins Medicine described womens heart attack symptoms as subtler and harder to detect.

The director of the Johns Hopkins Columbia Heart Failure Clinic, Dr. Lili Barouch, explained, While the classical symptoms, such as chest pains, apply to both men and women, women are much more likely to get less common symptoms such as indigestion, shortness of breath and back pain, sometimes even in the absence of obvious chest discomfort.

Research published to the AHA Journals added that women are significantly more likely to experience nausea, shoulder pain, upper back pain and a greater number of ACS (acute coronary syndrome) symptoms compared with men.

Other acute coronary syndrome symptoms include feeling lightheaded and dizzy, heavy sweating, a racing heartbeat and vomiting, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Harvard Health reported on a phenomenon known as the silent heart attack (silent myocardial infarction). A large majority of people who have experienced silent myocardial infarction (80%) were unaware of their condition.

These silent heart attacks account for nearly half of all heart attacks (45%), and men are more likely to experience them than women.

Can surprising someone give them a heart attack?

The National Institute of Health published research on five cases of homicide by heart attack. In these cases, a non-life threatening criminal activity induced a heart arrhythmia resulting in sudden death.

The study explained, The presumed mechanism of death in each case was a cardiac dysrhythmia related to underlying heart disease, but initiated by the emotional and/or physical stress.

In these cases, the individuals had an extreme increase in adrenaline. An increase in adrenaline can cause heart spasms and arrhythmias and blood vessel constriction.

Heart surgeon A. Marc Gillinov explained, Fortunately, in most cases this condition is reversible and the heart function returns to normal over time. Unfortunately, in rare instances, it can cause sudden death, per Cleveland Clinic.

If you ever suspect that you are experiencing a heart attack, call 911 immediately.
The Pequannock public library is supposed to be a center for learning and reading.

More recently, it's become known for something else  a divisive fight over the library's budget and the alleged politics of a new majority on the library board of trustees.

That majority, appointed by the township mayor and council, has taken heat for suggesting the library return an as-yet-unspecified portion of its $800,000 annual budget to the municipal government, money that critics say is needed by the library program.

In June, township librarian Debbie Maynard resigned after 10 years on the job to protest the board of trustees' actions. Former trustee Joyce Forde-Muller, meanwhile, has started an online petition to rally opposition to the board.

The Pequannock Township library on Newark-Pompton Turnpike. The longtime librarian resigned in June amid a debate with the new library board majority.

In an interview, Forde-Muller laid out two goals: "All library money should be spent on the library and not on town programs" and hiring a new librarian "who shares the old librarians visions, values and ethics and serves the whole community not just a select few.

The petition currently has about 1,100 signatures.

A Moms for Liberty connection?

Maynard and Forde-Muller also raised concerns about the trustees' alleged ties to Moms For Liberty, the national conservative movement that has lobbied to remove some LGBTQ+ and race-related materials from schools around the U.S., arguing they are sexually explicit or biased.

There's no evidence the Pequannock board has tried to push such an agenda at the library. But two of the four recently appointed trustees are married to candidates who ran unsuccessfully for the Pequannock Board of Education the last two years with the endorsement of the Morris County Moms for Liberty chapter.

Library board President Christina White, appointed to the panel in 2021, is married to Edward White, who sought a school board seat the following year. On the Facebook page for his "Freedom for Families" campaign, he outlined principles that include "Families teach age-appropriate sex education, not government teachers" and "Schools need to get back to basics  the three Rs reading, writing and arithmetic. Empower students to succeed in life."

In an email to the Daily Record, Christina White said she was not a member of Moms for Liberty but did not comment further on the topic.

Morris News: Habitat for Humanity opens Randolph condos, helping 12 families 'lay down roots'

Joanne McShane, a library trustee appointed this year, is married to Sean McShane, who ran unsuccessfully for school board last year on a slate that hit similar themes as Edward White's campaign. Joanne McShane did not respond to requests for comment.

Pequannock Mayor Ryan Herd and Kyle Russell, the town council's liaison to the board, also didn't respond to messages seeking comment. In June, Herd lost a bid for the Republican nomination to keep his seat, finishing behind two other candidates who will now run in November.

Librarian resigns in protest

Forde-Muller, in her online petition drive, wrote: "We are also seeing the Library Trustee Board stacked with new members appointed for partisan political reasons, rather than as responsible stewards and advocates of the librarys mission. Instead, they are there to rubber-stamp Town Council demands for library money to fund pet projects." Those projects include a new township pickleball court, she said.

Maynard said she felt she had no option but to retire. "Moving on was not what I thought was in my future," she said in an interview, "but I couldn't stay and be aligned with a group that thought so little of the library and focused only on how to return money to the town for municipal projects."

The seven-member library board recently hired an interim library director while it pursues a full-time replacement.

In response to interview requests, White referred to a statement the board issued June 19 that denied any of the library's current budget has been transferred back to the town.

"The only known year the Library Board transferred funds to the Township was from the 2022 budget surplus, which was approved by a prior Board of Trustees," the statement said.

Public libraries in New Jersey get funding through state property taxes. The 2022 transfer was "in accordance with state law," the board statement said. According to the trustees, the law requires the library to return money to the town when it has a surplus of more than 20% of its operating expenses at the end of the budget year.

The debate over library funds

Although library funds haven't been repurposed toward the town since 2022, recent board meeting minutes confirm a standstill in addressing the surplus.

Some board members have expressed interest in putting the surplus back into the town budget for municipal projects. Others oppose it, saying the library needs the funds for capital projects such as repairs, redesigning the space and upgrading technology and programming.

During a March 20 trustees meeting, some residents complained about the board's lack of urgency in making a decision. According to the minutes, Pequannock resident Paul Mahler said that "he has been attending Library Board meetings for about a year and he sees consistent delays, a change to the power base."

In an interview, Maynard said that, despite her recommendations, the town council and mayor appointed trustees who were spouses of the board of education candidates supported by Moms for Liberty. "When Mrs. Christina White became the board president this year, one of the first things she asked me was when can we return money to the township."

Forde-Muller also expressed concerns about the trustees' political motivations. She worries that repurposing surplus funds is just the beginning.

Next up: November council election

She aims to gather 5,000 signatures on her petition, so she can show it to the town council, the library board and publish it in local newspapers.

In November, two of Pequannock's five council seats will be up for a vote. Incumbent David Kohle and Vincent Siracusa, both Republicans, will be on the ballot, along with Democrat Michael Mancuso.

"We are not going to stand down for this and elections will come up and people will see who is on the board, the town council, and what the majorities are, and vote accordingly." she said.

Email: NFlanagan@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: North Jersey library shaken up by fights over budget, Moms for Liberty
CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)  Following the arrest of an escaped Carter County inmate, the sheriffs office addressed questions from the public as to why he was able to serve on a work detail.

Billy Fletcher, 43, was arrested Thursday in Greenville County, South Carolina. Fletcher walked away from his assigned work detail at the Carter County Detention Center on June 20. As of Friday, his escape is still under investigation.

Fletcher appeared in court for a bond hearing Friday in South Carolina, during which a judge denied granting him bond.

Escaped Carter County inmate Billy Fletcher captured in South Carolina

According to the Carter County Sheriffs Office (CCSO), Fletcher is believed to have come into contact with missing man Victor Birchfield shortly after his escape. Birchfield remains missing as of Friday, but the CCSO confirmed his vehicle was recovered in South Carolina.

Following Fletchers escape from custody, the Carter County Sheriffs Office has received questions about Fletchers participation in the inmate work program regarding charges placed against Fletcher during a previous arrest, the CCSO stated in a news release.

The release states Fletcher was serving a three-year sentence at the detention center after he was convicted of violation of his probation. He was on probation following a conviction of attempted burglary.

Carter County missing mans daughter speaks about his possible contact with escaped inmate

That attempted burglary charge stemmed from a November 2017 incident, which resulted in Fletcher being initially charged with domestic assault, attempted kidnapping and attempted burglary. News Channel 11 obtained court documents from that incident that alleged Fletcher had held a woman by the throat and attempted to force her into a truck before another man intervened and shot Fletcher.

The CCSO reports that when the case from that incident went to court, the attempted kidnapping and domestic assault charges were dismissed. Fletcher was found guilty of attempted burglary.

Our nations criminal justice system was founded on the principle that a person is innocent until proven guilty, Carter County Sheriff Mike Fraley stated in the release. In this case, Fletcher was proven guilty of attempted aggravated burglary but not of kidnapping or domestic assault.

Inmates who participate in a jail work program must meet certain qualifications, as outlined in Tennessee state law. The CCSO reports that relies heavily on what inmates have been convicted of.

Under our policy, which conforms with state law, an inmate serving time for violent offenses, whether a misdemeanor or a felony, is not eligible to participate in the inmate work program, Jail Administrator Captain Matt Patterson stated in the release. Before an inmate is assigned to the inmate work program, we run a complete criminal history check on that individual to not only see what their criminal history has been like in Carter County but in other jurisdictions as well.

The criminal history check on Fletcher revealed convictions of attempted burglary, violation of probation and failure to appear in Carter County. It also showed a conviction for a misdemeanor count of violation of an order of protection in another county.

None of Fletchers convictions are classified by state law as violent offenses that would prohibit him from participating in an inmate work program, Patterson said.

Fletcher had participated in the work program at the jail since Jan. 26, 2024. The CCSO stated he was not involved in any disciplinary incidents before his escape.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Why HBCU Enrollment is Exploding And What Officials Are Doing to Keep it That Way

School is out for summer. But HBCUs across the country only have a few more weeks to enjoy the silence before record numbers of new students hit their campuses in the fall  good news for the schools that have been producing a large percentage of Black professionals and students of color seeking a more nurturing and inclusive college experience.

As Forbes reported, Howard University saw a 12 percent increase in applications for their incoming freshman class this year, receiving 37,000 applications for just 2,500 seats. Applications to Florida A&M University have almost doubled in the last two years. The Tallahassee HBCU received over 21,000 applications for less than 4,000 seats.

The surge in interest is even impacting lesser-known HBCUs like Edward Waters University in Jacksonville, Florida, which has seen an over 160 percent increase in applications since 2019.

Jennifer Price, Edward Waters Vice President of Enrollment Management, told Forbes that admitting more students has helped the schools reputation and influence to grow, creating a positive feedback loop that attracts even more high-quality applicants in the future.

Experts have pointed to several factors that have contributed to the increase in HBCU interest, including conservatives efforts to dismantle Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs at schools around the country and the Supreme Courts June 2023 decision to take away colleges and universities ability to consider race as a factor in admissions.

HBCUs also have a proven track record of producing alumni who succeed in their chosen fields. According to White House data, 40 percent of all Black engineers, 50 percent of Black lawyers, 70 percent of Black doctors and 80 percent of Black judges.

But as more students apply to HBCUs, more still needs to be done to make sure schools have the resources to keep them there. According to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, HBCUs endowments are one-eighth the average size of historically white colleges and universities.

The schools are also doing their part to attract and retain new students by expanding their offerings. Xavier University in New Orleans signed an agreement in April with Ochsner Medical Center to establish a medical school, joining only four other historically Black medical schools in the United States.

Philanthropists are also stepping up to help, with big money donors like Ronda Stryker, MacKenzie Scott and Netflix Chairman and cofounder Reed Hastings contributing millions to HBCUs around the country.

Michael A. Bailey, Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Transfer Services at North Carolina Central University told Forbes that the recognition is long overdue.

I believe HBCUs are finally getting the recognition they deserve. We are being looked at for the excellent education and environment we produce, he said.

For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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.
A Pakistani army soldier stands guard while Afghan people enter Pakistan through a border crossing point in Chaman, Pakistan. Credit - AP Photo

Tensions between neighbors Pakistan and Afghanistan are running high as the Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said this week that his country plans to continue launching cross-border attacks as part of a new military operation to curb terrorism. The comments mark a notable shift for Pakistani officials who, until now, had only admitted to one such cross-border strike in March.

We wont serve them with cake and pastries. If attacked, well attack back, Asif told the BBC.

Pakistan has experienced a surge in violence since the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, unilaterally ended a ceasefire with Islamabad in November 2022. Last year alone, more than 700 attacks killed nearly 1,000 people.

The Pakistani government accuses the Afghan Taliban of providing a safe haven to the TTP. In recent years, Islamabad has made various attempts to contain the TTP, including talks, erecting a border fence between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and applying pressure on the Afghan government to stop assisting the militant group. This included the expulsion of over 500,000 Afghan refugees last October, with a second phase to expel another 800,000 commencing earlier this month.

Yet experts tell TIME that Pakistan has little power to stem the violence that overwhelmingly afflicts its two border regions with Afghanistan. Thats because Islamabad can no longer leverage the wartime support it offered the Taliban during the U.S. war in Afghanistan to help rein in the TTP. Pakistan finds itself in a predicament largely of its own makingthe Taliban leadership that it supported throughout much of the 20-year insurgency in Afghanistan is now sheltering militant groups targeting Islamabad, says Joshua White, a professor in international affairs at Johns Hopkins University.

Read More: Why Pakistan Fails to Stop Jihadi Attacks

Whats driving tensions between the former allies?

While relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been fraught in recent years, two underlying tension pointsthe border and cross-border violencehave been longstanding.

No Afghan government, including the current Taliban regime, has recognized the [official] border since Pakistan's independence, says Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center. And each side has long accused the other of sheltering terrorists that carry out attacks in the other country.

The colonial-era Durand Line, which stretches over 1,640 miles, officially separates Pakistan from Afghanistan. Afghanistan has never recognized the border but the Taliban has come out more strongly on the issue, and numerous skirmishes have erupted between Taliban fighters and Pakistani soldiers putting up border fencing, leading to the closures of border crossings. Border tensions have sharpened because the Taliban have been especially aggressive in asserting their position, Kugelman says.

The border cuts through tribal areas dominated by the Pashtuns, the largest ethnic group in the border regions of both countries. Pakistan has vowed to complete the barbed-wire fencing along the internationally recognized border, which the Taliban says separates families.

With the war in Afghanistan no longer at play, the Taliban does not need to depend on Pakistan for sanctuaries and other wartime support. Instead, it seeks more legitimacy back at home, where many Afghans have long distrusted the Pakistani government. By lashing out at Pakistan, the Taliban hopes to buy some goodwill from the Afghan public, Kugelman says.

Will tensions ease soon?

Despite the tensions, the two countries are engaged in regular diplomacy. During recent talks hosted by the U.N. in Doha, Pakistan's special envoy to Afghanistan met with the Taliban, while Ishaq Dar, Pakistans Foreign Minister, has said that his office plans to visit to Kabul in the coming months. Make no mistake, Afghanistan has not been ignored by this government, Dar said.

Read More: Afghanistan, One Year On From U.S. Withdrawal

But border tensions are too contentious and complex to resolve anytime soon, Kugelman says. Tensions may soar further if Pakistans new military operation leads to more frequent and sustained force at the disputed border.

Pakistan government sources who spoke to the BBC have suggested that the countrys new military operation directly stems from pressure from China. Many Chinese nationals are working on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects in Pakistan as part of the Belt and Road initiative. In March, five Chinese engineers in the northwest of the country were killed when a suicide bomber, who Pakistan alleged was an Afghan national, rammed a vehicle into their convoy.

At the same time, Beijing has ample leverage over the Taliban due to Chinas capacity to invest in sanction-hit Afghanistan. If Beijing, dangling that incentive of investment assistance, is able to convince the Taliban to curb militancy, both domestically focused in Afghanistan and cross-border in Pakistan, that would help both China and Pakistan, Kugelman says.

Write to Astha Rajvanshi at astha.rajvanshi@time.com.
BELOKO, Central African RepublicThey were all wearing military fatigues and armed with Kalashnikovs when they showed up suddenly at about 5 oclock one Friday evening at the start of December. The four men were soldiers from the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) who drove right up to where I was interviewing about a dozen people hoping to get cross the border.

Among those I was interviewing were a couple of artisanal miners who had gathered in front of a security checkpoint in the Central African Republic (CAR) border town of Beloko. It is the countrys first customs checkpoint on the trade corridor linking the capital, Bangui, to the Cameroonian port city of Douala. A number of them had lost their homes following the fighting between rebels and Russian paramilitaries supported by FACA forces, and were hoping to find refuge in Cameroon.

Suddenly, four gun-wielding soldiers appeared from nowhere, rushed me, and started to drag me away. I began to scream for help but the civilians around, including those I was interviewing, were too scared to intervene. Two armed Russian paramilitaries, who came to the scene when they heard me screaming, encouraged the soldiers to assault me, telling the FACA officials to beat me up until I confessed to being a criminal. When one elderly man courageously asked the soldiers why they were dragging me away on a stony road, one of them replied: Hes a terrorist.

I didnt resist their arrest, yet the soldiers manhandled me in such a brutal way that anyone watching would think I did not want to be apprehended. By the time we got to a nearby military outpost close to a customs checkpoint, there were bruises on my hands and legs.

FACA soldiers and Russian paramilitaries are very visible and active in Beloko. The town is the CARs main source of customs. About 80 percent of the countrys imports, including supplies from Russia, pass through here. A year ago, militants from the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC)a fusion of major rebel groups in CAR destroyed dozens of vehicles in Beloko, burned fuel stocks and razed the customs office. Two mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group deployed to CAR and at least two other civilians were killed in the incident.

Philip Obaji Jr. after receiving treatment. Philp Obaji Jr. / The Daily Beast

In September, three months before I arrived in Beloko, FACA soldiers and Russian paramilitaries repelled an armed attack against the town by CPC rebels. A civilian was shot and injured, and many houses were damaged during the incident. There were allegations that Russian paramilitaries, who continue to exert influence over the CARs security agencies, tortured a number of locals as they searched for the militants. It was also claimed that they were in the business of collecting bribes from drivers that transported goods from Cameroon. I was investigating the allegations when the soldiers seized me.

Putins Private Army Accused of Massacring Dozens to Seize Gold Mine

When we arrived at the military outpost, soldiers flogged me with whips and accused me of spying on them. I denied that I had done that. The soldiers then seized my phone and camera and began to search the contents of the devices. They saw nothing in them. I had cleared and backed up the files before I arrived in Beloko and had not even started recording anyone at the customs checkpoint when I was arrested.

I had arrived in Beloko the previous day after a long road trip from Douala through the Cameroonian border town of Garoua-Boulai to dig into Russian operations in the CAR following the death of Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. My contacts advised me to go near the customs checkpoint in search of locals and transporters who may be willing to speak about their experiences with the Russians, whove been active in the CAR since the government turned to Moscow for help in securing arms and paramilitaries in 2017.

The CAR is a very dangerous place to be a journalist. In the last decade, a number of reporters have been killed while carrying out their work. The list includes local journalists Elisabeth Blanche Olofio, Desire Luc Sayenga, and Rene Padou; French photojournalist Camille Lepage; and three Russian investigative reportersOrkhan Dzhemal, Kirill Radchenko and Alexander Rastorguyevwho traveled to the country in 2018 to report on the presence of Wagner paramilitaries.

According to Reporters Without Borders, journalists are often subjected to pressure, threats, violence or cyber-harassment, and reporters who interview other parties to the countrys decade-long conflict are routinely treated as spies or as accomplices of the various armed groups. In recent years, theres been a surge in disinformation, spread by trolls linked to Russia.

The soldiers who confiscated my equipment at the military outpost found nothing else on me. I had left my passport at the small guest house where I lodged, so they couldnt tell that I was a foreigner, but they still wouldnt let me go. I was in painbruises all over my body, a dislocated wrist and a swollen upper eyelid. I couldnt answer or even comprehend the questions they asked me. It felt as if I was unconscious. That may have been my saving grace. Had the soldiers first interrogated me rather than manhandle me in the way they did, they would probably have known I was a foreign journalist, as I would likely have confessed out of fear.

I was detained in a very small room with a tiny window inside a cargo container throughout the night. The room had no electricity and soldiers offered me no food or water. I didnt have the appetite for either. Very early in the morning, at about 6 a.m., the commercial motorcyclist who took me to the customs checkpoint the previous day and witnessed how I was treated arrived with a soldiera close friend of his from a different military unit in Belokowho successfully pleaded with his colleagues to release me.

There was no apology or regret from the soldiers, rather they said I was lucky I hadnt been killed. No one whos detained here gets out of here alive, one soldier said.

To make matters worse, they refused to return my phone and camera to me, claiming that they couldnt find where they were kept. I left without my most important equipment, but was incredibly grateful to be alive.

CAR forces, working closely with Russian paramilitaries, have a history of torturing and murdering civilians at checkpoints. In June 2021, FACA soldiers and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group set up a roadblock in the northwestern town of Bossangoa, stopped a dozen men on motorbikes, beat and shot them dead, and then put at least eight of the bodies in a shallow hole next to the road, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Around the same period, FACA soldiers unlawfully detained 21 men they accused of being rebels in inhumane conditions in an open hole at a national army base in the southern town of Alindao, according to HRW. Witnesses told the organization that both national army and Russian-speaking forces beat five of the men and may have executed two who were rebel combatants.

Teenage Twins Say They Were Drugged and Raped by Putins Rampaging Private Army

As soon as I returned to the guest house at the outskirts of Beloko, a local nurse was invited to treat the wounds I had sustained. He could only administer first aid treatment. It was the best medical care I could immediately get in a town with no standard hospital or easy access to prescription drugs. Still my dislocated wrist and swollen upper eyelid needed close examination, and only a long trip back to the Cameroon capital, Yaounde, or Douala that could take at least two days on motorbikes and commercial vehicles along very bad roads would guarantee that.

I managed to get to Garoua-Boulai the following day but began to feel feverish and so decided not to risk making the very long road trip to Douala. I felt better after taking a dose of aspirin the next morning, by which time, the wounds on my legs and hands had started to heal. I then made a decision to return to CAR to complete my investigation on Russian operations in the country since the death of Prigozhin. So I bought a new phone and camera and returned to the CAR to finish the work I had started.

Demonstrators hold a banner reading "We thank the FACA (Armed Forces of the Central African Republic)" in Bangui on February 23, 2022 during a pro Russia demonstration held around a statue representing Central African soldiers and Russian armed men. Carol Valade

The attack by Russian paramilitaries on locals in the northwestern CAR town of Koki in which at least 50 villagers were killed became an obsession for me, all the more because the victims were ordinary people who had done nothing wrong. I managed to interview 16 witnesses to the attack.

But I soon faced another hurdle. In mid-December, while departing the northwestern CAR village of Gallo where I had gone to interview a couple of witnesses to the Koki attack, the driver who transported me in a Volkswagen Passat vehicle sighted a group of armed men on the main road leading out of the village and was about to turn the car back to where we came from when the armed men started to shoot in the air. Fearing that the men could open fire at us if he continued in his attempt to avoid them, the driver stopped the vehicle. He then came out of the car with his hands raised as he walked up to the militants to explain to them who we were and why we visited Gallo.

But nothing the driver said to the militants, who accused me of being a foreign spy disguised as a journalist, was enough to let us go right away. We were held for about eight hours and only regained freedom after a higher-up militant arrived, listened to our story and was convinced I was a reporter on a mission to report on the attacks on Koki by Russian paramilitaries and not to spy on CAR rebels as his colleagues had thought.

It was close to midnight when the militants released us. We spent the night in Gallo and were able to travel out of the village the following day. I left the CAR for Cameroon two days after.

My trip to the CAR formed part of my work as Jim Hoge Reporting Fellow. Last April, when the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) asked me if I was interested in completing a three-month reporting project focused on a pressing global issue as part of its newly introduced Jim Hoge Fellowship, I knew straight away what I wanted to do.

I had spent nearly three years investigating and documenting dozens of human rights abusesincluding gut-wrenching massacresby mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group active in the Central African Republic (CAR) and in Mali, despite threats in an incredibly risky context. In 2022, I became a target of the Wagner Group. Contacts told me that my photo had been circulating on chat groups used by locals recruited by Wagner, who have apparently denounced me as an obstacle to fighting extremism in CAR and claimed Im an agent of the West who should be arrested or killed.

But there was still more to discover about Russias involvement in the CAR and no amount of intimidation was going to stop me from continuing my investigation.

Before my exclusive reporting on the Koki massacre, little was known about how Russian paramilitaries operated in the CAR following the demise of the Wagner boss. Who was coordinating Russian operations in the country? How many Russian paramilitaries were in the country? The governmentas usualwas silent; Russian paramilitaries and CAR forces prevented journalists from traveling far to seek answers. Villagers were warned never to speak to reporters.

I was determined to overcome those obstacles and get the answers that I so desperately needed. Thankfully, that was achieved.

This story was supported by the International Center for Journalists through the Jim Hoge Fellowship

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.
Why US schools need to shake up the way they teach physics

America has a physics problem.

Research shows that access to physics education varies based on race, gender, sexuality and disability. Physics courses are usually standard offerings in suburban high schools, but at urban and rural schools that isnt the case.

Even in places where physics is taught, the lessons rarely highlight how physics can be applied to students everyday lives.

This approach can hamper students desire to learn. In my work as a physics education researcher, Ive encountered lessons centered on the rote memorization of formulas. This method fails to encourage critical thinking, constraining students ability to creatively solve problems.

Teachers sometimes believe that if a student cant grasp a physics concept, its the students problem. Instructors oftentimes dont try to present the materials in a way that could help students engage more deeply with the lessons. This adds to the challenges poorer, nonwhite students already face, which include being held to lower standards and having fewer classroom resources.

Imagine if, instead, students could see how physics influences their daily lives in sports, extreme weather or baking and cooking. How might these real-world connections spark curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of physics?

Making physics relevant

Not adequately teaching physics has consequences.

As the economy becomes more tech-centered, understanding physics is critical. Yet the number of Americans with a solid grasp of physics is dwindling.

If theres a shortage of candidates for jobs requiring a basic understanding of physics, it could hurt the ability of the U.S. to compete in the global economy, or it could compel companies to outsource certain jobs to countries with a better-educated workforce.

Many students have a vague notion that they would like to pursue STEM careers; they realize that these jobs usually pay well and can be interesting and fulfilling. But they arent even aware that learning physics can better prepare you for a role as an aerospace engineer, software developer or environmental scientist, to name just a few.

Understanding that relationship alone could boost their desire to learn the material.

But theres another way to boost motivation, which Ive spent years studying and developing, called culturally relevant physics education.

Physics is usually taught in ways that dont connect with a diverse student body, leading to lower performance and engagement, especially among poor and nonwhite students. This can cause these populations to see little value in learning physics.

A traditional high school physics class teaches abstract equations and focuses on topics such as projectile motion and electrical circuits. The teacher might explain Newtons laws of motion using examples exclusively from European history, such as the firing of cannonballs.

I wouldnt fault students in, say, Raymond, Mississippi, for wondering why in the world theyre learning about the trajectory of 18th-century weaponry.

Physics in racing, texting and farming

By shifting to teaching physics in culturally responsive ways, I believe its possible to reverse this trend and cultivate a new generation of physics enthusiasts and professionals. There are plenty of ways to do this.

Ive worked with teachers in California to explore how the physics of wave motion affects earthquake dynamics and how buildings are constructed. Other lessons include understanding how text messages are transmitted through wave motion and how the physics of firearms can be taught using the concepts of the conservation of momentum and impulse.

In these ways, teachers can tap into students cultures and interests to make physics more relatable and engaging. There is no one-size-fits-all approach: While the physics of earthquakes might resonate better in one regions school district, the physics of hurricanes might work better in another.

The rural South, in particular, has an acute need for more opportunities to learn physics.

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that students in these areas have less access to advanced science courses, including physics, than their urban and suburban counterparts. And a 2021 report by the American Institute of Physics notes that fewer high schools in the rural South offer Advanced Placement physics courses, which could be due, in part, to the significant shortage of qualified physics teachers in these communities.

Physics has a place on the farm, particularly as droughts become more commonplace in parts of the U.S. Brady Dennis/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Targeted interventions could help meet this need.

Ive already collaborated with teachers in the Southeast to develop activities using NASCAR  a hugely popular sport in the region  so students can learn about engine types, acceleration and thermal energy. Im also one of the principal investigators in a collaboration between Michigan State University and two HBCUs, Alabama A&M University and Winston-Salem State University, to implement culturally responsive physics education in the rural South.

Given the regions rich agricultural history, the science of raising plants and crops can be another avenue for physics instruction. Teachers could detail how light energy is converted into chemical energy; explain how fruits and vegetables have unique colors due to the ways they absorb and reflect wavelengths of light; and relate how physics concepts such as fluid dynamics can be used to improve irrigation techniques.

By learning these real-world applications, students from agricultural areas could become empowered to contribute to their communities.

This project is not just about filling a gap in physics instruction; its also about unlocking the potential of students in the rural South. And we hope theyll eventually feel confident enough about their physics backgrounds to one day pursue careers in STEM.

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: Clausell Mathis, Michigan State University

Read more:



Clausell Mathis receives funding from U.S. Department of Education as a Co-PI on the Education Innovation and Research Grant program. .
An aerial drone photo taken on July 2, 2024 shows Rizhao Port in operation in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 2, 2024 shows Rizhao Port in operation in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows cargo ships docking at a fully automated container terminal of Qingdao Port in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 2, 2024 shows a cargo ship arriving at Rizhao Port in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows a cargo ship docking at the Qianwan Container Terminal of Qingdao Port in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows a cargo ship docking at the Qianwan Container Terminal of Qingdao Port in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 2, 2024 shows a cargo ship arriving at Rizhao Port in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows cargo ships docking at Yantai Port in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Photo by Zhang Chao/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows a fully automated container terminal of Qingdao Port in operation in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows a fully automated container terminal of Qingdao Port in operation in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows a cargo ship docking at a fully automated container terminal of Qingdao Port in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows cargo ships docking at the Qianwan Container Terminal of Qingdao Port in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

This photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows vehicles to be loaded for export at Yantai Port in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Photo by Zhang Chao/Xinhua)

This photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows vehicles to be loaded for export at Yantai Port in east China's Shandong Province. In recent years, Shandong Province has leveraged its marine resources to promote the integrated reform and development of coastal ports, to create a world-class port group. (Photo by Zhang Chao/Xinhua)
Why Wisconsin claims - incorrectly - to have more lakes than the Land of 10,000 Lakes

Listen and subscribe to our podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

For more than a century, Minnesota has made its abundance of lakes a signature part of its identity: the Land of 10,000 Lakes. But our neighbors to the east claim to have us beat.

Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources touts that the state has "more than 15,000 lakes." In an apples-to-apples lake battle, however, Minnesota is the clear winner. That's because many of the "lakes" in Wisconsin's tally would be considered ponds in Minnesota. Officials in the two states follow very different standards.

This discrepancy fuels plenty of jokes and trash-talk between the two states.

"Sometimes I take a leak out behind my garage and it forms a puddle," a commenter wrote on a 2023 Reddit thread on this topic. "If I was in Wisconsin I could call it a lake."

A reader wondered why the two states have such different metrics for defining what counts as a lake. They sought answers from Curious Minnesota, the Star Tribune's reader-generated reporting project.

Similar lake battles are actually being waged around the world. The reason? There is no "universal, scientifically based" definition to differentiate ponds from lakes and wetlands, according to a 2022 article in the journal Scientific Reports. This glaring absence "hampers science, policy, and management, and creates confusion," the authors wrote.

Minnesota defines a lake as a body of water with an area of at least 10 acres. That approach makes more sense than Wisconsin's less precise definition, said John Downing, a professor of biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth and director of the water science research program Minnesota Sea Grant.

But he said the number that's emblazoned on Minnesota license plates, 10,000, is off by a wide margin. The actual number is just over 14,000, by Downing's estimation.

Becoming the Land of 10,000 Lakes

The state's unofficial slogan has origins dating at least as far back as 1874, when a professor named Ransom Humiston gave a speech at the State Fair about Minnesota's "glorious future." Humiston co-founded the settlement that became Worthington, Minn.

"We may justly claim that we are the HUB of North America  we have thirty-eight rivers in the State, six of which are navigable within the State, amounting to an aggregate of about 1,200 miles," said Humiston, according to a write-up in the Worthington Advance. "Then come over 10,000 lakes, abounding in delicious fish, and the paradise of myriads of waterfowl."

Another state nickname nearly prevailed, however. At the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1901, Minnesota advertised itself as the "Bread and Butter State."

A turning point came in 1917, when state boosters went all-in on the "10,000 Lakes" idea in hopes of capitalizing on the growing popularity of automobile tourism. "Ten thousand Minnesota lakes are calling you," proclaimed newspaper ads in places like Kansas City. "Come up and play where it's springtime all the summer long."

A resort owner and state senator from Walker soon created a group called the Ten Thousand Lakes of Minnesota Association to market the state as a tourist destination. More than 50 communities contributed funds.

"Tourists have seen Colorado and the Yellowstone park and are looking for new fields to explore," the Austin Daily Herald reported in 1918. "No state in the union has more natural beauty than Minnesota with its 10,000 lakes."

The phrase landed on state license plates in 1950 and has been there ever since.

All things considered, Humiston's 1874 estimate wasn't too shabby. But today, Downing is able to get an accurate count by analyzing the Minnesota DNR's database of waterbodies and tallying everything that's 10 acres or larger.

That's how he landed on 14,380.

Why 10 acres?

The 10-acre cutoff helps delineate the character of a lake versus its more mucky cousin, the pond. Lake scientists believe that a lake is only a lake if it has a "wave-swept shore," Downing said.

"Having waves is important, because it changes the character of the water body," he said. "It changes the character of how the shorelines work and how the sediment builds up."

Here's how he does the math: Winds of about 35 miles an hour need to blow across a certain distance of surface water in order to form waves of about 4 inches. Assuming that the body of water is roundish, it would need to be about 10 acres to get the right-sized waves, he said.

If a body of water is too small to have waves, its shores are usually "marshy, full of organic material and mucky stuff," he said.

Although limnologists (scientists who study lakes) generally agree on this definition, there's no federal standard to separate lakes from ponds. The U.S. Geological Survey even lumped them into one category in its National Hydrography Dataset.

So in each of the 50 states, the department of natural resources is free to draw the line between lake and pond as they wish. When tallying their 15,000 total, Wisconsin's agency includes "lakes" as small as 2.2 acres. This is a definition that even Cory McDonald, a research scientist with Wisconsin's DNR, has called "somewhat nonconventional."

In 2019, the fact-checking site Politifact analyzed the national data in a definitive takedown of comments by Wisconsin's lake-touting tourism secretary, Sara Meaney.

Meaney had claimed on the radio that her state had more lakes than Minnesota, saying, "We win. We win." But when PolitiFact limited lakes using the 10-acre standard, Wisconsin's count dropped from 15,000 to 6,176.

Quibblers sometimes point out that Minnesota is larger than Wisconsin, opening up a different battle over lake density.

That's getting a little too in the weeds for Downing's taste. Both states are truly lake-rich, he said.

"Northern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota are among the more what we call lacustrine places in the world," he said. "That means 'lakey,' and it changes how the forests work and alters weather. It is a huge tourist and economic engine."

"We are the water states, really, of the United States," he said. "It really does distinguish our states from others."

If you'd like to submit a Curious Minnesota question, fill out the form below:

Read more Curious Minnesota stories:

Is Minnesota's tiny Lake Itasca the true source of the Mississippi River?

Why does Minnesota have so many lakes?

We call Wisconsinites cheeseheads. What do they call us?

Should Minnesota be considered part of the Midwest?

How did Minnesota become the Gopher State?

What Minnesotans want to know about their Land of 10,000 Lakes
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  Nearly a year after D.C. was forced to close it, one of the Districts major indoor aquatics facilities will reopen.

Thennie Freeman, Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, said Friday that the Wilson Aquatic Center in Tenleytown would welcome people back on Sunday, July 7.

The list of issues at the facility in Northwest was extensive and included major problems with its HVAC system. The troubles prompted the city to close the center in August 2023.

In February, Councilmember Matt Frumin, who represents Ward 3, shared an update on the work taking place in one of his weekly newsletters. The update included information from the Department of General Services (DGS) and the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) which noted the scope of the $2.5 million project would include installation of new rooftop units, fans, and ductwork. DGS said it also was redesigning the HVAC system to allow for more efficient and timely maintenance and inspections.

In February, the indication was that the reopening date, which moved from the end of 2023 to sometime in the winter, would be in the spring.

Wilson Aquatic Center in DC could be close to reopening

In an Instagram post the week of May 19, 2024, Frumin shared pictures from inside the aquatic center, which he toured with the director of the Department of General Services. Frumin noted that DGS was in the home stretch. Crews were to begin filling the pool and give the center a final deep clean, followed by the necessary inspections.

Freeman said the aquatic center would reopen at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Because the Wilson facilty will be available again, Freeman said the District would scale back on the 6 a.m. opening time at Hearst Pool weekdays because Wilson would be opening at that 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 DC News Now | Washington, DC.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that absentee drop boxes can be used ahead of the November election, reversing a previous 2022 ruling and delivering a win for Democrats.

In a 4-3 decision, the liberal-majority court ruled that dropping off an absentee ballot did constitute as returning it to a municipal clerk, reversing itself from its previous decision made by the then-conservative majority court arguing that it could be dropped off only at election offices.

By mandating that an absentee ballot be returned not to the municipal clerks office, but to the municipal clerk, the legislature disclaimed the idea that the ballot must be delivered to a specific location and instead embraced delivery of an absentee ballot to a person  the municipal clerk, said Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, writing for the majority.

Given this, the question then becomes whether delivery to a drop box constitutes delivery to the municipal clerk,' Bradley continued.

We conclude that it does. A drop box is set up, maintained, secured, and emptied by the municipal clerk. This is the case even if the drop box is in a location other than the municipal clerks office, the majority opinion said. As analyzed, the statute does not specify a location to which a ballot must be returned and requires only that the ballot be delivered to a location the municipal clerk, within his or her discretion, designates.

The decision by the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court is a blow to Republicans in the state. Absentee drop boxes became more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, though former President Trump and some members of his party have baselessly claimed that its susceptible to fraud.

The decision in Wisconsin is particularly notable given that the state narrowly went for Joe Biden in 2020 by less than a percentage point.

Wisconsin Democrats cheered the ruling in a statement.

Todays ruling affirms a basic principle: a democracy, we should make it easier for eligible voters to cast a ballotnot impose barriers based on conspiracy theories, said Ben Wikler, state party chair. By restoring access to safe and secure ballot drop boxes, the Court has ensured voters in communities across Wisconsincities big and small, in red areas and blue areasare able to exercise their right to vote in a way that works for them.

The ruling comes more than a year since the states high court flipped from a conservative majority to a liberal one when Justice Janet Protasiewicz won a special election for a vacant seat on the bench.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Wisconsin Supreme Court changes course, will allow expanded use of ballot drop boxes this fall

FILE - Poll workers sort out early and absentee ballots at the Kenosha Municipal Building on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday, July 5, 2024 that officials can place ballot drop boxes around their communities in this fall's elections, overturning its own ruling two years ago limiting their use in the presidential swing state. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)

MADISON, Wis. (AP)  The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that officials can place ballot drop boxes around their communities in this fall's elections, overturning its own ruling two years ago limiting their use in the presidential swing state.

The court limited the use of drop boxes in July 2022, ruling then that they could be placed only in local election clerks' offices and no one other than the voter could return a ballot in person.

Conservatives controlled the court at that time, but Janet Protasiewicz's election victory in April 2023 flipped the court to liberal control. Seeing an opening, Priorities USA, a progressive voter mobilization group, asked the court in February to revisit the decision.

At least 29 other states allow for absentee ballot drop boxes, according to the U.S. Vote Foundation, and expanded use in Wisconsin could have major implications in the presidential race.

Wisconsin again figures to be a crucial swing state after President Joe Biden barely won it in 2020 and Donald Trump narrowly took it in 2016. Democrats believe that making it easier to vote absentee will boost turnout for their side.

The justices announced in March they would review the ban on drop boxes but wouldn't consider any other parts of the case. The move drew the ire of the court's conservatives, who accused the liberals of trying to give Democrats an advantage this fall. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in April urged the court to again allow drop boxes.

The court ruled 4-3 on Friday that drop boxes can be utilized in any location.

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, one of the court's four liberal justices, wrote for the majority that placing a ballot in a drop box set up and maintained by a local election clerk is no different than giving the ballot to the clerk, regardless of the box's location. Local clerks have great discretion in how they administer elections and that extends to using and locating drop boxes, she added.

"Our decision today does not force or require that any municipal clerks use drop boxes," Bradley wrote. It merely acknowledges what (state law) has always meant: that clerks may lawfully utilize secure drop boxes in an exercise of their statutorily-conferred discretion.

All three conservative justices dissented. Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote that the liberals are simply trying to advance their political agenda and criticized them for ignoring the precedent set by the 2022 ruling.

"The majority in this case overrules (the 2022 decision) not because it is legally erroneous, but because the majority finds it politically inconvenient," Bradley wrote. The majoritys activism marks another triumph of political power over legal principle in this court.

The popularity of absentee voting exploded during the pandemic in 2020, with more than 40% of all voters casting mail ballots, a record high. At least 500 drop boxes were set up in more than 430 communities for the election that year, including more than a dozen each in Madison and Milwaukee  the states two most heavily Democratic cities.

Trump and Republicans have alleged that drop boxes facilitated cheating, even though they offered no evidence. Democrats, election officials and some Republicans argued the boxes are secure and an Associated Press survey of state election officials across the U.S. revealed no cases of fraud, vandalism or theft that could have affected the results in 2020.

Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature intervened in the case, arguing that the justices should leave the 2022 ruling alone. Their attorney, Misha Tseytlin, didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday.

Matt Fisher, a spokesperson for the state Republican Party, called the decision a setback.

This latest attempt by leftist justices to placate their far-left backers will not go unanswered by voters, he said in a statement.

Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley weighed in as well, saying in a statement that the decision gives Democrats a green light to dismantle election security safeguards and invite election fraud.

Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell, who administers elections in the state's most Democratic county, called drop boxes a common sense tool. He said they make the election process more convenient and easier for rural and disabled voters and help reduce that number of ballots that arrive after election day too late to be counted.

Having drop boxes in place for the 2024 elections in August and November will encourage civic participation in our democracy, McDonell said in a statement.
MADISON  Wisconsins liberal-controlled Supreme Court on Friday restored the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the swing state ahead of the upcoming elections  a reversal of a past decision from the court that could impact voter participation.

The 4-3 decision was a win for Democrats who argued the longstanding practice of allowing voters to file ballots into the locked, unmanned boxes made voting more accessible. That process, however, was highly criticized in 2020 by former President Donald Trump and Republicans who claimed without evidence that the boxes and absentee voting were rife with fraud.

City of Milwaukee employees, Steven Coleman, left, and Larry Ponder remove ballots from a ballot drop box on the sidewalk outside the Washington Park Library on in Milwaukee October 3, 2020. Voters will now have to put their own ballots in the mail.

"Our decision today does not force or require that any municipal clerks use drop boxes. It merely acknowledges what (state law) has always meant: that clerks may lawfully utilize secure drop boxes in an exercise of theirstatutorily-conferred discretion," Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote in the majority opinion.

(Clockwise from upper left) The four liberal justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court: Jill Karofsky, Rebecca Dallet, Janet Protasiewicz and Ann Walsh Bradley.

Fridays decision means election clerks across Wisconsin can use the ballot drop boxes during the Aug. 13 partisan primaries and the Nov. 5 presidential election.

Justice Rebecca Bradley, a conservative, wrote in the dissent that the liberal majority "again forsakes the rule of law in an attempt to advance its political agenda," citing the court's previous ruling tossing the state's electoral maps.

"The majority ends the term by loosening the legislature's regulations governing the privilege of absentee voting in the hopes of tipping the scales in future elections," Bradley wrote.

The ruling overturned a July 2022 decision from the courts then-conservative majority that held ballot drop boxes were illegal in Wisconsin. Conservative justices in their 4-3 ruling at the time said state law did not permit drop boxes anywhere other than election clerk offices.

Democrats filed a challenge to the ban on drop boxes last year  just two weeks before the states high court flipped into liberal control. The suit argued the boxes are critical for voters  who are unable to vote in person because of disability, scheduling conflicts, lack of transportation, or other hardship."

Drop boxes had been used in Wisconsin and other states since the 1980s and 1990s. But they became a focal point during the coronavirus pandemic as a way to help voters cast ballots while limiting interaction with other people.

Hundreds of absentee drop boxes were installed across Wisconsin in 2020, and more than 40% of all votes cast that year were through absentee ballots.

Republicans began to scrutinize the drop boxes following President Joe Bidens victory over Trump in Wisconsin by about 21,000 votes four years ago. Trump sought to persuade lawmakers and judges to overturn the battleground state's election result. In doing so, he argued ballots returned in drop boxes amounted to voter fraud despite a lack of evidence to support the claims.

On Friday, Wisconsin GOP Chairman Brian Schimming called the ruling "a setback for both the separation of powers and public trust in our elections" and took aim at "the left-wing justices on the Supreme Court of Wisconsin."

"This latest attempt by leftist justices to placate their far-left backers will not go unanswered by voters," Schimming said.

Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, who represents northwestern Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District, falsely equated the allowance of drop boxes with "anonymous ballot box stuffing." He used the decision to raise questions about the security of the upcoming elections, claiming it "opens the door to potentially fraudulent activities," though there has been no evidence drop boxes contributed to fraud in the prior presidential election.

Despite the heavy scrutiny from Republicans, drop boxes were used widely in Wisconsin, including in conservative areas. In spring 2021, there were about 570 drop boxes in Wisconsin, according to court filings. Out of Wisconsin's 72 counties, at least 66 had drop boxes as of spring 2021, PolitiFact Wisconsin noted.

This weeks ruling means cities with remaining drop boxes will likely be able to open them back up quickly ahead of the August partisan primaries.

Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Paulina Gutierrez said she was excited by the decision, which she was reviewing early Friday.

"This is just another opportunity for us to provide a safe and secure way for people to drop off their absentee ballots here to the City of Milwaukee," Gutierrez said.

In September 2020, Milwaukee installed 15 unstaffed absentee ballot drop boxes with a $70,000 grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, an organization financed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan.

After the 2020 presidential election Republicans were critical of private funds the Center for Tech and Civil Life granted to larger, Democratic-leaning cities, although municipalities of all sizes statewide received the grants.

The citys drop boxes have been locked and inaccessible since they were banned by the state Supreme Court two years ago.

The drop boxes will now be inspected to ensure theyre still in working order.

In Madison, City Attorney Michael Haas has said the process is only a matter of unlocking a box and double-checking the video security.

The high courts conservative justices in banning drop boxes two years ago said state law does not permit drop boxes anywhere other than election clerk offices. And they argued the Republican-controlled state Legislature was the only body that could form policy around the boxes  not the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which issued guidance to clerks permitting them in 2020.

During oral arguments in the case earlier this year, conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley likened the lawsuit to asking this court to become a super Legislature and give free rein to municipal clerks to conduct elections however they see fit.

The new liberal majority, though, showed signs it planned to reverse its conservative members past ruling.

What if we just got it wrong? Justice Jill Karofsky said in May. What if we made a mistake? Are we now supposed to just perpetuate that mistake into the future?"

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Alison Dirr and Hope Karnopp contributed.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Supreme Court reinstates absentee ballot drop boxes
Woman accused of killing man over unpaid sex hit him over the head 30x

HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11)  A woman who allegedly killed a man over unpaid sex earlier this week bashed him over the head more than two dozen times after the two smoked drugs on a Harlem street, authorities said.

Sabrina Charles, 39, was arraigned Thursday on charges of murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of stolen property, according to court records.

Charles is accused of hitting Kenneth Adams in the head about 30 times with a piece of wooden furniture on Hancock Place near 125th Street in Harlem at around 4:25 p.m. on July 2, authorities said.

Police said Charles allegedly killed Adams after he refused to pay her for performing a sex act on him between two parked cars and claimed he raped her, which was later unsubstantiated, sources said.

More Local News

Charles was seen on surveillance coming up from behind Adams while he was lying on the ground lighting a pipe or cigarette and attacking him, according to the criminal complaint. Police said the woman and the victim, who knew each other, were allegedly doing drugs together at the time of the incident.

Charles was found with blood on her arms while trying to hide when police arrived at the scene, according to prosecutors. She then admitted to hitting Adams with a stick.

The man suffered multiple facial fractures and died at the hospital about an hour after the incident.

Charles is also accused of stealing the victims Medicaid and debit cards.

She pled not guilty and was held without bail at her arraignment. Her attorney could not immediately be reached Friday.

Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. 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.
(KRON)  A woman in Richmond was stabbed and killed Thursday afternoon, according to the Richmond Police Department.

Richmond PD officers responded to the 3500 block of El Portal Drive at 4:22 p.m. on a report of a stabbing. Police found a woman who was suffering from at least one stab wound.

Crews respond to homeless encampment fire near I-80 in Richmond

The woman was pronounced deceased at the scene, Richmond PD said.

No arrests were made as of Thursday night.

Richmond police homicide detectives arrived at the scene to investigate Thursday, police said. No further information on the incident was released.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Which womans name appears on the Declaration of Independence?

WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The names of 56 men ended up on the Declaration of Independence in the form of their signatures.

The name of one woman appeared on it, too, well, a version of it.

According to the National Park Service (NPS), that woman was Mary Katharine Goddard.

Goddard wasnt a signer. She was a printer to the Continental Congress. The copy she printed in January 1777 was the first version of the Declaration of Independence to list the names of most of the signers.

Goddard risked her life and her livelihood by including her own name on the Declaration of Independence, states the National Park Services website, indicative of the times in which Goddard lived.

Which president died on July 4th? There was more than one.

Goddard was born in New London, Conn. in 1739. She learned the printing business from her younger brother. William. Goddard hime to Providence, R.I., then to Philadelphia. William started the Pennsylvania Chronicle. The Goddards moved to Baltimore, Md. where William started the Maryland Journal and the Baltimore Advertiser.

About a year after that, Goddard took over the printing business. She became the first postmaster of Baltimore in 1775, the first female postmaster in the colonies, then, the first female postmaster in the United States. She stopped printing the Maryland Journal under her brothers name and started printing it under M.K. Goddard.

What is the nickname of the only US president born on the 4th of July?

The Continental Congress relocated to Baltimore in December 1776, close to Goddards printing office/bookstore/post office. She printed Congressional resolutions and notices as well as the Declaration of Independence with the names of the signers. Goddards imprint at the bottom of the Declaration identifies the city and her full name: Baltimore, in Maryland: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard.

Goddard died in 1816.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Hu Kaihong, deputy chief of China's Central Office of Cultural and Ethical Progress, addresses the "Shared Heritage, Shared Future" China-Egypt cultural exchange event in Cairo, Egypt, July 3, 2024. The shared heritage of the Chinese and Egyptian civilizations fostered through trade via the ancient Silk Road was highlighted in an international cultural exchange event held here in Egypt's capital late on Wednesday. Under the theme of "Shared Heritage, Shared Future," the event gathered cultural officials, scholars, and diplomats from China and Egypt, as well as UNESCO representatives.(Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

CAIRO, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The shared heritage of the Chinese and Egyptian civilizations fostered through trade via the ancient Silk Road was highlighted in an international cultural exchange event held here in Egypt's capital late on Wednesday.

Under the theme of "Shared Heritage, Shared Future," the event gathered cultural officials, scholars, and diplomats from China and Egypt, as well as UNESCO representatives.

During the event, scholars delivered keynote speeches to promote bilateral cooperation in preserving cultural heritage and to exchange experiences in the conservation of heritage sites.

Hu Kaihong, deputy chief of China's Central Office of Cultural and Ethical Progress, said the event is of great significance to promoting the vision of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations, implementing the Global Civilization Initiative, and strengthening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang said in his address to the event that "as two ancient civilizations, China and Egypt have a common heritage that we both are proud of."

China is willing to work with Egypt to implement the strategic consensus reached by the two heads of state on building a community with a shared future and promoting common development and prosperity for the two nations, Liao noted.

In his presentation, Jiang Bo, director of the Center of Maritime Archaeology at China's Shandong University, introduced the Chinese experience in protecting newly enlisted UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China, including east China's Quanzhou, the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, and the Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er.

He meanwhile elaborated on how China's practices contribute to the global cause of world heritage protection.

Heidi Bayoumy, an associate professor of the Department of English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, said it is glad to see a growing number of translated Chinese works in Egypt and more Chinese language departments established in Egyptian universities.

She told Xinhua at the event that mutual translation of Chinese and Arabic literary works is a key "gateway" to mutual understanding of each other's cultures.

During the event, Mehrdad Shabahang, UNESCO's specialist for the Silk Roads Programme, brought audiences back to the historical and geographical imprints of exchanges in the fields of architecture, cultural legacies, and urbanization between countries and regions along the ancient Silk Road.

He also highlighted the need to collaborate to preserve the World Heritage sites amid challenges including climate change, stressing, "We need to share experience and knowledge for facing and responding to these challenges."

An exhibition was held at the event with a focus on the birth and growth of heritage cities along the ancient trade route connecting China and Egypt, as well as China's achievements in global cooperation on preserving cultural heritage.

Under the support of the UNESCO office in Cairo, the event was jointly hosted by the municipality of Nanjing, the capital city of east China's Jiangsu Province, as well as China's Southeast University and Tongji University. 

This photo taken on July 3, 2024 shows a scene of the "Shared Heritage, Shared Future" China-Egypt cultural exchange event in Cairo, Egypt. The shared heritage of the Chinese and Egyptian civilizations fostered through trade via the ancient Silk Road was highlighted in an international cultural exchange event held here in Egypt's capital late on Wednesday.

Under the theme of "Shared Heritage, Shared Future," the event gathered cultural officials, scholars, and diplomats from China and Egypt, as well as UNESCO representatives.

(Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

Ali el-Hefny, vice-chairman of the Cairo-based Egypt-China Friendship Association, addresses the "Shared Heritage, Shared Future" China-Egypt cultural exchange event in Cairo, Egypt, July 3, 2024. The shared heritage of the Chinese and Egyptian civilizations fostered through trade via the ancient Silk Road was highlighted in an international cultural exchange event held here in Egypt's capital late on Wednesday.

Under the theme of "Shared Heritage, Shared Future," the event gathered cultural officials, scholars, and diplomats from China and Egypt, as well as UNESCO representatives.

(Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang addresses the "Shared Heritage, Shared Future" China-Egypt cultural exchange event in Cairo, Egypt, July 3, 2024. The shared heritage of the Chinese and Egyptian civilizations fostered through trade via the ancient Silk Road was highlighted in an international cultural exchange event held here in Egypt's capital late on Wednesday.

Under the theme of "Shared Heritage, Shared Future," the event gathered cultural officials, scholars, and diplomats from China and Egypt, as well as UNESCO representatives.

(Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)
Who won Iran election? Country moves into runoff between hawk and heart surgeon

Who won Iran election? Country moves into runoff between hawk and heart surgeon

An ultraconservative, anti-Western hawk who routinely lectured U.S. officials during nuclear negotiations. Or a low-key lawmaker and heart surgeon who's signaled he favors a less hostile foreign policy and easing some of Iran's social restrictions.

Those are the two choices facing Iran's voters in an election Friday to determine the country's next president.

Former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and moderate Masoud Pezeshkian were competing in a run-off after no candidate in an original field of four secured more than 50% of the vote on June 28.

Preliminary results from Iran's interior ministry could come as early as Saturday.

Is Iran's vote fair? Why is it happening now?

Iran's elections, and who can run in them, are tightly controlled.

The Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei  not the president  wields the most power over all domestic and foreign affairs, though the president does have influence and can help set the country's tone and overall direction.

The snap election, called after conservative President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in May, comes amid deep voter apathy. Only 40% of Iran's 60 million eligible voters, a record low, participated in the first round ballot, according to the state news agency IRNA. Pezeshkian won about 43%, Jalili took 39%.

Many Iranians doubt that their ballot-box choices will lead to meaningful change. Economic woes, hijab crackdowns, Internet restrictions, mismanagement and corruption are the main reasons the vote has been boycotted, according to the Stimson Center, a Washington think tank.

"I know my vote won't matter. Whatever happens, they will continue to enforce anti-women, Islamic laws," Shakiba, 26, a Tehran-based content creator, previously told USA TODAY, speaking about Iran's clerical regime. Fearing retribution, she only agreed to be interviewed if her last name wasn't used.

Hijab crackdown: Iran presidential candidates are ducking the issue. What does that mean for women?

Who is Saeed Jalili?

Jalili, 58, is a rigid ideologue.

He was known as a hard-headed diplomatic opponent of the U.S. while serving as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator at talks in Geneva.

During the presidential campaign, Jalili vowed to find ways to overcome Western sanctions on Iran. He also wants Iran to have stronger ties to China and Russia. Jalili lost his right leg fighting in Iran's war with Iraq in the 1980s. He unsuccessfully ran in the 2013 presidential election. He ran again in 2021, but withdrew.

Who is Masoud Pezeshkian?

Pezeshkian, 69, a mild-mannered surgeon and former health minister, has criticized the government's handling of dissent, including its harsh enforcement of a mandatory dress code for women  though cautiously and rarely directly. Pezeshkian supported the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that former President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from.

He is pragmatic and reform-minded. But Pezeshkian is also seen as loyal to Khamenei and is not viewed as a political threat. He, too, previously ran for president, in 2013 and 2021, but failed to secure to many votes.

The Stimson Center said Jalili and Pezeshkian "represent opposite poles of permitted activity" in Iran.

Iran's election in Iran is here: What to know about candidates

Why does Iran's vote matter?

Elections in Iran fall short of democratic standards in the West. The choices voters have are circumscribed by Iran's unelected clerical leaders and institutions.

"Elections in Iran have long been used to legitimize the power and influence of the ruling elite," wrote Sanam Vakil, an expert on Iran at Chatham House, a London think tank, in a recent report.

Presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian waves to supporters on the day of the presidential election to choose a successor to Ebrahim Raisi following his death in a helicopter crash, in Tehran on June 28, 2024.

After Raisi's death, Iran also wants to show the world that it can calmly and decisively handle the sudden death of a president at a time when tensions remain high with Israel, its economy is suffering from U.S. sanctions and protesters continue to defy social modesty laws.

Khamenei is 85. This means the next president will be closely involved in selecting Iran's next supreme leader.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After Iran election results yield no clear winner, a runoff looms
The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, is celebrating the birth of a very special new baby. An Endangered baby Gorilla was born, and it's the cutest little thing!

On July 1, 2024, the Woodland Park Zoo shared an update with fans who were on baby Gorilla watch with the best news, and some cute photos. Take a look!

The Woodland Zoo took to Instagram to share the news that the baby they'd been on watch for was born.

Related: Gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo Gets the World's First 3D-Printed Titanium Cast for Broken Arm

"Hello, little one! Following a flurry of excitement around our pregnant Gorilla, Woodland Park Zoo is proud to announce that Akenji gave birth on June 28, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. (PT) to her first baby," the zoo shared. "

The zoo shared that Akenji gave birth to a baby boy! "He weighs 4.4 pounds, is healthy, has a strong grip and a great appetite," the zoo added.

Along with the announcement, the zoo shared a really cute photo of the newborn Gorilla. And some more details on how Akenji was doing after birth.

"The zoos Gorilla and animal health staff closely observed the birth and post-birth behaviors in the off-view bedrooms. Unfortunately, Akenji did not show appropriate maternal behaviors," the zoo shared.

The Zoo Had to Intervene After the Baby Gorilla Was Born

"Within an hour after delivery, the animal care team intervened for the babys safety and well-being."

Over the weekend, the zoo observed Akenji and her newborn baby, stepping in to help where needed. The zoo provided "round-the-clock care for the newborn such as bottle-feeding human infant formula, providing comfort and keeping him warm."

The zoo made sure to keep the baby "within proximity in a warn betting of hay to allow Akenji short visits and opportunities to bond or within line of sight so she could see, hear and smell him."

Although we have been encouraging maternal behaviors, Akenji still hasnt shown any promising signs of interest to bond with her baby. Because she demonstrated capable maternal behaviors throughout her training program, were disappointed and a little surprised those instincts havent kicked in, said Rachel Vass, Interim Animal Care Manager at Woodland Park Zoo.

As we continue to hand-rear her baby for the short term, the positive news is that he remains healthy, he has a great appetite and strong grip, and he is getting bigger every day.

Western Lowland Gorillas Are 'Critically Endangered'

Any new birth of a Western Lowland Gorilla, like the baby boy born at Woodland Park Zoo, is a big win for the species.

According to The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Western Lowland Gorillas are "critically endangered" due to "a population reduction of more than 80% over three generations."

The organization notes that the population decrease is tied to "poaching, disease, and habitat loss."

Due to their listing as critically endangered, Gorillas are protected. "All Gorillas are protected by national and international laws throughout their geographic range," the IUCN notes.

However, the reality is that enforcing these rules is "generally weak," which makes any new numbers a really big deal, and conservation is a very important component.
Detail of a mural inside the Madison Labor Temple building celebrating unions, worker rights and the fight for an eight-hour day. (Wisconsin Examiner photo)

Last weeks U.S. Supreme Court action throwing out a 40-year-old legal principle in how the courts assess federal regulations has sent federal worker protections into uncharted territory.

Under the best of circumstances, legal experts said this week, the change might have only a minor impact. But thats far from guaranteed, and some observers see it as part of a larger project to roll back the power of federal agencies to enact new protections as new threats to health and safety arise.

In a pair of decisions issued Friday, June 28, the Courts six conservatives overturned the principle known as Chevron deference  a precedent that gave federal agencies broad discretion in developing regulations.

The principle, which the Court enunciated in 1984, held that courts should defer to federal agencies when considering legal challenges to rules because of ambiguities that Congress left in federal laws undergirding regulations.

In erasing Chevron deference, Chief Justice John Roberts said that it should be up to the judiciary, as interpreters of the law, to apply their own legal reasoning to resolve statutory ambiguities.

Jordan Barab, a former federal safety official and union safety director, said that he fears judges who are called upon to exercise independent judgment will disregard agency scientists and other subject matter experts in favor of their own instincts.

My fear is, it wont be so much the regulation is in or the regulation is out, but the judges will take it upon themselves to decide what is in the regulation, said Barab in an interview.

A possible early test could be new regulations the Biden administration announced Tuesday protecting workers from extreme heat on the job.

Writing on his occupational safety blog, Barab speculates on a range of outcomes for the heat rule under the new conditions.

The most drastic would be for the Court to rule that OSHA has no authority to issue a heat standard because the 1970 law creating the agency never mentioned heat. (Barab considers that unlikely because the occupational hazard of overheating has been well known since the 4th day of Genesis.)

The most likely outcome, he suggests in his blog post, could be that a judge rewrites the rule on fundamentally subjective grounds  their experience cutting the lawn in the summer, or some seductive argument from the Chamber of Commerce  and raises the 80-degree threshold that triggers the regulation to 85 or 90.

Maybe the judge doesnt like the idea of training workers, so that part is out, he writes. Maybe a judge decides that it isnt fair to require business owners to pay workers during their rest break, or that OSHA is requiring more water per hour than workers actually need.

On the other hand, he adds, because Chevron deals with legal ambiguities, as opposed to scientific facts, some legal experts think that the demise of Chevron Deference will not significantly undermine OSHAs ability to issue standards in most cases.

Randy Rabinowitz, a lawyer who represents workers and unions in occupational safety and health matters, is one of those who think the impact of losing Chevron deference will be muted.

The Court didnt adopt the deference principle until 1984. But that didnt stop OSHA from being able to enact some safety rules, she observed in an interview.

Most of the significant OSHA standard setting cases were decided before 1984, Rabinowitz said. And they were overwhelmingly decided in OSHAs favor.

OSHA has a long history of having to document in detail both the rationale and feasibility of its regulations, she added, which might help the agency continue its work in the long run.

The track record on supporting its health and safety standards after rulemaking is extraordinary, Rabinowitz said. And two of those cases went to the Supreme Court, which laid down the guidelines that OSHA still follows.

On cases involving labor law and union representation, a retired National Labor Relations Board official said the change might affect recent NLRB cases more acutely rather than precedents established longer ago.

I would imagine the more immediate impact of this will be on current cases, pending Board decisions, particularly those cases where the [NLRB general counsel] has argued for expanding the law, said Irv Gottschalk, a former Wisconsin regional director for the agency, responding to questions on email.

Employers including Starbucks, Tesla and Amazon seem more willing to aggressively resist Board decisions by appealing to the courts, Gottschalk said, and he suggested that in the current environment, court challenges of even run of the mill Board decisions seem more likely.

The real impact may well be less to stymie the Board and more to clog the courts, Gottschalk said. District Court judges may well argue in time that eliminating Chevron deference is untenable strictly from a workload point of view.

Terri Gerstein, director of the Wagner Labor Initiative at New York University, has an ongoing project looking at state laws protecting workers that can fill gaps when federal laws are weakened.

To the extent that there are state laws that still require state courts to defer to administrative agencies in progressively led states, that is a really important path now that Chevron has been overruled at the federal level, Gerstein said in an interview.

Rabinowitz said deference itself is a double-edged sword. Credited to the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, it was developed in the Reagan administration so that the courts would have a basis for deferring to the Reagan administrations deregulatory initiatives.

Despite her cautious optimism that losing Chevron deference wont have much effect on OSHA matters, Rabinowitz said its part of a broader attack on administrative regulation that concerns her.

The Supreme Court rejected a recent case that called for gutting OSHA as an improper delegation of congressional authority, she noted  but Justice Clarence Thomas dissented.

I think you have to look at the totality, Rabinowitz said. Were seeing a wholesale review of administrative law and regulatory policy by the Supreme Court.

The post Worker advocates watch warily after loss of legal standard that bolstered agencies appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
A man is injured while trying to stop a robbery of a fireworks tent in San Jose Forest.

Jacksonville police say a man in his 60s, who works for the business, intervened during the robbery around 11:00 pm Thursday on Dupont Avenue and St. Augustine Road.

The victim was shot once and is reported in stable condition. The suspect fled the scene with a cash register. No description was provided.

Crime Scene Unit Detectives canvassed for witnesses and video surveillance.

Anyone with information on this robbery and shooting is urged to contact JSO at 904-630-0500 or JSOCRIMETIPS@JAXSHERIFF.ORG. You can also contact Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.








This article was originally published in WyoFile.

As the Wyoming Department of Education prepares to roll out a new education savings account program, school-choice advocates are again asking lawmakers to expand the non-public-school assistance program to more families.

That comes among warnings that expansion could jeopardize its already challenged constitutionality.

Its the latest twist for a measure that was transformed, killed, revived, amended scores of times, passed by the Legislature, then partially vetoed by Gov. Mark Gordon in March before finally becoming law. The tug-of-war reflected the different outcomes advocates hoped the bill would achieve: early childhood education for some, universal access to non-public-school choice for others.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter

As it stands, the law creates a program to give income-qualified families state funds to offset private, pre-K tuition and homeschool education costs. Families who earn up to 150% of the federal poverty level  $48,800 for a family of four  can qualify for up to $6,000 to pay for school expenses for a child aged 4 up to 12th grade. Allowed uses include school supplies, tuition or tutors.

Gordon narrowed the income eligibility standards by removing families on the wealthier end of the spectrum when he vetoed parts of the bill before allowing it to pass into law. Gordons changes were motivated by constitutional concerns, he noted, pointing explicitly to the Wyoming Constitutions prohibition on the state giving money to individuals except for the necessary support of the poor.

His vetoed version might not mark the end of the saga; school-choice advocates voiced interest during a Wednesday Joint Education Committee meeting in tweaking the bill again to broaden eligibility.

Should we tweak this legislation in the next session? Sen. Cheri Steinmetz (R-Lingle) asked. Because we clearly had a different idea of what we were trying to do with this bill then maybe the governors veto reflects.

A rocky path

The education savings account law has roots in a pair of bills introduced during the 2023 legislature session. They would have given families $6,000 per K-12 student for tuition at any non-governmental school or related educational expenses. Those measures failed, but a new proposal that would also extend the money to early childhood education costs emerged between the 2023 and 2024 sessions. Speaker of the House Albert Sommers (R-Pinedale), who helped block one of those 2023 bills, touted the legislation as a compromise for those clamoring for more early childhood funding and those who want to support parental choice for options like private school or homeschooling.

Sen. Cheri Steinmetz (R-Lingle) chairs an official Senate Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee hearing at the Wyoming Capitol in February 2024. (Mike Koshmrl/WyoFile)

Questions of constitutionality have swirled around the measure since those interim discussions. Along with the support of the poor concern, critics have pushed back on the legitimacy of effectively transferring state funds to religious schools.

The measure traveled a rocky path through the session before arriving at Gordons desk. After passing the House relatively unscathed, Senate lawmakers stripped it of income qualifications and pre-K eligibility. The House declined to accept that version, sending the legislation into a negotiation process that resulted in the final iteration.

The version that landed on Gordons desk had a tiered income-qualification system based on the percentage of the federal income poverty level  $6,000 for families earning 150% or below; $4,800 for families earning 150%-200%; $3,600 for families earning 200%-250%; all the way down to $400 for families earning 450%-500%. For a family of four, 500% of the federal poverty level is an annual income of $156,000.

Gordon eliminated eligibility for all but families at or below 150%. While the intent to support education and parent choice is commendable, my analysis revealed practical and constitutional complications within the bills provisions, the governor wrote in a letter explaining his vetoes.

Building the program

Wyoming allocated $20 million to seed the account, along with nearly $1 million for contracting and administration costs. Two positions will be created to help administer the ESA program. In anticipation of the Jan. 1 program launch, the education department has established an online information hub to prepare the public for the application process.

We know weve got to get a lot done prior to [Jan. 1], Wyoming Department of Education Chief of Staff Dicky Shanor told the committee. A big task is staffing the positions: an educational expert to oversee the academic requirements of the program and a financial expert to manage the financial requirements. The department will also put out a request for proposals for a vendor to partner on setting up some kind of online marketplace, he said.

In addition, the department also needs to draft and finalize rules for administering the program, which will entail public comment, according to the education department. Those rules will dictate what kind of expenses are allowed, among other things.

Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder chats with K-3 students at Gannett Peak Elementary in Lander on March 19, 2024. (Katie Klingsporn/WyoFile)

Rep. Ken Clouston (R-Gillette), who co-sponsored the education savings account bill that became law, asked Shanor about state programs that give money to people who earn up to 250% of the federal poverty level. Steinmetz followed with her question about tweaking the act and if that would affect the Jan. 1 rollout.

Shanor didnt know exactly how it would affect the timelines, But I can say that Superintendent [of Public Instruction Megan] Degenfelder has supported the concept of this being as universally available as possible.

Court test?

One of the purposes of this bill is to have the opportunity for a court test and contest over what we really can do  in the K-12 system for private and other non-public schools, Sen. Charles Scott (R-Casper) said to Tania Hytrek of the Legislative Service Office Wednesday. Even with the veto, this bill provides the opportunity for that kind of a court test  does it not?

Hytrek confirmed that. To my knowledge a challenge to the bill has not been filed. But certainly the issues that were pointed out last year a number of times through LSO memos still exist even with the governors veto.

Scott wondered if the program would have to get up and running before a court challenge would come. Hytrek said a court challenge could come either way, but noted that it would take someone, an interested party, filing a challenge to the legislation which has not happened to date.

The one individual to give public comment, former representative and current state director of Americans for Prosperity Tyler Lindholm, said his organization supports an effort to restore broader eligibility.

I hope that youll move forward with legislation this year and rework the process, Lindholm said. I think the message that was sent by the Legislature with the passage of this legislation is that school choice and parents decisions matter. And I think the message sent from the governors office was somewhere along the lines of youre not necessarily poor enough. And thats a rough message.
A Yosemite National Park ranger stands behind a "Speeding Kills Bears" sign within the California national park. Park officials said Thursday that there has been five bear collisions already this year. | Yosemite National Park

One of the nations more popular national parks is reminding visitors to slow down after they say five black bears have been hit by vehicles already this year.

In a social media post on Thursday, Yosemite National Park reminded visitors to follow the "Speeding Kills Bears" signs in the park after the uptick in incidents. All of the signs have been placed where bears have been struck over the calendar year, according to park officials.

"If you are visiting Yosemite, please drive the speed limit on all of our roads and use extra caution during dawn and dusk hours when wildlife is active and can be harder to spot," park officials wrote.

They add that this is a practice that can also go beyond the national park located within the Sierra Nevada mountains in California.

For instance, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources estimates that about 10,000 deer are killed by vehicle collisions in Utah alone every year. The agency's roadkill app, created in partnership with the Utah Department of Transportation, yielded information on all sorts of other animals that died from vehicle collisions last year, including two black bears.

In addition to advising drivers to watch out for wildlife, both agencies are using data collected from the app to determine future wildlife fencing and crossings, state transportation and wildlife biologists explained in December.

"As we collect more data, we will know more about when and where animals are crossing roads so we can implement projects based on needs in those areas," said Blair Stringham, migration initiative coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. "Things like wildlife fencing, underpasses, overpasses and signs will result from this important data."

But these types of projects are harder to install in places like Yosemite National Park. So the next best practice is to heed the signs and slow down.

"When you see these signs, remember that the roads we use to travel through the park are also wildlife crossings," park officials added Thursday.

The park attracted more than 3.8 million visitors last year, making it the sixth most-visited national park in 2023.
You sent us questions about Biden and the presidential race. We answered them.

President Biden speaks to active-duty military service members and their families during a Fourth of July celebration at the White House on Thursday. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo)

In the wake of President Bidens debate performance last week and his continued assertion that he will not drop out of the race, Yahoo News asked readers to send in their questions about his future and the election more generally.

We received hundreds of responses so far and we will continue to monitor and print those that contain questions we are able to answer, so keep them coming!

Heres a sampling of five commonly asked queries that have been submitted so far, including the way readers asked to be identified, and our responses:

I'd like to know what the process will be in the event that Biden steps back. Will candidates vie for the existing delegates? Will states revise their delegates? Anonymous, no age provided

The Democratic National Convention, where delegates vote to officially nominate the partys presidential nominee, begins on Aug. 19. Biden has amassed nearly 4,000 delegates through primary voting and caucuses, well over the 1,976 needed to secure the nomination. Under party rules, those delegates are expected to remain committed to voting for the candidate they were awarded to, but they arent required to do so.

All delegates to the National Convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them, the rules state.

If Biden decides to drop out of the race, delegates would be free to vote at an open convention for the candidate of their choosing, especially since there would not be time to hold new state primaries or caucuses.

Should Biden drop out of the race, it will be up to the DNC to set the rules for how to pick his replacement prior to the convention.

Could Michelle Obama be the Democratic presidential nominee if she was willing to be?  Anonymous, 61

While an Ipsos/Reuters poll released this week found former first lady Michelle Obama beating former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical matchup in 2024 by a margin of 50%-39%, Obama has repeatedly said she has no interest in running. That said, there would be nothing preventing her from tossing her hat in the ring if she chose to do so, assuming Biden were to withdraw.

How do we pick a reasonable running mate for Kamala Harris since she is the obvious first choice for president? Stran, no age provided

Most experts agree that if Biden were to step aside, Vice President Kamala Harris would be the clear favorite to succeed him and become the Democrats nominee. A key factor is that because Bidens campaign is registered with the Federal Election Commission in both of the candidates names, Harris would be entitled to use the money they have raised in the event that Biden withdraws from the race, the Associated Press reported.

The optics of opposing Harris are also important. As Yahoo News Andrew Romano and Dylan Stableford wrote, bypassing the president's No. 2 in favor of a lesser-known alternative could spark the kind of internal conflict that Democrats can ill afford with only six weeks remaining before their convention.

If Biden does drop out of the race and endorses Harris, several top Democrats have begun floating the names of Democratic governors they hope Harris will pick as her running mate. Those are said to include North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Ultimately, if Harris does become the nominee, it would be up to her to pick a running mate.

Will the ABC News interview [with Biden] be edited? Robert, Oaks Bluff, Ma., no age provided

Bidens high-stakes interview with ABC News George Stephanopoulos will be aired unedited, in its entirety, the network says. This week, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it is essential for Biden to sit for interviews with serious journalists in order to reassure voters disturbed by his faltering debate performance. Yahoo News will live blog Fridays interview.
Children eat lunch together on Nov. 28, 2023, at the iKids Childhood Enrichment Center in Benton. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Abbey Cutrer)

The annual national KIDS COUNT Data Book includes more data into which to dive than column inches allow. But an overview of the report reminds us that Kentucky is not the best place in America to be young. Or the second-best place. Or the tenth or the 20th or even 30th. Instead, the 2024 report card on the well-being of our nations kids plops Kentucky in the bottom rung of states at 38th.

More than 200,000 Kentucky kids woke up this morning in poverty. This report saw a stark rise in child and teen deaths  much of which is linked to guns. And almost 300,000 children live in households in which parents lack secure employment. Those troubling findings should, in fact, be bipartisan catalysts around which the governor and the General Assembly grab onto as foci for systemic policy change during the 2025 legislative session.

While the report offers food for thought in areas ranging from economic security to health, for the first time in its over 30-year history, the KIDS COUNT report focused on the policy domain of education. A timely and important focus as the commonwealths students face long-standing and new challenges post-pandemic.

And speaking of that first KIDS COUNT year in 1990, do you remember? 1990  when media critics predicted Seinfeld would be canceled during its initial season. 1990  when the largest McDonalds in the world opened in Moscow and gas had soared to $1.15 per gallon? And even more difficult to comprehend  in 1990, THE preeminent national exemplar when it came to K-12 education reform was Kentucky.

On the heels of the Kentucky Supreme Court decision about funding equity, Democrats and Republicans from rural and urban Kentucky in the General Assembly along with the governor came together and passed the (inter)nationally acclaimed Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA).

Even a cursory look at the Data Books Education section 34 years later is a cause for alarm. On EVERY metric  from fourth grade reading scores to eighth grade math proficiency, from young children in early education settings to high school graduation rates  the results show decline. And that doesnt even include supplemental measures which reveal that 1 in 4 Kentucky students are chronically absent and the much-discussed, seldom addressed racial achievement gap is exploding rather than being mitigated.

Again, the regrettable reality of word counts precludes a thorough discussion of policy solutions  and there are common ground and achievable ideas to be tackled! But more than any data point or policy issue, the 2024 KIDS COUNT Data Book reminds us that folks on the local level  county judges and faith communities and nonprofits and parents and, of course, educators  have to coalesce around what is good for those young people in our schools to turn this tide of decline.

That means regardless of the outcome of the school choice ballot initiative, we must talk about reading and math proficiency rather than hot button social agendas in Frankforts education conversations. It means we apply research to the burgeoning issue of chronic absenteeism and what leads to it rather than yielding to the politically motivated nonsense that dominated talk about truancy this past session. It means that we have to deepen the important wrap-around services our kids so desperately need, such as tutoring programs, after-school care and mental health supports. And it means we must directly address the K-12 workforce crisis in imaginative ways.

The import of this reports focus on education is a clarion call for our elected leaders in Frankfort to get down to the business of kids  and ask themselves not what national partisan voices demand but what our children should expect from them. There was a time when kids interests were paramount in Frankfort; that is simply not the case in 2024. We need to get that commitment back if Kentuckys place in the national ranking is going to cease to be a collective embarrassment when it comes to our kids.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Young Kentuckians desperately need more from their elected officials appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
Kayla Owen (center) co-founded the advocacy group Friends of VMSDEP after Virginia policymakers pushed cost-cutting measures aimed at the tuition program for the children and spouses of killed or disabled military veterans. (Graham Moomaw/Virginia Mercury)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has called for more transparency as the state looks for new ways to handle the growing costs of a program that provides tuition-free college to spouses and children of military veterans killed or disabled as a result of their service.

However, Youngkins administration isnt practicing full transparency itself.

Kayla Owen  a military spouse whos also a member of the governors task force studying the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program  initially submitted a FOIA request to Youngkins office for a handful of officials internal communications involving the program. Her initial request didnt give a timeframe, but she later narrowed it to records going back to June 2023. The administration said it wouldnt release anything.

Youngkins office is withholding the documents, enough to fill two binders, under a sweeping Freedom of Information Act exemption for gubernatorial working papers and correspondence.

Those records would shed light on the Youngkin officials discussions about the program prior to VMSDEP being put on the chopping block. They could also offer clarity on what led the administration to draft a bill that included the same VMSDEP downsizing measures the governor now wants to undo.

Moving forward, we need all parties on all sides to commit to transparency or there will never be improvements and harm will continue to be done, said Owen, who lives in the Fredericksburg area. As a leader of the advocacy group Friends of VMSDEP, Owen was appointed to a spot on Youngkins task force reviewing VMSDEP and its future.

Youngkin has vowed to protect the program from recent cost-cutting reforms he and the Democratic-led General Assembly approved in May, positioning himself as veteran-friendly and eager to help military families that want to preserve the program. He has also called for more openness with affected families, who were angered that the VMSDEP changes were enacted through the state budget instead of being proposed as a standalone bill subject to more public scrutiny.

For weeks, advocates who have called for restoring VMSDEP to its prior state have been trying to figure out how and why the programs rapid growth over the past five years became a major budgetary concern.

As part of that effort, Owen filed a FOIA request with the governors office last month.

On June 13, she requested VMSDEP-related communications involving Youngkin Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera, former Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services Daniel Gade, the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV) and several other officials who could potentially have been involved in policy discussions about VMSDEP.

After a few weeks of back-and-forth over the timeline and parameters of the request, Youngkin FOIA officer Denise Burch gave Owen a final answer on July 1. The requested records, Burch wrote, were being entirely withheld. Burch did not say exactly how many documents were being withheld, only that the records would fill two Redwell folders, an apparent reference to a type of binder used to hold documents.

Virginia law says officials must identify the volume of records theyre withholding with reasonable particularity. Officials often give an exact number of pages instead of describing how many receptacles the documents fill.

The law also says FOIA exemptions should be applied narrowly in order to maximize government transparency.

Like past Virginia governors, Youngkin routinely invokes the working papers and correspondence exemption to shield a wide range of activity involving the governors office and cabinet secretaries. The exemption is discretionary, meaning officials can choose to use it but are also free to release records that fall under it.

Asked why the governors office chose not to release the records, Youngkin spokesman Christian Martinez characterized the denial as routine.

The records requested, like all similar requests of [the] governors working papers and correspondence, are exempt under the FOIA statute, Martinez said. However, the administration has been having open dialogue with the veteran and first responder communities, including Friends of VMSDEP and all members of the Preserving VMSDEP Task Force.

The changes to the VMSDEP program, meant to shrink the pool of eligible students and bring in more funding to public colleges and universities, would impose a stricter Virginia residency requirement, prevent the waivers from being used for advanced degrees or a second undergraduate degree and require participants to first pursue other forms of financial aid.

The program currently has around 6,400 participants, according to state data, up nearly 357% from 2019.

That increase, and the programs estimated financial cost rising to more than $65 million per year, set off alarms among state officials concerned about runaway growth and potentially unsustainable financial impact on colleges and universities.

General Assembly leaders reached a deal this week to reverse the cost-cutting measures and provide $65 million in each of the next two budget years. Youngkin has signaled his support for the proposal, which is expected to be formally approved when the legislature reconvenes on July 18.
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China will further enhance the innovation capabilities of platform enterprises and foster the sustained and healthy development of the platform economy, according to a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Qiang on Friday.

The platform economy refers to tech-driven online marketplaces and other similar operations, such as ride-hailing and food delivery services.

The meeting discussed and studied several issues, including the role of the platform economy in promoting the high-quality development of the digital economy.

It is essential for China to foster the deep integration of digital technology with the real economy, advance the industrialization of digital technology and digitize traditional industries to fully empower economic and social development, according to a read-out of the meeting.

It's crucial to persistently refine the ecosystem for the digital economy to flourish, the meeting decided, urging a coordinated effort to enhance foundational data frameworks and digital infrastructure while advancing the market-based allocation of data as a key economic input.

Other topics discussed at the meeting included innovative pharmaceuticals, the development of the country's western regions, and growth in the Tianjin Binhai New Area.

The meeting urged relevant government departments to make full use of policies on pricing, medical insurance payments and commercial insurance to promote innovative pharmaceuticals. Efforts should also be made to encourage sci-tech innovation and basic research.

It was decided at the meeting that the country's western regions, which play a pivotal role in national reform, development and stability, should strive for overall growth and pursue sustainable development.

Regarding the Tianjin Binhai New Area, the meeting called for the area's policies to be aligned with those of its neighboring Beijing and Hebei, enhancing its status as a port and shipping hub, and advancing reform to develop a pilot free trade zone.

The meeting also emphasized the need to address all irregularities in the execution of the 2023 central budget and other financial revenues and expenditures. 
A Yucaipa man was arrested by deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department on allegations that he was uploading child pornography to the internet from his home.

On Wednesday, the Sheriffs Department served a search warrant at the home of 23-year-old Isaac Ruiz on the 34100 bock of Wildwood Canyon Road.

Ruiz became the subject of an investigation after an online tip was made through the Los Angeles Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Investigators were eventually able to obtain a search warrant for his home, which was served Wednesday around 8:30 a.m.

During that search, investigators recovered numerous cellular telephones and other electronics, at least one of which was found to contain child pornography.

Ruiz was arrested and booked into the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino and is being held on $30,000 bail.

Jail records indicate he is due in court on Monday and is expected to be charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.

The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact SBSD Detective Andrade at 909-918-2305. Anonymous tips can be provided online or by calling 1-800-782-7463.

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 KTLA.
FILE - A house is for sale in Christchurch, New Zealand, Aug. 13, 2018. New Zealand's government introduced sweeping measures to free up land for new homes on Thursday, July 4, 2024, pledging to "flood the market" with opportunities to build houses, and scrap rules for minimum floor areas and balconies in apartments. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  New Zealand will drastically ease zoning restrictions in a bid to flood the market with land for homes and override the powers of local councils to curb development, the nation's housing minister said in announcing reforms to what he called one of the worlds least affordable housing markets.

Its about allowing maximum choice and opportunity for people to build and develop, said the minister, Chris Bishop, in a speech in Auckland this week. Lets get away from the idea that planners can plan our cities and let actual individuals and families decide how they live their lives.

The new measures would require local councils  which decide what land in New Zealand is used for  to free up bucketloads of additional space for housing development, Bishop said. They must now accommodate the next 30 years of projected growth instead of the next three as is currently required.

Councils will also be barred from imposing urban limits on cities and forced to permit mixed-use development, with an end to rules mandating balconies and minimum sizes for apartments, in a suite of changes widely endorsed by analysts.

Its very easy for local councils to say no to growth because their residents dont want it, because they dont benefit from it, but the costs of those decisions are falling on central government, said Stuart Donovan, a housing economist with the New Zealand thinktank Motu, who was speaking from Brisbane, Australia.

Bishops pitch that the market, rather than officials, should decide what and where homes are needed was a fresh attempt from a series of New Zealand housing ministers to resolve a chronic shortage of homes that has frustrated successive governments and marred the political fortunes of some. While two decades of runaway prices have eased since a 2022 peak, they remain far higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic and an average home costs eight times the average income.

The proportion of income spent on rent was higher in New Zealand than in any other country, Bishop said Thursday, citing research by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a grouping of mostly developed Western nations.

But in a country where housing stock is comprised overwhelmingly of single-family, standalone dwellings, efforts by lawmakers to cool prices before have at times been cautious. Favorable tax conditions have made housing the most popular form of investment in New Zealand, with half of all household wealth bound up in land and homes, according to the country's Reserve Bank  and some voters have rejected measures that would lower prices.

Remarks Bishop made to reporters last month that homes were too expensive and prices should be reduced were so unusual from a lawmaker for one of the major political parties that they prompted news headlines. But analysts said Thursday that public opinion had changed as a generation of younger New Zealanders found themselves priced out of the housing market.

At one point in time, it would be, I want house prices to be affordable for my children, but I dont want my house price to fall, said Shamubeel Eaqub, an independent economist who specializes in housing. But I think there is a general recognition that things have gotten so far out of kilter that something has to change.

The new measures would not flatten the market, Eaqub said; New Zealands shortage of homes was so great that it would still take decades to resolve. But he was among many analysts to welcome the shift.

It follows a test case on easing restrictions in New Zealands largest city, Auckland, where a plan introduced in 2016 that increased housing density prompted a surge in building and reduced rents.

But Auckland's mayor decried the fresh measures.

I am wary of any policies that will lead to urban sprawl, Wayne Brown posted to LinkedIn. We also dont want to encourage low quality housing at the detriment of our unique landscapes, waterways, and harbours. Or make traffic congestion worse.

The Parliamentary opposition also rejected the reforms.

Its all well and good to want to ensure development opportunities, but unless the Government fronts with infrastructure money, councils are limited in what they can offer by ways of expansion, said the Labour partys housing spokesperson, Kieran McAnulty, in an emailed statement.

Labour is open to any measure that will lead to more housing and will lend support where it is likely to work, but not at the expense of building standards or loss of elite productive soil, he added, referring to the relaxation of urban limits into rural areas. Bishop said building standards would remain unchanged.

People often complain to me about all these shoebox apartments and I agree that they wont be the right housing solution for everyone, he said. But do you know what is smaller than a shoebox apartment? A car or an emergency housing motel room.
Lisette Reymer, Europe Correspondent for New Zealand's Newshub, said Sir Keir Starmer's election victory was entirely 'predictable'

A New Zealand television presenter has revealed she was so sure of a Labour landslide that she filmed a segment on the election result outside Downing Street weeks ago.

Lisette Reymer, the Europe correspondent for New Zealands Newshub, said Sir Keir Starmers victory in the general election was entirely predictable, giving her the confidence to film her piece to camera ahead of time.

The change in power has appeared inevitable for months  if not years, she said in the segment.

Todays result was so predictable, I was able to confidently film this weeks in advance before flying home to New Zealand.

The landslide victory for Sir Keir Labour party was forecast in the polls leading up to the election.

Ms Reymers UK election package came at the end of Newshubs Live broadcast bulletin at 6pm.

It was the final edition of the Newshub bulletin after Warner Bros Discovery announced in April that it would close all its Newshub operations, causing nearly 300 job losses.

Ms Reymer flew back to Auckland to join Newshub journalists from around the world who had gathered to mark the end of the programme and the final bulletin.

Ms Reymer had appeared earlier in the day in the Auckland studio for Newshubs morning show, wearing the same outfit as the one seen in her pre-recorded segment from London.

The final broadcast closed with a teary farewell from hosts Mike McRoberts and Samantha Hayes and with a sweeping shot of the Newshub employees waving goodbye from outside the studio.

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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky extended his congratulations to Keir Starmer, who became the next prime minister of the U.K. on July 5 after a resounding victory by the Labour Party.

Both Starmer and outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have consistently supported the U.K.'s commitment to Ukraine. As a result, the election was not expected to substantially alter the U.K.'s policy toward Ukraine.

"Ukraine and the U.K. have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin," Zelensky wrote on X.

"We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order."

Beyond the prime minister, the election will likely result in other significant changes in the U.K.'s leadership. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps lost his seat in parliament, as did former Prime Minister Liz Truss.

The Russia-friendly lawmaker George Galloway, who recently said that he trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin more than Starmer, was also defeated.

Galloway previously worked as a presenter on the Russian state-run media outlet RT. He gained notoriety for saying that the Bucha massacre, in which hundreds of Ukrainian civilians were murdered by Russian troops, was "not a war crime," instead implying that it was staged.

At the same time, right-wing populist Nigel Farage, who has also made a number of controversial statements about Russia and Ukraine, was elected.

In June, Farage claimed that Russia was provoked into launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the expansion of NATO and the EU.

After the comments generated widespread pushback, Farage doubled down on the sentiment in an article in the Telegraph, in which he denied being "an apologist or supporter of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin."

But he also said the West has "played into Putin's hands, giving him the excuse to do what he wanted to do anyway."

Farage claimed that he had seen the war coming "a decade ago."

In a separate interview in June, Farage said that he "disliked (Putin) as a person," but added that he "admired him as a political operator because he's managed to take control of running Russia."

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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 5 that he had discussed details of a new package of measures to help Ukraine cope with the ongoing energy crisis.

During his daily address, Zelensky said he had discussed with officials how to support people, communities and businesses "in conditions of severe electricity shortages."

"There are already changes to the legislation that have been prepared and will be voted on," he said.

"There is a government decision. There are new credit programs  completely interest-free loans for people and cheap and favorable loans for businesses. All this should work as soon as possible."

Since spring, Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure in a renewed assault against the country's energy grid, leading to blackouts.

Ukraine began implementing rolling blackouts on May 15, after which the situation continued to worsen, especially after a Russian mass missile attack caused further damage across the country on May 31.

The state of Ukraine's electricity grid is expected to improve in August, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the head of state grid operator Ukrenergo, told Ukrainska Pravda on July 1.

The strain on the country's energy infrastructure will be alleviated after repairs at some nuclear power units are completed, which will provide more available capacity, while changes in the weather are also expected to help, he said.

Read also: Ukraines airfields under fire as Russia braces for F-16s

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Back in early October 1997, there werent that many people who had heard of Maybach  and most of those who had heard of the brand likely hadnt thought about it much. The nameplate founded by Wilhelm Maybach that had first graced a car in 1909 had lain dormant for decades; after a spell in the pre-war era building luxurious motorcars and a World War II spent building engines for Panzers and Tigers, the company was bought up by Mercedes parent Daimler-Benz in 1960 and soon faded into history.

Smash cut to 2024, however, and the Maybach-aware likely number in the hundreds of millions. A 2019 study by Car and Driver found it had been mentioned in popular songs more than Rolls-Royce and Ford combined over the last four decades. The brands cars have come to signify wealth and status across the cultural gamut, showing up in everything from Curtis Jacksons Power to HBOs Succession.

More from Robb Report

Clearly, the Maybach badge has experienced a resurgence for the ages  and it all started in the fall of 1997. This is how the Maybach brand went from faded to famous over the course of less than 30 years.

Best of Robb Report

Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.

1997: A Concept Debuts

1997: A Concept Debuts

The 1997 Tokyo Motor Show saw the debut of the concepts that previewed the retro BMW Z8 and gave us our first look at Volkswagens now-legendary W12, but it also marked the return of the Maybach badge to a new vehicle for the first time in decades. Clad in shades of maroon and brown and boasting a four-eyed, almost alien face, the Maybach concept was based on the chassis of the S-Class of its time, but wore styling penned by Mercedes-Benzs Japanese design studio and and had unique luxury features like a reclining rear seat and a dashboard-mounted laptop.

It wouldnt stay a concept for long; with Mercedes-Benzs fellow Germans Volkswagen and BMW scrapping over the rights to Bentley and Rolls-Royce in 1998, the time was prime for Mercedes to throw a line into the super-luxury pond.

2002: The First Production Models, the 57 and 62, Arrive

2002: The First Production Models, the 57 and 62, Arrive

DaimlerChrysler, as Maybachs parent company was known at the time, pulled out all the stops to bring back the brands return to the streets. In June 2002, the automaker shipped one of the first cars from England to the United States in a clear box atop the Queen Elizabeth 2, with the ship greeted in New York harbor by fireboats spraying water before a helicopter scooped the Maybach off the ship and lowered it to land so it could drive to Wall Street.

It was perhaps the grandest entrance any new car ever made into America, but the production Maybach certainly warranted a splashy arrival. It arrived in two versions, the long Maybach 57 and even longer Maybach 62  the numbers representing the cars lengths in 10ths of a meter  each powered by a velvet-smooth twin-turbo V-12 and laden with pretty much every luxury feature Mercedes-Benz could throw at it, from massaging seats to a Bose stereo with six-disc CD changer. Opt for the 62, and buyers could even spec a partition between the front and rear rows, just like a prom limo.

2005: One-Off Exelero Polishes Maybachs Star

2005: One-Off Exelero Polishes Maybachs Star

Those first Maybachs of the 21st Century were anything but understated, but even they looked tame in comparison to the next vehicle to wear the badge: the Maybach Exelero. Technically a one-off concept car built by DaimlerChrysler and a boutique Italian auto shop specializing in limited-run vehicles, the Exelero took the chassis of the Maybach 57 and built a super-coupe that looked tailor-made for Darth Vader. Its engine was pumped up to 690 horsepower, and not just for show; as part of the cars mission brief, the German subsidiary of Goodyear had requested the nearly-three-ton Exelero be capable of hitting more than 217 mph, so they could test the limits of their high-performance tires. Sadly, only the one was ever built, but its outrageous appearance and top speed made it an instant icon; rumors flew that rapper Birdman had purchased the car, and while those proved untrue, it did show up in a Jay-Z music video.

2008: The 62 S Laundalet Drops the Top

2008: The 62 S Laundalet Drops the Top

The next few years saw a slow but steady stream of 57s and 62s flow into the worlds toniest neighborhoods, but apart from a few small tweaks like a larger, more powerful engine and a gentle facelift, the cars remained largely unchanged. At least, until 2008, when Daimler AG (as it was now known, having shed Chrysler) brought back the long-lost body style of the laundalet. The Maybach 62 S Laundalet looked like any other Maybach from the B-pillar forward; behind that, though, the roof over the rear compartment had been replaced with a slicing power soft top that rose and fell between the roof rails. 22 were made in total, including one for the aforementioned rapper Birdman.

2012: The Dream Fades Away

2012: The Dream Fades Away

Neither special editions nor the impressive hip-hop fame the brand had accumulated since its 2002 return were enough to keep the brand afloat, however. By the end of 2011, the brand had sold only around 3,000 units globally since 2002  with Daimler losing around 330,000 on each one, according to one media estimate at the time. (Just 44 Maybachs had been sold in the U.S. from January through October of that year, according to one report.) As such, Daimler announced in late 2011 that the following year would be the brands last; the final Maybach rolled off the line on December 17, 2012.

2014: Returning as a Sub-Brand

2014: Returning as a Sub-Brand

But while Maybach as a standalone marque may have been done, Daimler wasnt through with the badge entirely. Instead, come 2014, the company brought it back once more  but this time as a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz. The new Mercedes-Maybach models would be analogous to the Mercedes-AMG ones, but instead of offering additional performance versus the standard Benzes, the Maybach trims would pack even more luxury and emphasize comfort.

The first of the sub-brands vehicles to arrive was a Mercedes-Maybach version of the S-Class, its wheelbase stretched out 7.9 inches over the regular long-wheelbase version of the W222-generation S and comes outfitted with a choice of turbocharged V-8 or V-12 engines. The design was much more restrained versus the Maybach 57 and 62, but there was no shortage of luxury; reclining seats, of course, remained on the menu.

2017: Maybach takes on the G-Wagen

2017: Maybach takes on the G-Wagen

If the first Mercedes-Maybach vehicle was relatively restrained, the second to arrive under the new sub-brand was anything but. The Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Laundalet took the iconic Gelandewagen  the boxy off-road beast that became a status symbol par excellence  and turned it into a wild statement of excess. As with the 62 S Laundalet, the rear passenger compartment was outfitted with a retractable soft top; the Gs chassis was also stretched to provide room for a pair of reclining thrones and a partition between the front and rear. A twin-turbo AMG-sourced V-12 delivered the power, while the G 500 44 provided the monster truck-like ground clearance courtesy of portal axles. Only 99 were made for the world, at a price of 749,700 (including taxes in Germany).

2019: Maybachs Mainstream SUVs

2019: Maybachs Mainstream SUVs

Obviously, the G-Class Laundalet wasnt meant for widespread consumption, even by the limited definition of the term used by an ultra-luxury brand. But buyers love SUVs  and with Rolls-Royce rolling out the Cullinan and Bentley bringing forth the Bentayga, Mercedes-Maybach needed a more mainstream one of its own. Enter the GLS 600, which debuted in November 2019 and gives the GLS-Class SUV a similar treatment to the one the S-Class receives in Mercedes-Maybach form. it did without the S-Classs wheelbase extension, as the GLS-Class was already capacious enough to accommodate a reclining second row of captains chairs.

2023: Maybach Goes Electric

2023: Maybach Goes Electric

In 2021, Mercedes-Benz announced plans to go all-electric by the end of the decade, and that meant Mercedes-Maybach needed to start moving over to battery power, too. The first model to do so was the EQS 680 SUV, a super-lux version of the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV that had rolled out the year before  which, in turn, was largely based on the EQS sedan. The companys all-EV plans have since been walked back in the face of a changing marketplace, but the Maybach EQS SUV has already begun showing up on the streets, offering the same levels of opulence and comfort as its gas-powered siblings  just without any emissions.
Single shark injures 4 different people on the same day

Single shark injures 4 different people on the same day

A shark injured four people near South Padre Island, Texas on the Fourth of July.

Two people were bitten, and at least one person was taken to the hospital.

Shark attacks are rare and Texas has fewer than Florida, California, and other states.

Fourth of July celebrations turned bloody when a shark injured several people near South Padre Island, Texas.

The interactions included at least two bites, according to ABC affiliate KRGV. The outlet reported that a single shark was involved in all four incidents. It's not clear what kind of shark it was.

One man with a "severe" leg bite was treated and taken to the hospital. The shark also bit a second person and grazed a third. A fourth person was hurt trying to deter the shark, Texas game warden captain Chris Dowdy told KRGV.

Paramedics treated one injured woman on the beach, according to KVEO.

South Padre Island police received a call about one of the bites at around 11 a.m. local time. The other incidents happened over the course of two hours, according to Dowdy. The shark was roughly 6 feet long, and witnesses said it appeared to be the one involved in all the interactions.

Local police used a helicopter and drones to monitor the shark. After the incidents, it swam for open water, according to Dowdy.

The chances of being bitten by a shark are extremely low

Shark attacks are rare in general. In 2021, an 11-year-old was suspected of receiving a shark bite on South Padre Island. But before today, Cameron County, where the island is located, only had seven confirmed unprovoked shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File.

"Shark bites are a function of the number of sharks, but also the number of humans in the water," Yannis Papastamatiou, an associate professor of biological sciences at Florida International University, told Business Insider last year.

Beach attendance has steadily risen across the US each year since the mid-1990s, according to the Florida Museum.

Experts say to help stay safe from sharks, swimmers should stay away from schools of fish where sharks feed, stay close to shore, and stay in groups so it's more likely someone will spot a fin.

Murky water also makes it harder for sharks to distinguish between people and their food. Swimming around dusk can be more dangerous because that's typically when sharks eat.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Launch of NASAs Artemis I mission, powered by the massive Space Launch System rocket, which includes booster stage engines developed by aerospace giant Northrop Grumman. The company has had a Utah presence for over 80 years and is the states biggest employer in its sector. | Northrop Grumman

Houston, Cape Canaveral and ... Dugway?

Yes, one of these is most assuredly not like the others and some folks may not even know that the Defense Departments Dugway Proving Ground in Utahs west desert has become a prime landing location for returning space missions. But the places that have become synonymous with U.S. space flight and exploration may be quietly acquiring a new sibling as Utah parlays its decades of space-related activities into a more starring role in the burgeoning cosmos business.

As it turns out, theres a whole lot of technology, components and know-how with Utah roots that have ventured, or will venture, beyond the boundaries of our home planet.

Aiming to fan the flames of those endeavors in the state, along with the companion industries of aerospace, defense, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing, is 47G, a rebrand and reorganization of the former Utah Aerospace and Defense Association that earlier this year also absorbed the Utah Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Initiative. The nonprofit organization partners with government, private industry and academia on a mission it says aims to turn Utah into the worlds premier ecosystem for aerospace, defense and cyber companies.

The combined economic footprint of Utahs space-related businesses, along with those in the aerospace, defense and advanced materials sectors, already account for 20% of the states annual GDP, and the space segment is among the fastest growing within that combined category, according to Aaron Starks, former chief revenue officer for World Trade Center Utah and now 47Gs president and CEO.

I think and firmly believe that Utahs future will be shaped more by this industry than any other, he said.

The business of newspace

Starks said newspace industries, a term that refers to efforts to develop low-cost access to space and/or spaceflight technologies, is helping drive growth in Utah, a state that already has a vibrant history of space-centric work going back to the dawn of the Space Age in the mid-20th century.

Newspace is an emerging category that is really more futuristic than anything we have seen in the state before, Starks said. Were in an accelerated growth period and its one being driven by this evolution of space-related business and research.

Starks easily reels off highlights of Utahs long history of space bona fides, noting upper atmospheric research work Utah State University was doing in the 1950s turned out to be the early seeds of what would become the institutions massive Space Dynamics Lab; Utahs competition with Floridas Kennedy Space Center in the early 1970s to host the Space Shuttle program (a contest that was closer than many people realize); and the increased use of Dugway Proving Ground as a preferred destination for a growing list of both private and public space flight operations.

Starks said Utah is well situated to benefit from a global expansion of space efforts as privately funded newspace industries, along with a growing movement for NASA and other national space agencies to outsource space exploration and research mission development work to private contractors, drive the need for innovation and advancements, and attract investment interest.

Globally, were going to see more and more venture capital money pouring into space-connected industries, he said.

Aerospace giant Northrop Grumman has had a Utah presence for over 80 years and is the states biggest employer in its sector. Pictured here is a test firing of the booster rocket the company developed for NASAs Space Launch System. | Northrop Grumman

This rocket giant lives in Utah

Aerospace giant Northrop Grumman has a more than 80-year history in Utah, famously test firing its rocket engines at a facility in Promontory, not far from where the Golden Spike joined the last sections of the nations first transcontinental railroad. The company is the biggest aerospace employer in the state and continues to bet big on the Beehive State, earlier this year announcing a massive expansion and plans to add 1,200 new positions to its Utah workforce in the coming years.

The company conducts work in a wide array of areas, including aerospace and defense systems in Utah, but its rocket power components have become the workhorses behind cutting edge spaceflight systems, including NASAs Space Launch System rocket, which successfully powered the first flight in the U.S. space agencys Artemis program in 2022.

Northrop Grummans propulsion systems business in Utah manufactures (solid rocket motors) for a number of programs and customers, including rocket boosters for NASAs Space Launch System and two unique (solid rocket motors) for the Orion spacecrafts Launch Abort System, Jim Kalberer, Northrop Grummans vice president of propulsion systems, said in an email interview. We also manufacture GEM 63 and GEM 63XL rocket motors that provide additional boost for United Launch Alliances Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur launch vehicles, which support a wide variety of undertakings including Amazon Kuiper and national security missions.

Kalberer notes Northrop Grumman rockets provide booster power for the United Launch Alliances new Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle and were aboard for eight of the ULAs Atlas V launches, providing 27 boosters to date. The company also played an integral role in the success of the James Webb Space Telescope, including components that were manufactured in Utah. The Webb telescope launched into space on Christmas Day in 2021 and began sending images back to Earth about six months later. The instrument has since gathered the deepest and most detailed images ever recorded of the observable universe.

Northrop Grumman, like 47G, has sought to form partnerships and tap into expertise in Utahs colleges and universities and the company has worked with students and faculty at the University of Utah, Weber State, Utah State, BYU and Bridgerland Technical College in Logan.

Elite lab developing leading edge technology

USU can boast one of the longest histories of connection to space technologies thanks to the establishment of the Electro-dynamics Laboratories in 1959. It would later join forces with the University of Utahs Upper Air Research Laboratory to form the Logan-based Space Dynamics Laboratory in the early 1980s.

The Space Dynamics Laboratory occupies a unique niche as a research and development entity wholly owned by USU but operating as an independent nonprofit that became a U.S. Defense Department University Affiliated Research Center in 1996. That UARC designation puts the Space Dynamics lab in elite company as one of only 14 institutions across the country tasked with providing and maintaining advanced and sophisticated engineering, research, and/or development capabilities essential to the departments mission and operations.

Individual research centers have core competencies which, for the Space Dynamics Lab, feature researching and developing small satellite systems and subsystems to sensor technologies and cyber capabilities. Space Dynamics President Jed Hancock said technology developed at the lab has been widely deployed, including in telescope launches and components carried by the International Space Station as well as the recently completed Osiris-Rex mission that successfully gathered and returned material samples from a distant asteroid and returned them to Earth via a capsule that landed at Dugway Proving Ground last fall.

While the lab and its 1,300-member workforce is primarily tasked with government-directed research, its innovations have wide-ranging impacts, including on the commercial side of space technology development, according to Hancock.

Our charge is to be absolute thought leaders in technology and innovation in space and air and sea and the cyber domain for the (Department of Defense), Hancock said. Were on the leading edge of advanced technology and rarely build anything twice.

We are absolutely side by side in this with all the new space companies because were leading the technology that enables commercial companies and who theyre supposed to be. Its a partnership in the industry and we all have a specific role to play.

Hancock highlighted some of Space Dynamics current projects, including the development of small cube satellites that will be deployed to capture radio frequency images of the sun as part of ongoing efforts to better monitor solar activities. The lab is also playing a critical role in an Earth-defense mission to seek out and identify potentially lethal asteroids and other bodies that could be on collision paths with Terra Prime. That includes development of an infrared telescope, part of NASAs Near-Earth Object Surveyor program, which is aiming to discover and characterize most of the potentially hazardous asteroids and comets that come within 30 million miles of Earths orbit.

First launch of the United Launch Alliances Vulcan Centaur vehicle, which carries booster rockets developed by aerospace giant Northrop Grumman. The company has had a Utah presence for over 80 years and is the states biggest employer in its sector. | NASA/Kim Shiflett

The coolest companies youve never heard of

RAM Aviation, Space and Defense hasnt been around quite as long as Northrop Grumman or the space research programs at USU, but the privately held St. George company and its 300 employees will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year. It has carved out a niche as a premier supplier of flight propulsion components and has a client list that reads like a whos who of spaceflight technology developers.

RAM has built propulsion components for NASAs Space Shuttle Program, the International Space Station and SpaceXs vehicles as well as the companys Starlink satellites. RAM propulsion valves are also built into Sierra Spaces Dream Chaser space plane, a newly developed spacecraft that, like the mothballed shuttle, lifts off on a rocket but lands on a runway like an airplane. Right now, the Dream Chaser space plane Tenacity is undergoing testing at Cape Canaveral, Florida, ahead of its first launch into low-Earth orbit aboard a ULA Vulcan Centaur rocket, expected sometime later this year.

RAM CEO Gregg Robison said the company, which also develops components for non-space vehicles like Lockheed Martins F-35 fighter jet, is seeing some of its fastest growth in the spaceflight industry.

Ten years ago, the work on valves for space-related vehicles was probably around 1% of our volume, Robison said. Now its 20% and the fastest growing area for us.

RAMs high-precision valves are part of vehicle thruster assemblies, the propulsion devices that are fired at variable rates and times to steer and control the position of a spacecraft while in flight. Robison said RAM has built its business and customer base by developing a manufacturing process that achieves extremely high levels of precision and has in-house expertise that can help advance the work of spacecraft developers by fabricating prototypes faster and better than its competitors.

Robison said he sees two areas that are currently powering the most growth in the space industry: satellites and space exploration. He explained that companies like SpaceX have been able to develop efficient designs that have drastically reduced the high cost of putting spacecraft and satellites into orbit, a process that has opened the doors for increased access and additional innovation in the industry.

He said RAMs ongoing success is a metaphor for whats happening on a broader level across Utah, as the business of spaceflight and the development of space technology accelerates at an increasingly rapid pace.

There are dozens of companies here, quiet companies like ours, that are growing and doing amazing work but most people have never heard of them, Robison said. Theres a reason companies like Northrop Grumman are investing so much in expanding their operations in Utah ... things are definitely taking off in Utah.

First launch of the United Launch Alliances Vulcan Centaur vehicle, which carries booster rockets developed by aerospace giant Northrop Grumman. The company has had a Utah presence for over 80 years and is the states biggest employer in its sector. | NASA/Kim Shiflett
TOKYO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- As Japan faces an intense summer heatwave, surging numbers of heatstroke cases have been reported across the country.

The rainy-season heat claimed a life in the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Oita, where a 90-year-old woman collapsed while working on her farm on Thursday afternoon and was pronounced dead due to heatstroke despite being taken to a nearby hospital, according to local police.

As of 3 p.m. local time Friday, some 55 people in Tokyo, aged 23 to 90, were rushed to hospitals with suspected heatstroke, according to the Tokyo Fire Department, after the previous day saw a single-day record of 99 people taken to hospital due to the illness.

Two men in their 70s were in serious condition, with nearly 80 percent of the patients being over 60 years old.

On Friday, the mercury rose above 35 degrees Celsius by mid-morning in many areas, with the temperature exceeding 36 degrees Celcius in Tokyo. Heatwave conditions were reported at over 140 locations nationwide during the day, doubling the number from the previous day.

As temperatures continue to soar, the Japan Meteorological Agency has issued warnings and the heatstroke alert remains in effect across 21 prefectures.

Authorities urged residents to avoid direct sunlight, take frequent breaks, hydrate regularly, and stay cool to prevent heatstroke during the extreme heat. 
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Even at 80, Mei Jingtian continues his patrol in the Shixiaguan section of the Great Wall. With over four decades of experience under his belt, he skillfully taps the grass along the way with a wooden stick, alerting wild animals to ensure his safety.

Mei lives in Shixia Village nestled near the Shixiaguan section of the Great Wall, an 8.6-km stretch located in the suburban Yanqing District of Beijing, with its oldest part dating back to the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557).

Shixia Village residents have a deep affection for the Great Wall. Mei remembers the days when he ran and played hide-and-seek with his friends on the imposing wall as a child.

However, in 1979, when he returned to Shixia after working outside the village for years, he was stunned by the massive destruction of the ancient wall. "Some locals even took bricks from the wall to build their houses," Mei recalled.

To protect the great wonder, Mei volunteered as a Great Wall guardian, patrolling 20 km daily to dissuade people from taking bricks, scribbling on the wall or dropping litter.

"My family worried that it would be dangerous to hike into the mountain by myself, so I always took a wooden stick with me to drive the wild animals away," Mei said.

In 1984, a Great Wall protection campaign was launched in Beijing and was quickly echoed by villagers in Shixia. Realizing the significance of heritage protection, more and more villagers returned the bricks and joined Mei's patrol.

In 2006, Mei, then head of the village, led the establishment of a local volunteer Great Wall protection association, and nearly 80 out of over 100 residents initially joined as Great Wall guardians.

Inspired by Mei, Liu Hongyan, Mei's niece, followed Mei's footsteps in Great Wall protection and officially became a Great Wall guardian in 2019.

"When I was a child, my uncle always told me his patrolling stories and the history of the Great Wall," Liu said. "It is my mission and responsibility to protect the cultural heritage."

China has continued to step up its efforts in Great Wall protection. From 2015 to 2023, China approved a total of 289 Great Wall protection and maintenance projects, and more than 6,800 guardians nationwide were dedicated to protection work.

Today, more advanced technologies have been adopted for Great Wall protection. At the Badaling scenic area, which boasts one of the most popular sections of the Great Wall, the drone relics patrol platform and intelligent scenic area management platform play vital roles in this effort.

According to Liu Manli, deputy director of the Yanqing cultural heritage bureau, the two platforms will be further upgraded in resource sharing, process coordination and data analysis.

The Shixiaguan section of the Great Wall has not yet been open to the public. "It is my biggest wish to see the heritage well-preserved and available for visit, drawing more people to join us to protect the Great Wall," Mei said. 
Guests attend a roundtable meeting during the fourth China Xizang Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation in Nyingchi, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)

LHASA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Foreign participants of a forum in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region have highlighted the region's ecological conservation efforts, calling for increased cooperation and thought exchange.

Themed "Promoting the Harmony of Humans and Nature, Sharing the Fruits of Cooperation and Development," the fourth China Xizang Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation concluded on Friday in the city of Nyingchi, having attracted attendees from more than 20 countries and regions.

Since the first forum in 2018, China has strengthened cooperation with related parties on working toward the goals of protecting Xizang, known as the "Roof of the World," and safeguarding Earth as the home of all people, said Qin Boyong, vice chairperson of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.

Extensive international cooperation has been undertaken to improve ecological environment governance, promote green development and deepen mutual learning among civilizations, with the aim of promoting high-quality development together with high-level ecological and environmental protection, Qin said at the forum's opening ceremony on Thursday.

Forum attendees exchanged in-depth views on such issues as eco-environmental and cultural protection, tourism development, and highland agriculture and animal husbandry.

Lee Flores Enrique Segundo, a member of the House of Representatives of Chile who is visiting Xizang for the first time, said he has been deeply impressed by the region's cleanliness and the warmth of the local people.

He said that Chile faces similar challenges to China, such as developing high-altitude regions without harming the environment.

"This forum serves as a valuable learning platform where we can exchange ideas and we also learn from China's policies on enhancing citizen awareness of environmental protection," he said.

In Xizang, environmental conservation has been prioritized, with a third of the region's land now consisting of nature reserves.

Xizang maintains excellent air quality levels 99 percent of its days, its major rivers and lakes meet or exceed Class III water quality standards, and it has achieved carbon neutrality ahead of schedule, making it a region with one of the best ecological environments in the world, according to Wang Junzheng, secretary of the Communist Party of China Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee.

Thaung Naing Oo, director general of the forest department of Myanmar's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, is making his second visit to Xizang.

He said that by observing Xizang's well-preserved natural environment during his two visits, he has gained a deeper understanding of the region's ecological civilization protection concepts.

"I think this forum plays a very important role in understanding the important linkage between humans and nature," he said.

Vivian Tatiana Camacho Hinojosa, an official of Bolivia's Ministry of Health and Sports, praised Xizang's efforts to balance development with the preservation of tradition.

"In Xizang, one can not only see beautiful landscapes but also ancient buildings and culture. It preserves vibrant ancient traditions," she said.

Previous Trans-Himalayan Forums were held in Nyingchi in 2018, 2019 and 2023, with the third forum seeing the release of an initiative to deepen international cooperation in the Trans-Himalaya region. 

Guests attend the fourth China Xizang Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation in Nyingchi, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)

Guests attend the fourth China Xizang Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation in Nyingchi, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)
The Europe-China Tourism Dialogue Ministerial Meeting and Conference, organised in the framework of Hungarys EU presidency, has opened in Budapest.

Addressing the event in the evening, Marton Nagy, the national economy minister, said that Hungary played a special role in ties between China and the EU thanks to efforts to advance its own relations with the Far East.



He noted that improving EU competitiveness was a focus of Hungarys EU presidency and that the tourism sector, of particular importance for the EU economy, generating 9% of GDP, was part of that endeavour.



Nagy said projections pointed to a marked rise in the number of Chinese tourists arriving in Europe in the coming years.



Thanks to the strengthening of Hungarian-Chinese ties, the number of guest nights spent by Chinese tourists in Hungary climbed over 300,000 last year, he added.



He said that the return of Liszt Ferenc International Airport, the countrys gateway, to state ownership a few weeks earlier, would benefit Hungarys tourism sector.



*********************************

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.
Hungarian officials told Euronews the government's policy in Ukraine is that 'both parties' need to negotiate an end to the conflict and that there was 'no military solution'.

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk tweeted, "The rumours about your visit to Moscow cannot be true PM Orban, or can they?"



His Finnish counterpart Petteri Orpo described the news of the visit as "disturbing" saying Orbans visit shows "disregard" for the duties of the presidency and "undermines" the interests of the European Union.



More:

EuroNews



Orban Has Talks About Peace with Putin in Moscow

President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Viktor Orban exchanged views in the Kremlin on how to resolve the war in Ukraine and develop bilateral relations.

In his greetings in front of the press Orban thanked Putin for receiving him even under these difficult circumstances.



He said Hungary was slowly becoming the only country in Europe that could speak to both warring sides.Orban said he wanted

to make use of this situation to discuss important matters with the Russian president and to gauge his stance on issues

that are important for Europe.



Commenting on the impending closed-door part of the meeting, Putin said he hoped that we will have the opportunity to exchange views on building bilateral relations in this difficult situation and, of course, to talk about the prospects for the development of the biggest European crisis, I mean in the Ukrainian direction.



Regarding finding a solution to the crisis in Ukraine, Putin added: Of course, I am ready to discuss the details with you regarding this issue and I expect that you will also outline the position of your European partners.



He also touched on bilateral ties, regretting that trade turnover was down 35%. All in all, we have work to do and we will realise the projects, he added.



Orban: Someone Must Make Peace for It to Happen

Peace will not happen by itself, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told public radio in an interview.



Peace will come when someone makes it, he said in connection with the war in Ukraine. Orban said that Hungary, as the holder of the EUs rotating presidency, did not have the mandate to negotiate on behalf of the European Union.



This never occurred to me, he said. He said his task was to demonstrate how the situation has unfolded in respect of how far each party could go, and once this had been revealed the leaders of the 27 EU member states may come to a decision.



Henceforth, those authorised to negotiate will do so.



But this is still very far off, the prime minister said. We can only take the first steps on the road to peace.



Orban said that Europe should hold the compass of peace and humanity, humane thinking, and pursue a humane foreign policy, and it was likely that it could do more to move towards peace.



Commenting on his recent meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Orban said Hungary knew its place and the big countries would handle the big peace negotiations, but in a vacuum of dialogue it was very hard to imagine how to move in the direction of peace without it.



Menczer: Orban on 'Peace Mission'

Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a on a peace mission, Tamas Menczer, the communications director of the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance, said.



A ceasefire is possible, Menczer said on Facebook. It is a matter of will. We have to talk about it and work for it. In a video message, Menczer said those who said a ceasefire and peace talks were impossible are simply lying.



Why? Because a ceasefire is merely a matter of political decision which has to be made by politicians, whether it be Moscow, Washington, Kyiv or Brussels, Menczer said.



And politicians can indeed make decisions, and they do. They can decide the direction they want to go in. So a ceasefire and peace talks are a question of political decision which is definitely possible and a matter of will, he added.



White House Responds To Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbans Trip To Moscow: We Are Concerned

During a press briefing on Friday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre answered reporter questions on Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban's trip to Moscow ahead of the NATO summit. 





Photo: PM's Press Office Vivien Cher Benko



*********************************

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!
Patriotism is on the decline.

Youve all seen the news coverage of athletes kneeling during our national anthem, activists burning American flags, and street mobs defacing statues of our founders.

While these are extreme examples, we shouldnt discount themtheyre a bellwether for a larger societal problem. In 2022, those claiming they are extremely proud of being Americans hit arecord low. Last year, a study found that the percentage of Americans saying patriotism is very important plummeted from 70 percent in 1998 to 38 percent.

This loss of national pride is especially rampant among young Americans. While 59 percent of seniors say patriotism is very important, only 23 percent of adults under age 30 say the same. These numbers concern meand they should concern all of us. Patriotism, that wonderful love of country, has held our nation together for almost 250 years.

Our small and inexperienced Continental Army defeated a world power in the Revolutionary War because we were united in purpose, despite religious affiliation or national origin. The Civil War threatened that unity and our nations very existence, but we again emerged reunified, in no small part thanks to the patriotism of our citizens and leaders. It was patriotism that motivated hundreds of thousands to fight for our country in the world wars, and it is patriotism that motivates thousands more to defend us today.

Love of country does not mean that we overlook our nations flaws. Quite the oppositepatriotism can inspire Americans to right wrongs, making our grand experiment even better. Consider our ancestors who spent their lives fighting injustices, including the abolitionist, suffragist, and Civil Rights movements. When you love something, you dont give up on ityou work hard to make it an even better version of itself.

Common cause in our shared nationality affects almost all aspects of American life. When communities and states are unified by a common love for country, we cooperate and care about others more. Patriotism helps neighbors get along, builds trust in communities, and inspires the right people to run for office. Patriotism inspires us to put the good of the country before ourselvesin short, patriotism is what makes our country great.

Without patriotisms inspiration and unity, we would not have overcome our nations many trials. And without patriotism, we will not survive the trials still to come. Our nation faces external threats from two nuclear powers, China and Russia. It faces internal threats from growing partisan division. To stand against any of them, we must help our fellow Americans, especially the next generation, rediscover their shared love of country.

Americans today enjoy unprecedented levels of freedom and prosperity. Its easy to lose perspective and take these blessings for granted, but we must teach young Americans that they are hard-won. America is the only nation founded not on a shared race or ethnicity, but on the ideals of liberty, equality, and justice. Millions upon millions of Americans have given their lives to defend those ideals.

My love of our state and of America inspired me to run for office, where Ive worked hard to build Nebraska and keep our nation safe. Its the honor of my life to represent our state in one of Americas most vital institutions: the U.S. Senate. I am committed to preserving that institution and the nation it upholds.

This Fourth of July, I hope we all consider ways to share our patriotismwhether its volunteer work, military service, or teaching the next generation to value America. Patriotism is on the decline, but it doesnt have to stay that way. Independence Day is a reminder that our nation is built on patriotismbut it can only continue to thrive through that shared love of country.
Chinese Electric Vehicles In Europe: The European Union is imposing sharply higher customs duties on electric vehicles imported from China. EVs are the latest flash point in a broader trade dispute over Chinese government subsidies and Beijing's burgeoning exports of green technology to the 27-nation bloc. The higher duties go into effect on Friday, pending a final decision in four month's time. Here are some basic facts about the EU's planned customs duties:

What did the European Union do?

After an eight-month investigation, the European Commission, the EUs executive arm, found that companies making electric cars in China benefit from massive government help that means they can undercut rivals in the EU on prices, take a big market share and threaten European jobs. It announced the higher duties on June 12 and they go into effect from Friday. The duties are provisional, meaning they will be totaled up but wont need to be paid until theyre confirmed by a vote of EU governments before November 2.

The EU will only collect the duties if there's a further finding that the European auto industry would have suffered material harm without them. That gives the EU and the Chinese government time to negotiate. Talks have been held between Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU commissioner for the economy, and Chinese Trade Minister Wang Wentao, as well as at the level of technical experts.

The higher duties are not a goal in themselves but a means to correct an imbalance, commission spokesman Eric Mamer said Thursday. We certainly hope we can come to a solution which would allow us not to have to move forward on this path.

The rates, if applied, would be: 17.4% on cars from BYD, 19.9% on those from Geely and 37.6% for vehicles exported by Chinas state-owned SAIC. Geely has brands including Polestar and Swedens Volvo, while SAIC owns Britains MG, one of Europes bestselling EV brands.

Other EV manufacturers in China including Western companies such as Volkswagen, BMW and Tesla would be subject to duties of at least 20.8%. The commission mentioned that Tesla might get an individually calculated rate if duties are definitively imposed.

Under EU rules it's possible  though at present it seems unlikely  that the higher duties could be blocked ahead of the November 2 effective date by vote of what the EU calls a qualified majority of countries. That means at least 15 of the 27 EU member governments representing at least 65% of the bloc's population.

Why did the commission take action?

Chinese-built electric cars jumped from 3.9% of the EV market in 2020 to 25% by September 2023, the commission said, in part by unfairly undercutting EU industry prices. The commission says companies in China accomplished that with the help of subsidies all along the chain of production, from cheap land for factories from local governments to below-market supplies of lithium and batteries from state-owned enterprises to tax breaks and below-interest financing from state-controlled banks.

The rapid growth in market share has sparked fears that Chinese cars will eventually threaten the EU's ability to produce its own green technology needed to combat climate change, as well as the jobs of 2.5 million workers at risk in the auto industry and 10.3 million more people whose jobs depend indirectly on EV production.

Subsidized solar panels from China have wiped out European producers  an experience that European governments don't want to see repeated with their auto industry. Unusually, the commission acted on its own, without a complaint from the European auto industry. Industry leaders and Germany, home to BMW, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, have been skeptics about the subsidy investigation. That's because many of the cars that will be hit with tariffs are made by European companies, and because China could retaliate against the auto industry or in other areas.

EU Vs U.S tariffs

The Biden administration is raising tariffs on Chinese EVs to 100% from the current 25%. At that level, the U.S. tariffs block virtually all Chinese EV imports. That's not what Europe is trying to do. EU officials want affordable electric cars from abroad to achieve their goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030  but without the subsidies, EU leaders see as unfair competition. The planned tariffs are aimed at leveling the playing field by approximating the size of the excess or unfair subsidies available to Chinese carmakers. European countries subsidize electric cars, too. The question in trade disputes is whether subsidies are fair and available to all carmakers or distort the market in favor of one side.

How cheap are Chinese EVs?

Chinese carmakers have learned to make electric vehicles cheaply amid ferocious price competition at home in the world's largest car market. BYD's Seal U Comfort model sells for the equivalent of 21,769 euros ($23,370) in China but 41,990 euros ($45,078) in Europe, according to Rhodium Group figures. The base model of BYD's compact Seagull, due to arrive in Europe next year, sells for the equivalent of around $10,000 in China.

What does this mean for European drivers and carmakers?

It's not clear what impact the duties will have on car prices. Chinese carmakers are able to make some cars so cheaply that they could absorb the duties in the form of lower profits instead of raising their prices. While consumers might benefit from cheaper Chinese cars in the short term, allowing unfair practices could eventually mean less competition and higher prices in the long term, the commission argues.

Currently, Chinese carmakers often sell their vehicles in Europe at much higher prices than the same cars fetch in China, meaning they are favoring profits over market share, even given their recent market gains. Five of BYDs six models would still earn a profit in Europe even at a 30% tariff, according to Rhodium Group calculations. The fear of Europe is that Chinese competitors will turn to lowering their prices closer to the ones they are charging in China. and gain an even bigger chunk of the market.

How is China likely to react?

Beijing was sharply critical of the higher duties when they were announced, calling them a naked act of protectionism." On Thursday, He Yadong, a spokesperson for the Chinese Commerce Ministry, said that the two sides had held several rounds of technical consultations and noted that a final EU ruling wont be made for four months.

It is hoped that the European side and the Chinese side will move in the same direction, show sincerity, expedite the consultation process and reach a mutually acceptable solution as soon as possible on the basis of facts and rules, he said at a weekly media briefing in Beijing.

He also said that China hopes the EU will seriously listen to the voices of the European automakers and governments that have come out against the tariffs and avoid anti-subsidy measures that would harm cooperation between the Chinese and European auto industries.

It's not clear what agreement might look like. One move could be to agree on minimum prices for Chinese cars. China could retaliate against European products such as pork or brandy imports, or against European luxury car imports.

Over the longer term, Chinese carmakers could avoid tariffs by making cars in Europe. BYD is building a plant in Hungary, while Chery has a joint venture to build cars in Spain's Catalonia region.
New Delhi: Luxury giants Dior and Armani purchase luxury handbags at Rs 4,700 and Rs 8,300 from suppliers and then resell them at exorbitant prices, a recent investigation in Italy has revealed as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Dior pays its suppliers 53 euros (about Rs 4,700) per handbag. The Italian Luxury brand then sells it for 2,600 euros (Rs 2.34 lakh) in its stores.

On the other hand, brought for 93 euros (Rs 8,400) from suppliers, Armani's handbags are resold to the brand for 250 euros (Rs 22,500). These handbags are priced at around 1,800 euros (Rs 1.6 lakh) in stores. However, the journal noted that these costs do not include fees for materials such as leather, with additional costs for design, distribution, and marketing being handled separately.

The luxury companies have come under heavy fire with the prosecutors slamming them for neglecting to monitor their supply chain. Although the businesses are not prosecuted in connection with these findings, some of the independently owned suppliers may be charged with labour abuse.

The LVMH conglomerate, which owns Dior, remained silent on the report. Armani, on the other hand, has said that it was "collaborating with the utmost transparency" with authorities and that it has "control and prevention measures in place to minimize abuses in the supply chain," according to the Wall Street Journal story.

Dior, founded by Christian Dior, is an esteemed French luxury fashion business well-known throughout the world for its upscale clothing, accessories, cosmetics, and fragrances. Dior purses are very well-liked by celebrities all around the world.

Giorgio Armani, better known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion brand that specializes in ready-to-wear clothing for men and women as well as accessories, eyewear, makeup, and fragrances.
New Delhi: Microsoft, Technology company has announced another round of layoffs this week, as reported by Geekwire. These layoffs are part of the tech giants ongoing efforts to streamline its workforce and improve efficiency.

Microsoft hasn't disclosed the number of people affected by the latest layoffs. However, reports indicate that the job cuts span across multiple teams and regions. According to the report, several LinkedIn posts have revealed that employees in product and program management roles are among those affected by the layoffs.

Microsoft's statement on the latest job cuts:

The report cites a Microsoft spokesperson who stated Organizational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business. The spokesperson further added We will continue to prioritize and invest in strategic growth areas for our future and in support of our customers and partners,. (Also Read: Explore Anil Ambani's Luxurious Lifestyle: Rs 5,000 Crore Home, Rs 311 Crore Private Jet & More)

Microsoft laid off 2,000 employees in January for its gaming division just months after 69 billion dollars acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the company's largest purchase to date. It's common for the company to restructure parts of its business as it transitions into a new fiscal year. (Also Read: Soaring Prices Of Tomato, Onion Potato Surge Up Home-Cooked Veg Thalis Cost )

These layoffs came shortly after Microsoft's fiscal year 2024 ended on June 30. Microsoft cut around 1,000 jobs in various areas in June which includes the Azure cloud unit and the HoloLens mixed reality organisation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsofts employee count increased but has since stabilised. By the end of 2023, the company employed around 227,000 people worldwide, a slight decrease from 232,000 the previous year, according to Geekwire.

The tech industry has seen a surge in job cuts with over 98,000 employees laid off from more than 330 companies worldwide in the first half of 2024, according to Layoffs.fyi, a platform that tracks tech layoffs.
Everyone is busy doing politics. It is good that at least someone bothered to come here," says Vineet Kumar, 26, outside a park in Hathras' Vibhav Nagar area where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the families of the July 2 stampede victims. Kumar, who is preparing for the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) examination, is not the only one who feels this way. Some other youngsters echoed the sentiment. "It is okay if the reason behind his visit is to meet the (stampede) victims. At least a popular politician has turned up in Vibhav Nagar," Shubham Bharti, 27, told PTI on Friday.

Mahendra, 26, said people were excited to see Gandhi. "We also wanted to come here but the area around Vibhav Nagar was barricaded in the morning," said Mahendra, also a government job aspirant. Ahead of Gandhi's visit, a multi-layered security ring was thrown around the area with a large number of security personnel deployed along the key routes in the city.

The street leading to the meeting venue, Green Park, in Vibhav Nagar had deployment every few metres and barricades restricting entry of cars while shops on the route remained closed till Gandhi left the area. People gathered on the terraces of their homes and had unusual guests -- security personnel -- for company. This PTI correspondent saw some security personnel closely monitoring the scene, some with binoculars.

Not everyone was excited about the VIP visit. Daya Ram, a daily wager from Navipur locality, said he missed work due to road closures. "I take the route through Vibhav Nagar to go to Labour Chowk. But today, due to all this, I could not get there in time," Ram told PTI.

He said a mason like him earns between Rs 500 and Rs 700 for a day's work but he missed out on his daily earnings today. Visibly overwhelmed by the presence of the large number of mediapersons around Green Park, Ram said he was yet to decide if he should return home or wait and see what was happening.

A 13-year-old boy, who came to take back his family's pedestal fan from the park after Gandhi's visit, told PTI that he skipped school as his school van could not come to pick him up. Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, met the families of some of the victims of the Hathras stampede, which claimed 121 lives, on Friday.

He interacted with the families in the locality's park and left after 30 minutes. During his visit, Gandhi said there were lapses on the part of the administration and mistakes had been made which should be identified. He urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to release the maximum compensation for the victims' families without any delay.

Police have so far arrested six 'sevadars' who were members of the organising committee of the 'satsang' of Surajpal alias Narayan Sakar Hari alias Bhole Baba that was held in Phulrai village. The self-styled godman has not been named in the police FIR.

Gandhi last visited Hathras in October 2020 with his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra amid high drama to meet the family of a Dalit girl who had died a fortnight after she was allegedly raped outside her village in the Chandpa area.
The Delhi High Court has ordered a further investigation into rape and blackmail allegations against Amit Kakkar and Shivang Sharma of Easy Visa Education Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Chandigarh. This decision was made in response to a petition seeking to quash an FIR registered at the Laxmi Nagar Police Station. The complainant alleges that in October 2021, she was raped and blackmailed at the Easy Visa Education office. According to reports, the court emphasized the importance of the forensic report and instructed that it be submitted promptly.

Investigation Order: The Delhi High Court has ordered further investigation into the rape and blackmail allegations against Amit Kakkar and Shivang Sharma of Easy Visa Education Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Chandigarh.

Petition: This order came in response to a petition seeking to quash FIR number 726/2021 registered at Laxmi Nagar Police Station.

Complainant's Allegations: The complainant alleges that she was raped and blackmailed at the Easy Visa Education Consultants office in October 2021.

Incident Details: The complainant stated she had visited the consultancy for help in sending her daughter abroad. Swati Kakkar assured her of obtaining the necessary documents for Canada and offered her a glass of juice.

Complainants Statement: After drinking the juice, the complainant lost consciousness and awoke to find herself naked with Amit Kakkar and Shivang Sharma present. They recorded the incident and threatened to post the video on social media.

Second Incident: On December 13, 2021, Amit Kakkar allegedly visited the complainants home and raped her again, prompting her to file a police complaint.

State Report: The states report noted that the complainant did not cooperate with the investigation, and Amit Kakkars father-in-law filed a counter-complaint, claiming the allegations were false.

CCTV Footage: The counter-complaint stated that CCTV footage confirmed Amit Kakkar was in his office on the day of the incident.

FSL Report: Stellar Cyber Analytics Pvt. Ltd. was notified to obtain a certificate and expert opinion under Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, concerning the DDR hard disk. These materials have been sent to the Rohini Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), with results still pending.

Court's Directive: The court emphasized the significance of the FSL report and instructed the Director of FSL Rohini to submit it in a sealed envelope before the next hearing. During the virtual court proceedings, the complainant stated she did not wish to pursue the complaint further.
Hathras Stampede Tragedy: As the tragic accident in Uttar Pradeshs Hathras claimed 121 lives, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi visited the district early on Friday. The LoP met the families of the victims of the stampede. The incident occurred at an overcrowded religious congregation of the self-styled godman Baba Bhole's satsang on Tuesday. He visited Aligarh's Pilkhana village to meet the victims's families.

Yesterday, the UP police arrested six members of the organising committee which include two women. All victims' bodies have been identified and returned to their families, said District Magistrate Asish Kumar.

Here Are Top 10 Developments In Hathras Stampede Tragedy:

After meeting the families of Hathras stampede tragedy, LoP Rahul Gandhi urged the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to provide compensation open-heartedly. He added, "If there is a delay in the compensation, it will not benefit anyone." Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi visited Pilkhana village in Aligarh to meet the families affected by the Hathras stampede incident. The tragic event claimed the lives of four individuals from the village. Surajpal, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari and Bhole Baba, has not been named in the UP police FIR. However, the police intend to question him if necessary. The probe authorities are currently unaware of his whereabouts. On Thursday, police searched his ashram in Mainpuri but were unable to locate him. Inspector General of Police (Aligarh Range), Shalabh Mathur, informed reporters on Thursday that all six arrested individuals were 'sevadars' (volunteers) at the 'satsang'. Mathur mentioned that a reward of Rs 1 lakh would soon be announced and a non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against the key accused, Devprakash Madhukar. The police have identified the arrested individuals as Ram Ladaite (50), Upendra Singh Yadav (62), Megh Singh (61), Mukesh Kumar (38), and two women, Manju Yadav (30) and Manju Devi (40). The initial report indicates that the stampede happened when Bhole Baba departed from the event venue, prompting his devotees to rush and gather the dirt around his feet. The Hathras administration claimed that 2.5 lakh people attended the event, far exceeding the permissible limit of 80,000. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered an inquiry led by a retired Allahabad High Court judge. However, the Congress has called for a judicial investigation to be conducted by a retired judge. The FIR was filed on July 2 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 an order issued by a public servant), and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence). Bhole Baba resides in his Mainpuri ashram, an expansive estate spanning 21 bighas of land, named Hari Nagar. Six rooms within the estate are reserved exclusively for him and his wife. Bhole Baba's lawyer stated that the preacher will cooperate with authorities and claimed that the stampede was caused by a conspiracy orchestrated by anti-social elements.

(With inputs from PTI)
CHENGDU, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The giant panda college under China West Normal University in southwest China's Sichuan Province, known as the hometown to giant pandas, is set to enroll 50 undergraduates this autumn, majoring wildlife and nature reserve management.

The college, established last September by the provincial forestry and grassland administration, is China's first college to feature giant panda studies.

The university has a longstanding focus on the ecological protection of rare wild animal and plant resources in southwest China's mountains. It is the earliest, longest-lasting and most influential university to conduct research in the field of wild giant panda ecology.

The college has signed cooperation agreements with the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, and several national nature reserves.

Wei Wei, a teacher at the college, said that during their college studies, students have the opportunity to pursue internships and gain hands-on experiences at these places, participating in work related to giant panda protection, breeding, and disease prevention and control. 
The BJP-led Mahayuti or National Democratic Alliance in Maharashtra consist of Shiv Sena-Shinde and NCP-Ajit Pawar. The party is probably staring at a possible defeat in the upcoming state assembly elections if the trends of the Lok Sabha Elections hold for the assembly polls as well. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the Mahayuti suffered a setback against the Maha Vikas Aghadi or INDIA bloc comprising of Congress, Sena-UBT and NCP-Sharad Pawar. In the 2019 polls, the NDA had bagged 41 Lok Sabha seats out of the total 48. However, in the recently concluded polls, the NDA got only 17 seats.

In the recently concluded Maharashtra Legislature Council Elections for the four seats, the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi bagged two seats each, thus showing that the path ahead may not be easy for the NDA. The Maharashtra assembly has 288 seats and the majority mark is 145. If the current Lok Sabha trends are converted into the assembly segment results, the NDA is likely to win around 120 seats while the INDIA bloc may bag 160 seats. Thus, the BJP is very much aware of the possible poll results and is trying to do a Madhya Pradesh in Maharashtra.

Ladali Behan vs Ladki Bahin

In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP recorded a landslide victory riding on the popularity of the Ladali Behan scheme under which women get a monthly financial aid of Rs 1,250 per month. Now, the Maharashtra government is planning a similar scheme named Ladki Bahin' scheme for women under which eligible women will be given Rs 1,500 per month.

Of a total of 9.29 crore voters in Maharashtra, there are 4.46 crore women electors and a total of 4.83 crore men. According to official data, of the 4.46 crore women voters, only 2.63 crore voted in the general elections. The BJP wants to tap this vote bank clubbed with the Ladki Behan Yojana along with the Central government's flagship schemes like PM Awas and Ujjwala Yojana.

Opposition's Reaction

NCP (SP) Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule said that while it's a good announcement, but this coming just ahead of the polls shows it's another election 'jumla' (gimmick). As the Maharashtra elections are hardly 2 to 3 months away, a shower of jumlas' was expected from the state government, the Baramati MP told reporters.

Maharashtra assembly polls are due in October where the state will look to gain political stability, especially witnessing an uncertain government for the past five years. The split of the Shiv Sena and the NCP will be a crucial factor besides the poll promises. The opposition led by Congress is likely to emulate its Karnataka model in the Maharashtra polls promising free bus, electricity and financial aid for women and unemployed graduates.
By Advocate Srijan Tiwari

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 represents a pivotal advancement in India's legal framework aimed at enhancing the nation's ease of conducting business. Enacted with the President's assent on 28th May 2016, this legislation has effectively streamlined and codified the previously fragmented and intricate landscape of bankruptcy laws in India. There is a "Waterfall Mechanism" present in Section 53 of IBC, 2016 which is explained here.

Among its numerous commendable provisions, Section 53 stands out prominently for its delineation of the methodology governing the allocation of proceeds derived from the liquidation assets of a corporate debtor. Given the diverse array of stakeholders involved, comprehending Section 53 necessitates a nuanced interpretation to grasp its underlying jurisprudential principles. The waterfall mechanism established therein serves as a litmus test for the preamble of the code, which underscores the imperative to harmonize the interests of all parties affected by insolvency proceedings.

This discourse aims to elucidate the intricacies of the waterfall arrangement prescribed by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), thereby unveiling the distinctive features that define its essence. In essence, by delving into the mechanics of Section 53 and the broader framework it embodies, we endeavor to illuminate the foundational principles that imbue the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code with its significance, underscoring its role in fostering a balanced and conducive environment for business operations in India.

In most instances, the amount received by lenders is often significantly less than what the successful resolution applicant pays to acquire the assets of a company through the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP). Nonetheless, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code establishes a structured framework for expeditiously resolving insolvency and bankruptcy cases, offering opportunities for the revival of distressed companies. The payment made by the successful bidder serves to settle the debts of the bankrupt company, with funds allocated according to a specified order known as the Waterfall Mechanism under the IBC. The Waterfall Mechanism dictates the sequence in which proceeds from the sale of a corporate debtor's assets are distributed among stakeholders. This distribution occurs in a hierarchical fashion, prioritizing the claims of certain stakeholders over others.

Section 53 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code outlines a Waterfall Mechanism that specifies the sequence and priority for distributing proceeds from the sale of liquidation assets among the stakeholders of a corporate entity. The "non-obstante clause" at the beginning of Section 53 confers overriding authority upon the Waterfall Mechanism established under the IBC, superseding any conflicting provisions of statutes enacted by central or state governments.

First, the Insolvency Resolution Process Costs and the liquidation costs must be paid in full. Next in line are the workmen's dues for the 24 months preceding the liquidation commencement date, and debts owed to secured creditors who have relinquished their security, both of which are ranked pari passu. Following these are employee dues for the 12 months preceding the liquidation commencement date, unsecured financial creditors, operational creditors, government and statutory dues, and finally, equity shareholders and partners, if any.

It is important to note that Section 53 clearly outlines the hierarchy of claims during liquidation. This hierarchy must also be followed during the payment distribution under the resolution plan, as mandated by Sections 30(2)(b) and 30(4) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, introduced through recent amendments. This highlights the essential role of the waterfall mechanism not only in the liquidation phase but also in the revival process through a resolution plan.

Various judicial pronouncements have elucidated the significance of the waterfall mechanism, notably in the matter of Committee of Creditors of Essar Steel India Limited v. Satish Kumar Gupta & Ors. In this case, it was adjudicated that the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) does not possess residual jurisdiction to reject a resolution plan solely on the basis of its perceived unfairness or injustice to a particular class of creditors. Provided that the interests of each class of creditors have been duly considered and addressed in accordance with the waterfall mechanism delineated in Section 53 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, along with the valuation of security interests of each creditor, the NCLT is compelled to sanction the resolution plan.

There has been disagreement between judicial interpretation and the statutory framework as a result of courts and tribunals departing from Section 53 of the IBC in certain cases. In the ruling in State Tax Officer V. Rainbow Paper Mills Limited, the court considered the state government to be a secured creditor and equated it with the obligation of workmen to repay debts during the settlement process. The distinction between government dues secured by operation of law and those secured through contractual transactions was essentially eliminated as a result. This decision delayed the resolution process by requiring tribunals to first define the status of claims.The explicit inclusion of "government dues" under Section 53(1)(e)(i) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) was overlooked in this case, which is noteworthy. This clause places the payment of government obligations below other obligations, stating that they must be paid after wages, workmen's compensation, debts to secured creditors, and unsecured loans, among other obligations. This highlights the difficulty in arriving at a correct textual interpretation of the law and adds another layer of complexity to figuring out the precise priority status of secured government dues under the Code.

However, in the case of Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd V. Raman Ispat Private Limited, the Apex Courtupheld the legality of the security interest established in the appellant's favor and clarified that, depending on the specifics of the transaction with the corporate debtor, payments owed to statutory corporations such as the appellant, rather than to the federal or state governments, should be categorized as either operational or financial debt. Nevertheless, according to Section 53(1)(e)(i) of the Code, these obligations do not fall under the category of obligations owed to the federal government or any state government.Due to the corporate debtor in Rainbow Papers undergoing bankruptcy resolution procedures instead of liquidation, there existed a factual distinction between that case and the present instance. Additionally, the Court classified the state government as a "secured creditor" in Rainbow Papers because the case did not consider the waterfall mechanism outlined in Section 53 of the Code. The Court underscored that "government dues" are explicitly covered under Section 53 of the Code, highlighting Parliament's intent to differentiate government debt from obligations owed to other secured creditors.

A crucial element of the waterfall mechanism is the full payment of Insolvency Resolution Process costs before any distributions are made to other stakeholders. This ensures that interim finance providers, who take substantial risks by lending to distressed companies, receive their due payments, including any interest, promptly. Failure to honour these obligations could undermine confidence in the insolvency framework. The waterfall system encompasses eight stakeholder tiers arranged in descending order of distribution priority. It is designed to prioritize the interests of vulnerable operational creditors, placing them on equal footing with secured financial creditors. Despite the need for precise definition in certain sections to ensure a comprehensive framework under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, the law's commitment to equitable treatment has effectively simplified business operations for all parties involved.

(Advocate Srijan Tiwari, with over a decade of experience, regularly practices Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) matters before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and the Delhi High Court. The views expressed are of solely of the author.)
The direct selling company QNet, which recently lost six employees in the devastating fire at Swapnalok Complex, is now facing allegations of deceiving young people with promises of significant financial returns. The police have reported that 25 individuals have accused QNet of fraud, leading to three cases being filed against the company, with the remaining complainants set to serve as witnesses.

According to a report by TOI, two of the complainants mentioned that they had joined the business through two women who tragically died in the fire. On Wednesday, Pasula Nagaraju (23), a private employee from West Marredpally, filed a complaint with Mahankali police alleging cheating. Nagaraju, originally from Karimnagar, recounted: "My cousin informed me about QNet, claiming that one could earn between Rs 15,000 to Rs 60,000 per month through direct selling. Following his advice, I visited the Swapnalok Complex where employees of V-Empire (Q-Net) conducted a casual interview with me. They didn't discuss business specifics but informed me that I was selected. Following their guidance, I paid a registration fee of Rs 1.3 lakh in December 2022 and joined the business." Nagaraju later discovered that QNet was a Malaysia-based company partnered with Vihaan Direct Selling (India) Pvt Ltd, managed by Rajesh Khanna from Bengaluru, and operated in Hyderabad under the name V-Empire by Upendranath Reddy.

Nagaraju identified several individuals involved, including Pavan Nimma, Nagadurgamani, Ramesh Katakam, and Shivanaga Mallaiah, who worked directly under Reddy. Shivanaga and his subordinatesSravani Reddy, Pathan Azhar, and Ganesh Bhanumanaged the Swapnalok Complex branch. "Trusting the promises made by the accused, I spent a total of Rs 1.8 lakh. However, I have not received any returns. When I asked for a refund, they threatened me with legal action and a police complaint," Nagaraju stated in his complaint.

Based on his report, the police have filed charges against QNet, Vihaan Direct Selling (India) Pvt Ltd, 'V-Empire', and 11 others under IPC sections 420, 406, 506, and sections 3, 4, 5, 6 of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act. Additionally, two more cases were registered at Mahankali Police Station based on similar complaints from M Naveen (23) of Warangal and V Anand (22) of Khammam, who claimed losses of Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively. Naveen had joined through fire victim Sravani, while Anand was introduced by another victim, Triveni.
New Delhi: As the winds of change sweep through the political landscape of Britain, the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, is poised to take the majority in the 650-seat House of Commons and end the 14 years of Conservative rule. However, the impact of this shift in India, a crucial partner of the UK, which is currently engaged in trade deal negotiations, remains to be seen.

One of Keir Starmer's first challenges as UK Prime Minister will be to repair the Labour Party's strained relations with New Delhi, which have been troubled by the party's contentious stance on Kashmir.

UKs Labour Party On Kashmir

The Labour Party has frequently faced criticism for its position on the Kashmir issue, which sharply contrasts with the British government's view that Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.

In 2019, when the Indian government removed Article 370, the Labour Party stated that Kashmir is a "disputed territory" and that the people there should have the right to decide their own future, as per UN resolutions.

Under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, the Party passed an emergency motion calling for international observers to enter Kashmir. The motion also urged Corbyn to meet with the high commissioners of India and Pakistan to mediate and restore peace, aiming to prevent a potential nuclear conflict.

India criticised the resolution, calling it an attempt to cater to vote-bank interests.

Starmers Election Manifesto

In his manifesto, he highlighted the commitment to seek a "new strategic partnership" with India, with a strong focus on the trade agreement. During the election campaigning period, Starmer tried his best to destagmatize his partys image as Hinduphobic by celebrating Holi and Diwali.

In meetings with the Indian diaspora and public addresses, Starmer made it clear that Kashmir is an internal matter to be resolved by India and Pakistan.
From the earliest human existence till now, one of the key traits that has helped civilizations progress is harmony and acceptance of individuals, irrespective of their differences. Smita Shetty Kapoor, CEO & Co-founder, Kelp shares the challenges and support needed by LGBTQ+ in the workplace. Similarly, as a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ) practitioner means a person helping organisations implement a diverse, all-inclusive workforce for increased employee engagement and growth. She observed that workplaces thrive when they accept and respect diversity among employees. An employee's gender and sexual orientation are essential parts of their identity that need to be accepted, respected, and empathized.

LGBTQ+ Employee Challenges

Employees who belong to the LGBTQ+ community need to be supported without judgment. But in many situations, the community members are stigmatized, even in workplaces, owing to their gender and sexuality. They are sometimes subjected to social isolation if they reveal their identity and orientation to their colleagues. Many are also subjected to curiosity harassment, where other employees ask unwanted questions to employees belonging to the community. McKinseys report suggests that LGBTQIA+ community members, especially women, are underrepresented in workplaces, which leads to social isolation. Many are also subjected to microaggression and sexual harassment. Also, according to a report by UCLA, William's Institute of Law, about 46% of LGBTQIA+ employees encountered unfair treatment in their lifetime, and many reported encouraging covering behavior to save themselves from discrimination.

Owing to the discrimination and harassment, many community members do not come out at their workplaces, as mentioned above. However not embracing their true self causes a lot of stress and mental health distress, and many may suffer from gender dysphoria and depression.

Role of Allyship in community members mental health

In such scenarios, community members need the help of other employees who can act as a support system and help extend their privilege to the community members. They are called employee allies. Allyship is a continuous relationship between privileged groups and community members to create inclusive, safe spaces in the organization to support members' health physically and mentally.

It's important to note that allyship includes being empathetic, consistent, and active. Some allies may become allies for their convenience and their status symbol. Such types of allyship are performative and not authentic. Experts suggest that there are two types of allyship - performative allyship and authentic allyship.

While performative allies are often inconsistent and unaware of the community's actual needs, authentic allies become aware of their own biases first. With self-awareness, they gain knowledge about the needs of the community, the types of discrimination they encounter, and their unique mental health challenges and strive hard to help. They are even amenable to community members expressing that their help is not up to the mark. They take the feedback and continue to offer support. To help LGBTQIA+ employees' mental health, they listen patiently to their concerns, champion their rights, and build a supportive ecosystem through the establishment of peer support groups within organizations.

Sometimes, members need help in simple ways, and the allies do just that. Simple gestures like acknowledgment in corridors, conversations during coffee and lunch breaks, regular check-ins about their work, etc, will help community members feel happy and secure.

Some allies even advocate for LGBTQIA+ community employee rights with leaders. They bring to the leaders' notice community members' needs and accommodations, helping them get the accessibility they need. When the needs of LGBTQIA+ employees are met, it will relieve a huge amount of physical and mental stress they experience. Additionally, allies ensure that community members have access to resources that support them and co-create stories of lived experiences to help other community members who may have similar experiences.

Many organizations champion allies because they not only help community members overcome mental health issues but also help them grow, improve performance, and develop job satisfaction, which would, in turn, help the organization succeed.

However, it's always important to remember that allyship is not about using one's privilege to help the LGBTQIA+ by providing a solution that the ally thinks are right for them. It's about developing awareness of their needs by asking the members what they need and then taking their help in co-creating a solution for them.
New Delhi: Markets closed at fresh all-time high levels on Thursday. Sensex finished at 80,049.67 while Nifty finished at 24,302.15.

Hrishikesh Yedve, AVP Technical and Derivatives Research at Asit C. Mehta Investment Interrmediates Ltd said, "The broader market outperformed the benchmarks, with the midcap and smallcap indices registering fresh lifetime highs. Technically, the Nifty index has sustained above the 24,200 barrier, indicating strength. As long as the index holds the support of 24,200, it may attempt to test the levels of 24,500-24,600."

Meanwhile, ahead of the market opening today, as per Zeebiz are Bajaj Auto, GPT Infraproject, Mahindra & Mahindra, HDFC Bank, IDBI Bank are likely to be in focus today.

1. Bajaj Auto

Bajaj Auto is set to launch Bajaj Freedom 125, the world's first worlds first CNG motorcycle, in Pune today

2. GPT Infraproject

GPT Infraproject's board will meet today to consider and approve raising of funds. "GPT INFRAPROJECTS LTD.has informed BSE that the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company is scheduled on 05/07/2024 ,inter alia, to consider and approve raising of funds by issue of equity shares or other securities including through preferential issue, qualified institutional placement, rights issue, or through any other permissible mode or a combination thereof, subject to such statutory/ regulatory approvals as may be required, including approval of shareholders of the Company, as applicable," the company said in a regulatory filing.

3. Mahindra & Mahindra And Other Stocks Trading Ex-Dividend

A host of companies including Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), Escorts Kubota, Navin Fluorine International, Thermax, Redington, Nucleus Software Exports, Milkfood, Futuristing Solutions, Biocon, Bharat Forge, Balkrishna Industries, AstraZeneca Pharma and Apollo Tyres are set to trade ex-dividend today.

4. HDFC Bank

HDFC Bank has announced that its gross advances grew 53 percent while deposits grew 24.4 percent as of June 30. "The Banks gross advances aggregated to approximately Rs 24,870 billion as of June 30, 2024, a growth of around 52.6% over Rs 16,300 billion as of June 30, 2023. The Banks deposits were Rs 23,790 billion as of June 30, 2024, a growth of around 24.4% over Rs 19,131 billion as of June 30, 2023, and were at similar levels compared to Rs 23,798 billion as of March 31, 2024," the company informed regulators.

5. IDBI Bank

IDBI Bank has announced that its net advances grew 17 percent while deposits grew 13 percent as of June 30.
New Delhi: Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor welcomed their baby girl Raha Kapoor a year and a half ago and ever since then, their world has entirely changed. During the announcement of Raha's arrival, Alia mentioned that they are obsessed parents and indeed they are living by this title. Raha is their life and we have often seen a glimpse of their obsession as parents. Talking to HT, Alia spoke about her daughter Raha and confessed that she would never want her daughter to be any version of her that she wouldn't be most comfortable with. Indeed, it's a great parenting tip one can get from Alia without any preaching.

The Jigra actress told to HT," I do believe children are born with their own personality. You just have to nurture and care for them and let them find their own feet. Let them be their own person. I don't think I want her (Raha) to ever be any version of herself that she doesn't feel most comfortable with".

Alia Bhatt even spoke about being an instinctive mother to daughter Raha," When it comes to the legacy that I envisioned as an actor and a mother, I don't think it has been calculated from my side. The choices I make as a mother are also very instinctive to what I feel is best for my child. I am very meticulous, but I can also be very random. So I'm kind of a mix of both".

On the professional front, the actress just a while ago announced filming her first ever action film with YRF Alpha along with Sarvari. Alia will also be seen next in Jigra along with The Archies actor Vedang Raina. She has also signed Sanjay Leela Bhansali's second film Love and War with hubby Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.
New Delhi: Drashti Dhami is currently enjoying her pregnancy phase and is all set to welcome her first child in the October month this year. The actress who has been popularly known for her stints in TV also made her debut on OTT with a web show Empire. The actress is right now grabbing attention for flaunting her baby bump and just like Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone she is getting trolled. Drashti who is happy showing off her baby bump just like every new mom has been getting trolled by haters and they calling her baby bump fake as it wasn't visible.

Hitting back at the trolls, Drashti Dhami took to her Instagram account and shared the stunning pictures of her in a red outfit and flaunted her baby bump, and wrote," Here's proof that my baby bump is not just a big lunch. For all those asking, can you see it now?". Mrunal Thakur dropped all the love on Drashti and called her cutie. All the fans too showered love on the soon to be mommy.

Drashti Dhami adorably announced her pregnancy with hubby Niraj Khemka.

The actress took to her Instagram and announced the arrival of her first baby in October. The post read," Could be Pink, Could be Blue. All we know is that we are due! October 2024. Drashti has been giving visual treat to her fans by sharing photos and videos as she enjoys her first pregnancy.
New Delhi: Work pressure is a common issue for humans but in a surprising turn of events its now affecting robots too. Yes, you read that right. The incident which occurred last Thursday around 4 pm has left the community both bewildered and grieving. A robot civil servant employed by the Gumi City Council in South Korea has sparked a national debate following what many are referring to as the countrys first robot suicide.

The robot, known as the 'Robot Supervisor,' was found lying at the bottom of a stairwell between the first and second floors of the council building. As observed by the witnesses, robot was exhibiting odd behaviour, "circling in one spot as if something was there," before its unfortunate fall. (Also Read: Airtel Denies Massive Data Breach Of 375 Million Users, Calls Claims Desperate Attempt To Tarnish Reputation)

The exact cause of the fall is still being investigated, and a city council official mentioned that "Pieces have been collected and will be analysed by the company." (Also Read: Zomato Relaunches 'Intercity Legends' Service With Minimum Order Value: Read Details)

The robot was officially part of the city hall staff and had been diligently assisting with daily document deliveries, city promotion and providing information to local residents. Developed by Bear Robotics, a California-based startup known for robot-waiter technology. This robot operated from 9 am to 6 pm and even had its own civil service officer card. Unlike typical models confined to one floor, the Gumi City Council's robot could independently call elevators and move between different floors.

For now, the Gumi City Council has chosen not to replace their fallen robotic colleague. This tragic event has prompted them to temporarily halt their plans for further robot adoption. The reported suicide of the robot has ignited conversations in local media and online communities. Many people are questioning the workload and the factors leading up to the incident.
Voters in the U.K. have cast their ballots in a national election to choose the 650 lawmakers who will sit in Parliament for the next five years.

Polls closed at 10 p.m. local time (2100GMT) Thursday, and an exit poll suggested that the left-of-center Labour Party led by Keir Starmer is headed for a huge majority.

The exit poll results suggested that after 14 years in power under five different prime ministers, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak s Conservatives are set to have their seats in the 650-seat House of Commons cut down to 131. That would be the Tories worst result in the partys two-century history and one that would leave the party in disarray.

The Labour Party is expected to win 410 seats, comfortably past the 326 needed for a majority.

Most of the results are expected to be announced in the early hours of Friday.

Here's the latest:

Labour's economic spokeswoman warns of scale of coming challenge

Labours Rachel Reeves, who is set to become the first female Treasury chief if her party wins the U.K. election, said she is under no illusions about the scale of the challenge she will face.

The severity of the inheritance from the Conservatives is truly awful, she told Sky News.

Reeves noted that the U.K.s debt burden is running at 100% of the countrys national income and the tax burden at a seven-decade high.

She said she cant promise to turn everything around straight away.

Reeves said the driving mission of an incoming Labour government is to kickstart economic growth.

Conservatives lose the first seat they were defending

Britain's governing Conservative Party has lost its first seat it was defending in the country's general election.

Robert Buckland, a former justice minister, lost his Swindon South seat in central England after his vote slumped by 25% compared with the last election 2019. Labours Heidi Alexander won the seat, returning to Parliament after she resigned in 2018 to take up a position with the mayor of London.

According to the exit poll, the Conservatives are set to lose more than 200 seats and suffer its worst result since 1906.

What to expect in coming hours as ballots get counted by hand

Voting in the U.K. is done the old-school way  no voting machines are used. Instead, voters put a pencil to paper, and all ballot papers are counted manually.

After ballot boxes are opened, the ballot papers in the box are mixed with postal vote ballot papers and the counting begins at counting centers across the U.K.

Several dozen seats are expected to be declared from now until around 0100GMT to 0200GMT  including Labour leader Keir Starmers London seat, Holborn and St. Pancras.

From 0200GMT onwards will be the busiest part of the night, with more than 200 seats expected to be declared.

By around 0300GMT, enough results should be known to suggest which party is on course to win.

The first of 650 House of Commons seats is declared

A Labour Party candidate has won the first U.K. seat to report its result in the general election.

Bridget Phillipson, who is Labour's education spokesperson, won with a majority of 7,169 in the Houghton and Sunderland South seat in the northeast of England from the second-placed candidate.

Thats more than double the majority she won last time the seat was contested in 2019.

The candidate from the recently formed anti-immigration Reform U.K. came second, pushing the candidate from the governing Conservative Party into third.

Phillipson said the result represented a vote for hope and unity, not decline and division.

Leading Conservative, Labour members react to exit poll results

Leading members of Britains main political parties are reacting to the exit poll suggesting the opposition Labour Party winning a landslide victory and returning to power for the first time since 2010.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner told Sky News that the Conservatives are getting punished by voters for 14 years of the chaos and the scandals and the decline.

Labours national campaign chief, Pat McFadden, said the transformation of his party since its poor showing in the 2019 election has been remarkable.

We have campaigned as a changed Labour Party, ready to change Britain, he said.

Meanwhile, Ruth Davidson, the former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said the exit poll pointed to a massacre for the party.

The projection suggests that the Conservatives will end up with its lowest number of seats in the House of Commons since 1906.

Exit poll: Conservatives set to face historic defeat; anti-immigration Reform UK gains big

Results from Britain's exit poll suggest that the governing Conservatives are set to have their seats in the 650-seat House of Commons cut down to 131  the Tories' worst result in the partys two-century history and one that would leave the party in disarray.

The exit poll also forecasts the left-of-center Liberal Democrats will take 61 seats, and Nigel Farage's right-wing, anti-immigration Reform UK, which currently does not have any seats, is set to take 13 seats. The Green Party is expected to take 2.
ASTANA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- At the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held here on Thursday, leaders of many participating countries spoke highly of the positive contributions made by the SCO to security, development and stability.

Belarus' accession to the SCO is a wonderful gift to the Belarusian nation, said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

"We're deeply convinced that it is necessary to build true and indivisible global security in the 21st century. At the same time, the initiative should be taken by the countries of the global majority," Lukashenko said, adding that the West was not capable of this.

"It is in our power to destroy the walls of the unipolar world, to feed people, eliminating many contradictions and conflicts due to social inequality, food shortages and resources," he said.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the SCO has become an effective mechanism of interstate relations, operating on the basis of the "Shanghai Spirit," which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development.

Tokayev emphasized the need for the SCO to enhance its stabilizing role to counter the erosion of international law, prevent geopolitical tensions and ultimately strengthen peace and security on a global scale amidst current global challenges.

He also underscored the significance of synergizing the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and others.

Given the current global conditions marked by rapid and irreversible changes, the proactive stance of the SCO in international affairs is unquestionably highly sought after, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Noting that the multipolar world has become a reality, Putin said more and more countries are speaking out for a fair world order and are ready to resolutely uphold their legitimate rights and protect traditional values.

It is firmly believed that the SCO and BRICS are the main pillars of this new world order, he said, adding that these associations are powerful drivers of global development processes and the establishment of genuine multipolarity.

The more the SCO strengthens its authority and influence, the more attention it attracts from other states and international structures, he said.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that in such challenging conditions, it is vital to maintain and further strengthen the commitment to the basic principles of the SCO, which have ensured the organization's current success, high international profile, and stabilizing role in international affairs.

It is essential to continue strictly adhering to the fundamental principles of the "Shanghai Spirit," he added.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his country's commitment to the SCO charter and principles in his address at the meeting, calling for collective action under the SCO platform for achieving socio-economic development.

Advocating for enhanced connectivity within the region through efficient transport corridors and reliable supply chains, Sharif said that Pakistan is the ideal trade conduit for the region and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor supplements the SCO's vision of regional connectivity and integration.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon highlighted regional security concerns and stressed the necessity for SCO member countries to continue working together to combat terrorism and extremism, as well as transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking.

Calling for continued efforts to assist the Afghan people, Rahmon said that the shared interests of SCO member countries lie in ensuring peace, stability, and security in Afghanistan.

Iran's Interim President Mohammad Mokhber said the SCO offers great opportunities for cooperation in the fields of trade, production, energy, transportation, agriculture, customs, and telecommunications, as well as the development of technology which should be used for the benefit and the welfare of nations and the establishment of sustainable peace in the region and around the world.

Iran is strongly opposed to the use of political tools, especially unilateral sanctions in the field of energy, and as a major producer of energy resources, especially oil and gas, it has always followed the policy of multilateralism in the field of energy, Mokhber said.

Iran fully supports the use of national currencies and increasing their share in the settlement of trade between SCO member countries, he said. 
Who is Labour Leader Keir Starmer?

Keir Starmer is set to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. His Labour Party has achieved a resounding victory in the recent elections, securing 186 seats, far surpassing the majority threshold of 170. The current ruling Conservative Party has struggled, winning fewer than 50 seats. The election results were not surprising as exit polls from BBC, ITV, and Sky had predicted a major win for Labour following the general election on Thursday, July 4. Let's learn more about Keir Starmer, who is on the brink of becoming the new PM of the UK.

1. Age: 61

2. Education:

Reigate Grammar School

University of Leeds

University of Oxford

3. Family:

Keir Starmer is married to Victoria Alexander, an NHS occupational therapist. They have one son and one daughter.

4. Parliamentary Constituency:

He has represented Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.

5. Background:

Starmer often describes himself as having a working-class background. His father was a toolmaker, and his mother worked as a nurse.

6. Personal Struggles:

His mother suffered from Still's disease, a rare autoimmune condition that eventually left her unable to speak or walk.

7. Early Education:

Starmer attended Reigate Grammar School, which became a private school two years after his admission. Until he was 16, his fees were paid by the local council.

8. First in Family to Attend University:

After school, he became the first person in his family to attend university, studying law at Leeds and later at Oxford. In 1987, he became a barrister specializing in human rights law. His work took him to the Caribbean and Africa, where he defended prisoners facing the death penalty.

9. Pro Bono Work:

In the late 1990s, he offered his services for free to the so-called McLibel activists, who were facing legal challenges from the fast-food giant McDonald's over environmental claims.

10. Senior Criminal Prosecutor:

In 2008, he was appointed the Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service for England and Wales.

Political Journey

In 2015, Starmer was elected as the Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras in North London. He served as the Shadow Brexit Secretary in former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's frontbench team, advocating for a second EU referendum.

After Labour's significant loss in the 2019 general election, Starmer ran for the party leadership and won in April 2020. In his victory speech, he promised to lead Labour into a "new era of trust and hope."

Starmer's journey from a working-class background to the cusp of becoming the UK's Prime Minister is a testament to his dedication, expertise, and leadership in both law and politics.
Tehran: Voting is underway in Iran, as the country gears up to elect the successor of Ebrahim Raisi in the Presidential runoff taking place on Friday, according to Al Jazeera.

This runoff comes as Iran registered a low voter turnout in the first round, with 39.92 per cent confirmed by the Interior Ministry. It was the lowest in any major election since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has also urged the people of Iran to vote, pointing out that it will become the "deciding round" to elect Iran's president by tomorrow, reported Al Jazeera.

The final battle is now between a reformist, Masoud Pezeshkian, and a hardline Conservative, Saeed Jalili.

Hardliners and conservatives are typically more critical of Western relations and of opening up Iran to outside influence.

Therefore, Pezeshkian is anticipated to reach out to the West more to try and lift sanctions against Iran, whereas Jalili as president, would be expected to prioritize internal capabilities, and regional relations, and bolster partnerships with Russia and China even further.

Pezeshkian, 69, was a deputy speaker from 2016 to 2020 and has been a member of parliament since 2008 representing Tabriz. In the early 2000s, the heart surgeon served as former President Mohammad Khatami's health minister.

He is the sole contender this year who does not come from a hardline or conservative background. In 2021 he was disqualified from running by the Guardian Council, reported Al Jazeera.

Whereas, Jalili, 58, ran for president unsuccessfully against Hassan Rouhani in 2013, and in 2021 withdrew in favour of Raisi.

As the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's direct representative on the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), he oversaw the Iranian nuclear issue from 2007 to 2013. He has served on unelected committees such as the Expediency Council and has continued to lead the SNSC, which he is dubious of calling a "shadow government."

Acting foreign minister at the moment, Ali Bagheri Kani is his longstanding supporter. Kani has been Iran's chief nuclear negotiator since 2021.

Pezeshkian and Jalili both pledged to improve living conditions in Iran, a country now experiencing an economic crisis.

The election was scheduled for June next year, which would have been four years after Raisi's election. However, a 50-day constitutional window to hold a new referendum was triggered by the president's death in a helicopter crash.

The snap election on June 28 occurred inside the 50-day legally mandated deadline for selecting a new president after Ebrahim Raisi and seven others, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, were killed in a helicopter accident on May 19.
Following the 2024 general elections, the UK is set to welcome Keir Starmer as its new Prime Minister. Starmer, a Labour Party candidate, secured the necessary 326 seats to form the government. Alongside him is his wife, Victoria Starmer, who has largely stayed out of the public eye.

Who Is UKs First Lady, Victoria Starmer?

Victoria Starmer, a former solicitor, has avoided media attention and never given interviews, unlike Akshata Murty, the wife of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Victoria and Keir Starmer met in the early 2000s when he was a senior barrister at Doughty Street Chambers. Their first meeting was marked by Victoria's blunt reaction, reportedly saying, "Who the f... does he think he is?" Despite this rocky start, the couple married in 2007 and have two children, who are being raised in their mother's Jewish faith. Victoria expresses a desire to continue her role in NHS occupational health as her husband assumes the office of Prime Minister.

Born into a Polish-Jewish family that migrated to the UK before World War II, Victoria is a practising Jew. She earned degrees in law and sociology from Cardiff University in 1996 and began her career at the Soho law firm Hodge Jones & Allen, where she specialized in street crime. After working there for four years, she married Keir Starmer and shifted her focus to the National Health Service (NHS) occupational health.
In Britain, the Labour Party has surpassed the majority mark of 326. The Labour Party has so far won 337 seats while Tory's/Conservatives have failed to live up to expectation winning just 72 seats of the 482 counted of the total 650 at the time of publishing of this report. On Friday, Keir Starmer, poised to become the next British Prime Minister, announced that the United Kingdom is ready for a change as his Labour Party heads towards a landslide victory in the general elections. Once sworn in as the Prime Minister of Britain, Keir Starmer will reside at the official residence of UK's Prime Minister - 10 Downing Street, often called No 10.

Keir Starmer promised to deliver for the nation. "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," said the 61-year-old leader. Elected to Parliament in 2015 for the first time at the age of 52, the Labour Party leader has promised to offer the change the country needs. Ending 14 years of Conservative rule, Starmer's Labour Party has so far won over 266 seats with the Tories heading towards a historic defeat.

A human rights lawyer and an Arsenal fan, Starmer represented people on death row with the Labour Party describing its leader and former Chief Prosecutor as a man who has spent his entire career securing justice for those who need it. Son of a toolmaker, Starmer faced challenging times right from his childhood which was spent in Surrey's Oxted. His mother, a nurse who worked for the National Health Service (NHS), battled a rare and severe illness all her life.

After joining politics and the British Parliament in 2015, Starmer became the leader of the Labour Party in April 2020. Now, four years later, he is pledging a better future for Britain. (With agency inputs)
CANBERRA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Dating app companies have pledged to do more to protect Australian users under the government's new online safety code.

Michelle Rowland, minister for Communications, and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth on Friday announced that the companies that own and operate Australia's most popular dating apps have agreed to adopt the voluntary code.

Under the code, any user who is banned from one dating app will have their accounts terminated across all platforms owned by the same company.

The industry has committed to implement systems to detect incidents of online-enabled harm and prominent, clear and transparent complaint and reporting mechanisms as well as improve engagement with Australian law enforcement.

"Online dating is now the most common way to meet a partner in Australia. These services did not develop overnight, and the lack of action over the last decade means that regulation has not kept pace with technology," Rowland said in a statement.

A report published by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) in February found that 12.4 percent of Australian dating app users have been asked by fellow users to facilitate child sexual exploitation.

A separate AIC report published in 2022 found that 75 percent of users had been subjected to sexual violence facilitated via dating apps in the previous five years.

The government in September 2023 issued the industry with an ultimatum to improve safety for users with a voluntary code or face greater regulation.

Rowland and Rishworth said on Friday that a new body will be established to administer the code.

After nine months of the code's operation, the eSafety Commissioner will assess its effectiveness and advise the government on its adequacy. 
TOKYO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Japan saw a record number of people living alone last year, while households with children under the age of 18 reached an all-time low, a government survey showed on Friday.

Single-person households in the Asian country totaled 18.5 million as of June 2023, comprising 34 percent of all households, the highest figures since records began in 1986, according to a national survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Among solo dwellers, elderly individuals living alone totaled 8.55 million, the second-highest on record.

In contrast, households with unmarried children under 18 dropped to a record low of 9.83 million, amid Japan's ongoing challenges from an aging population and declining birth rates.

The ministry attributed the trends to the country's advanced age demographics and increasing rates of unmarried individuals.

"The primary reason for the increase in one-person households is the rise in the number of unmarried individuals, many of which are non-regular employees finding it difficult to support a family economically," commented Takashi Kadokura, a Japanese economist.

The survey also addressed financial hardships, with 59.6 percent of households reporting that life is "very difficult" or "somewhat difficult," up 8 percentage points from the previous year.

In particular, 65 percent of households with children described their financial situation as challenging, a significant increase from 2022, citing the rising cost of living as a primary factor behind the financial stress.

Average household income also saw a decline, dropping to 5.24 million yen (about 32,590 U.S. dollars) from 5.46 million yen (about 33,960 U.S. dollars) recorded in the previous survey. 
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Amid escalating trade tensions, a wide array of experts anticipate that China's foreign trade will sustain positive momentum in the coming months, thanks to the country's export restructuring initiatives.

In the latest webinar held by the China Macroeconomy Forum, Citigroup China chief economist Yu Xiangrong projected that the country's export growth will hold steady at around 5 percent this year and 4.5 percent next year.

The forecast came as the country's foreign trade has proved durable, with goods exports rising by 6.1 percent year on year and goods imports climbing 6.4 percent in the January-May period.

"Looking into the second half (H2) of 2024 and the next year, we remain cautiously optimistic about China's export outlook," Yu said, highlighting some encouraging factors that reflect China's foreign trade resilience despite the onslaught of protectionism across the world.

China's external demand structure is shifting from developed markets toward emerging markets, Yu said, adding that while the overall demand in developed economies is anticipated to decline due to their tepid economic prospects in H2, members of ASEAN, Latin America, BRICS nations as well as other trading partners in the Global South will be able to "fill this gap."

Echoing Yu's analysis, Sheng Bin, vice president of Nankai University noted at the same webinar that against the backdrop of weakening demand and debt problems engulfing Western economies, China should put greater focus on emerging economies in its foreign trade policy.

Sheng contributed China's trade progress to the country's growing manufacturing strength and capacity build-up of exporters, powered by technological advances and complete supply and industrial chains.

In particular, Yu pointed out that China's exporters have attained apparent cost advantages through industrial upgrading and open competition.

Thus, even taken into account the looming threat of EU's provisional tariff hikes on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), Yu said Citi's calculations indicate that Chinese EVs still enjoy a cost advantage, which will buoy the sector's export momentum.

China's export is more cost effective than the United States, its major global competitor, in terms of a wide range of manufactured goods, electromechanical and high-tech products, thanks to technological advances and the scale effect, said Liu Yuanchun, president of the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

China's industrial, capital, innovation and talent chains are undergoing rapid integration, unlocking cost savings in the country's export sector, Liu added.

Despite the positive signals, experts have voiced concerns that global trade tensions intensified by the EU's recent plan to levy provisional additional tariffs on China-made EVs and geopolitical conflicts may weigh on the outlook of China's foreign trade.

The European Commission last month disclosed a plan to impose additional duties on imports of Chinese EVs. The move, widely criticized as protectionist, unveiled provisional tariffs ranging from 17.4 percent to 38.1 percent for Chinese EV makers despite widespread market concerns and China's objections.

Weeks earlier, the United States unveiled tariff hikes on an array of Chinese imports, including EVs, lithium batteries, photovoltaic cells, critical minerals, semiconductors, steel and aluminum.

"Trade policies of the advanced economies are prominent sources of uncertainties ahead, which needs to be monitored closely," Yu said, emphasizing the need to boost consumption and unblock the internal circulation to maintain economic stability.

Looking ahead, experts at the webinar also suggested efforts to expand trade in intermediate goods and promote digital economy in a bid to foster new growth drivers for foreign trade. 
ANKARA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Ankara could start a new normalization process with Damascus, and he might extend an invitation to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We may have an invitation to Putin and Bashar al-Assad. If Mr. Putin visits Turkiye, this could mark the beginning of a new process," Erdogan said, while answering journalists' questions on his return flight from Kazakhstan to Turkiye.

"We have always extended a friendly hand to our neighbor. We will stand by Syria, which welcomes us based on a fair and inclusive new social contract," he said.

Erdogan added that "the winds of peace that will blow in Syria and the climate of peace that will emerge throughout Syria are also required for millions of people to return to their country."

Turkiye and Syria severed formal diplomatic relations in 2012 as the Syrian civil war began. Turkiye supported the opposition groups fighting against the Assad government. In recent years, there have been hints of improvement in relations, but no significant progress has been achieved. Turkiye has been hosting more than 3.1 million registered Syrians.

Russia, the Syrian government's main support, has recently intensified efforts to normalize ties between Turkiye and Syria.

Assad said in June that his country remains open to initiatives regarding its relationship with Turkiye, highlighting the importance of respecting Syria's sovereignty and combating terrorism as the basis for any effort to improve Syrian-Turkish relations. 
Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, presides over a seminar to hear briefings and suggestions from local discipline inspection and supervision agencies in Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi Province, July 4, 2024. Li made an inspection tour in Shanxi Province from Tuesday to Friday. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

TAIYUAN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China's anti-graft chief Li Xi has urged efforts to ensure sound Party-discipline education and improve various systems related to the Party's exercise of full and rigorous self-governance.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), made the remarks during an inspection tour of north China's Shanxi Province from Tuesday to Friday.

He specified a range of targeted discipline inspection and supervision efforts while touring rural villages, state-owned enterprises and other locations in Shanxi.

Li also presided over a seminar to hear briefings and suggestions from local discipline inspection and supervision agencies. He called for efforts to refine the organization, education, supervisory, institutional and accountability systems related to full and rigorous Party self-governance.

While visiting the Shanxi Museum, he also stressed the importance of drawing inspiration from fine traditional Chinese culture to foster a culture of integrity in the new era. 

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, visits the Shanxi Museum in north China's Shanxi Province, July 5, 2024. Li made an inspection tour in Shanxi Province from Tuesday to Friday. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)
PHNOM PENH, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia attracted fixed-asset investment of 3.25 billion U.S. dollars in the first half (H1) of 2024, surging 195 percent from 1.1 billion dollars in the same period last year, said a Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC)'s report released on Friday.

The Southeast Asian nation approved 190 investment projects during the January-June period this year, up from 113 projects in the same period last year, generating approximately 168,572 jobs, the CDC said.

Those new investment projects were mainly focused on garment, travel goods, and footwear sectors, hotel development, hydroelectric power, freshwater port, solar power plant, lighting and accessory factory, agriculture, amusement park, car tire plant, and special economic zone establishment, among others.

The top five foreign investors in the kingdom are from China, Singapore, Vietnam, India, and South Korea, the CDC said, adding that investment from China accounted for 1.38 billion dollars, or more than 42 percent, of the total investment.

Cambodian Ministry of Commerce's Secretary of State and Spokesperson Penn Sovicheat said the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA), together with Cambodia's new law on investment, are the key factors in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to the country.

"Both RCEP and CCFTA are magnets to attract foreign investors to Cambodia," he told Xinhua. "FDI, particularly from China, is essential to help boost Cambodia's economic and trade growth."

He added that new FDI would bring new capital, technologies and employment opportunities for Cambodian people. 
SHANGHAI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese carmaker SAIC Motor said Friday it will defend its rights in accordance with the law and formally call on the European Commission to hold a hearing on interim anti-subsidy tariff measures against Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers. 
People carry the body of a victim killed in an Israeli attack in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday.

An Israeli drone targeted a group of young men in the Jenin camp, and Israeli forces surrounded a house west of Jenin amid an exchange of gunfire with Palestinian militants, Palestinian security sources told Xinhua.

Then, Israeli forces deployed reinforcements to the area before shelling the house with several "Energa" grenades, the sources added.

Mahmoud Al-Saadi, a Red Crescent ambulance official in Jenin, told Xinhua that Israeli forces imposed a military cordon on the area, preventing ambulance crews from reaching the besieged house.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Friday that its soldiers conducted "counterterrorism" activity in the Jenin area.

"The soldiers are encircling a building where terrorists have barricaded themselves, and IDF soldiers are exchanging fire with the terrorists. During the exchanges of fire, an IDF aircraft struck several armed terrorists in the area," the statement said.

Jenin city and its refugee camp have experienced escalating tensions for more than two years, with the intensity increasing since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict erupted in early October 2023.

More than 560 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army since October 2023 across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. 

People mourn victims killed in an Israeli attack in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

People mourn victims killed in an Israeli attack in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

Israeli military vehicles are seen during an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

Israeli military vehicles are seen during an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

An Israeli bulldozer and a front loader are seen during an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

Smoke rises from a building on fire during an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

Israeli military vehicles are seen during an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

Israeli military vehicles are seen during an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

Smoke rises from a building on fire during an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

An Israeli bulldozer is seen during an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

An Israeli bulldozer and a front loader are seen during an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

Paramedics and firefighters work at a building destroyed in an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

Paramedics and firefighters work at a building destroyed in an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

People inspect the damage of a building after an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

People inspect the damage of a building after an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

Paramedics and firefighters work at a building destroyed in an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

People are seen among the rubble after an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

People inspect the damage of a building after an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

Paramedics and firefighters work at a building destroyed in an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on July 5, 2024. Seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Jenin city and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Friday. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)
Zimbabwean mixed-media artist Johnson Zuze makes a sculpture with snare wire and other found objects at a workshop in Chitungwiza, Harare Province, Zimbabwe on July 3, 2024. (Photo by Tafara Mugwara/Xinhua)

CHITUNGWIZA, Zimbabwe, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean mixed-media artist Johnson Zuze is renowned for creating beauty out of unusual objects.

The 39-year-old artist collects snare wire from conservancies and game reserves, weaving the lethal weapon used by poachers to trap wild animals into art pieces depicting Zimbabwe's wildlife, such as rhinoceros, elephants and buffalos. Despite its toughness, the snare wire is interwoven to create thought-provoking, life-size animal figures.

Zuze also incorporates other found objects, such as broken ceramic pieces, empty liquor bottles, metal objects and discarded computer parts, to create color contrasts in his artwork. "I use art as a vehicle to raise awareness and educate people about anti-poaching. So I mostly use animal figures to tell my story," Zuze told Xinhua at his workshop in Chitungwiza, a town in Harare Province.

The self-taught artist's sculptures, made with simple hand tools, highlight the contrasts of life -- a destructive force can be channeled into positive energy. Snare wire, which he calls a lethal weapon, is reinvented into pieces of art that people can admire. In addition to raising awareness about conservation, his art also underpins the problems of modern excessive consumption that have resulted in the scourge of urban waste.

Art is Zuze's way of fighting poaching, a concern for wildlife havens like Zimbabwe. He believes that despite being devoid of words, art can be an effective platform for communication. "It can capture a lot of people in a short space of time, like our ancestors used to do in ancient times. This is not just for decoration but for conveying messages," said Zuze.

Zimbabwe has a long tradition of using art in storytelling, as evidenced by remnants of ancient pottery and rock paintings. Building on that tradition, Zuze's mission is to highlight and provoke discussions on modern societal problems, such as environmental degradation. His work on conservation has gained worldwide acclaim. In addition to receiving several awards, the artist has exhibited at local and international expos.

Animal conservation is an important issue in Zimbabwe, a country with wildlife targeted by poachers. Earlier this year, six elephants were allegedly killed by poisoning by suspected poachers at a watering hole at Gwayi-Shangani Wildlife Conservancy near Hwange National Park in the western part of Zimbabwe.

To protect wildlife, a major tourist attraction, Zimbabwe has enacted stiff laws against poaching. The country has the second-largest elephant population and the fourth-largest rhinoceros population in Africa.

Zuze said he hopes that in addition to decorating galleries and parks, his art can also convey anti-poaching messages to protect Zimbabwe's treasured wildlife resources. 

Zimbabwean mixed-media artist Johnson Zuze makes a sculpture with snare wire and other found objects at a workshop in Chitungwiza, Harare Province, Zimbabwe on July 3, 2024. (Photo by Tafara Mugwara/Xinhua)
MEXICO CITY, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Hurricane Beryl restrengthened to a Category 3 storm late Thursday and is heading towards Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, a tourism hotspot in the country, after leaving a trail of destruction across the eastern Caribbean.

"Data from the Air Force reconnaissance aircraft indicate that Beryl has strengthened to a category 3 hurricane with maximum winds of 115 mph (185 km/h)," the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory on Thursday night.

Beryl was downgraded to Category 2 earlier in the day.

Beryl was expected to bring heavy rain and winds to the Yucatan Peninsula, a major tourism destination that includes the Mayan pyramids and resorts, and to restrengthen in the Gulf of Mexico to make a second strike on the country.

On Thursday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador urged people to move to higher ground, shelters, or homes of friends and family in other places.

He wrote on social media that Hurricane Beryl's trajectory indicates that it will enter through Tulum, a town on Mexico's Caribbean coastline. "Do not hesitate, materials can be recovered. The most important thing is life."

So far, the hurricane has killed several people in the Caribbean, including three in Grenada, which comprises a central island and several smaller surrounding islands. Meanwhile, at least two people died and five are missing in Venezuela due to the storm, which impacted 25,000 people. 
CHANGSHA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers including firefighters and armed police are closely monitoring the situation of a dike breach in Dongting Lake in central China's Hunan Province which occurred Friday afternoon, local authorities have said.

The breach was initially about 10 meters wide but has since continued to expand. The relocation of approximately 5,000 residents of the affected area has been completed, according to the local flood control department.

A large amount of lake water has overflowed from the gap with a fast flow rate, according to the government of Tuanzhou Township, Huarong County under Yueyang City.

"The breach is difficult to fix, so we advise the building of a second barrier two kilometers from the breach to contain the water," said Chen Wenping, an anti-flood expert.

Sand carrier ships have been dispatched to the scene for the rescue operation. Trucks were also deployed to fill the gap.

Dongting is China's second-largest freshwater lake. The affected area near Tuanbei Village covers about 50 square km. This area experienced a dike breach back in 1996.

Since June 16, Hunan has suffered the strongest rainfall this year, which has broken local historical records in some regions. 
TEHRAN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Voting for Iran's presidential runoff came to an end at midnight Friday after 16 straight hours, said Spokesman of Iran's Election Headquarters Mohsen Eslami.

He made the remarks in a live interview with Iran's state-run IRIB TV, stressing that although the polling stations' doors were closed, those responsible had to let all the voters who had come before the end of the voting process and were waiting for their turns, cast their ballots.

The counting process would start at the stations immediately after the voting ended, Eslami added.

In an address to reporters in the Iranian capital Tehran earlier in the day, Iran's Interim President Mohammad Mokhber said the results would be announced by Saturday morning.

The voting began at 8:00 a.m. Friday local time (0430 GMT) at nearly 59,000 polling stations across the country and abroad, with two candidates, former health minister Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili, the former chief negotiator in the nuclear talks between Tehran and world powers, vying for the top position at the country's executive branch.

Pezeshkian and Jalili secured over 42 percent and 38 percent of the votes, respectively, in the first round on June 28.

The voting was initially scheduled to end at 6:00 p.m. local time but was extended three times, with each extension lasting for two hours.

The candidate with the highest number of votes at the end of the runoff will be the next Iranian president.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cast his ballot at a polling station in Tehran immediately after the voting began and made a brief speech.

"Today is a good day; the day of our beloved people's presence, participation, and becoming active in the election, which is an important political affair of the country," said Khamenei.

Field estimates showed that the turnout in the runoff surpassed the figure in the first round, which stood at 40 percent, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.

Over 61 million people were eligible to vote in the election, according to Iranian authorities. More than 24 million participated in the first round.

Iran's 14th presidential election, initially set for 2025, was rescheduled following the unexpected death of President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage in a helicopter crash on May 19. 
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged all-out rescue and relief work to safeguard people's lives and property after a dike breach in Dongting Lake in central China's Hunan Province which occurred Friday afternoon.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction.

On Friday afternoon, a dike of the Dongting Lake burst in Tuanzhou Township, Huarong County under Hunan's Yueyang City, causing flooding in the area. All the local people affected have been safely evacuated.

Xi, who is on a foreign visit, stressed that people in threatened areas should be evacuated in a timely manner and properly resettled, adding that all-out rescue work should be carried out to protect the safety of people's lives and property. He asked the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters to dispatch a team to strengthen guidance.

Xi emphasized that since China entered the main flood season, some areas in the country have experienced heavy rainfall for a prolonged duration, leading to a severe flood control situation. The prolonged water erosion of embankments may result in dangerous situations, posing significant risks and hidden dangers.

Relevant local Party committees, governments and departments should take prompt action and mobilize forces to carry out flood prevention, disaster relief and emergency rescue work. They should strengthen inspections of embankments and promptly identify and address any potential risks to ensure safety, Xi said.

Li Qiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and premier of the State Council, ordered that all efforts should be made to deal with the emergency, control the development of the situation, properly accommodate the affected people and strengthen the patrol of reservoirs and embankments.

Li urged the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters to strengthen early warning and consultation, as well as guidance for and supervision over all localities and departments in flood control and disaster relief work.

According to the instructions of Xi and the request of Li, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Emergency Management have sent working groups to the scene. Party and government officials of Hunan Province and Yueyang City are at the site to direct emergency response. 
Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon at the presidential palace in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

DUSHANBE, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to develop the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era with Tajikistan, said Chinese President Xi Jinping here on Friday.

Xi made the remarks during his talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, expressing his delight to once again meet his old friend President Rahmon.

Five years after the last visit, Xi said he saw an even more prosperous Tajikistan this time.

As a friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner, China is truly pleased about this, said Xi, expressing his confidence that under Rahmon's leadership, Tajikistan will surely meet the various national development goals it has set forth.

Building a China-Tajikistan community with a shared future featuring everlasting friendship, solidarity and mutual benefit is a political decision made together by the two presidents. It conforms with the trend of the times, and with the common interests of the two countries and peoples, said Xi.

Under the new circumstances, China is ready to work with Tajikistan to develop a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era, and to build the China-Tajikistan community with a shared future from a higher starting point, he said.

Noting that China will remain steadfast in promoting friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation with Tajikistan, Xi said China will firmly support Tajikistan in following a development path that suits its national conditions, firmly support the efforts of Tajikistan to safeguard its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly support the various political arrangements and development measures in Tajikistan put forth by President Rahmon.

China firmly opposes interference in Tajikistan's internal affairs under any excuse by any external force. No matter how the international landscape changes, China will always be a trustworthy friend, a reliable partner and a close brother of Tajikistan, he said.

In the talks, Rahmon hailed China and Tajikistan are friendly neighbors and loyal friends.

Rahmon said that under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, bilateral relations have maintained sound development in recent years, achieving positive outcomes in various fields of cooperation and maintaining high-level communication and collaboration in multilateral institutions.

Rahmon pointed out that the Tajikistan-China relationship is an exemplary model of international relations between nations.

Since the beginning of the new era, under the visionary and wise leadership of President Xi, China has made great developmental achievements, which have not only benefited the Chinese people, but also made important contributions to regional and world peace and development, he said.

To strengthen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China in the new era is a priority policy direction of Tajikistan, Rahmon said, adding that the Tajik side firmly abides by the one-China principle, opposes any form of "Taiwan independence," and firmly supports all efforts made by China in safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity and realizing national reunification.

Following the talks, the two leaders also jointly met the press.

Xi said the two sides have agreed to focus on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, comprehensively promote the synergy of development strategies of the two countries, and help each other's modernization drive.

China is ready to import more quality products from Tajikistan and continuously upgrade the quality and scale of China-Tajikistan economic and trade cooperation, he said.

He also said the two countries have agreed to continue to deepen connectivity cooperation and support Tajikistan in tapping more potential in boosting transit transport.

For his part, Rahmon said Xi's state visit to Tajikistan is an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations, which will inject strong new impetus into the development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Tajikistan and China in the new era. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a grand welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. Xi held talks with Rahmon at the presidential palace in Dushanbe on Friday. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a grand welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. Xi held talks with Rahmon at the presidential palace in Dushanbe on Friday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon inspect the guard of honor in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. Xi held talks with Rahmon at the presidential palace in Dushanbe on Friday. Rahmon hosted a grand welcome ceremony for Xi. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon inspect the guard of honor in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. Xi held talks with Rahmon at the presidential palace in Dushanbe on Friday. Rahmon hosted a grand welcome ceremony for Xi. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon hold small-group talks in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. Xi held talks with Rahmon at the presidential palace in Dushanbe on Friday. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon hold big-group talks in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. Xi held talks with Rahmon at the presidential palace in Dushanbe on Friday. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon sign a joint statement between the two countries on developing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era after their talks in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. Xi held talks with Rahmon at the presidential palace in Dushanbe on Friday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon jointly meet the press after their talks at the presidential palace in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
JERUSALEM, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Chief of Israel's Mossad spy agency David Barnea has returned from the Qatari capital Doha following an initial meeting with mediators, and a team will be dispatched next week to continue the negotiations, Israeli prime minister's office announced Friday evening.

"It should be emphasized that there are still gaps between the sides," said a statement from the Israeli prime minister's office.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the dispatch of a delegation for negotiations on a ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza and the release of hostages, a senior Israeli official told Xinhua on Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that an official familiar with the hostage talks said that Mossad officials had told mediators that they are "optimistic" the Israeli cabinet will accept the ceasefire proposal currently under discussion.

According to Israel's Channel 12 survey revealed Friday, when asked what is most important at this moment, 67 percent of the people interviewed said returning the hostages from Gaza, compared to 26 percent who said continuing the war in Gaza and 7 percent who said they didn't know.

The recent development marks a renewed effort to negotiate an end to the nearly nine-month-long conflict, which, according to the Gaza-based health authorities, has resulted in the deaths of more than 38,000 Palestinians in the enclave.

Israel launched a massive offensive in the Gaza Strip following a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage. 
SAO PAULO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and 42 others injured early Friday when a tourist bus crashed into a concrete pillar on a highway in Brazil's state of Sao Paulo, said local police and medical services.

The bus carrying tourists was en route from the city of Itapeva to Aparecida, where Brazil's largest Catholic sanctuary is located.

According to a Civil Defense spokesman cited by the news network Globonews, the injured, five of whom are in serious condition, are being treated in medical centers in the cities of Sorocaba and Itapetininga.

The tragedy occurred at the 171-km point of the Professor Francisco da Silva Pontes Highway (SP-127), when the double-decker vehicle crashed into a viaduct pillar.

According to a statement from the Sao Paulo State Transport Agency, the driver survived and said he was driving normally, but the bus suffered a mechanical breakdown that caused the steering wheel to lock.

Due to this malfunction, the driver said he could not control the vehicle and crashed into the concrete pillar. 
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Flooding is forecast to persist in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River over the next two weeks, China's Ministry of Water Resources said Friday.

Since mid-June, torrential rains have lashed the middle and lower reaches of the country's longest river, leading to the continuous rise of water levels and flooding.

Relevant departments have issued emergency response to rainfall and flooding earlier this week in Jiangxi and Hunan, two major provinces along the middle reach of the Yangtze.

Hunan has suffered the strongest rainfall this year, which has broken local historical records in some regions.

However, real-time monitoring showed that water levels have begun to recede from their peak in the middle reach of the river. Dongting and Poyang, the country's two largest freshwater lakes, which serve as natural reservoirs along the Yangtze, have also seen declining water levels, according to the ministry.

The ministry has urged efforts to reinforce major levees and dams, and ensure precise water transfers among reservoirs across the Yangtze River basin. 
TEHRAN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Hungary on Friday highlighted the necessity to refrain from the escalation of tension in the West Asia region.

In a phone call, Iranian Caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto exchanged views on regional issues of common interest and bilateral ties, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Bagheri Kani stressed the need to enhance stability and refrain from the escalation of tension in West Asia, noting that the continuation of Israeli "crimes" against Palestinians and the recent escalations between Israel and Lebanon had placed the region in a new situation.

He warned that any new move to cause further tension in the region would definitely work to the detriment of the "warmongers."

Pointing to bilateral ties, Bagheri Kani said Iran and Hungary had always had good relations with each other, and the ties had been reflecting a positive and growing trend.

The Hungarian foreign minister, for his part, underscored the need to step up efforts to prevent the intensification of the conflicts in the region.

He underlined the importance of diplomacy in bilateral relations and the international arena, welcoming the strengthening of the bilateral ties with Iran.

The Israeli army has been waging a large-scale offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on the Israeli towns adjacent to the strip, killing approximately 1,200 people.

The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks in the enclave has risen to 38,011, with 87,445 people injured, as updated by the health authorities in Gaza on Thursday.

Tension has mounted between Lebanon and Israel since Oct. 8, 2023, after Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. 
NOUAKCHOTT, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Mauritanian coast guards recovered the bodies of 89 illegal migrants near N'Diago, southwestern Mauritania, local media reported Thursday.

The migrants were aboard a large traditional fishing boat that stranded off the Atlantic Ocean, four kilometers from the town of N'Diago, the Mauritanian News Agency reported.

Nine people, including a five-year-old girl, were rescued by the Mauritanian coast guard, the report said.

The boat, which left the Senegalese-Gambia border six days ago towards Europe, had 170 migrants on board, the report quoted survivors as saying. 
YAOUNDE, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Cameroon's Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji said on Thursday that the government will "not tolerate" any pre-election disorder in the country.

"Any act to destabilize the elections will not be tolerated. The political leader who tries to disrupt the elections will regret having joined the political game," Nji told reporters at the end of a two-day conference which brought together governors of the 10 regions of the country to deliberate on how best to organize general elections scheduled for next year.

The warning came barely a month after opposition leader Maurice Kamto of Cameroon Renaissance Movement granted a press conference and threatened that "if people want the country to fall into violence, then it will fall into violence".

Nji said such a declaration was "unacceptable" in a democratic country.

"These people in the opposition, you must be humble and speak in measured tones," he said, adding that the 10 governors have been instructed to "stop" any pre-election disorder.

Legislative, municipal and council elections are scheduled to take place in Cameroon next year. 
JUBA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's negotiation team in the ongoing peace talks in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, said Friday that substantial progress had been made towards achieving lasting peace and stability in the world's youngest nation.

Albino Mathom, the special envoy to South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and head of the delegation to the Nairobi peace talks, said that they had reached some important milestones with the opposition groups, expressing confidence in reaching a final deal soon.

"What we have agreed in Nairobi with the opposition is trust and confidence building measures that is a protocol by itself, economic recovery and management which means we will have accountability in the economy," Mathom said at a briefing in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Mathom said other areas the negotiators had agreed on includes judicial reforms, transitional justice and accountability, permanent ceasefire, security arrangement and reform.

"Humanitarian assistance and the rest are pending and we are still negotiating, we are almost to reach an agreement with the opposition," Mathom declared.

He said the people of South Sudan have suffered for a long period and as such, President Salva Kiir initiated the Nairobi talks to hasten the search for durable peace and the country's rebuilding.

Michael Makuei Lueth, the information minister and a member of the negotiation team, said the Nairobi talks, also known as the Tumaini (Hope) Initiative, will boost implementation of the 2018 agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan.

Makuei said negotiators have identified weak institutions and funding shortfalls as the root cause of slow progress in the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.

He believed the Nairobi talks will strengthen the 2018 agreement by including the holdout groups in the implementation mechanisms including the Joint Defense Board which will now be renamed the Security Sector Reform Oversight Commission with retired security officers to oversee the implementation.

The minister said the peace negotiators identified the National Transitional Committee (NTC) as not performing, so they decided to rename it National Implementation and Oversight Mechanism to oversee the performance of the security and governance sectors.

Makuei said another body comprising the donor community, regional blocs and the government will be formed to deposit funds for the implementation of the agreement, although the President and his deputy will determine the timeline and implementation matrix.

In December 2023, South Sudan President Salva Kiir reportedly asked his Kenyan counterpart President William Ruto to assume the lead in mediating peace talks. 
VIENTIANE, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Laos' Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, and Shanghai-based Trip.com Group Limited, a leading online travel agency in China, on Thursday inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop and promote the tourism sector in Laos.

The signing ceremony was attended by Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Suanesavanh Vignaket, Economic and Commercial Counselor of Chinese Embassy in Laos Zhao Wenyu, Vice President of Trip.com Group Chen Guanqi, and relevant parties from both sides.

The agreement will be an important step to contribute to the Visit Laos Year 2024. It will also be a good opportunity for Laos to promote its tourism in the Chinese market.

The two sides will jointly create an action plan to promote Lao tourism in order to upgrade services and create a variety of tourism programs to attract more Chinese tourists.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chen said Trip.com Group recognizes Laos' immense potential as a tourist destination, and the company is committed to showcasing Laos' unique attraction to the Chinese travelers.

"We aim to highlight the enchanting landscapes, historical sites, and diverse cultural heritage of Laos on our platform," Chen said.

The company will work closely with the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, adopting popular marketing strategies in China, such as live streaming, to promote Lao tourism.

In the first three months of 2024, Laos welcomed over 242,000 Chinese tourists, making China the third largest source of foreign tourist arrivals. 
CANBERRA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has revealed plans for a major expansion of a protected subantarctic marine park.

Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, on Friday announced a government proposal to expand the size of the protected Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve in the Southern Ocean by over 300,000 square kilometers (km).

The proposal would more than quadruple the size of the reserve, which currently encompasses 71,000 square km, and increase the proportion of Australia's oceans that are covered by protected marine parks to over 50 percent.

Plibersek said in a statement that the expansion of the marine park would help protect globally significant habitat for endangered seabirds and seals.

"There are so few places on earth that can be described as pure, pristine wilderness. Heard and McDonald Islands is such a place," she said.

"Quadrupling the size of the Heard and McDonald Islands marine park would protect more of our oceans around the island and seals, albatross and whales, that call these oceans home."

The islands, which are located approximately 4,000 km south-west of Australia and 1,700 km north of Antarctica, became a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site in 1997 and are home to Australia's only two active volcanoes.

Fishing, mining and other extraction activities are restricted in Australian marine parks, but the proposed expansion would allow for the continuation of the sustainable fishing of mackerel icefish and Patagonian toothfish in the area.

A public consultation on the proposal will run until September 5 at which point the government will finalize the boundaries of the expanded reserve. 
ISLAMABAD, July 5 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and eight others injured when a blast went off in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday, police officials said.

The blast took place on a bridge in the Takht-i-Bahi area of Mardan district of the province, killing the three people while injuring the eight others including policemen, District Police Officer Mardan Zahoor Babar Afridi told media.

He said that police officials were the target of the blast as the explosion happened after a police vehicle passed over the bridge, adding that according to a preliminary investigation, an improvised explosive device was planted on the bridge.

Rescue teams, police and security forces immediately reached the site following the blast and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital. The area has been cordoned off while a search operation is underway to arrest the culprits.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Earlier on Thursday, five people, including a former member of the Senate, were killed in an explosion in Bajaur district of the province. 
NEW DELHI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 engineers were suspended Friday by the local government of India's eastern state of Bihar following a series of bridge collapse incidents in over a fortnight, officials said.

The decision to suspend the engineers from water resources and rural works departments for their alleged negligence was taken after a probe panel submitted its report to the local government.

The local government has also issued show cause notices to two construction companies, asking them why they should not be blacklisted.

At least 12 bridges have collapsed across Bihar's seven districts. However, no casualties have been reported in these incidents.

The local government is also verifying the role of contractors.

On Wednesday Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered a survey of all old bridges in the state to identify those requiring urgent repairs. Kumar also called for improved bridge maintenance policies from both the road construction and rural works departments. 
SOFIA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- One man was killed and two others wounded in a shooting here on Thursday, the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior confirmed to Xinhua.

"According to initial information, a fight broke out between several men, followed by shots fired," the ministry said, adding that authorities were alerted at around 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT).

A 48-year-old man died at the scene, and two others, 22 and 41 years old, were wounded, it said.

Dimitar Kangaldzhiev, secretary general of the Ministry of Interior, told reporters at the scene later on that the conflict occurred at a pawn shop, when three men attacked it. Three employees of the pawn shop were there, he said.

One of the attackers was killed and another wounded, Kangaldzhiev said. The other who was wounded was an employee of the pawn shop, he said.

Two guns were found at the scene, he said, noting that investigation is underway. 
LONDON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Keir Starmer and his Labour Party need to win the hearts and minds of the British people despite a landslide victory in the 2024 general election as the percent of the actual votes they have obtained is fairly low, experts have told Xinhua.

The party has swept into power by claiming 412 seats in the 650-seat parliament, while the Conservative Party has shrunk to 121 seats.

In terms of vote share, however, the Labour Party has received around 34 percent, meaning a moderate margin when compared to the approximately 24-percent-share of the Conservatives and Reform UK's 14 percent.

"The Conservatives have lost the election, but (the) Labour (Party) has not won it. (The) Labour (Party) has ended up with a majority, but they haven't persuaded very many people to vote for them," professor John Bryson from the University of Birmingham told Xinhua.

"What this means is that the Labour Party has won the election but hasn't won the hearts and minds of the British electorate," Bryson said.

Given all the daunting challenges ahead, he suggested that the Labour Party should work on winning the sympathy of the British people so that in the next election their vote share increases to reflect a more majority-style government.

The election calamity for the Conservative Party showed the level of frustration British voters felt about the party's failure to address the concerns of the ordinary people, including the cost-of-living crisis, an inefficient healthcare system and a crumbling infrastructure.

The Conservatives also suffered from political trust deficit amid a host of scandals like the "partygate" under the premiership of Boris Johnson and most recently a controversy surrounding some Tory officials who were betting on the election date.

The political instability in the summer of 2022, which saw Britain welcome and oust three different prime ministers in two months, made voters worry about stability and consistency in policymaking and governance.

Iain Begg, a political expert from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), said the Labour Party-led government will easily be seen as "a breath of fresh air" following 14 years of Tory rule.

Starmer campaigned under the theme "Change," pledging to rebuild Britain and prioritize the interests of working people. His party's key pledges include kickstarting economic growth, implementing stringent government spending rules, reducing waiting times in the National Health Service (NHS), hiring thousands more teachers, improving law and order on British streets, and strengthening border security to address illegal immigration.

The Labour Party, however, has not been clear on how it's going to find the silver bullet that can tackle the challenge of kickstarting economic growth, warned Begg.

"There's something of a promise involved in it rather than a certainty of how they're going to achieve it," he said.

Steve Nolan, a lecturer in Economics at Liverpool John Moores University, shared the same concerns.

"It was a very cautious campaign that they fought. They didn't want to create any targets on their back for the Conservative opposition to leap on. They've, in many ways, bound their hands in terms of money raising. They're not going to raise any of the three large taxes within the UK that account for about two-thirds of revenue within the UK, and they're not making big promises on spending," Nolan said.

"It's an open question what (sort of) government this will be, and how capable they will be of meeting the aims that they say they have," he said. 
NEW YORK, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A pickup truck crashed into a park in Lower Manhattan in New York City on Thursday night, killing three people and injuring seven others, according to local authorities.

The truck hit 10 people attending parties at Corlears Hook Park in celebration of the U.S. Independence Day.

Preliminary investigation showed the driver was under the influence of alcohol and the incident didn't appear to be terror-related, said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

The driver has been taken into custody with his identity yet to be disclosed. 
Picnic basket with hat, book and grasses on the grass at the summer sunny day. Beautiful outdoor vacation with blue lake view. (nblxer (123RF))

As Yogi Bear would say, Hey Boo Boo, lets go get us a pic-a-nic basket.

Celebrate National Picnic Month by packing your favorite foods into the picnic basket, grabbing a blanket, finding a shady spot under the tree or a sandy spot on the beach and relaxing with that book youve had your eye on for a while.

Need a recommendation for your day of relaxation? Weve got 10.

Picnic in Provence: A Memoir with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard (2015) (Memoir) (Recipes)

Elizabeth arrives in Provence with her husband and her newborn baby after moving to the French countryside on a whim. Inspired by the local ingredients, they decide to open an artisanal ice cream shop with unique flavors such as saffron and fruity olive oil. Enjoy this blended cookbook and memoir.

Picnics in Hyde Park by Nikki Moore (2015) (Chick Lit) (Romance)

As part of the Love London series, Zoe Harper returns to the UK to help her sister get over a heartbreak. Zoe finds work as a nanny for the rich music producer, Matt Reilly, as part of her sisters revenge scheme. What she finds is that Matt isnt as bad as she thought, but can love flourish when a relationship begins with Matts grief for his dead wife and Zoes plans for revenge?

Otherside Picnic by Iori Miyazawa, Shirakaba (Illustrator), Sean McCann (Translator) (2020) (LGTB) (Science Fiction) (Horror) (Manga)

A college student ends up in another realm; it is beautiful but filled with monsters. Before the girl is eaten by a monster, she is rescued by Toriko. Together, the two explore the parallel world of the Otherside. This manga series has also been turned into an anime series that you can watch on Crunchyroll.

The Picnic: A Dream of Freedom and the Collapse of the Iron Curtain by Matthew Longo (2023) (Non-Fiction) (History) (Politics) (Europe)

In August 1989, a group of Hungarian activists organized a picnic on a very dangerous border, The Iron Curtain (border between Hungary and Austria). This book utilizes interviews with activists, East German refugees, border guards, Stasi secret police and more to contextualize this historical event.

Peking Picnic by Ann Bridge (1932) (Classics) (Historical Fiction) (Asian Literature)

Laura Leroy, an English woman living in China with her attache husband misses her children and her life in England. Laura agrees to go on a camping trip to a great temple and is amazed by the beautiful scenery surrounding her. However, her trip is interrupted when her group is kidnapped by a group of bandits. Read until the end to find out if they escape the danger.

We Had a Picnic This Sunday Past by Jacqueline Woodson and Diane Greenseid (Illustrator) (1997) (Childrens) (African American) (Realistic Fiction)

Teeka sees so many people at her familys annual picnic. There is the reverend, Teekas favorite aunt and mean cousin Terrance, but someone is missing, her cousin Martha and her dry apple pie. Where is Martha? Find out with Teeka in this book.

Picnic Comma Lightning: The Experience of Reality in the Twenty-First Century by Laurence Scott (2019) (Non-Fiction) (Philosophy)

In a world filled with algorithms and influencers, what does it mean to be an IRL human being? What happens when real life gets in the way of the fantasies and false realities presented to us (or that we present online)? Scott attempts to answer these questions and others throughout this book.

Murder Is No Picnic by Amy Pershing (2022) (Cozy Mystery) (Fiction)

As part of the Cape Cod Foodie Mystery, series, professional foodie, Samantha Barnes, is ready to relax and unwind at the annual 4th of July picnic. However, those plans are interrupted when Clara the cook is killed in a house fire. This was no accidental house fire, and Samantha must find Claras killer before the picnic. Can you solve the mystery before the last page?

The Single Mums Picnic Club by Jennifer Joyce (2018) (Romance) (Fiction)

Katies world is turned upside down when her husband leaves her and their two children for another woman. She finds a crew of other single mothers to share her woes with, Frankie who has just been asked out by the gorgeous dog-walker and George who isnt sure what to do now that her son spends his days at the nursery. Go on a picnic with these moms on the seaside as they navigate life.

Jake and the Man-Eating Picnic Basket by Peter Preston (2016) (Middle Grades) (Fiction)

12-year-old Jake unfortunately is an unwilling volunteer for his grandfathers inventions. At a science fair, one of his secret formulas lands on a normal picnic basket which transforms it into a man-eating monster that begins kidnapping people all over town. Jake must stop the picnic basket before it takes over the world.
This has been a year of milestones. Since mid-May, the iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average has notched its first close over 40,000, the broad-based S&P 500 climbed above the 5,500 level, and the growth-powered Nasdaq Composite surpassed the 18,000 mark. This full-fledged bull market comes courtesy of the euphoria surrounding the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

Without getting overly complex, AI uses software and systems to undertake tasks that humans would normally oversee. What makes AI so special is the ability of software and systems to learn and evolve without human oversight. If AI software and systems become more proficient at their tasks over time or perhaps learn new skills, pretty much every sector and industry of the global economy would benefit.

Although dozens of companies have benefited from investors pouring their capital into the AI revolution, none stands out more than semiconductor titan Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA).

Image source: Getty Images.

Nvidia has enjoyed a historic operational ramp

Nvidia's calling card to success has been its AI-driven graphics processing units (GPUs). In particular, the company's H100 GPU has quickly become the go-to chip that allows for split-second decision-making in high-compute data centers.

According to the semiconductor-focused analysts at TechInsights, Nvidia was responsible for shipping 3.76 million of a possible 3.85 million AI GPUs in 2023. Businesses have lined up to purchase the H100 to train large language models and run generative AI solutions.

One of the key advantages for Nvidia is that enterprise demand for AI GPUs has handily outpaced supply. Based on the law of supply and demand, the price of a good or service is liable to increase if the supply of said good or service is insufficient to meet demand. Nvidia has been able to rapidly increase the price of its GPUs, which, in turn, sent its adjusted gross margin to more than 78% during the fiscal first quarter (ended April 28).

Despite its first-mover advantages, this market-leading company isn't sitting on its laurels. In the latter half of 2024, it's expected to roll out its next-generation AI GPU architecture, known as Blackwell. This new platform can expedite quantum computing, data processing, engineering simulations, and generative AI solutions, among other tasks.

Beyond Blackwell, CEO Jensen Huang teased its next-gen Rubin platform to the world in June. Rubin will have an all-new central processing unit (known as Vera) and is set to make its debut in 2026. In other words, Nvidia appears to have a path to sustained compute advantages over its peers.

Story continues

Although Nvidia has absolutely crushed Wall Street's loftiest revenue and profit projections for more than a year, and its operational ramp has been nothing short of textbook, evidence is mounting that it may be in a bubble.

While history doesn't repeat to a T on Wall Street, it does have a tendency to rhyme. Based on three compelling charts, we may have already witnessed a top for Wall Street's hottest AI stock.

Next-big-thing innovations always endure an early-stage bubble

Over the last 30 years, Wall Street and investors have had no shortage of next-big-thing investment trends to chase. The advent of the internet, genome decoding, business-to-business commerce, China stocks, nanotechnology, 3D printing, blockchain technology/cryptocurrency, cannabis, and the metaverse have captivated the attention of new and seasoned investors.

But these trends share a similarity: early-stage bubbles.

Although it's impossible to predict when the music will stop, industry-leading businesses for all of the above trends eventually face-planted.

AMZN Chart

As you can see in the chart above, some of the buzziest investments over the last quarter of a century have nosedived after the bubble burst for their respective innovation, technology, or trend. In no particular order:

The networking/e-commerce revolution saw Amazon and Cisco Systems shed in the neighborhood of 90% of their values during the dot-com bubble.

3D Systems and Stratasys , which led the 3D printing hype, have never come close to replicating their ascents from their early 2010s and currently sit 97% and 94% below their respective all-time highs.

Canadian cannabis stock Canopy Growth has plummeted a whopping 99% since hitting its record-closing high.

Cryptocurrency play Coinbase Global dumped nearly 90% from its peak close before rebounding.

Social media maven Meta Platforms, which had been the face of the metaverse, plunged by about 80% before rallying to new highs.

The point I'm trying to make is that investors have overestimated the uptake of every new technology or trend for the last 30 years, and there's no reason to believe that AI is going to be any different. History (i.e., the above chart) strongly suggests that lofty growth forecasts for AI aren't going to be achieved, and a period of maturation will be needed for this potentially game-changing technology.

Nvidia's adjusted gross margin won't be sustainable

A second reason to suspect Wall Street's AI leader is in a bubble can be seen in the company's current and forecast adjusted gross margin.

As I noted earlier, Nvidia has undeniably benefited from AI GPU demand outpacing supply. The ability to raise its prices has sent its adjusted gross margin higher by 13.72 percentage points over the previous five quarters.

NVDA Gross Profit Margin (Quarterly) Chart

But as you can see in the chart above, an adjusted gross margin of around 60%, give or take a few percentage points in either direction, has been the norm over the trailing-10-year period. While this doesn't dismiss that Nvidia has steadily improved its adjusted gross margin over time, it does suggest that a 13.72-percentage-point increase in 15 months is unsustainable.

For instance, Nvidia guided to an adjusted gross margin of 75.5% (+/- 50 basis points) for the fiscal second quarter. Although this is still well above its historic average, a sequential decline of 235 to 335 basis points for the current quarter suggests that margin pressures are beginning to take shape.

During the second half of 2024, Intel will roll out its Gaudi 3 AI-accelerator chip on a broad-scale basis, and Advanced Micro Devices will beef up production of its MI300X AI GPU. Further, Nvidia's top four customers are all internally developing AI GPUs for their respective data centers.

Even if Nvidia's AI GPUs easily retain their compute advantages, overwhelming enterprise demand for GPUs may allow these competitors to thrive and/or reduce data center space for Nvidia's chips. In short, Nvidia's fiscal second-quarter margin guidance looks like a warning that its adjusted gross margin has peaked.

We've seen this before -- and it wasn't a pretty sight

The third damning chart for Nvidia has to do with its valuation.

To be fair, some traditional fundamental metrics suggest Nvidia could still be something of a bargain for long-term investors. For instance, Nvidia's shares ended the July 2 session at close to 34 times forward-year earnings. While this is a higher forward-year earnings multiple than the benchmark S&P 500, it's not unreasonable when you factor in that Wall Street is forecasting an annualized earnings growth rate of 46% for the company through 2028.

However, another valuation metric is undeniably concerning.

NVDA PS Ratio Chart

As you can see in the chart above, Nvidia is valued at more than 38 times its trailing-12-month (TTM) price-to-sales (P/S) ratio. For market-leading businesses on Wall Street, this is one of the highest readings we've ever witnessed. In fact, the reading of 42 times TTM P/S that Nvidia reached in mid-June effectively matched the peak from Amazon and Cisco Systems prior to the bursting of the dot-com bubble.

History has consistently shown us that extended valuations can be powered by euphoria over the short run. But when examined over an extended timeline, market leaders with nosebleed P/S ratios are eventually pummeled. Although there's no concrete way to know ahead of time when a top has occurred, we've seen this scenario play out before, and the end result hasn't been pretty.

While Nvidia has the tools to remain a successful company over the very long term, these historic charts strongly suggest that the most direct AI beneficiary is in a bubble.

Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now?

Before you buy stock in Nvidia, 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 Nvidia 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 $786,046!*

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

Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Sean Williams has positions in Amazon, Intel, and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon, Cisco Systems, Coinbase Global, Meta Platforms, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends 3d Systems and Intel and recommends the following options: long January 2025 $45 calls on Intel and short August 2024 $35 calls on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

3 Charts That Strongly Suggest Artificial Intelligence (AI) Titan Nvidia Is in a Bubble was originally published by The Motley Fool
The Switzerland market has shown resilience, shaking off a slow start to end on a positive note as evidenced by the SMI's recent gains. A slight dip in consumer price inflation, indicating easing pressures, has contributed positively to market sentiment. In such an environment, identifying stocks that appear undervalued could offer potential opportunities for investors looking for value in a stable market setting.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks Based On Cash Flows In Switzerland

Name Current Price Fair Value (Est) Discount (Est) Sulzer (SWX:SUN) CHF134.80 CHF219.30 38.5% COLTENE Holding (SWX:CLTN) CHF47.00 CHF76.57 38.6% Julius Bar Gruppe (SWX:BAER) CHF52.32 CHF96.37 45.7% Burckhardt Compression Holding (SWX:BCHN) CHF611.00 CHF848.98 28.0% Sonova Holding (SWX:SOON) CHF281.10 CHF463.94 39.4% SGS (SWX:SGSN) CHF81.04 CHF125.41 35.4% Temenos (SWX:TEMN) CHF63.10 CHF85.60 26.3% Comet Holding (SWX:COTN) CHF372.00 CHF581.10 36% Medartis Holding (SWX:MED) CHF68.70 CHF129.75 47.1% Kudelski (SWX:KUD) CHF1.47 CHF1.87 21.4%

Click here to see the full list of 14 stocks from our Undervalued SIX Swiss Exchange Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener.

Let's uncover some gems from our specialized screener

Overview: Barry Callebaut AG operates in the production and sale of chocolate and cocoa products, with a market capitalization of approximately CHF 8.43 billion.

Operations: The company's revenue is primarily derived from its Global Cocoa segment, which generated CHF 5.31 billion.

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 14.6%

Barry Callebaut, with a current trading price of CHF 1541, is positioned below our estimated fair value of CHF 1804.13, marking it as modestly undervalued. Despite recent earnings showing a significant drop to CHF 77.93 million from last year's CHF 235.49 million, forecasts are optimistic with expected annual revenue and profit growth outpacing the Swiss market at rates of 9% and 25.1% respectively. However, concerns include high volatility in share price and debt not well covered by operating cash flow.

SWX:BARN Discounted Cash Flow as at Jul 2024

Overview: SGS SA operates globally, offering inspection, testing, and verification services across various regions including Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, with a market capitalization of CHF 15.34 billion.

Operations: The company's revenue is diversified across several segments, with Industries & Environment generating CHF 2.19 billion, Natural Resources at CHF 1.58 billion, Connectivity & Products contributing CHF 1.25 billion, Health & Nutrition at CHF 0.86 billion, and Business Assurance bringing in CHF 0.75 billion.

Story continues

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 35.4%

SGS, priced at CHF81.04, trades significantly below our fair value estimate of CHF125.41, reflecting a 35.4% undervaluation based on discounted cash flows. Despite a modest revenue growth forecast of 4.7% annuallyslightly above the Swiss market's 4.5%SGS's earnings are expected to outperform with a 9.73% annual increase, surpassing the market's 8.2%. Challenges include shareholder dilution over the past year and high debt levels which could impact financial flexibility.

SWX:SGSN Discounted Cash Flow as at Jul 2024

Overview: Sulzer Ltd specializes in developing and selling products and services for fluid engineering and chemical processing applications globally, with a market capitalization of CHF 4.56 billion.

Operations: The company's revenue is divided into three main segments: Chemtech, which generated CHF 772.50 million; Services, with CHF 1.15 billion; and Flow Equipment, contributing CHF 1.35 billion.

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 38.5%

Sulzer, with a current price of CHF134.8, is assessed to be well below its calculated fair value of CHF219.3, indicating a significant undervaluation based on discounted cash flows. The company has experienced a substantial earnings growth of 701% over the past year and anticipates further increases at an annual rate of 9.66%. Despite this robust growth trajectory, Sulzer's dividend record remains inconsistent. Recent engagements include presentations at major industry events across Europe and Africa, underscoring its active market presence.

SWX:SUN Discounted Cash Flow as at Jul 2024

Key Takeaways

Reveal the 14 hidden gems among our Undervalued SIX Swiss Exchange Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener with a single click here.

Are you invested in these stocks already? Keep abreast of every twist and turn by setting up a portfolio with Simply Wall St, where we make it simple for investors like you to stay informed and proactive.

Simply Wall St is a revolutionary app designed for long-term stock investors, it's free and covers every market in the world.

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 SWX:BARN SWX:SGSNSWX:SUN and

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Auditors refused to sign off on the company's accounts last month over almost 150m in loans handed to founder Allirajah Subaskaran - Shutterstock

A mobile network owned by a former Tory donor has parted company with its chief executive and head of finance as it struggles with accounting problems.

The Telegraph has learned that Richard Schafer, who took up the top job at Lycamobile just a year ago, has exited the business.

Nikos Paraskevopoulos, who was appointed as chief financial officer in February, is also no longer in his role.

The exodus leaves Lycamobile, which markets pay-as-you-go Sim cards primarily to migrants making international calls, short on leadership at a critical time.

Auditors last month refused to sign off on the companys accounts over almost 150m in personal loans handed to Allirajah Subaskaran, the British-Sri Lankan tycoon behind Lycamobile, and related companies.

Auditors at PKF Littlejohn said they were unable to find sufficient evidence about the loans, while they also raised concerns about the completeness and accuracy of 10.8m in deferred income. Lycamobile said at the time it was not part of the auditors remit to assess the loans.

Meanwhile, Lycamobile has set aside 99m to cover potential fines in its dispute with HMRC over VAT payments on certain phone transactions between 2012 and 2021.

In the companys latest accounts, bosses said that figure had increased over the last 18 months. A tribunal hearing was listed for May and a decision is expected in September.

Mr Schafer was appointed chief executive of Lyca Group, Lycamobiles parent company last June, having previously served as finance director since May 2021. He was also named chief executive of Lycamobile.

The telecoms executive has more than two decades of experience in the industry, including senior roles at Vodafone and Three.

Mr Paraskevopoulos, who also held senior positions at Vodafone, remains an adviser to the company, with Mike Landau taking up the role of chief financial officer.

Alongside the executive departures, The Telegraph has learned that Lycamobile has also parted ways with the founder of Slice Mobile, a planned new mobile network solely backed by Lyca.

Gav Thompson, who previously founded Giffgaff, is understood to have left following a disagreement over funding, putting the future of the venture at risk.

Lycamobile said it was still fully committed to Slice Mobile. Mr Thompson declined to comment.

Mr Subaskaran, whose net worth was estimated at 170m in 2018, founded Lycamobile in 2006. The company handed more than 2m to the Tories between 2011 and 2016 and supported Boris Johnsons campaign for re-election as London mayor.

However, it is not the first time the company and its executives have been embroiled in controversy.

Story continues

A Paris court last year convicted Lyacmobiles French business of VAT fraud and money laundering and handed down a 10m (8.5m) fine.

Chris Tooley, former chief executive of Lycamobile, received a suspended prison sentence while Alain Jochimek, the head of the French division, received a three-year sentence that can be served under an electronic tag.

The latest accounts for Lycamobile show it fell to a 25m loss on 145m of revenues in 2022. Bosses said the company could access financial support from related parties if required.

Lycamobile said: After more than three years Richard Schafer left the business last month. During this time and through his resilient leadership, Richard oversaw a key period of business transformation and growth at Lyca. We thank him for all his significant contributions.

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.
Key Insights

The projected fair value for Kumpulan Fima Berhad is RM2.31 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of RM2.19 suggests Kumpulan Fima Berhad is potentially trading close to its fair value

Kumpulan Fima Berhad's peers are currently trading at a premium of 11% on average

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Kumpulan Fima Berhad (KLSE:KFIMA) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

Check out our latest analysis for Kumpulan Fima Berhad

What's The Estimated Valuation?

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM60.1m RM56.2m RM54.3m RM53.6m RM53.7m RM54.3m RM55.3m RM56.6m RM58.2m RM59.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -10.69% Est @ -6.42% Est @ -3.43% Est @ -1.33% Est @ 0.13% Est @ 1.16% Est @ 1.87% Est @ 2.38% Est @ 2.73% Est @ 2.98% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 11% RM54.2 RM45.8 RM39.9 RM35.5 RM32.0 RM29.2 RM26.9 RM24.8 RM23.0 RM21.4

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM333m

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 11%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2034  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM60m (1 + 3.6%)  (11% 3.6%) = RM848m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM848m ( 1 + 11%)10= RM302m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM635m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM2.2, the company appears about fair value at a 5.0% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

dcf

Important Assumptions

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Kumpulan Fima 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 11%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.152. 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 Kumpulan Fima Berhad

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded its 5-year average.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year underperformed the Industrials industry.

Opportunity

Current share price is below our estimate of fair value.

Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine KFIMA's earnings prospects.

Threat

Dividends are not covered by cash flow.

Looking Ahead:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Kumpulan Fima Berhad, we've compiled three essential items you should explore:

Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Kumpulan Fima Berhad you should know about. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! Other Environmentally-Friendly Companies: Concerned about the environment and think consumers will buy eco-friendly products more and more? Browse through our interactive list of companies that are thinking about a greener future to discover some stocks you may not have thought of!

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
By Divya Rajagopal

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada on Thursday put the mining industry on notice that any major deals targeting the country's producers of critical minerals would only be approved under "the most exceptional circumstances".

The announcement by Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne came as he imposed strict conditions with the approval of Glencore's $6.93 billion acquisition of Teck Resources' steelmaking coal business.

The government has identified 31 minerals, including copper, lithium and nickel, that it considers critical for their strategic uses in modern technology and the energy transition, such as in electric vehicle batteries.

Under the Investment Canada Act the government can approve or reject mergers and acquisitions based on their net benefit to the country.

Champagne said the government would now set a high bar when assessing the net benefits of any deal involving critical minerals producers, adding this reflected how important it was to protect what it considers a strategic sector.

"Henceforth, such transactions will only be found of net benefit in the most exceptional of circumstances," he said.

Some of the country's largest mining companies are copper producers, which means any foreign investment involving those miners would face intense scrutiny.

Canada in the last two years has taken a tough stance on foreign investments in the critical minerals space, specifically from China where it has asked investors to divest from Canadian companies due to their Chinese involvement.

(Reporting by Divya Rajagopal; Editing by Sonali Paul)
By Joe Cash

BEIJING (Reuters) -China announced the next step in its anti-dumping investigation into European brandy imports on Friday, ramping up tension on the day the European Commission's provisional tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles take effect.

Ahead of the bloc confirming tariffs of up to 37.6% on Chinese-made EVs on Thursday, a commerce ministry spokesperson told a news conference that Brussels and Beijing should keep negotiating, but kept the prospect of retaliation was alive with a reference to another investigation into EU pork imports.

On Friday, the commerce ministry said it would hold a hearing on July 18 to discuss claims that European brandy producers are selling into China at below market rates.

Companies behind major brands Martell, which is owned by Pernod Ricard, Remy Martin which is part of Remy Cointreau, and Hennessey, owned by LVMH, will attend the meeting in Beijing for their first chance to defend themselves in person, an industry source said.

The hearing was requested by cognac houses Martell, Societe Jas Hennessy & Co., Remy Martin and other stakeholders, the ministry said in a statement.

China has repeatedly urged the EU to cancel its EV tariffs and said it is willing to negotiate. Already stung by U.S. tariffs, it has said it does not want to be embroiled in another tariff war, but would take all steps to protect its firms.

There is a four-month window during which the EV tariffs are provisional and intensive talks are expected to continue between the two sides.

The hearing on European brandy will be held two days before the deadline set by Brussels for EV makers to comment on the provisional EV tariffs.

In January, Beijing opened a tit-for-tat anti-dumping investigation into European brandy imports and in June launched a second probe into pork shipments from the bloc of 27 countries, while Brussels looked into whether China's EV makers benefited from unfair subsidies.

China's state-backed Global Times newspaper has reported that officials are considering opening an anti-subsidy probe into European dairy imports and imposing tariffs on large-engined petrol cars made in Europe.

Analysts say China chose brandy and pork to persuade France and Spain, which have been among the firmest backers of EU curbs, to join countries such as Germany, whose automakers made a third of their sales in China last year. It reportedly wants the Commission to stop the tariffs.

Italy, which has also indicated it would back tariffs, sent Adolfo Urso, its economic development minister, to Beijing, where China's industry ministry said he met his counterpart Jin Zhuanglong on Friday.

Story continues

Jin told Urso China was willing to work with Italy in areas such as automobiles, ships and small and medium-sized enterprises, the ministry said in a statement.

'SHOW SINCERITY'

After the Commission confirmed the provisional tariffs would take effect from Friday, the Global Times published an editorial urging Brussels to consider European automakers' opposition to the curbs, as well as a separate article calling on Brussels to "show sincerity" in talks to find a negotiated settlement.

The newspaper also called attention to U.S. EV maker Tesla's manufacturing plant in Shanghai, broadening its call for protest against the tariffs.

Beijing had hoped Brussels would scrap plans to impose the curbs ahead of July 4, but the Commission said at the time China would need to come to the talks with a roadmap "addressing the injurious subsidisation" of its EV industry.

China has accused the Commission of using its anti-dumping probe to snoop on Chinese companies' supply chains, the efficiency of which Beijing maintains gives it the upper hand in cheaply turning out electric cars, among other reasons.

In its report on its nine-month EV investigation, Brussels detailed reluctance by the Chinese government and state-owned automaker SAIC to cooperate with the investigation.

On Friday, Reuters exclusively reported the European Commission has begun canvassing the region's semiconductor industry for its views on China's expanded production of older generation computer chips.

SAIC Motors meanwhile said it would officially request a Commission hearing on its provisional tariffs, adding that Brussels' investigation involved commercially sensitive information.

Geely and BYD did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they would make similar requests.

Chinese EV makers' Hong Kong-listed shares fell on Friday, led by Geely Automobile, which dropped 4.1% to HK$8.34, its lowest since March 7.

Geely Automobile's unlisted parent, Geely, faces additional duties of 19.9%, on top of the EU's standard 10% duty on car imports.

Chinese brands MG and NIO suggested on Thursday they might raise prices in Europe this year, in response to the curbs.

(Additional reporting by Zhang Yan in Shanghai, Albee Zhang and Sarah Wu in Beijing and Emma Rumney in London; Editing by Alexander Smith, Clarence Fernandez and Barbara Lewis)
Chinese tech executives - including those from Alibaba Group Holding and generative artificial intelligence start-up Zhipu AI - discussed how large language models (LLMs) can shape businesses at the annual conference held by Luohan Academy, the open research institute initiated by Alibaba.

At the 2024 Luohan Academy Annual Digital Economy Conference, Zhang Fan, chief operating officer of Zhipu AI - one of China's "four artificial intelligence (AI) tigers" - talked about how the tech unicorn helps companies train their own generative AI applications based on application programming interfaces (APIs).

Based on the company's Model-as-a-Service platform, companies in various industries can fine-tune Zhipu AI's LLM according to their business needs to create various applications. For instance, a major securities dealer in China had used this service to create an "AI brain", which can carry out multiple tasks such as helping customers choose the best stock portfolio, and answering questions.

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.

Zhang added that the company's API service can act as an "alternative" for OpenAI, which is set to end its API access in China from July 9. The move by OpenAI has led to a heated race between Chinese LLM developers to fill in the void left by the US company.

Zhipu AI talked about how the tech unicorn helps companies train their own generative AI applications. Photo: Handout alt=Zhipu AI talked about how the tech unicorn helps companies train their own generative AI applications. Photo: Handout>

Zhang is optimistic about the potential of the LLM application market. "There is a forecast that more than 80 per cent of companies will be using LLMs by 2026, while we have higher expectations than this," said Zhang. "Today, no matter whether enterprises or individuals, [they] are more or less participating in the use of LLMs."

The event, which is held annually to foster discussions around social and economic topics, is attaching higher importance to AI than before, as five out of the six sub-forums at the conference included the word "AI" in their main topics - including "AI and the future of socio-economic development", "Fintech and AI", and "AI for Business".

"The reason why we emphasise artificial intelligence so much is that the wave of AI development is reshaping the economic landscape and business models, making human life more complex than ever before," Chen Long, president of Luohan Academy, said on Thursday.

Story continues

The academy, which was founded by Alibaba as an open research institute in 2018, had experienced "adjustments in its organisational relationships, team composition, and focus" following the e-commerce giant's restructuring, Alibaba said last October.

Still, a number of the guest speakers come from Alibaba-related businesses, among other tech company executives and scholars. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

Huang Hao, senior vice-president of fintech giant Ant Group, highlighted how the company's LLM-based services can improve efficiency in the insurance industry.

Specifically, Huang said Ant's Shengxinpei service - the "AI Insurance Planner" launched by the company in 2023 - can assist buyers in decision-making by helping them understand various types of insurance services and find the right ones.

A girl interacts with an AI robot at the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, Hainan Province, April 15, 2024. Photo: Xinhua alt=A girl interacts with an AI robot at the fourth China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, Hainan Province, April 15, 2024. Photo: Xinhua>

Zhang Kaifu, vice-president of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, the Hangzhou-based company's international e-commerce unit, talked about the unit's experience of using self-developed generative AI tools to help small and medium-sized companies expand in overseas e-commerce markets.

"In the past year or so, we started to apply AI to global commerce ... We are very excited by what we see - there's a lot of potential for AI to bring down the barriers of global trade and especially in smaller and medium-sized enterprises, to really develop their competitiveness globally," said Zhang.

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.
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Today. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) stands against the other restaurant stocks.

Currently, quite a bit of anxiety is struck by restaurant stocks in the market, as the Russell index that tracks restaurants experienced a 6% fall since March 2024. Other sectors, like industrials, and materials, to name a few, are experiencing a similar struggle as restaurants. This situation, as a whole, is indicative of potential late-cycle market issues marked by the markets slow growth in general, which is driven by consumer distress in the U.S. in a larger sense.

Moreover, amidst this inflation-stricken market, restaurants in the U.S. are in quite a bit of a meal deal war, hoping to fulfill the customers need for affordability. As such, Sonic, a drive-in fast-food chain headquartered in Oklahoma, U.S., is the newest member to join the war, as it has introduced a $1.99 value menu, boasting a selection of various food items.

Previously, Taco Bell and Burger King have already introduced their discounted meal deals, showcasing various brands dire attempts to attract customers in the given circumstances. Moreover, this is also driven by increased food and wage costs in the market, pushing down the margins of various restaurant brands, according to analysts. The Consumer Price Index has risen at a cumulative rate of 20.8% since February 2020, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Thus, this explains why restaurant ETFs and stocks have started off the third quarter on a lower note.

Nevertheless, theres bright hope as the global fast food, which goes hand-in-hand with the restaurant industry, is set to grow at a CAGR of 3.7% from 2023 to 2032, expected to reach $1 trillion by then. Furthermore, one can keep their hopes high, as it is reported that a staggering 37% of the U.S. population is a consumer of fast food. For the fast-food market, the millennial segment is one that it must rely on the most, as 54% of this segment steps toward fast-food chains once or twice every week. You can check out our article about the 20 Fast Food Chains with Most Locations in the World.

On the other hand, according to the National Restaurant Association, the U.S. restaurant industry is forecasted to result in $1.1 trillion worth of sales in the year 2024. This will translate into the employment of 15.7 million Americans. However, amidst the supply chain inefficiencies and rising costs, it would be challenging for restaurant operators to make profits, and technology is expected to play a decisive role in determining the winners and losers of the market in the coming time, according to market analysts.

Thus, its essential to know where to put your money, when it comes to the restaurant market. Hence, now we will take you to our list of 10 Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Today.

Methodology

To curate our list of 10 Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Today, we gathered a list of all companies with a significant presence in the restaurant industry. We then further narrowed down the list based on the companies respective upside potential and ranked the finest remaining companies by their number of hedge fund holders as of Q1, 2024, using Insider Monkeys database that tracks the activity of 920 hedge funds. For stocks with an equal number of hedge fund holders, we used their upside as the tiebreaker. Plus, note that all the stock prices quoted are as of writing this article unless otherwise stated.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A chef plating up a wide variety of dishes for a restaurant chain.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 60

Serving mouth-watering tacos and burritos, along with many other food items, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) is an operator of 3,200 fast-casual restaurants.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.s (NYSE:CMG) stock has gained popularity in the investors eyes, as the number of hedge fund holdings increased from 56 in Q4 2023 to 60 in Q1 2024, taking the total invested value to a massive $5.13 billion! This is on the back of an upside potential that the stock is carrying, which equals a decent 8.74%.

Moreover, the analysts expected the companys EPS for Q1 2024 to be $11.68, whereas it recorded an EPS of $13.37! Moreover, 47 new brand outlets opened up during the quarter, resulting in a traffic increase of 5.4%. This helped the company bag a net income of $359.3 million, which was an increase as compared to $291.6, a year ago. Moreover, around 300 new locations are planned to open up in the whole year 2024, which will improve the profitability of the company over the coming quarters. Having said this, we think TXRH is more attractively priced than CMG because Chipotle increased its revenues by only 60% since 2020 as opposed to more than 100% for TXRH and trade at a forward P/E of 56 vs. half of that amount for TXRH.

Overall CMG ranks 3rd on our list of the best restaurant stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Today to see the other restaurant stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of CMG 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 CMG 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 10 Best of Breed Stocks to Buy For The Third Quarter of 2024 According to Bank of America.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Investors often look to dividend stocks as a reliable source of income. However, it's essential to assess the sustainability of these dividends. Companies like OC Oerlikon, with high payout ratios, may signal a risk that their dividends are not sustainable in the long term. This article will explore why such stocks might be less attractive for investors seeking stable dividend income from Swiss equities.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Switzerland

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Vontobel Holding (SWX:VONN) 5.50%  Cembra Money Bank (SWX:CMBN) 5.15%  Banque Cantonale Vaudoise (SWX:BCVN) 4.49%  St. Galler Kantonalbank (SWX:SGKN) 4.39%  Novartis (SWX:NOVN) 3.32%  Roche Holding (SWX:ROG) 3.94%  Julius Bar Gruppe (SWX:BAER) 4.97%  CPH Group (SWX:CPHN) 5.90%  Helvetia Holding (SWX:HELN) 5.13%  Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank (SWX:BLKB) 4.73% 

Click here to see the full list of 26 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: Meier Tobler Group AG specializes in trading and servicing heat generation and air conditioning systems, with a market capitalization of CHF 369.69 million.

Operations: The company generates CHF 104.67 million from services and CHF 441.25 million from distribution activities in the heat generation and air conditioning sector.

Dividend Yield: 4%

Meier Tobler Group's dividend yield stands at 4.07%, slightly below the top quartile of Swiss dividend payers, which averages 4.22%. Despite this, the company maintains a sustainable payout with its earnings and cash flows adequately covering dividends, having payout ratios of 54.8% and 50.7% respectively. However, investors should note the historical volatility in its dividend payments over the past decade and a highly volatile share price recently, which could influence investment stability.

SWX:MTG Dividend History as at Jul 2024

One To Reconsider

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: OC Oerlikon Corporation AG, operating in Switzerland, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, specializes in surface engineering, polymer processing, and additive manufacturing with a market capitalization of CHF 1.62 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue from two main segments: Manmade Fibers, which brought in CHF 1.17 billion, and Surface Solutions, contributing CHF 1.53 billion.

Story continues

Dividend Yield: 4%

OC Oerlikon's dividend yield of 4.09% trails slightly behind the Swiss market's top dividend payers at 4.22%. However, its dividends raise concerns due to a high payout ratio of 196.8% and a cash payout ratio nearing 97%, indicating that both earnings and cash flows are insufficient to sustain current dividend levels. Additionally, the company has experienced significant share price volatility over the past three months and a downward trend in dividends over the last decade, compounded by shrinking profit margins from 3.1% to 1.2% within a year, signaling potential instability for dividend-focused investors.

SWX:OERL Dividend History as at Jul 2024

Summing It All Up

Explore the 26 names from our Top Dividend Stocks screener here.

Already own any of these companies? Link your portfolio to Simply Wall St and get alerts on any new warning signs to your stocks.

Unlock the power of informed investing with Simply Wall St, your free guide to navigating stock markets worldwide.

Seeking Other Investments?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include SWX:MTG and SWX:OERL.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Visitors to the ITMF and IAF Convention 2024 can expect to hear from insiders at Spanish retail group Inditex, manufacturer Epic Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

The event aims to focus on decarbonisation and showing how a collaborative approach can achieve much-needed progress in the industry.

Other speakers will include representatives from the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the China National Textile & Apparel Council (CNTAC), the European Textile & Apparel Industry Federation (EURATEX), and the Japan Textile Federation (JTF), who will all explain new regulation pending in their countries in the coming years.

The event will also feature discussions on the possibilities of digitalisation and AI.

The convention aims to assemble stakeholders from across the supply chain, including raw material suppliers, spinners, weavers, machine suppliers, garment and home textile manufacturers, brands, retailers, solution providers and educators.

The ITMF and IAF event will take place in Uzbekistan, which has a rapidly growing textile and apparel industry.

One of the key highlights of the ITMF and IAF joint convention is the spotlight on Uzbekistans evolving textile and garment industry both during the conference programme and during the planned factory visits.

In February, the IAF and ITMF released a manifesto to address audit and standard fatigue in the apparel and textile industry.

Earlier this year a two-year memorandum of cooperation was signed by global stakeholders, aiming to improve working conditions and eradicate forced labour in Uzbekistan's cotton and textile production.

In 2023 the Uzbekistan Textile Association (UzTextile), which represents Uzbekistan's textile industry, coordinated a high-profile trade visit to the UK to promote the region's growing textiles sector.

"IAF, ITMF convention 2024 to focus on apparel, textile decarbonisation" 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.
Xi calls for building common home of solidarity, prosperity and fairness

Xinhua) 08:20, July 05, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the expanded meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or SCO+, and delivers an important speech titled "Joining Hands to Build a More Beautiful Home Of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization" in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

ASTANA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping here on Thursday called for building a common home featuring solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, as well as fairness and justice.

Xi made the remarks when attending the expanded meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or SCO+.

At present, changes of historical significance across the world during our times are unfolding in ways like never before, Xi said, adding that the international landscape is undergoing rapid transformation.

To cope with this major transformation, the key is to have the wisdom to see the changes, the ability to deal with the changes, and the courage to make changes, Xi said.

China proposes that SCO member states do more to share their experience on governance and hold the SCO Political Parties Forum at an appropriate time, he said.

No matter how the international landscape changes, the SCO must hold the bottom line of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, Xi said.

Real security is premised on the security of all countries, he added.

We need to respect the development path of respective, independent choosing, and support each other in safeguarding core interests, he said.

We need to bridge our differences, build more consensus, and enhance mutual trust through strategic communication, Xi said.

He called for earnest efforts to establish a financing platform of the SCO, and welcomed all parties to use the Beidou Satellite Navigation System and participate in the development of the International Lunar Research Station.

China will provide at least 1,000 training opportunities on digital technology to fellow countries in the SCO in the next three years, and host 1,000 young people from countries in the SCO for exchange opportunities in China in the next five years, Xi said.

The Chinese president said the current SCO summit has issued the Astana Declaration, the SCO initiative on world unity for justice, harmony and development, and the statement on the principles of good-neighborliness, trust and partnership.

The SCO should make its important contribution to eliminating the deficits in peace, development, security and governance, he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the expanded meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or SCO+, and delivers an important speech titled "Joining Hands to Build a More Beautiful Home Of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization" in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a group photo session during a welcome banquet held by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ahead of the expanded meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or SCO+, in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. Xi attended the SCO+ meeting and delivered an important speech titled "Joining Hands to Build a More Beautiful Home Of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization" here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
(Bloomberg) -- India doesnt expect Tesla Inc. to move forward with an investment in the country any time soon after executives at Elon Musks electric carmaker stopped contacting them, according to people familiar with the matter.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Musks team hasnt made any further inquiries with officials in New Delhi after the billionaire postponed a visit to India in late April, the people said, asking not to be identified because theyre not authorized to speak publicly. The government is given to understand that Tesla has capital issues and doesnt plan on pledging fresh investment into India in the near future, they said.

The loss of interest in India comes as Tesla reported a second consecutive drop in quarterly deliveries globally and faces heightened competition in China. Musk announced major staff reductions in April, the EV makers first new model in years, the Cybertruck, has been slow to ramp up while construction of a new plant in Mexico has been delayed.

Representatives from Indias Ministry of Heavy Industries, which oversees the automobile sector, and the ministries of finance, and commerce and industry, didnt respond to requests for comment. Tesla also didnt respond to a request for comment.

Musk in April scrapped a planned visit to India that would have included a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing pressing issues at the company.

He had originally announced his visit just weeks after India lowered the import taxes on EVs from foreign carmakers that pledge to invest at least 41.5 billion rupees ($497 million) and start EV production from a local factory within three years.

Instead, Indias government is pinning its hopes on domestic automakers like Tata Motors Ltd. and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. to boost EV production, the people said. Should Musk decide to re-engage, Tesla would still be welcome to avail itself of the new import tax policy, they added.

Indias EV market is in its infancy, with battery-powered cars accounting for just 1.3% of the total last year, according to BloombergNEF. Many buyers are hesitant to make the switch due to electric cars high upfront cost and a dearth of charging stations.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Investors who take an interest in Overseas Education Limited (SGX:RQ1) should definitely note that the CEO & Executive Director, Lok Hiong Wong, recently paid S$0.20 per share to buy S$209k worth of the stock. However, it only increased shareholding by a small percentage, and it wasn't a huge purchase by absolute value, either.

Check out our latest analysis for Overseas Education

Overseas Education Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent purchase by CEO & Executive Director Lok Hiong Wong was not their only acquisition of Overseas Education shares this year. They previously made an even bigger purchase of S$917k worth of shares at a price of S$0.23 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of S$0.20. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. It is encouraging to see an insider paid above the current price for shares, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Lok Hiong Wong.

Lok Hiong Wong bought 5.04m shares over the last 12 months at an average price of S$0.22. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. If investing in lesser known companies is your style, you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Does Overseas Education Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Overseas Education insiders own about S$57m worth of shares (which is 69% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Overseas Education Tell Us?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Overseas Education insiders are well aligned, and quite possibly think the share price is too low. One for the watchlist, at least! So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Overseas Education (1 doesn't sit too well with us) you should be aware of.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Italian Officials Are Offering $32,000 For You To Start Over In Tuscany. Is This Too Good To Be True?

Italy has been trying various strategies to attract new residents to its rural areas, as thousands of small towns are at risk of disappearing within the next 25 years.

In the mountainous Italian region of Molise, new residents were offered 700 ($770) per month for up to three years (a maximum of $27,000) to move to abandoned towns and open a business. In Sicily, homes were sold for just 1, with buyers required to fix them up, which attracted many people despite the relatively high renovation costs and some unusual requirements.

Don't Miss:

Business Insider reports that these efforts are part of a larger strategy to bring life back to Italys rural regions. Italy has one of the lowest birthrates in Europe. Couple that with migration to bigger cities and abroad, and you have the perfect storm, causing the population in these rural areas to age and decrease even more.

Natural disasters, like earthquakes, have also contributed to this decline by damaging homes and infrastructure, making some places uninhabitable. Ultimately, the combination of these factors has led to many small towns struggling to survive, with some at risk of disappearing altogether.

The latest program to attract people to the countryside is called "Residenzialita in Montagna 2024," or Residency in the Mountains. It aims to encourage Italians, residents of the European Union, and even people from outside the EU to move to the beautiful Tuscan countryside. The officials set up a fund worth  2.8 million (around $3 million) to help people move to rural areas and fix up homes there.

Trending: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, and you only need $100.

Like similar programs, this one is also part of an effort to boost the population in these areas, which have been shrinking. People can get grants ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 ($10,750-$32,000) to move to Tuscany and renovate a house. Officials hope that moving into these mountain regions will revitalize their economies and prevent these areas from becoming isolated and deserted.

However, theres a catch  you must have already lived in Italy continuously for at least 10 years. You also need to make this new house your primary home. The deadline for applications is July 27.

Story continues

The grants will cover half the renovation costs for homes in one of 76 small Tuscan towns with fewer than 5,000 residents. Some of these towns include San Casciano dei Bagni, known for its thermal pools; Caprese Michelangelo, the birthplace of the famous artist Michelangelo; and the island of Capraia Isola.

Tuscany is famous for its stunning landscapes, historic cities, and rich cultural heritage, as well as its rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves, and picturesque villages. The region is also a major producer of wine, particularly Chianti.

Its also home to the cities of Florence, known for its Renaissance art and architecture, Pisa, with its iconic Leaning Tower, and Siena, famous for its medieval cityscape and the Palio horse race.

Read Next:

Sun Belt's booming real estate market prepares for millions of new inhabitants  Heres how to find the region's best deals!

How do billionaires pay less in income tax than you? Tax deferring is their number one strategy.

"ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now!

Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga?

This article Italian Officials Are Offering $32,000 For You To Start Over In Tuscany. Is This Too Good To Be True? originally appeared on Benzinga.com

 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Japan's new banknotes may not work in some vending machines. Getty; Rebecca Zisser/BI

Japan is a society that's still in love with cash  and vending machines.

The country began issuing new banknotes this week and a problem has already cropped up.

Almost 80% of Japan's vending machines won't be able to accept the new notes.

In many ways Japan is a country that's firmly embraced technology, yet it remains attached to good old-fashioned cash.

Plenty of locals and tourists wave their credit cards in the shops scattered along the Zelkova-lined avenue of Tokyo's Omotesando and the boutique shopping district of Ginza, but cash is still king in several other locations.

Hole-in-the-wall izakayas (traditional bars), ryokan (traditional inns), and Shinto shrines often accept cash only. Sure, urban areas like Tokyo and the Kansai region's Osaka are card-friendly, but carrying physical yen is recommended when venturing beyond major cities.

But those who want to use a vending machine in Japan may want to double-check the type of bills in their wallets.

For the first time in 20 years, Japan started issuing new banknotes this week in an effort to combat counterfeit money. The only problem is that they might not be accepted everywhere.

Japan has issued new banknotes. STR/Getty Images

Take Japan's millions of vending machines. They're big business, offering everything from hot coffee and beer to wagyu and hot sauce. Though some accept card payments, those that take cash may not accept Japan's new banknotes.

The Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association recently said that almost 80% of the country's machines would need upgrades to accept the new notes, Reuters reported. Many restaurant and parking-ticket machines would also need an update.

The issue is that Japan's retro machines aren't designed to process the new notes, which have high-tech specs incorporated to help determine authenticity.

They include portraits of historic figures as 3D holograms  a world-first, according to the Bank of Japan  designed to rotate when a note is tilted. Getting Japan's aged machines ready for these new notes will now take time  and money.

Vending machines are a common sight in Japan. SOPA Images/Getty Images

In April, the Bank of Japan said that despite the growth in cashless payments, it expects "the demand for cash, which can be readily used by anyone, anywhere, and at any time," will continue to play a significant role in the economy.

The banknote issues come at a peculiar time. Tourists have been flocking to Japan this year to take advantage of a weak yen, which hit a 38-year low against the US dollar this week.

Travel guides often tell tourists to carry cash. If they're stopping by a vending machine there anytime soon, they may want to check first if their bills will work.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Justin Sun Offers To Buy Germany's Remaining $2.3B in Bitcoin to Stabilize Market

Tron founder Justin Sun has proposed purchasing the remaining $2.3 billion worth of Bitcoin seized by the German government. This offer comes amid a series of significant Bitcoin transfers by Germany to exchanges in a bid to offload the cryptocurrency, which have already impacted the market and caused a significant selloff.

Earlier today, Germany moved another $75 million worth of Bitcoin to exchanges, causing the market to plunge. This action follows several similar transfers over the past two weeks, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin. As of now, Bitcoin's price has dropped to $56,892.53, marking a 5% decline since yesterday and a 7% decrease over the past week.

"I am willing to negotiate with the German government to purchase all BTC off-market in order to minimize the impact on the market," Sun tweeted on Thursday afternoon. Sun's crypto wallet, as identified by blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence, holds just over $1 billion in funds.

Arkham Intelligence reports that one of the five wallets linked to the German BKA has already sold at least $300 million in Bitcoin. This includes transfers of $94 million to Coinbase, $84 million to Kraken, and $91 million to Bitstamp. Additionally, the wallet, which currently holds $2.3 billion in Bitcoin, sent $44 million to Amsterdam-based market maker Flow Traders.
Labour Pensions

Pensioners are in the firing line of Rachel Reeves first Budget after Labour pledged not to raise taxes  but only for working people.

Removing winter fuel payments from 10 million retirees suggests the Chancellor is serious about whittling down pensioners wealth. But there could be more to come.

The Telegraph understands that government officials have asked a top pensions provider to assess the impact of cutting the limit of the 25pc tax-free lump sum to 100,000, down from 268,275.

This isnt the only change that could be on the table. From bringing pensions within the scope of inheritance tax to means-testing the state pension, here are all the ways Labour could target Britains pensioners.

Winter fuel payments will be restricted

Rachel Reeves has already announced that she will scrap winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.

Currently, all 11.4 million pensioners receive an extra 200 to help heat their homes every winter, with people aged over 80 receiving a blanket 300 payment.

For those pensioners living in Britain, the payment will now be restricted to people claiming pension credit.

To qualify for pension credit, you must be above state pension age, which is currently 66.

Single pensioners are eligible to receive pension credit if they have a weekly income of up to 218, while those in a couple, where you are both above state pension age, must have an income of up to 332 per week.

But if you have a disability or you are a carer, you may still qualify for pension credit even if you have a higher income. To see whether you qualify, you can use the Governments pension credit calculator.

Will Labour end or reduce the tax-free lump sum?

Labour has also been urged to slash the tax-free lump sum savers can withdraw. The Fabian Society, a leading left-wing think tank, suggested cutting the amount of money anyone aged 55 and over can take out of their retirement pots without paying tax from 268,275 to 100,000  or 25pc of the total pot, whichever is lower.

The Telegraph understands Labour is considering the move, after government officials tasked a top British pension provider with assessing the impact the change could have.

Its unclear whether this would be feasible in practice, and some experts have warned it could open the door for legal challenges.

Mike Ambery, of the pension firm Standard Life, said: Operationally, it would be complicated. Thats because pension funds are normally written under trust and also you cant really retrospectively make changes to benefits that people have already built up. It could be subject to a legal challenge.

Story continues

The tax-free lump sum is considered one of the most generous and best understood tax breaks for pensioners.

Savers with a defined contribution pension can access 25pc of their pension pot as a tax-free lump sum, up to a maximum of 268,275, which can be taken in one go or across several withdrawals.

This allowance was frozen in 2020-21, meaning the real value of the lump sum is already diminishing each year with inflation.

Reducing the allowance to 100,000 would mean someone with a 1m pension who chooses to withdraw 25pc as a lump sum would have to pay an extra 45,000 in income tax, assuming they have no other income.

Could Labour start means-testing the state pension?

One of the most radical reforms the party could consider is to means-test the state pension, so that wealthier retirees receive less of it, or are denied the benefit altogether.

Currently, everyone aged 66 and over is entitled to payments of 11,502 a year if they have paid National Insurance for 35 years.

Sir Edward Troup, one of four tax advisers appointed by Rachel Reeves, suggested last month that the state pension should be means-tested. But experts have warned that the policy would be disastrous for pensioners and undermine the financial bedrock of retirement.

If means-testing were introduced, the Government may choose to use a clawback mechanism, similar to the personal allowance taper, according to Mr McPhail.

The personal allowance of 12,570 is the amount someone can earn tax-free. But once your net income hits 100,000, the allowance tapers down at a rate of 1 for every 2 you earn, disappearing completely at 125,140.

He said: With means-testing, you can set the dials wherever you like. If youre a higher rate taxpayer in retirement, for instance, by definition youre pretty well off.

The Government could say that for every 2 above a threshold you lose 1 of state pension.

So if you had an extra 23,000 of income above the threshold you could lose all of your state pension.

Could Labour take aim at pensions tax relief  and how much would it cost you?

Pension savers currently receive tax relief on contributions at their marginal or highest rate of income tax. This gives everyone 20pc in relief, but higher rate taxpayers get 40pc and additional rate payers are entitled to 45pc.

Those on salaries between 50,271 and 125,140 currently receive 55pc of all tax relief paid out on pension contributions.

In 2016, then-backbencher Rachel Reeves, now Chancellor, penned a column for The Times arguing for a 33pc flat rate of tax relief. According to the latest HMRC figures, around 6.5 million people could lose out under such a system.

Labour has been forced to deny this is policy and it is no longer understood to be Ms Reeves view, and the Chancellor has reportedly dropped the plans due to concerns it could disproportionately affect up to a million public sector workers.

What else does Labour have planned for our pension savings?

The Government is planning to introduce a Pensions Schemes Bill, which it said will deliver growth and better outcomes for more than 15 million people in private pension schemes. It also aims to increase the amount available for pension savers and could help the average earner boost their pot by more than 11,000.

A key part of the Bill is the automatic consolidation of small pension pots, which are created when workers move jobs. It will attempt to tackle the number of pension pots people have lost track of  which currently stands at 4.8 million.

The legislation will also introduce a standardised test for pension providers to demonstrate the value theyre delivering, along with a requirement to offer more retirement solutions to savers.

The Government estimates its changes could lead to a 9pc boost to the average pension pot over a workers career.

However, it remains unclear how people will avoid paying income tax on the state pension. Its currently on course to become taxable by 2028, but no plans have been announced to match the key Conservative pledge of a higher tax-free personal allowance for the retired, known as the triple lock plus.

Labours lifetime allowance U-turn

The lifetime allowance (LTA) was a tax charge on larger pensions. Once your pot exceeded 1,073,100, you paid 55pc on any amount above this level if you took cash as a lump sum. For funds accessed in other ways, it was 25pc on top of income tax.

The threshold has fluctuated between 1m and 1.8m since the LTAs inception in 2006.

In the 2023 Budget, then-chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the end of the LTA from April 2024. Labour immediately pledged to reintroduce it but shelved that plan when it became clear senior doctors and other public sector workers would be likely to leave the workforce as a result.

Three new pension allowances replaced the LTA when it was abolished. If Labour retains them, the maximum tax-free lump sum will be frozen at 25pc of your pension, or a maximum cash value of 268,275.

Now that there is no overall cap on how much you can save into a pension, only income tax is due beyond that. The same applies to pots you leave behind when you die and certain overseas transfers.

If Labour were to change their minds again and bring the charge back, it could affect up to 6pc of savers approaching retirement, or around 250,000 people, according to consultancy LCP.

Experts agree that any changes would take time to implement and would be unlikely to apply retrospectively to any actions taken now. However, the LTA is not mentioned in Labours manifesto and the party could still reintroduce it.

HMRC has already confirmed the LTAs removal is not complete, with the legislation including a so-called Henry VIII clause that means it can be changed at a later date.

Until it is, some richer pension savers have been advised not to access their retirement benefits.

Could the pension freedoms be reversed?

In 2015, then-chancellor George Osborne introduced the pension freedom reforms. The changes dramatically increased peoples options for accessing their pension flexibly, such as offering the opportunity to withdraw an entire pot in one go or enter a drawdown facility.

Some experts believe this is an area where Labour could seek changes.

Tom McPhail, of financial consultancy the Lang Cat, said the party could increase the minimum age for accessing your pension from 55 to 60. He also speculated that Labour could restrict your right to taking cash out before first securing a minimum amount of guaranteed long-term income.

Is a pension death duty on the cards?

Inheritance tax (IHT) is currently not charged on pensions and Labour has denied that a pension death tax is party policy.

But experts have warned that the party could be tempted to extend the scope of IHT to cover pension pots if it entered office. Mr McPhail said a death tax raid on pensions was a real risk under Labour.

Currently, if someone dies before the age of 75, any of their unused pension is inherited tax free. For anyone who dies after this age, income tax applies at the point the beneficiary withdraws the money.

Analysis shows that families inheriting a 100,000 pension  roughly the size of the average pension pot for a 55 to 64 year old  could be stung with a 65,000 tax bill if IHT was applied.

In recent years, pensions have become a far better vehicle for dodging death duties. Many savers have filled their pensions partly as a way to limit IHT which would otherwise be due if the money was left in a bank account or Isa.

What are Labours plans for pension fund investments?

The partys manifesto stated that it would act to increase investment from pension funds in UK markets.

It is not yet clear whether pension funds will be forced or just encouraged to switch investments to domestic assets  or the percentage of assets that might be switched.

Labour may simply decide to introduce disclosure requirements around investment in British equities rather than making investments mandatory.

However, if restrictions were placed on investments, the growth potential of pension pots could fall given the poor performance of London-listed companies in recent years compared to American companies, for instance.

Neil Rayner, of investment platform True Potential, said that while Britain was in need of more investment from private business, plans to redirect funds assets based on geography increased the risk and volatility for these portfolios, which could harm long-term results and make financial planning far more difficult for millions of people.

Could auto-enrolment be expanded?

Labour has promised to carry out a wide-ranging review of the pensions landscape, which might lead to changes to minimum pension contribution rates.

Before auto-enrolment was introduced in 2012, many people were not saving enough for retirement and risked running out of money after they stopped working.

Now, the minimum contribution to a workplace pension is 8pc of your salary. This is made up of a 5pc contribution from the employee and a 3pc contribution from the employer.

However, industry insiders believe the rates still arent high enough to ensure a good standard of living in retirement and have lobbied for minimum contributions to rise. There are also calls for the self-employed to be brought into scope of the rules.

But continued cost of living pressures could make reforming auto-enrolment tricky for Labour, even if the political will is there.

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.
Keir Starmer

With Labour now in power, the threat of higher taxes is looming large. I am going to make a few suggestions about how we might prepare.

The problem facing the incoming chancellor has been illustrated by a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Simply stated, the economic situation is very tight.

Following the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Britains debt to GDP (gross domestic product) ratio has risen to almost 100pc.

Taxes relative to GDP are heading for a post Second World War record, and pressure is rising for higher public spending on virtually all departments including, health, welfare and defence.

Labour has said it will keep to the existing rules to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio in five years with capped annual borrowing at 3pc of GDP.

Something has to give. I have seen little to suggest that Labour is prepared to make cuts in spending departments, so even higher taxation seems inevitable. Labour wants to help working people  so where will the additional revenue come from?

Senior Labour figures seem to, at the very least, have sympathy with radical plans to raise taxes. So, what can be done now to prepare?

VAT on private school fees

There are some tax changes that have already been announced, such as removing the VAT-free status on private school fees and removing tax breaks for non-doms.

However, in neither case is it clear that these will raise significant amounts of tax, and the changes may even result in a net cost to the new government.

I wrote about school fees recently with a suggestion that, although there are risks, it could make sense to pay some fees in advance  depending on caveats in the schools fee contract.

The question is how many parents will decide that private education is no longer affordable and attempt to move their children into the state system, thereby placing an additional cost on the education budget.

The rise of inheritance tax

I think Labour plans to raise even more from inheritance tax (IHT), despite receipts already being at record levels.

This idea has come under particular focus in recent days after a leaked recording of a Labour MP raised fears that the party could be planning a raid on family wealth after death.

Darren Jones told a public meeting in March that inheritance tax could be used to redistribute wealth and address intergenerational inequality.

It may be that the tax rate for IHT is increased

I think we should expect greater scrutiny by HMRC of deceased estates. Lifetime transfers are a possible way forward, but I would urge caution not to rush into that without some careful consideration.

Story continues

I may be wrong, but I do not expect the removal of IHT exemptions on businesses, including farms. Farmers have been enduring very hard times financially and I think Labour understands that. Having said that, Environment Secretary Steve Barclay has accused Labour of plotting an IHT grab on agricultural land.

What would not surprise me is the removal of IHT relief on let farmland. Many believe that the relief has had the effect of pushing up prices of land to the disadvantage of working farmers.

I also think the panel will recommend that pension funds should be treated as part of the estate for IHT by removing the protection introduced by George Osborne.

Tax for pension savers

Tax relief on pension contributions may be a target with some suggesting that relief on contributions could be limited at 30pc. It may be wise to make any planned contributions before the election accordingly.

There must also be a risk that the 25pc tax-free lump sum from pension schemes could be targeted by Labour.

Described by Nigel Lawson in his 1985 Budget as the anomalous but much-loved tax-free lump sum, rumours of its demise have so far been wide of the mark. Nevertheless, I would not be surprised if Labour views it as too tempting a target to ignore, possibly capping the amount that can be taken.

Depending on your circumstances, you could consider taking a lump sum early, but there are complications involved and it would be appropriate to take advice before doing so.

Isa contributions

I am not expecting restrictions on Isa contributions, but if you have not yet used up your allowance for this year, it would make sense to contribute now if you can afford it so that more income and gains are sheltered.

Indeed, there has been evidence of savers piling money into Isas ahead of a Labour government.

Changes for non-doms

Labour claims that its plans are fully costed, but I am losing count of the number of times its claimed that any funding required will come from the removal of the remaining tax breaks for non-doms. I also have serious reservations about the amount that this would raise  with figures suggesting the crackdown would raise just 8,000 per person.

It is also impossible to predict how many will depart the UK and leave the Treasury worse off.

The last time Labour changed the tax position on non-doms was in 2008 to fund the introduction of the inheritance nil-rate band transfers between married couples.

Alistair Darling and Ed Balls estimated that they would raise 500m a year from the change. It was revealed two years later that it had raised less than half that amount, at just 226m.

Tax for workers

Under the current rules, you do not pay National Insurance contributions (NICs) if you continue working after reaching state pension retirement age. Edward Troup has already set his sights on this as an easy win.

Alistair Darling introduced the 50pc top rate of income tax just ahead of the 2010 election as a trap for the Conservatives to walk into.

When the coalition government duly reduced the rate to 45pc in 2012, Rachel Reeves said in the parliamentary debate: The tax cut for millionaires is worth more than the money that most of our constituents take home in a year. The hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr spoke about a tax cut for the mega-rich that leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Ms Reeves has said that Labour will not raise income tax and NIC rates. However, I would not rule out an increase in the top rate to 50pc, which could be a reason for taking bonuses early.

Capital gains tax changes

When the prime minister disclosed his personal tax affairs, there was the inevitable outcry that by generating most of his income from capital gains on share sales he paid a 20pc rate, half the higher rate of income tax.

There are some very sound reasons why the CGT rate should be less than the income tax rate, but I would not be surprised if this came up for discussion among the Labour advisory team.

The outlook for council tax

Councils up and down the country are struggling financially. Many voices in Labour have spoken in favour of increasing the tax take from land, so council tax could be seen as a logical source of additional revenue.

The last time properties were revalued was in 1991 (2003 in Wales), but it was a mammoth exercise and rather unscientific. Individual properties were not visited. Instead, an army of valuers drove around in pairs at slow speed in second gear and noted down amounts without even stopping the car.

These so-called second gear valuations were never accurate. More likely, I suspect a revaluation would be the introduction of a higher council tax band for larger properties, as applies in Wales.

To misquote the song, things are not going to get better any time soon.

Mike Warburton was previously a tax director with accountants Grant Thornton and is now retired. His columns should not be taken as advice, or as a personal recommendation, but as a starting point for readers to undertake their own further research.

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.
kupicoo / Getty Images

The salary for a general manager in the United States varies based on where you live. According to Indeed, the average salary is $61,390. Other sources place it anywhere between about $40,000 and $110,000 a year.

Find Out: How To Earn $750 a Week in Passive Income

Learn More: 5 Unusual Ways To Make Extra Money (That Actually Work)

While not all general managers earn the same amount, it can still be a highly lucrative career. It can also be rewarding to see ones career progression over time and to reflect on how far theyve come and where theyre heading.

To illustrate this, GOBankingRates spoke with Ryan Reed, a former general manager and current chief financial officer at Code Signing Store, about his career timeline and future income and career goals. Heres what he shared.

Wealthy people know the best money secrets. Learn how to copy them.

Going From a 5- to 6-Figure Salary

Like many people, Reed started with a modest annual income. In his first job, he earned under $40,000 a year. But he didnt stop there.

I was offered a $38,000 salary as a junior accountant. My annual salary stood at $105,000 by the time I became general manager, he said. This was a huge increase resulting from strategic career moves and a relentless focus on niche financial skills acquisition, especially in forensic accounting and financial risk management.

From his first job to his role as a general manager, Reed saw an earnings growth of $67,000 a year.

Check Out: 29 Best Games That Pay Real Money in 2024

Career Progression: A Timeline

Very few people stay at the same company or hold the same job for the duration of their working lives. According to Apollo Technical, the average person will hold 12 jobs in their lifetime. Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest reasons for changing jobs is in pursuit of a higher salary.

When asked about his career timeline, Reed had this to say:

My career began modestly with the finance department of a small manufacturing firm. Within two years, I had obtained my CPA license, which opened up more responsibilities. Then, I moved into a senior accounting position at a medium-sized tech company where my specialization was forensic accounting: finding out if any financial discrepancies could save millions for the organization.

Thanks to his expertise in the field, Reed then moved from that position into a finance manager role. Five years later, he was promoted to general manager where he was in charge of operations together with finance units. This all led to his current position as chief financial officer.

While he didnt share his current income, CFOs can earn anywhere from around $100,000 to well over $600,000 a year. A report from Salary.com found that the average CFO salary in the U.S. is $442,206. Exact earnings vary based on factors like education, experience, certifications, industry and years in the profession.

Story continues

Moving Up in His Career Has Had a Significant Impact

Its no secret that the more income someone earns, the more financial stability they achieve  though, of course, it also depends on their spending, saving and investing habits. For Reed, though, these income increases and career advancements have had a significant impact on his life  personally and financially.

This shift in finances, along with having advanced careers, has had dramatic consequences for me, he said. Financially speaking, this allowed me to invest in multifamily properties which provide security and passive income streams. Personally, [this] growth instills resilience and [the] strategic thinking ability to face challenges head-on.

On that note, earning a high salary is one thing  being able to invest it strategically is another. While no investment is risk-free, multifamily properties are generally considered a lower-risk investment compared to smaller real estate asset classes  like retail or office properties.

Looking Ahead: Future Career and Income Goals

Despite all hes achieved so far, for Reed, theres further still to go. This is true both in his career and in his personal financial situation.

Ultimately, I plan to use my experience as CFO to mentor upcoming finance enthusiasts or perhaps become chief operating officer (COO), he said. On the other hand, financially, I intend to further diversify income sources through investment in fintech startups and advisory roles.

Going from a junior accountant role earning $38,000 a year to a general manager position earning $105,000 a year  and then beyond to a chief financial officer  is rather impressive. It also goes to show that, no matter where you start, you can always build your way up.

Whatever your personal and professional goals might be, it can take time, persistence, initiative and determination, but you can achieve them.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im Went From Junior Accountant to General Manager: How Much I Made in My First Job Compared To Now
MrBeast Fires Back: 'Not Just Gonna Stand By And Do Nothing' As He Builds 100 Homes Despite Criticism And Public Backlash For Getting Involved

YouTube content creator MrBeast, known for his grand philanthropic gestures, has announced a new initiative: building and giving away 100 houses to needy families. This project adds to a series of charitable acts by MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, aimed at using his platform for social impact.

Don't Miss:

In the past, MrBeast has gained attention for various charitable endeavors, including giving $10,000 to a homeless person and funding cataract surgery for 1,000 people. His video recreating the popular Netflix series "Squid Game," where contestants competed for a $456,000 prize, has garnered over 424 million views. The money earned from these videos is reinvested into further charitable causes.

Despite his extensive efforts, MrBeast has faced criticism for using his substantial wealth, amassed through YouTube, to address social inequalities. Responding to backlash, he recently took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to address these concerns. "When we help people (such as funding cataract surgery for 1,000 people, building 100 houses, 100 wells, etc.), people get mad and say I shouldn't be doing this and governments should," he posted. "Yes, ideally a YouTuber isn't the one fixing these issues, but I'm not just gonna stand by and do nothing."

MrBeasts commitment to philanthropy has sparked debates about the ethics of influencers creating content around their charitable deeds. Critics argue that making content out of such actions can be exploitative. However, MrBeast defends his approach, stating that he intends to help and that all proceeds from his videos are used to fund more philanthropic projects.

Trending: Elon Musks secret mansion in Austin revealed through court filings. Heres how to invest in the citys growth before prices go back up.

In response to the criticism, MrBeast emphasized his dedication to giving away all his money before his death, saying, "I'll use my money to help people and I promise to give away all my money before I die. Every single penny." He also questioned why issues like curable blindness are not addressed by governments, highlighting the potential financial benefits of enabling people to work again.

MrBeasts recent efforts also include building 100 clean water wells in Africa, addressing critical needs specifically in Kenya, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. This initiative has shifted some criticism toward the governments of these countries, highlighting their neglect in providing necessities like clean water. 

Story continues

Governments worldwide have been slow to address the housing crisis, despite the growing urgency. For instance, in the United States, restrictive zoning laws and other regulatory challenges have hindered efforts to increase affordable housing. In some states, reforms have started to take shape, but progress remains slow. Meanwhile, the global housing crisis could impact 1.6 billion people by 2025, with land shortages, lending, labor, and materials fueling the problem.

Through his actions and social media presence, MrBeast continues to raise awareness about the potential for content creators to drive social change and address various causes.

Read Next:

"ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now!

Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga?

This article MrBeast Fires Back: 'Not Just Gonna Stand By And Do Nothing' As He Builds 100 Homes Despite Criticism And Public Backlash For Getting Involved originally appeared on Benzinga.com

 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musks social media platform X is set to be served with a formal warning for failing to combat dangerous content, in the third show of force by European Union regulators against Big Tech in recent weeks.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The escalation  which could eventually pave the way for fines of 6% of Xs revenue  is likely to be announced by Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton before the EUs summer recess, according to people familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Should X not make the necessary changes to address the European Commissions preliminary findings, the authority could proceed with a formal decision before the end of the year, the people said. After this, the company could face a financial penalty for non-compliance.

The warning shot against X follows the opening of an investigation by the EUs regulators in December. Brussels watchdogs have made inquiries into platforms handling of content after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Regulators also have opened investigations into Meta Platforms Inc., AliExpress, and ByteDance Ltd.s TikTok.

The commission said its proceedings against X are ongoing and there are no time limits on the next step. X didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

The EUs DSA and the Digital Markets Act, or DMA, are two freshly minted laws that take aim at the most powerful online platforms. The EU has now ramped up enforcement of its new powers.

The DSA became legally enforceable last August, laying out content rules for social media platforms, online marketplaces and app stores. It forces their owners to clamp down on misinformation and objectionable content such as hate speech, terrorist propaganda and ads for unsafe toys. Regulators have also homed in on the creation of so-called rabbit holes on social media, which suck young users deeper and deeper into often inappropriate material.

The DMA regulation took hold on March 7, hitting big tech firms with a broad list of dos and donts based on decades of antitrust enforcement in the digital economy. The aim is to stop abusive conduct before its takes hold and allows the digital giants firms to dominate markets. The EU has just issued formal warnings to Apple Inc. and Meta over allegedly unfair practices under the DMA.

Story continues

(Updates with details of other probes in seventh paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- US streaming-service giants are asking a Canadian court to amend Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus new 5% tax on their revenues in the country to remove the requirement that they fund local news.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Motion Picture Association-Canada  which represents studios including Netflix Inc., Paramount Global and Walt Disney Co.  want the Federal Court of Appeal to quash new obligations forcing foreign streaming platforms to contribute to a local independent news fund as part of the Online Streaming Act.

While the companies dont oppose the entire 5% tax  the proceeds of which will also go to other types of Canadian programming and Black and Indigenous creators  they do oppose paying a 1.5% base contribution toward Canadian news production.

The new requirement is a discriminatory measure and contradicts the goal of creating a modern, flexible framework that recognizes the nature of the services global streamers provide, Wendy Noss, the associations president said in a statement Thursday.

Its the latest pushback by US companies against Trudeaus effort to funnel money from foreign companies into the Canadian media and news sectors. Meta Platforms Inc. has blocked news on Facebook and Instagram in Canada since last year to avoid making payments under a separate law.

The countrys broadcast regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, estimated last month that the new tax on foreign streaming companies would raise C$200 million ($147 million) annually for the production of local news as well as other content.

In their court application dated Tuesday, the companies allege the regulator acted unreasonably in compelling foreign online undertakings to contribute monies to support news production and that requiring them to fund news programming was unreasonable.

The requirement is neither appropriate in consideration of the nature of the services they provide, nor equitable.

The CRTC has not yet filed a response in court and declined to comment on an ongoing legal matter.

The office of Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge said local communication companies have supported a sustainable news ecosystem, while foreign streamers have made massive profits in the country without contributing to its homegrown system.

Story continues

As Canadians face increasing misinformation and disinformation, it is crucial to have trustworthy journalism that holds those in power accountable and asks tough questions on behalf of Canadians, it said in a statement.

(Adds comment from the Canadian government. An earlier correction reflected the companies seek to amend the tax.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Nexi has signed a new collaboration with Amazon in Italy, enabling customers to make purchases using Bancomat Pay.

Through the collaboration, Nexi becomes a technical provider for Amazon.it, making its technological platform available to e-commerce site.

The agreement offers Amazon.it customers more choice at checkout, guaranteeing them an additional, convenient, simple and secure payment method.

Filippo Signoretti, Merchant Solutions Director of Nexi Italy commented: The agreement with Amazon.it demonstrates, once again, how Nexis international scale and strong local presence make it the ideal choice for global players who need to have partners with a solid positioning in local markets. Our best-in-class technology and our specialist skills allow us to collaborate successfully with the most important international players in all the European countries in which we operate, providing them with the best services and the best digital payment solutions they need for growth.

The partnership will also allow Nexi to take another step in supporting the digitisation of payments in Italy

Intesa Sanpaolo also contributed to the project as a technology partner.

Nexi is a European PayTech company operating in highgrowth, attractive European markets and technologically advanced countries. Listed on Euronext Milan, Nexi hopes to drive the transition to a cashless Europe. With its portfolio of products, ecommerce expertise and industryspecific solutions, Nexi provides flexible support for the digital economy and the entire payment ecosystem globally, across a broad range of different payment channels and methods. Nexi focuses on two fundamental principles: meeting, together with its partner banks, customer needs and creating new business opportunities for them.

"Nexi collaborates with Amazon Italy" was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, 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 Nordea logo can be seen at a branch in Copenhagen. Danish authorities on Friday accused the Finland-based Nordea bank with failing to take action to prevent more than $3.5 billion in money laundering by clients in Russia. Steffen Trumpf/dpa

Danish authorities on Friday accused the Finland-based Nordea bank with failing to take action to prevent more than $3.5 billion in money laundering by clients in Russia.

After years of investigations, the Danish Special Crime Unit (NSK) indicted the bank for extensive violations of the country's Money Laundering Act from 2012 to 2015.

"Nordea failed to adequately investigate the bank's Russian customers' transactions and ignored warnings about transactions to exchange offices in Copenhagen," the NSK said.

The indictment covers transactions totalling just over 26 billion kroner ($3.7 billion). It was not clear when the case would be brought before the district court in Copenhagen.

Nordea expressed regret at the outcome of the investigation and contested the NSK's assessment.

"The bank has admitted several times in the past that there were shortcomings in the systems and processes for combating white-collar crime at the time," Nordea said in a statement.

"Nordea apologizes for the failings and expects to be fined," it added, while noting that some of the case dates back more than a decade but was now being assessed on the basis of later legislation.

According to Nordea, it has invested 11 billion kroner in combatting money laundering and other crime since 2015.

The NSK said this was the most comprehensive indictment of money laundering offences in the banking sector in Denmark to date. However, no grounds had been found to indict individuals in the case.
A now-closed Prohibition-themed eatery near Barefoot Landing is for sale.

Bourbon & Breeze, a cocktail and cigar lounge paying homage to the speakeasy days of The Jazz Age at 10435 North Kings Highway, closed in October 2023, The Sun News reported at the time.

The eatery opened in 2022 and, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health, received A grade inspections for cleanliness while it was in operation.

Now, the former eatery is for sale or available for rent. The 6,400-square-foot space is available for rent at $32 per square foot or for sale for $1.8 million. Built-in 2000, according to the online listing, the eatery location previously sold for $800,000 in November 1999, according to Horry County Land Records.

Ben Hines, a co-owner of the Spartanburg, S.C.-based real estate firm Spencer/Hines Properties, did not return a request for comment before publication. According to LoopNet, the Bourbon & Breeze location is the only property in the Myrtle Beach area that Spencer/Hines Properties is currently selling.

Despite the former Bourbon & Breezes closing, other restaurants have opened in the area to serve locals and tourists. In April 2024, The Big Chill Island House opened along the Intracoastal Waterway in Barefoot Landing, providing indoor and outdoor seating and bars for patrons to peruse.
Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of Australian Finance Group Limited (ASX:AFG), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

See our latest analysis for Australian Finance Group

Australian Finance Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Non-Executive Chair Greg Medcraft for AU$75k worth of shares, at about AU$1.49 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of AU$1.33. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.

While Australian Finance Group insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of undervalued small cap companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership Of Australian Finance Group

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Australian Finance Group insiders own 23% of the company, worth about AU$83m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Australian Finance Group Tell Us?

The fact that there have been no Australian Finance Group insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders own shares in Australian Finance Group and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Australian Finance Group. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Australian Finance Group (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) you should be aware of.

Of course Australian Finance Group may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
When you buy a stock there is always a possibility that it could drop 100%. But when you pick a company that is really flourishing, you can make more than 100%. For example, the Procimmo Group AG (BRN:SEGN) share price has soared 109% in the last half decade. Most would be very happy with that.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

View our latest analysis for Procimmo Group

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

During five years of share price growth, Procimmo Group achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 13% per year. So the EPS growth rate is rather close to the annualized share price gain of 16% per year. Therefore one could conclude that sentiment towards the shares hasn't morphed very much. In fact, the share price seems to largely reflect the EPS growth.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.

A Different Perspective

Procimmo Group provided a TSR of 0.8% over the last twelve months. Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. It's probably a good sign that the company has an even better long term track record, having provided shareholders with an annual TSR of 16% over five years. Maybe the share price is just taking a breather while the business executes on its growth strategy. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Procimmo Group you should be aware of, and 2 of them are a bit unpleasant.

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 Swiss exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Ten years ago, heres what visitors were saying about the Fort Worth Stockyards:

 From Georgia: Went for the cattle drive. Cheesy stores and sketchy bars. Not impressed.

 From Michigan: Overpriced, cheap-looking trinkets.

 From Florida: Rundown. ... Extremely disheveled and in desperate need of being power-washed and painted. ... A bit sad.

 From California: If it werent for the cattle drive, Id be bored.

Ten years later, 9 million tourists a year visit Mule Alley, Cowtown Coliseum, Billy Bobs Texas and the hotels, restaurants and shops.

Lets check some recent reviews for the Stockyards:

 From Nevada: MUST VISIT.

 From South Carolina: Really nice. ... My only regret is that we scheduled only one day.

 From the United Kingdom: Themed but based on authenticity and fact ... An absolute must-see.

 From Illinois: This place was amazing.

A half-century ago, the Stockyards was known for flophouse hotels, vacant storefronts and a powerful aroma like fertilizer.

Now, it draws more tourists than the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal or the San Antonio River Walk and Alamo.

Sylvia Wilgenburg, of Escondido, California takes pictures of the Fort Worth Herd on their daily trail drive during the Day of the American Cowboy celebration at the Stockyards, Saturday, July 25, 2015.

Yet a few gripers still complain.

Look, adding new Western hotels and shops is not Dallasing our Fort Worth.

The story of the Stockyards is one of the most remarkable business turnarounds in America.

The comeback started when rodeos and cowboys returned to a worn-out and empty Cowtown Coliseum.

But even 10 years ago, much of the Stockyards was still dark, ill-kept, unwelcoming and kitschy.

Visitors flood East Exchange Avenue near Mule Alley in the Fort Worth Stock Yards on Friday, December 10, 2021.

The Fort Worth Herd proudly showcased our history. But there wasnt much to see inside the shops.

Now, instead of celebrating Mule Alley and a new nearly-$1 billion expansion on what had been dusty trailer lots off Stockyards Boulevard, some out-of-town critics are bashing leaders for bringing business and success.

Yes, I said out-of-town.

From what I can tell, the people who bellyache the most about the Stockyards never lived in Fort Worth, or dont live here anymore.

Blocks of old, tumbledown cattle pens were left over after the Fort Worth Stockyards cattle market closed in 1992.

They live in Decatur, or Stephenville, or Mansfield. They dont like outsiders in the Stockyards. Some havent even gone since the last Willie Nelson picnic.

The Stockyards No. 1 sport is rodeo.

But the No. 2 sport is griping.

Some ornery old sidewinders are still mad they cant park their horse trailer free. Or that the packinghouses went out of business 53 years ago and the cattle market has been gone for 32 years.

Look, I know. When its not Dallas Cowboys season, people in Texas look for something else to moan and groan about.

But before you get all riled up and turn Facebook into your personal dartboard, look at the spirit the Stockyards has brought to Fort Worth and the hundreds of people who now have jobs.

Story continues

The downtown view from Atico, a Barcelona-style tapas bar on top of a North Main Street hotel.

I understand how people like to jump on social media and complain, said restaurateur Tim Love, a Stockyards businessman for a quarter-century. He now owns seven restaurants and music clubs.

A lot of those people havent been to the Stockyards. ... To me, were taking a piece of dirt that sat there forever and turning it into something very positive.

We talk about Fort Worth as the home of cowboys and culture.

Cowboys still get top billing.

But for the rest of the world, Fort Worth is still the city hidden after the hyphen in Dallas-Fort Worth.

The more the world knows the Stockyards, the better it is for all Fort Worth.
(Bloomberg) -- Samsung Electronics Co. posted its fastest pace of sales and profit growth in years, reflecting a recovery in memory chip demand as AI development accelerates globally.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The worlds largest maker of memory chips and smartphones posted a 15-fold surge in operating profit to 10.4 trillion won ($7.5 billion) in the June quarter, outstripping analysts projections. Sales grew around 23%, the biggest rise since Covid-era highs clocked in 2021. The stock rose 3% to its highest since January 2021.

The results underscore how the $160 billion memory market is bouncing back this year from a severe post-Covid downturn, driven by a boom in data centers and AI development. That demand pushed average memory chip prices 15% higher from the previous quarter, CLSA estimates, helping Samsungs largest division reverse losses last year.

Samsungs depositary receipts in London were up roughly 4% at 9:45 a.m. New York time. The gains sparked a broader rally across the chips sector with Infineon Technologies AG, STMicroelectronics NV, ASML Holding NV, Arm Holdings Plc among the stocks rising.

Samsung Stock Rises to New 2024 High After 2Q Beat: Street Wrap

Both DRAM and NAND prices were lifted by demand for AI servers and enterprise data storage, helping to reverse inventory valuation losses, said Sanjeev Rana, an analyst at CLSA Securities Korea. Samsungs foundry, or contract chipmaking, operations also got a boost from improved IT demand, he said.

South Koreas government said this week the country exported the most semiconductors on record in June, driving its trade surplus to $8 billion  the largest since 2020.

Samsung is slated to announce final earnings with divisional breakdowns on July 31. While the company is benefiting from a broader industry recovery, investors remain concerned about its market position in the newer field of AI chips against SK Hynix Inc.

Its shares have lagged its smaller rival, now the leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory or HBMs, a vital component of AI hardware. Its struggled to get its latest HBM chips certified by Nvidia Corp., which has become the worlds most valuable chipmaker thanks to insatiable demand for AI accelerators.

Samsung is unveiling results days before union organizers plan to stage a three-day walkout among its 28,000-plus members  including at key chip plants  over a pay dispute. The proposed action follows a strike involving a small number of staff last month that was the first in the companys 55 years. Its unclear for now how many employees intend to participate in Mondays walkout.

Story continues

Longer term, Samsungs focus remains on winning more business in AI memory, while at the same time allaying fears of oversupply.

SK Hynix recently reported its fastest pace of revenue growth since at least 2010. Thats propelled a roughly 60% rally in SK Hynix shares since the start of 2024, compared with a gain of about 8% for Samsungs stock.

Samsung in May unexpectedly named Jun Young Hyun  a memory chip veteran who is returning to the company after leading Samsung SDI Co.  as the new leader of its most important business line, replacing Kyung Kye-hyun.

In previous quarters, solid sales of Samsungs smartphones helped it ride out sluggish chip demand. South Koreas biggest company is holding a Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris next week in a bid to sustain momentum for its phones.

--With assistance from Vlad Savov.

(Updates with Samsung receipts in London and other chip stock moves in fourth paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
STRABAGs Slovenian subsidiary has secured contracts for three construction and civil engineering projects in the country.

The projects include a new university complex for the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Ljubljana, a warehouse at the seaport in Koper, and a residential development in Stepanja Vas.

STRABAG CEO Klemens Haselsteiner said: We are proud to have been awarded these important contracts in Slovenia.

The new projects in building construction are another opportunity for our Slovenian subsidiary and its team of around 130 employees to demonstrate their broad range of services and expertise.

The 46.4m ($50.35m) university complex will comprise two interconnected building sections, replacing the currently outdated faculty buildings.

It will provide approximately 24,000m of space for research, teaching, and clinical treatment.

Construction is set to begin this month and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

In Koper, STRABAG has been chosen to construct Warehouse No. 54, a 35.9m project for storing and handling steel coils.

The warehouse will feature a photovoltaic array and a transformer station for sustainable power supply.

Spanning 14,000m, the warehouse will be built on 1,730 concrete piles and is designed to facilitate logistics with a two-aisle layout and several bridge cranes.

Work will commence this month, with completion anticipated in the first quarter of 2026.

The third project, valued at 16m, involves a turnkey residential development in the Stepanja Vas neighbourhood for the City of Ljubljana.

STRABAG is serving as the general contractor.

The development will include 97 non-profit rental units, communal areas, as well as restaurants on the ground floor and two units for shared housing for older residents.

It will also have a two-storey underground car park comprising 188 spaces.

Comprising three four-storey buildings, the project will feature landscaped courtyards and childrens playgrounds.

Construction is anticipated to start in September this year and last around 20 months.

"STRABAG subsidiary secures construction contracts in Slovenia " was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
The following is the July 4, 2024 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. This version is condensed as the author was out of the office. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here.

EU accession talks begin

Ukraine and Moldova on June 25 officially began their accession talks with the European Union in a moment full of excitement  and anxiety  about the changes ahead.

This is great news and the beginning of a path with a loooot [sic] of work for the entire state apparatus in the coming years, Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak wrote on Telegram.

Indeed, the process will be painful, for both sides. The months-long blockade staged by farmers and truckers in Ukraines western neighbors over wartime easing of border restrictions is a fine example of how tricky the negotiations might get.

In addition to the particular grievances in specific sectors, there will likely be a lot of grumbling over the costs of welcoming Kyiv.

How much we talking? European Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn said he thinks the blocs budget will need to increase by 20% when Ukraine joins if existing rules for agricultural and structural support remain the same.

According to Hahn, a 20% increase in the budget means an additional 200 billion euros over the seven-year EU budget period.

"It sounds gigantic, but it corresponds to only 0.2% of the European economic output, and it is certainly feasible. It is a worthy investment because Ukraine has huge economic potential," he said in April.

What kind of potential? With Ukraine in the EU, it would be a transport hub in the Europe-Asia transport corridor, allowing the bloc to expand its logistics eastwards; Ukraines rich natural resources could contribute to food and energy security as well as the green energy transition.

Its tech and defense sectors are strong innovators that would be invaluable to the EUs economy and security.

Contrary to what Ukraines detractors may say, the ultimate beneficiaries of Kyivs accession extend far beyond the countrys own borders. Ukraine joining isnt just about what the EU would have to spend, but what it would gain.

Ukraine has many years and reforms before it actually joins. Russias ongoing war will complicate this process, but its unlikely to stop what is now officially in motion.

(Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

IMF & debt restructuring



The International Monetary Fund released a $2.2 billion tranche for budget support, in the fifth tranche Kyiv has received since last year.

The disbursement brings the total released so far to $7.6 billion, or just under half of the $15.6 billion program established in March 2023.

Story continues

This is good news, but the IMF also worsened its outlook for the rest of this year and into 2025 after unexpected resilience in the first quarter of 2024, largely due to devastating attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and uncertainty about the length of Russias war against Ukraine.

The fund lowered its gross domestic product forecast for Ukraine to a range of 2.5-3.5%. Its earlier forecast in April put that figure at 3.2%.

As IMF lending sets the goalposts for what it considers to be affordable debt payments, there is speculation over whether this weaker economic outlook will have an impact on Ukraines negotiations with bondholders.

Kyiv has just a few weeks left before interest payments resume after a two-year moratorium on more than $20 billion in international bonds ends. The country could default if it fails to pay after a 10-day grace period following the Aug. 1 deadline on a 2026 bond.

So far the talks have failed to lead to any deal between the two sides as creditors were unhappy with the relief Ukraine asked for, but Ukraine mission chief Gavin Gray said discussions with bondholders were intensifying and he expected their conclusion within weeks.

Ukrainian startups attract funding

Two Ukraine-born tech companies announced sizable sums of funding over the last week: innovative no-code software company Creatio, and robotic prosthetics company Esper Bionics.

Creatio raised $200 million in a funding round led by Sapphire Ventures, along with the StepStone Group and current investors Volition Capital and Horizon Capital.

The funding round, a minority investment, puts the companys valuation at $1.2 billion and is expected to help the startup expand globally as its revenue continues to grow 50% year after year.

In other news, Esper Bionics, a producer of bionic upper-limb prosthetics, announced it had attracted $5 million in investments to expand production.

The funding round was led by YZR Capital, and co-financed by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

As Russias war continues, the number of people in Ukraine who will require prosthetics also continues to grow. Bionic, or robotic, prosthetics could play a huge role in rehabilitating those who have lost limbs and reintegrating veterans.

There are 50 million amputees and 140 million paralyzed individuals in the world, with many struggling to find functional, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing prosthetic solutions, the company said on LinkedIn.

(Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The return of Ikea

Swedish furniture giant Ikea decided in May to make plans to reopen its store in Kyiv, Forbes Ukraine reported on June 27, citing two managers of shopping centers and two commercial real estate consultants.

Who cares? It isnt just this author who is excited about being able to buy inexpensive home goods. The return of retail is a sign to other investors who have hitherto stayed away that despite Russias war, business can be done in Ukraine.

"The return and success of H&M was an important signal for the head office of Ikea, and they also closely followed the recovery of Inditex," one of Forbes Ukraine's sources told the outlet.

H&M reopened in November 2023, while Inditex, a Spanish-owned multinational company that owns Zara and other brands, reopened some of their stores in Kyiv on April 3.

Like other multinational brands, Ikea closed its store when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 just a year after it had opened its doors in Ukraine and after years of hesitation and talks with Ukrainian officials.

The company's "main priority for the resumption of store operations in Kyiv is the safety of our employees and customers," the Ingka Group, which is part of the Ikea group, told Forbes Ukraine in a comment.

Mary Ng, Canada's international trade minister, speaks during a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. (David Kawai/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Canada-Ukraine trade

In an interview in central Kyiv last week, Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng talked to the Kyiv Independent about a revamped trade agreement between Ukraine and Canada that went into effect on July 1 and how it will bolster both Ukrainian and Canadian businesses.

The Kyiv Independent: How can the modernized trade agreement help Ukraine's economy and its reconstruction?

Mary Ng: Before we used to trade in goods, that was what the last agreement covered, and now it's expanded to cover areas like trade in the digital sphere, trade in services, trade that facilitates greater collaboration. There are elements that are hallmarks of a high-quality agreement. That includes standards for labor, for the environment, but also inclusivity.

The Kyiv Independent: Are Canadian businesses expressing interest in Ukraine now, even during the war?

Mary Ng: Yes. In fact, the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce has held Rebuild Ukraine conferences for the last couple of years. Its a really important forum that brings together all the right people to help have that dialogue about what we could be doing together in the rebuilding effort.

The Kyiv Independent: Do Ukraine's efforts on enabling a business environment make sense without war risk insurance? And how can Canada protect Canadian investments in Ukraine during the war?

Mary Ng: A couple of weeks ago, our export credit agency, Export Development Canada, signed an memorandum of understanding with other export-credit agencies across the G7 on a collaboration on this very issue. We're making really good progress and that work will continue.

Read the full interview here.

What else is happening

EU introduces 'emergency brake' on eggs, sugar imports from Ukraine

According to the newly implemented rules, an emergency brake can be applied to imports of eggs, poultry, sugar, oats, maize, groats, and honey. The measure will be automatically triggered if import volumes reach the average yearly imports recorded between July 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2023.

DTEK has invested around $34 million of its own funds to restore thermal power plants since start of year.

DTEK  the countrys largest private energy company  also said it plans to invest a total of Hr 3.9 billion ($95.8 million) in repairs and restoration of its thermal power plants, which is in line with last year's investments. The company says it needs $300-$400 million to restore all of its facilities hit by Russia.

Naftogaz increased gas production by 8% y-o-y in first half of 2024

In the first six months of 2024, oil and gas giant Naftogaz Group companies  JSC Ukrgasvydobuvannya and PJSC Ukrnafta  have already produced 7.3 bcm of commercial gas. At the moment, gas production exceeds the operating plan by almost 2%, Naftogaz CEO Oleksiy Chernyshov said on July 2.

Ukraine's GDP up 6.5% in first quarter

The countrys economy expanded more than forecasted in the first quarter of 2024, with gross domestic product increasing 6.5% from the year before, the State Statistics Service said.

Nova Poshta postal depot in Kharkiv hit in Russian attack

Nova Poshta, Ukraine's largest privately owned postal service, said on June 30 that the strike had hit near the distribution center, but "all shift workers were in the bomb shelter and were not injured." "There are victims among the population, as well as truck drivers," Nova Poshta said, adding that the depot was damaged. Another one of its depots was also hit in Odesa in early May.

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Ukraine Business Roundup

Subscribe













Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang of the State Council, Prime Minister Charlot Salwai of the Republic of Vanuatu will pay an official visit to China from July 7 to 12.

At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang of the State Council, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele of Solomon Islands will pay an official visit to China from July 9 to 15.

At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov of Belarus will pay an official visit to China from July 6 to 9.

At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Sangiampongsa of Thailand will pay an official visit to China and co-chair the second meeting of the Consultation Mechanism between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of China and Thailand from July 9 to 10.

AFP: The Labor Party has won the UK general election. And the incoming Prime Minister Keir Starmer has previously said that the UK needed to wean itself off China on issues such as trade and technology but cooperate with China on other issues, including climate change. Could we ask what Chinas reaction to his election is?



Mao Ning: We noted the result of the UK general election. China has a consistent and clear position on growing China-UK relations. China and the UK are both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies in the world. Growing stable and mutually beneficial bilateral ties between China and the UK serves the fundamental interests of both peoples, helps both countries to better respond to global challenges together, and contributes to world peace and development. China hopes to work with the UK to advance China-UK relations along the right track based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

China News Service: This years Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit accepted Belarus as a member state. Whats Chinas comment?



Mao Ning: As an observer of the SCO for a long time, Belarus highly recognizes the Shanghai Spirit and other core visions of the organization, actively participated in SCO cooperation in various fields, and made important contributions to the development of the SCO. During this years summit, President Xi Jinping and leaders of other SCO member states jointly signed a resolution to grant Belarus the status of an SCO member state, making the country the 10th SCO member state. China once again extends warm congratulations to Belarus and looks forward to Belarus active, comprehensive and in-depth participation in SCO activities and its new contribution to the organizations development.

The SCO today stands as a comprehensive regional organization that covers the largest population and area in the world. As more countries became SCO member states, it shows that the Shanghai Spirit has strong vitality, cohesiveness and appeal, and that the SCO follows the development trend of the times, practices an open and inclusive cooperation vision and is welcomed and commended by the international community and countries in the region.

More and more countries now hope to strengthen cooperation with the SCO, and obtain or upgrade their legal status in the SCO. China welcomes more countries that recognize the Shanghai Spirit and the purposes and principles of the SCO to join the SCO family, work together to build an even closer SCO community with a shared future, jointly uphold international fairness and justice, promote world peace and stability, and make SCOs contribution to global prosperity and development.

Reuters: The European Commission confirmed yesterday that it will impose preliminary tariffs on Chinese manufactured electric vehicles. The Commerce Ministry this morning announced it will continue with its anti-dumping probe into European brandy imports. But does China plan to introduce any further retaliatory measures?



Mao Ning: Id refer you to competent authorities on specific issues. China has expressed strong opposition more than once to the EUs anti-subsidy investigation on Chinas electric vehicles. We believe that specific trade issues should be resolved properly through dialogue and consultation. China will also take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.

Xinhua News Agency: The 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was successfully held in Astana. President Xi Jinping attended the Meeting. Can you share more details on the Meeting? What initiatives and propositions did China propose at the Meeting?

Mao Ning: On July 4, the 24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State was held in Astana. President Xi Jinping attended the Meeting upon invitation, and delivered the important statement titled Joining Hands to Build a More Beautiful Home of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. During the Meeting, President Xi had in-depth exchanges of views with leaders of other countries on global and regional issues of common interest, through which the leaders drew a blueprint and charted the course for SCO going forward with a series of consensus reached.

Over 20 documents were adopted at the summit, including the Astana Declaration, the SCO initiative on world unity for justice, harmony and development, and the statement on the principles of good-neighborliness, trust and partnership. In particular, the Astana Declaration underscores adherence to the Shanghai Spirit, and reaffirms the commitments to building a new type of international relations and building a community with a shared future for mankind. The Declaration represents the common aspiration for greater solidarity and cooperation among SCO member states, and sends the positive message of the SCO shouldering the missions of the new era, and braving risks and challenges together for security and development. The summit delivered fruitful outcomes, gave a strong boost to the development of the SCO, and showcased the increasing appeal and influence of the SCO.

Amidst changes of historical significance across the world during our times unfolding in ways like never before, President Xi Jinping has keen observation of the development trend in the world, and stands at the strategic height of long-term development of humanity with a global vision and people-centered philosophy. He underscored the importance of having the wisdom to see the changes, the ability to deal with the changes, and the courage to make changes to cope with the major transformation.

President Xi pointed out that the SCO region is facing the triple risks of the Cold War mentality, small yard with high fences, and external interference and attempts to divide our region. He went on to provide three recommendations to address each of the risks, namely to hold the bottom line of security, safeguard the right to development, and cement solidarity. He called on all parties to uphold the Shanghai Spirit, and work together to keep the SCO on the right course forward.

As President Xi stressed, countries in the SCO need to bear in mind that they live in a community with a shared future, always uphold the Shanghai Spirit, and stay firmly on the development paths that suit their respective national conditions and regional realities. He advocated building the SCOs common home of solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, and fairness and justice.

President Xis important speech was well received. The participants at the summit expect China to lend fresh impetus for the SCO as it takes over the presidency of the organization. They stressed that they will stay committed to the mission of the SCO, further tap into the potential for cooperation, fully expand and deepen cooperation, and ensure the outcomes of cooperation can be better delivered to the people. We are convinced that the SCO members will follow the trend of the times, move forward together in solidarity and cooperation to realize the aspirations of our people for a better life and jointly build up strong momentum for upholding world peace and development.

The Paper: Can you share more details on the program and Chinas expectations for the visit of Vanuatus Prime Minister to China?



Mao Ning: During the visit, the leaders of the two countries will exchange views on China-Vanuatu relations and major issues of mutual interest, and jointly chart the future course for the bilateral relationship.

Since our two countries established diplomatic relations 42 years ago, bilateral relations have come a long way. Our two sides have steadily advanced practical cooperation. China aims to work with Vanuatu through Prime Minister Salwais visit to carry forward the traditional friendship, enhance all-round mutual support, take the relationship to a new height and deliver more benefits for the two peoples.

China Daily: On the sidelines of the SCO Summit, President Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The two sides issued a joint declaration and officially established the China-Azerbaijan strategic partnership. Why do the two sides upgrade the bilateral relations now? Could you share more with us?



Mao Ning: China and Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations on April 2, 1992. As President Xi Jinping said, over the past 30-plus years, bilateral relations have enjoyed sound and steady growth, the two countries have had fruitful cooperation, and the bilateral relationship has acquired greater strategic significance. In recent years, in particular, President Xi Jinping and President Ilham Aliyev have maintained frequent exchanges, and provided strategic guidance for the bilateral relations. The two countries have firmly supported each other on issues concerning each others sovereignty, territorial integrity, and other core interests. Our bilateral trade has increased from over US$ 1 million to more than US$ 1 billion. The two sides have maintained close communication and coordination under the framework of the SCO, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, and the UN. Against this backdrop, the upgrade of our bilateral relations came naturally.

The two presidents announcement of establishing the China-Azerbaijan strategic partnership is an important milestone in the history of our relations. The two sides will take the upgrade as a new beginning, further step up political support, focus on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to deepen cooperation in various fields, conduct effective coordination in international affairs, and promote the sound and stable growth of China-Azerbaijan strategic partnership to the benefit of the two peoples.

CCTV: On July 4, the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council adopted Chinas report on the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Could you share more with us?



Mao Ning: On July 4, the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council adopted unanimously Chinas report on the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR is an important platform for countries to carry out equal-footed, candid exchanges and constructive dialogue and cooperation. China attaches great importance to this meeting. We shared our position on recommendations proposed by other countries to China during the UPR and our progress on rolling out 30 new measures that the Chinese government promised to take to safeguard human rights. China made clear its human rights development path, vision and achievements, and stressed that China will follow the people-centered development philosophy, deliver more benefits of modernization to its population in a more equitable way, steadily raise the level of human rights protection as we modernize our country, and make new contributions to the sound development of the global human rights cause.

Russia, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, the UAE, Algeria, Zambia, Gambia, Venezuela and many other countries spoke highly of Chinas effort and achievement in advancing the human rights cause. They commended China for its open and candid participation in the fourth cycle of the UPR, and affirmed that China accepted the majority of recommendations based on its national realities and the will of its people. They supported the Councils adoption of Chinas report on the fourth cycle of the UPR. Following the adoption, the audience burst into extended applause and many delegates expressed congratulations to the Chinese delegation.

The Human Rights Council unanimously adopted Chinas report on the fourth cycle of the UPR, which fully shows that Chinas achievement in protecting human rights and its contribution to the international human rights cause is well recognized by the international community. China will stay committed to our human rights development path, continue to raise the level of human rights protection, practice true multilateralism and work for fairer and more equitable, reasonable and inclusive global governance on human rights.

Hubei Media Group: Can you share more details on the program and Chinas expectations for the visit of Solomon Islands Prime Minister to China?



Mao Ning: This will be the first official visit by Prime Minister Manele to China since he took office in May. During the visit, the leaders of the two countries will exchange views on China-Solomon Islands relations and major issues of mutual interest.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations five years ago, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, China and Solomon Islands have achieved rapid growth in bilateral ties. The two sides have firmly supported each other on issues concerning our respective core interests and major concerns. The exchanges and cooperation in various sectors between the two sides have delivered fruitful results. Prime Minister Maneles visit to China is a great opportunity for the two sides to work together to further strengthen strategic communication, expand practical cooperation, and advance our bilateral ties.

CCTV: The 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance is held in Shanghai and received wide attention. Can you give us more details on the meeting?



Mao Ning: The 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance was held in Shanghai from July 4 to 6. Premier Li Qiang of the State Council attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Premier Li Qiang noted that as an important player in global AI development, China has actively embraced the intelligent transformation and explored effective approaches to AI development and governance. To enable AI to better serve global development and human wellbeing, and pave the way for a brighter, more intelligent future, we need to deepen cooperation on innovation and release the dividends of AI. We need to promote inclusive development and bridge the AI divide. We need to strengthen collaboration on AI governance and ensure AI for good.

The Shanghai Declaration on Global AI Governance was released at the meeting. The document contains a series of proposals on promoting AI development, safety, governance and public participation, and increasing social well-being, making new contribution to building an international framework on AI global governance.

The Conference this year is held amidst rapid global AI development, widening AI divide, and a stronger sense of urgency for AI governance. The Conference represents an important measure for China to implement the Global AI Governance Initiative. It lends a strong impetus for global AI governance, establishes a new platform for international exchanges and cooperation on AI, and comprehensively showcases Chinas progress made on AI and AI governance.

China hopes that this Conference will serve as a good opportunity to promote the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution for shared benefit and work with the rest of the world for sound, safe, fair, and orderly global AI development.

Kyodo News: The Japanese government spokesperson told a news conference today that it was regrettable that the Chinese survey ship has set up a buoy in the waters in the Pacific Ocean in southern Japan. Whats Chinas comment?



Mao Ning: The Chinese vessel operated and placed a tsunami buoy in the high seas of the western Pacific Ocean for the purpose of scientific research and serving public good. This is a well-established international practice. According to UNCLOS, the high seas are open to all States, and all States can exercise the freedom of scientific research in the high seas. Japan has no right to interfere in such activities.

Shenzhen TV: To follow up on your announcement of Thai Foreign Ministers visit to China, could you share with us the program and Chinas expectation for the visit?



Mao Ning: China and Thailand are good neighbors, friends and partners and close like one family. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and Thai leaders, the two sides have maintained frequent high-level exchanges, enhanced political mutual trust, deepened cooperation in various fields, and made new progress in building the China-Thailand community with a shared future. China has remained Thailands biggest trading partner for years running and become its biggest source of foreign investment in recent years. As of early June, there have been over 3 million trips by Chinese tourists to Thailand this year. After mutual visa-free entry policy took effect, the two peoples have visited each other even more often.

This will be Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsas first visit to China since he took office, less than six months following Foreign Minister Wang Yis visit to Thailand, which further demonstrates that China and Thailand are one family. During the visit, he will meet with senior Chinese leader. Foreign Minister Wang Yi will co-chair with him the second meeting of the consultation mechanism between Chinese and Thai foreign ministers and exchange views on implementing the common understandings between Chinese and Thai leaders, deepening our comprehensive strategic cooperation, and international and regional issues of mutual interest. China looks to working with Thailand through this visit to step up strategic communication, carry forward traditional friendship, deepen practical cooperation and take efforts to build the China-Thailand community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity and sustainability to a new level.

Global Times: Its reported by ROK media that the DPRK has switched the transmission of state TV broadcasts to a Russian satellite from a Chinese one, resulting in the ROKs low-quality reception of the DPRKs TV signals. Does China think that its evidence of the DPRK strengthening its cooperation with Russia? Whats your comment?



Mao Ning: Im not familiar with what you mentioned. Typically, satellite services are commercial activities and when it comes to business cooperation, the decisions are usually made by the parties to the collaboration. It doesnt sound like something that needs too much reading into it.

Yomiuri: To follow up on the question about the buoy, in July last year, Xiang Yang Hong 22 placed an ocean survey buoy in Japans exclusive economic zone northwest of Diaoyu Dao without Japans consent. Japan asked China to remove the buoy during the talks between the leaders of the two countries, but has not received any response. What is the Foreign Ministrys comment on this?



Mao Ning: Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands have always been part of Chinas territory. Its surrounding waters are under Chinas jurisdiction. It is legitimate and lawful for China to set hydrological and meteorological data buoy in those waters.

Beijing Daily: The Philippine Army spokesperson said on July 4 that the US Army is currently in the process of shipping out their equipment used during the annual Balikatan exercise. The land-based Mid-Range Capability missile system, known as Typhon, deployed in the Philippines will be shipped out by September as planned, possibly even earlier. While Philippine troops were trained on how to handle and maintain the Typhon missile system, it was not employed in live-fire training. Whats Chinas comment?



Mao Ning: China noted the report. On US deployment of Mid-Range Capability missile system in the Philippines, we have made clear our position several times. As we have previously stressed, the deployment is a move to turn back the wheel of history, and it gravely threatens regional countries security, undermines regional peace and stability, and goes against the common pursuit of people in the region for peace and development. We urge relevant countries to listen to the call of countries in the region and step back from the wrong path as soon as possible.
We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Today. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) stands against the other restaurant stocks.

Currently, quite a bit of anxiety is struck by restaurant stocks in the market, as the Russell index that tracks restaurants experienced a 6% fall since March 2024. Other sectors, like industrials, and materials, to name a few, are experiencing a similar struggle as restaurants. This situation, as a whole, is indicative of potential late-cycle market issues marked by the markets slow growth in general, which is driven by consumer distress in the U.S. in a larger sense.

Moreover, amidst this inflation-stricken market, restaurants in the U.S. are in quite a bit of a meal deal war, hoping to fulfill the customers need for affordability. As such, Sonic, a drive-in fast-food chain headquartered in Oklahoma, U.S., is the newest member to join the war, as it has introduced a $1.99 value menu, boasting a selection of various food items.

Previously, Taco Bell and Burger King have already introduced their discounted meal deals, showcasing various brands dire attempts to attract customers in the given circumstances. Moreover, this is also driven by increased food and wage costs in the market, pushing down the margins of various restaurant brands, according to analysts. The Consumer Price Index has risen at a cumulative rate of 20.8% since February 2020, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Thus, this explains why restaurant ETFs and stocks have started off the third quarter on a lower note.

Nevertheless, theres bright hope as the global fast food, which goes hand-in-hand with the restaurant industry, is set to grow at a CAGR of 3.7% from 2023 to 2032, expected to reach $1 trillion by then. Furthermore, one can keep their hopes high, as it is reported that a staggering 37% of the U.S. population is a consumer of fast food. For the fast-food market, the millennial segment is one that it must rely on the most, as 54% of this segment steps toward fast-food chains once or twice every week. You can check out our article about the 20 Fast Food Chains with Most Locations in the World.

On the other hand, according to the National Restaurant Association, the U.S. restaurant industry is forecasted to result in $1.1 trillion worth of sales in the year 2024. This will translate into the employment of 15.7 million Americans. However, amidst the supply chain inefficiencies and rising costs, it would be challenging for restaurant operators to make profits, and technology is expected to play a decisive role in determining the winners and losers of the market in the coming time, according to market analysts.

Thus, its essential to know where to put your money, when it comes to the restaurant market. Hence, now we will take you to our list of 10 Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Today.

Methodology

To curate our list of 10 Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Today, we gathered a list of all companies with a significant presence in the restaurant industry. We then further narrowed down the list based on the companies respective upside potential and ranked the finest remaining companies by their number of hedge fund holders as of Q1, 2024, using Insider Monkeys database that tracks the activity of 920 hedge funds. For stocks with an equal number of hedge fund holders, we used their upside as the tiebreaker. Plus, note that all the stock prices quoted are as of writing this article unless otherwise stated.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

20 Most Valuable Fast Food Companies in the World

A chef in a kitchen preparing a fast food meal of chicken, pizza and burgers.

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35

With brands like mighty Pizza Hut, much-loved Taco Bell, and everybodys favorite KFC under its belt, Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) is one of the 10 Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Today.

The stock has 35 hedge funds holding stake in it, worth $584.4 million, as of Q1 2024  this is an increase of two hedge fund holdings, as compared to the previous quarter, which indicates the rising popularity of the stock in the investment sense. Also, another thing that explains why the stock is placed in our list of best restaurant stocks to buy today is its upside potential  the analysts look at the stock price rising to $145.72, as compared to its current price of $129.58, which translates to an upside potential of 12.5%.

Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) missed the analysts expectations for the 1st quarter of 2024, as it recorded an EPS of $1.15, and a revenue of $1.6 billion, both below analysts' expectations. Net income saw an uptick to $314 million, growing year over year by 4.6%. The Middle East conflict i.e. Israel-Gaza conflict is one reason that the company believes has driven this timid growth in the quarter.

However, the following is what the companys CFO, Chris Turner, said about the companys outlook for the year:

As a reminder, we shared on our last call the intent to purchase 218 KFC UK and Ireland stores. Were excited to report we officially closed this acquisition at the end of April. These stores have average unit volumes above $2 million and healthy store level cash margins. We expect the addition of these units to provide approximately $40 million of incremental EBITDA in the 12 months after acquisition while the benefit to our operating profit will be largely offset over the next several years due to depreciation and amortization, including amortization of reacquired franchisees. We are confident that 2024 will showcase a strong unit development story at or above 5% unit growth, led by KFC International as franchisees capitalize on our brands attractive paybacks. In the U.S., Taco Bell continues to balance core everyday value to cater to a more discerning consumer across income groups with premium innovation to attract new consumers. We expect full year Taco Bell company-operated margins to be in the range of 23% to 24%. Excluding the 53rd week, we now expect ex special G&A to be flat to down slightly for the year, including incremental G&A associated with the KFC UK acquisition. Finally, we are confident we will deliver at least 8% core operating profit growth excluding the benefit of the 53rd week.

Overall YUM ranks 6th on our list of the best restaurant stocks to buy. You can visit 10 Best Restaurant Stocks to Buy Today to see the other restaurant stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of YUM 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 YUM 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 10 Best of Breed Stocks to Buy For The Third Quarter of 2024 According to Bank of America.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Colorado's second-highest court on Wednesday once again reminded prosecutors and trial judges to pay attention to the deadlines for crime victim restitution in state law, the latest in a series of decisions cracking down on deviations from the restitution process.
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in El Paso County are on the rise after hitting a low in the spring.

According to El Paso County Public Health's co-medical director Dr. Bernadette Albanese, COVID cases and hospitalizations decreased throughout March and April after a typical winter season. Around mid-May, numbers started to go back up.

While El Paso County is not seeing as significant of an increase as it did from November to January, the increase is steady.

In January, 120 hospitalizations were reported in El Paso County. February saw 94. A significant decrease happened in March with 39 hospitalization reported. April jumped slightly to 41 and May saw 51. Albanese told The Gazette that it is too soon to tell what those numbers look like for June in El Paso County.

"There's no reason to think that our county would be any different than the combined observations that we are seeing around the state and around the country," Albanese said. "Every region of the country has seen an increase up upwards of 10% from the week prior in test positivity."

The county's public health department continuously monitors testing for the virus in wastewater and sewer water. Several sewer sheds in Colorado Springs give samples to the state to be tested.

According to Albanese, the amount of COVID found in the water started to see an increase in the middle of May, correlating well with hospitalization numbers.

"We have multiple data points that tell us this is real," Albanese said.

The county's public health department will continue to watch the numbers through July and into August. COVID typically sees an increase during the wintertime, but unlike other seasonal illness like the flu, it also seems to bump up in the summer.

According to Albanese, this is the third summer in a row of this phenomenon.

"It's not unique to Colorado, and it's not unique around the county," Albanese said. "We are seeing a change in COVID activity across in our county, across the state and in the country."

Featured Local Savings

In the state of Colorado, there were 54 deaths in February due to COVID, 36 in both March and April and 19 in May.

"Can people still die from COVID? The answer is yes," Albanese said.

The main strain of COVID continues to be the omicron variant, according to the public health department. Despite subtle difference, most of the variants going around are still falling under the omicron umbrella.

"The type of omicron variant that was circulating back in March is different than the one circulating now and and it's just our sophisticated testing allows us to distinguish that," Albanese said.

An updated vaccine is currently in the works by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, and will be available in the fall alongside the new flu vaccine. With slight tweaks, the hope is that the updates to the vaccine will allow for a more efficient performance in combating the virus.

El Paso County Public Health wants the community to be aware of the trends so individuals can make informed decisions regarding their health.

The summer travel season is hitting a peak, with lots of visits happening all over the country to friends and family.

"For some people, they may even choose to change travel plans; they may choose to wear a mask as a way for their own personal health and benefits," Albanese said. "This is information for the public to know and to make a decision for themselves and for their loved ones."

For more information regarding current COVID data, check out Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment's website. For nationwide numbers, visit the CDC's website.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from Governor Jared Polis.

A Denver District Court judge dismissed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging damages stemming from last year's universal preschool rollout in Colorado.

District Judge Jon. J. Olafson ruled that the six public school districts and two advocacy groups who filed the lawsuit lacked the legal grounds for their case to continue.

The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit last August against Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood and the Colorado Department of Education, alleging that the state disproportionately harmed low-income families and students with disabilities through its application process.

Specifically, they alleged that BridgeCare, the state's online matching system, prevented families from accessing needed services because of its poor function and confusing process.

As a result of various complications, plaintiffs claimed that school districts were forced to deny families preschool services because of long waits, lack of verification and lost applications in the BridgeCare system. They added that this negatively affected students with disabilities.

Olafson concluded that the difficulties experienced during this new process were "growing pains" but "not a legally protected injury in fact and do not impede the School District Plaintiffs exercise in control over instruction as protected by the Colorado Constitution."

"Plaintiffs collectively have failed to allege an injury in fact to a legally protected interest as contemplated by statutory or constitutional provisions," Olafson wrote in his ruling.

The plaintiffs included six public school districts: Colorado Springs' Harrison School D-2; Brighton 27-J; Cherry Creek School D-5; Mapleton D-1; Platte Valley RE-7; and Westminster D-50. The Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) and the Consortium of Special Education also were named in the suit.

In a statement, CASE deputy executive director Melissa Gibson said the association was disappointed with the ruling, but that they would continue to work toward fixing the state's current shortcomings that have affected families.

Featured Local Savings

"While this fix wont occur through a court order, it doesnt change our path forward. We will continue to push for transparency and solutions to the ongoing issues with UPK (universal pre-k). As we have since the start of the new program, we will continue to try to work with the state in whatever way we can, she said.

Neither Harrison D-2 nor CDE immediately responded to The Gazette's request for comment.

The ruling is a victory for Polis, who signed the universal preschool program into law in April 2022, establishing the Department of Early Childhood to oversee its implementation.

The program promises at least 10 hours of free preschool a week for all 4-year-olds in Colorado, with some children qualifying for up to 30 hours, and some 3-year-olds also eligible for 10 free hours.

Every Colorado child deserves to be able to go to preschool and we are thrilled that soon the next class of students will be entering the classroom to get the best possible start in life while their families save thousands of dollars every year," Governor Jared Polis said in a statement.

"We look forward to building on the incredible success of free preschool in Colorado, serving even more students and saving families money.

The Colorado Department of Education reported that more than 38,000 4-year-olds enrolled in the tuition-free preschool program in September 2023, roughly 60% of all children that age in the state. Enrollment is expected to increase in the upcoming year.

Outside the lawsuit, the rollout has received mixed responses from school leaders and preschool providers to date with criticism directed toward functional deficiencies.

The ruling comes nearly a month after another judge ruled in favor of two Catholic preschools to consider religious affiliation into its acceptance process but ruled against their anti-discrimination claim rejecting LGBTQ+ families.
the denver gazette Denver Democratic state Rep. Elisabeth Epps, who lost her reelection bid in last weeks Democratic primary, addresses protesters at a Palestine solidarity rally at Metropolitan State University in Denver last April.
Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter.
Bam! It happened.

A bomb Charles Lewis was dropping from his F-4 over North Vietnam exploded under his plane.

We saw the flash of light, felt the push on the aircraft, heard the noise and saw about one-third of our right wing being blown in pieces, up and slightly to the left.

Immediately, Jack Kelley, the systems operator in the back seat yelled punch out! and ejected. Lewis hesitated, checking to see if he could still fly the plane. The instrument panel was shaking so badly he couldnt read anything. So he ejected at about 20,500 feet.

A smaller parachute opened first, slowing and stabilizing the ejection seat. About 15,000 feet, the seat belt released, he was pushed away from the seat, and a larger parachute released.

Below him, he could see his airplane spinning, the tail was gone, and the plane was on fire near the engines.

He fell for about 20 minutes and, on the way down, he radioed 1st Lt. Tom Moe, the systems operator in the other F-4 on the mission. Lewis had been flying behind and a bit to the side of Moes plane and believes it was damaged by the same bomb, but not as badly. It flew a bit farther before the two member crew ejected  all details Lewis would learn later.

After his quick radio call, Lewis passed through the clouds and then crashed through the trees. His parachute caught in the branches, and his survival kit that was tied to his harness wedged into two branches.

There I was, hanging in a parachute harness over a hundred feet above the ground, and I could hardly move.

He knew before he reached the tree, a faulty electric FMU-35 fuze had detonated his bomb. The fuzes had been under suspicion after other pilots went down a few months prior in 1967. The fuzes were cleared for use after a review, but the pilots were still advised to pull up sharply before they dropped their bombs.

We were killing more of our people than the enemy was killing, he said.

Looking back

A retired Air Force major and longtime Colorado Springs resident, Lewis, shared his story with The Gazette in mostly written form as part of an intermittent series to mark 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War: a messy conflict with an fuzzy beginning and end. Some mark the end with the withdrawal of troops in 1973 and others with the fall of Saigon in 1975.

For Lewis, his time as a fighter pilot was about getting his job done. He regrets that the U.S. did not complete the mission and stop the communists from taking South Vietnam.

The politicians were too much involved and put too many restrictions on what the fighting people were supposed to do, he said.

As a fighter pilot from November 1967 through July 1968, Lewis flew 185 missions out of Da Nang in central Vietnam focused on interfering with the flow of fuel and ammunition from North Vietnam to South Vietnam.

He received one day off after the bomb exploded under his plane before going back to work.

When asked how he persuaded himself to get back into a plane, he said: You dont convince yourself, they tell you youre assigned that mission.

Suspicious fuzes

Lewis and his fellow airmen knew before the explosion the FMU-35 fuze had been under investigation because other planes had gone down.

It is possible the fuzes may have played a role in death of Capt. Lance Sijan. Lewis met Sijan while Lewis was his roommate for less than two days in Da Nang before his plane went down.

Sijan was carrying bombs with the same problem, Lewis wrote, but enemy fighters from the ground were also shooting at Sijans plane, so its unclear why he ejected.

Sijan survived in the jungle for six weeks, with a broken leg and other injuries before he was captured by the North Vietnamese. He later died in a prisoner-of-war camp and became the first Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor. One of the dorms bears his name.

The airmen were told in January 1968 two months after Sijan went down the fuzes were safe, but just in case, they should pull up sharply after the bombs were released.

Lewis was not concerned about the fuzes, but his systems operator Kelley was. Right before they dropped their bombs on North Vietnam, Kelley reminded Lewis to pull the nose of the plane up to gain altitude.

Featured Local Savings

He pulled up very sharply and dropped back, saving four lives, he said.

Jungle rescue

As he dangled from branches on Jan. 16, about 115 feet above the ground, Lewis radioed a passing F-100, a supersonic fighter jet, with the message that his plane had been destroyed by the bomb it was carrying and directed the pilot to pass the message on to his wing in Da Nang.

Then he cut the line to his survival kit so he could move around and let himself down from the tree using a nylon strap and a braking device on his harness. The device squeezed the strap allowing him to slow or stop his descent.

Once on the slippery wet clay and leaves beneath the trees, Lewis carefully made his way to a nearby clearing, pressing his cleats into the layers of leaves to maintain traction.

A few hours after the explosion in the late afternoon, a helicopter arrived and lowered a jungle penetrator for him to climb onto. The penetrators looked a bit like a ships anchor and were used for hoisting service members up through the trees.

Then the crew went to pick up Kelley who was stuck among vines and his parachute lines. The airman who went down, grabbed him around the chest and, in two swings of a machete, cleared the lines and vines.

When they arrived back in Da Nang, leadership questioned Lewis and Kelley closely about the problems with the fuzes.

A few days after the explosion, Lewis learned specifically what was causing the problems with the fuzes. The wing flying safety officer told him a piece of cardboard in the bombs timers was vibrating out of place over time. The fuze had two timers, the first meant to trigger the second that could be set for 45 minutes up to 12 hours. When the cardboard vibrated out of place, instead of the first timer starting the second timer, the bomb exploded.

The fuzes were never used again, Lewis said.

Two days later, one of the airmen from the other plane, Capt. Scott Stovin was rescued. The North Vietnamese captured the fourth airman, 1st Lt. Tom Moe, a few hours later that same day.

He was held in a prison for five years in Hanoi. Lewis wife watched a televised news broadcast of Moe and POWs getting off a plane at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, Lewis said.

Life after Vietnam

Six years too old for the Air Force Academy, Lewis went to the Naval Academy and then commissioned into the Air Force. He spent 20 years with the Air Force mostly as a jet pilot and retired in 1975.

His last assignment was with the Space Defense System in what is now Cheyenne Space Force Station, where he worked as a mathematician and computer programmer. He wrote the first version of a computer program designed to calculate where errant missiles would land.

When he got out of the Air Force, he felt that Colorado Springs was home.

So he stayed here, working as a computer programmer for what is now Lockheed Martin, teaching for what is now National American University, and preparing income taxes before retiring in 2012.

In 2020, he was one of the first to come down with COVID-19 in Colorado Springs after attending the now-infamous weekend bridge club tournament where the virus circulated among 100 mostly retirees.

Now 94, he has battled recurring symptoms from the virus, particularly weakness in his legs. But he can still do five pushups and he still loves bridge  playing three to five times a week.

Every month he also meets with other airmen as part of the Red River Rats at the Airplane Restaurant, where his picture hangs on the wall. Airmen who flew over North Vietnams Red River Valley founded the group, but the gatherings are open to all aircrew members on the third Monday of the month at 4 p.m. However, this month the meeting is on July 22.

Contact the writer at mary.shinn@gazette.com or 719-429-9264.

Editor's Note: After reading this story, Tom Moe contacted The Gazette and provided more details about the events in the jungle and afterwards.

While waiting for rescue in the jungle, Moe was surrounded and overrun by the enemy, he wrote. The soldiers nearly stepped on him while he was hiding under a log.

The pilot who directed Lewis' rescue, Bob Wilke, was killed trying to rescue Moe.

Moe is still working with Wilke's family to bring his remains home, he wrote.

After Moe was released, he went home to his wife and daughter. He went on to have two sons, including one who lives in Colorado Springs. He also attended graduate school at Notre Dame and then went back to flying fighter jets. He flew F-4s and then F-16s. After retiring from the military, he worked as the Director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, under Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Moe wrote a harrowing account of his time as a POW for the Notre Dame alumni magazine.
Re: The fact that only one jumbo-jet manufacturer remains in the United St [ #permalink

1 Kudos
Ulviyya Shahin

On July 25, "Baku Auction Center" LLC will hold an open auction for the sale of the real estate of "Bank of Azerbaijan" OJSC, which is in the process of liquidation, Azernews reports, citing a release made by the liquidator of the bank - Deposit Insurance Fund (ESF).

The property that will be put on auction is about 8.3 hectares of agricultural land worth 30,000 manat in Alatli village of Hajigabul district.

Recall that Bank of Azerbaijan was founded on December 1, 1993 as "Rabbatbank" KB based on the license No. 166 issued by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan. Since 2004, the Bank has been an Open Joint Stock Company after changing its organizational and legal structure.
The Danville City Council members approved a large pay increase for themselves during their meeting Tuesday night, raising their salaries by more than three times.

The 6-2 vote will hike councilmens pay to $34,000 in annual compensation for members and $37,000 for the mayor  the new state-allowed maximum  beginning July 1, 2025. Currently, the mayors annual salary is $12,000 and council members yearly pay is $10,000.

The councils decision followed a public hearing. No one spoke during the hearing.

It was the second such move in just more than a year. However, the first pay hike they approved for themselves in May 2023, to $18,000 for council members and $20,000 for the mayor (the previous state-allowed maximum), still hadnt gone into effect.

Council members Lee Vogler and Madison Whittle voted against the increase, while Sherman Saunders, Barry Mayo, Bryant Hood, James Buckner, Vice Mayor Gary Miller and Mayor Alonzo Jones voted in favor.

City Councilman Larry Campbell was absent. Miller attended the meeting remotely from Caswell Beach, North Carolina.

During an interview after the meeting, Vogler said he understood the logic behind the raise  an increased workload for council members due to more events amid economic growth  but the increase was a bit excessive in such a short time.

It was a bit too much of a jump at once, he said. Maybe something phased in wouldve been better.

Whittle would not comment on his vote after the meeting.

A state law passed in April increases the population-based, maximum-allowed pay for city councils across the commonwealth. For Danville, with a population of just more than 40,000, its new maximum is $34,000 in annual compensation for council members and $37,000 for the mayor.

City Council members last gave themselves a raise in 2014.

In another matter, the City Council voted 8-0 to approve a special-use permit for a proposed 360-unit residential development in the Riverside Drive and Vandola Road corridor.

The project would also include two commercial structures.

Blackstone Building Group LLC in Glen Allen plans to build Vandola Crescent town home development, which would include two- and three-story-style and patio homes on about 45 acres in the western part of Danville.

The project will be targeted for workforce housing, empty nesters and retirees, the applicants wrote in a letter included with the application to the citys planning director.

The units will be priced affordably starting at about $280,000, according to the applicants.

The development will have several phases, with the first phase to include 46 units. Remaining phases will include 314 units, with completion expected four years after construction starts.

Developers expect to have occupants in the phase-one units by fall or winter 2024-25, in line with the opening of the Caesars Virginia casino resort.

Councilmen also voted 8-0 to rezone properties in Schoolfield for a boutique hotel and a restaurant near the upcoming Caesars Virginia casino resort.

The two separate votes rezoned the properties for both projects at 1076 W. Main St. and 916 W. Main St., respectively, from M-I industrial manufacturing to HR-C highway retail commercial.

The applicant for both items, 1076 Schoolfield LLC, plans to redevelop the structure at 1076 W. Main St. into a 36-room boutique hotel and redevelop the building at 916 W. Main St. into a restaurant, which would include an adjoining greenspace.

1076 Schoolfield LLC, has owned the parcels since February 2020.

The property at 1076 W. Main St. used to house the Dan River Inc. Executive Building. The parcel at 916 W. Main St. includes 2.8 acres and an old brick warehouse once used by Dan River.
()

Located on the eastern coast of the island of Guam, Pago is one of the oldest villages that predate Spanish contact with the ancient Chamorros. The village was settled near the mouth of the Pago River, which feeds into Pago Bay, the largest bay on the island; it is also the site of several important archeological investigations.

The village name Pago is likely derived from the Chamorro word pago (pagu), which is the wild hibiscus plant that grows abundantly in this area. The bark of this species of hibiscus traditionally was used to make ropes. The combination of river and ocean resources made the area ideal for fishing as well as plant cultivation including yams, taro and mangrove plants.

According to Chamorro legend, the bay was formed by a giant fish that ate the central part of the island, thus explaining the almost hour glass shape we see today. In the legend, the women of Pago were known to scent and color their hair with lemon peels. When lemon peels were found in neighboring Agana Bay, the women in Agana knew the giant fish had bored an undersea tunnel beneath the island. Eventually, the fish was captured by the Agana women who wove a giant net from their hair.

Village history

During the Spanish reduccion in the late 1600s and early 1700s, many Chamorros were removed from their homes and forced to settle in mission villages on Guam. Pago was one of the six villages selected as a relocation point for thousands of Chamorros from Tinian and Aguigan. The reduccion effectively removed the Chamorros from their traditional lands and the practices that held much of Chamorro culture together.

With the imposition of Christianity and influences of Spanish, Filipino and Mexican cultures, ancient Chamorro society underwent major change. In 1856, a smallpox epidemic led to the decimation of much of the population and Pago was abandoned. Survivors moved to other villages. Today, a drive along Route 4 near the village of Yona provides a breathtaking view of Pago Bay. The shores of the bay are popular for fishing and other recreational activities, and now, the bay is a site for major new housing developments. Nevertheless the ancient village site remains archeologically significant, giving insight into ancient Chamorro life and cultural practices.

Recently archeologists working along the shores of Pago Bay, on Guams east coast, discovered previously buried archeological soils, features and artifacts indicating that people lived along the shores of this bay hundreds of years before the Spanish first arrived in AD 1521.

During the period from 2005-2009 four archeological projects were completed in Pago Bay. Three small projects were located northeast of the Pago River in the vicinity of Frank Perez Park, a public recreation area located on the shoreline, northeast of the river mouth. The fourth and largest project, the Laguna Pago Bay Resort, is located south of the river. These projects found that the lands bordering the bay on both sides of the river had been utilized during the Latte Period (AD 900-1521), and they revealed new information about the ancient village of Pago, the nature of its occupation and the range of activities traditionally carried out by the people who lived there.

Three separate projects completed on the north side of the river were situated on the accumulated sand deposits that lie southeast of Chalan Justice Monessa Lujan, formerly known as Inalado Road, and the shoreline. The large project completed on the south side of the river included a narrow strip of beach bordered by a limestone cliff with rock overhangs and upland areas developed on a limestone base that formed a plateau and slopes.While all of the areas had been considerably disturbed in the past, the archeological projects identified scattered pockets of intact cultural deposits dating to the Latte Period.

Exposed in some soils were intact Latte Period cultural features, including an earth-oven, postholes (holes dug in the ground that indicate placement of wooden or stone posts), and prehistoric trash pits, as well as intact and previously disturbed human skeletal remains. Charcoal recovered from intact cultural features was radiocarbon dated. A variety of stone and shell tools and shell ornaments was recovered and described. Floral and faunal remains were identified, providing information about traditional subsistence practices.

Excavations in a previously disturbed area uncovered a probable limestone latte pillar and capstone. The exposed latte pillar was 0.87 meters (2.9 feet) long and the capstone was 0.24 meters (9.5 inches) thick, making a pillar/cap combination with a maximum height of 1.11 meters (3.6 feet). The disturbed latte elements provide tangible evidence that at least one latte set formerly existed in this area. But it is likely that the area once had more sets.

Human skeletal remains, which are generally closely associated with latte sets erected along Guams shoreline, were exposed in three of the four project areas. Based on the scattered distribution of the skeletal remains, it could be inferred that latte sets had been built on the sand flat on the northeast side of the river and on the northern edge of the limestone plateau on the south side of the river.

Generally, the individuals had been placed into prepared pits dug into the ground, although outlines of pits were not always visible. The burials exposed in the sand deposits were preserved in place without being entirely exposed by hand. Thus, little information about burial practices, or the age, sex, or condition of those individuals was gained.

The previously disturbed human remains exposed at the northern edge of the limestone plateau south of the river were recovered, and they will be reburied on the property. Most of the preserved remains were adults. The recovered remains included adults and juveniles, as well as males and females.

A zone of stone cobble mounds located along the base of the limestone slope south of the Pago River was interpreted as an agricultural field where yams may have been grown. A grain of yam (Dioscorea) starch in a soil sample from this zone, as well as yam spines in the soils, provided tangible evidence that the tubers and the vines were once present.

Soil samples taken from the Pago wetland on the south side of the Pago River provided evidence that taro was once cultivated in this area. Other plants once present in this area included mangrove, breadfruit, coconut, ferns, pandanus and grasses. Seven radiocarbon dates were obtained. One date with a range of 210-30 BC was not associated with a cultural deposit. Four dates fell within the Latte Period and their calibrated ranges were AD 870-1020, AD 1020-1190, AD 1150-1280, and AD 1290-1420. One date had a range that extended from the late Latte Period into the early Spanish Period (AD 1440-1640). The seventh date was modern, post AD 1950. The dates indicate that people utilized the area from near the beginning of the Latte Period into early Spanish times.

Latte Period artifacts recovered from the project areas include pottery fragments, shell ornaments such as Conus and Spondylus beads, bone spear points, fragments of bone awls or needles, a small coral mortar, slingstones, basalt and chert flakes, basalt tool fragments such as pounders and adzes, Tridacna shell adzes, and Isognomon fish hooks and fish gorges.

Two probable pieces of ambergris (a waxy substance formed in the intestines of sperm whales) were recovered, providing the first archeological indication that Latte Period people may have been familiar with this material. Ambergris floats on the ocean surface and it sometimes washes up on beaches in the form of irregularly shaped lumps.

The fact that these two pieces, recovered from two different cultural features, appear to have a similar shape, suggests that people may have utilized the substance in some consistent way. Historic accounts from the late 1700s note that ambergris occasionally washed up on Guams shores, but the account did not mention that the material was ever collected and/or utilized.

Based on the data collected, the Latte Period activities included cutting, chopping, scraping, pounding, abrading, tool making, tool repair, the production of fishing gear, fishing, mollusk collecting, farming, and cooking. The finished beads suggest that the people made and wore ornaments manufactured from marine shells.

The postholes and the latte elements indicate that they built houses or other structures, buried their dead near the areas where they made tools, and prepared food. The food and plant remains indicate that they ate breadfruit, yams, taro, a variety of shellfish including gastropods and bivalves, caught fish, including parrotfish and shark, and captured fruitbat and turtle.
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

Food Truck Wednesday will feature a variety of food trucks from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center on N.C. 49, Concord.

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

Food Truck Wednesday will feature a variety of food trucks from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center on N.C. 49, Concord.

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

Food Truck Wednesday will feature a variety of food trucks from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center on N.C. 49, Concord.

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

Food Truck Wednesday will feature a variety of food trucks from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center on N.C. 49, Concord.

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.
Vodafone UK and Virgin Media O2 have agreed to a new network-sharing deal in the UK to bolster mobile coverage across the country.

The agreement will see Virgin Media O2 acquire spectrum from Vodafone. This will help Vodafone gain regulatory approval for its merger with Three.

Data Center Dynamics reported the 15 billion ($28 billion) merger is currently under investigation by the UKs Competition and Markets Authority.

UK-based publication The Standard reported that in June last year, Vodafone and Three announced they would merge their UK businesses that would become the countrys biggest mobile network operator with around 27 million customers.

The telecoms parent company, CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings, plans to create a new entity. Vodafone will seize a 51% stake while CK Hutchison 49%.

The report added the proposal passed its first regulatory hurdle after the UK Government did not stand in its way following a detailed national security review.

However, the proposal may still be rejected after the European Commission blocked a previous merger between Three and O2 in 2016.

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, said Virgin Media O2 CEO Lutz Schuler.

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.

Data Center Dynamics reported O2 and Vodafone previously established a 50:50 network sharing agreement joint venture that aimed to support rollout of 4G and 5G network coverage.

Virgin Media O2 was formed from a merger between Virgin Media and O2 in 2021.

With this agreement and our merger with Three, we will transform the mobile experience for over 50 million customers in the UK for the long-term, providing significant network improvements including more choice, better quality and greater coverage across the country, said Vodafone European markets CEO Ahmed Essam.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 04 July 2024.
The ACCC response to the latest draft of the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code validates long-held consumer concerns about the suitability of self-regulation to protect telecommunications consumers, according to the peak body for consumer representation in communications.

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) says it welcomes and supports the comments of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the May 20 draft of the TCP Code.

ACCAN notes that it has been actively involved in the TCP Code review process alongside the ACCC, and agrees with many of the conclusions drawn in their response to the draft Code.

We agree that the Code has fundamental shortcomings that render the consumer protections provided by it inadequate. We agree that telecommunications are an essential service, and that this fact should be explicitly included in the Code. We support ACCCs conclusion that the ACMA should reject the draft Code and proceed to other regulatory options.

ACCAN says it has consistently argued that the TCP Code does not secure substantive protections for communications consumers.

The Code is voluntary, slow to enforce, and is failing to meet the evolving needs of Australian consumers. ACCANs members and stakeholders lack confidence in the TCP Code as an effective means of providing appropriate community safeguards for vulnerable consumers including those experiencing domestic and family violence, sales incentives and mis-selling, credit assessments and payment options.

ACCAN Acting CEO Dr Gareth Downing said that the ACCCs comments on the Code make it clear that the current regulatory arrangements do not provide effective or appropriate protections for communications consumers.

While the draft Code improves upon the first proposal, the test is not whether this draft improves on the existing TCP Code. The ultimate test for the ACMA is whether this Code will provide appropriate community safeguards for consumers. Dr Downing said.

Vulnerable consumers including those experiencing domestic and family violence currently have no effective protections under the current, or indeed proposed draft Code. In the event the draft Code were to advance, the current proposal wont see protections for these consumers until some time in 2025. In the context of a national crisis of family violence, this is inadequate, inappropriate and contrary to community expectations.

The ACCC has now acknowledged the view long held by consumer advocates that the TCP Code is insufficient in protecting consumers of an essential service. We encourage the ACMA to recognise this feedback, and move to direct regulation as a means of securing better outcomes for consumers.

ACCAN looks forward to working with government, regulators and industry to substantially improve protections afforded to consumers through this process, Dr Downing concluded.
Ulviyya Shahin

Azerbaijan and Iraq have recently agreed to hold the next business forum in Baku.

Azernews reports that Azerbaijan's ambassador to Iraq, Nasir Mammadov, shared this information on X.

He mentioned having a meeting with Abdul Razzaq al-Zuheyri, Chairman of the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce:

'We discussed the current state of economic relations between our countries, explored opportunities for enhancing cooperation in trade, and as well as promoting mutual investments. We agreed to hold in the near future the next Azerbaijan-Iraq business forum in Baku."

It's worth noting that the first Azerbaijan-Iraq business forum took place in December 2023 in Baghdad, as part of the 3rd meeting of the joint commission on economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation between the governments of Azerbaijan and Iraq.
Australias eSafety Commissioner is giving six months to the internet industry to come up with enforceable codes detailing how it will protect children from inappropriate content or material online such as pornography.

The code must prevent young children from encountering material they are not ready to see and are too young to understand.

While they will focus on pornography, the codes will also be expected to cover other high-impact material including themes of suicide and serious illness, which could include self-harm and disordered eating.

Reuters reported the code should set standards for how app stores, dating websites, search engines, social media platforms, chat services, and even gaming platforms check content that is suitable for users.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant is concerned that pornography is so pervasive and invasive that children are often exposed to it by accident and at increasingly younger ages.

Our own research shows that while the average age when Australian children first encounter pornography is around 13, a third of these children are seeing this content younger and often by accident, Inman Grant said.

We know kids will always be curious and will likely seek out porn as they enter adolescence and explore their sexuality, so, many of these measures are really focused on preventing unintentional exposure to young children.

And its not just porn sites we are talking about here, with 60% of young people telling us they were exposed to pornography on social media. This exposure was often unintentional and happened on popular services including TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Kids exposure to violent and extreme pornography is a major concern for many parents and carers, and they have a key role to play both from a protective and educative standpoint. But it cant all be on them, we also need the industry to play their part by putting in some effective barriers to protect children.

Reuters reported this demand is the second phase of industry codes overseen by the regulator, which previously endorsed codes covering how internet companies stop terrorism or child sexual exploitation content.

Measures covered by the code protecting children from pornography could include reasonable efforts to check their age, default safety measures and parental controls, and software that filters or blur unwanted sexual content.

These measures could be applied at a range of levels from the connected devices children are using to access the internet to app stores, messaging and social media services and search engines to create multi-layered protection across the technology stack.

A spokesperson for Google, a unit of Alphabet, told Reuters they would work closely with the industry on a new code and a spokesperson for Facebook and Instagram, owned by Meta, said the company will continue to engage with the eSafety Commissioner.

Representatives for X, formerly Twitter, and app store provider Apple, did not issue any statement.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 05 July 2024.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Sean OBrien, a native of Illinois, and the station ordnance officer for Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, poses for a photo at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, May 2, 2024. OBrien was born and raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and originally did not think of the military as the correct career path for himself. Now, with over 22 years of service, OBrien has spent much of his time in the military carving new career paths, leading Marines and Sailors, and building a family. (Photo by Cpl. Isaac Orozco, U.S. Marine Corps)

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan  Names are tremendously powerful. They represent culture, history, remembrance, and perhaps most importantly, family ties. A familys name is one that connects each member of it to each other regardless of if they want to or not. Names can also command reverence if ones bloodline is highly respected and or did good deeds, or perhaps the opposite if they didnt. For better or worse, ones name is partly what makes up ones identity. However, that doesnt mean someones image is left up to chance  far from it. People have the power to make a name for themselves in a different way, at least this is what has been instilled in U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Sean OBrien. With 22 years of service across the world in both the enlisted and officer ranks, Capt. OBrien, the station ordnance officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, has learned throughout his career that being successful and building a good reputation for yourself isnt a solo endeavor, rather, its one that impacts and requires the efforts of all of those around you.

When I was on recruiting duty, I had a great Commanding Officer, Maj. Sean T. Quinlan, tell me once that you have three names: Your last name, your first name, and a third name, which is the name you make for yourself. OBrien said. Your last name is your family name, their history  such as hailing from Ireland or Czechoslovakia  and what they did in the past. Your first name is your given name, even if its a messed-up name your parents gave you, its the one you got to live by. Finally, you have the name you make for yourself, which I think is most important. For example, what does it mean when someone comes to me and says, Hey Capt. OBrien, I need this done. Am I going to get the job done right? Do they already have that in their mind when they call for me? Do they think that Im the guy that can make things happen?

Growing up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, OBrien started life in the Chicago metropolitan area, in between the rural farmlands that comprise much of the Midwest and the controlled chaos of the big city. As a child, he had learned that his family history had been intertwined with the military throughout recent history.

I come from a very strong military family, OBrien said My dad was in the Army, got out as a sergeant and then went into the reserves. My grandpa was in Berlin after World War II during the occupation after the war was over. My other grandfather was a lieutenant commander, and I think he eventually became a commander in the Navy. My mom was in the Air Force for a couple of years as a corpsman, and my step-dad also in the Army. Whats interesting is that my uncle was the only one in the Marine Corps, and that was during Vietnam.

Although his family was heavily tied to the military, it was not a driving force behind his enlistment. It didnt even enter his mind until he was 21 years old. Whats funny is I did not enlist because of them. In fact, I didnt even think of the military when I was 18. I enlisted when I was 21. OBrien said. When I was younger in the suburbs of Chicago, I was a package handler and then part time manager at FedEx. Later I was in carpentry as a rough framer doing whole subdivisions and townhouses. They were great jobs and I really enjoyed them, but since it was in Chicago, youre scared about losing your job during wintertime because layoffs are coming in.

Worries about uncontrollable job circumstances kept Capt. OBrien working as hard as he could to keep his job, while at the same time leaving him wanting something more secure. He mulled over the idea of going back to school after he finished high school. Eventually, he had a series of conversations with one of his carpentry co-workers, a man named Joel, who eventually convinced him to take a chance and go back to school.

Joel would talk for hours, you know, the whole day. Eight hours of me and him doing roofs from one house to another. OBrien said, Joel was the guy who said, Hey, you need to go back to school man, you should not be doing this. and I said, Yeah, you know what? Youre right. I need to go back to school. But then there is the question of How do I pay for school though? I call my mom and tell her, Mom, guess what? I want to go back to school. She laughed at me. She said, we tried this once, were not doing it again. I then said, Youre right, youre right, but still, how do I do this?

He remembered that joining the military would help immensely in paying for his schooling, and in August of 2001, OBrien was already talking to a recruiter. By September 14th he had raised his right hand, just three days after 9/11.

I never put two and two together. I did not think Oh, 9/11 happened and now were going to war. Nobody really knew what was happening. OBrien said. Everyone was gathering all this information and I never put the two together. Im joining the military, and the United States was just attacked. At the time I was doing it because I wanted a job that I can sustain and go to school. I was a little naive about where they would send us.

In January 2002, OBrien shipped out to boot camp. He would make it roughly halfway through basic training before he would encounter tremendous adversity.

Very early in my career, my dad passed away when I was in boot camp. That was very hard. OBrien said. I got to go home on emergency leave in the middle of boot camp. That was a rough patch in my life. To be in the middle of week two of rifle training and lose your dad. Only to come back to training, change platoons, and be just as motivated as before you left. That was hard, but you learn from it, and you have to embrace it. After coming back, I knew what I wanted to do, and that was to not quit. Im not going to quit because something terrible happens in my life. Im going to set my mind forward and keep going.

After basic training, OBrien arrived at his first duty station at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in November of 2002. Things were relatively normal until March of 2003, when the war in the Middle East continued to ramp up.

March of 2003, thats when everybody got kicked off the base. I was part of the remaining element, just luck of the draw I guess. OBrien said, I think 10 of us really stayed back. All aircraft were gone except for around six of them. The whole MAG [Marine Aircraft Group] deployed, and here I am sitting at MALS [Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron] 13, waiting for everybody to get back.

Soon after, OBrien ended up deploying and supporting operation Phantom Fury from Al Asad Airbase in Iraq from July 2004 to November 2004 as a part of MALS-16. He would later return to Al-Asad on another deployment from February to September 2006, still part of MALS-16, in support of operation Iraqi Freedom.

After his deployments in the Middle East, OBrien went on to recruiting duty in Des Moines, Iowa. He would find it time consuming, challenging, stressful, but immensely rewarding.

I did recruiting duty for three years, and let me tell you, every day was a difficult day. OBrien said. Even though it was difficult, nothings better than seeing kids that you enlist become successful Marines and bumping into them a couple of years later. Use the Marine Corps as a stepping-stone to get farther in life or use it to stay in and continue being successful. The Marine Corps is a tool to be successful in life no matter what you do. You learn from it and move on or stay in and keep going.

After 12 years of being enlisted, OBrien was eventually inspired to commission as an officer. Among his reasons was a desire to be more able to serve as a mentor to all his Marines, just like his leaders would do for him.

Now as the station ordnance officer of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Capt. OBrien is responsible for all ordnance and other ammunition on MCAS Iwakuni.

My team and I ensure that the ordnance that the squadrons want here is properly stored, segregated, and issued to the correct squadrons that are required to have it for training, operational activities, investments  whatever that requirement is. Its everything from 9mm ammo for the pistol range all the way to air-to-ground missiles.

As a leader of Marines, OBrien has to be ready to answer any questions and all requests that come his way, especially those from Marines and Sailors under him. He believes that in order to get the most from his people, he needs to address why the mission they are executing is important in the first place.

The most important thing for me is explaining the why to my Marines and Sailors. OBrien said. For example, when we shipped mortar rounds to Indonesia, MEF [Marine Expeditionary Force] asked us to support an ordnance movement, but the ordnance wasnt here, it was in Sasebo. However, they knew we had a flightline and Sasebo didnt, so we set it up at Iwakuni and flew it out here. It was very quick, within maybe a week or two to execute, but we got our ordnance up there. A couple weeks later, I saw on marines.mil that Indonesian Marines and U.S. Marines were training together doing 60mm mortars and something dawned on me. I said Thats our ordnance. Thats our movement. Thats the why right there. Why did we need to work longer hours that day? Its because it was a crucial movement. I can just tell my Marines and Sailors Hey, lets pack it up and lets ship it and once it flies, its gone, right? Were done with it. But showing them the end result, showing the Marines training with that ordnance and what would happen if that shipment didnt happen in time is the message. Could you imagine them trying to do the exercise without the mortars? Its like going to the rifle range without rounds.

In addition to the several unique experiences OBrien has had throughout his career, he is also in a very fortunate position to have much of his family on base, a stark contrast to how he lived 20 years ago.

I have a very unique family situation [here], as I got my son in law, my daughter, my son, my granddaughter, my wife, all here, so I got 75% of my immediate family together at the air station. OBrien said.

SSgt. Montrell Brunson, an aircraft maintenance data analyst with MALS-12, MAG-12, and the son-in-law of OBrien, has also found the situation very beneficial, as having a strong connection to family so close to him makes life much smoother, especially on deployments.

It really makes things a lot easier having someone close. Brunson said. Typically, you always hear that before you go on a deployment, make sure your home is good, but for me its already in good hands because I know when I leave, my family is taken care of. Dad, mom, or grandpa is here to take care of it on base if somethings up. That feeling that spouses or the family have of feeling alone, they dont necessarily have in our situation, so I feel very fortunate.

Brunson also says that even though OBrien is an officer, it carries no odd interactions between them.

Hes 100% approachable, its not strange at all. Brunson said. It helps that hes been on both sides of the Marine Corps, the enlisted and the officer side. That carries with it a level of understanding that a lot of Marines dont have.

OBrien has mutual feelings about the situation, especially looking back at how things used to be for him. He feels that although he faced complications through his career in the past, its thanks to both his families, his Marines and his literal family, that hes able to handle the unexpected.

The fun thing about us is we are lucky to have this opportunity to be with each other, to be able to lean on each other when life is sucky  sometimes in all aspects. OBrien said. Im very fortunate to not have too many adverse things happen in my life, partly because of me and partly because I had great NCOs [non-commissioned officers] and great Staff NCOs that always looked after me. Ill tell you one thing: you show me Marines that have never been in trouble, and Ill show you a Staff NCO or NCO that took care of them.

Family, friends, and colleagues, all contribute to OBriens success. It wasnt what he originally envisioned as he was working odd jobs until his early twenties, but having a lengthy career in the Marine Corps has certainly made a name for him. As time has gone on, the uncertainty and anxiety have vanished, and all of his hard work and care for others have now paid off for him. OBrien will continue to push forward, and for him, its all due to those that support him.

The best success I had in my career is with that guy standing next to me, and its our success, not just my success. OBrien said. Its the teams success. Youre successful as much as your teams wrapped around you, and you better keep that nucleus tight. Keep Marines and Sailors around you successful too, and you can go anywhere and do anything.
GREENSBORO  Another birthday has passed with Tyarra Williams still missing.

Investigator Mike Matthews sat with thick Greensboro police case files bearing the aspiring teachers name on the day she would have turned 28.

Williams case has captured a large social media following partly because of the eight-year-old unsolved mystery of what happened to the Dudley High School graduate.

Her story has been featured on Investigation Discoverys The Vanishing Hour, the Black Girl Gone crime podcast and a special NBC News report on the missing. And others.

But the media attention hasnt resulted in much. Then or now.

****

Williams was 19 years old at the time  she had just enrolled in college  when she stepped outside her Stoneybrook Apartments home off Webster Road about 8:30 p.m. on a frigid January night in 2016. She was to meet a friend in the same complex. The 5-foot-5, 120-pound Williams was dressed in blue Levis, a black jacket, a pink shirt and a royal blue toboggan.

After meeting the friend, she headed back down the sidewalk for home.

She never made it.

And no one has seen her since.

Over the years, theories have abounded about what happened. Sites searched. People interviewed. The list of missing people added and occasionally subtracted.

Matthews was able to remove one of them recently.

Missing: Tyarra Williams In 2016, Tyarra Williams was 19 when she left her apartment one night to see a friend. She never returned.

We had to tell the family that they are living in another state and dont want to have anything to do with their past life in Greensboro, described Matthews of what ended up being devastating news to relatives. Whether its right or wrong, morally, theres no law against that.

But eight years later, Williams is still on the list.

Matthews is one of two retired detectives who have been rehired to revisit old cases and was the lead investigator on such high-profile crimes as the Old Navy killing of an armored truck guard in 2008.

After he was hired, someone did call with information they had been holding in the six years Williams had been missing at the time.

Sometimes it just eats at people that maybe I should have called, Matthews explained.

The information was vetted, but police could not make a connection to Williams case.

Still, it could have, and Matthews is hopeful that there may be others who know something that may lead to what happened.

No detail is too small, he said.

He appreciates the calls that come in when people think theyve seen her, as they have in other parts of the country where her story and poster have been shared.

Williams mother is working with police but has stopped giving interviews after appearing on the front pages of newspapers and on numerous television news shows. In January, on the anniversary date her daughter went missing, she asked people to continue praying, continue searching, continue hoping on the Help Find Tyarra Cacique Williams Facebook Page, which has 24,000 followers.

That fateful night, Williams had left everything behind except her cellphone. The charger was still plugged into the wall at her mothers apartment, which signaled to Danielle Williams her daughter wouldnt be gone long.

****

As word spread that a young woman was missing in Greensboro that January, and posters popped up all over the city featuring Williams with a toothy grin, perfectly coiffed hair and soulful eyes, calls began pouring into police. People thought they had seen her at Walmart. Or the bus stop. Or in another part of the country.

Investigators followed up on every tip. But they went nowhere and eventually dried up.

A number of searches have taken place on nearby Webster Road, which connects with busy Randleman Road on one end and South Elm-Eugene Street on the other with large wooded acres of land. If someone saw her somewhere along that stretch of property, theyre not saying. A fact not lost on Danielle Williams.

On social media, she often speaks to people she thinks may be involved in her daughters disappearance. One such post read: I want the persons involved to know you have taken so much from her life and such a wonderful light from us. ... I said persons because no one can hold such a horrible secret so long by themselves. Somebody knows something.

Her family has taken hope in the missing people who have been found in the years since Williams disappearance, including Jaycee Dugard, who resurfaced 18 years after being kidnapped. Another, then-13-year-old Jayme Closs, was found months after her parents were discovered dead in their Wisconsin residence. She was able to escape a home where police said she was being held captive.

You dont want to ever give up hope because of those cases where people are found, Matthews said. The reality is its been eight years without any contact with family or friends or any reliable sightings we can verify. So we have to look at it both ways.

Williams name was added to the database of the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children. She is among other young adults who were between the ages of 18 and 20 when they disappeared. Her ears and left nostril are pierced. She also has a nickel-sized burn scar on her right wrist.

And she had a life.

Recently, Williams wrote on Facebook:

Twenty-eight years ago I brought this beautiful soul into this world. I would have loved to have watched my daughter blossom into the woman she should be now! It has been 8 years and 9 birthdays taken from us. There are no words to describe all the thoughts that are running through my mind as I sit here at 2 in the morning writing this post. Im just going to leave it at this. Tyarra we love you and we have not given up!
Ulviyya Shahin

COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev met with the President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sasso-Nguesso.

Azernews reports that Sultan Hajiyev, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Kenya, shared this information on his account on the 'X' social network.

The diplomat emphasized that the meeting took place within the framework of the first international conference on reforestation and restoration in Brazzaville.

'Combating climate change is one of the priority directions of our countries' bilateral partnership,' it was noted in the sharing."
Chris Cain stepped up to the microphone, holding his guitar across his chest and looked down P Street at the ZooFest crowd and glanced at the Zoo Bar that hed just been in for the first time in decades.

I havent been here in way too long, Cain said. "Its very emotional for me. Were going to play some blues for you.

And play the blues his band did for more than an hour, celebrating his return and the Zoo Bars 51st anniversary.

But in unstated fashion, Cain and the rest of the Fourth of July ZooFest lineup celebrated what Dave Alvin called in the song American Music  Louisiana boogie, Delta blues, country swing, rockabilly, jazz, country western, Chicago blues  the roots music stew that has been cooking at the Zoo since 1973.

Its roots music, said Zoo owner Pete Watters. Todays pretty blues heavy. People think is a blues bar. But it's more a roots music bar. We have a brass band Saturday, rockabilly Saturday night. When we have country its usually traditional country. Thats the stuff all of us have been interested in.

Even though Thursdays lineup was blues heavy, the genre and stylist lines were blurred throughout the afternoon and evening.

Blues Project, that band that preceded Cain, did a version of Jimi Hendrixs Voodoo Child (Slight Return). Cain, whose impressive guitar work is jazz-inflected, moved to the piano to do a double keyboard number  I saw Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder do this on television, kicking off Living for the City.

And Selwyn Birchwood, who followed Cain, had his baritone saxophonist playing riffs from 70s funk songs in his originals.

Birchwoods 90-minute set of electric swamp funkin blues was made up almost entirely of songs he has written, a bunch of them from Exorcist, his new Bootsy Collins' endorsed album that just hit No. 1 on the blues charts.

Were doing and playing what we love and trying to spread the joy we feel from the music, Birchwood said before his set as he watched Cain perform.

Mission accomplished. An engaging performer, Birchwood brought much of the crowd to the front of the stage as he and his band rolled through songs like Horns Below Her Halo and the new albums title cut that really connected.

ZooFest schedule The Zoo Bar's annual ZooFest music festival began Thursday and continues on Friday and Saturday. Where: 14th Street between P and O streets. Gate at 14th and O streets. When: Continues Friday and Saturday Tickets: Advance tickets are $50 and available at ticketweb.com. Tickets are also available at the Zoo Bar. Day-of-show tickets are $50 on Friday and Saturday. Schedule Friday 5 p.m., Jimmy Carpenter Band. 7 p.m., Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears. 9 p.m., Ruthie Foster. 11 p.m., A Ferocious Jungle Cat. Saturday 3 p.m., Lloyd McCarter & the Honky Tonk Revival. 5 p.m., Keisha Pratt featuring Kevin Burke. 7 p.m., The Paladins. 9 p.m., The Soul Rebels. 11 p.m., The Midland Band (Steely Dan tribute).

Weve been coming to the Zoo Bar for about 12 years now, Birchwood told the crowd. As long as you keep showing up, well keep showing up. As long as you keep showing up, well keep showing out.

Not surprisingly, Thursdays crowd didnt pack the ZooFest site, which in the last two years is longer and wider with greater capacity as the stage has been moved to the north side of P Street.

Its the Fourth of July, Watters said. People have things to do. I was wondering what to think, until midway through Chris set. Its a good crowd for a holiday. And its going to get bigger.

ZooFest will continue Friday, with Ruthie Foster in the headlining 9 p.m. slot. Saturday, the Paladins, the aforementioned rockabilly band, and The Soul Rebels, the New Orleans brass band, will have the 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. slots.

As for Cain, who took a short break during his performance that featured some serious B.B. King-influenced guitar, he remained emotional after his show.

I love this place, he said.

Photos: The Zoo Bar celebrates 50 years
SEWARD  Welcome to Independence Day in Seward, where residents dust off all things red, white and blue, set up street barricades, bring in the food trucks, pull out the face paints, bake the pies, stake out the best parade-viewing spots and celebrate like only Americas Fourth of July city can.

The roots of this town and its annual celebration run deep, the evidence everywhere: at the pie-eating contest, leaning against the retaining wall near the band shelter, under the spray of the fire hoses  and in a 20-foot high white pyramid a few blocks from the heart of the celebration.

Nancy Schmidt, who has homes in North Carolina and Florida, stationed herself near the band shelter Thursday while her grandkids finished lunch, their feet dangling from the stone retaining wall.

She wouldnt be anywhere else.

Her husband grew up in Seward, she said, then attended Valparaiso University in Indiana. After he and Nancy married, they settled in North Carolina. Her husband died in 2018, but this year, she said, would be their 49th wedding anniversary.

And all but two of those years we were in Seward for the Fourth, she said. This is just a very special town. We want to make sure our grandkids know their roots.

Brian Coffin likely gets that sentiment.

He and his family have driven from their home in Overland Park, Kansas, every year for four decades to celebrate July 4 in Seward, where his wifes family lives.

For probably 25 of those hes competed in the pie-eating contest. This was his first win.

Its awesome," he said, a fitting victory for a long-time tradition.

When his daughters were young, they often competed in the bubble-blowing contest, though this year Jill Beisel of Seward walked away with the trophy (and a face full of bubble gum).

I came ready to win, said Beisel, who has lived in Seward for eight years and managed to blow the biggest bubble from the stage in the bandshell as family from Montana and Wisconsin cheered her on.

Down the road, water sprayed into the air from two fire hoses aimed at a tank (painted red, white and blue, of course) suspended on a wire over the heads of firefighters engaged in an annual battle  one thats been waged every year since the 1940s.

The goal, said Tayler Mifflin, assistant training officer of the Seward Volunteer Fire Department, is to see which three-member team can train the water sufficiently to push the tank to the end of the wire. Think of it as a water-powered tug of war.

Mifflin likes the competition, but he likes the annual gathering of competitors even more.

I love the camaraderie of all the departments around here, he said.

Schmidt said for her, the annual celebration is part of what makes Seward special.

Its such a patriotic, feel-good-about-America city, she said. They have so many special things here.

World's biggest time capsule

One of those sits in Trish Davisson Johnsons yard several blocks from the main celebration.

I have been the keeper of the crypt for 50 years, she said of the 45-ton, 20-by-8-by-6-foot concrete vault her dad built in 1985, a decade after hed buried the biggest time capsule in the world in the same spot.

I thought it was stupid," she said. "Now I think its genius.

Harold Davisson, a business owner in Seward, came up with the idea of creating the worlds largest time capsule in 1975 and buried  among other things  a 1975 Chevy Vega and a Kawasaki motorcycle. The towns businesses and organizations chipped in all sorts of treasures.

In 1985, worried about erosion  and the fact that someone had snatched the worlds largest title  he built the pyramid and filled it with more stuff, including a 1975 Toyota Corolla. He reclaimed his title, which will now be carried in perpetuity since the Guinness Book of World Records has retired the classification.

His health wasnt great at the time, said his granddaughter Ann Leaf-Johnson, and he wanted to do something for his grandkids, to preserve the present for the future. Turns out he lived until 1999.

We have lots to remember him by but this is a very tangible one.

The grand opening of the original time capsule will be next year  50 years after it was buried. But this year, the family opened the pyramid (removing a 12-inch thick, 4-ton door was no easy job) and took out the Corolla and other keepsakes inside.

On July 4, a steady stream of people left the main celebration to peer inside the pyramid at the murals covering the walls, to look at the contents and gaze at that Toyota, now mounted on a truck.

Davisson Johnson said her dad felt strongly about buying American, so he thought hed include a little social commentary in his time capsule.

He buried the Chevy in pristine condition in 1975. He let townsfolk hit the Toyota with a sledgehammer and sign their names before it went in the pyramid a decade later.

Davisson Johnson always wanted to carry on her parents business  and she is still doing that. She really had no interest in being keeper of the crypt until she got older.

Why the change, the celebration of it Thursday, the big opening next year?

Its age, kids, life, she said. Its the kind of thing that hits you.

Photos: Revelers in Seward - Nebraska's 4th of July City - have a blast
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
The 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is taking place in Astana. This year, the meeting is being held in the SCO+ format - with the participation of 16 countries, including those not included in the organization.





Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has been invited to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit for the second time, which is an important indicator of the country's importance and the authority of its leader. The activities of any integration structure in the Eurasian space today are carried out along two vectors: North-South and West-East. As in the past, trade routes determine the politics, economy and prospects of entire regions, and what is symbolic is that the central link of both vectors is Azerbaijan.





In 2016, Azerbaijan received the status of a dialogue partner of the SCO. Today, it still holds this status, which is a little surprising. However, even without the status, cooperation between our country and the SCO member states is developing, and the role of Azerbaijan on the new Silk Road is irreplaceable. Considering that in the new geopolitical situation, political and diplomatic battles have unfolded around logistics corridors, it is easy to imagine how important it is for the leader of Azerbaijan, who is the initiator and driving force behind many important initiatives in regional cooperation, to participate in the organizations summit.





On Wednesday in Astana, as part of the SCO summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev launched the shipment of cargo along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). The block train and cargo caravan that left China at the end of June arrived at the Kazakh ports of Aktau and Kuryk, where they were loaded onto ferries for shipment to Azerbaijan, from where the cargo will be delivered to Europe via Georgia and Turkey.

Recall that on June 28, the first freight train departed from Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, to Istanbul via Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia. In a statement, the operator of the new route, Nanjing International Freight Train, said the train consisted of 110 containers loaded with household appliances and essential goods. China Railway Group announced that it had identified 87 routes for trains running from China to Europe and stepped up efforts to organize China-Europe and China-Asia train services along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor. In addition, the China-Europe train schedule has been expanded.

The fact that the launch of the TMTM by the heads of the two states took place within the framework of the SCO summit is symbolic. This event could not fail to attract the attention of the members and partners of the organization, most of whom are vitally interested in this route.

It is clear that China has decided to increase its activity. Recently, it seemed that there was some stagnation and uncertainty in the issue of logistics routes. Today, we see that active processes are unfolding around the Middle Corridor (as the TMTR is also called). Perhaps, the fact that extra-regional players have made a number of attempts to seize the initiative and control over the strategic route played a role. After the failure of a number of other initiatives, all eyes turned to the Middle Corridor.





China's increased activity is undoubtedly beneficial to the countries along the Middle Corridor route. China is one of the world's largest economies, accounting for more than 18 percent of global GDP. Although European countries, for political reasons and not always of their own free will, are reducing trade volumes with China, China still remains one of the EU's largest trading partners. In addition, an important factor in increasing the relevance of the TITR is Europe's growing interest in Central Asian resources. This means that even if trade between the EU and China declines somewhat, the Middle Corridor will remain busy.

For its part, Azerbaijan continues to create conditions so that trade routes passing through its territory are profitable and efficient.

On July 3, within the framework of the SCO summit held in Astana, the heads of Azerbaijan and China adopted a Joint Declaration on the establishment of a strategic partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the People's Republic of China. We will talk about this historical document and its significance for our countries and for the region separately. For now, we will only emphasize that it connected two most important links of the Middle Corridor not only economically, but also politically. It is easy to calculate what significance the establishment of a strategic partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the People's Republic of China will have for the success of transport and logistics projects in the region.

On the opening day of the SCO summit, it became known that China Railways launched a new train route from Xi'an, the main hub for freight transportation by rail from China to Europe, to Baku. The trains will run once a week. After leaving Xi'an, the trains will arrive in Baku within 12 days via the Khorgos border point in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea. The first train on this route departed on July 1. As noted, the new route was opened in order to contribute to trade and economic cooperation along the China-Europe freight train network and the development of the Belt and Road initiative.

Recently, Azerbaijan and China signed a memorandum that will facilitate the growth of transportation volumes along the Middle Corridor. The document was signed between Azerbaijan Railways CJSC and the leadership of Jiangsu Province. And before that, Azerbaijan Railways announced plans to open a representative office in China, as well as to purchase or build a terminal in the PRC.




Busan Haeundae Beach (Photo courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization)

Since summers can be scorching, many flock to the great outdoors for memorable vacations. Whether youre a beach or mountains person, Korea has many summer vacations spots youll love to explore.

Busan

Busan Haeundae Beach (Photo courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization)

Without a doubt, Busan is an ideal summer getaway with the perfect blend of beautiful beaches, exciting activities, and delicious cuisine. Haeundae and Gwangalli beaches offer visitors great swimming and thrilling water sports, or relaxation on soft sands and clear waters. After sunset, Busans nightlife comes to life with its trendy restaurants, bars, and clubs.

Sokcho

Sokcho (Yangyang Surffy Beach) (Photo courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization)

Sokcho is one of the best east coast vacation spots, especially for lovers of the great outdoors. The blue East Sea and Seoraksan Mountain are what draw visitors, but the areas resorts, beaches and delicious seafood will make you a repeat visitor. If you like surfing, Yangyang Surfyy Beach nearby is a popular spot to catch a wave.

Gapyeong

Gapyeong mountain streams (Photo courtesy of Gapyeong County) Gapyeong mountain streams (Photo courtesy of Gapyeong County)

Gapyeong is famous for its abundant natural beauty, offering clear waters flowing from mountain streams. Its an absolute beloved destination among young people to enjoy water activities and waterfall diving. Also, the various facilities nearby make Gapyeong as a great spot for camping and glamping.

Boryeong

Boryeong Mud Festival (Photo courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization) Boryeong Mud Festival (Photo courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization)

Boryeong is a well-known destination on the west coast and is particularly famous for the annual Mud Festival held at Daecheon Beach. As one of Koreas leading festivals, the Mud Festival is not only popular among Koreans but also attracts foreigners to enjoy various mud activities, rides, and performances. Moreover, the beach offers various amenities, leisure facilities, cafes, and restaurants, perfect for quality time with friends and family.

Boryeong Mud Festival: July 19  Aug. 4
By Nazrin Abdul

A conference titled "Confronting the Landmine Challenge: Environmental Implications and Policy Responses" was recently held in Brussels, organized by the Brussels Diplomatic Academy with support from the Azerbaijani Embassy, Azernews report.

The event aimed to explore the environmental and socio-economic impacts of landmines, and to discuss effective policy responses and best practices in demining efforts.

The conference brought together representatives from mine-affected countries including Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Chad, and Colombia, along with donor organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations Development Program. Experts, members of the diplomatic corps in Brussels, and over 50 participants from academia and business circles also attended.

Vugar Suleymanov, Chairman of Azerbaijan's Mine Action Agency (ANAMA), addressed the audience, highlighting Azerbaijan's challenges with landmines and their severe impact on lives, health, and the environment. With Azerbaijan set to host COP29 in 2024, Suleymanov stressed the global humanitarian and ecological significance of addressing the environmental consequences of landmines.

Samir Poladov, Deputy Chairman of ANAMA, detailed Azerbaijan's efforts in demining, including methods employed and ongoing restoration and reconstruction initiatives in liberated territories.

The conference also featured a special ceremony recognizing Belgium's new 250,000 contribution to Azerbaijan's humanitarian demining operations through the APOPO NGO. Representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belgium and Azerbaijan, alongside APOPO, underscored the importance of such contributions in tackling this critical issue.
On 4 July Colombias Presidentoutlined nine objectives of the constituent assembly that he hopes to convene with the goal of modifying Colombias 1991 constitution.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 412 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options
On 4 July Brazils federal police (PF) recommended charges against former president(2019-2023) in relation to a corruption investigation involving expensive jewellery gifted from foreign governments.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 396 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options
On 4 July Argentinas Presidentappointedto head a new ministry for deregulation and transformation of the state.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 359 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options
Near Jammu, India, the smell of burning garbage, or waste material, spreads out for kilometers across the city. The site where the garbage is burned holds a mix of plastic, industrial, and medical waste. Experts say the air is dangerous to breathe.

The extremely high summer temperatures add to the danger.

But a small number of people work at the site through the smoke and intense heat. They search the garbage before it goes into the fire. They collect anything that might be sellable.

They earn at most four dollars a day.

If we dont do this, we dont get any food to eat, said 65-year-old Usmaan Shekh. We try to take a break for a few minutes when it gets too hot, but mostly we just continue till we cant.

Shekh and his family are among as many as four million garbage pickers around India. The job is dangerous, and increasing summer heat brings even greater risk to the workers. In Jammu, a northern city, temperatures this summer have climbed above 43 degrees Celsius often.

As waste breaks down, it creates heat. Summer temperatures intensify this heating. As a result, the landfill releases more gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. These gases are dangerous to breathe. Experts say the summer landfill fires can burn for days.

Indias federal government estimates the country produces about 56 million metric tons of waste each year.

A 2016 law requires dangerous material to be separated from landfills. But enforcement of the law has been weak. This adds to the risk the landfill workers face.

Bharati Chaturvedi is founder of the New Delhi-based Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group. She has worked with waste pickers for more than 20 years. She noted that the workers already face health risks from direct contact with the waste. The extreme heat is an additional danger.

Its been a terrible, terrible, terrible year, she said. They already expect to suffer from the heat and that gives them a lot of anxiety, because they dont know if theyll make it, if theyll survive it.

Heatstroke, cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney diseases are some of the risks from working outdoors during high heat.

Ruksana Begum is a 41-year-old waste picker at the Bhalswa landfill in the city of New Delhi. She said some waste pickers are working less because of the heat. As a result, they only have enough money for one meal a day.

They are trying to avoid work because of the heat since if they go to work, they end up spending more at the hospital than for their food, Begum said.

Chaturvedi said it is necessary to give the workers water, shade, or a cooled building to use near the landfill. She said they should be urged to work less when the temperatures are high. And she said medical care must be available to the workers when they need it.

Geeta Devi is a 55-year-old garbage picker. She also works at the Bhalswa landfill in New Delhi. Devi says when the heat makes her dizzy, she takes shelter. Sometimes, someone gives her water or food. But she has no choice about working at the garbage site. She earns about two dollars a day. Thats what she needs to feed her children.

It is difficult to do my job because of the heat. But I have no other job, she said.

Im Andrew Smith.

Channi Anand, Piyush Nagpal, and Sibi Arasu reported this story for The Associated Press. Andrew Smith adapted it for VOA Learning English.

_________________________________________________

Words in This Story

pick -v. to choose and take items

anxiety -n. a feeling or state of worry

shade -n. an area protected from direct sunlight by a tree, building, or other structure

dizzy -adj. describes a feeling of losing one's balance and being about to fall
A recent report by environmental researchers says that protecting 1.2 percent of the Earths land surface could prevent most extinctions.

Extinction is the permanent disappearance of an animal or plant from the Earth.

The researchers estimated that such an expansion of nature preserves would cost about $263 billion.

In 2022, United Nations delegates to the COP15 meeting in Montreal, Canada, promised to protect 30 percent of the Earths surface by 2030. The U.N. calls the promise the 30-by-30 target. It aims to protect plants and animals severely affected by climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction.

In October, U.N. delegates will gather for a COP16 biodiversity meeting in Colombia to discuss plans for reaching the 30-by-30 goal.

The recent study was published in Frontiers in Science. In it, the researchers aimed to identify the highest value areas around the world. Carlos Peres said he hopes the areas identified will be included in protection plans. Peres was a co-writer of the study and is a conservation ecology expert at the University of East Anglia in Britain.

Perese said, "Most countries do not actually have a strategy.

He said, "The 30-by-30 targets still lack a lot of details because it doesn't actually say what 30 percent should be protected."

The study's proposed protections would cover an additional 1.6 million square kilometers. This is an area about one fifth the size of the United States. The study includes 16,825 sites that are home to rare and threatened wildlife.

It is estimated that nearly 16 percent of the worlds surface already has some level of protection.

The study estimated that the cost of purchasing land by governments would be about $263 billion. Many of these areas include private property and would be bought at current market values over the next five years.

"Time is not on our side, Peres said, because it will become increasingly more expensive and more difficult to set aside additional protected areas.

Most of the cost of creating protected areas is in buying the land. The study did not consider the costs for policing and maintaining the nature preserves.

About three-quarters of the sites are tropical forests. The Philippines, Brazil, and Indonesia are home to more than half of the high-valued areas.

Russia is the one country with the most high-valued areas. The study said about 138,000 square kilometers should be the target of conservation.

Several African countries are also at the top of the list. Madagascar has the fourth-highest number of areas. And the Democratic Republic of Congo has the largest area targeted for conservation in Africa.

The United States is among the top 30 countries in the study. The study said about 0.6 percent of the U.S. should be targeted for conservation. That is an area about the size of the state of Delaware.

The researchers only considered land and freshwater areas. They did not consider oceans or marine protected areas. The study also did not include kinds of animals such as invertebrates, or animals without a backbone, like insects.

The U.S.-based nonprofit group One Earth paid for the study.

Im Anna Matteo.

Jake Spring reported this story for Reuters. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English.

_____________________________________________

Words in This Story

preserve n. a protected area for a special purpose

habitat n. a place where wildlife naturally lives

biodiversity n. the condition of having many different kinds of plants and animals in a place

conservation n. efforts to preserve and maintain natural lands and resources

ecology n. the study of relationships between living things

strategy n. a long-term plan to reach a goal

expensive adj. costly; requiring a lot of money

tropical n. related to areas of the Earth between about 22 degrees north and 22 degrees south latitude

marine adj. related to the sea or oceans

We want to hear from you. In the Comments section, you can share your opinions and also practice using any of the expressions from the story. Our comment policy is here.
Xi warns SCO members of real threat from Cold War mentality

Xinhua) 08:23, July 05, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

ASTANA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping here Thursday called on the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to ensure security in the face of real threat from the Cold War mentality.

Xi made the remarks when attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.

He urged the member states to adhere to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, address complex and intertwined security challenges through dialogue and coordination, and respond to the profoundly changing international landscape with a win-win approach, so as to build a world of lasting peace and universal security.

Xi spoke highly of Kazakhstan's positive efforts and significant contributions to improving the operational mechanism of the SCO and deepening cooperation in various fields during its rotating presidency, and welcomed Belarus to attend the SCO summit as a member state for the first time.

He pointed out that the SCO was founded at the turn of the century when confrontations and divisions left by the Cold War had yet to be resolved.

The SCO founding members made a historical decision to pursue peaceful development, commit to good-neighborliness and friendship, and build a new type of international relations, Xi said, adding that the "Shanghai Spirit" has become a shared value and guiding principle for the member states.

Noting that the SCO has had its 10th member state since its establishment 23 years ago, Xi said the foundation for SCO cooperation has become more solid as the SCO "big family" has growing membership which covers three continents around the world.

As the world is faced with accelerating changes unseen in a century, the human society is standing at a crossroads of history again, Xi said.

Xi pointed out that the SCO stands on the right side of history, fairness and justice, and is of great significance to the world.

He called on SCO members to safeguard the right to development in the face of real risks of "small yard, high fences."

Xi noted that SCO members should adhere to mutual benefits and inclusiveness, join hands to push for scientific and technological innovation, keep industrial and supply chains stable and smooth, stimulate the internal impetus of regional economies, and work towards common development goals.

SCO members should consolidate unity and jointly oppose external interference in the face of the real challenges of interference and division, he said.

The SCO members should firmly support each other, accommodate each other's concerns, handle internal differences with a spirit of harmony, and resolve cooperation difficulties by seeking common ground while reserving differences, and firmly grasp the destiny of our countries and the peace and development of the region in our own hands, Xi said.

The SCO has withstood the test of the changing international landscape, the root cause of which lies in the fact that SCO members remain committed to the fine tradition of solidarity and coordination, the way of cooperation featuring equality and mutual benefit, the value pursuit on fairness and justice, and the broad-mindedness of inclusiveness and mutual learning, Xi stressed.

Xi called on the member states to stay true to the original aspiration, continue to uphold the "Shanghai Spirit," help each other on their respective path to success, jointly maintain the development direction of the SCO, and build the organization into a reliable backbone for common prosperity and revitalization of its member states.

Leaders of the SCO members attending the meeting spoke positively of the constructive role of the organization in safeguarding regional peace and security, and voiced readiness to further strengthen cooperation in such areas as trade, transportation, energy, finance, agriculture, digital economy and technological innovation, as well as to deepen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in education, culture, tourism and youth, among other fields.

Noting that the current global political and economic landscape as well as international relations are undergoing major changes, the leaders said the United Nations should play a central coordinating role in promoting the building of a more representative, democratic and equitable multipolar world system, and pushing for an economic globalization that is mutually beneficial and inclusive.

They called for respecting the legitimate security concerns of all countries, committing to resolve differences and disputes between countries through peaceful means, and opposing unilateral sanctions and interference in other countries' internal affairs.

The leaders agreed to improve the SCO mechanism for dealing with security threats and challenges, resolutely combat the "three forces," drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, support the international community's efforts for peace and development in Afghanistan, and support a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution.

They signed and issued a series of documents, including an Astana declaration, and an initiative calling for solidarity among countries to promote world justice, harmony and development.

The meeting formally approved Belarus' accession to the SCO, and decided that China will resume the rotating presidency of the organization for 2024-2025.

Chinese President Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with leaders attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. Xi attended the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana Thursday. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Nazrin Abdul

The liberation of Azerbaijan's territories has ignited new aspirations and ambitions, with the 'Great Return' emerging as a pivotal moment," remarked Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev during his address at the semi-final stage of the fourth "Yukselish" competition, Azernews reports.

Acknowledging the talent and capability of participants in the "Yukselish" competition, Minister Amrullayev emphasized:

"Your selection for the semi-finals is not just a source of pride but also entails a significant responsibility. Your talent and distinction among peers elevate this responsibility twofold."

Highlighting the potential for greater success through innovative approaches like those seen in the "Rise" competition, the minister noted the effectiveness of Olympiads and competitions in younger age groups.

Furthermore, Minister Amrullayev underscored President's recent visit to inspect reconstruction efforts at Garabagh University, expressing hope:

"I believe many winners of the 'Yukselish' competition aspire to contribute to the development of Garabagh University by joining its faculty. This institution symbolizes a new era in Azerbaijani education. Currently, 160 out of 800 candidates applying for international study programs have been accepted into the world's top 10 universities. Our objective is to sustain this achievement."
Despite the fact that science is developing rapidly, and scientists can invent a vaccine against a new disease in a matter of months (the story of the coronavirus is a vivid example of this), more than half of the world prefers to be treated with folk remedies. And, we must admit, for good reason. The beneficial properties of some plants have long been proven by science.

ADVERTISIMENT

The FoodOboz editorial team talks about plants that, when eaten, not only saturate our body but also protect us from various diseases.

Turmeric

Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant. It has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, can improve brain function, fight Alzheimer's disease, and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. At the same time, all these features of turmeric root have been proven only in laboratories: experiments with curcumin were conducted only on mice or in a test tube. Therefore, although turmeric root has been used in folk medicine for centuries, many scientists still argue about the beneficial properties of turmeric.

What to cook with turmeric: golden milk or, as it is also called, turmeric latte. Turmeric can also be added to rice dishes, omelets, meat dishes, sauces, and marinades.

ADVERTISIMENT

Ginger.

Scientists have long proven that ginger root helps with colds. This is true because ginger essential oils have an anti-inflammatory effect. In addition to oral consumption, it is also recommended to grind the root into powder and apply it to sore joints.

What to cook with ginger:

Ginger tea

Ginger lemonade

Candied ginger fruit

Meat with ginger

Curry sauce

Cinnamon

Despite the fact that cinnamon is perceived exclusively as a seasoning for baked goods, cinnamon bark (i.e. cinnamon sticks) has a very good effect on the body. Cinnamon lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects thanks to just one component called cinnamaldehyde. Studies have shown that consuming the spice on an empty stomach can reduce blood sugar levels by 10-29% in diabetics.

What to cook with cinnamon:

ADVERTISIMENT

Cinnamon coffee

Cherry jam with cinnamon

Cinnamon rolls with cinnamon

Baked apples

Mulled wine

Cookies with cinnamon

Cocoa with cinnamon

Ketchup with cinnamon and garlic

Apple jelly with cinnamon

St. John's wort

This herb is rich in hypericin and hyperforin, which at one time showed good results in the issue of "mood stabilizers". During the research, scientists noted that patients with depression have a biochemical imbalance associated with a malfunction of neurotransmitters, the so-called chemical signal transmitters between neurons and executive cells in the brain. It is neurotransmitters that make it possible to unite individual neurons into a single brain and allow it to successfully perform all its diverse and vital functions. During experiments with rats, it was found that St. John's wort can have a positive effect on this imbalance caused by a malfunction of neurotransmitters.

ADVERTISIMENT

What to cook with St. John's wort: tea. Put a handful of dried St. John's wort in a teapot, add a couple of lemon balm sprigs, and pour boiling water over it. Let it brew. Serve with honey and lemon.

Hawthorn

Another useful plant that can be found in any nearby pharmacy. For many centuries, hawthorn fruits and flowers have been part of traditional Chinese medicine: they were used as a cure for heart failure and high blood pressure. Hawthorn really improves blood circulation and reduces the risk of arrhythmia. And hawthorn berries, which are taken together with medicines by people with chronic heart failure, improve heart function, and prevent the development of shortness of breath and fatigue.

What to cook with hawthorn: hawthorn flower tea. The drink has a good effect on the state of the nervous system and is recommended for insomnia.

ADVERTISIMENT

Pour a tablespoon of dried flowers with 300 ml of boiling water, and leave for 20 minutes. Strain and drink 100 ml three times a day.
Representatives from the bamboo scaffolding industry delivered a letter yesterday morning to the Chief Executive (CE), complaining of a lack of support for their traditional activity.

According to the industry representatives, back in 2014, they were allowed to lease a land plot at Taipas Zone E2 area to store bamboo materials and train professionals in this sector.

Recently, they claim to have received a notice from the Land and Urban Construction Bureau notifying them that the lease would not be renewed and ordering them to vacate the site within 60 days.

Industry representatives say there are no options for them and they need a relatively large space to store and dry the bamboo before it can be used for the scaffolding in construction projects or to build temporary venues such as those used for hosting traditional celebrations.

In the letter to the CE, they call on the government to continue renting them the same land or offer some other alternative under similar conditions.

The representatives noted that, besides the livelihood of all the workers, the survival of this historic profession is also at stake.

The craft of bamboo scaffolding is one of the Chinese sam hong (three industries of construction works, namely plastering, woodwork, and bamboo scaffolding), and forms part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Macau.

The craft is used in the construction of buildings and the setting up of work platforms for renovations and repairs, and is an essential part of traditional construction works.

The traditional materials are tied in a grid panel with nylon strips, canvas, and nylon mesh.

Due to the flexibility of the craft, several types of bamboo scaffolding have been widely used in Macau.

In recent years, the construction of bamboo pavilions and art-like structures using the same techniques and materials has been revived by the students and professors of Architecture at the University of Saint Joseph in Macau.
As the highly anticipated Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge opened Sunday for trial operations, businesses in Macau are optimistic about potential benefits of the new cross-sea passage.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge is seen as a crucial link in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, which generated 14 trillion yuan in economic output in 2023, equivalent to 11% of Chinas GDP.

The region aims to leverage its strengths and become a center for technology and innovation, with infrastructural connectivity being a key focus.

The opening of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge will reduce travel times, and boost exchanges and developments between Macau and Shenzhen, said Wong Ian Man, the Guangdong and Macau Federation of Industry and Commerce President.

Shenzhen, considered Chinas Silicon Valley, is home to tech and manufacturing giants such as Tencent, DJI and BYD, with many of their manufacturing plants located in the Baoan district, the starting point of the bridge.

As Macau diversifies its economy beyond gaming, the improved connectivity and logistics efficiency brought by the bridge are expected to create new opportunities for businesses in the city.

The new transport route boasts eight lanes designed for speeds of up to 100 km per hour.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is another large-scale transportation project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, following the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which is situated approximately 31 km south of the new link.

Its opening will reshape the road network layout of the Pearl River Estuary, significantly impacting the economic and social development of the GBA, said Lin Feiming, head of the Guangdong provincial department of transport.

As of Wednesday 3 p.m., the mega cross-sea passage in south China, had handled 305,000 vehicles, 72 hours after its official opening, data from Guangdong Transportation Group showed.

The link has already accounted for about 25% of the daily traffic passing through the Pearl River, which promotes market integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), said Lin Feiming, head of the Guangdong provincial department of transport.

The 24-kilometer link, comprising bridges, islands, tunnels and underwater interchanges, is expected to significantly reduce travel times between the two cities from two hours to 30 minutes.

The bridge will link with major expressways on both sides, including a connection to the Guangzhou-Macau Expressway in the west, and will charge a toll fee of RMB66 per standard vehicle for the entire route. Nadia Shaw
One of Chinas original theme parks, Shenzhen Splendid China Folk Village, launched its colorful summer carnival last week. The event, which will run until Sept 1, offers visitors a 66-day summer celebration through five meticulously-crafted carnivals, 12 ethnic music festivals and over 30 daily village singing and dance performances. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, more than 37,000 cultural and tourism consumption activities will be hosted across the country during July and August. Additionally, on the occasion of the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the ministry will host a red culture storytelling event.

Related
The Chief Executives Electoral Commission is set to undergo a significant overhaul, with several members of the electoral college stepping down, according to a report by TDM.

According to sources contacted by the state-media, a number of individuals from both the Portuguese and Chinese communities, aged over 75, will be substituted by younger individuals.

Likewise, changes are expected for individuals such as Jorge Neto Valente, Anabela Ritchie, Jorge Fao, and Edith Silva, as well as Ma Iao Hang, Lau Cheok Va, Paula Ling and David Chow from the Chinese community.

Meanwhile, a total of 348 permanent residents have registered to run in next months Chief Executive Election Committee members selection.

The Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is elected every five years. The person who serves as the citys top official is chosen by a 400-member committee called the Chief Executive Election Committee.

If all 348 registered candidates are accepted, the number of candidates will exceed the number of available seats by four. The final list of accepted candidates will be announced next Friday.

Current Chief Executive Ho Iat Sengs first five-year term leading the Macau government will end Dec. 19. A 67-year-old, Ho has not yet announced whether he plans to run for a second five-year term as chief executive.

According to Macaus Basic Law, the Chief Executive can only serve a maximum of two five-year terms in a row. The election to choose members of the committee that will select the next chief executive will take place on Aug. 11.

The educational and labor sectors are the only ones where the number of registered candidates exceeds the number of available seats. 31 candidates registered for the 29 educational seats, while 61 registered for the 59 labor seats.

In the 2019 Chief Executive Election Committee election, there were 350 candidates competing for the 344 available seats. The educational and labor sectors were also the only ones with more candidates than seats.

Staff Reporter
* Scaffolders in Crisis

 Bamboo scaffolding group says survival of workers and the historic profession are at risk as they claim DSSCU ordered them to vacate land

* Cotai | Residents slam govt over botched road renovations

* IPIM Case | Jackson Changs imprisonment extended to eight years

* Phone and internet scams have resulted in losses of nearly MOP60 million, with students comprising a large portion of victims

* Tourism industry optimistic about summer holidays

* Leaders of China, Russia attend summit of regional security grouping

DOWNLOAD PDF

Friday, July 5, 2024  edition no. 4517
France has banned public gatherings during the second round of parliamentary elections in New Caledonia.

Citing the French media, Azernews informs that this was stated in the information distributed by the High Commissioner of the territory on social networks.

According to the information, public gatherings are prohibited from July 6 at 06:00 to July 8 at 20:00.

In addition, the curfew, the ban on the carrying of weapons, and the sale of alcoholic beverages in the region will be extended until July 15.

The measures were carried out against the background of protests that took place in the region in May and June.
Hong Kong will soon receive a new pair of giant pandas as a present from the central government to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the regions establishment. The special administrative regions chief executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, made the announcement during a reception earlier this week. The pandas are expected to arrive in Hong Kong in a few months and will be housed at Ocean Park, joining the two previous gifts from the central government, Ying Ying and Le Le. Lee emphasized that this gesture demonstrates the nations care and support for Hong Kong, especially as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China.

Related
The annual Nathans Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest will see a slate of competitive eaters wolf down as many franks as they can in New York City today (Macau time) but this year, the events biggest star will be chowing down 1,900 miles away.

Joey Jaws Chestnut, who won 16 out of the previous 17 contests, isnt attending the competition over a sponsorship tiff. Instead, hell compete against soldiers at a U.S. Army base in El Paso later in the day.

That leaves the traditional Brooklyn event wide open for a new winner, with eaters from around the world competing on Americas Independence Day to see how many hot dogs they can eat in 10 minutes.

Thousands of fans flock each year to the event held outside the original Nathans location in Brooklyns Coney Island, a beachfront destination with amusement parks and a carnivalesque summer culture. ESPN will broadcast the contest live, kicking off with the womens division at 11 a.m. ET, while the mens will begin at approximately 12:20 p.m.

Competitors are coming from over a dozen states and five continents, with prospects from Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia and the Czech Republic vying for the coveted title and $10,000 prize money.

Theres going to be a new champion, Australian James Webb, who holds a world record for eating 70 doughnuts in eight minutes, said at a preview event in New York on Wednesday.

Last year Chestnut, of Indiana, chewed his way to the title by downing 62 dogs and buns in 10 minutes. The record, which he set in 2021, is 76.

Ahead of the event, ESPN said it would focus on two Americans with dedicated camera shots: Massachusetts high school teacher Geoffrey Esper, in the mens division, and Florida dental hygiene student Miki Sudo, in the womens.

Esper came second last year with 49 dogs and buns, though his personal best is 51. Sudo won her ninth title in 2023 with 39 1/2, but her best is 48 1/2, the womens world record.

Im going to be pushing myself, Sudo said Wednesday. Her rival Mayoi Ebihara, from Japan, said through a translator that she would eat until she passes out, with a goal of downing 50 hot dogs. CEDAR ATTANASIO, NEW YORK, MDT/AP
The local tourism industry is optimistic about the summer holiday season, the lawmaker and president of the Association of Macao Tourist Agents, Cheung Kin Chung, said in an interview with the public broadcaster TDM.

Questioned on the topic, Cheung said that the industry is optimistic that more visitors (particularly families) will come to Macau this summer to take advantage of measures launched recently by the central government.

He is also optimistic that other types of visitors, including those attending conventions and exhibitions, will grow in the coming months.

Cheung also noted that, due to the increase in hotel room rates, the industry has responded with an increase in the quality of its offerings and services.

Cheung highlighted that the emphasis on quality and high-end tourism should counteract any potential impact of more affordable offerings available in Hengqin on the local industry.

In a different interview with the same public broadcaster, Paul Wong, president of the Macau Leisure and Tourism Service Innovation Association, was also hopeful for a good result for the industry this summer.

Wong noted that the summertime has always been a peak period for visits to Macau, and expects that this year will be no different.

He also remarked that the recent tax exemption policies from the central government on goods purchased in Macau should contribute to higher spending and increased interest from mainland residents in visiting Macau.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday attended the summit of a security grouping created by Moscow and Beijing to counter Western alliances.

Putin and Xi joined the leaders of other countries that are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at its annual meeting in Kazakhstans capital of Astana.

The grouping was established in 2001 by China, Russia and the four ex-Soviet Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to promote regional security and economic cooperation. It was later joined by India, Pakistan and Iran. Russias western neighbor and ally, Belarus, joined the SCO yesterday.

Observer states and dialogue partners include Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Addressing the summit, Putin emphasized the groups focus on ensuring security of its members and said the SCO will form a dedicated center that will coordinate response to various security challenges. He added that the groups members will also endorse a special program to fight separatism and extremism.

Xi called on the SCO members to show solidarity in the face the real challenges of intervention and polarization, according to a readout of his speech by the official Xinhua news agency.

In the face of the real threat of the Cold War mentality, we have to safeguard the security bottom line, he added.

Besides Putin and Xi, and summit host Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, attending Thursdays meeting are Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan, President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan and President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India has sent his foreign minister. Indian media reports speculated the recently reelected Modi was busy with the parliament session that began last week.

Iran is still choosing a successor to President Ebrahim Raisi, killed in a helicopter crash in May, with a runoff election today, so acting President Mohammad Mokhbar attended the summit.

During a meeting yesterday with the Russian leader on the sidelines of the summit, Mokhber conveyed a message to Putin from Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying that deep and unchangeable relations between the two allies will remain strong irrespective of the election. Mokhber added that strong ties between Moscow and Tehran have changed the power equations in the world.

Other guests of the SCO included President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

Also present was U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting Central Asia.

For Putin, the summit offered another venue to demonstrate the failure of Western efforts to isolate Russia over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking yesterday at the summit, Putin mentioned his statement in June that the hostilities could end if Ukraine withdraws its troops from the four regions that Moscow annexed in 2022 and abandons its bid to join NATO. Kyiv and its allies have rejected the idea.

Putin also thanked SCO members for their proposals for a peace settlement, adding that Moscow will take them into account.

Moscow has hailed a peace plan for Ukraine offered by China last year that was rejected by both Ukraine and the West for failing to call for Russia to leave occupied parts of Ukraine.

At a meeting with Xi on Wednesday, 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.

It marked their second meeting in as many months following Putins visit to China, which underscored Beijings political support for Moscow amid Western sanctions and Chinas role as a top market for Rusisan oil and gas. Russia also 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.

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.

Speaking in opening remarks at the summit, Tokayev hailed the SCO as one of the most authoritative and influential international structures. MDT/AP
Macau residents have taken to social media to criticize the governments handling of road work around the Cotai ecological reserve.

The newly constructed roads and traffic signals have been met with a wave of backlash, as drivers report increased congestion and questionable decision-making by transportation authorities.

Commuters have expressed frustration over what they describe as ineffective infrastructure changes.

The purpose of building these roads seems unclear, as the conditions are still poor even after the repairs. The roads have been fixed, but traffic jams persist, lamented one social media user, expressing frustration with the apparent ineffectiveness of the infrastructure changes.

Several residents went further, directly accusing the government of exacerbating traffic problems. Facts have proven that the Transport Bureau (DSAT) is responsible for 90% of Macaus traffic jams, claimed one individual, while another bluntly asserted that the works had, successfully turned a normal road into a road with traffic jams.

Meanwhile, in a report by TDM, one driver said, Yes, it is easy for drivers to see the traffic signs even from a distance. It is good for us to drive safely. However, this sentiment is not widely shared on social media, where residents have been vocal in their criticism.

The addition of new traffic signals has also drawn ire, with one social media user expressing, I honestly think adding lights is unnecessary!

This is in contrast to the views of an interviewed driver who said, With the traffic lights, the traffic will be fine. There used to be traffic jams when there were no traffic lights.

A poll conducted by a local resident group found that 94% of respondents supported the removal of the newly added traffic lights, further underscoring the publics dissatisfaction with the governments approach.

Meanwhile, upcoming changes include the cancellation of the roundabout section on the south side of the Estr. do Dique Oeste, as well as limited openings of various road sections in the coming weeks and months. Motorists hope the project will be completed soon to alleviate the persistent traffic woes. Victoria Chan
The Court of Second Instance (TSI) has upheld the corruption convictions of two former leaders of the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM).

The court sentenced former IPIM president Jackson Chang to eight years, from five years, in prison for multiple offenses, including passive corruption, money laundering, and inaccurate asset declarations. Chang received three years and three months in prison for each of four counts of passive corruption, two years for one count of money laundering, two years for each of two additional money laundering counts, and seven months for each of three counts of inaccurate asset declarations.

Chang was found guilty of corruption, money laundering and abuse of power by Court of First Instance in October 2020, after which he filed for a retrial.

Meanwhile, his co-defendant, former IPIM official, Ng Kuok Sao, was given a more severe punishment of 24 years behind bars, compared to the previous sentence of 23 years.

He was charged with active corruption, money laundering, document forgery, and criminal association. Ng received two-year sentences for each of four counts of active corruption, three years and three months for one count of money laundering as a co-author, and three years and three months each for two additional money laundering counts. Ng was also convicted of one count of criminal association, with a six year and six-month sentence, and 23 counts of document forgery, with sentences of three years and three months for each forgery charge.

The TSI ruling concludes a lengthy legal battle stemming from a 2018 corruption investigation into the IPIMs operations.

Prosecutors accused Chang and Ng of colluding with a business syndicate to fraudulently facilitate unlawful scheme to unlawfully obtain residency permits in exchange for kickbacks and other illicit benefits.

After an initial trial, the case was sent back for a retrial, during which the court acquitted Chang and Ng of some charges but upheld the core corruption convictions. Both defendants appealed, but the TSI has now largely upheld the lower courts findings. Nadia Shaw
By Alimat Aliyeva

The Governments of Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan are consulting with the NATO leadership on the creation of a permanent cooperation structure between the four countries and the North Atlantic Alliance, Azernews reports.

According to her, high-ranking representatives of the four countries, including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yun Seok-yeon, will take part in the NATO summit to be held next week in Washington.

It is assumed that a separate meeting of the "quartet" will be held on the sidelines of this meeting to discuss the issue of strengthening the system of regular contacts and cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance. According to the newspaper, US President Joe Biden may take part in this meeting for a short time.

Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan have the status of permanent partners of NATO, they have representative offices in Brussels at the headquarters of the alliance. The armed forces of individual NATO countries have recently been regularly participating in joint military exercises, in particular with Australia and Japan, in the Asia-Pacific region.
Kicking off a critical few days in which he needs to assure supporters and donors he's still the best bet to take on former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden is traveling to Madison on Friday hoping to revive a campaign staggered by a disastrous debate performance against Trump last week.

The president was due to hold a rally at Sherman Middle School on Madison's North Side before heading back to Washington Friday afternoon. Biden's Madison visit, his fifth to Wisconsin this year, is to be followed an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos Friday night and a visit to Philadelphia on Sunday. He also plans to hold a full news conference during the NATO summit in Washington next week.

The Wisconsin State Journal will have live updates from the scene throughout the day Friday.

***

Biden's motorcade has left Sherman Middle School

4:48 p.m. | Several dozen people waited by the Sherman Middle School driveway where the motorcade entered, hoping to see Bidens exit  and trying to make small talk with the assembled police officers and secret service agents in the meantime.

Bidens voice echoed softly through the growing crowd as the livestream played on many phones at once. Those who were watching gave occasional updates to others in the crowd.

As the event wound down and police shepherded the growing crowd past the end of the block, Blake Meissner kept his front-row seat  a plastic chair in his garage, directly across the street from the driveway.

Meissner, who works nights, spent the rally wiring speakers for his boat and chatting with neighbors, many of whom he hadnt met. His blue heeler, Keanu, kept watch.

He said he didnt know Biden was coming until Friday morning, when he had to be let off the street by police and was warned he wouldnt be able to drive back in.

Its definitely the most exciting thing thats happened to me since Ive lived here, he said.

Pro-Palestine protesters moved, still chanting and beating a drum, from the opposite end of the block to the closest corner to the driveway that wasnt blocked off.

Rain started to fall shortly before the motorcade left the middle school. Much of the crowd dispersed, but the remaining protesters shouts could still be heard over the roar of the helicopter overhead as Biden's car pulled away.

***

2:40 p.m. | 'I am running and going to win again'

Biden gave supporters the pledge many were waiting to hear  and others, perhaps, were fearing: Despite the fact that he is the Democratic Party's nominee, he said, some were trying to push him out of the race.

"Well let me say this as clearly as I can: I'm staying in the race," Biden thundered as a crowd of hundreds gathered inside the middle school gymnasium cheered. "I'll beat Donald Trump."

Then, in another unforced error, he said: "I'll beat him again in 2020" before correcting himself. "And by the way we're going to do it again in 2024."

As he has repeatedly since the debate, Biden sought to address head-on the criticism that he has grown too old and unsteady for the job.

I wasnt too old to create over 50 million new jobs, he said, or take on the big pharmacy companies to force a reduction in the cost of insulin.

"Was I too old to relieve student debt for over 5 million Americans? Too old to put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court of the United States? To sign the Respect for Marriage Act?"

In a call-and-response speech, Biden asked his supporters: "Do you think I'm too old to restore Roe v. Wade to the law of the land," to ban assault weapons and protect Social Security?

"No," the crowd shouted back after each question.

2:35 p.m. | Neighbors, Sherman students gathered as they learned Biden was coming

A crowd formed along the sidewalk behind Sherman Middle School in the hours before President Biden arrived for Fridays campaign event.

Nearby residents noticed cars filling ordinarily quiet streets and came to see what was going on. Those who had heard about Bidens visit and put the pieces together when they saw the traffic clued in their neighbors who hadnt.

A group of rising eighth graders standing in the crowd said they hadnt expected Biden to visit their school during summer break.

I got a call that was like, Did you know the president was coming to Sherman? said Lola Rumpf, one of the eighth graders. Rumpf rallied a group of friends to see the spectacle.

A number of people waiting outside the school said they tried to get tickets in the days leading up to the event but hadnt known where it would be held or how to register. Some said theyd decided to come anyway to show their support for Biden.

People cheered and chanted Joe! Joe! Joe! as the presidents motorcade came around the corner. The cheers faded and the crowd began to dissipate as the motorcade turned into a driveway hidden by the school and those who had gathered to catch a glimpse of Biden realized it wasnt going to happen.

A much smaller crowd remained as the event got underway. Some of Biden's supporters watched the livestream on their phones.

***

2:20 p.m. | Gov. Tony Evers: We're not for political drama

Gov. Tony Evers sought to fire up supporters ahead of Biden's saying the last few years have shown that Democrats are getting s*** done.

Evers said the administration has done much for the state, including awarding it a regional tech hub, which will bring millions of federal dollars to the state to invest in biotech entrepreneurship.

That deserves a holy mackerel, he said.

He also recalled former Republican Gov. Scott Walkers deal to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on the failed FoxConn project in Mount Pleasant. Evers said the $3.3 billion investment he authorized to save the project and bring thousands of union construction jobs to the Microsoft-run project slated to replace FoxConns efforts.

Evers also touted Bidens support of replacing the Blatnik Bridge in Superior.

And get this: Over 410,000 households and business will have new and improved high speed internet thanks in part to the investments I directed under the Biden-Harris American Rescue Plan, he said.

He argued ARPA money also helped over 100,000 business stay afloat and 9,000 more open their doors again during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The thing about me and Joe, we're not fancy nor are we flashy, we're not for political drama or fanfare. Wwe put our heads down and always try to do the right thing, he said. And were always going to say it straight.

Trump is a dangerous threat to democracy in the United States, he is incapable of being honest and truthful, and is only running to serve himself, Evers argued. He also said Trump would gladly sign a national abortion ban.

We will make sure the guy who has more felonies than Baskin Robbins has flavors stays the hell out of the White House, he added.

***



1:46 p.m. | The president has arrived at Sherman Middle School

***

1:20 p.m. | President Joe Biden has landed at Dane County Regional Airport.

Stepping off the plan in his trademark aviator sunglasses, the president was greeted by Gov. Tony Evers, former Gov. Jim Doyle, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski and former Lt. Gov. Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes among others.

The presidential motorcade headed out of the airport about 1:35 p.m.

***

1:16 p.m. | Hundreds of Biden supporters wait in line

The line to get inside Biden's campaign event stretched almost all the way around a fenced-off lot by Sherman Middle School early Friday afternoon.

Many of the people in line said they had come to signal their support for the president.

Some said they were confident that Biden was still mentally and physically fit for the job. Others were less sure but emphasized that the election is between two parties  not just two candidates  with a few saying Bidens record spoke for him.

People in both camps said they hoped Bidens recent debate performance was a blip and he would take the stage in Madison fired up.

This is an absolute turning point for our country, said Dan Raasch, who came from Oconomowoc for the event.

A handful of attendees dressed up for the occasion, including Jean Larocque of Madison, who painted the word VOTE in white on her black T-shirt and matching top hat.

My heart is with him, she said of Biden.

Not everyone thought Biden should be the nominee, however. Emma McAleavy, a Madison resident and longtime Biden supporter, said she believes its time for him to step aside.

I just really hope he does the right thing and passes the torch, McAleavy said.

***

1 p.m. | Pro-Palestinian protesters line up against Biden

While hundreds of supporters waited to enter Sherman Middle School ahead of the president's address, scores of pro-Palestinian protesters lined the sidewalk across North Sherman Avenue chanting slogans against the president's support for Israel in its war against Hamas. The issue has been a fraught one for Democrats, divided over longstanding support for Israel and shock at the scale of devastation in Gaza. which Palestinian health authorities have put at more than 35,000 dead and up to 2 million displaced.

Across the street from Sherman Middle School, about 50 pro-Palestine protesters held up cardboard letters reading, JOE STOP THE GAZACIDE. They shouted call-and-response chants that could be heard around the block, including, Genocide Joe, hell no, and, Biden, Biden, what do you say, how many kids did you kill today.

A short distance from the pro-Palestine protesters, a solitary man helped up a LETS GO BRANDON sign.

In the Democratic primary in April, Biden received more than 511,000 votes, or 88.6%. But more than 48,000 voters, or 8.3%, chose the "uninstructed delegation" option  likely spurred by activists to signify opposition to his administration's stance toward Israel over its handling of the war in Gaza.

(For his part, Trump saw even more defections in the Republican primary, winning 79.2% of the vote, while others went to several other candidates, all of whom had dropped out of the race.)

***

Biden has admitted blowing an opportunity to solidify support after last week's stumbling debate performance. But he has also pushed back against those calling for him to step aside.

Im proud to be running for reelection as a president whos made his promises and Ive kept them, Biden said in a Wisconsin radio interview on the Earl Ingram Show on the Civic Media Radio Network taped on Wednesday and aired on Thursday.

I had a bad night. A bad night. I screwed up, he said of the debate.

But 90 minutes on stage does not erase what I've done for 3 years," he said in a different interview with Philadelphia-area WURD Radio.

In his private conversations, Biden has focused on how to reverse the trajectory from his rocky debate and has emphasized the critical nature of this year's presidential election.

During one call, when asked what would happen if his efforts to course correct do not work, Biden stressed that he understood how important the race is and that he would put the country first, according to a person who spoke directly with the president. The person was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations.

The White House has blamed Biden's debate performance, where he appeared pale and his raspy voice trailed off at times, on a cold. Biden also said he had jet lag following back-to-back foreign trips that ended 12 days earlier.
The Legislatures Republican-controlled budget committee violated the Wisconsin Constitution by blocking funds for land stewardship projects, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The 6-1 ruling bars the Legislatures powerful Joint Finance Committee from stalling or rejecting certain conservation projects overseen by the state Department of Natural Resources through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. The GOP-controlled committee has made it common practice to kill funding by not acting on specific DNR funding requests, leaving that money unspent.

Todays decision affirms what we have been saying all along: Republicans have been breaking the law by obstructing stewardship projects that seek to maintain and improve Wisconsins conservation heritage, the budget committees four Democratic members, Sens. LaTonya Johnson, of Milwaukee, and Kelda Roys, of Madison, and Reps. Tip McGuire, of Kenosha, and Deb Andraca, of Whitefish Bay, said in a joint statement.

The courts four liberal justices, Ann Walsh Bradley, Rebecca Dallet, Jill Karofsky and Janet Protasiewicz, along with conservative Justices Brian Hagedorn and Rebecca Bradley, sided with Gov. Tony Evers in the lawsuit, which the Democratic governor filed directly with the states highest court last year.

Writing for the majority, Bradley said the Legislature gave the executive branch the power to distribute stewardship funds through the creation of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program in 1989. While the budget committee has the power to appropriate specific funds, passing state statutes that allow the committee to block the use of approved funding, including through inaction, exceeds the legislative power and intrudes upon the executive branchs authority to execute the law, Bradley continued.

This unfettered interference by the committee oversteps the boundaries of legislative authority by arrogating the executive branchs core power to choose which conservation projects best carry out the statutory purposes of the (stewardship program), Bradley wrote in the decision. In granting the JFC the ability to stymie the executive branch from carrying out the laws passed by the legislature, the statutes encroach upon the governors constitutional mandate to execute the law.

Chief Justice Annette Ziegler, a conservative, dissented from the courts decision and raised concern that, while the ruling only applies to the stewardship program, it could have a far-reaching impact on the budget committees legislative power.

The decision of the court today, despite being limited to this particular program and based on separation of power principles, could be perceived as having broader impact on the way Wisconsin government has managed the power of the purse for over 100 years, Ziegler wrote.

Legislative vetoes

Evers filed the lawsuit in October, alleging that legislative Republicans, who control the state Senate and Assembly, violated the Constitutions separation of powers by allowing GOP-controlled legislative committees to impede, usurp, or obstruct basic executive branch functions.

The process, the Evers argued, effectively creates legislative vetoes and allows a small group of lawmakers to change existing state law without passing bills through the Legislature and sending them to the governor.

Republican lawmakers have spent years giving themselves outsized influence and power that theyve used to unconstitutionally obstruct basic government functions and prevent my administration from doing the peoples work, Evers said in a statement. And that includes preventing the implementation of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. That ends today.

Budget committee co-chairs Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, said the committees approach to Wisconsins stewardship program has been in place for years under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

These provisions have ensured taxpayer resources are spent wisely and that local communities and stakeholders have had a seat at the table on important projects impacting their area, the co-chairs said in a joint statement. This decision removes our current legislative oversight process. Our entire stewardship program is now in jeopardy.

Under the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, the DNR awards funds authorized by the Legislature for new conservation projects. But despite receiving the Legislatures approval, 27 projects have been stalled or blocked since 2019 by the Joint Finance Committee, the lawsuit states. Court documents note the Legislature has authorized the DNR to spend up to $33.2 million in each fiscal year through 2025-26 for land purchases.

Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement the court has put an end to the legislatures unconstitutional usurpation of an executive branch function: the expenditure of appropriated funds.

UW pay raises

In his original lawsuit, Evers also argued legislative committees improperly refused to authorize 6% pay raises over the next two years for UW system workers even though Evers and the full Legislature already authorized the raises. The committees inaction came after Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said the UW system had to either eliminate its diversity, equity and inclusion programs or hand over its power to create university roles to the Legislature.

The state Supreme Court in February agreed to bypass lower courts and take up the case directly, but only to address the stewardship program issue.

The standoff over UW system funding came to an end after system President Jay Rothman, along with UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, brokered a controversial deal with Vos that would reclassify a third of the UW systems DEI employees as student success employees and freeze new hiring of DEI employees and administrators for three years.

Photos: Fourth of July Monona Community Festival
Oslo, NorwayThe gunman who killed two people at Oslos 2022 Pride festival was handed decades behind bars Thursday over the attack that the court said aimed to instill fear in LGBTQ people.

Zaniar Matapour, who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, was found guilty of opening fire on June 25, 2022 outside two bars in central Oslo, including a famous gay club, just hours before the Pride Parade.

- Advertisement -

Nine other people were wounded.

Norway handed the 45-year-old Norwegian of Iranian origin the maximum penalty of 30 years behind barswith possible extensionsfor committing an aggravated act of terror.

The attack undoubtedly targeted gay people, the Oslo court said in its verdict. The goal was both to kill as many gay people as possible and to instill fear in LGBTQ people more broadly.

The perpetrator was ordered to pay more than 100 million kroner ($9.5 million) in damages to the plaintiffs.

Matapour, who was restrained by passersby after the shooting, has never revealed his motives. He has pleaded not guilty.

Psychiatric experts have been divided over his mental health, and thereby his legal responsibility, as the accused has previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

The court deems that Matapour fully understood what he was doing before and during the attack, the verdict said, finding that he deliberately targeted the LGBTQ community.

During the trial, Matapours lawyer accused an undercover agent with Norways domestic security service of provoking the attack by encouraging his client to pledge allegiance to IS.

He pleaded for his client to be declared criminally irresponsible, which would lead to his mandatory transfer to a secure psychiatric hospital.

In June 2023, the intelligence agency apologized after a report it commissioned, with the chief of police concluding it could have prevented the attack.

On May 3, Pakistan extradited the suspected mastermindArfan Bhatti, a 46-year-old who lived in Norway.

Bhatti left Norway for Pakistan before Matapour carried out the shooting.

Bhatti, an alleged accomplice to an aggravated act of terror, has denied any involvement and opposed his extradition.

He will be tried at a later date.

Oslos Pride festival, scheduled to take place a few hours after the shooting, was eventually cancelled.
Royal Thai Navy Commander-in-chief Admiral Adoong Pan-lam on Thursday paid a courtesy call to AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr., to discuss maritime security capabilities.

AFP Public Affairs Office Chief Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said that Brawner extended his gratitude to Admiral Pan-nam for the continued military cooperation with the AFP.

- Advertisement -

The two parties also exchanged insights on enhancing their maritime security capabilities through joint maritime exercises and defense training, Trinidad said.

AFP said that this military partnership is based on the 1997 Philippine-Thailand Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Military Cooperation.

As founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), both parties reaffirmed their commitment to a rules-based international order to foster the regions prosperity, Trinidad added.

The Armed Forces also said that the military cooperation reflects the AFPs efforts to bolster defense collaboration with like-minded nations to maintain stability and peace in Southeast Asia.
By Alimat Aliyeva

China is protesting against the introduction by the EU of preliminary countervailing duties on imports of electric vehicles from Chinese manufacturers, and will take decisive measures to protect its legitimate interests, Azernews reports.

"(The Chinese side) strongly protests. We have always believed that economic and trade issues should be resolved properly through dialogue and consultations. China will take the necessary measures to resolutely protect its legitimate rights and interests," she said.

The European Commission announced on Thursday that it is introducing temporary preliminary countervailing duties on imports of electric cars from China due to state subsidies in their production.
China rejected the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) demand to pay for P60-million in damages following the aggressive actions and harassment by the China Coast Guard (CCG) against Philippine Navy troops during a resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal last June 17.

During a press conference, China refused to accept responsibility and kept on blaming the incident on the Philippines, saying it has to face the consequences of its actions. Ayungin Shoal is within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines and way too far from Beijing.

- Advertisement -

The Philippine vessels were carrying out an illegal resupply mission, which violated Chinas territorial waters and staging a provocation when stopped by China Coast Guard, who acted lawfully and rightfully to defend Chinas sovereignty, China Foreign Minister spokesperson Mao Ning claimed.

The Philippines has maintained it was conducting lawful operations within its territory as prescribed under international laws, particularly the 2016 arbitral ruling and the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS), which allows it to exercises sovereign rights in its EEZ.

The Chinese spokesperson, meanwhile, said it is not familiar with the specifics of the seven guns that were seized by the CCG during their violent encounter in the West Philippines Sea (WPS).

I am not familiar with the specifics, but what I can tell you is that the Philippines illegally intruded the waters of Renai Jiao, Mao said referring to the Chinese name of Ayungin Shoal, which is more than 1,000 kilometers away from Chinas nearest major landmass, Hainan Island.

Images released by the AFP after the incident showed personnel onboard the CCG and Chinese Maritime Militia vessels wielding axe, knives, and other deadly weapons against the Filipino troops.

They were also caught piercing the rigid hull inflatable boats of the Philippine Navy, seizing and destroying equipment, screaming and pointing weapons at the Filipino soldiers, who exercised restraint. One navy serviceman even lost his thumb during the tense encounter.

Despite the presence of video evidence, however, China insisted that it was the Philippines fault. The June 17 incident saw several Chinese vessels ramming and towing Philippine vessels during a resupply mission towards BRP Sierra Madre.

The G7 countries, particularly the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the European Union, condemned the aggressive, dangerous maneuvers of China in the West Philippine Sea and urged it to cooperate in accordance with international law.

They also described Chinas actions as clearly a violation of the UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral award that rejected Chinas illegal nine-dash line claims.
Dozens of guests at a wedding ceremony have been killed by a group of unidentified armed men in an attack on a village in central Mali that has been struggling with violence from extremist groups for over a decade.

Unidentified armed men cut throats of approximately 40 people in an attack on Monday (1 July) in a village in the Mopti region, residents and local officials have said. This is one of several areas in Malis north and center that has been plagued by al-Qaeda-linked and ethnically based armed groups. It was carnage, they surrounded the village where there was a wedding  There was panic, some people managed to flee, but many were killed, most of them men, one of the officials said without identifying the attackers.

Parts of the Sahel country have faced an increasing instability and violence since groups affiliated with al-Qaida and so-called Islamic State began launching attacks in 2012, seizing territory and making swaths of the country ungovernable. A military junta that seized power in a 2020 coup promised to tackle the rising insecurity, but attacks remain rife after it has broken off their alliances with France and European partners while turning politically and militarily towards Russia. In December last year, Malis military rulers also ordered the United Nations mission in the country to end its 10-year deployment and pull out.
Haitis Prime Minister Garry Conille has expressed optimism about the recently deployed Kenyan police force, calling their initial impact extremely positive in the fight against gang violence. Addressing the U.N. Security Council, Conille outlined his governments priorities: tackling gang violence, ensuring food security, and paving the way for democratic elections through political reforms.

The arrival of 200 Kenyan officers marks the beginning of a 2,500-strong international police force, with contributions expected from several other nations. This force aims to combat gangs that now control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince, following a surge in violence since President Jovenel Moises assassination in 2021.

Conille emphasized the need for Haiti to break the cycle of foreign interventions, calling for close coordination to avoid past mistakes. He stressed the importance of building strong institutions before the police forces eventual departure.

The humanitarian crisis in Haiti remains severe, with over 580,000 people displaced and 4 million facing food insecurity. As the international community pledges support, including a significant U.S. contribution, funding and arms control challenges persist.

Conilles leadership faces the monumental task of stabilizing Haiti for elections in 2026, with the success of the international police force crucial to this goal. The prime ministers appeal for a united effort underscores the complexity of Haitis path to peace and sustainable development.
In a stark display of military justice, a tribunal in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has sentenced 25 soldiers to death for fleeing combat against M23 rebels. The Butembo military court in North Kivu province found the accused guilty of desertion, dissipation of war munitions, and disobeying orders.

This verdict follows a similar case in May where eight soldiers received death sentences for cowardice. The trials, conducted near recent conflict zones, aim to deter further desertions. However, human rights activists warn that such harsh measures could weaken the military further by instilling fear among frontline troops.

The M23 rebel group, allegedly backed by Rwanda, has made significant territorial gains, including the strategic town of Kanyabayonga. Reports suggest Congolese troops have repeatedly retreated without engaging the enemy, with many units severely undermanned due to desertions and casualties.

The conflict has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in North Kivu, with 2.8 million people already displaced. The regions mineral wealth has fueled decades of violence involving numerous armed groups and foreign interests.

Critics argue that these severe sentences may spread fear and distrust within the military, potentially undermining efforts to combat the insurgency effectively. As the DRC grapples with this complex conflict, the balance between maintaining military discipline and addressing the root causes of troop demoralization remains a critical challenge.
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:

Johnson & Johnson removed its baby powder from the North American market in 2020 after talc came under greater scrutiny for causing cancer.

The World Health Organization's cancer agency on Friday classified talc as "probably carcinogenic" for humans, however an outside expert warned against misinterpreting the announcement as a "smoking gun".

The decision was based on "limited evidence" that talc could cause ovarian cancer in humans, "sufficient evidence" it was linked to cancer in rats and "strong mechanistic evidence" that it shows carcinogenic signs in human cells, the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said.

Talc is a naturally occurring mineral which is mined in many parts of the world and is often used to make talcum baby powder.

Most people are exposed to talc in the form of baby powder or cosmetics, according to the Lyon-based IARC.

But the most significant exposure to talc occurs when talc is being mined, processed or used to make products, it added.

The agency said there were numerous studies which consistently showed an increase in the rate of ovarian cancer in women who use talc on their genitals.

But it could not rule out that the talc in some studies was contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos.

"A causal role for talc could not be fully established," according the agency's findings published in The Lancet Oncology.

Kevin McConway, a statistician at the UK's Open University not involved the research, warned that for the IARC's evaluation, the "most obvious interpretation is actually misleading".

The agency is only aiming "to answer the question of whether the substance has the potential to cause cancer, under some conditions that IARC do not specify," he said.

Because the studies were observational and so could not prove causation, "there isn't a smoking gun that the talc use causes any increased cancer risk," he added.

The announcement comes just weeks after US pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $700 million to settle allegations it misled customers about the safety of its talcum-based powder products.

Johnson & Johnson did not admit wrongdoing in its settlement, even though it withdrew the product from the North American market in 2020.

A summary of studies published in 2020 covering 250,000 women in the United States did not find a statistical link between the use of talc on the genitals and the risk of ovarian cancer.

Also on Friday, the IARC classified acrylonitrile, a chemical compound used to make polymers, as "carcinogenic to humans", its highest warning level.

It cited "sufficient evidence" linking acrylonitrile to lung cancer.

The polymers made with acrylonitrile are used in everything from fibers in clothes to carpets, plastics and other consumer products.

More information: Leslie T Stayner et al, Carcinogenicity of talc and acrylonitrile, The Lancet Oncology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(24)00384-X Journal information: Lancet Oncology

 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:

Glioblastoma (histology slide). Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0

Every two days, Lynn Oxenberg leans over her bathroom sink while her husband shaves the shadow of auburn hair beginning to cover her head.

Once clean shaven, she sticks to her scalp four tan patches with electrodes designed to keep aggressive cancer cells from growing in her brain.

She stuffs the protruding wires and a two-pound battery into a mini backpack, then heads to the grocery store, or library, or lunch with friends.

This has been Oxenberg's routine for six years. It can be arduous, but it's kept the 73-year-old Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, grandmother alive far longer than most people diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer that kills in an average of 15 months.

Penn doctors are now researching whether the treatment routine, paired with highly sensitive MRI monitoring, could one day make Lynn's experienceliving with glioblastoma for yearsless of an anomaly.

There is no cure for glioblastoma, and the disease is exceptionally difficult to treat. Glioblastoma is typically treated with a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, then monitored closely for signs the cancer is growing again. Once the cancer begins to regrow, it is almost always fatal.

Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation can never eliminate all of the cancer because glioblastoma tumors burrow into brain tissue like an octopus' tentacles.

Penn researchers are testing whether they can help glioblastoma patients, who have already had surgery and other treatment to reduce the size of their tumor, to live longer by pairing the Tumor Treating Fields (TTF) therapy Oxenberg uses with artificial intelligence-powered MRIs that take a tumor's "temperature" for highly precise results.

The combination departs from the standard of care for the disease. Instead of waiting for the disease to return and treating it with more chemotherapy or radiation, TTF therapy, made by Swiss pharmaceutical Novocure, constantly sends electric fields through the brain to keep cancer cells from growing. The temperature-taking MRIs can show the earliest signs that a tumor is returning, and help doctors swiftly pivot their care plan.

Suyash Mohan, Penn's director of neuroradiology research, calls it a "whole brain" treatment that could be more effective than attempting to isolate a tumor that can never be fully eliminated. The TTF therapy keeps cancer cells in check, and the highly detailed MRIs can help make quick changes to treatment, if necessary.

Novocure's FDA-approved TTF therapy device, Optune, has shown modest results in extending life spans for glioblastoma patients. Patients in Novocure's Phase III trial who wore the device 7080% of the time lived an average of 21 months, compared to 15 months among patients who received standard treatment. But the device can be cumbersome.

Patients must shave their heads to glue electrodes in place. Unlike medications that remain in the body hours or days after being taken, Optune only works when being worn.

Some cancer experts say that while the results are promising, convincing patients to take such aggressive measures can be challenging. The treatment is covered by Medicare and many commercial health plans, but costs $21,000 a month without insurance.

It's unclear whether the approach will ever lead to a significant change in the outlook for glioblastoma patients. But Mohan thinks the work at Penn is a glimpse at the possibility that someday, one of the most notoriously aggressive cancers could be treated as a chronic condition.

"The overall survival of this disease hasn't changed in the last 25 years," Mohan said. "We have to reassess how we approach this tumor."

Artificial intelligence-powered MRIs for glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is a fast-growing brain cancer most common among older adults. Treatment can slow the cancer's growth and help manage symptoms, but there is no cure.

Patients may have surgery to remove the largest portion of the tumor, though some are too deep in the brain to access. Surgeons typically can't remove the entire tumorits tentacles that reach down into the folds of the brain are impossible to safely remove.

Doctors may recommend radiation or chemotherapy to kill remaining cancer cells, but because the tumor becomes so intertwined in the brain, it is difficult to target cancer cells without also killing healthy brain cells.

Doctors rely on MRI imaging to help them track whether treatments are shrinking the tumor. But some treatments cause inflammation that can look similar to a tumor on an MRI, which makes it hard for doctors to tell exactly where the tumor is.

Mohan and his colleagues developed a tool that acts as a thermometer, using artificial intelligence to give a more nuanced reading of the brain. The MRI technique uses images from the whole brain to create a real-time "temperature" that can tell doctors more precisely where a tumor is and whether it's growing or shrinking.

Patients are scanned every two monthsas often as they would be with a traditional MRI. But the results are available right away, which can reduce anxiety waiting for answers and allow doctors to make more immediate changes to patients' treatment plans, Mohan said.

The goal is to provide more advanced MRI images that can help doctors make faster, more precise decisions about patients' care, he said.

Disrupting glioblastoma cells with electricity

Penn is currently testing the MRI technique in a clinical trial with glioblastoma patients receiving TTF therapy. Whereas chemotherapy and radiation target specific tumor spotswith varying precisionTTF sends electrical currents through the whole brain to disrupt cancer cell growth.

Initial clinical trials for Optune found a small increase in life expectancy for patients treated with TTF therapy, and a greater likelihood of surviving up to five years.

But the demands of the treatment outweigh the potential benefits for some patients, said Stephanie Weiss, chief of the division of neurologic oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Patients must shave their head every two days to ensure the electrode pads will stick to their skin, and use a glue that can be irritating.

And because the treatment only works when the device is being worn, patients are supposed to wear it for at least 18 hours a day for two years.

"It makes a lot of sense," Weiss said, "but I think what we're doing right now is rudimentary."

Novocure's executive chairman, William Doyle, agrees there's room for improvement. The company, which has offices in Wayne, is designing thinner head patches and exploring whether they can increase the power delivered through the patches, which would reduce the amount of time patients must wear the device.

The company is also working on an app that would help patients track how long they've worn the device.

Admittedly not the most stylish look, Optune's gauze head wrap and mini backpack can make it possible for glioblastoma patients to survive long enough to make it to important family milestones, like a child's graduation or wedding, Doyle said.

"You can live with this," is the message the company sends patients and doctors, Doyle said.

Living with glioblastoma

Oxenberg was diagnosed in December 2017, and after she'd had surgery and as much chemotherapy as her body could tolerate, her doctor suggested she try Optune. Oxenberg agreed.

She began her treatment in April 2018 and still wears the device 90% of her day.

2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. 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: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers from Sinai Health and the University of Toronto have gleaned new insights into how thyroid cancer could be more effectively treated.

The study, which looked at thyroid tumor tissues and thyroid nodule biopsies from 620 patients at Mount Sinai Hospital from 2016 to 2022, examined whether differences in patients' RAS genomic variants were reflected in the status of their tumors. It also investigated the presence of the variant BRAF V600E and TERT promoter variants in the patient's samples.

Researchers ultimately concluded that differences in RAS in combination with BRAF V600E and TERT promoter variants could be used to arrive at more accurate cancer diagnoses in patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules.

"The findings help promote understanding of the interpatient differences in genomic variation among patients who carry the same genetic mutation, thereby facilitating individualized treatment based on the extent of the mutation present in the patient," says Guodong (David) Fu, a researcher at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and the Alex and Simona Shnaider Research Laboratory in Molecular Oncology at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Fu adds that researchers developed novel molecular assays for the study using digital polymerase chain reaction, a technique that means they could sensitively quantify the genetic mutation level of the patient materials.

The results were published in JAMA Network Open.

Other researchers involved in the study included: Ronald Chazen, also of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and the Alex and Simona Shnaider Research Laboratory in Molecular Oncology, and Christina MacMillan, a pathologist at Sinai Health and an assistant professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine's department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology, and Ian Witterick, surgeon-in-chief at Sinai Health and a professor in Temerty Medicine's department of otolaryngologyhead and neck surgery.

The paper notes that there has been a sharp increase in papillary thyroid cancer since the 1980s, and that in 30% of cases where a fine-needle aspiration biopsy of a suspected nodule takes place, there is an indeterminate diagnosis that may lead to a diagnostic surgery.

Fu says research that assists with precision thyroid cancer detection is important for many reasons, including that some patients who seek treatment for thyroid tumors end up finding out their tumors are benign after diagnostic surgery. The findings could help medical practitioners differentiate low-risk tumors from high-risk ones, he says, and help avoid unneeded surgical procedures.

"(This finding) enhances the preoperative diagnostic accuracy for patients, in order to avoid unnecessary surgery for benign thyroid nodules," says Fu.

Witterick, who is also otolaryngologist-in-chief at Mount Sinai Hospital, says the research is important because identifying differences in genomic variants between patients can enhance precision in cancer detection, especially diagnosing malignancies before surgery and distinguishing low-risk cancers from more aggressive ones.

More information: Guodong Fu et al, Discriminating Interpatient Variabilities of RAS Gene Variants for Precision Detection of Thyroid Cancer, JAMA Network Open (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.11919 Journal information: JAMA Network Open
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:

Choice sets examples for the two experimental designs. Credit: Economics & Human Biology (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2023.101340

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable deaths and illness worldwide. In 2019 , smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke accounted for nearly nine million deaths, equivalent to 15% of all deaths that year.

A study from City, University of London, McMaster University and York University in Canada, suggests that price is the main reason for cigarette choice among Canadian smokers, over and above health warnings on the product and packaging. The findings are published in the journal Economics & Human Biology.

In Canada, the government has taken actions to reduce the number of its smokers for decades, yet questions still persist as to how to further positively influence more Canadian smokers' decision to quit.

In November 2019, it became the country with the most comprehensive cigarette packaging regulations to help curb their use. These regulations require a drab brown color for all packs, eliminate branding elements, and feature large health warnings covering significant portions of the packaging.

Further, in June 2022, Canada proposed an innovative regulation to print health warnings on individual cigarettes, a measure that came into effect in August 2023 and is being implemented gradually.

What happened in the study?

The researchers wanted to answer two questions:

What attributes of packets of cigarettes affected study participants' likelihood of purchasing them?

What attributes of cigarette packets affected study participants' perception of them being a risk to their health?

The study involved a choice experiment completed by 551 participants from an ongoing online survey panel of adult smokers in Ontario, Canada.

About a third of respondents were male, with an average (mean) age of 50 years old. Some 85% were daily smokers, about three out of four smoked within an hour of waking up, two thirds had tried to quit smoking in the previous year, and about one in five had used an electronic cigarette within the previous month.

In this experiment, each participant was presented with four options to choose from. Three of them would be packets of cigarettes, which varied between each other in branding of the packaging, price, with some options having cigarettes printed with a health warning on each stick. There was also a fourth option not to smoke at all.

This exercise was repeated six times by each participant, with each presentation consisting of three choices of cigarette they had not seen before.

Some of the respondents were provided with options for three licit (legally bought) packets of cigarettes, and an option not to smoke, while others were provided with two licit options and an illicit (illegally bought) packet of cigarettes, and an option not to smoke.

The study used a type of analysis called 'latent class analysis' which allowed the researchers to quantify different patterns of preferences with respect to the various attributes of the cigarettes and cigarette packs respondents' had been presented with

What did the study find?

Findings from the analysis suggest that almost half of those respondents given the option would choose a cheaper, branded, illicit packet of cigarettes without any warnings on the packet, over any legal packet of cigarettes they were able to choose from.

For about one in five respondents, plain packaging and especially a warning printed on each cigarette stick reduced the likelihood of them stating a purchasing preference for one of these options.

About a third of respondents chose from their options almost solely with price in mind, i.e. chose the cheapest option.

Crucially, none of the attributes of a cigarette packet that the researchers looked at seemed to affect participants' perception of its risk to their health.

What does this mean?

It seems that pricing of the cigarettes was the clear factor that influenced participants' purchasing decision, and that higher price (e.g. through high taxation) appears to be the most effective deterrent for dissuading this sample of smokers not to buy them, and could be applied to smokers more widely.

The study highlights how reducing the availability of illicit cigarettes on the market could have a positive effect on smokers' consideration to purchase as that is the cheapest option.

It further suggests that the fact smokers' perception of health risk seemed unaffected by any measures taken to influence it in the study is a reflection partly of their agehaving already been exposed to stringent smoking regulations over a long period of time (decades), but also the fact that most of them were trying to quit already, and hence well aware of the risks to their health.

Co-author of the study Emmanouil Mentzakis, Professor, Department of Economics, City, University of London, explains, "Effective smoking cessation policies require bold, holistic approaches. To truly curb smoking, interventions must eliminate its marketing allure, explicitly communicate its risks and consequences and, most importantly, restrict access to tobacco products, either through price hikes or limiting availability.

"Prices and availability are the most effective strategies simply because they target the two core resource constraints most people face: money and time. Policies that overlook these two critical elements are likely to fail. The successful alcohol regulation both in Canada and the UK has paved the way for such policies to be adopted for tobacco."

More information: G. Emmanuel Guindon et al, Cigarette packaging, warnings, prices, and contraband: A discrete choice experiment among smokers in Ontario, Canada, Economics & Human Biology (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2023.101340
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

Researchers from Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota have published a paper in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, which provides a new framework describing how racism affects heart health among people of color in Minnesota. The researchers are focused on reversing these disparities.

This framework will help scientists explore and measure how chronic exposure to racism, not race, influences health outcomes," says Sean Phelan, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic health services researcher and senior author of the paper. "This will help enable researchers to design interventions that address the root causes of these disparities and improve heart health for people of color everywhere."

The researchers are part of the Center for Chronic Disease Reduction and Equity Promotion Across Minnesota (C2DREAM). This research center aims to reduce cardiovascular health disparities in collaboration with Minnesota community leaders and community health organizations.

Taking a broader view to reduce inequities

Historically, research on racism and health has focused on interpersonal racism. The C2DREAM framework takes a broader view, examining how oppressive systems of power, structural and institutional racism, and interpersonal racism work together to influence the social determinants of health and health outcomes. Social determinants of health are nonmedical factors that affect health; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes them as "the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age."

"Our social structures and policies deny or grant access to opportunities throughout a person's life in ways that can affect health," says Kene Orakwue, first author of the paper and a predoctoral student in Health Services Research, Policy & Administration at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. "I believe these social structures must be intentionally interrogated in order to reduce inequities."

People who experience chronic racism may be affected by factors such as intergenerational trauma, reduced access to health care, differential treatment in health care settings and psychological distress. All these things negatively affect heart health and can have a cumulative effect over the course of a person's life.

Shaping research to disrupt racism

C2DREAM's goal is to find ways to disrupt racism's effect on heart health. The C2DREAM framework provides a roadmap for researchers, including a shared set of measures for different types of racism.

"In order to change something, we have to be able to measure it," says Felicity Enders, Ph.D., associate director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science and a C2DREAM co-investigator.

The C2DREAM framework guides critical thinking, exposing the multidimensional relationship between racism and heart health and showing researchers how to measure racism's effects on many levels. In doing so, the framework also shows researchers how to measure the real impact of interventions.

For example, says Dr. Enders, a study involving immigrant communities might look at structural barriers to heart health, such as access to culturally appropriate healthy food; institutional barriers, such as access to language interpreters during telehealth appointments; and interpersonal barriers, such as cultural understanding between doctor and patient.

C2DREAM researchers are already using the framework to guide their work. All C2DREAM studies collect common measures of inequity, such as data on housing segregation and income disparities. This makes it easier to compare, share and combine data across studies. It also leads to a more comprehensive understanding of how racism affects heart healthand how to disrupt those effectsacross the state of Minnesota.

Refining measures of racism

The researchers see the C2DREAM framework as only a starting point. Future research will focus on refining measures of structural, institutional and interpersonal racism and expanding the framework to include the effects of cultural and internalized racism.

C2DREAM is a regional effort spanning Minnesota that includes Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Health System, the University of Minnesota, Hennepin Health care, Native American Community Clinic and the Rand Corp. It brings together researchers and community stakeholders from various disciplines, drawing on evidence-based medical expertise and local and cultural knowledge.

2024 Mayo Clinic News Network. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
By Alimat Aliyeva

The Turkish automotive company TOGG, which created the country's first domestic electric car in its history, is considering the possibility of joint production with a Chinese company, Azernews reports.

According to him, the Turkish company is negotiating with the Chinese Guangzhou Automobile Group.

"The Chinese side is interested in creating a joint production mechanism with TOGG. Negotiations between the companies have already begun," he said.

Zafer Sarykaya did not release any other details.
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: Karolina Kaboompics from Pexels

Promotional events sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry that target health professionals responsible for prescribing medications, such as physicians and nurse practitioners, are a key component of promotional campaigns for new drugs and devices.

While these events are familiar to health professionals, there is little transparency around their scale and impact. A new study by Quinn Grundy, an assistant professor at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, finds that in the United States, more than 1 million industry-sponsored events took place in 2022, a staggering amount in one of the largest pharmaceutical markets in the world.

In the paper published in the JAMA Health Forum, the authors looked at the 10 pharmaceutical and medical device products with the most industry-sponsored dinner events and found that there were more than 16,000 dinners, sponsored by seven companies.

Of these 10 products, the analysis found that in two cases, there were more dinner events targeted towards nurse practitioners than physicians, indicating their importance as prescribers in the pharmaceutical market.

"Identifying over 1 million of these events in one year alone and their tendency to be for specific products, should give us pause, and indicate that we need to understand the prevalence of these events from a systems perspective, considering their impact on prescribing practices," says Grundy, who is also the Director of the WHO Collaborating Center in Governance, Accountability, and Transparency in the Pharmaceutical Sector.

Grundy notes that there is already large body of evidence on the relationship between payments and physician prescribing outcomes. Receipt of industry payments, including low-value payments for food and beverage, is often associated with physicians prescribing higher quantities of promoted and higher cost drugs, such as brand name drugs over generics.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments database was established under the Affordable Care Act in 2012 in the hopes of creating greater transparency around the relationships between clinicians and the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

Grundy was able to examine Open Payments records of payments from pharmaceutical and device companies to clinicians for food and beverage and to link these across matching variables to identify and quantify in-person sponsored events for specific products. Excluding conferences, and virtual events, the numbers indicated that these industry-sponsored events were quite wide-spread, across various states.

What this shows, she says, is that while individual health professionals may only attend a few of these events, pharmaceutical companies are sponsoring hundreds of them nationwide. Understanding the scope and scale of promotional campaigns suggests these dinners, for example, are not isolated events, but part of a strategic program of communication.

"When you think of the number of events and the number of health professionals attending these events, what emerges is a picture of a campaign that is able, at a national scale, to amplify perspectives about a promoted drug that are likely favorable to the sponsor," says Grundy.

The study did not reveal a particular pattern in terms of the types of products that were more likely to be promoted using industry-sponsored events, though there was evidence that two of the top ten products, both mental health-oriented drugs, had more events for nurse practitioners than physicians.

In 2021, the first data on industry payments to prescribing nurses was released in the United States. Grundy says, this was an important and positive step towards transparency.

"I hope that it sparks some conversations in professional circles about how to interact with industry in ways that are in the best interests of population health," says Grundy.

Canada is far behind in terms of transparency: There is currently no data or mechanism that requires pharmaceutical or device companies to report payments to physicians or nurse practitioners.

This study is part of a multi-phase project that aims to analyze the new data on industry payments to advanced practice nurses in the U.S. and Grundy is hopeful that it will continue to lead to more research and discussion on best practices in prescribing.

More information: Quinn Grundy et al, Quantifying Industry Spending on Promotional Events Using Open Payments Data, JAMA Health Forum (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.1581 Journal information: JAMA Health Forum
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:

Experimental design and workflow for SGE of the BAP1 locus. Credit: Nature Genetics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01799-3

More than 5,000 genetic variants that enable certain cancers to thrive have been identified by scientists, along with a potential therapeutic target to treat or even prevent these cancers from developing.

Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and their collaborators at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and the University of Cambridge assessed the health impact of all possible genetic changes in the "tumor protection" gene, BAP1. They found around a fifth of these possible changes were pathogenic, significantly increasing the risk of developing cancers of the eye, lung lining, brain, skin, and kidney.

The findings, published today (5 July) in Nature Genetics, are freely available so that they can be immediately used by doctors to help diagnose patients and choose the most effective therapies for them. Importantly, as all possible variants were assessed, the findings benefit individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, who have historically been underrepresented in genetics research.

The team also uncovered a link between certain disruptive BAP1 variants and higher levels of IGF-1, a hormone and growth factor. This discovery opens the door to developing new drugs that could inhibit these harmful effects, potentially slowing down or preventing the progression of certain cancers.

The BAP1 protein acts as a powerful tumor suppressor in the body, protecting against cancers of the eye, lung lining, brain, skin, and kidney. Inherited variants that disrupt the protein can increase a person's lifetime risk of developing these cancers by up to 50%, typically occurring around middle age.

Detecting these variants early through genetic screening can guide preventative measures, greatly enhance treatment effectiveness and improve quality of life for individuals affected. However, until now, there has been limited understanding of which specific genetic changes in BAP1 to look out for, especially for rare variants that cause it to malfunction and fuel cancer growth.

Researchers from the Sanger Institute, and their collaborators at The Institute of Cancer Research and the University of Cambridge tested 18,108 DNA changes in the BAP1 gene by artificially altering the genetic code of human cells grown in a dish, in a process known as "saturation genome editing."

They identified that 5,665 of these changes were harmful and disrupted the protein's protective effects. Analysis of UK Biobank data confirmed that individuals carrying these harmful BAP1 variants are more than 10% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the general population.

The team also discovered that people with harmful BAP1 variants have elevated levels of IGF-1 in their blood, a hormone linked to both cancer growth and brain development. Even individuals without cancer showed these elevated levels, suggesting that IGF-1 could be a target for new treatments to slow down or prevent certain cancers.

Further analysis revealed harmful BAP1 variants and higher IGF-1 levels were linked to worse outcomes in uveal melanoma patients, highlighting the potential for IGF-1 inhibitors in cancer therapy.

Notably, the technique profiles all possible BAP1 variants from diverse populations, not only those prevalent in European clinical records, helping to address the underrepresentation of non-European populations in genetic studies.

Dr. Andrew Waters, first author of the study at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said, "Previous approaches for studying how variants effect function in genes have been on a very small scale, or exclude important contexts that may contribute to how they behave.

"Our approach provides a true picture of gene behavior, enabling larger and more complex studies of genetic variation. This opens up new possibilities for understanding how these changes drive disease."

Professor Clare Turnbull, clinical lead of the study, Professor of Translational Cancer Genetics at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Consultant in Clinical Cancer Genetics at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation, said, "This research could mean more accurate interpretation of genetic tests, earlier diagnoses and improved outcomes for patients and their families."

Dr. David Adams, senior author of the study at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said, "We want to ensure that life-saving genetic insights are accessible and relevant to all people, regardless of their ancestry. Our aim is to apply this technique to a wider range of genes, potentially covering the entire human genome in the next decade with the Atlas of Variant Effects."

More information: Andrew J. Waters et al, Saturation genome editing of BAP1 functionally classifies somatic and germline variants, Nature Genetics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01799-3 Journal information: Nature Genetics
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:

American men are blowing their best chance to head off cancer or spot it early, when it's easiest to treat, a new survey warns.

More than 6 in 10 (65%) men in the nationwide survey said they are behind on at least one routine cancer screening, while nearly 1 in 5 admitted they don't even schedule their own health care appointments.

Those are the key findings from the annual Early Detection Survey conducted by the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Its CEO, Jody Hoyos, calls the implications profound.

It's crucial, she said, to advocate for your health and talk to your health care provider about the routine screenings you need.

"By fostering a culture of self-care and encouraging men to prioritize cancer screenings, we can reduce health disparities and achieve better outcomes," Hoyos added in a foundation news release.

Screenings are available for some of the most common cancers in mencolon, skin [melanoma], oral and prostate cancers, she noted, calling on men to talk to their health care provider about their options.

In the survey, 51% of guys aged 45 or older said knowing about at-home screening options for colon cancer screening makes them more likely to get that check.

And 36% of guys who weren't up to date on routine cancer screenings said they'd be more likely to make them a priority if tests were faster. The foundation said that's important for companies to consider when developing new screening tests.

The foundation shared these screening guidelines for men who are at average risk for cancer:

Colon: Men with an average risk for this cancer should begin screening at age 45. Those with an increased risk, including those with a parent, sibling or child who has had colon cancer, may need to start sooner or get tested more often. Men should ask their doctor about screening options.

Lung: Current or former smokers between the ages of 50 and 80 should be screened.

Oral: Oral cancers are more common in men than in women. Visit a dentist every six months and ask for an oral cancer exam.

Prostate: Men should talk to their health care provider by age 50 about screening. Black men or any men who have had relatives with prostate cancer should begin that conversation in their 40s.

Skin: Since men are more likely than women to develop melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, monthly self-exams are important by age 50. Men should bring any changes in moles or suspicious skin areas to a doctor's attention and get a yearly skin check.

Testicular: Beginning in their 20s, men should have a testicular exam during their routine physical and learn how to do a self-exam. This will help them recognize changes that they can bring to a doctor's attention. Rates of this cancer are highest in men between 20 and 34 years of age. Testicle checks should continue for as long as the doctor recommends.

More information: Johns Hopkins Medicine has a guide to men's health screenings.

Copyright  2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Here are some of the headlines from this past week in the Missoulian. To read the full stories, click the link on each headline:

As floating season gets in full swing, Mountain Line wants to remind Missoulians of a lesser-known stop for the Missoula city bus service that drops floaters at a popular starting point in the Clark Fork River.

The bus service has a stop at the Sha-Ron parking lot as part of the existing Route 4 line between downtown Missoula and Bonner, according to Mountain Line Interim Executive Director Jennifer Sweten, offering an alternative to the canceled University of Montana shuttle.

She said in a call with the Missoulian that the line has been used for years as a drop-off point, but with the popular UDASH shuttle between the university and Sha-Ron, the option has been relatively unknown.

The university announced in June that the shuttle will not run this summer because of driver staffing shortages.

"This is not a change, but we want to make sure people know that this is an option," Sweten said.

Sweten said Mountain Line has been working with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Clark Fork River Ambassadors to provide the service.

The Sha-Ron site has boomed in popularity the last several years. In 2023, a new parking lot was built to accommodate the floaters, but lines of cars along Highway 200 still congest the area.

There are a wide variety of public infrastructure and private redevelopment projects that the Missoula Redevelopment Agency is hoping to push forward in the coming years, including a major rehab of the riverbank near downtown and possibly a new project at the Riverfront Triangle, MRA executive director Ellen Buchanan told the city council last week.

She said that the Agency is continuing to work to entice developers to work with the city on coming up with a plan to develop the Riverfront Triangle, which sits inside an Urban Renewal District on the northwest corner of Front and Orange streets. It has been mostly vacant for decades, and several large projects to redevelop the site and increase the property tax base have fallen through.

"We don't have a lot of money in that district," Buchanan said. "We do have some revenue. We are actively working with a group of developers on the city's 3 acres in Riverfront Triangle and we're trying to work though how we get the infrastructure in place that would be needed for a project to be built there."

The city owns a portion, while private property owners own a big chunk as well.

When Tanya Plainfeather-Gardner approached Trey Hill, her ceramics professor at the University of Montana, about creating 500 porcelain elk tooth replicas for an elk-tooth dress, he was cautiously optimistic.

Making teeth sounded like something they could do, but 500 was a lot to make. Plainfeather-Gardner had never done anything like this before, and Hill estimated the project would take her at least the entire semester. She told him that even if she couldnt make 500 teeth in time for graduation, shed use whatever she had for the dress. That way, the project would still be a success, even if she fell short of her target.

That wasnt necessary. Plainfeather-Gardner hit her goal in one weekend.

I started molding, and I was like, Trey, I have 500, Plainfeather-Gardner recalled, laughing. And hes like, Oh, you werent kidding, huh?

She didnt stop there. Over the course of her final semester of college, Plainfeather-Gardner, who is Crow, handmade about 1,500 porcelain elk teeth, 900 of which were used to create an elk-tooth dress.

Pyramid Mountain Lumber is closer to full closure after running its last logs through the sawmill on Tuesday, silencing some of the giant machinery that has run for decades.

The last mill in Missoula County announced its impending closure in March after suffering from a multi-year labor shortage and a drop in the value of timber products.

Approximately 10 people were expected to be let go by the company this week, said Pyramid General Manager Todd Johnson. Those employees and future layoffs will receive severance packages, he added.

"We took our last logs in March, that was step one. Today is step two," Johnson said in a phone call on Tuesday. "Every step you take closer to the closure brings a reality check to the situation."

A proponent of conservation and education, 92-year-old Betty Thisted is an advocate for the importance of both.

The former Frenchtown high school biology teacher owns 622 acres in the Ninemile Valley and Lolo National Forest area. The land is covered by several conservation easements and has been in the Thisted family since 1938.

Well, I'm a teacher. You never quit teaching, Thisted said during a recent school field trip at her property. So what I want to do is use all of this land that I own. It's not huge, but it's significant for its own purposes.

Over the years, the land has become a field trip area for students of all ages to explore and learn more about the importance of conservation and agriculture in the valley.

The newest group to explore the area was a group of sixth to eighth graders participating in the STEEM Collaborative program through the Montana Natural History Center. The group of middle schoolers took a bus up to the area on June 20.

A man doing research at the University of Montana admitted to falsifying documents related to a federal investigation, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced.

The defendant, Braxton A. Norwood, 43, from Marburg, Germany, pleaded guilty on June 27 to falsification of records in a federal investigation, according to court filings and a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 30 in front of U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. Norwood faces a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least three years of supervised release.

Norwood was the owner and CEO of Expesicor LLC, which conducted neurological disorder research at UMs campus in Missoula. The company received federal dollars from the National Institutes of Health (an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

Norwoods position directed projects for federal research grants given to Expesicor.

BUTTE  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.

A resident of a Missoula affordable housing complex recently celebrated her 100th birthday, a dramatic triumph for someone who escaped war and repression.

The story of her second chance in life, and the new life she found in Missoula, is also closely intertwined with the services offered by the nonprofit that provides housing to her and many other low-income residents of the city.

Xong Xiong (her first name is pronounced "song") is a Hmong immigrant from Laos who came to the United States as a refugee in 1978. The Vietnam War, the Laotian Civil War and ethnic repression in Laos were devastating for the Hmong minority. Many Hmong refugees were resettled by the International Rescue Committee in the Missoula area during that era and theyre now a thriving community here.

Xiong said she was "very poor" when she moved here, but she found work as a dishwasher and in food service for many years. Housing would have been a huge struggle for her, but she was able to secure an apartment at the Council Groves Apartments, which were built starting in 1972.

For 52 years, the 72-unit complex has been serving people who are classified as either very low or "extremely low income by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which means the residents are often homeless when they arrive.

In his memoir, "The Right Kind of White," an author who grew up in Montana with a do-gooder spirit examines his life.

 Thomas Plank, for the Missoulian

Missoula's community cinema is presenting Emma Stone's follow-up to "Poor Things," Mia Goth's horror trilogy finale, and "2001: A Space Odyssey."

 Charlotte Macorn, for the Missoulian

While First Friday happens to fall the day after the Fourth of July, galleries and museums will have their doors open and art on display. This is the last art walk to see a few big shows before they come down, and the first chance to see some fresh selections.

Andrew Bird and Nickel Creek start off Big Sky Brewing's concert season and two different (and unusual) traveling circuses stop in town.

There's a new healing arts center in downtown Missoula with a cacao bar. There's also going to be a new splash pad for kids in town.

A former Blackfeet official was sentenced to five months in federal prison for stealing more than $70,000 in federal dollars allocated to the tribe for COVID-19 response supplies, court filings show.

James C. McNeely pleaded guilty in January to one count of theft from an Indian tribal government receiving federal funding, according to federal court documents.

He was sentenced by a federal judge on June 18 to five months in prison, which will be followed by two years of supervised release. McNeely was also ordered to pay $78,775.76 in restitution.

McNeely previously worked as the tribes operations manager and public information officer.

It's a common refrain across the West each summer, echoing through hotel lobbies, cafes, bike shops and gear stores: "Where's all this smoke coming from?"

A fire  maybe near, maybe far  clouds Montana's Big Sky and leaves visitors wondering whether their plans are ruined, or whether they should cancel their trip to the state altogether. Is it safe to recreate outside? Will they see anything? Is Glacier National Park even open?

Western Montana's Glacier Country  the state's official tourism organization for Ravalli, Missoula, Lake, Sanders, Mineral, Lincoln, Flathead and Glacier counties  hopes to help frontline tourism and hospitality workers answer those questions with a new educational initiative branded "Don't Add Fuel to the Fire." The free 20-minute online course advises workers who interact with visitors to Montana on where to find accurate and detailed information about wildfires and smoke, and how to relay that to the public.

Often, the course stresses, Montana's vaunted public lands and recreation opportunities remain mostly open to visitors, even when social media is flooded with photos of billowing infernos.

Outdoor burning has closed in Missoula County as fire officials anticipate a shift to hot, dry and windy summertime weather coinciding with the Fourth of July holiday.

The Missoula County Fire Protection Association, a consortium of local governments, fire agencies and land management agencies, announced Monday that opening burning  fires larger than 48 inches across  would be prohibited starting Tuesday, July 2. Open burning includes agricultural burning, prescribed fire and general debris burning, but not campfires, warming fires or cooking fires smaller than 48 inches across. Open burning closed July 3 last year.

"The outdoor burning seasons have been open for four months, with pockets of good burning weather throughout. Spring burning should be complete by now," Ashley Burwick, Missoula Unit fire management officer with the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, stated in Monday's announcement. "With weather trending hotter and drier, grasses beginning to dry out, and many firefighting resources helping neighboring regions, it is time to restrict the risk of human-caused starts due to open burning and focus available resources on fire season readiness."

Missoula's County Commissioners purchased the Walla Walla University social work building on Mullan Road on Tuesday to house part of the county sheriff's department.

The county approved spending roughly $2 million of its cash reserve funds to secure the building at 2415 Mullan Road.

"There have been (sheriff) space issues for so long, and I thought it would be decades before we ever dealt with it, but this came along so soon," Commissioner Juanita Vero said.

The new sheriff's office will be used for detective operations and administrative staff. The space will operate across the street from the county detention center, making the site ideal for a purchase, according to county chief administrative officer Chris Lounsbury.

Missoula's County Commissioners approved a 3% cost of living raise for most elected officials within the county, including the top attorney, sheriff and all three commissioners.

State law requires the county to form a compensation board each year to determine pay increases around the region while also comparing their pay rates to similar counties.

That board requested a 3% increase, which Missoula County Chief Administrative Officer Chris Lounsbury said matches the increase non-union county employees will see next year.

Missoulians got a reminder Monday afternoon that wildfire season has begun, with smoke visible from town as a small blaze burned in the North Hills.

Firefighters were dispatched at around 3:30 p.m. to respond to a brush fire along Grant Creek Road. The Missoula Fire Department wrote on social media that no more reports of smoke from the fire were needed, as fire crews had already responded.

The fire was contained by about 6 p.m., according to an update from the department.

Montana will see $41 million in federal dollars for a technology hub that will have a mandate to help the United States develop "smart optical sensing technologies," according to Sen. Jon Tester.

Tester announced Tuesday that the Headwaters Tech Hub, which is being developed in Montana, is one of only 12 Regional Tech Hubs nationwide to get a Phase 2 investment under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. That legislation was billed as a big federal incentive to lure certain industries back to the U.S., such as chip-making, rather than relying on China. Tester's office said that the "smart optical sensing technologies" developed in Montana will "address pressing priorities such as autonomous systems, national defense, precision agriculture and critical resource management."

It's unclear exactly how the money will be spent and exactly what types of jobs will be created in Montana. In other states, specific U.S. companies have been named as recipients of CHIPS and Science Act funding, but it's been a little more vague in Montana.

A Missoula business owner is facing a sexual assault allegation, though details about the incident included in court documents are sparse.

Drake E. Doepke is cited with misdemeanor sexual assault, Missoula city court filings show. Hes pleaded not guilty to the charge, which was initially filed in May.

The charging documents allege Doepke assaulted a woman in early April by inappropriately touching her at a downtown bar on South Higgins Avenue.

Missoula attorney Dwight Schulte is defending Doepke and the Missoula City Attorneys Office is prosecuting the case.

Mr. Doepke is presumed innocent, and he looks forward to his day in court to present the facts, Schulte said in a phone call with the Missoulian.

Human remains were discovered in a rural area west of Missoula over the weekend, the Missoula County Sheriffs Office said Monday.

Detectives were unable to immediately identify the remains, which were found Saturday afternoon along Deep Creek Road, according to an update from the sheriffs office published on Facebook. The road runs through a mountainous area to the north and west of Blue Mountain.

No further details were provided in the social media post. A sheriffs office spokesperson did not immediately respond to a phone call Monday requesting more information.

People in northwest Montana will have a second choice for the Public Service Commission after a Missoula resident successfully gained enough signatures to run as an independent candidate.

Elena Evans, a Missoula County employee, submitted more than 5,200 signatures to the county election center in June. State law requires 3,050 to make the ballot.

The Montana Secretary of State's office confirmed to the Missoulian on Monday that the office has verified more than 5,000 signatures, but an exact number was not available.

BILLINGS  In a convention that felt tamer than two years ago when the Montana Republican Party had sharp debates over how to deal with things like abortion access, the state GOP set its party platform over the weekend.

The convention made several changes that reflected the partys sharp criticism of Montanas judiciary and added language to reflect other stances such as the opposition to ranked-choice voting, all while managing long-simmering divisions within the group.

I think it's time that we take our platform seriously, and we require people to abide by it. Thats all, former state Rep. Brad Tschida, a Missoula Republican, said to applause at the close of the convention Saturday afternoon. If they don't want to, I don't have any hard feelings. I think what we need to have them do is to run as an independent, run as a Libertarian, run as a Green Party member, but don't put an R after your name.

Some of the more pointed debates were muted this time by convention rules. Jeff Essmann, who chaired the meeting, said that any substantive changes needed to be made in individual issue, or plank, committees that met the day prior and were closed to press. Those larger changes would not be up for consideration before the whole group.

Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy stepped down from his role as CEO and a board member from his Belgrade-based aerial firefighting company, Bridger Aerospace, the company announced Monday morning.

Sheehy has been with the company since he co-founded it in 2014 shortly after leaving the Navy. As of late April, Sheehy had a 21.35% ownership stake in the company through his nearly 10.4 million shares, which are currently valued at roughly $36.4 million in total.

Bridger Aerospace has struggled in recent months, saying it may not be able to meet its financial obligations. Its stock has declined nearly 50% this year.

In 2023, Sheehy made $2.46 million from Bridger Aerospace. Nearly all of that income  $2.3 million  came from a bonus, according to public financial filings. Sheehy was also granted a stock award valued at $17.75 million in 2023, but returned it to the company.

According to the press release, a new board member and an interim CEO have been appointed, and the company's board will also start the search for a permanent CEO.

Missoulas newest expanded child care facility opened on Monday, with renovations now allowing the Missoula Family YMCA to serve nearly 100 kids.

The building will offer licensed child care options for children up to 5 years old to combat Missoulas child care shortage. It has the space to host 94 children, which is about double the Ys previous capacity, according to Heather Foster, CEO of the Missoula Family YMCA.

One of the best ways to set children up for future success is through early education child care programs. The Y has been a champion of quality, affordable child care for more than 20 years, and were committed to addressing our communitys need for reliable child care options, Foster said in the news release. The new building will allow us to increase the number of children served through the program.

For the second time in two weeks, a person has been caught on surveillance camera ripping down a Pride flag from a downtown Missoula business.

The Import Market, a retail business located across the street from the Missoula County Courthouse on West Broadway in Missoula, posted the video on social media last week.

The video clearly shows a man jumping up to grab the Pride flag, ripping it off the awning and stuffing it in a nearby trash can. Two weeks earlier, on June 12, the business had posted a video of a group of people ripping down a pride flag and stuffing it into the trash can.

Lake County officials have identified a boater who is presumed to have drowned after he was last seen on Flathead Lake last week.

Chad Hansen, 34, of Missoula, was last seen by witnesses on the evening of June 27, near the Narrows between Finley Point and the islands north of Polson, according to Lake County Sheriff Don Bell. The witnesses attempted to reach Hansen but were unable to before he disappeared from sight, Bell said.

Search-and-rescue teams from Lake, Flathead and Missoula counties, along with a team from Idaho, were unable to find Hansens body using sonar and divers, Bell said. Hansen had not been wearing a life jacket when he was last spotted, according to the witnesses.

Matthew OReilly isnt afraid of being a little irreverent.

The Canadian artist, whos spent the past two years as a resident at the Clay Studio of Missoula, likes to make functional work and sculptures that lean into the grotesque and satirical. He wants to get a chuckle that helps the deeper material go down more smoothly.

In Shed Light, his show thats just wrapped up his time at the nonprofit clay center, he sculpted statuesque male heads with everyday names like Max and Jim. Some of them are standalone busts, or vases, even lamps. He built a functional throne thats occupied by three cats with human heads.

I deal with some heavier themes around suffering and human experience and hard emotions, and then I find humor, the grotesque in particular, is really disarming, and it allows people to have a conversation about something without raising all these guards we have, he said.

He sculpted busts of stern-looking men that make you think of the long history of masculine rulers and patriarchy. Some of them have goofy expressions. Some are mournful, scowling, surprised or elated.

Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey Gaston, a native of Superior, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Trident Training Facility Bangor at Naval Base Kitsap, homeport of West Coast ballistic-missile and guided-missile submarines.

Gaston graduated from Superior High School in 2006.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Superior.

Growing up, I learned that family is the most important thing, said Gaston. I joined the silent service because of the small-town mentality. Submarine crews are a small, very tight-knit community. Being able to take care of anything that comes your way, being independent and thinking about how to solve problems quickly is another thing I learned.

Gaston joined the Navy 13 years ago. Today, Gaston serves as an electricians mate (nuclear).

The military has been a part of my family since the Civil War and I wanted to continue that tradition in a branch my family hadnt served in for decades, said Gaston. My dad was Air Force, my grandpa was in the Coast Guard during the Vietnam War, my great-grandpa was in the Army and my brother has been in the Army for 14 years. Hes stationed at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Tacoma. I joined the Navy to travel the world and meet new people from across America.

 Navy Office of Community Outreach
When Tanya Plainfeather-Gardner approached Trey Hill, her ceramics professor at the University of Montana, about creating 500 porcelain elk tooth replicas for an elk-tooth dress, he was cautiously optimistic.

Making teeth sounded like something they could do, but 500 was a lot to make. Plainfeather-Gardner had never done anything like this before, and Hill estimated the project would take her at least the entire semester. She told him that even if she couldnt make 500 teeth in time for graduation, shed use whatever she had for the dress. That way, the project would still be a success, even if she fell short of her target.

That wasnt necessary. Plainfeather-Gardner hit her goal in one weekend.

I started molding, and I was like, Trey, I have 500, Plainfeather-Gardner recalled, laughing. And hes like, Oh, you werent kidding, huh?

She didnt stop there. Over the course of her final semester of college, Plainfeather-Gardner, who is Crow, handmade about 1,500 porcelain elk teeth, 900 of which were used to create an elk-tooth dress.

Plainfeather-Gardner is 52 years old, and studying art wasnt originally in her plans. She received her associates degree in Native American studies from Little Big Horn College in 2007. Afterward, she worked as a law enforcement officer and a truck driver.

By 2020, she knew she wanted to do something different. After her youngest daughter graduated high school, Plainfeather-Gardner enrolled in UM to pursue a bachelors degree in Native American studies.

But about a year before graduation, Plainfeather-Gardner took an art class. Then she took another. And another.

I found I had a knack, and I really loved it, Plainfeather-Gardner said. And I wanted to create beautiful art.

Plainfeather-Gardner switched her major and filled her course load with more art classes. She took classes in drawing, printmaking, painting and ceramics.

She got the idea for porcelain teeth from an old boss, whod told her that porcelain elk teeth replicas were once sold at trading posts before plastic was introduced.

Elk teeth, also known as elk ivories, refer to a bull elks canine incisors. An elk only has two of these teeth, and an elk tooth dress requires hundreds of them, making the dress a symbol not only of a womans sewing skills but of her male family members hunting abilities, Plainfeather-Gardner explained.

She could never confirm that the Crow had done this  everyone she spoke to said they used carved bone, not porcelain  but that didnt stop her from wanting to try it herself.

Making the teeth took hours and lots of trial and error. First, Plainfeather-Gardner and Hill made a plastic mold that she could use to shape the porcelain into elk teeth.

Once the teeth were molded, Plainfeather-Gardner had to fire them in a kiln. Finding the right temperature was tricky, and hundreds of molded teeth were rendered unusable when Plainfeather fired them at too low or too high of a temperature.

Then it was time for color. Plainfeather-Gardner considered porcelain glazing the teeth, but experimenting to get the right color would take even more time. Instead, she hand-painted each tooth the color of burnt butter. The teeth she sewed onto her dress were painted with such detail that she said some people mistook them for the real thing.

It was such a process the entire semester, and I just said, My life was teeth, Plainfeather-Gardner said. It was all about teeth, elk teeth, and every day its like, I'm gonna go make teeth. I gotta go over and make teeth.

And that was just the teeth. Plainfeather-Gardner also had to make the dress. She chose two shades of purple fabric for it and added stripes of blue, red, white and yellow fabric along the hem and the ends of the sleeves. She used a sewing machine for parts of the dress, but the sides were handsewn, and the yoke was hand-beaded.

Finally, with help from Michelle Guzman, the director fo UMs American Indian Student Services, Plainfeather-Gardner sewed 900 teeth to the dress using artificial sinew.

The ultimate prize for all of her hard work was getting to wear the dress.

Oh, it was amazing, Plainfeather-Gardner said. Trey was like, Are you gonna wear this, you know, are you gonna wear this? And I was like, Im gonna wear it. Im gonna sleep in it!

She walked the stage at graduation in the dress and wore it to the opening of an exhibition for the department, where she won the School of Visual and Media Arts Outstanding Senior award.

She wore that dress to the exhibition, and to be totally honest it brought a tear to my eye, seeing her in that, Hill said. It was so amazing and just so spectacular. It was a powerful object and really a beautiful piece.

Now, Plainfeather-Gardner has her sights set on another art program. For her masters degree, she wants to attend the Institute of American Indian Art, a renowned tribal college in New Mexico. There, shed be able to work alongside Indigenous instructors and students.

In the meantime, Plainfeather-Gardner is seeking funding that would allow her to get her own kiln. She hopes her journey will encourage other Indigenous people, particularly nontraditional students, to get a college education and follow their passions.

You can go back (to school) any time, Plainfeather-Gardner said. Go back and follow your dreams. No matter what age, no matter where youre at in life, its never too late to go back and do something that you love.
Adefiant President Joe Biden vowed Friday in Madison to continue his battered campaign against former President Donald Trump, telling supporters gathered at Sherman Middle School that he is the Democratic Party's nominee and was not going to let others "push me out of the race."

"Let me say this as clearly as I can: I'm staying in the race," Biden said at the start of a make-or-break series of appearances and interviews aimed at pulling his campaign out of a nosedive since his disastrous debate against Trump last week.

The Madison appearance was to be followed by a prime-time interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that was seen as a significant test on his fitness to run for office. In the interview, he called his debate performance a bad episode and said there were no indications of any serious condition.

I didnt listen to my instincts in terms of preparing," Biden told Stephanopoulos in an excerpt that aired early Friday evening.

In front of roughly 300 supporters gathered in the Sherman gymnasium, Biden again acknowledged poor debate last week, saying he can't say it was my best performance but that amid speculation over what he would do, he had an answer: I am running, and I'm going to win again.

I'll beat Donald Trump, a forceful Biden said, as the crowd cheered and waved campaign signs.

Then, in another unforced error, he said: "I will beat him again in 2020" before correcting himself. "And by the way, we're going to do it again in 2024."

Almost from the outset of his brief remarks, Biden attacked his presumptive Republican challenger, noting the former president once said that George Washingtons army won the revolution by taking control of the airports from the British.

As the crowd laughed, Biden continued, Talk about me misspeaking.

While private angst among Democratic lawmakers, donors and strategists is running deep since the debate, most in the party have held public fire as they wait to see if the president can restore some confidence with his weekend travel schedule and his handling of the Stephanopoulos interview.

Most in the Madison crowd seemed to want him to stay in the race. Some said they were confident that Biden was still mentally and physically fit for the job. Others were less sure but emphasized that the election is between two parties  not just two candidates  with a few saying Bidens record spoke for him.

This is an absolute turning point for our country, said Dan Raasch, who came from Oconomowoc for the event.

A handful of attendees dressed up for the occasion, including Jean Larocque of Madison, who painted the word VOTE in white on her black T-shirt and matching top hat.

My heart is with him, she said of Biden.

Not everyone thought Biden should be the nominee, however. Emma McAleavy, a Madison resident and longtime Biden supporter, said she believes its time for him to step aside.

I just really hope he does the right thing and passes the torch, McAleavy said.

There were also a few signs of discontent at the rally Friday, with one supporter on stage waving a sign that read Pass the torch Joe as the president walked onto the stage.

Across the street from the school, scores of pro-Palestinian protesters lined the sidewalk chanting slogans against the president's support for Israel in its war against Hamas. The issue has been a fraught one for Democrats, divided over longstanding support for Israel and shock at the scale of devastation in Gaza. which Palestinian health authorities have put at more than 35,000 dead and up to 2 million displaced.

Joe, stop the gazacide," the group shouted, and Biden, Biden, what do you say, how many kids did you kill today.

In the Democratic primary in April, Biden received more than 511,000 votes, or 88.6%. But more than 48,000 voters, or 8.3%, chose the "uninstructed delegation" option  likely spurred by activists to signify opposition to his administration's stance toward Israel over its handling of the war in Gaza.

Inside Sherman school, Biden sought to address head-on the criticism that he has grown too old and unsteady for the job.

I wasnt too old to create over 50 million new jobs, he said, or take on the big pharmacy companies to force a reduction in the cost of insulin.

"Was I too old to relieve student debt for over 5 million Americans? Too old to put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court of the United States? To sign the Respect for Marriage Act?"

In a call-and-response series of questions, Biden asked his supporters: "Do you think I'm too old to restore Roe v. Wade to the law of the land," to ban assault weapons, protect Social Security?

"No," the crowd shouted back after each question.

In his own remarks ahead of Biden's address, Gov. Tony Evers credited the administration with helping the state, citing the news earlier this week that Wisconsin has been named a regional tech hub, which is expected to bring in $49 million over five years to expand the state's biohealth industry.

That deserves a holy mackerel, he said.

Many Democratic lawmakers, who are hearing from constituents at home during the holiday week, are split on whether Biden should stay or go. Lawmakers have been deeply frustrated by his campaigns response to the crisis. Privately, discussions among the House Democrats flared this week as word spread that some of them were drafting public letters suggesting the president should quit the race.

Yet pushback from other House Democrats was fierce, and none of the letters from either Democrats in competitive reelection bids or those in easier races that were reportedly being discussed were ever made public.

Any leader signing a letter calling for President Biden to drop out needs to get their priorities straight and stop undermining this incredible actual leader who has delivered real results for our country, said Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., an influential member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Biden's reelection campaign is pushing ahead with aggressive plans despite the uncertainty. It plans to pair his in-person events with a fresh $50 million ad campaign this month meant to capitalize on high viewership moments like the Summer Olympics that begin in Paris on July 26.

Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff are scheduled to travel to every battleground state this month, while organizers are planning to knock on more than 3 million doors in July and August to do personal outreach to voters in a new $17 million effort.

Biden himself is scheduled to campaign in Pennsylvania on Sunday. He was initially scheduled to speak before the National Education Association in Philadelphia on Sunday, but the campaign called off the plans following the group's strike announced Friday. The president will not cross a picket line, the campaign said.

He will also travel to southwestern states, including Nevada, after hosting the NATO summit in Washington next week, the campaign said Friday. Hell also continue to focus his travel on the so-called blue wall states - Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan  that have been critical for him in the past.

In a strategy memo released Friday morning, the campaign also specifically emphasized that Biden would participate in frequent off-the-cuff moments - once a hallmark of the gregarious, glad-handling politicians career that have nonetheless dwindled throughout his presidency.

For Biden, every moment now is critical to restoring the lost confidence stemming from his shaky performance in Atlanta last week. Yet the president continued to make slipups that did not help that effort.

During an interview with WURD radio in Philadelphia that aired Thursday, Biden tripped up and said Im proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, the first Black woman to serve with a Black president  scrambling some of his often-used lines about his pride in serving with the first Black president and choosing the first Black woman to be vice president.

Such verbal glitches are not out of the ordinary for Biden but are getting magnified attention in this environment.

Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti in Saugatuck, Michigan, and Mary Clare Jalonick, Aamer Madhani, Lisa Mascaro and Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.

State Journal reporters Adam Kelnhofer, Nicole Pollack and Seth Nelson, and Associated Press reporters Colleen Long, Seung Min Kim, Joey Cappelletti, Todd Richmond, Dylan Lovan, Mary Clare Jalonick, Aamer Madhani, Lisa Mascaro and Josh Boak contributed to this report.

More coverage:
Albert Cooke listened intently to panelists during a session called Embracing and Empowering the Creator at Newarks second annual Black Creative Economy Summit at Newark Symphony Hall last week. This panel, one of four that was presented on Day Two of the summit, focused on making connections.

After the panel discussion, a young woman approached Cooke and relayed her story. He listened intently and told her that he could help. They could help each other, and this is exactly why Cooke attended the summit.

I want to be around other creatives and meet other like-minded people as well as learn about creating economic opportunities for Black people in our communities, he said. I work in the business side of the music industry, so were normally dealing with the label operations, with the A & R the artist development, the marketing and publicity, everyone behind the scenes who turns artists into a star.

Newark Black Creative Economy Summit Albert Cooke (right) at the Newark Black Creative Economy Summit on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Cooke said he was there to connect with like-minded creatives and to offer his guidance to emerging artists and entrepreneurs. (Ande Richards/Ande Richards)

Newarks second annual Black Creative Economy Summit, part of the North 2 Shore Festival, delivered on its promise to provide a space for artistry, innovation, Black entrepreneurship, and economic resilience.

North 2 Shore: Full coverage

The three-day summit embraced the talent, diversity, and creativity of the states social welfare advocates, entrepreneurs, and local artists. It served as a gathering space where experts and audience members could thoughtfully discuss the impact of the arts and opportunities for developing their brands and business plans, as well as how to collaborate with external agencies.

Newark Black Creative Economy Summit Summit attendees gather in the Terrace Ballroom at the New Jersey Symphony Hall on Tuesday, June 25 for the second annual Newark Black Creative Economy Summit. (Ande Richards/Ande Richards)

The arts fuel economies

The atmosphere inside the Terrace Ballroom at Newark Symphony Hall was that of a cool cafe/lounge spot youd find in a trendy downtown neighborhood. Small table and chair set-ups, with a few lounge chairs, a DJ spinning up grooves that provided a soundtrack for the knowledge that was shared by experts, many from Newark communities, to the audience in attendance.

Its important to note the economic boost the arts and cultural sector contribute to the economy of cities across the United States. According to data from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the arts and cultural industries contributed over $1 trillion to the U.S. GDP in 2021, representing 4.4% of the GDP.

Arts and cultural activities also play a vital role in employment and contribute significantly to their local economies as is evidenced in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles which consistently ranked among the top large communities for arts vibrancy.

But Newark is claiming its place by valuing its artists and entrepreneurial community. Mayor Ras Baraka is the son of an artist and his initiatives to invest in the arts and culture have generated notable economic benefits. Their ArtSource service, which brokers public art installations, witnessed a 59% growth in fiscal year 2023, generating $108,000 in revenue.

A cheat sheet for success

Gerard HipHopGamer Williams sat on the The Power Move panel, which discussed how to build brand equity and monetization through innovation. The 41-year-old media personality and award-winning gaming journalist told the audience how he set up his company to be ready to receive all avenues of potential income.

He obtained a vendors license so he could bring gaming to schools. He also obtained Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification and received PETS insurance to be eligible to get funding from community- based organizations (CBOs.) He said this creates stability when other deals dont materialize.

So many people try to compete for the same dollar at different companies or for sponsorship dollars. I dont do sponsorships. I have partnerships. Its a different type of beast in the government and you have to set your company up to be able to receive it - thats the cheat code right there.

STEAM is the dream

Fallon Davis brought a group of young artists and STEAM educators to the event with the hopes that they would engage with experts and other organizations that could offer them guidance and inspiration.

STEAM uses science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. They say from a STEAM perspective, the arts are the root of everything.

There are students who are interested in exploring steam careers, said Davis, the CEO of the education nonprofit, Steam Urban. If we can understand our passions, our healing, our goals, then anything we want to achieve is possible.

Their students had a range of interests. They said, theyre scientists, theyre interested in engineering, some are in business, some are visual artists, but collectively, they are working to become community-based educators as almost like a pipeline to their career pathway.

The city has your back

Tai Cooper, chief community development officer at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), said she had just returned from maternity leave but was excited to be a part of the summit. She says the NJEDA is the economic engine for the state, and they were happy to be a sponsor of the summit for the second consecutive year and to put a spotlight on the importance of Black and brown artists and what we mean to the financial health of the city.

We really focus on equitable and inclusive economic development and what better place to showcase this than the Newark Symphony Hall, Cooper said. What theyre doing with the Black creative economy is super important as we recycle our dollars back into brown and Black communities. Its incredibly important to put that focus out there while we look at the artists who exist within this great state of New Jersey.

Newark Black Creative Economy Summit Amanda Seales speaks during the North To Shore, Newark Black Creative Economy Summit on Tuesday June 25, 2024, at the Newark Symphony Hall's Terrace Ballroom. (Ed Murray| For NJ Advance Media/Ed Murray| For NJ Advance Media)

Words of inspiration

Amanda Seales served as the keynote speaker at the days event. Many know Seales from her role on Insecure or her Stand Up comedy, but Seales also has sharp insight and mindset focused on social advocacy.

As a creative and an artist, I find myself challenging myself to do much more than just make art because if youre comfortable, you dont know enough, said Seales. My art has to have value beyond value, and it takes more than my imagination to do that. It requires community. Integrity is what keeps us a community and economy is what keeps you by yourself.

Ande Richards wants to hear from New Jerseys communities of color, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ communities, and those who feel underserved by traditional media. She may be reached at arichards@njadvancemedia.com.

Welcome to Mosaic. Follow us on Instagram at @MosaicNJcom and on Facebook at MosaicNJcom.
Sixteen suspects faced charges for stealing Kes.78 million worth of alcohol from Timba XO, a club in Eldoret owned by Kapsaret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi.

Prosecution reports presented to the High Court indicated that the suspects also caused Kes.80 million in damage to the clubs property.

During nationwide protests on Tuesday, June 25, youths raided the club in retaliation against the MP, who had supported the contentious Finance Bill 2024. They set part of the club ablaze, vandalized it, and shattered windows.

The 16 suspects faced six counts, including theft, handling stolen property, and malicious damage to property belonging to the Timba XO Club during the Eldoret demonstrations.

According to the charge sheet, the accused, along with others not before the court, broke into Timba XO lounge in Sukunanga area, Kesses Sub County, along the Eldoret-Nakuru highway. They engaged in criminal activities, including theft and destruction.

The court heard that during the incident, the accused stole 11 sound speakers, flat-screen televisions, lighting effects, assorted foodstuff, alcoholic drinks, HP laptops, three Macbooks, computers, utensils, and gas cylinders among other goods valued at Kes.78,896,560, all belonging to Timba XO lounge.

They also faced a charge of malicious damage to property, including offices, CCTV control room, main club store, alcohol counters, chairs, tables, glasses, and assorted electronics, all valued at Kes.80,000,000.

Some of the suspects also faced alternative charges of handling stolen goods. They appeared before Eldoret Principal Magistrate Kesse Choronoh and denied the charges.

Their lawyers requested the court to release them on lenient bond terms, emphasizing that most of them are high school and college students.

According to the lawyers, three of the accused were students in different secondary schools in Uasin Gishu County.

The magistrate ordered that the accused be held at Eldoret GK Prison until the court rules on the bond.

The court instructed probation officers to prepare a pre-bail report to present in court on Friday, July 5, to determine the accuseds eligibility for bond. The prosecution did not oppose their release on bond.

The court scheduled a mention for July 5 to decide on the bond application.
Several lawmakers from the National Assembly and Senate have this week opposed the proposed salary increases by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), slated to commence on July 1.

However, Konoin Member of Parliament Nelson Koech has criticized his fellow lawmakers for what he deems insincerity. According to Koech, those rejecting the salary hikes are merely playing to the public gallery.

He pointed to the sentiments expressed by Senators during a special sitting on Wednesday, where discussions touched on corruption, wastage, and the restructuring of government to curb expenditure.

Koech asserted that the discourse lacked sincerity.

Yesterday, what I saw in the Senate is the hypocrisy that stinks to the high heavens. These people are hypocrites, they are not honest. These are politicians who are competing to decline salary increment because of the moment, he stated.

During a Thursday morning TV interview, Konoin Member of Parliament Nelson Koech, who also chairs the Defense Committee in the National Assembly, emphasized that this is a critical moment for honesty rather than political posturing among MPs and Senators.

He criticized his colleagues for what he described as hypocritical behavior, urging them to engage in genuine dialogue to address the concerns raised by Kenyans about the countrys current state.

To MPs and Senators, I know the hype of the moment has got you. Everyone wants to speak to be seen to be on the right side, but all of you are hypocrites. Let us be very honest, Koech asserted.

He called on the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to capitalize on the current sentiment among lawmakers who are rejecting salary increments by further reducing their perks.

I wish SRC could use this opportunity to reduce even further the salaries of these MPs, bring it down to even Ksh. 200,000 because everyone now is declining an increment, the MP suggested.
Following a deal signed between Nairobi and Kampala in May this year, Uganda is set to receive its first consignment of imported petroleum products through the port of Mombasa.

This development marks a significant shift in the regions fuel supply dynamics, as Uganda will now use the port of Mombasa and the Kenya Pipeline Company infrastructure to facilitate the transfer of fuel. This move is expected to lower pump prices in Uganda and end the monopoly of Kenyan Oil Marketing Companies, which had been the primary suppliers of fuel to the landlocked country.

The maiden vessel, Navig8 Matines, carrying over 60,000 metric tons of petrol destined for Uganda, docked at the port of Mombasa on Wednesday afternoon.

The tanker is discharging its consignment at the Kipevu Oil Terminal 2 facility, a state-of-the-art terminal built at a cost of Kes.40 billion. This facility boasts a total capacity of 24 million metric tonnes, significantly enhancing the regions fuel storage and handling capabilities.

The offshore island terminal features four berths, each 770 meters long, allowing for the simultaneous discharge of several vessels. This capability improves ship turnaround time and eliminates demurrage charges, contributing to more efficient fuel distribution.

Kampalas approval of the Petroleum Supply Amendment Act of 2003 has been pivotal in this development, granting the Uganda National Oil Company the sole mandate to directly procure petroleum products.

This legislative change allows Uganda to directly import various fuel products, including diesel, petrol, aviation fuel, crude oil, and liquefied petroleum gas via the port of Mombasa.

Once the fuel arrives at the port, it will be transported using the Kenya Pipeline infrastructure to Kisumu or Eldoret for onward transportation to Uganda. This streamlined process promises to enhance fuel supply efficiency and reliability for Uganda, potentially leading to more stable fuel prices and a more secure energy supply chain.

Meanwhile, the use of the port of Mombasa and the Kenya Pipeline Company infrastructure by Uganda for importing petroleum products generates additional revenue for Kenya through port fees, handling charges, and pipeline usage fees.

Successfully facilitating Ugandas fuel imports also reinforces Kenyas position as a regional trade and logistics hub, attracting more business from neighboring countries and potentially leading to more international investments.

By ensuring a steady and potentially increased flow of petroleum products through its infrastructure, Kenya could also benefit from more stable fuel prices domestically, which can have positive ripple effects on the overall economy.

The deal also fosters strategic partnerships and regional integration, aligning with initiatives such as the East African Community (EAC) goals of creating a seamless regional market.
Ircon International is a subsidiary of Indian Railways, and it focuses on the construction of infrastructure projects.

According to the contract, Ircon International will complete the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of broad gauge ballastless track for Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.

"This is to inform that Ircon International Limited (IRCON) has been awarded an LOA for the work of "Design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of broad gauge ballastless track (BLT), supply of ballast and installation of the track (excluding supply of rails and track sleepers) between chainage 6+015 (FLS) to 125+200 (FLS) in connection with New BG line between Rishikesh and Karanprayag (125km) in the state of Uttarakhand, India," said the company on Thursday.

The company informed that the awarded work will take place in Uttarakhand to connect the new Broad Gauge (BG) line between Rishikesh and Karanprayag, which extends for 125 km. The contract also includes the supply of ballast and installation of the track (excluding the supply of rails and track sleepers).

A broad-gauge line is a railway line with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than 1,435 mm.

The company also stated that the contract will be fulfilled through a joint venture of IRCON-Paras Railtech Pvt. and PCM Strescon Overseas Ventures Ltd. in the ratio of 60:25:15, respectively.

The awarded work will be completed within a time limit of 42 months.

Meanwhile, the shares of Ircon International closed at Rs 280.50 per share on Thursday at the National Stock Exchange. (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Friday met with Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the national capital where they possibly discussed various aspects of the southern state's developments. The meeting comes ahead of the much-awaited full budget of the central government for 2024-25. The budget is likely to be tabled later this month. Three Union ministers from Naidu's Telugu Desam Party who were inducted into the PM Modi-led Cabinet -- Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, were also present during the Andhra CM's meeting with Sitharaman. Naidu who is on a visit to Delhi had earlier called on Prime Miniseter Narendra Modi and seven Cabinet ministers -- Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Manohar Lal, and Hardeep Singh Puri. He brought multiple issues related to respective ministries to the notice of the Union ministers he met. Naidu also deliberated upon mechanisms to effectively coordinate for timely intervention and action by the Central government. The Andhra Chief Minister, during his meeting with PM Modi, highlighted that Andhra Pradesh continues to grapple with the repercussions of what he said is the unscientific, unfair, and unjust bifurcation of 2014. "I am confident that under his leadership, our State will re-emerge as a powerhouse among states," Naidu wrote on his X timeline after meeting PM Modi. Additionally, the "miserable governance" of the previous administration marked by "malice, corruption and mis-governance" has dealt a blow to the state than bifurcation itself, he said, as per a press note. He apprised the prime minister that the fiscal situation in Andhra Pradesh has significantly deteriorated. Committed expenses, including salaries, pensions, and debt servicing, exceed the State's revenue receipts, leaving no fiscal space for productive capital investment, he added. He sought financial handholding from the central government, including for state finances in short term, commissioning of the marquee Polavaram National Irrigation Project, support for completion of the Government complex and trunk infrastructure of the capital city of Amaravati, support to the backward regions of Andhra Pradesh on lines of Bundelkhand package, and support for development of Duggirajupatnam port. During his meeting with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Naidu requested him to release Rs385 Cr as land cost, for establishing Greyhounds Training Centre; and Rs.27.54 Crores towards operational cost; division of assets under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act 2014. He requested Shah to review Andhra Pradesh IPS cadre review, which he asserted has been pending since 2015. A cadre review is likely to enhance the present strength from 79 to 117. It was requested that the Andhra Pradesh police IPS cadre review may be scheduled at an early date. During the meeting with Nitin Gadkari, he requested for 6/8-lining of the existing highway from Hyderabad to Vijaywada; development of a greenfield express highway from Hyderabad to Amaravati; Vijayawada Eastern Bypass which will also decongest traffic within the city of Vijayawada; and 4-lane greenfield coastal highway from Mulapeta (Bhavanapadu) to Visakhapatnam. During a meeting with Piyush Goyal, financial assistance in the form of a grant to provide essential external infrastructure - such as industrial water, power, railway, and road connectivity - to identify 4 industrial nodes (3 in VCIC corridor and 1 in CBIC corridor) within the state was sought. The Andhra CM sought from Shivraj Singh Chouhan an integrated aquapark, sought to devise a policy for increasing the subsidy to horticulture farmers. He asked Hardeep Singh Puri to request BPCL to set up a refinery in the state. "An announcement towards establishment of a refinery in the State of Andhra Pradesh by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in the Full Budget Address of Hon'ble Finance Minister will augur well for increasing the refinery capacity of the Country in its journey towards the Country's ambitious vision to transform into a developed entity by the centenary of its independence in 2047," another press note said. In addition, the CM also had a fruitful meeting with Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission. (ANI)
VMPL Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 5: Vidyashilp University, the new-age centre of excellence from the Vidyashilp Education Group announces the appointment of Dr Vasanthi Mariadass as the Program Chair for the Communication Design program. VU features a distinguished pedagogical team with an average of 30 years of academic experience. The School of Liberal Arts & Design Studies currently has 15 faculty members. The addition of Dr Vasanthi Mariadass, Taniya Sah, Dr Sheetal Bharat, Dr Gargi S Kumar, Dr Bipin Sony, and Dr Jyotsna Rosario will further enrich the teaching expertise in their respective departments. Dr Vasanthi Mariadass brings a wealth of experience to Vidyashilp University. She has been the former Dean for New Humanities and Design at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design, and Technology and holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania along with a Master's Degree from Clarion University, US. Her current research focuses on Environmental and Climate Change, which she integrates into her pedagogical approach for design and liberal arts students. Dr Sheetal Bharat holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Riverside, and an M.A. in Development Economics from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. With two decades of experience, she is well-versed in new institutional economics, the history of economic thought, economic history, development, political economy, and mathematics. Dr Gargi S. Kumar served as a project coordinator for a Neuro-palliative care project at the NIMHANS in Bangalore. She has a robust academic background with a Ph.D. in Psychology from IIT Bombay, an M.Phil. in Psycho-oncology from the Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai, and an MSc in Health Psychology from the University of Hyderabad. Dr Bipin Sony's expertise encompasses financial economics, corporate finance, financial markets, and macroeconomics. Dr Sony holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Madras School of Economics and an M.A. in Economics from Loyola College, Chennai. Taniya Sah has submitted her Ph.D. in Agriculture and Development Economics to IIT Delhi and holds a Master's degree in Economics from Kumaun University, Uttarakhand. Her expertise centres on agricultural markets and value chains. Dr Jyotsna Rosario holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Madras School of Economics. She has also served as the Research Manager for the Tamil Nadu Household Panel Survey Project at the Madras Institute of Development Studies in Chennai. Her extensive background in both research and teaching positions will help her to advance Vidyashilp University through innovation, interdisciplinary education, and global collaboration. Speaking about the appointments, Prof. P.G. Babu, Vice-Chancellor, Vidyashilp University said, "The School of Liberal Arts & Design Studies is one of the four academic schools at Vidyashilp University and our lookout has been for dynamic subject experts who could bring forth the core principles of liberal arts to their teaching and research. We are glad that we could find great synergy with all the newly hired faculty members". The School of Liberal Arts & Design Studies offers three programs: B Des (Bachelor of Communication Design), and BA Honors , BA Honors with Research covering a range of domains from Communication Design and Economics to Psychology. B.Des (Bachelor of Communication Design): The B.Des program promises exclusive focus on Communication Design, combining some of the classic elements of Graphics and Visual Communication Design along with new-age, future-oriented inputs in Digital Design and Content Creation, ideal for students looking for opportunities in the online media and content industry. The course also emphasises on research and scholarly aspects offering a practical and technical mastery. Providing an Interdisciplinary approach to Design, minors of Economics, Psychology, Data Science, Finance and Marketing are collaboratively offered by the School of Liberal Arts & Design Studies, the School of Computational and Data Sciences, and the School of Business Studies. Each Minor has a mandatory Integrative Project - to bring together the major and minor domains, enabling students to understand the application of Communication Design, in-depth, in their chosen minor. BA Honors , BA Honors with Research: The BA Honors & Research offers a mentored academic and research experience to understand research design and methodology from the perspective of an experienced researcher. The emphasis lies on providing students and early-career researchers with the support they need to absorb the rigours of research and succeed in their chosen domains. The program focuses on helping students develop statistical literacy in the form of critical thinking through arguments that use statistics as evidence. A key goal of statistical literacy is helping students understand statistical associations in a given context of observational studies.Similar to the principles of Liberal Arts, Vidyashilp University's ethos of interdisciplinary culture aims to push the students to engage in a unique exploration of the connections between diverse domains. The interdisciplinary approach empowers students to gain a comprehensive understanding, equipping them to address complex challenges with innovative solutions that prepare them to excel in their chosen domain. About Vidyashilp University Established in 2021, Vidyashilp University (VU) aims to transform higher education. Building on the 4+ decade legacy of the Vidyashilp Education Group (VSEG), VU fosters innovation and challenges the extraordinary to equip students for success in today's ever-progressing world. The University prioritises holistic development, nurturing well-rounded leaders. Rigorous academics, coupled with best-in-class facilities and a supportive environment, empower students to evolve into courageous change-makers. Vidyashilp University cultivates not just academic excellence, but also critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability - skills essential for making a positive impact in the real world. (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)
Following the success of Ujjain's newly developed 'Mahakal Lok', Madhya Pradesh is expanding its religious tourism efforts with plans to develop three new religious destinations. The launch of Mahakal Lok has significantly boosted religious tourism in the state, with visitor numbers soaring from 32.1 million in 2022 to 112 million in 2023. The state government is now planning to develop three more religious tourist attractions: Devi Lok in Salkanpur, Hanuman Lok in Chhindwara, and Ram Raja Lok in Orchha. "There has been a tremendous increase in footfall, primarily from religious tourists. As you know, we host two major Jyotirlingas at Mahakaleshwar and Omkareshwar, and the newly created Mahakal Lok is attracting numerous tourists from India and abroad," Bidisha Mukherjee, Additional Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, told ANI. Mukherjee also announced that, similar to Mahakal Lok, new initiatives are underway for Devi Lok, Hanuman Lok, and Ram Raja Lok to further boost tourism in the state. "We are going to develop 'Devi Lok' in Salkanpur, which is Shakti temple; 'Hanuman Lok' in Chhindwara; and 'Ram Raja Lok' in Orchha, which is famous for Ram Raja temple. These new projects aim to build on the success of Mahakal Lok and attract even more tourists," Mukherjee said. The MP Tourism Board is also engaging with international embassies to increase global tourist inflow. Scandinavian countries have shown a keen interest in Madhya Pradesh's local festivals, including the Khajuraho Dance Festival and the Tansen Festival. "We are in dialogue with various embassies, particularly in Finland. We were astonished to see there were many tourists who had been to our 'Narmada Parikrama'. The embassies are very enthusiastic about our major festivals," Mukherjee added. Additionally, the state is seeing a rise in popularity for rural homestays, with the tourism board offering subsidies to local tribes for creating authentic accommodation experiences for tourists. "To enhance safety for international and national tourists, we have trained over 10,000 women through the Nirbhaya Fund in various livelihood streams. Madhya Pradesh is becoming a preferred destination for solo female travellers. If you come to Madai town, you can hire a female gipsy rider. So you can take her for a female gipsy ride to the wildlife sanctuaries and the national parks. If you want a guide, you can have a woman guide; the tourism board, in collaboration with the Nirbhya Fund, has trained them in all the major streams that were predominantly done by their male counterparts," Mukherjee explained. The state also recently launched the 'PM Shri Tourism Air Service,' which connects eight cities: Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Rewa, Ujjain, Gwalior, Singrauli, and Khajuraho. This initiative, in partnership with M/s Jet Serve Aviation Private Limited under a public-private partnership model, aims to make travel within the state more accessible for tourists. (ANI)
NewsVoir Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 5: Pioneered by finance expert Rahul Ghose, Octanom Tech, a leading Investech firm that runs Hedged.in "India's first 'Hedged-style' Investment & Trading platform" is proud to have been awarded the prestigious "Wealth Tech of the Year" award at the BW Business World festival. This recognition underscores Octanom Tech's significant impact on redefining the investment and trading landscape across India. Powered by Octanom Tech, the Hedged platform curates low risk trading and Investing products with a focus on reducing the growing losses of retailers and institutions in India and abroad. With only 3.8 per cent of Indians directly investing in equity, Hedged provides a much-needed solution, offering lower-risk, machine-driven hedged Products & innovative investment solutions both in the equity and derivative spaces. These technologies & products empower investors to make informed decisions, addressing fears stemming from lack of knowledge, time constraints, and market unpredictability. The BW Businessworld's Festival of Fintech annually gathers industry leaders and innovators to explore the forefront of financial technology. This premier event showcases advancements in AI, machine learning, blockchain, digital banking, mobile payments, cybersecurity, API integration, DeFi, fraud prevention and open banking, reflecting the rapid evolution of the fintech industry. In just 15 months since its launch, Hedged & Octanom tech is one of the youngest companies in India to get this award & has achieved the highest audited success rate on the platform among similar competitor platforms in India. This rapid growth and success are backed by a team of experts, including PhD Dr Praveen Dwaraknath & CTO Shiv Kumar Puppala and is led by Rahul Ghose, who is one of the foremost authorities in India in the options space and the former Vice President of Sharekhan.com. Under his visionary leadership, Octanom Tech & his team of experts are committed to making intelligent technology accessible to all of India's retail traders and investors, fostering their active participation in and contributing to India's growing economy in a safer way. "We are incredibly honoured & humbled to receive the 'Wealth Tech of the Year' award," said Rahul Ghose, Founder & CEO of Octanom Tech. "This recognition is a testament to our commitment 'To reducing a 100 Billion dollars' worth of losses over the next decade' in India and around the world. Product Innovation and our dedication to empowering investors with technology and knowledge remains on our forefront agenda. We will continue to drive forward with our mission to transform the investment & Trading landscape in India and overseas." The Business World Festival of Fintech is one of the most anticipated & recognized events in the fintech industry, celebrating outstanding achievements and innovations that shape the future of financial technology. The award further solidifies Octanom Tech's position as a trailblazer in the fintech space. For more information about Octanom Tech and Hedged, please visit www.octanomtech.com and www.hedged.in. Octanom Tech is a leading fintech firm dedicated to leveraging advanced technology to create innovative Trading & investment solutions. The company's flagship platform, Hedged.in, is designed to empower retail investors with lower-risk, Tech & AI-driven investment products, helping them navigate the financial markets with confidence. (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)
BusinessWire India New Delhi [India], July 5: Timex, the iconic American watch brand, launched the latest iteration of their 'Waste More Time' campaign featuring brand Ambassador, Ananya Panday. The global campaign encourages people to forget the hustle and bustle and reconnect with themselves by spending more time doing what they love most, even if others view it as a total waste of time. The third digital film of the campaign reinforces that a Timex does more than just tell time; it tells your story and reminds you to make time yours. The latest rendition of the campaign once again puts the spotlight on Ananya Panday, who's seen happily gliding around her bookshelf, picking up books and seemingly immersed in work. The ad then takes a turn, showing the unique take of wasting time to do things that bring joy with Ananya balancing books on her head while breaking into a groovy dance! Digital Film Link: Campaign Film 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." 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 life's little joys, no holds barred. Here's to those who live life on their own terms -- let Timex be a reminder to Waste More Time." The launch of Timex's third Waste More Time film is a significant milestone for the brand. The brand consistently explores new boundaries in innovation and style, appealing to everyone who values fashion. The film is now available to view on Timex's official website and social media channels. (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)
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 5: EleFant, a mobile app-based toy Library, has raised Rs 6 crore (about USD 750K) in its seed round co-led by Malpani Ventures, Venture Catalysts with participation from several notable investors and family offices. the EleFant was founded in 2023 by Sourabh Jain, a devoted father inspired by his daughter's curiosity and love for learning. Witnessing the clutter of unused toys and the constant demand for new ones, Sourabh envisioned a solution that would provide children with a continuous supply of engaging educational toys while promoting sustainability. The funding round saw participation from a roster of investors, including Sudhakar Pai& Jyothi Pradhan from Kanara Consumer Products Limited, part of Manipal Group, Agre Global FZE, Growth 91/Growth Sense, IVY Growth, SiriusOne Capital and several angel investors. Notable among these are Jignesh Mehta, Senior Director of Internal Controls for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa at Mondelez International. The Indian toy market, bolstered by rising disposable incomes and the 2020 National Education Policy promoting play-based learning, presents a significant opportunity for the EleFant. The market is projected to grow at an 8 per cent CAGR, reaching USD 3.3 billion by 2027. With this fnding, the EleFant is well-positioned to capitalize on this growing market, expand its footprint across India, and potentially explore international markets in the future. the EleFant, fully operational in 16+ cities across India, is disrupting the traditional toy model for parents with its unique Discover-Play-Return model. Departing from the conventional Buy-Play-Clutter approach, the platform offers an extensive selection of toys and books for children aged 0-12 years, sourced from 70+ top brands with over 600 options. In an impressive feat, the EleFant has garnered 13,000+ registered users and 1000+ fully paid subscribers in less than 10 months since its launch. Apart from being a time, cost & space effective solution, the EleFant is promoting sustainability with its innovative reuse model for toy industry Elaborating on the investment, Dr Apurva from Venture Catalysts, said, "the EleFant's innovative approach to toy subscription aligns perfectly with the evolving needs of modern Indian families. By addressing the challenges of toy clutter and constant child engagement, the EleFant is not just creating a business, but promoting a sustainable and educational ecosystem for child development. This investment reflects our confidence in tthe EleFant's potential to revolutionize the USD 1.75 billion Indian toy market, which is projected to reach USD 3.3 billion by 2027. We are particularly impressed by their rapid growth and the social impact they're creating through their Librarian Model, empowering women entrepreneurs across India." the EleFant's leadership team brings a wealth of experience to the table. Founder and CEO Sourabh Jain, a Chartered Accountant with experience at firms like EY, co-founded consulting firm Protune KS Aiyar over a decade, and headed supply chain as Director for Chai Point, leads the company's vision and strategy. The team is strengthened by Santhosh Vemisetty as Tech Product Head, bringing experience from Target and Chai Point, and Ruchi Gour as CFO, with a background in finance roles at ITC, Myntra, and Dream 11. Expressing enthusiasm about the funding and the company's vision, Sourabh Jain from the EleFant, said, This fundraise is a testament to our vision to change the way India interacts with toys. With the support of our investors, we are poised to revolutionize playtime by making it more sustainable, educational, and accessible for all children, We are projecting significant growth in our subscriber base and revenue over the next 18-24 months. The funds will allow us to optimize our supply chain, reducing delivery times and costs, while also investing in data analytics to better understand and serve our customers." and further Ruchi Gour Mehta, CFO of the EleFant said "This funding round not only validates our business model but also empowers us to scale our operations and bring the innovative solution of the EleFant to even more families across India. We are excited to have the support of such esteemed investors who share our vision and commitment." the EleFant's unique value proposition extends beyond toy subscription. The platform also empowers home-based women entrepreneurs through its innovative Librarian Model. Currently with 52+ Librarian centers across India, these librarians manage toy inventory and facilitate exchanges within their communities, earning a fixed income while promoting sustainable play and becoming brand ambassadors. This model not only creates entrepreneurial opportunities but also strengthens community bonds and promotes the concept of shared resources. With this investment, Venture Catalysts & Malpani Ventures fuels a new chapter of growth for the EleFant, which stands poised to not only disrupt the toy industry but also to make a significant impact on early childhood education and sustainable consumption in India. About The EleFant the EleFant, founded in 2023 by Sourabh Jain, is a pioneering mobile app-based toy library headquartered in Mumbai, India. Inspired by a father's desire to nurture his daughter's curiosity and love for learning, the EleFant offers a unique solution to the ever-evolving toy needs of parents and children. It's designed to provide a sustainable and cost-effective way for kids to enjoy a diverse range of toys and books while promoting their development. Think of it as a modern twist on the concept of a library, but instead of books, it offer an extensive collection of toys & books for kids between 0-12 years. Parents can take membership, order toys which gets delivered at home and exchange them with a new toy once their kid is bored or looking for something new. (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)
SMPL New Delhi [India], July 5: Hari Shankar Sighania School of Business successfully inaugurated its Academic Session on June 24, 2024. The event, attended by distinguished guests, JKO Leadership, visiting faculty from IIMs, industry leaders, students, and their families, marked an important milestone for HSB. The ceremony was filled with inspiring speeches and engaging activities, setting the tone for the exciting journey ahead. In his welcome address, Dr Gregory J. Dunn, the Dean of HSB, delivered a stirring speech, underlining the significance of academic excellence and personal growth for the new cohort of students. This speech, which resonated with everyone present, set the tone for the entire event. Following the welcome address, Harsh Pati Singhania, the Pro-Chancellor of JKLU and MD of JKO, delivered an enlightening inaugural address. His words of wisdom and guidance invigorated the new cohort, preparing them for their educational journey at HSB. "The inauguration of this academic session is not just the beginning of another year; it's the commencement of a journey where students will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to navigate and lead in the ever-evolving business landscape," said Harsh Pati Singhania. "We are committed to nurturing future leaders who are not only adept at management principles but also at driving innovation and creating sustainable value." The event was made even more special by Prof. Hans Bernd Kittlaus, the Chairman of the International Software Product Management Association (ISPMA), who shared a special message. Prof. Kittlaus provided further inspiration for the founding cohort, highlighting the importance of product management in today's dynamic business environment. The formal proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks by c, followed by a networking evening, allowing attendees to engage and connect. This event also marked the beginning of the Orientation Week, a comprehensive program organized from June 24 to June 29, 2024. The week includes a series of workshops and CXO talks, designed to initiate the founding batch of students into the world of management education and the latest developments in the domain of Product Management. For more information, please visit: https://hsb.edu.in/ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 5: To commemorate Doctors' Day, the Times Now Doctors Day Conclave brought together leading medical professionals to celebrate their contributions and address pressing health issues facing India. One such critical issue is the devastating toll of tobacco use. While existing policies aim to curb tobacco consumption, the human and economic cost remains significant. Current national tobacco control policies haven't yielded the desired results. Millions of lives are lost each year to tobacco-related diseases, placing a crushing burden on India's healthcare system. The panel discussion on "India needs a new and comprehensive approach to combating addiction led NCDs" at the Conclave highlighted the urgent need for a fresh and comprehensive approach to combat addiction-driven NCDs, particularly the root cause - nicotine addiction. Yugal Sikri, Vice Chairperson & Managing Director of RPG Life Sciences, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "Addressing non-communicable diseases is not just important but critical, demanding a fresh and comprehensive approach to combat addiction driven NCDs. The rise of these NCDs linked to addiction is alarming, with tobacco alone responsible for one in six NCD-related deaths." The discussion ignited with a thought-provoking question posed by Yugal Sikri: Is it nicotine itself, or the way it's delivered, that poses the greater threat? Dr. Sequeira, a leading public health figure, built upon this by urging a clear distinction between nicotine and tobacco. He called out the issue of misinformation surrounding nicotine, even among healthcare professionals. Nicotine is addictive, but the nicotine in cigarettes, bidis etc is not directly responsible for the cancer, lung disease, and heart disease that kill hundreds of thousands of Indians each year. Yes, it got them all addicted and kept them addicted for the long term. But it's the other chemical compounds in tobacco, and in the smoke created by setting tobacco on fire, that directly and primarily cause the illness and death, not the nicotine. So we need to take a fresh look at nicotine itself, and how the addiction that it causes relates to the potential harm of its delivery mechanism. Atish Majumdar, Senior President of Mankind Pharma, pointed out "We are faced with a monumental challenge. Increasing awareness is crucial in tackling the impact of addiction-driven NCDs and promoting harm reduction. Clearly defining addiction is essential. Beyond tobacco, sugar, and salt also play significant roles as contributors to addiction-driven NCDs," he noted. Health-risk labels are therefore critical for any addiction related NCDs - be it tobacco or food products. Dr. Mohsin Wali, Padma Shri Awardee & Senior Consultant in Oncology, Healthcare, Cancer, and Clinical Research at Sir Gangaram Hospital, stressed the importance of prioritizing the future well-being of youth. He said, "It is crucial to prioritize the future and the well-being of our youth. Now is the opportune moment to confront addiction-driven non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly the increasing prevalence of smoking among younger demographics." The panel discussion acknowledged that the need of the hour therefore is a more nuanced approach to characterizing the overall impact of the tobacco market--something better than tobacco-use or prevalence. A new approach of 'harm weighting' or 'risk grading' in characterizing tobacco use, basically creating an index of tobacco use that takes account of the differences in risk between different products. Traditional cigarettes and bidis reside at the most hazardous end of this spectrum, while medicinal nicotine products (like NRTs) fall on the safer side. By recognizing the risk index, the conversation can shift. Instead of coping with tobacco control, we would be solving for tobacco control. Dr. Rohan Savio Sequeira, Consultant Cardio-Metabolic Physician and Specialist in Non-Invasive Cardiology, Diabetes & Endocrinology, and Hon. Consultant Physician to the Governor of Maharashtra, emphasized the need for educating medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies on addressing the real root cause. "Patients come and ask us on how do I quit? We as medical professionals are at the forefront of this, therefore we need to fully comprehend what 'harm' and 'harm reduction' means. Dr Sequeira also called out the inadequacy of Nicotine Replacement Techniques by pointing out that 'Data suggests that NRTs have an efficacy rate of just 7%. The challenge primarily lies in addressing nicotine delivery systems. It is crucial to prioritize education as part of the National Health Policy. This includes educating rural physicians on the dangers of addiction and effective strategies to minimize harm," he said. Dr. D. Dhanuraj, Founder-Chairman, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPCR) elaborated further on nicotine delivery systems, "Over the past decade, reducing harm from tobacco use has become crucial, prompting us to involve stakeholders in accelerating awareness efforts. Despite increased taxes on tobacco products, usage rates have continued to rise. Alternative nicotine delivery systems present a viable option for reducing tobacco use and merit further exploration." The Conclave concluded by calling for a novel public health strategy that embraces risk-based profiling of tobacco products. This strategy would acknowledge the complexities of nicotine dependence and prioritize the well-being of the Indian population. A family and population-focused approach to reducing tobacco-caused disease and death must start from the premise that, as far as tobacco is concerned, the bigger problem is the delivery system. By leveraging scientific advancements, fostering open discussions among healthcare professionals, and implementing innovative policies, India can chart a new course in the fight against tobacco-related NCDs. (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)
Kerala is set to host what it termed the country's first International GenAI Conclave on July 11-12 in the city of Kochi, co-hosted by IBM India. With an expected number of delegates going up to 1,000, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said this upcoming event is vital for Kerala's innovation landscape. Generative AI, also referred to as GenAI, allows users to input a variety of prompts to generate new content, such as text, images, and videos, among others. The agenda of the two-day conclave includes keynote presentations, panel discussions, interactive sessions, product demos, and hackathons. Speakers and other dignitaries who are expected to attend this event are not yet made public. It will showcase the "transformative potential of generative AI in various industries and propelling our ambition to become a hub of generative AI in India," the chief minister wrote on his X timeline, as he made a public announcement about the Conclave. This is also seen as a step towards making Kerala a global hub for AI research and development. The objective of this conclave is also to explore the transformative potential of AI, drive generative AI innovation, address business and societal challenges, foster skill development, and strengthen the talent pool and infrastructure in AI research and development. Ahead of the conclave, various programs are organized across Kerala. Srinivasan Muthusamy, Senior Technical Staff Member, IBM India and an expert in Artificial Intelligence software organized tech talks in all three important IT parks of Kerala. Tech Talk was organized at Thiruvananthapuram Technopark, Kochi Info Park, and Kozhikode Cyber Park. Artificial Intelligence as a technology in its current form is largely task-oriented and typically not capable of dealing with a situation where logic and reasoning are needed. Given India's strong IT industry and a large set of data, AI-based utilities can leverage huge potential in the country. Though AI is still in its early stages, many countries have been using AI technologies for better service delivery and to reduce human intervention but fears of job cuts remain as the technology evolves. (ANI)
One of India's seniormost lawyer and BJP leader Mahesh Jethmalani has alleged that a US-based businessman with Chinese links had commissioned a report by Hindenburg Research, which led to a significant drop in the Adani group companies shares in January-February 2023. The senior lawyer claimed that Mark Kingdon, the American businessman behind Kingdon Capital Management LLC, had hired Hindenburg Research to prepare a report on the Adani Group. Jethmalani in a social media post on "X" alleged that "spy" Anla Cheng and her husband Mark Kingdon hired Hindenburg Research to prepare a report on Adani group companies. The senior lawyer further said that they used Kotak Mahindra Investments Limited (KMIL) to set up a trading account for short-selling Adani shares and make profits in millions at the cost of Indian retail investors. "While all the foregoing is now in the public domain, the smoking gun not hitherto known is that Anla Cheng - a Chinese American - is an influential lobbyist for #Chinese interests in the US. She was CEO of #SupChina a pro China media corporate initiative which morphed into an entity called The China Project after a whistleblower accused SupChina of news subversion in China's interest in a sworn statement before the US Congress." Jethmalani said in his post https://x.com/JethmalaniM/status/1808839724951273587?t=Sh5L5aWuMHj4PulBs1WIKg&s=08 "#TheChinaProject shut down after calls for an investigation into its subversive activities by some US senators including having links with the Chinese Communist Party. The latter clearly has a bone to pick with the Adani group." Jethmalani added Kingdon also hired Kotak Mahindra International Limited (KMIL) to set up an offshore fund and an offshore account to trade in Adani shares. Jethmalani alleged that Kotak created Kotak India Opportunity Fund (KIOF) for trading in Adani shares. KIOF took large short-positions in Adani shares through the Mauritius route before the preparation of the Hindenburg report. The funds for the trade, USD 40 million, were provided by Kingdon's Master Fund, a substantial shareholding, which is owned by the Kingdon family including Anla Cheng. Through short-selling Kingdon made millions of dollars at the cost of eroding the market cap of Adani group companies shares and significant loss to Indian retail investors. Jethmalani claimed that Kingdon and Cheng's actions were prompted to nullify Adani Group's interests in projects in several parts of the world, including outbidding Chinese players for the Haifa Port in Israel and coal projects near Sri Lanka's Jaffna. In another post Jethmalani raised three other questions on the Adani-Hindenburg saga 1. Who introduced the Kingdons to KMIL, what due diligence was conducted by KMIL regarding the Kingdons and did it participate in the short sell as a principal. 2. Did all the Indian actors - politicians, businessmen and financial intermediaries who aided Hindenburg with the preparation of its Adani report and its publication after the short sale know about its short selling motives and did they financially benefit from it? 3. Did KMIL and the said Indian actors know about the Chinese connection behind Hindenburg? Jethmalani in his post on "X" has tagged Indian market regulator SEBI while raising the above mentioned three questions. Kotak Mahindra International Ltd has earlier said through a media release that Hindenburg was never a client of the group's K-India Opportunities Fund (KIOF) and Kotak Mahindra International Ltd (KMIL). (ANI)
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 5: After returning from a nearly decade-long hiatus in January, Himanshu 'Heems' Suri announces his second album of 2024, VEENA LP, set for release on August 23rd via his own label Veena Sounds. Alongside the announcement, Heems shares the Sid Vashi-produced lead single "MANTO," which features Vijay Iyer and arrives alongside a stark Nardeep Khurmi-directed video. Khurmi is an award-winning writer and director perhaps best known for his debut feature Land of Gold, which is how Heems was introduced to his work. The music video features the women in Heems' family; elderly aunts who are the last generation of survivors, his mother, his sister, and his 2 little nieces. Speaking about the video's origin, Khrumi shares: "Hima sliding into my DMs after he saw my debut feature Land of Gold to tell me how much it meant to him was a career high point. I grew up with his music. Felt seen with his music. It was the first time I'd heard someone speak my language with my perspective. 'MANTO' started out as a love letter to one of Heems's favorite artists, Joseph Cornell, and his film Aviary, and evolved into an exploration of inherited trauma and sharing our love for the women who made sacrifices in order to raise us. It was an honor to help bring out what's in Heems' heart.`` "These two inspirations, these parts of me creatively, Joseph Cornell's The Aviary and Guru Dutt's Mr. and Mrs. 55 were released the same 1955. This wasn't that long after 1947's Partition. So along with S.H. Manto and Amrita Pritam, all these thoughts were going around in my head," Heems shares. In addition to its heartfelt storytelling, the video sees Heems wearing clothes by Stoffa, a New York City-based brand co-founded by Indian designer Agyesh Madan. Speaking on the crossover of music and fashion in the music video Heems shares "Getting fit for Stoffa was better than therapy. When two creative people spend enough time together they figure out a way to turn that into work, so work feels less like work. The idea of the outer borough flaneur came about with Agyesh's eye for design, and also looking at Guru Dutt. VEENA LP is a confessional confronting trauma in many forms - generational, familial, and complex. The track "MANTO" digs deep into the bloody partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 with the same brutal honesty as the writer it's named after. "I ask my dad why my grandma's so quiet, I ask my mom why my grandma's not smiling, I ask my therapist why I'm always wilding," he raps on "MANTO," over wrenching drama-keys from his self-proclaimed mentor and frequent collaborator Vijay Iyer. "Inter- and trans-generational trauma is something that is starting to be spoken about more in psychiatry." adds Sid Vashi, the producer of MANTO and the rest of the VEENA LP. VEENA LP in its entirety who also holds a background in psychiatry. "The way Hima discusses it on Manto is so visceral and I think it really highlights the emotional impact of historical traumas that can sometimes be overlooked in theoretical discussions." "MANTO"'s accompanying black-and-white video features a static Heems sitting in the middle of a chaotic Jackson Heights' Diversity Plaza, where Heems previously brought Anthony Bourdain for an episode of the late chef's acclaimed series Parts Unknown. VEENA LP follows Heems' highly-acclaimed album LAFANDAR, which was released earlier this year and highlighted by Stereogum, HipHopDX, Pitchfork, Passion of the Weiss, and The FADER amongst others. Tethering VEENA LP together are voicemail skits from a who's-who of India's global creative community. No Doubt's Tony Kanal, Bollywood director Zoya Akhtar, frequent collaborator Riz Ahmed, and more check in, voicing appreciation for their friend's work and constant mentions of his health, hinting at the burden that very same work is placing on him. "Several of the voicemails are real," Heems revealed. Moments like these are most revelatory on the project. We see how a group of artists sharing a cultural background encourage and support one another as a community. Only Heems, a curator by profession, could put together such an ensemble, where Arooj (Aftab), Avan (Jogia), and Ankur (Tiwary) stand side by side. Pre-save/order VEENA LP and listen to "MANTO" above. See album details below, and stay tuned for more Heems coming soon. Heems VEENA LP Produced by Sid Vashi June 26th, 2024 VEENA SOUNDS 1. VEENA 2. RATATOUILLE 3. MANTO with Vijay Iyer 4. BOURDAIN featuring Mr. Cheeks 5. UNDERBELLY 6. RAKHI featuring Pavvan, Ajji 7. FLOWERS featuring Navz- 47 8. JUHI with Hasan Minhaj 9. DAME 10. BANSHEE featuring Cool Calm Pete 11. RIGHTEOUS https://youtu.be/cSxXrr455W8?si=HZ4mqakbkYRP4fs8 https://open.spotify.com/track/7Gu0awrdJUvfRNDoXIIAMF?si=TZWlc3cWTxWBKeizpN2RFQ (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)
BusinessWire India New Delhi [India], July 5: CMF, a sub-brand of London-based technology company Nothing, has launched an exclusive student referral program for its upcoming products, the CMF Phone 1, Buds Pro 2, and Watch Pro 2. The program will provide early access to CMF's new products and exclusive discounts to students across India. The referral program will run till July 7, 2024. Student influencers across 15 cities and 75 colleges will spearhead the program on their social media channels, making this a unique student-run initiative providing the opportunity for their followers to participate in the program. Students across the country can register on the dedicated microsite to receive a unique referral code to share with their peers. For every successful referral, both the referrer and the referred student will earn points on a leaderboard. The process to participate in the giveaway is to simply log on to https://in.cmfstudentreferral.tech/, fill in your details and get verified. Once the verification is done, a unique code will be generated for sharing with your friends to start earning points. Using a friend's referral code while logging in will add a bonus point to your score and their score on the leaderboard. The top 50 students on the leaderboard will be eligible to win one of 10 CMF Phone 1, 20 Buds Pro 2, and 20 Watch Pro 2, from the new CMF lineup. "We are thrilled to bring this exclusive opportunity to students across India." said Vishal Bhola, President, Nothing India. "This referral program is more than just a way to introduce our latest CMF products; it's an effort to strengthen our community and build meaningful connections among young tech enthusiasts. By empowering students to share their experiences and insights, we are establishing a dynamic and engaged network reflecting our commitment to innovation and collaboration." The referral program is part of CMF's broader launch strategy to engage with a younger audience. After the referral program concludes, Nothing will announce the winners on July 8th, the launch day for the new CMF product line. (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)
An MoU has been signed between Airbus and Vadodara-based Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, and as part of it pledged to launch a Btech course on aviation engineering for underprivileged and meritorious engineering students. The first batch has an enrolment of 40 students, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw who attended the event told reporters. Thirty three per cent of these scholarships are reserved for women students. Complete tuition fees and boarding fees worth Rs 2.5 lakh per annum per student for 40 students will be facilitated by Airbus, said Union Railway Minister and Electronics and Information Ashwini Vaishnaw. The minister said the students will be provided internship and mentorship by the aerospace company Airbus. This program is aimed at providing right skill and education to students in India under the new education policy, Vaishnaw told reporters after the programme launch event. This will be a unique success story of the Government of India's 'Skill India' programme," said Remi Maillard, President and Managing Director of Airbus in India and South Asia. In September 2023 too, Airbus, a global aerospace industry, and the Vadodara-based Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a partnership that includes the development of academic curricula, faculty, industrial experience, training, and scholarships, and collaboration with international institutes. "We are thankful to Airbus for their very substantial contribution to regular education as well as executive education programmes at GSV, which will enable the growth of the aviation sector in India through the creation of superior human resources, skilling and cutting-edge research," Prof. Manoj Choudhary, Vice Chancellor, of the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. Airbus shares a relationship of collaboration and symbiotic growth with India, with over 50 years. Together with its supply chain, Airbus supports nearly 10,000 jobs in India. The C295 Final Assembly Line being built in Vadodara is an example of this commitment as it is the first 'Make in India' aerospace program in the private sector that involves the development of a complete industrial ecosystem in the country. Airbus has developed pilot training capabilities in Gurgaon and maintenance training in Bengaluru. The collaboration with the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya is expected to further support in creation of a skilled workforce for the country's booming aerospace sector. Airbus said it will also deploy technology solutions to facilitate training and research programmes that will enhance the employability of GSV students. In addition, Airbus and GSV will appoint a Guest Chair Professor who will enable the establishment of the Centre of Excellence and also support the development of undergraduate and postgraduate aerospace programmes as well as short-term executive programmes such as - Safety Management, Flight Data Analysis and Air Cargo Management - for aviation professionals. (ANI)
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, joined hands with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) to develop a comprehensive framework for the assessment of logistics costs across the country. According to a press release by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in New Delhi on Friday, outlines a collaborative effort to delve deep into the intricacies of logistics expenses and their impact on India's economic framework. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Dr Anil Sharma, Secretary and Operations Director at NCAER, and Dr SK Ahirwar, Joint Secretary at DPIIT, in the presence of Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary at DPIIT. The primary goals of the MoU- developing a comprehensive framework for the assessment of logistics costs within the country, conducting an in-depth study to evaluate logistics costs for the year 2023-24, analyzing logistics cost variations across different routes, modes, products, cargo types, and service operations, and identifying key factors that influence logistics across various sectors, read the press release. Rajesh Kumar Singh highlighted the critical role of data-driven evaluations in understanding and managing logistics costs. The seminar included a panel discussion with senior government officials from DPIIT and GSTN, as well as representatives from multilateral institutions, industries, and academia. During an open forum with logistics stakeholders and industry associations, there was a positive response and suggestions for focusing on high-value and high-volume commodities for the study. Additionally, it was recommended to consider intangible and indirect logistics costs, including delays, and the impact of business establishment convenience from an investor's perspective, read the press release. The MoU assigns NCAER the task of conducting this detailed study, with a report expected within a year. This initiative is anticipated to have significant implications for India's logistics sector. The National Logistics Policy (NLP), launched by the Government of India on September 17, 2022, aims to reduce logistics costs as a percentage of GDP. In line with this objective, the Logistics Division of DPIIT released a report titled "Logistics Cost in India: Assessment and Long-Term Framework" in December 2023, prepared by NCAER. The report provided a baseline estimate of aggregated logistics costs and established a framework for long-term cost calculations. Regular assessment and monitoring of logistics costs are essential to provide valuable insights for both industry and policymakers, read the press release. This process involves analyzing data related to trade flows, product types, industry trends, and origin-destination pairs. Alongside conducting detailed secondary surveys, an institutionalized framework is required to collect data systematically and periodically. (ANI)
Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu issued a long statement on her social media handle after a doctor, Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, also known as 'The Liver Doc,' criticized and called her a 'health illiterate,' after she dropped a post about using hydrogen peroxide nebulisation. Taking to her Instagram account on Friday, Samantha issued a long statement asking the doctor to be polite. The actress, who recently underwent a Myositis diagnosis, explained that she 'merely suggested' hydrogen peroxide nebulisation with 'good intention' because it was recommended by a 'highly qualified doctor.' Addressing The Liver Doc's harsh words, Samantha wrote, "It would have been kind and compassionate of him had he not been so proactive with his words. Especially the bit where he suggests I should be thrown in prison. Nevermind. I suppose it goes with the territory of being a celebrity. I posted as someone who needs medical treatment and not as a celebrity." https://www.instagram.com/p/C9BuvUZSszn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link "It would have been nice had he politely invited my doctor, whom I have tagged in my post, rather than go after me. I would have loved to have learnt from the debate and discussion between two highly qualified professionals," the actress added. Dr. Philips had earlier slammed Samantha for recommending hydrogen peroxide nebulisation, calling her "health and science illiterate" and stating that the practice "is dangerous for health." "Influential Indian actress Ms Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who is, unfortunately, a health and science illiterate, advises millions of her followers to inhale hydrogen peroxide to prevent and treat respiratory viral infections," the award-winning doctor wrote on X. Meanwhile, on the work front, Samantha is preparing for Citadel: Honey Bunny alongside Bollywood heartthrob Varun Dhawan. This upcoming web series is an Indian adaptation of the Russo brothers' Citadel, which originally featured Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden. Apart from this, Samantha will star in Bangaram, a film she announced on her birthday this year. This project is especially significant for her as it marks her debut as a producer. (ANI)
"The Hathras stampede is tragic and heartbreaking. I just pray to God that all the affected families get the strength to endure pain. Some people from Badaun were also there at the event in Hathras. The affected families will be compensated properly. The government is taking full responsibility. The government is taking steps so that such incidents don't happen again," said Swatantra Dev Singh.

Meanwhile, the judicial inquiry commission formed on the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to investigate the Hathras stampede incident held a meeting at Naimisharanya in Hazratganj, Lucknow, on Thursday.

The judicial commission will soon go to Hathras for investigation and inquiry of the incident.

The commission will prepare an investigation report on five points within two months and the investigation report will be submitted to the government.

Former IAS officer Hemant Rao and former IPS officer Bhavesh Kumar Singh were present in the judicial inquiry commission constituted under the chairmanship of former Allahabad High Court judge Brijesh Kumar Srivastava.

After the meeting, Justice Brijesh Kumar Srivastava (retired), chairman of the Judicial Inquiry Commission committee, while talking to the media, said that they will soon visit Hathras.

Reacting to the incident, Aligarh Inspector General of Police Shalabh Mathur said on Thursday that the police are probing about 'Bhole Baba's' criminal history.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Police conducted a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri for 'Bhole Baba', a self-styled godman who conducted a 'Satsang' in Hathras where the stampede took place.

The preacher 'Bhole Baba' identified as Suraj Pal is also known by the names of Narayan Sakar Hari and Jagat Guru Vishwahari. (ANI)
President Xi's Silk Road Stories: Mutual benefit driving China-Tajikistan cooperation

(People's Daily App) 08:41, July 05, 2024

In June 2019, President Xi Jinping published a signed article in Tajikistan's leading newspaper Narodnaya Gazeta and state-run Khovar News Agency, emphasizing the deep bonds between China and Tajikistan as "good neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, good friends who trust each other with all sincerity, good partners engaged in win-win cooperation, and good brothers who support each other all the time."

Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the fifth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, June 15, 2019. (Photo: Xinhua)

"Every visit feels like visiting family, it is very pleasant," said President Xi, who has led bilateral relations through head-of-state diplomacy, praised people-to-people exchanges, personally told vivid stories of China-Tajikistan friendship and witnessed key milestones of landmark projects. Each Silk Road tale narrates touching anecdotes of enduring friendship between China and Tajikistan.

A Tang tri-colored glazed pottery bears witness to their ancient ties.

"Sogdian musicians and dancers are prominently featured in the glazed potteries from China's Tang Dynasty (618-907) preserved to this day," noted Xi in his 2019 article, a testament to centuries of vibrant interactions, enhancing the enduring friendship between China and Tajikistan.

Numerous stories of enduring China-Tajikistan friendship have been recounted by President Xi. From the imperial envoy Zhang Qian's arduous journey through Central Asia that established the Silk Road in the Western Han Dynasty (206BCAD25), to the travels of the eminent 7th-century monk Xuan Zang in the Tang Dynasty and Chen Cheng in the Ming Dynasty (13681644) as Chinese envoys of friendship, to the cultural legacies shared by Tajikistan's historical figures like Emir Ismail Samani and poet Rudaki, these narratives resonate deeply in both nations.

For over 2,000 years, the echoes of camel bells and rhythmic horse hooves have carried friendship and cooperation along the Silk Road. Through the centuries, the friendship of the two peoples has withstood the test of time, as solid as the majestic Pamirs.

A thermal power plant measures the warmth of shared sentiments.

A 10-minute drive northeast from the Tajik capital takes us to the well-known Dushanbe No.2 power plant. Situated on the right bank of the Varzob River, this modern thermal power plant not only brings light and warmth to the capital's residents but also stands as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries.

In September 2014, President Xi Jinping and President Emomali Rahmon jointly attended the completion ceremony of first-phase project of the Dushanbe No.2 power plant and the groundbreaking ceremony of second-phase project of the Dushanbe No.2 power plant. Since its completion and operation, the plant has ensured the city's electricity and heating supply.

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who is in China for the China-Central Asia Summit and a state visit, in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 18, 2023. (Photo: Xinhua)

Luban Workshops build confidence in mutual development.

In May 2023, during his keynote speech at the first China-Central Asia Summit, President Xi emphasized the need to "set up more Luban Workshops in Central Asian countries."

The first Luban Workshop in Central Asia was launched at Tajik Technical University.

Top-notch equipment in the classroom allows students to learn and practice surveying. Sites that used to take 15 days to complete surveys now only take three hours with Luban Workshop equipment. This international vocational education exchange platform, which helps young people in Tajikistan acquire professional skills, has become a shining embodiment of the Chinese saying, "Teaching a man to fish is better than giving him a fish."

Students learn skills at Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. (Photo: Xinhua)

After the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative, Tajikistan was the first country to sign a memorandum with China to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt. Today, China-Tajikistan cooperation includes large-scale landmark projects such as the Vahdat-Yavan railway and the 500-kilovolt high-voltage transmission line through the Districts of Republican Subordination, as well as livelihood projects like Luban Workshops and upgraded flour processing plants. Tajik agricultural products such as cherries and lemons are now on Chinese dining tables, adding vitality to the mutually beneficial China-Tajikistan friendship.

Mutual benefit and win-win arrangements are the driving force of China-Tajikistan cooperation. Although China and Tajikistan are at different stages of development, the two countries have adhered to the principle of mutual benefit in cooperation, never seek self-interest at the expense of the other, instead, stay committed to the path of common development and prosperity.

As friends grow closer and the road becomes wider, new chapters of Silk Road stories between China and Tajikistan will be written under the Pamirs.

(Planning: Tian Junrong, Ma Xiaoning, Zhao Qiang, Yang Xuebo, Jiang Yun

Coordination: Li Xiang, Meng Xianglin, Liang Changjie, Liu Hui, Song Jingsi, Kuang Xixi, and Wang Xiangyu

Writing: Xu Qing, Cheng Shijie

Translation: Shen Niming and Yang Yang

Proofreading: Jiang Runnan, Qiaowai)

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Thursday said that new registration of three-wheelers has been banned in the jurisdiction of Agartala Municipal Corporation considering the interest of the city dwellers. According to him, it was the only option left to curb the excessive traffic congestion that plagued the movement of vehicles in the capital city of the North Eastern state. The decision, however, drew backlash from the opposition parties and some transport workers unions. "We don't want to make any further comment on this. Whatever decision is taken it is in the public interest. A gazette notification is also being issued in this regard. The city areas witness huge congestion which often leads to chaos in the Agartala Municipal Corporation areas. This is our common observation and we can't let it continue for an indefinite period of time. Keeping that in view and considering the overall public interest, we have taken this initiative," the Minister told ANI. Downplaying the protests by opposition party leaders, he said, "I don't know which party has spoken what but the fact remains none of the two opposition parties have any constructive issues left. They always think destructive and attempt to show all the good works of the government in a negative light. We want to make an appeal to the public not to get misguided by the unfounded statements of the opposition parties and let the flow of development carry forward." The Minister also clarified that the ban was only effective in the Agartala Municipal Corporation areas. Out of this area, there is no bar on new registration of three-wheelers. "The ban is only on registration. The ban will be enforced only in the areas that fall under the jurisdiction of Agartala Municipal Corporation. There is no ban on the sale of three-wheelers. The businessmen have no bar on selling e-carts, auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws, and kinds of three-wheelers. Only in the city areas have we banned new registration and in the days to come, we shall take many more such decisions in the public interest," said the minister. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a key meeting of the BJP Jammu and Kashmir. Several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders attended the meeting held in the national capital on Thursday. BJP leader Devinder Kumar Maniyal after attending the meet said, "J&K is a UT and is directly under the MHA. Home Minister holds such meetings quarterly after two months. It was a meeting mainly about the parliamentary elections that have just taken place. We gave detailed information on the entire election...We will contest on all 90 seats in the upcoming elections..." Notably, J&K is likely to see its first Assembly election in September this year, according to the timeline fixed by the Supreme Court after the erstwhile State's special status was scrapped in 2019. The last Assembly election in the erstwhile State was held in 2014. The BJP-led government scrapped Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 and bifurcated the state into two union territories. There have been demands from political parties for early assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of statehood. Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked the Election Commission of India and the Centre to conduct polls by September. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar earlier said that the J-K Assembly polls will be held after the Lok Sabha elections. In an interview with ANI, CEC Kumar said, "We are yet to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. I mentioned in the press conference earlier that the way for conducting legal elections has opened since December 23. This is March, and there is snowfall in the region, hence the question of holding elections does not arise at this point." "We (ECI) went to Jammu and Kashmir and were asked by all the political parties there to hold the state assembly elections with the Lok Sabha polls. After that, we held administrative meetings wherein it was discussed that a lot of security forces would be required to conduct state assembly election with Lok Sabha election in J-K," he said. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Minister Krishna Gaur hailed the state budget and called it the "biggest ever budget." "This budget is historic. This is Madhya Pradesh's biggest ever budget...I am happy that this time gender budget has been given to women and in the coming days, women will be empowered further..." said the MP Minister. On Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented the budget a total of Rs 3.65 lakh crores for the welfare of the state in the fiscal year 2024-25 amid chaos by the Opposition Congress party leaders in the state assembly. The budget amount for the current fiscal year is around 16 per cent more than that of the previous year's budget, which was Rs 3.14 lakh crores. The budget presented for the year 2024-25 has been made keeping in view the doubling of the budget size in the next five years, increasing capital investment, expansion of road, irrigation and electricity facilities, quality health facilities, attracting investment for employment generation and good governance in the state. After the budget, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also appreciated the state budget and said that the state government broke all records and presented over Rs 3.60 lakh crore budget. "The Madhya Pradesh government broke all records and presented over Rs 3.60 lakh crore budget today. No tax has been imposed in this budget and requirements of all departments have been met and raised. The theme of the budget is "Viksit Madhya Pradesh, Viksit Bharat". We have set a goal that the state budget will be doubled in the next five years, and Madhya Pradesh will contribute to the GDP in a big way," Yadav told ANI. "All the sections of the society including youth, poor, women and farmers have been taken care of in the state budget. The state government will promote IT here. The government will also encourage the youth to go for Indian Administrative Service and other government services," he added. (ANI)
https://x.com/mkstalin/status/1809036978966470795

Releasing a video on X on July 5, the DMK chief said, "Mr Siva is contesting in Vikravandi constituency as a candidate of arivalayam who will take Tamil Nadu on the path of progress due to his achievements. Vote for Anyyur Siva on the rising sun symbol and make him win!"

Meanwhile, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam exuded confidence over the National Democratic Alliance's victory in the upcoming bypoll, saying that "victory is bright for the NDA."

"Victory is bright for NDA in Vikravandi bypoll. Definitely, AIADMK votes will transfer to PMK, " said Panneerselvam.

A National Democratic Alliance meeting was held on Thursday at Vikravandi to campaign for the PMK candidate.

NDA alliance leaders such as Annamalai, PMK President Anbumani, AMMK General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran, AIADMK retrieve Committee Coordinator O Pannerselvam and others shared the dias in Vikravandi seeking votes for NDA-PMK Vikravandi candidate C Anbumani.

BJP State President Annamalai said the people have now a good opportunity to elect a good MLA for the constituency.

"NDA Alliance has experienced, powerful, honest, and young leaders. NDA has all the leaders here sitting on the stage to recover Tamil Nadu from DMK capture," Annamalai said.

The NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu, which faced a defeat in the recent Parliamentary polls, is keen to open their account in the state with the Vikravandi bypoll.

The by-poll was necessitated by the demise of DMK MLA Pugazhenthi (71) in April this year.

The constituency, is predominantly dVanniyars, followed by Dalits and other intermediate castes. It is facing its second by-election in the last five years. (ANI)
BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar has criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) cannot refute the statements made by the Prime Minister regarding Cooch Behar and Sandeshkhali. "There is such a rule in the proceedings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha that if someone makes a wrong statement, it can be removed. But today, can the TMC say that whatever PM Modi said about Cooch Behar and Sandeshkhali is a lie?" Majumdar said on Thursday. His remarks came in response to the TMC's letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar urging him to expunge Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks made in the House on the Chopra and Sandeshkhali incidents in West Bengal. The letter was written by TMC's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, Sagarika Ghose, on Wednesday. The BJP leader described the West Bengal CM as a good painter who has been allegedly spoiling the image of the state. "West Bengal's image has been spoiled by Mamata Banerjee. She is a good painter. She is using just one colour, and that is black," Majumdar added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed the West Bengal government over the Sandeshkhali incident and the recent beating of a couple by people associated with a political party and said that those considering themselves to be progressive women leaders have remained silent on the matter. The remarks by PM Modi came while he was replying to the debate on the 'motion of thanks' in the President's address in the Rajya Sabha. He said, "The pictures of the Sandeshkhali incident are spine-chilling, but the pain is not reflected even in the words of the big leaders whom I have been listening to since yesterday. What can be a bigger picture of shame than this?" Without taking any names, Modi added further, "Those who consider themselves progressive women leaders have also kept mum because the incident is related to the party or state associated with their political life." Sandeshkhali, a village in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, had been in a political storm after villagers, mostly women, came out on the streets against the ruling TMC and its strongman Shahjahan, accusing him and his aides of "land-grab and sexual assault" under coercion. He was later arrested. Both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress have been levelling charges against each other over Sandeshkhali. (ANI)
The Yatris were singing devotional songs and hymns. They are heading along the Baltal and Pahalgam routes to start their journey to the 3880-metre-high cave shrine in south Kashmir.

This year, the Yatra is taking place in the shadow of recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

The annual pilgrimage (Amarnath Yatra) is conducted by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.

At the Srinagar Base Camp, a Yatri, Jagveer Sisodia, expressed gratitude to the local administration for providing them with facilities.

"I am heading to Pahalgam. We have been provided with good facilities upon reaching here. Langar, (a communal meal) facility is also good. I pray for the smooth conduct of the yatra. Lot of gratitude to the Army soldiers," he told ANI.

Another pilgrim, Nikhil Sisodia, who came from Indore, told ANI, "I am going to pay obeisance. I have come here for the first time. The food and accommodation facilities here are up to the mark."

"Security has been deployed (to ensure smooth conduct of the Yatra). I will pray for something good," he added.

This year, the yatra started on June 29 and will end on August 19, lasting 52 days.

The devotees of Lord Shiva undertake the arduous annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine located in the Kashmir Himalayas in July-August.

The administration is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the safety and well-being of the pilgrims, amidst heightened security concerns and the challenging terrain of the route. (ANI)
Also due to the rain, 236 electricity supply schemes are disrupted and 19 water supply schemes have been hampered in the state today.

The majority of the roads that are blocked are in the Madi district, where 67 roads are blocked.

In Chamba district, seven roads are blocked. One road each is blocked in Kangra, Lahaul, and Shimla.

In Lahaul, the road connecting Darcha to Sarchu is closed due to a flash flood near Zingzingbar, according to an official release.

In Kangra, the road was closed after a bridge washed away due to rain. The new bridge is likely to be constructed by July, according to the release.

Mandi has seen the highest disruptions in the electricity supply. The number of electricity supply schemes disrupted in the district is 132.

On Thursday, 115 roads were closed in the state due to heavy rain.

The weather department has issued an orange alert for the state until Friday, warning heavy to very heavy rain along with thunderstorms and lightning in isolated areas.

On Thursday, Kataula (Mandi) recorded 15 cm of rainfall, Pandoh (Mandi) recorded 11 cm and Sujanpur Tira (Hamirpur) recorded 8 cm of rainfall.

The meteorological department has also issued a yellow warning for heavy rains over the weekend. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has extended congratulations to the police administration for "arresting a terrorist" associated with the banned organisation Indian Mujahideen (IM) in Khandwa district, who was planning a 'lone-wolf' attack on security personnel. CM Yadav also said that the state was a place of peace and there was no place for any terror activity. "The Madhya Pradesh government is alert against any act of terrorism. I want to congratulate the Police for arresting a terrorist from Khandwa. It is a big action. Madhya Pradesh is a place of peace and there is no place for any terror activity," the CM told ANI. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the entire country and state are prepared to deal with the enemies of the country and this is the reason that action was taken and stopped a big incident that might have occurred in Khandwa, the CM said. "I hope that in any such incident, the government will play its role with full alertness and the police administration will be vigilant and alert in dealing with all such incidents by coordinating with all the systems. The arrest of the terrorist has also sent a message that the government is alert," he added. Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Thursday morning arrested a terrorist associated with the banned organisation Indian Mujahideen (IM) from his residence in Khandwa district. The arrested terrorist has been identified as Faizan (34), a resident of Kanjar Mohalla, Saluja Colony, in Khandwa district. The Inspector General of MP ATS, Dr Ashish said, "On the instruction of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, state ATS is keeping a close eye on the entire state to adopt a zero tolerance policy to prevent terrorist and other anti-national activities. In this sequence, the ATS team on Thursday morning arrested a terrorist Faizan (34 years), associated with the banned organisation Indian Mujahideen from his residence in Khandwa district. A crime has been registered against him under Sections 13 (1) (B), 18, 20, 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967." A subsequent amount of Jihadi literature related to IM, ISIS, and other terrorist organisations, four mobile phones, one pistol and five live cartridges. Membership forms of SIMI (Students' Islamic Movement of India) organisation have been seized from the spot, the officer said. He added that Jihadi literature, videos and photos of various terrorist organisations - Indian Mujahideen, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba etc. were found in the mobile phone and digital device seized from his possession. "The arrested terrorist has also been found to be in contact with members of the banned organisation SIMI. He was propagating the ideology of IM/ISIS by posting Jihadi posts related to Indian Mujahideen on his social media - Facebook account. Along with this, videos of Mujahideen training camps running in Pakistan, speeches of Masood Azhar (Jaish-e-Mohammed) Lashkar-e-Taiba, story of Kandahar plane hijacking, statements of Mullah Omar and posts related to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) were being circulated through social media," the officer further said. According to the MP ATS, Faizan had planned to carry out a 'lone-wolf' attack on security force personnel and their families for which he was monitoring them. To execute his plan, he was collecting pistols and cartridges by contacting local illegal arms dealers and people from outside the state. Further interrogation of the accused is underway and trying to gather information about his other associates, the ATS added. (ANI)
The matter will be heard next on July 17, along with the Delhi Chief Minister's plea challenging his arrest by the probe agency.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on June 26, 2024, in the case and is presently in judicial custody. (ANI)
"Officers of the Air Intelligence Unit at Tiruchirapalli International Airport intercepted a male passenger who attempted to cross the green channel and recovered gold in paste form concealed under knee caps worn by him in his thighs," said an official press release.

The gold seized weighs 1.605 kg and has a market value of Rs 1.16 crore, according to the statement.

The passenger had arrived from Singapore on Scoot Airlines TR562.

Further investigation is underway, officials said.

In May this year, three passengers were arrested and 96 gold rods worth Rs 16.17 lakh were seized from them at Tiruchirappalli airport.

According to Customs, the gold rods weighing 235 gms were concealed in the bottom wheels screws of three trolly bags carried by the accused, who arrived from Kuala Lumpur by Air Asia flight.

On April 27, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Tiruchirappalli airport seized a total of 977 grams of gold valued at Rs 70.58 lakh from a passenger arriving from Dubai.

According to the officials, the gold was concealed in the three packets consisting of 1081 grams of paste-like material in the rectum of the passenger. The passenger travelling from Dubai to Trichy on the Air India Express was arrested. (ANI)
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visited the families affected by the Hathras stampede on Friday and urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to provide fair compensation for the victims. Rahul Gandhi, who arrived in Hathras early in the morning, met with the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the July 2 tragedy at a religious 'Satsang' event of self-styled godman Suraj Pal alias 'Bhole Baba' in Fulari village in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, which claimed 121 lives. On his way to Hathras, the Congress leader also stopped in Aligarh to meet the victims' families. He expressed his condolences and sought to understand their situation. "It is a sad incident. Many lives have been lost. I am not approaching this from a political perspective but addressing the deficiencies of the administration. The main priority should be to provide maximum compensation to the poor families affected by this tragedy. I request CM Yogi Adityanath to provide compensation with an open heart," he said while speaking to the media. The Congress MP further said that the family members of the deceased informed him there was no police presence at the event, which contributed to the chaos. "If there is a delay in providing compensation, it will not help anyone. I spoke with the families, and they told me there was no police arrangement at the venue. They are in shock, and I wanted to understand their situation," he said. Congress leader Kunwar Danish Ali, who accompanied Rahul Gandhi during his visit, described the victims' stories as heart-wrenching. "This is a tragic incident. We left at 5.00 am with Rahul Gandhi. The stories from the victims' families are heartrending. Neither the administration has taken responsibility nor is the government addressing this issue seriously," Ali said. One bereaved family member recounted the lack of arrangements for the 'Satsang', which led to the stampede. "We told him (Rahul Gandhi) about the lack of arrangements. There were too many people and insufficient management. Rahul Gandhi said he would raise this issue in parliament," he said. Another family member described the events of the stampede. "He (Rahul Gandhi) asked us how it happened. I told him that during the Satsang, the Baba asked devotees to touch his feet, causing a rush that led to the stampede. We searched for my mother...there were bodies covered in mud," she said. A father who lost his six-year-old son in the stampede shared his grief and said, "Rahul Gandhi assured us of all possible help. I took my son and wife to the Satsang, and after it ended, people rushed to the Baba, causing the stampede. My son and wife were victims of the stampede. My son was later found dead in the field. He was only six years old," he said. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the site of the tragedy and announced a judicial probe into the incident. A three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission under the chairmanship of Justice (retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava has been constituted to ensure comprehensiveness of the subject matter and transparency in the inquiry. The Commission will investigate the stampede incident and submit its report within the next two months. According to the preliminary report, the stampede occurred when devotees tried to collect soil from the preacher's feet and were stopped by security personnel, leading to a rush and subsequent chaos. (ANI)
Criminals are not born out but made, the Supreme Court remarked recently as it acknowledged various factors responsible for making the offender commit the crime. A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan made these remarks on July 3 when it was hearing the bail plea of an accused whose trial has been on pause for the last four years. "Criminals are not born out but made," the top court said. It further added that the human potential in everyone is good and so, never write off any criminal as beyond redemption. "This humanist fundamental is often missed when dealing with delinquents, juvenile and adult," the court said. "Indeed, every saint has a past and every sinner a future," the court said in its July 3 order. "When a crime is committed, a variety of factors are responsible for making the offender commit the crime," the court noted in its order and said that "those factors may be social and economic, may be the result of value erosion or parental neglect; may be because of the stress of circumstances; or may be the manifestation of temptations in a milieu of affluence contrasted with indigence or other privations." These remarks were part of the top court order whereby it granted bail to an accused in connection with a counterfeit currency case. The man has knocked on the door of the Supreme Court, challenging the Bombay High Court order dated February 5, 2024, by which the High Court declined to release the appellant on bail. The top court noted appellant since his arrest on February 9 2020 is in custody for the past four years. "We wonder by what period of time the trial will ultimately conclude," the top court expressed its concern and said that "Article 21 of the Constitution applies irrespective of the nature of the crime." "However serious a crime may be, an accused has a right to speedy trial as enshrined under the Constitution of India. Over a period of time, the trial courts and the High Courts have forgotten a very well-settled principle of law that bail is not to be withheld as a punishment," the court said. "If the state or any prosecuting agency, including the court concerned, has no wherewithal to provide or protect the fundamental right of an accused to have a speedy trial as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, then the state or any other prosecuting agency should not oppose the plea for bail on the ground that the crime committed is serious," the top court said. "The right of the accused to have a speedy trial could be said to have been infringed, thereby violating Article 21 of the Constitution," the top court said, and it granted bail to the man with the condition that he shall not leave the limits of Mumbai city and shall mark his presence at the concerned NIA office or police station once every fifteen days. The man was arrested with a bag containing 1193 counterfeit Indian currency notes of the denomination of Rs 2,000 from Andheri in Mumbai in February 2020. The probe agency alleged that the counterfeit notes were smuggled from Pakistan to Mumbai. The top court noted that two other co-accused in the case were out on bail. (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized cash amounting to Rs 41 lakh, various incriminating documents and digital evidence during a search operation conducted at various locations in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Hyderabad in connection with the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) corruption case of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), ED said on Friday. The agency's Delhi Zonal Office made the recoveries during raids conducted on July 3. ED initiated investigations based on the First Information Report (FIR) registered by Delhi's Anti Corruption Branch against Euroteck Environmental Pvt Ltd and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, alleging scam in DJB in the name of augmentation and upgradation of 10 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) at Pappankala, Nilothi (Package 1), Najafgarh, Keshopur (Package 2), Coronation Pillar, Narela, Rohini (Package 3) and Kondli (Package 4). The 4 tenders valuing Rs 1,943 crore were awarded to various Joint Venture entities in October 2022. The FIR alleges that only three joint venture companies (JVs) participated in all four tenders. While 2 JVs got one tender each, one JV got two tenders. The three JVs participated in the four STP tenders mutually to ensure that each one got the tender. The FIR alleges that the tendering conditions were made restrictive, including the adoption of IFAS technology, to ensure that only a select few entities could participate in the four tenders. The cost estimate initially prepared was Rs 1,546 crore but was revised during the tender process to 1,943 crore, said the ED, adding "It is further alleged that the contracts were awarded to three JVs at inflated rates which caused substantive loss to the exchequer." ED investigation revealed that the four tenders related to STPs valuing Rs 1,943 crore were awarded by DJB to three JVs. "In all the four tenders, two JVs (out of three common JVs) participated in each tender and all three JVs secured the tenders. The costs adopted by DJB for upgradation and augmentation were same though the cost of upgradation is lesser than the cost for augmentation." Further investigations show that all three JVs submitted the same experience certificate issued from a Taiwan Project to DJB for securing the tenders and the same was accepted without any verifications. Thereafter, the ED said all three JVs subcontracted the work related to the four tenders to Euroteck Environment Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad. "The verification of the tender documents shows that the initial cost of four tenders was about Rs 1,546 crore which was revised to Rs 1,943 crore without following due process and project reports" said the federal agency. (ANI)
The official said several fire tenders were rushed to the scene to bring the blaze under control.

Visuals showed people coming out of the building moments after the fire broke out.

More details are awaited. (ANI)
Three men suspected of transporting ganja (marijuana) from Orrisa were arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Noida on Friday morning, police said. The arrest was a joint action by the Crisis Response Team and the Expressway Police. Around 60 kg of ganja worth Rs 30 lakh was seized from their possession, they said. The arrested accused were involved in supplying the contraband in and around the Delhi NCR region, they added. According to DCP (Crime) Shakti Mohan Awasthi, the accused used to bring the ganja by bus and supply it in bundles. "All three smugglers also have criminal histories," he said. The police are also collecting information about the association the smugglers are a part of. Earlier, the Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested a wanted and rewarded drug supplier identified as Chitrasen Pardia, a resident of the Ganjam district of Odisha, on June 27. During the search for the rewarded criminals, the police said, "Secret information was received regarding a rewarded criminal named Chitrasen Parida, that the accused has been living in Ganjam district of Odisha and changes his location frequently." The police further added, "The same was verified by the concerned police station and the Court, and it was found that the above mentioned accused, Chitrasen Parida, has been wanted in the case u/s 20/25/29 NDPS Act and 174A IPC, PS Pandav Nagar, New Delhi, and he has also been declared absconder by the Honourable Court of ASJ-02, Special Judge (NDPS), KKD Courts dated 25/02/2002." The police further added that surveillance was mounted to trace the movement of the accused. For the same, a team was sent to Odisha and after relentless pursuit, on the basis of information, they arrested Parida in the above mentioned case. As per police, Parida was apprehended after the diligent field and technical work by HC Sandeep Kumar. Parida had started supplying macro-substances at different places in India. He was also arrested in 2022 by STF Bhubneshwar, which seized his property worth Rs 2 crore. He has also been arrested by the Gujarat Police in the past. (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu met with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in the national capital on Friday. "Had a wonderful meeting with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Chandrababu Naidu Garu, in New Delhi today," Rajnath Singh posted on X. Today, Naidu also met with the BJP national president and Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, JP Nadda. Earlier in the day, CM Naidu had a discussion with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the national capital, where they possibly discussed various aspects of the southern state's developments. The meeting comes ahead of the much-awaited full budget of the central government for 2024-25. The budget is likely to be tabled later this month. Three union ministers from Naidu's Telugu Desam Party who were inducted into the PM Modi-led Cabinet -- Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, were also present during the Andhra CM's meeting with Sitharaman. Naidu who is on a visit to Delhi had earlier called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seven Cabinet ministers -- Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Manohar Lal, and Hardeep Singh Puri. He brought multiple issues related to respective ministries to the notice of the Union ministers he met. Naidu also deliberated upon mechanisms to effectively coordinate for timely intervention and action by the Central government. The Andhra Chief Minister, during his meeting with PM Modi, highlighted that Andhra Pradesh continues to grapple with the repercussions of what he said is the unscientific, unfair, and unjust bifurcation of 2014. "I am confident that under his leadership, our State will re-emerge as a powerhouse among states," Naidu wrote on his X timeline after meeting PM Modi. Additionally, the "miserable governance" of the previous administration marked by "malice, corruption and mis-governance" has dealt a blow to the state than bifurcation itself, he said, as per a press note. He apprised the prime minister that the fiscal situation in Andhra Pradesh has significantly deteriorated. Committed expenses, including salaries, pensions, and debt servicing, exceed the State's revenue receipts, leaving no fiscal space for productive capital investment, he added. He sought financial handholding from the central government, including for state finances in short term, commissioning of the marquee Polavaram National Irrigation Project, support for completion of the Government complex and trunk infrastructure of the capital city of Amaravati, support to the backward regions of Andhra Pradesh on lines of Bundelkhand package, and support for development of Duggirajupatnam port. During his meeting with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Naidu requested him to release Rs385 Cr as land cost, for establishing Greyhounds Training Centre; and Rs.27.54 Crores towards operational cost; division of assets under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act 2014. He requested Shah to review the Andhra Pradesh IPS cadre review, which he asserted has been pending since 2015. A cadre review is likely to enhance the present strength from 79 to 117. It was requested that the Andhra Pradesh police IPS cadre review may be scheduled at an early date. During the meeting with Nitin Gadkari, he requested for 6/8-lining of the existing highway from Hyderabad to Vijaywada; development of a greenfield express highway from Hyderabad to Amaravati; Vijayawada Eastern Bypass which will also decongest traffic within the city of Vijayawada; and 4-lane greenfield coastal highway from Mulapeta (Bhavanapadu) to Visakhapatnam. During a meeting with Piyush Goyal, financial assistance in the form of a grant to provide essential external infrastructure - such as industrial water, power, railway, and road connectivity - to identify 4 industrial nodes (3 in VCIC corridor and 1 in CBIC corridor) within the state was sought. The Andhra CM sought from Shivraj Singh Chouhan an integrated aquapark, sought to devise a policy for increasing the subsidy to horticulture farmers. He asked Hardeep Singh Puri to request BPCL to set up a refinery in the state. "An announcement towards the establishment of a refinery in the State of Andhra Pradesh by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in the Full Budget Address of Hon'ble Finance Minister will augur well for increasing the refinery capacity of the Country in its journey towards the Country's ambitious vision to transform into a developed entity by the centenary of its independence in 2047," another press note said. In addition, the CM also had a fruitful meeting with Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission. (ANI)
Production has been deployed in India in full compliance with the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan (Self-Reliant India) programmes. The project includes technology transfer, and its concept includes 100 per cent localization of AK-203 production.

The Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited joint venture, co-founded by ROSOBORONEXPORT on the Russian side, has completed the first phase of the project to produce AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles in India. To increase the degree of localization, all necessary equipment has been shipped to the Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh state, and production facilities are now fully equipped, emphasised Alexander Mikheev, Director General of ROSOBORONEXPORT.

This made it possible to produce and deliver a batch of 35,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles to the Indian Army within the timeframe agreed with the Ministry of Defence of India, he added.

The Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifle is a version of the AK-200 rifle chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge used in the Indian Army. The weapon has the traditional advantages of Kalashnikov assault rifles: reliability and ease of maintenance.

The AK-203s are manufactured in India in compliance with exclusive Russian technologies on certified equipment. This ensures high product quality and compliance with the stated characteristics. (ANI)
In a joint operation with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the Border Security Force (BSF) has arrested seven smugglers in four consecutive search operations conducted near the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal's Nadia district. In these operations carried out at Seemanagar on state highway no. 11 in Nadia district, the Kolkata DRI and the BSF recovered a total of 16 gold bricks and a gold biscuit weighing 9.572 kg, cash worth Rs 11,58,500 and a Maruti Eco car used in gold delivery from the possession of the smugglers. The total estimated market value of the seized gold is Rs 6,86,23,582. According to the BSF, the DRI had shared information about gold smuggling with the intelligence department of the force on July 4. "On confirming the information, a joint team of BSF's 68 Battalion and DRI conducted a comprehensive search operation of vehicles on State Highway No. 11 in the area of Simanagar. In this operation, which ran between 5.30 am and 9 am, the jawans arrested two smugglers with 4.8 kg of gold from a suspicious Maruti Eco car. After this, four other smugglers were also detained during the search with 4.82 kg of gold," said the BSF. Based on the information received during the preliminary interrogation, another operation was launched at a suspicious house in Ramnagar village of Karimpur in West Bengal and a person was arrested with 1 gold biscuit and illegal cash of Rs 11,58,500. The main smuggler, who is a resident of Teypur in Nadia, has been arrested. Apart from this, six other arrested gold couriers are residents of Nadia. During preliminary interrogation, the BSF said, the main smuggler said that he had been involved in gold smuggling for a long time and this time he was going to deliver a consignment of gold to an unknown person in Krishnanagar, in return for which he would have got Rs 3000, but BSF caught him with gold before that and earlier in 2022 he was arrested by BSF with 16 gold biscuits. "The case of which is still going on." "Apart from this, all the gold couriers revealed that they carry gold from the border area of Karimpur and hand it over to unknown persons at Dum Dum railway station and for this work, they get two to five thousand rupees," the BSF said. All the smugglers and gold caught have been handed over to DRI, Kolkata for further legal action. (ANI)
Union Minister Nityanand Rai on Friday said the Central government has extended cooperation to the Uttar Pradesh government into the investigation into the stampede in Hathras in which 121 people died. "It is a very sad and sensitive incident and that is being investigated thoroughly and whatever facts come out after the investigation, certainly the state government is keeping an eye on it and the Prime Minister is very sensitive towards such incidents," he said during an event here. "The cooperation which should have been given by the Central Government has been provided at that time and whatever elements will come out in the investigation, the state government will act on that," the Union Minister added. Meanwhile, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday morning reached Hathras in Uttar Pradesh to meet with the families of the people affected by the July 2 stampede. En route to Hathras, Gandhi also stopped in Aligarh and met with families of the victims of the tragedy that took place at a religious 'Satsang' event in Fulari village in which 121 people were killed. Bodies of all the 121 people who died in the stampede at the event of the self-styled godman Suraj Pal alias 'Bhole Baba' have been identified and handed over to their families. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Police conducted a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri on Thursday for the self-styled godman. An FIR has been registered in the incident, naming organizers of the event. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mainpuri Sunil Kumar said yesterday that 'Bhole Baba was not found inside his ashram. Superintendent of Hathras City, Rahul Mithas also said that they did not find the preacher in the ashram. On Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the site of the tragedy and ordered a judicial probe into the incident. A three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission under the chairmanship of Justice (retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava has been constituted to ensure comprehensiveness of the subject matter and transparency in the inquiry. The Judicial Commission will investigate the stampede incident over the next two months and submit its report to the State Government. As per the prima facie report, the stampede took place when devotees rushed to seek blessings and collect soil from around the preacher's feet, but were stopped from doing so by his security personnel. They then started pushing one another due to which several people fell down triggering chaos at the site. (ANI)
Newly elected Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar took oath in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly in the presence of Speaker Biman Banerjee and other MLAs on Friday, after a week of deadlock. Both the MLAs took oath under Article 188 of the Constitution in a special session of the Assembly. Sayantika and Reyat won the assembly bye-elections from the Baranagar and Bhagwangola constituencies, respectively, the results of which were declared on June 5. TMC MLA Reyat Hossain Sarkar won from Bhagwangola in the recently concluded bye-election with 107,096 votes, while TMC MLA Sayantika Banerjee won from Baranagar with 69,251 votes. The opposition was not present in the special session. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that he was not informed about the special session called on Friday. "...I have no information about this. I did not get any notice...In every state, a courtesy call is given to the LoP...But here, there was no interaction with me...," Adhikari said on Thursday speaking to reporters about the special session called on Friday. Earlier last week, Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar launched a sit-in protest in front of the BR Ambedkar statue at the premises of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Thursday after Governor CV Anand Bose declined to administer the oath or delegate the responsibility to the Speaker. The standoff between the Governor and the state's ruling party, TMC, was triggered by a Raj Bhavan communication inviting the two newly elected MLAs of Bhagwangola and Baranagar, Reyat Hossain Sarkar and Banerjee, respectively, to take oath at the Governor's House. While the Speaker asserted that the Governor should have come to the state assembly as the newly elected MLAs are not becoming members of Raj Bhavan but of the State Assembly. TMC MLA Sayantika Banerjee said that Governor CV Ananda Bose should come to the Assembly and conduct the two newly elected TMC MLAs' oath-taking ceremony or give authority to the speaker to conduct the ceremony. "We respect him (the Governor), his chair, and the Constitution, but he is not giving us respect or customising the Constitution. He should come to the Assembly and conduct our oath-taking ceremony or give this authority to the speaker. We are sitting here with the Constitution... We are elected, unlike a nominated position like you (Governor)," Banerjee told ANI. TMC MLA Reyat Hossain Sarkar told ANI that they demand that their oath-taking ceremony be held in the Assembly. "The Governor is in his ego; we don't have any issue with that. We are newly elected MLAs; people have elected us, and we are not selected. We appeal to the entire nation that whatever tradition is there in other states, the speaker, deputy speaker, or governor conducts the oath of MLAs in the Assembly... I don't know why the Governor is in ego and doing injustice to West Bengal; our demand is that our oath be conducted in the Assembly," Sarkar said. (ANI)
Tourists visit the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, March 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhimin)

A summer camp is offering young people from Taiwan a unique experience at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mogao Grottoes, and the renowned Danxia landform in northwest China. They will also have the chance to visit the local countryside and a photovoltaic power industrial park.



The summer camp kicked off on Thursday in Gansu Province, with approximately 30 participants attending the opening ceremony. They included Taiwan individuals living in the mainland, Southeast Asian countries and Spain, as well as volunteer college students in Gansu.

Ku Wan-yu, a student at Feng Chia University, expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to visit the mainland, explore historical relics, and savor a wide variety of cuisine. She hopes to learn about her peers' lives and to foster new friendships.

The summer camp comes as part of an annual activity held by the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots in regions across the mainland to facilitate exchanges between youngsters across the Taiwan Strait. Since 2004, more than 20,000 young people from Taiwan have taken part in the activity, according to the Federation.

Around 1,500 young people from Taiwan will participate in this year's summer camps in places including Fujian and Beijing. The camp in Gansu is expected to run until July 11.
Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath on Friday took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government saying this is a government of scams. Nath also said that there is corruption everywhere in the state. Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Nath said, "This is a government of scams. They (state BJP-goverment) should answer if there is any place where there is no corruption." Currently, there is an uproar in the state in connection with the MP nursing college scam. Even during the budget day, the opposition congress party leaders were chanting slogans and creating chaos in the state assembly regarding the same. They were raising slogans and were demanding the resignation of state minister Vishwas Sarang in connection with the nursing college scam. Meanwhile, when asked about the Amarwada bypoll, Nath said that he was engaged in the election campaign for the bypoll, he was in Chhindwara and again he would again go there. Last month, the Election Commission announced the date to hold bye-elections to fill vacancies in 13 assembly constituencies of seven states. These seats were vacant due to the resignations or deaths of the sitting MLAs. The elections will be conducted on July 10 and the counting of the votes will be done on July 13. Amarwada assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh became vacant after sitting MLA Kamesh Shah switched sides from the Congress party to the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of Lok Sabha election in March this year. Shah took the membership of the BJP along with his wife Madhavi Shah and sister Kesar Netam in the presence of CM Mohan Yadav, state BJP chief VD Sharma and others at CM House on March 29. Kamlesh Shah is contesting the bypoll from Amarwada assembly seat on BJP symbol while the Congress party has fielded Dhiren Shah Inwati from the seat. Notably, Chhindwara has been the stronghold of Kamal Nath and the Congress party. There are a total seven assembly seats in Chhindwara district, and all the MLAs were from the Congress party. But after Kamlesh Shah joined the BJP, now the Congress party is left with six MLAs in the district. (ANI)
Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday commended the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) for its commitment to the wellbeing of women, children and adolescents. The 33rd Partnership for Maternal, Newborn &Child Health (PMNCH) board meeting commenced on July 4 in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting will conclude on July 5. Delivering the keynote address in the opening session of the board meeting through video message, Nadda, who also holds Vice Chair to the PMNCH Board, reiterated the Government of India's assurance of advancing this issue and fostering meaningful youth engagement. He underscored the importance of continuing the focus on accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and preparing for the post-2030 agenda. He further emphasised the power of partnerships and multiple stakeholders working in unison towards the attainment of common goals. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director (NHM), Health Ministry, is leading the Indian delegation at the 33rd Board Meeting of PMNCH in Geneva. The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) is the world's largest alliance committed to protecting and promoting the health, well-being and rights of women, children and adolescents. The PMNCH's vision is a world in which every woman, child and adolescent realises their right to health and well-being, leaving no one behind. PMNCH is governed by a board and administered by a secretariat hosted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. The 33rd PMNCH Board meeting will provide an opportunity for the Board members to agree on major priorities and opportunities for PMNCH to advance maternal, Newborn and child health (MNCH), sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and adolescent wellbeing goals in the final period of our current 2021-2025 strategy. It will also initiate discussion on priorities for the development of the 2026-2030 PMNCH Strategy, including how PMNCH should position its issues and itself in relation to the post-2030 UN development goal-setting process. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party National President, JP Nadda, on Friday appointed State Incharge and Co-Incharge for various states across the country. The party has appointed General Secretary Vinod Tawde as in-charge of Bihar and MP Deepak Prakash as co-in-charge. Nitin Nabin has been appointed in charge of Chhattisgarh, Ashish Sood of Goa and Ajeet Gopchade of Manipur. The states where elections will take place in coming times--Satish Poonia will oversee the work in Haryana, while Surendra Singh Nagar will be his co-incharge. Tarun Chugh has been appointed in-charge of two UTs--Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. Ashish Sood will be in charge in J-K. Laxmikant Bajpai (MP) will see the work in Jharkhand. In Himachal Pradesh, Srikant Sharma has been appointed as incharge while Sanjay Tandon is the co-in-charge. Dushyant Kumar Gautam of Uttarakhand and Rekha Verma as co-incharge. BJP senior leader Prakash Javadekar will see the work in Kerala while MP Aparajita Sarangi will be his co-incharge. BJP MP from Odisha, Sambit Patra, has been appointed as co-ordinator, while former Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, will be joint co-ordinator of North East states. Meanwhile, Ravinder Rana, BJP Jammu and Kashmir Chief said on Thursday that the party's National President, JP Nadda will visit the Union Territory on July 6 in view of the Assembly elections. Rana also emphasized that the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir will be from the BJP. Earlier this month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah unequivocally announced that the BJP will not enter into an alliance with any party in the upcoming Haryana Assembly polls. "Remove this doubt from your mind that we will go with anyone or take anyone's support, rather, we will form the BJP government with an absolute majority," Shah said. In a post on X, the Home Minister said that in the last 10 years, Haryana has seen a new era of welfare and development of farmers and others. "Today I interacted with the energetic workers of Haryana at the BJP Executive meeting in Panchkula (Haryana). In the last 10 years, Haryana has seen a new era of welfare and development of farmers, poor, deprived and backward people, leaving behind the rule of cuts, commissions and corruption," he said. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, the workers of Haryana BJP are determined to go door-to-door and conduct an extensive public relations campaign to ensure that this time the BJP wins the state with a two-thirds majority," Amit Shah added. (ANI)
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday chaired a meeting, which was attended by the concerned departments of the Secretariat over preparedness to deal with Dengue. Bharadwaj told ANI that on the coming Monday, he has called the Managing Directors of the hospitals in Delhi over preparations. "When the rainy season starts, the risk of dengue, chikungunya, and malaria increases. In such a situation, discussions are held with all the departments. We have sent instructions to DDA, MCD, PWD, NDMC, and the Health Department to ensure that water does not accumulate in their respective jurisdictions so that breeding does not occur. Hospitals have also been alerted to keep all the information related to dengue," he said. "We had a meeting with the Health Department on this subject 2-3 days ago, today a meeting of all the departments has been held. On Monday, we called the MDs of the hospitals so that the preparation of the hospitals can be reviewed," the Delhi Minister added. Recently, the Delhi government held an emergency meeting in view of heavy rains and waterlogging in the national capital on Friday. The meeting was held at the Delhi Secretariat. Following the meeting, Delhi Minister Atishi said that an emergency meeting was attended by all senior officials of the government and several important decisions were taken. Atishi said that the Delhi government has identified 200 hotspots that are prone to waterlogging. She said that the reason behind waterlogging is excessive rainfall which is more than the capacity of drains. "We have identified around 200 hotspots till the last rain. Out of these, 40 hotspots are under CCTV surveillance by PWD... You have to understand that if Delhi receives rainfall of 228 mm, then it will take time to decrease the water level... Right now, Delhi has received more rainfall than the capacity of the drains. That's why we are witnessing waterlogging at several places...," she said. (ANI)
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) set to conduct the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) 2024 on Saturday (July 6) and cautioned applicants not to be fooled by "unscrupulous elements" that are allegedly trying to deceive them by providing FMGE questions in exchange for money. The NBEMS said that question papers for tests are still being prepared. "It has come to the notice that certain persons are fraudulently trying to deceive FMGE candidates through social media platforms. The aforesaid cozeners on such social media platforms are claiming to provide FMGE questions for the upcoming FMGE JUNE-2024 in exchange for a considerable amount of money," NBEMS stated in an official notification today. The board cautioned the candidates that the question paper for ensuring examination is still under preparation, and thereby urged applicants for FMGE JUNE-2024 "not to be misled by such unscrupulous elements who are befooling FMGE aspirants by claiming to have questions of upcoming FMGE JUNE-2024 accessed through the authority." "It is further advised that direct or indirect indulgence of any FMGE aspirants in any of such activities shall be appropriately dealt with by NBEMS," the notice stated. Earlier, the police registered a case against various groups after an announcement was made on social media that the FMGE question paper and answer key were for sale. An official communication from the state police media cenre said that examination was to be held on June 6 and the groups had announced that both question paper and answers were for sale. A case was registered under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfaire Means) Act, 2024 which was notified by the Centre last month to curb unfaire practices in public examinations. (ANI)
Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar leader Rohit Pawar claimed that the Mahayuti government is playing politics by introducing the 'Mukhyanantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme because the government has not allocated enough funds for it. "The government is playing politics under the Ladli Bahin scheme. The government has brought this scheme keeping the elections in mind. But the truth is that the government has not allocated enough funds for this scheme, so it seems that this scheme will be run only till the elections, after that it may be closed due to lack of funds," Pawar said speaking to ANI on Friday. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar who also holds the finance portfolio in the state, presented the state budget in the Maharashtra Assembly last week during the ongoing Monsoon Session. He announced the 'Mukhyanantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' a scheme under which all women between 21 and 60 years will be given 1500 per month. The scheme is inspired by Madhya Pradesh's Ladli Behna Yojana of the BJP government. While presenting the budget Pawar said, "We are announcing Mukhyanantri Majhi Ladki Bahin (CM My Beloved Sister). Under this, all women will be given Rs 1500 per month. The scheme will be implemented from July 2024." Ajit Pawar said in the State Assembly on Friday that all beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme will get the benefit from July even if their documentation is completed in August or later. "We have also decided to extend the deadline for application till 31st August and women up to the age of 65 years can apply instead of 60 years, as announced earlier," Ajit Pawar said. Ajit Pawar also announced several welfare schemes while presenting the Budget in the Assembly. "We will provide Rs 5000 per hectare bonus to all farmers for their crops of cotton and soybean in Maharashtra...We will also give 5 rupees per litre bonus to milk-producing farmers even after 1st July 2024. Government has increased the monetary help in deaths due to animal attacks, now the next of kin will get Rs 25 lakhs instead of 20 Lakhs earlier," Pawar said. Under CM Anna Chhatra Yojana of the Maharashtra government, Pawar said, "We will give 3 free cylinders every year to all households". On Tax over diesel and Petrol Pawar said, "Tax on diesel is being decreased from 24 per cent to 21 per cent for Mumbai region, effectively 2 rupees per litre less prices of diesel. While petrol being decreased from 26 per cent to 25 per cent which will effectively decrease rates of petrol by 65 Paise per litre." "All religious minorities in Maharashtra will be supported by the Maharashtra government under schemes for poor people. The government has already made available a separate category for the third gender to enable them to get benefits from other government schemes. The limit of medical insurance for families is being increased upto 5 lakhs from 1.5 lakhs earlier. Also the number of Empaneled Hospitals Being increased from 1000 to 1900 hospitals," he said. "The government will provide help for planting bamboo and Rs 175 will be provided for each plantation of Bamboo. To make available free energy to farmers 8 lakh solar pumps will be given to farmers," said Ajit Pawar. The monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly began on Thursday (June 28) and will go on till July 12. This is the last legislative session before the state assembly polls which will be in the next four months. (ANI)
After Rahul Gandhi paid a visit to the New Delhi Railway Station to meet loco pilots, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northern Railway Deepak Kumar said that the crew members with whom the Leader of Opposition had a discussion, at the railway station were not from their lobby but may be from outside. "Today at around 12:45 pm Rahul Gandhi came to New Delhi Railway Station. He saw our crew lobby. He had 7-8 cameramen with him. He visited our crew lobby and checked into how we book our crew lobby. After coming out of the crew lobby he had a discussion with a few people. There were around 7-8 crew who were not from our lobby but it seems that they were from outside. Since he has 7-8 cameramen, he was filming them and making reels," CPRO Deepak Kumar said speaking to ANI. "The loco-pilots were not from our lobby. It seems that they were brought from outside," he stressed. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi met loco pilots at the New Delhi Railway Station after visiting the families affected by the Hathras stampede on Friday. "Leader of Opposition Shri @RahulGandhi met the loco pilots at New Delhi Railway Station. These loco pilots are the backbone of the railways which is called the lifeline of the country. Making their lives simpler and safer will be a strong step towards railway safety," the Congress said in a post on 'X'. Rahul Gandhi's interaction with loco-pilots comes weeks after the Kanchenjunga Express train accident in West Bengal which claimed at least 10 lives. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi arrived in Hathras and met with the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the July 2 tragedy at a religious 'Satsang' event of self-styled godman Suraj Pal alias 'Bhole Baba' in Fulari village in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, which claimed 121 lives. On his way to Hathras, the Congress leader also stopped in Aligarh to meet the victims' families. He expressed his condolences and sought to understand their situation. "It is a sad incident. Many lives have been lost. I am not approaching this from a political perspective but addressing the deficiencies of the administration. The main priority should be to provide maximum compensation to the poor families affected by this tragedy. I request CM Yogi Adityanath to provide compensation with an open heart," he said while speaking to the media. The Congress MP further said that the family members of the deceased informed him there was no police presence at the event, which contributed to the chaos. "If there is a delay in providing compensation, it will not help anyone. I spoke with the families, and they told me there was no police arrangement at the venue. They are in shock, and I wanted to understand their situation," he said. (ANI)
A 16-year-old girl was stabbed to death by an acquaintance of hers in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district, a police official said on Friday. The incident occurred in Kulon village under the jurisdiction of Chargaon police station in the district on Thursday. The accused attacked the minor with a knife at her neck, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sonali Dubey said. "A 16-year-old girl was stabbed to death with a knife around the neck by an acquaintance of hers in Kulon village under Chargaon police station in the district on Thursday. In the preliminary investigation, it came to light that the accused used to have talks with the minor over the phone, it is revealed in the call details," ASP Sonali Dubey said. After the incident, the accused fled into the forest area located near the village. A team was formed and was searching for the accused in the jungle along with local people, she said. "We are hopeful that the police will round up the accused as soon as possible and begin the investigation into the matter. The reason for the murder will be known once the accused gets arrested," the officer added. (ANI)
After Delhi was lashed with record-breaking rainfall last week which caused loss of lives and severe water-logging in the region, Ministers of the Delhi Government Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi held an Apex Committee meeting at the Delhi Secretariat over flood control in the national capital on Friday and said that the Delhi government is ready to deal with rise in Yamuna water level. Addressing media persons in a press conference, the Delhi Water Minister Atishi said, "To review the preparedness of emergency services and the flood control department, we had a meeting with the flood department, Public Works Department (PWD), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Cantonment Board, NDMC, Delhi Traffic Police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and each of the units gave their input." On the Delhi Government's preparedness for the flood, Atishi stated, "We reviewed the preparations of all concerned departments whether DDA or MCD regarding flood relief, flood evacuation and flood control. We hope that the flood situation doesn't occur in Delhi. But, if the water level in Yamuna rises, the Delhi government is ready to deal with that." On Haryana's Hathinikund Barrage water level, she further stated, "We are constantly monitoring the weather predictions of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and for the last 2 days, Himachal Pradesh has been constantly receiving rainfall. When it rains in Himachal Pradesh, the water level in Hathinikund Barrage (Haryana) also increases, which leads to an increase in the water level of Yamuna in Delhi. But right now, there is limited discharge from this barrage. Currently, the discharge at Hathinikund Barrage is around 350 cusecs, the flood situation arises when it crosses the level of 1,00,000 cusecs." Adding to it, she asserted that the Delhi government has constituted a 24*7 control room for flood operations to monitor the water level in the Hathinikund Barrage and weather predictions of IMD. "If there are any chances of floods in Delhi, the government is preparing to tackle the situation. We have constituted a 24*7 control room for floods under the leadership of DM East Delhi in his office. The officials of concerned departments are deployed 24*7 in the control room and they are constantly in touch with the officials of the Haryana Irrigation Department. They are also monitoring the water level in the Hathinikund Barrage and weather predictions of IMD," said Atishi. Atishi also mentioned that the concerned departments had conveyed the deployment of their flood-related equipment at different places to the Apex Committee in a meeting. She said, "If the water level at Hathinikund Barrage crosses the level of 1,00,000 cusecs, then the relief and rescue machinery of the flood department will be operational. We also had a meeting with the NDRF, which plays an important role in relief and rescue operations. The concerned departments also conveyed the deployment of their flood-related equipment at different places to the Apex Committee." Earlier, on Wednesday, Delhi Minister Atishi 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. (ANI)
The BJP MLAs from Madhya Pradesh on Friday moved a Private Members' Resolution seeking to abolish Article 30 of the Indian Constitution which gives the right to minorities to establish and administer educational institutions. After moving the resolution in the state assembly, BJP MLA from Jabalpur North assembly constituency, Abhilash Pandey said that there should be a law for equal education and everyone should get equal education, then only the future of the coming generation could be built. "I have moved a Private Members' Resolution regarding Article 30 of the Indian constitution which gives the right to minorities to establish and administer educational institutions. I think that there should be a law for equal education. Everyone should get an equal education, then only we can build the future of the coming generation. That is why I have moved a resolution with the message in the House," Pandey told ANI. "I have seen many times that the Child Commission has submitted a report on what is happening in minority institutions. Everyone should get equal education, this country should move forward with equality," he added. BJP MLA Usha Thakur supported the Private Members' Resolution saying for the unity and integrity of the country, such activities should be stopped. "I welcome the Private Members' Resolution brought regarding Madrasas. For the unity and integrity of the country, such activities should be stopped. Our capable schools can provide modern education, hence there is no need for Madrasas separately," Thakur said. Through the resolution, the Government of India will be requested to issue an order to close these madrasas, she added. When asked about what kind of activities go on in these Madrassas, the BJP MLA said, "Be it Jammu Kashmir or Assam, madrasas were teaching treason. They have an important role in nurturing terrorists. Madrasas should be investigated from every angle. Strict action should be taken against anyone who wants to disturb peace and harmony in the country." On the other hand, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said that the BJP always wanted to talk about communal issues and why didn't they want to talk about farmers of the state? "Bharatiya Janata Party always wants to talk about communal issues. Why don't they want to talk about the farmers of the state? Shouldn't farmers get a minimum support price (MSP)? Shouldn't Farmers get their rights? The state government is making false promises. Why are they not talking about their Ladli Bahnas, why are they not giving them Rs 3000 a month to them? The state government and their MLAs are bringing such issues to divert attention," Singhar told ANI. Congress MLA Atif Aqeel said that the BJP MLAs were taking such a step to save themselves from the nursing college scam though nothing would happen with this. "The BJP MLAs were taking such steps to save themselves from the nursing college scam though it will not lead to anything. Innocent children study in madrasas who have difficulty even getting two meals a day. The principals and responsible authorities are running it with the help of donations," Aqeel told ANI. Reacting to BJP MLA Usha Thakur's remark connecting Madrasas with terrorism, he said, "Nothing can be done about the virus in her mind." (ANI)
A staff member of a publisher communicates with a Russian business guest at the 30th Beijing International Book Fair in Beijing, capital of China, June 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang)

As digital technology, especially artificial intelligence, quickly advances, it poses great challenges to the worldwide publishing industry while providing new methods, tools and paths for its development.



At the 2024 Beijing International Book Fair last month, domestic and foreign publishers gathered to share their experiences and ideas at the fair's 2024 International Publishing Industry Forum themed "Digital Intelligence Empowers Education Publishing and International Cooperation".

Since 2016, the forum, jointly organized by the Publisher Association of China, the International Publishers Association and China Publishing Group, has held eight editions during the Beijing International Book Fair and the London Book Fair, attracting more than 1,000 publishing professionals from more than 40 countries and regions.

The theme of this year's forum is highly enlightening for the development of our publishing industry as it stands at a critical crossroads, particularly evident in China, says Huang Zhijian, chairman of China Publishing Group.

People's reading and consumption habits, book distribution channels and marketing methods, as well as the industry's competitive landscape and growth drivers, have all undergone significant changes, he says.

"Digital intelligence technology has become an unavoidable choice," Huang says.

"Of course, many issues remain unclear and need further observation. Whether we embrace or wrestle with digital intelligence, what we change, what we let go of and what we gain are all questions we must consider and plan for," he says.

It has been proven that each scientific and technological progress brings about revolutionary changes in the patterns of cultural development and modes of dissemination, which means "the publishing industry will have a bright future as long as we keep pace with the times", says Wu Shulin, chairman of the Publishers Association of China.

"High-quality content and advanced dissemination technologies are two important levers for promoting the prosperity of international publishing," Wu says.

For Liu Chao, president of one of the leading education publishers, Higher Education Press, the current generation of technologies, represented by generative AI, deeply impacts the education and publishing industries.

"Overall, we believe that AI technology presents more opportunities than challenges for education, but for the traditional content industry of publishing, it poses more challenges than opportunities," he says.

To confront such situations, HEP began cooperating with digital and AI research institutions in 2023, applying intelligent proofreading to the whole editing process, Liu says.

"This year, there will be many textbooks empowered by AI," he says.

As a significant part of the industry, educational publishing plays a crucial role in society, especially in addressing major challenges people face globally, says Karine Pansa, president of the International Publishers Association.

At the policy level, access must be enhanced to open educational resources and address issues related to copyright protection for these resources to give wider access to more teachers, Pansa says.

However, people also need to reflect on digitalization and artificial intelligence, especially regarding copyright protection, she says.

Some reports show that many unauthorized books are used to train generative AI without paying the copyright owners, which should not be the basis of advancement. It is not sustainable for the market, she says.

Catriona Stevenson, general counsel and deputy CEO of the Publishers Association, shares the same vision, saying that AI presents a tremendous opportunity for the industry, but it can also be a threat.

Headquartered in London, the Publishers Association represents more than 170 British enterprises of various sizes and areas, including consumption, higher education and continuing education.

With innovation and development, Britain's publishing industry contributes 11 billion pounds ($14 billion) to the general economy. The export value of the British publishing industry reached 6.5 billion pounds, surpassing all other countries in this respect. China is the third-largest export country of British books, with the export value reaching 37 million pounds.

Britain's publishing industry creates more than 84,000 jobs and hundreds of thousands of writers and researchers, providing source materials for film, TV series, theaters and video games. The success of British publishing industry is thanks to its robust copyright regime, Stevenson says.

When it comes to the application of AI in academic research, Stevenson used global academic publisher Elsevier's Scopus AI as an example.

Scopus AI is an intuitive search tool powered by generative AI, which helps researchers and institutions quickly access accurate summaries and research insights, fostering collaboration and societal impacts.

Developed and tested in the research community, Scopus AI combines the world's largest scientific literature database with AI, encompassing core content from over 7,000 publishers and more than 27,000 academic journals, with citations exceeding 1.8 billion.

"There are huge opportunities in our industry for applications like this," she says, adding that "it also presents a threat".

For large language models like ChatGPT that are trained on huge quantities of content to create humanlike texts, hundreds of thousands of book copyrights are within the training data, she says, which poses significant and related threats to human creativity and intellectual property.

Facing these threats, "we strongly reject the false dichotomy between a robust IP regime and AI innovation", she says.

If built on high-quality, accurate and appropriately licensed information, AI can enhance human understanding, creativity and productivity. It is less likely to produce inaccuracies and biases common in models with opaque data and processes. This is especially true in higher education publishing, she says.

"We call for governments to ensure four things," she says.

First, rights holders must have the option to prevent their work from being used by AI; second, they need transparency about what content is used for AI training, both past and future; third, adherence to copyright laws and transparency should be integral from the beginning; and finally, if rights holders license their work to AI developers, they must receive appropriate remuneration and attribution, she says.

"International cooperation will certainly be fundamental to how we respond to the opportunities and threats brought about by AI for the benefit of higher educational publishers," she says.

Analyzing trends in the publishing industry, Wang Fang, president of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, says publishers are increasingly engaging with readers who have grown up in the internet age.

Printed books are no longer the sole reading tool. Digital resources are becoming more prominent, personalized, ecological, intelligent and integrated.

However, Niels Peter Thomas, managing director of Books, Springer Nature, says although publishing is going digital, printed books sometimes do help students study more efficiently. As a result, it is necessary to combine digital with print so students can choose, he says, which is one trend he observed in educational publishing.

Other trends in educational publishing, he says, include more personalized content to reflect the complex reality with trans-disciplinary publications and building a network of knowledge by connecting educational resources and backgrounds, theories and case studies, disciplinary solutions and localized applications.

Publishing more than 1,000 books each year, Springer Nature, one of the world's largest publisher of academic books, has cooperated with nearly 100 Chinese publishers.

To create top educational publications for students of different countries, publishers need to fully understand the local markets and borrow technology and experience from mature markets, which means cooperating with publishers worldwide, Thomas says.

Wang, from the top Chinese educational publisher with more than 700 international partners, stresses that "international cooperation is more important now than ever before. No single publisher can meet all the demands and personalized requirements on their own".
In a significant step to strengthen Karnataka's economic landscape, the Government of Karnataka has signed a pivotal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korean company HyVision in Seoul. The agreement involves setting up a manufacturing plant for camera inspection machines for smartphone camera modules near the Foxconn facility. This landmark agreement was finalized on the concluding day of the delegation's visit, led by the Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development, MB Patil. The significant milestone was achieved with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between South Korean company HyVision and the Government of Karnataka. HyVision was represented by CEO Choi Doo-won, Directors Park Sang-yeop and Lee Jintae, General Managers Shin Yong-gyu, Do Hyun-seok, and Kang Bo-won, as well as Jeong Jun-tae and Lee Seung-won. HyVision, a supplier to major companies such as Apple, Tesla, Hyundai, and Kia, plans to leverage Karnataka's robust electronics manufacturing ecosystem. The Karnataka delegation highlighted the state's new special incentives package for the electronics sector, offering 30-35% subsidies, the highest in India. MB Patil held discussions with LX International executives, Nakanishi, Director of Policy and External Relations, and Naruse, General Manager of Policy and External Relations, to explore the company's potential expansion in Karnataka. LX International, a South Korean multinational company and a spin-off from LG Corp, specializes in developing and manufacturing electronic components and systems, including displays, semiconductors, and communication devices. The delegation highlighted Karnataka's strengths in semiconductor design, electronic manufacturing, and its 40% national share in electronic design and also discussed various facets of LX International's operations, including semiconductor design, glass and plastic manufacturing, and green power. MB Patil held productive discussions with senior executives from Samsung Electronics, including Young Joe Yun, Corporate VP, Choi Yong Woo, Head of the DX Division, and Kim Hyun-soo, Senior Professional. The delegation highlighted Karnataka's robust Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) ecosystem, noting its status as India's largest chip design hub with over 85 fabless chip design houses and a 10% contribution to the national electronics output. They also showcased Karnataka's strengths in semiconductor manufacturing, battery cell production, the EV value chain, biologics, biotech, smartphone manufacturing, and consumer electronics. Emphasizing excellent infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and a vibrant ecosystem, they presented Bangalore's superior connectivity and quality of life as key attractions for global businesses. The delegation led by MB Patil during the South Korea visit expressed gratitude to Amit Kumar, Ambassador of India to the Republic of Korea, Nishi Kant Singh, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Seoul, and Sanjana Arya, Second Secretary (Commerce & Investment), Embassy of India, Seoul, for their immense support in facilitating the key meetings during the South Korea visit. The meetings were also attended by Selvakumar S, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Commerce and Industries, and Gunjan Krishna, IAS, Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director, Department of Commerce and Industries. MB Patil along with his delegations had a productive meeting with Amit Kumar, the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Korea on investment opportunities in Karnataka. These engagements on the final day of the South Korea visit showcased Karnataka's commitment to attracting global investments and fostering technological advancements. The delegation consistently highlighted Bangalore's superior connectivity, infrastructure, and quality of life, positioning it as an attractive destination for international businesses. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Gourav Vallabh took a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party saying that its name should be changed to DPP or Daru Premi Party, given its alleged "fondness" for liquor. "The AAP should be named DPP- Daru Premi Party. Why so? This is because one Chief Minister is in jail on charges of liquor scam, one Deputy Chief Minister is in jail on charges of liquor scam," Vallabh said speaking to ANI on Friday. "One Chief Minister had reached Frankfurt airport in such a drunken state that he was not declared fit to fly. This is in the public domain," he added referring to reports about Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann being deplaned at Frankfurt Airport as he was allegedly too drunk to walk. Continuing with his veiled attack Vallabh said, "I do not know why the Aam Aadmi Party is so fond of 'daru' (liquor). AAP is DPP. Aam Aadmi Party's name should be Daru Premi Party." The BJP leader also spoke about the Congress party's support to APP, irrespective of the fact that they had opposed the liquor policy and had even lodged the first case against AAP on the liquor policy case. "Who lodged the case? Who complained first? It was the Congress who is supporting Arvind Kejriwal. Will the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi break his silence on this?" Vallabh questioned. On the alliance between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi ahead of the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the BJP leader said, "The Congress and the AAP contested the polls together in Delhi and as a result, all the seven seats were swept by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Today, in Delhi, their organization exists only in name." Speaking about the stampede in Hathras in which more than 100 people lost their lives, Vallabh said that none of the accused will be spared even if they are associated with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. "No one will be spared, irrespective of whether they have earlier posed in photographs with Akhilesh Yadav," the BJP leader said. Vallabh also pointed out that the largest stampede to date was at Maharashtra's Mandhardevi in which close to 300 people lost their lives, when the Congress was in power. "The biggest stampede to date was at Mandhardevi in 2005 in which 340 people lost their lives. The Congress was in power then," he said. "Till today, they are roaming around for compensation. When will you ask questions from the government which was in power during that time?" Vallabh questioned. Vallabh said that while there were 1179 cases of stampedes during the Congress regime from 2010 to 2014, there have been only 51 cases in the last five years, from 2019 to 2024, when the BJP was in power. "From 2010 to 2014, there have been 1179 cases of stampede in which 1250 people lost their lives. In the last five years, there have been only 51 cases in which 192 people lost their lives. But even this is a big number. We need to bring it down to zero," he said. (ANI)
Amid the recent unrest in Thiruvananthapuram between student union members, CPI (M) state secretary M V Govindan said that media is spreading "false propaganda". Govindan's remarks came while he was addressing a press conference on Thursday in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram. Addressing the media, he said, "Media is spreading false propaganda. SFI will address and correct any minor shortcomings and move forward. There is an attempt to exploit SFI. Issues at a particular college are being exaggerated." He added further, "I do not justify any wrongful tendencies. What is needed is to correct and move forward... Assaults by students on teachers and vice versa are wrongful tendencies. These should not be viewed with a one-sided approach." Earlier, the Kerala Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes with a fierce verbal duel between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition, VD Satheesan. The issue was raised as an adjournment motion notice moved by several Congress MLAs, including M Vincent. The Chief Minister rejected the motion of the opposition to adjourn the House. Vijayan said that conflicts on campus are undesirable and should be condemned. He further said that action should be taken against those responsible. The KSU had alleged that SFI members attacked KSU district leader San Jose inside the Kerala University campus in Karyavattom on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Vice Chancellor of Kerala University, Mohan Kunnummal, instructed the Registrar to conduct an investigation and submit a report on the alleged assault of KSU Thiruvananthapuram District General Secretary Sam Jose. The incident allegedly took place in the hostel room at the Kariavattom campus and the Vice Chancellor demanded that the report be submitted urgently within 48 hours. According to the complaint, SFI activists assaulted KSU member Sam Jose in his hostel room on Tuesday night. Following the incident, KSU activists on the intervening night of July 2-3 staged a protest at the Sreekaryam police station, demanding action against those responsible for the assault. In response, police said they registered a case against United Democratic Front (UDF) MLAs Chandy Oommen and M Vincent and other KSU activists as well as SFI members accused in the complaint filed by Sam Jose. (ANI)
Launching a scathing attack on Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday lashed out at Union Minister Kumaraswamy and called him a "madman" for making baseless allegations on MUDA (Mysore Urban Development Authority) site allocation. Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha premises, he said, "Kumaraswamy's allegations about my involvement in MUDA scam is baseless. He has lost his mental balance and he badly needs treatment." When asked about Kumaraswamy's accusation that 'D K Shivakumar was coming out with MUDA factory after CD factory', the Deputy CM stated, "Some people can't sleep peacefully or think straight if they don't take my name." Responding to Kumaraswamy's accusation that the State government had issued an instruction to government officials not to participate in his Janata Darshan programme in Mandya, Shivakumar asserted, "Let him conduct Janata Darshan for the people, who is stopping him. Officials follow certain protocols; they know what needs to be done. Can I go to Delhi and use officials in Delhi? I don't know much about his Janata Darshan programme and I don't have anything to do with it." Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that an investigation is being conducted to determine if there was any misuse in the allotment of Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) plots. "The plots are currently on hold, and there has been no loss to the government. Those involved in the plot allotment have been transferred, and a senior IAS officer is leading the investigation. A final decision will be made after the report is submitted," Siddaramaiah said. Responding to the BJP's allegations of misuse in the MUDA plot allotments and their demand for a CBI inquiry, the CM asked, "Why do they want to hand over everything to the CBI?" He noted that no cases were handed over to the CBI when the BJP was in power. He also mentioned that it was the BJP that created the law to provide alternative sites to those who had given up land. Addressing the Leader of the Opposition R Ashok's demand for his resignation, the CM asked, "What is my role in this case?" He further questioned if Ashok would resign if accused of dereliction of duty. During his tenure, Ashok got bail from the court when he was accused in the Akrama-Sakrama case. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Police on Friday issued an alert for the people residing on the banks of the Pindar River due to a rise in the water level of the river. Heavy downpours and incessant rainfall in the district have resulted in the Pindar River's water level rising significantly which led to an issuance of alert for the locals. The police have appealed to people to be on "alert mode" and inform about any emergency by dialling 112. Taking it a social media post on X, the Chamoli Police Uttarakhand wrote in Hindi, "Due to continuous rain in the district, the water level of the Pindar river is rising and the velocity of the water is high. Chamoli Police appeals to the people living on the river banks to please be alert and inform about any emergency on dial 112." Earlier in the day, in a tragic incident, about 8-9 km ahead of Gangotri on the Gomukh footpath, 30-40 pilgrims were stranded and two were washed away when a temporary bridge collapsed due to a sudden increase in water flow in a river at Devgad in Uttarakhand. Upon receiving the information, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team reached the spot and helped the stranded pilgrims cross the river safely. According to the SDRF, sixteen pilgrims have been saved, and the rescue operation for others is underway. Earlier, the SDRF on Thursday rescued 10 youngsters who were stranded on an island near Robbers Cave in Dehradun. "We received information from the City Control Room (CCR) that some people had been trapped on an island near Robbers Cave (Guchhupani), for whose rescue an SDRF team is required," SDRF officials said. On receiving the information, the SDRF rescue team, along with sub-inspector Laxmi Rawat from post-Sahastradhara, immediately left for the site of the incident with the necessary rescue equipment. The SDRF team reached the site of the incident and took immediate action. Subsequently, the 10 people trapped on the island were brought to a safe place by crossing the river with great difficulty using rope through the strong current of the river, said the SDRF. Heavy downpours resulted in the Ganga River's water level rising significantly, flooding roads and leaving several vehicles partially or completely submerged. Local authorities had advised residents and visitors to avoid bathing in the river due to the hazardous conditions. (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said that his government will be implementing the 'P4 Model of Development' in his state in which 'P4' stands for 'Public, Private, People and Partnership'. "We have decided to take up skill census instead of caste census in the state. We have discussed and approved this in the Cabinet. Soon we are going to release all the guidelines for converting human resources into capital investment. The aim is to create wealth. We will provide employment according to skills with short, medium and long-term goals. We will collate skills in every family and invest in their strengths... Every family becomes an aspiring entrepreneur. So the per capita income of each family will increase. Instead of the PPP model we want to bring the P4 system. Those who are in the highest position of wealth will lend a helping hand to those at the bottom," the Chief Minister explained. Naidu said that his party and the Centre will work together for the reconstruction of his state especially since it has suffered "irreparable damage" in the last five years. "We will work towards the reconstruction of Andhra Pradesh. Due to poor results in the last five years, the state has suffered irreparable damage. People have empowered the NDA alliance. We will repair the state together. Centre and the state will work together for the well-being of the state," the Chief Minister said during a conversation with the media in Delhi. Speaking about protecting the interests of both the Telugu states, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Naidu said, "The aim of P4 is to protect the interests of both the states. My policy is to give equal justice to both states. I said the same thing during the partition." "Even now, in the meeting with Revanth Reddy, we will discuss that the problems should be resolved without harming the interests of both the states..." he added. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has left for Hyderabad from Delhi and will be meeting his Telangana counterpart on Saturday. The two Chief Ministers are likely to discuss issues relating to the bifurcation of the state and some other issues. The discussion would be around the bifurcation of institutions listed in Schedule IX and X in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act 2014. Speaking about the resources in his state, Chandrababu Naidu said, "Andhra Pradesh has the greatest resources of any state in the south. All of Andhra Pradesh is connected between the two Krishna Godavari rivers. About 3000 TMCs of water flow from the Godavari river. If we can use that water, miracles can be created in the state." On Amravati, Naidu said, "In the last five years of Jagan's rule, the attraction of Amaravati has reduced to some extent. The main objective is to bring back the lost vibrance of Amaravati. Work is going on. 135 Government Offices are going to be set up in Amaravati. We are providing all the basic infrastructure needed in Amaravati. Soon we are going to complete the construction of all offices, including Iconic Buildings...We will first complete the buildings which are under construction and at different stages. All construction work in Amaravati will be taken up quickly..." Rubbishing allegations about whether the Telugu Desam Party has demanded the Deputy Speaker's position from its coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party, Naidu said, "Earlier when the NDA government was headed by Vajpayee, we did not expect any posts. Then we were asked to take seven ministerial posts and we did not accept. I only accepted the Speaker's post for the sake of good relations with the NDA parties. Even now, we did not ask for any posts for the TDP, but instead of rejecting the offer from NDA, we took only two ministerial posts. We are happy with the ministerial posts given by them." Chandrababu Naidu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union Ministers during his two-day visit to Delhi. This was his first visit to the national capital after being appointed the Chief Minister. "The meeting was very positive," he said. (ANI)
Upbeat by the results of Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday said that the "people have set their narrative" as the party is aggressively preparing for the upcoming Assembly elections in the Union Territory while Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are engaged in revamping of their parties. BJP held the party's executive meeting in Jammu in view of the Assembly elections in the Union Territory. The meeting was attended by Union Ministers Jitendra Singh, G Kishan Reddy, Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Ravinder Raina and BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh along with other party leaders. Tarun Chugh told ANI that by defeating former J-K Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti in the Lok Sabha elections, "the people have shown their narrative". "BJP is holding meetings across the country. Tomorrow there will be the party's executive meeting for which National President JP Nadda is coming here. Meetings will be held here for three days. By defeating Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and the Gandhi-Nehru family, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have shown that their narrative, Pakistan's agenda will not work here," Chugh said. "The whole of Jammu and Kashmir is one and the responsibility of every citizen here is ours. Today Jammu and Kashmir has become a tourism capital and a state of peace under the leadership of PM Modi," he added. The BJP has appointed Union Minister G Kishan Reddy as state election in charge for J-K. Coming out of the meeting, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said, "After the Lok Sabha elections across the country, we have decided to hold an executive meeting of the state workers. Tomorrow party president JP Nadda will also reach here and guide the workers." Meanwhile, the BJP National President will visit the Union Territory on July 6 in view of the Assembly elections. Ravinder Rana, BJP Jammu and Kashmir Chief said on Thursday that the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir will be from the BJP. "BJP National President JP Nadda is visiting Jammu and Kashmir on July 6. BJP's nationwide victory in the Lok Sabha elections was significant but victory in Jammu and Kashmir added momentum to the party. BJP has consecutively won both seats in the Jammu division for the third time," he said. The BJP-led government scrapped Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 and bifurcated the state into two union territories. There have been demands from political parties for early assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of statehood. Former J-K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference also held a two-day working committee meeting on Wednesday in view of the Assembly elections. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Thursday that he has no doubt that the Assembly elections will be conducted in the Union Territory very soon and his party (National Conference) is fully prepared for it. "This is the expectation of the people that assembly elections will be conducted within the timeframe set by the Supreme Court. National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah has called a two-day working committee meeting regarding this. We have been instructed to find ways to strengthen the party and prepare for the upcoming elections. The current situation in the Union Territory was also discussed. Jammu and Kashmir is being troubled in every possible way," Abdullah said. "A few days ago, the Prime Minister visited here and assured the people that assembly elections would be held soon. The Election Commission has stated that the elections will be conducted soon. I don't think there is any doubt about it, and we are fully prepared," he added. Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked the Election Commission of India and the Centre to conduct polls by September. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Srinagar had said preparations for assembly polls had begun in the UT. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said "time is not far" when the people of Jammu and Kashmir will elect a new government in assembly polls and indicated that statehood will be resorted soon to the Union Territory. "The people of Jammu and Kashmir elect their representatives at the local level, through them you find ways to solve problems, what can be better than this? Therefore, now the preparations for the Assembly elections have also started. The time is not far when you will elect the new government of Jammu and Kashmir with your votes. That day will also come soon when Jammu and Kashmir will once again make its future better as a state," he said. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar earlier said that the J-K Assembly polls will be held after the Lok Sabha elections. In the last assembly elections held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014, the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party-led by Mehbooba Mufti won 28 seats while the BJP won 25. Jammu & Kashmir National Conference led by Omar Abdullah won 15 seats and Congress won 12. (ANI)
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai visited his alma mater in Bagiya village, where he completed his fifth-grade education years ago, for the State-Level Shala Praveshotsav and said that education is the cornerstone of development. CM Sai shared his school days memories when students used to bring cow dung from home, which was used to coat the school floors. He shared the community effort in maintaining the school at that time. He recalled how villagers collectively used to repair the roof. He highlighted the stark differences between then and now, such as the lack of proper flooring and concrete roads during his time. "At that time, students had to travel to Seramongra for fifth-grade board exams due to the absence of a local exam centre. Education is the cornerstone of development," he said. He shared the state government's commitment to providing the best possible education to the state's children. He announced several initiatives, including a new residential school for divyang students in Jashpur, upgrading schools in Bagiya and Bandarchua to model schools, and establishing a higher secondary school in Farsabahar. In his address, Chief Minister Sai called the day historic for himself and the residents of Bagiya. He mentioned that education is not merely about obtaining degrees or jobs but about transforming lives. He urged people to observe the difference in living standards between educated and uneducated individuals to understand the importance of education. Sai also highlighted India's ancient reputation as a world leader in education, citing examples of Nalanda and Takshashila, where many students gained knowledge and progressed. The Chief Minister highlighted that the government has promoted educational development through the new education policy. "This policy introduces bi-annual board examinations, providing students with better opportunities to improve their grades. The government has incorporated local languages into textbooks to enhance students' understanding and knowledge. The state government is operating 211 PM-SHRI schools to enhance the quality of education. Schools have organised summer camps to nurture student talent," he said. He announced that Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs) will be organised in all schools on August 6. Teachers will inform parents about their children's learning progress. The Chief Minister shared that many people have been organising 'Nyota Bhoj' in schools, a program that allows individuals to sponsor meals for students on special occasions such as birthdays or other significant days. During the event, he invited Padma Shri awardee Jageshwar Yadav from Jashpur district to the stage and praised his dedicated service to the most backward tribal communities, including the Pahari Korwa and Birhor tribes. Yadav's commitment was exemplified by his choice to carry out his service wearing only shorts and without footwear. To recognise his dedication, the President of India awarded him with the Padma Shri. The Chief Minister emphasised that significant progress can be achieved by working for the welfare of others. He encouraged the people to learn from Shri Yadav's example, stating that his life and work offer valuable lessons for everyone. At the Shala Praveshotsav, Kaushalya Sai, wife of the Chief Minister, addressed the gathering and advised parents to focus on their children's education without comparing them to others, emphasising that each child has unique abilities and characteristics. She urged parents to concentrate on their children's studies considering their abilities. Finance Minister OP Choudhary delivered a speech highlighting the Chief Minister's inspiring journey. He stated, "The Chief Minister is a fitting example of how sincere determination and effort invariably lead to success. The school where we stand today is where the Chief Minister completed his primary education. Now, he leads our state." Choudhary shared his own journey and stated that despite limited resources, his mother always encouraged him to study. He stressed that education is the sole means to transform society. MP Radheshyam Rathiya highlighted the government's efforts in providing all necessary facilities for better education. He encouraged students to study well. Jashpur MLA Raymuni Bhagat emphasised the need for parents to work alongside teachers to improve their children's education, asserting that this collaboration would undoubtedly raise educational standards. Pathalgaon MLA Gomati Sai stated that knowledge is the greatest wealth, emphasising the need for continuous efforts to enhance education. Chief Minister distributes bicycles and honours students at Shala Praveshotsav Chief Minister Sai distributed bicycles to high school girls, who expressed their joy by ringing the bicycle bells. He also honoured meritorious students and their parents, recognising their achievements. Additionally, the Chief Minister acknowledged teachers who have been providing excellent education through the Vinoba app and took the time to interact with the children. As part of the "Ek Ped Maa ke Naam" campaign, the Chief Minister planted a Rudraksha sapling in honour of his mother. He urged people to follow the Prime Minister's appeal to plant a tree in honour of their mothers. Sai emphasised that if everyone planted a tree in honour of their mothers, India would have as many trees as its population, significantly increasing the green cover. MLA Arang Guru Khushwant Saheb, Jashpur Zila Panchayat President Shanti Bhagat, Vice President Upendra Yadav, School Education Secretary Siddharth Komal Pardesi, Director of Samagra Shiksha Sanjeev Jha, Director DPI Divya Umesh Mishra, Divisional Commissioner G.R. Churendra, IG Ankit Garg, Collector Ravi Mittal, and SP Shashimohan Singh were present. (ANI)
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha emphasised the importance of preserving ecological balance and issued a stern warning of strict action against those found causing deforestation. "It is difficult to maintain ecological balance. Just as there is no religion in blood, there is also no religion in the case of trees. We have a lot to learn from nature. Forest robbers or forest destroyers will not be given any concession under any circumstances. Strict legal action will be taken against them," said Dr Saha. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Ek Ped (Tree), Maa Ke Naam" campaign on World Environment Day, Chief Minister Manik Saha said this by participating in the state-level mass plantation drive " 5 lakh seedlings in 5 minutes" organised by the Forest Department on Friday. As part of this programme, the Chief Minister distributed saplings among the local people after attending the state-wide main function organised at Taranagar of Mohanpur. Dr Saha highlighted the lessons to be learned from nature, emphasising the importance of protecting ecological balance. "It is very important to protect the ecological balance. If the balance is lost, it becomes difficult. Balance is as important in life as balance when riding a bicycle. A few days ago, one of our leaders came to the state from Delhi. He said that you will live 10 years longer than us because the pollution in Delhi seems unsustainable for so long. Compared to that, pure oxygen is available here. They are overwhelmed to see so many trees around in Tripura," said Dr Saha. The Chief Minister also called upon the present Forest Minister to be more vigilant against forest robbers. He issued a stern warning not to spare the forest destroyers under any circumstances. CM Saha was accompanied by the area's MLA and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ratan Lal Nath, Minister of Forest Department Animesh Debbarma and other senior officials of the administration. (ANI)
When Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi visited Hathras to meet the grieving families who were affected in the stampede, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lambasted the Congress MP for being selective and not finding the "empathy" to visit the families of those who lost their lives in the Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy in Tamil Nadu. At least 121 devotees lost their lives owing to a stampede at a religious 'Satsang' event of self-styled godman Suraj Pal alias 'Bhole Baba' in Fulari village in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on Tuesday. BJP leader CR Kesavan said that neither Rahul Gandhi nor Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin have consoled the families of the victims of the Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy. "Why has Rahul Gandhi not found the empathy to visit the families of innocent people who lost their lives in the Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy?... Neither Rahul Gandhi nor MK Stalin have consoled the families of these victims...," Kesavan said in a video statement on Friday. Accusing Rahul Gandhi of making false statements on compensation to Agniveer Ajay Singh, Kesavan said, "Rahul Gandhi misled the people by making false claims about compensation provided to Agniveer Ajay Singh...Rahul Gandhi's falsehoods will always be defeated...He should stop politicizing the martyrdom of Agniveers...He should apologize to the families of Agniveeers and the Indian Army..." Uttar Pradesh Minister Baby Rani Maurya claimed that Rahul Gandhi had only gone to Hathras for his political gains adding that the state government has constituted a committee to probe into the incident. "... The CM has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of a retired judge. Legal action would be taken according to the report of the Committee... He (Rahul Gandhi) had only gone for his politics... When such huge events are organised, the government and the administration have to think whether permission should be given or not. I believe that such huge events should not be organised where there is a chance of loss of life...," Maurya said. BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed that Rahul Gandhi has been engaging in the "politics of fear and confusion" ever since he was appointed the Leader of Opposition. "Rahul Gandhi since he has become the LoP, he is doing the politics of fear and confusion. Yesterday, we have seen how he lied on Agniveer issue. Today, on this heart-wrenching accident of Hathras, the politics that he is trying to do is very sad. Such incidents should be seen with utmost sensitivity," Trivedi said speaking to ANI on Friday. Questioning Rahul Gandhi's silence on the Kallakurichi liquor tragedy in Tamil Nadu, Trivedi said that he should not view any incident with "vulture eyes". "I want to ask him that more than 50 people have died in Tamil Nadu ruled by his friends in INDI alliance, most of them were from SC community, leave aside going there, you haven't even spoken about it...One shouldn't see any incident with 'vulture eyes' for political benefits...," Trivedi said. Uttar Pradesh Minister Sandeep Singh took a dig at Rahul Gandhi saying that instead of consoling the stampede-affected victims in Hathras, the Congress MP was seen taking "selfies" with them. "This is a very serious incident... The compensatory cheques have also been distributed to almost all the families... Some people are doing politics even in such a serious matter... Rahul Gandhi met the family today and instead of consoling them, he was seen taking selfies...," Singh said. The Minister said that the central and the state government have announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs each for the bereaved families. The development comes after Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi met with the victims' families in the Hathras stampede incident. "The Prime Minister and the state government, both have announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs each for the bereaved families, the total is Rs 4 lakhs. The task of transferring this amount to the accounts of the people has already started. The BJP will help these families in any manner required," he said. Singh said that the volunteers of the Baba were handling the responsibility of security and didn't allow the police to enter the premises. "The security arrangements were made. The volunteers of the Baba took the responsibility of security and they do not allow the police to enter their premises. Police and fire-tenders were present at the venue. They have always been disallowing the police from entering the premises," he said. Union Minister Nityanand Rai on Friday said the Central government has extended cooperation to the Uttar Pradesh government in the investigation into the stampede in Hathras in which 121 people died. "It is a very sad and sensitive incident and that is being investigated thoroughly and whatever facts come out after the investigation, certainly the state government is keeping an eye on it and the Prime Minister is very sensitive towards such incidents," he said during an event here. "The cooperation which should have been given by the Central Government has been provided at that time and whatever elements will come out in the investigation, the state government will act on that," the Union Minister added. On the other hand, INDIA bloc partners claimed that being the Leader of Opposition, visiting Hathras after the stampede was a compassionate act on the part of Rahul Gandhi. Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja said, "Rahul Gandhi is the leader of the opposition. It is a good thing that he went and met the affected people and the victims." In an attack at the state government, D Raja said, "Now the question is what is the responsibility of the Uttar Pradesh government?... The Uttar Pradesh government should be questioned... How are such things happening?..." Congress MP Rahul Gandhi also appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to provide compensation to the victims with an open heart. Supporting Rahul Gandhi, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said, "It's a very unfortunate incident...The compensation for the bereaved families should be increased..." Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that if the state government cannot provide adequate compensation the Central government should step up. "The compensation should definitely be increased. All of it should be provided by the Central government. If the Uttar Pradesh government has some economic issue, then the Central government should do it...," Bharadwaj said. Maharashtra Assembly LoP Vijay Wadettiwar blamed the government for the incident and said that while people should be followers they should not be "blind followers". "It was a tragic incident... People should be followers but, nowadays, they are blind followers. The government should look after the proper arrangements and administration of such programs. The government is responsible for this incident...," Wadettiwar said. Calling for an investigation into the incident, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the government does not have any intention to make guidelines for events in which such huge crowds are expected to turn up. "There are no clear regulations in place and there is no intention of the govt to make guidelines for such events...A thorough investigation should be conducted into the incident and based on it strict action should be taken...," Yechury said speaking to ANI. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi who arrived in Hathras early in the morning on Friday, met with the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the July 2 tragedy. On his way to Hathras, the Congress leader also stopped in Aligarh to meet the victims' families. He expressed his condolences and sought to understand their situation. "It is a sad incident. Many lives have been lost. I am not approaching this from a political perspective but addressing the deficiencies of the administration. The main priority should be to provide maximum compensation to the poor families affected by this tragedy. I request CM Yogi Adityanath to provide compensation with an open heart," he said while speaking to the media. The Congress MP further said that the family members of the deceased informed him there was no police presence at the event, which contributed to the chaos. "If there is a delay in providing compensation, it will not help anyone. I spoke with the families, and they told me there was no police arrangement at the venue. They are in shock, and I wanted to understand their situation," he said. (ANI)
In 1715, Giuseppe Castiglione, a young man from Milan, Italy, arrived in Macao. His ultimate destination was the imperial court of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in Beijing, where he was to serve the emperor as a painter.



At that time, Castiglione didn't expect that his service at the court would last for decades until he died in 1766. As one of Emperor Qianlong's favorite artists, he left paintings depicting the ruler, his activities and imperial life. Meanwhile, he helped train several Chinese pupils to master Western painting techniques.

Better known by the Chinese name he took after arriving in Beijing, Lang Shining, Castiglione is recognized as a cultural envoy between China and Italy.

Now, not far from the Palace Museum where Castiglione's art is housed, a dozen artists from Castiglione's home country have assumed the role as envoys bridging the two cultures by showing their works to the Chinese public.

The National Art Museum of China exhibition, Thoughts in the Heart, running until Sunday, gathers several paintings, sculptures and installations of 13 academic artists at the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno in Florence, of which the establishment in 1563 was proposed by Renaissance painter and writer Giorgio Vasari and the artloving Benedictine priest Don Vincenzio Borghini.

The first academic of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno was Michelangelo, the artist whose best-known works include the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, according to Cristina Acidini, president of the institution.

She says their work reveals solid training under a group of mature artists against the background of feverish art movements following World War II.

"Many of them started from a figurative style but later deviated to blaze their own paths, venturing into areas quite personal and experimental, where they found opportunities and confronted challenges."

She says the artists sought inspiration by investigating the relationship between man and nature and found freedom in exploring abstract forms.

The results of their endeavors, the works, give audiences "a sense of assurance, stability and delicate balance", according to Giuseppe Calonaci, one of the artists showing at the exhibition at the National Art Museum of China.

Calonaci's Form illustrates his belief that a piece of art is the unity of form and color and to achieve perfection, the proportions of the work should be appropriate.

Granted such freedom in the creation process, the artists have built a bridge to connect the past and future, the figurative and abstract, their native culture and Eastern aesthetics.

"While people coming to the National Art Museum of China exhibition will see Western abstract art, they will also find fine works showing the semiabstract xieyi ("drawing the spirit") of traditional Chinese ink paintings," says Wu Weishan, director of the museum and a sculptor.

Xieyi is a unique, highly expressive style of classic Chinese painting in which a decrease of details and rather loose brushstrokes jointly render a mood of spirituality.

"It is an interesting dialogue," says Wu, also an academic of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, who shows at the exhibition the statues of Italian Renaissance legend Leonardo da Vinci and modern Chinese artist Qi Baishi to create a spiritual dialogue across time and space.

The two institutions have been at the forefront of cultural exchanges between China and Italy.

In 2019, a group of two bronze sculptures titled A Dialogue Across the Time, created by Wu, was installed at the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno. The work, depicting Da Vinci and Qi, was added to the academy's permanent collection to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Da Vinci's death.

On Jan 17, 2020, a larger version of the two statues were unveiled in Da Vinci's birthplace of Vinci in Italy.

In May 2023, Antonio Di Tommaso, the head of the sculpture academy at the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, donated one of his sculptures to the National Art Museum of China, which was shown at exhibitions to commemorate the Chinese museum's 60th anniversary.

Several of Tommaso's works, including this one, are now on display at the exhibition, Thoughts in the Heart.

Twelve works will be added to the collection of the National Art Museum of China after the exhibition ends.
Refuting the claims of Former Bihar Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, JD(U) leader KC Tyagi on Friday said that the NDA government, supported by strong pillars like JD(U) and TDP, will endure beyond 2029. Lalu Yadav claimed that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, which came to power last month, could fall by August and elections could happen anytime. "Lalu Yadav is disappointed. JDU and TDP are two strong pillars of this (NDA) government, and this government will continue even after 2029," Tyagi said. Regarding Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav's remarks, KC Tyagi highlighted the Bihar government's uncompromising stance on corruption, as evidenced by actions taken against engineers following multiple bridge collapses. "The action taken against the engineers proves that Nitish's government in Bihar will not compromise on corruption," Tyagi said. Tejashwi Yadav today slammed the Nitish Kumar-led government and said that the double engine of the Bihar government is engaged in "corruption and crime". Over the past 15 days, the state has seen the collapse of 10 bridges, raising concerns about infrastructure safety and maintenance. A bridge collapsed in Bihar's Saran district on Thursday, marking the 10th such incident in the state in just over a fortnight. Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi defended Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, attributing the bridge collapses to unusually heavy monsoon rains affecting Bihar and other states. Manjhi emphasized that the Bihar CM had ordered actions against negligent officials. Showing similar sentiments Tyagi said, "Due to excessive rain, such incidents are being witnessed and heard not only in Bihar but also in Assam, the North East, Himachal Pradesh, and many parts of Uttar Pradesh." Meanwhile, in Hathras, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visited the families affected by a recent stampede and urged Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath to provide fair compensation to the victims. KC Tyagi supported Gandhi's call for increased financial assistance to the affected families, stressing the need for attention to their plight. "I agree with Rahul Gandhi's demand that the victims should receive maximum financial assistance because they belong to a very weak section of society," Tyagi said. Earlier in the day Rahul Gandhi, who arrived in Hathras early in the morning, met with the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the July 2 tragedy at a religious 'Satsang' event of self-styled godman Suraj Pal alias 'Bhole Baba' in Fulari village in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, which claimed 121 lives. "There is no need to politicize this issue, but many families have also requested an increase in compensation, and the UP government should pay attention to this," Tyagi added. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticized Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren for replacing tribal leader Champai Soren with himself, accusing him of 'Parivarvad'. Tyagi replied stating, "Although this is an internal matter of the JMM, it also reeks of 'Parivarvad', there is no doubt." Speaking in Ramgarh, Chouhan accused Soren of prioritising the interests of a single family. "What was the fault of Champai Soren? You made him the CM, you could have let him continue, but you removed a tribal CM. Just because you want to have the hold of just one family...," Chouhan said. (ANI)
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday expressed confidence in the BJP's success and said that the party will expand its presence in West Bengal and Kerala as the people's confidence has grown in the party. Saha said, "The BJP is poised to expand its governance to West Bengal and Kerala, as public confidence in the party continues to grow due to its commitment to development." Tripura Chief Minister made these remarks while addressing a Matdata event at 8 Town Baradowali Mandal. Saha also took to his official X handle and said, "In a democracy, the blessing of the public gods is the greatest achievement. Thanks to all the residents of the congratulatory meeting organised today by Town No. 8 Baradowali Mandal for the victory of BJP candidates with huge votes in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections." "If we focus on development, there is no need for concern. In our efforts for people's development, why should anyone obstruct voters? While we have eradicated this practice, it still persists in West Bengal," Saha said. Saha also criticised the Trinamool Congress for using police to obstruct BJP rallies in West Bengal. He pointed out that a similar practise exists in Kerala as well. Highlighting the BJP's developmental initiatives as the key to its success, Saha said, "Due to the BJP government's development initiatives, our party has achieved success in Odisha, and we expect to replicate this success soon in West Bengal and Kerala. If we continue our good work, no one can hinder us. Despite attempts by various parties to unite against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they have consistently failed." The Chief Minister's comments come at a time when the BJP is looking to expand its footprint in states traditionally dominated by regional parties. The emphasis on development and public trust appears to be the cornerstone of the party's strategy moving forward. Meanwhile, Saha also expressed deep concern over the recent demolition of a family's house in Dalak Panchayat, located in Amarpur under the Gomati district. The incident came to his attention through local media reports. Taking to his X handle, Saha said, "I have come to know about the demolition of the house of a family resident of Dalak Panchayat of Amarpur. Interviewed the affected family today, apprised the overall issue and directed the administration to provide them with the necessary assistance. Besides, the police administration will investigate and take legal action as per my suggestion" Saha took immediate action by interviewing the affected family to understand the issue in detail and directed the administration to provide the necessary assistance to the displaced family. Additionally, the Tripura CM also instructed the police administration to investigate the incident thoroughly and take appropriate legal action. In a statement, Saha emphasized the importance of swift and effective measures to support the family and ensure justice is served. (ANI)
Transport Minister of Delhi, Kailash Gahlot on Friday took cognizance of complaints from private vehicle buyers in Delhi regarding delays in receiving vehicle registration certificates (RC) on the same day at the time of purchase, despite a mandate by the Delhi government, an official statement said. The Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot convened a meeting with senior officials of the Transport Department and directed them to take strict action against non-compliant dealers including suspension of Trade License. In a recent meeting with senior officials from the Transport Department, Minister Gahlot emphasized the importance of adhering to the government's mandate. "It is unacceptable that vehicle buyers are facing delays in receiving their registration certificates at the time of delivery of their purchased vehicle. The Delhi government has made provisions for same-day issuance of RCs, and any deviation from this must be addressed promptly," Gahlot said. "We will take strict action against any dealer found not adhering to this mandate. Ensuring timely issuance of RCs is essential for the convenience of vehicle buyers and the efficiency of our transport system," he added. The Delhi Government introduced the self-registration initiative for dealers in March 2021, with the first RC issued on March 17, 2021. This initiative was fully implemented citywide by September 2021, empowering all self-registration dealers in Delhi to print RCs. The hand-to-hand RC or RC printing facility at dealer points was launched by the Kejriwal Government to eliminate long wait times and the need for buyers to visit RTOs, ensuring hassle-free vehicle registration. Self-registration facilities were provided to dealers in Delhi to issue the Registration Certificate (RC) for non-transport (private) vehicles at the time of vehicle delivery. However, recent observations by Transport Minister Shri Kailash Gahlot revealed that dealers were not providing RCs on the day of vehicle delivery, with delays of 2 to 3 weeks and in some cases more than a month. Consequently, Transport Minister Shri Kailash Gahlot has ordered the Transport Department to enforce strict measures against non-compliant dealers, including suspension of trade licenses if the issue persists. All vehicle dealers must ensure that RCs are handed over to vehicle owners on the day of delivery. Delhi has 263 dealers authorized to print RCs at their dealer points. Delhi registers approximately 6 lakh new vehicles annually. The facility of hand-to-hand RC or RC printing at dealer points was launched with the vision of eliminating long wait times and the need for buyers to visit RTOs, thereby providing hassle-free vehicle registration. (ANI)
Two party leaders from Andhra Pradesh were unanimously elected as MLCs under the MLA quota on Friday. MLC Election Returning Officer Y Vijayaraju announced in the assembly building on Friday that C Ramachandraiah, on behalf of the Telugu Desam Party, and P Hari Prasad, on behalf of the JanaSena Party, were unanimously elected as MLA Quota MLCs in the Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Council. As the deadline for withdrawal of nominations for filling the two vacant MLC seats in the State Legislative Council under the quota of MLAs ended on Friday, only two candidates, C Ramachandraiah and P Hariprasad, filed nominations, and they were unanimously elected, the returning officer Vijaya Raju announced. Deputy Secretary Vanitha Rani participated in the program. Earlier on Thursday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu met with six Union Ministers in New Delhi and took up multiple issues related to respective ministries. He deliberated upon mechanisms to effectively coordinate for timely intervention and action at the end of the government of India. CM Naidu met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and requested to release Rs 385 crore as land cost, for establishing Greyhounds Training Centre, and Rs 27.54 crores towards operational cost. He also requested Home Minister Shah that the AP police IPS cadre review should be scheduled at an early date.On meeting with Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, the Andhra Pradesh CM highlighted the Outer Ring Road(ORR) project that will have a phenomenal impact on the development of the new capital of Amaravati. Along with this, the development of a greenfield express highway from Hyderabad to Amaravati, Vijayawada Eastern Bypass, and others was put forth with Gadkari. CM Naidu also requested Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to prioritize the transfer of Government of India Salt Lands for Port-led Industrial Development to the State government at their registered value. He also held a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and requested the sanction of an integrated aquapark for the state of Andhra Pradesh. He also requested to devise a policy for increasing the subsidy to horticulture farmers along with others. The Andhra Pradesh CM also requested Manohar Lal Khattar, Minister of Power to promote Vizag-Kakinada as a Green Hydrogen manufacturing hub. Further, on meeting with Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum, Chandrababu Naidu requested the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) to set up a refinery in the state as per Section 93(4) of APR Act 2014. Chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital, where Andhra CM sought the central government's support on significant matters pertaining to the state's development. (ANI)
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted a comprehensive review of the Rural Development Department at the Secretariat on Friday. He emphasized the full implementation of the plan to elevate Uttarakhand's brand 'House of Himalayas' to a global level by September. Special focus was directed towards enhancing the quality, packaging, and marketing of products. Dhami underscored the importance of establishing Rural Business Incubator Centers across all districts of the state, similar to those in Hawalbagh and Kotdwar. These will play an important role in promoting youth and self-help groups in the field of self-employment. The Chief Minister said that the soul of India resides in the villages, so special attention should be paid to the names of the schemes being made for the rural areas in the state should be simple and effective. He directed the officials to identify 15 important schemes related to the public, and also make arrangements for district-wise ranking for the successful implementation of the schemes. Dhami also directed the Secretary of Rural Development to send senior officials of the department to the villages from time to time for the successful implementation of the schemes. The Secretary was also instructed to personally visit some villages, and block-level officers were to attend Gram Sabha meetings. Special emphasis was placed on the construction and maintenance of Amrit Sarovars, alongside tree plantations on their banks. During the review of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Dhami stressed the importance of quality and timeliness in road construction, warning that negligence would result in strict action against responsible officials. He announced plans for surprise inspections of construction works. During the review of the Rural Construction Department, the Chief Minister directed that the construction work should be expedited to connect the villages with roads under the 'Mukhyamantri Gram Sampark Yojana'. Special attention should be paid to road connectivity for the development of villages. The meeting revealed that Uttarakhand ranks first in approving targets to training institutes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Rural and Deendayal Upadhyaya Rural Skill Scheme, achieving targets in both work commencement and training. The state's excellent performance in the N.R.L.M. scheme has led to continuous bonus receipts over the past two years, with a sales target of 25 crores set for the next three years through 'House of Himalayas.' Under the Lakhpati Didi Yojana, 93,000 women have achieved 'Lakhpati' status, with a goal of 2.50 lakh women by 2026. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin has seen the construction of 66,596 houses, and NRLM has facilitated the formation of 66,459 groups benefiting 5.06 lakh families. Additionally, it was informed in the meeting that 1,845 settlements have been connected under PMGSY, benefiting a population of approximately 22 lakh. (ANI)
In a significant breakthrough, the Border Security Force (BSF) has thwarted a major cattle smuggling operation, apprehending two individuals and seizing ten cattle heads along with a vehicle. The incident took place on Thursday night near the Malakar Basti BOP, in the Dharmanagar subdivision of the North Tripura district. According to sources, the mastermind behind this international cattle smuggling network is identified as Basa Mia from Kumarghat, Unakoti district. Allegations suggest that Basa Mia has been orchestrating the smuggling of Burmese cattle from Mizoram into Bangladesh through various routes in Tripura. Despite longstanding accusations, local authorities have yet to take action against him. On Thursday night, at approximately 8.15 pm, BSF personnel noticed a suspicious Bolero vehicle, bearing the registration number TR05F/1797, loaded with cattle near the India-Bangladesh border. Upon spotting the BSF, the vehicle attempted to flee but was soon immobilized due to a mechanical failure. BSF troops successfully intercepted the vehicle and detained the two smugglers onboard. The situation escalated when local women, seemingly in support of the smugglers, confronted the BSF personnel, leading to a tense standoff. The Dharmanagar police were promptly alerted, and with their assistance, the BSF managed to secure the cattle and the detainees. Dharmanagar Police Station's Officer-in-Charge, Himadri Sarkar, confirmed the seizure of ten cattle. The arrested individuals, identified as Liakat Ali and Islam Uddin, are residents of the Sakaibari area in Dharmanagar. During police interrogation, the smugglers revealed that the cattle belonged to Basa Mia of Kumarghat and were en route to Bangladesh. Speaking to ANI, the North Tripura SP, Bhanupada Chakraborty confirmed that a case has been registered in this regard at Dharmanagar Police Station under DMN PS and 303(2)/3(5) sections of BNS, based on the BSF's complaint. The seized cattle have been sent to a local shelter, and the accused will be presented before the Dharmanagar District and Sessions Court on Saturday. (ANI)
Chennai Police has formed 10 special teams to probe the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Tamil Nadu president Armstrong. Armstrong was hacked to death by an unidentified mob of 6 people near his residence in Perambur, Chennai on Friday evening. "On July 5, evening, while Armstrong (52 years), State President, Bahujan Samaj Party was standing in front of his house at Venugopal Samy Kovil Street, Perambur (K-1 Sembium PS limits), unknown persons assaulted him with knives. Due to the assault, he sustained bleeding injuries and subsequently police admitted him at Apollo Hospital with the assistance of the passersby. Doctors who examined him declared that he was dead," as per a Chennai Police press release. "In this regard, 10 special teams have been formed under the leadership of Tr. Asra Garg IPS., Addl.COP (North) to probe the motives behind the murder and to arrest the culprits. Special teams are intensifying the search to arrest those culprits," the release added. After BSP Tamil Nadu president Armstrong was hacked to death by an unidentified mob in Chennai on Friday, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) workers and supporters blocked a road in Chennai and protested against the murder of Armstrong. They demanded the immediate arrest of the accused. Earlier, a large number of people also gathered outside Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital in Chennai, where the body of Armstrong, the Tamil Nadu president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was brought. Meanwhile, AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami slammed the ruling DMK party over the death of BSP Tamil Nadu president Armstrong and said that if such a leader is assassinated, then what is the point of criticizing the law and order in the state. In a post on X, Palaniswami said, "It is shocking and painful after knowing BSP State President Armstrong was hacked to death. Condolences to BSP cadres and his family. If the state president of a national party is assassinated, what is the point of criticizing law and order in the DMK regime? How do criminals get the courage to kill? I strongly condemn the DMK chief who has pushed law and order to such a level that crimes are committed without fear of police, government or the law." "I request MK Stalin to give assurance for peaceful last rights of Armstrong without any obstacles," he added. BJP spokesperson ANS Prasad asserted the immediate arrest of the murderers in the state. "Our BJP party leader has already pointed out that the law and order situation is deteriorating in Tamil Nadu several times. Today, a Dalit leader has been murdered. Armstrong was a young and active leader of a national party," Prasad said. "As we already said several times, the law and order is worst here in Tamil Nadu and today's murder of a party leader itself is an example of that. We ask this Tamil Nadu Government to make sure of immediate arrest of the murderers," he added. (ANI)
Devprakash Madhukar, the main suspect in the Hathras stampede that claimed 121 deaths, has surrendered in front of SIT, STF and Police, his Advocate AP Singh said in a video message on Friday. Advocate AP Singh said, "Dev Prakash Madhukar who was named in the FIR in the Hathras case, was said to be the main organiser has surrendered in front of SIT, STF and Police. We have handed him over to the SIT and the Uttar Pradesh Police. Now a thorough investigation can be done...His health should be taken care of, he is a heart patient and nothing wrong should happen to him..." "It was my promise that we will not use any anticipatory bail, will not file any application and will not go to any court, because what have we done? What is our crime? We told you that we would surrender Dev Prakash Madhukar, take him in front of the police, interrogate him, participate in the investigation, and take part in the inquiry," he further said. However, no such information has been received from the police yet. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday morning reached Hathras in Uttar Pradesh to meet with the families of the people affected by the July 2 stampede. En route to Hathras, Gandhi also stopped in Aligarh and met with families of the victims of the tragedy that took place at a religious 'Satsang' event in Fulari village in which 121 people were killed. Union Minister Nityanand Rai on Friday said the Central government has extended cooperation to the Uttar Pradesh government in the investigation into the stampede in Hathras. "It is a very sad and sensitive incident and that is being investigated thoroughly and whatever facts come out after the investigation, certainly the state government is keeping an eye on it and the Prime Minister is very sensitive towards such incidents," he said during an event here. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adidyanath announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the victims who lost their lives, along with Rs 50,000 for the people who got injured there. A three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission under the chairmanship of Justice (retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava has been constituted to ensure comprehensiveness of the subject matter and transparency in the inquiry. The Judicial Commission will investigate the stampede incident over the next two months and submit its report to the State Government. As per the prima facie report, the stampede took place when devotees rushed to seek blessings and collect soil from around the preacher's feet, but were stopped from doing so by his security personnel. They then started pushing one another due to which several people fell triggering chaos at the site. (ANI)
The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) announced that negotiations with both provincial and federal authorities had reached an impasse, prompting them to declare a nationwide strike starting today, Dawn reported. PPDA chairman Abdul Sami Khan expressed frustration over the lack of resolution despite extensive dialogue with government officials. "They asked us to call off the strike and assured us of resolving the issue, but we cannot delay our action based on mere assurances," Khan stated in an interview with Dawn. Khan disclosed that he had engaged with a spectrum of stakeholders within the government, including high-ranking officials such as the finance minister, chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) chief, petroleum secretary, and representatives from the oil marketing companies' advisory council. However, he lamented that the core concerns of the dealers remained unaddressed. "We will not entertain further discussions with the government until the unjust turnover tax is withdrawn," asserted Khan, underscoring that the imposition of double taxation was not only unfair but also unconstitutional. The PPDA chairman outlined the logistical implications of the strike, indicating that over 13,000 petrol stations across the country would cease operations starting at 6am on July 5. He warned that unless their demands were met and formally notified, the strike could potentially extend beyond the initial shutdown, as reported by Dawn. Khan appealed to petrol station owners and operators to ensure adequate stockpiling of fuel supplies by July 4, preparing for the impending disruption. In response to the impending strike, the petroleum division took proactive measures by establishing a monitoring cell to oversee the fuel supply chain and coordinate with relevant stakeholders. Representatives from oil marketing companies (OMCs), Ogra, and the petroleum division were appointed as focal persons within the monitoring cell. To mitigate public inconvenience and potential disruptions to industry operations, the petroleum division issued directives to OMCs to maintain sufficient stocks of petroleum products at designated sites. This preemptive measure aimed to secure an uninterrupted supply chain during the strike period. The controversy stems from the recent budget's introduction of a turnover tax, which petrol dealers argue constitutes double taxation. They contend that existing tax obligations, including a fixed withholding tax and now an additional turnover tax of 0.5 per cent, unfairly burden their operations. Earlier assurances from the FBR chairman regarding the withdrawal of the turnover tax were noted, albeit with the caveat that reversing this decision would necessitate legislative amendments. As clarified by the petroleum secretary, the imposition of the turnover tax had already been formalised through the Finance Act 2024-25, requiring a legislative process to effect any changes, Dawn reported. (ANI)
In a heartfelt expression of gratitude, Debvajracharya, Deputy Abbot of Wat Pho, extended thanks on behalf of Thai citizens to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the recent gift of Buddhist relics to Thailand. This gesture, aimed at fostering spiritual connection and cultural exchange, has deeply resonated with the Thai community. "On behalf of the Thai people, we are thankful to Prime Minister Modi, who sent the Buddhist relics to Thailand. This Buddhist relic is very important for Thai Buddhist devotees," Debvajracharya told ANI, emphasising the significance of the relics. He underscored the event's role in strengthening ties between the peoples of Thailand and India, noting, "This event signifies good friendship between Thai people and Indian people." Reflecting on his personal experiences in India, Debvajracharya highlighted the cultural bonds shared between the two nations through Buddhism, which was introduced to Thailand centuries ago. "We adopted Buddhism from India," he explained, "When the King Asoka sent nine legendary monks to Suvarnabhumi, Thailand adopted Buddhism as the national religion." Furthermore, Debvajracharya touched upon the cultural significance of Indian epics in Thailand, noting the reverence for characters like Ram from the Ramayana. "In Thailand, we call it Ramakyam," he clarified, illustrating the enduring influence of Indian literature and spirituality on Thai culture. The exchange of Buddhist relics, facilitated by the Indian government, not only deepens religious ties but also serves as a testament to the enduring cultural connections between Thailand and India. The relics of Lord Buddha and his two disciples were displayed across four cities in Thailand from February 22 to March 18. Earlier, Thailand Ambassador to India, Pattarat Hongtong also thanked the Indian government for the exposition of sacred relics of Lord Buddha in Thailand and said that this would attract more Thai people to visit India and reconnect with their roots. (ANI)
Implementation of excise tax reforms in China will likely be part of the country's broader efforts to promote a new round of reforms of the fiscal and taxation system, experts said on Thursday.

They said more endeavors are needed to rationally allocate the expenditure responsibilities of the central government and local governments while curbing those unnecessary and ineffective local government investment, therefore facilitating fiscal balance toward a more sustainable and healthy status.

Their comments came after some market observers said they expected China will advance excise tax reforms, as the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee will focus on further deepening reform and promoting Chinese modernization.

Excise taxes, sometimes referred to as "sin taxes", are indirect levies imposed by tax authorities on the consumption of specific products or services considered to be harmful to consumers' health and the environment, or luxury goods.

In China, excises apply to 15 types of products such as tobacco, alcohol, high-end cosmetics and refined oil, and tax revenues derived wholly belong to the central government.

Fu Yifu, a researcher at the Star Atlas Institute of Finance, said excise taxation can help improve industry structure, promote healthy and green consumption manners, and narrow income gaps between certain groups.

In addition, reform measures currently being discussed by market observers could help local governments increase revenues if implemented, Fu said.

In 2019, a reform plan released by the State Council clarified the directions of excise reform and asked to move the collection of excise taxation from the production and import link to the wholesale and retail link, and "stably" allow local governments to have related revenues.

A recent macro research report by Guotai Junan Securities predicted that reforms of excise taxation will likely expand the items subjected to the tax and adjust excise tax rates during the process of promoting the taxation on the sales links, allowing local government to retain some of the revenues.

However, Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, said: "Such reform measures need time to get implemented, because they will largely expand the number of payers of excise taxes, and therefore impose higher tax collection efficacy requirements on tax authorities. Besides, allowing local governments to levy excise taxes on some items, such as tobacco, will likely encourage the production of these products, offsetting efforts to curb such undesirable consumption."

Shi Zhengwen, director of the Center for Research in Fiscal and Tax Law at China University of Political Science and Law, said it is likely that more products with intensive carbon footprints will be subject to excise taxes, while such taxes on some products will be lowered or removed to promote consumption upgrades.

Experts also said solving fiscal challenges facing some local governments should not be the main purpose of excise tax reforms.

Luo said what is more important now is properly allocating expenditure responsibilities between the central and local governments.

Qiao Baoyun, dean of the China Academy of Public Finance and Public Policy at Central University of Finance and Economics, said local governments should curb ineffective investment to improve their fiscal status, rather than trying to increase revenue to support unreasonable spending.
In a heartfelt expression of gratitude, Debvajracharya, Deputy Abbot of Wat Pho, extended thanks on behalf of Thai citizens to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the India-facilitated recent exposition of Buddha relics in Thailand. This gesture, aimed at fostering spiritual connection and cultural exchange, has deeply resonated with the Thai community. "On behalf of the Thai people, we are thankful to Prime Minister Modi, who sent the Buddhist relics to Thailand. This Buddhist relic is very important for Thai Buddhist devotees," Debvajracharya told ANI, emphasising the significance of the relics. He underscored the event's role in strengthening ties between the peoples of Thailand and India, noting, "This event signifies good friendship between Thai people and Indian people." Reflecting on his personal experiences in India, Debvajracharya highlighted the cultural bonds shared between the two nations through Buddhism, which was introduced to Thailand centuries ago. "We adopted Buddhism from India," he explained, "When the King Asoka sent nine legendary monks to Suvarnabhumi, Thailand adopted Buddhism as the national religion." Furthermore, Debvajracharya touched upon the cultural significance of Indian epics in Thailand, noting the reverence for characters like Ram from the Ramayana. "In Thailand, we call it Ramakyam," he clarified, illustrating the enduring influence of Indian literature and spirituality on Thai culture. The exchange of Buddhist relics, facilitated by the Indian government, not only deepens religious ties but also serves as a testament to the enduring cultural connections between Thailand and India. The relics of Lord Buddha and his two disciples were displayed across four cities in Thailand from February 22 to March 18. Earlier, Thailand Ambassador to India, Pattarat Hongtong also thanked the Indian government for the exposition of sacred relics of Lord Buddha in Thailand and said that this would attract more Thai people to visit India and reconnect with their roots. (ANI)
The centre-left Labour Party is set to secure a decisive victory in Britain's general election, according to a comprehensive exit poll. This outcome ends a 14-year reign of the Conservative Party and positions Labour leader Keir Starmer to assume the role of prime minister imminently, CNN reported. The exit poll, conducted by Ipsos for BBC, ITV, and Sky, predicted Labour would capture 410 seats, relegating the Conservatives to a mere 131 seats. This landslide marks a clear rebuke of the ruling party by British voters, an anticipated outcome amidst mounting discontent. Votes are being tallied throughout the night, with expectations high for Starmer to replace Rishi Sunak as prime minister by Friday morning, according to CNN. While falling short of more dramatic predictions made during the campaign, these results signify a significant decline for the Tories since their landslide victory under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2019. Since then, internal strife and a series of scandals have plagued the Conservative Party, failing to reverse public skepticism about their performance. In contrast, Starmer's disciplined campaign centered on the promise of "Change," resonating with voters disenchanted by the Tories. According to the exit poll, the Liberal Democrats are projected to secure 61 seats, reclaiming their position as Britain's third-largest party in Parliament. Meanwhile, Reform UK, a right-wing populist group led by Nigel Farage, is forecast to secure 13 seats, with the Green Party likely to secure two. Starmer, a former barrister who entered Parliament in 2015 and assumed Labour leadership in 2020, has steered his party towards the political center. His platform emphasizes revitalizing public services while maintaining fiscal responsibility. This victory stands as a counterpoint to rising populist sentiments across Europe, even as insurgent parties like Reform UK attracted voters with anti-migration rhetoric, siphoning support from the Conservatives. Conversely, the Tories lost centrist voters in affluent southern English regions to the Liberal Democrats, as reported by CNN. While Starmer's projected seat count may fall short of Tony Blair's 1997 landslide, when Labour last ousted the Conservatives, it ensures a robust parliamentary majority for governance. As the transition of power unfolds, a battle ensues for control of the opposition. Right-wing Tories sought alliances with Farage's bloc during the campaign, facing opposition from moderate Conservatives intent on anchoring the party in the political center. Regarding foreign policy, particularly Britain's stance towards Russia's aggression in Ukraine, no significant shifts are expected with Starmer's ascension. He has committed to maintaining Britain's supportive stance towards Kyiv. Additionally, Starmer has called for a ceasefire in Gaza amid Israel's conflict with Hamas, coupled with efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by the militant group, CNN reported. (ANI)
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan has declined to meet ex-PTI leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry in jail, according to ARY News. Speaking at ARY News's programme 'Off The Record", PTI spokesperson Raoof Hassan said that Fawad Chaudhry wanted to meet former prime minister Imran Khan, but he refused to do so. The PTI spokesperson said that no one in the party is afraid of Fawad Chaudhry's return, asserting that the agenda for the return is important. He claimed that PTI members are aware of the reasons behind the dismissals of Ali Zaidi, Imran Ismail, and Fawad Chaudhry from the party, according to ARY News. "We are not afraid of anyone's return, but the agenda is important," Raoof Hassan said. "Currently, Fawad Chaudhry has no place in the party. Imran Khan will decide on the return of those who left the party after his release," Hassan added. Describing the Shehbaz Sharif-led government as 'mandate thieves', Raoof Hassan said that PTI is of the view that there will be no talks with them. Earlier, former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry had claimed that a small group of people assumed control and promoted newcomers like Raoof Hassan to top positions in the party. During an interview with ARY News, the former minister declared that he remains a part of the PTI. "Had I left the party, I would have been minister today on basis of the Forms 47," Fawad Chaudhry had said, according to ARY News. Fawad Chaudhry said that he was forced to join the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), adding that he did not go to the IPP function of his own accord. (ANI)
Voting is underway in Iran, as the country gears up to elect the successor of Ebrahim Raisi in the Presidential runoff taking place on Friday, according to Al Jazeera. This runoff comes as Iran registered a low voter turnout in the first round, with 39.92 per cent confirmed by the Interior Ministry. It was the lowest in any major election since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has also urged the people of Iran to vote, pointing out that it will become the "deciding round" to elect Iran's president by tomorrow, reported Al Jazeera. The final battle is now between a reformist, Masoud Pezeshkian, and a hardline Conservative, Saeed Jalili. Hardliners and conservatives are typically more critical of Western relations and of opening up Iran to outside influence. Therefore, Pezeshkian is anticipated to reach out to the West more to try and lift sanctions against Iran, whereas Jalili as president, would be expected to prioritize internal capabilities, and regional relations, and bolster partnerships with Russia and China even further. Pezeshkian, 69, was a deputy speaker from 2016 to 2020 and has been a member of parliament since 2008 representing Tabriz. In the early 2000s, the heart surgeon served as former President Mohammad Khatami's health minister. He is the sole contender this year who does not come from a hardline or conservative background. In 2021 he was disqualified from running by the Guardian Council, reported Al Jazeera. Whereas, Jalili, 58, ran for president unsuccessfully against Hassan Rouhani in 2013, and in 2021 withdrew in favour of Raisi. As the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's direct representative on the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), he oversaw the Iranian nuclear issue from 2007 to 2013. He has served on unelected committees such as the Expediency Council and has continued to lead the SNSC, which he is dubious of calling a "shadow government." Acting foreign minister at the moment, Ali Bagheri Kani is his longstanding supporter. Kani has been Iran's chief nuclear negotiator since 2021. Pezeshkian and Jalili both pledged to improve living conditions in Iran, a country now experiencing an economic crisis. The election was scheduled for June next year, which would have been four years after Raisi's election. However, a 50-day constitutional window to hold a new referendum was triggered by the president's death in a helicopter crash. The snap election on June 28 occurred inside the 50-day legally mandated deadline for selecting a new president after Ebrahim Raisi and seven others, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, were killed in a helicopter accident on May 19. (ANI)
There was a huge show of patriotism in Washington DC Thursday night for one of the nation's largest fireworks shows. Thousands packed the National Mall for the July 4th fireworks, a day when millions of Americans all over the world celebrate Independence Day. The bright pops of color in the sky, paired with all things red, white, and blue, make DC the most popular and perfect destination to celebrate the United States of America in its capital city. As the US celebrated its 248th Independence Day, President & CEO of Destination DC, Elliot Ferguson said that a large Indian population exists in Washington, DC, which of course includes Indian cuisine, and it is a destination that is very familiar to international visitors. "In Washington, we do have the biggest celebration of the Independence of our country, America. The beauty of coming to Washington, even if it wasn't Fourth of July, is the fact that there are so many things that you can see and do that are free - our monuments, memorials and museums...The large Indian population that exists in Washington, DC, which of course includes indian cuisine. Washington is a destination that is very familiar to international visitors," he told ANI. "We're ready to host NATO in Washington, DC next week," he said adding that India is "one of the fastest-growing markets in terms of visitation." "We focus a lot of time and attention on making sure that Indian travellers know exactly what to do and how they can navigate Washington as a city," Ferguson said. The mayor of Washington, DC, Muriel Bowser also shared a post on X of the celebrations that took place in DC. "There's no better place to celebrate the 4th of July than Washington, DC. We have the best views, the best backdrop, the best fireworks show, and the best people to celebrate with," the mayor wrote, sharing the post. https://x.com/MayorBowser/status/1808921013087772891 Area residents traveled a few miles, others came from far away to be in D.C. "We specifically made sure we were here for Fourth of July," said Andrew Bedell from Florida. "It's just the ambiance and the vibes. We're in D.C..we're in the capitol celebrating America's Birthday, and it just feels like the right place to be," Peter Hermann told ANI. Besides the fireworks, Americans and other tourists, some from India fanned across the city of D.C. -- gawking at parade performers, walking through museums, and joining historical tours. Crowds camped on the National Mall awaiting the evening's fireworks were first met with a drenching, as rain soaked the Washington region. "I am here today because I've heard July 4 in DC is really spectacular, and I always wanted to experience it," said Ashutosh who traveled from Delhi to be a part of the celebrations. Independence Day in America marks the date back in 1776 when Americans broke away from being ruled by the British, who had been on the continent since the 16th Century. The holiday remembers the day in 1776 the 13 American colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming citizens' right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (ANI)
London's Labour Party Chief Keir Starmer, who became the new Prime Minister of the UK, received wishes from leaders across the world. Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada said on X, "Congratulations, @Keir_Starmer, on a historic UK election victory. Lots of work ahead to build a more progressive, fair future for people on both sides of the Atlantic. Let's get to it, my friend." The French Prime Minister, Emmanuel Macron, said on X, "Congratulations Sir @Keir_Starmer on your victory. Pleased with our first discussion. We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI." Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia congratulated Starmer on X, and called him his 'friend'. "Congratulations to my friend and new UK Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer on his resounding election victory I look forward to working constructively with the incoming @UKLabour Government," he said. President of Israel, Isaac Herzog said on X that he wishes to work with Starmer to bring their 'hostages home'. He also thanked the erstwhile Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his support towards Israel. "I send my warmest congratulations to @Keir_Starmer. As he prepares to enter Downing Street as Prime Minister, I look forward to working together with him and his new government to bring our hostages home, to build a better future for the region, and to deepen the close friendship between Israel and the United Kingdom. I also express my deepest appreciation and gratitude to outgoing Prime Minister @RishiSunak for his leadership and for standing with the Israeli people especially during this most difficult period." The Labour Party won a landslide victory with 403 seats, while Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party won just 109 in the 650-member House of Commons. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Thursday met Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. The talks revolved around border disputes between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the region of Ladakh. Jaishankar said that India and China faced common challenges in developing stable and predictable India-China relations that serve the interests of both sides and will benefit the region and the world. Jaishankar said on X, "Met with CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi in Astana this morning. Discussed early resolution of remaining issues in border areas. Agreed to redouble efforts through diplomatic and military channels to that end. Respecting the LAC and ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential. The three mutuals - mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest - will guide our bilateral ties." He added that India hopes to work with China to constructively resolve specific differences and turn a new page in India-China relations as soon as possible. China will soon take over the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Jaishankar said that India supports China in performing its duties and is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral mechanisms. India will adhere to an independent foreign policy, uphold the concept of multilateralism, work for multipolar work and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Xu Feihong, the Chinese Ambassador to India, stated on X, "FM Wang Yi, during meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar @DrSJaishankar yesterday, called on China and India to follow the important common understandings reached between the leaders of the two countries, respect, understand, trust, and accommodate each other, and help each other succeed, exploring the right way for the two big neighbours to get along with each other. Both sides agreed to hold a new round of talks on the border issues at an early date." The two sides agreed to work for stability in the border areas and hold a new round of consultations on the border issue at an early date. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged for global solidarity amidst "difficult global conditions" while expressing gratitude for the warm reception from Kazakhstan and highlighting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's role as a crucial partner of the United Nations. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to embark on his visit to Moscow next week, is expected to discuss issues of regional and global importance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, comfirmed Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Friday. Responding to whether the two leaders are expected to discuss Ukraine and China, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra stressed that he cannot pre-judge the two leaders' conversation, adding that the global issues will be discussed. Prime Minister Modi will pay an official visit to Moscow on July 8-9, at the invitation of the Russian President Putin for the 22nd annual summit. The two leaders will review the entire range of multifaceted ties between India and Russia. "This is going to be the 22nd annual summit. In all the past summits, whenever the prime minister has met with the Russian president in the past and also even in sideline meetings, for example...the meeting in Samarkand in 2022. The issues of regional and global importance for both countries are always taken up by the two leaders, " Kwatra said during a special briefing on Friday. Kwatra further said that it would not be correct for him to prejudge the discussions between the two leaders. "I think it would not be correct for me to really prejudge the entire spectrum of issues that would figure in the discussion between the honorable prime minister and the Russian president, the same would apply to the second part of your question," he said. "You are well aware of what the honorable prime minister spoke when he referred to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine at that time with the Russian president. So we are all aware of that and those issues in terms of how they impact the countries of the global south, how they have a bearing on the peace instability in the larger region, and how they also interface with some elements of bilateral engagement would naturally be would expect it to figure in the discussion," Kwatra added. Moreover, the foreign secretary said that there is a possibility that the two leaders will discuss the developments in the Indo-Pacific as it is significant to both India and Russia. "The developments in the Indo-Pacific have a spectrum of opportunities and a spectrum of challenges, and given that they are of significance to both India and Russia, it is possible that they might also figure in the agenda," he said, adding, "But again, as I said, it's not correct for me to prejudge what the two leaders would speak about, except to say that issues of regional and global importance would constitute an important element of the conversations that the two would have." On Indians stranded in Russia, who were allegedly duped into fighting for the Russian Army in the war against Ukraine, Kwatra restated that around 10 Indian citizens have been brought back to India, adding that they expect PM Modi to raise the issue. "We are looking into this matter very seriously. Around 10 Indian citizens have been brought back till now to India. We expect PM Modi to raise this issue," Kwatra said. Notably, around 20 persons were allegedly duped into fighting for the Russian Army in the war against Ukraine on the pretext of lucrative jobs. At least two Indians have died. The MEA confirmed in April that among the Indian nationals who were working as support staff in the Russian Army, 10 have returned to India. (ANI)
The World Uyghur Congress (WUC), an Uyghur rights organisation based in Munich, Germany in a statement released on Friday, condemned the Chinese authorities for the atrocities they inflicted upon the Uyghur community of east Turkistan. The WUC slammed Beijing and stated that the country must take responsibility for atrocities in the East Turkestan/Xinjiang region, and compensate the victims for the losses they had suffered. https://x.com/UyghurCongress/status/1809163838081716618 The statement by the WUC came on the 15th anniversary of the Urumchi massacre commonly known as the Urumqi massacre. The statement WUC quoted the accounts of the consultant for genocide prevention at the Society for Threatened People (STP) who said "Over the past 15 years, the human rights situation of the Uyghurs has steadily deteriorated. Official statements by the regime on the Urumqi massacre are merely a distortion of the truth and a cover-up of human rights violations in the region. At the same time, the regime continues to maintain the narrative of Uyghurs as terrorists and extremists. The suffering of the Uyghurs is to be made invisible". According to historical records, "On July 5, 2009, hundreds of Uyghurs protested in Urumqi, the capital of East Turkestan/Xinjiang. The trigger was the murder of Uyghur factory workers in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. At least 200 people were killed in the brutal suppression of the peaceful protests. The cruel massacre 15 years ago was the beginning of permanent violence against Uyghurs, which has led to massive human rights violations and systematic repression". "For Uyghurs, July 5 is a day of mourning. The families of the victims and the survivors have a right to have the events dealt with and to receive appropriate compensation. We demand that those responsible for the Urumqi massacre be held accountable. In Urumqi, Uyghurs peacefully made their demands in 2009. Instead of dealing with the policy of oppression and exclusion, the Chinese government is continuing its brutal policy and has been committing genocide against the Uyghurs with its internment policy since 2017" said Kuerban Gheyyur, head of the Berlin WUC office. Additionally, the same WUC statement claimed that thousands of Uyghurs are still in the internment camps and have officially been labelled as prisoners and many inmates have been sentenced to life imprisonment or forced to do forced labour. The WUC along with its sister human rights organisations urged that an immediate and independent investigation over the perpetrators be launched for the Urumchi massacre and the culprits must be punished. People who have been arrested and put in internment camps must be released. (ANI)
A renowned Uyghur human rights activist has lambasted China for its poor human rights record and its international policies of economic exploitation, especially in Africa. Speaking exclusively on the 15th anniversary of the 2009 Urumqi massacre, the President of the World Uyghur Congress, Dolkun Isa emphasized that July 5 is the darkest day in the history of the Uyghur struggle as 15 years ago the genocide of the Uyghurs was started by China. "Today is the 15th anniversary of the 2009 Urumqi massacre. Thousands of Uyghur youths were demonstrating to seek justice, but China killed more than 1,000 of them, and many disappeared. Today, 15 years later, there is still no news of those who disappeared. The 5th of July is the darkest day in the history of the Uyghur struggle. Fifteen years ago, the genocide of the Uyghurs was started by China," Dolkun Isa said. He further called on the international community to take action and stop this ongoing genocide. "Today, I call on the international community: millions of people are suffering in concentration camps. The countries that have signed the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide have a legal obligation to stop the Uyghur genocide and the ongoing crimes against humanity. Unfortunately, we have seen many countries remain silent, so it is time for all human beings and all countries to take action and stop this ongoing genocide," he added. Dolkun, currently participating in the 56th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, expressed his dissatisfaction with China's rejection of numerous UN recommendations during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Dolkun Isa said, "China rejected many recommendations. On January 24 of this year, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on China took place at the UN Human Rights Council. At least six months have passed, and today China has rejected many recommendations, adopting only some of them." In an interview, he mentioned the issues faced by the Uyghurs. "The most serious issues, such as arbitrary detention, crimes against humanity, enforced disappearance, and the arrest of journalists and human rights defenders, were all crucial recommendations that were rejected by the Chinese government", Dolkun said in an interview. He added, "I cannot expect more because the Chinese Communist Party has a history of denying such facts. China has never accepted real recommendations like those regarding forced labour and slavery work. This was expected, as China has never accepted real recommendations in the past." Dolkun also reacted to the recent decision by the European Union to raise tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to protect the bloc's motor industry. "China exports many electric cars, which is an important issue in Europe as it is completely destroying European businesses and the car industry," said Dolkun, adding that these cars are produced using forced labour, with millions of Uyghurs being exploited. He added, "People say electric cars represent clean energy, but this is not true since 47 percent of batteries come from Uyghur forced labour. So, it is not clean energy; it is black energy. The Chinese government produces cheap cars because of forced labour, which includes Uyghurs and others." The Uyghur human rights activist also raised serious concerns over China's growing funding, projects, and launch of businesses on the African continent. He said, "China is expanding its businesses in Africa. I believe some African nations have already realized the kind of trap that comes with the so-called benefits to the African people. China never helps other people or countries without ulterior motives. There is always something behind Chinese financial help or projects." He added, "Take the example of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor), an over $60 billion project that has not given any benefit to the Sindhis, Baloch, or even other Pakistani people. It only benefits the Chinese government. The same thing is happening today in Africa. I believe that soon, African people and their governments will realize China's trap--the exploitation of African industry and African people." Dolkun said that when anyone highlights issues in China, it claims it's an internal matter, but it continues to interfere in others' matters. He said, "When some other country criticizes China or offers any suggestions, China claims it is an internal problem. However, China very strongly interferes in other countries' internal policies. Today, we have seen China interfering in Ukraine and the Middle East." He added, "I suggest that the Tibet issue, the Hong Kong issue, and the East Turkistan issue are not China's internal problems; they are all occupied countries. These are international issues. Genocide is an international issue. Human rights are universal and not an internal issue, but China always calls these its internal issues." Dolkun Isa also emphasized the urgency of international action to halt the ongoing atrocities against the Uyghur population and called for solidarity in holding China accountable for its violations of international law. (ANI)
Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers a speech while attending the opening ceremony of the 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, east China, July 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday said the development of artificial intelligence (AI) urgently requires in-depth discussions and consensus-building among countries, as well as collaborative efforts to seize opportunities and overcome challenges.

While addressing the opening ceremony of the 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, Li said in recent years, new AI technologies have been continuously breaking through, new business models have been emerging, and new applications have been rapidly expanding, all of which have become an important driving force behind a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. At the same time, it also faces a series of new challenges in areas such as law, security, employment and moral ethics.

Li noted that China has always actively embraced the intelligent revolution, vigorously promoted the innovation and development of AI, attached great importance to the security and governance of AI, and implemented a series of practical measures.

China launched the Global AI Governance Initiative and proposed a resolution at the 78th UN General Assembly to enhance international cooperation on AI capacity building, which was unanimously adopted. China has made positive explorations and contributed constructive ideas and solutions to the global development and governance of AI, said Li.

Li said China is willing to work with other countries to make the AI better serve global development and enhance human well-being.

He put forward three suggestions -- to deepen innovation cooperation and unleash the dividend of intelligence; to promote inclusive development and bridge the digital divide; and to strengthen collaborative governance and ensure the benevolence of intelligence.

About 1,000 foreign guests, representatives from international organizations, industries, universities and research institutes attended the opening ceremony.

The Shanghai Declaration on Global AI Governance was issued at the conference.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang tours the venue of the 2024 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance with foreign guests and representatives from international organizations after the opening ceremony of the events in Shanghai, east China, July 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
As many as three people were killed and seven others sustained injuries after a deadly blast from a remote-controlled explosive device occurred in Mardan, Pakistan, damaging a police van and a rickshaw, Dawn reported. The incident occurred when a remote-controlled explosive device planted on the Jalala bridge in Takhtbhai was detonated. Among the casualties were two injured police officers, highlighting once again the persistent threat of terrorism in the region. The escalation of explosions and security incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following Kabul's fall has raised serious concerns, as per Dawn. A recent report by Pakistan's Centre for Research and Security Studies has highlighted the impact of violence in the country during the second quarter of 2024. The report reveals that Pakistan experienced 380 deaths and 220 injuries from 240 incidents, encompassing both terrorist attacks and counter-terror operations. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan emerged as the epicentres of violence, accounting for 92 per cent of fatalities and 87 per cent of attacks during this period. The report further indicates that Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw increases in violence, with fatalities rising by 13 per cent and 31 per cent respectively. Civilian casualties constituted 62 per cent of the total fatalities, with incidents targeting ethnic groups in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, alongside sectarian violence. Security personnel, including police and military officials, were also frequent targets. The findings underscore the multifaceted security challenges across different regions of Pakistan during the specified timeframe. Pakistan's historical use of terror groups as proxies to advance strategic interests, particularly in its rivalry with India and involvement in Afghanistan, has exacerbated internal instability. This strategy dates back to the 1980s Soviet-Afghan War, when Pakistan supported mujahideen fighters against the Soviet Union. In the context of Kashmir, Pakistan has provided financial and logistical support to terrorist groups operating in the region, which have targeted Indian security forces and civilians. However, these once-supported terror groups have now turned against the state, resulting in widespread violence, attacks on civilians and security forces, and a challenging security landscape. The presence of such groups on Pakistani soil has compromised state sovereignty, especially in tribal and border areas with Afghanistan, which have occasionally become safe havens for terrorists, posing threats to both Pakistan and regional stability. The ramifications of terrorism extend beyond security concerns, adversely impacting Pakistan's economy. The country has experienced reduced foreign investment, decreased tourism, and diverted resources that could have otherwise been allocated to development towards security and counter-terrorism efforts. (ANI)
In a poignant display of remembrance and defiance, Uyghur Muslims gathered outside the United Nations headquarters in Geneva to mark the 15th anniversary of the 2009 Urumchi Massacre on Friday. Organised by global Uyghur diaspora communities including the World Uyghur Congress and Campaign for Uyghurs, this solemn occasion served as a stark reminder of unresolved grievances and ongoing human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang province, also known as East Turkistan. On July 5, 2009, thousands of Uyghurs in Urumchi protested against the Chinese government's handling of the Shaoguan incident, where Uyghur lives were lost in clashes with Chinese factory workers. Today, protesters held aloft images of missing loved ones, demanding accountability and urging the UN to intervene on behalf of over 1 million Uyghurs reportedly detained in internment camps. The exact number of those missing remains uncertain, adding urgency to calls for global action. The demonstration underscored widespread international concern over China's policies in Xinjiang, which human rights groups describe as systematic repression and cultural erasure. Abdul Hakim Idris, executive director of the Centre for Uyghur Studies in Washington, D.C., who participated in the protest, stated, "Today, we remember the massacre of July 5, 2009, in Urumqi, the capital city. This marked the beginning of the current genocide. At that time, the Chinese government killed hundreds of people and manipulated the situation, turning it into a clash between Han Chinese and Uyghurs." He continued, "Xi Jinping's initial war on terror evolved into a war on Uyghurs. Xi Jinping declared this campaign in 2014 in Kashgar city, resulting in millions of people now held in concentration camps." "Hundreds of Uyghurs were forcibly transported to prisons across China. Many children were separated from their families, and girls were coerced into marriages with Han Chinese. Uyghur women faced rape, group rape, and torture. The Chinese government burned the Quran, and as a state, they systematically destroyed mosques and banned the Uyghur language since September 2017," Abdul Hakim Idris alleged. Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director of the World Uyghur Congress, emphasised, "Human Rights Watch documented and reported that around 40,000 Uyghurs have disappeared. Yet, the Chinese government has not been held accountable by the international community." Zumretay Arkin, Director of Global Advocacy at the World Uyghur Congress, stated, "Since 2017, the Chinese government has been conducting a genocide against my people, the Uyghur people, and the Turkic people of East Turkistan. Over 3 million Uyghurs and Turkic people have been detained in internment camps, where they face torture, abuse, malnutrition, sexual harassment, and other atrocities. Mass surveillance is pervasive, even in the diaspora community, leaving Uyghurs feeling unsafe both inside and outside the UN in Geneva." She added, "This repression is not limited to Uyghurs alone; Tibetans have faced similar suppression of language, culture, and religion for decades. Taiwanese and Hong Kong activists also endure severe crackdowns on their freedoms of expression and religion." As voices of dissent grow louder, the plight of the Uyghurs continues to draw global attention, amplifying calls for justice and an end to what many term a humanitarian crisis. (ANI)
Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) slammed China for rejecting recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at UNHRC's 56th session intended to address the severe human rights issues of the country. China ignored calls to implement UN findings and dismissed all serious criticism of its human rights record, refusing to budge on the documented plight of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers, human rights activists. During the 26th meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council's (UNHRC) 56th session, held in Geneva on Thursday the Chinese diplomats refused to adopt several major recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) intended to address the severe human rights issues of the country. https://x.com/ishrglobal/status/1808902605730451596?s=46&t=nbusnwoIYo9hUrDuoWfhwQ Responding to the dismissal of the UPR recommendations, in a joint statement on behalf of 29 NGOs delivered at the Human Rights Council after China's remarks, International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) urged China to 'genuinely engage with the UN to enact meaningful reforms' in line with the recommendations from the UN's Xinjiang report, UN Treaty Bodies and UN Special Rapporteurs. An ISHR statement mentioned that Beijing's dismissal of recommendations echoing UN findings, seeking access to the whole territory for UN experts, and its acts of intimidation against civil society trying to join the review removed any doubt about its lack of goodwill. The joint statement also stated, "In the absence of genuine efforts from Beijing to engage, it is equally imperative that the Human Rights Council establish a monitoring and reporting mechanism on China, as repeatedly called for by over 40 UN experts since 2020." According to the statement, the Chinese representative countered the serious concerns and criticism from the United States and the United Kingdom, as they called on Beijing to take urgent measures to end the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities in the country's Uyghur region, and to end reprisals against activists and lawyers seeking to enforce human rights covenants. Several countries, like Russia and Venezuela, supported China, stating that, Beijing met its human rights obligations and discarded documented abuses as ideologically motivated. The statement also mentioned, "We regret that China dismissed 30 per cent of recommendations received--unsurprisingly related to the plight of Uyghurs, Tibetans, people of Hong Kong, feminists and LGBT activists, human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists--an increase from 18 per cent from five years ago. This shows a blatant disregard for human rights principles. The claim that some are 'already implemented' is deceitful, in light of damning UN findings". "Beijing scrapped calls for unrestricted access to the country for UN experts; if no abuses are being committed, then why not accept the 15 pending visit requests from UN experts?" the ISHR questioned. UK also called on Chinese authorities to end the persecution of minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet and for all individuals persecuted under Hong Kong's National Security Law. United States representatives called for the release of all those facing arbitrary detention, citing the findings of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and also urging Beijing to end its practice of pursuing dissent even outside its own borders and engaging in transnational repression. (ANI)
The Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) in Nepal, another ally of the government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda has deserted him ahead of the vote of confidence scheduled for next week. The Ashok Rai-led Janata Samajbadi Party on Friday evening informed the Prime Minister of the withdrawal of the support and two ministers on board the cabinet also tendered resignation. "We would like to inform you (prime minister) that the support given to the government formed under your leadership has been withdrawn with effect from today as per the decision of the party meeting held on Friday," said Rai in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Dahal, who is also parliamentary party leader of the JSP. Following the submission of the letter to the Prime Minister, Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Yadav, Minister for Forest and Environment Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi, and State Minister for Health Hasina Khan of the party also tendered their resignations. The newly formed JSP has seven members in the House of Representatives. With major allies already gone, the minority government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal who is set to face the vote of confidence on July 12 now has a total of 62 votes in his favor. The Maoist Center which Dahal himself leads has 32, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has 20 and the CPN-Unified Socialist has 10 seats. Earlier on Wednesday (July 3), the key ally of the government- CPN-UML (Unified Marxist Leninist) had walked out of government forging an alliance with Nepali Congress. Dahal on March 4 had dumped Nepali Congress to form a government in support of the CPN-UML. The Rastriya Swatantra Party embroiled in conflict and controversy has decided to continue over the government followed by CPN-US, the splinter party from the CPN-UML. Meanwhile, Dahal has decided to seek a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives on July 12. The prime minister sent a letter to the Parliament Secretariat asking the latter to make arrangements for the vote. (ANI)
Nepal's embattled Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is scheduled to seek a vote of confidence on July 12, his secretariat officials stated on Friday. The latest round of votes of confidence from the Prime Minister, possibly the highest on record, comes after a change in the coalition. The Prime Minister has sent a letter to the Parliament Secretariat to make preparations for the vote of confidence, which he opted for after his coalition partner, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), deserted him and walked out of government earlier this week. "Prime Minister has decided to take the vote of confidence on July 12, 2024 (28 Ashar, 2081 BS). The Parliament Secretariat has been informed about it. It comes in line with the decision that was made on Thursday evening by the cabinet," Govinda Acharya, Press Advisor to the Prime Minister, confirmed over the phone to ANI. In the letter, the Prime Minister stated that his move comes in line with Article 100 (2) of the Constitution, which states, "If the political party which the prime minister represents is divided or a political party in coalition government withdraws its support, the prime minister shall table a motion in the House of Representatives for a vote of confidence within thirty days." Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is now leading a minority government after his major ally, CPN-UML, formally walked out of the government on July 3. Past midnight on July 2, the UML had allied with the Nepali Congress, changing the political course of the Himalayan nation. All eight ministers from the UML had tendered their resignations to the Prime Minister after a change in the political course of the Himalayan nation. In the 275-member house, the Nepali Congress has the highest number of seats (88), the CPN-UML has 79 seats, the RSP has 20 seats and the Maoist Center led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has 32 seats. Taking advantage of the hung parliament, Dahal has been switching sides for months, garnering support from either the Nepali Congress or the CPN-UML. With the latest round of political change, the Maoist Center will be sitting in opposition for the first time within a decade. With the formal withdrawal of CPN-UML from the government, Dahal was mandated to take a vote of confidence within 30 days, as per the provision stated in Clause 76 of the Constitution of Nepal. In less than 20 months in power, PM Dahal has already faced 4 votes of confidence. In the first round of votes of confidence after the commencement of the general elections in November 2022, Dahal secured a whopping 99 per cent of the votes. At that time, Dahal set a record by garnering 268 votes out of the 270 existing lawmakers present in the meeting that day. Back then, Dahal was able to get the whopping majority only because the Nepali Congress, whom Dahal on December end, 2022 had bigoted to become the next Prime Minister stood on his side. Within 3 months, Dahal dumped CPN-UML to walk out of government again, aligning with the Nepali Congress, and managed to secure a majority in the vote of confidence on March 20. 2023. In the second round of votes of confidence, Dahal got 172 votes out of 262 lawmakers present at the time of voting. Only 89 votes came in against Dahal, while one member abstained from voting. On March 13, this year, Dahal took his third vote of confidence, where he received a total of 157 votes in favour. On May 20, Dahal took the vote of confidence amid obstruction by the opposition, where he got 157 votes, which was denounced by the opposition political parties. The vote of confidence was conducted amidst vocal dissent from key opposition parties, such as the Nepali Congress, Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, and Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal. The constitution has mandated a prime minister to cross the mark of 138 votes to regain post and control in the government. Dahal was appointed as the Prime Minister by then President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on December 25, 2022, after he showed the support of 169 lawmakers. As per the constitutional provision, a prime minister appointed under Article 76(2) needs to secure a vote of confidence from the parliament within 30 days of the appointment. (ANI)
The sit-in organised in front of the Quetta Press Club to demand the safe return of forcibly abducted Zaheer Baloch entered its third day on Thursday, The Balochistan Post (TBP), a local news source from Balochistan reported. The victim's family demonstrated at the Sariab area of Quetta by blocking the road. However, the protest has now gained significant attention through the participation of several Baloch rights organisations. Leader of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) Agha Zubair Shah and other PTM members visited the protest location. Shah among these leaders was arrested a few days ago and was released on Wednesday night. According to The Balochistan Post report Zaheer was abducted from Quetta by the Pakistani forces. At a press conference held in Quetta last Friday, Zaheer's wife pleaded for his immediate and safe recovery. She also issued a warning to hold large-scale demonstrations in support of missing people in Balochistan alongside the regional organisations. Previously, a demonstration calling for Zaheer's safe release was staged in Quetta. Leading the demonstration was well-known Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). The demonstrations also witnessed the participation of Quetta locals, kin of those who have gone missing. The Balochistan Post report claimed that the negotiations between Zaheer's family and the local administration had failed, which as a result triggered a continuous sit-in protest from the kin of the missing individuals. The demonstrators have also demanded that Zaheer Ahmed be brought before the court and an FIR must be filed against the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for his forced disappearance. Zaheer Baloch's wife, speaking to the media on Thursday, said her husband has been missing since June 27 and that they have been protesting for the past three days with no response from the authorities, the TBP report claimed. (ANI)
The EAS Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation is a signature event organized by India in cooperation with partners as a commitment to strengthen the ASEAN-led EAS mechanism as well as to support the implementation of the EAS Plan of Action 2024-2028.

"The Sixth East Asia Summit (EAS) Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation was held in Mumbai on July 4-5," the MEA said in a statement.

The ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) at Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) collaborated as knowledge partners for the conference.

Ministry of External Affairs, Secretary (East), Jaideep Mazumdar delivered the keynote address underlining the importance of dialogue and cooperation for promoting peace, stability, and economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, especially through maritime security cooperation.

Moreover, over sixty participants, including government officials and experts from think tanks and academia from EAS Participating Countries, attended the conference.

The participants deliberated on a wide range of issues related to efforts towards securing the maritime environment in line with the open, inclusive, transparent, and outward-looking character of the EAS under six thematic sessions, the MEA stated.

The six sessions included the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), Regional Maritime Domain Awareness, Combating illicit maritime activity, anti-piracy and IUU fishing, Maritime Connectivity, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Search and Rescue (SAR). (ANI)
Of the 36 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 35 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern, southwestern, and southeastern portions of the country's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND, Taiwan News reported.

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity.

So far this month, the MND has tracked Chinese military aircraft 101 times and naval ships 26 times. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating around Taiwan, Taiwan News reported.

Gray zone tactics are defined as "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force."

After China issued new legal guidelines that threatened Taiwan's autonomy, the authorities once again attempted to threaten the existence of Taiwan.

According to the latest judicial guidelines imposed by China, the crimes of secession committed by Taiwanese separatists are punishable under Chinese law.

The guidelines authorise the use of trials in absentia and even the death penalty for anyone asserting Taiwan's independence, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported.

The move came when China could be noticed aggressively pushing its expansionist policies in Taiwan, even when it has no jurisdiction over Taiwan, and the People of China since its founding in 1949 has never ruled Taiwan.

While commenting on the questioned Chinese guidelines, the Human Rights Watch report said, "The guidelines regarding Taiwanese separatists are stark reminders that the Chinese government routinely threatens Taiwan and its 23 million inhabitants and has expanded its aggressive efforts to stifle their basic freedoms." (ANI)
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken up a petition filed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, alleging interference by the (ISI) in the administration of Adiala Jail, Dawn reported. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq presided over the preliminary hearing and directed the superintendent of Adiala Jail, the Punjab home secretary, and the secretary of defence to submit their replies. The hearing has been adjourned until the next week. In the petition filed through his counsel Shoaib Shaheen, Khan asserts that a major and a colonel from ISI exert significant control over Adiala Jail. He claims that despite clear orders from the IHC, the jail's superintendent has obstructed his consultations with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership and lawyers, as reported by Dawn. Referring to a recent IHC decision citing Rule 265 of the jail manual, the petition underscores Khan's entitlement to communication rights, including writing letters and holding interviews twice weekly. It emphasises that these rights are crucial not only for Khan as a political figure but also as a matter of upholding legal standards. "It is clarified that this order is passed to remind, reiterate and preserve the values and traditions of our legal system and it has little to do with the identity of the petitioner alone," the petition stated. "These values and traditions must apply across the board irrespective of who the petitioner is, but, it goes without saying, they acquire greater prominence when the prisoner in question happens to be not only a political leader with substantial following but also the erstwhile holder of the highest executive office of the nation," it said. It added that the IHC has time and again directed the superintendent of Adiala Jail to "revise the standard operating procedures that two days in a week are insufficient for a meeting purpose". The petition pointed out that the Supreme Court while hearing the appeal against amendments to National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) laws has proposed holding dialogues and admitted the fact that the PTI and the petitioner, having greater support in the public, are required to perform their significant role in reducing miseries of the public at large. However, the also petition said, "this whole process has been dealt with by a colonel and a major of ISI who create interference and indulgence in the civil administration due to having mala fide intention against the petitioner and due to their interference the petitioner is unable to consult with party leadership and his fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, are not protected," Dawn reported. (ANI)
As the 14th Dalai Lama approaches his 89th birthday, Tibetans and followers from around the world are gathering in Dharamshala to celebrate the occasion with fervour and joy. Located in the serene hills of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala is not just a geographical location but a spiritual and cultural hub for Tibetan Buddhism, serving as the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile and a sanctuary for Tibetan refugees since the Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959. Preparations for the birthday festivities are in full swing, with an official function scheduled to take place at the main Tibetan temple, Tsuglagkhang, nestled in the heart of Dharamshala. The temple, a symbolic centre of Tibetan spiritual life, will host prayers and ceremonies dedicated to the well-being and long life of the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama, renowned globally for his teachings on compassion and peace, is currently recuperating following a successful knee surgery in the United States. Despite his absence, the celebrations are set to be vibrant and reflective of his profound impact on millions of lives worldwide. "Buddhist monks have been offering prayers for his well-being," noted a resident, emphasising the spiritual significance of the occasion. Followers from diverse backgrounds, including Tibetans and international devotees, are converging in Dharamshala, eager to participate in the festivities and express their deep reverence for the Dalai Lama. Reflecting on the anticipation of the celebrations, Vel Rei, a French follower, expressed heartfelt sentiments, "This evening we are preparing for His Holiness's birthday tomorrow. His holiness is in the USA for knee treatment, and now he is taking time for recovery. We are preparing for birthday celebrations with prayers for his 89th birthday, hoping for many more such celebrations in the future." The Dalai Lama was discharged from the hospital on June 29 after undergoing a successful knee surgery in the United States. (ANI)
This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 3, 2024 shows Shenzhou-18 taikonaut Li Cong performing extravehicular activities. [Photo/Xinhua]

Photos of Shenzhou-18 crew member Li Cong wearing a white spacesuit while performing a spacewalk on Wednesday have attracted wide media coverage. Although extravehicular activities (EVAs) have become routine for Chinese space station taikonauts over the past three years, it is still an exhilarating experience for readers to see the young space flyer against the magnificent backdrop of Earth.

The recent spacewalk is Li's first, and it also marks the 16th at the Chinese space station since the first crew entered the enormous orbiting spacecraft Tiangong in 2021. According to data released by the China Manned Space Agency on Thursday, a total of 17 space station taikonauts have conducted spacewalks so far.

Here's a look at some records about the spacewalks during the seven crew missions in the past three years.

Screen image taken at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 4, 2021 shows taikonaut Liu Boming slipping out of the space station core module Tianhe. [Photo/Xinhua]

The first space station spacewalk, which lasted about seven hours, was conducted by the Shenzhou-12 taikonauts Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo on July 4, 2021. Before constructing the Tiangong space station, China had conducted only one spacewalk during the three-day Shenzhou-7 spaceflight in 2008.

The Shenzhou-13 crew, like its predecessors, also conducted two spacewalks during its six-month journey in orbit. But it made history by including the first female Chinese spacewalker Wang Yaping. The taikonaut with a ponytail and soft-spoken voice is also known as the "space teacher" after giving a live video lecture to students during her first space mission in 2013.

Screen image taken at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 8, 2021 shows taikonaut Wang Yaping (R) completing extravehicular activities. [Photo/Xinhua]

Dubbed "the busiest space crew" by Chinese netizens, the Shenzhou-14 completed three spacewalks. Their first one was particularly remarkable as they became the first crew to exit from the Wentian lab module instead of the core module, as previous crews did. Additionally, just 16 days later, they made their second spacewalk, setting a record for the shortest duration between two EVAs.

The Shenzhou-15 crew performed four spacewalks in their six-month mission since the all-men trio was launched into space in November 2022, setting a domestic record for the most spacewalks by a single crew.

Compared to previous crews, the Shenzhou-16 comprised a diverse trio of male taikonauts from different career backgrounds, including an aircraft pilot, a flight engineer and a payload specialist. During its five-month stay in space, the crew only performed one EVA, during which the crew commander, Jing Haipeng, also a four-time space flyer, finally realized his dream of conducting a spacewalk.

The Shenzhou-17 crew conducted two EVAs, with the second marking a milestone as it was the first time Chinese spacewalkers completed maintenance tasks.

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on March 2, 2024 shows Shenzhou-17 taikonaut Tang Hongbo performing extravehicular activities. [Photo/Xinhua]

The longest spacewalk was conducted by the Shenzhou-18 crew, who was launched to Tiangong in late April. Commander Ye Guangfu and crew member Li Guangsu spent about 8.5 hours working outside the space station on May 28, longer than any previous Chinese spacewalk.

According to the Chinese space agency, the Shenzhou-18 trio has completed one-third of their six-month space journey and is scheduled to carry out a large number of in-orbit scientific experiments and technological tests.

The youngest-ever crew for the orbiting Chinese space station may have the opportunity to conduct additional spacewalks, achieving even more remarkable milestones in history.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is building a fleet capable of operations on the high seas.

Its new missile corvettes are the most heavily armed combatant ships in its fleet.

It also converted a container carrier into a mothership for drones and special forces.

In the last three years, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has commissioned hundreds of new vessels. Most are newer variants of the missile, rocket, and heavy machine-gun-clad speedboats that have long formed the backbone of the IRGCN's fleet, but beginning in 2022, the IRGCN began commissioning new classes of warships capable of operating on the high seas.

The vessels, four newly designed missile-armed catamaran corvettes and a container ship converted into an expeditionary sea base, bring new capabilities to the hardline force known for carrying out dangerous missions like attaching mines to ship hulls and hijacking merchant ships, giving Iran options to keep adversaries with advanced navies and air forces like Saudi Arabia and the US off-balance.

The largest ships ever to be commissioned into its service, the vessels enable the IRGCN to operate major surface combatants with long-range anti-ship and anti-air weapons, and also helps the historically littoral force to pursue a new mission only recently given to it: to project power into the high seas via expeditionary operations.

With a fourth catamaran missile corvette on the way and another container ship being converted into a drone carrier, the IRGCN's future fleet is gaining the larger ships and firepower needed to confront its adversaries beyond the Persian Gulf.

The Shahid Hassan Bagheri is one of three new Soleimani-class missile corvettes that are the most heavily armed warships in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy's fleet. Morteza Nikoubazl/Getty Images

Catamaran missile corvettes

Founded in 1985, the IRGCN is the naval branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a paramilitary organization that operates as the ideological steward of Iran's revolution separate from the national military and which answers directly to Tehran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Numbering around 25,000 personnel, in 2007, the IRGCN was tasked with the security of the Persian Gulf, while Iran's national navy was given responsibility for the waters of the inland Caspian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and beyond. Responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth that dog-legs into the Persian Gulf, is shared between the two forces.

Since its inception, the IRGCN has employed an asymmetric doctrine that utilizes swarm and guerilla tactics with an emphasis on numbers, speed, mobility, and geographical advantages. They are known for provocative tactics that harass and threaten US Navy warships and civilian merchant vessels.

Operating in conjunction with Iran's land-based missiles and aircraft, the IRGCN can mount rapid sea assaults that exploit the islands and contours of Iran's coast. They rely extensively on hundreds of smaller vessels, namely fast attack craft (FAC) and fast inshore attack craft (FAIC) like those of the Tondar and Peykaap-classes which are armed with heavy machine guns, rockets, anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes to swarm enemy warships that may also be under attack from loitering munitions.

On September 5, 2022, the IRGCN diverged from its usual procurement practices when it commissioned the Shahid Soleimani, the lead ship of a new class of corvettes named after the leader of the IRGC's elite Quds Force who was killed in a US drone strike in 2020. At 213 feet long, 47 feet wide, and displacing an estimated 600 tons, it is one of the largest surface combatants the IRGCN has ever adopted.

The class utilizes a unique twin-hulled catamaran design. The design offers increased speed and stability at the expense of volume to carry more fuel or armaments. Though rare for frontline warships, some major navies do possess catamaran corvettes, including China, Russia, Taiwan, and Norway.

The IRGCN itself has been operating a single catamaran called the Shahid Nazeri since 2016. Despite being lightly armed, it has a record of harassing US vessels and civilian ships in the Persian Gulf.

But while Shahid Nazeri has few armaments, the Soleimani-class corvettes are the most heavily armed vessels in the IRGCN fleet, with an armament of 28 missiles, four 23mm Gatling guns (two in front of the bridge and two amidships), and one 30mm auto-cannon at the bow. Their formidable missile armaments are designed to threaten ships and aircraft.

Twenty-two of the missiles are stored in vertical launch systems (VLS), making the Soleimanis the first vessels in Iranian service with vertical launch capability. Believed to all house surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), they are arranged in two groups of eleven cells (eight small and three large) on the port and starboard sides just behind the bridge.

The six large cells are believed to house medium-range SAMs with a range of 92 miles each, while the sixteen small cells are believed to house short-range SAMs. Six box launchers amidships (three on each side) house anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs); likely four long-range ASCMs like the Ghadir or Noor, with ranges of 184 and 74 miles, respectively, and two short-range ASCMs like the Nasr, which has a range of 21 miles.

A helicopter deck is located just behind the box launchers and mast. Below it is a hangar reportedly large enough for three IRGCN FIACs; these fast inshore attack boats can be lowered into the water and picked up by an internal crane.

Made out of aluminum, Iranian officials have said that the ships have a range of 5,500 nautical miles. They have also said that the catamaran layout provides stability in rough seas and reduces the ships' radar cross-sections, making them harder to detect and track.

Three Soleimani-class corvettes, Shahid Soleimani, Shahid Hassan Bagheri, and Shahid Sayyad Shirazi, have been commissioned, while a fourth, Shahid Ra'is-Ali Delvari, is under construction. One month before the Hassan Bagheri and Sayyad Sirazi's commissioning last February, the IRGCN commissioned a new type of catamaran corvette, the Shahid Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

At 157 feet long, 39 feet wide, and displacing around 300 tons, it is smaller than the Shahid Soleimani-class and vastly different in appearance; it has no internal hangar capable of holding FAICs, no VLS cells, and the landing deck behind the bridge appears to be too small for helicopters, likely meaning it is intended for drones.

Its armament consists of 14 missiles; six ASCMs stored in box launchers at the stern and eight more ASCMs in two quad-tubed launchers on the port and starboard sides. It is also equipped with four 23mm Gatling guns and one 30mm auto-cannon.

Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of the IRGCN, described the Shahid Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis as an "invisible boat" because of its catamaran design, and said it had a range of 2,300 miles.

Iran's IRGC published a video today of launching a ballistic missile from their forward base Shahid Mahdavi (converted container ship). pic.twitter.com/400Y8DYPlr  Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) February 13, 2024

Converted container ships

Though the newest, the catamaran corvettes are not the first sea-faring vessels the IRGCN has operated. The service has unofficially operated the cargo ships MV Saviz and the MV Behshad which, although officially registered as civilian vessels, are used as forward base and command ships to coordinate support for Houthi rebels in Yemen and to gather intelligence. The IRGC smuggles weapons to the Houthis and train them on their use.

In 2020, the IRGCN commissioned its first official sea-going vessel, the Shahid Roudaki. A converted roll-on/roll-off ship, the Shahid Roudaki is capable of carrying FAICs, drones, and military vehicles, and has space for a helicopter on its deck. It is armed with four ASCM box launchers and is believed to play an intelligence-gathering and support role.

Roudaki was briefly the largest ship in the IRGCN fleet until March 2023, when the Guard commissioned the Shahid Mahdavi, a converted container ship formerly known as Sarvin.

At 787 feet long and 105 feet wide, Mahdavi's role is that of an expeditionary sea base and support/mothership. Equipped with a phased array radar and capable of carrying two helicopters, drones, loitering munitions like the Shahed-136, and FAICs, Mahdavi can also be used as a base from which IRGCN special forces can be inserted, and act as an intelligence-gathering vessel.

It is often compared to the US Navy's Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile bases, the lead ship of which has spent ample time in the Persian Gulf in view of Iranian forces.

Iran's navy has a similar vessel, the IRINS Makran, a forward base ship converted from an oil tanker. Commissioned in 2021, it has conducted multiple long-range voyages, including one that saw it circumnavigate the globe.

Mahdavi made international headlines in February when it launched two ballistic missiles from shipping containers placed on its deck as part of the Great Prophet 18 military exercise. Fired from the Gulf of Oman, the missiles were reported to have successfully hit mock targets in a desert in central Iran, demonstrating an at-sea launch capability for Iran's ballistic missiles.

The ship again made headlines in May when it sailed into the Southern Hemisphere, proving definitively that the IRGCN's reach now extends to the high seas.

Mahdavi will eventually be joined by another converted container ship, the Shahid Bagheri. Formerly known as the Perarin, the vessel has been undergoing conversion into a drone carrier for the IRGCN since 2021.

Measuring 787 feet long, the ship's width has been increased slightly with the addition of a cantilever deck on its port side. In 2023, a ski-jump ramp was fitted to the bow at an angle toward the starboard side in line with the cantilever deck, suggesting that wheeled drones will take off and land by avoiding the ship's towering superstructure that houses the bridge.

The makeup of Bagheri's future unmanned air wing remains a matter of speculation, and could include Shahed 171 and 191s (which are reverse-engineered Iranian copies of a captured American RQ-170 Sentinel), or Mohajer-6 and Shahed 129 drones, all of which can reportedly be used as reconnaissance and strike platforms.

The Bagheri's flight deck measures about 590 feet. The main recovery method for the drones will likely be an arrestor net or cable system of some type, though drones with short takeoff and landing ability may be able to conventionally land in calm seas.

Like the Mahdavi, Bagheri could also be used as a launch platform for loitering munitions like one-way attack drones. In addition, Rear Adm. Tangsiri has said that Bagheri will be able to store 30 FAICs below its deck.

The IRGCN's new warships come with a mandate to expand well beyond the speedboat-based operations that have characterized much of its operations in the Persian Gulf. Morteza Nikoubazl/Getty Images

An expanded mission

Altogether, the ships represent radical upgrades for the IRGCN  upgrades that the force has desperately wanted.

Though its asymmetric tactics and assets have successfully shot down an American drone, damaged and seized merchant ships, and taken American and British naval personnel prisoners, the last major combat engagement the IRGCN fought was a humiliating defeat for Iran, due in large part to hostile missile-equipped surface combatants and airpower.

Now sailing with large surface combatants armed with anti-air and anti-ship missiles, as well as new FIACs with better anti-ship and anti-air capabilities, the IRGCN poses a greater threat than it did in the 1980s.

"They know they are going on missions that require defense against aerial threats as well as surface threats, so they have to be prepared to defend against those threats by themselves," Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy told Insider.

But the IRGCN's new ships are not just intended for protecting the Persian Gulf  they are also for helping the IRGCN in its new mission: Projecting its power into the high seas.

Previously a mission reserved for Iran's national navy, this expansion of duty was ordered by Ayatollah Khamenei himself in 2020. Though no direct reason has been given for the change, Iranian officials often talk about how the ships will better secure Iran's maritime interests.

"In general, they have portrayed their new mission as protecting the safety and security of Iran's vital maritime routes," Nadimi said.

But it's more likely that the IRGCN needs high-seas capability to better support the IRGC's goal of furthering Iran's strategic interests. Iran is a rival to Israel and Saudi Arabia and arms groups across the region like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen.

While Iran's navy is involved in anti-piracy missions and international voyages to show its flag, it is the IRGC that is responsible for supporting Iran's proxy groups abroad. The Guard is also the frontline force for Iran's efforts in Syria.

In the event that its allies need supplies, the new catamaran corvettes "would be able to escort Iranian ships, tankers, or cargo ships that carry important cargoes," Nadimi said. The Mahdavi and Bagheri, converted container ships themselves, could even carry the cargo and deliver it directly.

And while the MV Saviz and MV Behshad have likely been unofficially aiding the Houthis, the fact that they are not officially Iranian military vessels exposes them to the possibility of being attacked in gray zone operations, as happened to Saviz in 2021, when a suspected Israeli limpet mine attack crippled it, causing it to be towed back to Iran.

The IRGCN's new ships, by contrast, are official vessels of the regime. "By law they are sovereign territory of Iran," Nadimi said. "They have the threat of serious escalation behind them if Israel directly attacks them."

The ships can also serve Iran's possible tactical goals as well. As a mobile sea-based ballistic missile launch platform with a long range, the Mahdavi poses a particularly potent threat. An IRGCN surface group made up of the Soleimanis, Madhavi, and Bagheri may even be able to pose a threat to US bombers based in Diego Garcia, an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

If tensions in the region continue to escalate into a direct conflict with Israel, these ships could pose a big enough threat that they could become high-priority targets for Israeli submarines operating in the Red and Arabian seas.

With Bagheri finishing construction and a fourth Soleimani-class catamaran being built, the IRGCN's fleet is only expected to get larger as it embraces its new high-seas mission.

"Our oceangoing warships can be present in every location across the world, and when we can fire missiles from them, there is accordingly no safe spot for anyone intending to create insecurity for us," Tangsiri said after the successful missile launches from Mahdavi.

Benjamin Brimelow is a freelance journalist covering international military and defense issues. He holds a master's degree in Global Affairs with a concentration in international security from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. His work has appeared in Business Insider and the Modern War Institute at West Point.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Cease-and-desist notices were sent to several New Mexico hotels after the New Mexico Department of Justice received nearly a dozen reports of price gouging as residents fled from the South Fork and Salt wildfires near Ruidoso, authorities said.

Smoke from the South Fork Fire casts an orange glow over a ranger station as it advances towards Cedar Creek in Ruidoso, New Mexico, U.S. June 17, 2024. REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal

The New Mexico Department of Justice sent cease-and-desist notices to several hotels in Roswell, New Mexico, justice officials said.

The Roswell hotels, according to authorities, are:

The Baymont by Wyndham

The Clarion Inn

Days Inn

Holiday Inn

Home2 Suites by Hilton

The La Quinta in Artesia, New Mexico also received a cease-and-desist notice, officials said.

"As New Mexico deals with its current wildfire season, we believe that businesses should maintain pricing integrity and adhere to laws that prevent charging excessive rates during times of emergency," IHG Hotels & Resorts, who brands include the Holiday Inn, said in a statement. "We are unaware of any involvement by the State of New Mexicos Department of Justice and would need to refer to the independently owned and operated Holiday Inn Roswell hotel for any comment. As always, our team will help to deliver the highest level of hospitality for emergency workers and those seeking relief and comfort at our hotels, especially during times of emergency."

Owners of the Holiday Inn in Roswell could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Clarion Inn is an "independently owned and operated franchised hotel," a Choice Hotels spokesperson said in an email. The spokesperson directed all questions to The Clarion Inn operators. The Clarion Inn operators could not immediately be reached for comment.

The operating companies of the other hotels  Wyndham Hotel and Resorts and Hilton Inc.  could not be immediately reached for comment.

A preliminary investigation allegedly showed that several hotels have "potentially engaged in unfair price-gouging, causing harm to those affected by recent wildfires," New Mexico Department of Justice officials said.

More: New Mexico AG warns businesses of price gouging, scamming victims of Ruidoso, NM wildfires

Several complaints alleged "hotel bookings are being canceled with little to no explanation," officials said. The hotels allegedly would then rebook the customer at a higher price. Other anonymous complaints received by the New Mexico Department of Justice include allegations of "blatant upcharging of hotel rooms due to the Ruidoso fires," officials said.

The notices request "immediate cessation from engaging in business practices that violate the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act that prohibits unconscionable business practices, such as exploiting consumers during an emergency," officials said.

Community members are urged to continue submitting any complaints of potential price gouging or other possible fraudulent behavior to the New Mexico Department of Justice.

More: 'He is irreplaceable': Ruidoso fire victim's family, friends mourn country musician's death

Complaints may be submitted online at nmdoj.gov/get-help by completing an online complaint form or by calling the New Mexico Department of Justice at 505-490-4060 and selecting option 3.

The South Fork wildfire has destroyed 17,569 acres and the Salt wildfire has destroyed 7,939 acres as of Wednesday, July 3, Southwest Area Incident Management Team officials said. The wildfires have resulted in the deaths of two people.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: NM officials investigating hotels for price gouging during wildfires
One death and plenty of damage in Jamaica. Hurricane Beryl weakens to Category 2

Cleanup began in Jamaica Thursday as the last vestiges of powerful Hurricane Beryl pulled away overnight, leaving roofless homes, flooded buildings, blocked roads and extensive power outages, as well as at least one confirmed death.

Beryl weakened to a Category 2 by midday after passing the Cayman Islands and was headed for its next landfall on the Yucatan peninsula Friday  likely as a Category 1 hurricane.

Its imminent Caribbean exit is welcome news for the many islands smacked by the history-making hurricane. At least seven of them are reeling in the eastern Caribbean, where Beryl first made landfall on Monday and leveled some small islands with 98% destruction.

Even the outermost bands of Beryl were enough to cause power outages and road closures in the Dominican Republic, but the harder hit was on Jamaicas southern coast, which got brushed by the northern eyewall of the at-the-time Category 4 hurricane.

Hurricane Beryl held onto its Category 2 status Thursday evening as it approached Mexico, where it is expected to hit as a Category 1 hurricane on Friday.

Jamaicans woke up Thursday to downed power lines in Portmore, trees blocking the highway in Manchester and in south St. Elizabeth: knee-high flood waters, wet furniture and ripped-off roofs. Around 400,000 customers were without electricity overnight Wednesday, the Jamaica Public Service Company told the Jamaica Gleaner.

Transport Minister Daryl Vaz confirmed that while the runway at Norman Manley International Airport was not impacted, the jet bridge roof for boarding and arrival was ripped off by the storm.

A plan will be prepared to show how the airport will operate while that area is being repaired, Vaz wrote on X.

Due to the damage, the airport will remain closed Thursday to allow for repairs. The proposed reopening is 5 a.m. Friday, Vaz said in a statement. The countrys Sangster International Airport and Ian Fleming International Airport are operational.

In Treasure Beach, a small fishing and agricultural community on the coast of southern Jamaica, residents said that there was widespread property damage.

Officials confirmed one death so far, a 26-year-old woman who died after a tree limb fell on her, Acting Director-General at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, Richard Thompson, told the Jamaica Observer.

A missing man was also washed away by floodwaters, Jamaican Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon told the Observer.

His status is unconfirmed. We grieve with the families affected, she told the outlet.

In Treasure Beach, a small fishing and agricultural community on the coast of southern Jamaica, residents said that there was widespread property damage.

In Treasure Beach, a small fishing and agricultural community on the coast of southern Jamaica, residents said that there was widespread property damage.

An initial assessment showed that roughly about one-third of homes had damaged or lost roofs, said Justine Henzell, whose family has lived in the area since the 1940s. But she stressed that the community was just beginning to evaluate the hurricanes aftermath and those numbers were preliminary. Above all, Henzell said she was grateful that there had been no loss of life or reports of injuries so far.

Were giving thanks that people are safe, she said.

Like a tsunami in Haiti

Beryl did not spare anyone in its path, not even Haiti. Though the hurricane didnt represent a direct threat to the environmentally vulnerable country, the head of the countrys Office of Civil Protection said agriculture and roads took a hit.

In the GrandAnse region, which is closest to Jamaica, the plantain fields were devastated, Emmanuel Pierre said during an interview Wednesday morning on Port-au-Prince Magik9 radio station.

This photo is from Haitis Office of Civil Protection. Its of coastal Bainet in southeast Haiti as Hurricane Beryl passed on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The hurricanes strong winds caused the tide to rise and brought seawater inland.

Pierre said in some coastal communities along the southern region, the sea came in hundreds of feet inland, as if it were a tsunami, bringing canoes and other debris in one case all the way into the center of a village. Houses by the sea were hit, he said.

Among the major damages registered so far, a road connecting the towns of Marigot and Anse-a-Pitres, which borders the Dominican Republic. The road has been cut off, preventing passage.

At least one person is reported missing, Pierre said. A fisherman who was out in Ile a Vache, an island off the coast of Les Cayes, during the storm has disappeared. In Les Cayemites, an island off the coast, the mayors office had to dispatch rescuers amid the winds and rains to rescue the occupants of a small boat from Port-au-Prince after they reported being in distress.

This photo is from Haitis Office of Civil Protection. Its of coastal Bainet in southeast Haiti as Hurricane Beryl passed on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The hurricanes strong winds caused the tide to rise and brought seawater inland.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement late Wednesday that the United Nations Secretary-General is deeply dismayed by the destruction wreaked by Hurricane Beryl and promised $4 million in aid from the Central Emergency Response Fund to kickstart humanitarian operations in Grenada, Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

READ MORE: Hurricane Beryl has devastated the Caribbean. Heres how you can help from Miami

Next stop: Mexico

As of the 8 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center, Beryl was packing 110 mph sustained winds and headed west-northwest at 20 mph. It was about 180 miles east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico.

Now a Category 2 hurricane, Beryl is expected to continue to weaken as it cruises toward a landfall in Mexico as a Category 1.

The latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center steers Beryl over the Yucatan and into the Gulf of Mexico, where its expected to re-strengthen a bit before making yet another landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near the border of Mexico and Texas.

Slow weakening is forecast before the center makes landfall,with rapid weakening expected while Beryl crosses the Yucatan Peninsula. Slow re-intensification is expected when Beryl moves over the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters said in the 8 p.m. discussion.
This is the start of a new weekly series bringing readers public safety information from around the Mid-South including updates on prominent court cases and details from inside law enforcement agencies. This column is being offered free for the first few weeks before it becomes available to subscribers only. If you'd like to subscribe now, you can do so by clicking here.

Nearly three years after being hired, the second-in-command at the Memphis Police Department's primary residence is not listed as being in Memphis or Shelby County. Nor is it in a surrounding county, or even in Tennessee, according to voting and property records.

As news about the assistant chief's residency broke, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a former Shelby County Health Department employee who oversaw the county's COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

In other court news, West Tennessee Legal Services is now taking clients in Memphis and Shelby County who cannot afford legal representation in civil matters. The nonprofit, which is based in Jackson, is also hiring Memphis-area attorneys to increase the number of cases it can take on.

Fired Shelby County COVID vaccine supervisor's appeal denied

The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against a former Shelby County Health Department vaccine supervisor's appeal in which she argued the county mayor violated her constitutional rights when he said she allowed thousands of COVID-19 vaccines to expire.

Dr. Judy Martin, who was the county's chief of nursing and head of immunizations for 18 years before resigning, sued Shelby County in February 2022 over a tweet posted by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. According to the lawsuit, Martin was "forced to resign or face termination" during a state investigation that found 2,400 vaccines went to waste.

Shelby County Chief of Nursing Judy Martin, center, speaks with staff as local first responders receive COVID-19 vaccines outside of the Shelby County Health Department building on Monday, Dec. 28, 2020.

"I learned that the information regarding the level of vaccine that expired in Shelby County was not accurate," he said in a post on Twitter, now known as X. "The state will announce findings and reforms, and we are absolutely supportive, as we have always been supportive of any effort, anywhere to get more shots in arms."

Martin sued in federal court, and the county was ultimately granted summary judgment to end the case. She appealed to the Sixth Circuit, asking for the summary judgment to be overturned.

According to the ruling from the Sixth Circuit, Martin "landed on her feet. After the tweet, she received multiple uplifting phone calls from others. She didn't receive any threats, angry phone calls, or personal attacks after the tweet. And, without applying, Martin was approached and offered a job with a local nonprofit, which she accepted."

The ruling goes on to recount that Martin requested a "name-clearing hearing," but the county denied her one, so she filed a lawsuit alleging that her Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated. A lawsuit of this nature, the Sixth Circuit ruled, required Martin prove that Harris' statement was "stigmatizing" or show that it "seriously" damaged Martin's standing in the community.

Reporting from the time: Shelby County's poor record-keeping, lack of urgency about wasted doses shown in documents

More: Children vaccinated, doses stolen, FBI involved in Shelby County Health Department's vaccine distribution turmoil

The court ruled neither to have happened in this case.

"Getting fired is unpleasant," the ruling read. "And having that termination broadcast is even more so. But the Constitution of the United States says little about lost jobs, and nothing about this one. Because Martin can't show the mayor's tweet exposed her to moral stigma, we affirm."

MPD assistant chief still has Georgia residency

MPD Assistant Chief Shawn Jones, who joined the department in September 2021, is not a Memphis or Shelby County resident, according to voting records.

Jones, in fact, is not a Tennessee resident. His current residence is listed as Fulton County, Georgia  where he worked prior to joining MPD  on Georgia voter rolls. He most recently voted there in late May, the second time he has voted in 2024, the Georgia voter registration website indicated.

The Fulton County home is approximately six hours from Downtown Memphis. Department policy does not require Memphis police officers to be Shelby County residents, but does require them to live in a place that allows them "to report to work within two hours of notification."

Assistant Chief Shawn Jones joined the Memphis Police Department in September 2021. He is still a resident of Fulton County, Georgia.

A 2022 state law barred Memphis from having a residency requirement.

West Tennessee Legal Services starts offering free representation to Shelby County

West Tennessee Legal Services, a nonprofit that offers free legal help for civil cases, officially began offering its services to Shelby County residents Monday.

The nonprofit is based in Jackson and has served a number of counties surrounding Jackson. The expansion, which includes Shelby County, will also include Tipton, Fayette and Lauderdale counties.

West Tennessee Legal Services focuses on cases such as healthcare access, securing and retaining income, securing and retaining shelter, personal freedoms and winning protective orders for abuse victims.

"Our team is eager to get to work providing these crucial services to individuals and families across this region," Ashley Holliday, executive director of West Tennessee Legal Services, said in a press release. "As we grow, our focus will remain constant: to ensure that people in need have access to justice and the support they deserve."

West Tennessee Legal Services will prioritize low-income families and will be funded by a $940,000 grant from the Legal Services Corporation.

Ashley Holliday is the executive director for West Tennessee Legal Services. The nonprofit that provides legal representation in civil court proceedings will be expanding into Memphis and Shelby County.

The nonprofit is also actively hiring attorneys and paralegals to expand its reach.

"Initially, our case volume will be limited as we grow our staff," Holliday said. "We will increase capacity as we hire and train new team members for our Memphis office. We'll be adding a pro bono staff attorney to build relationships with the private bar, and we anticipate seeing a significant increase in our pro bono unit's case volume by 2025."

Those seeing legal assistance, and potential applicants, can reach the nonprofit at (901) 471-8006 or online at WTLS.org.

Top Commercial Appeal courts, public safety stories readers have viewed

The latest in Memphis' biggest cases

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will move forward in its construction of a new Downtown museum after a Shelby County Chancery Court judge declined to turn a temporary restraining order into a temporary injunction on June 28. The ruling followed months of litigation over the museum's decision to build along Front Street, which opponents say deprives the public of using "the promenade."

Other cases, such as the one against alleged spree shooter Ezekiel Kelly, are still waiting for a trial to be set. Kelly is scheduled for a report date on July 8.

The civil case against Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, and Shelby County government, in relation to the death of Gershun Freeman, who was an inmate at the Shelby County Jail when he died, is slowly moving forward. A subpoena was filed Tuesday requesting communications between Bonner's personal attorney, Allan Wade, and the Shelby County District Attorney's office, the Davidson County District Attorney's office, the Tennessee Attorney General's office, the nine corrections officers criminally charged with Freeman's death and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Wade is also the Memphis City Council attorney.

It is unclear from the subpoena what the attorneys representing Freeman's family are seeking from the subpoenaed documents.

Have a question for us?

Do you have a burning public safety question you want answered? Send an email to metro@commercialappeal.com, or lucas.finton@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Police Department Assistant Chief Shawn Johnes a Georgia resident
Poland and Lithuania seek EU and NATO assistance in defending their borders

Poland and Lithuania seek EU and NATO assistance in defending their borders

Lithuanian and Polish defence ministers called for the "internationalisation" of the protection of the EU and NATO's eastern border as they toured a stretch of the border fence with Belarus near Vilnius on Monday.

During an official visit of the Polish deputy PM and defence minister to Vilnius, Lithuania's Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas told reporters that the national border defence system would require an estimated 600 million over a decade.

His Polish counterpart, Wladislaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, promised to raise the issue at next week's NATO summit in Washington.

According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, the protection of external borders with Russia and its allies remains a key task.

"The state of Poland, together with its allies, will do everything to protect the eastern border of the EU and NATO even better," he said.

"This is our highest calling and this calling can be fulfilled not only by the nation-states but first of all by the EU, and together, we are calling for this, to internationalise the issue of this border".

Threat from Russia

The latest remarks on border protection from both leaders come in the face of the threat posed by Russia's war in Ukraine.

In the run-up to last week's European Council, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish leaders signed a letter calling Brussels to become "both politically and financially" involved in building an estimated 2.5-billion wall along the bloc's eastern border with Russia and Belarus to protect against military and hybrid threats.

A general view of a deserted migrants' camp near the checkpoint "Kuznitsa" at the Belarus-Poland border near Grodno, Belarus, Nov. 18, 2021. - Leonid Shcheglov/BelTA

In June, Poland, which lost a soldier in a knife attack across the border fence on 28 May, approved the 2.3bn border protection programme called the Eastern Shield.

"The situation in Lithuania and Poland is very similar. We will exchange our experiences and support the construction of the Lithuanian line of defence ... as a line of defence of the NATO and EU's eastern flank," Kosiniak-Kamysz explained.

Lithuania's Kasciunas outlined other measures that he said would be implemented soon to "hinder the advance of enemy forces".

"Starting at the end of the summer, we will permanently fortify some parts of the border," Kasciunas said.

They include anti-tank mines, remote mines, and a network of anti-tank ditches and collapsible bridges that can thwart an approaching enemy.

The first batches of acquired counter-mobility equipment will arrive later this month.
What can be, unburdened by what has been. Nobody knows how to interpret that gnomic phrase. But that hasnt stopped the Vice President of the most powerful country on Earth from adopting it as her mantra. Does it matter? Put it this way: with the United States poised to be unburdened by a certain octogenarian as he reels on his presidential perch, this is the person who may be getting her hands on the future of the world.

Step forward Kamala Harris, star of a new attack video produced by the Republicans. In the clip, she is seen repeating the baffling unburdened slogan in no fewer than 62 speeches. I challenged my Twitter followers to watch it to the end. Only one had the grit to get through all four minutes in a single sitting, vowing darkly that hed never forgive me.

The punch of the video lay in the way it simply showcased Harriss own cretinism, allowing her to be hoist by her own petard. Of course, she is hardly the first politician to be weird, but she wears it so cheerfully and so smugly, with such a patronising lack of self-awareness, that she makes of herself an ignominious exception.

Its not just the unburdening shtick. Other greatest hits include Harris clapping obliviously along to a hostile protest chant in Puerto Rico, warbling The Wheels On The Bus to a tune apparently of her own invention, and delivering a homily about a coconut tree.

In 2021, with migrants risking their lives to cross from Mexico into the United States, she was asked why she had not visited the border in the 76 days since she had been in charge of the crisis. I havent been to Europe, she replied, laughing as if she had won.

Harris attempted to show a better grasp of geography in March, when Israel was poised to enter Rafah. I have studied the maps, she told ABC. Theres nowhere for those [civilian] folks to go. Israel responded by evacuating a million people in ten days, directing them safely to an expanded humanitarian area in central Gaza.

So we may add map reading to her growing list of incompetencies. But given how National Security Council officials reportedly had to water down her anti-Israel rhetoric in a speech that same month, this may be about something darker than ineptitude.

Be afraid. Given her proximity to unrivalled power, Harris seems to have avoided the intense scrutiny directed at presidential candidates. But her oddness partly explains her persistent unpopularity. Last year, a poll showed that most Americans viewed her as the worst vice president this millennium.

Biden selected her to be his running mate again. By April, her favourability ratings had plummeted to -16. They now stand at -20, marginally ahead of the President at -24, according to CNN. The fact that Trump is ahead at -15 tells you everything you need to know about this election.

If Biden dodders onto his political sword, there will be few good options for the Democrats. The party may be forced to revive a process not seen since the Sixties, in which a candidate will be chosen competitively at an open convention in August. The radical instincts of thousands of Democratic delegates, combined with the power of the unions, would threaten to push firebrands like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the fore.

Alternatively, Biden could endorse a replacement, turning the convention into a more traditional coronation. This would be good for party unity; but would it be good for America?

The shameful truth is that the 47th president may be selected not by talent but by race. Disgracefully, with the world at the most dangerous point since the Cold War, our future is in hoc to the new progressive radicalism.

Harriss team has let it be known that it would be offensive if Biden were to anoint a white successor. Much of the Democratic base would presumably agree. The self-evident fact that neither Harriss race nor sex is in any way relevant to her suitability for the most difficult job in the world is testament to the fever dream of identity politics that is 2024 America.

As appalling as it sounds, Harris may win the nomination purely by threatening to cry racism. That really would be the partys Trump card.

Jake Wallis Simons is editor of The Jewish Chronicle and author of Israelophobia

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.
Children who are unable to live with their families learn valuable life skills from trained caregivers while living in a single-family home on the Bazarsky campus of Boys Town New England in Portsmouth. (Courtesy of Boys Town New England)

There are nearly 1,000 children in the Rhode Island foster system today, according to the latest figures from the Department of Children, Youth and Families. However, there are just 828 active foster homes available to them.

That means that some of these children are forced to stay in group homes, hospitals, and other institutional settings. These young people have no choice in the matter and are stripped of the sovereignty that comes with control. No matter the circumstances, being removed from your home, and separated from your loved ones is a traumatic and life altering event. Finding safe, lasting, residential options for these vulnerable children is crucial to their wellbeing.

Throughout the legislative session that came to an end in June, I worked alongside my colleagues in the child welfare space to engage with the community and raise awareness over the need for foster families. Whether it was advocating to state legislators or collaborating with local leaders, we joined together dedicated to a mission bigger than ourselves on behalf of the children of Rhode Island.

Its why I am filled with hope and optimism about the future of foster care in Rhode Island.

Boys Town New England has facilitated foster care services for three decades. In that time, weve integrated into communities across the region, bringing evidence-based programming where its needed the most. What differentiates our services is the individualized support and training for families and children alike. We developed an evidence-based program and work collaboratively to change behavior and teach emotional regulation. All of our foster parents receive intensive training and are provided with 24-hour on-call support. We also encourage stability, connection, and healing through regular in-home consultation, clinical support, access to ongoing training, licensing support, and opportunities for children and families to connect with one another.

No matter the circumstances, being removed from your home, and separated from your loved ones is a traumatic and life altering event. Finding safe, lasting, residential options for these vulnerable children is crucial to their wellbeing.

Boys Town also provides an innovative Teaching Family Home model on our Bazarsky Campus in Portsmouth. There, we provide high quality residential care for children, ages 12 through 17, who can no longer live in their homes. Up to six boys or girls live in each single-family home with trained caregivers called family-teachers, who meet their daily needs and teach valuable life skills. This evidence-based family home model is the cornerstone of our proven, best practice method grounded in a continuum of care approach.

For decades, these unique services drove community involvement and helped provide loving homes for children in need. But in the wake of the pandemic, we saw the number of foster families plummet. We were not immune from this nationwide trend. As facilitators and advocates, its frustrating to recognize the continued need for resources, while simultaneously watching the number of foster homes decline. While providing stable, supportive foster services is vital to achieving our mission, uniting families is our top priority. Whether through kinship support or preventative programming, we strive to keep families and kids together.

We need more foster families. Every Rhode Island adult has the potential to make a positive impact on the life of a vulnerable child. Could it be you?

The post Rhode Island needs more foster homes and it needs them now appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
NAHA, Jul 05 (News On Japan) - A U.S. Marine was arrested on July 4 for allegedly groping a woman's breast on a staircase in Okinawa, sparking urgent protests over the lack of transparency in the handling of such incidents by local authorities.

The suspect, 22-year-old Sean Sabour, a private first class stationed at Camp Kinser, is accused of touching the chest of an unfamiliar woman in her twenties over her clothing around 8:30 a.m. in a commercial building in Naha City. Sabour denies the charges, according to police reports.

This latest incident adds to a troubling trend: since last year, five cases of sexual assault involving American soldiers have gone unreported to Okinawan authorities.

In response, a protest was held on July 4 by local residents demanding transparency and accountability. Hiroji Yamashiro, director of the "Don't Turn Okinawa Into a Battlefield Again" citizen's group, voiced the collective anger: 'We will not tolerate this injustice. What do they think of us Okinawans?'

One participant expressed sorrow and solidarity with the victims: 'The woman affected should be living a normal life, spending time with friends and family. It's heartbreaking as a fellow woman and as a mother.'

Miyuki Kamiya, another member of the same citizen's group, emphasized the emotional toll on the community: 'Okinawans are deeply hurt, angry, and sad. We urge for sincere engagement with our concerns and for our voices to be heard.'

The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly has adopted a resolution protesting to the U.S. government and a written opinion to the Japanese government, demanding apologies to the victims and the establishment of a swift information-sharing system regarding incidents involving U.S. military personnel.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi commented, 'Local governments must address crime prevention and residents' concerns. We are considering improvements in information-sharing practices.'

Source: ANN
China aims to ensure that products manufactured by enterprises of different ownerships within the country can participate equally in government procurement activities, according to a three-year action plan made public on Thursday.

The plan, unveiled by the General Office of the State Council, focused on addressing current prominent problems in the field of government procurement, aiming to achieve better order in the government procurement market, establish relevant laws and regulations, and boost the development of the sector from 2024 to 2026.

It also urged the establishment of a standard system for government procurement of domestic products, supporting the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises in government procurement projects, and expanding government procurement support for green building materials.

China welcomes foreign-invested companies to participate in government procurement.

During a roundtable for foreign-invested enterprises on government procurement in May, Vice Commerce Minister Ling Ji said China supports foreign companies in participating in government procurement on an equal footing.
KYOTO, Jul 05 (News On Japan) - Two employees at a Kyoto cleaning shop have been arrested for allegedly injuring a fellow worker by putting him in a large washing machine. The victim, who has an intellectual disability, is believed to have suffered regular abuse.

According to police reports, in March, a male employee in his 50s with an intellectual disability was placed inside a large washing machine at a Kyoto cleaning shop, resulting in injuries from head to toe.

The police have arrested Kazuki Naoe (37) and Yosuke Kamishima (37) on suspicion of causing injury.

The victim reported that Naoe and Kamishima often told him, 'You stink,' and ordered him to get into the washing machine.

Both suspects have largely admitted to the allegations.

The victim also mentioned that he had been subjected to assaults in the past. The police are investigating the possibility that he was regularly abused.

Source: TBS
TOKYO, Jul 05 (News On Japan) - A 30-something male elementary school teacher has been arrested for breaking into the home of a female high school student who was once his pupil, using a spare key he had made five years ago. The teacher reportedly took the original key during a school event and secretly made a copy.

Teacher Uses Spare Key to Break into Former Student's Home, Causing Parental Concerns

On July 2, a 39-year-old male teacher from an elementary school in Edogawa Ward was arrested for breaking into the home of a female high school student, who was once his pupil, in May.

Parents from the teacher's current school expressed shock:

"He seemed energetic, friendly, and trusted by both students and teachers. This is shocking," said one parent.

The school held a parent meeting to address the issue.

"The teacher was a crucial member of our staff, and we trusted him. As principal, I have no intention of defending him. He has committed an unforgivable act," said the principal.

The teacher, who also served as the head of the school's guidance department, had been planning the crime for five years. During a school event five years ago, he took the key of his pupil's home to a nearby shop and made a copy without permission.

The teacher later transferred to another school, while the former pupil entered high school. The incident occurred this year.

On a morning in late May around 10 a.m., the teacher, dressed in black with a hat and mask, used the spare key to enter the high school student's apartment. At that time, the girl's father was at home.

"I heard a noise at the door and thought my daughter had forgotten something and returned. When I looked out, I saw a man with his shoes on in the hallway, about to enter the living room," the father said.

Upon seeing the father, the teacher fled and was later arrested. During questioning, he reportedly said, "I suddenly remembered that she was now in high school, so I decided to break in after five years. I had a crush on her since I was her homeroom teacher and wanted her middle school uniform."

Although the teacher has been released, parents raised concerns at the meeting.

"Is it safe for children to carry keys to school? What measures will be taken?" asked one parent.

The school responded, "We understand the nationwide concern this incident has caused. While we haven't devised concrete measures yet, we will ensure such incidents do not recur."

Parents of young children expressed their fears about the use of spare keys.

Keys and Safety Concerns

A 10-year-old girl commented, "I keep my key on my backpack," while her mother added, "The school advises us to keep it inside the backpack, but it's convenient to have it attached. We didn't imagine something like this could happen, so it's worrying."

The Danger of Duplicate Keys Made with "Key Numbers"

Kanai Tsutomu, president of Kanai Co., Ltd., a company specializing in locks and security products since the Meiji era, emphasized the importance of not only preventing keys from being taken but also the dangers of "key numbers."

"Most keys have a unique number engraved on them. If someone knows the key number, they can easily make a duplicate key using the manufacturer's data," Kanai said. "The key number is as valuable as the lives of the family behind the door."

Despite the availability of stickers and other products to obscure key numbers, people on the street expressed concerns.

A woman in her 20s said, "It's scary how easy it is to make a duplicate key if the number is known." A 43-year-old man remarked, "I had no idea. Now I know I need to be extra careful with my keys, especially when I'm drunk."

Safety Measures for Key Numbers

Fujimori Shohei, a news anchor, commented, "It's unthinkable that a teacher would take a child's key at school and commit such a crime. Protecting children is crucial, but this issue affects everyone."

Journalist Keiko Hamada added, "While online convenience allows us to order duplicate keys by simply entering a number, it also introduces risks. Strict ID verification when making duplicate keys or keeping children's keys hidden in keyholders or pouches could be necessary measures."

Hamada also mentioned, "In cases like stalking, even a photograph of a key could lead to unauthorized duplication. It's vital to change the lock entirely if such an issue arises."

Source: TBS
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, administer oath of office

By Davies Iheamnachor, Port Harcourt

 urge INEC to conduct by-election to fill vacant seats

Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo and other members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, said they have appealed the Court of Appeal judgement that voided the State High Court decision that gave them power to serve as Speaker and members of the state legislature.

Jumbo said they were already at the Supreme Court challenging the judgement of the Appeal Court delivered which held that that Justice Charles Wali of the State high lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter of the state legislature.

The Court of Appeal on Thursday in suit CA/PH/198/2024 filled by Amaewhule and others declared the High Court order that barred them from parading as speaker and lawmakers null and void.

Jumbo, who disclosed this while addressing lawmakers during their plenary at the temporary facility used for Legislative businesses in Port Harcourt on Friday clarified that the action was necessitated by the fact that they strongly believe that the Court of Appeal erred when it held that the State High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear and determine Suit No. PHC/1512/CS/2024.

Jumbo, declared that he remained the authentic speaker because there cannot be two Houses of Assembly in the state, reiterating that the seats of Hon. Martin Amaewhule and 24 other former lawmakers remained vacant as declared by the then speaker, Hon Edison Ehie, on 13th December, 2023.

He said fact was following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, on the 11th day of December, 2023.

He said, There cannot be two Houses of Assembly in Rivers State or indeed any State in Nigeria. This House of Assembly, with me as the Speaker, is the ONLY House of Assembly in Rivers State.

As the whole world knows, on the 11th day of December, 2023, Martin Amaewhule and his 24 friends defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressive Congress, APC.

On the 13th Day of December, 2023, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, declared the seats of Martin Amaewhule and 24 others in the RSHA vacant. That declaration by Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie has not been set aside by any court in Nigeria.

Jumbo maintained that the legitimate members of the Assembly secured restraining order against Martin Ameawhule and the 24 others when they continued to parade as members of the RSHA despite their defection to APC and their seats declared vacant.

He stated: Yesterday, the 4th of July, 2024, the Court of Appeal, in its lead Judgement, allowed the Appeal by Martin Ameawhule & 24 ORS on the ground that the Rivers State High Court lacked the jurisdiction to hear and determine the case.

Accordingly, the Court of Appeal struck out Suit No. PHC/1512/CS/2024 and NOTHING MORE. The Court of Appeal did not make any declaration that Martin Amaewhule & 24 ORS did not defect from the PDP to APC.

The Court of Appeal also did not make any declaration that Martin Amaewhule and 24 ORS are still members of the RSHA. We strongly believe that the Court of Appeal was in error when it held that the Rivers State High Court lacked the jurisdiction to hear and determine SUIT NO PHC/1512/CS/2024.

Accordingly, we have instructed our lawyers and they have filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria challenging the judgement of the Court of Appeal delivered on the 4th Day of July, 2024. Martin Amaewhule & 24 ORS, in spite of all their pretences, are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and they remain so until a court of competent jurisdiction says otherwise.

Once again, we the legitimate members of the RSHA HEREBY call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly conduct a bye-election to fill the vacant seats in the RSHA.

TOP HEADLINES
A UK judge on Friday handed child serial killer Lucy Letby another whole-life order for the attempted murder of a baby girl, following her latest conviction earlier this week.

Judge James Goss called Letbys crime another shocking act of calculated, callous cruelty as he sentenced the 34-year-old at Manchester Crown Court, in northwest England.

A jury at the same court on Tuesday convicted Letby of attempting to murder another baby girl at the hospital neo-natal unit where she worked nearly a decade ago.

It comes nearly a year after a different jury found the former nurse guilty of murdering seven newborn babies and attempting to kill six others, making her Britains most prolific child serial killer in modern history.

She is already serving a whole-life prison sentence for those crimes and was earlier this year refused an appeal bid.

During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for any offences and sought to attribute wrongdoing to others, Goss said in his sentencing remarks Friday. You have no remorse.

As she was led from the dock, Letby said: Im innocent.

She had faced a retrial for the attempted murder of the baby girl, referred to in court as Child K, at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England in 2016.

Jurors at her original trial last year had failed to reach a verdict on that charge.

TOP HEADLINES
By Oladipo Abiola

The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has declared that the problems facing Nigeria are surmountable if confronted with the right attitude.

The traditional ruler said many countries of the world have gone through greater challenges and come out of it victoriously.

He, however, added that to overcome the challenges, the people of the country can not just sit down, but have to give the right attitude, commitment, leadership, and ensure hands are on deck.

Naija News he stated this when he hosted the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Baba Halilu Dantiye, in the company of his counterpart, Commissioner of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mohammed Tajuddeen Othman, on a courtesy visit at the Emirs palace.

He said, Im confident that the people of Kano, with our history, our resilience, and attitude can overcome the challenges and become things of the past.

Sanusi added that If we just keep looking at the problems (poverty, hunger, malnutrition, out-of-school children, illiteracy) and we think there is nothing we can do, but the reality is, with the right attitude, commitment, leadership, and support of all, these are not insurmountable problems.

Nations have gone through worse, and they have come out of it. Even in this country, look at parts of the country ravaged by terrorism, which Allah has guided us to, and we hope Allah spares this and also spares those parts of the country and releases them.

The Emir praised the Kano State government for the bold steps taken in education, especially girl child education, saying it is a solution to the nations myriad problems.

He called on the private sector and philanthropists to complement the governments efforts in the areas of building schools, school feeding, and investment in transportation in order to address the present challenges facing Nigerians.

TOP HEADLINES
By Nafisat Abdulrahman

Armed robbers unleashed terror in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, on Friday, targeting a man who had just completed a bank transaction.

The victim, whose identity was yet to be confirmed, was trailed by the assailants from a new generation bank where he had gone for a cash withdrawal.

Eyewitnesses reported that the robbers followed the man to Phase II, Lokongoma area, near a market in Lokoja. There, they intercepted his car, forcibly removed him, and shot him dead. The attackers made off with a bag containing an undisclosed amount of money that the victim had withdrawn from the bank.

Efforts to get a reaction from the Kogi State Police Command have so far been unsuccessful, as calls placed to the phone of the Commands spokesman went unanswered.

Details Later

TOP HEADLINES
DUBROVNIK, Croatia (AP)  Ukraine's president on Wednesday said he intends to present his victory plan to Western leaders this week, but a weekend meeting to discuss it has been postponed as U.S. President Joe Biden said he had to stay home to respond to Hurricane Milton s landfall in Florida.
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the expanded meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or SCO+, and delivers an important speech titled "Joining Hands to Build a More Beautiful Home Of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization" in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for building a common home featuring solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, as well as fairness and justice.

Xi made the remarks when attending the expanded meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), or SCO+.

At present, changes of historical significance across the world during our times are unfolding in ways like never before, Xi said, adding that the international landscape is undergoing rapid transformation.

To cope with this major transformation, the key is to have the wisdom to see the changes, the ability to deal with the changes, and the courage to make changes, Xi said.

China proposes that SCO member states do more to share their experience on governance and hold the SCO Political Parties Forum at an appropriate time, he said.

No matter how the international landscape changes, the SCO must hold the bottom line of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, Xi said.

Real security is premised on the security of all countries, he added.

We need to respect the development path of respective, independent choosing, and support each other in safeguarding core interests, he said.

We need to bridge our differences, build more consensus, and enhance mutual trust through strategic communication, Xi said.

He called for earnest efforts to establish a financing platform of the SCO, and welcomed all parties to use the Beidou Satellite Navigation System and participate in the development of the International Lunar Research Station.

China will provide at least 1,000 training opportunities on digital technology to fellow countries in the SCO in the next three years, and host 1,000 young people from countries in the SCO for exchange opportunities in China in the next five years, Xi said.

The Chinese president said the current SCO summit has issued the Astana Declaration, the SCO initiative on world unity for justice, harmony and development, and the statement on the principles of good-neighborliness, trust and partnership.

The SCO should make its important contribution to eliminating the deficits in peace, development, security and governance, he said.
King Mohammed VI has reaffirmed Moroccos ongoing commitment to deepening political dialogue and consultation with the United States to serve both countries interests and contribute to peace, security and stability in the world.

This came in a message of congratulations that the King has sent to President Joseph R. Biden, on the occasion of the United States Independence Day.

In this message, the Sovereign reaffirmed to President Biden Moroccos ongoing commitment to deepening political dialogue and consultation with the United States in all international forums regarding matters of common concern, thereby serving both countries interests and contributing to peace, security, and stability in the world.

The King seized the opportunity to express to President Biden his satisfaction at the close friendship and longstanding ties binding the two countries and reaffirmed his keen willingness to continue working with the US President to strengthen special bilateral relations and promote strategic partnership to the fullest extent possible, so as to fulfil both peoples aspirations.

In this message, the Sovereign expressed his warmest congratulations to President Biden and best wishes for good health and happiness, and further progress and prosperity to the American people.
A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has sentenced 25 soldiers to death in a one-day trial on Wednesday (3 July) after finding them guilty of fleeing the enemy, violating orders, dissipation of war munitions and theft, among other charges.

The Congolese army has been fighting the Rwanda-backed M23 insurgency in the countrys east for more than two years, as well as facing violence from other militia. The death sentence was handed down by a military tribunal in Butembo, North Kivu, that was set up as part of a crackdown on soldiers fleeing M23 rebels. 27 soldiers and four of their civilian wives appeared before the military court that was set up close to the scene of recent violent clashes between the Congolese army and M23 fighters with the aim of discouraging soldiers from fleeing the front line. Faced with the combined might of the Rwandan army and M23, DRC troops have repeatedly retreated without a fight, according to some news reports.

The defendants were detained by army officials on Tuesday (2 July) after allegedly receiving goods stolen from shops in a nearby village. They were then brought before Butembo garrison military court the very next day. I find them guilty and sentence each of them to death, said Colonel Kabeya Ya Hanu, president of the military court. One soldier was handed a 10-year prison sentence for robbery, while the four wives and another soldier were acquitted. Last March, the DRC government lifted the moratorium on the death penalty that had been in force since 2003 in the country.
The junta-leaders in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are set to hold their first ever joint summit of the so-called Alliance of Sahel States (AES) since seizing power in a series of coups in Nigers capital Niamey this weekend.

Our country will be hosting on Saturday (6 July) the first summit of the AES heads of state from Burkina, Mali and Niger, they said in a statement read out on public radio. The meeting of the three military rulers will be held on the eve of a summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), six months after announcing their withdrawal from the major regional bloc, which they claimed was under French influence. The AES is an economic and defense pact.

In mid-May, the foreign ministers of the three countries finalized plans to form a confederation after turning their backs on former colonial ruler France to seek closer ties with Russia, Turkey and Iran. The objective was to finalize the draft text relating to the institutionalization and operationalization of the AES, said Nigerian foreign minister Bakary Yaou Sangare after the trios meeting. The draft text creating the confederation is expected to be adopted by the three junta-leaders at the summit this weekend. This will represent an important step in the process of political and socio-economic integration of the three countries, strengthening their strategic leverage, according to Malis foreign ministry.
The security services of the Spanish Civil Guard and Moroccos General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) announced on Friday having arrested a group of eight terror suspects in a joint operation.

The operation led by the Guardia Civil, in collaboration with the DGST, resulted in the arrest of a group of young people who had been radicalized by ISIS, according to a joint statement from the two security services.

The eight people were arrested during operations in the Spanish enclave of Melilla as well as in Madrid, and Malaga.

The suspects were brought before court on Thursday, and five of them have been held in provisional detention.

The group of young people had undergone a process of radicalization according to the most violent tenets of the terrorist organization ISIS.

In this operation, the cooperation and constant and quality support of the DGST enabled the progress of the investigations. This highlights the importance of international cooperation between anti-terrorist services to address this threat and the significant challenge of anticipating terrorist actions.

On July 1, another alleged jihadist was arrested in Cornella (Barcelona). He used social media platforms and encrypted instant messaging to advocate violence for terrorist purposes.

The extremist individuals media activity focused on creating jihadist multimedia content using specialized editing applications supported by artificial intelligence. Despite his youth, he established himself as a recognized virtual terrorist fighter, greatly influencing the individuals he sought to radicalize. This individual was also presented to the judiciary on Thursday, July 4.
The World bank will contribute to the reform of Moroccos public institutions & enterprises with a $350 million financing.

The financing agreement was signed Thursday in Rabat by Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah, and Director of the Maghreb and Malta Department of the World Bank, Jesko Hentschel.

During the signing ceremony, Nadia Fettah emphasized that this agreement will strengthen exemplary cooperation relations with the World Bank to support the implementation of the reform process of public institutions and enterprises (EEP), initiated by the Kingdom following the royal guidelines related to the reform of the EEP sector.

This process is marked by the creation of the National Agency for Strategic Management of State Holdings and Monitoring the Performance of Public Institutions and Enterprises (ANGSPE), the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a statement.

The agreement also follows the approval by the Council of Ministers held on June 1, 2024, under the presidency of King Mohammed VI, of the strategic guidelines for the states shareholder policy. This strategy is a pillar of the EEP sector reform, which seeks to reorganize the public portfolio, enhance governance and performance, and encouraging private sector involvement in investment initiatives.

The WB-funded program, reflecting Moroccos ambitious commitments to EEP reform, aims to support the strengthening of the states shareholder functions and the governance framework of EEPs, reconfiguring the public portfolio and enhancing competitive neutrality, and improving the monitoring of EEP performance, including in terms of climate impacts, the statement said.

The implementation of this program is planned to take five years and will be managed by the ANGSPE and the Directorate of Public Enterprises and Privatization (DEPP) in coordination with all relevant stakeholders.
As governments worldwide push for a green transition, companies around the globe are investing heavily in research and development into innovative ways to improve renewable energy production. New technologies are making conventional renewable energy projects, such as solar and wind farms, far more efficient as companies build stronger panels and bigger turbines. Now, one German team believes it has found a new light-harvesting system that could massively increase solar energy production.

Conventional solar panels rely on silicon-based solar cells that absorb light across the entire visible spectrum, but only weakly. These solar cells must be several micrometers thick to enable them to absorb sufficient photons to generate electricity. This makes them heavy, expensive, and difficult to situate in small spaces. By contrast, thin-film solar cells, which are made up of organic dyes, are both cheaper and lighter, just 100 nanometres thick. However, they are only capable of absorbing a small portion of the solar spectrum. Scientists have been searching for years for a solution, aiming to make solar panels more efficient while keeping weight and cost down.

Now, scientists at the University of Wurzburg in Bavaria, Germany believe they may have discovered the structure needed to massively enhance solar power production. Researchers recently published a study in the journal Chem demonstrating the use of a URPB system  standing for ultraviolet, red, purple, and blue, which is based on the photosynthetic antennae in plants and bacteria that are capable of efficiently capturing sunlight. The URPB model uses four different dyes that are stacked in a precise configuration that allows them to efficiently capture light across UV, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths.

Related: Standard Chartered: Oil Rally Will Extend Well Beyond $90 Per Barrel

During the testing phase, the team of researchers was able to convert 38 percent of incoming light into useful energy. Whereas the four dyes on their own manage less than one percent to a maximum of three percent. JMU chemistry professor Frank Wurthner explained, Our system has a band structure similar to that of inorganic semiconductors. This means that it absorbs light panchromatically across the entire visible range. And it uses the high absorption coefficients of organic dyes. As a result, it can absorb a great deal of light energy in a relatively thin layer, similar to natural light-harvesting systems.

The next challenge will be scaling up the process for commercial use. While there has been success in using the technology to produce energy in a laboratory environment, there are always greater challenges when it comes to putting new technology into use in a real-world environment.

This is just the latest technology being tested around the globe aimed at enhancing solar energy production. Incentivized by higher levels of public funding and financial incentives, such as tax breaks, and driven by the need to boost the worlds renewable energy capacity to reduce fossil fuel consumption, companies worldwide are investing heavily in research and development in the solar energy sector. Solar power production has come leaps and bounds in the last decade. Solar panel efficiency has increased from around 17% in 2012 to between 22 percent and 29 percent today, while production costs have fallen and the price per watt of solar panels has decreased from around $5 in 2000 to less than 50 cents today.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) is the fastest-growing energy source globally, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), having grown around 26-fold since 2010. By the end of 2022, there was a global installed solar PV capacity of 1,047 GW, with 191 GW added in 2022 alone.

Earlier this year, Turkish researchers published a study showing the potential for a semi-spherical photovoltaic solar cell structure that they believed could absorb up to 66 percent more light than conventional flat panels. The team is now looking to produce a prototype to test the technology, which looked promising in computer simulations.

There is also optimism around the use of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) thanks to their high performance and low production costs. PSCs have shown great progress in recent years, with significant efficiency improvements, from around 3 percent in 2009 to more than 25 percent today. This has encouraged the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), and other public and private institutions around the world to invest heavily in the improvement of PSC technology.

To date, most PSC testing has been conducted in a laboratory environment. However, a cross-country team of researchers in the U.S., led by the University of North Carolina, is moving tests outside. The U.S. DoEs Perovskite PV Accelerator for Commercialising Technologies (PACT) center succeeded in using the technology outside for 29 weeks and achieving operational efficiency of over 16 percent. Laura Schelhas, an NREL chemistry researcher, explained, Real-world demonstration is a critical step towards commercialization, and we hope by PACT offering these capabilities researchers and companies can leverage this data toward improved reliability.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Slowing drilling activity in the U.S. shale patch is capping oil production growth while natural gas output is down from year-ago levels amid above-average inventories and unsustainably low prices earlier this year.

Oil and gas prices have dropped since the highs from the summer of 2022 when they spiked following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The decline in U.S. benchmark oil and gas prices over the past nearly two years has reduced  with a lag  drilling activity in the shale patch. Americas oil and gas production hit record highs at the end of 2023 and continues to be close to all-time highs, but growth has slowed down in oil output while gas production has started to fall after a mild 2023/2024 winter boosted inventories to above-average levels and sunk Henry Hub gas prices to $1.80 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in February 2024, compared to $9 / MMBtu in August 2022.

Oil Output Growth Slowing

Crude oil production from the Lower 48 basins, which exclude the federal offshore Gulf of Mexico, increased by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) in April 2024 from the same month in 2023. But in April last year, the annual growth in the Lower 48 output stood at 900,000 bpd, per EIA data cited by Reuters market analyst John Kemp.

The number of oil rigs currently stands at 479down by 66 compared to this time last year, according to the latest Baker Hughes data.

Despite the decline in the number of oil rigs, U.S. oil production has grown compared to year-ago levels, mostly thanks to efficiency gains, analysts say.

Amid the ongoing consolidation in the American oil and gas industry, producers have become bigger and are focusing on shareholder returns. They wouldn't be inclined to respond to every price spike with a major boost in drilling that ultimately floods the market with oil and depresses prices.

The big companies are looking to become bigger by adding premier assets of the takeover targets to their portfolios. And the key driver of the industry now is returning more to shareholders and preparing for inventory stacked up for years of production ahead, without the need to grow organically by investing too much cash flow into the drilling of new locations and wells.

In the second quarter of the year, oil production was essentially unchanged from the first quarter, amid a modest rise in the overall business activity index, according to oil and gas executives responding to the latest Dallas Fed Energy Survey.

WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude and Henry Hub natural gas pricing directly affects our business as we are operating existing wells and providing cash flow to investors, an executive at an exploration and production (E&P) firm said in comments to the survey.

Another E&P executive added, The last few years of mergers and acquisitions have decreased activity in the oil patch. The majors are not going to exhaust reserves to raise domestic production until supply and demand curves meet their goals.

They do not have to participate in treadmill drilling to keep incomes at a pace to develop reserves and pay back loans.

So, growth in shale production is set to slow down. Lower 48 oil production growth exceeded expectations in 2023, adding 900,000 bpd of supply last year, but Wood Mackenzie expects Lower 48 oil production to grow by just 270,000 bpd in 2024 and another 330,000 bpd in 2025.

Last year, big efficiency gains allowed operators to meet or exceed expectations for wells turned in line, which helped boost production with significantly fewer rigs, according to WoodMacs principal analyst Nathan Nemeth.

However, efficiency gains and associated well cost savings are not translating into more drilling activity like weve seen in the past. Instead, E&Ps have reiterated plans to return cash to shareholders, Nemeth noted.

Natural Gas Output Declines

While U.S. oil production continues to rise, albeit at a slower pace, natural gas output has dropped from December 2023 highs, and production has turned lower compared to year-ago levels. Dry natural gas production was 101.7 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) in April 2024, down from 102.7 bcf/d in April 2023, the lowest for 16 months.

Major natural gas producers curtailed some output in the spring in response to the price slump earlier this year, which saw prices tumble to a three-decade low.

In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA expects U.S. marketed natural gas production to drop by 1% this year, led by a 9% decline in the Haynesville region and 4% decline in the Appalachia region as some producers have limited development and production due to low natural gas prices.

The current refill season has seen lower injections into storage so far, due to rising demand for gas-powered electricity in the summer heat waves.

However, gas inventories are above average for this time of year, and working natural gas stocks for the week ending June 26 were 21% higher than the five-year average and 11% higher than last year at this time, per EIA data.

The EIA expects storage inventories to end the summer injection season on October 31 at 6% above the five-year average.

If U.S. natural gas production is lower than our forecast and consumption in the electric power sector to meet air-conditioning demand increases more than we expect, natural gas prices could be higher than forecast, the administration said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The Israeli government has approved plans to more than double the countrys natural gas exports and expand production at the giant Leviathan Gas Field in a bid to improve energy security and strengthen diplomatic ties. Energy Minister Eli Cohen has given the greenlight for the export of an additional 118 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas from the east Mediterranean reserves, more than double the 105 bcm previously approved. NewMed Energy (OTCPK:DKDRF) has revealed that its partners Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX) and Ratio Oil Corp intend to invest $400 million to $500 million in front-end engineering design and long-lead items for the expansion. Leviathan is one of the worlds largest deep-water gas fields with an estimated 22.9 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas. The 330-square-kilometer field was discovered in December 2010 by NewMed Energy, Chevron Corp and Ratio Oil Corp. NewMed is Leviathan's main operator with a 45.3% working interest; Chevron has a 39.7% interest while Ratio has a 15% stake.

According to NewMed, Israel plans to gradually expand Leviathan production to 21 bcm annually from 12 bcm currently. The group is currently negotiating new deals to sell gas domestically and internationally. Last year, Israel exported 8.6 bcm of gas to Egypt in 2023, good for a 39% Y/Y increase and sent another 2.9 bcm to Jordan.

Related: Australia Could Be Hit by Natural Gas Shortage in 2027

Two years ago, Israel, the European Union, and Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost natural gas exports to Europe, with the framework hailed as the first to allow Israel to export "significant" amounts of gas to Europe.

Israel Becomes A Regional Gas Powerhouse

The Middle East has traditionally been recognized as a global oil and gas powerhouse thanks to the regions staggering 75.8 trillion cubic meters in natural gas reserves, the worlds largest, and significantly more than 56.6 trillion cubic meters held by the Commonwealth of Independent States (former constituent republics of the Soviet Union). However, in recent years, Israel has emerged as a natural gas powerhouse in the Mediterranean with the countrys natural gas reserves having grown an impressive 40% over the past decade thanks in large part to increased drilling and exploration activities. During that time, offshore production has expanded five-fold growth since the start-up of Israel's first major producing Tamar field in 2013. Israel has seen its gas reserves grow from 780 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2012 to 1,087 bcm at the end of 2022, while 119 bcm was extracted over the same period.

The Levant Basin in the eastern Mediterranean Sea has emerged as one of the worlds important gas reserves with 85 trillion cubic feet (~2.4 trillion cubic meters) discovered over the past two decades by countries in the region, including Israel. The gas-rich offshore basin straddling Egypt, Israel, Cyprus and Lebanon has attracted some of the world's top energy companies as Europe scrambles to secure supplies to replace Russian gas.

NewMed Energy, Chevron and Anglo-Dutch oil major Shell Plc (NYSE:SHEL) have also partnered in the Aphrodite Gas Field. Discovered in 2011, the Aphrodite natural gas field is located about 170 kilometers south of Limassol in Cyprus, just 30 kilometers northwest of Israels Leviathan gas reservoir. An appraisal well has already been drilled to confirm assessments regarding the nature and size of the Aphrodite gas deposit, and marks a significant step towards its development. The well is expected to serve as a production well following the completion of the development of the reservoir.

Alongside advancing phase two of the Leviathan reservoir, which satisfies the needs of the local and regional economy, we are making progress and significantly advancing the development of the Aphrodite reservoir. Global demand for natural gas is increasing, and a large reservoir like Aphrodite could help meet the demand, NewMed Energy CEO Yossi Abu has said.

Not surprisingly, Big Oil companies are rushing to Israel to stake their claims on the countrys newfound gas riches. Last year, NewMed shares jumped more than 60% after BP Plc (NYSE:BP) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced they agreed to form a joint venture to acquire a 50% stake in the Israeli explorer in a $2 billion deal. Unfortunately, the two companies announced in March 2024 that they had suspended the deal amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Experts had earlier warned that a surge in civilian casualties could make it politically untenable for the companies to proceed, with the death toll in Gaza reportedly in excess of 30,000.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Lifestyle fair tightens bonds between youth from Taiwan, mainland

Xinhua) 09:18, July 05, 2024

Guests jointly inaugurate a lifestyle festival during the main forum of the cross-Strait youth summit in Beijing, capital of China, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Snacks from Taiwan and souvenirs from Beijing museums are displayed side by side at a buzzing fair being held in the Chinese capital as part of an ongoing cross-Strait youth summit.

Xu Nai-yuan, who is from Taiwan and has lived in Beijing for seven years, is at one of the booths showcasing his company's latest products: beef noodles and chili sauce.

"It's my first time attending this fair," he said. "I think it's a nice place where old friends can meet, and we also get to make new friends."

Shen Zi-jian moved from Taiwan to Beijing more than 20 years ago and now runs a dental clinic in the city.

"I like these types of fairs, where people can mingle with one another easily," he said, apparently enjoying the fair's casual atmosphere.

The five-day fair began on Wednesday and has attracted the participation of 19 booth operators from Taiwan and 13 from the mainland.

Compared to the inaugural fair in 2023, this year's event has seen increased attendance, and the products and programs are more diverse, said Mike Li, president of Huacan DreamWorks, one of the organizers of the fair.

This year's fair has also been attracting visitors through a number of interactive events, including street dances and parades.

"These events give us a glimpse of the Taiwan lifestyle, and allow visitors from Taiwan to experience our popular culture first-hand," said a student from Peking University who gave the surname Zhong.

The cross-Strait youth summit, which opened on Wednesday, also includes activities such as forums, a night concert, and an internship and jobs fair for young people from Taiwan.

Young people from Taiwan living on the mainland can play an improved role in connecting people on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Li said.

"Every one of us can try to influence people, including family and friends in Taiwan, and help them understand the truth about the mainland," he said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed Thursday to take the China-Tajikistan all-round cooperation to a higher level.

In a written statement upon arrival in the Tajik capital, Xi said he looks forward to holding talks with President Emomali Rahmon during the visit.

He also said that he and Rahmon are expected to make new plans and arrangements for the development of China-Tajikistan relations in light of the new circumstances and have an in-depth exchange of views on the current international and regional situation.

It is believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, this visit will be a complete success, Xi added.

Xi recalled his previous two visits to Tajikistan in 2014 and 2019, expressing his cordial feelings upon visiting this beautiful country after five years.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi extended his sincere greetings and best wishes to the government and people of Tajikistan.

China and Tajikistan are good neighbors who help each other, good friends who support each other, good partners with mutual benefit and win-win results, and good brothers who treat each other with absolute sincerity, Xi said.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 32 years ago, China-Tajikistan relations have achieved sustained, rapid and sound development, growing from good-neighborly friendship to a strategic partnership and then to a comprehensive strategic partnership, becoming a model for neighboring countries' relations, Xi said.

The two countries share solid political mutual trust and always firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, he said.

Noting that China has become Tajikistan's second-largest trading partner, Xi said, their Belt and Road cooperation has yielded fruitful results with two-way trade constantly setting new records.

At the airport, Rahmon held a grand welcome ceremony. Tajik children presented flowers to Xi.

More than 1,500 young Tajiks dressed in national costumes performed Chinese and Tajik songs and dances, and waved the flags of China and Tajikistan to express their warm welcome to the most honored guest from China.

Xi landed in Dushanbe after attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, and a state visit to Kazakhstan. Three Kazakh Air Force jets escorted Xi's plane after it took off.
The Labour Party won the UK election in a landslide, as Britons overwhelmingly voted on Thursday to end 14 years of Conservative rule.

Exit polls and the first official results showed early on Friday that the Labour Party won more than 400 seats in Parliament, while the Tories lost more than 200 seats and slumped to about 120, the worst election showing since World War II.

The resounding Labour victory is a concern for the UK oil and gas industry, as the new government could follow up on Labours campaign pledges to further raise the already high windfall tax on oil and gas profits in the North Sea and scrap tax relief for operators for part of the investments in oil and gas assets they have made.

Operators in the UK North Sea are consolidating operations in view of the tax regime in the UKCS, where the Conservatives introduced a windfall tax in 2022. Earlier this year, the tax was extended by a year to March 2029.

On the eve of the election, David Whitehouse, CEO of the leading trade body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), said: The incoming government must listen to energy industry concerns about the UKs fiscal regime and licenses for domestic oil and gas production if it is to deliver a successful energy transition.

Details matter. Labour Party policies, poorly managed and delivered without industry input, could spell chaos for employment in this industry at a time when there are already concerns about the economy, Whitehouse added.

The Labour leadership must deliver on its assurances to engage with industry on how to manage the UKs energy transition, he noted.

Last month, OEUKs Whitehouse commented on the Labour Party manifesto, saying that Were concerned by proposals to end new oil and gas licences in UK waters.

We are explaining to all parties that we need the churn of new licences for a successful homegrown energy transition, to safeguard jobs and our energy security and create the investment conditions firms need to stay here in the UK.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
It would have been hard to find a more picturesque setting for the Fourth of July than downtown Ralston this year.

Thousands of people decked out in patriotic apparel lined the streets to watch the annual Independence Day parade. More than 70 entrants, including firetrucks, a high school band, military veterans, volunteer organizations and political candidates, trekked the mile-long route in the Douglas County city surrounded by Omaha and Sarpy County.

Now in its 64th year, the parade continues to draw longtime and former Ralston residents looking to experience a slice of Americana.

When you come to the parade, sometimes you feel like its a little flashback to 50 years ago, said Kevin Heim, a Ralston native who now lives in Lincoln with his wife, Kara, and their three daughters.

The parade also draws visitors from other parts of the country.

Its beautiful. Its green, said Paula London of Salida, Colorado, who came to the parade with her wife, Jazz Bayless, and her children and grandchildren as they watched the parade from Independence Plaza.

Three-year-old Adalie Wiens was enjoying a frozen popsicle at her first parade. She made sure to wave to the firefighters in their firetrucks. She, along with her parents Kyle and Veronica, recently moved to the area from Louisiana.

They enjoyed the parades family-friendly atmosphere.

There are good folks out here, Kyle said.

Amy Roeder, Ralstons events and tourism director, said the parade brings people together. She said its truly a whole-city celebration.

There are people who have been sitting in the same spot and doing the same things for all their lives or all the time the parade (has been running). Its a pretty cool tradition, she said.

Ralstons Independence Day parade is one of the high points of the towns annual Fourth of July celebration that ends with fireworks.

Photos: Fourth of July parade in Ralston
BLOOMINGTON  McLean County voters outside of Bloomington will be able to track their mail-in ballots for the Nov. 5 general election and onward.

On Friday, McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael announced a new vote-by-mail service provided by KNOWiNK, a Missouri-based software company that will be responsible for printing and mailing vote-by-mail ballots for all future McLean County elections.

Attached to the bottom of the ballot will be a slip with a QR code and web address that will give voters the chance to track the mailed ballot and make sure it is received by the county clerk's office.

"It just gives further confidence to the voter," Michael said. "We've been building that confidence through our hard work and dedication and honesty over the years, and now we're really going to enhance that."

Mclean County has received nearly 6,000 requests for vote-by-mail ballots for the general election, but Michael anticipates the number of requests to be as high as 15,000 before November.

Ballots will not fit into the return envelope without removing the tracking slip, which will help to ensure that this information is kept by the voter.

Michael said there also will be a significant cost savings under this new system thanks to the county meeting the qualifications for a nonprofit mailing rate.

Sending vote-by-mail applications to the county's roughly 60,000 registered voters at the current 68-cent first-class rate would have cost $40,800.

That price would fall to $11,400 based on the 19-cent nonprofit rate. However, the applications would still receive the same service level as first-class mail.

Tazewell County officials announced their own partnership with KNOWiNK last month.

Tazewell County Clerk and Recorder John Ackerman said with talks about having only two distribution centers in the entire state, it will become even more important to monitor the status of vote-by-mail ballots.

"The primary factor is the unreliability of the post office going forward," Ackerman said during Friday's press conference. "We have seen more and more ballots that have been withheld and not being delivered to our office."

Tazewell County recently dealt with a citizen who had mailed a primary election ballot on March 19 at the post office in Pekin, which is a block away from the Tazewell County Clerk's Office. But because the ballot got stuck in a machine in Peoria County, Ackerman said it wasn't received until June.

"The citizen did everything right to get their ballot in on time," he added.

KNOWiNK uses the same advanced cybersecurity measures used by the Illinois State Board of Elections, according to Ackerman. However, the company would not be involved with the processing of the ballot after it is mailed.

"They're just printing the materials, the envelopes, the ballots, the stickers, putting them in the mail to the voter and then providing the tracking software so that that ballot can be tracked through the process," Ackerman said.

Ballots will not be opened until they are in the hands of the county's election judges, he added.

Watch: How mail-in ballots are processed at the Government Center in Bloomington DOMINANT 110420-blm-loc-2voteprocess 110420-blm-loc-3voteprocess 110420-blm-loc-4voteprocess 110420-blm-loc-5voteprocess 110420-blm-loc-6voteprocess DOMINANT 110420-blm-loc-8voteprocess 110420-blm-loc-9voteprocess
 Flash

Russia is ready to start producing short- and medium-range missiles in response to U.S. actions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"I said that in connection with the withdrawal of the United States from the Intermediate Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty and the announcement that they start production, we also consider that we have the right to begin research, development, and production (of these missiles) in the future," Putin told reporters after the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana.

Russia is carrying out such research and development and is ready to start production, he said, adding that Moscow can act in a similar way in case U.S. short-and medium-range missiles are deployed in any region of the world.

The United States and the Soviet Union signed the INF treaty in 1987, which prohibited possessing, developing and testing ground-launched missiles with a range of 500-5,500 km.

In 2019, the United States officially announced its withdrawal from the INF treaty.
The Paramount Chief of Essikado, Nana Kobina Nketsia V has commended Mr Joe Ghartey for his style of leadership since entering politics.



According to him, Mr Ghartey must be studied by young politicians.



He has conducted himself well in the public sector, Nana Kobina Nketsia V said when Joe Ghartey led a group to his residency to present support to the victims of the recent Ngersia fire incident.



He also prayed for him to succeed in his new post as the Board Chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority.









Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Ghana will host the first-ever Electric Revolution Africa (ERA) E-Mobility Conference in Accra.



The Conference being organised by Energy Quest Foundation is in partnership with the United Nations, the Ministry of Energy, Transport, Environment Science & Technology, and will be held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel from Tuesday 9th to 10th of July, 2024.



The two-day event will be headlined by Ghanas Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Prempeh and will also attract other international speakers from the continent of Africa and beyond.



It is on theme The New ERA: Innovation and Sustainability



The ERA E-Mobility Conference is an energy transition-driven conference dedicated to maximizing business collaboration for economic development in Africa and accelerating the growth of the African e-mobility ecosystem; addressing pressing policy challenges and exploring opportunities for sustainable e-mobility.



This maiden edition will feature intellectually stimulating dialogues, exhibitions, corporate networking sessions, and an electric vehicle show (EV Experience), providing a premier platform for policymakers, development partners, industry leaders, and stakeholders to converge and drive advancements in electric mobility in Africa.



Discussions at this two-day conference will cover environmental sustainability, climate change, feasible means to promote electric mobility in Africa, energy transition in Africa, and Trade & Investments among many others. Further deliberation will delve into investment and partnership opportunities within the electric vehicle industry and Africas EV transition and diversification. The icing on the cake is, the exhibition of cutting-edge EV technologies and the opportunity to experience it all for free.



Speakers will include; Damilola Ogunbiyi- CEO and UN SRSG for Sustainable Energy for All, Co-Chair of UN Energy; R. Yoofi Grant, CEO of GIPC, Dr Riverson Oppong, PhD- CEO of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies Ghana; Charles Abani- United Nations Resident Coordinator, Ghana and Ademola Ogunbanjo- Executive Vice President of Oando Clean Energy from Nigeria.



Others are; Talha Tol- Commercial Counsellor, Turkish Ambassador (Turkey, Nana Arkorful- Impact Startup Founder from the USA. Doris Edem Agbevivi- Senior Officer at the Energy CommissionDrive Electric Initiative (Ghana), Kodjo Afidegnon- MD, Transaction Advisory Group- GreenMaxfrom Togo, Amazing Grace Anim- Yeboah-- Director, Business Banking, Absa (Ghana) and IanMbote-- MD and Chief Technology Officer at Wahu Mobility from Kenya.



About Energy Quest Foundation



Energy Quest Foundation seeks to demystify the Energy Sector, giving clarity and understanding to all, impacting lives, and the environment. The foundation has over the years educated and empowered thousands of individuals in the energy sector. We have projected various businesses within the energy sector while exploring many opportunities for foreign direct investment within the sector. The foundation has undertaken ground-breaking projects towards promoting awareness about sustainability, women empowerment, youth capacity building and creating a platform for dialogues ona just energy transition for Africa. Our projects include The Energy Quest Talk Show, The Women in Energy project, Energy Career Seminar, Energy Capacity Building, and the EV Revolution Africa projects.



The Need for a Global Transition



Climate change remains a pressing global issue affecting livelihoods worldwide. To limit its life-threatening effects, the world is working towards decarbonization with many countries transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs); an essential drive towards sustainability



About the ERA Conference



The ERA E-Mobility Conference offers a capacity building platform to leapfrog Africa into achieving sustainable energy transition, while reducing carbon emissions and accelerating African economic growth through the e-mobility industry. ERA is an Energy transition project, that enables valuable African interconnectivity in the NEW ERA.



This conference will promote brands, businesses, and investments, while stimulating economic growth and partnerships across multiple industries. This conference will not only promote Africas e-mobility industry and the economy but also contribute to the development of innovative technologies and job creation.









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
A cross section of Ghanaians have expressed joy over the impact of digitalization on the declining rate of financial irregularities in the latest report by the Auditor General.



In the report, the Auditor Genera detected financial irregularities to the tune of GH11.32 billion in public sector finances but the figure represented a decline of 32 percent of GH5.2 billion which is 32% lower than the previous years situation where GH16.57 billion irregularities were identified.



According to the Auditor General, the significant improvement made in the fight against financial irregularities was as a result of concerted efforts by various stakeholders including government.



Responding to the news on social media, a number of Ghanaians have welcomed the improvement and attributed it to digitalization of public services.



For a number of respondents, monitored on social media, the digitalization of public services, especially linking the Ghana Card to public payroll, has ensured proper financial management and saved the country millions of cedis.



Over the past seven years, government has implemented a massive digitalization drive with the Ghana Card as an anchor driving the digitalization of many public services such as public payroll, Registrar General Department, DVLA, SSNIT, National Service Scheme, services at the port, NHIA registration, among others.



Many public offices including SSNIT, the National Service Secretariat and the Controller and Accountant General have recorded significant savings due to the digitalization of its offices through the Ghana Card.



National Service



Following digitization of the National Service Scheme, a shocking 44,000 ghost names were recently discovered on the payroll and expunged, saving Ghana a total of GH356 million.



Also, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) saved GH480 million by eliminating 29,000 ghost pensioners while the Controller and Accountant General successfully discovered tens of thousand of ghost names on government payroll and saved the country millions of cedis which would have otherwise ended up in private pockets.



Ghanaians who commented on the outcome of the latest Auditor General's report, commended the government and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for the commitment to implementing digital initiatives across the public sector.



Read comments below:

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
A 19-year-old pregnant girl, who was on the verge of committing suicide has been rescued by police officers attached to Ikorodu Area Command, Lagos.



The girl said to be eight months pregnant, called one of her bosom friends, lamenting that she was fed up with life after the boy that impregnated her abandoned her.



Worse still, she was said to have expressed worries that the woman she was working for as a Point of Sale, POS, operator in Ikorodu area was threatening to arrest her after she was duped of N100,000 by a customer.



It was learned that when the Area Commander in Ikorodu, Mr. Musendique Orobiyi got privileged information about threats by the helpless girl to take her life, he swung into action and detailed a team of female detectives to locate the girl and save her life.



The detectives later traced her to Iyana-Iyesi in Ogun State, where she was on the verge of drinking a bottle of sniper she bought earlier.



They, subsequently, rescued and took her to Ikorodu Area Command from where they gave her all the necessary guidance, including feeding and changing her clothes before handing her over to the gender unit at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters, Ikeja.



The victim (name withheld) who spoke to Vanguard on phone, lamented that life has been unfair to her.



According to her, My trouble started after I got pregnant for my boyfriend, who subsequently denied the pregnancy and later moved out of where he lived around Oshodi.



When we were dating, he said he loved me and that he wanted to marry me, but immediately I got pregnant and informed him, he denied me. As if that was not enough trouble for me, I was duped of N100,000, where I worked as a POS attendant. Someone used fake alert to defraud me.



I dont have anyone. I am eight months pregnant, yet I havent gone to antenatal once. I dont know the gender of my baby because I dont have the funds to go to any clinic. Life has been difficult for me, theres nobody to help me. My parents are divorced and I dont know their whereabouts.



I dont know that the police can help like this. They brought me to Ikorodu and while I was there, they were contributing money to feed and clothe me. Their Area Commander was marvellous. He made sure I was very well treated.



Initially, I thought it was the woman I was working with that wanted to arrest me but when I came here, I discovered that they were all very sympathetic and helped me a lot. It has changed my mind about taking my life," Spokesperson, Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the incident.





Source: vanguard









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 Tanzanian portrait artist, who was accused of burning a photo of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has been sentenced to two years in prison or a fine of US$2,000 (1,600) after being found guilty of cybercrimes.



Shadrack Chaula was arrested for allegedly recording a viral video, showing him burning a picture of President Hassan while verbally insulting her.



The 24-year-old painter admitted committing the crime and failed to defend his action in court.



His arrest sparked legal controversy, with some lawyers saying that no law was broken in burning the picture.



Some social media users have started an online drive to raise money to pay Chaulas fine so he can be freed from jail.



In 2018, Tanzania enacted tough laws against the spread of fake news, which critics see as a way of curbing freedom of expression.



Police said Chaula used strong words against the president in the video he posted on his TikTok account on 30 June in Ntokela village, in the south-western city of Mbeya.



Local police chief Benjamin Kuzaga on Tuesday told journalists that the artists offences included burning the presidents portrait and disseminating offensive content online.



It is not the culture of Mbeya people to insult our national leaders, Mr Kuzaga said.



Some lawyers said there was no law that criminalises burning a picture of the president.



Was the picture taken by a government photographer? Let them come out publicly and explain their impact on society and the nation. Who can show the law that burning a picture is an offence? lawyer Philip Mwakilima told the Mwananchi newspaper.



But the act, which is deemed unethical in Tanzania, sparked public outrage.



On Thursday, magistrate Shamla Shehagilo found Chaula guilty of distributing videos on TikTok that contained false information in violation of the countrys cyber laws.



The court ruled that his actions constituted cyber-harassment and incitement.



Chaula remained silent when given the chance to defend himself against the charges, local media reported.

The prosecutor had urged the court to impose a harsh penalty on him in order to deter others from disrespecting the president.



The case has sparked a debate in the country with critics saying the sentence is too harsh and a reflection of the governments crackdown on dissent.



President Hassan, who came to power in 2021, has introduced reforms that have opened up the political and civic spaces.



But the opposition and rights groups have expressed concerns that the country is sliding back to retrogressive policies.

















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
South African police arrest teen caught assaulting his 82-year-old grandmother in viral video Police in Kraaifontein, Western Cape province of South Africa have arrested a teenager for the alleged assault of his 82-year-old grandmother.



The 19-year-old was arrested on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, after the disturbing video which shows the pensioner being beaten went viral on social media.



The disturbing incident, which occurred a month ago, has prompted widespread outrage and led to swift action by the authorities.



In the video, the grandson is seen assaulting the grandmother with his open arm, leading to a pot containing what appears to be porridge, spilling over.



The grandson beats the grandmother so hard that she drops to the floor.



The victim, a resident of Wallacedene in Kraaifontein, was found receiving treatment in the hospital for an ailment unrelated to the assault.



Despite the grandmothers refusal to submit a statement, police investigations uncovered that the assault took place in June at the victim's home.



Initially, when the South African Police Service (SAPS) was called to the scene, the family decided to handle the matter privately and declined police intervention.



Colonel Andre Traut, spokesperson for the Western Cape SAPS, said the severity of the incident which became evident when the video began spreading online, compelled SAPS to open a case docket on behalf of the victim.



He said that on Wednesday night, the 19-year-old suspect, who is the grandson of the victim, was arrested at his Wallacedene residence.



He is set to appear in Blue Downs Magistrates Court once formally charged.



"Crimes against women and children are a top priority for SAPS, and we will not turn a blind eye to any form of violence in this regard," said Traut.



The incident has sparked significant discussion on social media, with users expressing both outrage and concern for elderly abuse.

SAPS in the Western Cape have arrested a 19-year-old suspect who is seen in this video assaulting his grandmother.The suspect was traced to Wallecedene in Kraaifontein on Wednesday evening. He is expected to appear before the Blue Downs Magistrates Court on a charge of assault pic.twitter.com/ywn6Iy0vp1  Athlenda Mathe (@AthlendaM) July 4, 2024









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Following the nomination and approval of the Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, as the 2024 Presidential running mate of the Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, has expressed optimism over the duo, describing them as a good pair.



According to the President, the choice of the Energy Minister as the running mate for the vice President ahead of the December 7, general elections is a good sign for the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP).



Speaking to the press on Thursday, July 4, 2024, after the National Council had confirmed Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, President Akufo-Addo said, National Council has endorsed the nomination of Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh to be the running mate of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.



The NPP has an excellent ticket and were going to win with this ticket on 7th December 2024, thats the news. The feeling is good, they make a very good pair, and they are going to win.



The flag bearer of the NPP, Dr. Bawumia expressed his gratitude to the National Council of the party for unanimously endorsing the selection of the Manhyia South lawmaker.



The National Council of the NPP on July 4, met at the Alisa Hotel in Accra to endorse the running mate of the party, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who is expected to bring his expertise on board to help the party win the 2024 elections.



The news has of his endorsement was received with mixed reactions from different facets of the public, with some believing in his strong leadership disposition, others also believe that he should be guided during the deliveries of speeches.



However, the President, Nana Akufo-Addo believes that Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has what it takes to deliver on his mandate as the running mate.





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
 Flash

At least 25 people drowned while fleeing the ongoing military clashes in the Sinnar State in central Sudan after their wooden boat capsized, local resistance committees announced on Thursday.

"As the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) entered the area, at least 25 citizens, most of them women and children, died in a boat sinking accident east of Abu Hujar city, between the Al-Dibaiba and Luni villages," the resistance committees in Sinnar said in a statement.

The victims included entire families from the Al-Dibaiba village, the statement added.

Over 55,400 people have fled Singa, the capital city of Sinnar state, since the clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary RSF expanded in June, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Sudan conflict, which broke out in mid-April 2023, has led to at least 16,650 deaths, reported the OCHA in a June report.

Over 7.7 million people have been displaced internally within Sudan since the outbreak of the conflict, while about 2.2 million others have crossed borders into neighboring countries, according to the figures released on June 25 by the UN International Organization for Migration.
The Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, has dismissed a petition by former Special Prosecutor Martin Alamisi Amidu which sought to remove his successor from office over allegations of procurement and human rights breaches.



Information available indicates that the Chief Justice after a careful consideration of the petition came to the conclusion that the factual and legal foundation of the petition fell short of the standard required to establish a prima facie case for the removal of Kissi Agyebeng as the Special Prosecutor (SP).



Mr. Amidus petition, which was sent to President Akufo-Addo on April 30, 2024, accused Mr. Agyebeng of flouting procurement laws in the purchase of vehicles for the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and Mr. Agyebengs alleged abuse of judges and the administration of justice in the country.



Mr. Amidu, in his petition, accused the Special Prosecutor of allegedly violating the rights of some citizens through their arrests and detentions, violations of the right to information, and improper appointments of some staff at the OSP.



President Akufo-Addo has, in accordance with the 1992 Constitution, forwarded the petition to the Chief Justice on May 6, 2024, for evaluation and possible action.



The Chief Justice subsequently wrote to Mr. Agyebeng, asking him to respond to the allegations contained in the petition which had been forwarded to her office.



But Justice Torkornoo, after a review of the petition and the response, came to the conclusion that In accordance with section 15 (3) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, the Chief Justice determined that the factual and legal foundation of the petition fall short of the standard required to establish a prima facie case for the removal of the Special Prosecutor.



Petition



Inaugural Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, in his petition to the President had accused Mr. Agyebeng of breaching procurement laws in the purchase of vehicles for his office as well as appointment of personnel for the OSP.



The allegations also included violations of the rights of certain individuals, including Cecilia Dapaah, former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources as well as Prof. Frimpong Boateng, who were arrested and detained by the OSP for various alleged corruption and corruption-related offences.



The petition also accused the Special Prosecutor of abusing judges in the country after his explosive interview in which he alleged that it appeared judges have ganged up against the fight against corruption in Ghana.



Mr. Agyebeng during a press briefing in November 2023, suggested that it appeared judges have ganged up against the OSP by issuing regressive and dismissive judicial decisions in respect of cases involving the OSP.



There appears to be a developing trend of rather regressive and dismissive judicial decisions in respect of cases involving the OSP, with troubling consequences. And it seems to us that a careful examination of these outcomes portends a disturbing spectre that the fight against corruption is being hampered to the disbenefit of us all, he said at the press briefing.



According to sources, this press briefing is one of the complaints Mr. Amidu touched on in his petition to the President as ground for impeaching Mr. Agyebeng.



Again, Mr. Amidu has alleged a breach of the Right to Information when Mr. Agyebeng requested appointment letters and salary details of all staff of the OSP to be put on a pen drive for him.

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
U.S. President Joe Biden stumbled over his words during an interview describing himself as a black woman during a radio interview, as calls mount for the 81-year-old US leader to drop his re-election bid.



Biden stumbled over his words during an interview with Philadelphias WURD, seemingly mixing himself up with his Vice President Kamala Harris.



By the way, Im proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first black woman... to serve with a black president. Proud to be involved of the first black woman on the Supreme Court. Theres so much that we can do because, look... were the United States of America, he said.



Biden appeared to be talking about his appointment of Kamala Harris as the United States first black female vice president.



Biden himself was previously vice president, which is likely what he was referring to when he said to serve with a black president.



The reference to the Supreme Court is Ketanji Brown-Jackson, the first black female justice, who was appointed by Biden in 2022.



The gaffe comes as President Biden told a gathering of nearly two dozen Democratic governors at the White House on Wednesday night that he needs to get more sleep and work fewer hours and even avoid events held after 8pm with reports that he can only handle the rigours of the job between 10am and 4pm as reported by The New York Times.



During the same gathering, the outlet reported, Biden responded to a question from Hawaii Governor Josh Green about his health by saying while his health was fine, the problem was just my brain, an apparent attempt at humour that went unrecognised by at least one state leader in the room.



Watch video below -

NEW: President Biden goes on incredibly confusing rant, calls himself the first black woman to serve with a black president.



He also called himself the first president that got elected statewide in the state of Delaware, when I was a kid.



By the way, I'm proud to be the, as pic.twitter.com/VMNtVe85Pz  Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 4, 2024









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Kenya's President, William Ruto has announced the country's National Treasury will cut spending to make room for key commitments after anti-government protests.



In a live address from the state house, Ruto said the government will present a proposal to the national assembly to approve massive expenditure cuts after the withdrawal of the 2024 finance bill.



Over the last few days, our treasury team has been assessing the adverse impact of either reducing the budget by the entire Sh346 billion or borrowing the full amount, he stated on Friday.



We have since struck a middle ground and will be proposing to the National Assembly a budget cut of Sh177 billion and borrow the difference. The additional borrowing will increase our fiscal deficit from 3.3 per cent to 4.6 per cent and will be used to protect the funding of critical government services, President Ruto stated.



President Ruto listed several critical government initiatives that will receive continued funding, including the hiring of medical interns, support for dairy farmers, road infrastructure projects, fertilizer subsidies, and settlements of debts owed to farmers in various sectors.



In addition to the financial adjustments, President Ruto also removed budgets for the offices of the first lady, and the second lady.



Dissolution of 47 State Corporations to eliminate overlapping functions and reduce operational costs.



Suspension of filling Chief Administrative Secretaries positions.



50 per cent reduction in government advisors within the public service.



Removal of budget lines for offices of First Lady, spouses of Deputy President, and Prime Cabinet Secretary.



Suspension of non-essential travel and participation in public contributions by state and public officers.



These measures are part of our commitment to enhance efficiency and transparency in serving the people of Kenya, President Ruto affirmed.



We are determined to improve the quality of services and ensure maximum value for the resources entrusted to us.









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:

Graphical abstract. Credit: Environmental Science & Technology (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10408

A McGill-led research team has developed the first real-time, on-site technology capable of detecting and deciphering nanoplastics from all other particles in water, a capacity akin to being able to find a needle in a haystack within milliseconds.

The work, "Nanoplastics in water: Artificial intelligence-assisted 4D physicochemical characterization and rapid in situ detection," was published in Environmental Science & Technology.

Microplastic pieces are between 1 micrometer and 5 millimeters, roughly equivalent to a grain of rice. Nanoplastics are far tiniera single nanometer is just 0.000001 millimeters. For comparison, a human hair is approximately 80,000100,000 nanometers wide.

"This technology has the potential to revolutionize how we monitor and manage plastic pollution, ultimately contributing to the preservation of our environment," said Parisa Ariya, James McGill Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at McGill, the study's lead author.

According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the equivalent of approximately 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic is dumped into the world's oceans, rivers and lakes each day. Understanding the impact of nanoplastics on ecosystems has been challenging due to the limitations of existing detection methods.

The artificial-intelligence-powered innovation addresses a critical need for real-time analysis of plastic pollution. This technology, an AI-assisted, nano digital in-line holographic microscopy dubbed "AI-Assisted Nano-DIHM," has garnered attention from experts since the innovation was unveiled in a recent publication.

A practical tool for identifying pollution 'hotspots'

"Our research has demonstrated that the AI-Assisted Nano-DIHM can automatically detect and differentiate nanoplastics and microplastics, even when they are coated in other particles, providing a comprehensive understanding of plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems," Ariya said.

This technology offers a practical tool for identifying and addressing pollution "hotspots" more effectively. Preliminary findings from Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River indicate AI-Assisted Nano-DIHM can identify micro- and nanoplastics within waterborne particles.

This pioneering technology, developed in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada, represents a crucial breakthrough in environmental monitoring.

More information: Zi Wang et al, Nanoplastics in Water: Artificial Intelligence-Assisted 4D Physicochemical Characterization and Rapid In Situ Detection, Environmental Science & Technology (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10408 Journal information: Environmental Science & Technology
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:

Researchers studied honeybees (Apis mellifera) and a mason bee (Osmia excavata) across 20 rice fields within the Yangtze River Valley in China to understand the loss of habitat and pesticide exposure. Credit: Changsheng Ma

Worldwide, hedgerows and wild grass in field margins which previously served as semi-natural habitats are being swallowed up into agricultural production. While scientists have suggested both pesticide use and habitat loss are detrimental to pollinators, their relative impacts have been unclear.

A study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology offers insight. Its findings indicate semi-natural habitats play a more important role than pesticide use in rice fields, in efforts to stem the decline in pollinator diversity.

The researchers studied honeybees (Apis mellifera) and a mason bee (Osmia excavata) across 20 rice fields within the Yangtze River Valley in China.

Dr. Yi Zou, an associate professor at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), China, who co-led the team, says, "Non-crop habitats are important for pollinators in agricultural fields as these provide essential resources and nesting sites.

"Although the impact of pesticides cannot be ignored in efforts to reduce the decline in pollinator diversity, our results suggest it would be better to concentrate on conservation of semi-natural habitat than on reduction of pesticide use in rice fields."

One of the resources these habitats provide is food, says Dr. XiaoYu Shi, the study's first author and a postdoctoral researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

"Our study shows that in regions with a lower percentage of rice fields and more semi-natural habitat, there was more food available for female mason bees to feed their larvae with," he says.

The team believes this is the first study to include O. excavata, a native species of China, as an indicator of pesticide levels and food acquisition in an agricultural landscape. This species is used commercially in orchard pollination.

Dr. Zou says, "Pollinator diversity in Chinese small-holder agricultural ecosystems is very high, likely due to the diverse and complex landscape. Therefore, conserving semi-natural habitats in these agricultural systems is crucial.

"However, the impact of pesticides is still an important consideration. We found honey bees have a higher pesticide exposure risk in more intensified rice field," Dr. Zou says.

"Many aspects remain poorly understood. We need long-term monitoring of pollinator populations and their exposure to pesticides to better inform conservation efforts."

More information: Xiaoyu Shi et al, Influence of agricultural intensification on pollinator pesticide exposure, food acquisition and diversity, Journal of Applied Ecology (2024). DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14701 Journal information: Journal of Applied Ecology
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

As Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin prepares for the first launch of its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral this year, the company has taken time to voice concerns over future launches of competitor SpaceX's massive Starship and Super Heavy, also planning to launch from the Space Coast.

Elon Musk's company continues development of the most powerful rocket ever to reach orbit from its test site in Texas, but has plans for launch pads at both Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and neighboring Kennedy Space Center.

The Department of the Air Force is the midst of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the new rocket to launch from Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 37 aiming to take over the space that was used by United Launch Alliance until its final launch of the Delta IV Heavy earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration is performing a similar environmental impact assessment on a Starship launch pad from KSC's Launch Complex 39-A where SpaceX currently flies its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

The period for public comment on the FAA's assessment continued through June 24 before the EIS moved into its next phases.

Blue Origin took the opportunity to log its concerns and among its suggestions were limiting the number of launches SpaceX can perform from Florida.

Noting its more than $1 billon investment at Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 36, Blue Origin points out it employs 2,700 full-time employees in Brevard County including 449 at Canaveral "that are directly impacted by local launch activities."

Blue Origin's interests in the FAA's assessment include "the safe and effective preservation and transportation of real and personal property and personnel that will be impacted" by the introduction of Starship launches, which produce around 17 million pounds of thrust on launchmore than twice the power of the Saturn V rockets from the Apollo program.

Among the concerns from launching such a large rocket are launch pad anomalies, debris dispersion, blast overpressure, sonic boom overpressure, explosion, fire, air quality, noise or other effects during launch, landing or other operations.

Blue Origin also raised concerns over "the preservation of historical and environmental resources at or around KSC under Blue Origin's control, including those owned by USSF, NASA or other U.S. government entities."

And the company voiced concerns about its "safe and continuous access to the limited airspace and maritime resources necessary for Blue Origin to operate; and the safe and continuous access to common-use infrastructure and utilities."

This latter is potentially at risk as SpaceX has deemed plans to launch its Starship from KSC up to 44 times per year with booster landings that could include Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Canaveral.

Musk has said Starship launches could over the years increase from all of its launch sites to number in the thousands every two years to push through SpaceX's ultimate goal of building out a Mars colony.

"Starship-Super Heavy operations are expected to have a greater environmental impact than any other launch system currently operating at KSC or CCSFS," Blue Origin noted in its comment pointing out the rocket "can hold up to an unprecedented 5,200 metric tons of liquid methane for propulsion, resulting in qualified distances for safety margins that potentially overlap the operational sites of other companies, the government and the public."

Because of that, Blue Origin suggests the FAA's EIS (environmental impact statement) "should thoroughly evaluate the considerable risks, alternatives, mitigations and resources" it points out.

That includes capping the number of launch, landings and other operations such as test fires Starship can perform; government investment in more launch infrastructure that would reduce Starship impacts on other launch companies such as more launch pads; and allotting other launch providers "the right-of-first refusal or schedule priority for certain conflicting launch or other operational opportunities."

Other suggestions include requiring SpaceX or the government to "indemnify third parties for any losses caused by" Starship operations "including commercial disruption incurred," and mandatory penalties for SpaceX "for conducting operations not included in an active EIS or other environmental restriction, violating a launch license, or any other laws, regulations or other rules for operating."

Blue Origin will be competing with SpaceX and ULA for time on the range, and also with SpaceX for use of maritime assets such as booster recovery vessels out of Port Canaveral.

Already in 2024, SpaceX has launched 46 times compared to ULA's three launches, part of what is expected to be a record year that could see more than 100 launches. That total is forecast to grow to 200 launch and recovery missions annually by 2028, and could balloon to more than 1,250 missions in the next five decades, according to a Space Florida report this year on support infrastructure needs.

The company has targeted the rocket's first launch before the end of the year with the Space Force having in January earmarked an opening on the range as early as September.

This week Blue Origin posted video of test operations at LC-36 showing what it said was a successful simulation of the launch tower's rapid retract system needed during rocket liftoff.

"The retract system ensures the transporter erector is quickly positioned away from New Glenn at liftoff to provide flyout clearance," Blue Origin posted. "We've been out on the pad testing since late May and plan to roll back to the integration facility in a few days."

One pacing item for New Glenn's launch is its need for seven of the company's BE-4 engines. Blue Origin also provides BE-4 engines to ULA for its Vulcan rockets, but those only use two.

ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno said last week Blue Origin had delivered all six needed for ULA's next three Vulcan launches planned for 2024 and had now switched to production for New Glenn.

For New Glenn, the engines can produce 3.9 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and will burn blue as they use liquefied natural gas (LNG) mixed with liquid oxygen.

Blue Origin has dozens of launches under contract including NASA's ESCAPADE mission to study solar wind energy around Mars, launches to support future Artemis human landing missions, flights for telecom satellite companies Telesat and Eutelsat, and up to up to 27 launches over the next several years to support Bezos' Amazon and its Project Kuiper program.

It also last month joined SpaceX and ULA as one of three providers under the lucrative National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 launch services procurement, which will dole out contracts for launches over the next five years worth up to $5.6 billion.

Similar to SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, the New Glenn first stage is designed for a recovery landing on a sea-based platform 620 miles downrange in the Atlantic after launch. They will then be returned to nearby Port Canaveral, where Blue Origin recently installed its a 375-foot-tall tower crane. The company aims to use the first stage for up to 25 missions.

The rocket's size, though, sets it apart from its competitors in that its payload space is large enough to fit three school buses, the company said. That's because of a nearly 23-foot diameter fairing compared to the roughly 17- to 18-foot diameter fairings found on Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Vulcan Centaur.

Blue Origin took over the lease for LC-36 in 2015. It was previously used for government launches from 1962 to 2005, including lunar lander Surveyor 1 in 1967 and some of the Mariner probes.

2024 Orlando Sentinel. 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

The glamorization of high-pressure work environments, like the infamous "996" culture (where staff work from 9am until 9pm six days a week), often portrays relentless dedication and long hours as key to career success.

A PR boss at Chinese tech firm Baidu publicly apologized in May after glorifying a work-till-you-drop culture. Qu Jing advised staff not to expect weekends off and denied any responsibility for employee welfare, saying: "I'm not your mother."

It is not surprising that there was a public outcry around a culture that discourages a work-life balance. The effects of this can be profound, especially for young workers who want to develop their careers amid blurred boundaries between work and personal life.

And it appears a healthy home life is important to work performance too. In studies we conducted with dual-earner couples aged 40 and over from the US, our results showed that feeling supported at home spills over into the workplace. This can improve both creativity and performance.

Two interesting results came to light. First, our results showed that constant exposure to mobile phones during non-work hours (referred to as "phubbing") damaged the support and communication between couples at home.

Employees who engaged less with their phones at home were able to enjoy the support and communication of their partner better. As employees, they felt more proactive and energized at work.

Second, by focusing on the times when positive experiences from home cross into the work domain, we found that supportive colleagues (for example, someone who would help out a colleague who had a family emergency) made employees more engaged at work.

Employees who felt supported by their partner (at home) and colleagues (at work) felt energized and "in the flow," and they contributed to company success by showing creativity and innovation.

The changing workplace

While flexible working has become the norm in the wake of COVID, companies have increasingly been offering more flexibility. Another study shows that young employees who have discretion over when and where they work perform better in their job.

What we noticed was that the employees went above and beyond their work requirements. This piqued our interest, and our follow-up research focused on the factors that contributed to these elevated performance levels.

We found a new type of leadership trait, which we called "family-supportive leadership." This management style aims to foster a culture that values work-life balance through empathy.

We found working with family-supportive leaders who can show empathy enhances employee performance and well-being. Through a family-supportive work culture, employees growing through the ranks are more likely to feel energized at work.

We conducted a meta-analysis (a scientific review of all studies published) on family-supportive leadership to understand the link between this type of leadership, the work culture and employee behavior.

Our review demonstrated that empathy from a manager improves the performance of employeesas well as the employee's job satisfaction. It also reduces burnout. The underlying reason for these positives is that family-supportive leadership minimizes conflict between work and family as much as possible.

What's more, these leaders are praised by their teams, which has positive effects on employee morale and motivation. Where work culture supports family and leisure, we found that employees were more creative.

And in a more recent study that we conducted with young employees and their managers in Mexicowhere there is an emphasis on long working hours with men predominantly the breadwinnerswe found that family and leisure-supportive culture plays an important role keeping employees engaged. We measured vigor, dedication and absorption around work, which ultimately led to better performance.

In light of the Baidu misstep, it's crucial to recognize the broader implications of work exploitation in large corporations. When employers prioritize relentless productivity over creating a balance between work and family lives, it perpetuates a cycle of exploitation that places profits over employee well-being.

We have some key takeaways for leaders, companies and employees.

invest in programs to develop family-supportive leadership practices and attitudes (for example, reduced workload arrangements or caregiver support groups)

create a culture that's respectful of the work-family and work-leisure balance. Ensure that norms, behavior and attitudes respect the non-work lives of employees and pay attention to the boundary between work and family lives

be aware of the dangers associated with phubbing and constant phone access. Employees who constantly feel connected develop signs of burnout, exhaustion and depletion over time. A possible solution is to normalize switching off, recovery and relaxation strategies after work and during weekends

invest in employee strengths (these areas where they shine at work). This is important, as employees who build on their strengths tend to feel inspired and find meaningfulness in their work.

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:

Can you remember your last in-person exam? You're waiting outside the venue with your identification, pens and back-up pens. Everyone is nervously looking at their notes or avoiding eye contact.

The doors open and you enter a cavernous space of numbered tables in rows. You find your seat and, waiting to start, glance around the vast space that surrounds you.

Our research suggests this environment may have an effect on your ability to perform at your best.

In our new study, we looked at the impact of ceiling heights on the exam performance of Australian students.

Exams have a long history

Exams date back more than 1,300 years and are still one of the most common forms of assessment for school and university. They are often conducted in large spaces for efficiency in supervision and space use. This often includes gymnasiums, auditoriums, showgrounds, halls and exhibition buildings.

While the pandemic led a shift to online exams, growing concern over AI and other forms of cheating has seen a renewed emphasis on this traditional style of in-person assessment (even if research shows "high stakes" exams are not good for learning or the prevention of cheating).

Our research

In our previous 2022 lab-based study, we found if rooms were larger, there was an impact on brain activity associated with our ability to concentrate.

This led us to wonder whether, in everyday life, large rooms have an impact on cognitive performance (or how well our brains can perform tasks)and therefore whether traditional large exam halls have an impact on students' results.

To test this, in our new study, we compared students' exam results across different sizes of rooms.

We looked at the results from 15,400 psychology undergraduates at one Australian university over eight years (201119), and across three campuses.

We matched exam scores and the room dimensions where the examinations were held. This included rooms with ceiling heights between 2.79 meters to 9.50m, and internal floor areas between 38m to 1,562m.

As we relied on non-experimental data (things in their natural state), we were careful to account for other variables that might account for the results.

We factored in students' coursework scores as well as variables such as their gender, age, past exam experience and the unit of study. We also looked at geographic location, as admission requirements were different across campuses. All of these helped us understand what might affect our results.

To do our analysis, we used a statistical model called a "linear mixed model." This meant we could add these different variables to try and understand the extent to which they predict something (in this case, exam performance).

What we found

The "significance" score for coursework was less than 0.001 and for ceiling height it was 0.002. A score below 0.05 means the result is unlikely to happen by chance, so we can be confident there's a real effect.

This means a students' prior coursework scores had a bigger impact on their exam score. But we still found ceiling height was a significant predictor of their results. In other words, even after accounting for other factors, higher ceiling heights were a significant predictor of the students' exam scores.

This suggests study habits matter but so too do the dimensions of the room in which you sit the exam.

Why is this?

Our fresh findings suggest several questions ripe for further research. These include:

is room insulation and climate control (which affect the air temperature, quality and circulation) a reason for room size making a difference? Research shows factors such as temperature affect cognitive performance.

does room context have an impact? If we know big halls and gyms are usually designed for large social gatherings and sporting events, does this make us feel less comfortable or bring back past memories, and therefore make us less likely to perform at our best?

does being in a space with more people sitting close by means you are more or less likely to cheat? How does this affect your score?

what happens when students are randomly allocated to rooms of different sizes? At present there are other factors such as special consideration which will determine exam room allocation and conditions.

We also need to consider what is happening now for online exams. This has introduced new variability around the environmental conditions for students. Here, a student may have an advantage if they feel cozy and relaxed at home, or perhaps they may struggle to concentrate due to other environmental and social factors at home.

Given we only studied students in one discipline (psychology) we also need to replicate these findings in different areas and groups of students.

What else?

This work also feeds into our broader research about how building design can effect what our brains need to do.

There is already significant community awareness of how buildings can impact upon our physical healthand building codes and regulations to make sure they meet these standards.

But as our research shows, the way spaces are designed can have an impact on the way we think and how well we perform a task. This could be applied beyond exams to how we learn or do our jobs in the broader world.

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:

Ash plumes shot up into the sky as high as 4.5 kilometers, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said.

Sicily's Catania airport reopened Friday after a temporary suspension of flights earlier in the day caused by an eruption from Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano.

The airport said late Friday afternoon that it had fully reopened, while warning of some temporary delays.

Flights were suspended Friday morning after ash plumes from the nearby active volcano of Mount Etna shot up into the sky Thursday as high as 4.5 kilometers, according to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).

Footage shared on social media showed the streets of Catania's city center covered in thick layers of black ash, slowing down traffic.

By Friday afternoon, the airport said it had cleared the runway and resumed departures, while limiting arrivals to two per hour.

The 3,324-meters-high (10,905 feet) volcano has erupted multiple times in recent decades.

Over the last few days, its crater had begun to spit fountains of scorching lava and releasing ash.

Italian authorities also issued a red warning for another volcano north of SicilyStromboli on the island of the same namewhose eruption created ash clouds.

Mount Stromboliculminating at 920 meters and with a base reaching 2,000 meters below sea levelis known for being one of the only nearly constantly active volcanoes in the world, according to the INGV.

Millions of passengers transit through Catania airport every year, connecting them to eastern Sicily, among Italy's most popular tourist hotspots.

 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:

Visualization of the Shackleton crater at the moons south pole. Credit: Nasa Scientific Visualization Studio

June 25 2024 marked a new "first" in the history of spaceflight. China's robotic Chang'e 6 spacecraft delivered samples of rock back to Earth from a huge feature on the moon called the south poleAitken basin. After touching down on the moon's "far side," on the southern rim of the Apollo crater, Chang'e 6 came back with around 1.9kg of rock and soil, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The moon's south pole is designated as the location for the future China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). This truly international endeavor has partners including Russia, Venezuela, South Africa and Egypt, and is being coordinated by an ad hoc kind of international space agency.

China has a strategic plan to build a space economy and become the world leader in this field. It intends to explore and extract minerals from asteroids and bodies such as the moon, and to use water ice and any other useful space resources available in our solar system.

China aims to explore the moon first, then the asteroids known as near-Earth objects (NEOs). It will then move on to Mars, the asteroids between Mars and Jupiter (known as the main belt asteroids), and Jupiter's moons, using the stable gravitational points in space known as Lagrange points for its space stations.

One of China's next steps in this strategy, the robotic Chang'e 7 mission, is expected to launch in 2026. It will land on the illuminated rim of the moon's Shackleton crater, very close to the lunar south pole. The rim of this large crater has a point that is constantly illuminated, in a region where the angle of the sun casts long shadows that obscure much of the landscape.

As a landing site, it is particularly attractivenot only because of the illumination, but the easy access it offers to the interiors of the crater. These shadowed craters hold vast reserves of water ice, which will be indispensable in building and operating the ILRS, as the water can be used for drinking water, oxygen and rocket fuel.

It is a bold move, as the US also has ambitions to establish bases at the moon's south polethe Shackleton crater is prime real estate.

A later Chinese mission, Chang'e 8 (currently planned for no earlier than 2028), will aim to extract ice and other resources and demonstrate that it's possible to use them to support a human outpost. Both Chang'e 7 and 8 are considered part of ILRS and will set the scene for an impressive Chinese exploration program.

NASA is currently seeking further partners for the international agreement known as the Artemis Accords, established in 2020. These set out how resources on the moon should be used and to date, 43 countries have signed up.

However, the US Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon this decade, has been hit with delays due to technical issues.

It is normal to experience some delays in any complex new space program. The next mission, Artemis II, will carry astronauts around the moon without landing on it, but has been delayed until September 2025. Artemis III, which is due to ferry the first humans to the lunar surface since the Apollo era, is planned for no earlier than September 2026.

While this Artemis timeline could slip back further, China may deliver on its plans to land humans on the moon by 2030. Indeed, some commentators have wondered whether the Asian superpower could beat the US back to the moon.

Geopolitics in space

Will the US land humans on the the moon before the decade is out? I think so. Can China do the same before 2030? I am doubtfulbut this is not the point. China's space program is systematically growing in a consistent and integrated way. Its missions appear not to have experienced the serious technical issues that other ventures have encounteredor perhaps we are just not being told about them.

What we know for sure is that China's current space station, Tiangongwhich translates as "Heavenly Palace"is operational at an average altitude of 400km.

There is a plan to have it permanently inhabited by a minimum of three taikonauts (Chinese astronauts) by the end of the decade. By the time this happens, the International Space Station, orbiting at the same altitude, will be decommissioned and sent on a fiery descent into the Pacific ocean.

Geopolitics is back as a force in space exploration in a way we perhaps haven't seen since the space race of the 1950s and '60s. It's quite possible that the US Artemis III mission and China's Chang'e 7 and Chang'e 8 missions will all want to land at the same location close to the Shackleton crater.

Only the crater rims can feasibly act as good landing sites, so there may be no choice but for China and the US to exchange plans, and to use this renewed phase of space exploration as a new era in diplomacy. While maintaining national priorities, the two superpowers, together with their partners, may have to agree on common principles when it comes to exploring the moon.

China has come a long way since its first satellite, DongFangHong 1, was launched on April 24 1970. China was not a player during the original space race to the moon in the 1960s and '70s. It certainly is now.

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:

A man walks past a boarded-up store in Tulum, Quintana Roo State, Mexico.

Tourist resorts in Mexico steeled Friday for a hit from Hurricane Beryl, which is expected to bring ferocious winds and a dangerous storm surge to the Yucatan Peninsula after slamming Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

"Conditions to soon deteriorate for the Yucatan Peninsula" with "hurricane-like winds, dangerous storm surge, and damaging waves expected to begin shortly," the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) warned 01:00 am (0600 GMT) Friday.

Having restrengthened to a Category 3, Beryl is bearing down on tourist destination Tulum with winds of up to 115 miles an hour (185 kilometers an hour) and "little change in strength is expected before landfall" on Friday, the NHC said.

The storm has left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean and the coast of Venezuela, killing at least seven people.

It is the first hurricane since NHC records began to reach the Category 4 level in June and the earliest to hit the highest Category 5 in July.

In Mexico, schools in the area bracing for a hit were suspended and shelters set up for locals and tourists.

In Cancun, a two-hour drive from Tulum, people have been stocking up on food and other essentials for days and hotels have boarded up their windows.

Around 100 domestic and international flights scheduled between Thursday and Friday have been canceled at Cancun airport, the main hub in the Mexican Caribbean.

Hurricane Beryl is seen on July 3, 2024 as it approaches Jamaica in a satellite image obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Beryl is expected to hit the Yucatan Peninsula, emerge over the Gulf of Mexico, then arrive in the northern state of Tamaulipas, which borders the United States.

Hundreds of tourists were evacuated from hotels along Mexico's coastline while some were still attempting to take buses out of the impact zone.

However, some were still enjoying a sunny day at the beach before taking shelter in their hotels.

"They cancelled our flight and we had to pay for two extra nights," said Virginia Rebollar, a Mexican tourist who traveled with three family members to Tulum.

"We have some fear, but we are convinced that people are prepared and know what to do," Rebollar said.

Record-breaking storm

The Mexican army, which deployed around 8,000 troops in Tulum, announced that it has food supplies and 34,000 liters of purified water to distribute to the population.

A woman looks at a Jamaican beach littered with trash in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.

Military personnel stand close to stockpiles of water before Hurricane Beryl's arrival in Tulum.

The hurricane has already caused flash floods and mudslides in the Cayman Islands.

In Jamaica, more than 400,000 people were without power, according to the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper, citing a public service company.

Britain's King Charles said he had been "profoundly saddened" by the destruction from the hurricane in the Caribbean, which impacted several islands in the Commonwealth.

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.

 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:

Distributions of responses to the statement "Reform is a threat to democracy" at T1 and T2. Time 1 (T1) distribution appears in light blue, Time 2 (T2) distribution appears in dark blue. Responses ranged from 1 = Disagree completely to 7 = Agree completely. Credit: Communications Psychology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00080-x

A recent study, conducted in the midst of last year's widespread protests in Israel, has uncovered extreme polarization in public opinion regarding the judicial reform introduced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

The study, published in Communications Psychology by researchers at Bar-Ilan University, highlights the significant role of motivated reasoning in shaping people's views on this controversial issue.

In January 2023, Israel's newly elected government proposed a judicial reform aimed at curtailing the Supreme Court's power over the government. While some groups expressed support, many others saw it as a weakening of democratic institutions.

The reform was pushed forward despite a lack of widespread voter support. Protests erupted across the country, reflecting deep concerns about the reform's potential negative impacts on various sectors, including health care and academic freedom.

The study, conducted among the general Jewish population in Israel in the midst of the protests, involved two rounds of surveys in March and May 2023. It found that opinions about the reform were extremely polarized, with most individuals either strongly supporting or opposing it.

This polarization was driven by motivated reasoning, where people's pre-existing beliefs significantly influenced their views. This thought process leads people to arrive at conclusions that align with what they already believe.

The study was led by Dr. Dora Simunovic, of Constructor University in Germany and Bar-Ilan University in Israel, and Dr. Anna Dorfman and Dr. Maayan Katzir, of the Department of Psychology and Conflict Management, Resolution and Negotiation Program at Bar-Ilan University.

Key findings include:

Trust Dynamics: Reform supporters showed high trust in the government and mistrust in the judiciary, while opponents exhibited the opposite.

Views on Protests: Reform opponents viewed extreme protest measures as legitimate, whereas supporters justified the use of forceful means, such as stun grenades and water cannons to disperse demonstrations.

Democratic Principles: Reform supporters, who won the electoral majority, prioritized Majority Rule as a core democratic principle, while opponents valued the protection of Minority Rights and Independent Media more highly.

False Consensus: Both supporters and opponents believed their camp represented the majority, reflecting the psychological phenomenon of False Consensus.

"We were surprised by how quickly polarization over this newly emerging issue developed and the strong false consensus effect we observed," said researcher Dr. Maayan Katzir.

"People were convinced that their camp was the majority, no matter what their actual opinion was. This is a serious issue, because when each side is certain that they represent the majority, they are less willing to compromise, which maintains and deepens polarization."

Dr. Dora Simunovic, the study's lead author, explains that motivated reasoning affects everybody, regardless of partisanship, religion, education, and other characteristics. She adds, "The phenomenon of false consensus is concerning because it suggests that both sides feel emboldened by their perceived majority status, reducing the likelihood of compromise."

The study underscores the importance of understanding how motivated reasoning affects opinions on controversial topics and the potential for rapid polarization in societies, like Israel, with segregated education streams. Future research will explore how these educational differences influence national identity and democratic understanding.

"We need to look at how people understand what democracy is, because distorted and biased understanding of democracy can lead to support of undemocratic policies and actions," concludes Dr. Dorfman.

More information: Dora Simunovic et al, Exploring motivated reasoning in polarization over the unfolding 2023 judicial reform in Israel, Communications Psychology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00080-x Journal information: Communications Psychology
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:

Map of the line emission of hydrogen (in red and blue) and oxygen (in green) in the PJ308-21 system, shown after masking the light from the central quasar ("QSO"). The different colors of the quasar's host galaxy and companion galaxies in this map reveal the physical properties of the gas within them. Credit: Decarli/INAF/A&A 2024

An international research group led by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) and comprising 34 research institutes and universities worldwide utilized the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to witness the dramatic interaction between a quasar inside the PJ30821 system and two massive satellite galaxies in the distant universe.

The observations, made in September 2022, unveiled unprecedented and awe-inspiring details, providing new insights into the growth of galaxies in the early universe. The results, presented July 5 during the European Astronomical Society (EAS 2024) meeting in Padua (Italy), will be published soon in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Observations of this quasar (already described by the same authors in another study published last May), one of the first studied with NIRSpec when the universe was less than a billion years old (redshift z = 6.2342), have revealed data of sensational quality: the instrument "captured" the quasar's spectrum with an uncertainty of less than 1% per pixel.

The host galaxy of PJ30821 shows high metallicity and photoionization conditions typical of an active galactic nucleus (AGN), whereas one of the satellite galaxies exhibits low metallicity (which refers to the abundance of chemical elements heavier than hydrogen and helium) and photoionization induced by star formation; a higher metallicity characterizes the second satellite galaxy, which is partially photoionized by the quasar.

The discovery has enabled astronomers to determine the mass of the supermassive black hole at the center of the system (about 2 billion solar masses). It also confirmed that both the quasar and the surrounding galaxies are highly evolved in mass and metal enrichment, and in constant growth.

This has profound implications for our understanding of cosmic history and galaxies' chemical evolution, highlighting this research's transformative impact.

Roberto Decarli, a researcher at INAF in Bologna and first author of the article, explains, "Our study reveals that both the black holes at the center of high-redshift quasars and the galaxies that host them undergo extremely efficient and tumultuous growth already in the first billion years of cosmic history, aided by the rich galactic environment in which these sources form."

The data were obtained in September 2022 as part of Program 1554, one of the nine Italian-led projects of the first observation cycle of JWST. Decarli leads this program to observe the merger between the galaxy hosting the quasar (PJ308-21) and two of its satellite galaxies.

The observations were carried out in integral field spectroscopy mode: for each image pixel, the spectrum of the entire optical band (in the source rest frame) can be observed, shifted towards the infrared by the universe's expansion. This allows for the study of various gas tracers (emission lines) using a 3D approach.

Map of ionized oxygen emission in the PJ308-21 system, observed with the James Webb Space Telescope. Each frame shows a different speed range. In the animation, we see the complex three-dimensional structure of the system and the "cosmic dance" of the satellite galaxies around the quasar. Credit: Astronomy & Astrophysics (2024). DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202449239

Thanks to this technique, the team led by INAF detected spatially extended emissions from different elements, which were used to study the properties of the ionized interstellar medium, including the source and hardness of the photoionizing radiation field, metallicity, dust obscuration, electron density and temperature, and star formation rate.

Furthermore, the researchers marginally detected the starlight emission associated with companion sources.

Federica Loiacono, astrophysicist, research fellow and postdoc working at INAF, states, "Thanks to NIRSpec, for the first time we can study in the PJ308-21 system the optical band, rich in precious diagnostic data on properties of the gas near the black hole in the galaxy hosting the quasar and in the surrounding galaxies.

"We can see, for example, the emission of hydrogen atoms and compare it with the chemical elements produced by the stars to establish how rich the gas in galaxies is in metals.

"The experience in reducing and calibrating these data, some of the first collected with NIRSpec in integral field spectroscopy mode, has ensured a strategic advantage for the Italian community in managing similar data from other programs." Loiacono is the Italian contact person for NIRSpec data reduction at the INAF JWST Support Center.

She adds, "Thanks to the sensitivity of the James Webb Space Telescope in the near and medium infrared, it was possible to study the spectrum of the quasar and companion galaxies with unprecedented precision in the distant universe. Only the excellent 'view' offered by JWST, with its unparalleled capabilities, can ensure these observations."

The work represented a real "emotional rollercoaster," Decarli continues, "with the need to develop innovative solutions to overcome the initial difficulties in data reduction."

This transformative impact of the James Webb Space Telescope's onboard instruments underscores its crucial role in advancing astrophysical research.

"Until a couple of years ago, data on the enrichment of metals (essential for understanding the chemical evolution of galaxies) were almost beyond our reach, especially at these distances. Now we can map them in detail with just a few hours of observation, even in galaxies observed when the universe was in its infancy," Decarli concludes.

Provided by Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
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 report from the Monash Center for Youth Policy and Education Practice (CYPEP), has found that young people are missing out on being young.

Data collected for the 2022 Australian Youth Barometer was analyzed by members of CYPEP's Youth Reference Group to provide deeper insights into what it means to be young, and why young people are missing out.

Cost of living pressures and balancing work and study has meant that 45 percent of Australians aged 1824 often feel like they are missing out on being young.

Challenges identified by young people revolve around four key areas: finances, work, education, and long-term planning. These challenges are closely interconnected and linked to feelings of missing out on being young.

Key findings of the report included:

69% of young people who often worried about having enough to eat often felt that they were missing out on being young;

60% who often experienced financial difficulties often felt that they were missing out on being young;

51% who were unemployed often felt that they were missing out on being young;

50% who were unlikely to stay in their current accommodation often felt that they were missing out on being young; and

55% who felt that it was unlikely they would have children in the future felt that they were missing out on being young.

Youth Reference Group co-author, Andrew Leap, said, "This report has captured the constantly changing and challenging dynamics young people must endure to survive, thrive and experience 'being young.' It exemplifies their resilience and optimism despite the lack of institutional support. But most importantly, it guides decision-makers to move forward and support future generations to prosper from the perspective of young people."

Insufficient support was also associated with feelings of missing out:

56% reported that there is not enough or barely enough government support for mental health, and often felt that they were missing out on being young;

55% reported that there is not enough or barely enough government support for education, and often felt that they were missing out on being young; and

51% reported there is not enough or barely enough government support for employment, and often felt that they were missing out on being young.

Co-author and Director of the Monash Center for Youth Policy and Education Practice, Professor Lucas Walsh said the report highlights how young people must be at the center of this discussion about how they can be better supported.

"Young people, locked up during the pandemic, navigating a hostile employment environment and upended studies, have told us they have missed out on being young. They've been denied key life-experiences during a critical period of development in their lives," said Professor Walsh.

"This report explores what missing out on being young means by asking young people themselves and what we need to better support the pandemic generation."

Young people today face unprecedented challenges and this report captures their struggles and the necessity for targeted interventions to help them thrive.

More information: Monash Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice (CYPEP) et al, Young people's perspectives on missing out on being young., Monash University (2024). DOI: 10.26180/26132824.v1
Its a spectacle from the outside  and honestly, spectacle is probably not doing it justice.

One minute its a huge yellow emoji poking up from the asphalt and winking at you and a second later its a blob of lava lamp colors swirling above the Las Vegas skyline.

Get inside the Las Vegas Sphere, however, and the spectacle meter gets cranked up to 11 (I hope that Spinal Tap reference landed).

I just returned from seeing Dead and Company with a four-decade Grateful Dead-loving friend, and days later Im still scrolling through pictures and video marveling at it.

Oh, if Elvis were still alive.

Ive loved the music of The Grateful Dead since the late 80s and was lucky enough to see dozens of shows when Jerry Garcia was still alive and probably close to that many in the various incarnations of the band since.

Ive seen them perform as close as Saratoga and Albany and as far away as Buffalo and Washington, D.C.

Ive been up close and in the very back of the stadium where the sound didnt match the moving mouths on the video screen.

But NEVER have I experienced a show that was so immersive as the Sphere provided.

While waiting in line in 110-degree (record setting for this time of year) heat, I zoomed in with my phone camera to see what the exterior lights looked like up close. Picture the end of an LED flashlight stuck to a giant snow globe and multiply it by a gazillion.

Its not a screen at all.

Once inside, theres a wide-open atrium area with escalators to ascend you to your seat  and tons of Sphere workers oddly hoisting ping pong paddle signs directing you.

There were self-checkout beverage stations, various food options and plenty of space in the mezzanine area.

And as always, the people-watching opportunities were boundless. We saw senior citizens who undoubtedly followed the Dead in the 60s, and we saw the constantly-twirling teens and 20-somethings on the floor whose parents were young when Garcia died. As a writer, a Grateful Dead concert offers up endless story opportunities.

But once the music started, with sound emanating from hidden speakers in the walls, all eyes were fixed on the screen that enveloped us.

I was honestly a little nervous that it might be a sensory overload, but I figured I could close my eyes for a break if needed.

It wasnt.

It was spectacular.

A 200-foot tall red, white and blue clad skeleton danced for us during U.S. Blues. We flew down a purple stormy tunnel for Feel Like a Stranger and another golden tunnel that erupted into pyramids (in homage to the bands concerts there in the 70s) during China Cat Sunflower.

And we took a cool visual trip to San Francisco courtesy of a zoomed-in and zoomed-out satellite feed of the bands San Francisco apartment building from the 60s where it all started.

We saw them engulfed in a jungle-scape. Dwarfed by thousands of nostalgic ticket stubs and posters and we saw the bands famed wall of sound system being virtually built in front of us.

But in addition to the visual effects, the Sphere also provided up-close video of Bob Weir and John Mayer. They looked like they were having so much fun, and Mayer was loving trading licks with keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.

I was thinking how great this Sphere residency must be for them. No touring. They play three nights a week and probably zip back to nearby California for a week of chilling before doing it again.

Years ago, after some less-than-amazing Dead follow-up bands like Phil & Friends and Furthur, I was done. I had seen the real thing, and these shows just werent that great.

But when John Mayer joined, I was intrigued. Hes such a talented guitar player with a great voice. I decided to try again, and I was rewarded for that decision. He breathed amazing new life back into this band, and into Weir.

Although the setlist for the June 6 show (this band plays several shows without repeating songs!) we saw wasnt nearly as good as the next two nights, even the songs I dont love were tight musically and made fun for me in that Sphere.

My buddy, Patrick Boandl, from Vermont, called the experience a total wow factor.

He saw the very first Dead and Company show in Albany and agreed that Mayer was the shot in the arm the band needed. He said he loved all the history splashed on the screen, from places they played to black and white photos from yesteryear.

And one of the wildest things for me was how there was nothing on the stage except the musicians, he said. The starkness and contrast was amazing.

Jeff Morad, program director at WEQX in Manchester, Vermont, visited the Sphere in April to see the first of four PHISH shows. As much fanfare as the visuals of the Sphere are getting, Morad raved about the sound, calling it unbelievable!

There are 1,600 speakers and these high-tech seats that swallow up the talking but let the music flow, he said.

As a guy who travels the country seeing shows and looking for talent to play on the alternative station, he said only Red Rocks compares to the Sphere.

They took it to the next level. Its the future of venues. And now having been there, they ruined it for all other concerts for me, he said with a laugh.

If you get the chance to see a show in the Sphere  any show  just go.
ATLANTIC CITY  Ill go out of here on a wrecking ball! Im not going nowhere! yelled one woman who declined to give her name but said her Stanley Holmes Village apartment is in Village 1, where conditions are not too bad.

Another retired woman living in Village 3, where many apartments are boarded up and empty due to serious problems with water intrusion, sewer leaks, mold and more, said she has been told she will soon move temporarily into Village 2, then have to move again in another year when that village is cleared and demolished.

The place is falling apart, said Raquel Rodriguez of Village 3. She said she has lived in Stanley Holmes for 37 years.

If they had kept up the repairs it would be OK, she said of the Atlantic City Housing Authority, which owns and manages the property and others under oversight by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. They mistreated us, but I have faith in God. Everything is going to be all right.

On June 27, the authority passed a Stanley Holmes Village transfer plan that said it would move most Village 3 residents out of their apartments by Oct. 1, into either other authority complexes or into private housing using Section 8 vouchers.

Village 3 is between Kentucky and New York avenues from Adriatic to Sewell avenues.

Villages 1 and 2, which run from Adriatic to Baltic avenues between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Kentucky Avenue, will be evacuated by Oct. 1, 2025, according to the plan, and then demolished as well.

The transfer plan and a heat and hot water analysis said it would be too expensive to bring the complex up to acceptable standards.

Atlantic City Housing Authority plans ignore court orders, force 'emergency' Stanley transfers Atlantic City Housing Authority Executive Director Tom Sahlin testified last month in Superior Court that the authority was moving to install a new heating system in Stanley Holmes Village by Oct. 1, as repeatedly ordered by the court over the past year. But documents sent to the attorney for about 130 residents of Stanley Holmes suing over unsafe and unhealthy conditions there show the authority has done no such thing.

Authority Executive Director Tom Sahlin did not give information about the transfer plan when it passed at the board meeting last week, and it only became public when a lawyer for the residents sent it to the judge handling the case in which 130 residents are suing over conditions at Stanley Holmes.

It also came out in the heat and hot water analysis that the authority will not install a new heating system there, as it had repeatedly told a Superior Court judge it would do.

Sahlin said Friday he felt the plan has been completely misunderstood at best.

Additional information is being released soon that speaks for itself, Sahlin wrote in a text response. Were trying to do the best by our residents with extremely limited options to a very complicated issue.

He said the authority is making final edits to the transfer plan, and it all will become publicly available in about a week.

I had no idea they were going to take this down, said Dorothy Robinson, a retired casino worker whose only income is Social Security, of her Village 1 block of apartments on MLK Boulevard. I have been here more than 20 years, and all the problems I have had (other than heat and hot water outages) were little things like having to unstop the toilet, sink or tub.

Shes been in Stanley Holmes more than 50 years, she said, but in her particular apartment two decades, and said she will try to convince the Housing Authority to change its mind and keep Village 1 going.

When I got in here I thought I was in paradise, she said of the trees and lawns around her apartment, and the central location that allows her to walk to the laundromat, shopping areas and more.

Robinson and neighbor Stephon Evans, who lives in the same block of apartments, both said they are not interested in trying to find housing with a Section 8 voucher.

Atlantic City Housing Authority board member who pushed for residents rights set to resign Atlantic City Housing Authority member Charmaine Hall fought for transparency and residents rights, clashing often with the board's leadership. On Thursday, she said she intends to step down.

I have lived in worse places, Evans said of his block of Village 1, adding his apartment has no major problems other than inconsistent heat and hot water.

He is an overnight security guard in a Ventnor housing complex, he said.

I guard rich people all night, he said.

The vouchers allow low-income people to rent from private landlords and pay 30% of their income toward rent. The federal government pays the balance.

What are we going to find? Robinson said, because much housing in the city is in poor condition.

The authoritys plans, if they go through, will leave the city with 420 fewer units of affordable housing.

As some Stanley Holmes residents move into vacant authority units in other buildings, it will make the wait even longer for those in need of affordable housing who are on the wait list now.

Residents in Stanley Holmes have dealt with more than two years of inconsistent heat and hot water, with smaller numbers living with water intrusion, mold, pest infestations and more.

Atlantic City Housing Authority director testifies on why deadlines were missed The Atlantic City Housing Authority has not complied with court orders dating to December 2022 because it had no architectural and engineering firm to prepare plans and bids for replacing the old heating system and gas lines, Executive Director Tom Sahlin testified Wednesday.

Rodriguez said her daughter, who also lives in Village 3, got a voucher for a four-bedroom apartment, but works full time and is having trouble searching for private housing.

Some people took Section 8 (vouchers) and cant find places, Rodriguez said. I didnt take it.

She will take her chances staying in authority housing, she said.

The hardest part is trying to find something where they will take Section 8. They are moving too fast, said Jakki Bell, who said she has relatives who live in Stanley Holmes and she is trying to help them find private housing.

Of those who have already moved into new authority housing or Section 8 housing, Bell said some people are happy and some are not.

We dont know where to start, Bell said.
Decked out in red, white and blue, families and friends lined Grant Street and State Street in Bettendorf for the citys Fourth of July parade Thursday.

At 10 a.m. with a squawk of its siren, a Bettendorf Police squad car began creeping down State Street. The parade was officially underway.

Kids (and a few adults) scrambled to collect candy thrown by parade entrants like Bettendorfs Cub Scout Pack 54, Mission BBQ and various political candidates and organizations.

Fair weather, marching bands, flags, dancers, candy and at least one man dressed like Uncle Sam.

Burt and Marilyn Gearhart live in Le Claire, Iowa and said that it was their sixth or seventh year coming to the Bettendorf parade. Theyve had grandkids marching in the Pleasant Valley High School Band for all those years. But beyond supporting their grandkids, they said it was important to remember why the holiday was important.

Its recognizing our country and the soldiers that make days like today possible, Marilyn Gearhart said.

Some parade attendees were disappointed about the postponement of the Red White and Boom! fireworks display, but most seemed to understand.

You cant control the weather, so it is what it is, Parade attendee Scott Garvin said. This is just as fun, its about spending time with the family.

Following the parade, several families that spoke with the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus had plans to stop by the Bettendorf Fourth of July festival, and expected to finish the day with Bettendorfs fireworks display that evening.

If you missed the parades during the week, you can still see an Independence Day Parade this weekend. Buffalo, Iowa, hosts its Buffalo Days Celebration from Friday, July 5 to Sunday, July 7. Buffalo Days culminates with a parade on Sunday beginning at noon.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  A man who stabbed South Koreas opposition leader in the neck earlier this year was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Friday, court officials said.





The knife-wielding man attacked Lee Jae-myung, head of the liberal Democratic Party, South Koreas biggest political party, in January after approaching him asking for his autograph at an event in the southeastern city of Busan. After being detained by police, he told investigators that he wanted to kill Lee to prevent him from becoming South Koreas president.





The Busan District Court said the man was handed the 15-year prison term after being found guilty for an attempted murder and a violation of an election law.





The court said that both the man and prosecutors have one week to appeal.





The attack happened ahead of the countrys crucial parliamentary elections in April, which ended with Lees Democratic Party and other opposition parties winning a massive victory against President Yoon Suk Yeols conservative governing party.





A court verdict called the attack a grave challenge to the countrys election systems and an act that significantly destroys social consensus and confidence on the basic liberal democratic principles," according to Yonhap news agency. It cited the verdict as saying the attacker had long loathed Lee because of differences of political opinions, practiced stabbing his neck in advance and followed him on five public events.





The court's public affairs office couldn't immediately confirm details of Friday's verdict. The court didn't disclose the man's identity. Police earlier said he's about 67.





Democratic Party officials earlier confirmed the attacker became a member last year. The ruling People Power Party said he is currently not their member but media reports said the man, only identified as his surname Kim, was previously affiliated with the partys predecessor.





Lee, a sharp-tongued former provincial governor, lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon, a former top prosecutor, by the narrowest margin recorded in a South Korean presidential election.




The Virginia Bar Association has canceled the first debate in the campaign for Virginias U.S. Senate seat because it said it could not get a timely commitment to participate from Hung Cao, the Republican challenger to Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

The debate, scheduled on July 20 at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, is the traditional kickoff for statewide campaign debate season and the first of three debates that Kaine said he has accepted in his campaign for reelection to a third term.

Cao is a retired U.S. Navy captain from Purcellville in Loudoun County. His campaign provided no explanation, but said it is in negotiations with a statewide media company for a much more visible event.

Kaine spokesman Michael Beyer accused the Republican of hiding from Virginians and refusing to attend the debate to avoid explaining his positions on such issues as Medicare and Social Security, reproductive rights, access to health insurance and the cost of prescription drugs.

Tim Kaine is glad to stand before Virginians and talk about what hes doing to grow our economy, expand health care access while cutting prescription drug prices, and protect reproductive freedom, Beyer said.

Kaine has used the planned debates to put Cao on the defensive after he won the Republican Senate primary in a five-way race on June 18. Two days after the primary, Kaine announced that he had accepted invitations to debates at the Homestead this month and two after Labor Day  one on Sept. 19 in Fairfax County and another on Oct. 2 at Norfolk State University.

Caos campaign said then that it had not yet received the debate invitations, but added that the Republican nominee looks forward to participating in televised debates in the fall.

Marilyn Shaw, communications director for the bar association, confirmed that the organization had not contacted Cao formally, but had communicated with state Republican Party Chairman Rich Anderson weeks before the primary. Anderson said he had alerted all five Republican candidates of the debate prior to the primary and advised them to put that date on their calendar.

Shaw said last week that the bar association had delivered a formal invitation to Caos campaign on June 21, three days after the primary election, but had not received a response.

Evidently they havent responded, said Anderson, who was copied on the emailed invitation. I havent talked to them to see what their thinking is.

The bar association debate has been a longstanding tradition in Virginia politics, but Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a political newcomer who had just won the Republican nomination for governor, declined to participate in 2021 in his campaign against former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Youngkin said he disagreed with the debate format and the choice of moderator, PBS newscaster Judy Woodruff.

The moderator for the July 20 Senate debate was to be Lonnie D. Chip Nunley III, a Richmond attorney who is chairman of the associations board of governors.

Kaine, in his two previous Senate campaigns, participated in bar association debates against former Sen. George Allen, R-Virginia, in 2012 and former Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart in 2018.

Close VBA Executive Director Yvonne McGhee, left, shows warning signs to Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli, right, as staffers Richard Cullen, Jr., center, and Brett O'Donnell, 2nd from right, watch before a microphone check before the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe does a microphone check before the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs VBA Executive Director Yvonne McGhee, left, shows warning signs to Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli, right, as staffers Richard Cullen, Jr., center, and Brett O'Donnell, 2nd from right, watch before a microphone check before the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs Republican Ken Cuccinelli, left, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe, right, during the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Democrat Terry McAuliffe during the debate with Republican Ken Cuccinelli at the Omni Homestead Resort . Republican Ken Cuccinelli, during the debate with Democrat Terry McAuliffe at the Omni Homestead Resort. Republican Ken Cuccinelli, left, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe, center, and moderator Judy Woodruff, right, during the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort . Republican Ken Cuccinelli, left, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe, right, during the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort. Republican Ken Cuccinelli (left) and Democrat Terry McAuliffe during a debate at the Omni Homestead Resort. Republican Ken Cuccinelli, left, shakes hands with Democrat Terry McAuliffe after the debate with at the Omni Homestead Resort. Republican Ken Cuccinelli after the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Democrat Terry McAuliffe after the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe. Gubernatorial debate The first debate between the governor candidates, Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Ken Cuccinelli, at the Homestead in Hot Springs. VBA Executive Director Yvonne McGhee, left, shows warning signs to Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli, right, as staffers Richard Cullen, Jr., center, and Brett O'Donnell, 2nd from right, watch before a microphone check before the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe does a microphone check before the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs VBA Executive Director Yvonne McGhee, left, shows warning signs to Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli, right, as staffers Richard Cullen, Jr., center, and Brett O'Donnell, 2nd from right, watch before a microphone check before the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs Republican Ken Cuccinelli, left, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe, right, during the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Democrat Terry McAuliffe during the debate with Republican Ken Cuccinelli at the Omni Homestead Resort . Republican Ken Cuccinelli, during the debate with Democrat Terry McAuliffe at the Omni Homestead Resort. Republican Ken Cuccinelli, left, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe, center, and moderator Judy Woodruff, right, during the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort . Republican Ken Cuccinelli, left, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe, right, during the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort. Republican Ken Cuccinelli (left) and Democrat Terry McAuliffe during a debate at the Omni Homestead Resort. Republican Ken Cuccinelli, left, shakes hands with Democrat Terry McAuliffe after the debate with at the Omni Homestead Resort. Republican Ken Cuccinelli after the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Democrat Terry McAuliffe after the debate at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe.
Man who targeted single Cancun mothers with daughters arrested for child pornography

Cancun, Q.R.  Two girls have been rescued and one man arrested after a Cancun property search. Local authorities say Didier Abdiel N was taken into police custody for his alleged participation in acts that could constitute the crime of human trafficking in the form of child pornography.

Didier Abdiel N was arrested after Cancun police searched his home and found sexually explicit videos. In a statement, the State Attorney General said Didier Abdiel N targeted single mothers with young daughters whom he took advantage of.

This persons modus operandi consisted of making the girls mothers fall in love with him in order to get close to them. He then proceeded to produce, store and share the child pornography, the state agency reported.

During his arrest, police also rescued two girls aged 5 and 11 who were found in the home at the time of the search.

Authorities say they detected that Didier Abdiel N, now captured, produced, shared and stored child pornography.

Police found videos of him sexually abusing minors, one three years old and the other 11. After recording them, he shared the material with others so a judge issued an arrest warrant against him, which was carried out by elements of the Investigative Police.

At the time of his arrest, they seized objects of crime, and also rescued two underage victims.
Quintana Roo put on red alert as Beryl updated to make landfall as category 2 hurricane

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  The state of Quintana Roo is officially under a red alert (maximum danger). The alert was issued by State Civil Protection shortly after 5:00 p.m. local time.

The red alert has been issued specifically for the municipalities of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Tulum, Solidaridad (Puerto Aventuras/Playa del Carmen) and Jose Maria Morelos, however, hurricane watches remain in effect from Cancun to Mahahual.

Municipalities under a red watch issued shortly after 5:00 p.m. local time.

Photo: State Civil Protection July 4, 2024.

In a brief notice, the Coordinacion Estatal de Proteccion Civil QRoo said based on the information issued by the National Hurricane Center in Miami and disseminated by the National Meteorological Service (SMN) on monitoring and surveillance for the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, Beryl is a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

From Cancun to Tulum, skies were blue and wind light making for the start of a perfect weekend. Photo: Tulum July 4, 2024.

Its center is located 320 km southeast of Cancun and 345 km east-southeast of Tulum, Q. Roo. It has maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h and gusts of 215 km/h and movement towards the west-northwest at 31 km/h. Beryls cloud bands will cause torrential rains (150 to 250 mm) in Quintana Roo, wind gusts of 120 to 140 km/h and waves of 4 to 6 meters high on the states coasts.

A hurricane watch is maintained from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancun including Cozumel and a tropical storm watch from Cancun to Campeche.

It is forecast to impact tonight or early Friday morning as a Category 2 hurricane between the municipalities of Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Beryl remains under permanent surveillance and any significant changes will be reported.

An updated AccuWeather map shows Beryl making landfall in the town of Tulum as a category 2 hurricane. Photo: AccuWeather July 4, 2024.

Intermittent rain accompanied by winds have already begun to hit the region. Beryls nearing presence can be felt from Cancun to Mahahual. Gusts began mid-afternoon that eventually erased a perfectly blue sky and forewarned beachgoers of whats to come.

As winds increased, beachgoers in Tulum were reminded Beryl was not far away. Photo: July 4, 2024.

According to forecast updates, Hurricane Beryl will pass over the Yucatan Peninsula and eventually exit in the Bay of Campeche where it is expected to regain hurricane strength as it heads up the Gulf of Mexico.

Beryl will regain hurricane status next week. Photo: AccuWeather July 4, 2024.

There is a possibility Hurricane Beryl will hit the state of Texas with heavy rain and possible coastal flooding from Galveston to South Padre Island, and the Florida Panhandle.
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -The chief organiser of an Indian preacher's event where a stampede killed 121 people this week surrendered to police on Friday, a lawyer for the preacher said, after police had launched a manhunt.

Devprakash Madhukar was named a key suspect in an initial report registered by police under charges including attempted culpable homicide. Police had announced a reward of 100,000 rupees ($1,200) for information leading to his arrest.

A.P. Singh, lawyer for self-styled godman Bhole Baba, said Madhukar was the main organiser of the Hindu religious event on Tuesday attended by about 250,000 people in a village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. District authorities had permitted an event of only 80,000 people.

"He has surrendered from Delhi. We are not seeking an anticipatory bail," Singh told reporters. He denied any wrongdoing by the event's organisers and said Devprakash was getting medical treatment in a hospital after the stampede.

The preacher said on Saturday he was saddened by the incident and his aides would help the injured and families of the deceased.

"I have faith that anyone who created the chaos will not be spared," he told Indian news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake.

($1 = 83.47 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Shivam Patel in New Delhi; Editing by Matthew Lewis and William Mallard)
When Harvey Milk was elected 47 years ago this November, he became one of the first openly gay people in public office. With a seat on the San Francisco board of supervisorsessentially the city councilMilk was viewed as a promising political force. His career was cut short just over a year after his election, when he was murdered alongside the then-mayor of San Francisco by a homophobic political rival out to settle a personal score. Today, he is one of the most recognizable gay icons of the 20th century. But his story has been sanitized and sanded down to blurb size over the years, such that mainstream mentions of his life rarely capture much of who he actually was.

Advertisement

I didnt know a lot about Milk beyond the broad strokes of his brief political career before I started reporting Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs, the latest season of Slates narrative history podcast. It wasnt clear to me whether hed become a gay rights icon primarily because of his martyring or because he was truly a singular leader. After spending seven months immersed in the story of the Briggs Initiative, a 1978 ballot proposition that would have banned gay teachers from California public schoolswhich Milk made his name organizing againstI have a much deeper understanding of the man whose name now graces a U.S.

Navy ship and an airport terminal at SFO. I learned, from first-hand accounts, that scores of young queer San Franciscans really did see him as a once-in-a-generation leader who gave them new hope for a brighter gay future, and that he was a natural politician in the purest sense, with a talent for building coalitions, solving problems, and making people feel heard. But I also realized that part of what made Harvey Milk special is that, by most conventional and tangible measures, he wasnt special at all.

Milks young adulthood was a microcosm of gay life in mid-century America. He left the military with a less than honorable discharge after a superior discovered he was gay. One night in 1956, when Milk was 25, he was arrested in Miami along with seven other gay men in what a local police sergeant called a routine crackdown on perverts. He got a job teaching, but quit after a year, likely due to a fear that hed be outed. Gay sex was illegal in all 50 states at that time, and teaching licenses were not doled out to criminals.

Advertisement

Milk tried out a slew of different jobs in his 20s and 30s. He worked retail, became an insurance actuary, got into finance, and was even an assistant producer of a Broadway play, which flopped. At the time, Milk was a Republican, and he became an ardent supporter of Barry Goldwater. Though Milk had dated a prominent activist, Craig Rodwell, he was skeptical of and indifferent to the early stirrings of a movement for gay rights.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

But his politics began to shift in the late 1960s, with the escalation of the war in Vietnam. He moved to San Francisco for a spell in 1969, and realized how freeing it was to exist in a place where he could live life openly as a gay man. He settled there for good in 1972, part of a massive migration to the gay mecca of the Western world. Between 1972 and 1977, about 100,000 LGBTQ+ people moved to San Francisco. These new residents made up one-seventh of the citys entire population.

Advertisement

Many of the gay newcomers, including Milk and his then-partner, Scott Smith, settled in the Castro District. Soon, Milk began making waves as a neighborhood advocate for the growing gay community there. He decided to run for the board of supervisors for the first time in 1973, having been radicalized by Watergate and two infuriating small-potatoes incidents related to the city government. He was already well-known enough to carry the Castro and other left-leaning neighborhoods, but he didnt have a broad enough base to win the citywide race.

Milk lost two more campaigns in the years that followed. But he kept up his work as a community activist. He organized residents to boycott area businesses that mistreated gays and allied with the Teamsters to get products from the Coors Brewing Companywhich was union-busting and engaging in racist and homophobic hiring practicesout of all the gay bars. He stood up for gay victims of hate crimes who were mistreated by the police. As the proprietor of his Castro Street camera store, Milk started the Castro Street Fair to boost the local economy and prove to straight business-owners that the gay influx was good for their bottom line. Within three years, the fair was attracting 100,000 people to the neighborhood.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Through these efforts to give gay people a greater sense of ownership over the city they called home, Milk became the person city officials would contact to get a sense of what was going on in gay San Francisco. He also became a major player in the transformation of the Castro. Over the course of the decade, it turned into one of the countrys most vibrant gayborhoods, a place where gay people could find safety, community, and influence in numbers. That influence grew stronger with a successful push in 1976spearheaded by Milk and othersto change the electoral system such that each member of the board of supervisors now represented a smaller district within the city, rather than all seats being at-large.

Advertisement

Now, the Castro and its surrounding neighborhoods could elect one of their own to the boardsomeone who didnt need to have the deep pockets and mainstream appeal to win a citywide race. In 1977, they elected Milk.

Though Milk was a trusted community leader, his election was far from inevitable. He won his seat on the board without ever getting the blessing of a major party or San Franciscos gay political establishment. They rejected Milk from his very first campaign for being too raggedy and radical, and for not paying his proverbial dues before seeking office. He never got the endorsement of the citys gay Democratic clubso he ended up starting his own.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Milk earned his seat not through connections, political experience, or material advantagehis camera shop barely, if ever, turned a profitbut through relentless hard work and thousands of conversations with his neighbors about how their lives could be better. He was driven by a deep-seated anger with a system that trod over city residents who most needed support, and he wasnt dissuaded by the moneyed gays who mocked and dismissed him.

Advertisement

Advertisement

He was also imperfect. He had a quick temper and a loud yell. His big personality chafed at some people, who accused him of being an ego-driven self-promoter. (That may be truepeople who knew him told me that he thought himself the only person who could stop John Briggs. But this is the case for most candidates for political office, though only some of them get flak for it.) The buttoned-up gays thought he was too extreme, and gay lefties thought him insufficiently militant.

Milk knew that he didnt appeal to everyone. But he tried to make his detractors feel like he represented them, too. In the campaign against the Briggs Initiative, he was an indispensable bridge between the various factions of the gay rights movement that launched their own disparate efforts to fight back. And he didnt abandon his local constituents during that statewide campaign: One activist told me about a time when she informed Milk that a Castro cafe run by her lesbian-feminist collective was having problems with a permit they needed to hold evening performances. Milk found a permit they could afford and personally delivered it that day.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Milk came to politics in his early 40s, later in life than many others in the movement. I believe thats one of the reasons why he was so effective. He paired the idealism and raw passion of a new activist with the poise and practicality of a seasoned professional. He took decades to find his place and his purpose; when he arrived there, he had earned the wisdom to serve as a mentor and was full of fresh outrage at the injustices he saw.

But though Milk was a remarkably gifted communicator, he was able to gain the confidence of his community precisely because he wasnt a born politician. He was a barely-scraping-by small businessman whod survived a lifetime of homophobic discrimination and violence, just like everyone else. He patronized the neighborhood haunts and flyered the telephone poles, just like everyone else. When gay-bashers roamed the Castro in the wee hours, targeting men leaving the bars, Milk was on the sidewalks caring for the victims, just like everyone else. And like so many other gay men and lesbians of his generation, he lost his partner, Jack Lira, to suicide, only a few months before his own death.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

In my Slow Burn reporting, I met with several people who were close to Harvey Milk and listened to their reflections on what hed meant to them. But the perspective on Milk that struck me the hardest came from a contemporaneous assessment delivered six months after his death. It was in an audio recording I found from a demonstration at San Francisco City Hall in May 1979, on the day Milks killer was convicted. Its a blistering, off-the-cuff speech given by Amber Hollibaugh, a working-class, high-femme lesbian who committed some of the most striking acts of bravery of the anti-Briggs campaign (and died just a few weeks before I began my reporting). Before a crowd of thousands of furious, grieving gay people, Hollibaugh clambered up the steps of City Hall and began yelling into a megaphone. Its time we stood up for each other! she screamed. Thats what Harvey meant to us. He wasnt some big leaderhe was one of us.

Advertisement

It seems to me that that side of Milkthe radical, raggedy, inexperienced, struggling, dead-broke, controversial, yet enormously effective organizer who inspired people to demand better for themselves and their peershas been lost over the years. In 2008, pegged to the release of the Oscar-winning biopic Milk, NPRs Neda Ulaby asked a smattering of young San Franciscans what they thought about Harvey Milk. Many didnt know much about him at all. One then-24-year-old at an LGBTQ community center told Ulaby that Milks memory was no longer relevant or necessary. I feel like weve got lots of white male gay heroes around here doing lots of different things, they said. I mean, we have tons of gay elected officials.

Advertisement

Advertisement

To my mind, Milk isnt best remembered as a hero. He was just a person who tried his best to make things better where he was. His most impressive feats, including his advocacy for the Castro and his efforts to defeat the Briggs Initiative, came outside of his official duties. He didnt need the imprimatur of the voting public to make a difference; he won his election because hed already made one.

Some historical icons are worth remembering because they were extraordinary people who did extraordinary things. Milk should be remembered for his ordinariness. His story is a rallying cry, showing that its never too late to find a new passion and pursue it with gusto. Its a reminder that doing good work doesnt have to mean tackling intractable national problemsthat small-time, local advocacy can make meaningful changes in peoples lives. And it shows todays queer activists that whatever they have to give to the fight is more than enough. Sometimes, a person who seemingly doesnt have much to contribute to a movement can be exactly what the movement needs.
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!)

The Supreme Courts conservative justices have delivered seismic shocks to the legal system in recent days. In Trump v. United States, they remade the structure of the American government to shield Donald Trump from prosecution. And in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, they overturned Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, a 40-year-old precedent that gave federal agencies leeway to interpret ambiguous statutes. These attention-grabbing decisions have upended the bedrock of modern constitutional and administrative law.

Advertisement

Trump and Loper Bright are the latest high-profile rulings in which the conservatives have unabashedly smashed long-standing precedent and practice over the dissents of the liberals. Youve heard about many of them. They include Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade to eliminate the right to abortion; Janus v. AFSCME, which overturned Abood v. Detroit Board of Education to weaken public-sector unions; and Citizens United v. FEC, which overturned two precedents to gut Americas campaign finance regulations.

Explicit overrulings capture the public imagination. Yet they are exceptions to the more commonand insidiousmethod the courts conservatives typically employ to move the law rightward. Instead of openly overturning precedent in large, fast moves, the Roberts court has more frequently turned to stealth reversals, effectively rejecting previous rulings without acknowledging what it has done. This tactic allows the conservatives to advance their ideological agenda while obscuring the full extent and speed of their politicized reconstruction of national law.

Advertisement

In short: The courts conservatives are overturning precedent at a far greater clip than you realize. And thats by design. At a time when their hard-right jurisprudence has tanked the courts public standing, stealth reversals help conserve the institutions dwindling legitimacy and temper backlash.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Consider a case decided the same day as Loper Bright. In City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, the courts conservatives held that laws criminalizing homeless people who have no access to shelter for sleeping outside do not violate the Eighth Amendments bar on cruel and unusual punishment.

Like Loper Bright, Grants Pass lined up along ideological lines, with the six Republican appointees in the majority over the Democratic appointees dissent. Unlike Loper Bright, Grants Pass is a quintessential stealth reversal, practically nullifying a precedent decided two decades before Chevron, Robinson v. California.

Advertisement

Robinson held that the Eighth Amendments cruel and unusual punishment clause forbids the government from punishing people for living with a status. In striking down a California law that criminalized the status of narcotic addiction, the Robinson court held that the criminal punishment of statuslike being mentally ill, or a leper, or [being] afflicted with a venereal diseasewould doubtless be universally thought to be an infliction of cruel and unusual punishment.

If Robinson means anything, it should bar criminalizing homeless people for their mere existence. Surprisingly, this point was made by Justice Samuel Alito during oral arguments. Invoking Robinson, he told the lawyer defending the criminalization of homeless people for sleeping outside that the connection between drug addiction and drug usage is more tenuous than the connection between absolute homelessness and sleeping outside. This is because sleeping is a biological and physiological necessity.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The Grants Pass majority opinion that Alito joined claims that it does not reconsider Robinson. But it forcefully attacks it, arguing that the earlier case was unprecedented and sits uneasily with the [Eighth] Amendments terms, original meaning, and our precedents. Ignoring Robinsons substantive holding, the majority opinion concludes that Robinson lacks persuasive force. And instead of applying Robinson, the majority opinion repeatedly cites, quotes, and praises Justice Byron Whites dissent in the casethe very opinion the Robinson court had repudiated. Grants Pass doesnt say the talismanic word overruledin fact, it denies that this is whats being donebut thats precisely what it did to Robinsons binding authority.

Advertisement

Stealth reversals like Grants Pass come with real costs. By allowing the conservative justices to claim they are merely applying the law when they are actually subverting it, they bolster an unjustified public narrative that they are adjudicating not in a historically unusual, aggressive, and partisan manner. Decisions that transform the law masquerade as organic developments in jurisprudence, concealing the sharp pivots brought about by Trump-era appointments of conservative movement actors to the bench.

Advertisement

This, in turn, makes it harder for the public, the media, and even legal experts to track the courts rapid rightward shift. In the long run, this cynical distortion of feedback loops suppresses the ongoing democratic dialogue between the court and the public that shapes constitutional law.

Advertisement

Advertisement

By contrast, when the court explicitly overturns precedent, it provides a clear signal that major doctrinal shifts are underway. Overrulings like Loper Bright shape journalistic narratives about the pace of jurisprudential shifts and connect judicial change to new appointments. They alert the public to the potential capture and corruption of the courts process of legal decisionmaking. Moreover, they can be galvanizing to critics, fueling movements that seek to mitigate individual decisions and challenge the courts institutional assertions of power.

Advertisement

Contrast the same-day coverage of Grants Pass and Loper Bright. No mainstream report on Grants Pass noted the overruling or the diminishment of precedent. The New York Times account didnt even mention Robinson (and neither did most others). Conversely, the convulsive rupture of ditching Chevron broke through the cacophony. The Times report explained the foundational 1984 decision in depth and framed the conservative justices overruling with reference to the explicit overrulings on abortion in 2022, on affirmative action in 2023 and now on the power of administrative agencies precipitated by Trumps appointments.

Every year, only a few court cases achieve broad visibility. Explicitly overturning precedent can help rulings penetrate public discourse. People magazine, for example, ran an article covering Loper Bright (headlined Supreme Court Overturns 40-Year Precedent You Didnt Know Existed) that centered the act of overturning to explain what had happened. Such coverage gives nonlawyers an accessible frame to understand and discuss legal change that requires no technical knowledge of specialized fields of law. Barbra Streisand, often featured in People, tweeted after Loper Bright that the Supreme Court overruled 40 years of precedent and overturned the Chevron decision.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Imagine if the court had stealthily overturned Chevron, hollowing out the precedent while paying lip service to it. The practical consequence for legal doctrine could have been like Loper Brights. But would this complicated administrative law case have made the pages of People? And would it have gotten the Streisand boost? Likely not. A stealth reversal of Chevron would have deprived the courts critics of catalysts for public attention that can build democratic mitigation and resistance.

Related From Slate Sonia Sotomayor Is Trying to Warn Us About the Supreme Courts Dirtiest Open Secret Read More

The Roberts courts stealth reversals take many forms. In a forthcoming law review article, Ive offered a typology of seven different constructions, but there are surely more. And they arent limited to a single area of the law. Through stealth reversals, the Roberts court has undercut liberal precedents on criminal procedure, the separation of church and state, workers and immigrants rights, the right to sue the government for damages, and capital punishment, among others. Despite their different shapes and subjects, they all share a commonality: managing public perception of the rate of judicial change to mitigate backlash.

Advertisement

Expect more stealth reversals in the year to come. Explicitly overruling Roe v. Wade, to quote political scientist James Gibson, has produced the greatest lost legitimacy social scientists have ever documented for the Supreme Court as an institution. And 7 out of 10 Americans, according to an Associated Press poll released last week, say the justices are putting ideology over impartiality. In this climate, stealth reversals are a strategic necessity to impose unpopular legal change.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Just this term, we saw the conservative justices unapologetically assert their power in ways that vindicate this public perception. The most obvious examples come in the Trump and Loper Bright cases. But over the dissents of the three Democratic appointees, the Republican appointees also struck down a lifesaving ban on bump stocks; let South Carolina keep using a discriminatory congressional map that disenfranchises Black voters; enfeebled a federal statute guarding against corruption in government; curbed the enforcement power of financial regulators and other agencies in two cases besides Loper Bright; and issued an emergency stay against clean air protections that shield millions of people from a dangerous pollutant.

Its this stealthy but unrelenting erosion of precedent that most immediately reshapes the fabric of American law. As the conservatives continue this reactionary march, many of their most consequential changes come not with a bang but with a judicial sleight of hand.
A selection of short feel-good stories from Slovakia.

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share

Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia from which pessimism and negativity are absent.

Story by a Slovak in Australian magazine and the first translation into Hebrew

A short story by a Slovak writer will be published in the renowned Australian literary magazine Heat in mid-July.

Written by poet, translator and radio presenter Michal Tallo, the magazine will publish the English translation of a piece titled Dreams of This Unfamiliar Earth.

It is part of his new short-stories collection, Everything is Fine, Everywhere is Love, which will be published in July. It is full of stories about tired, nameless people somewhere between reality and feverish dreams, the Slovak Literary Centre reported.

An international literary journal, Heat focuses on innovative poetry, fiction, essays and hybrid literary forms. The magazines aim has always been to publish innovative Australian and international writers of the highest standard.

Michal Hvorecky (Source: Sme)

Meanwhile, the first Slovak book will be published in Hebrew this summer, thanks to the support of the SLOLIA grant. Michal Hvoreckys Troll, published in 2017, will be issued by the Israeli publishing house Pardes Publishing, which also plans to bring other Slovak books to their market in the future, according to the Slovak Literary Centre.

Small girl discovers a rare butterfly considered to be extinct

Pericallia matronula spotted in the Vihorlat Forest. (Source: Rudolf Gabzdil)

A grandad and his granddaughter recently found a special butterfly species while strolling through the Vihorlat Forest nature reserve in eastern Slovakia.

It was Pericallia matronula (a genus of tiger moths in the Erebidae family  ed. note), said entomologist Rudolf Gabzdil, whose three-and-half years old granddaughter spotted it, as quoted by the Korzar regional newspaper. It is considered extinct in several countries of central Europe; and in the east of central Europe and in eastern Europe, where it survives, its rare finds are considered exceptional.

As he continued, his granddaughter spotted the butterfly mostly thanks to its typical yellow underwings.

The rare butterfly, protected by law in Slovakia whose social value has been settled at 230, was last seen in the Vihorlat mountains in 1960. There are some later records of its occurrence in the Bratislava surrounding, as well as in the national parks of Velka Fatra and Slovak Paradise.

A Slovak owns hundreds of dolls from across the globe

Visitors to the village of Cerova in the Zahorie region in the westernmost part of Slovakia can found an exceptional museum in an old barn house.

Local Marek Snelly opened an exhibition of costumed dolls in late June, the MY Zahorie regional newspaper reported. In his collection, which contains some 700 pieces and has already earned him the Slovak record in collecting dolls, one can found original Russian dolls from the 1970s or porcelain dolls from France, as well as retro dolls, dolls from Disney collections or even iconic horror dolls like Anabelle and Chucky. The oldest one comes from 1870.

At the beginning, Snelly collected folk costumes, but later realised something was missing. He then started with collecting dolls.

When I saw that the costumes look exactly like this on people, it all started to make sense to me, he told MY Zahorie.

He then started visiting villages in Slovakia as well as abroad, persuading people to sell him dolls. He says he wants to preserve them for future generations.

Five feel-good stories published by The Slovak Spectator to read:

Political meme of the week

(Source: Facebook/Rosie Naive Art)

Caption: Dude, Im extremely grateful to the voters of this coalition. But we can still rob them, right?

Artist Rosie Babicova, whose works can be found on the internet and social networks under the name Rosie Naive Art, alludes to the recent decision of the Constitutional Court which deemed constitutional several changes to the Penal Code which, among other things, reduce punishments for corruption, shorten the statute of limitation for economic crimes and cancel the Special Prosecutors Office. The amendments were challenged by both former president Zuzana Caputova and the opposition MPs.

You can send me your tips on good news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: radka.minarechova@spectator.sk. Thank you!
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240704/biden-says-he-screwed-up-in-shambolic-debate-as-calls-grow-to-drop-out-1119247022.html

Biden Says He Screwed Up in Shambolic Debate as Calls Grow to Drop Out

Biden Says He Screwed Up in Shambolic Debate as Calls Grow to Drop Out

Sputnik International

Americans overwhelmingly believe the US president is too old to serve another term, but party donors may be the ones who decide the octogenarian politicians fate.

2024-07-04T23:52+0000

2024-07-04T23:52+0000

2024-07-05T07:03+0000

analysis

joe biden

wisconsin

gavin newsham

kamala harris

democratic party

white house

reed hastings

netflix

campaign finance

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/06/1118800663_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_ba1eac969519d211acc8624996834f66.jpg

Hans Christian Andersens fable The Emperors New Clothes remains a widely-understood allegory of elite incompetence almost 200 years after its original publication.Commentators on Russian television have noted the salience of the tale in recent weeks as most Democratic Party lawmakers remain unwilling to acknowledge President Joe Bidens rapid deterioration in health as a stunning 86% of Americans voters now The classic folktale, which has been translated into over 100 languages, tells the story of an egocentric ruler whose subjects are too intimidated by his power to point out his nakedness. Wishing to remain in the emperors good graces, the king's officials complement his fashionable new garment, with only a young child willing to point out he is wearing nothing at all.Commentators on Russian television have noted the saliency of the tale in recent weeks as most Democratic Party lawmakers remain unwilling to acknowledge President Joe Bidens rapid deterioration in health, while a stunning 86% of Americans voters now say the commander in chief is too old to serve a second term.Biden himself acknowledged his troubling performance in last weeks debate with former President Donald Trump during a pre-recorded interview that aired Thursday.Although the expression of humility is striking in US politics, observers still criticized the statement, noting that it cast the presidents apparent mental decline as something closer to a fleeting verbal gaffe or flub. Bidens campaign strategists have again moved the goalposts, suggesting he can redeem his increasingly quixotic candidacy in the coming weeks with a series of make-or-break appearances on ABC News and other media platforms.High-ranking members of the Democratic Party politburo, meanwhile, voiced continued support for the president Wednesday after an emergency White House meeting. Marlylands Wes Moore, Minnesotas Tim Walz, and New Yorks Kathy Hochul were among the state leaders claiming Biden is fit for office, while others such as California governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer voiced support on the X social media platform.But figures close to the president have suggested his family, and especially his wife Jill Biden, are his closest advisors.Joe Bidens inauguration was an image in his mind, read the prologue to author Franklin Foers recent biography of the longtime politician, describing his quest for presidential power. It took hold there decades earlier, and it looked something like a brisk winters day, when the nations establishment huddled around him, wrapping its arms around the kid from Scranton. It was a triumphalist scene, but also a revenge fantasy, since Washingtons liberal elite had long rolled its eyes at him The consistent underestimation of Joe Biden was his diesel. It propelled him to keep chasing the image, over the course of three presidential runs.For now, most Democratic leaders have stood behind Biden, seemingly remaining most concerned with their own career prospects in the party. Some Democratic Party lawmakers are reportedly drafting a letter calling on the president to drop out, threatening to keep the issue in the news in the coming weeks unless the effort is quashed by senior figures.But ultimately, wealthy donors may hold the most power in Americas pay-to-play political system, admitted The New York Times, with Democratic megadonor and Netflix founder Reed Hastings recently becoming one of the most prominent figures to urge Biden to end his candidacy. Some $14.4 billion was spent during 2020s presidential election as much of the United States campaign finance regulations have been struck down by a series of Supreme Court decisions.Some moneyed interests are reportedly working behind the scenes to encourage the president to drop out. Until they do, the thoughts of 86% of the public will apparently remain irrelevant.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240704/panicky-white-house-hits-post-debate-damage-control-button-as-80-of-voters-say-biden-too-old-1119238951.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240703/allies-of-vp-harris-plan-for-scenario-if-biden-drops-out-of-presidential-race---reports-1119235119.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240223/bidens-reliance-on-notecards-raises-concerns-among-democrat-donors--reports-1116941859.html

wisconsin

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

2024

John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg

John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg

biden drop out, biden end campaign, joe biden debate performance, democratic party replace candidate, kamala harris for president, joe biden too old, biden age, presidential election, 2024 elections
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240704/israel-breaks-three-decades-record-in-land-seizures-this-year-1119246719.html

Israel Breaks Three Decades Record in Land Seizures This Year

Israel Breaks Three Decades Record in Land Seizures This Year

Sputnik International

According to an anti-settlement watchdog group, Israel has now claimed their largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in more than three decades.

2024-07-04T22:55+0000

2024-07-04T22:55+0000

2024-07-04T22:55+0000

world

middle east

bezalel smotrich

palestinians

benjamin netanyahu

israel

west bank

palestine-israel conflict

starvation

genocide

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/08/1118329569_0:160:3073:1889_1920x0_80_0_0_ab228e38509c00ed278489635dfe92cc.jpg

According to an anti-settlement watchdog group, Israel has now claimed their largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in more than three decades. The land seizure is the largest since the 1993 Oslo Accords established a framework for a Palestinian state consisting of the West Bank and Gaza, Peace Now said.In June, Israel laid claim to about 12.7 square kilometers (4.9 sq miles) of the Jordan Valley, allowing Israel to allocate that land for new settlements and to block Palestinians from accessing it. Despite their actions being internationally viewed as illegal, Israels Civil Administration published the order on Wednesday - about a week after it was enacted, The Wall Street Journal reported.According to Peace Now, Israel has laid claim to a total of 9 square miles of the West Bank since the start of this year, making 2024 a record year for land seizures. Since October 7, Israel has claimed to operate extensively within the West Bank to eliminate Hamas. Israel has built about 160 settlements that house some 700,000 Jews since it first occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem.More than 500 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed since the war in Gaza first began, while the death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 38,011 with 87, 445 people injured, according to the enclaves health ministry.Muayyad Shaaban, the head of the Palestinian Authority's settlement-monitoring commission explained that the land seizures are designed to dispossess Palestinians as part of a large plan aimed at controlling the eastern part of the West Bank. Meanwhile, the UN has criticized the land seizure as a step in the wrong direction for what they hope can be a two-state solution for the war in Gaza.The report from The Wall Street Journal, an American newspaper, even acknowledged that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state and acknowledges working to weaken the Palestinian Authority. Smotrich, who considers the West Bank a part of a Greater Israel, had also created a new deputy role in Israels Civil Administration, and that post has been filled by a pro-settler who will make decisions regarding land designations.Smotrich also celebrated news that the Israeli militarys Higher Planning Council was meeting to approve plans for over 5,000 new settler homes in the West Bank in a post to X.And last week, the watchdog group released a tape recording revealing that Smotrich's party is planning to complete the transfer of management of settlement from the military to civilian officials; the creation of a legalization bypass route for settlement outposts; expanding the authorization of agricultural outposts; and cracking down on unauthorized Palestinian construction, BBC reported.Peace Now has accused Smotrich and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being determined to fight against the entire world and against the interests of the people of Israel for the benefit of a handful of settlers.Today, it is clear to everyone that this conflict cannot be resolved without a political settlement that establishes a Palestinian state alongside Israel, the group said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240630/hospitals-in-gaza-may-stop-working-in-48-hours-due-to-fuel-shortage-1119190001.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240202/eu-continuing-talks-on-sanctioning-israeli-settlers-in-west-bank---spokesperson-1116564821.html

israel

west bank

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

2024

Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg

Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg

israel, gaza strip, palestinians, occupied land, israeli settlers, israeli occupiers, israeli invaders, occupied palestine, genocide, starvation, israeli attack, israeli strategy, mass extermination, free palestine, ethnic cleansing, humanitarian disaster, humanitarian catastrophe, humanitarian ceasefire, israel-hamas conflict, gaza strip crisis, shelling of gaza, gaza devastation, israel-palestine conflict, palestine-israel conflict, israeli-palestinian conflict, palestinian-israeli, zionist regime, zionists
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/conscripts-in-ukraine-being-forced-to-sign-contracts-with-armed-forces---prisoner-of-war-1119247315.html

Conscripts in Ukraine Being Forced to Sign Contracts With Armed Forces - Prisoner of War

Conscripts in Ukraine Being Forced to Sign Contracts With Armed Forces - Prisoner of War

Sputnik International

Conscripts serving in the Ukrainian military are being forced to sign contracts with the country's armed forces so that they can be sent to the combat area, Valentin Poznyakov, Ukrainian prisoner of war born in 2002, told Sputnik.

2024-07-05T02:05+0000

2024-07-05T02:05+0000

2024-07-05T03:25+0000

ukrainian crisis

ukraine

russia

ukrainian conflict

conscription

conscript

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukrainian army

draft

military draft

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/05/1119247858_0:0:1904:1071_1920x0_80_0_0_3ba6c7ed49ded675e7a950b224f8f729.png

Poznyakov was drafted into the military in 2021 and served as an operator for two and a half years in the electronic warfare forces. In December 2023, he was forced to sign an indefinite contract with the Ukrainian armed forces. When asked whether he was forced to sign a contract, Poznyakov answered in the affirmative. The prisoner of war added that half of the conscripts drafted with him signed contracts. Poznyakov signed the contract until the end of hostilities. He was left alone after a shelling, went to the positions of Russian forces, and was captured in the area of the city of Chasov Yar. Martial law was introduced in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The next day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on general mobilization. The martial law and mobilization have been continuously extended since then. On May 9, 2024, 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.

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

urkaine crisis, ukrainian troops, ukrainian losses, russian forces, russian troops, russia wins, ukraine loses, ukrainian crisis, prisoner of war, urainian soldier, ukrainian prisoner
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/german-defense-budget-to-reach-86bln-by-2028-to-meet-nato-target-1119255428.html

German Defense Budget to Reach $86Bln by 2028 to Meet NATO Target

German Defense Budget to Reach $86Bln by 2028 to Meet NATO Target

Sputnik International

Germany will reach NATO's 2% defense spending target by 2028, growing its annual military budget to 80 billion euros ($86.6 billion) from the current 52 billion, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

2024-07-05T20:09+0000

2024-07-05T20:09+0000

2024-07-05T20:09+0000

military

europe

olaf scholz

germany

nato

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101848/52/1018485228_0:37:4182:2389_1920x0_80_0_0_aea456d5115e4269953de7584fcce2e0.jpg

"This is about a strong defense, strong armed forces that provide protection from the aggressive rulers of our time. That is why we will fully meet the NATO target of 2% every year. From 2028, meaning after the special fund will be fully spent, the regular defense budget will be 80 billion euros to ensure that the 2% target will continue to be met," Scholz told a news briefing. The special fund was set up at Scholz's initiative following the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine. The one-off initiative unlocked 100 billion euros worth of investments for the national defense forces.The country's draft budget for 2025 is expected to reach 481 billion euros, including 57 billion euros worth of investments, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said after the three-way governing coalition announced a provisional budget deal.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/natos-ukraine-hawks-go-down-in-flames-as-proxy-war-against-russia-continues-1119249302.html

germany

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

nato budget target, nato 2% defense spending target, german military budget, how much does germany spend on military
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/hurricane-beryl-slams-into-cayman-islands-after-leaving-a-path-of-destruction-in-jamaica-1119247437.html

Hurricane Beryl Slams Into Cayman Islands After Leaving a Path of Destruction in Jamaica

Hurricane Beryl Slams Into Cayman Islands After Leaving a Path of Destruction in Jamaica

Sputnik International

Hurricane Beryl has rammed into the Cayman Islands after leaving a path of death and destruction in Jamaica.

2024-07-05T04:53+0000

2024-07-05T04:53+0000

2024-07-05T05:03+0000

americas

nicolas maduro

mexico

jamaica

storm

tropical storm

hurricane

extreme weather

natural disasters

natural disaster

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/05/1119247597_0:257:2730:1793_1920x0_80_0_0_94a8d445006a29f94538c03ea730ce06.jpg

Hurricane Beryl has rammed into the Cayman Islands after leaving a path of death and destruction in Jamaica. Beryl, which became a category 3 hurricane with wind speeds near to 120 miles per hour (193km/h) has been wreaking havoc in the Caribbean since Monday, nearly destroying parts of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada.The storm has also damaged or destroyed about 95% of homes in Mayreau and Union Island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, this past week.Earlier on Thursday, meteorologists said Beryl was 50 miles south-west of Grand Cayman but moving away from the island. Hurricane Beryl weakened to a Category 2 storm as it sailed over open water toward Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday where Mexicos tourist centers of Cancun lie.The storms center was roughly 215 miles (345 kilometers) east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico as of Thursday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175km/h) and moving west-northwest at 20 mph (31km/h), AP News reported.Out of fear that the storm may bring more destruction with it, Cancun's airport filled with tourists hoping to board the last flights out before the arrival of the storm. Mexicos defense ministry also opened about 120 storm shelters and shared warnings and instructions on evacuation and other measures.Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, reached its peak earlier this week as the earliest category 5 storm on record. The storm reportedly left at least 11 people dead after ramming through St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela, Grenada and Jamaica, CNN reported.After the storm touched down in Jamaica on Wednesday it forced airports to close and sent nearly 1,000 people into shelters provided for by the government. The storm managed to uplift roofs, electric poles and trees as well as caused widespread flooding, The Guardian reported.The storm also left many without water and at least 60% of people without electricity. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told state media that three people had died as a result of the storm and four more were missing. More than 8,000 homes had also been damaged by Beryl.Laura Velazquez, the head of Mexicos civil defense agency said on Thursday that Beryl is expected to shrink down to a Category 1 hurricane before it reaches an unpopulated area south of Tulum on Friday. However, the storm could rebuild to hurricane strength before hitting the Mexico-US border at Matamoros, she warned.

americas

mexico

jamaica

cayman islands

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

2024

Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg

Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg

jamaica, hurricane beryl, cayman islands, hurricane, storm, extreme weather, natural disaster, hurricane damage, natural catastrophe, catastrophic damage
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/is-kiev-attempting-to-expand-ukrainian-conflict-into-belarus-1119255023.html

Is Kiev Attempting to Expand Ukrainian Conflict Into Belarus?

Is Kiev Attempting to Expand Ukrainian Conflict Into Belarus?

Sputnik International

Ukrainian troop movements near the border with Belarus hint at Kievs desire to drag Minsk into the ongoing conflict, says veteran military and international affairs specialist Andrei Koshkin.

2024-07-05T18:24+0000

2024-07-05T18:24+0000

2024-07-05T18:25+0000

analysis

andrei koshkin

ukraine

belarus

conflict

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0a/15/1114390850_0:0:3077:1731_1920x0_80_0_0_554613b8b2725b3f0ed7768ea7246c55.jpg

Donald Trumps campaign promises to quickly end the Ukrainian conflict also make Kiev nervous enough to consider staging a bloody provocation that might prompt Western powers to send more weapons and money to Ukraine, he suggests. First of all, Kiev seeks to expand the geography of the conflict, to drag Belarus into it while hoping that Poland would become involved as well, Koshkin tells Sputnik. Secondly, to highlight the fact  amid the ongoing election campaign in the US  that if Joe Biden does not resort to radical measures then Donald Trump would end the conflict (if Trump gets elected as president) and investigations into the Biden family affairs in Ukraine would begin.Thirdly, he adds, Ukraine wants to signal to Europe that, if the latter wont help, then Ukraine is not going to defend European democracy. Despite that, Koshkin appears skeptical about Ukraines ability to force a direct military confrontation with Belarus.That said, Ukrainian troops massed on the border with Belarus do concern both in Minsk and Moscow, and it does destabilize the situation in the region, Koshkin remarks.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240701/ukraines-border-guard-confirms-ongoing-military-buildup-on-belarus-border-1119207872.html

ukraine

belarus

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

2024

Andrei Dergalin

Andrei Dergalin

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

Andrei Dergalin

belarus ukraine relations, belarus ukraine border, ukrainian conflict
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/natos-ukraine-hawks-go-down-in-flames-as-proxy-war-against-russia-continues-1119249302.html

NATO's Ukraine 'Hawks' Go Down in Flames as Proxy War Against Russia Continues

NATO's Ukraine 'Hawks' Go Down in Flames as Proxy War Against Russia Continues

Sputnik International

NATO governments stubbornly refuse to start negotiations on ending the conflict in Ukraine, despite the fact that they lack the resources to prolong their proxy war with Russia, lose their political positions and risk further public discontent, Alex Thompson, a British analyst with UK Column, told Sputnik.

2024-07-05T13:15+0000

2024-07-05T13:15+0000

2024-07-07T13:30+0000

world

united kingdom (uk)

ukraine

us

france

europe

russia

nato

european union (eu)

emmanuel macron

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/06/1d/1119179168_0:76:3150:1847_1920x0_80_0_0_b5a32f3e6ce6bd5f0ccc64dbd79b939a.jpg

As NATO prepares for its anniversary summit on July 12, three major Ukraine "hawks" - US President Joe Biden, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - are facing political defeat.The British Tories lost elections to the Labour on July 4; Macron, after losing the first round of the French snap vote, is going to cross swords with the National Rally on July 7. President Joe Biden is urged to drop out by the Dems after the debate debacle with Donald Trump.Volodymyr Zelensky, whose five-year term as president expired on May 20, is also on thin ice as reports of his possible replacement by Ukraine's Western allies continue to surface.While there seems to be no consensus in the West on who could fill Zelensky's shoes amid Ukraine's retreat, NATO's stubborn insistence on prolonging the conflict at all costs is at odds with economic and political realities in the US and Europe.This spring, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a stronger EU defense, proposing to double the EU budget and peddling the idea of a "great European loan" to finance the bloc's rearmament efforts."Macrons call for joint bonds and increased borrowing by Ukraines European allies is a tacit admission that Eurozone governments lack financial sovereignty because of the coordination of their budgets and debts," the pundit highlighted.Why is West Ignoring Reality?The Western leadership's ignorance could be caused by the fact that "NATO member states chains of military aid authorization are now devoid of almost any 'old Russia hands' who, for instance, speak Russian or have a long-term background in understanding the state of Russian society," according to Thomson.At the same time, the expert does not rule out the possibility that Western elites are deliberately ignoring the discontent of their populations, the economic slowdown facilitated by anti-Russian sanctions, and the protracted proxy war in Ukraine in order to overhaul their respective economies under the slogan "Build Back Better" - something they largely failed to do during the COVID pandemic."Given UK Columns research over the past decade, I am perfectly prepared to posit that the couple of hundred people who run the various Western economies would positively welcome both of these ways of breaking the economy to recreate it in their own image; these are both plans that have been spoken about in Western elite circles for many decades," the UK Column analyst said."The British military, in particular, has openly spoken in the past couple of years about there being no binary state of war or peace any more, and the British security state regards public figures who are insufficiently hostile to Russia as being threats to domestic order, harassing and detaining some of them under counter-terrorism legislation," he added.Swiss Ukraine Summit & Putin's Peace DealIn light of this, the analyst doesn't see the June Swiss summit on Ukraine as a genuine peace effort, but only as a way "to placate the Zelensky government, which has said more openly than ever that it can no longer face a protracted war.Thomson went on to say that he does not trust Switzerland's good faith as a peace broker, nor does he believe that Bern is truly neutral in the Ukraine conflict."The absence of almost all the current and potential members of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) indicates that nations even vaguely within Russias economic and military sphere had no confidence in the bona fides of the Swiss summit. Even Hungary, a Western neighbor of Ukraine that is a member of NATO and the EU, only attended at the last minute," Thomson added.The day before the summit began, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented Ukraine with his own peace proposal based on realities on the ground. Putin said Ukraine would have to withdraw from the entire territory of the Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, which voted to join Russia, and renounce Kiev's goal of joining NATO before peace talks could begin.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240620/west-plans-to-sacrifice-zelensky---russian-intel-1119032786.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240628/debate-debacle-democrats-need-to-find-new-candidate-asap--wall-street-analyst-1119163291.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240702/nato-faces-key-weapons-gaps-as-ukraine-eats-its-way-into-stocks-1119217102.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240618/why-global-south-countries-refused-to-sign-swiss-summits-ukraine-plan-1119014198.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240623/why-article-5-wont-save-ukraine-if-kiev-joins-nato-1119079025.html

united kingdom (uk)

ukraine

france

russia

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

2024

Ekaterina Blinova

Ekaterina Blinova

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

Ekaterina Blinova

ukraine war, nato summit in july, elections in the uk, rishi sunak, french elections, emmanuel macron, joe biden asked to drop out, volodymyr zelensky, west's proxy war against russia
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/orban-arrives-in-moscow-to-meet-with-putin---spokesman-1119251599.html

Orban Arrives in Moscow to Meet With Putin - Spokesman

Orban Arrives in Moscow to Meet With Putin - Spokesman

Sputnik International

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived in Moscow and will hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Orban's spokesman Bertalan Havasi said on Friday.

2024-07-05T09:42+0000

2024-07-05T09:42+0000

2024-07-05T10:28+0000

russia

viktor orban

moscow

vladimir putin

russia

hungary

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/1a/1118644276_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_3add6953c0006503e3b76b8b6c93dd5b.jpg

"As part of the peace mission, Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow. The head of government will meet with President Vladimir Putin," Havasi said, as quoted by the MTI news agency.Orban said that his visit to Russia is a continuation of his "peace mission."

moscow

russia

hungary

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

orban and putin, orban meets with putin, orban talks with putin, orban in moscow
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/putin-and-orban-hold-talks-in-moscow-1119251991.html

Putin and Orban Hold Talks in Moscow

Putin and Orban Hold Talks in Moscow

Sputnik International

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow on Friday to hold a high-level meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

2024-07-05T10:32+0000

2024-07-05T10:32+0000

2024-07-05T10:32+0000

world

vladimir putin

viktor orban

moscow

russia

hungary

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0a/11/1114255580_0:0:2831:1592_1920x0_80_0_0_2dd33f8272cf9b632c9652d9499785b7.jpg

Sputnik comes to you live as the Russian and Hungarian heads of state meet in Moscow.Earlier today, Orbans spokesperson confirmed the PMs visit. The leaders are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation and some of the most pressing issues in the international arena.Follow Sputniks live feed to learn more!

moscow

russia

hungary

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 Orban Sputnik International Putin Orban 2024-07-05T10:32+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

orban and putin, orban meets with putin, orban talks with putin, orban in moscow
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/russia-india-enterprise-hands-35000-ak-203-assault-rifles-to-indian-armed-forces---rostec-1119250514.html

Russia-India Enterprise Hands 35,000 AK-203 Assault Rifles to Indian Armed Forces - Rostec

Russia-India Enterprise Hands 35,000 AK-203 Assault Rifles to Indian Armed Forces - Rostec

Sputnik International

A Russian-Indian joint venture has handed over 35,000 AK-203 assault rifles to the Indian Armed Forces, the Rostec State Corporation said in a statement.

2024-07-05T07:33+0000

2024-07-05T07:33+0000

2024-07-05T07:33+0000

military

india

russia

indian armed forces

indian defense ministry

kalashnikov

rostec

ak-203

assault rifle

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/05/1119250599_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_4d5c99ad8b3a2a624876718ac19962d7.jpg

The Russian-Indian joint venture Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited, registered and located in India, has manufactured and transferred 35,000 Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles to the Indian Defense Ministry. The founders of the enterprise on the Russian side are [state defense export enterprise] Rosoboronexport and the Kalashnikov Concern of the Rostec State Corporation," Rostec said. Rostec said Russia and India keep implementing defense industry projects. Current and future programs are focused on technological cooperation between the sides.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240613/new-russian-pkz-machine-gun-weighs-less-and-packs-a-punch-1118927542.html

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

russia india cooperation, russia india ties, russia india relations, russia india military cooperation, russia india joint enterprise
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/uk-conservative-party-suffers-worst-electoral-defeat-in-partys-history--exit-poll-1119248572.html

UK Conservative Party Suffers Worst Electoral Defeat in Partys History  Exit Poll

UK Conservative Party Suffers Worst Electoral Defeat in Partys History  Exit Poll

Sputnik International

Meanwhile Labour is set to become the largest party in the House of Commons after Nigel Farages Reform UK party split the rightwing vote.

2024-07-05T03:59+0000

2024-07-05T03:59+0000

2024-07-05T03:59+0000

world

jeremy corbyn

keir starmer

nigel farage

united kingdom (uk)

israel

labour party

house of commons

conservative party

snap election

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/07/1110987372_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_cbf3ae1e7d8a229ff69fba1b744de91d.jpg

The UKs ruling Conservative Party suffered an historic defeat in Thursdays election, according to exit polling, with Keir Starmers Labour Party the primary beneficiary of the collapse in support.Exit surveys predicted the party of current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will lose a stunning 234 seats, the worst result in the partys history, leaving it with an estimated 131 members in the House of Commons. The Labour Party, meanwhile, is expected to end the night with about 410 seats, returning the party to power for the first time since its defeat in 2010 under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.Weve not really given enough thought to what the electorate wants, said one unidentified Tory minister quoted by Politico. Some of it is our own mismanagement.We will go through a grieving process, then we will have to at some point earn the right to be heard again, said Conservative minister Steve Baker to the BBC.Sunak has been criticized by party members for calling the risky early election. The British Prime Minister, the wealthiest in history and the countrys first leader of Indian descent, has ruled without an electoral mandate since the resignation of his predecessor Liz Truss in 2022. Truss, herself an unelected Prime Minister, resigned after less than two months in power, symbolizing the highly chaotic nature of UK politics since former Tory leader Boris Johnsons ascent to power in 2019.Indeed, exit polling indicates the desire for change was the primary motivating factor in Thursdays election, with the Labour Party sailing to victory despite perhaps the lowest voter turnout ever recorded.Defenders of former party leader Jeremy Corbyn have pointed out that Starmers Labour Party won Thursday with a lower share of the popular vote than the 40% garnered during the partys narrow loss under Corbyn in 2017. But the UKs first-past-the-post electoral system rewarded Starmers strength in more rural constituencies whereas support for Labour under Corbyn was more concentrated among younger voters in urban areas.Labour was also granted an assist this year from Nigel Farages Reform UK party, which split the right-of-center vote. The populist party surprised observers with its better than expected performance, winning 13 seats and pushing the Conservative Party into third place in many constituencies.Starmer has earned the ire of many Labour supporters for expelling Corbyn from the Labour Party over his response to a concocted antisemitism crisis in the party. Corbyn was opposed by Zionist donors in the UK, who rejected his defense of the Palestinian cause.The [Zionist] lobbys campaign against Corbyn got help from the Israeli government, British intelligence, and the entire British media, including the liberal Guardian newspaper, the BBC, the right wing of the Labour Party, and even the CIA, reported the website Modoweiss.Starmers allies have signaled the party will promote neoliberal policy during his time as prime minister, with Reeves claiming the UK will be a safe haven for wealthy investors. Starmer has promised to work with business to stimulate growth, with an agenda that includes planning reform and state investment in green technology, reported the Financial Times.Labour will also pursue a traditional agenda of reforms to worker rights, the newspaper added, without elaborating.Results indicate Corbyn will win reelection in his Islington North constituency, maintaining a platform in parliament to criticize Labours establishment-oriented leader and his support for Israel's deadly military operation in Gaza.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240129/uk-labour-party-suspends-mp-after-she-suggests-gaza-conflict-is-a-genocide-in-x-post-1116459166.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231010/uk-labour-leader-keir-starmer-glitter-bombed-as-protester-storms-stage-1114079599.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240215/41-uk-labour-mps-accepted-money-from-pro-israel-lobbying-groups-1116788992.html

united kingdom (uk)

israel

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

2024

John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg

John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg

News

en_EN

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

1920 1080 true

1920 1440 true

1920 1920 true

Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60

John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg

uk 2024 election, britain snap election, rishi sunak election, keir starmer prime minister, jeremy corbyn reelection, keir starmer neoliberal, keir starmer mi5
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/uks-sunak-confirms-he-stepping-down-as-prime-minister-1119249885.html

UK's Sunak Confirms He Steps Down as Prime Minister

UK's Sunak Confirms He Steps Down as Prime Minister

Sputnik International

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed on Friday that he is stepping down as prime minister of the United Kingdom after conceding defeat to the Labour Party in the parliamentary election.

2024-07-05T07:10+0000

2024-07-05T07:10+0000

2024-07-05T07:15+0000

world

rishi sunak

united kingdom (uk)

london

labour party

uk house of commons

house of commons

uk parliament

uk elections

https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/05/1119250102_0:252:3072:1979_1920x0_80_0_0_25525c4de94a6e2daa2b868d5d822b49.jpg

Sunak said earlier on Friday that he called Labour Party leader Kier Starmer to congratulate him on the victory in the parliamentary election. The leader of the party that wins the parliamentary election becomes the country's prime minister and forms a new government.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240705/uk-conservative-party-suffers-worst-electoral-defeat-in-partys-history--exit-poll-1119248572.html

united kingdom (uk)

london

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

uk elections, elections in britain, uk prime minister rishi sunak, sunak steps down, who won the uk elections, uk election results
Stable Genius was photoed out last week closing as the favourite in the weekly fast-class trot at Harrahs Philadelphia, but this week driver Todd McCarthy raced the Muscle Mass gelding on the lead, and the pair combined for a three-quarter length decision over Chake in Thursdays (July 4) $20,548 handicap trot at the southeast Pennsylvania oval.

McCarthy got away third in the early action with Stable Genius as Chake took the field to a :27.2 quarter, then pointed his trotter frontward in front of the stands and had command before the :57.1 half. The two kept those positions through and past a 1:25.3 three-quarters, and Chake made the winner work to hold his advantage, which he did to the wire in the 1:54 mile. Jeff Cullipher trains the sharp winner for Pollack Racing LLC.

In the very next race, Todd McCarthy came back with the Muscle Hill sophomore colt Lavishness to take a new mark of 1:55.1 in one of two divisions of a $16,438 subfeature trotting class. Lavishness has now won three straight races and is improving from start to start, here succeeding for McCarthy (whose three wins led all drivers), trainer Lucas Wallin, and owners Wallin Racing Stable Inc., Wiesman Farms LLC, Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing, and Peter Delis.

The other Trottin Thursday co-feature also saw the winner take a new mark, as the Six Pack three-year-old filly Six Inch Heels lowered her lifetime standard to 1:56. The sophomore grinded powerfully and successfully for driver Troy Beyer, trainer Christopher Freck, and owners James Magno and Marita Berglund.

With the stakes season for two-year-olds starting up, there were three $15,411 contests for pacing freshmen to help them continue polishing their skills.

Two of these races were for males: one went to the Captaintreacherous  Pure Paradise colt Captain Paradise while taking an impressive mark of 1:52.4 for driver Corey Callahan, trainer Jake Leamon, and owner Rick Berks; also successful among the boys was Pineapple Crunch, a Captain Crunch  Pineapple Hanover colt who made his purse bow a triumphant one in 1:55.1 by winning a photo for driver George Napolitano Jr. and Team Cancelliere  trainer Tom and owner John.

The baby filly returning to Victory Lane was also a debuting member of Team Cancelliere  the Papi Rob Hanover  If Ur Richimsingle miss Sheila Sazs, driven by Corey Callahan to a 1:56 triumph.

Racing continues at Harrahs Philadelphia this weekend, with a Friday (July 5) card beginning at 12:25 p.m. and a Sunday (July 7) program starting at 12:40 p.m.

(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)
An 82-year-old man died Saturday in Valentine after being hit by a car while riding his bike, the Cherry County Attorney's Office said.

Cherry County emergency personnel were called about a report of a bicycle lying on the shoulder of U.S. 20 near Valentine on Saturday morning, County Attorney Eric Scott said in a news release.

Larry Covalciuc of Council Bluffs, Iowa, who was in the area participating in the Tour de Nebraska bicycle ride, was found on the ground in a nearby ditch and was pronounced dead at the scene. His bike was found off the designated Tour de Nebraska route.

Covalciuc was the owner of Larry Covalciuc Photography in Omaha. According to his website, Covalciuc grew up in South Omaha.

Adam Cooper, 35, of Arkansas, was charged with felony motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of an accident, according to the news release.
Two sisters were arrested on drug charges after a traffic stop on June 21.

Teresa Kiser Forrest, 62, of Pratt Lane, Statesville, and her sister, Sherry Kiser Jenkins, 61, of Loray Lane, Statesville, were each charged after a traffic stop by an Iredell County Sheriffs Office deputy, said Sheriff Darren Campbell.

Forrest was charged with felony possession of methamphetamine and felony maintaining a vehicle for the use of narcotics and misdemeanor charges of possession of Schedule IV and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. A magistrate set bond at $10,000.

Jenkins was charged with two counts of trafficking opium or heroin and one count of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver Schedule II and misdemeanor charges of possession of Schedule IV, possession of Schedule V and possession of drug paraphernalia. A magistrate set bond at $100,000.

Campbell, in a news release, said that on June 21, Deputy Hunter English stopped a vehicle on Woodbridge Road near the intersection with Loray Lane. The vehicle was occupied by two women, identified as Forrest and Kiser.

Both of the women exhibited signs of extreme nervousness and had differences in their stories, Campbell said.

Sgt. Nathan Hodges came to assist with the traffic stop and walked his canine, Levi, around the vehicle. Levi. Campbell said gave a positive indication for the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle, Campbell said. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a trafficking amount of oxycodone pills and Schedules IV and V in a bag belonging to the passenger, Jenkins, Campbell said.

When Forrest was asked if she had anything on her, she said she did and pulled methamphetamine and Schedule IV from her pocket, Campbell said.

Every ounce of drugs we remove from the streets makes a significant impact. Even the smallest amount taken out of circulation disrupts the supply chain and contributes to our ongoing efforts to combat the drug epidemic. Campbell 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:

BDS PPP-AR/PPP-RTK service system. Credit: Satellite Navigation (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s43020-024-00143-8

The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) is undergoing a significant upgrade to meet the burgeoning needs for high-precision positioning across various sectors. The new services aim to provide decimeter-level accuracy within minutes, a substantial improvement over the current capabilities.

This advancement is crucial for emerging technologies such as autonomous driving, robotic navigation, and smart city infrastructures, which rely on reliable and precise location data for effective operation.

With the rapid growth of technologies like autonomous driving and robotic navigation, the demand for highly accurate and reliable positioning systems has surged. Traditional systems such as Global Positioning System (GPS), GLObal NAvigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and Galileo have set high standards, but challenges like limited regional coverage and long convergence times remain.

These issues underscore the need for enhanced navigation satellite systems. The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) aims to address these challenges by improving its high-precision services, making it a vital player in the global positioning landscape.

Researchers from the Beijing Institute of Tracking and Telecommunication Technology, in collaboration with the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory and Wuhan University, have published a study in the journal Satellite Navigation. Released on 24 June 2024, the study details the BeiDou system's high-precision services, outlining its current state, achievements, and future trajectory.

The study examines BeiDou's high-precision services, focusing on the PPP-B2b of BDS-3, which achieves decimeter-level accuracy within 14 minutes. Despite its advancements, BDS-3 lags behind international counterparts like Galileo's High Accuracy Service (HAS) and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System's (QZSS's) Centimeter-Level Augmentation Service (CLAS) in regional coverage and convergence time.

To address these limitations, the research proposes a multi-layer development framework, emphasizing the integration of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Incorporating a LEO constellation of 288 satellites can improve positioning accuracy to better than 5 cm within approximately 1 minute, enhancing global coverage and significantly reducing convergence time.

Simulation results demonstrate that LEO-enhanced PPP services can achieve rapid and precise positioning, overcoming current limitations and positioning BeiDou as a leader in high-precision satellite navigation.

Dr. Xingxing Li from Wuhan University stated, "The advancements in BeiDou's high-precision services are pivotal for meeting the escalating demands of modern navigation applications. The integration of LEO satellites is particularly promising, as it significantly enhances coverage and reduces convergence time, bringing us closer to achieving real-time, centimeter-level positioning accuracy on a global scale."

The enhanced BeiDou high-precision services have profound implications for various applications, including autonomous driving, unmanned aerial vehicles, and smart device navigation. The proposed improvements in global coverage and convergence time will enable more accurate and reliable positioning solutions, fostering innovation and efficiency in these fields.

This progress represents a significant step forward in the evolution of global navigation satellite systems, positioning BeiDou as a leader in high-precision services.

More information: Weiguang GAO et al, High-precision services of BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS): current state, achievements, and future directions, Satellite Navigation (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s43020-024-00143-8
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:

Boeing was plunged into crisis mode in January when a 737 MAX flown by Alaska Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing after a fuselage panel blew out mid-flight.

More than five years after two fatal 737 MAX crashes, Boeing faces a fresh legal reckoning now that prosecutors have concluded the company flouted an earlier settlement addressing the disasters.

The aviation giant had been on a Friday night deadline to accept or reject a Department of Justice proposal that would require it to plead guilty to fraud during the certification of MAX airplanes, sources told AFP.

There had been no public comment either way by the evening, and a lawyer for the families of the 737 crash victims, Robert Clifford, told AFP that he believed the deadline would be extended over the weekend if Boeing asked for more time.

Boeing's latest legal predicament was triggered by a DOJ determination in mid-May that the company ignored a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) by not meeting requirements to improve its compliance and ethics program after the MAX crashes.

Under a proposal presented by the DOJ to families of MAX crash victims, Boeing would pay an additional $243 million penalty and agree to have an external monitor, said Tracy Brammeier, an attorney at Clifford Law who represents families of MAX victims.

"The guilty plea is significant. No one wants to be a convicted or admitted felon," said Brammeier, who nonetheless described family members as dissatisfied with the proposal.

The DOJ has said it will notify a US court on how it will proceed no later than July 7, with the agency expected to announce steps to prosecute Boeing should the company reject the settlement.

Boeing, which has previously said it honored the terms of the DPA, declined comment.

Family members of those who died aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 arrive with pictures of their loved ones during a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing.

Public interest served?

The original DPA was announced in January 2021 near the end of the Trump administration over charges that Boeing knowingly defrauded the Federal Aviation Administration during the certification of the MAX.

The agreement required Boeing to pay $2.5 billion in fines and restitution in exchange for immunity from criminal prosecution.

A three-year probationary period was set to expire this year. But in January, Boeing was plunged back into crisis mode when a 737 MAX flown by Alaska Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing after a fuselage panel blew out mid-flight.

In a May 14 letter to the US court, DOJ officials said that Boeing breached its obligations under the DPA by "failing to design, implement, and enforce a compliance and ethics program to prevent and detect violations of the US fraud laws throughout its operations."

Families of victims, who have pressed for a criminal trial of Boeing and its top executives, remain unhappy that the new plea agreement does not explicitly link Boeing's fraud to the 346 fatalities from crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia, according to Brammeier.

"The families want accountability and still are not getting it," Brammeier said.

Michael Stumo, father of Samya Rose Stumo, who died in the 2019 crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.

Michael Stumo, who lost his daughter, Samya Rose Stumo, in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash, said the DOJ should also impose much stiffer fines on Boeingfrom $10 to $20 billionwith the caveat that they could be suspended if the company invests in safety and quality control.

"It's too good a deal for Boeing," said Stumo, who added that Boeing should not have a say in who is appointed its independent monitor.

Miriam Baer, a law professor at Brooklyn Law School, said the DOJ's decision to stick with the original chargerather than supplement itreflects a desire to "bring the claims that could be most easily proven if it goes to trial."

John Coffee, a law professor at Columbia University, said DPAs like Boeing's often "poorly serve" the public interest because "prosecutors probably care much more about achieving a conviction than ensuring the defendant is adequately deterred and restrained," he wrote in a blog post this week.

Coffee suggested the DOJ should consider measures such as barring CEO compensation models that encourage risk-taking, or ensuring that funds clawed back from executives who plead guilty of wrongdoing go to whistleblowers as a way "to shift some of the cost of deterrence from shareholders to senior management."

 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:

Samsung Electronics has said it expects second-quarter profits to surge thanks to a bounceback in chip prices.

Samsung Electronics said Friday it expects second-quarter operating profits to rise more than 15-fold on-year as chip prices bounce back and demand for generative AI continues to grow.

The firm is the flagship subsidiary of South Korean giant Samsung Group, by far the largest of the family-controlled conglomerates that dominate business in Asia's fourth-largest economy.

The world's largest memory chip maker said in a regulatory filing that its April-June operating profits were expected to rise to 10.4 trillion won ($7.54 billion), up 1,452.2 percent from 670 billion won a year earlier.

The expectation exceeded the average estimate by 25.8 percent, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, which referenced its financial data firm.

Sales, meanwhile, are expected to rise 23.3 percent to 74 trillion won, Samsung said.

Semiconductors are the lifeblood of the global economy, used in everything from kitchen appliances and mobile phones to cars and weapons.

And demand for the advanced chips that power AI systems has skyrocketed thanks to the success of ChatGPT and other generative AI products.

"The development of AI has driven the demand for high-capacity SSDs," Taipei-based research firm TrendForce's analyst Avril Wu said, referring to a new generation of storage devices used in computers.

Due to Samsung's ability to produce higher-layer, non-volatile storage that does not require power to retain data, the firm "is expected to be one of the main beneficiaries," she told AFP.

Semiconductors are South Korea's leading export and hit $11.7 billion in March, their highest level in almost two years, accounting for a fifth of South Korea's total exports, according to figures released by the trade ministry.

The United States in April announced grants of up to $6.4 billion to Samsung to produce cutting-edge chips in Texas.

That same month, industry tracker International Data Corporation (IDC) said Samsung regained its position as the top smartphone seller, wresting back the lead from Apple.

Samsung is set to unveil its latest flagship foldable smartphones, equipped with AI features, along with a range of accessories including a new health-monitoring "smart ring", on July 10 in Paris.

The tech giant should see a "greater uptick" going into the second half of this year, also driven by its mobile experience division, "which will benefit from 'premiumisation' trend of smartphones in its key markets," Neil Shah, research vice resident at Counterpoint Research, told AFP.

Meanwhile, Samsung's "large reported net cash position continues to support its credit quality," Gloria Tsuen, vice president and senior credit officer at Moody's Ratings, said.

Samsung is expected to release its final earnings report at the end of this month.

 2024 AFP